Corbin Cove: Friendly Neighborhood Cult & Murderous HOAs

 Last time I posted about Corbin Cove, I mentioned Hallowed Grounds Coffee Bar. This time, I decided to go in a different direction. This time, we're going to take a look at a couple of the organizations that reside in Corbin Cove. Well, technically, one is outside of town, but still considered part of Corbin Cove.

The House of the Watcher

The House of the Watcher is found just outside of the town of Corbin Cove and they are frequently seen in in town in their robes. The townsfolk are all fine with the cult and don't cause problems for them. It's not at all unusual to see a robed cultist in a store and the cashier wave as they leave and say, "Hail the Watcher!" instead of "Have a nice day." 

The townsfolk don't believe in the Watcher, but they're not about to spoil the cult's fun. That would be like telling a child who believes in Santa that no, he's not real. The cult's belief in the Watcher doesn't hurt them, so why should they be so malicious as to break their spirits? They don't mind humoring the cult. 

The House of the Watcher is fairly tame, as far as cults go. They follow the laws and city ordinances of Corbin Cove, help with community projects, attend town meetings, and don't sacrifice people from the town. The only thing they seem to do is watch. They watch the townsfolk go about their day and watch houses. They're a bit like the ravens that watch people, though supposedly less feathery. 

Homeowners Assassins

Spawned because I discovered the abbreviation for "association" is assn, the letters of which are also present in the word "assassin," the Quail Hollow Homeowners Assassins reside in the Quail Hollow subdivision and work directly for the Devil's Advocate (the member of the Town Council put in charge of housing and dealing with demon rights).

Every subdivision, all of which are named after different birds, has a group of Homeowners Assassins. The HOA is specially trained regarding the regulations for the subdivisions and monitor their neighborhoods for any instance of regulation violations or abuse of demons. These get reported to the Devil's Advocate and, depending on the frequency and severity of violations, assassinates the offender. 

Not everyone is part of an HOA subdivision. Some houses, like the lighthouse where the radio station is located and the mansion for the wealthiest resident, are isolated and not subject to the HOA regulations. Still, demon abuse is watched for as the Devil's Advocate takes the welfare of infernal refugees seriously. 

That's just two of the organizations present in Corbin Cove. There's also the Town Council, the Boy and Girl Scouts, the Book Club, and the Librarians. Next Corbin Cove post could be either about another organization or a location. Or, perhaps, I might share something I've written involving Corbin Cove. What the post will be about remains to be seen. 

Commissions, Editing, & DMing, Oh My!

Hey, I know this isn't my regular blogging day, but I thought I'd remind readers that I am open to writing things for commission and also DMing professionally. The post was made back in 2019, but I thought I'd post it again, update some things, and remind everyone and let new readers know. 

I've decided to put my English degree to good use and make myself available for commissions, editing/proofreading, and, mostly for fun, as a professional DM/GM (Dungeon Master/Game Master) for a few different tabletop role-playing games which I'll list below in the section about that.

Message me through Facebook if interested: https://www.facebook.com/teela.m.sullivan
Also, view some of my earlier work on DeviantArt: https://www.deviantart.com/remyswan
Or leave me a comment here.

Commissions

First things first, commissions are specifically fanfics or short stories for personal use only. What this means is, please do not try to sell or repost what you commission as your work and don't commission me to write something for school. While I will be more than happy to edit or proofread your papers for school (see below), I will not write them for you.

Fandoms I will write in include:

• Harry Potter
• Plague Inc.
• Osmosis Jones
• Jurassic Park

There are others that I can write in, but this is a short list of fandoms that I am the most familiar with. There isn't much I won't write, though I will let you know if the request is beyond what I am capable of writing. 

I'm also willing to write original fiction not tied to any fandom. Below is a list of genres that I'm willing to write in, though this is by no means comprehensive.

Genres include:

• Urban fantasy
• Paranormal romance
• Fantasy
• Science fiction
• Horror
• Murder mystery

I will write any rating of the above genres, ranging from safe for kids to read to something that should only be read by adults. Just let me know what you're looking for regarding genre, ratings (ex. G, PG, PG-13, R, etc.), what topics you want as the focus, what topics are okay if they're mentioned, and what topics you absolutely do not want to read. 

Prices

The price varies based on the word count. The more words you want me to write, the more you'll be paying. That said, it will also take longer to write if it's a longer commission so be prepared to wait if you request a longer commission. 

500-1000: $10

1001-3000: $15

3001-5000: $20

5000-7000: $25

7001-9000: $30
9001-10000: $35
10000+: $40-$60*

*I will write longer works, but I will only be working on a set number (2 or 3, depending on the length of other commissions) at any given time to ensure quality of the work. Let me know when you message me the length of the work you want and, if the work is in the 10000+ category, I'll let you know if I have any open spaces available. If not, I will put you on a waiting list and let you know when I begin your commission.

Editing/Proofreading

If you've got papers to write and need to make sure they're edited, I'm more than happy to offer my services as an editor or proofreader.

Proofreading is just the basics: read it through for spelling errors, grammar mistakes, missing words, etc. Editing will involve a more in-depth process where these things will be checked for and I will also read to make sure that you get your point across and suggest potential edits for improvement.

When you request editing services, please specify if the work must follow a particular guideline such as MLA, APA, Chicago, or AP. While I am most familiar with Chicago style formatting, I also have experience with MLA and will be able to make sure that the papers are formatted correctly according to the style guidelines you specify.

Prices

Proofreading: $10/per page

Editing: $15/per page

Professional DMing

Now onto the part I'm most excited about: Professional DMing. As many who are involved in the tabletop role-playing game community are aware, taking on the role of Dungeon Master or Game Master is a big responsibility and one that requires a lot of time and planning. 

This is my favorite part of role-playing. 

I love crafting worlds and challenges for players, creating NPCs to talk to or fight, treasures to find, monsters to slay, and watching as my players surprise me with things I never saw coming. Like climbing inside a giant snake skin and stealing a demon plant and the 144 square feet of dirt around and under it. Being fair, I almost expected the plant theft, but I definitely didn't see the snake-skin-sleeping-bag coming.  

Many regular games fall by the wayside as the challenge of fitting the planning required into hectic schedules is quite daunting, especially when people just want to get together with their friends for a game. The benefit of having a professional DM means that someone else takes care of the planning and all that the players need to do is turn up on time for the game. 

Games that I'm well-versed in and can run a campaign/chronicle with include the following:

• New World of Darkness (pre-2nd edition/God-Machine Chronicle update)*
• Core games or ones that don't go with a particular game line such as Second Sight, Midnight Roads, Innocents
• Changeling: the Lost
• Hunter: the Vigil
• Geist: the Sin-Eaters
• Old World of Darkness 
• Demon: the Fallen^
• Monster of the Week
• Dungeons & Dragons, 5th edition

*I am also familiar with Vampire: the Requiem, Werewolf: the Forsaken, Mage: the Awakening, and Promethean: the Created, but don't have as much experience with those game lines as I do the ones above. I can still involve characters from these in a game or run a game with those, however I will need more time to prepare for a game in that case.

^I am also familiar with how to adapt this game line to be compliant with New World of Darkness rules.

I will be regularly updating the list of games I can run as I'm working on learning games such as Call of Cthulhu 6th edition, 50 Fathoms (a fantasy pirate-y game from Savage Worlds), Cyberpunk 2020, GURPS, Stories from the Grave (an anthology horror game like the comic Tales from the Crypt and the like), Deadlands (a game centered in the weird west), and The Witcher, but at the moment I'm not confident enough that I could run those up to my standards or the standard that players deserve. 

As many of these games contain mature elements, I'm requesting that any players involved be 18 or older.

When you contact me about this, let me know what you're looking for in a game as well as the game you're interested in. If you're looking for a long chronicle or a short arc, if you'd prefer more mystery investigating or outright combat, if there's any themes that you/your players are interested in or do not want involved are all things that need to be discussed prior to the first session as that will help me know what to build. After all, this is supposed to be a fun experience for all players. 

At the moment, Discord voice chat works for me for role-playing, though I am willing to just use Discord and type if that is preferred by players and I am also open to other suggestions if the players have a preferred way of communicating. When messaging me about organizing a game, be sure to include the preferred way of communicating or other suggestions for getting the gaming group together. If players are local, in-person meetings could occur. 

Prices

For the first session, the price will be $15 per person as that session might include character building and an introduction to the setting. 

Every session after will be $20 per person, but will run 2-4 hours long to ensure that all players get the most out of the session. 

I understand that some people are a bit shy about playing in a group and many that are new to role-playing games might feel more comfortable one-on-one while they learn the ropes of the game before joining a larger party. Because of this, I am willing to run a one-on-one role-play if asked, in which case the price per session will be negotiable. 

Location 009R part 2

 Here's another excerpt from the only story in The Agency so far that needed to be written during the day, "Location 009R." This will only be one testimony as the one following this one is very long and will likely be one post all on its own. Strap on your hiking boots and don't listen to the singing.

Location 009R

Testimony 1995-09-26

Arch. Welch: Statement of Paul Rhodes regarding another incident at Location 009R and the disappearances of the hikers Lawrence Compton, Courtney Duncan, and Lindsey Turner, recorded direct from subject by Archivist Simon Welch.

Rhodes: We heard about it, you know. The incident. Almost an entire town just up and leaves, walks into the woods, forty come back a year later and the rest are dead? Yeah, we’d heard about it. Thought it was the weirdest thing ever, but Larry—Lawrence—and I were always into that kind of thing. The weird and all. We planned on coming up here, hiking the trail a bit, maybe seeing the wall that the survivors talked about, and then come back and head home. Figured it would be a cool way to celebrate the anniversary of the event and, well, we brought the girls along because Courtney was into the hiking and all and Lindsey, well, she was her best friend. And, you know, we hoped we’d get lucky. That’s why we brought the tent. Figured we’d hike, set up the tent, have some food, camp for the night, and come back the next day.

            We started the hike early this morning. I think it was this morning. I asked the other guy who brought me here what day it was and what year. It’s still September twenty-sixth, still nineteen-ninety-five. God. It can’t be though. It doesn’t…time flows weird there, that’s all I can come up with to explain it. Nothing else makes sense, but that doesn’t either, does it? Time only goes forward at a set pace, it doesn’t go faster or slower depending on where you are. But I swear it was like we were on that trail for months. I know we weren’t. The calendar says we weren’t, the guy who brought me here said we weren’t, but we were. I know we were.

            We’d been on the trail for hours. We stopped for a break every so often, had some water and a granola bar or two. Around noon, we passed a creek and a couple hours after, we found a perfect clearing where we pitched the tent. I got a fire going and Larry went with Courtney to collect firewood. Well, that’s what they said, but both Lindsey and I knew what they were really going to do. We’d brought a cooler of food. Hot dogs, buns, marshmallows. You know, things that could be cooked over a fire. Besides, we were only going to be out there one night so we didn’t bring a lot. We brought enough for the night, and maybe a little extra if we decided to camp a day longer, though we didn’t plan on it. We should’ve brought way more than we did.

            After Larry and Courtney got back with the firewood, we started roasting hotdogs and talking about what happened in back then. Courtney thought it was cool, but Lindsey was freaked out. She got jumpy and kept saying we needed to go back to town, that it wasn’t safe, and that it was creepy. We all ignored her. That was why we were here. Because it was creepy. We started telling spooky stories, making comments about how we were probably in the same spot where some of the town decided to kill the others, probably roasted bits of them over a fire just like we were doing with the hotdogs. Lindsey just got jumpier and jumpier to the point where she was twitching at every slight sound or movement. A leaf would fall and she’d practically jump out of her skin.

            After dinner, we decided to go to bed. We put out the fire and went into the tent. Lindsey was still freaked out and laid there, jerking and twitching and whimpering at every tiny sound. Since no one could sleep with Lindsey upset, we sat up for a bit and played cards. Everything was good and she was finally calming down.

That’s when we heard the singing. It was faint, we could barely tell it was singing, but nothing else makes those sounds. Besides, it sounded like words. I mean, yeah, I know the human mind is weird and since it was so faint it would be hard to tell for sure what it was, but it was definitely singing. Lindsey told us to knock it off, that we weren’t funny. We told her that we weren’t doing it, it wasn’t us, we had no idea what it was. She got quiet and we just listened. The singing got closer and it…it was definitely singing. It sounded like, and you’re going to laugh at me, but it sounded like “We’re Off to See the Wizard” from The Wizard of Oz, just that song repeated over and over. It was…ominous. Like, it wasn’t upbeat like the song from the movie. It was…slower. More like a funeral march or a chant or something.

We heard people moving around the tent and kind of mumbling as they walked, but we could still hear the singing. It wasn’t coming from the people outside our tent—they were mumbling along to the song, but not singing—but it was louder than it had been, but still faint. Like, it got closer, then farther away. Like it was trying to entice us to follow it.

Larry opened the tent to tell the people to clear out. Things get a little hazy after that, but I remember seeing so many people, just walking and mumbling along to the song. Then, I heard Lindsey begin mumbling the song too. Larry quickly closed the tent flap and we sat there until the singing faded and the people went away. We slept in shifts that night and agreed that we were going to leave at first light.

We packed up the tent and started the hike back to town. We started shortly after seven, because it was just then light enough. We started hiking back down the trail, we passed the creek. We were making good time, or at least we thought we were. But then, we came to the clearing where we’d set up the tent the day before. I know it was the same clearing because there wasn’t one before the creek and this one had remnants of our fire. They noticed and we kept walking. We passed the creek again and came back to the clearing again. We heard the music, distant, again, but kept walking.

I don’t know how long we walked, but we passed that creek several times. I stopped counting. Night was falling and we were hungry so we set up the tent again in the clearing, started the fire, and roasted the remaining hot dogs. We were convinced that we’d just got turned around and we would find the right way home tomorrow. We went in the tent after putting out the fire and the singing came again. We heard the singing, we heard the people. We slept in shifts again.

We got up, packed up the tent, got walking again. Walked past the creek, walked past the clearing, walked past the creek. On and on and on. We kept walking then camped when it got dark and slept in shifts. We did this for several days. Every day, it was like the singing got closer, but then fainter. Soon, Courtney was chanting the damn song again and again in a daze.

Still, we kept our routine. We were so hungry. I don’t know what we did about food, but I know we must have eaten something because we weren’t hungry. I worry about what we did because this blood came from somewhere, something. It doesn’t matter. After the second week of walking and passing that creek, we came to the wall. Twenty feet long, seven feet tall. Just…there. There was nothing stopping us from just going around it or even over it—Larry and I were both athletic enough to climb it—but we didn’t. We just kept walking. We passed the creek again and the clearing and the wall. We didn’t even camp, didn’t stop. We kept walking and walking.

I think Lindsey disappeared first. I don’t really know. I just know that we passed the wall again several days later and I suddenly realized I didn’t hear her crying anymore. I mentioned it to the others and they just…stared at me. Through me. That’s when I noticed the blood on our faces and hands. We kept walking.

Courtney was next. It wasn’t like with Lindsey. It was more I just felt like our group had gotten smaller and then realized there was just me and Larry and the others.

Arch. Welch: Others?

Rhodes: Yeah, the others. We weren’t alone walking. There were others. The ones we heard mumbling along to the song and saw walking that first night. They were there too. They were just walking and mumbling. I don’t think they were really there, but I don’t know. They looked real enough but they never spoke to or looked at us. They just kept walking like we did.

            Larry vanished next and the others stopped walking. I stopped too. I…I heard the singing still, but I also felt like I was being told to go home. I turned and walked through the crowd, all of them staring at the wall without moving. They started walking again and I walked back down the trail, past the clearing, past the creek, and past the landmarks we’d seen on the hike there. I saw the trailhead and finally came out in town. Some guy, a ranger or something, picked me up and brought me here. I still hear the singing, very faintly, but I’m not going back. It doesn’t want me back yet.

Arch. Welch: Statement ends. It would appear that the initial incident at Location 009R was not an isolated one. This latest incident has also made it abundantly clear that The Wizard of Oz film that was confiscated following the initial incident is not connected, though it is still very odd that the ones who vanish quote the movie. Still, that particular copy of the film is not at fault. More research will need to be done and it might be a good idea to limit broadcasting and showings of The Wizard of Oz, at least until we have a better understanding of how that movie connects to the events surrounding Location 009R.

Arch. Welch: Addendum—As of September twenty-seventh, Lindsey Turner’s body—or what remained of it—was found on the trail near what looked to be the clearing they camped at, though there are no signs of a fire or of the tent being pitched. She was killed, blunt force trauma, and her body was either scavenged or cannibalized.

This isn't the last time we've seen Paul Rhodes. The trail isn't finished with him as we'll see on September 2nd. 

Corbin Cove Locations: Hallowed Grounds Coffee Bar, Lord of the Fries, & Rizzo's Pizzeria

So, last time Corbin Cove was mentioned, I gave a brief introduction. Not much, but just enough to give you an idea about the people who live there and what they deal with on a day-to-day basis. In this post, we'll take a little tour of the town itself and visit a couple of the more popular locations, starting with Hallowed Grounds Coffee Bar.

A favorite location of anyone craving a caffeine fix, Hallowed Grounds Coffee Bar is located inside a former church and surrounded by the cemetery. Many of the drinks and pastries have names related to the dead, such as the crowd favorite "Wake the Dead," which is an espresso that has almost the fatal dose of caffeine. Almost, for most people. Order at your own risk and only after consulting with your doctor and making arrangements. Just in case. 

Recently, they've announced that they will begin serving ice cream and sandwiches along with their pastries and coffee so that, in the event they run out of pastries, they will have alternatives to offer their respected patrons so their valued employees won't be harassed or subjected to unwarranted ire such as having coffee thrown at them or being cursed. This is one of the reasons why the book club is banned. 

Another favorite restaurant is Lord of the Fries which boasts the most portals to Hell of anywhere, except perhaps the Town Hall. This isn't what they're known for, however. They are known for their burgers and fries. The fries are bottomless, as are the drinks. The fries replenish themselves as soon as a small portion of the plate is visible. The drinks never seem to decrease, no matter how much you drink. 

The burgers are thick and juicy, always flame-grilled to perfection based on what the customer likes. The burgers are made of a variety of different meat from the fairly standard beef, lamb, and pork to the uncommon like goat, venison, and bison and the more exotic such as zebra, kangaroo, and human. There are also vegan and vegetarian options available including burgers made of meat substitute and plant-based materials. 

The third restaurant on our tour, but by no means the last, is Rizzo's Pizzeria. Rizzo's is popular with families and is the place to order from when no one knows what they want, can't agree on dinner, or just doesn't want to cook. The prices are reasonable, the ceiling is clear so guests can watch the hypnotic lights that are regularly seen overhead, and there's only very rarely a mafia meeting or murder. 

The hypnotic lights often seen overhead are one of the town's most entertaining sights, at least for children or newcomers. Like a more active aurora borealis, the lights flicker and dance across the night sky in strange patterns and colors. According to Soren Burke, head chef and owner of Ennui (the most expensive restaurant in Corbin Cove), the lights remind him of home and family gatherings, especially when the lights pulse neon green like his uncle does when he drinks too much alcohol and begins dancing on the dining room table. 

But Soren and Ennui are the subject of another story for another time. This tour is coming to a close for now, but we'll pick it up again. Until next time, stay strange. 

Location 059MV part 5

 We're back with another excerpt from "Location 059MV" and this will be the final one from the park unless I decide to post the redacted ones or write more to this story, which would cover how Location 059MV dealt with a certain pandemic in 2020. For now, though, this is the final part. So kick back under an umbrella and try to beat the heat with a story to give you chills.

Location 059MV

Testimony 2012-06-02

Arch. Fuller: Statement of lifeguard Jacob Andrews regarding the drowning of Cameron Terrell in Location 059MV, recorded direct from subject by Archivist Kris Fuller.

Andrews: Please, call me Jake. Everyone does. Everything was fine. He was swimming in The Wave. Well, the mid-depth section. A lot of people do that. People always kinda swim around in that section, like how people swim around Island Loop. I mean, yeah, we always try to tell people no swimming, but that’s hard to enforce and it usually doesn’t end like this.

Anyway, things were going well. I was getting ready to end my shift. I saw a guy with long matted hair, dripping wet, standing in the middle of The Wave. I mean, yeah, makes sense he’d be dripping wet, right? But something seemed off about him. Like, he looked like he was just naturally wet all the time instead of it being from the water.

I took my eyes off him and went back to scanning the water, looking for any signs of drowning. Drowning isn’t like what you see in the movies. It’s quiet, subtle. It can happen when the person’s right next to someone and the person they’re beside will never notice. I saw Cameron, swimming in the mid-depth section. He stopped after a moment and stood, back turned to the deeper section where the waves originate. He was probably getting ready to body-surf his way back to shore since the waves were about to start.

The waves started and I noticed right away something was different. The waves were larger than normal. Still, I wasn’t worried. Sometimes the one who operates the waves makes big ones. Cameron was still going okay. Then I don’t know, maybe someone called his name, but he turned around to face the deep end right as the largest wave came barreling toward him. The man with matted hair was, and this is going to sound insane, but he was part of the wave, riding it like it was part of him and he was racing toward Cameron. He and Cameron collided and went under.

I blew the whistle, the waves slowly stopped, everyone went to get out of the water, and I got in. The other lifeguards also helped me look for Cameron. Then someone screamed. We went over to shore and there he was, lying on the shore, washed up by a wave. He was dead and it looked like he’d drowned days ago instead of a few minutes ago. Still, one of the others tried to do CPR while we radioed for an ambulance. The one who tried to do CPR cleared his airway and threw a glob of seaweed to the side. Seaweed. The only place we have seaweed is in the pools for Expedition Ocean and only official animal caretakers and tank cleaners are allowed in there. Where would he have gotten it? How?

One of them picked up the seaweed and tossed it in the trash before the EMTs got there. I demanded to know why they did that. They said that it wasn’t important. It didn’t contribute to the drowning. I mean, yeah, I can’t argue with that. Because I know he drowned in the water here, but the seaweed comes from Expedition Ocean and he looked like he’d been dead two days at least and he couldn’t have been.

I told the others about the man with the matted hair I’d seen. The others looked uncomfortable and said to drop it. I know your agency deals with weird things so I came here, hoping you’d take a statement and look into it. I just want justice for Cameron Terrell.

Arch. Fuller: Statement ends. I am surprised a lifeguard for Location 059MV-UR came to give a statement. It is usually in the policy that no one officially affiliated with Location 059MV or receiving any kind of financial support from Location 059MV will discuss matters with those outside the location. I don’t know if this means that the owner of Location 059MV considers us affiliated or if Mr. Andrews didn’t get the memo. I suppose if Mr. Andrews ends up dead, we’ll have our answer.

Arch. Fuller: Mr. Andrews was found in the water of Island Loop, drowned, on June fifth of this year. It would appear that he didn’t realize he wasn’t permitted to talk to outsiders.

Testimony 2014-09-23

Arch. Fuller: Statement of Esme Kennedy regarding the death of Nash Collins in Location 059MV-UR recorded direct from subject by Archivist Kris Fuller.

Kennedy: Okay, so I know that you’ve probably heard that he was drunk and not a strong swimmer, but he was part of the swim team in high school and college. He was also completely sober. He didn’t have any alcohol that day or any drugs. I’m sure of it. The autopsy report is wrong. I don’t know why, but the medical examiner is lying. I know I sound crazy and like, why would they lie since that’s illegal, but the report is wrong. He was sober and he was a strong swimmer. I don’t know why his parents would say he wasn’t. He trained to be a lifeguard, you know? They don’t let weak swimmers train to be lifeguards, do they?

            So, we went to the park and everything was great. We went on Fortune Rapids and Nash seemed edgy. I asked him what was up and he said that he felt watched and hunted. He told me that he kept seeing this guy with long, matted hair watching him. I said I hadn’t seen anyone like that and asked if there was anything else about him and Nash said that the guy looked kind of like his skin was actually a wetsuit. Like it had that kind of look, kind of like seal-skin, you know? I said that was weird and we left it at that. We avoided the Wave because neither of us were really in the mood for waves that day and decided to just float around the Island Loop for a little bit.

            We were floating around, all chill and everything, and then he sat up in the inner tube and looked around. He said he felt like he was being watched again. I told him there were plenty of people around and no one was really looking at him specifically. He said someone was watching him, he could feel it. I brushed it off and lounged in my tube. He gradually relaxed again. He sat up again, freaked out, a little while later and I got kind of annoyed when I asked him what. He said something touched his foot. I told him it was probably some stupid kid swimming and to chill out. He was less than happy with that and told me he was convinced it was the guy that had been watching him. I told him he was being paranoid and to knock it off. I pushed my tube away from him, annoyed and turned away from him. I…I wish I hadn’t. That was the last time I saw him alive, you see.

             I heard splashing behind me and when I turned around, he was floating face down in the water. I got out of the tube and went over to him, yelling for help. The lifeguard jumped in and went to him, pulled him out of the water and started CPR while another one called for a medic and held me back. The medics got there and carried him out of the park. I was about to call his parents when a security guard escorted me to the office and asked for their number. I gave it to him. I figured, you know, he expected me to be a wreck—and I was—and was going to talk to them instead so they’d understand more than my incoherent sobbing explanation. They were already at the hospital when I got there and told me he was gone. After hearing what they told the reporters and what the autopsy said, I knew I needed to go to someone with the truth. So I came here.

Arch. Fuller: Statement ends. As Ms. Kennedy said, the autopsy report released to the public is inaccurate. The actual report states cause of death to be drowning and asphyxiation due to seaweed in the mouth and also pieces in the lungs. There were also bruises on his head where he hit the bottom of the pool, but these were not severe enough to cause disorientation, unconsciousness, or concussions. We need more information about the entities and the best method would be, unfortunately, to talk to Shaw. Though, I suppose I could make an argument that we could send a few members of support team Omicron into the park to study them, but that presents its own problems as the entities have proven to be quite hostile. Of course, given that the Superior Read has some type of agreement with the Executioner, perhaps the entities would be less hostile in this case. I will make the suggestion to Superior Read and see what he says.

Testimony 2015-02-15

Arch. Fuller: Statement of Kerry Brooks regarding the disappearance of her boyfriend Cullen Carr in Location 059MV on Valentine’s Day, recorded direct from subject by Archivist Kris Fuller.

Brooks: I don’t know what could have happened. One minute, we were together on the Star Wheel, enjoying our date and then, when we got off, he was gone. I couldn’t find him anywhere. I asked security and they showed video of me arriving by myself and spending the day alone. I showed photos of him on my phone, photos that I’d taken that day of us, but in the ones taken that day, I was alone. The ones also showed me as alone, but I know he was there. I know he’s real and I know he disappeared there.

            After security didn’t help me, I called his parents to ask them if maybe he’d gotten home. They, they said they didn’t have a son and didn’t know who I was or why I was calling them. I started freaking out and they hung up after telling me not to call them again or they’d call the police. I called the police and they came to the park, talked to me, talked to security, looked at the security footage, and called my parents.

            My parents came to get me and apologized to the police and security, telling them that I’d recently had a prescription change and that it must be disagreeing with me. I started yelling at them, telling them that Cullen was real and he’d vanished and we had to find him. No one listened to me and my parents took me home.

            The owner of the park came by that evening and offered me a substantial sum if I would drop the topic of Cullen and sign a nondisclosure agreement. My parents urged me to take the money, pointed out that Cullen’s parents already had and they had too, and said that no one would believe me if all evidence pointed to Cullen not existing and if Cullen’s own parents denied he was real.

I refused. I love Cullen and I wasn’t going to stop until I found out what happened to him. I wasn’t going to just give up on him. I love him. My parents were furious, but the park owner just seemed…resigned, I guess. He just requested that I come speak to you today and said that he’d leave the nondisclosure agreement with my parents and I could make a decision after. I’m not signing it. I’m not taking the money. I want Cullen back more than I want that stupid money.

Arch. Fuller: Statement ends. Shortly after Ms. Brooks’ statement, a body matching her description of Cullen Carr—and identified by her as Mr. Carr—was found inside one of the gondolas of the Star Wheel. Autopsy reports ruled cause of death to be heart failure due to advanced age despite the fact that Mr. Carr was only seventeen at the time of his disappearance. According to Skye Vega, the medical examiner who performed the autopsy, the condition of Carr’s heart would not be out of place in someone in their late nineties. I wonder if Ms. Brooks decided to sign the NDA and take the money after all. 

Testimony 2017-03-19

Arch. Fuller: Statement of Jesse Dunn regarding a strange vision right before the Star Wheel incident in Location 059MV, recorded direct from subject by Archivist Kris Fuller.

Dunn: You’re not going to believe me. No one does. I don’t believe me. But I saw it. I was in the gondola with Macie Pratt and everything was good. Then, we get to the highest point and the Star Wheel jerks to a stop. The gondola sways wildly, then there’s a horrible creaking and suddenly, it’s hurtling towards the ground. Macie’s thrown from it and breaks her back on one of the bars. I stay in the gondola until it hits the ground, then it crushes me and I’m back in line, ready to board the gondola. I told Macie we shouldn’t ride it, but she wanted to and tried to pull me on there. I said no and I backed off. I got out of line and I watched as the gondola with Macie went up to the highest point, then it snapped free of the bolt holding it and crashed down. Macie was still thrown free and broke her back on the bar, but no one was killed by the gondola hitting the ground. I don’t know what happened. I just know that I saw it happen and I avoided dying that day. I just wish Macie had listened.

Arch. Fuller: Statement ends. The bolts holding the gondola in place were found to be corroded and that led to the gondola breaking free and plummeting to the ground. Mr. Dunn is being tested and examined by support team Psi to find out if this was a true prophecy or if it was due to one of the entities of Location 059MV, namely Eternal Jenny or the Jester.

As has been the pattern, the next few posts involving excerpts from The Agency will be parts from the longer ones. I'll be posting new entries from The Agency once they're written so keep checking back if you want a new spooky entry.