Four years of high school had taught Jamie one thing: video games were brain numbingly popular. To the point where all he’d collected over those years were shelves of discs and posters instead of grades and awards. Aside from the disappointment from teachers, his father never really showed an interest in his life and his mother wasn’t seen since he was five; he was free to so as he pleased.

Freedom felt like a breath of fresh air to majority of people on earth, but for Jamie it was like his own version of mother nature. Every day like clock work he’d wake up, attend school and pay minimal attention, come home and immerse himself in the screen for hours until his body screamed for the comfort of his mattress. On few occasions, he’d differ from his personal schedule to do other activities but he’d usually find these ended in him still being hands on with a controller.

But today was like every other day, he’d planned to use his free time to play the new release of ‘A Simulated Life’. He’d had every update of the game bookmarked and notified since it’s first official teaser got released. Every demo was favourited and every update flagged, finally it’s release was just after he finished school. Usually, he’d jump up and push for the day to be over as quick as he could so that he could throw himself into the cushion chair at home and slam the on button to his computer. But he just lay there, watching the ceiling above his bed illuminate as the sun burst through the blinds. No thoughts or need to rush filled his head, all he felt was numbness.

He questioned why the urge to jump at the thought of being one of the first to play the game on release day, having preordered to ensure he’d be able to play it as soon as the bell rang. His mind filled with white space, leaving all his queries unanswered. His phone lit up, Ty’s name filled the space. Swiping slowly to the green icon, he slowly sat up. “What’s up?”

“Release day, you ready?” Ty’s voice blasted through the tiny speakers. Ty had a low voice, yet he still blared it like he had no sense of volume control. He’d been friends with Jamie for a year and was the only person Jamie felt was acceptable. “Mum’s gone all day today, can’t wait to not leave my room.”

Jamie grunted, putting Ty on speaker so he could get himself ready. “Sure, can’t wait.”

“Uh… You alright?” Jamie hummed a yes. “Sure? You’re joking. You are the reason I’m even getting on this bandwagon.”

He yawned, “Yes. Just… I must’ve slept funny. Not feeling good right now.”

“Alright man. Well, see you soon. Get out your mood pronto.”

Beeping followed as Ty went silent. Jamie had picked out some clothes and was ready to spend his day slumping over desks.

+

Jamie was back home, finally ready to lose himself to the internet’s wonderful ability to create games yet again. He’d felt the same weirdness that he had this morning all day, hoping that getting in front of the screen would remove the thoughts attacking his brain. He needed something to kickstart his brain and he hopes that ‘A Simulated Life’ was the medication he was looking for. Ty had spent most the day hammering the excitement into him and he’d felt somewhat distant from the love for the game. He’d spent countless hours enjoying video games, every level and achievement filled him with ecstasy. Yet this felt different, it felt as if he’d grew bored and he couldn’t figure out why.

His father was slugged on the couch, snoring at the TV with a beer balanced in his arms. He nodded at the sight and banished himself to his room.

The computer lit up as he called its awakening to Alexa, watching it come to life. Almost instantly, ‘A Simulated Life’ loaded up and the start button was bold, begging for Jamie’s attention. He chucked his things onto his bed and slotted himself into the chair, watching the start screen beam. He wasn’t hesitating, he was just wandering why he had felt so empty all day and how the screen had instantly intrigued him. But now, having it sat in front of him sparked something in him back to life, as if his sorrows had been diminished in a blink of an eye.

Ignoring the pacing in his brain, he pressed start. The screen swiftly changed, bringing up a character information form. It asked you to fill in your own information, but nothing person like emails and addresses. Simply just name, age, estimated height and weight, and which country you lived in. The game was promoted as a get away for people and he intended for it to do just that. He filled everything in as quickly as he could and slammed the continue button.

‘Welcome to your new, Simulated Life’, the screen displayed. Jamie studied it as the loading circle appeared, thinking that the wording was a bit weird. But, it had only just been released from Beta and it was normal for their to be blips.

That was until the next screen loaded. He’d remembered there’s been terms to read on the information input screen, but who ever bothered with that. He was just realising why, when a camera showing live feedback of the full display of his room had appeared and he felt unable to look. He realised in a second that his body was not in the hands of his own, but someone else who knew his location. The computer went through series of information, grabbing every piece of information from his computer.

‘Welcome, Jamie Conrad. You will now enter YOUR Simulated Life.’

The real world as he knew it became warped and vanished, then the screen dragged him in and became his reality. It was no longer his own life.