The game pt2 (Patreon)

In the house next door, Dylan, Matt and Simon had been enjoying a good game-night themselves. All three were just as hard-core players as their neighbours, and just like Marie and Darla, they had pre-ordered the game as well. As soon as they had accepted their pre-order reward, the swirling pattern had emerged, sending the three men in a trance. For ten minutes nothing in the house moved. 

Outside, on the other side of the street, two large vans stood, both wearing the Asmuth logo and the bigger one with a huge bowl-shaped transmitter on its roof. Inside the latter sat three men, all wearing masks and grey trekking suits. “That’s enough”, said one of the men. “The signal has done it’s job. No-one is moving inside the houses”. The other man nodded and pulled a lever. In living-rooms of the two houses the swirling pattern disappeared, and the first beats of the ENSLAVER’s opening song filled the room. The game menu was still the only thing alive in the room. In both apartments, three empty stares looked at the screen, seeing nothing, understanding even less. The doors of the both vans burst open and six men, all masked and wearing the same grey suits set out, walking towards the two quiet houses.

At the door the leading man pulled out a small, remote looking device and pointed it at the door. The lock clicked open and the men walked inside.