Recorded April 19, 2017, 12:46 a.m.
The teens stand in a loose clump. Occasionally one of them rubs their eyes, or glances back the way they came, as if waiting for sense to reassert itself. The road remains. They remain. The darkness stands, unyielding.
ANTHONY: Okay. Nine of us. Odd man out. What do we do?
TRINA: Someone will have to go alone. I can do it.
SARA: No. No way. No one goes alone.
TRINA: Then what?
NICK: A group of three. That’s safer. There’s nothing that actually says you can’t have two partners.
MEL: Careful there, Nicky. Not sure Vanessa’s down for the monogamish thing.
Nick gives her a flat look and deadpans.
NICK: Ha ha. Your attempts at humor have absolutely put me at ease. I’m no longer terrified. Well done.
MEL: I live to serve.
ANTHONY: So it’s Vanessa and Nick, Miranda and Mel, Trina and Kyle, and then Sara can come with me and Jeremy.
Sara looks quickly at Mel, then away, a touch of pink creeping into her cheeks.
SARA: Yeah. That makes sense.
ANTHONY: So everyone . . . hold hands, I guess?
The group shuffles as people move to stand next to their partners. Vanessa and Nick clasp each other’s hands readily. Trina sticks her hand out, palm up, and gives the camera, and her brother behind it, an encouraging grin. He grabs hold, palm slapping against hers, still holding the phone in his opposite hand. It swings away from the group for a moment, then back, as he shifts his grip. Sara and Anthony are together at the head of the group, but Jeremy stands with his hand in Mel’s. Both of them look vaguely startled, like they can’t figure out how they ended up that way. Mel glances at Miranda, who holds her other hand, as if checking to see if she objects.
MIRANDA: It’s fine. Let’s get moving.
Anthony shrugs. He and Sara turn. Their shoulders bump against each other, and then their hands stray together, seeming to link one finger at a time, like the teeth of a key fitting against the pins of a lock.
Together, they step forward. One step. Then two. Then they are at the darkness. They look at each other, and each instinctively draws a breath, as if they are about to plunge into water.
They step forward. And vanish.