Many people have died now—friends, family, acquaintances—too many to count. I remember it just like yesterday, when the village was free and merry. There weren't as many people crying and mourning then as there are now. There was true peace. That's the scary thing about being peaceful. Peace is always followed by some sudden chaos that takes anything and everything it can. Unfortunately, this chaos came in the form of a child. No one could've predicted or foretold it.
6 Months Ago
"Jessie, did you see it?" my sister asked, excitedly pointing at the screen of our TV. The news was on, so she could've been referring to anything. "Yes, Jessa?" She was grinning like a Cheshire cat. "The news says there's this girl who's basically defied science. I mean, she's created one of the best video games in the entire world, and as an offer of kindness and gratitude, anyone who wins it will be given a ton of money. That means we wouldn't have to steal at the stores and live off of scraps to make ends meet. We could use that money for good, you know."
"Jess, if this is one of your tactics to convince me into doing some of your bidding, I swear—" She shook her head before interrupting me. "It's not even that, Jessie. I just think it's really neat that some smart girls are generous enough to allow others a shot at wealth, including the less fortunate of us. I want to be able to have different foods to eat, buy nice things, and get a decent dress for once. Don't you want that for me?"
I sighed. Having a sister certainly wasn't for the weak. "There's always someone who has it worse. How about we let them get the money, hmm? Besides, I don't think you should trust everything the news says." "You never trust anything anyone says. How do you expect me to go to college like this, huh? We're broke. We barely even have a name for ourselves, and do you see the rich people? They live in their penthouses, peek out every once in a while to gloat about us, then close their doors. We have an opportunity to have something great in life, and you're not going to take it?"
I found myself developing a growing headache. "We just need to see all the terms first before we try anything. You always want to make sure you know exactly what you're doing." Her eyes lit up at my words before she ran to me and hugged me tightly. "This means you agree to it, right, Jessie?" "Yeah, Jess. We have to check those terms first. Now stop hugging me before you squeeze me to death." She reluctantly removed her arms before kissing my forehead. "I love you, big brother." I struggled to fight the smile that started to creep into my lips. "You only love me when I do something for you."
"That's not always true," she said, playfully pouting. I laughed in response. Her eyes twinkled the same way that Mom's did. Jessa never knew our mom. She died during childbirth, and her body couldn't take it. She knew that, as much as she liked to pretend she didn't and ignore it, her body wouldn't be able to take two boring children. I remember the worry in my mom's eyes whenever she mentioned giving birth to Jessa. She'd look at her stomach for a moment, tears in her eyes, as she looked back at me. "This baby's going to live, and that's all that matters," were some of the last words I remember her telling me. My dad always found a way to make ends meet. Whether it was legal or not didn't always matter to him. He just wanted us to be well taken care of, and we were for the most part.
Then the day came when Jessa was born and my mom died. I felt as if a massive hole had been torn through my heart that could never be fixed.Celebrating Jessa's birthday became the most difficult task my dad ever experienced, and he did his best not to cry in her sight. We both knew it wasn't her fault that Mom died. Mom just wanted to have a baby girl so badly that she saw it through to the very end. But the thing that hurt our dad so much about Jessa was how much of a replica she was of my mom. She has her smile, her eyes, her hair, her nose, and her cheekbones. She had her mannerisms on top of it. It drove him to the point of insanity, and the next time he stole in hopes of caring for us, it cost him his life.
We were orphans. Needless to say, I did the very best I could to raise Jessa myself, and I never allowed us to be separate. I cared for her all the way to now. Here she was, almost eighteen, charming and kinder than anyone you could find, and smart as could be. If she wanted to go to college, I'd find a way to get her there, even if it meant playing games I didn't trust. I loved her, and she was my responsibility. She deserved the world on a silver platter, and I'd make sure she got anything she wanted, no matter the cost.
A few weeks went by, and I did my research on 'Pandora's Journey' and found out that all things weren't as beautiful as they seemed. Multiple interviews and articles included more detail than the news would dare release to the public, and I found myself caught in a tragic dilemma once I found out the truth. The video game creator, Leila Sky, had already broken records and made the most popular and most difficult game known to man. Multiple gamers had reviews. The best all over the world deemed it impossible to beat. Those were just the tests for something crazier than I expected.
The challenge that had been promoted and advertised to the public required people to literally go into the game and complete all the levels. The money wouldn't be won any other way. The best scientists worked on creating such technology for years until they were able to do it. Then, they teamed up with Leila after the debut of her game, and plans were set in motion. I sighed. I wanted to throw away the computer I'd been using at the thought. Jessa wasn't going to like any bit of this, but I still didn't know enough to help her. She could go to college another way. How? I did not know, but my parents always found a way, and it seemed that I'd be forced to do the same thing.
I got out of the library and walked home. "Jess, bad news. I have to tell you what I found out." Before I could begin to explain further, she spoke. "I signed myself up for it." I was lost for words. My jaw dropped. There was a long silence in the air before I decided to break it. "Jessa, do you know the half of what you've done?" She shook her head nonchalantly. I didn't feel like arguing with her, and I didn't feel like being angry. "Tell me what happened when you did."