GOD GAME

A puzzle piece grows

Mom. Gorging. School.
It was the same cycle I had lived my entire life but it felt so different, I couldn't fit into it any longer. The History AI buzzed with its usual lesson, a random .com page from the past that was inaccurate and unimportant but still needed to be studied. I wrote lazy, non-descriptive notes still confused by the woman's actions. So, she found out that as soon I know something it exists, and that I have poor control over my world. If I want to escape from this world and go to mine I need to get rid of her, I need to learn how to control it without her trying to... kill me. Memories of her kindness faded as my hatred built up.

She is a barrier that I need to cross. She is preventing me from living a true life, a life where I don't become some human robot. Where I can live without knowing things. She isn't real anyways, what does it matter?
I glanced backwards at the many students behind me, as turned around I noticed the AI seemed to be looking at me.
"Please keep your eyes and ears on my lecture, Mr. Ruens," read a pop up text that showed up in front of my face.
The hologram then disappeared and I went back to studying. My eyes couldn't stay on my paper though, the dull lines lacked color. I looked at the other kids in the front, finding that the color of their drab clothing didn't appease my eyes either. My memories jumped back to the colors that clashed in the sky of my world, the colors taken from us dancing around in my mind.

"This concludes your lesson for period 35, any questions before I switch to vehicles and transportation AI 17437HAOCTJ?"

I once again heard the hands of people behind me raise, someone was shouting. I turned my head and the shouting ceased, but the diligent hands of millions stayed upwards. Some were shaking and bobbing and waving and standing still. All I could of them were their desperate arms, their faces blocked as they all sat. That's when someone stood up, a woman as old as my mom.

"HELP SOMEONE HE-" she yelled.

A robot shot something at her and she fell into the ocean of palms and fingers, her arms the last to disappear. I turned around towards the AI, the troll in my stomach having set a bonfire inside my soul that no water would quench.
"Wh-why, why don't you answer their questions!?"

The hologram looked confused. "That is none of your concern Mr. Ruens," it replied.

"Well it should be yours, shouldn't it?"

The AI seemed to stare at me for awhile, seemingly unable to understand why what I just witnessed was so wrong. I then looked at my fellow pupils for their take on the situation, for their humane morals. But looking into their dull, dark eyes, I found only robots with mechanical souls.

"Cl-," the AI got cut off and its hologram was nullified for the next AI.

Cl...?

Focusing was far more challenging than last time as every class I would think more and more about those around me, and more and more about her. Why aren't they answered? Why did she, attack me? Cl? Why, why, WHY?! It isn't surprising that a good number of the questions on my test were guessed, which means a good number of them are wrong. Please, please be right. Please let me escape into the game and... I have to kill her. If I don't she will kill me! Kill. Kill? I won't die realistically but, realistically...

"Time is up for your tests. Please stop and let the hover collectors take them for grading," the test AI droned.
Crap. I forgot to double-check my answers. I pushed the thick, stapled stack of papers away from me. Oh well.
As soon as I was allowed I teleported from school to home, making sure to rush to my bedroom and close my door. I then opened the secret compartment under my bed, pulling out my headset and putting it on the bed next to me. Next I pulled out the chip and my quick pace slowed. I stared at the game cartridge in my hands. What if she's prepared? What if I'm too slow and I die? I looked for any other text than the words "GOD GAME", for the guide or controls list. I felt the back. It was sticky from an adhesive that most likely held such things to the back of the chip.

"Crap," I quietly moaned.

I'll just, wait. I'll think of a better strategy, it won't matter if I don't learn anything because I'll leave this place and never return. I'll put it as high as I can possible imagine! A millisecond in this world to an era in mine! I put the headset and chip back into their secret spaces under my bed and climb underneath my blankets. Next weekend, I'll... do, it... And I fell asleep.

"Alex, you idiot..." Clora whispered.