Truth or Dare?

Chapter One - Aspen

Look, I didn't want to be part of the Truth or Dare Project, okay?

To be quite honest, I don't think any of us did.

My story basically starts when I was walking down the sidewalk on my street. I had a hot cup of coffee in one hand and some books in the other. The brightly colored leaves were layered on the ground and crunching under my feet. I had just gotten back from the library and walked up to my house.

My house was pretty nice. I .mean, not as nice as the houses in Quarter 4 but hey, you get what you get.

I turned the doorknob and walked into our cozy house. I set my books down on the kitchen table and sat down for a second, just taking in the hot coffee which sent warmth throughout my body on the cold November day.

I finished the coffee and walked into my bedroom. I picked up the blanket I was knitting and continued on (yes, I knit, you have a problem?).

I started my homework and next thing I knew, my mother was home. I ran downstairs and gave her a hug. "Hi mommy!"

"Aspen, dear, you're sixteen, not five." My mother said as she dropped her purse onto the floor beside the door and made her way into the kitchen.

"That doesn't mean I can't hug my own mother," I laughed. "Do you need any help with dinner?"

"Yes, can you start boiling water for the spaghetti?" she asked me as she took pasta sauce out of the fridge.

"Course," I said as I took a pot out of the cabinet and filled it up with water. I set it on the stove and put the lid on.

Just then, the doorbell rang. I looked at her and she looked back at me. "Are you expecting anyone?" she asked.

"No, are you?" I asked.

"No..." she said, then shrugged. "Maybe it's for your sister?"

I shrugged and we walked over to the door. Three men in black cloaks with the hood covering their faces stood at the door. I looked at my mom and then back and the men. My mom grabbed my hand and my hand started to sweat. The one in the middle spoke.

"You have been selected for the Truth or Dare Project. Pack your things quickly."

Then they scurried away to a black van. I looked at my mom and a tear fell through my eyes. "The Truth or Dare Project?"

"Sweetie," she said, tears building up in her eyes, "pack your things. They'll explain everything."

I went to my room and packed everything I owned into three large suitcases and my mom brought my older sister, Talia, in. "Listen, Aspen, don't let them tear your away from who you are." She told me.

"Talia, I-"

She brought me in for a tight hug. "I'll see you soon."

"But I-"

"Aspen, they're waiting." My mother said.

"So I'm getting in a black van with men in black cloaks and no one else finds this weird?" I asked, wiping a tear away from my cheek. "Do you even-"

"Aspen, go."

A few more tears fell from my cheek. I hugged Talia again and my mother. The men in cloaks threw my bags into the back of the van and led me into the middle of the van where a boy about my age was seated. "Hi," he said.

"Hey," I said, wiping a tear from my cheek.

He held out his hand. "I'm Danny, by the way."

I shook it. "Aspen."

He looked out the window for a second. "You know, this Truth or Dare Project seems so cool, I'm so excited to do it."

I looked at him for a second. "Are you serious?"

"Yes, of course." He said sarcastically.

"I'll take that as a no," I sighed. I looked out the window for a while before looking back at him. "Do you even know what this Truth or Dare Project is?"

He looked at me for a second. "You don't know?"

I shook my head.

"Well, they take us to a house and feed us rainbows and we ride on unicorns and become famous fashion designers!"

I felt like giving him the middle finger but at the same time he was probably upset like I was. Or he was just an absolute jerk.

Yeah, I'm gonna go with option two.

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever."

We turned into a new neighborhood and they stopped in front of another house. "Last stop." Danny said.

"Are you being sarcastic or not?" I felt the need to ask him. He didn't respond.

The men in cloaks left the first part of the van (there were three parts and there was a closed off part between the cloaks, us, and the back). A man and a boy about my age opened the door. The man and the boy looked terrified, hugged each other, and the cloaks scurried back to the van and the boy left the door.

There were three rows of seats so when the boy was done packing he got in the last row. He wiped a tear from his cheek and took in a shaky breath. "Hi," he whispered.

"Hey," Danny said reaching his hand back to the boy's row. "I'm Danny."

"Aspen," I said.

"Zane," the boy said.

We shook hands and the cloaks started the van again. I lay down leaning on my hands and trying to sleep, trying to wake myself up, trying to convince myself this was all a dream.