Life is like a game, but it's also different from a game. In life there are no extra lives, or resets, there are no try agains, or items that can make you stronger. As for things that exist in both games and real life; game overs, bad guys, good guys, and tough situations. So as I said they're the same, but different, that is my view on life as a gamer.

My name is Danielle Rush. As for what kind of life I lead that's a story for another day, those boorish details hold no significance in this plot. I'll keep insignificance to a minimum.

I was at school, the only place that could keep me away from games but even still it didn't because I preferred to think of life as a game, and they can't confiscate that game system.

At school I was an outcast, but as in normal society I wasn't the only one. He'd skipped to grades and even now I'm sure he's holding back, he sat next to me since he first entered the seventh grade. His name was Cornielius D. Flowright, I have no idea what the D stands for but it made him should like the genius that he is. When I first met him I felt a connection to him as a fellow outcast, since then that feeling has grow to... well I'm not sure what it grew to become.

However I looked at it, I tough of him now as more than just a fellow outcast.

I was next to him in the lunch line, I felt like I should say something to him. I had never been to big on dialoging, I preferred games where the main character doesn't talk at all. So, why did I feel like talking to him, he's a genius and I'm a gamer we may both be outcasts but for completely different reasons.

"Hey, will you come with me?" he said suddenly, it didn't sound like the voice of a tenth grader. Then again his age was that of an eighth grader.

"Sure," I said. One word, but just as it did in games it expressed so much.

He didn't reply, he just picked up his tray and walked out of the lunch room, I followed him to the schools basement.

The entire place was full of hi-tech stuff, wires ran along the floor,screens flashed almost every two feet.

"I've been trying to make a game, I wanted to know if you'd help me."

"Yes."

He looked down at his tray, "I forgot a drink, could you wait here while I go get one."

What was I to do left all alone in this hi-tech wonder world I wondered, as I paced back and forth. I thought I heard footsteps so I stopped, a little to fast, i tripped. My hand hit a

keyboard on the way down, and I think my legs got twisted in some wires or something.

There was a flash of light, for a moment I was blinded and then there was nothing.
...

I walked back into the lab, but I didn't see Danielle. Was she hiding, maybe playing hide and go seek or something like that, I really expected her to be more mature than that.

"Danielle? Where are you?" I said.

"Hey!" I heard a shout from one of the monitors, "What's going on here?"

I put on my headset quickly, "Danielle is that you?"

Random emotes scrolled through the text log as the character on the screen flailed her limbs, "Corneilius,yeah it's me, Where am I?"

I looked at a mess of wires on the floor, there was a girls foot tangled in with them.

I stared in horror the instant I realized. I gulped.

"Danielle you're..."

...

I heard Corneilius's voice but didn't want to believe what he said, my knees were shaking. The world around me was unfamiliar, my own body was unfamiliar.

Finally his words registered, "Danielle you're in the game."

It was something that in the past I'd always wished for, escaping from my mundane real life for the incredible world that exists within games. I'd wished for this countless times before, but... it wasn't what I'd expected.

Suddenly Cornielius's voice surrounded me again, "Oh-no... this is horrible...I ca... I can't believe it."

"What is it?" I asked.

"I have no idea how to get you out... and your... your body is... cold."

"Well since this seems like a work of the gaming gods, I'll probably be able to return to the real by completing the game."

"That sounds preposterous, and even if that's true... you can't," he said, "I never finished writing the data for this game, all kinds of things are missing. The ending cut scene, your level up stats, certain sprites, plot quests."

"So I'm stuck here...." I trailed off.

"It certainly appears so, meanwhile your body on this side is dying."

"So what do I do to progress in the game?"

"You're in the main character's (that's you) room, leave the room to progress, by the way her name is Dani."

The name struck me as odd, I couldn't help but think, he named her after me. I disregarded that assumption.

"This is a room? It looks more like a forest alcove."

"You're a nature mage."

I nodded and stepped out the door. I was welcomed by beautiful scenery, and a woman in green with beautiful silver hair.

"You're finally awake Dani," the woman said, "there's something I'd like you to help me with."

I just nodded silently.

"I want you to take Lithaline to the city, she needs to get a juniors mage license from your father."

I nodded again. My father, was he an important mage or something?

A little girl in a flowing pink dress ran up and hugged me. She didn't speak. I assumed she was Lithaline.

I took her hand and began to walk.