In 2024, fourteen-year-old Lucy Sampson used an experimental computer mouse to travel back in time. With no project or clearly defined mission to guide her, she must adapt to the different roles time gives her and hope that her next leap will be the leap home.
Lucy blinked.
She found herself sitting on an old, dusty couch that reminded her of the one in Josie Bona's house in 1985. She was in a living room, with a floral wallpaper, a tall bookshelf, and thin, veil-like curtains.
She suddenly noticed a simple joystick in her hand. It was connected to a device labeled "Atari Video Computer System", which itself was connected to a TV with knobs.
"What are you waiting for, Rick?" cried a boy about eleven who was sitting beside her, dressed in a T-shirt and cargo shorts. "That's just Pac-Man. We've played it so many times at the arcade."
Realizing he was talking about her, Lucy moved the joystick around, but she found it clunky and not as responsive as she expected. She instinctively reached into her pocket and fished out Boop.
But before she could click away, she heard a knock on the door.
"I'll get it," said the other boy.
He opened the door to a tall woman with a short brunette bob and a long blue dress. She didn't look happy.
"Richard Barstow!" she screamed. "What are you doing here?"
Lucy shivered from the woman's powerful voice. "Uh… playing video games?"
The woman stomped over to the TV and pulled out the plug. Lucy could now see herself in the screen's reflection, revealing her to have short wavy hair and similar clothes to the boy beside her.
The woman then turned to the other boy. "Adam, why did you allow Rick to stay at your house? He's supposed to be grounded!"
"I-I-I didn't know, Ms. Barstow," replied Adam. "He didn't tell me anything-"
"Rick, come with me. You're grounded for another week."
Lucy drooped and followed the woman outside.
They found themselves on a quiet suburban street lined by large, far-apart houses. The lawns were dotted by leafless trees and small snow drifts, while 80s cars - mostly Fords, Chevys, and Chryslers - were parked on either side of the street.
"If you keep sneaking out like that, Rick, you might get in big trouble," said Ms. Barstow, obviously stressed. "You might even get involved in a crime."
"A crime?" repeated Lucy.
"This is Detroit, Rick. One of the most crime-ridden cities in all of America. It's very possible that a criminal might make you their next victim."
Lucy was a little surprised when Ms. Barstow crossed the street to a small apartment building. She followed the older woman as she climbed to the second floor and unlocked the door to unit number 5.
"Is this… our house?" gasped Lucy.
Compared to the houses that Lucy's previous leapees lived in, this one was much, much worse. It was barely the size of Dana's quarters back in the San Diego Wild Animal Park, and the old appliances and furniture were grimy and covered in miscellaneous trash.
"Of course this is our house," replied Ms. Barstow. "Has been since… the incident with your father."
"What happened to my father?" asked Lucy.
Ms. Barstow sighed as she lay down on the living room couch, not even caring to properly dispose of the trash on it. "Do I have to tell you again?"
"I… guess I kinda forgot. Sorry."
Ms. Barstow kicked a half-finished soup can off the couch as she stretched her legs. "A few months ago, I caught your father drinking and running off with other ladies. Naturally, we got into a big argument and… he decided to leave us for good. The worst part is he isn't paying child support and now, we can barely afford anything."
"That's kinda sad. Have you thought of looking for a job?"
"None of the good jobs would hire me because I used to be in one of Detroit's many syndicates. I did become an assistant at a food truck last week, but I only get paid minimum wage."
Lucy felt a pang of empathy for Ms. Barstow. "Is there any way I can help?"
"At this point, I just don't care anymore. We're late on rent, so they're soon going to take our apartment. We'll become homeless, live on the streets, and possibly go to jail. At least there we'll have three meals a day and a roof over our heads. But if you want to help, find a way yourself."
Lucy sighed. This woman looked like a hopeless case.
Lucy looked down at the trash littering the floor. Most of them were still in good shape, like the soup cans, egg cartons, and boxes. She didn't understand why they had to be discarded like that.
She grabbed a black trash bag from beside the kitchen counter and started putting whatever she could save in it.
"What are you doing?" said Ms. Barstow suddenly.
"I'm picking up the trash," replied Lucy.
"But I'm keeping them. I know they look filthy, but as the saying goes, one person's trash is another person's treasure. Those things hold memories, Rick. Memories of a better time."
"I think that saying means something else. Most of this trash is still useful. If we bring them to the scrap dealer, we might be able to earn some money."
"Hold that thought, Rick. You're grounded for two weeks. You can't bring them anywhere."
"But can I at least clean the place? I can't stand all this trash everywhere."
"You didn't care about the trash before, but go ahead I guess."
Lucy picked up all the trash that she could, throwing the useless ones in the garbage bin and saving the salvageable ones in a trash bag.
It took her a while to clean the entire apartment, since although it was small it had more than its fair share of filth. But when she was done, she felt a sense of accomplishment, knowing that Ms. Barstow had a lot less problems to take care of.
Lucy then retired to the bedroom at the far end of the apartment.
It was significantly less filthy than the rest of the unit, although it was still crowded because of how small it was. The desk took up one quarter of the room, while the bed, which was parallel to it, took up one half.
She sat on the bed and browsed the desk. There was a poster of Fast Times at Ridgemont High, a collection of records, a record player, and rather surprisingly, a computer.
She turned on the record player, which played "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson, then scurried over to the other side of the bed to use the computer.
But before she turned it on, she noticed something strange. "Where's the mouse?"
"It doesn't have one," said Boop, poking out of Lucy's pocket. "That's an Apple III. It doesn't come with a mouse."
"But can you control it, Boop?"
"I can try."
Lucy pointed Boop at the computer and clicked, turning it on. A blinking green text cursor appeared, revealing that it operated on a keyboard-based interface.
But Lucy wasn't interested in that. She moved the mouse around, and a green rectangular cursor mimicked her movements. It didn't move smoothly, though, as if it was confined to appearing in a number of preset positions.
"I didn't think you could actually control this thing," commented Lucy.
"It's simple," replied Boop nonchalantly. "I just need to manipulate the computer's logic systems to make it think it's being asked to move the cursor around."
"That's some pretty smart thinking. I wouldn't have thought of it myself."
Lucy moved the mouse around for a few more moments, then quickly realized there was nothing much else to do on a computer whose software wasn't designed for a mouse. She turned it off with another click and lay down on the bed to have some rest.
As she stared at the ceiling above, she couldn't help but reflect on how dire Rick and his mother's situation was. She knew she was sent here to help them, but how?
Lucy slept lightly for a few minutes - or at least, she thought she was asleep. She was aware of what was happening around her - which was why she heard the front door open.
She staggered to the living room to find Ms. Barstow accepting a newspaper from a young boy. She then slammed the door and threw it backwards without looking, making it land directly in the trash.
With an annoyed sigh, Lucy picked up the newspaper.
It was a copy of the Detroit Free Press, dated Saturday, January 15, 1983. The articles included a piece on Ronald Reagan, headlines about disco and video games, and an opinion piece on the use of computers in the workplace. But a small ad in the classifieds section caught her attention the most.
It read "Video Game Competition - Calling all gamers! Can you prove your skills and become the video game champion? Then come on over to Cheese Arcade in Dearborn at 1 PM on January 17 for a chance to win ten thousand dollars! Registration is until January 16 only."
Lucy's eyes lit up. This could be her chance to help Rick!
"Mom! Mom!" Lucy shouted as she ran over to the living room, finding Ms. Barstow lying motionlessly on the couch. "Look at this!"
Ms. Barstow groaned, half-sleepy, half-uninterested. "What now, Rick?" she muttered, grabbing the paper from Lucy's outstretched hand. "Ads, Rick? Really? What could possibly be-"
"Look at the bottom," Lucy insisted, pointing frantically to the small ad.
Ms. Barstow squinted, then pulled the paper closer. Her eyes scanned the text quickly, and as she read, her expression shifted from disinterest to shock.
"Ten thousand dollars?" she whispered, as if she couldn't believe the number on the page."That's… that's enough to pay our rent for a whole year, maybe more."
Lucy smiled, her heart leaping with hope. Maybe, just maybe, Ms. Barstow would let her go to the competition. Maybe this was the break they needed.
"But you're not going," Ms. Barstow said abruptly, her voice hardening.
Without another word, she crumpled the paper in her hand and tossed it away like it was nothing. "You're grounded, remember?"
Lucy's heart sank. "But Mom-"
"End of discussion, Rick," Ms. Barstow snapped, her eyes flashing with anger. "You're grounded for two weeks. No video games. No competitions. Nothing."
Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the door.
Ms. Barstow stiffened, her face turning pale. She slowly stood up and walked to the door, her hand hovering over the doorknob. When she finally opened it, Lucy saw the source of her fear.
A tall, muscular man stood in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest. He wore a white T-shirt that barely contained his bulk, and his black cargo shorts were scuffed and worn. His eyes, dark and unrelenting, bore into Ms. Barstow with an intensity that made Lucy instinctively step back.
"Mona, where's my rent?" the man boomed.
Mona broke into a nervous sweat, her hands gripping the doorframe tightly.
"I-I'm sorry, Mr. Perry," she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't have the money right now, but I'll have it next month. I promise."
"That's what you said the last five months," Mr. Perry shot back. "My patience is running thin, Mona. If you don't have it by the end of this month, I'll be forced to evict you. Understand?"
"Wait, please-" Mona tried to speak, but Mr. Perry slammed the door in her face.
Lucy watched as Mona stood frozen by the door, her shoulders slumped in defeat.
"Maybe if I win that competition, we won't get kicked out of the apartment," Lucy said softly, trying to break the silence with a glimmer of hope.
But Mona's response was sharp and immediate. "How many times do I have to tell you? You're not going. This is grown-up stuff. It doesn't concern you."
Mona lay down on the couch and covered her face with her hands, as if trying to shut out the world.
Lucy slumped against the wall, her heart heavy with frustration. She wanted to help. She needed to help. The video game competition was their best chance, and she couldn't just let it slip away. But how could she possibly get there if she was grounded?
Her mind raced. There has to be a way, she thought. And then she remembered. Rick had been grounded before, yet he always found ways to sneak out. If he could do it, so could she.
Steeling herself, Lucy tiptoed towards the door, crouching low as she moved. She had to be quiet and careful.
But as she reached for the doorknob, the old wood creaked loudly.
Mona's eyes snapped open. "Where do you think you're going?"
Lucy froze, her heart sinking. It seemed like escape wouldn't be as easy as she had hoped.
Lucy spent the next few hours sleeping in Rick's room - after all, there was not much to do for a grounded kid before the Internet.
She woke up rather reluctantly, since the bed was so soft that she could sleep there forever. The only reason she get up was that she could smell something appetizing from outside.
She rubbed her eyes as she dragged herself to the kitchen, where she saw Mona working on something in the kitchen.
"Looks like you're awake," said Mona softly. "You're just in time. I'm cooking your favorite."
A few moments later, Mona put a plate of French fries on the dining table.
Lucy had a bite. It was the most perfect French fry she remembered having, with just the right amount of crisp and saltiness. "Wow, this is delicious!"
"Of course it's delicious," commented Mona. "Only the best for my Rick."
Mona brushed Lucy's hair, suddenly reminding Lucy of her mother, who used to do the same thing when she was little. It made her see Mona in a different light - not as an apathetic, irresponsible woman, but as a caring mother.
Lucy saw it as an opportunity to discuss things with Mona. "If you really want the best for me, Mom, why won't you let me join the video game competition and earn money we can use to pay rent?"
Mona sighed in annoyance. "Because you're grounded."
"But this is very important, Mom. If I don't win, we'll lose our house."
"That's a grown-up matter, Rick. You're only eleven. You shouldn't get concerned about those things."
"I'm grown-up enough, Mom. I heard you and Mr. Perry talk earlier and I understood every word. Be honest with me, Mom. Why can't you just let me out?"
Mona exhaled a long sigh. "I don't know why you're suddenly all mature, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell you. You see, the first sign something was wrong about your father was him always sneaking off without telling me where he's going. When I found out he was seeing another woman, it shocked me so much that I equated sneaking out with bad things."
"But that was just Dad. I'm much more responsible. I just want to join that competition because it will help us both."
"Your heart is in the right place, Rick. I'm afraid of losing our home, too. But as much as I appreciate you trying to make our situation better, I just don't think you're ready to go out on your own."
"I was able to go to Adam's house just fine, so what's stopping me?"
"Adam's house is nearby, but the competition is in another city. You might get lost or run into criminals on the way. And even if you do make it safely, what are the odds that you'll get in? And if you do get in, what are the odds that you'll win?"
"I get it, Mom. There's too many unknowns. But with our house on the line, isn't it worth taking the risk?"
Mona paused. "I'll think about it."
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. At first Lucy thought it was the landlord, but she realized that the sound was lighter and less intimidating.
Mona, who was closest to the door, stood up and hesitantly opened it.
"Oh, Adam, it's you," said Mona, recognizing the boy in the doorway. "What brings you here?"
"Is Rick there?" asked Adam.
"Hey, Adam!" greeted Lucy. "Come and have a seat."
Adam rushed to the dining room and had a handful of French fries. "Whoa, these are delicious. Ms. B, your cooking's top notch!"
"Thanks," replied Mona. "I got the recipe from the food truck."
"You work at a food truck? That must be so cool. You get to eat all the delicious food you want!"
Mona sighed, sounding stressed, then mumbled something Lucy couldn't make out.
Lucy didn't mind it. She and Adam just shared the food until there was nothing left.
"Hey, have you heard about the video game competition?" asked Adam upon swallowing the last of the fries. "There's going to be a ten thousand dollar prize!"
"Yeah!" replied Lucy, lighting up.
"I'm planning to sign up later this afternoon. Want to join me?"
"I'm sorry, Adam," interjected Mona, "but Rick's grounded for two weeks. He can't join the competition."
"Mom!" complained Lucy. "I thought we needed the prize money!"
"We discussed it already. It's too risky. You're not going outside."
Sensing tension about to rise, Adam spoke up. "It's okay, Ms. B. I can go myself."
Adam walked over to the door, but not before discreetly beckoning Lucy to his position.
"Why exactly do you need the prize money so badly?" whispered Adam.
"We'll, uh, lose our house if we can't pay the rent this month," replied Lucy.
"That's kinda sad. I'll sign you up in case your mother allows you to leave. And if you lose to me, I'll gladly split the prize money with you."
"Thank you so so much, Adam! You really are a great friend."
"Don't mention it. Resilient kids like you deserve a better life."
Lucy and Adam smiled and waved at each other before Adam left, closing the door behind him.
For the first time since she leaped here, Lucy felt a sense of hope. Her position at the competition was now secure, but she still needed a way to get there.
But that didn't matter. If there was anything she learned from leaping, it's that fate will find ways to make things right even if everything seems to be going wrong.
Lucy woke up the next morning to her body being nudged.
She opened her eyes to see Mona standing over her. "Phew, you're awake. It's getting late."
Lucy turned to the desk, where she saw an alarm clock that read 8:41 AM.
"What are you waiting for, Rick? Breakfast is getting cold."
Lucy groggily stood up and followed Mona to the kitchen. She was pleasantly surprised to find a perfect stack of pancakes on the table - complete with maple syrup and butter - as well as a platter of hash browns.
She was immediately energized by the sight of the food. She excitedly dug in, blown away by how delicious it was. It was clear from the taste that it was made with love.
"Want a bite, Mom?" offered Lucy.
"No thank you," replied Mona, who was on the couch reading a newspaper. "I already had coffee earlier. I'm not hungry anymore."
Mona quickly skimmed through the paper before lobbing it in Lucy's direction.
Lucy caught it in mid-air. She noticed it was much thicker than the one she read yesterday. The reason lay on the masthead - today was Sunday, January 16, which meant that this was the newspaper's special edition.
She flipped through the paper, finding a number of articles about local and international events, commentary, and even a few games like sudoku and crossword. Most of them didn't interest her, but something in the local section caught her eye.
It was a report on the annual video game competition. It featured an interview with the reigning champion, Zachary Armstrong, who revealed that he used to be bad at video games, but he kept practicing until he became champion.
Lucy suddenly realized she had to practice, too. But how?
She turned around and saw a TV in the far corner of the room. Luckily, it was connected to an Atari 2600, just like in Adam's house.
But if she couldn't use it, since Mona was asleep, hogging the couch.
Lucy bit her lip, glancing between Mona and the Atari. She had to turn on the console without waking Mona. She knew it wasn't easy, but she had to do it to help Rick's family.
She quietly tiptoed across the room. Her heart pounded in her chest as she pulled out Boop and clicked the TV on. It hummed loudly, but Mona didn't stir.
She clicked the console on and connected it to the TV. She then scanned the games stacked by the TV. Among the worn cartridges was one she recognized - Pac-Man.
Sitting cross-legged on the floor, Lucy clutched the joystick in her hand and booted the game. The graphics blinked onto the screen, and she immediately started maneuvering Pac-Man, gobbling the dots while trying to avoid the ghosts.
Her fingers fumbled at first, and the ghosts touched her character quite quickly. But instead of feeling discouraged, Lucy leaned in, determined. Zachary Armstrong's words from the newspaper echoed in her mind: "I kept practicing until I became champion."
She tried a few more times, but the controller was just to clunky for her hands. Luckily, she had a secret weapon.
She used Boop to move to manipulate her character. Sure enough, her hands adapted quite quickly, and she was able to gobble up all the dots in such a short time - so short, in fact, that she didn't know she could do it.
She restarted the game. This time, her reflexes were a little quicker, and her movements were more precise. As time went on, she defeated level after level, barely noticing the increase in difficulty. She soon became so good, she could almost hear Adam cheering her on.
But because she didn't know what will be played at the competition, she had to learn more than one game. With Boop by her side, she quickly mastered everything from destroying blocks to shooting down aliens.
Some time later, the door creaked open behind her. Lucy froze as Adam stepped inside, closing the door quietly behind him.
"Practicing for the competition?" whispered Adam, his eyebrows raised in amusement.
Lucy grinned. "Hey, Adam. Glad you came to visit. I need all the help I can get."
Adam crouched down beside her, watching the screen. "You're doing pretty well. You'll definitely need to get better if you want to beat Zachary Armstrong, though. He's no joke."
Lucy chuckled but felt a twinge of nervousness at the mention of the reigning champion. "Well, I've got today and tomorrow to improve."
"Hey," said Adam, his voice suddenly serious. "I signed you up for the competition yesterday, just like I promised. So all you have to worry about is making sure you're ready. We can practice together if you want."
Lucy looked up at him, touched by the gesture. "Thanks, Adam. You're a real lifesaver."
Adam smiled back, but then his gaze shifted to the couch where Mona was still sleeping. "You think your mom's going to let you go?"
Lucy hesitated, her earlier confidence wavering. "I'm not sure… but I have to try."
Adam nodded thoughtfully. "Well, if she doesn't, I can sneak you out if you need it."
Lucy couldn't help but laugh at that. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that."
The two sat in silence for a moment, listening to the quiet hum of the TV. Then Lucy handed the joystick to Adam.
"Your turn," she said, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Show me what you've got."
Adam grinned and took the controller. Together, they spent the next hour switching turns, challenging each other, and pushing themselves to master the games.
They had so much fun that they only stopped late in the afternoon, when they heard loud knocks on the door.
Adam opened the door, only to gasp in fear when he saw Mr. Perry standing outside.
"Is Ms. Barstow there?" boomed Mr. Perry.
"Y… Yes?" said Mona groggily, rubbing her eyes as she sat up from the couch.
Everyone in the room was filled with fear as Mr. Perry stomped creepily close to Mona. "Unfortunately, my building is scheduled to undergo repairs, so that means I'm increasing this month's rent."
"Extra rent?!" repeated Mona loudly. "How much is that?"
"Twenty percent. That means from five hundred dollars it becomes six hundred. And I need it by the 20th."
Mona counted the days on her fingers. "I-I'm sorry, are you saying you need six hundred dollars by Thursday?!"
"You got it."
"But I can't get that much money by then!"
"You know me. If you can't hand over the rent then there's only one place for you and your son to go."
Mr. Perry pointed his thumb menacingly at the door, then went outside, slamming the door behind him.
"I think you really need to win that competition, Rick," said Adam.
Lucy didn't say anything, but inside, she agreed. Rick's situation was getting worse by the second… and she had to stop it.
Lucy continued to play games long after Adam left, finally falling asleep late at night.
She only woke up when she felt something hit her.
Rubbing her eyes, she realized she was still lying on the living room floor with the controller and Boop in her hands.
Another thud hit her back, which came from a soup can that was lobbed in her direction. She rolled around and saw Mona rummaging through the house, carelessly throwing things unconcerned about where they landed.
But that wasn't what surprised her. Her eyes landed on the clock by the wall, which read 12:19. And by the weak light streaking in from the grimy window, she could tell that it was noon, not midnight - which meant that it was already Monday, January 17.
"Oh no, I'm late," she said to herself.
She walked up to Mona and innocently asked her a question. "Mom, may I please go to the competition?"
Mona didn't say a word. She hardened her expression and threw a soup can with slightly strong force, as if she was personally offended by the question.
"Is something wrong, Mom?" asked Lucy, puzzled by Mona's reaction.
Mona looked up at Lucy with a fierce expression. "How many times do I have to tell you?! You are not going anywhere!"
This time, Lucy wasn't willing to back down. "But, Mom! Adam already signed me up!"
"Tell him to cancel it. Clearly he doesn't know that he's helping you disobey me."
"I know it's against the rules, but our lives are in danger! Didn't you hear Mr. Perry yesterday? He said he might evict us by Thursday!"
"That's why I'm looking for any piece of money your father left us. I admire your persistence, Risk, but you really don't need to go to that competition."
Lucy growled. She knew that winning the competition was the only to save Rick's family. She wanted to argue her case, but she knew that it will only make things worse.
A few minutes later, after trashing the entire apartment, Mona moved towards the bedroom. "Rick, I will go to your bedroom for a while. I'm pretty sure your father left the money there."
"How long are you going to be in there?" asked Lucy loudly.
"About ten minutes."
"Perfect," said Lucy to herself. This was just the distraction she needed.
She slowly made her way to the door and opened it slightly. It creaked loudly, but from the sound of rummaging coming from the bedroom, she could tell that Mona didn't notice anything.
She tiptoed to the door, but stopped suddenly. She realized that she might harm Rick's relationship with Mona if she continued with her plan, and it might put the family in bigger trouble.
But she had to the risk. She silently wrote a note on a Post-It - "You know where to find me - Rick" - and put it on the fridge, fastening it by a magnet. She figured that being honest about going out was better than just leaving unnanounced - even if she already told Mona multiple times about her intention to do so.
She then sneaked out the door and onto the streets, navigating down the same paths Mona and her took two days earlier. No one tried to attack her, making her doubt Mona's comment that there's too many criminals for her to be safe.
Which made her think: is there a bigger reason why Mona was so adamant she couldn't go out?
She quickly found herself at Adam's house. Adam, who was waiting for her in the driveway, greeted her with a wave.
"Hey, Rick," said Adam. "Mom's driving us to the arcade."
He motioned to an older woman with curly black hair, wearing a colorful, long-sleeved T-shirt and skirt.
"Ready for your competition, boys?" asked the woman.
"Mhm," nodded Lucy and Adam.
The woman motioned to a 1982 Ford Granada waiting in the garage. Lucy sat in the front passenger seat, while Adam sat in the back, behind his mother.
As "Down Under" by Men at Work played grainily from the radio, Lucy watched the surroundings pass by. She saw the typical sights of the 80s - malls, record stores, and restaurants with colorful, inviting branding - giving her a sense of nostalgia even if it was long before she was born.
A few minutes later, the car parked at Cheese Arcade, easily identifiable by the anthropomorphic mouse statue at the entrance, wearing a shirt with a slice of cheese on it.
"Good luck, kids," encouraged Adam's mother, kissing Lucy and Rick on the cheeks. "Always remember to be good sports!"
Lucy and Rick went inside and sat in front of the counter, beside a lot of other teens and preteens who were anxiously waiting for something.
At exactly 1 PM, everyone suddenly came to life as a mascot dressed as the anthropomorphic mouse appoached the counter with a microphone.
"Greetings, gamers!" announced the mascot. "I'm Anna the Cheesy Mouse, and welcome to Cheese Arcade. Are you excited for the competition?"
"Yeah!" shouted everyone in unison.
"Great! Before we begin, here are the rules: four of you will be randomly selected to be our challengers. There will be three rounds - one for each game - and the lowest scorer will be eliminated at the end of each round. Whoever scores highest at the end of the final round will win ten thousand dollars!"
Lucy raised her hand. "Wait… are you saying only four of us can compete?"
"That's right!" replied Anna, her voice strangely bubbly.
The crowd erupted into a shocked gasp. There were at least fifty of them there, which meant that there was only an eight percent chance for Lucy to get in - and even slimmer chances for her to win.
Anna shuffled closer to the counter, motioning to a transparent horizontal drum filled with pieces of paper. "Let's see who the magic drum will pick!"
Like in a game show, a colorfully dressed woman - who appeared to be Anna's assistant - motioned to the crowd and cranked the drum, making it spin for a few seconds. She then fished out a piece of paper and read the name written on it - "Adam Evanston!"
"Yes!" cried Adam excitedly, pulling his fist down dramatically.
"In you go, Adam!" beckoned Anna.
Adam quickly ran inside, waving back to Lucy before disappearing into the arcade.
"Let's see who our next challenger is!" The assistant retrieved a name from the drum again. "Noah Steinmetz!"
A young teenage boy with curly hair and glasses went inside.
"For our third challenger, Abraham Sanders!"
Lucy's heart pounded in her chest as a tall, slightly chubby preteen entered the arcade. There was only one challenger left - and, despite her beliefs, she started praying in her head that she would be picked.
But after spinning the drum for the fourth and last time, the woman fished out a name Lucy didn't want to hear - "Zachary Armstrong!"
Lucy's heart sank. She spent all this time practicing only to be kicked out of the competition at the very last moment. Now there was no way she could help Rick's family and leap out.
She cried for a few long minutes, only to stop when she realized that no one stood up at the mention of Zachary's name.
"Zachary Armstrong?" called the woman again. "Are you there?"
A few tense moments later, a person Lucy didn't recognize stood up. "Zack's not here. He's sick with the flu."
The crowd began to murmur. It looked like most of the people were Zachary's friends and supporters, and they were both disappointed and uncertain as to what will happen next.
"Let's call another name then," said the woman. "Magic drum, who will you pick?"
She drew another piece of the name from the drum. She paused suspensefully before reading it - "Rick Barstow!"
"Yes!" cried Lucy under her breath. She quickly stood up and entered the arcade, ready to win the grand prize.
Lucy joined Adam, Noah, and Abraham in the middle of the arcade, where they were met by Anna and her assistant.
"Are you ready, gamers?" asked Anna.
Lucy and the others nodded in unison.
"Great. For the first round, you're going to play… Breakout!" announced Anna, motioning to the Breakout cabinet on the side of the room. "Ready… set… game!"
"Who should go first?" asked Adam.
"You, of course," replied Noah. "You're the one who was called first, so it's just fair that you go first. After you, it's me, then Abraham, then Rick. Does everybody agree?"
Adam, Abraham, and Lucy agreed.
Lucy was grateful that she was chosen to be last. That meant she had enough time to mentally prepare for whatever comes next.
She stood beside the cabinet, silently strengthening herself to get over her anxiety of playing in front of many people. As she did, she watched the other boys play, noticing their different playstyles - Adam was skilled and confident, Noah struggled under the pressure, while Abraham was average.
Soon, it was Lucy's turn. She hesitantly stepped in front of the machine and observed the high score page - Adam had 150, Abraham had 104, and Noah had a measly 60.
She took a deep breath and started a new game. She struggled to keep the ball bouncing at first, since although it was slightly more responsive than the one in Rick's house, the controls were still too clunky for her. But as she remembered her training and observations, she quickly got the hang of things and easily increased her score.
Her game ended when she accidentally made the ball slip past the paddle, leaving her with a score of 105.
"Alright, kids!" said Anna, approaching the arcade machine. "Let's see what you've got!"
The assistant looked at the high score page and whispered the scores to Anna.
"Looks like you all did really well!" commented Anna. "Unfortunately, Noah, you scored the lowest, which means that you're eliminated from the competition. But don't worry. As a consolation prize, you get one hundred tokens!"
Noah forced a smile as he accepted the tokens from Anna's assistant, then pouted as he dragged himself away to play something else.
"Okay, kids!" announced Anna. "Time for the next round - Space Invaders!"
Anna motioned to the Space Invaders cabinet on the other side of the arcade. "Ready… set… game!"
Adam went first, his skills allowing him to play multiple rounds and rocket to the top of the scoreboard. Abraham, clearly unfamiliar with the game, only managed to hold on for a little while before the aliens reached his ship.
Lucy approached the cabinet, uncertain of what to expect. Abraham's score of 700 would be easy to defeat, but Adam's 21,000 points was no joke.
But thanks to her mental preparation, she was more confident. She easily kept up as the waves of aliens came faster and faster, only ending when the game became too fast for her to handle.
She was shocked when her high score appeared on the screen - 54,000, more than twice Adam's record.
"That was some impressive skill!" cheered Anna suddenly. "Let's see how well you did!"
Anna received the scores from her assistant. "Sorry, Abraham, you lose this round. But don't worry. For holding on until this long, you win a consolation prize of two hundred and fifty tokens!"
Abraham was indifferent as he accepted his prize. His hopes were clearly dashed, but he was a little grateful for the many chances to try again and win something else.
"And now, onto the final round - Pac-Man!" announced Anna.
Lucy and Adam walked to the Pac-Man cabinet on the other side of the arcade with big smiles.
"Do you have what it takes to be the grand prize winner?" asked Anna. "Ready… set… game!"
As usual, Adam went first. Lucy could see that he was insanely good - it was obvious that he had been playing for longer than she had expected. She occassionally glanced at the score counter at the top of the screen, watching it jump from hundreds to thousands to hundred thousands.
He continued to play for a very long time, eventually finishing with 155,400 points.
"Think you can beat me, Rick?" asked Adam.
"I'll try," commented Lucy. "But it doesn't really matter. If I win, I get ten thousand dollars. If I lose, you win ten thousand dollars, but we'll split it, so we both get five thousand. Either way, Mom and I will be set for life."
"Not so fast, Rick," interjected Anna. "Only the winner can claim the grand prize."
"Oh, okay," replied Lucy. She was a little disappointed by the unannounced restriction, but she didn't let it discourage her. Instead, it encouraged her to fight harder for the prize.
She put her hands on the joystick and played away. She applied everything she learned, quickly increasing her score. But as she went on, she noticed that her character seemed to slow down. Sometimes, it didn't even respond to her movements.
It didn't look like something was wrong at first - in fact, the joystick was unusually flexible.
But then she noticed that it had actually snapped off.
She began to panic, unsure of what to do. The ghosts were about to reach her character, and with only one life left, she would lose the game with a score less than half of Adam's.
Suddenly, she felt a nudge in her pocket. She reached into it and pulled out Boop, whom she had forgotten about in stress.
"Boop, can you give me a hand here?" asked Lucy quietly.
"I'll try," replied Boop. "Arcade machines aren't exactly as easy to communicate with as PCs, but I don't think it's much of a problem. Plus, I can even confuse everyone's minds so that they think you're still using the joystick."
"Perfect."
She clicked the mouse to connect it to the arcade machine. After a few moments, Lucy's character came back to life, gobbling up dots like nothing happened.
Her heartbeat raced as she moved her character with great agility. The crowd cheered on as her score increased by the second, rapidly rising through the scoreboard. Lucy could tell that this was the wildest gaming session they had ever seen in their lives.
After several minutes, Lucy's game ended when one of the ghosts caught her off-guard. She panted heavily before looking up at her score. To her shock, it was 375,000.
This time, Anna personally looked at the scoreboard. "Wow, Rick! You got the highest score I've ever seen in this arcade. I think there's no doubt that you're the 1983 Video Game Competition's grand prize winner!"
Confetti shot into the air as Anna's assistant personally handed Lucy an oversized check worth ten thousand dollars. Photographers emerged seemingly from nowhere and snapped away, prompting Lucy to smile and wave shyly.
"I can't believe it, Rick," said Adam softly. "You actually won!"
"Thanks to you and a very long game night," replied Lucy.
"Richard Barstow! Where are you?"
The celebratory atmosphere was suddenly broken as a familiar woman barged her way through the crowds and up to Lucy.
"Mom?" said Lucy incredulously. "What are you doing here?"
"I am very disappointed with you, Rick!" shouted Mona. "You snuck out without my permission and went here despite telling you not to. For your disobedience, you are grou-"
She suddenly stopped when she noticed just what the check read.
"Oh my…" she sputtered, her mouth hanging open as she put her hands to her cheeks. "Did you really win-"
"Ten thousand dollars," answered the assistant. "Here, Ms. Barstow."
The assistant handed Mona an envelope. Mona leafed through it, her gasp only widening as she counted the hundred-dollar bills inside.
Lucy felt a sense of relief and accomplishment. Not only did she win the competition even if it felt impossible, but she also gave Rick's family another chance at life.
After the celebration ended, Lucy and Mona left the arcade.
Once they were in a silent part of town, Mona suddenly stopped and sat on a park bench. "Rick," she sighed, "I'm really, really sorry for how I acted these past few days. I should've listened to you. I should've let you go from the start."
"It's okay," replied Lucy. "What matters is that we've got the money we need."
"I just want you to understand that I'm afraid of failure. I was just afraid that you will fail the same way Dad did by leaving us. I was afraid that you'll fail the competition, that I'll fail as a mother by not taking care of you-"
"It's alright, Mom. You're not a failure. As long as you keep trying and learn from your mistakes, you'll be alright."
"Thanks, Rick."
Lucy and Mona eventually reached the apartment building, where they saw a construction crew bringing equipment inside. Mr. Perry stood by the entrance, whistling along to "Maneater" by Hall & Oates playing on his Walkman.
"Where's my rent, Ms. Barstow?" boomed Mr. Perry, taking the headphones out of his ears.
With a clearly fed-up expression, Ms. Barstow wordlessly handed the envelope over to the landlord.
"See?" said Mr. Perry, accepting the envelope. "I knew you could give me my rent before those guys wreck your apartment."
He combed through the money, his smile growing wider as he realized how many bills there were. "Looks like you don't have to pay rent for an entire year," he said, his voice uncharacteristically softening.
He then pat Mona on the back before she and Lucy went inside.
"Hey, Lucy."
Lucy saw Ian near some workers who were carrying a ladder.
"Oh, hey Ian," greeted Lucy. "How did I do on this leap?"
"Great as usual," replied Ian, not noticing the workers phasing through their hologram. "You're doing better with each leap."
Lucy smiled. "So, what happens to Rick and his mom?"
"Ms. Barstow uses her rent-free year to climb the ranks in the fast food industry. By November 1983, she starts her own burger place, which becomes a huge success even today. Rick, on the other hand, becomes a professional gamer who regularly wins thousands of dollars from competitions, and today he remains a mildly successful Fortnite streamer."
"Whoa. If Ms. Barstow knew all that, I don't think she would've discouraged Rick so much."
"I'm really impressed you did what was right even when Ms. Barstow didn't see the bigger picture. Shows that you're a really good person - someone who's very hard to find."
Lucy felt a warmth in her chest. It never really occurred to her just how good-hearted she was. For her, she was just doing what she had to do to help her leapees, not realizing that she was being better than the average person.
Suddenly, she noticed that her body was engulfed by a strong bluish-white light. A whirlwind surrounded her as a powerful wave of energy emanated from Boop and overtook her, sending all her hairs standing on end.
And the next thing she knew, she was no longer in 1983.
Lucy blinked.
The first thing she noticed was the heat - the sunlight beating down on her felt unusually strong. Then she realized she was moving, but she wasn't walking or in a car. Instead, she was on a camel, traversing a sandy desert.
She looked down and saw she was wearing a long, flowing dress that rippled in the hot wind, throwing grains of sand all over her body. She put her arm in front of her face to shield her eyes, only to strike a man in front of her, which she didn't notice because his trench coat was almost the same color as the camel.
"Cut it out, Erma!" said the man in a strong English accent.
"Sorry," replied Lucy.
The camel crested a dune, and Lucy got a good look at her surroundings. There was a large river nearby with palm trees growing along its banks, where some people in robes were harvesting dates. Further into the distance she could see three tall, triangular structures - pyramids.
Lucy's eyes widened as she realized she wasn't in America anymore.
She was halfway around the world - in Egypt!