1 - Aaron

Brooklyn

Aaron was on the train, packed in like a sardine with his bag and unassociated schoolmates. There was a 20 minute wait for the Coney Island bound D train, and everyone's winter coats made the environment even more suffocating. The train pulled out of the tunnel and stopped on the express platform.

*Kssh*, the speaker came on, "Attention passengers, due to train traffic ahead of us, this train will be making express stops ONLY." Many of the passengers expressed their great displeasure with exhausted sighs. "The next stop is 62nd street, followed by Bay Parkway and Coney Island, Stillwell Avenue. If you need service to the stops that were not listed, there is another train directly behind this one making all regularly scheduled stops."

Unphased by the announcement, Aaron who usually gets off at Bay Parkway simply took one of the newly vacant seats.

'I guess I'll still be home at the same time as usual huh.' He thought with his head leaning on the window. 'I guess the problems have something to do with the power going off and on earlier...'

The local train pulled in and some passengers from each train shuffled onto the platform.

'How does the entire city's power just go out like that?' Aaron pondered, 'Just imagine all the sorts of accidents that could have gone on."

"Stand clear!" *kssh,* went the speaker, as the train began to accelerate and round the bend.

Aaron began to doze off as the train slowed down.

>-Get off here-<

A voice inside his head went off, causing him to be jolted, fully awake. It was like gibberish but he somehow understood what it meant.

>-Hurry-<

Aaron tried to ignore the voice but his legs got up anyway and brought him to the door. As soon as the doors opened, Aaron was brought out onto the 62nd street platform of his body's volition.

'What the hell??' He thought

>-Go down the platform to the street-<

Before Aaron could understand the situation, the voice speaking in comprehensible gibberish popped into his mind once more, and with it, his legs began to move towards the stairs. Aaron passed the turnstiles without his will and he soon found himself on the ground facing the intersection. No matter how much he resisted, his body simply moved on "its own."

>-Go down 62nd, towards 15th Ave-<

Once more the outsider's voice commanded his body. Aaron tried to cry for help, but as he opened his mouth, no sound came out.

When Aaron got down the street, he heard the voice once more.

>-Enter the shop on your right-<

*Ding* went the bell as he opened the door. Aaron looked around, but the clerk was no where in sight. It was an auto repair shop, but the garage had no vehicles in it.

>-Go through the door behind the counter-<

*Step...* *Step...* *Step...*

Aaron's body carried him through the door, for him to be met with what he assumed was the mechanic, unconscious, tied up and gagged leaning against the wall. Further in the room was a strange glowing ring about two meters in diameter. He took a few steps forward, of his own volition this time, stopping a few meters from the ring.

"Oh right!" He turned around as he remembered the unconscious mechanic.

Before he fully turned around however, something grabbed his body, and a damp cloth was placed over his nose and mouth as Aaron himself, fell unconscious...