OBJECTIVE: TAKE HER
OBJECTIVE: TAKE HER
ATTEMPT: 1
they sit in the center of a roller-skating rink,
underneath a cracked and bleeding disco ball.
in the corner, three pixelated arcade games hum with static,
their faded lights blinking every so often to throw the room into full relief.
the carpet surrounding the rink, once a glowing neon in the black light,
is now covered in dirt and debris from years of neglect;
the smell of mold lingers over the space,
replacing the familiar scent of cheaply baked pizza.
nothing is as it was, anymore.
they get to their feet, upsetting the film of dust already gathering on their trousers,
and walk through the door into the rest of the building,
passing the booth where kids used to cash in tickets to buy feather hair extensions and finger skateboards.
cobwebs cover the graying figurines left on the shelves, smiles frozen eerily in time.
the door opens, and they squint in expectation of a bright white light,
but all that greets them is the darkness of everything forgotten.
the light on their iphone leads them to the peeling white road traveled on by kick-scooters (only now used by bugs);
in the center is the primary-colored climbing structure,
all the plastic coverings shredded to reveal the flattened foam underneath.
to the left is the deflated remains of a bounce house,
and in front of that is the main arcade center,
the whack-a-mole ducks looking towards the light with unseeing eyes.
a low hum comes from the pac-man game.
where is she?
they pick up their pace, running along the track and past the broken skateboard jumps.
the ball pit is deserted, only two or three balls remaining,
as are the party rooms,
their purple lights fizzling ominously.
finally, they come to a stop in front of the pink-clothed tables.
there you are.
a young girl sits at the table in the middle table among a sea of unwrapped and discolored birthday presents.
she has face-paint on in the shape of a butterfly that matches the one on the sour-smelling cake in front of her,
the candles long burned down to nubs.
in her hand is a bunch of once-yellow balloons, the only legible letters etched onto them being
ic fun cente.
they kneel down in front of her, their hand coming to rest on her teal leggings.
her voice is so small and faint that they have to lean in to hear her, her pigtails tickling their nose.
-why is nobody coming to my party?
i don't know. maybe they just haven't arrived yet.
nobody would arrive. they know that.
the girl nods slowly, kicking her sparkly shoes in impatience.
-why are you here?
i wanted to find you. i needed to find you. it's been too long.
-who even are you?
i'm you. well, an older version of you. and i need to take you with me, now. life's been too difficult without you around.
-but i can't leave. i'm waiting for my friends. i even put on my birthday dress, see?
this is super important. don't you want to go somewhere brighter? this place is kind of scary, isn't it?
-mommy's bringing ice cream and she told me to stay right here. you can wait with me, though.
no, i can't wait any longer! life's going by, and i need you by my side! come with me now, before it's too late!
-i want to stay here.
they feel tears stinging in their eyes.
please! PLEASE!
-no!
in desperation, they grab her hand and start pulling her up, ignoring her screams.
she kicks at them once, twice, and then everything goes black.
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OBJECTIVE: TAKE HER
ATTEMPT: 2
they sit in the center of a roller-skating rink,
underneath a cracked and bleeding disco ball.