Don't Come To My Town

Hello everyone; I'm not so good with this whole journal thing but after what I have seen and been through this past year I feel like I have to write it all down if not to help others who may find themselves in the same position I was, then to keep what little sanity I have left intact. I do have most of everything that happened written down in notes for every day after I got there so maybe I will use those.

Anyways I guess I should start out by telling you who I am, my name is Kris. No, I will not be giving my last name or the name of the small town that I moved to straight out of high school. I know if I did you would try to find it, or me and see everything for yourself. Not that you would be able to find it anyways, this town is one of those places that you drive them and don't even realize you did so. The town doesn't exist on any map that I could find and trust me I looked. But on the off chance that you know of some of the stories I am going to tell you, then more than likely you have been here and feel almost a pull to come back.

That is because as I found out this town is as far as I can tell a beacon for things that shouldn't exist. If you are sitting there reading this and have no idea what I'm talking about then I am not talking to you, but if you do know what I'm talking about then you have more then likely been here at one point or another. No matter how much the town tries to tempt you to come here take my advice and run as far away as you can. I wish I would have had someone tell me not to come here, maybe then I would have never known what is really out there and lived a long life in blissful ignorance.
Now that I have the introductions and warning out of the way let me get on with the story. It only took me three weeks after I had graduated from high school to realize that having no parents or family to speak of made it a little hard to go to college. Both of my parents had disappeared off the face of the earth last year leaving only a note and instructions with a friend of the family that on the day I graduate I was to get a key to a house in some remote town. I had asked this family friend if they knew anything else about what happened and they told me no, that the note and key were left with the instruction in an envelope inside there door.

Since school was out of the question and there was nothing left around my hometown but the endless questions that would more than likely never be answered I decided to open up and read the note. It was just a small piece of paper about half the size of normal printer paper, something so small and what seemed to be pointless at this stage of my life changed everything. On the piece of paper where two lines of random numbers, it only took me a few days to figure of that they were coordinates. It has been about a week or so since I decided to go to the house, today is the day I leave.

The trip would take me around 2 days to get there so I packed what things I would need to the trip and headed out. The first day was normal, I had driven around 15 hours and decided that I would get a place to sleep. The second day however things started to get a little weird, I woke up and drove about 6 hours before I decided to stop and get something to eat.
I didn't have much money so I stopped at a gas station to grab some chips and fill up on gas. I grabbed what I needed, paid and walked out to pump my gas. When I was about halfway done a man in a dark blue shirt walked over and started up small talk with the guy on the other side of the pump, I couldn't hear everything they said but what I did hear made me uneasy, to say the least. “ You really think he will make it there,” said the guy in the blue shirt. “ His parents never told him about anything before they vanished so maybe he doesn't even know what he's getting into.” Said the other guy “ Maybe not but I say we should keep an eye on him just in case.” Said the blue shirt guy “ Agreed, now be quiet before he hears us.” whispered the other guy
After hearing that I didn't know what to do all I knew is that I needed to get as far away from these guys as I could, so I jumped back in my car and took off before they had time to notice. I had to be going at least a hundred and after about fifteen minutes at that speed, I felt like I was far enough away to slow down and relax. I spent the next five or so hours trying to figure out who those guys were and how they knew me and my family, not only that but how they knew where I was going.

I decided to put it in the back of my mind for the time being and pushed on not wanting to stop until I absolutely had to. That time came about seven hours later when I could barely keep my eyes open, so I decided to pull into a truck stop and sleep in my car just in case they were still on me and somehow tracking my card. I had about another ten or so hours left until I would be at my new home and would finish it tomorrow.
It didn't take me long to fall asleep, but that night I had a dream or more accurately a nightmare. In this nightmare, me and two other people, who I couldn't tell what they looked like because of how fuzzy everything was, were walking through a patch of woods talking about something called a Gemini. We walked for about five minutes when we heard something walking toward us, we stopped and waiting to see what it was and to my surprise it was me. The only difference between us was it had pure black eyes.
The thing stood there just watching me and I just stared back not knowing what to do, I could hear the other saying or yelling something but I couldn't make out what. I just stood there frozen as the thing pulled out a knife and drove it deep into my chest.

At that moment I jolted awake dripping with sweat and clutching my chest, I looked around to make sure I was safe and I was. It had only been a nightmare and I was fine but there was no way I was going back to sleep. With that thought in mind I started up my car and turned on my headlight to start my drive, but as I did I noticed something that to this day confuses me. I was parked in a truck stop when I fell asleep but now sitting there in the dark with my headlight lighting up only one thing a dirty old rundown sign with the words that sent chills down my spine, WELCOME TO ALT***** WELCOME HOME.

“No no no no no no there is no way that I drove from the truck stop all the way here in my sleep.” I exclaimed “ That is over a ten-hour drive, and even if somehow I did it would be the middle of the day. Without thinking I opened my door and stepped out to make sure that I wasn’t going crazy and just seeing things. Taking one step after another slowly walking to the sign the cold morning wind ripping through me. Reaching the sign I raised my hand and put it against it, the sign was for sure real and with that my last fleeting hope that I had still been dreaming turned to dust.
I stood there for what seemed hours not knowing what to do next, should I just turn around and go back to the dead-end town I had come from or should I keep going deeper into the town that laid just beyond the sign. “ I can’t go back, there is nothing for me there but questions and bad memories.” I said to myself “ I don’t have much of a choice then, I have to push thru deeper into my new life no matter what it brings.”

This choice this one choice changed my life forever, and with that with the small amount of confidence I had talked myself into having about my choice I walked back to my car and drove on into my new town and my new life not completely sure if I was ready for what was to come.
Now I know what you are thinking there has to be something obvious something in the area that would stick out saying turn your stupid a*s around, and you would be right. I drove about five minutes past the sign and there was someone standing in the middle of the road, no he wasn’t some specter or entity wanting to claim my mortal soul.
He was just some homeless guy with a sign literally reading Turn Your Stupid A*s Around. With everything that had happened so far, I couldn't help but laugh a little, at this point this was the most normal thing about this trip.
The homeless man started to walk my way and as he did I could see more of his features. He was a raggedy fifty or so year old man with long unkempt hair, a beard that I could see had leaves in it, and clothing that was torn to shreds. As he walked closer I realized that he smelled like he hadn't seen water in years and I kinda felt bad for him, here I was a nineteen-year-old kid being given a house for free and his man had lived a full life but was on the streets.

I stopped the car and pulled out my wallet, I had around two hundred dollars in cash I knew I would need about fifty for food and fifty for oh s**t money. So I pulled out a hundred and when he came to the window I handed it to him, he smiled and took a step away from my car. I moved my car into gear and started back down the road and as I did I looked behind me to see what he was doing and he was just standing there looking at me smiling and holding up his sign. The sign was now turned around to read in old worn out letters Welcome Home Kris.
With that I sped the car up till i couldn't see him anymore, “ What the hell is going on” I yelled to myself “ First the guys at the station, then somehow ending up here ten hours before it would be possible, and to top everything off I'm welcome to town by a random homeless man that somehow knows my name.”

With that question looming in the air I pulled up to what I now know as home, from the outside it was a medium-sized house with what I guessed to be a two car garage. I turned off my car and headed for the door that thankfully was locked, I pulled the key out of my pocket and turned the lock and as I did it made a loud click like it hadn't been opened in years. I walked in to see a fully furnished home that surprisingly had working electricity. I walked up to the second floor and found the master bedroom, it was just slightly bigger than the two guest rooms down the hall but nice nonetheless.
I threw my bag down and sat on the bed, it was soft with what seemed to be new sheets. I don't know how they were new the house hadn't been lived in in year from what I could tell but at this point with everything that had happened and the fact I could feel my eyes getting heavy again I decided not to question it. Taking off my shoes and sliding into bed to try and catch some sleep and hoping that tomorrow would bring me some much-needed normalcy.

I am going to leave things here, for now, I am still trying to find the rest of my journals and I still have to go feed Roscoe the dog pig before Aaron gets here and tries to give it something. Oh and I forgot to mention I work at a small theater in this town and this is where I spend most of my time. More on all of that later, for now, I’m signing off, I just heard the back door open and I really hope Aaron just showed up early but until next time, wish me luck.

Alright everyone don't worry I'm back and still alive, I know its been a while, about a week I think. Hell, I don't know any more time works a little funny here and not the haha funny, I mean the weird and backward kind of funny. I gave up trying to figure out all the time weirdness a long time ago, at least I think I was a long time ago. Anyways you guys are here for an update on the journals not to hear me ramble so let's get into answering some question you may have.

One, I still haven't found all of them, journal four is still missing as well as about ten or fifteen others. Two, Roscoe is still alive and doing well, I think. Aaron took him out for a walk and hasn't come back for a while so either they are both dead or one ate the other. If it is option two then I will be stuck working for another eight hours until she gets here and I really wanna get out of here and try to get some sleep.
My head is starting to kill again and if the past is anything to go by then that means either trouble is on the way or someone that I really don't want to deal with is coming, that or I'm just getting a normal headache, I hope that's the case. Anyways, I'm getting off topic now where was I, oh yea the day after I got here to this little slice of insanity that I now call home. I will be calling this town Grove for now on to make things easier, and no that's not the real name so stop looking for it and us. I know you have been and I can't blame you but really take my advice STOP, enjoy your normal life, we are not so lucky. Grove changes you or more so shows you things about your life that were long erased, and for good reason.
Journal entry 1: Waking up in a house that you have never slept in has to be one of the strangest feelings ever. You're used to your home and bed and when you wake up in that not quite awake but not asleep state your mind can play tricks on you. When I woke up in the new bed of my new house still groggy from the events of the day before I thought that's what was going on. I opened my eyes to see a guy standing in the doorway of the room at first I thought that I was seeing things and my mind was playing tricks on me, I was wrong. The person lowered and shook their head then raised it and cupped their hands around their mouth and shouted: “ STOP BEING SO LAZY AND WAKE UP!”

Startled by the fact that I wasn't just seeing things and there was a real person standing there yelling at me I woke right up. Taking one good sitting jump I leaped off the bed and grabbed the first thing I could see and threw it as hard as my still asleep arms would allow me to at the figure hitting it in the center of its chest.

The figure looked at me puzzled rubbing his chest “ Dude, what was that for?” he said bending down to pick up what I had thrown at him. He picked up what I could now tell was my shoe and tossed it back in my direction and it landed at my feet. “ Who the hell are you and what do you want?” I said still trying to assess the situation. The guy who I could now tell was about the same age as I took a seat in the chair that was placed by the door. He looked at me and rubbed his chin like he was thinking. “ You know that is a very good question, who am I and what do I really want.” he said still looking like he was deep in thought “ Well my name is Aaron and what I want is to not have people throw shoes at me,” he said
Puzzled by the remark I ask “ Then why are you in my house and how did you get in?” His reply was both parts stupid and wise “ Well I just got to town and was told to come here by some old homeless man and as for the how well that one is easy I just walked in.” I tried to remember if I had locked the door last night when I got here and landed on no. “ Let me get this straight, a homeless man told you to come here so you broke in and yelled at me to wake up,” I said slightly angered. The guy… Aaron was about as tall and had the same build as me, he had long black hair that was pulled back in what I could assume was his attempt at a man bun and was wearing a white v-neck t-shirt and gray sweatpants.

He looked at me and laughed “ Yeah kinda, I pulled into town and he was just standing in the road so I stopped and gave him twenty dollars and ask if he knew where I could find the house in this picture. He wretch into his pocket and pulled out an old Polaroid picture of the house with a man and a woman in front of it and showed it to me. He then flipped it over and it had the same numbers on it that were on my note. “ My parents told me that if they ever went missing I was to drop what I was doing and come to this house.” he said “ They also told me that when I got here I was to meet with two others a guy named Kris that I assume is you and a Girl named Bri.”
At that moment we heard a loud bang from downstairs and what sounded like a shriek of a mouse. Aaron stood up pointing in the direction of the noise “ And that I'm guessing would be her” Standing up still not sure what was really going on I walked out of the room with him and looked over the banister to where a girl was standing and looking around. She had brown hair, just like me, that hung down just past her shoulders, a dark blue top on and what I assumed were black legging.
She looked terrified standing there in the barely lit entrance of the home. Pulling her hands up to her chest just under her chin she let out an almost inaudible “ Hello, is anyone there?” Aaron, who by this point I had decided was more of a threat to himself than anyone else let out a loud “ HEY IM GUESSING YOUR BRI!” The girl nearly jumps clear out of her skin as she let out a loud shriek. She then looked up to see us standing there and scowled at Aaron and in the softest yell that I have ever heard said: “ Don’t scare me like that.”

Aaron looked at her squinting his eyes and said: “ Are you Bri though.” She started walking up the stairs and when she got to the top turned to us looking at the card in her hands and said: “ Yea, are you two Kris and Aaron?” We both shook our heads to say yes. She took a deep sigh of relief and said: “ Good I was told to meet you two here and give you these phones.” She pulled out two smartphones and handed them to us. I took it looking it over and ask “ So we were all told to come here by our parents just before they vanished, does anyone know what's going on here.” Before anyone could answer all three of the phones started to go off and displayed a message. Good, you all made it in one piece, now I'm sure that you all have many questions and they will all be answered in time. For now, you will need a place to work and lay low in town, come meet me at the theater just down the road. When you get here I will try and answer what question I can.

~Ben
We all looked up after reading the message confused “ Do you guys think its a good idea to go?” ask Bri nervously. I turned to Aaron who was now looking around the hallway for something and I decided that it would be my choice. “ Might as well, I mean we were told to come here and you were told to give us the phone that the message came through on so what could it hurt,” I said throwing a new shirt and my jacket on. “ Come on we can take my car,” I said walking down the stairs. Bri followed close behind and when we got to the door she turned looking back upstairs and said: “Aaron you coming?” Aaron who was now trying to take apart the phone and hadn't even noticed we had walked downstairs looked up and said: “ Oh right sure where are we going again.”

“Just get in the car,” I said opening the front door somewhat annoyed. We walked out got in the car and drove the whole way there in silence not really knowing what to say to each other. When we pulled up to the old rundown theater and got out of the car, the place was in really bad shape and looked like it hadn't had any business in years. We walked in the front doors, that was unlocked, to a real shock. The inside looked like new with gray tile floors, dark wood walls, and pristine glass counters. We were all in such shock that we didn't see the man that had stepped out to greet us at first.
It took us a minute to snap out of it and see that standing in front of us was a bearded man slightly taller than us in a black jacket and blue jeans. We stared at him for what seemed like forever and then it hit me so hard that I couldn’t help but say what I was thinking “You're the homeless man from the edge of town!”,

OH MY GOD, Sorry guys I'm going to have to cut this part short I know dick move for leaving it where I am but Aaron just walked in with Roscoe latched to his arm. I'm pretty sure they got in a fight and so now I have to detach Roscoe from his arm and clean and stitch the bite. It would be really nice for Bri to show up about now, she better than me at this kind of thing. Anyways I will try and have the next part up soon but I really have to end it here, till next time wish me luck.

Reviews

[Laljee Verma]

Interesting piece, looking forward to the next.

[AbsintheandBlood]

Help no - I'm not going these that town