DATE: Tuesday, October 6, 2009
BIRTHDAYS: None
WEATHER: It's a bright, beautiful, sunshiney fall day.
EVENTS: Early this morning the president arrived in Michigan to meet with officials and show his support to the situation. The visit never happens. His plane lands at 6:04 AM, and at 6:49 he's back on the plane to DC. Because at 6:06 AM, the situation at the school completely 180s. One minute a city official is leaning thoughtfully against the invisible barrier, the next minute he's sprawled on his back in the grass. At exactly 6:06:03, the spells disappear, the barrier goes away, all those inside wake up, and all those whose powers were affected by the barrier recover immediately.
Let's explain how this goes down, working from the inside out. The students and chaperons inside, sent to crazy worlds? What about them? Well, all of their little 'challenges' are completed, their timelines sync up, and boom, eyes open. Some of them may feel like they were gone for only a couple hours, some might feel like they were gone for days, depending on what world they were dealing with. But it's absolutely 100% clear that when things felt 'heavy' at the dance and everyone passed out, no one's budged since. Everyone wakes up at the same time exactly where they fell in the first place. But, but, but... how can anyone possibly know they haven't moved? So glad you asked. Look to the weres: all their clothes are still on, and it's quite obvious no one has shifted. Of course, they're not going to realize they missed the full moon until someone on the outside tells them.
But what of their injuries?
What injuries? There aren't any. Any injuries received in the alternative worlds they were sent to don't travel back with them. They awaken in the exact same condition they fell in, end of story. The lights are still on, and perhaps the weirdest part yet: the music is still going. When they wake up, the last thirty seconds of Leona Lewis'
Bleeding Love is playing. It's like God hit the 'pause' button on all of their lives.
But, hey, they're free to go. No lasting side effects whatsoever... I mean, unless you're counting pants-shitting nightmares and unbelievable mental turmoil and trauma. There may well be a pinch of that here and there.
So what's it like
outside the school? Everyone realizes the barrier came down and hauls ass inside, right? How about... no? Once the officials realize what's happened they quarantine the area and lock it down. They try to stop
anyone from going in, and of course, that doesn't really
work. Guns or no guns, you try telling everyone to stay where they are and keep calm. It's pandemonium, but they manage to hold the line and keep anyone from entering the grounds - until the doors of the school open and the students and chaperons start pouring out. Then the line breaks and it's people everywhere. Tearful reunions, confusion, the works. All the officials can do is keep anyone from leaving the grounds themselves. A field hospital is set up at amazing speed in the parking lot, and one by one the officials bring those that were on the inside over for treatment. It comes as a shocker that none of them
need treatment, unless anyone has a panic attack or gets trampled.
All the same, no one that was inside is just allowed to go home. They're eventually all transported to the University of Michigan hospital, and put through a lot of tests. Each person is asked to give a full account of their experience on the inside with a government official, and when the doctors confirm that there's nothing wrong with them - nothing from a bit of radiation poisoning to an overly irritated hangnail, people begin getting released in the evening.
The news, both local and national, is dominated by this turn of events. The reports are all very vague, saying only that everyone is free and unharmed, but there's lots of speculation. It's announced that classes for the high school are canceled indefinitely, and once the school premises are evacuated the property is quarantined for investigation.
So, how about the people that tried to use their powers on the dome to disastrous results? Good news: all that goes away too. Immediately. At 6:06:02 they could be puking rainbows, at 6:06:03 it'll abruptly stop. When the time comes, they feel 100% better. No lasting side effects. Hurray?
With so much chaos surrounding the school and victims, no one seems to notice a lot of tall, beautiful (albeit strangely dressed) people heading back and forth out of the woods...