• |DREAMS TO REALITY| • [SCHOOLBUSGRAVEYARD X READER]

CHAPTER 33 - Idiot

The phantoms quickly spotted the group and began running towards them. As they approached the vehicle, they saw one of the traps set up by the group - a diagonal line of large pairs of headlights pointing in the direction the phantoms were heading.

Tyler muttered, "Ashlyn..." when he realized it hadn't been activated yet.

"It's okay, it'll work. Just keep running."

The group was getting closer to the Jeep, with the phantoms following closely behind. However, just as they got near enough, the trap was activated. A beam of light flashed, immobilizing the phantoms temporarily.

"It worked! We're not gonna die!" Taylor exclaimed from the other side of the jeep, tears of joy streaming down her face.

Ashlyn said, "I told you." She then tried to open the car door, but to her surprise, it didn't budge, causing her to turn pale. "It's locked?!"

Tyler angrily exclaimed, "I thought you said you made sure it was unlocked with the keys inside?!"

"I did! One of my parents must have grabbed it or something!"

The group felt stuck, unsure of what to do next. Meanwhile, Logan watched from a distance as they argued with each other instead of getting the jeep, particularly Ashlyn and Tyler.

["Logan, we can't find the keys! Stay there, we're gonna run in the house and get them."] Ashlyn said over the walkie-talkie. She then turned on her headlight.

["…I thought you put them in the jeep??"]

["I DID! Just- stay there and keep watch!"]

["Okay… be careful…"]

Y/N extended her walkie-talkie and softly said, ["Thank you, Logan."]

The group entered Ashlyn's home without realizing that a phantom was lurking on the roof and moving towards them. Once on the porch, Y/N couldn't shake off an eerie feeling. Even though she had been to Ashlyn's home many times before, this time it felt ominous and strange. The house looked like something out of a haunted TV show, but being in the phantom dimension made it even more unsettling. The world around them was completely isolated, with no one else present besides the group.

Following Ashlyn nervously, Y/N felt the adrenaline kicking in as they took a big step forward on their mission. As Y/N followed closely behind Ashlyn, Aiden was in front of the two girls. Suddenly, Aiden came to an abrupt stop and quickly dropped to the floor.

"Woah!" Ashlyn was surprised and stopped suddenly, causing Y/N to also pause. She looked over Ashlyn's shoulder to see Aiden on the ground.

Aiden's behavior raised concern when Y/N noticed his condition. She decided to approach him to check on him and express her worry. As she got closer, she saw him holding his ankle. Y/N bent down to his level to see what was going on.

"What are you-" Ashlyn and Y/N quickly realized the issue: his ankle was bruised, confirming Y/N's theory. "Your ankle-"

While everyone was distracted, they failed to notice a phantom's claw hovering above Ashlyn. Meanwhile, Ashlyn was trying to figure out how it happened before memories of him jumping off the wall flooded back to her. Lost in thought, Y/N tended to his swollen ankle. She pulled out some bandages she had brought with her on a whim and efficiently patched him up. Fortunately, she was well-prepared and experienced in treating injuries, thanks to her dad. She carefully wrapped bandages around his foot.

"You sprung it after you jumped, didn't you, 'Mr. Durable'?!" Aiden looked away as the redhead scolded him, while Y/N listened in while tending to his injury. "You ran all the way here with that??"

Y/N quickly finished the task with ease. "There, it will take some time to heal, so just sit tight," she said. She looked up at Aiden and saw him staring back at her. Their eyes met, but Y/N's expression was almost emotionless as she frowned at him.

"Bravo, you just earned the title of idiot," she said with a sigh. "Why would you decide to jump off that high wall? Don't you understand the dangers?" As she started to stand up, the redhead surprised both Aiden and her.

"Guys! Move-"

Ashlyn's phantom hearing kicked in when she sensed something above her. Before she could reach for her flashlight, it slipped from her hand as she was suddenly pulled up by the back of her collar. Y/N was taken aback, looking up in shock to see Ashlyn being lifted into the roof by the back of her shirt collar.

Aiden yelled, "Ash!" as her head was slammed against the ceiling, blood seeping out.

'From above?! Not… Good…'

At that moment, Y/N was shocked and horrified by the scene unfolding before her. Despite Aiden's attempt to help, his injury prevented him from doing much. Just as Ashlyn was about to disappear, Y/N managed to grab onto her foot just in time.

She could hear her heart beating rapidly, feeling the fear in her expression. The emotional intensity was overwhelming. 'Please-!' Tears were on the brink of falling from her face.

During a tense moment, she tried to pull Ashlyn down, engaging in a brief tug of war. Y/N did her best to bring her down, but her grip started to slip without Aiden noticing. Suddenly, she lost her grip and stumbled forward slightly. Aiden attempted to help by getting up, but he only slipped and fell back to the ground, forgetting about his injury.

Aiden's chest was pounding, his eyes wide, and his breathing hitched as he watched everything unfold. He suddenly realized the seriousness of the situation and screamed, "ASHLYN!"