Dome

by Bryan Young

  Dome

  By Bryan A. Young

  If you want to follow my life and be updated when I write something new, check my social media :

  Twitter: @bryanistheking

  Instagram: @bryanthekingg

  Snapchat: bryantheboss

  Copyright © 2019 Bryan A. Young

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted electronically, via photocopying, recording, mechanically, or any other fashion without express written consent from the author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are a product of the author’s imagination or purely coincidental.

  Thank You!

  I just wanted to take a quick second to say thank you to everyone that made this possible. First off, the most important person to thank in all of this is you the reader. I appreciate you taking the time to sit and read this story. My mom, my dad, and my sister, thank you for the unending support and love. Shout out to Natasha for your constant positivity and introducing me to Betabooks which was vital in the development of this story. Thank you to Abi for helping to develop the ideas in this book and always being the awesome human being that you are that has always been in my corner. Thank you to Huy Mai Van for creating an AMAZING cover. Major shout out to Oddisee, Caleborate, Masego, Jarren Benton, Daniel Caesar, Phony Ppl, and Denzil Porter too. Y’all make dope music and you definitely helped me get through those long hours of writing. BIG PROPS to Mr. Creepypasta, CreepsMcPasta, Be.Busta, and Creepypasta Jr. Shout out to #JustiseBetter.

  You guys are more responsible for this book than anyone. You guys inspired my entire interest in storytelling. Thank you to everyone that was excited about this project and made me believe that this was something that could resonate with people and that it was worth putting out there. You’ve all impacted me and contributed to this story in ways that you may not even realize. This isn’t just my story, it’s our story and I’m glad to have shared this adventure with all of you. Hopefully there’s more to come. You all truly are heroes.

  Author’s Note

  Man, I don’t even know what to say. I’m typing this out in my room on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, 2019 and I’m in shock. This is just a quick, candid, uninterrupted, unedited note where I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you to all those that have supported me and believed in me throughout this process. Over the course of a year, hours upon hours of hard work has gone into this and the fact that there’s someone out there reading this note, potentially eager to read my story is unreal. Seriously. You could be doing anything right now, and you’re giving your time to read this story. That’s amazing! And I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart. I’m just happy that this is happening and I’m thankful for the process it took to get here. It was tedious man. Not gonna BS you. But in the end? I think it was totally worth it.

  This is a story that I’m confident many of you will connect with and I hope that you share it with friends and family. I hope that you create your own theories about what’s happening, that you have debates about who would win in a fight between the characters here and other heroes, that you create fanart, and that this inspires you to tell your own diverse stories. This is really something that I hope begets positivity, fun, and provoking thought and I hope that this story is one that sticks with all of you for a long time (In a good way). Anyway, moving past my sappy stuff, just... Thank you. Enjoy the ride and have fun. Without further ado...

  Chapter 1: Genesis

  What does it mean to be a hero? This question rang in Tye’s mind as the golden light of the California sun filled every inch of his room. Fighting the urge to go back to sleep, he yawned as he stretched out his lanky frame and scratched at his short curly hair. His dream where he had all the powers he desired as a kid ended tragically when a creature had gotten the better of him and growled, “You’re no hero” just as it delivered the final blow that jolted him into consciousness.

  Slowly coming to reality, he focused on the nightstand and grabbed his phone. His eyes adjusted as he attempted to determine just how early he’d woken up, “10:37 AM? Ugh.” He groaned. “Why do I always wake up so early on weekends?”

  Fighting off the impulse to go back to sleep, he dragged himself to the bathroom to wash up. He then quickly threw on some clothes and hurried downstairs to look for his earbuds only to find his father watching the news through sorrowful eyes. His dad followed every word being said by the anchors reporting on the tragic shooting of an unarmed black man in urban Atlanta.

  Tye stood next to him, watching the news. “Another shooting? I would say I’m surprised, but that’d be a lie.”

  “You see, this is why as black parents we have to tell our kids to be careful when they go outside. You could be raising money for homeless deaf kids and they’ll still shoot your black ass,” his dad responded, reclining into the couch. “And when we scream about how there are real issues with the system, people side with the guys that can’t tell a cellphone from a gun.”

  Tye chuckled, “Crazy how they only mistake cell phones for guns when the person is black.”

  “Well, you're not wrong there, son,” his dad agreed. “Maybe we get these people some glasses and all these shootings will stop. Worth a shot, right?” He grabbed the remote and muted the television. “So, where are you headed off to so early?”

  Tye detailed his day’s plans, “I'm just gonna chill with Brodie and play some ball. Then we’re gonna go pick up the other guys and go for a hike. Maybe see a movie and get some food or something. The usual. I do need my earbuds though if you’ve seen em.”

  “A hike? You guys weren't planning on going hiking in the Hills, were you?”

  “The hills? Like, the Forgotten Hills? Nah. We weren't planning on it. Why?”

  His dad sighed, “Because there was a news story a bit earlier about another set of boys that disappeared around there. But I suppose as long as you’re staying away from them then go and have fun. And I think I saw your earbuds in my car.”

  Taking this as a sign that he was free to go, he walked over to the counter to grab the car keys hanging next to the door, but with the thought of the hills now at the forefront of his mind, he turned back to his dad and asked, “More missing kids? Everyone’s sure the hills aren’t just some smoke spot that high kids happen to get lost in a lot?”

  “I can’t say. One of my co-workers lives by there he always talks about seeing a strange light in the sky that he’s positive comes from the hills. But, as far as he and the neighbors know, there aren't any other houses over there to connect them to. There very well could be more to the story than high kids getting lost.”

  “Hm. That’s definitely mysterious but it’s not proof of anything. Personally, I like my ‘stoned kid’ theory. Anyway, if I need anything, I’ll text you. I’ma probably be gone all day.”

  “I won’t wait up for you then. Maybe you’ll be gone long enough for me to actually throw a party and invite some of my cool friends to the house.”

  Tye rolled his eyes and walked out. He opened the garage and eventually stumbled upon his prized earbuds in his dad’s car along with a bag of chips and shoved them both into the front pocket of his hoodie before walking back to the control panel to close the garage.

  He felt a buzz from his cellphone and smiled at the message from his childhood friend, Brodie. As one of the only other black kids in the suburbs of Mountain View, Tye had quickly taken a liking to Brodie. He’d felt an almost familial connection to the only other person in school who looked like him. The two had been inseparable since early Middle School and often spent their free time together having lengthy discussions about basketball, politics, and music, while going on adventures all over the Bay Area.

  Brodie: We still ballin’ today? 12?


  Brodie: We have about an hour before Nathan and Tony make their way down here and then we can pick up Jax.

  Tye: Fosho. Bring your ball. I’ll see you at 12. And try not to suck this time. All these Ws are getting heavy

  Brodie: Dunno about that, chief. Last time I checked, you were the one holding this L but I guess I gotta whoop u again so that you know wassup

  Tye: Haaaaah. Whatever boi. I'll see you soon. PEACE!!!!!!!!!!

  He put his phone back and ran up to his room to grab his backpack. He double checked to make sure he had everything he’d need for the day, his wallet, a few external chargers, and a couple of water bottles. He then plugged his earbuds into his phone and played a song from the new Oddisee album and walked out saying bye to his dad.

  Before Tye met his friend at the courts, he stopped by at a local convenience store to grab some snacks. He roamed the store in search of his favorite items but the prying eyes of the attendant made him subconsciously pick up the pace. She sent him a distasteful glare. Her focus darting to any object he reached for. Not wanting to cause any trouble, he quickly bought some candy and another bag of chips for the road.

  As he walked out of the store, he began digging into the new bag of chips. Sheesh. She must’ve really liked me. Tye thought sarcastically as he checked his phone. He still had about 30 minutes to get to the courts. He decided to take the long way through downtown to avoid being the first one there. He felt it might be good to let Brodie get some shots in first, considering he hadn’t played in a while and often got frustrated when he was rusty.

  As Tye strolled through the bustling downtown which was lined with a multitude of shops and a diverse set of eateries, he noticed three girls talking and laughing as they walked out of a nearby restaurant and towards him. He paused his music and focused on the trio ahead of him. Recognizing them immediately, he shifted his gaze back to his screen, pretending to be preoccupied so that he didn’t get caught staring. As they drew closer, the girl in the front chuckled and said to him, “You know, it’s more awkward when you pretend like you’re looking at your phone when you’re really just swiping between the home screens.”

  Tye’s heart began to race the second he heard her voice and lifted his head to meet the smiling face of the girl standing before him.

  Gemma’s beauty was noticed by everyone that she came into contact with. From her long brown hair, to her flawless skin, and her brown eyes, she easily stood out in a crowd. Her family had emigrated from Lebanon to the United States in the 1980s. Gemma’s mother had taken up coding while her father started a small restaurant. It was at that restaurant that Tye and Gemma had first met. Tye’s family frequented the spot often when he was growing up and the two had spent quite some time together in their early childhood. While they were genuine friends, Tye had developed a crush on her and Gemma often found joy in making light of this fact.

  “You could at least say ‘Hi’ when you see someone you’ve known since you were a kid!” she said loudly with a smirk, feigning offense.

  “Oh! Sorry! My bad, Gemma!” Tye responded with an awkward inflection in his voice.

  The other girls behind Gemma snickered and repeated Tye’s words back to him in a mocking tone.

  “So, what’re you doing today? I see you have your backpack, so I’m guessing you’re going on an adventure?”

  Tye, clearly trying to impress Gemma, quickly responded with fake bravado, “Adventure? Hah! You know me, I’m all about adventure. Me and the guys are planning on doing something legendary tonight.”

  Gemma’s interest piqued. “Oh? And what legendary adventure would that be?”

  Realizing he was about to essentially talk up a day of basketball and hiking, Tye desperately rummaged the pits of his imagination, attempting to come up with something that would impress her when his dad's ominous warning popped into the forefront of his mind. “We’re uh... going to the Forgotten Hills! That’s the plan,” he said, internally berating himself.

  “Wait isn’t that where all those groups of kids went missing?” she asked with wide eyes and a shaky voice.

  “Yeah but I doubt that has anything to do with the hills themselves. Plus, aren’t a lot of the stories behind it urban legend? Do we even know that as many people actually went missing as people say? Or that they weren’t found later?”

  “Yeah we do! Those stories were talked about on the news for months. I even remember hearing that the bodies of one of the families that went looking for their kids was found miles away burned to a crisp with holes through their chest.” the girl to the right of Gemma blurted.

  Turning to her friend, Gemma added, “From what I heard, one of the groups that went after thought they might have a chance of recovering something. Of course, no one knows if they actually found anything. Just that they never came back and no trace of them was ever found.”

  Gemma looked back at Tye with a serious expression and said with a grim tone to match, “You guys are idiots if you think you can go there and mess around. There’s a reason it’s patrolled 24/7. People who go in never come back.”

  Tye shrugged, “Eh. We’ll be fine,” How do we know other people haven’t snuck in and come out? I doubt we’ve heard about every person who’s been through there. It’s just a hill. And grass. And dirt. And probably more dirt. Not like the thing is gonna open up some portal to the underworld and swallow us up or something.”

  The girl to the left of Gemma cleared her throat and said softly, “No one I know of has snuck in. But this one guy at school, Crazy Steve? Well, apparently he flew two drones at different times over the area and noticed something... weird...”

  “Weird how?” Tye asked, intrigued.

  “Just that the security patrols really only went about four or five miles up the trail. They didn’t even have any near the hills. And the drone he used to explore the area stopped working after that point. He apparently used a different drone to explore the area like a month later. He made sure to steer clear of where the first drone dropped and managed to catch a lightly used trail that connects Buck Hallows Farm to the hills right above where the patrols are. But the crazy part is that after he saw that, he tried flying the drone back to the spot where the first drone fell and boom! Same thing happened! It just... died.”

  Out of curiosity, Tye pressed her for more. “Do you have proof of this or is this some bull crap you’re saying to mess with me?”

  “Oh, I have proof,” she replied raising her voice slightly. “Steve had a little bit of a thing for me, so I guess he was trying to impress me with some of this stuff. He was able to record a video on the second drone and he sent me some of it. I never deleted it from my phone, so I can send it to you if you’re actually gonna go. Might help you find your way in. What’s your number?”

  Gemma interrupted, “Mai, why are you helping them do this?” Her sweet tone contrasted with the daggers she was shooting from her eyes. “Tye. Don’t be an idiot and go there. And Mai, stop trying to get people killed!”

  Mai scoffed, “If he wants to do it, then let him. Go live out your stupid macho fantasies. But to be fair, it’s dangerous or whatever. So, I’ll give you props if you survive. It might even help you find a girlfriend or two.”

  Tye rolled his eyes and the two exchanged contacts. Realizing that talking Tye out of this endeavor was fruitless, Gemma changed tack. “I got a new phone and you don’t have my number yet, right? At least send me pictures when you guys get to the hills and text me when you get back. Just so that I can make sure you’re okay.”

  Tye began fumbling for words again. “Uh. Um. Yeah, s-sure.” After they exchanged information, Tye waved goodbye to the girls as he took off towards the school to meet Brodie.

  “Don’t forget to text me!” Gemma yelled as he ran off into the distance.

  Once the girls were out of sight, Tye slowed his pace to a walk. He could see the school just a couple blocks ahead. As the structure came into view, he felt his phone buzz.

  Brodie: Bruh. Where the
hell u at? You were supposed to be here at 12 and now it’s 12:03. Hurry yo ass up.

  Tye: Bruh, I’m literally right outside. You really that eager to get beat smh

  Brodie: But u not on the court tho so u not here. Now I gotta drop a triple double on yo ass just for making me wait smh

  Brodie: And aye! Don’t think just cuz you dark skinned it means you’re gonna come out here and bully me, kid. Hurry up!

  Shaking his head in amusement, Tye casually strolled into the large school and past the empty classrooms. His friend was already shooting on the worn-down hoops, sporting his signature cornrows, baggy basketball shorts, and a brand-new New York Knicks jersey, cursing with each bounce off the rim and backboard.

  “Oof. That one was ugly!” Tye yelled joyously from across the courts.

  “Oh hey, there he is! Late as usual!” The two boys embraced and as Tye took a step back to look for where the ball had bounced off to, he took note of his friend’s New York Knicks jersey.

  “Bro. You’re really repping that underachieving franchise in public? You have absolutely no self-respect,” he jeered.

  Brodie rolled his eyes and replied, “Oh, that how you feel? Bet. I’ma show yo’ smug ass who the underachiever is on the court then, boy.”

  The two of them played for nearly an hour, running back and forth and trash talking throughout. As the clock struck 1, they were both exhausted. With a tied score the two agreed to settle their on-court differences another day and instead wait for Nathan and Tony to arrive so that they could set off. A few moments later, Tye received a text from Jax.

  Jax: Sup. You guys still coming to pick me up?

  Tye: Yeee. We’ll pull up after Nathan and Tony get here

  Jax: Cool. Lmk

  Just as he put his phone away, Tye received a call from Tony. He picked up and put it on speaker so that Brodie could listen in.

  “Yo yo yo!” Tony exclaimed.

  Tye groaned. “Man. You know you guys can say ‘Hey’ like regular human beings, right?”