Parallel Universe

Have you ever wondered what it would feel like if humans became the primary prey of other creatures? I used to think nightmares ended when you woke up. I was wrong. My name is Elio, and this is the story of how I became trapped in a world far more terrifying than any dream.

June 20, 2028 — a day I had been counting down to for months. It was one of the days I’d looked forward to the most. My classmates and I were going camping to celebrate our graduation. At first, my parents didn’t let me go, but our homeroom teacher promised he’d take full responsibility. In the end, they gave in.

The day was bright, just like usual. We boarded the school bus heading for the campsite. Inside, everyone was singing and joking around. I sat in the second row by the window, enjoying the view of green trees lining the road.

“Elio!” called Frey, the friend sitting next to me. I turned to him.

“Look at this,” he said, handing me his phone. “Something strange happened in Porsiana City. I told you—aliens are real!”

I frowned as I read the article. It described a murder at a slaughterhouse in Porsiana—workers found dead in gruesome ways, their heads crushed by something massive. Some had simply vanished. The CCTV even showed a huge creature with a bull’s head attacking them.

“Maybe it was just some crazy guy in a bull mask,” I muttered.

“No way! A crazy guy couldn’t be that big. That’s totally an alien,” Frey replied, eyes wide.

I rolled my eyes and turned back to the window. But something strange caught my attention. Among the trees stood a motionless figure—watching us. When I focused on it, I saw a pair of glowing eyes staring back—cold and animal-like.

“What was that?” I muttered. “Frey, did you see it too? Was that someone in a dog mask… or a dog standing like a person?”

Frey frowned, then laughed. “Whoa, so now you believe in aliens too?”

I sighed, telling myself it was just my imagination acting up after that creepy article.

I wanted to believe it was just a man in a costume—but the chill running down my spine told me otherwise.

Suddenly, the bus jerked to a stop. The driver said there was a mechanical issue and he’d need time to fix it. Our teacher told us to stay calm.

“Sir, can we step out for a bit? I really need to pee,” someone called from the back.

“Alright, but don’t go too far into the woods,” the teacher replied.

A few students got off and wandered into the forest. Frey turned to me. “Come on, Elio. Let’s get some fresh air.”

“Seriously? After what I just saw?” I gave him a look like he’d lost his mind.

“Even better! If we meet an alien, I’ll finally have proof!” he grinned.

I sighed again and let him go alone. A few moments later, a girl named Jessica came up to me.

“Elio, you saw it too, didn’t you?” she asked quietly.

“You mean the dog-headed figure?”

“Yeah. I saw two. One looked like a Labrador, the other like a Golden Retriever,” she whispered, her voice trembling. Her face was pale, and her eyes filled with fear. “But… they weren’t normal dogs. They walk like humans.”

Before I could ask more, a scream came from the forest.

“RUN! GET OUT OF THE WOODS NOW!”

Jessica and I turned as our classmates came sprinting back to the bus, panicked.

“What’s going on?” our teacher asked.

“Dog-headed monsters! They’re coming!” someone cried out.

Our teacher shouted for everyone to get back on the bus. I glanced into the woods—and there they were. Two tall, fur-covered creatures stepped out, holding thick ropes like they were about to capture something. Now I could see them clearly. They were dogs—huge dogs—with human-like bodies.

One of them threw a rope and caught a student who hadn’t made it back yet. Our teacher ran to help, but the creature was too strong. Then the second one struck him with a giant wooden plank—right in the head. It crushed him instantly.

Screams filled the bus. Some students begged the driver to start the engine, but he was already gone—fled with the others who never got on.

Panic spread fast as the creatures reached the door.

Everyone scrambled to hide. One of the creatures climbed aboard. My heart was pounding. I couldn’t stop trembling. Then it threw something into the bus—a small object that let out thick smoke. My vision went blurry, and everything went dark.

“If I had just listened to my parents, maybe I’d still be home. Maybe I’d still be safe. But now... I’m part of their game.”