Stopping the World to Play Video Games

I finished all the dishes, took out the trash and cleaned the floors so well that I could see my reflection. Then I don’t have to clean or move for another two hours. This was the perfect time to sink into a couch, to dive deep into a video game for some time. In truth, I wished to never leave that couch. I sat down, put my feet up and flipped the power switch hoping to stay put.

“Huh? What’s the ear-grating sound?”

There was an irritating buzzing that may have come from inside my apartment. The sound moved closer, becoming intense and then faded into obscurity. As I moved closer to the window, the sound’s origin was clear: race cars zoomed up and down my street. Their tires screeched as they rounded corners and left dark streaks on the already black asphalt. When the racing stopped, I imagined they understood my plight and stopped for me. They care about me. Thinking warm thoughts about humanity, I crouched above the couch and got ready to play.

That’s when I heard a far more annoying sound than racing cars. It was whiny teenagers.

“School sucks. Homework sucks and you can’t tell me what to do!” they yelled.

“Oh, knock it off, quit your whining, go back home and do your homework. I am trying to play video games. You have absolutely no respect for the older generations, do you?” I said.

I turned away in disgust, took a deep breath and sat down to start playing. Then I heard an eerie sound that gave me goosebumps. I shivered as I turned around to see a large object levitating outside my window.

I peered through the window’s blinds and saw a flying saucer full of little green men. I heard people yelling, from the open windows of the apartments surrounding me, “This is incredible! They really do exist.”

I huffed and puffed and said, “That’s it. I’ve had it! I am trying to play here. Can the world please just stop for a second or at least keep it down while I play? Is that too much to ask?”

The saucer moved away slightly and the noise seemed to disappear.

“Thank you!”

I collapsed on the couch, the steam dissipated from my ears. I tapped the start button, and everything went black. The lights died. The power was out.