Anne pedaled with a white hot fury as she crested Dobb's Hill, vanishing down the opposite side before her friends could draw near. Shannon and Kennedy pump their legs hard to try and keep up. Shannon's thighs burned and her calves protested. Streaming sweat like one of the varsity linebackers during summer practice, Kennedy's makeup was completely ruined. The pair reached the top of Dobb's Hill in time to watch Anne blow through the often busy intersection at the bottom and continue on.
They could see the arcade in the distance, the glowing neon knight chess piece advertising Knightmare Games acting as a beacon for miles in every direction.
"She's going to get someone killed," Shannon managed between gulps of air.
"She's going to get us killed trying to catch her," Kennedy countered.
Shannon nodded.
"Well, we'd better hurry," Shannon said, taking a deep breath. "If we don't stop her, she's definitely going to jail."
"I'd be pissed too, but–"
"Don't. We've spent all year training, practicing, and grinding to qualify for the championships. If Magpie hadn't screwed her over, all three of us would have made it. Now Anne has to watch us play through the prelims."
"At least they'll let her coach us."
"Ken, you know it's not the same."
Kennedy shrugged.
"Come on," Shannon sighed, taking the plunge down the hill.
"I just hope we get to Anne before she finds Magpie."
Three years ago, Ralph's Gaming Arcade was the last failing business in a desolate strip mall. Always on the verge of being condemned, the place was a dying remnant of the arcade craze of the late 70s and early 80s. Ralph's was the first place in town to try out the new Knightmare Games VR suite. It had been a smash hit, taking the county and then the state by storm. As Knightmare Games swept the globe as the future of gaming, Ralph's experienced a renaissance. The influx of cash allowed Ralph Jr. to purchase the entire strip mall and fashion it into a huge gaming facility.
People came in droves to play the VR hit, but stayed and played the wide collection of retro games in the area dubbed Ralph's Gaming Archives.
Anne Diaz-Davids came in through the archives entrance to avoid the vloggers and eSports reporters camped outside of the main entrance. The prelims were big news as was her inability to make the qualifiers. She seethed as she shouldered her way through the throng of old-school enthusiasts and newbies getting their first taste of the retro experience. She saw a few familiar faces, but didn't acknowledge them. She was on a mission.
Stepping out of the dim lighting of The Archives, she was bathed in the neon strobes and booming surround sound. All vendors of the Knightmare Games VR experience were obligated to fashion their stores like something out of the Tron movie franchise. Anne had always found it like entering a new and exhilarating world. That day it was like standing outside the pearly gates, but with no way to enter.
She inquired with one of the staffers and found the rigs reserved for The Rude Harpies. They were each labeled.
Bad Fish- Player
Killshot- Player
Calico- Coach
Anne wanted to cry.
"How are you holding up, Calico?"
Anne whorled around, angrily wipping the tear from the corner of her eye.
YOU ARE READING
Write 2 Rank 2023: Knightmare Games
ActionA collection of entries for the Write 2 Rank 2023 competition. The most talked about game in the last decade is Knightmare Games, a virtual reality roleplaying experience like no other. With elements of all of the top game franchises and VR designed...
