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Wyatt and Zoey literally couldn't believe what they just heard. Griffin and Harper destroyed the radio in the future. "What do you mean "you guys destroyed the radio"?" asked Zoey, dumbstruck once she and Wyatt were able to get rid of some of the shock and think more clearly. "I mean, how else do you think we came here if you guys supposedly destroyed the radio? I mean, why would you guys even destroy it in the first place?!" asked Wyatt incredulously, just as confused as Zoey. Griffin glanced at Harper for a few seconds before he sighed in defeat. "Alright look, if it'll prevent this from happening in the present, we'll tell you everything. But you gotta promise you won't let our past, or, present selves go to 2049 if we do." said Griffin quietly, walking over and shutting Harper's hospital room door before he sat back down in the chair next to the hospital bed. Wyatt and Zoey were admittedly a little confused as to why they would need to stop Griffin and Harper from going to 2049, but didn't voice their confusion out loud. Instead, they both just shook their heads and then watched as Griffin and Harper shared a nervous look with each other before Harper started talking.
"Okay, so, back in 2020, the night we defeated Judge Walker, after we came back to the present, we got a visit from..... well, our future son, Nick. Long story. Anyways, he said that destroying the radio would be a huge mistake, but because we were being stupid and I guess slightly arrogant as well, we didn't believe him and sent him back through the hatch and then Griffin smashed the radio with a hammer." said Harper bluntly, looking at Griffin expectantly, which he took as his cue to continue the story. "Anyways, Nick was unfortunately right. Breaking the radio was probably the biggest mistake we've ever made, and we learned that the hard way. A few days after we broke the radio, Harper had a series of visions about a massive storm, a town-wide flood and the springs being infected with that black ooze that was dripping down the door to Room 205 after the Grand Re-Opening of The Tremont. And so, we did the only logical thing and decided to go check out and investigate the springs. And while we did that, Harper was zapped by a mysterious energy bolt and it hit her right in the face, blinding her permanently. So, we had to tell our parents everything so she could get the best help possible." said Griffin nervously, rubbing the back of his head and looking away from Wyatt and Zoey, who's eyes were now starting to bulge out of their skulls. "Oh, don't worry. We didn't tell them everything. We obviously left out the stuff about time travel and we just said I had some "nightmares" and some sorta freak accident while swimming in the springs. Thankfully, they bought it." said Harper calmly, waving her hand at Wyatt and Zoey to try and calm them down a bit.
"But that doesn't explain why we saw you start to convulse wildly and go as limp as a ragdoll." said Wyatt, scratching his head. "To put it nicely, that was an aftereffect of me getting hit by the mysterious bolt in the springs." answered Harper, shrugging her shoulders. "Ah. Gotcha." said Wyatt bluntly, him and Zoey now starting to get deja vu back to that night when they found out Griffin was gonna die. "Well, we've pretty much told you guys the whole story. Now, I think it'd be for the best if you guys went back to 2020." said Harper nervously, fidgeting with her thumbs. After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, Wyatt sighed in defeat. "She's right, you know. There's nothing more for us to do here. All we can do now is go back and try to prevent Harper from going blind and make sure they don't go to 2049 for whatever reason. Speaking of which, why do we need to stop you guys from going to that year specifically?" he asked curiously, hoping he and Zoey could get a little bit more info about the future to relay to present Griffin and Harper back in 2020. "Unfortunately, that's not something neither of us can share with you. All we can tell you is is that some really bad stuff happens there and it seriously ruins the future for everybody, you guys included. Now, go. Before Mom and Dad start wondering where you guys are." said Griffin, opening the hospital room door again. "You heard him, Wyatt. Let's go." said Zoey, starting to head for the hospital elevator. "Welp, see you guys later, I guess. Get well soon, Harper." said Wyatt with a hint of sympathy in his voice as he awkwardly left the room, his mind now officially broken. "So, we're definitely not gonna tell Griffin and Harper about this future, right?" asked Wyatt expectantly once he and Zoey were in the elevator and could talk safely. "Of course not, dummy. They've already been through quite a lot these past couple of days, and I don't think we'll be doing them any favors by dropping a bombshell this massive on them. So, just for now, let's just keep this whole thing quiet." answered Zoey as the elevator doors opened and they power walked through the lobby, got back on their bikes and biked back to The Tremont. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------As Wyatt and Zoey walked down the steps of the hatch and back into the bunker, the last thing they were expecting to find was Griffin lying on the cold, hard bunker floor with his eyes shut. So, honestly, could you blame them for having a mini heart attack and worrying that Griffin had somehow already died? Thankfully, that wasn't the case. "Wyatt? Zoey? What's going on?" he asked worriedly, looking around the bunker in a daze after Zoey had gently shook him awake. "Nothing. You okay, Griffin?" asked Zoey curiously, watching his eyes dart around nervously as he stood back up. "Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine. Now, look. We can talk about your little trip to 2024 later, but right now I'm beat. Let's just get back upstairs and try to get some sleep." said Griffin tiredly in between a series of loud yawns, opening the bunker door and starting to walk through the tunnel. Wyatt and Zoey shared a look with each other and knew that they weren't gonna be getting any more sleep tonight. Between Harper going blind, them needing to stop Griffin and Harper from going to 2049(for whatever reason), and finding out they have a kid in the future, they were both starting to feel a little overwhelmed. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The next day after school, everyone was busy getting things ready for The Tremont's Grand Re-Re-Opening. Griffin and Harper were cleaning up in the parlor and in the lobby, Wyatt and Zoey were setting the tables out on the veranda, Ben was answering calls at the front desk and handling reservations, Sarah was inspecting each room to make sure they were clean and ready for guests, Jess was cooking in the kitchen and Topher was busy setting up ghost-related pranks all throughout the hotel, much to the parents' annoyance and displeasure. "Okay, okay. But don't come crying to me when some paranormal vloggers show up, saying they want to catch footage of the ghost of The Tremont." said Topher calmly when he was interrogated by Ben, before he walked off to join Wyatt and Zoey at the veranda. "So, how was the future? Am I still very good-looking and charming?" he asked eagerly, watching Wyatt and Zoey share a look with each other. "Alright, I saw that look. Spill it, you guys. I still don't end up in a coma somehow, do I?" he asked worriedly. "What look? I didn't make any look." defended Wyatt quickly, his cheeks starting to flush. "Oh no, not this again. You guys are clearly hiding something and I wanna know what it is." he said, starting to get annoyed. "We're not hiding anything......except for the fact that you and Zoey get together." said Wyatt snickering. "Wait, what?!" Topher asked dumbstruck, now officially at a loss for words. "Nice going, numbskull. You broke him. Look, Topher. There is something, or rather a few things we're not telling you, but they're a lot bigger than you going into a coma, or Griffin dying or the fact that......you and I get together." said Zoey with a nervous shudder, doing her best not to gag.
"Okay, what is it then?" Topher asked curiously. Wyatt and Zoey looked around the veranda nervously for a few seconds before they sighed and told him the whole story. Everything from Harper going to blind to them needing to stop Griffin and her from going to 2049, for whatever reason. And once they were done laying everything out for Topher, his mind was racing in a million different directions. "So, in layman's terms, our future's always gonna suck, no matter what." he said finally after he was able to clear away some of the initial shock he received after hearing their story. "Yeah. Pretty much." confirmed Wyatt with a small nod. "Great." Topher said, annoyed before he looked over Wyatt's shoulder and saw a familiar person outside. "Hey, isn't that Mrs. Barker? What's she doing back in front of the hotel?" he asked, a mix of curiosity and confusion on his face. "Yeah, that's her." answered Zoey, just as confused as Topher was. Suddenly, without warning, Mrs. Barker took off running. "Hey, where's she going?" asked Wyatt, now starting to get exasperated. "I don't know, but she's heading for the springs. Now, if we hurry, we can catch her and find out what she wants. Come on." called Zoey quickly, starting to run for the springs. "Right behind you, Zoey." said Wyatt, starting to pick up his pace. "Just so you guys know, you never told me if I'm still very good-looking in the future!!!!" yelled Topher, frustrated. "Oy! Guys, wait up!!!!" he yelled after standing in the veranda by himself for a few seconds and ran off to catch up with Wyatt and Zoey. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, back inside The Tremont, Griffin and Harper had just finished helping Sarah inspect the rooms and were now in Griffin's room, checking the claw marks that were left on the wall. "And you said that you heard someone scratching at the wall?" Harper asked curiously, trying to understand what Griffin had told her. "Yeah. And I'm just as confused as you are, Harper." he answered in between audible shivers since the cold Fall air was starting to blow into his room after his window had been shattered. "I just wish there was some way we could find out-----" began Harper before she felt a chill go up her spine and shivered. "Harper, you okay?" Griffin asked worriedly, watching her teeth briefly chatter. "Yeah, I'm fine---" she began to say before she felt her vision start to go fuzzy and felt another vision coming on.
There was a loud boom of thunder outside and then water starting to flood various parts of town and then the springs were starting to get infected with black ooze. "Harper!!! Hold on. I'll be right there!!!" called Griffin, doing his best to run in the stormy weather. Just then, there was a mysterious flash of blue energy and then everything went black.
"Harper, what is it? What'd you see?" asked Griffin, taking her by the hand to help her regain focus. "I'm not really sure. There was a lotta thunder, the town was being flooded and the springs were being infected with that same black ooze from 2054." said Harper with a nervous shudder before she looked over Griffin's shoulder and saw footprints appearing in the bedroom floor. "Uh, Griffin? Whose footprints are those, cause they're definitely not mine." said Harper worriedly, watching the footprints start to leave the room. "Footprints? What footprint----Oh." said Griffin, suddenly feeling another chill go up his spine. "I don't know whose footprints they are, but they look like they're trying to lead us somewhere. Let's go." said Griffin, starting to follow the mystery footprints. "Wait! What makes you so sure we can trust these mystery footprints?" asked Harper cautiously. "Something like this happened to me shortly before we left for 1930 a few weeks back. Now, come on." called Griffin. Harper just sighed and started to follow him. I mean, what else was she gonna do? Let Griffin follow those footprints by himself and risk joining Judge Walker in the underworld? Yeah. I didn't think so. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As Wyatt, Zoey and Topher finished running to catch up with Mrs. Barker, they were met with a very disgusting smell coming from the springs. "Ugh! What's that smell?" asked Topher, doing his very best to not puke. "I dunno, but look. The ooze is back!!!" said Wyatt, pointing down towards the edge of the springs where black ooze was bubbling and turning the water a dark, murky brown color. Just then, Griffin and Harper came around the corner and both of their faces turned green. "Topher, you better not have had a tuna sandwich for lunch!!!" said Harper, plugging her nose with one hand and fanning the air with the other. "It wasn't me this time, Harper. It was the springs. They're really nasty-looking." he called as Wyatt kneeled down and sniffed the springs. "And they're also really nasty-smelling, too! They smell like the sewer line exploded all over the place." said Wyatt, standing back up and plugging his nose as Griffin and Harper came over to join them. "Wait, what were you guys even doing out here in the first place?" asked Griffin curiously, setting a few towels down on the edge of the springs to soak up some of the ooze that was seeping out of the water.
"Well, we were talking out on the veranda when Topher saw Mrs. Barker standing in front of the hotel, and then she just took off for the springs so we decided to follow her and see what she wanted." answered Zoey, looking around for the old lady in question. "Hey, where is Mrs. Barker anyway?" Griffin then pointed towards the other end of the springs. "Does that answer your question?" he asked rhetorically, watching Mrs. Barker look down at the springs and then back up at them nervously. After a few minutes of watching her, she spoke. "Don't do it. Don't do it!!!" she yelled hopelessly. The five of them were all admittedly confused by her cryptic warning. "He's gone. He's gone. And it's all my fault." said Mrs. Barker sadly, her eyes darting around nervously. "Wait, who's gone?" asked Topher curiously, earning him a look from everyone else. "What? We all wanted to know who she's talking about. Heh-heh. Right?" he asked with a nervous chuckle. "Wait, where did she go?" asked Zoey nervously a few moments later. Much to everyone's shock, horror and visible confusion, Mrs. Barker had disappeared. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Y'all know what to do. I love every single one of you to the moon and back!!!! Ciao 4 now, my besties!!!!! <3<3<3 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------