Girl in Gold

Chapter 1 ~ Amber Marigold

[A/N: Try not to comment any spoilers please XD. I'm just giving a taste here of the rewrite.]

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CHAPTER 1

Amber Marigold

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"Amber, you lost," the man said.

"No, no, I'm not dead yet. Give me a second," Amber insisted.

Brows drew and thumbs clenched as the girl took in the predicament before her. She was cornered, trapped by a wall of her own, and with two pursuers facing her off. This really could be the end. Only two options remained: a sacrifice or a retreat.

"Two moves, and it will be checkmate," the man yawned.

"Shut up, Nick," Amber grumbled.

The doctor laughed, crossing his legs, and Amber leaned forward in her seat. In theory, the current scene was peaceful. Set in an office with an autumn palette of varnished wood and old medical volumes, a psychologist and his patient were having their last chess match before the latter left the clinic. One look at the patient's expression, however, revealed the reality of their situation. This was the final battle between a student and her master. A last test of courage before she would re-enter society. It was crucial she left the clinic with at least one victory to claim. Her pride was at stake.

"There must be something I'm not thinking of," she mumbled.

The girl was chased down by a queen and a bishop while her own pieces blocked her escape, not to mention the knight that was ready for her to fall into its trap.

Amber never thought herself bad at chess. Her parents taught her to play from a young age, and the girl always found it much more entertaining than school or homework. Unfortunately, Doctor Nick Elford was a cunning foe. True to his profession, the psychologist could worm his way into the girl's head without fail.

"King to C-one. Just say it, Amber," Nick grinned.

"I'm not planning on C-one!"

She was definitely planning on C1.

Sacrificing her queen could lead to an opening, breaking Nick's unmoving rook, so she could pressure his king. It would take some of the current heat off her own king. But the queen is so valuable, she thought. And though retreating to C1 was a poor move, it would protect the most pieces.

"King to C-one," Amber declared, like it was a brilliant tactic.

With an unwavering hand, she moved her silver king. It was a unique piece amongst the black and white set and tradition for her to play with, the only thing she kept from her old life a year ago.

"You never learn, do you?" Nick sighed. "After six months, I hoped there was something I could teach my Scacchis."

"Ah, it's alright, Nick," the girl consoled. "You're a psychologist, not a coach. Your job was to make my nightmares stop, not turn me into a pro chess player, y'know."

"The worst part is that you know it is a bad move," he continued, lazily placing his knight to further corner Amber's king. "And yet you still do it for some reason."

"I guess it would feel more like a victory if I don't end up all alone at the end of the battle. I know, it's kinda' a weird mentality, but Mom always made the pieces seem like real people," she said, her words calm and content as her king retreated one last time.