The Kids From Yesterday

Darian was thrilled. He’d never been allowed to stay up this late on New Year’s. In his four years of life, he’d always been made to go to bed early and he never got to watch the ball drop with his parents and grandma. However, this year was different, although, he thought it was rather unfair that his three-year-old brother Ryan had been allowed to stay up too while Darian had to wait four years, but he honestly didn’t care much. Ryan had been asleep since 10.
Darian watched as another band performed and the countdown clock in the corner got closer to midnight. He vaguely noticed his father pacing anxiously behind the couch, mumbling under his breath. He’d been doing that for a while. Earlier, Darian had asked his grandma, who was sitting on the couch beside him, why his dad was so worried. “Oh, he’s just worried about work.” She’d said, so Darian didn’t worry about it.
Finally, the band stopped playing and the clock hit 11:59. The mayor of New York City and some random lady Darian had never heard of pressed a button and the ball began to fall down the pole. Darian’s grandma passed left over confetti poppers from Fourth of July around. Darian’s dad didn’t take one. Darian went to wake Ryan up because he didn’t want his little brother to sleep through the new year. Ryan, however, just mumbled incoherently in his sleep and refused to wake up so Darian’s grandma told him to leave the younger boy alone.
The countdown started. Darian wrapped the string of his popper around his finger as he and his family chanted along with the people on the TV. He heard his dad suck in a large gasp as they hit “ONE” before Darian, his grandma, and his mom, who was sitting on the other side of the room in the family’s armchair, all cried “Happy New Year!” and set off their confetti poppers. Darian was proud he was finally able to get his to go off on the first try.
The people on the television were all crying “Happy New Year!” and the number 2000 was flashing on the screen. Darian felt pressure on the back of the couch behind him and looked back at his father who was leaning over the couch. “Nothing happened.” He stated, sounding both relieved and disappointed. Darian’s mother sighed and stood up from the armchair. “I told you we’d be fine.” She said. “All that Y2K stuff was crap. Of course, the government would stop anything bad from happening.” She looked at her husband condescendingly. “I’m going to get the champagne.”
Darian wasn’t really paying attention to the conversation. His attention had been caught by the TV again. The crowds of people seemed to be confused as the lights in the city square flickered. The signal started to fail causing the image to glitch. The lights in the square went out completely. People started to scream. Then the power went out in Darian’s house.
Darian’s grandma was off the couch and peeking out the front window. “The lights are off all down the street.” She said. “Basement,” Darian’s dad was saying. “Everyone to the basement now.”
Darian hopped off the couch, confused out of his mind. His father grabbed his hand and led him around the couch and toward the door to the basement. Darian looked back and saw his mom carefully lifting his drowsy brother off the couch whilst their grandmother was edging her way upstairs. “What’s happening?” he asked as his father led him down the stairs. “I’ll explain later,” his father answered, panic evident in his voice. “We need to get to safety first.”
Once the four family members were in the basement, Darian’s father brought them to the door to the closet under the stairs and opened it, bended over and lifted up a door in the floor. He pushed Darian forward. “You first,” he said as Darian hesitantly padded toward the hole in the floor. “There’s a ladder. Mama and I will be down in a second.”
Darian placed his foot in the hole where his father pointed at and did, in fact, find a ladder. He shakily started to climb his way down the ladder. Luckily the ladder was attached to the wall, so it didn’t swing around as he climbed down but it was so long it felt like forever. At some point his mom started climbing down the ladder as well so it was completely dark. Finally, he felt solid floor under his feet, so he let go of the ladder and backed away to give his mother room. His mother dropped down to the floor and set Ryan down next to Darian. Then, his father came down after a minute. He’d closed the trapped door, sealing the family in darkness.
Darian could hear his dad shuffling around the room until a beam of light lit the room up. He’d found a flashlight. The family seemed to be in a super small house. On one wall was a group of four small cots. Next to the two smallest was a box of books and toys, some of which, Darian recognized as his and Ryan’s that had gone months before. On another wall were several shelves of hundreds of cans of food and bottles of water. He also noticed two weird looking machines and a radio with big antenna.
“Wait,” Darian’s mom said suddenly. “Where’s Mom?” It was right then that Darian noticed that his grandma wasn’t with them. “She was going upstairs.” Darian said, remembering how his grandma seemed to be sneaking up the stairs. “Oh my god, Donald, I have to go find her.” She exclaimed. Darian could vaguely see his dad shaking his head. “We don’t have time.” “Donald, just because the lights went out doesn’t mean the fucking world is ending. I’m going to get her.” “Dana, no!”
The flashlight fell to the ground as Darian’s dad rushed forward to catch his wife and drag her away from the ladder. “Let me go!” she was screaming. “Let me go! Mom! Mom!” Just then, Darian heard the loudest sound of his life and the room started shaking around them. Everyone fell to the ground. Ryan screamed. Darian’s dad crawled over to the boys and huddled around them.
The shaking seemed to last forever. When it stopped, Darian was disoriented. He couldn’t see the room around him, his tongue felt sore around him, and he thought he might have bit it. He thinks his dad might still be holding him and Ryan, but he wasn’t sure. The only thing he was sure of was his mother’s sobs.

Notes

ooooo I know this has gotta look weird with me posting the first chapter right after "before they were fabulous" and mcrfanfic user saskiak if you see this I promise I'm not stealing your idea I've been planning this for years uwu I'm an anxious mess.

Anyway, hi, this is what I've been doing instead of updating Dead! and Zodiac. It's basically my best attempt at putting my headcanons in order. Plus also there will be a later appearance of a new killjoy OC of mine so that'll be fun! I hope you all enjoy!

Song of the Moment- Bleed Magic by I Don't Know How But They Found Me

Ghostie <3