Virtual Realities

Jonathon closed his window blinds and reduced the morning glare.  A darkened room was best for video games. The computer screen was now a small glowing window into cyberspace.  He clicked on the Cyborg icon and found where he left off last time. 

I'll be Captain Juno this time.  Time to see things from his perspective.

Captain Juno followed his enemy into a warehouse.  A red-eyed cyborg leapt from the doorway, claws extended.  Jonathon smiled as Juno's laser ray vaporized the monster into oblivion. 

He could hear his father waking up - his hangover routine of hacks, coughs and spits.  

Now he'll start looking for Mom, but she's gone, he thought. I heard her car leave after Dad came home last night.  She told me she'd leave if he came home drunk again. 

"I don't want to leave you, Jonathon," she told me.  "But...I can't stay anymore.  You've heard me fighting with Dad. "

"Yeah, Mom.  I've heard you guys yelling about money and stuff."

"Sorry that you’re caught up in our problems.  I never thought I’d be leaving here, but I just … have to go.  It hurts me to leave you, but he won't let you go. You know that.  Not his only son.  But also know that I'll be missing you … every day, all the time. " 

She hugged her son and he tried not to cry. 

 He knew his Mom would leave so she could live with her girlfriend Rikki.  Now it's just me and Dad living here, he thought. Bummer.

"Lilly!  Where are you?  Answer me!"  George clattered up the hardwood stairs and stopped at his son's bedroom door.   Jonathon leaned closer to concentrate on his frantic pursuit of Khan Ranu through the warehouse filled with boxes.  

His father barged through the door.  "Where's your mother?!"  he shouted. Captain Juno's vision swept the hallway and caught a glimpse of Khan Ramu fleeing toward the basement stairs.

"She left last night, Dad.  She, uh, might be at Rikki's condo." 

George left  Jonathon’s door  wide open and raced back downstairs. Then Jonathon heard his Dad on the hallway phone calling different members of the Chang clan...one-sided loud conversations in an angry mish-mash of English and Mandarin, punctuated by curse words in both languages.

Jonathon closed his door, and returned to his game:   Surrounded by cyborgs of evil Khan Ranu, Captain Juno wandered blindly in the dark basement of the warehouse. Laser rays streaked through the dark pulverizing boxes next to his head. A svelte form suddenly rappelled down the dimly lit airshaft.  Captain Electra! The joint power of their lasers burned a large gap in the warehouse ceiling.  Escape!

Then a Google message flashed on the screen.  "Hi Jonathon.  Told you I'd stay in touch.  Had breakfast yet?"