Hazard

"O-light entertainment welcomes you to the Neural X model 1.1. We hope you experience the time of your life. To calibrate, please clench your right fist. For other calibration options, please log into the server and download the alternate calibration pack."

I clench my fist, and a loading screen appears. The world turns into a forest, with tall pine trees rustling in a soft breeze that brushes my neck. I can sense the air touching me as if I've been transported out of the store and into this world. My body seems to be a standard avatar, a purple human form. There's a clearing around me, and a doused fire pit in the center, smoke billowing out of it towards the sky. I take or rather, think of taking a step and I move towards the fire pit. The only thing detracting from the realness of this simulation is the lack of smells.

"Please circle the center slowly to calibrate movement," says the voice. I do so. "Calibration complete. Now, please approach the tree marked with a yellow circle and place your hand on the surface."

I move towards a pine tree with a yellow dot painted on the bark and I touch it, feeling the rough woody surface with my palm. It feels so real. A loud tap that doesn't sound like it comes from this simulation interrupts me and I swing around instinctively. It came from outside.

"How do I leave?" I say.

"Say exit system," says the voice. I do so and I'm back in the shop, facing the man through the visor's greyish plastic.

"I gotta go, girl. You want it or not?" he says.

"Fine. I'll take it," I say, and I take the debit card from my back pocket.

"We don't take cards. They're traceable, you see," he says, and winks. "Look, if you hurry, you can get cash out of the ATM at the gas station. I'll wait for five minutes. Or else you'll have to come back tomorrow."

I curse and hand him the helmet. "I'll be right back," I say as I leave the shop. Ma's umbrella is gone, and now I curse at myself for being so naïve. Running towards the street while avoiding a group of people who just got off a bus, I slip on the wet concrete, almost crashing into a lamppost. I avoid it by crashing into a person instead.

"Perdón," I say quickly. I start towards the gas station that's just a block away, but someone grabs me by the arm, jerking me and swinging me around.

"Watch where you're walking, pendeja. I don't know where you think you are, pero acá you show respect," says a bulky man of about forty. He's wearing a Cerro Porteño soccer jersey. Behind him, other members of the barra brava stare at us. I assume that's what they are, since all of them are dressed in the red and blue colors of the team. Some smirk, others nod their heads.

A white sedan screeches to a halt next to us, a wheel coming up the curb before its abrupt stop. María, of all people, exits from the passenger's seat, leaving the door open.

"What is going on? Let. Her. Go," she says, ice in her voice. She's still in her waitress uniform, which is now clean and ironed. I have no idea what she's doing here.

"Hola muñeca. I wasn't going to hurt her," says the man, eyeing her up and down and letting go of my arm. "But this gordita needs to learn to watch her way." I'm speechless, glancing between María and the man.

She shoves the bulky man with a strength I never imagined my wiry sister possesses, and he falls back on his ass. A second of silence passes between all of us, and the guys behind the man start laughing. Seething, he struggles to lift himself off the ground. He raises a hand to María's face. She doesn't flinch, and he extends his index finger at her, centimeters away from her nose.

"Don't come back around here, puta," he says, turning away, following the other guys as they enter a corridor near the shops. They blend into the crowd of people who are probably coming home from work.

"What the fuck, Ara? What are you doing here?" María says, a hand on my shoulder.

"I came to buy something," I say. Her eyes widen, and I continue before she begins imagining things. "A VR helmet, to play. My computer isn't compatible with the game anymore."

"Your jueguito again? Ara, you can't risk your life for that. I know it's your money and that you work or whatever there, but you have to stay out of this area."

"Well, if you'd deign to listen to me, you'd know what I do there," I say. I know I'm being petty and I should be thanking her for intervening with the rude guy but I can't hold it in.

"Thank you for helping me," I say. "I need to get the money to purchase it, now. I'll be home soon."

"You walked here? Through the barrio?"

"Yes. It's not as dangerous as you and Ma think."

"I know the people here. And you know what they think of us. They're just as dangerous as I say they are. Get in the car, we'll drive you home," she says. In the driver's seat, a woman with a white doctor's robe stares at us, looking scared and ready to get the hell out of here.

"Wait, I need to get the helmet," I say, and I run towards the gas station. María calls out to me but I ignore her. Thankfully, there's no line at the ATM. I rush back past the car to the shop, where the man is waiting at the door, holding the Neural X.

"I waited ten minutes for you," he says, arching his eyebrows. I hand him the money and take the helmet from him. "Hey, I might play again. I heard about the world tournament and I'd like to see what happens with the kingdoms now that it's supposed to be even more realistic. My name is Hazard in the game if you want to add me. One Z."