Veracity and Verity by Mikaela Miyamoto

Mikaela is writing a bunch of short stories for 13 Days 13 Shorts this year! To check out more stuff from Mikaela, visit www.mikaelamiyamoto.com

Veracity and Verity

Are you from a board game family or does your family just like board games? Because when I say we are a board game family, I mean it! We even made one of our own. Well, my sister is actually the one who designed it. It’s called Veracity and Verity and it’s sort of like the game of Life but super personal to our family. Each token is a different member of our family and each space a different life event in our family history. There’s even Event cards and Special Chance cards that match different moments in our lives! It’s almost a little spooky how accurate it can be though. You don’t have to play as yourself, but if you do you start with extra stats! Which you’re gonna need if you wanna win. There’s also a special rule: If you follow the actual life path of the family member you chose to play as, you can add 5 extra points to any stat you want! Like if you make sure you “get your masters degree” when playing as my sister or if you play as my mom and “have two children” you can add extra points. Another fun aspect is that if you get an Event card and can remember a story from that day you can skip ahead a whole space! There’s some events on there that I don’t remember or wasn’t there for, but that’s part of the fun. Mostly I just love hearing stories about our past from all of my family members. Watching my grandmother’s face light up as she takes a trip down memory lane is truly priceless. The only problem I have with the game is that I never win it. Even if I play as myself and start with extra stats I always end up following a path that isn’t the one I’ve lived. Or when I recall a memory from an Event card I have to be corrected because I’m wrong. It’s funny, no matter how many different paths I’ve tried to take, they never seem to be the right one. You’d think I could remember my own life the best out of anyone but I guess not. And it’s not just because I’m playing as myself. My sister, my grandmother, and especially my mom have all won when playing as me. I just can’t seem to do it. My memory gets fuzzy whenever I play the game. Like I’m trying to remember a dream and sifting through what’s real and what isn’t. It’s… scary. Luckily, my family is there to guide me when that happens and clear things up for me. I hope someday I can win!