Zoey loved bowling. It was one of her favorite things. It reminded her of all the summer nights spent at the bowling alley that her dad owned. She thought the sound she heard was bowling, but there was no crash of pins. Was it ski ball? It sounded too loud to be ski ball.

Come to think of it, she realized everything sounds louder than usual. The 80’s video game music felt like it was blaring from speakers at a rock concert…

“Ugghhh,” she groaned and forced her eyes open. Her head was lying on a table, and everything looked so fuzzy, out of focus. Did she forget to put her contacts in? Where was she? Through the fuzziness, she recognized a restaurant setting. There was a table across from her. A family ate at the table. On the other side of them, she saw the outline of what looked like arcade machines.

As she pushed herself into a sitting position, she heard a voice across from her. It was British and male from what she could tell. “Ah, good. You are awake. Usually, the process takes three days. I wasn’t expecting you so soon. Pete will be happy to see you.”

The usual process takes three days? Pete? What does any of this have to do with… When Zoey looked to the voice across the table, she stopped midsentence. “You’re that cat in the tree, but you’re a person… Are you a person? Everything looks super fuzzy right now.”

“Ah, yes…it is fuzzy because of your contacts. You won’t need them anymore.” The cat said.

“This is one crazy dream.” Zoey shook her head.

“It’s not a dream.” The cat assured. “My name is Max. Pete and I go way back. I thought he could use your help. Will you help him?”

“What’s going on?” Zoey asked. “What you’re saying doesn’t make sense. Pete hates cats…”

“That’s a hurtful thing to say.”

“…and even if he didn’t hate cats, talking cats aren’t a thing. They don’t exist.”

“Talking humans don’t exist,” Max replied. “See. That doesn’t feel good, does it? It hurts feelings. To be honest, I expected better from a friend of Pete.”

“Okay, I’m sorry,” Zoey didn’t feel sorry, but she realized it was better to appease the cat and figure out what was going on. “Where am I?”

“Take out your contacts and see for yourself.” The cat replied.

“Fine,” Zoey thought the idea of taking out her contacts and seeing better didn’t make any sense. Then she remembered how it worked for Spiderman. As she removed both lenses from her eyes, the world came to her in perfect clarity. She was in a Pizza and Games, and everything looked clear. It wasn’t like 20/20 vision clear. It was like her eyes could zoom in and out. She could see across the room like she had a pair of binoculars.

Her sense of smell seemed sharper, too. The smell of pizza was overwhelming. Through that smell, she could smell the soda in the fountain machine.

“Do you see better now?” Max asked. She realized he was wearing a pink tank top with a lizard wearing sunglasses in its center. She looked at her own shirt. It was the same tank top. Max repeated. “I hope you see better now?”

“I can see.” She answered, asking with an unusual calmness. “Why am I in a Pizza and Games? Why am I speaking with a cat at a Pizza and Games?”

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“Would you prefer to be talking to their mascot mouse?” The cat slumped back, lifting his hand and wiggling a finger in the air. “I assure you that he is an excruciatingly boring mouse. He wears the hat to compensate. It’s the same with the bear and the guitar. I am by far the most interesting animal here.”

“You mentioned Pete,” Zoey remembered. “What does Pete have to do with this?”

“You are familiar with isekai’s, right?” Max inquired. When Zoey nodded yes, he continued. “I teleported Pete to another world to become its savior. After one day there, it became apparent to me that he would need some help. That’s why you are here. Will you help Pete on his journey? Help might be too soft a word. Will you complete his quest for him? I am confident he can’t do it alone.”

“Pete is more capable than you think. He’ll be able to do what needs done.” She assured.

“He couldn’t even close the prompt windows.” Max held back a laugh. “It was great entertainment for sure, but not the trait of a world savior.”

“Close the prompt window?” Zoey raised an eyebrow.

Max regained his composure. “Here is the deal. If you and Pete save the world known as Round, I will return you to your world known as Earth. I’ll even return you to the time before I took you. Sound good?”

“Sounds like fun,” Zoey said. “But before you send me there, how about some air hockey?”

“Air hockey?” Max wrinkled his furry cat forehead. “I’m sure that isn’t necessary.”

“Oh, and I’m sure it is,” Zoey explained. “My dad always said never to do business with someone until after you’ve played them in air hockey. It can tell you a lot more about someone than you realize.”

“That can’t be true.” Max glared. “Your dad did not do that.”

“I assure you, Mr. Max. This is as true as the sky is blue. I mean during the day. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a blue sky. Ya know, ‘cause I sleep during the day.”

“Fine,” Max Relented, swinging his legs out from the booth and standing. “When I win, you go to that other world, though.”

Zoey laughed, standing and following Max through the restaurant. They passed children at play and arcade games until they came to the air hockey table. Zoey answered. “When I win, I go to that other world. No way will you beat me.”

Max put two quarters into the machine, and it buzzed to life as the two took their places on each side of the machine. The puck came out on Zoey’s side. She took it with her left hand, placing it on the table, using her other hand to take up her paddle. Then she fired a shot toward the goal where Max defended, ricocheting the shot off the right wall.

At that point, she realized something was wrong. The puck inched along at a painful, slow pace. It wasn’t the usual power she put behind her signature shot. Instead, it reminded her of a four-year-old hitting the puck for the first time. How had she messed up to such an enormous degree?

The puck crawled along. One inch. Two inches. After what seemed like ten seconds, it reached Max’s goal, and it slipped past him. Did he let it go in?

“Lucky shot.” He glared. That response made it seem like he didn’t let her score.

He took the puck and shot it toward her. The second he hit it, she began to focus, and the puck slowed again. Then she concentrated on the cat, and the cat slowed too. She watched as his eyes widened with excitement, a smile forming on his face. She hadn’t hit the puck slow. Everything was moving in slow motion. Either that, or she was moving at a supernatural speed with inhuman reflexes.

When Zoey looked back down at the puck, it crawled in her direction. Instead of blocking it. She hammered her paddle atop the puck, pinning it to the table before aiming a straight shot at Max’s goal. The puck flew past Max’s paddle. “That’s two goals to none.” She told him, unsure of how she’d acquired her slow-motion skills. At the time, it didn’t matter, though. What did matter was how she was winning.

Max growled and shot again.

This time, she waited until the puck was near and slammed it back in Max’s direction. She scored again. “This is too easy.” She laughed.

“Don’t they teach sportsmanship on Earth? You could be a good winner.” Max lectured.

“You’re right.” Zoey apologized. “I’m sorry. I mean, I’ve never played air hockey with such an awesome talking cat before.” She added the last part because she decided it would be cool to have a talking cat as a friend.

Their game continued until Zoey reached seven points, making her the winner. More important to her, Max practiced impeccable sportsmanship the whole time. It taught her what she needed to know about the mysterious cat.

“Are you ready to go now?” Max asked.

“I am.” Zoey smiled.

“Good,” Max lifted his hand and snapped his fingers, creating a white light that engulfed Zoey.