Date: September 21, 2023
Mission: Investigating Paranormal Activity
Tonight’s mission veered into territory I never imagined we’d explore. It started with a call from an old friend of Phreak’s, a woman named Clara. Clara considers herself a Wiccan, deeply in touch with the paranormal. She was convinced that an abandoned house down the street was haunted by demons. Phreak, who has had his own brushes with the spirit realm and claims to see ghosts, was immediately intrigued.
I, on the other hand, am a skeptic. Phreak dragged me along, determined to investigate. “Come on, Kamen,” he said, eyes gleaming with excitement. “Let’s see what we’re dealing with.”
The Investigation
We arrived at the house just as the sun set, casting long, eerie shadows across the overgrown yard. The house itself was a dilapidated mess, with boarded-up windows and a sagging roof. Clara met us there, looking worried but hopeful.
As we entered the house, strange things began to happen almost immediately. Cold drafts, whispers in the dark, and the unmistakable feeling of being watched. I tried to rationalize it, attributing everything to the wind and our imaginations, but Phreak was unfazed. He seemed to sense something I couldn’t.
After a particularly intense gust of cold air, I decided to have a discussion with Bizzy through the HeroNet interface. I needed to understand what was happening. We brainstormed and conjured up a device: the HeroPAD (Hero Paranormal Activity Detector).
Creating the HeroPAD
Bizzy and I spent all night collaborating on the device. Using a 3D-printed case, a Raspberry Pi, and various sensory devices, we created the HeroPAD. It compiled environmental data from the area and aggregated it. When there was a deviation, it allowed for a random word to be spoken from its library.
Exhausted but determined, I finally caught up on some sleep. The next night, Phreak and I returned to the house, HeroPAD in hand.
The Encounter
We set up the HeroPAD in the center of the living room and waited. The air was thick with anticipation. The device began to speak: “I…” The word echoed through the room, sending shivers down my spine. “Cannot…” I exchanged a glance with Phreak, who remained calm and focused. “…Rest.”
A chill ran down my back as the words reverberated in the silence. Phreak, remarkably composed, spoke to the empty room. “Why can’t you rest? What is keeping you here?”
The HeroPAD lit up immediately. “Murder…betrayal…Loss.” The words hung in the air, heavy with meaning. There was a long pause, and then the device spoke again, one word that was not part of the database, something it should not have been able to say based on its programming: “PHREAK!”
The chill that went down my back was indescribable. I looked at Phreak and saw the blood drain from his face. He looked at me, and we made an unspoken agreement to get out immediately.
The Aftermath
We quickly got into his truck, the silence between us thick with unspoken fear. As we drove away, Phreak muttered, “It wanted me there. It baited me.”
I asked no more questions. This was something I had no understanding of. The HeroPAD, our creation, had communicated something beyond our comprehension. As a skeptic, I was left questioning everything I thought I knew.
Reflection
As I sit here writing this entry, I’m still grappling with the events of the past two nights. The HeroPAD worked beyond its intended purpose, and the experience has left me shaken. Phreak’s calm in the face of the unknown was both impressive and unnerving.
Tonight’s mission has reminded me that there are things in this world we may never fully understand. It has opened my eyes to possibilities I never considered and left me with more questions than answers.
Until the next adventure,
Kamen