Lonely, Lonely Poker Game
I pushed its plastic buttons. Bet. Call. Hit. Fold. Draw. It called out to me, in its 4-bit voice, "You suck!" "I could do better than that!" "Learn to play!" all the while pushing me to the edge. The complex rules of poker escaped me largely, and I cast the handheld game across the room, in hopes of shattering its rude little casing.
The game, however, would not have it that way. It transformed, and from within rose an awful monster, which appeared so horrible my mind failed to record the appearance of its awful visage.
The monster taunted and tortured me to no end. On one occasion I sprinted away from it, into the room of my stepsister. She greeted me unknowingly, as she went about her business.
The horrible thing which lay about the house found me and her in the room together. It assaulted us, for a length of time and an intensity of cruelty such that I would imagine it had it short but sweet on us. Our decided assailant then retreated, with all surprise, then coming back in another form. My mind conjured one of the most confusing costumes for the thing, resembling the shape of a woman's shirt, constructed of thousands of tiny purple light bulbs. It floated in the air, and hurled lightning bolts, no less.
The monster repeated this way, retreating and returning to deliver more hell upon us, until the door to the room stayed ajar on the fifth coming. Through this agape crevice I quitted the room, and made for the front door. My mistake was in looking back to see behind me, for the thing came. At that instant I dashed for the outside, and began my run down the long stretch of the unbending street whereupon lies my house.
I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, and they carried me halfway down the kilometre stretch. On my run I passed our bassist, Gary. He sat on the grass in between two properties, idly playing with some paper.
"Hey! How's it going?" he greeted me in his friendly manner.
"Hi..." I huffed, still not forgetting my original intent. I passed him without any goodbye, and without due respect. I looked back again, and the monster had come for me. It was gaining.
It caught me soon after passing Gary, and revealed the horror of its new plan. The next five weeks I spent with the monster, exploring boring unknowns, vast stretches of empty lands and dank caves in countries all over the world. The monster was not really a monster at all, but rather a tortured soul who wished only to travel, with a companion. Unfortunately that sort of kinship was one I gave begrudgingly, as there was nothing could I do.
Back home, I stumbled upon the wise old cowboy who frequented my school. He knew of my plight.
"Oh yeah, I know what you been through. He takes ya everywhere!"