d4 Nf6 ('Mastermind' Short Story)

A man, Samuel, who held a book in his hands, called into the darkness where a single light penetrated its thickness several feel in front of him. “How could you?”

“How could I?” Another voice, though higher pitched and eccentric in articulation, said from the cover the darkness effortlessly, “Life, is full of many different variables. I’m sure that you’re aware of that, so, please, be more precise… How could I what, exactly?”

“How could you betray us? After everything - After you rallied, spoke so deeply to, and showed a generation to stand up for our— Itself! How? How dammit!”

“Ah, betrayal; a blood red petaled rose in the garden of life, beautiful and innocent upon first glance, but, if you're not careful, you’ll fall victim to its ‘prick.’”

“Enough!” Samuel’s voice reverberated through the darkness, before the other man took several steps forward, toward the light. “Enough of your word games, and tell. Me. Why!”

“Are you a father - Or perhaps the eldest brother?” The man’s arms were crossed behind his back, as he looked to Samuel with the light barely giving sight to his face.

“Wha— W-why does that matter?”

“Well, you see, both of those positions… they’d give you a level of influence over either your child, or younger siblings.”

“And?”

“Well, if you’ve ever truly felt that - and not, no, not the artificial feeling of influencing others; not the manager at a fast food restaurant, no…” Samuel could see the man's head cock back to the side, looking for the words to accurately convey his point. “But the real, and life long impacting capability of influencing an individual; if you’ve ever felt that, then you might be capable of beginning to understand a why.”

Samuel’s left hand clenched tightly, and his nostrils flared before he stormed toward the man. “You sonofa—”

“Ah! Ah, ah, ah! Violence won’t give you the answers you seek, no, it’ll give you a moment of ecstasy,” he wagged his finger at the quick-to-stop Samuel, advising him, “but not true satisfaction.”

“You’re sick - You’re not the man I once looked up to - No!”

“Heh, ha, hah, ha, ha! Ohhhh, listen to you! Just listen to you!”

Samuel’s eyes squinted upon the man’s laughter at him.

“You, you can’t even begin to wrap your little mind around,” and he raised his arms out to his sides, figuratively pointing to the world, saying, “all of this, nooooo! Hah, heh, ha!”

“You think this is a game?” Samuel reached out and grabbed the man by the collar of his button-down shirt. “You think that all of this is some form of chess… A grab at power?”

Then, in that very moment, a gigantic smirk quickly spawned over the man’s face. Samuel’s eyes grew twice their size as he looked into the man’s, and realization flooded him. He let go of the man and stepped back, as the man fixed his shirt. The light was swaying overhead, Samuel ran his hand down over his face and he gulped. “Power… Oh, ohhhhh, this? This is all about power to you?”

“Yes! Now you’re starting to ask the right questions… Special Investigator.”

“You played us all - Every single man, woman, and young-and-struggling to find themself into following you… for, for power?”

“Come on, now, you’re well aware of how one gained power centuries ago, hell, let alone decades ago…” The man motioned his hands out in front of him, explaining, “Trick the people, use the fools to build an army who will die for you, and then sacrifice them like pawns until you’re the one who’s atop the mountain! Ohhhh, things were so easy then, but now, now you have to gain trust. Trust, or bust!”

“You won’t get away with this,” Samuel growled, as he turned and walked over to the door. “I won’t let you, Doctor! No!”

“Now, now, Special Investigator, a wolf in sheep’s clothing is far more effective than a rose.”

Samuel banged his palm off the steel door, and a loud buzz shrieked before the door popped open. He stepped forward, but stopped as he heard the Doctor, “I’ve already won… No matter if you keep me locked behind these bars, or if I’m out beyond the 3 feet thick walls! No, see, I’ve amassed my army! The minds of the long-time oppressed, they feel freed by my voice, and are ready to die for me!” but Samuel slowly glanced back to him. “I hope you’re good at chess, because I’ve only just begun!”

“Don’t worry…” Samuel shook his head, tossed the book he was holding which was titled “Head High, Chest Out” onto the ground in front of the Doctor, before he walked out with the door closing behind him, and his voice echoed, “I’ve had the best teacher!”