The Chaser (Short Story)

The Chaser

This journal was found on March 18, 2013 and traced to the Maria Cario case of 1975. These are the diary entries found and released by the FBI.

December 31, 1974,
“Bang!” that was the first sound I heard before my life changed forever. I’m only 11 and i’m fighting. I am not quite sure what i’m fighting, but it’s big, scary and dangerous. I’ve never known the meaning of fear until last night. It was around 11:45 pm and I was woken up by a loud banging sound. At first I thought that it was nothing because after about thirty seconds everything fell silent. Not a normal kind of silent, it was almost like the silence before a big random jump scare in a horror movie. Don’t ask me how I know what horror movie jump scares seem like, I just do. When everything fell silent I layed back down and began to fall asleep. I was about half asleep before I heard a loud “bang!” It was almost like a gun going off, but after a piercing sound rang in my ears. That was the last thing I remember from last night. Now i’m here hiding in an old house, hoping that someone, anyone would come and save me.

January 9, 1975
It’s been a few days since I last wrote in here, but it feels like i’ve been out here for years. I can still hear my mother calling my name “Maria, time for bed!” That’s my name, Maria. I don’t know where I am or where I need to be, but I need to find my mom. Sleeping is also getting hard, I am finding myself worried that “The Chaser” will get me. I’ve been calling that thing i’ve seen in my visions “ The Chaser” because it’s chasing me. Not really chasing me, but i’m constantly running, almost like a hamster on it’s wheel. Only hamsters like to run. I hate it. That was my last choice of things to do in school. Running, I mean some people find it fun. I’m also realizing that running is what i’m spending my life doing now. Maybe that is what I could do for a living if I ever make it out of here.

January 10, 1975,
Remember how I said I have visions? Well, I do. It may seem strange, but my visions have happened ever since I was very young. You see, my mom used to tell me stories of how I woke up in the middle of the night screaming. Yes, I know that’s weird, but I would wake up and my mom would rush in. When my mom came in I complained to her that “The Chaser” was coming to get me. I continued to say that almost every night until I was seven years old. Then it all stopped, the visions, The Chaser, the screaming. All of it just stopped. Until now, everything is coming back! I can’t stop The Chaser from getting me this time, and no matter how much I run he just won’t give up.

January 11, 1975,
I may have left you on a short notice in my last entry, well that was because I heard something in the woods outside of the house. As usual I decided to look outside and see what was going on, and to my surprise it was just a silly woodpecker pecking at one of the trees. It’s amazing how much a woodpecker, let alone anything in the woods can sound like a gunshot after what i’ve been through.  Let’s just say that i’ve seen things that normal 11 year old girls don’t see. “The Chaser” I know he’s real. No doubt about it. That’s how I know my visions are actually visions not just some sort of dream or deja vu. All of the things I was “dreaming” about came true. This is why I am positive that “The Chaser” is out there, and he’s looking for me, waiting for me to give up. I will never give up as long as I know my mom is still out there!

January 12, 1975,
I am out of breath and I have been hearing things. I ran away from the old house last night because someone or something was in there and I didn’t want to risk getting caught.

January 13, 1975,
“Flash-night Road” is what the sign says on the street. I really want to call for help but what could that do for me? Here is how that would go down. I would walk up to the nicest looking house on the street ( notice how I didn’t say nearest). Then I would knock on the door and explain to the people that I am getting hunt down by a strange creature and I need to call my mom to make sure she is okay before it’s too late. Something about that just seems to unrealistic to me. It’s not. It is actually far from unrealistic.

January 14, 1975,
I decided to test my luck and go up to a house and explain my reasoning for being on their doorstep. When I explained everything to them they let me in and said that I could use their phone and spend a few nights with them. The Jens is their last name. Max and Lisa Jen. They were an old couple around the age of 75. They both seemed to understand completely what was going on with me. Then came the strange part. Both of them sat down next to me before I fell asleep and put their hand on my head. Almost like they were checking to see if I had a temperature. I didn’t have one though. In fact I felt perfectly fine even with what has been going on. I’m going to try and get some sleep tonight.

January 15, 1975,
  Last night was very strange. I managed to fall asleep for a few hours until I heard the same gunshot I heard the night my life changed. Only this time the gunshot was followed by a familiar scream. I’m not quite sure where it came from or who it came from to be honest, but I know it’s not a good sign and this is not a good neighborhood. I decided to go look in the hall and the little old lady was right outside my door in some sort of trance. I proceeded to look at her until she snapped out of whatever she was doing. Before she did she muttered the words “Chase, kid, delete”.

January 16, 1975,
“Chase, kid, delete,” these words kept spinning around in my head all throughout the night. I feel like every night I stay with them they will just get stranger. I also feel like I will grow more confused and delirious. It’s morning now so I decided to go outside and look around for the day, but when I got back that night I looked in my bag and found a strange note. The note read: “Little girl, you might be wondering what is going on in your life. Well, that’s normal because you are without your mother and are staying in a house with crazy people who seem to understand everything in your life. You might think that’s good to have people who understand you, but it’s only going to get stranger. Keep an eye out for anything strange around the house.”

January 17, 1975,
The person who wrote that note was right. Things have been getting stranger and I don’t think I can handle it much longer. I’m leaving tonight because last night the little old man who lives here asked me if I have met The Chaser yet. That really scared me.

January 22, 1975,
He’s chasing me! I’m lost and have nowhere to go! The old couple kicked me out of their house when I said that the chaser was just in my dreams. Well apparently he’s not just in my dreams. I’ve been running without stopping and it feels good to stop, but I don't know how long I can.

January 30, 1975,
I’m hearing voices now. They are telling me not to wake up. I’m not really sure what that means, but I assume it’s not a good thing. I am also hearing my mom's voice, and she's scared. She says she's looking for me, but right about now I can't tell if it’s really her.

February 2, 1975,
I can’t breathe for much longer. The Chaser has got me in the palm of his hand. I’m trying to make it out but i’m not sure if I can. My entries are getting shorter and so is my life span. I think I am getting sick, but not dying, yet.

February 3, 1975,
Everything is calming down. The Chaser hasn’t caught me yet, but i’m not sure he knows where I am. I’m eating more now and i’m almost 92 pounds. Well, I hope I am because there is no way I can fight off the chaser if i'm not. He’s big like I said before. Scary, is just the beginning of how to explain this monstrous thing. I’m going to go to sleep now and hope that I wake up in the morning without The Chaser in my way.

February 10, 1975,
My mom! I found her. Only there is one problem. She's not breathing at all. She has claw marks all across her chest like a dog scratched her. Only they were bigger and deeper. It seems that whatever did this wanted to do this to get to me. It’s the chaser and I know this 100 percent. He wants me dead or alive and i’m not letting that happen after what he did to my mom. I really feel like I have nothing to live for anymore and that I should give up and let him win. I won't do that because if my mom were still here and not laying in front of me cold as ice she would want me to keep on going, with or without her.

February 13, 1975,
I’m feeling sick, but not to the point of getting sick. I just feel light headed and dizzy. Sitting down would most likely make me feel better, but the way i’m going if I stop to breathe I will be done and over with. The Chaser isn't in my head anymore he’s in my life. There is no way of escaping that reality. All I need to know is that I WILL MAKE I

This was all that was found on the missing girl case of 1975. We would like to thank Max and Lisa Jen for finding this journal and giving us the information. Thank you, and hopefully the investigation will go well.