Inevitability
How many days has it been since the game had started? Has it been three or five? If it's been three days then today is Thursday, right? What had happened in the last three days? Julie's eighth birthday is on Friday and I promised I would go to the party. Have I already missed it? She's such a sweet girl. I can't believe my sister is related let alone her mother. I feel heat rising in my chest and I force myself to concentrate on my surroundings.
I am stalking through a thick forest. The moonlight is almost completely blocked out by the tall trees. Everything is shrouded in darkness except a small flicker of light in the distance. I move toward the faint light until I am just outside a clearing. There is a person by the fire. He looks to be around five and a half feet tall but has the broad shape of a Warrior or a Paladin. I can't tell what kind of armor he is wearing but the large axe glinting in low light of the dying fire tells me enough. He's the one I'm looking for. He's an outlaw wanted for killing two men and I'm here to bring him to justice. Getting close to him would not be a wise choice. As a Ranger I am proficient at melee combat but would lose to a Warrior if it came to close quarters combat. My first arrow will be the difference between an easy reward and a gruesome fight to the death. I take my bow from my back as I look over the condition of my armor. It's comprised almost entirely leather that is worn from previous battles. The light brown mixed with the dark green cloth of my cloak makes excellent camouflage in the forest and hides the dagger hanging on my hip.
Notching an arrow, I line up my shot, aiming for the Warrior's heart. The dense forest will make it tough to get a clear shot once the fighting begins. If the Warrior is smart he will use all the trees as cover until he can close the distance. It used to be easier when I had Jimmy as a partner. As a paladin he could keep enemies away from me. But that was before he died in the war. He shouldn't have listened to my sister. The Warrior stomps out his cooking fire. Soon it will be time to strike. I know that without the light of the fire the Warrior's vision will decrease dramatically.
Half hidden by the trees I slow my breathing and the world itself seems to still. This is perfect. No dead friends, no bitchy sisters, no handicaps to hold me back. These moments are why I love to play. Why I need to play. I slowly pull my arrow. The air feels dense as though it is pressing in on me and keeping me steady. I patiently watch the Warrior, waiting for the right shot. My patience is rewarded when the Warrior turns his back to me. I let the arrow shoot from the bow. Perfect silence as it approaches its target. It strikes the Warrior in the back directly below his left shoulder.
The Warrior yells and stumbles from the force of the arrow. I didn't get a critical hit like I was hoping for. He grabs his axe and charges at me. I notch my second arrow. He's barely five feet away from me. My second arrow flies from my bow hitting his chest. He stumbles and falls forward, his momentum causing him to awkwardly tackle me, taking me to the ground. A jolt goes through my leg as the heavy man lands on me. His hands wrap tightly around my neck. His bloodied face is sneering at me. I won't lose. I won't go back. I'm not ready to go back yet. I try to pry his hands off of me but it's no use.
I can't breathe and I'm starting to see spots. I pull the dagger from my belt and stab into his stomach. He cries out but his hands remain strong. I pull the blade out and stab again, but this time I barely pierce his armor.
I'm starting to get tunnel vision. Why am I always so helpless? I try to stab him in the throat but can't quite reach.
My vision goes dark. Is this what Jimmy went through when he died? A burning fire rises in my chest. I swing my arm one last time. Warm liquid splatters across my face as the Warrior's weight shifts off of me. His hands loosen and I suck in as much air as my lungs can hold. I can't stop from coughing and choking. The Warrior is half on top of me with glazed eyes. A chuckle escapes my lips. It soon turns into full out laughter. I can't help it. I won and I fell so alive, so powerful. I push the corpse off of me and try to assess the damage. My left leg is broken and I have numerous bruises but in the game a potion can fix all of that. If only it were that easy in the real world. I drink a red potion from my inventory and watch as my injuries fix themselves. Even my broken leg. I don't have time to do anything else though when a chime goes off and the world brightens. Forced system log out.
My eyes jerk open as I lurch forward, the bright lights of the facility blinding me. The tube supplying oxygen to my lungs causes me to gage. I forcefully pull it out as I lean over the side of the bed to puke. The trash can is right there next to my wheel chair. I feel someone patting my back.
"Easy there. Just let it all out," The voice says. It belongs to a man in a white lab coat. He is looking at me with pity. "You've been in the game for six days straight. Policy is forced log out." I nod along surprised not because of the policy but that it has been six days. Shit, I've missed my niece's birthday party.
"Good, you know the policy then. Now do you want to go back into the game or would you rather leave?" The doctor asked.
I look at the man and then at the wheel chair next my bed. I think about my crippled legs that are covered by the white bed sheets. I don't need to see them to know how weak and frail they look from years of not being used. I think of my niece, my sister, and my dead friend Jimmy. Then I think about what I have just been through in the game. I can be someone in the game. I can make a difference in the game. I'm not helpless in the game.
"Send me back in."
I pretty much rewrote most of this story from scratch. I tried to tie the themes of addiction and the game being a 'better' place more closely into the story. I completely rewrote the fight scene because the other one was confusing. I feel like this one is easier to follow and draws more from the outside world with different references.
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