His long thick brownish black hair slid between his fingers; Seth felt the warm air fill his lungs before slowly flowing out his partially opened mouth, while an oppressive pressure could be felt inside his chest. Thoughts floated in his mind, a reminder of his present circumstances. The ideas in his mind receded back into the darkness of his mind as the smell of rendered fat and grilled meat wafted through the air. A grumbling was heard from his stomach, eager for any nutrition after partaking in the tantalizing aroma of the cooked food. Wearily raising a cup to his lips, he drank the warm water and soon felt slight relief as the liquid helped to fill his belly.
Seth's eyes glanced across the street as schoolkids laughed and chatted with one another as they headed back home. A few of them made their way to the nearby restaurants to hang out as high schoolers did. The kids wore a white buttoned-up shirt with a dark blue jacket. While the boys wore trousers that matched their jackets, the girls wore plaid skirts that went down to their knees. Even their backpacks were the same, seeming to be some kind of leather instead of cheap fabric.
In the group of kids making their way to the restaurant, one of the girls, sensing his gaze, turned her head to glance in Seth's direction, where he sat. Her eyes casually observed him as though not truly seeing him but similar to a person glancing at a nearby bird or animal. She broke her gaze to look at one of her friends, smiling at something one of the other girls said. Her eyes returned to look at Seth before she looked forward as though uninterested.
Seeing the kids that seemed close to his age happily walking together as they chatted casually while appearing to have little care in life made Seth feel a slight sting in his heart. At the same time, the corners of his lips tugged downwards. Not wanting to watch others live a life alien to his own made him instead direct his attention to the parking lot and the weeds poking through the cracks in an act of defiance towards civilization's machinations.
"It's not like I'd get any benefits going to school," He slowly moved his head back and rested it against the side of the gas station, attempting not to attract too much attention to himself as to avoid being asked to stop loitering and move on to someplace else.
The last thing he needed was to get chased off again, and he appreciated the kindness of the worker who permitted him to rest. He'd hate to get the worker in trouble, considering how she'd felt sorry for him and provided him a cup of water to drink. Even if the water was free for anyone, with how he looked, many would choose to shout for him to get away from their business as if worried his presence would take away business by discouraging people from approaching the store.
A cool breeze gently blew past, taking away some of the heat from the spring sun hovering in the clear blue sky. Seth couldn't help but smile at the small act of kindness from nature as his air danced a little, making him use a hand to brush back the hair from his face.
Like the scent of food, music lazily traveled through the air from the speakers surrounding the station, providing a cheerful mood even if such emotions weren't what he felt at the moment. But despite the negative emotions attempting to step out from the shadows of his mind again, he did admit that the ethereal voice of the woman singing about her difficult life and how despite all the struggles, someday light would return to her life helped even a little to lift up his own spirits. A smile cracked his lips, and he used the song to dispel some of the negativity. The more he listened to the woman, the more he was reminded of how he'd survived his life for as long as he did -- never giving up, even if each day was a battle to survive. Considering his life, something he learned was to find any excuse to think positively about the future. His mentality about life was what helped during moments when he thought things would end, mainly through the cold winter nights as he desperately tried to stay warm. It was only because Seth truly believed that something in the future was waiting for him that helped him become mentally stronger and survive for as long as he did without any material assistance from others.
Taking another sip of water and listening to the lyrics, Seth couldn't help but detect the slight sadness in the voice of the woman who had gone through so much.
"There's always someone having a difficult time. Remember, you're not doing that badly, and on top of everything, you get to live with the freedom many couldn't even dream of. I bet even that woman would be jealous of no one controlling your life." He smirked at the thought, his imagination weaving a picture of a warm bed and a plate piled high with warm food on top of knowing that no one would tell him to move to someplace else in exchange for someone telling him what he'd need to do every now and then.
He couldn't help but imagine a soft, comforting voice welcoming him back home after an exciting day goofing off with friends, feeling a loving embrace that would tell him to clean himself up before eating the meal prepared for him. One last hug would be given before heading to get ready to eat.
Rubbing his forearm across his eyes, Seth desperately shoved away the thoughts. It hadn't been the first time his imagination would betray him about a life that could never exist. Still, he'd learned long ago that only self-pity existed at the end of the tunnel, a sentiment that not only would be pointless in his current position but any dulling of his instincts could lead him to slip up.
Feeling his emotions settle down, something that he did think about was what he would do at the moment.
"I get the feeling that I'll need to leave this place and make my way to the next town," Seth tapped his head against the side of the building as though the slight force would dislodge any decent ideas.
While contemplating what he'd do next, his ears perked as they caught the soothing song reaching its inevitable conclusion. But instead of another song following after it, he groaned upon realizing it would be another commercial. He never enjoyed the commercials, selling items he couldn't afford, even if he were to try and save up any money. The problem was that even if the commercial wasn't enjoyable, Seth couldn't help but admit that it was sometimes interesting to hear what products were released into the market. His mind wondered if he'd learn about a new kitchen appliance designed for the modern housewife, utilizing some new technology to make housework easier.
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"After that ray of sunshine, I'd like to remind my listeners about a wonderful event approaching our small community. Remember to check out our Spring Celebration at the Gray Canyon Library, where we'll have plenty of food for everyone to enjoy. There'll be plenty of activities for people of all ages to enjoy." As if to deliver his point across, there was the sound of crowds cheering and what could be fireworks going off. "And for chess fans, the sport taking the world by storm again, we'll host a friendly tournament where you can play for cash prizes. We've increased the rating groups to make it fun for everyone. This means that even if you've only played a few games, there's a chance for you to win some easy money. We're talking about a total cash prize of HALF A MILLION credits!" The man's voice was enthusiastic, primarily related to the tournament.
"That's right!" A woman's voice, sounding significantly younger but just as cheerful, joined. "What makes this tournament so great and why they're able to have so much in prizes, beyond anything in the past, is thanks to the numerous sponsors. One is the International Chess Guild, and another is the brand new company starting to gain traction, Star and Moon." Her voice raised, impressed by the name that had only recently been discussed.
"Star and Moon?" The man asked.
"That's right. I'm sure you've been hearing about them, at least pretty recently." The woman led the conversation, her voice conveying a smile.
Seth couldn't help but glance at his wrist, checking out the bracelet Star and Moon had created relatively recently and given away to people with the government's help. He casually tapped on the bracelet, seeing the small number of credits he had available from doing odd jobs or collecting trash brought to the waste facility.
"Who hasn't heard about them?" The man laughed. "I've been loving the bracelet they invented, which makes it easy to pay for things at the store, no longer needing to carry about physical cash."
"Exactly! It really has changed our lives, which is also why they can do so much for the local communities across the continent and around the world." The woman added. "And this is also why this celebration is so unique and unlike any other year."
Taking the cue, the other DJ said, "Well, don't keep me and our audience in suspense!" The sound of drumrolls came on, helping to build the suspense.
There was a laugh as the woman said, "Okay. Okay. I won't be a tease. Not only will there be a lot of food, I'm talking a lot, but everyone participating will be able to walk away with prizes! There are at least two I think people will greatly enjoy. One is a travel-size chess set, and the other is a chess book that teaches how to become a Grandmaster."
"Is that chess set in front of you the one attendees will receive?" The man helped to stir up the curiosity of the listener.
"That's right! This travel chess set blows my mind with how high quality it is. Look at it. The quality of the wood and the pieces seemed to have been carved by a master with how much detail each piece has." Even though the woman was likely overhyping up the item, her voice did make it obvious how impressive the prize was in terms of the quality and likely a thing that would be a significant cost if purchased at a store.
"I can't believe they're giving that away to everyone at the celebration. That book also looks pretty great with how thick it is. Do you think people would actually be able to become a Grandmaster, a title reserved for only the best chess players in the world?" It was easy to imagine the man holding the book, flipping through the pages, and observing the contents. In the man's voice doubt, whether it was even possible to read a book and become a Grandmaster. "Checking the table of contents, there does seem to be plenty of content that could help a person become better at chess."
"That's what I'm thinking as well. I may not be great at playing chess, but seeing the number of puzzles, openings, and explanations on how to plan my moves during a game makes me excited to try it out." The woman's voice was like a child given a gift by their parents, which they'd been hoping to receive for ages.
Seth chuckled at the enthusiasm shown by both of the hosts on the radio. While his mind imagined the types of dishes served at the event, hearing about a game that caused others to be so excited about made him wonder what it would be like to check it out. Because they were handing out free chess sets on top of the book, he couldn't help but want to risk getting rejected due to his appearance. He wanted to believe that Star and Moon would be a company that would be okay with his status and a distinct odor due to the lack of access to a shower.
"If they hand me a chess set and the book, I'll have something I can do whenever I'm alone." Seth felt his spirits lift, an experience he hadn't experienced for a while.
His hand unconsciously touched the bracelet given out by the enigmatic organization that didn't discriminate against someone like him. It was why he felt that attending the event would be beneficial. There was also the chance that he could win some cash if he was able to pick up the rules of the game fast enough.
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R (W)
N (W) B (W) K (W) Q (W) B(W) N (W) R (W) P (W) P (W) P (W) P (W) P (W) P (W) P (W) P (W) P (B) P (B) P (B) P (B) P (B) P (B) P (B) P (B) R (B) N (B) B (B) K (B) Q (B) B (B) N (B) R (B)
Moves
1. e4 c6
You're playing as Black. What opening are you playing?