We Want Your Web: a short story

By Mary Fewko

Somehow spending all his time playing the video game Placenta Hounds angered Tucker's father to the point of hiring a virtual assassin to kill Tucker's character in the hopes of a real-time reunion. But could such a desperate measure bring the distanced family members back together? Was Tucker actually entranced by some hidden political content in the RPG's plot? And what happens when the post-apocalyptic gaming becomes reality due to an electrical grid on the brink of failure?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mary Fewko
• Release date: Oct 9, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310101946

Mary Fewko

I truly hope you all enjoy your time spent with my work! Thanks for visiting my Smashwords page!"Love. Fall in love and stay in love. Write only what you love, and love what you write. The key word is love. You have to get up in the morning and write something you love, something to live for." -RAY BRADBURYALL RIGHTS RESERVED for any published poetry or short stories by Mary Fewko.

Book preview

WE WANT YOUR WEB

a short story written by mary fewko

This story is a work of fiction. The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Similarities to real people, alive or dead, are coincidental.

Copyright © 2015 by Mary Fewko

SMASHWORDS Edition 2015

Special Thanks

To

Shelley McCartney

&

Tyshala Wright

Inspired by true events.

Or virtual events?

It is hard to tell these times…

Tucker Barrel’s chin was raised with an expression that matured insidiously cryptic. With his arsenal of Doritos and Intense Chocolate Milk, he was prepped with his gamer's poker face. But with the game being virtual was his computer monitor holding a better hand? Could any bluff be called to a machine?

In Tucker's dungeon, pop culture accessories adorned the walls and doors and ceilings. Every type of console from every part of history lay somewhere on the floor, while purring cats would survey the control panels. The latest MMORPG taking its toll was Placenta Hounds: The open-world story of vagabonds scavenging the cities and deserts years after a devastating blackout. The basic principles of anarchy thus took over and marauding gangs searched for weaponry, food, shelter, entertainment; whatever could keep them alive and centrally happy on this apocalyptic continent.

Boys, huddle up, called Tucker’s friend Hydro from a nearby computer desk. Assembled in the ad hoc veins of a TV dinner tray and last gen’s expansion packs.

The four gamers rolled towards each other in their office chairs to the center of the basement room. Hydro began, first wiping sweat from his forehead. "Placenta Hounds is getting more popular these days. Asians are crackin’ their tablets, and planning raids on the subway rides to work or school, but they’re mainly leveling up in abandoned gas stations, or libraries. Most can’t get the latest expansion pack to run, due to authorization capabilities," he took out a handkerchief covered in Sailor Moon silhouettes and removed more sweat.

You think with the time difference they’re gonna be in this morning’s raid, Hydro? Asked Robby, slightly shaky. Robby could never stay still.

Hydro leered with eyes white as fury, you think those fucker’s ever sleep over there? A few cats drifted by Hydro's feet, giving him an urge to kick one.

Stop talking about them like that, Stuart said, a bit agitated. Ninety percent of the shows on your phone are from Japan.

"I think we