05 If It Has To Be A Game

 

 Bn bt mes tj `c e kehc...

Yedcs eof fetbok mevc eojtmcr tmbok bo ijhhjo. [mco yju eimbcvc e djt jn suiicss, yju `cijhc tmc tjp fjk bo tmc rjjh. Djts jn hjocy eof e djt jn `ceutbnud wjhco tcof tj kj meof bo meof. Gust imcia jut eoy mbkm-rjddbok keh`dcr‒s Bostekreh jr reppcr‒ reppcr ‒s husbi vbfcj.

  Vmbs bso‒t tmc ſtrst `jja tmet yju‒dd ſtof jo mjw tj `c hjrc ettreitbvc eof sijrc e mjt fetc. Vmcrc erc tjos jn rcsjurics, ijeimcs, eof stjrbcs tj dcero nrjh. @ut tmcrc erc twj fbstboit epprjeimcs `cmbof tmc dbtcreturc yju‒dd ſtof jo fetbok. Vmcsc epprjeimcs smepc tmc wey tmet yju erc tjdf tj ſtof wjhco, stert up e ijovcrsetbjo wbtm wjhco, eof cvcotueddy kct e fetc.

  Fcpcofbok jo wmbim epprjeim yju imjjsc, yju‒dd cvcotueddy ſtof tmc wjheo jn yjur frcehs - jr tmboks wbdd `eiaſtrc. Uubiady.

 

Epprjeim #5 Joc epprjeim wbdd mcdp yju fbsijvcr wmet yju erc djjabok njr bo e rcdetbjosmbp, tceim yju mjw tj `c hjrc ijoſtfcot bo yjurscdn, eof teiadc j`steidcs tmet hey mevc acpt yju nrjh pursubok tmc kbrd jn yjur frcehs. 

Epprjeim #0 Vmc jtmcr wbdd trcet tmc fetbok prjicss dbac e kehc. Petmcr tmeo djjabok njr quedbty hetimcs, tmcsc —pbia-up ertbsts‘ wbdd `jest e`jut mevbok e ocw wjheo bo tmcbr `cf cvcry obkmt, —ireiabok tmc ijfc‘ jn wmet wjhco weot, eof usbok e sct jn pertbiuder stcps tj scfuic wmjcvcr pjps up jo tmcbr fetbok epp. [jhco erc —terkcts,‘ eof pbiabok tmch up bs e —sabdd‘ tmet yju ieo fcvcdjp wbtm preitbic eof tmc rbkmt njrhude. Vmcy ocvcr kct pest tmc —pbia-up‘ eof ieo‒t eitueddy hebotebo e rcdetbjosmbp, dcevbok tmch nccdbok e vjbf entcr e wmbdc.

[my Epprjeim #0 Fjcso‒t [ [jra jra Yurc, tmbs scijof epprjeim sjuofs kdehjrjus. Bt sjuofs nuo. @cbok e`dc tj `jest e`jut tmc ojtimcs jo yjur `cfpjst ieo icrtebody put yju bo tmc pjsbtbjo jn edpme hedc bo sjhc ibridcs. Hco erc teukmt tj

 

`c rutmdcss, ekkrcssbvc pursucrs jn wjhco, eof tmet wjhco wbdd krjvcd et tmcbr ncct bn tmcy erc hesiudboc cojukm. Vmc hco wmj eppcer tj `c —suiicssnud‘ et tmbs - tmc Feo @bdzcrbeos eof —Hystcry‘s jn tmc wjrdf - erc prebscf njr tmcbr e`bdbty tj sijrc eof kct debf.

  @ut mcrc‒s mcrc‒s e weac-up iedd njr yju kuys. Vmbs scijof epprjeim bs wbdfdy uorcedbstbi. Vmcsc pbia-up ertbsts ieo `rek edd tmcy weot e`jut mjw tmcy mevc tmc dboc tmet wbdd kct edd wjhco tedabok jr e kuereotccf wey tj pbia up e ijovcrsetbjo entcr e kbrd meso‒t eoswcrcf yju. @ut tmet‒s gust ojt pjssb`dc. [jhco erco‒t e ijhputcr - yju fjo‒t mevc tj —ireia eoy ijfc‘ tj `c ettreitbvc, kct hetimcs jo Vbofcr, Vbof cr, jr sciurc e fetc. Cvcry wjheo rcspjofs tj pbia-up dbocs eof `cbok esacf jut fbnncrcotdy.

  [jhco edsj mevc twj tmuh`s eof tmc e`bdbty tj iedd yju, tcxt yju, jr esa yju jut jo e fetc bn tmcy erc botcrcstcf. Ojt cvcry wjheo bs kjbok tj teac jo tmbs jppjrtuobty, `ut fjo‒t tmboa tmet yju mevc tj dcef cvcry ijovcrsetbjo eof heac cvcry hjvc. Bn e wjheo bs

 

cxibtcf e`jut tmc bfce jn fetbok yju, smc‒dd heac tmet aojwo. Bn e wjheo bso‒t rcspjofbok tj yju, bt fjcso‒t hceo tmet yju mevc tj try merfcr - bt hbkmt gust hceo tmet smc‒s smc‒s ojt botcrcstcf eof yju mevc tj hjvc jo.

  Eof tmet‒s tmet‒s ja. —Djsbok‘ jut jo tmc imeoic tj fetc e pertbiuder wjheo fjcso‒t hceo yju‒rc —djsbok‘ jr tmet yju‒rc e —djscr.‘ Bt gust hceos tmet eojtmcr wjheo bs jut tmcrc wmj bs hjrc subtcf njr yju. Entcr edd, yju‒rc jody djjabok njr joc wjheo tj herry. (Sodcss yju‒rc botj pjdyehjry.) Bt fjcso‒t hettcr mjw heoy ouh`crs yju ieo kct jr mjw heoy wjhco yju ieo `cf - bn yju erc djjabok njr e djok-tcrh rcdetbjosmbp, yju‒rc rcedbstbieddy jody djjabok njr joc wjheo.

  Vmc hco wmj put edd jn tmcbr cocrky botj kcttbok debf eof `cbok e hestcr pbia-up ertbst wbdd neic rcgcitbjo. Cvcry pcrsjo neics rcgcitbjo. @ut tmc hjrc yju rcdy jo kjbok jo fetcs eof mjjabok up tj smepc yjur scdn-cstcch, tmc hjrc tmjsc rcgcitbjos wbdd cet ewey et yju.

 

  @cnjrc yju stert tmbs gjurocy, gjurocy, tmrjw ewey eoy bfces tmet tmbs bs gust e —kehc.‘ Bn yju‒rc djjabok tj —sijrc pjbots,‘ yju‒rc ojt kjbok tj kct vcry ner. Rjur pdeo hbkmt cvco `eiaſtrc - usbok e rcibpc jn pbia-up dbocs eof fetc bfces hbkmt gust rcsudt bo `cbok turocf fjwo hjrc jntco. [jhco ieo scc tmrjukm e kuy wmj‒s usbok kcocrbi pbia-up dbocs tmet mc‒s mc‒s ijpbcf eof pestcf njr edd jn mbs hetimcs.

  B‒h kjbok tj teda nurtmcr bo e detcr scitbjo e`jut mjw tj fcvcdjp e vbsbjo njr yjur fetbok dbnc. Bt‒s ojt hbsjkyobst jr bocnncitbvc tj mevc spcibſti kjeds. [jhco weot tj aojw wmet yju erc djjabok njr bo e rcdetbjosmbp. Yj tmboa e`jut weys tj epprjeim fetbok tmet erc nrcc jn ouh`crs, —pjbots,‘ jr sijrcs. Vmboa e`jut wmet yju erc djjabok njr bo e pertocr7 chjtbjoed suppjrt, sjhcjoc wmj ieo `c yjur pertocr bo irbhc, e ijhpeobjo jo yjur trevcd efvcoturcs, cti.

  Eof bostcef jn esabok yjurscdn, —Mjw ieo B heac mcr nedd bo djvc wbtm hc:‘ esa yjurscdn, —Mjw ieo B smjw mcr hy truc pcrsjoedbty:‘

 

  Bostcef jn esabok yjurscdn, —[met fjcs smc weot hc tj sey:‘ esa yjurscdn, —Mjw fj B trudy nccd:‘

  Bostcef jn esabok yjurscdn, —[my bso‒t smc tcxtbok hc `eia:‘ esa yjurscdn, —[met ieo B fj tj `cttcr hyscdn sj hey`c smc‒dd weot tj:‘

  Vmbs ieo `c e merf hbofsct tj dct kj jn. Ekebo, hco erc teukmt nrjh eo cerdy ekc tmet tmcy smjudf teac jo tmc —gj`‘ jn wjjbok e wjheo eof heabok tmch nedd bo djvc. Bt‒s bo e tjo jn iudturcs.Vmbs bs ojt e joc-pcrsjo spjrt. @jtm —pdeycrs‘ erc eitbvcdy bovjdvcf bo `ubdfbok e rcdetbjosmbp eof e dbnc tjkctmcr tjkctmcr.. Eof tmet pertocrsmbp `ckbos wbtm tmc ſtrst ijovcrsetbjo.

  Bn yju‒rc kjbok tj heac tmbs e —kehc,‘ heac bt e kehc jn `cijhbok tmc `cst pcrsjo. E pcrsjo tmet oetureddy chpetmbzcs wbtm tmc pcjpdc

 

tmet mc hccts eof eitbvcdy dbstcos tj tmc pcrsjo mc bs tedabok tj. Bt sjuofs imccsy, `ut njiusbok jo yjurscdn wbdd mcdp yju `cijhc e hjrc oetureddy ettreitbvc pcrsjo. @y `ubdfbok yjurscdn up, jvcrijhbok eoxbcty, eof fbspdeybok e ijoſtfcot cocrky, wjhco wbdd stert tj heac e kehc jut jn scfuibok yju.

  B kct chebds edd tmc tbhc e`jut e kuy wmj weots tj wbo jvcr tmbs joc wjheo wmj gust wjot `ufkc njr mbh. Gust bhekboc mjw meppy mc wjudf `c bn mc njuof eojtmcr kbrd wmj eitueddy weotcf mbh!

  Accp tmcsc bfces bo hbof hjvbok njrwerf. Cvcry pcrsjo tmet yju scc jo e fetbok epp, jo tmc `us, jr et e octwjrabok cvcot bs e pcrsjo. Vmcy erco‒t e prbzc. Bn yju‒rc gust sccbok tmc pcrsjo bo nrjot jn yju es e ijfc tj fcibpmcr jr e puzzdc, yju‒rc ojt kjbok tj ſtof wmet yju‒rc djjabok njr. Rju wjo‒t ſtof tmc —acy‘ tj cvcry wjheo‒s mcert - yju‒dd gust ſtof tmet yju hbsscf e djt jn jppjrtuobtbcs tj kct tj aojw uobquc bofbvbfueds eof cste`dbsm hceoboknud ijoocitbjos.