Generation X: Red87Club - The Last Arcade [1987]: Generation X, #4

By J. Thorn

Save the world from nuclear annihilation, or spend your last quarter on Double Dragon? Like, whatever…

 

In the sleepy town of Highland, New Jersey, rebellious 17-year-old Janie Washington navigates high school angst, oppressive parental expectations, and the suburban hell of 1987. Her world turns upside down after discovering a cryptic message on her Apple IIc computer, hinting at an impending catastrophe and inviting her to a secret meeting at the local mall.

 

There, Janie meets Trella, a mysterious figure with a dire warning and an invitation to join Red87Club—a clandestine group determined to prevent a global disaster. As Janie delves deeper, she uncovers unsettling connections between past and present, leading her to question everything she thought she knew.

 

Torn between her desire for a normal teenage life and the weight of the world on her shoulders, Janie must decide whether to embrace the unknown or turn back to her ordinary existence. With time running out, she faces challenges that will test her in ways she never imagined, hinting at even greater adventures to come.

 

With high stakes, 80s nostalgia, and a gripping plot, "Red87Club - The Last Arcade [1987]" is a thrilling journey that's Stranger Things meets Back to the Future.

 

Perfect for fans of mystery, rebellion, and time travel, Season One of this serialized story will keep you on the edge of your seat, eager for more.

 

Read it now!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mullet Boy Books
• Release date: Jun 6, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224698769

Book preview

Red87Club - The Last Arcade [1987]

Season One (Generation X)

J. Thorn

Generation X: Red87Club - The Last Arcade [1987]

Season One

Copyright © 2024 by J. Thorn.

All rights reserved.

No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. All incidents and dialogue, and all characters with the exception of some well-known historical figures, are products of the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real.

First published as an online serial, Red87Club with Rachael Herron.

A previous version of season one also published in Graveyard Whispers: The Complete Short Story Anthology.

Artificial Intelligence Usage Disclosure – This story was completed prior to the release of ChatGPT and AI was not used to create, draft, or revise the manuscript. The cover model was generated by Midjourney. The cover design by J. Thorn.

It'll never be 1987 again. But it can feel like it is…

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Red87Club - The Last Arcade [1987]

Season One

Save the world from nuclear annihilation, or spend your last quarter on Double Dragon? Like, whatever…

In the sleepy town of Highland, New Jersey, rebellious 17-year-old Janie Washington navigates high school angst, oppressive parental expectations, and the suburban hell of 1987. Her world turns upside down after discovering a cryptic message on her Apple IIc computer, hinting at an impending catastrophe and inviting her to a secret meeting at the local mall.

There, Janie meets Trella, a mysterious figure with a dire warning and an invitation to join Red87Club—a clandestine group determined to prevent a global disaster. As Janie delves deeper, she uncovers unsettling connections between past and present, leading her to question everything she thought she knew.

Torn between her desire for a normal teenage life and the weight of the world on her shoulders, Janie must decide whether to embrace the unknown or turn back to her ordinary existence. With time running out, she faces challenges that will test her in ways she never imagined, hinting at even greater adventures to come.

With high stakes, 80s nostalgia, and a gripping plot, Red87Club - The Last Arcade [1987] is a thrilling journey that’s Stranger Things meets Back to the Future.

Perfect for fans of mystery, rebellion, and time travel, Season One of this serialized story will keep you on the edge of your seat, eager for more.

Read it now!

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Shout Out

Dedicated to Rachael Herron, my conspirator and cowriter for season one. I could not have nailed Janie's voice without her.

I love you, Rachael!

Contents

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

Episode 4

Episode 5

Episode 6

Episode 7

Episode 8

Episode 9

Episode 10

Wait!

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Episode 1

Monday, November 2, 1987

I'm probably dead. Everyone else might be, too.

That, or maybe we're all living like Mad Max thanks to Reagan and Gorby and their fingers on the buttons. The end of the world as we know it didn't start in my sophomore year. And it didn't begin with R.E.M. It probably happened sometime in the future, in 1990 or '95, and maybe you, person of the future, know how it hit the fan, because I sure as hell don't.

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November sucks. Halloween is over, and the malls in suburban New Jersey start hanging up the Christmas decorations. Fake Santa and his fucking elves set up the Wonderland across from Spencer Gifts, and it doesn't look anything like Higbee's in A Christmas Story. You can't hang out and rag on kids still wearing parachute pants if Jingle Bells is ringing in your ears constantly.

That's probably why I was in such a pissy mood on that day. I didn't have plans for the weekend yet, although I knew it'd be like every other weekend—trying to score booze or weed before heading to the mall. Mr. Jones had been all over my shit in third period American Civics, and by the time I got to my locker at dismissal, I was maxed out.

Sup, dweeb?

I turned my head in time to see Hawaiian prints and stonewashed denim. Fucking jocks. At least Jason Friedman and his jock-tourage weren't talking to me. For once.

Hey, Jason, said the kid whose locker was next to mine.

Jason opened his dumb square jaw and yelled, Don't 'hey' me, spazz. You owe me three seventy-five.

I really didn't know the kid's name, even