The Ghost in His Mirror
He walked onto the stage and reached out, trying to shake my hand, pretending to be a magnanimous veteran.
"Congratulations. Lucky race, kid." He spoke through clenched teeth in a low voice.
I looked at his hand suspended in the air and didn't move.
I walked straight past him to the host and took the microphone from his hand.
Then I turned and aimed the microphone at the live broadcast cameras.
"Today, I'm standing here not only because of luck."
My voice passed through the massive speakers, spreading across the entire circuit and into the livestream.
The whole place went quiet. Everyone sensed that something was wrong.