24 Hours Later. 4 Cities. Same Time: 11:11 PM
Umi - hi
She was putting Lila to bed when the lights died.
Her book piece flew off the shelf and opened mid-air.
A new page:
Umi. Come home.
Under it: a map. With 1 red X.
Location: Salem, Oregon. Old train station.
Miri - New Orleans
Theo was playing piano when all the keys went flat.
Her book piece started humming.
Author 2. Come home.
Map. Red X.
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana. Abandoned jazz club.
Alex - Nashville
Elias was tuning a guitar when every string snapped.
Book piece:
Author 3. Come home.
Map. Red X.
Location: Nashville, Tennessee. Empty bar.
Fritz - Chicago
Noah’s camera turned on by itself. Flash.
Book piece:
Author 4. Come home.
Map. Red X.
Location: Chicago, Illinois. Closed photo studio. 440 W Randolph.
4 phones buzzed. Group chat.
Umi: You getting this?
Miri: Same
Alex: Yep
Fritz: It wants us in 4 different places. At the same time.
Silence.
Umi: That’s not a coincidence. That’s a trap.
From all 4 books, new writing appeared at the same time:
_The table was empty.
Now it’s set.
4 plates. 4 chairs. 4 authors.
Come eat.
Or we eat without you._
The lights came back on.
Fritz: So... we go?
Miri: If we don’t, who knows what happens to other people
Alex: If we do, it’s 4v1
Umi: It’s 4v4. Our shadows are there too.
Umi: 11:11 PM. Train station. 1 hour.
All: On our way.