Post by Kira & Lee Norris on Dec 1, 2007 17:23:17 GMT
The hall was unbearably warm; and the atmosphere was so thick it felt like he was drowning in it. Faces were pressing in from all sides... just watching him. And whispering. He couldn't hear them properly... but he knew they were whispering about him. Lee gulped, his hand held aloft over the chessboard. He didn't know what was happening. He'd never let the pressure get to him like this before.
Matt's eyes were murky green slivers as he surveyed him.
"Check."
Lee could feel the beads of sweat dripping down his face. There had to be a way out. There was always a way out. He was good at this. No- he was the best there was. He was calm, cool and calculating. He was a champion. It the one thing he could truly stand up and say he was proud of- something he really had got and could hold onto.
Something he could do.
But Matt had backed him into a corner. Matt's queen seemed to be a threat from all sides. He could go that way, but would face threat then from a pawn. A pawn. Lee Ryan Norris- undefeated chess champ- stopped dead by a pawn.
Matt's smile was gloating. He was winning, and he knew it. Victory was in his grasp. Matt wasn't really Lee's friend. Matt was an enemy. He'd never liked Lee, had he? Just Lydia. Well, it'd backfired on him anyway, Lee thought viciously. Lydia liked Mike. Matt wasn't going to get a look-in.
"This is pathetic."
"He's just trying to prolong the inevitable. He can't accept he's been beaten."
"Matt's won."
"What a loser."
Lee felt sick. Truly sick. The faces of his peers leered cruelly at him; his friends faces scattered throughout the audience. Here- there was Ellie and Brian, their heads cocked strangely, as though seeing him for the first time. Jack was looking quite blank, his arm curled around Olivia. She was looking at the ground... in shame? Why was Lydia looking so sad? Why was Mike looking so angry? Why was Jude... where was Jude? His eye caught Ailith's and he felt a strange, almost detatched spasm of horror as her eyes spilled over.
Where was he?
Libba emerged suddenly from the crowd, panting slightly.
"Lee, go there," she said, pointing.
He stared at the board for a few seconds, and felt a rush of relief. And anger. How had he not seen that?!
Then, his heart sank. "Libba, I can't. That's cheating."
She shook her head breathlessly, her curls bouncing. "No, it's not. They can't see me. They can't hear me. Just you."
"Talking to himself!"
"He's as mad as Steve."
"They're both bonkers."
"Was."
"He's gone now."
"He'll join his mad little friend soon."
Lee jumped, looking up at the blank crowd once more. Yes... he could see Macy. But where was Steve?
Where were they?
"Gone," she told him simply, shrugging. "They're just gone. You know how it is. It's a war."
"Check," Matt repeated.
Lee gulped, moving his knight quickly across the board.
There was a smattering of surprised gasps, and Matt's eyebrows furrowed in anger and concentration. Lee barely noticed. Libba had his full attention.
"They're... dead?"
Libba nodded, drawing her finger across her neck. "Dead. Look for Will."
Lee felt his heart fall slightly as he scanned the crowds.
Another one gone.
"They went down fighting?"
"Jude did," replied Libba, her eyes misting over. "Tore out into the battlefield in a rage when they killed his sister. Ailith tried to stop him- but she couldn't. Grief is a powerful thing. Revenge takes hold and you become completely unreasonable. Jude went out fighting- took a bullet to the head and it shattered his skull. He still took down a hell of a lot with him. Poor guy."
Lee mouth felt dry. "Will?"
"She was killed on the field too. Ran out when Jude fell. Someone stabbed her in the back. She didn't stand a chance."
He gulped; finding his throat so dry it hurt. "And... Steve?"
"Suicide," she replied simply. "Well, we all knew it was coming. He took the easy way out."
"Check."
Matt's winning smile was back. The crowd's whispers were roaring in Lee's ears once more.
"I knew it."
"He's living on borrowed time."
"How could someone like THIS have bagged Madeleine?"
"Easy- she's using him."
"Ouch. And the loser can't see that?"
Libba bit her lip, placing her hand on Lee's arm, which had suddenly began to shake.
"Stop them, Libba. I can't do this."
"You can, and you will, despite the consequences," she ordered her, taking his hand and moving his knight forward. "Look- I'm here to help you, see? But Lee, I can only guide you as far as I have..."
"Libba, what do you mean?" he muttered, staring at the board.
She didn't reply. He stopped, catching his breath, and looked around him. The tall, beautiful woman he'd looked to for comfort in this nightmare was gone. Now, there was just him, and Matt. As he refocused on the game, he found that his eyes were swimming. Matt's face was distorting wildly. Lee wiped at his face fiercely, and inhaled.
Concentrate.
"Madeleine and Levi are together, aren't they?"
"Of course! They're over there! How sweet!"
"I always knew they'd get back together."
"He was bound to lose her in the long run."
"Check."
Lee swore, and the crowd seemed to halt for a second or two. Lee glared at Matt, but then, over his shoulder, he saw Madeleine and Levi. Madeleine was watching him curiously, her head tilted ever so slightly as her curls brushed her shoulder. Levi swept them away, reaching around to put his arm around her. Madeleine looked around- and smiled at him.
In that moment, all of Lee's fight went away. He stared blankly at the board for a few moments... then moved his king.
Matt smiled viciously, and his knight whipped across the board.
"Checkmate."
Lee felt his crushing defeat collapse on top of him, sagging over him like a stormcloud. The crowd broke out into a smattering of applause, and Matt rose from the table, beaming at them all. At his smile, suddenly they all began to cheer. Arms reached out and pulled him inwards, and he disappeared into the dispersing crowd, as they ran off to cries of celebration...
... the celebration that that Norris kid had finally been beaten at his own game.
Lee sat alone at the table, his head in his hands. He caught sight of the chessboard, and with a growl, he threw it to the ground. It smashed everywhere, its pieces rolling all over the place. He groaned at the loud noise, but before he could set about picking it up, he suddenly felt a warm hand on his shoulder.
"Hello, Lee."
Lee jumped up, his nerves frazzled.
Prof. Hoodham stood before him, his blue eyes staring at him sadly. Lee felt an inexplicable rush of hatred for the man. He looked him up and down... god. He wasn't as old as he seemed on stage. The man wasn't even 40!
"Lee, I've been watching you for some time now."
Lee gulped, stepping backwards. "W... watching me?"
"You're weak, Lee." Prof. Hoodham's sad face suddenly changed; replaced by something cold and hard... something vicious. "So weak... and now, you've lost everything you had going for you. You're friends are leaving you. Your girlfriend's gone- and you've lost your champion title. Gosh! Better be careful- the Head of the Spies may be your cousin- but do you think she'd really care about you at all if it weren't for that connection? You're losing them all."
"No," Lee croaked, his eyes popping. "I don't... don't say that."
"You're worth nothing," Prof. Hoodham said forcefully. "You're an embarrassment. And you're through."
"T-through...?"
"I'm asking you to leave Orchid Hill Academy for the Gifted," sneered Prof. Hoodham, a cruel smile cracking open. "Since you no longer forfil its requirements."
"Are you gonna' take that lying down, Lee?!" cried Maddie stoutly from behind him. Levi stood a little back, watching them closely; silent as the grave.
Lee stared at her blankly. "Madeleine?"
"He's fooling you!" she hissed, her eyes narrowing. "He's fooled us all! He's the reason our friends are dead."
Jude, Will and Steve swam before him.
"He sent them to war- but look at him," she sneered. "He's not old. He could fight. But he doesn't. He send teenagers out to do his dirty work. Lee- I nearly died because of him!"
"She's right, Lee," Kira said sharply, stepping out from the shadows and facing him. "He has no right to call you weak."
"You're not weak, Lee," Madeleine told him.
"He is," Kira hissed.
Prof. Hoodham growled. "Lee Norris, I hereby expel you from Orchid Hill."
"No!" cried Kira, jumping in front of him to face Prof. Hoodham. "I won't let you!"
"But you're fooled by him, too," Lee said weakly, looking at the two women he loved more than anyone else in the world. "He's fooled us all. He fooled... he fooled the others into dying for him."
"You lose people, Lee," Madeleine said softly, slipping her hand into his. "You do. It's part of the war. And maybe... maybe things will happen when you're gone. Maybe I'll move on-" she glanced back at Levi- "but I'd be happy."
"We'd all be happy," Kira whispered, looking at them both. "Because it would be over. You can stop the sacrifices by making a few of your own."
"You're distracted," Maddie said softly. "They all distract you. That's why you lost your title as champ. But, Lee, if you'd kept fighting, you would've done it."
"Don't be distracted," Kira told him, and suddenly, he something cold and familiar materialise in his hand. "Win what really matters."
"Win for me, Lee," Maddie smiled, kissing his cheek.
Professor Hoodham glared at him, waiting...
Just waiting...
Like he wasn't even going to put up a fight.
"You know what you have to do," Kira murmured...
Lee fired the gun, and his dream faded to black.
Matt's eyes were murky green slivers as he surveyed him.
"Check."
Lee could feel the beads of sweat dripping down his face. There had to be a way out. There was always a way out. He was good at this. No- he was the best there was. He was calm, cool and calculating. He was a champion. It the one thing he could truly stand up and say he was proud of- something he really had got and could hold onto.
Something he could do.
But Matt had backed him into a corner. Matt's queen seemed to be a threat from all sides. He could go that way, but would face threat then from a pawn. A pawn. Lee Ryan Norris- undefeated chess champ- stopped dead by a pawn.
Matt's smile was gloating. He was winning, and he knew it. Victory was in his grasp. Matt wasn't really Lee's friend. Matt was an enemy. He'd never liked Lee, had he? Just Lydia. Well, it'd backfired on him anyway, Lee thought viciously. Lydia liked Mike. Matt wasn't going to get a look-in.
"This is pathetic."
"He's just trying to prolong the inevitable. He can't accept he's been beaten."
"Matt's won."
"What a loser."
Lee felt sick. Truly sick. The faces of his peers leered cruelly at him; his friends faces scattered throughout the audience. Here- there was Ellie and Brian, their heads cocked strangely, as though seeing him for the first time. Jack was looking quite blank, his arm curled around Olivia. She was looking at the ground... in shame? Why was Lydia looking so sad? Why was Mike looking so angry? Why was Jude... where was Jude? His eye caught Ailith's and he felt a strange, almost detatched spasm of horror as her eyes spilled over.
Where was he?
Libba emerged suddenly from the crowd, panting slightly.
"Lee, go there," she said, pointing.
He stared at the board for a few seconds, and felt a rush of relief. And anger. How had he not seen that?!
Then, his heart sank. "Libba, I can't. That's cheating."
She shook her head breathlessly, her curls bouncing. "No, it's not. They can't see me. They can't hear me. Just you."
"Talking to himself!"
"He's as mad as Steve."
"They're both bonkers."
"Was."
"He's gone now."
"He'll join his mad little friend soon."
Lee jumped, looking up at the blank crowd once more. Yes... he could see Macy. But where was Steve?
Where were they?
"Gone," she told him simply, shrugging. "They're just gone. You know how it is. It's a war."
"Check," Matt repeated.
Lee gulped, moving his knight quickly across the board.
There was a smattering of surprised gasps, and Matt's eyebrows furrowed in anger and concentration. Lee barely noticed. Libba had his full attention.
"They're... dead?"
Libba nodded, drawing her finger across her neck. "Dead. Look for Will."
Lee felt his heart fall slightly as he scanned the crowds.
Another one gone.
"They went down fighting?"
"Jude did," replied Libba, her eyes misting over. "Tore out into the battlefield in a rage when they killed his sister. Ailith tried to stop him- but she couldn't. Grief is a powerful thing. Revenge takes hold and you become completely unreasonable. Jude went out fighting- took a bullet to the head and it shattered his skull. He still took down a hell of a lot with him. Poor guy."
Lee mouth felt dry. "Will?"
"She was killed on the field too. Ran out when Jude fell. Someone stabbed her in the back. She didn't stand a chance."
He gulped; finding his throat so dry it hurt. "And... Steve?"
"Suicide," she replied simply. "Well, we all knew it was coming. He took the easy way out."
"Check."
Matt's winning smile was back. The crowd's whispers were roaring in Lee's ears once more.
"I knew it."
"He's living on borrowed time."
"How could someone like THIS have bagged Madeleine?"
"Easy- she's using him."
"Ouch. And the loser can't see that?"
Libba bit her lip, placing her hand on Lee's arm, which had suddenly began to shake.
"Stop them, Libba. I can't do this."
"You can, and you will, despite the consequences," she ordered her, taking his hand and moving his knight forward. "Look- I'm here to help you, see? But Lee, I can only guide you as far as I have..."
"Libba, what do you mean?" he muttered, staring at the board.
She didn't reply. He stopped, catching his breath, and looked around him. The tall, beautiful woman he'd looked to for comfort in this nightmare was gone. Now, there was just him, and Matt. As he refocused on the game, he found that his eyes were swimming. Matt's face was distorting wildly. Lee wiped at his face fiercely, and inhaled.
Concentrate.
"Madeleine and Levi are together, aren't they?"
"Of course! They're over there! How sweet!"
"I always knew they'd get back together."
"He was bound to lose her in the long run."
"Check."
Lee swore, and the crowd seemed to halt for a second or two. Lee glared at Matt, but then, over his shoulder, he saw Madeleine and Levi. Madeleine was watching him curiously, her head tilted ever so slightly as her curls brushed her shoulder. Levi swept them away, reaching around to put his arm around her. Madeleine looked around- and smiled at him.
In that moment, all of Lee's fight went away. He stared blankly at the board for a few moments... then moved his king.
Matt smiled viciously, and his knight whipped across the board.
"Checkmate."
Lee felt his crushing defeat collapse on top of him, sagging over him like a stormcloud. The crowd broke out into a smattering of applause, and Matt rose from the table, beaming at them all. At his smile, suddenly they all began to cheer. Arms reached out and pulled him inwards, and he disappeared into the dispersing crowd, as they ran off to cries of celebration...
... the celebration that that Norris kid had finally been beaten at his own game.
Lee sat alone at the table, his head in his hands. He caught sight of the chessboard, and with a growl, he threw it to the ground. It smashed everywhere, its pieces rolling all over the place. He groaned at the loud noise, but before he could set about picking it up, he suddenly felt a warm hand on his shoulder.
"Hello, Lee."
Lee jumped up, his nerves frazzled.
Prof. Hoodham stood before him, his blue eyes staring at him sadly. Lee felt an inexplicable rush of hatred for the man. He looked him up and down... god. He wasn't as old as he seemed on stage. The man wasn't even 40!
"Lee, I've been watching you for some time now."
Lee gulped, stepping backwards. "W... watching me?"
"You're weak, Lee." Prof. Hoodham's sad face suddenly changed; replaced by something cold and hard... something vicious. "So weak... and now, you've lost everything you had going for you. You're friends are leaving you. Your girlfriend's gone- and you've lost your champion title. Gosh! Better be careful- the Head of the Spies may be your cousin- but do you think she'd really care about you at all if it weren't for that connection? You're losing them all."
"No," Lee croaked, his eyes popping. "I don't... don't say that."
"You're worth nothing," Prof. Hoodham said forcefully. "You're an embarrassment. And you're through."
"T-through...?"
"I'm asking you to leave Orchid Hill Academy for the Gifted," sneered Prof. Hoodham, a cruel smile cracking open. "Since you no longer forfil its requirements."
"Are you gonna' take that lying down, Lee?!" cried Maddie stoutly from behind him. Levi stood a little back, watching them closely; silent as the grave.
Lee stared at her blankly. "Madeleine?"
"He's fooling you!" she hissed, her eyes narrowing. "He's fooled us all! He's the reason our friends are dead."
Jude, Will and Steve swam before him.
"He sent them to war- but look at him," she sneered. "He's not old. He could fight. But he doesn't. He send teenagers out to do his dirty work. Lee- I nearly died because of him!"
"She's right, Lee," Kira said sharply, stepping out from the shadows and facing him. "He has no right to call you weak."
"You're not weak, Lee," Madeleine told him.
"He is," Kira hissed.
Prof. Hoodham growled. "Lee Norris, I hereby expel you from Orchid Hill."
"No!" cried Kira, jumping in front of him to face Prof. Hoodham. "I won't let you!"
"But you're fooled by him, too," Lee said weakly, looking at the two women he loved more than anyone else in the world. "He's fooled us all. He fooled... he fooled the others into dying for him."
"You lose people, Lee," Madeleine said softly, slipping her hand into his. "You do. It's part of the war. And maybe... maybe things will happen when you're gone. Maybe I'll move on-" she glanced back at Levi- "but I'd be happy."
"We'd all be happy," Kira whispered, looking at them both. "Because it would be over. You can stop the sacrifices by making a few of your own."
"You're distracted," Maddie said softly. "They all distract you. That's why you lost your title as champ. But, Lee, if you'd kept fighting, you would've done it."
"Don't be distracted," Kira told him, and suddenly, he something cold and familiar materialise in his hand. "Win what really matters."
"Win for me, Lee," Maddie smiled, kissing his cheek.
Professor Hoodham glared at him, waiting...
Just waiting...
Like he wasn't even going to put up a fight.
"You know what you have to do," Kira murmured...
Lee fired the gun, and his dream faded to black.
