Chad loved video games, he played video games all day, he played them all night, he even occasionally played them while on the toilet. But of course he disinfected the controller afterwards. Today he sat on his rugged nacho stained couch, waiting for the painfully bright screen to pull up the number he was waiting for.

“Come on…” He huffed, his teenage temper rising. “Load Gosh diddly dang it!”

Finally, the baron the screen read 100%, and the game Chad had been waiting months for began to load. Chad sat straight up, shoulders popping from the sudden movement.

“RAGE MODE!” A deep voice roared as the title came up, splashed with digital blood.

“YES!” Chad cried.

Without hesitation, Chad pressed start green eyes alight.

“CREATE YOUR FIGHTER!” The same voice growled.

Chad maneuvered through the character creation menu, making his character as muscular as possible, and as fabulously dressed as the game allowed.

“Pfft, now he looks like a JoJo character.” Chad chuckled, pressing okay.

Suddenly, the living room warped and twisted, Chad felt a sting in his stomach, he doubled over onto the floor, gasping for breath. There was a red flash, and Chad stood up. When Chad did so however, he knocked his head on the ceiling.

“OW!” He cried “What in the world?”

Chad looked down at himself, he was wearing overly fabulous clothes, and was ripped like a professional bodybuilder.

“Oh...schnitzel .” He gasped, “I thought this sort of crap only happened in movies!”

“Fuhuhuhuhuhu.” A soft voice chuckled, “It’s so funny to see such a small boy in a hulking body.”

Chad spun around and screamed, a very, very deep scream.

The thing was dark blue, with bulging black eyes and curled ram horns. It was in what looked like sorcerer robes, but that didn’t hide the long spiked tail swishing underneath. The thing bowed.

“I am Bella,” It purred, “The creator of Rage Mode.”

“Wh-what the hell is going on?!” Chad stammered.

“Funny you should mention Hell.” Bella chuckled, “If you don’t mind, I’m going to play around with you a smidge before dragging your immortal souls down to the depths.”

“Don’t I have to make a deal with you?” Chad asked.

“Oh you did.” Bella smiled, “If you read paragraph 189 in the terms of service agreement, it says right there… I will own your soul and drag you down to Hell.”

“No one reads those!” Chad growled.

“Really?” Bella blinked, “Huh… No wonder everyone’s so confused when I show up.”

Bella shrugged

“Oh well, you should’ve read it.” It said. “I’m going to start the game then.”

“Wait,” Chad squeaked, “what are the rules?”

“Uhhhhhh….” Bella paused, “Honestly I’m still figuring that out…. you win I let you go I suppose.”

“Okay…” Chad nodded, “There’s one issue.”

“Only one?” Bella blinked, “I’m doing pretty good.”

“This is a beat’em up game… and this living room is small.” Chad pointed out.

“Oh don’t worry,” Bella laughed, “I’ll fix the place up after you lose.”

Chad was beginning to feel he’d much rather have the room a mess when his parents got home. Bella rose up into the air and snapped its fingers.

“First Opponent!” It boomed, “Gus Un Gore!”

A bulky man with no shirt and army green cargo pants appeared. He had that anime hairdo where there was a cone sticking out of the front of his head, and it was blue and yellow in color. Two bars appeared on his chest, one green, the other black, Chad looked to see he also had bars on his chest.

“Ready?” Bella smiled, “Then...LETS GO RAGERS!”

Heavy metal music started, and Gus dove at Chad, who barely moved out of the way of the behemoth man's attack. The couch was split in two as Gus collided with it. The green bar had gone down by a quarter, and the black one was turning a little red.

“Okay…” Chad panted, “I need to figure out another way to do this… I don’t know how to fight!”

Chad ran into the kitchen, where he saw an actual DJ Playing along with the heavy metal music. Chad ignored him and began looking in cupboards for anything he could use against Gus. He grabbed a kitchen knife, but Bella appeared behind him blowing a whistle.

“No deadly weapons!” It shouted, “This is a fighting game not a murder simulator!”

“Wait...” Chad blinked, “Isn’t that the point of these games?”

“NO!” Bella huffed, “You KNOCK him out for Pete's sake! We’re not barbarians here!”

“Don’t demons like murder and gore and stuff?” Chad asked.

“I have high standards.” Bella huffed.

Gus barrelled in, knocking over the DJ. The music stopped, Gus looked back at the DJ.

“Sorry mate.” He said in a high pitched tiny voice.

“It’s fine.” The DJ replied, getting up.

The music started again, But Chad threw a jar at Gus before he ran at him. Cookies sprayed out of the jar, scattering on the counter and floor. Gus glared at Chad, then looked at a cookie on his shoulder.

“Are these thin mints?” He asked, paling slightly.

“Thin Mints, Tagalongs, Do-Si-Dos, Samoas, the ordinary Girl Scouts stuff.” Chad said warily. “My mom works for them, so we get a lot of cookies.”

Gus stuffed the cookie in his mouth with such ferocity, it was if he hadn’t eaten in months.

“No Gus!” Bella cried, “You’re on a diet remember?!”

Chad watched as Gus struggled and failed to resist eating all the cookies that had scattered, and he got an idea.

“I just hope he doesn't find the twinkies in the large cupboard.” He said a little loudly.

Gus scrambled over to the large cupboard to the right of Chad, Bella went to grab him, but missed, and landed flat on its face. Gus wrenched the door off its hinges, and began tearing apart the cupboard for the most unhealthy snacks he could get his hands on, Twinkies, Doritos, chocolates, Pringles, Ritz Crackers. The whole time his health bar got lower and lower, until, with a humongous belch, he passed out on the floor.

“Wow...” Chad cringed, “Good thing I didn’t tell him about the stash of Halloween candy in the basement.”

“That was a rude trick.” Bella sniffed indignantly, “He’s been on that diet for eight months, and now he’ll have to start all over.”

“There was no rule against egging him on.” Chad shruggedIndent here! -> “Well there is now.” Bella huffed, snapping its fingers.

Gus vanished, and the DJ changed the music to heart stopping atmospheric Horror.

“Next opponent!” Bella boomed, “Professor D. Monic!”

The lights went out, and a low gurgling could be heard. A tall lanky shadowy figure rose from the darkness.

“Eef No!” Chad shrieked. He hated horror games, and anything to do with horror.

Professor D. extended long spindly arms towards Chad, who swung a kick, there was the sound of bone splintering, Professor D. roared, and melted into the shadows. Bella blew its whistle again.

“No kicking!” It cried.

“For God's sake this is a fighting game!” Chad groaned, “I’m supposed to kick, punch, or body slam!”

“No you’re not!”Bella huffed.

“Have you ever played a beat em' up before?” Chad asked.

“Well…” Bella cleared its throat, “No… There’s no T.V. in Hell.”

Bella went very dark blue in the face.

“FINE.” It huffed, “You got me on this one…”

The atmospheric horror music began to rise, Bella paled to sky blue and vanished, the D.J was shivering in a corner as the shadows began to whisper. Chads eyes darted from shadow to shadow.

“I can’t do this!” He squealed, “Screw the music!”

He dodged Professor D.’s grasp, pulled out his phone, plugged it into the D.J’s station, and put on Apple Music.

Because I’m Happy

Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof!

Chad turned back to Professor D, ready to attack. But oddly enough, D seemed less scary, he was just a really tall skinny shadow when it came down to it. D advanced, twitching and groaning, but with the happy perky music in the background… Chad couldn’t find the guy scary. He snickered, and started to laugh. D stopped and gave an indignant huff.

“I can’t work with this stupid music in the background!” He growled, “It messes with my flow man!”

The D.J started to laugh, and Bella popped back in the room.

“It messes with your flow?!” She exclaimed, “You’re a murderer from the depths of Hell! How does that even work?!”

“I’m also an actor.” D sniffed, “I need the proper environment to do my work.”

Bella stared at D.

“You’re Fired!” She screeched “Go home! Get out! LEAVE!”

Nose up in the air, Professor D. Monic left the room with a huff. Bella turned to Chad.

“I’m getting a little miffed about this.” She hissed.

“A little?” Chad asked.

“A little.” Bella continued, “New rule, no messing with the music, no talking with the fighters, and NO PHONE!”

“That was three rules.” Chad pointed out.

“Shut up!” Bella squealed, snapping its fingers, “Next fighter! Spy-C!”

Jazz music began to play as a gorgeous young woman in a tight fitting red dress walked in.

“Fem Fatale I’m guessing?” Chad asked Bella.

“Not just any Fem Fatale.” Bella chuckled, “One that actually does her job.”

Spy-C pulled out six throwing knives from her fur scarf and threw them at Chad. He ducked to the side, cold steel ripped through his shoulder, tanking his HP by quarter, and making the red meter go up by four ticks.

“No fair!” He groaned, pulling the knife out of his shoulder. “Bella said no deadly weapons!”

“Eh, I changed it.” Bella shrugged.

Spy-C threw a kick at Chad, hitting him in the face. Chad threw a punch and clipped Spy-C’s cheek.

“Didn’t your mother teach you to never hit a lady?” She quipped.

“I think she’d be fine with it this time.” Chad growled.

Chad managed to worm out of the hallway, using the wall to protect himself from Spy-C’s knives.

“She must have a weakness like the others.” He thought, “Mom has pepper spray up in her room, and that doesn't break the rules.”

Chad rushed up the stairs, barely sliding out of the way of another wave of knives. He barreled into his mother's room and slammed the door shut, turning the lock.

“Pepper spray…” He muttered, “I need pepper spray.”

He searched his mother's drawers. Nail polish, Hair spray, His dads Axe body spray, perfume, hair dye… His mother must’ve taken her pepper spray with her to work. He picked up the Axe body spray.

“Anything to the eyes has to do something.” He groaned, “I hate this stuff.”

Spy-C broke down the door and rushed at Chad. Chad pointed the Axe at her, and sprayed.

Spy-C froze for a moment… eyes wide, she gave a weak airy cough, then passed out from the smell.

“I can’t blame her on that one.” Chad coughed, gingerly putting down the spray.

Bella came in, having heard the thunk, and was furious to see Chad relatively unscathed, and its third fighter out cold.

“THIS. IS. NOT. FAIR!” It roared in it’s tiny voice, “Twelve-Thousand Souls are mine because of this game. AND YOU! A teenager! You managed to beat my fighters!”

Bella’s form began to stretch, and it’s voice deepened.

“You’ve been lucky up until now Chad.” It boomed,”But now, you’ll be fighting me IN HELL!”

Chads house crumbled into a fiery landscape, and Bella shifted into what seemed to be a mix of a Kiss band member, and the Demogorgon from Stranger Things.

“PREPARE TO DIE!” Bella roared.

Bella blasted a beam of darkness towards Chad, it hit him square in the chest, and eradicated most of his HP. The red bar on his chest filled completely, and he suddenly felt a wave of inspiration.

“Do you really want to drag me down?” He asked Bella.

Bella stopped, looking rather confused.

“Do...I… What?” It blinked.

“You say you’re a demon.” Chad continued, praying this would work, “But are you a demon? Who’s the real Bella?”

Bella blinked a couple times, seemingly considering this.

“What do you really want in life?” Chad asked, “What’s fulfilling for you?”

Bella began to shrink.

“Well…” It admitted, “I’ve… always wanted to be a singer…”

Tears began to form in its eyes. “No...NO! NO WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!” It roared, “I refuse to question myself! NO! NO! NO! NO!!!!!”

Bella ran away, blubbering something about not getting the lead role in The Sound of Music.

“Great.” Chad sighed. “Now I just need to get home.”

The world crumbled and went white.

“What now?!” Chad groaned, shrinking back to his ordinary kid from.

He looked around, there was nothing to see. He walked one direction, then another… still nothing. Then out of nowhere, a rather young female voice echoed in the emptiness.

“Well?” The voice asked. “What next? I’m rather stuck.”

“What do you mean stuck?” Chad growled, “Who are you?”

“I’m the writer,” The voice answered. “And this was supposed to be a story about someone in a game, playing a video game, about being sucked into a video game… but nothing seems to fit.”

“So this was a story the whole time?!” Chad gawked, “Who thinks up stuff like that?!”

“I do.” The writer replied. “I’m afraid I wrote the story wrong though. We’ll have to try again.”

“Count me out!” Chad cried, “I’m out! I’m done! No more! Let me go home!”

“Oh boy,” The writer sighed, “You don’t get how this works… ah well, let's bring your house back then.”

Chad watched as black letters materialized and formed into words describing his front door, then the house scaffolding, the walls, the brick. He smiled as the world he once knew re-formed around him. He strode inside, grateful for his messy living room, no longer ruined from the battle just hours before. He strode into the kitchen, and grabbed a thin mint and a bag of Cheetos. He stared at them for a moment, then put them back into the cupboard. He grabbed an apple from the fridge instead.

Chad cleaned the house as much as he could, he opened drawn windows and turned off the T.V. He looked out the window, smiling at his neighborhood. Who cared if it was all just writing? This was his reality, his world, his life.

And then the T.V turned on, a deep gravelly voice roared.

“RAGE MODE!” It roared.

“Oh no.” Chad sighed, “Here we go again.”