Game Over Novels & Stories

Use the distraction of a supposed emergency to get out of the game, and then use the new marker to mark the rest of the cards. “I’m out,” I said. “The game’s over.” Sullivan looked up, his face a perfect picture of disappointment. “What’s wrong, Alpha Zane? Don’t you want to win?” I just looked at him, my stare unwavering. The game was over. I had other things to deal with. “Let’s go,” I said to Mabel. “I need to check on something.” Mabel looked at me, confused. She hadn’t seen what I had.

"This was a test, and you failed. So it really is about money with you, huh?" I felt nothing. My reply was calm and flat. "When are you giving back my money?" He exploded, sending a sixty-second voice rant, "Lila! Does it say anywhere that money was yours? What proof do you have that I was spending your allowance?" I didn’t even hesitate. Within a second, I unlinked his family card, then changed both my phone payment password and lock screen password. That sent him spiraling. "Lila! Why’d you remove the card? Without it, how am I supposed to survive? If I starve to death, you’ll be a murderer."

Relief washed over me, though I realized my palm was covered in cold sweat. She chuckled and implied, "What are you looking at so late at night that has you so nervous, Luna? Honestly, you should just get yourself a boyfriend." I felt awkward at what she implied, and had nothing to say, so I crawled back into bed. I reopened the online website after pulling the curtain tightly shut, but the website had been shut down. I pulled out the instruction manual and looked carefully. Hidden against the black background on the back, I finally noticed a line of dark red text.

"Technically, you're in a near-death state. You only get your life back if you clear the game." "What if your Anxiety Level hits zero?" I asked. "Do you get a special reward? Like, God Mode?" The group fell into a strange silence. Then, they burst into laughter. "Hahaha! God Mode?" Marcus was laughing so hard he was crying. "Sweetheart, you think this is a video game?" "Anxiety at zero? Impossible," the guy in glasses scoffed. "Unless you're a robot or something." Ethan was frowning at me. "Ava, your player profile—"

“What the hell is this place?” Before he could answer, we were interrupted by a loud static from an overhead speaker. “Welcome to THE Survival Game!” a distorted voice announced. “Congratulations, you are all dead! But because hell is currently in recycle mode due to the greenhouse effect, you’re being sent to dead worlds as entertainment!” I blinked. “I’m sorry, what?” The voice kept going: “Please provide the fanciest death you can. Or fanciest kills if you have what it takes to be a predator. The audience loves those.”

Me: How's your company doing? After our breakup, Heath moved to California and expanded his language-learning app into the powerhouse it was today. The last time I checked, it was one of the top fifteen most downloaded apps in the U.S. Heath: Pretty amazing. We're going public at the end of this year. We're expecting a big IPO. Perhaps... The three dots that indicated he was typing popped up, disappeared, then popped up again. Heath: We can revisit things after it does My guilt hardened into dread.

I was sucked into some game world with 99 other people. The system's robotic voice announced, "Welcome, all 100 players, to the Survival of the Poorest. Starting funds: 50 dollars. Objective: Survive 7 days inside the game. The winner gets one million dollars in prize money! Overspending, dying, or stepping outside the designated area will be treated as a forfeit, and you will carry one million dollars in debt." The voice paused for a moment. Then, with a sly tone, it continued, "Now then, do any cowards want to back out?"

MELISSA’S POV Gavin's gaze drifted toward the doll, which suddenly rebooted with a violent twitch. Its head rotated fully backward in a grotesque manner. Its movement was slow and deliberately aim to make my skin crawl. “Game concluded!” it shrieked in a slightly distorted tone. The Crow erupted in murmurs. How could the game be over, we were practically the first group. As though hearing my complaints, a braided red haired muscular man stepped forward. “System don't we even get a fair chance..." he was barely done speaking when the system intervened.

The System announced, "Your mission is complete. You can return now. "Shane will disappear for eternity, and never be reborn." A happiness I had never felt before surged through me, and I rushed back to Eugene's home as quickly as I could. It had only been a few hours, but it felt like an eternity. Eugene was speaking with his dog.

Sector 4. The Retro Zone. 04:15 AM. GAME OVER. The words flashed across the cracked CRT screen in jagged red pixels. Altair stared at the score. PLAYER 1 (NOVA): 1,250,400 PLAYER 2 (PRINCE): 1,250,350 Fifty points. He had lost by fifty points. He let go of the joystick. His hands were cramping. He hadn't focused that intensely since he negotiated the acquisition of the Lunar Mining Consortium.