So that was that. We made it home.

Goodnight folks! Thanks for stopping by, hope you enjoyed… take ‘er easy…

What else do you need to know? What happened? Why?

Alright, alright, I guess I’ll let you know what happened next; first off we all agreed to shut down the code. After discussing it over and weighing the options we landed on the thought that if the world existed before it should exist after. I say this because some people were nervous that if we stopped the code now that it was running the real world, the real world would close with it and despite the 0.0001% chance that is COULD happen; Drew and I closed it down successfully and without the world ceasing to exist. Before we did that mind you, we made a few adjustments…

First off, we begrudgingly decided to remove our video-game like stats. It felt weird going from what were essentially super humans to our regular old selves again but honestly I didn’t mind so much at the time; I was ready to be normal again. After that I turned Silas back into Marcus which was also pretty funny to experience. I had gotten really used to seeing him as a little green Goblin that for a little while he felt like an imposter - I can only imagine how he must have felt. Oh, I also changed Jessica’s code back and reviewed a few crucial pieces of information, all of which had interesting results but I’ll explain after. The important bit to know is that we destroyed the copy on my computer as it was too powerful and, well, so far as everyone was concerned the code was gone…

Principal Miller and I parted surprisingly as friends. I say parted but we both knew it wouldn’t be anywhere near forever. What we had shared, albeit brief, was something that no one else could ever relate to. Beyond that, I think he exposing a bit of his fragility towards me it allowed me to understand him and so we each with a bit of a deeper understanding of one another. Additionally, I agreed to meet with him for the last year of school and he agreed that he’d be more open and honest about how he feels and what his intentions were. I didn’t realize but a big reason he had been actively working more with me was because of my parents, they had stepped in and asked him to help me out. After all this they have since respected my want to carve my own path.

Speaking of my parents; well they (thankfully) took a liking to Killian and since he had nowhere to stay and was stuck in a world he didn’t understand, they agreed he could be a part of our family. Uncle Killian is what we call him now and it’s been… weird. I mean, he’s still a dwarf and he’s still the same old Killian – what did you expect? It’s actually quite amazing to see him go about trying to do everyday things; showing him movies and TV has been a crazy whirlwind. Mom has taken away his axe on a number of occasions, one specifically after he tried to help my dad open his beer can with it; Needless to say the house smelled like beer for a week. Despite all that, I’m happy he’s here in truth, as is Marcus.

Marcus, having dropped the assumed name Silas upon returning home and becoming human again, is back to his old self. He doesn’t really seem to treat anything differently and for the most part, acts like the whole thing was a normal outing. He was eager for me to finish Dunn still which I ended up doing over the summer. Since then, we’ve been trying to spend as much time together as possible because, well, I decided to move out after my last year of high school. I had gotten a taste of independence and my parents, despite their initial hesitation, agreed that if I got a job and could afford it, then I could move out. I don’t think they realized exactly the deal they had made because all I had to do was release my game online for $20 bucks a pop and I had more than enough money to find a place.

I rented a two bedroom apartment for Kappa and I to split. It was a place downtown where I could code in peace and start living a more “adult” life. More on Kappa in a second but first, I mentioned there was more with the code and more with Jessica. She didn’t need it but I insisted she be there when I change her code back to how it was. We had been through the mill and already things felt different for us. The world we left was the same upon our return but we were different; much different and Jessica and I had shared something that was entirely unique. Just like Miller and everyone else that had been there in Dunn with us, I knew we would be forever bound… like the fellowship but with fewer Hobbits and no boat goodbyes. The girl I had put on a pedestal, who I had “loved” and “lost”, was now someone I would be forever connected to.

In that realization I also came to terms with the way I had seen her before all this. The hollow “DREAM WOMAN X” persona I had created fictitiously for her; the girl next store box that I had forced her into – they were insulting. She was so much more – people are so much more. The real world doesn’t work like a video game, the stats we assign to NPC’s don’t translate to the real world because people aren’t hollow or flat, and they aren’t shells which we fill with single purposes. The person I love, whomever that may end up being, will be flawed. They won’t be a caricature of my dream girl; they’ll just be a person. Jessica is an amazing person – that much is undisputable; with all the imperfections and faults that comes with being amazing. It was because of this and a lot more, that I included her in the changes to the code.

We were sitting side by side at my computer an odd sense of nervousness between us as I scrolled to her lines. I took a moment to try to explain what the code meant and how it made sense but it was clear that she was uncomfortable with the whole scene so I opted to just get it over with. However, when I scrolled up to the lines they read;

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

lester_dunn_friendship: true

lester_dunn_relationship: false

I arched an eyebrow as Jessica, clearly unaware of the confusion, piped up,

“What’s wrong?”

“The code is how it was before I changed it…” I said as I searched my mind for an explanation, “maybe when we came back to reality it switched back?” I shrugged and turned to her but her eyes only studied the screen. She moved her lips to the side as if to bite the inside of her mouth and then slowly shook her head,

“I think maybe we can still change it ourselves.”

As the words left her lips I knew it was right. No matter what was changed in the code, when it comes to the individual; we still have the power and ability to change it back. It was a realization that sat with both of us for a long moment before turning to each other.

“So that means…” I said and she nodded slowly and with a hint of embarrassment. She smiled with half her mouth and said,

“I’m glad we’re friends Lester.”

I nodded back to her and could tell that it was as far as she wanted to take it… right now. I mean, come on. If we’re free to break our own hearts or dye our hair colour than the code can’t limit us. It was an interesting but almost obvious revelation and made me wonder how much of what she told me at the Black Hand camp was true. We shared that long quiet moment before she changed the subject to something wholly separate.

Jessica - what a girl. We’re still close; I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I still have hope for her and I but for now friendship is perfect. In fact she helped Kappa and I move into our new place, which brings me back to Kappa…

Kappa is my best friend. Someone who I never thought in a million years I’d get to high five or nudge, or hug, or have kiss me… before I deleted the Code I looked at Kappa’s relationship and friendship status with me. I felt conflicted; part of me realized that she was created by me, someone who existed because I hit a few keys on a keyboard. The other part of me knew that she was her own person now; capable of thought, want, need, desire and… well, love. So did we move in together as more than friends? Nah. I’d spent 18 years without a single friend and despite the connection she and I held, I just want to see what it feels like to be someone’s best friend - for a little while at least.

I didn’t tell anyone about the man I had seen across the road before coming back to the real world but I did figure out why I recognized him. As I dumped the contents of my satchel from Dunn I came across the photo I had taken from Graves’s house – the place I found the code and there in the photo, shaking hands with the dead man I had seen in the alleyway, was the face I had seen across the road. Wally was the name written on the photo’s back and for now that was all I had. Why he was there; what those creatures where, why they were there and what they wanted would remain a mystery. I’d had enough adventure for a while.

So… The End. I guess? I mean, that’s my story. I told you, you probably wouldn’t believe me. Don’t care if you do really but it all happened. All of it is in the past and that’s that.

Hmmm? What do you mean? Oh, the code?

No I deleted it remember? I said that before. What did I mean by “so far as everyone was concerned?” Nothing, it’s just a turn a phrase.

It means it’s something people say.

No I mean…. yes I did say I was going to be honest… yes I did say I’d tell you everything… sigh, alright.

I did kept the original code, the one on my USB… but only Kap and I know about it, okay? After the conversation with Drew, Miller and my parents Kappa and I had our own conversation that went something like this:

“Do we really delete the only copy?” Kappa said. I was taken aback; a bit surprised she would even float that as an option.

“What do you mean?” I asked. I could feel my stomach flutter a little bit in excitement.

“Well,” she said, “first off there are a lot of things we can do with that, helpful thing, healthy things…. fun things.” She said with a smile and with that I slipped the copy in my pocket.

I mean come on! Imagine it for second; The Wild West, the Vastness of Space, the perils of a dark and stormy mansion and a murder mystery to solve… it was all too tantalizing and if we only have one go around, might as well as some fun, right? It didn’t take us much time before Kappa and I found a way to use the code in a way that didn’t alter reality but still allowed us to transport ourselves in a variety of worlds. We’re still working out the kinks but… wait, is that her?

Hold on.

The door to the apartment of Kappa Merrigold and Lester Dunn opened with a click and the tall figure of 18 year old Kappa entered struggling with three large bags of groceries. She moved towards the counter and placed the bags down with a thud and a sigh of relief.

“Who were you talking to?” she asked turning to Lester who had been sitting on the couch in his pajamas.

“What do you mean?” he answered. His voice fluttered a bit, a nervous tone she had been programmed to read pick up on. She looked past him at Asta, the wire fox terrier they had purchased the week previous who sat on the foot stool directly in front of him and with a raised eyebrow she turned to him.

“Were you talking to the dog?” she asked with a coy smile.

“What? No!” he said and without pausing added, “and even if I was what’s it to you.” She rolled her eyes and shut the apartment door, “Whatever. Are you ready to try this?”

Lester nodded eagerly and ran over to the large custom PC they had built. It sat along the large wall in the living room. Kappa walked over beside him as he held up two floppy disks; the ones Lester had retrieved from the floorboards of Percy’s Graves’ apartment.

“Murder mystery or Wild West?” he asked with a grin, Kappa smiled back with excitement and said, “You choose this time.”

Lester slid the floppy into their computer and hovered a hand over the enter key.

“You ready for this?” he said and after a beat she nodded.

With a smile, Lester pressed enter.