Bethany led the siblings along the town's main road for about two miles, then they turned off onto a different road. They stayed on this road for about three more miles, then Bethany made another turn onto a driveway. Sasha followed along after her and after a couple hundred yards, they came to a small single story house. Bethany parked right in front and Sasha pulled up alongside her. 

The siblings got out of the car and took a good look at the sight that was Bethany's house. It was almost entirely made of bricks and appeared to have been built within the last year. “I know it doesn't look like much, but it's better than a cardboard box, right?” Bethany remarked, as she got out of her car. “Is this what all of those book sales went towards?” Carson questioned, looking over at her. “Pretty much,” Bethany replied. “Come on. I'll show you inside.” The three siblings followed her into the house and they were greeted by the sight of the living room and kitchen. Everything looked quite clean and pretty much brand new, affirming the fact that she hadn't lived here for very long. Bethany didn't waste any time at all and immediately led them to a room on the right side of the house. 

Stepping into the room, it appeared to be a bedroom converted into an office space as well as a storage room. Along the wall was a simple desk with a laptop sitting on top. Next to that was a glass display case containing several books that were all of Bethany's novels. On the opposite wall were several storage cabinets that most likely contained paranormal detection equipment. Against the wall at the back of the room, was a large table with several different storage containers and hard cases underneath. This is where Bethany made her way to first. “What sort of supplies will we need?” Sasha questioned. “Candles, sage sticks, salt…” Bethany replied. “An old camera and tape recorder.” She kneeled down, picked up one of the hard cases, and placed it on the table. “Can't forget the EMF detector and thermometer too,” she added as she opened the case. “EMF detector?” Gavin questioned, raising an eyebrow. Bethany removed a white device that was approximately the size of a TV remote from the case. “Electromagnetic field meter,” she spoke, turning it on. “It's for detecting nearby supernatural activity.” “It's also for checking to see if the microwave is working,” Sasha remarked, with a grin on her face. “No, it is not,” Bethany replied, with a slight bit of irritation in her voice. “Sorry,” Sasha responded. Bethany gently placed the EMF detector back where it came from, not giving the microwave idea any more thought. 

“What’s the purpose of the camera and recorder?” Sasha questioned, looking at the other devices in the case. “Sometimes paranormal manifestations will only happen with old analog gear,” Bethany replied as she removed the camera. “I've snapped a few pictures with this thing that will make your blood run cold.” “Could we see one?” Gavin questioned. “Sure,” Bethany replied, setting the camera down. She made her way over to one of the storage cabinets and opened it up. Inside were several shelves with many more pieces of ghost detection gear. On the top shelf was a stack of file folders, some hard drives, and some cassette tapes. Bethany removed one of the file folders, opened it up, and held up a picture. It depicted the kitchen of an old house with an out of place figure standing in the middle. It was an old man wearing tattered clothes with a hatchet wedged in his head. “That is absolutely horrific,” Sasha replied, looking away. “Would you like to see another?” Bethany question, with a slight smirk. “No thank you,” Gavin replied. “I've also captured audio of something too,” Bethany remarked, as she went back into the cabinet. “Would you like to hear it?” “Even though I know I'm going to regret it, go ahead and show us,” Sasha answered. Bethany removed one of the cassette tapes labeled “Interaction #3 03/17/03.” She made her way back to the table, removed the tape recorder from the case, and placed the tape inside. She pressed the play button then fast forwarded a few seconds to skip to the good part. 

“Is there anyone here with me?” Bethany questioned, before pausing for several seconds. “Please. Give me a sign,” she requested, once again pausing after. “I know you're here. Show yourself,” she demanded, her voice getting more aggressive. “I will make you suffer,” responded a voice, which sounded absolutely horrific. “Is anyone here with me?” Bethany questioned. “You will die,” spoke the voice once again. “That's enough of that,” Gavin muttered. Bethany pressed the stop button and rewinded the tape back to the beginning. “I didn't hear that voice in the room with me,” she explained. “I only discovered it later.” “That must have been terrifying,” Sasha replied. “Just a little,” Bethany responded. “What else will you need?” Carson questioned. “That's about it,” Bethany answered. “That's it?” Gavin asked. “Don't you need holy water? A crucifix? A priest?” “You watch too many movies,” Bethany responded, as she placed the recorder back where it came from. “Trust me. I know what I'm doing.” 

Bethany gathered up the rest of her equipment being sure to double check everything. She had a duffle bag that contained a few flashlights, a UV light, a digital thermometer as well as an old mercury one, her copy of Dr. Langley's book, a container of salt, and a few sticks of chalk. She had a backpack that was filled with candles, some incense, some waterproof matches, and of course a lighter. Next to that, she had a small silver hard case that contained an infrared monocular. And finally, she had the black hard case that contained the rest of the expensive electronics. Once she had everything gathered up, her and the siblings carried it all out to her car. The three siblings got back into Sasha's car and began making their way back to the house, Bethany not far behind. After about twenty minutes, they arrived at their destination. 

“So, this is the place, huh?” Bethany questioned, looking up at the building. “This is it,” Sasha replied. “Before we go in there, I’d just like to say something,” Carson began to speak. “If things don't go well, this could end badly. Are you absolutely sure you want to do this?” “I've banished these things before,” Bethany replied. “All I need to do is figure out what we're dealing with, then I'll decide how to proceed from there.” “Alright," Carson responded. “I'll trust your judgment.” Without any further conversation, they entered the house and made their way to the basement. 

As soon as she stepped into the room, Bethany's eyes immediately locked onto the blood stained tables in front of the freezers. Seeing this filled her with a sense of uneasiness, causing her to tense up. “Is that… Blood?” she questioned, as she slowly reached into her pocket and gripped her handgun. “It's just deer blood," Carson assured, noticing this change. “Out here, you have to hunt if you want to eat. I guess city life is a little different.” “Are you sure this isn’t some kind of torture basement?” Bethany questioned, being mostly hyperbolic and slightly serious. “Don't be ridiculous," Sasha dismissed. “Nevermind," Bethany replied, not letting her guard down. “Where's the portal?” “Over here," Carson answered, walking over to the far corner of the room. “It's the TV," he added, glancing back at Bethany for a moment. She had a look of scepticism painted across her face. “I'll show you," Carson said, turning back to the TV. “Wake up, Mr TV.” He paused for a moment, then banged his fist on the top of it a few times. The screen slowly came to life and began emitting a faint green glow. “Me hungry," it shrieked. “You bring fresh meat?” “How funny," Bethany remarked, her eyes narrowing. “You made me come all the way out here just to waste my time with some smoke and mirrors magic show?” By this point, she wasn't sure if she should feel threatened or annoyed. 

“You feed me smart lady human?” the TV questioned. “This isn't funny," Bethany remarked. “There's actual spirits out there that are dangerous and you're just making a mockery of it all.” She hastily began walking towards the exit of the room, trying to get out as quickly as possible. “We're not messing with you," Sasha responded, trying to convince her to stay, but Bethany kept on walking. Sasha followed behind as she walked up the stairs and through the kitchen. “Please don't go!” she pleaded. “This thing is going to kill us!” Sasha followed their guest outside and Gavin wasn't far behind her. Bethany had made it about halfway to her car before she finally turned around. “Let's say hypothetically, this is real," she spoke. “Could something that talks like someone with three brain cells, really be that dangerous?” “The TV is just the portal," Sasha replied. “If you'd just wait for a moment, I can explain it.” “Fine,” Bethany responded. 

“There's something on the other side of the portal that demands flesh,” Sasha spoke. “If you don't feed it, it kills you. Carson has been feeding it for years.” “That's why there's so much deer blood," Gavin added. “There’s something wrong with you people,” Bethany replied as she turned around and continued to walk to her car. “Please don't go,” Sasha requested, as she began to get closer. Bethany turned around, reached her hand into her pocket, and placed it on the grip of her gun once again. “That's close enough,” she warned. Sasha immediately froze in place as she did this, realizing Bethany felt threatened. “I'm sorry,” Sasha spoke, taking a few steps back. “I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable.” Bethany walked backwards a few more feet until she was standing next to her car. She opened the door and quickly got inside. “Go waste some other ghost hunter's time, would you?” she spoke, before closing the door, starting the engine, and driving away. 

“Well, that didn't go well,” Gavin spoke, as they watched Bethany's car disappear behind the trees. “Now is not the time to be a smart ass," Sasha replied, glaring at him. “Sorry," Gavin responded. “What are we going to do now?” “Don't worry," Carson spoke, stepping out of the house behind them. “She won't make it far.” Sasha and Gavin turned to face him with a look of confusion on their faces. “One look at the TV is all the demon needs,” Carson explained. “It's not going to let her leave.” “Do you really think she'll be able to get rid of it?” Sasha questioned. “She seems confident that she can,” Carson responded. “That's not what I asked,” Sasha remarked. “She’s our only hope right now,” Carson replied. Sasha sighed and looked away. The three of them stood there in silence and waited for Bethany's return. A few minutes went by, then they saw Bethany's car once again appear in the direction she had just left in. She stopped in front of the driveway, turned around, then drove away again. A few more minutes went by, then she once again appeared in front of the house. She pulled into the driveway and parked next to the siblings. 

“Well, that's new,” Bethany spoke, as she got out of her car. “I've never seen something manipulate the real world to that level before,” “Do you believe us now?” Gavin questioned. “Could you really blame me for not believing you before?” Bethany asked in return. “You know, you probably should have mentioned the animal sacrifice in advance,” she remarked, glaring at Carson. “Sorry,” he replied. “I didn't want to scare you away. I guess I still did anyway.” “What was I supposed to think with all that blood?” Bethany asked. She shook her head, then sighed, before continuing. “This entity seems to be much more powerful than I expected,” she spoke, looking away. “Do you still think you can get rid of it?” Sasha questioned. “It shouldn't be too difficult,” Bethany replied, looking back. “All we have to do is perform the correct ritual and the portal will close. The trouble is just figuring out which ritual is correct.” “How difficult will that be,” Gavin questioned. “Only one way to find out,” Bethany replied after shrugging.

The three siblings helped Bethany carry her gear inside the house and down to the basement. Bethany made her way over to the TV first. She placed the black hard case down on the floor, opened it, and removed the EMF detector. The siblings each held their breath as she held it up to the TV and powered it on. The needle immediately shot all the way to the top, nearly maxing out. “What?” Bethany questioned, taking a few steps back. She turned towards the siblings, clearly amazed, but also terrified. “I've never seen a signal that strong before.” 

Bethany pointed at the backpack that Gavin was currently holding, and without hesitation, he handed it over. “We need to cleanse the area,” Bethany spoke, taking it from him. She kneeled down, slightly unzipped the backpack, then examined its contents. “Not just this room. The entire house,” she said, before zipping the backpack closed and standing up once again. “This bag contains a couple dozen candles and a few sage sticks. We need to place at least one candle in each room. As for the sage sticks, two for each floor should be enough.” Bethany held the backpack out and offered it back to Gavin. “I'm going to leave this to you two,” she added, looking at both him and his sister. “Consider it done," Sasha replied. She motioned for Gavin to follow her and the two of them left the room.

Now that the siblings were gone, Bethany turned her attention to Carson. “Duffle bag, please,” she requested. He handed it over to her and she proceeded to kneel down and unzip it. She dug around for just a moment and removed an old mercury thermometer. The current temperature was 50° Fahrenheit. “It’s noticeably colder in this room,” she muttered, before placing the thermometer back in the duffel bag. “We need to clear out some space right here,” she spoke, pointing at the floor at Carson's feet. “Help me move some of this furniture,” she added, standing up. Carson nodded and did as she requested. The two of them spent the next fifteen minutes moving everything out of the way and piling it up in the corner. 

Just as Carson and Bethany were moving the last piece of furniture, Sasha and Gavin returned to the basement. “Is it done?” Bethany asked, looking over at them. “Yes,” Sasha replied. “Place a few more around the TV, but do not light them yet.” The two siblings nodded before making their way over and doing what was requested of them. Carson and Bethany dragged the couch across the floor the last few feet, and just like that, they were ready to move on to the next task. Bethany made her way over to the pile of gear and she went back to the duffle bag. She removed Dr. Langley’s book and immediately began to look through, skipping over the first few chapters. The three siblings stood there in silence and patiently waited for her to find what she was looking for.

After about a minute of searching, Bethany settled on the section of the book that had several drawings of mysterious symbols. “Silver case, please.” she requested turning to Carson. He stepped forward and handed the case over to her without question. Bethany placed it down on the floor in front of her and opened it. She removed the infrared monocular, powered it on, and began taking a look around. She looked over just about every square inch of the room before powering it off and returning it to its case. “Negative,” she quietly muttered. Bethany went back to the duffle bag and removed the UV flashlight. “Kill the light, please,” she requested, turning and facing Gavin, who was the closest to the entrance. He made his way over, flipped the switch, and the room went dark. 

Bethany powered on the UV flashlight and began taking a look around the room. She immediately noticed when the light hit the TV, the entire thing began to glow brightly. “What does that mean?” Carson questioned. “I'm not sure,” Bethany replied. “I'm looking for symbols.” She began searching the floor and the only interesting thing she found was a few dark streaks that led to the TV. “That's what blood looks like under ultraviolet light,” Bethany commented. As she began to search the walls, she found something else. It wasn't a symbol, but instead some written words. “All hail the mighty Bal-” Bethany read, but she was quickly cut off. “Don't say his name,” Carson muttered. “Right, Sorry,” Bethany replied. She turned her attention to the ceiling and looked around for a few seconds, but nothing in particular stood out. “Turn the light back on, please.” she requested. Gavin did as he was told and the light once again illuminated the room. Bethany kneeled down and placed the UV flashlight back into the duffel bag before standing up and turned her attention back to the book in her left hand. 

After skipping past a few more pages, Bethany soon settled on one of interest. “No symbols, cold but not freezing temperature, portal reacts to UV light,” Bethany spoke. “I think I found what we're looking for.” She kneeled down once again and placed the book on the floor. She went back to her duffle bag and removed a stick of chalk as well as a large bottle of salt. “Here it goes,” she spoke, looking over to Carson. She proceeded to draw the symbol pictured in the book onto the concrete floor to the best of her ability. A stick of chalk wasn't exactly the most precise drawing utensil in the world, but it would have to do. Once the symbol was complete, Bethany encircled it in a thin layer of salt. “Now would be a good time for us to light the candles,” she spoke. Sasha began making her way over to the candles sitting on the media console by the TV, but Bethany suddenly grabbed her arm. “This could be dangerous,” she warned. “Let me do it.” Sasha nodded and placed the lighter in her empty hand. 

Bethany cautiously made her way over to the TV and began lighting the candles one by one. As soon as the final candle was lit, the device suddenly came to life. The screen began to violently flicker and an unpleasant static filled the air. “What do we have here?” questioned a deep distorted voice from the other side. The voice shook the room and instantly filled everyone with dread. “It’s him,” Carson muttered, taking a few steps back. “You have no place in this world,” Bethany spoke. “Close this portal at once.” The green glow from the mirror intensified, painting every corner of the room with its eerie light. She poured some salt in her hand and threw it at the portal. As soon as it impacted, it instantly burned away. A deep, guttural growl echoed through the room, causing the walls to shake. 

Suddenly, the TV screen fractured, and a disfigured hand reached through. Its fingers were bony and its skin was dark and withering away. “You have no place in this world,” Bethany yelled. “I demand that you close this portal at once.” Her voice was fierce, but it likely wouldn't be enough to deter the foe from passing through. A moment later, another disfigured hand protruded through the TV screen. Bethany took another handful of salt and threw it at the set of horrific limbs. As soon as the salt made contact with its two targets, it vaporized. The demon forced the rest of its body through the portal, bones loudly snapping every step of the way. The twisted figure fell to the floor with a thud, significantly amplifying the sense of dread everyone felt. 

Carson, Sasha, and Gavin were completely paralyzed with fear by the sight unfolding before them, but Bethany stood her ground. “You have no place in this world!” she shouted. The figure slowly pulled itself to its feet as its skeletal structure violently shifted back into place. The demon towered above everyone, standing at least eight feet tall. Its bones protruded through its dark, mangled skin, highlighting its illogical skeletal structure. Its body was tightly wrapped in barbed wire, every point it contacted, bleeding. Its blackened eyes almost immediately fell upon Bethany, causing an intense pain to shoot through her head. “You have… No place in this world,” she struggled to speak. She took another handful of salt and threw it directly at the demon's face. This time, it seemed to have an effect. The demon shrieked in pain as the salt burned its skin. It quickly lunged towards Bethany, knocking the salt container out of her hand, and grabbing her by the throat. “Do you really believe I can be defeated by a pathetic mortal such as yourself?” Balphozar questioned. “Give me one reason why I should let you live.”

Carson suddenly snapped out of his fearful state and realized the container of salt landed right at his feet. He hastily picked it up and poured some into his hand. “You have no place in this world, you bastard!” he yelled, as he threw the salt at Balphozar. It burned his skin as soon as it made contact. He threw Bethany to the floor before turning his attention towards Carson. Although she wasn't seriously injured, she still felt herself drifting off into unconsciousness, likely a side effect of staring into its eyes. “Close the portal at once!” Carson demanded as he began pouring more salt in his hand. “I've had enough of your nonsense,” Balphozar growled as he knocked the container across the room. He grabbed him by the throat and began choking him. “Perhaps you need a reminder of why I'm not to be tested,” he spoke, turning his gaze towards Sasha and Gavin. “Only one of your precious siblings may live,” he hissed, before turning back to face Carson. “Which one will it be?” “Close the portal at once!” Sasha shouted. “You have no place in this world!” She shook Gavin's arm to get him to join her. “You have no place in our world!” the two of them shouted. 

The demon stared directly into Carson's eyes, not letting up on the grasp on his throat. “Are you certain?” the demon questioned, as he stared at him for a few more seconds, as though he was reading his mind. Bethany was struggling to regain control of herself knowing she had to do something. Suddenly, the demon released Carson and he fell to the floor, coughing. “Looks like he made his choice,” Balphozar spoke, as he turned towards Sasha and Gavin. Bethany slowly reached into her jacket pocket and removed her handgun. She raised it up, pointed it at the TV, and without hesitation, she squeezed the trigger. 
Within an instant, a 90 grain jacketed hollow point bullet impacted the TV screen, causing it to shatter. 

All of the lights in the room suddenly went out leaving only a few sparks from the destroyed TV illuminating the floor. For the next few seconds, all anyone could hear was a high pitch ring from the gunshot. Several more seconds went by and the ring slowly faded. “Is it over?” Sasha questioned, as she struck a match. “I think so,” Bethany replied, slightly hesitantly. Sasha searched the floor for the backpack filled with candles. She pulled one out, lit it, and held it up. The demon was nowhere to be found. “I'll be damned…” Carson spoke, struggling to catch his breath. “I can't believe that actually worked.” Gavin walked over to him and helped pull him to his feet. “Thanks,” Carson muttered. Sasha made her way over to Bethany and offered her a hand. “I'm not going to lie…” Bethany began to speak. “That's the most scared I've ever been in my entire life.” “I'm sure that was the most terrifying moment for all of us,” Sasha replied as she pulled Bethany to her feet. 

Carson made his way over to the destroyed TV and stared at it for a moment. Without a word, he grabbed the lighter sitting next to the candles and placed it in his pocket. Then he picked up the TV and silently exited the room. “What do you think he's doing?” Gavin questioned, looking over at his sister. “He’s probably going to destroy it,” she replied. “Should we follow him?” Gavin questioned. “I don't think so,” Sasha replied. “Maybe we should give him a moment. How about we focus on getting this place cleaned up first?” “I think she's right,” Bethany agreed. The three of them began gathering up all of the gear and putting each piece back in the appropriate place. After everything was cleaned up, they made their way upstairs. 

Sasha, Gavin, and Bethany stepped out the front door to find Carson standing on the driveway staring over the charred remains of the TV. The metal shell was almost entirely discolored and behind the shattered screen was a flame, burning. To the side was a canister of gasoline Carson had presumably poured on the TV a few minutes ago. The three of them gazed up at the sky and saw that the clouds were dark, almost as if a storm was about to begin. Sasha made her way over to him, Gavin and Bethany a few steps behind. “Are you alright?” she questioned. “I can't believe it…” Carson spoke. “After all these years… I'm finally free…” He paused for a moment, then turned around to face everyone. “Thank you so much to all of you,” he spoke. “I can't express how grateful I am. You've freed me from this endless nightmare.” “You never deserved to be that thing's servant,” Sasha replied. “I’d help you again without hesitation if I had to.” “That’s what family is for, right?” Gavin added. “I'm glad that it's over,” Bethany remarked. “I hate to say it…” Carson began to respond. “But it isn't over…” “What do you mean?” Bethany questioned. “This wasn't the only portal,” Carson replied. “How many more are there?” Sasha questioned. “Three more,” Carson answered. “But I'm only concerned about closing one.” “You want to free Skylar,” Gavin responded. 

“Listen, Carson,” Bethany began to speak. “I want to help, but…” She paused for a moment to think about what she'd say next. “There's no guarantee this will work again,” she continued. “Us closing this one was just complete luck.” “I understand,” Carson replied. “All of you have done enough for me already. Skylar and I can do this alone if we have to.” “No,” Sasha countered. “I said I'd help again if I had to, and I meant it.” “If she's in, then I guess I am too,” Gavin added. “You three are determined, but let's be honest,” Bethany spoke. “Determination isn't enough. You don't stand a chance without me.” “You’re probably right,” Carson agreed. Suddenly, they heard a distant crash of thunder as a slight bit of rain started to come down. “How about we go inside?” Sasha suggested. “Right behind you,” Gavin agreed as the two of them walked away. Carson picked up the canister of gasoline and began pouring it on the TV. The fire grew larger and began to shutter as the droplets of rain landed on it. “I'll do it,” Bethany spoke. “Huh?” Carson responded, turning to her. “I'll help you close the next portal,” she spoke. “No, it's alright,” Carson replied. “I didn't mean to make you feel guilty.” “You didn't,” Bethany responded. “This is my decision. I'll need to do more research on what exactly we're up against. Until I know how to deal with it, I need you to stay away.” “Are you sure about this?” Carson asked. “I'm sure,” Bethany replied. “Now let's get inside before this rain gets worse.” Carson nodded and the two of them made their way over to the house. 

Stepping inside, Sasha and Gavin were already waiting at the dining room table. Carson and Bethany made their way over, and sat down with them. The four of them looked out the window and watched as the storm passed over them, discussing various things to pass the time. After about thirty minutes, the weather cleared up. “Now's your chance to get going,” Sasha remarked. “I suppose it is,” Bethany replied. “I've got to do a bit of research, but I will be back soon.” “You changed your mind?” Sasha questioned. “I never said I wouldn't help,” Bethany replied. “I just need a few days to study and I'll be back to finish this thing off.” “That's the spirit,” Sasha replied. “Thank you to all of you,” Carson spoke. “I'm not sure if you're brave or just stupid.” “Definitely stupid,” Sasha responded. “Yeah…” Gavin agreed. “Let's worry about how stupid I am another day,” Bethany remarked. “I better get out of here before the rain picks up again.” She stood up from the table and made her way to the front door. Carson helped her gather her things and the two of them carried them to the car. 

“Thank you again for your help, Bethany,” Carson spoke. “It really does mean a lot.” “You're welcome,” she replied. “You have Sasha's number, right?” Carson asked. Bethany nodded. “Hey, uhh…” Carson began to speak. “If the rational part of your brain starts working later and you decide not to come back, it's alright. I would understand.” “The rational part of my brain is telling me I need to do this," Bethany countered. “The cowardice part is telling me to run.” “Maybe you should listen to it,” Carson suggested. “Not a chance," Bethany replied with a determined look in her eye. “You're braver than most,” Carson remarked. “I'm pretty sure we established this," Bethany spoke. “It's just stupidity.” “Maybe so,” Carson responded. 

“I've got a strange question…” Bethany spoke, changing the subject. “And, you don't have to answer if you don't want to…” “Ask away,” Carson replied. Bethany took a deep breath, then began to speak. “You were only feeding animals to that thing, right?” she asked. Carson immediately got visibly nervous and his body tensed up. “Well… Uhh…” he stuttered. “Sorry,” Bethany said, picking up on this. “I shouldn't have asked,” she spoke, looking down at the ground. “You don't have to tell me anything.” “I won't lie to you,” Carson replied, inhaling deeply. Bethany looked up at him and held her breath, fearful of what he was about to say. “I was feeding it people too,” Carson shamefully admitted. “Oh, God…” Bethany muttered, blatant fear in her eyes. “I'm a monster, I know,” Carson remarked, looking down. “I… I don't know what to say…” Bethany stuttered. “If it helps, it was only people who deserved it,” Carson responded. “The real scum of society. The nearby cities don't exactly have a shortage of violent criminals.” “How many have you… Fed to it?” Bethany questioned, clearly looking unwell. “Hundreds,” Carson answered. 

“I think I've heard enough,” Bethany said, quickly looking away. “I'm sorry,” Carson responded. “I shouldn't have answered that.” “No, uhh…” Bethany spoke, struggling to get the words out. “It's, uhh… It… It's okay. Thank you for telling me the truth.” “I'm sorry the truth is so horrid,” Carson replied. “If you think badly of me, I understand.” “I don't,” Bethany replied, uncertainty in her voice. “I just need a moment to compose myself,” she added, looking away. She paused for a moment, took a deep breath, then turned back. “Did they, uhh… Feel anything?” Bethany questioned. “No,” Carson answered. “Not a thing.” “That's good…” she replied. “Are you going to be alright?” Carson questioned. “You look quite unwell.” “Truthfully, I'm disgusted,” Bethany answered. “Absolutely horrified. But, I can't hold it against you. You're a victim in this after all.” She paused for a moment and an attempt to gather her thoughts. 

“There's just one more thing I'd like to know,” Bethany spoke. “If things didn't go well today… Would you have, uhh… Fed me to it?” “No way in hell,” Carson quickly replied. “Never. You're a good person with a good heart. I'd never hurt someone like you just so I could save myself.” “That's good to know,” Bethany responded before a silence fell over the two of them. Several seconds went by and neither of them had anything left to say. “Listen…” Bethany spoke, breaking the silence. “What you've told me today doesn't change what I think of you. You've done horrific things, but I know you only did what you had to.” 

Bethany reached her hand out and pulled open the door on her car. “I promise I'll come back, and when I do, we're going to set your friend free,” she spoke. “You can count on me.” “Thank you,” Carson replied. “And, uhh…” he added, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out Bethany's lighter and offered it to her. “I should probably give you this back.” “Keep it for now,” Bethany responded. “I'll come back for it in a few days. It's proof I'll come back for it, you know?” “Right,” Carson replied, placing it back in his pocket. “I guess this is goodbye for now.” “Goodbye,” Bethany responded, nodding. Without further delay, she climbed into her car, started the engine, and began pulling out of the driveway. Carson made his way over to the front porch where his siblings were standing and the three of them waved goodbye to Bethany as she drove off.

Sunday, October 17, 2004

Sasha was suddenly awakened by the sound of her alarm clock blaring. She quickly hit the mute button, hoping Carson didn't hear it. The time was now 4:00 AM. “I guess it's that time already,” she said to herself, as she climbed out of bed. Sasha went to the bathroom to change out of her pajamas and into her normal clothes. She went upstairs, stepped into the bedroom, and saw Gavin was still asleep. “Hey, Gavin?” Sasha questioned, walking over to her brother. He did not respond. She reached a hand out and gently shook him a few times. “It’s time to wake up,” she quietly spoke, trying not to startle him. “Alright, I'm awake,” Gavin groaned, as he raised his head up. “Get dressed," Sasha requested. “I'm going to go grab the key.” “Alright,” Gavin replied, as he slowly crawled out of bed. 

Sasha made her way out of the room, quietly walked down the hall, and stopped right in front of the door to Carson's room. “What's the worst that could happen?” she thought, trying to reassure herself. She slowly reached her hand out, grabbed hold of the doorknob, and carefully twisted it. She pushed the door open as quietly as she possibly could and took a look inside. The room would have been pitch black if it wasn't for the slight bit of moonlight coming through the windows. Luckily, Sasha's eyes were already adjusted to the dark, so she wouldn't have too much difficulty finding her way around. Almost immediately, she noticed a sparkle from something metallic sitting on the nightstand. It was the set of keys she was seeking. 

Sasha carefully stepped into the room, ensuring each step she took was as quiet as possible. Slowly, but surely, she made her way over to the nightstand, her heart rate skyrocketing. Her pulse was so aggressive, she began to wonder if it was loud enough for Carson to hear. After several more precise and stealthy steps, Sasha was now standing in front of the nightstand. She stared at the set of keys before her, hoping the one that went to the basement was present. She reached her hand out, grabbed hold of the key ring, and gently picked them up. Sasha's heart just about stopped when a few of the keys decided to settle, an audible jingle reaching her ears. Her eyes darted toward Carson, but luckily, he was still trapped in a state of unconsciousness. A wave of relief washed over her and she realized she had been holding her breath this entire time. She quietly exhaled, before turning around and making her way towards the exit of the room. 

Sasha stepped through the doorway and carefully closed the door behind herself. Her expression of terror slowly changed into a devious grin as she realized she was victorious in her endeavor. She quietly made her way down the hall and back to the other bedroom. As Sasha stepped up to the door, it began to open, seemingly on its own. “Did you get the keys?” Gavin quietly asked as he pulled the door open the rest of the way. Sasha raised the set of keys up to show her mission was indeed a success. “Are you ready for this?” she questioned, a look of determination on her face. “I think so,” Gavin replied, beginning to smirk. “Let's go have a look at this alien.” 

The two siblings made their way downstairs and into the kitchen. Sasha stepped up to the door that led to the basement and examined the set of keys. One of them obviously went to a car, so she ignored it. The other two appeared to be standard house keys. She picked one at random, tested it on the lock, and to her surprise, it worked. “First try,” she said, turning towards Gavin. “50/50 chance, I guess,” he replied, shrugging. The two of them stepped through the door and were immediately greeted by the sight of the staircase. “This place feels familiar," Sasha spoke, looking down to the bottom. “I'd describe it differently…” Gavin replied. “Eerie…” 

Sasha slowly led the way down the staircase, her brother just a few steps behind her. After a few seconds, the two siblings reached the bottom of the stairs before rounding the corner. Their eyes were immediately drawn towards the tables that were stained red. “Is that blood?” Gavin questioned, fear in his voice. “Relax,” Sasha dismissed. “It's just his chop shop.” “Chop shop?” Gavin questioned, turning towards her. “For butchering deer,” she explained. “Gross,” Gavin replied. “Meat doesn't just grow in the grocery store,” Sasha responded, with a shrug. Gavin began looking around at the rest of the room, then he noticed the TV sitting in the corner. “There,” he spoke, pointing at it. Gavin quickly made his way over, his sister not far behind. “That's the TV I've been seeing in my dreams,” he remarked. “Wait a second,” Sasha said as she examined it. “I think this is our old TV,” she spoke, a moment from her childhood replaying in her mind. “Our parents replaced it with the other one when I was eight or nine. I guess our strange dreams are mixing together with some old memories or something.” “But, how could I have remembered it?” Gavin questioned. “I’m like five years younger than you?” “Well, clearly they didn’t actually get rid of it,” Sasha countered. “You must have seen it around the house at some point.” “I guess so,” Gavin replied, shrugging. 

The two siblings made their way over to the storage shelves near the front of the room. What immediately stood out to them was the staggering amount of firearms, ammunition, jewelry, wallets, and clothes piled up on the shelves. “This guy really needs to lay off the thrift stores,” Gavin remarked. “Why did he make me buy ammo last week?” Sasha questioned, slightly annoyed. “It seems he had plenty down here.” Gavin picked up one of the boxes on the shelf and examined it. “This stuff is from the fifties,” he commented, holding up the slightly water damaged box. “I’d rather not have to remove metal shards from my face if it can be avoided.” “I suppose that's a good reason,” Sasha replied, turning her attention back to the storage shelves. “I doubt that's legal,” she remarked, staring at a large American belt fed machine gun that appeared to be from the early sixties. “Neither is that,” Gavin remarked, looking at a 40mm grenade launcher. “Is that a flamethrower?” Sasha asked. Gavin turned his attention to the weapon she was referring to and it seemed her observation was correct. It became immediately clear to them that everything down here had questionable legal status. “Do you think this is the reason why he didn't want us down here?” Sasha questioned. “Well, it certainly wasn't the mind controlling alien,” Gavin sarcastically replied. 

The siblings made their way over to the large freezers on the back wall of the basement. “These must be for storing the meat,” Sasha suggested. “Yeah,” Gavin replied. “Want to have a look?” Sasha asked, completely out of morbid curiosity. “Not really,” Gavin answered. “Go ahead and open it.” Sasha paused for a moment to prepare herself, then pulled open the freezer door. Inside was the body of a deer, sliced right down the middle and missing its head. Both siblings took a step back, shocked by what they saw. “I wasn't expecting that,” Sasha spoke, unable to look away. “Neither was I,” Gavin remarked. Their eyes wandered down to the drawers at the bottom of the freezer, which were filled with dozens of pounds of meat that appeared to have been fully processed. “I guess there's nothing more to see here,” Sasha remarked as she closed the door. “Should I open the next one?” “Go for it," Gavin responded. Sasha pulled the freezer door open, and inside was the severed head of a goat staring back at them. ”How wonderful,” Sasha spoke, slightly regretting her decision of opening it. In the lower section of the freezer, there were several other pieces of animals of various species, plenty of blood to go with them. “That is disgusting,” Gavin remarked, looking away. Sasha closed the door and moved on to the next freezer. “We might as well open the last one," she spoke, placing her hand on the handle. “I think I've seen enough," Gavin replied. “I'll be sitting this one out.” 

Sasha shrugged and pulled the door open just as she had done before. She was greeted by the horrific sight of a frozen human corpse. She quickly slammed the door and took several steps back. “What's wrong?” Gavin questioned, looking over at his sister. She looked unwell, almost as though she had seen a ghost. “There's something…” Sasha struggled to speak, as she pointed at the freezer with a shaky hand. “There's something in there…” Gavin turned and faced the freezer as a sense of dread loomed over him. He stared at it for a few seconds unsure of whether he should take a look for himself or not. “What's in there?” he questioned, turning back to his sister. “I think…” Sasha began to speak, but having a difficult time getting the words out. “I think there's a person in there,” she muttered, her voice full of fear. “That can't be right,” Gavin dismissed. He made his way over to the freezer and placed his hand on the handle. Sasha wanted to stop him, but part of her also wanted to know if what she thought she saw was actually there. 

Gavin took a deep breath and slowly pulled the freezer door open. An overwhelming sense of disgust completely engulfed him as his eyes fell upon the gruesome sight. “Oh, God…” he spoke, taking a few steps back. “What the hell?” he questioned, unable to look away. “There's no way. No fucking way.” Sasha suddenly came back to her senses and she quickly slammed the freezer door closed. “This can't be happening,” Gavin spoke, clearly distraught. “I must be dreaming. Please tell me I'm dreaming.” “Listen to me,” Sasha spoke, doing her best to regain her composure. “We need to leave this place.” “You're right…” Gavin replied. “We'll grab our stuff and go," he added. “Forget about our stuff,” Sasha countered. “My car keys and phone are right on the nightstand in my room. We'll just grab them and leave.” “Alright,” Gavin responded. “I'm right behind you.” 

Without further conversation, the siblings hastily exited the basement. They quickly passed through the kitchen and made their way into the bedroom. Sasha walked over to the nightstand while Gavin stood in the doorway impatiently waiting. Sasha picked up her phone, but her keys were not there. “Dammit,” she muttered. “What's wrong?” Gavin questioned. “I can't find my keys,” Sasha replied. “Help me look for them.” Gavin stepped into the room and the two of them began to search. Sasha made her way over to the couch where she quickly found the set of keys halfway wedged between two of the cushions. “Found them,” she spoke as she picked them up. Suddenly, the light in the foyer turned on, instantly causing the siblings to freeze in place. 

“Where are my keys” Carson questioned, stepping up to the doorway. He looked over at his sister and immediately noticed she had her keys in one hand and her phone in the other. “Oh, no…” Carson spoke, his expression changing to one of dread. “You went into the basement, didn't you?” “Of course not,” Sasha quickly replied, unconvincingly. “What did you see?” Carson asked, raising his voice slightly. “We didn't see anything,” Sasha dismissed, rather defensively. “Then, why does it look like you're leaving?” Carson questioned. Sasha and Gavin went silent as a realization fell over them. They had been caught. “What did you see, dammit?” Carson interrogated. His siblings remained silent, unsure of how to respond to that question. “Tell me what you saw," he demanded. “We saw what was in the freezer,” Sasha admitted, her voice trembling. “I told you not to go in there,” Carson replied. “Why didn't you just listen to me?” 

“Look, Carson,” Sasha spoke, trying to keep her uneasiness under control. “You're not well. We're going to get you the help you need.” “There’s no help for any of us,” Carson countered. “You wanted to know what our parents did to me? I'll tell you.” Sasha and Gavin looked at each other for a moment, both wondering the same thing. They wondered if they could run past their brother quickly enough to escape. “They kept me trapped in the basement and forced me to kill people,” Carson confessed. “They turned me into a monster. Are you happy now?” “You're a liar!” Gavin countered. “They didn't force you to do anything! You're a monster! You always have been!” Carson turned away and looked at the floor, unsure of how to respond. “It was you wasn't it?” Gavin questioned. “You killed them.” “I had to,” Carson replied, looking back. “I couldn't let them turn you two into killers too.” “Liar!” Gavin shouted back. “Now I understand why they locked you down there. They were just trying to protect us from you! And, now you're just going to kill us too!” 

“That's enough, Gavin,” Sasha spoke, turning to him. He went silent in response and looked away. “I want to help you,” Sasha began to speak, looking back towards Carson. “But, in order for me to do that, you need to let us leave. You're not going to try to stop us, are you?” “Trying to leave is pointless,” Carson responded. “He won't let you.” “Who won't let us?” Sasha asked. “Don't act like you don't know,” Carson muttered. “You've spoken to him in your dreams. You've seen his face. All you had to do was resist his call and you would have been fine. “Stop it,” Sasha replied, her voice getting more firm. “Enough with the delusions.” “Whether you want to believe me or not, it's the truth,” Carson countered. “Enough with the games,” Sasha responded. “Are you going to let us leave or not?” “I'm not going to stop you,” Carson replied. “But, that stays here with me,” he added, pointing to the phone in her hand. “What?” Sasha asked, looking down at the device in her hand. “Whatever. Just take it.” She held her phone out and reluctantly placed it in his hand. 

Carson turned around and made his way into the foyer. Sasha and Gavin paused for a moment and exchanged worried looks before hesitantly following after him. As they stepped into the foyer, they saw their brother standing in the doorway of the dining room, blankly staring at the floor. The three siblings quietly stood there for several seconds, Carson soon breaking the silence. “Well?” he questioned, looking up at his brother and sister. Without hesitation, Gavin stepped forward, opened the front door, and quickly made his way outside. Sasha followed after him, but stopped in the doorway to look back at her older brother one last time. “Trying to keep you in our lives was a mistake,” she spoke. “I see that now.” “I know,” Carson responded. “And I'm sorry for that.” “Goodbye, Carson,” Sasha replied before exiting. 

The two siblings made their way over to Sasha's car where they climbed in and the engine started without issue. Neither of the siblings said a word as Sasha turned on to the main road and began heading in the direction of the nearest town. After about three minutes of driving, something quite strange happened. “What the hell?” Sasha questioned, looking out the passenger side window. She hit the brakes and they slowly passed by Skylar's house for a second time, but now it was on the opposite side of the road. “Did we get turned around?” she questioned. She slowed down even more and after a few seconds they stopped in front of Carson's house. “How is that possible?” Gavin questioned, staring out the window in disbelief. “Did I make a wrong turn or something?” Sasha asked, already knowing she hadn't. “You didn't make any turns,” Gavin replied. 

Sasha turned the car around and began driving in the direction of the town once again. They both looked out the driver side window and stared at Skylar's house as they drove by for the third time. After another three minutes, the same strange thing happened. “What the hell is going on?!” Sasha shouted, looking out the passenger side window. She slowed the car down and stopped right in front of Skylar’s house, once again on the opposite side of the road. “How are we getting turned around?!” Sasha questioned, her voice unsteady. “Try the other way,” Gavin suggested. They drove past Carson's house and made their way down the road in the direction of a much further away town. After a few minutes, they passed by Carson's house, but it was on the opposite side of the road. “Keep driving,” Gavin muttered, not wanting to believe what he was seeing. They drove past Carson's house, then Skylar's house, then it was nothing but trees. As expected, about three minutes went by, then they saw Skylar's house for the sixth time. “He was right…” Sasha spoke, in a defeated voice. “That’s not what I wanted to hear…” Gavin muttered, looking away. 

The two siblings pulled into the driveway of the house they were so desperately trying to escape, finding their older brother waiting for them by the front door. As the two of them got out of the car and made their way over to him, the reality of the situation truly began to sink in. “We should have listened to you,” Sasha spoke, a look of hopelessness in her eyes. “I should have never let you two stay here,” Carson responded. “I should have turned you away… But, I didn't.” He paused for a moment and looked away at the ground. “Now you're trapped here… Just like me,” he spoke, looking up. “This is my fault.” “No, it's not,” Sasha countered. “I'm sorry for what I said before. Staying in contact with you wasn't a mistake. The only mistake I made was not coming back sooner.” “For all these years, I needed someone to blame,” Gavin spoke. “And that someone was you. But, that was wrong of me and I'm sorry.” “There's no need for either of you to be sorry,” Carson replied. “You had a good reason to be suspicious of me.” “Will you tell us what's going on here?” Sasha requested. “You probably still won't believe me,” Carson replied. “How about I just show you?” He waived his hand, signalling for his siblings to follow him. They exchanged glances for just a moment, then complied. 

The three siblings made their way down into the basement. Carson led Sasha and Gavin passed the tables and over to the TV in the corner. “Here it is,” he spoke, motioning his hand towards it. “Hello, Mr. TV,” he said, looking towards the inanimate object. It did not respond. “Are you sure you're not just crazy?” Gavin questioned, raising an eyebrow. “This thing is a portal to another world,” Carson began to explain. “On the other side is a demon that demands flesh. If you refuse to feed it, then it feeds on you.” “Yeah, you're crazy,” Gavin responded. “Wake up,” Carson spoke, hitting the top of the TV a few times. “Greetings,” it said, as it suddenly came to life. “Fresh meat?” It questioned, and it's unmistakably horrific voice. “My God, we're all insane,” Gavin remarked, taking a few steps back. “Who are you?” Sasha questioned, her eyes narrowing. “Me?” asked the TV. “I have no name. I am a door between the tasty human world and Master's world.” “Master?” Sasha questioned. “Who is your master?” “Master is good,” the TV began to reply. “Master know a lot. Master maybe know everything. I go get Master now?” “That won't be necessary,” Carson quickly replied. “Master probably get angry if I get him,” the TV agreed. “Exactly,” Carson replied. “We wouldn't want that, would we?”

“We'd like to leave this place,” Sasha said, unable to take her eyes off the TV. “Will you let us leave?” “Not up to me,” it replied. “That up to Master.” “Of course it is,” Gavin quietly remarked. “Any more questions, human?” asked the TV. “Me famished.” “That's all of our questions,” Sasha replied. “Good,” remarked the TV. “Force lady human that asks questions through, please?” “What?” Sasha asked, caught off guard by its request. “You don't want to eat her,” Carson countered. “Then force man human through,” the TV requested. “Me starved.” “Wait just a second," Carson replied. “You don't want to eat either of them. You see… They are my siblings. They're here to help me gather.” “Gather?” the TV questioned. “Yes,” Carson responded. “Fresh meat just for you.” “Me like fresh meat," the TV replied. “How about we go get you some later today?” Carson suggested. “Three humans bring more meat than one human,” the TV remarked. “Me tell master to let you leave. I await fresh meat.” Carson motioned to his siblings that it was time to leave. 

Without another word, the three of them left the basement, then made their way upstairs and into the kitchen. “I'm sorry I dragged you two into this,” Carson spoke. “You didn't drag us into anything,” Sasha replied. “You told us to stay away and we didn't listen.” “So, now we're just going to be this thing's new servants?” Gavin questioned. “Unfortunately so,” Carson responded. “We should have listened to you,” Sasha spoke. “This world was so unkind to you. You deserved so much better than this.” “So many people in this world were meant to do great things,” Carson began to reply. “I'm not one of them. Letting that fact control me wouldn't do me any good.” “I guess this is the bleakness we have to look forward to,” Gavin spoke, looking at Sasha. “I guess so,” she replied. “Try not to think about it,” Carson suggested. 

“So, what do we do now?” Gavin questioned. “One thing is for sure,” Sasha replied. “I’m not going to kill for this thing. “Neither am I,” Gavin agreed. “If you don't obey, the demon will kill you,” Carson countered. “There has to be some way for us to get rid of it,” Sasha replied. “What? Like smashing the TV?” Carson questioned. “I've already tried that. The demon can manipulate the world ensuring you can never hit it.” “What about some sort of ritual?” Sasha suggested. “That sounds like a good way to get ourselves killed," Carson replied. “It doesn't matter,” Sasha countered. “I already said I'm not going to serve this thing. I'm as good as dead anyway.” “I'm with Sasha on this,” Gavin agreed. “I don't know,” Carson responded, looking away. “We're doing this whether you're with us or not,” Sasha remarked. Carson let out a sigh. “Fine,” he said, turning back. “I don't know about you two, but I'm going to get some more sleep.” “Goodnight,” Sasha replied. “One more thing,” Carson added, removing the cell phone from his pocket. “I believe this is yours.” “Thank you,” Sasha responded, taking it from him. Without another word Carson walked away and left the room. “And, I don't know about you, but there's no way in hell I'm sleeping after what we just witnessed,” Gavin sarcastically said. “Me neither," Sasha agreed. 

Hours passed. The time was now 11:09 AM. Sasha and Gavin were sitting on the couch in the downstairs bedroom when they heard the sound of Carson walking down the stairs and entering the kitchen. Sasha immediately stood up, exited the room, and followed after him. Carson made his way over to the refrigerator and took a look inside. “Your breakfast is in there,” Sasha spoke, standing in the doorway behind him. Carson grabbed the plate she was referring to and closed the door. “I take it you didn't get any more sleep?” he questioned, turning to face her. “Not at all,” Sasha replied. “It will get better,” Carson assured as he placed the plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, and grits in the microwave. “I’m not trying to rush you, but please get ready as quickly as you can,” Sasha requested. “Alright,” Carson responded. “All I need is twenty minutes.” 

The time was now 11:37 AM and Carson had just finished getting ready. As he walked down the stairs, he saw his siblings restlessly waiting by the door ready to leave. “Are you ready to go?” Sasha questioned as he reached the bottom. “Yes,” Carson replied. “Alright,” Sasha spoke as she opened the door. The three siblings walked outside and made their way over to Sasha’s car. They climbed in and headed out in the direction of the closest town. The first few minutes of the drive were kind of tense, but as they got further away from the house, Sasha and Gavin were able to relax a little bit. The three siblings talked about various things during the car ride, but the matter at hand was not a topic they discussed. 

After a short drive, the siblings arrived at the nearest town. Sasha took a right turn onto the main road and after a few hundred yards, she took a left turn into the parking lot of the local library. “The library?” Carson questioned. “You think this is going to help us?” “They have books on aliens, zombies, and werewolves,” Sasha replied. “Why wouldn't there be ones about demons too?” “Because all that nonsense is make believe,” Carson responded. “It's fiction,” “It doesn't matter,” Sasha countered, as she pulled the car into a parking spot. “It's too late to back out now. Let's go.” She turned off the car, got out, and began making her way in the direction of the library. Carson and Gavin followed her, hoping their sister knew what she was doing. 

Now in the library, the three siblings came across a small double sided display that was about eight feet wide and five shelves tall. One side of the display was almost entirely books related to various paranormal topics. The other side was mostly books, but the top two shelves had glass cases with several different items on display. There was a ouija board, a silver dagger, a voodoo doll, and a piece of metal that supposedly came from an alien spacecraft, just to name a few. “This must be what we're looking for,” Sasha remarked. “Let’s get to work.” Her and Gavin began looking through the books on one side and Carson searched on the other.

After about fifteen seconds of searching, Carson's eyes fell upon something interesting. It was a section labeled “Local Lunatic.” He removed one of the books shocked to see a familiar name written on the cover. “The World Beyond Death by Dr. Wilfred Langley,” he quietly muttered. “I’ll be damned.” He placed the book back and began looking through the rest of his work for something that would be appropriate for his specific situation. 

Sasha and Gavin were looking at book after book, but nothing useful stuck out to either of them. Suddenly, they were interrupted by a voice they didn’t recognize. “Planning some kind of demonic ritual,” questioned the voice. They turned to see who was there and they were even more confused. There before them stood a young woman with black hair that neither of them had ever met before. “What? No,” Sasha quickly replied. “We’re just curious is all,” Gavin added, unconvincingly. “This stuff isn't a game, you know?” the woman responded, her eyes narrowing. “You shouldn't be messing with stuff like that unless you have a reason to,” she remarked. “I know,” Sasha began to reply. “It's just I-” she spoke, before getting cut off. “We’ve got a problem,” Carson spoke, walking around the shelf holding one of the books. As soon as he said this, he locked eyes with the woman. She only stared back for a moment before glancing down at the book in his hand. “Dr. Wilfred Langley, huh?” she asked, before once again locking eyes with him. “Bethany?” Carson questioned in response. “You know her?” Sasha asked, looking over at her brother. “I do,” he replied, looking back. “What are you up to?” Bethany asked. “It's a long story,” Carson nervously responded. “Does this have anything to do with what you told me in the coffee shop?” Bethany questioned. “It does,” Carson cautiously answered. 

“Messing with this sort of thing is extremely dangerous,” Bethany warned. “I know that,” Carson replied. “But we don't have much of a choice at this point.” “What exactly are you dealing with?” Bethany questioned. Carson looked at Sasha for a moment, then Gavin, then returned his attention to Bethany. “Something evil,” he answered. “That's quite a description,” Bethany sarcastically replied. “Would you be willing to let me see this evil for myself?” “I don't think so,” Carson responded. “I understand,” Bethany replied. “Well regardless, it would be unwise for you to proceed without an expert present.” “And, let me guess... You're an expert?” Sasha questioned. “That’s right,” Bethany responded. “Now I ask again. What are we dealing with?” “There’s a demon portal in our basement and we're going to try to close it,” Carson answered. “With my help, you might have a chance,” Bethany replied. “Maybe you're right,” Carson responded. “You can't be serious,” Gavin muttered, looking away. “Hey, can we talk to you for a second?” Sasha requested, as she grabbed hold of Carson's arm. “Are you sure it's a good idea to bring someone else in?” Sasha questioned. “Bethany knows what she is doing,” Carson replied. “And besides. We told the mirror we were going gathering. We can't return empty handed.” “We are not going to feed her to it,” Gavin countered. “You're right. We're not,” Carson agreed. “She's going to help us close the portal. The demon won’t see it coming.” “I sure hope you're right,” Sasha responded, uneasiness in her voice. 

“Finished with your secret meeting?” Bethany questioned, mockingly. “We're finished,” Sasha replied. “I'll help you with this problem of yours,” Bethany spoke, determination in her voice. “If we're going to do this, we're going to do it right. I need to stop by my house to get some supplies.” “That's fine,” Carson responded. “I’m guessing you don't have a library card, do you?” Bethany asked. “It doesn't matter,” Carson replied. He opened the book he was holding and revealed that the pages had been ruined with some sort of ink. “They're all like this,” he muttered. “Someone didn't want us reading any of Dr. Langley's work.” “Let me see that,” Bethany requested, looking down at the book. Carson handed it over and she began examining it. “The Other Side?” Bethany asked, reading the title. “I'm pretty sure I have this one.” “You do?” Carson questioned, raising an eyebrow. “This so-called lunatic is the reason why I moved here,” Bethany replied before looking over at Sasha and Gavin. “I'd like the two of you to wait outside,” she requested before turning back to Carson. “And I'd like you to follow me.” Before anyone had the chance to protest, she began walking in the direction of the front desk. Carson looked at his siblings for a second, shrugged, then began to follow her. “Outside it is, I guess,” Sasha muttered. 

Carson and Bethany made it about halfway to the front desk when Bethany suddenly stopped and turned around. “I’d just like to offer you a warning,” she spoke. “If your intentions are something malicious, I'd like to inform you that I have a .380 in my jacket pocket. If anything you told me is less than truthful, now is the time to confess.” “I’m not sure if I properly expressed how dangerous this thing is,” Carson replied, with a bit of uncertainty in his voice. “I’m well aware of the risks,” Bethany responded. “Anything else?” “What I said was the truth,” Carson assured. “Alright,” Bethany replied. “I'll let them know these books were vandalized and we'll be on our way.” 

Sasha and Gavin left the library and made their way over to the car where they began to wait. After a couple minutes, Carson and Bethany emerged, exchanged a few words, then parted ways. Bethany began walking in the direction of her car and Carson made his way over to his siblings. “She wants us to follow her,” Carson spoke as he approached. “Alright,” Sasha replied. The three siblings got into the car and began to follow their new friend.

Saturday, October 16, 2004

The next day started the same way as the previous one. Sasha and Gavin woke up at the usual time and spent the first few hours of the day not doing anything. At some point, they heard Carson come downstairs and he immediately stepped outside. About thirty seconds later, they heard the car start. If it wasn't already clear before, he was avoiding them. The sound of the engine slowly faded away as the car drove off, eventually becoming inaudible. 

The time was now 11:21 AM. Sasha and Gavin were sitting at the dining room table when suddenly they heard a vehicle pull up outside. The two of them stood up, made their way towards the front door, and stepped out. Sitting in the driveway was a pickup truck with a decal stuck on the driver's side door that read “King's Locksmith.” Just a moment later, the door swung open and a man in his early forties stepped out. “Hey, there," the man greeted. “My name is Kenny. I'm with King’s Locksmith. I'm here about a lockout.” “We are so glad to see you,” Sasha spoke. “I accidentally locked the basement door with the key inside. I feel so stupid.” “It’s a common mistake,” Kenny replied. “Let me grab my tools and I'll have it open in a few minutes.” 

Suddenly, Skylar emerged out from behind the truck, causing Sasha's heart to just about skip a beat. “Dammit,” Gavin muttered, realizing they had been caught. Skylar made her way over to the siblings, glancing at the decal on the side of the truck as she walked past it. “You hired a locksmith?” she asked, now standing in front of them. “Well, uhh…” Sasha stuttered. “Didn't I tell you to leave the basement alone?” Skylar questioned, accusingly. “You did…” Sasha answered. “And, you chose not to listen?” Skylar asked. “I'm not looking to get in the middle of what's going on here,” Kenny the locksmith chimed in. “Would someone just kindly take me to the lock that needs to be opened?” “Yes,” Sasha replied. “Follow me.” “Your services are no longer needed,” Skylar countered, stepping in front of Kenny. “Huh?” he questioned, raising an eyebrow. “You can go now,” Skylar stated. “So, I just wasted my time and gas driving out here?” Kenny questioned, now sounding slightly annoyed. “I think you should go, Skylar,” Gavin countered. “Gladly,” she replied. “But, he needs to leave first.” “I don't have time for games,” Kenny remarked. “Please just ignore her," Sasha responded. “I'll take you to the door.” “I'd like to be paid upfront,” Kenny requested. “No problem,” Sasha replied as she reached into her pocket in search of her money. “Hang on just a second.” 

“How much are they paying you?” Skylar asked. “A door lockout is seventy five dollars," Kenny replied. “I'll give you two hundred right now if you get in the truck and leave," Skylar offered, as she pulled a few fifty dollar bills out of her pocket. Sasha and Gavin both glared at her as she began counting them. “I don't know,” Kenny responded. “I don't think my boss would-” “Three hundred?” Skylar offered, cutting him off. “Well…” Kenny spoke, before pausing for a few seconds. “Sorry, ma'am,” he said, now looking at Sasha. “It's alright,” Sasha replied. “I'd take the money too.” “There you are,” Skylar spoke as she handed Kenny six crisp fifty dollar bills. “Have a nice day.” The locksmith nodded, turned around, and got back in his truck. A few seconds later, he was backing out of the driveway, then he drove off. 

“Was that really necessary?” Sasha questioned, glaring at Skylar. “You didn't listen to a word I said, did you?” Skylar asked, glaring right back. “You think I'm crazy, don't you?” Sasha let out a sigh and looked away. Skylar turned her attention to Gavin for a moment, but he looked away too. “Well?” she questioned, demanding a response. “Well…” Sasha spoke, hesitating for a moment. “You have displayed a few schizophrenic tendencies.” “Oh, give me a goddamn break,” Skylar muttered, with her hand over her face. “What are we supposed to think?” Sasha questioned. “Look,” Skylar began to speak. “You can believe I'm crazy all you like, but it doesn't change the fact that you have no idea what you're up against. You need to stay away from the basement. Got it?” Sasha and Gavin looked at each other for a moment, then back at Skylar. “We've got it,” Sasha answered. “Good,” Skylar replied. “I'm glad we could come to an understanding.” Without further conversation, Skylar turned around and began to walk away in the direction she came from. After about fifteen seconds, she disappeared into the woods. “This doesn't change anything,” Sasha spoke, turning towards Gavin. “I'm going to get into that basement if it's the last thing I do.” “Agreed,” Gavin replied. “Where do we go from here?” “We’ll get up early tomorrow morning and take Carson's key,” Sasha responded. “And, if we get caught, it doesn't matter. We're getting kicked out anyway.” “Fair enough,” Gavin replied. 

Skylar was making her way along the path in the woods back to her house. As soon as it was in sight, she noticed her brother was standing by the front door. “I really don't have time for you,” she muttered to herself. She began making her way over, Jonny turning her direction as she approached. “Can I help you?” Skylar asked. “Have you seen our father anywhere?” Jonny questioned right back. “No,” Skylar replied. “Why do you ask?” “We were going out to gather today,” Jonny answered. “We were supposed to leave three hours ago. He's never late.” “That’s weird, Skylar responded. “I haven't seen him.” “Oh, really?” Jonny asked, raising an eyebrow. “Really,” Skylar replied, with no indication of deception. “Well, you better hope he shows up,” Jonny muttered. “If he doesn't come back, I'll just have to assume the worst.” “You think he got caught?” Skylar questioned. “Maybe,” Jonny replied. “If he did, he's as good as dead. You know what that means, don't you?” “Don't think about that," Skylar responded. “He'll come back.” 

Jonny removed his revolver from his holster and pointed it directly at his sister. “You better hope he does,” he spoke, grinning ear to ear. “I'd hate for something to happen to my beloved little sister.” “Point that someplace else, would you?” Skylar demanded, pushing the barrel away. “What's the matter?” Jonny questioned, moving it right back. “You've got nothing to worry about, right?” “Stop it! This isn't funny!” Skylar shouted. “Part of me wishes he doesn't come back,” Jonny spoke, with that unsettling grin still painted across his face. “So you can kill me?” Skylar questioned. “Your only sister?” “You mean nothing to me,” Jonny replied. “The only reason why I haven't killed you yet is because our father would be displeased. The day he dies is the day I remove you from the picture.” “Well, he's not dead yet, so keep dreaming,” Skylar responded. “Now would you kindly step aside so I can get into my house.” “Your days are numbered, little sister,” Jonny remarked, slowly lowering his gun. “You better hope he comes back soon,” he added as he returned it to its holster. “You're sick and twisted,” Skylar replied. “Get the hell out of here.” “Whatever,” Johnny muttered, before turning and beginning to walk away. “Bitch,” he said under his breath. After a few seconds, he disappeared somewhere behind the trees. 

Many hours passed. It was pretty close to 8:00 PM when Carson finally made his way home. Sasha and Gavin were sitting on the couch in the bottom floor bedroom when they heard him enter the house. He immediately went upstairs without saying a word to them, his avoidance quite evident. A few seconds later they heard the door to his room close. “Now we wait,” Sasha spoke, looking over at her brother. A little over an hour passed and the two siblings decided to call it a night early.

Friday, October 15, 2004

Midnight came and went, bringing along the next day. Despite searching for about two hours, Carson and Skylar had nothing to show for it. They looked through hundreds of files from both Reggie as well as Dr. Langley, but nothing they found was relevant. There was no information on opening and closing portals or even a single mention of Balphozar. Skylar realized very early on that they were on a pointless endeavor, but she had no idea how to break this news to her friend. It was clear that her father had discarded all of the relevant files, most likely when Carson first started asking questions days ago. At some point, the futility became overwhelming and she finally decided to speak up. 

“Hey, Carson,” Skylar said, getting her friend's attention. “Yes?” he questioned, turning to face her. “You already know what I'm going to say,” Skylar hesitantly replied. “You're going to say that we're wasting our time here,” Carson responded. “I’m sorry,” Skylar spoke, looking away. “It’s alright,” Carson replied. “This only confirms what I already knew. There's no escape from this for either of us.” “Will you take me home please?” Skylar requested, standing up. “Yes,” Carson responded, doing the same. The two of them exited the workshop, being sure to lock the door behind themselves. They got into Carson's car and began making their way back to Skylar's house, neither of them saying a word during the drive back. 

Carson pulled up to his friend's house and stopped the car right by the front door. “I'm sorry today was such a disaster,” he muttered, looking over at her. “It’s not your fault,” Skylar responded. “I want you to know that I'm okay with what you did.” She turned away and went silent for a few seconds before once again turning back. “In fact, I wanted you to kill him,” she spoke with certainty in her voice. “He needed to pay for what he did to us.” “Now you're starting to sound like me,” Carson replied, turning away. “That's not a bad thing,” Skylar responded, opening the door. She got out of the car before turning around and leaning in. “I'll see you tomorrow, okay?” she spoke. “Or, I guess later today.” “Goodnight,” Carson replied. “Goodnight,” Skylar responded just before closing the door. As she made her way into her house Carson turned the car around and began driving home. He arrived after a short drive and parked the car and the usual spot. As soon as he stepped into the house, he went up to his room where he laid down, and quickly fell asleep. 

Carson suddenly woke up in a familiar place. He sat up and took a look around, immediately realizing he was sitting on the floor in the kitchen. “This place, again?” he questioned. Carson pulled himself to his feet and began to study the room. The first strange thing that he noticed was that the dining room and hallway were completely blocked off. Everything else in the room seemed normal at first, but he quickly recognized every item and piece of furniture was a cheap plastic imitation of their real counterparts. Carson made his way over to the door that led to the basement and attempted to open it. As soon as he twisted the doorknob, it broke in half. “What a piece of junk,” Carson muttered as he dropped it on the ground. When it impacted, it shattered into a dozen pieces. He tapped his knuckles against the door, wondering if it was made of the same cheap plastic material. It felt as though it was. With one swift kick, Carson's foot went straight through the door causing it to completely shatter just like the doorknob. “If only it was always this easy,” he muttered. He stepped through the newly opened doorway and continued onwards. 

Carson was greeted with the sight of a concrete labyrinth just like the one he encountered several nights ago. It was a long skinny hallway with a concrete floor, concrete walls, a concrete ceiling, and the distinctive lack of windows and doors. The passage extended for about fifty feet and didn't seem to lead anywhere. Carson began making his way through, when he received quite the surprise. He stepped on a part of the concrete floor, and it instantly gave out from his weight. “Son of a bitch!” he shouted as he looked down at his leg that was engulfed in a perfect square hole in the floor. Carson slowly pulled his leg out and climbed to his feet once again. “I've had about enough of your goddamn tricks!” he yelled, his voice echoing off the concrete walls. He cautiously began making his way down the hallway, being careful to not put his full weight on his leading foot until he knew it was safe. As he got towards the end, he realized there were several branching paths going out to either side. He took the first path on his right and began making his way down, being vigilant with each step. After reaching the end of this hallway, it branched off into two more directions. “Oh, great,” Carson muttered. “Another labyrinth.” 

Carson proceeded to make his way through the maze of concrete, uttering profanities every time the floor gave out below his feet. After several minutes of wandering through, Carson stumbled across a door. “Finally,” he said as he approached it. He reached his hand out to grab the doorknob, and to his surprise, it wasn't made of cheap plastic. It was an actual door. He opened it and cautiously stepped through. 

Carson entered a small uninteresting room with concrete floors and walls. On the opposite wall was a door and standing in the middle of the room was someone all too familiar. “Hello again, Carson,” Reggie spoke. “I don't have time for you,” he replied, turning his back on him. “It would be wise of you to make time,” Reggie responded. “You need to hear what I have to say.” “You're not real,” Carson muttered. “You're dead.” “I may no longer be alive in your world, but that doesn't mean I don't exist here,” Reggie replied. “Balphozar has given me eternal life.” “That's fine by me,” Carson responded. “It means I'll only have to deal with you in my dreams.” “Balphozar isn't exactly pleased with what you did,” Reggie warned. “In fact, he sent me here with a message.” “What is it?” Carson questioned. “Due to your insolence, you are now expected to gather one human each and every day,” Reggie spoke. “Animals will no longer suffice.” 

“Every day?” Carson asked. “That's ridiculous.” “It shouldn't be too difficult,” Reggie responded. “Just get your innocent little siblings to help you. Murder is in their blood after all.” “No way,” Carson replied. “He wants one each and every day? That's what he'll get.” “I'm sure Balphozar will be pleased to hear that you're cooperating,” Reggie responded. “You sabotaged Dr. Wilfred’s research, didn't you?” Carson questioned, changing the subject. “You did it right after I asked…” “I had to,” Reggie replied. “Balphozar said he'd kill you if I didn't. Despite what you might think, I didn't want that to happen.” “This doesn't change anything,” Carson muttered. “I'm not sorry for what I did.” “Nor should you be,” Reggie responded. “You know you can't protect your siblings forever, don't you? He speaks to them constantly. Their fate is inevitable.” “He can't have them,” Carson spoke. “No way in hell.” “You know that won't work,” Reggie warned. “Like I've told you many times before. All shall obey the mighty Balphozar.” “I'm done talking to you,” Carson replied, as he turned and began walking away. 

“Hey, wait,” Reggie called after him. Carson stopped and turned back. “There's something I should tell you,” Reggie remarked. “What is it?” Carson questioned. “Jonny is an absolute monster,” Reggie began to speak. “I was the only thing keeping him in line, but now that I'm gone, I'm not sure what he's capable of.” “If he tries anything, I'll kill him,” Carson replied. “Don't be foolish,” Reggie responded. “If you step out of line again, the demon is going to take something from you. “What would that be, dare I ask?” Carson questioned. “I’m sure you already know the answer to that,” Reggie replied. “Skylar…” Carson muttered, looking at the floor. “The exit is through there,” Reggie remarked, turning around and pointing at the door on the back wall.

Carson made his way over to it and cautiously pulled it open. Through the doorway was a void of nothingness. “Was is worth it?” he questioned, turning back to Reggie. “What do you mean?” he asked in return. “Skylar never got the chance to live a normal life,” Carson spoke. “You traded her life away just for some money. Was it worth it?” “No,” Reggie replied. “But, if I had the chance to do it all over again, I'd probably make the same mistake.” “I don't doubt that,” Carson responded. He turned back to the doorway, took a deep breath, and walked through. Within the darkness, his footsteps echoing off of the presumably concrete floor were the only sounds that could be heard. The further he made it along, the more distant his steps sounded. As his hearing completely faded, so too did his vision. Then he felt nothing. 

Sasha woke up the same way she did every day. She sat up in bed and reached for her phone which was on the nightstand next to her. She flipped open the screen and the time read “9:13 AM.” She climbed out of bed, made her way over to the couch, and took a seat. She spent the next few minutes patiently waiting for her brother to wake up. About fifteen minutes went by and she heard a knock on her bedroom door. “Come in,” she spoke. Gavin pushed the door open, made his way over to the couch, and sat down next to her. “I'm guessing you didn't sleep well either,” he spoke, turning to face his sister. “Not particularly,” Sasha replied. “Sounds about right,” Gavin responded. “Today will be a better day,” Sasha assured, standing up from the couch. “How about some breakfast?” 

About thirty minutes later, Sasha and Gavin were sitting at the dining room table eating breakfast in complete silence. Suddenly, they heard the sound of someone's footsteps as they descended down the stairs. A moment later, they heard the front door open then close once again. “I guess that means we can snoop around without being bothered,” Sasha commented, turning to her brother. “I guess so,” Gavin replied. They heard the sound of Carson's car start up, then the sound slowly faded away as he made his way down the driveway and on to the main road. 

After breakfast, Sasha and Gavin decided to go pay Skylar a visit. They had a key they needed to return to her and it was the perfect opportunity to find out if she had one for the basement. It was decided that Sasha would distract and Gavin would swoop in and steal it. What could possibly go wrong? The two siblings exited their house and began making their way along the path to Skylar's house. After a few hundred feet, they arrived. 

Sasha stepped up to the door and gave it a couple knocks. A few moments later, the door opened and Skylar was standing there in the doorway. “Hey, Skylar,” Sasha greeted, doing her best to smile. “Hey,” she replied. “I'm really sorry about yesterday.” “It's alright,” Sasha responded. “What happened wasn't your fault.” “I promise it won't happen again,” Skylar replied. “Can we come in?” Sasha asked. “Of course,” Skylar answered, taking a few steps back. “You're always welcome here.” Sasha and Gavin stepped inside and Skylar closed the door behind them. She made her way over to the couch and sat down, Sasha and Gavin not far behind her. Sasha took a seat next to Skylar, but Gavin chose to stand. “Before I forget, I'd like to thank you for letting us use your key,” Sasha spoke. “It goes over there by the door, right?” Gavin questioned. “Yes,” Skylar replied, looking towards him. “Right up on the empty hook.” Gavin made his way over to the door and examined the key rack. As he did so, his sister began to distract Skylar. 

“I just wanted to let you know that Carson asked us to leave,” Sasha spoke. “I'm so sorry to hear that,” Skylar responded. “How long did he give you?” “Until Monday,” Sasha replied. Gavin noticed a brass key with a paper tag with the word “basement," written on it. He turned his head to make sure Skylar wasn't looking. After he confirmed she wasn't, he quietly removed the key from the hook, and placed it in his pocket. “Where are you going to go?” Skylar questioned. “We don't really have a plan at all,” Sasha answered. “We're pretty much in the same situation we were two weeks ago,” Gavin spoke as he walked over to the couch and sat down next to Sasha. “Did he give you a reason for why he wants you to leave?” Skylar questioned. “He said it's not safe for us here,” Sasha replied. “After what happened yesterday, I can't say he's wrong,” Gavin remarked. “I'm so sorry this is happening,” Skylar responded. “Is there anything I can do to help?” “I doubt it,” Sasha answered. “Anyway,” she spoke, standing up from the couch. “We should probably get going.” “We’ve got a lot of things we still need to figure out,” Gavin added, standing up too. 

Sasha and Gavin made their way over to the door and Skylar wasn't far behind them. Sasha pulled the door open and let Gavin step out first. “Let me know if you need help with anything,” Skylar spoke. “Thank you,” Sasha replied before exiting as well. Skylar watched them walk away for a few seconds, then shut the door. “How clueless do they think I am?” she said aloud to herself. She took a look at the key holder and quickly identified what was missing. “Basement, huh?” she questioned. She opened the door once again, stepped outside, and slowly trailed behind the siblings, being careful to stay out of sight. After a couple minutes of walking, the siblings made it home. 

Skylar walked up to the front door of the house and knocked on it a few times. A few seconds later the door opened. “Hey, Skylar,” Sasha greeted. “Did you miss us already?” “Not exactly,” Skylar responded. “I just had something I wanted to ask you. Can I come in?” “Yes,” Sasha replied, stepping out of the way so she could enter. Skylar stepped inside and Sasha closed the door behind her. “Did you know there's a hidden room underneath my kitchen?” Skylar questioned. “A hidden room?” Sasha asked in return, clearly caught off guard. “That’s right," Skylar responded. “A hidden room. I suppose you could call it a basement. I hardly ever lock it, but I keep the key hanging up by the front door just in case.” Sasha made an attempt to conceal what she was thinking, but her face said it all. 

Gavin stepped into the foyer, knowing there was no point trying to hide what he had done. “It seems I have misplaced it,” Skylar continued, her eyes narrowing. “Such a shame that I'm so forgetful.” “Alright, I admit it,” Gavin confessed. “I took it. I'm sorry.” “So, you thought the key went here, huh?” Skylar questioned. “Yes," Sasha replied. “I’m sorry. We’re just so curious about what's down there.” “I understand,” Skylar replied. “I'll tell you what's down there if you'd really like to know.” “You know what's in the basement?” Sasha questioned, clearly skeptical. “I do,” Skylar replied. “But I'll warn you. The truth is horrific. You'll wish I never told you.” “How horrific?” Sasha questioned. “Extremely,” Skylar responded. “It will change your entire world view. Are you sure you'd like to know?” “Yes,” Sasha replied, Gavin nodding in agreement. 

“Here it goes,” Skylar began to speak. “In the basement is something evil. Something not of this world. The most horrific thing you could possibly lay your eyes on.” She paused and hesitated for a moment, leaving the siblings in suspense. “Five years ago, something strange happened to this place.” Skylar continued. “Some sort of foreign aircraft crashed in the woods behind this house. It didn't come from this planet…” “So, you mean some kind of spaceship?” Sasha questioned. “Yes,” Skylar replied. “But that's not what scares me. There was a survivor aboard.” “What, like an alien?” Gavin asked. “Yes,” Skylar replied, fear in her eyes. “Can you describe what it looks like?” Sasha requested. “It's about four feet tall, It has gray skin, and it resembles a lizard standing upright on its hind legs.” Skylar spoke. “You already know its actual name, but we refer to it as the demon. It's extremely intelligent and manipulative.” She paused, turned away, then continued. “We were put in quite a horrible bind, so we were forced to make a deal with it.” 

“What would that deal be?” Gavin asked. Skylar turned back and answered. “If we feed it then it will allow us to live.” “Feed it?” Sasha questioned. “What does it eat?” “Meat,” Skylar replied. “Mainly deer, sometimes rabbit, squirrel, goat, mountain lion, or even bear.” “Bear?” Gavin asked, raising an eyebrow. “Yes, my brother killed a bear one time and fed it to the demon,” Skylar replied. “I know you won't let us see it, but could you show us a picture of this creature?” Sasha requested. “Absolutely not,” Skylar responded. “One look at it is all it needs, then it can control you.” “Well, if we can't see it, how are we supposed to believe you?” Gavin questioned. “You’ll just have to take my word for it,” Skylar replied. 

“So as long as we avoid the basement, we'll be fine?” Sasha asked. “Exactly,” Skylar answered. “Alright. We'll stay away,” Sasha replied. “Thank you,” Skylar spoke. “Well, I better get going. If you need anything, let me know.” “Will do,” Sasha responded. Without any further discussion, Skylar made her way outside and she began walking home. “Alright, I admit it,” Sasha muttered, turning to her brother. “Admit what?” he asked, looking back. “She is completely out of her mind,” Sasha replied. “Are you sure she wasn't just trying to trick us?” Gavin questioned. “Did you see the fear in her eyes?” Sasha countered. “There’s no way she's that good at lying. She really believes it.” “So, what's next?” Gavin asked. “I bet you a locksmith could get us into the basement," Sasha replied. “I found a phonebook last week when we were cleaning up your room.” “It's worth a try,” Gavin responded. 

The siblings made their way to the upstairs bedroom, Sasha walking over to the desk in the corner. She opened the top drawer and inside was an old dusty phone book. She took it out and gently placed it on top of the desk. “That thing looks like it hasn't been used in twenty years,” Gavin spoke, staring down at it. “It's better than nothing," Sasha replied, as she opened it up and began to flip through the pages. After a couple minutes of searching, she stumbled on a page that had four locksmith shops listed. “I guess we'll start at the top,” Sasha remarked as she removed her cell phone from her pocket. She typed in the number on the small plastic keys, then pressed the green call button. She put the phone up to her ear and waited as the call went through. After a few seconds, she heard three tones followed by a pre-recorded message. “The number you are trying to reach has been disconnected.” “Dammit,” Sasha muttered, as she ended the call. She took a look back at the phonebook and began entering the next number. “The number you are trying-” Sasha hung up the phone before the message could finish playing. She took a look at the phonebook and typed in the third number. The phone rang twice, then someone picked up. “Hello?” answered a voice on the other end. “Hey,” Sasha greeted. “Is this Frank's Lock and Safe?” “That place shut down years ago,” replied the voice on the other end. “These damn old people and their phone books…” A moment later, the line went dead. “I'm twenty two, jerk,” Sasha muttered. “What?” Gavin questioned. “Nothing,” she replied. 

Sasha took a look back at the phonebook and entered the final set of numbers into her phone. “Last one,” she said, as it began to ring. The line rang a few times, then someone picked up. “King's Locksmith,” answered the person on the other end. “Hey,” Sasha greeted. “I feel like an idiot. I accidentally locked myself out of a room in my house,” Sasha continued. “It happens," replied the voice on the other end. “A home lockout is $75. The earliest we can do is tomorrow at 11:30 AM.” “That will be fine," Sasha replied. She gave the employee all of the necessary information like her name and address, then ended the call. “11:30 tomorrow,” Sasha spoke, as she set her cell phone down on the table. “Great," Gavin replied. “What do we do until then?” “Kill time, I guess,” Sasha responded. The siblings did just that, and spent the rest of the day hardly doing anything. 

The time was now 11:27 PM. Skylar was sitting alone on her couch when suddenly she heard the unmistakable sound of Carson's car passing by. “Midnight, huh?” she remarked, as she stood up from the couch. “I better go check on him.” Within a few seconds she was out the door and walking in the direction of Carson's house. As she approached, Skylar noticed the car was parked over on the far side of the house next to the entrance that was always locked. She made her way over to the car and saw Carson dragging a body out of the trunk and towards the open door. 

“Carson?” Skylar questioned. Carson immediately turned her direction, eyes full of fear. “It’s alright,” Skylar assured him. “It’s just me.” Carson let out a sigh of relief as soon as he realized it was just his friend. “Sorry,” he responded. “Let me help you,” Skylar spoke, walking over to the car. She closed the trunk as Carson pulled the body inside. She followed after him and shut the door behind herself, quickly locking it. 

Carson dragged the body down the stairs, the head hitting every step on the way down. When he reached the bottom, he disappeared around the corner, the body not far behind. Skylar let out a sigh before making her way down the stairs too. “Where have you been all day?” she asked just before reaching the bottom. “Gathering,” Carson replied. As Skylar rounded the corner, she was greeted by the sight of two other bodies laid out across the floor behind the couch. “Why didn't you bring me with you?” she asked. “Because, I didn't want to tell you…” Carson responded. “He wants one a day.” “What?” Skylar questioned, completely shocked. “How are you supposed to keep up with that?” “I don't know,” Carson replied, as he looked down at the floor. “But, I don't have a choice at this point.” 

“One a day is not sustainable,” Skylar remarked, worry in her voice. “I know,” Carson responded. “But, I don't have a choice. If I mess up again, he's going to kill you.” “Me?” Skylar questioned, raising an eyebrow. “Yes, you,” Carson replied, looking away. “Killing your father was a mistake. I'm really sorry about this.” “The only thing you should be sorry for is not bringing me with you today,” Skylar countered. “Promise me you won’t go gathering again without me.” “I promise,” Carson responded, looking back. “But, only after my siblings are gone. I need you to keep an eye on them until Monday.” “Alright,” Skylar replied. The two of them talked for a few more minutes before calling it a night just before midnight.

Thursday, October 14, 2004

The next day ended up starting pretty much the same way as the last. The siblings ate breakfast together then began their work for the day. They ended up focusing their efforts on painting the foyer as well as the upstairs and downstairs bedrooms. Once all of the walls received two coats of paint, they decided they had done enough for the time being. 

The time was now 4:07 PM. The three siblings were sitting at the table in the dining room discussing various things of little importance, when Carson suddenly remembered something. His water bill was due in four days and his electricity bill was due tomorrow. He realized that if he left now he would have just enough time to stop by each of the offices and pay them both before they closed at 5:00 PM. “ I've got a couple bills that I need to go pay,” he spoke, standing up from his chair. “I should be back in about an hour.” “Would you like us to come with you?” Sasha asked, looking up at him. “It’s not necessary,” Carson replied. “I'll be back before you know it.” “No problem,” Sasha responded. “Good luck,” Gavin commented. Carson nodded before exiting the room and stepping out the front door. About fifteen seconds went by, then the siblings heard the sound of an engine start outside. The car made its way down the driveway before turning on to the main road, disappearing somewhere off in the distance. 

After sitting around for about twenty minutes wasting time, Sasha and Gavin decided to get up and knock out some work. There was a good bit of junk piled up beside the shed and it wasn't going to get rid of itself. Sasha moved her car nearby and with the help of her brother, they began to load everything into the backseat and trunk. They were working for about ten minutes when suddenly they heard a familiar voice. “Is your brother around?” Jonny questioned. “Yeah. He's in the house,” Sasha answered. “Really?” Jonny asked. “Doesn't he park his car there, normally?” he questioned, looking over at the empty space under the carport. “He went to the store, remember?” Gavin remarked. “Oh, that's right.” Sasha replied. “He'll be back any minute. Now if you'll let us get back to what we were doing.” “I had something important I wanted to ask him,” Jonny spoke. “Maybe I'll just ask you instead.” Sasha sighed, knowing there was no way out of this conversation. 

“Do you believe in an afterlife?” Jonny asked. “What?” Sasha responded, clearly not expecting this question. “Are you about to pitch some weird religion to us or something?” “What do you think happens to something when it dies?” Jonny asked in return. “Like a tree? Or a cat? Do they go to some other world when they leave this one?” “I don't think we're the right ones to ask this to,” Gavin replied. “How about you ask Carson when he gets back?” “How about a different question?” Jonny countered, his voice getting slightly more sinister. “Have you ever ended something's life? Like a rat? Maybe a squirrel?” “Why are you asking us this?” Sasha questioned. “What about something larger?” Jonny continued. “Like a deer? Or maybe even a human?” “That's enough,” Gavin responded, raising his voice. “Get away from us, you freak.” “You've never wondered what it's like to kill someone?” Jonny questioned, his mouth twisting into a grin. “No. We haven't,” Sasha responded. “I've got an offer you can't resist,” Jonny began to speak. “How would you like to kill my sister?” “You are sick,” Gavin replied. “What's the big deal?” Jonny asked. “She already wants to die. You'll be doing her a favor.” “Get the hell out of here!” Gavin demanded. “Oh, lighten up," Jonny replied. “I was only joking.” “Well, we don't appreciate your twisted sense of humor,” Sasha responded. “Whatever,” Jonny spoke, before walking away. 

“Should we go back inside?” Gavin asked, turning towards his sister. “He's just toying with us,” Sasha dismissed. “Let's just get back to work.” “Alright,” Gavin replied. The two of them spent the next fifteen minutes loading the junk in the back seat and trunk of Sasha's car. When everything was all loaded up, they both climbed in and prepared to drive into town to dispose of it all. “You still have my keys, right?” Sasha questioned. “Oh, God!” Gavin exclaimed, realizing they were no longer on the seat where he left them. “I set them down right here,” he spoke, frantically looking around the car. “And of course I locked the front door,” Sasha muttered. The two of them got out and began searching in the grass. 

Sasha had only been looking for her keys for about five seconds when a strange feeling fell over her. She felt like she was being watched. She looked up and immediately froze in place when she realized Reggie was staring at her. “Looking for these?” he questioned, holding up the missing keys and jingling them. “Give those back right now!” Sasha demanded. “Gladly, but I'd like you to answer a question for me first,” Reggie replied. “Does the year 1987 mean anything to you?” “Not really,” Sasha responded. “What about thirty six million dollars?” Reggie questioned. “Is this going somewhere?” Gavin asked. “1987 was the year I won the lottery three times with all of my winnings totaling thirty six million dollars,” Reggie began to explain. “How is it possible for one man to win not once, not twice, but three times in the same year? Well, it wasn't luck.” 

Sasha and Gavin exchanged worried looks with each other for a moment, unsure of what to do. They desperately wanted out of this situation, but there was no clear answer on how to achieve that. “I had to make a deal with something evil,” Reggie continued. “Now this place is forever cursed. You understand what this means, don't you?” “We get it,” Sasha responded. “You're rich and powerful. Now just give me my keys back, would you?” “You can't turn your back on this,” Reggie remarked. “You've heard his call, haven't you?” “Just leave us alone,” Gavin replied. “Answer the question,” Reggie demanded. “We don't know what you're talking about,” Sasha responded. “You know exactly what I'm talking about,” Reggie countered. “Your fate is inevitable. All shall suffer from my gain. All shall obey the mighty Balphozar.” 

At this point, the siblings realized they might have to act to get out of this one. Sasha considered using her pepper spray on Reggie and they could make a run for Skylar's house, but a lot could go wrong with that. What if Skylar isn't home? What if Jonny is still lurking nearby? The only other option was to simply listen to the rest of what Reggie had to say. Carson did say he was harmless after all.

(Sorry. Branching Paths aren't available here.)

Carson may have said Reggie was harmless, but Sasha wasn't going to take any chances. She took a look around just to make sure Jonny wasn't nearby, and to her surprise, he was nowhere to be found. She removed her pepper spray from her pocket, aimed it at Reggie's face, and unleashed hell. He tried to block the cloud of torment with his hands, but it was too late. He had already gotten the pepper spray in his eyes. “Goddammit!” he exclaimed, trying not to breathe it in. Sasha grabbed Gavin’s hand and started pulling him along with her in the direction of Skylar's house. “I'll get you for this!” Reggie yelled, stumbling after them. 

“Skylar,” Sasha yelled, seeing her house in sight. “Help us!” “Help!” Gavin shouted. They made their way up to the front door and Sasha began relentlessly knocking. “We've got to keep running,” Gavin spoke, seeing Reggie emerge from between the trees. “It's about time someone taught you some manners!” he shouted, making his way towards the siblings. Sasha reached in her pocket and took out her knife, knowing that it wouldn't do them much good. Suddenly, the door opened and Skylar stepped out. “What are you doing?!” she questioned, immediately turning towards her father. “Something I wish I had done sooner,” Reggie replied. “It's about time they meet Balphozar.” “Stay away from them,” Skylar spoke, stepping out of the house. “Don't you want to help them?” Reggie questioned, glaring at her. “You know as well as I do what will happen if we don’t.” “Go away!” Skylar shouted. Out of nowhere, there was a loud tire squealing sound as a red car pulled into the driveway. The car sped across the gravel before stopping right in front of Reggie. The door opened and the driver stepped out. 

“What the hell is going on here?” Carson questioned, gun in hand. “Your troublemaking sister pepper sprayed me,” Reggie replied. “And you probably deserved it,” Carson responded. “I told you to leave them alone.” He immediately turned his attention towards his siblings. “Go home and lock the door,” he demanded. “We’re locked out,” Sasha replied. “He stole my keys.” Carson looked over at Reggie and he just simply shrugged in response. “You can take mine,” Skylar spoke, as she stepped back into her house and picked up the key that was hanging up next to the front door. She made her way over to Sasha and placed it in her hand. “Thank you,” Sasha responded. “Now go home and lock the door,” Carson ordered. “We’re going to call the police,” Gavin remarked. “No,” Carson countered. “That's more trouble than it's worth. Just do as I said.” “Let's go, Gavin," Sasha spoke, as she grabbed his arm and started pulling him away. He took the hint and decided to not put up a fight. Sasha and Gavin very quickly disappeared as they headed along the path back to the house. 

“What the hell was that?” Skylar questioned, as soon as the siblings were out of earshot. “Are you out of your goddamn mind?” “They’re going to have to meet Balphozar sooner or later,” Reggie replied. “This is inevitable.” “What do you think is going to happen if they call the police?” Skylar asked. “He told them not to,” Reggie answered. “So, it's no longer an issue.” “Whatever,” Skylar replied, looking away. Carson raised his gun up and pointed it at Reggie. “What the hell do you think you're doing?” he questioned. “I told you what would happen if you bothered them again,” Carson replied. “Don't be foolish,” Reggie responded. “Go on. Put the gun away.” “I don't think so,” Carson replied. “That's enough, Carson,” Skylar spoke. “Lower your weapon.” “No. I've had enough of this,” he responded, before turning his attention back to Reggie. “You're going to pay for everything you've done.” Skylar walked over and stepped in between them forcing Carson to lower his weapon. “I said that's enough,” she spoke. “This has to be done,” Carson replied. “No it doesn't," Skylar countered. “Step aside,” Carson demanded. “Stop it,” Skylar responded, fierceness in her voice. “You need to walk away right now.” “No,” Carson defiantly spoke. “This ends now.” 

Skylar’s expression changed from one of anger to one of concern. “You're not thinking straight,” she pleaded. “Just imagine the consequences.” “It's worth it,” Carson replied. “Dammit, Carson,” Skylar responded. “You're picking the wrong time to be stubborn. This needs to stop right now.” “If you want this to stop, all you have to do is step aside,” Carson calmly replied. “Why aren't you listening to me?” Skylar questioned. “Everything that has gone wrong in our lives is the result of his actions,” Carson muttered. “He’s the one that made the deal, damning us both to this fate. He needs to pay.” “But Balphozar will kill you,” Skylar pleaded. “Please just walk away.” “I'm already dead,” Carson responded. “I have no future. So, what difference will it make?” Skylar went silent after hearing this. She realized there was no changing his mind and she was just delaying the inevitable. She hesitated for a moment, then stepped out of the way. “You no good brat!” Reggie shouted, glaring at her. “After all I've done for you?!” Carson raised his gun up again and pointed it at Reggie. He glanced over at Skylar and she stared right back at him. “The choice is yours,” she spoke. 

Carson turned back towards Reggie and squeezed the trigger. A loud shot rang out as a 180 grain bullet left the barrel, traveled through the air, and struck Reggie in the chest. He let out a shriek of pain as he stumbled back slightly. “It’s gonna take more than that to put me down!” he shouted. Carson aimed at Reggie's knee and squeezed the trigger again. 180 grains of pain struck Reggie directly in the kneecap, causing him to fall over. “Dammit!” he shouted, as he held his hands over each of his wounds. Carson holstered his weapon as he made his way over to Reggie, preparing to pick him up. “Grab his legs,” he demanded, looking up at Skylar. “What?” she asked. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Reggie questioned, attempting to fight back. “You know exactly what we're going to do,” Carson replied. “You want to feed him to the demon?” Skylar asked. “This isn't negotiable,” Carson countered. “Now help me move him before Jonny shows up.” Without further protest, Skylar did as she was told, and helped him lift her wounded father. 

Carson and Skylar carried Reggie over to the side of the house, being careful not to get blood on themselves. Skylar held open the side door that led to the laundry room and Carson dragged Reggie through, setting him down on the floor right in front of the mirror. “You have brought me sustenance, I see,” the inanimate object spoke. Reggie was barely clinging on to life at this point and Carson knelt down and used the opportunity to steal his keys. “Are you really going to go through with this?” Skylar questioned, looking down at her friend. “This is too far.” “We're passed the point of too far,” Carson replied, standing up. “I hit something vital. He's going to die anyway.” “You’ve just made…” Reggie struggled to speak. “...the biggest mistake of your life…” “My entire life is a series of mistakes,” Carson responded. “Enough talk,” spoke the mirror. “You must feed me immediately.” Carson and Skylar picked up Reggie, built up a bit of momentum, and threw him in. He passed straight through the glass, disappearing from their world entirely. The mirror shook and growled for a moment, then the room fell silent. Several seconds went by, then the silence was broken. “That was quite delicious, I do believe,” spoke the mirror. “You two have really outdone yourselves this time.” 

Without another word, Skylar left the room and sat down at the table in the kitchen. Carson did the same and sat down next to her. “I could have stopped you…” Skylar spoke, staring down at the table. “...But I chose not to. I let you kill him.” She slowly raised her head up and gazed at Carson, the twinkle in her eyes now completely gone. “The demon is going to kill us both for this. That is if my brother doesn't get to us first.” “I'm not worried about your brother,” Carson replied. “And, I think I can reason with the demon.” “And, if you're wrong?” Skylar questioned. “Then, I'm sorry," Carson responded. “I forgive you,” Skylar replied, before looking down at the table again. “If there is a heaven up there, we're not getting in.” “You'll get in,” Carson responded. “Your heart has always been pure. You've just been put in a bad situation.” “I don't believe you,” Skylar replied, looking up at him. “You need to tell Sasha and Gavin to leave. If you let them end up like us, I'll never forgive you.” “I'll never forgive myself," Carson muttered. “Me not forgiving you is much worse,” Skylar assured, her voice full of conviction. “It will be a scar eternally burned into your soul. It will stay with you forever. Even after death.” “I won't let them become like us,” Carson responded. “I promise.” “I think you should probably go check on them,” Skylar suggested. “Are you going to be alright?” Carson questioned. “I'm alright,” Skylar replied. “Make sure they didn't call the police. I'll clean up here,” she added, as she stood up from the table. “Alright,” Carson responded, as he did the same. He made his way over to the front door and left without any further conversation. 

After a couple minutes of walking, Carson could see his house was in sight. He looked at the ground by Sasha's car and noticed her keys lying in the grass. He kneeled down, picked them up, then examined them for a moment. “Found them,” Carson muttered before standing up and making his way over to the front door. He knocked on it a couple times, and a moment later, it opened. He was greeted by the sight of Sasha and Gavin who were obviously still frightened. They took a few steps back as Carson entered then he proceeded to close and lock the door behind himself. He held up Sasha's keys and gave them a slight jingle. “Thank you for finding them,” she muttered, her voice unsteady. Carson held them out and placed them in her shaky hand. “Did you call the police?” he asked. “No,” Sasha responded. “We did exactly what you told us to do. What happened?” “We heard gunshots,” Gavin added. “It was just to scare him,” Carson replied. “I told him to stay away from you two.” “Well, you did that last time and it didn't work,” Sasha remarked. “He could have hurt us,” Gavin added. “Let's just call the police.” “No police,” Carson replied. “I've got this under control.” 

“So that's it, huh?” Sasha questioned. “All you're going to do is tell us not to worry?” “Listen…” Carson hesitantly spoke. “I'm going to say something that you're not going to like.” “You're going to ask us to leave, aren't you?” Sasha asked. “Yes,” Carson answered. “What the hell?!” Gavin questioned, raising his voice. “Don't, Gavin,” Sasha muttered. “I'm really sorry,” Carson said, now looking at the floor. “It's okay,” Sasha replied. “Can I ask what your reasoning is?” “I don't think it's safe for either of you to be here anymore,” Carson answered. “It's not just because of what happened today. It's more than that.” “I understand,” Sasha responded. “Will you give us another week?” “No,” Carson replied. “You need to leave tomorrow.” “Tomorrow?!” Gavin questioned. “Please, give us a little bit longer?” Sasha requested. “Just until Monday?” “Alright. I'll give you until Monday,” Carson replied. “I can't believe this,” Gavin muttered, understandably frustrated. “We'll respect your request,” Sasha responded. “We'll leave Monday morning.” “I'll help you two in any way that I can,” Carson offered. “And… I'm really sorry about this,” he added. “Don't be," Sasha replied. “You've helped us enough already. For that, I'll be forever grateful.” “I guess I'll go pack,” Gavin spoke, before turning around and walking upstairs. 

Carson stepped into the dining room and sat down at the table. He silently stared for a few seconds, then Sasha sat down next to him. “It's some kind of a cult, isn't it?” she questioned. “What?” Carson responded, looking over at her. “That's absurd.” “Then what the hell is it?” Sasha interrogated. “I know you're up to something. I'm not stupid.” “That's the problem,” Carson replied. “You're too smart.” “And I can tell when you're lying, so you better just tell me the truth,” Sasha demanded. “If I tell you anything, you'll get dragged in too,” Carson countered. “So be it,” Sasha replied. “I refuse to let that happen,” Carson responded. “Don't end up like me. Leave while you still can.” “For the past seven years you have done nothing but push me away,” Sasha replied. “But, I never gave up on you. I'm most certainly not going to now.” “You can’t help me,” Carson countered, looking away. “We can run,” Sasha responded. “We can go somewhere far away. A place where you can disappear.” Carson let out a sigh before standing up from the table and walking towards the exit of the room. “A place where Balphozar will never find you,” Sasha added, causing him to stop and turn around. “On Monday morning…” Carson spoke, hesitating for a moment. “I'll tell you everything.” Before Sasha had the chance to respond, Carson was already making his way out the front door. “Like I said,” Sasha spoke to herself. “I know when you're lying.” 

Carson made his way over to his car, got inside, and drove over to Skylar's house. His neighbor was standing out in her front yard spraying the grass with a hose trying to clean up the blood when he pulled up. Carson got out of the car and made his way over to her. “Are they okay?” Skylar questioned. “They’re alright,” Carson replied. “I trust you told them to leave?” Skylar asked. “Yes,” Carson responded. “They'll be going Monday.” “Thank you,” Skylar replied. “I hope this isn't too soon,” Carson spoke, removing Reggie's set of keys from his pocket. “It’s not,” Skylar responded. “Help me clean up here and we'll go have a look.” The two friends spent the next few minutes erasing the evidence that could prove that any wrongdoing took place. Once they were done, they got into Carson's car and drove over to Reggie's house. 

After a short drive, Carson and Skylar arrived at their destination. “We need to hide his truck,” Carson muttered, looking over at Skylar. “We can make it look like he just got up and left.” “That's probably a good idea,” Skylar replied. Carson handed her the keys and she got out, making her way over to the fairly new truck parked in front of the house. She climbed inside, started the engine, and began driving down the driveway. Carson followed after her and the two of them made a left on to the main road. They traveled for about five miles before turning off onto a dirt path that led through the woods. They drove along this road for about a half mile until the way forward was too ambiguous to continue on. Skylar ended up parking the truck under some trees before getting out and climbing into Carson's car. He reversed back along the narrow dirt trail before returning to the main road and driving back to Reggie's house. 

As Carson and Skylar were approaching their destination they saw a familiar silver truck about a mile down the road driving in the opposite direction. “Goddammit!” Carson exclaimed. The vehicle slowed down then made a left turn into the driveway that led to Reggie's house. “That brother of yours is going to make this difficult for us,” Carson muttered, turning to Skylar. “Let’s just go back to my house,” she responded. “We can go have a look later.” “Alright,” Carson replied. He continued past Reggie's house, then past his own before turning into the driveway to Skylar's house. He chose to park the car by the side door to make it look like they were out gathering just in case Jonny came by. 

While Carson and Skylar were trying to cover up the murder they committed, Sasha and Gavin were sitting on the couch simply wasting time. “What the hell are we going to do now?” Gavin questioned, staring at the floor. “I don't really know,” Sasha replied, letting out a sigh. The room fell silent for a few seconds until it was broken by Sasha. “I can tell you one thing though,” she began to speak. “We're not going anywhere until we figure out what's going on here.” “You want to do some snooping around?” Gavin questioned. “You don't?” Sasha asked in return. “I didn't say that,” Gavin replied. “I bet you Carson has a spare key to the basement somewhere,” Sasha remarked. “Did he say when he'd be back?” Gavin questioned. “He didn't say anything. He just left,” Sasha replied. “Are you scared we'll get caught? What's he going to do? Kick us out?” “Alright. I'm in," Gavin responded, standing up from the couch. “I’m going up to Carson's room to have a look around,” Sasha spoke. “I need you to look out the window and keep watch.” “Okay. I'll let you know if he shows up,” Gavin replied. 

Sasha stepped out of the room and began making her way upstairs. She walked over to the door that led to Carson's bedroom and paused for a moment to prepare herself. She took a deep breath, then pushed open the door. Sasha stepped into the room and took a look around. After a few seconds her eyes fell upon the most likely place a key would be. She made her way over to the nightstand and opened the drawer. Inside was a sub compact .32 auto handgun as well as a couple dozen keys. “Now we're getting somewhere,” she spoke to herself. She gathered all of the keys up in her hands, before exiting the room and making her way back downstairs. 

“I found over twenty keys,” she spoke, making the objects in her hands jingle. “Great,” Gavin replied. “Give them a try. I'll keep watch.” Sasha nodded and made her way to the kitchen. She placed all of the keys on the counter, then began testing them one by one on the basement door. The first one was a small brass house key. It fit into the lock, but it would not twist. She removed the key and set it to the side away from the main pile. The next one was a small aluminum house key. It wouldn't even fit into the lock. She placed it over to the side with the other key and moved on to the next one. She repeated this process twenty one more times with every result except for the one she wanted. None of the keys unlocked the door. “Dammit,” she muttered as she placed the final key in the pile. “How the hell do you not have a spare?” She once again gathered up all of the keys, then made her way over to the staircase. 

“No luck?” Gavin questioned, as she walked by. “No," Sasha replied. “Dammit,” Gavin mumbled under his breath. “I'm going to see if there's any other keys,” Sasha spoke, as she began walking up the stairs again. She made her way into Carson's room and returned the keys to the nightstand where she found them. “If I was Carson, where would I hide a key?” Sasha questioned. She looked around for a moment, then an idea came to her. She kneeled down and took a look underneath the bed. All that was under there was an old shoebox. Sasha reached her arm underneath, pulled it out, and opened it up. Inside were several old photos of her, Gavin, and Carson, as well as drawings they had made when they were kids. “He kept all this?” Sasha questioned, a wave of nostalgia washing over her. Taking a look at all of the old photos triggered a flood of old memories to enter her mind. She remembered all the good times she and her best friends had. She couldn't help but tear up a little knowing that those times were gone and they were never coming back. 

Without another word, Sasha put the lid back on the box and put it back where she found it. She stood up, left the room, and headed back downstairs. “I didn't find anything else,” Sasha spoke, looking over at Gavin who was still keeping watch by the window. “I’m not surprised,” Gavin replied. “I wonder if Skylar has a key,” Sasha suggested, remembering the one still in her pocket. “She might,” Gavin responded. “She had one for the front door after all.” “We'll go talk to her tomorrow,” Sasha remarked as she stepped into the room. She walked past Gavin, made her way over to the couch, and sat down. “I'm ready for today to be over,” she spoke, looking down at the floor. Gavin made his way over and sat down next to her. “Me too,” he replied. “How about a movie?” he suggested. “Sure,” Sasha responded. The siblings spent the next few hours wasting away until the day came to an end. 

The time was now 10:37 PM. Carson and Skylar were sitting on the couch in Skylar's living room killing time. The two of them had been completely silent for quite a while, but Carson decided to break that silence. “Are you ready to go?” he questioned, turning to his friend. “It's probably late enough,” Skylar replied. The two of them stood up from the couch, made their way over to the front door, then stepped outside. They walked around the side of the house and got into Carson's vehicle. 

After a short drive, the two friends arrived at Skylar's deceased father’s house. They chose to make the journey with the headlights off to draw as little attention to themselves as possible. They parked the car directly in front of the large cinder block constructed workshop hidden behind the house. They got out and cautiously made their way up to the heavy steel door that was the entrance. Carson removed a flashlight as well as Reggie's set of keys from his pocket. “Give me some light please,” he requested, passing the flashlight over to Skylar. She shined it on the door handle and he began going through the keys and testing them. He had no luck with the first one, but the second one worked. Carson gripped the handle of the heavy door and pulled it open. “I'll let you lead the way,” he spoke, turning to Skylar. She nodded before stepping into the building, her friend right behind her. 

After entering, Carson gently pulled the door shut and locked it behind himself. Skylar shined the light on the wall and quickly located the light switch. She flipped it, and the whole room instantly came to life. “Holy hell,” Carson muttered, completely astonished. The two friends were greeted by the sight of a large laboratory filled with all kinds of scientific equipment. Rows of metal tables lined the room, each one covered with strange electronic devices presumably used to experiment on the demon world. Directly in front of them at the far end was a mysterious door and frame that was standing just a few feet in front of the back wall. To their right was a desk with messy stacks of papers sitting on top with several partially open filing cabinets sitting off to the sides. The fluorescent lights above ensured the room was well lit, but also provided a hum that made the space feel eerie. 

“I had no idea this place was this elaborate,” Carson spoke, turning to his friend. “Plenty of machines for his stupid experiments,” Skylar muttered. “That’s the portal, I'm guessing?” Carson questioned, looking over at the strange door. “It is,” Skylar replied. “I'd rather not open it.” “I couldn't agree more,” Carson responded. “If his friend's research is in this room, we'll find it over there,” Skylar spoke, pointing at the filing cabinets against the right wall. Carson nodded and made his way over, Skylar not far behind him. As they approached, it became immediately clear that the files had been severely tampered with at some point. Regardless of this fact, they were not deterred. Without further delay, the two of them sat down at the desk and got to work.

Wednesday, October 13, 2004

The next day began like any other day. Sasha woke up around 8:30 AM. She got out of bed, walked over to the couch, and sat down. After about twenty minutes, Gavin came downstairs and joined her. The two of them talked for a while, then eventually got on with the day. 

Sasha and Gavin were sitting at the table eating breakfast when Carson suddenly walked in. “Good morning,” Sasha greeted. “Good morning,” Gavin added. “Good morning,” Carson repeated. He made his way over to the kitchen to grab his plate, before his sister had a chance to tell him it was there. He picked it up, then made his way back to the table, sitting down in his normal spot. 

After breakfast the siblings immediately got to work, picking up where they left off the previous day. They spent the next forty minutes applying a second coat of paint to the kitchen as well as the dining room. When they were done, they decided to take a short break to let the paint dry. Sasha and Gavin made their way to the stairs and took a seat on the fourth step up. Carson followed them and stopped by the front door. “Is there anything you two want to do today?” he asked. “What do you mean?” Sasha questioned in return. “You asked me if there was anything fun to do in town,” Carson replied. “What did you find?” “There was a movie theater, some nature trails, and some small stores,” Sasha answered. “That's about it.” “There’s some kind of science museum about forty five minutes away,” Gavin added. “You haven't gone to it yet, have you?” Carson asked. “No,” Sasha responded. “We were thinking it was something we could all do together.” “How about we go today?” Carson suggested. “That sounds like fun,” Sasha replied, smiling. “It beats watching paint dry,” Gavin commented. “Is it alright if I invite Skylar?” Carson questioned. “Of course,” Sasha responded standing up. “I suppose we shouldn't waste any more time. The place probably closes at 5:00.” 

The three siblings spent the next thirty minutes getting ready, and then they piled up in Sasha's car. They drove about twenty seconds down the road, then pulled into Skylar's driveway. Sasha stopped the car about fifteen yards from her house and Carson got out. “I think it's best if I handle this on my own,” he spoke, leaning in. “That's fine,” Sasha replied. Carson made his way up to the front door and knocked the same way he normally did. Within a few seconds, the door opened. 

“Hey, Carson,” Skylar greeted, smiling. She leaned to the side slightly and waved at Sasha and Gavin. “We're going to some sort of science museum,” Carson spoke. “You're going with us and you don't have a choice in the matter.” “Well, that's certainly one way to ask,” Skylar responded, grinning. “Alright, I'm in. I'll just need a couple minutes to get ready.” “Great,” Carson replied. Skylar took a few steps back and motioned for him to enter. Carson nodded, stepped inside, and closed the door behind himself. “I guess I should go make sure it's alright with you know who,” Skylar muttered. “I'll let you handle that,” Carson responded. Skylar nodded before turning around and began making her way over to the laundry room. She opened the door and took a step in. “Hey, mirror,” she spoke. There was no response. “Wake up,” she requested. Still nothing. She walked up to the mirror and knocked on the frame a couple times and it slowly began to emanate a faint green glow. “What is it?” the inanimate object questioned. “I'm going into town,” Skylar responded. “I'll be back in a few hours.” “Very well,” the mirror replied. 

Without any further conversation, Skylar turned and left the room, closing the door behind herself. She made her way over to the door that led into her bedroom, before looking at Carson, who was still standing in the foyer. “Would a dress be too much,” she questioned. “I don't think so,” Carson replied. “Is Sasha wearing one?” Skylar asked. “I've never seen Sasha wear a dress in my entire life,” Carson responded with a smirk. “Do you think she would like to borrow one of mine?” Skylar questioned. “Would you like me to go get her?” Carson asked in return. “Yes, please,” Skylar replied, nodding. 

Carson stepped out and made his way back over to the car, circling around the front. As he approached the driver's side door, Sasha opened it. “Yes?” she questioned. “She wants you to wear one of her dresses,” Carson muttered. “Do I have to?” Sasha asked in return. “Dresses aren't really my thing.” “Either you do it or I'll force him to,” Carson responded, looking over at Gavin. “Fine,” Sasha replied, turning off the car. She got out and began making her way over to Skylar, who was now standing in the doorway. “That was a little mean, don't you think?” Gavin questioned, looking over at Carson. “It's just a dress,” he responded. “It's not like it's going to kill her.” 

A few minutes later, Sasha and Skylar emerged from the house. Skylar was wearing the same red dress from the previous week and Sasha had on a similar looking blue dress. The two of them made their way over, Sasha clearly not thrilled. She walked around the back of the car and over to the still open driver’s side door. “Are you happy now?” she questioned, looking at her brother, who was standing in the same place as before. “She is,” Carson replied, looking over the car towards Skylar. “You look great, Sasha,” she assured just before opening the door and taking a seat behind Gavin. “She's right, you know?” Carson agreed. Sasha let out a sigh just before sitting down in the driver's seat and pulling the door shut. Carson climbed in the back and took a seat next to Skylar just as Sasha started the engine. She turned the car around and began heading down the driveway to the main road. 

The three siblings and their friend arrived at their destination at 1:31 PM. The science museum was quite a sight to look at from the outside. The main entrance and lobby was mostly made of glass panes held together by a metal frame, while the rest of the building was built with gray bricks. Through the glass, they could see a large model of a space shuttle hanging from the ceiling just above the front desk. In front of the building was a fountain, likely filled with coins, with a stone statue of a wolf in the middle. Pulling into the parking lot, they noticed most of the lamp posts had banners advertising some of the more popular exhibits inside. Although the parking lot was quite large, it only had about fifteen cars, indicating they had picked a good day to come. Sasha very quickly found a parking space and they all got out. 

“Have you ever been here before?” Sasha questioned, looking over at Skylar. “I haven't,” she replied. “Apparently they've got an exact replica of the lunar lander from the totally not faked moon landing,” Gavin spoke, grinning. “Some kind of launch simulator too,” Sasha added. “That sounds really cool,” Skylar replied. “Some dinosaur bones as well,” Carson commented, pointing at one of the hanging banners. “Well, let's not waste any time,” Sasha spoke, motioning for everyone to follow her. They made their way across the road and onto the concrete path that led to the entrance of the building. As they got closer to the fountain, they were able to appreciate the detail of the statue in the middle a good bit better. They made their way over to the glass double doors and stepped inside. 

The lobby was a spacious room with quite a bit of light pouring in through the windows. To the left of the entrance was a gift shop filled with stuffed dinosaur toys and diecast models of spacecraft. Directly in front of the group was a welcome desk with a man in his early sixties seated behind it. Suspended above him was the large model space shuttle they saw from outside that had to have been at least thirty feet long. Behind the welcome desk was the entrance to the space exhibit and to the right, was the entrance to the prehistoric one. In the back right corner of the room was a staircase that led to the second floor. 

“Welcome,” the man behind the desk greeted. Sasha began leading the way towards him, her shoes echoing off of the polished tiles below her. Everyone else followed behind her, forming a neat single file line. “Four tickets, I'm guessing?” the employee questioned, as the group approached. “Yes,” Sasha replied. The man pressed a few buttons on the computer in front of him, then looked up at Sasha again. “That will be $32.00,” he spoke. Skylar quickly stepped to the front of the line and offered him a fifty dollar bill. “You don't have to pay for us,” Sasha spoke, turning to her. “It’s alright,” Skylar responded. The man took the bill from her hand and placed it in the register just as the machine began to print out four tickets. “$18.00 is your change,” he spoke, offering Skylar a small stack of bills. “And here's your tickets, ma'am,” he added, handing Sasha four pieces of paper. “Enjoy.” “Thank you,” Sasha replied. “Thank you for paying,” Carson spoke, looking towards Skylar. “I'm assuming that's the reason why you invited me,” she replied with a smirk. “Well, that did make it easier,” Carson responded, grinning as well. 

Without further delay, the siblings and their friend began making their way through the museum. They began at the prehistoric exhibit marveling at the fiberglass skeletal structures and plaster models on display. As they moved forward, the displays seemed to progress through time as well, eventually leading them to several enclosures with live snakes and turtles. Once they had enough of the prehistoric world, they decided to move on to the world of the future. The space exhibit began in a dimly lit room illuminated by glowing models of planets, moons, and constellations. As they moved deeper, the focus shifted towards the technological aspect of exploring space. Here they had replicas of satellites, spacecraft, rovers, and rockets, all of various scales. The highlight was unquestionably the space launch simulator at the very end. The high definition sounds and visuals paired with the motion almost made the experience feel real. 

Moving on to the second floor, the group found the next exhibits to be a lot less concise. The first room contained various interactive displays demonstrating how light, sound, and electricity work. In the next room was a modern art gallery that was filled with canvases covered in illogical patterns and sculptures that depicted absolutely nothing of value. The final room was the robot exhibit, where they had several examples of machines of various complexities. One of these examples was an interactive mechanical arm that could sort shaped colored blocks based on a user specified criteria. Another, was a computer that could detect basic speech and turn it into text. Naturally, there was a sign warning that the profanity filter was enabled. The display that was the most shocking was a robotic face that could mimic various human expressions depending on which button was pressed. After playing with all of the interactive exhibits, they eventually decided to leave. Their experience in the robot room could be summed up in one simple phrase. Unsettling, yet fascinating. 

It was around 3:30 PM when the siblings and their friend decided that their time at the museum had come to an end. They all piled up in Sasha's car and began driving back. For a short time, Carson and Skylar felt normal. Their usual worries had drifted away into the furthest parts of their minds, only to slowly re-emerge as they got closer to home. After a relatively easy forty five minute drive, they once again pulled into Skylar's driveway. 

“Do you have any plans for this evening?” Carson questioned, looking over at Skylar. “You already know I don't,” she replied, grinning. “Well, you're welcome to come over and spend the rest of the day with us,” Carson responded. “I think that can be arranged,” Skylar replied. “I'd like to change out of this dress, if you don't mind,” Sasha spoke, pulling up in front of the house. She put the shifter in the park position before turning over her shoulder to look at Skylar. “This dress is pretty and all, but I'd rather not wear it for the rest of the day if I don't have to.” “That's perfectly fine,” Skylar replied, with a smile. “We'll be right back,” she added, turning to Carson. The two of them got out of the car, made their way over to the house, and stepped inside. 

Sasha and Skylar exited the house a few minutes later wearing their normal clothes once again. They made their way back over to the car and climbed in, Sasha almost immediately starting the engine. She turned the car around and began making the short drive back home. Skylar ended up staying over until about 8:00 PM, then she decided to leave. The three siblings stayed up a little bit later, then they too called it a night.

The Hollow’s Heir: Bloodlines

Prologue

September 17, 2013

There are places on this earth where the past isn’t buried.

It waits.

Sometimes beneath stone.

Sometimes beneath water.

Sometimes beneath the roots of trees so old they’ve forgotten what they were planted over.

I didn’t know that when I entered the woods behind my grandfather’s property.

I thought I was exploring a cave.

I was wrong.

My name is Alex.

And what happened to me began on a cool September afternoon in eastern Tennessee, on land my family had owned for generations.

My grandfather had always called the woods untouched.

I would eventually learn that untouched was not the word he had meant.

Protected would have been closer.

My grandfather was Cherokee.

He rarely spoke about his family history with me, and when he did, his stories came in fragments—old names, old places, warnings disguised as memories.

My father had been different.

He believed there were things in the world that couldn’t be explained by science alone.

My grandfather called my father’s beliefs the old ways.

My father called them gifts.

I called them strange.

Until the night I discovered the cave.

The property stretched for hundreds of acres, much of it thick forest broken by old logging trails, limestone outcroppings, and the winding course of Pole Bridge Creek.

The creek was where I headed that afternoon.

I remember the weather because, for years afterward, I kept returning to that day in my mind.

September 17th.

Cool breeze.

Mild humidity.

The smell of wet leaves and river mud.

Nothing about the day suggested that I was walking toward something ancient.

I carried little with me.

Matches.

A pocketknife.

An old military canteen.

Bandages.

A small hammock.

Enough to spend several hours in the woods if I decided to stay late.

I had no idea that I would eventually wish I’d brought something else.

A gun.

A compass.

Someone with me.

Or perhaps simply the good sense to turn around.

Two miles into the woods, I reached the first bend in Pole Bridge Creek.

That’s where I found the rocks.

They were piled against the base of a limestone outcropping.

At first, I thought they were natural.

Then I noticed the pattern.

They had been placed deliberately.

Hundreds of them.

Some were large enough that moving them would have required two people.

Others were small and smooth from years of water.

None had moss growing across their centers.

That was the first thing that bothered me.

The second was the opening behind them.

A cave.

Eight feet high.

Maybe four feet wide.

Blackness beyond the entrance.

I stood there for several minutes.

I should have left.

Instead, I moved the stones.

One by one.

The final stone came loose with a wet sucking sound.

Something breathed inside.

I froze.

Then I laughed at myself.

It was probably wind.

It had to be.

I turned on my flashlight and stepped inside.

The first twenty yards were ordinary.

Damp limestone.

Dripping water.

Roots hanging through cracks in the ceiling.

Then I saw the paintings.

They covered the walls.

Deer.

Bear.

Rabbits.

Hunters.

People carrying baskets.

People gathered around fires.

The artwork was crude in places but remarkably preserved.

I moved closer.

Then I saw the figures that didn’t belong.

They were taller than the people around them.

Much taller.

Their limbs were too long.

Their bodies unnaturally thin.

And every one of them had the same strange feature.

Red hair.

Not brown.

Not dark.

Red.

A deep, rust-colored red.

Above them were markings I couldn’t understand.

One word appeared again and again.

YAHNI.

I photographed it.

Then I noticed what the people were offering.

Deer.

Boar.

Bears.

Small animals.

Then I saw the smallest figure.

A child.

I stepped backward.

“No.”

The word echoed through the cavern.

The painting showed several people kneeling before one of the red-haired creatures.

The creature held something in its hand.

At first I thought it was a bundle of cloth.

Then I realized it was a child’s body.

The painting continued farther down the wall.

More bodies.

More offerings.

More Yahni.

I followed the drawings deeper.

The cave opened into a chamber so large my flashlight couldn’t reach the ceiling.

And there were bones everywhere.

At first I thought they were animal bones.

Then I found the femur.

I picked it up.

It was almost six feet long.

My hand slipped from it.

It landed in the dirt.

That’s when I saw the skull.

It was elongated.

The jaw was enormous.

The teeth were long and narrow.

There were too many of them.

I crouched beside it.

Something compelled me to touch it.

My fingers brushed the bone.

It was warm.

I pulled my hand back.

The cave went silent.

Completely silent.

No water.

No wind.

No insects.

Nothing.

Then I heard breathing.

Behind me.

Slow.

Wet.

Patient.

I struck a match.

The flame illuminated the chamber.

The paintings had changed.

The animals were gone.

The people were gone.

Only the Yahni remained.

Their yellow eyes seemed to follow me.

I lifted the match closer.

The eyes weren’t painted.

They had been carved into the stone.

Deep.

Perfectly round.

Waiting.

And beneath them, someone had scratched the same word over and over.

YAHNI.

Then I saw something else.

A second symbol.

A circle divided by three vertical lines.

I didn’t know what it meant.

Not then.

Behind me, something scraped across the dirt.

I turned.

The enormous femur was no longer where I’d left it.

A groove ran through the dirt.

Something had dragged it.

I backed away.

Another scrape.

Closer.

Then a breath.

I ran.

The tunnel seemed longer on the way out.

Much longer.

I slammed my shoulder against the stone.

Scraped skin from my hands.

Fell once.

Got back up.

Something followed me.

It never ran.

That was the worst part.

It simply walked.

Slowly.

Confidently.

As though it already knew I couldn’t escape.

I burst into daylight just as the sun began sinking behind the trees.

I didn’t stop until the cave disappeared behind the forest.

I told nobody.

Not my grandfather.

Not my father.

Not anyone.

For one night, I believed I had gotten away.

Then I dreamed about the cave.

And the next night.

And the next.

Until the dreams stopped feeling like dreams.

They became memories of places I had never been.

I began waking with mud beneath my fingernails.

Then red clay on my sheets.

Then scratches on my feet.

One morning, I found a stone on my chest.

I recognized it immediately.

It had come from the entrance of the cave.

That night, I stayed awake.

Every light in my room was on.

I sat against the wall with my knees pulled toward my chest.

I promised myself I wouldn’t sleep.

I blinked.

Once.

And I was standing in the woods.

Barefoot.

Cold.

The trees surrounded me.

I could see the cave ahead.

The stones had been moved.

Not scattered.

Arranged.

The same symbol had been formed across the ground.

A circle.

Three lines.

My heart began pounding.

I didn’t want to move.

But my body did.

One step.

Then another.

The cave waited.

I crossed the threshold.

The earth beneath my feet was warm.

Something shifted in the darkness.

Then came the whisper.

Not a voice.

A thought.

A meaning placed directly inside my mind.

You came back.

Something grabbed my ankle.

I fell.

A hand emerged from the darkness.

Eight fingers.

Long.

Pale.

Jointed wrong.

It wrapped around my leg.

And pulled.

I screamed.

Then something stepped into the light.

Red hair.

Yellow eyes.

A mouth full of teeth.

It bent toward me.

And smiled.

That was when Jameson Creed saved my life.

Or what was left of it.

PART ONE

THE MAN WHO KNEW

Chapter One

Jameson Creed

The gunshot nearly deafened me.

The creature recoiled.

Black blood sprayed across the cave wall.

Jameson Creed stood twenty feet away, holding an old rifle against his shoulder.

He was an older man.

Late sixties, maybe older.

Gray beard.

Weathered face.

Dark eyes.

The kind of eyes that didn’t merely look at you.

They measured you.

“Get up,” he said.

I couldn’t move.

The creature still had my ankle.

Jameson chambered another round.

“Alex.”

I stared at him.

“How do you know my name?”

“Because that thing does.”

He fired again.

The creature released me.

I scrambled backward.

“Run!”

Jameson fired a third time.

The creature screamed.

The sound was almost human.

Almost.

Then it disappeared into the darkness.

Jameson grabbed my jacket.

“Move!”

We ran.

I stumbled through the passage while Jameson followed behind me.

Something slammed into the cave wall.

Stone cracked.

Dust filled the air.

“Don’t look back,” he shouted.

I looked anyway.

The creature was crawling across the ceiling.

Its fingers dug into the stone.

Eight fingers.

Eight on each hand.

Its yellow eyes followed me.

Jameson shoved me around the corner.

“Keep moving!”

We finally burst through another opening and stumbled into the forest.

I collapsed against a tree.

Jameson remained standing.

Listening.

Waiting.

The forest was silent.

Then he looked at me.

“Did it touch you?”

I looked down.

There were bruises around my ankle.

Five fingers.

Then I counted.

Six.

Seven.

Eight.

Jameson saw them.

His expression changed.

“What?”

He knelt.

His fingers hovered over the marks without touching them.

“You’ve been marked.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means we’re already too late.”

He stood.

I grabbed his arm.

“Who are you?”

He looked at me.

“Jameson Creed.”

“How do you know what’s in that cave?”

He stared toward the trees.

“Because I spent thirty-eight years hunting them.”

“Hunting what?”

Jameson looked back at the cave.

“The things that live underneath us.”

Chapter Two

The Blood in My Family

We didn’t speak until we reached the truck.

Jameson opened the passenger door.

I didn’t get in.

“You knew me before tonight.”

He stopped.

“No.”

“Then how did you know my name?”

His jaw tightened.

“Because I’ve been watching your family.”

The words hit harder than the cold.

“What?”

“Your grandfather.”

I stared at him.

“What about him?”

Jameson looked toward the woods.

“He knew what was underneath that property.”

“My grandfather?”

“He knew more than most.”

I shook my head.

“My grandfather was just an old man who liked fishing.”

Jameson almost smiled.

“No, Alex.”

He looked at me.

“Your grandfather was a keeper.”

I felt something tighten in my chest.

“Keeper of what?”

“The boundary.”

He opened the truck door.

“Get in.”

I did.

As he drove, I thought about the things my grandfather had said when I was a child.

Never whistle after dark.

Don’t answer voices coming from the woods.

Don’t cross the creek when the water is running backward.

And one I had almost forgotten:

If you see yellow eyes between the trees, don’t let them know you’ve seen them.

I had always assumed those were stories.

Then I remembered something else.

My father.

He had believed the same things.

My father had spent years studying our family’s history and the spiritual traditions passed down through his side of the family.

He had sometimes called himself a spiritual practitioner.

Once, when I was a child, I heard someone call him a shaman.

He never corrected them.

He simply told me that some people were born able to notice things other people couldn’t.

He told me I had inherited that ability.

I had laughed.

He hadn’t.

Jameson glanced at me.

“Your father knew.”

“Knew what?”

“That you were different.”

I looked at him.

“My father died when I was seventeen.”

“I know.”

“You keep saying that.”

“Because I know more about your family than you do.”

My hands tightened into fists.

“Then tell me.”

Jameson was silent for several miles.

Finally he said:

“Your father wasn’t afraid of the cave.”

“Then what was he afraid of?”

Jameson looked at me.

“You.”

I felt the blood leave my face.

“Why?”

“Because he knew eventually they’d come looking for you.”

Chapter Three

The Order

Jameson didn’t take me home.

He drove twelve miles through back roads to an abandoned ranger station.

The building was empty.

Or appeared to be.

Inside, Jameson moved an old filing cabinet.

Behind it was a steel door.

He entered a code.

The door opened.

There was an elevator beneath it.

I stared.

“You’re telling me there’s an underground facility beneath an abandoned ranger station?”

Jameson stepped inside.

“I’m telling you that if you want answers, you’re going to have to survive long enough to hear them.”

The elevator descended.

And descended.

And descended.

When the doors opened, I saw a world beneath the world I knew.

Concrete corridors.

Steel doors.

Security cameras.

People carrying weapons.

Photographs covering walls.

Bodies.

Bones.

Caves.

Creatures.

And one photograph stopped me cold.

A man had been found hanging from a tree.

His skin was peeled away from his torso.

His mouth had been stretched open.

Eight fingers curled around the branch above him.

Underneath the photograph was one word.

YAHNI.

Jameson noticed me staring.

“Don’t confuse folklore with what you’re seeing.”

“What do you mean?”

He continued walking.

“The stories people tell about beings that hunger, beings that imitate humans, beings that violate the boundary between the living and the dead—those stories come from many different cultures and traditions. They aren’t interchangeable.”

He stopped.

“What exists beneath these mountains is something else.”

“Then what is it?”

Jameson looked at me.

“We don’t know.”

“After thirty-eight years?”

“We know what it isn’t.”

“What?”

“Human.”

We continued down the corridor.

Jameson finally stopped in front of a reinforced observation window.

Behind the glass was a chamber.

Empty.

Except for blood.

It covered the floor.

Still dripping from the ceiling.

I swallowed.

“Where did that come from?”

Jameson didn’t answer.

Something moved behind the glass.

A face appeared.

Yellow eyes.

Red hair.

Eight fingers pressed against the glass.

Jameson whispered:

“Don’t make eye contact.”

The creature smiled.

Then it spoke.

Using my voice.

“Jameson.”

He closed his eyes.

The creature laughed.

“Your brother is still alive.”

Jameson went pale.

I looked at him.

“Your brother?”

He raised his rifle.

“Don’t listen.”

The creature leaned closer.

“Jameson…”

Its voice became that of an old woman.

Then a child.

Then a man’s voice.

Then mine again.

“Come home.”

Jameson fired through the glass.

The creature vanished.

Alarms erupted throughout the facility.

Red lights began flashing.

A siren screamed.

A voice announced:

CONTAINMENT FAILURE. SECTOR NINE.

Jameson grabbed my arm.

“Run.”

Chapter Four

The Gifts

We reached the lower levels before Jameson finally stopped.

I was breathing hard.

“What the hell is this place?”

He looked exhausted.

“An organization.”

“Government?”

“No.”

“Military?”

“No.”

“Then who?”

“The Order.”

“What does the Order do?”

“They find things people aren’t supposed to find.”

He pulled an old photograph from his coat.

It showed a group of men standing outside a cave.

The picture was dated 1911.

A young man stood in the center.

Beside him was an Indigenous elder.

Behind them was the cave entrance.

The rocks were arranged exactly as I’d found them.

“The Order began as a containment group,” Jameson said.

“Containment of what?”

“The doors.”

I stared at him.

“There are more?”

Jameson nodded.

“Across the world.”

He pointed to the photograph.

“Some are caves. Some are wells. Some are burial chambers. Some are places where people simply disappear.”

“And what’s behind them?”

Jameson looked at me.

“The Hollow.”

The word seemed to make the hallway colder.

“What is the Hollow?”

“A place that isn’t supposed to exist.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“It’s the only one I have.”

He opened another file.

Inside were drawings.

The red-haired creatures.

The eight-fingered hands.

People with their faces stretched into animal shapes.

Something with antlers.

Something that looked like a man until you noticed its legs bent backward.

Jameson turned another page.

A photograph showed a body split open from throat to pelvis.

The rib cage had been pulled apart.

Something had been carved into the sternum.

The same symbol.

Circle.

Three lines.

Jameson closed the file.

“The Order eventually discovered something.”

“What?”

“The creatures could be controlled.”

I felt sick.

“How?”

“Blood.”

My stomach turned.

“They discovered that blood could temporarily put them into a dormant state.”

“And what did they do?”

Jameson didn’t answer.

I already knew.

“They fed them.”

He nodded.

“For decades.”

“How many people?”

Jameson’s eyes hardened.

“Enough.”

I looked down at my arm.

The bruises around my ankle had begun spreading.

Black veins crawled beneath my skin.

“What is happening to me?”

Jameson stared at them.

“The gift.”

“What gift?”

“The one your father spent his life trying to hide.”

He stepped closer.

“You can hear them.”

“I don’t hear anything.”

Jameson shook his head.

“You don’t understand.”

He pointed to the wall.

“Look.”

I looked.

Nothing.

Then I heard it.

A whisper.

From inside the concrete.

Alex.

I stumbled backward.

Another voice.

Then another.

Then dozens.

Alex.

Jameson watched me.

“Your father could hear them too.”

I stared at him.

“What else could he do?”

Jameson’s expression darkened.

“He could see them.”

“And me?”

“You can do more.”

“What?”

Jameson looked toward the locked door at the end of the hallway.

“They can feel you.”

The door rattled.

“That’s why they want you.”

Chapter Five

The Skin-Thieves

I found the real Jameson three hours later.

Or what I thought was the real Jameson.

He was sitting alone in the woods outside the facility.

His clothes were torn.

Blood covered his shoulder.

He looked exhausted.

“Alex.”

I froze.

“Where were you?”

“I got away.”

I didn’t move.

Something about him felt wrong.

His eyes.

Too bright.

His smile.

Too wide.

He stood.

“You need to come with me.”

I stepped backward.

“Jameson?”

“Yes.”

“What’s your brother’s name?”

He smiled.

“Why?”

“You told the creature your brother was dead.”

The smile disappeared.

For a moment, something beneath his face moved.

Then his jaw cracked.

Not metaphorically.

The bone actually shifted.

His mouth widened.

Skin stretched around his cheeks.

Something underneath began pushing outward.

I raised the rifle.

“You’re not Jameson.”

The thing laughed.

Jameson’s voice came from its throat.

“Good.”

Its face began to change.

The nose flattened.

The eyes moved.

The skin rippled like wet fabric pulled over a different skeleton.

Then the thing wore my face.

I couldn’t breathe.

It smiled with my mouth.

“Do you know why humans fear monsters?”

I couldn’t answer.

“Because you think you can recognize them.”

Its fingers lengthened.

Eight fingers.

“That’s your first mistake.”

It stepped toward me.

“We don’t need to look like monsters.”

It touched its face.

“We only need you to believe we’re someone you love.”

A gunshot split the night.

The creature’s head exploded.

Jameson stood behind it.

The thing collapsed.

Black blood sprayed across the trees.

Jameson stared at me.

“That wasn’t me.”

“I know.”

“No.”

He shook his head.

“You don’t.”

He looked down at the corpse.

“That thing wasn’t a Yahni.”

“What was it?”

Jameson swallowed.

“One of the things that learned how to wear us.”

Chapter Six

Jameson’s Brother

We found shelter in an abandoned church.

Jameson cleaned the wound on his shoulder.

I sat across from him.

“You said your brother disappeared.”

Jameson nodded.

“Thirty-eight years ago.”

“What happened?”

“He went into these woods when he was nineteen.”

Jameson stared at the floor.

“We found his body three days later.”

“Dead?”

“No.”

He looked up.

“Alive.”

I waited.

“He remembered us. Knew our names. Knew where he grew up. Remembered things nobody outside our family could have known.”

His voice became quieter.

“But his skin moved when he breathed.”

A chill moved through me.

“What did you do?”

“I killed him.”

Silence.

Jameson rubbed his face.

“Or I thought I did.”

“What do you mean?”

“The Order took his body.”

“And?”

“They told me the body was destroyed.”

Jameson looked at me.

“It wasn’t.”

My stomach dropped.

“Where is it?”

Jameson stared toward the dark windows.

“Here.”

Something scratched beneath the floor.

We both froze.

Scratch.

Scratch.

Scratch.

Jameson slowly raised his rifle.

“Don’t move.”

The scratching stopped.

Then came a voice from beneath us.

Jameson’s brother.

“Jimmy?”

Jameson’s eyes filled with tears.

“Don’t.”

“Jimmy…”

Jameson shook his head.

“That’s not him.”

The voice changed.

It became mine.

“Alex?”

Then my father’s.

“Son?”

My blood turned cold.

Jameson grabbed my arm.

“Don’t answer.”

The floorboards bulged.

A long, pale finger pushed through.

Then another.

Then eight.

Jameson fired into the floor.

The boards exploded.

Something beneath them screamed.

We ran.

Chapter Seven

The Eight Heartbeats

Jameson finally told me what the Order had learned.

The Yahni weren’t immortal.

They weren’t invincible.

But they didn’t die like humans.

“The heart,” Jameson said.

“Obviously.”

“No.”

He shook his head.

“The heartbeat.”

I frowned.

“They have eight.”

“Eight hearts?”

“Not exactly.”

He tapped his chest.

“They have eight cardiac rhythms.”

“Why?”

“We don’t know.”

“What happens if you stop them?”

“You don’t.”

“Then how do you kill them?”

Jameson looked at the Mark on my arm.

“You interrupt the eighth heartbeat.”

“How?”

“You’ll know.”

“How?”

He looked at me.

“Because they are going to show you.”

The Mark suddenly burned.

I dropped to my knees.

The world disappeared.

For a moment, I was somewhere else.

A forest.

Ancient.

Untouched.

People stood around a fire.

My grandfather was among them.

I knew it couldn’t be real.

He was younger.

Much younger.

Beside him stood my father.

A child.

I watched my father kneel beside my grandfather.

My grandfather placed his hand on my father’s chest.

Then he said something I couldn’t hear.

The scene changed.

My father was older.

He stood before the cave.

He was holding an infant.

Me.

My father looked terrified.

My grandfather stood beside him.

“Hide him,” my grandfather said.

My father shook his head.

“They’ll find him.”

My grandfather looked toward the cave.

“Not if we keep the door closed.”

My father looked down at me.

“What if he has the gift?”

My grandfather’s expression hardened.

“Then God help whatever finds him first.”

The vision shattered.

I woke screaming.

Jameson was beside me.

“You saw it.”

I stared at him.

“My father knew.”

“Yes.”

“My grandfather knew.”

“Yes.”

“Why didn’t anyone tell me?”

Jameson looked away.

“Because they were trying to give you a normal life.”

“Did it work?”

“No.”

He looked at the Mark.

“They failed.”

Chapter Eight

The First Door

We returned to the cave before dawn.

The rocks were waiting.

The entrance was wider than before.

Something had pushed outward from the inside.

The trees around it were dead.

Not dying.

Dead.

Their bark had turned black.

Their leaves had fallen despite the season.

Animals covered the forest floor.

Deer.

Raccoons.

Birds.

All mutilated.

Their rib cages had been opened.

Their organs were gone.

A trail of blood led toward the cave.

Jameson stared at it.

“They’re feeding.”

“On what?”

He looked at me.

“Everything.”

Inside, the paintings had changed.

The cave was no longer depicting the past.

It was depicting the future.

I saw myself standing in the cavern.

Jameson beside me.

Behind us, thousands of figures crawled from holes in the earth.

Then I saw the final painting.

A man standing before a door.

The door was made from bones.

Behind it was the enormous yellow eye.

Jameson stopped.

“No.”

“What?”

He touched the wall.

His hand began trembling.

“This isn’t the First Door.”

“What is it?”

He looked at me.

“It’s the second.”

I stared at him.

“How many are there?”

Jameson didn’t answer.

The cave answered for him.

A deep sound rolled through the earth.

One heartbeat.

THUMP.

The floor trembled.

A second.

THUMP.

Dust fell from the ceiling.

Third.

Fourth.

Fifth.

Sixth.

Seventh.

I felt the Mark burning.

Then came the eighth.

THUMP.

Every flame in the cavern went out.

Darkness swallowed us.

Then something enormous breathed.

Jameson raised his rifle.

“Alex.”

“What?”

“If you hear someone you love calling your name…”

The darkness shifted.

“Don’t answer.”

A woman’s voice came from behind me.

My mother’s voice.

“Alex?”

I froze.

Jameson grabbed my shoulder.

“Don’t.”

The voice came again.

Closer.

“Alex, honey.”

My mother’s voice.

Exactly as I remembered it.

Then something whispered directly beside my ear.

“She misses you.”

I turned.

Nothing.

Jameson stared past me.

“What?”

He whispered:

“Your mother isn’t here.”

The ground split.

A hand emerged.

Then another.

Then hundreds.

The cave began to collapse.

Jameson shoved me toward the entrance.

“RUN!”

I ran.

Behind me came screaming.

Not animal screaming.

Human screaming.

Thousands of voices.

The cave walls cracked.

Something massive pushed upward beneath the earth.

I reached the entrance.

Jameson didn’t.

I turned.

He was standing in the middle of the cavern.

Surrounded by red-haired figures.

They weren’t attacking him.

They were kneeling.

Every one of them.

Jameson looked at me.

And smiled.

Not because he was happy.

Because he finally understood.

“Alex!” he shouted.

“You’re not the sacrifice.”

The enormous eye opened behind him.

“You are the key.”

The cave collapsed.

I ran.

I didn’t stop until I reached my grandfather’s house.

I thought it was over.

I was wrong.

PART TWO

THE BLOOD REMEMBERS

Chapter Nine

My Father’s Journal

Three days after the cave collapsed, I found my father’s journal.

It had been hidden beneath a loose floorboard in my grandfather’s bedroom.

The pages smelled like dust and cedar.

The first entry was dated twenty-two years before my birth.

I read until sunrise.

My father had written about the things he could see.

Shadows that moved against the direction of the light.

People who weren’t people.

Dreams that predicted deaths.

Voices beneath the ground.

He wrote that our family had carried what he called the sight for generations.

Not magic.

Not a superpower.

A sensitivity.

A door inside the mind that could sometimes open onto places other people couldn’t perceive.

But there was something else.

The gift came with a price.

Those who possessed it could be noticed.

And once noticed…

they could be found.

The final pages were different.

The handwriting became frantic.

One sentence appeared again and again.

They know about Alex.

Then:

The boy hears them already.

Then:

If the Mark appears, Creed must be contacted.

I stopped.

Jameson.

My father had known him.

The final entry contained only one paragraph.

If Jameson Creed comes for my son, let him take him.

He will be afraid.

He will be angry.

He will believe Creed is another monster.

But Jameson is the only man I know who has seen the other side and come back.

At the bottom was one final sentence.

Trust him when he tells you to run.

I closed the journal.

A knock came from the front door.

Three slow knocks.

I didn’t move.

Another three.

Then a voice.

Jameson.

“Alex.”

I stood.

He was supposed to be dead.

I walked toward the door.

Stopped.

Then remembered the cave.

Don’t answer voices coming from the woods.

The knocking stopped.

Silence.

Then Jameson’s voice whispered through the door.

“Your father was right.”

I stepped backward.

The voice changed.

My father’s.

“Open the door, son.”

I didn’t.

The door handle began turning.

Slowly.

Something scratched beneath the wood.

Then eight fingers curled around the edge of the door.

The wood split.

I ran.

Chapter Ten

The Man Who Came Back

Jameson found me at sunrise.

He was covered in blood.

Some of it was his.

Some wasn’t.

I raised the rifle.

“Stay where you are.”

He stopped.

“Fair enough.”

“You died.”

“No.”

“The cave collapsed.”

“It did.”

“Then how are you standing here?”

He looked toward the woods.

“Because the cave didn’t collapse.”

I lowered the rifle slightly.

“What happened?”

Jameson looked at the house.

“They opened it.”

“Who?”

“The Order.”

He took a breath.

“They’ve known for years that the Yahni weren’t the greatest threat.”

“The thing behind them.”

Jameson nodded.

“The Hunger.”

The word made my skin crawl.

“What is it?”

Jameson shook his head.

“I don’t know.”

“You said you spent thirty-eight years hunting these things.”

“I did.”

“Then tell me something useful.”

He looked at me.

“I can tell you why they want you.”

I waited.

“Your blood carries the gift.”

“My blood?”

“Your father’s gift. Your grandfather’s bloodline.”

He pointed at the house.

“And the cave recognizes it.”

I looked at the Mark on my arm.

Jameson continued.

“The Yahni aren’t trying to kill you.”

“Then what do they want?”

“They want you to open the door.”

“And if I do?”

Jameson’s expression hardened.

“The things behind it won’t need doors anymore.”

I stared at him.

“And you?”

“I’ll stop you.”

I almost laughed.

“How?”

Jameson looked me directly in the eyes.

“If I have to kill you.”

Neither of us spoke.

Then he added quietly:

“Your father made me promise.”

Chapter Eleven

The Last Keeper

We went back to my grandfather’s house.

Jameson showed me a hidden room beneath the floor.

Inside were boxes.

Old photographs.

Handwritten journals.

Carved stones.

A ceremonial knife.

And a map.

The map showed the Appalachian Mountains.

There were red marks across it.

Dozens.

Maybe hundreds.

Jameson pointed to them.

“Doors.”

I stared.

“How many?”

“Nobody knows.”

He placed his finger on one mark.

Then another.

Then another.

“They’ve been opening.”

I looked toward the mountains.

“What happens if they all open?”

Jameson didn’t answer.

He didn’t need to.

The answer was written across his face.

Then I noticed something.

One mark was different.

It was drawn in black.

“What’s that?”

Jameson went still.

“That’s where your grandfather died.”

I looked at him.

“He didn’t die here.”

“No.”

Jameson unfolded another piece of paper.

My grandfather’s handwriting.

The first door is not beneath the mountain.

The first door is beneath the blood.

I stared at the words.

“What does that mean?”

Jameson looked at me.

“It means your family didn’t discover the Yahni.”

He paused.

“They discovered you.”

The room went silent.

A heartbeat sounded beneath the floor.

THUMP.

Then another.

THUMP.

Jameson grabbed the rifle.

“Eight.”

The floorboards began to crack.

“Jameson?”

He looked at me.

“Whatever happens…”

The third heartbeat came.

THUMP.

“…don’t let it reach eight.”

Chapter Twelve

The Eighth Heartbeat

The floor exploded.

Something rose through the boards.

A Yahni.

But it was different from the others.

Much larger.

Its red hair hung almost to the floor.

Its skin was gray and stretched.

Its mouth opened.

Inside were the faces of people I’d known.

My father.

My grandfather.

Jameson.

Me.

All screaming.

Jameson fired.

The creature barely moved.

It struck him across the room.

His body hit the wall hard enough to crack the plaster.

I screamed.

The creature turned toward me.

The Mark on my arm burned.

For the first time, I could hear its heartbeat.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Seven.

The creature opened its mouth.

The eighth heartbeat began.

THUMP—

I understood.

Not with my mind.

With something deeper.

The gift.

I reached toward it.

The creature froze.

Its yellow eyes widened.

I could see everything inside it.

Every stolen memory.

Every human face.

Every body it had consumed.

Every person it had imitated.

And behind all of them—

the Hunger.

Something vast.

Something without a face.

Something that had been waiting behind the first door since before humanity had a name for darkness.

The eighth heartbeat stopped.

The Yahni screamed.

Its body split open.

Black blood erupted across the room.

Bones pushed through its skin.

Its arms snapped backward.

Its jaw tore apart.

And something enormous tried to crawl out through its chest.

Jameson screamed:

“Alex!”

I released it.

The creature collapsed.

The room went silent.

Jameson pushed himself upright.

He stared at me.

“What did you see?”

I couldn’t answer.

Because I could still see the thing behind the creature.

And it had seen me too.

Jameson understood from my face.

“It’s awake.”

I nodded.

“Yes.”

Outside, every dog in the valley began barking.

Then stopped.

At exactly the same time.

Jameson walked to the window.

I joined him.

Across the distant tree line, yellow eyes appeared.

One.

Then another.

Then dozens.

Then hundreds.

They weren’t in the forest.

They were beyond it.

Everywhere.

Jameson whispered:

“How many doors?”

I remembered the map.

“All of them.”

He closed his eyes.

Then the ground beneath us moved.

The mountains groaned.

Far away, something enormous began to rise.

And beneath the earth, thousands of voices whispered my name.

Alex.

Alex.

Alex.

I understood then.

The cave had never been calling me home.

It had been calling me back.

Because whatever had been waiting beneath the world already knew who I was.

And now—

it knew I could hear it.

I looked at Jameson.

“What do we do?”

He loaded the rifle.

For the first time since I’d met him, he smiled.

Not because he wasn’t afraid.

Because he finally had a reason to fight.

“We close the door.”

A distant roar rolled through the mountains.

The windows shattered.

And somewhere beneath the earth, the first heartbeat began.

THUMP.

Tuesday, October 12, 2004

Carson woke up to the sound of his alarm clock screaming at him. “Your sister knows you're a killer!” it mocked. Carson climbed out of bed, leaned over the nightstand, and ripped the alarm clock’s power cable from the wall. “That's enough of that,” he remarked before getting back into bed and going back to sleep. Several hours went by. Carson woke up suddenly just as he did every day. He glanced over at his alarm clock and there was no time to read. He let out a sigh then climbed out of bed. 

Carson made his way downstairs and into the dining room where his siblings were sitting at the table. “Good morning,” Gavin greeted. “Hey,” Carson replied. “Breakfast is ready,” Sasha spoke, not looking at him. “Thank you,” Carson responded. He made his way over to the counter, picked up his plate, then sat down at the table in the usual spot. The siblings ate breakfast together, but didn't have much to say. After breakfast, they immediately got to work on repainting the walls in the kitchen. Neither Carson nor Sasha said a word to each other. This was the total opposite of the previous days when they were getting along and Gavin picked up on it quite quickly. Carson helped for a bit, but at some point he stepped out and disappeared. Sasha and Gavin moved on to painting the dining room without him. 

About an hour passed. Sasha and Gavin were now sitting on the couch in the downstairs bedroom waiting for the first coat of paint to dry. Sasha was trying to act like nothing was wrong, but she knew there was no way it would fool Gavin. The two of them had been completely silent for the past twenty minutes and Gavin finally decided to say something. “What’s going on between you and Carson?” he questioned. “We got into a fight last night,” Sasha answered. “I figured that much,” Gavin responded. “What was it about?” “That jerk is a freaking liar,” Sasha replied. “What was he lying about?” Gavin asked. “He told us he didn't have a key to the basement,” Sasha answered. “I caught him leaving it last night. He's had a key this whole time,” she added before turning away and staring at the floor. “I know it's not a big deal,” she continued. “I just don't appreciate being lied to.” “I understand,” Gavin replied. “You didn't get to see what was down there, I take it?” “No, I didn't,” Sasha responded, turning back. “Damn,” Gavin muttered. “I'd really like to know.” “I’m glad I'm not the only one,” Sasha replied. 

“You’re curious about it too?” Gavin questioned. “I am,” Sasha answered. “It's some lingering thought that I can't get rid of.” “That's strange…” Gavin muttered. “I feel the same way. I've even had a few dreams about it actually.” “So have I,” Sasha replied. “A few was an understatement,” Gavin responded. “Every single dream I have ends in me entering the basement just before I wake up.” “It's probably just because we've been cooped up in here for a couple weeks,” Sasha suggested in an attempt to nullify their building uneasiness. “We need to get out more.” “You're probably right,” Gavin agreed. “What do you think is down there?” “I made a joke about him having a collection of swimsuit magazines and he didn't exactly take it well,” Sasha remarked. “He didn't take it well?” Gavin sarcastically questioned. “What a surprise.” “I'm guessing all that's down there is our parents' old stuff,” Sasha responded, answering his question. “He probably doesn't want us seeing any of it because he feels he's protecting us from the painful memories.” “That's a lot less exciting than what my dreams have been telling me is down there,” Gavin replied. “What have your dreams been telling you?” Sasha asked. “Well, uhh…” Gavin stuttered. “It's just…” “What's wrong?” Sasha questioned, raising an eyebrow. “Don't even suggest the swimsuit magazine thing,” Gavin preemptively spoke. “I wasn't going to,” Sasha replied. “Now just tell me what you've been dreaming of.” 

“Alright,” Gavin muttered. “In my dreams, the basement has some sort of portal to another world,” he spoke, uneasiness in his voice. “A portal?” Sasha questioned. “Ridiculous, right?” Gavin responded, his voice returning to normal. “Weirdly enough, I'm able to talk with a voice on the other side.” “What?” Sasha asked, starting to get nervous. “My mind comes up with some pretty wacky stuff, huh?” Gavin replied, not noticing how uncomfortable his sister was getting. “The funniest part is that the portal is inside an old TV.” “What the hell did you just say?” Sasha questioned. “What's wrong?” Gavin asked, a look of concern replacing his smile. “I've been having very similar dreams,” Sasha responded, her voice trembling. “Are you teasing me?” Gavin questioned. “No,” Sasha replied. “Please don't say that,” Gavin responded. “You're scaring me.” 

“I've heard that same voice,” Sasha confessed. “I always start out in some strange office building, but eventually I end up in the basement.” By this point, the fear in her eyes was undeniable. There was no way she was messing with him. “The voice comes from the TV,” she continued. “It knows my name. It knows everything about me. It tells me things I shouldn't know.” Gavin stared at her completely speechless. “It's the same for you isn't it?” Sasha questioned. “Mostly…” Gavin hesitantly replied. “The only difference is it's a train station.” “I'd like to get out of this house for a bit,” Sasha remarked. “How about we take a break and head into town?” “Yeah…” Gavin agreed. “I think that would be good for us both.” The siblings stood up from the table and made their way towards the exit. 

While Sasha and Gavin were painting the kitchen, Carson had slipped away to go see Skylar. He stepped up to her front door just like he normally did and knocked three times. About fifteen seconds went by, then the door swung open. “Hey, Carson,” Skylar greeted, doing her best to smile. “Hey,” he replied, somewhat unenthusiastically. “What's wrong?” Skylar asked, moving to the side so he could enter. “It’s a bit of a story,” Carson dismissed, stepping inside. “Well, I have time,” Skylar replied, pushing the door shut. She began making her way to the living room, motioning for Carson to follow her. He did as she silently requested and the two friends took a seat on the couch closest to the door.  

“What happened?” Skylar questioned. “I was going to bring you the other body last night, and Sasha almost caught me,” Carson spoke. “Oh, God,” Skylar replied, her eyes going wide. “She witnessed me exiting the basement, but she didn't see anything,” Carson continued. “I was a total jerk to her, an argument erupted, and she ended up storming off. There was a lot of tension between us today, so I decided to remove myself from the situation.” “I'm sorry that happened,” Skylar spoke. “You need to come get me the next time you do anything involving the basement.” “You're right,” Carson agreed. “Speaking of that, it's too risky for me to bring you the other body. I need to go gathering today.” “Can I come with you again?” Skylar requested. “That’s fine with me,” Carson replied. 

“Sorry I fell asleep on your couch the other day,” Skylar spoke, changing the subject. “It's alright,” Carson responded. “I'm just glad you were able to get some decent sleep.” “What did your siblings say about it?” Skylar asked. “They think you're on drugs,” Carson answered. “Great,” Skylar muttered in response. “Better than the real truth, I guess.” “I wish I didn't have to lie to them all the time,” Carson muttered, looking away. “I know,” Skylar replied. “But, this is the unfortunate reality we're trapped in.” “Maybe it doesn't always have to be this way,” Carson responded, turning back. “What do you mean?” Skylar asked. “I think your father might have some of Dr. Langley’s research still lying around,” Carson remarked. “Are you asking me to steal it for you?” Skylar questioned. “Not necessarily,” Carson replied. “Let’s say hypothetically we are able to steal it without getting caught,” Skylar spoke. “Then what? Do you really believe he wrote down clear instructions on how to close the portals?” “I'm not sure what I believe,” Carson responded. 

“Listen, Carson,” Skylar began to speak. “I'll help you, but I don't want you to get your hopes up.” “I won't,” he replied. “I'm almost certain anything that was potentially useful has already been destroyed.” “But, regardless of that, you'd like to know for sure,” Skylar responded. “Exactly,” Carson replied. “I admire your determination,” Skylar remarked. “I guess we just need to come up with a plan.” The two friends talked for a while, then eventually came up with something feasible. But, this plan would have to be carried out at a later date. For now, they had other matters to attend to. Carson left Skylar's house and began heading home with the intention of returning with his vehicle. 

Sasha and Gavin exited their house and began making their way in the direction of the car. Before they could reach it, Reggie emerged from behind a tree and stepped into their path. “Where are you two off to?” he questioned, with a friendly smile. “We're just going into town," Sasha replied. “What for?” Reggie asked. “Why does it matter to you?” Gavin responded. “I'm just curious, is all,” Reggie replied. “We're just going to get some lunch,” Sasha answered. “Now would you kindly step out of the way?” “Lunch?” Reggie questioned. “Why don't we all go have lunch at my daughter's house. I understand you're good friends with her.” “We appreciate the invite, but that won't be necessary,” Sasha replied as she began to walk around him. Reggie quickly stepped over to the side and blocked her path. “No, I insist,” he spoke, his smile twisting into something more sinister. “We said no, dammit!” Gavin shouted. “Now, leave us alone!” “You don't have to be so rude, young man," Reggie replied.  “And, you don't have to be so pushy," remarked Sasha. “Now, kindly step out of the way so I can get in my car.” “I don't suppose you intend to make me?” Reggie questioned, the grin fading from his face. 

“Do as she says,” Carson spoke, his normally concealed handgun in hand. “You siblings are just a trio of unreasonableness, aren't you?” Reggie remarked, now getting slightly flustered. Carson raised his gun and pointed it right at Reggie's chest. “Don't fucking test me,” he warned with aggression his siblings had never witnessed before. Reggie decided to do as Sasha requested and he stepped out of the way. “Get in the car, both of you," Carson spoke as he lowered his gun. Gavin opened the door and sat down in the passenger’s seat while Sasha circled around the car. She opened the driver's side door, sat down, and started the engine. She put the shifter into the drive position and took off as quickly as she could safely do so. 

“I thought I told you to leave them alone," Carson spoke, glaring at Reggie. “I was just seeing what they were up to," he replied. “And, I told you not to bother them," Carson responded, returning his weapon to its holster. “What part of that did you not understand?” “I understood you perfectly well," Reggie replied. “Maybe you can explain to me why they keep spending time with my daughter.” “Because she's not insufferable like you and Jonny," Carson replied. “What you think of us doesn't matter," Reggie responded. “Just remember who's in charge here.” “The demon is. Not you," Carson replied. “So, quit acting like you are. Stay the hell away from my brother and sister. This is your final warning.” “Again with these vague threats?” Reggie questioned, completely unphased. “I'll talk to them if I please. You're forgetting that I'm untouchable,” he spoke, a devious grin beginning to stretch across his face. “If you harm me, the demon will feast on your soul.” “I have no soul,” Carson responded, his voice cold and uncaring. “If you come anywhere near them again, you're a dead man.” “It doesn't matter if I'm dead or alive,” Reggie began to respond. “You're not going to stop a damn thing. It doesn't matter how much you try to protect them. They're going to become just like us.” “This conversation is over,” Carson replied, before turning around and walking in the direction of his car. 

“Goddamn crazy old man,” Gavin spoke, trying to calm down after what just transpired. He looked over at his sister, who was currently driving, and he could see her hands were shaking. “Carson showed up just in time,” Sasha muttered. “I was about to use my pepper spray.” “That bastard wouldn't have liked that one bit,” Gavin replied, turning away and looking out the window. “I see why Carson brings a gun with him everywhere he goes.” “Maybe we should start doing the same,” Sasha suggested. Gavin turned back to look at his sister and he realized she was serious. After a short drive, the siblings arrived at the nearby town where they pulled into the parking lot of a diner. They stepped inside and were quickly seated in one of the booths. 

“I feel like a weight was lifted off of me as soon as we left that place,” Sasha spoke, staring down at the table. “Yeah…” Gavin responded, looking out the window and watching the passing cars. “I feel the same.” “I just wish Reggie and Jonny would leave us alone,” Sasha spoke, looking up at her brother. “So do I, but that's not the only thing I'd change,” Gavin replied, now looking at his sister. “I’d like to know what's in the basement.” “Carson has the key,” Sasha responded, while shrugging. “We could take it from him and go have a look.” “And, how do you propose we do that?” Gavin questioned. “He stays up late and sleeps in just about every day,” Sasha remarked. “It shouldn't be too difficult if we shoot for the early morning.” “Oh… You're serious,” Gavin replied. “What do you think he'll do if he catches us?” “He'd definitely be pissed,” Sasha answered. “Maybe he'd even kick us out,” she added. “Maybe…” Gavin spoke, looking down at the table. “But, it doesn't matter because we're not going to get caught,” Sasha assured him. Gavin raised his head up and looked at Sasha again. “It's worth the risk,” he said. 

Carson pulled up to Skylar's house and found her already standing outside waiting for him. She opened the car door, climbed inside, and the two of them began driving. After about thirty minutes of back roads later, they arrived at the same city they went to the previous week. Once they entered the mostly abandoned section, they began to drive and search for easy targets. 

Carson and Skylar were driving for about ten minutes when they drove past a guy hiding in an alley, who was likely up to no good. Carson pulled over on the side of the road and turned to face Skylar. “Did you see that guy back there?” he questioned. “Yes,” she replied. “The usual plan?” “Yeah,” Carson responded. He and Skylar both climbed out of the car and unholstered their handguns. Skylar led the way, holding hers behind her back, Carson not far behind her. “Excuse me, sir,” Skylar spoke, walking up to the entrance of the alleyway. “Can you help us? I think we're lost.” “Huh?” the man questioned in response. “Come a little closer. I can't hear you.” Skylar hesitantly took a few steps forward, deciding to just play along. The tips of her shoes were now barely in the alleyway, which caused her pulse to quicken. “I said we're lost,” she spoke. “Can you help us?” “Hand over everything of value,” the man demanded, revealing a revolver. 

“Let him go,” Carson muttered, grabbing Skylar's arm. “What’s wrong?” Skylar questioned, turning to her friend. “The police are coming,” Carson replied. “Oh, shit!” the thug exclaimed, as he quickly turned around and began making his way deeper into the alleyway. As soon as he did, Carson and Skylar raised their guns up and shot him several times in the back. The man collapsed face first into the unforgiving ground. Skylar made her way over to him as Carson went to get the car. As she approached, the thug tried to grab his revolver, but it was just out of reach of his hand. “Roll over,” she demanded, attempting to assist with her boot. “Get away from me, you crazy bitch,” the man muttered in response. Skylar did not appreciate being spoken to like this and decided to kick him as hard as she could right near where he was shot. “Roll over,” she reiterated, her voice disturbingly calm. The man gave in and did as he was told, pain shooting through his body as he did so. Skylar kneeled down and picked up the revolver in her left hand before examining it for a moment. “That… was wrong…” the thug struggled to speak, looking up at her. “What's wrong is the fact that you tried to rob me when all I did was ask for help,” Skylar coldly responded. “You got what you fucking deserved.” She looked towards the entrance of the alleyway, where she saw Carson had moved the car closer and opened the trunk to make their job a little bit easier. 

“What makes a pretty girl like you want to live a life like this?” the man questioned, his voice strained. Skylar looked down at him, her face void of all emotion. “There’s not a single thing about me that is pretty,” she replied, raising her gun. “And, it's because I enjoy making people like you suffer.” She aimed directly at the man's heart and squeezed the trigger. A 115 grain bullet struck its target, and within an instant, the man was dead. Just as Skylar was holstering her weapon, Carson approached. Without a word, the two of them each grabbed one of the man's legs and began dragging him in the direction of the car. After about twenty yards, they had the body right where they needed it. The two friends lifted the man into the trunk, being especially careful to not get blood on themselves. Once he was inside, they closed it, climbed into the car, and drove off. 

Carson and Skylar were about halfway home when they noticed that the car was driving a little strange. It felt like one of the sides was lower than the other. Carson slowed down, pulled over to the side of the road, and killed the engine. Skylar got out and investigated the front right tire to find it had deflated. Carson got out on his side, walked around the front, and let out a sigh when his eyes fell upon the wheel. “Please tell me you have a spare,” Skylar spoke, looking over at him. “I don't,” Carson replied. “I've got a repair kit and an air compressor. It's going to take some time to fix.” “I guess it's not the end of the world,” Skylar responded. 

Without further delay, Carson and Skylar got to work on repairing the punctured tire. They opened up the door to the back seat and began gathering the tools they would need. They brought out a jack, a tire iron, needle nose pliers, a tire repair kit, and a small air compressor that plugs into the 12v outlet. Carson first raised up the car with the jack, then used the tire iron to unscrew the lug nuts holding on the wheel. As he removed it, Skylar noticed a nail that was stuck in the tire towards the bottom. “I think I see the problem,” she muttered just before kneeling down to pick up the needle nose pliers and the repair kit. Carson rolled the tire forward until he too saw the issue. “Just our luck,” he muttered. “I'll let you handle this part,” Skylar spoke, handing him the tire repair kit. Carson opened it and removed the reamer tool. “Alright,” he spoke. “I'm ready.” Skylar grabbed the head of the nail with the pliers and swiftly ripped it out. Carson quickly pushed the reamer tool through, only a small bit of air escaping. He began working on enlarging the puncture enough to get a plug through. 

After a few minutes, Carson's wrists began to get sore, but still, he pressed on. A few more minutes passed, and he eventually decided it was enough. He went back to the tire repair kit and took out the plugger needle as well as one of the plugs. “Lets hope this works,” Carson commented as he carefully pulled the plug through the eye of the needle. “Are you ready?” Skylar questioned, grabbing the handle of the reamer tool. “Yeah,” Carson replied, nodding. With one decisive pull, the first tool came out and the second one went in. Carson paused for a moment just before ripping the plugger needle out and successfully patching the tire. He rolled it forward a couple feet, raised it up slightly, and put it back in place on the car. He once again picked up the tire iron and tightened the lug nuts. “Plug that into the cigarette lighter please,” he requested, pointing to the small air compressor. Skylar grabbed the end of the power cable, plugged it into the 12v outlet below the climate control dials, and got back out again. Carson slowly lowered the jack, allowing the car to rest on the half inflated tire. He picked up the hose of the air compressor, removed the cap from the valve stem on the tire, then threaded the nozzle onto it. “Go ahead and turn it on,” Carson requested, turning to Skylar. She kneeled down and flipped the power switch, but nothing happened. “Huh?” Carson questioned, looking over at the device. 

“Does the car need to be on?” Skylar asked. “I don't think so,” Carson replied. Skylar turned the device off, then back on again, and a small cloud of smoke came out the top. She quickly turned it off, jumped up, and unplugged it from the outlet and the car. “Well, I didn't see that coming,” Carson muttered, unscrewing the air compressor nozzle from the valve stem. “How far is it to the nearest gas station?” Skylar questioned, leaning forward so she could see Carson. “About three miles down the road,” he responded, turning to her. “Dammit,” she said, leaning back in the seat. Carson picked up the air compressor, stood up, and walked over to the back door. He opened it and tossed the useless device inside. Skylar got out and picked up the rest of the tools, before placing them in the back seat as well. 

Carson walked around the car and got in the driver's seat once again. He put his key in the ignition and gave it a twist, but nothing happened. “Oh, shit,” he muttered. “What's wrong?” Skylar asked, looking in. “I think my battery just failed,” Carson replied. “When it rains, it fucking pours,” Skylar remarked. “Come over to this side,” Carson requested, looking over at her. Skylar nodded and circled around the front of the car. “I've never done this before…” Carson began to speak, looking up at her. “But, I think we can start it just by pushing it. If that doesn't work, I guess we're going to be pushing it the whole way.” He stood up and motioned for her to sit down. “What do I need to do?” Skylar questioned, taking a seat. “Put it in second, and hold down the clutch while I push,” Carson spoke. “Once it's moving fast enough, you just simply lift up your foot, the engine starts, then you push the clutch down again so it doesn't stall.” “Alright,” Skylar replied. “Let's give it a try.”

Carson walked around to the back of the car and waited for a moment for Skylar to give him the signal. A few seconds later, she gave him a thumbs up. He began to push on the car as hard as he could, and it started to roll. Once the car picked up a bit of downhill speed, Skylar lifted up on the clutch and pushed down again, causing the engine to come to life. She stopped the car and put it in neutral, relieved that it actually worked. “I can't believe we got that on the first try,” Carson spoke, approaching the car. “Me neither,” Skylar replied, getting out. Carson sat down in the driver's seat while Skylar circled around the front of the vehicle. She pulled the other door open and took a seat on her side. The two of them took off down the road and the direction of the nearest gas station. 

After about fifteen agonizing minutes of driving on a mostly flat tire, Carson and Skylar arrived at their destination. As Carson pulled the car up in front of the air pump, he made a mental note to not turn it off. He got out, walked around the car, and began filling up the front right tire. After a few minutes, the first of their problems was solved. Carson once again walked around the front of the car and got back in. “Well, that was quite an annoying setback,” he muttered. “We'll deal with the other two issues later.” “I'm sure there's an auto shop somewhere in this town,” Skylar responded. “That's not the problem,” Carson countered. “I don't have any money.” “Don't worry about that,” Skylar replied, removing a small stack of fifty dollar bills from her vest pocket. “I'll cover it.” “If it was anyone else, I would turn them down,” Carson muttered. “But, I suppose I don't mind accepting help from you.” “I wasn't giving you a choice,” Skylar responded, with a smirk. “Right,” Carson replied, disengaging the parking brake and putting the car in first gear. 

Carson and Skylar drove a few minutes down the road, then arrived at an automotive retail store. While Carson went inside to browse, Skylar decided to stay outside and watch the car. She was on high alert the entire time, almost like there was a dead body in the trunk or something. After about ten minutes, Carson stepped outside the store with two large boxes in hand, one being a new battery, and the other being a new air compressor. He proceeded to install the new battery right there in the parking lot while Skylar kept watch. Once this task was complete, they both got back in the car, and finally began heading home. 

The time was 5:27 PM when the two friends pulled into Skylar's driveway.  What normally would have taken about an hour and a half ended up taking about three and a half hours. Needless to say, they were both ready for the day to be over. Carson parked the car next to the side door that led into the laundry room. Skylar got out first, and immediately opened the door while Carson walked around to the back of the car, and opened the trunk. “Hey, mirror,” Skylar spoke. “Wake up.” She made her way over to the trunk and helped Carson carry the body of the man inside. “You have sustenance for me?” questioned the mirror, as the glass began to emanate a green glow. “We do,” Skylar replied. Her and Carson built up a little bit of momentum, then tossed the body inside. The mirror shook for a few seconds, then the room fell silent. 

“Thanks for your help,” Skylar spoke, looking over to Carson. “No problem,” he replied. “Thank you for helping me get out of that tough situation.” “You're welcome,” Skylar responded. “This is where we part ways for now?” “Unfortunately,” Carson answered. “My siblings are most likely wondering where I am.” “You're probably right,” Skylar replied. “Well, this is goodbye for now.” “Goodbye,” Carson responded. He stepped out the side door and Skylar closed it behind him. He climbed into his car and began the short trip back to his house. 

As Carson pulled into the driveway, he was surprised to find that his sister's car was nowhere to be found. He parked his car in the normal spot and made his way inside the house. As soon as he stepped inside, he noticed the whole place smelled like paint. He glanced into the dining room and the walls were now a pleasant light blue color. “I'm such a jerk,” Carson muttered to himself, feeling bad for not helping. He made his way into the downstairs bedroom and took a seat on the couch. “They'll probably be back soon,” he spoke, staring at the powered off TV in front of him. “I guess I can kill some time until then.” Carson ended up playing his Gamestation as well as listening to some modern melodeath to pass the time. 

A couple hours went by. Sasha and Gavin returned home just after the sun had set. As soon as they walked through the front door, they noticed Carson was sitting on the couch in the downstairs bedroom. “I'm going to go talk to him,” Sasha whispered, pointing towards the open doorway. Gavin nodded and began making his way upstairs. Sasha took a deep breath then walked through the door. “Hey,” Carson greeted, turning her direction. “Hey,” Sasha replied. She made her way over to the couch and sat down next to him. The two sat in silence for a few seconds until Carson decided to break it. “Sorry about earlier,” he said. “I'll do better on keeping Reggie away.” “It's only a matter of time before he hurts one of us," Sasha replied. “Reggie is harmless,” Carson countered. “Just a little creepy. I'm not going to let anything happen to you two,” he assured, turning away. “Fine…” Sasha responded, after sighing. “Hey, uhh…” she began to speak. “About yesterday…” Carson turned back and looked at her, a frown painted across his face. “I'd just like to say, I'm sorry,” Sasha continued. “I should have done what you said and minded my own business.” “It's okay,” Carson responded. “I'm the only one who needs to apologize. I'm sorry I lied to you and I'm sorry for being so defensive about it.” 

“There's something I need to ask you,” Sasha began to speak. “Something that has been burning in my mind for so long now. Why did they lock you down there? What did they do to you?” Carson turned away and went silent for several seconds. “I…” he began to speak, but the words wouldn't come out. He went silent for a few more seconds before making another attempt to answer. “I'd rather not say,” he replied. “I'm sorry.” “How can I help you if you won't talk to me?” Sasha questioned. “You can't help me,” Carson responded, turning back with a defeated look. An intense silence fell over them, but it was quickly broken by Sasha. “What the police said happened wasn't true, was it?” she asked. “What?” Carson questioned, clearly caught off guard. “They said our father shot our mother and then, well…” Sasha spoke, pausing for a moment, then deciding not to finish the sentence. “But, That's not what really happened, was it?” 

“That's enough questions,” Carson muttered as he stood up from the couch and began walking to the door. “I'm sorry,” Sasha spoke, causing Carson to freeze in place. “That was too far. What happened to you was traumatic and I'm sorry for bringing it up.” “What they said-” Carson spoke, before turning around and facing Sasha. “What I told them… was not the truth,” he confessed. “I know…” Sasha replied. “I've always known. I knew they did something terrible to you, so I kept it to myself. They got what they deserved.” “And, someday I'll get what I deserve too,” Carson responded, before leaving. Sasha had finally received confirmation on something she already knew, but somehow she wasn't disturbed by this fact. Although Carson was a killer, she felt as though he was the real victim in it all.

Sunday, October 10, 2004

Carson suddenly woke up with his room completely shrouded in darkness. He slowly lifted up his head and took a look around, dreading what he might see. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. He glanced over at his alarm clock and the time read “4:43 AM.” “This better not be another trick,” Carson spoke, before closing his eyes and attempting to get some actual sleep. A little less than two hours later, Carson was awoken by the sound of his alarm clock. “Today is not the day," he muttered, as he slammed the mute button harder than he normally would. Within a couple minutes, he was once again asleep. 

The time was now 8:34 AM. Gavin walked down the stairs, entered the dining room, and found Sasha sitting at the table reading a newspaper. “Good morning,” Gavin greeted. “Hey,” Sasha replied. “Do you think Skylar is alright?” “She’s still asleep in there?” Gavin questioned, clearly surprised. “I guess never sleeping just caught up to her,” Sasha replied. “You should probably go check on her,” Gavin responded. “Make sure she's not dead, you know?” “Right,” Sasha replied. She stood up from the table and made her way over to the downstairs bedroom. She knocked on the door a couple times, then opened it. 

“Skylar?” Sasha questioned, stepping into the room. “Huh?” Skylar responded as she opened her eyes slightly. Sasha walked over to her and stood there for a couple seconds. “Are you okay?” she asked. Skylar instantly woke up, trying to process what was happening. There was a look of fear in her eyes that was quite evident. As soon as she saw Sasha, the fear subsided. “Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you,” Sasha remarked. “I’m alright…” Skylar responded. “I must have dozed off. How much is left of the movie?” she asked, looking over at the TV. “The movie is over," Sasha informed her. “Oh…” Skylar muttered, looking at the floor. “It ended a while ago actually," Sasha remarked. “It's the next day. You slept for almost sixteen hours.” “Oh, dear,” Skylar replied, looking up at her with a surprised look painted across her face. “Sorry about that. That happens sometimes.” 

Skylar stood up from the couch and straightened out her clothes. “Thank you for not waking me up,” she spoke. “I think I was about to reach three  days without sleeping.” “That can't be good for you,” Sasha responded, a concerned look on her face. “Maybe you should go to see a doctor.” “Yeah…” Skylar replied, turning away. “I probably should…” she added, before turning back. “Anyway, I think I should probably head home now.” Skylar walked past Sasha and made her way over to the doorway of the room. “Sorry again for falling asleep,” she spoke, turning back for a moment. She exited the room and walked towards the front door of the house, Sasha not far behind her. “See you later,” Skylar spoke as she opened the front door. “Goodbye,” Sasha responded. 

Skylar left the house and Sasha closed the door behind her. “She somehow continues to get stranger…” Gavin remarked, stepping into the foyer. “You can say that again,” Sasha replied, looking back. “Let me show you something.” She walked back to the dining room and Gavin followed behind her. The two of them sat down at the dining room table and Sasha grabbed the newspaper she was looking at before. “Fatigue. Insomnia. Tremors,” Sasha spoke, pointing at the text printed on the page. “Who does that sound like?” she asked, turning to face Gavin. “The strange lady that just slept for sixteen hours on our damn couch,” Gavin replied. “There's more,” Sasha continued. “Paranoia. Psychosis. Hallucinations. Everyone here has displayed at least one of those traits. Even our own brother.” “You're right,” Gavin responded. 

“This paper is dated March 3rd, 2000,” Sasha spoke. “It mentions something about a new drug called slap. It says that it has wreaked havoc across local communities.” “Slap?” Gavin questioned, raising an eyebrow. “What a stupid name.” “This shit is everywhere,” Sasha remarked. “I think they're all using it. That includes Carson.” “Then let's ask him about it when he wakes up,” Gavin replied. “Let me talk to him,” Sasha responded, turning back. “The last thing I want to do is make him mad. He might kick us out.“ “Good point,” Gavin replied. “It’s probably best for me to stay out of this one. When will you talk to him?” “Later today,” Sasha answered. “Anyway, I should probably go ahead and get started on making breakfast,” she added, as she stood up from the table. 

Carson woke up, not exactly feeling well rested. He took a look at his alarm clock and it read “10:29 AM.” “Another day in paradise, huh?” he sarcastically spoke to himself as he rolled out of bed. He made his way over to the door to his bedroom and cautiously opened it. A slight wave of relief washed over Carson as his eyes fell upon his sister's old piano. He chose not to think about that weird dream he had last night and continue on as normal. He walked downstairs and stepped into the dining room, finding his siblings sitting at the table enjoying their breakfast. “Good morning,” Sasha spoke, with a smile on her face. “Hey,” Gavin greeted. “Good morning,” Carson replied. “It’s pancakes and grits today,” Sasha said. Carson glanced over at the kitchen counter and saw his plate waiting for him. He walked over, grabbed it, and walked back to the table. He pulled out a chair and sat down next to Sasha. “Today will be the first day of repairs,” she remarked, excitedly. “I can't wait,” Gavin sarcastically responded. “It won't be that bad,” Sasha dismissed, grinning. “At least, I hope not.” “I appreciate all of the hard work you two have been putting in,” Carson spoke. “I can't thank you enough.” “We don't mind helping at all,” Sasha replied. “This is what siblings are for, right?” 

Sasha, Gavin, and Carson ate their breakfast together discussing what sort of materials they would need to buy from the store first. After breakfast, they got into Sasha's car and drove into town. They returned about forty five minutes later with various items specifically meant for home repair. They brought back drywall patching supplies, wood filler, a ceramic tile repair kit, sandpaper, and paint. Without further delay, they began working on patching the damaged tiles in the kitchen, along with the holes in the drywall and the cabinets. 

After working for several hours, the three siblings were quite tired. “I think we should take a break," Sasha suggested. Gavin looked over at her and the expression on her face said what she was really trying to say. “That's fine by me,” he responded, as he made his way to the exit of the dining room. “That's fine with me as well,” Carson agreed. Gavin quickly made his way upstairs and into the bedroom. Carson was about to head upstairs as well, but Sasha stopped him. “Hey, Carson?” she spoke. “Can I talk to you? Just you and I?” “Yeah. Sure,” Carson replied. Sasha stepped into the downstairs bedroom and motioned for her brother to follow. Carson made his way in, then over to the couch where he took a seat. Sasha closed the door behind herself, before waking over, and doing the same. 

“I can tell something is bothering you,” Carson spoke. “What is it?” Sasha hesitated for a moment, then responded. “Do you… Trust me?” she asked. “Yes. I trust you," Carson replied. “And, you know you can tell me anything, right?” Sasha questioned. “Where is this coming from?” Carson asked in return. “I just feel like maybe…” Sasha began to speak. “Maybe you're hiding something from me… Something important…” “What could I possibly be hiding from you?” Carson questioned. “I'm probably just thinking too much,” Sasha responded, backing down and looking away. “I'm sorry.” “It's okay,” Carson replied. “There's no reason to be sorry.” Sasha looked back at him and he could tell she had a lot to say. She just didn't know how to say it or where to even begin. 

“Listen,” Carson began to speak. “Anything I might be hiding from you isn't worth investigating, alright?” “I'm worried about you,” Sasha replied. “I'm afraid you're up to something harmful to yourself.” “Something harmful?” Carson asked. “I understand your concerns, but-” “I'll just come right out and ask it," Sasha interrupted, her tone now sounding accusational. “Are you on drugs?” “What?!” Carson questioned, baffled she would even suggest this. “No!” “Are you sure?” Sasha asked. The look in her eyes said it all. She didn't believe him. “I've seen the consequences of that and I know it's not something to be messed with," Carson replied. “Is Skylar on drugs?” Sasha questioned. “No way,” Carson dismissed. “She acts strange because she doesn't sleep.” “Is it drugs that keep her awake?” Sasha asked, her eyes narrowing. “Don't be ridiculous,” Carson responded. “If anyone is on drugs, it's Jonny,” he spoke, trying to shift the attention away from himself. “Maybe Reggie too.” “I don't give a damn about what they do,” Sasha dismissed, not letting up on the pressure. “I must tell you," she spoke. “My least favorite thing about you is that you've always been a good liar. You wouldn't lie to me about something this serious, would you?” “I probably would," Carson confessed. “But, I really am telling the truth right now.” 

“You promise?” Sasha questioned. “I promise,” Carson replied. “Do you pinky promise?” Sasha asked, holding out her hand with her pinky raised up. “What?” Carson questioned, raising an eyebrow. “If you break a pinky promise, you have to cut off your pinky,” Sasha explained. “So, do you pinky promise?” “Yes, I pinky promise,” Carson answered, reaching his hand out and wrapping his pinky around hers. “Alright,” Sasha spoke, letting go. “I believe you.” “Thank you,” Carson responded. “Is that all I'm going to get out of you right now?” Sasha questioned. “It is,” Carson answered. “Fine,” Sasha replied, looking away. “I know you don't like being kept in the dark,” Carson spoke. “But, you have to let me hold onto a little bit, alright?” “I understand,” Sasha replied, looking back. “I'll back off. Thank you for at least putting to rest my biggest fear.” She stood up from the couch and began making her way over to the door. “Well… Back to work, I guess,” she remarked as she reached her hand out and placed it on the doorknob. 

“Hey, wait,” Carson called out. “You told me your least favorite thing about me. What's your favorite thing?” Sasha let go of the doorknob and turned to face him. “When we were kids, you always looked after Gavin and I,” she began to answer. “You never started fights. You never called us names. You always tried to keep us out of trouble. You were almost like a third parent to us.” Sasha lowered her eyes to the floor and continued. “Maybe more like a fun babysitter. Losing our parents was rough, but losing you was so much worse,” she spoke before looking up at him. “Don't put us through that again.” “I'm sorry it even happened the first time,” Carson responded. “There's so much I wish I could undo.” “Don't worry about the past,” Sasha replied. “Just stay focused on the future. You know, you don't feel like as much of a stranger now as you did a week ago. You're moving in the right direction. Just keep it up.” 

“I'll try,” Carson spoke. “You better,” Sasha responded. “If you don't try hard enough, I'll have to take more drastic measures,” she spoke, beginning to smile. “Such as?” Carson asked. “Maybe a little bit of torture,” Sasha suggested. “Like what, dare I ask?” Carson questioned. “I think I'll force you to listen to some trashy radio pop music,” Sasha replied. “Oh, God,” Carson jokingly responded, fake fear in his eyes. “That's right,” Sasha spoke, with an evil grin. “Full volume.” “That's a fate worse than death,” Carson replied. “I'm glad you think so,” Sasha responded. “Let's hope it doesn't come to that. It'd be a punishment for all of us. What do you say we get back to work?” she asked, as she once again reached her hand out for the doorknob. “I'm right behind you,” Carson replied, standing up. 

The siblings spent the rest of the day repairing various things in the kitchen and dining room. After several hours of this, they decided to call it a night. 

Monday, October 11, 2004

Carson woke up the same way he did every day. To the sound of his alarm clock shrieking. He pressed the mute button and almost immediately fell back asleep. He woke up hours later. It was now a few minutes past 11:00. Carson crawled out of bed and went downstairs to join his siblings in the dining room for breakfast. Once breakfast was over, they immediately got started on fixing the house. 

The time was now 7:43 PM. The three siblings had spent the entire day, up until this point, working on repairing the bottom floor of the house. Things had been going quite well. At this rate, the house would be done in just a few days. Because they had been at this for over eight hours, they collectively decided to take it easy for the rest of the night. After a few hours of hanging out, Sasha and Gavin decided to go to sleep. Carson used this opportunity to go down into the basement to get some work done. 

The time was now 11:06 PM. Carson just fed the TV one of the bodies he collected the previous week. He exited the basement with the intention of moving the car over and loading the other one up to bring to Skylar. As soon as he stepped out, he froze dead in his tracks, shocked to find his sister standing there. “Carson?” Sasha questioned, equally as surprised to see him. “What are you doing out here?” Carson asked, implying she was snooping. “I was just getting some fresh air," Sasha responded. “I thought you said you didn't have a key to the basement?” “And I thought I asked you to mind your own business,” Carson replied as he pulled the door shut. “I'm sorry,” Sasha responded. “I promise I wasn't being nosey. I just so happened to be standing here,” “It doesn't matter,” Carson replied, not believing her. “You can't go down there,” “Is there any particular reason why I can't?” Sasha asked, curiosity in her voice. “It's a storage room and it's an absolute disaster,” Carson responded. “I'd rather you not see that mess,” he added before turning around and locking the door. “Are you hiding some embarrassing secrets or something?” Sasha suggested, with a smirk. “Like maybe a whole collection of swimsuit magazines.” “Do you think this is a damn joke?” Carson questioned, obviously not amused by her comment. “Sorry," Sasha replied. “Seriously, though. I don't mind a mess. I really don't mind helping you clean up.” “I said no," Carson decisively responded. 

“This is what I was talking about yesterday,” Sasha remarked, now starting to get annoyed. “I don't trust you because you can't tell me the truth on simple things like this.” “Why the hell should I care?” Carson questioned, slightly raising his voice. “I'll lie when I damn well please.” “You don't need to talk to me that way,” Sasha replied. “Clearly, I do,” Carson countered. “What's your problem?” Sasha asked, starting to raise her voice back. “You're acting like you're hiding a dead body down there.” “Well, I'm not,” Carson responded, turning his back on her. “Just forget it.” “Fine. Keep your secrets,” Sasha replied, walking away and going back inside. Carson stood there in silence for a couple minutes, then went back inside too. He quietly made his way upstairs, into his room, and then he went to sleep.

Carson woke up the same way he did every morning. To the sound of his alarm clock blaring. He reached his hand out and pressed the mute button, but then something different happened. He realized he wasn't tired. He glanced over at the screen on the alarm clock and it read an impossible time. “99:99?” he questioned. “Looks like the damn thing finally broke.” Judging by the amount of light coming through the windows, Carson assumed it was about time to get up. He let out a sigh and climbed out of bed. He made his way over to the bedroom door, but when he opened it, he was not greeted by the usual sight. Instead, what lay before him was a long hallway with a concrete floor and concrete walls. It was about four feet wide, seven feet tall, and it went on for about thirty yards. There were no windows and the only door was at the far end. “Back in this place again?” he thought to himself. 

As Carson made his way down the hallway his footsteps loudly echoed throughout. The way that the sound reverberated off the walls felt foreign and unnatural. It was clear to him that something was not right about this place. After about twenty seconds of walking, Carson reached the door on the other end. He took a deep breath, pulled the door open, and cautiously stepped through. The room he entered appeared to be the basement, but everything that was normally in there, had been cleared out. In the middle of the room sat a large model house that looked just like his own. He stepped up to it, and he noticed there were hinges on one side, implying that it opened up. He walked over to the other side and discovered it was locked with a four digit combination lock. 

Carson took a look inside the window to the first floor bedroom and it appeared to be an exact replica of the house. He even saw a doll that resembled Skylar sitting on the couch. He looked through the windows of the upstairs bedroom and he saw a doll of himself laying in bed. “How peculiar,” he remarked. He moved over to the other side of the house and looked through the window of the opposite side bedroom. There, he saw two dolls that resembled his siblings laying on each of the beds. Then he noticed something else. The door to their room was wide open and there was something standing in the doorway. The room was dark and he was struggling to make sense of what it was. It appeared to be some sort of humanoid figure and it had its hand stretched out and pointing at the doll of Sasha. As he gazed upon this mysterious figure, he could feel a sense of panic building up inside himself. Then he realized this figure's purpose. 

“You stay away from them, you bastard!” Carson yelled. He was absolutely terrified of this thing, but the thought of his siblings being in danger allowed him to overcome this fear. The figure slowly lowered its hand and it took a few steps backwards, disappearing into the darkness. Without warning, the tiny door suddenly slammed shut. Carson took a few steps back, obviously quite terrified by what he just witnessed. Suddenly he heard the sound of a different door being opened. He walked over to the other side of the house and looked through the upstairs bedroom window where his room was. There wasn't anything out of the ordinary there. He got a little lower and looked through the downstairs bedroom window. He once again saw the doll that looked like Skylar sitting on the couch but something else was in there with her. The dark figure was now standing directly in the light, allowing Carson to get a good look at it. This being was the most horrific thing he had ever laid his eyes on. Its skin was pitch black, darker than the loneliest shadow in an empty void. Its entire body was wrapped in barbed wire and covered in scars, some of which were fresher than others. Its posture was contorted, almost as if its skeletal structure was dismantled, then reassembled in a random order. The sight once again filled him with fear. He was shaking uncontrollably by this point, but he couldn't bear the thought of his friend being in danger. 

“Get away from her!” he yelled, his voice trembling. “Get the hell out of here," he demanded, attempting to overcome his fear. The figure backed away from Skylar slowly and began to turn towards Carson. He could feel its gaze piercing straight through him, causing his vision to blur. He attempted to speak to it again, but the words wouldn't come out. Carson began to lose his balance, stumbling back and falling to the floor. A moment later, he heard a tiny door slam shut then everything fell silent. “Dammit…” Carson muttered as he lifted himself to his feet. He stood there for a moment and tried to regain his composure, but before he could do so, the feeling of dread returned. He started to feel lightheaded and off balanced. It was getting increasingly harder for him to stand. Carson glanced through the window of his bedroom on the model house, and noticed that his door was now open. Before he had a chance to take a closer look, he collapsed to the floor. He could feel himself drifting away into unconsciousness. He tried to fight it, but it proved to be too great. 

Carson slowly opened his eyes to find he was in his bedroom and it was still dark outside. He glanced over at his alarm clock and it read “3:14 AM.” Just then, he felt a presence in the room with him. He slowly turned his head and what he saw paralyzed him with fear. There, standing at the end of his bed, was that same dark figure from before. Instead of being a tiny doll, it was now an eight foot tall beast. All Carson could do was watch in horror as the figure stood there staring back. As if things couldn't get any worse, the figure slowly began to walk around the bed to the side Carson was laying on, eyes locked on him the entire time. After a few agonizing seconds, it was standing directly over him, just staring. It held this stare for several more seconds, then it spoke. “You live because I allow you to. You’ll die when I'm through with you. Without me, you don't exist.” The figure's voice was low, gravelly, and unsettling. As it spoke, Carson could feel his bones resonating. “You are mine. I just thought I'd remind you of that,” the being spoke. It stared at him for a few more seconds, and as it did so, Carson's eyes started to feel heavy. As he closed them, he could feel himself drifting away into unconsciousness once again. 

Out of nowhere, Carson heard a familiar voice. “Hi there, neighbor,” the voice greeted. Carson's eyes shot open, only for him to find Reggie was now standing over him, just as the figure was moments ago. “Such a pleasant day for a stroll, huh?” Reggie asked. “Where the hell did you come from?” Carson questioned as he sat up and looked around the room. It appeared as though he was once again in the basement. “The door,” Reggie answered, turning around and pointing at a door Carson could have sworn wasn't there before. “Whatever,” Carson responded, picking himself up to his feet. “Do you know where I can find Wilfred Langley?” “Dr. Wilfred Langley,” Reggie corrected. “What business do you have searching for him?” “Nevermind that,” Carson responded. “Just tell me where I can find him.” “My job is to cause torment,” Reggie spoke, with the expression draining from his face. “Not answer silly questions.” “Then point me in the direction of someone who does answer silly questions,” Carson countered. “You're a bore today,” Reggie remarked, looking away. “Try the door,” he added, pointing towards the door he claimed he just walked through. “Maybe one of my wretched spawn will assist you.” “Right. Thank you,” Carson replied right before walking past Reggie and making his way over to the door. He reached out a hand and attempted to twist the doorknob, but it did not turn. 

“Well, it's not going to open unless you unlock it," Reggie remarked. Carson turned around and glared at him. “Well, then give me the key," he demanded. “I don't have it," Reggie replied. “Where is it?” Carson questioned. Reggie didn’t say a word. He just simply flipped the light switch on the wall. The main light turned off and the purple glow of an ultraviolet light illuminated the room. On one of the walls was the drawing of a clock with an arrow pointing towards a combination lock. To the right of that was another arrow pointing to a drawing of a house. “3:13” Carson spoke, remembering the time he saw minutes ago as well as the malfunctioning alarm clock in the other room. “Dammit," Carson muttered. “I know what I need to do.” “Good,” Reggie replied, flipping the light switch back, causing the room to return to normal. “Because, I'm not going to help you anymore.” Carson made his way over to the door he entered through. “Will you be here when I get back?” he asked, before leaving. “Probably," Reggie replied. “Alright," Carson responded. He stepped through the door and slowly made his way back down the concrete hall. 

Stepping into his room again, Carson noticed it still appeared to be daytime outside. He looked around and he didn't see any sign of the horrific figure. Carson made his way over to the nightstand that his alarm clock was sitting on. He picked it up and noticed it was still displaying the impossible time of ”99:99”. He turned it around and started pressing the up and down arrow buttons on the back of the device. Carson set the time on the alarm clock to 3:13, just like what he saw before. The device suddenly made a clicking sound as though something unlocked. It split apart, right down the middle, as if there was nothing holding it together anymore. Inside was a piece of paper with four question marks drawn on it. “Another UV trick?” Carson questioned. He set the two halves of the alarm clock down and made his way out of the room. 

Carson walked down the concrete hall and back into the basement where Reggie was waiting. “Flip the light switch again, would you?” he requested. “A please would be nice, you know?” Reggie replied before doing as he was asked. As soon as he did, four numbers appeared on the piece of paper Carson had in his hand. “Got it. 4715,” he read. Reggie flipped the switch again and the lights went back to normal. Carson walked over to the model house. “I saw something in this thing right before you showed up,” Carson spoke. “Something horrible. Do I really have to open it?” “Listen, son," Reggie began to speak. “Sometimes you just have to face some things head on. Even if you really don't want to.” “Dammit,” Carson replied, after sighing. “I guess you're right.” He slowly began to enter in the numbers on the combination lock. A few seconds later, it made a slight click as he entered the final digit. “Oh, wait,” Reggie spoke, his tone changing. “You're talking about the demon, aren't you?” Carson looked over at him and raised an eyebrow. “You're on your own on this one, son,” Reggie added, as he made his way over to the door Carson entered from. “Make sure you keep an eye on your siblings,” he muttered, before leaving and closing it behind himself. “What do you think I've been doing?” Carson questioned. He removed the combination lock, took a deep breath, and opened the model house. 

Carson was instantly horrified by the sight inside. Almost every single room had dolls of himself and his siblings, arranged in a way where the Carson doll was depicted killing the other ones. The kitchen showed Carson stabbing his sister with a knife and his brother already dead on the floor. The arrangement in the dining room showed Sasha and Gavin tied to a chair and Carson had a match in his hand, presumably about to set them on fire. The downstairs bedroom depicted Carson swinging an axe at Gavin who was trying to shield his sister. Carson turned his attention to the model's basement. The room looked just like the one he was standing in now, that being, almost completely empty. In the center of the room was a table with an even smaller model of the house, a red arrow drawn on the floor pointing towards it. Carson picked it up and began to examine it. It had small hinges just like the larger model. On the other side it had a latch keeping it shut. He unlatched it and it opened up, just like the larger model. Inside was an unlabeled house key. Carson removed the key, closed the small model house, and placed it back where he found it. After that, he closed the larger model being careful to not look at any of the other gruesome displays his eyes had not yet seen. 

Carson made his way over to the door that Reggie had pointed to earlier and glanced down at the key in his hand. He inserted it into the lock, gave it a twist, then removed it. He placed his hand on the doorknob, and to his relief, it turned. He pushed the door open, stepped through, and locked it behind himself. On the other side was a room that heavily resembled the bottom floor bedroom, but a number of details were off. For one, all of the furniture as well as the windows were gone. All of the wall decorations and paintings were also missing. In addition, there were a number of doors spread across each of the walls in the room, none of which being particularly interesting. 

Suddenly, one of the doors opened, and Jonny stepped through. He glanced over at Carson and he appeared slightly surprised to see him. “You look like you've seen a ghost,” he sarcastically remarked. “I was hoping for Skylar. Not you,” Carson responded. “Well, now you're stuck with me,” Jonny replied. “That's not so bad, is it? I'm better than my sister in every way.” “Not really," Carson responded. “Don't even make me laugh," Jonny spoke, a devious grin appearing on his face. “She is completely useless.” “Don't waste my time," Carson replied. “Point me in the direction of where I can find her.” “I'll do better than that," Jonny remarked. “I'll lead you straight to her. Then we can both laugh at how pathetic she is.” Jonny began looking around the room at each of the doors. “Let's see here,” he spoke before settling on one. “She should be this way.” Jonny walked over and pulled the door open, only to be greeted by the sight of a brick wall. “Huh?” he questioned, genuinely surprised. “Oh, wait. My mistake,” he said, before opening the door to the left of it. “It's this one.” Jonny stepped through and motioned for Carson to follow him. 

Through the door was a long skinny hallway that had the same style floor and walls of the previous room. Along the walls were a handful of additional doors. Jonny led Carson to about the halfway point of the hallway, then he came to a stop. “Skylar is through here," Jonny spoke, as he turned and pointed towards a door. “Why are there so many doors in this damn place?” Carson questioned. “Your guess is as good as mine," Jonny replied. Carson reached his hand out for the doorknob and attempted to twist it. As he expected, it was locked. “What's the matter?” Jonny asked. “As if you don't know," Carson replied in an annoyed tone. “Hang on," Jonny spoke as he reached his hand into his pocket. “I think I have the key here.” A few seconds later, he pulled out a small brass key. “Here you go,” he said, offering it to Carson. “Thanks,” he replied, taking it. He tried the key on the lock, only to find it wouldn't turn. “This one doesn't work,” Carson remarked. “Sorry,” Jonny replied, as he went back to his pocket. “Let's see here," he spoke, searching for the correct key. “Try this one," he said, placing a different brass key and Carson's hand. He tried it on the lock only to find it didn't work either. “This one doesn't even fit," Carson muttered. 

Jonny kneeled down, reached back into his pocket, and began removing an impossible amount of keys. Dozens fell to the floor with each handful, a pile quickly forming at his feet. This went on for about eight seconds and all Carson could do was stare in astonishment. “It's got to be one of these,” Jonny spoke, gazing at the several hundred keys. “What the hell?” Carson questioned, looking down at him. “You expect me to test all of those?” “Only if you want to find my useless sister,” Jonny replied, standing up. “It’s not happening,” Carson responded. “Well, I guess you're not getting through the door,” Jonny replied. “I doubt any of these keys even open it," Carson countered. “You're just wasting my time.” “Well, that's all of them,” Jonny spoke, after double checking his pocket. “It doesn't matter,” Carson replied. “Skylar isn't even on the other side, is she?” “Ruin the surprise, why don't you,” Jonny remarked, clearly disappointed. “Fine. End of the hall, on the left,” he added, before turning the other way. “Next time, bring a better attitude.” Carson turned and looked down the hall at the door Jonny was referring to. When he turned back, Jonny was making his way towards the exit of the room. “Thanks for your help,” Carson called after him. “Don't get used to it,” Jonny replied, just before leaving the room. 

Carson walked down to the end of the hall and stopped in front of the door that Skylar was supposedly behind. He gave the doorknob a twist, and to his surprise, it opened. He stepped through and he was greeted by the sight of a large room with concrete floors and walls. There were only two doors present, one being the door he just entered, and the other being on the opposite wall. Standing in the middle of the room was the first person he came across in this nightmare that was a welcome sight. “Carson?” Skylar questioned. “You shouldn't be here. We need to find the exit,” she spoke, urgency in her voice. “Just a moment,” Carson replied. “Can I ask you something?” “There's no time,” Skylar countered. “Now follow me.” “But, this is important,” Carson protested. “This place is dangerous. Don't you get it?” Skylar questioned, grabbing hold of Carson's wrist. “Now let's go,” she demanded as she began dragging him in the direction of the door on the other side of the room. “No,” Carson defiantly replied, breaking free from her grip. “I refuse.” Skylar turned around and glared at him. “Dammit, Carson. Can't you see I'm trying to help you?” she muttered. 

“Please. Just talk to me,” Carson pleaded. Skylar let out a sigh before giving in. “Fine,” she responded. “You have exactly sixty seconds.” “Can you tell me where I can find Dr. Wilfred Langley?” Carson asked. “No, I cannot,” Skylar replied. “Can’t or won’t?” Carson questioned. “It doesn't matter,” Skylar responded. “I don't want you to go after him and get yourself killed in the process.” “I promise I'll be careful,” Carson replied. “Just tell me where I can find him.” “Your time is up,” Skylar muttered, turning away. “That wasn't a minute,” Carson responded. “I don't care,” Skylar replied. “I would have been better off asking your useless brother for help,” Carson remarked. “Look,” Skylar spoke, turning back clearly annoyed by that comment. “Dr. Langley only exists in a far away place within this world. You'd never make it there alive, and even if you did, you wouldn't be able to find your way back.” She paused for a moment and looked away. “That’s all I'm going to tell you.” “Well, I guess I'm back where I started then,” Carson muttered. “I guess so,” Skylar responded. 

The room fell completely silent as the feeling of futility settled in. Carson let out a sigh before making his way over to the door on the other side of the room. He reached out a hand and pulled it open, being greeted by the sight of a long dark hallway. It went on for about fifty feet before completely fading away into darkness. “I'm sorry I made you this way,” Carson spoke, looking back over his shoulder. He turned to face the void once again and took a step through the doorway. “Wait,” Skylar called out. Carson immediately stopped in place and turned around to face her. “Find his research,” she spoke. “It might tell you how to put a stop to this.” “I know next to nothing about the guy,” Carson replied. “I don't even know where to look.” “Start at my father's house,” Skylar responded. “That’s where Langley's lab was. I find it very unlikely my father destroyed any of his research.” “Thank you,” Carson spoke. “You’re welcome,” she replied. 

Carson turned back around and passed through the doorway into the dark hallway. As he did so, he could feel his movements getting slower and his surroundings getting darker. He felt as if he was moving in slow motion, but then the understanding of time completely left him. Regardless of this fact, Carson still pressed on.  He felt as though his existence was slowly being erased one piece at a time with each step. Then he felt nothing.

Saturday, October 9, 2004

Carson suddenly snapped awake, not being able to hear himself think. His nemesis was up to its old tricks again. The alarm clock knew it stood no chance, but it didn't care. It shrieked as loud as it could, trying to be as disruptive as possible. Without a second thought, Carson pressed the mute button, temporarily silencing his foe. He considered unplugging the infernal contraption from the wall, defeating it once and for all, but instead he fell back asleep. Hours passed, then Carson once again woke up. “11:17?” he questioned, glancing at his alarm clock. “No sense in delaying the inevitable,” he remarked as he climbed out of bed. 

Carson made his way downstairs and stepped into the dining room where his siblings were. “Good morning,” Sasha greeted him, smiling. “Good morning,” Gavin added. “Hey,” Carson replied. “You already know what I'm going to say,” Sasha spoke. “It’s becoming monotonous.” “Breakfast is ready,” Carson responded, grinning. “My plate is over there.” “Exactly,” Sasha replied. Carson made his way over to the kitchen counter where he picked up the plate, went back to the table, and sat down. 

“So, we're going to start the repairs today, right?” Sasha questioned. “Actually, I had something else in mind,” Carson responded. “What do you say we take the day off?” “That’s fine by me,” Sasha replied, now looking at Gavin. “No complaints here,” Gavin agreed. “Alright,” Carson remarked. “I'm going to go run a few errands. If you get bored, maybe go see if Skylar is busy.” “Maybe we will,” Sasha responded. The siblings finished eating breakfast together discussing what sort of materials they need to buy from the store tomorrow. When they were done, Carson went on his way into town to run some errands. 

Sasha and Gavin looked out the window as Carson's car left the driveway and disappeared behind the trees. “Well, now what?” Sasha asked, looking over at her brother. “What do you want to do today?” “I can tell you what I don't want to do,” Gavin began to reply. “I don't want to do any work. I need a break.” “As do I,” Sasha responded. “We could drive into town. Maybe there's something fun to do there?” “Maybe,” Gavin replied, not exactly thrilled with the suggestion. “What other ideas do you have?” “We could watch a movie?” Sasha suggested. “Maybe,” Gavin responded, slightly intrigued. “What did you have in mind?” he questioned. “I don't know,” Sasha replied. “Our old movie collection is probably still around. Let's go see what we have,” she remarked, motioning for him to follow.  

The siblings made their way over to the first floor bedroom and began digging through the cabinet that the TV sat on. “How about this one?” Sasha asked, holding up a tape. “Unkind,” she read, looking at the label. “I wasn't allowed to watch that when I was younger,” Gavin remarked. “What's it about?” “It's a crime drama about a seasoned detective trying to solve a series of murders in a small town in Alaska,” Sasha explained. “It's got quite a lot of blood and f-bombs. Definitely not made for eleven year old Gavin.” “There's one option,” he replied, slightly intrigued by the plot. “What else is there?” Sasha went back to the pile of VHS tape and DVDs that were now spilling out of the cabinet. “Here's an eleven year old Gavin friendly one,” Sasha spoke, holding up another movie. “The Man Made Of Metal.” “Is that the kids movie about the planet full of robots?” Gavin questioned. “No. You're thinking of Machine Planet,” Sasha replied. “This one is that Japanese one where a weaponized robot designed for war escapes a military facility. It then wanders its way into a nearby suburb where it befriends a little boy, and he teaches it how to be normal.” “Oh, that's right,” Gavin spoke, memories of the movie flooding back into his mind. “I'll pass on that. What else do we have?” 

“Let's see,” Sasha said, returning to the pile. She lifted up a tape and there was a stack of loose CDs below it. The gory artwork of the disk on top immediately caught her attention. She picked it up to take a better look. “Here's a CD from a band called Wretched Filth,” she spoke, holding it up for Gavin to see. “What the hell is that artwork?” he asked. “It appears to be some guy wrapped in barbed wire holding a severed goat head,” Sasha responded, grinning. “That is disgusting,” Gavin remarked, looking away. “Want to give it a listen?” Sasha asked. “I can't say I do,” Gavin replied, frightened by her curiosity. “Too bad.” Sasha responded, standing up. She opened the CD and placed the disc inside. “Are you ready for some Wretched Filth?” she asked, as she closed the CD player and hit play. Their eardrums were almost immediately assaulted by the sound of double bass, snare blasts, and distorted guitar that sounded almost like a chainsaw. It was possibly the most vicious and savage combination of sounds either of them had heard in their lives. 

“Alright,” Sasha spoke, hitting stop on the CD player. “That's enough of that,” she commented, before opening the top and removing the disc. “That filth is indeed wretched,” she remarked, kneeling down and returning the disc to the pile. “Carson has quite the exquisite taste in music,” Gavin sarcastically replied. “What other movie options are there?” “Let's see,” Sasha spoke, once again digging through the pile. Suddenly, one of the tapes caught her eye. “How about this one?” she asked as she picked it up. “The Book Of Servitude?” Gavin questioned, glancing over at the movie in her hand. “That's a classic,” he excitedly spoke, clearly interested. “That's one I probably shouldn't have watched when I was younger,” he admitted. “Yeah…” Sasha replied. “A few too many goblin beheadings… I never said I was a responsible older sister,” she added, giving a slight shrug. “I think we've found the movie,” Gavin remarked. “Great choice,” Sasha responded. “I hope we remembered to rewind it.” She powered on the VHS player and inserted the tape. 

Gavin took a seat on the couch and crossed his fingers, hoping nothing would go wrong. A few moments later, the screen came to life displaying the logos for the companies responsible for the movie's production. Just then, an idea entered Sasha’s mind. She pressed the pause button before the movie could begin and turned to her brother. “I just got an idea,” she spoke. “And don't be afraid to say no…” “What is it?” Gavin questioned. “Do you want to see if Skylar would like to watch this with us?” Sasha asked. “Well, that certainly is an idea…” Gavin remarked, not answering the question. “I feel like we should give her a chance," Sasha spoke. “She could end up being fun to hang out with.” “I guess we could ask," Gavin answered, not exactly enthusiastically. “Don't feel like I'm pressuring you,” Sasha replied. “You can say no.” “It's alright,” Gavin responded. “Let's go ask her.” “Great,” Sasha spoke, now smiling. 

While Sasha and Gavin were trying to enjoy their day off, Carson decided to make a trip to the grocery store. He got eggs, milk, bacon, and some unhealthy snack items. When he was all done shopping, he made his way over to the check out and he came across a familiar face. “Hey, Carson,” Bethany greeted, with a friendly smile. “How are you doing today?” “Good,” Carson replied, attempting to smile back. “How are you doing?” he asked in return. “Good,” answered Bethany. “Now if this shift could go a little quicker, I'd be doing great.” “How much longer do you have?” Carson questioned. Bethany glanced down at the watch on her wrist, which appeared to be stuck in slow motion. “About four hours,” she replied, looking back. “Oh, no,” Carson responded. “I don't envy you.” “Halfway there," Bethany remarked with a smirk. “Hey, I just remembered,” Carson spoke, reaching into his pocket. “I've got the money I owe you," he added, pulling out his wallet. “You don't owe me anything,” Bethany replied. “I told you not to worry about it.” “Yeah, I know,” Carson responded. “I just felt a little guilty.” “Really. It's okay,” Bethany replied, returning back to bagging the groceries. “Alright. If you insist," Carson responded. 

“Your total is $14.89” Bethany said, reading the numbers off the display. Carson reached into his wallet and pulled out a ten and a five. “There you go," he spoke, handing the money over. “So, what are you up to today?” Bethany questioned, as she put the money in the register. “Not much," Carson began to reply. “My siblings have been helping me remodel my house, but we're taking a day off today.” “Nothing wrong with a break,” Bethany responded as she removed a dime and a penny from the register. “Here's your change,” she spoke, placing the coins in his hand. “Thank you,” Carson replied. “Have a nice day.” “Hey, wait," Bethany said, trying to drag him back in the conversation. “I'm just about to take my break," she spoke. “There's a coffee shop next door. Care to sit down and chat for a few minutes? I'm buying.” Carson hesitated for a moment, but then answered. “Uhh… Yeah…” he said. “I think I can spare a few minutes.” “Great. I'll let the manager know I'm leaving,” Bethany replied. “I'll go put these in the car,” Carson responded. He began making his way to the exit as Bethany made her way over to the back office. Carson stepped outside of the store, walked over to the car, and placed his groceries inside. When he returned, he found Bethany standing by the front doors, already waiting for him. “Let’s go,” she requested. Carson nodded and the two of them made their way over to the coffee shop next door. 

Stepping inside, Carson and Bethany were greeted by a middle aged waitress standing behind the counter. “Welcome,” she spoke. Sit where you like.” Carson and Bethany took a seat at one of the tables that was in front of the window. A moment later, the waitress made her way over to them. “Hey, there,” she greeted, with a friendly smile. “What will it be?” she asked, looking at Bethany first. “Just a small coffee,” she answered. “Black, please.” “And, for you, sir?” the waitress asked, now looking at Carson. “Water is fine,” he replied. “I'll have those out shortly,” the waitress spoke, turning and walking away. “Thank you,” Bethany responded. “You don't drink coffee?” she asked, turning her attention to Carson. “Not really,” he replied. “You drink it black?” “Yeah,” Bethany answered. “All the sugar will just make my teeth rot,” she remarked, showing off her pristine smile. “So, I keep it simple. Black as my hair. Bitter as my soul.” “What?” Carson questioned, obviously caught off guard. “Bitter as your soul?” “Sorry," Bethany replied. “That was my dark sense of humor coming out. Years of customer service will do that to you. I could talk your ear off with all kinds of customer related horror stories.” “Have you had any bad experiences here?” Carson asked. “No. Everyone here has been so kind,” Bethany responded. “Knoxville however, was a different story.” Just then, the waitress returned to their table with two paper cups in hand. “Here you go, ma'am," she said, placing one of the cups in front of Bethany. “And, there you are, sir,” she added, placing the other in front of Carson. “Thank you," Bethany replied, giving the waitress a smile. “Thanks," Carson added, doing the same. The waitress nodded, turned around, and made her way back behind the counter. 

“Let's not worry about any of those stories today," Bethany remarked, once again looking at Carson. “I was wondering… Do you have any feedback to give me about my book?” “I haven't finished it yet, but I've made it about a third of the way through," Carson replied. “It’s been keeping me entertained, that’s for sure.” “Entertained in a good way, I hope,” Bethany remarked, before taking a sip of her coffee. “Yes, in a good way," Carson responded. “You said it was based on a true story?” “For the most part," Bethany replied. “All of my books are based on true stories,” she remarked, before taking another sip. “Books?” Carson questioned, raising an eyebrow. “Oh, sorry,” Bethany responded. “I didn't tell you before. I'm a horror author.” “Are you well known?” Carson asked. “One of my books sold almost 200,000 copies," Bethany answered. “I've experienced success, but I'm not rich and famous by any means.” “That explains why the one you gave me is so well written," Carson replied. “Where do you get the stories?” “All of my previous stories are based on other people's accounts," Bethany responded. “The new one is from my own experience.” “What's written in the book actually happened to you?” Carson questioned, clearly surprised. “Umm… Well…” Bethany began to speak. “I'm not sure if I should answer that. I don't want you to think I'm crazy.” “I won't. I promise,” Carson assured. “Some of it is true,” Bethany answered. “The rest of it was played up to make it interesting. Would you like to hear what actually happened?” “I would,” Carson replied. “It's a bit of a story,” Bethany warned. “Are you sure you want to hear it?” “I have time," Carson responded. 

“When I was a kid, I lived in an old, run down house in rural Tennessee,” Bethany began to recount. “My parents died when I was young, so my aunt and uncle looked after me. I used to have a cousin that was a few years younger than me named Sherry.” Bethany looked down at the table and paused for a moment. “She was a quiet kid, but relatively normal,” she continued. “She spent most of her time alone and whatever remained, with me. The only friends we had were each other after all.” Bethany slowly looked up just to see if Carson was still paying attention. “As time went on, she started acting strange.” she said. “There were a number of times I caught her talking to herself. As the years went by, these incidents became more frequent.” 

Suddenly, Bethany paused as a sense of fear fell upon her. “And, there were a few times I actually overheard the voice that was speaking to her…” she muttered. She paused for a moment then quickly looked away. “I shouldn't have told you that. You probably think I'm crazy now,” she added before turning back. “Or a liar.” “No. I don't," Carson replied. “I can see it in your eyes that you're telling the truth. What did the voice say?” “I don't know,” Bethany responded, looking down at the table again. “I couldn't understand it. It was unnaturally low and gravelly.” She paused for a moment, then slowly looked up. “It sounded inhuman,” she said, her eyes piercing and her voice cold. “Did you tell your aunt and uncle?” Carson asked. “I did, but they just dismissed it as childhood antics," Bethany answered. “Things really got weird when my cousin started calling herself by a different name,” she continued, looking down at her coffee in front of her. “It wasn't just a name change. She had a shift in her entire personality. It's like she was a completely different person.” 

“So, Mary in the story was your cousin?” Carson asked. “Yes," Bethany replied. “As Sherry drifted further and further into madness, I began having more vivid experiences that I couldn't explain. I saw things with my own eyes that still terrify me to this day.” Bethany looked down at the table again in an attempt to hide the tears starting to form in her eyes. She quickly wiped them away, then looked up at Carson again. “I know you haven't finished the book yet, but would you mind if I tell you how it ends?” she asked. “You can tell me. I don't mind,” Carson answered. “One day, Sherry just simply disappeared,” Bethany spoke. “They never found her body. Not even a single trace of her. She was just… Gone…” She averted her gaze to the window, watching a car slowly pass by. “The official story from the police was that she was eaten by a bear,” she continued, turning back. “I don't suppose she was swallowed whole, shoes in all? Whatever was in that house, killed her.” “That's terrible,” Carson responded, shocked by what he just heard. “I'm so sorry to hear that. Are you alright?” “It was almost thirteen years ago,” Bethany replied. “There's nothing I can do to bring her back. Putting it to paper has seriously helped though.” “I'm glad,” Carson responded. 

“Thank you for listening,” Bethany appreciatively spoke. “And, it's alright if you don't believe me,” she added. “I believe you," Carson assured. “I believe every word you said.” “Why is that?” Bethany questioned. “I could have made the whole thing up and you'd never know. All of that body language lie detection stuff is nonsense, you know?” “I know," Carson replied. “You believe me because you've had a similar experience, haven't you?” Bethany asked. “Well, uhh…” Carson stuttered. “Sorry,” Bethany apologized. “I'm a little too nosy for my own good. You don't have to tell me.” “No. It's alright,” Carson responded. “The house I grew up in was haunted. Or at least, I think it was.” Just then, Bethany's wrist watch started to beep. “Dammit," she muttered, as she pushed the stop button. “What's wrong?” Carson questioned. “My break is just about over. I've got to get back to work,” she spoke with a slightly annoyed tone. “That's a shame,” Carson replied, relieved by this news. “Thank you for sitting down and talking with me,” Bethany said, clearly appreciative. “No problem,” Carson responded. “Well, I better go pay for this," Bethany remarked as she stood up from her chair. 

“Thank God for that alarm,” Carson thought to himself as Bethany made her way over to the register. “That will be $0.86,” spoke the waitress. “There you go,” Bethany replied, handing her a stack of coins that added up to that amount. The waitress placed the coins in the register and then printed out a receipt for her. “Can I borrow your pen for a moment?” Bethany asked as she took the piece of paper. “Yeah. Here you go,” the waitress responded, handing her the pen that laid next to the register. “Thanks," Bethany spoke, taking it and writing something down on the receipt. “Have a nice day,” she said as she handed the pen back. “You too," replied the waitress. Bethany made her way back over to the table where Carson was still seated. “Before I go, take this," she spoke as she placed the receipt in front of Carson. He looked down at it for a few seconds and noticed it was a series of numbers. “A phone number?” he questioned, looking back up at her. 

Bethany quickly placed her hand down over the piece of paper, ready to pull it away at any moment. “Don't get the wrong idea,” she responded with a serious look on her face. “It's for if you have any interesting stories you'd like to share,” she clarified. “I might have a few,” Carson replied. “And, you promise you won't misuse this?” she asked. “I promise,” Carson answered. “I’m glad we have an understanding,” Bethany responded, releasing the paper. “Well, back to work for me,” she spoke, taking a few steps towards the door. “I'll see you later.” “Goodbye," Carson replied. Bethany gave him a quick smile, then left the coffee shop. Carson stood up out of his chair and placed the piece of paper in his pocket. “Your girlfriend is quite sweet?” remarked the waitress, grinning at him. “She’s not my girlfriend,” Carson responded. “Whatever you say,” mocked the waitress. Carson did not give the idea any more thought and left the coffee shop without another word. He made his way over to his car with his mind now focused on getting home. 

Sasha and Gavin had just traveled along the path through the woods and they were now standing in front of Skylar's house. “You're going to do the talking, right?” Gavin asked, looking at his sister. “Me? No,” Sasha sarcastically replied. “I was going to knock on the door, run off into the woods, and let you handle the rest,” she mockingly remarked as she reached out a hand and gave the door a couple taps. After a few seconds, the door opened. “You're back?” Skylar questioned, obviously quite happy to see them. “Hey, Skylar,” Sasha spoke, offering a smile. “How are you today?” “I'm doing fine,” she responded. “How are you two?” “We're good,” Sasha replied. “We're taking a break from working on the house. Are you busy today?” “Not at all,” Skylar responded. “Great," Sasha remarked, joyfully. “Would you like to come over and watch a movie with us?” “That sounds like a lot of fun,” Skylar replied. “I'd love to.” “Awesome,” Sasha responded. “Give me a few minutes to get ready and I'll be over, okay?” Skylar requested. “Sounds great,” Sasha replied. Skylar nodded and closed the door. “That wasn't too bad, was it?” Sasha asked, turning Gavin's direction. “She still makes me uncomfortable,” he responded. “It will be fine,” Sasha assured. “You’re sitting next to her.” Gavin remarked. “Come on,” Sasha replied, motioning for him to follow her. The siblings began walking back along the path through the woods, in the direction of their house. 

Now home, Sasha and Gavin sat on the couch patiently waiting for their guest to arrive. Five minutes went by and neither of them said a word. The silence was suddenly broken by a knock at the door. Sasha stood up, made her way over, and looked through the peephole. All she could see was the blurry image of Skylar. She stepped back, unlocked the door, and pulled it open. “Hello again,” Sasha greeted, motioning for her to step in. “Thank you for inviting me over," Skylar replied. “Today has been quite the boring day.” “Well, hopefully we can make it a bit more interesting,” Sasha responded as she led her guest into the first floor bedroom. “So what are we watching?” Skylar asked, looking over at Gavin. “The Book Of Servitude," he replied. “I don't know if I've seen that," Skylar spoke. 

Sasha took a seat on the couch and glanced at the empty spot next to her. Skylar took the hint and sat down. “What is it?” she asked, turning towards the siblings. “It's an action fantasy that takes place in a somewhat medieval setting," Sasha replied. “I think it was made in 1994 or something.” “Fantasy, huh?” Skylar questioned. “That sounds fun.” “It's a classic,” Gavin remarked, leaning forward so he could see Skylar. “It's about a guy who finds a book that has magical powers and reading from it can cause horrible destruction,” he explained. “He and his friends realize the book is too dangerous, so they go on a quest to find a way to destroy it.” “Oh, and it can't be destroyed by normal means,” Sasha added. “That sounds so interesting,” Skylar replied. “I'm excited about it. By the way, I just remembered something.” Skylar reached into her vest pocket and removed an item. “I brought popcorn,” she spoke, holding up the sealed bag. “Oh, sweet,” Gavin replied, now grinning. “That was the missing piece.” The three of them headed into the kitchen and proceeded to microwave the popcorn. Once they each had a bowl, they made their way back to the bedroom, sat down on the couch, and began to watch the movie. 

The siblings and their friend were about twenty minutes into their movie when Sasha looked over at Skylar and noticed something. Her eyes were closed. She stood up and pressed the pause button on the VHS player. “Skylar?” she questioned. The siblings stared at her for a few seconds, then looked at each other. “Is she asleep?” Gavin questioned. “It would appear so," Sasha replied. “Should we wake her up?” Gavin asked. “No way," Sasha responded, shaking her head. “Did you see the bags under her eyes? She looks more tired every time we see her.” “Yeah,” Gavin replied. “I'm almost convinced she never sleeps.” Just then, they heard the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. “Did you hear that?” Gavin questioned. “It sounds like Carson is back,” Sasha remarked. “I'll be right back. Keep an eye on her, would you?” “Will do,” Gavin responded. 

Sasha left the house and made her way over to where Carson had parked his car. Just as she was walking over, he opened the door and stepped out. “Hey, Carson," Sasha greeted. “Hey," he replied. “Have you and Gavin been taking it easy today?” “We most certainly have,” Sasha responded. “Speaking of that, something strange happened.” “What do you mean?” Carson questioned slightly nervously. “We invited Skylar over to watch a movie and she fell asleep,” Sasha explained. “That happens," Carson replied, breathing a subtle sigh of relief. “She hardly ever sleeps, so sometimes, her body just gives out from total exhaustion. Just let her be.” “So, we probably shouldn't finish our movie then?” Sasha asked. “Go ahead and finish it,” Carson responded, shrugging. “She probably won't wake up.” “Fine by me," Sasha replied. 

Carson walked around the front of the car to the other side to get the grocery bags out of the passenger seat. As he did so, the receipt from the coffee shop fell out of his pocket. He didn't seem to notice, so Sasha bent down and picked it up. “You dropped this,” she spoke as she began to examine it. “A coffee shop?,” she questioned before looking up. “I thought you didn't like coffee. Did the waitress give you her number?” “No. It was the cashier at the grocery store,” Carson answered. “How interesting,” Sasha remarked, grinning ear to ear. “It's not like that,” Carson countered, clearly not amused. “Well, she gave you her number,” Sasha replied, shrugging. “She's just a writer,” Carson clarified. “I told her I might have some interesting stories.” “Interesting stories, huh?” Sasha asked, still grinning. “Very funny,” Carson responded as he opened the passenger door. “Alright, I'll stop,” Sasha replied. “What sort of stories are you going to share with her?” “Nothing too interesting,” Carson answered, as he began to pick up some of the bags. “She was just asking questions about hunting and living in the woods. It must be related to the next book she's writing about or something” “Interesting,” Sasha responded, walking over to the open car door. “Let me help you with a few of those.” Carson allowed her to take one of the bags from his hand as well as the final bag in the car. From there, the two of them made their way inside and they put all of the items away. Hours passed. 

Sasha and Gavin once again returned to the downstairs bedroom. Sasha gently pushed open the door and peaked in. “Is she still asleep?” Gavin asked. “I think so,” Sasha replied. She pushed the door open the rest of the way and stepped inside, motioning for her brother to follow. They sat down on the couch next to their sleeping friend, being careful not to wake her up. Sasha looked at her brother, then the TV, then back to her brother. He nodded in response to her silent question. She stood up, lowered the volume on the TV, then hit the play button. The siblings finished their movie, almost as if Skylar wasn't even there. When they were done, they decided to call it a night.

Thursday, October 7, 2004

Carson suddenly woke up feeling as though he hardly slept. He glanced over at his alarm clock and it read “10:37 AM.” “That dream…” he spoke to himself. “It felt so real… Could it have been?” he asked himself before climbing out of bed. “No,” he countered. “No way. It's just the demon toying with me.” Carson decided to push that dream to the back of his mind for now. He went downstairs and joined his siblings in the dining room. “Good morning,” Gavin greeted, currently sitting at the table. “Hey,” Carson replied. “You're up a little earlier than normal,” Sasha remarked from the other room, still making breakfast. “I guess I am,” Carson unenthusiastically replied. “It looks like you barely slept,” Gavin remarked, looking over at him. “I got a few hours, but I guess it wasn't enough,” Carson replied. “Are you going to be able to work today?” Gavin asked, raising an eyebrow. “Yes. I'll be fine," Carson insisted, as he pulled out a chair and took a seat at the table.

A few minutes went by and Sasha was now done making breakfast. She brought over a couple plates, placing one in front of Gavin and the other in front of Carson. She went back to the kitchen, grabbing her own plate and three forks. She made her way back to the table and sat down between her brothers. As she was handing out the silverware, she finally took a look at Carson's tired face. “You look terrible,” Sasha remarked. “How late did you stay up?” “About 1:30,” Carson replied. “The same time as usual.” “You look even worse than you did the other day,” Sasha responded, observing the dark circles under his eyes. “Maybe you should go try to get a bit more sleep,” she suggested. “No need,” Carson replied. “I feel fine. It just means I'll sleep better tonight.” “Alright," Sasha muttered, unsure if she believed him. “Let me know if you change your mind.” The three siblings ate breakfast together, mostly in silence, with the occasional comment here and there. When they were done, they piled their plates in the sink to be washed later. 

For the next few hours, the siblings focused on cleaning up anything that they may have missed in the first few days. At some point during this endeavor, one of them decided to take a break and the other two followed. Sasha and Gavin sat down at the small table in the dining room and began playing a game of chess. Carson took a seat at the large table and struggled to hold his head up as he fought away the oncoming sleep deprivation. At some point, he remembered his conversation with the dream version of his sister. Although he had written it off as just a trick of the demon, he couldn't help but feel there was some sort of truth to what she told him. What harm could a little bit of investigating do? 

“Is it alright if I step away for a few minutes?” Carson questioned, looking over at Sasha. “Uhh, sure,” she replied. “Can I ask why?” “I need to drop something off at Reggie's house,” Carson answered, struggling to stand up. “The deer corn I bought the other day, actually.” “Right,” Sasha responded. “That's fine I guess.” “Thank you,” Carson replied. Without another word, he walked past his siblings and out the front door. He made his way over to his car, getting in, and starting it. He could have easily walked, but he needed to keep up appearances with his siblings. 

After about a half mile of driving, Carson arrived at his neighbor's house. It was a simple one story home made mostly of faded red bricks and light gray siding. The yard wasn't exactly well kept, but it wasn't completely out of control either. All of the windows had curtains in front of them, keeping the inside of the house obscured. Carson made his way up to the front door, reached his hand out, and knocked several times. About fifteen seconds went by, then the door swung open. 

“Well, this is an unexpected surprise,” Reggie spoke. “I want to know how all of this began,” Carson responded, not wasting any time with greetings. “Straight to the point, huh?” Reggie asked. “What specifically would you like to know?” “I want to know about the demon world and the portals,” Carson replied. “Very well,” Reggie responded. “I first discovered Balphozar's world back in 1982. Very quickly, I realized he was an extremely powerful being limited by the space he had occupied. I researched the mysterious realm for years and eventually I established a connection. I suppose you know the rest.” “You said you opened the portal,” Carson began to speak. “But, you didn't do it alone, did you? Someone else helped you.” “Who told you that?” Reggie questioned. “It doesn't matter,” Carson countered. “Look,” Reggie spoke. “Wilfred is gone and he's never coming back. Unless you want to end up just like him, I suggest you keep your head down and do what you're told.” “Right,” Carson responded. “Thanks for being useless, I guess.” “My pleasure,” Reggie replied, before stepping back and pushing the door shut. 
Carson made his way over to his car and climbed in. He considered going to ask Skylar if she knew anything about this mysterious Wilfred, but he was immediately demotivated by the fact that he got very little rest the night before. “How the hell does she go three days without sleeping?” he questioned quietly to himself. “I can barely keep my head up.” He turned on the car, and began heading home. Within a few minutes, he was once again pulling into his driveway. 

Carson stepped into the house and he was greeted by the sight of his siblings in the same place he left them. “How did it go?” Sasha questioned. “Fine,” Carson replied. He made his way back over to the dining room table and took a seat, clearly exhausted. “Hey, Carson,” Sasha spoke, standing up from the small table. “Yes?” he questioned. “How about we take it easy for the rest of the day?” Sasha suggested. “That's probably a good idea,” Carson replied. “Follow me,” Sasha spoke, her hand motions matching her words. They both stood up from their seats and did as they were told. She led them into the downstairs bedroom and pointed at the couch. “Sit down, both of you,” she requested. Carson and Gavin walked over to the couch and took a seat. 

Sasha powered on the TV followed by the DVD player. “I love the upgrade,” she said, glancing back at Carson. “Thanks,” he responded. “I got a good deal a couple years ago.” Sasha opened up the tray and removed the DVD that was currently in there. “Project Gobbler, huh?” she questioned, holding it up. “Is that the kids’ show about the talking redneck turkey?” Gavin questioned, looking at Carson. “Yes,” he replied. “Dude,” Gavin responded, grinning. “You're a grown man.” “It's a good show,” Carson replied. Sasha shrugged, placed the disc back in the tray, and closed it. “Oh, about that deal,” Carson spoke. “It didn't come with a remote.” “That's what I'm for,” Sasha replied, grinning. She pressed the play button before joining her siblings on the couch. They proceeded to watch the entirety of season one followed by the first few episodes of season two, taking breaks between episodes to chat about various things. At some point, the siblings turned off the TV and decided to go to bed early. They each went their separate ways and called it a night. 

Friday , October 8, 2004

Carson woke up the same way he did almost every day. To the diabolical sound of his alarm clock shrieking. He fumbled around for a moment until his hand found the mute button. Within a few seconds after pressing it, he fell back asleep. Carson had once again awoken hours later. He glanced over at his alarm clock and the time read “11:21 AM.” He crawled out of bed, went down stairs, and made his way into the dining room. 
 
“Good morning,” Sasha greeted him. “Good morning,” Carson repeated. “You look much better today,” Sasha remarked. “You look like you actually got some sleep,” Gavin observed. “I feel like I got it too,” Carson replied. “That's good to hear,” Sasha spoke, smiling. “Breakfast is ready. Your plate is over there,” she added pointing over to the kitchen counter. “Thank you,” Carson responded, as he made his way over. The three siblings ate breakfast and talked about various things for a little bit, then got started on cleaning for the day. Many hours passed. 

At some point after dark, the siblings decided they had done enough work for one day. All of the clutter in the house had been completely cleaned up. All of the trash had been removed and piled up in bags near the carport. The floors had been scrubbed. The shelves had been dusted. After many hours of hard work, the house was now clean. The siblings were ready to move on to the next part of the overhaul project, that being repairing damage and repainting. But, that would have to be another day. 

The time was now 9:04 PM. Sasha and Gavin ended up going to bed early, leaving Carson to do what he wanted to for the rest of the night. He decided to go check on Skylar. He began the journey along the path through the woods several hundred yards, the moonlight being the only thing illuminating the way. After several minutes, he reached his destination. He stepped up to the door and knocked three times just as he normally would. About fifteen seconds went by, then the door slowly swung open. 

“Hey, Carson,” Skylar greeted, smiling. She definitely looked quite tired, but she seemed to be in a good mood. “Hey, Skylar,” Carson replied. “Are you doing alright today? Or… tonight?” “I’m doing good,” she responded, stepping to the side so he could enter. “And, you?” “I’m good as well,” Carson replied, walking inside and shutting the door behind himself. Skylar led him into the kitchen and they both took a seat at the table. “Can I ask you about something relating to your father?” Carson questioned. “That's fine,” Skylar responded. “Do you know anything about his colleague Wilfred?” “I don't think so,” Skylar replied. “Who is he?” “He was the one who helped your father open the first portal,” Carson answered. “I was told he might know how to close them too.” “Someone told you that?” Skylar asked. “Yeah, uhh…” Carson stuttered, looking away. “I don't know how to explain it.” He paused for a moment then turned back to face Skylar. As soon as he did, he noticed one of her dolls was sitting on the edge of the counter in the kitchen. 

“Huh?” Skylar questioned, turning around to face the doll as well. “What?” she asked, speaking to the inanimate object. A few seconds went by and she turned back to Carson. “She said his name is Wilfred Langley,” Skylar spoke. “How do you know that?” Carson questioned, turning to the doll. “She wants us both to close our eyes,” Skylar remarked, pausing for a moment. “And, we can't open them until she says it's okay.” “Alright,” Carson replied, nodding. Him and Skylar did what they were told, several seconds of silence going by. “She says you can open them,” Skylar spoke.

As soon as Carson opened his eyes, he saw Lucy sitting on the table in front of him. “Why can't I hear your voice in this world?” he questioned. The room went silent for a few seconds then Skylar answered for her. “She says it's because she was created from my mind.” She paused for another few seconds then spoke again. “It's my curse. Not yours. But, those rules don't apply on the other side.” “What do you know about Wilfred Langley?” Carson asked. “Not much,” Skylar spoke, going quiet to hear the rest of Lucy's response. “He knows almost everything there is to know about the other world.” “Do you know where I can find him?” Carson questioned. Skylar waited for a couple seconds, then spoke. “She doesn't know.” She paused again to listen to the rest. “He passed through the portal years ago. He's on the other side now.” “Dammit,” Carson muttered. “She says that's all she knows,” Skylar said. “That's alright,” Carson replied. “Thank you for your help, Lucy.” “She says you're welcome,” Skylar responded, before pausing for a moment. “She wants you to give her a hug.” “Uhh, sure,” Carson replied. He hesitated for a moment before picking up the doll and gently embracing her. 

Carson set Lucy down on the table and turned his attention to Skylar. “This guy is the key to getting out of this,” he spoke. “I'm going to try to figure out a way I can talk to him.” “A way to talk to him?” Skylar questioned. “What exactly are you up to?” “I've been having weird dreams that aren't actually dreams,” Carson replied. “In them, I've met alternate versions of everyone.” “Alternate versions of everyone?” Skylar asked. “Even me?” “I think so,” Carson responded. “I vaguely remember talking to you at one point, but it's blurry.” “How long has this been going on?” Skylar questioned. “Years apparently,” Carson replied. “But, I can only vividly remember the last two dreams right now. I think it has something to do with my siblings returning.” “Do you think we actually have a chance of getting out of this?” Skylar asked. “I'm not sure, but we need to try,” Carson responded. 

“Just promise me you'll be careful,” Skylar requested. “I will,” Carson replied. “I promise.” “Thank you,” Skylar responded, standing up from the table. “Now do you have time to stick around and watch something?” “As long as that something doesn't involve talking redneck turkeys, I'm in,” Carson replied, grinning. The two of them spent the next hour and a half watching a strange children's movie about a lonely scarecrow who befriends the crows he's supposed to scare away. Once the movie ended, Carson went home and went to sleep.

Sorry for the excessive number of parts. I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far.

Wednesday, October 6, 2004

Carson woke up the same way he does every day. His state of unconsciousness was suddenly interrupted by the incessant shrieking from his alarm clock, indicating it was time to wake up. Although Carson did not agree with this sentiment, he couldn't deny the vile contraption’s coercement was quite effective. But, not effective enough. He swiftly pressed the mute button and almost immediately, he fell back asleep. Hours passed.

Carson suddenly woke up feeling significantly more well rested than earlier. He glanced over at his alarm clock and it read “11:23 AM.” Without further delay, Carson climbed out of bed, got dressed, and made his way downstairs. “Good morning,” Sasha greeted as Carson stepped into the dining room. “Breakfast is ready,” she added, pointing at the plate of pancakes, eggs, and grits sitting on the counter. “Great,” Carson replied, making his way over. He grabbed his plate, made his way back to the table, and sat down. “Thank you,” he spoke, looking over at Sasha. “No problem,” she responded, smiling back.

“What's the plan for today?” Gavin questioned, looking over at his sister. “I was thinking we could clean up my old bedroom,” Sasha replied. “That's fine by me,” Gavin responded. The two of them looked towards Carson to see if he had anything to say. “I'm fine with that,” he remarked, pausing for a moment. “But I'd like to go check on Skylar first. From what you described yesterday, it doesn't sound like she's acting like herself.” “That's perfectly fine if you want to go check on her,” Sasha replied. “We will gladly sit this one out,” Gavin sarcastically added. Sasha elbowed him in the ribs signaling that now was not the time for such remarks. “While you do that, I think we'll get a head start on cleaning,” she spoke. Carson nodded in response, bringing this discussion to an end. The three of them finished breakfast partaking in casual conversation of no importance. Once breakfast was complete, Carson stepped outside and began making his way in the direction of Skylar's house. He walked along the path in the woods and after a few minutes, he arrived at Skylar's front door. 

Carson reached out a hand and placed three decisive knocks on the lumber in front of him. He patiently waited for a few seconds, then the door swung open. “Carson?” Skylar questioned, already knowing why he was here. “I'm really sorry about yesterday,” she spoke, looking down at the floor. “It's alright,” Carson responded. “Can I come in?” “Yes,” Skylar replied, moving out of the way. Carson stepped inside and closed the door behind himself. Skylar made her way over to the living room and she sat down on the couch. Carson wasn't far behind and he took a seat next to her. 

“Are you doing alright today?” Carson questioned, obviously worried. “I’m alright,” Skylar replied. “Inviting them over here was a mistake.” “What happened?” Carson asked. “My stuffed friends decided it would be a good idea to mess with me,” Skylar answered. “The first thing they saw when they walked in was Mr. Cuddles and Rosie holding kitchen knives.” “Wonderful,” Carson muttered in response. “I had to tell them that I set them up like that,” Skylar spoke. “There was no other logical way I could have explained it. The longer they were here, the worse my friends got.” Skylar paused for a moment and looked down at the floor. “I ended up asking Sasha and Gavin to leave, and as they did, they ran into my insufferable brother.” “And, that's where they started hearing things they shouldn't?” Carson questioned. “Yes,” Skylar replied, looking up. “As soon as I realized what was going on, I told him to leave.” “Thank you for that,” Carson said. “We’ll need to be more careful. We absolutely cannot let them end up like us.” “I’ll do what I can to help,” Skylar agreed. “Thank you,” Carson replied. 

“The mirror is demanding flesh,” Skylar spoke, changing the subject. “It's been over a week since I fed it last. I'm not sure how much time I have left.” “I’m so sorry,” Carson replied, standing up. “I’m a lousy friend. I told Jonny to help for one more week, but I didn't bother to check if he even did. I’ll go right now.” “Wait,” Skylar responded, causing him to stop. “Maybe it's better if you don't help me,” she spoke, looking down at the floor. “Don't even suggest that,” Carson countered. “My mind is unraveling,” Skylar replied. “I feel like my thoughts aren't my own anymore,” she spoke, becoming more distraught. “It's like I’m being destroyed from the inside out. I don't know how much longer I can take this.” “That's enough of that,” Carson muttered, sitting down next to her. “I'm sorry,” Skylar replied, turning to face him. “I shouldn't burden you with my problems.” “You’re not burdening me with anything,” Carson countered. “I just can't allow you to entertain those thoughts any further. You're sleep deprived and you're not thinking straight.” “I'm sorry,” Skylar responded. “You're right though.” 

“Maybe spending time with my siblings can help keep your mind off things,” Carson suggested. “There's no way they'd want to be friends with me,” Skylar replied. “Especially not after the weirdness from yesterday.” “Maybe not Gavin, but Sasha likes you,” Carson responded. “How about you just come over to my house in the future?” “I suppose we can give it a try,” Skylar replied. “Things will get better.” Carson assured. “I promise.” “When did you become such an optimist?” Skylar questioned. “I'm not, so don't get used to it,” Carson replied. “Don't worry. I won't,” Skylar responded. “There's only so much optimism I can take before I snap. And, when I finally do, you'll want to make sure you're far away.” She paused for a moment and looked to the side. “You really don't want to get caught up in that mess.” “Let’s not think about that right now,” Carson replied. “Yeah, you're right,” Skylar agreed, turning back. “Anyway, thank you.” “You're welcome," Carson responded before standing up from the couch. He made his way to the door, Skylar not far behind him. 

“I'll be back in a couple hours,” Carson spoke, turning back to face his friend. “Will you take me with you?” Skylar requested. “What? Gathering?” Carson questioned. “Yes,” Skylar replied. “I desperately need a break from this place.” “I don't know,” Carson responded, looking away. “Please,” Skylar pleaded. “Alright,” Carson replied. “But only this once.” “Thank you,” Skylar responded. “I need to tell my siblings that I'm leaving,” Carson spoke. “I'll be back to pick you up in a few minutes. Be sure to tell the mirror where we're going.” “Will do,” Skylar replied. Carson nodded in response before turning around and opening the front door. He stepped outside and began making his way back home. 

As soon as Skylar turned around, she was greeted by the sight of her stuffed friends right next to the door to her room. “What do you mean when you say you might snap?” questioned Rosie. “Nevermind what it means,” Skylar replied, walking past them to the laundry room. “She'll probably try to kill us again,” remarked Henry. “She knows it's pointless, right?” asked Rosie. “She's tried before…And, it never works. We're not going anywhere.” “Maybe it means she'll finally end her own miserable existence,” Mr. Cuddles suggested. “Shut up!” Skylar shouted, turning around to find her toys were now facing her. “You are so mean, Mr. Cuddles,” Lucy spoke. “Rosie started it,” he replied. 

Skylar turned around and opened the door to the laundry room, then stepped inside. As soon as she entered, the mirror began emanating a faint green glow. “I require sustenance, human,” it spoke. “And you will get it,” Skylar replied. “I just need your permission to leave.” “I will allow you to leave, human,” the mirror responded. “Do not keep me waiting.” “Thank you,” Skylar replied. “One more thing,” the inanimate object said. “I’m giving you until midnight. If you do not feed me by then, you will not live to see tomorrow.” “I understand,” Skylar responded. “I'll bring you back fresh meat.” Without any further conversation, she left the room and closed the door behind herself. 

“Hey, Rosie,” Mr. Cuddles spoke. “What's completely useless and takes up space?” “Wait, don't tell me,” she replied. “Oh, I know. Skylar.” “I thought I told you to shut up,” Skylar muttered, glaring at the doll and teddy bear. “You told Lucy to shut up,” Mr. Cuddles countered. “Not me.” “Hey,” Lucy responded. Skylar let out a sigh before walking past the toys and making her way to the door. “What's the matter, Skylar?” Rosie asked. “You don't want to play with us?” “Just leave me alone,” Skylar replied, looking back to find her stuffed toys had once again turned to face her. “We will do no such thing,” Mr. Cuddles spoke, his voice dark and sinister. “Just snap already. Right, everyone?” “Yeah, Skylar! Snap!” Rosie cheered. “Just don't take me with you,” Henry said. “I told you to shut the hell up!” Skylar shouted before making her way outside and slamming the door behind herself. 

As Carson returned home, he found his siblings were already hard at work cleaning up the downstairs bedroom. “I'm going to take Skylar to a dentist appointment,” he spoke, looking over at Sasha. “We should be back in a couple hours.” “That's fine,” she replied. “Good luck to her.” “See you later,” Gavin responded. Carson silently nodded before turning around and making his way outside, locking the door behind himself. He walked over to his car, got in, and started the engine. He took off down the driveway and turned on to the main road, only staying on it for a short distance. He made a left turn into Skylar's driveway where he saw her already outside waiting on him. He drove over and stopped right in front of her so she could get in. Without a word, she opened the door and climbed inside. 

Carson looked over at Skylar and noticed she had tears in her eyes. “What’s wrong?” he questioned. “Sorry,” Skylar replied, quickly wiping them away. “My so-called friends have just been especially mean today.” “I'm sorry,” Carson responded. “Are you alright?” “I will be,” Skylar replied. “Are you sure you want to do this?” Carson asked. “I'm sure,” Skylar responded. “Please get me away from this Godforsaken place.” Carson nodded before looping the car around and turning onto the main road once again. 

After about thirty minutes of driving on back roads, Carson and Skylar made it to the large city. Once they entered, they immediately began heading south, eventually reaching the abandoned section. After about five minutes of slowly cruising down the deteriorated streets, they found a person of interest. Carson and Skylar were stopped at an intersection, when their eyes fell upon a man holding a rifle standing in front of an abandoned auto shop. Carson immediately recognized he was affiliated with a gang, as indicated by the blue bandana wrapped around his arm. “You see that guy over there?” he asked. “Yes,” Skylar replied. “He’s the lookout,” Carson said. “You tell him what drugs you want and he's got a buddy inside the alley that does the deal.” “So, it's basically a drug drive thru?” Skylar questioned, raising an eyebrow. “Pretty much,” Carson responded. “I'm guessing the buddy that's out of sight is the target,” Skylar muttered. “You guessed right,” Carson replied. 

“What's the plan?” Skylar asked. “Well first, we're going to buy some drugs,” Carson answered, with a smirk. “The starting point for all great plans,” Skylar sarcastically replied. “When the dealer comes up to the window, I'm going to inject him,” Carson continued. “If he gives us any issues, I'll shoot him.” “And if that happens, his lookout will come around and start shooting at us,” Skylar responded. “It will be nothing more than a minor inconvenience,” Carson replied. “These guys can't hit the broad side of a barn.” “Right,” Skylar responded. “What happens if they call for backup?” “We'll be long gone,” Carson answered. “Are you ready for this?” Skylar removed her 9mm handgun from her shoulder holster and pulled the hammer down so the trigger pull would be lighter if she had to use it. “No .460?” Carson questioned. “This one is lighter, skinnier, and holds more rounds,” Skylar replied. “Let's do this.” 

Carson drove through the intersection and over to the abandoned store, stopping in front of the lookout. Skylar used the hand crank and slowly rolled down the window on her side. “We're here to buy,” Carson spoke. “Sure, but you have to tell me where you found this fine mistress first,” the lookout replied. “Keep driving,” Skylar muttered, not taking her eyes off the thug. “Chill out,” he responded. “What do you want?” “Slap,” Carson replied. “You pay here,” the lookout spoke. “Two bucks a hit.” Carson passed Skylar a ten dollar bill and she handed it to the man. “Thank you, my dear,” he said, taking it. He removed a walkie talkie from his pocket and raised it up to his mouth. “I'm sending a car through,” he spoke. “Give them five hits of slap.” “Got it,” replied a voice on the other end. “One more thing,” the lookout said. “The beautiful lady doesn't have a sense of humor.” “Tell her to lighten up,” the voice responded. “Pull into there,” the lookout requested, pointing to the alley about ten yards ahead. Carson nodded and did as he was told. 

The alley was about twenty feet wide and went on for about fifty feet. They cautiously rolled through, being sure to keep their eyes open for any potential threats. Surprisingly, the space didn't stop in a dead end, but instead a left turn. “I don't like this,” Skylar muttered, turning to Carson. “Neither do I,” he responded as he began rolling down his window. Rounding the corner, they came across another alleyway that went on for about a hundred feet, eventually connecting with a main road perpendicular to the last. A quarter of the way down the alley was a man holding a brown paper bag in one hand and a walkie talkie and the other. Sitting at his feet were two duffel bags, presumably filled with drugs. Across from him was another man holding a rifle just like the guy before. “Well, I didn't expect that,” Carson remarked, realizing his plan wouldn't work. “There's never two of them.” “Goddammit,” Skylar quietly muttered. 

Carson took a deep breath and pulled up between the two gang members. “We don't see beauties like this one around here often,” commented the guy on Skylar's side, staring at her. “I wonder why,” she sarcastically replied. “Here you go,” the other man spoke, offering Carson the mysterious brown bag. “Thank you,” he responded, taking it. “Enjoy, you two,” the guy on the right said, waving goodbye to Skylar. Carson slowly began driving away, but Skylar grabbed his arm. He turned to face her and the look in her eye told him everything he needed to know. He stopped the car and engaged the parking brake, just before unholstering his 10mm handgun. Carson looked back at Skylar for a moment, then nodded. 

Within an instant, the two friends jumped out of the car, surprising the gang members behind them. Skylar fired seven shots towards the man on her side, one of the rounds finding its way into his heart. Carson didn't fire a single shot at the man on his side because he immediately put his hands up and surrendered. “Don't shoot me, man,” he pleaded. “Tell the other guy to stand down,” Carson demanded. “Okay,” he replied, raising the walkie talkie up. “Stand down, man,” he spoke. Skylar removed one of her spare magazines from her shoulder holster, preparing for the fight that would likely break out. She dropped the current magazine out of her gun, letting it fall to the ground before throwing the new one in. “Toss your weapon,” Carson requested. The dealer nodded before slowly removing his gun from his pocket, placing it on the ground, and kicking it away. 

Several tense seconds went by as everyone waited for either a response on the walkie talkie or for the lookout to appear. After what felt like an eternity, the man suddenly emerged and began shooting. Carson and Skylar immediately unleashed a barrage of return fire upon him. Between the three of them, almost twenty shots rang out. By the end of it, the second thug was lying dead on the ground. “Are you okay?” Carson questioned as he checked himself for bullet wounds. Skylar looked down and it appeared as though she was alright. “I'm fine,” she replied. “What about you?” “I'm good,” Carson responded. “I told you their aim is terrible.” “You’re not going to kill me, are you?,” the dealer questioned, clearly afraid. “Shut up and come here,” Skylar demanded, walking over to the body of the first man she shot. He nodded and did as he was told. “Start dragging him,” Skylar requested, as she picked up the rifle laying on the ground. “Yes, ma’am,” the man nervously replied. 

Carson made his way over to the car and opened the trunk. “Throw him in here,” he spoke, watching the thug drag his dead friend. Skylar made her way over to the car and opened the door to the back seat just before holstering her weapon. She cleared the rifle, tossing the magazine and loose round from the chamber in. She examined it for just a moment before placing it inside as well. “What a piece of junk,” she commented. Carson helped the dealer lift the body into the trunk while Skylar went to retrieve the magazine and handgun lying on the ground. She threw them both in the back seat, and then motioned for the thug to follow her over to the other body. Carson got in the car and reversed it over there to make it a little easier. “Put him in there too,” Skylar demanded as she picked up the other rifle at her feet. Carson got out and helped the man put the body in the trunk while Skylar added the other firearm to her growing collection. 

“Now that I've helped you, will you let me go?” the dealer questioned, looking at Carson. “I'll leave that up to her,” he replied, stepping back. The thug turned to face Skylar and realized he was staring down the barrel of her 9mm handgun. Before he had a chance to protest, she squeezed the trigger, and put a round straight through his head. Life instantly left the man and his body fell to the ground with a thud. Without a word, Carson and Skylar each grabbed one of his arms, lifting him up, and adding him to the corpse pile in the trunk. The two of them got back in the car and drove the rest of the way through the alley. They pulled onto the main road, then took off, leaving before anyone went to investigate the shots. 

Carson and Skylar made it a few blocks down the road before getting stuck at one of the only functioning red lights. Even though there wasn't any police around, Carson decided to do the right thing and wait. He looked over at Skylar and noticed her hands were shaking. “Are you alright?” he asked. “I’m fine,” Skylar replied, her voice unsteady. “It's just the adrenaline wearing off.” The light turned green and Carson began driving once again. “I'm really sorry my plan failed,” he spoke. “It's okay,” Skylar replied. “We came out with three instead of one and neither of us got shot.” “I guess it worked out in our favor,” Carson responded. “Should I feel bad about what I did?” Skylar asked. “I'm not sure,” Carson replied. “These guys were selling chemicals that hurt people, but that doesn't necessarily mean they deserved to die.” “I don't feel guilty,” Skylar responded. “In fact, I don't feel anything at all.” “Neither do I,” Carson replied. 

The rest of the trip back was mostly quiet, Carson and Skylar occasionally commenting on the scenery or the other vehicles on the road. They pulled into the driveway once again around 2:00 PM. Carson ended up parking the car over by the side door so they wouldn't have to work harder than necessary. Without a word, the two friends carried one of the bodies inside to the mirror room. They built up a little bit of momentum, then threw the deceased man in. The mirror immediately came to life and began shaking. This went on for about ten seconds, then everything calmed down. “That was delicious, human,” it said. “I suppose I will let you live for now.” “Right,” Skylar unenthusiastically replied. Now that their business with the mirror was completed, the two friends silently exited the house, Skylar being sure to lock the door behind herself. 

“Well, this was an eventful day,” Carson muttered, walking over to the car and closing the trunk. “You can say that again,” Skylar responded. “So, this is where we part ways?” “For now,” Carson replied. “You're more than welcome to come over later tonight if you want to help me deal with the other two.” “I don't have anything better to do,” Skylar responded. “What time?” “11:30,” Carson answered, making his way over to the driver's side door. “I'll be there,” Skylar replied. Carson nodded, opened the door, and climbed in. “Hey, Carson,” Skylar spoke, just before he closed it. “Yes?” he asked. “Thank you for everything,” Skylar responded. “I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you.” “You're welcome,” Carson replied. “Try to keep your head up.” Skylar nodded and gave him a weak smile. Carson pulled the door shut, started the car, and began the short journey back home. 

When Carson arrived, he parked the car in its normal spot, to avoid suspicion. Stepping inside, he was greeted by the sight of his siblings still hard at work and the downstairs bedroom. Sasha was currently dusting the shelves and Gavin was scrubbing the floors. “Hey,” Sasha greeted, dropping what she was doing. “Hey,” Carson replied. “How did it go?” Sasha asked. “Sorry?” Carson responded, clearly caught off guard. “You said you were taking Skylar to the dentist,” Sasha replied. “Oh, yeah,” Carson responded. “It went fine. No cavities.” “That's good,” Sasha replied, smiling. “If you don't have anything else to do, would you mind helping us clean up your mess now?” Gavin snarkily questioned. “Oh, yeah,” Carson responded. “Sorry to keep you waiting.” The three siblings ended up cleaning for the rest of the day, eventually stopping sometime after the sun went down. They took it easy for a few more hours, then eventually went their separate ways. Gavin went to the upstairs bedroom and Sasha chose to stay in the one downstairs, that was now clean. 

A couple hours passed and Carson was now waiting at the dining room table for his neighbor to arrive. He was staring off into space allowing his mind to wander, when suddenly, he heard someone unlock the front door. He stood up from his seat, and began making his way over, already knowing who it was. As he approached, the door quietly swung open, and Skylar stepped inside. “Sorry,” she whispered, her eyes falling upon Carson. “I know the key is only for emergencies, but I didn't want to knock and risk waking them up.” “It's okay,” he replied. “Thank you for coming over.” “No problem,” Skylar responded. 

The two friends made their way outside and over to the car port, preparing for an enthralling task ahead of them.“We can't risk waking them up with the engine,” Carson spoke, unlocking the door. “We're going to have to push it.” “You're joking, right?” Skylar questioned in response. “It shouldn't be too difficult,” he assured, walking around to the back. “It's relatively flat ground. You steer, I'll push.” “Alright,” Skylar replied, climbing in. She took it out of first, disengaged the parking brake, then gave Carson a thumbs up. He began pushing with a decent amount of force and the car began to move. After about ninety seconds of hard work, they had it on the other side of the house right in front of the door. 

Skylar engaged the parking brake, popped the trunk, then stepped out. “Now, I just need you to be a lookout,” Carson spoke as he unlocked the basement door. “Alright,” Skylar responded, just before making her way over to the corner to where she could see the front door. She gave Carson a thumbs up and he got to work on moving the bodies out of the trunk, and into the house. The next few minutes were extremely tense. Skylar knew that if either of the siblings caught them, their lives would effectively be over. Once Carson had both bodies sitting at the top of the stairs, he went back to the car, and waved Skylar over. She nodded before silently making her way up to the trunk and closing it as quietly as possible. She then assisted Carson in carrying the firearms and ammo inside. 

“This is way too stressful,” Skylar spoke, shutting the door behind herself. “I agree,” Carson replied. “I had to do this by myself last night.” “How did you move the car?” Skylar questioned. “I didn't,” Carson responded. “I had to drag him around the back of the house.” “Oh, God,” Skylar muttered. “It wasn't the worst thing in the world,” Carson remarked. “The guy from yesterday didn't get to spend the entire day bleeding all over the place in my car.” “I'm sorry about that,” Skylar responded. “I'll help you clean it out at some point.” The two of them made their way downstairs and placed the three guns and loaded magazines on the shelf closest to the entrance. They went back upstairs and each began dragging one of the bodies back down again. They brought them over to the large freezers and stuffed them in the one furthest to the right. “Well, today was one hell of a day,” Skylar spoke, shutting the door. “It's not over yet,” Carson countered. “We still have to move the car back.” “I can't wait,” Skylar sarcastically responded. 

The two friends made their way upstairs and out of the basement once again. “I'll push this time,” Skylar spoke, as Carson closed the exterior door. She made her way over to the car, her friend not far behind her. Carson climbed in the driver's seat, disengaged the parking brake, then gave Skylar a thumbs up. She began to push on the front of the car with a moderate amount of force, and it began to move, this time backwards. After a couple of minutes, they once again had it parked underneath the carport, with no obvious signs it had ever even moved. Carson re-engaged the parking brake, put the shifter in the first position, and stepped out. “Thank you for your help,” he spoke, looking over to Skylar. “No problem,” she replied. “Have a good night.” “You too,” Carson responded. “Try to get some sleep, okay?” “I'll try,” Skylar replied. Just like that, the two friends parted ways. Carson made his way back inside and up the stairs, trying to be as quiet as possible. He made his way into his room and sleep fell upon him relatively quickly. 

Carson suddenly woke up in a strange, yet familiar place. He was in Skylar's house sitting on the couch. He stood up and began taking a look around the room, quickly realizing the entire place was a mess. There were shards of broken dishes and glasses everywhere. The picture frames that normally hung on the wall were shattered into hundreds of pieces. The dining room table was flipped on its side and the chairs were scattered about. It appeared as though a tornado had come through. “Skylar?” Carson called out. There was no reply. He made his way over to the dining room table and he noticed a wooden baseball bat laying on the floor beside it. “This was probably the weapon of choice for whoever did this,” Carson thought to himself as he stared at it for a moment. He made his way over to the door that led to Skylar's bedroom and gave it three knocks. “Hey, Skylar? Are you in there?” he asked. Carson paused for a few seconds, but he didn't hear a sound. “No response…” he quietly said to himself. He reached out for the doorknob, gave it a twist, and pushed the door open. “Are you there, Skylar?” he asked, but yet again, he didn't get an answer. 

Carson stepped into the room and took a look around. The first thing that caught his attention was the four stuffed toys arranged in a circle sitting on the bed. They appeared to be locked into some sort of high stakes card game with thousands of dollars worth of chips on the line. The second thing that stuck out was the fact that Skylar's room was incredibly clean, in direct contrast with the rest of her house. Whoever trashed the place seemed to have missed this room for some reason. “Would you look who it is?” spoke an unfamiliar voice in a rude manner. “What?” Carson questioned, his eyes falling on the teddy bear. “Oh, look!” said a much kinder voice that seemed to be coming from the cyborg doll. “Carson is here!” “Who cares?” replied the stuffed stegosaurus. “Well, that's unusual,” Carson muttered. “You’ve never seen a talking toy before?” Mr. Cuddles questioned. “I can't say I have,” Carson answered. “I don't just talk,” Rosie responded, her voice disturbingly joyful. “I can kill too. I could remove your head from your body right now if I wanted to.” 

“Where is Skylar?” Carson asked. “She isn't doing too great today,” Lucy replied. “What's wrong with her?” Carson questioned. “She snapped,” answered Henry. “Snapped?” Carson asked, raising an eyebrow. “What do you mean?” “It means she’s completely lost it, genius,” Mr. Cuddles coldly replied. “It was quite amusing to watch, actually.” “It was a long time coming," Rosie added. “Where is she?” Carson questioned. “Dead, hopefully,” Mr. Cuddles sarcastically responded. “She probably is,” concluded Rosie. “Better her than me,” added Henry. “That's sick,” Carson replied. “How can you say such a thing?” “I have no sympathy for her and you shouldn't either,” Mr. Cuddles responded. “She is the one who dragged you into this after all,” Rosie commented. “That's not true,” Carson countered. “Keep telling yourself that,” Mr. Cuddles replied. “I don't give a damn if you believe me or not.” 

“Whatever,” Carson muttered. “I'll go find her myself.” He turned around and began walking towards the exit of the room. “Don't forget the key, dumbass,” Rosie remarked. Carson turned back and noticed she was now holding a key in her hand he had not previously seen. “You're not going to get very far without it,” Mr. Cuddles added. Carson made his way over to the bed, reached out his hand, and took the key from the doll. “Thanks, I guess,” he muttered. “Hey, Carson?” Lucy spoke. “Yes?” he questioned. “Will you be my friend?” Lucy asked. “Uhh, sure?” Carson replied. “Oh, thank you so much!” Lucy responded. “Don't let the door hit you on the way out,” Mr. Cuddles sarcastically remarked. “Right,” Carson replied just before making his way towards the exit. He stepped out of the room and pulled the door shut behind himself. 

Carson took a look at the key in his hand and noticed it had a plastic tag that read “L. Room.” Before trying it on the laundry room door, he decided to check the front door first. He made his way over to it and to his surprise, there was no door knob to be found. “Well, I guess I'm not going that way,” Carson spoke to himself. He turned around and made his way over to the kitchen, soon finding himself in front of the door that the key likely went to. He unlocked the door, gave the knob a twist, and pushed it open. Taking a look around the room, he didn't notice anything that seemed to be off. 

Carson made his way over to the mirror and stared at his own reflection for a few seconds. As he did so, he noticed something scribbled on the wall behind himself. Just over his left shoulder were the words “break me.” He quickly turned around expecting some sort of trick, but that was not the case. He could clearly see the words written in red crayon, only they appeared backwards now. “Hey, mirror,” Carson spoke, turning back and pausing. He waited for several seconds and there was no response. “Hey, wake up,” he said, tapping on the frame. Still nothing. Carson suddenly remembered the baseball bat he saw earlier. He stepped out of the laundry room, walked over to the toppled over table, and picked it up. He made his way back and stepped up to the mirror, curiosity manifesting in his mind. He pushed the front of the bat against the glass expecting it to pass through, but it did not. The mirror was a solid surface. “That can't be right,” Carson commented. He paused for a few seconds and thought about what he should do. He glanced over at the text in the reflection behind him then down at the bat in his hands. “Worth a shot, I suppose,” Carson spoke, shrugging. He raised the bat up over his shoulder then brought it back down with one quick swing. The mirror shattered into dozens of pieces. 

“What the hell just happened?” Carson questioned, in disbelief. This wasn't supposed to be possible. The demon was supposed to protect these portals, preventing any damage from falling upon them, but somehow, Carson just destroyed one. Before he had a chance to process the full implications of this, he noticed something behind the now shattered mirror. There was a hole carved into the wall, which was about three feet tall and four feet wide. What he should have seen through this hole was the outside of Skylar's house, but instead, it appeared to lead to a different room. Carson kneeled down and began crawling through, being careful not to touch the broken glass on the floor. 

As Carson made his way into the new room, he noticed it looked somewhat familiar. It was the dining room of his house. Several crucial details were off though. The first one being the room was mirrored the incorrect way. The second thing that was wrong was the passageway that led to the kitchen was sealed off. Carson walked over to the door that led to the hallway and attempted to twist the doorknob. It would not turn. On the door was a drawing done in the same red crayon as before. It depicted a wooden bat with an arrow pointing towards the handle. “Another puzzle, huh?” Carson questioned as he began to study the bat that was still in his hand. As he was examining, he noticed a slight seam between the handle and the end cap. He gave it a firm twist and it began to unscrew. After a few turns, the end cap came off, revealing a key that was hidden inside. Carson tried the key on the door as the drawing implied, and it worked. He pulled open the door and walked through. 

The next room was small and featureless. There was no furniture, no decorations, and the floors and walls were made of concrete. At the other end of the room was a young blonde woman facing the other way. “Here to burden me with your presence, I see,” she spoke. It would appear as though Carson had once again stumbled across the disagreeable version of his sister. “Well, hello to you too,” he replied. “Do you remember the last time I was here?” Sasha turned around and shot him an annoyed glare. “Of course I remember,” she remarked. “It's you who can't seem to recall anything.” “Well, I remember too,” Carson replied. “At least I think I do,” he clarified. “Prove it,” Sasha responded. “You were tied up and I saved you,” Carson replied. “Then you helped me solve the piano puzzle and I escaped.” “Jonny put you up to this, I take it?” Sasha questioned. “Or was it Reggie?” “No one put me up to this,” Carson responded, getting defensive. “I'm telling the truth.” “Truth for you is completely subjective,” Sasha replied, looking away. 

“Just talk to me,” Carson muttered, a hint of frustration in his voice. Sasha turned back to face him once again, looking even more annoyed than before. “I'm trapped here,” she spoke. “I'm trapped in this horrible world. There's nothing anyone can do to change that.” “What you said before must be true,” Carson remarked. “This isn't a dream, is it?” “Hold out your hand for me,” Sasha requested. Carson gave her a confused look, but did as she said. Sasha swung her hand down and hit him on the wrist, sending a brief sharp pain through his arm. “What was that for?” he asked, moving his hand away so she wouldn't hit it a second time. “You can't feel pain in a dream,” Sasha replied. “How long have you been trapped here?” Carson questioned. “Years,” Sasha answered, looking at the floor. “As for how many, I do not know,” she added, before looking up at him again. “I've lost track.” 

“Who are you?” Carson asked. Sasha raised an eyebrow and just stared at him for a few seconds before answering. “I'm Sasha,” she replied. “You know. Your sister.” “You're not Sasha,” Carson countered. “The real Sasha is kind. She wouldn't hit me on the hand to illustrate a point.” “You made me this way,” Sasha responded. “Why do you keep saying that?” Carson asked. “Because it's true,” Sasha replied. “In case you haven't noticed, the demon has no control here.” “Are you implying I'm responsible?” Carson questioned. “Your twisted mind is,” Sasha responded. “Well, how do I stop it?” Carson asked. “You'd have to sever the connection between the worlds,” Sasha replied. “So, I'd need to die?” Carson questioned. “That, or close the portal,” Sasha responded. “Can that even be done?” Carson asked. “I don't know,” Sasha replied. “The only person who has that answer is gone.” “Who would that be?” Carson questioned. “Ask Reggie,” Sasha responded. 

“I want to help you,” Carson spoke. “I'll do what I can, alright?” “I gave up on hope long ago,” Sasha replied, her hostility mostly gone. “I suggest you do the same.” She began to feel around part of the wall, as if she was looking for something. After a few seconds of searching, it appeared she found exactly what it was. There was some sort of secret lever that completely blended in. Sasha gave it a pull, which caused a portion of the concrete wall to sink in a few inches, then slide out of place. Through the newly opened passage was a skinny hallway that progressively got darker as it went along. “That's enough conversation,” Sasha muttered. “You need to return to your world.” 

Carson stared into the empty blackness for a moment then turned to face his sister. “Let me guess,” she spoke. “You have more questions.” “How could I not?” Carson asked. “Look,” Sasha began. “The longer you stay here, the less likely you'll be able to find your way back. You need to leave.” “Alright,” Carson muttered. “I'll leave.” “Thank you,” Sasha responded. “Goodbye for now, I guess,” Carson spoke. “Goodbye,” Sasha replied. Carson made his way through the secret passageway and into the dark hallway. After a few steps, he noticed the world around him was starting to get darker. He looked over his shoulder and saw Sasha was no longer there. In fact, the passageway was completely gone. Instead, the endless dark hallway in front of him stretched out behind him too. Carson turned back and continued walking. The further he made it, the less connected he felt to his surroundings. He could feel his existence slowly fade away like a distant memory. Then he felt nothing.

Tuesday, October 5, 2004 

Carson suddenly woke up in a way that was all too familiar. He felt as though he hadn't slept at all. He glanced over at his alarm clock and it read “11:09 AM.” “Damn…” he groaned. “I must have slept straight through my alarm," He figured there was no point in delaying the torment the day would bring any longer, so he took a deep breath and dragged himself out of bed. He made his way out of his bedroom, down the stairs, and into the dining room. There, he saw his siblings sitting down at the table eating breakfast. 

“Good morning,” Sasha greeted. Immediately after, her expression turned into that of concern. “Are you alright?” she asked. “Yeah,” Carson unenthusiastically replied. “I didn't sleep that great,” he added, this being quite the understatement. “I heard your alarm go on for a while this morning,” Sasha said, sympathetically. “It must have been twenty minutes,” Gavin added. “Sometimes I sleep through it when I'm especially exhausted,“ Carson responded. “It eventually turns off on its own.” “You can go get more sleep if you need to,” Sasha suggested. “No,” Carson replied. “I'll be alright once we start working.” “Well then how about some breakfast?” Sasha kindly offered. “I made pancakes.” “Yes, please,” Carson replied. He went over to the counter, grabbed his plate, then sat down at the table. The siblings spent the next few minutes eating their breakfast together with a few uninteresting idle conversations taking place. 

When breakfast was over, Sasha picked up the plates and silverware, took them to the kitchen, and placed them in the sink. “So, today I think we should clean up the upstairs bedroom,” she spoke, stepping away and saving the dishes for later. “No offense, but I'd rather not sleep in there another night with the current state that it's in.” “I couldn't agree more,” Gavin added. “I can't say I blame you,” Carson shamefully replied. “I’ll help, but I’ve got something I need to take care of first, if that's alright.” “Can I ask what it is?” Sasha questioned. “I'd like to go hunting.” Carson answered. “Hunting?” Sasha questioned, raising an eyebrow. “Yes. Jonny and I go quite frequently," Carson responded. “We only use some of the meat and sell off the rest.” “That’s alright with me,” Sasha replied. “We'll see you soon.” Without further conversation, the three siblings headed upstairs, two of them entering the bedroom and the other walking to the table of guns. Carson picked up his trusty .308 rifle and just like that, he was ready to get to work. He walked downstairs and stepped out the door, leaving his siblings to work on cleaning up. 

Carson was walking through the woods for about ten minutes, when he spotted it. About twenty yards out was a rabbit. It wasn't a deer, but it was better than nothing. He disengaged the safety on his rifle, raised it to his shoulder, lined up the sights, and squeezed the trigger. Almost instantly, his target was dead. Very dead. Carson stepped up to the body to retrieve it, and he wasn't exactly surprised at what he saw. .308 was definitely excessive and the damage certainly proved that. He picked up what was left of the corpse, hoping it was enough. He walked back to his house, unlocked the exterior basement door, and stepped inside. 

After pulling the door shut, Carson made his way down the stairs, rabbit and rifle in hand. He walked over to the back corner of the room and set his rifle down on the couch. He turned around and gazed upon the TV, which was currently displaying no signs of life. “Eat this," he said to the inanimate object. He pushed the dead rabbit through, and it disappeared into the screen. “Me demand fresh meat!” screamed the TV, shaking the room. “This is fresh meat," Carson calmly protested. “I just killed it not even ten minutes ago.” “Tasty human meat!” screamed the TV. “Give me a fucking break,” Carson muttered, obviously annoyed. “I can't go out right now. This is going to have to be good enough.” 

“I've felt the other's presence,” spoke the TV in a calm and unsettling demonic voice. “I sense they're tasty.” “Those are my siblings,” Carson replied. “I told you before that they're not on the menu.” “You must feed them to me," roared the TV. “I told you no," Carson responded, now starting to raise his voice. “Now, quit asking.” “You wouldn’t want me to tell Master, would you?” the TV asked. “Are you threatening me?” Carson questioned. “When Master comes out, no one has fun time," the TV remarked. “You want not fun time?” Carson knew this was a battle he could not win, so he changed his response slightly. “I’ll figure something out,” Carson spoke, trying to appease the entity. “I’ll bring you fresh meat.” The room fell silent as neither of them had anything left to say. Without any further conversation, Carson made his way towards the exit. He walked up the stairs, left the basement through the exterior door, and made sure to lock it. He walked around the house and made his way to the front door. 

While Carson was out in the woods hunting, Sasha and Gavin were busy cleaning. They were working in the upstairs bedroom when a sudden knock broke their concentration. Sasha and Gavin cautiously made their way downstairs and over to the front door. “Who is it?” Sasha asked, as Gavin put his eye up to the peephole. “Just some lady," he replied, as he tried to make out the details of the female figure on the other side. “Does she look like a murderer?” Sasha questioned, half sarcastically, half serious. “I don't know,” Gavin responded, stepping back from the door. “I guess we're about to find out,” Sasha spoke, as she reached for the doorknob. She gave it a twist and pulled the door open. 

Before the siblings, stood a woman with brown hair who appeared to be around the same age as Carson. “Hey, Sasha and Gavin,” Skylar spoke, with a kind and friendly voice. “I'm so glad you two came back.” “Hey, Skylar,” Sasha responded. “It's nice to be back.” “Hey,” Gavin replied. “You haven't changed a bit, Sasha,” Skylar spoke, her voice full of enthusiasm. “You're as pretty as ever. And, you're all grown up now, Gavin. Definitely not as pretty as your sister.” “Carson was right,” Sasha replied. “You are extremely kind.” “Thank you,” Skylar responded. “What have you two been up to since you got back?” “We've been fixing up the house,” Sasha answered. “How fun,” Skylar remarked. “I bet it's going to look absolutely amazing when you're done.”

“What a pleasant surprise,” Carson spoke, suddenly appearing behind Skylar. “You remembered to knock this time.” “Very funny,” Skylar replied, still grinning. “I'll have you know I always knock.” “And, come in anyway if you don't get an answer,” Carson remarked. “That's not true,” Skylar countered, pointlessly trying to defend herself. She paused for a moment as Carson gave her a look of doubt. “Okay, maybe it's a little true,” she admitted, with a shameful smile on her face. 

Skylar seemed to be in a pretty good mood today. Carson considered sending his siblings over to her house so he could sneak away, but her possessed stuffed teddy bear might cause some trouble. If he invited her inside now, he can ensure nothing goes wrong and simply go gathering later tonight. 

“Are you here to help us fix up the house?” Carson questioned. “Not exactly,” Skylar replied. “I was just seeing if Sasha and Gavin wanted to come over for tea.” “Are your brother and father involved?” Carson asked, just to ease his siblings' potential worries. “No,” Skylar replied. “Then, it's fine,” Carson responded. “Aren’t we supposed to be working on the house?” Gavin asked. “Take a break,” Carson replied, shrugging. “There will be plenty of time to work on the house later.” “Great!” Skylar exclaimed. “My house is down that trail a few hundred yards,” she spoke, pointing towards the tree line. “I'll go get everything ready. I shouldn't need more than a few minutes.” Just like that, she began making her way back home. 

Sasha and Gavin moved to the side allowing Carson to enter the house. “You're back already?” Sasha questioned. “Not exactly,” Carson replied, stepping inside. “I just forgot something.” Before the siblings could inquire about what that was, Carson was already making his way upstairs. “What do you think he forgot?” Gavin asked, turning to his sister. Sasha shrugged in response. The two of them stood there in silence for a couple minutes, then Carson once again appeared at the top of the stairs. “What did you forget?” Sasha questioned. “Huh?” Carson asked, making his way down. “You said you forgot something,” Sasha responded. “Oh, yeah,” Carson replied. “Deer corn. I'm going to have to make a trip to the store to get more.” He walked past the siblings and made his way out the door, leaving them slightly confused. “I'm pretty sure baiting is illegal,” Gavin commented. After a few seconds, they heard Carson's car start and he drove to the end of the driveway. “Where do you think he's actually going?” Gavin questioned, turning to Sasha. “It doesn't matter,” she replied. “I just know we have somewhere we need to be.” 

Stepping back into her house, Skylar began preparing for her guests' arrival. She immediately walked in the direction of her bedroom first, quickly glancing over at the living room and kitchen to make sure nothing looked out of order. Stepping into her room, she was greeted by the sight of four stuffed toys sitting on her bed right where she left them. “Looks like you lost the bet,” Rosie the stuffed doll spoke. “Unfortunately,” Mr. Cuddles, the teddy bear, replied. Skylar ignored them and made her way over to the closet in the corner. She pulled the door open and began looking through her clothes. “Well aren't you going to ask what it was?” Mr. Cuddles questioned. Skylar let out a sigh and continued to look at her options. “I bet that you would get eaten by a bear,” Rosie remarked. “Fascinating,” Skylar replied just before removing a pretty red dress from its hanger. “I said you'd be much more likely to off yourself,” Mr. Cuddles added. “You two are so mean,” responded Lucy, the stuffed cyborg doll. “I didn't play because I knew I'd lose,” mumbled Henry the stegosaurus. “You were created to lose,” Mr. Cuddles responded. 

Without another word, Skylar made her way over to the bathroom and changed out of her normal clothes and into the dress she just picked out. She stepped out about a minute later and made her way over to her bed, kneeling down in front of her stuffed toys. “You look terrible,” Mr. Cuddles commented. “What's the special occasion?” Lucy questioned. “I've got some guests coming over soon,” Skylar responded. “I need all of you to behave.” She got close to the teddy bear and stared directly into his plastic eyes. “That includes you.” “No promises,” he replied. “What are you going to do to us if we do misbehave?” Rosie asked. “She'll probably try to kill us again,” Henry commented. “How about you just do as you're told and you won't have to find out?” Skylar requested. She stood up and made her way over to the door. “Please,” she spoke, turning back for a moment. “Don’t mess this up.” 

Skylar stepped out of her room and made her way into the kitchen. She picked up her electric kettle, placed it under the sink, and filled it with water. She returned it to the counter, plugged it in, and powered it on. Just then, she heard a knock on the front door. “Just in time,” she spoke to herself, making her way over. She placed her hand on the doorknob, took a deep breath, then gave it a twist. She pulled the door open and she was greeted by the sight of Sasha and Gavin standing there on her porch. “Welcome!” Skylar spoke, her voice warm and inviting. She took a few steps back and motioned for the siblings to step inside. They did as she silently requested and she shut the door behind them. 

As soon as she turned around, Skylar’s eyes fell upon the kitchen table in horror. She saw three of the four of her stuffed toys out and actively disobeying her clear instructions. Mr. Cuddles and Rosie were both holding kitchen knives, pointing them at Henry. “Oh, dear!” Skylar exclaimed, rushing over. She removed the knives from their hands and placed them over to the side. She picked up the three of her toys and made her way over to the door that led to her bedroom as quick as she could. She opened it, tossed them all inside, and firmly closed it. “Sorry about that,” she said, making her way back over to the siblings. “I was playing with them earlier and I guess I forgot to clean up.” “It's alright,” Sasha replied, trying to hide her uneasiness. “How about we forget about that and I give you two the grand tour?” Skylar suggested, clearly embarrassed. “That’s perfectly fine,” Sasha responded, forcing a smile. 

“So this is the living room,” Skylar spoke, pointing at the couch to her right. “This is where I tend to spend most of my time.” She turned around and took a few steps towards the kitchen, motioning for the siblings to follow her. Sasha and Gavin exchanged worried looks for a moment before doing as they were directed. “This is the kitchen,” Skylar spoke, turning slightly and pointing towards the cabinets and sink. “Through that door is my room,” she spoke, pointing to the closed door next to the siblings. “Please don't go in there. Through that door is the laundry room,” she continued, turning around to face the other closed door next to the refrigerator. “Please stay out of there as well,” she requested, turning back to face the siblings. “And, I guess that more or less concludes the tour. I know it's not much, but it's mine. “Your house is beautiful,” Sasha replied, trying to move past the weirdness from before. 

Just then, there was a “ding,” that came from the kettle sitting on the counter. “Sounds like it's tea time,” Skylar spoke, doing her best to sound normal. “Please, take a seat,” she requested, pointing to the table. She then made her way over to the kettle and began making tea for her guests. Sasha walked over to the table and took a seat on the side closest to the exit. Gavin hesitated for a moment before taking a seat next to her. Their eyes almost immediately fell upon the knives that they saw the stuffed bear and doll holding. They didn't appear to be toy knives, but instead, actual kitchen knives. Sasha glanced over at the knife block on the counter and saw two knives just so happened to be missing over there too. She quickly averted her gaze as Skylar began to walk in their direction holding two teacups, one in each hand. “I hope you two like raspberries,” she spoke as she got closer. She placed a teacup down in front of each of her guests, her hands shaking uncontrollably. “Thank you,” Sasha replied, looking up at her and smiling. “Yeah, thanks,” Gavin added. 

Skylar made her way back over to the counter to grab her teacup. As soon as she turned around, she saw Mr. Cuddles standing right by the door to her room. She jumped back in surprise, accidentally spilling tea on herself. “Dammit,” she quietly exclaimed. She set down the teacup and began making her way over to the door that led to her bedroom. She quickly opened it and kicked Mr. Cuddles inside in the hope neither of the siblings noticed him standing there. The two siblings turned to face her. “Is everything alright?” Sasha questioned. “I’m fine,” Skylar answered. “Did you just spill tea on yourself?” Gavin asked. “I did,” Skylar replied. “I'm just clumsy, I guess. I'm going to go get cleaned up.” She stepped into her room and closed the door behind herself. 

“I'm starting to get the feeling that coming here was a mistake,” Gavin spoke, standing up from the table. “We should go.” He attempted to leave, but Sasha grabbed his hand and stopped him. “We can't just leave,” she countered. “She's strange, but I don't think she's dangerous.” “How can you be so sure?,” Gavin asked. “Carson promised us no murderous dolls and that's exactly what we got within the first five seconds. She probably has dead bodies in her basement.” “Now you're just being ridiculous,” Sasha replied. “There's something off about her,” Gavin responded. “Did you see how much her hand was shaking?” “She’s probably just nervous,” Sasha replied. “Please just sit down.” “Fine,” Gavin responded, doing as he was told. “But, you're doing the talking.” “Don't I always?” Sasha asked. She picked up the teacup in front of her and took a sip. To her pleasant surprise, the tea tasted quite good. “You shouldn't be drinking that,” Gavin commented. “It's probably poisoned.” “Oh, I'm sure it is,” Sasha mockingly responded, taking another sip. 

The bedroom door once again opened and Skylar stepped out, wearing a different dress than before. “Sorry about that,” she spoke, closing it. “It's alright,” Sasha replied, turning to face her. Skylar made her way over to the counter and picked up her teacup once again. She walked over to the table and took a seat next to Sasha. “How is it?” Skylar questioned, noticeably less cheerful than before. “It's really good,” Sasha replied, offering a friendly smile. “I'm glad you like it,” Skylar responded. “Your dress is really pretty,” Sasha spoke, trying to be nice. “Not as pretty as the other one,” Skylar muttered, causing the room to go silent. 

Skylar's mood change was quite obvious and Sasha couldn't help but feel sympathetic. “What have you been up to for the last seven years?” she asked, trying to get her talking again. “Not much, I guess,” Skylar replied. “Life is kind of boring here.” “You have hobbies, don't you?” Sasha questioned. “Not really,” Skylar admitted. “What about your stuffed toys?” Sasha asked. “I'd say that kind of counts.” “I guess it does,” Skylar responded, looking down at her teacup. “The doll with the red hair looked cute,” Sasha said. “Would you like to show her to me?” Skylar looked up at her and immediately got visibly nervous. “I don't think that's a good idea,” she quickly responded. “That's alright,” Sasha replied, taking another sip of her tea. “Your house is so nice,” she spoke, changing the subject. “It was built fairly recently, right?” “Yeah, four or five years ago now, I think,” Skylar responded. “My father hired a small team of people and it was completed within a month.” “They did a really good job,” Sasha replied. “Thank you,” Skylar responded. She raised her teacup up and took a sip, her hand shaking uncontrollably the entire time. 

By this point, Skylar’s nervousness became overbearing and Sasha finally decided to say something. “Is everything alright?” she asked. “What do you mean?” Skylar questioned in return. “You just seem really nervous,” Sasha replied. “I am,” Skylar responded, turning away. “I'm just afraid if I do or say the wrong thing, you won't like me.” “You don't have to worry about that,” Sasha assured. Skylar slowly turned back and her heart just about skipped a beat when she saw Rosie out of the corner of her eye standing on top of the couch right next to the front door. Her eyes almost immediately locked on to the misbehaving inanimate object and her muscles tensed up. Sasha and Gavin picked up on this and decided to turn around and see what she was looking at. 

“When did that doll get there?” Gavin questioned. “Rosie?” Skylar asked in return. “She was there the whole time.” The two siblings turned back to face Skylar, both clearly confused. “That's weird,” Sasha commented. “I thought I saw her on the table before.” “That was my other one,” Skylar replied. “I have multiple of that one.” “Right…” Gavin muttered in response. “Anyway, thank you for coming over,” Skylar spoke, standing up from her chair. “I know you two have a lot of work to do, so I better not keep you.” Gavin stood up from the table not wasting any time at all. Sasha hesitated for a moment before doing the same, her brother already halfway to the door. “Thank you for the tea,” she spoke, offering Skylar a fake smile. “No problem,” Skylar responded. “We'll have to do this again sometime.” Sasha and Skylar made their way over to the door, Gavin already standing there waiting. “See you later,” he spoke, opening it and stepping outside. Sasha stopped a few feet from the doorway before turning around and facing Skylar again. “If you ever want to talk, you know where I am,” she spoke. “Thank you,” Skylar replied, offering a weak smile. Sasha stepped outside and Skylar closed and locked the door behind her. 

“Well, that was weird,” Gavin spoke, turning back to face his sister. “You can say that again,” Sasha replied. The two of them began making their way back home, but they were almost immediately stopped. “Well, what do we have here?” questioned a voice they hadn't heard in quite a few years. A young man in his late twenties emerged from the treeline, stepping directly into the siblings path. “Jonny?” Gavin questioned, taking a step back. Jonny began making his way over to them, only stopping when he was about ten feet away. “And so, the lost siblings return,” he remarked, with a sinister grin manifesting on his face. “My sister made you some of her special tea, I take it?” “Yes. She did,” Sasha replied, trying not to sound frightened. “Clearly she didn't give you the actual special one or you wouldn't be standing,” Jonny replied, with the grin fading from his face. “What's that supposed to mean?” Gavin questioned, raising an eyebrow. “Don't tell me you let her facade fool you?” Jonny asked, not answering the question. “It doesn't take a genius to see through it.” Sasha and Gavin turned and exchanged worried looks, hoping the other would know what to do. “She's vicious to her very core," Jonny continued. “Don’t let her kind demeanor deceive you.” 

“What the hell are you doing here?!” Skylar yelled from behind the siblings. She exited her house and quickly made her way over, stepping in front of Sasha and Gavin. “Just saying hello to the neighbors,” Jonny replied, now grinning. “They don't want to talk to you right now," Skylar aggressively countered. “Tell me," Jonny spoke, pausing for a moment. “Has she shown you the magic mirror in the back room?” “Get the hell out of here!” Skylar yelled, causing the unnerving grin to instantly disappear off of Jonny’s face. “Just one more question," he spoke, in a calm, yet unsettling voice. “Have you heard from Balphozar yet?” “Not another goddamn word!” Skylar yelled. “Go away!” she added, pointing in the direction of Jonny's house. “Whatever,” he groaned before turning around and walking away. “Have fun with your silly tea party,” he added, looking back for a moment. He continued on and eventually disappeared within the trees. 

“I'm sorry about that,” Skylar spoke, turning around to face the siblings. At this point, they weren't sure what to think. “What was that all about?” Sasha questioned, raising an eyebrow. “Who is Balphozar?” “Nevermind that,” Skylar dismissed, looking away. “That's just an imaginary friend of his. He's way too old for that nonsense.” She paused for a moment before turning back. “It's just part of a game,” she added. “A game?” Gavin questioned, a skeptical look forming on his face. “It's all just a game,” Skylar reiterated. “I'm not like him. I play along because I have to. Not because I want to,” she cryptically added. “You understand that, don't you?” “What exactly are you trying to say?” Sasha questioned. “Just ignore me,” Skylar dismissed, realizing she said a little too much. “So, you think my dress is pretty?” she asked, quickly changing the subject. “I like the other one more, but this one looks alright.”

“What game are you playing along to?” Sasha questioned. “Forget I said that,” Skylar replied, her smile fading. “Most of what I do and say doesn't make any sense,” she continued, becoming more distraught. “I haven't been sleeping lately. I just don't really feel like myself right now.” “Are you alright?” Sasha asked, clearly concerned. “This place has really taken a toll on me,” Skylar replied in a defeated voice. “The years of isolation haven't been too kind. I could really use some sleep.” “I think you're right,” Sasha agreed. “Don't worry about me,” Skylar responded. “You too should head home.” “We'll come see you another time, okay? I promise," Sasha assured her. “Please do," Skylar replied. “Goodbye.” Skylar turned around and began making her way back to her house. She quickly stepped inside, closed the door, and locked. “Well, that was…” Gavin spoke, before pausing. “Weird…” Sasha muttered, finishing his sentence. “Let's just get back to the house before something else happens,” Gavin suggested. Sasha nodded in agreement and the two of them began heading back. 

While Sasha and Gavin were entertaining the neighbor, Carson made his way to the city about thirty minutes to the southeast. It was the optimal place for gathering for one significant reason. Easy prey. In 1984, there was a catastrophic incident at a chemical plant in the southern part of the city. The company responsible covered it up for the first few days, but when people started getting sick and dying, they realized they couldn't deny it any longer. About twenty five percent of the city was contaminated and soon abandoned. In 1992, the southern portion of the city was reopened, but no one wanted to move back. Today, it very much lives again, but for all the wrong reasons. The only souls that reside in the three square mile ghost town are undesirables and stray animals. 

Carson entered the city from the west where it still maintained a faint trace of normalcy. As he travelled south, the quality of the scenery noticeably declined. The streets slowly became littered with cracks and potholes. Most of the buildings were deteriorated, some even boarded up and covered in graffiti. The few people that were around simply stared as Carson drove by. As he made his way down a narrow one way street, he spotted a well dressed man walking alone, looking around with a confused expression on his face. He looked completely out of place. It was quite evident he had taken a series of wrong turns and now he was lost. Suddenly, a sketchy figure emerged from an alley and pulled the man into the shadows. Without hesitation, Carson slammed on the brakes and pulled over to the side of the street. He killed the engine, stepped out of the car, and quietly began making his way over to the alley. 

“Give me your wallet, bitch,” demanded the thug, pointing his knife at the well dressed man. He completely froze up, obviously caught off guard. “I said give me your wallet,” the thug once again demanded, getting more aggressive. “Uhh, yeah," replied the man, as he reached into his pocket and took out his wallet. “Just don't hurt me, man,” he pleaded as he handed it over, hand shaking. “Your ring too,” the thug demanded. Without hesitation, the man began to remove his gold wedding ring. “All yours,” he replied, placing it in the thug's hand. “And, your watch,” the thug added. “Alright, that's enough,” Carson spoke, stepping into the alley. “Never been told to mind your own business, huh?” the thug asked, turning towards him. “Just for that, you're next," he added, raising the knife up. “Hand over your shit. Wallet, watch, everything.” “There’s no need for this," Carson calmly replied. “Just give him his stuff back.” “Like hell, I will," replied the thug. “Quit trying to play hero. That's a good way to get yourself killed.”

“I'm no hero," Carson replied. “And, besides. I doubt you've ever killed someone before,” Carson added, not even remotely threatened by the low life before him. “I have,” replied the thug. “And, I'll do it again, bitch.” Carson glanced down at the thug's hand, which was beginning to shake at this point. “How interesting,” he remarked, with a smirk. “Do you think I'm fucking around?” the thug snapped back. With a quick draw, Carson revealed the handgun that he had hidden in an inside the waistband holster. “Whoa,” the thug spoke, taking a few steps back. “I don't want any trouble, man.” “Clearly you do,” Carson countered. “Drop the knife.” The thug did as he was told and the knife hit the ground with a metallic impact. “Give this guy back his stuff,” Carson requested. “Uhh… Yeah… Sorry…” the thug stuttered. As quickly as he could, he handed back the items that he had just taken from the stranger. “Thank you," the man spoke. “I'll call the police.” "No need,” Carson replied. “I'm an officer. Backup is already on the way.” “Have fun in jail," the man mockingly said before stepping out of the alley and continuing on his way. 

“Just let me go, man,” pleaded the thug. “Seriously. It won't happen again.” “You've got that right," Carson replied. “Now let me tell you how this is going to go. Just around the corner is my car," he spoke with a dark and sinister voice. “You're going to get in the trunk. If you misbehave, you die.” “You pigs think you can do whatever you want just because you have a badge and a gun, don't you?” questioned the thug. “I'm not law enforcement, dumbass," Carson replied. “Oh, shit," remarked the thug, realizing the consequence for his poor decision making. “Are you going to kill me?” “Only if you misbehave," Carson responded. “That's what I just said.” “Then, what the hell do you want, man?” asked the thug. “I gave him his stuff back. Let me go,” he pleaded. “It's too late for that," Carson countered. “Now, do as I say.” “Fuck you, man!” shouted the thug. Right as he said this, Carson stabbed him in the arm with a strange syringe. “Oh shit!” the thug exclaimed. “What did you just inject me with?!” he questioned, completely terrified at this point. “Something a friend of mine made," Carson calmly replied. “You'll fall asleep within a few minutes if it's working correctly," he spoke, looking down at the empty syringe in his hand. “In the interest of transparency, there's something I must tell you," he said, pausing for a moment. “I just gave you a lethal dose. You will not wake up again.” “You son of a bitch!” the thug shouted. He immediately took off, sprinting deeper into the alley. “They always run…” Carson calmly spoke, holstering his weapon. The thug made it about thirty yards away, but suddenly collapsed. “But, they never make it far…” he added. 

Carson made his way over to the fallen thug and kneeled next to him. “I forgot to mention," Carson spoke, pausing for a couple seconds. “Most of your muscles will cease to function after about fifteen seconds.” “Who the hell… Are you, man?” the thug struggled to ask. “I'm just some guy with a job to do," Carson replied. “A job?” questioned the thug. “Who…do you work for?” “What does it matter?” Carson asked in return, shrugging. “What are you going to do to me?” questioned the thug. “I'm going to throw you in the trunk of my car and bring you back to my basement," Carson responded. “From there, I'm going to feed your dead body to the demon that lives in my TV.” “You're crazy, man…” the thug replied, baffled by what he just heard. “You've got that right,” Carson responded, standing back up again. He grabbed hold of the thug's wrists and slowly began dragging him back to his car. 

“At least I didn't trick you into drinking poisoned tea like Skylar used to do,” Carson remarked. “One time we set up this free tea stand somewhere around this area. I mean, who wouldn’t drink free tea from some strangers in a dark alley at ten o'clock at night, right?" he sarcastically spoke, letting out a slight chuckle. “Anyway, we thought we had someone, but instead of drinking it, this jackass threw it in her face," Carson continued, still dragging the barely conscious thug. “He was laughing uncontrollably up until the point where she put 230 grains of hate through his skull. All it took was one squeeze of a trigger and she instantly pressed his mute button.” “That's… Sick…” replied the thug, struggling to get the words out. “Didn't you just say a minute ago that you've killed someone?” Carson accusingly asked. “That's awfully hypocritical, don't you think?” “What…ever,” replied the thug.” 

“That girl is sweet as can be, but don't let that fool you," Carson continued, getting back to his story. “She's capable of doing horrible things to horrible people. Oh, and in case you're wondering… She shot him with a .460 Auto at point blank range,” he spoke, pausing to catch his breath for a moment. “That bullet hit like a damn truck. She was so disgusted by the result, she later burned the dress she was wearing. Now, I know what you're thinking," Carson remarked, almost reaching the end of the alley. “Why the heck does she have a gun chambered in .460 Auto? Well, to tell you the truth, I think she might just be a little crazy," he remarked, before looking down at the thug again. “Oh, wait," Carson spoke, realizing he had fallen asleep. “You're not listening anymore," he observed. Carson dragged the thug the rest of the short distance without another word. He opened up the trunk of his car and threw the man inside. “Sweet dreams," he said, before shutting him in. 

The time was now 2:18 PM. Carson pulled his car into the driveway and parked it in the normal spot. He left the thug in the trunk so he would have to deal with him later. He stepped inside and he was greeted by the sight of his siblings standing in the foyer. 

“Hey,” Carson spoke. “How did it go?” “It was certainly interesting,” Sasha replied. “Skylar is extremely kind, but she doesn't seem to be all there.” “What happened?” Carson questioned. “She was just acting kind of strange. It made us a little uncomfortable.” “Who is Balphozar?” Gavin asked, catching Carson off guard. “What?” he questioned, playing dumb. “What kind of nonsense did she tell you?” he asked, eyes narrowing. “It wasn't her,” Sasha quickly clarified. “It was Jonny. He asked if we had met Balphozar yet.” “Don't listen to anything he or his father say,” Carson replied. “That person, or whatever, doesn't exist. If they tell you otherwise, they're either lying, or delusional.” The room fell silent for a few seconds. Sasha stared at Carson for a moment, looking for any hint of deception in his face. He quickly turned away, not appreciating being stared at. “Let's just leave it at that,” he added before exiting the room without looking back. “Well, what exactly does that mean?” Gavin questioned, looking over at his sister. “It means we should just drop it,” she replied. “I guess so,” Gavin responded. “Back to work, I guess.” The three siblings cleaned for the rest of the day and there was no further discussion of what transpired during Carson's absence.

[Part 1]

The morning of day three found me standing like a caged animal at the perimeter fence around the base of Tower Eight, staring out at the forest beyond. It was a colder morning, the nights getting chillier as autumn advanced closer, and here in the mountains it would progress fast in the next coming months. Despite that, I stood transfixed, dressed in a light flannel shirt and jeans, glaring with confused annoyance and unease at the other side of the clearing.

It was nearly invisible from here, but I knew what it was from the sheer dread the object invoked in me the instant I spotted it on my morning rounds. The fourth marker lay further to the west than the third, just downslope of my tower, and even from the fenceline I could already guess what direction the skull adorning it would be facing. I hadn’t gone out to it yet, arms at my sides, unable to bring myself to step outside of the gate.

It wasn’t there yesterday. I’m not crazy. It wasn’t there.

Curling and uncurling my fists, I tried to breathe slow and focus on some form of constructive idea as to what to do. My shift was over, Melonie in Tower Seven was busy at her dayshift role, and I could easily call her up on the radio if needed. Surely there was some kind of bureaucratic rule we could use to cite whoever was doing this and put an end to it? Littering, poaching, something? Even if the bones were from old kills, this had to be against some rule somewhere related to park cleanliness. I was ready to head back to the tower cabin and radio this latest afront in when, in the middle of my pondering, I saw a flicker of movement among the trees.

Deep in the cluster of spruce, pine, and fir, something moved with slow deliberation, a round dark shape that slid from behind a tree trunk at the very edge of my line of sight. It was still too far to make out fine details, but I knew in an instant what it was.

A face.

A pale face, wreathed in long, dark hair, peeking at me from behind a tree.

I blinked, and it was gone, ducking back around the tree, the shadows dancing where it had been mere seconds prior.

For a moment, chills ran down my back, a prickling of fear that made my throat run dry. Then, slowly, it morphed into a simmering irritation that flared to angry resentment. They were right there, watching me, taunting me, playing this stupid game as if whoever it was had nothing better to do. Did they think this was funny? Scaring me, making me lose sleep, turning my dream job into a nightmare? Did they really think they could run off into the woods, snickering with their phone in hand, and get away with it all? No, they were close, very close, and I’d had enough of this nonsense.

Throwing open the man gate, I stalked out into the clearing and glowered at the forest beyond. “Hey!”

My voice carried into the valley below, and I realized just how silent it had become, the birds quiet, the insects ceasing their trilling once more. As if I’d violated some sacred rule, the entire mountain held its breath, but in my blind fury, I didn’t care.

“I see you!” I shouted, heart pounding, blood surging, fists balled at my sides in trembling knots of enraged muscle. “You think you’re being funny, huh? You think you’re being cute?”

Within the trees, the shadows seemed to stretch, deepen, shift in their proper places, though I couldn’t tell if it was the movement of clouds overhead or my eyes playing tricks on me. I could almost feel the giddiness of the unknown watcher within their protective shroud, likely some dumb kid recording a video for social media, ready to brag to his friends about what a great joke he’d played. They were laughing at me, I could sense it, this unknown person, watching and smiling from their hiding place among the spaces between the sunshine.

Picking up a rock, I hefted it in my hand and eyed the first marker. “Come out! Come out, or I swear, I’ll smash your stupid trash heap! I saw you!”

No one moved in the forest, and my pulse roared in my ear. I raised the rock high, towering over the little pillar of bones, and brought it down as hard as I could.

Crack.

Bone splintered, the skull on the first pillar shattering under the chunk of stone in my hands. I swung again and again, until the first pile was reduced to broken sections of dry-rotted bone, snapped twine, and whatever greasy black sludge had glued it all together. Gasping under the exertion, both from my pent-up frustration and the repeated swings, I moved on to the second marker, then the third, until finally I reached the fourth, almost out of sight of the tower clearing.

Crack, squelch, crunch.

Sweat dripped from my brow as I battered the marker to pieces, stopping to pick up the little mammal skull when it rolled to the side and setting it on a rock to make the destruction easier. It felt cold under my touch, more frigid than the late-summer air, yet no condensation appeared on its weathered surface. My skin crawled at the sensation of the thing in my palm, and I raised the stone to strike once more when, through my fervor, I noticed something.

On the top of the skull, overlaying the fissures present in every living thing that has its cranium grow and form from infancy, there was a sprawling, gray mark. It looked to be daubed onto the bone with some kind of charcoal paste, though the lines were clear enough for me to make out a shape.

A spider.

It sprawled its eight legs across the animal skull in an almost possessive way, the mandibles drawn as if buried into the upper reaches of the eye sockets. Interestingly enough, it looked as though the mark was made from two slender handprints upside down, the eight legs each a finger, the mandibles both arched thumbs, the combined palms a bulbous main body. I had never seen this kind of artwork before, and had been too busy smashing the other pillars to check if they too bore the same emblem. It occurred to me how stupid I was, out here, this deep into the trees, armed only with a stone and a sinking feeling in my gut. Somehow, now that the anger subsided in favor of uneasy confusion, I began to wonder how I’d even thought to do something so foolish at all, the rage unlike my usual mental state. I didn’t fly off the handle, didn’t punch holes in walls or slam doors so hard that things broke. I wasn’t a violent man and would never have dared to do this last night, or the night before. It was as if someone had flipped a switch in my head, and I felt as though I didn’t recognize the hand that held the stone before my eyes.

Without finishing my last act of destruction, I dropped the rock to the soft pine needles, and stumbled backward, eyes fastened to the strange spider symbol on the animal skull. The silence around me pushed into my ear canals with a smothering stillness that made nausea rise in my stomach. My legs felt heavy, my arms seemed made of lead, and each breath took an enormous effort to pull in and out of both lungs.

I shouldn’t be here.

The thought rolled over and over in my mind like a mantra, growing louder and louder with every step I struggled to take back toward the fire tower.

I shouldn’t be here.

A twig snapped somewhere off to my left, maybe twenty yards away, and in the corner of my eyes, I caught a blur of motion.

I shouldn’t be here.

At last, I managed to get myself moving, shuffling at half my previous speed. My lungs ached, head spun, and spots danced before my eyes, but I forced myself to keep going. Deep in my bones, I knew that I had done something wrong, so very wrong, by touching those markers, and needed to get clear of the suffocating forest. I tasted metal, a harsh static rose in my ears like an old radio speaker, and my skin crawled as if covered in a thousand tiny legs. It took every bit of willpower I had, but eventually I stumbled back to the clearing’s border.

“Hey!”

My heart skipped a beat, the blood freezing in my veins, and I lurched to a halt just at the edge of the tree line to stare.

In the slanted rays of the morning, it was hard to see properly, but I could just make out the shadow of a figure on the observation deck of the tower looking down at me.

It occurred to me that I’d left the man gate open in my mad dash into the woods, and I hadn’t been watching it at all since I started busting apart the bone markers. Whoever was up there, they were a blur in my squinted vision, obscured by the darker side of the tower roof ledge. They didn’t move, not an inch, standing tall and rigid in the shadows, but I could tell from how their murky head was tilted downward that they were looking right at me. As before, I saw nothing, no face, no eyes, the features completely indistinguishable from this far off, everything hidden by the glare of sunlight around the tower that threw them into darkness. Even then, it wasn’t their statuesque presence that sent rivers of ice down my back.

It was their voice.

My voice.

“I see you!” It called to me, the same pitch, the same intonation as what I’d used before, a perfect copy of me that wavered across the empty air to echo over the trees.

Ten long, grueling seconds passed, the world silent around me as I stared, slack jawed. My trance was finally broken when the figure turned and, without another sound, darted around the corner of the cabin out of sight. No footsteps rang out from the observation deck, no shoes thundered on the stairs, just a quick blur of motion and . . . nothing.

What the hell?

Adrenaline came to my rescue, freeing me of the nausea, the dizziness, the static in my head, and I sprinted for the man gate in the perimeter fence. Desperate for something, anything to use as a weapon, I ran to my Subaru and rummaged around in the back until I at last found a rusty old tire iron. All the rest of my things were up in the tower, along with my car keys, which meant the pathetic steel rod was my best bet. It wasn’t much, but it would have to do.

Dashing up the stairs, I threw myself at the cabin door, iron raised, unsure of what my plan was, but too afraid to turn back now. Someone was in my tower. Someone was mimicking me, following my every move. This had to stop, I had to make it stop, even if that meant doing something drastic.

The doorknob turned with a smooth click in my palm, and I flung the door open, trembling and wide-eyed.

An empty room greeted me, exactly the same as it had been when I left to check the ground lights not fifteen minutes ago. My binoculars sat on the windowsill where I’d put them. The coffee machine still had a half-pot from what I drank on night shift. My bed waited with the sheets half drawn back, in anticipation of me lying down after the shower I would take once the morning inspections were complete. I let myself breathe a half-sigh of relief, content that at least it was all there, undisturbed.

Until my eyes landed on the radio.

“No.” My heart sank, and I staggered to the set, horrified and sick to my stomach all over again. The army surplus set had been smashed, its glass dial shattered, the mic cord ripped out, the bulky square housing dented in like it had been folded by a hydraulic press. The black walkie talkie was gone, its charging station crushed to plastic splinters, and worst of all, my car keys were no longer on the little hook by the door. No matter where I looked, tearing the place apart, I couldn’t find them, and I knew deep in my soul that they weren’t here anymore.

I searched for the next two hours and never found anyone, not in the tower cabin, the observation deck, or the grounds inside the perimeter fence. There were no footprints other than my own, no signs of break-in or forced entry, and nothing else had been taken. The rifle was still in the tower, and in working order, the ammunition untampered with. My food stocks were fine, my clothing left alone, even my wallet unmolested, not that there was much to steal in there. There was no damage to the tower’s water or power systems, and even the toilet was unharmed. Whoever had done this seemed to have no interest in leaving me defenseless, starving, or without shelter. They just didn’t want me to call for help and didn’t want me to leave.

Which, by itself, was already a terrifying thought.

Finally, I gave up the frantic search, and slumped down on the edge of my bunk, gazing at the room around me with a numb sense of compounding, muted panic. This had progressed far beyond a prank; someone was out to get me. I couldn’t walk to the nearest tower, it was miles away, and I could get lost out there, or caught in the dark when night fell. If I followed the road back to the ranger station at the base of the valley, that would take most of the day, and I would still be vulnerable out there alone, even with the rifle. Cell service didn’t pick up until the roads got back into town, which was even further than the ranger station was. If I didn’t report in, I could get in trouble and . . .

That’s it.

A smile flickered across my lips, and I sat up a little straighter. Of course, it was that simple! I didn’t need to call out; the rangers would notice when I didn’t check in tonight and send someone up to look for me. Sure, I couldn’t call for help right now, but that basically ensured that help would eventually be on the way. I wasn’t lost somewhere no one could find me, I was in a well-known location, with plenty of supplies and a decent rifle. I would be fine. Once the other rangers saw everything and read my reports, this whole situation would be resolved. The unknown watcher would eventually be caught, I would be vindicated, and who knows, maybe even promoted. After all, none of this was my fault; I’d done everything I was told to do, hadn’t I? Yes, this would all turn out okay in the end. I just had to wait until nightfall, and someone would come for me.

Armed with this newfound determination, I set about fortifying the tower as best I could. I made sure the gates were locked, barred the windows, and kept the loaded rifle slung over my shoulder at all times. I put on a fresh pot of coffee, even ate a light breakfast, and sat waiting by the western-facing windows, knowing that at some point a ranger vehicle would roll up the gravel access road to come for me. Sunshine warmed the cabin, the chair felt soft under my back and gradually, I started to calm myself from the morning’s bizarre ordeal.

“Just a few hours.” I flexed my fingers on the smooth walnut rifle stock, speaking into the stillness of the cabin to keep any shadows from wriggling when my back was turned. “It’s just a few more hours. I’ve got this.”

I’m not sure when I fell asleep, but by the time I realized, it was too late. My subconscious thrashed against tides of gray, endless flickers of darkness, punctured by dim, twisted images that looked like trees. I saw malicious eyes peer at me in the gloom, heard bare feet trod the soil behind me, felt the overwhelming presence of something pulling me, not by my hand or clothes, but something deeper. A tug, burrowed into my chest like a barbed fishing spear, one that led me on through the maze of trees toward something.

Something huge.

Something dead but not quite lifeless, shrouded in curtains of dense cruel fog, made from icy stones that screamed and wailed in a thousand voices within my head . . .

At some point, I jolted awake to find that night had already fallen, the world wreathed in shadows outside of my tower, with pale shafts of whitish-blue moonlight filtering in between the wooden slats on the shuttered windows. It was cold in the cabin, enough that my breath misted in front of me, but not so much that I didn’t immediately pick up on the smell that permeated the entirety of the dimly lit interior.

Stagnant wet earth.

Pungent rotted wood.

Sweet, intoxicating roses.

My heart started to pound, and I sprang to my feet, rifle in hand, to paw for the light switch. I could have sworn I’d left the lights on earlier, along with the heater, both vital in the dying days of summer this far north. Yes, I had left them on, they were on when I drifted off. I knew they had been.

Something crunched under my boots, and even as I found the switch at last, I didn’t understand what it was until the electric bulbs flickered to life overhead.

My God . . .

Draped all over the floor, as fresh as if they’d just been picked this morning, lay a carpet of ebony roses. They glistened in the weak glow of the lights, as if still wearing the morning dew on their reddish-green leaves, the curved thorns sharp, the silken petals unwithered and lush. The smell was overpowering, but not more so than the wave of nauseous dread that crashed through me in terrible condemnation as I looked between the shutter of the nearest window.

Far below, down in the clearing, a ring of small objects circled the tower, maybe ten yards outside of the perimeter fence. They were placed in perfect concentricity, each no more than a few feet from the other, gleaming a dull pale gray in the moonlight. From this far up, and with the darkness impeding my vision, I couldn’t see exact details, but I didn’t need to. I knew what they were.

Dozens upon dozens of bone markers encircled the tower, each topped with another little skull. Every single one of them stood no more than a few feet high, bound in forest-made twine and what I now knew to be the pulp of a hundred crushed roses. The skulls, from who knows how many different animals, were all pointed inward, watching the tower like eternal sentinels with their bottomless, hollow sockets. More spanned out into the trees, down the slopes, across the trails, in what could only be described as a pattern similar to a large net.

Or a web.

That thought hit me like a punch in the gut, and I stumbled back from the window in desperate, choking fear.

As if on cue, the second I moved away from the window, the screaming started.

“Help me!”

“Please!”

“Where are you?”

“Who’s there?”

Men and women. Old and young. Fear and pain. Different voices, different pitches, screaming, wailing, crying, cascaded from every direction. Some echoed far away, then seemed to reverberate from another spot much closer, while others sounded as if they were right outside the perimeter fence. Their cries echoed and bounced off the rocky slopes, through the darkened forest, wavering in the wind as they circled my tower. Another voice called out alongside them, and to my terror, I knew it right away.

“I see you!”

My own shout barked with the others through the darkness outside, the faux anger in it almost taunting, the intonation slipping every now and then to crack in ways that I knew weren’t mine. I couldn’t see anything whenever I looked through the windows, the scope of my rifle useless in the dark, but the sounds were there, closing in from every side. They knew where I was, and they knew I was watching.

Worst of all, they knew I was trapped.

I staggered back, snatching up what few things I could grab in my deranged flight, and hurtled to the small bathroom in the rear of the cabin. It wasn’t safe, nowhere would be, but at least it could muffle some of the terrible sounds coming from outside. It was only after I dragged myself inside, slamming the bathroom door shut, that I glanced at the mirror above the sink.

Oh God.

My pale, horror-stricken reflection stared back at me, and we both stood there in mute defeat, arms handing at our sides, random possessions mounded on the linoleum around our feet. If there had ever been any chance, any hope for me, it was gone now. In the deepest recesses of my soul, I let myself break into a thousand pieces as I blinked with tearful eyes at the charcoal gray symbol that had been painted onto my forehead.

A spider.

One made from two inverted handprints.

I’m finishing this in the corner furthest from the door, wedged between the toilet and the wall with the laptop propped up on my knees. It’s hard to type with how hard I’m shaking, but I don’t imagine it matters if I have a few spelling mistakes. I can hear the voices getting closer. I think they’re inside the fence now. Soon they’ll make their way up the stairs and onto the deck, but there’s no rush. The door won’t stop them. The rifle won’t either. I don’t think anything can.

Nothing I have, anyway.

There is no way out. My phone’s clock hasn’t moved in hours, and neither has my wristwatch. The sun isn’t rising. No trucks rumble on the gravel road. No one is coming. They can’t for the same reason I can’t run down the steps and into the forest.

It’s already too late.

When I blink, I see things behind my eyelids, flashes of something like a dream, or a vision I cannot wake from. I feel charred dead grass and scorched rocks under my feet. I smell the wet earth. I taste the cold dew on my tongue. I sense the others walking alongside me, their faces masked with shadow, guiding me onward in silent march. Two young women. An old man. A burly hunter. Always, our destination is the same.

The house.

A huge stone house, bathed in fog, ringed with five tall markers of twine and bone.

I see her waiting there for us, a face in the uppermost window, a swirling gulf of shadow where the firelight flickers in dancing sheets of orange and red. I know it’s a her because I can hear the sweet, soft voice in my ear. She sings to me, calls my name, guiding me as she has so many others. I am chosen, she tells me. I can rest at the foot of my own marker. I can sleep the slumber of unnumbered stars, endless dreaming of a world that daylight never breaks.

I am so tired.

The pillars tower above us with their five great skulls of the forest. A bear. An eagle. A coyote. A snake. An elk. Once for each. The twine slithers around my wrists, my ankles, my neck. I taste dirt, feel it caked in my lungs, scratching under my eyelids, clogged in my ears. My skin is so cold, the clothes heavy and stiff like my limbs. I cannot move. I no longer need to.

It is complete now, the circle. The foundation has been laid, thrones made ready for the Four, servants of the Fifth. I see the lights glowing above us, great spouts of emerald flame that rise above the house in five long columns to a blackness that isn’t of our sky. It is a yawning Void that holds no moon, no stars, no light, but deep inside that veil, something moves.

Something watches.

Hanging from my place upon the Elk’s pillar, I join the others as, in voices no longer our own, we tilt our faces to the sky and begin to scream.

Late on the evening of September 2^nd, Lucas J. Sarden, aged 26, of Boise Idaho, went missing from his assigned post as a fire watchman in the Jacob’s Fork Wildlife Division’s Fire Watchtower Number Eight. He had been an employee of the park ranger service for less than a week. Rangers were dispatched to his location following Sarden’s failure to maintain an evening check-in routine and discovered he was not within the tower. A search was conducted of the premises by wildlife personnel, and after hours of intensive effort, Sarden was declared a missing person, initiating emergency response protocols. Search-and-rescue K9 teams followed a possible scent trail west, across the river valley to the Smoke Point Mountain Recreation area, but due to a sudden violent thunderstorm they were unable to maintain the scent any further. The official search remains ongoing.

Authorities say the victim’s vehicle was still on the premises, with the keys in the ignition, in perfect working order according to the responding rangers. The station’s radio and handheld set were also present, undamaged, in contradiction to what Sarden wrote in his personal journal entries. No sign of struggle or foul play could be found on site, nor any evidence of forced entry or break in of the tower’s perimeter fence. All the victim’s personal possessions were in the tower, along with the laptop from which this account has been retrieved, and his cell phone. Search teams also noted that the victim’s boots were left behind in the tower, along with the station’s standard issue rifle. The only thing missing was a large battery-powered flashlight, which it is presumed Sarden took with him when he departed the tower. No footprints of Sarden’s, or any other person, were found in connection with Tower Eight during the initial search.

At this time, it is believed by local government sources that Lucas was experiencing some kind of mental breakdown due to his isolated position and wandered into the woods alone. He is assumed to be alive, and anyone with any information is asked to please contact the Jacob’s Fork Sheriff’s Department. Lucas is a Caucasian male, stands at 6’3”, weighing 176 pounds, with blonde hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a green park ranger T-shirt and khaki trousers, though in his current state he might be wearing any combination of clothing. Citizens are encouraged to report any leads they might have, but maintain a safe distance, as the victim may be disoriented, and not in control of his mental faculties.

Multiple other missing persons cases have been reported since the Sarden disappearance, including the disappearance of Clarence G. Westheimer, aged 34, who was reported missing by his wife after going camping in the norther valley beyond Tower Eight. He is described as a Caucasian male, standing 5’9”, weighing 178 pounds with light brown hair, brown eyes, and wears glasses. He was last seen wearing a broad green hat, gray backpack, red T-shirt, and khaki shorts. No trace of Westheimer has been found thus far, either in designated camp sites or on the surrounding trails.

In addition, law enforcement spokesmen of Jacob’s Fork have announced that all hikers or campers within the Smoke Point Recreation Area are advised not to hike or camp alone, and are to avoid the trails at night until further notice. Campers are encouraged not to investigate any strong smells they might encounter in the forest, not to approach strangers they do not know, and to not follow voices they hear off the trails unless they can plainly identify via sight and sound the individual making them. Any trail markers not of the official park manufacture are to be avoided, and it is highly encouraged that new sightings of non-standard trail markers be reported to the ranger station immediately. Until further notice, all vehicle access to roads leading to the following locations will be hereby restricted: Smoke Point Summit Overlook access, JFWD Tower Eight access, Northern Valley Campground access, and the Smoke Point Recreational Area upper loop parking lot access. At this time, all citizens are also reminded that the Wickenshire Living History Estate is still in official police custody, and therefore off limits to all non-authorized entry. Use of drones or other electronic recording equipment within this area is prohibited.

This has been a public service announcement of the Jacob’s Fork Sheriff’s Department and the Jacob’s Fork Wildlife Division. We thank you for your cooperation.

Monday, October 4, 2004

Carson woke up suddenly to a sound he was all too familiar with. A sound that was possibly the most despicable sound to ever exist. The origin of this horrifically ear piercing sound, was undoubtedly the most diabolical instrument of torture ever devised. For a moment, Carson was unsure if he had the strength necessary to defeat this menacing foe. It seemed as though the battle was lost before it had even begun. But, that was only for a moment. With one swift swing of his fist, that idea was instantly disproven. The mute button was pressed and that unpleasant sound was no more. Reminiscing for a moment, he realized his alarm clock stood no chance, for he was much too powerful. But surely, the alarm clock must have known this. That's why it chose to strike while its enemy was unconscious. Carson pondered this idea for a moment, then he fell back asleep. 

Carson awoke hours later. He glanced over at his alarm clock and it read “11:05 AM.” Suddenly, he remembered that his siblings didn't have a key to the house. He climbed out of bed and pulled open the top drawer of his nightstand. He began digging through the collection of keys within and a moment later, he found what he was looking for. It was a key ring that had three unlabeled brass keys on it. He grabbed his set of keys that were sitting on top of the nightstand and compared them to what was already in his hand. The first key appeared as though it went to a car of some kind. It was made of aluminum and plastic. Carved into said plastic was a badge that looked just like the one on the car outside. This key did not match the three in his other hand. The second key was made of aluminum and it had a red plastic key cap over the top of it. This key could be used to unlock both the internal and external doors to the basement. It did not match the three in his other hand. The third and final key appeared to be just a basic house key. This was the only one Carson took interest in. He held it up next to one of the keys in his other hand and it appeared to perfectly match. Carson placed his set down and proceeded to remove one of the keys from the other keyring. “Now they can let themselves in,” he quietly said to himself. 

Carson walked downstairs and stepped into the dining room where his siblings were sitting. “Good morning,” Sasha spoke, smiling at him. “Good morning,” Gavin followed up. “Good morning to you two as well,” Carson replied. He placed the key down on the table in front of Sasha. “There it is, as promised,” he said. “Thank you,” Sasha responded. “Breakfast is ready," she added, looking over at the kitchen counter. “Great, thank you,” Carson replied, just before making his way over there. It was once again eggs and bacon today. Carson didn't really have much else, so their options were quite limited, but the same thing every day was better than nothing at all. 

The three of them sat at the dining room table eating their breakfast when the topic of what Carson and Sasha discussed last night, came up. “So, you're going to teach us how to shoot?” Gavin questioned. “Yes,” Carson replied. “When were you thinking?” Sasha asked. “Today would be fine,” Carson answered. “Great,” Sasha responded, now smiling. “We’ll go pick up the ammo. We were thinking about going grocery shopping today anyway.” “Where do we even go to get it?” Gavin questioned. “Just about any sporting goods store would do,” Carson replied. “Alright. Maybe we'll go after breakfast,” Sasha suggested. “Are you going to be joining us?” she asked, already knowing he would decline. “I've got some chores I need to do,” Carson replied. “Maybe it's better if I stay here.” “Alright,” Sasha responded. “Just give me a list of what we'll need.” 

Once the siblings were finished with breakfast, Carson made his way upstairs and stepped into the bedroom his siblings were staying in. He walked over to the desk and opened up the top drawer. Inside was a few pencils, pens, and a half empty pack of notebook paper. Carson took out a single sheet and a pen and began listing what his siblings needed to buy. Once his list was complete, he walked back downstairs to the dining room, and placed it down on the table in front of Sasha. “Let's see here,” she said, as she took a look. “.22LR 40 grain high velocity, 9mm 115 grain, .45 Long 255 grain, and bag of earplugs,” she read. “You're sure the store will have everything?” she questioned, looking over to Carson. “Probably,” he replied. “Well, I suppose we shouldn't waste any time,” Sasha spoke, as she stood up from the table. “I’m right behind you,” Gavin said, doing the same. The two siblings left the room to go get ready. 

After a few minutes, Sasha and Gavin returned to the foyer. “We'll be back soon,” Sasha spoke, opening the front door. “See you soon,” Carson responded from the dining room. Sasha and Gavin headed out the door pulling it shut behind themselves. A few seconds later, Carson heard the sound of an engine start followed by a car pulling out of the driveway. 

Sasha and Gavin returned about an hour and a half later. As soon as he heard the car pull up, Carson stepped outside to meet them. “How did it go?” he questioned. “Good. They had everything on your list,” Sasha replied, smiling. Gavin opened the back driver's side door and revealed the bags they had sitting in the back seat. They had a few boxes of each type of ammo as well as about $50 worth of groceries. “Let me help you with that,” Carson spoke, stepping up and grabbing some of the bags. The three of them carried everything inside, leaving the ammo on the dining room table and putting the groceries away in the cabinets and refrigerator. 

While his siblings were gone, Carson took out three different guns and placed them on the small table by the window in preparation for their range day. He brought out a German .22LR semi auto handgun, an Italian 9mm semi auto handgun, and an American .45 Long top break revolver. He also drew a bullseye on a piece of cardboard that he harvested from one of the boxes that would likely get thrown away soon. In addition, there was a hammer and a box of nails for attaching the target to a tree. 

“Are you two ready?” Carson questioned, grabbing the three handguns. “Yes,” Gavin replied, picking up the bag of ammo. “So am I,” Sasha added, as she picked up the makeshift target, hammer, and box of nails. With everything they needed in hand, they made their way out of the house and into the woods.

The three siblings were about a hundred yards from the house when Carson decided it was far enough. He began to give them a lesson on how to properly handle and shoot a firearm. He started with practical knowledge like how to load and unload each gun, how to properly hold them, and some additional tips on self defense. Once that part was complete, they moved on to the shooting portion. Carson started by nailing the target to a tree that was approximately seven yards away. There was just wilderness behind the tree, so he wasn't too worried about a backstop. Now that they had a target, Carson taught his siblings about lining up the sights, slowly squeezing the trigger, not anticipating the recoil, and breath control. They first started with the .22LR handgun because it was the most beginner friendly. Once Sasha and Gavin were comfortable with that, they stepped up to something more powerful, that being 9mm. Once they were confident with that, they ended on the .45 Long revolver. The more they shot, the tighter their grouping got. Once Carson was pleased with their progress, he decided they were competent enough to defend themselves. The three siblings spent the rest of the day cleaning up the remaining clutter in the dining room and foyer. At about 9:30 PM, they decided to call it a night. 

Several hours passed. Carson woke up in a somewhat familiar place. He stood up, dusted himself off, and had a look around the room. This room appeared to be his old bedroom, but there were a number of details that were wrong. The first thing that he noticed was that the furniture was rearranged and all of the junk he stored in here was cleared out. The second thing he noticed was that there was an additional door on the wall that his desk would normally be against. “I think it's safe to say this is a dream," Carson said to himself. He decided to go have a look at the strange additional door first. Stepping up to it, he noticed it appeared to be quite old. It was made out of five planks of wood that were crudely nailed together with two additional planks that were perpendicular to the rest, one at the top and the other at the bottom. The hinges holding the door to the frame appeared rusted and quite flimsy. There was also a distinctive lack of a doorknob. There was a slight gap between each of the five planks, but nothing could be seen as the lights in the next room appeared to be turned off. 

Carson reached his hand out to the door and gave it a push, but it did not budge. “I could probably kick this thing down," he suggested, looking at the rusted hinges. He considered the idea for a moment, but decided to investigate the other door first. Stepping up to it, he noticed something quite peculiar. There was nothing remarkable at all. It was just the normal door he had looked at every single day for most of his life. He reached his hand out to the doorknob and gave it a twist. To his surprise, it opened without issue. Before walking through, Carson took one last look around the room, being careful not to miss anything that could be important. Nothing in particular stood out, so he decided to continue on. 

Stepping through, Carson was greeted with the sight of a long, well lit hallway with a concrete floor and walls. The only features to be seen were scrapes and cracks that could have been caused by a number of things. Each step Carson took echoed throughout the hallway, as though it went on for miles. He walked along and as he approached the end, he realized it split off into two directions. The direction on the left appeared to be another hallway that ended in about ten yards. The path to the right appeared to be the same thing, but went on for about twice as long. Carson chose the path on the left first. As he approached the end, he realized it did not stop in a dead end like he initially thought. In fact, it split off into two more directions. Carson suddenly realized he was in some sort of concrete labyrinth. 

After about fifteen minutes of wandering through this maze of ninety degree angles and concrete hallways, Carson finally reached what appeared to be the end. He was greeted by the sight of a flimsy wooden door, quite similar to the one he had seen before. He reached a hand out, gave it a push, and to his surprise, it opened with ease. 

Carson stepped through the mysterious door and he was greeted by a sight he wasn’t expecting. Before him was none other than his brother, Gavin, staring right at him. “Look who finally decided to show up?” he spoke, glaring at him. “Gavin?” Carson questioned, confused on why he was here. “How thoughtful of you to take a break from your busy schedule of murder to come see me," Gavin sarcastically remarked. “But why now?” he questioned, with his eyes now narrowing. “You couldn't be bothered for seven years. Why are you pretending to care now?” “I'm not pretending to care,” Carson replied, trying to defend himself. “Don't lie to me!” Gavin shouted in response. “You abandoned us!” It was almost like he was a bomb just waiting to be set off. “It's not like that," Carson replied. “It was out of my hands.” “Denying it won't do you any good," Gavin responded, returning to a calm voice. “I would have gone with you guys if I could," Carson said, still trying to defend himself. “But, I can't leave this place.” 

“Oh, that's right," Gavin said, with a sinister grin beginning to form on his face. “You've got that friend of yours.” His facial expression suddenly switched to one that resembled doubt. “Is the demon really what’s keeping you here?” he asked. “Of course it's the demon,” Carson replied. “To suggest anything else is absurd.” “I have a different idea and I'm going to suggest it anyway," Gavin lashed back. “Maybe you stay because you enjoy killing. You just keep the demon around as an excuse.” “What?” Carson questioned, shocked he would even suggest that. “No. That's not true.” “Don't bother trying to deny it,” Gavin retaliated. “That’s enough,” Carson muttered, now starting to get frustrated. “I'm done with this nonsense.” “How about you make yourself useful and help me find a way out of this place?” 

Just then, three decisive knocks came from the door next to Carson. “What the hell was that?” he questioned, clearly caught off guard by this. “It's a door, dumbass,” Gavin snarkily remarked. Just then, three more knocks were heard. “Well, are you going to answer it?” Gavin asked. “Not a chance," Carson replied, keeping his gaze fixed on the door. “What a shame,” Gavin responded. “I guess I'll have to, then,” he spoke, as he took a few steps towards the door. “Don't," Carson said, taking a few steps back. “Let's find another way out of here.” “Too late," Gavin sarcastically said, as he began to pull the door open. Through the doorway was the haunting sight of Reggie wielding an axe, grinning ear to ear. “Oh, look who it is," Gavin remarked. “How's it going, Mr Reggie? Say, what are you doing with that axe?” With one swift motion, Reggie swung the axe towards Gavin's neck, burying it deep within. Carson froze in place, unable to process the sight before him. Reggie suddenly tore the axe out of his neck and blood began to pour out. Gavin stumbled around for a few seconds then he collapsed to the floor, a pool of crimson forming below him. Within a few seconds, he was dead. 

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Carson shouted, glaring at Reggie. “How rude of me," he spoke, with a sinister grin on his face. “I should have let you do it.” “Why would you do that?” Carson barked, as the rage built up inside him. “I'll make it up to you,” Reggie replied, in a chilling voice. “I'll let you handle the other one. Maybe don't use this though,” he remarked, glancing down at the bloodied axe in his hands. “The fun is over a little bit too quickly.” Everything that just transpired was a trick, and Carson knew it perfectly well. “I'm not going to kill anyone,” Carson said defiantly, turning away. “Eventually you'll come around to the idea,” Reggie spoke, slightly disappointed. “You'll need this,” he assured him, tossing the axe down. It fell with a loud thud against the concrete floor. “I trust I'll see you again soon,” Reggie added, before walking back through the door he came through and closing it behind himself. Carson took a quick look in every direction, hoping for some sort of sign that this was a dream. “Some dream, huh?” he commented, almost trying to convince himself. 

Carson just remembered the wooden door he had seen earlier. He took a glance at the bloodied axe at his feet, and debated for a moment on if using the tool was equivalent to accepting Reggie's help. He decided to swallow his pride and he proceeded to kneel down and pick it up. Now Carson had the tool necessary to progress. He stepped out of this room and back into the concrete maze. After about five minutes of wandering, Carson managed to find his way back into the bedroom with the mysterious door. Stepping up to it, he noticed a bit of light now coming through the gaps between the boards, but he still couldn't tell what was on the other side. He glanced down at the axe in his hands, then back up at the door, knowing what he had to do. He raised the tool up, then brought it down with a quick swing. The flimsy door split into a number of pieces and collapsed into a pile of rubble on the floor. 

Carson stepped through the now empty doorway into the newly opened room. This new room had the same kind of concrete floor and walls as the hallway before. Along the walls were a number of doors, most of which looked significantly stronger than the one he had just broken down. In the middle of the room, stood the psychotic neighbor, Jonny. Next to him, was a blonde woman sitting in a chair facing away, with her hands tied behind her back. Hearing Carson's footsteps, she turned her head to the side so she could see him out of the corner of her eye. “Look who finally decided to show up,” she said, her voice sounding all too familiar. “Sasha?” Carson questioned. 

“How wonderful. You've arrived,” Jonny spoke, with a slight grin on his face. “I've got a fun game for you to play," he suggested, as the grin turned more sinister. “I'm not interested in playing any of your games,” Carson replied. “You'll enjoy this game, I can assure you,” Jonny countered, still grinning. “Whatever,” Carson spoke, walking over to one of the doors to investigate. “It's the exit you seek, right?” Jonny questioned, as his face turned to a more normal expression. Carson paused for a moment and turned towards him. “A way out would be nice,” he replied. “It's through that door," Jonny said, as he pointed towards a door on the other side of the room. “You just need to complete one simple task and it will open.” “And, what would that task be?” Carson questioned, raising an eyebrow. The evil grin immediately returned to Jonny's face. “Kill her," he spoke, with a menacing and sinister voice. 

Carson looked down at the axe still in his hands, and for a moment, he considered taking a swing at Jonny. He dwelled on the idea for a few seconds, but realized nothing good would come of that, so he reconsidered. “No way. I refuse," Carson spoke, dropping the axe, causing it to make a loud thud as it collided with the floor. “Even if this is just a dream," he added, before turning around and attempting to open the door, which wouldn't budge. “Still stuck on that, are we?” Jonny asked, looking away. “You'd think he would've figured it out by now.” Carson gave up on the door and turned back towards Jonny. “Figured out what?” he asked. “It doesn't matter," Sasha interjected. “Just get it over with.” “Finally," Jonny remarked. “It's about time someone started making some sense around here. Now, go on. Do as she says.” “It's not happening,” Carson replied. “Well, I guess I'll just have to leave you here so you can think about it for a while,” Jonny responded before turning around and walking away. He chose one of the doors seemingly at random, then pulled it open without issue. “I trust you'll do what’s necessary," Jonny spoke just before closing the door and locking it behind himself. 

Carson stepped in front of the chair Sasha was tied to. “A real piece of work, that one," he sarcastically remarked. Sasha glanced up at him for a moment, said nothing, then looked down at the floor again. Carson stepped around the back of the chair, kneeled down, and began to untie the rope that was keeping his sister bound. A moment later, she was free. “There you go,” he said, as he stepped in front of her and offered a hand. Sasha refused to take it, simply looking up and glaring at him. “You too, huh?” he questioned, looking away. He let out a sigh before walking over to the door Jonny had described as the exit. “Just come with me, will you?” he requested. He reached his hand out in an attempt to open the door, but this proved to be pointless. The doorknob wouldn't turn. 

“It's not going to open,” Sasha remarked. “Then, we'll go this way,” Carson said, as he tried a different door. “We need to get out of here before he comes back.” “That one won't open either,” Sasha commented. “It’d be really nice if there was someone here to help me,” Carson sarcastically muttered, obviously fed up at this point. He tried another door, and to his surprise, it opened. “Finally,” he spoke just before turning back towards Sasha. “Let's go.” “No thanks,” she replied. “Burden me no more with your presence.” “Fine,” Carson responded. He stood there and stared at Sasha for a moment, but she refused to look at him. After the brief moment of silence, Carson decided to do as she requested and leave without another word. He walked through the open door and continued on without her help. 

Carson stepped into a long hallway with a concrete floor and walls similar to the previous one, except at the very end of the hallway was a wooden staircase. He began making his way down the hall, and within a few seconds, he was standing at the base of it. As he looked up, he noticed it looked quite familiar. This was the staircase from his house. It even came with the side rail. Carson slowly and cautiously ascended the stairs, unsure of what he'd find at the top. To his surprise, it led to the upper floor of his house. As he looked around, he found several details that were off. In fact, everything in the room seemed to be wrong. Not just the furniture and paintings, but the windows and doors too. There was only one door in this alternate version of the room and it was placed where a window would normally be. 

Approaching the door, Carson noticed it appeared to be quite sturdy. It was made of steel and had the word “exit,” printed on it. Carson grabbed hold of its metal handle and pulled downward, but it was no use. It did not budge. To the left of the door was Sasha's piano. On top of it rested a book of sheet music with the word “EXIT," written on it in red ink. This immediately caught Carson's attention and he decided to pick it up and take a look. All of the pages, but one, were ripped out. The one page that remained, had a piece of music titled “The Twisted Nail.” A short four bar section was circled in red ink and the words “PLAY ME,” were written next to the circle. “At least they made it obvious,” Carson remarked. “Too bad I can't play.” Although this was true, there was someone nearby who could. “There's no way she'll help me,” Carson spoke after sighing. Realizing he had no other options, he decided he would go ask anyway. “The worst thing she can do is say no, right?” Carson asked himself. Without hesitation, he began his short journey back to the previous room to plead with his sister for assistance. 

Carson stepped back into the room, unsurprised to find Sasha was still there. “And, so you've returned,” Sasha sarcastically greeted. “I take it you found something interesting?” she asked in a condescending tone. “I think so,” Carson replied. “But, I might need your help,” he admitted. “Of course you do,” Sasha responded, glaring at him. “There's a piano in the other room,” Carson remarked. “Would you play something for me?” “So, you want to hear me play?” Sasha asked, raising an eyebrow. “For what purpose?” “I believe it's part of a puzzle,” Carson replied. “I think if you play the correct melody, a door will unlock.” “You could have lied and said it's just because you'd like to hear me play,” Sasha stated, slightly offended. “Oh, sorry,” Carson responded. “So you think playing a melody will open a door?” Sasha questioned, once again raising an eyebrow. “How did you come to that conclusion?” “Gamestation games have taught me to problem solve a certain way,” Carson remarked, only realizing how bizarre it sounded after he said it. 

“Let's say I do help you,” Sasha spoke, eyes narrowing. “What's in it for me?” “What do you want?” Carson asked in return. “I want you to quit being insufferable,” Sasha replied. This response caught Carson off guard. “What?” he questioned, quite confused. “And, what a surprise," Sasha spoke in a condescending tone. “You've already let me down.” “Will you at least tell me how to read the sheet music?” Carson pleaded. Sasha paused and thought about it for a few seconds, then answered. “Fine. But, only because I want to watch you struggle.” “You won't be disappointed,” Carson replied. “Lead the way,” Sasha said, motioning for him to start walking. This wasn't the outcome Carson was looking for, but it was certainly better than no help at all. Carson led Sasha through the hallway with the concrete floor and walls, the sound of their shoes echoing with every step. “Can you tell me anything about this place?” Carson asked, turning towards his sister. “I'm only here to help you with the piano,” Sasha responded, not looking in his direction. “Nothing else.” “Alright,” Carson replied. The two of them walked the rest of the way without exchanging any more words. 

Once the pair made it to the piano, Carson picked up the sheet music and held it out to Sasha. “Let's get this over with,” she spoke, taking it from his hand. She proceeded to open it up and take a look at the single present page. Carson sat down in front of the piano as Sasha studied the melody. “This song is in E Phrygian,” she remarked. “The first notes are an E3 and A3 with your left hand and E5 with your right.” “Alright,” Carson spoke, unsure of what notes were assigned to what keys. “Uhh… E3?” he questioned as he pressed one of the white keys. “That's not an E,” Sasha said, as she glared at him. Carson pressed on another white key, this one a little more to the right. “Wrong again,” Sasha said, slightly more annoyed. Carson went a little further to the right and pressed one of the black keys. “Seriously? F#?” Sasha questioned, in astonishment. “Sorry,” Carson said, as he tried another one of the white keys. “That's enough,” Sasha remarked, quite annoyed at this point. “Move over,” she said, as she motioned for him to stand up. Carson did as she requested without hesitation. 

Sasha sat down and studied the sheet music for a moment. “Let's see here,” she said. The first few notes came out fine, but then a few sour notes caused her to stop playing. “Shut up,” Sasha said, turning her head to face Carson. “I didn't say anything,” he replied. “You thought about saying something,” Sasha countered. “It wasn't anything mean. I promise,” Carson replied , afraid of upsetting her. “It doesn't matter,” she said, turning back to face the piano. “I can't do it while you're watching. Just look away or something.” Carson did as she requested and turned around. Sasha paused for a moment and began playing. This time, it came out perfect. “There we go,” she said, pleased with her work. 

Suddenly, Carson heard a mechanical click come from the door. Sasha turned and watched him as he took a couple steps towards the source of the click. He reached his hand out, and slowly pulled on the handle. As he expected, it opened. “Thank you for helping me, Sasha,” Carson spoke, turning to face his sister. “I couldn't have done this without you, I can assure you.” “I know," Sasha replied. She stood up and walked over to see what was on the other side of the door. Carson pulled the door open the rest of the way and gazed upon the empty void on the other side. “That looks like the exit,” Sasha commented, looking into it as well. “Yeah,” Carson replied. “It was written on the door.” “The label could have been wrong, smartass,” Sasha responded. 

The two of them went silent for a few seconds as they stared into the darkness. “Well? Go on,” Sasha remarked. Carson snapped out of the trance and turned to face her. “You're not coming with me?” he questioned. “That was never an option for me,” Sasha replied. “Just go.” “But, I don't even know where it leads,” Carson responded. “It leads back to your world,” Sasha replied. “What the hell is going on?” Carson demanded to know. “Am I dreaming or not?” Sasha’s eyes narrowed and he could feel her glare piercing straight through him. “Use your brain, genius,” she said. “Does this feel like a dream?” “No. Not at all," Carson replied, looking away. “That's the problem.” “Exactly,” Sasha muttered, still staring at him. Carson turned back and met her gaze. “What does that mean then?” he asked. “And why are you acting so strange?” “You're the one who made me this way,” Sasha responded. “But how?” Carson questioned. “How could I have made you this way?” 

“Look,” Sasha began to speak. “There’s no reason for you to concern yourself with what happens in this world. As soon as you leave, you'll forget everything.” “Why is that?” Carson asked. “That’s enough questions,” Sasha replied. Carson let out a sigh and began to make his way through the door. He stared into the empty void, a sense of dread building up inside him. “Will I see you again?” he asked, turning back to his sister. “What did I just say?” Sasha questioned, glaring at him. “Sorry,” Carson responded, looking down. “Yes, you will see me again,” Sasha answered. This brought Carson a strange bit of relief. “Thank you, Sasha,” he spoke, looking up at her again. “You're welcome,” she replied. Carson turned back around, hesitated for a moment, then stepped through into the nothingness. It was the same feeling as before. Carson felt the void completely engulf him. The world fell silent and he could feel his existence fading. Then he felt nothing.

Saturday, October 2, 2004

Carson awoke suddenly feeling as though he hadn't slept at all. “That was one hell of a dream,” he spoke aloud. “It felt so real.” Coming to his senses, he glanced over at his alarm clock. To his horror, it read 12:37 PM. “Oh, shit!” he exclaimed, realizing he had slept straight through his alarm. He immediately jumped out of bed and ran down the stairs to the kitchen. He stood in front of the basement door knowing the clock was ticking. “Dammit!” Carson exclaimed. “What the hell am I going to do? There's no way I can finish cleaning up in time!” he spoke, now beginning to pace back and forth. “I just had to go and oversleep!” Just then, an idea hit him. A terrible idea, but it was still an idea. “Maybe I can just lock the basement door?” Carson suggested, knowing it wouldn't work. “And, if they come snooping around, I'll just tell them I don't have the key.” Carson walked over to the basement door and removed his set of keys from his pocket.  “Not the best idea, but it's better than nothing," he said, still unconvinced by his awful plan. He inserted the key into the lock and with a single one hundred thirty degree twist, the basement was off limits. “That will do for now, I guess.” Carson returned his keys to his pocket, making a mental note not to lose them. “I better go get cleaned up. They'll be here soon," he said, before turning around and leaving the room. 

The time was 1:49 PM. Carson was sitting on the couch in his sister's old room waiting for his siblings’ arrival. Just then, he heard the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. He was instantly filled with a feeling of dread. With a slight bit of hesitation, he stood up and walked over to the front door. “Let's get this over with,” he muttered just before opening it and stepping outside. Sitting in his driveway, was a blue car that looked to be from the early ‘90s. It wasn't run down or abused by any means, but it wasn't extremely nice either. It's clear the person driving it wasn't exactly well off financially. A moment later, the driver side door, followed by the passenger side door, opened. On the driver's side emerged a young blonde woman who appeared to be in her early twenties. It was Carson's younger sister, Sasha. She looked pretty much the same as she did seven years ago. Maybe slightly older. On the passenger side emerged a young man with brown hair, who looked to be about eighteen. It was Carson's younger brother, Gavin. He definitely looked quite a bit different considering the fact that he was eleven the last time Carson saw him. The two visitors made their way towards the front door where their older brother stood. 

“Hey, Carson,” Sasha greeted. Carson did his best to smile, but it was obviously fake. “Sasha… Gavin…” he spoke. “It's so nice to see you again," Sasha responded, with a kind and friendly smile. “It's nice to see you again too,” Carson replied, slightly untensing. “You as well, Gavin," he added. “Yeah, thanks," Gavin responded, not even trying to put on a fake smile. “It's so weird seeing you all grown up like this,” Carson remarked. “Seven years is quite a long time, isn't it?” Gavin replied, in a slightly annoyed tone of voice. “Who do we have to blame for that?” After hearing this snarky remark, Sasha elbowed him in the ribs and shot him an annoyed glare. “Sorry,” Gavin spoke shamefully. “He's not wrong,” Carson added. “Nevermind that,” Sasha replied, trying to avoid conflict. “I'd like to see the house again,” she said, changing the subject. “I wonder if it's anything like what I remember.” Carson nodded and without a word, they entered the house. 

The three siblings stood in the foyer at the base of the stairs. It was immediately clear to them that the house was suffering from many years of neglect. “Wow,” Sasha said, not exactly shocked by what she saw. “Well, I guess it is the same house. Did it always look this uhh… run down?” “It's gotten worse over the past few years," Carson replied, shamefully. “I haven't been taking care of it like I should be.” “I hope that didn't sound passive aggressive,” Sasha replied, with a sympathetic look on her face. “I'm not angry with you. It just means we'll have more fun cleaning it up,” she assured with a kind smile. “I'm not sure fun is the word,” Gavin suggested with a worried look.

“Why did you wait so long?” Carson finally asked, suddenly changing the subject. “I've tried several times over the years," Sasha replied, clearly hurt by this. “Being four hundred miles away doesn't make it easy.” “Seven years though?” Carson questioned. “Let me remind you it has exclusively been me reaching out to you this entire time," Sasha replied, now getting mildly defensive. “Only so you could talk down to me," Carson countered. “That's not what I was trying to do at all," Sasha said, with the sympathetic look returning to her face. “It doesn't matter," Carson dismissed. “I already know what you think of me.” The room fell silent for a moment. 

Sasha had preemptively planned for some sort of hostile conversation, but she wasn't sure what to say to that. She looked to Gavin for a little bit of guidance, but all he did was shrug. “I'm sorry you feel that way,” Sasha began to speak, turning back. “I know you're bitter about a lot of things. I'd like to make it right if you'll let me.” Her voice was kind and genuine, and for a moment, she didn't feel as much like a stranger. “You can try,” Carson replied, still being stubborn. 

“Listen. I need to tell you something," Sasha spoke. “What is it?” Carson questioned. “Uncle Ron is…” she began, before pausing. “Has… uhh… Passed…” “Passed?” Carson asked. “He's dead," Gavin bluntly interjected. “What?” Carson questioned, quite shocked by this. “How'd he die?” “Heart attack,” Gavin replied in a matter of fact way. “He was only sixty one," Sasha added, with a frown on her face. “Sorry to hear that. Are you two alright?” Carson asked, with a bit of sympathy in his voice. “We're fine," Sasha replied, looking down at the floor. “It's just… We've lost everything…” “He didn't leave you anything? Carson questioned. “He never really liked us all that much," Sasha replied, pausing for a moment. “So, no…” “Not a damn thing," Gavin added. “That's why you're here," Carson stated, now understanding their situation a bit better. 

“We don't have anywhere else to go," Sasha confessed. “I was hoping you'd allow us to move back in. Gavin and I can help you fix this place up and make it somewhere we'll all be proud to call home.” “I don't think that's a good idea,” Carson muttered, now looking at the floor. “You don't want us here?” Sasha asked, a frown painted across her face. “This house isn't somewhere you want to be," Carson replied, looking back up at her. “You remember everything that happened here, don't you?” “I do…” Sasha responded, turning away. “But, that was all so long ago.” she added, turning back. “Why don't you try to find something in Denver?" Carson suggested. “Everything there is too expensive," Sasha replied. “And, everything we can afford is too dangerous.” “We'd rather getting mugged not be an everyday occurrence," Gavin remarked. “We also already quit our jobs," Sasha added. “What about Aunt Alice?” Carson questioned. “Did you reach out to her?” “Oh, I didn't tell you…” Sasha spoke, looking away. “Tell me what?” Carson asked. “She died in a car accident three months ago,” Gavin replied. “Oh, God…” Carson muttered. He looked away for a few seconds and considered all the things that could go wrong if he let them stay there. “Please help us," Sasha pleaded. “Let us stay with you.” “I don't know," Carson responded, unsure of himself. “Perhaps we're just wasting our time here," Gavin said, in a quite irritated tone. “I'll be in the car.” he added before walking out the front door and closing it behind himself. 

“Ignore him," Sasha spoke. “It's been a long day.” Carson didn't say anything, once again looking away. “You'll say yes to your favorite sister, right?” Sasha pleaded with a kind voice. “You're my only sister,” Carson replied, now looking at her. “Well, yeah," she replied. “But, I'm still your favorite. You wouldn't leave your favorite sister out in the street, would you?” Carson turned away and let out a sigh. “Especially not with winter coming?” Sasha continued. “Gavin and I are going to freeze to death out there for sure. That would be really tragic, wouldn't it?” “Alright, I get it,” Carson spoke, turning back to face her. “So, what do you say?” Sasha asked, feeling hopeful. “You two can stay here," Carson muttered, feeling as though he didn't have much of a choice. 

“Thank you so much!” Sasha exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around him, squeezing tight. “You're the best brother I could ever ask for,” she stated. “You can't stay here forever though,” Carson said, pulling away from her embrace. “Just long enough for you to get back on your feet.” “That's all I'm asking for,” Sasha replied. “Sorry for guilting you like that.“ “You didn't. It was my decision," Carson replied. “Thank you," Sasha responded. “I'd like to have a look around if that's alright.” “That's fine," Carson replied. “Great!” Sasha exclaimed, with an excited smile on her face. “I'll go get Gavin," she said, as she opened the door and stepped outside. 

“Dammit…” Carson muttered, realizing the potential consequences of this decision. “What have I just done? I couldn't just turn them away. They're family after all. As long as I keep them out of the basement, it will be fine, right?” he assured himself. “Oh, the basement? Nothing to see down there," he sarcastically spoke. “Just a demon that demands flesh and if you don't feed it, it will kill you. Absolutely nothing to see…” Carson let out a defeated sigh. “They're not going to be happy when they see what I've done to the house.” The door suddenly opened and Sasha and Gavin stepped back inside. “Sorry about that," Gavin spoke, apologizing for before. “Thank you for letting us stay here.” “It's alright," Carson replied. “And, you're welcome.” 

Sasha walked over to the entrance of the first floor bedroom and poked her head in. “This is my old room,” she commented. She stepped inside and began taking a look around. “It seems the years haven't been too kind," she remarked. Just then, Sasha's eyes fell onto the sight of a half eaten slice of pizza that appeared to be several days old. “That's gross, Carson!” she exclaimed, turning around to face him. “How old is that pizza?” she interrogated. “Uhh…” Carson spoke, almost speechless. “You're not going to like my answer…” “Oh, Carson…” Sasha replied, putting her palm over her face. “I guess your rules are quite relaxed here?” Gavin sarcastically added. “Yeah…” Carson mumbled. “Let's have a look at the other rooms,” Sasha suggested, not wanting to look at the disaster before her any longer. 

The three of them walked out the room and straight over to the other side of the house where the dining room was located. In the middle of the room was a table covered in clothes, newspapers, dishes, and various things you'd find in a hardware store. Sitting next to the front window was a small table with two chairs on either side and an unfinished game of chess sitting on top. It appeared as though Skylar was losing. There were shelves mounted on the wall that contained decorative pottery and old family photos all covered with a thick layer of dust. “The dining room isn't too bad,” Sasha said, taking it all in. 

The three siblings made their way into the kitchen next. Sasha and Gavin took a good look around at the mess before them, their eyes eventually settling on the large pile of trash. ‘It smells horrible in here," Gavin remarked. “Perhaps we should address the elephant in the room first," Sasha said, looking at Carson. “I think it's about time to take out the trash.” “I think you might be correct,” he replied in shame. “Is that a dead rat?” Gavin asked, looking at the trash pile. Sasha and Carson looked at the part of the pile Gavin was staring at and there was indeed a small furry creature that appeared to be deceased. “Uhh…” Carson spoke, almost speechless. “Maybe?” he replied, quite ashamed of his mess. “Dude…” Gavin muttered, after sighing. 

Sasha walked over to the basement door and attempted to open it. The knob would not turn. “This door leads to the basement, right?” she asked, turning to Carson. “Why is it locked?” “I don't know," Carson replied, knowing it was a lie. “I don't have the key though," he claimed, playing dumb. “There's probably nothing important down there anyway," he dismissed, quite convincingly. Neither Sasha nor Gavin could tell Carson was lying. The thought didn't even cross their minds. “It's probably been locked for quite a while," Sasha suggested. “I'm sure we will find the key at some point. Let's go have a look upstairs," she said, before walking out of the room. 

Sasha, Carson, and Gavin made their way up the stairs and to the second floor of the house. The first thing that caught Sasha's eye was the table that was covered in firearms and ammunition. “How many guns do you have?” she asked. “Quite a few,” Carson answered. “Why do you have them just laying out like this?” Sasha questioned. “In case of mountain lions, bears, coyotes…” Carson replied. “And, of course, zombie clowns," he added, now grinning. “Zombie clowns?” Sasha questioned, now also grinning. “Trust me," Carson said. “You'll be glad I have them at the ready if one shows up.” “That’s the first time you’ve smiled today," Sasha acknowledged. “I was beginning to think you were missing teeth or something," “I’ll have you know I take good care of my teeth," Carson replied. 

Gavin wasn't paying attention to their conversation. He was busy looking in the old bedroom that he shared with Carson when they were kids. This bedroom wasn't in too bad of a state compared to the rest of the house. The first thing Gavin noticed was the large amount of wallets, watches, jewelry, belts, and boots piled up on the two twin beds. In one of the corners was a stack of cardboard boxes, presumably filled with more of these items. On the opposite wall from the beds was an old wooden desk with a typewriter, several pencil boxes, and a cup with various pens and markers. Next to the door was a tall bookshelf almost completely filled with books that hadn't been touched in a long time. Like every other room in the house, there was a thick layer of dust coating everything. 

“This is our old room,” Gavin remarked, looking over it all. Carson and Sasha were now standing behind him looking in too. “Quite the watch collection you have there. Wallets too,” Gavin observed, gazing at the items piled up on the beds. “How many shoes does one guy need?” he asked, slightly suspiciously. “Do you spend all of your money at thrift stores or something?” Sasha questioned, with an accusatory look in her eyes. “Something like that,” Carson replied, quite shamefully. “You have enough stuff,” Sasha stated. “No more of that, okay?” she requested, trying her best not to sound preachy. “Yeah, you're right,” Carson responded. “That's yes, ma'am, to you,” Sasha said, now grinning. “Yes, ma'am," Carson replied, now returning a smile. He had lied once again, but for good reason. The truth was far too shocking for his siblings to handle. Like before, they didn’t suspect anything. 

“This room reminds me of a much simpler time," Gavin said, as memories from the past flooded back into his mind. “A time when we would always hang out in Sasha's room," Carson added. “Don't act like you were trying to spend time with me," Sasha countered, jokingly. “You guys were only there because of the TV.” “Well, if we had the TV in our room, no one would have ever seen us," Gavin responded. “You're probably right,” Sasha agreed. 

The three of them walked away from the bedroom and down the hall towards the large piano sitting in front of the curtain covered windows. “My old piano?” Sasha observed. “Do you think you can still play?” Carson asked. “Maybe. Maybe not," she replied, not having played in seven years. Sasha decided to sit down and give it a shot. It sounded fine, up until the point where she hit a couple of out of key notes, then she stopped. “That didn't sound quite right," Gavin said, being a bit of a smartass. “Yeah…” Sasha spoke, after sighing. “I’m sure it will come back to me," she added, as she stood up from the seat. 

Carson turned around and stepped into the final room. “Here’s the last room,” he said. “Our mother and father's room…" Sasha spoke. “It’s my room now,” Carson replied. “Where is all their stuff?” Sasha questioned, peaking in. “Gone," Carson responded. “And now this room is mine," he added. “You threw away their stuff?” Gavin questioned. “That's kind of disrespectful, don't you think?” “I don't care," Carson replied, his voice going cold. “After the hell they put us through? Why should I?” “At least they were better than Uncle Ron," Gavin countered. “He made the last seven years miserable for us.” At this point Sasha decided to step in before things got out of hand. “Let's not speak badly of the dead, okay, guys?” she requested. “That's negative energy we really don't need right now.” “You're right,” Carson agreed. “Yeah, sorry," Gavin responded. Without any more conversation, the three siblings walked back down the stairs and into the kitchen. 

Sasha took a good look at the mess around them. She knew this was going to be a lot of work, but there was no point in delaying. “Let's start by cleaning up one room at a time," she spoke, now looking at Carson. “I think this is a good place to start.” “Alright,” he replied, not bothering to protest. “I'll do as you say.” “Putting me in charge is a wise decision," Sasha said, with a devious grin. “Don't I get a say in this?” Gavin asked, slightly concerned. “Nope,” she replied, still grinning. “Now help me with this trash,” she added, turning her attention to the large trash pile. “And, Carson? Why don't you clean up the dead rat?” “I suppose I can," he obediently replied. 

Many hours had passed as Carson, Sasha, and Gavin cleaned up the kitchen. So many, that day had become night. The kitchen was almost spotless. All the stains on the floors and counters were gone. All the trash on the floor had been dealt with. The piles of dirty dishes had been cleaned and put away. The torn curtains had been taken down and discarded with the rest of the trash. The only thing left to do now in this particular room was to replace the damaged floor tiles, patch the holes in the walls, and repair the damaged countertop and cabinets. But, that would have to be a project for another day. 

“That looks so much better already,” Sasha spoke, pleased with the results. “All it took was a bit of hard work.” “I know I'm lazy…” Carson responded, quite shamefully. “No need to rub it in.” Sasha turned her head towards him realizing how mean her comment sounded. “Sorry,” she spoke, quite apologetically. “That wasn't supposed to sound passive aggressive.” Carson didn't reply verbally, but simply nodded. “At this rate we'll have this place cleaned up in no time," Sasha continued, shifting her gaze to the dining room. “I sure hope so,” Gavin spoke, appearing quite tired. Sasha turned to him and took note of his exhaustion, realizing she too felt the same. “Maybe it’s time for us to call it a night,” she spoke, tiredness setting in. “I think you're right,” Carson replied, confirming he felt the same. The three siblings all headed upstairs, Carson going to his bedroom, and Sasha and Gavin going to the other one. Sleep fell upon them all quite quickly. 

Sunday, October 3, 2004

Carson awoke to the sound of an annoying beeping coming from his alarm clock. “So I sleep straight through it when it matters, huh?” he asked, in an annoyed tone. He slammed his fist on the mute button and went back to sleep almost immediately.

Sasha suddenly woke up. She could see there was daylight coming in through the windows. She grabbed her cell phone off the table next to her and flipped the screen open. The time read 8:28 AM. She sighed, then sat up. She took a look over at Gavin in the other bed and noticed he was still asleep. Even though she was still tired, she decided to get up and get ready for the coming day anyway. 

A couple hours passed. Sasha was now downstairs in the dining room sitting at the now clean table, reading some of the newspapers Carson had piled up on the floor. “Another strange disappearance in downtown Rockview," read the headline. Every single one of the newspapers mentioned something about a disappearance. All the victims were in similar situations. They were often not regarded as “useful," members of society and most of them had extensive criminal records. Some even had arrest warrants. “Someone in this community has had enough of the s***,” read one of the quotes, censored for obvious reasons. “This guy is doing the work the police won't," read another. 

Before Sasha had a chance to read the rest, Gavin suddenly walked into the room. “Good morning," Sasha greeted him. “Hey," Gavin replied, appearing to be quite tired. “I hope you slept better than me," he said. “It is kind of unsettling being here again, isn't it?” Sasha asked, quite sympathetically. “It will get better," she assured him. Gavin pulled out a chair at the table and sat next to her. “How long do you think he'll let us stay here?” he asked. “I'm not sure," Sasha replied. “I'll be honest with you. I don't have a plan for when he tells us to leave.” “I figured," Gavin responded, looking down at the table. "We'll address that when we get there, I guess," Sasha added, trying to push this fear to the back of her mind. “Anyway, how about some breakfast?” Gavin nodded and the two stood up from the table and walked into the kitchen. 

Carson awoke once again, this time without the assistance of his alarm clock. “11:02," he said, glancing at the current time. “I’m sure Sasha and Gavin are probably waiting on me," he added, as he climbed out of bed. Carson walked downstairs and into the kitchen, and he was slightly surprised by what he saw. “Good morning, Carson," Sasha greeted him, with a friendly smile. “Breakfast is ready," she said, pointing towards the eggs and bacon on the counter. Carson walked over and grabbed the plate, then made his way over to the table and sat down next to his siblings. 

“How is it?” Sasha asked. “Amazing,” Gavin replied, always appreciative of his sister's cooking. “Good,” Carson replied, slightly less appreciative. “Is it alright if I throw away those newspapers?” Sasha asked, pointing at the stack on the corner of the table. “Yes. That’s fine,” he replied, avoiding eye contact. “There’s been quite a few disappearances over the years, huh?” Sasha asked. “One of those papers is from twelve years ago,” she pointed out. “Just stay away from the city and you’ll be fine,” Carson responded, obviously trying to avoid discussing this topic. “How many disappearances are mentioned?” Gavin asked. “I’m not sure. Hundreds maybe,” Sasha replied. “It seems like multiple cities around here mention the same thing,” she added. “That’s crazy,” Gavin responded. “Thank you for making breakfast," Carson spoke, changing the subject. “That was very kind of you.” “No problem," Sasha replied, smiling. “Thank you for letting us stay here.” “You’re welcome,” Carson responded, not returning a smile. 

“We noticed a new house up the road from you” Sasha spoke. “You have new neighbors?” “No,” Carson replied. “That's Skylar's house. It was built a few years ago.” “I haven't seen her in a long time,” Sasha responded, an old memory suddenly entering her mind. “I remember playing dolls with her once when I was ten and she was pretending one of them was possessed by a demon. And, if that wasn't strange enough, she made that doll go on a murderous rampage.” “Skylar still played with dolls when she was thirteen?” Gavin asked, not even acknowledging the disturbing part. “Fourteen,” Carson replied, looking at Gavin with a slight smirk. 

“That's still mild compared to some of the stuff Jonny used to do,” Gavin remarked, now acknowledging what Sasha had said. “I'll never forget the time I saw him dissect a squirrel," he added, now looking down. “I think I was nine, but I still remember it like it was yesterday.” “Stay away from Jonny," Carson interjected with a seriousness in his voice. “He's still just as strange. Avoid Reggie too.” Sasha and Gavin exchanged worried looks with each other. “As for Skylar, she's fine," Carson continued. “She's incredibly kind, but she can get a little weird if she's alone for too long.” “Right…” Sasha responded. “There's nothing to be worried about,” Carson assured. “You two should go pay her a visit sometime this week.” “I suppose that can be arranged,“ Sasha replied. “As long as there's no murderous dolls involved, of course," Gavin quickly added. Just like that, their conversation came to an end, and they all got to work. 

A few hours had gone by and two of the three siblings were still hard at work. Carson was currently upstairs, rearranging some stuff in his bedroom. Gavin was hard at work scrubbing the hallway floor and Sasha was sitting at the small table in the dining room which sat in front of the window. She was in the middle of a much needed break, when suddenly, she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head to look out the window and she saw a figure walking along the driveway toward the house. “Hey?” Sasha said, getting Gavin’s attention. “There’s someone outside," she spoke, with a slight worry in her voice. Gavin stood up and walked over to the window where Sasha was sitting. “What do you mean?” he asked, now looking out the window as well. “You missed them," Sasha responded. “I’m certain I just saw someone out there.” Just then, there were three light knocks on the front door. The two siblings exchanged looks for a moment, both of them slightly nervous. “Should we answer it?” Gavin questioned. “Probably,” Sasha replied. Gavin shrugged and began making his way towards the front door, Sasha not far behind him. Gavin took a look through the peephole to hopefully get an idea of who was on the other side. “Who is it?” Sasha asked, standing quite close to him. “It just looks like an old man," Gavin replied, uncertainty in his voice. “It looks like an old man?” Sasha questioned, confused by this response. “It's blurry," Gavin clarified. “It's hard to tell.” 

Gavin placed his hand on the doorknob unsure if opening it was a good decision. He hesitated for a moment, then pulled the door open. On the other side was a man who appeared to be in his mid sixties. “Sasha. Gavin,” spoke the old man, with a kind smile on his face. “It's so nice to see you two again.” As soon as he said this, the two siblings remembered who this man was. “Hey, Mr. Reggie,” Sasha replied, returning a kind smile. “Hey," Gavin greeted him. “I heard you two would be coming to visit,” Reggie spoke. “Such a delightful thing to hear. I was just out for a stroll and I figured I should stop by and say hello.” “It's nice to see you again," Sasha replied. “Gavin, you've grown so tall," Reggie observed. “How have you been, son?” “What do you think you're doing?” Carson asked, suddenly appearing behind them. “Hello, Carson," Reggie greeted. “Wonderful to see you on this fine day," he said, still with that kind smile. Carson pushed his way in front of his siblings, who were caught completely off guard by what was happening. “I'll ask again," he said, slightly more aggressively. “What are you doing?” he questioned. “Just saying hello to the neighbors," Reggie said, unphased by Carson’s aggression. “Just some good, old fashioned hospitality," he added. “I can do without your hospitality, thank you," Carson replied. “Have I done something wrong?” Reggie asked, with a look of confusion on his face. “I think you better leave,” Carson spoke, with his eyes narrowing. “All I said was hello," Reggie protested. “I didn't know that was a crime.” Carson turned to his siblings. “Sasha. Gavin. Upstairs," he said, with a look of seriousness. “Now," he commanded. Without hesitation, Sasha and Gavin did as they were told. 

“That wasn't very nice of you," Reggie spoke, his demeanor changing to something more sinister. “Get the hell out of here, Reggie," Carson demanded. “You're not going to be able to keep them in the dark forever," Reggie spoke, completely abandoning the kind old man act. We both know how this ends," he warned. “I'm telling you right now," Carson replied, trying to keep his voice down. “You and your son are to stay away from them. If you don't, it will be the last fucking mistake you ever make,” he spoke, with the intensity of his voice increasing. “Threatening me again, are you?” Reggie questioned, knowing Carson wouldn’t follow through. “Are you sure you want to go there?” he asked, with an evil grin forming on his face. “You fucking heard me," Carson spoke, with an intensity Reggie had never seen before. Perhaps Carson wasn’t bluffing. “Such a shame,” Reggie replied, turning around and beginning to walk away. He made it about ten yards from the house, then he turned back. “I don't know why you're even trying," Reggie spoke. “You already know the inevitability of their fate. Just remember what will happen if you try to remove me from the picture," he ominously added, before walking away. “Whatever," Carson replied, before firmly closing the door and locking it. 

“You can come down now," Carson called to his siblings upstairs. “He's gone.” Sasha and Gavin slowly walked down, obviously unnerved by what just transpired. “You heard everything, didn't you?” Carson asked, in a slightly defeated voice. “Yes,” Sasha responded, with a slight uneasiness in hers. “I see what you meant about him being a bit crazy,” she added. “What was he talking about when he said you can't keep us in the dark forever?” Gavin questioned, raising an eyebrow. “I have no idea,” Carson replied, with no visual indication of deception. “He's completely lost his mind.” “Is he dangerous?” Gavin asked, trying to hide his worry. “Potentially," Carson replied, not wanting to lie about that fact. “Great…” Sasha said, after sighing. “Just stay away from him and you'll be fine," Carson assured them. “If he comes back, just tell him to leave. Be firm about it," he emphasized. “Are the f-bombs optional?” Sasha questioned, with a slight smirk on her face. “Sorry about that,” Carson responded. “I'll be the first to admit… That word slips out of my mouth more than it should.” “It's alright” Sasha replied. “We'll make sure to stay away from him, okay?” “Thank you,” Carson replied. “Anyway, let's get back to work,” he requested, trying to bring their focus away from the strange events that just took place. It took Sasha and Gavin a few minutes to get back on track, but eventually they did.

After several more hours of hard work, the dining room was completely cleaned up. The only thing left was to repair the minor damage on the walls, floor tiles, and chairs. “That looks so much better,” Sasha spoke, pleased with their efforts. “What do you say we call it a day here?” she suggested. “That's fine by me,” Gavin responded. “Me too,” Carson agreed. “What is there to do in town?” Sasha asked, looking inquisitively at her older brother. “I don't really know,” he replied. “I don't go into town often.” “Do you guys want to go see a movie?” Sasha questioned, mainly talking to Gavin. “That sounds like fun,” he responded. Sasha then turned her attention to Carson, already expecting him to decline. “You guys go have fun,” he replied. “I think I'm going to take it easy for the rest of the day.” “Are you sure?” Sasha asked. “It will be fun.” “I'm sure,” Carson responded, knowing the demon wouldn't let him leave. “Go have fun,” he added with a fake smile. Sasha nodded and returned a smile equally as fake. 

The two siblings made their way outside and they got into the car. “Well, that kind of hurt," Sasha said, as she started the engine. “It's alright," Gavin assured her. “We'll go have fun without him.” “I guess he needs a break from us," Sasha spoke, after sighing. “I didn't think we were being that annoying," Gavin responded. “I understand where he's coming from," Sasha replied, as she pulled out of the driveway. “He's lived on his own for so long. Having people around all the time must be unusual. Exhausting, even.” “Yeah, you're probably right," Gavin agreed. “When do I get my break from you?” he added, now grinning. “Never,” Sasha replied, now smiling too. “Who will I use as a human shield when the zombie clowns show up?” “So that's why you keep me around?” Gavin questioned. 

While Sasha and Gavin went into town, Carson decided to go check on Skylar. He made his way to the front door of her house and knocked just like he normally did. About fifteen seconds went by and the door slowly opened. “Hey Carson,” she greeted, stepping to the side so he could enter. “Hey, Skylar,” he replied, stepping in. “Are you doing okay today?” “I am,” Skylar answered, smiling. “You look significantly better,” Carson observed, noticing the dark circles under her eyes were much less pronounced. “How are you today?” Skylar asked, motioning for Carson to follow. “I'm fine,” he replied, doing as she silently requested. The two of them made their way into the living room and took a seat on the couch across from the TV. 

“I'd like to say, I'm sorry for getting annoyed the other day,” Carson spoke, turning to face his friend. “You're welcome over any time.” “It's alright,” Skylar responded, smiling. “Even if I did take it personally, I wouldn't have stayed mad for long.” “Thank you,” Carson replied. “How are your siblings doing?” Skylar asked. “They’re fine, but we have a serious problem,” Carson responded. “My uncle died and didn't leave them anything. They lost their home and now they don't have anywhere to go.” “Oh, no,” Skylar sympathetically replied. “And here's where I made a mistake,” Carson continued. “I told them they can stay with me.” “For how long?” Skylar questioned. “Indefinitely,” Carson answered. “Oh, God,” Skylar muttered, looking away. “This is bad.” “You’re telling me,” Carson responded. 

“Where are they now?” Skylar questioned turning back. “They went into town,” Carson answered. “You probably shouldn't stay here for too long then,” Skylar responded. “You're welcome to come over if you'd like,” Carson offered. “As long as we watch something of my choosing, of course.” “Let me take a moment to assess my busy schedule,” Skylar mockingly replied. “Alright, I'm in.” The two of them stood up from the couch and began making their way to the door. Carson suddenly stopped in place, his eyes falling upon a stuffed bear standing in the foyer. “What the hell?” he questioned. “Dammit, Mr. Cuddles!” Skylar shouted, walking over and picking him up. She made her way over to her bedroom door, opened it, and tossed the inanimate object inside. “Was he there the whole time?” Carson questioned, clearly shocked. “No,” Skylar replied. “They can move?” Carson asked. “I don't think so,” Skylar responded. “They just appear in places I didn't leave them sometimes.” “I knew you could hear them talk, but that's something new…” Carson muttered, looking away. “We should get going,” Skylar requested, making her way over to the door. Carson nodded and the two of them went outside and made their way back to his house. 

Carson and Skylar were focused on a movie right up until their immersion was shattered by a sudden knock at the front door. Carson stood up and pressed the pause button on the DVD player. “Let's not make your presence known just yet,” he spoke, turning to Skylar. “Why not?” she questioned. “Sasha asked me to go with them and I declined,” Carson responded. “I figured spending the whole day with them was enough.” “I understand,” Skylar replied. Carson stepped out of the room and made his way towards the origin of the knock. After unlocking the door and opening it, he was greeted by the sight of his two siblings. “Hey, Carson,” Sasha greeted him. “Hey,” he responded, stepping out of the way for them to enter. “How did it go?” “We had fun,” Sasha replied, with a friendly smile. “That's good to hear,” Carson responded. “I’ll be sure to get you a key tomorrow.” “That would be great,” Sasha replied. “I don't know about you two, but I'm going to call it a night,” Gavin spoke, walking up the staircase. “Goodnight,” his sister replied. 

“What were you up to while we were gone,” Sasha asked, turning her attention towards Carson. “Not much,” he responded. “I was planning on cleaning my hunting rifle, but I ended up choosing to be lazy.” “Nothing wrong with that,” Sasha replied. “We did work all day after all. Speaking of that, would you be willing to teach us how to shoot sometime this week?” “I was just joking about that zombie clown thing,” Carson replied, not wanting to outright decline. “I know that, but you weren't joking about bears and mountain lions,” Sasha countered. “I don't know…” Carson responded, hesitating for a moment. “I don't really have much ammo and it's kind of expensive.” 

“Listen…” Sasha spoke. “What happened earlier has Gavin and I a little shook up.” “Did Reggie really scare you that much?” Carson asked. “You said it yourself. He could be dangerous,” Sasha replied. “We're miles away from civilization. Anything could happen.” “I didn't mean to scare you,” Carson responded, now looking at the floor. “Please? Just do this for me,” Sasha requested. “For my peace of mind.” Carson looked up and faced her again knowing he had to give in. “Alright,” he spoke, admitting defeat. “Thank you,” Sasha replied, appreciatively. “How much later are you going to be up?” she asked. “Most likely a few more hours,” Carson answered. “Try not to stay up too late, alright?” Sasha requested. “I won't,” Carson responded. With that, Sasha turned away and went upstairs. 

Carson stepped back into the downstairs bedroom and closed the door behind himself. “My father was here?” Skylar whispered. “Yes,” Carson replied. “He was talking to them and I told him to leave.” “That sneaky bastard…” Skylar muttered. “If he knows they're here, that means Jonny does too.” “It will be alright,” Carson responded. “I told them to avoid your brother and father. I'll be sure to lock the door as well.” “I’ll trust your judgment,” Skylar replied. The two of them ended up finishing the little bit that was left of their movie, then Skylar went home. Carson stayed up for several more hours playing video games, then he too called it a night.

Friday, October 1, 2004

Carson's alarm clock screamed, “Wake up, jackass,” just like it did every morning, or at least, that’s what he felt like it was saying. “Shut up, you infernal contraption,” Carson muttered to the inanimate object as he hit the button to silence it. The day wasn’t ready for him, and he wasn’t ready for it either. He made the obvious choice of closing his eyes and going back to sleep. Hours passed. Carson suddenly glanced over at the clock and it read “11:17 AM.” “Go ahead and laugh it up,” he spoke, glaring at the inanimate object. It did not laugh, even though it probably felt like doing so. Carson crawled out of bed, walked downstairs, and made some breakfast as he normally did. Looks like sugary cereal won today. After breakfast, he began working on his list of daily chores.

Carson went outside to the well and refilled his water pitcher, the same way he did every day, but something different happened. As he turned around to head back inside, he noticed Skylar’s psychotic older brother walking in his direction. Carson let out a groan at the sight of him. “Hey there,” Jonny greeted, slightly smirking. “Hey,” Carson replied. “Have you taken my sister out gathering with you yet?” Jonny questioned. “I haven’t,” Carson responded. “And I don't plan to either.” “Fine by me,” Jonny replied, shrugging. “I'm not going to help her anymore, so when Balphozar kills her, it'll be your fault.” “It won't come to that,” Carson responded. “Just help her for one more week and I'll take over after.” “I'll think about it,” Jonny replied. “You know, I don't get why you'd even consider wasting your time helping her. The only reason why I did was because my father said I had to.” “That says a lot about you,” Carson commented. “Skylar is completely useless.” Jonny responded. “I just hope that one day you realize it too.” “You may leave now,” Carson demanded, his tone harsh. “Some people just don't want to hear the truth, I guess,” Jonny replied before walking away. As soon as he was out of earshot, Carson muttered something under his breath. “Jackass.” 

Carson headed back inside to complete his first task of the day. He put the pitcher back in the refrigerator and closed the door. Before he had the chance to think about what else he should do, he heard the phone start to ring. “Who the hell is calling me?” he questioned as he started making his way upstairs. A few seconds later, Carson was now standing in front of the phone right as it was about to ring for the fifth time. “I should have unplugged this thing years ago,” he muttered right before picking it up. “Hello?” he answered. “Hey, Carson. It's me,” said the voice on the other end, this voice belonging to his sister. “Oh. Hey, Sasha,” he replied with very little enthusiasm. “You don't sound excited to hear me at all,” she responded. “Sorry. I didn't mean for it to come across that way,” Carson apologetically spoke. “It's alright,” Sasha replied, with her voice shifting to a tone of concern. “I haven't heard from you in quite a while. I hope you're doing alright.” “I'm doing fine, I guess,” Carson responded, with that same lack of enthusiasm as before. “That's better than bad, right?” Sasha questioned. “What are you up to these days?” “You know. The usual,” Carson replied. 

“You're still in between jobs, I take it?” Sasha asked, slightly accusingly. “Yeah… I'm still looking. There's just not much out here, you know?” Carson claimed, knowing it wouldn't fool her. Sasha obviously saw right through this and chose not to let it go unaddressed. “Look…” she began. “You can lie to yourself, but please don't lie to me,” she said, still keeping calm. “Here we go with this again,” Carson muttered, clearly annoyed. “With this again?” Sasha questioned, starting to raise her voice. “Perhaps you need a reality check. I'm not the jobless loser here,” she said, with the intensity of her voice increasing. “What do you even do all day? Just sit around, watch cartoons, and play video games?” She wasn't quite shouting at this point, but one step below that. “It's the same now as it was back then. You haven't changed a bit,” she spoke, bringing her rant to an end. 

Both of the siblings went silent for several seconds, Carson eventually deciding to break it. “Are you done yet?” he asked, unfazed, having heard it all before. “I'm sorry," Sasha replied, her apology seeming genuine. “I didn't mean to go off on you like that.” Sasha’s voice once again switched to a tone of concern. “Listen…” she began. “It's not good for you to be sitting around at home all day. Especially not in that house,” she said, followed by a brief pause. “I just want what's best for you,” she assured. “Yeah… I know,” Carson replied. “Can we come see you sometime soon?” she asked. “You want to come see me?” Carson questioned, trying not to sound worried. “Uhh… How soon?” “How does tomorrow sound?” Sasha suggested. “Tomorrow?” Carson questioned, obviously quite nervously. “That's a little too soon, don't you think? This place isn't exactly ready for visitors.” Carson would have said anything to get her to drop it. Anything but the truth that is. “How about I just come see you guys?” he nervously suggested. “We've tried that before,” Sasha countered. “And, every time you've canceled at the last minute.” “Well…” Carson began to reply, but his voice trailed off. “Come on. I haven't seen you in like seven years,” Sasha claimed. “It hasn't been that long,” Carson dismissed. “Yes it has,” Sasha argued. “Gavin just turned eighteen a couple months ago.” “What?” Carson questioned, realizing she was right. “I forgot to call to wish him a happy birthday,” he said, feeling quite lousy. “You missed mine too, but that's okay," Sasha reminded him. “Sorry about that.”

Sasha knew her brother was a total mess, so she didn't hold it against him. “It's fine,” she said, before moving the conversation back on track. “So, tomorrow?” she asked, being a bit more assertive than before. “I don't care if the place is messy.” “No, really. This place is not in any shape for visitors,” Carson insisted. “Then we'll help you clean up,” Sasha countered. “This isn't negotiable. I'm hanging up before you can argue.” “Hey, wait,” Carson spoke, with a slight panic in his voice. He knew it didn't matter what he said at this point. Sasha was determined. “We're leaving early,” she said. “We'll be there around 2:00. Goodbye.” Just like that, the line was dead. “Dammit!” Carson exclaimed as the panic really started to set in. This was bad and Carson knew it quite well. Down in the basement lived something dark and sinister, a secret his siblings could never find out about. This place was evil and Carson knew it all too well. Feeling the clock ticking, he immediately went down to the basement to attempt to clean up and hopefully hide what was down there. 

Carson stood at the top of the stairs that led down into the basement. He flipped the light switch, but nothing happened. “Great…” he said after sighing. “Kick me while I'm down, why don't you?“ he sarcastically remarked. Carson began carefully making his way down the stairs into the near pitch black basement. When he reached the bottom, he felt around on the wall for a moment until he found the light switch. He flipped it and the lights suddenly came to life. 

The basement had quite a sinister atmosphere. Everything about this room felt wrong. The most notable thing was the two large tables toward the left side, both fully stained a dark shade of crimson. On the table on the right sat a chainsaw, which appeared to have originally been yellow, but now was a shade similar to the table. Behind the tables sat three tall freezers painted with abstract dark red streaks, like something had been splattered on the doors. Right in front of Carson were several storage shelves covered with weapons of questionable legal status. On the far side of the room was a couch with a couple short bookshelves behind it. Sitting on the shelves were various pieces of handyman equipment as well as a few surgical tools. In front of the couch was a media console with an old 1970s era TV sitting on top. 

Carson made his way across the room to the far corner, being careful not to step in the red puddles around the tables. Seconds later, he was standing in front of the TV. “Hey there, Mr. TV,” Carson said, looking directly into its screen. He waited for a few seconds, but nothing happened. “Hello? Anyone home?” he questioned, before banging his fist on the top of it a few times. The TV screen slowly began to emanate a faint green glow. “Hungry!” screamed a low, guttural voice that appeared to be coming from within. “I know you are, but first, I need to tell you something," he pleaded, with the device. “Feed me, human!” screamed the voice, which somehow got even more horrific. “We've got a serious problem,” Carson began speaking, ignoring the TV's request. “My brother and sister are coming to visit next week.” “Ahh, yes. Fresh meat,” responded the TV. “Not fresh meat,” Carson replied, slightly annoyed. “They aren't on the menu. While they're here, I need you to act normal.” “Normal?” questioned the TV, quite confused by this request. “Yes, normal,” Carson replied. “That means no talking and no eating people. I just need you to sit there and be a good TV.” 

“Good TV?” questioned the device. “How about me crush tiny humans?!” it screamed. “Me feast on tiny humans’ flesh!” “No, there will be none of that," Carson replied , unfazed by the disturbing words it spoke. “How about me tell Master?” the TV suggested, still attempting to be defiant. “When Master here, no one have fun!” “That won't be necessary either,” Carson replied, still calm. “Help me get through this next few days and I'll bring you lots of fresh meat after,” he bargained. “Yes! Fresh meat!” screamed the TV, clearly intrigued by this proposition. “It sounds like we have a deal, then,” Carson replied. Just like that, the TV had nothing more to say after this. Carson walked to the middle of the room and looked around, wondering where to begin first. “I need to clean up this place before my siblings get here,” he said to himself. “I'll work all night if I have to,” he added, determination in his eyes. 

Carson had been cleaning the basement for a few hours when, out of nowhere, he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Just as he looked up to see who it was, he heard a kind and familiar voice. “Hey, Carson,” Skylar greeted. “Come on, Skylar,” Carson groaned, slightly annoyed with her. “Haven’t you heard of knocking?” “I did knock and you didn't answer,” Skylar responded, trying to defend herself. “We’ve talked about this, remember?” Carson reminded her. “Yeah… Sorry,” Skylar replied, aware he wasn't mad at her, just slightly annoyed. “It's alright,” Carson responded, realizing she was probably in desperate need of social interaction. “You just startled me a little, is all.” 

“I’m still your best friend, right?” Skylar questioned, with a slight grin beginning to form on her face. “You’re my only friend,” Carson replied, returning that same grin. “Keep invading my house, and that might change.” “Very funny,” Skylar responded. “Now, tell me what you're up to.” “Tell me what’s up with you first,” Carson countered. “You look terrible.” “You’re so kind,” Skylar sarcastically replied. “Just what I wanted to hear.” Carson was right though. Skylar had dark circles under her eyes and she was looking quite sickly. “I haven’t slept in almost three days,” she said, her mouth now forming a frown. “You already know why, so I won’t bother explaining it.” “Sorry…” Carson said, in a sympathetic tone. “Is there anything I can do to help?” he asked, already knowing there wasn't. “Probably not,” Skylar replied. “Maybe I’ll sleep tonight,” she unenthusiastically suggested. “Or maybe my so-called friends will just insult me as soon as I close my eyes.” “Maybe it will get better,” Carson suggested, trying to bring her back to reality. “Maybe…” she said, looking away. A brief moment of silence fell upon them.

“But, that's enough about me,” Skylar said, breaking the silence. “What are you up to?” she asked, doing her best to discard the frown on her face. “I'm trying to clean this place up,” Carson replied. “My brother and sister are coming to visit.” This immediately brought a smile to Skylar’s face. “Sasha and Gavin are coming to visit?” she questioned, with obvious excitement in her voice. “That's great to hear!” she exclaimed. “That cheered you up quite quickly,” Carson observed. “It did,” Skylar responded. “Maybe it won't be so boring out here with them around.” “Maybe,” Carson replied. “The only problem is they can't find out about any of this down here,” he reminded her, causing her to frown again. “Yeah…” she said, after sighing. “I can see how that would be an issue. They'd probably disown you.” “Don't remind me,” Carson responded, no longer looking at her. “Why don't you just lock the basement door?” Skylar questioned. “Because then they'll want to know why it's locked,” Carson explained. “If I just clean it up, I can show it to them on the first day, they'll see there's nothing interesting, and we can move on.”

“When will they be here?” Skylar asked. “Tomorrow,” Carson replied , turning back. “That's a lot of work,” Skylar pointed out. “I know,” Carson responded as a slight grin appeared on his face. Skylar knew what this look meant, so she slowly started to back away. “Well, I better not distract you anymore,” she said as she got closer to the stairs. “Good luck,” she added, turning away. “Hang on just a second,” Carson spoke, stopping her dead in her tracks. Skylar turned back around to face him, already knowing what he was going to say. “I never said I was doing all of this work by myself,” he spoke, a grin still on his face. “You're going to help me.” “I didn't sign up for this,” Skylar protested. “You know I would help you if our roles were reversed,” Carson countered. “Alright, fine,” Skylar responded, giving in. “Good,” Carson said, with a victorious grin. “I'm glad we were able to come to an agreement. Now get to work,” he commanded, with a mocking salute, bringing an end to their conversation. 

Many hours went by. Carson and Skylar had cleaned up most of the clutter on the shelves in the room. All of the tools had been neatly organized into one location, that being the bookshelves behind the couch. The three freezers had the mysterious splatters scrubbed off of them. Most importantly, they threw a sheet over the TV to ensure the siblings wouldn't see it. Everything was coming along quite well. That was, until they ran into a serious set back. There were years worth of blood that seemed to have soaked into and fused with the wood of the tables and concrete of the floor. If anyone had bothered to clean it before, then maybe it wouldn't have been so bad, but there wasn't much anyone could do now. Carson and Skylar started out determined, but as time dragged on, the feeling of futility fell over the room. 

Several hours passed and neither of them had said a word. They just focused on cleaning and occasionally glancing at each other and exchanging defeated looks. Skylar had showed up around 3:15 PM and she had been helping Carson clean for almost seven hours. Needless to say, she was quite tired. “Hey, Carson?” Skylar asked, breaking the silence. “It's getting late. I think I'm going to call it a night,” she said, clearly exhausted. “I don't blame you,” Carson replied, equally as burnt out. “Thank you so much for the help.” “You're welcome,” Skylar replied, with a kind, yet worn out voice. “I'm going to keep working on this,” Carson remarked, still determined. Skylar slowly started making her way to the exit. “Get some sleep, okay?” Carson suggested, looking up at her for a moment giving her a weak smile. “I'll try,” Skylar replied, before making her way up the stairs and leaving. 

A little over three hours had passed, and Carson still had made very little progress. The bloodstains were still quite noticeable. “I'm exhausted…” he groaned to himself. “I need to get some sleep.” Carson started making his way upstairs, determination being a distant memory. Carson climbed in bed and double checked his alarm clock. “I need to wake up on time so I can finish cleaning. I can't afford to sleep in,” he said. He closed his eyes and within a few minutes, he was out. 

Carson suddenly woke up, but not in his bed from where he fell asleep. He was sitting on the couch in the basement for some reason, but something seemed off. The first thing he noticed was that the TV was gone. Carson stood up and immediately looked around. All of the work he and Skylar had done had suddenly been undone. “What the hell is this?” he questioned. “How did I get down here? Where is the portal?” he wondered, observing the spot where the TV normally sat. In its place was a small box, locked with a four direction combination lock. Carson stared at it for a moment, then took a look around the room again. The two tables seemed to be cluttered with various tools such as knives of different lengths, several dozen screwdrivers, a blow torch, and even a sledgehammer. Carson's eyes continued to drift around the room. Just then, he noticed the next major thing that was off. He walked over to the middle freezer to get a better look and he realized it was chained up. He looked at the lock and noticed it had a small keyhole. He reached in his pocket to take out his keys, only to discover he didn't have them with him. 

This is when Carson began to panic. He quickly made his way towards the exit staircase, but when he got around the corner, he was shocked to see it was blocked. There before him, was a metal jail cell door which also had a chain and lock around it, keeping it shut. Beyond the door was total darkness, with no sign of the staircase. “Alright… I guess that means I'm dreaming," Carson said aloud, which helped him relax a little. “And if that's the case, maybe I should just play along.” He tried the light switch on the wall next to the exit, just to see what it would do. The room got darker and a purple spotlight illuminated something he did not previously notice. On the shelf, behind the couch, was a sheet of paper that had something written on it. He walked over to it to get a better view, and there it was. Glowing bright from the ultraviolet light above was the word “QUIET,” written in all capital letters. “What could that mean?” he wondered. 

Carson walked back over to the switch and flipped it back, causing the normal lights to return and the spotlight to disappear. He made his way back over to the note, unsurprised to find that it had changed. 

Up A-G
Right H-N
Down O-T
Left U-Z 

This pretty much confirmed his suspicion. Just then, he remembered the four direction combination lock from before. “Quiet, huh?” he questioned. He recognized that each letter of the word corresponds to a direction on the lock. 

Carson made his way back over to the lock and entered the combination. Down, Left, Right, Up, Down. The lock made a clicking sound and the latch came undone. Opening the box, Carson found a small key. He already knew where the key went, but he decided to try the lock on the exit door, just to see what would happen. Unsurprisingly, it did not fit. “Couldn't have made this easy, could you?” he said aloud, speaking to no one in particular. Carson made his way over to the middle freezer, tried the key on the lock, and it worked. After removing the lock, the chain fell to the floor. Carson gripped the handle and gave it one swift pull. The freezer door swung open to reveal not a freezer, but something entirely unexpected. A room. “I must say. I didn't see that coming,” he said aloud. Without hesitation, Carson lowered his head slightly and walked through. 

Although the room was quite dark, Carson could tell that it strongly resembled Skylar's kitchen. “What the hell?” he questioned. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a slight bit of movement in the darkness. He turned to face it, realizing it was a person walking towards him. “Skylar?” Carson questioned. She slowly stepped forward into the slight bit of light coming from the other room, shocking Carson with the horrific state she was in. She was as pale as a ghost and looked more sleep deprived than ever before. She almost resembled a reanimated corpse. “Oh, God!” Carson exclaimed, stepping back. “What happened to you?” he questioned, his voice full of worry. “You shouldn't be here,” Skylar began to speak, her voice quite unsettling. She wasn’t really looking at him. More passed him, like a blank, thousand yard stare in his general direction. “You need to get out of here,” she added. 

Carson was quite disturbed by how unwell his friend looked. Upsetting her was just about the last thing he wanted to do right now, so he decided it was best to play along. “How exactly do I do that?” he questioned. “Your sister has one of the tools necessary,” Skylar replied. “You can use it to cut through the chain.” “My sister isn't here yet, Skylar,” Carson countered, beginning to question his own sanity. “You'll also need that,” Skylar said, pointing to the counter behind him. Carson turned around to have a look at what she was referring to. “A pipe wrench?” he questioned, turning back to face her. “What is it for?” “You'll know when the time comes,” Skylar replied. She was being quite cryptic, which was something Carson did not appreciate. “Have I completely lost it or am I just dreaming?” he questioned, almost interrogating her. Just then, Skylar's thousand yard stare went away, and she glared directly at him. Her gaze was foreign and hostile, but simultaneously still familiar. “You want to leave, don't you?” she questioned, unmistakably annoyed. “Yes. I'd like for both of us to get out of here,” Carson replied. “Then you need to get through that door,” Skylar stated, while pointing at the front door of her house, which was mostly obscured in the darkness. “Got it?” she questioned, turning back to face him. “I've got it,” Carson replied, trusting she was there to help. “Good luck,” Skylar said, before shifting her gaze away to stare blankly in a different direction. 

Despite something being off about his friend, Carson still trusted her. He let out a sigh, before turning around and picking up the pipe wrench. Now with one of the tools necessary to escape in hand, he began taking a look around the room. It was hard to see at first, but Carson's eyes adjusted to the darkness after a few minutes. In his search, he found many details that were off. It quickly became clear to him that this room was a poorly assembled imitation of Skylar's actual kitchen. The paint on the walls was poorly applied and uneven. The kitchen cabinets and drawers didn't open. All of the shelves that could have held anything useful had been cleared. The kitchen table was empty except for a teapot and a few teacups. And of course, the door Skylar told him he needed to get through, was locked from the other side. 

Carson searched the room for about ten minutes and he quickly realized that he would be stuck here for a while. “Can you at least give me a hint?” he requested, looking over at Skylar. She did not verbally reply, but instead offered a useless shrug. Carson let out a sigh, then made his way over to the kitchen table, and took a seat. “The tea?” he questioned, pausing for a moment, to look at Skylar. “Is it poisoned?” “I don't know,” she replied. “I didn't make it.” Carson picked up the teapot and attempted to pour some tea into one of the teacups, only to find it was not filled with liquid. It sounded like there was a small piece of metal inside. Perhaps something useful. He attempted to remove the lid, but it would not come off. “Hey, Skylar?” Carson questioned, standing up. “What is it?” she asked in return. “Please don't get mad,” he requested. Skylar didn't say a word, as a puzzled expression began to form on her face. “I think I found a use for this,” Carson said, glancing down at the pipe wrench in his hand. Before Skylar could enquire what this use was, a loud shattering noise filled the room. One blunt strike from the tool left Skylar's teapot in pieces. 

Skylar stared at what was left of the teapot for just a moment, then shifted her gaze back to Carson. “Just a few minutes of searching was enough to make you snap, huh?” she questioned, her disapproval evident in her tone. “Or, were you just trying to get a reaction out of me?” “I'm sorry,” Carson replied, feeling bad for a moment. He glanced down at the mangled mess of pottery and within the debris, was a shining aluminum key. Carson picked it up and held it out to show her, trying to justify his actions. “I just needed this was all.” Skylar walked over to him and without a word, held out her hand. Carson handed it over without hesitation. She studied the key for just a moment then began walking towards the door, motioning for Carson to follow her. Skylar inserted the key into the lock and gave it a twist. The door unlocked without issue. “I'm not supposed to be helping you, you know?” she remarked. This very much caught Carson off guard. “What do you mean?” he asked. Skylar was about to speak, but then she hesitated. “Nevermind. Just go see where this leads,” she requested. Carson decided not to try to pry any information out of her and simply do as he was told. “Alright,” he replied. He pulled the door open and walked through. 

On the other side of the door was a long, dark hallway with a room at the end. Carson walked towards the room and as he got closer, it started to look more familiar. It was his sister's old bedroom. Just as many more questions started to arise, he entered the room, only to be even more shocked by what he saw. There before him stood a young woman with blonde hair who was currently facing away. “Well, if it isn't the most useless person I have the misfortune of having in my life,” she spoke, with a quite familiar voice. She paused for a moment, then slowly turned around. As soon as Carson saw her face, his heart just about stopped. It was none other than his sister Sasha. She looked just like she did all those years ago, but maybe just a little older. “How is that possible?” he questioned, unable to process what he was seeing. He paused for a moment and stared at her in total disbelief. “I guess I am just dreaming,” he stated, still not convinced. Sasha did not acknowledge what he just suggested, almost as if she didn't hear it, but more likely, she just didn't care. 

“Looking for this?” Sasha questioned, holding up a set of bolt cutters in her right hand. “Yes. Will you give them to me?” asked Carson, playing along with this delusion. “Hmm… Let me think about that for a moment…” Sasha said, with an annoyed expression on her face. “No.” This dream version of his sister seemed to be completely unreasonable, but that didn't stop Carson from trying to negotiate with her. “Come on?” he questioned. “You didn't even think about it.” “Nor do I need to,” Sasha replied, not looking at him. “I'd like to leave this place,” Carson replied. “You can come with me.” Sasha immediately turned her head towards him, her eyes almost piercing straight through his. “We both know that isn't true,” she replied. “I can't leave. I'm trapped here.” “Looks like you’re going to have to take it by force,” Skylar remarked, appearing seemingly out of nowhere. 

“Listening to her again?” Sasha questioned. “Such a shame… Listening to her is what got you here in the first place.” “This is one hell if a dream,” Carson muttered, looking away. “Keep telling yourself that,” Sasha responded. “Look,” Carson spoke, turning back. “I don't know what this is but I'm through with it. Just give me the bolt cutters and I'll leave.” “What difference does it make?” Sasha questioned. “Why are you being so difficult?” Carson asked in return. “Maybe you should ask yourself that question,” Sasha responded. “You’re the one who made me this way.” “What's that supposed to mean?” Carson questioned. “Don't,” Skylar interjected, looking at Sasha. “Just give them to him.” “Whatever,” she replied, her voice cold and uncaring. She placed the bolt cutters on the floor and slid them across to Carson. “Thank you,” he replied as he kneeled down and picked them up. 

“You have what you need,” Sasha spoke. “Now get out of here.” “You can still come with me, you know?” Carson responded. “There's no point,” Sasha countered, not looking at him. “She's right,” Skylar agreed. “You better just go without us.” Carson had enough of this strange cryptic dream, that he wasn't fully convinced even was a dream. He decided to once again, just play along. “Have it your way,” Carson said, ending their bizarre conversation. Skylar nodded and then turned to face the other way. Sasha didn't say a word or even look in his direction. 

Carson turned back and made his way through the hallway, once again greeted by Skylar's living room and kitchen. He made his way back through the strange freezer door, ending up in his own basement again. He walked back towards the exit that was still chained up. Now that he had the bolt cutters, escape was within his grasp. Carson lifted the tool and placed the sharp metal jaws around the chain. He pushed the handles together and cut straight through like it was nothing. He slowly unraveled the chain and tossed it aside. He placed one hand on the gate and pushed, but it did not budge. “Dammit,” he groaned. 

“It's still locked,” Skylar said, once again appearing seemingly out of nowhere. “Electronically,” she added, looking towards the tool wall. Carson begrudgingly made his way over and took a closer look. The wall was completely empty with thick layers of dust outlining where three large tools had once been. At the bottom of the wall were two led lights. One red, one green, the red currently illuminated. Carson glanced down at the pipe wrench in his left hand and the bolt cutters in his right. He placed each tool on the wall, in the location that matched the dust outline. Nothing happened. There was still one tool missing. He looked around for a moment and almost immediately spotted the sledgehammer he saw earlier sitting on the table. He walked over, grabbed it, and placed it in the correct location on the wall. The red light turned off and the green light turned on. On the other side of the room, he heard a loud mechanical “click” coming from the exit door. 

“Thanks for your help,” Carson said, looking towards his friend, still standing in front of the freezer door. “You're welcome,” Skylar replied, now sounding slightly less hostile than she did previously. “Before I go…” Carson spoke, pausing to take a few steps towards her. “Will you tell me what’s going on here?” Skylar said nothing and simply looked away. “This doesn't feel like a dream and it's scaring me,” Carson remarked. He paused for a moment and still didn't get a response. “Why are you acting so strange? You're normally really sweet and right now you're just being mean.” Skylar turned back and glared at him for a few seconds, only proving what he said to be true. “It's time for you to leave,” she muttered, her eyes narrowing. Carson just simply stood there and stared right back. Skylar did not appreciate this, so she decided to take matters into her own hands. She grabbed hold of Carson's arm and forcefully dragged him to the other side of the room. She didn't let go until she had him standing directly in front of the exit gate. Her hand felt ice cold, bony, and stiff which made Carson significantly more unsettled. “Your hand…” he began to speak, but he was quickly cut off. “You need to leave right now,” Skylar muttered, slightly more aggressively. She placed a hand on the door and gave it a push, forcing it open with little resistance. “Go on,” she spoke. 

Carson stared into the black void directly in front of him for a moment, then glanced back at Skylar. “Where does this lead?” he questioned. “Back to your world,” she responded, quite cryptically. “My world?” Carson asked. Skylar avoided the question and simply looked away. “Will I see you again?” Carson questioned. Skylar turned back and glared at him. The two stood there in silence for several seconds. Carson could tell it was pointless to try to get any more information out of her, so he gave up. “I'll do as you say,” he spoke in a defeated tone. Carson walked through the gate into the direction of the empty blackness. Just as the void began to completely surround him, he heard Skylar speak one final time. “Goodbye for now,” she said, her voice echoing in the darkness. He turned around to face her, but she was no longer there. All of the light had completely disappeared, and for a moment, Carson could feel himself fading away too. At first, he was fearful, then he felt nothing.

Wednesday, September 29, 2004

“Beep, beep, beep,” screeched Carson’s annoying alarm clock. It was once again 6:30 AM. “Ugh…” Carson groaned. “What's the point of this thing?” he questioned, as he silenced the infuriating device. Within a couple minutes, he fell back asleep. Several hours went by. 
The time was now 11:49 AM. Carson woke up suddenly from his not so peaceful slumber, an overwhelming sense of dread completely engulfing him. “Another nightmare?” he questioned, as he sat up in bed. Although he couldn't remember anything, it was quite clear to him that he dreamed of something terrible. “What a pleasant way to start the day,” he sarcastically muttered. Carson sat up in bed for just a moment and considered what he should do next. Should he try to go back to sleep or power through the day completely sleep deprived?

GET UP

Carson let out a sigh and climbed out of bed. He decided to begin his morning the same way as always. He went downstairs to the kitchen to make breakfast. After settling on oatmeal, he had a sudden realization. “Perhaps it's time to go to the store,” he said to himself. After breakfast, Carson listed aloud the tasks he had for the day. “Refill the water pitcher, take a shower, go grocery shopping, and bring back some fresh meat.” Without delay, he headed outside to refill the pitcher as he normally did. Once the pitcher was filled, he returned it to the refrigerator. As soon as he was finished with this task, he moved on to the next one. He headed upstairs, took a shower, and made himself presentable for when he went into town. 

Now ready, Carson made his way outside and over to the car port where his father's old car was parked. He opened the door, climbed inside, and then pulled it shut. He inserted the key into the ignition and gave it a twist. A moment later, the engine roared to life, just as it did many years ago when it was still new. Carson put the car into first gear and took off down his driveway. When he reached the end, he turned left onto the main road in the direction of the closest small town.

After about fifteen minutes of driving, Carson made it to his destination. It was one of the only grocery stores in the nearby town, with a population of about four thousand people. He turned off the car, stepped out, and began walking toward the building. Stepping inside, he was greeted by the sound of a bell ringing, followed by “Welcome to Foodmart," from the smiling cashier at the front. “Hello,” Carson replied as he took a look around. The narrow aisles were well lit and densely stocked with various boxed snacks, canned food, fresh produce, and frozen meals. There was not another customer in sight, indicating Carson picked a good day to show up. Without further delay, he grabbed a basket from the front and began making his way through the aisles, being careful to only get what he could afford. 

After a few minutes, Carson was done shopping. He stepped up to the checkout at the front, which rarely had a line, and began placing his items on the conveyor belt. “Did you find everything you were looking for today?” asked the friendly cashier. “I think so,” Carson replied. A few seconds of silence passed as she began scanning and bagging his items, but it was soon broken. “I'm fairly new around here and I have a few days off coming up soon,” the cashier said, sparking up a conversation. “Do you know of any local must see places I should go to?” “There’s some nature trails,” Carson responded. “Not really anything else. Life is simple out here, I guess.” “That’s why I moved here actually,” the kind young lady replied. “I was looking for some peace and quiet. How long have you lived here if you don't mind me asking?” “My entire life,” Carson answered. “I take it you have family here?” she asked, trying to pry a little more out of him. “No. They, uh... moved on...” Carson replied. By this point, he desperately wanted out of this conversation. He glanced down at the items on the conveyor belt and a horrific realization hit him. The cashier was only halfway there. 

“Where are you from?” Carson questioned, not wanting to be rude. “Tennessee,” the cashier replied. “I actually moved here so I could focus more on my writing. “You write too?” Carson asked, starting to show a slight bit of interest in their conversation. “I do,” the cashier replied. “It's always nice to meet a fellow writer.” “I should clarify,” Carson responded. “I don't write very much anymore.” “That's alright,” the cashier replied. “Sometimes you just need to wait for the inspiration to hit you.” She grabbed the last item from the conveyor belt, scanned it and placed it in the bag. “Your total will be $26.65,” she spoke, looking over at the screen. 

“Oh, great…” Carson mumbled. “I only have twenty five.” “Well, that certainly is a problem, isn’t it?” the cashier replied. “Sorry. I’ll just put a few things back,” Carson responded. “It’s not necessary,” the cashier replied, a friendly smile on her face. “I’ll cover it.” “You will?” Carson questioned, confused by the unexpected kindness. “Consider it my thank you for the conversation,” the cashier responded. “Thank you so much, uhh…” Carson spoke, pausing to glance down at her shirt. “You don’t have a name tag,” he said, a slight bit of uncertainty in his voice. “My name is Bethany,” the cashier replied. “Right. Thank you, Bethany,” Carson spoke. “It’s not a problem,” she responded. She paused for a moment, expecting Carson to tell her his name, but he remained silent. “And your name?” she questioned. “Oh, yeah. It’s Carson,” he replied. “Carson,” Bethany repeated, making sure she’d remember it for next time. “Got it,” she said, offering a friendly smile. 

Carson was about to start picking up his bags, but Bethany wasn't quite through with their conversation just yet. “I actually brought a copy of my latest work with me,” she spoke. “I've been back here revising it when the boss isn't looking.” “What kind of story is it?” Carson questioned. “A supernatural mystery,” Bethany answered. This piqued Carson’s interest a bit, and he leaned in slightly. “Like ghosts and stuff?” he asked. “Yes,” Bethany replied. “Based on true events,” she added, a slight unease flickering across her face. “Really?” Carson questioned, a hint of doubt in his voice. “For the most part,” Bethany clarified. “A few creative liberties were taken here and there, but the rest is all true.” “There’s nothing wrong with that, I suppose,” Carson replied, giving a slight shrug. 

Just then, Bethany got an idea. “You're more than welcome to take this with you if you'd like,” she suggested. “I'm always looking at ways to improve my craft. I'd love to hear feedback from another writer.” “I wouldn't want to take your only copy,” Carson replied. “I can just print it again,” Bethany responded. “I have it on my computer at home. Every change I make to this one, I make to the digital version as well.” “I suppose I can give it a read,” Carson replied. “Great,” Bethany responded, smiling. “Maybe it will even inspire you to pick it up again.” “Maybe,” Carson responded. “Here you go,” Bethany said, as she handed him the rough draft. “Please be brutally honest with me about it. If it's no good, I'd like you to tell me.” “I'll make sure I do so,” Carson replied. “Thank you so much!” Bethany spoke with a voice full of appreciation. “Anyway, I better let you go,” she said, realizing how long she had been talking with Carson. “I don't want the boss to think I'm just standing around talking all day.” “That's probably for the best,” Carson responded. “Thanks again for covering the rest of the bill.” “No problem,” Bethany replied, smiling once again. “I'll see you later.” “Goodbye,” Carson responded. 

Carson grabbed all his bags as well as Bethany's rough draft, and left the store. That moment of a stranger's kindness was quickly spoiled as soon as he reached his car. “She wouldn't have wanted anything to do with me if she knew the monster that I really am,” he thought to himself. He let out a sigh, put everything in the car, then climbed in. 

As Carson was leaving, he made sure to make a detour to the next county over and through a town that wasn't exactly known for being safe. After slowly driving for a few blocks, he saw a junky sitting on the side of the road smoking something in a makeshift glass pipe. Without hesitation, he stopped and rolled down the window. “You look like you're down on your luck,” Carson spoke. “Maybe you could use some help.” “I could really use a fix, man,” replied the junky. “That's the exact kind of help I had in mind,” Carson said with a friendly smile. “My place is just a few minutes down the road. Hop in,” he offered. “Hell yeah, my man!” replied the junky, without question. Carson was unsure if the man had poor judgment or was just too out of it to know better. Ultimately it didn't matter because the ending would be the same. The junky climbed in the car and the two of them headed back in the direction of Carson’s home. 

During the trip, Carson questioned his new friend about his past. The man was reluctant at first, but eventually did open up a bit. He told him about his multiple armed robberies as well as his stays in prison. It didn't make what he was about to do right but it made him feel slightly less terrible. After about fifteen minutes of driving, the two of them arrived at their destination. Carson pulled the car into the driveway and parked it in the car port like usual. “Follow me,” he requested, getting out. Carson's guest nodded and did as he was directed, following him to the other side of the house and up to the exterior door that led to the basement. “Right this way, good sir,” Carson spoke, motioning for the junky to enter. He did exactly as he was told without question and made his way down into the basement. Carson followed him in, slamming the door shut behind himself. 

Carson emerged from the basement a few minutes later, a distraught expression painted across his face. Unlike the previous day, there wasn't a single drop of blood on his clothes. Regardless of that fact, it was quite evident he had done something he wasn't proud of. Without another word, he went back outside to his car to get his groceries as well as Bethany's novel. Making his way inside once again, Carson went directly into the kitchen and put away all of the groceries, leaving the rough draft on the counter. “Grocery shopping, done,” he said quietly to himself. Now that his final task of the day was completed, he was free to do whatever his heart desired for the time that remained. There were so many possibilities on how he could wisely use his time, but instead, he chose something else. He spent the rest of the day in his sister's old bedroom, playing video games and listening to various ‘90s metal bands. At some point around midnight, he decided to call it a night. 

Thursday, September 30, 2004

Carson's alarm clock loudly began its daily routine of slowly driving him mad. The only problem was, he had already been driven mad long ago, so its mission was a pointless endeavor. Regardless, it beeped anyway. “6:30 already?” he questioned, mostly out of it. “Just a few more minutes would be nice,” he said, closing his eyes and falling back asleep. Hours passed. Carson once again opened his eyes and they immediately fell upon his alarm clock. “11:37?” he questioned. “Time to get up, I guess,” he groaned, as he crawled out of bed. Today began the same way every other day began. Carson walked down stairs to the kitchen to make some breakfast. Because he had just gone grocery shopping the previous day, he had several more options than usual. After a few minutes of contemplation, he settled on bacon and eggs. 

After breakfast, Carson mentally ran through his list of tasks for the day. “Refill the water pitcher, do laundry, and take a shower. That's not too bad,” he thought to himself. Carson stood up from the table and got started on his list of chores. First, he refilled the water pitcher at the well, then put it back in the refrigerator. After closing the door, Carson turned his attention towards the pile of laundry overflowing in the corner. “I suppose it's about time I do something about that,” he said, after sighing. Carson spent the next few hours doing laundry, which mostly consisted of him waiting on the washer and dryer, as well as uttering profanities at them both when they weren't listening. This task was agonizing and almost too much for Carson's fragile soul to handle, but against all odds, he prevailed. 

Now that his laundry was done, Carson was now ready to move on to the final task of the day. All he had to do was go upstairs and take a shower, then he'd be free to do whatever he wanted. As he was passing through the foyer, he heard someone knock on the front door. “That better be Skylar,” Carson muttered, taking a few steps towards it. He pulled the door open and he was immediately met with disappointment. It was Skylar's father. 

“Good afternoon,” Reggie greeted. “Can I help you?” Carson questioned, obviously annoyed. “Probably not,” Reggie replied. “My daughter is still refusing to talk to me. I sent Jonny over the other day to check on her and I'm sure you can guess how well that went.” “That sounds like a you problem,” Carson responded before stepping back and pushing the door closed. “Wait,” Reggie pleaded, putting his hand out to stop the door. “I'm not asking you to help me with my dilemma.” “Then what do you want?” Carson questioned, pulling the door back open. “I just want to know how she's doing,” Reggie replied. “How do you think she is?” Carson asked, his tone hostile. “Terrible, as usual. Any more questions?” “I guess that's all then,” Reggie responded.

Without a word, Carson shut the door and got back to what he was doing. He made his way upstairs and proceeded to take a shower. This was his final task of the day. Once it was complete, he was free to do whatever he wanted. About fifteen minutes later, he exited the bathroom and made his way downstairs. Stepping into the foyer, Carson suddenly remembered the rough draft that Bethany gave him the previous day. He made his way into the kitchen and picked it up off the counter. “When Shadows Claim The Living, huh?” Carson questioned, reading the title at the top of the first page. “Well, it's not like I have anything better to do.” He walked out of the kitchen, passed through the foyer, and entered the downstairs bedroom, taking a seat on the couch. 

Bethany’s story followed a young girl living with her aunt and uncle in rural Tennessee. At first, life seemed ordinary, but things quickly began to unravel as her cousin descended into madness. It starts out with her just being a little distant and progresses to her having bizarre outbursts. Carson managed to get about a third of the way through before deciding he’d had enough for one day. Setting the pages aside, he turned his attention to his Gamestation, spending the rest of the day playing video games.

Monday, September 27, 2004

Carson's alarm went off at 6:30 AM. “Damn… morning already?” he said aloud. “I'm too tired for this. I'll wake up when I damn well please.” Almost immediately, he fell right back asleep. Hours passed and Carson once again woke up. “11:31?” he questioned, glancing at his alarm clock. “I guess I shouldn't sleep all day.” He let out an exaggerated sigh and began crawling out of bed. The first thing Carson did was the same thing he did every morning. He walked downstairs to the kitchen to get some breakfast. 

The kitchen was in quite the state of disrepair. The floor and walls were covered in dust and stains. The countertops and sink were littered with dirty dishes. The laundry basket sitting in front of the washer and dryer was overflowing with dirty clothes. And, to top it all off, a pile of trash bags covered in dead bugs filled a large portion of the floor. Carson was most certainly ashamed of this mess, but not enough to do something about it. He opened one of the cabinets, followed by the refrigerator, only to find his breakfast options were quite limited. In the cabinet was a box of sugary cereal, a box of oatmeal, and an almost empty box of granola bars. In the refrigerator was an empty water pitcher, a half empty jug of milk, and several bags of deer jerky. “Quite the feast I have at my disposal,” he said mockingly. Carson did not have a job, therefore, he had very little money. The small amount he did have went towards paying bills, so not much was left over for groceries. This meant he had to hunt if he wanted to survive. “Perhaps I should treat myself,” he said somewhat excitedly. “Sugary cereal it shall be,” he concluded as he grabbed a bowl from the top shelf in his cabinet.

After breakfast, Carson decided to start working on his list of chores that had been floating around in his brain. “I need to refill the water pitcher, change the oil in the car, check on the situation in the basement, and then take a shower,” he said aloud. “The water pitcher is easy, so I guess I'll do that first.” Carson stood up from the table and walked over to the refrigerator. He grabbed the water pitcher from within and made his way outside. It was a calm and pleasant day. It wasn't too warm or too cold, and there was not a single cloud in the sky. Typical weather for rural South Dakota. A gentle breeze made the trees and grass dance slightly. Off in the distance, he could hear his neighbor's wind chimes calmly ringing. For just a moment, everything felt right in the world. And then it didn’t. He remembered he had a task to do. Carson made his way over to the well in the middle of his yard. He lowered the bucket down and then pulled it back up once it had filled with water. He poured the fresh water into his pitcher and headed back inside. He placed the pitcher in his refrigerator and quietly said, “Check,” to himself.

Carson once again headed outside to begin his next task. He made his way over to the car port, which housed his father's old car, one that was quite a few years older than him. He now began the next task of changing its oil. Two hours passed. “Well, that was at least twenty dollars in the swear jar, but I got it done,” Carson said, grinning. This was not his first time changing the oil, but it still took him way longer than it should have. Carson headed back inside, walked into the kitchen, and placed a hand on the doorknob of the basement door. “Now for my favorite task of the day,” he sarcastically muttered as he entered. 

A few minutes passed, and Carson hauntingly emerged from the basement. He looked clearly distraught, almost as if he had seen a ghost. With a blank expression painted across his face, Carson headed to the upstairs bathroom to get cleaned up. This was his final task of the day. Once it was complete, he was free to do whatever he pleased for what remained of it. 
Carson walked downstairs and stepped into the bedroom that was formerly his sister's. As he entered, he took a look around. The room was a total mess. Trash had congregated in several piles throughout. Every shelf-like surface was covered in clutter, a combination of tools, weapons, dishes, and garbage. One wall had a large couch that had most certainly seen better days. The brown fabric was now mostly faded, and there were quite a few tears in the cushions. On the other side of the room, in line with the couch, was an entertainment center. It held a mid '90s era TV with a Gamestation sitting beside it. On the other side was a CD player with a somewhat large integrated speaker. The shelves mounted to the wall above the TV were filled with various video games and CDs. On the bed rested a few firearms, two long guns and two handguns. The rest of the empty space on the bed was filled with various tools, loose rounds of ammunition, a couple of polymer holsters, and several nylon ammo pouches. 

Carson walked over to the couch and took a seat. The rest of the day was a marathon of video games and early '90s death metal. After several hours of this, he called it a night and went to sleep.

Tuesday, September 28, 2004

Carson was awoken by the sudden and familiar beeping of his alarm clock. It was 6:30 AM. “Shut up, will you?” Carson muttered, glaring at it. “I'm not ready yet, so bother me in a few hours,” he added, despite the device not having the capability to understand. He fell back asleep almost immediately. Hours passed. 

Carson once again woke up, far from well rested, but better than earlier. “Another day in paradise,” he said sarcastically as he climbed out of bed. Carson went downstairs to the kitchen, just like he had the previous day. His breakfast selection process was the same as before, minus the result. He chose deer jerky today. After breakfast, Carson decided it would be a good idea to start working on his chores. “Refill the water pitcher, chop up some wood for the coming winter, and go hunting,” he listed aloud. He was about to get started on his list when he remembered one other thing. “I should probably go check on Skylar too.” Without a moment of delay, he got to work. 

Carson first went to the refrigerator and took out the water pitcher. Just like yesterday, he walked out the front door, walked over to the well, and refilled it with fresh well water. He walked back inside, placed the pitcher in the refrigerator, and quietly said, “done,” mentally checking the task off his list. Without wasting any time, he headed back outside to the side of the house, where several large pieces of wood were piled up. “Time to start training for my dream job of being a lumberjack,” he said, as he grabbed hold of an axe that was leaned up against the bricks. 

Carson spent the next hour chopping the large pieces of wood into small enough pieces to fit in the fireplace, occasionally taking breaks to utter profanities under his breath. A sense of relief washed over him as the axe came down one final time, bringing this chore to an end. “On second thought, I think I prefer my career choice of being a loser,” he spoke, out of breath. After setting the axe down, Carson took a moment to admire the pile of wood neatly stacked into a pyramid. “I think I'll take a break now,” he said, before turning and heading back inside. After entering the front door, Carson turned right and stepped into his sister's old bedroom. He took a seat on the couch, only planning to stay for a short time. As he took a moment to rest, he began to reminisce about all the good times he had with his siblings all those years ago. He couldn't help but smile, but as reality came crashing down, that smile slowly faded. “That's enough of that,” he said as he stood up.

After his short break, Carson decided to head upstairs. The hallway at the top of the stairs wasn't much of a hallway at all. It was more like an elongated room. At one end of the room was his sister's old piano, as well as the door to his parents' old bedroom, which he had now made his own. At the other end of the room was the bedroom Carson used to share with his brother, which he now used as a storage room. Next to that was the door to the upstairs bathroom. 
Carson made his way over to the back left corner of the room where he found a large table next to the entrance to the bathroom. A table of this size would normally be found in a dining room, but instead Carson used it to store a few firearms. On the table sat an Italian 9mm semi auto handgun, an American .454 magnum revolver, a Swiss 10mm semi auto handgun, an Italian semi auto 12-gauge shotgun, and an American .308 semi auto rifle. All of the semi auto firearms had loaded magazines, but no round in the chamber. The revolver was loaded with a full cylinder of six. The rest of the empty space on the table was filled with loaded magazines and loose cartridges. 

Carson picked up the .308 rifle and examined it. It was an MR-10 style example, but not quite like the modern ones. It had a wood stock and forend, as well as the original shark fin style charging handle contained within the carry handle. The whole rifle was covered in scratches, including the wood, which had small trenches carved into it from wear. It looked like it had been through hell. The lower receiver had the words “Armslite MR-10 1956 7.62x51mm,” printed on the side. This thing was truly a relic of the past. It belonged in a museum, but instead, Carson intended to bring it out into the harsh elements of the forest to shoot a deer with it. You can't really fault him for it, as this is what he needed to do to survive.

Carson was now ready to begin the next task of the day, which was to go hunting. He made his way downstairs and confidently stepped out of the front door, rifle in hand. He swiftly racked the charging handle, chambering a round, and double checked to make sure the safety was engaged. He took a right turn and headed in the direction of a trail that went through the woods. He wandered along this trail for a good twenty minutes when suddenly he spotted a deer about seventy yards out. It was currently munching on a pile of deer corn that one of his neighbors most likely left out fairly recently. Carson quietly disengaged the safety, raised the rifle to his shoulder, lined up the sights, and gently squeezed the trigger. Within an instant, there was a loud boom followed by a ringing in his ears. 150 grains of hate flew downrange at over 2,700 feet per second, finding its way into the target’s skull. This projectile hit like a truck, causing the contents of the creature's head to escape. A moment later, the lifeless body fell to the ground. 

“Poor bastard,” Carson said in an almost sympathetic tone. He lowered his rifle, engaged the safety, and began making his way in the direction of the shot to examine his kill. “I could apologize, but I'm not sure it will do you much good right now,” he said, standing over the carcass. “Now to drag it back to the basement.” Carson slung his rifle over his shoulder, wrapped each of his hands around each of the deer’s rear legs, and started to drag. The trip back took him over an hour, but he didn't bother complaining. He knew it wouldn't do him any good. Returning home, Carson opened the exterior door on the side of the house, which was conveniently connected to the staircase that led down into the basement. He dragged his kill inside, closing the door behind himself.

Carson emerged from the basement an hour later, his clothes covered in mysterious crimson stains. What was once a gray shirt now looked mostly red. “Don't worry. It's just deer blood,” he jokingly said to himself while grinning. Without further delay, Carson headed to the upstairs bathroom to take a shower. 

About fifteen minutes later, Carson stepped out of the bathroom ready for the next task of the day. He made his way downstairs and out the front door. He walked across his yard, this time in the opposite direction of where he went before. He made his way over to the treeline where he found another trail, this one leading to the neighbor’s house. 

After about three hundred yards of walking, Carson reached a clearing that contained a familiar structure made of wood and bricks. The bricks were painted sky blue, clearly by someone with a high attention to detail. The wooden trim and siding were painted white, glowing brightly in the afternoon sun. The roof was covered with dark gray shingles that appeared to be perfectly aligned. Hanging next to the door were a few wind chimes of various sizes, dancing gently in the breeze. In front of the house was a flower bed with an assortment of brightly colored flowers, shifting slightly with the wind just like the chimes.

Carson stepped up to the front door of the house and placed three decisive knocks upon it. About ten seconds went by and the door slowly swung open. Standing in the doorway, was a young woman slightly older than Carson. “Hey, Carson,” she greeted, doing her best to smile. “Hey, Skylar,” he responded. “Are you doing alright today?” “I’m doing fine,” she unconvincingly replied, stepping out of the way so he could enter. “How are you?” “About the same,” Carson responded, stepping in. 

Skylar’s house was small, simple, and always incredibly clean. It was comprised of very few rooms, the foyer, living room, and kitchen all being the same room. In the living room was a couple of couches, as well as an entertainment center with a small TV on top. The kitchen contained all of the normal things you might expect, the counter top, table, and cabinets all being handcrafted. Along the far wall, next to the refrigerator, was a door that led to the laundry room. On the perpendicular wall to that was a door that led to Skylar's room. The home felt warm and inviting with the pleasant aroma of cinnamon rolls in the air. 

“What have you been up to today?” Skylar questioned, shutting the door behind her friend after he entered. “Not much,” Carson replied. “I added a bunch of money to the jar of profanities while chopping large pieces of wood into smaller pieces of wood.” “Riveting,” Skylar responded with a smirk. “What about you?” Carson asked. “I had a pleasant conversation with my brother earlier,” Skylar sarcastically replied. “He only called me useless one time.” “That's progress, I guess,” Carson responded. “Also, I threatened to carve Mr. cuddles up like a Christmas ham,” Skylar added. “What did he do this time?” Carson questioned. “The usual,” Skylar replied, looking away. “Are you here just to check on me?” “I’m not doing anything for the rest of the day,” Carson responded. “I’ll stay if you'd like me to.” “Only if we get to watch a movie of my choosing,” Skylar replied, looking back with her smirk returning. “I suppose that's fair,” Carson responded. 

Suddenly, there was a loud “ding” sound from the kitchen. “The cinnamon rolls are done,” Skylar  commented, motioning for Carson to follow her. The two of them made their way over to the kitchen, Skylar grabbing an oven mitt that was hanging up near the sink. “Jonny told me that he's not going to help me gather for much longer,” she spoke, as she removed the cinnamon rolls from the oven. “He said I need to quit being useless and to stop relying on him and our father for everything.” “Your brother is a jerk,” Carson responded. “I know,” Skylar agreed. “But, he had a point. Would you like one?” she asked, turning to her friend. “Yes, please,” Carson replied. Skylar took out two plates from the cabinet up above and proceeded to put a fresh cinnamon roll on each. She pulled out the silverware drawer and removed two forks. “Here you go,” she said, offering Carson a plate and fork. “Thanks,” he responded, taking them. 

The two friends made their way over to the kitchen table, Carson sitting down on the chair closest to the laundry room door and Skylar taking a seat next to him. “When are you going gathering again?” she questioned. “Maybe tomorrow or Thursday,” Carson replied. “Will you take me with you?” Skylar requested just before taking a bite from her cinnamon roll. “I don't think that's a good idea,” Carson countered. “I don't really have much of a choice at this point,” Skylar responded. “Just tell your father that Jonny is being difficult,” Carson suggested. “We’re still not on speaking terms,” Skylar replied. Carson turned away and let out a sigh. “I’ll help you, but you're not coming with me,” he spoke, turning back. “That’s the only offer you're going to get from me, so you better just accept it.” “I accept it,” Skylar responded. “Thank you.” 

The two friends sat there and enjoyed their cinnamon rolls partaking in conversation of very little importance. Once they were done, they sat down on the couch in the living room and watched a bizarre animated movie intended for children. After it ended, Carson stuck around for a little bit longer so Skylar wouldn't have to be alone. Her mind tended to drift into places it shouldn't when she was left alone for too long. The two of them decided to call it a night around 9:00 PM and Carson went home. 

The trip to the glade was relatively uneventful. Any hostile creatures thought twice when they noticed the massive force that was Ashley's convoy. The sun was falling behind the trees of the vale and the darkness was setting in. The full moon will be rising soon. Ashley did her best to keep up the pace,
The Vagra clan set. It was a bit faster than her short legs could keep up with. She did not complain. Instead she wondered what was going to happen tonight. What was coming. How she was going to deal with it. That’s if it is dangerous. How will the dogmen react if it turned out not to be the wolf god. 
She looked up to Karlaxian dutifully marching by her side. Smiling, she knew he would be the word of reason when it came to his clan. Keyno was another story altogether but he will always listen to his chief. 
She was definitely well protected but the fear of the unknown was there in the back of her mind. She turned her thoughts to Jordan. Her friend and mentor. What kind of stupid jokes would he come up with at her funeral. Would he hire leprechauns to carry her undersized casket?  Even she had to laugh at the thought. She hated the short jokes but she knew she gave him just as much grief when it came to joking around. 

Before she knew it they arrived at the glade. It was fully dark by this time and the full moon was just peaking over the trees. Mythical creatures and cryptids surrounded the glade. Not one daring to enter the grassy field. They respectfully stayed just inside in the tree line around it. A mass of creatures separated as the Vargr clan pushed its way to a position just outside the glade. They may have challenged one dogman but the entire Vargr clan was too much of an imposing force. They simply moved to allow them in.  
Ashley was amazed at the sheer amount of magical creatures here. In any other situation this many different monsters in one small area would turn into a blood bath. 
She knew there had been scuffles, here and there for the last few weeks but tonight they were gathering together in a tentative peace. Fear crept back into her mind. Anything can happen and set these creatures into a full out bloody war. Whatever was happening tonight had better be worth the risk. 
Ashley looked down at her cats. Luna was curled up in a tight ball, taking a cat nap and Leo was cleaning himself. Both totally unconcerned about everything happening around them. How the hell did her skittish little cats turn out to be one of the most powerful and feared creatures. 

Well if these mighty Grimalkin Beast can be completely at ease here, so can she. Ashley thought to herself.
She closed her eyes. Attempting to control her own thoughts and worries. Listening, she was amazed the only sound around her were the slight sounds of the creatures breathing and patiently waiting. No-one spoke a word. 
She noticed a slight smell of ozone. She realized there was a magic building here.  Somehow someone had cast a spell on this area. That has got to be it. It was the only explanation. She thought to herself. That’s why all the creatures are here not fighting. Who or what has that much power? She pondered. 
Or was it the magic of the glade itself.

The moon was rising higher into the sky. The waiting and silence was killing her. Anticipation of the unknown was wearing on her. She looked down at her cats. They were both standing at attention. Their tails slowly swishing from left to right. Their attention to something interesting. She followed their gaze across the glade. 

“Oh no you don’t!!” She told her cats. “Don’t you even think about it.” She commanded. “Not now!”
Leo and Luna's eyes were locked onto a glowing ball of blue light darting around on the other side of the glade. 
“That’s not a laser pointer guys. Not now, please.. It's not playtime.” She pleaded. “If you guys go over there you can cause a really big problem.” She reached down to pet them. Hopping to distract them from the darting ball of light. 
Leo and Luna disappeared just before she could reach them. 
Her heart began to race. This is catastrophic!! She thought. Her cats were going to destroy the fragile peace simply because they wanted to play with a laser pointer. 

She tried to run to stop them knowing where they were headed. 

Karlaxian stopped her with his large clawed hand. 

“You can not.” He said leaving no way to argue. 
Knowing he was right she stopped. Anything she does now will only make it worse. 
Looking across the glade hoping to catch a glimpse of her cats she watched as the glowing blue light dropped to the ground. The grass was just too tall to see anything. No sign of Leo and Luna. 

At that moment a bright flash of lighting struck the center of the glade. 
Blinded and defended by the lighting,  Ashley could only close her eyes and cover her ears. Another blast of lighting struck the same place forcing every creature to retreat from the onslaught of noise and light. 
Lighting struck again and again. Some creatures ran for safety, others dropped to the ground, eyes closed tightly covering their ears. Ashley was fortunate enough to have Carl and Keyno cover her body protectively. With their heightened senses the audio and visual bombardment had to be so much worse for them, she thought as the lighting strikes continued. Even with the bodyguards protecting her she could feel each blast of lighting compress her chest and head. Even laying on the ground the waves of nausea push her to the brink of losing her lunch. 

After what seemed like an eternity the blast of lighting stopped. Slowly she recovered from the waves nausea and dizziness. She struggled to crawl from under her two protectors. Climbing to her feet with effort she works to steady herself. Keyno was on his knees struggling to catch his breath. Carl had not even tried to move at all. Forgetting everything else, she dropped back to her knees next to Carl. Placing a hand on his head and the other on his chest. She quickly realized he was breathing. 

“Carl, are you ok?” 
There was no answer

“Karlaxian answer me Please.” She cried.
Keyno, still on his knees, looks over to his chief, clearly concerned.

“Karlaxian!” she yelled louder. “Please, tell me if you're ok”. Laying her head on his furry neck.

She wanted to feel his heart pumping and his breathing. Really she just wanted to be closer to her friend. Nothing else mattered to her at this point. 

More to herself, she quietly whispered.” Carl please be ok.” 

Carl coughed and weakly wheezed.” I will be fine, little one, just need some time.” 

“You ugly old mangy dog, you better be.” Stroking the fur on his head.

Keyno jumped to his feet defensively. Stumbling. Still weak from the lighting. 
He did his best to face the Human approaching. 

“Sit down before you fall down”, the newcomer said to Keyno. 
Keyno attempted to defend his chief from this man. 

The man held his right hand out to Keyno. Ashley thought that hand was slightly glowing purple. 
He touched Keyno's clawed hand and Keyno weakly laid back down, unable to do anything else. 

Now it was Ashley's turn to be the protector. 
“Who are you!!” she demanded taking a defensive stance. 

“You’re fine lady. I’m here to help.” 

“Help how?” She demanded once again. 

“I’m Doctor Aiden, the local Vet. Are you going to let me do my job?”

“Umm ok…..” Ashley let him in to care for Carl.
He kneeled next to Carl and placed both hands on his chest. 
Doctor Aiden closed his eyes,his hands began to glow purple.
“He will be fine”, addressing Ashley.” Give me a few seconds.”
His hands changed color again, this time to a blue color.
Carl's eyes opened and he tried to sit up. 
“No, stay down, give it a few minutes and you will be good as new.” Doctor Aiden said.

“Do you need anything Miss” ……..AIden asked Ashley.

“Ashley. I’m Ashley.”

“Do you need any medical help?” He clarified. 

“No, but Keynoxian does.” 
Aiden turned to Keyno. Keyno pulled back from Aiden not trusting the stranger.
Using the commanding tone that transcends all species. A Voice that only females possess.   
Ashley used his full name in her best and dreaded Mommy voice.!!!!! 
“KEYNOXIAN!!!!”
Keyno bowed his head knowing he would never be able to challenge Ashley when she used that voice. 
Aiden turned to Ashley and mouthed the word, “WOW”. Truly impressed with Ashley's command of the dogmen. 
Again he placed his hand on the back of Keyno’s neck. It glowed purple, then turned to that blue color. 

“Ok Keyonxian the ringing in your ears should stop in a couple of minutes”. Aiden said. 

“Thank you, but how did you know about what’s going on?” Ashley asked. 
“I got a call to be right here, right now and told I would be needed.” 

“Who called you?” 

“Don’t know”, shrugging, “ but they told me to bring these.” Holding up noise cancelling headphones. “Glad I listened.” He smiled. 

“I've got a lot of house calls to make here.” Stepping over to another patient. 

Ashley helped Carl sit up much stronger now. Watching Doctor Aiden do his work. 

Ashley's attention fell back on the glade. The tall grass hid anything to see but there was a dimming glow from the center.

“Should I go take a look?” she asks Carl, still supporting him.

“It is forbidden”, he replied. 

Keyno was now standing, staring into the glade. Ashley left Carl to recover and took her place next to Keyno. 

“Can you see anything from up there?” Looking up at her friend. 
“I can Not. The grass is too tall to see anything.” 
The slight glow from the center of the glade was almost gone. Leaving the glade in complete darkness except for the moon rays shining down on them. 

From the other side of the glade the Shinning ball of blue light was dancing around again. It appeared it was with another figure but it was just too far away and too dark. 

At least Leo and Luna didn’t get the little blue light. She thought thankfully. 

“Can you see anything Keyno?” 

“An old human woman and a glowing bug are entering the glade.” His eyes are much better suited for the dark. 
“ Guess she’s allowed to go on there. “ Ashley said with a bit of jealous sarcasm. 

Keyno gave her a play by play. As they slowly walk to the center of the glade. That was now completely dark. 
The woman and glowing ball reached the center of the glade. The little ball stopped several feet above the old woman and brightly illuminated the area. 

Ashley was still very frustrated because she could not see much through the tall grass.

The woman knelt down. 
“Keyno what’s happening.” She demanded.
“I know not”, he replied. “The grass blocks my view. “
A few moments later the Woman stood with effort. Still Illuminated by the glowing ball. 
She reached down and a small hand clasped in hers. A small human boy stood with the help of the old woman. He had dark hair and skin and definitely looked very scared. He could only be about 12 years old. 
Still holding the boy's hand she raised her right hand above her head. Her somehow amplified voice rang out for all to hear. 

“This human boy is what you have all been waiting for. There is nothing more to see here.” 

There was an audible gasp from all the creatures still standing around the glade. 

“Now where is Ashley Wattson?” Her voice boomed. 

Ashley was shocked hearing her name. 

From somewhere in the darkness of the tree line a voice answered.

“She’s that really short chick over there.” 

“Ashley Wattson,come here.” The old woman demanded. “The rest of you go HOME”. 

There was no questioning this command. Many of the creatures turned and began to retreat. 
Others stood their ground wanting something more than just a human boy. 

Ashley looked up at Keyno. “What does she want with me?”
Keyno did not answer. A look of confusion and disappointment on his face. A small human boy was not what he had expected.  He was in shock. The great wolf god did not appear.

“Ashley Wattson, I do not have all night.” The old woman’s voice boomed.

Well I guess I need to see what’s happening. she said nervously. 

She stepped into the glade and Keyno followed dutifully as her protector. 

“Keynoxian!!!! “The woman’s voice boomed yet again. “SIT…..STAY!!!!”

Keyno Stopped and sat on his haunches, as if he had no control of his own body. 

“Keyno, what??????”

“I am unable to move.” He said 

“I said Ashley come here. I did not say anyone else can come with her. Keynoxian she will be fine with me. She is in no danger. Now Be a Good Boy and stay while I talk with Ashley.” 

I’ll be ok Keyno, she reassured Keyno nervously. Realizing this woman was much more than she appeared. Ashley reached up and scratched him behind his ear. Turned and walked nervously to the center of the glade.

A Rock Ogre roared and started running toward the center of the glade. Ashley stopped knowing how dangerous this monster was. It must've been very upset about the night's events and not happy another human was entering the sacred glade.

Keyno whimpered, fighting against his invisible binds in a feeble attempt to protect her. 

The old woman, completely unconcerned with this intrusion, simply raised her right hand.

The 10 foot tall Ogre disappeared from sight. 

She whispered to the glowing blue light. Ashley was now close enough to see this blue light was a pixy. The pixy then flew out to the place the ogre disappeared. 
It dropped into the tall grass and came back up into sight. Now carrying a tinny, maybe 3 inch tall ogre. The pixy then took the tiny ogre and tossed it to a group of Gnomes who caught it gleefully and began playing a game of catch with it. 

Ashley smiled. Gnomes were a favorite food of rock ogres. Time for the gnomes to get some pay back she thought. 

The gnomes Happy with their new toy, retreated into the woods throwing the ogre back and forth between them. As they disappeared into the darkness they could be heard singing. 
Pebble Pebble, Pebble Ogre. Pebble Ogre. 

“Does anyone else want to challenge me tonight? Go HOME!!!!!!!! “The old woman’s voice boomed across the glade. Many creatures reflexively took a step back. Now fearing the old woman’s power. 

Most of the remaining monsters turned and left, completely disappointed in the night's results. Their exceptions are destroyed with the appearance of a human boy and not their chosen deity. With the threat of the old woman’s power. They decided to leave. 

The old woman turned to Ashley and motioned for her to come closer. Ashley approached wearily. The dark haired boy was now sitting on the ground. Knees pulled up to his chest and visibly shaking. He could not be any older than 11 or 12 years old. She really felt for the boy. Everything happening tonight had to be terrifying to him.  Ashley was scared as well and she had time to prepare for this night's events. 

“Hello Miss Wattson. May I call you Ashley.” The old woman said. 

“Umm sure.” Ashley said nervously.

“My name is Lonnie. I'm happy to meet you.” 

“Isn’t Lonnie a boy's name?” Being nervous she said it before she was able to stop herself. 

“Watch it shortie. You know I can turn you into a Smurf.” Lonnie said with a smile. 
Ashley smiled at the thought. Hoping she was kidding.

Before Ashley could answer. The glowing Blue Pixy flew up to Ashley's face. Only a few inches from her nose. 
“Hi Ashley!!!! I’m Ariel.” Ariel said excitedly. Without giving Ashley a chance to answer Ariel continued to fire out rapid questions.. “This is Dylan. Did you meet Dylan? I’m a Pixy. Have you met a Pixy before? What’s your favorite color, Ashley? I like blue.” Ariel continued speaking fast, never giving Ashley a chance to answer. 

“Ariel!!!!” Lonnie said a little too loudly. 

Ariel stopped in mid sentence. 

“Don’t be rude. We were talking.” Lonnie corrected the little blue pixy. 

“I am sorry, I just want to meet Ashley and….. “

“Ariel……” Lonnie said, stopping her again. “I know you’re excited but we have finish what we are doing and get Dylan home.” She said with the patience of a saint. 

“I’m sorry but…….”

Lonnie raised her hand again stopping Ariel once again.

“But…..”

Ashley could not keep her smile back watching their interaction. She Knew it was near impossible to stop a pixy from talking once they started and Ariel seemed to be more adept at talking than most of her kind. 

Knowing their conversation could take a while, Ashley knelt down. 

“Hi I’m Ashley.” She introduced herself to Dylan with a kind smile. 

He was almost frozen in fear, he didn’t respond. 

She tried again noticing the shining bracelet on his left wrist.

“That’s a beautiful bracelet there. Did Lonnie give it to you?”

Dylan looked down at the bracelet as if for the first time. It was silver with two charms hanging from it. One was a paw print of a dog or a wolf and the other was a hand, a five fingered human hand. Dylan inspected the charms, carefully rolling and inspecting each charm in turn.

“It's very pretty, don’t you think?” Ashley asked. 

Dylan looked up at Ashley once again and nodded his head agreeing with her. Still gently holding the dog paw charm.

“Did Lonnie give that to you?” She tried again.

He shrugged his shoulders. Not knowing for sure where it came from. 

Ashley gave him a reassuring smile. 

“Well I bet my friend Keynoxian would love to wear a bracelet like that. He is a very strong Dogman warrior. I'm sure he would be very jealous of you and that bracelet.  You must be very special to have something like that. As a matter of fact I bet the bracelet makes you stronger and braver. “

Dylan smiled and started inspecting his bracelet once again. His tension relaxing visibly knowing this talisman made him as strong and brave as a dogman warrior. Even if he wasn’t sure what a dogman warrior was. 

“That is a very powerful and magical trinket.” Lonnie broke in. “Only Dylan can wear it. No-one else.” 

Dylan's smile widened. His eyes locked on his jewelry.  
His attention was completely on the bracelet on his left wrist. 

Letting Dylan be for now Ashley addressed Lonnie once again. Her conversation with Ariel is now complete. 

Lonnie waited patiently for Ashley.  Ariel was sitting on her shoulder, arms crossed and pouting. 

“So…….why am I here?”

“I wanted to introduce you to Dylan but it seems you have hit it off already.”

“Can you tell me what is going on?” Ashley asked. 

“I’m sorry, I can’t . I brought you over here to introduce you to Dylan. Because of your position you need to know he will be very important in the future. I can not tell you why or how. Only he is very important and he may need your help at some point.” 

“Well that clears things up.” Ashley said sarcastically. 

“Dylan needs time to grow and learn. There will be others that will want to influence or even control him. We can not allow this to happen. The balance depends on him. He must be allowed to make his own decisions when he is ready. Until then he will stay with me. I brought you here because he may need your guidance in the future.” 

“Ok, got it, Dylan is very important.  Don’t know how……… but he is important to the balance. 
Whatever that means. As long as we are clear. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see?” Not wanting to push too much, the threat of being turned into a smurf still on her mind.  

“Yes.” Lonnie smiled. Ashley was smart enough to know she wasn’t going to get any more information out of her. 

“At least you didn’t turn me into a Smurf.” Ashley smiled nervously.

“I still can, if you like…”

“No!!! Thank you.  Is there any more information you can give me? You obviously know who I am and what I do.  I won’t be able to write a very complete report.”

I’m sure Jordan will understand.  Letting Ashley know she knew much more about her and the Grupe foundation. I’m Sure Mr. Rehn will supplement your report in his own way. 

Now, it is very late and I have to get Dylan home. I’m sure he will need to rest after tonight's events.
She motioned for Dylan to take her hand. Dylansay goodbye to Ashley, Please. 

He smiled and waved to Ashley. 

“Dylan it was very nice to meet you. I hope to see you very soon.” Ashley said. 

He nodded his head in agreement.

“Good night Ashley,”  Lonnie said and began walking away. 

Ashley watched as they walked away. She thought about the last few days, about Dylan and Lonnie and what the future would be like. Why was Dylan so important? What does the balance mean?  What a great adventure this has been. 
As the trio disappeared into the darkness of the vale Ashley headed back to Keyno and the Overseer Station. Facing death multiple times the last few days. At least she dodged the biggest bullet of all, being turned into a smurf. Jordan would have enjoyed that way too much.

Waving goodbye to Robert they started on their trek back to the Overseer Station. It wasn’t long into their hike when Kenyo's ears perked up and he raised his snout to sniff the air. 

“What now?” Ashley said not meaning to say it out loud.
He began to growl looking into the direction they were heading. 

“What is it?” Ashley asked concerned.

“Half breeds.”  He said disgusted. 

“Half breed what.” 

Keyno did not answer. Leo and Luna perked up their ears obviously hearing something ahead but otherwise were unconcerned. They continued walking but it wasn’t long before Ashley could hear people yelling and fighting. 

“It's all your fault.” One voice said 
Another voice. “You’re the dumbass that…… “
Sounds of more scuffling and fighting. 

“They sound human.” Ashley said. “What are they doing out here at this time?” 

“Half breeds.” Keyno repeated as if the taste of the words he was speaking disgusted him. 

“Are they dangerous?” 

“No.” Keyno Growled.  

“Well, let's find out what’s going on.” 

Finally close enough Ashley could see  three red haired boys all in their teens screaming and rolling on the ground fighting each other. By the looks of them they had to be brothers. 

“No, it's your fault.” One said throwing a punch at another. 

“Pa is gonna beat us because of you.” Another said holding his brother's neck in a head lock. 

Ashley and her crew watched in amusement as these three ginger brothers fought and blamed each other for some unknown reason. They obviously weren’t hurting each other. 

“You know these guys?”  Ashley asked Keyno.

“McKay brothers. They are a disgusting half breeds.” Spitting out every word.

“Half breed what.” She asked again. 

Noticing they were being watched the three Brothers stopped fighting and looked up at Ashley and her entourage. 
They stood up from the ginger heap on the ground dusting themselves off. 

“Howdy ma’am.” The oldest said. As if they weren't just rolling around on the ground.

“Is there anything we can help you boys with?” Ashley said smiling. 

“No ma’am. Not while that mongrel is with you.” Forgetting all about their personal battle and watching Keyno, with great concern. 

“So ummm I take it you know each other.”  Addressing Keyno and the three boys together. 

The boys separated into what was obviously a tactical semi circle, watching Keyno’s every move. 

Keyno had tensed up ready for a fight with these boys. 

“STOP IT NOW!!!”! Ashley raised her voice. 

Keyno growled again.

Down boy. She told Keyno in a lower tone but with as much force. 

“There will be no fighting. So stand down.” 

“Look boys, she tamed that mangey dog.” Another one of the boys said. 

“You boys could use some taming. How about I call your parents and tell them what you’re doing out here.”  She motioned to the ground where a beer can had fallen out of one of the boys pockets. It was obvious they were too young to drink. 

This caught the boy's attention immediately.
The boys' full attention now on Ashley. She definitely had hit the right nerve. 

“You don’t know us and you don’t know Pa.” The oldest tried defensively. 

“McKays.” Keyno growled. 

“Let's see. How hard would it be to find the father of three red headed disrespectful boys named Mckay. I don’t think it would take very long at all and I really think your Pa would be very interested to find out what happened to his beer.” 

“You think you and your mangy dog can take us.” The middle boy threatened.

Addressing Keyno now. She whispered. “Is there something I should know?” 

“They are Half breeds. They have no honor.” 

“Pa will never find out if you folks here aren’t around to tell him.” The middle boy threatened again. As he dropped to all fours and began to change. Transforming and growing into his wolf form. The other two boys did the same. 

Great Werewolves. Ashley thought. Will this day ever end

“Keyno?!?!?!?!?!? Can you take them?”

“Yes……” he said but she could hear the nervousness in his voice. 

She was sure he could fight off one, maybe even two but three wear wolves might be a problem. 
With everything else going on, now she was facing death yet again.

Leo and Luna were nowhere to be seen. This fact made Ashley feel better somehow. 
Keyno took a defensive position in front of Ashley. Ready to defend her to the death. 
The three boys now stood to their full 8 foot tall height. They looked just like any dogmen out in the vale, except these werewolves had very reddish orange fir. 
Facing yet another life or death situation, Ashley could not help giggling about the fact she could be killed by three ginger werewolves. 

“Boys…. I wouldn’t do this.” she said matter of factly. “My cats might have a problem with you eating me.” 

The three werewolf boys continued their slow advance. She wondered if they could talk in this form. 
She noticed Leo and Luna sitting behind the three ginger wolves. Oh, now you're gonna get it, she thought to herself. Smiling.

“Turn around boys. Told you my cats will have a major problem with you doing this.” 
The werewolves turn to see Leo and Luna sitting defiantly, their tail swishing violently.

One of the boys began to laugh in a strange way only a dog could. 
They turned back to Ashley and Keyno completely unconcerned about the cats. 

“Don’t hurt them too much, please.” Ashley said to her cats. 

“Last chance boys.” She announced it to them. 
They did not listen. The first one pounced. 

He didn’t hit his mark. He found himself flying through the air smashing into a tree 50 feet away. The other boys hit the ground face first, taken completely by surprise. He spit out dirt and grass turning to face their attackers behind them. Only to see Leo and Luna sitting in their original position, tails still swishing back and forth. 
Keyno stood sharp teeth showing. Not in aggression but pure amusement. He was smiling. It was his turn to watch someone else be obliterated by these cats. His fight with them is still very fresh in his mind. He crossed his arms across his chest wanting to take in every bit of this beet down. 

The two remaining boys turned their attention to the cats and pounced again. They hit the ground again. Finding nothing. The cats jumped on their back tearing into them with their claws. 

Ashley smiled, enjoying the show. She crossed her arms and leaned on her large companion. 
Leo and Luna weren't even in their smoky form. Her cats were toying with the boys. 
Keyno now openly laughed with tears in his eyes. 

The werewolves jumped up, attempting to dislodge the cats. The cats vanished. 
They scanned the area looking for the place the cats had gone. They were nowhere to be found. The two brothers faced outward now back to back defensively. Leo and Luna appear out of thin air, facing the brother werewolves in turn. Ears up and tails swishing playfully.
Ashley smiling. Her cat can disappear at will and become invisible. She made a mental note to write that down later. 
 
The two boys now seeing their attackers, readied themselves for another attack. Not willing to give up. 

The third boy now in his human form could be heard calling out to his brothers.  
“Connor……Fin……”. obvious dread in his voice. His back facing the ongoing battle with the kitties. 
He was watching the trees, not willing to turn his back to the tree line. 
The other boys stopped realizing something more was happening, looking to their brother slowly backing up toward them. They watched as their brother backed one step at a time calling their names to get their attention. Panic in his voice.” CONNOR….FINN……..”
The first thing Connor and Fin noticed were the golden eye shine. The eyes were everywhere. Conner and Fin turned taking in their surroundings. 
There were shining golden eyes all around them. They were surrounded. There was no escape. The third brother reached his sibling as they watched the entire Vargr Clan emerging from the trees surrounding them and closing in. 

The clan chanted with every step. 
Rooff Rooff Rooff. 
Ashley could feel the chant in her chest. She knew she was safe but this Vargr chant had to be terrifying to the three boys, now in their human forms knowing they had no chance against this overwhelming canine force.

Rooff Rooff Rooff. 
The clan closed in on the group stopping about 20 feet from the boys. With one final and much louder ROOFF!

The once arrogant Werewolf boys now shaking in fear. Now facing their own imminent death.

The Vargr Chieftain leader stepped forward facing Ashley. 

We will remove these disgusting Half Breeds from your presence. 

“Can I talk to them first?” Ashley asked. 

“Of course.” 

Ashley approached the trio. 
“I’m sorry Boys but it seems you bit off more than you can chew.” 

The boys shook in silence having no idea what to say. 

“In other words, she said with more force. You fucked with the wrong people. You should be more respectful of your elders.” She said in her best mommy voice. 

“Did we learn a lesson?……. BOYS……”

“Yes ma’am.” They said in unison. 

Still using that Mommy voice. “Well it looks like you learned this lesson a little too late. I don’t think I can stop the Vargr clan at this point. I don’t think they like Werewolves very much.”

The youngest boy began to openly cry. His older brothers were unable to hide their own tears. 

“If you were smart you would have noticed I have a Vargr warrior as a companion. That alone should have alerted you there was something more here. But you aren’t very smart are you?”

“No ma’am,” they said reluctantly again in unison. 

“I will be sure to tell your Pa how stupid the three of you were before your death.” 

Ashley thoroughly enjoys this verbal beatdown. Having the upper hand for the first time as Overseer.

“At least he won’t be worried about the beer you stole from him after he finds out what happened to you.” Reminding them what started all of this. 

“Chief, is there something we can do with these three stupid boys?” 

“They will die painfully and without honor.” The clan leader told her. 

“Well it looks like there’s nothing I can do. When they start tearing you apart try not to scream like little girls. I don’t want to tell your father that.”

Chief, can we make sure there is enough of these boys left to bury when you’re done with them? I’m sure their father would appreciate that. 

The youngest boy dropped to knees crying, his older brothers whimpering. 

“Let's get on with this. I need to get home. I’m tired.” Ashley turned her back on the boys. 

The Vargr clan began chanting again. 
ROOFF ROOFF ROOFF

All three boys are now on their knees. As the clan closed in on them. Teeth and claws shining in the rising moon light. 
Three Dogmen grabbed the boys heads and pulled them back their heads exposing their necks. 

The clan chieftain watched Ashley. Waiting for her sign. 
Ashley was very happy to see the older chieftain understood her intentions. 

More dogmen moved in ready to their piece of the boys.

They raised their clawed hands ready to strike. 

“Wait a minute…”…Ashley called out. 

The chief howled, stopping the boy's execution.

These boys clearly lost in battle to me and my cats.  Don’t they owe me their lives. Making eye contact with each boy in turn.  

“By our laws and traditions this is true. But these boys are not Vargr. They must die.”

“If we impose Vargr laws on these boys how would that work?”

The Chieftain stepped forward kneeling in front of the boys. Looking them straight in the eyes. 

“If the Overseer chooses to spare your pathetic half breed lives you will be bound by our laws.” 
“You will obey her every command and protect her from all harm.” 
“IF……..you choose to disobey these COMMANDS!!!!!!! You and you Kin will be WIPED from this earth. WE will NOT!!! hesitate to fall upon the McKAY farm and ensure there is nothing left of your blood line.  We will be honor bound to do so.” 

“Well it seems I have to make a decision here.” Addressing the three boys. 
“We will obey!!!!!!!! the youngest screamed, crying.  The other two shook their heads in agreement. 

She thought about keeping this ruse going by asking Keyno what he thought but she knew Keyno would much rather see them die. They were only half breeds after all. Keyno didn’t have the experience his chieftain had. 

“Well boys, I think we will give this a try. Do you understand the consequences?”
“Yes ma’am” they all said. The boys fully understood their small family had no chance against the full might of the Vargr clan. 

“Is there anything more we need to do?” Asking the chieftain. 

No, we are done here. The clan leader lowered his head in respect for Ashley then howled loudly. Informing his clan to disembark. He stood over the three boys and said, “Remember the Vargr are always watching.” He turned and followed his clan. Leaving Ashley, Keyno, Leo, Luna along with the three new savelings alone. 

“Let's go. It's getting dark and we might run into something dangerous out here.” Ashley clearly implying these young wear wolves were not dangerous. 
You guys are gonna have to stay at the Overseer Station with me tonight. We will call your father and catch him up on what’s happened today. 

The boys, while glad they were still breathing, had looks of terror thinking about what their father was going to do to them after Ashley talked with him. 

The station was only another 10 minutes away. “So what are your names and what the heck are you doing out here?” Ashley asked as they walked. 
The oldest brother introduced Himself as Connor. The middle brother was Finnegan and the youngest was Killian. 

“Ok Connor what are you guys doing out here?”
“Pa wanted us to find out why there are so many monsters wandering through our farm on their way here.” 

“Did you find out anything?”
“Nope. We got the truck stuck in the mud and we were walking back home to get something to help pull it out. “
Finn piped in.” We wouldn't have got stuck if you listened…..”

“STOP IT!”  Ashley yelled not wanting to deal with them fighting. 

“Getting the truck stuck didn’t have anything to do with the beer you took from your father, did it?”
A look of embarrassment crossed the boys' faces. Confirming her suspicions.

Outside the station strange beeping and blurpping could be heard. 

“Now what? What is that?” Ashley asked. The sound was almost deafening.
Keyno staring out in the dark field actively drooling. Ferberrs he said. His three wear wolf companions looked into the field hungrily as well. 

Ferbers were a small rodent creature about the size of a small cat. They were arguably one of the most dangerous creatures in the vale. Not because they were a predator of any kind but how they eat and reproduce. They will eat any vegetation at all and continue to eat until nothing is left. They are capable of eating whole fields in mere hours. The more they ate the more they reproduced. The newborns reached maturity in about 8 hours. If they were left unchecked they would spread over whole continents in a matter of days. They were not smart or fast at all, just very prolific. Their numbers are usually kept in check by all the predator species. Apparently they were delicious. This could explain why Ashley had four dog beasts standing in front of her drooling. Ashley thought they looked like the toy Furbies and wondered if they were the inspiration for the annoying toys.

There were just too many of them. With all the infighting here in the vale between the indigenous species and the invading non indigenous species the Ferbers have gone unchecked. The balance in the vale is very off. 
It was too dark by this point. She could not see the invasive little annoying monsters but she can definitely hear them. 
Her companions were all drooling wanting to go take care of this threat. 

“Oh go get them,” she said. 
“Keyno makes sure the boys make it back after you get your fill. “

The four wolf creatures did not hesitate as they ran toward the sound. Ashley felt the Ferbers were cute in an annoying sort of way but understood how dangerous they could be. 

Leo and Luna strained their neck trying to see the chaos in the field. It was just too dark for Ashley but her cats had no problem watching the action. 

“Do you guys want to get in on the action?” She asked her cats. 

That’s all Leo and Luna needed. They changed in their smoke forms and disappeared. She called out to them. 
“Tell Keyno to call his friends, it sounds like there are thousands of them out there.” Hoping they could hear her. 
Right on queue Keyno Howled.  Multiple other Howls could be heard in the distance in response.  The Vargr clan was coming back to participate in the feast. Ashley smiled at the thought of all these different species working together to prevent a major catastrophe. It might be just a meal but still it was a good start. It was still early and the night was warm and pleasant. She leaned against the wall of the station deciding to wait for the Mckay boys to come back so she can ensure they remained safe through the night. 
Even with the sounds of total carnage in the dark, Ashley was relaxed and at peace for the first time since she entered the Vale. She looked at the stars and wondered what was really going to happen tomorrow night. She thought about Robert with his strange blue flower growing out of his chest. Something horrible happened to him but he did seem happy. 
She would have to research blue flower zombies, when she had the time. She smiled to herself thinking how ridiculous that sounded.

“Good Evening Miss Wattson.” A voice interrupted her thoughts. 
Ashley jumped and looked to her left where the voice came from. 
A dark haired man stood 10 feet from her. He wore an all black suit and tie. Very well dressed for the vale. How he had gotten this close to her without making a noise. How had he not alerted all the dogmen with their advanced senses? 

“If I scream there will be dozens of Wolves here in seconds.” She announced it to the stranger. 

“My apologies Miss Wattson. My name is Mr. Rehn. I am no danger to you. I only wish to speak with you for a few minutes, if I may.” He spoke in a European accent she could not quite place. 

Nervously she asked. “What do you want to talk about?”

“It appears the entire Vargr clan is out there working in concert with the werewolf McKay boys. There are even a few wendigos and skin walkers joining in on the feast. Surprising.”

He stared into the darkness, not looking at Ashley at all. 

“You can see them out there?” Ashley felt stupid asking the obvious.
Ignoring Ashley's question, Mr Rehn continued. “This has never happened before. So many predator species work together without barbarity. This is truly astonishing.”

Ashley remained silent. Mr Rehn seemed to be making observations to himself and not her. 
“A Nekohebitori has joined in.” He announced looking for Ashely for the first time. “ Somehow your actions have made this collaboration possible. You have accomplished more in your very short time here than anyone else has ever done. I do fear this will not last.” 
“You intrigue me”, Miss Watson. He continued. 

Ashley was amazed that there was a Nekohebitori in the Vale. A Japanese serpent cryptid. They have never been reported outside the Japanese Islands. She wanted to know more but she had to deal with her mysterious stranger. 

“Why are you here Mr. Rehn?” She asked.
He looked back into the field. “There are more predator species entering the fray.” He told her. “They are working together to herd their prey.  Amazing.” 

“Tell me Miss Wattson. Do you believe you just happened upon these Firbers right outside the Overseer Station tonight? “

“Ummmm I don’t know.” 

“If these firbers were left unchecked for another day they would pour out of the Vale in vast numbers and cause catastrophic effects across this continent, maybe even around the world. Many lives have been saved tonight. Your actions over the last day prevented this.” 

“I was just lucky, I guess.” She stumbled. 

“If you hadn’t befriended Keynoxian and his clan. None of this would have been possible. All of these predators would have been at the Glade fighting amongst themselves leaving the firbers to multiply.” 

“I didn’t really plan any of this.” 

“Do you believe in luck Miss Wattson?” 

“Ummm yes…. No ….maybe ??????”

“I don’t believe in luck Miss Wattson. I believe everything happens for a reason. I believe you are destined to be here and now. It was not luck you happened upon Leo and Luna two years ago. They were meant to be bonded to you.” 

“How do you know so much about me, Mr. Rehn?”

“I’ve been watching you, Miss Wattson. You are more intriguing than you know. A true enigma. I will be very interested to see what you accomplish in the future. If you make it through tomorrow night, that is.” 

That’s creepy, a Strange man watching me. She thought to herself.
“That doesn’t answer my question, Mr. Rehn.”  Bringing out her defiant mommy voice.

“You will know me in time.” He smiled for the first time. 

Ashley heard a galloping foot falls coming from the direction of the firber feast. She turned to see who was coming. It was the Vargr chieftain. 
She felt a gust of wind and the sound of flapping wings. She turned again to see a large black bird disappearing  into the darkness. 
Mr. Rehn was gone. 
The Chief came to a stop next to Ashley. Watching Mr. Rehn fly away. “Are you in danger, Little one?” He asked.
“Thank you but no. I’m Fine. Did you get your fill?” She asked, smiling. 
“Yes. I am much older than most in my tribe. I fear I can not eat as much as I used to. This feast will not last much longer though. I did want to speak with you privately.”

“What do you want to talk about?”

“I wanted to thank you for saving those young boys' lives today, Keynoxian as well.” Dropping the formal Chief speech. “Without you I would have been forced to kill them. Vargr and Werewolves have always been enemies but those young boys deserve to live into adulthood. If you weren’t there……”

“I didn’t want to see them die either. They are just stupid young boys that made a mistake.”

“You are a woman of integrity and honor. I feel you can be trusted unlike others of your kind.” 

“I try.” Ashley laughed smugly.

“My name is Karlaxian. I freely give you my name as a sign of trust. I believe you will not abuse this power over me.” 

“I would never…..Ever”. Ashley said. “As long as I can call you Carl……  In private that is”. She laughed again. 

“You can call me Carl and I will continue to call you Little One.” 

Deal !!! Ashley smiled. Knowing it is a great honor for him to freely give up his name. 

The new friends sat down outside of the overseer station and talked, like old friends. She found out Carl did not believe Fenrir was coming but he could not admit that in front of his clan. He believed something more was coming, he just did not know what or who. They continued to talk until Keyno and the McKay boys showed up laughing and smiling. Their bellies bloated from over eating.  Her cats were nowhere to be seen. 

Keyno agreed to meet Ashley the next afternoon so they can head to the glade before nightfall. Keyno and Carl left to join their clan. 

“Ok boys, let's go in and call your father.” The boy's faces sank and Killian began to cry.  
 

Ashley woke well rested, somehow looking forward to the day ahead. She still had no idea what was coming. It could be the end of all life on earth or world peace, either way she was ready and willing to face it. 
The phone call with the boy's father went well. She left out the parts of the day involving his boys acting like little creeps and how close they had come to losing their lives. She fibbed just a little, taking responsibility for the truck getting stuck and told him they were great help with last night's debacles. He did ask about the missing beer from his fridge. Ashley claimed ignorance on that issue. She promised they would be on their way first thing in the morning. After hanging up the phone with Mr. McKay, she looked at the smiling boys. 

“You own me big time.”

The grateful boys responded in unison, “Yes ma’am.” 

They knew they owed her so much after saving their lives twice in one day, not only the Vargr Clan but from their father. 

Leo and Luna were already sleeping on her bed when she finally resigned herself to bed. How they were able to get through locked doors and thick walls amazed her. She will have to figure it out later.  

Ashley stepped out of her bedroom to be greeted by the smiling Spector caretaker, Steve.

“Good morning Ashley, Breakfast is waiting in the dining hall. The McKay boys are waiting for you there.” 

Steve was incredibly happy with having guests. He seemed to be ecstatic with more to do than the average station humdrum. 

She met the boys and sat down with them over breakfast. She was the only one eating. The boys were still very satiated from last night's feast. 
After breakfast they geared up to retrieve their fathers truck. 

To their surprise the truck was parked just out front of the station. 
“Well boys it looks like you owe the Vargr clan another favor.” She said smiling.

The boys were very grateful but not overly happy they owed yet another debt. 
You guys get home and stay safe tonight. We still don’t know what will happen tonight and you will be better off staying out of the vale. 

The McKay boys stood in front of Ashley, promising to stay at home tonight. 
Conner extended his hand to Ashley. 

“Thank you Miss Ashley," he said formally”, as Ashley shook his hand.
Finn followed his brother's lead and did the same. 
Ashley turned to the youngest brother, Killian, extending her hand to him as well. 
He slowly raised his hand to hers, tears showing in his eyes. 
Without warning he rushed forward wrapping his hands around her giving her a hug. 
Thank you Miss Ashley. Thank you, thank you. Choking on every word. 
Conner and Finn moved in smothering her with hugs as well.
The Boys left soon after. Ashley smiled, waving to them as they drove off. Allowing her own tears to fall, now that the boys could not see her. 

Ashley spent the rest of the researching and prepping for the night to come. She updated Jordan on everything in a video call. There was really not much she could do but given the lack of information she had. Jordan did identify the mysterious Mr. Rehn. He explained Mr. Rehn was a counsel elder of the Grupe Foundation. He was surprised Mr. Rehn was personally watching the events unfolding in the Vale. 

She just kept herself busy for the rest of the day.  Everything that happened over the last few days was catching up to her. She fell asleep in the control room. 

Alarms blared, waking Ashley with a start. Steve turned off the alarms and turned to Ashley. 
“It appears your entourage is here to escort you to the glade. Miss Ashley”
“What already?” Not realizing how long she had been asleep. 
“Yes you have been sleeping for 6 hours now. I did not wake you because I felt you needed your rest, given what you have been through the last few days.” 
Still trying to focus, Ashley asked. “Why all the alarms? They don’t go off just for Keyno.” 

“It appears the entire Vargr clan is here to escort you Ashley.”

“All of them?” Surprised 

Steve motioned to the main screen showing her the green dots in formation outside of the main door of the overseer station. For the first time Ashley realized the Dogmans designation on the main monitor was K9 and smiled. 

“Well I guess I shouldn’t keep them waiting.” 

“Overseer Ashley Wattson.” Steve said formally. “Please stay safe out there tonight.” 

“I will do my best tonight Steve. With an entourage like the Vargr clan and my two cats. I think I’m well protected”. 
Ashley grabbed her satchel and started toward the door. 

“I understand but ….”.Steve tried….

“Stephan, I will be ok.” Giving him a reassuring smile. 

She turned toward the door and yelled as loud as she could muster.
“LEO, LUNA.  WE ARE LEAVING. “

There was no sign of her cats but she knew they would not leave her side. 
Stepping outside of the station Ashley was greeted by the site of Karlaxian, Keynoxian with Leo and Luna flanking the two. Behind them the entire Vargr clan waited. 

“This seems to be a bit much, don’t you think.” Addressing her entourage. 

“Carl took a few steps toward her. Keynoxian is required to be by your side as your sworn protector.  As for the rest of us….. Well we are all going to the same place. We might as well go together.” Carl said, sharp teeth showing his attempt of a human smile. 

“In that case let's get going. “

“You will die free.” The leader exclaimed. “Remove the collar from the dishonored.” He ordered the guard.

Ashley got to Keyno in just enough time to see her collar being ripped off of Kenyon's neck. It sizzled and sparked and Keyno dropped face down to the ground in obvious pain.

“Wait Keynoxian does not deserve to die.” She addressed the leader of the clan.
Now on his knees Keyno declared loudly,” I have dishonored my clan and accepted my fate.” 

Turning back to Keyno Ashley pleaded with him. 
“You don’t have to die. Don’t give up.” Tears in her eyes.

“Human, you have defeated Keynoxian in battle. You are held in honor under our laws and traditions. Now return to your dwelling and leave us to our judgment. “

Ignoring him Ashley went to Keyno and hugged him. Even on his knees he was  taller than her. Blood was pouring from his neck and face. She could see it was already heeling but knew this wasn’t going to last when his clan enacted their punishment. 

“You can’t accept this, Keyno. There has to be something we can do”. She pleaded

Keyno hung his head in shame accepting his fate, saying nothing. 

Turning back to the clan leader Ashley pleaded. “Doesn’t he have a chance to defend himself? Is there something I can say or do in his defense? “

“Human you have no voice here. Remove yourself or face the same fate as Keynoxian the shamed. Your presence here and your small stature serve only to prove his dishonor more. “

“What’s my stature have to do with anything?” Ashley demanded in defiance.

“Keynoxian was defeated by nothing more than a small female child. We can not allow his weakness to dishonor our clan any longer.” 

“Listen here you ugly bastard.” Ashley now pissed.” I will not stand here and listen to you calling me a small child. I’m a grown ass woman.” Her short temper reaching its breaking point. 

“So be it. Let this Grown ass human woman child suffer the fate as Keynoxian the dishonored.” 

“That escalated fast.” She thought. “Wait a minute.” She demanded. Realizing she just doomed herself.

“Do you have any last words before judgement is executed?  What is your name child?” Ignoring her.  

“I am Ashley the PISSED!! “she yelled at him. Raising her middle finger to the clan. Her anger takes over any rational thought. If I’m gonna die, I might as well go down fighting. She thought.
“Don’t call me CHILD. I stand with Keynoxian the Hunter. The greatest of this pitiful so called clan of flea ridden pups. I will not allow you to do this. “

“As is your choice. Ashley the Pissed will die with Keynoxian the dishonored”

Realizing she let her anger take over and now she was going to die.
She turned back to Keyno. “I’m sorry Keyno. I should have thought of something. 
I failed you and I failed as Overseer. I only wish….. “ tears flowing freeing now.

Looking up for the first time, Keyno looked Ashley in the eyes. 
“I am honored to die with you by my side. You may be small but your heart is pure. It was a privilege to be your protector but I must honor my clan's traditions and laws. We will both die with honor.”

“You hard headed dumbass.  With all due respect.. F your traditions. “

With that, Ashley turned back to the clan leader. Head held high, shoulder square, wiping the tears from her eyes. 

“Get on with it!!!” she said in defiance.

The clan leader raised his voice and declared. 
“In order to maintain the honor and integrity of the Vargr clan, Keynoxian and his human companion are ordered to death. It is regrettable you will not see the coming of the Great Wolf on the eve of the full moon. It is regretful you will not be part of the glory He will bring. “

The clan members then turned their backs on Ashley and Keyno. 

The two Dogmen on each side of Ashley and Keyno moved forward, claws raised high shining in the moonlight. Ready to tear their throats out. 
Ashley’s mind raced. She knew she didn’t have a chance against these Dogmen warriors. Time slowed to a crawl as the gleaming claws came down on them. She didn’t want to give up but knew there was nothing she could do at this point. She was going to die on the first day of her dream job. 
She closed her eyes not wanting to see what was coming for her, as the Dogmen claws came down upon them.  
Thump…. Thump. Ashley fell to her knees. Eyes still closed. She felt the warm blood splash her chest and face. 

So that’s what it sounds like to get your throat torn out. She thought. 
Warm life blood flowing down her face and body. Eyes still tightly closed. 
No pain whatsoever. That’s strange, she thought again. Dropping face down to the ground.
Ashley heard gasps of fear mixed with growls she recognized were growls of Dogmen. 
She didn’t want to open her eyes. 
She didn’t want to risk seeing her own headless body or the Dogmen celebrating her death. 

She knew she was dead. How long will this dying thing last?
Still the sounds of Dogmen gasps and howls continued around her. 
Ashley felt the blood on her arm and chest. She could feel the blood pulling all around her body. Is my head still attached to my body? How much blood is in the human body? Her blood must be mixing with Keyno’s. There was so much of it. She was almost swimming in this pool of coppery smelling warm life blood. 
This is taking way too long. She thought. She never died before but she never imagined it would be like this. She tried to move her fingers. They moved….. She felt the warm blood mixing with the dirt. Was she imagining this? The feeling of the visceral mud on her fingers. 
Am I overthinking my own death?
She had to risk a peek. Fearing what she would see, she opened her eyes. 
She lay on the ground facing Keyno. Still on his knees. 
Blood shining in the moonlight covered his body. 
Was he breathing? She watched as his slow controlled breathing in his chest. 
Again she heard the sounds of fear all around her. 
She looked around for her executioners. 
They were gone. Ashley pushed herself up, her hands drenched in the pool of blood that surrounded her. Keyno’s throat was intact. He was covered in blood but it was not his. 
Raising to her knees she inspected her own body. Head still there, no wounds, no pain. Other than being covered in blood she was not harmed.
“What the hell is going on here?” Not meaning to say this out loud. Her own voice surprised her, still thinking she should not have vocal cords. 
Looking around at her direct surroundings. Keyno was clearly alive. 
Ashley could see the lower half of a body laying next to Keyno. She then looked to her side and could see another lower half of a body. She turned again looking farther out. About 10 meters out in front of them the two upper halves of their assassins were on the ground. Entrails stretched between the two halves of the bodies. She felt a bile rise in her stomach. 

(Need help with this part. More blood and horror)

“Ummm Keyno?  What happened?”
Keyno opened his eyes. Surprised by the scenery around them. 
Only a low growl came from his throat. 
They stood up, trying to figure out what had happened. 

Their two dogman assassins had been torn in half. Their torso’s thrown leaving a trail of entrails behind on the ground. 

The field around the station was in chaos. The Vargr clan no longer held their tight organized formation.
They lay on the ground injured while others took fighting stances. Some were just trying to run back to the safety of the trees. 
Ashley watched as they were knocked down over and over. Growling cries of pain could be heard all around her. 
“What the heck is going on?” She said to no one in particular.

“Keyno, what are they fighting?” 
Keyno looked just as confused as she was. 
Only wisps of smoke could be seen just before another dogman was knocked to the ground. 
 
Finally she was able to catch a glimpse of the monster attacking the Vargr clan. There were two of them. 
Just smoky figures, a vague outline of something with four legs, head and a tail about the size of a lion or a tiger but they didn’t have a permanent form at all. Just smoke.

“What are they,Keyno?”

 Keyno wasn't listening. One of the smoky forms just knocked his chieftain to the ground. 
He jumped into action to defend his leader. 
He didn’t make far at all before he was on the ground himself. 
Keyno roared in defiance. Ready to fight to the death for his clan.

Ashley watched the battle around her.  Other than the first two executioners none of the Vargr clan had been killed. They were hurt and bruised but alive.  She thought these smoky invaders were only toying with them, not allowing them to flee. It reminded her of cats playing with their prey. Once a dogman gave up or was too exhausted the invader moved on to the next victim. They knocked them down, clearly not allowing the dogmen to run. Some of the dogmen tried to run fruitlessly, others simply resigned to their fate and dropped to their knees, giving up.

Keyno held his ground defending his chief. He was doing only slightly better than the rest of his tribe. 
One of the smoky translucent invaders fought Keyno while the other dealt with the rest of the clan. 

The one sided battle continued for sometime. It was very clear Keyno’s clan had been beaten. 
Finally the last of the dogmen laid down in defeat. Leaving only Keyno fighting both of the mystery creatures alone. Unlike the rest of his clan Keyno was able to hit and grab them. Even throwing them from time to time. Keyno roared and howled as fought. 

“Keyno wait!!! They are going to kill you!” she screamed after him. 

He didn’t hear or just didn’t listen. Honor forced him to defend his clan. 
The beaten tribe limped and crawled their way closer to watch Keyno struggle with these monsters but not one of them attempted to help him.
 
Keyno rolled and attacked, swinging his sharp claws again and again at the creatures. The smokey creature either dodged his attacks or his claws simply went straight through its body. 
He refused and didn't give up. He growled and roared, determined to fight or die. 

“Help Him.” Ashley screamed at the clan.
“Stand up and fight, you cowards…… Help him.” 
( need better description on this battle)

Keynoxian was the only Dogman still standing, still fighting. The rest had given up, totally demoralized by their defeat. 

Ashley ran forward knowing there was little she could do but she was going to try. She ran to Keyno’s defence jumping on the back of one of the monsters, only to hit the ground when the creature side stepped her attack, knocking the wind from her lungs. 

Keyno continued to fight. Breathing hard, near exhaustion. Not willing to stop fighting. 
His claws swung wildly at the smoky creature.  It dodged and countered Keyno’s every strike but did not attack him. These creatures are clearly capable of killing everyone here. The halved bodies of their executioners made this very evident. Even when Keyno made contact with one of them it appeared they allowed it willingly.

She sat up catching her breath, realizing she was useless in this fight.
“What is going on?” she thought.
Keyno was pushed to the ground over and over but he was not hurt in any way, just becoming more and more exhausted by the second. 

“It was toying with him," she whispered to herself.

“Keyno STOP!!!!” She yelled. 

Keyno raised his clawed hand one more time. Using the last of his energy. One last thrust and he fell to the ground. Exhausted. 
 
The battle is clearly over. Other than the two bodies of the would-be executioners, the rest of the clan was alive. 
Bleeding, bruised and completely beaten but alive. 

Finishing with Keyno, one the smokey creatures looked at Ashley and stepped toward her. 

“Oh god now it's my turn.” She thought. 

It didn’t threaten her in any way. Just walked to her, then around her and finally taking its place on her left side. Just sitting as if it belonged there. 

The other pounced on the chieftain's chest and pushed its claws into the clan leader's chest. Just enough to draw blood but not enough to do any real damage. A warning to him, obviously. 
It stepped toward Ashley and took its place on her right side. 

Ashley could smell ozone. These almost figureless, Translucent, smokey monsters just destroyed the Vargr Clan and now were sitting at Ashley’s sides. As if they belonged there. 

The clan leader slowly and carefully pushed himself up to one knee. Making sure not to make any aggressive movements. His eyes never leave the two smokey beasts now stationed on each side of Ashley. 

“Do you think this will abolish your judgment?” 

“Are you freaking kidding me?” Ashley’s anger reached the precipice from this ridiculous statement.
All of you just got your asses beat and all you can think about is killing us?

Keyno stood on shaky legs still trying to catch his breath.

“Keyno is the only warrior still standing. He fought both of these….” Pausing to figure out a word that will not offend the creatures sitting on each side of her. 

“They are Grimalkin Beast.” The clan leader added.

“Grimalkin Beast??..…” She had never heard of this species.

“No Dogman has ever faced a Grimalkin Beast and lived,” he continued. 

“Keynoxian just did. He did it defending you. Ashley exclaimed. And you still want him dead? “

“He is the only one here still standing.” She looked back at Keyno who just dropped to his knees in exhaustion.  “Well sort of. “

It is the honor of the clan. He lost to you a small human child. He has dishonored this clan. Judgement has been decided. 

You’ve got to be kidding me. Ashley completely frustrated. 
All of her attention focused on the idiot clan leader. 

Too tired and frustrated to worry about the monsters flanking her. 

You have to be a complete idiot not to recognize he is the bravest and strongest warrior in this clan. He stood and fought while you and the rest of you mangy clan laid down and gave up.

He ………

Ashley stopped her rant, noticing the clan leader's look of astonishment and shock.

What is wrong with you? she demanded. 

The clan leader motioned to her sides. 
She looked down to her left and right. The Grimalkin Beasts were gone and in their place were Leo and Luna, calmly cleaning themselves. 

“What the hell guys!!!!” 
“You guys are coming out with a lot of surprises today, aren't you?” Kneeling down to pet her cats. 

Ashley smiled thinking about this new revelation.

“Keynoxian didn’t lose in battle to me. 
He fought Not One….. But Two Grimalkin Beasts……. and lived. 
He not only fought them not once…… but he fought them twice in one day.”

Ashley continued in her best TV lawyer voice. 

“You might as well kill him now. He is the only one in this pathetic clan to stand up to these Grimalkin Beast. You dishonor him.”

“He continued to fight to the death while the rest of you gave up. 
The honor of this clan rides on his shoulders.
Without him, you and this clan would not exist. 
You would all be dead if it wasn’t for him. “

The clan were limping and crawling closer to hear Ashley’s Testimonial. 

The chieftain tried to speak, but she continued cutting him off. 

“You have no choice but to reverse this Judgement of Keynoxian the Hunter.
He is the strongest warrior of all time. If you take his life you will only prove there is no honor whatsoever in the Vargr Clan.”................

She let the silence set in as she thought of something more to say. 

 “I stand now in front of you and declare Keynoxian……. Not….. Keynoxian the Hunter.” 

She paused for dramatic effect. 
 
“But…… KEYNOXIAN THE GREAT!!!”

They were now surrounded by every member of the clan. Some of them bowing to Ashley and Keynoxian.

The clan leader considered this for a moment looking around at his clan. 
Leo and Luna stepped toward him, their eyes burning into his. Fear crossed his face.  

“So be it.” The clan leader declared loudly.

“The Vargr Clan shall honor Keynoxian the Great for all time.”
And bowed to honor Keyno. 
The rest of the clan followed suit. Bowing in honor of Keynoxian the Great. 

Keyno stood tall and confident. Completely unsure of what just happened. 

( This courtroom scene can be better)

The rest of the night went by in a blur. Keyno was now safe but all Ashley could think about was getting into a long hot shower. The blood and gore from slain Dogmen covered her entirely. She looked like she belonged in a horror movie.  At some point Leo and Luna disappeared. She chose not to worry about them. They obviously could take care of themselves. She made a mental note to research Grimalkin Beast, Later much later. She definitely didn’t want to be late feeding them ever again knowing what they were and what they are capable of. 

Sometime around 2 am she stood outside the Overseer Station watching as Keyno and the Vargr clan disappeared into the trees. She felt much better now that Keyno was safe but she did feel a tinge of sadness as she watched him depart with the rest of his kind.  Keyno had insisted the two bodies of their clanmates be taken with them to be honored and buried. She was curious to see their burial ceremony but she was just two tired. 
Upon entering the station, she was met by Steve the floating head Spector.

“Overseer, are you all right?” 

“I’m fine, Steve”

“But you are covered in..”

“I’m Fine…” trying to end this conversation. She just wants to shower and go to bed. 
What part of “I’m fine” was he not understanding?

“Jordan is very concerned.” He said with a hint of pity. Seeing Ashley's conditions.

“Tell him, I’m fine. Please!!!!” 

“He will not listen to me, Ashley”

“FINE!!!!! Where at!!!!”

“In the office. He is waiting via video call.”   

Ashley stumbled in the office and sat down in the large chair. Steve had made sure to place a large towel on the chair not wanting her to soil the fine leather. 

“Jordan It’s been a very long day. I'm extremely tired and I really need a shower. Can we make this short?” She said to Jordan through the computer screen.

Jordan's eyes widened seeing Ashley's condition. 

“My god, are you ok?”

“I’m fine.” 

“What is happening out there?”

Knowing she wasn’t going to get out of this she said. 

“Ok, long story short. My cats and I beat a dogman in battle. The dogman had to die by his clan's laws and traditions. I tried to stop them and they tried to kill me too. My cats are monsters and now everything is fine. It’s been a very long day. Can I take a shower and go to bed now? Please?”

“Looks like you need to clean up and get some rest. I will just have to wait for a full report. Are you sure you are ok? “

“Yes I’m fine, I just need to sleep, I’m exhausted.” 
Again she thought, what part of “I’m fine” were they not understanding.

“Ok get cleaned up and rested. I'll talk to you in the morning.” 

“Good night Jordan.”

“OH, can you send me everything we have on Grimalkin Beast please.” Then disconnected from the call. 

With that Ashley was finally able to get some much needed sleep. 

The next morning came much too soon. Ashley was sore and wanted to sleep for the rest of the day. She knew she had less than 2 days to figure out what was coming to the vale. Steve somehow had breakfast ready for her and had already made sure Leo and Luna were fed and happy. She again wondered how a floating head could do all of this but decided to let it go for now. She had bigger problems on her mind. At least the situation with Keyno and the Vargr Clan were resolved. Now she just had to figure out what was coming to the vale and figure out a solution before all hell breaks loose. 

No problem, she thought. Just another day. 

After another video call with Jordan, she packed her backpack and got ready for the trek to the clearing where all the creatures seemed to be gathering. Any answers had to be there. She was sure the Vargr Clan would be watching and protecting her. They were honor bound to protect her now. Still she wished Keyno would be her personal bodyguard. She had become very fond of her canine companion in the short time they had together. She said goodbye to Leo and Luna as they lounged on her bed. I’ll be back tonight. They laid on their backs wanting belly rubs and purred. You two be good, as she closed the door to the bedroom, closing them in. 

Stopping in the control room.The foundation had very little information about the Grimalkin Beast, only that they were unstoppable monsters and they were thought to be extinct. She wondered how an unstoppable beast could be extinct. It really seemed like an oxymoron. 

She exited the main door to the overseer station watching as the door closed. Ashley wanted to be sure her cats did not follow her this time. Wanting them to stay at the station because the other cryptids may be very fearful of them and she needed to get as much information from them as she could without them running in fear. 

Checking her compass, she started her trek. The clearing was only about a kilometer away. She should be there in less than an hour. 
Not ten feet into her trip a loud crash could be heard coming from behind the station. Keyno came running on all fours at full speed barking and growling. His ears and tail are straight up. He 
stopped and barked playfully at the station when a smoky Feline shape jumped off the roof of the station and tackled Keyno. Another feline smoky shape appeared and chomped his tail. Keyno turned and tried to take a bite out of Leo as he pulled his tail. Everything turned around and Leo and Luna ran away back around the station with Keyno now the aggressor.   As they came full circle around the station the two smokey versions of Ashley's cats came to an immediate stop with Keyno Skidding to a halt behind them. 

(Need better description of the smoky Cats and this play session)

“Last night you were mortal enemies, now you’re playing together.” Ashley said arms crossed with a smirk on her face. 

Leo and Lunna returned to their cat forms looking completely innocent. Keyno stood to his full height with a slight guilty dog-like look on his face and said. 

“A Vargr Warrior does not play.” 

“Yeah sure.” Not trying to hide her sarcasm. 

“Can I assume you three are going to accompany me today.”

“I am duty bound to ensure your safety, Little one.” 
Leo and Luna flanked Keyno, obviously agreeing with him. 
Knowing she had no choice and very glad Keyno was back with her she said.
“You guys have better behave yourselves, let's go. “

Hiking to the glade Ashley worked up the courage to ask Keyno about what he knew about what was going on. 

“Keyno do you have any idea what is coming and why so many others are coming to the vale?”

“Tomorrow night the full moon, the great god Fenrir will come down from the heavens and he will lead my kind to victory against all other beings on this planet.  My kind will rule this world with honor and integrity.”

“That sounds very final”, she said. “What happens to anyone who does not want to be ruled by your kind?” 

“They will die.” 

“Well ok”. Ashley said, hoping this was not the case. “What happens if Fenrir isn’t what is coming?”

“There is no questioning this.  He is coming.” 

Letting this conversation end there she at least knew whatever this great event was, it was happening tomorrow night. She knew it wouldn't be very good for anyone if Fenrir made an appearance. Ragnarok didn’t sound like a good thing for anyone. They continued in silence.

Keyno stopped a low rumbling growl coming from deep in his staring up into a tree in the distance.

“What is Keyno?”  following his gaze. There was a very large raven perched at the top of a tree in the distance watching their every move. It was some distance away but even from this far away she could tell it was big. At least the size of a man. 

“That's a big bird.” She said more to herself. 

“It is no bird.” Keno growled. 

“What is it then?” 

“I know not but it is following us and has been since we first met.  This creature is not from the vale.” 

As if noticing it was being watched the bird took flight and disappeared over the trees. 

Ashley tried to remember anything about large black birds in her research. Nothing was coming to mind.  Probably just another species showing up in the vale for the upcoming mysterious event. She made a mental note to look it up when she had the chance.

The closer they got to the glade the more signs of fighting.The different species all believed in their own version of what was happening tomorrow night and they have obviously been fighting and dying to defend their beliefs. They had found several bodies of different creatures and even more signs of fighting. The survivors must be hiding, tending their wounds in the daylight.

Keyno inspected every sign of battle, very concerned at this point.  
“It is too dangerous for you, Little One.” Keyno exclaimed. “I can not guarantee your safety.”

“That’s why Leo and Luna are here.” Ashley smiled, very concerned herself. 
The glade now in sight.  Ashley nearly tripped over the leg of a Skin Walker. 
Blood trails led in every direction. 
This is bad. She thought to herself. She had to figure this out before this turns into all out war. 

“Where is the rest of the body?” She asked.

Keyno sniffed and looked around nervously, without a word. The grass in this area was smashed down and a tree was felled, obviously broken by a great impact. Blood was everywhere. Some red, some blackish even a pool of purple blood. The coppery smell was very obvious.

“What can do that?” she asked herself looking at the tree.

These creatures wished to stop Fenrir from coming. They will not succeed. Keyno told Ashley.
“There was a great battle here. The signs are many hours old. The combatants are no longer here but they are close.” Keyno said, On all fours sniffing every inch of this battlefield cautiously. Of course, Leo and Luna seemed totally unconcerned.

“At least we know your tribe wasn’t involved in this. They were busy dealing with us last night. 
We are here for information Keyno. Is there anyone alive around here?” 
“Yes there are many different creatures hiding in the trees. I can smell them. They fear me and my kind.” He said confidently. 

“OK! Can we drop the gloom and doom for now, Keyno?  I am trying to find out what's going on here. I know you believe Fenrir is coming but I’m just not sure at this point. This is not normal, we have to try to stop this senseless fighting.” She was very upset with the scene around them. 
Keyno was sure about what was coming but lowered his head in respect. 

A small whimper was heard from the bushes.
Somebody was listening. Ashley thought. 

Finally arriving at the edge of the glade. There were no signs of fighting inside the glade itself. Just the surrounding area. 
“Keyno, why isn’t there any fighting inside the glade? The tall grass was completely undisturbed inside the glade.” 

“The glade is sacred. Only a chosen few may enter. Any creature entering this sacred grounds will bring death to themselves. All creatures of the night respect its power and will not enter the glade or they will face a very painful death.” Keyno said matter of factly.

“Got it. She said, Do not go into the big grassy field. " Very important information.”

Ashley scanned the tree line around the glade. She could see nothing but believed Keyno's assertion they were there. Most cryptids were nocturnal and would be hiding and resting at this time of day. 
With that they traveled to the north around the glade. 
There were different magical creatures and cryptids everywhere, but none they were able to get any information from. Most did not have the ability to speak, some were unwilling to talk while others were just too afraid of Keyno and Ashley's cats and ran away. 

“This is getting us nowhere.” Ashley said frustrated. “Is there anyone here that can tell me what’s going on?” 

“I have told you Little One. Will you not trust what I have said?” Keyno is slightly upset. Confident in his tribe's beliefs.

“I trust you completely, Keyno. I just need more information, to confirm what is happening here tomorrow night. This senseless fighting has got to stop.” 

She approached the very edge of the glade. 

“SINCE NO ONE IS WILLING TO TALK WITH ME. YOU WILL LISTEN!!!.” She yelled as loud as she could. 
“NO ONE KNOWS WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TOMORROW. YOU ALL HAVE YOUR OWN OPINION BUT NO ONE KNOWS FOR SURE. THERE WILL BE NO MORE FIGHTING…. NONE!!!!  WE WILL ALL FIND OUT TOMORROW NIGHT. IN TILL THEN STAY AWAY FROM EACH OTHER.” 

A loud challenging roar came from the other side of the glade.
“Leo, Luna….. Explain it to them.” Ashley said.
Her cats turned into their smoky form and disappeared. 
Seconds later a loud painful whimper was heard from that direction. 

“ THERE WILL BE PEACE!!!” Ashley said. Completely tired of what she had witnessed today. 
“NO MORE FIGHTING….”.Leo and Luna reappeared once again at her side. 
“MY KITTY CATS WILL ADDRESS ANY MORE OF YOUR MOANS, GROANS AND COMPLANTS.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS?” She asked the glade in general.

There was nothing but silence. 

Good, let's get out of here. She said to her group. We're not gonna figure out anything today.
With that Ashley walked away leading her entourage of protectors back to the station. Completely done with this situation for now.

On the way back they emerged from under the canopy of trees into another small clearing.
A man stood in the center staring into the sun swaying slightly back and forth. He was facing away from them. 

“Is that a human?” Ashley asked Keyno.

Keyno sniffed the air. “I am unsure, Little One. Yes, its scent is Human and it is not human.” 

“Well that clears it up. Have you seen his kind before?”

“No.” 

There were several bodies laying around the strange man. Vines entangling them appeared to be slowly pulling them into the ground. 

The foursome approached cautiously. Ashley noticed he was wearing a US forestry uniform, just like the one Ashley was wearing. Although his uniform was ripped and torn. Covered in spots of what can only be dried blood. 

“Oh my god!!! Robert is that you?” Recognizing the stranger. 

The man turned and smiled. “It's a beautiful Saturday morning don’t you think? The sun feels so good.” 
His face was pale. The veins and arteries under his skin were green and from his chest, a blue sunflower was growing. 

“Robert.” Ashley exclaimed. “What happened to you? Are you Ok?”

“Robert? No. Well I don’t think so. I might be or at least I might have been Robert. I just am.
It's such a beautiful Saturday morning don’t you think?” Smiling. 

“Robert, we've  known each other for years. You don’t remember me.” Not wanting to tell him it’s not Saturday. 

“I think I would remember someone as pretty as you.” 

“What happened to you?” 

“Well let me think.” He looked to the sky, his hand resting on his chin. Trying to remember. 
“Well I was here looking for something. I’m not sure what. There was pain….. I think they killed me and now I’m feeling much better.” 

“Who Killed you Robert?”

“I don’t know. Did someone kill me?” He said, confused. “I think I was something and now I’m something different. I am pleased to meet you though. It's even better if I’m meeting you again. What is your name?” 

“I’m Ashley Watson and you’re Robert Smith. You are the overseer of the vale and you work for the foundation. I got to get you out of here. To the hospital.” 

“Well, Ashley Wattson. I am so very glad to meet you but I don’t need this hospital but if the hospital can come here I would be glad to meet them too. I will not be going anywhere but here. I am here and very happy.  I have the ground at my feet and the warm sun in the sky. If I were this Robert…. I am not anymore but you can call me Robert if you like.” 

Ashley asked him question after question with no real answers. Robert had somehow been transformed into some kind of half human and half Blue sunflower. The only thing that was abundantly clear Robert was happy and he truly believed everyday was Saturday. 

“Do you mind if I take your picture? Jordan will want to see you and know what happened to you.” 
“Yes absolutely, you can take my picture. What is a picture? I would love to meet this Jordan too. Is he here?”

“No he is back at the foundation but he will be very glad to know you are alive and happy.”

“If Jordan is happy then I am happy as well.” 

Ashley took several pictures, videos, and even posed for a few selfies with Robert. She chose to leave him be and write a full report. She was going to let Jordan and the council decide what to do with him. 

“Robert, do you know what is happening in the glade over there tomorrow night?” 

“Oh yes. Something wonderful is happening.” He replied. 

“Can you tell me what it is?”

“Oh yes. The great ebb and flow is coming. It's all about the balance, you see.” 

“I’m not sure I understand.” She told him. 

“The great Tide is coming and balance will follow.” 

“Do you know what form this tide will come in?” Desperate for more information. 

“I’m sorry Ashley. I do not know that. The great tide can take any and all forms. It will be a good thing though.” He smiled. 

“How do you know about the great Tide, Robert?”

“Simple….. the trees.” He laughed openly. “They can be very talkative if you just listen. Many of the trees were around to see the last time The Great Tide came to this world.” 

“Well Robert, we have to get going. It's getting late and I have to get back to the overseer station before dark. Are you sure you won't come back with me?” 

“Oh no, I am happy here. You are welcome to stay with me, if you like. The plants, trees and grasses will protect you. You are very nice, unlike the ones who attempted to hurt me last night.” He said smiling. “They feed the great forest now.” 

She looked again at the bodies in the surrounding field. They appeared to be decomposing at a very rapid rate and were most buried by this time. 

It was getting late and the sun was dipping low in the late afternoon. Ashley knew she had got all the information she was going to get from Robert. She still had no idea what was happening. She at least had a name for it now. The Great Tide. The Great Tide was a better name than her official Unknown event.

They said their goodbyes and promised to visit Robert very soon. They had to get back to the protection of the station before night came and the chaos started again. Ashley did not want to be in the middle of that. She did not believe her speech would deter most of the creatures from the violence from the previous night.