Burn My Paranoia One Last Time

31. Ancient Archives

Amber felt like she would lose her mind. There was nothing productive to do. There were no assignments, clubs, or activities to attend to. She was so ashamed, that she barely left her room to be in the presence of her parents except for when she needed food.

The guilt and uneasiness of not knowing what had happened to Hayden was eating at her conscience. She hoped and almost prayed that he'd be back in school as if nothing happened. Amber spent half the week of her suspension convincing herself that he was okay. She imagined him sitting in math class, joking around with Tatsuya and Lance. She didn't even like Tatsuya and Lance, but at this point, she'd rather Hayden be talking with them than dead.

She tried watching television to get her mind off her unproductive fears, but all those shows were too cliché and shallow for her taste.

Amber sighed. There was only one thing in her room that could bring her amusement. She made sure the door was locked before sitting down and opening Ultima Online, one of the most popular MMOs. The game had barely been released last year, but already it had hundreds of thousands of players.

Combatting other players was a perfect way to release her frustration with the real world. But first, she planned to visit Trammel Castle Blackthorn for a special event item. Hopefully, it would be a resource she could use for crafting. It had been a few weeks since Amber played, and she really needed to upgrade her elf avatar to stay on top of her game.

Amber's character spawned next to a quiet coast in Felucca. She sprinted up the moonlit hill through tall grass to collect more material for crafting. However, she wasn't alone. Her specialized night sight helped her spot a gargoyle pacing near some rocks. Amber approached stealthily. She positioned herself behind a tree before aiming her crossbow at the gargoyle.

Her method was quite simple. She would shoot the oblivious player with a high damage arrow. By that point, they would either start defending themselves or attacking. Amber had the advantage, however. Elves were uniquely hard to track, so she would simply have to skitter through the grass and sneak up behind the player again to deliver the final strike using her favorite close-range weapon; the Serpentine dagger.

Just before Amber could shoot her arrow, the gargoyle flew into the air while holding a battle axe. Bold yellow text quickly appeared above its head:

???: Amber dont kill me

How did this creep know her name? She ought to have killed him right then and there.

Amber's quickly typed a message back. Hers appeared in white text.

Amber: Who r u

???: Ur favorite nerd

Amber: Reveal yourself or I will kill u right here, creep

???: im not a creep! Its Hayden from school

Amber sat back in shock. He was alive! Out of nowhere, she laughed in slight amusement. How in the world did he find her? Of all the places and servers she could have been on, how did he run into her at this exact spot?

Amber: LOL beanie kid ur weird.

Hayden: i was worried ok. haven't seen u at school lately. r u good?

Amber stepped out from behind the tall grass and walked to the moonlit shore. Hayden's character landed on a branch above her. Technically, the branch was next to her since the graphics were mostly flat and partly 2D.

Amber: I guess so, I'm alive at least. Thx for worrying, Hayden. I did get suspended AND grounded tho. -_-

Hayden: suspended!! wow.. it's bc of the seance I imagine :/