Chess is the game by emily walton (easy readers .TXT) 📕

i slammed the door closed to let my mom know i was home. her head came around the corner that lead to the kitchen.

" hey, Chess. how was your day?" i shrugged, heading up the stairs.

" same as any of the other days, i guess." i said before going to my room. i closed the door and groaned. i threw my backpack on my bed, then went to my bathroom and splashed cold water on my face.

a ritual i always did before i started cutting.

i started almost as soon as Z left. i just wanted..... something, to make sure i never forgot her. now i wear leather bands around my wrists, or, like her, a long sleeve shirt. Jonathan, before he left for collage, told me that it was unhealthy, but didn't tell me not to do it.

so i continued to do it.

" Chess! Richies here!" my mom called, and I cursed as my blade slipped and cut deeper than i had intended.

" give me a minute!" i called back, grabbing a washrag. after a minute or two, the bleeding stopped. i slipped my bands on, and went downstairs. she was going through the mail, richie setting up the xbox in the living room. she frowned at a package that was sitting on the table.

" that's yours, hun." she said. i sighed, setting down and opening it. as the lid opened, i froze.

inside was a casset.

I took it out slowly, not wanting to believe.

it couldn't be from her- could it?


over a year ago, i fell in love. with my foster sister.

but the girl had issues. like, bad issues. she was broken, and i thought i could help her. i just made it worse.

the first time she came over, Jonathan called her an avenging angel. I called hehr a gift. she was beautiful, even if she was as pissed as hell.

a week before she ran away,we kinda hooked up. I thought she was finally healing, untill i woke up in her room, with a note on her desk, and some of her clothes missing. she left, and the funny thing is, she even told me she was planning it. i was just too high strung over her to realize that she would actually leave me. and, theres always the minor fact that her note said she loved me. for months after she left, i waited for her to realize she needed to come back, to ask to come to this family foster home again. but then, one day, my mom got a call. she had attempted suicide at he current house, and she was in the hospital.

she was also pregnant.

but because of all the blood she lost, she also lost the kid. the sad thing was, it was mine. the social service officer that she was appointed to said it would be too hard on her to be around us, and so they moved her all the way to arkansa. she is, i beleive, there still today. if her stories are true, than this is the longest she's ever been at one house.

i havent heard from her in a while, but if this tape is from her...


i sat there for about three more seconds before i learched up, calling richie behind me, heading to my room. he took m=in me frantically trying to get the video in, and he said softly

" Chess, man, it might not be from her." i shot him an angry glare as the video went in, i pressed play, and then, moments later, her face appeared. she ajusted something, then she sighed.

" I guess the first thing i should say is congradulations. you actually finished high school, as far as i know. i had to quit." she bit her lip, then hung her head and sighed.

" I'm so sorry, Chess. i... i shouldn't be doing this, but i have to. i... i need your help." her head came up, and both me and Richie gasped as we saw the bruise that shadowed the whole left side of her face.

" i doubt this even gets to you. but if it does.... it...i..." for once she was at loss for words. she ran a hand through her hair, and i gasped again as i saw her arms littered with bruises.

" you need to come get me, or something. the dad around here is a fucking perv who decided i needed to share his bed instead of his wife, and the wife is a sadistic ass who enjoys tying me down and beating the fuck outta me. just.." she sighed again, and sat up. her eyes stayed clsoed as she continued.

" i don't even have the right to send this to you. i left you, and i shouldn't have. i'm so sorry. just, God.... i'm really fucked up to believe you'll come... but if you do......" she trailed off, and her eyes snapped open, and fear was in them. she rattled off an address, and then the camera was shut off.

" wha....Chess..... that was..... that was Izzy!" richie finally said. i nodded. i was about to turn it off when her face appeared again, only less beaten and battered. she wasn't looking at the camera, jsut staring out the window.

" Misery." someone, a guy, it sounded like, said. i waited for her to launch her self at them, but she jsut grimaced.

" go away, Phillip!" she groaned. the camera moved foreward, till it was next to her on a window seat.

" girl, i'm just going to talk to you. calm down." she watched whoever was behind the camera wearily. he sighed, and then the camera moved so that it was on a stand or something, were neither of them was touching it. they moved, and a guy with black hair hand green eyes was visable.

" how many times?" she groaned again, wrapping an arm around her stomach.

" Go away." she whispered, closing her eyes and leaning her head against the window. he growled slightly.

" your going to tell me, or i'm going to go to the hospital and ask them. and you know how embarassing i can make that." her eyes flew open, and she sat up straiter, and i could see her fully. her hair was greasy, and it was shorter than i remembered. she had a shadow on her bare arm, nad the onlyh things on her wrists were scars.

" how many times?" she glanced at the camera.

" turn it off." he shook his head.

" no. i'm going to ask one more time, and then i'm going to the hospital. how many times?" she bit her lip. he stood up, and her hand learched out to grab his shirt sleeve.

" 3." his eyes widened, then he turned back to her. there was a steely tone to his voice.

" you've had a miscarraige 3 times?" he hisseed. she hung her head.

" were was i for 2?" she sighed.

"you were at school. collage in another state isn't the best idea you've had." she said softly. he sat back down next to her, then put an arm around her.

" when was 3?" she glanced at the camera again.

" yesterday." he exploded.

" WHAT!?"the camera went flying, and then it went black for a few moments. then that guy was talking.

" ok, whoever you are, you mean a lot to her. she talks about you constantly. but, any way, you need to get her out of here. i let you see that because it's happened another time already. she's.... she's getting bad. " then it cut off. i shut it off before anything else could come up on the screen. me and richie looked at eachother for a long time. then i lurched up and ran back downstairs.

" hey, chess, do you-"

" MOM! izzy- she, you gotta come see this!" i rana back upstairs, cuting her off. she came back upstairs, and i rewound the movie.

after she watched it, she cried for a long time. then she called dad, and Jonathan. Richie called Greg, and chase, and Derrek. they came over, and then mom called the police.

and that's when the problems started.

"what do you mean you can't do anything!? put her back in the system! or another foster home! or HERE!" Jonathan was screaming at the officer. i felt like i should be, too, after what he just said. i think Richie read my mind, because his hand clamped around my mouth before i could join in, and he dragged me upstairs with the help of Chase and Derrek. greg was out at the store, buying pizza, just for something to do more than the fact that were not going to eat it. richie let me go in her old room, and i sank on the bed.

" there Idiots." he hissed. it was true. the officers had sent a team to her foster house, and they said that the room she had been in was vacant, and the only evidance she had ever been there was a few fishnet gloves and a few tee- shirts. she was probably being beat as we speak.

" was she really that bad?" Chase asked softly. i nodded.

" yeah, she was really bad. " i let my head drop into my head, groaning.

" we should do something." Derrek said suddenly. i sighed.

" they won't let us, Derry." he shook his head.

" no, not physically. we should let her know you got her video, though." i froze, than slowly nodded.

" get me a peice of paper. you all can write to her, too. and we'll send it all in one envelope." they nodded, and left.

" Chess?" my mom's soft voice came as soon as they left.

" comeon in, mom."i said, lifting my head. she slipped in, then mutely strode over and pulled me into a hug i haven't felt in years.

" i'm so sorry, honey." she whispered i felt water hit my shoulder, and i realized she was crying.

" i'll be alright, mom." she sighed, pulling back so she could see my face.

" sweet, you have to stop lying to yourself. your never going to be alright as long as she's out of your sight. you love her like i love your father." i lowered my gaze.

" i thought i did. i thought she did, too. but she left." she sighed, sitting next to me on the bed.

" honey, she sent the video to YOU, right?" i nodded.

" not that leon kid." she waited for me to nod.

" nor those men she lived with in L.A." i shook my head.

" why would she do that?" i shrugged, grimacing.

" were closer." she sighed.

" Chess, she could have put our name on there and we could have all watched it. she gave it to YOU because she wanted YOU to see it. she still loves you Chess. you have to remember, she comes from a past that doesn't include the true meaning of love. she just knew what she was taught while she was in those foster homes. she