as sweat begins to trickle down his fast. his hands move faster and faster, in response to the game.
okay. alright. this does throw him for a second.
as he listens for an answer. three rings, four, five.  he hangs up. punches in the final number.
as he stands some hundred feet away, oblivious to everything. we can hear alex screaming, but the sound is muffled, distant. nick is staring down at his feet at an area where the sand has hardened like glass. inside the sand. glass, nick can make out fractals. he smiles.
as he watches the fractals. arcade's face appears in the mirrored sand, smiling back at him.