Subject Zero: CONFIDENTIAL (Short Stories)

KIDS: Jesper (1)

March 16, 1984
7:45p.m.
Starcade Video Arcade
Norwood, Maine

Third Person's POV
"To slay the dragon, use the magic sword," said the woman on the game console for Dragon's Lair.

Four kids were surrounding the teenager playing the game. They were a group of friends.

One, with pale skin, many freckles, jade green eyes, and had neat blonde hair. His facial expression made him seem very kind-hearted and genuine. He was eleven-going-on-twelve.
Norman Snicket.

Next to him, was another boy, who had a skin condition called vitiligo; where patches of skin appear lighter than the rest of the skin. He had dreamy blue eyes and fluffy brown hair with light curls. He had a bandaid on his face and a few on his arms. He was thirteen-years-old, and would be turning fourteen in July.
Klaus Blythe.

And next to Klaus, was a redheaded girl. Her skin was very fair and she had few freckles. She had golden brown eyes and her hair was orange, like fire. She was eleven-years-old, turning twelve in September.
Anne Stine.

Then next to her, was a blind girl. She was fair skinned. Her hair was dark and reached her shoulders, and it was covering half of her face. She was twelve-years-old, turning thirteen in April.
Rei Veene.

The four of them were surrounding a teenage boy. He was tan skinned, and he had brown eyes. His hair was fluffy and black. He had gold ear piercings on both ears, and was fifteen-years-old, turning sixteen in November. He moved to town from New York in December last year.
Alio Niccals.

Alio, playing the game, says, "Oh, Jesus! I'm in uncharted territory here, guys."

Suddenly, three of the others, looking at the screen, say, "Down! Down!"

     "I'm going! I'm going!"

Their voices kept overlapping each other as Alio was playing the game, moving the handle and pressing the buttons.

When Alio couldn't even hear himself think, he tells the others, "Okay- Shut up- Shut up!"

Then the character in the game got burned by the fire-breathing dragon.

     "No- No! No!" He hit the console. "No! No! I hate this overpriced bullshit! Son of a bitch! Piece of shit!"

Anne wandered off to another game.

Rei, standing by Alio, says, "Whatever. Klaus is still tops on Dig Dug."

Anne, looking multiple other games (one at a time), says, "Uhh... You sure about that?"

Alio, Norman, and Klaus turn to her.

Norman asks, "Sure about what?"

Klaus looks at his friends, then realized. "...You're kidding me." He then rushed over to the games he used to have top-scores on. "No, no, no. No! You've gotta be kidding me!"

Norman blinked at the top score on Dig Dug. "740,200 points?!"

Rei stood in shock. "That's impossible."