𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐩𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐩𝐬𝐞~ 𝐅𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐇. 𝐅𝐚𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐜

𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭

»»---->𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎<----««

𝐀𝐊𝐓 𝟗

☂︎

26. June 1960

As I continued walking through the streets of Dallas, I felt the tension inside me growing stronger. The sun beat mercilessly on the back of my neck, and the noise from the cars and people seemed like it came from another world. Everything here felt strange—and yet oddly familiar, as if I had stumbled into an old movie. I tried to stay calm and keep a clear head, but my thoughts kept circling around the same question: How the hell did I end up here? And more importantly: How do I get out of here?

I turned a corner and abruptly stopped. In front of me was a wide street lined with shops whose signs, in bright colors, reminded me of a long-gone era. People in elegant suits and wide skirts, like something out of old photographs, hurried past me. No cell phones, no sign of modern technology—everything felt so authentic, so frighteningly real. I sighed deeply and let my gaze sweep over the crowd, desperately hoping to spot a familiar face. Maybe one of my siblings was here, somewhere. Panic rose inside me. Five, I thought. What have you done?

Suddenly, I felt a light tap on my shoulder. I turned around and looked into the curious eyes of a little girl who was watching me intently. "Are you okay, miss?" she asked with a slight Southern accent. I forced a smile. "Yes, yes, everything’s fine," I quickly replied. "Say, have you seen anyone like me? Someone who... looks strange?" The girl shook her head. But before she could say anything else, I heard a familiar buzzing sound behind me. A sound that gave me goosebumps. I turned around in a flash—and there it was: the portal. A shimmering tear in the air, almost invisible to the people around me.

"Damn," I whispered, running toward it, hoping one of my siblings would finally come through. But just as I reached the tear, it closed with a soft pop. No Five, no Klaus, no Allison—nobody. I angrily kicked the nearest wall. "Shit!"

Now I only had one option left: I had to figure out on my own how to get out of this time. I decided to start by getting some information—maybe at the library or the local authorities. There had to be a clue somewhere.

☂︎

.・゜-: ✧ :-Three years later-: ✧ :-゜・．

I had just finished my shift at the diner and was heading to Elliott’s apartment. I had found out that he had been watching me and my family, and he was trying to help me find them. At least now I knew they were still alive and that I wasn’t the only one who had been dragged here.

When I reached Elliott’s door, I heard voices—which was strange, since he rarely had visitors. I pulled out the knife Diego had given me and went inside. I quietly walked up the stairs. When I reached the top, I stopped in my tracks. My breath caught, and I dropped the knife.

Five Hargreeves was actually standing there. After three years, I was finally seeing someone from my family. "Five?" My voice was barely a whisper. He smiled slightly and opened his arms. I ran to him and hugged him tightly. "I’ve been looking for you for so long," I whispered. He gently ran his hand through my hair. "I know, and I’m sorry," he said, his gaze apologetic. Elliott stood nearby, looking confused.

I cleared my throat and stepped back. Five turned to Elliott, changing the subject. "Elliott, did you develop these photos yourself?" he asked, looking through the pictures. "Of course. I can’t exactly take them to a photo lab. The government has eyes everywhere," Elliott replied, munching on his cereal. "Where’s the darkroom?"