EDIT: I apologize in advance for any changes or mistakes that were made as of 12/17/17. I was running yet further edits and didn't realize I'd deleted some of my original content before posting this D: Good news is, it was only author's notes I deleted, and not story content.
Chapter One
"As you can plainly see, the effects of altering a universe or running amuck about them could have severe side effects on ours. Theories have been thrown out by several scientists that alternate universes exist. Some have even suggested that we may one day find ourselves waking up in one of them…"
It took everything Emily Hayes had not to groan out loud in annoyance as the professor continued rambling on and on. She had heard this song and dance far too many times to find the topic interesting. The professor usually went on long tirades revolving around 'alternate universes' and whether it was possible for them to exist. With technology getting better and better each passing year, the possibilities were endless. Scientists were beginning to discover gaps that had gone missing for years.
His idea, however, was that alternate universes could occur in another world outside their own. It would have been a world where the events that happened in their world would play out completely different. After watching movies and television shows revolving around such theories, she wasn't in any hurry to see whether they were true. Besides, the idea of something like that actually being real left her mind spinning.
The only reason she took this class in the first place was because her mother was a scientist who was currently studying a boring subject known as 'String Theory'. Emily only knew bits and pieces of it herself, but even that wasn't enough to quell the idea that this wasn't what she wanted as her future career. Both of her parents wanted her to get an idea as to what their careers were like. Her father was a prominent doctor in Manhattan, New York. And while there was a time when she wanted to follow in his footsteps, she'd left that to her sister.
Ironically enough, her younger sister was going to a prominent university in Colorado to earn her PHD. She had always been seen as the more intelligent sister in the family, whereas Emily was just the bad seed. She tried ignoring the fact that her parents wanted something more out of her. Hell, she even went out of her way to prove to them that they were wrong. In the end, she finally decided that it wasn't worth trying to impress them.
Truthfully, she wasn't even sure what she wanted for her college degree. She had been on the fence about taking several classes at a time to see which field she fit in best. But each field opened up new possibilities. An endless window of opportunities were presented before her when she began taking classes at the university. It seemed like each time she finally found something that peeked her interest, her parents would rebuke her for making such a poor choice.
She held back a sigh of frustration at the thought. Nothing she ever did would satisfy them. Emily had long-since given up the idea of actually doing something worthwhile. That was what had led to her resolve that she was better off enjoying the small freedom she had at college.
She would often go behind her parents' back just to piss them off. Most of that involved drinking, sleeping with random men, and going off to concerts with her roommate, Julia Thompson. The biggest trip they ever did was Creation Fest, Northeast. That was only a year ago, and one of the best decisions either of them made. Heck, they were lucky enough to meet some of the most down to Earth people at Creation Fest. That was where she got to meet the lead singer to Rend Collective face-to-face. But, did her parents ever approve of their ventures? Of course not. All they would ever do was frown upon them.
"Miss Hayes…" She just wished there was some way of earning their approval… "Miss Hayes!" Her eyes widened when the professor leaned over her after slamming his hands on her desk, eyes narrowed with annoyance as her classmates stifled their laughter. "I expect all of my students to pay attention during lectures, do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, sir," she replied, restraining herself from rolling her eyes and getting herself into further trouble.
It wouldn't have been the first time she was caught daydreaming in class. Especially in this class. She could probably write a book on how many times she'd accidentally fallen asleep in this class. It didn't help that this professor in particular spoke in such a monotone voice, that he made emotionless robots look like they had a sense of humor. She tried putting on her best 'interested' face whenever she was sitting in his lecture hall. Because he was good friends with her mother, she knew she would never hear the end of it that she had been sleeping during his lecture.
"Good. Now, tonight, I want everyone to write a thesis on the importance of our world, and the importance of why interfering with another world could end in disaster," he went on. "Six pages long, double-spaced. No exceptions."
The whole class groaned in annoyance at that. Professor Kobbs was infamous for giving out the most difficult assignments. The worst part was knowing that the due date wasn't subject to change. She knew she could get it finished within the time-period, but that didn't mean it would live up to his expectations. With that thought in mind, Emily grabbed her backpack and made a break for it before he could make things anymore awkward.
She didn't have many friends outside of class. Julia was the only exception to that rule, and their relationship had always been strained from the start. She'd often go drinking during the weekends, much to Julia's annoyance and her chagrins. Then, there was the walk of shame when she would return on either a Sunday morning or a Saturday morning. It wasn't until Julia dragged her to a Matthew West concert that they finally started seeing eye-to-eye.
One of the many major differences between them was the fact that Julia happened to be a huge fan of Star Trek. Julia would often go into rants about the whole Star Trek series, from the original to the reboot series. For Emily, it usually fell on deaf ears. Emily had always been more of a fan of the Marvel movies, or anything that peeked her interest, which was usually anything that had a good plot to it. Students around the university would often find them in the cafeteria arguing over which movies were better.
"Hey, Em!" Julia was sitting on a wheelie chair the moment she arrived in their dorm.
Emily almost rolled her eyes at the mess scattered across Julia's side of the room. That was one of the many arguments they would get into – Emily preferred keeping her side of the room nice and tidy while Julia's was covered in art supplies. Being an art major made keeping things clean a bit difficult, on Julia's part. She would always complain about the fact that Emily disorganized her work while trying to keep her side of the room clean. To top things off, Julia would usually spend Saturday mornings practicing her violin while Emily was trying to either sleep in or study.
To her sleeping in was like a gift in itself. With her parents' busy schedules and an active study-schedule, it was almost impossible to do so.
Julia was one of those people who would never let it get to her, though. If anything, she took whatever comments or complaints Emily had in stride. And of course, that would often lead to further arguments between them.
"So, guess who's gonna be at the state fair this weekend?"
"It's hard to guess," Emily replied with a shrug. "You've got so many favorite artists."
And of course, Julia had gotten her into most of the artists that she was a fan of. Funny how that worked.
Since Julia's parents were the ones who had treated them to those concerts, she supposed it only made sense. Julia's parents were almost as musically gifted as she was. Though Emily suspected that Julia would go further than performing at a church venue if she continued down her studies.
"Okay, so I know this is last minute, but I got tickets to see Matthew West," Julia explained, her grin widening as Emily stared at her in surprise. "He's doing a meet and greet Saturday night at the University!"
"Seriously?" Emily looked at her roommate in disbelief.
While it wasn't surprising to hear that an artist was doing a meet and greet, or holding a concert, she was surprised to hear that Matthew West would be there. It had been exactly three years since he was last there. That was the first time her life had changed for the better.
Matthew West was one of her favorite artists for that reason. He had a voice that was sweet as honey, and his lyrics spoke out to her in a way that no other artist could. What amazed her the most though, was how his music was mostly written based off of what fans sent him through letters, revolving around their life-story.
"That's just awesome, but…" She frowned and looked down at the floor as she suddenly recalled something. "I can't go. My mom's visiting for the weekend, and has some big convention she wants me to attend."
And she did want to go. More than anything. Just about anything was better than spending time with her ever-wonderful mother, who would likely lecture her on the merits of how much time she was spending on class work. All her parents ever seemed to do was criticize her work, rather than support and encourage her like any normal parent would. By now, she had gotten used to their crude behavior towards her. But Julia never seemed to understand why she allowed them to treat her that way. They were the only family she had left. And while they certainly weren't the best parents in the world, she still cared about them.
Julia only rolled her eyes at that.
"Em, you've got to learn to start sticking up for yourself," she muttered. "Your parents aren't going to be hanging over your shoulder forever, you know."
"I know," Emily sighed with a shake of her head. Julia had no idea just how hard it was to deny her parents' wishes. She'd grown up with the belief that they were always right, and that every choice they made was for her own good. "Just… Go on without me. I've got a thesis to write, and tests to study for."
"Fine, whatever." Julia's shoulders sagged in defeat as she threw herself onto her bed. "Just promise me you won't let your parents control you for the rest of your life?"
Emily flinched at that, knowing full well there wasn't any choice in the matter. Julia was lucky – her parents always supported whatever choice she made, no matter the consequences. And, when she made a choice that hurt her, they were always there to provide the comfort she needed.
Guess that's what happens when your parents aren't doctors or scientists, she thought bitterly.
"Sure," she replied without meeting her gaze, knowing that it was nothing more than an empty promise.
…
Emily breathed out a sigh as she studied the computer screen in front of her. The thesis she wrote was crap. Utter crap, compared to what the professor was expecting. But, it wasn't like she had other options. Theories about alternate universes just sounded so unrealistic that she found no interest whatsoever. Which was half of the problem right there. Emily wasn't planning on complaining any time soon – she knew that wouldn't get her anywhere.
Letting out another sigh, and glancing over her shoulder to see that Julia was fast asleep, she decided that she needed some kind of hot beverage. Coffee seemed like a good idea, at the moment. But, she wasn't going to the cafeteria. College coffee was terrible, just as she had expected the first year. There was a little cafe just outside the campus that served some of the best tea and coffee, and it was the major hub for most students.
Once she'd grabbed her jacket and saved the document before shutting the computer down, she quietly slipped away.
She probably should have known better than to go out this late at night. Campus security would question why she was out in her pajamas at midnight. She was more of a night owl, though. Julia had often complained about her staying up late at night, so she would sometimes sneak out of the dorm and spend the evening in the lounge, studying.
Emily kept glancing over her shoulder once she had made it past the campus grounds. It was unusually cold out that night, with the stars shimmering in the sky, and a claw-mark of a moon hovering just above her.
She wasn't sure what had made her so nervous that night. Maybe, it was the fact that she shouldn't have gone out in the first place. But, something had made her stop in her tracks as she reached the corner sidewalk leading to the cafe. She froze on the spot, her eyes widening in alarm as she saw a cloaked figure standing under a street light. The moment she had seen that figure was when she realized something was seriously wrong. She couldn't move, as if something had turned her legs to stone. The figure still stood there for what felt like hours, until suddenly, black spots began to appear at the edge of her vision.
Biting back a cry of shock as she collapsed on the ground, the last thing she saw was the figure looming over her, and reaching out with a bony hand, before she blacked out.
