Back For Now

I've lost track of how long it's been since my last post.

I've been stealing glances into the blue orb for months now, and I've noticed a pattern, almost like a sequence of events. There were the two men taking pictures in the forest - the first one, the man whose face I recognized immediately, is almost certainly my father; still not sure who the second man, the one in the red hat, could be - then I come through the door and meet up with Brandon. Then Jack comes through the door. We meet up with the large group. Jack and I find Brandon and Emily's corpses. Jack is taken. I shoot Jack. Then, however, things take a turn.

I thought that the Agent would take Jack back to the cave, and then sometime later I would join them. But instead, I see the Agent take Jack to a tree with a noose hanging from it, and I see Jack hang himself, only to then step down, seconds later, and follow the Agent to the cave.

I found this out a month ago, and I've been trying to figure out what the Agent wants with Jack's reanimated corpse. Then, three days ago, I found a lead.

The red orb reappeared in the chamber three days ago. Instead of looking into the blue orb, I looked into this one - and I saw the cell phone that Jack and I were originally using, with this symbol imposed over it:

The cell phone is somehow important to this whole mess - and I think that Jack and the Agent are looking for it. I pray they don't find out that I've had it, hidden in my pack, this entire time.

I'm not sure what would happen if they did.

Another Orb

Jack and the Agent were both gone today when I woke up. I checked the area and made sure they weren't close, and then grabbed the blue orb.

Inside the blue orb, I saw a man taking pictures of a cave. It wasn't too out of the ordinary were it not for one thing: the cave he was taking pictures of was the cave Jack and I were hiding out in. The one Brandon and Emily were killed in.

I've never seen the man before, but he was wearing a red hat with a white A on it that looked strikingly familiar, but I couldn't place it. He certainly isn't what I THOUGHT I saw in the orb the other day, because I would never forget the face of the person I thought I saw... I think.

It was just a glance, though... I still remember his face. I haven't forgotten him. No, that's ridiculous. I remember him.

Maybe if I say it enough times it'll be true.

Doubt

Jack is hiding something.

We've been "working" for the Agent for a few weeks now, and I've come to the conclusion that Jack knows something he isn't telling me. He'll leave the cave for hours at a time, come back exhausted, and go to sleep immediately, not even acknowledging my questions. I'll go to sleep before he wakes up, and then when I wake up the Agent is there, standing over the orbs while Jack sits in the corner.

When they were both gone one day I picked up one of the other orbs - the green one - and stared into it. I saw a man with a large camera taking photographs of trees. The scene shifted, and I saw another person taking photographs of trees in a different location. The scene continued to change, showing many people taking photographs with many different kinds of cameras. I put the orb back, and not much later Jack came running back in, giving me an accusatory stare - somehow, he knew.

I haven't looked into the other ones yet, but I caught a glimpse of something in the blue orb that, if true, means that we are in danger. I am awaiting a chance to look into it and see if what I saw was what is actually there.

If it is, then may God help me.

Actually, that should be god, not God.

Update #10

I'm sorry it's been so long since my last update. I know you guys were probably more than a little concerned, given everything that has happened, and I suppose I oWe you an explanation.

Not long after my last update the phone I have been using stopped working altogether. The screen was black and it wouldn't turn on. I'm not exactly sure what had kept it running so long anyway - but at any ratE, it wasn't functioning, so I couldn't update, check e-mail, or anything of the sort. I tried to find a phone on the bodies, but was unsuccessful. I was cut off from the outside world completely.

With nothing else left to do, no leads to follow or things to investigate, I decided to go back through the door back to the redwood forest where I found Jack and that creature. I approached the door and then the whispering sound that I heArd back in the redwood forest showed up again, but much louder this time. I was able to make out two short phrases in the loud mess of voices: "you aren't done yet" and "the agent is coming".

I ran from the door quicKly and went back to my cave, staying there the rEst of the night, listening to the voices over and over in my memory. They're haunting. I can still hear them very clearly. The next day, after vaiN attempts at sleeping, I decided to go back to the door. When I got there, however, it was wide open. The photo of the redwoods was on the ground again, so the door was opened into the forest I was in. I approached It carefully, and wheN I got right next to the frame, the creature Glided straight in front of me.

I didn't move. I was frozen with fear. The thing looked - well, it doesn't have eyes, but if it did - looked straight into mY eyes and stared for a few seconds. The longer it stared, the more oddly relaxed I became. It took a step - well, sort of glided, I didn't see its legs move - backward and extended a hand, beckoning me step forward through the door. BefOre I could react my legs moved forward and the door closed behind me.

It was just me and the creature in the clearing on the other side of the door. I didn't dare look at it again, for fear of the odd hold it seemed to have over my mind and body. I heard the door behind me open again, and the creature glided throUgh and once again beckoned me through to the other side. This time, however, there was a large expanse behind the door - dark, with a very dim light off in the distance. Once again I stepped through not of my own volition, but by this point I didn't really care - I wanted to see what this creature was doing.

It was a hallway - stone, maybe. I walked and the creature glided for what felt like hours , but eventually we reached the light at the end. It was still very dimly lit, but in the room was an odd altar-like structure with five glass orbs resting on it. More important, Jack sat in the corner. There was no evidence of the gunshot wound from my previous attempt to kill the creature. He didn't seem to notice that we had entered until I called his name, and even then he very slowly looked up and said hello very halfheartedly, as if he wasn't surprised to see me.

Then he started talking.

Now, I warn you: this may be rather alarming given past events in the blog. You may think I have gone crazy, but I can assure you that I am in my right mind in every way and that everything I say is true.

Jack told me that the creature is called the Agent. He said that we have to help him. I asked him what we needed to help him do, and why we should help him given what he has done to us. He didn't say anything. He walked over to the altar with the glass orbs - I noticed then that there were spots for two more - and picked up a pink one and placed it in my hands.

I looked inside, and saw what looked like the creature shackled and tied to a wall. An unseen being was striking the Agent with a blunt instrument. The message was fairly clear - this creature was a slave.

Jack took the orb and placed it back on the altar, then picked up the candle that was illuminating the room. He walked over to the wall and beckoned me over. On the wall in an untidy scrawl were written hundreds of short messages. The most important ones were "blackthirteen" (all as one word) and "he kills and killed them".

Jack says we have to help this creature, the Agent, and end "blackthirteen" so that we can go home. I have no choice but to trust him.

Update #9

That was an incredibly stupid thing to do.

I'm not sure what exactly came over me... but as you can see from the past few updates, I clearly flat out tried to attack that thing.

After that last blog post, I went through the door into the redwood forest. I walked around for about three hours before I started hearing things. It was sort of like a person talking, but it was very hushed as if they were whispering so that a person only right next to them could hear. I couldn't make out what it was saying. At this point I realized that I had drawn the gun I found in the other forest. I was somewhat disoriented by that, and walked away confused.

Another few hours passed. I found another door - or maybe it was the same door? I couldn't tell. At any rate, I approached with caution - due caution, in fact, as moments later I found myself tackled to the ground. I fought back briefly before seeing that it was Jack, with a sort of glazed look in his eyes. I tossed him off of me and saw the creature not far behind him, standing off to the side. I reached for my gun and took aim, and fired a shot.

The bullet hit the creature in the head, but nothing happened. The creature slowly tilted its head to the left, as if studying me. As I took aim again, I saw its arm make a very slow motion. I fired another shot. Jack jumped in front of the creature, and the bullet hit two of his fingers on his left hand. I heard his anguished cry and glanced over at him for a brief second before turning back to the creature to take aim. In that instant, the creature was upon me and I felt myself shoved through the door nearby back into the other forest, with the door slamming shut behind me.

What made me think that creature could be harmed - much less outright killed - by normal bullets is beyond me, but it was foolish, rash, and dangerous, and I only ended up hurting Jack even more. But now I know I have to find some way to save him, after seeing what that creature has done to him.

(Oh, and a parting note: While the phone is clearly still operational, the brief brawl with Jack led to the screen cracking a good deal. I can still read it and use the touch screen, but it isn't in perfect condition anymore. I hope it continues to work.)

Update #8

Oh shit. Looks like that thing is using Jack to make blog posts again. Fortunately, I can still get in. Unfortunately, for some reason, I can neither change the password nor delete the post. I'm not sure what to make of it, but I don't really care. Whatever the hell that thing is, it's once again using Jack as a proxy for whatever twisted schemes it has in store.

I found a weapon on a corpse today with some ammunition. I fired a shot off to make sure it worked; I'll have to get used to the recoil, but otherwise it's fine. I also found a knife and some food rations, since there aren't likely to be a bunch of corpses in California.

I checked on the door again today, and it appears to be in working order still. I'm going through tomorrow after resting tonight.

Hi guys. Did you miss me? Sorry its been so long since my last post i went on vacation.