The Butterfly Effect

Chapter One

“Smiles that mask secrets,
Deceit in eyes once trusted,
Betrayal’s silent sting,
Masks of sadness worn.”

"No one knows how the three of them became friends, or why for that matter. Before we all knew it, they all drifted together, going so far as to eat together during their lunch period and even hanging out after classes. They’re total opposites. Especially that hoodie kid. Who even is she?” ~ Anonymous

As the school bell rang out, signaling the start of the weekend, three figures emerged from the bustling halls of their high school. Sierra, Alyx, and Aerilyn each walked side by side, their footsteps echoing on the concrete steps leading outside. The Friday afternoon sun bathed the courtyard in a warm glow, and excitement buzzed in the air as students dispersed to enjoy their two days of freedom.
Alyx, the quiet and reserved one with a general sense of reluctance, adjusted the strap of her backpack and glanced at her two friends. Aerilyn, the kind-natured and popular student, offered a kind smile in return to Alyx. Sierra, the adventurous and a little reckless, couldn’t contain her excitement as she animatedly gestured toward a distant, mysterious structure that exuded an air of danger.
“Hey guys, have you ever thought about checking out that old lab?” Sierra’s voice rang out, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “You know, the one they say is haunted and shut down for good.”
Aerilyn’s eyes widened with a hint of intrigue, but uncertainty was present behind it. “The lab? Really? I’ve heard all kinds of weird stories about that place. A bunch of people went missing there.”
Alyx, the usual observer, simply shrugged in acquiescence. While her hesitancy was evident, she rarely voiced her own opinions, often going along with the flow of her more extroverted friends.
Sierra’s enthusiasm seemed to be infectious, and she nudged Aerilyn playfully. “Come on, Aer! It’ll be an adventure! Just think of the stories we could tell!”
With a resigned sigh, Aerilyn relented, her kindness prevailing over her uncertainty. “Alright, fine. But just a quick look, okay? I don’t want anything to happen to us.”
The two didn’t seem to even consider asking for Alyx’s thoughts on this. Though, she’d usually just gone along with anything the two did. She didn’t really mind.
As the trio set off on their impromptu expedition, they left their backpacks hidden among the trees, a little farther than the outskirts of the woods. This decision was made with the anticipation that they would soon return. Little did any of them know, this would not be true.

The path to the abandoned lab wound through the woods, a mixture of excitement and nervousness coursing through the friends’ veins. Sierra led the way, her confident strides revealing her supposed familiarity with the route. Alyx and Aerilyn followed close behind, the lush foliage casting dappled sunlight on their path.
As they approached the rusted iron gates of the lab, a shiver went down Aerilyn’s spine. The rumors she’d heard about the place echoed in her mind, tales of strange noises, eerie shadows, and experiments gone awry. Yet, Sierra’s determination and Alyx’s silent interest propelled her forward.
Alyx glanced at their surroundings,looking at all the plants and taking in all the little details in the wildlife. The intimidating image of the abandoned lab certainly did not fit in.
Sierra tugged at the gate’s handle, the metal creaking, mimicking the sound of screams, before giving way and opening. With a triumphant grin, she glanced back at her friends. “See? No ghosts here, just a forgotten piece of history.”
Alyx’s gaze flickered around the overgrown courtyard, her unease taking over her curiosity for a few moments. She felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding, as if the air itself held secrets just waiting to be uncovered.
Aerilyn tried to shake off her apprehension and focus on the adventure ahead. “Okay, but let’s not stay too long.”
The entrance to the lab beckoned like a portal to another world. The once-bustling building now stood in eerie silence, its windows boarded up, and its walls cloaked in ivy. Sierra’s steps no longer had confidence in them, as she was feeling a little hesitant now. She carefully pulled open the doors, taking a quick glance inside.
“All clear, guys,” she spoke, signaling to her two friends who were still standing just inside the courtyard. At Sierra’s signal, the two went to catch up, uncertainty laced in their footing.
Sierra was the first to officially set foot inside, followed by Aerilyn, and lastly Alyx. “It’s kind of dark in here. Does anyone have a flashlight?” Sierra questioned, hoping the answer was positive.
Though, before an answer could be given, Alyx had flipped on an old-looking lightswitch near the entrance of the lab. As if given a miracle, the lights cautiously flickered on. A faint buzzing sound was now present. “Huh. I guess that works too,” Sierra then added, stepping a little further inside.
Subtle gasps escaped the girls’ lips as the lights fully powered up, their eyes darting to and fro at all the advanced technology. It wouldn’t be of any use to them, since it all appeared broken anyway.
Alyx started observing all of the technology, running around like a kid in a candy store, giddy to see how futuristic and complex everything seemed to be. Meanwhile, Aerilyn’s nervousness started to bubble up again. “Welp, this place is nice and all but I think it’s time to go!” She spun around, anxiously beginning the march away, before Sierra ran in front of her.
“Aer. It’s fine, none of this old junk is going to do anything to us,” Sierra started, pausing, but quickly continuing before Aerilyn could voice any concerns, “And those stories about people going missing? That’s exactly what they are. Stories. Fictional.” She was a little calmed down by this, at least she wasn’t trying to leave any more.
As Sierra and Aerilyn’s chat went on, Alyx had been silently looking at all the high-tech machinery. Her fascination stemmed from studying different kinds of technology in the past, as that was usually all there was to do. She continued to examine the various devices scattered throughout the circular room in the lab, taking glances between the ones hanging on the walls and others on shelves and counters.
She couldn’t help but marvel at the intricate designs and the potential purpose each piece might have served. Amidst her examinations, she discovered some tattered sheets of paper under some scrap parts. It wouldn’t hurt to look, right? That’s exactly what she intended to do. Look. But when she took the papers out from under the scrap metals, making sure to gently and quietly put them back down, she discovered that every paper was written in some sort of code; making them unreadable.
With her curiosity piqued, and with the idea that she would return back home to potentially decipher whatever kind of code it was written in, Alyx rolled the papers up, and slid them into the front pocket of her hoodie. If the papers were really anything of use, she’d let her friends know sometime later.
She continued taking quick yet thorough glances at all the machinery, like she hadn’t just stolen something from a top-secret compound. She made sure to only look, and not touch anything, just in case something wasn’t actually broken and it was able to cause harm to the three girls in some way.