Author Note :
Hi guys, i'm not a native English speaker, and it's my first story. so i hope you take that into consideration and have mercy on me haha.
In fact i appreciate any critics, errors, advices, in general any feedback.
without delaying you, i hope you enjoy my work.
---------------------- THE GAME ---------------------------
Mazen was sitting on a long wooden chair in front of a closed door. you can’t so see through his high, rather you can appreciate his well proportional body. his upper filled fairly his wrinkled button up shirt without much revealing. through the short sleeves protruded a strong arms. His black hair was somehow messy, fitting with his hollowed black eyes in bad way, his olive skin hided a little bit his tired face. Down spread two legs on a dim trousers, pointed with a brown unpolished shoes. all in all indicating a lack of due care.
Sami: “How is your project going ?”
Turning his head, looking along the corridor after the voice’s source, not so far from him two boys were approaching, eyeing Mazen with his brown eye, and a handsome smile on his face was a young man of medium high. His elegant average white built, along with his brown short hairstyle, suit smoothly with his fine classic outfit.
Mazen : “Shouldn’t you ask about me first Sami? say hi maybe!”
Mazen stood up shaking Sami’s hand, both looking the same high, and then he greeted the other guy before they sat next to each other on the chair.
Sami: “I sow you man, you look really ugly, that’s why i want to assure the project that makes you came from bed without looking at the mirror. Haha.”
Mazen: “Well i forget that i have body this last days. that sticky project sucks me dry, anyway you can say we, no I reached the safe zone.”
Sami: “Wait! don’t tell me that dumbass Fahd didn’t help you out ? where is he by the way ?”
Mazen: “Would i be like this if he does! i don’t think he will come, better if he doesn’t.”
Sami: “Why?”
Mazen: “You know him man he doesn’t know much, and the supervisor doesn’t get bored of stabbing at the teamwork’s point, as if it was the problem.”
Sami: “He will complain about his absence, wouldn’t he?”
Mazen: “He will but once, but If Fahd is here he will find many chances to. i don't know but people like to focus on criticism opportunities, maybe because it's easy”
Sami: “What the hell is he doing anyway, this is the graduation year man ?”
Mazen: “He is not from this world, carefree as ever, perhaps he is playing or dating, as if we are on holidays.”
Sami: “Then what will you do the day of presentation, you will be in trouble if he performs bad.”
Mazen: “Well, we are in touch online i always send him the progresses, as he take care at least of the report. And we meet from time to time. So i thinks he will do well.”
They sat there chatting about the project, and other stuff while waiting for the supervisor.
Mazen: “oh man the graduation’s day is near, but i can only see my doom’s days approaching.”
Sami looked at him wondering, seems he didn’t catch what he implies.
Mazen: “What? Feigning ignorance, I don’t have the slightest idea what am i supposed to do after graduation.”
Sami: “maaan why are you pessimistic when you have yet to try your chances.”
Mazen : “What? I didn’t try!! i tried man, i tried, and that’s why i can’t help but worry. I couldn’t even find a good training let alone work. i hardly accepted any bone thrown my way to meet the university graduation terms.”
Mazen: “What about you, was your training good? Forget it, you said before that you got one in HTG Electronics.”
Sami: “Yes, my father commended me to an acquaintance there, so they take good care of me, it was beneficial.”
Mazen: “You have the right to be optimistic you bastard. not everyone is as lucky as you. I don’t have papa. all the training I got myself either a farmer where they took advantage of me, and distract me with unrelated tasks. Or an exile where they left me struggle on my own on a random project. So a job, how the hell am i supposed the find one if I can’t even find a decent training for some experience.”
A pair of student get out of the room, signaling to the awaiting trio that the next groupe should enter, before leaving.
Mazen: “I am going first, pray for me”
Sami smiled giving him a joking encouragements before he got in the room. It was an empty classroom except for man setting behind an ordinary desk. He was in his fifties years, looking healthy with a thin body pointing out his tall limbs.
On his sharp nose, mid rested a round glasses, as Mazin entered the room, he leaned his head a little bit, eyeing him up. Noticing Fahd’s absence, he didn’t hesitate to throw his critics’ thorns and his unnecessary advices concerning the teamwork importance, as if he was his friends babysitter. Anyway he was seeing it coming so he he tried to turn him off with some stupid lies that he learned because of this repeated situation, it seems people prefer excuses even lies to finish the act, as if they play a theatrical scene. Anyway he said to him that he has toothaches. afterward he didn’t seem to have much to argue about. So he just go through the pages asking or pointing out some minor errors, then he finishes with his favorite again, the teamwork problem before he let him out.
“Any injuries ? haha!”
Mazen: “Don’t worry, i dodged his offense very well.”
Sami: “What are you gonna do now ?”
Mazen: “Back home. i will meet with Fahd this afternoon to settle things down. Anyway, see you latter, the supervisor is waiting for you.”
Sami: “Ok, see you.”
Sami and his friend got in the room while Mazen headed outside striding through the corridor.
The sun turned west at the same rise from the ground as it was this morning to the east, it was about 5 pm, Mazen stooped in front of a coffee shop, the glass facade was surrounded with black marble tiles, on witch rested a metallic sign at the top, with tides as the name. The door was slid open. The bar counter was also on black marbles. While the interior view expand with different sitting styles here and there, giving it an unusual look. He headed straightforward to a stairs at the center leading to second floor, as he ascended he looked right and left, he stopped as he saw a guy in a corner. he was wearing a partial immersing VR goggles, sitting calmly on the corner. he walked his way, then sat next to him tapping on his shoulder trying to get his attention. soon Fahd took off his headset with a waking up like green eyes.
He was wearing a Hawaiian blue set with an aloha shirt on a floral swimming trunks. tanned with the sun, he seems already on vacation, having fun in the beach. he looks funny with his kind of round carefree face, and curly red hair sprouted on it.
Mazen 'i accepted my fate, but it really piss me off to see him'
Fahd: “hi Mazen, have you heard about the new game?”
Mazen: “What game! We don’t have time for games.”
Fahd: “That’s why you look awfully tired. Take a bit of rest and breath dude.”
Mazen: “I would have if you had helped me, i envy your carelessness, you even have the time for games.”
Fahd said as if he didn’t heard a thing, no it’s as if was asked something.
Fahd: “Well it's a new revolutionary technology along with an awesome idea, it’s the hot topic these days. well locked up people, can’t help it.”
Mazen: “Stop diverging us Mr. freeman, this is our last meeting, we have to conclude things today. I will not help you afterward, i have to prepare my speech calmly for the presentation.”
Fahd: “I know but just listen to this one, i know you will love it, they found a great idea, we all love adventures right! but we can’t wage one for real, and adventures in the VR games, no matter how realistic, they lack the fear, the fear of death. guess what! the company was able to afford us the opportunity to risk our lives for real, an opportunity for real death.”
This rascal is hopeless, nevertheless he managed to draw my attention, got me with this weird nonsenses.
Mazen: “Cut the mysteries. how is that possible ? what, a crazy criminals death island, or some war zone. who is stupid enough to go die insignificantly, just for adventure's spirit.”
Fahd: “Well, I've said it’s a game, didn’t i! you missed this point though. But the question is what makes it real then tada!, in fact you will not know that it’s a game.”
Mazen: “Nonsense. I know about it now, so how i wouldn’t know afterward, Wait…. don’t tell me!”
Fahd: “Yes man, if you guessed it right the company has developed a technology that can control your memories, your recent ones to be precise. in other word they will make you forget all your recent memories temporarily including anything about this game. So it’s like they will send you back in time for a little bit, and you will like kind of enter a parallel world line due the future changes hahaha.”
Mazen: ‘Damn, this rascal always sidetracks. But this one honestly worth it.’
Mazen: “Really, damn this is awesome, i can see tremendous prospects for this tech. Most importantly what’s the game about? ”
Fahd: “Well are you ready my friend? Hold your bread man. I’m about to drop another bomb.”
Fahd: “Exhaaaaale, inhaaaaaale, exhaaaaale, inhaaaaaale.”
Mazen: “You just said hold your breath, damn it, spit it out already.”
Fahd: “Ok ok, It's an apocalypse man, a zombie apocalypse damn.”
Mazen: “I don’t care anymore about the project, damn it, i will buy it now no matter what, Amm..! how much are we talking about ?”
Mazen looked at him shrinking his nose, anticipating as if he is about to be pricked with a syringe.
Fahd: “Well, about that there are two news, bad and good. What do you prefer first?”
Mazen: ‘Shit, i knew a glad tiding as this will not be good to the end. as long as there is bad news there is no doubt that it will ruin the whole thing’
Mazen: “Let's hear the bad first.”
Fahd: “Well in order to play the game you have to go through a test.”
Mazen: ‘Damn I knew that the bad would spoil the fun. Test are only for influential and exceptionally talented people, I'm not either.’
Mazen: “Screw you all day, do you have to heighten my expectation for nothing. now I don’t even have the urge to continue our work, you ruined my day.”
Fahd: “hahah, It's not like you imagine, it’s not difficult. Of course first you have to undergo a medical test to evaluate your fortitude susceptibility. Amm I forgot that even this test might be too much for you.”
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
Mazen: “Come i have some punches for you, they may changes your opinion.”
Fahd: “No, not that, Haha. I mean the mental aspect. You are a coward man, only girls make you shrink, let alone zombies.”
Mazen: “Cut the crap, that's different, and who said i can’t talk with them, i can’t be romantic that’s all?”
Fahd: “You can’t talk anything but study, otherwise you became a comical rock.”
Mazen: “Fine, so where were we?”
Fahd: “The test, it’s actually easy, only if you are a good man though.”
Mazen: “Then how do i look to you bastard ?”
Fahd: “My friend, you have to prove that you aren’t not pervert.”
Mazen: “This is a problem that you have to be concerned about not me.”
Fahd: “No no no it’s lonely people like you that hide their lonely perverted tendencies.”
Mazen: “where the hell did you come up with this bullshit ideas.”
Fahd: “Well what would we expect of you doing alone for a long time. Only weird stuff.”
Mazen: “Yeh that's right, from the perspective of your perverted mind, it's true. anyway focus man, what do they need the good man test for?”
Fahd: “the company intends to broadcast the gameplay as serie, i don’t know the details but they didn’t want anyone like you in the show”
Mazen: “We will see, anyway i think that I can pass this test, if not exaggerated.”
Fahd: “Doubt hah, it look like you admit some.”
Mazen: “What I'm saying is that I'm not perfect, I'm confident of my morals but as a man … well that’s normal, so what kind of perversion specifically are we talking about.”
Fahd: “Haha, as man what, continue, continue. Don’t worry I understand your illnesses, i will keep your secrets, it’s my duty as a friend.”
Mazen: “Your duty is to help me in our project.”
Mazen: ‘No doubt he will return to the point now Haha’
Fahd: “Well they do not want a rapist. Are you?”
Mazen: “If you were a girl, sure I would.”
Fahd: “ugh, disgusting, it’s not like yours.”
Mazen: “Why ask ugly question then. Only if they are after a saint, I’m quite sure i can pass this test, I'm fired up now, tell me the good news now ?”
Fahd: “I don’t see any fire, hmm, it must be there, fast man go and dip it into some water. Otherwise, you would find it difficult to sit from now on, and work on your lovely project.”
Mazen: “It’s our project, or should i tell the supervisor that i worked on it alone.”
Fahd: “Don’t hold grudges man, you started it. So let give you some good news now. first of all the game is free, in fact you will be even payed if your gameplay is chosen. And now for the main event, drumroll please,
the game will be a contest, whoever survive till the end will share 5 percent of the profits of the game.”
Mazen: “Oh God, this is fantastic, that little five certainly hides many full zeros to the right. This time, you really did come with good news.”
Mazen: “by the way, by surviving you mean we can’t die.”
Fahd: “Exactly, a real death, didn’t i tell you!”
Mazen: “This will be difficult, but very exciting. Will you participate?”
Fahd: “Of course. Do you need to ask this really!”
Mazen: “Yah stupid, i agree, it just come out. most importantly when this is gonna start, please tell me that it’s all after the project presentation. This is the last piece of the the masterpiece, Make it good.”
Fahd: “The game is gonna start after our presentation, but sorry man the test is a part of the bad news that i forget to tell you, it’s at the same day of the presentation.”
Mazen’ eyes started twitching.
Mazen: “No way man, stop the damn joke.”
Fahd: “I am not joking man, you can check it for yourself now.”
Fahd run for his life at seeing Mazen facial changes while Mazen throws him with his notebook at hand. following him at same time.
Mazen: “Didn’t I told you to tell me the bad news first, why the hell did you have to raise the my expectations, today I'll kill so i can rest at peace.”
Fahd: “Wait man wait, Hahahahaha, you can drop the presentation man it’s not that important….. ok! it a joke, joke.”
Mazen: “Don’t play on my nerves anymore, i am at my limits.”
Fahd: “Well test starts first of july at 9 am.”
Mazen: “This is exactly the time of our presentation. ll kill you know.”
Fahd: “Joke joke.”
Mazen: “You've lost your last chance.”
Fahd: “It’s a week after, so don’t worry, work in relief.”
Mazen 'this bastard is funny, unless as a project teammate.'
Mazen: “Ok good, and by the way i’m done, all is left is you, i did my part so do yours. your language is good as well as your editing skills. so use them well man, refine those documents, and let’s finish this last year peacefully.”
Fahd: "don't worry, leave it to me"
When the hours reached 8, they collect their belongings before they leave the cafe.
Mazen: “Send me the files before we validate them with the supervisor, i will help you verify them for the last time.”
Fahd: “You just want to be sure I have been working on them, aren't you?”
Mazen: “That's for sure, you think i don’t know you. But i just wanna make sure to catch any misunderstanding that you might have for the last time before it’s too late.”
Fahd: “This days of solitude charged you up man, I didn’t know that you were so bossy and talkative, since we started this project, you got me tired dude.”
Mazen: “Well, I apologize for all what I have said and I will even explain your suffering to professors, the day of the presentation.”
Fahd: “What do you mean ?”
Mazen: “I will tell them that you were wresting you ass the whole time, and i am the villain that ruined your peaceful life.”
Fahd: “Oh man since we started this project, you got problems taking jokes, you have to regain your humor sense man.”
Mazen: “Well I'm sorry, since we started this project, i have been left alone with electronic devices and its binary logic, so i became emotionally dull like it. You know they say he who hangs around with wolves learns to howl.”
Fahd: “Ok ok, i get it, sorry i will work on it hard. don’t worry, happy now!”
Mazen: “If you didn’t finish off that damn report and presentation by the validation day. I will spit everything out at his face.”
After five months of research and continuous work which intensified pace as deadline was approaching, after skipping many hurdles jumping out of nowhere, stopping the project progress, tightening the knots in his stomach, he finally felt comfortable now that he is sort ready.
He returned to his home. as he opened the door, he found his mother watching TV as usual at this time, those impossible romantic series.
‘I can’t understand why there is even people watching this nonsense. to be truthful it hooks me sometimes while eating my meals, but only with anger, so i sit criticizing those unreasonable scenarios, but i have to unpleasantly agree that In matters of taste, there can be no disputes.’
“Hi mom”
She greeted him in return before she turned her sight fast back to the screen. he smiled as usual from this act then went straight to his room.
He live in a small apartment about 80 meter square, as you enter, you found an open square space, most of it for the sitting room, while the rest was for the kitchen and the toilet. walking accross the square, he entered a narrow corridor, his room was to the right while his small brother’s room against it, finally at the end was his parent's room.
He puts his touchpad case on the office. He opened the wardrobe, took out some clothes, put the towel over his shoulder, then went to the bathroom.
“My mind couldn’t remember clearly the last time i bathed, it’s kind of confused due to all the information and pressure that he bore this last days. it’s time to give this body some attention.”
Taking off his shirt, he looked at himself admiring his body as usual every time he meets it on the mirror, testing out his muscles. He has the physique around middleweight boxer, with a broad shoulders and strong unexaggerated muscles.
“Well my face looks a bit tired but fortunately my appetite never leaves me, so at least i didn’t lose weight, After the graduation I'll make sure to focus on training a little bit, my muscles started to lose their luster.”
After he had finished the bath, he got directly to the kitchen, took a bottle of milk from the fridge, put some pies in the microwave for a few minutes, then he took them and sat at a small table in the kitchen. He Moved his shoulders, closing his eyes while a pleasing smile floated on his face, taking a deep breath letting it out with a sounds of relief.
“Ahhh man, how good is this feeling of comfort after a hot bathing, especially after a tiring days, which i happen to gather a lot of them, it just got perfect with a nice meal in a complete tranquility, this is life.”
‘It felt as if all my worries washed off with that bath, all the stress that i accumulated dissipated as if never was. The only witness of its existence are the curves circling around my eyes, spreading lightly through my face, but soon i will regain my shape.’
After he finished his meals, he headed back to his room. He thought about checking the game his friend mentioned, but his eagerness for a sleep won over his excitement for the game.
“Let’s let it for tomorrow, what I needed now is to sleep and nothing else. I feel that this is a day of the prophecy, the promised deep sleep”
It's been a long time since he was able to deep comfortably without any concerns, so he make sure to close the window curtains , disable the alarm, and so he slept like a baby embracing his lovely companion, his dear pillow.
thanks for reading, and don't forget some feedback, even lol :)