Chapter 1: A New World

Micheal and I caved, each of us trying to wisp away a dull Saturday morning. We went out spelunking with some camping supplies, and it was a day like any other, both ordinary and sleepy. Caving gave our day a jolt of excitement though when compared to the norm.

The dark, dank tunnels led to pools of water clear as glass. Weird, fascinating creatures swam in those pools while creepy critters squirmed on the walls. The air hung heavy and humid. The hard stone gave us a firm footing as we climbed down, deeper into its subterranean depths.

We caved for over an hour when we stopped for an early lunch. We chatted while we ate a trail mix with some jerky and water. Though pretty bland, it wasn’t terrible. Our conversation added more spice to the meal, each of us talking about the usual. I complained about my dad and how sore I was. Michael talked about girls he liked back at school.

In the middle of the meal, something bizarre passed. In a surreal moment, a tiny blue screen popped up in front of my face.

Schema Initializing. One minute until complete transference.

I squinted while turning towards Micheal. He glanced at me,

“So Daniel…What is this?”

I shrugged, “I don’t know. Looks like a screen from some game to me.”

Micheal moved his hands in the air. I followed suit. My hand never blocked the screen, even if my hand lingered over it. The screen existed on a different layer of reality than my hand. Either that or it couldn’t be blocked from sight. It was hard to tell.

The message changed.

Schema Initializing. 30 seconds.

I frowned, “Alright, there’s no way that Kelsey followed us and set up some prank. There’s just no way.”

Michael’s eyes narrowed, “You’re right. That’s impossible.“

Micheal and I cupped our chins as we said in unison, “Unless…”

I grimaced, “I mean, I wouldn’t put it past her entirely.”

Micheal nodded, “And she’s done worse. Remember that time she put a handful of cockroaches into your toilet?”

I shivered, “Gah, that was the worst. I was only six, and she said they were trying to crawl into me and eat me from the inside. It gave me nightmares for months.”

He and I squirmed as the message changed again.

I gritted my teeth, “Get ready for the worst. This may be her best prank yet.”

Schema processing…5 seconds remaining.

Michael shook his hands, “Oh man, this is gonna be good.”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Initialization complete. Welcome to the New World.

As I read the message, the world quaked and the air writhed. It had come. Kelsey had really nailed us this time.