by Mark Summer
“no shit”
“Hey watch your mouth around my son”
“Whatever, I’m done I don’t care about the money, I’m done”
“You can’t leave
“Why not”
“Because you just can’t
“It’s impossible whoever that guy is, he is so powerful that it doesn’t matter”
“We have to keep playing”
Pete looked at Vance
“Let’s get out of here”
“I’m not going anywhere”
“Why”
“Listen bro, there comes a time in your life where you have to do what it is right, and I think running away is not a good choice”
“Oh, I get it you like her”
“What are you talking about”
“You love her, well that’s just fine, really that is dandy, I don’t blame you she would choose you over me”
“Um, I’m not choosing either of you, I just want to save my son”
“Cleo, do you know how much I wanted you in High School, but that was then, now I know that I will never have you so I’m done, there is nothing for me here”
“You are a skilled player, if you leave our ranking will go down and we won’t be able to finish the game, you owe me”
“Listen, lady, I’ll pay for the window, I’ll even let you call the police on me but that game is unbeatable it that thing is in it”
Pete then took his jacket and walked out of the house before taking the photo of Vance and his father from his pocket throwing on the ground.
“Pete, where are you going”
“I have work, I’m a dishwasher not a hero”
Vance watched his brother walk away, Cleo walked to the Moon Rock unplugged it and handed it to Vance
“Why are you giving me this”
“It’s his, not mine”
“He will be fine, he is just mad”
“No he is right, he doesn’t owe me anything”
Cleo began to tear up
“Listen I’m not going to abandoned you”
“I can’t stop playing, not now” said Cleo
“I’ll be there with you”
“Why are you so nice to me, we barely know each other”
“Because I know deep down you are a good person, this game might be too much, there is something wrong about it”
“We can’t stop now”
“why”
“Because my son’s soul is in the game”
Pete had a burn on his arm, the cafe was crazy busy, David the server was even stressed and he is never stressed. Pete was made prep cook for the day and was helping the old Chef work on some salads. The hot oven caught him the arm and hadn’t had the time to put something in it. The pain circled his body as he made his salads with a great speed. Sweat poured down his forehead, David walks in and takes the plate and motions to Pete to follow him.
“Pete”
“What”
“A dude just landed a helicopter on our roof”
‘What”
“Ya and he is asking for you”
“a guy in a helicopter is asking about me”
Pete takes the smaller plates and follows David. There sitting in the corner was Seth Nancy and John. He places the plates in front of the strange guests.
“Your Pete Adams, aren’t you”
Pete shocked by how this little guy knew his name
Pete nodded
“Please have a seat”
“I’m working my boss would kill me”
“Don’t worry I bought the place”
“What”
Seth pointed to the Boss now walking out of the cafe into his nice car and driving away
Seth motioned to Pete to sit down
“You are Clay Sage Blood’
“Wait you are Seth from Harsh Entertainment”
“You know me”
“Of course I do, I love that game”
“Right and you are a top player”
“Not really, I mean I’m good just not that good”
“Don’t be modest, young man where are my manners this is Nancy the number three best player in the game and this John the number two”
“Nice to meet you”
I’ll cut right to the chase, the game is alive and wants to take over humanity”
“What”
“It’s true,” said John “The game is looking for a way to exit the game world and merge with ours”
“Can it do that”
“We don’t know yet, but I fear in time she will find a way to do just that, the last time you played did you notice any glitches”
“Glitches, a few”
“Tell me about them”
“There is a large man in black armor who comes out of nowhere and completely destroys our quest”
“A large man, how do you know it’s a man”
“Well I don’t, it just has a masculine energy to him”
“I see, tell me where did you see him last”
“We were going after Lady blood when he just appeared”
Seth stretched his small boyish face
“Listen I want you to join us so we can stop this man in black, are you in”
“Well I’m kinda part of another fellowship”
“If you do this you will be a hero in the real world, a true hero all the ladies would love you”
“Really, all the ladies”
“Yes, and you will be rich very rich”
“Rich you say, but there has to be catch”
“No not really, no catch at all”
“There is always a catch, I’ve watched enough movies and read a lot of books to know, that there is always something else”
“I’m telling you there is nothing else”
Pete leaned backwards and smiled pointing at the small man
“I don’t believe you, come on tell me what’s going on”
“He just told you nothing is going on” said Nancy
“I’m sorry I got dishes to wash”
With that Pete gets up and before leaving tells Seth
“By the way you might want to move your Helicopter its kinda blocking our customers, or your customers sir”
Seth watched Pete leave
“You know, I’m kinda getting tired of not being respected, who is next on the list”
A woman named Cleo
Chapter Twenty Five
Vance made the coffee,
Seth sat on the sofa along with Nancy and John, Pete was gone. Vance returned to the living with coffee and handed to the three visitors. Seth spoke
“So where did Cleo run too”
“I’m not sure,” said Vance
“Are you the boyfriend?” said Seth
“No god no, just a friend”
“A friend I didn’t know Cleo had any of those”
“So who are you”
“My name is Seth that is John and the young Lady is Nancy”
“Hi, I’m Vance”
“What do you Vance”
“I was a cop now I look after my brother”
“I see your brother is Pete Adams”
“Yes how did you know that”
“I know all the top players in the game”
“Right”
Just Cleo came into the living room she sat next to Vance
“What the hell are you doing here”
“Listen I know you are very angry”
“Angry, no I’m not fucking angry I’m doing great”
“I just thought that we could talk, something big has come up and you might be able to help”
“Something big, bigger than your son the son you didn’t even say hello to”
Seth turned to see the young boy hooked up to the Moon Rock in the corner of the living room
“Of course I saw him, how is he doing”
“What the heck does it look like”
“Listen, can I speak to you in private”
Seth
motioned to her toward the kitchen
Cleo let out a sigh
“Fine”
the two walked over the kitchen and sat on two seats
“What I’m going to tell only a few people to know about for now”
“What”
“Wizard Lords has become self-aware, it now wants to exit the game”
“What are you talking about”
“There is a glitch and I think it has something to do with your son”
“You mean our son”
“Listen, he is your son Cleo, I didn’t raise him and I don’t look after him”
“OK what do you want from me”
“I want you to enter the game and find your sons soul”
“You said that would kill him”
“I said a lot of things, but if we don’t find and erase your son’s soul humanity might die”
“I’m not killing my son”
“I didn’t say anything about killing we would just transfer”
“You said erase”
“I did, OK let me backtrack”
Cleo gets up from the chair
“I want you and your weird friends out of my house”
“Please Cleo, this is important”
“I don’t care to get out of my fucking house”
Seth sighed and turn away
John and Nancy follow Seth out of the house
before Seth turns
“Vance where is Pete now”
“He had a shift at the cafe where he works”
Cleo slaps Vance
Seth smiles and exits
Vance turns to Cleo
“Why did you do that”
“He wants to kill my son, and he will use Pete do it”
The End