“Hello, good Cleric. It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?”

Ryan flipped the light switch a few more times with his free hand, but it was no use. There would be no light in the room other than that which came from the television in the living room. In the shifting brightness of the screen, he could see a hooded man sitting on his couch.

“I went ahead and helped myself to a couple of the energy drinks in your fridge. I hope you don’t mind.” The Visitor seemed to be staring at the images that danced along the 26” 720p LCD digital display. It was too dark to tell if that were the case. “It’s just that you took so much longer to get home than I had planned.”

Ryan knew he could run. He could drop his bag, spin around, and make it back to the car before The Visitor had even gotten to his feet. He also knew that the moment the bag hit the ground, its precious cargo inside would be forever ruined. Instead, he took a step inside and shut the door. “It’s New Comics Day,” he explained. “I had to pick up the stuff on my pull list.”

“Oh, yes. I’d forgotten. It’s been far too long since I’ve been to any comics or game shop. Seven years, to be exact.” The Visitor pulled a hand from his pocket, revealing the remote control, which he waved at the empty spot next to him. “Why don’t you have a seat? There’s something here I want you to see.”

Ryan walked over to the couch and set the comics carefully down on the coffee table. “I’m not scared, you know,” he said as he sat. “I know what’s coming and I’m not scared. I know what we did was wrong and I’m willing to make up for it in whatever way…”

“Shhhhh.” The Visitor gestured at the Toshiba 26” LCD HDTV with Built-in DVD Player. “You’re going to miss it.”

On screen was what looked like a home video. Five young men sat at a large table. Four of them, one of whom was Ryan, moving humanoid figurines against many monstrous beasts and rolling dice. The fifth man sat behind a folded paper screen, frowning hard and rolling his own hidden dice away from the camera's eye. Then the fifth man cursed to himself and knocked down an Earth Elemental with his fingers. Ryan watched as his younger self traded high-fives with the other players, including the Visitor.

“Those were good times, weren’t they? We all had so much fun back then. You, me, Bobby, and Kevin. A shame it had to end the way it did.” The Visitor turned to his couch companion. “Why’d it have to end, Frable?”

Ryan sighed. “When Chris told us what he was planning to do, I threatened to walk. I told him what he was doing was petty and stupid. ‘It’s just a game,’ I said. Bobby and Kevin just sat there. And Chris? He just started laughing. I wanted to punch him right in the throat.”

“But you didn’t.”

The younger Ryan on the ENERGY STAR compliant HD TV was about to cast Turn Undead. Older Ryan remembered this session. This was the turn that saved everyone. The Warriors Four won that day because he’d stood up to a horde of undead and their giant Necromancers. Suddenly, Ryan felt very small. “I didn’t want to stop playing. I put so much work into Frable. I couldn’t just walk away from him. Even if it meant betraying my best friend.

“I know what you’re planning on doing. I’m not stupid. But you don’t have to do this. We can make this work as a team, you know? Just like in the old days!” Ryan puts his hand on the Visitor’s shoulder. “Come on, Bladespan. You were once a great ranger. Surely, your alignment hasn’t changed all that much.”

The Visitor was silent for a moment. He placed the remote on the coffee table and, removing himself from Ryan’s grasp, stood up and pulled a red d20 from his other pocket. “You’re not talking to Erin Bladespan, Ryan. Erin is dead.” The Visitor rolled the die in his fingers as he spoke. “And me? It doesn’t matter what happens to me anymore. Nothing’s mattered in about seven years.

“But you’re right. We were friends once. Good friends. Tell me, what’s Frable’s AC lately?”

Ryan was confused. “What?”

“Oh, Ryan. You know how this works. I’m going to attack you. If I roll higher than your AC, it’s a hit. And then there’s damage, Ryan. I’m afraid it may even be 'critical' damage. Now what’s your AC?”

“Please…”

The Visitor erupted into a frenzy and swung out against the HDTV, sending it and its many A/V, HDMI, PC, and Component inputs crashing to the floor. “WHAT IS YOUR AC, FRABLE CRESTON?

“16!” Ryan curled himself up on the couch and shut his eyes hard. “Frable’s AC is 16!”

The Visitor sniffed. “Huh. You’ve leveled up quite a bit since last we adventured. Now then, let’s see if the +2 Baseball Bat Of Woe I’ve got in the corner here makes contact.”

The Visitor closed his hand around the d20, shook his fist, and rolled the die against the coffee table.

Back to top