🩰 | 𝓐shlyn 𝓑anner (sbg)

The bus graveyard

The School Bus Graveyard ends up becoming one of the most important places for the group.

It's not just a stage: it becomes their base of operations.

There they can meet, plan strategies, store resources, and prepare for the nights they spend in the Ghost Dimension.

The bus also ends up having symbolic importance: it represents one of the few places where the protagonists can feel relatively safe while they try to understand what is happening to them.

The Phantoms

They are the creatures that inhabit the dimension and represent the main threat.

They have a very distinctive appearance:

*Extremely thin bodies.

• Dark/black skin.
  *Very long arms and hands.
• Fingers ending in claws.
  Faces with a huge white smile. Small, white eyes.
  *They have no hair.
• They are able to move and chase the protagonists at high speed.

They are predators and hunt humans. The story features different types and sizes of Phantoms, so not all of them pose the same level of danger.

—

🔴 The light

Light becomes a fundamental tool for survival.

Phantoms are especially dangerous in the dark, and the group ends up using solar lights and other sources of illumination as part of their defense strategies.

This makes well-lit places, like the camp they are building, much safer than being exposed in dark areas.

What is the Phantom Dimension?

It is a parallel reality that looks very similar to the human world, but is dominated by the Phantoms and has supernatural characteristics.

The most significant visual difference is that the world appears much darker and stranger, with a reddish sky and an environment virtually devoid of ordinary people. The protagonists discover that, when they are there, they are practically the only humans present.

The group first enters after visiting the Sorrel Weed House during their school trip. From then on, they begin to be drawn into that dimension.

🕛 The cycle

One of the most terrifying features is the night cycle.

The protagonists are transported to the Ghost Dimension around midnight and remain there for what feels like approximately seven hours. Afterward, they return to the human world, where much less time seems to have passed.

That's why they can spend an entire night fighting for survival and, upon returning, find themselves practically in the same moment they left.

—

🏙️ How does it work?

The dimension functions as a kind of reflection of the real world.

Places that exist in the human world have a corresponding place in the Phantom Dimension. That's why they can recognize their houses, school, roads, buildings, etc.

But there is one very important rule:

What happens in the human world can affect the Phantom Dimension, but changes made within the Phantom Dimension don't necessarily affect the human world. This relationship between the two worlds is precisely one of the things the group is trying to understand.

Furthermore, when they are in that dimension, their bodies exhibit different consequences than in the normal world. Wounds may behave differently, and some injuries leave marks or scars even if they are not visible in the same way in the human world.

—

Ashlyn is the protagonist and is initially extremely lonely. She had no friends and preferred to keep her distance from others because socializing was exhausting for her. Everything changes when she ends up forming a group with Aiden, Ben, Tyler, Taylor, and Logan after the events involving the haunted house and the Ghost Dimension.

Ashlyn is a fairly short girl, about 4'10", with pale skin and many freckles, especially around her face. She has long, reddish-brown/ginger-colored hair, usually styled in two braids, with bangs and strands framing her face. Her eyes are slate green, and she often wears a serious, blank, or somewhat tired expression. She also frequently uses black earbuds or headphones.

🖤 ​​Serious and reserved: she doesn't usually show her emotions much and maintains a fairly neutral expression.
Protective: She cares deeply for her friends and is willing to put herself in danger to protect them. Intelligent and observant: She analyzes situations before acting and often notices details that others overlook.
Brave: Even when afraid, she tries to stand firm, especially when her friends are in danger. Direct: She says things without beating around the bush and doesn't usually sugarcoat her words.
*Sarcastic: She may respond with dry comments or rather subtle humor.

• Secretly affectionate: Although not very expressive, she shows affection through her actions more than with words.
  Loyal: Her friends are very important to her and she trusts them deeply. A little impatient: She can get frustrated when others act recklessly or don't follow a plan.
  Introverted: prefers to remain calm and does not constantly seek attention.