"..Okay, we'll start off with what happened after I dropped you kids off at the school.."

Mike sat in his car after he had dropped the kids off at the school, his phone in hand. One of his hand rested on his chin, propping his head up. 'Should I make a quick trip to get the food the kids wanted while they're in the school?' His train of thoughts were stopped, as he saw movement from the corner of his eyes. And just before he could of had reacted-

CRASH.

After finally coming back to his senses, Mike fought back the attackers one by one, leaving them unconscious on the ground. He grabbed one of the still standing ones, and pushed him face first agains his car. "Who are you? Why are you at my daughter's school attacking-" But just before he could've finished his sentence, more people grabbed him from behind, sending him to the ground. One of them injected something into the man laying on the ground, his hands clenching. He could barely keeps his eyes open, but that didnt stop him from glaring at the group. '..They better hope I'm dead before I wake up..'

'..Or they will be.'

SPLASH.

COUGH.

Just as Mike sat up on the man, Daniel couldnt even react as the man grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. He instantly freaked out, leaning away from the glaring father. "Wait wait! It's Daniel, Aiden's dad, please dont hit me-" Realisation hit in, and Mike immediately let him go, and his eyes scanned the place around him. But when his gaze locked onto his wife, he sprung to his feet.

"Emma!"

He scanned her bruises, watching as she rested on the hard ground. His face fell, a frown making its way to his lips. "She took the brunt of the attack since she was the first one to realize Daniel had been grabbed. James and I tried to help, but we were definitely outnumbered." Logans grandmother spoke, sitting on a bench next to her husband, her legs crossed. "The kids?" Then Bens father spoke up, with Lily sitting in his lap. "They sedated and grabbed Aiden, though he was already unconscious still. I don't know where they put him, but they left Lily with us." And rather proudly, the little girl nodded her head. "Probably because I bit them when they tried to take him."

. . .

'Whatever sedatives they used, they were strong.'

NAUSIOUS.

"If you need to hurl, the bathroom is over there." Ever so calmly, Logans grandfather spoke up, sipping his water. What Mike had noticed, that the older man and his wife were calm.. too calm about this whole situation. "..You've been far too calm about everything."

. . .

"Yes, well, our current predicament does bring back a bit of nostalgia."

"You-"

"If you're missing some of your group, they're probably in another block."

Everyone whipped their head up at the new voice, turning towards the hallway to see another man, just opposite of them, also in a cell. He stood, his hands gripping the bars as he spoke to the other group. "Either that or they were taken upstairs. If they're upstairs, then you probably aren't going to see them again." His voice was monotone. His expression unreadable as he finished his sentence. Curiously, Mike stood up and walked to the front of the cell, his hands grabbing onto the bars. "...What's that supposed to mean? Upstairs?" The stranger just shrugged. "Dunno. Just know that when I see people from down here get brought up there, they don't come back. They've cleared most of this block, but there's others like us further down." Mike thought about his words, his head hanging low for a second before he looked back up. "..Others. How many people do they have locked down here?" But sadly the stranger also didnt have an answer for that question. "I'm not sure about that either."

"Who are you?"

"I'm Charlie."

"Where are we and why?"

"..You're kinda demanding, y'know that?"

"You offered to talk to us first."

"Fair enough, they put me in here by myself so I'm lonely."

"Why are you in a cell on your own?"

"Well.. I was in a cell with others, but some of 'em were getting on my nerves and I jumped 'em. So i'm in solitary right now, haha." Charlie walked away from the bars, towards something that looked like a bench. He pulled it to the front, against the bars, and sat down on it, facing Mike and the others. "Unfortunately, I don't have any real answers for you. But I assume this place is a Human Experimentation Facility. Everyone I've talked to in here is.. Mentally ill to some degree, including me. Hearing sounds that aren't there and seeing hallucinations. I'm thinking they're either grabbing us cause most would think we ran away on our own. They're trying to find cures or coping methods for monetary gain the unethical way, using us as slaves, or all of the above... Or maybe it's because all of us generally see and hear the same things. Like the shadow creatures or abnormal ringing sounds."

"What a bunch of bull, they don't think we're mentally ill. They gave us some stupid excuse about a zombie fungus or whatever."

Tyler crossed his arms, as he was sat down on the ground, infront of the girl sitting in the wheelchair. Rylee had her legs on either side of the boy, with an annoyed expression on her face, because of the sleeping blonde next to her. Lily was no longer in her lap, as her mother took her into her own arms, so the brunette could sit more comfortably.. Well if not for the sleeping blonde. Aiden had his head resting on her shoulder, drolling all over her shirt. The brunette just rolled her eyes, and just focused back to the converstation. Ashlyn sat next to Taylor, her knees pulled up. "Everyone upstairs was either staff, infected, or in a coma. Us six were the only exception. So I assume those they brought from downstairs.. They did something to cause them to fall unconscious until they turned into infected monsters." She rubbed her forehead, tired of everything happening around them. The girls mother, Emma, stood leaning against some furniture, her arms crossed.

"Wait, so how did you all get in the dimension?"

"We don't know. We were downstairs for a couple weeks and weren't able to come upwith any solid way to escape. But last night, everything was eerily quiet, and Charlie wasn't in his cell. We called out to the guards, but there was no answer. So, after an entire day, and some suspicious lock-picking skill, we were able to get out the cell. Laying at the entrance of the stairs were the guard's guns and supplies. So we took some of those and found a utility closet to arm ourselves. Mike went ahead to scout, we got surrounded by those creatures, and then you kids come from nowhere." Silence fell between the kids and their parents, until Mike shot up from his sitting position, his eyes fixated on his younger daughters arm. "Hey- When did this happen?" The father asked the girl, his eyes on the white scratch like scars on her arms. "Oh, that- Months ago, when this all started.. It's not the worst thing.." She shrugged. That little sratch wasnt as bad as having a hole throught her stomach- Ashlyn stood up from her seat, dusting off her pants. "Aiden took a picture of the map from the laptop on the phone we found, right?"

"Yeah."

The redhead walked towards the sleeping blonde, reaching a hand out to wake him up, before-

"Hello?? What's going on? Where we at?"

Aiden exclaimed, his eyes wide as he gripped Ashlyns wrist. But carot top only rolled her eyes, and glared at the boy. "I'm looking at the map you took picture off." Rylee let out a relieved sigh, finally being able to lean back. She glared at the red eyed boy, and kicked him out of the chair with a smile, that turned into a glare. "Good morning! I hope you're felling okay! Now get out of my chair." The blonde fell forward, pulling the redhead with him to the ground. Aidens mother, Jessica, was quick to respond to the girl kicking her son. "You brat! Don't push my kid when he's obviously injured." Emma glared at her, but Marianna was quicker to step in and defend the girl. "Don't call the girl a brat when your child was the one who was reckless in the first place. He has his own chair and left it." The Hernandez mother flashed the girl a small smile, and the brown eyed girl returned it. Not having noticed, Marianna has taken a liking to the younger girl. Out of the group, she has been the one to always be there for the twins when she couldnt.

"Don't start fighting. It's annoying."

As Ashlyn began scrolling through Aidens phone, trying to find the picture, the others waited in silence. Taylor sat beside Ben, the two of them having a comfortable silence between them. Aiden ws getting back to his senses, and Tyler leaned against the girls wheelchair crossing his legs. Rylee had her legs either side of him, leaning back as she watched her sister. "..I was the one who pulled you guys in. First it was my sister, Taylor, Tyler, Logan, Ben, and Aiden at the Sorrel House. And now you guys." The brunettes brows furrowed at the redheads words. Her fault? But the two of them lived with these creatures their entire life?

"It was my-"

"It was our fault."

Ashlyns eyes snapped to her younger sibling. The brown eyed girl leaned forward, and locked eyes with her sister, the smallest smile ever on her lips. She knew Ashlyn would blame herself. She always did, let it be whatever reason. But she couldnt have it anymore. She knew, that this would be both their fault. They were the ones living along with the sounds and the phantoms. Not only Ashlyn. And she needed to let her know, that this wasnt her fault.

"It's not-"

"..You-"

"Don't be so melodramatic." Tyler looked to the side, avoiding everyones gaze as he spoke. "If you two did pull us in, then there's gonna be a way to pull us out and anyone else you decide to drag in here." Ashlyn glared at the boy. "We didn't decide to bring anyone here."

"Yeah, then stop acting like it, carrots for brains."

"Ash doesn't even like carrots, half-wit."

"And- OW! Did you just flick my forehead-"

"Shut up, Tyler- Did you just bite me!?"

"..The converstation is deteriorating.." Logan spoke as he walked over to the group. Lily, sitting in Bens lap, now awake, spoke up in an unamused tone. "I kind of imagined you guys being a lot cooler."

"Sorry to disappoint."



Okay, soooooo. Here I am, apologizing for the lack of updates. Currently, I have a hard time getting motivated to finish this and my other book, but I'm trying. And its pretty tiring too, because sadly I only have time after midnight. Im busy the whole day, get tired, and then have no motivation to sit infront of my laptop and write. But I do really want to write and continue these, because I surelly fell in love with writing😭 but its hard. School is starting on the second of september for me, and it will be even harder to spare time for my books. But i will somehow try, and if not, write more on the weekends than weekdays.

I apologize once again, and I promise such long delay like this one wont happen again.