Happy summer! It’s time for Friday Fictioneers. I always say, better late than never.
Thank you Rochelle Wisoff-Fields for your generous time in leading this group, and to Managua Gunn for the intriguing photo.
Please follow the blue frog for more stories from the talented Fictioneers.
copyright -Managua Gunn
Chess Piece (100 words)
The heat dried the sweat inside his helmet, and granules of sand flitted into his eyes. His heels dug into the grate, sending a piercing pain into his spine. His eyes focused on one object, arms cramping, with the dedication of corps de ballet dancer.
It knew it was only moments now and his shift would expire. He would hear sighing, the tipping of the chess piece, and then his Majesty’s whispered, “Check mate.” Today, there was only silence.
A bloodied man fell at his feet and cascaded down the hill. At last, he maneuvered into a slightly new position.
AmyReeseWrites 
Excellent and +1 for the badass picture of the pickelhauber!
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Oh, I didn’t know that’s what is was called, Seb!! Yes, it is pretty badass. Thanks for reading.
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My people are German. I got to know stuff like that 🙂
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Ah ha! I see. Thanks for the info. I like learning new stuff.
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Loved this piece! Evokes lots of senses. And I wanted to stop by to say hi. So, Hi! Hope you’re doing well. 🙂
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Thanks, Carrie! Oh, good to see you! I’ve miss you. Things are pretty well, slowing down on reading and posting, too. I wish I was writing more. What about you? How’s your writing going with your book? I hope you’re enjoying your summer.
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Thanks. I am. And my writing is going wonderfully. I’ve written over 70,000 words since I’ve taken the last month off from blogging. Only 11 chapters left of my first draft (49 chapters total). I’m really buckling down, because I’ll be gone a lot in the next month, and my goal was to have it done by early July. I might just make it (my extensive outline really helped). But I miss the blogosphere. 😦
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Wow, Carrie! Good work. You have been busy, and that’s quite an endeavor with 49 chapters. I wonder if I should take a little break, too, and buckle down. I know I’d miss the blogosphere (sigh). Good for you. It sounds like it’s made all the difference for you. The blogosphere misses you, too (and you know I do!). But everyone understands and supports you. Keep going!
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Thanks!
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I’m getting the feeling that he’s a bit like a chess piece himself, standing on that square, waiting to make his move haha. Nice descriptions, nice pace and nice end!
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A ha…now I want to change my title. That’s brilliant, Brian! See, I really didn’t see it when I was writing it. It’s just how I feel when these statuesque guards. Thanks for that bit of wisdom.
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Good shift of perspective in there. I never thought about the life of a chess piece.
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Thank you. How brilliant of you to make this connection (one that I didn’t see. ha ha). I want to change my title to “Chess Piece.” Hmm.
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Wow, I love this, Amy. It’s a great literal interpretation of how soldiers like that are pretty much pawns anyway. So is he in a human chess game or is he an actual chess piece?
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Thank you, David. It happened quite by accident that he is in a human chess game of sorts in my story. Sometimes, I get lucky.
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As delightful as it is disturbing!
Well done.
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Thanks, Guapo!
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Great piece. Had me thinking about what you were on about but the imagery wins me over every time. Clever.
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I appreciate that Summer. Thanks a lot.
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Well done! I’m kind of glad I don’t play chess. 😉
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Thanks, Jackie. I actually wish I knew how to play. Maybe someday. My son was trying to learn, maybe I should try along with him.
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Great job on each of the two levels! Nicely done.
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Thanks, Perry! Thanks for reading.
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Great metaphor for the military!
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Thanks, Managua. I loved the photo. Where was this taken? Just curious.
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Hi – at the Royal palace in Stockholm, Sweden – the guard is a woman and the palace is large, square-shaped with a courtyard..
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Oh, thank you. Sweden. It’s really beautiful.
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Very interesting. Do you play chess? I do. Husband taught my son.
The piece is complex. That guard in the picture is a woman.
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I was just commented how I wish I knew how to play chess. I learned once when I was young. That’s cool that you’re a chess playing family! Thanks, Shalagh.
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I love that description in the first para. You’ve summed up how uncomfortable it must be to stand so still, for so long. I’m left wondering about the bloodied man – presumably he beat his Majesty, and his Majesty was not pleased?
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Thanks, Sarah. I used to dance in the corps de ballet, so I was familiar with being still for long periods of time. Let me tell you, besides being an uncomfortable, it’s a really hard thing to do. Yes, he beat his Majesty, you got it. Presumably, another guard took care of this guy.
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Well played using chess as a setting!
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Thank you, Frank!
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It was a wonderful idea to make this pickelhauber a game piece. Reminiscent of the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland.
Question…I really thought the pickelhauber was a woman. Are there female pickelhauber?
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Thanks. Michelle, I think you are correct in that the pickelhauber is a woman. I’ll admit I’m not familiar with pickelhauber. My writing was pretty impulsive. If I had taken into account that this guard was a woman, I may have written something else entirely. Thanks for reading!
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This is great for the challenge, Amy! Well played 😉
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Thanks, Dianne. You’re always so kind.
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I was wondering what that square was for. Nicely told.
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A good link between the story and the picture – I hadn’t thought of that connection. Well done.
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Thank you, Sandra. I appreciate that.
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Dear Amy,
Just keep in mind it doesn’t matter what you look at…it’s what you see. Nicely done story.
shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
Thanks for that. You’re right. In the end, it’s my story.
Amy
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Well done on many levels! Reminds me of the outdoor giant chess board at a nearby mall, although the pieces aren’t people and I haven’t seen any blood. 🙂
janet
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Right, Janet. I saw one of those in Morro Bay, although it wasn’t that big, and no blood! I kind of mixed that in here. 🙂
Amy
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Lovely – although now I feel like I need to move, too!
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By all means, do some moving! Thanks.
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I like the chess angle. It fits well with the photo. Well done, Amy.
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Thank you, Russell. Thanks for reading mine.
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This was great, Amy. Brilliant. I agree with Brian, he’s like a chess piece. Very cool. And isn’t it strange that sometimes we write things and don’t even realize our own brilliance in the metaphors we create. LOL!
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Thanks, Lisa. Oh, good to see you back here in the blogs. It’s nice to stumble upon something you didn’t intend to happen. That’s always a big bonus about writing something you’re not so attached to. Thanks for reading!
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You are so creative, Amy… I never would have thought to put those elements together… and so well-written, too! Nice ‘moves’! Hahaha… not that I would know (my chess skills are pretty much non-existent)! I’m pretty sure I’ve been beaten in under a minute on more than one occasion.
🙂
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Thanks, Robert. You’re always so nice! I appreciate your kind words. I learned how to play chess many moons ago and I don’t remember how now. I bet you could beat me! 🙂
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I read this after your title change (what was the original title?) so I did read it from the point of view of some poor chess piece standing there waiting patiently to be moved! Poor chess man!
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Weebs, my original title was “Guard Duty.” I thought “Chess Piece” would be more interesting, but perhaps it’s too suggestive. I think this idea of him begin a chess piece has more promise. His Majesty is quite sick in the head, perhaps.
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Great story, to be a pawn and gunpowder of the whim of his majesty… so much like chess.
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Dear Amy,
This was one of my favorites. (I play a lot of chess.) You said earlier that you danced for some time in the corps de ballet. Do you also play chess? The masterful way you pulled off this story makes me think yes.
Aloha,
Doug
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Oh Doug, thank you. It’s comments like yours that encourage me to keep writing. Thanks for that! I don’t play chess, but I did dance in the corps de ballet. My arms never cramped so bad! It is very difficult to be still and look pleasant.
Aloha,
Amy
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wow, not much to say, except this piece is awesome. masterfully done. 🙂
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Thank you, kz. That means a lot to me.
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