Trapped in a Game Pt. 06

"It's not true; Serra would be better off without me," I countered, and Kelly shook her head.

"No Josh, she'd fall apart. Just like I did when you married Tracey."

A gasp escaped my lips.

"That's not true-"

"I hid in my room for months Josh. I never let you know, because I know that you did that 'for my own good', but it did no good for either of us. I needed you. Just like she needs you now."

"I can't. I'm just a broken mess," I said, and Kelly hugged me.

"You are, sweetie. But nothing's wrong with that. You were my light when you were more broken than you'd ever been. Serra needs that light now."

I fought back tears, wanting nothing more than to stay in her arms, but as she faded into a blinding flash of light, the echo of her voice called out.

"Go to her, Josh; she needs you. You can still fix everything, before it's too late."

I woke up, and as I jumped upright, I found my surroundings to be disconcertingly unfamiliar.

"Oh? You're awake?"

I turned to the voice of my mother, who was sitting by the window, looking outside.

"Where's Serra?" I asked, and she sighed.

"In your room, I guess. Usually, you'd be up there too, but that poor girl looked like she'd had enough for once."

She eyed me, and I felt a pang of guilt gnawing at my chest.

"I'm surprised you woke up at all," she continued. "Usually, when it gets this bad, you just sleep until morning then reset your memories."

"Reset my memories? I don't think that's how brain damage works, mom."

"Brain damage? So that's what Serra tells you. That girl, bless her heart, has a kind soul. Maybe too kind for her own good."

"What do you mean?" I asked, and she sighed again.

"Your memory loss is psychosomatic, Josh. There's nothing wrong up here," she said, pointing to her head, before coming to sit beside me on the bed. "It's something in here that's broken."

She pointed to my heart, and I sighed.

"I could never do anything right, could I?" I asked, and my mom chuckled a little.

"You never could; but I was wrong to punish you for that. Some things just can't be helped; I just wanted you to be okay; out there, in the world."

She sighed, looking wistfully out the window.

"I spent so much time worrying about how my children chose to love each other, that I almost lost you both."

She turned, taking my hand in hers, and bringing it to her face.

"You can still heal from this, Josh. I know you can."

I nodded, getting up.

"I'm going to Serra," I said, and she nodded, as I headed for the door.

I followed the series of corridors that I'd now become at least a little familiar with, then headed up the stairs to our room.

"Hey," I said, poking my head in, and Serra looked over from the bed.

"You're up," she said, with that same expression of surprise as my mom's, and I nodded.

"Can I come in?" I asked, and she snickered.

"Of course you can, dummy. This is your room, too."

I walked over to Serra, then climbed on top of her, and as she leaned back, a look of surprise on her face, I leaned down, and planted a gentle, but firm kiss on her lips.

"Whoa, what's gotten into you?" she said.

Her eyes were sparkly, and she was smiling, despite the seeming complaint.

"I was stupid today."

"Just today?" she teased, and I smiled.

"I'm sorry. I let my stupid habit of feeling sorry for myself get in the way of... this."

"This? And what is, 'this'," she asked, teasing me.

"Everything?" I said, blushing a little.

"Oh, come on, you can do better than that," she chided.

"You being... a surprisingly amazing wife," I tried again, and she smiled.

"I am pretty awesome," she agreed. "What else?"

"You, loving me. Caring for me... taking care of me all this time. I'm still not sure that I deserve you," I continued, and she stared at me sharply, "but if I do make you happy; then I want to keep doing that... as long as you'll have me."

Serra kissed me again.

"I'm sorry that I let you raise Katie, practically alone, all this time," I said, and she sighed.

"You can thank your mom for helping me with that one," she said, and I nodded.

"I know. But I want to do more; and if I can sort out this memory thing... I mean, I know I can sort out this memory thing. I want to spend more time with her, and get to know her."

"I think she'd love that."

"Now, I know I lost a bet earlier... but I think maybe I need some time before I can think of giving Katie a little sibling, if that's okay," I said, and Serra rolled her eyes.

"Obviously, dumbass. I just made that bet to get under your skin."

I kissed her again, this time, mashing her lips against hers, several times before breaking away.

"I know... but if we're gonna do it eventually, maybe a little practice won't hurt," I said, and she studied me with an expression of mild surprise.

"Initiating the flirting? I think momma likey," she said, and I nuzzled her affectionately.

"You're being... affectionate," she said, and I shrugged.

"Can't I be affectionate with my wife?" I asked.

"You don't have to force yourself, Josh. I know how recent your memories of Kelly must be."

"You didn't seem to care this morning when we did it," I countered, and she frowned.

"Hate fucking, and this; they're two different things... I dunno if I believe you can genuinely be this way right now with anyone but her."

I kissed her again, and she bit her lip, her apprehension as plain on her face as the desire that lurked just beneath.

"I love Kelly. I probably always will; but if she knew that my feelings for her were stopping me from making love to my wife more than a decade after her death, she'd probably whack me over the head and tell me to stop being an idiot."

Serra's eyes were alight, and I couldn't help but marvel at how beautiful she looked with that expression.

"I promised her I would save you, you know," she confessed, and I kissed her again.

She wrapped her arms around my neck, and pulled me down on top of her as I began to kiss her.

It felt weird, admittedly, but also, so natural being with her.

She deserves this.

For everything she's done for you, I told myself.

I kissed her along her neck, and as she slipped the straps of her strap top over her shoulders, giving me access to her chest, I reached up, taking her breast in my hand, and making the fleshy mounds the new object of my kisses.

I stripped her strap top off, then kissed her stomach, looking into her eyes, and she bit her lip as her pelvis reflexively thrust upwards, toward me, and I kissed moving downwards toward her panty covered crotch, placing a kiss there, before stripping off that final piece of clothing.

I took a deep breath before kissing her there, but Serra quickly took a glance at the clock across the room.

"Shit, Josh. Katie and your mom will expect us down for dinner."

"Do we postpone?" I asked, and she bit her lip.

"No. I want this," she said, pulling me to her, and fishing out my cock quickly as she did. "But you owe me a proper 'tongue lashing' to make up for this."

"How's your Tuesday?" I teased.

"I have no idea, but I better wake up with a tongue in my cunt."

"You and that dirty mouth," I chided, but she jerked me forward, leaning down and sucking on my cock and slobbering it with saliva.

"What about it?" she quipped, leaning back, and lining up my cockhead with her entrance.

She was already wet, and as I leaned down, slowly sliding into her, she bit her lip again.

"Fucking- love that feeling. Every. Single. Time," she breathed, and as I bottomed out inside of her, I paused to kiss her.

"Fuck me, baby," she said, and I placed a hand beside her to brace myself as I began to move, slowly at first.

My movements were gentle but thorough, retreating to the cusp of her entrance before sliding in to the deepest depths I could breach, and she timed her hips, rotating them forward to match each forward thrust so that I could penetrate deeper and deeper inside of her.

"Fucking hell, I love the way you fuck me," she crooned, and I smirked.

"And I love your dirty mouth."

I slowed my movements, leaning in to kiss her once again, and she purred into my mouth, contentedly.

"If you get tired of it, you could always shut me up by stuffing that fat cock of yours down my throat," Serra moaned, and I resumed thrusting now, more roughly, to her delight.

"How's your Wednesday?" I asked, and she smirked.

"How are you holding out?" she asked, and I panted, as I continued to thrust roughly against her.

"I'm okay. I mean, I only emptied my balls inside of you twice today," I joked, and she bit her lip.

"Fuck me for real, then," she said, and I picked up my pace. "Fuck. Yeah. Just like... that, baby!"

I took one of her breasts into my free hand, and began to stimulate the nipple roughly, and as she reached down and began massaging her own clit with her hand.

I sensed that she was close, so I steadied my pace, and she grabbed my shoulder, her nails scraping against the skin.

"Fuck yeah. Josh. Don't... stop!" she cried out, and several moments later, a few stifled moans came pouring out of her mouth as she came, and I slowed my pace, allowing her to fully experience the climax without overstimulating her sensitive places.

She was panting, and as I slipped out of her tunnel, she stared at my meat, glistening wet and coated with her own love juices, when the sound of footsteps approaching the door sent us into panic.

"Fuck," Serra swore, as she scrambled for the covers, and she got the important things covered just as the door burst open.

"Gramma said that we should have dinner now," Katie announced, before studying us. "Mommy, are you alright?"

"Yeah- baby, I'm... fine," she panted.

"Were you and daddy fighting?" she asked, and Serra shook her head, still trying to catch her breath.

"No sweetie, we were uh... playing a game."

"Oh-kay," she sang, heading back down the corridor, and I felt my heart skip a beat as the response was so reminiscent of Kelly when she was young.

"You forgot the door!" Serra called, but Katie was well out of ear-shot. "I'll get you later," Serra promised, and I snickered.

"It's fine, let's just get cleaned up."

We took a quick shower and got dressed, then headed downstairs, and the pizza, to my surprise, was lying on the coffee table, over by a projector-like device that I assumed was what a television set looked like in the future.

"Katie wants to watch a movie," my mom said, and I smiled.

"Ooh. I have about fifteen years of movies to catch up on. What do you wanna see honey?" I asked.

"Lord of the rings!" she declared, and I smirked, shooting Serra a quick look.

"I dunno if to be disappointed, or proud."

"See? She loves those old movies," Serra announced proudly. "I'm a great fucking mom."

My mom stared daggers at Serra, and I snickered, as we plopped down on the sofa, and my mother passed around some plates.

"I fucking love pizza!" Katie announced, as she reached for a slice, and Serra whistled, her gaze cast firmly away from my mom's as she set up the movie for us.

"Katie, dear. What did I tell you about using that word?" my mom chided, and Katie pouted.

"But mommy says it."

"Mommy shouldn't say it either, but mommy makes mistakes, sweetie. And when mommy makes mistakes; we learn from them."

"-learn from them," she repeated in sync, and I studied the interaction with some amusement.

"I love your wife, dear, but you need to control that mouth of hers," my mom whispered, and I shot Serra a knowing look, as she suddenly started coughing.

"Don't worry mama; he will," Serra chimed.

As we ate and watch the movie, Katie began reciting some of the dialogue along with the characters, and I studied her with admiration and pride.

Being there, and being a family; a sublime feeling of peace came over me, interrupted only by the intermittent wish that Kelly could somehow be there, in that moment, with us.

"This pizza is truly magnificent," I admitted, and Serra smiled happily.

"Looks like someone didn't survive the fellowship," she said, I looked over to see Katie soundly asleep, just as Gandalf and his company approached Moria.

Serra put the movie on pause, as I scooped Katie up, and together we whisked her off to her room.

As I put her in bed, she stirred, and she cast me a sleepy-eyed look.

"Can you be this daddy again tomorrow?" Katie asked, and I chuckled, nodding.

"I'll try," I said, and as she snuggled into a comfortable position to sleep, I gave her a little kiss, then left the room with a 'goodnight'.

"Its surprisingly sexy seeing you in dad-mode," Serra said, and as she leaned in to kiss me, my mom called to us from down the corridor.

"Take it upstairs, you two."

"Sorry mama," Serra replied, giggling as she pulled me with her, upstairs.

"Do we finish where we left off?" she asked, and I stifled a yawn. "I'll take that as a no," she said, and I nodded.

As we climbed into bed and Serra seemingly took off the lights with either a hand motion or some other technological marvel I didn't quite get, she snuggled up to me, and suddenly I remembered all those nights we'd slept together back in the game.

"This is nostalgic," I said, and she laughed.

"Holy shit, you're right! I forgot about that."

She wiggled her butt against me, and this time, I reached over, and grasped one of her breasts.

"See? I told you back then this would have been more fun if we were fucking," she said, and I sighed.

"Back then I was still with Kelly," I chided.

"Right... Kelly."

There was something off about her tone, but my mind, on the verge of collapsing into sleep, couldn't quite process it.

"No matter what happens when you wake up Josh... always remember that I love you."

"I know you do, babe," I answered, and she turned over, looking me in the eye.

"I mean it, Josh. I really fucking love you," she said.

She wrapped her arms around me and pulled me close, our legs intertwining, and as I fell asleep, wrapped in her warmth, a supreme sense of comfort washing over me; I found myself wishing that I could feel that way as I fell asleep every day for the rest of my life.

I think I love you too, Serra, I thought.

As I drifted off, however, there was something peculiar about the feeling that wasn't quite right, and as I opened my eyes, a feeling of sluggishness and tiredness threatening to overwhelm me, I suddenly found myself in the strangest dream...

I was... in a tank? Filled with water.

There was glass all around me, and as I looked around, I noticed that even in this water tank, with no breathing apparatus or anything, for some reason, I seemed to have no trouble breathing.

"He's waking up," a voice said, and I tilted my head, as the words echoed down to me.

"Josh? Josh, can you hear me?"

I nodded, understanding the words despite my general disorientation, and the voice continued.

"Josh, I know this is confusing, but we need to move quickly. Kelly is alive, but she may be in trouble. Do you understand me?"

My heartbeat began to quicken, and suddenly, I started gasping, as if my trouble breathing in that strange liquid filled tank was only now starting to take effect.

Kelly... is alive?

Then that life... was it all... fake?

I found myself torn between the genuine hope that Kelly was indeed alive; and the hope that somehow, I could still wake up in that perfect world with Serra...

"Eject him," the voice called, and I gasped as the water began to drain around me, and the top of the tank opened up, setting me free.

I climbed out, finding my muscles surprisingly well co-ordinated, considering the near-drowsy state I'd just been in when falling asleep.

"Muscle co-ordination seems fine," the voice said, and as my vision cleared, I caught sight of a girl wearing a white labcoat, holding a sensor looking device of some kind, which appeared to be scanning me.

"He's fine. The procedure was a success," the girl said, and the voice from before spoke again, though I couldn't quite make out where it was coming from.

"What was that? That place. Was it real?" I asked.

I tottered towards the girl, and her expression became glum.

"I need you to remain calm, Joshua. Dieter will explain everything."

My heartbeat was racing, and from the girl's expression, after consulting her sensor device, I figured she could tell as well.

"Still your heart, Joshua. Your sister needs you."

I nodded.

I seemed to be in an operating room of some kind, with screens and strange glass tubes all around the room, and the girl led me to what appeared to be a hospital type bed.

A little motor-controlled robot came rolling into the room, offering me a suit of clean white clothes, and I quickly put it on, realizing, as my senses came back to me, that I was completely nude.

"Joshua. I know this is a lot to take in, but time is critical here. During your last battle in Mythic Lands, your player character was gravely wounded, which in turn caused some serious damage to your brain's parietal lobe. To repair the damage, we put you into an induced coma, and created a simulation of reality to aid in the healing of the damage done to your brain."

"None of that... none of it was real?" I panted.

My breathing was rapid and shallow, and I felt like puking, but as I spoke, a door opened, and I stared as a girl I quickly recognized stepped in.

"Serra?"

She looked exactly like she did in that perfect world, but she was younger; her hips not wide with after-effects of childbirth, and her breasts noticeably smaller, but perkier.

My mouth dropped as I realized for the first time that she barely looked a day older than eighteen.

"Hey there, hubby," she said, with that typical charismatic wink, but as she plopped down on one of the hospital beds beside me, I could see a sadness in her eyes, hidden behind the smile.

"You... you were real?" I asked, my mind reeling from revelation after revelation.

"We needed help in creating a realistic simulation. We determined that Serra was the best, perhaps, only person, who could provide you with the support you needed to recover from the damage done."

I looked down at myself, then did a double take, as something else hit me.

"Wait- we're out of the game. Is it over?" I asked, and the woman beside us shook her head.

"You were forcibly disconnected, Josh. And Serra; we used our integration into the game to bring her out."

"You can bring people out?" I asked, incredulously, and the woman nodded.

"Yes... but it takes time. To get Serra out took almost two days-"

"Two days during which our ability to keep Luka's plans under control were compromised," the disembodied voice clarified.

Luka...

Where did I hear that name?

"Luka's the guy who did all this," Serra explained. "Remember those kids we came across, around the hill giant nest?"

I nodded.

"They're his kids; they used a backdoor he created for getting into the game after the lockdown happened, to get in there and stop him."

My head was spinning, and part of my heart was breaking into pieces, knowing that the perfect world I'd only just accepted, never existed.

But Kelly was alive.

I needed to focus.

I needed to save her!

"You said time was critical... what do you mean?"

"Luka's plans are going forward. He plans to unleash... us, on the players."

I stared at the nurse, and she clarified.

"Dieter; the voice you're hearing? And myself. We're programs, created by one of Luka's associates."

"We're artificial life-forms, capable of learning and adapting, just as you do."

"Is that even possible?" I asked.

The question came out before I could stop myself, and I cringed as I realized how insulting it sounded.

"Our existence marks the advent of our kind," the disembodied voice answered, and I gulped.