When Good Games Go Bad

We’ve finally been having some nice weather, and while I was sitting in the sun today I was reminded of something that happened to me about 7 or 8 years ago.

It was the middle of summer and the weather had been that kind of disgustingly humid sort for about a week or so. It was late in the evening, and there were four of us just sort of laying around, talking and moving as little as possible. We were bored and looking for something to do.

We had confiscated a laser tag game from my boyfriend’s 8 year old nephew earlier in the day, and someone had the bright idea that we should play.

Since it beat sitting on our arses doing nothing, we chucked on the head gear, picked up the guns and headed out into the street to play.


After ten minutes of franticly pelting around the street it became apparent that there just wasn’t enough cover there to make the game worthwhile.
Then one of the guys had the genius idea of heading down to the local primary school to play. It was the middle of the school holidays, it was dark, and the school was a big space with lots of hiding places. It was only a five minute walk, so we headed down there. We split into two teams, and headed off into the darkness.


The next half an hour was hilarious as I jumped out of bushes to surprise the others; creepy as the others jumped out of bushes at me; and exhausting from all the running.


After about 40 minutes or so, Evan and I found ourselves only needing one more shot to win the game, so we hid together behind a clump of trees near the basketball courts to wait for the others to show themselves.

After five minutes or so, a movement on the other side of the basketball courts caught my eye. Without a hesitation I leapt from our hiding place and pelted at full tilt into the darkness, waving my little yellow plastic laser gun like a crazy person.

Out of the darkness, two figures emerged, and in the fraction of a second before I could see them clearly, I felt a fleeting moment of triumph, certain that I would win the game for us.

Then they appeared out of the darkness, and I found myself pointing my toy gun into the faces of two adrenaline charged Policemen. Hands on holsters, ready to draw their weapons, they shouted

‘Stop right there!’

I dropped my gun.

‘What’s going on here!’ they demanded. I was speechless and more than a little embarrassed.

Evan appeared behind me and spoke up.

‘Um, we’re just playing laser tag’

‘Jesus Christ, you’re a bit old for that. My 6 year old son plays that!’

‘Er, yeah. We were bored...’

Their faces registered that strange look of adrenaline forced excitement realising it has nowhere to unleash itself.

‘You can’t be in here,' They told us grumpily. 'It’s private property. You’ll have to go play somewhere else.’

They escorted us off the school grounds. That was the end of laser tag for us.