A Key To Nothing
by Juul

Summary: What would it be like if instead of Wendy, Erin had the premonition? How would it effect everyone else? Could Erin save everyone, or at least spare a few lives?

Chapter One: The Beginning of All Things To End

Tonight was Grad Night for McKinley High School's seniors at a small amusement park called WonderLand. All the seniors could come for free, but everyone else had to pay the normal price of eighty dollars per ticket. It was a nice, cloudless night; not even a star to be seen. The neon glows of the thrill rides gave the place a vivid effect.

Little did anyone know, this beautiful night was the beginning of the end for a large group of teens at McKinley High School.

Among these doomed teens were Erin Ulmer and Ian McKinley. They were the school's resident goth couple. They didn't really have their own crowd except for each other; they talked to some of the metalheads and punk-freaks, but hardly anyone else. Erin had long red hair, green eyes, and was usually seen with Ian. Ian had messy black hair, brown eyes, and was usually seen with Erin.

They were one of the cutest couples in the school, voted second place by the seniors in their graduating class as 'cutest couple.' Their two friends, Jason Wise and Wendy Christenson, got voted as cutest couple, but it didn't bother them much.

The goth couple was currently at a "Skill Shooter" booth by the Food Court. The object of the game was to shoot as many pigeon-shaped cut-outs as possible within two minutes and who ever won got to choose a prize. Ian currently had a paint-ball gun and was aiming at one of the pigeons. He had already shot three and everyone else seemed to be aiming for everything but the pigeons.

"Okay, Pip," said Ian, calling Erin his pet name for her, "I'm gonna win you that big, black bear, and if I don't, some heads will roll..."

Erin rolled her eyes at him. "Only you could say that and be joking about it..."

"Who said I was joking?" said Ian, winking at her before taking aim.

Erin shook her head. He's so goofy. No wonder I fell for him.

As funny and laid back as Ian could be, he was also compassionate and caring when the time called for it. Ian was always there for Erin when no one else was, and she was very thankful for it. They had been dating for almost three years now, and they had known each other since grade school.

All of a sudden, one of their friends from school, Wendy, came up to them with a camera.

"Yearbook?" she said.

"Hold on, tootse," said Ian, "We don't do pictures!"

"Ian," said Erin, "come on, it's just for the senior night photos."

"Nope," said Ian, "Remember, kids, we could be vampires, which means that Wendy, you'd be taking this picture for no reason."

Wendy held up the camera and took the picture. Right before she hit the button, Ian turned his head to face Erin and Erin held her hand up, covering her face, her middle finger up.

"Nice, Erin," said Wendy in a sarcastic tone, "That was lovely."

"I know," said Erin. Ian laughed as Wendy turned and left.

Ian shot down one of the targets, leaving a splatter of blue paint right above it's eye. He laughed a little before shooting three more. A buzzer went off signaling the end of the run. Ian had shot the most targets, eleven, while the second place score was merely six. The game attendant asked Ian which prize he wanted and he pointed to a big black and purple bear on the top shelf.

After Ian got his hands on the bear, he turned and handed it to Erin. "For you."

"Aw, Ian," said Erin as he kissed her on the forehead, "You're so sweet."

"I know," said Ian, putting his arm around his girlfriend's shoulders, "And now, I think it's time that we go on the Devil's Flight." He said the last two words with a growl, which made Erin giggle a bit.

"Quit it with the sexy heavy metal growl," said Erin.

Ian smiled. "Well, if it is indeed sexy, why should I stop?"

"You're such a smart-ass!" Erin said.

"But I'm your smart-ass." Ian grinned at her and she playfully smacked him in the arm. The goth boy gave her a fake pouting look. "Erin, that hurt," he said in a childish voice.

"Uh huh," said Erin, sarcastically, "I'm sure it did."

By now, they had made it to the line for the Devil's Flight, the biggest rollercoaster in the state of Pennsylvania. Erin looked at the enormous fake Satan sitting on top of the entrance/exit station. He was crouched down, with his hand stretched out in a beckoning sort of way.

"You can run, but you can't hide," said the Satan.

000000000000000000000000000000

After being in line for a little over forty-five minutes, Erin and Ian could finally see the turnstiles. They walked through with no problem at all, but Erin noticed a sign that she found a little unnerving for some reason. It said: No exit after turnstiles.

What am I so freaked about? Erin thought. I love rollercoasters. Nothing to worry about. Besides, Ian's right here with me. Erin had a really bad feeling about tonight from the start, but she disregarded it until now. She felt her stomach turn and her palms begin to sweat.

Ian noticed a look of discomfort on her face. "It's okay, babe," he said as he put his arm around her waist. "You love rollercoasters. And besides, we've ridden all the others in this park, except this one. So what if it's the biggest coaster in the state? Nothing we can't handle!" He ended his last sentence with a laugh.

They came to the point where people were dividing so that they could head for a certain seat in the rollercoaster. Ian and Erin headed for the back; they didn't really care where they sat. They noticed Jason and Wendy get in the line for the front next to them. They were with their friends, Kevin and Carrie.

"Hey, McKinley," said Jason. "'Sup?" He held up his hand and Ian gave him a high five for no apparent reason other than the fact that they were guys who had been friends since grade school. Erin and Wendy laughed at them.

"So are you guys psyched about the Devil's Flight?" asked Kevin, making conversation.

"Yeah, a little," said Ian.

"What? Oh, yeah," said Erin, still trying to rid herself of the overwhelming feeling of anxiety.

"You okay, Erin?" asked Wendy, "You seemed fine back at the Skill Shooter."

Erin shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just have... have this feeling... ya know, like deja vu, except with something that hasn't happened yet."

"Well," said Jason, "Just remember what we've all learned in Physics class. Rollercoasters are just a conversion of potential energy into kinetic energy."

Erin nodded, attempting to look reassured; she didn't want Ian to worry too much.

"Yep," said Ian, "Odds are more likely you're to die driving to an amusement park than dying at one." Erin gave him 'the look'. "Looks like it didn't work," said Ian in disappointment.

"So, where are you guys sitting?" asked Carrie.

Ian shrugged. "Probably somewhere in back. We don't really care as long as we get to ride."

"Well, Kevin and I are sitting in front, right?" said Carrie.

"Of course we are--"

Jason cut him off. "Come on, Kev," he said, "You promised Wen and me that we could sit in front."

"Yeah," said Kevin, "But that promise was so long ago, I'm surprised that you remembered."

"Actually," interjected Wendy, "You guys made that 'promise' this morning."

Both boys gave her an annoyed look. "Okay," said Kevin, "Let's settle this thing like gentlemen." He pulled a quarter out of his pocket. "Call it."

"Heads," said Jason.

Kevin flipped the quarter up in the air. It landed tails up. "Shit," said Kevin. "Well, looks like we're sitting in back, Carrie."

"Oh, well," said Wendy to Carrie, "There's always next time." Carrie smiled at her friend before going with Kevin towards the lines for the back of the coaster. Ian and Erin followed them. Ian waved at Wendy and Jason as they went to the line for the very front seat.

Erin followed Ian to car number four; the last one. Erin didn't mind sitting in the very back. Kevin and Carrie were to sit in the seat in front of them, and in front of them were a couple of kids; Erin couldn't tell who, though.

Kevin and Ian talked while they waited for their ride. Erin was friends with Carrie, but she didn't feel like talking right now. That feeling of dread was starting to wreak havoc on Erin's mind again.

Trying not to be rude, she started conversation with Carrie. "So what are you doing after graduation?"

"Hmm," thought Carrie, "Well, for one, I'm going to Berkeley College. I think I'll try to major in nursing and medical or something like that. They get a decent salary."

Erin nodded. The feeling was still there... "I don't know what I'll do. Probably stay here in McKinley until Ian and I have enough money to get our own place."

"Hey, Erin," said Ian, "Do you think Wendy's mad at me for being an ass back there?"

"What? What are you--" Ian's question was so random, but Erin had to admit: He was being an ass when all she wanted was a picture.

"She gave me a nasty look when we met with her and Jay in line," said Ian, rubbing the back of his neck in a guilty fashion.

"I'm sure she'll get over it," said Erin.

"Hold on," said Ian, "I'm just going to go up there and apologize real fast, okay?"

"No, Ian, you don't have to!" Erin said. In truth, she was pleading for him to stay just so she wouldn't feel as scared. She'd never tell him that she was scared, though.

Ian kissed her on the forehead and gave her a warm, long hug. "Hey, Pip, I'll be right back."

Erin heard the rollercoaster pull into the station, "But our ride's here," she said in a pleading voice.

Ian looked directly into her eyes. "Trust me," he said, "And if I have to catch the next train, wait for me. Or maybe I can get Jay to switch me places or something."

"Ian..." Erin gave him a pleading look.

"You'll be okay," said Ian. He sprinted toward the front line, and right before talking to Jason, he turned in Erin's direction. "Hey!" He pointed at her and winked. "Meet you at the end!"

Erin nodded and tried to form a smile, but inside she was cracking up. That foreshadowing feeling was really starting to freak her out, now.

The ride's former guests climbed out of their seats, some dizzy, some smiling, some horrified.

Carrie seemed to have noticed Erin's discomfort. "Hey, Erin," she said, "It's okay. He'll be right back, and besides, I see Jay coming back here. He'll protect you."

Jason made it back to where Kevin, Erin, and Carrie were standing. "Hey, guys, what's up?"

"Is Wendy gonna be okay up there with him?" asked Kevin.

"Yeah," said Jason, "She said she needed to talk to him about something anyway. I think she mentioned earlier about him needing to edit some of the pages for the yearbook, since he's in the Photography Club anyway."

Jason saw the nervous look on Erin's face. "Erin," he said, "you've been acting funny since you and Ian got in line. What's up?"

"Just... feeling a little different," Erin replied. Nothing's going to happen...

Jason gave Kevin and Carrie a questioning look. He turned back to Erin, "Ah, don't worry. Soon we'll all be on the top of the hill, then going down, and on the first corkscrew screaming our lungs out."

"Yeah!" said Kevin, holding his fist up in the air. Carrie rolled her eyes at him.

The gates opened, and everyone climbed into their seats.