glenbw

"Dreams, Truths and Procreation: The Inspirational Story Behind The Modern Myths of the 2000s, Coming This Christmas."

kelogsloops

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sAEjlkoMK8

Story by JessaMar

Connie had always been given to nostalgia, even for things that she hadn't actually experienced the first time. Swing music from the 1940s, old farmhouses, rotary telephones, and fashion from the 1920s or 1960s; it all resonated for her as strongly as the TV shows from her own childhood.

She met Phil at a friend's cookout, and didn't expect that they would hit it off. He worked with computers and spoke eagerly about the latest gadgets; Connie used modern technology willingly enough, but she didn't find anything exciting about it. But Phil didn't look askance at the hat she wore, and when she talked about her favorite songs he immediately looked them up on his phone. Then he pulled out a bluetooth speaker so that they could listen together, and she was tickled to see that it was fashioned to look like an antique radio.

When the virus hit, it was easy enough for Connie to embrace new old-fashioned habits: baking bread, fermenting food, and narrowing her focus to the things she could touch. These things made her feel safer. She didn't mind putting most of her regular routines on hold, but she did wonder if this meant an end to her growing friendship with Phil. They kept in touch a little on social media, but it lacked substance.

Then one cold, sunny morning a small package arrived. It held a flash drive shaped like a cassette tape, and a handwritten note. Just looking at them made Connie feel as warm as her grandmother's cookies.

i.

step one

put the quarter in

prepare to beat your high score

morph into your second skin

joy comes from a joystickor press of the buttons

mash 'em all at onceand can't nobody tell you nothin'

transform under neon lights

conquer every hurdle

whether you're aspiky-haired yellow kid

or pizza-eating turtle

ii.

catch that Pac-Man fever

become an 8-bit junkie

it's more fun than a barrel

tossed at you by a monkey

find your magic sword & shield

to save Hyrule from doom

or use a Hundred Hand Slap

to prevent a Sonic Boom

prepare to hop

across the road

when the coast is clear

and finish any ninja

who says

"Get Over Here"

iii.

zombies ate your neighbors

and there's no one else to save ya

so act like you're a Belmont

and this is Castlevania

defeat those Ghouls ‘n Goblins

every unholy creation

birthed from the sick minds

of the Umbrella Corporation

want the uprising televised?

you've got the solution

set it all to music

and it's a

Dance Dance Revolution

iv.

you can brave the Dragon's Lair

or make Space Invaders bleed

but watch out

for that Asteroid

and stop the Centipede

you've got some dug to dig

you've got some toads to battle

there's bubbles to bobble

and snakes to roll ‘n' rattle

the time has come

you've leveled up

the power's flowin' in you

pull the flag down at the castle

save

and then continue

Poems by YouInventedMe

The power flowed into him, filling his lungs, spreading out in his blood like oxygen, and settling into the marrow of his bones. He felt himself smile in a way that he hadn't since he was a boy learning to cast his first spell. He had devoted decades to the study of magic, but now, now he was magic.

A glow lit the trees around him. He couldn't be sure if it was the setting sun, or if the glow came from his own skin. A beetle crawled on the ground nearby, seemingly unconcerned with what it had just witnessed, but yet its movements were in time with his heartbeat. A bird in the sky flapped its wings to the same rhythm.

A breeze plucked at his hair and clothes. He began to dance, slowly at first; he followed the wind, and the wind followed him. He moved faster, twirling and leaping, until even the fallen leaves were dancing around him. When he stopped, all was still.

A breeze plucked at his hair and clothes. He began to dance, slowly at first; he followed the wind, and the wind followed him. He moved faster, twirling and leaping, until even the fallen leaves were dancing around him. When he stopped, all was still.

Story by JessaMar