Winnie stepped out of her car and took a deep breath, steadying herself. It was only her second day on the job, and everything still felt so new, so... off.


    But she reminded herself, it''s all for the paycheck. Dressed in her best "therapist" look-pencil skirt, zer, and a soft pink blouse-she certainly looked the part. She marched toward the psychiatric ward''s entrance, letting her heels click with confidence, even if she didn''t feel it.


    Inside, she handed over her ID, signed the visitor log, and let herself be escorted by one of the officers.


    "Good luck in there," he said with a slight smile.


    Winnie managed a nod and a small smile in return, though her nerves were jittery. Today was going to be different from yesterday. No one-on-one session in Lisa''s room; instead, they''d be meeting in themon room where the other patients were hanging around.


    As soon as she entered the gathering area, she scanned the room and quickly spotted Lisa sitting alone at a table, intently ying a solo game of chess. Lisa''s expression was focused, her eyes flitting across the board with such intensity that Winnie found herself raising an eyebrow. It seemed that I was not exactly a people person.


    Why wasn''t Lisa ying with anyone else?


    Winnie took a deep breath, straightened her shoulders, and made her way over. Her heels clicked as she walked, but Lisa barely nced up. "Good afternoon, Lisa," Winnie greeted her in her best upbeat tone.


    Lisa rolled her eyes and sighed. "Didn''t I tell you I didn''t want to see you? And why are you sitting across from me? I didn''t give you permission."


    Unbothered, Winnie slid into the seat across from her, giving Lisa a smile. "You didn''t tell me that I couldn''t sit here, either," she replied, unfazed. "Plus, I''m your therapist. Kind ofes with the territory."


    Lisa raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "Fine. You''re here. What do you want?"


    "Just the usual check-in." Winnie pulled out her notepad, clicking her pen. "How''s your day going? Anything bothering you?"


    Lisa looked back down at her chessboard, moving one of the pieces absently. "Isn''t everything about my life in your little folder already? Why ask me?" "Because your answers matter, not just what''s on paper," Winnie replied smoothly, jotting down a few words. "And hey, just humor me. It''s my job."


    Lisa sighed but gave in. "Fine. The day''s the same as always. The nurses are too chatty, the food''s awful, and my roommate won''t stop singing at night."


    "Ah, ssic roommate troubles," Winnie said with a chuckle. "And here I thought that only happened in college dorms."


    Lisa gave a half-smirk but quickly hid it, clearly trying to keep her usual poker face. Winnie pressed on, asking about her hobbies, what she looked forward to in the day, and anything that could get a feel for Lisa beyond the snark and indifference. As Lisa answered, Winnie scribbled each response, noting the hints of sarcasm, the rare genuine replies, and even the asional eye roll.


    After a few minutes, Winnie nced down at the chessboard between them, then back up at Lisa. "You know," she said, tilting her head, "I''ve always been a bit of a chess fan. Mind if I join?"


    Lisa raised an eyebrow, giving her a skeptical look. "Can you even y?"


    Winnie smiled. "Think I can manage."


    Lisa shrugged, finally scooting a few pieces over to set up a fresh game. "All right, but don''t me me if you lose fast."


    As they started, Winnie watched


    Lisa''s moves carefully, already


    piecing together a n. Maybe, just


    with


    maybe, she could get Lisa to open up a bit by blending therapy with this game So, Lisa," Winnie said casually as she moved her pawn forward, "if you had to face down


    your worst enemy... what would you


    do?"


    Lisa paused, her eyes narrowing as she studied Winnie''s move. Then, without looking up, she moved her knight and captured one of Winnie''s pieces. "Enemies aren''t as hard to deal with as everyone thinks," she said, her tone t. "You just have to y smarter." Winnie nodded, pretending to concentrate on her own move. "Smart move. And how exactly would you, uh, y smarter?"


    Lisa smirked, moving her bishop


    closer to Winnie''s side of the board. "It''s all about predicting their next move," she said, her voice calm and controlled. "See, every piece has its role. Pawns? They''re distractions. Knights, bishops, rooks? They''re for setting traps. And the queen..." She moved her queen forward. "She''s there to end it, once and for all."


    Winnie felt a shiver go down her spine. There was a strange focus in Lisa''s eyes, her words carrying a weight that felt... off. Lisa seemed to be speaking more to herself than to Winnie her gaze trained intently on the board. "So, you''d wait until your enemy showed a weakness?" Winnie asked, trying to keep her fone


    casual.


    "Exactly." Lisa''s voice was almost a whisper, and she picked off one of Winnie''s pawns with a little smirk. "People are predictable. They''re greedy and impatient. If you wait long enough, they''ll give you an opening."


    Winnie swallowed, ncing up at Lisa''s face, which was still focused on the chessboard. There was something chilling about how intensely Lisa seemed to speak, as though she wasn''t talking about chess at all. And yet, here she was, spelling out some deeper, darker strategy using the game as a metaphor.


    Lisa''s hands moved swiftly, and Winnie''s pieces began to dwindle, one by one. "What about you?" Lisa asked her tone light but her gaze piercing. "Would you ever make the first move?"


    Winnie forced a smile, her fingers hovering over a piece. "Depends on the situation, I guess," she replied, trying to sound neutral. "Sometimes being proactive is good, but it can also be... risky."


    "Exactly," Lisa said, her voice soft but sharp. "It''s the patient ones who win."


    She took Winnie''s rook, and Winnie couldn''t help but notice the slight gleam in Lisa''s eyes. She had the look of someone who''d yed this game a thousand times, and maybe not just on a chessboard.


    They yed in silence for a bit, but Winnie''s mind was racing. This was just a game, but there was something unnerving about how passionately Lisa seemed to view it. Did she see her life the same way? Did she really think of people as "pieces" on some grand, twisted board?


    When Lisa finally cornered Winnie''s king, she gave a small smile. "Checkmate," she murmured, looking more satisfied than Winnie had ever seen her.


    Winnie stared down at the board, then looked up at Lisa, who was already tidying up the pieces with practiced precision. "You''re... really good at this game," Winnie said, her voice light but her mind still whirling.


    Lisa shrugged, stacking her pieces neatly. "It''s not just a game. It''s a lesson." She nced at Winnie, her gaze intense. "Think about it: everyone''s a piece. And every piece can be taken out if you''re patient enough." Winnie forced a smile, nodding along as she tried to push down the goosebumps crawling up her arms. "Good advice," she managed, slipping her notepad back into her bag. "Thanks for the game." "Anytime, Dr. Johnson," Lisa replied, her voice a smooth purr. As Winnie stood to leave, Lisa watched her with a look that lingered just a little too long.