Back to Reality?
Aaron walked home under the cool night air, his hands buried in his jean pockets.
Even though the streets were quiet, it felt like every shadow was somehow darker and every sound more… distinct.
After everything he'd seen in the space of an hour or two, it was hard not to see the world differently.
He tried to ground himself by focusing on the small, ordinary details.
The glow of streetlights, the faint barking of a dog in the distance, and the occasional car driving past.
These things marked the real world, separating it from the twisted space of the In Between.
It felt like the night itself was watching him as he neared his house. Unlocking the door, he stepped inside and let the familiar creak of the hinges soothe his nerves.
He tossed his jacket on the couch and headed straight for the bathroom.
The hot water from the shower was a quick distraction, but no amount of steam could wash away the memories of the system, the beautiful glowing cards, the writhing Outcast, and all the powers he'd seen on display.
After drying off, he collapsed into bed, staring at the ceiling.
His mind ran a mile a minute, replaying everything he'd seen over and over.
He could feel the deck inside him, spinning as slow as possible, as if it was on display. Whatever he did, he couldn't push it out of his awareness. It wasn't intrusive, but it was impossible to ignore.
Was his mother really the one who had sent him the deck? Well, it didn't matter. This was the only rope leading to his mother. He'd follow it wherever it led, even if it was just to get some closure.
He sighed and rolled onto his side. It was in this position that sleep found and claimed him.
#####
Morning came too soon and Aaron was wrenched from a half-formed dream by his annoyingly loud alarm clock.
His hand reached out and turned it off and he laid there, blinking at the ceiling.
His deck spinned slowly in his soul space, reminding him that last night had really happened.
It wasn't a feeling of reassurance and neither was it a cause for despair. It just was.
Dragging himself out of bed, he took a quick shower, letting the cold water wake him fully.
He threw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt before grabbing his jacket from the couch. As he slipped it on, his fingers brushed against the card fragments in the pocket.
They pulsed faintly, a strange warmth that made him uneasy. He quickly zipped the pocket shut, careful not to touch the fragments directly. Who knew it could drag him into the In Between.
He grabbed his bag and checked it, making sure the six-pack of beer he'd promised to deliver was still intact.
Satisfied, he slung the bag over his shoulder and wheeled his bicycle out of the garage. The morning air was crisp, the kind that stung his face as he pedaled to school.
Neighbors waved as he passed, and he returned the greetings with a nod. Students in cars honked and called out to him as they sped by, some teasing, others friendly.
As he arrived at the school parking lot, he veered toward the bike rack and secured his bike.
He exchanged quick greetings with a few classmates nearby before making his way toward a beat-up truck parked at the edge of the lot. The rusted body and faded paint job were hard to miss. Nobody would mistake it as anyone else's but Max's truck.
He opened the passenger door and slid into the seat, greeted by Max's wide grin. The sixteen-year-old had shaggy blond hair and a face that always seemed stuck in a mischievous smirk like he was in the middle of pranking someone.
"Did you bring the goods?" Max asked, his voice low as he glanced around, like they were in the middle of a crime drama.
Aaron laughed, shaking his head. "Why are you talking like we're pulling off a drug deal?"
"Because we are." Max said, gesturing toward Aaron's bag. "Kind of."
Aaron rolled his eyes and reached into his bag, pulling out the six-pack of beer. Max's grin widened as he grabbed it, tucking it under the seat like a treasure.
"Man, you're the best." Max said, practically beaming.
"Yeah, yeah." Aaron said, smirking. "Now pay up."
Max fished a crumpled wad of bills from his pocket and handed it over. Aaron quickly counted the cash before shoving it into his own pocket.
"Pleasure doing business with you." He said, his tone mock-serious.
He opened the truck door and hopped out, giving Max a casual two fingered salute. "Try not to get caught."
"Don't worry about me." Max called back, laughing as he started the truck.
Aaron shook his head, amused, and turned toward the school building. Just as he was about to walk away, something caught his eye.
At the edge of the parking lot, where the asphalt met the tree line, something felt… off.
The patch of woods beyond the lot seemed darker than it should have been. The shadows between the trees were too… still, too deep, as if they were holding their breath.
He froze, staring hard at the spot.
The unease from the night before returned, crawling up his spine like cold fingers. He took a hesitant step forward, his eyes narrowing as he tried to focus on whatever had caught his attention.
The longer he stared, the more silent the world seemed to become.
He couldn't explain it, but something about the woods felt wrong, like they didn't belong to this world.
"Aaron!"
"Jesus!" The sudden voice jarred him out of his trance.
He spun around, cursing under his breath, and found himself staring at Sydney. She was sitting in a red sports car parked just a few feet away, staring at him in amusement.
He glanced back at the trees but now, everything was normal. Whatever he'd seen was gone. Or maybe it had never been there. He was probably just paranoid.
"How long have you been standing there?" He turned back to Sydney.
"Long enough." Sydney said, grinning. "You were so busy staring at those trees, you didn't even notice me pull up."
Aaron sighed and turned towards the school. "Don't worry about it. Let's go."
"Yeah." Sydney's grin grew wider. "Hop in."