Gonna test the writing category and post a chapter of my fic

what it says up there. Hi, I'm bug, and this is the first chapter of my creepypasta fic. More specifically, the ben drowned arg, slender: the arrival, and marble hornets + emh fic. The link for the rest is <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22443361/chapters/53625436">here</a> on my ao3. If you give it a shot and like it, or wanna know more about it and decide if its worth your time, please leave a comment, and thank you soooo much for giving it a shot <3

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You know how it goes. It’s a normal morning until it's not.

Opening in the mornings is a boring and tiresome shift. Waking up at an ungodly hour just to sit through traffic and unlock an old, dusty thrift store and wait for maybe only 3 people to come in and one of them to actually buy something. At least I have time to think, maybe even daydream up a good escapism fantasy. Except, when I unlock the door this morning, and walk past the glass cases full of higher end items, I see an N64 and stop in my tracks. I had 15 minutes. I can get excited over a 20 year old console.

Ever since I was young I had adored the concept of video games. It was my mom that held me back, claiming that video games were brainrot for the mind and would divert my focus from more important matters. So I would visit various kids from school and play their games with them. I didn’t have a lot of good friends, but I definitely had acquaintances, and that was good enough for me. Eventually as I got older and got money, I could buy my own consoles and games. But I never got the chance to play on an N64, and never really thought I would. Well, until now at least.

The price tag says $34.99, and through the increasing smudges of my face on the glass, I can see it also comes with 2 controllers but no games. I don’t move from my spot when I hear the back door swing open and the patter of footsteps approach. The footsteps stop, and instead a quiet feminine laughter takes up the back of my mindspace.  “We got that in last night. Had a feeling you would be interested.”

“Hell yeah I am,” I breathe out, finally pulling myself away from the glass to glance back at my manager. She’s standing a few paces behind me, arms crossed in a chuffed manner, short red hair tugged back in a half ponytail. Despite my sleepiness so early in the morning, I manage a bright smile. 

She smiles at me, before stepping around me and behind the register, pulling a ring of keys out of her pocket. “I can always call Norah,” our manager, “and see if she’ll let you have it. After all, you missed the big sale last night. Everyone got something but you.”

As she unlocks the glass cabinet in front of me, I stare at her, not quite understanding what she’s talking about. “What, like, let me buy the console?” She chuckles with a slight shake of her head, pulling out the gray box and the bag holding the controllers and fixing me with a pleased and perplexed look.

“I am, is that okay?”

I stared, mouth open like an idiot. She was really . . .

"Yes," I stammered, "Yes! Oh my god, really?"

"Really." She smiled at me before taking it back past the swinging door again. I stood in place, nearly vibrating with excitement.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. Only being a 5 hour shift, I left shortly after 1pm, giving me enough time to victoriously claim my prize and wave out my coworker Garret, who grumbled in reply. I place the bag holding the console in my backseat before sliding into the front and cranking the engine to my old car over. After a shaky start, she rumbles to life and I can safely drive home another day. My mom wasn't home yet, so I run and throw my secret purchase into my closet before she could see it. Our dog raises his head up sleepily from my bed, ears perking, before rolling onto his back and wagging his tail. I press a flurry of kisses into his soft yellow fur and rub his tummy.

The security system beeps, and I hear a door close downstairs. The jingle of keys stirs him from his spot, and I follow as he jumps off the bed and runs down the stairs, now begging for pets from my mom. She bends down with a groan and ruffles his ears.

"How was work?" She looks up at me with tired eyes. Her black t-shirt is dusty, chips of wood stuck through it, leggings dusty around the knees. Her eyes crinkle as she smiles.

"Long. I'm beat, can we just order pizza for dinner?" I laugh and wrap my arms around her. She holds me tightly, squeezing before pulling away.

"Sure," I smile at her. My little secret is safe for now.

2 weeks later, it's late, and I'm browsing eBay for games, 3 pages in. I can feel my eyes droop closed, slouching over my laptop on my bed. The yellow light program that’s running probably isn't helping; I click on it and adjust the scale, blinding myself in the process. At least I'm a bit more awake now

My bedroom door swings open, and I can hear his dog tags before Buddy jumps up onto my bed, sniffing around my knee before sitting next to me, looking up at me expectantly. I glance at him. "You know a cheaper site for old games?" He only stares back, huffing at me. I relent and scratch his ears.

Goldeneye 64, $65. Kirby and the Crystal Shards, $50. Conker's Bad Fur Day, a whopping $90. Nothing within my price range. A yawn sneaks my past me and I rub my eyes, glancing down at the clock on the corner of my screen. 2:33.

Fuck this, I think, falling backwards onto my pile of pillows. Maybe I just need to quit for tonight and try again later in the week. My eyes fall shut and the small headache I didn't realize I had ebbs away.

Ping!

Ignore it, sleep.

Ping! Ping!

Okay. I push myself up on my arms and glance down my chest to the screen. One of my open tabs has a pulsing green circle. One of the stores I messaged?

Clicking over, I see someone has responded. Some retro game Etsy store in Florida.

AH: Actually, I do have some games for that console in good physical condition. If you’re interested I can negotiate a price?

Interesting, interesting. What’s the harm? I tap out a response, half awake and hoping I don’t sound like it. Funny, we have the same initials.

AH: Sure, what all do you have?

Two messages come through. One is an image attachment; when clicked on it shows 3 cartridges in decently good condition. Super Mario 64, Banjo Kazooie, and Majora’s Mask. Finally, some good games. The picture doesn't show any external damage either, no scuffs or ink marks.

AH: How much?

AH: I've been trying to get rid of them for a while, how about $5 each?

What were the odds?

AH: Deal. What about shipping?

The reply is almost too quick.

AH: Free. I just want to get rid of them.

Done deal. I place the order and PayPal him the money, finally crawling under the covers, content with my search.

A week passes. I’m setting the bridge on an old violin when my mom walks into my room with a small box. “Package?” she inquires, setting it amongst all the pieces on my desk. I put the wooden body down gently and pick it up.

“Yeah. Violin parts,” it’s an easy lie. She leaves it at that, going back downstairs while I slice the tape. The cartridges are taped in bubble wrap so thick I can’t even see the grey; another slice from my knife and they’re free. 

I run to my closet and rip open the door, snatching the bag holding the console. It takes a couple minutes to plug it all in properly, but then it's on and I pop the first cartridge in. Super Mario 64.

The game starts right up with a nostalgic jingle, presenting me with the disembodied polygonal head of Mario in a sick twist of nostalgia. There's no save files on the game, and when I start and land in front of Peach’s castle, I’m overwhelmed with this ache in my chest. It settles like a pool of warmth as I run around the castle courtyard. The grass, the sky, the overly geometric water, it all bleeds childhood and comfort. I let myself get absorbed, play a couple levels before I stop myself, save and quit. Can’t get too involved, I have to test the others too.

I pop the Majora’s Mask game in and listen to the soft start up music, the same swell of nostalgia curling in my chest. This honestly might’ve been my best impulse purchase. I press start and shivers go up my back at the trill of the menu switching over.

There was a save file loaded into the first slot. I'm surprised, the first game was wiped, with no data saved onto it. But this one is almost complete, like on the verge of the final boss complete. I wouldn't be surprised if they were already in the moon. I go back and forth on deleting it or not. I mean, it's not like this Ben kid owned the game anymore. Not their game, not my problem. I wipe the file. I started a new file on the first slot.

The opening cutscene starts up and I sit through it, waiting for the actual gameplay to kick in. Finally, the game starts.

I mostly spend my time wandering around Clocktown, talking to people and letting the three days pass with little issue. The graphics are fuzzy in that blissfully nostalgic way, the music chiming in pleasant and yet somber. The melancholic mood lingers like a blanket, a strange sort of comfort. It's easy to lose myself in. The first three days pass with no issue, and before I know it I'm climbing up the clock tower on the last day ready to face the moon and skull kid. At the top, the mosaic of color is gorgeous, like stained glass through the screen. I'm so in awe of it that I don't even realize the cutscene never started. I zone back in.

Link bursts into flames. I jump, just a bit. My foot kicking out to balance myself from falling off of the bed. What in the world? The game respawned back to the tower and hesitantly I climb it again. No cutscene again, just Link screaming out as the polygonal fire consumes him once more. I watch with wide eyes, bewildered. Can he even just combust like this in normal gameplay? Perhaps a fire dungeon, but why in the prologue of the damn game? My hand tenses and clenches around something, and I look down to see that I'm clutching my necklace.

It's late. I must just be tired. Maybe this isn't as odd or out of place as I think. Maybe I just need to go to bed. Slowly I stand and back out of my room, not pausing and never taking my eyes off of the TV. Link respawns again as I close my door.

It's a quick jot downstairs to get a glass of water and gulp it all down. Then another. I catch my breath. I haven't even touched Banjo Kazooie yet, but now I'm not sure if I want to. Slowly I creep back upstairs. Cracking my door open, I almost feel like I'm searching for a burglar or a killer. But there's no one else in the house aside from me and my mom. But the TV changed. Its back on the menu screen, and my save is gone. In it's place is that old save file, right where it was before.