STUCK

Autumn sat daydreaming in one of the bricked rooms. He still doesn't know where he is or what day, month, or even year it was. It's always dark, no light. He tried finding doors out, but he always ends up in another room. He spends days spiraling, trying to get out of the hole he is in. The cult took him in and bathed him in dark blood, cleansing him from his previous nature as they put it. He could see flashes of the version of himself running after Zia and Xavier but nothing more than that. Autumn has not seen Atreus since he has been trapped in the cult. He has not seen anyone. Just followers are rooming around—no faces nor voices. Autumn tried walking up to one, but they all seem to disappear as he gets near them. He doesn't know where he is or why he's here except for leading the cult. But what cult is there to lead if there is no one. If he's just stuck in some prison with no exist, how can he ever escape? Autumn decided that he would study the building or underground maze or whatever he is in. As night past he studied room for room, tunneling deeper and deeper into the unknown. He was finding nothing but just objects. He decided that he's trapped underground. The cement stock bricks had dirt coming out of it. Autumn returned to his room, trying to avoid getting caught. He closed his door and pushed his bed against the door.

Autumn started digging in between the bricks, digging out the dirt. He could see a bit of light coming through. "Come on." He aggressively dug. Autumn got through as a stray of light shine through the hole. He stepped a bit to the back and started chanting. The wall crumbled in, leaving a big hole in the middle. Autumn walked through the mess, looking out of the open wall. All he could see was the sky, but something was wrong. "What the-" Autumn looked up and saw the ocean where the sky was supposed to be. He looked down and saw the clouds resting at the end where the ground was supposed to be. He was trapped inside of an upside-down tower. Autumn stepped back inside, and the bricks flew back into the wall refiling the hole. Autumn knew there was nowhere out. He was stuck, forever.

"So tell me again. How the actual fuck did this happen." Evan asked as he, Zia, and Xavier stood over Autumn and Walter. "We are still trying to figure that out jack ass. After you tried to kill me with a car, we all woke up here. What more do you need to know." Zia snapped. The three of them hovered over Autumn and Walter, who was unconscious. Unsure of what to do. "I would understand why Autumn is out but Walter. I don't get that." Xavier said, pointing at Walter. "What if he interfered with Autumn trying to save you?" Evan asked Zia. "So we back to you messing up shit for us. That is no surprise. I should have just thrown you in the car; then, we would have been in the middle of nowhere. Stuck in some stranger's house." Zia yelled. Xavier looked around, trying to find some explanation of where they might be but had no luck. It was dark outside, and trees surrounded the whole house. The winds were strong. Trembling against the door and windows. The house was enormous, clean, well-designed, and, most importantly, white furniture everywhere. "Why don't we just try to wake them up?" Evan suggested. Zia mocked him by repeating what he just said. "That might be a good idea." Xavier agreed. He walked over to Autumn's head and kneeled. "Zia, you got Walter." Xavier order. "You giving me him? I barely even know him." She moaned. "You want us to trust him." Xavier looked up to Evan. "Good point." Zia said and kneeled at Walter's head. They began chanting, holding on to Autumn and Walter's heads. Zia immediately stopped chanting as her eyes shut close. Evan saw the same reaction from Xavier. "Guys?" He called out as he could see their eyes rapidly moving. "Guys." He shouted. Zia and Xavier could not hear him at all. "For fuck sake." Evan rushed over and pushed them away from Autumn and Walter. They fell onto the floor, screaming. Zia kept touching her face as she yelled. Evan tried getting Zia to stop, but she kept going on. He lifted his hand and smacked her. Zia came to her senses, keeping her hand over where Evan smacked her. "Thank me later." He said and did the same to Xavier. Zia stood up, lurking over Walter. "You piece of shit." She slightly kicked him in his ribs. "So what did you guys see? It looked as if you were stuck." Evan said, helping up Xavier. "We're not the ones who are stuck, they are." Xavier explained. "I don't understand." Evan stayed next to Xavier as he's afraid Zia would attack him. "Seems like they stuck in some version of the reality of what would have happened if Autumn got hit by the car." Zia clarified. "So, how did the version or reality look like?" Evan asked. "Well, Autumn was stuck in the cult. Not having any way out. They got him when he was in-between space and time. He slowed downtime when he was saving Zia." Xavier looked down at Autumn, pitying him. "Well, Walter, here is a total mess. After the car accident, Autumn got claimed and killed us all except Walter. Let me just say something for a minute. Who wants to live in a reality where we are not in it? How fucking selfish can you think you can write out the main people and just think you will be the center of attention. He's crazy. Anyways Walter has been losing his shit for six months, and his dad hates him." Zia slightly kicked Walter again. "Are they living the same reality or separate ones?" Evan moved to Walter as Zia walked over to Autumn. Avoiding her. "That we don't know. We don't even know why they in this state. Are they living reality or the future? Are we the reality or just a piece in their state?" Xavier confused himself by logically trying to make sense of everything. "So how do we get them out of the state they in." Evan asked. "We don't know." Zia and Xavier simultaneously said. "God. You worst then diner boy." Zia walked across the room, staring up. "Have you guys ever seen this place before? It looks wildly familiar." Xavier stared up as well. Looking up at the white ceiling. "Your right, it does." He said. Evan joined them and looked up at the ceiling. "Wait a minute." Xavier erupted, rushing upstairs. "Zia!" Xavier yelled out. Zia rushed upstairs with Evan afterward. "Jacob." He said as soon as they arrived in the room. Pictures of Jacob were everywhere, across the walls, on the ceiling. "Well, somebody has an obsession." Zia replied. "Who was this guy?" Evan picked up a black sweater off the bed. "He's where it all began. He turned me, Zia, and forced Autumn. We killed him after we got orders from the cult to do it. The guy was insane. He always wanted Ashley to do what he wanted. Killed a bunch of people. Claimed a few. Autumn almost didn't make it. Guess he has a way of cheating death." Xavier moved around the room, studying the cut-out pictures of Jacob. "Isn't this the place his parents bought to get away from him?" Zia picked up a picture of Jacob with Ashley and a shy Autumn. "Yes, it is. He used to bring Ashley here all the time." Xavier replied. Evan came across a closet as he snooped around. He gently pulled it open, "I thought you said you killed the guy." Zia and Xavier rushed over to Evan, finding Jacob shackled to the closet wall. "What the hell are you doing here?!" Ashley shockingly cried out.