Five years later...

Marshall, Arizona

The golden torching ball scorched the earth, and Ed cursed his mother for making him walk home that day.

“It's unusual and cruel punishment, mom,” he protested when she called him to give him the bad news. “Outlawed! I'm gonna have to call a social service on you. Social services! Child abuse!”

While he protested vehemently, his mother explained to him that she was doing a double shift today, but that if he did not want to buy a new game console, go on Friday night to pig out at Hannigan's, or didn't plan to go to an amusement park that summer, he can tell her so she could come home right away.

His friend Joey was there to bumped his shoulder and set him right. “Don't be such a wuss. It's only a ten-minute walk.”

“For you maybe. But look at me. I'm like fifty pounds overweight. It's like you carrying one more of yourself on your back. I can't believe it's early May and this hot.”

“Hey, I weigh more than fifty pounds,” Joey protested.

Ed laughed. “Only if you like stuff your book bag with your brother's weights.”

It was their last year in Marshall Middle School, and it could not be over one day too early. “I'm so ready for the summer,” Ed murmured, lazily taking another step down the deserted sidewalk. “Don't plan to walk ever again then.”

“Walking is good for you. Should do you good to shed some weight. Otherwise, you'll die a virgin.”

“No, I'm not worried about that. As long as your sister is around.”

“She is a slut all right, a coke head slut,” his friend answered, a bit of sour tone and pain in his voice.

“But I think even she has some standards.”

“I know,” Ed said, noticing his friend's uneasiness, remembering that his sister was a rare person Joey liked in his family. Probably the only one who did not beat or verbally abuse him. “Should not have said that. That was a low punch,”

“Don't matter. Coming from you, it hurts none," Joey suddenly turned around and pointed behind them. "Hey, do you see that guy behind us? I think he's been following us.”

Ed turned around but saw nothing to be alarmed about. “He's just a homeless dude. Leave him be."

But that was not good enough for Joey. his hands went swiftly to the ground and two rocks he picked there.

"Hey, you looser! Let us be!!" he screamed at the man who must have been over twenty yards away.

"You fucken' weirdo!" he added before throwing both rocks at him.

Ed watched the rocks fly high in the air and could not believe that the man did not move out of their paths because one of them hit him right in the head.

The man grunted, and the kids scurried away, half expecting to be chased down the street.

"Fucken' weirdo," Joey said as they watched the man continue to walk slowly down the sidewalks, looking at them as if he did not understand what had just happened.

“You did not need to do that,” Ed said. "He's probably some guy who had it rough and lost everything."

“It's your fat ass that had it rough. Ever since your father left you, you became such a wuss.”

“I know man," Ed admitted as they continued walking down to their homes. "It's a defensive mechanism. I eat to deal with all this shit. Having an asshole for a best friend does not help either.”

“I'm your best friend? Shit. If that's that case, you're even more miserable than I am,” Joey said and took a turn to head to the driveway of his townhome.

“Yeah, I know. I have a very low standard. See you later, shithead,” Ed screamed at him.

“See you later, fatty.”

They waved each other off, and Ed continued for another fifty meters where his own townhome was.

Before opening his door, he turned around and looked at the homeless dude who decided to sit on the bank of the road, uninterested in everything, lost in his own world, staring somewhere in the distance. He could swear there was a bit of blood running down his forehead where Joey's stone must have landed.

Ed did not know why, but that day he could not stop thinking about his father. Was it a dream he had last night that had set it all up? Or was it the start of the summer, like the summer when his dad left him and never came back?

He sighed thinking about it all, the memory of his father taking him to the G2E Gaming Conference in Las Vegas years ago. It was the best trip ever. But even before they came to the G2E, a thing happened that Ed will never forget.

“Who are they?” Ed had asked as they were passing by a bunch of people under a passway, looking dirtiest and most desperate he could ever imagine.

“Homeless. It's what they call them.”

“Why are they homeless?” Ed asked.

“I do not know. I assume everyone has their own reason why. But I think nobody leaves their homes because they want to. Most are forced to do so. So,” his father said and pulled the car over next to one of them who was pushing the half-empty grocery cart on the sidewalk. “Take this five-dollar bill and go and give it to that guy. It would be better if we could give them jobs, but since we can't do that, give him that at least. It might be that he will just get drunk, but then, maybe it will help him make another day here. Go, on. Don't be shy.”

Still insecure about opening the door, Ed looked at the five-dollar bill in his hand, looked at it till his father said with a smile on his face. “Try to understand their pain. It's, hopefully, greater than you will ever have to know.”

Really, there was nothing to think about it after that.

Ed wiped the tears out of his eyes while he opened the fridge. The top shelf had a plastic container with her mom's sticker written 'lunch' on it.

Great, Italian meatballs! For the one hundredth and fiftieth time this month! Can't believe I'm not speaking Italian already.

He sighed and took it out, threw it in a microwave, and let it warm up for a few minutes, the time he used to dish out a plastic fork, a napkin, and a big orange soda from the fridge.

Then he took another deep breath and summoned the courage to open the front door again. He found the homeless dude sitting at the same spot, by the curve.

As he slowly approached him, he could not take his eyes off him. Maybe in his late thirties, long dark dirty hair covered the eyes and a big part of his face, the other covered in a dark unkempt beard. He wore a long dirty shirt that must have been white a long time ago, very loose, equally dirty pants, and a pair of funny-looking leather sandals. Besides him was a run-down rucksack that probably stored most of his belongings.

“Mister,” Ed said as he approached him. “I'm sorry what my friend had done. I'm really sorry."

The man turned his head slowly around, his shiny eyes slowly focusing on Ed. "I'm really sorry what he has done," Ed said carefully, thinking how fast can he run if the man suddenly gets up and attacks him.

"That's okay," the man said in a very soft and relaxed voice, and Ed was able to take another breath.

"I know it's no excuse, but Joey has it tough at home, thinks just because they hurt him he has the right to hurt others. I'm sorry.”

“That's okay. It wasn't you who threw the stone.”

“Yeah, I should have stopped him, but... I really could never guess he would land one. I mean, he could not hit the air if he tried.”

“I know. I'm kind of slow today.”

“Well, hopefully, this will help,” Ed said and extended the plastic box with his lunch inside.

“What is that?”

“My father's favorite... Italian meatballs with pasta. I bet, my mom thinks if she continues to make it somehow my father will magically appear back. Just take it, I promise I did not spit on it.”

“Oh, that's good to know.”

Ed looked at the man and down the street, thinking how long it will take to get busy with the high school traffic now.

“Maybe it would be better to move to the shade on that bench there. I mean, cars pass here, and kids... they love to throw shit out. Hitting a homeless man with a half drank can of soda is worth... like at least fifty points now.”

“Oh, that's even better to know. Fifty points you say?”

“At least.”

As they walked to the bench, Ed had to notice that the homeless dude had quite a step. He thought he would be stumbling, hardly making a go. But there was vigor in each step he made, almost as if he was enjoying it. There was no way that he could ever outrun him.

“Please, do me a favor and take it,” Ed offered the plastic container once the man set there. “Here is a bottle of soda too.”

“That looks strange...” the man said, pointing to the soda

“Yeah. A discount soda from Aldi. But it's cold.”

“And you did not spit in that either?”

“No, sir.”

The man took it readily and put it to his lips right away. “Delicious,” he said as a little sip entered his mouth, as if he was trying a bubbling drink for the very first time. Then, he took a longer sip, and then a long moment had to pass before he could say anything. “So weird, yet so delicious!”

He burped, and Ed shook his head.

Ed was going to ask him like a million questions, but it was just too damn hot for any kind of interrogation.

Still, as he saw the man holding the plastic in his hands and staring somewhere in the distance, Ed could not help but ask, “Mister, are you okay?”

“Oh, yeah."

"So, why are you not eating?"

The man looked at him then and said, "But you brought only one fork, and I do not plan to eat while you watch me.”

“Sorry. Didn't think about that.”

“Oh, now, where are my manners,” the man suddenly said, reaching in his pockets with both hands, searching for something. “Well, in my eternal gratitude, I'll give you this..." A second later, an old-looking plastic ivory-colored game cartridge appeared in his hand. "It may not seem a lot, but it's... unlike you have never seen before. I just have to warn you, it will change your life forever.”

Ed did not know what to say but it seemed rude to turn the man down. So, he took it, examining it and wondering how something so old can change his life forever.

And the garbidge bin he picked this one out, I do not want to know about...

“Be warned," the man said again, noticing the look on Ed's face. "I have to warn you... it is something else. But for someone as brave as you, it might seem fitting."

"So, is it like scary stuff? It seems for old Nintendo."

"I should not explain. You have to try and see for yourself. But I guarantee that it will change your life forever."

“And you, did you ever play that game?”

“The game...? Oh, yeah, I did more than that.”

"So... it did not do you that much good, did it?

“You're right about that, Big E.”

“No, don't like that. Don't like that name. It reminds me too much of my dad. Just call me Ed. And you are?”

The man suddenly seemed to lose interest in answering Ed, his eyes going to the lunch. “Well, thank you for the food, good man.”

“You're welcome. It was... like I said, one of my father's favorite. I... I myself fucken hate it.”

“You're not worried that you may be giving his food away to a stranger?”

“You know, the funny thing about my dad... He ain't coming back. He's been gone for so long... I don't think I even remember his face anymore.”

“That's weird, good man. I mean, do other people ever tell you if you look like your dad?"

“Yes. Actually, they do. Constantly.”

“Well, then, just look in the mirror, and you'll see him.”

“You're a wise man.”

“Yes, I know.”

“The beard, I'd just lose the beard. I mean, until you're like old enough to have it all white, I'd just take it off.”

“Okay.”

“Yeah. Doesn't add anything to your wiseness, you know. But anyway, it's too hot today. So, I'm gonna scram. And you..."

“Oh, don't you worry about me, good little man. I've got everything I need.”

Ed sighed and took a step to leave and muttered to himself. “Damn, I wish I never get like that.”

Surprising to Ed, the stranger seemed to have heard him as he answered. "It can be worse. Believe it or not. It can always be worse."

Ed, half embarrassed, walked away and called to him from the distance. "Stay in a shade, wise man. Too much sun will fry your brain. And then, you really might not have anything left."

The homeless man met that with a smile as he muttered to himself. "I see you've got it. It could always get worse."

Back home, he fired up AC right away, took his shirt off, and decided to put a frozen pizza in the oven.

Twenty minutes. Just enough time to hook up his old Nintendo and put that game inside. See what that is all about. Might as well not waste any time if it sucks.

The game cartridge fit in perfectly.

I hope it's not something pre-historic. Just let it not be something pre-historic.

Suddenly the TV started to flick, the AC shut down, everything then went dark for a second before a celestial blue cloud evolved around Ed.

And golden letters saying "Welcome" were displayed clearly above Ed's dumb-founded head.

"Holy shit!"

Ed entered a long moment when you don't believe your eyes, but then you mutter to yourself. "What is this?"

Welcome to MOLI

Do you want to enter?

"Yes. Definitely. How? How is this going on?" Ed extended his hand and touched the softness of the air, soft as a cotton ball, moving around as if made of jelly, his hands passing slowly through it, feeling just a little tickling.

"This is incredible! What do I do now?"

You are currently being processed. Please wait.

Your options are currently limited due to your funds, age and your weight.

"My weight?"

Yes. You are thirty-five pounds over your optimal weight.

"Even a damn machine knows I'm fat. How the hell do you know that? How do you know how much I'm overweight?"

That information will cost you 5000 ducats. Insufficient funds.

"What? How much funds do I have?"

You have been given 2000 ducats start-up capital.

"Hum."

You have also been auto-selected as a JOKER.

As you progress more options might become available.

"I'm a joker now? What am I funny to you?"

We also have a position open for a pig herder. However, the job pays only 500 ducats.

"No, I don't mind being a joker."

You are pre-set on R2Moons Destination.

Suddenly an image of a white castle with dozens of high towers appeared in front of him.

Do you wish to accept your destination or would you like to pick a new one?

"What other ones you've got?"

There are sixty-eight destinations available from your point of origin. However, the least expansive one requires 100,00 ducats.

"Well, then, to R2Moons I go." Ed said.

Suddenly the cloud became denser and darker, and flashes of light beamed suddenly so brightly that Ed had to close his eyes.

When he opened them a moment later, he was not in Arizona anymore.