text: [Themes: sci-fi, post-apocalyptic]
  
  You are a Junior at Blossom Dale High School. Your name is Charles.
  
  Today at lunch Christie handed you a note, pressed her finger to her lips and gave you a wink. "After school. Room 413 in the abandoned hallway. Come alone. Tell no one," it read. You looked up at her confused but she shook her head and refused to talk about it.
  
  You look down at the note and up at the dark hall. The floor is barricaded by six large trashcans but you easily push one out of the way and move past it, pushing it back into place behind you. This hallway hasn't been in use for at least a decade; but it was more than abandoned, it was also off-limits. It would be big trouble if you were caught trespassing in this area.
  
  You give a careful look back over your shoulder and move down the hall, keeping an eye on the numbers painted above the doors. 407, 409, 411, 413. You stand briefly in front of the door. There are no lights on inside. Tentatively you reach for the handle and push open the door.
  
  The room is being used to store old desks and chairs, there are several stacks of desks and chairs throughout the room. There are five people in the room, standing around or sitting on desks and chairs. They are four students and a teacher, the students are an enemy, a friend and a couple who are neither; all are surprised to see you. You smile nervously, arching your eyebrows up and giving an uncomfortable sort of wave.
  
  There's something palpably creepy in the air, a sense that you are intruding on something very secretive. No one speaks for a long while, just staring at you as though willing you to turn around and leave.
  
  "Close the door," the teacher, Dr. Verruckt says with a quiet urgency; breaking the silence. He is a thin older brunette man in his mid-forties with a receding hairline and a thinly shaved beard. "Quickly now," he says. "And quietly."
  
  > get the hell out of there.
  "Okay," you say, turning around and making your way to the door. You walk out through the door and close it behind you, moving rapidly down the hall and glancing over your shoulder to be sure no one is following you.
  
  You run smack into Christie with a collective 'Oof!' and the pair of you fall into a tangled mess of limbs. Christie sits up rubbing her head.
  
  "Ow," she says. "Watch where you're going would you?"
  
  "Sorry," you tell her. "I had to get out of there."
  
  You hear footsteps in the main hall and soon find Mr. Lewis, the janitor, standing on the other side of the trashcan barricade. "Hey!" He calls. "What the hell are you kids doing there! That area is off limits!"
  
  You and Christie share a brief panicked look. Then she pushes a strand of hair behind her ear, leans her face to yours and gives you a long kiss that you are not at all prepared for. Then she stands up and holds a hand out to help you to your feet while you press at your lip with your finger trying to figure out what just happened.
  
  "Sorry," she says to Mr. Lewis with mock humility. "We were just looking for a place we could be alone."
  
  "I should report you to Principal Mathers," he says. Mr. Lewis is cool. You both know he's not going to report you. But out of respect for him you play along.
  
  "Please don't," you say, ignoring Christie's hand and climbing to your feet. "It won't happen again."
  
  "We're really sorry," Christie says.
  
  "Alright," the janitor says; sliding one of the trash cans out of the way. "Come on kids, get the hell out of here."
  
  Christie takes your hand and giggles excitedly, pulling you along as she flees the dark abandoned hall. You cast one last glance over your shoulder at the darkness and wonder what was going on in room 413.
  
  > Next Day
  A sensation of weirdness stays with you the next day as you think about the strange room in the dark hallway.
  
  You lick your lips and taste something else that lingers, strawberry lip gloss. You find your face flushing with the memory of the unexpected kiss. Her lips were so soft. You've never thought of Christie like that before.
  
  You go through your classes with little thought echoes of both topics distracting your through the day.
  
  At lunch you see Christie again, she sits at your table. You find your heart fluttering a bit at her approach and chide yourself at the reaction. The kiss didn't mean anything. Did it? You lick your lips and try to remind yourself that the two of you have been friends far too long for something like this.
  
  "Hey," she says, setting down her lunch tray.
  
  "Hey," you say. Your voice cracks. She stifles a laugh and you do your best to swallow your embarrassment. Stupid puberty.
  
  "What, uh..." You begin. "What was with that room last night?"
  
  Christie's face goes a little pale and she glances around nervously. "We can't talk about that," she says seriously.
  
  You clear your throat. "Can we talk about that kiss?" you ask.
  
  She looks down at her food and blushes a little. "It was a cover," she says.
  
  "It was a really good cover," you tell her.
  
  "Please," Christie says; "Charlie you didn't even kiss me back."
  
  "I would have!" you protest. "I wasn't ready for it, you caught me off guard!"
  
  "Right," she says with a smile at the corner of her mouth; "Sure you would have."
  
  "I-" you begin to say, but your voice breaks into a squeak and you decide to quit while you're ahead. To her credit, Christie does not laugh at you this time. You dip your reheated chicken nugget into your instant mashed potato and gravy and chew on it. "What goes on in there anyway?" you ask around what food remains in your mouth.
  
  "You'll find out today. Wait for me this time."
  
  "I don't know," you tell her. "I got some weird vibes in there and... I mean, you can't even tell me what goes on in there."
  
  "Hush," she says. Then more quietly, "Seriously, it's important that no one even over hears us talking about this."
  
  "Whatever," you say, dismissing the conversation and broodingly picking at the food on your tray.
  
  She finishes eating. "Meet me at my locker when school lets out." You give a non-committal response. She frowns back at you and takes her tray to the bin.
  
  Lunch ends and you go through the motions of the next few classes, filling out worksheets and trying to stay focused on what the teachers are saying. Your mind wonders periodically back to the strange room in the dark hallway.
  
  The school bell rings in your final class. Christie will be waiting for you at her locker. Are you going?
  
  > go to Christy's locker.
  You arrive at Christie's locker and find yourself waiting for a minute or two while the rest of the students get what they need from their respective lockers and make their way out of the school. When she finally gets there she greets you with a warm smile.
  
  "I was half convinced you weren't going to show," she tells you.
  
  "Well here I am," you say with a shrug. "What took you so long anyway?"
  
  "Oh," she says; "My last class lets out right next to the doors. I feel like a salmon swimming up stream at the end of every day. I practically have to push my way through the crowd."
  
  "That sucks," you tell her.
  
  "It would actually be convenient if I wasn't doing other things after school," she confides with a conspiratorial wink.
  
  "About that," you begin, but she shakes her head and cuts you short.
  
  "Come on," she says, punching you playfully on the arm. She leads you down the math hall to the arts hall until you see the darkness looming in the distance. You pass Mr. Lewis as he is sweeping the math hall with his headphones on.
  
  The abandoned hall ran along the west side of the pool. There are many rumors about why the hall was shut down; a string of murders, a gas leak, a failed experiment in the science lab... The official story was that with the town's population decline in the last twenty years, it was a waste of resources. They consolidated the building, shutting off power in the hall. The only reason they hadn't walled it off and tore it down is because it ran along the west side of the schools' community pool.
  
  Christie pushes aside one of the trash cans and you follow her into the darkness. You watch the room numbers until you come to room 413, the numbers large in black paint that has started to peel and fleck away in its age. She gives you a brief smile and opens the door.
  
  You follow her inside.
  
  It's the same crew from the night before. Dr. Verrukt and four students. James is here, the linebacker for the Blossom Dale Knights; holding an aluminum baseball bat in his hands. You aren't exactly friends. There's Mike, a video game nerd you sometimes talk to; Frank, dressed perpetually in camouflage playing with a knife; and Destiny, beautiful breathtaking Destiny whom you've always had a crush on, leaning against the wall and refusing to meet your eyes like she'd rather be anywhere else but here.
  
  James steps forward. "Christie, what the hell are you bringing him in here for?" You've never really been on good terms with James.
  
  "Dr. Verrukt said we needed a few more people," she argued.
  
  "Yeah but you bring THIS idiot?!" he say, pointing his thumb at you.
  
  "Hey," you say.
  
  "Enough," Dr. Verrukt says, stroking at the thin beard on his chin. "We do need more people," he says. "It is true that I have said as much. I was hoping to speak to them first, give them an interview of sorts; but I suppose what's done is done with this one. Christie, are you certain that this boy is trustworthy?"
  
  Christie nods. "I am sir, yes. I have known Charlie since we were both very young. He's a good guy and he can keep a secret."
  
  "I appreciate your words," Dr. Verrukt says. "James, you seem to be familiar with this young man as well. What is your opinion of him?"
  
  "I think he's a fucking asshole," James says.
  
  Dr. Verrukt nods. "I will confess that I do not personally know this young man. Can anyone else vouch for him?"
  
  There is silence from the rest of them for a few moments.
  
  "I know him," Mike says. He clears his throat. "He's alright. I trust him."
  
  Dr. Verrukt nods. "Anyone else?" You don't expect Frank or Destiny to vouch for you; you've never really talked much to Frank and Destiny doesn't seem to even know you exist. She's so hot, you think; glancing over at her.
  
  "Very well," Dr. Verrukt says; "That will have to be good enough. Joseph, is it?"
  
  "It's Charles," you tell him.
  
  "Well welcome to the team. Allow me to explain what it is that we are doing here..." He puts his hand over his chin, his long index finger reaching up to tap at the tip of his nose.
  
  "Are you familiar with the Multiverse theory?" You stare blankly back at him. "What about multiple dimensions?" You kind of squint a little and half shrug. He frowns. "What if I told you there are an infinite number of alternate realities and universes?" You raise your eyebrows a little, still unsure of what he's going on about.
  
  Your eyes wonder as he paces back and forth, excitedly explaining theories and concepts beyond your ability to understand. James is glowering at you; Destiny is filing her nails; and Mike and Christie are listening intently to the older man. You frown a little and focus your attention back on Dr. Verrukt.
  
  "What I and my assistant discovered was that by using calcium carbonate to draw the correct runes; a door can be opened. It is a one-way door, but it is a door none the less. To return to our universe you must use the correct sequence of runes. My first assistant experimented without me and never returned. I assume he could not mark the correct runes to return home. This was years ago. He is assumed lost or dead."
  
  "Stay with us so that you too can return home," he says with a smile. He walks over to an old slate board and draws an archway in white upon it. "Before I open this portal though, there are a few things you must know." He looks you in the eyes very seriously, his left eye drifting ever so slightly off focus. "If at all possible try not to make contact with anyone we meet. Be vague about who you are and if you should happen to run into yourself, absolutely do NOT make contact."
  
  "I still don't understand," you say.
  
  "You will," Mike says. "Just stay close and observe."
  
  You look over at Christie. She gives you a big grin and a thumbs up.
  
  "Alright," you say.
  
  "Good," Dr. Verrukt says. "Now," he begins drawing a complex pattern of runs across the top arch of the portal. He talks as he draws the symbols in a very precise pattern. "This series of symbols will take us to a mirror universe that is in some way somewhat different from our own. Observe," he tells you, drawing one final symbol. Suddenly the chalk drawn archway shimmers wind over water. It seems to change from a chalk board into mirror right before your eyes. On the other side is an exact reflection of the room you are all standing in with one notable exception... None of you are there. It's just the tables, desks, dust, and chairs.
  
  "Whaaaaaaat..." You say.
  
  "This is a portal, Joseph;" he says.
  
  "Charles," you correct.
  
  "On the other side is a world very much like our own but with one or more fundamental differences. There are countless other worlds out there, all you need is calcium carbonate and a large enough surface... And the dimensional address, of course. We've visited worlds where the Vikings conquered the Americas, where sciences were quite advanced or well behind..."
  
  Frank nods. "We visited this one place where everybody had little pet bears.
  
  Dr. Verrukt nods in agreement. "In the history of man in that world, they had tamed and domesticated the bear rather than the wolf. We've also been to worlds where saying the wrong word can get you killed. That's why it's important to do everything with a great deal of caution."
  
  With that he wanders over to the board and studies the room on the other side of the portal. "It looks safe enough," he says. "Let's check it out, shall we?" He asks. He does a quick head-count. There are seven of us then..."
  
  He chalks seven rough circles over the portal and smiles back at the rest of you. "Step right up," he says with an awkward flourish. He steps over the wall and into the chalk board portal, stepping easily into the room on the other side.
  
  > step Inside
  Once Dr. Verrukt has stepped through the chalkboard portal you note that one of the circle's he'd drawn moments before disappeared. Frank steps through next and you watch as another circle disappears. James goes next followed by Destiny and then Christie; leaving you and Mike behind.
  
  "Thanks for vouching for me," you tell him.
  
  He sort of shrugs it off and waves it away. "Hey whatever," he says. "All I did was speak the truth. Now come on, let's check this world out." Without another word Mike steps through the portal leaving you alone behind them with a single circle remaining above the portal.
  
  You take a deep breath and step through. As you step through the portal you find that you feel more like you are stepping out of a chalkboard than stepping into a new world. As soon as you step through Dr. Verrukt draws a portal on the blank chalkboard you stepped out of. Above it he carefully drew a series of runes slightly different than the ones he'd drawn to create the original portal.
  
  "This is the way home," Dr. Verrukt said. "If for any reason we are separated and you need to return home simply draw a circle above the archway and step through. The quality of your circle does not truly matter; you could draw a square or triangle just the same. All that matters is that your circle is closed."
  
  "Why can't you just draw the circles now?" you ask.
  
  Dr. Verrukt looks at you very seriously. "Because anyone can step through that portal if a circle is drawn." He turns to the others and tells them to partner up.
  
  James is with Destiny, he has his aluminum bat over his shoulder and Destiny holds a taser in her hand. Frank is with Christie, she has a crowbar and Frank has a few hunting knives stashed about him. Mike teams up with Dr. Verrukt, both of whom appear to be poorly armed; Mike has a walking stick and the doctor carries some kind of device that looks like little more than a glorified cell phone.
  
  "What about me?" You ask.
  
  "Join up with whoever you want," he tells you. "Just follow their lead and do as they say."
  
  "Okay," you say.
  
  > join Destiny and James
  "I'll stick with you two," you say, walking over. Destiny shrugs her shoulders in response but otherwise ignores you.
  
  James is a bit more vocal. "Are you fucking kidding me? Why in the hell would you want to team up with me?"
  
  "Believe me," you tell him; "it wasn't you I was hoping to team up with."
  
  James' eyes go big for a moment and he laughs. "Wait, you actually think you have a chance with her?"
  
  "Enough," Dr. Verrukt says. James stops laughing, just shaking his head at you. You look over at Destiny who is smirking at you, giving you a quick up-and-down look. You glance back at Christie who is glowering at you for some reason.
  
  You shrug your shoulders and focus on the doctor's instructions as he gives each unit direction. You are going left with James and Destiny, due to return here within half an hour. "Right this way then," Destiny says with a crooked smile. She is the first to step out of the room.
  
  James shoves you forward. "C'mon," he says. "Move."
  
  James is such an asshole, you think in frustration as you make your way to the door.
  
  You step outside to find Destiny walking casually up the hall to where the trash cans are supposed to be standing. Instead they are scattered on their sides a thick layer of dust covering everything. Destiny leads you around them swaying her hips seductively and you follow paying less attention to your surroundings as you probably should. You can hear James' heavy steps behind you.
  
  The three of you walk through the school, your feet making fresh prints on the carpet of dust covering the floors. Everything is unsettlingly quiet. It's as though the place has been abandoned for some time.
  
  "Where is everyone?" Destiny asks, her voice echoing down the hall.
  
  The classrooms you check along the way are all deserted and covered with dust, textbooks and pencils still in place on desktops. In the back of one of the classrooms is the sticky remains of a pool of blood with drag marks leading back toward the door. Destiny shines her flashlight on it and gives James a wide-eyed look.
  
  "This place doesn't look like a lot of fun," James says. His voice echoing eerily in the silence.
  
  "How long have we been exploring?" Destiny asks.
  
  You glance at your watch. "Fifteen minutes," you answer.
  
  "Maybe we should get back," Destiny suggests.
  
  "We still have time," James argues.
  
  "I don't know," she says. "I don't like this place. It's giving me the creeps."
  
  James is about to make a counter point when a shrill scream echoes to you from a distant hall behind you. Destiny and James both look a little uncomfortable. Two voices scream this time, followed by what sounds like snarl.
  
  "We need to leave," Destiny said urgently. The two of you follow her back to the fallen trash cans at the abandoned hall. Coming from the other way are Dr. Verrukt and Mike. Another scream comes from further in the school, a series of growls and snarls rising in intensity.
  
  "What is that?" James asks. "Where are Christie and Frank?"
  
  "It doesn't matter," Dr. Verrukt tells him. "Come on, we need to get back to our world."
  
  "No," James says. "I'm not leaving them behind."
  
  "You're being foolish, James;" Verrukt tells him. "They know how to get back."
  
  James bites his lip and nods. "Yeah, well so do I, doc." He runs off down the hall.
  
  Dr. Verrukt shakes his head with disappointment on his face. He looks at the rest of you and says "Come on." He heads back down the abandoned hall to the classroom with the portal on the chalkboard. Destiny follows him, not turning to look back for a second. Mike looks at you and gestures for you to follow as he jogs to catch up with Destiny and the doctor.
  
  > go back to the portal
  You follow the crowd back down the hall to room 413 where the chalk drawing of a rune framed portal remains on the black board. Dr. Verrukt does a quick headcount and draws four circles with his chalk. He wastes no times stepping through and you watch as one of the circles disappears. Destiny steps hastily through after, followed by Mike. Above the portal only one circle remained. Taking a deep breath you step into the portal and out of the chalkboard on the other side, back into the little room with stacked desks and chairs. Destiny's face is completely paled and Mike is chewing nervously at his fingernails. Dr. Verrukt looks angry.
  
  "Now what?" you ask.
  
  "Now?" Dr. Verrukt asks in return. "Now we go back to our normal lives. They know how to get back. They'll come back."
  
  "And if they don't?" you ask.
  
  "I don't want to think about that, Joseph" Verrukt says sternly.
  
  "It's Charles," you tell him as he stalks over to the door and leaves the room. The rest of you wait around for a few minutes before leaving the room and heading to your respective homes.
  
  Christie, James, and Frank never return. They are believed to have run away but you know better. They were lost or dead in another dimension, one that you left them to die in. The guilt weighs on you for the rest of your life.
  
  Dr. Verrukt disappeared a few days later, his office and house emptied of content and cleaned emphatically.
  
  One day as you are walking to class you pause at the old abandoned hall and it hits you like a punch in the gut. You'd been suppressing your feelings all these months but on this particular day you give in. Where would you be if things had gone differently? What would Christie be like? Would that kiss have lead to more? Would you have been able to save her if you'd gone back? Are the alive somewhere, lost between worlds like Dr. Verrukt's first assistant? Or are they dead? You're pretty sure they're dead. You hope they met quick deaths without suffering, but based on those screams you assume otherwise
  
  Taking a deep breath and letting it out in a long sigh, you make your way to your next class and try to move on with life.