The Blue Scarlet Chess Set

In early January of 2009, my grandfather passed away at the humbling age of 83. And we were as close as can be. We would always hang out together, talk together, write together, we both very much loved writing.

After his passing, in his will he made an unordinarily explicit mention that he wished me to have, what he called a "Blue Scarlet Chess Set." Now, I knew nothing of this. Of all the time I had spent with him as a child, albeit even as an adult, I have rare, if any memory of such an object.

Even more peculiarly, he made it absolutely explicit that I was the one who obtained it. He made sure to put my full name, birth date, and oddly my astrological sign.

Out of respect for him, and all the wonderful things he's done for me over the years, I agree and took the chessboard, placing it safely in the closet of my house. Following the days of his death (January 12-4) I embarked on a hiking trip with a few of my friends, of which their names I will not disclose for sake of sheer privacy.

During the nights I was there, I had some odd dreams. I mean, nothing too out of the ordinary, just a few 'night terrors' if you could call them that. I wrote them down in my travel diary, but feel as though they're too personal to share here.

When I returned home, I immediately checked on the chessboard, hoping to do some research on it. I hopped up the stairs, walked to my room, and opened the closet door. There, shockingly, yet, at the same time, expectantly, I found the lid of the cardboard box to be off. I was rather shocked and confused, and knew something was eery. Understanding this, I also realized that this had been the first time i'd actually physically seen the pieces. I leaned in closer, and, to my surprise, the pieces were modeled after the Greek Gods.

My mind observed the format of the pieces clearer, and it seemed as though the board had set up a sort of 'hierarchical structure' amongst them. All the pawns encircled their superiors, such as Zeus, Athena, Dionysus, etc.

Expectantly, I was confused and snap a few photos of this. When I sit down to import them into my computer, all but one of them are corrupted. Here it is.

I lie down to try and put the pieces together, but it's like trying to fit two different puzzles together, it just doesn't happen. Through my puzzled thinking I somehow drift off into sleep, and awake a few hours later.

I am awoken by a dull thumping, seeming to emanate from a ways down the hall. It sounded like two fists simply banging on the wall. At this my heart rate picks up, I don't know what to do. I peer to the left, trying to get a glimpse down the pessimistically shadowed hallway, but it doesn't work, it's took far to lean.

Rather bravely for me, I put my two feet down on the rug and stand up, hoping to not alert whatever may be out there. And at this point, I begin feel I am being watched. I begin to feel like the shadows that encompass my room, are It. I know this sounds odd.

I sort of felt like, its consciousness was the shadow, and the shadow was it. I was beginning to get paranoid.

In an effort to hold back my fear, I childishly turn all the lights on in the house. Yes, embarrassing, I know, but I couldn't stop myself.

"The Board." a thought pops into my head, I should check on it.

I silently 'slither' over to the closet, where I open the door, and to my surprise, the figures had moved again. Whether this was a joke played by someone, or real, it was serious.

At this point I grab the board, knocking the pieces from their places, and begin observing it even more closely than before. And it was then that I recognized something that I hand't the other day. The corners, the paper overlay which made the squares were.. peeling. It was as though they had sustained some form of water damage, or even someone had been picking at them with their fingernails.

I thought hard about what I was about to do, but a sinister presence was growing, and I needed to get knowledge. I peeled back the small flap in the top right corner and drag it down diagonally.

To my utter, and absolute shock...

It revealed an Ouija board underneath.

It was intricately designed, more symbols and inscriptions than to speak of, but one was most unsettling, reading in Latin,

"It will watch."

In the following days I disposed of the chess set, doing so in a way that was both spiritually and physically moral. I made sure not to leave the board for any who may find it, and made sure to leave no "spiritual portals" open.

Secondly, I made sure to take any precautions necessary to remove It (the being) from existence, but, after speaking to a psychic medium, she informed me that it had escaped, already knowing my thoughts. She told me the being of which I encountered was known under many myths and legends. It was ironically dubbed by many, the Shade. The medium refused to speak with me anymore after this.

So I ask any and all readers of this text to please take note, that the being which I encountered is still out there. I did my best to try to contain, or even cease its existence. But be warned, it is attracted to those who [STATEMENT REDACTED].

Be well.