Blair Bathory

Then it started to pull itself out. Maya pushed herself further against the wall, legs trembling. The thing rose up, its head tilted at an unnatural angle. Where its mouth should have been was a seam, twitching, smiling. It had no eyes, just two hollows in its face that somehow looked at her. It crept closer on jerking limbs. Her phone buzzed again.

She flinched, but her gaze never left the thing crawling toward her. The screen glowed. One new message. You joined the game. Another message. Your turn. The thing's mouth seemed open, slowly, and it whispered. What would you do if a prank stopped being funny and turned terrifying? Have your friends ever played a prank on you that's suddenly gone wrong?

She flinched, but her gaze never left the thing crawling toward her. The screen glowed. One new message. You joined the game. Another message. Your turn. The thing's mouth seemed open, slowly, and it whispered. What would you do if a prank stopped being funny and turned terrifying? Have your friends ever played a prank on you that's suddenly gone wrong?

She flinched, but her gaze never left the thing crawling toward her. The screen glowed. One new message. You joined the game. Another message. Your turn. The thing's mouth seemed open, slowly, and it whispered. What would you do if a prank stopped being funny and turned terrifying? Have your friends ever played a prank on you that's suddenly gone wrong?

Tell us about it by sending us an email at somethingscaryatsnarl.com. Sometimes the things we let our children play with end up playing with them instead. Like in this story inspired by Solar 496. My name is Erin Gardner, and I am a victim of the endless nightmare known as Polybius. I was with my son and living in Portland when it happened. It was 1981.

Tell us about it by sending us an email at somethingscaryatsnarl.com. Sometimes the things we let our children play with end up playing with them instead. Like in this story inspired by Solar 496. My name is Erin Gardner, and I am a victim of the endless nightmare known as Polybius. I was with my son and living in Portland when it happened. It was 1981.

Tell us about it by sending us an email at somethingscaryatsnarl.com. Sometimes the things we let our children play with end up playing with them instead. Like in this story inspired by Solar 496. My name is Erin Gardner, and I am a victim of the endless nightmare known as Polybius. I was with my son and living in Portland when it happened. It was 1981.

He had talked me into visiting an arcade with his friend. I was never a huge fan of arcades, but my son was, and that was all they wanted to do. Arcades were the rage that year. Everyone was scrambling to get through the doors. As soon as I set foot on the arcade's carpeted floors, I knew I was in for a bad time.

He had talked me into visiting an arcade with his friend. I was never a huge fan of arcades, but my son was, and that was all they wanted to do. Arcades were the rage that year. Everyone was scrambling to get through the doors. As soon as I set foot on the arcade's carpeted floors, I knew I was in for a bad time.

He had talked me into visiting an arcade with his friend. I was never a huge fan of arcades, but my son was, and that was all they wanted to do. Arcades were the rage that year. Everyone was scrambling to get through the doors. As soon as I set foot on the arcade's carpeted floors, I knew I was in for a bad time.

There were kids and teenagers alike, all mashing buttons and throwing quarters in the slots of the arcade cabinets. My son's friend was determined to get to the top and dig Doug. While I let them get on with his gaming, I figured me and my son should do something with our time there. I walked around the arcade mumbling under my breath.

There were kids and teenagers alike, all mashing buttons and throwing quarters in the slots of the arcade cabinets. My son's friend was determined to get to the top and dig Doug. While I let them get on with his gaming, I figured me and my son should do something with our time there. I walked around the arcade mumbling under my breath.

There were kids and teenagers alike, all mashing buttons and throwing quarters in the slots of the arcade cabinets. My son's friend was determined to get to the top and dig Doug. While I let them get on with his gaming, I figured me and my son should do something with our time there. I walked around the arcade mumbling under my breath.

I heard about all of them, Pac-Man, Tempest, Centipede, Donkey Kong, Q-Bert, but there was one that caught my son's eye. Between Space Invaders and Tetris, there was an arcade cabinet that stood out. Most of them were brightly colored and covered in art. The one was completely black, save for the buttons, joystick, and the title on the top of the cabinet, Polybius.

I heard about all of them, Pac-Man, Tempest, Centipede, Donkey Kong, Q-Bert, but there was one that caught my son's eye. Between Space Invaders and Tetris, there was an arcade cabinet that stood out. Most of them were brightly colored and covered in art. The one was completely black, save for the buttons, joystick, and the title on the top of the cabinet, Polybius.

I heard about all of them, Pac-Man, Tempest, Centipede, Donkey Kong, Q-Bert, but there was one that caught my son's eye. Between Space Invaders and Tetris, there was an arcade cabinet that stood out. Most of them were brightly colored and covered in art. The one was completely black, save for the buttons, joystick, and the title on the top of the cabinet, Polybius.

The screen was black and seemed to be broken. Usually arcade games have a demo running, but my son thought it was amazing and wanted to give it a try. After all, what did I have to lose other than 25 cents? I placed the coin in the slot and the screen buzzed to life. Oddly, the game also didn't have a scoreboard like every other arcade game did. I didn't think much of it though.

The screen was black and seemed to be broken. Usually arcade games have a demo running, but my son thought it was amazing and wanted to give it a try. After all, what did I have to lose other than 25 cents? I placed the coin in the slot and the screen buzzed to life. Oddly, the game also didn't have a scoreboard like every other arcade game did. I didn't think much of it though.

The screen was black and seemed to be broken. Usually arcade games have a demo running, but my son thought it was amazing and wanted to give it a try. After all, what did I have to lose other than 25 cents? I placed the coin in the slot and the screen buzzed to life. Oddly, the game also didn't have a scoreboard like every other arcade game did. I didn't think much of it though.

My son was delighted. The game seemed to be about playing as a spaceship circling a bunch of shapes, shooting them before they reached you, like asteroids. My son zoned out as he started playing. My mind wandered as the noise of my son mashing the buttons and wrestling the joystick drifted through the air. Polybius had poor graphics, even for an arcade game made in the 1980s.