My name is Silver Suguji. I'm an eleven year old gamer who's been living in a simple neighborhood with only a few houses for about as long as I can remember. I think even my parents have been living here years before I was ever born.
My best friend's name is Lyra Gardner, a girl about my age who lives a few hours away. A couple days ago, she invited me over to a sleepover at her house. We've been friends since first grade, so asking my Mom was only a formality.
On Friday, I was home for a few hours, which was plenty of time to pack and have a bit of time to myself.
At six sharp, I'm standing outside on the sidewalk outside Lyra's house while my Mom idles in our car nearby. She leans out the window to me.
"You behave yourself, okay?" she says, as always. "I'll be at work, but if anything happens, don't be afraid to call me."
"Yes, Mom," I say with a sigh as I roll my eyes.
"I'll pick you up tomorrow at three," she says, again as usual.
It looks like she's about to say something else, but she pauses and looks up at the dark sky.
"If you play outside," she adds slowly, a bit more monotone, "be careful, it's probably going to rain."
"Yes, yes, Mom," I say, quickly nodding my head, wanting her to hurry it up. "You know Lyra and I are always careful."
"That's a good boy." She pulls my head towards her face and kisses my cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow, then!"
I scowl as an embarrassed feeling courses through my gut.
"Goodbye, Mom," I mutter under my breath as I wave her off.
I turn back to Lyra's house. The lights inside are glowing warmly. I can see Lyra waving at me from her bedroom window on the second floor. Waving back, I head inside.
It's six pm when rain started to splash against the windows just when I close the door. Mrs Gardner meets me as soon as I step in.
"Hello!" she greets. "Dinner will be ready in a few minutes, but you can drop your stuff off in the den. Lyra decided you and she will be camping out there tonight."
"Cool!" I reply respectfully.
I drop my sleeping and overnight bags in the corner of the den and then pause to take a look around.
Behind the couch is a grandfather clock ticking softly. Through a set of patio doors on the far side of the room I can see the gray clouds pouring water onto the house. Framed pictures line the walls and over the dark fireplace hangs a monstrous pair of antlers from a buck Lyra's Dad shot years ago. And of course, there's the big screened TV.
As I'm admiring my friend's obviously expensive residence, a towel wraps around my eyes making me jump.
"Hey there, Silver!" a giggle says behind me.
I sigh.
"Hello, Lyra..."
I honestly should've seen that coming. It's typical of the wide eyed brunette to play childish tricks on me every time we see each other.
She winks.
"Are you ready for dinner?"
"Yeah!"
Dinner passes quickly. Tonight's meal is spaghetti and meatballs, one of Lyra's favorite meals, as her mother points out while piling a helping on my plate.
Mr Gardner cracks a beer and jovially interrogates me about how much trouble my friend and I are getting into at school. Wait, that isn't a beer, that's a glass of lemonade. Why did I think it was a beer? Mr Gardner doesn't drink. Well, whatever.
Desert is heaping bowls of ice cream drizzled in chocolate sauce. I can't even finish mine.
The grandfather clock chimes in the den.
"You go along now," says Mrs Gardner, smiling from her side of the table. "We'll clean up here."
"Let's go get the TV ready," Lyra chirps as she pulls me into the basement.
"Wh-whoa, Lyra, there's no need to pull! Uh, thank you, Mr and Mrs Gardner!" I quickly get out before the brunette practically drags me into the den.
As Lyra begins bringing out cables and consoles, I notice some other things I don't recognize. A large black box with green highlights, a smaller purple one, a strange white and yellow tower with what look like gloves resting on hooks on either side, and a compact cone.
"What're those?"
She looks back at me.
"Oh those," she replies. "I can't tell you what they are. I promise my uncle."
And that's when I remember her uncle. The uncle who works for Nintendo.
It began with Mew. I didn't believe her at first, when Lyra came to school one day and told me she'd finally caught Mew.
"Prove it!" I said.
She pulled out her Gameboy and showed me, and there it was. Mew. The 151 Pokemon, only available to players at promotional events, somehow unlocked on Lyra's game.
"It's really strong!" she bragged. "It KO's everything in one hit!"
She demonstrated this claim at recess, when I and some other friends linked Gameboys to do battle.
I was the first one down. No one else got a single hit in on Lyra's Mew. I asked her how she managed to get it.
"Oh, my uncle got a job at Nintendo," she said.
"Really!?"
"Yeah, it's awesome! He also got me this new Gameboy!" Lyra said as she pulled it out of her pocket. I hadn't noticed it before, but yes. Lyra had a new sleek Gameboy Color. Until that day, she had a normal Gameboy, a dull brick like mine.
"This one's special addition, isn't it cool?"
"Heck yeah! You've gotta let me use it!"
"Sorry, it's mine!"
I snap out of my reflections.
Lyra is playing something that looks a little like Mega Man X, but it's not a game I'm familiar with. I watch for a while, and eventually Lyra turns to look at me.
"Come on, you wanna play?"
"There's co-op?" I ask.
"Of course," she responds, handing me a controller.
She and I play through a couple levels, competing to see who would win first.
Mrs Gardner bustles into the room, holding a large ceramic bowl filled with popcorn under her arm.
"How are you kids doing?" she asks.
"Good," Lyra chirps, her eyes not moving from the television.
"I hope you're having fun," says her Mom. "Here's some popcorn. Extra butter!"
She places it on the floor by her daughter, who almost immediately is shoving popcorn into her mouth.
"There's sodas in the kitchen if you get thirsty," Mrs Gardner says, "and some pizza from the other night, if you get hungry."
"Thank you," I say.
"Your father and I are going to bed, we want you two quiet, all right? And don't stay up too late."
"Yes, Mom," Lyra says tiredly.
"Oh, and before I forget," she adds, "your uncle called. He suddenly has some business here in town tomorrow, but he's driving in early. He'll be here around midnight."
For the first time Lyra stops playing her game, stops eating popcorn, and turns to look at her mother. "Okay."
"I want you two to welcome him in. He'll be very tired and very hungry, so offer him something to eat before he goes to bed."
"Okay, Mom."
"Goodnight, kids." And with that, she's gone.
"So why's your uncle coming?" I ask.
She shrugs. "Business."
"But I thought he worked at Nintendo."
"He does," Lyra says, frowning but not looking away from the TV screen. "He's really important there."
"Then what does he have to do here?"
She pauses the game and turns towards me, visibly agitated.
"How should I know!? I don't work for them!"
What the hell's she so mad about? Well, whatever, I don't want to upset her.
"Sorry, I was just curious." We drop the conversation in silence.
A few hours pass. When the grandfather clock strikes midnight, Lyra stands up, not even pausing her game.
"It's time."
"Time for what? Is your uncle here?"
Someone knocks at the front door.
"That's him," Lyra says as she turns around and heads for the door. "I should go let him in."
As she leaves the den, I realize I could follow, but a part of me feels like being scarce for a bit. What am I so worried about? I wanna meet her uncle.
The knocking continues persistently as I follow my pig tailed friend to the front of the house.
Outside the glass of the front window I can see a tall, dark shadow.
Lyra goes to the door, undoes the deadbolt, and cracks it open.
"You can come in," she says to whoever stands out there on the porch, then looks over her shoulder at me. "Sorry."
Before I can ask what there is to be sorry about, the door slams open.
A chilling and loud voice runs through my ears.
"Hello child, I'm so hungry child, no more worries child, come closer child, I am oh so hungry child, come to me child, I won't hurt you child, come to me child."