CreepCast - Left Right Game Pt. 2 | Creep Cast

Episode Date: March 10, 2024

In this episode, we conclude the story of a haunting, otherworldly road game full of secrets and revelation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It is the cold habitual, and it is the froy of the mountains blue. The froy at its summit. Cozlight. T'enovee in a fraud. Celebrate in a fashion responsible, you have to have the age legal for consuming the alcohol.

Welcome back to Creepcast How you doing? How you doing? Left right game, I'm so excited. We are completing the left-right game today. We are on part two. This is getting a lot of excitement here in the comments we've been seeing a lot of people asking for it.

In my videos, especially, I see you guys. Also, I say especially, especially, I see it on my Papa Meat videos about people, they're hounding me. They're barking. They're at the back door barking. That is true. I uploaded a main show.

channel video earlier this week and half the comments were about the video the other half we're like what do you mean we got to wait

another week for the left right why why? I think you know we have not read this yet

which just want to also get we so this is a 10 part series the first episode if you have not listen to the first

part I strongly suggest you do so because we cover the first five parts from this episode on is going to be

six through 10 and I just want to give a shout up because also during the lapse between these episodes, the author of this Neon Tempo, whose name's Jack, reached out,

and he just wanted to say that, you know, he was stoked that we were covering it. So just want to give a shout-out to Jack, Neon Tempo. And we'll also link any future projects or anything else that he's got going on in the description as well, just to make sure that you guys stay up to date because this has been really fun.

We haven't read this before, so I don't even know where it's going. And part five ended on some crazy stuff. And I was going to say, Do you want to give us a little recap? Absolutely. I also want to say, since I now know the creator of this story is watching, Jack, you don't know how satisfying it is to find a story that's about really weird stuff happening, and people

getting picked off and it's creepy, it's absurd, it's unexplainable, it's perfect. I love it. Put more of this into my veins. Thank you for the left, right game. Yeah, seriously. So for those who weren't here for the first part, basically, there is a reporter. This story is about a girl named Alice Sharma who goes on this excursion with a guy named Rob

who has discovered something called the left-right game. And it's pretty simple. You get into a vehicle, you take the first available left turn, then the first available right turn, then the left, then the right, and you continue that until eventually you cross over into what seems to be another plane of existence where there's these very weird, creepy towns,

there's these weird hitchhikers, there's these unexplainable monsters, a lot of strange stuff happens and we started out with seven people right seven or eight people and we're down to five now if I remember yeah two people should have

two people should have died which uh god our fallen soldiers Apollo my boy who you definitely didn't say you hated in the previous one now listen listen the death was very sad Apollo I thought his jokes were a bit you know I could have done

without them, but as a character, he really proved himself to be a selfless, go-getting, good guy. So his death was extreme, I mean, you know, I can do nothing but a nice royal salute to our fallen lad. But I will say, it was pretty cool. Watch, like, he died kind of falling on the sword, you know, to keep her safe. The tragedy of it is she died, too. That's really, yeah, it almost felt like it was not in vain, which at least one of them survived. Now, we're talking about the two girls that were with each other driving in their car Lilith one of them

yeah I believe Lilith survived yes and Eve's the one died yeah and now she is like hell bent on getting to the end of this because she doesn't want both of their deaths to be in vain but I will say too with Alice Sherman you know this this story so far

has been really really fun because I love I love love horror stories where and now I didn't say whore I know I don't I don't pronounce a very well but I love stories that have a skeptic coming in and thinks that they are they know everything and then the kind of universe gets flipped on their head. And Rob has been a great like basically like buddy protagonist in this role, you know, and even his name being

ferryman and he is taking them to what essentially is purgatory and almost like, I mean, I feel like there's going to be a parallel there somehow. Oh yeah. It's really fun. He's taking them across the river sticks for sure yes yeah it feels that way and i think that there's been so many moments that are so subtle and nice like it's really been building like i mean so far the highs are the crazy lady that is just like waiting at the specific turn i think it was like turned 34 39 um and then even the hitchhiker was probably my favorite part so far honestly my favorite part i think was the town they drove through i was going to say that too yeah oh it's so good and that's so we've visual of it yeah we've lost a total of three people now.

We've lost Ace, Apollo, and Eve. But we also have Bonnie, who spoke to the hitchhiker, and now she keeps talking about Winnerby, that they need to get to this town, right? Yeah, there is something going on there.

Definitely a can of worms was opened with her. And I mean, every death has been, I mean, horrible. I mean, like, Ace, you know, driving around this cool Porsche, which it is cool. But, you know, Getting strung up on a tow truck and then driven away is horrible. And then Apollo and Eve pretty much just like drowning in tar.

That's such a cool death. That's such a cool death. Yeah, very, very cool. I was thinking about this like with characters and stuff like that. When a story ends, unless you're going to make a sequel or something, the character is effectively dead, right? Like, even if they get a happily ever after, you're never going to read about them again. So that character is dead to you. So one of the best things an author can give a character is a good death because then their exits not only final in the mind of the reader, but it's impactful.

It meant something. So like I was thinking about Apollo's death. Like it is tragic, but as a character, that is the strongest way he could have exited the stage, right? Yeah. Well, I think that it does something good where we've seen that this universe, that this kind of game they're playing has, you have these characters. like you had the townspeople come out right and you're like okay crazy townspeople so we're safe but now let's get to the point where they deviated off the path the specific game that they're playing and now it's almost like it dips into surrealism and now he is getting taken over by the road

or like the world itself will devour you whole and there's all these other rules and unexplicable things that you don't even understand are now able to get you and kill you yeah i think that that's really fun and especially it's such an unfortunate thing that the most positive character had to be the one to show us that to show us that kind of rule exists so you know like I said rip there's also almost a um a nihilism to Apollo dine after or sorry the person apollo sacrificed himself for dine right afterwards it's almost like a narrative statement of no you can't there are no good guys here right like it's this world is so

outside of the rules of our own don't don't try to be the hero yeah yeah yeah very reminiscent of like uh michael hannocky's funny games where it's kind of uh yeah it's like this world or this situation is all about you know you have to live in the violence kind of thing and you know there is no escaping it and it's really haunting but man i you know i'm curious because i'm wondering we're going to get to a point also and this is i know we're preambling a bit before the reading here, but we're going to get to a spot where I think Rob is going to let people know, like, I've

never been this far. Because that has to happen at some point. Rob is seasoned. He's been in this world before, and no one else really has. And also, even one of the characters is also another skeptic, and she's like a writer who came in, and she thought it was all stupid. But now she is also pretty much shell-shocked. I mean, I think she's

fully bought in now, it seemed like, at least by the end of part five. Rob just starts messing with them Like they're about to get in their cars He's like oh yeah watch out for the flesh puppet And then he like gets in the car He skits off Yeah watch out for that flesh puppet by the way Okay bye

Also don't forget It's like he's also like giving DDR He's like giving DDR like instructions to people He's like left right left right down Left right right right left right left right left right He's like all right guys have fun The whole community game through walkie talkies What's so hard to remember gosh

I don't understand why it's so difficult it's simple left left right right right light left left left left left left left right left left left right left right right left okay do you got that we're going to be driving for seven and a half hours today i really need you to understand that that's going to happen i i need like oh go ahead i was going to say we also forgot to mention that these are being uploaded from somebody who uh is like transcribing was it emails no it's remember he got a document alice or left right dot a and it was a text file with all this in it

yeah right so he's been transcribing this our narrator basically has been transcribing this but I wouldn't even say narrator it's just somebody who preambles

and it's kind of fun it's just like a little thing like being like hey sorry it took me a bit yeah yeah exactly so we still you know doing the same kind of thing that we see on

our slash no sleep a lot which is our kind of realistic person or like real life person giving us these stories how did it get to the board yeah I would

will mention that like my favorite my the details i'm most looking forward to are rob's character arc i want to see where blue jay goes after what she just witnessed what her yep like uh realization with it is and uh of course the scares i can't wait to see how weird this gets i'm excited and uh i will say i've i've been voicing a lot of people i do not expect the voices to be the same from last time i cannot promise that they will be and i also i see all the memes about people, I saw a lot of people talking about my British accent. I'm sorry. She said she was from Britain. I think it's good and I think you should turn it up more. You know what? I'm going to, yeah, at some points, I'm just going to do cockney stuff and you're going to have to just bear with me.

I can't wait. But I've been, I see the memes and how dare you is what I have to say. I say, I look at all of your memes and I say, how dare you? I saw, I saw someone saying it was a comment that was like, Isaiah seems to be like Hunter psychiatrist watching a man go through like a multiple personality breakdown that's what it felt like that's what it felt like yeah it's what the show is

and I get to make money off of it so anyway I will say I'm just glad that you're at least doing Rob it gives it nice at least there's one voice that isn't mine in there yeah yeah although it would be funny to watch you struggle yeah now I'm now I'm even Rob I'll keep you need good

there it is yeah Yeah, that's right. What did I say? Is that your windegoon impersonation? What would you do if you did my voice? What would I do if I... You're kind of up in this register a little bit and you have a little bit of like a southern twang to it.

So sometimes you're kind of up here is what I hear. That's pretty good. Hello, gentlemen. I'm here to talk to you about a story. It's like I'm talking to a mirror. Hearing it now, I'm like, that is the worst impression I think I've ever now. I think that's pretty good. We'll see what they have to say about it.

All right. Anyway, anyway, we need to get to the story. Last thing to mention before we get started is we're on all audio platforms. Or like the big ones, please. So like Spotify, Apple Podcast. So if you'd rather hear it over there than YouTube, go check it out. Or if you have a friend that listens over there, check it out over there. And all the likes and the shares and stuff on there really help us grow to a new

audience it isn't just on YouTube and it really does mean the most so yeah it does it does help that's what they say so please go over there and download and like and all that stuff so on that note we are now on to part six part six the left right game are you ready hunter oh i am stoked let's get let's go part six so once again we have an introduction from our person compiling this uh the stories on the subreddit hi guys sorry it's taken a while to get this posted up i've been busy chasing with U.S. missing persons. I won't waste more of your time. Log us below.

If you have any information, then please send it my way. Thanks for your help, guys. It means a lot. So now we begin with the left-right game. Which, yeah, I forgot that he's saying that he's also been doing this thing trying to see where Alice is even at.

Yeah, he's trying to find her. Because there's like people in the comments. Like, I think I know that turn, that gas station near Phoenix, you know? So it's been an interesting thing. Sick. All right. So we're now on to,

February 12th, I can't remember the dates, but they've been in here, like, what, four or five days at this point? I want to say that they, I want to say that it was, they've definitely been at least four days. Like, I want to say the eighth. Like, I think she got there on the seventh, and I think the first night was on the eighth, if I'm, if I remember right. You're correct. She got there on the seventh. Yeah. So, God, I'm good. Yeah, all right. Don't. All right. Anyway. No, no, no, I'm good. I'm good. Next time he mentions the Jeep, I'm going to need you to calm down, okay? Yeah. Oh. All right. Back to the story. And again, for everyone, this is right after even Apollo just died, and they started driving.

Yes. Yep. Silence used to be an absolute. That's something I definitely miss. Back in the real world, I would stand as self-evident. I would, yes, I would stand as self-evident that a group of people saying absolutely nothing, by definition, could not be saying any less. Maybe things are different on the road. Maybe I just never encountered it before. but it's clear to me now there are degrees beyond silence. A pervasive realm of deafening quiet, which, following the loss of Eve and Apollo, our group has unreservedly embraced.

Constructed out of our collective trauma, cemented with a cruel mixture of grief, guilt, and harrowing self-doubt, it quickly becomes apparent that this silence is stronger than all of us. The challenge of breaking it remains unmet for the rest of the journey. We spend the next few hours burrowing through a featureless, corridor of maize. The stalks rise far above the Wrangler, leaving only a thin strip of clear sky visible like the painted ceiling of a Renaissance church. I find myself glancing intermittently at the CB radio, half expecting, half hoping, for Apollo's voice to crackle through the speaker, bringing words of comfort or a much-needed attempt at levity. After I catch myself staring at the radio for the

fifth time, I decide it might be best to go on with my work. I plug my headphones into my notebook, bring up the audio files I've recorded thus far and set about creating a very rough cut of our first day on the road everybody knows Robb's the god I won't be able to do that much more so I'm stuck that I got to do at least one more time well don't worry he's dead

so you'll be okay I listened through Apollo's first interview making notes for the closing paragraph I'll now be forced to write about him. When I have everything I need, I listen to the interview again. And then once more, it's not lost on me that I just want to hear his voice, to lose myself in a pleasant digital echo,

far removed from the frantic screams that followed him into the asphalt. I'll listen to Eve's interview next. She bristles with excitement as she talks about her upcoming visit to Roswell, steadfastly attempting to recruit me to the effort. She had no idea what she was heading into when she stepped out on a rob's front. lawn. Then again, none of us did. The thin strip of sky is turning deep orange as I reach our encounter with the hitchhiker. It's chilling to hear his voice after the fact to revisit the conniving, veiled pleasantries he employed against us. I cringe as I hear Rob's hand grasp my arm,

a shame that I let myself fall for the hitchhiker's trickery. You did good. I'm sorry for grabbing you. I just didn't want you to do something you'd regret. No, it's fine. I was going to. Do you know what happens if you talk to him? Not sure. Came close myself once, a few years back. The way he looks at you when he thinks he's got you, I don't think I want to know. Rob, I... Pause the audio file, clicking back ten seconds before pressing play again. No, it's fine. I was going to. Do you know what happens if you talk to him? Not sure. Came close myself once.

a few years back, the way he looks at you when he think he's... I certainly didn't notice then at the time. I'd been so shaken by my running with the hitchhiker and so curious about the abandoned car that I'd been completely blind to anything else that had come my way. Maybe Rob misspoke. Maybe he meant to say weeks or months, but if it wasn't a mistake,

if it was a truth, carelessly uttered, that Rob has some explaining to do. The left-right game was posted online in June of 2016, less than a year ago. Not to kill the vibe while you're listening to something horrific, I wanted to take a moment to talk about something fantastic, like today's sponsor, Rocket Money. I'm sure we've all gone over budget on a project or expenses than we originally intended to, or we had a recurring subscription that was charging us every month that we just didn't know about.

Well, now Rocket Money is here to help. Rocket Money is the all-in-one financial app that helps you cancel subscriptions, lower your bills, and overall, manage your money better. Rocket Money not only helps you keep track and cancel unwanted subscriptions, but it helps you set budgets and put that money towards things that you really need. Not only that, but Rocket Money keeps track of your investments and savings to give you a good idea of your net worth and even does things like monitor your credit. I don't know about you, but I for one have a lot going on.

Between my social life and work and everything else, it's hard for me to keep a constant tally of how much money I spend on things like, groceries or rent, much less, you know, projects and things I want to invest in. So having Rocket Money do the hard part for me goes a long way. Rocket Money has helped save their customers an average of $740 a year and cancel a total of over $500 million in unneeded subscriptions. Saving money is very important, but it can be difficult. But now, thanks to Rocket Money, it doesn't have to be.

So go ahead and join the over 5 million users already using the platform. today to get smart about your cash. And right now, there's never been a better time to get in on the offer. Because if you go to rocketmoney.com slash creepcast, you will be able to get started on Rocket Money for free. That is right, for free. You can unlock premium later on to get even more features, but for now, if you just want to check it out

and see if it's something that's right for you, again, had to RocketMoney.com slash Creepcast to get started on Rocket Money today. Thank you all so much for watching the ad. Thank you so much to Rocket Money for sponsoring this episode. It really does to be the most. hope you all check them out link is in the description and we are back to the show oh oh i see he so he claims he's only been doing the left right game for the past year and then he says came close

myself a few years back interesting yeah oh i will say something else that i don't know if i expect it to happen or i just think it might be more it's what i could imagine happening in this scenario. I feel like the group should be more mad at Rob, because even if they were skeptics, right, even if they were going into this like, yeah, the left right game isn't real, blah, blah, blah. Rob knows that it's real, right? And he invited people in, knowing they might die. That seems reckless. Like, for example, Hunter, if I was like, hey, Hunter, there's this cool cave on my property, uh, and it has these, this like giant spider in it that wants to eat people, right? You may not believe me, but what if I was like, hey, Connor, you want to come see this cave?

Yeah, I'd be like, hey, you really should have told me about the fucking eight-foot-tall spider that's in there that's been eating people. And then I'm like, well, I told you it's kind of dangerous. Yeah, exactly. Well, you wouldn't believe me. So what's the point? You were going to think I was lying. Yeah. Well, that's why I'm surprised.

I think that that will probably arise, but I, I'm just, I, Rob's intentions are odd to me. like I think I do wonder how much of his deceit to try to make sure to like get as many bodies as he can to yeah uh for something I'm starting to turn a bit on Rob I think he it's just it's a bit suspicious yeah yeah between that between what Alice just pointed out about the gear thing that I'm scared I'm afraid of him all of a sudden yeah I don't I don't know if I can trust him and what sucks too is that he is I mean he's the ferryman I mean he's the fairy man I mean He knows where to go. He knows what to do. And you're kind of following his lead. I mean, what are you going to do, leave if you do find out his bad, right? Because then also, he, he stages it in a way where he's like, well, you can turn back now. But just remember, you have to go exactly the way.

Yeah, for days. And then you have to go out there by yourself at night. Yeah. At night. And then, hey, yeah, also be sure and, you know, be sure and remember exactly how you came back in. It's like, I doubt people were actually marking. which way they were coming in it's unrealistic to go to even leave without his guidance so so he's kind of got I'm stuck not much you can do you can't get mad and kill him right

because then you're up a creek without a paddle so oh and I do want to say too because I saw some comments saying where do they fuel up there was a part in the story we read last time where like this fuel just does not burn as quick it it still happens but everything requires less energy it's like they're in a stasis almost the farther they go in the less like the fuel burns like they don't have to eat or sleep really it becomes like yeah like i i don't know i wouldn't be surprised if when they come back out time hasn't passed at least not to the same degree it has on the outside that's what i was wondering is if he says a few years back as in like in a perceptive time it's like it's only a oh that's a good point

he's going through if he was like oh i was in here six years or so you know that'd be pretty cool. That'd be a cool turn around if that's what happened. Yeah. Okay, cool. I glanced sideways at him, a wall of corn rushing past us as we approach the rest stop. Throughout this trip, every emotion Rob's displayed has seemed genuine. The sadness, the anger, the concern. They tell a story of a man who cares deeply about the welfare of those around him. Yet at the same time, it's strikingly clear that there's something he isn't telling me. With every new piece of the puzzle, the car, the text message, the faceless creature with the ringing phone, I'm left with the dilemma of when to confront Rob Guthard with what I know. I feel I've gathered enough to bring before him, enough to demand an

explanation, but there's no way I'd be able to truly verify his answer. I have a collection of strange and perplexing notions, lacking in the common thread that could bring me to any workable conclusion. If I'm going to confront Rob, I need to uncover that thread. Much like the greatest journalist of our time, I should know the answer before I ask the question. The Jeep pulls up onto a large green space. Staring straight ahead, I find myself puzzled by the way the ground seems to stop, as if the horizon lies only 20 meters away from the car. As soon as the engine cuts out, I unbuckle my seatbelt, climb out, and walk towards the grassy verge. The rest of the convoy pulls up behind me as I go. I stop a few steps short of the edge, realizing we found our way to the top of a sheer cliff. A sudden swaying vertigo takes me. over, forcing me to take a few steps back. It doesn't feel like we've been heading uphill.

The road has been level since jubilation, yet somehow I'm standing at the edge of a 400-foot rock face descending straight downwards, the distant earth shrouded by stalks of corn. That's the truly strange thing about this monolithic precipice. On either side of me, the maze runs to the very edge of the cliff, and at its base, the endless harvest continues until it stretches beyond the darkening horizon in every direction. It feels like I'm standing on the cliffs of Dover, staring over a golden ocean. Its waves governed by the evening breeze. I wonder for a moment where it ends, then, taking consideration of the world I now occupy,

I start to wonder if it ever does. A belligerent scream rips me from the view. The source of the noise is blocked by the Wrangler, and the first thing I see as I circle around are the shocked, wide-eyed faces of Bonnie and Clyde. Once I make my way past the Wrangler's hood, my expression mimics theirs. Lilith has pinned Blue Jay up to the side of the Jeep, a locked forearm pressing her chest against the door. Her other arm has been grasped in Blue Jay's hands,

desperately stopped before it can strike her across the face. The two of them yelled through gridded teeth as Lilith struggles furiously against her, vying to cause her any conceivable harm. Get the fuck off me, bitch! Get off! I take a few quick steps over to Lilith as Blue Jay attempts to kick her away. Lilith, we can't do this, Jen. Lilith doesn't even register my presence as she continues her assault,

deafened by the bubbling vitriol in every growling breath. Jen, we are not doing this now. Not after... Before I can comprehend what's happening, I'm staring at the sky. My head knocked back by the force of Lilith's flailing elbow. A hot, raw ache radiates across my lower lip as I stagger back, raising my hand over my mouth. Before Lilith can continue her assault, Rob swings open his door and takes two short strides over to her. He puts one arm around the girl's waist and picks her up, carrying her safely, but firmly, over to Bonnie and Clyde's Ford, and planting her back on the ground.

I seem to always forget how strong he is. Damn it, this is not the time. Take it back! Blue Jay has lost her usual snide demeanor, yet her aura still radiates an unbridled scorn. In response to Lilith's demand, Blue Jay walks back to her car and sits on the hood. She takes the marlboros out of her pocket, along with her lighter, and ignites a cigarette. I imagine the burning embers are the only company she's comfortable to accept right now. By the time I look back to the rest of the group, Lilith has stormed away.

What did she say? I didn't hear it all. what did she say bonnie i heard something about she said lilith was that was that were that we were complicit ah damn it bristol can you i watch lilith as she sets on the grass and looks over the cliffside she begins to cry yet i get a strong notion that it's not something i should interrupt it feels like something between her and eve a final act of reactionary morning reserved for them and them alone. Yeah. Don't worry.

I'll handle it. Okay. I'll cook something up. An hour passes. Lilith grows slowly calmer, drifting from cathartic release into a cold, wordless melancholy. Finishing up my dinner and make my way over to her.

It's a strange view. Lilith looks up at me. Her face falls. I cut you I'm so sorry It's fine You should see the other girl Yeah I bet she looks like shit right about now

I help myself down onto the cool ground staring alongside Lilith into the ocean below Blue Jay thinks I'm complicit And what happened to Eve I heard She used to think we were morons Now she thinks we're all in on it Doesn't make sense

I think she I think she has to believe this place is a lie She needs to make sense And make it harder And the harder it gets for her to rationalize The more she Anyway She shouldn't have said what she said

She just I guess the word is troubled She's a fucking thunder cunt Um Okay She's right though I killed her I killed Apollo too

I looked to Lilith concerned Not quite sure what she means Her eyes remained locked on the impossible horizon Sarah She wasn't cut out for this And she knew it She wanted us to turn back this morning

But I didn't want to That wasn't just your decision Lilith Yes it was She She followed my lead Always Through everything and I knew why she was doing it

I knew but I let it continue because it was convenient because it was easy because deep down I liked having someone around who who jumped through fucking hoops for me God it's so fucked

Lilith rest her head in her hands she was weak she was anxious and shy but that should be okay right you're allowed to be weak but I made her come here I dragged someone who couldn't swim into the fucking deep and and the last thing I did was lie to her and she fucking knew it

Willis takes a few deep, afraid breaths What do you mean? I'm not... I didn't... I loved her, you know? As a friend It was always this fucking one-way street and... I don't think she minded, but that suddenly she's vanished right in fuck in front of me and... And she says she... I mean, how... else was I supposed to respond to that?

I had to say it back, right? Uh-oh. Lilith maintains her composure as a steady stream of tears rolls down her cheek. I don't know what I'd do in that situation. I could see in her eyes that she didn't believe me. Fuck. I wonder how many people have died while doing... I wonder how many people have died while being told like comforting lies.

How many of them fucking knew? I think you did the best you could, Jen. I think you'd better than... the most. You don't need to tell me that. Are you tired? Do you need to go to bed soon? No, I don't need to. There's some beers in here and in Apollo's bag. Is that like looting or is that okay? I think you'd want us to have him, as long as he got a toast. Lillith laughs briefly and finally smiles. She walks over to Bonnie and Clyde's car, returning a moment later with a four-pack. Spend the next hour and a half slowly drinking them.

Lilith can't muster the right words for a toast, so we just say thank you to Apollo, raising out cans to the open air. We talk about his tireless humor, his attempts to keep us all up during our first night on the road, how careingly he spoke to everyone, even at the edge of death. We talk about Eve as well, about the pair's misadventures, awkward college parties, and the future of Paranormacan. Lilith smiles, it tells me there's always a place for me once radio dies out.

after everything that's happened on the road the night can't help but feel bittersweet but for once on a solitary cliff side in the middle of nowhere it's more sweet than it is bitter that may not be much but at the end of an awful day it's more than either of us could have hoped for man that was a that was a rough conversation the whole like she was dying so i said the thing she wanted to hear but i guess i wasn't good enough like Dang, dude. That's pretty rough. Definitely that she, that Eve loved her in a different way, and Lilith just kind of, I think, I think she feels like she kind of played her a bit. I think, like, kind of... Yeah, that's what I get from that whole interaction. To kind of conveniently, because I think Lilith really wants to be here.

I don't think Eve did, but I think that because she was stringing her along, I think that she feels that, like, it is her fault because... Eve maybe didn't... I'm sorry, if she would... If she would have told her the truth, I don't think Eve would have probably been there. You know what I mean? Yeah, yeah. Like, I don't think Eve did, or sorry, I don't think Lilith did anything expressly sinister.

It was more so like, oh, well, I want her to come with me, and she's into me. So I'll kind of, like, let her flirt do her thing, you know, if it keeps it going. Well, I think that's the problem is that it's not entirely sinister until the person, the repercussions of this trip because of this, like, it wouldn't have been, had it not been so drastic, yeah. man yeah man that's that's that's hard that's how hard yeah that's pretty rough i sympathize with lilith i mean i don't think that she's like a bad yeah i don't hate her i actually like her character i think that's an interesting she's one of the more diverse out of the group i think yeah i think like uh her being conscious of that kind of thing and having it weigh on her i think shows her shows a bit more to her character because i think before i kind of read her both not really

both of them but being a bit didsy maybe or just kind of like oh yeah we're just here it's like a good time so it's it's kind of interesting to give another little emotional level to her as a character and I think they did enter it kind of hapless their attitude of like oh we're going to get this footage and put it on YouTube and we're going to get this

footage and stuff I mean so did everyone else because you expect this Rob guy to be right that you're going to enter an alternate dimension well yeah no one expected someone to be buried into asphalt that was never there. Rob's just like, well, just stick

to my rules and you'll be fine. It's like, what else is this happening? No, don't worry about it. Just, you know, hey, look at that bird. Focus on that bird for a while. And you're like, what if we don't? And then like a giant like plant, like, rips your body and half. Oh, should have focused on

the bird. Yeah, there's no tactical precedent for the pavement eating someone. Like, there's no rule book on that. There's no play-by-play. Do you think also that he hasn't said any of this stuff because he thinks that, like, if he would say that, not only would people not want to come, but also people would just be like, this guy's a nut.

And they, like, I think so. You know what I mean? Like, I think, like, I wonder how much of it is him being like, well, if I would have told you, you would have, like, thought I was crazy and you wouldn't have even wanted to go. Well, the thing about this way, Rob knows everything and more of what's happened so far, except the only thing that seemed to surprise him was Jubilation being violent. But other than that, everything seems to be new. familiar to him and the way he explains it to alice in the beginning is oh yeah weird stuff

happens like yeah i mean he definitely undercut it wrong he for sure undercut it yeah yeah anyway um yeah i like lilith i hope she i hope she lives so that the tragedy means something i hope she makes it out yeah yeah you i hope that there's a purpose to it but we'll see yeah either either lilith lives or everyone dies either of those scenarios could work uh but i hope i hope lilith makes it. Anyway. The next morning goes quickly. It's amazing how efficient a group of people can be when none of them feel like talking. Not only that, but breakfast has become a noticeably brief affair. I managed to get through half a bag of trail mix before I find myself uncomfortably full. Rob's words about the road sustaining properties ringing my ears as I look

around the group. Everyone leaves their bowls half empty. Lilith hasn't eaten a bite. By this point, the launch protocol has been drilled into us, despite our preoccupations, and the the fractitious rifts developing between us, the cars line up like clockwork as they merge onto the road. In fact, the mood of the group seems strangely procedural. All radio contact starts with the starting of a call sign, followed by that of the recipient. The cars maintain an even careful distance between one another. We've seen all too clearly what happens when the rules are neglected, and no one wants to take chances anymore. How far away are we? from where

you haven't got to the end of the road right I mean you're still charting it that's right well how long until we get to you know to uncharted territory to be honest not too long

what's going to happen once we reach that point we're going to keep driving until we get to the end that's the plan you know I won't judge you if you want to turn around I'm sure you can talk someone into it Could I talk Could I talk you into it?

Rob smiles Afraid not This trip ain't like the others Roads kicking back like never before I think it knows I'm coming all the way this time What is this place, Rob? Rob sighs as he slowly takes the next left On a quiet, rural T-junction

I think it's a stray thread Running off to spoil The radio crackles Rob, you just took the wrong turn An instant drum of fresh panic hammers in my chest I stare at Rob and he stares right back I know he's feeling the same thing I am Though he's doing a much better job of keeping it off his face

He thanks carefully for a moment No No, I've been down this road before He took a rot last time Uh yeah, yes the turn before this one was a right i remember fair men to all cars thanks bonnie for giving us the frat of our lives

we're on the right we're on the correct road no no that can't be it's that's wrong martin tell them our mistake rob let's keep going bristol there's concern in lilless voice i lean over to my wing mirror attempting to gauge the atmosphere in the car behind me there's clearly some commotion between Bonnie and Clyde, with the latter attempting to gently remove the walkie-talkie from his sister's hands. Oh, yeah.

There's so, yeah, because remember, she's losing her mind. What's what I'm saying is I feel like, because she talked to the hitchhiker, that she, I feel like it's the road trying to fuck them up. Yeah, she's like a conduit for the road at this point. Yeah, I think so. Yeah. There's something else, however. Pass Bonnie and Clyde, past Blue Jay, an old dilapidated road sign made of weathered timber stands by the side of the road behind. us. I can't read all of it as the peeling letters grow even ever smaller, but I can piece

together what it probably once said. Winnery Bay, five miles. I'm excited. That is, that is what Bonnie, well, what's interesting too about that, man, is Rob was like, oh, it's not too much farther to we get an uncharted territory. Oh, that's a good point. Of course, it's Winnery Bay. That's good point. I didn't think of that. Yeah, do you think that means Rob has been, or that's where he turned around? I'm wondering if that's where he turned around is what I'm thinking. Something had to have happened. I'm so excited to see what Winnery Bay is. I'm like a kid.

Honestly, like, I know that you all wanted to see part two of the left-right game last Saturday, but honestly, I don't care about you. I was upset that I didn't get to read the rest of it because I, like, I, like, all week was thinking of my head, like, what is Winnery Bay? What is Winnery Bay? Well, especially putting such a notion on it. I mean, like, my favorite part was the hitchhiker. And to, I love that that interaction with him is still ongoing in this story.

Like, there's still repercussions. Exactly. Yeah. How fun. I'm pumped. All right. Winnery Bay, five miles. We're going to turn around, right?

One second, Bonnie. I'll check, or I'll check the map. I probably switch off the radio. Are we not passing through Winnery Bay? Rob turns to me, a puzzled look in his eyes. Through where? In the wake of those two, innocently inquiring words, my mind reels back to the morning of our third day on the road, watching Bonnie and Clyde wander over to Rob to confess their

transgressions with the hitchhiker, the quiet conversation that passed between them. Rob's seemingly comforting response, I'd felt wretched in those moments. A few minutes prior, I had tricked and deceived Clyde, yet I never once considered he might have done the same to me. Is it safe to pull over? What? Why? Is it safe, Rob? Yeah, yeah, it should be.

Then pull over. I switch with the radio back on and grab the receiver. As I make a connection to Bonnie and Clyde's car, it's clear that an argument is brewing. Lilith is asking for me, a helpless passenger, caught in the middle of something she doesn't understand. Bristol to all cars. We're stopping up ahead. I want to add, Alice pulling this is one of the... smartest moves in the story. The moment she puts the pieces together that Clyde and Bonnie did not tell Rob that she's been talking about Winery Bay. The moment Alice finds out,

she's like, all right, we're doing this now, we're doing it right here. That's smart. That's very smart. Well, what's also interesting is he felt like he didn't understand. And if I remember right, Alice did have some interaction with the hitchhiker, right? Like one little thing? Or almost? It was almost because randomly the hitchhiker goes, you're just a disappointment, aren't you and she turns around real quick and she's about what though would you say or something like that she says the way it's written is it says what and it says right before the words leave my mouth rob grabs me oh i see yeah okay because i was just wondering if she can only see it because she also slightly interacted with i mean she looked at him she made eye contact with him i i don't know if that would

count as the same thing as she never spoke to him she never spoke to him right whereas uh bonnie straight up said, bless you. Yeah, Bonnie had like full conversation. After he sneezed. And then she just started talking to him after that. Yeah. Um, which the sneeze is a clever way to get someone. That's very devilish.

Yeah, that is good. All right. Rob seems acutely aware that I'm not messing around. As soon as we roll to a halt, I throw my door open and jump onto the dusty roadside. Striding over to the rest of the convoy who are just starting to get out of their own cars, I'm conscious of a driving anger behind each step I take. You didn't tell him. Bristol, I.

What's going on, Bristol? Rob marches up behind me, more than a little restless to get a grip on my motives. Clyde. Clyde looks around a circle of expectant eyes. He delivers his answer. He's unable to meet any of them. Bonnie. Bonnie talk to the hitchhiker.

Rob's expression shifts. His confusion degrading into a solemn understanding. Damn it. You knew about it. this Bristol? I told them to tell you in the morning of the third day. I saw them go over to you and I thought they did. Bonnie thought you'd turn us around.

Well, she was damn right. You've seen what happens when the rules get broken. You should have seen me as soon... Hold on. You should have told me as soon as you saw me and headed right back home. That was before Ace. Before everything. I didn't know this place was...

The rules are the rules, Clyde. Is anything even wrong with Bonnie? you said she gets confused Was that a lie? Clyde doesn't answer avoiding Rob's glare As I process what Rob's just said I have to say I'm surprised

by the deviousness of the two siblings When I thought they were telling Rob about the hitchhiker It appears they'd instead told him that Bonnie was To some degree, senile It was a simple lie But one that would adequately explain her odd behavior Draw sympathy from Rob And most ingeniously

Prevent him from telling me about their conversation A truth buried beneath an unpleasant lie. It's subject matter just uncomfortable enough to head off any chance of discussion. Still, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. We can head home if you want. No. The group turns to Bonnie. She speaks in a tone more decisive than I thought her capable.

He, the hitchhiker, he was talking about a, about the village we just passed. I was looking forward to seeing it. That's all. I'm okay, really. You've been talking about it a lot, Bonnie. It just sounded like a lovely place. I was sad that we passed it by. I'm sorry for worrying everyone.

Please don't make us turn around, Rob. Rob stares at them both. His position has been made crystal clear. We're stopping a little early today. Come the rest of the way with us. Rest up. And tomorrow, you both go home. You should count yourselves lucky you get the chance to turn around.

Rob marches back to the Wrangler, signaling that the discussion is over. Lilith, you're with us. Lilith doesn't even try to hide her relief as she shuffles away from Bonnie and climb and climbs into the back of the Jeep. It's a little heartwarming that Rob still has the awareness to look out for her, angry as he may be. As well as his surprising strength, I also tend to forget how perceptive he can be. Bonnie Clyde and Blue Jay climb back into their respective vehicles. I catch Bonnie's eye the moment before she,

she returns to the Ford. She appears truly disappointed, but otherwise resigned to keep going, satisfied to let Winery Bay fade into the distance. It's comforting to hear that she's ready to put the place behind her. It's just a pity I don't believe a word of it. Yeah, of course. Of course, she's not going to forget about it. Yeah, duh. Absolutely not. That's an interesting interaction. I feel like Bonn, my prediction is Bonnie is going to get her and Clyde killed somehow. uh yeah i mean i mean i you know i don't want to slow the story down too much but i do think that um even if they do leave i don't i think it will not be the last we see of them i don't i don't

believe that they are going they're going to come back as those weird like scarecrow things later on yeah yeah it's that all that beautiful emphasis on how like that sea of corn and like a giant hill i mean like i don't know i think that like there's going to be something in there it's just that that's just like it feels like a concoction for a great scene so yeah I'm curious someone's gonna die I can't wait

also no we're gonna see Winnery Bay we have to see Winnery Bay I think so I'm excited for that too I think so I think that

the only thing I'm wondering is why does it Rob know of what it is like well because he's never driven through it right because it sounds well yeah but even the even the sign right

well I mean maybe maybe like I'm sure there's a ton of road signs they pass by like fake road signs oh sure so whenever he's like she's like

Winnery Bay, Rob's like, what? That sign back there? What are you talking about? Sure. Okay. I mean, that's fair. Yeah. That's fair. Lilith, this is Lilith speaking. It was fucking weird, Bristol. Lillis seems happy to be in the Wrangler,

enjoying the sense of security the modded behemoth affords, and also greatly relieved to be away from Bonnie and Clyde. She spent the last five minutes detailing the 30-second argument that unfolded between them, charting its disturbing nuances, as well as its eerie conclusion. but I swear she was basically like crying like she didn't understand how we could be going the wrong way

but then like as soon as you pulled us over and she just stopped like I mean stopped that must have been that must have been disconcerting you have no idea so rob when are these cornfields gonna fucking end soon we're gonna rest up for the night in a few turns then tomorrow it won't be long until we're on a track through the woods The fucking woods? Are you kidding? Are we talking like sleepy hollow bleeding trees or what? Wish I could tell you.

Wait, what do you mean? I ain't been that far yet. It's new territory. Oh, great. Maybe the cornfields aren't so. Lilith goes quiet, transfixed by something in the rearview mirror. Before quickly turn it around to get a better look out the back window. The car behind us is out of control.

Wow, who could have guessed? Here we go. Bonnie is fighting to wrestle the steering wheel from her brother. The Ford swerves erratically behind us, driven mad by the dynamic power struggle taking place inside it. Rob sharply accelerates out of the way as the car behind lurches drunkenly to and fro before skidding to a shuddering halt.

Rob hits the brake hard, and by the time I've turned in his direction, he's already slammed the door of the Wrangler, storming across the tarmac to Bonnie and Clyde. Cut the engine! The Ford's engine goes silent, and in the absence of its rumbling growl, new sounds emerge, the sounds of a struggle and of a wild desperate screaming.

Stepping out of the car for the second time today, I jump onto the road and cover the distance between us. Rob is attempting to pull a screeching Bonnie from the car. Even with his impressive strength, it seems to be a challenge. Bonnie claws at the walls, trying with all her might to regain her grasp on the steering wheel. Please, please! Let me go! Let me go! Robb extracts Bonnie from the car

And attempts to subdue her Amidst a flurry of flailing hands and elbows She rise and kicks as he pins her arms to her sides Bonnie Bonnie Come down, okay Let's talk through this He told me it was on her

He told me it was on our way He said we passed through He lied, Bonnie No No, we're going the wrong way We're going the wrong way Bonnie lashes out again striking at Rob's legs with her own.

Rob holds her firmly. Hit teeth gritted through every impact. It's clear that Bonnie isn't going to let up. I run back to the Wrangler and open up the truck. After a few moments of rummaging through my bag, I find the first aid kit and pull out an unopened pack of white zip ties. Clyde, open the back door. Rob, they're going to cover.

You're going to have to. There's not much else you can do, but it's funny to be like, all right, you're going in the hottie hole. You're going to have to get zipped up. Sorry. Rob sees me standing with the zip ties Even in midst of Bonnie's incessant struggle

He looks at me with an almost questioning air As if he's wondering how we ever arrived at this point As if he's asking whether we can really do what I'm wordlessly suggesting Bonnie answers the last question for him In the slim few seconds of distraction She slams her head back into his nose eliciting a disgustingly loud thud and a pained growl from Rob Dazed and confused his nose immediately

founting blood, Rob manages to keep his arms wrapped around her, but it's clear this isn't going to be sustainable, and that she isn't anywhere close to calming down. Clydeus opened the door, stepping back and looking on like a frightened child as we carry Bonnie over to the back seat of the Ford. I lean in before him, adjusting the headrest until it's pressed against the ceiling, ensuring that it can't be removed from the bracket. I then loop a zip tie around each bracket and fasten them. What the fuck is going on? Blue Jay has stepped out of her car, making her way towards us. I realize that to someone who is fighting to not believe in any of this,

the following scene would appear to, at best, a melodramatic farce, and at worst, as the attempted detention of an innocent and distressed woman. Sadly, I don't have the time to field her questions. Climbing to the car, Bonnie working constantly against us as Rob eases her in after me, his hand on her head to prevent it bumping against the top of the door frame. once she's inside I loop a second zip tie around the one I've already fastened on the right bracket forcing her right hand inside it I pull the plastic tab over the sleeve of her jumper I hope it's not too tight but at the very least it's secure enough to keep her in place

Bonnie continues to pull against the zip ties but it's clear her strength has been sapped from her spirited battle with Rob not quite able to look her in the eye I push a pile of luggage out of the way and climb out of the other side of the Ford. Rob and I are both getting our breath back, the former pinching his nose and adjusting stoically to the fresh pain. Hey, what the fuck are? You're not just going to leave her like that, are you? Get back in your car, Blue Jay.

I walk back to the Wrangler, tuning out Denise's course protest. Rob reaches into the Jeep still open trunk and pulls out a pile of blankets and pillows. In the rearview mirror, I could see him placing them on Bonnie's lap, giving her a place to rest her elbows. She leans her forehead against the back of the headrest, even with her face blocked from view, I can tell that she's crying. We arrived at the rest stop some 20 minutes later, the vague outline of a deep green forest blooming on the horizon. It's earlier in the day than we would usually stop. Rob tells us he wants the entirety of tomorrow to chart the woods, as well as good time to turn back before nightfall should the need arise.

I'm not complaining. I'm glad of the chance to rest up following today's events. For the rest of the day, we take it in turns to keep an eye on Bonnie, making sure she has everything she needs. When the Ford pulled up alongside us, Lillith Rob and I expected to see a quivering wreck, tugging ceaselessly against her bonds. We were all surprised, and more than a little disturbed, to find her smiling. By the time my turn comes around, the sun is already dipping in the sky. Rob has prepared a small pot of miso soup in case anyone can bring themselves to eat. I finished my bowl, all too aware of how unnecessary each meal now feels, and pour out a helping for Bonnie. I find her in good spirits.

How are you doing, Alice? I'm fine. How are you doing, Linda? Oh, I'm okay. Sort of giving you such a fright earlier. I feel terrible. It's fine, honestly. I'm sorry about all of this. I gesture to the zip-tied restraints. Rob has reapplied them, fastening bandages underneath the straps to afford Bonnie. a modicum of comfort still the scene rings

with a sinister barbarity which no kind consideration can make up for it's okay I wasn't myself I brought you soup I know you might not be hungry no no I'd love some thank you everyone's being so lovely

well we just want to make sure you're all right the way you're reading this scares me I want you to know it's good I feel like that's actually it is right no that's the correct tone but it's scary I submerged the spoon, drench up a measure of warm broth, and begin to raise it towards her. Oh, no, you don't have to. I can feed myself. She gestures to her bound hands, the clear implication hanging in the air.

No, I don't mind. I think it's... Bonnie throws her weight sideways, her elbow jabbing outwards and hitting the bowl out of my hands. Soup spills over my fleece, just a little cooler than scolding hot, and soaks immediately into the fabric. I back away reflexively and watch Bonnie's expression flicker like a faulty light bulb from kind tranquility to utter burning contempt. It's gone as quickly as it appears, just in time for the rest of the group to look our way. What are you doing with her? Blue Jay storms across from her car, angrily drawing from a marlborough and forcing the smoke

draconically back into the air. Nothing, just an accident. It's okay, Blue Jay. It's okay, Blue Jay. It was my mistake. Did she get any? on you? Blue Jay leans in placing her hand comfortably on Bonny's before turning to fix me with a murderous stare. It's almost oppressive how, even when caring for someone, Blue Jay still manages to be simultaneously venomous to those around her. No, no, it's okay. It was my fault. It's fine.

I'm sorry for causing trouble. Blue Jay laughs at Bonnie's submissive apology, unable to believe what she's thinking. Her eyes remained fixed on me. You're a fucking coward. Look at what you're making you do. Look what he's making you do. Look! My eyes follow where she gestures. I have to admit, the helpless figure of Bonnie, restrained in the backseat of the Ford, rings with an innate inhumanity. Being forced to stare my actions in the face makes me feel utterly ghoulish. The choices I've made seem insane to Blue Jay, but that doesn't mean hers are not. Despite her pretensions of rationality, I can't help but feel that Blue Jay's actions are

simply being governed by a different insanity. An insanity born out of the desperate need to explain the unexplainable, which has morphed into an ugly cocktail of paranoia, self-grantger, and fervent antagonism. Blue Jay notes my silent expression, most likely taking it as a personal victory. Without another word, she returns to her car and shuts herself inside, festering silently and alone. Do you want to know what's wonderful, Alice? Bonnie leans towards me, lowering her voice to no one else can hear. He told me there's a house.

Waiting for me. My home by the sea. I'm sorry, Bonnie. I don't think there is. It's going to be such a beautiful place. Such a beautiful place. Bonnie flashes me a broad grin. It's been lovely knowing you, Alice.

Bonnie turns away from me, placing her forehead back on the headrest. The grin doesn't fade as I turn away. I walk back to the Rangler faced with the choice of changing into new clothes or my thermal pajamas after removing my fleece and lying down for just a moment

I end up sleeping in the clothes I'm wearing at some point I'd walk up to Rob and be like Rob we gotta kill her Hey Rob yes

Bonnie is pretty sure she's gonna she's gonna kill us I'm almost positive she's gonna kill us well we got a lot of territory to chart

and Clyde's just like I don't know why you guys are being so weird to my sister. Stop being so weird to my sister. She's fine. She's like trying to eat her own face in the back seat of the car. She's just weird about that. She's vibrating speaking Latin behind the seat. All right, so do we have to go home then or what?

I don't know what the big deal is. She does this. I don't know why you be so weird. It's that time of the month. She gets like this. She talked to a demon. Who cares? God

You know, I really thought When you were, when you were being Alice just said that you're going to go Rob, you're going to want to see this Rob, yeah, you're going to want to see this She's right behind Yeah, yeah, you get it, you know what I'm saying, yeah, Yeah, yeah

Rob, she's right behind it. Yeah, all right Before you move on, I mean She's going She's gonna escape, right? She's gonna escape Well, I think what she's doing Is she's turning

She's manipulating emotions To turn everyone against each other So she can escape somehow Yeah Yeah Because so after removing my fleece Layed down I'm wearing

So this is the end of the day Kind of thing There's a little bracket here So this is the new day I'm expecting that They're gonna be gone I feel like Clyde's gonna be missing As well possibly

Oh no, let's find out Let's see When I wake up, the wrangler is moving. The air mattress reverberates and my body rocks as we make a sharp U-turn. I sit bolt upright. Lilith waking up next to me, similarly bleary-eyed and confused. Rob is behind the wheel. The gearstick shakes as he transports us down the road at incredible speed.

Rob, what's happening? Bonnie got herself free. Of course! Of course! What did we say? Why not? Bonnie got herself free She's headed for the turn I pull myself into the passenger seat

Suddenly wide awake What How did she get free Is she with Clyde She hit him over the head Draged him out of the car I couldn't wait for him But he's catching up

Wait what She hit him Over the head She hit him over the head She hit him out of the car So I'm guessing that she took their car So I'm guessing that he's catching up in terms of like

maybe he's riding with Blue Jay Yes that's what I bet it means So Clyde's So Bonnie is by herself in that car Bonnie is by herself Going to that turn Yes correct All right

Right Lilith and I turn around Blue Jay's car is gaining on us A distant pair of high beam steadily drowning the rear window in light Why is Blue Jay helping him She probably wants to keep an eye on this Rob do you think we'll catch up with Bonnie

I'm working on it The Wrangler continues to rocket through the darkness, we keep our eyes fixed forward, scanning the very edge of the horizon for any sign of Bonnie's Ford. When Blue Jay pulls alongside us, I get a look at the pair. Blue Jay is not but steely... Blue Jay is not but steely determination, dedicated to reaching Bonnie before we do. Clyde looks mortified, rocked by his sister's actions, a small contusion on his head to mark her vicious betrayal. Rob screeches to a halt once we arrive at the junction. Blue Jay's headlights are already illuminating the road to Winnery Bay.

And Rob's lighting rig coats the entire area in an artificial twilight. In the middle of it all, we see Bonnie, standing next to her car, smiling. She's already beyond the threshold of the turn. Linda. Linda, please. Come on back now, okay? You can all come with me. There's a place for all of us.

He told me there's a place for everyone. Please, Linda. You have to come back. A strange tale of black dust is streaming off Bonnie's skin, rising into the air and dancing in the breeze. After a moment, it becomes clear that the edges of Bonnie are slowly degrading, converting quietly into dark ash and drifting into the atmosphere. I love you very much, Martin. You're always welcome. No, please, please!

Bonnie turns around and climbs into the car. Without looking back, she pulls away down the road to Winnery Bay. The trail of black particles rise from the Ford as she goes With greater and greater volume As the entire car starts to wither away before our eyes Less than a minute later the Ford With Bonnie inside it Gradually dissolves into dust and scatters to the winds

Clyde doesn't speak His entire being is quiet Lilith immediately runs back to the Wrangler Rob waits a while staring at the dancing clouds of dust Before putting his arm around Clyde And gently escorting him to the Jeep As I turn away from the road to Winnery Bay, I take note of Blue Jay's reaction.

She looks absolutely petrified, more so than I've ever seen her. She impulsively removes the pack of marlboros from her pocket and holds them in her hands before quickly returning them, unsmoked. The night passes slowly after we return to the rest stop. All of us are exhausted, and more than willing to surrender to the escapism of sleep. Rob rests in the driver's seat, giving up his space on the air mattress to Clyde. Everyone drops quickly enough into a quiet slumber, leaving me awake with only my thoughts for company. I find myself thinking to Blue Jay, of how she could possibly hope to rationalize the disintegration of Bonnie and her car.

I wonder how I'd feel if the left-right game were exposed as some unparalleled magic trick. Would I feel foolish? No, I don't think so. Impressed? Maybe. Relieved? Most definitely. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I miss the innocent days when I believed the game was a hoax.

I suppose I see why Blue Jay is so adamant about dismissing the place. Trickery, however, elaborate is... Wait, trickery, however elaborate, is almost always a preferable alternative to genuine whore. The Jeep stores opens and shuts. Part of me tries to ignore it, to wash my hands of any other developments in this harrowy night. However, exiled as I am from the kingdom of sleep, I slowly find myself sitting up, quietly putting on my boots, and letting myself out. I step out into the cool night

observing the figure before me Where are you going Clyde Uh oh Klein turns to face me I initially interpret the look he gives me As one of resignation But the word doesn't quite fit Resignation is a defeat

The world exacting compliance from you Against your own wishes But the man before me is as calm As the night air around him His wishes are clearly his own There's no defeat in his eyes but something else entirely. Peace, maybe.

You know where I'm going, Alice. Clyde speaks softly, a quiet conviction behind every word, he says. I briefly glanced towards the wrangler, wondering if I'm really equipped to handle this on my own. Don't call Rob. I made a mistake coming back to the rest stop. I shouldn't have done...

Please, just let me go. Clyde, just wait for tomorrow, okay? He'll understand. stand. They'll turn us around and take you home. It won't be home anymore. Clyde's gentle stare renders me silent. Linda had a husband once. He was a good man, died young. She could never bring herself to go looking again, and I never found out who I was looking for. We've been by each other's side for 60 years. Sixty years. I've got to be honest, even after all we've been through

everything you and I have seen I never felt like I was in a new world until now I don't think I can let you do this Clyde I'm sorry Alice but it's not up to you Clyde breathes in the cool night air excelling through his nose I yelled to her to come back when she ran off to rob that ice cream parlor

I kept calling out and calling out I spent so much energy trying to get her to come back to me after all I realized she wasn't coming back that I'd have to follow her I should have realized it earlier that's all I can do follow where she goes Clyde looks at me

almost apologetically Goodbye Alice He turns away from the convoy and wanders back down the road Clyde Turns around one last time Do you want company It takes roughly an hour for us to walk back to the junction. In the time we have, I'm treated to the story of Bonnie and Clyde,

the warmest fragments of their life together, the moments that built them, the waves that rock them, and the places they once called home. I don't think I'll ever agree with what Clyde is doing, but the more he talks, the more I understand. His stories stand more than half a century, supported by a transient cast of acquaintances and friends,

but at the core of each tale is a pair of siblings who met the world to one another. The pair existed as two relative souls, quantifiable only in relation to each other. In the absence of one, the remnant was indefinable, a drifting point, unanchored in space. The story ends just as we reach the junction. I hope she's out there. I hope so too. Thank you for coming with me. I know it's late. no it's never a bad time to see a friend off Clyde smiles at me one last time before turning to face the road

he steps over the threshold pass the old one in sign in the silence of the night I hear nothing but his soft footsteps and quiet breeze which after a few minutes carries the last of him into an open sky it's a long walk back to the convoy my mind is numb to fear as I make my way through the dark the corn rustling in the wind beside me. It's been four days since I arrived at Rob Guthrie's house, sat down at his table,

and listened to him to speak about the new world he discovered. In that time, I've seen things I can't hope to comprehend. Sites that exist beyond the spectrum of our reality, things I wouldn't have deemed possible. For all I know, there is a wintry bay, and Bonnie has already arrived at her house by the sea, standing at the door, waiting with confidence for her brother's arrival. I may never know

But I do hope they find each other Wherever they may be Dang End of Part 6 I'm sad now That's crazy That was sad That's crazy

It's also It's a crazy thing Of this chapter We lost Bonnie and Clyde Um Bonnie insane We saw how she is lost But Clyde is pretty much

Just like there's no life Without my sister And pretty much gives his life At the end there Um Pretty unbelievable. Like, uh, just, just sad, but then also like in a way, it's like, I don't know. I, I would be, it's 60 years a long time, you know, those are people who definitely depended

on each other forever. And in a way, their, that relationship is like their life. So one can't exist without the other. Um, yeah, I don't know. Also, it's kind of exciting, too, because now we're getting to the spot where Rob has never been through these woods, which I was going to ask you when he's drafting these things right does he go and he like i wonder i'm curious because he's known where to go each time which means that he's probably gone down roads and he's like marked which is the correct left and which is the correct right so i'm wondering how he's going to draft that in a real time if he's means to get to the end of where he's going because now he doesn't know which left or right to actually take i'm so sad

that'll uh that was so sad that last part about the being insufferable and then like him knowing that it's it's almost like i feel like clyde knows there's no like there's no winery bay right there's no like betterment to what's happening i think you always hope for the for the best thing in a way i mean like it is sad but in a way i don't know like i definitely it's not like i'm like advocating for his side in that way, or unaliving. Sorry, YouTube. But I think, like, I don't know, the part about a person caring about somebody so much that he just wants to be with them in this place, even if he doesn't believe that it's there, I think that, like, there's a bit of peace to that. And I think even Alice kind of understands that in a way, too. Like, if he kept going,

it's like he's just going to be lost and miserable and stuff. I don't think that, like, justifies really like this kind of you know reality that he's getting ready to face but it's it's very sweet in a way in a very odd way at least that's how I read it man that was yep

I like this is such a good story I like the character moments I like how it's able to turn I also suspect Blue Jay let Bonnie go that's my theory because the last person who was talking about her was Blu-Jay, and then somehow she's out of the zip ties and steals the car, right? Oh, that's true. I think Blu-Jet cut her nose. What's frustrating is that she still has this level of, which I know that this one ended

with even Alice being, like, you could see that she was, like, petrified of what she saw. Like, in that, even Alice makes a thing of, like, it'd be hard for her to not realize this is real. Oh, exactly. Like, she's like, oh, fuck, I caused this. Kind of a very similar thing that Lilith was facing. at the beginning of the episode. Yeah, yeah, that's a good, that's a good juxtaposition.

Yeah, Lilith felt, but in different ways, yeah. Very interesting full circle kind of scenario. But yeah, no, I mean, I, even at the beginning, though, when she was like, gilting Lilith, like, look what, look what he's making you do or whatever. It's like, yeah, but did you not just see the person drowning an asphalt before this? Or the other, like, all the other things, like, it's weird. Why is the ash, the unbelievable step? but the asphalt drowning and all that wasn't like

I mean maybe it's just I know we've said this before but the hundreds of miles of like unpopulated road you haven't had to fuel up in how long like it's just like it doesn't make her speculation doesn't make any sense I mean I guess to a point of like maybe to her character

it's trying to be like oh well I'm right and this guy is a phony well that's kind of what Alice pointed out when she was like, I feel like Blue Jay's gone to a different kind of insanity.

Like, yeah, the opposite direction. Yeah, total and absolute denial is what it feels like. But I mean, I just got Bonnie killed,

so we'll see. I like, I like the, uh, the way that they go about this too of like every time people die, it's one less car in the, um,

in the caravan of their group. So like, what, once there was what, there was five cars. Now there's only, there's probably only going to be two. Yeah,

because you have, now. Now you have the Jeep and Blue Jays car. That's it. Yeah, because we lost Aces, Porsche at Jubilation. We lost, uh, we lost both Apollo and Lilith's car at the asphalt. And we just lost Bonnie and Clyde's car. So there were six and now we're down to two, just Blue Jays and Rob's. Yeah. And all that's left is Rob, Rob, Alice, Blue Jay, and Lilith. So it seems like each, it seems like each trial, there's just people one by one, they're getting kind of picked off. So. really interesting and i mean you know we still have seven eight nine and ten to go through i'm very curious to see where this go there's a lot of story left so buckle up our dear listeners yep i'm excited um all right so opening with part seven once again this is an intro from the person compiling this hi guys apologies for the that's such a funny intro after what the text says well yeah i guys welcome to the channel like hit that sub button subscribe hit that bell for more hit the bell

okay hi guys apologies for the delay in getting this post up events conspired against me it seems please let me know if you have any information

actually that intro sounds a bit more worrisome than the previous ones right there's no conversation there he's just kind of like well he's been very nonchalant the last couple ones

but I think like I don't know like I mean like there's sometimes that he says like oh I'm working with the missing part I'm like, I'm working with the Department of Missing Persons. And then sometimes he's just like, hey, sorry, I was taking a shit, my bad.

And it's as casual as that. Like, I don't know. It's, it's, it's, it's an, I'm wondering if it has any ties in with him at the end. Oh, I didn't want to mention the last thing I wanted to mention for that last part before I became so depressed. When he said 60 years that took me back, did you know they were that young? That young, what do you mean? I'm sorry, that old, that old, I mean. Yeah, they were an older couple.

Or an older set pair of siblings. I don't think they're as, I was thinking they're, like, 30. I think Rob is older. No, no, no. I pictured them, yeah, like in their 50s or whatever. Because I think that when they described them, they, like, said they had gray hair. Okay, all right, right. And stuff.

I still think Rob is the oldest person, though. Yes, because he was in Vietnam. So he's got to be, like, pushing 70 more than that problem. Yeah, definitely. Yeah. All right, anyway. We're now on to February 13th, 2017, left-right game. Woo!

All right. which is the same day right they've been on the same that was the same day as last time right or the days getting longer oh that's a good point maybe but a night did wait a couple of nights passed

in the last one right because it was the even lilith or sorry the lilith and alice part and then that was the next night we just saw so I don't know something to keep track of

okay we'll see how many days pass in this one all right part seven I'm followed back from the junction by an overture of bird's song. I'm grateful for the company. In the wake of Clyde's departure, I'm welcoming of any sound that distracts me from my own solitary footsteps,

grasping for any conceivable antidote to the palpable silence he's left behind. I am not, however, as welcoming of what the shrill, melodic warbling represents, the first symptom of impending daybreak. I'd only been up at this hour a few times before, stumbling back from Nigeria Street and down sweet market after an unexpectedly heavy night out. My housemates, Molly, Craig, and Tom would spend the walk joyously discussing the evening scandals, leaning against one another as we all stumbled away from a night of horrific excess. This time around, the circumstances couldn't be more different.

I'm quite alone as I make my way up the road, and the only excess in my night has been a restless torrent of stress and melancholy. there's one similarity however resting in the back of my mind as much now as it did then the nagging feeling that the day ahead will be one of bitter and immediate consequences i mean yeah she's got to walk back and be like oh clyde's dead by the way yeah clive killed himself sorry and i and i also was there and facilitated it so that's me present i heard his life story and it was beautiful but don't worry he wanted it to happen He was very, he said, as he was disintegrating, he just kept chanting Pog over and over again. It was very, it was very, it was very cool. And then finally as he drew his last breath, he just said, baste. And then he was immediately disintegrated into fine ash. Pog! Pog!

She's writing at her notes as he's disintegrating. Chet, is this real? Yeah, Pug, Pug, Chad, Chet, Chet, is this, Chut, is this real, is this real, Chad? Is this real, Chad? Is this real, Chad? I don't know, Chad. I can't believe what I've seen. I can't believe what I'm saying, Chad. Is this real?

Have you seen the... Oh. I was about to ask. Oh, my gosh. I was about to ask if you've seen the animation of XQC. Yeah. Yeah, I've seen it. Oh, my gosh.

Oh, my gosh. I'm so stooped. For those that don't know, I was just about to ask Hunter if he's seen. Hunter's animation that that meme comes from oh my gosh

all right oh chat chat I can't believe it's a real chat oh my gosh wow chat wow I forget that you're important

okay anyway as somber as this night has been I still find myself cling into it reluctant to witness the heroine developments

that sunrise will bring and a few hours time, the convoy will wake up to find that they have suffered yet another loss. It won't be the brutal, heart-wrenching feeling that they experienced with Eve or Apollo or Bonnie, who perish in front of our eyes, but a muted sensation of gross unfairness. Less immediate, yet all the more insidious. As much as we hate to face the horrors in our lives, it can be far worse when they strike us without our knowing.

To find out the only... To find out only the next morning that you have been affected by cruel forces acting in complete disregard of your presence and taking without concern of you it's not going to be a pleasant morning nevertheless i glad to see the convoy when it finally comes into view and i will say too i feel bad for rob lilith and lilith not really blue jay because whatever she's a stuck-up bitch but the uh but the uh rob and lilith this is now the second time where someone has approached him by being like hey you just woke up someone's gone like someone's dead they had to experience that with bonnie and then now they even had to experience with Cly, but they didn't get the chance to, like, try and stop him, so.

Yeah. I think, I think it's fair if they're a little mad at Alice, you know? Sure, sure. I think so. I would be. Uh, the hulking wrangler rests by the roadside like an old relic. Right now, I can think of nothing more comforting than climbing into its secure, rugged shell. For a moment, I find it strange how an object built for transit has become the one fixed point in my world.

Then again, it's not exactly the strangest thing. happened on this road. Blue Jays car is parked sideways on, laid out across the tarmac. The windows are shrouded in darkness, yet for the briefest moment, I think I see the red dot of a smoldering cigarette igniting behind the glass, glowing momentarily before dropping out of sight. I fix my eyes on the Wrangler and keep walking, resolved to ignore the ominous flicker of embers, and attempting to ignore its uncomfortable implications. Even still, I shudder to think of the grim conclusions that are being drawn within that acrid smoke-filled echo chamber. I rest my hands on the jeep's passenger side door, pausing briefly to gauge the sun's progress.

I probably have less than two hours before I'll be expected to step over that nasset horizon to let Rob carry me into unknown territory onto the unexplored section of the left-right game. Whatever lies at the end of this ordeal could very well be two roads over. Then again, it could take a whole lot longer. I suppose there's only one way to find out. I climbed quietly into the car and gently position myself next to Lilith. It's cramped, and now that she's had the space to move around, it takes a modicum of contortion to properly lie down,

but it feels more comfortable than the prospect of resting on the open space that had been reserved for Clyde. For tonight at least, it would feel like a little too much like resting on a fresh grave. The morning does come quicker than I'd like. Surprisingly, once I awake from a blissfully dreamlessly, I realize I'm not tired at all. Perhaps it's going to hit me later in the day, or perhaps the need for sleep is yet another casualty of the road's odd-sustaining quality.

It's unsettling to think that the road is exerting some metamorphic influence over me, however convenient the effect. After losing most of my need to eat and drink, and now, starting to require less rest, I can't help but feel that something wants us to continue on the road, removing everything else that might distract us from the journey. It's a notion that intrigues and terraces, terrifies me an almost equal measure.

When I open my eyes, I find myself standing directly, staring directly at Lilith, who has turned to face me in the night. I could tell she's already awake, quietly resting her eyes, understandably reluctant to face the morning without someone at her side. Hey, hey, good morning. How'd you sleep? Uh, yeah, not too bad. This place isn't so comfortable.

Yeah, you get used to it. The moment of silence passes between us. I'm already aware of the empty space on the other side of the Jeep, hidden just beyond a pile of luggage and jerry cans. It would be easy for me to act surprise at Clyde's absence to say that I had slept through the night to throw myself into a fruitless search effort and to realize the truth alongside everyone else. Part of me wants to avoid the weight of recent events to step aside and let all the blame fall against the road. That even if I wanted to, I know it wouldn't be right. I'm not going to contribute a new set of secrets to this journey. Anyway, for all I know, Blue Jay saw me return from the junction.

I won't want to give her the satisfaction of catching me in a lie. If I'm going to tell them what's happened, then the conversation will need to happen immediately, certainly before they have a chance to discover Clyde's absence themselves. The words don't come easily. They're impossible to form into a delicate order, and I quickly realize that any aty tipped is just delaying the inevitable. In the end, all I can break myself to say is, Clyde's gone, Lilith.

It takes a few seconds of quiet comprehension before Lilith sets bolt upright, alarmedly peering over the luggage to Clyde's side of the Jeep. Rob, Rob! Lilith. What's going on? Something took Clyde. Rob is suddenly wide awake as he twists around to view the back section of the Wrangler.

I can see the realization Don on his face as he understands what's happened. He turns back around and fumbles with the ignition. his eyes in the rear view are burning with desperate intention. He still thinks he can catch up with Clyde before he crosses the threshold. Nothing's taking him, Lilith. Hold on. Rob, he's gone. We don't know that. We just got to... Rob, he's gone. He already passed the junction.

Rob's eyes flick to the rearview mirror, meeting mine. The engine stays running as he turns around to face me. How do you know that? The urgency is drained from the car. replaced instead by a palpable air of inquiry. Lilith and Rob are both looking at me intently, and for the first time on the road, I feel like a figure of a legitimate suspicion.

I was with him when he crossed over. What the fuck? When was this? Last night, about 3, 4 a.m. He said that he... In response to my words, Rob swings the driver's side door open and leaves the Wrangler. I watch him march out into the center of the road,

his entire body tensed and strained by a swell of air. anger. I quickly climb out behind him. Damn it! Damn it, Bristol! Why the hell did you let him? You weren't there, Rob. We were fucking yards away, Bristol. You didn't think to wake us up?

Of course I did. He told me not to. Oh, okay. Well, that's just fine then, is it? He made his decision, Lilith. None of us were going to stop him. Well, I certainly wouldn't have just let him fucking kill himself. You tie Bonnie to the fucking headset, but let Clyde waltz over the road without telling us?

That's a false equivalency. A false... Are you serious? Yes, of course it is. Bonnie wasn't herself. Clyde was capable of making an informed decision. His sister has just died. Of course he wanted to join her.

That doesn't mean you let him fucking die. You might as well have helped him blow his fucking brains out. Lilith! Rob speaks the name harshly, forcing its owner into an immediate silence. after letting the group breathe for a moment he speaks calmly bristol are you sure there was nothing we could do i look in rob's eye i look rob in the eye his words hit me harder than lillis impassionate tirade standing before the both of them at the intersection of their expectant stares i feel first inkling of doubt creep into my mind what would have happened if we talked clyde back into the wrangler

if Rob had forced him to stay. Could he have found some reason to move forwards if we had kept him for a night, a day, a week? All I could do is hold on to my recollection of the night before, reminding myself of the sense of calm, finality that radiated from Klein when I confronted him. All I can do is trust that I made the right call. No, no, they wasn't. This is the time when you decide to... I told you it was going to drop at some point.

Thank you for not doing it as Clyde was walking off last night. Yeah. Did the thought come to you? Be honest. Did the thought come to you to do it then? No, I was honestly waiting to see if, like, you could go to, like, an even, like, way, way down the road kind of thing. And just, you know, be like, oh, what I think I'm going to Mike it. Rob, I think I might need a point in a bloody way of a bloody skull, mate.

Come on. Like, in that moment, so in my head, the, like, I don't know about you, but to me, Bristol slash Alice looks like the actress who plays her in the, Tessa Thompson. In my head, like, it's Tessa Thompson. The moment you spoke in that voice, it became like, Peaky blinders, Sillian Murphy. Yeah, he just ends up being Killian Murphy. Just like, transformed.

No, Rob, no, I don't think they was a thing me could do. By order the pinky blinders. Oh, way, yeah, whee. Okay. All right, thank you for that. Yes, yes. All right, so, yeah, Rob just asked his confidant if there was anything they could do

about their friend who has decided to take that action and Rob says okay well there ain't nothing more to say

Rob walks back to the Wrangler cutting the conversation short through the quiet resumption of his usual morning routine Lilith storms back to the car

and shuts herself inside I'm left standing in the center of the road wondering if I could feel any more wretched I know what you did Blue Jay has devolved

It's like a goblin I hate Blue Jay I mentioned her hair is all greasy And she's just like chain smoking cigarettes She's like I know what you did I was going to give her credit If

like after the death of Apollo and them She had like a turnaround But she's just like reinforced her already annoying She has a narrative that she refuses to back away from Yeah Like she...

You know what? Sure, I get it Real World, it'd be hard to believe this kind of thing But like, I mean, like, you know, Alice said, when you're presented with this much evidence,

like, okay. I think you have to have a character that you can hate and I think that Blue Jay is a fun character to hate right now in the story. It could very well change. I think it will,

but we'll see. I think Blue Jay's gonna get someone else killed before this is over. Probably Lilith, I'm afraid of. Well, she's already, I mean, I think your theory is right.

Like, I think that you find that she did let Bonnie go. If we count that, then her current kill count is three. Because she killed Ace, because she took her time, right? And they couldn't help them. She got Ace killed, I should say. And then if she released Bonnie, that led to the death of Bonnie and Clyde. So, yeah.

I mean, you're right. That is three. Yeah. She's a terrible person. She's a terrible person. Yep. Anyway. Well, at least.

that answers my question. It seems that while I had been struggling to defend the validity of my actions to Robin Lilith, Blue Jay had very quietly climbed out of her car, waiting patiently for the rest of the convoy to scatter before directing a victorious smile towards me. Can we not do this, Blue Jay? She responds to my words by ignoring them completely.

I was up in the night. Watching you all. What a surprise when I saw you leave with Clyde and come back alone? Calm as a fucking grave. I don't know if Clyde was in your little game, but he sure as fuck wasn't. happy with how far you've taken it. He had to go, didn't he?

She's totally deluge. She's like Smeagel. You've killed. You've killed Clyde because he wouldn't play your game. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Like, okay, whatever. I don't want to dignify her words with a response. In point of fact, I'm not entirely sure what I'd say to such an absurd

accusation. Her statement rings with all the trademarks of paranoid conspiracy, the unnatural confidence, the vague language, the frenetic conclusions, which are so obvious to her yet seem impossible for me to grasp in the end Blue Jay doesn't wait for my response

I just want you to know that I'm not falling for your fucking game but you will not turn me around and if you try anything like that with me I will fucking kill you I stared at the woman before me her pupils two dark pools of venom her smile curled into a crooked smirk

of an adulterated contempt that's a great line yeah it's a great I love her her pupils two dark pools of venom

yeah why didn't you talk to the hitchhiko blue jay oh oh oh god her oh slam dunk boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom

and boom goes the dynamite and boom goes the dynamite oh that's good blue jay's brow furrows the smirk degrading from her face I don't wait for her response I mean Now that we've seen what happens

To people who spoke to him It's fair to assume you didn't Or am I wrong Blue Jay presses her lips firmly together Glaring at me Yes The veins that her temples Embozed against her taut skin

It's all right Blue Jay I was scared too Oh What a fucking dunk Get shit on Blue Jay She Bro

bro literally had a I love that I love Alice I love how Calculating Alice is whenever stuff starts Like she doesn't let her emotions get in the way of her Like she's sitting there St. Blue Jays like You killed that person you're awful and then Alice is like You know come to think of it

Why when all this started why were you playing along I thought you weren't part of the game Yeah yeah yeah she's she believes in it But she's like like I said She is completely deranged She's delusional and she's like Stuck herself to this narrative of like it's a lie so it's always going to be a lie but at the same time you can tell

that she's like fucking horrified yeah man that was good that was dope i really like alice's character she's like a smart protagonist she oh yeah i've always said that like horror movies are so much more effective to me when the characters are smart because when they're dumb it's easy to ride off a lot of the deaths and stuff but when they're doing everything right it makes it worse right because like you know the thing about that i don't think that she's done everything right I think that she just, she's consistent as a character. Yeah. I think that she has, she isn't swayed by her motives.

And that's the interesting thing, the juxtaposition between Blue Jay and Alice is that they both came in with these kind of motives. And yet Blue Jay will refuse to like drop those motives and like kind of give this a chance or be able to like, I think move on. And I think it'll lead to her demise while Alice is, is not so easily in the camp that she's aware. of everything and she's like open to the idea of uh basically humanity in the situation which i think is why she appears to be such a more compassionate and effective character yeah i agree uh so after that after that you know bell ringer of a statement yeah i walked to the back of the wrangler where rob has pulled out the stove and four camping chairs after helping him set them in the middle of the road and allowing him to cook me a bowl of steaming hot rice i set down next to him

and eat what i can we can't think of anything to talk about, and the two remaining chairs stay empty for the rest of the meal. And I climb back into the wrangler, Lilith seems quiet. She's less angry now, and, as I've seen before with her, is now being forced to confront the feelings her fury had been overshadowing. She shares a look with me in the rearview mirror, a look of being genuinely lost. I find myself reflecting the same expression as I stare back at her, and in that small sliver of glass, I think we both find a glimmer of understanding.

an understanding that there have been no easy choices on this road and that we should forgive each other and ourselves for the decisions we've had to make. After all, I wouldn't be surprised if there are harder choices ahead. And not to derail us too much more, but I think it hit Lilith a lot more too with Eve being gone and stuff. And I feel like she's in this place where it's like, learn from my mistake. Yeah, when she said that whole phrase that was like,

well, his sister just died, what? Do we just let someone, like, do that to themselves? Yeah. She was kind of talking to herself there. Yeah, she was, yeah, exactly. Yeah. Yeah. So I guess that's just what I wanted to say is I just picking them up on that.

Like I said, we can keep going, but I just, I think that it's why I think it's affected her so much more. And also, it's just, I mean, as a ethical, like a morale or ethical situation, it's obviously going to be very divisive. Yeah, I agree. It takes us less than an hour before we reach the woods. The drive has been predictably bereft of conversation. However, as the cornfields merge into deep green woodland and the thin opening we're supposed to take draws near, Rob breaks the silence with a customary all-cars address.

Ferryman to all-cars, I just want to say it's an honor taking this next corner with y'all. From here on out, we move slow, poured anything unusual, and stay on the lookout for the next turn, okay? All right, here we go. Oh, fuck, here we go. Rob twist the steering wheel.

We turn in a slow, deliberate arc towards the gap in the forest. The tarmac disappears below us, giving way to a rough dirt track. A towering legion of knotted trees eclips the convoy, the sun all but disappearing behind the thick canopy. The significance of this small turn in the road isn't lost on me. We had finally crossed the threshold, into the unknown reaches of the left-right game. For all we knew, we were the first people to ever have come this far, the first explorers of an entirely uncharted world. I'm not surprised when I realize I've been holding my breath.

I examine my compatriots closely. Lilith isn't even looking out the window, lost in her own tumultuous thoughts. Rob is reacting exactly as I expected, looking out of every window with an air of mystified wonder. Well, I'll be. It's beautiful, ain't it? As I look away from him and back out the windshield, I find myself smiling. Even after the stressful mornings we've all had, and the uncertain day that lies ahead,

Rob's statement rings with a joyous sincerity, which I can't help but appreciate. I also can't help but agree with him. In its own eerie way, it's a beautiful place. The Wrangler moves at a crawl for the rest of the day. The woods are vast and untamable. Thin, swooping branches hang lazily over the road, clattering against the light rig as we pass beneath them. many of the trees stand at strange crooked angles their various disparate inclines making it impossible to see too far in either direction rob spends every moment scanning the sides of the road the trees that flank us are so thick so tightly packed together that it's easy to denote an upcoming turn i suspect rob simply doesn't want to take any chance paranoid as he is about the road's deceptive qualities he needn't have worried there are only four turns across this entire afternoon. Each one is identified far in advance and navigated perfectly. Before I know it,

we've entered the early evening, with no discernible end to the woods in sight. We've been traveling uphill for a short while, plateauing onto a thin stretch of road, an endless expanse of force to our left and a dangerously steep bank to our right. With one less side of the road to look out for, Rob seems a little more comfortable holding a conversation. So what are you going to do? If you get to the end of the road, Code. Document it. Bring it home. Hand it over to the world. And after that? I guess I might take a vacation. Maybe I should visit London. Do you want to show me around?

You've never been to London? I just passed by, carrying packages. Never like city so much. Try to stay out of them when I can. I'd go if I had a tour guide, though. Okay, well, that's my next story, then. Rob Guthard takes on London. I don't think folk would want to listen to that I don't know I think people would tune in Or are you just too worried you'll grow to like the place

Junior would never let me hear the end of that Fair enough Wait, sorry My son wouldn't let me forget it He's always been a city boy I stare out into the pitch black forest Suddenly thinking back to my arrival in Phoenix Arizona Just five days before

I recollect my formative meeting with Rob Guthard And how I'd been treated to the briefest overview of his life. I didn't push for too much detail, wanting to hear the story in his own words, and under the assumption that I could get more background after a short stint on the road, after four days of intrigue and horror and stress, I haven't had time for a follow-up. In all honesty, it's only now I think back on it that I realize just how little ground we covered in our first interview. How eager he was to skip past the formative details in his existence. I didn't know the names of his ex-wives or anyone who wasn't

directly involved in his work with the paranormal. For example, I didn't know he referred to his son as junior. Often used as a general nickname for a child, it can, every so often, means something much more specific. Is, does your son show your name? Rob turns to me, confused. Yeah, did I never... Look out! Rob snaps fords as a fleeting blur darts across the road, before tumbling down the steep verge to our right.

Over the engine, we can... hear rustles and thuds as it disappears down the steep hillside and into the deep forest below. What was that? Was that a deer? That's what it looked like. It went straight off the edge. Why would it do that? Ain't too bright as all. Guys, can we get moving? This is... I'm interrupted by the sound of faint rumbling, emanating from the woods on the left side of the road.

What is that? We ain't waiting around to find out. Oh, Rob kicks the car into gear and pulls down the track. Less than five seconds later, he slams the brake on once more, stalling the car as a small group of three or four deer burst out in front of us. A few more can be heard skittering behind the Wrangler, slamming against the back of the Jeep as they hurriedly negotiate the gap between us and Blue Jay. As Rob works to restart the car, I stare out of the window and into the forest.

Finally, aware of what I'm hearing in the trees. The thunder is sound of hooves hammering against the earth, brushing past the undergrowth, struggling over rocks and branches on their way towards us. In no time at all, the forest erupts from an empty darkness into chaotic, violent life as an unbroken horde of frenzy deer burst out from the trees. Rob tries to tell us to hold on, but he doesn't have time. The path ahead floods with hundreds of stampeding deer, an unbroken torrent that blocks out the headlights beam.

Lilith jumps back from the passenger door as deep, thudding nails vibrate through the wrangler. The deer, locked in a desperate sprint with little space to maneuver, are running headfirst into the side of the car. One of the smaller deer bolts out of the forest, hits the deep green metal just below my window, the reverberation shaking the glass. I think I hear its neck snap. The ones I could get past the car aren't fearing better. Locked in a frantic state and forced along by their equally desperate cohorts, I can only watch as they spill over the edge of the steep hillside. Countless bodies crash into the darkness, carried down into what I can only. assume is a quickly developing mass grave of twisted interlocking bodies.

Rob, get us out of here. We ain't moving through. Just stay down. What the fuck? Somebody help. Blue Jay sounds terrified. The Wrangler's taking a beating from the onslaught of desperate creatures, but is still managing a hold firm. When I look back towards Blue Jay, I see a different story entirely. The car is lying at an angle pushed towards the edge of the hill by the sheer force of the herd's collective impact. The passenger side is on display, riddled with slick red marks and heavy, crater is dense. The creature's rushed past her, clumsily clambering over the hood and hammering into the doors of the car. Blue Jay screams into the receiver, placing a hand over her eyes. As one of her front tires passes over the edge, the car's chassis dropping down into the dirt,

luckily for her, when I turn back to the forest, I can see it's empty dramatically. The flood has subsided, and the last few deer pelting through the trees and across the road, their position at the back of the herd providing them with more than enough space to maneuver around the convoy ferrymen to

Blue Jay get yourself over here we gotta go now what the fuck was that what the fuck was that it was just a herd of deer Blue Jay but they were running

pretty hard and I ain't looking to meet whatever they were running from we don't have time to get you back on the road get over here now nothing more can be heard

from Blue Jay's radio except for static and a few intermittent gas for breathless fear ah damn it stay in the car you two Lilith, hand me the rifle. I ain't taking any chances out there. Lilith finds the rifle and hands it over to Rob. Grabbing some supplementary ammo from the glove compartment,

Rob climbs out and slams the door, marching through the dirt to Blue Jay's ruined car. I clamber into the back of the wrangler, struggling over a pile of empty Jerry cans and surveying the scene as it unfolds. In an almost Herculane effort, Rob wrenches the passenger side door open and holds his hand out for Blue Jay to take. I look on as she unbuckles her seatbelt, climbs out unassisted, and immediately launches herself at Rob, crying her eyes out and lashing at his chest with two clenched fists. She looks distraught, terrified, and violently angry. Rob stands there and takes it, whispering vague assurances to her as she unloads her tear and frustration into every wailing blow. Come on, Blue Jay, we got to go. Love talks under her breath, willing Blue Jay's catharsis to speed itself along.

I look at her silently sharing her in patience Then something catches my eye Something in the distance behind Lilith Slowly making its way through the trees I turn around and scramble to the front of the car Returning with the radio transceiver Rob get back here There's something in the forest

Hearing my warning crackle out from Blue Jay's car Rob turns in my direction Before alarmingly staring into the forest Where a pale figure is winding its way towards the pair For what I can ascertain, as it briefly leaves the obscuring undergrowth, it seems to be small, tremendously thin, and crawling unevenly on its hands and feet. The creature stops in a clearing ahead of Rob and Blue Jay, in view of me and Lilith, but shrouded from everyone in the shadow of the forest. Blue Jay separates from Rob, pulling a head torch out of her bag. Slowly, and with trembling fingers, she points the beam towards the creature and switches it on.

The resulting sight is incomprehensible. The beam instantly illuminates the light frame of a thin, almost emaciated child. It's barely over a year old, deathly pale, covered in dirt, its skin stretched taut over frail limbs. It stares up at Blue Jay, reflexively holding one arm over its eyes to shield itself from the bright LED light. Oh my God, what's happening to it? I know exactly what Lilith's talking about. My hand raises to my mouth as I watch the child struggle through the stream of harsh white light. With every step it takes, the child's form starts to shift and change.

It slims elongate in jagged, lurching burst of growth. Anything exposed to the beam develops with grotesque rapidity. It's as if the child is aging before our eyes. Letting out a tortured cry, the creature darts towards Blue Jay, angrily swatting the torch from her grip. Blue Jay screams in shock and pain as she holds her strickened hands. her attention transfixed on the child who has seemingly aged almost three years in a matter of seconds. Even in the fresh darkness, with her head torch fractured on the ground, I can tell the Blue Jay is paralyzed with an abject consuming horror.

Rob doesn't hesitate. He reflexively grabs Blue Jay and pulls her backwards into the path of her headlights. The creature reaches out for them as they go, one hand passing after them into the light. It pulls back quickly, its eyes full of heart-wrenching juvenile tears, the finger of its left hand aged beyond the rest of its body. Its cries begin anew. As ghastly as it seems, the child doesn't seem malevolent or demonic. In fact, as it looks back towards Blue Jay, it seems genuinely upset,

unable to comprehend the actions of those around him as it stares sorrowfully back at its newly malformed fingers. It's not much of a stretch to assume the transformations are as painful to endure as they are disturbing. Stay in the lot, Blue Jay. Keep moving! Blue Jay breaks away from behind Rob and sprints towards the Wrangler. As soon as she begins to flee, the child lets out a high-pitched scream and strikes the hood of Blue Jay's car. The impact of the blow is impossibly forceful. In less than an instant, the chassis crumbles into a massive jagged metal.

The one remaining headlight disappears from view as the car is launched off the path and rolls into the valley below. With Rob and Blue Jay now return to the darkness, the child skitters quickly towards Blue Jay, grabbing her foot as it lifts off the ground and yanking it backwards. With all her momentum immediately halted and one foot taken out from beneath her, Blue Jay has nowhere to go but down. She slams under the earth, her chin bouncing off a sharp rock. Blue Jay looks up at us with stunned, pleading eyes. Lilith and I have only a few seconds to meet her gaze before she is dragged backwards along the ground.

She screams in pain, her ankle caught in the child's iron grip. It doesn't even break pace as it walks back towards the woods, pulling Blue Jay along like a rag doll. Rob reaches out for her, snatching for Blue Jay's hand as she rise and thrashes against an unstoppable force. They connect briefly, but Rob's effort to keep a hold of her is futile. Dash immediately as she is pulled effortlessly from his hands. Blue Jay resorts to clawing at the ground, dragging thick, dark soil, and pulling loose rocks free from the dirt. Rob somberly unstraps his rifle, swinging it around to his front,

he reaches into the breast pocket of his jacket and chambers a single bolt. it. Blue Jay looks on as Rob raises the rifle to his shoulder and aims for the back of the oblivious child's head. Oh God. Lilith turns away from the window, cowering away from the insanity outside the car. I could barely watch myself as Rob places his finger on the trigger. The shot never comes. Blue Jay shrieks as the child reaches the tree line, pulling her into the undergrowth. Rob's hands are shaking, unable to do what needs to be done. Cursing loudly at the air itself, Rob lets the rifle fall to the ground. He stands in Mobile as Blue Jay screams continue to emanate through the trees.

His expression has been worn by everyone on the road. Like all of them, he's no longer present, lost to a realm of hopelessness and bewilderment, but unlike many others, he doesn't stay that way for long. Unlike the rest of us, Rob Guthroud manages to bring himself back. Bristol, there's a torch of the green bag. Get it now! I don't have time to hesitate. I scarred the contents of the Wrangler desperately. Lou J screams growing increasingly distant with every passing second.

Locating a large green bag in the far corner, I crawl across the Wrangler, unfasten the straps, and spills contents in the car. A heavy-duty LED torch clings against the cabin floor, and I snatch it up before it can roll away. Returning to Rob, I swing the back doors open and jump out onto the dirt track, throwing the torch behind Rob's outstretched hand. As soon as he catches it, Rob sprints out into the forest, leaving me and Lilith behind. The events that unfold among the trees are told to us in sound and light.

After almost a minute of silence, the torches ray bursts through the trees. Blue Jay's distant screeching intensifies as the child breaks into a gut-wrenching cry. A large crash echoes through the night air. The sound of bark cracking as the very trees shatter into splinters. The light dances chaotically as Rob lets out a cathartic, damaged roar. Suddenly, the child's desolate wailing grows more distant, retreating deep, deep into the woods and suddenly

silence Bristol what's happening I don't know stay in the car we wait for what seems like an age lost in worry before the gentle wrestling of undergrowth

calls our attention back to the tree line a moment later Rob emerges from the trees holding Blue Jay's arm around his shoulder oh thank God oh thank God the pair stumbles over to us slowly and painfully.

Blue Jay walks with a limp, her ankle is already horribly bruised, Rob sports a series of cuts across his face but seems otherwise unharmed. He calls back to us, utterly exhausted. Nothing to it! Yeah. Badass.

Just when I think I'm out, he pulls me back in. Just when I think Rob's like, maybe evil or whatever, that was so cool. well for a second i thought he was just gonna like not i thought he was just gonna let her go or something like that i think he did the math that the shot may not do anything but he's like flashlight the light is gonna be and then he like goes over the tree line and you hear screaming and shouting and then man that's cool uh not to do it ah man all right maybe i'm back on maybe rob's won me back over a bit that was really cool okay an irrepressible smile grows across my face a pained grimace of sincere joy

I raise a hand in my mouth as tears of unbridled relief start to roll down my cheeks. It's a brief fleeting moment in an otherwise dark night, but for once we've managed to pass through the storm, battered and broken, but at the very least, still together. Blue Jay falls to the floor, slipping free of Rob's grip and unable to hold her own weight. Rob turns around to look for where she's fallen, finds her crawling slowly towards the steep verge. Blue Jay, Denise, you okay? Blue Jay stops crawling. places her hands on the ground and rises unsteadily. Oh, no.

I suppose she can stand on her own after all. When she's finally upright, she turns back towards Rob, raising his rifle to her shoulder and fixing it on his torso. Oh my God. If this is, I'm going to be, if this happens, I'm going to be furious, okay? My smile vanishes. Denise, what did you? Put it down.

It was a child, Rob. It was a child. Child, it... What did you... Oh my God, Bristol. What's happening? Stay in the call, Lillith. Denise, you seen it just as much as me.

You saw what it did. It... It tore it my... It broke the skin. How... Why are you doing this? Denise, Denise, you know what you saw, okay? You know this is real.

We ain't doing this to you. It's happening to all of us. It's... Rob stares at Blue Jay, then down to the rifle. Besides boring on. to his chest. Okay, okay. How about we turn the car around? Right now, I'll turn us around, and I'll take you back home, and I'll drop you off outside the tunnel. Safe and sound. I just want

to get you home safe. What do you say? Blue Jay looks into Rob's eyes, the rifle quivers in her hands. We all wait, scarcely taking a breath for Blue Jay's response. Oh, no. I don't believe you. Oh, I'm, I'm, I'm, I don't. actually upset oh i'm like i'm i'm like i'm pretty mad right okay the shot echoes around us rob falls to his knees a look of surprise and disbelief carved into his face a plume of dark red blossoms around his shoulder there's no air in my lungs my entire body is paralyzed by the shock by the rank unfairness, the sheer impossibility of the scene before me. I still don't understand how it could possibly be happening.

Oh my god. Oh my god, oh my god, no! Blue Jay quickly paces up to Rob, snatches a handful of ammunition from his breast pocket, and reloads the rifle with practice deficiency. She stopped shaking. In fact, there's a calm conviction to her movements which convinces me with shocking immediacy that I might be about to die. where's the bring the baby back bring the baby back and take her back into the woods let her die

my god I'm so mad right now I can't even form sin I hate her I hate her so much I'm just gonna keep reading okay yeah go ahead I dive back into the wrangler slamming the door shut behind me

I find Lilith gripped by an immediate immobilizing shell shock we need to go Lilith we need to go okay I don't I don't understand get out of the car both of you. I'll kill him. I will kill him. Do you think she's going to kill us too? No. No, she was going to shoot Rob in the chest, but she aimed away last minute.

Oh, thank God. Oh, she shot him in the shoulder. Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. His left shoulder. Okay. I thought, I thought, sorry, hold on. I thought Rob died like that. I was going, I was going to start throwing stuff. I was about to be. No, no, he got shot in the shoulder. Okay. I think he's just in pain. That's fine. That's fine. That's fine. yeah this is okay hold on but still i don't know what she's gonna do i need to breathe i'm so while you breathe i'm still in a state of like i'm worried for lilith i feel like alice is going to get out of this but i'm worried that something's going to happen here where so i i don't feel good about the situation there's no way she can do this and move on like i think something is going to happen still blue jay's going to die here i predict i think either lilith i want the child to come back and

rip her fucking face off and drag her back in the woods that's what that was like okay so she's had a series, Blue Jay's character has had a series of opportunities to be redeemed, right? From watching Eve and Apollo die to witnessing what happened with Bonnie and stuff, she's had a series of chances and she keeps

rejecting them. So this is her final, like, there's no forgiveness for what she's doing here, right? No, well, she's totally unhinged. I mean, this, I mean, we have seen her go completely full circle and completely delusioned. I mean, like, she's horrified. You feel like there's a

of humanity of like Rob going and like you're like okay she's going to be sympathetic towards him now because he like saved her or whatever but I was going to give her a break if she like was saved or died during the deer or the baby dragging her away I was thinking

it would be like okay that's her last chance to come back to the story and she did it so now she has to die like narratively she can't be allowed to continue right I don't think so I don't think in a reasonable way I don't think so but we have to push on, we have to see. Yeah, yeah. I feel so much better that he's not dead, okay? Because I really

like Rob's character. I was going to be so mad if he dies in part seven to her. Anyway, all right, continue, sorry. I'm going to go back to the line for Aliso. She says, no, no, she was going to shoot Rob in the chest, but she aimed away last minute. She's just bargaining. Bargaining? She wants us to out of the car. I think she's going to take the Wrangler. If she leaves us here, we'll die anyway. I know. Well, we, we can't fight her. One of us will. Get the fuck out of the car! Both of you!

I want your hands where I can see them! It's okay. It's okay. Here, take this. I reached down and grab the walkie-talkie, pressing it into Lilith's hand. It's a sort sprint to the tree line. We need to get around the hood of the car.

Then we get into the woods as soon as there's an opening, okay? I can't do this, Bristol. Uh-oh, we're getting, uh... Oh, here we go again. I can't do this. Very similar thing to Eve, yep. Um, I'm sorry, Lilith. You're going to have to. I gently opened the driver's side door, climbing out and edging along the muddy verge,

keeping low to avoid Blue Jay's line of sight. Lilith climbs out after me, closing the door softly behind us. Without making the sound, conscious of every rustling leaf that passes underfoot, I gesture for us to make out our way around to the Wrangler's hood. Lilith goes first, staying below the windows, working her way to the front of the car and passing around the corner. From the hood of the ranger, we'll be able to make a be able to make a bele of the hood. line of the trees.

Don't play fucking games with me. Before I can make my way around to join Lilith, Blue Jay's impatience boils over. I can hear her footsteps on the rough ground as she makes her way over to the Wrangler. The situation rapidly spiraling further from my control. There's only one thing I can do to stop her discovering the both of us. We're coming out! I raise my hands and stand up, making my way to the back of the Wrangler. Blue Jay stops walking before she gets far enough to notice Lilith.

She turns to face me, raising the rifle to her shoulder. Moment later, I hear Lilith burst out from her hiding place, sprinting into the trees. Blue Jay quickly realizes what's happened, and with a yell of violent frustration, turns the rival to face the tree line. Lilith has already disappeared into the dark forest, out of range, and out of sight. I chose not to attempt to rush Blue Jay in the midst of the distraction, and I'm right not to. Realizing Lilith is lost to her, Blue Jay quickly spins back towards me and levels the rifle at my chest. I knew you were all in this together. You fucking monsters.

Her eyes are practically bulging from their sockets. Her entire face contorted into malicious, sickening righteous hatred. After all these days on the road, I've never seen something quite like this. You're not well, Blue Jay. No. No. I'm just not willing to fall for your fucking tricks. How could this all be a trick, Blue Jay?

How? Apollo, Eve, Bonnie. You saw what happened to them. It's beyond their understanding. mine and yours there's no such there's no such thing as fucking magic only fools and fucking frauds there it was

in one sentence the trigger for Blue Jay's creeping insanity the inflexible belief that had broken her mind against a maelstrom of contradiction with every impossible event she had witnessed every brutal death that had unfolded in front of her Blue Jay's unwavering skepticism had barred her from

blaming the supernatural from blaming the road instead she blamed us a swiftly dwindling pool of conspirators whose crimes had swiftly spiraled from deception to reckless endangerment to outright murder as far as blue jay was concerned we were only we were the only monsters on this road this wasn't madness it was self-defense it doesn't matter anymore you can't go home okay you can go home okay but just at least take lilith with you please she isn't part of this i'm not a fucking retard alice you don't think i've been watching you are all complicit

And as far as I'm concerned, you all can fucking walk. I'm sorry. I just don't think I can let you do this. She laughs, a sarcastic, ugly chuckle, holding the rifle tied against her shoulder. I can't see how that... I can't see how that's your decision. Well, that's always been your issue, hasn't, Dennis? Denise.

You lack imagination. I step backwards, allowing gravity to carry me over the threshold of the steep, dark slope. Oh, in the last few seconds before I topple... Wait a minute. Hold on. I toppled into darkness, I clenched the fingers of my left hand. When I'd been holding both my hands up, my empty palms face vertically towards her. Blue Jay could have easily mistaken the band around my finger for jewelry.

As I fall backwards, Blue Jay's eyes fix on my now closed fist, as she sees what's attached to the other side of the ring. A bottle opened her, a small LED, torch and the ignition key to the wrangler. I disappear over the edge, bracing myself for what's to come. Nothing else to do, I surrender myself to the long fall, followed into the darkness by the enraged screams of Blue Jay. End of part seven. Okay, hold on.

The reason I was laughing at the end, I thought, you remember the C-4 she took at the beginning of the story? Yeah. I thought she was about to blow up Blue Jay, is what I was laughing about. You lack imagination. Exactly. That's what I thought was happening. And she blows up. What's interesting about this one is nobody...

So we have by far our coolest-looking creature of when it's in the light, it ages and grows rapidly. And it's like this pale creature walking along and like thousands, hundreds if not thousands of deer's run across and it's like haunting this extensively dark forest, right? Yep. But I like the character of Blue Jay Not as a character I hate her

But I just mean in the aspect of like a completely deranged Monster Like she is now an inhabitant of this road Exactly yeah I view her the same way I view the hitchhiker or something At this point yeah Now What's interesting about the end of this is we're going into part eight

There's two parts left after this Is that we don't know Essentially now Rob is at the mercy of Blue Jay And the gun Lillith is hiding in the forest as well And now Alice is just like Kind of just falling over the edge And just being like whatever is over this edge

I'm gonna die either way But I would rather just like get away from this And see if I can survive Yeah so she she dropped over the cliff Holding the key ring So now Blue Jay cannot steal the wrangler Rob's on the ground And the two others are now lamb in the woods

Okay sick Alright So now we're We're into part 8 here The continuation I'm just ready to go full into it I'm I'm extremely interested to see what happens Art 8

And then I'm very curious after reading that What the main guy says The guy who's uploading the stuff I was this is my favorite part After having like tragic endings He's like hey guys So Just went to the store today

Have a nice day You're like Okay what Are you reading this? I'm still laughing over the idea of Alice be like, you lack imagination. Boom. You lack imagination.

Kill, Kills Blue Jay herself, Rob and the Jeep. Yeah. In. It just says Finn. Yeah, that's the end of it. You lack imagination.

Like she's the Joker. Yeah. Yeah. Do you want to know how I got these scars? Blue Jay. Denise, do you want to know how I got these scars? You see, my father was a bit of a drinker. Which do you prefer?

Actually, here's the thing before we get into it. Do you prefer Joaquin Joker or do you prefer Heed Ledger Joker? They're two different, there are two different instruments for two different jobs. Well, that's not the, that's, that's not the question. Which one? Which one do you like more? Say it with your chest. Um.

Gosh, they're such different characters. I guess I like the Ledger one more. Because I feel like it's more timeless. I really love the Joaquin one. But to be honest. You don't have to, you don't have to sway me, man. I prefer Ledger Joker as well. That's all we need to know.

To me, Walking doesn't do anything that a character like Travis from taxi driver doesn't you know but i feel like heath ledger's joker is more of a all like full flamboyant interpretation of like just chaos wants to once to crumple the system whatever it costs yeah i used to have a uh a heath ledger poster in my moot in my room that said why so serious written in blood yep classic so you know that i don't have a let me just say i don't have a Joaquin poster so I think that speaks volumes Told you things

Says some things You know I don't know Anyway where are we What are we doing Oh yeah Left right game Hello Next time you see

Blue Jay She's wearing Joker face paint Yeah she has a purple trench coat Yeah going through the trees I'm a pari all are running the game And I'm just here to throw a wrench in your plans Why so serious she's dragging raw by his ankle

he's like bleeding all the wall they dragged through the woods she can't stand the side of me anymore and then what the fuck's his name who's the British guy in that movie Michael Kane Michael Kane's like some people

just want to watch the world burn also baby holding an emerald the size of a tangerine. Some people just want to watch the world bone. Okay, all right. They revolved where it's like unintelligible. That's exactly what Michael Cain sounds like in those movies. Mashed a wine.

Mashed a wine. There was a Jewel Faith down in Panama. Okay. All right. All right, party. Here we go. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. all right anyway

introduction hi guys mr raffle waltz is here um hi guys apologies for the removal of this log a second ago not sure why that happened

and I should also apologize for the delay in posting recently if I could dedicate all of my time to find Alice then I would sadly I need to work as many Christmas shifts as I can get my hands on especially now I've decided that I can't continue the investigation

effectively from my flat in north london i've been thinking about it for a while and i've decided that after christmas i'm going to be flying out stateside to follow up on the leads you guys have provided well this guy's dead hope yeah he's definitely going to die part 10 is going to be a sad day for him yeah hopefully once i'm there i might be able to make some real headway in the meantime please keep any and all insights coming however small i really do read all of them okay here's the next log all right we are now this one's valentine's day funny enough february 14 2017 now into a new day in a new day in a new forest in a new land

yep here we go also for the next one since you know he's British too for the next two since it's the last two can you read the first part in a British accent so I'm not the only one okay I'll read the last sentence for you so you can get a taste no no no no wait till part nine as the next log

I can't do that hold up all the Good, I, Mike. That's Australian. You know, it's close. I might. It's close. I might.

It's close. I can't. Hey, okay, mate. It should be Australian, isn't it? Okay. In that, in it, in it, in it, okay, here's an, I can't. I'll try. I'll try.

We'll see what we get there. I'm gonna, you thought, they thought your British accent was offensive. They haven't seen anything yet. I'm going to make them be some justice for me in the comments, today that's all right i'm gonna make them completely indiscernible okay all right here we go in the brief interlude before i hit the ground i find myself alone with the stars as i fall backward towards the slope my gaze rising to meet the night sky i feel a sudden weightlessness take hold as if i'm being granted an audience with the heavens the rich and endless firmament shines down through the canopy

with no earthly light to dull its glow despite everything that's happened i'm unable to ignore how magnificent at all is, how gracefully detached from the ugliness below. Though the moments last no more than a second, it feels longer, like I've been gifted some pleading respite, a transient sliver of time in which to appreciate the calm, quiet cosmos, a moment to escape, however briefly, from the events that are to come. I don't know how much longer the moment might have lasted. I suppose I never will. It's with a sense of genuine sadness that I turn myself away, twisting my body around in midair the stars disappear from view

and I am left staring down the slope into the valley's dark uncompromising depths my commune with the heavens has ended and I've returned to the cold unforgiving earth it doesn't welcome me back I hit the slope Man she must have been falling for a while huh

yeah I mean if she like had glide time I'm gonna guess to have that kind of yeah I'm gonna guess she lives because the dead deer break her fall but she's got like Or she impales herself on all the antlers Yeah she's got to break a bone or something

At least right I hit the slope Yeah she's got to break a bone or something I think Definitely Is that me? Is that what you're doing? Is that me?

Is that my voice? Yeah that's what you're doing Stop that. Cut that out Hey Yeah Probably got to break a wrist Oh hey no

I don't like the direction It's funny when we're making fun of the British people cut that out I hit the slope immediately bouncing off one shoulder and landing on the other That's what I think of immediately bouncing

boi Thank you Thank you That's the sound people make When they hit the ground really hard Oh yeah Yeah Minecraft Steve noise Okay

Barely forcefully and unstoppably downhill my entire body is thrown into chaos tossed into a frenetic uncontrollable dance swept along by the rushing earth towards the impatient valley floor the back of my ankle flails against a hard jagged rock my face rolls into a small bloom of stinging nettles their caustic leaves scraping against my cheek i battle to bring order to my descent my hands grasping at the undergrowth clawing through loose soil in a frenzied search for stability rocks at dirt cascade around me as i pull myself on to my back finally managing to descend and end with my feet pointed downhill. I've regained control just in time, looking ahead to see a large tree, bursting out of the hill a few meters below me. A split second before I would have collided with thick, knotted trunk, I throw myself to the side, my wrist ricocheting against the bark and sending a shooting pain down my arm. The valley's base comes into view, hurtling towards me as I plummet through the rushing

undergrowth. I can make out the bodies of the deer who made this hazardous journey before me. I can hear the pained brain of the survivors moaning and hollow resignation as they struggle to stand on broken legs. A moment later, I join them. The slope doesn't level out gradually. Just before the bottom, the sharp incline I've been hopelessly traversing drops off into a sheer rock face. Before I can stop myself, I'm launched from the slope, kicking dirt into the air. I spend the final three meters in freefall before landing on my hands and knees,

my whole body subject to a complete bone-rattling halt. My body tints and aching. I pick myself up off the valley floor. The second I stumble onto my feet, a harsh beam of torchlight strikes the ground to my right. My muscles groaning, I jump back against the natural rock wall as the light swings my way,

sweeping directly over the spot where I just landed. Blue Jay is looking for me. I would have expected nothing less. The beam glides along the ground, scanning the base of the slope, lighting up the twisted bodies of countless deer. fortunately the shadow cast by the rock wall offers a measure of sanctuary shielding me from the torch's restless glare about half a minute after it arrived the beam rises through the trees and cuts out i don't expect her to come after me i certainly don't expect her to drop down the slope perhaps she could walk back down the road taking a gentler route downhill and pursue me through the valley once it levels out but the walk would probably take half an hour each way if i were her i wouldn't want to leave the wrangler unprotected for the that long. Despite the fact that she's showing no signs of entering the valley, Blue Jay is clearly

eager to locate me. The torch suddenly illuminates the damp soil ahead of me as she points it back down into the valley. I suspect she turned it off just long enough for me to feel overlooked, allowing me to consider stepping out into the open. I also suspect that, should the torchlight find me scrambling around on the valley floor, a bullet will quickly follow it, putting me down to lie with the deer. From that point, all she needed to do is walk down and slip the Wrangler's key from my cold limp fingers Catching my breath My back pressed against the rough rock wall

I run through my current priorities I need to stabilize Rob I need to lure Blue Jay away from the wrangler And most pressingly I need to contact Lilith Okay so one second So she is off the beaten path of this thing Which before when Apollo did that

He was sunken away so Well the difference is that's a wrong turn She hasn't made a wrong turn She's still on the road side. It's if you start heading the wrong direction entirely. Now, if she takes off and just runs directly, like, into the valley, then she'll probably get something. But as long as you... It's like the road senses your objective, almost.

If you make a wrong turn, you're dead. Yeah. But she hasn't turned, per se. I see. Okay. Catching my breath. My back pressed against the rough rock wall. I run through my current power.

Oh, I already read that. I reached to the back of my waistband. my hand searching for my personal walkie-talkie. My fingers touched in them, finding an empty space where the transceiver should be. My stomach drops as I search along my back, it's gone. I'd had it with me when I dropped onto the slope, but at some point during my furious descent,

it must have gotten away from me. The torchlight swings back around once more. Though it's something I never thought I'd have to do, I find myself making a mental inventory of the convoys radio transceivers. Before we set out on the road, Rob handed a walkie-talkie to each of us. Since then, it's safe to assume,

that those belonging to Ace, Apollo, Eve, Bonnie, and Clyde are no longer in play. Lulith must have lost hers when her car sank into the ground, which is why I gave her robs before she ran into the forest. That left just mine, which could be anywhere on the hillside, and Blue Jays. The torchlight disappears once more. Yeah, so, yeah, Blue Jays got it. I cautiously lean out from the shadows, scanning the forest around me. Blue Jays' walkie-talkie had been in her car when the child pushed it from the road.

If I'm correct, then her transceiver is the only one left that I can use to contact Lilith. The car itself doesn't seem to be anywhere around me, but as I turn my head and scan the dark hillside, I can see it resting on the slope. The entire car has been stopped midfall, resting precariously on its side. The vehicle's crooked undercarriage crumpled around the trunk of an old and battered tree. If I'm going to get in touch with Lilith, I'm going to have to climb up there. I edge along the rock until Blue Jay's car is almost directly uphill for me. Turning around and running my hand against the damp, shrouded wall, I'm able to discern a few passable handholds. Placing my fingers into a large grove above my head, I jam my boot onto a small outcrop just above the wall and push myself upwards.

It isn't an easy climb. My hands are cold, my arms are tired, and I'm certainly not wearing the right shoes. My boots repeatedly slip from their holds, causing my arms to throb as they're forced to bear my weight. after painstakingly scraping up the first two meters I ran up I run out of places to put my hands my outstretched fingers falling roughly 10 inches short of the top I take a quick breather letting both arms straighten as I lean back and observe the wall above me as the torch sweeps past overhead once more it illuminates a small twisted route on the very edge of the cliff I have no idea if I can reach it and there's every chance it will give way immediately

causing me to topple helplessly back to the earth. However, I can feel my grip weakening, a noticeable ache running up my forearms. I'm not going to be able to stay where I am much longer, and I suspect I won't have the energy to make it this far again. Edging my feet up, scrabbling the side of my boot against the wall until it sticks in place.

I bend my legs slightly, poising myself to make the jump. Gritting my teeth, and with a sharp, tentative intake of breath, I swing myself up into the air and let go of the wall. I feel grossly vulnerable, hanging in the air with nothing but a harsh fall below me and harrowing climb waiting above. I throw my arms forward as I hit the peak of my jump and just managed to catch the root with both hands.

A heavy jolt wretches my shoulders, threatening to yank me back to the ground. Fear and adrenaline alone sustain my desperate grip. My arms on fire as I swing my leg up to the ledge, hooking my heel over the top after a few clumsy attempts. I force myself over the edge and onto the soft soil, just in time for the torchlight to start circling back towards me. With one final surge of effort, I push my aching body upright and struggle over the nearest tree,

failing at its base and pressing myself against the bark. The light travels quickly. The tree's darkening shadow swings over from the right, covering me, and then fading again as it stretches out to my left. The light leaves me in darkness, certain to return soon as Blue Jay continues her frenzied surveillance. It started to rain a little. A few sporadic droplets fall through the sparse canopy and land on my outstretched palm.

It doesn't take long before these scouts are reinforced by a steady downpour, drumming against the leaves and grass, soaking through the loam. The already punishing incline is going to prove completely unclimable if the rain has enough time to slicken the grass and pound the soil into mud. I also doubt I'll be able to make the initial climb again, especially if the rock wall becomes coated in a layer of cold rain. As much as I have to move quickly up to the car, I also need to move carefully. It's becoming increasingly clear that this will be my only attempt at reaching the radio.

The vehicle is only a short climb away. I can see its undercarriage laying against the tree, an entire left side of the vehicle is pressed into the ground. Only now I'm nearby do I hear the ominous creaking sound that emanates from the car as it rocks almost imperceptibly around a thin focal point. I wait for the torchlight to swing past me more before pulling myself out from the shadow of the tree. My dirt-covered hands grasping at any conceivable purchase, I crawl up to the bank towards Blue Jay's vehicle.

My feet slip on the grass with every other step as the rain seeps into the ground, soaking through my fleece. I'm completely exposed as I make my way on towards the car. Though it remains a constant concern, the torch seems to be exploring another section of the hill as I arrive beneath the chassis. the undercarriage looming imposingly over me. I briefly glance up to check on Blue Jays' movements, then, slowly, steady myself against the incredible incline, I climb out into the open once more and pull myself up

until I'm in line with the warped, twisted hood. Blue Jays' transceiver is still fastened within its dock. Despite the car's battered condition, the windshield is frustratingly intact, with nothing more than a small, jagged, irregular hole near its center. It will take a bit of maneuvering, but it should be just big enough to reach through and pull the radio free. Slowly and tentatively, I thread my arm through the center of the opening,

shards of serrated glass encircling my skin. My hand reaches the dashboard, slowly brushing along its surface towards the walkie-talkie as I lean into the car. The torchlight starts to swing back across the hill. Blue Jay is walking along the ledge in a frantic mission to find me. In my current position, out in the open and trapped in a slow, delicate procedure, there's no way I can get out of the way in time. my hand grasped the transceiver as the light reaches me though i'm ashamed to admit it for a brief moment drowned in the revealing glare of the torch's beam i'm stunned into inaction the light has stopped moving fixed directly on me casting my stark shadow down into the valley i can imagine blue jay's triumphant glares her desperate search is finally rewarded returning to all

returning to my senses all too late, I grip my teeth and wrench the walkie-talkie from its dock. With no time for grace or care, I retract my arm from the windshield, inhaling sharply as an apparent shard of glass scrapes across the back of my hand. Turns out I have greater things to worry about, as I hear a loud bang from up on top of the hill, followed instantaneously by a disgusting zipping sound that flashes past my ear. I flinch instinctively from the noise, my sudden reaction causing my boots to give way beneath me. I slam into the earth and career down the hill. What little control I have over the slope, I give away in a desperate bid to roll into the car's shadow and out of the light. I don't have time to write myself as I'm dragged

chaotically down towards the valley and cast over the edge once more. The base of the valley flashes into view mere seconds before my body slams into it. The air is ripped out of my lungs, my pained cry forming a visible plume of steam that dissipates into the cold night air. I lay on my side, cradling the walkie-talkie in my hands, at the very least I'd manage to keep a hold of it. The torch dances erratically around my position. I pick myself up and drag my body the last few meters, collapsing against the wall as a torch beam lights up the ground in front of me. As I raised the radio, I realized my hands are violently shaking. I don't think I've ever been as close to death as when the bullet passed by me, and although the noise itself died quickly,

it's horrific implications echo in my skull. Blue Jay shot Rob as a bar. bargaining ship to drag us out of the Wrangler. It was a show of force, power play. The bullet that she just fired in my direction had no nuance, no pretense, no objective other than its primary function. Blue Jay's prepared to kill me, which means she's prepared to kill any of us. I raised the transceiver and switched through the channels until I find Rob's frequency. This is Bristol to Lirth. Bristol to Lillith. Do you copy? Radio cackles as I release the button. I wait 20 interminable seconds for Lillith respond she doesn't this is bristol the lilith can you hear me this time i let a minute pass

still nothing everything i've been struggling for since i jumped into the valley has come up against a wall of silence i feel a well of frustration inside me it isn't fair jinn jinn are you there another minute goes by i said in silence the whole time watching as the radio i risked my life to collect transforms into a useless hunk of plastic. After a while, I'll loosen my grip and let it drop to the wet soil. I bring my legs up to my body, wrap my arms around them, and rest my head against my knees. In a moment of rest, my breathing becomes shallow. I set of fresh tears well up behind my eyes, spilling out down my face.

The rain falls around me as I quietly cry, sitting in the middle of a dark forest, muddied, injured, and alone. I'm ripped out of my melancholy as the rain is blasted in every conceivable. direction, whipping against my face, and splattering against the rock with incredible force. The air is whipped into a furious maelstrom, and a familiar, booming sound crashes through the ather. I've watched you struggle. As soon as it arrives, the voice is gone. The wind quiets down and the rain begins to drop vertically once again. Hello? Hello? Who is that? The air is still, absent of everything but the rain. I wiped the teeth. I wiped the teeth.

tears from my faces I call out to the air. Can you help me? Please, can you, can you just? The voice has disappeared, and I suspect I won't be hearing it again any time soon. Perhaps it just wants me to know that it's watching. One thing is certain, if the voice is attempting to bring me comfort or make me feel less alone, its methods are horribly misguided. Alice, are you there?

My eyes fixate on the crackling radio. Alice, are you still there? I'm sorry I couldn't. Jen! Jen, are you okay? Are you safe? Yeah, I'm okay. I thought you were... What happened to you? I jumped down the hill, got Blue Jays walkie.

She's shot at me. How have you been? She's gone fucking crazy. I made it to a clearing in the woods. It's straight on from the car. Or at least I hope it is. I still haven't seen that thing anywhere. Well, it's a big forest. Maybe it's gone.

Can you stay near the clearing? Yeah, I can. can keep hidden nearby. What are you going to do? I'm going to make my way to you and we're going to get to Blue Jay, or we're going to get Blue Jay away from the Wrangler. How? I'm still working on that. I'm about half an hour away. Keep your volume down, but stay in touch, all right? Yeah. Okay, okay, we'll do. I'm glad you're all right, Alice. Yeah, you too, Jen. I fastened the radio to my waistband. My body still aches from the fall, blood dripping slowly from my hand. and my fingers are almost numb from the cold.

Yet, hearing Lillis' voice on the other end of the radio has brought back something I lost in the valley. A sense of resolve that jumpstarts my tired muscles, pushes me to my feet, and sets me off to rejoin road. Question. Where is Rob at this point? As far as we know, bleeding on the pavement next to the Wrangler. Yeah.

Okay. All right. As far as we know, I mean, maybe Blue Jay's like Dragon's, so the way Blue Jay's acting, they're going to get up there. Rob's going to be crucified. like on a cross she built upside down or something yeah exactly

can't you see I'm the sane one I'm the only one that gets you guys are acting crazy yeah yeah pretty much as far as we know he's still on the ground though

yeah um okay I'm still stuck in the middle of a dark forest I'm still muddied and injured but I'm no longer alone

it isn't long before my boots hit asphalt I followed the road, sticking to the tree line as I worked my way back up the hill. I'm reluctant to place myself within sight of the Wrangler, where Blue Jay will almost certainly be camped out and waiting. Unfortunately, it's the only point of reference in an otherwise unknowable forest, the only location from where Lillis location can be divined. Once the road levels out, I take the precaution of heading deeper into the trees. The road is almost impossible to see now, but I'll need the cover of Blue Jay is still on the lookout. even though I'm only a few meters deep the woods fill me with a palpable sense of unease every shadow feels predatory every twig that snaps under my foot sounds like the crack of a whip when the wrangler comes into view blue jays nowhere to be seen

curiosity gets getting the better of me i creep closer to the road observing the scene as the trees thin out the place is deserted neither blue jay or rob anywhere to be seen i have no idea what could have forced her to move him perhaps he managed to get away something feels wrong creeping up to the wrangler I find the passenger side window broken a thousand splinters of glass spilled across the ground trotted into the mud the glove box has been left open the boxes of ammunition either emptied or removed the next thing I notice makes my blood run cold and forces me to curse my own stupidity the light on the CB radio is on yeah I mean I figured that would happen yeah yeah when I'd reach the bottom of the hill I'd correctly calculated that the number of active radios arriving at the conclusion that only me and Lilith would be able to communicate. Technically, I'd been right, we were the only two who could talk, but that didn't mean we were the only ones who could listen. I'd forgotten that the CB radio and Rob's car had its own independent battery and in-built speakers. Most importantly, he'd been using it throughout the trip to broadcast and receive across all our frequencies. I switched the frequency of the Wauki to a random channel,

lift the receiver to my mouth, and hold the talk button. Bristol to all cars. My voice crackles out of the CB radio. Blue Jay must have known I was going to contact Lilith, and she'd broken into the Wrangler to spy on the conversation. I can't believe I didn't think about it before now. I switched the radio back to Lilith's frequency. Lilith, you need to get moving.

Blue Jay heard us. She's not listening now, but she knows I'm meeting you near the clearing. Get yourself back here, okay? Lilith can't hear... Lilith, can you hear me? Ooh. Bring me my fucking key, Alice. Ooh.

She's a super villain. My heart sinks. Now it makes sense why Blue Jay wasn't guarding the Wrangler. She'd eavesdropped onto my conversation and, instead of waiting for me to get back up the hill, she gone after Lilith. Despite all my efforts, all my good intentions, I led Blue Jay right to her. Blue Jay, where's Lilith? She's here. I hear a refrain of quiet sobbing in the background of the call.

I can hear Lilith meekly calling my name. Okay, okay. Let me speak to her. What? No, no, no. You're not going to trick me again, Alice. You don't get to confer. You get to bring me the key to my fucking car.

And then you get to walk yourselves back home. Now what about you do... Now, what about that do you need fucking discuss? Blue Jay, this is... We're not your enemy, Denise, okay? Please. You have to believe me. You think I'll ever believe a fucking word you say.

Bring me my fucking keys, and if you pull any more tricks, I will put a bullet in your fucking skull. Now, do you believe that? She waits patiently for my answer. I suddenly feel like we've entered an entirely new realm. Blue Jay has the upper hand, and under the threat of fierce, unthinkable consequences, we've become the subjects of her domain. Reason, diplomacy, and sanity no longer holds sway over proceedings. As long as she has Lilith remains at the end of that rifle, I'm beholden to her madness. Fine. Okay, I'm on my way.

Good. You need to remember, Alice. I didn't want any of this. You brought me here. Blue Jay lets go off the button, returning me to a familiar silence. If I keep the keys from her, Lilith will be at her mercy, and although Blue Jay can't really afford to kill her bargaining chip, I have no doubt she'll be willing to hurt her as much as she needs in order to force my compliance. If I let her take the Wrangler, however, we're both dead anyway. I take a moment to think through my options. It doesn't take long. There aren't that many left.

My journey through the forest is uncomfortable and rings with an unsettling finality. Like a guilty child heading towards an unavoidable reckoning. I'm overcome by a pervasive dread which builds with every shuffling step. I do my best to keep the wrangler behind me, carving a straight line through the woods. All in all, it takes less than five minutes before the clearing opens up ahead of me. Blue Jay is planted in the very center of a large glade, leading too much extra. exposed ground in every direction for me to even contemplate an ambush. Rob's torch lies at her feet as she keeps both her hands firmly wrapped around the rifle. Lillith kneels beside her, the barrel of

the gun placed against her temple, her tear-stained face contorted by a mixture of despair and vitriolic anger. Her hands rest restruct against her lap, her wrist bound by the same brands of cable ties I'd used to restrain Bonnie. I can imagine Blue Jay bristled with the poetic justice when she ordered Lilith to fasten the bands around her wrist. They both see me as soon as I step out of the trees. You're late. I got turned around. Lilith, are you okay?

Stop walking. Stop walking! Blue Jay grips the rifle more tightly, sending me an unignorable message. She keeps me at a good distance. She knows it takes her a second or two to reload the rifle, and she wants me far enough back to allow time for at least two consecutive shots. Everything she does, every action she takes, demonstrates that she's prepared. Paring to act swiftly against us, should anything untoward take place. Lillith, are you okay?

I'm okay, I'm okay. Hand over the keys, Alice. Blue Jay, take her back with you, please. You don't have to let her... You can drop her off at a police station as soon as your home. But just take her home. Hand me the fucking keys. Fine.

I have in my bag, let me... Hey, hey, what are you doing? Blue Jay snaps at me as I reach into my bag, pointedly jabbing the rifle against Lilith. Lilith cries with distress as the barrel repeatedly prods her temple. I take my hand out of my bag and slip it slowly from my shoulder. Every move I make is being considered a potential act of subterfuge. Fine, fine, here! I swing my bag in a slow arc and throw it over to Blue Jay.

It lands in the wet dirt about a meter in front of her. That's better. Blue Jay steps forward, momentarily letting the guns barrels slip from Lilith's temple. She quickly bends down and places the bag over her shoulder, reaching in, extracting the key to the wrangler and placing it in her jacket pocket. In the fleeting seconds of distraction, I watched Lilith raise her hands high above her head and swing her elbows down to her sides in a single fluid motion.

The zip tie snaps open and without wasting a second, Lilith launches herself at Blue Jay, grabbing her waist from behind and trying to force her to the ground, shocked at the suddenness of it all, but aware that this may be our only chance, I find myself sprinting to across the clearing towards the pair of them. Blue Jay is taken by surprise following Lilith's assault, but she adapts to the situation quickly. Planning one foot in front to brace her sudden momentum, she stops herself from being brought down. At the same time, she swings the stock of the rifle down to her side where it meets Lilith's face with a sickening crack. You fucking bitch!

Lilith is knocked onto her back, dazed and hurt. Without hesitation. Oh. Blue Jay swings the rifle down and fires a shot into the girl's stomach. Hmm. I find myself trapped in the moment, as if reality itself is stunned by the madness taking place before it, unsure how it will continue on. Sounded the shot thunders through my conscience, yet the same time seems distant otherworldly. I can't bring myself to speak. My lips uneasily parted as Lilith's bitful cries resound, uninterrupted through the clearing.

What have you done? What have you? Blue Jay is backing quickly away from Lilith, putting space between the two of us while she struggles to reload. She was right to keep me at a distance early on. She's given herself more than enough time to drive a second bullet into the chamber and click the bolt into position. No more tricks, Alice. Before I know it, I've broken into a final, desperate sprint, casting wet mud behind me as I dashed towards the shelter of the tree line. I can imagine Blue Jay leveling the rifle, lowering her eye to the sights. Another shot echoes through the cold air, flying wide and perishing with a distant thud.

As I reach the edge of the clearing, I throw myself behind the thick trunk of the nearest tree. My back presses against the rough bark as I listen for any movement behind me. Twig snap beneath Blue Jay's feet as she advances towards me. You did this to yourselves. You did this with your lies and your tricks and your fucking games. Well, I'm not fucking plague anymore. A shot grazes the tree, ricocheting off into the woods. I can hear her beginning to strafe around my position, poised and ready to fire as soon as she gets an angle.

You kept lying right until the end. Everything you've done. Everything you are. You fucking monster! I will put a bullet in your skull, and I won't feel a fucking thing! From the moment she'd first opened her mouth, spilling her bitter, dogmatic cynicism into our group, I've been waiting for Blue Jay to realize she was wrong. Every so often, in a quiet moment, I'd catch myself fantasizing about the stark and esoteric

phenomenon that would stop her tongue and force her to accept the truth. I realize now that there was never going to be such a moment, that nothing lies beyond her powers of self-delusion. She was lost to us, lost to the road, a twisted woman, driven mad by her. own rationality. My hand slips into my pocket. You know what, Blue Jay? I believe you. The next thing I hear is a faint, nostalgic ringtone. A sudden, deafening, bang.

In the brief time I was afforded, following my tense call with Blue Jay, I had taken one of Rob's knives to the block of C-4, cutting away almost everything around the blasting cap. The block was less than a pound in weight when it slipped into a compartment of my satchel and buttoned it up. When Blue Jay had asked for the key, I made sure to reach into my bag enthusiastically. At a feeling she'd see my eagerness as a potential trap, allow me a chance to throw her the satchel. She didn't trust anything I did, and it made her predictable. It's, I step out from behind the tree and look towards Blue Jay, lying broken on the forest ground, a large section of her abdomen removed by the blast, her arm, shoulder, and upper

thigh virtually non-existent. She struggles to breathe. As blood fills her airway. I was... I was... Turn away from her, run towards Lilith. I dropped to my knees beside her, grasping one of her hands. She grips my fingers weakly, her eyes starting to drift shut. Open it again for briefer and briefer intervals.

Hey, Jen. Hey, Alice. She speaks softly. Her words hardly making it through the intense ringing in my ears. Try to stay awake, Jen. You're going to be all right, okay? we'll stop the bleeding and we'll get you patched up back at the wrangler we've got roswell in the spring and once you're better we'll go there together okay jinn jinn when she managed to open her eyes once more the look she gives me is kind heartbreakingly knowing i can't help but think back our time on the cliff side overlooking the vast ocean of fields she'd asked how many people had died being told comforting lies

how many of them knew. I can't speak for anyone else, but as she stares up at me, hushing me with a look. I can tell that she does. I wish we could have been friends for longer. Aw. Oh. I can't bring myself to speak. Every word seems too small, too insubstantial, too wholly insignificant to be the last thing she might hear.

All I could do is stare at a little size as her faltering breath rises in clouds, of pale steam, clouds that grow slowly thinner and thinner until nothing rises at all. I lay her hand on the ground and let her fingers slip gently from my grasp. My legs carry me over to Blue Jay. My hand reaches into her pocket and lifts out the key to the wrangler.

The metal is irreparably bent, with no hope of fitting back in the ignition. This was the potential outcome which had rendered the C-4 as a last resort, only to be used if my life was in immediate danger. It had done its job. I was alive, but I was also stuck in this forest. I can't bring myself to care about that right now.

My mind is numb to the concept of future suffering, with no space left to contemplate tomorrow's potential trials. The horrors of the present are hard enough to face. My mind eclipsed by more darkness than I can process. The only glimmering shred of solace I can muster comes from the wishful belief that I've now seen all the tears this night has to offer. As I turn towards the wrangler, I find myself proven wrong, Once again, I stand stock still as the child's crooked form.

Ah, dang it. There he is. I was wondering he's going to come back. As the child's crooked form staggers out from the tree line. It looks markedly different. Now a patchwork malformation of adolescence, adulthood, and old age. The face, however, is still juvenile and filled with an innocent sorrow as it lurches towards Blue Jay on uneven feet. It doesn't seem to have noticed me.

I back away from Blue Jay and step slowly towards Lilith, where Rob's LED torch still lays on the ground. The child reaches Blue Jay, observing her silent, mangled frame. Through my dampened tearing, I could just make out a heartbroken whine. I continue to back away as it lifts Blue Jay's limp arm, shaking it wildly as if attempting to imbue it with some semblance of animation. Frustrated tears dripping freely from its chin, the child throws Blue Jay's wrist back down against the ground. As it looks away from a broken body and turns its face to me, I watch this the soft, innocent features contrasted to a scowl of juvenile rage, signifying the inceptive throes of a tantrum that could eviscerate anything in its path.

In the last few seconds of calm, I feel my boot brush up against the torch. Bending slowly, keeping my eyes on the child for as long as I can, I reached down with my right hand and lift it from the ground. My hopes that I wouldn't have to use it are dashed instantly. The child drops onto its hands and legs, letting out a tortured, furious scream and races towards me with staggering velocity. I dodge out of the way at the last possible moment, hitting the soft dirt as the child skitters to a stop behind me.

And the time it takes to turn itself around, I've already switched on the torch. Once again, the child is hit by a powerful beam of light. Its body lurches and spasms, its skin pulling and stretching over elongated bones, crying out in pain, its voice deepening with every passing second. The disjointed figure dashes in my direction, clasping my right arm in its hands and slamming me down onto the ground. The torch swings wildly as the creature climbs on top of me, tearing the fabric from my right sleeve,

digging its nails into the skin just above my elbow. It doesn't stop in the skin. I feel the hot, electric agony of scraped nerve endings. Here the sickening snap of breaking bone. Before I lose my chance forever, I throw my torch weakly from my right hand and catch it in my left, pressing the beam directly into the child's face. it screams a scream of decades the child's eyes roll back into its head overpowered by the brutal onslaught the light has wrought i look on as its face melts and flickers through the adolescence through adulthood and middle age the tortured scream grows hoarse and weak as its skin wrinkles and sags rushing beyond human years into an untouched realm of decreptitude eventually its eyes glaze over and its once powerful scream becomes nothing more than a grating rattle i let the pitiful scream

beautiful, lifeless creature fall to the ground beside me as I roll myself onto my knees. I stumble along the ground towards Blue Jay, falling repeatedly, a stream of red soaking into the soil behind me. Once I reach her, I use my left hand to unfasten the rifle's leather shoulder strap. I clumsily form the strap into a loop, passing it beneath my right shoulder. My head feels light, struggling to maintain focus. I grab a stick from the ground and place it through the knot of the loop, using my teeth to draw the knot securely closed around it. My left hand twist the stick over and over again, each turn tightening the leather strap until it bites into my skin. The bleeding lessens, but not nearly enough. Picking up my tired frame, barely able to keep myself upright,

I place one foot painstakingly in front of the other, struggling over the damp ground, out of the clearing, and into the trees. I need to get back to the Wrangler. I can feel everything starting to fade, even the ringing in my ears is dulled, my vision blurry. I lock the stick under my armpit, freeing up my left hand to brace me as I start to stumble against the trees. The more I lose my faculties, the less capable I am of perceiving their decline, but I know they're slipping away all too quickly. As I struggle further through the woods, I figure steps out from the trees. Oh, a figure steps out from the trees stopping me in my tracks. I sway on my feet as I try to identify what I'm seeing.

The very active standing now requiring constant dog detention. I have never seen the figure before. It seems to be composed of a constantly shifting maelstrom of crackling monochromatic sparks. An electric cloud of black, white, and gray formed into a humanoid shape. As soon as it sees me, the humanoid creature falls backwards, scrabbling away from me across the ground, more terrified of me than I am of him. I don't know if the entity is malignant or benign, but in my current state, my mind softly screaming against the dying light, I can't make the distinction.

As it backs up against a mound of earth, I try to ask it for help. The requisite words have already been lost to the advancing fog, and all I can do is reach out my hand towards him, attempting to entreat some spark of humanity within the fizzling, shifting figure. In response to my vague plea, the entity scampers off into the forest, tripping over itself before disappearing from view. As I watch it leave, a single dim beacon ignites in the far corners of my swiftly vanishing mind. A single light whose implications kickstart my fading reason. It forced me on through the forest.

I can see the wrangler through the trees. It's close by, yet at the same time, and possibly far away. There's something wrong with my eyes. The car shifts in and out of focus, but every time it comes back into view, the image is less sharp, till it exists as a pulsing dark green blur against a dull, slowly swaying backdrop. My boots kick up against one another, a final stumble that brings me down to earth. When I try to get up again, I find that I'm completely unable. There's no strength left in my body, and no amount of resolve can raise me back to my feet.

Though it may be my imagination, I think I can hear a steady rustling through the undergrowth, as if something were making its way towards me. Soon after my senses start to die anyway, leaving me with nothing more than the cold and the silence for company. The dim light shines until the end, however, the single strand of revelation, a solitary thought that I attempt to hold aloft for the all-consuming fog.

It's a memory, a vague recollection from my first interview with Rob J. Guther. It was the day we met. The day he told me about his long and meandering life, Japan, Hiroji, Akiyogara, and the strange phenomenon which he saw, which sparked his obsession with the supernatural, the singular event that started him down the road to the left-right game led this excursion the moment that brought us here

it walked up to me through the trees looked like static you see on a tv screen but it had a human shape almost almost he was missing an arm hmm end of part eight so do you think that she has just seen the thing that he has saw back in all those years ago it was missing an arm wait a minute is not dust this the static didn't that uh did she say the static was missing an arm i'm trying to read back and see just to make sure that or is it referencing uh trying to see Hmm

What do you think? Hold on The torch Here's the sickening It did it The child Did it rip off her arm? Did it?

No, I don't think so Okay I was going to think Maybe it's something Like he saw her, she saw him Um it could have been something like that

I mean she's only using her left hand but I thought that she was just using her left arm because when she reached in it cut her hand really bad to the front windshield I think what happened is just then this is a theory

I think that Rob the thing that led him to find the left right game his first experience with the super natural. I think he saw her in this moment now. And then she sees Rob. I don't know. Like time is weird. Stuff's weird. It's the mention of like she said she implied her arm was being ripped so much. She could hear the bone tearing as the child was digging into it. Right. And then she stands up, puts a tourniquet on it. And like she's about to die from the bleed out to her arm. So if it's if not off, it's nearly off, right? that or the perception of it to this character in the darkness could be that it looked like it was missing an arm because it's like in a tourniquet across her chest probably right i think that's what she's getting at

when she thinks about the situation she's in so almost the the static is like an aberration from a different time of like rob maybe from a different time i think rob saw alice at a different time all the way back when he was in japan remember how he said like 20 years ago yeah yeah that's what i'm wondering is that Is this the same forest in Japan, whatever, perceived through that? And is that, and is the static, is that like him from a different time? And she would have appeared differently to him as well, right? I think it is. And I think this is all done by whatever entity or ethereal controls this left right game world

because it wants, it wanted Rob to be a part of it. I wanted all them to come into it. I think that all, everything that's happened has been puppeteered for a long time. I think that's what that's implying. Well, also the amount of like how this universe works. I mean, time is irrelevant. Like, it's kind of like, like, even the way, like, how the energy kind of works or how, like, you know, you don't have to eat really. You don't have to sleep.

Cars don't burn fuel. Like, it seems like it is in, like, time is almost non-existent in this place. It's just kind of like there's day and night cycles, but I don't think that means anything. Like, I think it's just the earth is moving in a, and the earth is moving in a normal way, but the peril universe you're in operates in a completely different light that, like, time is nothing. Like, there is no, which is even, like, a good point here with, like, now you have this, like, baby character, who is the coolest monster? I love that, by the way, of just, like, this frail thing.

And then it grows into painful ways there, uh, into an old man. and you know the decades of screaming was a great line um but it's just like time and everything else doesn't you know isn't the same i mean we're coming up here to part nine right part nine out of ten so we're coming up and now the only character left theoretically is alice i mean i think we're going to see rob again but now it's just two characters but at this point only one yeah i'm sure we'll see rob again um a lot happened there i was i was getting into the stories i just kept reading and didn't stop, but man, a lot went down. Lilith is dead, um, which is tragic. I hate that.

Blue Jay is finally dead, though. Uh, I was, I kind of accidentally predicted it with like, ha ha, what if she blew up Blue Jay? Yeah, I, yeah, I think, I'm, I'm, I'm waiting until the end. I, I've been writing stuff down on this note, um, little notepad, but I'm curious to see the end before I really give any kind of, uh, any thoughts about it, but I mean, I'm, I'm down to keep just pushing. Yeah, let's keep running. I want to see where it goes Alright Yeah part

Part 9 So he just So this is once again Our little Transcribe English Transcriber So like I said This should be in British

accent here So let's read this first part here And a nice British accent Sorry I've not been in touch guys It's been a busy month However I'm pleased to announce that

As of yesterday night I've finally Touched down in Phoenix Arizona I've I'm posting this log from my first American hotel room which offers a gorgeous view of both the state hospital

and a local prison auspicious times drop me a line if you're in the city or if you have any information at all okay so I want you to know that's a better British accent than I've been doing but you did sound like either AI or a robot butler

drop me a line if you're in the city or you have any information that I had to align all of my chocolate is to get that out. Okay. I think I think it worked well. It worked very well. Good. I hope so. So now here it says that it's February 15th, a whole new day. Which yeah, one day's past, so that tracks. Yeah. Yeah. All right, whatever. Let's get into it. Let's do it. Part nine. As the darkness closes in, I find myself dragged deeper and deeper into the depths of my own subconscious until I sink through the back of my mind into an indescribable place.

featureless, directionless, timeless void that exists at the weakest point of life. I could feel myself drifting away, surrender to an almost imperceptible tide, carried slowly but inexorably from the world. The rest of the night unfolds and fleeting snapshots. I briefly feel my body lift up from the ground, gravity pulling at my limbs as I am conveyed through the forest. An unknowable stretch of time later, I feel a distinct burning sensation of my right. in the world I currently inhabit only an echo if the pain reaches me but I can tell that it was once substantial

unable to divine its purpose I let the sensation fade away before descending once more into the placid darkness when my eyes finally work themselves open the sun is beginning to rise without an ounce of strength left in my body all I can do is peer through my eyelashes taken in the vague scene before me

I'm in the back of the wrangler propped up against a soft pillar of luggage There's somebody kneeling beside me, tugging at my right shoulder. When I try to address him, I discover that my voice is withered to a spectral whisper, so frail that it hardly exists at all. Rob. Hearing my voice, the figure shuffles round and kneels before me, staring into my eyes as they slowly regain their focus. You just lay back, Miss Sharma. I just finished patching you up, but I got to make sure it's good work.

There we go. That's my boy. I love he's back. he's back he's so back what happened to you niece had me a gunpoint had to act like I was all but dead when she went into the forest

I got free took the med kit into the trees fix myself up a little I was coming to help when I heard this awful noise when to check it out that's when I found you is the engine running wanted to warm the place up for you you were in shock and since the battery

don't run down anymore I thought no I mean how the key it got. You'd think I'd risk getting out this far with only one copy of my car key? Yeah, that makes sense with him. Duh. Rob seems almost insulted, and thinking back to everything I've learned about him over the course of this trip, I could see why he might be.

Even in my weakened state, I can't help but laugh, though it admittedly comes out as a stilted wheezing, discusing quietly. No, that's actually very you. I think Blue Jay would have appreciated that information last night Yeah, well, she didn't ask I'm glad you made it, Rob Glad you made it too

They build them tough down in London I rest my head back against the luggage I'm from Bristol Of course Yeah, of course that's a Sorry Rob tries to recover his smile, but it slips quickly from his grasp. Its absence, his presence cringed into sudden uncontrollable sadness.

Sharma? I'm sorry? I'm so sorry? Rob Guthrard's weathered face burst into a heaving mess of tears. He repeats those two words as he lumbers towards me, throwing his arms around my waist and resting his head on my left shoulder. My hand feels like lead as I raise it up and brush it against his hair, holding him against me. As the man continues to sob, I let my head roll slowly to the right, observing the damage to my arm.

Last night, lost in the metal throes of shock, the harm had been unquantifiable. The details drowned out by the encompassing haze of severe blood loss in a blaring, primal alarm which had forced me to move without questioning why. now that I'm on the other side based in the quiet warmth of the wrangler I'm able to fully exist I'm able to fully assess the extent of my injury everything below my right elbow is gone

oh wow okay that doubles down to my point about the apparition yeah definitely yep yeah it feels almost like a dream my upper arm is practically unblemished save for a few dark

bruises from last night's fall yet it descends an impossibly short distance before ending in a blunt, surreal stump. The wound itself has hidden from view, swallowed and fresh white bandages. I can't seem to figure out how I should feel, and consequently, I don't seem to feel anything. It's okay, Rob, it's okay.

I never met for any of this. I know. I know, I know, I know. Rob pulls back, his eyes still watering. I'll take you home, okay? I'll find somewhere to turn around, and we'll get you home. I could tell Rob's offer is genuine, and to be honest, I'm a little surprised. I still remember our verbal agreement, forged at the mouth of the tunnel,

that he would not be turning his car around until he reached the roads in. I never expected he'd be the one to reneg on the deal. I'm aware this could be my best chance to leave it all behind, to flee from the horrors of the road before they take even more of me. I know the way back. I know that leads to safety, to family, to blessed normality. however as an insidious voice in the back of my head quietly notes it doesn't lead to answers I'm still game if you are yeah let's go I mean how much blood has been shed your arm this point

right your arm is gone people are dead like what the hell we're gonna back down now like like I've got more for the road I've got some road bruise ready to go what are we going to do went out now yeah come on and like realistically in real life like life or death sure i'd be mad at rob sure i'd want to go see my family stuff like that but in the realm of this when you're that locked in that much has already been cost like you have faced death how many times you overcame i mean like at this point it's just like it would all be for nothing if you just turn back around like i mean you you have to go you have to push forward you have to do it yeah it's like to me it is the same mindset as like sailors

who, like, went to discover new lands and, like, half the crew died on the voyage. Like, what are we doing? Well, let's just turn around. Yeah, yeah. What are we doing for if we don't hit land, right? I also like to imagine Rob has his hands, or his face in his hands, and he's like, I can take you back around if you want.

And he's, like, his fingers are open, and he's, like, looking at her to see if she's, like, falling for it. Oh, I'm so sad. I can take you back if you want. Oh, I'm so sad. I definitely take you back if you ask. no i think he's genuine about it but uh yeah no well cool it goes on i do need rob for me to like fully like his character i do need him to feel some guilt and express guilt for what's happened

because it is reckless to bring again see this cave spider reference it is reckless to invite people even if they don't believe you um but i also get wanting to carry on here so my uh my thing too is I think that at this, from this point, he's been, he's done this so much that I think that maybe he didn't think it was as, well, I think he knew the dangers of it, but I think he's just like, I'll tell him the rules and nothing bad will happen. So I'm wondering if it was his own ignorance too. And to his credit, it has never been this dangerous, right? No. Well, so. Well, well, I get, I mean, there's been the hitchhiker, but he said no one's died in a long time. So unless he's lying about that, you know. Well, I guess I mean, people have dissing,

integrated people have fallen into a asphalt not not before this trip though like he said sure sure well that that we that we know of that we again unless he's lying yeah yeah sure all right cool rob sends me a heartbroken smile which i would return if i had the strength in that moment somber understanding develops between us an understanding that after everything we've seen

everything that's happened we're both still choosing the secrets of the road. The decision reveals something about us, exposing a driving force behind our actions that negates our concern for survival and overshadows the imagined protest of our loved ones. It's a decision only two broken people would make. Rob spends the morning packing up the Wrangler, giving me time to rest. The fact that he's walking around at all is remarkable, let alone conducting his usual routine at his usual pace. So I begin to feel life crawl slowly back into my veins. I wonder whether the strange force that has sustained us both

as well as the Wrangler's fuel tank could have been a mild, restorative effect. The notion should bring me comfort. Instead, it makes me feel like a lobster in a tank. A few hours later, Rob carries me out of the car, letting me rest in the door frame. In front of me lies three mounds

of dirt, raised slightly from the surrounding earth. Two were headed by crosses, formed from knotted sticks, bound slightly together. The grave, on the far left, bare, bereft of any religious affiliation. Is that blue chase without the cross? Didn't think she'd want one.

She wouldn't have done that for you, you know? Good thing I and her then. I buried what I can, but that was some state she was in. Did the child kill her? Rob goes to throw a foldable spade in the back of the car. For a brief moment, I consider letting a statement go unanswered. no we didn't i did

Rob immediately marches back around his brow furrowed in confusion I hit a C4 charge in my satchel once you took the bag I well I gestured to the bear grave Rob looks as if he's seeing me for the first time where did you

from your son's car oh that's what I figured yeah yep and I also had the suspicion that the child Rob mentions he has a son and then the child shows up I wonder if that has some maybe symbolically maybe not literally

but I felt like there was some connection there and then someone went with Rob that person hated Rob. Rob mentioned he had a son I thought maybe it was his son C4 that was there so I guess that kind of confirms it yeah yeah yep I watch as my quiet assertion strikes Rob's ears, as its meaning burrows through his consciousness, its implications contorting his features into a look of shame and damning revelation.

Wait, hold on, hold on, hold on, freeze. What's the third grave? Did he bury the child? I guess, right? He said I buried all that I could. That's, yeah, just Lilith and Blue Jay died there. So, yeah, I'm guessing that it's the child. That's an inner...

Okay, anyway, that's just a weird... Yeah, I mean, I think that the child thing is still human. I don't know. I mean, I assume that he maybe treated it with respect also. I mean, I don't know. I mean, that's just my assumption. Yeah, that's an interesting. Okay.

It's implications and stories features. I can tell from his reaction that I've got it right. We haven't had a chance to speak since I learned his son's name. That piece of information formed the crucial thread, stringing together the strange and seemingly incongruent discoveries I'd encountered on the road. Earlier in the week, I may have been worried to confront him with this information, but things are different now. We've come too far, we've been through too much, and, if he's truly faring me somewhere with malicious intent, I'm powerless to stop him anyway. I raise a weak hand towards him, a quiet request for assistance. I think it's time we had a second interview.

following a tense and guilty silence Rob simply nods and helps me into the passenger scene and then we cut into our conversation later okay so we're about to figure out

information about Rob and his son and all that stuff do you think Rob knows people get contorted into these creatures if that's the case I don't know I mean

are you saying that just based on the fact that he buried it yeah yeah I mean I don't we have had no it would be easier to say if there was another kind of monster or body that he disposed of or he was just like just leave it it's trash but there's been no other kind of burial you remember you remember that caved in lanky face thing that ran at them on the main road right before Apollo died right what was it wasn't his reaction to that like like he was kind of scared of it a little bit and let it run by I know he fired at it, but... He fired at it, but it didn't do anything. Well, I thought he fired at the...

I thought he fired at the tow truck, and it didn't do anything. I think he fired both. Hmm. I don't know. I'm curious. I don't know how much... I think that he knows more. I think that we're getting ready to see...

Yeah, let's get into the conversation. Yeah, yeah, I agree. All right. It wasn't military. It was commercial. The Rangler continues to crawl through the forest. I've stayed quiet for almost half an hour. and Rob formulate a response for his own words and in his own time.

Commercial? Yeah, explosive charges for control demolition. Bobby was in the business. Had his own firm. You must have been proud. Yeah. Yeah, he built that place up from nothing. Tor in his office was one of the best days in my life.

So, how did he end up out here? Rob Groves quiet, reluctantly accepting that he'll have to start from the beginning. Bobby was a smart kid smarter than I ever was could have run the farm at 15 but country life didn't take steady move to Phoenix picked up a college degree

got himself a steady career a steady career that's pretty rebellious for a gutthard well we were pretty different people didn't always get along I was still a courier in those days always jetting off somewhere new of course I went to Japan

stay there a while then Al-Kihara That's right Changed everything Came home after five years With a new hobby Bobby didn't take care

For the stories But his ma' died Sudden while I was away We both wanted to start over Being each other's lives more so He came with me to the Pacific Northwest Tracking down Sasquatch Creature Dent Show

But Bobby had a good time camping So kept joining me Before long he was doing the research himself organizing trips picking up rumors and strange stuff all over the country sounds like a nice time for you both it was so was it bobby who discovered the left right game called me up one day out of the blue

this was about three years ago said he'd found a set of rules said we should try out to be honest I thought our tripping days were over I was back in Alabama and he was starting up a family of his own but suddenly he's telling me to meet him in Phoenix so of course I went along and this time you both realized it was real Bobby knew as soon as we reached the tunnel

he passed that way every day knew it wasn't supposed to be there but there it was he said that was the most amazing thing he ever saw we charted over the next year whenever we could get the time together but we move slow

map the place out turned back on the regular it took us a while before we got the courage to stay on the road overnight both of us were terrified the tunnel would disappear or something i could tell rob is replaying the events in his head the reminiscence almost makes him smile bobby's wife was a real doll used to work in his office kindest girl i ever met funny too there's a decade between him but you could tell they were good for each other he shared everything with her including the road in fact once bobby got a little more secure with the rules

they started to map it together exploring their own little world after a brief pause Rob's expression sinks slightly the reminiscence is growing darker a few months go by I'm hearing from Bobby a little less but I expected that

then one evening I get a call from the hospital told me my boy had walked into some ER in Phoenix was he okay no no he was in a bad way leg all busted up delirious asking for marjorie

found her bag in his car but she was nowhere to be found Bobby lost her on the road yeah yeah that's right on our second night here after we lost ace

you told me the road had never hurt anyone before well that wasn't a lie at least it wasn't the road that got him what do you mean they made it to the forest

none of us had got that far before but um this time they pushed a little further than usual do you know why oh no man oh boy gosh they were going to have a kid

Marjorie was almost due Wasn't traveling so well I think they knew they wouldn't be hit the road for a while It was like a last hurrah I guess But only Bobby came back They explored the woods till nightfall And Bobby said they had to turn back

Marjorie didn't want to Never told me why Never told me what happened By the end of that trip Marjorie was still out there and he was in a hospital bed Rob takes a moment to collect himself to put the facts in order

The trees are starting to grow thin Sunlight bursting through the widened gaps in the canopy Looks like we're nearing the forest in Bobby took her month or so to recover Boy was desperate to get his wife back And of course he'd become a suspect in her disappearance Needless to say First thing he did

Set on to the road to find Marjorie but he didn't nope no no he he found her just a little sooner than he thought oh

I take a moment to process Rob's implication suddenly I feel a stone dropping my stomach she was on the 34th turn oh oh dude

oh wow wow this story is suddenly making me like emotional because I realize it's like a father who feels like he could have done more for his son so everything he's doing now is just like him trying to correct the mistakes he could have corrected back then yeah exactly and also he has literally nothing to lose and now he's probably it's probably an attempt to you know it do this for his son

it's an it's an attempt to make his son mean something you know yeah man that's a great reveal though for the 34th run I'm sorry for everything I said about Rob I'm sorry boy was boy was suspicious let's be honest he was but I get it it's kind of it's kind of poetic now and I like we don't even know we haven't heard the rest of his interview so who knows he honestly kind of got me a little bit when he was talking about

the way he was talking about his son's wife he was like she's the kindest woman I ever met it's like the way my dad talks about my wife and it like it hit me a little bit that that was the moment reading the story I'm like oh okay I see what Rob is I get it okay yeah yeah now I'm like sad

no yeah Windagoon sad take two yeah literally yeah what's new what's new in this stupid stupid nightmare we made for ourselves yeah Uh, I don't like, what, what did you say the creator's name was? Jack, Jack, I don't, I don't, I don't, on Reddit's neon tempo. Neon tempo, I don't like you making me feel things.

I hate emotion. Yeah, it's stupid. Zero out of ten. I hate the story. Anyway. Huh. Wasn't the woman he knew, of course. Stood there all day, just mumbling about the road. Didn't even recognize him. I remember he called me up right after he first saw her there. It's heartbreaking.

he tried almost every day from then on always stopping at that turn he'd yell he plead he'd bring pictures and gifts but man she never responded don't know if it was really her but whatever was on that corner he belonged to the road

Bobby lost something of himself on that corner after a while his fascination with the game turned sour turned to hate he thought the road was something evil that it had no place linking into our world i was checking up on him at that point every few days or so oh so he was going to blow up the tunnel yeah yeah yep one weekend he said he wasn't doing better even said he'd been into work i thought maybe things were turning round but uh then he went quiet didn't pick up his phone for three days i had my place in phoenix by that point and uh spare key to his house

house. That's where I found the note, telling me he'd gone back through. One last bid to find his wife. And if he couldn't bring her back, well, uh... He was going to destroy the tunnel. Cut the road off from the world. I played the game in Phoenix, Chicago, a few different places, but that one tunnel is what links you to the road.

I looked around his garage, found the box for a phone, a lot of electronics all over the place. Pretty clear what he'd done. so I jump in my car. Oh, I think I know where this is going. We pass out of the forest onto a long, narrow road. In the distance, I can see our route winding up a towering wall of sandstone, disappearing onto a set of rolling mountains.

He passed me on his way back just before I hit jubilation, thundering down the road at full speed, driving like crazy. That's when I knew he hadn't found Earth, but he was going to take out the tunnel. in the game once and for all. But he never got that far. I tried to talk to him, called his cell, tried the radio frequencies.

There's a number on the SIM car documentation that he had. God helped me, I even messaged him on that one. In the end, it was just me and him, racing back to Phoenix. He was faster than me, but I was driving better. After a few bad corners, I caught up. You ran him off the road. Rob stares out at the fairway ridges His hand grasping the steering wheel

Oh Yeah So Rob, Rob killed his son So he wouldn't Destroy the game Um Well

Is that what you're reading Or what are you thinking? No, I think You know how the bombs go off If you call him Yeah I guess the you ran him off the road Well

He never confirmed that She's like Oh you ran him off the road did you? Okay. And Rob hasn't said anything yet. I think what happened is Rob tried to call a phone that the bomb was hooked up to and it blew him up. Oh, I see.

Okay. Cell service don't work through the tunnel. He knew that. He's either going to blow it up on this side or while he was in there. So you were trying to save him or save yourself? Neither. I was trying to save the road. Okay, maybe you are right.

Maybe you are right. Maybe I got to have you. Say what you want about this place, Ms. Sharma, but it's a doorway out of everything we ever known. It's the road out of, out of reality. It may be the most significant frontier we ever cross, and that's part of me now. Part of me new.

That was too important for one man to take away. For the, okay, so you were right that it was to save the way. Yeah, I think that he, because I think the thing is that he, there's also a level of guilt, of that he basically killed his son in the process to save this thing this thing that he loves also

so I think there's a lot of different things I don't think he's he's definitely not the innocent person sure obviously but for the second time today Rob battles back tears for the second time he fails the roll silently down his cheek as he continues on he was more injured

than I thought he'd hurt himself bad before he reached me that's why he was headed to the tunnel so quick he wanted to destroy it while he still could the road had taken almost everything from him and then I took the rest I denied him his hope took away his chance to leave the world on his own terms

in the end he didn't even seem angry he just asked after Marjorie asked me why she did it why she left I laid him to rest there visited the place often but I never had a good answer for him that's when I started prepping the next turn so you posted his logs online

and pretended to discover them thought people would ask less questions that way and where did we fit into this why did you bring us here with you I guess I thought it was time the world knew didn't want all this to end up an old man's secret honest to God if I knew the road was gonna

I swear I never would have brought you here Rob's features tied in all his shame and guilt rise into the fore I can't say it isn't deserved despite his intentions despite his penitence the man had blinded himself to clear dangers hurt those closest to him and

on a road where secrets had killed so many he kept the most significant one of all Well, perhaps not the most significant. You didn't bring us here, Rob. Rob turns to me, confused. I met someone in the forest last night, a figure. Just like the one you saw in Japan. Looked like static you see on a TV screen.

I think it was you, Rob. I think I saw you and I think that all those years ago... In my current state, the mechanics of the event and their stunning implications lie beyond my explanatory oh sorry i was doing rob's voice in my current state yeah in my current state in my current state in my courage state the mechanics of the event and their stunning implications lie beyond my explanatory capacity in the end i just raised my lost right arm and wait for rob to make the connection a moment later the car screeches to a halt rob stared straight ahead his knuckles white against

the steering will. I'm aware that beneath his stone set features every square inch of gray matter is fighting to process the fresh revelation. If it's true that, in those quiet woods, I somehow reached across decades to a young Rob Guthard, then it changes everything. The twisting narratives that led us to this point, Rob's burgeoning obsession, his son's tragic fate, they all took root in that single moment more than a decade prior to my own birth. I'd placed us on the path, which would lead me to this door. As chaotic as the road often seems, that moment in the forest hints it something deeper, something intentional. Robstead's out of the car for a while before wordlessly climbing back in and firing up the Wrangler.

From that point on, we continue as two silent passengers, lost in thought, disappearing into the sandstone mountains. We travel across the thin mountain road for the next two hours, a wall of crooked rock hemming us in. when we pass on to the other side and the outcrop falls away the landscape below us has changed completely and were treated to a strangle to a strange and breathtaking sight the wranglers traversing the cliffs above a vast flat desert a tundra of vibrant orange stretches as far as the eye can see I could just make out the road cutting a meandering path through the sand below us at the center of this otherwise featureless expanse a collection of monolithic structures towering columns of glass and metal rise from the ground connected by a web of long perpendicular streets.

There's a city. There's a city on the road. Rob keeps his eyes forward. Despite the epic majesty of the cityscape below us, I can tell that his mind is elsewhere, that he's still digesting the contents of our interview. In the end, I think it's best to leave him alone with his thoughts. We stay on the mountain for another 20 minutes before finally winding down to the desert floor. The space ahead of us is two-tone, the sharp saffron of the desert and the deep blue sky, separated by a thin, even horizon. The only objects that crossed this perfect boundary are the hulking gray towers of the city, rising from the sand and bursting through into the heavens.

We snake along the desert road, the city looming ever larger as we make our tentative approach towards the border. There's an eerie contrast to the threshold as we cross it, the cuprous glow of the sand switches to gray, the scorching heat instantly cools and perhaps most notably the little sound there was is negated entirely as we dwell

into an empty perfectly maintained throughway I realize that I can't hear anything at all except the Wrangler's steady rumblings It's quiet That's fine by me

Who do you think built this place I don't know Maybe whatever brought us here could be that no one built it maybe just is I wonder if he's right it's hard to think such a place could exist for any practical purpose city looks off somehow as if it was built from conjecture by an architect who had only heard of cities through poorly translated rumor

all the broad features are present skyscrapers lamp post window cleaning platforms but nothing deeper it's an empty shell an ornament in the middle of the desert as we turn down the next few roads I stare up at the monolithic structures each one standing at least a hundred stories tall my eyes tracked back down the countless strata of dark windows as i contemplate what it might be like to live in such a place when i reached the ground floor i presented with my answer there's a young man standing at the ground floor window his hand resting against the glass he's wearing a dark gray suit and a look of almost mesmeric shock his mouth open his hands shaking, his unblinking eyes staring past us as the wrangler rolls by. Mays quickly track back up the skyscrapers glass facade, scrutinizing each row of windows in turn. I naively hoped the buildings would be empty, that this place would be nothing more than a colossal ghost town.

Now that I know otherwise, each pane of glass feels like a dark pool of water, still on the surface, but with sinister potential lurking within its steps. A few seconds later, more of them arrive. There aren't many at first, just a few scattered figures stepping up to their windows, pressing themselves against a glass. However, like a light sprinkling of rain that erupts into a downpour, the frequency of their arrival quickly doubles and triples until not a single space lies unoccupied. The Wrangler shrinks, subject to the scrutiny of countless individuals, on every floor in every window, all of them clad in the same, monochromatic formal wear and staring down at us like the emissaries of a grand tribunal. As the Wrangler passes by, they continue to stare straight ahead, though it's clear they're aware of our presence. Rob, Rob, there's... I see him. I see him.

Rob puts his foot down, shedding the weight of a thousand pairs of tiny eyes as he leaves the building behind. As the final column of windows slips by us, I glanced back, hoping to see them return to the depths of the building, instead in those last few moments I witnessed their collective demeanor fracture into a desperate frenzy their mouths open in a silent scream as they slammed their fist against the glass turning back around

I stare into the buildings that currently flank our vehicle the figures have already arrived at the windows and their calm is already fading Rob we need to go faster I'm on it the Wrangler growls with renewed ferocity as Rob plants his foot onto the gas

we lurched towards the next corner accelerating down the road as Rob scans for any hidden turns. I achingly shifted my seat, keeping an eye on the scene developing in our wake. Shards of broken window begin to rain into the asphalt, watching the shattered pieces tumble through the air. It's apparent that the quiet in the city is simply due to lack of activity. The torrent of splintered glass is completely silent, even as it crashes against the impervious ground. Oh, sorry, the quiet in the city isn't due to a lack of. of activity, yeah, yeah. Nothing in the city makes a noise. Nothing except us. The thunderous

engine of the Wrangler has never sounded so loud. Looking up, I witness hundreds of hands gripping the shattered window frames, unable to turn myself away as thousands of polished black shoes step over the threshold. The figures stream out from every floor, forming an incomprehensible deluge of humanity. The first wave strikes the ground, with more and more landing against them, a heap of tangled figures struggling to separate themselves, much like the residents of jubilation, and everyone else we've encountered on the road, they appear impervious to the fatal harm such an act when in part. Those that landed on their feet hardly even stop, turning towards us and sprinting after the Wrangler.

It doesn't take long for the rest of the riding mass to resolve itself, its constituent individuals joining the frantic stampede, their chaotic charge and desperate screams bereft of any perceivable sound. even in the midst of the frenzy pursuit as a foreboding shower of glass falls from every building we pass the world outside remained silent the chaos made even more incomprehensible framed against the ungodly stillness in which it takes place rob screeches around the corner drifting on to a long and open street the road the road disappearing to a narrow vanishing point as we race down this next stretch of road towards a large intersection the ever-growing mob burst onto the street behind us taking the corner with supreme coordination and continuing the entire and continuing continuing tirelessly in our direction. A split second later, I'm struck by an abrupt and pervasive idea. It feels unlike any thought I've ever had before, less of a notion, and more a prescient, a precent hybrid of intuition and deja vu.

As if the course of action we must take as obvious to me, despite my not knowing why. I force my voice above a grating whisper. Rob, we need to drop something behind us, something loud. What are you thinking? I, uh, you just have to trust me, okay? We still have most of the plastic explosive, could you? We still have most of the plastic explosive, could you? Nah, if you took out the plastic caps, I ain't got time to make a new one.

Rob glances into the rear view, the back to the road. I can almost hear the gears turning in his head. But that, the only explosive on board, think you can drive. I guess we can find out. The car thunders across the tarmac as I clumsily grasp the wheel, shifting myself over and working my foot onto the accelerator. Rob lifts himself away and climbs past me into the back of the Wrangler. In my weak state, every shuddering motion makes my bones rattle.

With each subsequent gear shift, I'm forced to take my remaining hand off the wheel and reach across to the stick. The effort is precarious and awkward, my aching limbs puppeteered by willpower and adrenaline, every passing second a battle to maintain control. The windows up ahead are starting to fracture. The noise of the wrangler is carrying. and the entire city is starting to preempt our arrival. Behind me, I can hear the ripping of duct tape, the tearing of fabric, and the clattering of falling luggage.

I'm not sure what's taking place behind me. I just have to trust that Rob has a plan. I hear the backdoor swing open just before we reach the intersection. A metallic scraping along the wrangler's roof and a pain grunt for Rob as he throws something onto the road behind us. Reaching the crossroads, I slide my hand along the wheel and twist it sharply to the right. As the car lurches round and on the next, next road, I feel my heart sink dramatically. We've been overtaken. The windows ahead of us are

shattered, the front doors lay broken on the street, and the building's desperate inhabitants are rushing towards us, blocking off our only means of escape. I slay my foot onto the brake, and the wrangler shutters to a halt, the engine stalling and cutting out, the streets are now spilling over, an overwhelming swarm converging on our position from four directions. I look back to Rob, and he meets my gaze, his eyes brimming with dismayed finality. An explosion, shudders through the air behind us. I look out the back window to see a shattered jerry can, one of Rob's now superfluous fuel reserves. Its dark green shell violently compromised, its content spilled across the road and cast a light. Now that

the engine isn't running, the echo of the blast and roar of the primal, balletic flame fills the afternoon air. The trajectory of the Madden crowd changes instantaneously. The silent wrangler has fallen from their collective attention and they refocus onto the smoldering flames. Those up ahead continue to rush past us, streaming around the Rangler as they scrambles to the spilled pool of gasoline, digging their hands into the blaze, grasping hopelessly at the fire. Delicately, careful not to make a single shred of noise, I climb out of the driver's seat, joining Rob in the back of the Rangler.

He addresses me in a confused whisper. Why don't they care about us? What are they doing? It's the sound. They want it for themselves. I don't know how I'm so sure, but I know that it's the case. The Jerry can creaks and screams as the city dwellers tear into its smaller and smaller pieces, frantically examining every jagged scrap.

With each passing second, as the fire dies down, the crowd grows increasingly distressed, as if a precarious commodity is slipping through their fingers. They don't understand it. They'll put it apart. They'll pull it apart. They'll pull it apart trying to figure it out, and they'll never get any. closer and then it'll be quiet again where are you getting this from i don't know it's just a just a feeling well pretty sure they would have pulled us apart too i'd say we're pretty lucky

yeah pretty lucky as last of the gasoline's eaten up and the fire dies away city dwellers remain in the streets devoid of their momentary sense of purpose their prize vanishing into the ather the crowd's desperation fades into a hush despondency. I watch them as they pass by, countless faces racked with sorrow, their aimless shuffling forming a lonesome sea, a gray-scale ocean that spans the desolate city. The Wranglers now drift in the center of the ocean. It's clear that any attempt to start the engine would bring the entire city down on us, re-igniting their futile hope, causing them to tear through the car and anything inside it. For the foreseeable future, we're completely stranded.

don't worry about it okay I don't think they're going to leave Rob they'll leave they'll leave okay and what then they'll still be everywhere hey we're smart pair we think of something in the eerie pervasive calm that surrounds us

I sent myself down next to Rob and lean back against the wall without that else to do but wait for our situation to change after watching the figures outside for over an hour the only thing that's different is a strange, needling sensation that feels like it's emanating from now absent forearm. My arm hurts. How's that possible?

Don't worry. That's, uh, it's called phantom limb. You got some sensation, right? Like, you still got something there. A lot of people get that after amputations. Here. Rob reaches into his medical kit and retracts a blue char of tablets. Twisting off the cap, shakes two pills free. You're going to need these for the pain. I stare at the tablets for a moment before collecting them from his open

palm. He passes me his canteen and I swallowed them down in two weak gulps. You have a lot of experience with these amputations? More than you think. My brow furrows. Though I'd met my remark as a passing jive, Rob's response rings with a strange sincerity. It takes me a moment to realize why that is.

I forgot. You were drafted. You never talked about it. been thinking about it a lot though a bunch of strangers brought together into false pretenses told that we were serving a grand purpose by some old liar. I guess it's interesting how time repeats itself.

No, I think about it. He drove a Jeep too. That's pretty good. Rob, I told you you didn't bring us here. I don't change nothing. Don't change what I did. To you to Bobby, to any of them.

Maybe you were there in the forest, but I was the one who started this, one who kept asking what was at the end of the road. What do you think is at the end of the road? What do you think is at the end, Rob? Starting to think there, that ain't for me to know. I've been moving from place to play so long, seeing everyone else settle down. As far as I could see, the end of the road is just wherever you decide to stop. I rest my head on Rob's shoulder. He gently places his arm around me. It isn't long before medication starts to take effect. quietly overtaking my already weakened constitution the pains of size

dulled along with the rest of my senses the sun is still streaming through the windshield as my eyes begin to drift shut I watched the figures past the window my eyelids getting weaker I don't want this to be the end Rob I know Miss Sharma I know

The last thing I see before I fall into a dreamless artificial sleep is Rob Guthrud's hand reaching for the rifle. All right. Well, that's the end of that day. Man, that was a wild interaction. Yeah. Kind of has a vibe of like, I don't know,

my mind went to, like, aesthetically, it went to I am legend. Yes, that's exactly what I was thinking. Oh my gosh. Yeah, yeah. It had that kind of feel to it. Also, it kind of makes you think that Rob brought these people here so he could have people that knew about it.

But I think also he is so determined to get to the end and come back so that also he could, in my opinion, I think that he was going to blow up the tunnel as well in a weird way. I think, like, I think he wants to see what's at the end. So I think he could have that piece is what I think, just because I feel like knowing that he can go back, I think that his obsession will never stop until he knows. Maybe, I don't know. I think I kind of believe him for now when he's like, I just want to tell the world. I want the world to know what's in here. Oh, I think that's that. But in my opinion, I think that it would lead to him blowing it up or something.

Like, I feel like he would carry out his son's wishes. Maybe he hasn't said it, but in my opinion, like, it hasn't been said. But I just, I see that kind of future, I guess, of like you, you, it's like an itch. Like, an itch you have to scratch or whatever. All right, cool. Let's just keep going. Yep. when my eyes work themselves open

the sun's beginning to set oh I think I know what just happened oh no bro do you want me to tell you what I'm thinking it's going to happen or do you want to be a surprise I mean I think I think Rob I think Rob sacrificed himself

I think he's going to I think he's going to make noise with the gun so she can keep driving yep yeah man that's if that's where this goes that's a good death. I talked about it. If that's where this goes, that's a good way

to out of character. Yeah, I mean, he has, once again, it's the kind of the thing you said earlier of like he kind of has to, I think, to be effective, I don't think he can survive. Correct. And also, there's a whole thing in fiction, right? Like, somehow a character has to atone to be satisfied, right? So regardless of how much we

like Rob, he did, his actions did lead to the death of these people. So either he has to do something great with it or he has to make a similar sacrifice and service or something. So that feels like a good end point. Earlier, I was upset when I thought Blue Jay killed him because it was a pointless death. But if it happened, and we hadn't had our answers yet.

But if it happens here, don't know it will, but if it happens here, this is a good death. Okay. Yeah. We'll see. When my eyes work themselves open, the sun is beginning to set. I've been moved. As my vision adjust, it becomes clear that I'm still in the Wrangler. my head resting against a pile of fresh clothes, a soft travel blanket laid across me.

I glanced around to find that Rob's nowhere to be seen. Momentarily, forgetting the situation outside the car, I attempt to call out for him. The syllable catches in my throat as a shambling figure passes by the window, wringing its hands in despair and casting a long shadow through the car. With a renewed sense of caution, I slide the blanket to one side and slowly make my way up to the front. The cabin is similarly empty, except for a single scrap of paper. Torn from my notebook, it lies on the driver's seat, a small object hidden within the fold. When I open it, I find my headphones and five neatly written words.

Channel 1 to all cars. My hand starts to shake as I rest the note on the dashboard, slowly climbing through and placing myself gently into the driver's seat. My heart of my throat, I insert the headphones into the jack of the CB radio, taking a single, quivering breath. breath in and press the first button. Rob? I'm, uh, I'm sorry, Ms. Sharma. Rob, where are you? Down the road a little.

Got myself to one of the rooftops. I know I always hated cities, but once you're above it, the view's really something. Come back, Rob. Come back, please. I wish I could. But, uh, we both know those things ain't leaving. and you need the car to get wherever you've got to go, so the best I can do is make some ruckus,

draw them out of your way. Yeah, I rest my head against the steering wheel, bracing myself against the weight of his words. I can't do this without you. Oh, I don't think that's true, Miss Sharma. I think whatever's on this road, it wants you to make it all the way. All I was meant to do is bringing you this far.

Now, you don't have to listen to it. You can turn around and head home, but either way only one of us is driving out of here so I guess the only question left is which way you want to go well are you ahead of me or behind me is that which way you want to go

got me a little bit because that's what I said to her at the beginning I can be anywhere your choice miss Sharma in the wake of Rob's words in the shadow of the decision, I'm cast into silence, not because the choice is hard, but because I'm ashamed that it's so easy. It was made the moment I first stepped into the Rangler and renewed in every perplexing moment since. The need to know, to comprehend, to uncover the truth has been with me all my life, but I never knew its roots ran so deep that it would endure

so ardently and everything else, everyone else, have been stripped. away. I stared into the rearview mirror, seeing myself for the very first time, and I have to admit, I'm scared. Stay where you are, Rob. Okay, Ms. Sharma. You ready? Yeah, I'm ready. All right then. Suppose it's about time. This thing did some good. The shot explodes through the radio before a fate booming echo reaches me on the quiet city air. Its effect on the city dwellers is immediate. Their collective melancholy shatters in an instant, replaced by a renewed fixation. Before I know it, the desperate crowd unites once more into a stampeding horde, rushing past the windows of the wrangler and back down the road

towards the source of the noise. They on their way? As the last of the city dwellers disappeared behind me, I run my hand across the steering wheel down to the ignition. Yeah. Yeah, they're on their way. Okay, then. What do you wait for? With a fateful twist of the key, the Wrangler roars back to life. The wheels kick against the asphalt, transporting me through the streets of the city. As I barrel away from the intersection, I see a small contingent of pursuers rushing around the corner behind me. Rob fires the rifle again, maintaining the attention of the majority.

The stragglers fall away in my rearview mirror, losing ground against the Wrangler. I take the first left Then the next possible right And another left A few minutes later I eventually find myself On the last stretch of road Leading me back into the vast

And empty desert So, you're going to make it? Yeah, I'm gonna make it Good, that's good Miss Sharma If you find Marjury If you get a chance To let me know

know, well, uh, it's more than I deserve, but, uh, of course. Of course I will. I, I appreciate that. Okay, they're going to be here soon. So, uh, I'm going to go radio silent for a while. If I call, you'll know I made it out. And if I, if I don't call, you just assume I made it out, okay? Please tell me you're going to be all right, Robin. It's been a real honor driving with you. The sound of a final shot reverberates through the radio. It's echoed drowned out by the roaring engine of the Wrangler.

The world shifts around me as I burst out of the city and back onto the desert road. The way ahead is laden with immense possibility, and as I disappear into the vastness of the desert, I can only think of what I've left behind. Rob J. Guthrard had his flaws, marked by loss, driven by obsession, his good intentions often paving the way to tragedy and heartbreak. As the tears begin to roll down my cheeks, I decide to remember him differently. As a valued friend, a good man, and above all else, a great story, no matter how you tell it.

Yeah. Man, that's a great. Yeah, that's how you send out a character like that. Yep. Yeah. Wonderful. Yeah. Absolutely wonderful.

And now this, that was part 9 of part 10. I mean, this is the final, this is the final one. So whatever, whatever kind of mysteries are going to be solved here. I mean, what do you think? I mean, I guess before we get into the final part, do you think that he was right when he says that the road wanted her to be the only one to kind of go through and that like maybe it showed that aberration, you know,

all those years ago to him? I think so a little bit. I mean, he's the ferryman, right? He's the one who transports everyone. he's got her to the destination or at least far enough that she can get herself the rest of the way I think it was her um I think she's the she's the storyteller and all of this so yeah whatever prophecy this road wants to be out here whatever the left right game is capable of I think it wants her to be the the survivor even if not the survivor the one who gets the message out here

which it seems like according to the the book end of this the person in sending out these messages she was right she sent out well that's what that's what i was going to say is that at some point we're going to have to see that she sends this out also she's having to transcribe this with one fucking hand yeah mind you so um i i think that i don't part of me i don't know part of me thinks that there is something like that she decides to stay or something like that's where my mind's at now i don't think that's true but part of me feels like there is a finite solution to what has happened and to how she's able to get stuff.

I don't think she's going to outright die. There may be some thing similar. Like she joins the ather. She becomes a part, you know, something like that. I don't think she gets out though. Maybe. I mean, if she got out.

If she got out, I feel like she'd be the one telling this story. Yeah, why would she send it to this guy and not contact him while he's looking for her? Yeah. I think she stays in there. I'm so stoked though. Yeah, I am too. Man, that was such a good ending.

That whole setting was great. Can you imagine like people jumping out of buildings and running, but it's completely silent? Like they're sprinting like thousands of people and there isn't a decibel. Yeah. That's such a cool visual. It is really, it's very, very cool. That's why I'm like, part 10. Let's just get into it.

Yeah. Unless we can talk about it afterwards. I'm ready. I think our viewers are probably. ready too. I agree. So part 10 opens with our final word from the guy who is transcribing all this. So here goes. This is also long, so I'm not going to do that awful British accent. All right. All right. Fine, fine, fine. Well, then, here we are. I have to be honest. While I posted the first of these logs from my bedroom in North London, I didn't think I would go very far.

After all, why wouldn't? I wasn't a regular contributor to this site, nor a seasoned veteran of the paranormal. I was just a man who missed his friend, seeking a few words of wisdom from an online message board, opened to the idea that it wouldn't lead anywhere. Suffice to say, I couldn't have been more wrong. Over the past two months, the incredible advice I've received from this form and the amazing leads you've sent my way have opened up entire worlds of possibility. It's thanks to all of you that I'm where I am now, sitting in a rental car on a quiet street in Phoenix, Arizona, posting the last of Alice's records. Oh, shit. Is he going to start the game?

He's going to do the left-right game. You stupid son of a bitch. I realize I've written more than usual for my part. Apologies for this. If you want to skip straight to Alice's section, that's fine. Otherwise, please consider this the prologue to the epilogue. It's very, very early in the morning over here, with only the gravest of the graveyard shift out on the streets.

By all rights, I should be in bed, and not wasting petrol on an aimless drive through the city. The ritual helps me think, however, and I'd recently given to a lot to think about, courtesy of a young woman at a local bar. She was a forum member who contacted me over direct message. When we met up earlier in the night, it was clear she'd gone a great deal of research, charting every mirror shop in Phoenix in an attempt to reconstruct the route

Alice took on February 7, 2017. We spoke for quite a while, about the game, about Alice, and about life in general. Once closing time rolled around, she handed me a printout of the most likely route, with all the key locations circled. Then, in the final minutes before we parted ways, she nervously asked me two questions.

First put me in a rather sour mood. Second, provided the fuel for my 3 a.m. drive. Question one. Are you sure she wants you to find her? I've been hearing the same query from a few of you recently, especially since Part 9 was posted. People commenting that Alice made a clear choice when she left Rob behind in the Silent City

that I was searching for someone who wasn't seeking return. I'd like to take a moment to respond to this as I responded to it earlier tonight. To be clear, the Alice I know wouldn't do that. She was planning to come back. She told us as much. I'm not going to waste your time with my theories, but we've seen what the road can do to people's minds.

Now it can carry them away against their better judgment. I understand why it's being asked, but if those sort of questions are all you have to offer, I kindly ask you to find another way to help. Question two is less clear-cut. What are you going to do now? It's something you guys have also been asking me, but that was the first time I'd heard the question out loud. In the awkward silence that followed, it became obvious to her,

and in some ways to me that I didn't yet have an answer. I decided to take a drive while I figured it out I've been in my car for the rest of the night After an hour of aimless meandering I realized I was close to one of the marked locations Allieway where Alice first entered the underpass The moment at which she first disappeared into the road Turning into the side street

Just after a large intersection I was briefly relieved to see no sign of the tunnel The part of me That still hoped this game was a fiction Swelled at the sudden lack of evidence My reaction was short-lived, of course, as I quickly realized that the tunnel wouldn't have shown itself to me anyway. Even if the game were real, I'd hardly been sticking to the rules on my way here. There was no denying that the place resembled Alance's description, however, and with the long time to go until I'd feel remotely tired,

I decided to work my way back along the route, retrace analysis steps towards Rob Guthridge Street. Okay, so I have to admit at this point. I suffered from a momentary lapse in intelligence, in a fog of distraction, residual jet lag, and general dullardry, I drove for longer than I'd care to admit under the misconception that I wasn't playing the game. I thought this because I was heading in the opposite direction, and it started my run with a right-hand turn, when the rules explicitly state that you begin by turning left. Of course, as I'm sure you all would have realized immediately, that didn't mean I was out of the game, just meant I started playing with my first left turn one road later.

Alice was always the smart one. What I'm trying to say is that due to this fairly mindless oversight, I wasn't exactly looking out for the woman in gray as I drove past when she would have been her corner. It wasn't a mirror shop this time, of course. That's only the 34th turn when you're coming the other way. In fact, I'm not sure which of the many passing streets it was. It is strange, though.

as I think back through my journey, I feel like I would have noticed her. The streets were practically deserted, so much so that any pedestrian stood out immediately. I know I should have been looking more closely, but if you ask my honest opinion, I don't think she was there at all. The moment I realized this, I felt it again. The faint, perverse, hoped that I'd been misled, that the entire story was nothing more than a twisted, elaborate fabrication. It wasn't long until I passed an old mirror shop, and,

34 turns later, arrived on what must have been Alice's starting street. It was an inner city neighborhood whose residents were all fast asleep. From the moment I realized that the game was in play, I'd been thinking less and less about this particular road, more about the one directly after it, resting just beyond the crossroads. I'd come halfway across the world on the strength of Alice's account, but I'd see no firsthand proof of the left-right game. If the whole thing was a hoax,

then the next road should just be another street. If it was real, then I'd know soon enough. I crawled up to the junction with my heart in my throat. With every inch of road that passed under my tires, I found myself hoping more and more that it wouldn't be true. Let someone be playing a prank on me. Let the logs be counterfeit. Let Alice be anywhere else, but on that road.

I took the corner in a wide arc, parking myself in the center of the crossroads, my headlights facing down the night. next turn. Ahead of me was a quiet residential street, lines of neatly parked cars, rows of well-kept yards and squarely drawn windows, and at its center, and under defiance of the modest surroundings, the road sank into a deep and dimly lit corridor, cutting beneath the street disappearing into complete darkness.

I'd always known it was true. In the presence of the grim confirmation, the question I was asked, and the question I was earlier that night started to ring in my ears as if echoing out of the tunnel itself after an entire night's driving after two full months of searching I still didn't have a response in the end I just left the engine running as if turning it off would somehow be a sign of retreat and decided to type up the notes you're reading now I thought maybe the process of putting it all down on paper would bring me clarity and leave me with either a note of farewell or a note of apology to Alice for not having what it took to find her.

And now, here I am. Still undecided, still riding, still sitting in this rental car on a quiet street in Phoenix, Arizona. There perhaps the street's not as quiet as I thought. I've just looked back to the previous road, down the street where Alice began her journey. So I typed this very paragraph, I can see a figure standing on the sidewalk. Just outside one of the houses, it isn't the woman in gray this time. though it's almost too dark to make out I can tell the figure is an older male

well built and imposing rugged features of his weathered face half lit by the moon did you hear that yeah what did you hear like a what was that

oh my wife's home oh my gosh that was my wife doing stuff down soon My gosh, okay. I thought it was you just moving a cup on your desk or something like that? No, no. I'm just, uh, okay, I'm sorry. Hold on.

What a great time for that, too. The rugged features of this weather's face, half lit by the moonlight, and then, what was that? Ah, okay. Half lit by the moon. I've never seen this person before, yet he bears a striker resemblance to another man. Yeah. A man whose description has been well recorded within the pages of Alice's logs. He watches me in silence, staring through the window of my still running car.

I wonder if he can help. Interesting. So, yeah, he did the route backwards, which means he's about to enter the tunnel, which puts him, because he started at the mirror shop, it puts him right next to the house. And I guess if someone is lost in there, they can become a, or at least their body can become an agent for the left, right game. So now Rob's body is one of the agents.

yeah i mean that's what i'm that's what i'm thinking for the gray woman as well i think that now rob is basically taken on that role as well yep all right so like you said we are main guy he's dead the guy recording all this super dead you think so yeah dude he either went into the tunnel or the rob guy attacked him or whatever if he gets out of the car to go ask him for help he's super dead you think the rob's entity is just like this mindless monster as well remember what marjorie's entity was it was like trying to break the glass to get to her like punching it and everything yeah that's true i'm sure it'd be violent if it got a hold of you so this guy walks out of his car it's kind of funny that the guy said i wonder i wonder if he can help and the guy's just like frowning at him

looking through the deal this guy seems chill i wonder if he can help me yeah yeah he's an impossibly big frown just yeah he's like one second sir let me hit six on my on my uh verizon hot spot whatever so i can upload this to reddit all right perfect now sir could you help me and then just immediately get strangled to death ah ah oh oh wow later that's like whoever was posting this we found his phone this is the last message and the message is like garbled text while he's getting like gourd alive yeah he's he's saying like owie owie ow ow ow ow ow ow ow out out out just wanted to make sure you guys do that's what it said hitting said now thanks guys Be sure to get upvote and let the mods know, put it in the vote.

Okay, anyway. All right. So we're now on to the end. The final entry of the left-right game. February 20th, 2017. The left-right game was once nothing more than a nine-page document, peeking out of a yellow envelope, resting quietly on my desk. I remember reading it on my lunch break.

I remember it made me laugh. The submission had arrived with the first post, quietly making its way around the office, treated by everyone as a short-lived novelty of little journalistic value. The story was easy to dismiss, appearing all too similar to the rambling, ghost stories, and blurry UFO sightings filled our mailbox on a daily basis, and which most of the senior staff had learned to instinctively ignore.

doomed by association, the document was quickly passed over. My desk merely a pit stop on its way to the rejection pile. I was curious, however, and after an uneventful few months of my new role, I had no compunctions about fishing from the scrap heap. Placing the envelope in my satchel, alongside a misfit crowd of similar rejects, I slipped away to a local coffee shop, reading it in an armchair by the window.

Somewhere around page three, between the description of the game's rules and the exhaustive list of required skills, the mouth started to curl into an irrepressible smile. They'd been gloriously wrong about this one. It wasn't some paranoid diatribe, nor a sensationalist plea for attention. But then those pages lay an introductory glimpse of a man's passionate obsession.

As I read on something about his earnest eccentricity, incredible thoroughness, and unquestioning confidence made it impossible to put down. When I turned the final page, reading the last of Rob Guthridge's charming and refreshingly well-formatted submission, I knew that this was the story I wanted to tell. Later that day, I found myself in the editor's office, making a case for it. They didn't quite see what I saw, but I was intent to win them over regardless. I told them the story would be characterful, colorful, thought-provoking, and, at the very least, that I wouldn't be gone long. It's been 12 days since then, 10 since I first entered the Rangler in Phoenix, Arizona, 5 since I commandeered it myself, leaving Rob behind in the silent city. I haven't updated much recently, say for a regular set of notes made for my own benefits.

In all honesty, after I finished writing up my account of the city, I was struck by an overpowering sense of needlessness. There is no one left to receive these logs, no friends to proofread, no editor to hand them to. It seemed pointless to maintain the same prosaic format as before. I still largely agree with this assessment. It's only due to a set of exceptional circumstances that I've chosen to type up the following account in full. Whoever this reaches, I want to thank you for reading up to now. I'm quite sure this will be my final installment. Here we go!

Alice Ormo You fucking rule Let's go Alice Let's go Alice woo Let's go Alice Woo yeah you're probably going to die Let's go But she is the final girl

She is She is She is She is I love it It's a fun way to incorporate The classic horror trope It's very fun

Yeah I dig it The moon is broken And in my entire life I've never witnessed An evening so still The air is cool and quiet And the wringler cuts cleanly through it as I glide down a stretch of even tarmac. The scene is defined by

calm absence, not a cloud in the sky, not a solitary whispered breeze, not a single blade of grass stirring on the dark green banks beside me. Yet even on a night as peaceful as this, I can't help but feel far away from home. The city had served as a turning point in that regard. Before we reach those Titanic monoliths, the landscapes we pass through generally resembled the world I once knew. A few obvious exceptions aside, there is nothing about the environments that look truly divorced from reality. That's all changed now. The aberent aspects of this new world are unignorable, constantly hanging at the corner

of my eye, passively injecting a sense of wonder and disconcertion into the otherwise silent night. A few days ago, the moon started to crack like old porcelain. I hardly noticed at first. My eyes fixed on the road as it loomed above me, quietly splintering into three jagged pieces. As of tonight, the empty space between each fragment has significantly increased. If I focused on the sky for a little while, I can almost see them falling away from each other, charting infinite and loathsome trajectories through a barren cosmos against a backdrop of foreign

consolations. The stars themselves fall further than they should. The night sky travels down past the horizon and continues below it, wrapping underneath the grassy bank. It's as if the road and the narrow plains on either side are suspended in the middle of a vast abyss, a platform in the middle of open space. At least, that's what I thought it was at first. It didn't take long before I noticed the broken moon was appearing twice in the sky,

both above and below me. A pair of orbiting satellites, identical and imperfect alignment. That's when I realized that there were no stars below me. I was merely staring across a flat surface so flawlessly mirror-like as to cast a perfect reflection of the heavens above. I was driving through the center of a lake.

The water is impossibly still, since leaving the shoreline proper yesterday night, I've seen neither a wave nor a ripple across its placid surface. It's also undeniably vast, reaching beyond the horizon in every direction and continuing further still. Without being sure how I know, I'm aware that the waters carry for an unspeakable distance, that I would sooner reach the stars themselves before setting foot on its opposite shore. I lean over and switch gears. The act of driving the Ranger was a daunting one at first, but after the first two days, I've managed to make do.

An old scarf wrapped tightly around the steering wheel serves as a makeshift handle, allowing me to navigate corners one-handed. I don't have an elegant solution for the gear shift, but I've quickly grown use to the process. If I've learned anything from the road, it's that Grace is the first casualty in the fight for survival. Adaptability, no matter how clumsy,

outlasted at every turn. A few minutes later, the Wrangler pulls up to a spacious verge, a large circle of land surrounded entirely by dark waters. At the far end, the grass seems to fall away, seemingly, dropping sharply into the lake with a dead stop. The road continues, of course, but that's the only thing that does. With nothing on either side, it forms a narrow bridge of perfectly flat asphalt, raised on a bed of mud and rock.

I press my boot onto the brake pedal, easing the wrangler to a steady halt at the center of the clearing. For the first time today, I opened the car door and climb out of my seat. The dull tap of asphalt shifts to a soft rustling as I make my way over to the lakeside. There's something on the shore, a barely discernible object, almost entirely concealed by a shock of verdant undergrowth. It's a miracle I'd managed to spy it from the road, though perhaps something about the stark uniformity of the landscape. had made it stand out. As I advanced toward the water and the object draws near,

its indeterminate form solidifies in my mind. It's a human arm. Reaching out from the water and onto the bank. I crashed down to examine the few pertinent details. The fingers are still embedded firmly into the soil. The thumbnail is broken, colored by a peeling coat of faded varnish.

There's a pallid, emaciated quality to the skin, spreading down the arm until it disappears beneath a thick woolen sleeve. At the point it meets the surface, the water soaks into the fabric, turning it black from the original gray. With a sad exhalation, I rise to my feet and lean over the water's edge.

The body of Marjorie Guthrie Guthard lies against the silt. Her cheek resting on the lake bed. Her wide, bewildered eyes staring out into the open lake. hold on let me make sure i'm qualifying all that right her cheek is on the lake bed her wide okay she's been almost perfectly preserved save for the striking tautness of her skin and its malt malt malt malted gray paler she looks exactly like the woman i saw in the 34th turn who try to repel me

from the road it's spoken of a lake drinking her wounds clean so okay so that's so then definitely it's like it basically chews you up and spits you back out into a different likeness into like a new character that's what the road does like that's pretty much what happened at rob at the beginning as well yeah so she's the gray woman yeah do you want me to see what the gray woman's lines were while we were here i haven't pulled up yeah we can go ahead yeah so when he saw a good refresher yeah the gray woman said lambs at the gate hoping for something better than clover when all they find are things worse than slaughter so that's referring to them, right? And then

Grey Woman says, He wanted to leave me so I cut him out. The lake was hungry. It drank the wound clean. Oh, is that talking about the baby? Seems like it. Read it again?

He wanted to leave me so I cut him out. The lake was hungry. It drank the wound clean. How did she make it from the forest all the way here? if she got if she cut the baby out in the forest maybe it didn't happen in the forest maybe it happened at the lake hmm i don't know what we'll see as we continue reading and then she says that as the gray woman what do you think you're doing if you got mad and then the last phrase is would you dance down

the lion's tongue it will shred you whore it will shred you down to your sins the lion's tongue interesting things to consider. So yeah, here's, anyway, here's Marjorie's body. It seems her ramblings work completely void of fact. It's clear to see that Marjorie has been exanguinated, so completely in fact that the only evidence that blood ever flowed through her veins is a large dark stain across her shredded blouse. Does it take long? That's got to be where the baby came out. Yeah. It doesn't take long before the perpetrator makes itself known. As I stare into the water, a steady street oh wait a minute

yeah so the giant deformed thing that came running at them that kept running down the road that was rob's son yeah seems like it so the only three monsters we've seen like actual monsters of the actual have been the three gutthards

it's been Rob Jr., Marjorie and their unborn child what about the hitchhiker though that's what I mean by like monsters like it's a monstrous like you know like deformed creature thing yeah yeah yeah true the the the i consider the hitchhiker to be more like the people of jubilation like thinking entities no no that's fair i think that also like the monsters are the only odd anomalies not from this world who's what it seems like correct so it seems like everything in this world has this kept

like physique to it whereas the humans that get contorted become these things yep interesting cool okay it doesn't take long before the perpetrator makes itself known as i stare into the water a steady stream of formless whispered sink up through the depths of the lake softly spoken murmuring drift up to my ears taking root in the back of my mind and instantly blooming it into a flurry of deeply persuasive promises i find myself entirely transfixed by the still water as a myriad of generous offerings unfold in throughout my consciousness. The whispers suggest an end to the phantom pains in my absent arm, perhaps even a completely restored limb, stronger than it had been before.

Furthermore, it shows me a glimpse of its incomprehensible span, its furthest bank reaching across countless worlds, its deepest point, lying below everything. I'm offered total knowledge of every league, every fathom, every inconceivable shore. my hand reaches down as the whispers continue every bargain steeped in sweet beneficence a moment later my outstretched fingers brush against the soft grass wrap around marjorie's exposed arm dealing my heels into the ground i lean myself backwards and pull the water ripples and splashes as i drag marjorie's lifeless body slowly onto the bank i feel the voices in my mind grow louder erupted in anger as i back away from the lake the promises had been convincing each quiet solicitation undeniably persuasive but after seeing marjorie's wretched fate and the look of eternal betrayal in her vacant eyes i found myself aware of a subtle undercurrent behind every syllable a sense of desperation and timeless hunger emanating from beneath the lake's surface i already have a clear understanding of what would have happened if i lost myself to those waters i suspect it's no coincidence that of the countless shores it showed me, all of them appeared to be deserted. Marjorie wouldn't have stood a chance.

She'd left the forest alone, grievously wounded, and without a vehicle. She'd walk the whole way here, bleeding endlessly, the road's rejuvenating power battling every moment against her body's natural inclination to die. I suspect the road's influence wasn't strong enough, and when a whispering voice promised, ever so sweetly, to mend her, she would have been in no position to refuse okay so she gets to the forest

the child is C-sectioned right maybe I don't know what happens from there maybe he okay so when Bobby showed up to the ER his leg was damaged right

maybe he C-sectioned the child and the child became the monster maybe he thought both of them died that the child was still born and she died or something. Maybe something like that, but she keeps walking and then she gets to this lake

that goes on forever. The lake shows you promises of infinite shores, basically tries to entice you to come to the waters. I like how Alice describes it as being hungry, almost, like it's trying to trick food

into it, to coming into it. But Marjorie, who had been broken for this long, let herself go to it. Yeah, I mean, probably in agony the whole way there. I mean, granted, I mean, the wrangler,

she had to walk through the silence city and everything go through all those places probably I mean just also mentally probably just completely gone I don't know how you could do that I mean but the lake drank the wound clean or lick the womb clean I should say her other sleeve brushes against dry land her body leaving the water for the first time in decades I keep pulling until my boots hit asphalt laying her down on the grass just behind the wrangler after a moment of sober visual I walk back to the car and fetch robb's foldable spain. A long few hours follow. I've never dug someone's

great before, and my injury is hardly conducive to the task. My fleece tied around my waist, pearls of sweat running down my brow, I managed to slowly chip away at the dampers. Five hours later, my back cramping, my hand raw from gripping the shovel, I attempt to lower Marjorie into the rough pit with some semblance of grace, her legs dropping limply into the soft soil, despite my best efforts. takes over an hour to shovel the soil back it's a sobering and ugly task as i lay as a layer of dirt covers her face i realize this will be the last time a living person lays their eyes on marjorie gutthard burying her suddenly feels disrespectful as if it's an act i don't have the right to perform once it's done i drop onto my knees a dull ache in my muscles as i smooth out the disturbed ground with the back of the shovel you I was just about to remark how kind this is of alice to bury her

but then yeah much like Rob yeah even before I turn to face her I can hear a scowl in her voice there's an odious depth to that once accurate syllable a potent witch's proof

contempt an accusation that feels like it's been festering in her drowned lung for decades. Reluctantly, rise to my feet, turn around, finding myself face to face with the woman I just buried. She looks different now. Her clothes are dry, her skin clear, for nothing to be seen of the deep, dark gash in her blouse. Marjorie. Unlike the empty vessel below us, the woman in front of me is by no means at peace. She shakes and wretches with the same indignant fury I witnessed when we first met. When she speaks, her word shone, she speaks, her word shudder under the way of her own turbulent emotions.

I chased you. I ran to you. I gave him up for you. I'm sorry, Marjorie. I don't know what you mean. Tell me what you mean. The things I saw. Things so beautiful. And I saw her walking along through the new worlds. I gave everything up for you. I don't know quite what to say. It's pointless to ask her what she means, to try and understand her frenic ramblings. In the end, I can only try to speak her language. Marjorie, I didn't mean you to. Marjorie's trembling breasts burst into a despairing fit of laughter. No.

Yes, you did. Yes, you did. And now, now you're here. Marjorie's wild and volatile demeanor shifts once more, her laughter degrading further into a desperate crying panic. And what do I do now? What? What do I do?

Marjorie cringes with the terror of the self-imposed question placing her head in her hands and repeating it over and over again as I watch her wrestle with despair I'm strict by an idea I've never before considered the disconcerting notion that in death we are not transported to a set destination by some ethereal attendant

that in fact nothing has decided for us perhaps the manner in which we spend our afterlife is down to us decision we have to make ourselves Archerry is standing over her own lifeless body, still lost, still entirely unmoored. There's no sign of boundless paradise, inescapable damnation, or everlasting nothingness, and the common thread they share, a final release from the weight of our own agency, is similarly absent. Perhaps we never get that freedom. Perhaps we continue like we always do, accompanied by all our imperfections, uncertainty, and discontent.

Perhaps we must choose our eternity. After all my time on the road, that's possibly the most terrifying notion I've encountered. He never stopped looking for you, you know. Marjorie snaps out of her wretched despair, instantly aware of who I'm referring to, staring up at me with an expression I've never seen her way before. I saw him walking on the road. He didn't stop. He was never going to stop. I think he was looking for you, Marjorie. He still is. Marjorie.

through me. For the first time since we met on that quiet Phoenician corner, I can see the faint spark of something other than misery and rage across her tear-stained face. I told, I hold her gaze for a moment more before pulling my phone from my pocket. In a single sweep of my contacts, I delete every number except for one. A number I pulled from the Niki during our second night on the road, a number that connects to a lost wonderer of the road. I don't know if this can help, stranger things have happened. She stares up into my eyes, I feel like we're finally meeting for the first time.

Without a word, Marjorie reaches that a quivering hand and takes the phone from my outstretched fingers. For I could say anything more, Marjorie Guthrie Guthard is gone. A few moments later, a refreshing breeze lands against my cheek, a soft zephyr,

cooling my still-worn face. It's a welcome sensation, and the first movement I've witnessed, in the air since I set out onto the lake. Wiping the sweat from my forehead, I stare quietly along the bridge, the breeze picking up behind me. It's a subtle wind at first, brushing stray hairs across my forehead, chilling the perspiration on my neck, that as I reach my hand out and feel the air slip between my fingers,

I'm witnessed to a steady rise in both strength and magnitude. The sound of the wind grows from a whisper to a howl. seconds later the hanging sleeves of my fleece begin to stream sideways my hair lifts from my back billowing in the throes of a developing gale i pick up against the wrangler's hood as the air finally erupts into a roaring cough in a cyclone my hand reflexively seeks the sturdy frame of the wrangler my fingers wrapping around the grill my arm tensing at the unrelenting wind threatens to drag me from the road squinting through the violent tempest i focus on a single point in space Just above the threshold of the bridge, in the midst of the storm, a jagged line of white hot light burst out of the ather. Tearing through the night's fabric, a crackling fissure that widens and yawns, forcing apart the curtains of reality as they frenetically struggle to recombine. Staring through the shuddering fracture, I'm subjected to the briefest glimpse of a boundless and impossible vista. It is a far-away place in both distance and time,

an achingly beautiful and gloriously terrifying dreamscape, endearing on the majestic shores of infinity. Every moment there spans a millennium and unfolds in countless directions at once. Every passing shadow holds a darkness beyond measure. Their edges burned by the glare of a waking sun which looks across every conceivable word with a hollow, rancorous,

intent. In the midst of this maddening landscape, a singular entity approaches, gliding towards the portal with the clear intent to pass through. It breaches the shuttering gateway and the wind dies down around it. I stare up at its grand celestial form. The being is unlike anything I've ever seen. Composed entirely from electrical arcs of brilliant, magnusant light, which burst from a volatile and blinding central core. It looks like a lightning storm. It's plasmatic tendrils snapping and crackling, bursting chaotically through the night air before collapsing in on themselves. As they fall back into the creature's center, they emit pale clouds of viporious fractals

that fade softly into the air. Somehow, even as my eyes barely adjust to the stark light, I realize that the entity usually burns much brighter. It's dampened its glow for my benefit, so that it can appear before me without scorching my eyes from their sockets. It's you, isn't it? You're the voice I've been hearing. You're the one who brought me here. The bristling maelstrom of light hangs in the air, crackling and shifting, its transient limbs strobing with chaotic incandescence. Part of me wants to hide, part of me wants to run, but neither are an option anymore.

Releasing my hand from the Wrangler's Grill, I take a single step forward, standing on my own, and staring up into the entity's smoldering core. can I get an interview It's kind of fun I mean what else are you going to do right The creature doesn't react In the following silence I feel it observing me When it finally responds Its voice ruptures the night echoing through my skull

There is little time But you may ask what questions you have Each reverberating syllable forms a string of literal shockwaves in the surrounding lake emanating outwards from the being in a perfect circle I watched the waves roll in the distance showing no sign of ever diminishing and I think about what questions to ask first

in the end it comes to me quickly a promise is a promise after all what happened to Marjorie why did she do what she did the being pauses as if considering its response when it does reply speaks with a calm sobriety She glimpsed an echo of the future Dreamed of the road

Of the things it passed through Like whatever's through there I gesture through the gateway Which is now almost entirely blocked from the view By the creature's spiraling form She dreamed of untold frontiers She saw a lone woman walking them Over time

The fulfillment of that vision became everything to her But it wasn't her she thought she was seeing her own future but it was it was you those three words as they burst into the open air casting three narrow waves across the boundless water hit me with a deep and heavy force unbeknownst to myself decades before i was even born marjorie had been driven insane by dreams of maddening grandeur of a life of boundless possibility and true significance she'd given everything up to chase a shadow a shadow that eventually turned out to be mine

I had just pulled Rob into this game I was the reason for everything I was the cause for the tragedy that befell his entire family She didn't just dream those sights You influenced her You let her see them

The same way you made Rob see Me and Oaki Harrah You pushed and prodded wherever you needed so that I'd end up here Are you the reason Bobby got the rules in the first place Yes but why

you toyed with so many lives across decades why me why does it matter that I traveled the road because across all humanity across every conceivable

permutation you are the one who makes it the furthest it speaks plainly because it the statement was a foregone conclusion yet its words strike me into silence. The creature continues.

I've watched you work your way here. Through skill and through tenacity and undeniably through luck. You were brought here because of these qualities and they will carry you further along the road than any other. Then why didn't you just bring me here?

All the influence you didn't lift a finger after everything that happened. Events transpired as they needed to. As they as they needed to. People died. Marjorie, Bobby, Ace, Apollo, Eve, Lilith, everyone! They're all gone. Do you not care at all? In response to my words, the entity remained silent for longer than usual.

I care more than you know. There are things greater than you understand than your understanding. Forces that exist beyond the realms of your comprehension that you would consider a threat to everything you hold dear. My actions were guided by a higher standard of knowledge. Your protest are predicted on false understanding. You're saying I don't understand death? You don't. That still doesn't make it right.

Regardless, my influence is necessary. That which is necessary must be. What even are you? I cannot answer that question in any way you'd understand. That's good enough. that's not good enough oh that's not good enough yeah that's definitely a different hit that's not good enough the creature doesn't respond as if it doesn't feel it needs to so far it's returned by every argument with impenetrable certainty from the domain it occupies knowing what

it knows my arguments must seem entirely facile even if it did feel the need to justify itself After seeing the place it hails from, I wonder if there's any way I could ever comprehend its motives. Still, that doesn't mean my arguments are invalid. And the creature's lofty dispassion does little more than stoke my desire to oppose it. And what if I don't want any part of this? You are traveling the aberrant strand. A singularly stable flaw in the fabric of reality. As it carries you further from the world you know, you'll be freed from the influence of the old.

laws. You have already noticed the effects in those settled the road. Those who are lost to it, and in yourself, energy without consumption, knowledge without requisite experience. You are shreding entropy. You are shedding entropy, in casualty, and in time you will reach realms of understanding you cannot currently fathom. You will find answers to questions you never thought to ask. You will discover absolute truth. For this reason, you will carry on. That's the only reason? Do you need another? Does it come across as a question? Rather, another blunt statement of fact.

I understand the effects it's speaking of. Ever since the city, I've been encountering vague notions and fragmented ideas that occurred to me randomly and without announcement. New avenues of thought leading to revelations I would otherwise lie beyond my mortal reach. I've started to comprehend things I could barely have conceived up back home. And though the onset of these notions had been terrifying at first, they grow less so with every passing day. No. No, I don't trust you. I don't. Your trust is immaterial. You will travel the road regardless. The creature's already stark glow starts to intensify. I've watched you on every turn.

across every moment of your journey. One of the creature's countless protrusions lashes out at the empty air, forming another harsh, glowing fissure. It rinses itself open in a few stilted jolts, a transparent, almost crystalline membrane stretched across the gap. Through it, I could see myself in the center of a cornfield examining a block of C4 explosive. It's as if I'm staring into the past through a jagged shard of one-white glass.

I've watched you questioning. Though we can't be seen through the aperture, I see the glass-like membrane shake with the force of the creature's voice. As the window collapses, I can see the rows of corn thrown into a frenzy. A second arc lashes out of the sky, forming a second aperture. This time I'm expecting the sight before me. I see myself, crying in the forest. A silent radio was by my side.

I've watched you struggle. The second window closes The creature has made its point I've watched you fight To make your way here You will not turn around You make it sound like I don't have a choice You do have a choice Alice

But you have already made it As much as I've grown to detest the creature's presumption In that moment I know it's right What it's saying is true I've done things I never would have imagined in order to get where I am now. In fact, if this being hadn't arrived at all,

I'd already be heading out over the bridge. I'm not proud of what drives me. That same ugly impulse that led me to refuse Rob's offer of return, that made it so easy to leave him behind in the silent city. But there's no denied the impulse is there. It's been with me the whole time, long before I ever arrived in Phoenix, Arizona, and it's very deeper than I ever wanted to admit.

Can I? Do I get to say goodbye? The entity says nothing. It hangs in the air, flickering in, coursing with rupturing bolts of light. The next thing I hear is a faint, mechanical hum emanating from the Wrangler behind me. Turning around, I pace briskly back to the car, opening the door and reaching into the passenger seat. My notebook is booting up, seemingly of its own accord. Picking up the laptop, I lift the lid as I march back towards the bridge. I stare up at the silent being before me

When I look down to the laptop My email client is already displayed on the screen How long do I have? Long enough The entity begins to regress Its arc diminishing as the being at its core turns away Its message Has been delivered

There's nothing more to discuss As it passes through the gateway Into an unknowable world Far removed from my own I call out after it. I'm still not certain I can trust you. The being focuses on me once more. As the fracture begins to close,

a final set of waves pass across the surface of the lake as it solemnly replies, I remember. A moment later, the bean is gone. I stay in motionless in the middle of the road, the entity's final remarks washing over me. It's curious choice of words echoing in my. mind, and the renewed silence, the fate strings of an overwhelming and terrible revelations

start to form in my mind. It could have simply said that it knew of my mistrust, that it heard the overtones in my voice, saw the disdain across my face, or otherwise sensed it in the space between us. Instead, the being spoke as if my current feelings were a memory, dwelling somewhere within its depths. It was undeniable that my time on the road was changing me, but in all this time I never truly considered how those changes might evolve as my journey continues. I never thought about what I might gain, what I might lose, or about what I might inevitably become. Short while passes before I lower my eyes from the empty space above the bridge through the screen of my notebook, lowering myself down, across my legs, and rest my back against the Wrangler. If you've been reading from the beginning, you've finally caught up with me.

I hope you'll allow me a few personal messages. To Rob, I hope you're able to read this someday, and I am so, so sorry for everything I've done, for everything I may do. I hope you understand that I didn't know, and that none of this was your fault. You did the best you could, and the days I spent with you were the most significant of my life.

It was an honor to know you, and I hope that among these pages you find the answers, and the peace that you deserve. To my mom and dad, I'm sorry I won't be sending this to you. In the end, I was carried along this road by a profound selfishness and just can't bring myself to face you. I can't imagine the pain I'll be putting you through, and I won't try to justify my actions.

All I can say is that I love you. I'm sorry that my last act towards you was one of cowardice. Finally to you, the person to whom this message will be addressed. I'm sorry. I always thought I'd see you again someday, that the roads I took would eventually lead me home. That doesn't look so likely now. Though I could say a lot to you, I'm not going to. But I wish we could have been friends for longer.

It feels like a lifetime since I first arrived at Rob Guthrie's Quiet Street. I remember the uncertainty as I waited for him to open his door, with no conceivable idea what was about to transpire. Like so many other things, that's now changed. despite being in an entirely new world further from home than anyone's ever been i know exactly what's going to happen next i'm going to take a drive take a left then the next possible road on the right then the next possible left i'll repeat the process add infinitum until i wind up somewhere new from there i'll keep driving beyond worlds beyond time beyond the bounds of my imagining

to a place where the lake runs dry where the broken moon trips away and the stars disappear in the rear view to a place where everything has fallen away and the road is all there is hmm

end end of story hmm what a crazy what a crazy turn for the end I expected it was philosophically almost like fucking fantasy driven ending

I was expecting it to kind of go that way because I was getting like do you see all these different worlds and realms and stuff like that I was expecting the ending of it to be very ethereal especially because the idea of a sort of god of the realm had been hyped up a lot with the voice she kept hearing

I think it's a cool look I mean I think it's a cool touch how when he opened the aperture and said I saw you then or whatever that was the voice she heard while she was just sitting in the field and didn't know where it came from and the same when she was crying under the tree

so all she was hearing is her conversation with him in the future much like how the visions they had been seen is the vision that like Rob had of her or the visions that Marjorie had of her everyone had been seen the visions of her because she ultimately becomes the pilgrim who makes the longest voyage

there's an interesting comment on this thread here that said that is the entity alice and i thought that's kind of interesting yeah i thought yeah actually that's a good point because uh she says i don't trust you and the entity says i remember i bet you're right that is that probably is alice it's some eventually it's also it's also the whole thing too about like uh the entity is speaking with such a sureness because they're just like i already know you're going to go like I, we've already lived this kind of thing. The choice has been made. Yeah.

And now she's like so far beyond these kind of, yeah. Like she's now this like godlike entity that has like traveled through space and time and, you know, all this kind of stuff. Um, wow. What a, what are like a roller coaster? You know what I mean? Yeah. There's a bunch of different things. Like these are some of the things I had written down.

Some of the things that I was going to see what you thought. Do you think that the book ends? the guy who is delivering this message, right? That at some point, also, some point along the way she's able to send this message off, right? In this discernible point in time,

which also makes the entity thing feel more like her because he could, or the entity could just like send it out, however. Yeah. And then also it's like at a time to to Robb's, you know, kind of thing, just wanting humanity to know, the entity would almost want

the story out there to, that it's just like this thing exists right oh that's also hold on that also the whole idea that she's the entity leads in to the creature saying i care more than you could know yeah yeah anyway you were saying do i think what um do you think that the bookend guy who's delivering this message they they made the beginning of it so casual that in a way it almost feels like neon tempo kind of gave him this purpose on the very last thing like on the very last note it feels like he has a bit more stake in it and let him falling into the left-right game. Do you think that throughout the story, there should have been more at the beginning with him

divulging into that too? I think so. I think there is a little bit where he'd be like, oh, I'm going to try to get this. Oh, someone said they found where this location is. There was stuff like that that sure technically did it, but you should. I think he needed more development until just the last entry. Sure. Because I love Rob's placement there at the end.

I think it's great. but it feels like he made the author maybe like came across to those pieces like late which you know it's a big piece of and this is a huge text so it's like i i wonder if he came to this conclusion later on and he was like oh this is perfect i'm going to put it here because i love having rob there and being this entity of like and you kind of know that the guy who's delivering this message is going to pass or whatever even though once again it's like him saying it like you know i wonder if he could help on the road and It's just how did the thing get uploaded? I mean, you know, you can go back and forth forever. It doesn't really matter, but just something I thought. I think he is dead. I think that guy's definitely dead. Even if he does go straight into the tunnel, like,

Rob has all this equipment and food and stuff. Like, sure, eventually you don't need it, but the first few days you do, and this guy's in a rental car. Like, good luck. Yeah, I mean, I think that it leads me to another thing. And it's another thing I wrote down was, Blue Jay's descent into madness is a very natural conclusion

and I like the trajectory it went of this person who is so, who's basically unable to unable to justify the reality that they're in now. I think it's fun. Like that kind of descent into madness is cool. I just wish that we got more, or like, you know, it's hard because it's all from the perspective of Alice and her logs, right?

I guess there was a couple times where we saw Blue Jay kind of like oh she was horrified and they got these nice little moments of like you could definitely tell

she was creeped out but I'm wondering did you feel like her turn there do you think it was do you think it felt abrupt or something like do you think that her snap there felt a bit kind of

I mean I don't think it was that bad I get where you're coming from I'm not saying it's I'm not saying it's bad I think that the progression is there I just wish I like I'm just wondering if there should have been

more signs of because there was some right there is definitely some signs of her going up and being like look what you look what he's making you do and it doesn't feel justified because you're like what are you talking about you're going crazy and i'd like maybe just a couple more of those would have made her snap there feel like yeah we just knew that branch was going to break at some point i think the moment that does it that kind of justifies her being physically violent is when she gets attacked by the child and saved and she's like oh you actually cut me so if she if she has convinced her

yourself this is all a game, then these people who are running the game just physically cut her. She knows the cut and the blood is real. So she's like, for the first time, I think in that moment she thinks her life's in danger. So that's what makes her go like, oh, I have to defend myself now. These guys are crazy. They're going to get me killed. Yeah. I just like that whole sequencing. The C4 thing is kind of funny. It dips into a funny, cheesy little thing just because it's funny how you said that and it's like yeah she does get blown up by C4 but yeah I like that whole progression

I am glad that the C4 went somewhere yeah I mean they were definitely prepping that up to be something and then the last little note that I wrote here and I'm curious what you think is the way the story in my opinion parallels Dante's Inferno and that kind of

that kind of trajectory I did have that thought with the ferrymen and whatnot yeah the fairy men with that Alice feels like a Dante character kind of going down each one of these worlds or these kind of places they're going through it feels like alice in wonderland is of itself kind of a Dante's inferno not specifically to the tears or anything but the idea of being led into the alternate world yeah sure all the layers of hell all that kind of stuff even the corn looking back on it um kind of has like

an elation fields kind of um vibe to it that golden glow and stuff like um all that kind of stuff I think feels just an interesting parallel. I just say it feels like it's just a cool influence, I just thought. But all in all, it's interesting. It's weird with this kind of story, right? How do you end it? How do you put a finite end to something that is supposed to be infinite? And I think that it does a good job.

Like, I like the idea of these things that make you think a bit of like this entity that this maelstrom, this kind of just like embodiment of energy through time and space is potentially Alice from, you know, who knows how many years or, you know, inconceivable amounts of time into the, you know, however future or whatever, comes back to guide her into this thing. And also, you know, even the next part, too, like almost like the end of the road feels like this spot of like this, this like landscape, this, this kind of, uh, beautiful, almost unimaginable, uh, dream scape that's in front of her. kind of feels like a heaven in a way like it kind of has that kind of vibe of being beautiful and

I don't think she's necessarily afraid of it and she's even able to go like she's going to just keep driving until there's nothing you know and it seems like she did get there eventually yeah I think it uh it's somewhere outside of our reality somewhere understandable like I like that mentioned the end that she started thinking of the impossible there was that was hinted in the city where she understood how the creatures worked without really needing to see much of them like ideas were being indebted to her. So I think the end result of that is becoming some ethereal being

and whatever land that creature came from that maybe herself is also a land of the unexplainable. It makes Marjorie's tale so tragic that she got to that point and it wasn't meant for her. I think is very... Yeah, she wasn't the Messiah. She was just a prophet, right?

Yeah. And I think that there's that there's that kind of resentment she has to Alice that feels justified, but yeah, I mean, the Guthrs just got fucked in this whole scenario. I mean, it was, it wasn't their story. They thought it was their story, but it wasn't, yeah. Yeah, they thought that, especially Rob thought that he had just something so special.

That's, that's honestly one of the most tragic parts of the whole thing, that they found it. They thought it was theirs, but it wasn't meant to be. Yeah. I also think it's interesting how when she, when Alice hands her the phone and is like, you can talk to him, she just disappears. It's like she was resolved, right? Like everything that was wrong. with her was fixed in that moment that she could find her husband again yeah well especially alice

delivering that too feels very poignant to like almost like an angel like an angelic quality of some kind it's it's very interesting it's such a different approach to all the other stuff that we've read to that i think it's um it was just such a fun read such a like epic like an odyssey like a like it feels so poignant to like a greek tragedy is what it feels like to me of like a Odysseus trying to like come home and just this giant epic like very very visual very fun and just so like it really shows just a lot of imagination and I think it shows a lot of like what this medium can do just kind of the there's no rules really I mean just like just such a beautiful string of ideas and yeah I really enjoyed this one such a fun read that was such a

fun story. I'll say definitively, neon tempo, um, hats off. That's one of the funest stories I've read in a long, long time. Yeah.

It had creepy moments, but it had creepy moments, but it felt, like I said, it felt like almost fantastical at the end. Like it felt kind of like almost would even say horror. Like I did just, it just felt like just, uh, I can only equate it to

an Odyssey, like just a grand epic. Yeah, that's what it felt like an Odyssey. Yeah. Yeah. So, I don't know. Awesome. Like I said, neon tempo fucking killed it. That was awesome.

I'm sure, like I said, he emailed us before, in between this episode and this episode. So asked, we made sure and asked him if there was anything new that he was working on or anything else that we wanted to plug. We were going to go ahead and put that in the description. So please, if you're fascinated by this work, please do reach out and, or please do click the link below. um check out some more of his work because i know i certainly will um yeah and i'll also mention for everyone who enjoyed this and like who either wants to rehear it in like a more cinematic format other than us making jokes the whole time which i don't know why you want that or anything um but or if you want to introduce the story to someone outright who just want to hear it

one of the best ways to take in this story is uh so the author jack anderson or neon tempo similar to Barrasca, QCode adapted it into an entire podcast show, where it's the entire story as an audio format. Not only does it have like additions and like bonus stuff and all that from this version, but similar to how Barasca had, was it Cole or Dylan Spouse in the lead? I think Dylan. Dylan Sprouse in the lead. The left-right game podcast through Q-Code has Tessa Thompson. as the lead, which not to make it a Marvel reference,

but if you all have seen the Thor movies, she plays Valky, or like Avengers in game and stuff like that. So she's pretty high budget actress. Yeah, I mean, these people put like an all-out production behind it. It's definitely like in terms of,

if you don't want to hear just two guys riffing and mispronouncing words and stumbling over stuff, I mean, it's like the definitive way to have a complete immersion, immersible, immersion experience. Immersive,

immersive experience. Good God. yep yep uh and it's got like you know a bunch of other cool people to cast anyway we'll also link that in the description so if you want to hear that whole story like in honestly a better way than we delivered it check it out there uh but really like jack anderson we're gonna talk to him and see what all like he wants us to throw like upcoming projects and stuff but just i think you know what after that as a rule of thumb anything jack anderson does probably worth checking out so yeah it's a always fun. Great author, great author, awesome artist. I mean, just really fun. That imagination has got to have some more cool stuff in its noggin, so very sweet. But that's the left right game.

Let's not forget. Also, a listener of the show, which is the true above all else merit of someone's worth as a human. That's true. That is true. That's how you know that they're good people. Exactly. Exactly. Which, I mean, that's the left right game.

We made it through another classic. Man. This is so sick. I mean, I don't know, I don't know what we are going to do next, but that's going to be, that's going to be a tough one to follow. So I, you know, I, I'm very curious. Yeah. So, we appreciate you guys sticking with us for these super long episodes. We hope you've enjoyed it.

And we will catch you in the next one. Absolutely. Thank you all so much for watching. It means the world. Check out those links in the description. And above all else, thank you for being here. Bye-bye now. Bye-bye.