Away Trip.

Mystery is gone, we all know this now and I'm not going to write sloppy messages about how I miss her and wish she was here. She's doing important work that's personal, while we'll be somewhat updated she will be a solo operative for now. It's not going to stop me from keeping tabs and stalking her ass, I'll be damned if someone that's wormed their way into my heart is off in danger. I'll post what I know and what I know now is this: She's changed some. I've noticed this the few times I spoke to her after Executor took E-Bear. She's lost her passive ways and is willing to go at any length to find him and get her niece back. We've spoken a few times on and off and it's just... There is a change. All I can say. Also, I don't know if she'll be updating. Considering the silence so far... It's frustrating but this is how it is, she has made her choice and I'm going to do what I can to assist her from here. I'll update you when I get further information.

As for why I was gone I'll explain. There is a reason why the Blackwater squad was attacked by Executor and why MASC is hounding us. We're looking for something of use. Mystery and I have been mapping out potential sites as to where the Ark is. Liam and his squad were attacked for searching out a potential site, Executor has been looking for this... Thing as well. Mystery and I decided that I should drop off the map briefly, it worked to not get tracked (by MASC mostly, heh). Executor it took some time with but he came round, unfortunately. More on that later.

So I posted about where I WAS a while after I left, like planned. A nice little paper trail told us more than we needed, heh. Good work, boys, you really walked into that one easily. What was that you said when I was pinned to the cold table? What are these things you burned into my mind when you fucking raided it? "This is a game of war, you're facing an army without equal yet put up your own barricades to try and delay us. If you want to keep those barricades from collapsing you better hope your tactics are useful, that I won't see through you, because if I do you're finished. Everything you have worked for will cease to exist. Do you know why this war isn't in your favor? Because there are so few of you that can actually make an impact. It's people like you that I find the most obnoxious, the ones that don't know when to lower their heads and just stop."

Executor, you better hope your words don't bite you in the ass.

Onto the adventure... Or survival training, as it turned into more-so. After I visited Elaine and we had a run-in with Jake and Prosper I left to Wyoming. I had to make stops in South Dakota to check out some minor spots of interest to the search. And that's basically where shit went downhill.

I brought with me portable gas tanks, you know the kind you take to the gas station to fill up for lawn mowers and shit? Yea, them, all in the trunk on top of where I hid the weapons. Or most of them, I hide them everywhere in a car, never know. Anyways, I decided that I'd drive near the locations and park in a less public area (aka, car in a bush in the middle of nowhere, haha) and scout a ten to fifteen mile radius before coming back to the car and moving my location. Keeping the car as a base point to keep on track of my direction and what not.

Well... Holy Terror Mine, Keystone was my first stop. Talk about a great first place, right? Creepy place, went to shit the moment I hit the Children's Park. We heard rumors of shadow people sightings among other things and that caution would be necessary. I can damn well see why, the moment I got there I didn't encounter shadow people but proxies. They slithered out from behind the children's playthings one by one until there was a nice little mini horde. These guys just aren't like the ones I've been dealing with, they are nothing but trouble on the mindless level. They came at me like a swarm and I bolted. I left for recon, evasion wasn't a problem if I avoided combat in the condition I was in (and slightly still am).

I ran for hours, I kid you not. I stop briefly to catch my breath when I lost sight of them but they always wormed their way into my hiding place. I finally gave up and ran into an abandoned building and hid within the cellar. That idea really wasn't the best I soon learned when eyes began to open all around me. I wished they were bats, this was a whole new level of weird and I can understand now why there are so many shadow people reports. These things weren't shadow people, they are hard to describe. Each different in their own way while still being the same, spirits might be the best way to describe them. Called themselves Darklings, vicious and seething little things, it didn't help that I was on their menu either. The moment the proxies pounded up above their thoughts on that changed, I was dragged further underground through a small hole and into a cavern beneath Keystone. I sat around listening to them scheme for a short amount of time before the little hole I was dragged down was raided as the proxies tore it open. So I got to crawl my way out of that rough spot while they tangoed. I eavesdropped some and may post that later, some of what I got is disturbing.

So after I climbed out I realized how lost I really was. I couldn't find the car and to make things worse those douches were clawing their way out of the hole by the time I reached where I thought I parked. Cursing like a mofo I headed straight out of there and wandered a few days off course, mostly due to having my ass run off it. This is the main reason why I lengthened my stay, might I add.

After the on and off cat and mouse pursuit I finally came across a familiar face, out of fucking nowhere. Hitting evening by then when Road Runner popped onto the scene, my blood boiled on sight and I sort of reverted to a lesser state of mind. I chased her ass down but she's fast as fuck so it didn't really get me anywhere. Found out later it got me where she wanted me to go, straight into the path of the same Blackwater squad we've been in contact with. They had some of the proxies that were chasing me on their knees prepared to execute when I entered the scene. Road Runner was long gone by the time I showed up so I pushed that bitch out of my mind to focus on the task at hand. I tried to stop them from executing the proxies, because if you're still reading this blog you know my main intention is to help free them. I got a gun aimed my way, not that I really cared. I mean really, you can only be threatened so many times before you just stop giving a fuck.

We had a nice little arguement back and forth, one of them got fed up and I felt the butt of his gun. Liam felt the blunt force of my fist in return for that, end of it though four trained and armed fellows against this injured midgit didn't cut it. Was sitting on my knees and arguing more about how this choice was not necessary and a bit extreme. They executed the proxies anyways, though, which ended up landing Liam another punch when I sprang up. Drew my gun and it was a four on one stand-off, brilliant, yea? Well that little stand-off only lasted so long before we got dropped in on by Prosper. I guess Executor was getting the memo by then and wanted his hound to track me. I blame Road Runner now especially for him being able to find us so quickly, the close proximity was easy to track. Oh well, good thing for Prosper, he became our mutual agreement and we took aim on him. It was something brutal, Liam and his fellows shot the shit out of Prosper but he kept pulling himself up or teleporting around the shots.

Prosper ran himself around us so much it stirred up the grounds, I couldn't see jack shit soon enough which gave him the advantage. Split us all up and by the time the dust all cleared I was alone. So that was fun. I was lost and had to make due estimating on the flimsy map where the hell I was exactly. You'd think having a phone with internet access would help in narrowing down your location, right? I tried it out there but the connection was going off the fritz. My phone was rendered mostly useless, like my laptop when I tried to use it. Hence, lack of communications during then. I barely was able to talk to Mystery for long, and when I did I was already further from the area.

So I walked for... Eh, a while, let's just say. No Darklings, no proxies, I found I ended up walking in the wrong direction and diverting off the path a great distance. But for the most part I was already nearing a destination to look into, so rather than stalk back to try and find where the hell I parked in that damn mine I went straight to the location. Wind Cave National Park, Hot Springs, South Dakota. Luckily I was able to find the road in the last mile and a half. The area is really gorgeous, if I was able to ignore the fact there was plenty of things wanting me dead out here I would have considered it a nice stroll.

It was calm even when I found the mine and wandered inside. If you're an explorer at heart like I am these caves are you for, if you get lost easily you shouldn't go in them at all without a plan. Which is why I pulled the Minotaur in the maze trick. String! So I was walking again for a long time (sparing little details on how many times I whacked my head here) before I found this tiny crack in the cave. My size came in handy squeezing through there and discovering another networks of caves that continued to descend downwards. The cave bit by bit became this slant and if it wasn't for the wedged boulders I really wouldn't have been able to explore further. Than again, exploring even with them was pretty risky, not my brightest of ideas. Worth it, though. The moment I hit the bottom it was nothing but bare. This space was huge, walls crystalized and giving off a faint glow. Honestly, if I could just live wedged down there I would.

I walked the area before heading down one of the tunnels and exploring further. It didn't take long for the hissing to begin the moment I left the open chamber, it took me by surprise at first but I ignored it. I explored a smaller chamber and found connected to it was another one that was filled with shiny objects. Any normal person would probably go, "I FOUND SOMETHING!" and declare it theirs. I, on the other hand, wondered, "What the fuck is this stuff doing down here?". Then the hissing began again, I didn't have much time to investigate it but I saw enough. I honestly thought maybe it was bat or maybe water passing through the rocks but... Yea, no. The growling told me otherwise once it came, and seeing eyes light up within the darkness of the next (smaller) chamber made things a hell of a lot worse. A screech bellowed and bounced off the caves walls, I hit the floor from the echo alone with my hands covering my ears. It felt like someone was driving spikes into my skull. The moment it died enough I sucrried onto my feet hastily and ran out of there, the creature charged forward and I heard it clumsily hit into the narrow tunnel before screeching again and changing directions.

Gone for now, the moment I entered the wide room again that changed. I ran for the rope (because I sure as hell was smart enough to use that instead of string on the way down those slanted rocks) and began climbing up it, the creature was squeezing itself through another hole which gave me enough time to reach a boulder. The creature came charging and I felt the entire lower half of my leg being pulled in a tight grip. Looking back all I could see were glowing eyes and this huge serpent tail, maybe body. It screeched again and claws dragged my leg further into the dimly lit chamber below.

I stuttered out a rush of words and yelled at it while trying to pull away. I don't know if it just got tired of the tug of war or what but I found myself released and sat on the boulder staring down into the glowing eyes. The serpent tail slithered back into the darkness and the claws too pulled back, the only thing I could make out with the low hissing and slit eyes. I slowly scooted back up the boulder further and it pulled forward slightly, not enough for me to get a clear image of it, but enough to let me know it could damn well follow. I spent some time trying to give off the "calm vibe", considering animals (people as well) react to the "fear vibe" and what not.

At the end of it, though, I NOPE'd all the way out of there. Rested outside of the cave before I began backtracking now that I knew where I was. Rather than going to Keystone I went to the city nearby, Hill City, and stopped there to rest for the night. Ran into Liam and his buddies at a place to grab dinner, I ended up at a table next to the bar and looked over. Eyes met, faces raged, but then shoulders were patted after dealing with Prosper all at once. I was not pleased with them for executing the proxies, but Mystery wants friendly terms and I wasn't going to object to that. So I kicked back and played nice, which ended up being easier than expected. Got some good laughs in and it was morning before I knew it, we were being kicked out. Outside of the pub I looked and saw my car was parked out front. Which is odd, because I didn't put it there.

When I got into it I found a little smiley face made of sticks hanging from the mirror. Prosper was the reason for this. Maybe it's for the better I didn't have to go back to Keystone, but that makes me suspicious as to why I'm being directed away from going there. If I had thought it was due to the Ark I would have gone back in a heartbeat, but I know better. Whatever those Darklings are it's enough for, well, this. Last stop, Devil's Tower, Wyoming.

So... It's an awesomely creepy place that has some creepy activity but nothing about the Ark. Instead I encountered more of those little bastards. To sum things up, I basically got ripped out of the car by Darklings. Prosper ended up appearing and tearing off some limbs, grabbing me off the ground before (literally) throwing me in the passenger seat. He drove us out of there, which didn't help much because they kept chasing. So... He teleported. He teleported the whole fucking thing, which landed us in front of a motel near Rapid City. He dragged me out and threw me into a room before slamming shut the door. I was sitting up on the bed when he came over and smacked me across the face. Took my broken arm in hand and forced me to look at it. His way of saying how stupid I was for going back in my condition, I guess.

After that post on the thirteenth I found myself happy to have made it. I ended up stuck with Prosper for not even two days. It was unpleasant, I headbutted him a few times he got too close. Just until he realized I would do it and not care if it meant headaches from hell. I found myself being mentally exhausted most of the time, and Executor wasn't even there. That I know of. The first day I remember pretty well, I kicked Prosper when he got too close for comfort or assaulted him however I could. He threw me in the coat closet and I laughed saying it felt like home. Heard him pass by, kicked the door open and whacked him with it. He kept one of my wrists handcuffed to the bed from then on and I sat around.

I remember being awake and tolerating Prosper being... Prosper. Which basically consists of sitting around for long periods of time and staring. He tried fucking with my head by walking into the bathroom and then appearing next to the window the moment the door shut. Hardy har har. We really didn't talk much. I tried asking questions and he replied little. His questions made so sense, I guess he was trying to ask the girl who actually remembered her past. Caged One didn't want to play, though. Asked me how my mask was holding up, actually. Not his broken one he gave me, the one from Executor's visit. I told him it was fine and he said it should be, considering he made it, that Executor copied the original.

Prosper lurched forward quickly and slipped off his mask, he was directly in my face and groped his mask speaking about how it's a craft to make these. Masks had to be made to reflect the owner. He used his own to explain vaguely how and why he designed mine the way he did. Every detail to it and how it reflected on who I was/am. I asked him what happened to the original and Prosper looked me dead in the eyes and commented on how I should ask Lenore. The file I have with me here tells me she's real and when I remembered I had it while I was in his company he saw it, I guess I got that look on my face. His lips curved into a thin, devious grin. He pulled away and sat on the bed across from me, resting his forearms on his legs. He said she was looking for me, that she has been since she found out. I questioned further what he meant by that but it led to nowhere. He raised a finger to his lips and shushed quietly while grinning.

The Caged One seethed quietly but did nothing more, I found myself staring into Prosper's eyes and falling asleep at some point. On the last day I woke up to find Prosper gone and also the fact I had to pay for him holding me there. What a gent. Asshole.

Well, I paid, drove home, and yea. That sums up everything, give or take some details. The Wind Cave is being looked into (mainly by MASC) and is to be marked and considered a dangerous place (through that crack I found far into it). I really did try and kill Prosper, a few too many times, and realized that trying to carve out his eye with a plastic fork was pretty much as low as I could get. On top of which I couldn't really surprise him anymore, the one time I got him pinned was with that plastic fork and yea, it didn't do jack shit.

So after all that fun I drove home and dealt with MASC. And home stuff will be in a second post now because I can't keep torturing you guys with huge posts and tiny texts.

...What am I saying? Yes I can!
But not for this one.

Stay safe,
-Shady