"Someone open it," no one knew who whispered it as they all stared apprehensively at the door that led to…somewhere.
Dash confidently walked forward twisting the knob and pushing the door. It doesn't move. He tries again this time pulling. "It won't open."
Danny startles pulling his notebook from his backpack turning to an empty page.
You need a key for that, I'm afraid.
"The hell we do." Dylan stalks forward to look at the lock then puts a hand out. "Give me a bobbie, Kirr. Better yet give me the pointed one and oh," he stops staring at the lock. "We need to short it out, I bet it's on a separate grid then the lights and shit." He mutters fiddling with the lock before hearing a click, "If I get shocked, I'm done doing shit for you people," he throws over his shoulder with a smirk as the door swings open. "Huh."
You could have just asked where it was.
"Fuck off! I'm tired and wet and hungry!" Paulina spits out shoving Dylan out the way to get inside. "Hurry up!"
Dash rolls his eyes following the girl inside. "Looks like there's a common area as soon as you come in, bring your asses in here already!"
"Thank you Dylan, how sweet of you Dylan, you're the best Dylan, says absolutely no one," the boy mutters glaring at the ground.
"Thanks Dylan," April and Kelly chorus together patting him on the shoulder as they pass.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah."
The Theater
Watching the class look around the bunker caused many sighs of relief to be let out. The bunker had clothes and shoes as well as food and water and more importantly weapons and what seemed like a war room.
The trio had set up shop there stating that since there was a shortage of rooms, they'd rather sleep there than in the common room. They were now going around observing the weapons in the room. Danny was stationed over what appeared to be a map of the island, seemingly making plans of some kind as his hand moved along the screen that depicted the map. Sam walked the room in a slow pace along a wall lined with journals reading the one that she had clinched in one hand, shocking neon hair tied into a low ponytail.
They watched with bated breath as she looked between the boys in the room with her with curious eyes. She glares at them as the journal in her hand is shown 'What a pleasant dream I was having only for it to be a nightmare. He wasn't himself; I knew what I had to do- too bad it was easier said than done.' Violet eyes widened reading the sentence again and again setting her face in a stony mask. Danny watched her from across the room, his face unreadable. His faces changes as he watches the girl read the book, looking skeptical, sharing a look with Tucker. 'This false reality that I found myself in was once my escape. Or so I thought. Now I am trapped waiting to be free, I must stop him. It is my destiny; I must stop him before all crumbles and turns to dust and the hands of time are able to unable to turn back.' She either does not notice or completely ignores the way her friends are looking at her. Turning to the shelf she picks up another journal, turning every page to find it empty, nodding to herself, she tells the boys she's going to the bathroom.
"Why are their smiles exactly alike, like, it's not almost exactly, its exactly exactly alike." A teen from New England turns to her friend confusedly. "Like you see this too, right?"
"Yeah, but that's been happening a lot as time went on. When they were exploring and they all ran away, they all ran away exactly the same. Like how do you run just like someone else." The girl's friend agrees, nodding frantically.
"The lass is right," a male's voice booms scaring the girls slightly, "some of the kids have been scarily in sync with each other, doing things the exact same."
The silence that looms in place of the conversation leaves dread in the feelings of those watching. Something wasn't right, at all.
Sam was gone for a short amount of time returning to place the books on the shelf to trade them out for another one. The boys make eye contact for a prolonged amount of time seemingly arguing about something, Tucker wins or at least it seemed so because he started questioning her about the books. She doesn't reply, seemingly ignoring him to continue reading, only looking up at the sudden knocking at the metal door that led to the room.
A knock sounds at the door revealing it to be an upset Kira asking that Sam join her in the girl's section of the bunker. Sam agrees, giving a nod clutching the journal to herself tightly. Danny speaks up with a strange glint in his eye, asking Kira what she needed. Kira faltered slightly looking at the boy unsurely. She opens her mouth to speak only to be interrupted by Tucker who slowly blinks as he too asks her what she needs Sam for. Kira tears up, startling the boys, their faces panicking ever so slightly causing Sam to snort. Sam gestures for Kira to follow her out the room telling the boys not to wait up. The camera follows the pair as they pass every room in the bunker that was assigned to the girls, stopping at a little room. Kira opens the door looking around as she gestures Sam to come inside closing it softly behind her.
Inside the room an annoyed Star sits on a table, legs crossed outfitted in the same outfit as the rest of the girls, camo cargo pants with a black tank top and black boots. Her hair is pulled back into a ponytail as she stares at the two girls that entered down.
"Something is not right here," and Indian man remarks accent thick, "that book told us as much, but my gut tells me much more."
"I wonder if she copied some of that book into the empty journal while she was in the bathroom?" Kiyanna wonders a hand to her chin.
"She could have been," Jazz agrees, "she writes pretty fast. It is plausible."
"Either way," Zach mumbles, "something isn't right."
"Something is wrong with this whole situation," Tisha Foley grumbles rubbing her temple. She pauses narrowing her eyes, "if that boy taught me anything," she trails off standing from her seat forgetting the whole world could hear her. "Something ain't right," she mumbles ignoring the looks of the town.
The Teens
Star narrows her eyes assessing the now neon green haired girl. "I didn't say anything earlier, Manson," the blonde starts casually, "but how the fuck are you here. This has you, Foley, and Fenton written all over this freaky shit! First our classmates aren't our classmates, then some strange thing," the disgust in her tone prevalent, "shows up, then we get attacked by weird dog creatures that definitely have infected Mikey -you didn't hear that from me-, and now you show up," Star rants gesturing languidly here and there. "What the fuck is going on and how the fuck do we get out of here."
Sam blinks non-pulsed, observing how laidback the blue-eyed girl seemed but she saw the minuscule shake of her hands, the fidgeting with her hair, the biting of her lips, the darting of her eyes. Taking all this in she nods to herself relaxing her body from her initial fighting stance, tension bleeding from her body.
"Yeah Manson," Valerie demands stepping into the light from her position reclined on the wall, "what's going on."
"This place," she waves a hand around herself, "isn't-."
"Real?" April offers coming to stand next to Star, "We know."
Sam blinks in veiled surprise humming.
"Don't be so shocked we have eyes and we've been here longer than you." Star scoffs crossing her arms over her chest. "How do we leave?"
"This whole time," Kira whispers brokenly from behind Sam, "it wasn't real and that wasn't Dylan."
"Yes Kira," April sighs voice coming harsher than intended, "just like that wasn't Michelle, and Mikey, and Abby, and Kelly," she continues ignoring the sound Star made at the girl's name, "and Sofie, and Gillian, and Dash, and Kwan, and Paulina, and Tucker and," she shuts her mouth eyes moving between Valerie and Sam.
"That's not Danny," Valerie assures her wholeheartedly, "I know isn't."
Deciding not to argue Sam nods stepping farther into the room. "We should go look for food, maybe talk more about why you think this place isn't real. Before April interrupted me, I was going to say that this place isn't comfortable," Sam gestures to the storage boxes that crowded the space, "isn't that right Nathan?" Her voice was soft as she addressed the boy. He stepped away from behind the boxes he was hiding among face pale, eyes glassy. "Danny and Tucker," she emphasizes their names, "don't like me talking to others much. Weird, isn't it?" She waves to the camera whose red light was blinking ominously. Handing the book to April, she smiles thinly, "There's a whole shelf of these in the War Room, I've glanced at all of them but this one looks boring." April's eyes narrow as Sam turns to leave the room.
Star watches the raven-haired girl leave then glances at the short haired black girl. "She handed you a book. Maybe you should, oh I don't know take a look at it."
"Ain't no way she told us to read this book instead of talking to us," Valerie deadpans face unamused. "Unbelievable!"
A knock sounds at the closed door startling the group. Star slides off the table, April stands in front of Nathan and Valerie opens the door slightly to glance outside. "It's Tucker," Valerie was confused. "Can I help you?"
"Did Sam leave her book in here? By any chance?"
"What? No!" April had to give it to Valerie her acting was top notch.
"Sam wants her book," his voice changes sounding almost stern, "Val."
"I don't have her book."
"April," he smiles thinly, "has her book and she wants it back."
April all but shoved Valerie away from the door, "You rang?" She ignores the chuckle he lets out, "Look Tucker, she said that it was boring, and she didn't want it. So why are you running errands for her to get a book she doesn't want."
"It's a journal," his smile thins further, "it's my journal and she has no right to give it to you."
"Well, I don't have it and you can check the room, its not here." Her expression hardens as she makes moves to shut the door.
"TUCKER, I FOUND IT!" Sam's voice calls from afar. The black boy glances in the direction her voice came from then back at the girls in the door.
"Can I look for my piece of mind?" They allow him to search the room, shrugging when he turns to them with empty hands. "I saw..."
"You saw wrong loser," Star shrugs leaving the room.
Nathan says nothing as he trails quietly after Valerie who doesn't even have half the mind to make him go away. April starts to leave turning to glance around the room suspiciously finding the blinking red light in the corner of the room. Something more has occurred and it's going to end terribly for her.
The Theater
They watch as the teens settle down to sleep for the first night in a semi-safe place. All was silent when the camera panned into the girls' rooms one by one revealing Kelly to be the only one awake, thumbing through the book that Sam had given to April, the one that she said that she did not have. The camera gets closer to read over the girl's shoulder. 'I'm not sure if I'm paranoid but this is not what I expected to happen, we were separated by a thin thread that made getting back to each other hard. This island was once our paradise but now it is my prison. A dream that I no longer wish to wake from, if only to see him, him who left me here without him to ease the burden. They wanted me out of the way, but I refused so they cast me aside to "learn my lesson," but what lesson was there for me to learn, except that in this perfectly imperfect world he was here, with me, and he loved me. Selfishly I elected to stay, I needed to stay. So, I stayed. As time went on the island became corrupted the more and more my thoughts and feelings ran amok eventually things spiraled out of control my abilities becoming sentient leading to...something residing on the island. Something I called Fantasy, after my love for him and my worries, the island was my paradise, a façade, an illusion, a Fantasy.'
Kelly looks up satisfied humming the name allowed to herself, a voice not her own sounds from her throat seemingly uncaring, 'So that is what she always thought of me. Her Fantasy,' her tone was soft, almost loving.
A knock sounds at her door opening to reveal Danny, hair hanging in his face looking unlike himself. His stature is confident and assured not the slouching meek stance that he usually took when around his classmates. Kelly cowers slightly, looking uncomfortable. He shuts the door behind him but does not step any farther into the room.
"What the hell is happening!"
"I'm not sure but I guess the children are not the children, but I am unsure how," Principal Ishiyama answers. "From the moment they got there a number of instances occurred so when would the turn have occurred, how did the teens notice and more importantly when, did they notice."
"Mikey tipped me off," Kiyannah answers, "If I'm following along, it sounds like Star noticed from the beginning hence why she wasn't as inclined to truly interact with any of the others and Kelly was just weird! Like she was Sofie level weird and that made things strange. But whatever this can of worms that they just opened is, I have no idea what that's about or what it is."
Danny murmurs lowly to Kelly who cowers further into herself, holding the journal to her chest.
'What are you doing here! You are not permitted here!' Kelly hisses clutching the book. 'Mother made you leave, she got rid of you!'
'Am I now?' Danny says slowly, 'I am... unwelcome in the very space created for me? Come now, Fantasy,' he laughs as if he heard the most interesting joke.
'It is true,' Kelly doubles down, 'you are not who you once were! Leave, masquerader!'
'It fooled her the 1st time, and it will fool her this time,' he laughs mockingly.
Kelly purses her lips clutching the journal closer looking uncomfortable. 'I was only tasked to keep her here for a few days, I...I...I... I just wanted to see her again! She forgot about me! Me! Her precious Fantasy, I was not going to trap her, I swear to you! I wanted to see her again,' Kelly's voice was saturated in emotion as she stared Danny down. 'I did not mean any harm.'
'Harm?' He chuckles running a hand through his hair revealing red eyes narrowed in distaste, 'Harm! Look at you! How pathetic,' he spits, 'you look. Ruining the plans of others for your own selfish gain.'
'And what of you! Did you not do the same once! Take advantage of her weakness, make yourself something that she needed, something she depended on!'
'I TOLD HER THE TRUTH!' His voice booms through the room, anger coloring his tone. 'I never lied. She chose to stay!'
The audience watched the argument with bated breaths unsure of what to think. "This...this is not the true summer camp, is it?" Tisha asks the being that brought them to the theater confidently. "These things that are happening are not completely in your control, you lost control as soon as they woke up on that island, an island that you have no idea where it is. Where are my boys!"
Other parents voice their agreements getting louder as the being refuses to answer. Mr. Lancer regards the commotion with a careful eye.
"This also isn't real," Jazz states assuredly, "right. This whole instance that is occurring is not truly real, you just made us think so. Instead of focusing on the others we're focusing on the outliers, the ones that got highjacked."
The being huffs angrily, "Fine! Yes, none of this is real! I have no idea why that one," it points to the screen angrily, "is different. This space," it gestures around them, "is not the true space. I know that once we leave this space all that we have learned will be forgotten and replaced with what truly should have happened."
The Highjacked Teens
Silence greets him at his admission. He sighs through his nose running a hand down his face. He winces, "Look Fantasy, I'm here because you know what you have done is wrong. It's too late to fix it." He levels her with a hard stare, "But you've protected them the best you could from the island, and I thank you for that. They know how to leave now Fantasy so let them leave."
"But...but," Kelly stutters, "Mother will forget me again! Please, Shade, you have to understand!"
"ENOUGH!" He roars, "I am tired of your pitiful excuses Fantasy, you will let them go! With no problems." He turns to leave, opening the door, startling as Sam stands there inquisitive purple eyes looking up at him. "Of course," he laughs sarcastically, "of course you would manage to sneak off. Hello, -" he starts to say her name only to be cut off by her.
"Who are you? You're not-." She shakes her head to clear her thought, "Who are you, truly."
"I am but a piece of someone you love dearly my precious rose." He smiles at her softly red eyes glittering like rubies.
"Only a piece," she hums a hand reaching to cup his cheek.
"Only a piece."
She hums glancing around him to Kelly who clutches the book closer to her chest in amazement. The other girls regards her in amazement, hesitant to speak. "And who are you?"
"I'm Fantasy," the girl answer excitedly bouncing up to the door and shoving the boy standing there out of the way. "Hello Mother."
I'm trying to keep this arc to 10 chapters total so here we go. 2 more chapter left before we start the next arc. You guys should be so thankful cause the original route this chapter was going got deleted so I got angry; it took me a while till I could muster up the motivation to write a new version of it and I can say I like this direction a lot better. Now it seems like it doesn't make sense but that will be touched upon in the next chapter! Actually, scratch that let me know if this makes any sense at all, please cause um...love the way it's written but not sure of it fits. Anyway, thanks for reading!