The Game at Seaside



It started with a trip to Seaside. My friends and I go there every year after school ends. We have since we were kids. We always loved the arcade. Pac-Man and Guitar Hero always had our hi-scores. When we got there, though, we saw a new machine.

It was called Suspense, but it looked like a kid’s game. Its design was covered with lollipops and rain

bows, and the main character was a pink teddy bear. My friends weren’t interested, but I decided to give it a go. W

hy not, right? I inserted two quarters and started the game. The gameplay was simple, and it was a 2D side-scroller. The first levels were very familiar. In fact, it looked a lot like a copy of Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland. The next level was odd.

The main character, Teddy, looked saddened. His fur was slightly darker and a bit ripped. The originally colorful levels were now morbid. The grass was purple and dead, and it was night. I moved Teddy further, thinking “Finally, a game for me!” I thought it was awesome. A game that starts cute and gets darker along the way. I was an enemy, and attack him. Teddy stabbed him was a knife instead of whacking him with a candy cane. The enemy turned into a ghost, and Teddy chuckled. As I made it halfway through, things became a little weird and somewhat frightening.



The background became all lucid and Teddy grew fangs and would tear his enemies to shreds. Everything a ghost appeared, Teddy looked more terrifying and the background became more lucid. When I got to the exit, it just turned cute. Teddy raised his candy cane into the air, and the text “YOU WON!” appeared. I won what? I noticed it was night, so I went to find my friends. It was 8 pm…shouldn’t the arcade be closed. I looked around and saw just random teddy bears fall out of the claw machines. I headed for the ice cream parlor when I couldn’t find them. It was weird that it was foggy though. It felt a little like Silent Hill. I felt itchy for some reason, and scratched my head. My hair fell out. 

“What?!” I asked myself. I went to a mirror, and saw my head covered in pink cloth. I thought I was tired and was imagining things. I went to the parlor, and sure enough, my friends were there.



“Hey, guys!” I said as I approached them. They gave me a weird look.



“Who are you?” Matt asked. My jaw must have dropped.

“It-it’s me, Teddy!” I closed my mouth. Teddy? I ran out and saw the town covered in fog. I ran for the car, but my skin started to peel, revealing pink clothes. My nose turned black, and quickly got the keys out of my pocket.



As I sat in the car, the key turned into a knife. I looked in the mirror. The cloth was darkening and I grew fangs.

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<p class="MsoNormal">“No one will stand in Teddy’s way.”

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<p class="MsoNormal">I woke in a cold sweat. I hadn’t left for Seaside? It was just a stupid nightmare. I laughed thinking about it. A game that turns you into a psycho teddy bear? Big deal! I went to school, and got my scores back

<p class="MsoNormal">for the exams. I then got everyone and we left for Seaside.

<p class="MsoNormal">We went to the arcade first and played some Guitar Hero, Pac-Man, and Basketball. I noticed out of the corner of my eye, though, that a new machine was coming in. It was called Suspense.

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<p class="MsoNormal">“Suspense?” Chase said as they plugged it in. “Looks lame, but I never want to be the se

<p class="MsoNormal">cond player!” He approached the machine and put in his quarters. I hoped whatever happened in the dream was fake.

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">We haven’t seen Chase in a long time, though. He said he met someone was staying there for a few days. It’s been two months. Matt and I drove to Seaside and looked in the arcade. On the side of Suspense was a blue teddy bear instead of pink. Although I was scared of the machine, I plugged in my quarters and the start screen appeared.

<p class="MsoNormal">“HI! I’m Chase the Bear!”