{ELEMENTISTS OF WILLOW FOREST BOOK IV} The Day of Death

Chess, Rachael and Something Else You'll Find Out About If You Read On

16:  Chess, Rachael and Something Else You'll find out about If You Read On

 

 

 

That evening, while Josie went off to voluntarily have her fingers frozen off, I eagerly found my way to what I was told was the Form 6A classroom.

Nervously, I opened the door.  What if all the people were really good at chess?  What if they beat me every time, then I went to play in a tournament against another school and did something really stupid like moving a side pawn at the beginning then the other person put me in check within a few moves and I'd stupidly put my King surrounded in the corner, so I couldn't move out of check so it was checkmate and I looked really really stupid?

Maybe I should have gone to voluntarily have my fingers frozen off after all.

I walked into the room, where about a dozen or so people were seated, and playing chess against each other.  Oh no.  Was I late?

 "Hey!"  A man said.  He was tall and dark, with dark skin, dark eyes, dark hair and dark clothes, and you'd think (age ten) that because he wore dark clothes he was evil, but he smiled warmly.  "Are you here to join Chess Club?"

I nodded, not quite sure what to say.

 "That's great!  We always welcome new members!  I'm Bruce." He clapped his hands on the shoulders of a boy with russet skin and messy, jet black hair.  "Felix's dad."

"Da-ad."  Felix moaned.

Bruce looked to me, to Felix, and back to me.  "Are you two in the same year?"

"No."  Felix answered for me.  "This is Olivia Green.  Year Five.  New on Monday.  Lives at the Care Home, came to the Care Home on Sunday."

How did he know all that about me?  I'd never met him.

"Well then, it looks like you know each other already anyway!  Olivia, do you know how to play chess, or are you a beginner?"  Bruce asked.

"No."  I replied.  "I can play chess.  And I can win."

Bruce laughed.  "Alright!  Do you want to play Felix?  I need to add your name to the register."

Felix shrugged.  "Okay then."

We sat down at a board on the nearest table.  Felix spun the board around.  "You be white.  It's okay, I'll go easy on you." 

"Please don't."  I retorted, and finished setting up all the pieces.  I was missing a pawn, so Felix fished a piece of foil out of his pocket, scrunched it up, and we used that.