Post by Defty on Oct 20, 2023 11:39:49 GMT -5
CHAPTER 1 — PRESS START
Working at a video game store is a strong indicator of where you’re at in life.
And, in case you’re wondering— that’s not a good place.
Sorry to any one who does, work . . . at a video game store. To be fair, I work at one too. So.
Yeah, I’m a college dropout and all that. You’ve gotta understand, though—I thought I was going somewhere to learn. Instead, I found myself surrounded by party experts who had elevated keg stands and beer pong to Olympic levels of competition. I couldn’t take it; I withdrew from the school’s roster after just a few months.
Still, how did I go from pursuing ‘higher education’ to working here? Good question.
Well, after coming back home, (and what a feeling of failure that was), my folks made it abundantly clear I’d need to make some cash; start pulling my weight around here. My mom suggested I pursue nursing, which was her subconscious way of saying it was too late to become a doctor. Thanks for the vote of confidence, Mom.
Then my dad encouraged I pursue a trade, as he’d been telling me before I went off to college. Maybe electrical, or plumbing . . .
So, my options were limited to either cleaning the crack or showing it.
I’ll be totally transparent with you; I’d much rather work with tools than people. I shiver at the idea of changing my parents’ clothing someday, when they’re all gray and shriveled. Now you’re telling me I’ve gotta do that for absolute strangers, round the clock? Nuh-uh; no way.
But then, I’m not Bob the builder, either. See, my dad can build anything and everything under the sun. Me, I can barely hold a screwdriver without dropping it.
I’m a victim of the modern age, what can I say?
Well, actually, I came to realize I can say a lot! I’m knowledgeable on technology; after all, it was what I’d been majoring for.
I scoured the Internet, firing off applications left and right in hopes of snagging a job. Sure, I was aiming for something IT-related, but let's be real - my standards weren't that high. At this point, I would've taken a gig as a porta-potty cleaner if it meant steady paychecks.
Days turned into weeks, and the only "interest" I got back was an automated message thanking me for applying. It was a real kick in the gut to see that "you're not good enough" message time and time again. I obviously didn't have a degree or much experience, so why would anyone take a chance on me?
I had to face the facts - the traditional job search route wasn't cutting it for me. I needed to find another way to get my foot in the door and prove that my worth goes beyond some piece of paper.
And, isn't it just hilarious that my big break came from my best friend, who happens to be the manager of the local game store? It's like the universe was playing a sick joke on me. But hey, a job is a job, and it pays my bills. I’ve been working at Pixel Palace for at least 2 months now.
Oh, let me clarify who I am, in case you’re envisioning some pimply, scraggly bearded desk clerk.
My name’s Silas, and I'm a 22-year-old guy with a buzz cut and a penchant for wearing graphic tees. I don't have many friends, but the few I have are true-blue. One of them being the aforementioned game store manager, Tino—
. . . who, was walking over to me right now!
“Hey there,” I said, spinning in my tall chair to face him.
“Morning, Sai.” Tino took a sip of his coffee and brushed back his messy hair. “How’d you sleep last night?”
“Good, good. Had a dream I made it out of this lousy place.”
“Ha - ha. Very funny. I’m tellin’ ya,” his eyes suddenly got all beady and he pointed a finger at me, “one more year and we’re gonna put a ‘STOP’ to GameStop.”
“Oh, God,” I groaned. “Come on, you can do better than that.”
“What do you mean?” he whined jokingly. “I’ve been waiting to use that one.” He tugged up at his jeans, which had this terrible habit of falling. Tino didn’t intend for that, though.
How do I put this? His rear’s just too . . . ahem, flat. No pair of pants can fit him quite right, the poor guy. Not saying I’m thick either, though.
“Anyway, got any plans for today?” Tino asked, leaning against the counter.
I shrugged. “Not really. Probably just gonna do some gaming and catch up on a few shows.”
“Nice. You gonna play anything new?”
“Nah, don’t really have the money for that right now. Tryna save up for an apartment.”
“Mm, I feel ya. Well, I’ll tell you what,” Tino said, straightening up, “I’ve got some extra shift hours available if you want 'em. Might help with the savings.”
I blinked. “Really? You don’t have to do that.”
“I know,” Tino said, grinning. “But I want to. You’re a hard worker, and you deserve a little something extra. Plus, it’ll help take some of the load off me.”
I smiled gratefully. “Thanks, Tino. I appreciate it.”
“No problem, bud. Just make sure you get some rest. The holiday rush is coming up, and we’re gonna need all hands on deck.”
I nodded as Tino wandered off. It was nice having a friend as my boss - not just because of the added benefits, but because Tino was a genuinely good guy. I wouldn’t take advantage of his generosity, of course, but it was comforting to know that he had my back.
Moving my computer mouse, I started looking at our inventory, checking which games needed to be ordered. Business was doing pretty well, thankfully.
“Hey, by the way, have we put those Android ‘94 posters up front yet?” Tino called from afar.
By “we” he meant me. I cringed in embarrassment. “Agh, no! I forgot about that. Sorry man. I’ll get on it right now.”
“You know, I had a dream last night, too,” he quipped. “One where you actually did your job! And just when I said you were a hard worker.”
Rolling my eyes, I grabbed two posters from beneath the counter and headed towards the storefront.
Before I could plaster them onto the glass, the door chimed, and in walked a woman with a face that looked like it’d been stretched on a slab for too long. Too many botched facelifts, I think. Her wiener dog was on a leash, and her rowdy son was not. He bolted across the store, shrieking like a fruit bat.
I instantly knew this was going to be a disaster.
The mom waltzed up to me, brandishing her entitled aura like a shiny new sword. “I need a game for my son,” she demanded.
“Okay, sure. What kind of game are you looking for?” I asked, my usually cheerful demeanor faltering a bit.
“I don’t know. Something he can play for hours without getting bored.”
“Well, we have a lot of options. What console does he have?”
“I don’t know. Something expensive, I’m sure.” She eyed me like I was some lowly pawn.
I gritted my teeth and forced a smile. “Why don’t you start by telling me what your son likes?”
Well, apparently he liked making a mess, because he started pulling items off the shelves and flinging them over his shoulder. And just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, the dog decided to piss right on my shoe!
I was just about to lose my cool when I heard Tino’s voice from the back. “Silas, you good?”
I took a deep breath and nodded, gesturing to the chaos around me. “Yeah, I’m just dealing with this lovely lady and her charming son.”
Tino rushed over and put on his best customer service smile. “Hello there! How can I assist you?”
The mother scowled and grabbed her son’s hand. “This place is a mess! We’re leaving.”
And just like that, they were gone. I let out a sigh of relief and looked at Tino, who was stifling his laughter.
“That was rough,” I said, shaking my head and lifting my foot out of the puddle it was in.
“It’s all in a day’s work,” Tino replied, patting my shoulder.
“I’ll just never understand why people bring their dogs to go shopping.” I clenched the posters still in my hand, which were partially soaked as well. “I bet that stupid pooch gets out more than I do!”
“Well, that sounds like a personal problem. And some people just need an emotional support animal, you know?”
“Yeah, I’m sure she does, from that little monster she calls a son.”
Tino snickered. “Seriously, though. I’m gonna throw up a sign saying no pets allowed from now on.”
As we made our way to grab some cleaning supplies, I noticed something odd sitting on the counter. It was an old console, a cartridge, and two controllers. It looked incredibly retro - like something straight out of the '80s.
Tino looked just as confused as I felt. “Did you order that?“ he asked.
I shook my head. “Not that I remember.”
“Then what the heck is it doing here?”
We both walked over to inspect it. The console was a dull gray color, with a cartridge that looked like it had been through the ringer. The controllers were wired, which was another indication of its age.
“You think it’s some kind of prank?” I asked, picking up the cartridge to examine it closer. It had no title on it.
Tino shook his head. “Nah, I doubt it. Why would someone go through all the trouble of leaving old gaming equipment here?”
“Maybe it’s cursed,” I said with a shrug, half-joking.
“We’re not in a horror movie, Silas,” Tino replied, rolling his eyes.
We stood there for a moment longer, just staring at the strange collection of retro gaming equipment. Finally, Tino spoke up. “Hey, let’s plug it in and see what happens.”
I frowned at him. “Seriously? What if someone accidentally left it here? It’s not ours.”
“Well, it’s my store. They shouldn’t have dumped it at checkout.”
Even though Tino was a couple years older than me, his free-spirited self often got the better of him.
“Relax,” he went on, slapping my chest. “We’ll just check it out for a few minutes. It could be fun! And weren’t you just complaining that you couldn’t afford a new game? Well, here’s one for free.”
“First off, I wasn’t complaining,” I corrected. I heaved a sigh, knowing that arguing with Tino would be pointless. “Fine, but if anything goes wrong, it’s on you.”
We closed the store temporarily and headed to the back room. After a few minutes of rummaging through boxes, we found an old TV and plugged in the console. Tino inserted the cartridge, and we both picked up the controllers.
“Man, how did this thing get here?” I wondered out loud again. “There’s not even a brand name on the console.”
The menu screen came up as just a simple pink screen with the words "PRESS START" blinking right in the middle. Tino pressed start, and suddenly, a message popped up that read "LEVEL ONE - DEFEAT THE RATS".
We both looked at each other, eyebrows raised. "Rats? That's . . . interesting," Tino said, returning his attention back to the screen. "I wonder what it's about."
"Should I get us some drinks?" I asked, eager for an excuse to step away from the creepy situation.
"Sure, that sounds great," Tino replied, studying the buttons on the controller.
I jogged over to the front counter and grabbed two Monster drinks from behind it. That's when I heard Tino scream.
My heart started pounding in my chest. I dropped the cans and raced back to the storage room.
"Tino, what's wrong?" I called out, barreling into the room like a fireman.
He was leaping around madly, eyes bulging. “Rats!” he screamed. “Rats everywhere!”
My head darted down and I looked around the floor. But there weren’t any rats there.
I breathed out a sigh of relief, mingled with frustration. “Aw, Tino! What the heck man? I thought something happened!”
But he kept up with the act, thrashing his arms and trying to climb up some of our shelving.
I started to laugh. I had to admit, it was pretty funny. He looked like an idiot.
I pranced around the room with him. “Rats!” I feigned. “God, they’re all over the place!” I crashed into a shelf, giggling uncontrollably.
My foot suddenly splashed into a puddle of something.
I looked down to see a pool of red. It was thick, and reeked of a coppery smell.
A thin strand branched away from it and traced back to Tino’s leg. He was seeping out blood. Lots of it.
My smile instantly faded. I ran over to him, rolling up his pant leg and trying to press my hand against the wound. The flow was steadily pushing back at me.
“Hey man,” I said shakily. “W-what happened here?”
He whispered incoherently, his eyes a glassy haze. “The rats,” he repeated. “The rats, they’re biting me!” His leg jerked outwards, nearly kicking me in the face.
“It’s okay,” I cooed, completely unsure of my own words. “It’s gonna be okay, Sai’s got you.”
Looking over my shoulder, I noticed the TV screen still said “LEVEL ONE - DEFEAT THE RATS”. Could this be connected to the video game?
. . .
I sort of chuckled in disbelief. Was I actually considering that? Tino had probably cut his leg on something while he was frolicking around. I couldn’t let him pull me into his mental breakdown, too. He needed me in my right mind to stop his bleeding. I grabbed a rag out of a nearby mop bucket and wrapped it tightly around his shin. It turned crimson almost immediately, but it was better than nothing. Like I said, I’m not a nurse!
Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed from the front of the store. Someone was coming in.
“Aw, crap!” I groaned. I raced out of the room, leaving Tino behind and hoping he would be okay until I returned.
As I came out, a burly man in his thirties stood near the entrance, looking around curiously. “Uh, sorry, we’re closed,” I said, my voice shaking a little. “You can come back tomorrow.”
The man looked at me skeptically. “I just need to grab some games for my kids. I’ll be quick.”
Before he could take another step, a scream tore through the air.
I cleared my throat, still smiling.
“Everything okay back there?” the man asked, his face creasing with concern. He tried looking over my shoulder.
“Uh, yeah,” I lied. “Yeah, yeah, that’s just our new mascot, Lonnie the goat. He’s gonna help with promo. Go, Pixel Palace!” I imitated a goat sound while waving a balled fist in the air.
The guy just stared at me, horrified, and I realized I still had Tino’s blood all over my hands.
“Uh, anyways.” I folded my hands behind my back and nodded towards the ‘closed’ sign, hanging from the door. “We’re not open right now. Lonnie’s getting groomed. You need to leave. Now.”
The man grew beet red, but I practically pushed him out before he could curse at me. I didn’t have the energy to be insulted twice today. I made sure to lock the door behind him, too.
Rushing back to the storage room, I found Tino slumped against a wall, tears streaming down his face. “Tino, are you okay? Can you hear me?” I gently shook his arm, but he didn’t answer.
I tried to swallow down the lumps in my throat. Okay, so maybe it was the game.
I frantically scanned for any sort of off button on the console, but to no avail. My heart racing, I tried unplugging the TV, hoping that would do the trick. But the game was still on, the words “PLAYER TWO - PRESS START” now flashing relentlessly on the screen.
It hadn’t said that before.
My palms were slick with sweat as I reluctantly picked up the second controller.
I stared at it for a moment, a million thoughts flooding through my head. Should I press start and see what happened? What if it made things even worse? But I couldn't leave Tino like this, trapped in some sort of nightmarish hallucination.
It felt like every single hair on my body stood on edge as I braced myself for what might come. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and pressed the start button.
Suddenly, the room erupted with the sound of thousands of rats scurrying, their tiny feet creating an almost deafening cacophony. I could feel them brushing against my ankles, leaving me on the verge of puking.
I opened my eyes just in time to see a rat break free from the swarm— and leap straight for my face!
Working at a video game store is a strong indicator of where you’re at in life.
And, in case you’re wondering— that’s not a good place.
Sorry to any one who does, work . . . at a video game store. To be fair, I work at one too. So.
Yeah, I’m a college dropout and all that. You’ve gotta understand, though—I thought I was going somewhere to learn. Instead, I found myself surrounded by party experts who had elevated keg stands and beer pong to Olympic levels of competition. I couldn’t take it; I withdrew from the school’s roster after just a few months.
Still, how did I go from pursuing ‘higher education’ to working here? Good question.
Well, after coming back home, (and what a feeling of failure that was), my folks made it abundantly clear I’d need to make some cash; start pulling my weight around here. My mom suggested I pursue nursing, which was her subconscious way of saying it was too late to become a doctor. Thanks for the vote of confidence, Mom.
Then my dad encouraged I pursue a trade, as he’d been telling me before I went off to college. Maybe electrical, or plumbing . . .
So, my options were limited to either cleaning the crack or showing it.
I’ll be totally transparent with you; I’d much rather work with tools than people. I shiver at the idea of changing my parents’ clothing someday, when they’re all gray and shriveled. Now you’re telling me I’ve gotta do that for absolute strangers, round the clock? Nuh-uh; no way.
But then, I’m not Bob the builder, either. See, my dad can build anything and everything under the sun. Me, I can barely hold a screwdriver without dropping it.
I’m a victim of the modern age, what can I say?
Well, actually, I came to realize I can say a lot! I’m knowledgeable on technology; after all, it was what I’d been majoring for.
I scoured the Internet, firing off applications left and right in hopes of snagging a job. Sure, I was aiming for something IT-related, but let's be real - my standards weren't that high. At this point, I would've taken a gig as a porta-potty cleaner if it meant steady paychecks.
Days turned into weeks, and the only "interest" I got back was an automated message thanking me for applying. It was a real kick in the gut to see that "you're not good enough" message time and time again. I obviously didn't have a degree or much experience, so why would anyone take a chance on me?
I had to face the facts - the traditional job search route wasn't cutting it for me. I needed to find another way to get my foot in the door and prove that my worth goes beyond some piece of paper.
And, isn't it just hilarious that my big break came from my best friend, who happens to be the manager of the local game store? It's like the universe was playing a sick joke on me. But hey, a job is a job, and it pays my bills. I’ve been working at Pixel Palace for at least 2 months now.
Oh, let me clarify who I am, in case you’re envisioning some pimply, scraggly bearded desk clerk.
My name’s Silas, and I'm a 22-year-old guy with a buzz cut and a penchant for wearing graphic tees. I don't have many friends, but the few I have are true-blue. One of them being the aforementioned game store manager, Tino—
. . . who, was walking over to me right now!
“Hey there,” I said, spinning in my tall chair to face him.
“Morning, Sai.” Tino took a sip of his coffee and brushed back his messy hair. “How’d you sleep last night?”
“Good, good. Had a dream I made it out of this lousy place.”
“Ha - ha. Very funny. I’m tellin’ ya,” his eyes suddenly got all beady and he pointed a finger at me, “one more year and we’re gonna put a ‘STOP’ to GameStop.”
“Oh, God,” I groaned. “Come on, you can do better than that.”
“What do you mean?” he whined jokingly. “I’ve been waiting to use that one.” He tugged up at his jeans, which had this terrible habit of falling. Tino didn’t intend for that, though.
How do I put this? His rear’s just too . . . ahem, flat. No pair of pants can fit him quite right, the poor guy. Not saying I’m thick either, though.
“Anyway, got any plans for today?” Tino asked, leaning against the counter.
I shrugged. “Not really. Probably just gonna do some gaming and catch up on a few shows.”
“Nice. You gonna play anything new?”
“Nah, don’t really have the money for that right now. Tryna save up for an apartment.”
“Mm, I feel ya. Well, I’ll tell you what,” Tino said, straightening up, “I’ve got some extra shift hours available if you want 'em. Might help with the savings.”
I blinked. “Really? You don’t have to do that.”
“I know,” Tino said, grinning. “But I want to. You’re a hard worker, and you deserve a little something extra. Plus, it’ll help take some of the load off me.”
I smiled gratefully. “Thanks, Tino. I appreciate it.”
“No problem, bud. Just make sure you get some rest. The holiday rush is coming up, and we’re gonna need all hands on deck.”
I nodded as Tino wandered off. It was nice having a friend as my boss - not just because of the added benefits, but because Tino was a genuinely good guy. I wouldn’t take advantage of his generosity, of course, but it was comforting to know that he had my back.
Moving my computer mouse, I started looking at our inventory, checking which games needed to be ordered. Business was doing pretty well, thankfully.
“Hey, by the way, have we put those Android ‘94 posters up front yet?” Tino called from afar.
By “we” he meant me. I cringed in embarrassment. “Agh, no! I forgot about that. Sorry man. I’ll get on it right now.”
“You know, I had a dream last night, too,” he quipped. “One where you actually did your job! And just when I said you were a hard worker.”
Rolling my eyes, I grabbed two posters from beneath the counter and headed towards the storefront.
Before I could plaster them onto the glass, the door chimed, and in walked a woman with a face that looked like it’d been stretched on a slab for too long. Too many botched facelifts, I think. Her wiener dog was on a leash, and her rowdy son was not. He bolted across the store, shrieking like a fruit bat.
I instantly knew this was going to be a disaster.
The mom waltzed up to me, brandishing her entitled aura like a shiny new sword. “I need a game for my son,” she demanded.
“Okay, sure. What kind of game are you looking for?” I asked, my usually cheerful demeanor faltering a bit.
“I don’t know. Something he can play for hours without getting bored.”
“Well, we have a lot of options. What console does he have?”
“I don’t know. Something expensive, I’m sure.” She eyed me like I was some lowly pawn.
I gritted my teeth and forced a smile. “Why don’t you start by telling me what your son likes?”
Well, apparently he liked making a mess, because he started pulling items off the shelves and flinging them over his shoulder. And just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, the dog decided to piss right on my shoe!
I was just about to lose my cool when I heard Tino’s voice from the back. “Silas, you good?”
I took a deep breath and nodded, gesturing to the chaos around me. “Yeah, I’m just dealing with this lovely lady and her charming son.”
Tino rushed over and put on his best customer service smile. “Hello there! How can I assist you?”
The mother scowled and grabbed her son’s hand. “This place is a mess! We’re leaving.”
And just like that, they were gone. I let out a sigh of relief and looked at Tino, who was stifling his laughter.
“That was rough,” I said, shaking my head and lifting my foot out of the puddle it was in.
“It’s all in a day’s work,” Tino replied, patting my shoulder.
“I’ll just never understand why people bring their dogs to go shopping.” I clenched the posters still in my hand, which were partially soaked as well. “I bet that stupid pooch gets out more than I do!”
“Well, that sounds like a personal problem. And some people just need an emotional support animal, you know?”
“Yeah, I’m sure she does, from that little monster she calls a son.”
Tino snickered. “Seriously, though. I’m gonna throw up a sign saying no pets allowed from now on.”
As we made our way to grab some cleaning supplies, I noticed something odd sitting on the counter. It was an old console, a cartridge, and two controllers. It looked incredibly retro - like something straight out of the '80s.
Tino looked just as confused as I felt. “Did you order that?“ he asked.
I shook my head. “Not that I remember.”
“Then what the heck is it doing here?”
We both walked over to inspect it. The console was a dull gray color, with a cartridge that looked like it had been through the ringer. The controllers were wired, which was another indication of its age.
“You think it’s some kind of prank?” I asked, picking up the cartridge to examine it closer. It had no title on it.
Tino shook his head. “Nah, I doubt it. Why would someone go through all the trouble of leaving old gaming equipment here?”
“Maybe it’s cursed,” I said with a shrug, half-joking.
“We’re not in a horror movie, Silas,” Tino replied, rolling his eyes.
We stood there for a moment longer, just staring at the strange collection of retro gaming equipment. Finally, Tino spoke up. “Hey, let’s plug it in and see what happens.”
I frowned at him. “Seriously? What if someone accidentally left it here? It’s not ours.”
“Well, it’s my store. They shouldn’t have dumped it at checkout.”
Even though Tino was a couple years older than me, his free-spirited self often got the better of him.
“Relax,” he went on, slapping my chest. “We’ll just check it out for a few minutes. It could be fun! And weren’t you just complaining that you couldn’t afford a new game? Well, here’s one for free.”
“First off, I wasn’t complaining,” I corrected. I heaved a sigh, knowing that arguing with Tino would be pointless. “Fine, but if anything goes wrong, it’s on you.”
We closed the store temporarily and headed to the back room. After a few minutes of rummaging through boxes, we found an old TV and plugged in the console. Tino inserted the cartridge, and we both picked up the controllers.
“Man, how did this thing get here?” I wondered out loud again. “There’s not even a brand name on the console.”
The menu screen came up as just a simple pink screen with the words "PRESS START" blinking right in the middle. Tino pressed start, and suddenly, a message popped up that read "LEVEL ONE - DEFEAT THE RATS".
We both looked at each other, eyebrows raised. "Rats? That's . . . interesting," Tino said, returning his attention back to the screen. "I wonder what it's about."
"Should I get us some drinks?" I asked, eager for an excuse to step away from the creepy situation.
"Sure, that sounds great," Tino replied, studying the buttons on the controller.
I jogged over to the front counter and grabbed two Monster drinks from behind it. That's when I heard Tino scream.
My heart started pounding in my chest. I dropped the cans and raced back to the storage room.
"Tino, what's wrong?" I called out, barreling into the room like a fireman.
He was leaping around madly, eyes bulging. “Rats!” he screamed. “Rats everywhere!”
My head darted down and I looked around the floor. But there weren’t any rats there.
I breathed out a sigh of relief, mingled with frustration. “Aw, Tino! What the heck man? I thought something happened!”
But he kept up with the act, thrashing his arms and trying to climb up some of our shelving.
I started to laugh. I had to admit, it was pretty funny. He looked like an idiot.
I pranced around the room with him. “Rats!” I feigned. “God, they’re all over the place!” I crashed into a shelf, giggling uncontrollably.
My foot suddenly splashed into a puddle of something.
I looked down to see a pool of red. It was thick, and reeked of a coppery smell.
A thin strand branched away from it and traced back to Tino’s leg. He was seeping out blood. Lots of it.
My smile instantly faded. I ran over to him, rolling up his pant leg and trying to press my hand against the wound. The flow was steadily pushing back at me.
“Hey man,” I said shakily. “W-what happened here?”
He whispered incoherently, his eyes a glassy haze. “The rats,” he repeated. “The rats, they’re biting me!” His leg jerked outwards, nearly kicking me in the face.
“It’s okay,” I cooed, completely unsure of my own words. “It’s gonna be okay, Sai’s got you.”
Looking over my shoulder, I noticed the TV screen still said “LEVEL ONE - DEFEAT THE RATS”. Could this be connected to the video game?
. . .
I sort of chuckled in disbelief. Was I actually considering that? Tino had probably cut his leg on something while he was frolicking around. I couldn’t let him pull me into his mental breakdown, too. He needed me in my right mind to stop his bleeding. I grabbed a rag out of a nearby mop bucket and wrapped it tightly around his shin. It turned crimson almost immediately, but it was better than nothing. Like I said, I’m not a nurse!
Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed from the front of the store. Someone was coming in.
“Aw, crap!” I groaned. I raced out of the room, leaving Tino behind and hoping he would be okay until I returned.
As I came out, a burly man in his thirties stood near the entrance, looking around curiously. “Uh, sorry, we’re closed,” I said, my voice shaking a little. “You can come back tomorrow.”
The man looked at me skeptically. “I just need to grab some games for my kids. I’ll be quick.”
Before he could take another step, a scream tore through the air.
I cleared my throat, still smiling.
“Everything okay back there?” the man asked, his face creasing with concern. He tried looking over my shoulder.
“Uh, yeah,” I lied. “Yeah, yeah, that’s just our new mascot, Lonnie the goat. He’s gonna help with promo. Go, Pixel Palace!” I imitated a goat sound while waving a balled fist in the air.
The guy just stared at me, horrified, and I realized I still had Tino’s blood all over my hands.
“Uh, anyways.” I folded my hands behind my back and nodded towards the ‘closed’ sign, hanging from the door. “We’re not open right now. Lonnie’s getting groomed. You need to leave. Now.”
The man grew beet red, but I practically pushed him out before he could curse at me. I didn’t have the energy to be insulted twice today. I made sure to lock the door behind him, too.
Rushing back to the storage room, I found Tino slumped against a wall, tears streaming down his face. “Tino, are you okay? Can you hear me?” I gently shook his arm, but he didn’t answer.
I tried to swallow down the lumps in my throat. Okay, so maybe it was the game.
I frantically scanned for any sort of off button on the console, but to no avail. My heart racing, I tried unplugging the TV, hoping that would do the trick. But the game was still on, the words “PLAYER TWO - PRESS START” now flashing relentlessly on the screen.
It hadn’t said that before.
My palms were slick with sweat as I reluctantly picked up the second controller.
I stared at it for a moment, a million thoughts flooding through my head. Should I press start and see what happened? What if it made things even worse? But I couldn't leave Tino like this, trapped in some sort of nightmarish hallucination.
It felt like every single hair on my body stood on edge as I braced myself for what might come. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and pressed the start button.
Suddenly, the room erupted with the sound of thousands of rats scurrying, their tiny feet creating an almost deafening cacophony. I could feel them brushing against my ankles, leaving me on the verge of puking.
I opened my eyes just in time to see a rat break free from the swarm— and leap straight for my face!
