Phantasmagoria
Wraith's Demise

''RARRRGGGHHHHHHH!!''

Iscream at the top of my voice as I close my eyes.

I justwant him gone.

I wantWraith to disappear.

Begone forever...

I openmy eyes, and see the destruction I have caused. When I said I wantedhim gone, I...never imagined the T-Rex to crumble to pieces of dust.In fact, the whole landscape...begins to crumble around me. I hearthe violence of it all, the roaring cries of the death of this world.

Isthis all...my doing?

Am Ireally destroying...this game?

Iclose my eyes once more, wanting this all to stop.

Silence.

I openmy eyes.

Everything is so...calm...

Peaceful...

Tranquil...

''Youdid it. You actually did it,'' I hear Kelsey's voice break the quiet.I replace myself back on the ground again. The scenery has changed tothat of a beach; the sky above is a bright blue, there is a warmyellow sun glaring at us to our left, and the ground is covered infine, dusty white sand.

''Idid what?'' I ask her.

''Youdefeated Wraith. He's...gone,'' I hear her say.

I...defeatedhim?

I did?

Idid?

Thatcan't be right. He's impossible to defeat. How could I have doneso...

''Lookhow calm every thing is,'' Kelsey says as she looks around thelandscape. We both observe our surroundings. It doeslookcalm.

''Areyou doing this? It's beautiful,'' I remark. Kelsey walks forward,bends down towards to the sand, and grabs a handful.

''No,this isn't me. I think it's...Diana,'' she says as the sand tricklesout of her hand.

Dianais doing this? I walk over to where Kelsey is standing and look outbeyond the sea.

''Wraith...isreally gone?'' I ask. I don't believe he is gone; knowing him, hemight be hiding some where.

''No;I think he has been finally gotten rid of. Congratulations, MrWilliams, you've defeated the boss!'' Kelsey says as she shakes myhand.

Defeatedthe boss?

Ithought Diana is the boss. But, thinking about it, I can see whyWraith must have been the boss. He was worse than any game villainI've ever heard of. Even worse than Bison and Ganondorf put together.

''So...whathappens now?'' I ask her. Kelsey looks at me and then smiles.

''Themoment you've been waiting for. You get to meet her,'' Kelsey says.

Meet...Diana?

Now?

FINALLY!

InsideI am excited, but nervous, relieved and scared at the same time. Idon't care if she reads my mind, but, I gotta tell you, I seriouslythink I may be staining my drawers right about now.

''Youare one different guy, Mr Williams,'' Kelsey says.

''Different?''I say back. I'm...different? I've never heard that comment about mebefore.

''Yeah,different,'' she repeats.

Different.I hope it's in a good way.

''Itis,'' she responds. I smile at her comment. It's nice to be paid acomplement once in a while. Even by a weird girl in an imaginaryvideo game.

''Hello,Mr Williams!'' I hear a female Irish accent call out to me. It's noneother than Cara Flynn the gate keeper.

''Hello,Cara,'' I greet her back as she bounces on the sand to come over tome. She lands right next to me as sand flies in all directions.

''Wehaven't got time to spare! We must meet her now,'' Cara says.

''What'sthe rush?'' I ask her. I thought we had plenty of time to spare. Imean, I've just beaten Wraith, shouldn't I be given some respite?

''There'sno time to rest! I thought you would like to meet her?'' Cara saysexcitedly as she takes me by the hand and leads me away from Kelsey.

''Yeah...Iwould...but...I don't know...how to be...,'' I stammer.

''Youdon't have to be anything! Just be yourself,'' Cara reassures me.Myself.

Myself.

Beingmyself is being...

A warvet.

Afather.

Ahusband.

Abrother.

Afriend.

A...

Destroyerof ghost consciences.

Amurderer of imaginary worlds.

Thebringer of Wraith's demise.

Who amI now?

''Whydon't you let Diana replace that out?'' I hear Kelsey say to me as shestands on the beach.

I willlet her replace out.

Lether see what I am.

Willshe like me, though?

Orwill she hate me?

''Thisdoor will lead you to her,'' Cara says. She points to it in front ofher, but I don't see any door.

''Whatdoor?'' I ask her.

''Infront of you,'' Cara replies.

Uhhhh...

Where?

''Trustme, there is one. You just don't see it yet,'' she responds.

Ok, Ithink I've had enough of cryptic answers and hidden messages, so I'mjust going to stretch out my hand and open this door.

''Oh,so there was one,'' I say aloud as the door opens up wide andcompletely blinds my eyes. I close my eyes instantly and shield myface from the blinding whiteness.

It'sso white...