Ding!... Ding!... Ding!...

"Ehhh" I was too tired to be angry. I grabbed the connectors and disconnected myself.

"Hey Daniel its Tina." Opening my eyes I realized that I must have missed something. I was still in my chair built for the True Death, but I somehow was logged out. "are you just waking up or something." How late were you in VR?

I meant to say I don't know, but it must have came out wrong or groggy because she laughed pretty hard and told me I had just ten minutes till they dragged me out of the chair for some food. We decided to meet up at one of those southwest style burrito places.

I slowly looked around and decided that the shower would have to wait. In the mean time I rolled over to the dresser and removed my clothes.

I still remember the amazing feeling of walking around and especially the amazing feeling of rolling around with the camp follower. Tears built up in my eyes like pools of rain and cascaded down running across my cheek and onto the floor. Unable to do anything about it I realized that now was not the time to get stuck up on the past. My wonderful wife was gone and I needed to move forward once and for all.

Tina was waiting for me downstairs and we went over a few blocks. Dave was already at the burrito place with seats and I realized that I was starving. Being the VR world I must have forgotten to log out and eat or drink. The lack of food was killing me. Now I am happy the machine forced me to log out and at least let me rest for a while. I wonder when I actually logged out.

"How was the game Daniel?" I looked up at him dragging my mouth away from inhaling the last quarter of my second burrito. He smiled knowingly as I grunted impatiently, but fought back my rude responses and smiled back.

"It was great." I didn't want to get into details about what I was doing or my extracurricular activities.

"Have you guys gotten into the game? I think you both would really enjoy it and I could use the support on my way to world domination lol." They laughed and nodded.

"We ordered the game and are logging on this evening. We really should meet up eventually. " I don't know how to really talk about the game with people who have yet to experience it. I don't want to sound too excited like a nerd or fanboy or something so I keep myself restrained.

"you love it don't you. I can see your already addicted." Daniel smiles at his insight and I grunt in response, but cannot hide my smile.

"so I think I already found a cheat." this drew Daniel's attention, but Tina seemed to not understand the gravity of what I had said.

"I created a religion..." there was silence. Not sure how I anticipated this being accepted. "In the game everything is so weird, and you know how I am always taking the lord's name and cursing or praying right?."

"well I kind of created christianity..." Daniel looked confused and Tina frowned. "explain, now."

Tina was the type of person who took her faith seriously and Daniel wasn't much better than her. There was an awkward silence broken only by a special bulletin on television.

"jihadist attack church in Michigan." I turned my chair so I could better see the commotion.

"It looks like the terrorist was a young man who attended a local mosque near Anne Arbor. He was attending the University of Michigan and was enrolled in their political science program. " the young woman looked visibly shaken as she continued. "ten people were killed and there are numerous others in critical condition at the local hospital. Keep them and their families in your prayers."

It seems that the young man, who is an avid gamer, recently began playing True death the newest game for VR. This same young man found out that christianity had spread to the video game. " We are still sitting there with everyone else in the restaurant in shocked silence.

"It seems that this was punishment for western heretics daring to distribute their heretical ways to what he called "his perfect world"." I am cycling between anger, sadness and incredulity.

"There have been several other outcries from teenagers in the Middle East and Africa about death to christians in True Death and in real life."

Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

"Americans are warned by the state department to not reveal their identity should they get involved in a virtual reality war of faith. This is Melissa Oulette reporting from Detroit, Michigan.

"Lets not talk here and lets go to my place." they both nod and we realize that I have stumbled into the middle of something dangerous.

"I really need both of your help." they looked at me expectantly for more information. I decided to open up and tell them everything from how amazing the experience was to how it felt having sex in VR. I left nothing to shame.

Ding...Ding...Ding...

I stopped my story and went to grab the telephone. "hello?" Why do I and most people say hello like when they know someone is on the line because it stopped ringing?

"Is this Daniel?"

"yes"

thank lord its you. I need you to immediately pack your things. We have reason to believe that you location has been compromised and terrorist may be on route to your home. We have a team on route to attempt to extract" I wasn't have any more of this and I interrupted.

"Screw off and try your BS with someone with time to waste."

Click.

I set the phone down and restarted my story. Dave and Tina were looking terrified as turned the news back on again. It was one of those awful interview where three people and a cohost had a yelling contest to determine the winer. No one actually debated, just repeated catchphrases and delivered zingers.  

_____

"virtual reality is going to lead to world war three. look at this terrorist from Michigan. There has never been any secret that these Muslims desire our deaths."

<30-60 year old Black Man>

You can't make those generalizations Sandy. The Muslim American populations cannot be generalized in such a manner. That being said, there have been countless attacks in the virtual world on followers of christ and security is being implemented at churches where none was necessary before. Many of our Muslim and Christian American brothers are against such violence.

Why do people care so much about virtual reality. This shouldn't change anything.

"The global jihad espoused by Osama bin Laden and other contemporary extremists is clearly rooted in contemporary issues and interpretations of Islam. It owes little to the Wahhabi tradition, outside of the nineteenth-century incorporation of the teachings of Ibn Taymiyya and the Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah into the Wahhabi worldview as Wahhabism moved beyond the confines of Najd and into the broader Muslim world.

That boy was a killer and I am glad he is dead! We need to protect our children and families and right to bare arms!

______

Ding...Ding...Ding....

"Stop calling"

Click

Ding...Ding...Ding....

Ding...Ding...Ding....

"Is this Daniel" this voice was new and it sounded foreign. I didn't recognize the broken english or the voice.

"yes..."

Knock, knock, knock

"Daniel open up! this is father Samuel and I am with the security team sent by the archdiocese of Detroit. We believe the terrorist will be here any moment." this is the voice from the phone.

Tina was sacred now, but Dave was already breaking out my guns and handing each of us an ammo clip and an unloaded semiautomatic pistol. Tina took hers, still shaking, and ran through a proper gun check by clearing the chamber and stepping up into position.

I was nearly useless here so I pulled myself into a flanking position and let Dave move towards the door. No matter how light his footsteps were I could have heard it down the hallway with my relatively empty living room and the older, but nice hardwood floors.

He peeped through the lookout and opened the door.