Panel 1: (Vivid color) A scruffy man in his late 30s wearing an old faded, but clean blue collared shirt, khaki pants, and brown leather loafers with no socks is sitting under a tree, shaded from the sun, in the middle of a city park at a cement table with a small suitcase next to him and a half cleared chess board in front of him. His brows are slightly furrowed and eyes are squinted as he is looking down at the board with his right index finger on his black Rook. 

 Panel 2: In the background are several different families with women and little girls in pastel 

Easter dresses and men in suits walking through the park.  Directly surrounding the chess player are two tables, both with bearded napping men. In the foreground a casually dressed mid 20s man and woman walk slowly by the chess player while both staring. 

Woman: He’s been sitting in the same spot here every day for the last few years, rain, snow, or shine- playing chess, I swear.  

Man: Ya know, I been flipping through this Bobby Fischer chess book I found in that old box… 

 

Panel 3: Chess player is in the distant background. Woman looks up at man as they are standing still facing each other.  Woman’s eyes are wide with both of her hands on her hips.

Woman: Oh noo, you’re kidding me, right? We promised them 5.

               Thought: He always pulls this random last second shit.

Man: All I want- 1 hour.

Man: I’ll go to that job interview next week.

              Thought: … and become the corporate droning pawn your parents                                                        wanted. 

 Panel 4: Enlarged face of woman with a large smile and wider eyes

Woman: Done! Let’s go see what you’ve learned. 

 

Panel 5:  The man and woman are standing in front of the concrete table as the chess player is facing an empty chess board and resetting a white Pawn. 

           

Man: Hey, how’s it goin,’ man? Mind if we sit?

 

Panel 6: Chess player looks up at the man with the sun shining behind his head and squints with another Pawn in his hand.

           

Chess player: Only if you’re not gonna play.

 

Panel 7:  The couple sits down across the table from him and they set up the white chessmen while the CP places a black piece down.   

 

Panel 8: The CP’s side is completely set up.  He looks at the couple helping each other as he waits. 

 

Panel 9:  (Sepia tone) The CP is clean shaven and slimmer.  He’s holding the hand of a little girl while there is a woman walking next to them holding two ice cream cones. 

 

Panel 10: (Back to vivid color) The man and woman are looking at the CP.

Man: Hey man, your turn. 

CP: Oh, yea. 

 

Panel 11: The couple and the CP are still sitting across from each other, but now the man only has 6 pieces left on the table and the CP has only lost 7 chessmen. 

  CP: Check. Pawns may not have much moving power, but they’ll decide this game for you.

   Woman: This isn’t looking so good, babe.

 

Panel 12: The man is hunched over with his left index finger on his cheek and thumb cradling his chin.  His right index finger is on a pawn and the CP has gained another 2 of his chessmen.

 

Panel 13: (Sepia tone) The CP is talking to a doctor inside of a hospital.

           

Doctor: I’m so sorry. 

 

Panel 14: (Vivid color) The man has a smile on his face as the CP’s black King is checkmated with the help of two Pawns. 

           

Man: Checkmate!

 

Panel 15: Enlarged face of the CP with wide eyes and an open mouth. 

           

Panel 16: The man and woman are standing up while the man shakes the CP’s hand.  The sun has moved behind the CP’s head now.

Man: Thanks a lot for the game.  I never thought I could come back from that,   especially not with a couple of Pawns.  Hope to rematch one of these days.

CP: Yea, see ya round.

Panel 17: The leaves on the trees at the park are all orange and the fallen leaves are piled thick, covering the concrete park table and bench that the CP was playing on.  There are bearded men loitering with blankets on the surrounding park benches.