Table Of Contents | |||||
Book 1 | Book 2 | Book 3 | Book 4 | Book 5 | Book 6 |
#SciFi #ScienceFiction #Futuristic #SpeculativeFiction #MindBending #Interdimensional #Otherworldly #PortalFiction #CosmicEncounter #ParallelRealities#GirlPower #YoungHeroes #UnexpectedHeroes #Teamwork #BraveGirls #EldritchHorror #UnknownEntity #BeyondTheVeil #DimensionalRift #AlienMystery#SciFiAdventure #RealityWarp #ExtraDimensional #StrangePhenomena #SupernaturalSciFi
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The school hallway buzzes with an unusual energy on Thursday morning, the air thick with whispers and the shuffle of sneakers.
Ella, Roxana, and Eileen weave through the crowd, their backpacks heavy, their minds still foggy from yesterdayâs revelations.
A hand-painted sign taped to the wall catches their eye: *PLEASE GO TO THE AUDITORIUM FOR SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS.* âWhatâs going on?â Ella asks, her brow furrowing. âLooks like everyoneâs heading to the auditorium,â Roxana observes, her voice tinged with unease. As they enter the cavernous room, the hum of confusion greets them.
Students mill about, claiming seats on the worn velvet chairs, their faces a mix of curiosity and dread.
Some cluster in tight groups, murmuring; others sit alone, eyes glassy or red-rimmed.
A few girls in the front row cling to each other, tears streaking their cheeks. âThis is bad news,â Eileen says, her voice low, a shadow of fear crossing her face.
âI can feel it.â âI wonder who died?â Roxana murmurs, her eyes already welling up, anticipating the worst. A heavy dread settles over the girls as they slide into a row near the back, their hearts pounding in unison.
The auditorium lights dim slightly, and Principal Martinez steps onto the stage, her face pale, her hands gripping the podium.
Her voice cracks as she begins, each word a struggle. âGood morning, students,â she says, her tone faltering.
âI have very sad news to share.
Around 2 a.m., I was contacted by the chief of police about an incident that occurred near midnight.
It involves some of our high school students, and it will affect our community deeply.â She pauses, steadying herself.
âPolice and paramedics were called to a residence where several students were holding an unauthorized party.
They were consuming alcohol, and one student brought opioid painkillers, reportedly from a dental prescription.
These pills were shared, causing intoxication when mixed with alcohol.â âLater, additional pills were introduced,â she continues, her voice tightening.
âThey appeared identical to the first but were counterfeit, laced with a substance over a thousand times more potent.
Some students, chasing their high, took multiple doses.
It was fatal.â A gasp ripples through the room.
Principal Martinezâs eyes glisten.
âDespite heroic efforts by EMTs using CPR and anti-opioid medication, three students were pronounced dead.â The names hit like blows: âShelly Boyd, a beloved cheerleader and honor student, has passed away.
James Reagan, a star athlete and glee club captain, has passed away.
Ronald Jackson, a senior and exceptional scholar, has passed away.â âFive other students are hospitalized,â she adds, âand may face criminal charges.â The auditorium falls silent, the weight of disbelief pressing down.
Students glance around, searching for a sign this is a cruel prank.
Ellaâs throat tightens, a lump so large she canât speak.
She taps Roxana and Eileen, motioning toward the exit.
They slip out, the cool hallway air a sharp contrast to the stifling grief inside. âThose kids lived on our street,â Ella says, her voice trembling as they step into the morning light.
âI woke up last night, wondering why sirens were so close.
Three people we saw every dayâgone.
I donât know how to process this.
Letâs walk to my house.
I need to talk to Mom, and Helana.â The walk is quiet, the townâs familiar streetsâlined with neat lawns and blooming dogwoodsâfeeling alien under the shadow of loss.
At Ellaâs house, a cozy craftsman with a porch swing creaking in the breeze, they find her mom in the kitchen, the TV murmuring news of the tragedy. âMom!â Ella cries, rushing into her arms.
âShelly, James, and Ronny are dead!â Roxana and Eileen follow, their faces etched with sorrow.
Ellaâs mom envelops them in a hug, her voice soft.
âI know, sweetie.
Itâs all over the news.
Iâm so sorry.
The school has counselors if you need to talk.
I can take you.â âNo,â Ella says, pulling back.
âWe have all the counselors we need right here.
Weâll be upstairs.
We need quiet time.â In Ellaâs room, the girls collapse onto the bed, the pastel walls and stuffed animals a jarring contrast to their mood.
They sit in silence, avoiding each otherâs eyes, their minds numb, thoughts tangled in shock.
The faint scent of Ellaâs lavender candle does little to soothe the ache.
Minutes stretch into eternity until Ellaâs voice breaks the quiet, small and desperate. âHelana?â she asks, staring at the Aladdinâs lamp bottle on her nightstand.
âWhat happens when we die? Where are my friends? Can you see them?â Helanaâs voice, soft and sympathetic, hums in their minds, her translucent form faintly visible.
âIâm sorry, Ella.
I canât see them.
I can glimpse some spiritual domains, but there are millionsâmost are beyond me.
It hurts me to see you so sad.
Iâm not sure what happens when you die here, but I can share what my people believe in our domain.
It might be similar.â âTell me,â Ella says, her voice barely above a whisper. âIn my world, thereâs no physical death,â Helana begins.
âAfter centuries, some choose to move to another domain, like your death, but itâs deliberate.
We rarely return to the same domainâitâs frowned upon.
In your world, youâre born physical, then become spirit at death, like us.
But since youâre less aware of your spiritual nature, your spirit can be confused, not understanding whatâs happened.
It might stay here as an earthbound spirit or move to one of countless domainsâeach a complete world.â âWhat do you mean, âconnected to soulâ?â Roxana asks, her voice thick with emotion. âMy spiritâwhat I amâand yours are temporal, unique, with a beginning and end,â Helana explains.
âSoul is eternal, a collective of all spirits, the mind of the One Infinite Creator, the source of the Grand Originating Thought that birthed existence.
When a spirit connects to soul, it joins the Creatorâs mind, preserving all memories, thoughts, and feelings forever.
Soulâs life force sustains the spirit.
Without that connection, a spirit fades, its timeline ends, and its essence is lost.â âSo our friends could just⊠cease to exist?â Eileen asks, her voice trembling. âConnection to soul is usually automatic,â Helana says.
âOnly the truly evil disconnect.
A spark of love, kindness, or godlike qualities ensures soulâs acceptance.
Your friends were foolish with those drugs, but I doubt they were evil.
Still, spirits migrate to domains that resonate with their nature.
If they were cruel, they might end up in a harsh domainânot fun.â âLike hell?â Ella asks, her eyes narrowing. âNot the hell of your stories,â Helana says.
âBut if you believe you deserve punishment, there are hellish domains.
In spiritual realms, we create our own heaven or hell, and to some extent, we do that here too.â Ella sighs, her shoulders slumping.
âThat doesnât help.
I miss them.
I want to see them, yell at them for being so stupid.
I donât want them gone.â âI know,â Helana says gently.
âOur scholars study this for lifetimes, but it rarely eases daily pain.
I believe those Iâve lost are somewhere, alive in another domain, but I still miss them.â Roxana wipes her eyes.
âSome of what you said is like my churchâs teachings, but most isnât.
My priest would be upset Iâm listening, but I love you, so Iâll honor your beliefs.â âItâs a bit like what my dad reads about ETs and channelers,â Eileen says.
âBut also different.
Roxanaâs rightâchannelers can be sketchy, maybe tied to tricksters or demons.â Helanaâs tone grows cautious.
âThese are my worldâs teachings, much of it speculative.
We have psychics and channelers too, drawing from higher beings, but even thatâs guesswork.
After billions of years, higher beings still donât grasp the One Infinite Creatorâs mind or the Mystery of Existenceâwhy anything exists.
Anyone claiming to know is mistaken or lying.â âOne more thing,â Roxana says.
âDid those spirit bugs make them take the drugs?â âThey mightâve been influenced,â Helana says.
âIntoxication attracts earthbound spirits who crave that energy, pushing users to consume more.
But here, I think your friends just made a mistakeâthey didnât know the pills were laced.â Ellaâs frustration boils over.
âEnough.
I respect your beliefs, Helana, but these are theories, not answers.
Iâm starvingâletâs see if Mom can cook.
I need you here, but I need quiet to process and cry.
Letâs journal and talk later.â âSounds good,â Roxana says, her voice soft. âMe too,â Eileen agrees.
âWhen are the funerals? Maybe theyâll let us out of school.
Itâs the only way to say goodbye.â Downstairs, Roxanaâs and Eileenâs moms have arrived, joining Ellaâs mom in the kitchen.
The clatter of pots and the warm aroma of baking cornbread fill the house, a quiet gesture of support for their daughtersâ grief.
In the stillness of her room, Ella opens her diary, the weight of loss pressing on her chest.
Dear Diary,
Itâs me, Ella, but not the Ella from yesterday.
I feel differentâempty, angry.
I hate this feeling. My friends died, and I donât know what to think.
Shelly, James, Ronnyâgone.
I hear theories about spirits and heaven, but they bring no comfort.
Just questions, no answers. Helanaâs hungry tonightâI can feel it.
Iâll hold her close and try to sleep. Goodnight, Diary.
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