The Writers Voice
The World's
Favourite Literary Website
Recovery Room
by
Ofavon
The prompt is a chessboard with the first move (Pawn to K4) shown.
Death stared at the board and moved his pawn to King 4.
“Why are you playing white?” Mr. Duncan said nervously, “It gives you a
slight edge you know.”
“Death always has a slight edge.”
“I think it’s unfair,” Mr. Duncan said. “After all, I’m playing for my
life.”
“Would you expect to have an advantage over death?”
Mr. Duncan shifted in his seat. “I haven’t played chess in years. You
probably play every day.”
Death looked at him confidently. “Sometimes three and four times a day. I
moved Pawn to King 4, are you going to play or are you conceding already.”
“Oh no! I’ll play. I don’t have a chance at all if I don’t play.”
“That’s right.”
Mr. Duncan moved Pawn to Queen’s Bishop 3. “Are we playing by the clock?” he
asked.
“No need for that. It’s just a friendly game -- you against me.” Death moved
Knight to Queen’s Bishop 3.
“Wait, can we start over? I know what you’re going to do and I really don’t
have a good defense against that.”
“You’re trying to delay the inevitable, Mr. Duncan. You agreed to the
operation, didn’t you?”
“Yes, but ...”
“The doctor told you there was no guarantee. Didn’t you agree to go ahead
with it?”
“What choice did I have?”
“You could have said no. Some people do - they take their chances. A few
months, a year maybe. You wanted more. You lost.”
Mr. Duncan stands abruptly and turns his King over. Death glares at him. “You
can’t resign now, we’ve only just begun.”
“You will win. I know you will win. I don’t have a chance.”
“That’s not very sporting of you, you should play the game. Who knows?”
Death laughs at him. “I might let you win.”
“No you won’t. You’ll play with me and just when I think I may have a
chance, you’ll close the door. I don’t mind dying, believe me - but I don’t want
to
lose.”
Death stands and the two of them stare at each other. “Damn you! Damn you!”
Death shouts at him. He sweeps the men off the chessboard, turns his back on
Duncan and walks off.
Mr. Duncan sits again and watches him go. There is a voice behind him, “Mr.
Duncan. Awake, Mr. Duncan?”
“Who is it?”
“Good news, Mr. Duncan.”
The End
Critique this work
Click on the book to leave a comment about this work
