The Cast Shadow

The midday heat rendered open traversal inefficient, directing my route into the shaded pavilion. On a cast-concrete chess table, a single unvarnished wooden rook stood abandoned across a pale square. I climbed the fluted pedestal and stepped onto the cool aggregate surface. Lowering my center of gravity, I took a seated stance on the edge of the board, resting my staff flat across my knees. The carved piece threw a dense, diagonal shadow that intersected the etched grid line. I remained immobile, tracking the slow progression of the darkness across the stone. Respite complete.