The Video Game

"Couldn’t you hear me knocking?” she asked incredulously.

“I did, I think,” he said, a perplexed look on his face.

“What’s the matter with you? You look like you just woke up. Were you sleeping?”

“No, not exactly, at least I don’t think so.”

“Why is it dark in here, what have you been doing?”

“You’ll think I’m crazy if I tell you.”

“No I won’t, it’s obvious something is wrong with you. Here, let’s turn the lights on and go into the living room and sit down.”

They sat on the couch in silence until John said, “Something very strange and scary happened to me. In my mind, I could hear someone knocking at the door, but I couldn’t move my body; I couldn’t escape.”

“Escape?” Megan asked. “Escape from where?”

“The game I was playing, it tried to capture me.”

Meagan tried to conceal a soft laugh as she stared at John sitting there holding his head in his hands.

“You must have been dreaming, that’s all,” she said.

“Maybe, but I don’t think so, it seemed so real.”

“Dreams can seem real sometimes, it’s not unusual.”

“This was different, and why were all the lights out, I didn’t turn them off?”

“Hmmm, I’m not sure, maybe you turned them off and forgot about it. Did you have something to drink tonight?”

“No nothing except a soda. I was waiting for you to come over and thought I’d play a game in the meantime.” He pushed the game to the far end of the coffee table. “I’m not going to play anymore, that’s for sure.”

“Oh, come on, you have to face your fears. There must be some explanation for this. Tell me what you were doing, and what happened step-by-step. I’m sure there is nothing to fear from a video game.”

“OK, I sat down to play the game like I always do. I thought the remote wasn’t working. I remember shaking it. I felt lightheaded and dizzy like I was going to pass out. Next thing I knew I was in this hallway. There were doors everywhere. I kept running from door to door trying to get out, but they all led nowhere. Then I found a room with a gun in it. I started shooting it up in the air. I was panicked, I felt trapped. There were pieces of the ceiling falling all around me and suddenly I could see the sky and the stars overhead, but I didn’t know how to get to the top. Then I realized that I was inside the game, and I knew I had to find the rope ladder. I threw the gun to the side and went out of the room. I searched for the green blinking light, like in the game. I finally saw the glow from the light in the hallway and when I opened the door to the room, there was the ladder. I knew if I could climb the ladder in time, the helicopters would come and save me. I was halfway up the ladder but when I looked up at the sky there were no helicopters but a spaceship hovering. I knew from the game that I would be captured, and I couldn’t let that happen, so I let go of the ladder. I felt a sensation that I was falling, and my body jerked. That’s when I woke up and heard you knocking on the door.”

Megan put her arm around John. It was clear that he was shaken by what had happened to him. “Listen, I think you had one heck of a bad dream. Maybe you have been playing that game way too much. Let’s go down to the pub and enjoy the music. It will do you good to get out of here for a while.”

“Good idea, Believe me, I'm ready for a change. Can we spend the night at your apartment?”

“Sure, if you want to. Are you afraid to stay here alone?”

“I don’t know. It feels kind of creepy right now.”

John’s eerie feelings finally disappeared after they were at the pub for a while, soon it was out of his mind completely, although he hadn’t picked up the game to play since the incident. One day, out of boredom, he decided to play it again, all fear now gone.

****************************************

Knock, knock, knock. “Anybody home? He’s not answering Miss,” the policeman said to Megan.

“It’s been over a week since I’ve talked to him, sir. That’s highly unusual, he usually calls me at least a few times a week. I’ve got a key. I came over twice this week, but he wasn't here. That's when I decided to call you, maybe you can spot something I've missed."

“Are you sure he’s not just visiting someone elsewhere?”

“Yes, I’m sure, he would have said something to me.”

“I suppose it’s all right just to go in and check quickly. That is, if you're sure he gave you the key.”

"Of course, I'm sure. Why else would I have it? What! Do you think I'm lying?"

"No, Miss but we have to ask."

The apartment was dark, and a quick search did not find John nor anything suspicious. The game console was laying on the couch and the tv was on in the living room. On the tv was a picture of a building with a hole in the roof; a rope ladder was hanging. Megan was sure the tv had been off when she had checked the apartment earlier.

“Oh my God,” said Megan. “He’s in the game, they’ve captured him, just like he said.”

“What are you talking about Miss? Who’s captured whom?” asked the policeman.

Coming to her senses, Megan looked at the policeman. “Oh, nothing,” she said. “The last time I was here, John had a bad dream about a video game, I was just remembering what he told me.”

“It doesn’t appear there is anything more we can do here, Miss. We’ll file a missing person’s report down at the station.”

“Yes,” Megan replied. “I’ll come with you. Do you believe in aliens?"

"Aliens, Miss?"

"Yes, do you believe in them?"

The officer chuckled, "Are you suggesting that he was taken by aliens?"

"I don't know, it's possible, isn't it?"

Smiling, the officer responded. "Not in my line of work, no. Never ran into one. Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"You....well, you and your boyfriend don't experiment with drugs, do you?"

"Absolutely not, I can't believe you're asking me that. How rude!"

"Miss, no offense, we run into all kinds in this job, and you have said some strange things today."

The report had been filed and Megan, with a heavy heart, once more opened the door to John’s apartment. She sat down on the couch and picked up the video game. She was John’s only hope of rescue now.

With a sigh, she picked up the remote and pushed the button; nothing happened. Staring at the tv, Megan looked down at the remote. Still nothing. Frustrated and relieved all at the same time, she lay her head back on the couch and closed her eyes. She awoke to a buzzing noise. Looking at the remote, it appeared to be shaking. She glanced at the tv and then looked closer. Hands gripping a rope ladder and then slipping, over and over. Was it, could it, possibly be John?

Megan picked up the remote and once again pushed the button. Blackness.

****************************************

White walls. She was in a room with nothing but white walls. Rising ever so slowly, trying to subside the panic, she rose to her feet. The door opened and just as John said, she was in a hallway with doors everywhere. That confirmed to her that she was in the game, John hadn't been dreaming. That is of course, unless they both had the same dream. She was the logical one so what was happening. Reason told her she was dreaming but why couldn't she wake up?

She told herself, I must move slowly and methodically, no random decisions. Tiptoeing down the hall she slowly opened the next door, the next, and the next. All empty.

Back in the hallway she pondered, I will keep watch here and maybe John will come in or out of one of the doors. After some time, she heard a noise behind the door next to her. Quaking with fear, she peeked inside. There it was, the gun. Shaking, she picked it up and shot into the ceiling hoping that John or no one else was within her aim. The ceiling started falling around her and she believed a hole had opened to the sky, but the visibility was non-existent as deep fog rushed in, enveloping everything. She ran back into the hallway looking for a green light. There it was filtering through a door on the right. Opening the door, she saw the rope ladder hanging from the ceiling. She listened for the sound of a helicopter but couldn't hear one. Grabbing the ladder, she slowly started her way upward, step by frightening step.

A few more steps up the ladder and she heard, "Megan, are you coming?"

"John, is that you?" she called, "I'm coming,"

"Hurry Megan, hurry." The voice didn't sound like John but who else would know her name. It was deep and robotic sounding. Then a platform opened, she saw a hand reaching down through the fog, so she grabbed it. She was in his arms, cradled tight to his chest. It was him, she knew his touch.

"Oh John, I've been so worried. I'm sorry I didn't believe you. Can we go home now?"

A whirring sound was heard, and the platform closed with a bang. She raised her head from his chest and looked up at him. She thought it was John, it felt like him, smelled like him, but her mind said, is this really John?

Somewhat frightened she whispered, "John, is that really you? You seem different somehow."

"I've been waiting for you," he said. Beams of red shot from his eyes. "We are home now."

She jerked back looking for an exit but there was none. The machine they were in was lit with multi colored lights and it seemed to be spinning through the air. She fainted.

****************************************

Six months later a property manager opened the door to what was once John's apartment. Welcome home, she said to the mother with two teenage children.

"Look Mom, a video console," shouted Bobby, the son.

"Oh, that's not ours dear."

"Not a problem," said the property manager. "It was left here a long time ago, I thought I'd leave it for the new tenants if they want it. If not, I will gladly remove it."

"Please Mom," said the son.

"Sure, that's very kind of you," smiled the Mother, "but homework always comes first."

"I know, I know, thanks Mom."

"Don't thank me, thank the lady."

"Thank you," he smiled.

"You're welcome, son. I hope you enjoy it."

Opening the door, the property manager said, " I must go, it is getting late. If you need anything, you have my number. Rent is due the 1st of every month." Trying to conceal her excitement, she closed the door and swiftly walked down to the end of the hallway, pulled out keys and entered a door. Moving up the steep stairway, she went through another door to the rooftop. Her eyes shot out beams of red and soon a platform came down and she entered the ship.

Gleefully she thought to herself. I've set the trap for another victim.


1,940 Words
Twisted Tales
Rules: 1 twist or surprise entry. No poetry, erotica, fan fiction, gore, or extreme sadness.
300-6,000 words. March 2023
Won Honorable Mention, 5,000 GP's & Gold Ribbon