The Unsolved Mystery #Wattys2019

Chapter Eighteen - Chess

"It always sound scarier when a hollerer talk soft."
― Kathryn Stockett,

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Amayraah scowled as she picked the plate of cold food. She somehow swallowed the bites of food.

The cold water ran through her body as she remembered the words of Jennifer Rondeau,

There is a pain within this heart,

My pain within my sadness through my eyes,

My eyes are like a burden that you can see right through me,

No pain I ever felt was that one single broken heart that had been left behind and never got a chance to be healed,

There is way out of this pain but somehow I can't see it,

See the light, the hope, the happiness I once wanted to feel,

Now I ever feel is this sadness, this pain, this heartache,

A pain within these wall I can hear it say,

There is no way out,

No way to wash away the pain,

The pain I feel.

_Jennifer Rondeau.

She wore the tidy clothes and dialed Maria. "Hello Maria. I am Amayraah speaking. Can you pass the message to Caroline to come here?"

"Sure Amayraah. I will pass the information" and the line went dead.

I will never forget this George. I will take revenge. You will pay for this.

"Hey Amayraah, It's Caroline" She said.

"Hi Caroline. Thanks for coming" Amayraah welcomed her.

"No problem. How are you? I thought you hate me" Caroline said.

"I am fine. I thought a lot and I don't hate you but your brother because of things he had done to me. If you don't mind, Can you show me around?"

Amayraah needed to search the exits. She had to escape and for that if she had to gain Caroline's trust she would go to any level.

"Sure. Come along" Caroline said as Amayraah followed her like a lost puppy. She was awestruck as she saw it. Till date, she had seen castes only in movies and on internet. Seeing palace in real life was on her bucket list.

"This palace is almost 250 years old. It was founded in the 18th century A.D by my ancestors." Caroline began babbling the history.

The architecture and interior was one of the finest anyone had ever seen in real life. Caroline showed her few guest rooms. The rooms were huge than her mighty classrooms of school. They together climbed the staircase, there was a huge water pool on second floor.

"There is also gym and badminton court here" Caroline said. There was a magnificent chess board further covered with precious stones like sapphires and rubies. Amayraah's eyes widened like a saucer, not even in dreams she had seen such a beautiful chess board. The chess coins shone like anything because of metals gold and silver.

Caroline might have noticed her because she asked her to play. They took their seats, both were good players in chess. Amayraah shivered as she touched those large coins.

"We assume the gold as white and silver as black. Shall we start?" Caroline asked said.

Amayraah moved the large silver pond. The weight of the pond was felt by her delicate fingers. "This is the most beautiful chess I had seen ever. Thank you Caroline for letting me touch this" Amayraah genuinely complimented.

"Anytime Amayraah. Focus on the game. Except George no one has ever able to win against me" Caroline said with a smirk. Caroline's expressions and words challenged Amayraah.

"Let's see" Amayraah said meeting her gaze indirectly accepting her challenge. Amayraah focused her attention on the game. She had to win it. It was just a game of chess but it felt like it was a war between the two females. Both played carefully not to give each other any chance to win.

Caroline killed her knight after few moves as Amayraah pounced on her camel. The match between them rose more interesting. Amayraah palms sweated as the stress started building in her mind. With every move she felt like winning this game could give her the freedom she wanted. Amayraah wanted to checkmate her anyhow.

Amayraah had never came across with such players. She wondered who taught Caroline to play chess. Caroline hardly gave her any chances to kill her pond and other pieces. Happiness rose in Amayraah's chest when she killed Caroline's queen not knowing that Caroline had used a strategy to kill her rooks.

Amayraah scowled when Caroline killed her rook realizing how oblivious mistake she had made. In the next move Caroline gave her check and Amayraah attempted to save her King again. Caroline took the opportunity to kill another rook of Amayraah as both realized the game was completely on Caroline' side. Amayraah frowned again as Caroline's pond reached her side giving birth to new queen and they knew that the game was over in the next move.

"Check and mate, my dear" Caroline said, her smile was reflecting happiness, which Amayraah wanted to snatch from her.

"Told you, except George I had won with almost everyone" Caroline said.

Amayraah gulped her own saliva to realize she was arrogant for sure but she was an extremely sharp player. She wondered how well would George play.

Nervousness reflected on Amayraah's face and Caroline noticed it. Caroline couldn't let Amayraah win, in any case, her ego would have affected, otherwise.

"Stop thinking so much, Amayraah, it's just a game" Caroline said but little did she know Amayraah was battling with her. Amayraah wanted to win. She was getting desperate to put George behind bars for the crime he had committed.

Caroline wondered why was Amayraah taking the game on heart. Every coin has two sides and every game has a winner and loser. Caroline bit her lip, she had to try more to convince Amayraah.

"You were good. Generally I checkmate people in 8-10 moves but you weren't giving me any chance. There was possibly no mistake on your side except when you killed my queen. If you hadn't done that we might had a draw" Caroline smiled, grabbing Amayraah' attention.

"You are right. That was probably the mistake and hence you got the game on your side." The chess and the irrational game of her freedom was on George' and Caroline's side. Holy fuck! I have to turn the tables on my side before its too late.

"Let's move now. I got to show you more" Caroline said her.

They duo walked together and passed the corridor. Amayraah stepped on another staircase she spotted but Caroline grabbed her arm preventing her to go further.

"What?"

"You can't go there" Caroline said.

Amayraah frowned listening her reply. She was not used to the 'No' replies. "Why?" was her next question.

Caroline released her arm and said "No one is supposed to go there."

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