Page 39 of Anti-Player

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EVERYONE UNSUBSCRIBE

FAWN IS A SELL OUT

NOT WORTH IT BAIL BAIL BAIL

BYE BITCH

BAAAIIII BIIIIITCH!!!!

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My mouth is painfullydry. Minutes ago I was celebrating my subscriber milestone. Now the number begins to subtract, eating itself until over ten-thousand people vanish. The count keeps goes lower. Lower. Fuck, what has happened here? Is this a nightmare?

Cookie finally pleads, “Everyone... just calm down. Let Fawn explain herself.” Her solid-black eyes fix on me, imploring me to say a magical phrase to heal all the damage.

And both of us know there's nothing.

It's over.

Everything I've built is gone.

Turning off the stream, I sit there in silence. There's a ringing in my ears. It stays firmly in place, joined by a migraine that shoots pain through my skull. But there's no rage. No hate for anyone but... well, me.

I was warned not to do this. I didn't listen. If I could go back in time I'd shake myself and scream Don't help Mikel Hause! I'm tempted to rip off the VR suit he made, throw it in the trash. Instead I unzip it cleanly to my feet. I think about smashing the camera, knocking my computer to the floor, flipping my table upside down and screaming until I lose my voice. My phone keeps buzzing on the desk with messages from trolls.

I wander in a stupor out of the room and into my bed.

I fall on the blankets.

I hope I'll never wake up.

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