Hello everybody, I hope that you're all doing well.On this week's episode, we'll embark on a journey through the realms of the macabre, exploring the most unsettling tales that you can think of.
Let's get into it, as we drift further into Mr. Creep's mind.Someone sent me a bizarre video.I shouldn't have watched it.Written by Harbinger51. I collapsed onto our couch in the living room.
It was the Friday night of a very strenuous week and I was determined to celebrate.Unfortunately for me, my roommate had invited over about a dozen of his friends for a little party and pregame before they went out.
I can't remember what their plan was exactly, it had something to do with bar hopping.All I knew was that eventually I was going to have some quiet time to myself in the apartment. That is, if I didn't decide to join them.
The thought occurred to me that I should check my assignments.I wanted to be sure that I was done for the week and that I could finally just kick back and relax.Upon checking, it looked like I had everything submitted.
But before closing my laptop, I heard the faint sound of the Discord notification over the blasting music in the apartment.
Somebody had pinged me in the group chat, the chat that my friends and I used to stay in touch as most of us live nowhere close to each other now.It's more accurate to say that its purpose is to send stupid memes to each other above anything else.
What's up, dipshits?I sent, hoping to spark a conversation.Not even a minute later, I received some friendly name calling in return.Their messages put a smirk on my face. Just staying in.I'll probably be in voice chat later if y'all want to join.
Maybe we can play something."Juanette announced.A few others replied that they would be there, including a couple of friends who rarely joined the voice chat. Another one pinged me asking if I would join as I hadn't said what I was doing yet.
I sighed as I sat back looking at my laptop screen.A part of me considered it going out with my roommate and his friends.
After all, I had just turned 21 and I wanted to get out of my shell a little bit, but also I knew I wouldn't have another opportunity to join this many of my own friends for games for a long time.
I also knew that if I went out I would get bored easily and quickly rediscover that bars are not my idea of fun.I sent my response to the group chat.Alright boys, I'll be there.
Immediately my friends added reactions to my message and sent overly dramatic messages to show their enthusiasm.
Once everybody had decided on what time they would be able to join, we narrowed down our list of games and decided that the first few of us who got on would start with a few rounds of Phasmophobia.
After all plans seemed to be established, everybody returned to using the chat to post memes. Realizing that I had a couple of hours to spare, I joined my roommates and their friends at the kitchen table.
I didn't know a few of the people there, so I made an effort to introduce myself and make conversation, but being the introvert that I am, I found myself walking away and checking my phone more than talking to anyone face to face.
Most of the time I was checking the group chat and the various memes that were being posted.During one of these little breaks from being social, I saw a new link that hadn't been embedded as any image or video.
The most annoying memes are the ones that don't embed or can't be viewed unless you go through the link to whatever app or site it came from.This link in particular looked off.
I couldn't make out the name of any and it looked like nothing more than jumbled letters and numbers. Even weirder, the person who had posted it didn't have a name, and the user avatar was just a default one.
I was fairly certain that nobody with access to that chat had a blank profile.After a moment of hesitation, I tried to open the link, but whatever it was, it wouldn't load.
I wrote it off as my phone acting up, but curiosity quickly got the best of me and I felt an urge to know what it was.I retrieved my laptop, opening it again on the living room couch.
To my confusion, the unorthodox looking link from the nameless, faceless user was still there.I again hesitated before clicking on the link again.A full screen window appeared, quickly loading a grainy, black and white video of an empty room.
I realized my error in not checking the volume beforehand because apparently I had it on max.The annoying sound of static disturbed the music coming from my roommate's speaker.A yell came from somebody at the kitchen table in response.
I turned that shit off. I frantically tried to turn down the volume on my laptop, but it didn't seem to work.The static remained just as loud.I tried to Alt-F4 the window, but it refused to close.I tried to open the other windows.
I even tried to shut off my laptop entirely, but nothing was working.
As the mysterious blank video continued to play, one of my roommate's friends drunkenly walked over to the couch and stared at the screen for a minute before asking, What the hell are you watching, dude?
I don't know man, one of my friends sent a link to whatever this is and I'm trying to.Just hold on for a second.I replied, uninterested in explaining the situation while trying to fix it.
My roommate Alex walked over and sat next to me on the couch along with another one of his friends.What is this?Some old movie or something?It looks creepy.Alex inquired.
I have no clue, I'm trying to shut it off right now, but the window won't close.And I can't turn down the sound.I can't open anything else and my laptop won't even shut off.Well, just let it play, I guess.
Alex suggested so, I let it be for the moment.Another minute or so of just the empty room passed by before a figure walked into view of the video.The few of us watching went silent as we observed and waited.
The man who had walked in front of the camera was very well-dressed.He wore a very old-fashioned looking suit.It looked like something from the 1920s, maybe even earlier.I don't know all that much about suits.On his hands, he wore black gloves.
This is all that we could make out because his face was out of frame.The camera must have been angled poorly because we couldn't see anything above shoulder height.He walked into the center of the frame before a standing square facing the camera.
Though the audio was coarse, his deep soothing voice was heard clear as day.Greetings and welcome to our seventh installment of the series.I'm your host.
Before the man could speak his name, a wave of static violently washed over the screen accompanied by an even louder white noise.After a good ten seconds, the video returned to normal and the man continued.
I advise that all watching are sure to have seen our past works, particularly installments 1, 2, and 4, as they detail how to locate and acquire a proper subject.This is paramount information to have before proceeding with this installment.
By now the music in the apartment ceased and all of Alex's friends crowded around the couch to get a look.As most of you know, the man in the video continued, the old markets are gone and our farms have died out.
Since such a time when this commodity was abundant, we have no choice but to seek out and harvest it ourselves. What's he talking about?"asked one of Alex's friends before being hushed and told to shut up by everybody else.
A few of them whispered comments to each other, most pointing out the weird camera angle excluding the man's head.
Along with the acquisition and proper preparation of subjects, the processing is equally important, and the last step necessary to enjoy your hard-earned goods. Future installments will explain the process in greater detail and complexity.
This film seeks only to demonstrate the most basic processing techniques.The screen once again became flooded with static and blaring white noise before cutting back to film.When it did, the suited man was no longer alone.
Front and center of the video was somebody new, another man dressed in a suit, though his was much more modern.His head was also above the view of the camera.
Something about him felt off but I couldn't put my finger on it, at least not until I heard a gasp from behind me and then I saw it too.
The man was hanging, from what we couldn't see but his lifeless dangling feet held over a wide metal bucket on the floor beneath and made it clear. Everybody else must have noticed as well as some began whispering concerned comments back and forth.
Others hushed them in response, eager to see what would happen next.I stayed silent, believing it was nothing more than an act.The man in the old suit walked into view again, dragging a cart with him.
It immediately became clear that he was quite a bit taller than the man hanging up next to him.
Their shoulders appeared to be about the same level, but the feet of the man who was hanging lightly swung back and forth in the air, at least a few feet from the ground.Some commented on this, but fell silent as the man began to speak again.
I have here a subject for this demonstration. Those of you who have seen our past installments may recognize it.The harvesting process may be done when the subject is dead or alive.Of course, alive can be much more entertaining.
Unfortunately, our subject here put up too much of a fight to do this demonstration live. It is very important not to damage any of the more valuable pieces while acquiring a subject.
Before you start, have something to serve as a collection bucket for the blood.We don't want one of the best parts to go to waste.Most of us watching remained silent.Some felt suited to laugh at the absurdity of the dialogue.
but the ones who did were silenced as the towering man raised a knife from the cart.First, we open the chest.He plunged the tip of his knife into the hanging man just below the neck, though only a couple of inches.
He pulled the knife down effortlessly, tearing through the man's clothes and the man himself like butter.Along with it came the grotesque sound of flesh being ripped and bones being snapped.
He returned the knife to the cart before placing his hands back in the man's chest. In one rigid motion, he pried the man's chest open.Everyone around the couch, including myself, recoiled uncomfortably upon hearing the insufferable noise.
Blood gushed from the newly made open cavity in the man, soaking his clothing and collecting in the bucket beneath.My roommate Alex quickly got up from his seat, expressing his disgust in the process.
Some of the others turned away and covered their eyes.I, like all the others who were still watching with intent, thought that it was all an act.
Reasoning that it must have been some prop corpse with prop blood and now we were looking at prop organs.And now we harvest the goods, expressed the man who seemed to be acting as a butcher.Letting the organs marinate in blood enriches their flavor.
He announced, grabbing a smaller blade from his cart.For the next several minutes, he removed organ after organ.Heart, liver, intestines, everything.
He carefully lowered and lightly dropped each organ into the pool of blood collecting in the bucket, somehow remaining to still keep his head out of view.Everyone remaining on the couch began to leave one by one as the video went on.
Some even gave me disgusted glances as if it was my fault that they saw what they had and could have warned them. I think some even got the idea that I watch these kinds of disgusting things in my free time.
I hadn't met most of them before, so it was certainly a bad first impression.I remained in the couch, though I had lost attention to whatever you might call that video.
After several more unsuccessful attempts to shut it off, I set my laptop back on the table and resumed messing around on my phone while it continued playing in the background.
Well, I would like to say that I lost attention, but it would be more accurate to say that I couldn't bear to look at the screen.Still, enough curiosity remained for me not to walk away entirely like the others.
For the next several minutes, the man continued his disassembly of the corpse.Though I looked away for most of it, I could still hear everything.
Clothes were cut, followed by flesh, bones were snapped, joints disconnected, and blood continued to trickle into the bucket on the floor as the man's calm voice detailed exactly how to follow along.
I loosely listened along to his reasoning behind keeping each limb intact while I checked back in on the group chat on my phone, curious to see if I could find out who the unnamed account that had posted the link was.
To my annoyance, the message was no longer there.When I texted my friends, questioning them on the matter, none of them knew what I was talking about.I was the only one who ever saw the message.
By this time, most of my roommate's friends were putting on their shoes and using the bathroom as they waited for their Uber rides to show up.I figured now it was a good idea that I decided not to go with them.
A few of them glanced over at me in disapproval as they headed out of the apartment one by one.Others just turned away, I can only assume judging silently.
Once everybody had cleared out and it was just me left, I walked into the kitchen to clean up the mess, most of which they had neglected to pick up themselves.
All the while the video of the ridiculously tall man cutting up a body and narrating his process continued on my laptop. Not even half a minute after they left, the apartment door opened and my roommate Alex walked back in.Forgot my phone.
He explained in a panicked voice.Annoyed, I agreed to help him.I'll check here in the kitchen.Why don't you go check your room in the living room? Alex hurried to his room without a word.
In the meantime, I looked between the half-drunken solo cups and bottles covering the kitchen table and surrounding countertops.
If I'm being honest, I was mostly eager to find it so that I could have some peace and quiet alone after what had just transpired with me and his friends.Unfortunately, neither of us were having any luck.
Alex moved to the living room and began checking the couch.After checking the first cushion, he looked up at my laptop screen again.
The man in the video was now cutting strips of flesh from what remained of the corpse's torso, and carefully lowering them down into the bucket of blood, organs, and limbs. You still have this on," he muttered, disappointed.
I have no clue how to turn it off.I don't know what to tell you, man," I replied, a hint of irritation slipping through my tone.Alex turned back to the couch and continued to search through the cracks.
I was about to look away from the laptop screen and continue searching, but something was off about the video now. The man in the suit was standing still and his commentary had ceased.
I thought that it might have been lagging due to a poor connection, but the continuous, annoying ambient noise made it known that the audio was still playing.I walked into the living room to get a closer look.
When I got close, I spotted some blood still dripping from the corpse into the bucket and I could hear the splashing. I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up at the realization.
The man in the suit was simply standing there, too still to notice any movement.Though his face was still out of frame, it was obvious that he was looking in the direction of the camera.
The screen cut to static once again, causing me to flinch and fall back as I had been mere inches from the screen.The screen cut back to a video, but not the same one.
The man in the suit was alone once again in the same room, though no hanging corpse accompanied him this time. He faced the camera, head still too high to be in the frame.
My eyes may have been playing tricks on me, but I could have sworn that color started to seep into what was once a black and white video.
The dark splotches on the wall behind the man turned red, though color wasn't the only thing that seemed to be changing.The details on the man's suit seemed to become sharper and clearer, and the grainy noise in the background faded.
In a matter of seconds, the video quality transitioned from terrible to fantastic.It would seem one of our subjects has decided to join us.The man chimed in after the long silence.His deep, soothing voice now sounded crystal clear.
The quality of the audio got better too, but something about it felt off about his voice. The best word that I could use to describe it is synthetic, like something trying to mimic the sound of a man, something that didn't get it quite right.
Seconds later, the lights above the man turned off and the video went black.Alex stood up excitedly from the other side of the couch holding his phone.
Finally, he expressed, and I was about to remind him of the Uber and his friends waiting for him downstairs when all the lights in the apartment suddenly went out.
We froze, giving a brief moment of silence as we both realized the power must have gone out.
But that silence was broken by the sound of approaching footsteps from the video before the lower half of the man's face came into view for the first time, right in front of the lens.On his unblemished, ceramic-looking face, a grin formed.
As his smile widened, his jagged, sharp, asymmetric teeth revealed themselves one by one.In contrast to the rest of the dimly lit and dull picture, his bleeding gums brought color.
The sight of the inside of his mouth sent a shiver down my spine, and I tensed up in anticipation of whatever would appear next. To my relief, the video cut once again, this time to black where it had remained.
I tried the power button on my laptop, but to no avail.It seemed that my laptop had simply died, but that didn't make any sense.I could have sworn that it was at full charge when I first took it out.It should have lasted hours.
God damn it, my phone died.Alex said, frustrated.I decided to check mine and sure enough, it was dead too.I knew for a fact that the last time I looked at my phone, the battery was somewhere around 80%.
I gotta get down there man, they've been waiting too long.I don't think the elevator's working either.I responded, my voice shakier than I expected. Well, I gotta try it, and the only other option is booking it down 19 flights of stairs.
He retorted, annoyed as he walked towards the door.I'll come with.I assured and rushed to get my shoes on.
A part of me wanted to get to the lobby to figure out what was going on with the power outage, but I think more than anything, being in a dark apartment alone with no electricity or communication after watching that was the main reason that I wanted to tag along.
When we emerged from our apartment, we were met with nothing but pitch black darkness of the hall.I suppose that I should have expected as much.
With no windows in the hallway and the power being out, there wasn't anything to light our way to the elevator.Me and Alex walked slowly and stuck to the wall, feeling it along the way to the elevator.
On the way, our hands passed over a couple of doors to other apartments, which sparked my curiosity as to why we were the only ones who would come out. I had to think that everybody else realized the power was out.
I imagine some of them had to wonder why that was. Finally, we passed over the door to the stairwell and into the elevator area.We felt around the walls for the buttons until Alex finally found one and pushed it.
Of course, it didn't light up, nor did we hear the elevators moving like we usually could.Alex made his frustration at the idea of missing his ride known.I responded, looks like stairs are our only option.
If you want to make it to your ride, we better get moving.The door to the stairs is right there."I felt around the wall going back the same way that we had until I found the handle and I opened the door.
My eyes squinted at the sudden influx of light that flooded the hallway around us from the inside of the stairwell. Of course, the sight of working lights was a welcome one, but how, with the power out, they were on was a mystery.
Alex seemed much more interested in catching up with his friends than pondering that mystery himself.Before I could even open my mouth to question the oddity of the situation, Alex moved past me to enter the stairwell and I followed.
I brush off the lights being on as more than likely emergency power.I followed closely behind as we practically ran down the first few floors, but somewhere around the 14th floor, Alex suddenly halted his descent, as did I.
He turned to me but didn't say a word, keeping as quiet as possible as if he were waiting for me to notice something.I was about to ask him what it was before I felt it myself.The air was cold in there, very cold.
It felt like we were walking into a freezer. When we had first entered the stairwell up on the 19th floor, it most certainly wasn't anywhere near as cold as this.
I traded a confused look with Alex before either of us could say a word, and we both carried on with our previous pace. As we continued, the air only seemed to grow colder.
By the 10th floor, we could see our breath and although it was cold outside, I knew that it wasn't anywhere near this cold.At the 6th floor, Alex once again halted but this time, I watched his eyes grow wide as he stared at something in front of him.
He tried to mutter something under his shivering breath but he failed to make the words out.
I, being disturbed by his sudden state of shock, slowly inched my way down the last few steps of the flight that I was on before peeking around him to get a look.I felt my heart sink to my stomach when I got a glimpse.
On the handrail of the stairs hung a meat hook, the end of which was holding up one of Alex's friends through his gaping mouth and coming out through the bloody hole that was once his nose.
His frozen eyes looked up desperately in perpetual terror, with blood running down from the end of the hook and his mangled face, soaking his clothes in red.Alex and I must have stood there a whole minute before he finally came to his senses.
We have to get out of here.Now, he whispered to me.I simply nodded my head and followed him as we walked past his friend's body, but we didn't make it much further.
When Alex saw Don the next flight, he slowly collapsed to the floor and covered his face with his hands.A few more of his friends were presented in the same position, hanging from the handrail on their respective hooks.
Seeing more of them on this level gave me the urge to look over the rail further down. It looked like almost all of Alex's friends who had been in our apartment were now here, dead and hanging.
Blood from their faces trickled down slowly though, with as many of them as there were.It collectively painted a dotted pattern on the concrete floor at the bottom of the stairwell.
They all looked up at me with the same horrified expression on their faces. The sound of tearing flesh broke my trance and caused me to lean away from the handrail, though still close enough to sit on it.
A gloved hand reached out, holding another meat hook into body with it.The arm attached to the hand reached out and effortlessly placed the hook on the opposite handrail.
I recognized the style of suit belonging to the impossibly long arm, but I couldn't believe my eyes.After placing the hook, the arm froze in place, and then he began to chuckle softly.So, began the synthetic mockery of a man's voice.
Our little watcher has come to see how we do it with his own eyes. My heart sank again.He meant me.I turned to Alex and uttered the only word that I could find.Run.
Alex scrambled to his feet and followed me as we ascended the steps even faster than we had come down.Behind us, I could hear him pursuing us, but at a relaxed pace.
Though on the video nothing about his appearance was rotund, his immense weight was made obvious through the pounding and creaking of the metal stairs.
I don't think that I've ever run so hard in my life and I was surprised that we made it as far up as fast as we did.
Luckily I thought we must have been more than a few levels above him when we had returned to the 19th floor, though I had lost track of his stops. I was far more concerned with putting as much distance between him and us as possible.
Alex quietly opened and closed the door out of the stairwell and we stuck to the wall, quickly making our way back to our apartment which I knew was the third door to the left.
After entering, we again closed the door quietly before barricading it with a couch.We stood right by the door waiting. I think we were both thinking of what to do if he found us, but if he did, there was nowhere left to go.
Nothing left that we could do.Any minute, I expected to hear the stairwell door opening for his heavy footsteps to come down the hall before busting open our door, but that never happened. Eventually, we both lowered ourselves and sat on the floor.
I think adrenaline was the only thing that saved us and now it was gone.I felt drained and Alex was shaking.I couldn't imagine what he was feeling.
One thing that I knew we shared was the mix of confusion and fear as to how what we just saw was even possible and what that thing that did it even was.A buzz came from my pocket.Alex raised his head and looked over at me.The buzz came again.
I reached in and pulled out my phone.The bright light from its screen was a welcome sight, as was its nearly full battery, though its content again left me puzzled.Who is it?Asked Alex in a barely audible whisper.It's 911.
I responded as confused as he was.They can do that?They can call you?I lightly shrugged my shoulders in response, unsure myself if that was possible. Alex pulled his phone out as well, but it still wouldn't turn on.
I reluctantly answered and raised the phone to my ear.You both need to get out of that apartment, now.A woman's voice commanded sternly from the other end.My lips quivered as I searched for a question to ask.Now, she came again raising her voice.
We can't leave, there's something out there looking for us out there.I whispered back.He's not out there anymore, you need to move. I was speculative and questioned the intentions of the person on the other line.
For all I knew, she could be working with that thing from the stairwell to send us into a trap, but before I could contemplate my next move, she spoke again, this time in a calmer tone, as if a final appeal for me to listen to her.
He's in your closet.Get out now. A shiver went down my spine.Alex must have heard her too as he looked at me with a confused look.
But both our attentions were quickly drawn away to a sliver of light that crawled along the ground and grew in the space of floor between us.
We looked up and again exchanged brief looks of confusion before looking at the wall where it was coming from.The doors to the closet containing our washer and dryer were slowly opening as if being pushed by an ever so slight gust of wind.
The narrow gap between them is where the light had seeped through. A wave of dread has swept over me as Alex and I rose to our feet like we were ready to run, but had nowhere to go.
This wouldn't have raised much of an alarm in my head if the woman on the phone hadn't just said what she did, and if I didn't already know that there wasn't a light in that closet.
The doors swung open violently and our apartment was filled with light.A gloved hand gripped the top of the doorway before an old top hat ducked under it.The suited man entered, crouching to keep his hat from being pressed against the ceiling.
He took only two casual steps towards us, but his long legs closed the distance across the room before we could even move.I tripped on my feet trying to keep away, dropping my phone in the process, but Alex was well within reaching distance.
In one hand, the man had yet another meat hooking with the other.He reached out and gripped the top of Alex's head, giving it a quick twist.
His face now looked at me from the back of his body with the same terrified expression stuck to it that his friend's corpse has had.He flung Alex's corpse over his shoulder and then leaned down towards me on the floor.
The light from the inside of the closet casted a shadow on the man's face from the brim of his hat, but the glowing yellow light from his eyes shined through the darkness.
His breath was foul, a raking of odor like that of rotten meat when he opened his mouth to speak. As for your little friends there," he said, briefly glancing at my phone on the ground.
Wish them good luck for me, he said followed by another sinister chuckle.He turned back towards the closet with Alex still on his shoulder.
Inside was not our washer and dryer, but rather a big open room with concrete floors and more bodies hanging from the ceiling, strung up the same way as the others, a meathook in their mouths and out where their noses used to be.
And as for you, the man turned back to me again. I think I'll wait for you to fatten up."With his final word, he smiled at me with his jagged, bleeding teeth before carrying Alex in and pulling the door shut behind him.
The light in the closet faded, and the power in the apartment came back. Today's episode is sponsored by Rocket Money.In today's world, we have so many subscriptions that it's hard to keep up with them all.
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Cancel your unwanted subscriptions by going to RocketMoney.com slash Mr. Creeps.That's RocketMoney.com slash Mr. Creeps.RocketMoney.com slash Mr. Creeps.I found recordings of an archaeology team that vanished five years ago.I know where they are.
Written by Cosmic Scribe. I don't post things often, but I discovered something quite unusual and frankly, quite terrifying the other day.I'm not sure how else to put it, but I haven't been able to think about anything else.
I was hoping somebody could help me make heads or tails of it.A little background first.I'm an assistant curator at a pretty famous museum.I won't say which, as I would like to maintain my privacy.
All you need to know is that we have an unbelievably large archive of artifacts, art, and research.It takes a lot of manpower to organize, manage, and digitize them.
Anyways, I was going through boxes of records from field teams the other day when I came across a satellite communication device.
It's just an audio recording device that lets field teams, who probably don't have internet where they work, record logs on what they find. This isn't anything out of the ordinary for me.
I do, however, absolutely hate coming across them as it was my job to transcribe the hours of recordings on these devices.I love my work, but every job has its tedious duties.Thankfully, when I opened the files, there were only 22 logs.
I should mention that the device that I have is not the original recorder that the team had with them, but it is only a receiver.
We don't receive the recordings in real time as it takes an exhaustingly long time for any data to be transferred between these devices over great distances.It is, however, a reliable way to keep records.
Usually, the team would arrive home before the recordings do.This is only done as a precaution if the original device is lost.
The other files, along with the satellite device, included information on the research team and other files pertaining to the mission.
I won't be specific, but the team was sent to the outskirts of Jordan to investigate a previously undiscovered Mesopotamian ruin.Anyways, I'm just going to put the finished transcriptions here for you guys.
I'll be adding additional notes of what I think that I hear in the background. The names of those involved have been changed.I hope you understand.Date and time listed are in month-date-year format.
The following logs were received in September of 2020. Log 1, May 11th, 2019 at 9.13am Hey what's up guys, just casually making history out here, or uncovering it I suppose.Milo put that down, it's not a toy.Oh just having a bit of fun Carter.
Alright gotta go, don't forget to hit that like and subscribe.Milo! Log 2.May 11th, 2019.At 11.33 PM.It's raining heavily in the background.How does this thing work?Just hit the button on top, Bob.There are like four buttons on top, Milo.
Is the red light on?Yes, John.Well, then it's working.Oh, okay.The progress here is slow.Well, we haven't even begun to investigate the site yet. A massive freak storm hit us in the moment that we got here, and we've just been waiting it out.
That's it, right?Yeah, that's all for now.Looks like we're gonna be waiting for a while.Oh shit!Milo's comment is immediately followed by the sound of thunder.Log 3, May 12th, 1216 PM Let me tell them.
No, I'm the team leader here, so I get to tell them," Carter said.You won't say it with gravitas.Come on, let's go.We've got things to prep.This is momentous, Carter.Bob and Milo's voices and footsteps die down.Carter begins.
Alright, you wouldn't believe our luck.So, the storm has passed, but a lightning bolt last night struck the site.There's a massive crater, yeah, but don't worry, it gets good.It opened up and untouched a tunnel system under the site.
We found it earlier today, and by the looks of it, we think that it's man-made.Can't be sure yet.We're going in to investigate tomorrow.We won't go in too far, however old it is.I doubt that it has much integrity.
I don't have much to report right now.Hopefully, I'll have more tomorrow.Don't want to get my hopes up, but we might be standing on something huge.Maybe Milo was right about me lacking gravitas. Log 4, May 13th, 2019, 834 AM.
Milo and Bob can be heard yelling in the background at the start of the recording.Although I can't make out what they're saying, everyone's voices in this log are noticeably echoing.It's exactly what we had hoped and maybe more.
We're at the tunnel system right now and there are carvings and symbols all over the walls. I don't recognize what culture they belong to, but it definitely isn't Mesopotamian.The architecture doesn't match any of the ruins above.
It doesn't look like any ancient language that we have records of.This might actually be something new.You hear that?We might have found a new ancient civilization.This changes the entire timeline of human history.
This could be Atlantis for all we know. Carter, John, Bob yells.Footsteps gradually grow louder in the background, and we found a door.My god.Log 5, May 13th, 2019, 839 Can't we just grab a few sticks of dynamite?We did pack some after all.
No, Milo, you idiot.You want to destroy priceless artifacts and bring this entire tunnel down on us.One stick of dynamite.Guys, shut up.Okay, we're at the end of the tunnel system.It's about 300 meters from the opening that we came in from.
I know I said that we won't go in that far, but this is really exciting.Anyways, we found a door. More like a wall, honestly.It looks angry, too.It's a massive, flat, circular rock that's blocking the tunnel.There's a face carved on it.
Milo got some photos, so I won't bother trying to describe it.John's right, though.It does look quite ferocious.And ugly. And we're documenting everything here, don't you worry.I didn't find any of the photos they described among the files.
Log 6, May 13th, 2019, 4.21pm.Quite the day that we had.God, I still can't believe how lucky we got.This is incredible.We'll go investigate further tomorrow, but we're gonna have to wait for a larger team to arrive.
We don't have the manpower or the equipment to handle something of this magnitude.
Some of us want to force our way through and as exciting as that sounds, every brick and stone in that tunnel are considered artifacts and evidence of this civilization.We can't have them damaged.Maybe if we pry it open somehow.
I'm just thinking out loud.There can be yelling heard in the background.What are they doing now? Log 7, May 13, 2019, 4.24 PM Give me that!Hang on, just run me through what happened again.
Well, Milo and I were bringing back the equipment that we left near the tunnel, right?And a man came stumbling out of the tunnel system yelling at us. What do you mean he came out of the tunnel?
I mean, I, well, Milo saw him first, but we watched him crawl out of the tunnel.There's nothing in the tunnel.It's a straight shot to the dead end.Yeah, I know that.I'm just telling you what I saw.
And did he come from the direction of where the tunnel is or did he actually?Carter, I'm telling you that he came out of the tunnel.I don't know.Maybe there's another opening that we missed.You said that he was yelling. Yeah, well, I don't know.
I turned my hearing aids off because Milo was being annoying.Milo heard it, though.Hey, Milo.Huh?Yeah.What was the man saying?I don't know.I didn't understand it.And where is that man now?He's gone.Oh, into thin air.
Well, there's not a whole lot of places to hide out here, so yeah, maybe.I didn't get a good look at him.Milo, tell him.Milo?Where'd he go?Log 8, May 13th, 2019, 10.07pm Alright, we all made it back to camp.Milo's not feeling that well right now.
Hopefully, he gets better in the morning. I still want to go back to that tunnel tomorrow though, maybe see if that door would budge.What happened out there?Milo's really shaken up.I don't know, they said they saw a man coming out of the tunnel.What?
You think this is another one of Milo's antics?I'm not sure about that, I mean have you seen the state that he's in?Besides, didn't John say that he saw the man too? Yeah, so what do we do?There's nothing to do except our job.
How do you delete recordings on this anyway?You're asking the wrong person.Log 9, May 14th, 9.33am I don't know how, but the doors opened.I was bringing our equipment for today's excursion, and there it was.
The circular stone face had been rolled aside.I still can't really believe it.I'm going to go get the others so that we can take a look inside.I'm going to need to bring some headlights, too.This is big.I can feel it.Log 10 May 14, 1056 AM
This whole thing must be massive.Be careful, nobody touch a thing.Yeah, John's right, we're just here to observe for now.Milo, hand me the lamp.I've got a bad feeling about this place.Yeah, especially after what we saw yesterday. Enough of that.
Carter, bring the light here.Yeah.How far down does that go?I can't even see the bottom.I suppose these carvings would tell us something.Bob, didn't you take a course on philology?
They can't teach me a language that was previously undiscovered, can they?Fair enough. I wish we could read some of these.I still have no idea what this structure is.
We need to get as many photos as possible of their language if we're ever going to hope to reconstruct it.Milo, come take a picture of this one.Hey, this one's bigger.Kind of like a banner.It must be important.
Maybe it could be the name of this place.Milo's voice could be heard mumbling something, but I couldn't make out what it said.What was that? Log 11, May 14th, 1134 AM.We're going to head deeper into the underground structure.
There's a set of staircases leading down.I have no idea how big this place is.We're heading back to camp right now to grab some more torches. I am a bit concerned about breathing in the air down there.I might bring some face mask along the way.
It'll probably be fine.What the?There's a muffled sound here and a soft thud.I'm thinking that Carter might have dropped the recorder.What in the world?There's more muffling and loud smacking.Probably Carter wiping sand off the microphone.Holy crap.
No way. Log 12, May 14th, 1158 AM I'm back at camp right now.I tripped over this robe on my way back just outside the tunnel.It was covered in a bit of sand and it smells terrible. No idea how I had missed it the first few days.
Anyways, I may be reaching here but it looks old and maybe it had belonged to the people of this ancient civilization.It might also just be something that the locals had left behind.Yeah, that's probably it. Where did you find that?"John asked.What?
Oh, I found it on my way back.That's what he was wearing, that man that I told you about.Oh, this again.I don't know how Milo talked you into this.He didn't.I can understand not believing him, but when have I ever lied to you?
You expect me to believe that some guy out here in the middle of the desert crawled out of the tunnel that has no other openings besides the crater that was made two days ago? Carter.
Not only that, but he just then disappears into thin air according to you.I didn't say that.Yeah, this is the last time I want to hear about this man, alright?I saw what I saw.Log 13, May 14th, 3.17 PM It is really dark down here.
It smells god-awful too.Yeah, good thing that I brought the masks, right?I don't know if they're helping.We should bring some of the floodlights in here next.I think those would blind us.I can turn down the intensity.
I mean, we had no idea that we would be working underground.We're not exactly prepared for it.Alright, we'll get the floodlights later. Why do you always have that thing on?
I just have it on when we're about to find something new, so I can give live commentary of what we're seeing.Well, so far it's only been more carvings along the wall down this way.Man, these people had terrible handwriting.
It looks like we're coming up to the bottom.God, the smell is definitely getting stronger.Whatever it is, it's probably in there. We've reached the bottom of the staircase.There's a short stretch of hallway leading to an open doorway.
Let's go check it out.Milo, get the camera ready.Where's Milo?Milo!A deafening explosion goes off, followed by the sound of stones collapsing.Don't tell me that's what I think it is.Shit. Log 14.May 14th.3.20 PM.
Bob and John are heard yelling in the background.I can only make out a few words and most of them are profanities.I think that I can hear Milo crying.Carter starts coughing.Um, Milo just blew up our only exit.We're completely caved in.
We're gonna try to dig our way out but if we can't we're gonna have to find another exit.There's gotta be another way out.My god. There's a loud pounding echo as Carter punches a wall, and then there's stomping footsteps.
John, Bob, and Milo's voices grow louder.I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry.Carter waits, lets, why?What were you thinking? The audio here is muffled.The microphone must have been shaking a lot.I can make out the sound of violent punching and Milo's screams.
Carter, stop!That's enough!There are more muffled noises and the rustling sound of clothes.The screaming and hitting sound stops. The relief team arrives in three days.We'll run out of oxygen long before then.
If we don't find a way out of here, you've effectively killed us.Please stop it.I'm sorry, please.I'm so sorry.Log 15.May 14th, 3.27pm. It was the bodies, the smell.God, there's so many down here.Somebody can be heard throwing up in the background.
They're wearing the same robe.Carter, they... Log 16, May 14th, 3.35pm.Somebody is sobbing in the back.I can't discern who.There is also the sound of rocks clattering on a hard surface. We're in the main room right now with the collapsed tunnel.
John's trying to dig our way out right now, but it's not looking like a viable plan.That explosion earlier destroyed most of what was in this room.This whole structure might collapse on us even.Sorry, I can't think straight right now.
We think this place is a mass grave. The other room down the stairs, it's filled with long decayed bodies, with how things are looking while we might be adding to the pile.Hey, what's your problem?What?Hey, knock it off.There's some shuffling sound.
No, you can't.We can't leave, we can't. What the hell has gotten into you, Milo?If you want to die down here, be my guest, but I'm not letting you take the rest of us down with you.No, no, stop.Make him stop.
Milo's begging is cut short by a grunt from Carter, followed by the sound of something heavy hitting the floor.Stay out of our way.Bob, pull yourself together.We're not dying here.The sobbing gradually dies down to a whimper.
I won't let you, you can't make me.There is a rhythmic dull thudding sound followed by grunts of pain after each thud.You can't make me. Milo strains his words, each word is followed by a thud.What the hell, Carter?Stop him!
What do you want me to do?He's clearly lost it!For God's sake, Milo, stop!Milo, you're bleeding!Stop it!Damn it!Milo, get!There's a shuffling sound followed by fast footsteps echoing. Where are you going?Milo, get back here!"
The footsteps quickly get further away, although their echoes can still be heard.So what, we're not going to go after him?I'm not going down there again.Plus, it's a dead end.It's not like he can get too far from us.
He can route with the others down there for all I care.The sobbing resumes to its initial volume. Log 17, May 14th, 1114 p.m.We've been down here for, um, almost eight hours now.It's getting unbearably hot, and the smell isn't helping either.
It's gotten a lot stronger even up here.Probably because the only ventilation that we have had collapsed.We're taking a break from digging our way out.Progress is, um, slow. I'm gonna go down there.No, just leave him.
Well, I'm gonna go see if there's another way out.Alright, yell if you find something.Yeah, okay.And go check on him, too.Yeah.Soft footsteps gradually dissipated until there was only silence.The silence went on for seven whole minutes.
I assumed Carter had forgotten to switch the device off.Hey, Bob.Bob, are you alright? We're gonna die down here.Another four minutes of silence follows. Milo, no.Carter, get down here right now.
John's voice is echoing and it's hard to hear but he's clearly yelling.Shit.Bob, come on.A single set of loud footsteps on stone floors and the shuffling of fabric can be heard.Damn it, Bob.John and Milo's yelling gradually gets louder.
Milo, put the knife down.What the hell is going on?Yeah, like you said, he lost it. Milo, where did you get that?He demands.He keeps demanding.You better start making some sense.Milo starts crying loudly.He talks, choking through the sobs.
He's in my head, Carter.He won't leave me alone. Who?No, no, no, I can't.That's what he wants.He can't let me leave, he's angry.He's so angry.They trapped him down here and he's so scared of Rodney down here like the rest of us.
What's been going on with you?Who are you talking about?John.The man from the tunnels.He told me, he told me his name.Ever since then, he's been in my head.The man from the tunnels is in your head?No, not him, not a man.It.It is in my head.
It was in his head and now it's in mine.He wasn't strong enough.Oh, but how it made him suffer.To have to die for so long."Milo's sobbing intensifies.Get a hold of yourself and be specific.Tell me what did this to you. I can't.I can't, please.
That's what it wants.It'll make you suffer for it.I'm so sorry.I couldn't let it.We can't let it.Milo."The sound of ripping flesh followed Milo's blood-curdling scream.
There's a loud gelatinous splat and then thick dripping sounds of liquid gushing onto the floor. Milo, stop!It dies with me.I'll kill it.Bob, get the first aid kit!Bob!Log 18, May 14, 1136 PM A faint whimpering can be heard in the background.
We… Milo found a ritualistic dagger amongst the bodies.He's hurt real bad. Give it a rest, will you?I'm only doing my job.Your job?Your job!Guys, stop!"The audio devolves to just shuffling noises of fabric against the mic.Log 19, May 15, 2003 AM
I think I'm starting to get used to the smell down here.I don't think it's actually a mass grave.The bodies aren't piled together or organized at all.I think it's a temple or church of some kind.
There's an altar right there in the center of the room. There's art on the wall, and the statues.It looks like it's the god that they were worshipping.Same face as the one on the door that we found yesterday.
I took photos but the visibility isn't great down here so maybe we could.But what am I doing?No one's gonna find.Carter starts quietly crying.He resumes talking after a few minutes. So, um, we only really have access to the two rooms.
The main room upstairs and, um, down here.Everybody else is upstairs.Milo's still, well, he's hanging in there.I don't even know how he's still alive.Christ, there are still pieces of him on the floor.
I don't know what to do, I- Carter trails off and there's a minute of silence. I think that I hear air.There's an opening somewhere here."The audio goes silent.
The recorder doesn't pick up any sound for a few seconds, and then an almost negligible audio is picked up.It sounded like breathing.Wait a minute.Carter starts screaming.The sound of his heavy footsteps pounding on stone steps echoes.No, no, god no.
Carter.John's voice is cut off by the loud sound of stone scraping and clattering onto the floor.Help me!We have to get out of here now!Help me!
Suddenly, the rapid heavy thud of footsteps closes in, growing louder until, with a deep resonant thud, the sound of a body colliding with another fills the air.
There's a sharp, forced exhale followed by a muffled thump accompanied by scattering pebbles.John, what are you… I'm sorry.Milo was right.What?He told me its name.Put that away, what do you think you're doing?
The harsh sound of labored breathing and strained grunts from both Carter and John.There's the occasional sharp scrape of a metallic object against stone. I'm doing you a kindness.Bob, get him off of me.I'm so sorry.Bob, please.
Oh, Bob, you know better.We can't. The struggle is suddenly interrupted by a swift and solid crack as a rock strikes the assailant.There's a sharp, surprised grunt as a dull thud of a body hitting the ground followed by the clattering of metal.
It took you long enough.What the hell happened?I was only gone for a few hours. The clattering of rocks being thrown continues again.Come on, let's get out of here.Bob, the body's down there.I know, isn't it wonderful?
Actual miracles sealed down here.This really is the discovery of the century. How lucky I am to not only witness it, but share it with the world.Oh, not you too.This place is cursed.There are monsters down there.Not monsters, devout worshipers.
Don't be afraid, Carter.He bears gifts for us.Isn't that right, John?There's a low groaning sound in response.Log 20, May 15th, 1234 PM. A steady beat of stone clattering onto the floor continues from the previous recording.
Although slower, it is accompanied by the sound of labored panting.It's been almost 24 hours since we've been down here.Supplies are getting low but we'll make it to when the relief team arrives.
Milo and John are in critical need of medical attention.There's only so much that I can do for them with what I have on hand.The corpses in the lower levels aren't. Carter pauses for a few seconds before continuing.
We seem to be experiencing some kind of mass hysteria.No one seems to be in the right state of mind down here in the dark.We had to restrain John for the time being, for his and our safety.Bob, please don't do this.It's lying to you.
Was he lying when he cured you?Where are your hearing aids at, John?He has no need for those anymore. A moment of silence hangs in the air before the sound of rocks scattering resumes.Carter, can you pour me some water?
The audio picks up the light sound of footsteps and a bag unzipping.Here, be careful.John speaks in a whisper.Carter, listen to me.You have to stop him.They will make it out of here soon.It's all going to be alright.No, it won't be alright.
Not if we let it leave.I know that I sound crazy to you right now, but I can't explain it to you.Not without putting you in the same position as us.Just promise me that you won't let us leave.You alone can survive, but you have to bury us.
Hey, hang in there.Only two more days.Damn it, Carter.Don't make me have to tell you.What, tell me?Why you tried to kill me?What I'm about to do is so infinitely worse.Turn that dang recorder off.
Log 21, May 16th, 146 PM One more day, just one more day.No words are spoken for 20 minutes.A soft croaking voice pipes up although the words are unintelligible.We're all out of water. Sorry, hang in there, buddy.What time is it?Almost 1400.
Just one more day.Carter, let's talk.Just shut up, will you, John?Is it speaking to you yet?I told you to shut up.I'm gonna assume that was directed at it.Shut up. There's a minute of silence.Shut up.Followed by a weak chuckle from John.Log 22.
May 17th.3.17 AM.Log 22 is about 8 hours in total.There are intermittences of silence so, for your understanding, I will include a timestamp for when something of note resumes. I don't want to be down here with them.
Yeah, well, I don't want Bob hearing us.Oh, he won't care.The only thing on his mind for the past 12 hours is digging a way out.You think he can?Unlikely.You destroy that recorder like I asked, right?"A moment lingers before Carter replies. Yeah.
Right, so our only way to get out of here is the relief team.And if you're right, they'll be here in a few hours.They'll be here.You know that we can't let them find us, right?There's a few seconds of silence.Carter doesn't reply.
You know what it'll do if it gets out.So we just resign ourselves to a noble death.What for the greater good?We'd be lucky if it lets us die at all.John's words hang in the air.The silence is broken with a quiet sob. Screw you.
You wouldn't have believed me if I didn't tell you.So what then?We rot down here with the rest of them for eternity.They made the same sacrifice.For us.Don't you want to see her again?Well, I'm doing this for her.I can't.
It's been in your head long enough.You can read the walls right.Warnings of an idea to be left forgotten. John begins to cry out in pain.There's a thumping sound as something hits the floor.Shit John, are you alright?Stop it.
You make sure that I remember you and I'll make sure that no one will ever hear your name again.You pathetic parasite. John's screaming intensifies.Damn it.Leave him alone.Let him go, please.
The intensity of John's screams slowly dies down over an hour. 4.52 AM.Is John alright?Yeah, he's calmed down.Merciful.You haven't taken a break since last night.Oh, has it been that long?Then the relief team should be arriving soon.Yeah, about that.
He asked you to stop me, didn't he?To ensure that we were not rescued.I bet that fool spoke of a noble sacrifice for the greater good.If he wants to be a martyr, then let him alone suffer.It will. He is not an it.He is a god.He is the Prometheus.
He nurtured the flame within man, gifted us with the knowledge and wisdom to stand at the pinnacle of beings.And this was how they repaid him once they deemed him unnecessary.Hubris.He will unleash vengeance upon everyone if he gets out.
Well, perhaps. I'm sure his anger seems boundless now, but there will come an end to his wrath.When the dust settles, we will be standing at his side.His Adams and his New Eden.After all, we'll be the messengers of his name.I'm sorry, Bob.
Do you really wish to share the fates of those men down there?The unfathomable pain of existing is nothing more than a pile of decaying dust, forcibly held together by his will, to be buried in the dark for the rest of
A wet slashing sound interrupts Bob.A muffled gurgling noise of viscous liquid pouring is heard.A loud thud follows as something heavy falls to the floor.I'm so sorry.John can be heard hysterically laughing in the background.A voiceless prophet.
A gurgling cry of anguish echoes through the chamber before quickly being stifled.I'm sorry.I can't let you share this curse. Note that the relief team they spoke of were scheduled to arrive in the site at 6.30.I think they're here.
As if in response, a muffled sound of clothes started ruffling and scraping against the floor.Shit, hold him down!John, help me!John!What?Oh shit, stop him!More muffled struggling ensues until it slowly subsides. What's the matter with you, John?
I can't hear very well right now.It took it back.There is a distorted sound of voices yelling in the distance.It's impossible to make out what the words were, but it definitely wasn't coming from the four men on the original team.Stay strong, Carter.
Sacrifice.Sacrifice. Upon the completion of this transcript, I had to know more of what had happened to that team.I've already gone through all the files that came with the device.
Other than these series of logs, none of the information that I found there pertained to anything that happened during the team's time on the site. I'm sure like many of you would be, I was compelled to find out more.
The first place that I looked was in the files of the secondary team that was to arrive on site on the 17th of May, 2019. Similar to the first set of files, there wasn't a lot to go through.
The files did include another satellite communication device.This device was the original.There were only two logs in this device.The names in the following transcript have also been altered.Log 1, May 17th, 1247 PM
This is Dr. Riley of the secondary team.We arrived on site 5 hours ago at 0700.The preliminary team is nowhere to be found.We already notified the PSD and the university.
We've been looking for them all day, but there doesn't seem to be a single trace of them.They must still be here somewhere.There's no other way off the site unless they're willing to trek over 400 kilometers of barren desert.
The rest of the team is scouring every last square meter of the site.We'll find them.I really hope that John is okay.End of Log 1.Log 2.May 17th, 10.06 PM.No, explain to me why.We're authorized to be here for the duration of the project.
As far as anyone is concerned, that is still happening. A man responds to Riley.He seems to be a local.This is no longer a research project.Your jurisdiction here is hereby revoked.
We have arranged for you and your team to leave the country tomorrow morning on the earliest available flight.Please gather up your team.You are to be transported off-site now.I'm not leaving without them. Well, I'm afraid that isn't up to you.
It is no longer safe here.Men have gone missing.We are currently organizing efforts to search for them.Will you at least let us know if you find them?Rest easy knowing that these men have contributed greatly.Have a safe trip, Doctor. End of log 2.
The research project was officially postponed indefinitely on the 18th of May 2019.There is no further information on the search effort for the four missing men.Even combing through social media, I found nothing.
It was as if the missing researchers ceased to exist. The last known record of them are contained within the logs.I stated that there were only 22 logs at the beginning.There is, however, one last log.
It isn't transcribed as no words are spoken during the recording.In fact, the majority of log 23 is 27 hours of complete silence.Occasionally, I think that I can hear air circulating, like soft labor breathing.
Three hours into the log, there is a spike in audio as a gasp is heard followed by the sound of stone shifting.This final log was received last week.The timestamp reads, May 18th, 2023, 11.07am.I think they're still down there in the dark.
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Don't miss out on this limited time offer.Uncommon Goods, we're all out of the ordinary.I interviewed a psychiatric patient.He gave me a list of rules to stay alive.Written by Dominic Eagle.
My name is Kai Martin, but I went by a catchier moniker on YouTube.It was about privacy as well as branding.You might have seen my channel back in the day, but I'm not going to provide a link.
Anyway, by December of 2021, it was profitable enough for me to quit the day job.That month's YouTube ad revenue was equal to a year's worth of earnings from The Daily Shitstain.Not its real name, believe it or not.
My local newspaper was an endangered medium, eyeballed by greasy bundles of cod and chips more than humans.Let's put it that way.Moreover, freelance journalism comes without restrictions.I reported on whatever so pleased me.
In the name of a scintillating story, I had faced war criminals, traffickers, and next-door killers.As a young, steel-balled investigative journalist, I felt invincible. and that sort of adrenaline blinds a person to danger.
It's why I wasn't frightened of Cedric Roberts.I should have been.Cedric was an ordinary man, an outwardly dull fellow whose profession I don't remember.He was interesting in only one way.
The man claimed to have been misdiagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder.He claimed to perform rituals which really did stop bad things from happening. Now that's a typical claim for sufferers of this illness.
The atypical thing was that he claimed to serve something outside of them.He called it, TALL CRAWL.Do whatever he bids and do it twice if you doubt yourself.Walk no fewer than 11 steps per hour. 3.Don't walk in the shade of a backwards tree.
No artificial light between 1 and 6 in the morning.Snap the bird when it sings.Those were the five rules of life by which Cedric Roberts lived.Not rules imposed by an oddball employer.Not rules penciled in on a scrap of paper.
Rules whispered to Cedric in his head, rules that I had scribbled on my hand while doing research on his case.Everything started three months ago. In late June, my brother dumped a dollop of waste onto my lap.
He dressed it up as a vanilla sundae and I swallowed it with ease.Why did I entertain him?Well, I always entertain him.I always support his crackpot ideas.
Besides, it shouldn't have been possible for my brother to keep shoveling through that rock-bottom floor, but Andreas always found a way. I saw it scrolling through my YouTube channel's analytics.Views are down this month.
We really need to come up with an exciting video for next week.Well, did you hear about Cedric Roberts?My brother had asked.I nodded.Sure, that monster who killed his family. Andreas nodded.
He braked at the town's train crossing, stepped out of the vehicle and locked the doors, and then he placed a brick on the accelerator and let the car roll through the barrier into the oncoming train.
Witnesses said that his wife and two daughters were banging on the windows and screaming, but it was all over in seconds.The train pancaked the car end. Okay, Andreas, I interrupted feeling nauseated.
Anyway, he ended up in a psychiatric unit, my brother said.It's a horrible story, but I have nothing to add that wasn't already covered by the paper, I said.My brother smiled.You do now.
I was talking to our source at the station and she... Just call her Holly, I said rolling my eyes. Right, well, Holly revealed something interesting.And not just that you're absolutely smitten with her.I heard about your date, too.
Get to the point, I said blushing.My brother smiled and then returned to a solemn expression. Cedric Roberts said that something else had killed his family, said that a higher power was punishing him for getting a compulsion wrong high.
He was diagnosed with schizophrenia and OCD.And that was it.I had to interview this man.Without even arranging an appointment, I slumped into my car and set off. It was about more than our connection to the case.
Andreas and I had lost our mother to suicide seven years earlier.She had been broken by her obsessive-compulsive disorder.It wasn't even about Cedric's murderous rampage.It was about the itch on my nape.
One which had burrowed deeply like the tarmac snaking through grooves in fields and mounds.A long country road that ascended toward a secluded psychiatric hospital.
The ward was a grey blot atop a hilly landscape, one with three stories of tall glass panes lined up far too squarely.The building pained my eyes for a reason that I didn't know, yet trusted with unwavering certainty.
It was a clearer warning than any that I had ever seen, heard, or felt.My mind was telling me to turn back. Something watched me from one of the windows.Something that I didn't see.Something that didn't belong.
I'd been a psychiatrist for less than five days, Dr. David Pentleton said after I entered the building and introduced myself.Dr. Rosetta Wright would have been more helpful, Mr. Martin.She was Cedric's specialist for 11 months.Right.
I would like to speak to her then.May I have her details?I asked. No," Pendleton replied.I nodded.Because she would rather not speak to a journalist.Well, because she's dead, he bluntly answered.
I felt it again, the primitive urge to turn back, the same instinct that had detected something worse than eyes watching me from the hospital windows, and also inferred from the tone of David's voice that Dr. Rosetta Wright's death was linked to Cedric Roberts in some way.
I feared that it might be linked in the worst way.Did he kill her?I near silently asked.Dr. Pendleton shook his head and then winced as if coming to his senses.I'm not myself at the moment.
I really shouldn't be talking to a journalist about any of this.Rosetta was a dear friend of mine, Mr. Martin. You're taking advantage of my grief by poking your nose into this.I'm not trying to take advantage of you.This story means a lot to me.
I imagine it'll help your career," the doctor cynically said.It's not that.My mother was an OCD sufferer, I replied. teeing up for the winning stroke.Her illness led her down an awful path at Dr. Pendleton.She eventually took her own life.
There came a long pause as the doctor cautiously chose his next words.He finally said, if you really have no exploitative intentions.I don't, I promised.Fine, Dr. Pendleton said.I'll have to ask for Cedric's permission, of course.
The patient, surprisingly, was keen on the idea of talking to a journalist.Given his volatile nature, however, Dr. Pendleton thought it best to have members of staff physically restrain the man before I entered his room.
I'll let you conduct your interview privately, the doctor said as we stood outside of Cedric's room.He's been docile today,
That's the only reason I'm allowing this interview, but shout if you need me, I'll be right outside, Mr. Martin, less than five yards away.
Sure, separated from the family killer by a wooden door and a plastered wall, I thought, envisioning all of the ways in which the patient might butcher me before he would arrive.
But I inhaled deeply, summoned every shred of my courage, and I entered the whitewalled cell labeled 307. Cedric Roberts was constricted by a taut leather belt around his midsection, but nothing could have restrained his untoward grin.
The man sat cross-legged on a neatly made duvet.He was a strange sight, a 40-something-year-old sitting like a monk or a well-behaved schoolchild, but neither was the case.
I knew what this supposed family man had done, a heinous act driven by a mind either evil or unwell.I still wasn't sure which, and that was what I wanted to investigate.I wanted to disprove his claims of supernaturalism and grandeur.
I needed to disprove it.Since I had first glimpsed the hospital on the horizon, a prison which barely held this imposing man, I had felt something that I didn't know how to explain, a terror that I desperately wanted to explain.
Cedric would give me answers, but not the ones that I wanted.Kai Martin, the Kai Martin, he mocked.May I have an autograph? I sat on a chair opposite the bed.Nice to meet you, Cedric, and do you know why I'm here?
This is a collab for your YouTube video.The man replied, snorting with an entirely static face.I smiled uneasily. Honestly, I just want to uncover the truth."Honestly?Cedric repeated disbelievingly.
Yes, we must always have honesty, must we not, KaiKai?Something stirred violently in my belly as Cedric uttered a nickname that I had only ever been called by my mother.
That fact, alongside the oppressive sensation of 307's watchful wall shrinking, filled me with a foreign strain of fear. I know what happened on that afternoon, Cedric.Who made you kill your family?"He smiled.
My beautiful Isabelle called him Tallcrawl.He crawled up my body, you see.When you do what he says, he crawls, grows, feeds until he's tall. tall crawl, I softly said, sparking a sharp chill on my left forearm.
It was only a child's bemusing name, as bemusing as my feeling of being watched by unseen things and not quite eyes, but some perplexing anomalies or borderline inexplicable. Some oddities are fun, like four buses arriving at once.
Some oddities are terrible, like the feudal shape of a body that rose beneath Cedric's duvet, a shape that the patient roughly flattened with the thump of his hand before massaging the bed slowly, uncomfortably.
My heart throbbed sharply at the sight that I knew I hadn't imagined.And then the man transformed his two longest fingers into striding legs, before marching them slowly up his right arm.
And as he did, there came the sound of slow, clacking footsteps in the hospital hall.Footsteps sounding in horrible harmony with each stride as Cedric's leg fingers took across his flesh.
I was so distracted by the approaching footsteps that, in my state of terror, I barely noticed the pain.
Only when the footsteps of some unseen figure halted at the door to 307, but were not accompanied by knocking knuckles, did a meek groan finally escape my lips.
Bloody crescent-shaped dents had been trodden into my left arm, as if I were Cedric's reflection.The wounds were in the exact spots the man's walking fingers had marked on his own skin.Impossible half-moon wounds inflicted by unseen puppet strings.
What have you done?"I wailed, but my lips only formed the shapes of the words.No sound escaped.My autonomy had been stripped by Cedric, and worst of all, he somehow heard or felt what I had silently screamed.I'm following his creed, Kai.
Walk no fewer than eleven steps per hour, the man said, reciting his second rule.
I looked down at the eleven deep cuts on my arm, forged by unclean fingernails, and then I looked at the five rolls that I had sloppily jotted on my palm the night before.Tall crawl starts at your toes, you see, Cedric finally explained.
He climbs up, up, and up.Up to your breast, up to your frown, up to the tippy top top of your crown, whispered his voice in my head. Knock, knock.As the man rapped his knuckles against an imaginary door, my brain matter squelched painfully.
There came a dull ache from spectral fingers too long to belong to Cedric, rummaging in my skull.I fearfully surveyed my paralyzed self in the anti-ligature mirror on the wall behind the perturbing patient.He crawls along the wall.
Mr. Roberts continued. Rocking on the bed as I failed to scream for Dr. Pendleton, he crawls so tall.Please, I silently begged.My Isabelle didn't mind.Tall crawl stops the bad things, Kai.You just have to do what he says.
Bad things happen to your wife and daughters, I soundlessly uttered. Only air escaped my mouth as I contented with the horror of being unable to speak.
Because I broke the third rule, Cedric whispered displaying the first sign of anything vaguely resembling fright.I stumbled into the shade of a backwards tree.What is a backwards tree?I inwardly asked, lips moving silently in the mirror on the wall.
It isn't something that words fit around," the man responded nonsensically before offering a large smile.But it's real, Kai.I nodded, wrestling with the force that bound me tighter than any belt and then mouth.
What does he look like, this personification of your illness?I don't have obsessive compulsive disorder, Kai, the patient calmly insisted. Humor me, Cedric, I thought.
He looks like so many things, the man replied, approving that he had reached into my mind.A coat hanging strangely on a hook, something that hides beneath fresh folds on your palms.
Maybe your own reflection lingering in the mirror after you've walked away.As if in dreaded response, something changed in my reflection.Two colorless, spindly hands sprouted from behind my head like weeds, belonging to a figure hidden behind me.
One that I am glad I didn't see, though I doubt it had a form to be seen. Ten fingers slithered across my face, beelining towards an open, screeching mouth.
I jolted in fear and looked down to find that reality was no better than the mirror's illusion.
Crawling across my chin were not fingers, but black, oval pellets, titanic, writhing microbes, living or unliving things that fell into my wide, soundless maw.When I looked back up at the mirror, jaw hanging limply, my reflection had changed again.
My mirrored face didn't look back at me with a smile.It didn't look back at all, for there was no face left.
A sunken pit sat in the middle of my featureless reflection, caving inwards from all sides and forming an impossibly black hole at the center of my face, one which had passed beyond the back of my skull, and it did not reveal the wall on the other side.
It didn't reveal anything that the human gaze knew how to decipher, but there was something in the blackness.I felt it. You look pale," Cedric whispered, drawing my gaze to him.What is happening to me?
I silently croaked, looking back at my reflection to find that it had returned to normal.He said that he would save my baby girl, the patient said ignoring me again. My baby Isabel, and he did.
She was stillborn, but she came back to life because I did his tall crawl at Ast.And Izzy enjoyed 10 perfect years, which is better than none.I thank him every day.I said nothing.Whether due to paralysis or choice, I do not know.
I like that you've written them down," the patient eventually said, nodding at the set of rules inked on my quaking hand.But you'll run out of skin eventually.What do you mean?
I mouthed, choking on fear perhaps slug-like entities wedged in my throat.Are there more rules? Cedric Roberts held a finger up to his lips and loudly shushed, but I gasped in bewilderment.His arms were still tightly bound in the restraining belt.
How had one of his arms freed itself for a moment?Nothing in that place made sense, but the eleven curved cuts in my forearm told me that, at the very least, it had been no figment of my imagination. He'll tell you what to do, Kai," Cedric said.
He always tells.Dr. Wright didn't see that.What happened to her?I soundlessly asked.The fifth roll, Kai.The man continued avoiding all questions. snapped the bird when it sings.I had to do that one little thing or Isabelle wouldn't have made it.
I was scared, Kai, but the tall crawl blessed me with a bird to break.It fluttered on little legs through the door, smiling unknowingly and humming a pleasant tune.
Fluttered on little legs, smiling, I silently choked in horror, haunted by his choice of words. The man, if he were even a man anymore, simply grinned at me.Tall crawl is not real, Cedric.I mouthed, trying to convince myself rather than him.
I snapped the birdie.Cedric exhaled as if the words were cathartic. Snapped it shut, and the tall crawl gave me Isabel.He'd saved her, but there were always more bad things to stop.Always more rules to follow.Six, seven, eight, nine.
I silently pleaded for him to stop. There are too many rules to count, Kai."The bounded man giddily explained, rocking aggressively on the bed like a hard-shelled egg ready to hatch.But it's only fair to do as he says.
Only right, given what he does to keep me safe.Do you want to be safe, Kai? So no one ever gets hurt like your mother again.Andreas and Ali.They should be kept safe.You should keep them safe.Please let me leave.I begged in my head.
I shouldn't have come here. No.The man taunted lowly, eyes twitching like things other than pupils.This is the place.You were always supposed to come here.To welcome the tall crawl into your heart.An unseen pal hung over the boxy room.
It clung to Cedric like a heavy fabric.The tall crawl.That was what I saw.It was not a man.It was not any one thing at all. He looks like so many things, Kai."
The man's words bounced off the walls of my skull as I shivered at shapes in my peripheral vision.I could already feel my feet tingling, could already feel something starting to drag its prickly transparent form across the top of my toes.
A small crawl that would grow.It was too late.Whether I had wanted to welcome the tall crawl or not, he was there. Follow the rules, Kai," Cedric whispered, giggling.There are more than five.There are always more.
I shod to my feet, falling for the illusion that the demon had given me back my freedom for a second.Temporarily avoided me the illusion of independent will.
It was a cruel joke that seemed to please Cedric Roberts, made him guffaw wildly as I tentatively pressed towards the exit. Bye-bye, Kai," the patient said, and then the man began to walk his fingers across his flesh once more.
As he did, the duvet started to lift.That shape returned with a barely human form, and it crawled towards the edge of the bed, crawled towards an escape, crawled towards me.
Screaming with a voice box that finally worked, I scurried out of the door and down the corridor.Mr. Martin, Dr. Pendleton asked, gasping as he rose to his feet.
I didn't tell him what I saw and didn't tell him what I felt, but the doctor followed me, cornering me into a conversation, and he noticed the wounds on my left forearm.He chastised me for trying to conceal them, chastised me for not seeking help.
I had hoped that the eleven cuts were figments of my imagination, but as I drove out of the car park looking up at the windows of the hospital, it became clear that I hadn't imagined anything.
Behind the window of 307, there stood Cedric Roberts waving at me.And hidden behind him, a silhouetted figure waved its far longer arm in unison with the patient, like some perverse puppet master.
An arm without color, without texture, without substance. When I looked down to see only one hand holding onto the steering wheel, I realized that my free one was waving back at Cedric Roberts.In an upcoming post, I will tell you what happened next.
I will tell you about the things that followed, the things that I had to do, but not today.This was already a lot for me.Besides, a tweeting bird just landed on my windowsill.It told me what will happen to Holly if I don't snap it.
Something I'd rather not repeat. Holly's static voice poured through the car speakers.You and Andreas are going to get me in trouble.Relax, I said.We didn't discuss anything confidential. Wow, what did you discuss?"she asked.
I paused, absorbing the world beyond my windscreen on the way home from the hospital.Driving on the other lane, seeing the countryside in reverse, the road seemed to have a freshly tarmac'd personality.
It felt different than before, felt backwards in more than a literal sense. As I passed countless grand oaks lining the never-ending lane, I thought of Cedric's curse.
The five rules that he had bestowed upon me, plus any others the tall crawl might add.You've lost the plot, I thought, clammy hands gripping the steering wheel.There is no tall crawl.I don't know what you saw in that room, but it wasn't real.
Pull yourself together, Kai. There was, however, no denying the scarring tissue on my left arm, the eleven curved wounds.I frantically searched my memory vault, searched for some memory of Cedric lunging forwards, perhaps inclining away at my skin.
But he hadn't.The wounds had been inflicted by the air itself, by invisible strings that the patient skillfully twirled in trained fingers.Kai?Hallie asked. Are you still there?"Yes, I answered weakly.I, um... Kai, she pressed.
Please tell me what you and Cedric discussed so I don't have to worry about losing my job.Yes, officer.I said trying and failing to lighten the tone.Lighten my own tone.We talked about the price of breaking his rules.
He told me that he didn't want to kill his entire family, that he had to kill them.Holly sighed. It's a horrible case.Are you okay?I swallowed my fear.I've interviewed worse people than Cedric Roberts.So have I, she started, sounding unconvinced.
But he's a different breed.You know that.I hear it in your voice. I did, but I wasn't going to tell Holly that, just as I wasn't going to tell her about the wounds on my arm.
She was my friend, more than a friend, but she was also a law enforcer, one who was never really off duty, no matter how much she claimed otherwise.She sought justice in all areas of life, and I didn't want her to fight my battle.
I didn't want Mr. Roberts to do anything awful to her too.Besides, I knew that I would see Holly soon enough, and she would wrench the cat out of the bag. no matter how hard I tried to keep it hidden.
I just needed time before that inevitable confrontation.Time to figure out what had happened to me.Time to figure out whether there might be a rational explanation for what had happened in room 307.
An explanation other than it being a supernatural force with mysterious wants.Not mysterious, I thought.It feeds on attention and control.Its sustenance came from obedience, from asinine rituals.
Do whatever he bids and do it twice if you doubt yourself.Walk no fewer than 11 steps per hour. 3.Don't walk in the shade of a backwards tree.No artificial light between 1 and 6 in the morning.Snap the bird when it sings.
The ink on my palm had smudged from sweat and I didn't need the rules and writing any longer.They were floating in my thoughts. Swimmers planted either by my fearful subconsciousness or the long spectral fingers that had fiddled with my brain.
They had slithered through my screaming lips.That wasn't real, I lied to myself.I really wanted to bleed those warm fuzzy fibs as I pulled into my driveway.Really wanted to sleep most of all after a half hour drive that felt eternal.
I imagined myself waking up without a single memory of that awful visit to the psych ward, perhaps waking up without any memory of the Cedric Roberts case.I thought there might be a way to go back, unbind myself from the tall crawl.Not real.
I reminded myself once more as I unlocked the front door.But bed would wait.I had forgotten that my younger brother and my housemate had invited a dozen of our closest friends over for a summer barbecue.
Strangely, however, I found that I didn't mind.There buzzed a soft, cooling frequency in my brain.Not quite a hit of dopamine, more so the release of tension, as if I had doused my flaming mind with cold water.
as if I had finally tossed aside the hospital-grade belt restraining my thoughts.I sighed with relief and waved gleefully at my friends as I stepped into the house.I'm such an idiot.I was only having a weird day, that's all.
I had bought into Cedric's tall tale of a tall crawl. The temporary relief was perforated by a pang of realization.Walk no fewer than 11 steps per hour.I had just completed a ritual, unknowingly perhaps, but that didn't matter.
I had done as instructed.That was why I felt better. Don't be silly," I thought while greeting each of my friends.It wasn't silly, I knew that.
That foreboding feeling on the drive home had been a warning, a reminder that I was on the verge of breaking one of the Kroll's laws.
I was struggling to wrestle with that notion any longer, and then I became consumed by one of my oldest fears, the possibility that I might have inherited my late mother's disorder.
There's a genetic link with that illness after all, I reminded myself. But Cedric had been clear, very clear.There was no illness.The crawl was tangible, though it wore different skins.
To disobey came with hauntingly real consequences unlike my mother's illness.Her death was pretty real, I thought.My guy, Holly sat up, pulling me out of the trance. You look a little pale."I smiled.I just forgot about tonight, that's all.
She laughed.Yeah, after you hung up I realized that I should have reminded you.I had a feeling that you might have blinked.People only just got here though, so don't worry.No, it's not that.I'm just tired.Holly frowned. Are you really okay, guy?
You said that you've interviewed worse people than Cedric Roberts.Yeah, I know.I whispered, lips twitching.She nodded as if to say that she had already known.I didn't bother attempting to tell white lies in front of Holly's face.
She was a detective, after all, and she had clearly detected something in my voice during the call, giving her incessant questioning.It was even harder to shrug her off on the flash.
I tugged at the sleeve of my jacket, hoping the wounds on my arm were concealed.That was a conversation that I didn't want to have, much like the Eucedric-themed one that I knew was coming.Did he threaten you?Holly asked.What makes you think that?
I replied.She said, He threatened one of my colleagues.Well, no, he didn't threaten me, I lied.He just talked a lot, in great detail. Hallie nodded, but the frown persisted.I knew she wasn't buying it.
I knew full well that I had heard numerous horror stories from killers over the years, heard of the awful things they had done to other humans.Cedric's murderous confession was ghastly, but not the ghastliest.
What made him so frightening was the intention behind his actions, the act of serving something beyond the earthly realm.That was certainly new.
I found that I actually wanted to be psychologically unwell, and that would have been an easier pill to swallow.Obsessive-compulsive disorder is treatable. I didn't know whether the curse had a cure.
It was evident, however, that the tall crawl existed.A force that hungered for nothing but my servitude.It would feast on my undying loyalty.And punish any mistake, I thought, going over the rules in my head.
The night passed by in a blur, as did my thoughts.Racing, unintelligible thoughts born of fever daydreams. As hot fear coursed through my blood, I thought of Mom.I knew that she had battled something different, yet not dissimilar.
And for the first time ever, I let go of the anger, the blame.She had been tortured for years, decades even.I was simply amazed that she had made it through as many days as she did.I love you.
She had promised me only an hour before she had ended it all. A little after 1 in the morning I woke up in a sweat.It took me fewer than 10 seconds to process what was wrong.It wasn't simply the sound of rustling from downstairs that had woken me.
It was an alarm bell ringing from a clotted compartment of my brain. A bell that, amidst all the neural noise, I had missed earlier.No artificial light between 1 and 6 in the morning.I turned off every last light in the house.I was certain of it.
But the rule was vague, of course.Intentionally so.Tallcrawl gives no clarity.It speaks in riddles, deceives.It longs for us to fumble so that it might exact its devious design.
As I tore out of bed, ears throbbing, I was acutely aware of that sensation from the evening before, the warm tension that I had felt during the journey home, the fear that I had forgotten something.
I checked all of the lights, I thought, heart pounding as I slipped downstairs. Unless I should have turned off every single light on the planet.No artificial light.What does that even mean?
When I made it to the blackened lobby of my house, not daring to flick a single switch, I noticed something.A pinprick of redness spilling out from the black living room. The television stand by light.Oh come on, I thought, is that what I missed?
I realized that it had to be.The rest of the house was entirely dark.I had taken the role seriously, making sure to inspect every room after our friends had gone home.
I darted into the living room, bludgeoning my shin on the sharp edge of the coffee table, and then I dropped to my knees and crawled towards the television stand.I had to kill the red glow.
I rummaged around behind the stand, guided only by moonlight and street lamps pouring through the lounge's windows.It didn't feel sufficient to turn off the switch.I searched for the plug in the extension sockets.
I wanted to remove any reasonable doubt. 4.No artificial light between 1 and 6 in the morning, but as I dipped my fingers into the entanglement of cables, the flesh on my arms started to shiver, started to sprout tiny bumps.
I let my hand lie still, stopped searching in the heap of technology for the extension sockets. And then I screamed.The cables continued moving.
The dark worm-like clump surged and grew, forming a hunching body, one that seemed to verge on standing, but instead chose to squat in the darkness.He looks like so many things, Cedric had said.
I tried in vain to free my hand and forearm from its snare, but the living cable seized me, cut into my flesh.
Fresh scars formed alongside the bloody dents inflicted by Cedric Roberts and I was certain, in my peripheral vision, that the red standby light had moved. As if it were the eye of the crawl, watching me from the black.
I thought that would be my end, but there is no end for its servants, only greater depths of horror.The cables released me.I massaged my arm and scooted backwards across the carpet in fear.The cluster of cables didn't pursue me.
The silhouetted man shrank and sank into the carpet, resting against the wall in a fetal position. And then to my great surprise, the television's ploy disconnected on its own accord.
The red light faded as its shadowy eyelids shot, and I dragged my shivering body across the floor.As I moved towards the window, the outside light started to reveal the new marks on my arms.
Not meaningless fingernail prints as had been left by Cedric, but something of significance.Awful words were etched into my flesh.Andreas or Holly.I won't, I whispered, understanding what it meant.As if in response, fresh lines formed in my flesh.
A word was dashed and a new one was written above to form a new message.Andreas and Holly. I didn't need clarity, much as I hadn't needed clarity with the list of rules.I knew that a punishment awaited.It was sinisterly straightforward, actually.
I had failed to complete a ritual, much like Cedric, and a bad thing was coming.And then came the crunch of grass beneath shoes, signaling an approach.It neared the living room window below, which I was slouching against the wall.
Each crunch far louder than the last.And then these steps stopped. Something stopped right before the glass pane.Heart drilling at a brutal beat, I didn't hesitate.There was no escaping it.I had to face my fate and be done with it.
I shot up and looked out of my front yard.Of course, there was no one to be seen.He looks like so many things.My eyes started to water as I spotted something.Not out of place, for it had never been placed there at all.
Andreas and I are not gardeners, our front yard has always been empty.But there it stood, a small ash tree in the grass, a pale brown trunk with an unnervingly flat texture, as if it were skin, not bark.Old and withered skin, perhaps, but skin.
And the leaves, neither green nor any natural color, left me with a wretched feeling in my gut.Backwards, I don't know how to explain it, but the tree was undoubtedly backwards.
There are no words that make sense of such a thing because it's an impossibility.Don't you think that I know that?A tree has no front, no back.It was, nonetheless, backwards, reversed somehow.It wasn't even a tree.
That was the terrifying truth that I wanted to ignore, as the fleshy bark danced with slight movements much like the cables.
I knew that it was the tall crawl, and at the foot of the trunk lay the unconscious bodies of the two people who meant the most to me, Andreas and Holly.I was supposed to choose, but the options had been stripped from me.
Your fault for denying him, I thought. The urge began.Both of my loved ones would perish in my hand, though I had no say in the matter.It was starting.
I was being consumed by the insidious intent that had cursed Cedric, that had forced him to kill his loved ones, and the very same murderous urge hauled me out of the front door in the early unlit hours of the morning.
There lay a blade on the paved porch and I bent forward to scoop it up without a moment's hesitation, and then I strolled across the grass toward my two loved ones.
They lay in fetal bundles like the cluster of living room cables, neatly placed in the well-lit grass beside the ash tree's shadow.Don't walk in the shade of a backwards tree.
As I raised the knife preparing to lunge, I started to wrestle with the urge of the crawl.With that foreign motivation imprinted upon me, I knew that I didn't have to do this.Didn't have to suffer a punishment for not obeying meaningless rules.
Didn't have to obey the rules at all, in fact.It's weak, I thought, eyeing the sickly bark of the tree.
and I recalled how fragile and vulnerable the tall crawl had seemed as a resting pile of black cables, less intimidating than it had been in the hospital room.When I disobey, I weaken it, I realized.Don't walk in the shade of a backwards tree.
That role rang in my mind.I eyed the ash tree's shadow which was cast to the side of my two friends, and then I smiled seeing what I believed to be a way forward before taking a well-meaning stride into the shade.
Dread knifed my heart and a boiling liquid flooded my skull, enveloping me in fear beyond fear.I had willingly defied a rule, willingly gone against the bidding of the Kral.Do whatever he bids and do it twice if you doubt yourself.
Two rules defied in one fell swoop.However, that pull remained, that urge to do its bidding.I wasn't cured.There followed a sense of freedom, but it drowned in all-consuming terror.
I had felt triumphant upon seeing rod setting into the bark of the tree, but I was shriveling as painfully as the crawl. I screamed as my limbs started to snap into jagged, angular formations.
I lost any remaining free will and by the time I had accepted that, I had already lunged down, already plunged the steel knife into Andreas' chest.Plunged again and again and again.
My brother woke up with a splutter which somehow did not wake Holly, and blood filled his gaping mouth.I sobbed as I lay atop him, sobbed as I felt the tree shift and creak above us. have I done?"I cried.It came through the window.
Andreas whispered, shivering as he eyed the branches above us.Holly, help!
The police officer started to stir, opening her eyes with a shake, and then she screamed at the sight of my brother, screamed at the tree which started to twist and spiral into the dirt.
I didn't do it, I promised, watery eyes begging her to believe me.Holly knew, much like Andreas, that she had seen and felt something, something which had contradicted all reason.
Mom was here, she whimpered, curling up into a tighter ball in the grass.I had never seen her so fragile.Holly, I gently began.No, she said to herself. shaking her head and changing her mind.It wasn't her.
The ground quaked, swallowing the last of the thing pretending to be an ash tree, swallowing me.Before I had a chance to do a thing, Andreas is still alive, though barely.Form sank into the grass, joining the tree in some treacherous underworld.
I clung to him, hoping to save him, hoping to suffer with him at the very least.But the blades of grass closed, sealing him away. Holly and I dug for an hour trying to reach him in a blind and traumatized panic, but he was gone.
I had not defeated the tall crawl.To starve it was only the beginning.For when I had taken one step forwards, a defiance law, I took two steps backwards.I fully succumbed to the will of the crawl.
I murdered him," I whispered to Holly as the sun dawned.She shook her head and held me in her arms. The months since that day have been torturous.I know that there's a way out, but I don't see it, not yet.
I try to remind myself of what I saw, that the tall crawl is not an impervious, omnipotent being, and it certainly does not prevent bad things from happening.It causes them.
I keep telling myself that I need the crawl to keep my loved ones safe, but I think my mind has twisted the truth.Does it need me? Today's episode is sponsored by Kelshi.
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I found a strange journal at Goodwill.After reading it, I have so many questions.Written by Sunhead Prime.During my time at Goodwill, I've seen people turn in so many crazy items.One time, a lady tried to donate her dead husband's false teeth.
We politely told her no thanks and gave them back to her.We called her chompers every time we saw her in the store.
While the weird and gross things are fun to gossip about, what I love getting are personal journals that people have accidentally donated with other books.It's surprising how often it happens.
There's a thrill in reading something that a person never intended for somebody else to read. The honesty and true feelings that leap off the page are a gas to read.
Last week I came across a journal that somebody had dropped off late in the evening with a cache of other books.As soon as I had fished it out and started reading, I was hooked.This is without a doubt the weirdest, freakiest thing I've ever read.
It's a hybrid journal of handwritten pages and printed transcripts.It's odd. I'm gonna post the best parts, hoping that somebody out there can fill me in on what I've read.If any of this sounds familiar, please reach out.I have to know more.
August 20th.I've been married to my wife Faith for four years and together for six.It's been the happiest six years of my life. Before we got together, I had been going through a very rough time in my life.
My parents had died in a house fire about four months before we got together.The fire department had suspected arson but never found who was responsible. Never getting closure on such a profound loss numbs your heart.
On top of that, I had learned that my company was downsizing, and they gave me my walking papers a week after I buried my folks.
Since these things come in threes, joining my parents' death and lack of career prospects was the last member of the trio, alcoholism.I hit the skids pretty hard.
I was looking for a good time and thought that I would find it at the bottom of a bottle. while there was a brief period of fun when I would go out drinking.
In this case, fun meaning not feeling like jumping off a bridge for about two hours before blacking out.That soon gave way to hooking up with random weirdos, feeling like garbage every morning and a rapidly dwindling savings account.
It was during this low point in my life when I had found Faith.I first saw her working at the grocery store near my house and thought that she was a knockout.
Since I was there all the time grabbing something to drink, I eventually got to talking with her.Liquid courage and all that.Turns out that we had a lot in common.
While we first had bonded over small things, bands that we liked, our favorite cereal, we were in the aisle, stuff like that.But soon we started having the type of conversations that you would have on dates.
I took a shot and I asked her out and after she berated me for taking so long, she said yes. It was the first good news that I had received in months.Our first date was amazing.
We met for Mexican food at a local favorite and lost track of time chatting.She told me that she had finished school two years earlier with a degree in substance abuse psychology, but had trouble finding a good job.
She was working at the store temporarily until she found something better. I joked that while I was upset she hadn't nailed down her dream job yet, I was glad that it had led to us meeting.
She agreed and added that it felt like fate, and I couldn't disagree.Faith helped me heal myself.Her warming presence in my life helped to thaw my heart.
She had noticed my drinking and while never judging, she helped to guide me to putting down the bottle for good.It was a revelation and I immediately felt the changes in my life.
I had gone through a tunnel of shit and came out clean on the other side.Faith did that.It's not an exaggeration to say that I fell head over heels in love with her about a month into our dating.
I knew that I had fallen into the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I didn't want to lose it.I started thinking about ways that I could support and help her.
While I would never be able to repay her for saving myself from myself, I became her biggest supporter.When she fell down, I did whatever I could to lift her up.Eventually, she found that job.And not long after, we moved in together.
My happiness had returned and Faith was my North Star.I say this all to set the table for how weird her behavior lately has been.Ever since she began her new job, she's been working long hours at the office.
At first, she said it was something that everybody goes through when they first start in this line of work.A low man, or woman as it were, gets the extra workloads.Faith didn't mind too much.She loved her job and was amazing at it.
Anyone who got her as a counselor could count themselves as lucky.I missed her, but I understood.I too had found new employment and saw my free time dwindle.We both had to try a little bit harder to make things work.
It wasn't always easy, but some things are worth the hassle.Faith was worth the hassle. Within a few weeks, my job fell into a normal routine.I expected her to follow suit, but that wasn't the case.In fact, her hours became more erratic.
She started having counseling appointments later into the evening, as some of her new, more difficult clients had to work around very full schedules.
On top of that, she had become closer to her coworkers and after rough days in the office, they would sometimes need to blow off some steam with a drink at the local bar.
Faith told me that I could join them if I wanted, but I didn't want to be that guy.I trusted her and I wanted to give her some space. If you've ever spoken with a teacher, the bond they get with their co-workers becomes ironclad.
They have to deal with so many unexpected issues from their students, parents, and administration, and that's before they're expected to teach the Revolutionary War to bored middle schoolers.It's like soldiers bonding in a battle.
Unless you've been there, you can't really understand it. Working to help get people clean is like that too.You get to know your clients on a deep and personal level.You care about them.
Faith has told me as a counselor that you take the journey with your clients.When they succeed, you feel successful.When they fail, you feel like a failure.
She told me that when a client fails and ends their life, which can happen, it leaves you in a rack.All that said, if she needs to have a drink with her co-workers to decompress after, then I understand.
About two months into her job, a new guy named Blake started at her office.They slotted him into the office next door and they clicked instantly.Blake and Faith would hang out most lunch breaks and discuss their cases and brainstorm solutions.
I met Blake a few times, and he seemed like a good dude.I joked with Faith that he was her work husband, and she didn't argue.They're good friends, making their way as best as they can in a demanding job.Naturally, they would text back and forth.
Most of the time it was work-related, but as you become friends with someone, your personal relationship bleeds through. Again, I wasn't worried.Faith never hit her phone or erased texts or anything.
I could freely hop on her phone with zero issues from her.There were no red flags, and I trusted her.And then she started staying late most days.I'm talking like 7 or 8 o'clock.
She tells me that she's in the office, but I swear that a few times it didn't sound like she was in the office. When she would come home, she would look worn out too.I know what it sounds like, but it doesn't seem like physical exhaustion.
She looks mentally drained, to the point where she crawls into bed and goes to sleep.I don't want to even tell you how long it's been since we were intimate, but trust me, it's been a long while.
The last thing that's pushed me into questioning fate is the note. The other day, my car was in the shop, so Faith let me borrow hers.
After I dropped her off at the office where Blake was waiting outside for her, I drove the car to the gas station to fill up.While cleaning the windows, I spied a piece of paper wedged between the seats.
Expecting it to be a receipt, I fished it out to discover a handwritten note, in neat, boxed print it read, Thanks for giving the proposal some thought.I think we're both going to be pleased.Blake."I felt my stomach drop.
I know what it sounds like, but I also know that Faith has been talking about a potential job at work.She said that Blake had pitched it to the higher-ups and wanted to bring Faith on board.
It would be more work, longer hours, and potential work trips, but faith told me that the rewards were well worth it.Am I a sap?Am I clinging onto the desperate hope that faith has been true?
Am I letting my brain get to me and red-stringing unrelated acts into a conspiracy?I guess what I'm really asking is, am I overreacting? September 3rd I love Faith and up to this point, she's never given me a reason to doubt her.
She's been as loyal as they come, but I find myself doubting if she's been completely honest.I love her so much and I don't want to accuse her of something without having concrete proof.
If nothing else, putting these thoughts to paper has made me determined to look a little closer.I asked Faith about Blake waiting for her, and she said it's a habit that they've gotten into.
Blake read about meeting your team members as they come into the office, as a way of strengthening the team bond.That sounded insane to me, so I asked for the book's title to look it up.She hasn't given it to me yet.Red Flag.
I read an article about a suspicious spouse putting a tracker on his wife's car and hiding an air tag in her purse.While I can see his point, that feels like a big invasion of privacy.It's something that I'm not totally comfortable with.
If she's being honest and found anything like that, it would end my relationship.I love Faith and I don't want to lose her if I don't have to.That said, it's on the table. Okay, the update.I kept the note in my pocket the entire day.
Every time that I felt it with my hand, I felt a pang of fear rush through my body.Faith had helped me through the toughest time of my life.She was my North Star.I'm afraid what would happen to me if I found out that she was cheating.
When she got home from work that night, her latest yet, just after nine, I stopped her from going right to bed and I sat her down.
She protested, telling me that she needed to get some sleep because she was feeling drained, but clammed up as soon as I dropped the letter on the table.She sat in silence for a bit and I swear that I could see the gears in her head moving.
It was like she was in a trance or something. I finally cleared my throat and that seemed to snap her back to reality.When I asked her about the note, she told me that it was totally innocent.
She mentioned that Blake was very formal and he gave similar notes to all the new team members.I questioned her about the phrase, we're going to be pleased, and she chuckled.She said it meant what the results of the project.
I asked why she'd be coming home so late, and like every other question, she had a ready-made answer.She said that it shouldn't be a big surprise.She had mentioned that there might be some later nights, but she assured me that it was only temporary.
I asked the thing that had been bothering me for a while, but I had been tiptoeing around.I asked why, when she comes home, that she goes right to bed.No greetings, no TV watching, no questions about my day.And the sex, yeah, forget about that.
She seems to recoil at my touch.I told her that when you couple all of that with this new guy showing up and the sudden increase in later nights, it's not crazy to assume that something else is going on.Faith waited a bit and I braced for a fight.
Instead, she looked dead in my eyes and didn't break her gaze.She said that if I was suggesting that she was having an affair, that would be totally inappropriate.
I said it felt like she was hiding something and was either afraid or unwilling to share it with me.I said that I would like some answers or at the very least, some reassurance.Faye stood, kissed me on the forehead and plainly said that.
I was being irrational and she wasn't doing anything out of bounds.She added that she loved me and only me but wouldn't stay up late fighting with me about my hunches. She needed to sleep, and then she walked out of the kitchen and went to bed.
I sat at the table floored.I had never felt more dismissed in my entire life, and what made it hurt all the more was that it came from a person I never thought would do that to me. I was furious.I slept on the couch that night.
Not surprisingly, I had a restless night's sleep.My stress was bleeding into my subconscious.I had nightmares, but it wasn't the typical scary fear.I would have welcomed that.Instead, I felt alone and confused and lost.
I woke up feeling as bad as I did when I went to sleep. Not wanting this fight to continue, I thought that I would try to talk to Faith again.Maybe I hadn't been clear about how I felt.
I wanted to let her know that I didn't think she was lying to me, but I felt like boundaries were being crossed with Blake. But when I went into my bedroom, Faith was gone.I looked outside and saw that her car was gone as well.
She went to work and didn't even bother to wake me up.She knew that I went to bed upset and it was like it didn't matter to her at all.Blake would be waiting after all.
That's when I knew that I was going to have to be more proactive if I wanted to find out what was really going on. I brought up Amazon and added a few items into my cart.I haven't purchased yet, but I'm ready to.
If she couldn't be honest with me, then I would find out the truth the hard way.I'll post a new entry when I find out more information.September 10th. Okay, so things have gone from bad to worse.I decided not to call or text Faith that day.
If she wanted to talk to me, she could make the effort.I thought that maybe my silence would help get across my feelings.I was wrong.Not only did Faith not call or text, but she stayed out until past midnight.I was a mixture of anger and concern.
She had been out late before, but never like this. Around 10 I finally broke down and sent a text asking where she was, if she was okay and when she planned on coming home.She never replied.
I sat on my couch, stewing in my emotions until I heard the front door swing open.I jumped off the couch and ran over to the door.Faith was a bit surprised to see me still awake.She smiled, said hello, and tried to give me a hug.
I pushed her away and started nervously laughing. She asked what was wrong and I nearly shot through the roof.I asked where she had been and Faith said that she had been working late at the office.
I mentioned that it was midnight and working that late wasn't normal.Faith just shrugged and said that it was quiet during those hours and she could get so much more done.
I asked her why she wouldn't call or text me to let me know what her plans were, that she had left without saying goodbye and stayed away all day.
Without any trace of emotion in her words, she said that I shouldn't be concerned because, we talked about this yesterday, I'm not having an affair, it's only work.I snapped. I asked if she was out of her goddamn mind.
How could she believe that her brushed off statement about not having an affair last night covered her actions for tonight?How could I come to any other conclusions when she left early, went no contact, and then showed up after midnight?
She sighed and said that she had to get to bed because she had another early day tomorrow.Letting my emotions get the better of me, I asked if Blake was there with her.Her entire demeanor changed.
Her posture got more defensive and her face briefly let her annoyance seep through.We were working, is all that she said, before walking past me and heading toward the bedroom.My blood was boiling and I knew that I would never be able to fall asleep.
I hadn't planned on doing this, but I knew if I stuck around, I would insist on fighting.The way that I felt, I'd be setting myself up to say something that I would regret.Better to just remove myself from the situation.
With my keys in hand, I left the house, and I slammed the door behind me, though I instantly regretted letting my anger get the best of me. I shrugged it off though, at this point in for a penny and for a pound.
After my impromptu night stroll, I quietly re-entered my house.Faith had shut off the lights and went to bed.She apparently had no desire to fight either.
I couldn't blame her, no couples like fighting, especially if it concerns a growing lack of trust. I snuck into my bedroom to grab my phone charger and found Faith fast asleep.She didn't move at all when I entered the room.
I was about to leave when her phone chimed.Somebody had sent her a text.I decided that I needed to take a look at who thought a text at nearly 1 in the morning was a good idea.It was Blake.
I pretended to close the bedroom door and stood quietly in the dark to see if she would respond.After a few minutes, I realized that she was actually asleep and not pretending.I walked over to her phone, opened it up, and read the text.
Oh, dinner was splendid.Can't wait for the next one.Sorry that I kept you so late, but I think we'd both agree it was well worth it. B. I wanted to crush her phone in my palm.
Instead, I took a photo of the message and scrolled through the rest of their communications to see what else I could find.To my shock, she had erased every other text between them.A big red flag.
The anger and betrayal that I felt was rushing through my body and making me unsteady.For a fleeting second, I thought that I might have the first symptoms of the stroke.
I looked down at Faith and she was as calm as can be and sleeping like a newborn baby.And that's when I noticed a faded purple mark just below her collarbone.It had a twin on the other side.
As weird as it sounds, I prayed that maybe this was a little emotional fling and nothing physical.Not that an emotional affair would be any better, but if they hadn't actually done the deed, we could recover from that.
But staring at those twin hickeys on her neck crushed that dream.At that moment, I realized that I hadn't seen her naked in weeks.Who knows what other war wounds she had on her body. I put her phone back on the charger and left the room.
As soon as I had closed the bedroom door, I felt the weight of the situation hit me.I plopped onto the couch and started crying.I'm not proud of it, but it had been welling up in me for such a long time that I knew it had to come out at some point.
Once I had dried off my tears, I opened the Amazon app and ordered the things that I kept in my cart. I had them delivered to my office so she would never know.It felt good to have a little secret from Faith.Two can play at that game.
I'll update when I get some new info.September 20th Things have been rough at home.Faith and I haven't spoken to one another in about a week.While it's made me an emotional wreck, it hasn't seemed to bother her in the slightest.
She just keeps on working long hours and avoiding any in-depth conversations with me. We had a moment where we actually joked about an old movie that we both loved, but that moment blinked out faster than a dollar store light bulb.
Worse is, I've seen more hickeys on her body.Now that I know to look for them, I see little marks on some of her exposed skin.She tries to hide them, but she's getting sloppy.
She had some scratches along her neck, and when I asked her about them, she told me that she fell at work.Yeah, fell on Blake's dick, I thought. Her personality has shifted too.Gone is the carefree and loving woman that I knew.
It was as if somebody had replaced Faith.When she came home late before, she would at least say a few words to me before dragging her exhausted body to bed.Now if I got a hello, it was a minor miracle.
I've come to terms that she's sleeping with Blake and that this marriage is over.At this point, I want to gather as much evidence as possible.I've started talking with a divorce attorney and I'm making a plan.A divorce would be relatively painless.
We don't own a home and we don't have any kids. My lawyer says if I can prove infidelity that I might even be due spousal support.I don't need the money, but screw it.If she wants to screw around on me, then I'm going to take what I can get.
I'll use her payments to go on an amazing trip.I've hidden a tracker underneath her car.It'll let me know where exactly she goes.I know it's not the office because I've called several times when she was working late and nobody answers.
I also put an air tag in her pocketbook.That way I can see where she goes when she leaves the car.Unless she's Boning Blake.What a dumb name.In the backseat.I'm sure it's a splendid time. Also, I've been able to check her phone pretty often.
Once she's out for the night, a bomb wouldn't wake her up.It's like she's dead.She must be coming home super exhausted because she used to be the lightest sleeper that I knew.
The texts between her and Blake are usually deleted by the time she gets home, but every once in a while I'll find one still in the hopper.They're all the same, vague suggestions at their affair.No nudes exchanged or anything.
The last text that Blake sent her actually made me chuckle.It read, The moment is approaching.I know that you feel it too.Soon we'll be one.Sooner than you think, buddy.Once I get some more data, I'll update. September 28th.
Well, she's not staying late at the office, not surprised.According to the trackers that I installed, she leaves work every day at five on the dot, and then she travels about an hour north to a place that I assumed was a hotel.
But when I traveled out there, I discovered it was an old farmhouse. At first, I thought it was an Airbnb or something, but it looked abandoned.Maybe the inside was magnificent.
I didn't go inside, but from my car, the building wasn't giving off the most alluring curb appeal.That said, the tracker from her pocketbook never left the car. That is, it never entered the building.
Since Faith always brought her pocketbook with her, I was left with two possibilities.One, she was lying about taking it everywhere, and two, they screwed in the car.I knew the latter made little sense.
Why drive that far to just sleep together in the backseat of a sedan?The more likely scenario was that they were so hot and heavy for each other that she forgot about the pocketbook altogether.
I kicked myself for not buying the buttonhole camera and microphone.They had been on sale, too.The lawyer says that this is all good information and shows a pattern of lying.However, it doesn't prove infidelity.
I would have to get denial-proof evidence if I wanted to get alimony.Previously, I didn't care if I had gotten anything, but the more that this went on, the more that I wanted it.I wanted to punish Faith.
The day that I skipped work to visit the farm, Faith had texted me out of the blue.Hey babe, just thinking about you, hope you're having a great day.
I found it odd and I was worried that she might have somehow seen me out there or worse, was tracking my data.I chose not to respond and see what course she took. When I got home, I opened the door and I saw that Faith was waiting for me.
Surprised is too basic of a word for what I felt.She stood and smiled wildly, showing all her teeth.Faith walked toward me and tried to hug me, but I weaseled my way out of it.She noticed.
Faith looked confused and said she thought that I'd be happy to see her surprising me in the middle of the day.I didn't take the bait and I asked what she was doing at home.She asked me to sit and we did.
A face said that she's aware that things have been off between us and wanted to have a long overdue chat to set my mind at ease.I asked her why she suddenly had a change of heart.Before she could answer, I heard our toilet flush.
I stood up and glared at her. I asked who was with her.The door opened and my question was instantly answered.It was Blake.He nodded at me and plastered on a fake smile.He extended his hand to shake but I didn't move.
Blake eventually got the hint and lowered his hand. I demanded to know what was going on.Faith, ever the counselor, kept a neutral face on during all of my questions.
In a measured voice, she said that she could see that I was upset and that I probably had a million questions and that it was her hope that she could explain everything.I leered at Faith.The sheer audacity of this woman was astounding. I snapped.
I asked her on what planet would I be okay with her being at my house with him all alone in the middle of the day.Blake tried to step in and suggest that the only reason he was there was to vouch for her story.I told him to shut the hell up.
Faith tried to calm everybody down because she could see that I was getting a bit upset.I laughed, I couldn't help it.I told her that they haven't invented a word for how apocalyptic I felt in the moment.
She acknowledged my feelings and said that I should remember that Blake was only trying to help.I glared at Blake and told him that he could go suck himself for all I care and that they both needed to leave right now.
There were tears in Faye's eyes, but years of counseling had trained her on how to keep a smile on her face when feeling awful.She glanced over at Blake and then back at me before saying that she knew this was a mistake.I laughed again.
I told her that this little escapade didn't even rate as a gaffe compared to the other shit she'd pulled with Blake lately. My body and brain were humming.I ran my hand through my hair in a vain attempt to still my racing mind.
Faith lowered her head and, in a voice just above a whisper, reiterated that Blake and her were just co-workers and friends, nothing more.There was nothing nefarious going on.Despite being threatened, Blake chimed in and confirmed to face claims.
I told them both to leave.After a beat, Faith stood and they both left. As soon as they were gone, I did two things.One, I packed a bag and made plans to find a place to stay for the next few days.Two, I ordered cameras to hide in the house.
Despite my mind racing, I clocked how comfortable Blake was in my house.I knew in my gut that he had been here before.I wanted to capture him here to help build my divorce case.I'll let you know what happens in a few days.
Right now, I want to punch a hole in my wall. September 30th.It took two days to catch them at the house.Two days and I can't believe it.They weren't screwing but it showed that he had been over before.
In the footage that I recovered they came in and sat at the table.They had a conversation but spoke in such hushed tones that my microphone couldn't pick up most of what they were saying.
A few words broke through, but while I think I know what they're discussing, the lawyer said that it's not enough.Blake had said, if he knows, which to my mind is a pretty obvious admission.Faith had said, how much longer do I need to wait?
At another point in their conversation.Again to my ears, that's clear as day.To a judge, though, perhaps it isn't enough proof of an affair. Weirdly, at the end of the video, Blake stood up and looked like he was singing or chanting or something.
I don't know because the mic cut out.There was a flash on the camera and it stopped recording.Again, I should have bought the good cameras when they were on sale.Instead, I got these cheapos that screwed up when I needed them to work the most.
Lesson learned for next time. Knowing that if I wanted to turn the screws on Faith, I was going to have to get concrete proof that she was messing around, so I decided to follow them out to the farm tonight.
I would wait for the tracker to tell me that they're on the move and follow behind.I would wait, snap a few photos, and then quickly send them over to my lawyer.If he agreed that they would work, the paperwork would get going.
I'll have time to kill, so I'll update as this goes on.Join me, will you, as we catch my wife destroying my life.If I'm going to lose faith, why not do it with an audience?October 4th.
At around 5 o'clock I finally got the notification that Faith and Blake were on the move.I hopped in the car and took off after them.I got to the farm about 20 or so minutes after they were there.
Faith had parked her car in the long gravel driveway leading up to the dilapidated home. The tracker said that her pocketbook was still in her car, but I could see that she wasn't.They must have been in the house.
I made my way to the front door and saw that it was already slightly ajar.I pushed it open just enough to squeeze through and I found myself inside the remains of a decaying farmhouse.It smelled awful inside, a potent mix of mildew and rot.
It was disgusting and I couldn't imagine being able to get turned on in there. It would be like screwing in a slaughterhouse.Still, I listened for any noises that would indicate the horizontal mambo.
There was nothing on the ground floor, but I still checked all the rooms.I came to the well-worn stairwell and I hesitated. These things looked rickety and I envisioned myself plummeting to my death after they gave way below my feet.
I was going to skip it because I felt that if anyone was upstairs, I would have to hear them but then my ears picked up a faint moan.I froze.It sounded like Faith. I took in a deep breath and took the stairs as cautiously as I could.
In fact, I kept my feet along the edges of each step because I was worried that the middle wood had rotted away and would collapse. I breathed a sigh of relief as my foot hit the top of the landing.
I listened again for face moaning, but I heard nothing.Still, I checked the first room upstairs.It was empty, and all I heard was the echo of my footsteps.The second room was no different.The third room, though, that one was off.
There was a line of white chalk or salt poured in front of the door. Not knowing what that was all about, I grabbed the handle to open the door and I felt my hand sizzle.
I yanked it back in a flash and waved it in the air in a desperate attempt to soothe it.I bit down so hard on my lips to stifle my scream that I drew blood.The pain was nearly unbearable.
After I came to my senses, I looked around for smoke coming out of the cracks.If the handle was that hot, there had to be a roaring fire behind the pine door.However, there wasn't anything seeping out.
In a slightly deranged move, I had my burned hand close to the door to see if I could feel the heat.I tried several spots, but the results were always the same.No heat. I backed away from the door.
I decided that I didn't need to find out what was in there.Unless Faith was riding it, I didn't need to know.I had come to and to this house to catch her in the act, not play Robert Stack in the home version of Unsolved Mysteries.
Finding Faith was turning out to be hard enough.Nothing made sense.I had heard her moaning and I knew that she was here.So where the hell was she? As I approached these stairs to head back down, I heard Faith moan again.
This one was loud and seemed to come from outside.I crept back to the room with the south-facing window when I peered out.And that's when I saw Blake.
He was standing in the barn and as naked as the day he was born, with a smile on his face the size of Texas.He was saying something but I couldn't make out what it was.
From my vantage point it looked like he was glancing down at someone just outside my view and I knew that it had to be Faith, on her knees most likely.
I snapped a quick photo of Blake with my phone, but knew that I would need to get Faith in a picture as well.I spied a bush not far from the barn door and thought that I would be able to get a better look inside.
The idea of witnessing my wife on her knees begging for Blake made me want to puke, but I thought of the trips that I would take with her alimony payments and I soldiered on.I'm heading for the bush.
The night gives me excellent cover and I should be good. I don't want to forget any details so I'm typing this all in an email that I'll send to my lawyer.
In case things turn south and Blake wants to get weird with me, I'm also sending along the farm's location.You know, so the cadaver dogs know where to look first when I go missing.Jesus, I'm too bleak for my own good.
October 4th Update Okay, forgive me for rushing this, but I'm inside the bush and something's wrong.Like, really wrong.After navigating the stairs, I use the cover of darkness to exit the house and make my way to the bush.
But as soon as I stepped outside, I heard what sounded like a choir singing from inside the barn.It wasn't a record playing on a speaker or anything.It was a live choir singing some ghastly song that I had never heard before.This gave me pause.
Were they performing for a group?When I parked, I had seen no other cars nearby and wondered where these singers had come from. Maybe they lived in the house, but that place looked like something you would see in an urban explorer video.
I realized that Blake was into some freaky stuff and had swayed faith to try it.She obviously took to it quickly which blew my mind.
I once had joked about having a threesome and she was mad at me for two days, and now she was screwing for a live studio audience.It made little sense to me. From this vantage point I can see inside, it's not great.Faith is nude and on all fours.
She has these strange markings all over her body.I don't know if it's blood or paint or what.Blake has been circling her and occasionally hitting her with a leather paddle.I don't think she minds it. Every time it hits her skin, she moans and smiles.
I snapped a few pictures of them together and sent them off to the lawyer.If these don't work, then nothing short of me shooting the whole video of them will suffice. Faith and Blake seemed to be into some weird shit.
The choir that I heard singing was standing about 10 feet out from where Blake and Faith were at, singing that horrible song and watching the action unfold.I didn't know if this was a group thing or if everybody took turns or what.
Frankly, I don't want to know.This seems like more than a simple affair and I don't want any part of it. Blake can have faith.I...oh shit.Sorry, I had to hide my phone.I heard a few people walking around outside of the barn.
As they passed, I saw long, ornate knives hanging from their ways.They said that somebody had been inside the house and messed with the birthing portal.
I looked down at my burnt hand and knew that I was the guy who had messed with the birthing portal.Great. They also mentioned that they needed to find the interloper before he arrives at Blessed Bee.I don't know who he is nor do I want to find out.
I had what I came to get and now I needed to get out before the Roman security guys made a pin cushion out of me. The singing inside has gotten louder and face moaning barely registered above the den.
There's a charge in the air like a storm's approaching but there isn't a cloud in the sky.Despite the passing guards my curiosity got the best of me and I tried to get a better view of what was happening inside of the barn.
Faith had flipped over on her back and had ropes lashed to her arms and legs.Four masked men held them, keeping her in place.Instead of being afraid, Faith looked thrilled.
Blake slowly circled her naked, splayed out body, and poured some salt around her. As the grain set the ground, he kept repeating, pleasures of the flesh, pleasures of the soul, the project is complete, two will become one, blessed to be.
Blake was, how do I say this, bricked up, and Face Eyes followed his bouncing member with anticipatory glee.That was my cue to leave. Faith had abandoned me and taken up with the weirdest group of people this side of the Mississippi.
Whatever messed up stuff that Faith had gotten mixed up in was no longer my concern.She could let Blake use his paddle on her and whatever else for all I care.He's her problem now.
I can hear the distant rumbling of thunder and I swear that I saw a few flashes of lightning.I don't want to be caught outside in a bush if a major storm blows through.
This night has been as hard as Blake was and I had no intentions of hanging around any longer than necessary. The security team has moved away and the path to my car is clear.With everyone preoccupied, I'm going to make a break for it.
I'll update you all when I get home.As weird as this all has been, I've found myself smiling.Soon I'll be free of all this nonsense.I can restart my life, faithless and far away from whatever the hell this goofy shit is.Wish me luck. October 5th.
I made it out.Faith is fine.Please do not look into this.Thank you. That's the last entry in the journal.It's written in a completely different hand.Maybe it's the lawyer but it sounds too ominous to be from the guy's lawyer.
Maybe it's Faith or maybe it was Blake.All I know is that it's killing me not knowing what the hell was going on at the farm, or what happened to the writer, or Faith and Blake for that matter.And what the hell is a birthing portal?
If you're reading this and it sounds familiar, please again reach out.I have so many questions and I hope you have some answers.Thank you all for listening to this week's episode.I hope that you enjoyed it.
Wherever you may be in the world, I hope that you're staying safe and sound.And as always, stay creepy.
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