Chapter Text
After school, dusk settles. The semestral project is finally over. Ashlyn walks with her bag slung over her shoulder, a tired smile on her face. The streets are noisy with students heading home.
Aiden pops up beside her, Ben following a few paces behind. “Finally! Freedom!" Aiden said "That project was eating my soul alive. I swear, if I see another project or homework, I’ll scream.” he continued.
"You were the one who spent half the time sending memes and doodles instead of helping.” Ashlyn deadpans. “Hey, it's a morale booster! To lessen some stress and burden of the project, and besides it was boring just doing nothing but working on it anyways.” Aiden replied, smiling.
Ashlyn rolls her eyes "At least it's finally over, I can finally breathe without having the stress to do this semester."
As the three boarded at the bus, Aiden suddenly had an exciting Idea. He hovered near Ashlyn "How about we all hangout on your house today! Especially the graveyard." "No" Ashlyn replied instantly. "Come on~" Aiden pressed further. "No means no and besides it's almost late." Ashlyn said firmly.
"Alright alright not the whole gang I guess" Aiden laid back to his seat, Ashlyn sighs in relief "So it's just is three today!" He suddenly said. "N-" "Your parents gave us permission already" Aiden countered. Ashlyn was silent and looked at Ben who suddenly looked away. Ashlyn groans.
The bus screeches to a stop in front of Ashlyn’s house. She slings her bag over her shoulder and stands, but Aiden lingers by the exit with a sly smile.
"Come on Ashlyn, we could hangout at the graveyard there~" Aiden smiled. "No Aiden there's nothing eventful on that graveyard than being a dump's of old school buses" Ashlyn replied.
Ashlyn steps off the bus, but as she puts her foot down on the pavement, the world tilts. A heavy dizziness crashes over her, her vision blurring at the edges. She stumbles, catching herself on the side of the bus. Aiden’s smile fades instantly.
"Ashlyn, what's wrong.?" Aiden asked worriedly with Ben giving the same expression.
"I... Don't.. F..." Ashlyn's knees buckle as, Aiden reaches her and Ben supporting her back.
"Ashlyn!!!" Aiden screamed her name as the world faded to black...
"....n.. lyn..... ashlyn... Ashlyn.... ASHLYN!!!" Ashlyn finally woke up. "Oh thank God Ashlyn you're alright!" Someone hugged her, Ashlyn looked to see who hugged it her mother Emma Banner.
"Mom..? What happened?" Ashlyn asked as she looked to see an unfamiliar room. "We don't know Ashlyn but apparently we're not the only ones here.
There in the room Ashlyn saw not only saw Aiden and Ben but the others as well and other people, she concludes that those might be their family members as well.
"What is happening right now?" Ashlyn asked, "We don't actually know Ashlyn, we all suddenly woke up in this room with the others." Emma comforts Ashlyn.
"You're finally awake?" Ashlyn knew that annoying voice he turned around to see Aiden as always smiling and Ben behind him holding a little girl. Aiden noticed Ashlyn looking at the girl "Oh that's Lily she's Ben's little sister" Ashlyn nodded and turned back. Before he could think of anything a mechanical voice came through the screen at the end of the large room.
"Welcome to the reaction room dear viewers!" That made everyone's attention to the screen. "We'll start at 5 minutes so please take a seat!"
"What do you mean take a seat?! This is kidnapping you know?!" Daniel Clark shouts. "That wasn't me who did that, I'm just here to provide you some videos to watch" The voice replied. "Why do we need to watch some videos?" Mike Banner asked.
"If you look at the room, there are no doors, windows, vents or any type of escape in this room even the screen is just holographic and don't ask how we brought you here that is just a secret. So if you want to leave this place, you have react!" The voice replied with enthusiasm.
They all looked at the room and it's just only walls and a screen in front. "Fine, we'll accept on reacting but after this you better let us out" Mike said seriously. "I am voice of true words" The voice replied.
"Then what are we going to react?" James Fields asked. "Not "what" but "who!"" The voice saying with excitement. "And "who" are these people? A celebrity?" Mary Fields this time asked. "In a way yes!" 6 small spotlights appeared revealing the main 6.
"These are the people we're going to react!" The voice said. Everyone was shocked, "What do you mean our children is topic of this reaction?!" William Clark shouts. "This is an invasion of privacy!" Naomi Clark added.
The main 6 looked at their parents and each other some in worry. "Don't worry this is about them but different!" The voice replied. "And how different do you mean by that?" Mike said.
"We're watching an alternate version of them!" Everyone was quiet. "I know I know it's hard to believe but you'll know after watching it!" The voice said. "How are we sure this isn't fake?" Emma finally asked.
"You'll have to watch and see it for yourself :)" Everyone was quiet again, looking at each other with suspicions and worry. Mike sighs " We'll agree but as you promised let us go after this. But I would rather have the children's private life to be kept even if their an "alternate version"". "That depends on what I'm selecting but yes I'll agree to that." Now a large spotlight shining at the middle revealing a large sofa. "Here's a comfortable seat for the six of you guys since you are kinda the main topic, so it make sense you'll be the main topic for this!"
Ashlyn looked at the others who we're reluctant to go when suddenly Aiden walked towards and sat then looking at the others. "Guys come here now it's not a trap!" Ashlyn sighs at this dude's boldness. She saw Ben giving his sister back to his mother and went towards to Aiden. She sighs and stood up "Be careful" her mother says and she nodded. She went to the large couch sofa and sat at the edge of it. Logan, Tyler, Taylor followed suite.
"For the rest of the family members here are some seats and tables!" Revealing the other seats and tables, the others looked at each other and reluctantly decided to sit down. "We'll start at 5 minutes, chat if want or go to other seat but please comeback before we start! We'll have segmented breaks for this, that is all byebye ( ╹▽╹ )" There the screen changed into a timer revealing the countdown of five minutes. There everyone was now talking on the situation.
"You know this looked like a one big family cinema watch" Aiden said. "Yeah but against our will" Tyler retorted. "You're always such a downer, at least Logan here tries not making everything so negative" Aiden sighs. "I'm just avoiding conflict on every conversation we have" Logan said. As everyone chatted (more like argue) Ashlyn at the side watched them with disinterest when suddenly she felt a tap on her shoulder, she looked to see her dad was now here.
"Dad?" She asked "Hey Trooper, You alright?" Mike asked with a worried look. "Yeah I'm alright, I just hoped to stay on my room but now where in a predicament that I can't. Now were gonna watch ourselves but in alternative world?" She sighs. "Hey I know it's weird, but right now we have no choice. But if you ever uncomfortable watching this or they show something out of line me and your mother will try to stop it, ok?" Mike patted Ashlyn's head and Ashlyn nodded. "Alright I'll comeback here when the segmented break comes, just signal me alright?" As he walks back to his table.
Ashlyn looked at his father's retreating figure and look at her group who was close to beit physical and finally watching the countdown at 30 seconds.
"This is gonna be long day..."
Bold - Screen/OG Au
Normal - Dialogues
The Screen finally lit up, revealing the whole neighborhood has red filled sky.
"What the-" Daniel said.
The sound of footsteps emerged, it was quick as if running.
"Is this a horror movie?" Lily asked her parents. "I'm not sure sweetie just don't look for a while ok?" Naomi comforts her daughter.
There it was revealed to be the main 6 running through a forest, carrying guns and weapons and looking worn out.
"What is happening?! Why are they carrying guns?!" Mike said. Ashlyn and the others were shock to see them so vividly but also different at the same time.
"Time?!" Ashlyn shouts "8 minutes!" Logan relied as they continued to run. "Just a little bit longer.." She thought.
"What does she mean by that?" James asked. "Yeah Ashlyn what do you mean by that?" Aiden asked. "That isn't me you know?" Ashlyn deadpans.
As the others ran another set of footsteps followed. 'Its close!' Ashlyn thought.
"What does she mean "it's close" what is following them?" Mariana asked worriedly.
'The graveyard!' They finally ran inside it. The footsteps gradually became faster. As all of them were now inside Ashlyn turned and pushed the button closing the door. They all held their weapons as the door closes. There a scary black figure with beaded white eyes and an uncanny smile came rushing but was stopped when the finally closes.
"What the heck was that thing?!" Tyler screamed. Everyone was shocked and the parents now worried at their children.
The creature started banging loudly as the group finally catches their breath. "Alright let's head to the bus.." Ashlyn said. Everyone was now resting at one of the buses. "That sucked..." Tyler said.
"Obviously" Tyler replied. "What was that thing though?" Taylor asked. Nobody answers, "Do you think it will also come to us?" Taylor asked the screen but no reply. "Tay, look at me everything showing at the screen isn't real" Tyler tries to comfort her "But what if it was real..?" She replied. "Then they were just unlucky.." Mariana look at her children with worry at her seat.
The banging reduced until it was gone. "The banging stopped" Ashlyn said as she massage her feet. "It probably gave up or somethin-" Tyler said realizing as Ashlyn suddenly heard the noise and looked up to see the Phantom going inside the bus they're in.
Everyone screamed especially the parents. "Bubba!!" Lily cried, Naomi comforting her saying that her Bubba will be fine William looking worried at her family. Daniel and Jessica worried about their son as well as the others.
"HOW?!" One of them screamed. It revealed that it climbed up on the wall. All of them backed up realizing that their weapons were on the other side. The creature starts to slowly walk towards them.
Everyone was tense... All of them were scared on what will happen to the other version of them.
"Can we open the backdoor?!" Ashlyn shouts "It's blocked!" Tyler replied "What do we do?" Logan now in tears. "Die?" Aiden replied nonchalantly "AIDEN!!" They all screamed at him.
Jessica and Daniel sighed. While Ashlyn, Taylor, Tyler and Logan looked at Aiden as Ben shook his head. "What? That's not me you know?"
The creature suddenly lunged at them screeching. The grouped screamed.
Everyone screamed too.
Logan's watch started beeping and suddenly everyone was now gone leaving the creature alone.
Everyone was stunned. "What just happened?" "Where did they go?!" And many more questions followed.
Ashlyn suddenly jolted awake from her bed. "Way too close.." her body trembles. Her phone beeps and saw the messages.
"It was just a nightmare?" Logan asked. "How did we even dreamed the same thing? Much less that they even knew what they dreamed together?" Tyler replied. That made everybody stumped and curious as well.
Aiden message that if the finished their homework and Ashlyn cringes at the pile of unfinished homework. She message "Screw it" as Tyler and Taylor agreed and plopped back to bed.
"Unfinished homework? That's a bad mindset you know?" Aiden teased and Ashlyn rolls her eyes. 'There's something more deeper than it shows like how the sky was red, that eerily looking creature and us suddenly disappearing and waking up from a nightmare' she thought.
"This is giving me a headache...."
TBC...