Kad's Arcade

By Anne deNize

Angry and frustrated since the deaths of his parents and brother, Jase is struggling with foster care and life in general, only finding release in shooting aliens and alien spaceships in the arcade games. Meeting a real alien there changes his life forever. Suitable for ages 8-13

• Language: English
• Publisher: Anne deNize
• Release date: Mar 1, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310930294

Anne deNize

A New Zealander who grew up on a farm, studied languages and literature then went into computing and business administration. This took her through systems analysis, systems training, software design and IT project management. She is now following a long-held dream to write and combining it with a love for science fiction and a passion for child literacy - writing science fiction and fantasy for children and young adults. Recently she has been branching out into romance, fantasy and science fiction for adults.

Book preview

Kad’s Arcade

by

Anne deNize

Copyright 2015 Anne deNize

Epub format ISBN 9781310930294

This is entirely a fictional work. Any resemblance to real places or people is entirely coincidental.

Many thanks to Katie Stewart of Magic Owl Design for the front cover illustration.

Chapter One

You’re not my real father anyway! shouted Jase, slamming the door. He leapt down the front steps, heading for the arcade. Quality time, who the hell wants quality time? Just listen to me for once. Why can’t anybody listen?

Nothing had gone right since the accident. He kicked a stone, sending it rattling down the pavement. Both his parents and little brother gone, in just one night. He went to the funeral but didn’t remember much of it. Just a lot of strangers and a couple of his school friends. And a lot of standing around. Then he had to move in with James and Kathryn.

Life since then had been strange, sort of only half there. The social services people had been kind, he supposed. James and Kathryn were kind. They just didn’t understand him one little bit. Dad, why did you have to die? And I should have been in that car, too.

The games arcade claimed prime position on the sea front, just over the road from the beach. The water was roaring rough today with white jagged patterns forming and reforming on the wave tops before they crashed on the beach. As Jase stomped between brightly-coloured games in the arcade, the regular pulse of the waves died away, replaced by tinging bells and electronic burps. Twinkling lights flashed bright colours on the intent faces around him. Thrusting a coin into the nearest Space Raiders machine, Jase took savage delight in exploding hundreds of attacking aliens.

In a better mood, he looked around. The muted grunts and exclamations from the half dozen players scattered around punctuated the electronic beeps, chirps and tschews.

Hey, way cool, there’s a new game. Jase moved over to the shiny console. He recognised the boy playing - he was okay, but not as fast as Jase. The lad bombed out a couple of times and wandered on as Jase moved in. Interesting spin. Called Eight Out, the game put into the ring two monsters with eight arms each and you had to attack and defend with all eight limbs at the same time. After wasting a couple of coins, he started to get the knack of how to juggle the eight appendages. As the next coin ran out, another boy came up.

My turn? he said. Jase moved aside, watching from nearby. The boy kept getting blown away within two hits. Losing interest, he wandered away again, hands in pockets. Jase had another turn and another, getting better and better. He could get to round three now.

A figure came up to stand at his shoulder, waiting for a turn. Once Jase had been flattened again he moved over and the figure stepped forward. The coin rattled down and Jase’s eyes were drawn to the screen. Holy Cow this kid is good - he went straight through to round five! Another coin dropped into the slot. Then Jase froze, the middle of his stomach falling away.

Friggin’ hell, you’re a mutant! he said, backing up into a Space Raiders cabinet and his jellied knees landed him on the floor.

Chapter 2

Am not. I’m as true to my racial genetics as you are.

Ah, yeah, managed Jase weakly. What sort of race are we talking here? I mean, tentacles? People don’t have tentacles, they have hands.

"Not my people. My parents both have tentacles, and my uncles and aunts. He paused. Perhaps I should have said ‘species’ genetics’ to be accurate. Do you mind if I finish this off before the coin runs out?"

Jase weakly waved him on. Sure, don’t mind me. No wonder he’s so good at it, Jase thought. He peered through the dim arcade light, examining the stranger from top to toe. A loose hoodie with