Chapter 1
Where did she go?
I loved her. I loved the way she talked, the way she smiled, and the way she laughed.
Every day we'd go fishing, and I'd love her even more.
Where did she go?
Denny pressed his palms up against the glass screen of the DS system. He closed his eyes and sighed. It had been nearly a year since Mari had picked up her game to play. He missed her. Denny hopped down and back into the cartridge where Vaughn sat waiting.
"Still don't believe me?" Vaughn asked.
Denny shook his head. "She'll be back, I know it."
Vaughn sighed and stood up. "She's probably off playing dating sims; she's forgotten all about you. You're just a pile of pixels." He told the depressed clump of code.
Denny knew Vaughn was right, but his heart still hurt. Great big tears rolled down his sun-kissed cheeks and splashed on the sand below.
"Even a pile of pixels can love."
Vaughn snorted at this response. "It's just a game. You were made to entertain her for a few short hours. The relationship's all over once she gets bored."
Denny turned away and wiped his face. He took off his bandana and fixed his curly brown hair. "She'll come back," He thought to himself. "She hasn't forgotten me."
That night Denny waited anxiously by the screen for Mari to come and turn on her game. He missed the nights spent way past midnight. Just him, her, and the DS.
But Mari didn't come. Just when he was about to give up hope for the night, he felt the game move. Denny turned to look through the screen. There was Mari! His breath quickened with excitement, but then fear struck him as he realized something was wrong. Instead of turning on the game, Mari took the cartridge out. Denny was sucked back into it's coding, but he could still feel it shake as she carried it. What was she doing?
It seemed like an hour before the cartridge finally stopped shaking. He heard voices.
"It's as good as new."
"I'll give you $20 in store credit for it."
"Alright,"
No, no, no! Denny's heart shattered. Mari was selling the game! No Mari, why?! WHY? Denny fell to his knees and began to sob. It felt like his heart was being torn into a thousand pieces. Vaughn walked up behind Denny.
"I told you. She's forgotten all about you."
Denny buried his face in his hands and cried.
"Get over her. It's just going to happen again, and again, and again." Vaughn said looking nowhere in particular. "Again and again..." His voice cracked.
Denny looked up. "Is this why you're always so hostile?" He asked.
"I was programed to be this way." Vaughn said, narrowing his eyes.
"Are you sure about that?" Denny's eyes glistened with tears as he asked the question. Vaughn looked away and pulled his hat over his eyes.
Denny looked back down at the ground and whispered to himself the words Vaughn had said;
"It's all over once she gets bored."
Denny looked back up towards where the screen had been when the cartridge was in the DS.
He knew what he had to do.
