The Game

The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window. White words on a black screen stare back at me, pixelated and closer to my eyes than I thought the directions depicted.

The game arrived earlier today at 1 P.M, packaged in a slick black box, and placed neatly on my porch. Nobody else had a slick black box on their porch, so I considered myself lucky. It was bigger than I thought, the box, but once I opened it up, the virtual reality set seemed just the right size. It was gray at the front, encased in black around its edges, and a cushion outlined the eyes, so hours upon hours of playtime wouldn’t leave a red mark.

When I had first put on the device, strapped my head in, and held the respective handles, no game was pictured- or at least one I would have liked to play. I had shaken the set off and looked around my dark room. Torn magazine covers of NewsWeekly highlighting the newest virtual invention lay waste on my floor, crumbled and stepped on, and my cracked computer was open slightly, untouched, with the order confirmation for the game put in months ago.

I look back down at the set in my lap, shrug, and tell myself I’ll go to the store in a few days and buy a new game disk for the damned thing. I slip the set over my eyes again and turn it on, picking the only game available. A horror. Words greet me. The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window.

===

An hour into the game and nothing much had happened. I had given out my name and address, password-authenticated information that was required before I played any games, and rushed through a creepy narrative before finding myself in a dark cabin.

I was standing now, arms stretched out to avoid any walls, exploring the cabin by walking around my room in mindless circles. The game is in first-person; I only see my arms in front of me.

I eventually find a drawer. I walk up to it and direct my arm, clicking one of the triggers on my handles, and watch as the drawer on the screen opens up. Inside, a small necklace and knife lay atop the wooden board. I click another button and the items disappear, finding themselves in my inventory, which now shows itself on the right of my screen. Curiously, I select the necklace and press the equip button, feeling it appear around my character's neck.

I close out of it when I finish and keep walking around my room- and the cabin. I come across a door, fumbling with my controls for a moment before I can open it. In front of me, I see a forest, blanketed with darkness from the night.

An eerie calm passes from the game to my room, and suddenly I feel uncomfortable. Only the artificial sound of crickets, just as they sound outside, buzzes into my ear through the headset.

Outside, in the real world, it starts to rain. It patters against the window, darkening the natural light beyond my perception, and I brace my hands in front of me as I walk deeper into the woods.

A twig snaps to my left after some time and I hold back a squeal. I shut my eyes so that not even my vision could betray me and turn off the virtual reality game.

I lay back on my real bed, staring at the window. The rain continues and, soon, so does the thunder. It booms periodically, and eventually my eyes close to rest.

===

The following day, I wake up early and slip on a raincoat and rain boots. My beaten-up wallet lays open on the desk, and I grab it before slipping it into my pocket.

The weather had put up a fight since yesterday. A lot of stores are closed, but I decide to take my chances with the game shop.

Once I step outside, I lock my door behind me and begin walking the small trip to the middle of town. It was a small one, aged and foggy and a miserable place to live. The rain never made it any better.

The rubber hood over my head reminds me of my time spent on the virtual game yesterday, the rain dripping and wind blowing as loudly as if there were headphones plugged into my ears.

I put my head down and trudge my way to the store. When I get there, I see the closed sign on the door, taunting me with new games for the set in the window.

"I guess I'm not the only one looking for new games."

I turn to the left and see a teenage boy. His cap faces forwards and glasses rest on the bridge of his nose. He points to one of the new games. "I want the zombie hunter one. I saved up all year for the set and a few games. The only one on the actual console sucks."

"The cabin one?" I respond, flitting my eyes over the large selection of DVDs, posters, games, and pop figures inside the store.

"Yeah! Are you a beta tester too? Mine came early, I was so excited!"

"A beta tester?" Rain droplets drip over the front of my hood as I turn towards him.

"The set doesn't officially release till Friday. We got ours a few days early- I guess we put in our reviews beforehand to convince others to buy it. I preordered mine, maybe that's why I got lucky. I haven't met another tester! What do you think of the only game? It's pretty cool, but I'm trying to grow my collection."

I blink and fumble with my hands in my pockets, processing the information from the overly energetic kid. "Yeah," I mumble. "It's alright. No point to it."

The kid waves me off. "Just keep playing. It'll get better. I'm Aiden, by the way. If you see me in the game later, do a cool emote!" He dances for exaggeration and smiles before hopping on his scooter that I didn't see leaning up against the building. "See ya!" His foot pounds on the wet pavement as he hauls himself away.

I stand there for a moment. My hands dampen as they continue to play with one another until I pull them out and silently walk home.

===

I get home quicker than I expected. I unlock my door, which was now moist with condensation, and step inside. My raincoat hits the towel-covered floor and I slip off my boots.

My sweaty hands brace themselves against the wall. I wasn't feeling too well, and the walk home in the rain probably did not help. I head to the bathroom and look through my drawers, finding a thermometer.

I place it in my mouth, press the button, and look up as I wait. My eyes trail down my skinny body through the mirror, and when I hear the beep, take the thermometer out, and check my 101-degree temperature, I almost miss the new necklace hanging from my neck.

I realize later it's the same one from the game.

===

My attention span gets shorter with every passing second, and I almost couldn't bear falling asleep for the good of my fever. Eventually, I force myself and have a good hour nap. But then I turn to the virtual reality set.

My hand finds its way around my neck. I couldn't remember how the necklace got there in the first place- maybe it came with the package and I unknowingly put it on earlier- but at least it looks nice. I ignore it altogether.

My vision becomes dark as I slip on the set over my eyes. I lay down on my bed still, and I find that I can change the settings to walk automatically through the game.

I turn the set on and hold the joysticks parallel to my body, turning only my wrists to move about the home screen. Once again, I click on the horror game, and in seconds I find myself back where I was before outside.

I swivel my head on the bed and look around the forest. My virtual character finds the cabin, but the door is shut, with a single candlelight in the window.

Outside, the cricket sound remains, but now a fog coats the midsection of the visible trees. I direct myself forward and try to open the door of the wooden cabin, but it was locked.

Turning so my back faces the building, I stare at my surroundings. But unlike last time, a small silhouette of a person peeks in my direction from the trees.

My sweaty hands fumble with the handles as I try to pull up my inventory, seeing only the knife once I successfully do so. I click it and watch as a knife appears in my character's hand.

Leaves crunch as the person in the trees steps forward, arms outstretched just like mine. When they get close enough, I notice a bar above their head, along with a name.

Aiden.

A small smile creeps up my lips and I search through my settings before clicking a dancing emote.

Aiden responds the same, and I begin walking forward before a task bar shows up in the middle of my screen.

Current Objective: Eliminate Surrounding Players.

I stare at the words and look down at the knife in my hand, before directing my attention back to Aiden. He waves and then holds a thumbs up, before stalking towards me with a clear goal in mind.

The darkness around us closes in, creating a foggy spotlight between me and him. I walk forward as well, testing to see if there's any aim assistance on the screen, to which I find none.

Aiden launches forward with a quickness I have yet to test out myself in the game, but soon we're both circling around one another, dodging left and right, knives in hand.

In one motion, Aiden slashes his blade downwards, clipping my arm. I wince and close my eyes, before taking a gamble and throwing my knife forward in a sloppy motion.

A thud forces me to look down, where Aiden now lay with my knife in his chest. The image was gory, and soon the darkness covers me completely.

Objective Completed.

The words present themselves on the screen, and for a moment I feel triumph, until a chill runs down my spine as quickly as the red liquid on my arm.

===

Bandages cover my arm the next day.

My fever had spiked and I couldn't bear to go back to the game. The store had yet to reopen either, the threat of an angry rainstorm too great.

Water cascades down my window. It was too heavy to see though and my only access to the outside world was my computer. I step out of my covers and plop myself on my desk chair, opening my computer in a weak motion.

NewsWeekly graces my screen. I reload it to see current information and freeze as a familiar name shows up.

Aiden White found dead with unreleased, new 4KX Virtual Reality Set.

===

The cops arrive shortly after I call them. I tell them about the beta-testers, the necklace, the cut on my arm. They notice the absurd amount of tissues and medicine and think I'm insane.

"I'm telling the truth." I cough, holding the corner of my arm up to my mouth as I follow them out the door.

"Sorry, ma'am. While we're not supposed to disclose any information, Mr. White was found with a knife impaled in his chest- no sign of any forced entry or struggle. We believe it was suicidal situation. There's no evidence to prove these specific claims of yours."

I purse my lips and watch as they get in their car, seeming annoyed. My eyes blink with the harsh wind and water, and I'm about to lock myself inside until something across the street catches my gaze. I squint slightly.

A slick black box plagues the front porch of my neighbors, as well as their neighbors, and the ones next to them. I look around, but, thankfully, no box is left for me.