Flash Back

chapter 2

The only thing sifting through my ears was the distant song Jump by Van Halen. Van Halen was my favorite band, possibly of all time. If anything could get me into the zone, it was this song.

My eyes zipped around in different directions on the screen as I made watched every angle of my character. Level 69.. I was almost there.

35 seconds to get out of that level.. jump, duck, wait two seconds for the lasers to pass, jump over the incoming crab. I did so with ease.

In a split second, I made it to the end and entered the portal. The pixelated words, 'LEVEL 70' appeared, and behind it showed my character, nearly a speck of dust compared to the wizard, my opponent. My eyes moved toward the door in the top corner, then made their bay back down as I dodged oncoming shots from the wizard's staff. My hands hadn't started cramping yet, giving me hope that I'd actually get through the level.

This was it- the wizard was loosing a life every 4 seconds: the amount of time it took me to get up to the top platform and jump on his head before he shot blasts of lasers in every direction. I hid under the first platform on the ground, the only platform the would be able to protect me.

He still had 2 lives though. Not for long.

Jumping to the top, a few small blasts flew close by me. This made the hair on my neck stand up.

I was actually getting a little scared.

I sighed shortly, refocused on the game. Two more jumps and I'd have my name on the top of the scoreboard.

One more jump. As I proceeded to play, the song faded from my ears and a low hum of murmurs replaced it. I assumed a crowd had gathered behind me, but I didn't want to be cocky so I ignored it.

And here I stood, about to make history.

One jump up the platform. Then another. Then another. I'd reached almost the highest platform when I saw my character fall right into a blast shot about a platform down from where I stood.

My heart nearly stopped. Fuck! I was so close. The crowd I'd suspected was there let out a few boos and groans. I turned around to see a bunch of kids, scowling at me. "Ah, eat my shorts, ya blockheads." I flipped them the finger as the crowd broke down, all the kids finding someone else or watch.

Ash stood, looking around at the kids as they disappeared, then walking up to me while I leaned against the game with an angry pout. I was conjuring up a new plan mentally, thinking it through before I tried again. I was going to get it.

"At least you got your name on the board.. no one's gotten that close to winning yet." I could tell they were sympathizing, knowing damn well how fixated I was on beating this game. I looked over at them, pulling a quarter out of my pocket, "I'm gonna beat this dumb hunk of junk if it's the last thing I do, Ash." I grumbled, slapping my quarter in the wrong spot on the machine and feeling it slip from my hands.

We both looked down, watching the quarter roll under the machine. "I'm losing my good luck."

Ash chuckled, "Why are you wasting your game talents on this game? I mean, you've got some gnarly skills. I bet you can beat every game here." They folded their arms primly at their chest.

I knelt down and reached my hand under the machine, the feeling of the rug against my skin giving me deja vu of when I would rub my eczema against my carpet flooring whenever it would itch. My mom despised it.

I pursed my lips as I peered over the side, I saw my quarter in between the game machine and the one next. As I went to grab it, some writing on the side of the machine.. some kind of cheat code.