The Call (A Marble Hornets inspired story)

Chapter 8: Lost And Found

I wake up in the middle of the forest. What the fuck happened? I look around at the forest trying to find a landmark to tell me where I am. I can't see anything but trees. I try to remember what happened. I was in my hotel..I had breakfast...Jay chased me back to my hotel room..then I went to sleep....Now I'm here...Then why the fuck am I in the forest? Did...Did someone bring me here? I think I was..meeting someone? Was I? Fuck, I can't remember! Why can't I remember? Something about....The creature? No, that's not it...Is it? I rub my eyes in annoyance. "Why do I keep waking up in random parts of the forest?" I say to myself. I get up, leaning against the tree for support. What time is it? I look at my watch 4:00am. How long have I been out here for? My head is killing me so I look through the bag next to me for some pain killers but I have none. Great. I get out some water since it's the next best thing and down half the bottle. I was really thirsty. I start walking, messing about with my dead phone. Wasn't it fully charged? After a few steps I trip over something.

I look to see what it was and notice it's a camera with a note attached. I pick it up and read the note. "You should use this. And thanks for the pills." I read aloud. The symbol is on the bottom of the paper. I check my pockets and bag for my pills but only find one taped to the back of the paper along with paracetamol. I take the paracetamol while putting the other pill in my pocket. I take a sip of water to help wash it down and stand back up. Who put them there? I didn't, did I? I laugh at the thought of me writing a letter to myself thanking me for pills. That's something someone would do when they're drunk and know they're going to have a hangover. 'To hungover me, here are some pills to help. Love, drunk me.' I laugh some more at that. I start walking again, still chuckling to myself.

I aim the camera around the forest. It's peaceful. I start to think about Jay. How he was always doing this. It would be nice if he wasn't trying to run from that thing. I really fucked his life up, didn't I? I really fucked everyone's life up. I start to slow down, looking through the lens of the camera. It was Jay's. I know it anywhere. The camera with that symbol carved into the side of it. I don't know when he did that, but it's been there for a while. I can't believe I'm the one who did this to him. I was the indirect cause of his insanity, his paranoia, his obsession with filming everything and everyone he comes across. I wonder what his life would have been like if I had never agreed to help with that movie. He would probably be living somewhere, maybe dating someone. He'd be happy. I know he was happy before any of this happened. I know Alex was happy before any of this happened. I know...Brian was happy before any of this happened...Brian...My best friend, the only person who was there for me when no one else was. The first friend I ever had. The first person I infected with this disease. He would probably be watching Youtube or studying to get into the nursing career he's always wanted. We'd always joke about that..About how funny it would be to call him 'Nurse Brian' or 'Nurse Thomas'....We were so different back then...It's only been a few years...But now look at us...I'm lost in the middle of a forest being stalked by a creature whose intentions I have no clue about, and he's God knows where in that mask....Why did I have to answer that call? Why couldn't I have just ignored it. I find it funny how one of his lines in the film was 'I just feel like a depressed teenager again...Stuck in a loop of unhappiness'...That can correlate with how I feel right now. At least, the 'Stuck in a loop of unhappiness' bit. I sigh and stop walking. Why did I have to get involved? Now every time I try to leave, I find myself coming back to this forest...Back to where it all started...

I look at the camera, it's glitching a bit...I look around and start to hear static. My headache comes back as I start to cough slightly. I panic and run, keeping the camera in front of me. The static suddenly gets louder as the creature appears directly ahead of me. I get pushed to the ground by some invisible force and instinctively aim the camera up at it. I begin to cough, each one worse than the last. I reach into my pocket and grab the only pill I have. Is it even worth taking? I normally need more than one to fight this thing off. I start to taste blood in my mouth at the creature comes closer. The pain gets more intense, so does the static. I can't move, I can't breathe! I look at the pill again. Worth a shot, right? I close my eyes, downing the pill while keeping the camera on the creature. It feels like the right thing to do. It glitches forwards again but after a few seconds of agonising pain, it leaves. The heaviness and static stop and I can breathe again. I gasp a few times, catching my breath. I shakily stand up, letting my arm holding the camera fall limp to my side. It feels like every time it appears it's ten times worse than before. Why the hell did I hesitate to take the pill? I had it in my hand, I could've taken it there and then but I didn't. Why? I know it's the right thing to do.

I take a few deep breaths before continuing to walk. I lift the camera back up once the hotel comes into view. At least I'm back. I look at the state I'm in. I'm covered from head to toe in dirt, leaves and sticks. It looks like I just decided to get a bucket of dirt and throw it over myself, then run through five thousand bushes. I walk into the hotel and go to my room. Sadly, Jay's just outside the door waiting for me. He's grabbed the chair from his room and has put it just outside my door. "Tim! What the hell happened to you? I've been trying to call you for ages! Why the hell are you covered in dirt?" He says, not taking one breath and pointing his camera at me. He somehow got his cap back. "Why do you have my camera?" He asks, sounding kind of annoyed. I take the tape out of it and hold it out to offer it to him. He look between the one I'm offering and his new one. "Keep it. I have a new one and it seems to be helping you." He says. I put the camera back to my side and push past him and to my door. He starts asking me more questions but I ignore him. I unlock and open my door. "Fuck off Jay." I say blandly. "But I-" "Just leave me the fuck alone.." I say with the same tone, slamming the door behind me. I'm too fucking tired to deal with him now. I look at the camera and throw the tape into the drawer. I get my backpack open and dump the contents onto my bed. There's a flashlight, my phone, my- well, Jay's pocket knife, and a tape with that symbol on it. I look at it with confusion. How the hell did this get in my bag? I put it in the camera and watch it.