Josh glanced over at Jenn, his flashlight beam skimming across the far wall of the hallway. "Let’s check out the gym." He replied holding the light beam on the sign. "Might still be some equipment left behind. Or the floor might be a mess from moisture damage" He thought back to some of the older videos that he remembered watching and a stead drip of water coming from the ceiling caused the entire floor to buckle and warp. Jenn gave a short nod and followed him down the hall, passing faded murals of school mascots and outdated educational posters to stay off drugs. Every step stirred a little more dust, and the air grew cooler the deeper they went into the structure. At the end of the hall, a large double door stood partially open, one metal handle twisted at a crooked angle. Josh pushed it wider, the hinges groaning loudly. "Guess this is it."
The gym was dark and cavernous. The old wooden floor stretched out before them like a sunken ship deck, warped in places from time and water damage. A collapsed scoreboard hung precariously from one corner, and the remains of a volleyball net were still loosely suspended across the court. Faint moonlight seeped in from narrow windows high along the walls. "Creepy, but cool." Jenn whispered, her voice bouncing through the vast emptiness. Along the walls the bleachers have long since been put away and lined the walls like a silent sentry. To the right was a narrow hallway with two doors labeled Locker Rooms in cracked vinyl letters. Without saying anything, they turned towards them, curiosity pulling them harder with each step they took. They looked at the boys locker room and found it had caved in years ago and not safe. The girl's, however looked to be untouched.
Looking over at Jenn, Josh chuckled. "I guess we're going into the girls." He pushed open the door and the moment they stepped over the threshold, something happened. The air changed, noticeably warmer, heavier, almost like walking through a curtain of static. Both of them staggered slightly, their flashlights started to flicker before cutting out completely. "Well... shit." Josh cursed as he tried smacking it against his palm, but that didn't seem to work. For a few seconds, they were blind, and then...
Click.
Bright fluorescent lights flickered to life overhead. Jenn looked around in shock while trying to shield her eyes from the sudden brightness. "What the hell..." The room was cleaner, newer. The pale tile floors shined, the lockers looked freshly painted in the school's blue and white colors. A faint scent of spray on deodorant, flowery shampoo, and citrus cleaner filled the space. "Wait, wasn't this rundown and smelled like mildew?" She asked feeling her heart starting to beat faster.
Josh looked down—and froze. His jeans and hoodie were gone. In their place, he was wearing a fitted volleyball jersey, navy blue with white trim, the number 6 printed across the chest. On his lower half: snug spandex shorts that clung tightly, ending mid-thigh, and white knee pads that felt oddly secure around his legs. Low-top, white soled volleyball shoes had replaced his sneakers. "Uh… Jenn?" His voice was sharp, confused. "What the hell am I wearing?"
Jenn was already looking down at herself, her own clothes now swapped for a jersey that read Valleyview Wildcats #3 in block letters across the front. The outfit was identical—matching shorts, socks, shoes. Her eyes widened behind her purple glasses. "This… This doesn’t make sense." She ran her hands down the fabric as if trying to erase it, but the clothes were real and fitted to her.
"We didn’t change, I mean our bodies are the same." Josh said, pulling at the collar of the jersey and his eyes bugged out of his head. "But these are Girl's volleyball uniforms and I'm wearing a sports bra." He pulled down the collar slightly to show Jenn.
They both turned toward the mirrors near the sink area. They still looked like themselves, nineteen years old, same faces, same height, same everything, but the uniforms looked exactly like something made for a much younger player. Josh had to adjust the sleeves that barely fit around his shoulders. "This isn’t just weird..." Jenn muttered. She moved toward the bulletin board posted by the back door. Old schedules, flyers, announcements were pinned in neat rows. She squinted at a dated lunch menu taped to the top corner. "Josh. Look at this." He stepped closer as Jenn read the title. "VALLEYVIEW MIDDLE SCHOOL – WEEK OF APRIL 15, 2003"
He blinked. "Wait 2003?" He repeated as he leaned closer to make sure he'd heard correctly. "That’s like, over twenty years ago."
Jenn nodded slowly. "I think we traveled back in time. Or… slipped into another version of this place. A memory fragment."
Josh glanced back at the perfectly lit, clean locker room. Then at the gymnasium beyond. "But why the uniforms? Why are we dressed like this if our bodies haven’t changed?"
"I don’t know." She replied, looking around the room a little more. "But it’s like... the building wants us to be someone else. Maybe whoever wore these uniforms before. Maybe we’re stepping into a role." Just then, a low thud echoed from outside the locker room—like a ball bouncing on a court floor.
Josh instinctively turned toward the sound. "Someone’s in the gym."
Jenn grabbed his arm. "Then let’s not find out who,not yet. We need to figure out what’s happening. There might be more clues here."
They started opening lockers. Most were empty, but a few had duffel bags inside. Inside one, Jenn found a laminated team photo. She turned it around to show Josh. There she was or someone who looked exactly like her. Standing in the second row, grinning with a group of other girls in identical uniforms, taken under a banner that read Valleyview Wildcats – Spring Volleyball 2003.
Josh stared. "That’s you." Jenn didn’t say anything. She just flipped the photo over.
Written in pen:
Jenny Marshall – 3rd Row, Setter – MVP
She dropped the photo. "Josh… we’re not just in the past. I think we’re reliving something that already happened." Josh’s breath caught in his throat. From the gym, the sound of a referee’s whistle pierced the air. They certainly weren’t alone and whatever was happening... it wasn’t done with them yet.   indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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