As he walked home, he couldn't help but think about the day's strange events. From the mysterious app to the strange encounter with Ashley, it had been anything but an ordinary first day of school.
*Ding*
'Huh?' Hearing the message notification from his phone, he retrieved the smartphone from his pocket but looking over the message he was confused.
[1000$ has been Transferred to your account.]
This message was followed by another.
Elijah stared at his phone, his mind racing. The Mile High app, which he was certain he had deleted, was back and congratulating him on completing some kind of scenario. His fingers hovered over the screen, the surreal nature of the situation making him hesitate.
He shook his head, trying to dispel the confusion. "This can't be real," he muttered to himself. But the $1000 in his account was very real, as was the notification about the next scenario. He tapped on the message.
[The next scenario will commence in 12 hours. Will you accept? Yes or No.]
He hesitated, the memory of the encounter with Ashley still fresh in his mind. If this was real, then whatever he had just experienced was orchestrated by this app. He glanced around, half-expecting someone to jump out and say it was all a prank.
But there was no one. Just the quiet streets of his neighbourhood and the setting sun.
He took a deep breath and pressed "Yes." He needed to make sure this was real. And if it was he needed to know who made this app, and if he rejected the scenario what would happen to him.
'I remember that it said the first Scenario would be punishment-free, so will this one punish me if I somehow fail or say no? There are so many possibilities and little information to go of. Though he was certain of at least one thing, for now, he was the first and only user, but would there be more in the future.'
After pressing yes to the scenario the app immediately responded.
[Excellent! Prepare yourself. Details will follow soon.]
What exactly was he getting himself into? As he continued his walk home, his mind replayed the events of the day, trying to piece together what it all meant.
'For now, I'll just wait and see...documenting everything that's happened as well seems like a good idea.' Elijah thought, rubbing his chin in thought as his soaked foot continued to squish.
"Let's get this 10k over and done with, it might keep my mind occupied."
---
[Date: September 24 - Time 17.25 pm - Location - Golden Gate City - Bakeres street - Number:111]
By the time he reached his front door, he felt more confused than ever.
In his room, he threw his bag onto the bed and sat down, staring at his phone.
What kind of scenarios would this app throw at him next? And why had it chosen him? He decided to do some research, hoping to find others who might have experienced the same thing.
*Searching: Mile High App...*
[Sites that get you Layed!! TOTALLY Free!!!]
[A Busty cougar is waiting for you!! - She lives only 5 miles away.]
[Mystery Castle: Magic Spells! - Try it Now]
[Best Magical System Fanfictions - Reddit]
"This...is gonna take a while." Looking at all the random apps or threads, he knew he most likely wouldn't find any answers. 'But it's worth a shot at least.'
---
[Date: September 24 - Time 20.37 pm - Location Golden Gate City - Bakeres street - Number:111]
Hours later, after scouring the internet, he found nothing concrete. Just a few vague mentions of a similar app, but nothing that explained what was happening.
Frustrated, he tossed his phone aside and lay back on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
"Let's just see what happens, hopefully whatever scenario I get tomorrow isn't weird."
"..."
As he was about to head off to bed, he suddenly smelled—smoke??.
'. . .'
"Fuck!! My Banana bread!!!"
He ended up burning the bread.
----
[Date: September 25 - Time 11.30 am - Location Golden Gate City - New Hamshire Road - Ridgewood Highschool]
The next day at school, Elijah couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. He kept his eyes peeled, expecting something out of the ordinary.
When the final bell rang, he made his way to the library, hoping to find some quiet to think. As he settled into a corner, his phone buzzed again. Heart pounding, he opened the app.
[Your next scenario begins now: Find the book with the red cover and purple heart in the library. You have 30 minutes.]
Elijah glanced around, the library suddenly feeling much larger and more intimidating. "Red cover, purple heart. What would happen this time, will I have to do something once I find the book?
He got up and began to search.
As the minutes ticked by, he scoured the shelves, Finally, in the farthest corner, he spotted it – a book with a bright red cover and a distinct purple heart.
Elijah reached for the book with the bright red cover, his fingers just brushing its spine, when another hand reached for it at the same time. Their fingers touched, and both instinctively looked at each other, eyes locking in surprise.
Elijah's thoughts raced. 'What are the odds?' he wondered. Ashley's eyes widened, clearly as shocked as he was to see him there. For a moment, they stood frozen, their hands still touching the book.
"Do you want this book?" Elijah finally asked, breaking the silence.
Ashley nodded, her expression softening. "Yes, please," She said quietly. He was surprised at how tame she was acting, especially when she's normally really upidy and loud.
'She must still be feeling self-conscious about yesterday, either because of what he saw or what came after...or it could be both.'
Elijah pulled the book off the shelf and handed it to her. "Here you go," he said with a small smile.
"Thank you," she replied, taking the book and holding it to her chest. Just as he was about to turn and leave, she reached out and grabbed his shirt.
"Are you free after school tomorrow?" she blurted out.
Elijah blinked, caught off guard. His mind immediately flashed back to the kiss they shared on the roof, wondering if she wanted to talk about that. "Uh, not today, but tomorrow I am," he said, trying to sound casual.
She nodded, looking relieved. "Can I see your phone?" she asked.
'My phone?' He thought it was a rather abrupt request, but he nevertheless complied.
He handed it to her without a second thought, watching as she quickly saved her number in his contacts. "I'll text you about where to meet," she said, her voice low. She handed his phone back and hurried off, glancing around to make sure no one had seen them.
Just then, his phone buzzed with a notification. The scenario was complete, and he received a packet of chocolate Pocky sticks.
Astonished, he felt am odd sensation in his pants and found the Pocky there, appearing as if by magic.
'So not only can I be rewarded with cash but physical items too,' he thought. Reading through the scenario description, he realized he only needed to hold Ashley's hand for five seconds to pass.
The scenarios didn't always tell him the criteria to pass. He also still didn't know what possible punishment awaited if he refused.