Walking Sam, or "The Game of Kings"

My daddy plays chess with me. He says I’m a smart player. I know I’m not.

He is trying to be nice because he has been sad since Mommy went away in the middle of the night.

The police came to help, but they couldn’t find Mommy either.

I didn’t tell him that a big man named Walking Sam has been coming to my window since Mommy left. 

He says he can make a deal for anything I want.

The first time he came, he said he would give me a special storage box for my chess pieces if I could tell him what the en passant rule is.

But I said no. I know what fool’s mate looks like.

The second time he came, Walking Sam offered to give me a special chess clock if I could beat him while playing black.

But I said no. If my opponent offers me a knight for a pawn, it’s a trick.

The police came again, but it was just to tell Daddy that they couldn’t find Mommy.

We played chess, but Daddy kept saying he didn’t know how to find Mommy. I knew he was upset because he was playing so bad.

I said I could ask someone to help. I told him about Walking Sam.

Daddy said no. He said Walking Sam was trying to trick me.

 He said if Walking Sam came again, I should come and get him. He would tell Sam to go away forever. I said I would.

When Walking Sam came again, I told him I was going to tell Daddy. But Sam said that would make Daddy even sadder than he already was about Mommy.

I didn’t want that. So, Sam said that if I would not upset Daddy more, he would just go away now. I said okay.

But then everything went dark. I felt funny. I felt flat, like a tire with all the air out of it.

In the dark, I saw other flat people. They looked like decorations. Little trophies. All of us.

And then I saw her.

Oh. Hi, Mommy.