Um, Can I Escape?

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by CCD3301

by CCD3301

I sat crossed legged on a futon in the middle of my small, dark room, staring at a computer screen. A blanket covered my shoulders and body, as I held in my hands a plastic game console. The silence within my cheap single apartment would have choked the air with solitude, if not for the voice I heard through my headphones:

[Up arrow, down arrow, left arrow, right.]

I kept pressing the buttons in sync, and the score on the right corner of the screen counted up every time. In front of me were big, pixelated arrows that dictated my every move.

[Down arrow, left arrow, up arrow, down.]

Hunched forward, I was in a trance. Neglected, dusty spaces piled up in the corners, and there were towers of boxes with all my stuff in the little kitchen I didn't care to open since I moved away, six years ago. I never did have much time for it.

[Right arrow, up arrow, down arrow, left. Next level.]

Speaking of which, there were piles of mail I needed to open soon, and the plastic containers of instant food was on the verge of overflowing the trash can. Then there was the need to go shopping for more food and supplies, and to organize my funds for bills. My heap of dirty laundry was already sorted beside the washing machine and ready to wash, but I just wished I had the time to tend to it.

[Up arrow, A, Y, X, right arrow, B, down arrow, up.]

School work sat on my messy desk untouched, and I already gave up on answering all the crammed messages I got on my email each day. I still had to do my dirty dishes, study for my exams, prepare for college, manage due dates -

[Left arrow, X, R, A, left arrow, R, B, right arrow - ]

*Beep*

Ah. I missed a key.

[Please press the right arrow.]

The game started over again. I gazed exhaustedly at the score, which counted down to display a crushing zero. The creeping silence started to fill this small room and wrap around my neck and my chest. I couldn't start getting stuff done in this state. There was no choice but to start the game over again, so that this feeling would go away forever. And as despondent as I was, I did.

** [Restart.]

I admit, it was getting kind of annoying to have to restart every time I miss one key but, I had to finish it. I had to succeed in it.

[Up arrow, down arrow, left arrow, right.]

Bad thing is, every time I messed up, I'd have to start all over again.

[Down arrow, left arrow, up arrow, down.]

Cleaning, deadlines, unpacking, studying; failure was not an option. I had orders constantly shoved my way. I can't mess it up.

[Right arrow, up arrow, down arrow, left:]

Meetings, sports, practice, winning -

[Next level.]

It's just too much.