Game Over: Life's Over

Come And Get Me

I hope you all enjoy this chapter! I'm working on wrapping up this story and starting the next one. If you have any ideas on what to include in the second story, let me know. I'd love to see what you all come up with.

Also, Happy Pride month to those who celebrate!

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I was excited to go back to playgroup after being away for so long. I'd missed playing with everyone. Even though I'd just seen Soleil, I still missed her too.

I could tell Mom was nervous about me going back. I was smaller and still figuring out my new size. I still tried to do things like I was at a normal height for an eighteen-year-old. There were bigger kids at playgroup who would have to be careful around me. Kids didn't understand that they could hurt others.

I knew Mom was just looking out for me but I was tired of following the rules all the time. I was already being punished enough by having the mutation.

Theo helped me out of the car when we arrived. We tried to get there early so I'd have plenty of time to play. I hated that playgroup was ending and I wouldn't get to see everyone until after New Year's. It was only two weeks of waiting but that was a long time for kids. Even messed-up kids like us.

Mom followed us as we walked inside. Theo checked us in, explaining to the receptionist that Mom was just visiting that week. I was sure they were used to parents attending the playgroups with their children, especially knowing what was wrong with us.

When we entered the room, I immediately kicked off my shoes. I didn't wait for Mom or Theo to grab them before I headed for the playset.

I got down on my hands and knees and crawled into the tunnel. A girl came running out of the tunnel past me, her red hair blurring. I recognized her but forgot about her pretty quickly. She was someone who played alone and didn't share toys. I didn't like people like that, especially when my brain was stuck in baby mode.

I stayed in the tunnel while people ran above and around me. They ran around the playset, words and laughter coming from them. It was easy to forget about our condition and think we were all kids again. If you didn't know us, you'd think that we were just kids. Maybe that wasn't a terrible thing.

Soleil was trying to get me to understand that for months. She wanted me to let go of the thoughts in my head and just let myself be. Just exist in the moment of what was and not what I wanted it to be.

The more I thought about it, the more it made my head hurt.

"Jake, where are you?"

I got onto my hands and knees and crawled to the opening of the tunnel. Two legs appeared to my right, one pink and one yellow sock. I reached out and grabbed the right leg, scaring the owner of the leg.

Soleil screamed and swatted at my hand. She leaned down to see me and stuck her tongue out at me. "That was so mean!"

I laughed. "Sorry."

Soleil joined me in the tunnel, sitting with her back against one wall and her legs stretched out so her feet touched the other side. It wasn't hard since she was so short. "How long have you been here?"

I shrugged. When I didn't have my phone on me, I had no sense of time. "A while. I've just been waiting for you to get here."

She smiled. "Were you waiting just to scare me?"

"No. I thought of that when I saw you."

She nodded slowly. "I'll remember that. You won't see it coming."