An Old Video Game

It’s a curious thought when a memory comes to mind. It lingers and lingers until you give it some time. A childhood game. On an older game system. You decide to dust it off, see if it says “press start to continue.”

You untangle the wires and untangle its kinks. Decide to stock up on the games. You can retry them all, you think. There’s one in particular you hope will start, but it’s so worn out. Scratches keep it dark. Between other games, you try it again and again, hoping for a glimpse of the menu screen again.

Just one more game. I’ll try this one and that one. You rotate the disks, try different stages. Chip the rust off your fingers as you soar through the levels. You’re bound and determined to beat the NPCs, and find the ultimate lifeform makes everything a breeze.

The nostalgia is sweet and you’ve a smile on your lips. You don’t mind the joystick even as your thumb gets sore. It’s worth all the pain to get the high score. Low and behold, it’s suddenly late in the night. You’ve stayed up like you used to and you didn’t even think twice. It’s only when you decide you’re too tired to play–your movements are sloppy, button time is delayed–it’s finally time to hit the sack, else you risk coming in last.

But what a night to carry into dreams.  Stories and memories from too long ago, it seems. A change of pace and a break from the same. That’s what you find in an old video game.