In a small town, out of the way and people simply pass through, a man pulls up in front of a bar. Will steps out and begins to speak.
“House on haunted hill entry one. Log Start”
“After researching strange occurrences, rumors, and children's stories. I have found what I believe to be an anomaly in a small town just outside of Park City, Utah.” He looked around the area taking in the old-style and faded signs. “While the majority of the town does appear to be older, it is remarkably well kept and I was informed by a passing resident that they sometimes used their town for a movie or show when they needed a quaint little town.
“After meeting the resident, I mentioned going on a hike in the woods. Once I mentioned that the people's attitude changed, suggesting I enjoy the town and not to bother with the old overgrown trails. I was unable to get any other information out of them after that. My next steps are to find their local archives and gain access.
“End log”
A blue screen appeared in front of Will.
Report received. Analyzing report…Complete
Currently not enough data.
Unable to provide countermeasures.
“Dammit.”
#
After a few days of research throughout the town, Will finds himself in front of an overgrown hiking backpack by his feet. Standing before the trail entrance he speaks.
“House on haunted hill entry two. Log start.
“I was easily able to gain access to the archives. Yet, I could not find any information on my target. The only evidence was an article from the 1920s mentioning a famous prospector disappearing, before ranting about a hill.” Will shook his head, even though he thought he was grasping at straws when he found that article.
“I believe this may be some kind of cover-up. As I have been stopped three times by the residents since mentioning a hike. The first person warned me about starting on the trail. The second mentioned offhandedly that the trails around here are a bit overgrown and could be dangerous. The third gave me a cryptic warning about a house on a hill. Saying: it ain't natural. The three had approached one after the other like they were waiting for the other to finish, exactly one hour apart.”
He thought back to the people. They were just ordinary townsfolk when he looked into them. There was nothing that stood out. “What was strange about these encounters was I had never spoken to these people before, in any of my research, and they seemed to have sought me out. Though they did attempt to make it seem like a conversation. But ever since those three spoke to me. The people in this town completely ignore any questions about the house or trail. This appears to be a ritual of some sort. A hint, a warning, and cryptically stated. I have packed provisions and made preparations. In the morning I will begin my hike.”
Will lifts his bag on his back, “End log.”
A blue screen appears once more.
Report received. Analyzing report…Complete
Partial data of entity compiled.
Ritual appears to be in progress. Unknown if people are aware of effect.
Providing anti-memetic resources.
Please provide more data, for proper countermeasures.
Will let out a long sigh, “At least it’s something.”
#
Later that day Will finds himself standing in a clearing staring at a house on a hill.
“House on haunted hill entry three. Log start.” He cleared his throat, as the birds caw. “After hiking, what I believe to be five miles, through the trail I find myself standing looking at a house on top of a hill. The house is in the middle of a clearing in the forest. The house is two stories like the rumors and stories mention. It looks like a well-kept modern house. Vinyl siding and a wrap-around wood porch. There is a garage with no driveway or any possible way for a vehicle to enter the area. The trail only being large enough for a person or perhaps a motorcycle. The grass is well kept and there is a garden with neatly trimmed bushes and flowers.
“All around the house are what appear to be black...no trees filled with hundreds of corvid birds. I can feel their eyes on me. They do not appear to be hostile yet, but they are observing. I am uncertain if they are a constable or a murder.
“I am walking up to the house now, and the birds have begun cawing. And are growing in volume the closer I get. I believe these birds might be trying to warn me away.” Will looked nervously at the cloud of feathers. “Sadly I am unable to comply. I am entering the domicile.”
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
The screen appears once more.
Entity detected. Switching to active mode.
Continue with log report.
I hate having to use active mode. I feel like a narrator. “Interior, again surprisingly modern. Complete with kitchen living room, and garage. Even has a TV.” Turning on the TV Will finds only static, “Electricity works, but the TV doesn't appear to get any signal.”
Continuing his examination of the house Will entered the kitchen and turns on the sinks, and smelled some of the water. “Sinks have water though has a strange odor to it. Will collect a sample.” He pulls out a small tube and collects some of the water, before turning back to the living room.
A robotic voice spoke inside his head, Analyzing sample. Mild hallucinogen detected. Recommendation: Don’t drink the water.
Will rolled his eyes.
“I am moving towards the stairs, I have a bad feeling about the upstairs and am uneasy about climbing them. Note this only occurs with the stairs. Could be intuition or a psychic field pushing me away. I feel if it was not for the anti-memetic I would simply ignore the stairs or be terrified of approaching.”
The strange feeling only intensified as he climbed, then all at once the feeling vanished. “The feeling only grew as I entered the upper portion. Yet I see no cause, as the feeling is no longer there.” He scrutinized the area looking for something noticing a slight damp sheen to the carpet. “Upstairs appears off. I am unable to place it but readings downstairs show a mild hallucinogen in the water sample collected, and I can only infer the damp rug may contain the same.”
The voice spoke again. User movement detected behind door ahead. No anomalous life detected.
“My sensors are detecting slight movement on the other side of this door. I do not believe it to be the entity.” With his hand on the door, Will carefully turns the nob. “Opening the door.” He stared unsure of what to make of what he was seeing. “Inside I have found what appears to be a bedroom with an endless corridor of beds. All the beds are occupied with one person to a bed.” He looks to the closest bed noticing movement. “One of the people appears to be still alive and is tossing and turning in the bed.” Will looked out. “Query. Any other movement, or signs of life”
Only movement detected is in this bed. Scanning for additional life signs… One hundred and twenty-seven human life signs detected, each one appears to be in a comatose state, and near death. The voice responded.
One twenty seven? How long has this place been active? Sighing Will continued his report. “Looking down the line the people do not look restful their faces contorted in distress. The house appears to be keeping the captured people in a comatose state. One, if I had to guess is providing them with nightmares.”
Will wanted to take a quick look around the room noticing the people all looked rather young, and the woman five beds down, he recognized her from his research, she should be in her forties now but there she lay looking exactly like her missing person's photo. “I will attempt to wake the only one still moving. The others may be beyond saving.” Will began to shake the man, but the moment he touched him he screamed eyes closed the entire time.
Covering his ears he continued his report. “Subject. Did not wake. He flailed and screamed the moment I touched him. I will attempt to take him away to see if there is a change.”
Will pulled the man kicking and screaming out of the room, as he did he could see small amounts of mist appear near his head. Dodging the mist he brought the man onto the lawn. After twenty minutes nothing happened “No change. When I forcibly took him from the house. House did not like me taking him. Attempted to stop me by releasing its hallucinogen. Using protocol. Kill it with fire.”
User “Kill it with fire” may be unwarranted. It is a fear demon that will only be truly active at night, and may even be able to be cleansed. Enough information has been provided to perform proper counter measures.
“Would fire kill it, or would it free it?”
A cleansing fire would remove the infestation, along with any living humans.
“If I were to remove the demon would any of the people left inside be released? And would this guy?”
All under the influence would be released. Though the people inside were only being kept alive via the demon and would perish once removed. The man liberated will most likely survive, but will need to be brought to a hospital.
“Now why should I not enact protocol: Kill it with fire?”
The house will be destroyed. And cannot be used in the future. This may also start a forest fire.
Will could only shake his head. “I’m not leaving an abandoned house in the woods for some other monster or cult to take over. This is why there are so many anomalous things in this world.” Will pulled out a torch bottle of lighter fluid he had just for occasions like this.
User please note not everything can be delt with fire.
“True. But a lot can.” Will lit the torch and began to burn the house. An otherworldly scream could be heard as the fire grew, and will began to walk away.
#
In a place somewhere in the celestial sky, on a gray orb where a little office orbits a planet. A man is slumped over a desk reading a file on his newest Hero reading about his little triumph and smiling, as a deity and a concept stand just beyond the veil between what is real and not watching.
“Wow, I didn't think a world like that existed,” Ge commented. She had seen a lot of worlds but she thought ones like that only existed on TV.
“Multiverse, big,” Del answered like a caveman.
Ge rolled her eyes. “Yeah yeah. So. Done a lot of those?”
Del waved his hand in a kind of gesture. “Those ones are weird. There’s just enough mana for the monsters to form but not enough for most people to use. Honestly, most of those world's urban legends are slightly true. Mana, being a conduit, as people make up stories dipping into the world's subconscious, and boom you got a horror movie world. Honestly, it's tricky as hell to find someone to help.” Del laughed, “Genius move to give a system though.”
Ge agreed it would be really hard to pick the right person, but wondered about the system. “Why?”
Del scratched his chin. “Well, every horror movie may as well be a Sherlock Holmes book. The clues are there just near impossible to find unless you already know where to look. System points things out, makes it easier.”
Ge found herself nodding along. “Makes sense.”
The two became quiet as they watched Nicki put the file away. Del was the first to break the silence. “So."
Ge turned to Del, “So?”
Del looked a bit nervous. "What do you think? You never said.”
She paused making him stew for just a moment before answering, “I love the idea. Execution…” she shook her head. “work in progress, and I know a bit of that was my fault.”
“He's getting better, and I understand why you did it.”
“Yeah.” She had to send the child back. He was too young. She didn’t realize how much of her power it would take. “You know he's finished the tutorial.”
“And?”
“You know what happens when you finish the tutorial?” Ge said looking at Nicki as he was opening the door to leave. As he turns to look back slightly confused at the spot Del and Ge are talking.
“What?” Del asked confused.
“The training wheels come off, and the real game starts.”