Page 1

A Boss Battle
A literacy narrative for class UWRT 1101 of UNCC. Focused on a single event of a literacy of your choice.

The way of literacy is filled with event some of learning and some of doing. My literacy
of gaming does contain such events, however the vast majority being of little hurtles. Though
one, just one, might be able to show a leap. This story brought to you by the remaining
memories from back when I was eight years old.

I was walking to my friend Jabriel's house; after once again told to go play outside. It
was summer and bloody hot, which my dad never seemed to take into consideration. I walked
over the hill and down it to the other side of the neighborhood. I passed Dario's house, a bully,
and prayed he wasn't over at Jabriel's as well. I passed under the shadow of their peach tree,
walked up the steps, and as I knocked hoped their scary father didn't answer the door.
Which he did. He wasn't so much scary, just tall and demanded me to say As-salamu
alaykum. Which is Arabic for hello. Should I say it incorrectly in some way; I would then have
to keep trying else I wouldn't get inside the house. However be it: luck, accumulated skill, or
other worldly intervention, I was able to . As-salamu alaykum I said to him. He nodded and
let me through. As taught I took off my shoes by the door and started a short search for
Jabriel. A couple steps got me into the living room containing two 2-seater couches, a fireplace
and a tv, but no Jabriel. I took a side glance to the closed-in patio which had a another couch
and a computer.
Not seeing him there either I walked down their hard wood floor hallway to his younger

Page 2

sisters' room. I have yet to figure out why the PS2 and Xbox were in there and not his room.
Walking down the hallway I would always notice how dark it would be, which unnerved me
due to my active imagination conjuring shapes in the shadows. Moving quickly I opened the
door and was greeted by the sounds of disappointment. For at least 3 weeks we had been trying
to beat a PS2 game called Jak and Daxter. It would appear he was attempting to get through the
latest roadblock. Hey Jabriel, you died? Yeah was his reply while going through the short
loading of respawn. I sat down next to him on the worn carpeting. I greeted Jabriel's sisters and
they greeted back. Looking past the other games we could attempt in stead of this. On the
screen was the lava boss. The arena you could says consisted of: lava which if you fell in would
take a third of your health, sinking rocks which would stay up until the boss caused them to
sink, 2 non-sinking rocks which were where you needed to go when the others sank, yellow eco
a projectile that would be lost after about 20 seconds, and the only way to damage the boss, and
the boss himself who would throw boulders large enough that you would have to jump onto
rocks of another column to dodge it. Getting to this boss was hard enough beating him seemed
near impossible. Jabriel and I traded the controller around both of us giving attempts to it.
Jabriel even gave the controller to the eldest of his younger sisters, which he rarely does as she
isn't good at all, but I guess that is what despair does.
Yet today was different, be it luck, skill, or otherworldly interference I almost got it,
almost. Whenever we got close to beating the boss the amount of chatter would escalate
quickly. Everyone of us wanted to get through this so backseat driving was all that everyone
but the player did. Stress over taking me and probably everyone else after that close attempted I
said I need quietness to beat this. All of you outside. If that was all I said or more they did

Page 3

leave the room, and most likely listen through the door. Now with peace and quiet I zoned in to
the game. By now the plastic ps2 controller was sweaty and felt somewhat hard to grasp,
sitting down for so long was starting to irritate me, and the sun coming through the window
positioned behind the TV didn't help either. Yet with all that was I able to: dodge the boulders,
land on the rocks, escape onto the non-sinking rocks when the others went under, get the
yellow eco, and be able to target with effectively tank controls without the ability to swivel. My
cry of victory summoned my fellow warriors to celebrate. Well that's what we did... until we hit
the next roadblock being the thing exactly right after the boss. Hmm I wonder if Jabriel's father
will try and teach me something else?
There wasn't much learning so to say except practice. The reason why I chose it was it
was a exact moment in my memory when I abilities went beyond my friends who had much
more time with it. To me signifying knowledge/skill with gaming. A side note for those who are
literate in gaming, Jak and Daxter has inverted y-axis camera.