Hell in the suburbia

by mobileLignum

And as we fail to see how doomed we are as we struggle to cut down the strings that hold us back it is only now that it hits us that after we get the so well desserved rest we always asked for we shall never be remembered among those who are awake. Assuming that of course we are able to dream because if we all have a dream self then which one of us is the one dreamin.

Hell in the suburbia.

Act 1

Chapter 1

An unwanted present

As the wind lightly brushed against the window the sunlight suddenly hit his eyes forcing him to open them and the chants of his dreams stopped the young man began to notice the power was back on. A sense of relief came through his mind since he was hoping to turn on the computer and talk to his friends. Unaware of what time it was or for how long had he been sleeping he got up and put on his sandals, drops of sweat going down his brown skin.

He walked up to the door, but not before stopping to look at himself in the mirror. Not that he really cared that much about how much of a mess he looked at the moment but yet he was still self aware. He remembers when he used to dislike his appearance, from his messy curly black hair to his brown eyes and chubby body type. He smiled for a moment and then returned to his neutral expression then walked out the door.

The chubby boy noticed the lack of noise, meaning his grandmother was probably out purchasing something; his cousin was probably with her. Once more he felt relieved since that would have been a mess, as he learned from his fourteen years of life it is to the best that he keeps his interactions with his family to the minimum, and he also has learned that they are going to force him to interact with them sometimes.

He turned on the TV, it was 12:00 pm, he still hadn't had lunch but at the moment he did not mind. The computer was not occupied and his dad was at work, a feeling of temptation overruled his head, he hesitated for a few minutes before turning the PC on in order to talk to his friends. Which were of course the reason he can love himself, the reason he was so glad to be alive.

The computer always lagged the first few minutes after being turned on, he looked at the screen rather impatient and kind of distressed, of course it began to work smoothly shortly after. The messy haired young man clicked on the pesterchum application, his chumhandle was mobileLignum, he was checking which of his friends were online hoping for a conversation to happen.

mobileLignum [ML] began pestering ninjaMode [NM] at [12:10]pm

ML: morning dude

ML: how are you doing there over awesomebroland (ß lame guy complimenting awesome dude alert)

ML: hows Kujo doing btw

NM: sup bro

NM: it's pretty lame cause there ain't no entertainment like in coolkidsville ( potato kid complimenting cool kid)

NM: he's still huntin bein a weirdo

ML: nice

ML: coolkidsville aint so great

ML: as the president of coolkidsville i can confirm

ML: it's kinda lame here

ML: the foods great tho

NM: at least the food is good

NM: the food here sucks

NM: like imagine the worst thing you can taste and multiply it by fifthy

ML: that's…

ML: a lot of dicks

NM: that's our fuckin main dish bro

ML: oh gross

ML: do they at least clean them

NM: nah man you gotta clean ya own dick

NM: it's extra for clean ones

NM: and a lot more if you bitch about the general "normalcy" or whatever about it

ML: well shit

ML: i take back my word come here

ML: i will give you hugs and cuddles and real food

NM: oh thank god I can't go much longer on dicks

NM: and hey when in rome or what the fuck ever ya know

ML: lets stop being stupid for a second here

ML: sburb may be released any second today and i dont wanna seem like a dumbass when i find out if im one of the first 413 persons to get a free link to the game

NM: when are ya gonna find out

NM: and hey I'm always not being stupid

NM: like see this explanations prove how serious and real i am

NM: too legit bro

ML: sorry i didnt mean to call you stupid

ML: and yes that totally sounds like a convincing argument

ML: i bow down to your words and take off my skeptical hat

NM: good the only hat that should be worn

NM: is my kickass crown

NM: and yea it was a good argument

ML: hehe

ML: anyway

ML: the first 413 persons to get to the games official page get a free link, i thought you knew that? but whatevs

ML: i have no dollars so

ML: im glad they are doing this

ML: i might or might not start reloading the page in a couple of seconds

NM: i kinda forgot about that

NM: damn i hope i get it

ML: same here dude

ML: the official game release is in July 13th but you know how videogames companies are

ML: they might do some event like this again later on

NM: that'd be coo

NM: here's hopin and all that

ML: yeah

ML: imma be checking the page so this might take a while

ML: you should do the same!

ML: so i guess brb?

NM: cool talk to ya lter bro

mobileLignum [ML] ceased pestering ninjaMode [NM] at [12:35] pm

He smiled at the screen for a few seconds before proceeding to click on the browser icon. That being Moros for not particular reason, it was just better than Internet Explorer and happened to be on the computer's default archives for some reason. He then went on the page, no new posts yet as he had already deduced, to pass the time the boy decided to check on , or at least he was going to before he heard the page making a sound, excited because of this sudden good luck he immediately began to download the link. He felt lucky since that could have taken hours. He excitedly goes to tell his friend. Not before switching his pesterchum mood to smooth.

mobileLignum [ML] began pestering ninjaMode [NM] at [12:36]pm

ML: QUICK GET ON THE PAGE THE LINK'S THERE

NM: wait for real that's fuckin awesome let's do this shit

ML: oh man

ML: i feel bad for the people who were too busy with shenanigans to get this game as fast as they could

NM: same I have it downloadingright nowe

ML: dude sometimes it's hard for me to actually understand what you are saying when you misspell stuff like that

ML: anyway while it's downloading what do you wanna do

NM: sorry bro my hands are covered in cheese dust so I'm typing with one finger

NM: what do ya think the graphics'll be like

ML: i dont know

ML: im honestly more excited about the gameplay

NM: i hear it's really freakn immersive and shit like that

ML: yeah?

ML: so who's server and who's client

NM: up to you chico

NM: I'm cool with whatever

ML: nice

ML: i guess im client?

ML: i don't think this choice has any relevance what so ever anyway

NM: works fo me

NM: and I don't think it matters much

ML: my download's done

ML: how'bout yours

NM: yea it's done

NM: read to do this

All of his excitement leading up to this moment becomes disappointment once he sees nothing on the screen when it was supposed to start, he sighed and supposed he should not be surprised since disappointment and distress are the two main emotions that describe his life.

NM: hey bro it brken for you too

NM: broken*

NM: wait sorry bad lag it's up now

NM: your bedroom is hella fancy

NM: wassup let's break some shir

NM: shit*

ML: i cant see anything on screen : (

ML: you see a bedroom?

ML: so can you like break shit and stuff, that's cool but what do i do, i think my link's broken

ML: what good is having a virtual world if i don't get to explore it and stuff

NM: speak for yourself I'm gettin to check your house

NM: hell yes did you see the window that disappeared

NM: you're welcome

ML: what the fuck

ML: did my window actually

ML: shit

ML: i mean i knew this game had some influence in real life

ML: but i thought it was like virtual reality and stuff

ML: how the fuck

NM: this game is so amazing bro

NM: i wonder what else i should o

NM: do*

ML: you should probably fix the window

NM: *proceeds to fuck shit up for a few minutes*

ML: haha, nice one. But don't actually fuck shit up please

ML: go ahead and fix the window

NM: okay

Then he witnesses his friend to put the window back in its place but of course it was upside down. You hit your face against your palm and message him again.

NM: so I'm new at this

ML: dammit

ML: oh wait

ML: can you see me?!

ML: what do you think :D

NM: you seem to kinda know what,s goin on

NM: and you lookin extra fancy today bro

ML: oh you

ML: how are red shorts and a shirt with a picture of a skull on it in any way fancy

ML: still thank you bro

ML: what is even the main objective of this game

ML: can you do anything besides wrecking shit in my house

ML: yo could say you are a…

ML: home wrecker

NM: I'm wearing a plaid button down and boxers

NM: at least're wearing pants

NM: you motherfuck

NM: i have that song on now while breakin your house up

NM: least you're*

ML: awesome

ML: also answer my question btw :T

NM: yea I can make this weird splindle looking thing come up

ML: ok make it "come up"

ML: are there other things?

ML: it cant be just that one machine thingy whatever it is you are talking about

NM: there are two other

NM: and also this thing

Three devices appear around the house, he could see the first one of them in the room next to the living room, this was leading to the exit door of his house but now the device was blocking the way and the other one smashed the kitchen table making a huge mess, the dogs started barking when suddenly the younger one stopped. He wondered why, he then realized he forgot his fetch modus back in his room. So he took the card that was previously placed on the computer table.

NM: magic

ML: dude imma go check out this machine thingies

ML: so brb

ML: althought you can see me anyway so

ML: yeah

NM: yeah bro i can see ya loud and clear

NM: *throws tennis ball to the dog*

NM: I'll just set here watchin for a bit I guess

He examined the device near the exit door, its appearance did not indicate its purpose, and he was rather scared to interact with it, he really didn't want his family to see this now that he thinks about it, another worry was now in his head, mainly concerned they would kick his ass.

The young man examined the other machine in the kitchen; it was really big and confusing just like the other one. Why were this things deployed in the first place was another one of his concerns.

He was walking to his room to find his fetch modus when he looked at the window to the backyard. The last one of the devices had smashed the puppy's head, the boy screamed at the horrendous sight as the chained older dog kept barking, tears were beginning to come out of his eyes and down his cheeks. He opened the door to the backyard and held the puppy's corpse against him, blood covering his hands and chest...he looked at the other dog.

He pet her head, wishing he could unchain her but all her life his parents treated her like a beast and now she behaves like a violent creature, only calm when he pets her….And now the only other company she had besides him is dead…He begins to wonder if his server player noticed this atrocity, he runs quickly to the computer.

ML: DUDE

ML: WHY

ML: DID YOU EVEN KNOW OR

ML: SHE'S DEAD

ML: I

ML: FUCKING WHY

NM: WHAT THE HELL SHE WASN'T UNDER THERE A SECOND AGO PLEASE SAY YOU'RE JUST TAKIN THE PISS

ML: I

ML: Ugh

ML: ok it wasnt your fault im sorry for yellin

NM: im sorry man, shoulda been mre carefull

ML: i just need a moment right now

mobileLignum [ML] ceased pestering ninjaMode [NM] at [01:08]pm

He felt like crying, few tears were still running down his cheek as he finished typing the messages. He tried to stop, he knew he needed a moment alone to cry but he could not bring himself to make James feel bad, it hurt but he tried to keep the tears in which was not so difficult since it was not the first time he found himself holding back tears.

He walked back to his room where he took and installed his wallet modus, he remembers receiving this somewhere around the age of 12 and it made him feel more mature even though it did not really mean anything other that he had a convenient way of properly collecting objects now.

He capthalogued the pre-punched card while still unsure of what to do with it. He heard more barking and another noise coming from the kitchen which is why he ran back only to find that James had used a piece of the ceiling to open one of the devices, this was only getting him more frustrated, he gazed upon a glowing red orb that came out of the machine, was he supposed to interact with it? It did not matter since the presence of the orb was really unsettling.

He tried to roll the wheel thing in the device only creating a strange weirdly shaped red object which he then capthalogued under the impression it might be relevant later. His attention was now drawn to the countdown that read seven hours and thirteen minutes. This countdown only made the young man feel anxious, he wanted to question his friend about it but he is afraid that he might make him feel worse or make himself look stupid. And the fact that he may be wasting time.

He continued to examine the devices, he found that one of them had a card slot and a place where the weirdly shape object should be placed. The chubby boy retrieves the object and puts it on the device, and then he inserts the pre punched card. The machine proceeded to…Stab the object? Honestly he had no idea what it was doing but now it had a different shape and he fails to see how this helps in any way.

He correctly guessed that the object in the backyard was the last one to interact with, and only now he notices the red orb has been following him, the thing got closer to the puppy's corpse he immediately freaked out and yelled at that thing to stay away from it but before he could do anything the orb had merged with the corpse and thus creating a ghost like dog creature which seemed to be really thrilled.

"Woof!" Barked the newly formed sprite as the young man stared at it in confusion "Casey?" "WOOF!" He was still uncertain on how to feel about this but since the puppy was back to life he could not help but let out tears of joy "OH MY FUCKING GOD I THOUGHT I LOST YOU FOREVER HOLY SHIT WHAT'S EVEN HAPPENING OMFG" cried out the teenager with excitement and confusion.

The sprite did not seem to want to answer or to even comprehend simple words but after a few minutes of analyzing and silent ranting he decided that this was ok although he was still unsettled by this. Especially by the weird red glow coming from it but since she seemed happy he tried his best to also be happy. Maybe he should apologize with James for making him feel bad about accidentally killing Casey.

Assuming he still had stuff to do he approached the last machine and placed the now carved totem where it seemed right to be placed, then the device created a red tree out of nowhere. The tree then began to move and morph into a puppet with floating strings, and even though nobody was controlling the strings the little being kept moving by itself. It was struggling and it kind of looked like it was dancing, the puppet was almost making a fool of itself.

He approached the thing, not sure what to do with it but it kept trying to go away, he began to chase the small puppet for no apparent reason other than to find out why it exists in the first place. The young man also acknowledged this analogy as he kept trying to get the puppet and decided he may need to question the philosophical angles of this game after he's done here.

He jumped on the puppet, this poor decision lead him to fall down on the floor and hit his head against the wall, the frustration was ignored once he felt the small feeling of satisfaction after catching the puppet which kept struggling right in front of him, of course he knew nothing about this thing but seeing how pathetic it was he started to feel empathy so out of curiosity and for the sake of the metaphor he took out it's strings.

The puppet disappeared right in front of him as everything around his house began to glow. Uncertain of what was awaiting him he closed his eyes as a big flash took over the whole room making the house itself disappear from its previous place and sending it into the unknown.

The name of the young man is Jen Astudillo and he feels like this is going to be a long ass day.

End of Chapter 1

Act 1