The Imperfect's Journal: 1

May 8th, 2066

[Editor's Note: some words were difficult to read. I had to infer Darren's intended word choices based on other entries. My inferences are in brackets.]

My hands are shaking, so I [apologize] for a lack of [legibility].

Thankfully, I didn't need my note to myself (seen in my [previous entry]) to remember what happened, yesterday. Mother is missing; she may have [abandoned me] but it's more likely she was captured or killed.

When she had been gone for several hours, I left the bunker out of concern. It was [foolish] of me, as there were armed men in the house. I managed to sneak through a window and flee into the yard, down to the bottom of the hill that hides our house from view. It was [difficult, because my back is hurting, today], but I climbed into the tower of my younger brother's old playset. I've been hiding out here for almost 24 hours and I think the search team is still in the house. They seem to be taking shifts, but they'll all have to leave, eventually.

I know I shouldn't go back in; I should just abandon the home and start looking for a safer place, but my old journals are in there. As soon as the search team is gone for good, I'll head down there to fetch my [belongings] and some supplies. Maybe a weapon of some sort, too.

I need to remember my mother. Her name was Mary. She had long [brown hair] with grey streaks. She loved me [and my father], both. She may not be dead [but I am not a hopeful person].