"speech"
thought
The WX Virtual Reality Set arrived at his doorstep in a simple black box. There were no words or pictures to give him a sneak peek at what he would be testing, which he found odd. Well, I guess that makes sense. It's still in the developmental stages, he thought, carrying it inside.
Jack was more excited than he was willing to admit. He already had virtual reality products, but there was something special about this one. He could feel it. Grabbing a knife from the kitchen, he hastily cut away the tape holding the box together. Upon opening it, the first thing he noticed was that there were no instructions inside. The contents consisted of the goggles and the Virtual Reality Box, nothing more. "Okay, well, looks simple enough," he said, lifting the rectangular object. There was a single jack on the reality box, which he assumed was used to connect the headset. Puzzled, he snapped the cord into place and carried the contraption to his room.
"Hey," he said, answering his ringing cell phone, "I just got the set."
"Already? That was fast," Mark replied on the other end. "So do you want to do this thing today then?"
After expressing their interest in testing the set, both Jack and Mark received a second email asking them to test out the multiplayer capabilities. The email informed each of them that the other would be testing the product as well, and suggested they review it together. Now that Jack had received his copy, there was nothing stopping them from doing just that. "Yeah, give me a second. I'll call you on Skype."
A few minutes later they were ready to go. Jack watched Mark through the screen as he fiddled with the device. "It looks kinda weird."
"Yeah, I guess they were trying to be creative by making the headset a pair of goggles, but it just looks and feels like shit," Mark critiqued.
"Well, let's just get it over with." Jack adjusted the Reality Goggles on his head. The feeling of his long eyelashes flicking against the glass immediately started to annoy him. "Agh, this is uncomfortable as all hell."
"I told you. Alright, let's go in on three. One, two…"
Jack's finger hovered over the power button as he waited for Mark's command.
"Three!"
He pressed the button, and after a few moments he instantly regretted it. "Oh, God," he mumbled. Nausea overcame him, and he gripped his table to keep from keeling over.
"What kind of bullshit is this?" he heard Mark slur. Then, his consciousness slowly faded away.
xXxXxXxXxXxXx
"Jack. Jack!"
The Irish man was startled awake by his American friend. "Mark? Did it work?"
"Uhh yeah, but..."
Jack slowly stood to his feet and took a look around. Wait… This is…
"Isn't this Shadow of the Colossus? I didn't know WX made this," Mark commented.
"They didn't." Jack took in the familiar landscape and eerie building he had grown to love. The stone bed and looming statues were in their proper places, but Agro, the protagonist's horse, was nowhere to be seen. Neither was his maiden, or the Ancient Sword.
"Welp," Mark put his hands on his hips, and let out an exasperated sigh, "I hope they're okay with being sued."
"It's the exact same game. What are they thinking?" Even if they were just using the game to test their product, WX could get in serious trouble.
Jack suddenly realized something. He walked to the circle of sunlight in the room and looked up, expecting to hear a voice. But, nothing happened. He frowned. "That's odd. Dormin should be talking to us by now. Did they cut out the beginning of the game?"
"Are we sure there even is a game? Maybe we're just supposed to walk around and check if it works." Mark offered.
"Well, there's only one way to find out." The Ancient Sword was a significant component in the game. Without it, most players wouldn't be able to find the colossi. But Jack wasn't like most players. He knew this game from the inside out. Travelling would be difficult without Agro, but he believed they could manage. He bounded up the steps, a look of determination on his face. "The first colossus is that way."
xXxXxXxXxXxXx
Sam had never ridden a horse in her life, but thankfully, Agro was being cooperative. As they galloped toward the first colossus, the weight of her situation began to worry her. She had so many questions, but no one to answer them. How many games would she have to go through? Had Mark and Jack already been sucked in? Would they really be gone forever if they lost? Would she? It was all so… disorienting.
The sound of a loud roar interrupted her thoughts, and she realized she had made it to the large body of rock that would lead her to her first opponent. Carefully, she climbed down from Agro's back, and gave her a pat. "Stay here, okay? I'll be back… hopefully." She had never seen a full playthrough of Shadow of the Colossus, and honestly had no idea how to win. But at this rate, she had no choice but to figure it out. The Ancient Sword glistened in her grip. The beast was near, she just had to find a way to reach it. A patch of ivy on the rocks caught her attention. If she knew anything about video games, it was that if something stood out, it was probably useful. Sure enough, the vines were strong enough to support her weight, and she hoisted herself up to a ledge. Woo, I'm out of shape… Studying for hours on end didn't leave much time for the gym, but luckily her athletic build permitted her to maneuver her way to her destination.
As soon as her feet hit the ground, her eyes widened with astonishment. She had seen screenshots of the game before, and the colossi had never really impressed her. But standing a few feet away from the giant beast completely changed her perspective. It was, well, colossal. Larger than anything she had ever laid her eyes on. Remembering what she had to do, she quickly snapped out of her daze and prepared her bow and arrow. Well, here goes nothing. She pulled back, and released the arrow into the air. It landed square on the beast's back, startling it. Her heart began to race as the colossus slowly turned to face her. Here we go.
"Hey big guy. Don't mind me, just gonna shoot at you, no big deal." She let the arrows fly, one after another. Some hit their mark, and some didn't. But one thing was for sure - they weren't affecting the beast at all. If anything they were just making him angry. A quick look over her shoulder told her she was approaching the edge of the cliff. He was coming for her, and she was running out of room to back up.
"Hold up thy sword to reflect the light onto the colossus. Its vitals shall be revealed…" A voice said. It was the same voice she had heard at the temple earlier. Dormin, it was called.
"Its vitals? What?"
Sam didn't have time to process the instructions. The colossus raised its club and prepared to strike. "Oh shit… SHIT!"
She dove to the right, just in time to avoid the earth-shattering crash of the giant club against the rocky terrain. The sound nearly blew her eardrums out, and for a moment all she could do was lay on the ground. She considered climbing back down the cliff, but the beast was already making its way toward her again. She wouldn't have time. Not to mention she was too shocked to move. I have 5 lives, right? Maybe I should just take the loss this time and start over. I could be extra careful with the other 4…
"HEY!"
The shout came from below. She poked her head over the edge to see two concerned faces gazing up at her. It didn't take long for her to realize who it was.
"Stab his calf! The calf!" Jack yelled.
The calf? The colossus was preparing for its next swing. It was now or never.
Sam sprung into action. She raced in between the beast's legs, narrowly escaping the second swing. Once again, the sound staggered her, but not long enough for her to lose her opportunity. A glowing blue light was visible on the creature's left calf, and after a strenuous climb up the creature's fur, she plunged the Ancient Sword into its flesh with all her might. A strange black liquid spewed from the wound, and the beast fell onto one knee. Is he dead?
"Climb!"
Sam turned her head to see Jack running toward her while Mark hoisted himself over the cliff. "Climb where?" she yelled back.
"Up! Up to the head!" he came to a stop near the creature's foot. "The other weak spot is right on the top of its noggin. You'll have to stab it a few times but after that he should be down for the count."
The head? All the way up there? She couldn't see the top of the creature from her angle, but she could see a set of platforms along its back. That would be her next destination. "Got it!"
With a great leap she attached herself to the giant's backside and slowly made her way up. The climb wasn't easy - the wind was blowing and the creature's movements threatened to throw her off at any moment. Still, she knew she had to keep going. The platforms offered a quick breather, but she had no time to waste. Every second lost here was time lost in the real world, and there was no way in hell she was going to miss her last final.
The creature's upper back was level for the most part, allowing her to stand. She could see her target - a glowing blue light on the top of its head, right where Jack said it would be.
"Well, you put up a good fight." Sam positioned herself over the weak spot and raised the sword. Just as she was about to strike, the colossus gave a mighty shake, causing her to fall over. A last minute grab of the creature's fur saved her from falling to her demise. After regaining her bearings, she got into position once more. Before the colossus could shake again. She stabbed him square in the middle of his head. The creature let out a booming roar, and she struck it once more. The black liquid spewed up around her, and the glowing light began to dim.
"Once more!" she faintly heard Jack yell.
With a shout, Sam plunged the sword deep into the creature's skull one last time, and waited for the reaction.
The roars ceased, and the colossus's glowing eyes turned black. Sam felt air rushing past her ears, but it wasn't just the wind. She realized with horror that the colossus was falling - while she was still on top.
"Hey! Jump!" she heard from below. This time it was Mark. "I'll catch you!"
"And if you don't?"
"Just trust me!"
The ground was fast approaching, she had to make a choice. Here goes nothing, she thought. Then she jumped.
Soooo it's literally been exactly 6 months since I've updated this and I'm sorry :/ The Fall '16 semester nearly killed me and I legit almost lost my motivation for writing completely. BUT I took this amazing creative writing course this semester, and by the end I had a newfound love for the practice, and now I'm back and better than ever :D Honestly my readers are my heart and I hate to disappoint, if I ever take this long again feel free to PM or email me, I don't bite :)