Isn't That The Way They Say It Goes?

On my way to my final exam.  Last day of classes.  I spot this:

Sorry about the quality, it's a quick snap while I was in a hurry, looks like my phone case got in the way.  Something done in chalk isn't unusual.  There's always one thing or another drawn on the sidewalks in public areas at the college.
This was closer to the dorms.  Someone's drawing Operator Symbols on the sidewalk, recently enough that the rain hasn't washed them away.  Those things are usually the sign of a runner, or someone going crazy/proxy.  And that person is likely to be going home tomorrow.

Needless to say, I was not fully concentrating on my final.

Edit: Since about half of these observations are visual, I've tried a bit of code to allow you to zoom in on pictures without clicking.  Comment if you hate it.

Spy, Spy, Pretty Girl

It's not as easy to forget about the things that lurk in the darkness as I thought.  Part of it is that I'm working on a report based on my Slender Man research.  It doesn't look like it, of course.  It looks like a demographic study of crimes reported, and has been exactly as dull to write as it sounds.  Which gives me plenty of time to think of what the research was really about.  And to notice a jump in "Tall, White Male" sightings three years ago.  And another last year.
Last year, the year of the murder.  Not a fire, not a 'suicide', not a disappearance.  A girl's room covered in blood, her body completely dismembered, her internal organs apparently found in the woods days later.  The fact that it wasn't one of the biggest news events in the state makes me wonder if the Panopticon's right.  Shouldn't everyone have heard of it?  The few people I talked to about it seem not to remember how horrifying the event was.  In their memories, her boyfriend stabbed her, or she was shot by a burglar.  None of the reports are available to the public...that's unusual, after a year, right?

The dead girl's roommate is still enrolled, though all the information I have on her is a name.  Should I seek her out, find out what really happened to her roommate?  Or should I leave the poor girl out of this?

They're Whispering His Name

Final projects due, and a pile of data to go through.  It gives you a good idea how self-centered we are.  I know that the world doesn't work quite the way I thought it did.  I'm reading about death, loss, and terror...but since it's not my death or loss, I'm still concentrating on my normal life.  Still, I thought I'd update.  Here's an example of what I've been seeing:

The <Redacted> Police Department responded to <Address Redacted> near 7PM in response to multiple reports of a trespasser in the area.  No crime was committed, but the volume of calls prompted a response.  Callers reported feeling threatened by the man, but did not report any specific illegal actions when questioned.  The intruder is described as an unusually tall, white male dressed in a black suit.  

No crimes associated with those reports.  Not directly.  No one saw who caused the fire two weeks (and four more reports) later.  Sure, there was a strange, tall man lurking outside the sorority house a month before that girl died last year.  But if he did it, somebody would have noticed, wouldn't they?  I don't know if the police have noticed the pattern yet.  They don't grow 'em that bright in the South.  And with the Panopticon active here, I wouldn't be surprised to see the more obvious evidence disappearing.

Fucking hell.  I found a door to the Empty City.  And instead of closing this blog and never searching again, I continued on.  Now, in the spirit of scientific inquiry, I've found exactly the pattern I expected.  Lurking intruder, white male, no crimes.  Followed shortly by...events.  Arson and murder.  Missing persons.  Suicides. No witnesses, few suspects.  It's not proof, but it all points to the Slender Man.

Into This World We're Thrown

First Panopticon Guy:  "Hey, somebody took a picture of a doorway into the Empty City, and seems to be actively searching them out."
Second Panopticon Guy: "There is no Empty City.  This is the best of all possible worlds."
FPG:  "Well, yeah, but he was still snooping around the doorway that doesn't exist.  How should we deal with that?"
SPG:  "Tell him there's no Empty City?  We really don't have a lot of tools here, you know."
FPG:  "Should I mention that this is the best of all possible worlds, too?"
SPG:  "You know it, bro!"

This is the only way I can possibly explain what I found today when I went back to check the suspicious doors I looked at on Wednesday.  Door one and two, no change.  Door three, though?  Pictures speak louder than words.
This is what was waiting for me where the third photo on my last post was taken:

I get the message.  Fuck off,  we have this under control.  But it means these runners aren't crazy.  The door really did disappear.  I saw something that is supposed to be impossible.  I took a fucking photo of something that's impossible.  And somebody noticed.  I'm not sure right now which fact is scaring me more.

You Know the Day Destroys the Night

So, science time, kiddies!  Found out where to access the crime data I was looking for, but there's a whole hell of a lot of it to sift through.  For the moment, we get a few pictures of me trying to catch doors disappearing.  

First, a building with pairs of doors every thirty or forty feet contains this at the far end.  Second instance of room 301 in the building.  Still there when I checked it again, so probably just a strange architectural choice.  Or a long-term Door.  I suppose I should try opening it...opening without going through is safe, right?

Second door, out of place again, right next to a utility access door.  First picture I took, and I missed getting the access door in the shot, unfortunately.  117-A is right next to 117, so the numbering is closer to normal.  

Pretty much just keeping this here as a record in case I was right, and the lack of any other XXX-A rooms was a clue.  It's far from my usual location so I didn't have time to check it again.

This one was promising.  A long expanse of bare wall with the building's primary exits some distance away.  Aaand, my camera fucks up.  It's not like I was trying to take video of Slenderman or anything. Definitely worth going back to examine on Friday.  

That's all for today.  If you manage to spot any signs I missed, comment.  Otherwise, no direct research until Friday.  Hopefully I can get something up about the crime reports tomorrow.


Edit: On further examination, there's no way in hell I'm getting these crime reports looked through by tomorrow.  

Clinical, Intellectual, Cynical

I must have typed the right thing into Google, because on my second attempt, information about the Panopticon organization just seemed to spread out before me.  An insane, powerful group trying to ignore the Fears in the hope that they go away.  It's a nice theory, actually.  They inspired me to do some research.  The logic is, if the Fears exist as anything other than a pernicious meme-complex, there will be evidence.  I'm in a city, and I attend one of the largest universities in the country.  If even a few people are targets of the Fears, there should be evidence to find.  What to look for?

Obviously unexplained disappearances are a sign of all of them.

• Archangel: unusual religious activity, Timberwolves, the symbol, dead people seeming to return to life
• Black Dog:  unusual fang marks, guilt-based "suicide", reports to animal control
• The Choir: nonsensical arguments, explosive misunderstanding, mold
• Cold Boy: freezing to death in this climate would be very obvious
• Convocation: unusual behavior among birds, scarred minions
• EAT: strange obsessions, Camper, odd fascination with water...good climate for EAT here
• Empty City: doors where doors ought not be, might be difficult to spot in college buildings, but clear proof if it happens
• Plague Doctor: unusual illness
• The Rake: particularly bloody murder, strange reports to animal control
• The Slender Man: fires, Operator symbol, reports of stalkers without crime
• Smiling Man: bodies without hearts, flowers, not very subtle

Anyone know what the word is on the Archangel taking over existing religious groups?  Also, curious about the duration of Empty City doors.  Should I be comparing them to photos the next day, or five minutes later?  

I almost feel stupid looking for this.  It's not really the place of science to go hunting gods and demons.  Still, I don't see why it wouldn't work.  If there's no sign at all, I can get the idea out of my head.  

Everybody's Looking for Something

It occurs to me that "weird stuff that happened last time I looked into stuff about the Slenderman" sounds like a cliche.  Like there will be some kind of traumatic revelation later, and I've been being followed all along.  (Dun-dun-DUUUNNNNN!) 
No such luck.  Apartments equal strange noises.  A week of creepy stuff late at night when everyone else is asleep gets the imagination into overdrive.  In the end, I woke up the rest of the apartment after thinking my shadow in the hallway was the Slenderman for a second. 
I've got a weakness for strange and mysterious things.  I like to believe this kind of stuff is real.  A completely rational world is a little predictable, maybe even boring.  Sure, a lot of this stuff is probably fiction.  But, maybe it's not.  Maybe there's actually an Alice who will find Jeanette a little faster.  Maybe I've done something good. 
On the other side of that possibility, maybe my searching will wake up something dangerous.  Perhaps my inquiries on the subject of the Panopticon have not gone unnoticed.  Maybe that wasn't my shadow in the hall.
Yeah, sure, and maybe I've pissed off Zalgo with the silly thing I posted yesterday. 

The More You Dream the Less You Sleep

So...Fear Mythos and the Slenderman...alternate reality gaming and creepypasta?  Or eldritch abominations and incomprehensible doom?  It would be just my luck to be eviscerated by something I originally read about on TVTropes.  Well, I'm sure commenting on a few blogs doesn't count as "Meddling in Things Man Was Not Meant To Wot Of."
I'm sure the weird, terrifying stuff that scared me off the first time I was investigating Tall, Dark, and Faceless was just my overactive imagination.  (note to self, no matter how much fun it is, don't read creepypasta for four hours in a row at night) I'm actively researching the whole merry band of abominations, and nothing strange has happened yet.

Everybody In the Whole Cell Block

Been researching the Fear Mythos, but have yet to hear of what the Panopticon is. Hints are that it's some kind of secret organization. The word means "watcher of all", and I keep finding a prison design in my searches. Just a tiny bit ominous, that. Hope Proxiehunter is in hiding, rather than caught.

Days When the Rains Came

That's better.  The old design looked like a fresh Windows install or something.  Back to digging through creepy stuff on the internet. 

Bad Vibrations

T̵̋́͘o͊͋̃̃̅̒̽̿ ̈́͒̓͒͟͡p̀ͣ̋ͫ͛͡͝r͐̆̊͌̾̑͗͡ơ̛̽̽̍̍͌̆̈́̐ͨţ̵ͦ̇ͮͥ̌̅e̋ͨ͂̔͢͝c̑̓̔̎͑́͜t̷̊̓ͪ̈̽͢͜ ̵̡̃͐̆̾ͨ̋̿̿ͬt̵̽̒ͩ̾ͪ̌͊̈́͘҉h̡̆͌̃ͩ̈e̵̅͜ ̸ͧ͗̕҉ẘ͐̍ͥo̽̉́͘͝r̷͐̎̎͡͡l̃͋ͪdͯ͞ ͦ͊͊͐ͯͮ͗͠f̨͒͒̔̒͂̌́r͆ͤ̉̆͗ͤ̽̐͏́ǫ͐ͬ̽͝mͨͤ́ ̴ͭ͌̄̋̎ͭ͋̈́͐̕d̒ͣ̀̎ͭ̿͒ͥ̕͢͢ē̴̏̒ͤ̍͠v̊͊ͫ̐̉a̔ͦ̇͆̈́ͥ̆ͦs̅ͣ̓ͤ̏t͛͒̈́aͨ̾ͬ͜t̵̋̌̓ͦͪ̊͢͟í̵̉̐͏o͒̌͝n̛ͥ͗̿̂ͨͪ̐͡ň͒͜͠
T̸̵͚̱̉̂̅̿͋̈́̚o̖͙̲̬͎̬͙̻̽ͩ̏̈̑̿ͧ ̶͚͕̯̥̘͓̩͂̐̓̀ḭ̮͛́ņ̬̗̼̩̮͍͔͚̣̋̐ͫ̀̒͝v̸̢͔͔̞̩́̒̉o̷͕̬͍̮̯͍̭̹̍̌ͤ͗̀̚͜k̾̑̄̉҉̝̱̺̫͔̣̕e͍̭͕͙̦̥̫ͮ̑ͣ͢͢ ͎̭̲̤̼͉͔̩ͧ̊̔t̥͔̥ͣ̂̊͗́ͅh͙̝̞̖̭͒̆̓̄ͬ͗̌ͫ̿̀e̥̫ͮͪͫ͂̇͘ ͓͔̳ͣ̌ẖ̯ͨ̽̂̌̒̍͠͝i̜̲̤̮͇̱̋ͥ͋v̧͈̩͎̪̣̤͎͇̜ͯ̓̊̄ͨ͂ē̖̰̞̅̾͋̈͝-͚͖͙̫͉̜̣̦̘̈̒ͬ̓͂ͦ͋̌̅̀m̥̪̣̓̉ͮͨ͊͑iͭͨͩͫ͗͟҉͕̖̼͎n̛̹͓̯͙͍̠̓̏͆͡d̸͔̲͖͕̮̝̂̎ͬͬ͋̓ ̷̢̪̘̱̥̹̜̟̳̳͑̓ͮ̌̏ͩ͠r͚͖̺̓͋͡e̜̥͇̰͂̌͐̐̏̿̍̉́͢pͥ͐̽̎͛͒ͪͤ͏̸̮̫͕̼̫ͅr͇̹͇̹̯̹͗ͩ̉͑e̶͕̼̟̩͈̿ͥ̓̽ͬ̄̄̈̾s͚͚̖ͮͫeͨ̄́͏͖͎͉̣̺̣͎̩n̢̢̢̠͖͎ͬͤ̃ͦ̏͆ͥt̝̳̦̟͔̰̂̓̀̀ͅi͈̬͖̱̻̮̘ͨ́ͨͬ̉͐̚͢͡ͅn̵̟̭̻̋̒͋̈́ͦ̏̈́͢g̷̛͓̪̺̫ͭͫ̕ͅ ͆͏̛̹̪̫͉̱̦̣͞c͉̹̫̜̣̩̍ͫ̀̀͜h̡̫ͭ̍͞a̢̛͙̫̼̙̽̐ͮ͢o̓ͪͦ͛͐̑͟͏̥̖̣̼͉̰̖s͍̘̮͉̦͈̞̿ͬ̂ͤ̊́.͔̱̥͈͕̘͖̆̂̿ͯ
T̨ͤͪ͒̄ͧo͂̎ͭ͞ ̋̈̍͞d̶͌̈́͂̆͋ͯ͠è̚҉n̷͂̅ơ̏̒̓̎͞ű̃ͩ͂̀͛̒͟͟n̛ͯ̈́ͭ̐̇ç̊̎̾ē̄ͦ̿̅̒̽ͨ́ ͬ͑̔̓͛̍͝tͩͭ͞hͪ̅͜e͗͑̂̈́ͫ̉ͭ̇͠ ̶ͯ̓ͬ͗eͤvͯ͒͂̅͛͗̀҉i̡̛͊ͭlͧͣ͌͏̵̀sͬ̊̽͘ ̇̄ͦ͢o̷̔̎ͧ͘͢f̷ͤ͌̾͋͜͡ ̡̨ͭͪ̚t̓̊͟͝r̉̑͢u̶ͧ͑͐̂̽tͦͮͨ̋ͥ̉̐̕͠h̎ͦ͐̕ ̶͋̃åͦ̀̒̔̋̔n̡͆̌ͨ͝d̸ͯ͐̀ͯ̐͋ͦ͌ͨ҉ ̓̽̅͜l̵̛͐̈̒o̒̐̑͌͐̽͐͐͝v̷̡̛̇̏͆͛ͨ̐̚e̷̢ͫñ̵ͣ̈́̐ͦ
T̸̈̈́͂ͨ́́̚͞ȍ͑̈́̅ ̂ͫͫ̿e̡̐̄ͨ̈́̅ͬ͞x̢̓ͧ̚t̢̂̅ͭ͢e̎̊̌̄̊̓͠͞nͩͧ̆̈́̇͊̇ͧͩ͢͞d̐̉̓ͣ͝͏ ̵̶̉̑̊o̡ͫͨu̸̧͊ͫ̍̚̕ŕ̶̔̑̄͗̎ ̧ͦ͛̈́ͧͩ͑r̶̡̂͒͗͊͛́ͤͣéͣͨͧͬ͂ͬa͒̂̾͂ͣ͊c̛̈́͂̽̎ͭ́̚̚͢hͥ̂̎̍ͩ̋ͧͪ͠͏ ̋͞͏̨f̟̱̠̜̙̒ͩr̛͎̱̮̬̞͒͑̿ͬ̌̓͌o̱͒̈͊̽̀̓m̑ͨ͏͇̟̝̝̣͔̘̯ ̎̒ͯ̐ͧ̊̌͝t̅̀ͣ̆ḧ̴̷̊͑̄̊͢ė̉͂́̐̑̊͆҉͝͡ ͋̐̇͋̆ͤ̽̚͏s̈t̶̢͐ͣ͂̄̃̽a̛̋͛ͯͩ̄͆̅́͘r̎̈́͂͠s̷̛͋ͣ͌ͦͩ ̴̵͗̈́̂̀͑ͬ̇̕ä̎͢͢b͂̀͢͝ǫͬ̾ͩͬ̎ͮ̏̕͠v̊̓͋͊͌͌̄͜ȩ̅̌̿̒͒̈̂͗̀̕
H̙͇̪̠͈̝͍̄ͤ̿̑͊͡Ẻ̵̳̲͚̪ͫͬ͂̌ͤ͐ ̨̖͈͍͓̦̪͐̔̐̽̍Ć̸̡̨̟̻̙̈́̒̉O̧̗͇̲͓͓̜̯ͩ̾ͮ̂̈̎M̖͖͋E̢̞̫̮̟͖̫͍͒͝S͉̬͇̠͈̠͙̤̟̃̾̏͛̿̐͛!̴̵̥̯̙̮͈̺͌̓ͨ̐ͬͪ̏͛ͅ

Welcome to the Machine

Photos, ideas, thoughts, other bullshit. Mostly a record of anything I happen to find interesting. No first post on a blog is ever any good, so I'll bring it to a close before I make it any worse.