30 Day Writing Challenge: Games

When we were younger, we used to play games all the time. No we still play games, but the stakes are higher. Used to be competitive collections of trading cards, now it seems to be the controversial collections and trading of hearts. However, I can’t complain… I was pretty good at it! I always won the game, unfortunatly. Why unfortunately I hear you ask? Well the prize was always pain. Pain for me and pain for them. They’d fall for me. Heaven knows why. But they’d fall hard. I’d regretfully enjoy the chase. I was younger then. At least that was my excuse anyway. But here I am 23 years old still playing the same old games. It was childish and the worst thing was that I knew the outcome. I suppose the thrill comes from wanting to win. It’s a childish endeavour that we seem to never kick. Winning makes you feel as though you’re good at something, even if the game sucks. Winning gives you power, even if its for a few moments. But how long before the game gets tiresome. The game i played involved juggling the hearts of the fools who loved me. I’d knowingly flirt with them, despite having no real feelings for them, it was almost a challenge to see how far i could go. One day it went too far. It all stemmed from just that human nature need to feel wanted. I was sick. Or at least I know I was now. Couldn’t see it at the time. Thought I was normal… I needed help and the help came in the form of a married man. I saw the challenge, I played the game and I won. I won the pain. I shared my prize with my partner. The mans wife got a share too. That was the last time I played. I realised there is a time where you grow up. There is usually a need for that one final game though. I learned that as an adult, you don’t stop playing games, but the games get harder, more real. But there’s more at stake. Same game, different rules. Different outcomes. No more scuffed knees and ice cream. This time its broken hearts and well… perhaps there is still ice cream… but a fuck tonne more is needed now.