Game Over - a short story

 Game Over (Fiction 101 Series)

With pockets full of quarters, the boys filled their imaginations with decorated pixels. It was 1983. The girls were there to watch the boys, mostly. Ali was there to watch them all. To observe. She always had a few boys watch her play. One boy brought her a Hershey bar. She took her eyes off the screen for a second and her last space ship blew up. It was the first time she needed a second quarter. She walked outside. The boy followed. Something caught her attention. She looked up and through a rogue cloud she saw the words, Game Over.

 ~

[Click here to read Part 1]

Ali - a short story

 Ali (Fiction 101 Series)

She sat in the dark.

In the arcade after hours, she powered down to recharge. During this time, she traveled around the world and saw all the advancements of mankind. And wars. And unification. And famine. And the first landing on Mars and then Titan. She traveled to her home planet and beyond – eventually to another galaxy. She witnessed the rise and fall of many kingdoms. Then her recharge cycle ended.

Saturday morning came and the arcade opened. Boys and girls flooded inside. It was time to insert coin and play again. The Coors calendar on the wall read, August 1982. 

~

[Click here to read Part 1]

[Click here to read Part 3]

25¢ - INSERT COIN TO PLAY - a short story

 25¢ - INSERT COIN TO PLAY (Fiction 101 Series)

It was 1981. Ali and her friends played video games at the arcade on the boulevard. The room was illuminated by the lights from the screens of ghosts, race cars, ostriches, fireballs and space ships. Her favorite game was Galaga since she preferred the space ships. She was the first to play the game. The boys always thought they could beat her. But with just one quarter she would play all afternoon. Her high score was unreachable, except by her. It was nearly dinner, and her friends needed to leave. The subdermal screen on her left wrist illuminated.

Game Over – Insert Coin!

~

[Click here to read Part 2]