She slipped in another quarter. The retro video game was proving more difficult to play than she had anticipated. While Linda was great at modern games like Counter Strike and DOTA moving these simple sprites and polygons across the old CRT screen was proving difficult.
Still in a small sleepy town like this she was confident that she could get the top score in a few plays. If the old monitor would stop flickering in distracting ways it would be easier. Each time it flashed she closed her eyes and lost track of where the characters where on the screen.
Each time she opened her eyes they felt heavier.
Flash.
Another life lost.
Flash.
Another quarter inserted.
Flash.
Another life lost.
Flash.
Heavier and heavier.
Flash.
Another quarter inserted.
Flash.
She didn’t notice the hours that passed. Nor the fact that the dinner closed. She barely noticed the owner of the resturant putting his hand on her shoulder and whispering a series of suggestions in her ear. She felt far away, lost. She followed him, her mind blank. Obedient.
She may have lost the game, but she had found a new life.