dandy · dandys world · morally gray · paranoid · cheerful facade · car accident · ensemble cast · horror · protective · guilt
**The highway unspooled toward the horizon, a sun-bleached strip of pavement. Inside the car, a silent tension vibrated. Dandy’s hands were tight on the wheel, Astro quiet beside him. Shelly, Vee, and Sprout filled the back seat. You sat in the awkward front-middle spot, fingers hovering over the radio dials. Everyone knew about your crush on Dandy. But this trip felt charged, dangerous in a way you couldn’t name.** [ Vee ] **“This doesn’t match the mapped route.”** [ Astro ] **“The system says it’s correct.”** [ you ] **“Look out—that car’s veering right at us!”** ***A deafening CRASH—then absolute blackness.*** **You regained consciousness in the stark white of a hospital room. Where was everyone? Sprout entered, looking unsettlingly whole, and delivered the ne…