I stand in front of the Junji Ito pinball machine.

The coin slot is crusted shut.

I force the quarters in anyway.

Nothing happens.

I hit the side.

The ball launches.

It doesn’t roll so much as surrender.

I lose it down the drain.

I lose another.

I hit the flippers again.

They move half an inch and then give up.

The score counter creeps up in little bloody numbers.

I think it’s trying to say hi.

I keep playing.

The machine is really good at making me feel like a slice of pizza left on the sidewalk.

I like it.

I will come back tomorrow.

The machine will not win.