Phantasmagoria ✔

FILE 07 | Restart

"Ms. Mirage. It's time to wake up. You're gonna be late for school." Shouted her maid, for the millionth time already. 

Mirage was awake, and aware of what she is meant to do. But she remembers she has to follow through the script. She acts out that she is dozing off.

[Wake up / Stay Asleep]

"It's already 6:15 A.M., Ms. Mirage." The maid tried to convince her, "Your mother will be very angry if you don't wake up anytime soon."

[Wake up / Stay Asleep]

Mirage responded, "Okay, okay. I'll get up, I'll get up. Are you happy?"

"Delighted." The maid proceeded to open the door wide for the teen to come outside.

Mirage didn't move an inch, but the maid continued to do what was programmed for her to do. She exhaled loudly as she was now by herself in her bedroom.

"Patience, Mira. Patience." 

She anxiously waited. She was becoming restless as it was taking so much time. Was Gareth lying to her? No, that'd be impossible. If he did, then the maid would come back if things were truly "true."

She later had an idea, perhaps it would make things faster? She took a piece of paper, a ballpen and a pencil.

"Now... make me choose!" She spoke to herself, holding out the two pens. 

1...

2...

3...

And... Hardly anything transpired. 

"Of course, it wouldn't work." She groaned, "This choice was programmed either! Of course, idiot!"

System: Process Complete

Mirage was ecstatic. She supposed this was it. As best as she could recall, Gareth did something for this to happen. It should be this she's been waiting for.

System: Are you sure to delete this infected file?

[ Yes / No ]

System: Would you like to restart?

[ Yes / No ]

The options disappeared in front of Mira's eyes. Nothing took place yet again! 

"What now? Nothing happened!" Mirage shouted in frustration. "That bitch, did he deceive me? Me?! And I'm here who listened to every nonsense he said..."

"I knew it! Why did I trust him in the first place? I'm an idiot. Stupid. A dumbass." Mirage frowned. But even though she felt helpless within, she wasn't upset with him. What more could be done if this wasn't the answer?

System: Verification Complete

"It's... real?" Mirage's face lit up.

System: The Game will Restart Soon... Please Wait...

"Finally. It will end." She cried happily.

Deletion will now begin.

Mirage instantly suffered extreme pain in her head. Her hands and feet were numb and she was experiencing a thumping sensation in her skull.

"It hurts... Everything is hurting..." She says, as her body felt incredibly weak.

Bzzt... Bzzt... Deletion Almost Complete.

"C...Complete? Am I... being deleted...?" Her body was unresponsive. She tried to move, and it remained just that. She called for help. For Miggie. For Hazel. For Gabby. For Aemi. For her mom... 

...But nobody came.