by Selina Schuh
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Rain started to pour down on the man in the park, like the sky shedding tears in place of him, who was no longer capable of it.
Water ran down his face into the collar of the cloak and cold humidity spread inside. He did not bother about it. His only reaction was cupping the little stone figurine carefully with his hand and shielding it from the onslaught of rain drops, thus clearly proving his priorities.
At last, the drenched man stopped, his final destination was stretching before his eyes. The path led to a circular stone pavilion. Once upon a time, it must have been built up by light coloured stones, but years of harsh weather has darkened its surface and the ravages of time have left small cracks in the facade. Moos sprouted through every gap, like random patches of green beard, and the pillars were strangled by thick twines. Inside, there was a stone table with a chessboard engraved on it and two opposite chairs positioned at each side.
His gaze fixed on the things that were piled on top of the board.
They appeared to be a random compilation of paltry objects; a flower clumsily formed out of an aluminium can, a manikin built from cork and countless other trinkets with no nominal value. And yet, nobody could mistake the stack for rubbish and throw it away, since every piece of it – while seemingly worthless to the naked eye – emitted an air of deep care and made the objects appear more like invaluable mementos.
The man placed the figure of the white queen carefully on the peak of the pile, thus leaving it at the place they often had visited to let the chess pieces dance once more. As his hand let go of the figurine, the last remaining light of his friend disappeared.
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He retreated and soon vanished into the masses to never be seen again, for a shadow without its light loses its shape and is fated to become one with darkness.
© Selina Schuh 2024-03-26