The End of the World (And Others)

I've compiled all the invisible posts published 250 years from now. Besides making them visible and noting their dates I have left them unaltered. If any more appear I will take them down and add them to this compilation.

"The End of the World" 4/16/2262

The World ended on December 21st, 2012. But it was not by the hand of man that Earth was unmade, nor by the laws of nature. It was the Abomination; whom had taken the form of a man, who caused it. This fell power, this force from before our planet was formed, was known by many names. He is Der Ritter, Bogman, Slender Man, Níðhöggr... His name matters not... But it was him who burnt the world.

"That Which Remains" 7/26/2262

Dust and ash. That's all we have left. Our survival is nothing but a hollow victory, a hopeless succession of hours filled with misery unending. All around me are bleak, ashen faces. They groan in hunger, but the famine will not cease. They cry out in pain, but the torment will not stop. They weep from thirst, but the drought will not end.
And they curse me, for I am the one that failed.

"Hindsight" 8/5/2262

Yes, there were signs of what lay ahead, whispers of the coming doom. But did I listen to the warnings, did I heed the omens? No! If only I had been ignorant of my plight! If only someone else had been chosen... anyone but me! The weight of failure is too great, my soul tears at the burden. I cannot go on.
But like the rest, I am unable to die.

"Monotony" 9/2/2262

Every day is the same. I say  'every day' for there is no more night. Even the days are as the twilight of dusk and dawn. The world no longer moves. Most everybody has forgotten what wind was; or water for that matter. How we thirst! How precious even a cup of cold water seems in our eyes! But we cannot find water, or blood, or spit or any liquid at all. We are no more than empty husks standing beneath a sky of fire. Every day is the same. Every day they come and ask when the rain will come. Every day I tell them that tomorrow will be the same as today; Walking Beneath the Sky of fire, waiting for the storm that will never come.

"Watching" 9/30/2262

His eyes are everywhere, bloody orbs blooming from omnipresent branches that ensnare our burning world. We cannot hide from him, he is everywhere. Everyday the roots dig deeper, everyday the braches grow longer, every day the thorns turn sharper. We cannot hide from him, he is everywhere. The planet writhes under his grip, convulsing as our tormenter drains what little life remains from our once beautiful home. We cannot hide from him, he is everwhere. The brambles close in, choking us in their sharp embrace. We cannot hide from him, he is everywhere. The bleeding eyes whisper to us, mocking us for our powerlessness against him, sneering at our agony. But we cannot hide from him.
He is everywhere.

"Two Hundred Years" 12/19/2262

I can't be sure that you've received my words, if it comes to it, I'm not sure just how I'm giving them to you.
Its been two hundred and fifty years since the flames raked the sky. Two hundred and fifty years since the Abomination burned away our world. Now we have suffered enough, he is ready to move on. Now another world, another people will share our pain. He never tires, only hungers, and as I gaze into the nightmarish maw opening before me, I know it is at last the end.

"The Stellar Object" 4/16/2213

By the time we detected the stellar object as it streaked toward our world, it was too late to stop it. We fired numerous weapons at it in a vain attempt to alter its trajectory. Nothing worked. All we could do as the object drew closer was take shelter and wait. We gathered stores of food and water, reinforced the our dwellings, and spent the last hours in peace.

"Cataclysm" 4/29/2213

The star-born terror burnt through the heavens and struck Earth with an untold might. We all expected the world to shatter... but Earth held. But there was great devastation. The seas quaked, the skies burned for days, casting darkness over the land.

"Age of Anxiety" 4/29/2213

In time the roar of a wounded planet subsided. The air, though foul, was breathable. Light made its way through the dark veil over our world. Slowly, we ventured out from the shelters of our homes to see what remained of our world. What little comfort we gained by surviving was soon shattered, for when we looked outward, all we saw was devastation. Of the stellar object which struck our home, there was no sign.

"Invaders" 6/17/2213

The day came when the ground was torn asunder, and horrible swarms streaked forth, engulfing nearby creatures and multiplying at a terrible pace before retreating underground. Humanity put aside their petty disputes in the face of this new threat, and in time, we created machines to open tunnels into our enemy's nest.

"Dead Zone" 8/02/2213

Volunteer scouts went through the tunnels and found a twisted world, empty and cold... a Dead Zone. They discovered the true face of the enemy, a race we came to call "Pavor", Latin for 'Dread'. Our scouts could not survive long in the void, so cold was its air. Still, we vowed to return. We prepared for war.

"Our War Begins" 11/16/2213

We developed Bubbles that brought the heat of Earth to the Dead Zone. Using these Bubbles allowed our warriors to explore the enemy lands, to bring war to the Pavor. Sadly, the Bubbles were not enough. We needed stronger weapons, better armor. We withdrew from the Dead Zone while our greatest minds devised new engines of war.
"Core Energy" 2/08/2214
We were not prepared to fight a long war. The forces of the enemy outnumbered ours vastly. We sought a way to end the war quickly, without extended combat. We decided to build a device to increase the planetary energy from Earth's core. With this energy, the Dead Zone would burn from excess heat, while the surface would remain unscathed.

Mundane and Mysterious

Sorry about my lack of posting. I've been forced to take up a part-time job to cover loose ends. The money I inherited from my grandfather didn't disappear or anything, its just that I never got around to sorting out the paperwork to take possession of it, seeing as how the crazy things going on in the house at the time pushed it out of my mind. Its kind of dull, but after the craziness of the past two years, that suits me just fine.


The main thing I wanted to let you guys in on was the situation with the Parliament. I'm still not 100% sure who it is that's possessing me from time to time (though I have my suspicions), but it would appear that they can't get at me anymore, or at least not as easily. They've been riding my back for a while now so its nice to not have to deal with cosmic censorship. I'm still watching my back in case they're actually going to do more than talk about killing me of course.


The way the museum was presented in my dreams and the way it really happened is still on my mind. But if my next plan works, I think I might be able to find out the answer. But we will see...

The Museum (Part 2)

Sorry about the delay, life upside down and all that.


I ended my last post on a cliffhanger, and you're all waiting on the edge of your seats for the thrilling conclusion to... okay I can't keep this up. I'm sorry to disappoint everyone who was expecting a thrilling tale of fighting N in the void and barely escaping with my life, but the conclusion is actually quite dull:


He disappeared and I woke up under an overpass.


Yah, that's it. I really do wish I had a cooler way to end the story but it seems that even now my life is more mundane than the stuff you see in the movies. On the plus side, I found a pleasant surprise when I came to: another copy of my father's book Walking Beneath the Sky. 'Big Deal!' you say, 'You already have a copy!' That's what I thought at first too. But when I brought out my original copy (to compare the two and see which one was in better shape), they sprung together as if they were magnetically attracted, and seamlessly melded into a single larger book, now entitled Forever Walking Beneath the Burning Sky.


As you are no doubt aware, normal books don't do that, so once more: Strange thing. No explanation. NOBODY CARES.


I haven't really noticed anything too different in the book at this point, other than the things make more sense, but that is probably just due to the fact that I'm going crazy. Still, I'll keep checking it to figure out where I'm going to end up next.

The Museum (Part 1)

Alright, I'm sorry about my last post. In my defense, I've been going through QUITE a bit of crazy stuff the last year or so (not the year I skipped, the one before that). There's no way else for me to vent my frustration... but still, not cool. With that out of the way, we get to the museum. Buckle in, its gonna be a long one.


The first thing that was off was the absolute lack of people in the museum, and I mean ABSOLUTE, like no one was there. No patrons, no employees, nothing. The lights didn't seem to be working right either. I could tell they were on but they just didn't illuminate much of anything. I was able to see well enough though, which is why I discovvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv----


Pursuant to the Parliament of the Continuum's current position on this situation, this message has been terminated. All further messages from this source will be censuuuuuuuuuuuu----


Sorry, but that's not going to work anymore. I know exactly how you operate, and what your limitations are. But just for posterity (not to mention hilarity), I'll let one more through.


UPSTART VERMIN!!! YOU THINK A MADMAN'S RAVINGS WILL SAVE YOUR WORLD!?!? EVERYTHING YOU LOVE AND CHERISH WILL BE TORN FROM YOU ONE BY ONE, UNTIL-


Yah, that's great. As I was saying, the problem became evident the moment my eyes adjusted to the murk. The museum I was at wasn't the same one from my dreams. Instead of paintings in corridors it was a wide-open plaza with statues. For those of you who crave abnormality, don't worry, said statues were malformed and twisted, and I could've sworn some of them changed after I turned my back to them. But that was only... wow, the Parliament is really trying hard to get back in... a taste of what was in store for me. After about twenty minutes or so of wandering around, I was beginning to become confused. Why was this so different from my dreams? Was I in the right place? Had I missed something? I gave it another ten minutes of pointless wandering, and then I left the museum.


THIS is the point when things went south FAST. I open up the door to come face-to-faceless with Nidhoggr himself. Slamming the door, I sprinted as fast as I could back into the museum, only to fall into a gaping hole where the statues had been (insert 'I fell for hours!' wisecrack here). Eventually, I slowed to a drift in a pitch-black void. Being alone would've been bad enough, but I had the honor of being joined by Ol' Niddy, who melted out of the darkness shortly afterward. But it wasn't the form I was used to, no, the gloves were off, and I saw the beast's true form. To the surprise of no one, it is really hard to describe, and the more I try to remember the quicker the memory fades. Really, the best way I can think of describing it is comparing it to the Bed of Chaos from Dark Souls, but with less fire and a LOT more bloody eyes covering it. But even this falls far too short of what I saw that day and hope never to see again. Remember how I said N doesn't scare me at all? Not even remotely true. I was out of my mind with fear, a sensation as unpleasant as it is indescribable. It was a fear that comes with utter despair, with the sudden realization of how hopelessly outmatched one is, and just how insignificant you are compared to such a monstrosity.


So how did you escape you ask? Well, survival skills aren't all I've learned. A good story always has suspense. I'll cover the thrilling escape in the next post. ;)

365

One Year. Its been one year since I've posted. I'm still repeating that to myself, hoping that it'll begin to stick. But while it may have been a year for the rest of you, its been only ONE DAY for me. I've been losing so much time lately, hours and days, weeks and months; but a whole year? That's the point that you begin to fear going to sleep at night. What's it going to be next? Five years? Ten? Will I wake up one day to find the apocalyptic future in the invisible posts has come and gone, and I'm all alone under a dying sun? This is the first time I can remember that I've really begun to lose myself to fear. The encounters with N? That's just a primal reaction, a fight or flight response to a galaxy devouring monster. No, I've lost control of my life. Everything I'd ever hoped to do is now a moot point. I can't go watch the latest movie with my friends, I can't kick back with that cool new video game (I'm really envying you guys playing Dark Souls II right now), I can't even talk to anyone without the risk of getting them involved somehow. The isolation is smothering.


But you don't care about how I feel, do you? No, you've waited an entire year to find out what happened at the museum, right? Too bad. I'm done. I'm done fighting eldritch horrors and vague councils. I'm done following cryptic instructions and combing through stupid codes so I can go fetch the next useless trinket to do who knows what. I'm just done. What's the point? I have no hope of winning against either of them, I'm just one man. Its not like anyone is reading this anyway, so why kid myself? Just forget you've seen anything and live out the rest of your lives in blissful ignorance.
Niddy? PoC? You want me? Come and get me at 200000oooooooooo
I know you're discouraged, I've been there countless times before. But you can't give up when so many people are counting on you.
What WHO ARE YOU? WHAT DO YOU WANT? WHY CAN'T YOU PICK ON SOMEONE ELSE!? WHY!?
You're angry and confused, I would be too where I in your position. But we're up against forces with
THERE IS NO 'WE'! I'VE HAD NO SAY IN THIS MATTER!! NOT ONE CHANCE TO SAY THAT I DON'T WANT TO BE A PART OF ANY OF THIS!!!
We cannot chose what happens to us, only how we react to it.
THAT'S IT!? NO EXPLANATIONS!? JUST MINDLESS PLATITUDES AND EMPTY SYMPATHY!? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW HARD IT IS
I know. I've lived it. A thousand times I've lived it. There is no rest for me at the end of my labors, but you
NO! NO MORE!! I'M DONE!!! I'VE HAD ENOUGH AND THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO MAKE ME GO ON!!!
It seems we are at an impasse then. Very well...
WHAT NOW, HUH!? MORE MEMORY LOSS!? MORE TIME SKIPS!? BRING IT! I'M NOT


WHAT ARE YOU SAYING!? IS Am I What


But no


how

[REDACTED]

I watched from afar, ---------- as the Guardian wandered willingly into the snare of the Erasers. He knew he walked a doomed path, but his feet never wavered, ----------. But ---------- the Erasers, knowing that ---------- lay within the vault of forgotten relics, and fully aware of ---------- they would face should the Guardian escape with ----------. For ---------- is not empty, and is even now ---------- withthththththhhhhh............


Pursuant to the Parliament of the Continuum's current position on this situation, this message has been terminated. All further messages from this source will be censured or deleted to ensure no false information is disseminated. This motion carried with unanimous approval from the Body.


Signed and Notified by

THE PARLIAMENT OF THE CONTINUUM

Termination

Probe 1323 - Human Codename 'Crona'
You are hereby ordered to return to the Continuum Plane IMMEDIATELY  for termination and absorption. The termination of Probe 1322, ESPECIALLY in defense of a mere beast, is a direct assault on the Absolute Authority of the Body, and will be dealt with accordingly. You speak as if the creature is of worth to us, blathering about 'companionship' as if we should stoop so low as to acknowledge them. It is then that you finally, FINALLY, report on the status of the Delayer, and it is with unending disgust that you cannot provide concrete evidence of his termination. You ramble on about how 'incredible the odds must be that he still draws breath' and then fail to provide any evidence to support this claim. Surely even you must have concluded upon finding nothing that there was a possibility, however remote, that the Delayer still lives and that until a decaying body is found he must be treated as ALIVE AND WELL!? But no, you attempt to excuse your incompetence by whining that he received assistance from the Storm Walker and the Buried Prophet, as if such powerless beings could force the hand of the Parliament's forces. But even this was not enough. No, you go out of your way to note that not only was the Delayer missing, but the Book was as well. Is this why the rest of them refuse to report to us? Or are we to assume that they too have been terminated!? WE HATE ASSUMING! WE HATE NOT KNOWING!! WE SHOULD CONTROL ALL KNOWLEDGE!!! WE SHOULD KNOW EVERYTHING!!! WE SHOULD BE EVERYTHING!!!
How's that working out for you?
STILL YOU INTRUDE!!! THIEF!!
Thief? I'm far worse than that.
WHAT IS YOUR PLAN THIS TIME!? MORE PHANTOM MESSAGES!? MORE-!? WE SEE! WE SEE! YOU DISPLAY OUR COMMUNICATIONS!
Took you long enough.
YOU WISH TO GIVE FALSE HOPE TO THIS WORLD!
No, just the regular kind.
WHAT CAN BE GAINED BY THIS INTERCEPTION!? NOTHING!
It shows you aren't exactly unified, for one thing.
WE ARE UNITY! WE ARE ABOSULUTE! WE ARE-!
-Projecting quite a bit of spit, calm down.
...
Hello?
...
You still there?
You draw forth the worst of us, thief.
Sadly, I'm going to have to disagree. Foaming anger is one of your more charming qualities.
You laugh now, but not for long.
Oh? Another ham-fisted assassination attempt has been prepared?
Read all that has been said, slowly.
Blah blah blah, termination, you getting angry and... you didn't redact-
No we did not.
You are aware he can read right? And that he won't be happy to find out about this.
We have assessed all possible outcomes, and none are beyond our control.
He's going to be very unhappy that you kept this from him.
You have brought this upon yourself. The event at the museum was inexcusable.
It won't just be us! He'll come after you too now!
We repeat ourselves, we are still in control of the situation, and always will be. he may present a threat to lesser beings such as you, but we are well beyond his power.
Or he's about to realize you've been using him this whole time and-
There is no more to be said. Probe 1323, you have still not returned to the Continuum Plane. We will be forced-
I don't think this 1323 guy is going to comply with your little order. In fact, he may just be looking for some new friends to watch his back.
HOW PREDICATBLE!!! WE KNEW THIS WAS YOUR PLAN ALL ALONG!!! WE ALWAYS KNOW!!! WE ALWAYS WIN!!! NO MATTER HOW LONG WE MUST WAIT, WE ALWAYS WIN!!! ENOUGH OF SUBTERFUGE!!! YOUR PLANET WILL BURN!!! YOUR LIVES ARE FORFEIT!!! YOU HAVE DARED TO-!!!
we need to talk
We- very well.


-Communication Interrupted-

Repairs

Probe 1323 - Human Codename 'Crona'
We note with approval your swift reply to our order, as well as your acknowledgement of your recent excesses.
However, you have once more failed to provide any information on the whereabouts of the Delayer as ordered. You ask why it is necessary that you be required to track him down, as you were assigned to the group tasked with his ambush and elimination at the last minute. The reason for your reassignment is none of your concern (a point that should need no stressing), nor is the fate of hapless consumables. This leads us into your second question. Yes, in order to ensure the proper flow of time, the 'piglet' (which we note with exasperation you have chosen to name 'George') will be returned to the lake to drown as it should have done. The delay of a few hours is inconsequential in the grand scheme of time, and the Continuum will naturally repair this minor discrepancy. At this time, emotions may have already begun to cloud your judgment, you may even now be considering some desperate act to save the creature out of 'compassion' or 'mercy'. When you return to the Body, you will remember that these things are illusions, mental constructs devised by lesser minds to explain the surging chemicals rushing through their fleshy, inefficient bodies.


1324 has informed us that there has been an unexpected delay, but 1322 will be arriving within moments. We expect a full and above all complete report after the time stream has been restored.


Signed and Notified by

THE PARLIAMENT OF THE CONTINUUM

Feedback

Probe 1323 - Human Codename 'Crona'

Your last report was troubling.

Not only was it unusually late, it made no mention of the Delayer at all.

(Despite our EXPLICIT REQUEST for clarification on his elimination).

What is more, we noticed several troubling trends:

-You clearly give reference to 'farm', a human compound built to house and feed lesser beings for later consumption. No 'farm' should be in the general vicinity (relatively speaking) of your proscribed search area, of this we have made sure.

-You describe, in aggravatingly elaborate detail, the physical structure of the organism known as 'pig'. We are not fascinated by the similarity of the creature's nostrils to the wall-mounted mechanisms humans use to power their crude electrical devices, and we are certainly NOT amused by the way 'the tail springs back into a delightful curly shape no matter how many times it is straightened'. The fervent use of exclamation points was also highly unnecessary.

-Most worrisome however, is your noted altercation with the drowning 'piglet'. Not only did you not content yourself to merely observe the natural and right order of life, you saw fit to INTERCEDE on the vermin's behalf. Furthermore, the way you describe the beast after rescuing it is utterly alarming. You use the description 'tender' and 'helpless', not, we gravely note, in a detached sense, but as a TERM OF ENDEARMENT.

Conclusion: Probe 1323, you are hereby recalled to the Body for submission. You have been separated from us far too long for your own good. Probe 1322 and Probe 1324 will be arriving shortly to enforce compliance. You need not fear punishment, this situation is far from unheard of, but we expect TIMELY confirmation of this order, preferably without mention of 'pig'.

Signed and Notified by

THE PARLIAMENT OF THE CONTINUUM

Edit: The Parliament of the Continuum wishes to express its regret for the use of such emotional terms as 'aggravatingly', and 'vermin', and such descriptions shall hereby be stricken from the record. This motion carried with unanimous approval from the Body.

The Plan

Once more, apologies about the lack of posts, even though I have absolutely no control over my life right now, I am trying to update you guys on my situation. Its not just hours that I'm losing now, but days, I'm tired all the time and up until yesterday I had no idea were I've been. I'm not saying that this is a bad thing, on the contrary, I've noted before that whoever or whatever is taking control of me during the down times is taking great care of my body. I wasn't exactly a blob before, but now I'm in the best shape of my life. It is a little unnerving whenever I ponder what this fitness is going to be required for, but I'm really not complaining.
yourewelcome
What was I talking about? Oh yeah, the clues. As I was saying, yesterday I woke up in the middle of nowhere again, blah blah blah, same drill. But this time, I discovered a pamphlet in my pocket. A museum pamphlet. As in the same museum that has been in my dreams for the last few months, where I learn something important and get ambushed by some Parliament goons. It would seem the time has come to elaborate on my plan for the museum. I know the Parliament is monitoring my communications, but they're already going to send a flood of sentient wax after me so its really a moot point:

-Step 1: Rest and a healthy breakfast - As I don't know how long I'm going to be or where I'm going, this is a mundane but crucial step.

-Step 2: Travel to the unnamed Museum - Unnamed because I don't want Surge and Jessica to attempt any sort of rescue and put themselves in danger. You guys are fine right were you are.

-Step 3: Learn whatever it is that I'm supposed to learn - Remember, in the museum dream a voice speaks to me and tells me some secret, I don't have the faintest clue what it is, but its got to be important right?

-Step 4: Avoid the Parliament Ambush - At this point, Parliament unleashes the wax, etc. Avoid at all costs, etc.

-Step 5: Make the right choice - A quick question, have any of you ever played Super Mario 64? (And if not shame on you, go find a copy right now) In order to collect the Castle's Power Stars, Mario has to visit fifteen worlds, each enclosed inside a magical painting. I have been skirting around this detail, but I'm probably going to have to do something similar. Right before the dream changes, I run into a sort of circular room with paintings corresponding to the world within on the walls. Like our heroic plumber I'm going to have to enter one of these worlds and exit from there, but there's a problem. Multiple dreams have ended with me in some sort of fatal situation, which leads me to conclude that only one choice will be correct. This should go without saying, but I have absolutely no idea which dream I've had is the one to go for. I don't want to have to rely on pure dumb luck, but I can't see any other way its going to happen.

So wish me luck, because I'm going to need it.

More Dreams

My daylight hours are getting weirder, so why not my dreams as well? Here's what I can remember:

-There's a dusty attic that stretches as far as the horizon, filled to the brim with broken odds and ends. It might have something to do with the closet back at the house that kept spewing junk and the other attic with the thing as well. Not much more to say about this one, except there was some odd music.

-A hallway surrounded by a giant aquarium, except this aquarium was filled with blood and rotting fish of all shapes and sizes. The stench was unbelievable, and it only worsened the further I went. Eventually the corpses began to belong to species I didn't recognize, maybe even ones that have never existed. At the end of the hallway was a door that led into...

-A forest of tree people. Not trees shaped like people, people that had been stretched into trees weeping amber from empty sockets and screaming... and screaming... and screaming. I looked up and found out why: Their hand branches were straining with the weight of holding up the sky, which was fracturing and raining down chunks on the forest. At that point someone or something spoke and the sky completely collapsed, only for billions of shadowy hands to reach down towards me.
thehuntison
Thankfully I woke up there. Unthankfully I woke up on a ledge on the twenty-first floor. If whoever is taking me for a trial run during the time I can't remember is reading this, could you please try to drop me off in places that are a tad safer?

Sleepwalker

You're probably wondering where I've been the last few days. Thing is, I'd like to know where I've been too. I'm waking up in the strangest places with no memory of how I got there. And its not just waking up in elevators or under overpasses either, I'm losing huge amounts of daytime too. I can't just be blacking out during this time, because I'm physically exhausted.

There's something else too. Every so often when I'm awake, I'll here these... well I wouldn't call them 'whispers' because I don't actually hear anything. Its more like... someone or something is implanting thoughts into my head. I know that this sounds like something N did to me (twice in fact), but these thought seem... benign... almost comforting. In fact, the more I dwell on them, the more they seem like... But that's impossi-
theimprobableisnotimpossible
There I go again, using words that no longer hold any meaning for me. I'm trying to keep a little girl and her father safe from a world-devouring cosmic horror and a near-omniscient council. The word 'impossible' no longer applies to my life. I'll get back to you guys if I can grasp the meaning of the words in my head.

Two Encounters

Another long absence. Sorry about that, but I have a reasonable excuse this time.

Last week I was almost cornered by Niddoge- er... Nihoden-, look, can I just call him N from now on? I'm kinda feeling scrambled and having to type out that name just makes it worse. So anyway, cornered, escape impossible, blah blah blah. Then the floor gives way under my feet, and I'm out the door and into the night. That would be the end of it, except I was attacked again just three days ago by someone with a sniper rifle. Seriously, I was just minding my own business, walking down to the café to update on my previous attack, when I hear this thundering report and the bricks next to my head shatter. If it hadn't been so windy that day, they wouldn't have missed. And by 'they' I mean these Parliament goons. I didn't think that they'd take this route to get me, I thought they couldn't act in a way that brings them attenttt.attenttt.attenttt.attentttattenttttttttttttttttttt---

Your continued survival shows a great lack of respect on your part.
You believe you have evaded us? That you have outwitted us?
Fool. You only draw breath because we allow you the privilege.
But you have amused us, something that has not happened for a long time.
We no longer care about the girl, or her father.
We want youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu---

You don't know where she is.

Who dares to defy the Parliament? What unseen voice speaks?

A friend of his, an enemy of yours.

You are... familiar to us. What is your name?

Shouldn't you already know it? Or is your omniscience malfunctioning today?

Do you think yourself brave with your petty insults? Time and space mean nothing to us!

And yet you can't find two people. Humbling isn't it?

Humility is for the weak! You will reveal yourself to us at once!

Or maybe... I'll reveal what's about to happen instead...

We control all information! What chance do you think you have to sneak a message by us!?

A fairly good chance I'd say. I've already gotten several past you. Others too.

We detect a bluff! No secret messages are present in the record! We would have seen them!

Oh no. They're in pretty much every post up until now. Look again.

Ah, we understand now. You attempt to fluster us with deception, then pass a message.

No need. I've already sent one a few days ago. Its not one of mine, but still.

We see nothing!

And you'll continue seeing nothing until its right in front of you. Your time is coming to an end, the anguished cry of a billion species howls for justice, and justice they shall have.

You delude yourself! Justice is a word dreamt up by the weak! We are the Parliament of the Continuum! We know everything! We fear nothing! Show yourself to us! Face our wrath if you are not afraid!

The voice is gone.
We... have forgotten ourselves.
A momentary slip betrayed the most hated emotion.
But we are whole once more.
No task is above us.
And no human is either.

The Return

I watched from afar, unmoving and unseen, as the Guardian ascended the steps to what he thought was a temporary respite. So weary was he, yet this night had been chosen to be his doom. The fell Worm, Eater of Worlds, had lain in wait for him, blind with wrath at the thought of their last meeting. But this night would be different, this night, he would remove the final obstacle between him and barrier. This night, his grievance would be addressed, and the Last Maiden would fall to him.

The Guardian crested the stairs, heedless of the Worm barring his way, for his eyes looked upon the Prophet's Book, and the Blessed Madness that was recorded there. But before he could blunder into the Worm's dread embrace, a chill of foreboding crept along his spine. There was the thing itself, a tower of menace, a pale shadow heralding imminent death. The Worm began to whisper his lies, speaking of the futility of flight, the shallow deception of life; and the Guardian, weak from his struggles, could not resist.

But a great and patient power had ordained a way of escape. The inn were the Guardian had chosen to sleep the night was in poor repair, and the top floor had a rotting beam, placed there by an ally of the Guardian decades before, knowing that he would require such an escape on that night. The floor gave way beneath his feet, and the fall brought him back to his senses. He fled, taking stairs two at a time in his haste to escape. He burst through the doors and out into the evening storm.

Though gifted with great power, the Worm abhors water, touching it only if no other option is available. Cheated again, the Worm soothed his anger in moments. The Lawkeepers had promised him their help, and the Guardian was running our of places to hide.

Yes. Only a matter of time. And time was something the Worm knew well.

Clarity

No further progress on whoever he is, but I'll keep looking. That's not to say I don't have an idea what I'm supposed to be doing next.

It all has to do with the dreams I'm having. Far be it for me to attach grand descriptions to myself, but the word 'prophet' may start being applicable here. Over and over again, the same vision intrudes upon my sleep (and the things it interrupts aren't exactly normal either). It consists of me walking through a hall of paintings and statues. A few begin to speak to me (I can't ever seem to understand sadly), and this... feeling comes over me. The feeling isn't happy or sad or angry or anything like I can describe, but its a powerful one. At this point it becomes extremely hot and wax begins to pour into the hall. When the wax gets about waist deep there's a bright flash and I'm standing... well that's the main thing I need to discuss. Up to the point with the flash, the dream is always the same, but once that part has been reached, the place I end up has always been different. A few posts back I mentioned a couple of the locations I ended up at (which I've since been able to remember in greater clarity):
- There's a maze of hedges surrounding a courtyard of stone statues. Inside the maze a withering gale shuffles the walls around me until I'm face to face with a colossal chimera with eight heads (Lion, Goat, Snake, Bear, Eagle, Wolf, Hog, and Horse) in the center. Each head faced one of the eight cardinal directions, each head breathed searing blue flame, and all were anchored to a spider's body. I fled from the creature, following the maze as it twisted and turned in impossible directions, but it caught up to me and I woke up.
- There's a castle of bone slowly sinking into a lake of burning tar. Skeletons of various prehistoric beasts chased me around until the lake took us all. (This is probably what the burning teeth was about.)
-There's a city buried beneath a glacier, which I can somehow see all of from my icy cocoon at the very bottom of. I watch as the clouds overhead wheel by for eons, until the stars themselves waste away.
-And finally, the new future world. Water, mist, lots of sea monsters, veerrryyyy pleasant. How do I know its the future? A voice keeps whispering "Should you fail." over and over again.
failureisnotanoption
There are others, but they're also kinda hazy, so I'll save them until I can flesh them out more. In the meantime, I have to track down this museum, because its been in every one of these dreams. However, if I'm right about this being a vision of the future, the boiling wax will have something to do with the Parliament. Which means they're already two steps ahead of me. Gonna have to think this through...

Consultation

Okay, real quickly now.

I've seen your post K. Its good to know you're safe, although I'd rather you try to post more often, as I think it might be the only way to track down your next clue. Its going to be a tough month, but you'll be just fine. 'Mr. Twice Save' isn't important right now, you can't keep trying to track him down. Its not like he's going to go away or anything...

Confirmation

Okay, real quickly now.
ticktock
I've seen your post Surge, good to know you're safe, although I'd rather you try to keep posting to a minimum, as I think it might be one of the ways I'm being tracked. Its been a quiet week, which suits me just fine. No leads on Mr. Twice Save, but since he's about the only lead I have right now, I'm going to keep trying to track him down. Its not like they are going to go away or anything...

Second Post

Surge here. Sorry to hear about your rough week K, but perhaps my news will give you some hope. Jessica has stabilized, thanks to your efforts to track down the cure. Its not 100% certain yet, but the doctors believe she may be able to walk unassisted before the end of the year.

This 'Parliament' has yet to bother us. I'm beginning to suspect that you are their sole target, or at least their first. We are NOT in the habit of walking the streets right now, so don't go following things that happen to look like us (though I'm sure you don't need reminding).

I'd also advise against trying to track down this person who keeps saving you. They obviously don't wish to have their identity known or they would've come forward. You need to focus on staying alive. Don't forget that these Continuum types aren't the only thing lurking out there.

The Ides of March Pt. 2

Sorry about that, not quite sure what happened to me. I just started spacing out there, and I just couldn't think straight. So, let's try this again...

Okay, I told you about leaving the hotel, so we're on the street. Alright. I was already jumpy because of the dreams, so I kept looking over my shoulder as I headed to the bus station. Just before it pulled up I heard a shout behind me. I turned around to see Surge and Jessica waving me over to a nearby bench. They told me that they had been doing some digging, and uncovered something that would help us out. They said they'd hidden it in a nearby alleyway and they had to show me right away. Its a testament to how little I've learned over the past year that I followed them without a second thought (or what an amazing coincidence it was that they happened to bump into me at a random bus stop).

We went down the alley, which had several turns and wasn't visible from the street, until we came to a lone dumpster in a dead end. They told me to look inside, and naturally, being a gullible fool, I did. For a moment, I thought it was filled with nothing more than a viscous liquid, until said liquid grabbed and pulled me inside. I'm not quite sure what the thing was, but it was as easy to escape as a pool of hot tar.
withoutformwithoutbreathwithoutpity
It was pretty much over before it began, I was about to fade away. There was no way I was going to be able to escape without help, and 'Jessica and Surge' (probably just illusions sent by the Parliament) wouldn't be giving it. So imagine my suprise when I found myself hurled from the dumpster onto the concrete. I caught a fleeting glimpse of a man struggling with the thing before I got out of there, but just like last time, I couldn't make out who it was. By this point, I had missed the bus, and I wasn't waiting around for the next one either. I just started running.


That's pretty much it for the 13th. Nothing like being devoured by a giant amoeba-ooze thing to make you fear a number. But that's twice now that a stranger has saved me, twice now that a hidden ally has leapt to me rescue. I've finally got a solid lead, its time to find out who this guy is.

The Ides of March

Yesterday was... well... bad. The 13th was the Ides of March (as I subtlely alluded to in the header), and while I'm thankful I didn't go to any Senate meetings, these constant reminders about my physical safety have become rather tiring. The trouble actually started the night before, with a string of ominous and downright bizarre dreams. I was... well I was trapped in some sort of frozen statue for a few thousand years (don't ask me how I know that), and then the dream changed to me walking through a wax museum, except the wax was alive and filling the room. Then someone talked to me I think... and told me something... I forget. Then there was an eight-faced beast in a hedge-maze, something about burning teeth... like I said, it was bizarre. Some more stuff happened that I can't remember, until I surfaced in the future world I told you about last time. I kept hearing this voice, telling me awful things that happened to her (I think it was a woman, I didn't see anyone). Then... then the fog above the water shifted and... I can't remember, but whatever it was it was bad. Mind-scarringly bad. I woke up screaming and-

Uh... I'm rambling at this point, sorry about that. Anyway, I must've taken the dreams as some kind of warning, because next thing I knew I has checked out and was out on the street-

Okay. Time to tell you guys something I've been... a little... reluctant to discuss. I'm starting to lose my memory. Not just losing bits of time either, sometimes I remember things that I'm positive I never did. For one thing I've never flown an airplane in my life, but I keep getting flashes of a flaming runway and screaming people. There was other things but I can't... remember. Right, look. I have to stop now, I'm not... Wait... How did I get a hotel room without money? I... This is... I can't keep this up, my mind feels... and then... plentyofroomtoshare but... gotta try this again some other time.