So recently I turned a h******e gamer. Don’t know how, though – it just happened. It happened the same way I happened to become a writer. But becoming a musician was an entirely different experience – an experience that inculcated a habit within me, and turned it into an addiction. All of these because I love to express my experiences – sometimes joyous, sometimes angry, and sometimes – like this one – quite creepy.
It was exactly 12:45 in the morning – I remember the time because the clock behind my gaming system told me so – and I was starting to get addicted to my distractive and disruptive hobby. With the terribly satisfying Boom speakers set all around the room, I was totally into the game. With all of my fingers coordinating the moves, and my eyes simultaneously searching for the enemy, my mind seemed to have become fixed onto this. Yeah, I got this encouraged my brain. Suddenly from nowhere, a swarm of enemies outflanked me. I still don’t know whether it was the intense bass background, or the emotional attachment to my hero (call him Sir Viktor), I just fainted at his death. Yeah, I swooned.
When I woke up, everything around me was reddish. I was still in my room, but everything seemed to grow read and black by the moment. An excruciating pain shot across my nose’s sternum, and hit both my eyes. and I blinked once – I regret it even now. I blinked, and there it was. The very same black hand covered with hair, blood and ash. Except this time, there was an entire deformed structure accompanying it. Same as the hand – bloody and hairy, but it seemed to have grown nails and teeth. I wasn’t horrified – in fact, I was accustomed to its presence in the past four years. But I was frozen in my place – not in shock, but in awe. As the red and black background intensified, the creature took a deep breath.
And in slow motion, I saw something happen right behind it. A brilliant flash of light grew by the moment. It seemed to have a mouth that began to dissolve this creature. It grew steadily, and as the creature struggled to escape its clutches, it lost blood – only a few drops, but yes. And as it was being gulped, I saw it smile. It smiled right into my eyes, and then, it was gone. To this day, I haven’t understood its purpose.
And then, an earthquake. Somebody was shaking me violently. It was painful, but I managed to open my eyes. Everything was white for a second, and my eyes adjusted. Apparently, I had fallen down while gaming, and Ma had heard the thud. She had been trying to wake me up.
Wake up, you donkey! No wonder I get irritated at these new age stuff, she shouted. I was half-dazed, and the clock struck one. She rose and got out, and I was gathering myself. Too tired, I started to drag myself o the bedroom when something strange caught my eyes.
Drops of blood. Right where the creature had been standing.
Even today, I experience a reddish haze in my eye – just for a second, but grows rapidly into a screen. And all it takes is a blink for it to go away. I still don’t understand why, and it is best I leave it the same way.
