Life

Location

93727
United States
36° 44' 55.0968" N, 119° 42' 28.2708" W

We're all players in
This weird game called life
To level up you have to get an education
But your stats suck unless you get the best grades
Some people don't make it too far
Some are missing the basic necessities
Money
High-enough stats
Motivation
A goal
Of course, there are the bonus levels one can look forward to
To boost stats and such
The occasional family vacation or the school dance
But there are also those levels that really stump you
The big end-of-year test in a few weeks or the fights with friends and family
Sometimes you find power-ups, good and bad
Best friends are great assets, however
Not every friend may be "good for you"
There are also some power-ups called drugs
They make one feel invincible
Like they're on top of the world
But when one comes back down
They find that their stats have dropped
And with each time that power-up is used
Their stats keep dropping
dropping
dropping
Until they've finally reached rock bottom
Bringing them up is a pain
Some choose not to
Some try to climb back up out of the hole they've dug themselves into
Some simply press QUIT
Those that manage to get their stats back in place find themselves born again
Feeling much better than before
Getting better friends
Those that choose to remain in their drug-induced stupor
Some wander aimlessly throughout the duration of their session
Some simply cannot press continue
Some become those who attract curious fellow players in searches of stat boosts
Dragging them down
Bringing more players with them
There are players dedicate their lives to help those who have fallen
Other players are in charge of saving those who have low health points
Some players protect the community from viruses and hackers
A few elite govern over the majority, setting the rules
There are arguments about whether an almighty Admin is the one truly ruling over the game
Who the Admin may be
Some question the existence of one while others fiercely declare he exists
The Admin has yet to make an appearance
The Admin has yet to make an announcement
Fights break out over whether or not a guild has too much power
The Anglo Guild has considered itself the most powerful for a long time
They're a stubborn bunch, not willing to bend much
Then again, that's an accurate description of every guild
They're all the same, really
Differences include appearance and the occasional belief
When you start playing, you don't get to pick your appearance
You're sorted into a guild based upon that
Some players move from one guild to another during a flight of fancy
Others stand rigidly by their guild loyally throughout their entire lives
Sometimes we become infected with a condition
It's called "Love"
You never know when it will reach you
But rest assured that someday it will envelope you
And you will not be able to escape
If you work well with your partner in this crucial level
You'll achieve a form of "happiness"
It is an admirable achievement
Yet regardless of their guild
Regardless of their occupation
Regardless of their history
Two players may find each other compatible
And then a new player may be brought into the world
Or perhaps a new player in need of older players to help it level up
Will finally get the guardians it's been waiting for
Leveling up may be fun and all
But we all reach a point when those words no player wants to see flash before our eyes
Some see them early on
Some see them in their later days
Some choose to see them
Some don't
Some say the Admin chooses when we see those words
And the game ends
For some reason the bodies stay behind
So
While the graphics may not be the best
While the players may not all be the most cooperative
While it totally sucks and it's really hard sometimes
It's something we have to go through
Look forward
to the mini-games and bonus levels
Look forward
to your next level-up
Look forward
to becoming infected
You may not get much freedom to choose things like appearance
You do get the freedom to do what you will with your life
Just remember
There are no "continue"'s
There are no "reset"'s
There are no "play again"'s
So enjoy it while you can
Because when you see GAME OVER
It's game over.

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