Page 7 - #2 Dive into Danger

Duffy types LOL and then Skypes me so
we can talk. “I gargled with vodka,” he says.
“Does that count, Pudge?”
Duffy is only fourteen. He doesn’t drink

and neither do I. There’s no way he’s gargled
with alcohol. But I let the fiction slide because
I get why he said it. In an RPG, you can
pretend to be someone you’re not without
getting hurt, like trying on a pair of Jordans
you could never afford.

“Ready to rumble?” he asks, and I say yes.
If we want to level up, we’ll have to master this
five-person dungeon and a stack of quests and
other missions. But Duffy loves to do battle.
I’ll fight enemies too, but I’m not the warrior

he is. In fact, I’m hoping to search for herbs
after the fight. I’ll need ingredients to make
powerful healing potions.
A troll warlock waits with us. She swings
her staff. Her faithful pet leaps and sways,
anxious for the battle to begin. Weird how

pushing a few buttons can make you feel

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