The Adventures of Jason and Isabel
By Jayden Wong
One sunny afternoon, I was chilling with my friend Isabel near campus. She was one of the coolest kids I’d met last year, and we were enjoying our ice cream, laughing as it dripped onto our clothes. We chatted about school and the randomness of life, completely absorbed in our little world.
Suddenly, a blinding flash of light erupted in front of us, followed by an unnatural ball of fire that tore through the air like it was made of fabric. Out came a man I’d never seen before, wearing denim shorts, oversized sunglasses, and a t-shirt which said “I Love New York.” He looked completely out of place, yet somehow familiar.
Isabel and I exchanged bewildered glances, our laughter fading into silence. “Mr. Dawson,” the man panted, his voice urgent, “you need to come with me… NOW!”
We were too stunned to respond, but instinct kicked in. We followed him into a narrow alley that appeared to be a dead end. Just as panic began to set in, another flash of light engulfed us, and a sleek hatchback materialized out of thin air. Without hesitation, the man jumped into the driver’s seat.
“What are you doing?” I demanded, my heart racing. “Who are you?”
He shot me a sharp glance. “Look, kiddo. Bad things are about to happen. If you don’t follow my instructions right now, you’re gonna die! It’s your choice. I’ll explain in the car.”
We ran to the hatchback, adrenaline pushing us forward. We climbed into the backseats, and he slammed the door shut. The engine roared to life as he sped onto the highway, leaving everything we knew behind.
As the scenery blurred past, the man turned to us, his expression serious. “Have you ever heard of aliens?”
“Aliens?” Isabel scoffed with a dry laugh, trying to mask her nervousness. “Don’t tell me an old-timer like you believes in those mythical creatures!”
He narrowed his eyes, glaring through the rearview mirror as if just realizing she existed. “This isn’t a joke, youngster. They’re real, and everything you know - or knew - is in danger.”
“As I said, there’s no time to explain everything,” he continued, gripping the wheel tightly. “But you two are key to stopping them. Trust me, I know it sounds crazy, but you have to believe me. The world is a big place, and planet Earth isn’t the center of everything. There’s a whole new world out there, with endless different possibilities and outcomes. This is just the beginning.”
I glanced at Isabel, paralyzed with fear. Whatever was about to happen, our lives would never be the same again…
As the car went onto a highway, the man pressed a red button on the dashboard, and the hatchback started to accelerate. “Hold on!” the man said, as a strange supernatural force sped us through another blinding flash of light.
I could feel myself losing consciousness… the world was spinning, dimming around the edges… The last thing I heard was Isabel giving me her lucky necklace and screaming “Hold on, Jason! We’re almost there! Just remember-” and then the world went black.
The next thing I knew, I felt someone trying to jolt me awake. “Mr. Dawson, wake up!” Wait, was that the man? I opened my eyes to see… my father. Oh, no wonder the man reminded me of someone.
I guessed that was just a dream then, but wait! I felt the cold press of the same necklace Isabel gave me. How did I still have it? Was that really just a dream?