by Amy English
He looked up in the sky and saw something huge flying. It was bright like them and was fast approaching. The lion stopped and looked up. Just then Dylan looked at Emily and closed his eyes tight and turned into a mouse and she did the same thing. The lion turned back and watched as they tried to disappear in the tall vegetation. He ran around looking for them but they evaded him by darting in and out through the thick brush. The lion spotted them and gave chase and just as he closed in on them a brightly lit, huge eagle swooped down and snatched them up, flying at great speeds and leaving the lion far behind.
They soared in the sky, Dylan in one talon and Emily in the other. They looked at each other. Dylan closed his eyes and then wiggled free and turned into an eagle himself. Emily watched and did the same thing and the three of them continued flying high in the sky until they felt they had put enough distance between them and the beast. They landed on the ground and turned into human form. Dylan fist bumped Peter and smiled and Emily hugged him. Peter was relieved and felt like somewhat of a hero for being able to help his friends. They walked through the plains and continued on their journey, changing into various animals and running with large herds as they enjoyed all that the Safari had to offer.
Dylan had just changed into his favorite animal the cheetah, when he caught a glimpse of something that appeared far away. He looked over at Emily who was a gazelle and then at Peter who was a hyena and then motion with his head in the direction of the distant light. The three stood together and realized it was running toward them. Peter made a stance as if to signal that he wanted to battle the beast and would not be running. Emily was obviously afraid and she looked at Dylan who then looked at Peter who then also took a stance, bowing his head and scratching the ground with his paws. Emily changed into a tiger but then took a few steps backward. As the large beast approached, they saw it was a Springbok, one of the fastest land mammals with speeds of up to 60 mph.
The animal slowed as it got closer and then came to an abrupt stop and stood there staring as it suddenly changed into one of the largest silverback gorillas’ they had ever seen. The animal pounded his chest in a show of aggression as he prepared to do battle. Peter looked at Dylan. Dylan saw a look of fear in Peter’s eye’s but Peter charge at the gorilla. He was brave in the face of danger. Even though silence was not a part of the game, there was no need to hear what one could see. The threat of the menacing gorilla was real. And there was an element to the game that had baffled all of them. No one knew if injuries sustained in the game could carry over into the real world.
The gorilla picked him up and threw him approximately ten feet in the air and he came down hard, appearing to be injured as his light dimmed. Dylan looked back at Emily and saw tears. He had to protect his father’s invention but more importantly he had to save Emily and Peter. He closed his eyes tight and turned into a Silver Back much larger than his opponent. He charged at the Gorilla biting and hitting him as the two battled in a war of strength and power. Dylan fought his opponent fiercely as he watched the light drain from the beast. He pummeled him over and over and watched as the light got dimmer and dimmer.
Dylan stopped and stood over the other Silverback. He felt bad for the animal. Its light was dimmed showing that the animal was injured. He stepped back. He hoped that its light didn’t go out completely. He wasn’t sure what it would mean if it did. He did not want to kill anything and so he kneeled down and touched the animals’ chest. He felt a flicker that seemed to pound, similar to that of a heartbeat. The animal looked up at him with a sadness. Dylan backed off and walked away.
He walked over toward Emily who was now in her human form and holding Peter’s hand. He was hurt but his light was getting brighter and so Dylan knew he would be alright. When he looked back at the Silverback, his light had not started getting brighter yet. It was still dim. Dylan turned back into his human form and the three of them stood there as the game ended and they emerged.
Dylan called Emily then clicked over and called Peter. “Pete! You ok man? Your light went dim when you hit the ground,” he said, sounding panicked. “Dyl man. I felt that. It hurt when I hit. I’m ok now but I ache. That game affects you for real. I feel a slight ache on my left side, the same side I landed on,” he stated. “Me too man. My arm hurt where he bit me,” Dylan said. “Why you say he. You know who it is?” Peter asked. “Yeah. Em and I were coming in to get you. We figured out that Josh has a unit,” he said. “What! Josh! Josh from school. Josh Miller or Josh Temple?” he asked. “Josh Temple. His mother works with my father. She got a hold of one of the units somehow,” he replied. “The fact that we feel pain is a critical system flaw. My father has to be warned. He never mentioned this as a possibility so he doesn’t know,” Dylan pointed out. “Bring me your game Pete. Em, I need you to bring yours to me too. It’s time to have a talk with my father. But before I do that, I’m getting that fourth game.”
Dylan and Emily hatched a plan that involved Emily watching Josh’s house and waiting for Peggy to leave. Peter lived about a mile away and so he was too far to help in the plan. Emily was to watch the house, then once Peggy left, call Dylan and report it to him. Emily was directly across from Josh so it made sense for her to be the one to watch out. Emily followed the plan and watched Josh’s house for two days off and on until finally she saw Peggy leave. She ran and grabbed her phone and called Dylan. “She just left,” she whispered. “Ok. I’m going. Keep watch. Call my phone if she returns,” he said. “How will you get in?” she asked. “I don’t know. I have to go try,” he replied.
Dylan eased down his steps. He could hear his mother laughing on the phone. He looked around for his father. It was the weekend so he was not at work. Dylan tip toed through the hall and peeked around the corner. He saw his father sitting in his office and tip toed the opposite way until he reached the side door. He eased out the house and briskly walked down the street and crossed over to Josh’s home.
Dylan walked up Josh’s driveway looking back at Emily’s house. He could see her in the window. He continued walking up the long driveway and into his backyard, peering through each window as he passed it. He could hear a tv playing loudly as he continued walking slowly until he reached the backyard. Dylan saw that the sliding back door and it looked to be slightly ajar.
He walked up on the porch, looking around for anyone who might see him. He didn’t see anyone and eased and pulled the door open. He slid in quietly and then eased and shut it back. He walked slowly through the family room and tip toed down through the hall toward the kitchen. He looked around but saw no one so he eased toward the living room. He saw that the tv was on but no one was sitting there watching it. Dylan searched a small shelf that held a PlayStation but didn’t see the Espanys system next to it.
He went in further to see if perhaps it was put away. He searched through a cabinet and then looked all around but no Espanys. Dylan sighed. He felt as though he was taking too long and feared Peggy returning. He decided to have a look around in the bedrooms and so he eased up the stairs holding on to the wood and iron rail as he looked around nervously. One of the steps made a creaking sound and he stopped and paused before continuing on.
Dylan reached the top of the steps and slowly descended down the hall and came upon a bedroom that was totally unlived in. It looked to be a guest room as it had nothing on the dressers or night stand. There was no tv or anything in the room other than a bedroom set. Dylan continued past that room and could hear another TV on low. He eased until he came upon Josh’s room.
Josh was sitting in a small bedroom lounging sofa with his feet propped up on a foot rest. He was asleep, with his head leaned back on the huge pillow. Dylan entered and slowly looked around, making sure to continually watch Josh in case he started moving or woke up. Dylan’s eyes got big. He spotted the Espanys sitting on Josh’s side table next to his bed. He eased over to the table and picked the unit up and then grabbed the headphones. As he walked back toward the door, looking around, he looked back at Josh. Jo
sh was awake and staring at him. “What are you doing?” Josh asked, as he looked down at Dylan’s hand. He saw that Dylan had the game console and headphones.
“I’m taking my father’s unit back. I have no idea how you got this, but this is not yours. It’s not for sale. It’s not even available for use. This is a forty-thousand dollar prototype and whoever took this from him could go to jail for theft. I won’t say anything. It’s obvious your mother did this. I don’t want her to go to jail. But you can’t keep this.”
Josh laid there silent. Tears started rolling down his cheeks. He laid there just staring at the system in Dylan’s hand. Dylan felt bad. He was immediately moved by Josh’s apparent upset at not being able to play the game anymore. But then he became angry at the thought that Josh was the Rhinoceros. “Why did you use this game to scare Peter, Emily and I? It was you. The rhinoceros, the lion, the wildebeest, the gorilla, the man. That was you. Why did you do that? You hurt Peter. You bit me and tried to take me down. Why did you attack us?” he asked. Josh didn’t answer. His face filled with emotion. What Dylan was saying didn’t register. His emotions at losing the game consumed him.
Dylan took a deep breath. He felt bad for Josh. He knew Josh’s mother worked with his father at Silverfish. And he figured it had to be her. But there was a bigger issue. The game was flawed. “Because of that, I have to tell my father that the game is flawed and users have the capability of causing harm to other users. It was never meant to be used as a bullying device. Why?” he asked, looking sincerely at Josh. He wanted to know why the boy that he had no problems with, would attack him through a game.
Josh wiped his face and tried to sit up straighter. Dylan sat the game down on his bed and went over to help him. Josh looked at Dylan and grabbed onto his arm then pulled himself up with Dylan’s help. He paused then said, “You guys never hang out with me. You walk right past and won’t even acknowledge that I’m there. You never speak to me and you live right across the street. I have no friends. Gaming is the only thing I have,” he pleaded.
Josh looked down. He was ashamed. “My mother told me this was your father’s creation. She took it from work. She was just trying to help. Please don’t be mad at her. She wanted to return it. But we’d had it too long. It took a minute just to figure out how to play it. This is all my fault. And I am sorry. But I didn’t try to hurt you. I’m not sure what you mean. I saw brightly lit people in Safari, I figured it was you. I tried to join you. I came your way and you started running. At first, I thought it was part of the game. But then I realized you were trying to get away from me. I wasn’t that skilled at turning yet. I had trouble turning back into a human. But I would never do that. I never changed into a wildebeest and chased you. Nor did I chase you as a man. I liked ocean the best. I loved the water. Swimming. I spent most of my time in that mode. That wasn’t me Dyl,” he replied, as he wiped the tears from his eyes. “Please don’t take the game. Somethings happening to my legs. Ever since I’ve been playing that game, somethings been happening to me. I can feel a sensation in them. More and more every day. It’s that game. I know it is. Please don’t take it,” he cried.
Dylan sighed. He looked around the room and then just stared at Josh’s wall. He sat on his bed. “Look. It’s not like that. We never see you except at school and it’s not that I ignore you. I’m always being pulled away or someone’s always shouting my name and trying to get my attention. I guess I never thought about what you were feeling. I never really paid attention to how that had to make you feel,” he replied. Dylan got emotional at the thought that he would disregard anyone or make someone feels as though he were shunning them. Josh looked down and then back at Dylan.
“You know the worse part about being handicapped. People don’t see you. It’s like you’re invisible,” he said, as he wiped tears from his face. “I don’t try to ignore you man. It’s not like that at all… I see you,” Dylan replied, smiling at Josh. Josh wiped his eyes and smiled back at Dylan.
They sat in his room, talking about the game and Dylan asked questions trying to gage Josh’s experiences. The two talked for over an hour about school, girls and Espanys. “You see this finger,” he said, as he showed it to Josh pointing to the deep scar running down the middle. “It didn’t work until a week ago. I just discovered that the game is repairing nerves. I want you to have it. I promise I’ll figure out how to get this back to you. I’m not sure what my father will say. He hasn’t even discovered that it’s missing yet. He’ll kill me. I’ll be grounded forever. I promise to get it back to you somehow. I promise,” he said, as he smiled at Josh. I have to find out who has access. Who it could be?” he said.
“Kirby’s been inside. He’s been over here. I’m sorry Dyl. I told him about it and he has been coming here and playing it,” he confessed. “Kirby! Kirby McDonald?” he asked. Josh shook his head yes. Josh smiled and shook his head yes. Dylan stood up and picked up the unit. Just as he was about to leave his phone rang. He saw it was Emily. “Oh no. Your mom is here,” he stressed. Peggy walked in and could hear sounds coming from upstairs. “Josh!” she called out. “Yeah mom. I’m ok,” he yelled. “I’m back honey. You hungry?” she yelled. “No.”
Josh told Dylan that if he climbed out of his window he could get onto the back part of the roof and then could jump down onto the grass. He told him that it wasn’t high up at all, if he could get to the edge. Dylan shook his head and climbed out of Josh’s window. He walked across the porch roof that angled down, taking care not to walk to fast and made it to the edge then jumped down and walked out of the back yard. Emily smiled as she watched him emerge with the unit. He looked up at her as he walked past headed back home.
“What happened?” Emily asked, as she answered his call. “I don’t think its him. Kirby’s been in,” he said. “What? How?” Dylan paced his bedroom floor. “He has been going over to Josh’s house and using the game. It’s him. He hates me. Always has. I took the game but I told Josh if I can get it back to him he can never let anyone play. He agreed. He apologized. He wasn’t aware that Kirby and I were not friends. This is messed up. But at least the dangerous element is gone. We can go in without worrying. But I have to tell my father at some point. I can’t keep this from him.”
Six
Friend or Foe
D
ylan struggled with what to do for two days. He wanted Josh to have the system. He wanted Josh’s old injuries to continue the healing process so he could possibly walk again. He and Emily hadn’t been in the game and decided they would go in later that night. Dylan got the unit back from Peter and placed it along with the unit from Josh in a bag under his bed. Frank was at work and due home soon.
I should tell him tonight. After we go in this last time, he thought, as he rubbed his index finger that now had almost full return of feeling to it. Dylan lounged in his room talking to Emily about Josh until he heard his father walk through the front door. “Hey. Gotta call you back. He’s here,” he said. Emily hung up and looked out the window. She could see Josh in his room. She had felt bad for the last two days, ever since Dylan told her about his conversation with him. She decided to do something nice for him. She asked her father if he could run her to the Coney Island which he did and she emerged with two shakes in her hand. One was strawberry and the other was chocolate.
When they returned home, she got out of the car and immediately started walking away from the house. “Hey Em. Where you going?” he asked. “Oh. Just to visit Josh,” she said. She knocked on the door, looking around as she waited on Peggy to answer. Peggy smiled when she saw Emily. “Hi Ms. Temple. Is Josh here?” she asked. “Yes. He’s here,” she replied. “Can you give him this,” she said, as she handed Peggy the chocolate shake. Peggy smiled as Emily waved and walked back to her home.
“Emily from across the street brought you a shake,” she said, as she handed it to him. Josh smiled as he took a sip, rubbing his thigh and watching tv. “Are you ok hun? Why are you rubbing your leg?” she asked, as she
picked up his clothes and shoes. “It itches,” he said. Peggy stopped and dropped everything in her hand and gasped, completely stunned by what he had just said. “What! Itches. What do you mean. You feel an itch?” she asked, her eyes wide. Her mouth slightly open. “Yes. For a while now. I can feel touch. I poked it and felt pain,” he revealed.
A tear fell from Peggy’s eye. “That’s impossible hun. You are mistaken. It must be your imagination. You think you’re just imagining it?” she said, confused and in denial. Josh realized that revealing sensation would cause Peggy to try to get the game back prematurely. Dylan had promised to handle getting the game to him. “I guess mom. I don’t know.” Peggy bit her nails. She was nervous. Josh wasn’t acting himself. He wasn’t talking like himself. Claiming to feel his extremities was strange. “Maybe we should return the game. Once it is approved, and it will be, we can buy it. I can get you one from Frank Wilson,” she said.
Peggy wasn’t sure if the game was confusing him. The outcome was not what she wanted. She didn’t want her son living under false hope. Believing that because he could walk in the game, he would be walking in the real world. She began to believe that it was all a bad idea. He had become used to his situation and she didn’t want him to regress. “We should return it honey,” she repeated. “Um. Not yet mom. Soon though. I want to explore a few more areas.” Peggy nodded and slowly exited his room. She stood outside and leaned against the wall. She regretted what she’d done.