Game Stalker

"I think every woman who sends these to you realizes how stupid they were and, hopefully, learns from their mistakes." - Nicole

Nicole acknowledges right off the bat that most people might consider her a "bit of a nerd".

Rather than spending her evenings drinking herself comatose at nightclubs or rotting away her cerebral cortex in front of network television programming, Nicole admits she fell in love with the online gaming community at a rather young age.

While Nicole feels online gaming established her presence in the nerd community, her participation in LARPing events cemented it.

LARP stands for Live Action Role Play, and describes an event where online gaming enthusiasts congregate in a remote forest to dress up in elaborate period costumes and re-enact their most recent online battles. If you're looking for people who utilize wizardry and swordplay, LARPing events are fantastic. If you're looking for people who utilize deodorant and condoms, try Rite-Aid.

Nicole met a nice young man named Brian at one of these LARPing events two years ago. Nicole knew Brian from high school, and always thought he had been a pretty cool guy. Brian had a very charming sense of humor, and they shared quite a few similar interests aside from LARPing and online gaming.

Needless to say, they soon found themselves playing with each other's joysticks. Nicole and Brian began dating, and all seemed blissful in the real world.

At least for a minute or two.

Brian's personality suddenly began to change right after they committed to one another. Brian began showing little signs of a "controlling" personality. He would frequently "break up" with Nicole when he didn't get his way, but would always call her two days later blubbering like baby because he missed her so much.

Nicole was lonely so she proceeded cautiously, realizing Brian's caustic behavior and lack of employment could possibly indicate a sign of bad things to come.

Meanwhile, the rest of Nicole's personal life fell apart. The last of her old high school friends had finally left town, and she was living at home while ensconced in a very tumultuous relationship with her mother. Nicole was anxious to leave town as well, until Nicole's father suddenly passed away.

At his point, Nicole felt Brian was the only "rock" she had left in her life. When Nicole received an unexpected inheritance from her father, the unemployed Brian suddenly came up with a brilliant idea to help Nicole get away from her mother.

Nicole should use the inheritance money to pay for an apartment for her and Brian!

That way Nicole could get away from her mother, and Brian would have a place to, you know, like, live and stuff.

Great idea, Brian.

Glad you thought of it.

You ass.

Nicole was hesitant to move in with the possessive Brian, but at the time she felt she had very few other options. She had no friends left in town, no family to turn to, and a job she wanted to keep. She finally agreed to sign a lease for a new apartment, on the condition that Brian get a job. Brian agreed, and Nicole was relieved.

Then, in a completely shocking turn of events, Brian didn't get a job.

He looked everywhere for work, including the bottom of beer cans, the inside of empty potato chip packages, and the interior of Nicole's reproductive system, which soon banned him from the premises.

But it's not like Brian didn't do anything. In fact, he kept himself quite busy.

He spent countless hours reminding Nicole of her faults, insulting her hobbies, and following her around the apartment to remind her just how lucky she was to have Brian in her life.

Nicole felt trapped in her own apartment. When she tried to break up with Brian, Brian would scream at her and refuse to leave her side until she relented and agreed to stay with him. If she tried to leave the apartment, Brian would follow her outside and stand in front of her car.

Two words, Nicole: Gas pedal.

Despite Nicole paying all the rent and all the bills, Brian then informed Nicole that his old friend John would be coming to live in the apartment for a month. Nicole bit her tongue, but I tell you, she was absolutely furious!

Until of course the very handsome John showed up, at which point she released her tongue, which proceeded to roll down the front steps and into the driveway, revealing the words "Welcome John!"

John was in the Navy and stationed in Hawaii, but had decided to come home to Illinois on his month off to catch up with friends. He was extremely attractive, intelligent, funny and very successful. And unlike Brian, John took a sincere interest in Nicole's hobbies.

Brian finally did get a job, so John would drop Brian off at work in the morning and spend the day with Nicole. He took her to the park and to the zoo, and they spent countless hours talking about the things Nicole enjoyed talking about. He was kind, supportive and understanding, and even helped Nicole run her errands, something Brian never did.

It didn't take too long for Brian to smell something foul, and this time it wasn't his boxers.

Suspecting something was up, Brian told John to find a hotel. But Nicole had noticed something interesting about Brian and John. Namely, Brian felt threatened by John, and would never stand up to him. So when Brian threw John out of the house, Nicole left with John. Touche!

At the hotel, Nicole confessed to John that she needed help getting away from Brian. John agreed to help, and stood by Nicole as she called Brian and dumped his bitch ass over the phone. Brian threatened Nicole, so Nicole had a police escort meet her at her apartment to gather her things.

John eventually left, and Brian had his ass thrown into the street.

With John gone, Brian began to up the ante. Now out on his own, he continually harassed Nicole with texts and phone phone calls asking her if they could just "be friends." Nicole relented a few times, but Brian would immediately begin insulting her and telling her how worthless she was.

Nicole eventually cut off all contact, which, as we all know here at PLFM, is just throwing fuel on the fire. Brian began showing up at Nicole's home and her job, and soon enough Nicole had to be escorted to her car every night after work.

Meanwhile, John confessed his feelings for Nicole and bought her a plane ticket to fly up to Seattle to meet him for her birthday. Nicole couldn't have been happier, until Brian hacked her email account and found out about their little rendezvous.

Suddenly, all her online accounts disappeared. Her MySpace, her World of Warcraft and her blogs all mysteriously vanished. On the morning of her flight to Seattle, she came out to find the tires on her car flattened.

Nicole made her flight to Seattle, where she spent several blissful days with John. Blissful only because they both had turned their phones off, which rang continuously for the entire duration of their trip with calls and texts from Brian.

Once home, Nicole found an email in her inbox from Brian. Remember, at this point, neither John nor Nicole want anything to do with Brian at all.

Yet, Brian can't seem to understand why they won't let him "help" them. Hmmmm.

Hit it, Brian!

72 hours.

For 72 hours I sat and waited hoping to talk to you both about our future.

168 hours I waited and avoided calling...giving proof this wasn’t an attention issue. And For 72 hours since that point I have tried nothing but to simply discuss our futures with you both.

I’m through trying to address this and be patient for a bunch of lying cowards. Ask yourselves what are you afraid of?

John, you always wanted any girl my dick got hard near. And Nicole I knew from day one I wouldn’t be able to keep you with so many ‘friends’ who were boys. In reality the only reason I became your boyfriend is cause I could touch you.

You both are pretty fucked in the heads either mentally, socially or even spiritually. This stupid childish game you were playing with me is over. Your entire relationship is based on a physical desire and ease of money. (Ed note: God Forbid!)

So I’m going to laugh in a few years when I hear about or run into one of you two knowing what the future already plans for you. Neither one of you are going to have any friends besides one another … and that is all it will take to know this will crumble to ash.

So by all means continue your little game, you won’t hear me call even one more single time not even in an emergency not even in a crisis. Nor will I answer you calls. Your both heartless, soulless people and in the end you brought this on yourselves. Well sucks to be you guys...

Goodbye and good riddance.

Good luck in life, though I seriously hope you both crash, burn, fail and never recover.

Thank God!

They won't ever hear from Brian again. Ever!

Unfortunately, in Brian's world, "forever" meant somewhere between 5 and 7 minutes.

A barrage of texts and phone calls from Brian ensued as soon as Nicole got home.

Nicole went to the courthouse and requested an immediate restraining order against Brian.

Nicole went in front of the judge two weeks later with Brian to extend the restraining order, lugging with her a mountain of evidence against Brian. Brian was "the hapless victim," he told the judge.

Nicole:

He hacked my email accounts.

Brian:

No, I didn't!

Which, fortunately, kind of contradicted the email Brian had sent Nicole:

I am sorry to hack your accounts but the subject matter there was totally inappropriate.

What part of John's pictures in your Myspace do you think harmless? Maybe the post where you thought i drained your tire (I didn't by the way) Or maybe John's discussion (again in public) about how he wasn't regretting a thing?

In essence the only way to understand you since you returned was to look at those blogs and pictures... I would of waited longer for certain and swallowed my pride for a 3rd time till i saw those. It might not of been fair to you but it was fair to us (you & me). At least everything you lost is recoverable, I can't say the same myself.

The point of your blogs was to vent about me and like always keeping private matters public with your friends. So I just returned that tactic with our friends and gave them my story.

I really wished you both had been mature enough to see what your actions were doing to the entire circle of friends we had. I wish even now I could 'hate' you both for what you did instead I have to give you the reasons to hate 'me'. which is close enough I guess.

Oh, and just so you know... I did cry even hacking your account. I know you want to be loved for who you are, but Nicole; theirs so much more to yourself you could improve and be that much of a better 'you' for it.

Boy, did the judge enjoy that irony!

First Brian says he didn't hack into her accounts, then Nicole produces an email where Brian apologizes for ... hacking into her accounts. Why, it was almost like Brian was lying to the judge or something.

The judge was so amused, he slapped a one year restraining order on Brian's ass and warned him under no uncertain terms that if he ever contacted Nicole again, he would go directly to jail.

Thank God, this case is finally over.

Oh, sorry.

This case isn't over.

Brian began harassing Nicole online through World of Warcraft events. He would create different online screen names and pour his heart out to Nicole, begging to have her come back. Nicole called the police, who came to her home and explained that they couldn't prove it was actually Brian making contact with Nicole through the computer.

But they could prove it was Brian if Brian had done something as stupid as call Nicole on her cellphone. And, as if on cue, Brian called her cellphone. The police officer answered the phone and Brian hung up. After the police officer left, Brian called Nicole's cellphone again, and left a message asking Nicole if she had seen his messages online.

Nicole turned the message over to her local police department, but for whatever reason, the police didn't act on Brian's violation of the restraining order.

Which brings us full circle to the present, where we find John and Nicole living happily together in Hawaii.

But Brian is not through with either of them.

He continues to harass Nicole online, whilst simultaneously sending letters of "apology" to John, in which he asks John to speak to Nicole for him.

Brian is also leaving voicemails on Nicole's cellphone in Hawaii.

And just so you know, Brian, recordings of those messages are currently on the way to the police station in your hometown.

Make sure you answer your door.

You'll learn someday.