20 Seconds To Obliteration

Chapter 4: IRL

Matt

I laid out on my bed, with the virtual reality helmet resting beside me as I stared up at the shadow covered ceiling. It was the middle of the night and my eyes were filled with tears. Tonight it had all started to feel real. The fact my friendships with the other three were all built in a virtual world that was quickly coming to an end. Then there was my confession to Rose, I couldn't believe that I had melted down like that, worst of all I just disappeared when she needed me the most. What kind of friend did that make me.

I had been laying like this for a couple of hours now. Watching the abyss hang over me until the morning dawn shined through the roof. I couldn't go to school like this. I hadn't slept all night and I still had the immersion suit on. The only thing I could think about was Rose, and how much I wanted to apologize to her. No I needed to apologize to her. Not even thinking I put the helmet back on as the eye screens illuminated but before I could even do anything there was a knock on my door.

"You're going to school today right hun?" My mother's voice echoed from the other side.

"Yea, I probably should." I groggily replied as I took the mask off and unzipped the immersion suit before I slide on a normal pair of clothes.

Looking one last time at the headset, I reluctantly acknowledged what I had down before I walked out of the room. My mother was back in the kitchen as I walked through and poured myself a bowl of cereal, and sat down at the table. I took a few spoonfuls, and remained distracted thinking about the collapsing virtual world.

"Son? Are you okay?" My mother asked as I looked up at her and as I did so, a drop of something hit the milk inside the bowl.

"Yea I'm fine, Why?" I quickly asked trying to hide my emotions.

"Are you sure? Then why are you crying?" She asked again, and I guess there was even some stuff I was oblivious to.

I reached up and rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand as a line of liquid formed on it. I was in fact crying and I didn't even realize it. I didn't know what to do as I looked back up at my mother and smiled trying to play it off.

"Oh I guess I am crying, I don't know why that's happening though, must be something in my eye." I replied laughing a little in hopes that she would buy it.

"If you say so, son."

Her words were enough for me to know that she'd no longer pester me about the matter as I wiped a second wave of tears from my eyes and looked down at the bowl of cereal. We continued to sit there in silence until she finally got up and started getting ready to leave, but even though she was no longer in front of me, I still kept my head down and remained deep in though thinking about Rose and how she must have been feeling. I shook off the thought realizing I was just scooping milk up with the spoon at this point and that all the cereal was gone.

My sad reality finally hit and it was time for me to finish getting ready and then head off to the land of the friendless. I wanted what I had in the virtual world so bad, I craved it but yet I didn't know who or where to start. At the school, I would simply remain a shadow while the world passed around me. Sliding my laptop off of my desk I slid it into my backpack and was ready to go. While walking to the door, I took a deep breath before I grabbed the door handle and turned it. Stepping outside I closed the door behind me and locked up the house, thus starting the trek to the school but at the same time, no matter what I did I couldn't shake the thought of Rose as she continued to weigh on my mind.

Rose

As soon as I left the game, I immediately returned to it. I couldn't stay away. It was my life. The place that I was happiest and as much as the silence bothered me, I still found peace in it as I wandered looking for new things to do, and it was good for a few hours, until I heard the bottle smash against the wall. It wasn't a virtual smash either it was in real life. I immediately pulled the head gear off and ran to the door turning the little bolt to lock it.