Paper Mario: Too Late

To be honest, this isn't one of those stories where I buy an odd copy of a video game on eBay, or something like that, and it turns out to murder everyone. It's quite different. It affects a lot more than you can even imagine, something we still can't understand.

Beginning

My name is Andy. Me and my little sister Julie grew up in a little town in Pennsylvania. When I was 5, and she was 3, we picked up a copy of Paper Mario from Gamestop. No, there was nothing wrong with the game. We played the game and had beaten it so many times we knew everything about it.

School just started for me, and i really didn't want to go. But my mother made me do it anyway. On the bus to school, I met a girl named Audrey. She was really nice, and shared some of the same qualities that I had. She mentioned the game, and I smiled excitedly, telling her about how I play it so much! We instantly became friends.

It was like that all the way through Elementary School, we passed by in the hall, saying "Hello!" to eachother, or other quick greetings. But the topic that kept coming up when we spoke was Paper Mario. It's like that game was linking us.

Audrey and I got into a fight the next week over some dumb game that we didn't know who won, and I didn't talk to her for quite a while. It made me feel mad, but sad at the same time. When I came home, I took the Paper Mario game, the game that linked us, and threw it outside my window in anger and sadness. I never went to go get it for a long time.

We forgot about the silly game for a long couple years, until my little sister walks up and asks me about it. I didn't want to tell her the truth about what happened, so I told her I lost it. She frowned, and continued back to her room. It was then that all the memories that I had of Audrey came back. All of our conversation, our fun times at recess, I wanted it all back. So I put on my shoes, and ventured outside to look for the old cartridge.

I looked around the area outside my window, but it wasn't anywhere to be found. Could someone have stolen it? Could an animal have taken it? Who knows. My memories were important, so i still trekked on. I then came upon the old cartridge buried in a pile of leaves in some trees a few yards away. There was a mark on the front, but i figured it was weather damage.

I was so excited to see the cartridge again. I ran faster than I had in years back to the house, and put it in the slot. I turned on the game, and saw a save file that was right before Bowser. I remember this save file! I put on all my old badges, and headed up to the bridge where Bowser is. Right when the bridge disappeared, the music stopped. Bowser just stared at me with a blank expression.

He then said:

"You finally made it. After all these years, leaving us in the dust, only to come back and see us again, without a word."

A battle started, Bowser bigger than ever. He was very glitchy, and said:

"You should have won before you threw us out!"

The game stopped for a moment, and Bowser, Mario, and all of his partners were hit for 99. They fell. Instead of the GAME OVER screen, the end credits played, with the parade. The music was at a slower and more demonic pitch. Everyone that marched looked sad, as they're saying: "You've abandoned us, but why?"

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It took roughly 15 minutes, but finally when Mario and Peach's float came, they walked down and went to Mario's house. It was pitch black. No stars at all, it was as if even the star spirits had left them. They looked at the fireworks, that spelled out

ALL.

YOUR.

FAULT.

Then, I tried to turn off the game, like any sane person would do, but then the screen did an intense zoom in on Mario, with eyes blood red, saying, "TOO LATE." It did this every time I tried to stop whatever was happening.

They walked into Mario's house, but the camera did not follow. Peach then said,

"Mario, what are you doing? STOP!!!"

Loud crashing noises were heard throughout the house.

Then I heard it. Mario actually spoke. For the first time ever. He said.

"I am only doing this for your own good. Blame Andy."

I freaked out, and tried to turn it off, and the "TOO LATE" got even louder, and all the power in my house shut off, except for the game. My friend Jack messages me, saying, "Everyone's power is going out, and the sky is perfectly clear. The electric company is getting complaints, but it's not their fault. What's happening?"

I faked like I didn't know, as if he would believe me anyway.

But our town was in danger, that was all I knew. The only thing I could do was apologize.

I figured something was possessing the game, so I said, "Mario?" Mario stares into my eyes with his demonic grin. "WHAT IS IT?"

"I... I'm sorry for throwing you out."

"WELL, IT'S TOO LATE!!!!"

My controller instantly sends shocks through my body, and I wake up in a hospital in what feels like a few minutes later. I ask the nurse how long i was incapacitated. She replies, "About a week! We were worried about you!" A whole week? This could not be. I checked the calendar on the wall in the doctor's office. June 10th. I guess they were right.

I sure am lucky to be alive, that game could have killed me.

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