100-Word Horror

Downtime

Tap tap. Click.

The boy leaned forward, focused, left hand on the keyboard, right hand on the mouse.

Tap tap. Click.

Lasers flashed across the screen in blue and red bursts. The character on screen, a spider-like android, fought off hordes of enemies with the blasters it carried in each of its four, scuttling limbs. Buildings crumbled, bombs detonated.

The boy's fingers began to twitch, the tapping and clicking slowing. A loud grumble sounded from the computer's speakers. A charge was needed before playtime could resume.

Using its four limbs, the computer shoveled food and water down the boy's throat.