Jim Armstrong and the Goblet's Curse

Chapter 7: I'd Rather Forget Some Memories

I was back again.

The park was still and silent, only the slightest breeze rustling the trees that stood alone in the center. I sat under it with Cass, the chess board between us. Dad sat a little ways away, reading his novel. The day was bright and clear, not a cloud in the sky.

It wouldn't be for long.

I smiled slightly as Cass bit her lip in concentration, then moved the white knight, her favourite piece. Little did she know that I had my trusty bishop to take it down. I put the bishop in the knight's place, plucking the knight from the board.

"No fair!" She yelled in frustration, though she was smiling. She always pretended to get mad, but really didn't care that much when I won every game that we played. Dad looked up from his book, chuckled and went back to reading.

I knew how this went, and yet, I couldn't do anything to stop it. Any second now.

The wind grew stronger, strong enough to blow my hair around. It would have blown Cass's hair too, if she'd had any anymore. It started blowing the chess pieces and the board away. The sky started growing darker. And kept going. Dad looked up in alarm, then got to his feet. He put his book away and pulled us hastily up too.

The worst part's coming. And I can't do anything. Again.

"What's happening?" Cass asked, fear in her little voice.

"Go! Bet back to the house!" Dad yelled.

"But the chess board! And the pieces!" Cass yelled back. I could barely hear her voice over the wind. "My knight!"

"I've got it Cass!" I yelled, but the wind swept my words away. Dad turned to me.

"Jim, take your sister an- CASSIDY!" Cass had ripped herself out of dad's grip and was running towards the chess board and the scattered pieces. I started after her, but dad pushed me back. "No! I'll get her! You run!"

I did. What might've happened it I didn't? I'll never know.

I turned and I ran hard, harder than I had ever run in my life. I gripped the knight so hard that it cut into my skin. The ground started quaking beneath my feet, and I was near the house when the ground shook so hard I fell. I rolled a couple of meters, slamming into the fence that encircled our house, then got back up and continued running. I broke through the fence and looked back only once to see dad running away from the park, towards me. Cass was nowhere in sight.

Please. No.

I didn't even realize that I'd burst through the front door of the house, dad following, and shut the door. We stood there for a moment, breathing heavily, as the ground stopped shaking, the wind died down, and the sky started clearing once again. We stood together, not saying a word, just looking at each other. I didn't ask about Cass. I didn't have to. My even though I wasn't tired anymore from the running, my heart was still beating fast from fear and I couldn't think straight. Finally the sunlight came back fully, bathing the foyer where we stood in light that seemed so out of place in the heat of things.

Only then did I unclench my hand.

There was no chess piece.

Only a bloody cut shaped exactly like a knight.

When I woke, I had tears in my eyes.