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.