Eldermire wasn't the kind of town where things happened. It was a place that seemed frozen in time, where neighbors still borrowed sugar, kids left their bikes on the lawn, and the local newspaper reported on dog shows and bake sales as though they were world-shattering events.
The biggest excitement on a regular day was when Mrs. Lila's pie stall in the town square ran out of blueberry pies before noon.
But this wasn't a regular day.
It all started with a sunset that didn't quite feel right.
Will Jackson, a wiry twelve-year-old with too much curiosity and not enough patience, sped down Elm Street on his bike. His backpack jostled behind him, packed with snacks, tools, and a notebook scribbled with ideas that only Will understood.
"Will, slow down!" Oliver Hayes puffed from behind, his chubby legs pumping furiously as he tried to keep up. "You trying to kill me or what?"
"It's called cardio, Oliver," Will shot back without looking. "You should try it sometime."
"Cardio's overrated," chimed in William Carter, riding alongside Oliver. Carter's bike had a squeaky basket on the front, currently carrying a half-empty soda can. "You know what's not overrated? Sitting on the couch and not feeling like my lungs are on fire."
Will grinned. "If you two spent half as much time moving as you do complaining, we'd be at the movie by now."
"I'm starting to think the movie isn't worth this," Oliver muttered. "And we could've just asked my mom to drive us. Like normal people."
Will shook his head. "Where's the adventure in that? Besides, you know how your mom gets when someone eats popcorn in her car. I don't want to be on her hit list."
The trio passed by old Mrs. Cooper, who was watering her geraniums. She waved her hose at them. "You boys better not be heading to those woods again! I'll tell your parents!"
"We're just going to the theater, Mrs. Cooper!" Will called back innocently.
"Hmmph," she grumbled, turning back to her plants.
Oliver shuddered. "That lady gives me the creeps. You know she keeps, like, fifty cats in her house?"
"Fifty?" Carter scoffed. "It's probably just three. And maybe a possum."
"Nope. I saw them once. They were all staring at me through her window. Like a furry army."
Will ignored them, his attention drifting toward the horizon. The woods at the edge of town looked darker than usual, almost like they were swallowing the last light of the day.
When they reached the crossroads between Elm Street and the path through the woods, Will skidded to a stop.
"Shortcut?" he suggested, nodding toward the dense trees.
"Nope," Oliver said immediately, gripping his handlebars tighter. "Not happening. Haunted woods equal bad news."
"It's not haunted," Will said with an exasperated sigh. "That's just a dumb story Old Man Henderson made up."
"Then what about Amy Harper?" Oliver shot back, his voice dropping to a whisper.
Carter groaned. "Here we go again."
"She disappeared in those woods," Oliver insisted. "My uncle says people still hear her voice at night, crying for help."
"Your uncle also thinks the government is spying on his chickens," Carter retorted.
Will smirked. "Come on, it's not haunted. It's a shortcut. If we don't take it, we're gonna miss the trailers."
"Fine," Oliver relented, "but if I get sucked into some spooky vortex, I'm haunting you for the rest of your life."
The woods felt alive as they pedaled through. Shadows danced across the ground, and the occasional rustle of leaves made Oliver jump.
"I hate this," Oliver muttered. "I hate this so much."
"You hate everything that isn't made of pizza," Carter said.
Before Oliver could respond, they emerged from the woods onto Maple Avenue, a quiet street lined with old streetlights.
"See?" Will said. "Nothing spooky. Just—"
The streetlights blinked out.
One by one, the warm yellow glows vanished, plunging the street into darkness.
"What the heck?" Carter whispered.
"Blackout?" Will guessed, though he didn't believe it. Eldermire never had blackouts.
A strange hum filled the air, low and buzzing, like a swarm of invisible bees. The boys froze, looking around.
Then, in the distance, a faint blue glow appeared in the woods behind them. It pulsed like a heartbeat, casting eerie shadows.
"Nope. Nope, nope, nope," Oliver stammered, backing away. "This is where we leave. Right now."
"Wait," Will said, stepping closer. His curiosity was burning.
Before Will could investigate, a figure emerged from a nearby porch.
It was Sheriff Mills, a stout man with a stern face and a coffee mug permanently glued to his hand.
"What are you kids doing out here?" Mills asked, his voice gruff.
"Just heading to the movies," Carter blurted out.
The sheriff squinted toward the woods. "Go home. Something's not right tonight."
"Like what?" Will asked, his voice sharper than he intended.
"Power outage, weird noises... probably just a blown transformer. But I don't want anyone messing around. Understand?"
The boys nodded quickly, though Will's eyes kept drifting toward the glow.
Once the sheriff was gone, Will turned to his friends. "We're checking it out."
"You're insane," Oliver said.
"I'm curious," Will corrected. "There's a difference."
The boys crept back into the woods. The hum grew louder with every step, vibrating in their skulls. When they reached a clearing, they saw it:
A tear in reality.
It floated midair, shimmering with jagged edges of blue light. The air around it rippled unnaturally.
"What... is that?" Oliver whispered, awe and terror mingling in his voice.
"A portal," Will said, his mind racing. "It has to be."
"To where?" Carter asked.
Before anyone could answer, the rift pulsed violently. The hum turned into a roar, and the boys felt themselves being pulled toward it.
"Run!" Will shouted, but it was too late.
There was a blinding flash.
When Will opened his eyes, the rift was gone.
And so were Carter and Oliver. — The Blackout