The game pt1 (Patreon)

The big night was finally here. After months of rigorous advertising campaign, every gamer in the world was desperately waiting the release of the all-new adventure game: The “Enslaver”. It was the first game produced by a new game lab of shady megacorporation Asmuth. Some people boycotted the game because of this, but Darla and Marie were not that invested in politics. They wanted the game, and together the two roommates had pre-ordered it weeks ago. And now they were all sitting in front of their TV, the floor filled with snacks and drinks and determined to spend the rest of the night playing. The third person living in the house, Cindy was not at all invested in gaming, but she was happy to spend some time with her roomies while chatting with her boyfriend at the same time. None of them could have predicted the adventure that was waiting for them. 

Darla and Marie started the game, and patiently awaited it to start. “I just can’t understand how two grown-up people can go crazy over some stupid game”, Cindy said, chuckling to the eager faces of her friends. Marie threw her with a chip. “And I can’t understand how a grown-ass woman can rather spend the night chatting with her stupid boyfriend, when she could be slaying ghouls in the dungeons of the ENSLAVER!” Darla laughed and the two women high-fived while Cindy once again concentrated to her phone. “Wow, what’s this?” asked Darla, pointing at the screen a small window had opened on the lower part of the screen. “CONGRATULATIONS!” the text in it said. “You were one of the first ones to pre-order the game! You have earned yourself a special reward! Do you wish to claim it?” Darla and Marie looked at each other, grinning. “Hell yeah!” said Darla and clicked yes.

Cindy was just telling her boyfriend how dumb her two roommates were, when she realized that the room had gone awfully quiet. The TV was still on but neither of her blabbering friends were saying anything. “What’s the matter?” she asked while sending a pile of emojis to the chat. “Your perfect game is a mute version?” She chuckled, but none of the women answered her. This was odd enough to make Cindy to look up from her phone, and immediately her eyes widened. The TV was on, and in it a swirling pattern was moving across the screen. Cindy felt herself to be pulled towards the centre of the image and quickly every rational thought in her head vanished. Darla and Marie were both looking at the image as well, mesmerized by the hypnotic patterns. Slowly Cindy’s phone slide from her suddenly powerless fingers, and it bumped on the floor.