Shadowgate

Gerard · Joined: 22 Dec 2017 Posts: 6

Gerard opened one eye, and peers about quietly in the grey morning light dawn light, searching about him. He'd fallen asleep. Or at least, he thought he did. Maybe he was awake now, and this only felt like a dream. He'd passed out in the Crown cafe enough over the last week that he couldn't be sure.

One of the chess pieces caught his eye, and when he focused its attention, it opened one baleful red orb, hissed at him with a maw too large to belong to such a thing, and scuttled off on legs unseen.

Definitely a dream.

"Oh, don't worry, Mr. Jacobs. It is quite surely a dream. Poor Hessa would never allow such things in her cafe. Tis a shame, they would love to have her for dinner."

The voice was deep, still like the ocean depths, and yet it seethed with some malignance he could not place. He looked up to find its owner, and saw a being he could only in the vaguest of terms, like a shadow of a man given solid form. Something about it irked him, but he said nothing. It gestured to the chess board, and compelled, Gerard joined him, speaking not a word as he set up the pieces. He found a certain irony in the fact he'd been given the white pieces.

The figure offered Gerard a warm mug of coffee, and he accepted, not really questioning. It was, after all, his dream. The game began, and the dream figure spoke as they played.

"You see, Mr. Jacobs, I am displeased with you. Only in light of recent events, mind, but still displeased. I hated the girl, you see. She made you stubborn. You refused to yield up her memories, and they seemed so sweet, so deliciously wonderful. So full of life. And the things she led you too! The souls I tasted..."

They both paused, and looked at each other over the lip of their mugs, sipping in unison. Something about this whole thing bothered Gerard, but he couldn't place a finger on it. He glanced down at the board, and realized sadly that he knew this game. He knew the next moves that would unfold.

"It all turned to rot in the end, didn't it? Yet you could stand to follow her lead, you know. I always felt like you had potential beyond what you see in yourself. Everyone else does too, for different reasons. You really are your own worst critic."

The game dragged onward. White Queens Bishop takes Black Kings Pawn 2. Black Kings Rook takes White Quens Bishop. It all went exactly how he'd expected. It was, in its own way, somewhat laughable. A farce. He wondered what the point was.

"Yes, it's funny, isn't it? How we can see the board, see all the pieces lined up...know whats coming, and do nothing to change it? I wanted to show you this, Gerard, because its important that you remember: you cannot outplay me at this game. You are mine. It is only a matter of time. No man has ever fulfilled my bargain. So don't go thinking you can try and cheat fate on me."

Gerard looked down at the board, and then back to the dream-being. He did not know its name, but he knew what it was. And it was right. Playing by the rules would only lead to the same outcome. So Gerard did the one thing he could. He smirked, and flipped the board over with a single finger, spilling the pieces everywhere. A single ray of light burst through the grey morning grey.

For its part, the visiting stranger seemed shocked. This, it hadn't expected, and its displeasure was clear on its face.

"Fine then, Mr. Jacobs. Fight if you must. Flip the board. Your tantrum is insignificant. Do not say you had not been warned. I will eat my fill in the end."

Time slowed, and Gerard's vision was filled with the gnashing of toothed maws. He laughed anyway. He had a plan.

Gerard opened one eye, and peers about quietly in the grey morning light dawn light, searching about him. He'd fallen asleep. Or at least, he thought he did. Maybe he was awake now, and this only felt like a dream. He'd passed out in the Crown cafe enough over the last week that he couldn't be sure.

A single beam of light passed through the windows, and illuminated a golden pool on the floor, illuminating the dust the floated lazily by. Somewhere, a bird...a robin...sang in the distance. The town of Tabor was quiet still. He poured himself a fresh cup of tea from the still warm pot on his table, and smiled quietly to himself.

He allowed himself a small smile. For the first time in days, maybe even a week, he felt something other than apathy. It wasn't much, but it was a start. Gotta start somewhere.

Deep in the earth, unspeakable worm-things gnashed their teeth. They were angry. And they'd be waiting for him to misplay again.

Lujke · Immortal Joined: 18 Nov 2006 Posts: 642

I'm just replying because there's no 'like' button. I liked it. Nice writing style Smile

I liked that it featured my chess board, too Smile

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undelhorn · Joined: 20 Jun 2014 Posts: 71

Very Ingmar Bergman of you. I dig it!
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"GNOMES MAKE THE BEST GARDENERS!!!!!" - A random Garden Gnome to a group of snobby Elves.

Gerard · Joined: 22 Dec 2017 Posts: 6

Thanks guys. I try.

Undel: I'd never considered that, but you aren't wrong. I was very much trying to capture of a cerebral, dreamlike quality, and Bergman's later films sort of exemplified that.

Lujke: Chessboards are great metaphorical objects. I was glad to have one to reference.

undelhorn · Joined: 20 Jun 2014 Posts: 71

Yeah, its like The 7th Seal and how the knight plays the Grim Reaper at chess. Not my favorite of their movies, but it is pretty good. I think Hour of the Wolf is my favorite because Odin is in it. ... Did you know Ingmar had like 5 wives? Dude was player!
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"GNOMES MAKE THE BEST GARDENERS!!!!!" - A random Garden Gnome to a group of snobby Elves.