THE FOLLOWING IS SOME OF THE NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS THAT ANDERS, EMMA, AND BLAINE THOUGHT TO COLLECT COPIES OF. THE NEWSPAPER IS PRINTED BY "The [REDACTED] Journal", AND DATES RANGE FROM [REDACTED] TO [REDACTED]. SOME NOTES HAVE BEEN SCRIBBLED ACROSS THE COPIES IN THE HANDS OF THOSE WHO PICKED THE ARTICLES. THEY ARE NOT IN ANY PARTICULAR ORDER.
--File 035: Hints in History--
LOCAL BELOVED FATHER HAS FATAL, TRAGIC ACCIDENT
By George Green, Staff Writer
> [REDACTED] - Just this weekend, Mr. Jake Grantham Sr. was found by authorities to have been completely and utterly decapitated in a freak factory accident. Coworkers are completely shaken up by the incident, and the factory has shut down for the funerary services.
>
> Mr. Grantham was considered a well-liked individual in the community, and the turnout for his funeral reflected that. Seats were packed in a large hall paid for by the [REDACTED] Factory officials, who were all present and somber for the services. They offered deeply moving condolences, and seemed as shaken up as their employees.
>
> When asked, fellow coworker Ted Smith said, "It happened so suddenly. Literally out of nowhere. Grantham was the best at what he did; he knew the one blast furnace the best, the one we called Bertha. When he got to working the thing, no one had to worry about a damned thing, because he was the most well-minded about safety and following regulations. All of a sudden, though, we hear a shout, and then there's screaming, and a fire's going in the room because it'd all gotten on the floor, and that stuff's molten. By the time we got it all under control- damned blessing it weren't more people that died- we found him. He'd fallen on a blade we use to cut through some of the materials. Sliced his head clean off."
> During the wake, Jake Grantham's son- Jake Grantham Jr.- was seen approaching his mother at the casket.
>
> Understandably devastated, the woman turned on her son and displayed an outburst of emotional heartbreak that left witnesses tense and crushed for the family.
>
> It is clear that Jake Grantham Sr. will be deeply missed, and that while many have been deeply affected by his passing, there are none who will suffer more than his family.
(Weird that they only vaguely referenced the fact that his mother abused him in front of everyone.)
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SCIENCE FAIR AT [REDACTED] HIGH SCHOOL
By Winnie Stodge, Staff Writer
(Almost ten years after the dad's death!)
> This week at [REDACTED] High, there was an incredible event put together by the faculty celebrating the study of science among their students. While many turned up with fantastic classics and intriguing spins on the classic science project- volcanoes spewing cheese, in the case of popular class clown Stevie Woods- all present were utterly blown away by the projects put forth by local best friends, Jake Grantham Jr. and Weiss Holtman.
>
> "I always knew Grantham would achieve great things," proclaimed his Science instructor, Miss Clara White, a well known face at the school for the past forty years. "Such a bright mind... though I wish it hadn't been quite so grizzly."
>
> "Weiss is the true genius of the two," a somewhat stiff and unsmiling Mr. Ivory Salt of the mathematics department stated. "I have consistently known Weiss to be the mental leader of the duo. It is very likely that he is the mastermind behind much of Grantham's capabilities, though his interests in Grantham's infamous flies goes only so far. For Weiss, it is the electronics."
>
> The projects in question were elaborate and, to some, questionably ethical. It raised the interests among those viewing on the discussion of ethics and morals. Grantham had showcased a shocking evolution of privately bred flies, which he has raised and fed and reared over several generations.
>
> "The understanding we had on flies will be questioned by the very nature of this high school project," one teacher said. "That they were able to follow his every whim is astounding. They're flies, for God's sake- the idea of a fly following the command of any human would have made me check myself into the loony bin, if I'd had it!"
>
> Weiss, on the other hand, was eager to preview a game program he had managed to put together by hand and through the use of his own skill on a school Commodore 64. The graphics are surprisingly intricate for having been made by a single person, and the game itself appeared to imitate a rudimentary artificial intelligence, as seen in popular entertainment media today. Students lined up at the screen to eagerly ask the game questions by typing into a text box- anything from "Who will I marry?" to "When will I die?" to "What is my favorite color?" For the less personal questions, students were delighted to find that the computer returned exact and correct results.
>
> Weiss would not reveal his tricks when asked.
>
> It is clear that the world can expect great things from both Jake Grantham and Weiss Holtman.
(Games??? Who the heck is Weiss?)
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HOLDEN MACGREGOR ELECTED MAYOR IN STUNNING LANDSLIDE VICTORY
By George Green, Staff Writer
(This didn't seem weird at first, but I think he's been mayor for the last 40 years. Is that even legal? This takes place shortly after Grantham's dad passed. This took place shortly after Grantham's dad's death, too. Dude's been in power forEVER.)
> The new arrival on the political scene, Holden MacGregor, shocked our entire region with a landslide victory in the most recent election. With no political backing or experience, many are wondering if there isn't some sort of foul play to be found in these elections. An investigation has already gone underway, but has returned absolutely nothing. By all accounts, the victory appears to be perfectly legal and within regulation.
>
> Only time will tell in how MacGregor's reign will affect [REDACTED]. We here at The Journal will try to report unbiased accounts of the doings of our new County Officials moving forward, and how their decisions may affect our rights as free individuals in this country.
>
> Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
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HOLDEN MACGREGOR ELECTS MIRIAM THWAITE AS COUNTY CLERK
By George Green, Staff Writer
> In another round of potentially upsetting decisions, Holden MacGregor is making his elite crack team of completely untalented and unpracticed politicians who all seem as if they've popped up out of the woodwork overnight to suddenly take over legislation in our Town Council.
>
> The more these people keep cropping up overnight, the more I'm inclined to really begin to wonder if there aren't some coverups that have occurred to keep people in the dark about MacGregor's sudden rise to power.
>
> Many seem to think- or perhaps to hope- that MacGregor represents a change in the tide of overly pleasant, professional politicians who say exactly what we want to hear, only to enact completely different ideals- but this seems entirely different. MacGregor has some plan at hand, but whether it's in the best interests of our townsfolk remains to be seen.
>
> Miriam Thwaite's only recommendation would be that she's a mediocre single mom, according to all who know her- which isn't to say single mothers can't hold positions of power, nor that they aren't respectable members of our society. Thwaite is, however, made single because of her own infidelity toward her husband with several once-upstanding members of our town, many of which have more claims to political positions within the Town Council than she does, and for that reason, it seems completely unfathomable as to where MacGregor is coming from with these decisions.
>
> This in the wake of Jackson Epcot's move to the position of local county Sheriff, which by itself is no questionable action. Officer Epcot was a well-worked man with a good attitude and a strong, fair set of principals... but he has been on the force for a total of four years, barely enough to get the lay of the land, and how he's been promoted to a position of power.
>
> One can't help but wonder when the rug's going to be pulled out from all of us.
(This George guy is NOT a fan of MacGregor. Considering what happens later, maybe he should've been.)
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FATAL INCIDENT AT THE STUDIO
By Valentine Alexis, Head of Staff
(Yep, I think Green got nuked for writing negative stuff about these people.)
> It is with heavy hearts that we here at the [REDACTED] Journal must report on the passing of George Green, a beloved writer who has worked here for quite some time.
>
> Green's car was found submerged in the nearby Luna Moth Lake, known for the popular sightings of the beautiful creatures, which are found in the area at select times of the year. Investigations by the new County Sheriff Epcot have not turned up anything indicating whether this was foul play or perhaps an outcome of sudden criticisms following the discovery of Green's gambling debts, but it is with heavy hearts that we say farewell, nonetheless.
>
> As Green was both a Staff Writer and Head of Staff here at [REDACTED] Journal, I, Valentine Alexis, have been elected as the new Head of Staff by Mayor MacGregor.
>
> May we all move forward into a brighter future together.
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LOCAL MOTHER FOUND DECEASED IN HOME BY SON
By Valentine Alexis, Head of Staff
(Oh this is about as fucking suspicious as it gets, Bartosz is gonna love this)
> [REDACTED] - This weekend, Sheriff Epcot was called to respond to a concerning call at a local residence out on Luna Moth Lake, where he discovered the deceased body of Mrs. Matilda Grantham. It was just ten years prior that Jake Grantham Sr. was lost in a tragic factory accident, and now his wife joins him at last, following an accidental slip at the top of the stairs in their family home.
>
> Our hearts go out to the sole surviving member of the family, the young Jake Grantham Jr., who will be holding his mother's funeral for a few close family and friends this Thursday. She will be missed by all who knew her.
>
> We ask the Others to watch over him in this time of growth and loss.
(The fuck is the "Others"????)
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TRAGIC DEATHS LEAVE SOLE SURVIVOR
By Valentine Alexis, Head of Staff
(This person is like, the only one writing articles anymore. Kind of weird.)
> [REDACTED] - We at The [REDACTED] Journal are saddened to report the sudden and tragic deaths of Mr. Alex Holtman, Mrs. Jane Holtman, their eldest son Hank Holtman, their eldest daughter Emery Holtman, and their youngest daughter Julie Holtman.
>
> Weiss Holtman, by sheer luck, was away from the home that night for a High School graduation party when a horrific fire broke out from faulty, old gas lines beneath the home. Very little is left behind from the destruction, and there were no survivors.
>
> Weiss will be holding a mass family funeral service this Wednesday, and will be aided by famous best friend Jake Grantham. The two have suffered immense losses this year, and we ask that the town visit upon them some of our famous kindness.
>
> Thanks be to the Others.
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FACTORIES AROUND COUNTRY CLOSE, RECORD ECONOMIC RISE FOR TOWN OF [REDACTED]
By Valentine Alexis, Head of Staff
(This strike anyone else as weird? There's a whole bunch of articles like this, where the economy is supposedly booming in this town, while it's failing everywhere else)
> Mayor MacGregor has been elected in yet another landslide victory following record economic reports and wages for the town's history. While factories close around the nation, [REDACTED] finds itself in a unique situation where products continue to sell and outgoing trade only skyrockets.
>
> "We all thought he was gonna bring bad luck on us," one happy citizen was quoted as saying. "MacGregor's done nothin' but good for this town since he came into office. I'm all for keepin' him past the point. Work's never paid me so good, and my wife's been able to get a job for the first time in fifteen years!"
>
> Wages are at their highest in the entire state here in our town, and families are celebrating with a parade in Mayor MacGregor's honor this weekend. Stands will be erected selling popular local dishes, trinkets, arts and crafts, and children's stations will be found at which activities such as face painting and bobbing for apples can be found.
>
> We at the [REDACTED] Journal hope to find everyone there! Thanks be to the Others!
(There's so much weird shit. It seems almost like shortly after the death of Grantham Sr., a bunch of people rose to power. Ten years later, when Grantham and Weiss were graduating, Grantham's mother suddenly dies, and then Weiss's whole family is murdered.
Then there's that weird line: Thanks be to the Others. The fuck does that mean? It starts appearing some time after this Valentine Alexis gets put on the staff, and then it becomes this permanent staple at the end of all their articles. Fucking weird.
There was so much to wade through, and just not enough time to get it all before the library closed. What does it all mean, and where do we go from here...?)