A/N: I'm just writing this two-part one-shot to pass the time(this is an action-packed side story while in my story now, they're still kids for another chap), other than the fact that I'm sad that no one likes my other story. Well, please enjoy this one and please leave a review behind.

1/27/06: Updated! I realized I made some grammatical errors so I changed them. I also changed some awkward sentences. I hope this makes the story easier to understand!

The Aperture

On the edge of the forest of Amity Park, there was a gap. If you will, you can just refer to it as a gigantic hole. The residents of the forest saw the gap, but couldn't tell what it was. All they saw was a slight shimmer whenever they would turn to that section of the sky. They assumed it was just the sun getting to them. This is how they stayed ignorant of what really was going on.

Now this gap was no ordinary gap, but was actually a portal of some sorts to an unidentified dimension. This dimensional gap had existed for years, right in the same very point in the sky, and had served for one purpose: to tie together the world of the apparitions, and the living world. Now, we can just call this elusive world of apparitions the ghost zone.

Now, ghosts have lurked about through centuries, haunting ones who betrayed them, visiting loved ones, and so forth. They brought about wraiths. They gave pixel artists game ideas. The works. They were ultimately tied in to every aspect of the living realm, until one day…

The gap was living itself, but technically wasn't alive. That's why it could exist in both dimensions. Clockwork himself, the guardian of time and space, used this to get around and fix mistakes to balance everything. The gap had a ghost of its soul. Its name: Aperture. Well, Aperture had guarded the dimensional portal for just as long as it existed, until a group of crazy scientists came to the vicinity…

"Well, Jack, don't you think it's a bit rash to, well you know…" Maddie attempted, sighing profusely.

"What I think she's trying to tell you old man is: shut up and stop bothering the owner that's kindly letting us stay here, so we can observe the dimensional hole, or did you forget what we came here for in the first place?" Vlad shouted at Jack, who immediately shut up.

"Ok then, let's go."

They looked back longingly towards the cozy cabin, and then turned towards their destination. The shimmer in the sky was dyed red, blending in with the colors of the setting sun. They then took off, not looking back.

They traveled up the road for a few hours. They had to constantly avoid fallen trees, bring out the map and navigate over broken roads, and carry their special equipment, but when they finally made it to where the shimmer was closest to the sky, it was worth it. They looked around them. They were clear of the forest. The sky had a nice glow to it and the stars gave the night an astral feel. After a moment of stargazing, they set to work on the equipment.

"Detecting Combustulator?" Maddie asked, her hands full of wires.

"Check" Jack replied, looking up before looking down again, plugging something in.

"Solar Absorber?" Maddie asked.

"Check Maddie, and all charged," Vlad replied, plugging it in.

"Ok, we're up and running!"

The team got up and let the machine take its course. The base of the machine turned bright red. The tip glowed green then began to spin faster and faster, sending the crew into deeper awe. It then, having been carefully aimed towards the shimmer, shot a light beam at it. The shimmer reacted as though it was being sucked through a black hole, and disappeared in the air. It seemed to shriek in anguish before also fading, just like the shimmer had done. Maddie ran to the detector.

"Congratulations, we have actually gotten a sample of ectoplasmic matter. We were right! This means that-"

"The Ghost Portal can be achieved!" Jack finished, pointing to the sky.

"Come on team," Jack finished. "Let's get back. We have a lot of research to do back at the lab."

They left, blissfully unaware of what they have done, and the danger that they had just put themselves in. They had killed someone, or something for that matter…

Aperture whined. He could no longer go up in the sky where he was born. He no longer felt sane. 'Those scientists!' he cursed to himself. 'They're the one who's done this. They'll pay…for every moment I miss where I was meant to be for eternity!' And he sat there planning out the perfect plan that would ruin their very lives.

His first chance was when the pesky scientists made the ghost portal. He shot mutating ectoplasm out of the portal that would hope-fully kill them…at least half-way not all the way. Too bad that guy's face took up the whole opening. So he planned again. He planned so long and thought so hard that it took him 20 years to get it right. And once he did, oh it would be their last.