When I was young, I found this... odd, to say the least, computer game. I happened upon it completely by mistake, misspelling a popular gaming website for kids. I didn’t realize at first that it was the wrong website, I mean, it looked like the one I was used to, but, dark? Like, the theme of it was off. I had clicked around for a bit until I found a game that looked pretty interesting, entitled “Magic Marvin.” I smiled, the child-like wonder crinkling up my eyes.
When I clicked the link, the page glitched for a moment, then started clocking, before pulling up a black rectangle displaying myself and the couch behind me. I furrowed my eyebrows and leaned closer to the screen, when suddenly a cloud of purple exploded in the center, making me jump back, startled.
Tinny circus music poured from my speakers as a pixelated man in a wizard’s hat emerged from the smoke. He floated around the screen, almost appearing as if he was in the room with me. I thought it was really cool, being young and all, and never having seen a game of this sort.
“Is Magic Marvin who you seek? If so, help me count to three!”
I shrugged and giggled, leaning back and saying, “One, two... three!”
As soon as the last word was out, Magic Marvin no longer looked pixelated. He looked like a picture, or video, I guess would suit the description better, of a man. His hat looked furry and his cape a little tattered, but I was enthralled, to say the least. But still, I was slightly cautious. Of course, my parents had always warned me against talking to strangers.
“Are you Magic Marvin?” I asked warily, his image flickering ever-so-slightly beside me.
“Why, yes of course!” his voice boomed. It was deep and unfamiliar, almost robotic. “Jessica, do you want to play a game?”
The fact that he knew my name should’ve ticked me off. But I was young, and didn’t find it too weird since adults tended to know who I was.
“Sure!” I said, the ‘s’ sounding more like a ‘th’ through my gapped teeth.
“That’s great! Yay! But, Jessica? Wouldn’t it be more fun if I was there with you to play?”
Shifting where I sat, my eyes darted to the me on the screen, then shifted over to Magic Marvin.
“I... I guess,” I replied in a small voice.
He smiled at me, with big, yellowing, crooked teeth.
“Perfect.”
I watched on the screen as Magic Marvin got closer to me, slowing raising his hand above my shoulder.
“Ready to play, Jessica?”
You might think I was imagining this next part, but I promise, promise you, it happened. When he said that I swear I felt warm breath on my ear, reeking of stench, and felt a heavy hand fall on my shoulder, in sync with the computer.
Screaming, I closed the page out and threw the laptop across the couch, scurrying as far away from it as possible. My chest heaved and I felt like I couldn’t breathe; later, I found out that was the first of my many panic attacks.
Just when my heart started to slow, pounding sluggishly, goose bumps appeared on my arms, making the hair of my neck stand up straight.
“You still owe me a game, Jessica.”