In my English PreAP class, we read Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card as one of our AP novels. My teacher gave us an assignment to write a short story relating to the Giant's Drink game in the novel. The Giant's Drink game is a game that came with Ender's computer. He controlled a very life-like replica of himself in the game and had to face his worst fears and try to achieve his greatest goals. We had to write a story about ourselves stumbling across the game and how it affected us. My teacher gave me a B- on it. I had two typos and didn't fully explain some things, but overall she liked it. So I want you to read it and give me a grade on it according to what you think I deserve. Without further distractions, here is my story.
The Second Form
It had been nearly three days since I had done anything of constructive value. Ever since my father got hospitalized from sudden lung failure, nothing has happened around the house. Mother does nothing but sulk and worry all day. It isn't fair -- my birthday is today and neither Mom nor I have prepared for it. I'm sure that my friends will do something for me. They always do. The question is, though, will I be in a good enough spirit? Will I thank them for wishing me a happy birthday, or will I just walk away?
A loud crashing noise downstairs knocked me out of my thoughts.
"Mom," I yelled as I hurried down the stairs.
"What happened?" The dog had knocked over one of our expensive art pieces. A scowl formed on my face as I slowly climbed the stairs to get my things; it was almost time to leave for school.
"Put that thing outside, Mom. We have to go!" My mother grabbed her car keys, her thick winter coat, and scolding the dog on the way out, headed to the car. I followed her at a distance, my head bowed and eyes glued to the ground. This car ride was not going to be enjoyable.
* * *
The instant Taylor saw me, she screamed out, "Happy birthday, Valerie!" Everything went downhill from there. Before I knew it, I was being assaulted with hugs and greetings. The bad thing about having a friend in every class is that they tell the teacher it's you birthday and then everyone starts to sing "Happy Birthday" to you. I hate it. I hate the attention. I wish I could just blend in with everything like a chameleon; be hidden. I smiled at the thought; if only that was possible.
There were only five minutes left until school was over. No one gave me any gifts of cards, but I'm okay with that. At least they didn't forget about it being my birthday. I impatiently glanced at the clocked, counting the seconds until the bell would ring. Just as I started to pack up, Mrs. Sanderson called on me.
"Neko, what did you get for number twelve?"
"Um…" I froze and stared at her. "I got… um…" I started flipping through the many papers of my binder.
"We still have time left before the bell rings. Do not pack --" The bell cut her off in mid-sentence. I hurried out of the classroom and down the hall. I wanted to get out of that building as fast as I could. Before going downstairs and to the parking lot, I made sure to give Kyle a hug like I do every day every IPC. I made no eye contact with anyone else on my way out, even if they called my name. I had no interest in talking to anyone. I wasn't really in the mood to deal with people.
A chilly winter breeze slapped me in the face as I pushed open the doors to freedom. I greeted my mom with a fake smile as I crawled into the passenger seat.
"How was school?"
"Good." It was the daily after school conversation.
"I got you a birthday present." My mom smiled brightly at me. "It's at home on your bed. I think you'll really enjoy it."
"Thanks, Mom." Even though it was a small smile, it was a real one. The anticipation was killing me. Thoughts of what she got me went through my head. Was it that CD I wanted? Or maybe it was a new outfit? Oh! Maybe it was some money! The entire thirty minute ride home was spent imagining what she could have got me. When we got home, I instantly flew to my room. I noticed that not only had my room been cleaned and my bed made up, but resting on top of my blanket was a silver laptop. A high-pitched squeak could be heard throughout the house.
"Thank you, Mom! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I hugged the laptop and jumped up and down. My mom smiled and pointed to my new computer.
"There's a game that came with it. It was called something like, 'Second Form'. It looked fun." I took note of that and rushed back up to my room to customize the desktop. Right when I started it up, a small window appeared at the middle of the screen. It was asking me whether or not I wanted to start Second Form. I shrugged and clicked 'Yes'. Soft music started to play in the background as the game loaded. A tiny figure appeared on the screen.
"Hey! That looks like me! Whoa… It looks exactly like me. That's kind of weird." I shrugged it off and read the introduction quickly. Within a few minutes, I was deeply involved with the game. My character was in the middle of a barren desert. The sky was not blue, but grey with static. The sand was blood red with black rocks scattered around. Dark grey clouds were caressing the horizon and on those clouds sat mourning angels. Everything was silent except for the low drone of the skinny cyclones in the distance.
A shiver went down my spine as a spider crawled past my look-alike. The graphics on the game were amazing. It was as if I was actually in the game. One of the giant spiders suddenly stopped and then lunged at me. It wasn't the fact that a giant spider was coming to the screen that scared me, but the fact that the spider's head was that of my most hated person; Nikki Patterson. I jumped back from the game and watched in horror as Nikki gnawed my head off. Crawling slowly back to the screen, I gazed intently at the spider's head.
"Mom, this game is starting to freak me out!" I ran down the stairs, jumping over the last two steps.
"I'm in the game, Mom! So are the faces of people I know! What's wrong with it? Can it read my mind or something? Is it a joke?" My mom stared at me like I had lost my mind. I could tell that she wasn't going to believe me. Instead of arguing with her for hours, I told her to forget it and then went back to my room.
Carefully I picked up the laptop. There I was, still decapitated and being circled by the demented arachnid. I clicked on the 'Start Over' button and tried again. The second time I saw the spiders, there was more of them. Each spider sported the head of someone I disliked. Another shiver went down my spine. The Nikki spider jumped at me again, but this time I was ready. With a single stroke of the sword, I sliced her in half. All at once the other spiders jumped at me. I defeated them with a twirling and jumping move. All of the arachnid carcasses disappeared, leaving me alone again.
"Ha! That made me feel better. Now if only that could happen in real life," I mumbled under my breath and through a smirk.
"Onward I go!" I played the game for three hours after the spider massacre. The game had gotten increasingly more difficult. And the harder the difficulty, the more realistic it got. My character was sitting at an oasis in the dessert. There in the oasis was a riddle-giving Sphinx. No matter how hard I thought, I couldn't solve the riddles it threw at me. Every time I guessed incorrectly, it would take away one of my friends one-by-one. The only people left were my closest friends. At the laptop, my hands were shaking and tears were in my eyes. I couldn't lose. If I lost I'd be alone. Once more, the Sphinx repeated the riddle.
"I am slim and tall, many find me desirable and appealing. They touch me and I give a false good feeling. Once I shine in splendor, but only once and then no more. For many I am “to die for”. What am I?" I strained my brain to think of an answer. I've guessed five times already and each time I was wrong.
"What could it be… Slim, tall, shines only once, and is to die for…" I stared into the Sphinx's eyes on the monitor.
"Oh! I know!" My fingers nimbly typed out the answer I came to. The Sphinx stood up and looked down at me.
"That is correct. The answer is a cigarette. Many people desire the artificial nirvana. Once you light it, you cannot reuse it. After a while, it will wear away at your lungs. Congratulations, you may pass." Just as I was about to walk past the Sphinx, it devoured my remaining friends. I could not hold in the surprised cry that was lodged in my throat. I had won fairly, so why did the Sphinx consume them? In a puff of mist, it disappeared. Half a dozen of thin cyclones fell from the sky where it had been standing. Arms sprouted from the cyclones and grabbed my arms, then my legs. In one swift motion, I was flung into the sky. I passed many of the mourning angels. A great majority of them were injured and abused. Tears of blood fell down their bruised cheeks. Chains bound them to their clouds, and more chains connected the clouds together.
Past the angels I soared through the sky until I started descending towards the ground. I landed in a small clearing of a dark forest. I looked at my surroundings anxiously, expecting something to jump out and attack me. But nothing came. I made my character walk to a mossy boulder and sit on it. Thinking now would be a good time for a break, I paused the game and headed downstairs for a small snack. Not even five seconds after I walked out of my room, my phone rang. Recognizing the ringtone, I smiled and ran back in my room to answer it.
"Hey, Josh," I said cheerfully, leaning against my bed.
"Hello," said the voice on the other side.
"I don't have long to talk because my mom is forcing me to go to church with her again, but I wanted to call and wish you a happy birthday."
Another wide grin spread across my face.
"Thank you."
"What did you get for your birthday?"
"My mom got me this awesome laptop. It came with a game, too."
"Lucky!"
"It's a weird game. It's like it was specially made for me. It's called 'Second Form'."
"Huh. That is weird. . . Well, I have to go now. I'll call you later. I love you."
"I love you, too. Bye."
"Bye-bye." I ended the call and gently tossed my phone on my bed. The word PAUSE kept blinking on my computer screen in an almost hypnotizing way. I couldn't take it anymore, it was too taunting. Sitting on my bed Indian-style, I rested my laptop in my lap and resumed the game.
Several bright specks of light flew past my character's head as she ran through the forest. It had been almost ten minutes and nothing had happened. It was then that I realized I had been going in circles. I took the opposite turn I did before and found myself at a dead end. Just as I was about to turn around and backtrack, I saw two tall, dark figures. One looked to be the size of a normal full-grown man, and the other was as tall as two of the other man put together. Upon closer investigation, I realized one was a hideous ogre covered in coarse brown hair and lots of warts. The other, to my surprise, was Josh. There was no way this was coincidence. First Nikki and now Josh? It was unreal. I sat there staring at the screen in disbelief. I almost fell off my bed when I saw the ogre brutally kill Josh by pulling all his insides out from his mouth. It felt as if some invisible ogre was doing that to me as well. I threw the laptop aside, slid off my bed, and leaned against the wall, clutching my stomach. I felt nauseated and lightheaded. I didn't feel like playing that game anymore. Taking a deep breathe and steady steps, I walked to the laptop and closed it. That was enough for one day.
* * *
I didn't sleep much that night. Images of the game haunted my dreams. When my mom woke me up the next morning, I couldn't even tell if I had been dreaming or playing the game. It took a lot of effort to get out of bed and get ready for school, but within an hour I was dressed and ready to go. On the way to school, my mom asked what I thought of the laptop. I smiled and said I loved it. If I told her about the game's mind tricks again, she'd think I was crazy. During the rest of the ride to school, nothing was said.
It was just another day like all the others; drama, hatred, stress, and all that other good stuff. Lucky for me it was a B-Day. B-Days were less stressful and more fun than A-Days. Nonetheless, I still didn't feel like doing anything. Finally, the bell rang after what seemed to be a long time of sitting in the hallway. Three classes went by, and before I knew it, it was lunchtime. I got my usual; pizza with fries and a mixed slushy. I found myself lost in thought about the Second Form game. Whenever someone would say something to me, I would just nod or mumbled a response. How did the game work, anyway? Did Mom get it customized just for me? No, she couldn't have. Was it possible it feeds off my thoughts and turns it into a game? Ha, that would be pretty sweet, if it didn't play back the bad thoughts.
A few hours later I was headed out to my mom's car once more. It is the same thing everyday. One would think it would get tiring after a while, but no one seemed to mind the repetitive schedule. After all, it was just another day closer to the beginning of summer break, and everyone was ready for that day to come. As for me, I just wanted to pick up where I left off on that addicting game. When we got home, I grabbed a soda, went upstairs, and started the adventure again.
I was back at the same dark forest in the same challenging maze. Except instead of dead silence that surrounded me the first time, I heard steady breathing and deep chuckles. Swift movements to my left made me hurry up and move. I concentrated on the paths I took, sketching out my steps on a piece of paper. It was only after seeing Josh being torn apart by the ogres every time I made a mistake that I realized the maze changed every time I met a dead end. By this time I had been playing for hours and my hands were shaking violently. No matter how hard I tried, it was the same consequences over and over again. I choked back a cry and thought of possible ways to get past this level. Then it hit me. I was surrounded by trees, which were all climbable. I walked over to a tall one that was covered in vines and climbed all the way to the top. My character's expression went from pained to relieved. Mine did too.
I laid down on my bed and stared at the ceiling, sparing a glance at the clock. It was a lot later than I thought it was, and I wasn't even tired yet. I considered stopping for the night, but I didn't have school the next day, so why bother? When I looked at the screen again, I saw a small, glowing figure floating in front of me. It giggled and flipped through the air before fluttering off Northwards. I followed the little pixie above the treetops until we both arrived at a serene lake. A thick cloud of mist hovered a few inches above the still water. Small animals and pixies looked at me from behind the bushes and leaves. I don't know what gave me a sense of safety, but I had a feeling I had gone through the worst and was now at the end. The creatures slowly came out of hiding and came over to me. Following the animals was Josh, this time all in one piece. He smiled at me and hugged me tightly. I knew that I had reached the end of the game.
"Don't worry. Everyone goes through times when they think they are alone, forgotten. But the truth is they are wrong. There is at least one person who will care, no matter what. Never give up hope." Even if this was not the end of the game, I closed the laptop with a smile on my face.
"He's right. I shouldn't feel like I'm alone, 'cause I'm not. And I never will be." I set the computer on my desk and then crawled into bed. Wouldn't it be nice if everything had a happy ending? At least my night had a happy ending. That was good enough for me. The Second Form game really wasn't all that bad. It gave me a challenge and really made me think about my outlook on life. Maybe I'd pick up where I left off in the game in the future. But for now, I stopped in just the right place.
