Me reading "The Apongalypse" at the Arcata Branch of the Humboldt County Library

I wrote this story this summer, in a writing class @ Sac State for the Academic Talent Search program. I wanted to submit a story to the Reading By Design program at the Arcata Branch of the Humboldt County Library, so I submitted this story that I wrote. I have to admit, the DJT part was kinda random, but for me it's the funniest part of the story.


Me reading my story at the Library

If you want to read the text, here it is:


The Apongalypse

Author: Jay Gehr

As Peter looks out his window in his San Jose apartment, he says, “Man, it’s so hot and boring outside. No one’s on the streets, and nothing’s happening. Wanna play pong, Lloyd?” Lloyd replies with “What’s pong?” “Pong is this new game, by  a company named Atari, that’s basically Ping-Pong in a game that you can play on your TV!” “Cool!”

They talk for a bit, and Peter tells his friend, Lloyd about a secret level in Pong that is triggered by them switching the red and blue wires. They do so, turn on the game, and there are four words on the screen. ‘You will regret this’. After, another four words on the screen appear: ‘Reality Distortion Technology enabled’. A flash of light happens, and then the screen fades to a normal Pong map, but the ball is golden, and it’s a 7-point game.

They don’t notice that the ball being golden actually is INSANELY futuristic, considering that all video games were black and white back then.

They start playing, and Peter scores a point! The golden ball flickers, and wet furry creatures that have been fed after midnight appear, and generally create chaos. But the players, intent on their game, don’t notice. Lloyd scores a point, the ball flickers again, and the creatures all disappear in a puddle of water.

Peter scores a point, and Lloyd is frustrated. While their attention continues to be riveted to the game, a green gelatinous ghost spitting wads of green goo materializes, and slimes all of the donuts in a nearby donut shop. Lloyd has inspiration, and attacks with a new strategy, and gains a point. The gelatinous green ghost dissolves in a glob of green goo.

Peter then surprises Lloyd, gaining a point. Neither notice that a gigantic brute with one eye in his forehead appears on the street, smashing their neighbor’s houses. Lloyd gains a point shortly thereafter, aaaaand you guessed it. See you later, Cy! The Cyclops fades away into nothingness, with the eyeball being the last thing to fade away.

As Lloyd and Peter continue to trade points, the ball keeps flickering, and the monsters keep appearing and disappearing with each point. The same things happen with a bat that can turn into a man with long fangs that sucks blood, which evaporates into said blood, and a gigantic dinosaur lizard that walks on two legs, roaring, stomping on people’s cars, and exploding lots of things, which then disappears in a flash of laser light.

Finally, it’s 5-5. There is wreckage everywhere, but neither player notices anything except the game on the screen. Peter wins a point, and the final monster appears. It’s… It’s…

It’s an orange monster, with tiny hands, an overly long red tie, and a bad toupee. The monster pulls out a nuclear launch codebook, and reaches for the phone. The remaining pieces of humanity scream in horror, minus Peter and Lloyd, of course.

Lloyd suddenly wins a point. The monster disappears in a gigantic puff of cheeto dust. The game’s now tied 6-6, and whoever wins the next point wins the game.

Lloyd wins, and a gigantic flash of light happens. When the air clears, everything has returned back to normal. After Lloyd wins, they stretch, yawn, and walk around a bit. Peter walks to the window, and says: “It’s so boring outside. Nothing is happening. So, you want to go best 2 out of three?”

THE END …?

 


Dedicated to my writing teacher, Ryan Merold, and my Mom & Dad

 © 2017 Jay Gehr, All rights reserved