January drabbles - 23
“Sit down. Shake hands and start your clocks.”
The girl set her king’s pawn down, commanding the battle-field’s central space, and the boy copied her. She sent a bishop to spy on him, unsafe in front of the lines. Then he sent his to watch.
Next came the queen, the mother-ship. No way you stick your biggest guns in front with no one to defend them. “Silly girl!” he thought. But her sword was pointing at his king. A mighty horseman leapt into the fray, chased her away…
…and it was check-mate.
“What went wrong?”
“You forgot to keep safe.”
The girl set her king’s pawn down, commanding the battle-field’s central space, and the boy copied her. She sent a bishop to spy on him, unsafe in front of the lines. Then he sent his to watch.
Next came the queen, the mother-ship. No way you stick your biggest guns in front with no one to defend them. “Silly girl!” he thought. But her sword was pointing at his king. A mighty horseman leapt into the fray, chased her away…
…and it was check-mate.
“What went wrong?”
“You forgot to keep safe.”
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