Original Short Stories

Player: Disconnected

Hana screamed as blood splattered her face, Joshua's eyes went wide as he looked down at where the bullet had pierced his chest. The floating metal Orb that shot him flew upwards into the dark, magenta sky, off to spectate the rest of the game.

His body began to pixelate and glitch as pain overtook his body in vigorous, jerking waves of electrical jolts. 

"Joshua!" Hana cried, reaching out for him. The second she made contact, her head was jolted with an excruciating shock that made her jump back. 

This wasn't a game anymore, the headset was killing him.

"Take off the headset!" Hana screamed.

"I can't" Joshua yelled, hands grasping around his face at where the headset would be but it wouldn't let him log out. Another jolt shook his body, making him collapse to the ground.

This can't be happening, Hana thought. Why did he have to cheat? The USB wasn't worth his life. None of this is worth it without him, he was the only reason she entered this stupid game in the first place.

"You need to find cover," Joshua rasped as he sputtered blood as he twitched and tensed on the cold, alleyway concrete, "They'll kill you too if they find out you have it!"

"I didn't want this, you idiot!" Hana waved the USB chip in the air furiously, her voice choking up as if she had cotton in her throat, "I just want to get out of here, alive! With you!"

"Please," Joshua moaned as tears streaked down his agony-stricken face, they were torturing him, "Just go."

Hana's hand fell limp to her side as she stared at her friend who kept mumbling 'Please', over and over. The grievance in his plead made her heart sink like a stone in the pacific, he wasn't saying please to her. He was saying please to them.

He wanted the suffering to end and death would silence it. 

"Hana," Joshua whispered, swallowing hard as his bloodshot eyes zoned in on her, "If you don't get out of here, I'll have died for nothing."

"But I can't leave you," Hana stammered, her heart chipping away as if it was ice and he was a sculptor,  "You're my friend."

"If you die, then we've both failed."

"At least we'll be dead together!" 

"We both know I'll be going to hell." 

Hana sniffled, wiping her nose on her sleeve, "Then I'll make sure I'll see you there"

"Gonna have to live so you can make some bad decisions."Joshua smiled weakly, his hands spasming as another wave of electricity hit him.

The vividly lit signs flickered as Joshua let out another scream and Hana could hear the footsteps of other competitors drawn by the sound. She needed to leave.

"I'll see you again, I promise." 

Teeth clenched tight and flickering with voltaic light, Joshua let out a harsh breath, "Can't wait."

With one last glance at her only friend, Hana ran into the nearest building, exiting on the other side and onto the street blaring with hazy, neon lights and tall skyscraper buildings lit with vibrant colors as they glitched into loading range. Hana ran down the sidewalk, keeping her head low before entering a building far enough away from where she left Joshua, who now has stopped screaming. Hana didn't want to imagine why. 

Hana looked at the USB in her hand, a smiley face drawn on the black casing with '-J' written on the other side, as she sat behind a counter with her knees pulled to her chest. Biting her lip, she squeezed her eyes shut to stop the tears from running down her face as she waited for the notification's bar to light up with Joshua's name. 

'JOSHUA LEE: DISCONNECTED'
'KILLED BY THE DESIGNERS'
'REMINDER: PLAY BY THE RULES'

Hana let out a choked sob as she read the announcement. Joshua knew that stealing the USB was a risk but he did it anyways, he did it so she get out of here alive.

Joshua was the only person she had, he was the only light in her world and now that he's dead.. Her body stiffened, she wants revenge.

No.

She needs revenge.

She knew Joshua would want her to live, or at least blow this whole place when she goes out and that's exactly what she planned to do.

Hana's face hardened as a deathly expression took over, she was going to make their life a living hell.

No more playing by the rules.

No more playing nice.

They were gonna regret making this game.

They were gonna regret disconnecting Joshua.

The end.