Fictionmania.com                                     by: Paul G Jutras

 

After taking his evening shower, Paul sat down before his computer and started to scan the internet for new web sites. Most of what he found was on line stores and people in chat rooms trying to sell things he had no interest in.

"Great." Paul thought to himself as he starred at the window in front of him and saw a bolt of lighting flash. A few seconds later thunder exploded in his ears. "I'll have to shut down." He stood up and was about to move the mouse over the words ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO SHUT DOWN COMPUTER? YES OR NO, when a bolt of lighting struck his house. The monitor screen flickered and died.

"Great." Paul muttered. "So much for surge protectors."

Before he could move, he saw the monitor flick back on with the words FICTIONMANIA.COM written in big, bold letters across the screen. "What's this?" He saw back down and read the list that was presented to him.

DOWNLOAD IMAGES

ENTER VIRTUAL REALITY VACATIONS

STORIES

SELECT CHAT CHARACTERS

SEND E-MAIL

As Paul put on his virtual reality helmet, he reached over his head, he reached for the keyboard and hit the enter key. An electrical surge passed up his arm and through his body. His eyes could no longer focus on his room. Instead his eyes saw a dresser with a hair brush, nail polish and make up on it.

"What's this?" Paul wondered as he knew he didn't even pick a virtual character image. He didn't even know what images he had to choose from. "The system must be broken." Paul concluded, reaching up and removing the helmet. He felt and saw in the mirror, long raven hair flowing out of the helmet and about his shoulders.

"Guess whatever game this is, pink is my color." Paul thought as he notice the pink furniture, which included a pink color computer. "Maybe this will have the answer." He thought as he notice the words written across the monitor screen.

FICTIONMANIA.COM VIRTUAL VACATIONS. GET AWAY FROM LIFE BY LIVING SOMEONE ELSES.

"Paula." A female voice came from downstairs. "Get down for breakfast before you're late for school."

Finding he was already dressed in a pink mini dress that barely reached his knees and matching heels, Paul went downstairs and sat at the breakfast table. "Mom?" Paul called out for a virtual mom. Nobody appeared. Instead, he heard a voice again.

"Hot eggs and bacon, dear." The voice said as a plate of food appeared on the table.

"Guess until someone else puts on a playing helmet, there isn't anything more than a voice." Paul thought as he found it strange how the virtual food filled him. They tasted as real as the food in the real word. Except for him being the sole human being, everything seemed as real as the real world.

Finishing the food, Paul got on the school bus and headed to school. Class was as he remembered them. Except that they were void of people. He couldn't help but be reminded of those Charlie Brown cartoons when talking to the invisible teacher. He also had to remember to use the ladies room.

At lunch time he couldn't believe he was getting into conversations about make-up and nail polish with girls that weren't there. What seemed even weird was that he was starting to enjoy it. He even notice he had been sitting with his legs cross as if he had been doing so all his life.

"This is really getting strange." Paul thought to himself after school. He sat on his bed and ran a comb through his long beautiful hair. "At least I think I've figured out how to end the game."

Going over to the computer, Paul moved the mouse to the top of the screen. FILE. CLOSE. "There, that should do it.," he read the words appearing before his eyes.

GAME OVER

Removing the helmet, Paul turned and looked in the mirror. Much to his shock, he was still the female known as Paula. She turned to see how mother standing in his doorway. "Paula, you going to play your virtual games all day, or are you going to get your homework done?"

Paula turned and looked at the monitor screen which read: THANK YOU FOR PLAYING TG LIFE STYLES. YOU HAVE PROVEN THAT YOU CAN HANDLE AN ALTERED LIFESTYLE, AND NOW GETS TO LIVE THAT LIFE FOREVER. ENJOY YOUR NEW LIFE CHOICE.

Just then, the thunderstorm that was still going on outside struck the house and the monitor screen went dead. "You should know better than to play on the computer with a storm outside. Now you've fried your mainframe and lost the data you didn't back up."

Paula realized that included the web site that had transformed him into her.

END

 

 

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