When the Lights Go Out: MAN OF MEDAN [The Dark Pictures Anthology]

iii. the anticipated dive

I never left Conrad's side. I was always either standing next to him, or staring at him across the boat. I really looked creepy, if you think about it. If someone were to do the same things I am doing right now, I'd be very uncomfortable and who knows what as well. But bear with me here, I've never seen Ed's face in what felt like a lifetime and just one day, I meet someone that exactly looks and sounds like my deceased brother, of course I'd follow him around like a lost puppy. I lost Ed before, and I don't wanna lose him again.

"What you got?" Alex approached Conrad, Julia, and I as we were looking at the pictures in the camera. They were of different angles of some wreck from World War II, I'm not sure.

To be honest, I wasn't really as interested as the others are with this diving thing. I haven't done this since my brother's untimely demise and before that, I never looked at photos of our diving spot because I simply never cared. I just dived before because mother told me to. Besides, I was never much of a historian myself so you wouldn't expect me to gush over the fact that this wreck I'm looking at is from the 40s.

"Feast your eyes on this." Conrad shows us all the photos from the wreck underwater. I'd love a little glimpse but I don't think I can see anything. The sun was shining so bright and the photos were too dark, how am I supposed to see any of this clearly?

"Brad's calculations were right on the money." Alex says, praising his little brother.

"Always bet on Brad." Conrad joined in.

"Kid's a whiz. We should thank him." Julia added.

Everyone was complimenting Brad, so it just seems right if I did as well. I feel like I was required to.

"Brad's great in a... a lot-- a lot of things." That was all I can come up with and thankfully, none of them focused on what I said.

Why do I always come up with lame excuses or words to tell them?

They were all saying such nice things about Brad. Makes me wonder what really happened between him and Emma. He seems so nice and is actually a genius, what else was Emma looking for?

"Fliss!" Julia called for the captain. "We found a plane!"

"Yeah?" Fliss approached us all four.

"Yeah! Looks like World War II. We are ready to dive." Julia proudly told Fliss and I immediately threw Julia a look.

"Wait, you're diving here?"

She scoffs and nudges me, "Of course. Why do you think we're looking at these? If not for Brad, we wouldn't have found the perfect diving spot."

"I thought you were just admiring it. Guys, this plane seems dangerous, it could collapse on you or something. Can you find anywhere safer?"

"Err... I think you should listen to your friend here. Technically, we should call this in to port authorities as an unreported wreck." Fliss cautiously said. Fliss made complete sense but there was something off. Like she was too afraid to be caught by the authorities, which I understand, but she was too afraid like she's hiding something... Something illegal.

Julia rolled her yes and sasses at the woman, "Well, 'technically.'"

"Great idea, Fliss." I said, nodding. The three of them looked at me indignantly. "Let's do exactly that."

Julia was almost glaring and so I said, "Don't look at me like you're gonna murder me. I'm just saying, when all is said and done, we're still trespassing, if that's the right word to use here."

"Basically, yes." She answers. I looked at the four of them who are still eager to continue on with their journey. "Are you sure you don't wanna do this the right way?"