Tyler and Tori raced up the stairs to Ashley's apartment. The two kids had been friends for as long as either could remember, always finding new ways to entertain themselves and today was no different. The afternoon sun was high in the sky but today that wasn't on their minds. They were more interested in showing Ashley what they'd found; a strange device they'd picked up from the retro electronics shop on Maple Street. Packed full of dusty relics and forgotten tech, they loved to explore it.
Ashley had been their neighbor for as long as they could remember but she was more like a cool older sister to them than anything else. She was in college now but she still made time for them, always up for checking out whatever odd treasure they'd uncovered. Whether it was helping them with school projects or letting them crash at her place when their parents were busy, Ashley was the kind of person who made everything more fun. And this time, with this weird gadget in hand, it felt like they might be onto something special.
"Hey Ashley!" Tyler called out as he and Tori entered. "You won't believe what we found!"
Ashley looked up from her spot at the dining table, surrounded by college textbooks and papers. "What's up?"
Tori dropped her backpack and pulled out a strange device. "We went to that retro shop on Maple Street. You know, the one with all the old gadgets and gizmos?"
Tyler held up the device for Ashley to see. It was a bulky contraption with dials, buttons, and a few ports that looked like they were for connecting to a TV. "I spotted this next to a pile of old junk. Mr. Thompson didn't even remember it being there. He thought it might be some sort of old video game console after checking it over."
Ashley took the device from Tyler and inspected it. "Hmm… yeah, it does look like something an old game console. Did he give you any instructions?"
Tyler shook his head. "He just gave it to us. He didn't know what it was, couldn't get it to work, it was just taking up space. Said if we could get it to work, it was ours."
Ashley gave the device back to tyler. "Well, best of luck setting it up. I could use a snack. You two hungry?
Both Tyler and Tori nodded. "Sure!"
Ashley went into the kitchen while the kids set up the device next to the TV. They plugged it in and Tyler pressed what he assumed was the power button. The TV screen flickered to life. Tyler and Tori exchanged excited glances, eager to see what would happen.
For a moment, nothing happened. The TV was a bunch of static and weird colors. The kids excitement turned to confusion.
"Uhh Tyler…nothing's happening," said Tori "Is it supposed to do this?"
Tyler shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe we're supposed to press something or turn a dial."
Tori nodded. "Yeah, let's try messing with it a bit more. See if we can get it to do something. Maybe it just needs a bit of fiddling."
Tori pressed a few buttons while Tyler turned some of the dials but nothing happened. They were about to give up when the TV screen suddenly started to shimmer and warp. The colors mixed into a swirl of neon greens, blues and purples, creating waves of light that rippled across the screen. The image twisted and stretched, making the room around them seem to distort with it, almost like something was trying to break out of the TV. Tyler and Tori watched in amazement as the screen seemed to ripple like water, with bright flashes and bursts of static.
Before Tyler and Tori could grasp what was happening, the swirling vortex on the screen began to grow stronger And the kids found themselves being pulled towards the TV. Tyler tried to back away, but his feet wouldn't move. The pull was too strong. Tori reached out to grab his arm but the force yanked them both forward. With a sudden, powerful tug, they were pulled off their feet and into the screen. The last thing they saw was the world around them stretching and distorting before everything went black.
Ashley, hearing the commotion and seeing a bright flash from the living room, stepped out of the kitchen. She looked around, puzzled as the kids were nowhere to be seen. She rushed to the TV, now dark and silent, her heart racing. "Tyler? Tori?" she called out but there was no answer. The kids were gone but the device was still there, laying on the floor as if nothing happened.