"I HAVE TO TURN BACK!"

"And we will, we just have to survive first!"

RUMBLE.

SWERVE.

"GAAAAH!"

WHAM.

And the jeep collided with a tree. The airbags were sent out, directly hitting Aiden in the face. The lights flickered on it, before they eventually died out. Ashlyn looked out with wide eyes, turning around to check if her younger sister was alright-

Oh.

In panic, the redhead turned the key, wanting to turn the jeep on. She twisted it, then again, and again, and again, but nothing. Aiden next to her was wiping the blood away from his nose as he looked at her with sad eyes. "Ash.. It's not gonna turn back on."

SLAM.

She continued to hit the wheel, until her knuckles were all red and bloody. Hitting it until she couldnt no more, she slammed her forehead against it next. Her hands were balled into a fist by her sides, and face was scrunched up, as she tried holding back the tears.

"...Can everyone move?"

We searched for hours near where Rylee could've ended up. But even though normal phantoms were scarce, I could still hear the two giants ones getting closer. Eventually time began to run out and we needed to find a place to hide. And all we could do at that point was hope that when we woke up-

-Rylee would be okay.

SHIFT.

"RYLEE!!"

The redhead shook the brunette girls body for a response. A twitch. A noise. A movement. Nothing. Now was the time for tears. She took her sisters head into her hands, and shook it. She blew air on her face. And did everything she could think of.

"WAKE UP! WAKE UP!"

"MOM, DAD!!"

The mother and father of the girl ran in. Their mother dropped the glass she was holding in her hand, spilling the red wine inside of it, just like blood. Their father wasnt frozen down in shock like their mother who began crying too, and immediately lifted his daughter off of the floor, and ran towards the car with her.

Ashlyn was still in too much shock to stand up, and just watched her sister being carried by their father.. as two pair of white and lifeless eyes appeared on her face, and black ink-like goo began consuming her body.

Everyone sat in the waiting room. Ashlyn had her knees pulled up to her chest, her hood over his head as she hid her face. Just like how her sister used to do. Her leg was bouncing.. more like shaking as she bit her lower lip to hold back the sobs coming from her mouth. Next to him was the blonde, who also had his knees pulled up. But his chin was resting on top of them, his eyes on the redhead by his side. The green eyed sister felt something poke her hand, as she looked up.

"..You did the best you could. Don't beat yourself up over it."

SOB.

"Hey, trooper. Take a walk with me?"

As the blonde was left alone with his thoughts, he also couldnt help but let a few tears spill. The brunette was almost like.. a sibling to him, a younger one at that, that he never had. Okay, they almost always seemed to be arguing about something, but they were always just joking. He remembers all the time he spent time with her when Ashlyn ran away, like the awkward one she is. It was fun spending time with the girl. Without even realizing, a small smile crept up his face as he wiped his tears.

"So, what happened?"

". . ."

"We told you in the car... We went to get Tyler's guitar so Ben could play Lily a song, and then.. Rylee just collapsed."

"Ashlyn.."

"I mean what really happened."

"I.."

"...We-"

What happened?

..I don't know.

I don't know why that woman left us there.

I don't know what these creatures are,

why i chose to take lead,

how to protect them,

how to escape whatever circle of hell we're trapped in,

I don't know what to do.

I don't know how to explain.

I DON'T KNOW.

"Listen, kiddo, anything you tell me, no matter what, i'll understand. Alright? You have my word."

"...We don't have any proof.. You'll think we're crazy or- or on drugs, but we aren't and-"

"-Ashlyn, look at me. We will believe always believe you. I don't care what it is, your mom and dad will be there. Do you understand me?"

SNIFF.

HIC.

SOB.

"...And it's been happening every night?" Their father asked as the two sat on a bench outside of the hospital. Ashlyn had a cold water bottle pressed up against her head as she sighed. "Yeah."

'..I can see why she was hesitant to tell us- With the way the two of them were sick for a week when they got back from Savannah. All of a sudden having a group a kids awkwardly hanging around. Added to what appears to be hallucinations. It does sound a lot like she got involved with drugs. I don't think Ashlyn ever would.. But it's possible someone could have forced it on her. However, both emma and I have also been seeing things recently, along with the other parents it seems. As well as..'

He looked back at his daughter and sighed. "Well, that explains your shadow then."

"-What?"

"..It's weird that it has short hair."

"Wait- But when I asked last time, you didn't see anything?"

"Yeah, I didn't. I actually didn't notice until we got into the hospital. But when you tried to show us, that was before me and your mom started- Seeing creatures pretty similar to the "phantoms" you described.."

"Emma," "Guys,"



"We need to talk."

'Wait, wait, wait- Hold on... How are they seeing the phantoms when they didn't go to Savannah?'

The poor boy with the glasses had to much on his plate at the moment. With their guardians finding out, and the girl being in the hospital.. He couldn't seem to come back to his senses. He was missing the girl maybe a little bit too much. The girl was like, a friend he never had. Of course, he has 'friends' now, but the girl tops it all. She was always the first one to volunteer when the boy needed help with something. She was someone he could trust with protecting him.. Maybe he sounded weak, but the feeling everytime the girl stepped up for him, made something flutter inside of him. And after the Barron accident, he swore to himself; that he would followed her wherever she went, and be by her side.

"We'll figure that out later.. Right now we need to focus on what to do about my daughter.." Emma rubbed her neck as she felt the dried tears on her face. She was tired. Too tired. Their father, Mike was still thinking, trying to come up with what to do next. "...So if i understand right, then if we were to place supplies where you guys were last, you'd be able to use them next time?" Ashlyn just gave a nod.

"Emma, do you think you can talk to the others while I take Ashlyn to town?"

"..I can try."

"Wait, can I come too?"

"Me as well, please."

"Your parents will panic if you all leave right now, and we don't have time to explain the situation to them. Stay here and help Emma convince your parents of what's going on."

"We'll be back, keep me updated on my sister, please.."

"This.. Isn't going to be easy."

"Mike, buddy.."

"-What're you gonna do with all this?"

"Sorry, Jacob, I'll tell ya later. Can you just run me through quickly for now?" Ashlyn stood next to her father with a hand full of supplies, while Mike did his thing. Out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed some throwing knives.. Knowing Rylee loved throwing things, she snatched them and put them in her pocket, before leaving with her father.

"You said you guys ended up at a gas station near the school?"

"Yeah, but we can't exactly just drop the bag off at the store and leave it there..." The redhead had her phone in hand, checking it every second for a text from the group about her sister, but nothing yet.. Nothing. "I know. We'll see if we can park somewhere nearby and place it in the woods close to the station."

"I'm sorry- You're trying to say that all of our kids are going to another dimension every night? Full of demons and monsters? Please understand if i'm a little skeptical, without adequate reason, to believe you."

"..But we did all say we were seeing things lately. It's not completely unbelievable is it?"

"Yes but stories told by a campfire and reality are two different things."

"I agree that the coincidence was a bit weird, but i'm not sure if it's enough to believe something like that."

". . ."

"..White eyes. Human build.. Pitch black, white eyes, disturbing smile? That's what you guys have been seeing, right?"

"..How did you-"

"-Those things and that place, are trying to take our friend away from us. The girl I consider as another sibling! 'Adequate reason'?" Taylor squeezed the water bottle she was holding in her hand.

"DO YOU KNOW WHAT WE'VE BEEN THROUGH? HOW STRONG WE'VE HAD TO BE?!"

FLICKER.

The light of the hallway flickered above the girl as she yelled.

"WE'VE BEEN ON OUR OWN FOR MONTHS JUST BECAUSE WE WERE SCARED YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE US! WHILE YOU WERE LAUGHING AROUND THE CAMPFIRE-"

"I WATCHED MY FRIEND TAKE A NOSEDIVE OFF A CLIFF AS THAT THING TRIED TO KILL US!"

"If you don't believe us now.. Then what are you going to do when one day-"

"-IT'S YOUR KID THAT DOESN'T WAKE UP!"

It was cold.

Really cold. Like winter time and snow. Expect..

It wasn't winter, and she was nowhere near snow.

FLICKER..

OPEN.



🙋