The Pole Shift

Jimmy's Obedience

When Jimmy got home Alan was where he expected him to be, tapping away at the computer. He glimpsed bright graphics, he wasn't writing his novel, he was playing a game. Quake Live he suspected. How a 45 year old man could get off on an online shoot 'em up baffled him. Jimmy was a fan himself, he was in the top five percent of players, his character 'Azean' a homage to his Malaysian heritage.  He wished he paid more attention to his ancestors rather than name a Quake character after them though.

                Alan hadn't noticed his arrival and Jimmy didn't announce it. The computer was sputtering plasma gun fire, rockets and rail gun shots. His step dads face was aglow and flickering in the battle light. He watched Alan play, strangely good for someone in their middle age. He peeked over Alan's  shoulder to see what he called himself. Azean.  He was playing his character. A cold anger spread up from Jimmy's balls to redden his face. The prick had taken everything, even his own Quake handle.  Jimmy roared at him, the child and the adult vying to control his vocabulary.

                "You silly willy cock cunt billy! Shut it down shut it down! You'll ruin my reputation!" Alan snapped around shocked to be shouted at from someone he didn't know was there. He said:

                "Sorry, Sorry, I didn'.." Jimmy was near tears. The confusion of the day, the Macka secret agent dude or whatever he was had thrown him off his rails, he had been enjoying getting the school ready, he had felt some kind of control even if they were just doing it as something to keep them occupied. He tried to punch Alan, who shouldered the blow then turned to Jimmy with a darkening brow.

                "Try that again boy and I'll throw my own punches." It was too much for Jimmy, he fled the house into the shed and did the only thing he could think to do, go through his belongings. After a while his head stopped spinning, he forgave his step father, soon no one would be playing Quake, or caring about online gaming reputations. Alan would be dead, and so would he. He sighed deeply, it wasn't in his nature to accept the likelihood of death, surely there must be a chance? He was at a loss though and with nothing to do he sat in the shed and day dreamed. Don't lose heart, that Macka dude had said. Was he for real? Those cylinders looked real, purposeful. You should research what a little village is. What the fuck did that mean?

                 He went back into the house, Alan was watching TV, The documentaries were filming the Atlantic Ocean's sea bed where great swathes of molten rock were glowing orange and exploding in a primordial battle with the deep sea. A commentator said soon, surely soon. Alan paused it and looked at him, embarrassed and wanting to make things up. Jimmy waved at him that it was okay and went to the computer. He could do something that served two purposes, he could research how a kampong worked, that would please his Mum and his ancestors, and he would be doing what was asked of him. He felt suddenly pleased, like finally doing something you had put off for ages for fear of boredom, then enjoying it. He would meet the Macka dude with something to offer him in the morning, his obedience.