by Tobias Wade
Butch followed his brother before turning back, “Hey, Fag! If I catch you wearing that fucking jacket in my school again, I’m going to make you eat it. Understand?”
Tristan nodded slowly, still too shocked and afraid to speak.
“Damn right you do,” Butch said over his shoulder before going off to see what Coach wanted.
Tristan stood in the cafeteria trembling and fighting back tears. He looked around the room at the kids sitting with their friends. They didn’t look so bad, but none of them wanted to get on the wrong side of Butch and Bubba Daltrey. Most looked at their lunches or at books or just their hands. Nobody looked in his direction. He bowed his head and skulked off to a corner to eat alone in his humiliation.
He’d been sitting at an empty table facing the window when a voice said, “You might want to take that thing off before the asshole brothers see you again.” He looked up to see Liz and the kid who had told the Daltreys about Coach. “This is Ryan.”
“Um, hi,” Tristan said, uncertainly.
Liz looked at him a moment before holding out her oversized purse to him. “Best to shove it in here. I’m serious.”
Tristan stared at the bag and then to Liz for a moment before slipping the jacket off and dumping it in. “I’ll get it back to you after school,” she said. “Butch and Bubba won’t mess with me. Their mom works for my dad.”
“Thanks.”
“You can come sit with us if you want,” Ryan said, “Liz says you can draw pretty good.”
Tristan shrugged and nodded, still fighting back tears and feeling waves of relief that he was being offered even a little bit of compassion. The three of them stood looking awkwardly at one another until Liz finally said, “Come on then,” and led him to a table on the other side of the room. Rob and Jen Gooris had been sitting there too, and for the next few years the five of them would be nearly inseparable.
1988
“So, what’s it like living in California?” asked Rob as they pulled up to the gas pump.
“Well, the weather is just about perfect all the time. But I’ve been so busy with class, that’s really all I know.”
“Oh come on. You’ve got a nice tan and everything!” Jen said, “I’ll bet you’re at the beach every day surfing and skating.”
“I wish,” Tristan answered, “I mean, I do spend a lot of time outside but that’s just hanging out in the quad reading. You wouldn’t believe how much reading there is.”
“You’ve always been a bookworm. It can’t be that bad,” she said.
“Yeah, when it’s Stephen King or something I want to read. Forty essays discussing why Moby Dick was white instead of gray is not exactly fun reading.”
“They really make you read that stuff?”
“And write really long papers about it.”
“Screw that.”
Rob killed the engine and the three of them hopped out of the truck. Tristan lifted the handle on the pump and placed the nozzle into the car. “Fill her up?”
“Hang on,” Rob said, lifting the tailgate on the Bronco, “Get these too.” He removed two five-gallon cans and set them on the ground. Tristan reached into his pocket and pulled out a twenty-dollar bill. “I need four packs of Camel Lights and a Coke. The rest on gas and beer.”
Rob took the money and went inside. Tristan leaned back against the truck and sighed. If nothing else, it was nice not to be studying. When the tank was full he filled the cans and hoisted them back into the Bronco. Rob and Jen returned shortly and the three set about loading beer and ice into the cooler. Within moments they were back on the road, screaming engine and heavy metal racing through the Texas backroads. A few minutes later, Tristan turned in his seat to talk to Jen, no longer being able to put off the inevitable question he’d been dreading since getting on the bus in Los Angeles.
1984
“So, what do y’all do here?” Tristan asked. He had been nervous about asking the question, feeling it might be presumptuous—like these locals might not appreciate the new kid asking about them or assuming he’d be welcome doing whatever they did. These were not his friends. They were just a couple of sympathetic bystanders who had been nice to him in a painful moment.
Rob and Jen shrugged and looked at Liz, who was braiding a lock of her hair. She looked up and noticed that everyone was looking at her. “Not much. Go to school, go home. Watch movies, listen to music.”
“What kind of music?”
“The radio only picks up the country station out of Houston, so that’s pretty much it,” said Ryan.
“Sometimes there’s a rock station out of Austin that comes on. Michael Jackson, Hall and Oates, that kind of stuff,” said Jen.
“How ‘bout you? What do The Scorpions sound like?” asked Liz.
“Um, they’re like heavy rock from Europe somewhere.”
“Is it on the radio?”
“Sometimes. There was a station that played some heavier stuff late at night. Mostly I get tapes from my cousin, though.”
“You’re not in to all that devil music, are you?” Ryan asked.
Tristan laughed, “No, none of the stuff I like is about the devil. It’s mostly love songs and stories with loud guitars.”
“How do you know?” Ryan countered, “My dad said they hide all kinds of stuff in their lyrics and you can’t even understand what they even say,”
Tristan thought for a moment, “Don’t know. I mean, I don’t have any of the real tapes, just copies my cousin made for me. But when I was at his house they have the words in the book that comes with the records. I’ve never even seen the word devil in any of them. They’re more like, ‘I’m gonna love you forever,’ and, ‘Make some noise!’ Stuff like that.”
“Maybe I can borrow one of your tapes and see if they talk about the devil?” asked Liz.
“Sure!”
“Bet you play Dungeons and Dragons too, huh?” said Ryan, a little less sure of the newcomer than Liz seemed to be.
“Um, sort of,” Tristan lied. Things were going well, and he didn’t want to scare them off. “I mean, I have before but just a little bit. It was too much. People get way too into that game.”
“Because they’re serving the dang devil, that’s why,” said Ryan, satisfied.
“Leave him alone, dorkface,” said Liz, “Ain’t nobody worshipping no devil. That’s all just your mom reading them newsletters from the church.”
“It’s like, it never had any devils or evil or anything that I saw. Just monsters and dragons and junk. It’s sort of like…” He tried to think of something they would all be familiar with and hopefully not afraid of. “Like He-Man. Y’all ever play with them?”
“He-Man has demons and stuff in it,” Ryan pointed out, “Lots of ‘em.”
“Shut up ya dang Bible-thumper!” said Rob, “You used to have all the He-Man guys at your house! You even have some of mine that I never got back from you.”
“So what? Don’t mean there ain’t no demons in it.”
Liz and Jen looked at each other and rolled their eyes.
“I do have a new game,” Tristan said, trying to change the subject. “It’s called Seeker and it doesn’t have magic or monsters in it at all.”
“What’s the point then?” Rob said, making a face at Ryan.
“It’s like, weird history and science. Like, real stuff mixed with stuff from stories and legends.” He reached into his bag and brought out the book. “Like, you ever heard of the Pied Piper of Hamelin and how he played the song and drowned the rats? Well this game is like it’s true and you and your team are working together to solve clues and stuff to find the flute before your time runs out. It’s pretty neat.”
Rob took the book from him and started leafing through it. “So how do you win? I roll higher than you?”
“Not exactly. You’re on the same team in groups of up to five people. When you solve a case, or find a clue or whatever, there’s a 1-800 number you call to report it. If you�
��re right and within the first hundred or five-hundred or whatever callers to get in, you get prizes and they send out new cases to solve.”
“What kind of prizes?” asked Jen, taking the book from her brother.
“I don’t know. I just got the book right before we moved. I haven’t even played it yet.”
“Maybe we should,” Liz said, “You know, to see what the prizes are.”
“Everybody can come to our house after school,” Jen offered.
That afternoon, the five of them sat around the Gooris’ breakfast table munching on Star Crunch cookies and drinking fruit punch. Tristan read the rules.
“’Seeker is a game of grand adventure and dark mystery set in the strangest place of all, the real world. For centuries, Man has tried to understand the world around him and shine light on the things that lurk in the dark. As Seekers, you will travel through time and across the world in search of the truth behind some of history’s greatest mysteries and have fun and win prizes along the way.’”
“Cool!” said Rob.
“’How to play: The game is best played by at least three but no more than five players. In the index is a five-pointed star. Four of the points are labeled for the four elements: Air, Fire, Earth, and Water. Players roll for their position on the star and take the role of the Seeker at the allotted point.
The top point is reserved for the one called Malumesti (Latin for storyteller). The Malumesti will guide the other Seekers through the stories and lay out what needs to be done to win. The Malumesti should be elected by the other players. Make sure that the Malumesti you choose is comfortable explaining rules, telling stories, and following up with the results of each challenge.’”
The kids looked at one another. “Well, that’s easy. It should be him,” said Jen.
“Why him?” asked Rob, “We just met him and he’s our leader now?”
“Duh, because he’s played this kind of game before and it’s his book you moron,” Jen shot back.
“Hey, just because I had to repeat first grade does not make me a moron, moron.”
“Jen’s right,” said Liz, “It is his book. Are you going to read that whole thing?” she asked Rob.
“Hell no!” said Rob.
Ryan shook his head too. “I’m not sure I even want to play.”
“Then it should be Tristan.” Liz said. All four nodded. “Read on, then Malmisti.”
Tristan looked at each of their faces for a moment before continuing. “Uh, where was I? Okay, here: ‘Once the Malumesti has been elected, each player will roll a single die over each of the points of the star, moving counter-clockwise from the top. Highest roll takes their point, and the process continues until each point has been populated.’ Um, anybody have any dice?”
“I’ve got some,” said Rob. He went over to the bookcase and shook two red dice from an old Monopoly box.
“Okay, hold on, this is going to take a while. Let me get through this last part. ‘Once you have populated your star, tear it out of the book at the perforations. Write the name of each player at each point, then skip to Part Six—Registering for prizes.’ Do we want to roll for positions or read about prizes first?”
“Prizes!” Rob, Jen, and Liz said in unison. Ryan simply shrugged.
“’Part Six—Registering for Prizes: Seeker is different from other role-playing games in that it rewards you for your time and effort. That’s right, you get prizes for solving the mysteries in each challenge! Prizes range from in-game currency to high-quality replicas of artifacts described in the game.
To register your team with the Seeker International Network, call toll-free 1-800-123-4567. Please have the names, mailing addresses, and phone numbers of each Seeker on your team. Incomplete teams can add additional Seekers later. In addition, fill out the contact information on the Star diagram in the index and mail it in to the address below. Kids, get your parents’ permission before calling.’”Tristan turned to the index and removed the five-pointed star. Each point had lines for name, address, and phone number which each of them filled out in turn as they rolled for their position on the Star. Liz rolled Fire. Next was Jen who got Air, Rob rolled Earth, and Ryan, Water.
“So, what’s our first mission?” asked Rob, getting more excited as the formalities were ending.
Tristan turned the page. “Challenge One: You have been assigned your Elements. But do you know their history? Fire, Air, Earth, and Water are very important to many cultures around the world. Familiarize yourself with them. Each Seeker, except for the Malumesti, must discover and learn the word for their element in each of the four following languages: Latin, German, Arabic, and Hebrew. Learn to say the word in each language and call in to the network. Each Seeker will say the word for their element one time in each language before passing the phone to the next Seeker. When this task is complete, you are an official band of Seekers and your first prizes will be awarded.”
“That’s kind of weird,” said Jen, “Where are we supposed to find out four different translations for this?”
“Maybe the school library?” suggested Ryan.
“Dictionary?” suggested Rob.
“No idea,” said Tristan. “Maybe call a college?”
“That’s not a bad idea,” said Liz.
Ultimately it took three days for each Seeker to get the correct translation. All four were a bit weary of the game when they got together again.
“I don’t know if it’s worth it, but here goes,” said Liz when Tristan handed her the phone. Liz said her lines, then passed the phone to the others. Tristan listened to the recorded message end and hung up.
He shrugged. “I guess that’s it.”
The five of them moved on from the game and watched a movie on the Gooris’ big-screen TV.
Seeker was all but forgotten three days later. The kids, Tristan included, no longer cared for in-game currency or whatever trinkets the game makers had offered. The challenge had been difficult and seemed pointless. They sat together at lunch and talked and joked. Tristan was welcome at their table and had begun to feel comfortable being part of the group. The bullies left them alone as Liz had promised, and he settled into school.
Then the prizes arrived.
All at once, they were back in the game. The prizes were nothing short of amazing.
Tristan had his headphones on and was riding his skateboard in front of his house when the mail carrier dropped a box on his front step. He waved at the mail lady, kick-flipped his board into his hand, and walked over to get it. It was addressed to Malumesti and it was heavy. He carried it to his room and sat on the bed. He couldn’t imagine any trinket from a game company being this large. He carefully peeled the tape from the box and opened the flaps. It had two books and a smaller box inside, as well as a letter. He unfolded the paper and read the script.
Salutations Malumesti!
Welcome to Seeker, the most exciting in interactive role-playing games where the game rewards you for playing. If you haven’t figured it out by now, the first challenge was a test to see if your band of Seekers was willing to do what it takes to win. And win you did!
Each Seeker on your team has been sent a prize pack related to their point on the star. You, dear Malumesti, have been given a greater gift: two exclusive Seeker expansion packs. These are special previews for your team and will not be sold in stores until spring, 1985. You will also find the Malumesti amulet. Wear it when you play to enhance the realism!
Thank you for playing, and we look forward to hearing from you when you complete your next adventure.
P.S. You may skip straight to the expansion packs for exciting adventures today.
He opened the smaller box to find an amulet with a five-pointed star on one side and a stylized ‘M’ on the other, which he put on before thumbing through the expansion packs and seeing several interesting adventures that had nothing to do with foreign languages. The phone rang.
“Is this real?” said L
iz, “What did you get?”
“An amulet and two expansion packs. You?”
“I got a silver necklace with a dangle that has the Fire symbol on it. And a red leather diary, and a really nice pen, and a letter opener that looks like an old-timey dagger, and this weird looking thing that I finally figured out is some kind of lighter!”
“Wow!”
“I know! I’m going to call Jen. I’ll call you back!”
Each of them called the others in time. They had all gotten similar bounties; some obviously related to their respective signs, others were not so easy to explain. All of them, however, seemed of quite high quality and value. All of them received amulets. And all of them wanted to play again as soon as possible.
Within mere days they had moved through most of the first expansion pack. The challenges were interesting, esoteric, historical, and fun. All of them ended up with one or more Seekers calling in and saying something in a different language, or backwards, or something just as weird. By now, however, the strange requests were more like a scavenger hunt. Where the first query was odd, the call-ins now felt like you were just proving you’d completed the challenge, most of them being somewhat unrelated to the actual story.
Sometimes they won prizes, sometimes they were informed that, sorry, the prizes went to the first one hundred teams and theirs was one thirty-nine. The prizes were never quite as large or as fine as that first package, but they were always very cool.
As Christmas break rolled around, all the Seekers could talk about was the next challenge. At this point, even Ryan had come around and was one of the loudest advocates for getting together for at least a little while nearly every day. All five kids’ bedrooms were now adorned with books, maps, artifacts, and mazes related to the game.
Tristan and Liz spent a lot of time together reading, planning, researching, and keeping track of challenges. They spent hours going over stories and prize tallies. Liz had become enamored with all of Tristan’s heavy metal bands and the two of them hung out together long after the others had gone home each night. Tristan realized one day that, with the exception of Seeker, Liz Rankin was all he thought about. He stayed at her house until there were no more reasons not to leave, then rode home on his skateboard thinking about the way she pushed her hair behind her ears when she was concentrating on something.
