On a bright summer's day, six friends — all guys, were sitting in an empty restaurant discussing "important business".
Felix: [So guys, let's have some real talk. Just the six of us.]
Earlier that year, Felix had planned that he and his friends would meet up in the very restaurant they had been sitting in. Felix was a fairly tall African American who would blend into a crowd without even trying. Sometimes his very existence would be forgotten, which led to him not having much of a friend circle. He had a really monochrome sense of fashion, from his sweatshirt to his shoes, he was very gray. His faded and barely treated hair added to his carelessness in appearance.
Zack: [You planned for this to happen, and it actually did. I'm impressed.]
Parker: [Same here. I didn't think everyone would actually end up showing.]
Two Americans had spoken. These two were the spitting image of what it meant to be 'American' and their skin color wasn't the only quality that gave them the title. They both wore glasses, were physically unfit, and had fluffy hazel-black hair. Parker's facial hair was growing a lot sooner than everyone else's, but Zack was the oldest one at the table and Parker was the fourth on the list. Looking at the two, it would be hard to estimate their ages.
Andy: [Yeah, you planned something and it worked out.]
Andy is the average Asian male, from head to toe, there wasn't a single visible attribute special about him. He had long spiky black hair that covered his left eye and was wearing a white and black Addidas sweatshirt, shirt, and pants to complete the set. As one of the smartest in the entire group, he would carry Felix and Parker back in middle school when they needed help with assignments. Not only was he the youngest, but also was the shortest, friendliest, most competitive, and financially stable.
Sean sarcastically: [What wonderful friends you have, Felix.]
Sean is the wise one in the group. Even though he wasn't the oldest, he had the most street smarts. The toughest and wisest person at the table, they even considered him to be the top at the school. Sean's hair was in the style of a messy bowl cut which made him come across as irresponsible. He had a green Boston Celtics sweatshirt on along with long light brown shorts.
Felix: [This is honestly disappointing. I wish this conversation didn't start off with such hateful words.]
Andy: [They aren't hateful words... they're the truth.]
Felix placed his back against his seat, laid his head back, and groaned. He was the one who never managed to get things done, so everyone was impressed that he managed to do something for once.
The second oldest, Ismail, chuckled while covering his mouth and squinting his eyes fairly low enough to the point his pupil was nearly covered by his eyelids. He was the tallest of the six, and overall quietest. Some would call him humble, others would call him annoying. He had a very deep voice and a tone that always made the people around him feel like he was constantly being sarcastic. As he chuckled to himself, Sean continued
Sean: [Are you going to hurry up and tell us what you called us here for?]
Sean wasn't having it. He and Ismail decided to take a day off from work at a farm to come to this meeting, and nothing had happened since their arrival.
Ismail: [Yeah bro, we didn't take a day off for nothing,]
Felix sat up straight and looked at the five of his friends with distaste.
Felix: [Honestly, I thought we could all hang out, but this happened.]
Zack cheerfully: [We can still hang out, just the matter of where we go comes to place.]
Felix turned his nearly soulless eyes toward the two Americans sitting beside one another. He took a large breath and palmed his face. The guys looked at him with narrowed eyes.
[Felix: I forgot what I wanted to do...]
Felix chuckled. He laughed at his stupidity, the stupidity that ruined the entire day.
All the guys groaned and Parker slammed his hands against the table shouting "No" in German about ten times.
Sean: [This bitch! You do realize what I put on the line, right?]
Felix nervously chuckled with his hands in front of his chest signaling his fear and trying to keep Sean away from hitting him.
Ismail: [What are we supposed to do now?]
Ismail — like Sean, wasn't having any of this. Everyone in the group seemed to have risked something to come to this very restaurant to hang out with everyone else, and they were all depending on the one guy who never EVER managed to get things done.
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Zack: [Do you remember anything at all?]
Felix wrapped his right pointer finger around his chin and placed his thumb behind it, forming a thinking position. He remained like that for quite a while until his eyes lit up and he threw his pointer finger in the air.
Felix pridefully: [It was to eat at a restaurant! Hence why I brought us all here. Genius right?]
He smirked. It was obvious to everyone at the table that he was making things up. He had brought them all to a run-down Vietnamese restaurant that had been closed ever since the school year ended.
Parker took a look around the building and saw no waiters walking around or any chefs cooking in the kitchen. This was extremely pathetic, even for Felix. He expressed his disappointment with a single glare.
Parker: [You're joking, right?]
Sean: [Even if this place was a running restaurant, Felix doesn't have the money to afford anything! This kid dropped out of VYCC to do what? Jerk off to Rem photos?]
Felix slamming the table: [I don't jerk off!]
A leg on the table broke and the six of them watched as the table collapsed and crumbled on the wooden floor.
Ismail: [You're paying for that.]
Andy giggling: [With what money?]
Zack: [This place is done for regardless. There's no point in paying for something that doesn't have a future.]
Parker: [True.]
Felix: [You guys are jerks!]
He marched his way to the wooden entrance door to the run-down Vietnamese restaurant, but before opening it, he looked at his friends with a frown on his face. The five of them looked at him with narrowed eyes, Sean looking more pissed than the rest.
Felix shivered in place until he felt an odd sensation flow throughout his entire body, like when he randomly got goosebumps. He stood in place while it happened to him, but then brushed it off as if nothing ever happened in the first place.
Felix: [I'm leaving!]
Felix forcefully pulled the door open and marched his way out with a frown on his face. The door closed itself after being so violently forced open. His friends looked at each other and shrugged before they followed Felix out of the restaurant.
When they opened the door, they noticed that Felix had already made a far distance — at least they thought so. He had just disappeared from view. Sean, who was holding the door open, blinked twice before he let the door go and walked through.
Like walking through a flat body of water, his body completely disappeared creating a ripple through the air.
Ismail, Andy, Zack, and Parker saw him disappear once they walked through the door and then looked at each other.
Parker: [Fuck it.]
He walked through the door without a second thought, and like Sean, completely disappeared. Ismail forced the door shut and shook his head with a grimace expression covering his entire face.
Andy: [Do you think they died?]
Andy looked at Ismail and Zack while pensive. Zack, while in anguish, pulled on his hair while staring at the door.
Zack: [This isn't supposed to happen in real life!]
Ismail: [Well, it happened! Should we call the cops?]
Zack: [Did any of you bring your phones?]
Ismail and Andy began rummaging through their pockets in search of a mobile device. Pulling out two smartphones, they both turned their devices on.
Zack: [Do any of you have service?]
Both Andy and Ismail pulled out their phones and checked their bars. The service seemed to have disconnected, for no reason. They both put their phones away and shook their heads.
Zack: [That isn't good.]
Zack put his head down and pensively wrapped his hand around his chin.
Ismail: [What if we jump out the window?]
Ismail had already run to a window, opened it, and put his leg between the outside and the restaurant. He was ready to jump whenever someone said to. The window wasn't too far from the ground, steep enough for Ismail to hop out and land on his two feet.
Andy: [That's brilliant!]
With enthusiasm, Andy ran up to Ismail and stood behind him.
Zack: [Give it a shot.]
Ismail jumped out, but before he could touch the ground, he faded away like the others. He was excited to leave, too. Ismail had a massive smile before he jumped.
When Andy saw Ismail disappear like the others, he shut the window and looked up at Zack.
Andy scared: [We're trapped.]
The restaurant was now empty, with only the two of them left. Andy took a seat on one of the more sturdy chairs and Zack remained standing and pensive. Andy put his hands on the side of his head and his fingers in his spiky hair. He had been stressing out about whether or not his parents had been calling him or if any of his younger friends were texting him.
Zack: [Are you thinking about a way to get out of here?]
Andy: [Nah, bro. I've already given up.]
Zack: [Same.]
They both sat in silence for a while.
Zack: [Are you curious about where they could've gone?]
Andy looked at him from the corner of his eyes.
Zack: [I mean. Since it's only a matter of time for us. I hope it isn't anywhere crazy.]
Andy: [It can't be too bad. God, or whoever is doing this to us, has something in mind. I'm sure of it.]
Zack: [I never took you for a religious person, Andy.]
Andy: [Yeah? Well, we're about to die, so what's it matter.]
Another moment of complete silence passed. All the entrances to the strange gate had been covered, but they could still hear a weird rumbling from the other side. The noise continuously piqued Zack's attention as nothing happened in the room.
Zack: [Since we both gave up, let's try walking through the door. We could probably find out where the others disappeared to.]
[Andy: That would mean we would—]
Zack walked out the door before Andy could finish his sentence.
Andy looked around the room but saw no sign of Zack.
Andy: [Jesus Christ!]
He groaned, stood up, and ran through the same door that got rid of everyone else, and the same happened to him.