Checkmate - Chapter 2: Chapter 2

Professor Andrea walked along the narrow path leading to a deeper and darker part of the forest. She put her hand to a tree and touched the lichen growing dark green upon brown, and it seemed like an old cork, dry and crumbling. "I came here because I was worried for Hana." She murmured as she watched the trio from tree lines of the secret path she took. "But now, we've met again, Professor Oakley."
When she turned around, there was no sight of the older woman. The only thing left was a vague feeling that someone watched her and a cold breeze scattering some of the fallen leaves in circles.
She averted her gaze back towards Hana and the two strangers her student met. They were none other but the two prodigal wealthy children and the heirs of the designated House of Lancaster and House of Cohen.
Professor Andrea smiled, poetic lines forming in her head. If she was once the Andromeda Danton as she was before, she could take photos of those three and write the photo lines to showcase on an exhibit. "A game of chess is a game of capture. Two players: the red and the black against each other. The object of the game is very simple. Players must be strategic, quick, and nimble. Check, to surround the opponent with arduous planning and checkmate is to capture the opponent's king. Photography sure is a game of manipulation. As it only involves an artist, a camera, and a muse for inspiration but it captures memories, beauty, heart, and soul. Preserves it into memory but the camera is hard to control. It might be an amateur hobby compared to paintings but at least creativity is waning."
The three of them had their own goal to fulfill, in their own game of capture.
They settled at a gazebo, with chairs and a clean ivory table in the middle. Althea sipped her tea of Darjeeling while Joshua took out a board of chess from his satchel and placed the chess pieces on their positions on the chessboard.
"I figured that a new environment to play against each other will be delightful." Joshua began to establish a conversation.
"I'm surprised you managed to bring tea." She deadpanned.
"Hey, I have to prepare, don't I? Otherwise, you won't even listen to me."
Althea brought the teacup back on the saucer, looking at the chessboard, surprised a little that the chess set wasn't the usual white and black. Her side has red pieces. "This is a new chess set of yours. My first turn then?"
"Charles bought me a new one." He picked up his cup and blew some steam off. "He was definitely not into the white and black so he bought me a red and black set. He was so close to buying me a red and green."
Althea's facial expression grew a slight interest in those colors. "They sell those?"
"Apparently there was only one made by a famous through woodcarver and it was being auctioned." He finally took a sip from his cup.
"You two must be so close to each other that he'd buy you expensive gifts."
"Of course, he's a brother I never had."
"You know, I implied something more to my sentence." It was Althea's turn to smirk and made her move by moving a pawn two tiles forward.
"Sure, whatever Althea," he countered her pawn by using the same method which he knew would irk her.
Three minutes in and the chess rivals are in at each other's throats, but Althea kept her observing eye at the girl once in a while. After all, their chess game wasn't timed. They can think it out first before they can make their move.
Althea intentionally took longer to make her next move for she looked back at the girl from across the gazebo railings. Surely, this girl would give up. The Asian girl twisted and turned from her seat. She sipped her tea as slowly as she could as the seemingly clumsy stalker watched them in frustration.
The girl was trying really hard to get a good picture. Evident in the way she tried to pierce with her eyes the best angle she could find with Althea and Joshua as her subject. Only aware of what's visible to the camera viewfinder and unaware to the rest of her surroundings—the way she appeared to be lost in thoughts, which was not particularly of her, as most daydreamers do, but at that precise moment, she genuinely seemed to have ceased any contact with her surroundings and instead had traveled in mind somewhere far away.
Althea indulged her eyes with the pleasant sight of her as she tried to adjust the settings in her camera, of her tongue sticking out as her focus intensified, and of her messy brown hair with a small bun on the top of her head, whose fluttering in the calm breeze made Althea's chest feel all sorts of weird feelings she hasn't encountered before.
She was curious, in a way she had never been before about anything or anyone, which both confused and assured her. This blend of contradictory feelings was troubling for Althea. Despite being annoyed that her privacy was being violated, what was it to this girl that attracted her so much?
"She's still there." Joshua interrupted her thoughts, implying that he knew she was distracted.
"Way to state the obvious, captain." She said, exasperated.
"So what do you think about her?" he made a move using his knight and crossed her arms across his chest.
Althea raised her perfectly fine eyebrow. Did the bloke in front of her notice her contemplative stare towards their stalker?
"You know, I'm asking if she fits your type."
Althea glared at him stonily. She brought her queen out on the front line, threatening his knight.
Joshua chuckled, knowing the blonde girl is pissed. "All right, all right, I won't tease." He moved his knight sideways as he couldn't sacrifice it because no chess piece will take revenge on the queen.
Althea smirked, an idea forming inside her head. She moved her queen forward once more. "You know, I noticed that you're the type of chess player that doesn't use his queen quite often. You are knight inclined."
"That's just my style, Althea." He shrugged. "You, on the other hand, your approach too obvious. Your queen is on the front lines."
"What's the point of hiding your queen if you can't use her full potential?"
"I'm just saying that there are pawns and other soldiers who put their selves on the front line to protect their king and queen and their country." He rubbed his chin and made a move. He took the tea container and offered. "Want more tea?"
Althea pushed her saucer and teacup nearer to him. "Yes please."
While pouring both of their glasses some more tea, he continued his rant. "And besides, it should be the king protecting the queen instead. The queen, being the too powerful one in chess is beyond me. I don't even believe the queen loves the king so much and I bet the king doesn't even let the queen have training."
"I'm only playing chess because it will help me clear my mind." Althea retrieved her cup. "I'm not here so you can complain political matters on or with me."
"And here I tried to change the subject. Well then, let's talk about your lesbianism."
Althea didn't hesitate and took one of his knights with a certain move.
"Seriously?" Joshua asked, this time, he was the annoyed one.
A victory smirk curled on her lips at finally having the upper hand both in the game and the conversation, though she had to rescind it when she noticed the Asian girl trotting forward, her eyes preoccupied through the lenses, closer and closer towards a huge log. The clueless girl was about to fall over and damage an expensive DSLR and lens unless Althea does something about it.
Hana thought that it was weird for them to play chess in the great outdoors. The girl's eyes glistened in annoyance to the smug guy with a permanent smirk on his face.
She had perfectly captured them in her camera. After a few setbacks with the manual settings and the exchanging of camera lenses, she was getting the hang of it.
Then she watched as the tables turned among her photo subjects. Now it was the girl who was smirking and with the upper hand while the guy was taking his frustrations by rubbing the back of his head, messing up his hair in the process, but he still finger-combed them back into place.
Sure the guy was handsome but somehow, she found herself rooting for the girl to win their game of chess.
No matter what Hana does, she was undeniably drawn to the blonde. Hana caught herself staring too many times. Feeling something hot crawl up from her cheeks to her ears, she couldn't blame herself for not staring. The blonde has dark eyelashes that were long and feathery, but the girl hardly wore any makeup. Hana realized she had a pleasant pretty face that needed no extra help anyway.
Figuring she needed to take a close wide shot of them with the background, she walked across the open space, her feet crunching through the leaves into the dry grass below. The trail was carpeted in a slightly damp layer of fallen leaves, and the ground was spongy beneath her feet.
She kept walking when the blonde girl's eyes shifted in her direction. A chill of some remote recognition rushed into Hana's body, but it seemed like the blonde got the same feeling. Though Hana wasn't sure anymore when the British girl's face twitched slightly in surprise or annoyance as she looked at her.
"You!" the blonde said sharply. "Girl with the camera—stop!" her jaw clenched as she gazed at Hana with her blazing intense eyes.
That is when Hana knew she screwed up. She looked around in a panic, her heart banging like a drum in her ribcage.
"P-pardon?" Hana asked innocently, her cheeks totally red.
"Watch where you are heading straight to," she said.
With a jolt of additional shock, Hana halted. Becoming aware of her surroundings, in front of her was a huge newly cut log that was inconveniently placed on an open space of grass field. Hana was dangerously close to falling flat on her face as she always does when she's doing any kind of photography whether micro, street, or even formal. She immediately took a few steps backward.
"Uhh, thanks," she said, though her head was still processing the information. After a while, she realized she just gave her gratitude to her muse. She was about to step away from the limelight when the blonde girl casually stood from where she sat and ambled towards her.
"We also know you're taking a picture of us and not the park." She said, one hand resting on her hip. "Frankly, you're somewhat distracting. Don't you know that disruptive actions should be avoided?"
Hana knew her face was becoming red; she tried to avoid eye contact with the pretty girl. Everything about the blonde girl before her was like a mystery wrapped in a banana leaf of ordinariness.
It occurred to Hana that she's in a tight spot. Escaping would make her seem a lot guiltier so she stood in place, trying to act cool as if she was just really an innocent nature photographer. "I'm afraid you're confused. You just so happened to be part of the background. I'm just a student photographer, practicing wide shots."
The girl's companion stood from his seat and walked towards her, following. His arms crossed over his chest, he seemed to be enjoying the distraction. "Then you have no problems showing us your camera pictures."
In just a matter of seconds, Hana internally hyperventilated. They will find out that she has been tailing them around.
There was a battle going on in Hana's mind, caused by the powerful beating of her heart as the two looked into her eyes and the steady shaking of her hand as she clutched fiercer to her DSLR. She could barely find the strength to walk and sometimes she would feel like choking with air. The rivals went closer to her and that's when she realized they towered over her.
"I believe I have the right to refuse," Hana said, hoping to brush them off. Her feet moved on its own will, and a dim sense of surprise that she was so sure of her destination: straightforward along the path.
"What's your name, miss?" The blonde began.
"Yoshida Hanako, ah I mean... Hanako Yoshida." She shifted awkwardly, tinkering with the camera settings. "Just call me Hana."
"I don't mind referring you as such."
"And you two are?" the brunette asked hopefully.
"Do you know how to play chess?" she began to loosen up her guarded aura and was now talking professionally.
Hana looked back at their board at the table. "Ah, I'm not good at games like that."
"Chess is similar to photography, once you comprehend both things." She said coolly, her eyes piercing her.
"Ah... umm," Hana scratched the back of her neck. "I find it weird and hard to put chess and photography in the same category."
"Do you think so? I do believe that both chess and photography have the same goals. They all want to capture subjects." Joshua chimed in. "Oh sorry, did I disrupt you?" he added when Althea glared at his way.
"Would you want to play a game with me?" the blonde asked, referring to the chessboard. "We could talk about why you're taking pictures of us and we'll let you go."
"Come on, we have tea." The guy added, sending a little wink towards Althea's direction.
Hana noticed the blonde could have snarled but chose to not engage in combat.
But it was strange. Two strangers at the park that she's been stalking are suddenly volunteering to teach her chess. "Umm," Hana considered. "I actually don't know how it's played."
The taller girl sighed deeply. "I'll teach you."
Hana shivered at the tone of the girl's raspy voice. Was that just the way she talks? Hana wondered. Her cheeks were burning hot; her heart was pounding and skipping.
"In return," she added. "You must delete those photographs at once."
The Japanese girl's emotions turned upside down. It was a hell of a rollercoaster and she knew the ride wasn't over yet. The only thing Hana's certain of is that she's never letting go of those photos she has taken. She has to escape them somehow.
The guy chuckled, reading through her. "By the way, this woman before you is Althea Lancaster and my name is Joshua Cohen."
"Nice to meet you," Hana greeted, reluctant to offer him a handshake.
"Say Hana," Joshua cleared his throat. "You don't happen to be a homosexual, do you?"
"Ehhh?" Hana asked. "You mean like girls who like other girls?"
"JOSHUA COHEN!" Althea was absolutely livid. A hot blush of anger rose inside of her entire being was shaking.
Hana felt like she was on a ship at sea with a storm. With two crushing forces fighting—water and wind—and she was the unfortunate innocent fisherman who only wanted to capture some fish, but in her case, just photographs.
But somehow the British girl managed to cool herself down but her tone filled with spikes and poison. "According to a normal etiquette for a gentleman, you must not ask imposing questions to ladies!"
"I didn't mean to impose." Joshua offered, handling the blonde quite well as if he's used to death threats. He then faced Hana, his voice remorseful as he placed a hand on his chest. "I hope you'd forgive me, I sure did hope I didn't create any conflict."
Hana thought it would be a great time to escape. "Ehehehe, it's no big deal." She tried to play it cool, slapping her hands together, forming it into a steeple. "Well then, I might have overstayed my welcome. I'd sure love to stay and chitchat—" She pointed both her fingers behind her. "But someone is waiting for me at the parking lot, so... bye!"
As soon as she spun around on her heel to flee, Joshua now stood there, blocking her way. Either he was as fast a cheetah or she was just as slow as a sloth.
"Gahh!"
"Check." He stood there, grinning with hands in his pockets and proud like some knight in history.
Hana turned around to escape another route and headed towards the gazebo, which was a wrong move. There was no other way out other than the entrance she went in. Unless she jumps through the lake and considered taking chances that the water was only to her stomach's level. Spinning on her heel, she was about to escape on another route but Althea had already cornered her into a wall.
"Plan on escaping?" Althea ambled towards her like a vicious predator on an unseemly prey. "You may have to delete those photographs first."
Hana looked beyond, there were no signs that she could call for help. Joshua stood on guard on the outskirts of the gazebo, making sure Hana could not escape. Finding that escape wasn't an option anymore, she battled her options internally. She could just tell them—tell them and maybe they'll hear her out. She's desperate to keep the pictures. But despite her explanations, Althea and Joshua might not let her keep the pictures.
She stared back at the taller girl with pleading eyes but Althea stood there like the strongest among all the chess pieces. Hana might not know the rules of chess but she knows that the queen was the best as it was quite similar to shogi.
Althea pinned her to the wall, arm stretched as her palm rested on the gravel surface. Hana always has her eyes out to notice the beauty, even the little things. She noticed that Althea's long lashes looked like one of those glossy ads for mascara, so thick and curved.
Hana would love to take pictures of her eyes. When she realized she was definitely gawking, she jerked her flushed face away and averted her gaze to the floor and the wall instead. She could feel Althea's face getting nearer to her silently.
Althea looked like a queen. With her lips curling slightly, enough to leave the impression that she indeed had enjoyed a new game of capture. She put a warm hand on Hana's red cheek, turning her face to look back into her eyes, then suddenly the touch became caressing.
"Checkmate, my dear Hana," Althea's voice sent chills through her. "You have no escape."