*If you're reading this story anywhere other than W A T T P A D, you should know it's been stolen from me and you are at risk of a malware attack. REPORT IMMEDIATELY!

The air is crisp, and the midnight sky as black as the neighbor's cat crossing your path. The frightened feline recedes behind a bush, its leaves humbled and worn from the constant thrashing of autumn wind. You suck in a breath and fill your lungs with hazy residue from the fire-pit in the backyard, the one Dad snuffed out just before going to bed.    

Finally, the coast is clear. If your parents found out you've been sneaking out of the house over the past two months, they would ground you for life.

You're not the kind of person who makes a habit of breaking obvious rules, but the risk would be well worth the deception when you finally caught your Loknes, the rarest of all monsters in Monsuta GO, a virtual reality game based on a popular Japanese anime series you downloaded to your phone at the beginning of summer.

It's not like you were the only one obsessed with the mobile app. When it first released, gamers from across the world could be found using their GPS to locate and capture one hundred and fifty different simulated creatures to complete their creepy collections; like a new-age scavenger hunt for the masses. Depending on how interactive they wanted to make it, the players could even meet at specialized locations and use their conquests to train and fight opponents. The idea is genius. The perfect escape from the endless Netflix marathons you'd become all too comfortable with.

You've been a hardcore fan since day one, aggressively adding as many species as possible to your electronic catalog of defeats. And your competitive nature has paid off. One hundred and forty-nine spaces occupied and only one vacancy left.

But the developers weren't about to make this final catch an easy one. In fact, they'd made the last monster so difficult to acquire, the game had lost nearly all of its players — including all of your friends — despite the company's efforts to lure them back to the game with extraordinary bonuses and promised perks.

Quitters. That's what they were. But you're no quitter. Filling that last void is a matter of principal — even if you end up the only die-hard gamer still playing.

According to your research, the countless hours spent scrolling through various websites on Google, a Loknes is most likely to appear in the wild at night, unless you were lucky enough to hatch one from a 10K egg collected at a Monsuta Stop. But those kinds of gifts are few and far between. Every time you spin that luminous blue globe you end up with weak Monsuta Balls and healing potions you may never use. Or worse, less impressive eggs containing creatures you already own.

But tonight's the night. You can feel it in your bones. There's a Loknes nearby, you just have to find it.

You turn up the collar of your charcoal gray jacket and steal one final glance over your shoulder, making sure no one heard you creep from the house. All of the windows remain dark, reassuring you everyone is tucked tight beneath the covers, dreaming the kinds of dreams bestowed upon those with a clear conscience, not ones weighted with the responsibility of ridding the world of make-believe monsters. With your phone in hand, you tuck your chin low and walk into the wind, stuffing your free hand into the warmth of your pocket.

At first, the usual Monsuta appear: a handful of Goblyns, a couple of Banchees and Sfinx, and even a Unihorn makes an appearance. You stop to capture the one-horned horse as it's not something you see every day.

A coyote screams in the distance as a frigid gust lashes at your cheeks. You raise your hood, pulling it over your stinging ears. The night is exceptionally cold, and for a moment you debate turning around, your thoughts drifting to the toasty warm bed waiting for you at home. Maybe you'll only take one lap around the neighborhood; it's just too chilly to contemplate more. You march forward, determined to finish the loop.

About three and a half blocks from your house, due North on Picadilly Lane, where the far corner of your subdivision meets a vast forest of swaying, green pines, the unthinkable happens. A Loknes appears! Its spotted sapphire hide and smiling black eyes cause your heart to race. You grip your cell, your fingers trembling violently as they offer the monster a berry, and continue shaking as you pull up a Strong Ball to toss at your prey. Just three quivers of the blue and white sphere and the creature will be trapped inside, rounding out your stockpile of mythical characters, each one more colorful and zanier than the last.

One quiver.

Two quivers.

Only one more quiver to go ...

But the Loknes breaks free!

She frolics in front of you, as if mocking your miss. Breathless, you reach for another ball and quickly fling it forward only to have her buck it away with her head. The ball rolls into the background of velvety green brush.

No, this can't be happening! Almost six months of playing this damn game, patiently waiting and waiting and waiting for a Loknes to appear, and when she finally does she gives you nothing but trouble!

You can't take any more chances. It's time to break out the big guns.

Searching through your inventory, you choose a black and white orb from your very limited supply. An Extreme Ball, only to be used in the direst of circumstances. If you'd had your wits about you, you would have grabbed one from the get-go, but the shock of actually coming across a Loknes has thrown you off your game. You tell yourself every night that Tonight's The Night. Who'd have thought it actually would be? If any magic ball is going to get the job done, it'll be this one.

With your index finger pointed, you carefully line up the orb, determined to strike your target with the very first throw. You swing a curve ball, bopping her square on the head. "Excellent!" the game tells you. Excellent indeed.

One quiver.

Two quivers.

Only one more quiver to go ...

And once again, the Loknes breaks free!

A brief pause ensues, but standing in the blustery darkness it feels like forever. Instinctively, you know what's about to happen and a bitter dryness devours your tongue. Before you're able to chant a plea to the Gamer Gods, the monster escapes back into the wild, leaving a puff of white vapor in her wake.

Mouth agape, you slowly shake your head as a cold sweat crawls up your flesh. The Loknes ran away. How can that be? You used a precious Extreme Ball! But she's gone, leaving you with that one last aggravating spot still needing to be filled.

Exhaling loudly, your eyes well with tears and you attempt to swallow past the burning lump in your throat.

Why are you so emotional? It's only a stupid game, But you've invested so much time, so much energy, so much of yourself. It's not fair! For a split second, you consider giving up. What if you never catch your Loknes? What if that lonely slot in your catalog remains vacant forever? Your OCD would have an absolute field day with that. How would you ever be able to look at your phone again knowing it's there, haunting your hard-drive like ghost?

"This game is rigged! What do I have to do to catch a freakin' Loknes around here?" you scream into the night, your breathing hovering like a cloud in front of you. With your arms spread wide, your gaze lifts toward the sky, but your outburst only fuels your devotion. "You can try to break me, you stupid game, but I'm not giving up. I'll do anything to win. Anything!"

A wisp of breath swirls from your mouth before dissipating into the night air. You may as well head home. The chances of a second Loknes spawning are slim to none. You begin to turn when something catches your eye. A subtle movement from the shadows. A flicker at first, and then a full-bodied silhouette. Your brain fights to make sense of the small man emerging from the woods, the peculiar way he's dressed only exacerbating your confusion.

Wearing a black tailored tuxedo suit and matching top hat, the man approaches you with a smile. "I couldn't help but overhear your dilemma, and I think I can be of service," he says. "If you have a few moments, I can share my solution with you. Would you like to hear it?"

You'd heard about crazy stuff like this happening before. Perverts and predators lurking in the dark, waiting to assault unsuspecting Monsuta GO players. One of the many reasons your parents would be livid if they knew what you were up to. But you can't take your eyes off of him, and even though every muscle in your body strains to run, you find yourself nodding in response.

"I thought you might be interested. It'd be silly to not at least hear me out. Right?" He gives a jovial laugh, his belly ricocheting beneath his buttoned jacket. "I have a proposition for you."

You narrow your eyes. "What do you mean?"

The man leans closer, as if he's about to disclose a secret. "What would you say if I told you I could get you a Loknes?"

Stomach clenching, you stare at him, wondering if he's insane. His outfit alone suggests he must be. Who dresses like that then walks around the woods in the middle of the night? Even so, he has your attention, and you purse your lips in disbelief. "I don't think that's possible."

His grin grows wider as he rocks back on his heels. "Oh I assure you it is, but it will come with a price. Would you like to discuss the conditions?"

And ignoring your better judgement, you don't turn away.