Feyland: The Dark Realm

Chapter Five

She blinked, and he caught the flash of disbelief in her eyes before she spoke. “Ask you out? No. I’m not.”

“Good.” Relief and disappointment circled in his stomach. He turned to go.

“Hold on a sec.” There was an edge of desperation in her voice. “I do want to see you game. Just… let me explain.”

He folded his arms and waited.

She was silent a minute, and a bubble of stillness dropped down over them. There was a tickle on the back of his neck, like what she was about to say was important. Beyond important.

“All right.” She let out a breath. “Here’s the thing. My dad’s one of the senior managers for VirtuMax. He’s been working on their new sim system. Maybe you’ve heard about it.

“Yeah. I’ve heard of it.”

He tried not to show how her words had sent a jolt of interest through him. Her dad worked on the full simulation project? How much did she know about it?

“Full-D, they call it. And there’s a new game to go with it. Has to be, to show what the system can do. It’s like nothing else out there.”

“You’ve, uh, seen this new game?” His heart thudded in his chest like he’d been sprinting down the street, not standing in one place for three minutes.

She nodded. “Yes. In fact, I’ve been playing it and… well, I need help.”

“It’s in beta-testing? Why don’t you get your dad or one of the other devs to help?”

He thought he knew the answer though, and anticipation sizzled through him, burning away his jealousy, his resentment of the rich kids in the View. Was she going to ask him to play?

“Pre-beta, even. Basically…” She bit her lip and glanced to one side. “I can’t ask them for help. I’m not even supposed to know that this version of Feyland exists, let alone go in-game. But I can’t stop.”

He nodded. Games could get inside your skin and become the most important thing in the world - at least for a little while. It always wore off though. And simming didn’t keep his little brother out of trouble, or scavenge food from behind the grocery store, or help his mom when she finally came home after one of her episodes.

But a new game, on a brand-new sim - his fingers tingled at the thought. And Jennet wanted to see what he could do. Check out his cred, like some kind of audition.

“When do you want to watch me play?” He glanced down at his scuffed boots and tried to sound casual. “We could go over to Zeg’s simcafe—”

“No. I want to see you play on your own gear.”

He wished, for a gut-searing moment, that he didn’t have the life he did - that he could wave his hand and call a grav-car and they could drive to his house, a real house, full of good things to eat and shiny equipment.

And they could game. With a legal account, not his ‘jacked connection. On a system that wasn’t half broken, in a place that wasn’t falling down, in a neighborhood that hadn’t turned to rot long ago.

“I have to go.” He turned and started walking again.

She followed. “But - you do have a sim-system, right? I heard you won a great rig. I want to see you in your home element. At your best.”

“I don’t think so.” He hunched his shoulders. His home was none of her business. “I’ll see you around.”

It was stupid, to think he could connect with someone like Jennet. They had nothing in common. No matter how attractive her world was, or how much he might want it, he didn’t belong there. Just like she didn’t belong in his. The thought of taking her into the Exe, showing her where he lived, revealing his secrets… just, no.

“Wait.” Something trembled in her voice - hope or tears. It didn’t matter.

Tam shoved his hands into his pockets and kept going. He had long-since perfected the art of walking away.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this chapter, please vote for it.  :)

The complete, published version of Feyland: The Dark Realm is available in ebook (only 2.99) and print (12.99) at Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Kobo, iTunes, and other retailers. Or buy the complete trilogy in one epic digital bundle for only $8.99. Three full books, one awesome adventure~ http://www.amazon.com/Feyland-The-Complete-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00B73TD9I/

Visit antheasharp.com, and head to http://www.tinyletter.com/AntheaSharp to sign up on my mailing list for info about new releases and bonus material!