Thanksgiving Dinner

Lyron prepared a Thanksgiving meal for us yesterday.

It was really nice to have a meal that size again.  Since I've been on my own, it's actually been years since I've eaten like that. We had turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, a bit of ham, stuffing, cranberry sauce...the works for your typical Thanksgiving meal.  Before eating, we all went around the table stating what we were thankful for.  It wasn't hard to come up with something.  We're all just thankful that somehow, against all odds, we're still alive.

But it worries me.  Not the meal.  Not Lyron, since I'm pretty confident by this point that she really does care for us in her own way.  The thing that worries me are how good things are.

Wayward mentioned on her blog that things are, if you'll pardon the cliche, quiet.  Too quiet.  I agree.  Everything is too good.  It's like the calm before the storm.  You just can't have nice things when dealing with the Fears.

So Wayward and I have packed.  We're ready for when everything hits the fan and we have to take off running again.  We're going to enjoy these little luxuries for as long as we can, and I think Lyron would be offended if we bolted before we have to (and while I don't like trusting Lyron, I like offending her even less).  But we're ready to run the minute we need to.

Research

Wayward and I had a talk with Lyron a couple weeks ago.  She's working on a transcript for us, and I'll post that when she finishes it, but let's just say for now that we may have misjudged her some.  She may be a servant of multiple Fears, but I'm not sure how much choice she actually has in the matter.  I think I'd rather die than work for a Fear, but then again, I guess that's why I'm running.

I want to trust her.  I really do.  And it hurts not to.  It feels like I'm betraying her by not letting my guard down.  Like it's unfair to her.  And I can't tell.  Maybe it's the right thing to do, but maybe it's because it hits just a little close to home.

She's lost someone named Lily too.

It's just enough to make me think.  We've all lost people close to us.  Sometimes they end up dead, like my parents and Lily's entire family.  Sometimes we leave them behind, like all my friends back home.  I know that I never talk about them.  I can't.  What happens if I let something slip?  Then they're in as much trouble as Lily was and I still am.  More, since they're unprepared.

Anyway, the reason I've been so quiet is because I've been doing research.  Lyron gave us some documents that have a lot of notes on the Fears.  I've been comparing it to everything I've learned so far and it seems like while the information may not actually be false, it might be inaccurate due to inconsistencies.  I've seen the same thing with the Slender Man, so I wouldn't be too surprised.

I've also been in contact with Canis some more.  I've sent him some of the information, and in response, he's sent me some as well, which I've shared with Wayward.  I want to discuss things with her in more detail, but she's always so difficult to talk to--mostly because she doesn't like to listen.  It's really a shame that the Choir affects her so much, since she seems like she's really nice.  I wonder if she used to be talkative before all this happened to her.  I wonder what her life was life.  It's strange.  I've spent weeks with her, but I feel like I know Lyron, who's on the other side, better than I know Wayward.

Anyway, I've (potentially) learned a lot about Fears that I didn't know so much about before.  I'm really looking as much as I can into the Slender Man and Cold Boy specifically (since they're the ones that I've personally encountered), as well as the Choir, since I think that there might be a connection between the Choir and Not-Redlight, and also because I think it might help me understand Wayward a little better.  I'm not going to bother sharing, since I don't want to post information that I'm unsure of, but I might go into it more later on.

Another thing: after Canis mentioned that Raggedy "doesn't exist," I figured I'd ask him about Wayward and Lyron.  Wayward's blog doesn't exist for him, but Lyron's does.  He says that he can't find any sort of records of her, but he can read her blog and--while I don't want to jinx things by mentioning it--he's actually been able to visit where we are and identify the house where we're staying.  But when he looks into the house's background, he gets conflicting stories.  It's abandoned.  It was demolished.  It was never built.  While Lyron's not the owner of the house, the name she gave for the owner doesn't match any of the multiple names Canis managed to unearth for the current owner.  When he looks into the names he does find, they either do own the house, own different houses, have passed away, or never existed in the first place.  He's confused, but he doesn't think it's that abnormal for people affected by the Fears, and even has a few theories as to what might be happening.

So that's what's been happening.  Research, research, and more research.  I'll post again if anything interesting happens or if I find something particularly notable.

Lyron

Things seem almost too good to be true at the moment.  From my experience, when things seem too good to be true, they usually are.  So I'm on my guard at the moment.

Wayward and I are staying with Lyron.  It's not her house, but I haven't gotten much more information out of her apart from the fact that it belongs to some man she saved.  Apparently he was pretty rich, because it's a nice place.  There's a TV screen in pretty much every room, even the bathrooms.  And the beds are really, really nice, which would be wonderful if we were staying with someone who wasn't affiliated with the Fears in the way Lyron was.  As it is, Wayward and I have been sleeping in shifts.  Lyron looks like she was telling the truth when she said that we'd easily be able to overpower her, but she could always call in reinforcements.  And either way, it's not like you need to be a combat expert to slit someone's throat in their sleep.

That said, I feel bad mistrusting Lyron, since she's been so good to us.  Like I mentioned, she serves several different Fears, but apart from that, she seems like a really nice woman.  She's welcoming, accommodating, nice, and I guess she's pretty attractive as well.  Overall, she's a really easy woman to trust, which is exactly why I'm trying so hard not to trust her.  It's maybe not fair to her, but we can't take chances.

We met at a fairly large cafe.  Wayward and I had insisted on a public place in case anything went wrong.  Lyron happily agreed and then announced that she would take us shopping.  Her treat, she said.  She'd buy us food and any other supplies we'd need.  After all, apparently she's got access to funds from Australian banks because of the Fears.  I feel bad about spending her money, and guilty about using money that's associated with Fears, but on the other hand, it's using the Fears' own funds against them in a way, right?  That's nothing to feel guilty about.

So we've just sort of lived under the same roof for a few days.  I haven't felt comfortable opening up to Lyron yet, and Wayward doesn't much talk to anyone.  Tomorrow, though, I think that I'm going to try to get some information from Lyron.  I owe her an interview as well.  I'll let you all know how that goes.

Some more about Wayward

Traveling with Wayward is an interesting experience.  If nothing else, it's because we don't really talk much.  Apparently the Choir can twist people's words, and I don't like the idea of accidentally saying something terrible to her.  We talk some, but not much.  I smile at her some (since I'm pretty sure that she's not fond of physical contact and it'd be inappropriate anyway), but we're not about to start spilling our life stories.  She refuses to even give me her name, so I guess it's just Wayward.

I noticed there was something weird about the texture of her clothes, and it turns out that it's because they're flame-resistant.  Apparently the best way to deal with the Choir and its servants is with fire, so she's become...something of a firebug, I guess.  I guess I'm not entirely comfortable sitting next to her on the bus when I know her bag could explode at any time.  But hey, she's company, and company who I know won't kill me.

She's always wearing headphones, and she's apparently listening to just white noise because the Choir won't let her listen to music.  Something about it seemed a little familiar, so I asked her about Not-Redlight.  "It's possible it might be the Choir," she said.  "If he can stand the music, good for him."

Anyway, I guess it's okay to let you guys know where I am.  Lyron is currently on leave and staying in Ohio.  She's invited me to stay with her for a few days on the condition that she gets to interview me.  And she's...well, she's a proxy.  Or servant?  I'm not sure what the right term is, but she serves several different Fears.  I know, a really stupid move, willingly walking into what might be a trap.  That's why I'm so glad I have Wayward with me.  Lyron's claimed in e-mails that she's weak and I could easily take her (a fact that I'm well aware could be a flat-out lie), but even if I can't, Wayward has plenty of fiery weapons with her that could provide some great backup.

Like I said, a stupid move, but I think it's worth the risk.

Well, wish us luck.

Wayward

I'm amazed at how small the world is sometimes.

After Not-Redlight attacked me, it became clear that the Ten Masks can find me fairly easily.  Speed has become more important than laying low, and while I'm hesitant about my potential safe house, I'm willing to risk it.  To get there faster, I decided to take a bus.

It shouldn't surprise you to learn that pretty much everything I have is crammed into my pack.  I literally can't live without it.  Well, I was at the station, getting ready to purchase my ticket, when a guy swiped it.  I don't get why he went after me.  The pack was right beside me, meaning that I'd notice right away if it were taken, and I'm not the sort of person who looks like he has a lot of valuable possessions.  So why me?  Almost every single person in the bus stop would have been a better person to rob.

I grabbed Lily and chased after him as he ran out the building.  Even with the pack weighing him down, he was fast.  He couldn't outdistance me or shake me off, but I couldn't catch him.  I tried to get a good look at his face, but I mostly just saw his back: dark brown hair tied into a ponytail and a long, deep brown trenchcoat.  I burned those memories into my mind because they were all I had to identify him.

After a wild goose chase around town for about ten minutes, he must have given up on losing me and dropped the pack.  "Better not miss your bus!" he yelled, raising a hand and waving without looking back or breaking stride.  I wanted to go after him and bring him down, but he was right.  I had a bus to catch.

I was winded, and between that and not knowing the town too well, it took me a while to get back to the bus stop.  By the time I got there, the bus I had been planning on taking had already taken off.  I got a ticket for a different bus and waited.

A bus came by shortly after than and unloaded, and there was something...familiar about one of passengers.  Not in what she looked like, but in how she acted.  She kept throwing paranoid glances everywhere and looked extremely tired.  And she seemed to be traveling very light.  On a whim, I decided to try to talk to her.

She was a bit shorter than me, and looked a bit older too, with dark brown hair and eyes, dressed in thick-looking clothes.  I walked up to her and tried to speak, only to be met with an instant reply of "Leave me alone!"

I paused, trying to figure out whether or not to drop it or press further.  "Are you running from something?" I asked.

She pulled a pair of earphones away.  "What?"

"I said, 'Are you running from something?'"

Relief crossed her face, but she still looked at me suspiciously.  Her eyes fixed on my staff.  "Are you...are you The Wanderer?"  She smiled a bit at my stunned expression and said "I'm The Wayward Son."

A confused "...Son?" was all I managed as the gears started turning in my head.  I had stumbled across her blog recently, and knew that she had burned her house down and began running from the Choir, but I had no idea that Wayward was a girl.

"It's a reference to the song," she said sheepishly.  We stood there awkwardly for a little bit, neither really knowing how to react.

"Um...I know how hard it is to be on the run like this," I finally said.  "If you need somewhere to go, I have a place you can stay.  I mean, I don't, but I have somewhere to go and I know my host would welcome you too."

So that's how I ended up in a west-bound bus with Wayward.  Like I said, it's really a small world sometimes.

Another Mask?

I guess I expected this.  I haven't seen one of the Masks since Gabe, and that was a while ago.  I wasn't to surprised when another one found me.  Or at least I think it was another one.

I've been talking to a few people, and I think I have a place to stay for a few days.  I'm not telling you where exactly I'm going because I'll be easier to track that way and because, well, I have to admit that what I'm doing is sort of stupid.  Canis certainly thought so.  But I can't have anyone talking me out of it and I'm not going there unprepared, so my lips are sealed.

Anyway, I was in a rural area cutting across some fields and pastures.  It can cut a lot of distance off of a trip if an area is laid out in square miles.  Cutting diagonally across a square mile can, in theory, cut it down by...over a mile I think?  It'd be a 45, 45, 90 triangle, so it'd be 1, 1, square root of 2?  I'm not sure how the math works anymore, but it's really cuts it down.

Anyway, I was partway across across a pasture when I saw someone.  He looked over and saw me, and started running at me.

He was dressed in a red zipper hoodie that hid his face, along with running shoes, black polyester sweatpants with reflective white stripes down the side, and what I think was athletic tape wrapped around his hands.  I tried to run but I was weighed down by everything on me.  He, on the other hand, was dressed in light, loose clothes designed for athletics.  There was no way I could outdistance him.

My first thought upon seeing him was that it was Redlight, the sarcastic mastermind who had been responsible for the downfall of White Elephant's Robert Sagel, but I thought he was dead.  Or...came back?  He had the hoodie and the tape, but I thought Redlight wore camo pants.  And why was he after me...?

As I puzzled it over, I reacted in time to just narrowly dodge a fist.  A flurry of quick jabs struck my chest, and he hopped back as fell to the ground.  He jumped back and forth from side to side with his fists up, hood restricting any view of his face.  Whoever he was, he certainly didn't move or act like Redlight.

"Who are you?" I asked.  He didn't answer.  Didn't even respond, like he hadn't heard me.  I shrugged my backpack off and charged at him with Lily.  As I swung he ducked under my staff and threw another jab that connected with my side.  I managed to stay up until his leg swept under me.  He hopped back again, shifting his wait from foot to foot.

This continued for a bit.  I tried to attack, he dodged and counterattacked fluidly.  I'd yell at him, and he wouldn't even acknowledge me.  He wasn't very strong, but he was coordinated.  His movement was almost more like he was dancing than fighting.

Then I noticed something.  He bounced back and forth like he always did, always waiting for me to get to my feet before attacking, when his rhythm...changed.  As if he was a metronome and someone had suddenly shifted the weight.  Then I realized: that's exactly what happened.  He was listening to music.

It made sense.  It's why he didn't respond: he couldn't hear me.  It wasn't like he was dancing; he was dancing!  And as the two of us continued to fight, I noticed that he was definitely fighting to a specific rhythm.  If I could just figure out what that rhythm was, I could maybe use it to my advantage.

Sure enough, now that I could predict his moves, it was easier to block or dodge his punches and kicks.  I even got a few hits in on him (though not many) by trying to attack when his music would have offbeats.  After a few of these hits, though, he redoubled his efforts.  He went on the offensive, driving me back, then managing to slip a punch past my defenses directly into my gut.  As my body doubled over in pain, he jumped back and, instead of launching further attacks, turned and sprinted away.

I lost track of him.  It didn't occur to me to follow him, and I spent the time after the fight catching my breath instead.  I grabbed my pack and staff again and headed across the pasture again, trying to make it to the next town.

The question is...who was that?  I think he's one of the Masks, but he didn't say anything.  I don't know for sure.  Why would he be fighting to music when it made his movement predictable like that?  If he's one of the Masks, why did he run instead of trying to kill me?  The longer this all goes on, the more I'm getting the sense that I have no clue what's going on.

Anyway, you should hear from me again fairly soon.  It probably won't take me to get where I'm going.  I'll let you know then.

Supplies, Part 1

I've heard from just a few people concerning possible places to go.  I may not be heading anywhere in particular for a while, but that's fine.  I'll just keep putting one foot in front of the other, leaning on Lily, leaning on the memories of Lily, always moving another step down the road.

Between the visit to Raggedy and this business with the Masks, I haven't had much time to talk about wandering much.  My personal problems aren't going to help anyone.  But maybe this will.

I keep everything I own in a backpack.  It's one of those big outdoor sporting ones.  I don't really own much anymore, though.  Most everything I have is essential.  I'm not going to go through everything right now, though.  Just the basics and the things that strike me as most important.

Apart from Lily and the backpack itself, my tarp is probably the most valuable.  It's a necessity for creating quick shelters.  It's also pretty much the entirety of my bedding.  No blankets.  No pillows.  No sleeping bags.  Those are all things I'd love, but they're all bulky comfort items that take up too much space.  I'd love to be able to have at least a pillow, but I try to avoid anything that's not absolutely necessary.  I can roll up some clothes for a pillow if I'm desperate enough.  It may not be comfortable, but it keeps heat in and it's versatile and durable.

I only have about two spare changes of clothes.  It's disgusting walking around in dirty clothes all the time, but I can't spare the room for much more than that.  I have three t-shirts, three pairs of jeans, one pair of hiking boots, a warm coat that's not too bulky, and five pairs of socks and underwear.  Things change a bit depending on the season, too.  During the summer, I'll swap a t-shirt for a tank top and a pair of jeans for running shorts.  During the winter I'll add a sweatshirt and some heavier pants, as well as gloves, a hat, and a scarf.  Of course, that's also why I try to head to the south for the winter.  The amount of exposure I'd suffer in the northern states could kill me if the weather got bad enough, even with warmer clothes.

I carry some food on me.  Mostly canned goods since they last pretty well, though it's never fun to eat cold beans straight from the can.  Sometimes, if I'm up to it, I'll start up a fire to heat some of my food up.  I have a can opener on my Swiss Army Knife, which comes in handy a lot.

Speaking of the knife, it's one of the most useful tools I have. I got the best one I could find and I don't regret it at all.  Not all of the tools work the greatest, but they work well enough to get the job done and the fact that it's so compact is a must.

And of course, there's my laptop and my mp3 player, the former to connect me to the world and the latter so that I don't go crazy.  I listen to a lot of audiobooks (I found a good site for some free ones) since they don't actually take up space and I can listen to them on the go.

Those are just a few of the things that I find most valuable.  There's more, of course.  I'll get into those later.  For now, though, I've finished my coffee and I need to get moving so that I can find a place to sleep for the night.