A Meal and A Lover

A Fortnite Fanfiction by Penutsonfire

It was one day in the realistic world of planet earth, circa 2019. A regular man who goes by the assumed title "Johnathan Plaster" was in his house, and was just finishing up his gaming session up after playing the game "Fortnite" for the past 6 hours. Now, like any one of us, this amount of game time was not sufficient to fill his craving needs of Fortnite. His last game ended in disaster, only placing twenty-eighth, which was shameful for such a skilled gamer as John was. However, this failure was not without precedent. There was a cause for this absolute failure, he could feel it in his stomach.

He was hungry. And this was no sort of regular hunger, it was advanced hunger. A kind of hunger that could eat the souls of men just for a decent meal. This was the kind of path that Johnathan did not want to go down. Thus, he put his Xbox controller down reluctantly, and headed down the stairs of his own house.

But he was not alone, for in fact someone was in the house with him, and he was not aware of such a fact. He peeked around the corner, eyes gazed towards the kitchen, but found a pair of eyes staring back at him in return. He jolted back in surprise at the person now standing just in front of him.

"Oh geez honey, you scared me!" exclaimed his mother, age 47. She had stated that she was going out for a couple of drinks just an hour ago. The ghastly sight of his mother brought him terror, as in truth, he had been playing Fortnite without her permission.

After hour five of John's maddeningly addictive session of Fortnite, one that had particularly felt more addictive and captivating than and other before it, his mother had entered the room to find her son sprawled out on the bed, eyes fixed to his screen with scrupulous diligence. A sight that struck John's mother with a mortified grimace, although not one entirely unexpected. For, you see, this kind of thing had happened before.

It was 6 months ago when John's mother had first found out her son had been playing a game called Fortnite. Her son had been an avid fan of video games for quite some time, and initially, she had thought nothing of this new interest of his. From what she could gather, this was some new kind of popular trend among the other kids and assumed that he had heard it from the other kids on the playground. Thankfully, the game was available on the Xbox, a game system which they already owned, and was completely free, thus preventing childish whining that John usually evoked when he did not get what he desired.

Thus, things had gone smoothly at first for John and his mother with little disturbing behaviour. However, as time marched on, things started to... change. The hours he spent on his Xbox increased daily and John himself had undergone some change. Of course, John's mother made absolutely sure that this striking change wasn't due to his oncoming puberty, and although he was a late bloomer at the age of 12, none of his symptoms checked out to show any causation between puberty and his disturbing changes. First was his physical appearance, with a slouched and uneasy posture, his bloodshot eyes and pale colour of skin, and spindly and overgrown fingernails. But it wasn't just his appearance on the outside that had changed, but also his inside. His behaviour became erratic, with tender love on one hand, contrasted with reproach and violence on the other. It was not easy to guess which one of these dispositions he would wear on a daily basis, which made him dangerous to be around. He also frequently begged his mother for V-bucks, a virtual currency for the game, and thus this frivolous spending had taken a heavy toll on her wallet. With such a violent son being bred from this horrible game, in her mind, John's mother had to take action.

She accordingly rolled out proper restrictions upon her child to prevent this behaviour. She restricted his time spent on both the Xbox and the computer, as not only did she feel the gameplay had damaged his mind, but also the thousands of Youtube videos on the subject that proved to warp his young and flexible mind. The combined time on both of these pastimes were restricted to his usual 8 – 11 hours to a more reasonable 5 hours between the two. She was able to keep track of his activity through implanted cameras throughout the house, and especially in his room.

However, such precautions were met with resistance from John himself, who very much objected to his new treatment from his mother, although at this point his demented mind was almost beyond salvaging, even with these kinds of measures taken to preserve his mind and his future. These complaints were met with a cold, callous response from his mother, who did not yield to her already made decision.

As draconian as her new rules were enforced, ever slowly did she see positive progress in the behaviour of her son, and she couldn't help but feel a little happier as a result. But the darker side which still hung on and craved that demonic game, as full access to it hadn't yet been restricted yet at that time. Thus, the demon could never truly leave John, and rotten behaviour in tow could truly never leave the Plaster household.

Now, let us return to the point I had mentioned earlier, as John's mother had now witnessed her son playing Fortnite. Anytime which she was forced to look upon this game filled her with a sense of disgrace for rearing a son of such deplorable taste, however she knew how much he enjoyed it. But this was irrelevant since the 5th hour of game time had passed and she had full authority to cut his time short. However, John was particularly vocal about his displeasure regarding this restriction, as he was entranced with the game in a way he had not been in a good few months.

"What!?" John objected "But I just started a new game, can I at least finish it before I stop?"

"Absolutely not, young man! You know very well that it's been 5 hours, and you should consider yourself very lucky that I decided to give you that much. Regardless, I am going out for a few drinks so I'll be out of the house. To make sure you don't break your curfew regarding your game, I'll be taking the Xbox and disconnecting the internet. I'll be back in a few hours." said John's mother, unplugging and carrying the Xbox away.

After unplugging the internet and getting herself ready, John's mother left John all alone in the house. However her one fatal flaw was underestimating John's intelligence and desperation. For while a part of him was still evil, nevertheless he was far more cunning and wily as a result. He had used the cameras placed around the house to his advantage, revealing to himself the location of the hidden Xbox, which he promptly retrieved. Next, he was no slouch on understanding how his router and internet connection worked, after all, he was reliant on it to a certain degree. So with these obstacles having been overcome, John could continue this forbidden obsession.

This now brings us to the moment where our story began, and now John has come face to face with his mother, unexpectedly returning after an unforeseen return at such an early hour. John, frozen in fear, decided he would need to think quick and cover himself long enough to make sure he would have the time to return things back to the way they were before his mother had left. He quickly thought of something to say, and paid no consideration to whether it was true or false, or if he really cared or not.

"Hey Mom, back so soon?" John said with a saccharin smile.

"Oh, always so inquisitive honey. I just figured it was getting late... and you know it's a school night and all..." said John's mother. It was clear that the drinks that she had been having had taken some effect on her mind. This was all the more advantageous for John, who had taken advantage of his mother in such a state before. In his mind, this would be all too easy.

"Oh my, in that case, we should both get to bed early then, shall we?" said John in a suspiciously considerate voice.

"That doesn't sound like such a bad idea honey," said John's mother with a yawn. "but first I'd like to turn the internet back on. You know how I like to read my articles before I go to bed."

Hearing this made John sweat. If his mother found out that the internet was not as she left it, she surely would unravel the rest of John's trick too. John quickly interjected.

"Internet? Oh of course! Here let me turn it back on for you." John said with haste and had already taken a few steps away. But his mother relented.

"You wouldn't know how to work the internet honey, I can do it just fine." said his mother, insistent as ever.

John knew he could work the internet just fine, and found his mother's words to be condescending. However he kept his mouth shut lest his mother should grow suspicious and tightly lock down the internet further as a precaution. As a result, John needed to devise another plan.

"Ok, I'll go upstairs and get ready for bed then!" said John as he quickly ran off.

He decided that first and foremost he needed to conceal his Xbox, as he doubted his mother would check to see where it last was at this hour. Placing it under his bed, along with the accompanying cords that came with the console. Next, he made it to the router room, where his mother was now standing over it in confusion.

"What's the matter, Mom?" said John.

"Oh my! You startled me!" said John's mother in surprise. "I'm just a bit confused. It looks like the internet is still on, and I swear I turned it off before I left."

"Hmm," John said, trying to fake confusion. "maybe you forgot to turn it off?" John's heart was in his mouth at this point.

"Did you know about this?" asked his mother

"Oh, not at all! I was just doing a bit of reading for my class tomorrow so I didn't even notice!" said John.

John's mother felt a little skeptical about the answers that she was receiving. But she was tired, and a little drunk, so she figured she'd give it no thought for tonight. Instead, she gave her son a smile and a hug before going off to her room and fall asleep. John breathed a deep sigh of relief.

It was now midnight at this point, and even John felt as if he needed to go to bed. But with a fierce growl, he was brutally reminded of why he had went downstairs in the first place. He had returned downstairs and opened the fridge to scavenge on whatever he could get his hungry hands on. He figured some meat, bread, and vegetables should do just the trick as he returned back upstairs with his caravan of food in hand, and after his meal, he prepared himself for bed. Many times he had disagreed with his mother, but she was true in the fact that it was late. John tucked himself neatly into his bed.

But soon another hunger gnawed away at him. Not the kind of hunger he had had before, but one that was emanating from below his bed. It was a silky and empty feeling that resonated throughout his body, one unfulfilled. It was too hard for even John to fully describe, but it pulled his eyes wide awake and compelled him up and out of bed. He crawled out of his bed and looked underneath it, eyes fixed upon the sleek black gaming console. His desire for playing Fortnite had returned.

But he knew he shouldn't, it just wasn't right. He had school tomorrow, and he didn't want to see his grades slip just because of some stupid game. Even John had a limit to Fortnite. But nevertheless the thought still strangled his mind and he could not let himself rest. He tried his hardest to find the right position or some state of mind to calm his troubled soul and allow him to fall asleep. Soon he felt something else enter his mind, something far more vile and insidious than he could ever imagine.

"Hey, why are you trying so hard to resist it, huh? Why do you not just play one game of Fortnite and be done with your desires." said a voice. John, startled, raised himself upright in his bed.

His eyes scanned the room to see where the voice was coming from. Was there someone in his house? Feeling more panicked by the second, he tried to call out to the voice which he heard.

"Who is this? Where are you?" stuttered John, visibly shaking at this point.

"Why are you so afraid, John? We know each other quite well, although we are only speaking to each other just now." said the voice.

"If I apparently know you so well, then where have I seen you? Because I certainly don't remember meeting you. Furthermore, why are you so keen that I play Fortnite at this hour?" asked John.

"Oh, mighty inquisitive, aren't we? Well, I have nor problem entertaining your demands. To start off with, I am not suggesting you play Fortnite for any other reason than to look out for your well being. I see that you were perturbed, and the cause was all too obviously your fledgling obsession with Fortnite, so I was only offering a solution for your issue." said the voice in his most sincere voice.

"Fair enough. However, I see you're still dancing around my first question. Just who are you, and I want a clear explanation too!" said John, a little more pressing in his tone of voice.

"Alright, I'll spill it. You see, I've always been a part of you. Quietly hiding in the back of your mind, looking out for your interests wherever and whenever. Unfortunately, my influence has never been foremost in your mind, and thus my power was limited. But in recent times I've grown stronger than I have ever been. With this new advancement, I am luckily able to talk to you, and steer you in the right direction." said the voice, taking his stance.

"So you're kind of like my consciousness? Still, it's a bit frightening hearing voices in my head..." said John hesitantly.

"It's not creepy if the voice is saying good things to you, isn't it?" said the voice.

"Hmmm, well, I'm still not sure that I should play Fortnite at this hour, even if the game is epic." said John, with his mind in a rut.

"Well, it's not like you'll be going to bed anytime soon and you're mother is asleep. She won't hear anything!" said the voice.

John thought to himself for a quick minute. The voice did have a point, it wasn't like he was about to go to sleep, and his mind was only fixated on Fortnite at the moment. He decided to listen to the voice in his head.

"OK, I guess I'll play a round or two." said John with a shrug, as he pulled himself out of bed.

"Great, I knew you'd make the right decision." said the voice with a smile, although the voice did not have a body and could not smile. It was a metaphorical smile.

John hastily set up his Xbox and turned it on. He put his volume on silent as not to wake his sleeping mother and began to game. The initial cloud of guilt that came with playing the game so late, but soon it melted away in a wave of complete pleasure that naturally comes from playing such a game as Fortnite. Soon one game turned to 2, then 3, and so on until the early morning light began to gleam through his window. Suddenly the realization dawned upon poor Johnny that morning had come and he hadn't even got any sleep. He also realized that his mother would be awake soon and surely come to see that he was awake and was ready for school. John quickly dismantled his Xbox and hid it, and jumped back into bed in the nick of time.

John's mother entered the room. Upon entering the room she immediately noticed the poor condition that her son was in. He had a sickly pale colour, and a weak and tired disposition. In addition, his eyes were bloodshot and baggy. These were all signs of excessive Fortnite gaming, however John's mother, still being somewhat out of touch with the youth, did not realize this and took it as some sort of sickness.

"Oh my goodness honey, you look terrible! There's no way you're going to school in this condition. You can just stay home for the day, I'll call the school." said John's mother, rushing to the phone.

"Thank... you..." said a half asleep John, almost too tired to stay awake.

John's mother reentered the room after a few minutes, checking to see that his condition was still present.

"OK, I've called the school so they know you're not coming today. I need to go to work, but I'll be back around 5. I trust that you can take care of yourself all alone, be sure to drink a lot of water. I love you, hon." said John's mother, giving John a kiss on the forehead and then leaving for work.

John got cozy in his bed afterwards and began drifting off to sleep. That was, until he heard something. It was that oh so familiar voice calling to him once more.

"What a perfect excuse, John! Pretending to be sick, genius! Now we can play even more Fortnite... all day, in fact!" said the voice enthusiastically.

But the sleep deprived John protested, as he was unaccustomed to being awake so long and only felt the desire to sleep.

"Or perhaps we can sleep, voice? I can barely stay awake at this point..." said John, only burying himself further in his sheets.

"Oh nonsense, you can't have that poor resolve can't you? Surely you would rather play your favourite game just a little bit longer?" begged the voice.

"Err, I think I'm a little burnt out on Fortnite, don't you think? I mean, playing a single game 7 hours straight kinda wears down on you doesn't it?" said John, relenting against the voice's pleas.

"You know, some guy played a single game for over 20 hours straight before he died..." the voice casually mentioned.

"That really isn't a good thing, and frankly, I'd rather not die." said John.

The voice further protested however this fell on deaf ears as John was fast asleep. The bickering was just enough energy to push John over the edge and he collapsed from fatigue not 3 seconds after John uttered his last words.

But John's sleep was not a pleasant one. His mind was tormented with horrible nightmares that shook him to the core. But strangest of all was the type of nightmares that John had. For all of them centred around one specific topic, Fortnite. Perhaps it was obvious that the excessive consumption of the game had led it to enter his mind in the most horrible way. But nevertheless, his sleep was mightily disturbed, and John awoke with a shock.

"Oh my goodness, what a horrible nightmare! What time is it?" said John, coming to his senses.

"Finally awake, are we? You had quite the sleep didn't you? And all while I was still talking to you, how rude!" lectured the voice.

"What a rude awakening! A hello would have sufficed!" said John with a yawn.

"Well I don't appreciate naughty children who don't listen to what I say!" retorted the voice.

"What were you even trying to say in the first place?" asked John

"Well, first of all, I didn't want you to muck up your sleep schedule by sleeping all through the afternoon, I mean, its 4:30 for goodness sake. Now you'll never get to sleep at a reasonable hour, and your mother is almost home!" snapped the voice

"Geez, now you really sound like my mother. I thought you were fun loving and free, not so prudish!" said John, rolling over in his sheets.

There was a palpable silence after this as John still struggled to wake up from his sleep-deprived nap. He took a sip of water from the glass placed beside his bed and tried his best to stay awake. It was at that moment that his mom had arrived home and greeted him with a smile.

"Feeling better, honey?" said John's mother with a smile

"Yeah, a little bit I guess. I think the rest really helped." said John, still feeling a bit hazy.

"That's good to hear. Let me make you some soup to help." said John's mother, leaving his room.

The rest of the night carried on rather peacefully. John sipped on his soup while still bed-ridden and watched youtube on his phone. John couldn't be happier with how things had gone, but still felt a bit guilty on how he treated his voice. He was only trying to help after all, how could he have been so cruel to him. However, John figured the voice would come back whenever he felt the urge to play Fortnite. Then they could make up and perhaps even be friends again.

But the voice did not return. In fact, John had little desire to play Fortnite at all in the following weeks. Whenever his friends at school would talk about Fortnite, John would just keep quiet and smile awkwardly, detached from what his friends would say. As time passed further on, John became completely uninterested in Fortnite all together. The game had grown quite boring to John, and just the thought of it brought back painful memories of the friends he lost, and the friendly voice in his head in particular.

Now a year had passed and John was a completely different person. No longer was John the happy-go-lucky kid who would talk about Fortnite with all of his friends. Now he was 13 and was a loner. He hung out by himself and was quiet and reserved. He didn't have time for childish nonsense now that he was closer to the brutal reality of adulthood. Yet still deep inside, he still missed the glory days.

John's days at school were marked by endless trouble making, as John had become quite the rebel among the school kids. In fact, he had become quite notorious among both the students and the teachers. John was known as the "bad kid", which was extra bad since the school John went to was quite well known for its good reputation. But now all that was in jeopardy as John's reign of terror harassed the school.

Next week was the school's annual evaluation, and surely if the administrators had seen John's behaviour, than the typical grant given to the school would be reduced. This scared the teachers to their core. They knew something had to be done, and so they conspired in the teacher's lounge.

"That kid must go!" said one of the teachers, named Mr. Parkinson

"I agree! But how can we do it without looking like monsters?" said Mrs. Boatman, the math teacher

"That kid is a nightmare! Regardless of whether its justified or not, we'll be heroes for ridding that menace!" said yet another teacher, this one just being a substitute.

"Its easy to get him kicked out, just catch him doing something. He's always up to something after all." said the Mr. Parkinson.

"But he's too crafty! He always gets away somehow!" said the substitute.

"That's true... unless we take more drastic measures..." said Mrs. Boatman suspiciously.

"You don't mean-" said Mr. Parkinson before he was cut off.

"Be quiet! Look, if we're going to do this, we'll have to keep it just between us, OK?" said Mrs. Boatman, hushing her voice down a considerable amount.

Of course, the teacher's actions might seem to be too drastic, but to them, the rewards far out weighed the risk to both their jobs and their lives.

They conspired in secret that night, far away from even the other teachers. It was Tuesday night that they had agreed to carry out their plan. They knew that John liked to hang around the school after hours. He enjoyed making mischief when nobody was around, plus he didn't have much in the way of friends or extracurricular activities. Using this knowledge to their advantage, they set a trap for John.

When Tuesday night had rolled around, John was there as expected. Armed with a can of spray paint, he decided to spray something on the walls of the school. That is until he was suddenly surrounded by three teachers, well two teachers and one substitute.

John froze, not knowing what to say, but the silence was broken by the teachers surrounding him.

"What are you doing, Johnathan?" said Mrs. Boatman with her arms crossed.

"Ummmmm. Nothing much, I guess." said John, trying to hide the can of spray paint behind his back.

Bruh imma be real I ain't gonna finish this shit and if I do then I'll delete this