It came upon me all of the sudden. A rush of golden light, or was it a golden smell? Something sweet and savory. Tingly. The announcement fluttered like an entity, a small butterfly, throughout my blood. My heart beat in my chest and my ears rang with tinny resonance. An overwhelming sense of something lost once returned flooded my brain until I thought I would collapse.

A decision had to be made.

It was either Xbox or PlayStation.

Both consoles were sleek and elegant. Both boasted top ratings in performance and stability. But the question still remained… and I knew in the deepest part of my soul, this decision would change my life forever. I had to come to terms with a collection of exclusives that only I had access to, me and the other loyalists who pledge their undying allegiance to the console.

I found the back of the line quickly, and people ahead were determined and trite, having locked into their choice like a commander with due diligence. Winter had fallen. The air was crisp and salty, and not just from the unwashed patrons of GameStop. No, something else also besides the chilling breeze from over the frosted mountain caps seen in the distance, something far fouler.

And this decision would make me or break me. Of course, why couldn’t I pledge my allegiance to both? I pulled out my tattered old coin purse, the binding worn. Like a small leather journal it opened to reveal not pages of money, but nothing at all indeed. I would have to work some magic with American Express and MasterCard, hoping that the combined forces of the two spell powers will be sufficient for me to grant passage.

But my indecision could kill me.

Harken! My woes of sorrow! How could I come to such an impossible decision? What could I do to determine, once and for all, who I want to give my soul to? The double doors are upon me now, only a few more steps to go. Then the path will be split by a spasm of conflict and color, the path to the left leads to a bright green field of wonder, whereas the road to the right is a cool blue forest of mystery and intrigue.

An ominous tone, a loud bell, alerts the GameStop guards to my presence. One with a look of utter dismay and misery, the shadows under their eyes ever-daunting to look at directly, waddles not with haste to my location. I could feel the soul-eating energy with which they thrive coming off of them in waves of discontent.

“Are you here for the new Xbox or the new PlayStation?”

Their words send me to my knees. Now I am the one in utter depression, angst, and terror. I rise my hands and my tear-stained face towards the Heavens, silently begging them to give me a sign. My voice evades me. My throat has closed and I struggle to choke out my next words.

“Take me… to the Nintendo section…”