One Short Story A Day

July 18, 2024

Prompt: A group of friends were initiated to try out a new game, but things get dark as them dying in the game leads them to death in waking life.

It was a dark and stormy night when a group of friends gathered at Dave's house for their weekly game night. Dave had recently purchased a new virtual reality game that he was itching to try out with his friends. The game was called "Nightmare Realm" and promised to be the most immersive and realistic gaming experience they had ever encountered.

Excitement filled the air as the friends sat down in front of the virtual reality headsets, eager to dive into the world of Nightmare Realm. The game started off innocently enough, with the friends exploring a creepy, abandoned mansion in search of hidden treasures. The graphics were stunning, and the sound effects made them feel like they were truly in a haunted house.

As they delved deeper into the game, the friends began to notice something strange. The challenges they faced in Nightmare Realm seemed eerily similar to their worst fears and darkest secrets. Dave, who had always been afraid of spiders, found himself face to face with a giant arachnid that chased him through the mansion. Sarah, who had a fear of drowning, was trapped in a room filling with water that threatened to engulf her.

Despite the terrifying obstacles they encountered, the friends were determined to brave through the game together. However, things took a sinister turn when one by one, they started to die in the game. Each death was more gruesome than the last, with their virtual avatars being torn apart by demonic creatures or burned alive in a hellish inferno.

As the friends respawned back in the game after each death, they noticed something chilling. The injuries they sustained in Nightmare Realm began to manifest on their physical bodies in the real world. Dave had scratches on his arms where the spider had attacked him, Sarah's clothes were wet as if she had been submerged in water, and Mark's skin was charred as if he had been burned alive.

Panic set in as the friends realized that they were not just playing a game anymore – they were trapped in Nightmare Realm, and their lives were on the line. Desperate to escape, they frantically searched for a way out of the game, but every path they took led to more death and destruction.

As their fear and desperation grew, the friends turned on each other, blaming one another for their predicament. Paranoia and suspicion tore apart their once close-knit group, leaving them isolated and alone in the nightmarish world of the game.

In a final, desperate bid for survival, the friends banded together and confronted the dark entity that seemed to be controlling Nightmare Realm. With their combined strength and courage, they were able to defeat the entity and break free from its twisted grasp.

But the victory came at a cost. As the friends removed their virtual reality headsets and returned to reality, they discovered that the injuries they had sustained in Nightmare Realm were real. Dave had a deep gash on his arm where the spider had bitten him, Sarah was coughing up water from her lungs, and Mark's skin was still blistered and burned.

Despite their harrowing ordeal, the friends were grateful to have survived the nightmarish game. They vowed never to play Nightmare Realm again, knowing that the consequences of their actions could have been far worse.

As they parted ways and went their separate paths, the friends couldn't shake the feeling that something dark and malevolent still lurked in the shadows, waiting to claim their souls. They knew that the horrors of Nightmare Realm would haunt them for the rest of their lives, a grim reminder of the dangers that lurked in the darkness.

And so, the friends went their separate ways, forever scarred by their brush with death in the virtual world. They had survived the game, but at what cost? Only time would tell if they could truly escape the nightmare that had become their reality.