[ WP ] Write a story from the perspective of a guard in a stealth game .

“ Man, you ever feel like all we do is go around in circles? ” 
 
 “ Huh? ” 
 
 Marv ’ s eyes flutter. He ’ s somewhere in between guard duty and the legs of that sweet blonde from back home. 
 
 “ Like. Do you ever feel like this is all pointless? ” 
 
 Jay has a cigarette in between his lips. *Flick. Flick. Flick. * The cigarette catches. 
 
 Marv yawns. “ I don ’ t know what you ’ re talking about, ” he says. 
 
 “ I just… Look. I ’ ve had this gig for, like, six months, ” Jay says. “ And don ’ t get me wrong. I ’ m grateful. I got a wife man, and a baby on the way. But I swear to God, it ’ s like McManahan only ever assigns the same patrol routes. ” 
 
 “ So the man likes the consistency, ” Marv says. He points at Jay ’ s cigarette. “ Got any more of those? ” 
 
 “ Yeah, here. ” 
 
 The two men stand in silence in the Alaskan cold. Intermittently, the darkness is lit by the dull orange glow of the burning cigarettes. Their breath mixes with the smoke. 
 
 “ But, yeah, I know what you mean, ” Marv says, after a while. “ Sometimes I wonder if there ’ s anything more to life. ” 
 
 “ Right? That ’ s *exactly* what I ’ m saying. I have more skills than ‘ standing-around-and-watching ’, you know? I don ’ t feel *challenged*. ” 
 
 Jay spits a thick wad of saliva and drops his spent butt. The cherry briefly sizzles in the snow and is silenced. 
 
 “ I feel like I ’ m stuck in a rut, ” he says. 
 
 “ Hey man. Don ’ t say that. ” 
 
 “ Why shouldn ’ t I? It ’ s true. ” 
 
 “ No it isn ’ t. You the smartest motherfucker on Shadow Moses, and I don ’ t care if you don ’ t believe that, because *I* do. ” Marv pauses for a moment. “ You ’ re going places, man. ” 
 
 “ You know what? I appreciate that you say that. ” 
 
 “ No homo. ” 
 
 Their laughter is cut short by the wailing klaxon of the base ’ s intruder alert. 
 
 “ Oh shit! ” Marv cries, instantly dropping his cigarette butt and stamping it out. “ Do you have a visual? ” 
 
 “ Negative, shit shit shit. ” 
 
 The pair shoulder their assault rifles and whip their balaclavas over their lips. Marv reaches for his radio. 
 
 “ Dispatch, we have an intruder alert in section oh-five. ” 
 
 “ Roger, backup is on the way, ” the dispatcher says. 
 
 Jay snorts at that. 
 
 “ Backup, my ass. Ninth alert tonight and the only backup they've sent is a shitty team that leaves two minutes later. ” 
 
 “ Man, just shut up and take point. ”
