Video Games

Chapter Five

"Wake up gamers!"

Hearing the voice forces me to rise from my deep slumber; I topple out of the bed in a tangled mess. The thump is deafening as my back hits the wooden tiles beneath me, my duvet asphyxiating me in the process.

The realisation that I've been away, living in a world where only real life games exist, hits me hard in the chest. This house was built using Minecraft; my food in one is mostly through Farmville...

The crops!

Heading outside, I notice that the corn towers above the chicken wire. Immediately, I head over to the chest and yank out my rake, a basket and my hoe. It's like a sprinting practice as I run from one end of the farm to the other, clutching my supplies.

Plucking my corn off of the plants grown overnight, I can't help but think: what is the growth time for these things? If they're growing the way they do on Farmville, I'll have unlimited corn supply. Then again, I'd need the seeds...

Beginning to hack at the plant with the side of the hoe, it begins to fall apart. This isn't like real life farming - I can take down strong plants with the side of a hoe. As I whittle it down to a little stump, I yank the stump out as if it's a weed before raking the ground.

The chicken wire surrounds the striped soil inside of it, leaving me with no seeds and a basket of corn. Pulling one of the long cobs out, I take the rest inside and begin to munch on the cob held in my hand.

Waiting for the next announcement, I chew the plain corn from the cob. My mind races; I decide that I'm going to dial twenty eight, see if Kwesi is available to chat. Swallowing the yellow vegetable in my mouth, I pace until it's down my throat and make my way to the phone.

My phone rings just before I pick it up, causing me to jump back slightly. Gripping my breakfast for dear life, I regain my breath and grab the phone. "Hello?" I ask, slightly confused as to who's calling.

"Hello, Ryota?" A boy's voice replies. "My name is Tynoco. Y'know, Kwesi's friend? I'm farm two, wanna come over and hang for a bit?"

Kwesi must've told Tynoco my name and number; I trust Kwesi, so I don't see why I shouldn't hang with him. "Do I just walk there or something?" I ask, slightly perplexed. How do I get from one end of the farms to the other?

"Outside, there's a transporter thing. Just stand on it, type the farm number and away you go!" Tynoco replies, his excitement bouncing around as I hear his voice. He seems to be older than Kwesi, from sound, but he doesn't strike me as Baiyou's age or anything. Maybe he's my age.

"I'll be over in a minute then," I smile. Just as I'm about to place the phone down, I hear Tynoco's voice through the speaker.

"Wait," he sounds distressed. "Lock the farm, for your own sake. I think one or two people may be thieves, stealing from unoccupied farms. Just a heads up. Bye!" The line goes dead; I place the phone back on its holder before walking outside.

The gate I placed yesterday now contains the portal Tynoco told me about. It reminds me slightly of the TARDIS, leaving me to groan. Gaming takes up so much time, I never really get to sit and watch TV. Then again, I tried to watch Doctor Who and absolutely hated it.

Stepping inside the square portal, I punch the zero and two button and wait for the doors to slide shut again. As they do, a breeze hits me, leaving me to flick my hair out of my eyes. It's laughable to think that I was having my haircut today - or tomorrow, I don't remember. That's if I was still in the UK.

For just a moment, I feel weightless as the portal transports me; my farm locks in the process, on my command. Knowing there are thieves on the loose leaves me on edge. What if they find a way into the farm, steal my beloved corn?