"Checkmate

"Checkmate!"

..mate, mate, maaate….

My cry echoed round the darkness. Or at least, I hoped it did.

To tell the truth I wasn't even sure there was anything for the sound to echo around; it eased the solitude to imagine it though.

Sighing deeply I moved the worn chessboard to the side and stretched out in my little aura of light. How long have I been here? I can't say. All I can remember is waiting, waiting for something….anything….

What's weird is I have these memories, or at least, memories about things. For instance, I could tell you what a fulcrum was and where to put your lever yet I've never seen one! On days when I'm feeling particularly pensive this can keep me occupied for hours.

Today, however, was to be a day of boredom I decided. Living in a circle of light in an otherwise all consuming darkness can boarder on tedium occasionally. All I had was my invisible feet and a chessboard for company.

Did I forget to mention the chessboard? How silly of me. It's been my sole companion for however long and I've never lost. Seeing as my only opponent is me, I've never won either. This is how I while away my 'productive' time, puzzling out new manoeuvres across the chessboard. Most exhilarating for the first half of eternity…

I sighed again as I began to study the darkness again. It really was dark wasn't it?

thunk

I started. A book had just landed.

Let me just say that again. A BOOK, HAD JUST LANDED!

I scrambled over and tore the cover open. A small rectangle was all that appeared on the page and the picture within seemed to be moving!

I flicked the book's pages. Closely packed text rushed by and my finger stopped it at the last page and I read down (hey, I'd never had a real book before, how was I to know you weren't supposed to read the end?).

"Sirrus and Achenar, in the library, burning books."

I raised my eyebrow before shutting the book and examining the cover. Printed in bold letters on its worn cover was the word 'Cluedo'.