7 Stories if MCP is a Missing Person

Hey there kids it's me Mr Creepy Pasta and before we get started on tonight's story let me tell you about midnight myths midnight myths is a game I actually worked on I did the coding for this along with my friend General drowned for a game Jam the first one we ever did as well as this is the first game that we ever did if you guys would like to check it out it's for free on itch.io I'll put a link in the Description down below just want to let you guys know about it and see

if uh I can get some opinions on the first game if you guys like this what you want to see more of or if you want me to do more games in the future and now on to tonight's [Music] story Ralph walked a lot like every day a lot he had lost his car a few years ago during the pandemic not because he Couldn't pay for it but because he had a habit of driving drunk and the cops took his license after the third time so it didn't make a lot of sense to have it

he had walked ever since and it kind of helped with his sobriety he was a bit of a mess before that drinking a la showing up to work hung over eating too much fast food but the walking had helped him drop a lot of weight and had kind of made him not want to drink walking while you were drunk Was kind of miserable and when walking was your means of transportation you get pretty good at avoiding things that left you unable to do it Ralph was coming into town on Tuesday walking up the sidewalk that

led from the trailer park that he lived in to the grocery store when he saw the first sign it was a normal enough white sign with big block letters the top that read missing the thing that stopped him was The face that looked out from the sign it was a guy of about 300 lb thinning hair pulled back into a ponytail and deep bags under his eyes he was a deeply unhappy man a man who looked like he was just looking for a hole to die in and if it had a beer in it then

all the better the eye eyes that stared out of that poster looked like the eyes that stared from Between the Bars of a drunk tank and they had more than once Ralph reached out and took the sign Staring into the eyes that he hadn't seen in years he was looking at himself just a past version of himself a version two or 3 years out of date out of date was a good way to describe it like spoiled milk missing Ralph Gilbert address 9733 earring way trailer 17 last seene April 23rd 2023 walking along the shoulder

of the road call filibuster Sheriff's Office with any Information cash reward possible cash reward R thought it was weird to think that someone would be willing to offer a cash reward for someone like him but he supposed it was possible the friends he had now certainly valued him more than his [ __ ] of an ex-wife or or either of his ungrateful children had more than the family he had left too for that matter he put the flyer back up thinking it was weird that they hadn't just come out to The house to see if

he was there he had been there for a week after the the what he thought the night that something happened something Ralph couldn't really remember he kept walking up the street enjoying the later afternoon as it dwindled towards dusk this was his favorite time to walk he thought the weather was hot even for early May and he spent most days inside due the Heat And the way the sun had made his eyes hurt lately the evening walks were about the best thing for him and he couldn't wait till Autumn came and he'd stand to walk

during the day again the last thing he want wanted to do was lose his progress 2021 had been a pretty turbulent year for Ralph but not all of it had been bad he had started noticing the walking was making him lose weight and that he felt better about being more active it Would have been very easy to sit on his couch and feel bad about it he had certainly done that for a while but as his food ran out and the money had gotten from the disability payments that started to dwindle he knew he was

going to need to do something that was how the walking had started walked to the grocery store walked to McDonald's walked to the 24/7 Phil that he worked nights at and walk home after a while people in the trailer park Started noticing that he was walking they would offer to pay him if he would walk their dogs pretty soon Ralph had a bunch of muts on leashes and he became known as the dog man soon people came to walk their dogs with him and Ralph felt like he finally had friends he hadn't had friends since

high school and the ones he had then had never led him into anything healthy these guys were walking with him helping him find shoes that wouldn't pinch his feet and give him Blisters suggesting pants that wouldn't give him a heat rash and one day Ralph hopped on the scale and discovered that he had lost 50 lbs by 2022 it was 100 and by the next year he was at 180 and feeling better than he ever had his trips to McDonald's were down to once a week his dog walking was making enough money to keep his

bills paid and his fridge filled and Ralph felt better than he had in years he had felt like that right up Until last week when something had happened as Ralph came into town he saw more of the signs hanging on the poles and was a little curious as to why no one had come to the trailer to check on him if they were so worried he had been there all week they could have come and knocked Ralph had been kind of out of it the last week though and he was worried that he might have

caught something he barely remembered stumbling home After whatever had happened Ralph hadn't like that it reminded him of being drunk and out of control again how many times had he stumbled into the trailer after a night of drinking to find that he couldn't remember how he'd gotten there he sat on his couch just looking at the dark television and suddenly he wondered where the groceries had gone that was when he remembered that He'd been carrying groceries he'd been coming back from the Forest Hill grocer bags bulging in his hands and he had come around the

corner math is in curve then he didn't know something had made him squint and he thought [ __ ] there goes my milk and then he'd been walking back into his trailer as he walked into town now he saw more missing posters and it started to give him the creeps watching his own Face his false face looking back at him was eerie and he wanted to rip them down he was here he was alive why were they looking for him he wasn't missing he was walking up the road he passed people side eyeing them as

if expecting to be recognized but they just walked right past him without a look back that was weird Ralph thought yeah he'd been gone for a week but people surely hadn't forgotten him that quickly he'd been sitting in his trailer for a Week before he thought that a walk had seemed like a good idea it was weird the food should have run out by now but Ralph really hadn't been hungry he'd moved between the living room and bedroom like a sleepwalker sleeping like he hadn't done since he was 300 lb of lazy Couch Potato he

hadn't felt like he needed to eat anything either though that was rare despite his weight loss he still had to manage his prodigious appetite he couldn't even remember Drinking water that whole week and until he'd gotten up to walk you'd worried that he was catching the flu he had wandered around in a days just kind of existing and it made him feel good when the afternoon had finally called to him as he walked towards the supermarket however he suddenly wished he had stayed at home sitting in the parking lot of forest hill grer was a

green Ford Focus that became the focus of his Terror shouldn't have been that way it was just a car but there was something about it that made him stop and stay his legs felt made of lead and his bowels would have turned to water except he remembered that he hadn't done that all week either that made sense you suppose nothing going in meant nothing coming out right it didn't matter after a week of no food or water Ralph should be dead And that thought seemed to move him at long last he was suddenly walking towards

the car his eyes falling on a dent in the front bumper that was a fresh Dent though Ralph didn't know how he knew that the door to the car was open and Ralph climbed into the back seat like a sleepwalker he sat there waiting for something to happen feeling kind of silly this was stupid the owner of the Focus would come back and ask him what the hell he thought he was doing he'd call the cops Ralph would go to jail and then he'd be in big trouble well Ralph thought at least then they would

know where he was Ralph supposed they could take the signs down if he was sitting in jail finally after an indeterminant amount of time the owner came out with groceries and brown paper bags he was a young kid maybe 20 22 and when he opened the back door he set them inside without Comment Ralph watched him move around in the front seat and climb in cranking the car and driving off the further they went the more sure Ralph was that the kid would see him the kid would look in the rearview mirror see Ralph sitting

there and freak out he might have a wreck and Ralph Ralph would feel terrible about that the longer they grode without the kid commenting on his presence The Stranger it all felt Ralph leaned towards the kid a Little meaning to tap him but as he did he caught a look at the rearview mirror and stopped the back seat in the mirror was empty except except for the groceries that's when he remembered and suddenly Ralph wasn't in the kid's Focus anymore suddenly he was back on the side of the road near the guard rail of maths

and curve and he could see the headlights in his eyes again the kid had Been going too fast hot rotting around and his tires had screeched as he hit Ralph Ralph's grosseries had gone everywhere his milk squishing under the tire as his lettuce rolled under the guard rail the kid had come out to find Ralph lying across the guardrail moaning and groaning as he Lay Dying the head had thrown him back bringing him to rest against the metal rail that had broken his back he looked at the kid begging him to Help him in his

Panic the kid had done the only thing he could think to do he pushed Ralph over the side of the rail and into the drop below it was night now and Ralph was looking over that rail again he couldn't see his body down below it fallen into the bottom and likely been picked clean by scavengers but he knew it was down there Ralph would likely go on to be a town Legend someone who had just disappeared one day after making a slight Splash Fuster but for now all he could do is look down into the

Ravine and wonder what to do next he had read some ghost stories when he was younger wrote A Few when he got older but it wasn't every day that you become one something wafted past him on a stray wind and when Ralph caught it he realized it was one of the missing Posters an idea occurred to him and he thought maybe maybe he wouldn't have to stay a mystery officer vermis stood by the guard rail ready to catch the kid if he decided to take a nose dive he was pretty high he might opt for

a short flight over a lengthy prison sentence but vermis doubted it the wind ped his hair just as it did the officer's jacket and he pointed down almost accusingly as he Turned to the kid and that's where you pushed the body over verus asked the kid Tyler Miss nodded before being taken back to the station in the back of a different squad car verus side that was going to be some hard canvasing but they'd find Ralph Gilbert when they had gone to the kid's house he had as good as confessed on the spot and that

had made it all very easy he was repentant very sorry and very young and some soft-hearted judge would Probably not insist on the death penalty for him it was unlikely he would never operate a motor vehicle again not unless the state prison let him run a tractor or something he supposed that would have to be good enough it was weird though the police would have probably never known about the accident if it hadn't been for the tip they'd gotten looking at Ralph's picture on the front of the poster vermis remembered the night they'd taken His

license he'd been a bad drunk but he turned it around and vermis hated that he had to end up like this it was a bigger shame that the kid had to ruin his life by a Moment of in attention and those were the brakes he flipped it over looking at the odd writing on the back looked like he'd been done with mucus except it was a fluorescent green like the Slime they used to dump on the kids on the show his boy had watched when they were Younger he didn't know what had written it and

he didn't care they could take Ralph Gilbert out of the unsolved case File put him in the closed case pile that was good enough for him the message read green Ford Focus dent in the front bumper kid hit Ralph Gilbert about a week ago on Ma curve body in the Ravine don't let him rot down [Music] there hey there kids it's me Mr Creepy Pasta and before we get started on tonight's story I'm going to let let you know about etsy.com shop Ivory monal te I know I usually bring this up at the end of

videos but hey I want to remind you guys that tea is always available and during the hot summers you know what's great sweet iced tea if you let them know about it when you order as well you can always get an exclusive Mr Creepy Pasta dabbing sticker which becomes pretty popular especially if you Get my blend of dark and stormy night and now on to tonight's story [Music] around a month ago I lost my left eye on a snowboarding accident oh uh most of it 80% according to the doctors without telling you the entire story

let's just say that I tried to get fancy on a big jump anyways I get rushed off the slope to the hospital and without anybody needing to tell me I start getting the sense That um any Vision I had in that eye it's basically done for so as I'm lying in the emergency room tried covering my right eye while keeping the left one open in order to find out the extent of the damage and it was bad kned shapes blurred colors impossible to decipher anything and getting worse by the minute by the time that they

broke the news to me I had already stealed myself for the outcome almost feeling numb as the Doctors rattled off what I guess was the standard procedure for these things a bunch of medical lingo as well as my option moving forward they ended up having to remove the eye in its entirety the thing was unsalvageable it was strange staring at myself in the mirror afterward it wasn't so much that I was horribly bothered by the way that I now looked but at the same time I dreaded the inevitability of having to explain it in future

Conversations so I um I decided to get a prosthetic something that looked at least somewhat close to the real thing enough to fool anybody who might get curious I had called the local clinics that the hospital had recommended and settled on the place offering the cheapest Services after realizing that my insurance wasn't going to cover 100% of the cost I scheduled an appointment with them expecting to hear that the entire thing Was going to take around 3 months or so but surprisingly they were able to schedule me early the next week so the day of

the appointment rolls around and I make the drive over from what it looked like there were only two people working in the entire place the receptionist and one other guy I'd assumed was a surgeon or something I thought it was a bit strange and I brought it up jokingly almost in passing the receptionists laughed and told me That all the other staff members were off that day due to a scheduling issue I just smiled they nodded sure the process ended up being pretty quick and painless the surgeon led me into one of the rooms it's

some tests and sort of measurements and perhaps that was the moment I should have started questioning the whole thing they told me that they just happened to have a prosthetic lying around that would fit me perfectly the eye colar Wasn't quite right but they said that it was something that could easily be adjusted and they could have it ready for me within an hour looking back on it the red flags were rather glaring at the time though I just assumed that it was an insane Stroke of Luck when they finally brought it out to me

I couldn't believe how real it looked and even more how comfortable it felt sitting inside the socket I was so over the moon about it that any reservations or doubts I might have had kind of just melted Into The Ether of course it did take some time to get used to only being able to see out of one eye and I can't even count how many times I stumbled or nearly ran into a wall during the first few days still I was able to avoid some very annoying conversations meaning that the thing was fulfilling its

intended purpose within a week I was beginning to settle into it But but that all took a turn and I started seeing him the man in the distance it's a bizarre thing a figure standing perfectly still maybe a mile away looking my way I know it sounds like I'm overreacting but just think about it have you ever been walking down an empty Street and after a while you begin to focus on something in the distance can't quite tell what it is and so you squint and eventually you realize That it's somebody standing eerily still positioned

as if they're looking straight at you even worse is when you get the feeling that it's always the same person and that they're always getting closer and closer and then there's the doors and I'll I'll try to explain this as simply as possible imagine one day you wake up in your home or apartment or whatever you walk over to your bathroom and take your morning piss and in your groggy State you notice that there's a door in your hallway that you've never seen before one that would seem out of place in any residence it looks

to be made from a dense metal and has strange symbols carved in in a seemingly halfhazard manner you close your eyes thinking that you've you've gone insane and you open them back up the door has suddenly disappeared well these are pretty much play-by-play Recollections of the things I've been seeing and ever since the first few instances it's been happening more and more almost exponentially so they're everywhere as well restaurants the gym other people's houses hell I even saw one of the doors while I was out on a hike in the ground right in the middle

of the path and as always whenever I try and get closer in order to investigate it'll disappear now here's the thing unlike the man it's never the same two doors I Know this is true because of two factors being color and size I've seen others that were Chrome gray along with one that had been pitch black I've seen one so small I wouldn't have even been able to squeeze through them there have been ones large enough to accommodate a truck of course I tried to rationalize these things maybe hallucinations were a temporary symptom of losing

one of your eyes Maybe maybe I developed some obscure brain disease but these trains of thought were shortlived this was not normal it didn't make sense the STW that broke the camel's back came the evening when I started to realize that my vision was actually coming back my full range of vision it was a simple thing to test out Clos my right eye while keeping the less prosthetic One open expecting absolute Darkness but that's not what Happened to my shock I could see granted the extent of my vision was blurry to the point where I

wouldn't be able to function with it alone but the fact that anything was there at all kind of spat in the face of logic soon as I realized this I went to the bathroom in order to try and take it out I'd done it once before and at the time it had been a seamless process but that was all the way back during the first week I'd gotten it but when I Tried it this time around I managed to get it out halfway before giving up it hurt like hell as if it were something never

meant to be removed immediately I got into my car and began to speed over to the clinic my heart pounding the entire time at some point during the drive I took a a glance at the rearview mirror and something seemed off about the car driving behind me I kept glancing at it trying to understand what the issue was there was A young woman in the driver's seat fine no issue there but there was somebody else sitting in the back seat while the passenger seat remained empty I switched Lanes slowing down while I let her pass

when I went to look again she was the only person in the car I shook my head trying to quell my nerves as I continued to dve though the scene that I saw upon pulling into the Clinic's parking lot certainly didn't help with That it was police tape everywhere it looked as if the place had been ransacked or something the windows had been smashed broken glass littered the pavement and from what I could tell the inside had been completely trashed there was only one other car in the lot a police vehicle with a tired looking

cop sitting inside I parked got out of my car and knocked on his window the cop eyed me weily before rolling it down yeah he said what do you need I was Just uh I was wondering what what happened here I said he stared at me for a while before responding can't say ongoing investigation then he paused before asking why do you need to know I wasn't quite prepared for the question and after stumbling through a few sentences I ended up telling him that I'd gotten a prosthetic eye from the clinic but was starting St

to have issues with it which was basically true That's it the cop said an issue with the eye nothing else his tone was strange as if for whatever reason he knew that I wanted to tell him more which in turn indicated to me that he was itching to do the same after a about of awkward silence I nodded my head yeah and nothing else the cop just stared at me with this incredulous look on his face and I suppose that was ultimately the reaction I was looking for a confirmation that we Were indeed on the

same page he opened his glove compartment and pulled out a notepad and began to write something down a phone number then he handed it to me we can't talk right now he said but if things escalate then um give me a call then gestured for me to lean in and so I did listen to me he said barely above a whisper if he starts getting close and I mean real close then you know what you have to do right I don't think I understand he focused on the left side of my face let me guess

you tried taking it out but it hurts doesn't it it's going to hurt no matter what you do there's no easy way out of this I shook my head what the [ __ ] are you saying the cop sighed his eyes darting around suddenly he seemed nervous look he said give me a call and one more thing if you can help it try your best not to look at him he Turned away and began to roll up the window wait I said what what about the doors when he didn't respond I slammed on the glass

what about the [ __ ] doors the cop just stared ahead as if I was no longer there I backed away getting angrier by the moment until I was overcome by the feeling that we were being watched I cursed under my breath and headed back to my car looking around the entire time looking looking for him When I got back home I poured myself a glass of vodka three glasses later and I'd managed to Stave off the impending panic attack but now I was out and I knew that I was going to need more I

grabbed my keys and prepared to head to the liquor store near my place and I partially drunken State I nearly failed to notice it my front door changed it was the color that had thrown me off the same light gray that I was accustomed to seeing on a day-to-day basis but [Music] then then I saw the symbols the metallic glint I moved away from it expecting it to revert back to what it should have been after a few blinks and when it didn't I closed my eyes counted to 30 seconds and then opened them back

up still no change then I tried something else I kept my right eye open while keeping the Prosthetic closed it worked but only for a moment my normal apartment door the one that always should have been there flashed back into existence I reached for the knob but just as soon as I did it had disappeared replaced by a large rusted handle I cursed and stepped back it was a different door this time one more ominous in nature than any that had come before it was dark brown and Huge reaching close to the top of my

ceiling and spanning six or 7even ft wide the stand symbols were etched across it but were barely visible against the large blotches of orange reddish rust it quite literally looked like the entrance to Hell well the worst part being that no matter how long I stared at it how many times i' close or open my eyes it was still there after a while I reached out to try to touch it half Expecting to feel wood for the illusion to finally break what I felt instead was cold rusted metal I sure as hell wasn't going to

try to open it but I also lived on the 15th floor of an apartment building I went out into my balcony tried yelling for my neighbors when nobody responded I looked over the railing and down at the Street Watching The people walking below Eventually focusing in on somebody standing still in between two parked cars somebody looking right up at me I backed away locking the balcony door out of a kind of fear that I couldn't even understand for a while I just sat on the couch feeling the Panic beginning to overwhelm everything else I searched

around in my pockets pulling out the piece of paper that the cop from the parking lot had written his number down On immediately I called it hearing the line ring twice before somebody picked it up but they didn't talk opting to breathe heavily right into the speaker instead it sounded like they were out of breath and somewhere in the background I could hear a loow moaning I hung up tossed my phone on the couch I was starting to feel lightheaded the skin on my face becoming hot to the touch and so I walked over to

the Bathroom and DED my face with cold water it helped slightly but whatever reprieve it brought me was wiped away as soon as I walked back into the living room I could just barely see it out of the corner of my eye somebody standing on my balcony face pressed tightly against the window their skin was pale and they were dressed and what appeared to be a sweeping black robe remembering what the cop had told me I didn't look at it directly keeping it at the edge of my Vision in order to give myself peace of

mind and to make sure that it didn't move I inched towards my couch and picked up my phone where I had left it and dialed 911 I told them that somebody was on my balcony trying to break in that they needed to send somebody ASAP the operator told me that they would but in the meantime I'd be better off leaving my apartment I told them I couldn't do that when I asked Why I had no answer this seemed to confuse them but they told me to stay on the line which I did by now I

was actively trying to stop myself from hyperventilating and in my fear I walked backwards into my kitchen and grabbed hold of a steak Knife I must have looked away from the balcony for a split second because now the figure was gone I held my breath and soon enough I could hear something coming from the hallway behind me what sounded like rough animalistic Tails it's inside I whispered into the phone it's behind me I could hear the operator saying something but at that point I was too stunned to listen you know what you have to do

right I looked down at the knife in my hand the last things I remembered before everything went fuzzy was the door slowly creaking open and something cold brushing against the back of my neck when I woke up however many hours later I was lying in a hospital bed a Fierce stinging swathing the entire left side of my face I reached up and I felt around my fingers skimming across layers of thick bandages given the facts at hand I had a pretty good idea what had happened but I still asked the nurses in order to confirm

things when the cops had found me I'd been lying on the floor the back of my head submerged in a pool Of my own blood my finger still wrapped around the handle of the knife apparently I had carved the prosthetic straight out of the socket and I had done a piss poor job after the nurses had left two plain looking men in suits approached the side of my bed they began asking me questions at first I thought that they were state appointed psychiatrists or something sent to determine whether or not I was a harm to

myself and others But the tone of their voices and the way they conducted themselves didn't quite align with that they were very matter of fact with their questioning more like detectives than anything else while they seemed prepared and almost eager to believe whatever I had to say speaking to them proved to be an uneasy thing and so I ended up dancing around the more surreal details of what had actually happened not sure why just felt like I had to but even so I could tell that They knew knew that I was lying after realizing that

they weren't going to be able to get anything out of me one of the suits just smiled telling me they'd stay in touch before they left a strange encounter but by that point I was too relieved to care it was over its [ __ ] up nightmare had finally run its course I nearly drifted back to sleep when I heard somebody else enter the room I opened my eyes sat up who's the cop he began began to approach me Nervously and I asked him what he wanted I'm just curious he said what happened in there

I stared at him what do you mean in your apartment what the hell's going on I Shrugged I don't know I had a manic episode or something no the cop said no there was something else happening something [ __ ] up I shook my head and how would you know He leaned down getting uncomfortably close to my face did I not tell you when we got there your door was gone you know the front door to your apartment it wasn't there we had to break down the [ __ ] wall to get inside he paused

his eyes growing wide as if some fear of his had just been validated why the [ __ ] wouldn't it be there suddenly a hand appeared on his shoulder I looked up seeing one of the Suits from earlier he was staring down at the cop and smiling the malice behind the expression just barely concealed you're not supposed to be in here suit said let him rest the cop stared back at him matching the hostility in his gaze as he stood straight and began to back away once he was out of sight the suit looked down

at me the grin lingering as he gave me a nod then he walked out of the room And when he shut the door behind him it was not the same one it had been there earlier so I got home at around 11:00 p.m. late night at the office turned into an even later night at the bar so about four drinks deep at this point I'm tired and I'm just about ready to fall asleep as I Stumble through the doorway and I lay down on the couch I reach for my bag of joints spark one up

I just pull up YouTube on my Laptop well I'm in the middle of watching some luxury Cruise tour close to passing out when I hear the front door open I sit up turn my head slightly just enough to see my roommate coming in he hangs his jacket in the closet and doesn't say anything and walks slowly to his room which is normal enough I've been living with him for about 3 months long enough for me to pick up on most of his Tendencies the guy really doesn't talk spoken to which Was far from a problem

for me he also genuinely kept things clean on his end never causing much of the way of problems I really couldn't complain so I I just go back to watching YouTube about 5 minutes later I hear a shower in his room turn on once again nothing strange at this point I'm watching bare knuckle boxing highlights with my eyes half open maybe 1 or 2 minutes away from Passing out and I remember remember waking up in darkness my head hurting my throat dry as hell I I sat up slowly waiting for the grogginess to settle into

something manageable and once it did I I grabbed my phone check the time around 3:30 a.m. when I remember I was starving so you know I got up began walking towards the fridge and then I noticed it a soft but Everpresent noise in the background and it took me a few seconds to really really recognize what it was it's a shower suddenly the events of last night began replaying in my head drinking at the bar ubering home laptop couch my roommate coming home the the shower turning on so I stood there for a while trying

to make sense of it maybe he went to bed and forgot to turn it off I shook my head no way that that had happened I Thought maybe he slipped and fell but realizing the implications of this I rushed towards his room but found his bathroom door locked I began pounding on hey man hey are you all right no response I considered kicking the door down but decided to call 911 before I did that I took my phone out preparing to dial when I noticed that I had an unread text went for my roommate hey

man I couldn't sleep so I went over to my girlfriend's place not Sure when I'll be back that was sent 2 hours ago I looked at the bathroom door then backed down on my phone everything about this was wrong okay first of all my roommate barely texts me and certainly never to tell me that he's going out second of all I know for a fact that he's single he has been for a while and third of all who the [ __ ] was in the shower then I Tri calling Him no answer I sent him

some texts no response I walked over to his desk and saw that his keys and wallet were still beside his laptop my head's starting to spin at this point I get I get out of there you know I go back into the living room and I turn on the lights and I'm pacing around in a circle trying to follow the plot while also trying to ignore the shower a noise I could have never imagined being so Dreadful in any context sometime later I hear something Vibrating on the kitchen counter I move toward it and I

see that it's a phone it's my roommate's phone so so the Panic begin setting in and immediately I grab my keys run out of the apartment I make my way down the hall I take the stairs down to the lobby but even that doesn't seem far enough away so I I make my way over to the McDonald's across the street so I sit there for a while considering calling the cops but for some reason feeling too Nervous to do so but even though there's hardly anybody in there the place begins to feel suffocating and I

decide to leave walking back out into the empty streets almost immediately I get this feeling that I'm being watched I feel my gaze drifting up and towards the apartment soon I'm looking at my balcony and I see somebody standing there a dark figure stood completely straight stiff to the point where it nearly resembles a mannequin but It it isn't if I look closely I can see it just slightly swaying I Frozen place my mind hardly able to understand or accept what I was seeing it's not my roommate It's Too Tall in fact it's it's too

tall to be anybody I know it head nearly scraping the bottom of the balcony above no matter how hard I tried I I couldn't make out any of its details the darkness and the distance may have been enough to Explain that away but there was something about it that drove me towards a different conclusion this thing simply possessed no details that could have been observed the only element of its composition was that of the unadulterated darkness of course my gut in Instinct was to get the hell away from it but the voice in my head

was telling me that if I were to try and run this thing would end up following me so I went back to The McDonald's instead locking myself in the bathroom as I finally dialed 911 I told the operator that somebody had broken into my apartment but that I had gotten out of there without them noticing but they were still in there it was the story that most accurately represented the situation without making me come across as bat [ __ ] so the operator told me they'd be sending somebody over and for me to hang tight

I left the bathroom waiting at the table Closest to the exit until I could see the red and blue lights cutting through the darkness I went outside to meet the cops looking up at the balcony to find it empty though the door to the living room had been left open they pelted me with a bunch of questions that I found difficult to answer is the Intruder armed do I have any idea who it might be what are their intentions I told them I don't know that I couldn't figure it out but they just kept on

asking so soon I Was practically yelling at them to go up there and check it out for themselves and I suppose the terror in my voice was enough for them to begin taking it seriously they told me to wait by the entrance and I watched on as they entered the building I was out there for a long time growing increasingly anxious at the thought of what they were going to tell me when they came down a few minutes later the silence was Broken by a single muffled gunshot my heart dropped into my stomach and I

continued to wait there unsure of what to do otherwise 20 more minutes of silence and the officer still hadn't come down soon I could hear more of them approaching in the distance before I knew it four more cop cars had pulled up around me and the scene had fallen into chaos officers shouting over each other Into the radios more questions being hurled my way none of which I was able to answer the next few sequences were mostly a blur but I remember the building being evacuated the tenants frightened and confused as they were ushered outside

while the officers became more and more frantic I remember hearing more scattered gunshots some Screaming other other noises that were difficult to make sense of there are a Few lapses in my memory after that but I recall being pushed into the back of a police car after being driven to the station I was led into one of the interrogation rooms where I found two non-descript men in suits waiting for me they didn't introduce themselves and immediately went into a series of questions each one more bizarre than the last what company was your roommate employed by

what was the nature of their job how many different people have been Inside your apartment since your roommate moved in have you ever heard voices inside the apartment from the hours of midnight to 3:00 a.m. voices that didn't belong to your roommate have you ever seen a circle of people standing outside the apartment from the hours of midnight to 3:00 a.m. people that were exceptionally tall and one of the most unsettling ones have you ever seen somebody standing at the foot of your bed upon Waking up between the hours of midnight and 3:00 a.m. only

for them to disappear moments later if so do you remember what they looked like any distinct features as they continued probing me my mind began coning up some of the strange [ __ ] that had happened after my roommate had moved in [ __ ] that I had written off as figments of my imagination simply because I had no other explanation for them I did hear the voices always coming From the room next to mine when my roommate slept I was always so tired when I heard them but I I do remember it either sounding

like a young woman or a man with an extremely deep voice I could never make out any words it always sounds like gibberish and then there was that one time where I went to the bathroom in the middle of the night still half asleep I didn't bother turning the lights on as I entered but as my eyes began adjusting to the Darkness I I could have sworn that somebody was already sitting on the toilet somebody somebody extremely tall of course when I turned on the lights there was nothing there it was easy to chalk it

up as a product of late night drowsiness at the time I've never really thought about it since after doing my best to give them useful information that suits spent a good few minutes taking notes on their phones Once they were done they sat up quickly told me they'd be in touch they left the room the cop came in a few minutes later told me that since I couldn't return to the apartment they'd set me up in a nearby hotel until they were able to get the situation under control and that I should stay put until

they gave me a call what happened I asked him what' you guys find up there he stared at me for a long Time not as if he were deep in thought but as if he were held deep aversions for what he was considering telling me eventually he just shook his head I don't know he said I mean I I really don't know I nodded trying to smile though I I'm sure I it didn't come across very well it's the next day now and I'm in the hotel of course I couldn't sleep Couldn't really eat officer

hasn't called me yet when I tried searching up information about the evacuation on the internet all I could find are articles claiming that it was due to a fire [ __ ] fire update I I fell asleep and I just woke up it's um it's 1:00 a.m. now I can I can hear the [Music] Shower I don't really know my grandparents very well but that that's because I grew up in the states and uh they they remained in Tokyo when we left when he passed away I got the news via FaceTime my uh my mom

was in tears cuz it was so sudden was like like it's kind of numb to the whole thing basically College making sure I could work to handle the rising debt I was acquiring in San Francisco their their deaths didn't Impact as much as I guess it should have and she showed me the obituary he watuna age 76 it's like looking at the picture of a stranger how was I supposed to grieve he had never made himself a part of my life truthfully I wasn't paying attention until the ma asked for my dorm room number that's

quite an odd request I told her she told me there was a few Things that he wanted me to have from from the old country what is it old sweaters something I asked mugg clearly she was still struggling with tragedy and you know I didn't wish to cause her any more hardship so I just gave her the info I just I thought nothing more of it 4 days later package arrived cover postage from all across the world grandfather had certainly gone through a lot of effort to send whatever was Inside I placed it in my

firm mattress I used my car keys to open little package and there was this um I don't know there was a wrapping paper inside with a note and it was written my written grandfather's Japanese So I placed it aside deciding to translate it later I unwrapped the item Inside the Box some kind of children's story book written entirely in ancient Japanese was probably even older than the kind that grandfather was Familiar with wasn't too heavy but clearly it was fragile I immediately wondered why he had sent me something like this placing the book down carefully

I got on my phone and used Google to translate his handwritten note to the best of my ability I know it's shameful that I've never learned my mother's tongue but I mean honestly there was never really a need for It uh they said my dear akoch Chan I am old and dying I miss the days of my childhood when I can hold you and bounce you on my knee tell you these fanciful stories and your eyes would twinkle you remember nothing of this of course taken from me far too young ever since I've been unable

to reach you and tell you there is more to this Fable than meets the eye I give it to you so that you may learn the truth about your Family's Heritage now tell anyone or all will be lost it was signed at the bottom he even included a thumb print and ink as a seal perhaps his way of verifying that he really did send it the note confounded me more than the book I didn't have any memory of life in Japan nor was I aware that my grandfather had been trying to contact me for years

I instinctively started to dial my Mom but then I looked at the transl ation again I know Grandpa sounded um paranoid perhaps delusional I I didn't really know what his mental state was at the end but if there was some truth to the words and I hadn't spoken to ma in a while you know since coming to the states well I felt she loved me this was all very new and strange maybe it was maybe it was a six sense or something But I didn't finish the call instead decided to take the story book to

one of my professors Dr caled majored in archaeology when I explained what I had he was instantly intrigued and agreed to meet after class the next day when he saw the book he was immediately impressed and told me that even without starting to do carbon dating it was clear that this book was over 200 years old he seemed shocked that my Grandfather had chosen to not donated to a museum and a little disappointed that I decided to hang on to it for now oh do you think you would take to translate I asked he told

me that his specific studies couldn't help but maybe if he took a few snapshots of different pages he might be able to get some of his colleagues to help out and I thought that was harmless you know we we chose a few of the pages they had more text on Them than illustrations and once I was finished I decided to call my girlfriend and go out to dinner out of caution for the book's value I stopped by my dorm I placed it in an old safe one that been handed down from another relative ironic these

two antiques were now guarding one another I thought um well during our meal I told her the interesting fine she was in awe of this story right her first her first reaction was to suggest that I attempt to sell it I knew that if it Really was old it could be enough to cover my college perhaps even have some leftovers I mean it was a tempting thought but I don't know it made me feel guilty come on it's an heirloom besides Grandpa seemed to think that it would help me learn more about my family's history

and that intrigued her even more especially because she was wondering if it was true why my mother hadn't already told me the story Herself I'm not sure yet sure it'll amount to nothing though perhaps just a harmless fairy tale I laughed that night I was surprised to find that my professor had already emailed me the first parts of the story immediately I began to read it was this interesting account from all the way back in the 7th century the star princess just as the sun rises in the East and sets in the West the great

warriors protect our land from all evil great and far Namo wats was one such Samurai of the lowest family in the remotest part of the Kingdom I paused as I reread the name of the warrior in the book wats my family name I kept reading slightly more interested now as the story told of what happened To wats one day while in the midst of a duel with his aging father Namo saw something in the distant Sky it was a shooting star he thought at first then he saw that it was a falling boat a chariot

from the heavens I saw the artistic depiction of the strange ship that my ancestors claimed to have seen and noted that the professor claimed it bore a striking resemblance to other ancient Works Particularly a drawing from 1844 he sent me the link and I did realize there was a bit of a similarity except the one in the story looked more like a an egg than a spinning top alongside the link was a word utun the email ended with a promise that he would continue the translation tomorrow meanwhile I did some inter research of my own

discovering that the strange ship was considered an old Legend from the Kono tribe and related To a fisherman from goo Island that was a name I recognized it was the place my mother grew up near Grandfather claimed our family had been there for Generations my phone rang disturbing my research it's my mother AIA are you awake at this hour her voice sounded a bit concerned I'm all right ma what's wrong why are you calling I asked Nakia called me she said that you Found something interesting in past things ma said now for a moment I

froze realizing that I had never considered my girlfriend would contact her uh it's it's nothing Ma I mumbled Akio don't lie to me a mother can always tell when her son is lying it was a book wasn't it now she know that I said nothing and I heard her sigh heavily on the phone your grandfather's been obsessed with That for ages I really didn't want you roped into his nonsense she whispered is that why you kept him from contacting me I asked there was a long pause long enough for me to suspect that there was

more to the story than she was withholding from me the book's meaningless AO don't waste your time with it she told me I paused a few things felt wrong about the entire situation so you you called me up at 1:00 in the morning to warn me to just get rid of a children's story book she didn't answer this time so I pr at her and remarked what what exactly is so interesting about it Ma it should have been burned long ago then she hung up the phone I laid against the headboard of my bed a

bit baffled by her words was she frightened by what I might Learn or or was there something else going on I didn't understand somehow despite those troubling thoughts I managed to sleep when I did I I dreamed of my ancestor from that ancient story I was on a War torn Battlefield I could see many warriors dressed in The Shining Armor of the Samurai of Old Iron and leather and painted with familiar Clan colors from Japan the warriors were All fighting each other to the death in a war that made the ground red with blood nuts

though barely had anything to protect himself with and an army was coming down to destroy his home all of his traditional armor had been stripped and it seemed like he had nothing to stop his strange enemy that pushed through the land like a flood to his side I saw a strange young girl with pale skin dark hair she had eyes that were as bright as the sun and She was whispering something to him but I I didn't understand his long Katana was glowing with blood filled with twinkling stars as he closed his eyes and put

on his helmet he turned his blade to me his eyes now as black as the demons the Stars awaken Behold The Darkest Day he said as he ran his blade straight through my belly I woke with a cold Sweat and instinctively grabbed my stomach pulling my sheets back to look down and make sure I wasn't injured just a dream but it felt so real my laptop was still on and my professor had emailed me the next part of the story meet with me once you finish a few of my colleagues are interested in learning more

a note attached to the translation said I opened the PDF and Felt chill run down my spine there was an illustration of an ancient Battle of the Kono against an army of Shadows from the sky demons that were coming to kill a young woman that matched matched the girl in my dreams what had happened in that tale made me begin to question my reality natsuno was not strong or brave but the Star Princess gave him both Promises of a future Kingdom that would rule all the kingdoms of Earth they were in love but the star

demons did not approve they sought her blood and the blood of the entire Clan natso would have to face them alone to protect his family natso was given the powers of the stars and struck down millions of the Demons with a single blade he did not falter but as a result of his strength he lost his mortal life as the last demon tried to strike him down natsuno was given a final Task to give birth to his son sinless and pure the depiction of the man bursting open and a child hovering and glowing from his

bowels didn't make this feel like it was a children's story but rather a gory War Story with a strange Supernatural ending had this been what what would happen next in the dream why had I depicted these scenes so vividly in my subconscious when IID never even seen Them reading the story felt like I was opening a door in my mind some memory I never remembered being planted there at the end of the PDF my professor reminded me to meet him that afternoon for more of a discussion his urgency told me there had been something else

he'd uncovered my Troubled Dreams made me eager to find out what it could be I met him at the library alongside three Men I didn't know I was actually surprised when I saw that they were all Japanese and instinctively I gave them the customary bow of the culture AIO I'm glad you could make it these are Associates I've contacted about your find they came as soon as they heard of its importance my professor said excitedly for a moment I panicked I'd hoped that he wouldn't involve anyone else but these men all seemed dignified And reasonable

so I sat with them as they began to talk they told me that they had determined the book my grandfather had in his possession was from 1805 probably crafted directly on go go Island the first man said the second man was a bit older and coughed into his hand as I'm sure you know doubt have realized this is a Priceless artifact that belongs to the people of Japan who Would like to return it to Tokyo immediately there would be a small finders fee after all hikaro ensured that this story would be able to endure the

test of time the third man said I paused my eyes flickering for a moment what did you say I asked the first man repeated the offer saying they wished to offer compensation for finding this National Treasure no not not that you mentioned my grandfather's name how how did you know that I Asked at three men exchanged glances and even my professor seemed a bit puzzled asking if I had ever met these men before and those were the last words he ever spoke the second man had taken out a gun and shot him straight between the

eyes the sound was so loud it made my ears ring in such shock I didn't realize they were pointing the weapon at me next the man was mouthing words and shouting but I I I couldn't hear him at first my my fight or flight in Instinct took over and I kicked the table up pushing the three men backwards as I looked down at my professor's dead eyes I mumbled in apology and ran immediately I could hear the faint Rumble of their feet that were pursuing me I ran to the second floor of the library weaving

between the aisles until I found a broom closet and hid within the shuffling of feet eventually Subsided and I knew they were gone after a few more moments my racing heart began to calm and I looked down at my shirt that was now covered in my professor's blood what was so important about that book so important they would want to kill for it once I left the library I felt that I had a Target on my back and I didn't Even know why those men were hunting for me and I needed to get to my

professor's office and find the rest of the notes that he' managed to make I made my way to campus that evening called Nakia to help me I promised her a cut of the reward lying saying I was going to sell the book to a museum so it's really worth a lot huh she asked as we went down the corridor towards the professor's office More than you could possibly imagine now can you sh me the lock or not the school was mostly empty of students this hour but I felt the need to be paranoid thankfully she

was able to get it open in only a few minutes she asked me what we were supposed to be looking for as we flipped on the lights I scaned the room and saw a few pages of notes on his desk rifling through them then I noticed a few Interesting news articles the headlines made me pause doomsday cult responsible for death of 13 in Subway incident leader of cult claims Divine judgment is given from above of end of world by 1997 last members of cult executed for crimes some suspect Splinter groups still exist to await the

return I wasn't sure what all of it meant but I saw that he had made a small Board that connected claims by this cult leader to the story of the otun able to float on air seeing visions of heavenly women that were giving him direct guidance and this Beast of biblical Revelation said to be an invasion that only he could Smite with the power of His ancestors my ancestors I realized as I finally found the notes of nao's story the child the son of a man and of gods was hidden from the world the Star

Princess claimed that his lineage would bring about the end of the world world when the return brought him into the light again and she would come back as well there was a depiction of the ancestor glowing in an ethereal way along with a Heavenly woman watching over him for some reason it made me feel very uneasy to look down at the ancient translation Me what did it all mean for me AIO isn't this your grandmother I heard my girlfriend ask as she held up a picture of the trial of the cult leader from a Tokyo

newspaper in the background of the court I saw hio 2018 only a few years ago why was he there Nu asked I'm not sure but I I think I know who can give me the answers I said as I Realized that going to my mother was the only option I had Nakia you got to come with me okay this isn't safe I told her she seemed frightened by the idea that a mere children's book could hold such power people have been killed already because of it I think it's telling a dark secret and they don't

want it to come to light I explained she pushed me away clearly troubled she told me we should destroy it and let it die alongside my Grandfather and I was surprised by her boldness but the idea did make a certain amount of sense maybe the people that were coming after me would stop if we destroyed it made it my house tonight we can burn it and just forget all about this she said as she kissed me I grabbed the notes from my professor's desk and rushed home to get the book I wasn't sure I was

going to be safe anywhere till it was Gone as I traveled I felt constantly followed or watched suddenly everyone around me no longer seemed trustworthy as I traveled to nakia's house I listened to more notes related to the star princess and it troubled me many claimed that ancestors from the clan related to Nao are descended from the star child itself the warrior that was born from Heaven that would caus was the end of the world the Star Princess some Believers testify still walks Among Us Immortal and there are shadows among men that do her will

the demons from Heaven some theorists claim were her own people they saw the danger of the child the danger of her arrival in the otun her ancestors are a threat to all mankind and must be eliminated some extremists have proclaimed the words were stunning to read I mean if they were true did this explain why those men Wanted be dead was not to know a harbinger of evil and if if grandfather had learned the secret why hasn't he tried to stop this ages ago what had changed in the recent years as soon as I got

there Nakia pulled me inside asking if I had the book yeah but honestly I'm not sure about destroying it anymore it feels like this has more secrets than just my family older Nakia disagreed insisting it would only bring bad luck tried to snatch my pack from my hands I Asked her how she could be so quick to destroy an important artifact what I've read might change the shape of history as we know it I told her she apologized and admitted she was just nervous to lose me especially after what happened at the library she promised

not to pressure me as we sat down and I examined the last few chapters of the book without a translator it was hard to guess what was happening I saw the Strange dark creatures from the Stars swarming across the surface of the Earth and I I saw the glowing woman from ancient times emerging from the ground except this time it was plainly obvious the demons were coming from her so she had become their host or she was the cause of the problem all along I think I might have gotten the story wrong I think I

think this visitor from ancient Times infected mankind waiting to spread her evil across generation after generation I whispered I looked up to see what my girlfriend had to say but she was gone into the next room she insisted I come to bed with her and Pull Me Close kissing tenderly I I guessed it it had been the recent string of events that caused the sudden passion But only a few moments later I was proven wrong she was reaching for something in her cabinet and at first I thought it was a condom and then then I

saw a syringe filled with a black pus I fumbled backwards as she grabbed it and realized this Rendevous was never about helping me at all who are you are you involved in this too holding syringe close to her body her voice changed and She claimed that she needed to kill me to protect my children as long as The Heirs of natso were alive her Prodigy were a danger she rolled her eyes back and she began to Glow her hair turned white her body burst with stars and stained tendrils of fire she was the star princess

she told me she had hunted me and my family for ages trying to find every last member kill every last one the only ones that still knew of her Secret and then she lunged to attack she was so strong I doubt even 10 men could hold her down somehow I managed to break free and ran towards the living room grabbing the book and running to the door knock was right behind me using her superhuman power she she pulled me down she slammed me to the ground and I I was sure that I would likely die

in the next few moments if I didn't act quickly her teeth were dripping poison and burning my skin and in that brief moment I had An opening I managed to push my body against hers and the syringe plunged into her neck I injected that poison and her eyes turned from a glowing to Black and dead she colled on the ground beside me as I stumbled and ran from the house I I haven't stopped running ever since the book the book it's so valuable but not just not just money I believe it reveals a secret Invasion

to our planet my girlfriend is proof I don't think the Star Princess will be dead for long if the prophecies to turn out true and now as I travel in hopes of finding others who know more and can help me I fear that I I trust no one the final notes from Khaled told me this much my assumption of the end of the tale was correct Nao was a hybrid but the demons of the stars were born of the princess to do her bidding And to hunt down this new land and claim it not just

the Kona tribe but perhaps others even m I could be infected with his alien menace I mean it's been hundreds of years I realized as I reconsidered destroying the book but I I can't it might be the only thing keeping me alive the secret is too powerful to remain quiet as a warning to others I think it's best to realize the people of this Earth are not all human ancient evil walks Among Us and the only my family has the key to that possibly stopping them if we even can if we haven't already been found

out and I say this because I also traveled to my ma realizing that despite my grandfather's warning I needed to learn more and when I arrived at her house I found that she had experienced a Breakin she had been Murdered smelling her Rotting Flesh and seeing how these inhuman creatures tore her apart will be scarred into my memory for as long as I live but it'll also serve as a warning I can't let my guard down this book The book must be protected until I find a way to stop them and until then I run

run and I hide and I suggest everyone everyone that knows this secret do the same I'm sure everyone can remember their retail days you know the period of Our Lives when we work long hours for [ __ ] pay and at the mercy of every [ __ ] who felt a soy sauce shortage was a legitimate reason to ruin someone else's shift I'm still unfortunately eyeballs deep in that phase of my life and I sure wish that soccer moms with bad haircuts or thumb-shaped juice heads with little man syndrome were the biggest of my problems

we all make jokes About working retail being in hell you know and some some even compare it to Purgatory between space where time passes and a painstaking crawl it's nothing compared to this I had my back pressed against a cold refrigerator in the appliance showroom I was waiting to get the hang of this disturbing version of hide and seek but I was getting pretty tired of being the one hiding all the time you Could hear the subtle deep throat clicking of the creature as it made its slow Pursuit up the aisles meticulously searching it knew

I was here they always did ex to the arch of its back over High shelves and its gangly limbs clinging to beams to keep its balance I held my hands over my mouth and tried to steady my breath as the creature made its clumsy advances a viscous sludge oozed from its skin sounding like tar when it D to the Floor the sludge eating away at everything it touched like corrosive piranha solution it smelled of hot floor at a dumpster like burnt tire rubber warm beer and melted plastic with a nose curling sourness of spoiled food

I could feel the muscles in my gut seizing threatening to eject the Dry Cereal I shoveled into my mouth this morning the refrigerator rattled as I saw a meaty clawed hand the size of a large dog cling to the tops followed by The sound of ragged breath the smell grew heavier as the hand slapped from one fridge to another until it settled the top of mine it sat there just long enough to wonder if I'd been found before it along with the smell vanished entirely oh thank God I waited for my heart to move from

hammering in my throat to back into my chest I peaked my head from behind the Fridge to see no one I was alone again management nearly got you this time man or at least I thought I was I about pissed myself and quickly turned around to find a mannequin standing within shoes throwing distance in an ugly sweater and a pair of fitted khakis Fred Jesus Christ I I told you to start announcing yourself I mean I could have but then you would have ended up as Shirley's Lunch I know what everyone would you thinking about

now this guy is hiding from monsters and talking to mannequins he's probably nuts and yeah yeah you'd probably be right but consider this first I work retail I deserve to be crazy so Reserve all judgments for now the mannequin Fred swung his body from side to side stiffly waddling over to me so what' you do to make her mad this time breathe too loud sit too long I stood up and dusted the lint bunnies From my pants fidgeting with a sign sticky tab I said said yeah that'll do it she got W earlier poor bastard

didn't even see her coming Fred looked like a life-sized kend doall and spoke with a New York accent his mouth never moved though it was permanently fixed into a smile one filled with a row of perfectly straight white painted teeth but his eyes those moved they seemed to follow you it was like one of those spooky old paintings with the eyes seemed to track You around the room no matter where you went it was a little creepy donkey tattoo one I liked him he didn't give me as many stink eyes as the others yeah well

he's got no eyes to stink with anymore squashed like a watermelon could split Cheryl didn't even stop to look at him yesh better him than us us it won't eat you it'd be like eating a plastic bead I said as I began to reface the water filter again I I mean yeah but I'd give her indigestion for you if she ever does Fred made an attempt at putting his hands on his hips with an awkward rubbery squeak how Noble of you if Fred had been endowed with the gift of face muscles he'd probably be wearing

a [ __ ] eating grin hey it ain't easy being a hero I listened again to see if Cheryl was still around never be too careful with manager Five ears to the ground Cheryl the screams in the distance told me it was somewhere in household chemicals which meant there were around 6 mil of store between us the hellscape I work is called thedart he was supposed to be like a super shopping center best described as if a mall in Costco had a baby but this baby was unfortunately disfigured so horribly it broke and disregarded the

laws of the reality we live in all that to say Theta Mar is Like a retail Affair baby if HP Lovecraft was the mistress it's full of impossible creatures monsters and products an insane person couldn't even conjure in their strangest fever dreams everything inside a thamar is white the Stark sterile white from floor to ceiling with shelves that stand several tall men High there's the lingering smell of cheap plastic in here and the only thing piercing the constant mind-numbing Silence is the distant sound of tiny elevator music that seem seemingly comes from everywhere and from

nowhere the tune feels so familiar you just not enough to place or follow if that wasn't chilling enough the screams that abruptly break the silent hours when management is closed by is frightening enough to start the heart of a dead man which is why it was so strange when first a momentary blanket of Silence Fell over the store like what they do for memorials it was an oppressive drawn out Stillness before being broken by a voice erupting from the invisible speakers Max there's a call waiting for you on the page was followed by a shrill

garble that sounded like jobba the Hut was being choked on rocks before it went silent again I looked at Fred what the [ __ ] was that you got a Page man you got to answer it how there's no phone in this department the nearest working phone that I knew of was in electronics which was about 6 or so miles away I just cut my losses and throw myself from the highest shelf there was no way I'd make it without being maimed or eaten before getting there as absurd as this place is I don't think

trekking over toys and finding a play school Elmo and friend's smartphone would cut it Either well it won't stop paging you till you answer it trust me you're going to want to answer it what what happens if I don't he doesn't respond and instead stares silently for a moment hello he lunged forward and snatched my phone hey I swiped to get it back but Fred was quick for a guy with limited Mobility sorry pal you thank me later he began to speed waddle away actually had to run after him just to keep up which was

impressive considering his legs only Moved in two directions Fred Fred I can't I can't leave without my he disappeared heading deeper into the store H man considering the short time time I've been here I've learned a lot about this place and how it operates sort of in the grand scheme of it all I probably know absolutely dip squat but but because of these dubious guidelines I've made it far enough to share this stay away from The other associates they may look like people or potential survival Partners perhaps the last anchor you could hold steadfast to

sanity with but they are absolutely definitely not far from it avoid them at all costs they may have been human once but they certainly aren't anymore considering the short time I've been here I've learned a lot about this place and how it operates sort of in the grand scheme of it all I know Absolutely dip squat but because of these dubious guidelines I've made it far enough to share this stay away from the other associates they may look like people or potential survival Partners perhaps the last anchor you could hold steadfast to sanity with but

they are absolutely definitely not far from it avoid them at all costs they might have been human once but they certainly aren't Anymore the areas that turn yellow or the zones of the store that are more decrepit than the other areas and are more prone to management activity that's what Cheryl is the Denis of this place are known as management the higher the status the nastier they are be sure to follow the first two rules no matter what the areas that turn yellow or the zones of the store that are more decrep it than the

other areas are more prone to management activity That's what Cheryl is the denisons of this place are known as management the higher the status the nastier they are be sure to follow the first two rules no matter what and it'll make life a lot easier funnily enough Fred actually bestowed upon me a lot of the knowledge I've accumulated about this place which pisses me off even more when I had to actively choose to break all three rules Fred this isn't funny I don't have Time for your crap I continued walking at a Brisk Pace following

the distant Taps of hollow dress shoes all around me the fluorescent lights became yellower more tarnished they Flicker and hum overhead and some blown out completely there pillows and overturned Furniture soggy boxes and broken glass strown about the lolium the smell of stale old couch stuffing and Milo penetrated the air and hung like a wet blanket making it Slightly uncomfortable to breathe I walked beneath the hanging sign saying in bold blue letters Home and Decor crap I found myself reconsidering how important my phone really was I mean I could just buy a new one sure

the the other one isn't even paid off yet but is it really worth being eaten or squashed or whatever it is monsters do to people a scrawny college student sustained purely off of ramman and espresso can't taste that Good right just when I talked myself into abandoning my phone with every puppy pick of my dog I'd ever taken I felt eyes fixed on me I've been spotted Maxwell [ __ ] I slowly turned around to find looming over me NOS Fatu well he's not actually no foru but he could have had me fooled if it

was a Spirit Halloween Ralph you look uh alive today Ralph's skin clung to a skeletal Frame like wet toilet paper the white of his eyes were as sunken and yellow as the lights around us and his apron identical to mine covered in various stains of several concerning colors I tried my best not to stare at them as he leaned down and hovered closer to my face his irises glistened a gloss milky white with something swirling behind their film why aren't you in your department Maxwell now would have been an amazing Time to be great at

lying but I wasn't much of a talker at the best of times I uh uh I I was getting my eyes began frantically darting around for a sign or milk milk yeah milk can't have my bones breaking on the job right I made an attempt at a playful punch but Ralph was so much squishier than he should have been I felt my stomach Lurch when my fist sunk through his arm in into his Torso like a damn slime-filled stress ball except instead of alleviating stress he made it so so much worse he stared at me

for a moment in unimpressed silence Ralph was a supervisor not only that but I managed to piss him off twice in my first week needless to say he's far from my biggest fan he also makes me really uncomfortable you're heading in the wrong direction uh oh really sheesh I'm still kidding turned around 3 weeks I Still have no sense of direction typical Max I took a step back well I better be on my way now looks like I've got a walk to ways I'll call for assistance no lying wasn't working try being honest why is

that you're gross too honest he said nothing I mean grossly underst staffed you look like you're barely holding on to those dang staff shortages right I don't want to impose nailed it he continued to eyeball Me for a tiny eternity all I could do was stand there and sweat maybe if I don't move he'll leave like a T-Rex unfortunately Ralph didn't follow predatory chicken rules he took a step back and very very slowly started opening his mouth it stretched and cracked like The Conjuring house with osteoporosis his teeth were rotting and twisted and his tongue

was a sickly purple color if I wasn't running on 3 Hours of sleep and two Red Bulls I probably would have started screaming like a kid in a haunted Chuck-E-Cheese just as Ralph took in an impressively deep breath to shriek or howl or whatever awful sound that supervisors make to summon managers I saw my phone fly out of seemingly nowhere with the momentum of a bullet it twirled wildly like an iOS throwing star and very effectively caved in the right side of Ralph's face he fell to the floor with a Tragic plopping sound that reminded

me of a soggy banana peel Landing in a puddle Booyah Fred sprung out from behind a love seat and started doing an awkward victory dance should have tried out for the Yankees hopefully you have some reflexes to go with the throwing arm you're lucky I don't do the same to you for running off with my phone ah come on Maxi I got to get you moving somehow I didn't respond instead I leaned down and Plucked my phone from Ralph's caved in Dome it came free with a moist Snick thankfully there was no gray matter or

blood just a gross and slightly greasy film home where his skin and my phone made contact if you have to touch one more bodily secretion that isn't mine one more time this week Fred slowly stuck his foot into Ralph's side and laughed when the old man made a sound like a deflating sponge cake now you get used to it now let's Get this show back on the road uh no okay I need to get back to appliances where it's safe I haven't even been over there for 5 minutes and Ralph was ready to hand me

a pink slip from Life Fred somehow managed to blow raspberry without his lips moving and Pat my shoulder he wishes he had the clearance to do that all he can do is hoop and holler ain't that right Ralphie Ralph now drooling said nothing and only continued to make more Squishing deflating noises is he okay oh yeah I saw him get crushed by a shelf once he's even been Sat On by Bonnie still got up he totally fine too I'm sure he enjoyed getting sat on more though HH slide dog wow I know right is all

about that base I respect that no no I mean does he just not die or does does he not have bones you look back down at Ralph then back at me well he got something how the hell did he get a Squash proof card what you want one too trust me you don't want what he's got right shit's probably terminal what's that mean Fred did something that looked like he was trying to shrug trying and failing he also had the nerve to take another swipe at me in an attempt to grab my phone again I

jerked it away just in time and slapped his plastic hand away if you don't cut it out why did you bring me here anyway you hate Home and Decor Fred looked like he was about to say something seemed to buffer then looked back down at Ralph One Last Time Well my original plan was to ask Grandpa put in here if he still happened to have a phone but I doubt he'd tell us now guess we go to plan B what's Plan B I asked Fred answered this by taking another swipe at my phone I stuck

it in the air as high as I could manage hey god you're worse than a three-year-old today the hell Man I've seen Fred do some pretty weird stuff aside from the living mannequin thing all it took was the fraction of a second for me to Blink for Fred to be gone with my [ __ ] phone again I looked at my empty hand then over my shoulder at him booking it down the aisle before I could spotter the creative string of swears I had threaded together just for Fred's ears the store was plunged into silence

once again it lasted a few seconds longer Than before Max there is a call waiting for you on the horrible sound it made was louder so much louder this time I slapped my hands over my ears I could feel the sound vibrating in my chest it only lasted for a moment but that's all it took to leave me with an annoying ringing in my ears so that's what he meant now begrudgingly coming to terms that this shift was going to be a probably very dangerous track across the Store that looked back at the now deflated

Ralph within moments of being clocked with my phone he looked like a snake was running around in a human suit and shed him at some point I almost wanted to feel bad but he was a dick and I thought better of it I instead opted to start going through his pockets let's see food tokens box cutters new blades sure those will come in handy I made the mistake of losing my pocket knife on my first day to the disembody of appendages That live under the shelves in Isle 12 and 16 don't ask that's a story

for another time I clicked up the blade and The Thing extended to almost 4 in long how many newbies like me have you used this thing on Ralph cuz I certainly haven't seen you open any boxes I stood gave him one last squishy nudge my foot and went to go find the stupid mannequin the Home and Decor Department almost reminded me a bit of but crepid Thrift store the musty smell of old used things and old used people Ralph fit in perfectly with the washed out background that was bathed in piss yellow but I also

couldn't help but wonder why did this side of the store look as awful as it did there were even water stains on the fiberglass ceiling tiles way up above everything I've seen of the store looked awful in some capacity but the level of awfulness here was borderline ridiculous my job here Had me stuck in a different department every shift something referred to as a floater basically I was being trained in a bit of everything the one who hired me told me that I would have this position until I found my place I thought that statement

was strange because I was only supposed to be here for about 4 months at one point I was certain I'd stay longer $20 an hour for a retail gig that sounded like cake but now I find myself wondering if I'll even last that Long you've been standing there for an awfully long time well the sound of a woman's voice hung itself in the air and arrested my attention it was enough to snap me back to the moment so hard I nearly got whiplash wet and broken glass crunched under my feet as I spun I pulled

out my new box cutter holding it out in front of me like I could actually fight something if I needed to it's Max a guy can't take a second to collect his thoughts sure you can but standing in The middle of an aisle muttering to yourself might be considered a little crazy wouldn't you say a massive spider as big as a Volkswagen Beetle slowly peered over the shelves that had been covered in ugly pillows rested a top of it she had a shiny black body and long sharp legs that still shimmered like obsidian Spears in

the low light and easily extended around 17 ft her eight eyes were deep red and her front two legs ended in unmistakably Human hands with painted manicured nails Janice from what what I understood is one of the vendors she's also one of the many creatures in here I don't find myself running and screaming from shockingly she's just no she's just kind of a [ __ ] considering the things that go on here I'm not exactly concerned with what the people think of me I said slowly aiming the Box cut her away the giant araon almost

seemed to smile smugly at Me from her perch her mandibles moving and twitching as she spoke oh not enjoying your position you seem so enthusiastic a few weeks ago why in God's name do you think I would be enjoying this place I just had a run in with Ralph I'll be trying to scrub for my mind for the next 3 weeks they had no idea the [ __ ] I'd have to deal with a few weeks ago this is this is entrapment this is illegal Janice tapped her perfectly Polished claws against the Metal shelf like

an irritable Disney villain making annoying Tink sounds still on that ourway not the brightest color in the box but a busted broke college student down in his luck with $5 to his name people like you thrive in extreme situations you adapt not because you want to but because you're in the unique position of not having any other choice I don't want to adapt or change or anything I just wanted a job not to End up with a new list of phobias or nearly be killed every time I clock in 20 bucks an hour isn't worth

dying for while seeing as you were hired here no one will miss you if you did bite the dust so make the best of the situation learn maybe [ __ ] less it'll make you more likable ouch it's true I know I know it's true but you didn't have to say it beta Mar as well as being a space between has the ability to bring out Something in people they would rather not look at it changes them into something more she looked at a moldy pillow sitting beside her on the Shelf she huffed while pushing

it away and it went tumbling to the floor with a wet plop more compelling I'd say you get to break the monotony and forget how small you are I am perfectly comfortable with how small I am thanks what a winner I'm sure your girlfriend shares the same Sentiment was there a point to you Grudge crawling up there or are you just here to harass me I like having The High Ground and I wanted to give you a bit of friendly advice well don't leave me in suspense Obi-Wan who's that he's never mind what is it

she sigh and slowly lowered herself down the Shelf creaking under her weight as she did so she lowered her voice to a whisper you know how they tell you to Stop and smell the roses yeah she reached her hand down into my apron pocket and took out one of the food tokens I had lifted from Ralph they were made of tarnished brass you may want to skip at this time where you're going as for these she examined one of them closely heads or tails little bug uh Tails I said she hummed and flicked the coin

into the air I watched the coin alled as it hovered above us Just a moment before she snatched it and slapped it down on the other side of her hand I shuddered reflectively at this quick motion then felt embarrassed for doing so Janice seemed to grin in Amusement peing under her hand the coin then extended it to me Tails Lux way is in your favor today use it wisely and you might see the end of your shift she said you can't really determine that with a coin luck isn't Real you're really going to look a

giant talking spider in her face and say she lowered her voice a few octaves and said in a universally Guy voice you know the one luck isn't real she did have a point but to accept luck was real was to accept my luck up until this point was actually kind of terrible and I had no idea why or if I had any way to change it well if Luck's real it'd be nice to catch a Break I'm not saying it is whatever you say floater she sighed and rubbed all eight of her eyes the mannequin

wanted me to pass this on to you she pulled out a pair of pink twocan build flower clippers from seemingly nowhere go to garden and live Goods he's waiting for you there like I said avoid smelling the Roses she handed the Clippers to me and tsked dumbass like roses specifically or get To stopping I have worked to do I eyed the Clippers they made a satisfying snipping sound when I pulled the handles thanks don't mention it really in typical spider fashion she crept back up the shelf and disappeared over the other side if every spider

is as rude as she is I don't know if I feel quite as bad as I used to and I would bring a shoe down on them I stuck the Clippers into my apron And began to headen the direction I was pretty sure was Garden it's funny to think that just a few years ago a trip to the grocery store was comparable to a trip to the coffee shop or even a trip to the bookstore mundane forgettable and on some occasions Pleasant now i' give just about anything to lock myself in a room and never

come out again after walking for what felt like Hours which was in reality probably about 30 to 45 minutes I found myself among shelves with piles upon piles of boxes on them not a single one looked quite the same some were tall and fat others maybe the width of my finger but they were all filled the brim with some of the ugliest shoes I had ever seen they were all different colors and sizes as though someone had just hit the randomize button on a shoe generator hope for the best I managed to find Myself in

what I assumed to be the showroom large display podiums rotating quietly showing off for no one to see one in particular though caught my attention it was a Pepto-Bismol pink stiletto shoe my sister had a similar pair but with a few key differences it stood about a bookshelf tall and had a whole very alive Flamingo for a heel whoa I gave it a gentle poke to the neck but still nothing it's just stood There staring at me Flamingo this is so weird now at this point I sounded like a broken record that phrase had long

since lost all meaning to me it's like it's like what happened when you say the word bubble so many times it just becomes sounds but I had to say it out loud you know just to really make sure I wasn't dreaming I gotten tired of pinching myself about 5 days ago it was starting To develop wels from it took a step and nearly biffed it when I slept in a large puddle of Dark Water the floor around it was thick with yellow and brown stains from water damage beside it stood an ugly sign that had

hike storm bring the thunder in electric letters in the shoe sat floating above a crack marble pillar looked like your typical running shoe all except for the fact that the Mido and outo consisted of a storm cloud that was raining steadily and shooting Out little veins of lightning I had to admit I'd probably wear those I mean if I'm myself wondering who or what could have designed those someone would have had to but but I suppose things just appearing out of The Ether wouldn't be the strangest thing to happen here The Ether probably had much

better taste than a bunch of fashion CEOs in a stuffy office room I continued to browse the shoe zoo some shoes were just cardboard cutout Some were five-dimensional and made my eyes hurt just looking at and some were viscous puddles of Gunk somehow holding themselves into shoe shapes it wasn't until I heard a low growl and the rattle of metal that I realized what the chains were really for the sign said Apex collection and let me tell you that wasn't just some piy name next to it was a pair of pumas not just the shoes

but actual very angry Pumas the giant shoes were attached to Predatory cat legs ones that ended in very large claws they swiped and hissed at me as I quickly made my way past I quickly found myself thankful that they were bound into place but a new problem quickly arose the Ruckus they were making must have woken up the other shoes as I moved faster and faster down the aisle I started to hear barking the boxes on the shelves began to Rattle and some lost their Lids sneakers sandals and Bobs were now while peering out of

Them while snarling and yapping at me like tons of small angry leather dogs some even started chasing me their little sharp teeth bared I broke into a Sprint once I was able to move past how perplexed I was with the situation this is some Dr Sue [ __ ] I yelled the little beasts were fast almost too fast for me to outrun and they began nipping at my heels one even managed to bite my leg I couldn't help but wonder if that meant I'd turn into a Were shoe too at some point thankfully that was

wasn't the case once I can see the edge of the shoe department and the start of the women's apparel I dove for it aiming for an a rack when I came out the other side I was somewhere else entirely it was dark here cold I almost preferred the shoe section more I had no idea what department I was in now if I I was in one at all something about this place took my anxiety and cranked it up to a 15 as if it weren't already bad enough it was so quiet I couldn't even hear

the music that played over the speakers anymore it was almost enough to want that God awful candid retail radio back almost Theta Mar is a massive store there's only one map of the place and it's by the entrance something I've only seen twice since I've been here there's some scratch that many departments that I've never even laid eyes on before According to the map the store stretches miles upon miles in every direction which also means God forbid someone loses something or someone in here it'd be like looking for a hay in a needle stack wherever

I had just appeared had no familiar landmarks which meant I was very very lost the shelves here stretched High past the light beams and climbed up into the inky darkness that hung overhead the store started to look Slightly warped the tiles weren't as square and the floor felt like it was slanted at an upward angle in some places or downward in others the shelves as well as gargantuan boxes labeled with no language I had ever seen began to lean and curve like I was walking through a fun house I tried my best to keep walking

then not peek over my shoulder every few step steps if there was something behind me I'd prefer to just not know about It I forced myself to finally call out any sound I made strained against the tension in my chest from the growing creeping fear uh Fred F Fred can can you hear me if he was here there was no way he'd hear me and no way in hell I could bring myself to shout the only response I received was a heavy leadline curtain of Silence it was an oppressive silence the kind that leaves your

ears ringing with The sound of your blood pressure Rising the kind of Silence humans spend hundreds of years trying to forget about and filled with the sounds of electricity the absence of sound felt Primal almost predatory if I had my phone I would have have put in my earbuds and put on some music or audio book hell I'd even have settled for white noise until now I thought that it was creepier than the Quiet where I was even the tap of my sneakers against the tile was being drowned out somehow I wanted to start yelling

but I was so afraid of what could be lurking in the spaces where the lights couldn't touch my voice didn't Peak over a croaked whisper that fear response was setting in the one you get as a child the first time you get lost in a grocery store the fear that you'll never see your family Again that you'll be trapped here forever I want to go home I want to go home and hide in my room where it's familiar where it's safe the loudest thing here was very very quickly becoming my intrusive thoughts it's funny in

a [ __ ] up sort of way how the human brain will just pick some of the greatest hits from your past like an evil jukebox when there's no real Distractions but I guess this one was appropriate fell into place seamlessly like a round falling into a chamber I had only been lost in a store once in my life but it's easily one of my most Vivid memories my my dad had actually forgotten me there an old mom and pop store called The Farmer stand I was stuck wandering around for almost 2 and 1/2 hours

until the old woman who owned the place brought me into the police station when she saw me eating a loaf of Bread right off the shelf that was my second encounter with an officer but there would be plenty to follow the store owner Miss Greta would become a family friend but I wouldn't see my dad again until I was standing beside his casket watching him being laid into the ground it had become a stain in my mind since the moment my all to Young eyes watched as as he was lowered into a deep dark Hole

a void on the floor I don't want to say it appeared because that implies it was created the space of nothingness in the floor rested inches from my feet it was like a small section of the universe and failed to load in what the [ __ ] a powerful bang of a shotgun going off cracked like Thunder from the spontaneously appearing floor hole my heart leapt into my throat as I felt backwards ass first forcing myself To move and crab crawl away from whatever it was the silence had been preparing my ears to take the

brunt of the truly deafening sound I sat for a moment Frozen like frightened livestock my breath hitched in my throat and my heart pounded so hard it made it almost painful to breathe M A garbled voice spoke from the void ma where are you I'm the Th the voice sounded strange like it was struggling to speak but didn't have the tools to properly make the words a blooded hand slapped wetly against the lip of the hole the hand clasped onto the floor so hard the fingers trembled the hand was purple with nails practically shredded and

raised from scratching against something around the third finger of familiar golden band I began to see spots in the corner of my Vision no no no no no that's that's not possible this isn't happening I'm losing my mind a human form Rose from the hole it wore a black fitted tux and had dark brown hair caked in blood the upper half of its face was in red and graying ruins brains and Bone fragments shook Loose as it pulled itself from the [Music] void I the shotgun gripped in its right hand hit the tile with a

loud crack it barely a man Rose from the void heaving Wet and ragged gasps all I could do was sit and watch in horror as my father stood before me his face blown to Pieces dripped onto his shoes like a mask made of chewed gum I am the malformed words echoed out from the only discernable hole left in his head was full of broken teeth and mangled tongue his jaw swung like a tattered flag at the lower half of the head-shaped crater where not even eyes Or sockets were left the sound of my father's voice

his decimated face and broken stride as he now slowly limped towards me was too much something about the image in front of me pulled a loose thread in the back of my mind throwing me back into that moment of pain and confusion when my aunt and uncle sat me down and told me your father ate the barrel Max he he's dead he'd given up on Me the all too real fantasm took his gun and clumsily raised it towards me aiming it so my eyes pointed right down the double barrel he choked again repeating the same

disjointed driil he had been sputtering I'm I'm though so Thor the thread tugged a little harder this time I felt myself begin to unravel with it I was sitting on my bed holding a rocket-shaped pillow my dad sat next to me and in his hands was a small recently deceased Rock Dove it was very much Alive the night before when I'd rescued it sorry sluger he didn't make it my eyes were blur from hours of shed tears my mind straining to realize where I had gone wrong but I thought he was going to be okay

I did everything I could think of you did it's not your fault it's just how it is my dad placed a little broken bird back into the box he heaved a long sigh and hugged me Things die Max now it's your turn the barrel of the gun was so cold it stung as it sat on the bridge of my nose Dad please don't was all I could say the words felt wrong they caused the gears in my mind to grind against years of grieving I heard a click followed by a metallic check I didn't know

what on the gun made those sounds but I knew what sound would come Next I closed my eyes and I waited Max there's a call waiting for you on a brilliant pain erupted in my head with the sound of the page the sound was loud I could feel it on the floor beneath me and rattled in my skull the base of the horrible sound shook me down to the marrow I could feel a hot gush on either side of my head followed by a trickling warmth down my neck and collar bone I couldn't even have

the Comfort of hearing myself scream passing out would be the only Mercy I receive hey there kids it's me Mr Creepy Pasta and before we get started on tonight's really awesome story from Vince vava I'm going to let you know about where it's from shadows in the stacks of horror Anthology is available now on Amazon on Barnes & Noble Apple really anywhere you guys can be able to get your books it contains stories from Some incredible authors and has a forward from Laurel High Tower most importantly this new horror Anthology is published in cooperation with

spirited givings and it's to benefit the San Diego Library foundation so if you guys like books period it's a great thing to be able to support and you get yourself a wide variety of new horror stories along with that including the one that you guys are about to hear today so if you guys would like to support or if You'd like to just grab yourself a new book take a look at the link in the description down below and now on to tonight's [Music] story Matthew Stern knew the circumstances surrounding his morning meeting sounded too

good to be true but it wasn't like he had a lot of options why Benjamin Financial a company that dealt in the buying and selling of corporate assets had contacted him out Of the blue and offered to erase every last penny of his medical debt was beyond him but he figured that he should at least come down to their office and hear them out of course he'd done his research first and as far as he could tell the company was the real deal he didn't watch Fox Business or MSNBC and he didn't own a subscription

to the Wall Street Journal but a quick web search of the company's name brought up thousands of hits from reputable news outlets all Over the net from commercial real estate to Big Tech they seem to have their tendrils in everything although he couldn't help but notice they didn't have much of a presence when it came to nonprofit or charity work there was however one exception a program started by the company's founder awarded grants to hand selected people who met certain unspecified criteria one fluff piece Matthew found online ran a story story about a Southern California

woman who'd been the recipient of their most recent endowment he skimmed the article and read the woman's testimony which had only glowing things to say then accepted Benjamin financial's request to meet now he was sitting in the lobby of a Swanky office on the top floor of a West Los Angeles skyscraper fiddling with a sleeve of his one good Blazer and wondering if all the people who worked there could tell he was poor Sir Matthew glanced up to see the gorgeous young blonde who worked the front desk was now hovering over him in her designer

dress and stylish pumps she looked more like a fashion model than a secretary and yet being within her immediate proximity made him uncomfortably aware of his own mediocrity for a moment he was sure she was about to accuse him of wandering in off the street like a straight dog and have him escorted from the premises but When she parted her perfect plump lips to speak the tone he was met with was nothing but polite and courteous Mr Wilcox is ready to see you now he followed her from the lobby watching her hips swish back and

forth as they passed endless rows of glass boxes each occupied by a professionally dressed perfectly quaffed suited drone either on the phone or pecking away at their computer until they reached a large door on the other side of the office she Knocked and the two waited quietly for a few awkward moments until a muffled voice from inside acknowledged their presence and granted Matthew permission to enter it wasn't until the secretary had closed the door behind him that Matthew was able to grasp just how massive the office really was against one wall was a full bar

stocked with pricey topshelf liquor against the other was a television so large it could have accommodated an IMAX movie screening in The center of the room directly in front of the floor to ceiling Windows looking out on Bly Hills was an oversized desk more expensive than Matthew's car and sitting behind it was the man he had come to meet Matthew Stern he flashed Matthew a set of impossibly white impossibly straight teeth a small figurine twirled between his figures the man set the statue down in front of him when Matthew approached then extended a hand outward

And Brad Wilcox vice president of the philanthropy here Benjamin Financial Matthew approached the handshake and took a seat in the chair so low to the ground he could barely see over the edge of wilcox's magnificent desk understand you recently accured some serious medical debt said Willcox Matthew nodded uh 6 months ago I had a stroke and my insurance denied coverage on my hospital bill Scoundrels Wilcox grumbled while shuffling through Paperwork on his desk and thank God you found us Matthew stared at the small statue Willcox had been playing with earlier it was an interesting little

totem carved of polished Stone a creature with the body of a man but with three distinct goat heads all looking out in different directions he wondered where it came from was it a souvenir brought back from travels abroad if so what sort of culture would craft such a thing he realized he'd let his mind Drift when he glanced back up and noticed Wilcox was waiting for him to respond he cleared his throat about that I never applied to your program I'm not even sure if I qualify Wilcox threw his head back and let out a

laugh oh you qualify no need to worry uh benchman Financial has already reviewed your case we're prepared to cover your entire Bill all his I scann the open file on his desk $4,673.14 for once it looked like something was going his way he didn't know how or why benchman Financial had come to him but he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth erasing his debt would mean that he could finally get his life back on track maybe he could even start looking at wedding rings for his girlfriend he leaned forward in his

chair what do we have to do to get the process going oh it's all pretty simple Uh when we're done here my secretary Mimi uh we'll provide you with forms to fill out we'll need some info of course proof of residency Social Security usual stuff then on the next Blood Moon you'll just have to perform a human sacrifice excuse me said Matthew Mimi she's the pretty blonde leg you in my office she's uh got forms no no no after that oh uh you'll need to perform a human sacrifice Matthew shot to his Feet You' feel

his face getting hot okay okay what kind of sicko plays a practical joke on someone in need his rage quickly turned to self-pity even though he'd been trying to stay guarded some part of him had hoped this meeting would be the answer to his problems hang on said will Cox he rushed around his desk Palms out in a show of peace I know it might be hard to believe but we aren't playing a prank uh this is really our offer benchman Financial pay off your entire hospital bill on the condition you perform a human sacrifice

in the next Blood Moon Matthew shook his head and laughed Human Sacrifice your you're talking about murder I wouldn't put it that way murder is violent this is more of a spiritual practice you know and don't worry about the cops we've been running this program for 52 years there was any chance you can get caught trust me you would have Heard about it by now so is this like some cult stuff asked Matthew the meeting might have been a bust but he figured he could at least amuse himself by seeing where the conversation went it

isn't like some cult stuff it it is some cult stuff Willcox plopped down on the edge of his desk loosened his tie like a cool substitute teacher then leaned over and pressed the button on his intercom Mimi can you bring in the demo He took off his jacket and began to roll up his sleeves it's hard work keep a business like this in the black not ashamed to say we need a little outside help I'm not talking about Congress you already have a few of those idiots in our pockets but let's be honest who doesn't

Wilcox snagged a picture frame off his desk then spun it around revealing to Matthew a portrait of a scowling old man that looked like it should have been hanging on the wall of Some haunted plantation house it's why our company's founder Jarvis benchman made a Packa with an ancient god deal was simple we satisfy our quarterly quota of human sacrifices our deity will ensure our profits continue to meet shareholders expectations Matthew was hearing what will Cox was saying but was struggling to take him seriously he wasn't sure if he should be mad at the man

for wasting his time or laughing at The sheer Insanity of what was being suggested that debate would be put on hold the second Mimi returned to the room nothing about the conversation continued to be humorous after that especially when she saw the gurnie she was wheeling and the naked man strapped to the top of it the man looked homeless this Matthew deduced from his long patchy beard matted hair and dirt caked hands and feet in his mouth was a ball Gag leather bands were fastened tight across his arms waist legs even his neck restricting his

Mobility he'd been struggling against his restraints dried blood formed in crusty red rings where his skin met the unforgiving leather straps the hell is this Matthew shouted he was hoping the practical joke angle was still on the table but down he was starting to panic Mimi produced a satin pillow and kneeled in front of her boss sitting at top it Was an ornate dagger its Hilt topped with the head of a three-faced goat I figured you'd be skeptical said will Cox as he took the dagger in his hand so I arranged for a demonstration Wilcox

approached the man dragging the point of the dagger blade over his chest you aim for the heart and gets the best results he lifted the dagger over his head and Matthew could see the ruby red eyes of the three-faced goat Sparkle in the sunlight coming through the Window then so quickly he barely had time to Blink Wilcox drove the dagger down burying the blade all the way to the hilt inside the man's chest the homeless Man's eyes shot open he let out a scream so loud that even with a gag in his mouth Matthew was

certain the entire office could hear him his body spasmed his muscles tensed while this was going on Mimi flattened a plastic tarp across the floor then wield the gurnie on top of it she Shot Matthew a smile on her way out of the room oh my God screamed Matthew not your God laughed Willcox hang on this got to get messy he placed his free hand against the man's ribs then yanked the knife out the homeless man let out another howl this one more awful than the last his blood erupted from the gaping hole in his

chest it sprayed like a broken sprinkler nearly splashing the ceiling before settling into a low Steady ggle wiox walked over to his desk and retrieved the goat faac totem he'd been playing with earlier when he returned to the man on the gurnie he jabbed the stone figurine inside his wound and began to spin it maliciously drink my Lord Matthew's stomach churned this is insane does that matter it's not willox still spinning the totem in the man's Chest it' be positively batshit who cares as long as you get paid Matthew glanced at the homeless man his

breathing was becoming more shallow and his face had gone pale he lost a lot of blood and it was clear he didn't have much time left why Matthew blurted out why do you need me for this now that is a good question Wilcox pulled the totem from the man's chest cavity and sat back down on the edge of His desk Our God's picky not just about sacrificing someone in his name it's about who's doing the sacrificing believe me if we could satisfy him ourselves without involving outside people we would but this little demonstration you just

watched me perform wouldn't pop our stock for an afternoon in the bull market so you killed a man just to prove to me that you're serious wi Cox Shrugged worked didn't it But Matthew's head was swimming I don't understand wilock sighed look at it like this my bank account is eight figures I own three exotic cars you probably couldn't pronounce the name of and my kid wants to go backstage at the Taylor Swift concert all I need to do is make one call and boom she's there I'm rich as hell so it's no big deal

if the death comes by my hand the wealthy sacrificing peasants is kind of of bar for the Course you know God couldn't care less about that but you Regular Joe that's stuff that gets his juices flowing it needs to come from a place of desperation poor worthless pathetic losers spilling human blood for the kind of money a guy like me wouldn't even roll out of bed for Matthew gawked at the man who was now very clearly a corpse his body was still leaking blood Although it was more of a trickle than a gush at this

point these people were nuts but he didn't want to end up like the man on the Garney if he said no I need some time to think about it of course smiled will Cox you haven't all tomorite to make up your mind that's the blood moon if you're not here to perform the sacrifice we'll need to go with our backup and you'll be left to deal with your medical bills on your own Please understand there's someone in the waight list behind you and you won't be offered this opportunity again Matthew nodded and started towards the

door but only managed to take a few steps before Wilcox spoke up again oh uh and Matthew he stopped in his tracks Matthew didn't want to turn around but he forced himself to once he had he wished his eyes were anywhere else than on Wilcox the man was sitting on the edge Of his desk only now he had popped the blood coated totem in his mouth and was spinning it between his lips like a lollipop he stared at Matthew as he ran his tongue over the small figurine slurping and sucking on it then pulled it

out and grinned the blood smeared against his two white teeth looked as if Wilcox was smiling at him with a mouth full of peppermint candies when you stop at Mimi's desk on the way out remember to get your parking Validated Matthew spent the rest of the morning at home on the couch trying to process what he just witnessed Willcox Mimi and quite possibly the entire West LA branch of benchman financial were utterly insane that much was clear what he was unsure about was how much danger he was in now he was dealing with people who

believed murdering another human being would somehow Magically improve their company's bottom line it was safe to say they weren't playing with a full deck of cards but but they come after him if he turned their offer down they hadn't threatened him directly but that wasn't enough to make Matthew feel safe he considered calling the police but remembered when Willcox had suggested the company had connections with the cops was it possible that LAPD was in benchman financials pocket he wouldn't be Surprised they were the LAPD after all plus even if that wasn't the case who would

leave him if he waled into the police station and reported what he'd seen pulling a stunt like that would just cause him more headaches a part of him wanted to pretend the whole thing never happened move on but he couldn't shake the image from his mind of Willcox driving that dagger into the homeless Man's Chest his thoughts wandered to the woman From the article that he had read who had also been part of benchman financials debt relief program it only took a bit of research before he had it pulled up on his phone again according

to the article her name was Leticia Jackson nothing about her smiling face in the picture gave him the vibe she was capable of committing murder but the fact that she had accepted a grant from the company just one year prior meant she had killed someone in much the same Way Wilcox had he needed to talk to her if anyone would know what he was dealing with it would be her a bit of Internet sleuthing brought him to her social media profile he gave considerable thought about what to write her this was his one chance to

get inside information on the company the last thing he wanted to do was scare her off once he was ready he typed out a message you don't know me but my name is Matthew Stern I've been contacted by benchman Financial to take part in the same program you were involved in I was hoping we could talk he punched in his phone number and then hit send the door of his apartment flung open and for a second he thought it would be Wilcox grinning his blood smeared grin eyes ablazed with fire and Horn goats sprouting from

his forehead Matthew threw himself back in his seat ready to scream but when his eyes fell upon the door his pulse began to slow standing at the entrance was nah his girlfriend who had been shopping with her friends all day at the mall hey she said nah skipped towards him shopping bags in hand then dropped them at his feet and took a seat beside him on the couch she stopped chatting him up about her day but stopped mids sentence And cocked her head what's wrong she asked nothing Matthew lined he glanced at the bags taking

a mental estimate of how much money she'd spent Nina didn't know about his financial debt he hadn't told her his insurance refused to cover his bill he'd been afraid to before his stroke she made it clear how important Financial Security was to her sure she had expensive tastes but up until recently it hadn't been a problem the occasional weekend getaway or Moderately priced handbag had never been something they couldn't afford lately however he noticed her spending habits had increased it with his debt looming over him Matthew found himself wondering how they could maintain their lifestyle

and still keep the lights on she raised an eyebrow you're not about to nag me again are you money had been a point of contention between them as of late not just because she'd been spending more but because He'd been on edge about it he thought that in her eyes he'd become a cheap skate someone who'd rather hoard all his money than go out on a nice date with her it had more than a couple fights over it and every time it left him feeling guilty but he feared if he told her the truth she'd

run for greener pastures who'd want to sacrifice their happiness because of their partner's screw-ups why would I nag you he asked good she gave him a peck on the Cheek his phone rang he checked the screen and saw it was an unknown number who's that probably a telemarketer Matthew sat the phone down on the coffee table and leaned back in his seat don't you show me what you picked up at the mall her eyes lit up she pulled out a dress and resumed the conversation about her day he watched her talk as she did he

was reminded how much simpler life was before his finances went to hell he wanted to tuck Himself away in that feeling no matter how hard he tried to forget about it that debt was always there bearing down on him like a hydraulic press for so long he had thought that his massive medical bill had been an accident he was insured after all there was no way he could be saddled with such ridiculous debt but after countless phone calls with his insurance company reality started to sink in he'd been Played through some loophole he'd been paying

into a limited coverage plan despite believing otherwise she held the dress up to her body how about I try it on Matthew saw a glimpse of the tag he knew the brand nothing they made was cheap I'd love that she leaned in and pressed her lips to his letting them linger for a long moment before breaking their kiss then Grabbed her bags and headed for the bedroom wa TC on me he didn't think he deserved her before the stroke he'd been working up the courage to pop the question when he was laid up in the

hospital Nina had stayed by his side all day every day leaving only to sneak him candy from the vending machine and that just made him love her even more when he got the bill and saw how much he owed the hospital he realized marriage was further away than Ever he couldn't afford a ring with that kind of debt looming over him and the lavish wet that he knew she dreamed of was out of the question tying the knot meant entangling their finances he wasn't sure how she'd react if it meant that she had to take

on that kind of Burden he wanted to do right by her but at the moment it seemed as if the only option he had was to take this will Cox lunatic up on his offer he grabbed his phone and checked his voicemail eager to See if the call had been Leticia it had not the message was from the hospital's billing department notifying him that he'd missed another the payment Matthew let out a frustrated groan and deleted it he'd been getting a lot of calls from random numbers lately every single one hitting him up for money

he didn't have there was no reprieve email phone even post they came at him from all angles The thought of opening his mailbox and finding yet another bill scared him just as much as the dagger wielding psychopath he'd met earlier that day he phone rang again once more the caller ID showed a number he didn't recognize he felt a rage boil over inside of him his leeches made him want to scream Matthew needed to unload on someone he didn't care who but for once he needed to feel like he was in control He answered the

call I don't have your money you blood sucking parasites hello said the voice in the other line This is Leticia Jackson I assume I'm speaking with Matthew [Music] Stern her eyes scanned the neighborhood behind him when she greeted Matthew at the door the following morning Leticia appeared on edge nervous perhaps even a little afraid to speak with him but Their face-to-face meeting had been at her insistence when she learned about his offer gone was The Smiling woman from the picture that he had seen online this one was was thinner more Stern and she looked like

she'd aged years since that photo had been taken a gray streak ran through her hair and wrinkles creased her face around her eyes and mouth once inside her home Matthew was able to see a different side Of her he'd been anxious before walking through her front door but the kids toys scattered across the floor helped ease his nerves aside from that the rest of the home was neat and orderly pictures of children and grandparents hung on the wall knickknacks Lin the shelves porcelain cats and overpriced candles this was not the home of the cold-blooded murderer

Matthew had expected to meet no this was a woman with a family she disappeared into the Kitchen and reemerged moments later with two cups of coffee she'd even gone to the trouble of breaking out the Fine China Matthew accepted the drink and sat across from her in the living room couch it was a wildfire for me there was a pain smile on her face you remember them from a year ago 400 Acres went up in Flames lot of homes too mine was one of them well part of it anyway she nodded to the kitchen Matthew

thought it looked nearly renovated when He first sat down but now he could tell it had been completely rebuilt he remembered the fires she was talking about just north of Los Angeles they were all over the news the air quality was bad enough to turn the Sun Beat red even where he lived of course the insurance company didn't cover it Act of God they said praisers told me I was looking at more than $200,000 to repair the damage Matthew took a sip of his Coffee and that's when benchman Financial reached out to you yeah her

eyes fell to the floor you have to understand I got kids at the time I had three boys living under my roof and no Daddy to help with the bills didn't have anywhere else to live Matthew nodded and you went through with it you um perform the sacrifice at this time he' been judging Leticia for taking the deal but now he Was starting to understand how she was swayed it wasn't easy being a single parent adding the threat of homelessness to that equation sounded like a nightmare do you know what it is asked Leticia a

voice a whisper there God God the three-faced goat the Dark Prince of the great beyond have you ever heard about goaa Matthew shook his head demons that's what they're worshiping Over at Benjamin Financial one in particular named naras here's a book it's called the Lesser key of Solomon a lot of people know about that it ain't no secret but there's a lost key one that should have stayed lost that's how they found out about this one you could see something stirring behind her eyes it wasn't paranoia or even fear now this this was Trauma he

almost felt it was cruel to press on but he had to know more so you sacrificed a homeless person to a demon then what what happened next the Tisha Drew back homeless person his phone began to ring she stopped abruptly as he pulled it from his pocket who is it Matthew glanced at the screen expecting it to be yet another unknown number but felt his Heart nearly stop when he saw what it said he raised the phone and showed the caller ID that read benchman Financial Atia recoiled and covered her mouth with her hands don't

answer it she hissed he didn't listen this was getting weird but he needed to see things through he pressed the answer button and raised the phone to his ear Matthew it was Willcox how you doing bud could you uh be a pal put your phone on speaker so LTI you could hear me Too what on Earth was this psycho calling him now more importantly how did he know he was with Leticia his heart was pounding he didn't just want to hang up the phone he wanted to chuck it through the window but something compelled him

to follow will Cox's instruction you've been very naughty Leticia sighed will Cox please please the woman shouted there was a frantic look in her eyes I didn't tell him Nothing he was just he just showed up here come on now Dron the voice of Matthew's phone don't lie to me girl and Matthew I can't believe you'd throw away a golden opportunity like this you just signed an NDA yesterday no I didn't said Matthew I was filling out the paperwork after our meeting but when Mimi tried to print the NDA there was a paper jam she

said that I could sign it when I come back the voice went silent for a moment And Matthew could hear the rustle of papers on the other end of the line son of a gun that's you're right laughed Willcox Mimi is the granddaughter of one of our board members between you and me she's not the sharpest knife in the drawer definitely need that NDA signed a sap though I want to have her email it to you so you can go ahead and sign it electronically at your earliest convenience it'd be very much Appreciated we do

said Matthew and once that's done there be no blabbing about any of this you understand I do as for Leticia said Willcox playfully girl you did sign an NDA I just pulled your file the double check and it's right here so you know what that means it's all his fault Leticia had broken down into tears you played a part in it said will Cox he was speaking to her the way a kindergarten teacher might scold a child who refused to share their toys Matthew Might not have signed anything but you have so I'm afraid we'll

have to remove your Grant no don't do that she screamed my boys the bank will take the home from us cut the [ __ ] you selfish [ __ ] snapped will Cox we both know you don't give a [ __ ] about your kids you could take me off speaker now m Matthew felt like an automation unable to do anything other than what he was commanded no no no no you can't take my Money away shouted Leticia that would mean that it was all for nothing she lunged at Matthew trying to grab the phone

but he shook her off she fell to the couch he stood up still holding the phone to his ear Leticia Rose to her feet too but instead of Leaping towards him again she rushed out of the room what's going to happen to her asked Matthew you need to stop worrying about other people and do what's right for you said will Cox blood moons tonight you're Running out of time remember we have a candidate dying to take your spot Matthew turned to the door I understand that but he was about to make a plea on leticia's

behalf when he got the sudden feeling that he was no longer alone in the room slowly he turned around and found Leticia had returned his mouth went dry she was holding a gun and he was staring down the barrel of It is he still on the phone she asked Matthew nodded cautiously he handed her the phone and stepped against the wall please Mr Wilcox Ronnie and Devon they're all I got left we'll be on the streets in a month Matthew couldn't hear Willcox on the other line but whatever he said had caused her to drop

to her knees she crumbled into a heap gunning in one hand his phone in the other and began sobbing Matthew watched until he felt it Was safe to creep up and take his phone back she didn't even notice when he pulled it from her grasp are you okay he asked when she didn't respond he took it as his cue to leave he wasn't going to stick around any longer to console her he walked out onto the front step closed the door behind him then lifted the phone to his ear Once More Mr Wilcox are you

there the line was Dead Wilcox had hung up it sounded like a clap of Thunder a bang so loud Matthew's ears started ringing leticia's gun had gone off a sick feeling crept into Matthew's stomach but it wasn't because he thought the bullet had been intended for him in fact he was sure it wasn't he cracked the door again and poked his head inside leticia's home the first thing he noticed was her kids toys shwn across The floor the next thing he noticed was her brains scattered amongst them [Music] he threw up when he got back

to the apartment before yesterday he'd never witnessed a person die before now he'd seen it happen twice luckily Nina was out she' gone to some fancy restaurant in Santa Monica with friends that was perfect as far as He was concerned he needed to be alone right now anyway he considered coming clean about his debt when she got home if she loved him she wouldn't dump him over money but what if she did you couldn't blame her for not wanting any part of his financial nightmare she deserved fancy restaurants and new clothes that made her feel

pretty choosing a life with him would be throwing away all of those things Matthew wiped his mouth slogged back to the living room and plopped himself down on the couch there was some mail on the table Nina must have taken it in before going to dinner he picked up an envelope opened it then he started to grind his teeth when he realized the letter that was inside it was from the hospital he'd been set a price correction on his bill an extra $4,000 had now been tacked on for physical therapy sessions are you kidding Matthew

Cried he'd been up and moving just minutes after coming into the ER his stroke had not been a major one he retained all mobility in his limbs when would he have even gone to physical therapy then he remember just before leaving the hospital he was approached in his room by a woman who introduced herself as a phys physical therapist her job had been to assess him and make sure that he was capable of leaving together they walked a lap around the hospital Wing then she asked him a couple of questions about how he had been

feeling before signing off on him the whole interaction had been less than 20 minutes now the hospital was charging him $4,000 for it none of this was fair all he'd done was survive a horrible medical emergency and now he was being punished for it that debt was getting heavier it weighed down him so much he was Struggling to breathe it felt like the entire [ __ ] up us healthc care industry was sitting on his chest and they wouldn't get off until they squeezed every last scent out of him all his life he'd been careful

and now because of some scam artist insurance company he was screwed people like Willcox took what they wanted and it didn't seem like there was ever any repercussion from it morality was a myth Fortune favored Those who didn't run decisions through ethical filters he didn't need eight figures in his bank account all he needed was Nina and he would do whatever he could to keep her in his life maybe it was time to get his for a change saying no to benchman financial wouldn't save a life anyway will Cox had said it himself if he

didn't take them up on the deal someone else would why miss out on a once in a-lifetime Opportunity so he could say that he Didn't take the easy way out it's not like the homeless man he'd seen killed was living such a great life anyway he didn't like the fact that anyone had to die but the chances were high that the guy Wilcox stabbed wouldn't live to be much older on his own statistics showed that most people living on the street in Los Angeles suffered from debilitating drug addictions had there been track marks on his

arm I mean now that he thought about it he could have sworn That he noticed them junkies already didn't have high life expectations at least this time something positive could come from one's death he pulled out his phone and dowed the number that Willcox had called him from hello Mr Willcox said Matthew I'm ready to accept your offer tell me what I need to do [Music] he'd been instructed to arrive after hours it was quiet by then aside from The door Dash guy he shared an elevator with and a few drones still pulling late shifts

the office was empty like before he followed Mimi from the lobby but this time instead of leading him to will Cox's office she brought him to a set of double doors labeled boardroom she knocked and a second later the two were greeted by Wilcox Matthew he smiled his pearly white veneers on full display Come on in there were no windows opposite the entrance was a private elevator glistening golden doors standing in stark contrast against the room's drab green walls around the perimeter hung portraits of the Sullen white-haired Executives of the company's past and in the

center of the room sitting around the conference table were the suen white-haired executives of the company's Present let me introduce you to the board they'll be joining us for our little sacrifice today said Willcox he turned to address the group everyone this is Matthew Stern Matthew shuffled up to the table he hadn't anticipated there would be anyone else watching who's your provider said one board member he had removed his oxygen mask to ask the question sorry Matthew cup his ear your insurance provider the One that skipped out on your hospital bill InterContinental Health snorted a

Geer in a wheelchair I own a steak in that company Willcox handed a clipboard to Matthew we got one more form for you he said just a waiver it be signing over your sacrificial benefits to benchman Financial in exchange for the monetary compensation we discussed oh okay I guess said Matthew his mind felt foggy do you have a pen or So will Cox snagged Matthew's hand and pricked his finger with a pin ah a bead of blood formed at the tip of his finger Wilcox pressed it to the line on the paper where Matthew had

been planning to sign I'll set he said let's begin the board erupted in shears followed by wet coughs and wheezing everyone stood from their seat except of course the gezer in the wheelchair and began to strip what's going on said Matthew part of the ritual Is always a little weird said will Cox peeling the socks from his feet let's go with the flow the board members approached Matthew and started to undress him he tried taking wilcox's advice but he was already feeling vulnerable and the naked old men and women pawing at his body certainly weren't

helping he fought a little but they paid him no M they tore away his shirt and yanked at his belt buckled just as his pants were coming down Around his ankles Mimi returned to the room she was carrying a headdress topped with skulls of three goats a long red Cape flowed from the back of it he lifted it high and placed it on Matthew's head he knew he looked stupid but wrapped himself in the soft velvet cloak thankful for the bit of modesty it provided once she was finished dressing him Mimi wheeled in a cart

with a punch bowl and began pouring the board members drinks it wasn't until the bitter Coppery scent filled Matthew's nose that he realized what it was she'd been liling into Crystal chales she was passing out the board gulped the blood greedily letting it run down their sagging breasts bloated bellies and shriveled testicles they drained their glasses splashed what was left of it onto their faces then kissed it into each other's mouths as they rubbed their liver spotted bodies against each other their Naked figures began to warp into something terrible spines gnarled limbs Twisted tendons ripped

and popped bat wings burst from their backs and horns emerged from their brow s jutting into the air that cork screwed the tight spirals at the sides of their heads their faces took on a feral look all around the room yellowing eyes rolled in ecstasy as vile moans poured from forked tongues they groped each other tying themselves into a repulsive knot of Loose skin and varicose veins Matthew Stood Still afraid to even move at the smacking of blood soaked lips and the sickening sent of Gore coated genitals assaulted his senses his body shivered the undulating

mass of flabby flesh was pushing him closer to the brink he wasn't sure how long he was forced to witness the perverse performance but as soon as Willcox raised his hand the madness ceased Matthew stared at him perplexed Unlike the others Wilcox was still human in appearance he may not have grown wings or horns but his nude form now revealed a strange secret he'd been hiding Matthew would have never guessed that beneath wilcox's custom suit and Brook's brother's shirt the body of the man who recruited him into the program was covered entirely in sigils they

had been tattooed in bold Black ink along his upper arms legs back stomach and chest one was now even painted in blood on his forehead it's time to head to the temple Le he said they came to the elevators Wilcox scanned the key card and the golden doors slid open once everyone filed inside he pressed the elevator up button I thought we were on the top floor said Matthew is the temple Up on the Roof the chorus of snickering Swelled around him up it isn't up at all replied one of the board members in an

impish smirk on his face it isn't down chuckled another it isn't left or right right chuckled a third it doesn't exist in three-dimensional space crowed a fourth they grinned at him like a school of piranhas if the elevator ride was longer Matthew might have asked them to elaborate on their Mad Hatter esque rant but that no longer mattered the second The doors opened any questions he might have had were gone after that they had tumbled down the rabbit hole along with what was left of his grip on reality he most certainly wasn't on the roof

of the building or any other building for that matter the elevator doors had opened into what looked like an endless black void a bizarre swirl of everchanging colors some of which Matthew knew some he couldn't describe floated over their heads like an Enormous iridescent jellyfish almost as long as a football field it twisted into mindbending mandalas before collapsing in on itself and then blossoming again into unimaginable geometric figures a gutural echo a thousand times louder than any fog horn resonated from all directions and at times Matthew thought it was even coming from inside his head

extending out from the elevator was a stone bridge held up by seemingly Nothing it snaked and zigzagged its way into impossible directions like something out of the mind of mcer it switched back and forth in and out often doubling back back and looping into insane lemniscates that somehow progressed towards a circular Stone platform just a couple hundred yards off right this way Wilcox said blood was once again smeared across his smile Matthew shook his head unable to even utter the words No he wished he could scream but at this point his mind was struggling to

comprehend how to Old hands pressed gently against his shoulders nudging him from the elevator and onto the bridge they marched the board members singing and chanting in a language he never heard their words strangely in sync with the horrible sounds blaring inside his skull there were times when he thought he caught a hint of the word Nth in times when he thought their bizarre noises even disclosed disturbing secrets to him but regardless of what he could or could not understand every syllable invoked a horror inside him and it took nearly all his strength not to

fling himself from the bridge and into the abyss when they reached the platform the group lined up into a semicircle around Matthew and started to grind on each other again Wilcox gave Matthew a wink he tilted his head into the air oh Dark Prince of the great beyond on this most sacred of nights we bring you yet another offering we shall shed the blood of the weak so that you may feed upon their hopelessness their desire their need he waved his hand and the ground open from a trap door Ros a pedestal on top of

it was a naked woman bound and ganged Matthew sucked in a sharp breath of Air he recognized her instantly nah he turned to Wilcox I I thought I was supposed to sacrifice a homeless person Wilcox laughed do you read the contract paragraph 4 section c Clause 2 the desperation of the party being sacrificed must be equal to or lesser than the desperation of the party performing the sacrifice ritual doesn't work if you're punching down one of the board members held the dagger out to Matthew he took it reluctantly as he Looked into Nina's terrified face

I I love her will Cox shook his head love empathy empathy peace all a bunch of Lies designed to hold you back and do you know who pushes that propaganda politicians taking bribes clergymen abusing children corporations destroying communities and to increase their profit margin truth is life is a zero sum game got to do what you got to do to get Ahead and damn everyone else who stands in your way you have no obligations to be loyal to any anyone other than yourself not your country not your friends and certainly not your lover the only

real thing that matters in this world is money he wasn't wrong now that Matthew thought about it nah had just been a convenient excuse if he really cared about her then he would have consulted with her given Her a chance to talk him out of the offer but maybe that wasn't what he wanted maybe all this time he'd been looking for reason to say yes to benjin financial he'd had so many opportunities to reject wilcox's offer and hadn't instead he'd been fighting his conscience jumping through hoops just to give himself the opportunity to be standing

right here dagger in hand he glanced down at nah again Did did he really love her or did she just make him feel good about himself when things were easier was that why they'd been arguing because For the First Time in his relationship he doubted his worth as a person but no he couldn't do that sure the money would be nice but despite his anger despite his desperation to relieve himself of his debt there had always been doubt in his mind something deep inside him that he couldn't ignore Screaming that this was wrong I can't

he said the group stopped their orgy a dozen sets of yellow eyes stared at him from behind their bifocals wiox pulled the penis from his mouth stood back Matthew am I understand that you're backing out of our agreement he ran his hand through Nina's hair it isn't worth it I'd rather live with the debt than hurt her or anyone Else for that matter all he wanted to do was to get nah untied and get the hell out of there he'd be an awkward car ride home but at least now the door was open to a

conversation about his debt so be it sighed Willcox he turned to the rest of the ory we're going with the backup people the group broke from their Embrace and went to work they clawed at Matthew tearing the ceremonial headdress off of him leaving his ass exposed once More next they untied nah and removed her gag said Matthew I'm so sorry but he wouldn't get the chance to say anything else because at that moment the board members swarmed him Wings fluttered in his face and Nails raked at his skin he threw some punches and kicks but

the Demonic old bastards overpowered him easily even the wheelchair guy got some licks in when they were done he was tied up on the pedestal just as nah had Been Matthew glanced over to see his girlfriend now wearing the headdress and holding the dagger that horrible Echo reverberated again so loud that it shook Matthew's skull oh Dark Prince of the great beyond santed Wilcox on this most sacred of nights we bring you yet another offering up above it seemed as if the Kaleidoscope of colors was gazing down at him as it moved in and out

of itself he thought he could make out three Distinct goat-like faces amongst the everchanging gelatinous mask Matthew stared at nah she was horrified but there was something else behind her eyes that sent his heart racing it was a look of determination Nina he said what's going on I'm sorry Matthew the truth is my spending's been out of control and now I'm deep in credit card debt I I didn't think I'd ever get the chance to pay it Off I should have told you it's okay said Matthew I should have told you about my medical DT

she raised the dagger over her head do it now shouted Wilcox Matthew closed his eyes at least one of us will get out from under the damn creditors he said now shouted Wilcox again the board members began to moan their sexual exhalations almost musically Nina gritted her teeth wilcox's body trembled with anticipation stab him in the [ __ ] heart I'm ready Said Matthew Nina swung the dagger [ __ ] wiox cried he looked down to see the dagger's blade sticking out of his own stomach you stab me you [ __ ] you blew your

chance she pulled the Blade free and Wilcox dropped to one knee the board members stopped their gations and stared at her the contract States the ritual doesn't work if we punch down said nah That I can't sacrifice someone more desperate than me doesn't say I can't sacrifice someone better off the blood began to trickle from will Cox's mouth I'm the vice president of [ __ ] philanthropy you can't sacrifice me you idiot actually Willcox said one of the board members technically she can and we still need a sacrifice said another checking the face of his

aomar pugu looks like you're the only option We have left but what why could you let these piss ANS kill me haven't I done a good job he groaned and doubled over in pain the board members all glanced at each other and nodded to be honest will Cox said one of them as he pushed his glasses up what was left of his nose the board's been feeling like your quarterly projections have been too safe you've already been thinking about bringing in someone who will take the company in a more aggressive direction to safe the Group

split off half of them untying Matthew the other half grabbing Willcox when they were finished the two of them had switched places Matthew was now standing beside nah and Wilcox was strapped tight to the pedestal Matthew turned to his girlfriend sorry about everything he said me too Nina replied no matter what we'll tackle this St together Matthew looked down at Wilcox trying unsuccessfully to wriggle out of his Restraints it looks like we're off to a good start here's our chance to cutting it in half one of the board members cleared his throat oh Dark Prince

of the great beyond on this most sacred of nights we bring you yet another offering you can't do this shouted Willcox under my watch the company's seen record profits the board members laughed coughing and wheezing that's what the last guy said checked the Geyer in the wheelchair the guttural echo sounded Once more vibrating its horrible Secrets through everyone's bones Nina raised the dagger over her head again Wilcox screamed benchman Financial was going to have a good quarter yo Perry I've got a bite I lifted my eyes from the water to see Kevin yanking back with

all of his might the fishing rod my friend was holding suddenly bent almost in half as the sound of the line rapidly spooling out filled the air almost drowning out the Sound of the gulls crying overhead a look of determination entered his face as he reached to lock the Reel and bracing his legs he let out a battlecry and flipped the switch a moment later he was almost pulled off of the paddleboat and straightened to The Frigid Atlantic as the fish on the other end strained to escape veins began to stand out on his arm

as he used every ounce of muscle in his body to match its ferocity he shot a quick look up at me a Grin splitting across his face it feels like one hell of a big son of a [ __ ] to boot for my part I simply shook my head and gave a half smile at the man's overd dramatic tone as if he were boasting about hooking Moby Dick himself more than likely he's got himself a good siiz striper a large Bluefish at most even still I called out to him you all good or do

you need a hand he shook his head as he reeled in a few feet of line and turned turned away from me following the Struggling fish as it swung toward Shore no I got this he yelled back keep your eyes on your own line you may have a school of whatever this is passing under us grunting to acknowledge I'd heard him I turned away to gaze back at my line which disappeared out of sight into the dark blue almost black depths reaching out I gently gripped it with my thumb and forefinger to feel if there

was any tension Beyond The Stir of the current even the slightest tug could signify y a Curious fish nibbling to my disappointment though I felt nothing nothing for the last hour and a half I cast a quick and somewhat bitter look over at Kevin as he continued to haul up his prize from below Lucky Bastard always ends up being the one to catch anything during the Spring months the summer may have been my time to shine but in Spring he's the clear winner Kevin and I had grown up together In the small town of Camden

Maine meeting for the first time during roll call in elementary school bonding over a mutual love of the ocean Sega Dreamcast and70s horror movies we had instantly hooked on to each other and it had been that way ever since even as the years had passed and we'd grown I was now staring down the barrel of turning 30 while he being a few years older was soon to turn 34 after finishing College 4 years ago I decided to move back to my Hometown pining for the sound of the seagulls and lobster boats over even all the

excitement and fun that Boston had to offer to my surprise when I stopped into the Vintage Room for a drink I'd found him sitting at the bar nursing a glass of whiskey after embracing each other and over a few more drinks I found he decided to stay taking on a job as a deck hand on his uncle's Lobster Boat that's where the topic of paddle board Fishing had come up he was a hobby he'd taken up after being introduced to it by a tourist who'd passed through some years prior one he taken a shine to

one of the most fun times I've ever had on the water he said seriously you got to try it just once you'll catch the bug like I did and he'd been dead on the money even having to learn to maintain my balance and da a wet suit to keep from freezing during the colder months it was a blast More than that it was like the old days of the two of us fishing together the only difference is trading in the small twers rowboat for the boards and especially during the summer months when both of us

caught equal amounts of stripers mackerel and Bluefish it became a thrilling friendly rivalry to see who could come out on top the winter and spring months though not as exciting anymore I shook my head to push away the Intrusive almost jealous emotions which had settled over me like a storm cloud knock it off pear don't let the ugly green monster ruin the fun just do as you always do and shrug it off besides we still got a half an hour for you to catch something the mental encouragement seemed to bolster me and I felt a

genuine smile split the sour puss face that had been plastered there lifting my head I gazed out to see as a set of Large waves Lifted Me on their Crest far out in the distance just visible on the horizon I could see see the vague shapes of North Haven and vinyl Haven island both seemed to rise ever so slightly from the water like the backs of sea monsters which Sailors once told tales of the thought reminded me of the tales my grandfather had told me before he' passed tales about the sea serpent of Mount desert

island of Cassie the Casco Bay sea monster and others I'd long forgotten the names of Perry my boy remember that there will always be more things undiscovered on this planet than there will ever be written about in books he told me as much as I agreed with his sentiment I didn't exactly believe in the sea monsters I was convinced that things That gargantuan wouldn't be able to escape the prying curious Eyes Of Man Forever especially with our continued exploration of the sea hell it was what I'd gone to college for achieving a degree in marine

biology I got it Kevin's cry caused me to turn half around on my board pulling my eyes from the open ocean he was kneeling down holding the rod in one hand and a small Landing hook in the other as his eyes focused on something beneath the surface He couldn't see a moment later he dipped the hook into the water and stood up grinning like a kid on Christmas morning as he held up the large striper which flopped from the end of it now that's what I'm talking about man he declared triumphantly before depositing the fish

into the bucket on the board in front of him I couldn't help but smile and let out a chuckle his infectious excitement nice one bro I called to him giving him a thumbs up his smile grew wider for a Moment lady gestured at me you haven't gotten a bite yet I shook my head either hook and your catch caused the rest to scatter away or was just a loner there's absolutely nothing else down there a thoughtful look spread across his face and he rubbed his chin looking around how about we move a little further up

the coast always bites closer to 700 acre Island I'd like both of us to go home with something to show for It whatever trace of Envy I'd felt melted away like snow and spring at his words replaced by appreciation for my friend's consideration and that shows you exactly why he's always been the better man of the two of us yeah why not I replied beginning to reel in my line can't be any worse than here anyway you want to move closer to Shore or just head straight up Kevin didn't answer after waiting for a moment

for a Response and as my jig breached the surface I turned to see why he hadn't replied to my surprise I found his gaze not on me but beyond further out to see his eyes were narrowed indicating that he was squinting as he raised a hand to Shield his eyes from the sun which strained to shine through the clouds overhead they felt a wave of confusion wash over me and quickly hooked my jig into the rod setting it Down in its holder and turning to follow his gaze for a moment I my eyes scanned the

waves unable to locate what had caught his attention then I finally saw it at first it was just a small Splash something barely perceptible amongst the rest of the ever moving ocean and a small flash of yellow caught my gaze it appeared only for a split second and seemed to pull under the waves after A moment it reappeared a few feet ahead of its prior position the hell it reappeared a third time and for whatever reason I felt something uncoil itself inside me as I suddenly realized that whatever it was it was heading in our

Direction I shot a look at Kevin dude what the hell is that I softly called out he kept his eyes trained on the approaching sight but slowly shook his head uh I honestly don't know Perry he answered but the words are barely out from his lips when I saw a look of recognition flash across his face the confusion replaced by a look of incredulity actually scrap that I do know what the hell that is but the hell I turned back to see the object was less than 40 ft from us now and immediately recognized it

myself a buoy it was the kind that lobstermen Used to Mark the location of their pots and identify which belonged to them the white plastic stick to help grab it from the water stuck straight up into the sky the flash of yellow I'd seen had been painted stripe which ran around the top it continued to move towards us at a steady Pace no not entirely steady as it move forward the buoy seemed to quickly jerk back and forth from the left to the right every few seconds a large wave rolled over it and it disappeared

from View for a moment for whatever reason not being able to see it caused a large wave of anxiety to well up in me my mind began to race as it sought to explain what we were seeing and it's clearly a lobster booty but there's absolutely no way the Trap should be moving not where they're weighed down with large bricks and metal even more so the Tide's going out not in it'd be going out to sea regardless the only way that it could be Moving in in that manner is if something got caught on it

the only thing big enough around here to drag a pot is it shark I breathed every fiber of muscle musle and senu in my body suddenly tensed up as the answer kept repeating in my mind I slowly turned to look at Kevin dude whatever you do try to stay as still as possible all right trying to try not to make noise that'll draw attention to you because I think uh I think a great white Got caught in a trap and it's pulling it along behind it even from a distance I caught sight of his face

paling slightly oh good God I heard him mutter weakly I didn't blame him one bit for it great whites are some of the most powerful sharks that roam the oceans Ambush Predators they're bites are thousands of pounds per square inch they could easily bite a man in half this one was likely Attracted by the struggles of this fish on Kevin's line and it's it's moved in to investigate and we're standing here two freaking paddle boards or sitting ducks small wisps of fear began to seep into me as I attempted to stay as still as a

statue bracing my legs with each roll of the Waves as I watched the buoy continue to approach us I kept myself from looking down into the ocean half expecting if I Did to catch a split-second glimpse of the torpedo-shaped body rocketing up at me jaws of gape my eyes tracked every jerk as it drew even with us it was close enough that I could have reached out and touched it I forced my eyes to look down seeing that the buoy must have been in the water a long time below the waterline most of it was

covered with a thick coat of algae and seaweed strands Of it dangling up behind it like party streamers more covered the Rope which connected the buoy to the Trap below which disappeared out of sight after about 7 ft underwater I gave a silent prath PR please keep moving for the love of God and all the angels Don't Stop just keep moving away a massive sense of relief suddenly surged through me as I saw they were answered the buoy continued on its Journey passing by first myself then Kevin he both slowly turned to watch it move

toward Shore Camden Harbor staring after it until it again disappeared from sight among the waves I realized I've been holding my breath and feeling relatively safe again I let it out with a loud whoosh as I bent over slightly and put my hands on my knees feeling the color return to my face I spared to look over At Kevin he looked back at me and for a moment all we did was stare at each other I was the one who began a soft like chuckle at first he joined joed in after a second moments later

the two of us were unable to stop laughing as the tension drained from us holy freaking crap Perry he said wiping a visible Sheen of sweat from his brow that was and I'm not even joking one of the creepiest [ __ ] things to ever happen to me period full stop I let out a soft Cough as the laughter began to die away you're telling me I've studied ocean life my entire life even knowing what that must have been it's still got under my skin Mak you realize you know just how insignificant and vulnerable we

we are away from dry land huh I saw him crack a slight nervous smile yeah that's one way to phrase it he turned back to look after where the buoy had disappeared before turning back to me so now what should we do head Straight back for sure stay out finish fishing I bit my lower lip gently and as I thought his very question had been one which had begun resonating inside of my head after a time I answered honestly do I'd stay out at least for a little bit even though part of me screaming to

get to shore it's the same direction that it went I pointed towards the harbor for emphasis before finishing so we should give it enough Time to move on otherwise we risk running straight into it realization flashed in his eyes and he nodded as my words words registered got a good point there my friend he said before giving me a genuine smile good thing you went to school for what you did I would have been the dumbass to just head straight back he hooked a thumb behind him in the direction that he suggested we'd go so

You want to use the time to try and get yourself a fish before we get our asses back to the safety dry land I thought of bringing a striper Bluefish back for Mom and Dad a grill for dinner surged forward in my mind pushing the last wisps of fear away yeah man let's do it with that I reached down picking up the paddle and positioning myself seeing Kevin do the same come on let's go I will forever blame Myself for not having his head straight for sure it took us about 20 minutes to reach our

new spot and after dropping our lines in the water and to my surprise we started hooking fish after fish the elevation that surged through my heart and mind with with that first bite and bend to the rod it caused me to forget all about the nerve-wracking experience we'd had and soon the two of us were whooping and hollering as we Hauled up striper and mackerel's Galore told you this would be a good spot Kevin called to me I shot him a grin back you weren't lying bro it's the best fish we've had all spring and

one of the first times I've hooked anything outside of summer and fall he snorted as he dropped his line back in the water that mean the green shade to Envy you've been covering with is lifted I Jed my head up feeling a stab of shock crash into me at his Words how how the hell did you I began but he cut me off laughing loudly dude we've known each other our entire lives give me a little Credit in knowing you for a moment I continued staring at him my mouth hanging slightly open then I did

the only thing I could think to do I laughed as well he wasn't wrong shaking my head I turned to jerk my rod up and down slightly trying to tempt another fish to take the bite even Though my catch bucket was rather full I still hoped I'd get one more to finish the day nothing seemed to be biting anymore it's almost like all the fish realized we were here and fled I began to chuckle to myself then a second thought followed close behind but because because something bigger was around instantly the chuckle died away and

the mental image of the buoy swam forward in my mind trying not to catch Kevin's attention I spared to look around at the choppy water straining my eyes for any hint of color but nothing showed itself besides the White Caps still the uncomfortable tense wisps of anxiety began to rise back inside of me as hard as I attempted to push it away I mentally began to chide myself cut it out Perry it's long gone whether it was a shark or whatever it obviously wasn't interested in you two I mean that it Didn't stop stopped letting

jaws and other ocean horror movies take over your imagination this is this is real life after all I nodded before glancing at the watch on my wrist 4:30 they called over my shoulder hey Kev it's getting a bit late should start heading back the sound of his voice drifted back to me all right just give me a few more Minutes I uh I want to try and catch one more fish it's like they all vanished Into Thin Air he chuckled or thin water to be more appropriate despite the feeling I continued to battle inside myself

I couldn't help but laugh at his lame joke fine just five more minutes and then I'm uh Towing on your back if I have to I looked over my shoulder to see him give me a mock salute with his free hand sir yes sir He barked in a caricature of His drill instructor father I smirked and shot him the bird before turning back even still I kept shooting glances and my watch willing for the second hand to spin faster finally after what seemed like a damn eternity I saw that 5 minutes had passed I turned

around hey hey Kev I called out I saw him lift his eyes from his line to look up at me vaguely I heard him call back but his words seemed to be drifting away as though a thick fog were separating us Felt as though my scope of vision were narrowing to a small cone as my gaze moved past him back in the direction of the harbor where a flash of bright yellow had appeared for a split second above the waves I heard Kevin attempt to call back to me but my gaze remained on the spot

about 40 yards away I started to fight against myself dude stop scaring yourself there's nothing there you didn't see in whatever mental Ching I intended to use Next deleted itself as the flash of color came again and this time I knew it hadn't been a trick of my mind it was confirmed as I saw the white stick emerge back into the air as the buoy moved through it a Troth in the waves my blood suddenly ran cold as I forced the single word out from between my lips [ __ ] in my peripheral vision I

saw Kevin turn to follow my gaze and then freeze As he caught sight of the object moving towards us at a far faster clip than it had in our first encounters oh [ __ ] me sideways he turned back to me stay still as we did last time Perry like like like you said to me don't draw attention to yourself it'll lose interest and move on the man's words snapped me out of my stuper I'd fallen in and I blinked my eyes rapidly before shooting the man an appreciative nod and shifting my gaze back to

the Buoy it rapidly closed the distance before moving out to the side about 20 ft from Kevin's board it stayed still in place there for a moment the jerking motion stopped and the buoy simply standing up straight in the water despite the anxiety and small swell of fear coarsing through my veins I couldn't help but feel a wave of confusion wash over me like the waves around us that's what the hell H how is that possible great whites and and most Other mackerel sharks can't stop swimming and hover they exfix they die otherwise so how

is it able to just stay still there like that as I fought to comprehend what I was seeing the buoy began to move again he resumed its rapid jerky Journey moving around Kevin I turned seeing my friend slowly set down his fishing rod next to his feet as he continued to eye the shape both our eyes watched the buoy as it Moved around to sit in front of me roughly the same distance it had from him after a second it moved back around to him then back to me my mind suddenly cleared all the Raging

thoughts fleeing like the fish had a single horrific realization entered it it's circling us recognizing the predatory behavior caused a Cascade of Shivers to shoot up my spine as it moved around us again I Looked at Kevin seeing a look of fear finally break his forced calm demeanor dude what the hell do we do he asked his voice weak I slowly shook my head moving my gaze back to the buoy I don't know man some but something really isn't right here before I had a chance to reply I felt the board under me shift almost

violently I felt as though the board had begun pushing Up From Below by a sudden immense change in water pressure and I struggled to not fall Head first into the ocean as I regained my footing the scientific section of my brain presented the simple but terrifying answer to the inner argument I had with myself a moment ago I felt my breathing start to come in short ragged gasps as I tried to push it away but with all the evidence I'd seen and the huge water surge that I just felt two lar to even come from

the biggest great white there was no alternative Kevin I saw him turned Towards me what is it pear he asked his voice shaking slightly I looked up at him seeing his face pale further at the expression of my face before I answered whatever's on the other end of this buoy it's not a shark for a moment his face remained the same then my words slammed into him with all the weight of a tractor trailer I saw his eyes go wide as his face turned To the color of a sheet he forced himself to speak oh

oh [ __ ] my mind raised as I attempted to come up with a plan that might do anything to help us get back to shore Al but before I had a second to think of anything a second surge of water rushed Up From Below moving sideways and out shooting a glance behind me I saw the booy moving towards me then a a great tug came from the other end of my foot Feeling my heart enter my throat I shot my gaze down just in time to see my fishing rod be yanked into the water

I couldn't even track its descent into the depths one moment it was just below the surface the next it was it was gone it was out of sight a new realization slammed into me it grabbed my umbrella jig it grabbed it and it kept moving off towards vaguely I suddenly became aware that the buoy had hit the back of my Paddle board swinging it slightly to the side but the largest wave of horror filled me as my thought finished realizing where it was headed I jerked my head up my eyes wide as I opened my

mouth to scream a warning but it was too late what happened next happened in a matter of seconds I saw that he'd seen my fishing rod yanked into the deep his eyes widening more than I thought a human beings could then his gaze flashed Down to the rod At His Feet where a small stretch of loose fishing line had accidentally curled around his leg his eyes snapped up again to lock on mine and for a micr second it felt as though the entire world had paused paused I saw every small detail with Crystal Clarity I

saw the sheet of sweat covering his eyes I saw his lower lip began to tremble and a shock pleading look enter his eyes he began to reach out towards me his lips beginning to form a word one I'd never learned and which keeps me awake late at night [Music] wondering the next he was [Music] gone I caught a glimpse of the line tightening around his leg even though I swear I saw it cut through the wet suit and began to draw blood and then the man standing 20 feet away from me my oldest and most

cherished friend was yanked off Of his board and beneath the waves a large stream of bubbles broke the surface for a moment and then nothing the surface resumed its unending rise and fall for my part I didn't move I I I couldn't I felt rooted in placees my mind fought against whatever I'd just seen I prayed with every ounce of faith in my soul that I would see his head break the surface as I saw the buoy continue to move away from me before Lazily turning and after a single massive jerk forward hovered still in

the waves but he never appeared I suddenly felt the weight of the situation slam home felt hot tears begin to stream from my eyes as I fought to keep from collapsing on my knees I shook violently as I tried to push away the horrific mental images my mind was presenting itself and then they all vanished as I saw the buoy Begin to resume its slow Circle no just me I continued to shake but forced myself to stop crying trying to keep any semblance of Despair away I knew if I allowed that emotion to overtake me

I would stay frozen in place until until it tired of its circling came from me think Perry think I screamed in my head use all the knowledge you have of oceanic creatures of your mind it's it's a predator so what what do all predators Want food you don't want to become a prey item for it so think of an alternative think think of something to divert its attention long enough for you to get away my mind suddenly connected the dots and I forced my eyes away from the literal circling symbol of death to stare down

at my feet more importantly at the bucket of fish were a few still weakly wiggled yeah if you Throw the fish far enough away it may catch its attention enough for you to get to shore second thought join the first but if this thing is truly the size I think it is one single bucket of fish won't be enough to keep its attention long enough my eyes Rose for my own bucket to stare across the small stretch of water at the empty paddle board which had belonged to Kevin his paddle had slipped into the water

Bobbing by its side but but I felt my heart sore as I saw his bucket of fish had stayed in place though it now was precariously close to the edge I looked up to find the buoy it was still circling me I felt a new surge of Terror raised through my veins as I realized that the circle had gotten smaller since I'd watched it my time was running out slowly trying to keep my movements As stable and uninteresting as I could I reached down and picked up the paddle from where it lay I was terrified

that the the second I dipped it into the water the buoy would immediately charge towards me signifying my final moments but I I had no alternative you only have one chance to do this Perry so don't don't [ __ ] it up still shaking I began to paddle the 20 feet to Kevin's board felt Like a mile every time I dipped the paddle into the water I jerked up to watch the buoy I to my relief it simply continued to Circle a few excruciating seconds later I drew up next to the other board holding the

paddle in one hand I kneeled down and gripped the other the plan was still in my mind I I let out a final prayer God please let this work then I picked up my own bucket of fish and before using the paddle to push Kevin's board away from me out Towards the open ocean the tide caught it and it drew away from me from the corner of my vision I saw the buoy change course moving towards it I stood up straight staying still waiting for it waiting until it's far enough away the empty board drifted

another 20 feet I drew all the strength I had remaining in me into my arms cocked it back as I ready to make a throw which would make the major leagues impressed it moved another 10 ft away the buoy continuing To slowly follow it now as soon as the bucket left my grasp I turned and began driving the paddle towards the water as quietly and calmly as my shaking hands would allow and behind me I heard a all thk as the plastic bucket slammed into the water I wasn't sure how true my aim had been

but I refused to turn back and look I kept paddling moving it from one side of the board to the other to keep it straight I heard the cries of the gulls behind me begin to increase Signifying they must have started dive bombing the mass of fish that had fallen into the ocean and then I heard it I never turn to look at it even if I wanted to I I was far too terrified to do so but I heard the huge eruption of water emanate from somewhere behind me it was followed by the largest

Splash I'd ever heard in my life even though it was it was far off I felt small droplets of water fall onto my head and Neck my mind screamed at me that it it had to be gargantuan in order to cause a splash giant enough to reach me even still I continued to paddle toward Shore watching the land grow larger and larger in my gaze that horrifying day was almost it was almost a month ago now and for the rest of my life I'll I'll never understand how how I managed to get away such a

giant Beast must have Finished with those small fish in seconds the only conclusion I can come to is one that turned my my blood to ice it wasn't interested enough to pursue me because it because it already fed and I made it to shore emerging from the surf but the Inn at the Ocean's Edge I must have looked like a madman to those staying there tumbling off my paddle board and dashing forward screaming about my friend being dragged Under and killed by a sea monster my mind was fried from the adrenaline and horror that had

consumed it the police were of course called when they asked her my statement as as much as I knew they wouldn't believe me I still told the truth they needed to know Kevin deserved to have the truth told and I was right they didn't not entirely anyway they did believe the two of us Had been attacked by something more than likely a shark as I originally thought that it was they sent the Coast Guard out to search the area but they never found a trace of my friend or his board for that matter all they

found was a few floating dead fish he was declared a victim of a shark attack and lost at sea no one blamed me for his death but I've seen them look at me oddly I've seen them whispering to each other when I go to the Vintage Room and I try to drink myself into enough of an intoxication stuper that I won't dream no doubt I must now look like the crazy man in the town to them ranting and raving about things that don't exist but I know the truth they do exist all the stories I

heard my grandfather tell me of Serpent of Mount desert island Cassie the Casco Bay monster and those told about the world For centuries the they've been true scientists explain them away saying they they were misidentification superstitious wives tales the truth is we've bar begun to explore the oceans there's so much of it you can hide things fearsome monstrous things I I can't bring myself to go close to the water still without wanting to burst into fits of Screams I don't know if I'll ever be able to not Without recalling the nightmares that I've have had

every single night since that day ones that no amount of alcohol can chase away nightmares my friend V flailing in the dark suffocating Embrace of the ocean as something rushes towards him from the dark it's razor sharp tooth ma gaping open to devour him I know none of you will believe me and frankly I don't care I'm posting This because I hope that it might help make living with the memories even just a little bit easier to bear and I warn you I don't know how many SE serpents and monsters prow the ocean depths around

the world but I do know there's at least one that lives amongst the main Coast so please heed my warning even if you don't believe me keep an eye out for a yellow and white lobster buoy moving through the water through the Waves and if you ever do see it whether you're on a boat or a paddle board for the love of God get to [Music] shore hey kids it's tea time and you know what that means it's time for Ivory monacle Tea Ivory monacle Tea is up and running again and it's currently selling tea

and if you guys are like me and are addicted to playing hell divers hey There's a brand new tea on there and it's a hell divers tea and it's called Liber tea and I [ __ ] love this tea it's so cool and I got to design the sticker for it so if you've enjoyed tea from the ivory monacle te shop before on Etsy you're going to love this new tea uh so make sure you check them out if you like having a warm drink while listening to creepy pasta stories then hey that's a that's

a great spot for you and finally as always I want to thank Everybody who is on my patreon list especially I want to give a huge thank you to triller jack Brian Figaroa Ethan Leon Polaris Prospect X Lake Rattler Vice Roy scorn disciple Delan Melton strategy wolf Jamon John Luna San Juan mza Rock Bottom Smasher Elias Nero Brandon mza snack grimstone pendulum Cuna William Wellington scy the janitor Victoria Schwarz Victoria miles Aaron Emma kza Rena Crow Elijah mson L calz Mr Kei pasta Peis pleaser Travis Smiley Psychotic Richard sundell who to be Dante can Kade

symbol bloody Mojo mopes Cur pox Primark M Jed's pet verbal horror Jay Kars Mike himo Jerry Crusader Chocobo Cordon Dallas EST Bean hour minute second time seclude salty surprise Red Shadow cast turtl man Mr Marcus splitz dirt di 030 voice of sand psycho melted Lake T Su Cron 509 tricken Freddy Krueger Nephew Tommy wall Tommy Walters AET system Sky Harbor niik Kyle the ginger Bros Aaron stormcrow Daniel Pson Cory X kensin Diana Krauss Jordan humble a man of many names and every single one of you that's down there in the description every single one of

you that is able to give even $1 man it I cannot thank you all enough thank you thank you thank you to all of you out there have a wonderful evening and sweet dreams