32 Inside Of A Game

As I felt the headset consume me everything was pitch dark black. My breath echoed inside the sealed world, the only sound besides a faint hum somewhere near my ears.

Then, a flicker of light pierced the darkness, blooming into a holographic screen. 

[Would you like to create a character?]

a soft voice said. I tried to find the "yes" button, my fingers searching the empty air before I remembered the power of spoken words.

"Yes," I said, my voice sounding unfamiliarly bold in the silence.

[Character Customization process loading... Loading Complete.]

For the first 20 minutes of the game, I spent making my character. She had no resemblance to what I looked like but I felt strangely connected to this woman.