First Player

"New You," she read. "A game for those who seek to find a way to leave their world behind."

"Oh shut up," he snapped, grabbing the game out of her hands. "It's not Jumanji, Luna. It's a perfect first time game for someone who's never gamed before." He tossed the game on her bed next to a brand new VR set. "I thought we could try it and, if you like it, we could try something else."

"Well, we can try but," she started and picked up the case. "'A great first time game for those who wish to try again'? What does that mean?"

"It's a virtual reality game about jumping into a new life, completely different from the life you have now. I mean look around." He gestured at her little studio apartment, the bedroom separated from the living room by a simple changing wall, the living room and dining room are the same room, the kitchen and the bedroom almost occupying the same space. "Are you telling me that if you could start over, you'd want to come back to... this?"

She sat on her bed and folded the changing wall back slowly. A pile of laundry sat in one side of the sink, a pile of dishes in the other, the stove layered with bills over a glass cover, the dining room table occupied by a sewing machine and scraps of fabric under; the image of a life she wouldn't have chosen had she done something differently, but what?

She stood slowly, slid the sewing machine over to reveal a simple TV set. "Plug it in and let's see what it's all about."