oo.
prologue
advanced to the next level!

The hextone screen blacked out. I held my breath, my grip on the console tightening. Weirdly written text popped up in bright yellow: Advanced to Level Five!

"You did it! You did it!" The boy beside me jumped up and down before the console was snatched from my hands, and a victory embrace ensued. I grinned against his shoulder, patting his hair awkwardly. 

"I did it!" I gasped, and we sat up straight, taking the console again. This time, I let the boy play. "Level six is gonna be harder!" 

"I can do it!" he reassured, his face contorting with concentration as the screen shifted to show the title page. The cursor followed the Advance option, then came the music with the start of the game. 

"Serena, Ash." 

I turned around, although he didn't. Ash's mom stood by the doorway, looking rather pale. She reached a hand forward. 

"Come on. It's time to... to say goodbye." 

"But Mom, we're busy!" Ash whined. The game had started. Mario was jumping high, smashing the bad mushrooms on their heads. I giggled when Ash lost a heart to a big baddie. 

"Ash." 

The boy dropped the console. Mario was brutally killed. I tilted my head. The atmosphere felt... different. Bizarre enough for the hair on my arms to rise to a standing line — as Juniper ma'am had always told us whenever we were in fear. 

"Come on." His mother dropped her serious voice, once again replaced with that croaky one I rarely heard from her. Ash and I exchanged a look and obliged, slipping our hands together and following wherever the older lady took us. 

When I decided to follow her, I didn't foresee my voice pitching and breaking at the limp form of Grandfather, his head lolling to the side — almost as if in utter sleep. 

I didn't predict the chill passing down my spine or the lice entering my hair...