In the Simulation.
"I don't see her around."
Drake muttered to himself. His back to the lofty gate to Chloe's father's house in the video game. He had learnt before clipping the chip in again that every player has three chances everyday, to go off and on the game. And now, he'd promised himself to maximize the time. After all, he had a long way to go.
And he was back again at the gate of Chloe's father's house. He'd looked around for a while and couldn't find the Cane Corso. Oops sorry, Chloe. The thankful surprise had nudged those few words.
"Let's see what we can do."
He sighed, having turned to face the gate of the large mansion. For a fact, he didn't know the criteria for having different structures of building in the video game.
Back on earth, everyone is entitled to a duplex with a super lawn and Crystal clear pool. But here, there were different kinds of buildings. Of course he knew that there would be some rules tied to the kinda house you can own here, but that wasn't his priority at the moment.
"Drake, you got this."
He assured himself the fourth time, then looked around hurriedly. Noticing that no one was looking in his direction, and the fact that the compound of Chloe's father's house was clear too, he started climbing the gate.
"Shit."
He dropped on the floor, almost spraining his left ankle; he'd climbed in successfully
"Not as difficult as I thought."
He exhaled, taking few steps through the lone tarred aisle that led towards the door of the building. To his right was a large garden, and to the left was a huge fence.
WOOF WOOF.
The thick and dreadful barking of a dog came.
"Holy shit!"
He shuddered, his legs glued to the spot as he slowly turned his neck in no sane direction. He was mumbling,
"Thought this ass said he has no dog?"
The bark came again, and he almost peed his pants. Hell, he was a fifteen years old, but who doesn't have a dread for huge dogs? Wait, huge dogs?!
"Not coming from here."
The barking seemed to be clear enough now as he turned in the direction; to his back.
"No shit."
He scoffed, walking back towards the gate. Twas the Cane Corso, standing outside the gate and growling at him.
"You better don't ruin this now. After all I'm doing this for you."
He shot at the dog, glaring at it. He scoffed and looked to his side,
"By the way, there's not much thing you can do. One, you can't jump the gate. Too high for you. Two, you can't chew the gate open or break it. So, just seat there and wait till I'm done with the owner of this house. At least, if I can't have a girl pretending to be a dog answer my questions, I can talk to --"
"Ahem."
He flinched at the clearing of throat which came from behind him. Before he turned, he saw the dog suddenly sat, tongue flapping. You might want to say, the dog was mocking.
"You."
Drake almost fell on his back as he turned to the broad-chested man standing before him; the owner of the house.
"I don't think you need to be told that this is you trespassing Brad's apartment."
The man said with much assertiveness, his jaws stiffening, sending a warning signal to Drake.
"Dad."
A light tone came from behind him, after a sound of opening door.
"Go in girl, I'll be done with this chump in two seconds."
"Oh... your daughter."
Drake tried to look past him, but the man stepped in the way. Drake heard the Cane Corso whimper behind him. He didn't get much time to look at it as the man shot,
"So, how may I help you? Do you have a death jumping into my apartment? Don't you have a house?"
Drake stuttered before finding an anchor,
"I'm Drake. Yes, I am...and I'll be very quick with this."
"You better."
Brad threatened. Drake rushed over the words,
"I'm here to tell you that --"
He turned slightly, in the position of holding both Brad and the Cane Corso in his gaze. He continued, pointing at the dog,
"This beautiful and dreadfully annoying dog is your daughter. I think the daughter you left back on earth."
He paused. Brad suddenly looked away from him towards the Cane Corso. His gaze holding several emotions coursing through. Drake continued, a rich smiled seeped in his face,
"I know right. It's such a beautiful moment for both you and her. She's been wanting to meet you all these while. Maybe she couldn't come in her true form because she figured you already have a family here, in this video game."
He chuckled,
"Isn't that rather funny? But shouldn't you had checked her Player number to see for yourself. Her number isn't even hard, it's 234567. I put it to heart at the first instance."
Brad was staring at him now,
"You might want to ask why I'm doing this favor. Well, I have some questions to ask about my birth and few other things. I want to know why your daughter hate me so much. Things my mother didn't tell before her death, and how I can find her here. I'm sure that my favor can't be compared to the huge one I've just done for you."
Drake ended, obviously enjoying himself. You could tell that he had huge hope about getting a response. A rich smile seated in his cute face.
But suddenly the gentle stare of Brad tuned to a glare. Brad lunged at him in a choke and pulled Drake with himself towards the gate,
"What a--re y-you doing...?"
Drake struggled with both the man and his own words. He should be able to fight Brad off, but the man was incredibly stronger than he was. More than the usual.
"Let go of me... this is not --"
Brad had opened the gate and tossed him out effortlessly.
"Take your filthy bagginess out of my sight. Yourself and your homeless dog. If I see you anywhere near my family again, I'd rip your head off."
Brad warned and shut the gate. Then walked off. Drake called in rage,
"You Dork!! That's not the way to treat someone who've done you a favor. You owe me a favor!"
He wouldn't stop raging,
"If I get a hold of you, I'll rip your lungs out of your neck... You think you really have a chance --"
A growl not far from him made him choke on his words. He looked slowly towards the Cane Corso ogling him and growling,
"Uh huh..."
His heart missed a beat. He tried to pull himself away, still on the floor, but the dog wouldn't give him a chance.
The dog drew upon him and had his left leg in its jaws, shaking his legs, caught in its mouth, ruthlessly.
"Go away, bitch!"
He kicked the dog with his other leg, but the jaws only tightened on his legs.
"Oh, shit... Ahhhhh!!!"
He screamed, as he heard his bones crunching in the Corso's jaws.
"It's me, Chloe. It's me, Drake. Your neighbor next door... don't do this."
He pleaded but that only made the dog madder. He leaned forward now, punching the dog heavily.
He could now feel great pain coursing through his thighs. It felt like only few tissues were holding the leg together now before it'd be ripped off.
"Fuck..."
He was exhausted. Suddenly, he remembered something...
"What the fuck, Drake..."
He said faintly and ran his hands to his nape to press the button. But point in time, he had the last tissues ripping...
He looked, his leg, from the knee down, was in the mouth of the angry dog; jaws decked out in his blood.
Caught up in such horrible view, the light was retrieved, and gloom consumed his vision...
Shit.