.K.T. sat in the back of the class with Shondra. Not because she was a loser and didn't want to pay attention to the teacher, but because it was the only class her and BFF Shondra had together and they had important business to discuss.

Her iPhone buzzed in her back left pocket and she fished it out being careful to keep it behind Jason Freeman's back. He was a wide kid with acne that festered across his forehead but he was a computer genius and that made him the good kind of geek. KT was always kind to him. Ever since he bailed her out on her first group PowerPoint assignment.  She wasn't an idiot but her main skill was in knowing which people would help her up the ladder and which were dead weight. She didn't have time for being held down by sandbaggers.

MYSTERY BLACK APP

Those were the only words now flashing bright white on her screen and she quickly deleted them. No thank you. Telemarketers and commercials were not something she had time for.  She placed the phone back in its snug resting spot in her pocket and looked at Shondra waiting for an answer. Shondra was currently ogling Derek King as he gave his speech on the dwindling population of the North American loon.

She tried getting back to the conversation they had started on who was most likely to be kicked out or go nuts on their new television obsession "Tiny House Tantrums" but Shondra was always speechless when Derek was around.  KT had told her once to see a doctor about it. "A girl should be able to get a boost of hormones from her ovaries and use her mouth at the same time, you should really get that checked". But Shondra had just laughed it off.

As she made a firm commitment to her decision that Kayleigh was going to be the next to go (a binge eating drag queen who plays an okarina would never last stuffed with 10 other people in 200 square feet), her phone buzzed again. She stealthily jimmied the phone out into the open and rolled her eyes at the screen.

BLACK APP. LEVEL 1 APPROVAL

Before her finger could swipe to delete it the screen swirled and a flashing white circle with a bright red V appeared. Instinct kicked in and she pushed it. Immediately her phone buzzed with an incoming message.

"welcome test user. you have been approved for levels 1-5 of the black app. by completing level one you agree that black app and its subsidiaries are not liable for mental or physical damages occurring from or obtained while engaged in level activities."

At this point anything would have peaked her interest. No matter how cute Derek was, just because a bird carried her baby on her back and had a cool sound didn't mean she needed to hear about it for ten minutes.

The screen then flashed a series of full screen red blocks and a picture of a decaying crypt appeared.

LEVEL 1:  "you have until midnight tonight to find Groves Cemetery and scan the hidden barcode on the Moynihan crypt. Failure to do so will result in termination of your game privileges. Once the task is completed you will level up and be assigned a new task"

A GPS map blinked to life on the screen. The cursor showed her exact location at Albion High School and the red blinking V appeared as a destination. Twenty minutes from her current location.

The map faded and a pixelated picture took its place slowly coming into focus to show a swarm of bats surrounding an odd looking girl cowering in a darkened corner.

Immediately her phone went back to its locked screen mode.

KT's head snapped to Shondra. Trying to see if she had caught any of the craziness. Her bestie, unfortunately continued looking dreamily at the bird boy. Ugh. She searched her phone for another sneak peak of the game. All that was there was a small black app box with a red V in the middle. It wasn't opening when she touched it and didn't give her the option to delete it.

Derek finally finished his painfully dull speech and KT laughed as the room's silence was broken by Shondra giving him a standing ovation of one.

He bowed and took his seat as the while classroom snickered at Shondra. "What?"  She said loud enough for the class. "I'm a sucker for loons". 

The class was back into the boring swing of speeches as DeAna educated them all on why solar energy is the only way to save the world. Shondra was free from being held hostage by her ovaries and KT placed the phone back in her pocket and resumed her current favorite topic "Tiny House Tantrums". 

##############################
KT finished the episode of "Tiny House Tantrums" and quickly raced to her computer. The familiar ring of Skype started even before she reached her desk.

"Holy Shit! I never expected Frances to go! Can you believe this crap? So he doesn't bathe who cares? He was hot. These people are nuts. Send the bossy farmer! You'd have a lot more room. And it's not like your going to be needing a cow branded or a stalk of corn to grow.  What idiots!"

As Shondra stared ranting her theories for next weeks episode where everyone in the house has to participate in a bean eating contest, KT's phone began to beep. A large red hourglass appeared on the screen with what looked like drips of blood instead of sand marking time left. She quickly looked at the clock. 10:00 pm. Plenty of time to get to the cemetery and back before her eleven o'clock curfew.

"Shondra. Wanna go on a little adventure with me?"

The screen image of Shondra's face froze for a moment but the sound remained working. "What do you have in mind?"

KT stared at the image on her phone. It's just an app. A silly game. It's lame. Why do I even care. But something about it was curious. And it would be adventurous, getting out the house, finding out what the next level was.

"I'll tell you when I get there. I'll pick you up in five. And don't wear flip flops."

She disconnected the call and threw on her yoga pants and a faded Nirvana tank. As she snatched her keys off the dresser and pocketed her phone, she already felt a tiny jolt of energy from something so out of the ordinary.

When she pulled up to Shondra's house the lights were off. She waited for a minute by the curb and scanned the house looking for her friend to pop out. Her silence was broken as she screamed when someone appeared in the window of the passenger side door.

Shaundra laughed hysterically as she plopped down in the passenger seat. "Your face. Oh my God. Priceless. Who the hell did you think it was? You're picking me up remember? Where we going?"

KT pulled away from the curb still feeling her heart pound in her chest. She exhaled and waited for Shondra's fit of hysterical laughter to pass before she spoke.

"I got a new app...."

Shondra reached for the door handle as she shouted "oh, hell no! If you say the word Pokemon I will personally slice you up in pieces and send you COD to the geek squad at Best Buy."

"Ha ha. Don't be such a bitch. Obviously I am not a 35 year old white woman in line at Starbucks. I have no Adele CD's either. But this app has me interested. It's called The Black App. It's creepy and I'm just doing one thing for curiosity sake. Don't get your pitchfork out yet. I just want to see what happens when I complete the task."

As they pulled in to the street behind the cemetery Shondra's head spun to face her like the girl in the exorcist. "A cemetery? Are you nuts? It's probably some psychopathic killer luring you to your death. No way. I've never heard of The Black App. Did you google it? Are you seriously going into the cemetery after hours based on advice from a game? Have you gone insane?"

KT took the keys out the ignition and opened the door. "No, I'm not insane. And I'm not going into a cemetery after dark on the advice of a random game. WE are going into the cemetery. It's just a app. They're probably trailing it as a Halloween thing. Please? Seriously, what else have you got to do on a Thursday night? And you have to admit it feels exciting right?"

The giddy pair exited the car and scaled the backyard behind the cemetery. The GPS on KT's phone blipped to life and the girls followed it to the Moynihan crypt where they turned on their flashlights until they found the barcode conveniently located stuck to the crypt window bars.

The phone in KT's hand vibrated again and an image appeared of a parade of people dressed in costumes celebrating. A virtual spider appeared and in fast motion spun a web with the message: LEVEL 1 COMPLETED spelled out in the web.

The girls heard a clang and ran for the fence line laughing and squealing.

"Ok" Shondra panted as they got back in the car, "that was pretty cool. What's next?"

KT tapped on the black app box with the red V in the center and it nothing happened. She tried it several times and then shrugged.

"I don't know. I haven't gotten it to open for me. It said I would get another task when that one was complete."

Shondra clicked her seatbelt. "Figures. The stupid server is probably jammed with middle class white women chasing Pokemon."

As they drove back to Shondra's she tries several times to get The Black App off the App Store with no luck. She googled it and came up with nothing.

"Damn, it doesn't exist. I want it. Promise me if it pops back online you'll hit me up!"

KT smiled and held out her pinky. The girls did their ritual pinky swear as Shondra unbuckled her seatbelt.

#############################
KT went through Friday in a haze. Her classes on Friday all seemed to be recaps of what they had focused on all week and so she spent the day planning out her summer. It was the summer of her senior year and she wanted to suck every bit of fun out of it before she became the serious college genius her parents dreamed of. Sometimes she thought the only reason they had her all was to watch her carry on the legacy of going to Brown. Her wants were never part of the picture.

As she doodles pictures of herself lying on the beach in a killer blue and white bikini (her pen was blue), her phone vibrates in her pocket and she quickly drops the  pen to check the screen.

LEVEL 2: Peyton Manor was a series of unfortunate events and our favorite serial killer left some items behind in his hasty retreat. Find the following items:
a kitchen knife,
a roll of duct tape
a rope
a black glove
These items will be virtual and will appear on your screen when your phone is over the place they were discovered. When all items are found you will complete level 2. Good luck.

KT squealed in delight and everyone around her giggled. She slid the phone beneath her notebook and secretly lifted it to text Shondra.

Got level 2. Tonight. You in?

Immediately her phone lit with a reply.

Hold me back crazy. I'm in!!! Pick me up at 9!

The rest of the day was one long series of boring events counting down the clock until 9.
*******************************************

The hourglass didn't need to appear this time. She was more than ready to start the challenge. They pulled up to Peyton Manor and the first thing KT noticed was the fencing. Old iron fencing surrounded the yard. The kind where the top was made to look like a spear.

"Well, guess we're out of luck.  Place looks closed. Maybe tomorrow."  Shondra said clicking the car door lock back into place.

"Relax, its a game. I'm sure the gamemakers have checked it out. They wouldn't be sending teens to tbe death. Think about it."

Shondra nodded and the girls got out of the car and made their way along the fence line until they found some bent bars. "See, they took care of everything!"

As they sauntered through the creaking decrepit hallways KT's phone became their only focus. A green fuzzy screen took over and small subtle hits of red appeared. As the waved it over floors and furniture it vibrated along an old dusty sheet covered piano and a picture of a bundle of rope appeared. The camera, of its own free will took a picture and a picture appeared of the rope, but a real picture. Not virtual, with blood and bits of hair.  They didn't bother shining a light on the scene to check for reality, the game was in full swing and adrenalin was pumping.

The girls squeaked and quickened their pace until they had found almost every object including two not on the list. A large wooden crucifix and a silver sword. The images were clear, but no pictures were captured.

When they finally found the last item, the glove, the phone swirled into movie mode and showed a dungeon with a young girl in a sheer nightgown chained to the wall.  Suddenly she stops pulling at the chains, looks up, and smiles. Her jet black eyes staring into the screen as the words "level 2: Achieved" swim onto the screen.

Congratulations! You have beaten Level 2. You are now considered one of our elite test subjects and we are increasing your bonus points and rewards. Level 3 will be updated shortly. You have 24 hours.

The phone went back to KT's normal main screen. When they finally stopped running and were in the safety of the car they looked for the pictures in the saved photos only to find a hundred selfies KT had taken the day before.

"Dang. Talk about security. This app is more secretive than the CIA, but you were right; its creepy but a blast. It's got to be for Halloween. I don't understand how they use your phone like that. Camera, maps, virtual images. It must be a huge company."

They stopped at Macs burgers and had split an order of fries and ate them slowly by dipping them in their chocolate shakes. Recapping "Tiny House Tantrums" scene by scene and enjoying it, but both girls couldn't stop their wandering eyes and fingers from checking KT's phone over and over for the next update.  The game was addicting. And now they wanted more.

*****************************************
Level Three arrived at 3am. KT awoke to the buzz and checked it out despite her exhausted state.

Level 3:

The Body

Go to Trost Field in the moonlight. Let the clues lead you. Not everything is as it seems. Remember the campers code. "Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but memories". It's an important rule that Suzie didn't follow.

Turning over towards the wall her mind tried to sort the puzzle. She hated word puzzles. They reminded her of math. Math was fine until you added 6,000 watermelons and a train going 56 mph. Those pictures and throwing in the alphabet were why kids had trust issues.

************************************

As they pulled up to the empty field under the cover of darkness the girls octaves reached the level usually reserved for spotting hot guys or getting pizza. They had worn black, and felt like ninja spy's taking in a bad guy. The App had indeed been responsible for giving them a sense of wonder and adventure in their otherwise boring lives. While Shondra was still trying to figure out where it came from and who was responsible for it, she didn't hesitate to tell KT to give it a 5 star rating when she got to the end. "This is awesome. Legit. I want more. Maybe they could do segments. Like murder, paranormal, or whatever!"

"Calm down Shondra. Geesh. You wanna work for them or something. It's a test app. I'm sure there's a ton of work to be done on it. I can't even open the app, they have a few glitches to work out."

The girls got their flashlight apps going snd started combing through the barren field. Again the screen on KT's phone was filled with a light green smokey haze. Right away they found a sock. White and discarded with a blob of blood on the cuff. The camera took a still pic and the girls, already trained by the app started looking for more items.

As they went deeper into the field they began to find a trail of footprints and small puddle of blood. Knee deep in mud and wandering further in the phone highlighted claw marks on a tree with a fingernail embedded. Shondra, who had a thing about broken fingernails squeaked and began jumping up and down.

"Oh hell no. Hell no. Uh uh. They did not chase her through the field and drag her as she was clinging to a tree. Nope. I'm out. This is too creepy. I don't feel like a mystery solver here. I feel like a creep getting involved in a murder. I take it back. Let's play Pokemon Go!"

KT grabbed her by the arm.  "Chillax. It's an app. Get ahold of yourself bae. It's just like watching Law and Order. Except we are the cops. I'm the skinny girl and you get to be the crazy big guy from Men in Black."

Shondra put her hands on her hips. "Why do I have to be the weird guy?"

"Your jumping around a field at night squealing from a virtual clue on a phone screen. Which one does that sound like to you?"

As they walked further, Shondra now giving KT the silent treatment, the phone began to pulse. On the screen was a girl, the same one from the dungeon. Laying in a weed patch, dress soaked with blood. Eyes open and staring off into a moonlit night she would never get to enjoy.

They didn't speak. But not because they were still aggravated at each other, the moment just seemed a little too real. They slowly scanned the area with the phone screen. Each with their faces glued to the screen taking it all in.

When the camera snapped its shot, both girls jumped and began running to the car. When it was within sight they finally began to laugh away the stress.

{Had the girls taken down the phone screen and looked at their surroundings they would have found the body of sixteen year old Missy Schults lying three steps from where they were scanning her corpse. Missy had been killed just hours before the girls were sent on their journey to find her}. 

In the safety of the car the KT and Shondra shook of the creep factor and gushed about the app waiting to level up.

"Wanna pick up a pizza and binge watch "Tiny House Tantrums?"  Shondra asked as she pulled away from the curb and headed back into the suburbs.

"Do you even need to ask?"

***************************************
The beep came smack in the middle of Thom and Calissa having a knife fight on Tiny House Tantrums. It was a tantrum alright and one that would eventually lead to Thom losing a pinky and Calissa getting kicked out of the tiny house.  Anyone with half a brain could have guessed that an outdoor survivalist being locked in a tiny house was a ticking time bomb.

KT paused the show and both girls stared at the screen.

Level 4:
Your presence is requested in the Royal Ballroom at sunset. No need to wear glass slippers the dance is over but the mystery is just beginning.  Blacksmith Coutyard will host the evening. Don't be late.

Shondra slapped her hand on the floor. "Man, what if they don't let me in?  I don't have the app!"

KT slapped her on the arm. "You're so weird!  It's not a party. There won't be people there. It's another mystery. And I wouldn't go without you anyway bae. You know that!"
******************

They pulled up to the large house as the sun disappeared behind the horizon.  The front was lit up with small solar globes and a small security sign was posted by the shrubs. As they passed the tiny white no trespassing sign the phone buzzed and the words on the screen read:

WELCOME. THE BALLROOM IS INSIDE AND TO YOUR LEFT.

They ran up the porch steps and stepped into the house.

"How does it know we are here?  That's creepy, lets bail!"

KT was glued to her phone screen but kept walking. "It's an app. Hello!  They have GPS and all that crap. Are you going to try to chicken out on every single level?"

The house was dark and dusty from what looked like years of abandonment.  Walking past the chandelier ceiling and plastic covered furniture the girls ogled at how it must have looked in the old days. As they passed the great room with its large winding staircase the door slammed behind them and they scrunched together linking arms and headed left.

The ballroom was beautiful. Unlike the main ancient looking room, this one was ship shape, polished, sparkling with velvet furniture, and beautiful tapestries lining the window's all
lit up by candelabras.

KT elbowed Shondra. "Whoever made this app has a budget, and good taste. Now let's find some clues!"

"Clues to what?  We don't even know what we are looking for!" Shondra whispered.

A man in a tailored tux appeared in the doorway. His light brown hair had golden slivers of color and cascaded down his broad shoulders. His dark eyes sparkled as he smiled and clapped his hands.

"You've arrived. Thank goodness!  I've been starving and it would have been so rude to start without you!"

The girls froze in place and started at KT's phone.

"I'm sorry. We aren't exactly who you are waiting for. We are playing a game. It led us here. We didn't think, I mean, it's virtual." KT stammered holding up her iPhone as if it were proof enough to weasel out of trespassing on this weird but beautiful guy and his dinner party plans.

He strutted closer, licking his lips as he circled them. "I know all about the game. It's my game. And it is indeed worth it's weight in gold. And you have been excellent at it. Ignoring every real life event but and focusing on the virtual. It's fascinating. And it brought you right to me. It's genius really."

The room suddenly got colder and KT and Shondra backed up slowly and ended up right into a set of high back chairs. Shondra began shaking and KT put her hand on her shoulder.

"It's a game Shondra. Relax. This is like a 3D version. Or 4D. I'm not ever sure which is which. Just go with it."

Another man sauntered across the doorway. "Dinner?  By God you were right Jackson. It brought them right to us. Dinner delivery. I shouldn't have doubted you. Technology hating aside, it may be useful after all."

Jackson smiled and it showed long sharp fangs glistening in the candlelight. His raised his own iPhone and snapped a pic of the cowering Shondra.

"You guys did a great job." KT laughed. "You've scared my friend to death. This will be a goldmine. It's for Halloween right?  But I can't imagine you'll be able to keep up when it goes viral.  You'll have to spread out, like have multiple sites."

As the men get closer they laugh. Jackson bends over KT and she can feel his breath upon her neck as he says "Oh, we will, it's going to make a killing."

The vampires kill the girls rather quickly in a frenzy of hunger and excitement. As they wipe their faces with the handkerchiefs from their tux pockets, Jackson smiles.

"Let's play again shall we?  This one looks like a perfect corpse for the next Level 3."

The vampire's high five as they exit the room dragging KT's bloody body.

Somewhere, in another town, in another class, a young girls phone beeps in her back pocket.

**************************************
Okay. I know. It was a little complex. But so much fun to write!!!" I intended to make it a serial killer (which a vampire is technically) but for all those that say vampires are dead and buried I say- not possible. They can't die and they don't stay buried. Lol. Hope you liked it. Leave a note, if you dare❤️

You know what I'll miss most?  Tiny House Tantrums. I love that idea. I can see it now. And it is a mess in the best possible way!!!