The Apocalypse

After five thousand hours in the game Peaceful Valley and two all-nighters in a row, Nathan was on the verge of greatness. He’d found the perfect lake with the right specs. The water’s acidity, the bait, and the stars aligned. Every detail was just right to catch the legendary Ubërfish. He reached to the right and groped through the darkness for a drink. On the way there, his hand bumped into one of his old college textbooks and knocked it to the ground, along with a small orange bottle. It rattled faintly as it rolled under the desk. He stared at it for a moment before looking away and grabbing the cheap gas station coffee that had been fueling him up to this point. The smell wafted up to his nose, overpowering the perpetual pizza scent that characterized his apartment. He was normally a cappuccino guy, but the drink he was holding was bitter and black as the night. Sacrifices had to be made to achieve Fishing Greatness. He tilted his head back and choked down the caffeine, then returned his attention to the screen. Still nothing, just the calming 16-bit music. Nathan clicked his mouse key, and his in-game character swung out his fishing rod. The hook flew through the air before landing in the lake’s shitty 2.5D poly graphics. On his side, a spreadsheet with hundreds of entries was on another monitor. In the background, his twenty-year-old video card whirred with a buzz. In the glare of his screen, a reflection. Greasy brown hair and green eyes, a figure so thin he looked more like a weed. He tapped the desk with his free hand, then put his chin in his palm. Peaceful Valley was honestly a pretty mediocre game, all things considered. The only interesting thing about it was that no one had ever gotten 100% in the game. There was a fish that was basically impossible to catch. The only reason people knew about it was through data mining. Nathan, having nothing better to do and having completed every other game in his library, decided to go for the achievement. He’d also worked on his farm’s look in between fishing trips, creating a giant stone monument to radishes. The rod had twitched. His focus narrowed to a laser point. He couldn’t afford to mess this one up. Who knew if he’d get another chance? The rod twitched again. Nathan’s throat went dry. The golden pop-up telling him to click appeared! His phone rang loudly in his apartment. He misclicked and changed his item from a rod to a turnip. Nathan stood up slowly, then flipped the table and scattered everything all over the floor. Nathan stared at the caller ID: Sarah. His sister. His older sister. He let it ring twice more before answering. “What?” “Wow, feeling the love,” Sarah said. Through the phone, he could hear the rustle of what was probably her wedding dress. “You’re not at Mom and Dad’s yet.” It wasn’t a question. Nathan’s eyes drifted to his monitor, lying face-down on the floor after his earlier outburst. Still intact, thankfully. “I’m kind of in the middle of something.” “Let me guess—it’s some farming game?” “It’s not always about games, Sarah.” “Yeah, sometimes it’s about avoiding your family.” Her voice softened. “Remember that internet café we used to go to? The two of us would destroy everyone.” Despite himself, Nathan smiled. “You’re remembering it wrong. I got my ass kicked plenty.” “But you kept playing.” She paused. “I… I wish you applied some of that determination to other things in life.” The smile faded. Nathan righted his overturned table, buying time before he had to respond. “Look, I know what you’re doing. But maybe it’s better if I sit this one out. Your wedding should be perfect, and me being there…” He trailed off. “Don’t you dare finish that sentence.” The sharpness in Sarah’s voice made him flinch. “You’re my brother. You’re family. Whatever’s going on in that head of yours, whatever you think you did or didn’t do—it doesn’t change that.” Nathan’s throat tightened. The soothing tones of the game music playing in the background felt hollow, meaningless. “Sarah⁠—” “No, listen to me. I’m getting married tomorrow, and I want my little brother there. Not because Mom’s making me ask, not because it’s what we’re ‘supposed’ to do. Because I love you, you idiot, and that’s never going to change.” The dial tone rang out. He stood in silence for a second. He ran over to his closet, threw open the doors, and tossed his suit (a rental, of course) onto his bed. Barely missing the open pizza box, it landed right next to a pair of scissors, the blade glinting faintly red in the dim light. Nathan paused mid-rush, squinting at the streak of crimson. Blood? No… tomato sauce. He sighed and wiped the blade on his sleeve. “I really need to clean more often.” He sniffed the air and looked down at his armpit. Nathan hadn’t exactly taken care of himself over the past couple of days. He rushed for the shower. After a one-minute sprinkle, he burst out of the bathroom dripping wet and buck-naked. He quickly rubbed a towel over himself, then slipped his suit on. As soon as he had it on, he slammed his apartment door open and ran out. In the background, he heard an angry yell from one of his neighbors. The elevator was at floor zero. He hit the button. Seconds ticked by. He tapped his feet and waited for the elevator to go up. After a full minute, the number hadn’t changed. He scowled. Was it under maintenance? The number remained the same, taunting him. He ran to the stairs and dashed down three whole flights. At the end, he tumbled to the bottom, his chest heaving. “Fine—” He gasped for breath. “—Maybe I should hit the gym once in a while!” After a moment, he pushed himself up and ran to his car. The car door swung open and his body tumbled inside. * * * Nathan’s fingers drummed against the wheel. The inside of the car was silent. Normally, he would’ve had the radio on, but his mind was too busy to even consider listening to music. The sky outside was an odd red color—some kind of atmospheric phenomenon? Whatever, it didn’t matter to Nathan. He had to pick up a gift for Sarah. The problem was that he wasn’t exactly rolling in dough. Still, he might be able to get something at a bargain if he was lucky. After a few more minutes, he stopped at a dollar store and rushed inside. He tripped on a loose shoelace, smashing into the ground with a loud thud. The cashier completely ignored him, staring at something on her phone with a shocked look. He pushed himself up and speed-walked over to the bargain section. There weren’t exactly a lot of options. He picked up a bargain on men’s shampoo. “Aren’t I just saying that she smells?” he muttered. He went through two more objects. “Too gaudy, too cheesy…” In the background, someone shouted something. “Hey, look outside! What the hell’s going on?!”