E.A.T.

• Christy Hitchman, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2012

E.A.T

Ashley stood there, his eyes widening and his fingers shaking. He tried to step backwards but tripped over something squishy and wet, his body plummeted onto the cold, hard tiles. The man’s beastly grin flashed in his memory as teeth pushed onto his body, ripping at his soft flesh.


***


“Coming up at 1300 hours, Dr. Chameleon talks about his new RLGS opening on Day 50 of this rotation!” The gigantic television blared.
“A Real Life Gaming System? You ought to do that. It’s tomorrow.” Ashley’s mother cooed at him as she dived through the numerous piles of scrap metal left over from her robot creations.
“And you ought to sort out that crazed robot. It’s driving father insane!” Ashley spat back, motioning to Ghirr as it attempted to climb the stairs. His mother laughed and left the room, leaving Ashley to his favourite television show: G@ME5 4 G@MER5.

By 1900 hours Ashley knew every detail about the RLGS, named ‘Enter All Troops’. Dr. Chameleon’s aim was to select the number one gamer in all of Conhavicon, the large city in which Ashley lived. As much he did know about E.A.T, he knew next to nothing about Dr. Chameleon. He wasn’t on the Internet and neither the adults nor children in the sector had heard anything of him until today.

That night in his dream a strange angel descended upon him as he lay in an open field. It wore an oversized white cloak and as it hovered above him he could not see its face in the darkness. It bore nothing but a warning.

“Dr. Chameleon is not whom you think. You must be alert and equipped if you want to survive. He will do monstrous things to you if you are not prepared. This is all I can tell you. Please, you must listen.”

Ashley had dismissed it as a figment of his imagination well before he passed the final level of E.A.T. Its gruesome activities were far gorier than any that he had ever done before. Only when he was asked to see Dr. Chameleon did the dream come back to him.

Slowly he staggered into the small room, his heartbeat quickening when he saw Dr. Chameleon’s black robe crouched in the far corner. The heavy door slammed shut and suddenly the man’s face was above his. He could finally take in the features of the unknown. His pale skin was uninterrupted and his eyes gleamed a deep red colour under the dim lights. Dr. Chameleon opened his mouth and sharp teeth shot out to his chin, red liquid dripping downwards and an angry hiss stinging the muffled air.

Ashley stood there, his eyes widening and his fingers shaking. He tried to step backwards but tripped over something squishy and wet, his body plummeted onto the cold, hard tiles. The man’s beastly grin flashed in his memory as teeth pushed onto his body, ripping at his soft flesh.


***