Level Up

Chapter One

"Hurry up Matthew! It's really not that hard to carry a few bags." Tanya, Matthew's fiancé scoffed and flipped her too blonde hair behind her and kept sauntering around the mall.

'I'd like to see you carry something on your own for once.' He thought glaring at the back of her head while struggling to pick up the Victoria Secret bag that he had dropped while carrying about a dozen other bags. After regaining his almost professional balance of all of these bags he regained his place a step behind the woman he convinced himself that someday he could love. After all, his mother seemed to adore her.

After some walking and her making weird noises as they walked past certain stores in disapproval Matthew noticed Tanya looking across the mall toward another man. This man was the actual definition of tall, dark and handsome. He carried himself with confidence and oozed 'I go to the gym to take pics and stare at girl's asses' vibes. He gave a dazzling smile in their direction and Matthew immediately looked down feeling a heated blush overtake his face, ashamed. That man was everything Matthew wasn't and it crushed him, now more than ever. Matthew had always been bigger than anyone else. He stood at six foot five and weighed well over three hundred pounds and not an ounce of that mass held any confidence in how he looked. Unfortunately on top of his self image issues, as the wedding grew closer his mother and Tanya had been nagging him about losing weight and cutting his hair and wearing this and saying that. He could hardly take another lecture on the Keto diet and exercise or maybe missing a meal, or did he really need that snack. It was getting to be too much for him, but he hadn't ever told his mother no, and he didn't want to know what happened when he started.

Finally, Tanya had had enough of the mall for the time being and the two made their way outside which just so happened to lead through the food court. Matthew's stomach gurgled and growled in protest to stop and eat as many slices of Sbarro pizza as he could but Tanya's white kitten heels continued to clack away like they hadn't just been shopping for four hours. Another sigh escaped him and he bounced after his finance's retreating figure toward the fresh autumn air.

The leaves outside had just begun to change and there were vibrant colors of oranges, greens, and reds all around them. The trees weren't completely bare yet and the breeze was still warm as the sun hit Matthew's face taking his mind off of his aching feet and foggy uncomfortable brain. The two rode silently away in Matthew's old Volkswagen Beetle. He remembered when Tanya first saw the car he had fallen in love with, his face sagged. She hated screeching about appearances and "what would people think when they saw her riding around in such a hideous thing?" Still he drove it for the time being, promising her to buy a new car once he graduated this spring.

Oh, how he couldn't wait until May. Matthew flew through four years of college at the local community college and gained a Bachelor's of Arts in Graphic Design. In the four years he attended he had managed to make two friends and all A's. His two friends weren't really friends though- Mark and Tom were both in his English 401 class and sat by him and since he has a hard time saying no, he got voluntold to do most of their work for them and in exchange they would get him into parties, not that he ever really went. Still he did it.

Coming back into his senses Matthew drove down Main Street, cruising at a slow speed looking at all of the local shops that had been there since he could remember with their old sign and crumbling brick buildings. As the street rounded off though he almost slammed his brake pedal into the floor of his car. This earned him a stern glare from the passenger side but he couldn't be bothered. Matthew on top of everything was a gamer at heart. His dad, when he was younger, was the one to teach how to play and encouraged him through everything he did until his unfortunate passing when Matthew turned nine. The sight quickly made him turn and park across the street as a giddy smile took over his features.

"Ugh, no. I am not going in there with you. Just take me home." Tanya folded her arms and slid low in her seat gazing out of her window to see if anyone she might know would be able to see her.

Before hopping out of the still running car Matthew turned to her and said, "I'll just be a minute, I'm just looking around." Again Tanya rolled her eyes in a silent complaint but didn't say anything further. Upon turning around Matthew's eyes grew with a childlike light and he giddily walked into the pop up game shop that read 'Mr. Palmer's Games and Things'.

His first impression was stunned, his inner child was leaping with joy at the shelves and racks stocked full of toys, trinkets, games, old moves, cassettes, records and more. He had to just stop and take it all in. Young boys and their mothers all walked around turning from this to that pointing at what they would like. Walking further he noticed that all the employees wore candy striped shirts and weird, old white hats. After several minutes of what felt like spinning in circles Matthew felt a presence behind him. Turning he found a man of maybe sixty but no older than seventy years old wearing a worker's uniform and bright smile standing behind him. Matthew offered an awkward smile that the man seemed to disregard.

"Are you lookin' for anythin' in particular son?" The man's voice twanged. His gray eyes focused on Matthew's brown ones searching his soul.

"N-no," he stammered. "I'm just looking around." Matthew shoved his hands into his black zip up jacket pockets and threw his gaze to the floor.

"Well then, what are you interested in. I'm sure we have somethin' in here for ya." His voice was chipper as his curious eyes caught Matthew's shirt and a knowing smile caught his face.

"Um, well, I uh- I like horror. Well, classic horror I guess." Matthew's voice didn't rise above a whisper as he talked to the man.

"Well, innat sum! I have just the thing, but it isn't out on the floor yet. Would ya mind followin' me to the back to check it out?" Matthew searched for any sign of dishonesty and found none so with a slight nod of the head he made his way to the back of the store with the odd man and was stopped shortly in front of a console he'd never seen before.

Matthew gave a quizzical look to the man like a 'Is this a joke?' but the man just chuckled. "It's a new console that I was asked to try out with the kids but their first game is a horror game called Level Up. There are seven levels and each one is a different type of horror game. Would you like to give'r a go?" There was a brief silence between the two as Matthew contemplated just leaving because he had already been in the store about five minutes and he knew he needed to get back to Tanya, but curiosity got the better of him as he reached his large hands toward the controller offered to him by the old man. For a minute he examined it and once he thought he had a handle on all of the switches and buttons he moved to begin, but as soon as he hit 'START GAME' a bright white light blinded and surrounded him and soon all he saw was black.