The sound of a motor, the overwhelming heat, and the strike of a pothole woke them up. “Jesus Christ!” “OW, I hit my head!”

“Sorry guys!” Said James’ father from the front seat of the car. The three boys were strapped in the back of said car with the seatbelts. Even with this, Karim hit his head against the roof. “I didn’t see that one coming. Sorry!” James’ dad has his tired but cheery tone like always. It was a bit cheerier than usual though. As they woke up and realised where they were, they had even more trouble grasping their reality. They were back in their normal clothes. “What is it? Tough dream? Come on, we are nearly there!” The clock marked 2:47 pm. When they entered the centre it was around 11:16 am. The car was a pickup truck with a cab, and behind them were all the instruments. “Sorry I was late too! Jesus, you know how John can be about those reports! By the way, don’t you guys wanna take all those sweaters off? I mean, Jesus! It’s hot in here! Ha-ha… Damnit, I wanted that spot…”

They all started unpacking and leaving it all behind the public stage. They took off their sweaters, and Karim switched his wool cap for a baseball one. They found themselves in a Meadow just outside the suburbs. Surrounding them were all the people they saw in the convoys earlier in the morning. The adults were hanging out, some were drinking. The kids were running and playing; they were being very loud. Music played through the speakers. It was another one of those billboard hits where you couldn’t recognise any inspiration or intent because of how perfectly the elements mixed. Store employees were out here too, cooking food and making drinks for everyone in portable stalls (tax already pays for this). There was also an abandoned castle or mansion at the border of the forest, which still had the last year’s Halloween decorations hanged up. Everybody was too busy either partying or working to hang them off. The city was barren because everyone was preparing out here.

“Well, I’m gonna leave you guys for a bit. I need to discuss some stuff with co-workers.” James’ father said, then gave them a pat on the shoulder. It was comical to see him reach out to pat Karim’s shoulder, who was the tallest one in the group. He was a small man with black slightly receding hair, a curved back, and formal informal attire. “Have fun! And Hansen, don’t get into any fights… Got my eye on you bud… Bye!” He left them to hang out with work friends.

The three boys walked over to one of the stands to get lunch. They got some chilli dogs off a local chili dog stand because the line was the shortest. They sat on the grass away from the people to eat and talk. They wanted to say so much, but they had both their mouths and minds full. Karim looked just fine, trying to enjoy lunch. James looked tired, but his eyes were still wide open. Hansen looked anxious.

Finally, James opened his mouth. “Well… I guess we’re out…” Hansen interrupted anxiously after gulping a mouthful of his chilidog “Do you guys see any men in black around?!” whispering in a shout to them. They gaze over to the crowd, to the woods behind them, and the mansion. They shrug and shake their heads, denying.

“I’m so very sure they’re coming to get us eventually… I mean, it felt like a dream…, but we can’t deny it was also very real, right!?” Implored Hansen. “Well, yeah…? It felt real, and I still feel that weird thing on the back of my head.” Said Karim with a mouthful. “Karim don’t talk with your mouth full. But yeah, I still feel it… We might’ve fallen asleep in a shitty position or something. Happens to me all the time.” Commented James.

Neither of them could grasp with their reality, scratching the back of their heads constantly. Hansen felt a little heavy, like he was carrying something with his neck. James’ eyes felt… weird. He can’t describe the feeling very well yet, but it’s like a slight burn. Karim feels more energetic and lightweight than usual. They tried to communicate with each other. They recollected the happenings of this morning. Someone was recording them, so they had to find another spot. They didn’t find that good a spot; there are not many places to hide there, unless they wanted to go into the mansion, but they’d rather stay away from there for now. They’re not that desperate yet.

Then they started discussing more pressing matters. “Good thing we did rehearse the other day. We’re not getting much rehearse time today.” Said Karim again with a mouthful. James told him off talking with a mouthful again. “You got the lyric pages? You didn’t lose them in the underground?” Karim nodded and showed him the lyrics from the bag. “Thank god… Look, guys, I know that you aren’t exactly musicians, but thanks for doing this, even after all that happened before.” “No biggie, man. It might help me clear my mind anyways.” Said James before giving another big bite to his chilidog. All that walking and running away got them tired and hungry.

It was getting late by this point. They hung out a bit with James’ dad and they also encountered John. “They finally let you off huh?” Jokingly said Hansen. Despite all the recording and annoying kids (which they were expecting anyways), it was a good afternoon. James’ dad looked weird though. His gaze was worried and even stressed. He told them to not worry about it. “Just tired from work! My back can’t handle it sometimes.” John also felt a bit odd today. This worried Hansen the most, but he was more pressed over the concerts. The presentations were starting at 5:00 pm. They wouldn’t have been able to play, but there was an opening somehow. They quickly took it, and they’ve spent basically all winter rehearsing and anxiously waiting for it. John and James’ dad may also be excited or worried for their presentation, they thought.

The hour eventually came and an old lady with crusty grey hairs and a long yellow dress walked up the stage. She welcomed everyone to the festival and thanked the men in the branded stands (MacDonalds, Doña Tota, Dairy Queen!), all the people present, the farmers who work hard to feed us, and IKEA for sponsoring this year’s festival. “As per usual, we’ve gathered some local talents to play in this stage in competition. We’ve chosen three random people from our town to judge:” And there go the names of three individuals the three boys know from a distance, but no further. “As a starter, there’s nothing better than some energizing young music, isn’t it? Of course, I’m talking about our precious and most talented youngsters on the block… The Startlers! With Jerry on the drums, Johnathan on the…” And so, she listed the four members of the band. Hansen despised them, but not enough to really do anything. They got all the attention he wanted for his music, but at least he's now in a similar playing ground as them. He’s got his band, and he’s got a spot on the festival. He’ll show them.

Despite the mental pep talk he was giving himself his legs were giving up on him already. James and Karim, who were also very nervous themselves, noticed how out-of-it Hansen was. Everything could go wrong in just one second, and they’d never hear the end of it. I mean, they already never hear the end of it anywhere else, but it’s always bad to have stuff added to the fuck-ups list. The fact that they still have the underground adventure fresh off their minds isn’t helping much.

Eventually it was their turn. They stepped up to the stage with their instruments. The old lady announced their band’s name (or musical project as Hansen called it). “Dream-catching Fiend”. “They’re gonna be playing some original songs off their catalogue of… psychedelic… old school… indie rock…” she said, struggling to read what Hansen had submitted for his music. People in the crowd tried to stay respectful to a point, but some younger people chuckled under the silence. Stuff was adding up. Under-breath conversations were being held every so often during presentations, obviously. They always happened at some point. Still, they started to build up unconsciously at this moment. They always hear each other in groups of 2 people, but they don’t notice the collective of whispers building up. Stuff was still adding up.

Hansen had his guitar hanging to the side. His hands were on his keyboard. James and Karim were playing the bass guitar and drums respectively. They started to play. It was sloppy, but not sloppier than most bands that touched the stage. The sound was outdated and strange. People weren’t fans, though there was nothing wrong with it. Children were the most vocal with their opinions. It just kept building up too. Hansen was nearly losing it, and James and Karim were following through. Sometimes the child was so loud they couldn’t hear themselves and tripped over some phrases of the song. James managed to calm Hansen down between songs enough to stop him from blowing up. Hansen started questioning why they were even up there, or why he signed them up here. He knew this was going to happen, and the regret would make him die inside as a result, but he still did.

With time, the music became sloppier and the performances weirder. Hansen’s voice was cracking, and it was clear he was holding it in. James and Karim weren’t exactly musicians, but they were trying very hard to hold it together too and carry Hansen up and out this slow burning and silent mess.

There was no big blow up, no grand finale, no great showcase of musicianship, or even a great downfall. It was just a couple of kids being loud, people being disrespectful, and the slow decline of will. Few people clapped and they quickly moved on to the next act. John and James’ dad were nowhere to be seen. “At least his car is still here… James you still have the dupe keys, right?” Said Karim as they dragged their instruments back into the car.

They packed up. The sun was setting. Everyone was away, and they were making noise for the sixth-grade ballerina dancing club from the local school. No one could hear them that far, and no one was near. They sat down behind the car on the grass, drinking soda and juice. Hansen wasn’t talking at all, and James and Karim were making small, small talk every so often to kill time. “Yeah, we can go to my house next. I might leave you guys alone for a bit while I work, but some help might be appreciated.” Commented Karim over the topic of what’s next. Hansen released everything he had backed up on a scream and a punch to the car’s window. The glass broke and his hand began to bleed. The car alarm played, and people turned to look over though the boys didn’t notice. “Dude, what the FUCK?!” Exclaimed James, jumping from the sudden noise and realizing what had just happened. No one said anything after that and Hansen just started crying, filling the silence with his pathetic weeping.

This moment was silenced by the sound of a phone notification. They looked to their right and there was another kid who snuck up to them and was recording. “How… How long have you been there?” Asked Karim. “Long enough.” The kid responded with a snarky remark. They started a chase, Hansen shouting in the midst of it. “WHY YOU LITTLE…!” They chased him through the meadow, annoying other lonely people and groups hanging out in the grass. People looked; some kids recorded. Hansen had gone blind with rage, but he stopped once he noticed where they were going. The kid went to the crowd, and they noticed. They saw them chase the child, who was no more than 7 years old, whilst they were almost up to twenty (even if they didn’t look the part). They also noticed Hansen’s teary eyes and bloody hand, which still had some crystals stuck on to it. Another long and obnoxious moment of silence came to them as the three boys just stared at the mixed pot of negative gazes they were receiving. James almost broke down in that moment, Karim was stuck, and Hansen was again on the verge of crying. James’ dad and John were also there, looking at them. James’ dad recognized the car alarm. They were lost in the sea of looks and the five second moment felt like an eternity. Hansen hid himself and ran. James followed suit, but Karim was delayed in his reaction.

It was already around 6 or 7 pm. The evening came and the sun gave subpar lighting. Hansen was crying. Karim was cleaning his hand and putting a bandage on it (he always brought some medical supplies with him because of his work). James was anxiously moving around the living room of the mansion they were resting in. He didn’t want to shout at Hansen, he didn’t have the energy for it, and he could in fact believe what he had done, but he was still mad about it. He finally sat down in a couch. “Kinda weird how nobody has come by to record us some more.” James said in a sarcastic but defeated tone. He was angrier about everyone else. “I’m just glad that nobody’s coming around, to be honest. Watch out Hansen, the alcohol burns…” Karim added, also tired, but still trying to keep up. Hansen squirmed and said “ouch”.

No one said anything for a long while. The sun sank down and so they turned on the lights (some people in the city took the initiative to pay bills for this mansion to keep it up and running for whatever reason). James’ dad called James on the phone. He asked how they were doing, James lied. He asked where they were staying that night, and if they needed a ride. James said they were at Hansen’s, so they didn’t need a ride. They didn’t comment anything on the car’s broken window or the blood on the seat. He said his goodnights and hung up. Another night spent at the weird Halloween mansion.

Nothing was happening. The three boys were just enjoying the silence in the castle mansion thing. Once again, the little adventure they had in the morning came back to them. They were thinking back to the bedrooms they visited down there. They wanted to go back to this seemingly non-existent time their minds were filled up back then. They were all going on different ways. Hansen’s cut hand felt a bit weird.

James was looking through a window, breathing the somewhat fresh air of the forest and looking at the ending festival for a distance. They were getting hungry, but there’s no way no one’s going over to get any food. His stomach rumbled, and he did too. However, there was something strange in the landscape. He couldn’t make sense of it at the moment. Something stung slightly on his back and there was something stuck in his eye. He tried scratching that thing off his eye or something, but he only burned his eyes and added another slight discomfort to his existence. Regardless, something was getting closer, and he felt danger. He went to the other two and warned them. “Something’s coming! I don’t know what, but something is!” They both trusted him even if it was a bit weird.

They hid in random rooms of the house, Karim staying the closest to the door. James’ breathing was heavy. He hid in the bathroom with some metal stick he found lying around. He could sense something behind the door. It’s like he’s seeing double. Something stuck in his eyelids, something tickling a weird sense he didn’t know about before this.

Someone knocked on the door. “Hey guys? I know you’re here.” John’s voice came through.

John came in with three plates full of food. “Hey…” He left them at a table nearby. James was watering from the mouth; Karim and Hansen felt embarrassed. “You gave us a scare back there. How are you holding Hansen? How’s your hand?” John looked preoccupied and deeply saddened. They were all confused at this sight. John doesn’t show himself like this most of the time. “John… I’m sorry for doing that to the car… I just lost it for a second there and…” Said Hansen. “Don’t mention it, dude. The insurance can cover it. I’m more worried about that hand.” Responded John, unconcerned. “And you kids still need to eat, you know.” Another uncomfortable moment of silence passed. Hansen still felt incredibly guilty, James got a plate and got to eating. “Come on guys, don’t worry about it… We know stuff happens. Your dad called you, right James?” Added John. “Oh, yeah.” Answered James, talking with his mouth full. He looked over to Karim, and then Hansen. “Don’t beat yourselves over it.” Hansen and Karim took a plate each and started to eat too.

You could hear hungry chewing in the room as the three boys gained their energies back. John was looking at the hour every couple seconds. It looked like he was in a hurry. James finished first. He asked John: “Is dad okay?” John smirked under his breath. “He’s fine, James. I was more worried about you three most than anything. I was also getting tired of all that trash talk those other adults were throwing at you guys, you know.” They knew about how the adults talked about them, but they still didn’t like it. “But it’s alright. They’re gonna forget about it in a couple weeks!” “Or they might not.” Said Karim, defeated. “They will, don’t worry.”

Karim and Hansen finished their food too. John took their plated carefully and walked over to the door. He looked back, melancholic, like he didn’t want it to end. “Well, I’ll see you guys next time. Watch out for the rats!” They said their goodbyes to John, and he disappeared into the night. Some people stayed in the meadow to clean the place and pack up.

They went back to their thing. They felt happier and fuller, but the overall depression in the mansion was still palpable.

Something else hadn’t changed though. James still felt that weird sensation of something being close. That certain little spec of light or trash stuck in his eye was still present. The other two were struggling very hard with sleep. Hansen laid down on the couch on a higher floor to sleep. Karim went to the bathroom. Every second, the little thing on his eye was gaining focus. It was gaining form… He got used to the feeling of sensing something coming, but this was… odd. He didn’t want to bother Hansen’s sleep, so he called for Karim.

“Karim! Someone else is coming!” He called out to him. “Another one? Are you sure you aren’t seeing things?” Said Karim from the bathroom, exhausted. “Well, I don’t know…” “Look man, I might pass out here, so like, see if you can take care of it… Fuck…” “Oh… Ok…” James backed off and let Karim do his thing.

James went back to the window. The thing was completely focused, but it was hard for him to recognize the shape. He went back to get the metal stick he picked up from earlier. When he picked it up, he heard footsteps coming from the window he was looking through. He almost pissed himself. The corridor was dimmed; the light bulb was flickering. James approached the window slowly. He couldn’t help but be afraid. There was something in his vision running towards the mansion, and he could hear the footsteps from far away. He stood back and the metal stick melted into him and the room. He peeked through the window. There was nothing in the outside, but he could still see something running directly towards him. Another moment of silence passed. A big man appeared in the wall, bursting through it, and breaking his way into the mansion. James cried out.

The big man was lying on the floor. James fell back as it pulled its imaginary weight up, cleaning the debris off him. Dust and concrete slid off as James saw his true form. James’ head started pulsating, hurting him. He fell on his knees to the sight of this… man. It looked over at James with his square face. He fazed in and out of reality, passing through the walls, but staying grounded in the floor.

He reached James. He cried at the sight, but he could see something weird in the individual in front of him. The giant man stood there looking at James, like he was examining him. The giant man was double James’ size. He wore a black trench coat. His white baldhead almost reflected the moon perfectly. His shape was square and if he was smaller, he’d fit perfectly in the corridor. His eyes were human, but also devoid of everything. It was like he wasn’t even there but was too strong to simply exist as a concept.

A fist winded up. It was ready to absolutely vaporize James in one single blow. James knees and feet failed him as he froze in fear. Another speck of light starts moving behind him, but the giant man is taking all his attention at the moment. He wishes he could’ve seen his dad or said sorry in person instead of running away again. He starts to cry.

Suddenly, a great wave of theorical sound makes him vibrate, shaking him to his core. Karim was on top of him, holding back the giant’s heavy fist. “James, run!” James was lost. “God damnit James, go!” “Karim? What are you?” Karim was holding a yellow spectral hoe. It looked like he struggled; he couldn’t hold on for longer, but he managed to redirect the punch to the ground. James’ brain felt a giant relief as the pulsation stopped with Karim’s arrival. He got up on his feet and saw as Karim and the giant readied themselves in a fighting pose.

“Karim, what are you doing?! Where did you find that?!” James questioned, baffled completely. “I have no idea! I woke up because of the loud sound and felt something stuck in my neck. I let my feet work for me and now I’m here. James, who the fuck is this guy?!” Karim skimmed through his words, blocking another punch, but being thrown back, almost toppling James over. “Where’s Hansen!?” “I have no idea! Oof!” Karim was thrown back with a punch that took his air, toppling James over and ending on top of him. The giant went for a stomp, but they got out the way quickly with Karim’s home, marking the floor.

They ran away again. The giant’s foot left a giant footmark on the floor, and likewise he left marks of his body everywhere else as he tried to turn the corners James and Karim took without going through the wall and out the mansion. It looked like it struggled to maintain a balance with its material form. They were running in circles around corridors, down and upstairs, and hiding in rooms. They couldn’t spend all the night running around. Eventually the giant would destroy enough walls to the point the house collapses, but before that it caught Karim by the leg.

Karim struggled with the giant as it overpowered him. His hoe was apparently indestructible, but he himself wasn’t. They wrestled, Karim using all his strength and hoe, but he fell back on the floor. The edge of the hoe got dangerously close to his neck. His head almost came off, but, with a sudden blow, the giant cried in pain and backed off. A trail of smoke dissipated on top of him as the blast echoed through the walls. James had shot the giant in the head with a cyan spectral rifle. James looked as confused as Karim was. He swiftly got away from the giant’s range. The giant didn’t bleed, he just felt the intense impact of the bullet. It felt like a sound speed slingshot shot through a rifle. It seemed like this man couldn’t get angry, but he wasn’t debilitated either. James shot a couple more shots, but his shots didn’t do much without the surprise factor. At least it slowed the giant down, so they could keep running.

The giant had slowed down. Every so often now James shot one of his legs to gain them some time while they ran. They couldn’t run away forever though. The giant was recovering from the shots fast, and they were only slowing down.

They ended up in the chimney room. The mansion had this weirdly coloured room where the chimney was made of only concrete and other greyish rocks. Not only that, but it was also abnormally big. It was big enough for James and Karim, but not big enough for this big guy. They reached the chimney room, and, after shooting the giant on the legs to gain some time, they got in the chimney and started climbing up. The giant man of course had the ability to pass through walls and matter, however, he couldn’t keep track of so many surfaces at a time. It was weird to describe, but he was having trouble climbing, getting stuck in walls as he tried to climb.

“Ha-hah, yeah! Take that, you fat cunt!” James cried out in victory. Karim was laughing joyfully too. However, the giant materialised completely. He started tearing through the chimney stone, forcing his way up to them. James howled in fear and Karim panicked. They continued climbing as James tried to shoot the giant but missing a lot. In this chaos James didn’t notice a third being coming down.

Rubble dropped down to the giant’s head, but it fractured into pieces when it did. It almost catches up to James as he shoots like crazy. Karim is trying to pull James away from the giant, but it’s getting too close. Once again, stuff was breaking, but this time it wasn’t the giant. The chimney intersected with a medieval armour showcase room, which had a door leading into the chimney for whatever reason. From this room, the roof broke down.

Hansen fell through the floors into the giant. His hand was cured, and not only that, but he was also breaking through wood and rock with a swing of a magenta spectral pickaxe. He picked into the giant’s flat head and took half of the chimney with him. James and Karim cheered in confused ecstasy. Once the dust dissipated, Hansen was shown to have his pickaxe sticked into the man’s head. He wasn’t bleeding. “Get away from my friends, motherfucker.” Hansen brutally worded. He swung his pickaxe and decapitated the giant man, who was not exactly a man. Blood or guts weren’t shown, but instead a psychic mass that spilled out on the floor and evaporated into the atmosphere with the body.

James and Karim got down the chimney. They hugged tightly. “Holy shit, hansen, your hand…” Karim said preoccupied. He took Hansen’s hand only to see it had nothing on it. It was like the cut never happened. “Holy shit…” James said as he fell on his back in the debris, trying to breathe after everything. They took a moment to breath and take everything in. “Karim.” Hansen called to Karim “I think we’re just gonna stay over at your house instead.” “Yeah, sounds good to me.” Karim agreed. They found their stuff in the middle of all the rubble and trash, then escaped the crime scene.