Old Sins Cast Long Shadows

Author's Note: This is an AU (alternate universe) story based on a story from the Choices game called It Lives In The Woods. It takes place in Georgia.

Disclaimer: I do not own the OC, Violet. She belongs to my friend, Ann4ever17

-Chris-

I jump awake as my phone vibrates and rings. I then let out a groan. "This better be important..." I grumble then feel around for my phone. Once it's in my hand, I glance at the time. "Especially since it's 2 in the morning." I add then see the text was from my old friend, Marissa.

"Chris... I went back to the woods today. I had to be sure..." It read.

"Is she talking about... all those years ago?" I think to myself.

"M, Ellie isn't real. We just made her up." I send back.

"That's what I thought, too... but we're both wrong. It's all real. SHE'S real."

"Marissa, we have school in a few hours. Go home."

I set my phone back on the charger then lay my head down. I hear a tapping on my window and groan. "I don't know who's tapping on my goddamn window, but they're gonna regret it." I say then turn on the lights and walk to my window and see...

"Marissa?" I say.

"Can I come in?" She asks.

"Uh... I guess? Hang on." I say then open the window and she crawls into my room. "So, what's up?" I ask.

"I wanna show you something, but first, we need to get the others." She says.

"'Others'?" I ask.

She nods. "Jordan, Alaric, Kyra, Chelsea, Sapphire, and Scarlett. Come on." She says, sounding a bit desperate.

I sigh. "M, I haven't talked to that group, you included, for years." I say.

She suddenly grabs my wrist. "We need. To go. To the woods. NOW." She says.

The lights flicker for a second then I pull my hand free. "Dude, you're starting to freak me out here." I say then hear my phone go off again then I walk over to it and see another text from Marissa.

"You were right. I should've left well enough alone."

I stare at the text then look at Marissa. "Wait a minute..." I whisper, slowly walking away. "If Marissa is still in the woods, then... who or what are you?"

She frowns. "We have to go back to the woods!"

"I'm not going anywhere until I get some..." I start but she suddenly grabs me by the throat and pins me to a wall. She soon turned into a strange rock like creature. I try to get free, but it's stronger than me.

Before long, everything around me goes black and I pass out.

When I come to, I see it's morning. "Man... weird dream..." I say then feel a bruise on my neck. "What...?" I ask, confused. I look at the time on the clock radio and see it's 6:15 AM. I sigh. "Might as well get today over with." I say then walk to my closet. I pick out a white T-shirt, blue jeans, socks and shoes then change into them. After that, I grab my red leather biker jacket, slip it on then grab my backpack and my keys. I'd told the school that the motorcycle was the only way I could get to school since it was too far for me to walk to school from my house. I set the house alarm then left the house.

A German Shepherd with all black fur ran up to me after I locked the house door. It was my neighbor's dog, Shadow.

"Hey, buddy." I say, petting him.

He barks happily as I pet him.

"Hey, kid." My neighbor, Brad, says as he walked up to me.

"Morning, Brad." I say.

"Hope he didn't harass ya." He says about Shadow.

I shake my head. "Nah, he's fine." I say.

Shadow barks happily again while I rub his belly.

"How are your folks?" Brad asks.

"Well, my dad lives in Florida with my new stepmother, and my mom's in Savannah visiting family for a couple weeks, so..." I say.

He nods. "Well, I won't keep you since you've got school." He says.

I groan. "I really wish I could just skip it." I say.

"You're a senior in high school, kid. After this year, you'll be free." He says.

I nod. "Yeah, but graduation can't come fast enough." I say then stand up. "Later, Brad."

"Later. Shadow, come." He says then Shadow walks to him as I walk to my bike and start it up. I soon drive to school on it.

I arrive at the school and park my bike in my assigned parking spot. Once parked, I shut it off then head inside. When I do, I find the hallway packed. I make my way to my locker.

I spot an old friend of mine, Alaric at a locker next to mine. "Hey, Rick." I say.

He nods. "What up?" He asks.

I shrug. "Not much."

"Hey, boys." I hear another old friend say. I turn and see Jordan.

I smile at her. "Hey, Jordan."

Rick nods again, but he had a small smile.

"Y'all excited to be back?" She asks.

I sigh. "I just wanna get the day over with." I say, knowing neither would react. They both know I've always hated school.

Jordan soon looks somewhere else and I see her looking at Violet, the school's resident mean girl. She seems wrapped in a conversation with her friends Amanda and Kai when Jordan walks up to them.

"Oh, this has bad written all over it." Rick says.

"Ya think?" I ask. "Should one of us help her?"

"Nose goes." Rick says, his finger on his nose.

"Prick." I say with a small smirk.

"One tries." He say with the same smirk as me.

I sigh dramatically. "Alright. I'll be the knight in shining armor." I say then walk over to the girls with a frown.

Violet looks from Jordan to me and frowns. "Oh, great. Now the freak shows up."

"Violet, just shut up already." I say.

She frowns. "Whatever." She says then walks off with Kai and Amanda.

Jordan looks at me. "Thanks."

I nod then head into the gym with her for the pep rally.

Once inside, I spot the rest of my old friends, Chelsea, who was on the cheerleading team with Violet, while in the bleachers, I spotted Kyra, Sapphire, and Scarlett. Funny enough, I didn't see Marissa, but I shrug. "Maybe she just overslept." I think to myself.

Rick, Jordan, and I go sit with them. "Hey, ladies." I say as we sit with them.

They smile at us.

"What's up?" Jordan asks.

"Not much." Kyra says.

"I'm glad to have us back together. It's been so long." Sapphire says.

"Even I'm excited." Scarlett said.

"What's going on, Pickens High?" The principal asks and we all start cheering and stomping our feet. "Alright, you guys. Before we start, I just wanna say something to our seniors." She says then looks at the seniors portion of the gym. "You guys are almost finished at this school. Just this last year for y'all then you're free to live your new lives!" She says then all seniors, me and my old friends included, start cheering loudly. "Now, without further ado, I'll turn this over to the Dragons cheer team. Take it away, ladies!"

We all soon look at the cheerleaders as they start their routine and I watch Chelsea. "Damn, she's hot."

"And the crush lives on." Rick says, teasing.

"Man, shut the hell up." I say.

Not long into the pep rally, the lights flicker and I stiffen then gulp when the lights cut out.

"Shit..." I whisper as a blast of wind throws all the gym doors open.

As the teachers try to keep everyone calm, the lights come back on then there soon is an eerie sort of breathing then a voice.

"The... fun... begins..."

I look at Rick, Jordan, Chelsea, Kyra, Sapphire, and Scarlett to see shocked expressions on their faces.

"This can't be..." Rick whispers.

"No..." Jordan whispers.

"Oh, God..." Kyra says.

"Please don't let that be what I think it is..." Scarlett says.

I see Chelsea and Sapphire are too stunned to speak.

"Marissa was right. Ellie is real..." I think to myself.

That's chapter one. I hope you guys like this. It's my first AU story. I'll provide more details on this Ellie as the story goes on. And just to clarify, Chris's motorcycle is a trike motorcycle. Review and I'll post more chapters.