Deleted

---

Whitney got out of the beat up van her father drove. He put it in park and stepped out too. Circling around the truck to meet her in front of the steps, he put his arm around her. "Well, here we are. We did tell you we are proud of you, right?" Whitney nodded, "The whole car ride here, you did." She had to laugh. Her father was such a dork, but his confidence in her sparked something wild. He sighed, "Well this is where we part. I need to drive back soon to pick your mother up from work. Give us a call later though, ok? Just so we know you got settled in." He pulled out all her bags and she gave him a warm hug.

As he pulled away, she strolled up the steps and took one grand look at the campus. It was pretty big. And beautiful. Definitely a photographer's dream. Not only did this school have a nice photography program, but it had a state of the art photo lab. She wanted to see it badly, but she figured she better get settled into her dorm.

As she made her way, she walked past a few girls walking around, gossiping about some boy one of them slept with. Apparently, his..member didn't quite hold up to word. She paid them little mind. Some guy ran past as he caught a football. He looked at her and put on his best charming smile, along with a wink. She merely shook her head and laughed and continued on. She had a feeling life wouldn't be boring here.

Deleted

---

Whitney walked up the steps to her dorm room. She hadn't expected the dorms to be shared by both genders. She just hoped her roommate would be a girl. She wasn't ecstatic to share bathrooms with the guys, but that was the price to pay for getting a free ride through school.

She opened the door to her room. She looked around. It was about the size she imagined. Not too small, not too big. Her roommate seemed to have claimed their bed on the opposite wall, leaving her with the one near the window. She was fine with that. Part of her morning routine was watching the morning go by out the window. She put her suitcases near her bed and began to unpack. Shortly after, she heard the door open.

She turned around and didn't expect what she saw. The girl standing in front of her looked like she stepped out of Vanity Fair or Cosmo. She had model good looks, long, red hair down to her hips, piercing green eyes that were transfixed on herself. The girl seemed disappointed for a second, but she turned on this megawatt smile and ran up and hugged her. "Hi! My name is Madison! It's so nice to meet you! You must be Whitney! We're gonna get along so well!" Whitney had to get over the fact some stranger just hugged her, but she was also kind of happy her roommate wasn't an asshole. At least, not yet. "Um...hi. Nice to meet you too!"

Madison quickly let her go and moved around the room. "Oh wow, I can't wait to get to know you! You're so pretty! I bet you got a boyfriend, right? No? Well, we're in college so plenty of fish in the sea and all that! Oh! Before I forget, there's some party on the beach tonight. We have to go! Anyone who is anyone will be there and we can meet some of the other freshmen there! It'll be so much fun!" Madison, it seemed, was a ball of energy. Whitney had trouble keeping up, but she got the gist of what she said. A party? Parties weren't really her scene, though she did want to go to the beach. "I don't know...I don't do parties that well." Before she could go on, Madison gasped. "Oh please! You have to come! I can't go alone! What if someone roofies me? Please?" Madison put on her best pout and, she had to admit, it made her feel bad. She rolled her eyes and nodded her head. "Fine. I'll go. But only to make sure you are ok."

Madison waved off the thought. "Please...what's the worst that can happen?"

Deleted

---

Whitney hadn't expected to get dragged to a party on her first day in college, but she wasn't totally dreading it. On the one hand, the beach, or rather in this case Corsair Cove, was beautiful. California had one thing going for it, it produced some of the best beaches. And with good beaches there came good photos.

However, as she set foot on the beach, she saw the wild shenanigans of her fellow youth. Alcohol was surely being served based on the antics. She wasn't against drinking. Far from it, she enjoyed a drink here or there, but she never wanted to be drunk. Losing your inhibitions worried her and she saw too many girls get taken advantage of in those situations. She wasn't going to be a news story.

Madison had come with her and asked (rather forced) her to wear a bathing suit. She opted for just her blue bikini top and some khaki shorts along with her flip flops. Madison decided to go all out and wear the skimpiest piece she could find. She had the body for it, of course. Promptly upon getting to the beach, Madison ditched her to go hang out with her friends. They were a part of some fraternity known around the campus. She didn't have much time or energy to focus on that. Frats were stupid. Sororities were stupid. The point of school was to get an education, grow as a person, and go into the world a more confident person able to do the job set out in front of them. You didn't need to have wild benders every weekend or haze you're fellow classmates by making them streak or see if they could steal girl's panties.

She leaned up against a rock and watched the scene. She was used to being in the background. Madison was the only person here she knew and she didn't know if they were friends or not. Madison seemed nice enough, but she wondered if that was fake sincerity or if she really did want to get to know her. She would have to see.

Soon, some guy walked up and stood near her. She wondered if he would try to hit on her. He was cute enough if you went for the good ol' American Quarterback jock type. Something about him seemed different though. She was sure she saw him pushing the kid in the wheelchair on the beach. That had to be hard and it was a nice thing to do, so rather than ignore him and brush him off, she decided to respond. "You got that right. It's the first day, why are we already partying when we have four years of this place? Surely there are better things to do, like prepare for classes or relax before the eventual chaos. I digress. Whitney," she introduced herself and stuck her hand out.

Deleted

---

Whitney had to give the boy credit. He was trying his best not to stare at her chest, which instantly put him leagues above some of the other guys here. As she shook his hand, she could feel the calluses that one often got from hard work. That and his dialect meant he must come from the farm life. He probably played sports and was the town darling. Full ride scholarship, tons of girls worshiping him.

"No Whitney, stop it. This guy is actually nice. While it may be true, don't immediately write him off," Whitney chastised herself in her head. She had to stop doing that. Aiden seemed like a nice enough guy. She would give him the benefit of the doubt until he proved otherwise.

"I've lived in California my whole life, but we live about an hour from here. Haven't been to this city ever really, but I hear nice things. The sunset being one of them. I can't wait to see it and take a photo of it. I hope it's as beautiful as they say." Whitney realized she was sharing a bit too much with the handsome stranger she just met.

Before she could ask him a question, he nearly spurted out his drink before offering to get her something. She had to admit, that was kind of cute. He was definitely the farm boy, raised in a good home. Points to his parents for raising him right. While she was definitely for equal rights and he was not obligated to get her anything (she could get herself a drink if she so wanted), she would be lying if she said she didn't like it when a guy treated a girl right. "It's ok. You don't have to get me anything just because. I will take you up on your offer for some of that punch though. Just once glass though. I have a feeling it's spiked pretty heavily and I don't envision seeing myself get drunk before school even starts."

Deleted

---

The boy brought her back a cup and finally introduced himself. She took a beginner sip of the drink. She could instantly feel the spark on her tongue. It had been spiked beyond all merit. It didn't even taste like punch. She smiled at Aiden, "Thanks. So Aiden, what's your-" before she could finish the question, she too heard the splash. She looked over to see a wheelchair in the water. Some idiots thought it would be funny to toss some poor kid's wheelchair in the water. In fact, the group in question seemed to be laughing like hyenas at their actions. She shouldn't be surprised. High school bull continued through adult life.

However, it wasn't until Aiden screamed for someone named Chester that she quickly put the situation together. They didn't just toss in a wheelchair, but the kid that occupied it as well. Disregard quickly turned to panic. She didn't know the kid, but gathering the fact the kid was in a wheelchair, it stood to reason he couldn't swim. Before she could do anything, Aiden quickly ran along the beach into the water, grabbing both the chair and the boy. She breathed a sigh of relief as the hyenas continued to howl.

She was about to walk over there and help Aiden with Chester when Aiden started confronting them. She shouldn't be surprised about that either. He seemed like a nice guy. However, it wasn't until he swung at him that things went too far. Soon the other guys were on Aiden in an instant. She quickly ran over to the scene, "Hey! Quit it! Leave him alone!" She didn't imagine her words would work, but she wasn't without her own protection.

As she got closer, the beating stopped. Had her words worked? No, it seemed something else entirely. Aiden looked around and Whitney saw it too. Blood. Not just from the fight, but blood pouring out of one of the assailant's eyes. She felt nauseous looking at it. She quickly took a sip of the punch, hoping its carbonation would help settle her stomach. However, Aiden screamed once he locked eyes with her.

Spit out the punch!

She quickly did so, but she could still feel the same spark. She looked around her as other people began to have blood pouring out of them. Soon, panic came over her. She took a few deep breaths. Had this been another prank gone wrong?

She looked at Aiden, with a look as if to say "Am I going to die?"

Deleted

---

Whitney opened her eyes to a field. The sky was cloudy, but you could tell the sun was out. She didn't know where she was. She wasn't at school, that much was sure. She wasn't on the beach. Was she dead? Is this was death was like? It was kind of peaceful if it were true. She looked around and didn't see anything. Or anyone.

She began to walk a bit, feeling herself out. She felt alive if that was saying something. If this was death, what was she supposed to do? Many people had variations of death. This didn't seem like heaven or purgatory? She wasn't reincarnated. She wasn't a spirit, as far as she knew.

As she walked, she could feel eyes on her. She spun around and before her stood three people. Madison, Aiden, and the boy in the wheelchair from the beach night. They stared at her, unblinking and unmoving.

She definitely wasn't dead.

Whitney moved towards them carefully. "Guys? Where are we? What happened to the beach?" The figures just stood there like mannequins awaiting their job for the day. It creeped her out. She moved towards them even more so and waved her hands in front of their faces. No movement. It was like they weren't human.

"Ok guys, funny joke. Is this hazing? You can stop now." Her stomach fell like she was on a roller coaster. This feeling made her uneasy.

She detected slight movement from Aiden and she looked at him. Waiting for something else. Then, Madison moved. Then the wheelchair kid. Soon, all of them began to fidget. But that wasn't all. Whitney looked in horror as blood came pouring out of their eyes, drenching their clothes and skin.

The last thing she heard was her own scream.

---

Whitney jumped awake with a gasp. That nightmare was otherworldly. She felt her face. Other than being in a cold sweat, she wasn't bleeding out of her eyes. And she was alive. She was in a hospital, but she was alive. She looked around her. The room was cozy enough. She was dressed in a hospital gown.

She imagined she was taken from the events of last night. The horror show she saw. It was still fresh in her mind. She rubbed her head as she felt a headache coming. She had to find out more information. She buzzed the call button. Soon, a plump nurse came walking in with a big smile on her face. "Hello sweetie. Are you feeling ok?" Whitney nodded, "Other than a headache. I'm ok. How did I get here? What happened?"

The nurse smiled again, though Whitney could tell the news wasn't going to be good. "Well, sweetie, as far as I know, you and that other boy were taken here to get fixed up. It seems you had some nasty effect from some new drug. I say new drug because we don't have any records of it from your blood samples. It seems to be dissolved, I imagine the doctor will be in here in a few minutes to discharge you."

Whitney took it all in. The other boy, she hoped, was Aiden. Were they the only two here? "What about the other kids on the beach? Were they taken here?" The nurse's expression dropped and that spoke more than any words could have. She shook her head, "I'm sorry, sweetie. As far as I know, you and the boy that was brought in were the only ones to make it. And the boy in the wheelchair. He was the one who called the police. Now, you rest a bit and I'll see about sending the doctor in to get you going." After that, the nurse left her.

Whitney rested her head back on the bed. She couldn't believe it. All those kids, dead. That couldn't be. Maybe some survived? Maybe they woke up and walked back to the school? Maybe it was just a freak thing? She posed all these questions, though she knew the answer.

She wanted to leave. She wanted to go back home. She was even considering dropping out of school at this point. Was there even school anymore? A good part of her class was now dead.

She wanted to see Aiden. Maybe he knew more.

Deleted

---

Whitney looked up as the door opened, expecting to see the doctor to discharge her. Instead, Aiden walked into the room along with the boy in the wheelchair. She hadn't expected to see him. Judging from his clothes, he must have been discharged out of the hospital too. Which means he came just to see her. That surprised her, considering they just met, but perhaps he felt guilty. He shouldn't feel guilty though. He had no way of knowing some drug would be added to the drinks there.

"Apart from a headache and seeing my class bleed out of their eyes, I'm doing surprisingly well." She hated sounding morbid, but it was true. She watched people in her class die in front of her and she and Aiden were the only ones who survived. She thought about Madison. Was she alive? She hoped so, perhaps she found some guy to make out with and they left together.

She hadn't really paid attention to the other boy, but he quickly introduced himself. "Whitney Carter. I wish we could have met under better circumstances. The nurse said I'm going to be discharged soon, but the doctor has to see me first."

Aiden muttered something under his breath and she looked over. He was acting kind of weird, but that was to be expected when you entered something traumatic. She adjusted herself when she realized she was without proper clothing. All she had was her bikini top. She sighed. She wanted to get back to the school, shower, get dressed, and resume why she came here. She hated parties and this was just another reason to. She wanted to forget about last night.

"Hope I get released soon. I want to head back and just...forget this."

Deleted

---

Whitney waited for Aiden's reply before the door opened and the doctor stepped in. He ushered Chester and Aiden out of the room as she waved goodbye to them. The doctor looked over his clipboard for a bit before speaking. She was never usually nervous in hospitals, but she wasn't comfortable being in one, especially with all that has happened.

Once the doctor explained what happened, her stomach did flip flops. She never took drugs in her life. It wasn't because she was a goody-two-shoes and never wanted to try, she just hated seeing what drugs did to people. It was their life and if you wanted to use them, more power to you. She preferred to remain as sober as possible. The occasional drink didn't hurt anyone, but it was those that went overboard that caused problems. Plus, she wanted to focus on her budding career and her future.

Still, the thought that some new drug swam in her body and she wasn't affected made her feel kind of powerful. It was a shame something this awful had to happen to show her that her blood was unique enough to avoid the effects of the drug. The doctor explained that he wanted more samples to help develop a possible cure. She wanted to help, but at this point in time, she just wanted to leave.

"I want to help Doctor, but all I really want to do is go back to school and put this day and yesterday behind me. I'll let you know when I change my mind." Survivor's guilt was hitting her hard, but she wanted to get out.

Soon after the doctor left, Chester and Aiden came back in and tossed her some shirt. She picked it up and read it and couldn't help but grin. It was some campy tourist t-shirt she normally wouldn't be caught dead wearing, but since her alternative was her bikini top and she would have to walk in public back to school, this was the best bet. She smiled at the two boys who had shown her such kindness. "It's perfect. Thanks guys. Yeah, I'd rather get changed alone if you don't mind."

Soon as they left, she got out of her bed and took off her gown. She realized at that moment she didn't have a bra with her. So she put on her bikini and tossed the shirt over it and put on her shorts and shoes. Once she checked herself in the mirror (most girls did), fixed her hair, she stepped outside and looked for the boys. When she saw them she made her way over. "All right, I'm ready. Are you guys heading back to campus? Want to head there together?"

Deleted

---

Whitney followed the two boys towards the train system. She had to hand it to the city, the trains went pretty much anywhere you wanted, so long as you knew where to go. It made it easier for those that didn't have their own car to get around.

She watched the two boys as she sat next to Chester. He seemed nice enough. Aiden was clenching on to the pole like his life depended on it. She wondered if he was afraid of trains? She didn't want to ask, let alone embarrass the guy. After all, these two showed her kindness after having just met her.

When Chester mentioned being a Sophmore, Whitney was also surprised. She figured everyone at that party was a Freshman. "I thought you were a Freshman too. Don't really know why, just kind of assumed. My apologies." Whitney let the comment about Chester's legs go. It wasn't her place to question the boy about his accident, even if she was curious. Though Aiden seemed to tense up at the subject. She noticed Chester's look as well. That unnerved look.

She wasn't at all surprised to hear Aiden was some Football jock with a scholarship. Hell, it was probably a free ride through college along with a car and sports people all coming to see him play with the hopes of nabbing him when he graduates.

"Whitney, stop that. For all you know, Aiden is actually really smart and got his scholarship so he could find something else to do. Maybe he isn't like the other meatheads who play and get seriously injured that we throw millions of dollars at for running a ball across a field." It was pretty obvious her thoughts on sports. She didn't dislike sports, per se. She knew the athletic ability to do said sports was a lot and that was impressive in and of itself. But the fact he put them up on pedestals for it and give them tons of money made no sense.

"I'm actually hoping to dual major in both Photography and Business. I'd like to eventually own my own photography studio in the city." It was the first time someone asked her about her goals apart from her parents. She beamed a bit at telling them that, but quickly hid her smile.

Deleted

---

Whitney hadn't given too much thought about what she would do. Perhaps photojournalism was in her future? She wanted to take pictures and earn a living doing so, she didn't give too much thought on the particulars. "I'm not too sure. I want to own my own studio, perhaps do landscape photos or whatever I'm hired to do. I don't really want to be a wedding photographer or fashion. Perhaps I could do some photojournalism while I build up my resume."

Soon the train stopped and they began exiting. Aiden mentioned what other plans she had and she wasn't sure. She wasn't going to party anytime soon, that was for damn sure. Perhaps she could go with them to get her books and supplies. The two seemed nice enough and having friends may make things less awkward. Surely word had gotten out about the party. She didn't want that kind of attention on her just as she was starting school.

Before she could speak, she noticed the looks the people around her gave them. Chester mentioned the boy that Aiden punched (a fact she still wished he hadn't done) and she could already tell the boy was trouble. "Dealt with my fair share of kids like him. Like to think everyone is beneath them just because mommy and daddy foot the bill. Sooner or later they get a nice dose of reality. Doesn't seem like that will happen anytime soon." As far as she was concerned, the boy must be targeting Aiden, since they fought, but she couldn't help but notice the venom the people stared at her with too. What had she done? She tried to stop the fighting.

Her question was answered when Chester brought it up. It wasn't their fault, but of course, the group that caused it would be part of the wealthy elite. So their names would be dragged through the mud for it. This was not the way she wanted to start things off. Before she knew it, some girl ran up to them, lashing out at Aiden. She claimed her boyfriend was there and was killed because of him. Before she could speak, the girl wound up for a slap.

She heard the crackle. She felt the pulse. The girl darted back holding her arm. Whitney looked just as shocked, but soon a crowd started forming. They were being cornered. She felt her breath getting heavy. She didn't like this attention. This conflict. Her vision was getting a little fuzzy.

Aiden shouted for them to get back and another pulse reverberated, sending the crowd stumbling back a bit. Aiden yelled for her to get on. She got on as instructed as Aiden raced Chester's wheelchair. Soon, they were away from the crowd. She took a few more deep breaths before she got off again. What the hell happened?

"What do you mean? What the hell was that Aiden? You..pushed those people back. I felt the static. It was like you conducted electricity. Just...what..." She gripped her wrist and controlled her breathing, but she could feel the anxiety building up. "I need...to sit..down..."