Sara got up from the table and Dad's vision was still fixed on the TV. He didn't even notice. Or if he noticed, he didn't care that she was standing up from the table.

'And the race is on!' A loud speaker announced, and Dad's eyebrows raised.

She favoured it with another glance and a shrug. Did Dad bet on anything?

Sara stood there as Dad looked at the screen with anticipation. In her father's hand was a cheap, inky betting book, the kind that anyone who comes into the place could easy pick up at any table. Dad's eyes wandered down to look through the pages, his fingers already dirty with the smudgy ink of turning its pages.

Sara was familiar with the ritual.

Dad was going to take about a half an hour in which he would intensely study that book. During that time, he would probably order several beers. Also during that time, he would completely pay absolutely no attention to Sara at all, unless she did something that would take him away from this routine.

In other words, it was time to explore and see if there was anything worth getting into trouble over.

Sara looked around. There was an arcade in the far back corner, next to the restroom sign. To the left, there was a bar with a bunch of empty bar stools next to old men that were smoke and chatting with the bar tender. And on the far side of the room, a glowing jute box which looked like it hadn't been played for a while.

What games did they have in the arcade?

The arcade lights flickered as if beckoning any drunk or wayward gamblers away from the television screen. Decals bright yellow, neon pink and green displayed many classics that Sara had heard of: Pac Man, Golgatha and even Super Mario Brothers. In the corner of the arcade, was a game called 'Ring King.'

Something about the machine - maybe just its positioning - drew Sara's curiosity; she went towards it, while rummaging for pennies.

Sara found just one quarter in her pocket. But just as quickly as she headed towards the machine a kid, much larger and taller, cut in front of her.

"Beat it." He said to her, back already facing her. And then, turning his focus to the machine. "Alright! Ring King!"

Sara fumed silently, while sidestepping so she could watch and find the right moment.

The right moment came a few minutes later, when the big kid lost the game. Sara could see the screen that read Continue?...8...7...6

"Stupid game." The kid said, and without noticing Sara, he walked away back towards the crowd of old man, perhaps searching for whomever he came with.

"Stupid loser." Sara replied, watching him leave. There she was, thinking about a good way to sabotage him, but he lost without her having to do anything. Oh, well! Time to have a go at it herself.

Sara put a quarter in, and the game started. It was a boxing game, pretty simple. The other fighter came out swinging and Sara's player took a punch.

OOC: Sara Rolls Composure + Wits + 2

12:59, Today: Sara rolled 1 success using 7d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s ((5,6,3,5,2,3,9)).

Sara jammed on the blue button of the arcade...a quick upper-cut and the video game opponent-boxer was down. The count began: 9...8..7...6...5

Then something strange happened.

Sara's opponent on the screen lifted his head up in the middle of the ring. The referee on the screen who was giving the count turned his head:

That's when Sara saw that it was the Rabbit. The same Peter Rabbit that was in her dream.

"It's me. Peter Rabbit." The Rabbit-referee on the screen said with a buoyant laugh that was 8-bit. "I think you might have won. Are you going to come back and visit us?"

Sara blinked. "Uhhh... how do I do that?"

Now the stuffed Rabbit stopped counting and the game seemed to slow down. Everything moved at a snail's pace. The sound also slowed as if time itself was moving through a strange tunnel. Everything except the Rabbit's voice and Sara's voice.

"You just....concentrate." Peter Rabbit said

OOC: Sara Rolls Wits + Occult with the following results

0 Successes: I can't concentrate! (Fail)

1 Success: OK, I'll try

2 Successes: I'm feeling...very, very...sleepy

3+ Successes: I'm so relaxed...I think I'm open to any kind of concentration

Sara might've struggled, but... this promised to be a lot more interesting than what was happening here. So she did her best to do as she was told. She wasn't the most focused kid, but not because she couldn't concentrate when she really wanted to...

18:17, Today: Sara rolled 1 success using 1d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD, Chance Die system with a target of 10, rerolling 10s ((10(+8))). Wow.

Sara concentrated, and blinked. Within a moment, Sara found that she wasn't just watching the game. She was inside the game.

The 8-bit crowd cheered. Sara watched as she saw her 8-bit opponent on the ground, squirming to get up and start the fight.

"Oh my! You can concentrate." Peter Rabbit said. "Are you going to keep fighting? Or do you want to get out of here?"

Sara looked around, wondering idly if she was just gone as far as her dad was concerned. Well... that was something for later. Her attention snapped back to Peter Rabbit. "Let's go!"

The Rabbit pulled out a small pocket watch, the kind that Sara might have seen in Alice and Wonderland. Then it hopped over the ropes at ringside and looked up at Sara.

"Should we go to get some tea? Or do you have any questions? Should we meet the rest of the gang? Or do you want to learn how to hide when it comes? Maybe we should just blow the whole thing off and go down to the garden to pick some of the things growing there?"

It sent a flurry of suggestions Sara's way, each one not explained at all.

Sara followed the talking toy over the ropes. "The gang?" she asked. "You mean the chickens?"

"No, not the chickens. Well, maybe. Actually, yes. There are some chickens. But I mean the others. The ones from Wonderful, Happy, Fun, Land. Why, there's Gus the Donkey and Harry the Chicken. And others too!" The Rabbit and Sara were walking up the runway now, and the crowd, perhaps realizing that the boxing match had ended in a rather odd way, was now booing.

Sara ignored the booing. "Are they all animals?" she asked, an eyebrow raised.