Chapter Text
Beep
Beep
BEEP
“Okay,okay!Jesus..”
Albert groaned as he missed hitting the button on the top of the digital alarm the first time,hitting his hand off the corner of the drawer.He winced in pain,practically dragged himself out of bed to hit the button properly.
He mumbled something under his breath as he walked over to the bathroom in the hallway,rubbing his eyes in the process.
“Weird…”
Albert thought,as he didn't see his sister's makeup across the sink,usually it was dirty with powder since his lazy sister never bothered to clean it.He shrugged it off as his sister must be sick and wasn't going to school and started brushing his teeth.He put an unnecessary amount of toothpaste on his brush and had to take a little bit off.
He continued brushing his teeth as he thought about the day that has yet to come.He usually would go skateboarding with Jake after school but he accidentally snapped his skateboard in half after doing a boardslide over and over again to the point it broke.He remembered his dad yelling at him about how “Skatesboards are expensive” and that he "shouldn't be doing dangerous tricks.” as if doing a boardslide could kill you.He finished up in the bathroom,brushing his brown fluffy hair and his teeth that were slightly stained yellow from years of not brushing properly during covid.
Albert went and got dressed in a green t-shirt with a white undershirt,some grey baggy jeans and a studded belt that Jake bought him for his 15th birthday.He put some cologne on and headed downstairs.He noticed a weird smell in the air but shrugged it off as his dad burnt food.
He hummed his favorite rap song while he jogged down the stairs,nearly slipping off the stairs at some point.“Sheyin!”
He called out for his dog,only to be met with silence.“Sheyin?”
He repeated again,confused why his usually clingy dog suddenly wasn't trotting to him with a wagging tail.
Albert walked into the kitchen,expecting his father to be there but he wasn't.He stood in the doorway in silence,taking a moment to look around the kitchen slowly.
“Why wasn't he here?I literally saw him last night before he went on a date with the girl with blonde hair.”
His mind instantly went to the worst scenarios possible.Maybe he got kidnapped, or maybe he got killed! God,he should have never let him go on that date.He was always going on dates,desperate to find someone to replace the absence of Albert's mother,since he left at a very young age.
He snatched his phone out of his pocket,frantically typing out a message to his dad.He waited till the two ticks turned blue but they never did,it was sent but never read.
His breath started to quicken,his heart rate along with it.He then stopped,realising his dog wasn't here either.“What the hell?” He muttered under his breath,why was everyone in his house gone except him,did they get kidnapped?He knew his dog was old and couldn't protect him anymore but what idiot would kidnap a dog?That's just plain stupid.He tried to calm down,he told himself that his father just went for a walk with the dog.Thats it,that's just what happened!His dad went on a walk with the dog,nothing to worry about.
He walked to school,slower this time.He was still trying to convince himself that his dad and sister went on a walk,but he knew that couldn't be.His dog was around 10,his father didn't go on walks anymore,sure just a few 15 minute walks but not in the morning since his dad worked as a retail worker and woke up early and his sister never went on a walk with the dog.He looked at the time on his phone,the screen read 7:03.Behind the text was a picture of him and his friend group at a skatepark,although Jake and him are the only one who skate,Dani rollerblades and Elijah rollerskates.
He then noticed that it was really quiet outside,and the smell,disgusting.Maybe a stock trailer passed by.
“Weird…”
He thought.Usually the street would be busy with students walking to school,but it seemed like he was the only one.Was today a no school day?Ugh..if it was he’d be really annoyed.He put his phone back in his pocket softly,still looking around every now and then hoping to see a person.
His head was spinning,everything about today was insanely weird.From his dog and dad not being home and now literally nobody walking in the street.He snapped out of his trance from a vibration in his pocket,it was Dani.Dani was someone he was friends with since he was around 13.
Dani:
“Hey are you walking to school right now”
Albert:
“Yea why?”
“Do you see anyone”
“No???”
“Same just asking”
“Dont you find it weird”
“No??”
“Why would it be weird”
“Why would it NOT be weird?”
“Liek it's dead silent.”
“Like* sorry typo.”
“Stop asking stupid questions and go to school”
He put the phone back in his pocket with more force than needed.He told himself that Dani was overreacting like always,but in the back of his head he knew that it was indeed very weird.
Why is everyone gone?it just doesn't make any sense,maybe school started earlier today,or maybe later.
When he arrived at school the gates weren't open,the lights weren't on,people weren't there,just plain silence.He stood there,his eyes wide and lips in a thin line.
“Where was everybody?”
His breath deepened and quickened as he started to panic more and more,he felt like his legs were about to give in and drop to the cement pathwalk.
He was so focused on trying to breathe properly and not have a panic attack that he didn't notice his best friend of 9 years,Jake running towards him,looking as confused as Albert.
“Albert!Albert!Where the hell is everyone?!” Jake demanded to know,but he knew that Albert didn't have a clue either.Albert’s head snapped towards Jake's voice,his breath hitched as Jake yelled. “I-I-” He couldn't get any words out.
“Albert?” Jake asked in a softer tone as he realised Albert was clearly terrified.He stepped towards him slowly,careful not to scare him even more.“Albert,Albert,calm down.” He said as he put his hands on Albert's shoulder,rubbing them as he tried to comfort him.Albert was now full on sobbing,drool on his lips and red puffy eyes.Jake was talking to Albert with comforting words,trying to help him even just to slow his breathing.
“Hey guys!”
Both of them turned around to see Elijah,waving to them looking happier than ever.
“Yikes..what's up with him?” Elijah nodded his head towards Albert while taking one of his earbuds out,confused as to why on he’s crying.
“Why do you think?” Jake snapped back,clearly annoyed.He was usually protective over Albert. “I don't know,why would I out of everybody know?” Jake scoffed and then looked around,he stretched his arms out beside him.
“Because nobody is here?God..you can be so clueless sometimes…” Jake mumbled under his breath.“Hey!That's not very nice.What happened to ‘If you have nothing nice to say don't say it at all!’ huh?!”
Jake stared at him with a deadpan expression,he has been convinced that Elijah just likes to pretend to be dumb for the fun of it.He sighed then turned back to Albert. “Hey,Albert.” He said in a stern but soft tone. “Y-yea?..”Albert spoke in a quiet voice,a huge contrast to the usually contained Albert. “Don’t panic,okay?We will figure this out.”
Albert nodded,piercing his lips together in a thin line.He wiped away his tears with the back of his shaking hand.They stayed silent for a while before Jake finally spoke up. “You guys think Dani and Paige are also gone?” He mumbled out,afraid of the answer to his question. “No..I actually spoke to Dani a few minutes ago.”
Albert said and Jake sighed in relief,grateful that Dani was still here.He then took his phone out of his pocket and opened up Whatsapp to text their group.
Jake:
“Hey Paige and Dani,where are you guys?”
“Guys answer please”
Paige:
“Walking??”
“What do you want”
“What do you mean what do I want???”
“Did you look around or are you stuck on your phone like always?”
“Rude much”
“And what about around me”
“Nothing is happening”
“EXACTLY”
“Nobody is here”
Paige is typing…
Jake stared at his phone like it owned him money,why was everybody acting so calm except him and Albert.
“Did she respond yet?” Elijah asked him,tapping his foot nervously on the pavement underneath his checker pattern vans shoes. Jake stayed silent for a second before responding in a more annoyed but controlled tone.“Yea,but now she is taking forever to reply." Elijah stared at him for a while,clearly unimpressed “Hm..” Elijah hummed out,looking around once again.
Just as they were starting to lose all hope they had,they heard a familiar Georgian accent from behind followed by mental keychains hitting against each other. “Guys!Guys!” Dani sprinted towards them,looking as panicked as they did.Her face was a warm shade of red that looks like she's been crying and panicking.“Where is everybody?”
“Dani!” Albert yelled as he went to wrap his arms around her,squeezing her tightly.Dani let out a soft chuckle before speaking. “I told you something was happening,you just never believe me.” Jake stayed silent,a little annoyed that Dani was getting so much attention from Albert.
Albert put a tight smile on his face because he knew Dani was right.Jake coughed into his hand,clearly trying to change the topic. “Has anyone seen Paige?” Everybody looked at each other,waiting for an answer.
“Well I saw her in the morning but she went to the shop to buy her lunch for school.” Dani explained,rubbing the back of her head. “Did you see her after that?” Jake demanded, “uhm..No,sorry I didn't.” Jake sighed in irritation,dragging his hands across his face. “She isn't answering me so I don't know what to do.
“Just wait,she’ll come here anyways.” Elijah said,this was probably one of the smartest things he has said in awhile. “Yea,that's probably the best solution.” Albert muttered out,agreeing with Elijah.
Around 20 minutes later they finally spotted a black haired individual on their phone walking towards the school.
“Paige!Paige!” Elijah yelled as he ran towards Paige.Once he was in front of her he shook her shoulder,Paige roughly took her headphones off and yelled at him. “What?!” She said in an annoyed tone. “What do you mean what?!Do you see any other people?!” Elijah argued with her,confused on how she didn't realise yet as if he,himself also didn't realise until someone told him. “Yea?How else did you think I bought these chips?” She said as she held up the bag of Lays chips. “I went to the person at the register and I said ‘Just this please’ and he sold it to me.”
The group of friends looked at Paige like she grew a second head,confused on what she meant about seeing another person. “What do you mean you talked to somebody?” Jake asked,just as confused as everybody.
“I mean I talked to somebody,are you guys going insane?” She questioned,Paige genuinely thought they were going insane.
“Paige…” Albert called out. “There is nobody here.” He insisted. “Yes there is,are you crazy?!” She yelled,pointing to the direction she just came from. “Jesus..you guys are trying to ann-” “Show us.” Jake interrupted. “What?” “I mean show us where this person was,from my knowledge I've seen no one and everybody else hasn't either.”
They walked for a while before they stopped in front of a shop called Dari’s,a shop they all went to a lot because it was the only play that sold hot food and wasn't a restaurant.They walked in slowly then Paige called out to the man at the register,to only find out he wasn't there anymore.
“Frank?” She yelled,starting to panic a little. “I-I- I swear he was here,I saw him with my own two eyes!I gave him cash!” She started explaining,she chuckled but it came out rough,panicked and forced.
“Paige,calm down.” Dani stated. “We are also confused,don’t worry.”
Paiged nodded,swallowing the lump that formed in her throat.Her hands were shaking a little from realising what was happening.She looked around slowly then she spoke up,quiet but stern. “So..We are the only people here?” she asked. “Seems so..” Albert said slowly.
“Hey,look on the bright side,we all got this food for ourselves,we can do whatever we want and nobody can stop us!” Elijah said proudly,as if being the only people in this town was the best thing ever. “I wonder if any other towns are like this.” Jake mumbled under his breath. “What was that?” Dani asked,leaning towards him. “I said I wonder if any other towns are like this.” They stayed silent for a while before Paige opened her phone,going on youtube but there was no wifi. “What the hell?” “What happened?” Albert asked,confused. “There isn't any wifi and my mobile data has no signal.”
The group fell into silence,staring at Paige like she held all the answers to this nonsense. “Great…That's just great isn't it!” Jake cried out sarcastically.
They finally decided that moping around wasn't going to do anything,so they grabbed a trolley from a supermarket and grabbed everything they could eat,bake or cook.The only two people who knew how to cook were Jake and Paige,given the fact that they were the oldest out of everyone.They gathered some can food and some snacks for the sake of it.
At Dani’s house (since hers was the biggest) they gathered up in her parents room.They talked for awhile about what they're going to do and how they could survive for the longest time.They considered driving out the town but none of them knew how to drive and they might kill themselves before they even get close to the end of the town.
Everything was okay,for now anyways,but Jake seemed more distant.The second the group were discussing something Albert pulled Jake aside and finally asked him what's up with him but all he got was a lousy answer.
“It's nothing,don't worry about me,Albert.” He said,trying to not cause a conflict while having bigger fish to fry.
“It's not ‘nothing!”Albert corrected,putting his fingers up in a quotation mark. “You’ve been acting weird and I want to know why.”
Jake sighed,like Albert was an annoying fly he couldn't get out of his room. “I don’t know..I’m just not feeling well,my stomach has been hurting ever since everyone disappeared.”
Albert tilted his head in confusion then spoke up. “Well..Now that you mention it..My stomach has also been hurting.” The silence in the room was thick,full of tension “You think the other’s stomach has been hurting?” Jake finally asked.
“One way to find out,I guess.”