When I opened my eyes, my chest heaved like I had surfaced from drowning. My body ached, my mind foggy. The room swam in and out of focus.I blinked and checked my phone; it was 1:30 a.m. We had been out for hours.
Joel groaned, clutching his head, his voice raspy. "What just… happened? Ohhh, that container, what the fuck was that? Did we dream it?" His laughter was forced, his panic barely hidden.
James staggered upright, pacing the room. His face was pale, his eyes wide, the words spilling out of him in a frantic rush. "What the fuck keeps happening, man? First you guys crashed , and beyond all reason the blood-stained SUV drives off, then this… weird container made us all unconscious. What was that? Codes flying into our heads, and we just blacked out? This whole thing is absurd!"
I pressed my palms against my temples, my voice trembling. "Ahhhh, fuck… this can't be real."
Vanz shook his head, trying to ground us. "Shit… whatever, man. It's insane, but maybe it was just a shared lucid dream. Who knows. Doesn't matter. Time's running out. We need to do something about Joel's car before morning, or we're screwed."
Joel muttered, still half-delirious. "For real, man. My brother's gonna kill me…"
My voice cracked, guilt choking every word. "I can't stop thinking about them. The people in that car… they're gone."
James snapped his head toward him. "Forget about who? Ducce, are you alright? Did you hit your head?"
Vanzz forced a nervous laugh. "Yeah… maybe he did. Ducce, you need rest.
James groaning and baffled "are we just gonna pretend like all of this is normal ?? Like…. Seriously think about it, the fucking magical box that sprouted a bright flash, sending some magical letters into our head, making us unconscious, how can this even be possible?? This is beyond any explanation, and the car crash how did they drive off when Joel's car is severely damaged, if anything they should be in a worst situation cause their front hit your rear, tell me what actually happened someone, please for God's sake.
Joel "we don't know we are quite confused as well" James looks frustrated but stayed silent.
We all scratched our heads, avoiding James's eyes. I wanted to tell him the truth, but this wasn't the moment to deliver something that would break him.
Just as the room went silent, with fear, regret, exhaustion and confusion. Vanzz whispered, "did you guys hear that"? Shhh listen. Heavy footsteps echoed outside, crunching against gravel, growing closer. Everyone froze, our hearts hammering in sync. "hide" Joel whispered, we each managed to find a hiding spot.
The door creaked. A tall figure stepped inside, his phone's flashlight cutting through the gloom. His voice was deep, commanding. "Is anyone here? I know you're here. I see the cars outside. Come out, I can help."
My blood ran cold. My thoughts spiraled. Shit. He saw Joel's car. If word spreads about the crashed SUV, about the victims from the crash, it all points back to us. A witness means prison. I can't do it. I won't. I want to disappear, i don't want to rot behind bars, I wish it all ends, please just go away.
The man's light swept across the room. No one moved. Breath held. Then, without warning, he turned and walked away. His footsteps faded into the night. Moments later, the low rumble of an engine carried him off.
Silence returned, heavier than before.
Vanz exhaled sharply. "What the fuck was that? If he noticed Joel's car, we're in deep trouble. But… I don't know. Something tells me he won't be a problem." He glanced toward the others. "Still, we need to hide the car. Maybe even repair it."
Joel's voice cracked. "Who the hell was that? Why did he just leave? None of this makes sense. And my car, if we don't fix it, I'm screwed."
James grabs his head, his composure shattering. "This is insane! It's one thing after another. I can't take this anymore. I need to go. You guys figure it out."
Panic gripped me instantly. My voice cracked, desperate. "No, no, no, don't leave us, James! We need the truck!"
"Please," Vanz begged, a tone so uncharacteristic it startled even him. "Please understand the gravity of the situation, James"
For the first time that night, fear became contagious. Joel collapsed into chaos, muttering curses, pacing frantically. The group unraveled all at once, shouting over each other, trembling, panicking like cornered animals. Only minutes before, we had endured unspeakable horrors with eerie calm. Now, one thread of pressure was enough to unravel us all.
Then Vanzz, breathing hard, forced himself upright. "Listen. We'll tell our parents we're going to a funeral out of town. That buys us three days. During that time, we fix the car. We hide it. "
James shook his head sharply. "No way. Three days won't fix this. We're just delaying the inevitable. We better face it now, we need to stop dragging this and making it worse for God's sake"
Joel stepped in, voice cracking with desperation. "James, you can't just leave us alone here. Even if we can't fix it in three days… we'll figure something out. We always do."
I looked at James, his eyes hollow, yet burning with need. "Listen… there's more to this crash. We can't let anyone know. Please."
For a moment, James locked eyes with me. The silence stretched, words unspoken but heavy. Then, as if something shifted inside him, James sighed. "Ugh… whatever, man. Alright."
It was strange. The compliance felt unnatural, almost too easy, like something invisible had pushed James into agreement, I felt a slight satisfying sensation at the back of my head.
Vanz's shoulders eased, a faint smile breaking through. "It's gonna work out. Somehow. I can feel it."
Joel laughed weakly. "That's the spirit, man. We can't abandon each other now. That's what friends are for, right?"
I swallowed, whispering, "Thanks, guys. I hope it all works out…"
James chuckled suddenly, shaking his head. "Why is Joel acting like he's doing us a favor when it's his car, while Ducce's the one thanking us for complying? You're such a dummy, Ducce."
Nervous laughter broke out, fragile but real.
Vanz smirked. "Come on, Ducce was driving."
"Yeah," James admitted, still uneasy. "But… I don't know. All your reactions feel off."
Joel shrugged. "Maybe that magical shit made us dumber."
Vanz chuckled. "Good point."
The laughter faded, leaving an eerie quiet. A cold midnight breeze slipped through the cracks of the lodge, carrying with it a shiver none of us could shake.
Morning light crept into the room like an intruder, pale and unwelcome. We boys stirred one by one, groggy from the little sleep we managed. Our phones lit up endlessly, missed calls, angry texts, voicemails from worried parents. Each screen carried its own kind of interrogation.