This is part 4 of an ongoing story. For part 3 click here:
Jeremy finally found his way back to the main road, exclaiming, “We made it to where we needed to go!” Everyone cheered. He was relieved he made it out. He entered “McDonald’s” into the GPS, and started following it.
“Finally. We can eat,” Hannah cheered, a smile on her face.
“Yes, yes, I’m working on getting us there. The nearest McDonald’s is on the way to where we have to go. We might make it there sooner than I thought.” He continued driving. Everybody cheered, unaware of the terrors they would be facing the closer they got to Appalachia. Sam, unfortunately, would suffer more than she already has.
The more Jeremy approached the mountains, the more and more frequent Sam’s visions would come back to her. She tried to keep them away, but eventually couldn’t. She finally gave in, unable to fight them anymore, until they consumed her.
Sam fell into a dream-like state, unconscious, drifting further and further from reality. The last thing she saw was a black void, a reflection of her fears, which twisted her view of the world into everything she feared.
Save us Sam.
She heard faint, familiar voices somewhere in her thoughts. She tried to find the source of where it was coming from, but she couldn’t.
Please Sam. Help us.
The voices grew stronger.
“What- stop. Please- who are you,” Sam panicked. “What is this place? Let me out.” Sam’s voice echoed through the darkness.
Over here.
The voices grew stronger and stronger.
Right beside you. A voice teased beside her. You’re alone. No friends, no family. The voice echoed.
“Stop. I- I- make it stop. Please,” Sam begged, giving up. “I just want this to end. I don’t know why this is happening but I want everything to end. All I want is to be able to sleep knowing I’m free from this pain. I want my friends to be safe.” She begged more and more.
Suddenly, a light appeared right in front of her, the teasing voices disappearing. A tunnel leading to the normal world opened up. “What- whoa.” Sam watched the light emerge into a human-like figure.
This is the exit from this place. The place you are in is called the In Between. It is a reflection of your thoughts.
Sam was too stunned to speak.
You are a special girl, Sam.
Sam dried her tears.
“Me? But- what do you mean?” The voice didn’t answer her questions.
The world you live in now is a place filled with demons and monsters. Noone else can see anything. To the rest of humanity, it is a normal place, when in reality it’s a sick, twisted world filled with unimaginable horrors. Only you know the truth of what lies here, and you are the only one who can protect everyone.
Sam listened intently. “How do I-” the figure of light began to dissipate, and Sam chased after it, determined to get out. She ran as fast as she could to the tunnel, hoping to escape. “Wait. Please. Come back!” She screamed, running after the light, but it was too late. The figure had already disappeared, leaving Sam alone again. “Why does it have to be me?” She screamed, her thoughts echoing. “I want out of here!” She begged again and again. She became weaker and weaker with every waking moment, finding herself drifting further and further from reality.
Back in reality, Jacob kept begging her to wake up. “Sam! Wake up! Please, you have to wake up.” Her friends saw her condition, trying everything to wake her up.
“We’ve tried everything.” Fritz said, pulling Jacob away from Sam.
“I’m not letting her go. She has to wake up. I’m gonna find a way.” he said to Fritz, holding back the pain in his voice.
Meanwhile, Sam still had not awakened. She was still stuck in her mind, trying to get herself out, when she heard her friends from outside.
“Sam… I know you’re there. I know you’re alive. Come back to us,” Jacob whispered, not giving up, despite how sad he was. “I’m gonna bring you back,” he continued. “You’re gonna return soon. I promise,” he whispered to Sam.
“I hear you, and I’m coming,” Sam said to herself. She followed the sound of Jacob’s voice, following it. “I’m gonna get out of here, I promise. I’ll do whatever it takes.”
In reality, a tear fell from Fritz’ face. “It’s no use. She’s not coming back,” Jacob, however, was still willing to try to bring Sam back.
“What are you doing Jacob?” Hannah asked, watching his every move. “She’s not gonna wake up. I’m sorry.” Hannah looked at Jacob. “We’ve tried everything.”
He resisted. “Let me do this, and if it doesn’t work then I give up. At least let me try.” Jacob explained, and Hannah backed off. He inserted Sam’s favorite mixtape into the car music player, and let the song play. “If this doesn’t wake you up, I don’t know what will,” Jacob said, not losing hope yet.
Back in Sam’s mind, she saw a ray of light appear, realizing it was her exit back to reality. She smiled. “I’m coming. I’m coming.” Sam started running towards the exit, where she heard a familiar voice.
“You’re useless Sam. You can’t escape.” The teasing voices came back, pulling her further and further from the exit. “Your fate is inevitable-” The voices were suddenly interrupted.
“Sam, you got this, keep running.” The figure of light she met earlier guided her to the exit, getting rid of the voices for Sam again. “Go, Sam. Don’t look back,” The figure begged, protecting Sam as she ran to the exit.
“I won’t. I promise,” She never looked back, not once. As she neared the exit, she smiled. “Thank you.” She said one last time, hearing the horrors of the darkness chasing after her.
The light never let the darkness harm her, allowing Sam to safely make it to the entrance of the real world.
Sam snapped out of her dream-like state, crying a sigh of relief.
“Sam! We thought we lost you.” Jacob cried tears of happiness, seeing Sam finally wake up. He hugged her, begging, “Don’t do that to us again.”
“I missed you guys so much. I’m never going to leave any of you again, I promise,” Sam reassured everyone, the day coming to an end.
To be continued…
