Do you remember the video games you used to play back in your childhood?

Pac-Man? 

Sure.

Galaga?

Okay, that one’s a fun one too.

Super Mario Brothers?

How could you forget it?

When I talk to my co-workers, I hear about how they had played Pac-Man or the newest Pokémon game back in the day…

I, however, have a very different experience. One game in particular that I never tell people about my experience, one that I know, if I did, no one would believe me, or call me crazy, or even recommend I get help from a mental institute…

But I know what I saw. 

I know what I saw that night wasn’t fake. 

And now my therapist recommends I write down my experiences in this little journal

That even if no one would believe me, I could just recite this journal to myself as if it was a madness mantra or something similar to that of the sort. 

But despite it all, I had to get this out somehow, make my experience all those decades ago finally known.

It was the Summer of 1988, and games back then were rather scarce. 

I had beaten every level of Sintara and Ghouls several times over, had gone every route in Hover Junkers, I had almost beaten Whaling 1842, but even then that game had gotten kind of lame by that point.

The newspapers weren’t really that interesting either, save for the one about an accident at a pizzeria in Utah back in 1987, but even then, that had been a year ago, and stories like this got brushed under the rug anyway in the next month or two. Other than that headline, it was just football news and comics that had really gotten old by now. 

I suppose I could’ve gone and played outside with my best friend, Brian, but he seemed to be pretty cooped up in a new video game he himself had gotten. So alas, I was all alone for at least a few weeks. 

I was just ready for a boring summer, and personally, I wish it just had been boring.

I had just decided to play another few rounds of Ghouls that fateful day when I heard the door open with a small “pop!” 

“Mom?” I curiously called out, waiting for a reply.

Sure enough, I heard the loud calling of my mother, “Help me carry in these groceries!”

I sprang up from the couch, running over to help Mom, also a bit curious to see what she had gotten from the shopping haul.

Sometimes, if I was lucky, I would be given a candy bar or even better… a new video game.

I ran into the kitchen with a jolt, and stared at my Mom, who stared at me back as she pointed toward one of the clear bags on the counter, as if telling me to look inside.

I slowly walked over to the counter and looked inside, almost audibly gasping when I did. 

I quickly pulled the box out from the container, nearly yelling, “Aww, you got Duck Season!!” 

Sure enough, on the box was an anthropomorphic dog, some birds flying in the background, which itself was a nice field. The words, “DUCK SEASON” were plastered nice and clear in a nice red font.

“One day rental, so make the most of it!” Mom called as I instantly started to sprint toward my Kingbit.

I was too happy to even consider the fact it was just for a measly day, “Oh, I will!”

I quickly opened the box, staring at the cartridge, and blew into it, all with a smile on my face, knowing I had found the perfect way to kick off Summer, even if it was for just a day.

As soon as I turned on the TV, however, I noticed a television ad, which was…. Ironically enough, showing an ad for Duck Season.

“Hey, hunters,” The man in the ad, who seemed rather cheery, called out, “It’s duck season, so that means we got a lot of first time hunters out there! I’m gonna teach you how to use your shotgun today!”

I looked at the box, realizing that it had come with a small, plastic shotgun, reading “FLASH GUN”. I picked it up, examining it as the voice on the TV continued,

“All our shotguns come pre-loaded so to start shooting, all you gotta do is aim it…” The man stopped, aiming his shotgun at something offscreen, before shooting it, then continuing with a hearty chuckle, “And pull the trigger! Now to keep shooting, all you gotta do is place your hand on the pump of the shotgun, and rack that baby! Now you have another round in the chamber, and you're ready to shoot!”

BANG!

The loud gun roared once again as the man shot it in that same direction as before, “Ah… just like that! Now, reloading your shotgun is easy! All you gotta do is put your hand out, summon a shell from your box, and put that baby into the chamber underneath the shotgun!”

Once again, the man himself did as he instructed, and even I couldn’t help but take notes, “Pop it one more time, and you’re ready to go again!”

BANG!

“Now, professional hunters, they like to keep their shotguns topped off! So, each time you fire up a round and you have a second, y’know, put a baby in there! Keep yourself prepared for the amount of ducks that you have in there! They’ll be coming at you everywhere! From the left, from the right, they're everywhere, man…”

I chuckled as he finished his speech, “So I hope you guys learned something, and remember, the first rule of gun safety… is have fun! Cuz’ remember…. It’s duck season.”

And with that, the man began firing sporadically, as a dog started to bark in the background of the video. Instantly, my mind went to the cover. Then, the video faded to static, then cut to black.

Well… there was no time to waste now.

I grabbed out the cartridge, and nearly pushed it into the system as I watched the classic Kingbit logo pop up, followed by a colorful screen.

The classic “DUCK SEASON” was sprawled in the top center, a nice pinkish font accompanying, along with a large button in the center that read:

“PLAY LEVEL ONE!”

Two shorter buttons were at the side reading “QUIT” and “OPTIONS”. 

I quickly unwrapped a banana I had stored by my side, simply laid on a plate, and looked at the title screen as I grabbed the flash gun and got ready for the duck hunt.

It was then I clicked “PLAY LEVEL ONE!” as it flashed.

I stared as it felt like my world started to shift, and looked at the field in front of me.

Maybe it was the game immersion, but I could never tell.

I looked at the wooden board in front of me, as it read, “DUCK SEASON: SHOTGUN TUTORIAL”

I looked at the instructions pasted on the board, aligning the controllers, pulling the trigger, pumping the side, force grabbing the shell, and inserting the shell…

Seemed simple enough.

It was then I turned to my right and noticed him for the first time. 

It was a large, brown bipedal dog, dancing happily and playfully around the yard. I immediately recognized it as the dog on the box, because really, who couldn’t?

I turned to the right, seeing a small interface, showing ten ducks whited out, along with my score and what I assumed to be ammo.

Once I was able to finish the instructions pasted on the board, I felt ready and more confident as I got the hang of it. It was then the signs slowly drizzled away, being replaced by a sign simply reading “ROUND 1     READY?” 

I was born ready, I thought to myself, then instantly felt like an idiot for using that old term. 

As I looked around, I noticed a singular duck flying across the area, and quickly took motion as I shot it, the duck plummeting to the ground, it falling into the river as I watched. 

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the dog pop out of wherever it had been sniffing, and started to dance again, before waving at me. 

I quickly waved back then continued shooting the ducks, the dog repeating its cycle and casually dancing, then waving, everytime I shot a duck.

It was then I saw my gun had run out of ammo, which forced me to have to reload. I quickly scurried to the truck the ammo was in, and quickly reloaded, before continuing the action.

I had been too distracted to notice I had shot all ten ducks after a while, with the words, “GREAT!” appearing on the screen. 

I smiled, feeling accomplished.

It was then Round 2 loaded, and the game repeated, almost exactly like it had played out before. However, the ducks had gotten faster, which didn’t prove to be a huge issue. I had still managed to hit them with pretty good accuracy, the dog continuing to do its little dance every time I had hit one of them. 

As I continued playing, I noticed the sun had started to set, as the words “GREAT!” reappeared on my screen.

It was then the game shut off and went back to the main menu. 

“PLAY LEVEL TWO!” 

In a way, I felt proud of my accomplishment of beating the first level, it wasn't a huge step but definitely a starting point. I turned around and noticed my mom at the table, writing on her piece of paper, then suddenly turned back to the TV as it cackled to life, showcasing another ad of Duck Season.

This time, it was of the dog ringing a doorbell repeatedly, until a kid opened it, excitedly yelling, “YEAH! DUCK SEASON!”

It kind of parodied how I was feeling at that moment, until the mom walked out with a concerned look on her face, “I don’t know about this…”

The boy looked down sadly, as a small, somber tune played. However, in a stroke of a mood swing, the dog would suddenly shove the mom to the side, as he and the child ran to the TV, playing Duck Season once more, the kid commenting on how awesome the game was.

The dog seemed to be having just as much fun, as it itself got into the shooting game. The kid commented “Duck season!”, a smile plastered on his face as the mom joined them, seemingly having redeemed herself.

It was then the dog shot the camera, ending the ad.

I just stared at it, as I decided that I wanted to continue on, and thus, I pressed the Level Two button.

Once again, I had ended up back in the field, with the dog playfully strutting in the grass. The “ROUND ONE   READY?” sign appeared again as I shot the target to start the game.

Much like last time, the game went as normal, me constantly shooting at the bird while the dog did its little dance and wave.

I smiled at the amount of fun I was having as the three rounds came and went, before I instantly chose to begin the third level, mainly because I had nothing better to do. 

Upon loading in this time, I saw I had been given a challenge, “SHOOT TEN DUCKS BEFORE 3 ESCAPE”

No problem.

I looked at the ducks as they started to swarm, and instantly shot around 5 or 6, before I noticed two ducks leave the screen.

I panicked, and quickly shot three more, but it wasn’t enough, the dog looked almost… like it was laughing at my misfortune.

I grumbled, but didn’t take any note of it afterward. 

It was then the actual third round began.

I was, however, getting a little bored of the routine, so I had decided to do a little fun prank, just to see if it would work. 

After I shot the first few ducks and the dog caught them, I aimed my gun at the brown bipedal and fired.

Surprisingly, the bullet connected with the dog, who instantly shook his head and waved his finger, as if he was scolding me for shooting him. I will admit, however, it startled me how instantly the dog’s mood changed from jumpy and friendly… to almost glaring at me.

But alas, albeit a little uncomfortable, I continued the run, shooting as many of the ducks as I could see. 

As Rounds two and three began, I started shooting once again, only to notice the dog staring at me more intently, as if it was actually observing my character.

The developers really knew how to make this dog hold a grudge… I thought to myself. But secretly, his glare was starting to get to me. 

I tried to pay no more attention to it than I already had and continued shooting the birds, but the glare… it felt like it was still on me.

Even as I shot the birds and they landed on the ground, the dog continued dancing and twirling, but still kept its glare locked onto mine.

Had it really gotten that mad…?

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Once I beat the level, I noticed an ad starting to play again, but not for Duck Season. Rather, some action figure I had no idea even existed.

I looked at the clock and saw it was only 10 AM… and I was already halfway through the game’s set of eight levels. 

It was at that point, I decided to take a break.

I quickly told Mom I was leaving to head off to Brian’s, to see what he had been up to.

“Okay, but be back before dark!” Mom called.

“I won’t be gone that long!” I reassured her… I did have Duck Season to finish after all.

As I got on my skateboard and rode to Brian’s, I couldn’t stop thinking about that dog’s glare. It was as if it got genuinely offended, almost as if it had actually… felt the pain.

But that wasn’t possible, it was just some cartoon dog, a few pieces of pixels on a screen. It couldn’t actually feel the pain, could it?

Arriving at Brian’s, I parked my skateboard and knocked on the door. 

Brian quickly opened the door, smiling at me, “Heya, David!”

“Hi, Bri… Is it cool if I spend a few hours here?” I asked, still a little unnerved.

“Sure, come on in!” Brian happily obliged, stepping out of the way. I quickly walked into the room, observing what Brian had been doing, a puzzle of a small black-and-white tabby cat. 

I then stared at Brian, “So, guess what?”

“What?” Brian asked, staring at me with peaking interest.

“I got a one-day rental of Duck Season!” I announced, chuckling.

Brian’s ears quickly perked, “Duck Season!? Holy shit, dude, that’s a new one!”

“Hell yeah it is!” 

Brian and I walked to the room where his Nintendo lay. It was rare I ever got to play Nintendo games, and Brian vice versa with Kingbit. We would often go to each other’s houses and play with each other’s consoles while we chatted and had fun. Brian kept asking questions about the game, “Why aren’t you at home playing it right now!? It’s a one day rental, dude!” 

“Ehh… I didn’t really think it’d be that fast of a game, but I got it like, an hour ago and I’m already half way done.” I replied, chuckling but also a little disappointed I’d only get two hours out of the game at best, especially with how hyped the game had been in commercials. 

“Oh… Well, I just got Robocop!” Brian quickly announced his own new game, which I thought was amazing. 

Childhood was very innocent back then… but only for a couple more hours.

Brian let me get on Robocop for around two hours, a fast and exciting game was just what I needed to get back into the duck hunting action. 

I thanked Brian for his hospitality then rode my board back home, although I couldn’t help but still think about the dog…

It didn’t actually have feelings, right…? 

I rushed back home and pressed the “PLAY LEVEL FOUR!” button on the game as soon as I opened the Duck Season menu.

Upon entering, I instantly turned to the dog… who seemed surprisingly normal, going back to his casual dancing and waving. 

Part of me felt relieved, as my brain started to come to the assumption that the glare was just a one-round thing if you shot the dog. 

Afterward, I started playing the game again. Normally this time, I didn’t wanna see the dog’s glare anymore. 

I missed the first few shots, but was able to recover pretty quickly. 

I passed Round One with stunning ease, the “GREAT!” screen appearing once more. 

Round Two began as the birds got faster and faster, and just like before, each time I shot one, the dog would arrive, and do its merry little dance. 

After finishing Round Three, I was once again brought back to the results screen, then the menu.

But I looked around, and what greeted me… definitely wasn’t normal. 

I instantly felt the feeling of falling… but I wasn’t. Rather, I was on the table and I felt like the entire world was moved sideways…

Accidentally knocking a globe over, I looked around, flash gun in hand, disoriented at the blue light and waves in my ears…

Waves?

It was then I noticed my living room had been filled to the brim with what appeared to be water… The nausea instantly started to get to me. I could breathe but… I shouldn’t have been able to.

I was about to panic… until I saw it.

No.

It was the dog, the dog was dancing on the table. However, the dog looked… lifelike, as if it was simply a suit used in television ads.

I tried to yell for Mom, but was cut off when I saw the couch… More specifically, who was on the couch. 

It was me. 

I was asleep on the couch.

At first, I was confused, until it hit me. This was all a huge dream… 

I was baffled, I didn’t remember falling asleep. I only remembered beating level four.

I kept looking at myself, who refused to wake up. I was unsure of what to do at that point, it felt like I was trapped within the small, confined space.

Out of panic, I gripped the flash gun, pressing the trigger.

Suddenly, to my surprise, it sent out a small red ball, hitting the wall, then the dog, then the table. 

It was at that point I gained an idea, I decided to shoot myself. I watched my body writhe as its sleep cycle was interrupted. I then shot it again and-

I woke up. 

I looked around, groggily. I sighed in relief, it had all been just a dream. I decided to chalk it down to the fact I had just fallen asleep and not remembered, even if that seemed blatantly fake now.

That was when I heard my mom call from the kitchen, “Honey, have you seen the knife?”

I shook my head, “I… I haven’t. Sorry, I just woke up from a nap.”

“That’s weird,” Mom commented as she fumbled through one of the cabinets, “I can’t find it anywhere! I was gonna use it for dinner tonight… might just have to order pizza tonight.”

Pizza didn’t seem like such a bad deal. Although I did wonder where the kitchen knife ran off to. 

That was when I turned to face the corner of my eye and noticed, what appeared to be a knocked over globe.

I tried not to think too much of it, but I could’ve sworn that the globe was upright before I played the game. 

My mom let out an annoyed sigh as I decided to just load up Level 5. 

“FAT DUCK: Shoot 14 Fat Ducks Before They Escape!” was the billboard I was greeted with upon entering. I figured it was another challenge round, so I quickly accepted.

It revealed itself to be tougher than I thought it would be, as all the ducks had started to multiply into smaller, faster ducks after shooting them. Eventually, however, I was able to get it, as the massive “GREAT!” appeared on screen, followed by the dog once again doing its little dance. 

I thought I had won, but then noticed a sign for a new challenge had popped up: “DUCKSANITY: Don’t let 10 ducks get past you!”

Seemed easy, it was just the original premise after all. 

Alas, I was able to gun the ducks down with little to any problem, with the dog doing it’s casual cheering and waving.

The “GREAT!” sign appeared on screen again as I was once again booted from the game.

As I stared, another ad for the game started to play, this time with a woman in a bar as she spoke in a charming voice, “Tanner… A lot has changed in six years.”

Tanner responded, “I guess so.”

It was then the man started to play a cheesy song as the girl and him started to get together. 

However, the ad suddenly cut out, with a sign that read, “THERE’S NO ‘I’ IN IOWA     WE’LL BE RIGHT BACK!” 

I almost chuckled at the stupidity of it.

It was then I began Level Six, the game beginning the same way.

It didn’t stay the same way, however…

As Round Three approached, I turned and noticed the dog, staring dead at me, no longer dancing. Similar to the same glare as last time, he kept his glare locked on me.

I was so dead focused on the dog, I forgot to shoot one of the birds. It flew away and I missed the chance to shoot it.

Instantly, the dog went back to what it was programmed to do, facepalming in disappointment, before going back to hopping and dancing around like the glare had never happened.

Stop being paranoid… I thought to myself with a sigh, as I finished up Round Three.

As I finished up the game, I noticed Mom at the table, eating pizza, and then noticed a piece of pizza next to me on the small table… Must’ve been too distracted by the game to notice.

I looked outside, noticing how it had become evening. . 

I quickly thanked Mom for the pizza, took a quick bite, and was about to return to beat Level Seven when I heard a loud beeping coming from the TV.

I turned around, and saw the News channel playing. I stared confused, wondering how it could’ve interrupted my game. Most of the ads, in a way, had been at least somewhat related to Duck Season.

“Tonight on News Channel 6 at 6:00,” The man stated, “The mystery behind the disappearance of several families in the tri county area continues to grow, what investigators are now saying about this bizarre case. Plus, your five day weather forecast and sports! All that, at six!”

And with that, the TV shut off, before going to the results of Level Six, before shifting to the main menu.

I felt weirded out… I hadn’t heard about any disappearances in the area recently. But I decided to shrug it off as I started Level Seven. 

Oddly enough, the round went as normal, no weird instances happening, not even the glare of the dog.

It wasn’t until I finished that something had happened…

The first instance of something truly horrifying. Something the glare of the dog definitely didn’t beat out.

I yawned as I got away from the TV and turned back to Mom, who was doing the dishes, being disrupted by the loud sound momentarily.

I sighed and turned back around to the TV… only to see a new ad had started to play, but there was no music, and it looked like… camera footage.

On the TV, was a boy, a boy with a blue shirt, who was staring at his TV. Long protruding silence followed as I slowly started to feel a grim, sinister feeling.

My throat closed up as I looked around my house, and then finally looked out the window.

Something was out there.

It was big, brown, and had a camera. Before I could make it out, it rushed away, leaving me in a feeling of bitter dread. 

“M-M-M….” I was too scared to even call out my mom’s name, and Mom didn’t seem to hear me, either.

My stomach churned as the happy tune of the Duck Season theme started to play again. 

I didn’t feel like playing anymore…

But something felt as if it was calling me to finish the final level.

I didn’t know what the feeling was, and I didn’t like it… but alas, I started up Level Eight.

It didn’t take me long to notice the dog had straight up vanished. It was no longer prancing around or making sounds, it was just me and the birds.

My heart churned in my stomach, fearing the worst and instantly thinking back to that thing I saw in the window.

Even though the game continued as normal, something was still amiss even by the dog not being there.

…

I stopped, realizing something… Every time I had been immersed into the game, time passed, but the wind was blowing… I looked around…. Then behind me, only to see a huge TV…. with me sitting where my couch was.

And then I saw what was above me, and screamed…

It was the dog, quickly hiding behind the couch.

I quickly stood up. 

What the fuck!?

Crickets were chirping. I was about to turn and scream for Mom, when suddenly an ad played. 

It was a glitched ad, I couldn’t make much out…

But that’s when I heard the kitchen light click behind me.

I turned, and what I saw made me choke out a mix of a scream and a cry.

Mom was laying on the kitchen floor, bloodied and dead, blood splattering the kitchen floor and refrigerator. 

I started to cry, I then turned back, as the tune to the Duck Season menu started playing, but I was no longer greeted by a “PLAY LEVEL NINE” option…

The option this time read, “COME FACE ME”.

I didn’t want to click it.

But I felt like something was up with this game…

That thing I saw out there. This had to be related to that…

So, while letting out a tearful cry, I pressed the “Come Face Me” button.

I found myself… inside the TV, as I saw the gun in my hand and the massive red field in front of me. I looked behind me, and saw the same thing I had at the end of Level Eight… rather… I was sleeping this time.

I noticed a sign, “READY?  DON’T LET THE TV BREAK” 

I stared, confused as all hell, until I shot it to begin the match.

I quickly loaded my gun, as I saw ducks flying toward me instead of their usual flight pattern, I quickly shot at them. Intense music, not mirroring the one I had heard prior, started to play.

However, I noticed something… The dog arose too, its suit now bloodied and stitched like a suit. 

I let out a quick scream and started to shoot at the dog.

The hoard kept coming, appearing and ready to break the TV. I was honestly too scared to ponder what would happen if I were to lose. 

I looked to the right, and noticed what appeared to be a health bar for both the Dog and the Duck, as well as my TV. 

I quickly shot the birds and dogs down, until one duck swung past me and hit the TV screen, cracking it. The TV’s health bar went down to around ¾ of what it was before.

I panicked, but soon began to memorize the pattern, while still stuck in my own grief cycle. 

Eventually, the Dog’s health bar ran out, as the intense music started to quiet down, replaced by the chirps of crickets.

I thought I won for a moment, but was unsure of what to do. My thought process, however, was completely interrupted…

The waves of the lake started to flicker, as a large brown paw emerged, smashing into the rock below, as it started to climb up.

I screamed as I saw the massive brown bipedal appear in front of me. The dog’s eyes started to glow, as it made a fast red laser. 

I didn’t have time to process it, as the TV screen health started going down drastically. I quickly shot at the dog’s eyes, whimpering in pain and covering itself, before trying it’s attempt again.

I quickly attempted to regain my ground and kept shooting at it’s eyes, making every reload as fast as possible.

Eventually, the dog roared in defeat, sinking into the water…

I looked around, ready for anything else that may come…

But nothing did…

Nothing but static, my brain started to itch, my body started to contort as static filled my vision, I almost screamed in pain, but wasn’t able to…

I awoke back in the dark house, the only thing playing being the Duck Season ad I had seen after Round Two, on a repeated loop, stuck on the kid’s “YEAH! DUCK SEASON!” and the mother’s “I don’t know about this…”

I just stared around the room, and then looked at the window, where I saw something sprint past.

I got my gun ready, unsure if it would even do anything… This had to be another dream.

However, on around the tenth or eleventh loop of the ad, it shut off suddenly… and that was when I turned to the window, and screamed. 

The stuffed, bloodied dog was outside, knife in hand, making its way into the house…

I knew then instantly what had happened to my Mom, and it was about to happen to me too. I quickly backed up, pressing the trigger on the gun…

To my surprise, it let out a loud zap, and the dog was hit with the blue beam that sparked out. 

I screamed, and kept shooting at the dog as it aimed closer with the knife. But just as it was about to hit me…

I blasted it for a final time.

It’s body started to contort, flipping around and it’s body moved sporadically, before it suddenly combusted.

Red blood splattered everywhere. 

I then saw a note left on the table, plainly left… I never really figured out what it meant, but I kept the paper with me all this time, in hopes I could one day crack it.

“JZ2Tw6u6yMzeq50J4IevCVBZWRh873T9pZX20PWMTNw=”

It seems to be a piece of code. 

I looked at the game, still mortified about what had happened. I quickly grabbed the game, threw it on the ground, and stomped on it until it had been reduced to nothing but broken electrical circuits.

It was then, with my bloodshot eyes, I called 911.

“911, what’s the state of your emergency?”

“I… it’s my Ma…. I….” I sniffed, staring at my mother’s impaled body. 

It was then I realized that even if I told the operator the truth, they’d never believe me. 

“Hello, are you there?” The operator called. 

They’d never believe what I said. Yes, operator, a dog from a fictional video game killed my mother, please send help.

So eventually, I just… hung up.

It was then I turned to my mother’s body, and carried her outside, tears streaming down my face. 

I then grabbed a shovel, and buried her in a patch of dirt. The tears from my face stained the dirt she was buried under. 

…It was then I knew I couldn’t stay.

I started packing my bags, placing my objects into the bag… I couldn’t just go to Brian’s, the police would find me there. 

I walked out of the house, staring at the dark streets only illuminated by street lights… as I walked out. 

It’s been decades.

It’s been decades since that damned game took everything from me. My mother, my normal life… 

I still miss her.

The therapist told me that writing down everything that happened would help me get over my trauma.

But trauma just doesn’t leave.

It stays. Stays with you, forever.

Despite what they say, I still have nightmares of that dog… and of random other creatures too. Other creatures that just… lurk in the dark. 

I’ll never know what happened that night.

But the one thing I do know…. that game was made with sinister intentions… and I know that dog didn’t just magically pop out of the TV. 

I know.

I know.

I know.