Page 37 of Immersed
“My uncle owns the land it sits on,” Elliot added.
“That sounds way more promising than some played-out ghost town,” Maddie agreed.
The arm around Levi’s shoulders shifted, and a voice spoke from above his head—smooth, controlled, and terrifyingly familiar.
“The hospital would be safer,” the voice suggested. “Riverbend has structural issues. Collapsed mine tunnels beneath the town. Someone could get hurt.”
No. No, no, no, NO.
Levi’s eyes snapped open, his entire body jerking with shock. The interior of a van came into focus—equipment cases stacked against the walls, camera gear secured in custom brackets, Owen and Tyler in the front seats with professional-looking monitoring equipment between them. Maddie sat across from him, scrolling through what looked like research notes on her phone. Elliot was beside her, organizing batteries into labeled containers with the efficiency of someone who’d done this many times before.
And pressed against his side, arm draped around his shoulders with comfortable familiarity, sat Asher.
Levi’s breath caught in his throat as he took in the details. Same symmetrical features, but everything else seemed fundamentally different. Asher wore a black t-shirt with a sound equipment company logo, cargo pants with multiple pockets containing various technical tools. His hair was slightly mussed, making him look younger, less predatory. Most startling of all, he wore wire-rimmed glasses that gave him an almost scholarly appearance.
When Asher looked down at him, his expression showed nothing but mild concern and friendly warmth. “Good morning, sleepyhead. Just in time for the vote.”
No predatory smile. No calculating gleam in those mismatched eyes. Just... normal human concern.
But panic exploded through Levi’s system anyway, muscle memory overriding rational analysis. He lunged for the door handle, yanking it with such force that the entire van shuddered.
“What the—” Tyler swerved. “Is he trying to open the door? We’re moving!”
“Levi, what the hell?” Elliot shouted.
Levi’s fingers scrabbled at the handle, his breath coming in short, desperate gasps. The door was locked—child safety locks, his mind registered distantly—trapping him inside with either his killer.
“St-stop the van!” he gasped, voice cracking. “L-let me out!”
“Jesus Christ,” Tyler muttered, pulling onto the shoulder. “What’s wrong with you?”
The moment the vehicle stopped moving, Levi lunged across Elliot’s lap, reaching for the opposite door. Elliot grabbed his arms, trying to restrain him with obvious concern rather than malice.
“Dude, calm down!” Elliot’s voice seemed distant through the roaring in Levi’s ears. “You’re scaring the shit out of us!”
“I n-need air,” Levi choked out, breaking free from Elliot’s grip. “I need—I c-can’t breathe—”
Through his peripheral vision, he caught Asher’s reaction. No sadistic pleasure, no calculating assessment. Just concern, his brow furrowed as he leaned forward.
“Levi? Hey, what’s happening?” Asher’s voice carried none of the smooth menace Levi remembered.
The side door slid open, and Levi tumbled out onto the gravel shoulder, knees hitting the ground hard enough to tear his jeans. He scrambled away from the van, chest heaving as he fought for air that wouldn’t come.
The world tilted around him, edges darkening as hyperventilation set in. His vision tunneled, focusing on the gravel beneath his palms. Each stone pressed into his skin with hyper-realistic detail—too sharp, too present, too real.
“He’s having a panic attack,” Jasper’s voice came from somewhere above him.
“Should we call someone?” Maddie asked, her voice pitchedwith worry.
“Give him space,” Owen suggested. “Let him work through it.”
Levi sensed someone crouching beside him, then felt a hand on his back. He flinched violently, head snapping up to see who had touched him.
Jasper knelt there, hands raised in a non-threatening gesture. “Easy, man. Just breathe with me, okay? In through your nose, out through your mouth.”
Levi’s gaze darted past him to the van, where Asher leaned against the open door. But instead of the predatory observation Levi expected, he only saw concern.
Is he faking it? Or is this really a different character?
