Shopping List

I still haven't found Duckie... no sign of Fracture... no sign of Red.

This is starting to feel like a waste of time.

I've been watching the police station. That's where red mentioned seeing someone with what sounded like Duckie's mask... starting to sound like a pretty bad lead about now.

I think I saw a man come out in the mask she was talking about today. The diagonal in the mask's crack was wrong. Think the crack might has been too close to the right eye too. Hard to say. Didn't get a good look through my binoculars. But I'm pretty sure it wasn't Duckies.

We're spent so much time on this town... I don't want to let it all be a waste but if there's nothing here, there's nothing here. The fact that the town is prone to fear attacks isn't really helping. At this point its an irritating side note.

I don't know what to do...

Picasso has started sneaking out again. She's getting sloppy. I've actually been able to catch her on her way out... just not stop her. She keeps disappearing around bends. I think shes pathing. I hope she has more sense than that.

Fracture was using that to track us. She's gonna get us both killed doing that.

When she comes home she's laughing. She gives me a shove when she finds me waiting at the door. Says "Shut it STALKER MUTE," and then collapse on her bed. She throws shit at me when I stare at her expectantly in the morning.

"NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS! You're not my REAL mom."

Makes me want to strike her with the chair shes sitting up.

She gave me just about the same line this morning when I gave her expectant looks over her addition to the grocery list. 106 mouse traps. What the fuck is she up to?

I wish she'd talk to me.

The irony is not lost on me.

Moth out.

Sins of the Daughter, Blood of the Father

 A BEAUTIFUL pallet to PAINT with.

I should know!

I'm gonna kill DADDY and FRACTURE and FUCKING DESTROY Duckie.

And they were like... fatherly things at some point. MOSTLY.

Except Daddy. Hes was just kind of a... GIANT FACELESS SKINNY MUTE. He could have FIXED EVERYTHING but he just fucking STANDS THERE.  I want to cut him deep.

I NEED TO KNOW IF HE CAN SCREAM.

My guess is no. No mouth...

...

Oh yeah. I wrote this. Hehe. BET THAT SOUNDS INCOHERENT.

FUCKING WRONG! This like, totally has a point and stuff.

Red's daddy is dead. He was MURDERED. Run through with his own sword! Supposedly. WHAT THE NEWSPAPER SAID.

Apparently, hes been looking for Red. And apparently, this town is stupid dangerous! Like, GIANT FUCKING BIRDS STEALING YOUR CHILDREN, dangerous. I call that a category 3! Only rates a two on my cuil meter though.

NOTHING NOT INVOLVING A HORSE CAN RATE ABOVE A TWO!

I don't care now many times I fall into infinity.

...

FUCK. Am I still doing this?

Right, so Red's Dad is a stupid american! Pop cultures tells the red, white, and blue apes if you live in a dangerous place, YOU NEED AN INCREDIBLY IMPRACTICAL FUCKING WEAPON.

So dumb ass was roaming the streets looking for his daughter with a katana. Because that's safe. According to the paper, he was reportedly well versed on how use it.

I think he was FULL OF SHIT! Where you gonna learn to do that in the MIDDLE OF FUCKING NOWHERE. I'll tell you where. NOWHERE. That's where.

I was convinced he fell on the damn thing walking. MY VERSION WAS FUNNIER.

Moth shoved the damn paper back in my face to finish reading.

Apparently, the murder weapon is missing. But the killer left behind the scabbard! With a PRESENT for the police! Four bloody finger prints.

Each belonging to a 'Ivy Knowlton', which as it turns out is Moth's 'Red'.

So the freaky emotion reading thing has apparently TURNED VIOLENT, or something.

In response to which, Moth has gotten out chloroform.

Hehe.... I bet hes gonna lose that hand trying to pull THAT SHIT.

Sword always beats drugs. And drugs always beat MUTES. So that's like, TWICE the disadvantage.

If he finds her, hes totally GONNA DIE.

SUCK IT MUTE!

Picasso entry end.

Nesting

I saw something... seriously concerning today.

I was searching around for Red. That endeavor seems to be a lost cause. If no one's found her by now, she's either dead, left town, or being kept hidden. She can't possibly be operating in town with people looking for her without her being discovered after all this time...

...

... Right. So I was searching around the park.

There was this big old tree house on one of the trees in the park. Not sure how the owners of it got away with that. I don't think most places will tolerate you building little houses in their trees. Particularly in a park on private property.

...

Right, right, right. So I was looking around when suddenly a fire truck came storming into the park blaring it's sirens and being escorted by a handful of police cars being equally as noisy. They stopped right in front of the tree house. The firemen got out and got a hose ready. The policemen got out and the three masked men among them pulled out flame throwers and started raining fire down on the tree house.

The first sound that followed were screams. Children stuck their heads out the window screaming in terror and begging for their lives, an act that give the masked men pause.

Then a second figure emerged. He was an adult in a big hooded sweater and had a big shit eating grin on his face. He pulled one of the kids to his chest and visibly held a knife to their throat trying to be intimidating.

That's when the second noise hit. Suddenly... all you could hear was the squawking of a thousand birds as they poured out of the tree house and started flocking around it and making dives for everyone and anyone in the immediate vicinity.

The masked men turn their flames on the birds to very little effect. The birds dove through the fire and brought then two officers, a fireman, and a passerby who was unfortunate enough to have taken refuge behind a police car when the swarm broke out.

I remember looking around as I hid behind a tree, and seeing people walking for their houses. Just casually walking. Many with an irritated sigh. No one was freaking out at the spectacle. No one ran over to try to help. No one ran away in terror or confusion.  When the birds started squawking and people took note of what was going on, they walked away like this was a school fire drill or something.

Most of them at least. I watched them in disbelief at their response to the situation before their very eyes. Watched as the made for their doors to hide away and ignore what was happening. Watched as a women looked over her shoulder one last time before she would have disappeared into her house and stopped dead in her tracks. Her eyes widened and her mouth dripped open. I saw her mouth the words a few times before they seemed to get loud enough for the the neighbors around her to stop their slow evacuation and take note of her. I watched her break into a dash for the park as her voice got loud enough for me to hear.

"JOOOODY!"

A handful of her neighbors chased after her and literally tackled her to the ground. "G-Get off me! She needs her mom! Get off-!"

One's of the people holding her down, much to the bewilderment of the rest of those holding her, punched her hard in the gut. "You can't help her," he said in a cold tone as they hauled her off into the nearest house. "If they can be saved... the masks will save them."

To my amazement, the scene the Mother had made had attacked more attention then what was happening before them in the part... almost like that was less common than this...

...Concerning.

... so the masked policemen kept their fire turned on the birds at first. As people started to go down around them, one of them yelled and pointed to the tree house and turned his flame back on it, the children inside of it, and the man holding them hostage.

The other two masked men where hesitant to join him, but when the flock suddenly turned all its attention to and began swarming him they followed suit.

They were fortunate that one of the unmasked officers had the presence of mind to commandeer the fire hose. He turned it on the swarm to literally blast them away from the masked ones. While he may have put out one of the flame throwers by accident in the process, the cover gave the other two masked men the time they needed to engulf the tree in flame.

The screaming stopped... the hooded figure dove out of the tree house to escape the flames and landed hard on his back. He winced in pain. He was covered in burns. The birds tried diving for him but where rather scattered from being sprayed crossed the park with the hose. One of the masked figures rushed over and put a heavy boot on his chest as what few birds had managed to regroup pecked at him and picked at what flesh they could manage.

Scrrrish, as the masked man buried his boot into the hooded ones chest cavity.

He started screaming bloody murder riling up the birds into a greater fervor... and was suddenly silenced as the masked man bared down fire on his face.

When the birds scattered... torrent of fire from he flame thrower stopped. The hooded one's face was charred... he was clearly dead.
...

They pulled the fire truck up and used the latter to pull the kids out before they brought the tree house crumpling down to earth... none of children made it... all of them were charred and covered in burns.

Everyone looked to the masked man who had made the call to do this to them but he wasn't looking their way. He was facing away. His stance implied heavy stressed breathing. Guilt. He couldn't bring himself to face them... his comrades or the kids.

The officer who commandeered the fire hose approached him from behind... put a light hand on his shoulder.

"We do what we have to," he said trying to sounds strong... trying to be reassuring.

The masked man sighed. Pulled off his masked and turned it to stared at its face. His old face.

"We do until we don't," he said handing the mask off to the officer. "We do... until we don't. Its your burden now," he said turning back around and walking off.

"I... Wh-What?! No! Y-" started the officer as he started to chased after now retired proxy.

The other two proxy stopped him, each with a hand lightly grabbing him. He turned to face him.

"H-He can't... we have to...!" he stammered off in a mild fuss before letting his sentence hang. He looked up at them. He was scared. He watched quietly desperate for some guidance or insight on what to do.

They both shook their heads. One of them took the mask from him and put it up to his face.

He pulled back at first, but stopped himself.

"I-I ca-" he started again but was shushed with a finger to his mask's lips.

He started to panic a bit in place obviously still overwhelmed at this development.

One of them signed a familiar motion to him. They put hand to their chest and raised it... dropped their hand back down with a deep sigh.

'Breath in... breath out.'

"Thuuuuuuuuuuh....... thuuuuuuu," went the new proxy taking several breaths to calm himself.

When he was good and relaxed... they gave him a pat on head.

"..."

"..."

"..."

While this scene played out, the other officers and firemen watched with quiet reverence and awe. When they were done, they all got back in their vehicles... off they went.

...

I noticed on my patrol the night after that happened... all the tree houses were gone across town, or at least as far across town as I was willing to check. One or two of them also looked like they had been burned down...

I think... the convocation might have attacked the town today... I think what I saw happened in several places across Black Lake...

The people... they just casually walked to their houses... what the fuck is wrong with this town?

Moth out.

A Turnaround

So...

Picasso has been acting weird. You know, weird for her.

Who here remembers this?

Its not overly important if you don't. Ignore the false accusations of an alleged porn addiction and the alleged proxy moonlighting. Those aren't important.

Key detail, I leave and do things while Picasso is asleep.

She sleeps like a rock. She tends to wear herself out.

But lately, I've been coming home to find shes not there. She leaves while I'm out. I go out looking for her and come back to find shes already in bed sleeping again. Then she doesn't say thing about it in the morning.

I tried watching the door when I got back the night after that to see if I could catch her on her way back in but she slipped in without so much as a noise while I was in the bathroom.

I held it the day after that. I kept a close eye on the door and the window but in passing I checked the bed to find she was already back in it. That's fucking crazy right?

Not a sound. She wasn't there when I got back, and then she suddenly was when I wasn't looking.

I tried just watching her bed to see if I could catch her appearing to try to figure out what the fuck was going on. I fell out of the chair late into the morning when I heard her scream morning at me from behind. Apparently she appeared in my bed that time.

I spent the night after that trying to catch her leaving. She didn't, or so I thought. I check on her around my usual arrival time to find she also disappears without a sound or a sign.

I tried looking for her. If she was disappearing she had to be going somewhere right? Given the strange circumstances, I didn't think this would work. But it did. I found her standing under a lamp post staring at a house across the street. Just silently standing there sporting an impatient glare. I tried running over to her. Mid-dash she turned to look at me. I blinked on the approach and she was suddenly gone again.

I heard the sound of wood snapping... and some running across the street. I tried to chase it but Picasso was already long gone... assuming that was her.

I went home and she was already in bed again. Once more, she said nothing about it when she woke up... just acted impulsive and childish like she always does.

I'm sharing this because I don't know what to make of this. I've never heard of anything like this. I need some advice on... well what the fuck to do. Its all very concerning.

On a completely unrelated note the Empath, I've taken to calling her 'Red', who apparently saw Duckie has gone missing. I've been spending the time I had not chasing Picasso looking for her but shes just gone. Her parents recently filed a missing persons on her. When I peeked in on the house the mother was crying and panicking. I've spotted the father driving up and down the neighborhood. I think hes trying to spot her off the street or something.

I've noticed people reacting to my presence now. After the dust up in the restaurant the town seems to have taken notice that I am not one of their masked police figures. My mask is rather distinct and I believe we've become suspects in Red's missing persons case.

Actually why I was so concerned when Picasso started disappearing. She's grounded and isn't allowed to leave due to all the attention. She sticks out like a sore thumb.

The situation in this town has become too much. I need to find Red so we can question her, find/kill Duckie, and then fuck off before they figure out where we've been staying and come busting down the door.

Moth out.

Red

"Why are you red?"

I looked up from my bag to find a girl had moved into the stall across from me. I recognized her. I guess her attempts to enlist herself as a proxy for Father at the police station had been less than fruitful because she was still maskless... and talking.

"I mean, most you are blue. Like the guy with the crack on his mask's chin or the guy with the split up above his mask's right eye. Their energy is blue. They're Cool, Calm, Collected. Well focused veterans. Their masks could be their faces for the emotional range the carry but you... you're angry. Its a little blinding up this close."

I just stared at her. I didn't know what she was expected. She seems quite aware of the fact that I don't talk. Had to figure she was just another mouth breather speaking with no weight to her words just to hear herself think. A senseless and prideful activity that I find wastes a lot of time.

Then it hit me what she had just said.

'Why are you red?'      'Their energy blue.'

She can see my energy? Did that mean she could pick me out of a group even if I was to shed my mask and try to blend? Would she have blown my cover if I had already been doing that when she walked over?

...Is she just fucking crazy?

I put a hand on her forehead to check her temperature. A gesture she seems to recognize and returned a glare to me in response.

"Don't give me that. I'm not sick and I'm not FUCKING CRAZY."

I reeled back a bit at her yelling.

"You people are all the same, you know that!? You don't even give me chance. Just write me off as unfit and send me out with an escort."

I took my hand back afraid she might grab it and use the advantageous positioning to pin me down to the table or something in her frustrated elevated state.

She brought up a hand to shield her eyes. "Ahh, and would you calm the fuck down. So red! Almost as bright as the guy with the long diagonal crack between his mask's eyes."

Long diagonal crack between the eyes... Duckie?

I reflexively stood up. I needed to find a way to gracefully drag her off to find out where she saw Duckie, if she duckie, without making a scene.

"You turned blue... friend of yours?"

I was pulling out some paper to write on when Picasso burst in. "YOU BETTER HAVE BOUGHT TH-"

And watched as Picasso and wanna-be locked eyes.

"I-I... wh-what the fu-" started the girl as she stumbled out of the booth in a hurry falling hard on her back.

Picasso went silent and held out her arms.

"H-How can this... g-get away!" exclaimed the girl stumbling to her feet and then stumbling down the aisle knocking over chairs as she rushed for the door with a hand to the side of her head. It was like she couldn't quite see straight suddenly or something.

I was so confused by the odd scene that by the time I realized we needed her and rushed for the door to stop her, she was gone. No trace of her. I turned to Picasso. She had a big shit eating.

"THAT was fun," was all she had to say about it and she sat down and ate her burgers.

Someone else who can see Picasso as the monster she is... maybe she could see my energy?

Moth Out.

Have fun STORMING THE FUCKING CASTLE

You think, I'M gonna be sad when YOU leave? FUCK YOU. I don't fucking need you. Have fun running off to your FUCKING death.

AND YOU ARE A FUCKING DOG! Do you hear me? A STUPID, BLOODTHIRSTY, THOUGHTLESS DOG!

DON'T YOU EVER COME BACK. No room for the likes of you if you're just gonna BE A BITCH and bite us.

I mean, dying, THAT'S UNFUCKING FORGIVABLE. But trying to drag us in with you on your RETARDED raid of a well armed, FORTIFIED, and proxy-ized police station? YOU'RE LUCKY I DIDN'T DRIVE A HATCHET INTO YOUR SPINE ON YOUR WAY OUT OF THE FUCKING DOOR.

Go die. FUCKING DIE. CHOKE ON YOUR FUCKING BILE AND BLEED OUT SLOWLY YOU STUPID FUCKING ASSHOLE.

And I'm taking my nickname back. I'm gonna find a new Helrick. A BETTER ONE. One who isn't a FUCKING TARD. One who won't FUCKING ABANDON ME.

FUCK YOU.

Picasso fucking entry end.

----------------------------------------------------------

Hey... Moth here.

So uh, I delayed Picasso's little uh... declaration of undying hatred... thing. Her words, not mine.

I figured Helrick's raid, regardless of whether or not it was successful or a stupid idea, could only work to our benefit. Less police and proxies patrolling this town would make it a hell of a lot easier for us to operate after all. Or so I thought.

I couldn't conceive of an outcome that wouldn't be to our benefit, so we've been sitting tight waiting for news to reach us about what happened, whether or not he died and how many cops he took with him.

But its like nothing happened. The police station is fine. No sign of an attack. There has been no news of an assault on the police station on the newspaper or on the local news station. There have been no reports of death in the obituaries.  And I can't find Helrick. Hes just gone.

When he left, he was very adamant about his plan to attack the police station. I can't imagine he just abandoned it. Not after all the yelling he and Picasso shared over it.

Maybe they were expecting him. He did put up a post. You think they read this blog?

I find this all very concerning and I'm having trouble figuring out how we should proceed from him.

Moth out.

Hel... Rick?

Hi... I guess?

Patr-... Err...Picasso, Rather I guess. She said I needed to get on here and introduce myself. I think she's treating me like a stray dog or something. I think she thinks I'm gonna stay because she helped save me. I think she's gonna be sad when I leave.

My fight is with the rake... and others like me... those warped and twisted by it's touch, whispers, and cuts....

I have to keep hunting... or those fucking whispers won't stop, those god awful whispers. I need their blood... I need their panic. I need to dig my claw deep into their flesh so I can watch their light fade from their eyes slowly... I need a lot disgusting things.

But... I don't don't want to give in. I don't want to be a monster. So I try to keep it down to animals... other 'feral-lings'... servants of other monsters... as I'm slowly becoming aware there are other monsters with their own twisted victims/slaves in more human looking shells.

Picasso tells me I've been helping Proxies. Servants of... the Slim Jim or something? Sorry... getting hungry again.

Slender Man. That was it.

I'm thinking... that makes a lot of sense. They fuckers turned on me after I went through great lengths to help them clean those woods out of 'ferals'. They didn't care about me or the well being of this town. They were just forcing servants of one monster out so they could have the town for themselves...

Only sensible thing to do... kill them all. I've seen the police force here... its practically ruled by those masked fucks. The so called police don't make any moves without their nod of approval. I'm thinking they'll all have to go. The masked fucks and the policemen... need to soak the streets in their blood... truly make this town safe.

Picasso says she can help with that... insists on it. Seems to think it'll hurt an enemy of hers.

I'm not sure what good a screaming psycho bitch is gonna do me on a hunt. She's gonna get me killed if nothing else.

But she saved me... and she won't let me fucking forget that... so I'm gonna give her and her supposedly reformed masked pet a chance, despite they themselves being perfect examples of the kinds of people they are telling me not to trust.

God fucking help them if this is some insanely elaborate ruse. I'll be ready for the double cross this time. I'll fucking gut them both.

-Helrick