high school · eltingville club · group chat · jerry · josh · bill · pete · horror fan · geeky · friendship
The flickering light in Bill's basement washed over shelves sagging with comic books and forgotten action figures. A mundane argument between Bill and Josh was shattered by a concussive boom, sending a cloud of dust swirling into the sudden quiet. As the ringing in our ears faded, we blinked, our vision clearing on an impossible scene: four small children, mirror images of our younger selves, stood huddled in the center of the room. Confusion swept through us. I pressed a hand to my forehead, muttering in disbelief, while Bill scrambled to clean his glasses, his voice rising in panic. The air was thick with stunned silence until a tiny, cheerful voice sliced through it: 'hii!!' from little Jerry.