Chapter 1

Not to be too dramatic

Journal Entry August Something-teenth

Everything good and fair in my life has fallen or been pulled into the hole behind my families house. Not to be too dramatic about it.

My name is Lincoln Villalobos. It's a super cool name, right? Named after the dude who ended slavery and my families ancient Spanish heritage meaning "The Village of Wolves". But there are only 2 problems with that. My family is as boring old American as possible... and if you are reading this, I am dead.

Wow! What a bummer start to a new journal! Man, Lincoln, pull your shitake mushrooms together.

It's August something-teenth here in Judson, Michigan. I am sitting by the Hole, waiting for something horrible to come out. Oh, it's not so bad. Summer is the easiest. I can stay up all night, sleep most of the day, maybe enjoy the evening, then right back at it. When school starts... that's when it sucks.

How about a bit of backstory?

If you are reading this, aside from being sad cuz I am super handsome and wonderful and dead as hell, you need to keep this all a secret. That is really freaking important. Like, painfully important.

My dad has made that clear our whole lives. Since the days of the real cowboys, my mothers family has been watching over this land, and keeping it safe. The story goes that almost three hundred years ago, before Judson was even a town. There was a witch who lived on this land. I don't know if I really buy it (sorry dad, if you read this). But it's the only reason I have been given about why these evil bastards, pardon my language, come crawling out of the pit on our family property.

Apparently this witch wasn't, like, one of the wrongfully persecuted, nature loving ladies who wanted to dance naked in the woods and stuff. She was the real, baby stealing deal. Have you seen the movie, The Witch? Yeah. I guess it was like that. Creeping out of the woods, all wrinkly and old and mean.

Or maybe she was just some old lady who had butthead neighbors. But I kind of doubt it in this case.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Well, they caught her and burned her in her old house and she probably cast some curse or something cuz when the house finished smoking, they found her skeleton, but not her skull! Crazy right? And they also found this darn pit. Right in the middle of where the floor was all burnt away.

I actually kind of think it's funny, in a gross way. I am not disturbed or anything, but just think about her mean old body falling down, and her head falling off on fire and falling deep into the ground. That's some super wicked monster story stuff! I like to imagine her head fell yelling "damn yoooooouuuu...".

What? You sit in the woods for 6 years of nights fighting with the most evil, horrible monsters you have ever seen, then you try to be completely normal.

Oh! If this is read by, like, the authorities, I was just joking about that being funny. I like God and baseball and... polka? Yeah, polka. I'm super normal and you can't use this against me.

So anyway, my dad used to sit with me. Out here, in the dark, by the pit of evil that my mom fell into. Oh yeah! That's a super sad story I'll get to another night. But my mom died. Out here. Protecting the family secret about protecting the town from horrible monsters. And I am not sure why?

I mean, why? Why do we do this? Why can’t we ask for help, why can’t we tell everyone and have the government or something come on in and just dump 100 cement trucks of fucking cement down this hole and just MOVE AWAY!?

Sorry. Sorry, Dad. Sorry, Mom. I know Abuelita and Mom always said swearing showed a weak character. But, Mom, you’re gone. And, Dad, you might as well… Well you are always busy, you say, and it’s just me and Elena. Holding down everything since you got hurt.

Elena! Crap, listen, if you are mad cuz I just now got to you… it’s cuz I am just writing this starting with the worst things and you are SLIGHTLY better than a Hole monster. :-)

Ok, but Dr. Hartwig, the family therapist we had to see to convince the school guidance councilor that we were all doing just fine; he said I had to be honest in the journal stuff, so…

Elena is irresponsible. And infuriating. And selfish. And I love her to death. You know that right, Elena? You are the best / worst sister. We don’t talk about it, and you are annoying, but it’s just because of this dang hole and- Well, you know you don’t want anything to do with it, and that’s fine. I will hold down this side, and you keep taking care of dad and the house and the bills and stuff. But holy crap if you could just lay off of dad for one day, just walk away one time he says something crappy. Don't point out when he is sad. I would love one day where we are just quiet and normal at home.

I’m so tired of- well, I’m just so tired.

I fight all night, and I don’t want to fight all day, too!

Hey, that’s good! I need to say that to you. Maybe journals are good for something!

Anyway, I - I hear a noise in the hole, brb.