Through the Looking Glass part 2

One thing that stood out to me was the silence. No birds, no wind, I even ached for an eerie whisper or two. But there was nothing.

I walked and walked for what seemed like forever on a never-ending road in a place that seemed to be out of a drug addict's surreal nightmares. I wondered, chillingly, if this was my fate.

The thought alone made me nauseous, and I struggled to not vomit. It took a huge amount of effort, but I managed to push down the bile and press on.

Then came the music. Any sort of description fails to truly encapsulate my relief and terror. I bum rushed forward, running towards the steadily building of notes and chimes.

I should have known better, I did know better, but when you're desperate, you go to the first ray of light. In a clearing, right where the road ended and a large clearing began. The music there was the loudest, but there was nothing and no one there.

There were lyrics, I could hear the words clear as day, but as of now I'm struggling to remember them. But I felt a bone chilling fear, even more powerful than before, creep into me.

I backed away from the clearing, small step by small step, and I would have run had I not tripped over something. In that split second the singing stopped. I lost my balance, regained it, and saw a pastel, glass sugar bowl.

It was like a blessing to see something so bright and happy in a place like this. But I wasn't stupid--something this good probably had something horrifying inside. I could have put it down and found another solution.

I stress the word could. I didn't.

Instead I lifted the lid and found, much to my surprise, not a small puddle of blood or a shape shifting black ooze, but candies that were as cheerfully colored as the bowl. They looked like they were begging to be eaten.

If this was a joke, it wasn't funny.

Through the Looking Glass part 1

I took some time off to gather my thoughts. A part of me still can't believe what just happened, but it did. At this point I honestly shouldn't be surprised.

On April 30th I went up to my room, changed into my pajamas, and saw something in my mirror. Laying on my vanity stool was a Venetian mask staring at me intently. I turned around, but there was no mask there. The hairs all over my body stood up. It was happening again.

I blinked, and then there were two masks. I held my eyes open for as long as I could, but I finally blinked a third time: three elaborate Venetian masks were now hovering in midair behind me from the mirror. I took a few fatal steps towards it, looking back each time to see that none of them were behind me. Without knowing how or why, I reached out and let the tips of my fingers ghost the surface.

In hindsight, a terrible idea.

Two hands reached from the mirror, grabbed onto my wrists and pulled me with the force of a god through it. I can't tell you the fear I felt, or the water-like sensation that comes with stepping through reflective glass.

But I can tell you that I was on the other side of a mirror, terrified out of my wits, and on a forested road surrounded by trees. The mirror was gone, and I was alone.

Let me take that back; I wasn't I never was. I was being watched the entire time.

I swallowed my tears and walked down the road.

Out

I'm out. oh my god I'm out. I can't belive it. i'll tell everything soon I'm just so grateful and drained. Today's my birthday. they let me go on my birthday. thanks I gess.

ɹoɹɹᴉW

ǝʌᴉlɐ ǝq llᴉʍ I ɯǝɥʇ ʇɥƃᴉɟ llᴉʍ I llɐ ɯǝɥʇ ʇɥƃᴉɟ llᴉʍ I pǝɹɐɔs ɯ,I ʇnq ʇno ʎɐʍ ɐ ɹoɟ ƃuᴉʞool ɯ,I uɐɔ I ɟᴉ ǝɹǝɥ ɟo ʇno ʇǝƃ oʇ ʇɥƃᴉɟ ll,ᴉ ǝɯ ǝʌᴉƃɹoɟ ǝuᴉɹǝɥʇɐƆ sʇᴉʍ ʎɯ ɟo ʇno pǝɹɐɔs ɯ,I puɐ ǝɯᴉʇ ǝloɥʍ ǝɥʇ ǝɯ ƃuᴉʍolloɟ ǝɹ,ʎǝɥʇ ǝɔɐld sᴉɥʇ uᴉ pǝddɐɹʇ ɯ,I ʇno ʇǝƃ ʇ,uɐɔ I sɹoɹɹᴉɯ ǝɥʇ uᴉ pǝddɐɹʇ ɯ,I

Happy Birthday, Florence!

25 years and counting, girl! I'm so proud of your and all your accomplishments! You're moving on up in the world and we're happy to see them all.

Nothing bad happened, thankfully. I smiled through my fear and refused to let it take over my life.

But I did see it in the corner of my eye...watching, waiting.

Bring the Fire

I've been gone for a while, I know. I've been wondering if I should even keep blogging about this...thing and what it's doing to me and everyone around me. The doctor won't listen to me, the police won't listen to me, I feel like I'm going insane.

Maybe that's what it wants.

But I won't let it win. Florence's birthday is soon, and I'm not going to be a coward.

Snow in Spring

It's snowing today. Not that uncommon, but still very irritating. I was hoping that winter would get the hint and come back in a few months time.

But I got this got anxiety in me, like a black hole being born that would take my organs. I took a warm bath, drank some tea, but nothing helped.

I don't think it's finished with me.

Happy Birthday Naomi!

You're the first of us to turn the big 2-5! We love you so much!

I'm very happy to say that after the Christmas fiasco things have been quiet as of late. I'll admit, I was hesitant to go out for Valentine's Day, but everything turned out to be as normal as possible.

Here's to the rest of 2015 being as non freaky as possible.

Christmas Day II

There was a sudden banging sound that came from the other room in the basement. We journeyed into the game room, and I realized that it was coming from the crawlspace.

I remember just when the house was bought I used to go in there for fun until I cut myself on a nail. It was not a fun experience, and since then I hadn't returned.

I wish he could have ignored it. I wish I could have told my parents. I wish I could have done anything other than go in.

But if it meant their wrath focused on me and not the people I loved, then so be it. It used my nails to pry open the long shut door and carefully opened it.

There was no one inside, but there was a small chest fixed with four locks.

I knew what they wanted us to do. I wasn't stupid. But even if I left it here it would still have found a way to us. I picked it up and brought it into the center of the room. My girls all looked more than just a little perturbed.

"Dude, seriously. I'm getting freaked out." Vivian tried to laugh through her fear with little success.

Naomi looked at her key and then at the chest. She said, "Hey, my key might fit this lock."

And it did. With one turn of the key the lock fell to the ground. Only three to go. I was almost helpless as each lock was freed from the chest.

"Did you plan this at all?" Naomi looked at me, curious to see my answer. I shook my head. I slid the chest ajar and found that it housed a rat skull resting comfortably on an old pocket watch. Rebecca shuddered at the sight while Florence fearlessly reached in and inspected them. As her fingers moved over the skull it cracked and turned to dust within seconds.

The pocket watch was in perfect working condition, yes, but the arms moved in the wrong direction--backwards. I held it in the palm of my hand...and then it stopped.

That's when we heard the sound of rats in the walls. The squeaking and scratching was seemingly everywhere.

The game room door slammed shut without anyone prompting it, trapping us. The lights went out, and though we were grown adults, we screamed.

The door slowly, ever so slowly creaked open. The light that came out was sterile, harsh, and I hesitated to even go near it.

But I did. I looked outside and saw that we had transported into a silent winter tundra. We were all so confused and frightened, but I saw no other way out than through. The snowflakes were thick and heavy and came down at a steady pace.

"This is impossible," Rebecca murmured. "Christ Almighty, what is going on?!"

"I don't know...I honestly don't know." I reached over and held her trembling hands. This all went against the reality she so cherished--she was probably holding back a nervous breakdown. I looked back to the silent playroom and saw that everything was beginning to rot and rust away.

The only way out was through.

We ran into the snow as the room fell to pieces, crumbling in on itself as we watched helplessly. We were stranded in a whiteout, so cold and so frightened.

Naomi gasped out, "Elizabeth! What's happening?! What was that?! Why is this--how is this--what is going on?!"

"I don't know! I just don't!" I screamed it out louder than I should have. "But this is kind of what happened on Halloween."

"Are you serious?!" Florence blurted out.

"Yeah, but this...this is worse. So much worse. I don't even know what it wants. Last time they demanded that I leave before midnight or everyone dies."

They all believed now. I wish to God they didn't. I looked around and saw nothing but grey clouds and snow as far as the eye could see. The farther we walked the worse the weather became.

And then there was an icy wind that seemed to blow right through us, the cold chilling the tips of our hair and fingers.

When I opened my eyes I saw a man, dressed all in black and a Venetian mask concealing his face (a patch covered the right eye), appeared before us. He extended his gloved right hand, as if asking to dance. We backed away from him.

Behind the man was the Fear Dubh, as black as the world around us was white. Its arms were like a gnarled, diseased ridden tree. The man still held out his hand.

In a split second I became overridden with anger. Here they were--toying not only with me, but with my dearest friends. I screamed out curse after curse, demanding that they stay away from me and the people I loved. I felt my girls' arms struggling to drag me back, but I didn't relent.

Looking back it was probably so stupid of me to even try to challenge them. There was a blinding flash of white, then nothing.

The next thing I knew I was in the woods near my once. Again. Flat on my back and my Christmas dress gone from my body (the shoes, however, were left), I laid there for a few minutes to try and process what just happened. Outside of the now functional pocket watch, there wasn't anything cryptic or useful on me or around me.

With as much dignity as I could muster, I made my way out of the woods and began the slow trek back to my house. Along the way I worried sick over my friends, my girls--where they were, if they were okay.

The rest of my family was asleep when I unlocked the front door (thank god for the spare key under the happy Santa statue). The first place I went to was the basement, and much to both my confusion and relief, it was as if nothing had happened.

The nutcracker was gone as was the chest, both of them nowhere to be seen. I was happy I would hopefully never have to see either of them again.

Much later my parents interrogated me on where I went last night and why we all left. They were fuming, which was more than understandable. I didn't know what to say or how to say it. I made up a story about how we all took long walk which ended with us getting lost. I don't think they bought it.

I'm happy to say that all four of them are fine. They were teleported to odd places around their homes (Florence in an old fire pit, Naomi in a pool, Vivian in a tree, and Rebecca in her garden). It's hard to laugh about it, since it was so terrifying, but I'm scared of what else is going to happen.

Christmas Day part I

I am currently recovering from what can only be described as the most unnerving Christmas of all time. I'm lucky to be alive, to be honest, and now my poor girls are roped into this, too.

Christmas Eve was spent at our cousin's apartment. We chatted, drank out after dinner coffees and exchanged a few gifts here and there. We stayed until nine-thirty, in which we returned home to wait the arrival of St. Nick himself.

Our house had been Christmas central for a long, long time, becoming a tradition. My family and I threw ourselves into the holiday and every level was exquisite. In the happily blinking outdoor lights I saw, out of the corner of my eye, a flash of someone moving to a darker area. I blinked and my heart began to race a bit. Would I have another note tapped to the door in the morning...or something worse?

As soon as we got into the house I made sure that all the doors and windows were locked. I chastised myself for doing something so foolish--they would find a way in no matter what, and that alone made me terrified for my family.

Sleep didn't come easy, but I managed.

Christmas morning should have been a happy one, and at first, it was. We opened up presents and ate Christmas-y pancakes, drank eggnog and played with the gifts we so loved.  For a few hours we watched classic movies and enjoyed one another's company until it was time for the party. I went upstairs to my room and stopped dead in my tracks.

The Nutcracker was out on its box (which had been shoved in the back of a closet) and stood proudly on my bed, staring at me intently. I honestly didn't know what to expect from the thing, but I was terrified of going any closer. I grabbed what I needed and ran out of my room like a coward. I refused to go back into my room.

Finally it came time for our little party, and just as promised my girls came. There was a  voice in my head that wanted to tell them that the party was cancelled and that they had to go home, if only for their safely. The only good side to what happened was no mysteriously locked doors.

We mingled, we laughed, they asked me how I was doing after the Halloween incident, and even though I said I was alright, I could tell they weren't buying it. Eventually I would have to come clean about everything.

Then Naomi looked behind me, her brow furrowing into a confused knot, and said, "Hey, who brought your nutcracker down?"

I spun around and there it was again on the dessert table as if it always was there. Florence was the first one to make her way over to it, and soon they all crowded around the table.

"Woah, it looks like someone put a lot of love and effort into making it." Rebecca sounded really, really impressed. "This is something you would see in museums or sold online for hundreds of dollars. Who sent you this?"

So I told the rest of them what happened. Vivian smiled a bit, "looks like someone likes you enough to do this. Save those notes and call the cops if they try to do anything funny. Until then, maybe we should try breaking a walnut with its mouth, just to see if it works."

"We didn't buy any walnuts, Vivian. Where do you see them?" I was out shopping with my parents the majority of the holiday season. I would have known for sure if we got any. In a small bowl near its feet were several nuts, all of which seemed to beg to be crushed. Without any prompting, Vivian took a walnut and was seconds away from trying it out.

Rebecca grabbed Vivian's wrist. "Vi, no! This looks priceless! That's actual gold leaf and Swarovski crystal on this thing! Don't break it!"

"She's not gonna break it, Becks. Chill out." Florence almost rolled her eyes. "I don't see the point of a nutcracker if it doesn't crack nuts, you know what I mean? Just one isn't going to kill it."

"I think we should go play some games and forget about this. Come on, my brother got a new fighting game I think you'll like... guys?" I tried to sway them away from their object of interest, but they were so fascinated by it that it was hard to drag them away.

Without even a second thought Vivian took her nut of choice, opened its mouth and pushed the handle down.

It cracked the walnut perfectly. But the shell didn't yield anything edible--inside was a tiny skeleton key. Vivian whistled her surprise. Next thing I knew, Florence took another nut, and yet another key appeared. Soon all four of my girls had beautiful keys as their prizes.

I didn't like where any of this was going. Unluckily for all of us, things didn't get any better. It was just getting started.

Present

I got a present in the mail today. No address or anything--just my name scribbled on the box, wrapped up right with twine and dull pink ribbons. I didn't want to open it, lest it contain something evil, so I just left it there by the street. That would have been that, had the box not suddenly appeared in my room. It was still closed, but now the twine and ribbons were undone. I took the box and threw it out the window.


I went into the bathroom to wash up, and upon me descending the staircase the box was there, under out decorated Christmas tree, with the top wide open.


Nestled in the old, yellow newspaper was a well crafted, very dignified nutcracker. There was a note, too, which read:


Dearest Princess,
Accept this gift as a token of our hopes for you. Throw it away again and you will regret it.


Merry  Early Christmas,
Viceroy Almaric Drosselmeyer


Whoever this person was, he was an amazingly good stalker. I could have called the police, but what could I have told them? Instead I called Naomi to vent. She answered after two rings, and I talked about what happened.


"Holy crap, girl. Call the cops and report this dude. And who is this 'we' they are talking about?"


"No clue. But I'm not happy about this. I'm not going to throw it away or anything--the note told me I'd regret it. I can't keep it here, either. What if it comes alive and slits everyone's throats with its little sabre?"


"I suppose you can just put it in a container. We'll be at your house for the party, so maybe we'll take a look at it."


"I guess. He's handsome, I'll give him that. The Swarovski crystals are a nice touch, too."


"Love the look already. I have to get back to making these cookies for Christmas, but if anything chances, call me."


"I will. Love you."


We hung up together and I stared at my gift. It didn't move or blink...but I hated what it could bring. Who is this Viceroy, and what doe he want?

Midnight part 2

I was panicking. The clocked ticked steady closer to midnight and my stomach was in knots. If anyone noticed my flight from room to room, door to door, they didn't say or do anything. My hands clenched into fists to tight they trembled.

Here I was, trying to have a good time free from the madness that was chasing me, and they decided to play these goddamn games. I was furious at them.

But it was my choice to come here; perhaps if I stayed home everyone would be safe. I was furious at myself.

Anger, sadness, helplessness, they all swam in me like a school of fish in a shallow bucket of water. I looked to my left and saw a pretty antique mirror hanging near the living room wall.

I saw the black ballerina smirking at me. I wanted to spit at her so bad, but I worried that I might invoke their wrath further. So I glared back at her, not as a challenge, but just to let this mysterious figure know that her bullshit was not needed. She laughed and disappeared, leaving my own reflection to stare at me. I grabbed a handful of sea salt caramel popcorn and shoved it into my face.

It was 10:55 when the lights started to flicker. No one gave it any mind, which made it even more agonizing. Again I went to the front door and wrestled with the doorknob, praying to God to please, please, let me out. I couldn't help myself--I started to sob.

"Liz? You alright?" Naomi laid a hand on my shoulder and gently pulled me away from the door. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"I need to go home. I just...I need to go home. Now. Right now." I blubbered pathetically. "Naomi, please. Please open the door for me."

Poor Naomi, she had no idea and I struggled with whether or not I should even tell her. She put down her drink and dapped my eyes with her tie-dye handkerchief. Rebecca griped my hand, "Calm down, what's the matter?"

And just like that the lights went out completely. People moaned and cursed their terrible luck, and I almost fainted.

Mike said, "Weird. It's not windy outside or anything. I'm going to check."

"No! No, don't! Don't go outside, please!!" I begged, sounding like total lunatic in the process. My ears rang with a heavy pain and I saw, from the bright screen of someone's cellphone, the time go to 11:03.

No one was going to die tonight. No one. If I had to grab the ceramic lemons and oranges from their fanciful bowls and throw it at them, so be it.

"Lizzie, chill. I'm just going to be out and then in before you know it." He opened the backyard door effortlessly and I threw off the comforting arms of my friends, racing right through the threshold and in to the cold autumn air.

I tripped over the giant pumpkin on the walkway which sent me careening to the hard ground. Pain shot through my limbs and chest like lightning--for a moment all I could do was lay there in pain. I heard the voices of my girls and several others wondering what the hell was going on with me, but I paid them no mind.

I got up and ran like a bat out of hell. I ignored the wind, the branches that caught my slippers and tights, I only focused on getting to my car. I was out of the house, so I was halfway there.

Just when I, something grabbed my leg. It felt like a mix between human skin and tar. I screamed, clawed at the thing until it let go and kept running. That is, until I felt people behind me. It wasn't anyone from the party--it was something worse.

I had it. I was done.

I tore off my silver ballerina slipper and threw it as hard as physically possible at the nearest figure. I saw it make contact and I dashed to my car. I must have blanked from the panic, because the next thing I remember I was on the highway, driving towards my destination and paying little mind to anything else.

It was 11:56 when I came into the foyer like a hysterical hurricane. I collapsed onto the floor and inhaled as much air as I possibly could.

When the Grandfather clock struck midnight I relaxed...and then panicked one again. I whipped out my phone and texted my girls, asking them if everything and everyone was alright.

Seconds later I got four messages all confirming that yes, all was well, followed by them all attempting to call my poor phone.

But I couldn't answer, not when I was so exhausted. I would answer them in the morning and explain everything.

I dragged myself to the couch where I fell into a deep, dreamless sleep, only waking up when the sun was just starting to rise. As I rubbed my eyes to get the sleep out of the corners, something before me made my heart nearly stop.

On a pillow was my slipper with a note attached. It read:

Princess,

You have done well this night. We look forward seeing more of you.

Much regards,
Viceroy Amalric Drosselmeyer

Midnight part 1

I went to a Halloween party held by one of Vivian's associates. I debated about going, but I decided to anyway.

Vivian dressed as a raver butterfly, Florence was Iron Man, Naomi was a hippie and Rebecca was Albert Einstein.  As for me, I went as Odette from Swan Lake. We were gorgeous, all five of us, and when we pulled up in our respective cars at four in the afternoon we took the opportunity to take as many pictures as possible.

Mike (that was his name) opened the door and let us in. He was dressed as a stereotypical Frenchman, cigarette and all. He did a pretty good accent and made us laugh. Soon more people arrived in their marvelous costumes, some homemade, some store bought, but all in good fun. Our host did a head-count and breathed a sight of relief when all twenty-two of his guests had come to his house safely. Now the party could truly begin.

The table was lined with all sorts of snack foods and candies as well as pizza and Taco Bell. Spooky themed drinks were made, much to everyone's delight. I sipped a bit of the Witch's Brew and mingled with the guests. Florence, possibly channeling her character, had started to drink another cup of Laudanum (thankfully not the one with opium) and she went on about how she could beat everyone in any video game ever.

I grabbed a plate and piled it with foodstuffs, heartily eating it while being careful to not drop it on my costume. It was when I reached over to grab another handful of black and orange napkins that I looked up.

In the mirror just across from the food table I saw a woman in a black ballerina outfit picking at raw, bloody meat. She stared me with her golden-red eyes, never once breaking contact. Wreathed around her body like a chic accessory was the corpse of a black swan, its feathers glimmering with white dust.

You would think it was my reflection. But it wasn't--the shape of the face, the eyes, the snarl. None of that was me. My throat became bone dry and I felt my breathing slow to a crawl. I closed my eyes tightly and then opened them; she was gone.

I turned away and sat myself down to watch a few people play round after round of Smash Brothers. I made the fatal mistake of looking down, and from the glass of the table the woman appeared again and bared her fangs. When she opened her mouth to speak I was the only one to hear her.

Leave before midnight or everyone dies.

I looked around and saw nothing but joy. No one knew about my hallucination (or was it?) and were oblivious of their doom.

In that instant I felt panic, anger, sadness and a desire to get the hell away from this place. I looked at the clock; it was 6:03 at night. I needed to go. Now.

Keys in my hand I made a rush for the door, only to find that it had been locket so tightly I couldn't open it. I asked a partygoer to help me, but she too had problems. I went to the back door, where I encountered the same problem. Every door and window leading outside might as well have been welded shut. I was trapped there.

My Catherine

I dreamed of her on her birthday, the 20th. She and I held hands in a field of spring flowers, the sunbeams dancing in her hair and her smile overflowing with love. On her head was a beautiful wreath of lavender and lilac, the combined perfumes filling my nostrils. In each blossom was a tiny bird that sang the sweetest of songs. I kissed her, held her, promised to never let her go as she spoke to me. I can't remember what she said, not in the slightest, but I do remember the agonizing feeling of waking up. I cried for a long time.

The good news is that it has strengthened my already iron resolve to find out what really happened. Don't worry, Catherine...I'm on the case.

Anticipation

Life is surprisingly normal after what I've been through. I still have no idea who Sophia Blanchard is, or what she has to do with my situation. Maybe another DVD will appear in a cookie jar; that wouldn't be out of place right now.

But I guess that's just how things work. Something insane happens, a stretch of eerie silence, and then another insane thing. Rise, lather, repeat.

I'm just on edge for what's next. What will it be? Will I come out alive?

I'll schedule an appointment with Dr. Frey. He won't believe me, but I have to tell someone. I don't want to drag my girls into this...

The DVD

I finally got up the nerve to play it. Honestly I was expecting something like The Ring video tape: lots of symbolic yet incoherent images and disturbing sounds followed by a phone call that foreshadows my untimely death. None of that happened. Instead of disturbing figures there was just a grainy, constantly moving snowy texture. I could barely make out two figures sitting at a table. The following is what I could transcribe from the DVD:

Dr. Gordon South: This is Doctor Gordon South of Highwind Mental Institution. With me is one Miss Sophia Evelyn Blanchard, age twenty-nine. The subject arrived here on July seventh of this year, 1994.  Okay, Miss Blanchard, we are starting now. Miss Blanchard?

Sophia Blanchard: I…I have no idea what happened. It just…happened, Doctor. That's all I know, I promise.

GS: I know, I know…but tell me, what happened on June 27, 1994?

SB: (silence)

GS: Sophia?

SB: Robbie and I were taking the boys down to our cabin. It was summer vacation, and it was a family tradition. When we were in college we used go there and just…do anything and everything.

GS: Robert Hensher was your husband, correct?

SB: No…no, we never got married. We didn’t need a piece of paper of a big, fancy party to prove that we were in love. We just decided that it was for the best. Save up the money for something else, like a house.

GS: Uh huh. And who were your boys?

SB: James and Nolan. James was seven and Nolan was four. They were the best little boys anyone could ask for. Not always well-behaved but…(she chuckles).

GS: And when were they born?

SB: James was born 1987 and Nolan was born 1990.

 

GS: And, for the record, please tell me how you and Mr. Hensher met.

SB: Me and Robbie…we were together for a long, long time. We met in middle school and could not be separated. Barely after graduating college I found out that I was pregnant with James. He was actually really happy about it. A part of me worried that he would up and leave.

GS: But he didn’t.

SB: No. No, he didn’t. He was thrilled. He comforted me and told me that he wanted this, wanted me and the baby. I was so happy I cried.

GS: Well, he is one of a kind; I can’t think of any man who would be excited about an unplanned pregnancy, if you don’t mind me saying.

SB: You aren’t the first to say that, Doctor.

GS: Anyway, continue on to what happened on that day, Miss Blanchard. On the day of the incident, how long had you already stayed?

SB: We were getting closer to the end. The boys didn’t want to leave, neither did Robbie or I, but we had to. A bunch of odd things had happened before that, though…I remember the smell of something dirty and burning. I can’t even describe it properly. I checked the stoves, checked the heater, checked everything in the house. It was all fine. But...

GS: But?

SB: Nobody could smell it but me. I asked James if he smelled anything strange but he didn't. I thought I was going crazy.

GS: How long was it before it happened? Before the cabin--

SB: Stop. Please...Doctor, please stop.

GS: Miss Blanchard, we need for you to tell us, in your own words, what happened that day. I understand that it was traumatic for you and that you still have issues stemming from it, but please just, tell me. Tell us.

(For a while there is nothing but the sound of the static becoming almost deafening. For a split second I thought I saw words in the grainy images, but they didn't make anything I could read.)

SB: No. Not today, I'm sorry. Not today.

GS (sighing): Alright. Next time we'll talk further. The nurse will take you back to your room.

(A woman walked in and gently took Sophia by the shoulder and led her out of the sterile room. The DVD ends there. I'm going to keep it somewhere safe in case I need it later. Sophia Blanchard...who is she and what happened to her?)

Happy Birthday, Rebecca!

Even though it rained and was really dreary, I'm glad we all found a way to enjoy it. Thanks for humoring Florence with the laser tag and putting in 100% of your skill. You were great! I'm also really happy you loved the gardening books we got you. Plant something nice while it's still autumn, girlie.

I'm still working on the DVD. It's not a trippy excursion through hell...but it is disturbing.

Unlocking Part 2

I stared dumbfounded, the pieces of the DVD still in my shaking hand. I wondered if I should run, but where could I go? Just turn and bolt and hope for the best? I swallowed heavily and began to slowly step backwards.

The woman with the fish scale veil scoffed haughtily, "Just look at her. She's filthy."

I was suddenly brought to my knees, as if someone had kicked my legs out from under me and. I looked up and saw that they were now mere inches in front of me and my heart could have stopped from fear. Their scent...it was not in the least unpleasant, but it was so heady and rich my nose began to burn. I couldn't describe to you how elegant their dresses or how detailed their masks--they were beautiful in an unnerving, terrifying way.

In all of three of their right hands they clutched large, plain jugs. Simultaneously they all tipped them sideways, directly above me, and I was drenched in a seemingly unending downpour of water.

I blinked and they were gone. The trees, the dirt, the sky above me, too, all melted away and was replaced with a dark basement. I was soaked to the bone, so confused and frightened I thought I was going to

As I found my footing, I turned around to see a set of stairs and an opened basement door. One final time I looked around at what was once a vast forest and--

I saw it.

Standing there, in the corner, head cocked to the side slightly. Its piercing, eyeless gaze cut through me like nothing ever has and ever will again. I did not scream.

I ran. I ran and it followed. I felt it upon my spine and in the wind that blew my hair. I threw open the door and raced out of the house in a mindless panic.

This proved to be foolish. I made it about five steps before I slipped...and when I hit the ground I was in the grove of trees near my house.

My shoes were now gone, only the socks remained. Nothing else was missing, for which I was thankful for. But in what could only be described as bizarre, the three pieces of the DVD fused into a single, immaculate disk.

I walked out of the grove in a daze, still wet, still shaken, but I had gotten what I needed to get. I suppose. My poor mother wondered what happened and I made up a story about falling into a pool. The shoes I was honest about: someone stole them right off of my own feet. I threw my clothes off in the bathroom and took a long hot shower. My car was most likely still near the house and I would have had to go back and get it. Eventually I did, and I was proud of myself for not fainting when I saw a face in one of the top floor windows. Since then I've been reluctant to go places, even with my girls.

The DVD sits on my desk and I wonder when I'm going to find the courage to play it.

Unlocking Part 1

I've been hiding in my room like a coward, though I know that at any time it can pass through the locked doors. I don't regret going to the house...but I know now that things are only going to escalate

On the 15th I grabbed the keys (just in case), filled up my car with gas, and drove all the way to the ends of town to see the place overrun with ivy, but still intact. I took one final sip of my Coke before going right up to the door. Unlike the dream it wasn't open, but a quick turn of the handle fixed that.

The place could not have been more quiet. The only sounds were of my feet stepping carefully on the old floors. I turned to the left and beheld a somewhat clean living room scattered with relics of the late fifties and early sixties. I know nothing about that place, not even rumors, but in my gut I knew something went very, very wrong here.

The grandfather clock in the corner chimed, and that's when the floor gave out beneath me.

I screamed as gravity fulfilled its purpose, sending me careening to the basement. instead of plumes of dust and cobwebs, I was confronted with the unbelievable.

A forest. There was a goddamn forest in the basement. Trees that should been poking through the above floors stood with thick trunks and bare branches, their paradoxical existence only frightening me more. The floor was now dirt, partially wet and bereft of any insects, and the hole that I fell through was now the sky.

My heart caught in my throat and my stomach felt like it was filled with lead. But even with this, I pursued. It was not as claustrophobic as one would think, but even then I looked behind me to be aware of where I was going.

I saw a large tree with a bronze chain encircling it. No lock, though, but I pulled out the bronze key. A hole near the roots grew wider and wider until it became easy for me to go into.

Right in the center there was a dog so big it was like a small horse, staring at me with eyes as big as teacups and sitting calmly in the center. It didn't lunge at me or bark, but it did pant heavily as if it was thirsty. I slowly walked closer to it, mumbling platitudes as I willed my feet to move. Suddenly, when I was just close enough, the dog stood and closed the distance between us, nudging my hand with the key open. My finger shakily exposed my item, and in the blink of an eye the dog gobbled it up.

I yelled at it to drop the key, or rather, I would have had the dog not melted away into a large, unlocked chest. My jaw could have fallen from my skull. It took a while for me to collect myself, but when I did I opened the chest and found one third of a DVD.

I fond another large tree with a silver chain around it. I took out the matching key, went through the hole, and what did I find? Another dog, just as big as the last one, also staring at me with eyes as big as pinwheels. It ate the key like the one before it and turned into an chest. I took another third of a DVD within it and quickly left.

Not far along there was the final tree. There was one last dog, also big with eyes as big as a human head, that swallowed my final key and it, too, turned into a chest. I grabbed the final piece and made it out of the tree.

I thought that maybe, just maybe, that would be it and I could figure out a way to get out of the forest-basement. Little did I know that they weren't done with me.

At least fifteen feet away I saw three figures, dressed all in black, wearing Venetian masks that concealed their faces. One wore large goat horns upon her head, another with cardinal feathers that made up her earrings, and the last had a multitude of fish scales entwined in the veil she wore.

They were watching me, and I realized then that they had been doing so this entire time.

An Old House

A lead. I have a lead.

A usual it came in my dreams. An old peach colored house with a slightly cracked open door. Inside there was blackness and the sound of creaking moans. I reached out to touch the rusted handle, only to have it crumble under the slightest touch.

I remember see a place like that near the edge of town. It's been boarded up for years and it's plastered with KEEP OUT signs. Going to jail for trespassing would definitely hinder any progress I'd hope to make, but I'm desperate. I'll go there as soon as possible, but I know I'm in for something that might be the death of me. If I let it.