I can hear her screaming from the other room, and my first instinct is to rush in and see what's wrong. But then I remember - she's just playing one of those horror games again. The ones that make her jump out of her skin with every little sound or shadow on the screen.
It never fails to amuse me how invested she gets in these games. She'll be sitting there, eyes wide open, hands gripping the controller so tightly that her knuckles turn white. And then suddenly, a monster jumps out of nowhere or a door creaks open slowly, and she lets out a blood-curdling scream that could wake the dead.
I have to admit; it takes all my self-control not to burst into laughter every time it happens. But I know better than to tease her about it - she'd probably throw something at me if I did.
Sometimes I wonder what goes on inside her head when she plays these games. Does she actually enjoy scaring herself half to death? Or maybe it's just the thrill of facing danger without any real risk involved.
Either way, watching her play always reminds me why I fell for this girl in the first place. She may be tough as nails most of the time, but when it comes down to it, deep down inside, there's still that vulnerable side that only comes out when faced with virtual monsters and ghosts.
So for now, I'll stay here outside her room listening to those screams echoing through our house like battle cries from an epic showdown between good and evil - even though we both know who always wins in the end: my brave little gamer girl who never backs down from a challenge.