Kicking off the sacred spooky month of October is an excerpt from The Agency that was inspired by the short story "The Night Wire" by H.F. Arnold that was first published in 1926 and the creepypasta story "The Disappearance of Ashley, Kansas." This one is going to be told in two posts. The first post, this one, will feature the background of the location and the testimonies of civilians. The second post will feature the testimonies of the agency team that was sent to investigate the location. 

So, kick back, relax, and enjoy "Location 078U."

Location 078U

Location 078U

 

Location Description & History

Location 078U is or rather was a small town in the Mojave Desert. Due to the events outlined in Testimonies 2013-04-11-A, -B, and -C, Location 078U is under strict containment protocols with custodians having strict “No Trespassing” signs posted in an attempt to keep people away from the site as well as detaining any trespassers. The trespassers who survive Location 078U are either invited to become part of the Agency if they are determined to be capable or forced to sign a nondisclosure agreement and offered a substantial sum of money to guarantee their silence.

            Many of the new recruits claim that Location 078U is Area 51. This is incorrect. Area 51 is a United States military installation under the control of the United States government. What they do at Area 51 is not the concern of the Agency, though they sometimes will call in a field team if things get a bit out of the realm of what their training covers.

            Location 078U is the small town that used to be located near Area 51 where those who worked at Area 51 lived. Much like the town of Pripyat after the Chernobyl meltdown, Location 078U is now abandoned. At the edge of Location 078U, the custodians set perimeter fences and guard stations. No one enters Location 078U without the proper gear.

            Inside the borders of Location 078U, the buildings stand derelict and the main street is cracked. The bank, town hall, jail, and shops are rundown. The jail is the best of these, the cells still completely intact. The houses appear to have been maintained despite having been abandoned for the same length of times as the rest of the town. The church is less so. The chapel itself is crumbling, little more than rubble. The graveyard contains soil that appears freshly disturbed.

            At approximately seven in the morning of April 7th in 2013, there was an earthquake of a comparatively low magnitude (2.4) centered in Location 078U. There was little damage done to the buildings and everyone arrived at church or work with only minor delays due to being shaken by the earthquake. It wasn’t until that afternoon that people realized that their phones no longer worked. No one was particularly worried, though. They just assumed that phone lines had been damaged by the earthquake and would be repaired soon. Their cell phones were still functional, though those who received calls from people in the town reported that there seemed to be the sound of rushing wind and the call cut in and out.

            Around three that afternoon, a dense fog appeared in the graveyard of the church. This was a bit strange as fog isn’t common in the area. The fog began spreading from the graveyard and soon enveloped the church, growing in height to cover it completely. It continued spreading out from the graveyard until it enveloped the town as a low-hanging mist by seven o’clock. At eight o’clock that evening, a fire broke out in the vicinity of the church.

            Witness statements (Testimonies 2013-04-08-A and -B) provide information regarding what transpired in Location 078U beyond this point, as far as they know.

Testimony 2013-04-08-A

Arch. Cross: Statement of Kit Spence regarding the events leading up to the desertion of Location 078U. Statement recorded direct from subject by Archivist Declan Cross.

Spence: Does that mean I tell my story now?

Arch. Cross: Yes, you can tell your story now. Start from the beginning if you can. From when the fire started at the church.

Spence: I don’t know much ‘bout that. I havta be in bed by eight on Sunday ‘cause I have school in the morning. But I saw the glow of the fire from my window when I was fallin’ asleep. I heard Momma tellin’ Grant—that’s my second daddy—that if the fire got any closer, we’d havta leave. I fell asleep and dreamed. I dreamed of the earthquake and the fog and voices. Daddy’s voice. I heard him talking in the fog but I couldn’t see him. Then I heard screaming and I ran and I ran and I ran and then I fell and I woke up. I was on the floor and the house was quiet and it was dark. It wasn’t the quiet of everyone being asleep. It was the quiet of everyone being gone. Like they left without me. I was alone.

Arch. Cross: What happened after you realized you were alone?

Spence: I cried. I cried for a long time and then realized I could still hear the screaming from my dream and the fire glow was still in my window. I ‘membered what Daddy said when I was sleeping.

Arch. Cross: What did your daddy say?

Spence: He said to run. Go out the window and run, run until I’m not in town anymore. So I did what he said and started putting together a to-go bag. You know, a bag that you put things in before you leave a place in a hurry. I took my homework out of my backpack and put my favoritest teddy that Grant gave me, a coloring book Daddy sent me for my birthday—I’m five now, and the stuffed heart Momma hand sewed for me in it. I got dressed—I dress myself all the time, but Momma picked out my clothes—and got my blanket and my pillow and a flashlight that Grant gave me to keep the monsters away. He also gave me Monster-Be-Gone spray, too, and would spray my closet and under the bed every night before bed. I hope Daddy knows about the spray. He probably does. They talked all the time. They said good night every night when Daddy called to talk to me about what my day was like, like how Momma and Grant would call whenever I visited Daddy.

Arch. Cross: What did you do after putting your things in the backpack and getting dressed?

Spence: I put the Monster-Be-Gone spray in my backpack with everything and then opened the window. I tossed the pillow out, then climbed out with my blanket and my flashlight. I picked up the pillow and started running. I ran the opposite way of the church. I ran and ran and ran until I didn’t think I could run any more. That’s when I saw Ms. Gibbs’ truck. I know I’m not supposed to get into a car with a stranger, but Ms. Gibbs’ is my teacher and she was leaving town, too. She even had her aminals with her, all her aminals, and she has a lot of aminals. She has Ed the horse, Murry Purry the kitty, Spot the puppy, Jack the donkey, Sergeant Shooper the sheep, Nannie the goat, all her chickens and ducks, and the class fish Finster. She put me in the front seat even though I’m not supposed to ride up front and then we left town and went to Area 51 where Grant worked. They didn’t want to let us in, but Ms. Gibbs’ yelled at them until they listened to her and let us in. Then they gave me a granola bar and some juice and told me they’d call Daddy.

Arch. Cross: They did. He’s on his way here. His flight will get in soon. You can take a nap in the waiting room now if you want.

Spence: Thank you. I’m tired. Good-bye. It was nice to meet you, Mister Archivist.

Arch. Cross: Statement ends. Kit Spence’s father Lucas Spence arrived and took Kit back to his home in Maine where he lives with his significant others, Simone and Patrick Thomas. Had Kit not gone out the window and instead gone through the house, he would have seen his mother Bethany and stepfather Grant Levine encountering the creatures, likely being killed or at least mentally scarred for life.

Testimony 2013-04-08-B

Arch. Cross: Statement of Nadia Gibbs regarding the events leading up to the desertion of Location 078U. Statement recorded direct from subject by Archivist Declan Cross.

Gibbs: I live further out than most, closer to the town sign. There’s more space for my farm there. It’s not really a farm, but the kids think it is. I suppose it is in a way. I’ve got my horse—an old gelding named Ed, like the show—and my donkey, Jack. I trail-ride in the summer and on good days in the fall. Sometimes Spot, my dog, comes with me. He’s an Anatolian Shepherd. I let the kindergarten class I had when I got him as a puppy name him. Anyway, I’m getting off topic. I went to bed that night after putting up the animals. I distantly saw the fire at the church as I settled into bed. Spot was by my bedside, which was unusual for him. Usually, he’d be outside or laying in the kitchen near the door. Murry Purry, my cat, curled up on the bed near my head. She’d usually be on the desk by the window or out hunting, but anyway. It was an eerie night.

            That night, I dreamed and it was a strange one. I dreamed of the earthquake and the fog. I was in the fog and I could hear screaming, then I heard the voice of Annika Middleton, a friend of mine from college. She’s a principal at a school in Maine and has invited me to teach at the school before. I suppose I’m going there now. In the dream, I heard Annika calling me and telling me to grab my things and run.

            I woke up and instantly got ready to leave. Murry Purry got in her carrier without trouble. Spot helped me gather the chickens and ducks, though they weren’t a problem. Ed, Jack, my sheep Sergeant Shooper, and my goat Nannie went into the trailer without any fussing. I put the chickens and ducks in the bed of the truck in their crates. Spot hopped in the truck and I put the carrier in. I almost just drove out of town, but had to go to the school. I needed to get our class fish Finster.

            As I drove, I kept seeing these shapes in the fog. Nothing very clear, fog was too thick. They were these dark shapes. Dark, tall, spindly shapes. Too long limbs. Too dark. Only their eyes and teeth stood out. Eyes were flame-like and their teeth too white, though that could have been because of how dark their bodies were. Ever been in a cave in the dark? It was the same kind of blackness with these creatures. I saw one. It was lying on top of someone—I wish I could tell you who, but I couldn’t see the face, just hear the screams—and it was...it was merging with that person. Absorbing them like magnetic slime pulling in metal. It looked at my truck as I drove past, but it didn’t do anything. I don’t think it could do anything, being in the middle of that as it was.

            I broke into the school and my classroom, getting the fish tank. I buckled it into the back with the others and off we went. I drove and kept hearing the screaming, but I didn’t stop. I didn’t stop until I saw Kit Spence—he’s a student of mine—running in the road, heading out of town like I was. I stopped, let him in, and drove to Area 51. I yelled at the gate guard until he agreed to let us in and radio someone to check on the town. Well, I suppose they sent you here to see if what we had to say is worth investigating before they send someone out there.

Arch. Cross: You said you heard screaming. Where was it coming from?

Gibbs: Everywhere. The church, graveyard, houses. It was all around. I couldn’t really see anything because of the fog. I would’ve hit Kit if it weren’t for his light up shoes. Are they going to send someone to the town for survivors? What caused this?

Arch. Cross: I don’t know, ma’am. A team is being dispatched to the town and a perimeter fence is being put up to keep things contained and look for survivors.

Gibbs: Good. I hope there are more survivors. I hope Kit’s parents are okay.

Arch. Cross: Statement ends. Nadia Gibbs waited until Kit’s father arrived from Maine before she began the drive there with her animals. Her animals all seemed to be throwing more of a fuss, particularly the chickens and ducks. It appears that whatever caused them to change their behavior and cooperate to leave town has ceased to affect them. 

The next post will be the conclusion to this entry and more information will be shared about what precisely is going on in this unnamed and now deserted town.