Closing The Curtains.

Well, that was quite the project.

It's weird to think that's how this all started, isn't it? With me trying to get rid of some irrational paranoia based on a series of horror vlogs by going in and investigating how they were crafted from the inside. The results would've been depressing enough hadn't I decided to bring three of my friends down with me. I know I will never fully redeem myself, no matter how much I try, but I am going to try, and I'm going to start by making sure Luca and Sophie get somewhere safe before we part ways.

I'm not a brilliant man, never claimed to be. I think, having seen my development during the last couple of months, that should come as no surprise to most of you. I don't completely understand what's going on around me, just going along with it. Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing I will find out eventually. For now, all I care about is surviving and keeping those around me alive.

And hey, who knows? Maybe this isn't the end. Maybe there's a light at the end of the road for me too. Maybe, if I work hard enough, I'll someday join Luca and Sophie in that little safe heaven they're going to. And we can all meet Ava in the other side. And all be a jolly, happy family.

Unlikely.

See you all in hell.

We're leaving

We can't stay here any longer, we just can't. There's too many memories that come up no matter where I go. They always bring up our nightmares, Ava, how everyone and the way things used to be. While they're good memories, it only punches a fucking hole in my chest and it gets harder to breathe. I have no idea how many times I've broken down in the past few weeks. Everything is so raw and painful, I can't even handle walking out the door most days. Sophie obviously isn't herself anymore and Tom is so distant now, it's scary to think how downhill our lives went since we started this goddamn project.

That's why we're leaving.
 
Tom told us of a few safe houses he knows and Sophie and I are going to stay there. Tom said something about him needing to stay behind to hold up his end of some deal, but I didn't ask what it was. I probably should have and might bring it up with him, but I was so... relieved, I guess, that we were getting the hell out of this place that what that deal might be or end up doing went over my head.

I'm just so exhausted you guys. I don't know what more to do other than leave. I love my family to death no matter how much they've hurt me or made me angry... I would never want them to be in harms way, so I guess I'm doing them several favors by doing this. I'm not sure what Sophie or Tom's family will think or do... we'll probably be on the amber alert thing for a while. Be missing persons cases I don't know. But please. If you hear about any of that, do not come looking for us. Do not do anything that could give us away. We're doing this so we can finally be free.

Idle.

The more I dig through these notes, the more I understand how Ava must've felt during her last couple of days. It's terrifying knowing death is looming over you, almost close enough to touch but too far away to even see. It's even worse to know that failure could put Sophie's and Luca's lives in danger, not to mention it would surely kill me

I know there's something more going on now. I can feel Him getting closer with every passing second, constantly watching me, digging into my head and just looking for any chance to pounce. It's nerve-wrecking, but gives me a reason to keep on going with this. Which is just what I need right now.

Three days ago, I found the code for the box. It was buried amongst one of Ava's many computer files, probably intentionally hidden for her own safety.

I haven't opened it yet. I don't know why, but something tells me that now is not the time, that the moment will come where I need it more than ever. I can't know when and I can't know how. But I can hear His calling.

It's close.

I understand.

She was a genius.

I just wish she were still here so I could tell her that. She was a genius and I was an idiot not to recognize it from the beginning. So many nights I had spent beating myself up over how to fix this, so many blogs and notes and books I had blown through trying to gather as much information as I could, to find a solution, to make things right.

And she solved it all in less than a week.

It's not an invasion, it's not an attack; it's a game. And it's been set in motion for way longer than we thought it had. Just looking back, it's obvious: The components I found, Luca's sickness, Sophie's nightmares - it was all set up way before we even started this thing. It's been looming over us for a long time, we were just unprepared for it.

It was a stupid, trial-and-error test all along. And I failed.

I tried to be a good leader, I really did. I thought I was keeping us all safe from trouble, not realizing that we were neck-deep in the shit from the start. I set us all back, kept my team from doing their part and that may have cost Ava her life. I ruined everything, and there's nothing I can do about it now.

But it's not done yet. The game is not over. There is something left to be done here. We can still do this, we can still survive, and I'm going to make sure we do no matter the cost. I owe them that much. To Luca, Sophie... and specially to Ava.

I'm not sure what's next. Ava's notes aren't very clear on what happens from here on. I think she knew what was coming, she knew she didn't have a lot of time left. Everything seems rushed and half baked - still, one thing is clear: Whatever was in the box is vital to us and was just about ready to open it. The code is around here somewhere, I know: Lost somewhere between the notebooks, scribbles and computer files.

Ava got us this far, I can't give up now.

"To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering."

By Friedrich Nietzsche. I remember Ava quoting that to me a few moths ago, way back before the project started and we found ourselves caught in the middle of this mess. She always had this weird fascination with the guy and encouraged me to read his books, even if I wasn't into philosophy much.

At the time, I was having issues at school and became severely afraid I would loose my scholarship if my grades kept their steady decline. I think it was about this time that I first started really talking to Ava: I asked her to help me study and she complied. It was painful, and I am not a good student, but she managed to get me through the rough subjects and helped me stay in school in spite of my own laziness.

I guess I'm just telling you this because you really need some context on how she acted before we started this: Ava was a kind, helpful person - maybe a bit smug at times, but it wasn't as if she didn't have a reason; no matter the question, she always seemed to have an answer or at least the motivation to find one. In a way, I guess it was that motivation that kept us alive for as long as we have now. 

About a week ago I got a call from Sophie: She sounded like she was desperate and was screaming at me over something about us all being doomed and everything coming to it's end. It took me a while to calm her down and get her to tell me what was actually happening.

Ava is dead. She suffered from a heart attack in the middle of the night and doctors are still struggling to figure out what exactly caused it.

I don't know what to make out of this. I'm confused and scared. Is this supposed to be a warning? Is He trying to tell us to stop trying? Did Ava do something wrong? Did I do something wrong?

I gotta pay a visit to Ava's place, see if I can find anything there. Maybe there's still a chance to sort things out, to make them right.

Ava, I'm sorry I dragged you into this. I'm sorry I couldn't help you. I swear I'm going to continue what you did. I'm going to find a way to get us out of this, whatever it takes.

Luca's signing out

Hey guys. I don't exactly remember who said it, but whoever it was was right. I'm crazy sick, and it's not letting up. I'm weak and tired and can hardly get out of bed. I'm sorry I haven't been on here more often, but with my situation at home, my constant sickness, and this whole.. I don't even know what to call it other than some sort of hell, updating everyone on here about my life has pretty much taken a backseat. Sophie's gone crazy, Tom... I don't even know about Tom, he just fucking up and disappeared. Ava's really the only one who seems more or less sane, but she's pretty much doing her own thing. She mentioned something about it all being over soon, and I pray to whoever is destroying our lives that it will. I've been so... paranoid and sick, I can't handle anymore of the stress and fear over this. I just want to go to sleep knowing that I will wake up in the morning rather than hoping that I'll make it through the night. I just... want things to go back to the way they were...

But first, I need to get over this crazy sickness by trying to relax as much as I can and try to get some sleep... This is Luca signing out for the last time. Goodnight and goodbye, you guys.

I did it

It took a little bit, but I've been looking over the notes I got from Tom. He was never good at puzzles, he always needed all the pieces. I, on the other hand, can see the whole puzzle without all of them.

He didn't have enough information, but I can read this, and I think I know how to fix everything. I need to get  everyone else to work together, and maybe we can solve this. I really think we can fix this.

The only problem is that I'm not sure if there's enough time. There's not much time, but I think if we hurry we can do it.

I'm back

Tom was not helpful, at least not when it came to talking. He refused to try and do anything to help fix things.

I have the box now, and all the components, plus a little extra. I found a notebook of scribbling. It has a bunch of stuff thrown together, and I am pretty sure Tom wrote it. I do not think he meant for anyone to see it, but I will go over it to see if I can make sense of it.

The writing is painful to read, but it will not take me long to go through it. I read quickly.

I will report back later with my findings. Maybe we'll actually be able to get out of this.

Hello Everyone

It has been a while, has it not? I think that you guys are all I have now. I appear to be the only sane one left.

Luca is sick. I know that Luca has been sick many, many times in the past, but it is the worst this time. Luca was sent to the hospital, but all they did was give him a bit of medication and send him home.

He cannot leave his bed.

Sophie is not Sophie anymore. I can never tell when she will be my friend, or when she will be throwing fits, screaming at things that are not present. Any time this blog is mentioned, she just seems to get worse. I miss her, the way she used to be.

Tom left. He took everything and left. I have tracked him down, and I am going to go visit him.

I will post when I get back. Either I will get that boy off his ass and make him fix things, or I will do it myself.

This will not get better with inaction. I am done sitting around and letting this happen.

I will make this right, no matter the cost.

See you all soon.

A Lot Of Things Left Unexplained.

I'm genuinely sorry it's taken me so long to write this.

I've been postponing it for a while now, thinking and re-thinking the situation over and over again, trying to figure out what actually happened, to make some sense of this mess; to find a rational explanation to it all.

After a lot of meditating, I've decided that there may just not be one.

About two weeks ago, I traveled somewhere near five hours by car to visit the headquarters of the company known as "reliable electronics", a company mostly specialized in producing cheap computer devices and accessories, like the ones I found in that box. Upon arrival, the place didn't really stand out: Small, plain office building, with tinted windows and some cars parked in the back. Nothing suspicious.

The lobby seemed normal too: White room, some chairs for guests and a desk in the back, probably for a secretary. I walked in, pretty certain that it was safe, when the door closed shut behind me. I panicked, turned around and tried to get out, but there was no door: Only another white wall. And then, there wasn't even that: Just darkness. Darkness all around me, as far as I could see.

I didn't know what was going on- I still don't know what was going on. I was scared, and confused and I started to panic. I really did think that was it, that I was going to die, disappear and no one would ever hear from me again. But I didn't; Someone out there must've decided there weren't done with me, because there was a light at the end of the tunnel.

Literally: I saw a light, illuminating a small spot in the distance. I didn't know what it was, or why it was there, but it was the only thing I could distinguish for miles around me. So, of course, I started running towards it, thinking that it may be some sort of exit.

It wasn't. As I ran, I started hearing something behind me. Not a man, or at least it didn't sound like a man. It sounded big and like it ran in four legs. And it ran, alright. That thing was getting close to me, and it was doing it really fucking fast. All from the sudden, that light at the end of the tunnel started to seem like it wasn't getting any closer, no matter how fast I went.

Let me tell you something: You never actually run until you feel like you're doing it for your dear life. Without realizing it, you're suddenly light as a feather; it feels like your bones want to escape your body, like the air around you is slowing you down too much. It would've been wonderful if I hadn't felt like I was having a fucking heart attack on the spot.

I ran, and ran, and ran, and kept running, but that fucking light still felt like it was miles away and whatever the fuck was chasing after me was only getting closer by the second without taking a damn break. I could hear growls now, really loud and clear as water. It sounded like a car being crushed by a thousand chainsaws, if that makes any sense- It wasn't pleasant.

I don't know how long I ran for. It felt like days, but for all I know, it was just a couple of minutes before the light ahead of me got so close and so bright that it made my eyes burn. I tried to cover myself, but it felt like it was crawling through my eyelids. It hurted. I dropped, pressed my head against the ground...

And then it just went away. I was inside my car, parked right in front of the building I once thought was RE.

Of course I didn't try to go back in, I'm not THAT stupid. I tried to start up the car so I could get the hell out of there. When that didn't work (because why the fuck would it?) I grabbed my backpack, got out and started walking. But why would it let me catch a breath? Of course /it/ was fucking there as soon as I exited the car. Started running. I'm not sure if it chased me. Didn't stop until my legs gave out.

Next morning, I woke up and managed to crawl myself to a gas station. The attendees must've dismissed me as a hobo or something, because they didn't ask why I was covered in dirt and sweat. I checked my phone, and was kinda surprised to only find one alert: Y'know, I assumed the guys would've sent a text or something. But no.

I saw that post. Of course I freaked out.

I called Ava and asked her to come pick me up, and came back home to find realize that (surprisingly) my car was parked in the garage, my parents hadn't realized I had been gone and my friends had apparently spent an entire day talking and planning with me.

I'm scared. Really fucking scared.

Also, that I had a small, unidentified package in my backpack: A locked, metal box, very light-weight, which tells me that there's nothing to big inside of it. Haven't been able to open it until now and I'm not sure if I want to.

So, that's what's up: We're tired, confused, worn out, shaken up and not a single step ahead of where we were before.

I gotta go catch some sleep.

cAR DIED ON ME. dONT HAVE A LOT OF TIME RUNNING BACK HOME. DON'T BELIEVE THE OTHER TOM. NEED HELP

Update

Seems I have to make the post for it, so here it is: We've hit a brick wall, metaphorically.

Tom, the lovely ass he is, did not find anything wrong with "Reliable Electronics". He told us they were legit and nothing was out of the ordinary (Gosh, a change from what we usually go through), so that leaves us at square one: We ain't got a clue on what the hell to do next. I've been sleeping over, so I feel a little better, though at the same time...

I dunno. I've been having the urge to sketch lately.

Untitled

It didn't take long for Ava's friends to figure out what the components were supposed to be; meaning a bunch of random pieces of shit. Pieces of cameras, radios, USBs, all extremely cheap and of terrible quality. Nothing terribly outstanding about them. We were starting to get pretty damn certain this was all pointless when they mentioned something that made us all stop dead on our tracks.

They're absolutely sure all of the products in the box were manufactured by this one company, "Reliable Electronics". After investigating, we discovered that their HQ seems to be not-too-far-away from where we live: A 3-4 hour drive from our town.

We all discussed for a while about what this could mean, but decided we just couldn't be certain until at least one of us went there to try and get some answers. It might not be the smartest idea, but there's really nothing else for us to do.

That's why, tomorrow, I'll be skipping school and driving away to "Reliable Electronics" to see if I can get some answers from them. I dialed their number up and arranged an appointment with one of their assessors - made some dumb excuses about "wanting to verify the quality of their products" and whatnot, made myself sound like a big investor or something. They're gonna be pretty displeased when they see me.

Luca, Ava and Sophie are staying. Y'know, in case anything goes down, they can dial up the authorities. They haven't been of much help up to now, but something tells me that, if one of us goes missing, they may just change their minds. Let's just hope we don't HAVE to bring 'em in.

Wish me luck.

The word just came back on the components. My friend found something very. . . interesting, about them.

Tom, we need to start a new chat. I need to tell you what he found out. Now.

The Components

Hey guys, we still haven't gotten word back on the components from the guy that Ava knows, but I just wanted to clarify for a moment that these components were found in the box that Tom had found a while back. This isn't a really important update like I would hope for it to be, I guess, but more an FYI thing. So with that, good night guys.