Episode 1: The Big Meetup
Jylin slammed his locker shut with a loud clang. "Damn, you trying to break it or something?" Kamari said, tilting his head with a smirk. Jylin shrugged, his hands in his pockets. "Just tired of this place." Kamari leaned against the lockers, eyeing him. "Man, you're always tired. What's new?" "Maybe he's tired of you," Kaden said with a grin, leaning nearby. "Just a thought." "N####, you ain't even funny," Kamari shot back, shaking his head.
"But seriously, Jylin, you good? Or you tryna fight that locker?" Before Jylin could reply, the air shifted. The lights flickered, and the hallway seemed to twist and stretch. "Yo, what's happening?" Kaden said, his voice tense. Jylin stiffened, his eyes darting around. "I don't know. But this isn't normal." The floor rippled beneath them, and in an instant, the world folded into a burst of light. When Jylin opened his eyes, he was sprawled on a hot, cracked sidewalk.
The humidity hit him like a wave, clinging to his skin. "What the hell just happened?" Kamari said, pushing himself up. Kaden stood, pulling at his hoodie. "We're not in L.A. anymore. That's for sure." "This has to be Arizona," Kamari said, scanning the skyline. "Look at these buildings. Ain't nowhere else this dry." Jylin wiped sweat from his forehead, his expression tense. "How do you know it's Arizona?" "Don't know, it just looks like it," Kamari replied. "This doesn't make sense," Jylin muttered. "You don't just teleport to Arizona." Kamari chuckled dryly. "Maybe you don't." "Man, stop," Kaden said, stepping between them. "Arguing Isn't gonna help."
Episode 2: The Bus Stop
The boys wandered the streets, the heat oppressive and draining. "Alright, let's think," Jylin said, his voice tight. "We were at school. Everything was fine. Then—bam—we're here. How?" "Maybe you pissed off the wrong locker, N####," Kamari said, smirking. Jylin rolled his eyes. "Really? That's your theory?" "Better than nothing," Kamari shot back, kicking a rock down the sidewalk. "Alright, both of you stop," Kaden said, gesturing ahead. "There's a bus stop. Let's sit and figure this out." They reached the bench, and Jylin sat first, his knee bouncing as he tried to think. "This doesn't make sense. There's no logic to any of this." Kamari sat beside him, shaking his head. "Man, you keep saying that like it's gonna change something." "I'm just trying to figure it out," Jylin snapped. "Figure it out all you want," Kamari replied. "But if something's coming for us, I'm blaming you first." The moment Jylin leaned back, the world shifted. The sun vanished, plunging them into pitch-black darkness. The air turned cold, and the hum of the city disappeared. "Yo, what the hell?" Kamari stood, looking around. Jylin shot to his feet. "Guys? Where'd you go?" Kaden and Kamari were gone. A low rumble echoed in the distance, and headlights pierced the black. A bus screeched to a halt in front of him, its rusty doors creaking open. "This is messed up," Jylin muttered. But with no other options, he stepped onto the bus.
Episode 3: Stranger Sandwich
Kaden stepped onto the bus, the doors shutting behind him with a sharp hiss. The dim lighting cast long shadows across the empty seats, and the air smelled faintly stale, like it had been sealed in for years. The bus jolted forward, throwing Kaden slightly off balance as he moved toward the middle. Most of the seats were empty, but there was one figure near the back, sitting unnervingly still.
Kaden sat near the front, his eyes flicking back to the shadowy figure every few moments. He fiddled with his phone, the blank screen mocking him. No signal. The figure finally moved, turning its head slightly toward Kaden. "You'll break that thing if you keep fidgeting with it." Kaden jumped, the unexpected voice breaking the silence. He turned fully now, his heart thudding in his chest.
The man was older, his face creased with time, but his eyes held a sharpness that made Kaden pause. "You know where this bus is going?" Kaden asked, his voice steadier than he felt. The man smiled faintly, though it didn't feel comforting. "Going? That's a loaded question, isn't it?" Kaden frowned. "Man, just answer the question. Why do people keep dodging around stuff like this?" The man leaned back, tilting his head like he was sizing Kaden up. "Maybe because you're asking the wrong questions." "What's that supposed to mean?" Kaden asked, frustration creeping into his tone. The man shrugged.
"You want to know where this bus is going, but you don't even know why you're here. Why you stepped on. Why you're sitting in that seat right now." Kaden sat back, crossing his arms. "What, you're saying I'm here for a reason? Like I'm supposed to be learning something?" "Maybe," the man replied, his tone unreadable. "Or maybe you're running from something." The words hit harder than Kaden expected. He shifted uncomfortably, avoiding the man's gaze. "I'm not running from anything. I'm just... trying to keep things together." The man's smile grew, just a little. "Keep things together, huh? Sounds like a lot of work." "It is a lot of work," Kaden snapped, his voice rising. "You think it's easy? Jylin and Kamari—they argue all the time. They fight. And I have to be the one to keep it from blowing up. Every time." "And what happens if you stop?"
The question made Kaden pause. He looked down at his hands, his fingers clenching into fists. "I don't want to stop. I don't want to lose them. Not like before." The man leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. "Sometimes things fall apart, kid. No matter how hard you try to hold them together. The tighter your grip, the easier it is to crush what you're holding." Kaden looked up, his throat tight. "What am I supposed to do, then? Just let them fall apart?" The man didn't answer immediately. Instead, he reached into a bag sitting beside him and pulled out a sandwich, neatly wrapped in wax paper. He held it out to Kaden. "Here," he said. "Take it." Kaden blinked.
"What?" "It's a sandwich," the man said simply. "You look hungry. Take a bite." Kaden hesitated, staring at the sandwich. Something about it felt... strange. But he reached out and took it anyway. Lifting it to his mouth, he hesitated again before finally taking a bite. The taste was unexpected—bland, but oddly comforting. When he looked up, the man was gone. The bus screeched to a stop, and the doors opened. Kaden stepped off into the dark, the sandwich still in his hand, his mind spinning.
Episode 4: We're Not Alone
Kaden stepped off the bus, his heart still racing from the strange conversation. He glanced down at the sandwich in his hand, but as soon as his foot hit the ground, it vanished. One moment it was there, the wax paper crinkling in his palm; the next, his hand was empty. "What the hell…" he muttered, staring at the spot where it had been. Ahead, Jylin and Kamari were waiting at the second bus stop. They stood in the eerie stillness, silhouetted against the desert horizon.
"There he is," Kamari said as Kaden approached. "Took you long enough, N####. We thought you'd never get off." "You good?" Jylin asked, his voice calmer but with an edge of curiosity. "Yeah, I guess," Kaden replied, still shaken. "That was... weird." Kamari snorted. "Weird doesn't even cover it. I'm guessing y'all had your own little chat with that guy too?" Jylin nodded, but his eyes stayed on Kaden. "Yeah. Couldn't see or hear either of you, but... felt like we were all there." "Same here," Kaden said.
They paused, the weight of unspoken truths settling between them. "So, uh... what'd he talk to you about?" Kamari asked, his tone light but not convincing. Kaden hesitated, then shrugged. "Nothing much. Just asked where the bus was going. That's all." "Yeah, same," Kamari added quickly. "Well, kinda. I asked how to go back. You know, normal stuff." Jylin frowned. "I just asked him where to go next." They all avoided each other's eyes, their words ringing hollow.
None of them wanted to admit what they'd really talked about—or the strange pull of the sandwiches. "Did y'all take a bite?" Kamari asked, breaking the silence. "I didn't," Jylin said flatly. "Yeah, I did," Kamari replied. Kaden nodded slowly. "Me too." They fell quiet again, the weight of their decisions sinking in. The stillness around them was unnerving. The bus was the only vehicle they'd seen since arriving, and the desert stretched endlessly in every direction. Yet, bizarrely, next to the bus stop was a gas station—pristine and out of place, like it had been plucked straight from the city.
"That's weird, right?" Kaden said, pointing at the gas station. "Weird as hell," Kamari muttered. "Should we check it out?" Jylin asked. Kamari rolled his eyes. "You really wanna go toward the creepy gas station in the middle of nowhere? This how people die in movies, N####." "Got a better idea?" Kaden asked, already walking toward it. Kamari sighed. "Man, you're gonna get us killed." As they reached the gas station door, a crash shattered the eerie calm.
A boy burst through a window, hitting the ground in a roll and coming up shouting, "RUN!" "What the—Gio?!" Kaden yelled, recognizing him instantly. Before anyone could react, the gas station exploded with movement. Monstrous shapes poured through the walls and onto the ground, their forms twisting and snapping as if reality itself couldn't hold them still. "Go! GO!" Gio screamed, bolting toward the bus stop. The boys turned and ran, their feet kicking up dust as the monsters gave chase.
The sound of claws scraping against pavement and inhuman growls filled the air. As they neared the bus stop, a truck roared into view, skidding to a stop. "Get in!" Gio shouted, jumping into the truck's back. Kaden didn't hesitate, leaping into the truck bed. Kamari and Jylin scrambled in after him, barely making it as the driver hit the gas. The truck sped off into the desert, leaving the monsters howling in the distance.
Additional episode! C1:
(GD version only*)