I finished the game and a K.O. flashed on the screen. I looked across the booth at Jack and grinned. "So I'm a beginner huh?, and while his face contorted into a snarl I chuckled. "You owe me money", I taunted, wiggling my brows and so he chased me out of the booth yelling and cursing loudly. "Hey,calm down now!" I said trying to make him understand that I just really loved the game and that it was nothing else but he shook his head and said, "How in the world did you get 100 more points than me! I've been gaming for 3 more years than you!"..

I sighed and tried to make him understand why I did so. I said, "Without anybody around, I just go on gaming so I might have picked it up. How would you feel if you lost your family on one day and you wake up the next to see an empty house.." unable to continue, I broke down sobbing. He held me for a while, then said, "Hey, no worries, you can come see me anytime". I just nodded gratefully and refused the money because I knew no one else in the world would be so understanding.

After quite a while, we went our separate ways. I still felt bad about making him lose but I had other 'new' issues to deal with.

I rounded the street corner into a dimly lit alley which gave me the feeling that I was being stalked..

I broke off into a run and reached my home which was on the ground floor and slammed the door behind me. I quickly found my utility backpack and put my trained muscle memory to use. In a few moments, I was ready to go but then I heard a click on my windowsill.

I couldn't make out the silhouette but it definitely wasn't human.. I just took my keys and ran, thinking that the apartment be damned.. I ran across streetlights,cars, signals and so many other things that I lost track of where I was running.

I couldn't take it anymore... crying, I just slumped over a bridge and yelled out.. I suddenly got a call from XVCdL50490.. Huh..was that number even in my contacts?

Nevertheless, I picked it up and heard,

"Run straight to Colgare then go left, right..." I'd already started running without thinking whether it was a good idea or not but at that moment, safety was the last of my concerns..I reached at the mentioned location but found a garbage bin in a narrow alley which was blanketed in darkness at the other end. I yelled into my phone, "WHAT ARE YOU PLAYING AT?"..

I heard the sound of muffled laughter as a reply and was about to throw it when I heard the same click of metal I'd heard back home.. I ran into the dark alley as a relfex. On the other side was a forest and the sound of insects.. I turned back but that was a mistake.

I found myself looking at a monkey-like being the size of a quad bike with metallic red orbs for eyes and ears of daggers. It even had gills..for what, heavens knew..

I asked the phone guy(that's all I could think of at the time) what to do. He didn't reply. I tried calling back but he didn't pick up. Not knowing what to do I ran into the forest..