Becoming a Sim

The invention

Kylie pushed her steampunk-y goggles onto her forehead and gazed lovingly at her creation.

In tribute to its purpose, it was shaped like a plumbob. It was about two feet wide and four feet tall. Kylie had been hiding it in her basement workroom for a year now.

When the girls at her middle school started bullying her for her love of engineering and science, Kylie had turned to a game to distract her: Sims. She had focused on giving her Sims the best life ever, and built relationships based on how alike the Sims were. She had been very realistic with her Sims' ages, which meant that none of them had aged. She had only been playing the game for a year and a half.

More than anything, Kylie wished she could bring two of her Sims to life: Christie and Alex. Christie was her personal Sim's best friend, and one of her goals was to get A+'s in science. Alex was her personal Sim's boyfriend, and they went everywhere together when she wasn't calling a taxi for her personal Sim and Christie to go to the library.

She had started wanting this so badly, she had built the Plumbob Energy Transmitter. It would take the essence of Christie and Alex and transfer it through a cable that would end inside a tall steel box attached to to back of the PET. They would then step out into a strange and scary world-which was also a factor of why Kylie had taken so long on this project.

She had been setting up a cozy house for them in an abandoned shed hidden in the woods behind her house. She had had to work extra hard, getting another job to help pay for supplies to make her Sims comfortable.

Now everything was ready to go.

She walked out of the workroom, following the snaking cable until she reached her family's home theater room. Turning on the TV and Xbox, she smiled at how lucky she would soon be. Soon, she would have a boyfriend and a geeky BFF to help her reflect the bullies and their harsh judgements. Soon she would be truly happy.

Her game quickly loaded, and Kylie's heart skipped a beat. This was actually happening. Soon, her Sims would arrive disoriented and scared in her world. They would recognize her from her personal Sim, and she would be their knight in shining armor. They would be able to live happily together.

She didn't notice her cat and arch-nemesis Kitty Whiskers sneak stealthily over to the PET. She didn't notice Kitty Whiskers jump onto the control panel and flip a switch as she leaned heavily against it.

The switch read REVERSE.

Her diabolical work done, Kitty Whiskers curled up at the bottom of the PET and went to sleep.

Meanwhile, Kylie woke up Alex first, having him drive to her house. She works up Christie and sent her to her Sim's house, too. She made sure Alex and Christie were completely rested and fed. Then she walked over to the PET and noticed the switch turned to REVERSE. "That's weird," she muttered. "That's only for if Christie or Alex really want to go home." Stepping forward, she tripped over her cat and her hand went slamming down onto the red button labeled START.

She closed her eyes and waited to be transported into Simtown, heart beating wildly. Peeking, she realized that she was still in her basement. Maybe Alex and Christie were here after all!

She ran around to the steel box and heaved it open. Nothing. Just absolute, total darkness. It was darker than anything she had ever seen before. She hesitantly reached out a hand to touch it-

And instantly knew she shouldn't have.

She was pulled into the dark by a force much more powerful than anyone could resist. What have I done? was the last thought she had before the world went blank.