POST HOLLOW SYNDROME
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Chapter 1- Champions
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Well, they'd done it. They'd won the Hollow. They didn't need to have all their memories back to feel the overwhelming glee that came with the crowd of cheering onlookers, and the thrill of getting out of there alive with so little time to spare. The trophy that the enigmatic host Gage gave them seemed more the icing on the cake than the actual prize their team had been aiming to win.
And while the studio lights and the cheering audience were exciting, it hardly seemed the place to appropriately celebrate their victory--- and at Mira's suggestion the three made their way out of the studio and down a block to a quiet little restaurant for a bite and some celebration.
"I still can't believe we did it," Adam sighed with a smile. "All the times we messed up and got distracted..."
"Well, we won," Mira beamed. "The odds were against us, but we pulled through. I think that's a far more deserved victory than just being more powerful than the other team."
Kai just see-sawed his straw in and out of his cup lid.
Adam's eyebrow quirked upward. "Kai, could you stop doing that?"
Kai looked up, as if just reeled back in to reality. "Huh? Stop doing what?"
"That thing you were doing with your straw," Adam clarified with a gesture.
"Oh yeah, that." He chuckled nervously. Then he started scraping his fingernails over the tabletop instead.
"Kai, are you feeling OK?" asked Mira, noticing his restless behavior.
"Oh, yeah! Ha ha. Never better!"
Mira narrowed her eyes. "You sure? You've been acting super distracted since we left the studio."
"I'm fine," said Kai, this time in a more serious tone. "I'm just... thinking. And I know that's a weird thing to hear me say, but..."
Mira nodded, encouraging the boy to go on.
"I, um..." He pulled himself up a little higher and cleared his throat. "I saw Vanessa's eye glitch out."
Adam's eyebrows reached a new height as a brief silence captured the moment. "In-game, or..."
"On the stage," Kai said. "I looked at her, and she looked at me... and her eye glitched out like everything did in the game. And that got me thinking, maybe we're..."
"Still in the game?" Adam finished, some skepticism in his tone.
"Yeah!" Kai squeaked.
"I don't think so," said Mira. "Our memories are back. Things seem normal to me."
Kai's brows furrowed. "That doesn't mean anything!" he blustered.
Mira frowned. "And what else could it mean, pray tell?"
Kai appeared frozen for a few seconds. "Um... a more complex virtual reality simulator?"
Adam set his hand on Kai's shoulder. "Kai." The younger teen flinched. "I think you're experiencing some post-game shakes. Remember you kept saying you were seeing things that one time after the trial run where they accidentally turned on the memory wipe in your chair? And when the game ended you said you kept seeing..." He tried to hold back a snicker.
Kai remembered. He remembered all too well. "I'm never gonna live that down, am I?"
"Never," Mira said with a giggle.
"Yeah, maybe it's like that. But I know I saw her eye glitch out. It wasn't just some after-image caused by my memories suddenly coming back."
"Maybe, maybe not," said Mira.
Adam had been staring out the restaurant windows for a good ten seconds now, his face turning pale. "Um... guys? Please tell me I'm hallucenating..."
Both Kai and Mira looked out the window. A horde of news vans had pulled up outside the Hollow studio, complete with reporters and camera crews from various stations. "The reporters? I'm afraid not..." said Mira.
"Cameras? Awesome! I bet they wanna talk to us!" Kai exclaimed, jumping up from his seat and rushing for the door.
"Kai, wait!" Adam called, on the boy's tail.
Mira picked up all three of the cups on the table and hurried after the guys, figuring she could trash them on the way out the doors. After all, leaving crap on the table was probably not the best way to make an impression on the nation.
By the time the three made it back down the street to the studio, Christopher "Weirdy" Gage was already outside with a couple of security guys. He spotted the teens coming and beckoned wildly to them, breaking away from the crowd of reporters that seemed to grow larger with each passing minute.
Gage forced the teens into a huddle. "If they ask you about the glitches, remember--- it's all a part of the show," he rush-whispered.
"It was?" Kai questioned.
"No, of course not--- but we can't tell them that. We'll be in deeper water with critics than ever before. Remember--- all part of the show."
Adam nodded. "Got it."
Gage smacked Adam on the back. "Great. Now go get 'em, all three of you. Be champions!"
How do you feel being a member of the winning team on this still-controversial game show?
Adam: I feel accomplished. Like any team captain would, controversial game or no. And I know Kai and Mira feel the same way as I do. We're just happy to... you know, to have won after so many setbacks. I think any team would be.
Mira: Well, we faced a lot of difficulties. Got separated, had our differences. But in the end our team really jived well together and we got out of it... together. And we won! I'm so proud of both Adam and Kai. We all contributed something and I feel like it shows.
Kai: It. Was. Awesome!!! But also crazy, and weird. Hi Mom! Um... I had a great time. Aside from all the rocks and trees beating me up all the time... haha. They'd even appear out of nowhere. Seriously, who designed that?
What do you have to say to critics of the Hollow's intense gameplay?
Adam: I'd have to say that... yeah. It's absolutely intense. I mean, you wake up in a room with no doors or windows, and you don't remember anything, and there's these two other people you've never seen before there with you. And the only thought on your mind is getting back to where you came from. But the gameplay, aside from the amnesia part, really isn't all that different from any other fantasy video game. Except it really feels like you're there. It's just incredibly realistic virtual reality. It's not like any of us were actually in danger of dying.
Mira: Critics, you guys can relax. The Hollow might be an intense experience, but it's well worth it. And it's completely harmless. Nothing in the game can actually hurt us in real life. It's all a simulation generated in the world of the game. Nothing bad's come of it--- in fact, I think a lot of good's come of it. Even if it didn't really happen, it's made all of us better friends. And I happen to think that's something worth commending, not criticizing.
Kai: Psh! Crazy and weird is all part of the fun. You get to be someone special for a while. It's escapism in its truest form. Can you really blame a bunch of worn-out high school students for being drawn to it? I feel like a better guy already. Best summer break ever!
What do you think of the speculated possible "side effects" from playing the Hollow? Particularly any concerns regarding trauma, or more serious mental health problems. Do they hold any merit?
Adam: The only side effect I've experienced is disorientation after coming out of the game. Of course, that could be said for anyone who's been playing hologames for five hours straight. Which I do not recommend doing on a regular basis.
Mira: I was dizzy at first, but after my memories came back to me I felt perfectly fine. No residual trauma or... anything, really. Believe me, I'm glad to be back. I'd play again if I ever got the chance in the future, so believe me, I'm not scarred for life!
Kai: Uh... maybe? I dunno, I never really looked into any theories about it when I went into this. And I feel fine, although I...
Kai turned to see Adam glaring at him, a warning on his face. "...I'm really tired after that. Excited-tired. I'm sure I'll sleep it off tonight." He grinned. Adam visibly relaxed.
All a part of the show, Kai, the redhead reminded himself with a sigh. I don't want to get the game cancelled.
But he knew what he'd seen. It was more than just a blip in the corner of his eye this time. He'd looked into Vanessa's sinister eyes for several seconds and seen a wicked glitch there. It had to have been there, it just HAD to. He knew he didn't imagine it. And the thought that entered his mind--- that, at least, the Hollow wasn't finished with him yet--- lingered with him as he answered the questions.
Lingered with him as he smiled and joked around afterwards.
Lingered with him as the trio made their way to the van that would take them back to their normal, boring lives.
And while the studio lights and the cheering audience were exciting, it hardly seemed the place to appropriately celebrate their victory--- and at Mira's suggestion the three made their way out of the studio and down a block to a quiet little restaurant for a bite and some celebration.
"I still can't believe we did it," Adam sighed with a smile. "All the times we messed up and got distracted..."
"Well, we won," Mira beamed. "The odds were against us, but we pulled through. I think that's a far more deserved victory than just being more powerful than the other team."
Kai just see-sawed his straw in and out of his cup lid.
Adam's eyebrow quirked upward. "Kai, could you stop doing that?"
Kai looked up, as if just reeled back in to reality. "Huh? Stop doing what?"
"That thing you were doing with your straw," Adam clarified with a gesture.
"Oh yeah, that." He chuckled nervously. Then he started scraping his fingernails over the tabletop instead.
"Kai, are you feeling OK?" asked Mira, noticing his restless behavior.
"Oh, yeah! Ha ha. Never better!"
Mira narrowed her eyes. "You sure? You've been acting super distracted since we left the studio."
"I'm fine," said Kai, this time in a more serious tone. "I'm just... thinking. And I know that's a weird thing to hear me say, but..."
Mira nodded, encouraging the boy to go on.
"I, um..." He pulled himself up a little higher and cleared his throat. "I saw Vanessa's eye glitch out."
Adam's eyebrows reached a new height as a brief silence captured the moment. "In-game, or..."
"On the stage," Kai said. "I looked at her, and she looked at me... and her eye glitched out like everything did in the game. And that got me thinking, maybe we're..."
"Still in the game?" Adam finished, some skepticism in his tone.
"Yeah!" Kai squeaked.
"I don't think so," said Mira. "Our memories are back. Things seem normal to me."
Kai's brows furrowed. "That doesn't mean anything!" he blustered.
Mira frowned. "And what else could it mean, pray tell?"
Kai appeared frozen for a few seconds. "Um... a more complex virtual reality simulator?"
Adam set his hand on Kai's shoulder. "Kai." The younger teen flinched. "I think you're experiencing some post-game shakes. Remember you kept saying you were seeing things that one time after the trial run where they accidentally turned on the memory wipe in your chair? And when the game ended you said you kept seeing..." He tried to hold back a snicker.
Kai remembered. He remembered all too well. "I'm never gonna live that down, am I?"
"Never," Mira said with a giggle.
"Yeah, maybe it's like that. But I know I saw her eye glitch out. It wasn't just some after-image caused by my memories suddenly coming back."
"Maybe, maybe not," said Mira.
Adam had been staring out the restaurant windows for a good ten seconds now, his face turning pale. "Um... guys? Please tell me I'm hallucenating..."
Both Kai and Mira looked out the window. A horde of news vans had pulled up outside the Hollow studio, complete with reporters and camera crews from various stations. "The reporters? I'm afraid not..." said Mira.
"Cameras? Awesome! I bet they wanna talk to us!" Kai exclaimed, jumping up from his seat and rushing for the door.
"Kai, wait!" Adam called, on the boy's tail.
Mira picked up all three of the cups on the table and hurried after the guys, figuring she could trash them on the way out the doors. After all, leaving crap on the table was probably not the best way to make an impression on the nation.
By the time the three made it back down the street to the studio, Christopher "Weirdy" Gage was already outside with a couple of security guys. He spotted the teens coming and beckoned wildly to them, breaking away from the crowd of reporters that seemed to grow larger with each passing minute.
Gage forced the teens into a huddle. "If they ask you about the glitches, remember--- it's all a part of the show," he rush-whispered.
"It was?" Kai questioned.
"No, of course not--- but we can't tell them that. We'll be in deeper water with critics than ever before. Remember--- all part of the show."
Adam nodded. "Got it."
Gage smacked Adam on the back. "Great. Now go get 'em, all three of you. Be champions!"
How do you feel being a member of the winning team on this still-controversial game show?
Adam: I feel accomplished. Like any team captain would, controversial game or no. And I know Kai and Mira feel the same way as I do. We're just happy to... you know, to have won after so many setbacks. I think any team would be.
Mira: Well, we faced a lot of difficulties. Got separated, had our differences. But in the end our team really jived well together and we got out of it... together. And we won! I'm so proud of both Adam and Kai. We all contributed something and I feel like it shows.
Kai: It. Was. Awesome!!! But also crazy, and weird. Hi Mom! Um... I had a great time. Aside from all the rocks and trees beating me up all the time... haha. They'd even appear out of nowhere. Seriously, who designed that?
What do you have to say to critics of the Hollow's intense gameplay?
Adam: I'd have to say that... yeah. It's absolutely intense. I mean, you wake up in a room with no doors or windows, and you don't remember anything, and there's these two other people you've never seen before there with you. And the only thought on your mind is getting back to where you came from. But the gameplay, aside from the amnesia part, really isn't all that different from any other fantasy video game. Except it really feels like you're there. It's just incredibly realistic virtual reality. It's not like any of us were actually in danger of dying.
Mira: Critics, you guys can relax. The Hollow might be an intense experience, but it's well worth it. And it's completely harmless. Nothing in the game can actually hurt us in real life. It's all a simulation generated in the world of the game. Nothing bad's come of it--- in fact, I think a lot of good's come of it. Even if it didn't really happen, it's made all of us better friends. And I happen to think that's something worth commending, not criticizing.
Kai: Psh! Crazy and weird is all part of the fun. You get to be someone special for a while. It's escapism in its truest form. Can you really blame a bunch of worn-out high school students for being drawn to it? I feel like a better guy already. Best summer break ever!
What do you think of the speculated possible "side effects" from playing the Hollow? Particularly any concerns regarding trauma, or more serious mental health problems. Do they hold any merit?
Adam: The only side effect I've experienced is disorientation after coming out of the game. Of course, that could be said for anyone who's been playing hologames for five hours straight. Which I do not recommend doing on a regular basis.
Mira: I was dizzy at first, but after my memories came back to me I felt perfectly fine. No residual trauma or... anything, really. Believe me, I'm glad to be back. I'd play again if I ever got the chance in the future, so believe me, I'm not scarred for life!
Kai: Uh... maybe? I dunno, I never really looked into any theories about it when I went into this. And I feel fine, although I...
Kai turned to see Adam glaring at him, a warning on his face. "...I'm really tired after that. Excited-tired. I'm sure I'll sleep it off tonight." He grinned. Adam visibly relaxed.
All a part of the show, Kai, the redhead reminded himself with a sigh. I don't want to get the game cancelled.
But he knew what he'd seen. It was more than just a blip in the corner of his eye this time. He'd looked into Vanessa's sinister eyes for several seconds and seen a wicked glitch there. It had to have been there, it just HAD to. He knew he didn't imagine it. And the thought that entered his mind--- that, at least, the Hollow wasn't finished with him yet--- lingered with him as he answered the questions.
Lingered with him as he smiled and joked around afterwards.
Lingered with him as the trio made their way to the van that would take them back to their normal, boring lives.