He was sweating profusely focusing on this Bossfight, he wasn't just losing to it, it was obliterating his asshole. Glancing at the drawn blinds on the window, it was a pretty normal day outside overall. It's early autumn so it was still humid but not too sunny, but it was out at least and he was choosing to completely ignore it to play the new spiderman game instead. You can say he was missing out on a rare opportunity being in rainy England. But he'd never been the outdoorsy type, he preferred to stay inside comfortable and safe. Going outside risks meeting people and in his experience, those situations are best to be avoided.

Nope, he liked his solitude, not so much a loner by choice it's just over the years he'd noticed a lot of people like to think of themselves as the star of their very own show, they were the leading role and anyone or anything else was just a prop for their enjoyment. He'd been hurt enough times by people just like it. He learned staying away means not having to deal with that crap at all.

So here he was a prime specimen of gaming prowess. Standing at 5ft 11inches with uncut scruffy blonde hair and a matching hobo beard, he wasn't quite fat but he wouldn't be winning many races for sure. As you can imagine he was a bit of an outcast, not quite standing out so much but also didn't quite fit in too. He spent a lot of time outside in crowds getting weird stares off strangers and hearing whispers, so he avoided it.

So yep, he sure did prefer it inside, none of that to deal with. Just him and his unjudgemental PlayStation 5 in his palace of solitude aka overpriced attic apartment.

The listing for the apartment described a stylish compact apartment for an up-and-coming young person. That translated to a tiny one-room attic apartment with a combined living sleeping area in a 3 story old victorian brick house. It wasn't too bad here though, the price included all the amenities and Carl the hands-off landlord was into online gaming so the place had high-speed wifi. But the real selling point was Carl doesn't care or ask too many questions about him, generally leaves me alone as long as he doesn't cause trouble and pays rent on time. The guy even lets him smoke weed in there, well so long as he opens the window that is.

Perfect for a hermit stoner like himself! The apartment had two entrances to get up here, one on the outside via a steel stairwell crawling up the exterior wall and the second one connected to his apartment through the landlord's home. He rarely used the internal one though as this meant traveling through Carl's part of the house and that could mean talking even more often.

Outside the rooftop window, he had a pretty decent view of the surrounding neighborhood. It's a decent well-kept area with all the usual things you would expect. Privet lined neat gardens and the odd dog playing, nothing amazing so generally, he just left the blinds shut most of the time.

Life in the city had always been pretty peaceful, he used to moan about it being too boring sometimes, wishing for interesting things to happen like molemen attacking or something cool, maybe he should have felt lucky it was but he didn't. Nottingham was mainly a student city now with a top-class university, but with a low residential income level. some areas are nice and some would make you clutch your phone and run. So just like any other medium-sized city where the governors prioritize the money over the people he guessed.

Anyhow sitting there on the bed playing his game, enjoying the complete bliss it gave providing a break from reality's troubles. Just as he was getting to a clutch moment in this particularly hard fight everything started to go to shit.

His window blinds suddenly flared to life and looked like a scene from one of those cool old 80's ufo films. Through his blinds, the yellow light came streaming in, it lit up his entire room. it didn't just light up like when a car's beams are too high and shine in, this was hidden under the bed while humming the national anthem light up. The whole room was bathed in a take me to your leader type yellow light. looking towards the window physically hurt his eyes, tears started streaming as he tried to squint through it, he couldn't make out what was happening.

The weird thing was as fast as it started, it ended, not gradually nope it just stopped. it took him a few seconds to straighten the thoughts going through his head, just staring wide-eyed the whole time. To start with he questioned his sanity, "was that real or did someone spike his tap water with LSD?", he wondered.

After a long moment, realization kicked in, he wasn't seeing aliens yet so maybe not quite losing it.

Then the scary real-life scenarios started. Was it a nuke, were they being attacked? Who would attack a country whose only real flex is it gave rise to a place that voted trump into power.... ok maybe they did deserve it for that one?

Wait he needed to slow down, he wasn't melting yet... "calm down," he told himself. He needed to look outside first.

The truth though? Well, that was stranger than he had expected. An alien invasion required action, a war would require action but as he got to the window and managed to muster up the courage to open the blinds and see... There was Nothing!

Well, not quite nothing but nothing that required the level of anxiety he felt. Looking out all he discovered were people looking up at the sky and staring, then just like nothing had happened people went back to doing what they were like before. It was strange why wasn't anybody freaking out at that light or at least shocked? Looking up, he couldn't see anything himself, he wondered if missed something?

Grabbing his phone he did what any other sensible person who wants to learn what's happening does!

if your thinking goes to a reliable news source or even ask google, that would be wrong! Nope, he went to discord to ask his group of none qualified trollish friends.

You probably know the type. These are the people that society has deemed unfit for normal daily social situations, even a normal conversation with girls was too much type. These guys like him just exist on the fringe of social norms. They weren't a group of incels or anything extreme, no one hated women there, they even had a few women on there who were like them too. It's a place for the outcasts to talk and not feel they are unwanted. Sure they joked and mess around but no one cares what anyone looked like or if they have weird hobbies.

He was not a great-looking guy and had an interest in games and anime, doing the math wasn't hard, school was difficult for him. These people helped him feel more normal, and at least he wasn't competing for likes or hearts when posting that he brought a new game, they just asked stuff like which one it was and what it's like.

Unlocking the phone he clicked on the discord app. Once open he began to look at the recent chat history, no one was discussing anything important so he started typing...

DeadHead69.... So guys, just seen some shit out of a Spielberg movie. :○

Flocker.... Sup DH. Damn, whats happened?

PixelPuncher.... kids getting chased by inaccurate dinosaurs or the size-changing UFOs terrorizing kids kind? Just realized he uses that type of child being emotionally scarred theme a lot????

Phil.... @PixelPuncher wtf dude don't be trying to make one of your bullshit conspiracies out of that guy. His films are the gold standard man, name anything like his stuff now??

PixelPuncher.... damn @Phill was you in one of his films, should I get the pointing doll out? ;))))

Phil.... Real mature Pixel, the only one here needing that sex doll is you!

PixelPuncher.... LMFAO, haha damn I spewed milk all over my laptop you dick.

Phil.... :)

Flocker... lol Guys stop a second, @DeadHead69 are you serious? What happened man?

DeadHead69.... @PixelPuncher def the ufo kind, shit was scary af lol. So I was playing that new spiderman game right!

Phil.... dude I've heard enough about that game stop!!! We get it you like it.

PixelPuncher.... fr 2nd

Overcrotch.... at work atm so afk but just seen yall chatting and wanted to 3rd it.

DeadHead69.... come on guys, it isn't about the game this time I swear lol.

Flocker... well you do kinda bring it up a lot.

DeadHead69.... look it's not this time, for real I was playing that game and my whole room just lit up like I was gonna get abducted. It was crazy, scared me half to death at first. My whole room went yellow like something out of a movie.

Flocker.... fr? No joking?

PixelPuncher.... I call bull

Phil.... omg lol lol you guys need to start watching real-tv sometimes. The news has been saying for weeks the whole of UK and most of EU was gonna see some sun flare this week or something. Didn't England let people take the day off to see it or some shit too?

Overcrotch.... back again just to say LMFAO guys, u need to watch stuff other than hentai jk. Lmfao

Flocker.... just looked it up on google and yep looks like it's a solar flare, kinda bummed I missed it.

PixelPuncher.... smacks head, oh man I knew this was gonna happen too. I saw about it the other day on the news.

Phil.... of course u did bud;)))

PixelPuncher.... I did, just slipped my mind.

DeadHead69.... well now I feel super dumb.

PixelPuncher.... ha ha ha, man I needed that laugh.

Flocker.... @Deadahead don't worry about it dude, I didn't know nor pretending to either LMFAO pixel

Phil.... typing...

He launched the phone onto the bed, it bounced over messy sheets and landed at the edge. He felt angry at having made a fool of himself getting so worked up over nothing and feeling an idiot for not just doing a simple google search first.

Looking around the cluttered room, the only thing even close to tidy was the books, games, and movies he'd amassed over the years and even they were clumsily arranged on the shelf in no order. The floor had at least two weeks of washing spewed all across it. He wasn't a tidy person but even to him, this was getting too much. Adding neaten room and do the laundry to his growing list of tasks that never shortened, he noticed the tv flashing a message. "Will you continue?"

Feeling like that message was more personal than it was "sometimes I do wonder!" He sighed. Grabbing the controller he put the console into rest mode for later. He didn't have a boss fight in him at the moment.

Switching over to normal tv, choosing a random channel for background noise while he picked up the dirty clothing. Fate wasn't on his side today, of course, the first channel to come on had a news show. It was BBC one news talking about the solar flare that had happened. The newscaster a bolding old-aged man was talking...

" despite the obscure claims of self-appointed internet scientist's, no electronics have been reported as failing to us nor are any planes falling out the sky, ha ha ha, talking about skies over to you Fred"

the camera pans over to a laughing man wearing one of those ugly Hawaiian shirts only middle-aged divorced dads wear on the weekends, on his face was a gold-rimmed pair of sunglasses. He was stood there with a huge shit eaters grin that just said I love skin cancer. He started speaking in a way too happy tone

"So as Jeff said no planes falling haha but what is there, thanks to that solar flare are clear skies ahead, better get your shorts and suncream out because it's gonna be warm....."

"Click" he turned it off, not only was this flare thing making him look like an idiot but now it wants to make him sweat more. He sighed..... "I got up feeling good too and now I'm just drained". His mood started to get low with it all so he decides to take a small power nap.

Just as he was getting to a particularly good part of the dream involving a scantily dressed alien thankful to him for saving her homeworld "brrrrng brrrrrng". His phone started ringing snapping him out of the slumber, and the peace that came with it. Half-heartedly with a groan, he turned over towards the sound, staring at the buzzing phone, still slumped at the edge of the bed. It gave him a bad feeling looking at it, he slid over, doing his best impersonation of a half-dead slug.

Looking at the caller id, it was accompanied by a picture of a slightly aging couple dressed in color-coordinated shirts, hugging and laughing in front of a setting sun. Yep, that bad feeling turned to dread, it hit his stomach like a bomb going off. Groaning hard he answered...

Me.... Hi Mum.

Mum.... Hi sweetie, How are you? Me and your Dad are boarding the cruise ship soon and wanted to check-in, have you got everything you need before we go?

Me.... I groan back Yes Mum like I've told you I'm 26, ill be fine! I can get anything I need myself, I do have money.

Mum.... I know dear, but they don't give you much and you have been out of work a while now. You don't need to be ashamed we don't mind helping out. we are going to be out of signal range in a few hours and I'm not sure how much ill be able to call over the next two months "sniffle sniffle".

Me.... Please don't cry mum, look I'm doing ok, ill be fin... click click

Mum.... One sec Luv, "What was that dear...." ok love you baby I'm going to pass you over your Dad wants to speak, byeee....

Dad.... Hey kiddo, me and your mom are boarding in five minutes, can you believe it? We're finally going to see the northern lights haha. I swear your mom has been acting like a kid on a school trip haha it's good to see her so excited. Not to mention the rocking in the bedroom started way before we even boarded the ship if you get my drift...

Me.... DAD!!! Nooooo way too much information, we've discussed this before! Also, stop with the awful puns. Puns are the handicapped younger brother of jokes and we don't laugh at handicapped kids it's sad.

Dad.... ha ha ha great one, that's my son. I know I know aside from the puns, that stuff is normal and one day when we finally get grandkids you'll embarrass them the same.

Me.... yeah fat chance of that, I'm not having kids, I have trouble looking after myself.

Dad.... ok ok. I know, I won't push it. Anyhow me and your Mom had a call this morning. It was off of Frank and well he says you have been forgetting to take your medication again. Is it the money son? We can increase your monthly deposit if it's that, I can also transfer you some now if you can't afford the prescription at the moment.

Me.... Stop Dad it isn't money, I just forgot to collect them is all, I had extra anyway. why is my therapist even calling you guys?

Dad.... You know why he does son, after what happened last year...

Me.... "FOR FUCKS SAKE DAD" how many times have I told you it was just a mistake, I forgot id already taken them and and...

Dad.... ok ok I'm sorry, let's both calm down ok I didn't mean to upset you. I know you've told me before, It's just me and your Mom are worried is all!

Me.... Yeah I know, I'm sorry too. I'm fine really, I was just busy that day and forgot to get them.

Dad.... As long as your ok I won't push it further. Can you just promise me you will try to remember them.... please? and if you do ever need any money or help just call us we are here.

Me... ok Dad, ill try. I've gotta get going now I'm a bit busy today. Love you both have fun and ill see you when you get back.

Dad... alright kiddo if you're sure you're fine? Your Mom told me to tell you she says bye and she loves you. By the way, before you go. I'm sorry if I upset you I didn't mean to, stay safe kiddo. I'll let you go now, love you too.

Me.... I am and ill see ya when you both get back, have fun.

The phone line goes dead as the connection cuts out.

Staring at the phone he felt fuming and slightly ashamed at blowing up at his Dad like that. He knew they cared he did, and he also understand why frank his therapist called them. It just made him angry, it had been over a year now and they were still treating him like he was a bomb ready to go off at any time.

It was just a stupid accident... but they wouldn't listen... "who was he trying to convince them or himself?" He wondered

The day was just getting worse. Looking around the apartment it was dark now, the bedside clock was saying 21:37 on its blue glowing digital panel. "Damn it" he groaned, they had ruined such a great dream. Still groggy and feeling down again he rolled back over. "Maybe that dream will start again?", he thought. After a while of laying there, the darkness took him again and he was gone to the world snoring obliviously.