【ＭＡＮＹ ＳＥＣＲＥＴＳ】

【Ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ １１】

Since Savannah, what happened has been recurring every night. At 12 am, the sky turns red and the world becomes lifeless. Monotone, mute. It was still and dead, a single movement could cause everyone to be on their guard. Especially with the humanoid, shadow-like monsters roaming around, creating those horrific sounds. Since Ashlyn and I originally thought they were phantom noises, we, collectively, decided to call these things:

PHANTOMS

We figured out a multitude of things during our unwanted, daily, stay in the phantom dimension. Firstly, we are stuck in the dimension for seven hours. Even though time is moving in the phantom dimension, time has stopped at 12 am in the normal dimension. We are essentially living 31 hours.

Second, the phantom dimension is influenced by the normal dimension, but not physically. An example, moving a box. Transport the box to a different location and in the phantom dimension the box will be moved. Relocate the box in the phantom dimension and in the normal dimension, the box will not move.

Third, injuries seem to work differently in the two dimensions. If a person gained an injury in the phantom dimension, it would not show in the normal dimension, and vice versa. The pain from the injury will still remain.

And lastly. We always continue where we left off from each dimension.

.

.

.

There was a static-like sort of noise as the group shifted back into the phantom dimension. [M/n] was dizzy as he slowly opened his eyes. He left Aiden's arms loosen from around his waist but Ben kept his hand on [M/n]'s arm. He glanced at Ashlyn who nodded. It was that sound again. "Duck!" Ashlyn whispered, shoving Yin's face and effectively moving Yin off of her. [M/n] slipped out of both Aiden and Ben's grasp as everyone ducked but managed to stay close.

"Still here?" Tyler whispered. Ashlyn and [M/n] nodded. [M/n] noticed Taylor's face, she looked terrified. Ben looked scared as well, though more calm. Logan had his knees pulled to his chest and was near Ashlyn. Of course, Aiden and Yin were near Ashlyn as well. "What do we do?" Taylor muttered.

[M/n] got an idea, glancing at Ashlyn who was looking down at the bus's floor. Finally, she looked up, meeting [M/n]'s eyes. A silent agreement. [M/n] turned to look back at the group. "We're going to kill it." He muttered. Yin scoffed, leaning back against the metallic wall. "How are we gonna do that dumbass?" she whispered back.

Aiden perked up. "We can have Logan shoot it through the window!" He explained but [M/n] shook his head. "Too loud." He spoke. "The gun is only used for emergencies." Ashlyn added. Tyler glared at her. "This is an emergency!" He spoke, his voice rising with anger. [M/n] sighed. "An emergency is when there is a swarm or one of us is about to die." Ashlyn responded, her tone sharp. [M/n] placed a gentle hand on Ashlyn's forearm and she sighed in response. [M/n] turned to Tyler.

"We don't have much bullets. We'll have to try to kill it with different weapons." He spoke. [M/n]'s and Ashlyn's heads turned to the bus's doors, hearing the phantom. Ashlyn placed a finger over her mouth. "Shh." She said quietly as the phantom got closer. Everyone else seemed confused. [M/n] pointed to under the seats and Ashlyn nodded. "Hide under the seats." She whispered. Everyone crawled under a seat or two, their eyes focused on the front steps.

Yin and [M/n] laid together with Yin laying on her back. She was relaxed, oddly calm and playing with her long white hair. "[idiot, why don't you help us?]" [M/n] muttered angrily in his mother tongue. Yin rolled her eyes in response before staying still. [M/n] didn't have to look to know the phantom was on the bus. It stepped slowly, quietly with inky, goopy steps. The [hair color] boy glanced at the box of weapons they had, a variety of bats, knives and for some reason, the rusty spiked ball that Alistar and Liam found in the woods.