Oakside Forest (My 'Masky' and 'Hoodie' origin story)

Chapter 6: Encounter

I look around the dark forest, the silence beginning to take a toll on me. What kind of person lets their friend nearly bleed to death while in cardiac tamponade? Tim and Jay, that's who. I keep walking until I come across the silo again. I walk around it and face Alex's 'drawing'. How did this even get here? I reach forwards and grab the paper, tearing it off the nail. I have flashbacks to setting up the scene Tim saw in entry 83, dragging Jay's unconscious body to his house after gathering pretty much all of Alex's old notes, mimicking the writing to have enough to cover the floor. It was one step in the process that would eventually lead to Tim snapping and killing Alex. I stuff the page in my pocket continuing to walk around the forest. It scares me how quiet it is. There's no wildlife here, well, none that I know of...I hear my phone buzz, but quickly die before I get the chance to see who it was. It was probably Jay. My throat begins to itch, causing me to cough slightly. I keep following the trail, coming across some large rocks. I look at them. They look unnatural, as though placed there by some other force. I walk towards them, noticing another paper. I tear it out of the crack, the words "DON'T LOOK OR IT TAKES YOU" scribbled on with the operator symbol and what I could only presume was a rough drawing of The Operator next to it. I shiver at the note. The warning on it was all but true if you're referring to the sickness. If you look, it infects you. Then you can never escape. Forced to live under its constant surveillance, taking matters into its own hands if you don't do as it wants. Making you forget the horrors you caused, the lives you ruined, just so it can use you again. Ruining the lives of you best fr-"Ow!" I shout, crashing into a brick wall from not paying attention. Another note. This one has him in the middle of the page with the word "NO" being written over and over again on either side of it. I reach over and tear it off the wall, static erupting into my vision and hearing as I do. This causes me to drop the note and back away from the wall, tripping over a rock and falling backwards. I cover my ears and screw my eyes shut, praying that it'll go away. It gets louder. I open my eyes, not being able to see anything other than black and white dots as though staring into a TV screen with no reception. I search the ground for the wall, picking up the paper and shoving it into my pocket as I find it. The static gets louder and louder. I grasp the wall, not being able to use my senses anymore. I feel myself slip, a warm liquid running down the side of my mouth. I lay on the floor, unable to hear, see, or even feel anything other than static. It gets quieter and darker, signaling that i'm going to pass out. I reach forwards in a desperate attempt to grab anything. I tear at the dirt and leaves, as though it'd stop if I get far enough away. It doesn't work. The static fades and I black out.

I look around. I can't see anything other than darkness. I hear a voice deeper than any I've heard before clear it's throat. Where the hell am I? I hear it laugh. "You're an interesting one." It says, a light static filling the air. It can talk? I begin to breathe a bit heavier. What the hell is happening? I see something shift and I turn to look at it, the darkness continuing to follow me. "I'm surprised you lasted that long...Most don't even survive these attacks." It continues, making me want to ask so many more questions. It sounds so calm. "I normally have to follow humans for a while, force them to fight..But you two are different..." Different? What does it mean by 'different'? "I mean, you don't ask what most others do.." Most others? "I notice you've been calling me 'Operator'...Is this correct..?" It asks, changing the subject. I nod, thinking that it can see me. It stays silent for a while, the light static still not gone. "I see...Why is that..?" Is it seriously asking me this? I stay silent. The static gets slightly louder. "Did you not hear me?" I heard it alright, but I'm not going to reply to it's questions after ruining my life. "You say this too...However we have never met before..." It says, sounding genuinely interested in how I knew it. I look around, extremely confused. Does it not remember what it made us go through? The creature stays silent for a while and I look around, the static going a bit loud every now and again then back to normal. "..I think I see the confusion here...You didn't happen to come from Rosswood...Did you..?" It finally says, the static going a bit quieter. I nod. "Ah..I see...So that's why you were calling me that.." I look around at the darkness, beginning to get a headache from the persistent static. I shake my head a bit, the static going a bit quieter. "I see you are beginning to wake up...It's been a pleasure talking to you, Brian." It finishes, the static going silent once more as the darkness turns into the forest. How does it know my name?