The Game Changer (In The Spiral)

Last night he'd had the dream again. He was struggling in slow-motion down a city street, tumbling over barriers, while wearing something heavy - riot gear, including a shock vest - but it was all vague and emotional. He wore head protection - again - a kind of visor or helmet, of course. He'd been pushing, forcing his way against something. It felt like being in a riot. But the street had been... empty. Nothing and no-one. Just himself, wrestling forwards - alone.

And now this morning, this lethargy. And all the usual thoughts brimming and burning inside him. His doubts about his life, his other life, and the numerous dreams he still had for the future of both.

"If only you'd seen things... with my eyes..."

He uttered this phrase aloud just for playback; to hear the sound of his own raspy voice; test its quality. It came out as an ironic parody of the introductory line to the game world where he'd spent nearly all of yesterday.

Dan Harvester lived alone in his low-key flat with his cat on the edge of the city...

Continue the 'real' story of how Dan Harvester finds one of the hidden keys into the mysterious, forthcoming game-world 'Fountellion'...