DCAHall3 Act III

(Tale Two)
[cut to the Sancheria forest, nine o' clock, the camera zooms in on the forest to the north of the chao]
[it zooms back out to show the chao looking in that direction]
Dark: ..you guys aren't thinking of actually.. going that way, are you?
Shade: Well....... what choice do we have?
Dark: We could go back up the river path.
[the camera looks up the river path, showing miles and miles of a long river]
Shade: ..eh, too far. Besides...
[Shade wipes his face of whatever fear he had earlier, then chuckles]
Shade: .....we're in this for the adventure.
Red: But hang on. That patch of woods looks pretty dark.
Shade: Red, c'mon. It's nine o' clock at night. It's gonna be pretty dark.
Red: But.. but it seems...
Shade: Oh, shut up, already.
[they head to the north an acre, and find things get much darker than they had assumed]
Shadow: ...hey. Red. Could I use your night-vision mask for a second?
Red: Sure.
[Shadow puts on the mask]
Shadow: Hold up a second, guys. There's some kind of big rock.. and it's got writing on it.
Shade: What's the writing say?
Shadow: "Keep an eye on the trees. Stay close to rustling leaves."
Red: Surely, it got that backwards? You'd think we'd want to steer clear of rustling leaves entirely.
Shade: Is that all it says?
Shadow: ......yeah. Wait, no! Somebody's crossed out a drawing of a circle.
Dark: Freaking vandalmen.
Red: Shade, are you sure we should keep going north?
Shade: 'Course I'm sure! Let's go!
[Shade heads forward; the others follow]

Entry #25 (DUNGEON: Silent Woods)
Red: As soon as we entered this acre, I got a sinking feeling in my gut. Things got even darker; we could just about make out the trees around us because they're even darker than our surroundings. Immediately, most sounds went silent. No more rustling of the leaves, no more crickets chirping, no more anything. There was just the faint sound of breathing coming from within us. The strange thing is that we couldn't even hear our own footsteps. We had to look closely to find each other, or even hold each others' hands. We could just about hear our voices, so we were lucky in that aspect.
And just for suspense purposes, we will only be able to know what people in our own acre are saying. So, if I'm an acre away and I say something, only I will
know what I just said. ..yeah, that's right; an explanation.

Shadow: There's something eerie about this silence, though. It drowns out most of the other sounds.

Red: Shade, really, did we HAVE to go this way?
Shade: We didn't HAVE to, but where's the fun in just leaving it go unexplored?
Red: Argh, curse the curiosity of science.

Dark: ..whoa, did anyone else suddenly hear that?
Red: It sounded like the rustling of leaves.
Shadow: Really?
Red: I.. I think so.
Shadow: Which way was it?
Red: To the.. um.. West of us.
Shadow: Shade, can we...?
Shade: No way! Red made a good point earlier by saying that we should steer CLEAR of rustling leaves.
Shadow: ..so.. what? Are we going to the East, then?
Shade: Of course.

Red: The acre we just entered is equally dark. The sound of rustling leaves is a little louder, coming from the way we came.

Shadow: Hey, guys...
Shade: You seeing what I'm seeing?
Shadow: That tree, yeah. It's the Landmark tree.
Red: The Landmark Tree? Hm, let me check back through the logs...

"This is a tall tree. I mean, REALLY tall. It easily towers over most of the other trees. It's also a sorta slim one.
Looking up at the top, it's got tons of leaves and some branches.. and.. it's a tree.
But, most distinguishable about it, is that it is a considerably dark tree. Easy to spot from the others."

Hm. The tree we are currently looking at is certainly darker than the ones around us. It's slim, yeah.
Shadow: So yeah! It's gotta be the Landmark tree.
Red: Now hold up a minute--
Shade: Yeah, yeah, shut up. You talk a lot, y'know that?

Dark: Um.. so where do we go now?
Shade: Well, the leaves are still rustling to the West, so let's go East s'more.

Red: This next acre is equally dark, though I get the feeling it might be a shade darker.
Shade: Heh.
Dark: That was cool.
Red: I can't hear rustling leaves anymore. The sound has been eaten up by the silence.

Shadow: Well, Shade? Where to now?
Shade: That's a good question, kid. I say we try North for once. Any objections?
Dark: Birchman. ...no.
Red: Not really. Let's try it.

My earlier assumption was correct, it seems, as this acre is a shade lighter than the last. Still no audible leaves, though.
Shade: Okay, I have an idea. Let's keep going North. I'm getting good vibes.
Shadow: I don't think we have any objections to that, so.. let's do it.

Red: Next acre! Seems even brighter. I can actually hear my own footsteps now. No other sounds, though.

Further still, and the light has returned to its normal level. I can even see into the next acr--
Shade: WHOA! RED! Man! *pant* Are you CRAZY?!
Red: Wh..what?
Shade: Where the heck are you going?!
Red: Uh.. North, like you said.
Shadow: *pant* Shade.. Shade said to go north only once. You were.. *pant* ...were going way too far.
Red: What? But.. but Shade said to keep going North, and you agreed with him!
Shade: Dude, no, the last thing I said, and I QUOTE from the script, itself... "That's a good question, kid. I say we try North for once. Any objections?"
Red: No way! The last thing you said, and I quote--
Shadow: Guys, shut up for a second.

Red: I hear nothing but our own breathing.
Shade: Yeah, same here.
Shadow: Four people breathing?
Red: ....yes. Four people breathing.
Shadow: You positive?
Shade: Kid, even I can count. One, two, three, four. Four people breathing.
Shadow: Right. This brings me to my second point. Dark's not with us.
Shade: WHAAAT?! Are.. are you sure?! DARK?! DARK!?
Shadow: I last saw him when we chased after Red.
Red: That was, what, two acres ago?
Shade: Oh.... c'mon, guys. There's no telling what'll happen to him out here on his own.

Red: We've only gone back one acre, and yet already the darkness and silence have returned to full throttle.

Shade: DARK?! DAAARK! SPEAK TO ME, BUDDY! Ack! What was that?!
Red: Sounded like a twig being stepped on.
Shade: It's gotta be him. Dark!
Shadow: Shade, wait up!

Red: I think we are now in the acre to the west of.. the one we were just in. In which we were just. Still dark. Still strangely quiet.

Shade: Any sign of him? DARK?!
Red: Holy shrimp!
Shade: What?
Red: I.. thought I saw Dark.
Shade: WHAT?! WHERE?!
Red: I mean.. it was just his mask. I saw it move over there.
Shadow: That's South of here.
Shade: I'M COMING, BUDDY!
Shadow: Wait for us!

Dark, where are you? AH! There you are!

Red: *pant* We're.. we're in the acre South of the one we were in. Shade ran off without us. This acre.. huh. It's odd. It's foggy.
Shadow: Yeah, none of the acres have been foggy before.
Red: We, uh.. we think Shade ran off to the West.

Shade: Dark! Please! It's me, Shade! Where are you going..?

Red: This acre looks the same as the previous-- wait, SHADE! STOP RUNNING FOR A SECOND!
Shadow: It's no use.
Red: Dammit!
Shadow: He's really upset over losing Dark.
Red: Of course. Dark's his elder, not to mention his best friend. He feels.. responsible for him.
Shadow: I was kinda expecting him to feel responsible for ME, too.
Red: He used to, though I imagine he probably thinks you're just about ready to survive on your own.
Shadow: Hm.
Red: Over here to the North, I think I hear Shade.

Shade: DARK, C'MON! WAIT UP! C'MON, I DON'T WANT TO BE TWO ACRES AHEAD OF THEM! .....OHHHH ALRIGHT! JUST WAAAIT!

DARK! DARK! DAAAAAARK! *pant* Dark! ...Dark..... Dark..
All that running.. wore me out. I need to rest.....
Hey, a Landmark Tree...... the other two.. will be able to.. find me....
*pant* But.. but.. Dark, man.... Dark.. Dark.. Dark...... Dark...

Red: We're now an acre to the North. Still foggy, still tons of trees.

Shadow: Red, did you hear that?
Red: Leaves...
Shadow: They were to the South.
Red: But.. but Shade ran to the North.
Shadow: Let's go to the North, then.
Red: I dunno.. I mean, I'm still not certain that the sign outside was incorrect.

Shade: Dark............ Dark................ Dark........
(....................................dark)
Shade: Huh?
I look up and see nobody around. Weird. It sounded just like my voice, only way deeper.
(Huh?)
Shade: *gasp*
I look directly up, and I see a white head facing down from the top of a..... a... tree?
N-no.. no.. I've got to run!

Red: We still have no proper evidence that the sign was incorrect.
Shade: .......aaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Red: SHADE SHADE STOP
POW
Red: Ow.
Shade: DUDE DUDE RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN
Shadow: What's wrong?
Shade: RUN RUN RUN C'MON
Red: Ah, Shade, let go of us--
Shade: RUN!!!

Red: We're in the acre to the south now. I can hear leaves rustling to our east, which would be to the West.
Shadow: Shade! Maybe we should try going towards the leaves?
Shade: FINE FINE FINE RUN RUN RUN

Red: Acre to the West now, uh.. the leaves are rustling to the South.
Shadow: But... to the South of here is where the Silent Woods stop.
Red: Well, it's where the leaves are rusting.
Shade: DAMMIT, just run!

Red: We are an acre to the South. We're.. still in the Silent Woods.
Shadow: Impossible.
Red: But we are. And it's getting rather cold.
Shadow: How are we STILL in the Silent Woods?
Red: I don't know!

Shade: Okay.. okay.. I think we've put enough distance between us and it.
Red: Oh, yes. Shade, what were you running from?
Shade: Op.. the Op... the Operator.
Shadow: The Operator?
Red: Wait, Shade, that name sounds familiar.
Shade: It's the euphemism for the.. *shudder* ..the...
(Operator?)
Shade: No, that's the euphemism, itself. ....oh, jeez. Guys, quick, look at the trees! Look at them!

Red: The trees in this acre are kinda hard to see, but.. I think some of them are darker than others.
Shade: Look at the darker ones! Closely!
Red: Uh.. the darker ones look like Landmark trees, actually.
Shade: Count the branches on them!
Red: They ALL have branches.
Shade: Is there a tree that has them only towards the top?
Red: ..yeah, one.
Shade: Okay. Which direction is it from us?
Red: Um... East?
Shade: Kay, then. Let's go West. Calmly. (West?)

Red: Brrr, it keeps getting colder and colder. Other than that, this acre looks roughly the same.
Shadow: I hear rustling leaves.
Shade: Which way (way?) are they?
Red: ...
Shadow: ...
Shade: ..quickly. Leaves.
Red: I.. I hear them to the South.
Shade: South. Let's go. (South?)

Red: As soon as we set foot in this acre, the sound of rustling leaves was louder than ever. It's clearly to the North.
Shadow: Did we.. did we go the wrong way?
Shade: I'm not going back there(there?)! ..okay, let's go.

[cut to--]
Red: ...no way.
Shade: This is unbelievable.
Shadow: I'm.. I'm not even gonna question it at this point.
Shade: Red, jot down what we're seeing, please.
Red: Gotcha.

Entry #26 (Red: What We're Seeing)
We see a pathway with trees on either side. All the trees are black, tall, and slim. It leads to the East and West. Behind us is the Silent Wood.
I'd say the most shocking sight is on the other side of the pathway-- a gigantic, multi-acre mansion. Estate? I don't know what you'd call it. Oddly enough,
there are no windows on the side we're facing.

What we DON'T see, however, is our friend, Dark.

Shade: Where.. where the heck is Dark?
Shadow: Do you think he's still in the...?
Red: I don't think we should think about that too much
Shade: But... but... (..........Dark?)
Red: Oh, geez. Which... what... where? (Where?) It sounds like it's coming from right next to us!
[the chao look around for the strange voice]
Shade: Look at the trees! The trees!
Shadow: They all look the same!
Shade: ****. Then just keep running!
Shadow: Okay. Which way?
Shade: ...uh... EAST!
[the chao run to the East]
[the pathway continues for a few acres]
[the chao keep running]

[suddenly, they spot a tall tree growing in the middle of the pathway]
Shadow: *gasp* That tree...
/////////////////////
(Tale One)
There. That's it. I'm done. If you wanna call me crazy and lock me up, go right ahead.
[".....you said you turned in that shack. What did you see?"]
Do you really wanna know, doc?
["Yes. I do."]
Alright.
[subject takes a deep breath]

We heard the deep voice say "Hello?" and I turned.. and the closet door was wide open.
["I thought so. What was in it?"]
You'll never believe me.
["Try it."]
Well, I saw...
/////////////////////
[a tree.. whose trunk has no bottom; the trunk goes into the ground like a thin pole]
Red: That's no trunk.
Shadow: That's a pair of legs.

Entry #27 (Shade: The Operator)
The Operator stands there in all his dark majesty, staring down at us. Leering. Watching.
His legs stand perfectly still, directly touching each other.. a black trunk with no bottom.
His two arms rest at his sides, out of sight. Instead, we only see his branches, extending out of him like legs of a spider.
The branches keep extending... it is only a matter of time before we get caught by them.
His head.. a small, white oval.. is as pale as the moon. It is also as featureless as the moon. Not a facial feature in sight.
Those branches...
His clothing is businesslike and formal.. after all, he is not to be taken lightly.
His branches.. reaching down...
I feel them grab me before my eyes can even see it happen.

[Red has grabbed Shade; he and Shadow run off]


Entry #28 (Dark: Cavern part one)
It's dark. It's cold. It's damp. I'm scared. I'm cold. I'm alone.
Where am I? I'm reaching around... I find a plank of birch.
...wait, no. I just dropped it and lost it.
What else is in here? ..the walls are rock. It's probably a cave.
I'll feel around the walls.. see if I can find an opening.
WAAAAAAAAH

OW. That HURT. I fell. It felt like a long drop. Now it's a little warmer.. but still dark.
My eyes are starting to adjust, though I can't see much. Just.. walls. This looks like a narrow cave.. like.. a hallway.
There's a crossroad here. I could go left, or forward. I want to go forward, so.. I'll go that way.
It's getting brighter as I walk this way.
Wow, the hall led to a big room. I.. I can see light coming from a hole in the ceiling. And I think there's a ladder there.. so... I'll go up.

[cut to up the ladder; it is a small cave room; a couple of torches are on the walls]
[a freaky, red chao is in the room, sitting by the wall; the light from the torches is reflecting off of him]
?: What the? Who are you?
Dark: Um.. I'm.. Dark.
?: Oh. I'm Amphis. What are you doing down here?
Dark: I, uh.. um.. I don't know. I was in the forest.. then I just...
Amfy: The forest? You don't mean.. the Silent Wood?
Dark: The quiet place, yeah. Shade and the others deserted me, and--
Amfy: 'Shade?'
Dark: Yes, Shade. The old main protank..Onnett.
Amfy: The old protagonist, you say? ...who else?
Dark: Uh.. there was Red.. and the birchman.. and.. the new guy. Shady? Shadoo? Shadoe?
Amfy: Shadow?
Dark: Yeah! Yeah, that's it!
Amfy: Hmmm... Shadow.. I see. In the Silent Wood?
Dark: Yes.. but I'm sure they're out by now. They're smart.
Amfy: I see. By the way, Dark, was it?
Dark: Yeppers?
Amfy: What day is it?
Dark: Rocktober the 31st, dude. Helloween.
Amfy: Halloween, you say?
Dark: And so?
Amfy: Hrm.
[Dark looks at Amphis' freaky redness]
Dark: Man, why do you look so freaky?
Amfy: Freaky? How so?
Dark: Like.. you're all.. red! And.. freaky!
Amfy: Oh, hmph. Typical. I get stuck with the dumb one.
Dark: What?
Amfy: Nothing! You see, dummy, I look like this 'cause I'm a double-power chao.
Dark: A double-colony-what now?
Amfy: *sigh* A.. a Power/power chao.
Dark: Are you a Dark chao or a dumb chao?
Amfy: You're one to talk.
Dark: Huh?
Amfy: I'm a neutral chao. Not from around here. ...as neither are you.
Dark: How did you know?!
Amfy: There's something about you. Something.. stupid.
Dark: That's what my man always says.
Amfy: Your 'man?'
Dark: Did I say that? Sorry. Meant mom. Words are close, y'know?
Amfy: You want to get out of here, don't you?
Dark: Oh, most certainly, sir!
Amfy: Right, then. You need to go into the room to the north of here.
Dark: What's in there?
Amfy: Come. I'll show you.

Entry #29 (Dark: Cavern part two)
The Amphy guy led me into some big chamber-ish room. He then told me to check my inventory or whatever.

-one simple Masky mask (Dark)
-one assault rifle (Amphis)
-one plank of birch (Dark)
-one torch (Amphis)

And, uh.. here we are. A big room. Nothing's in here.
WHOA WHOA WHAT WHAT
"Shut your mouth, dummy."
Whoa, wha.. he threw his torch to the other end of the room.
"There is something in this room. It's attracted to the light."

I look.
It's horrible.
It's.. it's..
I'm not sure, really.

"There's a door. Back where you came. A locked door. I had the key.. then I came in here. That ate it."
Amphy seemed kinda scared when he said that. I get the feeling he doesn't even know what the thing is, himself.
"It's.. it's a goblin. And it's come from Hell."
I ask him how we're supposed to get the key back.
He doesn't answer. He just looks at the goblin.
I look again.

It is purple.
It has three eyes on its back.
It is bigger than us, but smaller than a large dog.
It has three legs. Two in the front, one behind.
The eyes.. the three on its back.. two of them look like insect eyes. The middle one looks like a human eye.
Then it turns around. >.<
Its front is all.. green. Dark green. But it's so dark.. it doesn't look like a colour at all, but I just want to SAY it's green.
It has two eyes on the front.
Two.
Th.. I'm sorry. They're.. chao eyes. Sweet, innocent eyes.
No nose, it looks like..
The mouth is.... uh.. I don't know. It looks like a tube. I THINK that's its mouth.

Then I felt something touch me, and I almost screamed.
It was Amphyman's gun.
He was handing it to me.
No, no, I can't. I can't.
"You're gonna have to. For the key."
But why me?

...oh.

He's gone.

I pick up the rifle.
But no! I can't!
I point the rifle at the creature.
C'mon, this is crazy! I can't!
I take the safety off.
What the heck am I doing? I can't shoot that thing!
I whistle, attracting the creature's attention.
Oh, it's gonna happen.. stop paying attention. Zone out. C'mon.
It mutters a low scream that shakes the cave.
Zone out! ZONE OUT! I don't want to see this!
I wait for it to charge at me.
Zone
BANG
out. Please.

Huh. I.. I did it. But wait, he said that thing ate the key. Does that mean I'm gonna have to..?
Oh. Oh, please, no.

I step up to the dead body.
Please.
I shove my gun into the body, creating a hole.
This is disgusting.
I then shove my arm into the body, digging around.
Beauty and the Beast Unit. C'mon. Just think about the Beauty and the Beast Unit.
My hand touches something squishy. Wet. Warm.
Beauty and the Beast Unit!
My hand then feels a long tube of intestines.
Beauty, Beauty, Beauty...
I shove my arm in deeper, going past the intestines.
Beauty and the birch Unit.
My arm hits another organ, which frees some trapped air.
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST UNIT.
The freed air gusts out of the body and out into the cave.
LAUGHING OCTOPUS.
My hand feels something hard and small.
RAGIN--is that it? C'mon, c'mon!
I rip the object out. It is a small bone. I chuck it aside, and resume fishing.
RAGING RAVEN.
My hand brushes past some more organs, big and small.
CRYING WOLF.
Then I feel a metal-esque object.
Get it.
I grab it.
C'MAN.
I pull, but to no avail. It is tangled up amid intestines.
SCREAMING...
I grab it once more.
MANTIS!
I rip it out, and fall backwards as I pull the key free from within.

[cut to the previous room; Dark enters into the torchlight with key in hand]
[Amphis does not appear to be here]
Dark: ...
[he goes down the ladder and to the West, back to the narrow corridor]
[this time, he brings a torch with him]

[he reaches the crossroad, then goes down the other direction to the right]

[he reaches another fork-- left, right, or back]
[he takes a few steps down to the left]

Entry #30
He walks.
I watch.
Wrong way.
I laugh.

[Dark stops-- he hears deep laughter coming from the hall in front of him]

He stops.
I watch.
He turns.
Good.

[Dark then walks down the other hall]

Entry #31 (Dark: Cavern part three)
I keep walking down the hall. It's a long hall, actually.
ACK
WHOA
WHAT
WHOA
I'm underwater!
But!
How?!
I was just walking a few seconds ago! Now I'm SWIMMING!
ACK!
Ah! I see light up above!
SWIM SWIM SWIM

Air! Air! Ohhh, MAN. So much better. And LAND! Ah! I can get outta this now.
..this room is pretty big. Much lighter, too. Torches all along the walls.
Oh! I see a ladder over there. I think I'll climb up and see where it goes.


Entry #32 (Red: Deja Vu)
We're in the next acre now. Shade seems a little dazed, but he's running now. Shadow is just following us, keeping an eye out for our stranger.
Shadow suddenly stops running. I stop, as well. I think I see why he did. Shade is confused. He asks why we stopped.
"We've been here before."
This acre.. we have definitely been here before. In fact, I think I know what we'll run into if we keep going to the East.

We're an acre to the East, and there is a Landmark Tree. Just a Landmark Tree. Leaves at the top. Not a creature. It confirms my suspicions.
"Hello?"
...was that him? No, it was way too high to be him. Sounded like..
..East of here.

The next acre to the East.. oh! THIS acre! There should be a hole in the ground right.. ah, yes! ..oh. Dark's here.
He has logs. We all read them, and he reads ours. I then tell the others where we are, and we go West..

..then South.

Here it is. The village.

[it is between 9:30 and 10:00 PM]
[the chao check out the chief's hut]
[it appears to be empty]
Red: Chief? Are you here?
[no answer]
Shade: ...hang on.. there should be a notebook in here. One the chief wouldn't let me look at.
Shadow: You want to peek into it now that he's gone?
Shade: Yes. I do.
[Shadow finds a notebook labelled "Forest Off-Limits"]
Shadow: Is this the one?
Shade: Yeah!
[they gather around Shadow, who opens the notebook]

Entry #33 (Shadow: Forest Off-Limits)
Avoid the subway. Do not go down the hall. Keep your eyes on the trees.
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Sees you. Seize you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Seize you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Seize you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Seize you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. Sees you. See you.
Avoid the subway.

[Shadow closes the book]
Shade: Wait, what was on the next page?
Shadow: More writing.
Shade: Yeah, but what did it say?
Shadow: Does it matter?
Chief: Of course it matters.
[the chao jump; the village chief is standing at the doorway]
Shade: Chief! Ah.. sorry. We just happened to find our way back..
Chief: I noticed. What is written on that next page matters; show them, Shadow.
Shadow: But.. but... aaargh.

Entry #34 (Shadow: The Next Page)
On the page is a drawing of the Operator.. branches protruding out of him.
o
------|------
------|------
------|------
|
|
|
| SEES
| ME
|
|
At the bottom of the page is a circle with an X through it.
On the back of the page, it simply says "At the tower."


Dark: There's a tower now?
Shade: I think the bigger question would be.. why is a picture from Marble Hornets here in Sancheria?
Chief: I don't think the "whys" matter as much as the "whats," Shade.
Red: The "whats.."
Chief: The important part is, WHAT are you guys trying to do now?
Shadow: Hey, yeah, that IS a good question. We only went out to explore, and we wound up finding our way back.
Dark: And I got lost.
Shadow: Something tells me we've seen all there is to see, Shade.
Shade: ......but wait. We HAVEN'T seen all there is to see. Just take a look at, uh.. Entry 9!
Shadow: *flips through* ..the list of things not to do?
Shade: Yeah. There's still a hole surrounded by bodies somewhere out there, plus we haven't gone down that aisle of trees yet.
Chief: ....*facepalm*
Red: Uh.. Shade? I'm pretty sure the list is of things NOT to do?
Shade: Huh? Oh, right. Fine, so we won't have to go down the aisle. But the other hole!
Chief: Listen to your friends. I told you to stay away from those places for a reason.
Shade: Relax! We wouldn't actually go IN the hole. I'm saying that there must be some section of the woods we have yet to traverse.
Dark: Come to think of it... there are a LOT of places we haven't gone yet.
Chief: Oh come on, not you, too.
Dark: But there are! Those caves I was lost in.. I still have no idea where that Amphibious guy went.
Red: What about that key you got?
Dark: ..oh yeah! I DO still have a key, don't I?
Red: I hate to admit it, Chief, but Shade's right.
Chief: FINE, so you still have places you haven't gone. Why in the world would you even WANT to go back out there?
Shade: Well--
Chief: I know you were followed. But he never comes in the village. I have no idea why, but it's true.
Dark: HE'S A BIRCHMAN.
Chief: ..wait, what?
Dark: HE'S A BIRCHMAN.
Shade: Dark, wh..what?
Dark: HE'S A BIRCHMAN.
Shadow: The ****'s a birchman?
Dark: HE'S A BIRCHMAN.
Red: Dark? ..you okay?
Dark: HE'S A BIRCHMAN.
[Dark faints]
Shade: D..Dark?
Chief: Birchman. Things just ain't making sense.
Shade: What.. but... Dark...
Chief: He couldn't have been talking about him, no way. Our friend out there is not a birchman.
Shade: Wh..what?
Red: What the heck is a birchman?
[the Chief turns away and puts his face into his hands]
Chief: Argh...
[he takes a deep breath]
Chief: ..tree people.
Shade: You're kidding.
Shadow: How.. why didn't we see them?
Chief: That's the thing. You did.
Shadow: But.. what? You'd think we'd notice a tree person.
[the Chief turns and looks at Shadow impatiently]
Chief: Oh, really? You think you'd notice a tree person in a forest full of trees?
[Shadow falls silent]
Chief: You kids had better just stay here for the rest of the night, do you hear me? It's NOT safe out there.
Shade: But the exploration--
Chief: Exploration?! You want to go explore out there? *sigh* ....fine. Let's go explore out there.
Red: Wh..what?
Chief: C'mon! And don't worry about your friend. He's fine in here.
[the chief leads Shade, Red, and Shadow out of the hut and out of the village]

[they go to the pathway to the East of the village; the Chief leads them further East]
Shade: What's over here?
Chief: You'll see.

[the next acre looks normal, though the chao are now more attentive about the surrounding trees]
Red: Um.. Chief? How does one spot a birchman?
Chief: If the tree is moving, or jumping, or talking, or.. I dunno, doing anything a NORMAL tree would find it difficult to do, then chances are, you got yourself a birchman.
Red: ..right. Of course.
Shade: So, uh.. where we goin'?
Chief: Once again, kid.. you'll see.
[they continue going East]

Chief: Hey. Red, was it? I take it you're the descriptive one.
Red: Want me to write a log?
Chief: Go for it.

Log Entry #35 (Red: What the Chief's Showing Us)
This acre seems rather normal. The trees around us are all stationary. However, while the sky is the normal brightness, you can easily see what's in the
next acre-- the Silent Woods. After all, it's very difficult to see further than this acre.
Scattered on the ground are piles of leaves. They seem artificially-gathered, and some even seem slightly darker than others.

The Chief leads us to a hole in the ground. He tells us to think for a minute. "Think back," he says. Then he watches us.
'Think back,' huh? Thinking back... to... ..oh.... OH.
Shade gets it pretty quickly, too.
Shadow is the last to get it, but the first to ask.
"Where are the bodies, then?"

..oh, wait a minute. The bodies. The... oh, man. The piles. "The.. the piles of leaves!" I say.
The Chief chuckles, then says "Good guess. But no."
"Then.. then what? Where ARE the bodies?"
Shade then grabs my head and turns it to look at the thing behind me.

.....you have got to be kidding me.

"I told you to pay close attention to the trees, after all."
"But that CAN'T be.. I mean.. you mentioned the hole with the... that would imply you thought we'd know..."
"I wasn't thinking when I mentioned the hole before. I forgot you guys were new around here."
"But.. how.. what.."
"This is a godforsaken forest, Red. As I said, the 'whys' don't matter. It's the 'whats'.

The Chief started moving back West. Then he turned to us and said,
"My point is simple. You can explore if you want. But don't come crying to me if you end up.. like these guys.
If you don't want to explore anymore, you can come back to the village. Your friend will be there, too."
And with that, he was gone.

I looked at Shade, who looked at Shadow, who looked back at him, who then turned to look at me.
Shadow suggested we turn back.
Shade, unexpectedly, agreed.
We then went back.

Log Entry #36 (Shadow: The Checklist Gets Relevant)
If we value our lives in any form, we should NOT, under any circumstances,
- Follow and/or approach the "other chao." (I actually don't think we've seen him for a while. What happened to him?)
- Go near that aisle of trees. (We're still doing well in that regard.)
- Enter any holes in the ground, whether surrounded by bodies, or with a ladder inside. (Well, Dark EXITED one, and we went close to the other one.)
- Go in any houses. (Not this time!)
- Go in ANY houses. (Hahaha!)
- Go NEAR any houses. (Yeah, we didn't go NEAR any. ..actually, we DID, didn't we? That humongous estate north of the Silent Woods...)
- Enter any houses. (Bam.)
- Go in any houses. (Well, I mean, we did that in Scruple. And I guess we entered the Chief's hut, but.. that's not a house.)
Oh, and we must make sure to keep our eyes on the trees. That sounds fairly easy, considering we'll be in a forest.

"Keep our eyes on the trees." That makes perfect sense now.

Log Entry #37 (Red: Loose Ends)
So.. I am pretty sure we've nearly explored the whole forest. We have seen just about all there is to see, and encountered more than enough threats for one
night. The question is, have we encountered enough threats for a Halloween? ...no. The question is.. enough for TWO Halloweens, isn't it? Gah, DJay missed
ONE year due to being busy.. and now he's the opposite of busy and wants to make up for it, doesn't he? I'm afraid he might end up making up for it with our
lives eventually. Good Apollo, I'm getting out of this damn forest. I am.

But, though we have encountered so many threats, and explored many a setting.. what else is there? I guess I should make my own little checklist.
- Birchmen. What are they, REALLY? Are they REALLY the dead travelers, back for some kind of vengance? And what can they do?
- Dark said, and I quote, "HE'S A BIRCHMAN." He said it more than once, too. The Chief says it's not the Operator, so.. who?
- For that matter, Dark has been acting strange lately. Why?
- Where DID that Amphis fellow, mentioned in Dark's logs, go?
- What is down that other path in the underground catacombs?
- What is inside that hole? The one with all the bodies?
- What about that large estate?
- The Operator. Something's not right. It seems like he's just tacked on to all of this... but I'm sure he plays a much bigger part.
- The village Chief. I'm sorry, but really. I'm curious about him. Who is he?
- HOW THE HELL DO WE GET OUT OF HERE?!

Log Entry #38 (Shade: Birchmen?)
Something strange is going on. Definitely. Metaliterately speaking, we just found out about the alleged "main bad guy" at least halfway into the story.
It's not like DJay to do that. At least, not anymore. And we've been in these woods for.. what, two hours now? I think we would have noticed a moving tree.
The only 'tree' that did anything turned out to be the Operator. Granted, Dark is the one who brought up these "birchmen.." and I AM willing to trust him.
I know I'm worried about him.

..thinking back.. I'm sure I've heard of our mystery baddies somewhere before. I get the feeling I've heard it so many times.. tonight.


(Tale Three)
[cut back to Mephiles in the house]
[in the next room is the young woman sitting on the ground next to a corridor]
Mp: ..h..hello?
[she gets up and runs to the left, down the corridor and out of sight]
Mp: Hey! Wait for me, please!
[around the corner, he sees the corridor lead down to a wall, and nothing but]
Mp: W..what?
[the woman appears for a split second down the corridor, then the walls start shaking; wall panels fall off]
Mp: ..wh..
[the woman appears directly in front of him, then disappears]
[suddenly, there is a door at the other end of the corridor, as well as two zombies]
[he kills them, then enters the next room]
Mp: Oh, my goodness.
[in the next room is the young woman.. she has hung herself]
Mp: That.. but..
[he looks away, then looks back to see just an empty room]
[he heads toward the door at the other end of the room]
[sniffle]
Mp: ..?
[he turns and sees the woman standing in the middle of the room, looking at him]
Mp: Whoa!
[she vanishes]
[the door behind him unlocks]
Mp: Wh..
[the next room is another corridor with 3 doors-- the one he came through, one on the left, and one on the right]
[also zombies]
[they die]
[Mephiles spots a shotgun case in the middle of the room]
Mp: Oh? Shotgun. Sounds good.
[he breaks the glass and grabs the shotgun]
Mp: Hell yeah, man. Now I can finally do som--
CRASHYEAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
[the door on the left has smashed open by Mecha Knuckles]
Mp: HOLY ****!!!
MK: Bahahahahaha! You're WAY too on-edge, man!
Mp: D-don't DO that, Mecha! Where's the Tails Doll?
MK: He's gone upstairs to check if there's anyone up there. YOU find anyone yet?
Mp: ...no, not yet. But this is a really freaky place, man. I'm not too fond of the idea of sticking around for too long.
MK: Hey, don't worry 'bout it. I'm pretty sure this place is devoid of any life. I was gonna just go get the Doll and find you, then we'd leave.
Mp: Alright. Yeah. I like that plan.
MK: There ya go. C'mon, let's find our way upstairs.
[they go through the door to the right and find a hall that has been boarded up]
MK: Well! Guess I'll start bashing through th
BASH TEAUAASHFAAAAAARRRRRRRR
[a bizarre grey deformed zombie smashes through the barricade, screaming]
MK: HOLY CRAP HOLY CRAP HOLY CRAP
[PUNT!]
[the zombie flies away and dies]
MK: ....there. Nothing to worry about.
Mp: But what WAS--
MK: Shhhh. Nothing to worry about. Here. Let's try this door.
[they try the door on the right of the hallway; it's locked]
MK: Pfft. I bet all this time, you've been going AROUND these doors.
Mp: Well, um.. yeah.
[Mecha breaks the door down]
MK: Scrub.
[they find a staircase and head up]
[the next room is a nursery, complete with rocking horse and toys, and a big vanity mirror]
[the rocking horse begins rocking by itself]
Mp: ..eah.
MK: Tsk, it's just a nursery, man. Nothing's gonna hurt you.
[Mecha opens the next door]
[SMASH]
MK: What was that?
Mp: I.. I.. I.. I don't know!
MK: Aw, man. It.. it don't matter none. Let's keep going.
[they kill a zombie in the next hall, then find themselves in a sitting room, complete with fireplace]
[they see the woman from before standing in front of the fireplace]
[they look again-- she's gone]
MK: ......****ing.. house is playing tricks on us. Yeah. Let's.. let's keep on.
[the next corridor is split up by a giant hole in the ground]
[Mecha and Mephiles peer down the hole-- it has no visible bottom]
MK: Now, how in the hell did people build this place?
Mp: I haven't the slightest clue.
[they hop over the hole and go up a ladder]
[the woman stares down on them from above as they climb, but they don't seem to notice]

DCAHall3 Act IV

(Tale Two)
[cut to the village at ten o' clock]
[Shade, Red, and Shadow enter the chief's hut]
[the Chief is in there]
Chief: Oh, you boys are back! How'd your exploring go?
Shade: We decided not to go. So we came back.
Chief: What'd you do for two hours, then?
Red: .....what?
Chief: You guys have been gone for two hours. When did you decide to turn back?
Shadow: Um.. what time is it?
Chief: I'd say it's just turned ten.
Shade: WAIT a minute, man. You're saying you haven't seen us for two hours? Is THAT what you're saying?
Chief: Yeah. That IS what I'm saying. Are you saying otherwise?
Shadow: But.. we.. I mean... Red, show him! The logs!
[Red shows the Chief logs 32-35]
[the Chief becomes wide-eyed as he reads them]
Chief: "Birchmen?" What on Earth?
Red: ..?
Chief: Boys, I can guarantee you I have been in this hut for two straight hours. I have not run into you, or.. or anything, really.
Shadow: So.. so... so what the heck did WE run into?
Chief: I.. I'm trying to think. I don't know.
Shade: ..so what about your notebook? "Forest Off-Limits?"
Chief: The one you read was not real.
Shadow: Well, can we see the real one?
Chief: I.. I suppose so. I guess there's no point in hiding it anymore.
[the Chief gets the notebook and hands it to Shadow]

Log Entry #39 (Shadow: "Forest Off-Limits," Personal Journal of the Village Chief)
I miss the Dark Garden. To think, I only left 'cause dad mentioned that damn "chao college." He was.. he was tricking me. He wanted me gone.

Shade: --waitwaitWAIT a second! Hold up. "Chao college?"
Red: You used to live in the Dark Garden?
Chief: Yes, and yes. I lived until my father told me that the Chao Transporter took me to college, which I needed at the time.
Shade: ...
Chief: ..just keep going, kid.
Shadow: Alright.

Well.. hopefully he won't find some way to ruin Shade's life. It's obvious he's spoiling the kid. He never did care much for me.

Shade: ..why is my name featured in there?
Chief: ......keep going, Shadow.

After all, it's best that Shade don't go the way of his older brother.

Shade: HEY. What the crap do you know about my older brother?
Chief: More than you do. You're doin' good, kid; keep reading.

But damn. I miss the Dark Garden so much. I hear dad's got a home here on this damn planet now. I'm considering going down to visit him. For old time's sake.

[Shade simply looks at the Chief in confusion; the Chief looks back with a slight look of pride]
[Shade is confused even more at this]
[Shadow continues]

I'll go to him. I'll ask why he hates me so much. What Shade can do that I can't. ..he's MY father, too. Why can't he love me?

Shade: St-stop the reading, Shadow. ..Chief...
Chief: Shut up.
Shade: Wh--
[the Chief gives Shade a big hug]
Red: ...ah, yes! Ohh, I get it.. that makes perfect sense now.
Shadow: Wait, I THINK I'm getting it. Is the Chief... Shade's brother?
Red: His older brother, Shade 2, yes.
Chief: That's not my name anymore, Red. I'm John now.
Red: "John?" Why so plain of a name?
Chief: My name was SHADE 2. That's an absurd name. An almost.. robotlike name. I wanted to be bland. Simple.
Shadow: ..who in their right mind names their kid "Shade 2?"
Red: The better question is, why were you #2 when you're the OLDER brother?
Shadow: OH WAIT WAIT! I have a theory! Shade is actually Shade 3!
Chief: No.
Shadow: And.. and that future Shade isn't really the FUTURE Shade!
Chief: No.
Shadow: But wait! He is ACTUALLY yours' and Shade's eldest brother, Shade 1!
Shade: That's the silliest thing I've ever heard you say.
Shadow: (sadly) It was just a theory...
Chief: No, kid, I was called Shade 2 because our dad wanted a specific son. He wanted a grey son.
Red: Ah, and you're white...
Chief: Yeah. I didn't come out right, let's just say. So I was "Shade 2." The prototype, if you will.
Shade: Oh..
Chief: Don't worry, bro. I don't feel any different towards you. You're still my younger brother. It's our dad that I don't like.
Shade: ...he.. he was always looking out for me.
Chief: For you.
Shade: I don't even remember seeing you much, brother John.
Chief: That's because I was usually gone. Not much point to there being two Shades in the Dark Garden, after all.
Shadow: ...hey, Shade?
Shade: What is it?
Shadow: I think you should cut your reunion short. We have.. pressing matters at hand.
Shade: Really? Like what?
Shadow: Dark.
[Shade turns pale]
Shade: ****. I had completely forgotten. John, have you seen him anywhere?
Chief: No, I haven't seen him since you guys set off. Where did YOU last see him?
Red: He was--****. He fainted in the other hut.
Shade: ARGH, you're right. He did! Bro, are you SURE you don't know of ANYTHING that we could have mistaken for another village?
Red: And for that matter, another "village chief?" Maybe there's another village out here somewhere?
Chief: ...I can think of only one lead.
Shade: Anything!
Chief: Some Halloweens, when I feel brave enough to stand near the edge of the village.........
Shade: Yes? What?
Chief: ..I hear........ I hear voices. Multiple.
Red: Other travelers?
Chief: ......no. You can just.. tell. That the voices aren't. There's something about them. Something.... sinister.
Shade: Whereabouts do you stand when you hear this?
Chief: I'll.. I'll show you.
[the Chief leads them out of the hut, and to the edge of the village]

[the East edge]
Chief: Just stand here. For a second.
[they stand there and listen]
[they hear woodland critters-- birds, raccoons, twigs rustling..]
["......bir........an...."]
["..c....n......es....."]
[Shade stands, listening, for a second, then moves forward]
Red: What are you doing?
Shade: Dark's somewhere out here.
Shadow: Wait, Shade!
Shade: I'm not stopping.
Shadow: I know!
[Shadow catches up]
Shadow: Neither am I. Dark's one of us, after all.
[Shade looks at Shadow and smiles]
[Red hurries and catches up]
Red: Hey, I never said I wasn't going.
Shade: Sweet, we got the whole gang then.
Chief: You have better than that.
[John has decided to join them]
Shade: Bro. Welcome to the gang.
Chief: Thanks. After all, if you guys hadn't come around, I was gonna go out, anyway. Though for an entirely different purpose.
Shade: ....we're gonna find Dark. And then we're gonna get out of this damn forest.
[they keep walking]

Red: Say, Chief?
Chief: Yeah?
Red: Haven't you tried just.. leaving the forest? Not on Halloween?
["..........ch.........m........."]
Chief: Yeah, as a matter of fact, I have.
Red: ..I'm going to assume you've had no luck?
Chief: Friend, I have not had luck one. You see, once you enter these damn woods, you.. you just can't leave.
Shade: Whoa, wait, I thought you said--
Chief: You think I WANT to tell travelers that they're stuck? No, I omit that detail in hopes that they'll get lucky. And who knows? Some of them might've.
Red: What.. what do you think happens to the ones who don't?
Chief: They die. What kinda stupid question is that?
Red: No, I meant.. specifically. HOW do they die?
Chief: Well.. I imagine some of them get lost in the Silent Woods, some of them might drown in the river, some of them might have run into our stranger...
Shade: The Operator. What do you know of him?
Chief: "The Operator?" I know we can't be talking about the same creature. Unless you're referring to the Operator symbol that's been drawn around here...
Red: Operator symbol? Which is?
Chief: The circle with the X through it?
Shadow: ****, so THAT'S what that was.
Chief: Yes. The mark of the slender man, so to speak.
[Shade cringes; Shadow slows down]
Shadow: "Slender..."
"There is a man.. no, not a man. There is.. a...... THING. A thing that looks like a man.
This thing is some kind of monster man, ten feet tall.. with a suit and tie to match.
Well, okay, so some stories place him at ten feet. Others place him at seven, or eight... or even fifteen.
What more, he is awfully slim. You could say he is a very slender man."
Chief: You two alright?
Shadow: "Slender man..."
(man)
Shade: But.. but he's just an internet legend, dammit! How is he.. actually...?
Chief: I have no idea. My theory is that it's this damn forest. Sancheria is home to many sinister creatures. Many impossible ones, too. Like that man.
(man)
Red: ..what was that?
["........ol..........ie..."]
(man)
Shade: ...pick up the pace, people. We're getting closer to the strange whispering. I hope.
[they keep walking]

["...bi....hm......."]
Red: Well, we certainly are getting closer.
Shadow: Chief, you were saying the ways to die.
Chief: Oh, yes. Some might run into him, some might venture into the caves below and become lost...
Shade: I wonder if that Amphis fellow was another traveler.. one who got lost.
Red: Speaking of, could I take another look at Dark's logs again, please?
Shade: Sure.
[Red rereads Entries 28-31]
Red: o__o
Shade: Whoa, what's wrong, man? Find something juicy?
Red: Yeah, I think I might've. I direct your attention to Entry 28.
"Amfy: The old protagonist, you say? ...who else?
Dark: Uh.. there was Red.. and the birchman.. and.. the new guy. Shady? Shadoo? Shadoe?"
Chief: You guys had a birchman with you?
Red: That's the thing, though. We didn't.
Shadow: Yeah.. I think we would have noticed a fifth person with us. Especially something like a "birchman."
Chief: So.. you know what one is?
Shade: Actually, no, we don't. Do YOU?
Chief: I haven't the slightest idea. The only possibility that comes to mind is that stranger, but.. I doubt he's one. Is he?
Red: Don't ask us.
Shadow: Well, if I recall correctly, that.. that one other chief said "Our friend out there is not a birchman."
Red: You're right; he DID say that, didn't he?
Chief: So none of you have any idea what one is?
Shade: Bro, we don't have clue one.
Chief: Hm.
[".....co.....on........s...."]
Chief: Wait, it's coming from the next acre!
Shade: Yeah, and?
Chief: The.. the next acre! The hole surrounded by bodies!
Shadow: But.. I thought the bodies were trees?
Chief: What? No! They're.. they're real (bodies)!
Shade: Walkwalkwalk!
[they keep walking]

["...bir...an..."]
[cut to the chao gathered around a hole in the ground]
[dead bodies surround them]
Shadow: The voices are coming from down here.
Chief: Are you sure?
Shadow: Completely.
Shade: Sweet. Let's go down, then!
Red: Hold on a second, Shade.
Shade: What? Why?
Red: Unlike the other hole, there is no ladder going into it. That, and it appears to go down quite far. How would we get back up?
Shade: We'll think of that when we need to. For now, Dark's all I'm worried about.
Shadow: Now hang on! I'm worried about Dark, too, but.. I mean, we shouldn't just go charging blindly into this!
Shade: And why not?
[Shadow points at the dead bodies surrounding them]
Shade: ...now, what might THEY have to do with anything?
Shadow: SHADE!
Shade: Fine! Fine. You're right. But then what do you propose we do?
Shadow: Well.. I was thinking.. there are lots of trees around here.
Shade: Gee, thanks for noticing.
Shadow: No! I mean.. we could cut one down and turn it into some kind of makeshift ladder of sorts.
Shade: That has got to be the worst idea you've come up with yet, kid.
[pause]
Shade: Let's not ever do it. Ever.
Shadow: Aw, man.
Red: So what WILL we (do)--****.
Chief: Whatever you decide, you'd better choose it quick.
Shade: Shadow, you keep lookout. Quick.
Shadow: I'm on it.
[Shadow begins looking around at the trees]
Chief: We've no ladder. This hole is deep. The trees can't really help us.
Red: Are we sure? Maybe a branch--
Chief: Too deep.
Shade: Maybe there's a way back up from down there?
Chief: Can we risk it?
Shade: I'm willing to risk it, yeah.
Red: Well, I'm not!
Chief: Hm. I'm not liking the idea of being trapped underground.
Shadow: Guys, hurry it up; I swear, I just saw that tree move.
Chief: Though I don't like the idea of being stuck in this forest for the rest of my life, either. I say we go for it.
Shade: That's two votes so far. Shadow, how about you?
Shadow: I don't care at this point; let's just get away from this acre, guys!
Shade: That's three against one, Red. Majority rules.
Red: Right, now the NEXT problem, then! How do we get down there without risking breaking our legs?
Shade: Oh, to hell with it; I don't have time for this.
[Shade jumps into the hole]
Red: Shade!
[the three stare down at the hole for a bit]
Chief: .....our mutual friend. Where is he?
Shadow: *turns around* ...I don't see him.
[the chief calls down the hole]
[no response]
Chief: Eff it, I'm going in.
[he jumps in]
Red: Why are they both so incredulously bold?
Shadow: No idea. You wanna go in, too? 'Cause I kinda do.
Red: What? No! NO! I'm NOT going in there!
Shadow: Would you rather be out here, where the Operator is hiding?
Red: *********, let's go!
[Red and Shadow jump into the hole]

Log Entry #40 (Red: Down the Rabbit Hole)
The fall lasted a few seconds. Suddenly, we hear this massive.. noise. Like a mechanical monster roaring.. like the Titanic, if it were posessed. Perhaps by
the entity from Paranormal Entity.
Where in the world...?

Was I just dreaming? I feel so groggy... but the dream was so vivid. Forests and trees and.. Shade's brother.. and...
...oh. Not again.
Where am I now, then?

It's.. it's an underground subway station. A well-lit, busy subway station. Chao are all around us.
Shadow is right next to me, looking around in disbelief. He sees me and remembers the whole.. "We weren't dreaming" bit.
We look around but see no sign of the Shades.

Our fellow chao are all just sitting or standing, waiting for the next train. They pay no attention to the two newcomers.
There is a staircase by the wall, to the North. It leads upwards to the surface, probably.
The train tracks lead East and West.

The West passage has some lights further down, lighting up the tunnel as well as a maintenance door.
The East passage has no lights at all. Just darkness.
Our fellow chao are: Three Hero chao, one Dark chao, and four Neutrals.

[Red moves up to the Dark chao]
Red: Um.. hello there.
[the Dark chao does not reply; she simply sits, her gaze fixed on the West tunnel]
Hero: You'd best not bother her.
[Red turns to face a Hero chao]
Hero: She doesn't talk. Not since last time.
Red: What happened last time?
Hero: Her little brother got on the G-Train.
Red: Isn't he coming back?
[some other chao roll their eyes at this]
Hero: Well.. no.
Hero2: Oh, don't bother, Jelly. There's no point.
Hero: Hush. I like strangers.
Red: Your name is "Jelly," then?
Jelly: Yeah. Yours?
Red: I'm Red. My friend over there's Shadow.
Jelly: Well, Red, I take it you're quite new around here.
Red: As a matter of fact, I am. And I have a number of questions.
Jelly: Shoot.
Red: Have you seen any grey or white Dark chao lately?
Jelly: Nah, sorry. I've actually been asleep for a while. You happened to wake me up.
Red: Right. Next, I guess I'll ask the more obvious question. Where is this?
Jelly: This is the subway. Specifically, station 43.
Red: Yeah, uh.. "the subway." Could you be a little bit more specific?
Jelly: Oh! Right, sorry. We're--
[rumblerumblerumble]
Jelly: *gasp* Which one is it?
[the headlights of a train are seen on the tracks]
Jelly: Yam-Yam, which train is it?
YamYam: Sounds like the E-Train.
Jelly: Do we know who's on it?
YamYam: I.. I can't remember.
Red: What? What's going on?
Jelly: The E-Train's coming.
[a train arrives and stops at the station; it is heading West]
[two Neutral chao and a Hero chao get off]
Jelly: Fiddlydum. Please don't tell me it's my turn.
YamYam: I'm afraid it is.
Hero3: Yeppers.
Jelly: ..goodbye, Yam-Yam. Bye, Radizzy.
[Jelly hugs the other two Heroes, then shakes Red's hand]
Jelly: It.. it was nice to meet you, Red.
Red: Same goes for you, Jelly. Where are you going, anyway?
Jelly: I.. believe this train goes to station 32. Ah! I've really got to get going. Bye!
[Jelly gets on the train, as do two of the Neutrals who were waiting]
[the train departs to the West]
[the new Hero chao nervously stands in place]
Red: Hey! Hello!
Hero: ...hi.
Red: I'm Red. What's your name?
Hero: I'm.. I'm... Egger.
[Shadow comes over to Red]
Shadow: No sign of them anywhere. I asked some of the Neutral chao, and I've learned absolutely nothing. Not even where we are.
Red: The Hero chao that got on the last train told me we're in station 43, apparently.
Shadow: Station 43 of WHERE, though?
Egger: You.. you don't know?
Shadow: No. We're new around here.
Egger: N-new? How is that..? How?
Red: We were in this place called Sancheria. Then we went down a hole and woke up here.
Egger: Sancheria? What are you talking about? That's..... that's just a myth. You couldn't have been there.
Shadow: Well, we were. Now where is THIS?
Egger: It's.. it's the subway.
Shadow: WHICH subway?
Egger: What? It's just... the subway!
Red: ..what's up there?
Egger: Up where?
[Red gestures to the staircase leading upward]
Red: Up THERE.
Egger: Nothing.
[Egger walks away]
Red: ..hey, wait!
[suddenly, Egger is gone; not a trace is left]
[Red and Shadow look at each other, then at the staircase]

Log Entry #41 (Shadow: Up)
I volunteered to go up the stairs, to see what was up there.
COL
The stairs go up several steps, then turn to the right.
ON
the step that turns.. I.. ugh. What? Oh, right. Right.
Further up.. the stairs end. I wonder what's up h
blood everywhere
filling the corridor
spilling out of the doors
flooding down the stairs
drowning the platform
reaching the tracks
killing us all
washing away the enemy
washing away the colony
ere? It's a hallway, a quiet subway corridor.
Posters advertising various movies, shows, and services are plastered on the walls.
"Shadow?"
The hall extends down a length and leads up to big double doors.
"Hey, Shadow?"
What's behind these doors?
IES
Let's get a little closer, at least.
"Shadow, what's up there?"
There's a noticeable taste of blood in the air around here.
"SHADOW!"
Oh! Red! Right. I'll go back down now.

[cut back to the bottom of the stairs]
Red: So? What was up there?
Shadow: It was a corridor, leading up to some big doors. I bet those doors lead outside.
Red: Kay, as long as it's safe. Let's check 'em out, then.
Shadow: Right.
[they head up the wooden stairs]
[they reach the corridor and head down to the double doors]
[Red reaches for the blood-stained doorknobs]
Dark: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!
[Shadow and Red turn around]
Shadow: That came from downstairs.
[they run back down]
[a train is at the station; Dark is on the platform, screaming]
Dark: NO! I DON'T WANT TO GET ON! YOU CAN'T MAKE ME! NOOO!
Shadow: Dark?!
Red: What's wrong?
Dark: THE TRAIN OH NO THE TRAIN!
[a dog/horse hybrid-type creature steps off the train]
Shadow: What the **** is that?

Log Entry #42 (Red: The Creature from the Train)
Its legs are made of ivory, and its head of stone. It has the tail and ears of a dog, but the nose and mouth of a horse.
Its body is of the same material as the train. ..metal, that is. The eyes are headlights, shining bright on Dark's scared face.
It is as big as a.. pony, I suppose. Still massive, compared to us.
It trots on over to Dark, who screams for us to intercept.

Shadow hurries over to the.. the thing, but it vanishes, only to appear again behind Dark. He screams again as it grabs him with its mouth. ****. ****!
It moves with such impossible speed; it's on the train by the time we turn around. But wait, Dark! Wait!

It's no use. The train's doors close by the time we even register what just happened.

[the train drives off to the East]
Red: D-Dark...
Shadow: What the heck just happened?!
YamYam: Your friend's gone. He's on the G-Train now.
Shadow: What was that.. that THING, then?
Radizzy: It.. I think it was the Security.
Red: Security? You mean for the train?
Radz: Yeah.. your friend just showed up here, while I guess he wasn't supposed to be here. So the Security showed up to put him on the right train.
Red: And the right train.. that's the G-Train?
YamYam: Y-yeah...
Red: What's so bad about the G-Train, anyway? Where does it go?
YamYam: It.. well... Hell, I suppose.
Shadow: You "suppose!?" What do you MEAN, you "SUPPOSE?!" Do you know or not?!
YamYam: Well.. um..! No! Not for certain, at least.
?: It leads to the Katakooms.
[Shadow, Red, Yam-Yam, and Radizzy turn to look at the female Dark chao, now standing and facing them]
Red: The "Katakooms," huh?
Shadow: Who are you?
?: I'm Spammy, and you were thinking of going down there, weren't you? Down to the Katakooms.
Red: We really need our friend.
Spam: Don't worry about it. I'm going with you.
Red: Are you sure?
Spam: My brother is down there, too. I love him more than anything. I'm sure.
Shadow: ..thank you for your help.
Spam: Don't mention it. C'mon, let's get moving.
Shadow: Mov.. what, we're walking it?
Spam: Of course we are.
Shadow: We can't just take a train?
Spam: It'll take too long. C'mon. If we want to really do this, it's best we go to station 32 first.
[Spammy leads them down the West tunnel]
[they walk past a maintenance door]
Shadow: Wait, where does that go?
Spam: It takes you through the maintenance shafts.
Red: Great, maybe it might be a shortcut?
Spam: We mustn't enter the shafts. That's suicide.
[Shadow and Red pass curious glances]
Red: ..say, Spammy, ma'am?
Spam: That sounds ridiculous. Don't call me "ma'am."
Red: Right. Sorry. Um.. can you, perchance, tell us where we are?
Spam: The subway.
Red: Yes, of course. But.. WHERE? WHICH subway? What's up there?
Spam: It's.. just.. the subway.
Shadow: Then.. what's through those double doors? Above the station?
Spam: Above station 43? Hang on, let's take a left here.
[a turn to the left appears in the tunnel; the chao take it]
Spam: Well, above station 43 is, well... where'd you come from?
Shadow: We were just in Sancheria, which is.. in Chao World.
Spam: Then that's what's above it. The Chao World.
Red: Are you saying this subway travels between planets?
Spam: To be honest, I have no idea where the subway goes. I'm just saying, if you guys were last in that Chao World, then you found yourself at station 43..
Red: I see. Educated guess. Makes sense.
[another left turn appears; the chao take it]
Shadow: So.. these Katakooms.. trains go there and don't come back?
Spam: Oh, no, the trains come back. They come back under different names, but they come back. The passengers don't, though.
[they walk along]
Shadow: Man, the trains don't come much, do they?
Spam: Speak for yourself. They come too often for most of us.
Shadow: I'm just sayin'! It seems like we're able to walk between stations pretty easily.
Spam: Well, of course. Walking is rather safe.
Red: Is that so? Then why do chao wait at the stations in the first place?
Spam: Because of the Security. If we were to get caught walking-- rare, but it DOES happen-- then we'll be sent on the first G-Train to come along.
Red: Damn. ..what's in the Katakooms, anyway?
Spam: No one knows. All we know for certain is the name.
Shadow: Now, what, exactly, IS the Security?
Spam: The Security? It's the keeper of the tracks. It keeps order. It keeps peace. It keeps us.
[they arrive at a large station-- this one has two platforms, one on either side of the tracks]
[ten Neutral chao, seven Hero chao, and eight Darks are at this station]
Spam: Here we are, boys: station 32.
[they climb up to a platform]
Red: Right, and uh.. why were we coming here, again?
Spam: We're gonna need more than three of us to get to the Katakooms.
Shadow: Why didn't we just ask some of the people at the other station?
Spam: We're going back there on the way, aren't we?
Shadow: Oh. Yeah.
[they ask around the platform for anyone who wants to join in]
Spam: Nobody. Alright, then. Guess we're on our own.
Chief: Wait!
[John, the village Chief, runs up to them]
Chief: Ah, Red, Shadow! I thought that was you.
Red: Hey, Chief. We're going with Miss Spammy, here, to where Dark's being held.
Spam: Your friend, and my brother.
Chief: Hm. I get the feeling that's where Shade is, as well.
Shadow: Shade? What gives you that feeling?
Chief: He was taken away by some weird creature, so I figured he was being taken to some kind of prison.
Spam: He was taken by the Security, then. You'd best come with us.
Chief: I was intending on it.
[they start walking back West through the tunnels]
[on the way, Shadow and Red fill the Chief in on what they've been through, and vice versa]
[the Chief's story is simple: He and Shade woke up in the subway, then the Chief left for a bit, and when he came back, the Security was taking Shade away]
[after a bit of walking, they wake up again]

Log Entry #43 (Red: St..what?)
I can only assume that we traveled to another reality, because I.. I feel as if I'd dreamt our adventures in the subway. Ugh, my head is killing me. I think
I should go to the island on the other side of the pool, and have a lie down... in fact, I will.

WAIT WHAT
How is this possible? What? Where? But.. I mean... aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Keep calm, Red. You're usually the collected one in a state of panic
and fear, remember? *sigh* Okay. Okay.

We're.. in the Dark Garden. By "we," I mean Shadow, Dark, Shade and myself. Chao's here, too, as well as whatever other chao are supposed to be here. This is
absurd. Really. All the tombstones are in place, all the trees where they're meant to be, the sky's nice and black, the ground nice and purple... what the
heck is going on here? Were we just dreaming all of that? Like... ALL of it?

[cut to the Dark Garden; Shade, Dark, Red and Shadow are all there]
Shadow: Um.... what?
Dark: lolwut
Shade: This is getting a little silly. What was the point of that "subway" trip, anyway?
Red: Perhaps.. perhaps it was a metaphor of sorts?
Dark: A metaphor? Really? I hate books.
Red: Yeah.. I mean, perhaps it was intended to just be a transition? Subways are, after all, literal transitions.
Shade: Eh, I see what you're saying, Red, but... I dunno. For some reason, I don't think whatever forces we're up against are literary scholars.
Shadow: Pfft, I haven't heard of literary scholars who use every horror trick in the book.
DJ: SHUT UP
Shade: ..wait, Chao, are you okay?
[everyone looks at Chao, who is huddled in the corner, facing away]
Shadow: Chao?
[Shadow steps toward him; Shade stops him]
Shade: If you're so recognizing of horror tricks, you shouldn't fall for this one. Chao's obviously not Chao.
[Chao yawns, gets up, and turns around, showing he is, in fact, Chao]
Chao: Oh. Hey, guys! Back so soon?
[Shade stops stopping Shadow, who then goes up to Chao]
Shadow: Uh.. yeah, it's a long story, and we're not even aware of a lot of it, but we're back.
Chao: Well, welcome back. Did you get that chaos drive of yours?
Shadow: OH YEAH, I DID!
[Shadow pulls out his newly-acquired green chaos drive]
Chao: Oh, damn. Looks pretty. Mind if I...?
Shadow: Oh! Sure! Go ahead.
[Shadow hands the chaos drive to Chao, who observes it more carefully]
Chao: Interesting... these are peculiar structures, aren't they?
[BANGBANG]
Shade: HOLY ****
Red: That came from outside!
[the chao run out of the Dark Garden, out into the Chao Lobby]
[they run up the stairs and hear another BANG]
Chao: The Kindergarten!
[they run into Chao Pre-school And Kindergarten]

Log Entry #44 (Shadow: CPAK)
We ran up the wooden steps, opened the birch door, and found ourselves exactly where we expected to be-- the lobby for the school. We're not quite sure where
the bangs came from, but there's five of us, and five doors, right?

Shadow: I checked the Classroom. It was empty, though the toys on the ground were arranged oddly.. as if some kind of struggle of sorts happened in here.
Dark: I checked the Principal's Office. The Principal was just sitting there, working on some papers.
Red: I checked the Doctor's Office. Empty, though the chair was lying on the ground, and the pictures had been knocked off the walls.
Shade: I checked the Fortune Teller's room. The Fortune Teller was busy gazing into her crystal ball; she had no comments.
Chao: I checked the Black Market. The guy and the fish thing were both there, talking to each other. Boring!

We came back, checked each other's logs, and had a discussion. The transcript of the discussion is included.

Shade: No sign of anything, dude.
Shadow: Really? But.. but those bangs! I'm SURE they came from around here!
Chao: Perhaps they came from outside?
Shadow: Do you wanna CHECK outside, Chao?
Chao: Well.. no.
Shadow: Exactly.

A loud thump was then heard coming from inside the Principal's Office.

Shadow: What was that?
Dark: Probably just the Principal, stapling his papers.
Red: It was a loud thump!
Dark: Maybe he's got a super stapler?

I then decided to check for myself about Dark's "super stapler" claims.

The office was dark and musky. Musty. Mirky. It wasn't the best room in the world; let's leave it at that. There was every sign of there having been some
kind of struggle-- the pictures were no longer on the walls, the books had fallen out of the bookcase, a lamp was knocked over, and even the desk was
overturned. Then there's the biggest sign of a struggle-- the Principal, lying stone cold dead behind his overturned desk.

Shadow: Dark.
Dark: wat
Shadow: I understand you're stupid sometimes, but really.
Dark: wat.
Shadow: In your description of this room, the Principal "was just sitting there, working on some papers."
Dark: ya and
Shadow: He is clearly NOT ONLY lying, dead, on the floor.. but he is impossible to see upon first entering the room. One would have to walk around the desk.
Dark: yea but i know but yea but i know but yea but i know but yeah birch i know but yeah but i know but yeah birch i know but yeah but i know but yeah--
Red: Dark. Why didn't you mention anything about this room in your description?
Dark: Hey, don't blame it all on me! Shade was lying, too!

We all looked at Shade at this. He simply looked back at Dark. I checked the logs again, and left the Principal's Office. The others followed. I went to what
Shade claimed to have investigated-- the Fortune Teller's room.

This room was dark and muskustirky, too. Once again, a massive sign of a struggle-- the Fortune Teller's tent..cloth.. thing had collapsed. I moved up to it,
and checked underneath.

Shadow: Shade.
Shade: *sigh* What?
Shadow: You checked this room, right?
Shade: Yes.
Shadow: All of it?
Shade: Of course.
Shadow: Why did you omit a crucial detail in your report, then?
Shade: I only omitted, like.. little things.
Shadow: Like dead bodies?
Shade: Don't look at me, man! Chao omitted ****, too.

At this point, I was starting to get angry. And.. well, worried. After all, I had no idea what was going on. AT ALL. So I just walked off to the Black Market
and checked inside.

Shadow: Chao.
Chao: I know, I know.. the locker's full of dead people.
Shadow: Including the Doctor. Seriously, why'd you guys all lie?
Red: For the record, I wasn't lying. The Doctor's Office is empty, and shows signs of a struggle.
Shadow: Yeah, I believe YOU. But.. why did YOU guys lie?

Suddenly, I realized that Chao was gone. I heard the front door slam, and hurried to it, then opened it.

Outside looked about as normal as always-- a pathway leading to and from the Kindergarten, trees alongside it.. grassy fields otherwise.
Out of the corner of my eye, though, I saw a chao darting to just out of my field of vision-- around the building, in other words. I gave chase.
At the back end of the building, I didn't see Chao... but I saw some tall trees.

"Hello?"

Log Entry #45 (Red: Rabbit Hole, Reprise)
Grogginess. Dream-related delusions. We're now back in the subway.. in station 43. It is definitely station 43; everything matches up, save one important
detail: people. The station is completely deserted. Shadow looks around in shock, though he looks a lot more pale than I'd expect. We then gather our
bearings and remember what's going on in this reality. The Chief comes down from the stairs and sees us, then regroups with us. But wait.. where's Spammy?

rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
We hear the high-pitched whine of an oncoming train. The headlights shine, and the train, itself, pulls up to the station.
It is East-bound.
The G-Train.
It pulls up, and its doors open. For us.
Without thinking, the three of us step on board.
The doors then close, and the train springs into motion.

Log Entry #46 (Shadow: Bound to a Stream of Consciousness)
Help me, please. It's dark in here, and yet everything's brighter than my eyes are used to. All the lights are jamming on and twisting my beliefs of...
but where am.. Katakooms, right. I am standing in the center of the car, not gripping anything, yet I can clearly see out the window as if I were planted
next to one from the very start of my meaningless existence. The tunnel is so dark, so grim, so pitch black. I can't see out the windows at all. I only know
that we are moving in one difference toward a new future. Lead.
WAHEY HAHAHAHAAAA! That's more like it! Happiness and the future is bright. Where are my pants? That's right! I'm a chao; I don't WEAR pants! Not that I ever
needed them in the first place 'cause things are so SHINY AND HAPPY. Colon Dee, man. Colon Dee. I heard DJay loves Colon Dee more than he loves this script.
How is that possible? This script is the total best adventure into my own subconscious I ever built out of my own flash drives. If only Ulysses could see me
now! I always told him things would brighten up and life wouldn't seem as grim. Come to think of it, I think Ulysses is in this teacup with us. Where are
you, man? Me.
Ulysses, what's gotten into you? Since when were you a chao? You're so rad... it's as if your colours have drifted into the beyond with my aforementioned
knowledge of the unknown. Please cheer up, Ulysses. I'm beginning to make sense. You're killing the mood. You're killing me. You're killing us. I really
should put a stop to that, yessir mhmm a-yup. There's this glass.. I gotta break it 'cause we're in an emergency landing, you know, Ulysses? Lemme break it.
With my hand. Hey, where's the axe? Stanley Kubrick promised me an axe, but I only have a roque mallet. D'ya know much about roque, Ulysses? One of these
days, I'll teach you about it. I hear they have plenty of it where you're going. See this mallet? It's great. Please stop cryin', Ulysses. Remember all the
good times we've had. Remember the cities of gold? Come to think of it, they weren't that gold, were they? I think they were actually made of bi
truedgufdsvsjdi
rch. To.
Birch. Right. Ulysses, man... dude what the.. all the.. tunnels are turning blue. VOICES HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO YES HELLO I CAN HEAR YOU SHUT UP.
Seriously, SHUT UP! You're gonna drive me cds.sxf
crazy. Ah. The tunnels have paradigmed back to orange. The world has stopped hurtling into madness. It's now mellowing out to the tune of some free-form
jazz. Hey there, Ness. I want you to come into my hole, Ness. Don't be afraid. That red hat of yours is covering your eyes from the bane of our entire lives.
You know what I'm talking about? The pinnacle of our creation, Ness! Liar X. Agerate's coming 'round to slap us in the fists with his mighty handcuffs of
leather and ivorykegkwk9a FIvorRUEASFD
IVORY
IVORY
IVORY
PLEASE LEAVE
MISTER IVORY
I'M TRYING
TO TEACH
MY FRIEND
ULYSSES ABOUT
THE JOYS
OF ROQUE.
Hey, Ness. Would you mind telling Mister Ivory to leave us alone? Thanks plenty.
See, Ulysses... the key to roque is all in the swing. One side of the mallet's soft and relaxing. The other side is harder than DragonForce. ..that's hard,
right? Hope you like power metal, Ulysses. Please don't cry. Please. Things are gonna be a whole lot better where I'm sending you. There'll be birchwood and
businessmen and slenderbrothers and Facebook and child abuse and England and life and it sucks, man, it really sucks. Please get him out of there. Ulysses.
Please get him out of there. You don't want to go there, do you? I don't want to send you there, but.. but my job, Ulysses. It's my job. I have to. Without
this job, do you know where we would be right now? Out on the streets, that's where. Out on the flogging STREETS! Is THAT what you want?! Are you telling me
you want all of us to be, instead of adventuring in New York two serials from now, out on the STREETS?! 'Cause if that's what you want, we'll DO that. And
the best part? It'll be all your fault. Just like everything is, Ulysses. Just like everything always has been, Ulysses. Just like everything ALWAYS
i miss you
WILL
this roque mallet is so heavy time to crash it down
BE,
mister ivory what a surprise please move so i can punish
ULYSSES!
SMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASH!!!!
THERE, YOU LYING AND MANIPULATIVE LITTLE SHIFT. Those bruises you have are yours and yours only. I didn't want to get so barbaric. I'm sorry that I got so
barbaric, Ulysses. I'm sorry I got so barbaric. All I wanted to do was just disable you so you would not be able to cause any more trouble. It's so
barbaric. It doesn't matter. You made me do it. You struck first. You hit me. It was self-defense, Ulysses. You need to stop doing that to us. To me. It's
only hurting yourself, you waste of time. You utter idiot. I can't believe I even bothered wasting my time and my mallet on you. But hey! If you scream, I'll
cut you. Give me one good reason, and I will slit your throat. Stop crying on my bed, you overemotional jerk. Ulysses, get out of here. Never show your face
around here again. Try using something called Logic. I have it, and you do not. Though I imagine you're so backward, Ulysses, that you have another name
entirely for Logic. Knowing you, Ulysses, you call it "literal thinking." Get out. No. You know what, Ulysses? If you love her so much, you can have her. After all, I'm out of here. I'm out of here and you can just try living without me. You need me, Ulysses. You've always needed me, and you always will.
You're useless. Uselysses. You always did like puns, you retard. I don't know where I went wrong in mentoring you, Ulysses, but I imagine it was actually a
choice YOU made. You were always bad with choices, Ulysses.
Die.
Just die.
Please, Ulysses, just die.
Please.
How many times do I have to hit you before you shut up?
Stop hitting back, or I'll be forced to hold you down.
Too late.
Ness, guess who Ulysses just hit.
Ness, Ulysses just hit Logic.
You saw him. You know you did.
I flipped him over, and he'll say he was just grasping for support, but we both know that's not true.
He hit Logic.
His favourite mind trick, and he hit her.
He's on the ground, Ness. He can't fight back. Easy pickings. Help me out here.
Hey, are you okay, Logic? Don't worry, everything will be alright. Ness is beating Ulysses up for how he lashed out at you.
The savage.
..are you kidding me, Logic? Now even YOU doubt me? I can't believe you. None of you know what it means to get to where I am.
Now this is the story all about how my life got flipped, turned upside-down. It all started with the homeland. We were happy there, you know? But we still
weren't too happy. So my job took us here. Do you remember what life was like back then, Logic? It was just you and me, plus Jim Rennie and Ness.
........and HIM.
Yes, HIM. Ulysses. Always trying to be like Ness, but then going out and defending Jim from Ness. Ulysses never used LOGICAL thinking, did he? Yet these days
he's always complaining about how *I* never use it. Can you believe it? I'll tell you what else. Ulysses was lying when he said he defended me. He never did
in all his life. Ulysses hates me. You can see it in his eyes. That's why he's on the floor now. That's why Ulysses is crying and bruised. He never loved me.
I just want love and support, Logic. Is that so much to ask? Now not even you can provide me with the love I deserve. Go get a job.
Hey, Ness. Ness, you having fun there? Listen, Ness. Logic's got a job now. She's working the days. I get even less love now. I can't believe it. Hey, Ness.
Ness, have you heard of Jelly? Jelly's a fantastic girl, Ness. She can love me in ways I've never experienced.
Logic? You back from work? Listen, I'll be right back. I've got to go to the toilet. You just sit there, but watch out! Don't let Ulysses hit you. The.
Shadow to the toilet. Things are dark. Can you hear that rumbling? I think we've still got a long way to go. I can hear blood. The blood is whispering sweet
nothings into my ears. Bliss unappreciated is bliss none.
Captain Curator is mad now.
Logic, I'm back. Oh, it was just a trip to the toilet! You know that. How's Ulysses? Not hurt yet, I imagine. He's starting to change, though, and I don't
like that. I don't like that one bit. Do you hear how he hates me? Do you hear that? C'mon, I KNOW you do! Heh.. of course! How could you NOT hear it? It's
in the way he says things. Here, let me show you. Just as an example. Don't worry, I won't get mad at him.
Hey, Ulysses. You hungry? We've got pies. Fresh.. yummy..... meat pies. Lamb. Steak. Kidney. ....oh, you rotting carcass of a person. Get out. GET OUT. NOW.
Wow, Logic, did you hear that? Did you? "I thought you meant SWEET pies, not MEAT pies." Can you not hear the pure, barely contained contempt?! He hates me.
I knew it. I can't believe it. I'm not safe in my own safety anymore. Listen, when he comes back, make him wish he never said that. Okay? Okay. Screw it;
I'll go get him, myself.
ULYSSES! Get back here, you runt. I didn't say you could leave. Why are you always so mean to me? GET THE **** IN THE CAR. Oh, hey Logic. Hey, Ness. Welcome
to the car. WHAT was that, Ulysses? ...you lying little.. I did no such thing. YOU hit ME, Ulysses. Then you fell onto the table. Like a cat. A stupid little
cat. You're so dramatic, Ulysses. OH NO YOU DO NOT. Even if you WERE to, they wouldn't believe you.
They don't believe you, Ulysses.
I don't believe you.
Ness doesn't belive you.
Logic doesn't believe you.
You don't even believe yourself, Ulysses.
Self-defense, Ulysses. Get out. Get out, and don't even think of coming back. We're in the middle of nowhere, Ulysses. You can't escape to some other place.

[cut to Station 44; Red is about to be kicked out of the train by Shadow, but he steps to the side and Shadow simply kicks thin air out]
Shadow: This'll teach you to disrespect me, Ulysses. We're not coming back for you.
[the train doors close; the train resumes moving]

Finally, Ulysses is out of my life for good. I've never felt happier, Logic!
rrrrrrrrrrrAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHH, NO WAY.
No matter how many times I kick you out, Ulysses, you always wind up coming crawling right back! Where's your apology THIS time, HUH?! I'll tell you where it
is; it's up your behind! Ah, flog it.
Logic, can you believe how utterly SELFISH and ABUSIVE this guy is? Ulysses is just plain DANGEROUS.
..did you hear that? Excuse me for a second.
SMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASH!!!!!!!!
That's for disrespecting me, Ulysses. You had better learn your place. YOU do not tell ME to shut up, DO YOU HEAR ME?! SHUT UP.
OH, THAT'S IT. COME HERE.
You know, Ulysses, it's not like I'm trying to hurt you on purpose or anything, but the Radio Gnomes are always telling me which thing is which and who is
not right for this world. They told me last night that I would need to hold you down. So I'm doing that now. DO. YOU. HEAR. ME. YOU. RE. TARD?! Someone has
got to knock some sense into you. Who better than I? GET BACK HERE. You clearly didn't get the lesson right the first time around.
And this time, Ulysses, no one is watching.
I bet you're wondering how I got to be so mad. After all, you may remember that I did not always act like this. The answer is simple.
It's YOU.
YOU, Ulysses.
YOU are the reason behind my anger.
YOU are the reason behind your own suffering.
Jelly has nothing to do with this. SHUT YOUR STUPID MOUTH. It's YOU, ALL YOU.
Now hold on a minute, Ulysses. I'm not through with you yet. Not by a long shot. You think things are confusing now? You think you don't know what's gotten
into me? Well, things will only get worse.. at least, until I've TAUGHT you a lot more. I need to TEACH you exactly WHAT has gotten into me.
Would you like a glass of water, Ulysses? NO?! WHAT THE **** IS WRONG WITH YOU?! You're just being confrontational now. Get out.
Would you like to watch this movie with us, Ulysses? No? ......
You little piece of dung.
WHY?!
WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS DOING THIS, ULYSSES?!
WHY?! WHY?! WHY?!
No, don't curl up like some defensive little wimp! Get your little *****y self out and EAT THIS.
LOGIC, DO SOMETHING. Ulysses is out of control.
Yes, come help out.
..Ulysses, stop squirming! Let me show you what your footing is like.
OH MY
NESS, HE'S DONE IT AGAIN.
The savage has gone and hit Logic ag..
......again?
But wait.
He's never done this before.
What.. but I'm certain he has.
I'm certain all of this has happened recently. What...
Ah, it doesn't matter! Ness, teach Ulysses why he should just stop trying!
Yes, stall for time. I have a LOT of anger in me, you see... and I just need to find the proper
OUTLET...
Much like this roque mallet.
In fact, I'd say this is the PERFECT outlet for my anger.
Ulysses is lying, sprawled out on the ground. He's crying, the little wuss. Look at all those bruises. Self-inflicted, obviously.
Oh, though he DOES have a bit of rug burn.. massive rug burn. But that was his own fault in the end.
Anyway, Ulysses is lying there, not even covering himself, not fighting back. Just enduring Ness' beatings.
And here I am with a roque mallet.
Logic, why don't you relax? Relax and watch as I slam this mallet down on Ulysses' retarded little backwards-thinking head.
All work and no play makes Logic a dull girl, you know.
Quit your day job. It's not like you deserved it, anyway. Play with me. And Jelly.
You had better watch this closely. Pay particularly close attention to Ulysses' crying face, grimacing during the moment before the impact.
Yes, the impact.
The impact of the hard side of this roque mallet on his little skull.
You had better watch, Logic.
Watching is respecting, and you do NOT want to disrespect me.
Do
man this mallet is heavy
as
its a little hard to hold it above my head
I
look at the runts face all tearstained and wide eyed
say,
he knows whats about to happen and knows he deserves it
not
he knows he deserves every little ounce of the pain hes about to get
as
look at ness just pounding away
I
look at logic watching me is she scared nah shes not scared no way after all we all hated ulysses he deserves this
DO!
SMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASH!!!
*crunch*
*splrrrrrt*
Get out, into the cold with you, Ulysses. Ark.
All is red now. All I can see is red. The blood is sticky yet oh-so sweet. The blood is still talking to me. It is telling me what's in store for us.
We've got to get out of this flying teapot before it collides with that cat. I want to give my fish and chips to that cat.
From fear through the eyes of madness, there is no world for tomorrow.
Good Apollo, there is no world for tomorrow.
Good Apollo, I'm burning
YOU HAVE NOW REACHED STATION IV, THANK YOU FOR RIDING AND HAVE A NICE DAY.


[cut to a deserted subway station-- Station 4]
[Dark and Shade are sitting on benches, waiting for the train to arrive]
[..which it has, and the doors open]

[first, out steps the Village Chief, pale as a ghost, holding his head]
Shade: Bro?
Chief: AAAAHHHHHH. ...don't.. call me.. "bro."
Shade: Wh..what the fetch happened?
Chief: Shadow... and the... Red.. and..

[second, Red steps off the train, even paler and holding himself tight]
Shade: R-Red?
[Red doesn't appear to have heard him]
Shade: Hey, Red?
Red: ......h....
Shade: What? What is it, I can't hear you?
Red: .....hatred.
[Red clutches himself even tighter and shuts his eyes]

[finally, carrying what looks very much like a croquet mallet, Shadow leaves the train]
[Shadow suddenly drops the mallet, mutters something about "Yulessus," then collapses]


Log Entry #47 (Shade: Aftermath of.. THAT)
Well! ...I'm never reading that log entry ever again. Ever. Instead, I grabbed Shadow and Dark led Red (John followed us) up the nearby stairs.

*yawwwwwn* Was.. that a nightmare? Wait, no, right, right. Of course. Well, we're back in Sancheria. It's getting extremely dark around here.. and we're all
starting to show more than a few signs of tire. ..wait, what'd we go down the hole for in the first place, again? Oh, right, Dark. Yeah, see... I woke up in
Station 32, then rode the G-Train down to Station 4. Turns out Dark was there, too. I sat down by him, and.. I just knew it'd be best to wait there. For the
others. Looks like I was right. Though I'm not entirely sure what the heck went down on that train... or, for that matter, what to make of that odd Village
Chief. Remember him? He was the first to tell us about the birchmen, though it looks like he was lying. Whoever he was, anyway. Honestly, I don't know what
to make of ANY of this.

Honestly, I'm starting to really want to leave.

Log Entry #48 (Dark: What I Remember)
In case anybody's wondering, I fainted in some hut, then woke up down in the subway. I met some little baby Dark chao, and he told me to wait. There wasn't
much else to do; there was just a staircase and the train track in front of me. Eventually, Shade arrived, and HE waited with me! Then, this female Dark
chao showed up. She had walked all the way here! She hugged the little chao, then the two went up the stairs. Then later on, the other guys showed up.

I gotta admit, tonight's pretty scary so far. Shade sure has the best Halloween ideas.

Log Entry #49 (Red: The G-Train)
We woke up in the station, then stepped onto the train. We were.. we were just drawn onto it. The train ride started off kinda weird, I guess... it felt like
we were being watched from all directions, even though it was a pretty empty claustrophobic space. Then suddenly, Shadow starts mouthing off about "Ulysses"
and "Ness." He.. he called ME "Ulysses," and the Chief "Ness." He asked me about roque a lot. I.. I don't know anything about roque, I swear. Then, the whole
train turned dastardly blue. I turned around and saw the Security watching us from the car ahead. Then everything turned orange and the Security vanished.
That was when Shadow started.. going crazy. He started swinging a mallet (which he miraculously attained) around, whether at me or just where he thought I
was. ..no, that's not entirely accurate. He never swung at me. He was swinging it at this... allegorical Ulysses. Allegorical, metaphorical.. I have no idea
what in the world Shadow's rant was about, but it sounded almost as if he had planned out a very complex other life.

Then the train stopped at what I assume was Station 44, and he tried to kick me out. Shortly after he missed, he started mentioning two new characters: "Jim
Rennie," and "Logic." He even spent time facing these almost-detailed figments of his imagination, and talking directly to them. Towards the end, though, he
just lashed out again and again, and verbally assaulted me nonstop. It was nothing but swings and insults for the rest of the ride. I'll admit, he got me
with ONE swing, though it wasn't that bad. Then, a few seconds before we arrived at our destination, he slammed the mallet on the ground (presumably for the
'final kill' of this Ulysses character), and remained frozen in a pose of confusion and possible victory.

I'm scared. What happened to the Katakooms? To Spammy? The other Village Chief? Hell, a LOT of things?!
..wait a second. I know where we are. This.. this is the acre with the vista in it. The vista.. the aisle of trees!

Log Entry #50 (Shadow: ..Groggy Checklist)
I'm.. I'm okay. Ugh... that was just nonstop anger for a good while. I'm afraid I may have hit Red. But.. but I need to keep calm. At least for the sake of
the checklist.
If we value our lives in any form, we should NOT, under any circumstances,
- Follow and/or approach the "other chao." (Nope. .....UNLESS... O___O; NO WAY. It doesn't mean.. just plain ANY other chao..? Does it?)
- Go near that aisle of trees. (Haven't gone in yet. :D Though we are there right now.)
- Enter any holes in the ground, whether surrounded by bodies, or with a ladder inside. (....yeah. ._.)
- Go in any houses. (Not houses, no.)
- Go in ANY houses. (Nope!)
- Go NEAR any houses. (Nuh-uh.)
- Enter any houses. (Bam.)
- Go in any houses. (Didn't do it at all. This time.)
Oh, and we must make sure to keep our eyes on the trees. That sounds fairly easy, considering we'll be in a forest.

"Keep an eye on the trees..." at this point in time, I think I'd like to keep a close eye on EVERYTHING.
And everyONE.



(Tale Three)
[cut to the house, a hallway on the top floor]
[Mecha Knuckles and Mephiles are in a dark hallway; two windows are open, letting some light in]
MK: I think I hear the Doll over here...
[SLAM-- one window slams shut]
[SLAM-- the second slams shut]
Mp: ...d--
MK: Not a word. Nothing happened. C'mon.
[they enter the next room-- the attic]
[the Tails Doll is sitting there, shaking]
MK: Whoa, Doll, you alright?
TD: ....yeah. Yes, I am. Just.. zombies. Freaky zombies.
Mp: This house is crazy, man. We've got to get out of here.
TD: I agree with that.
MK: Well, there's nobody here 'cept us chickens, so let's.. go! C'mon.
TD: There's some kind of hatch here, in the floor.
[the Doll opens up a floor hatch; the three go in, and open another door to a hallway]
[this hallway leads up to ANOTHER door]
Mp: Hallway overkill in this damn house.
MK: Yeah, but a hallway is better than, say, a morgue or something scary like th
KRRRRRRRSH
[the woman appeared in front of the door right before they fell through the floor]
[they fell down a considerable distance, then awoke in another hallway]
Mp: ..seriously? I fell AGAIN? This place just LOVES collapsing. And watch, that woman's gonna appear by this door in front of us once we go up to it.
[she does, then vanishes]
Mp: Freaking CALLED it.
[the next room, they find, is the front room of the house; the front door is there, and windows overlooking the forest outside]
All: YES!
Mp: I am SO sick of this place.
MK: This whole place has just been one big mindfreak.
[they leave the house (at around 8:40), and find the forest to be littered with zombies]
[fast ones, slow ones, mean ones, shy ones, big ones, small ones, all moving towards them]
Mp: Enough is ENOUGH! I have HAD it with these mother****in' zombies in this mother****in' house! Everybody, strap in.
[Mephiles hands the Tails Doll and Mecha a gun]
Mp: *wields shotgun* I'm about to open some ****in' windows.
[they slowly step off the front porch of the house and into the forest]
[they fire left and right, killing off the zombies one by one]
[in the end, the zombies start to flood in from all directions]
MK: **** it, man! Run! There's the car!
[they run to the car]
FLASH
[the woman is standing in front of the car]
[Mephiles, Mecha Knuckles, and the Tails Doll simply stare at her as she stares back]
[luckily and conveniently, Eggman is standing right behind them]
Egg: Let's go, boys.

[cut to the void in the middle of absolutely nowhere]
Egg: I fear we have made a mistake.
MK: Wh..wait, what just happened?
Egg: We had no idea of the presence of that house. If we'd have known, we would have sent you a little closer to your destination.
TD: Wait, no really, what just happened?
Egg: You were about to be trapped in that house forever.
MK: And.. you saved us?
TD: Wait, why couldn't you have just saved us when we first crashed?!
Egg: We did not then think that you were in danger. We were hoping you would have just kept on walking along the highway.
TD: What about when we got lost in the house?
Egg: To keep things simple, we had to wait until you were well out of the house.
MK: Right. Right. So.. what about the effing chaos drive, then? Will we just have to try again?
Egg: No, see.. there WAS a chaos drive in that house.
TD: There was?!
Egg: Sure was. And we're in luck! Mephiles happened to have grabbed it.
MK: Well, that's fantastic, then! Mephy, you sly dog, way to go..... wait a minute.
Egg: Which brings me to the NEXT issue.
Where is Mephiles?
TO BE CONTINUED... in Episode 74!