Text Log (11/7/18) Beginning 10:23am
You: Image uploaded 1A23110718.jpg
You: His name is Harry Parks. I met him at a coffee shop near the hospital. I’ve seen him before but never talked to him. I just made small talk in line and then took the picture after making contact. He shouldn’t know I took the pic or suspect anything.
BRNR3: Very good. I like you being careful. I’ll be in touch soon.
Text Log (11/7/18) Beginning 2:18pm
BRNR3: Are you at work?
You: You know that I am.
BRNR3: :) I know that my phone is at the hospital. Are you at work?
You: Yes, I am.
BRNR3: Go to a secluded place and open the Polterzeitgeist app.
You: Ok. Just a min.
Chat Log from “Polterzeitgeist! Find that ghost!” app (11/7/18) Beginning 2:23pm
Revenant: Hello there.
You: Is this you? BRNR3?
Revenant: Of course.
Revenant: I liked your pick. You failed to mention in your “detailed report” of how you met him that he was an armed out-of-uniform police officer. I’m assuming you knew he had a gun and that he was law enforcement?
You: Yes. I didn’t lie to you. I had never talked to him before. But I had seen him in uniform at the coffee shop a couple of times, and he did have a gun in a back holster today. It was under a jacket, but I saw it when we were in line.
You: But I figured it wouldn’t be any problem for you anyway.
Revenant: :P
Revenant: I appreciate your confidence in me. It’s well-placed.
Revenant: Video Received eating.mp4
You: Oh god.
Revenant: Yes.
Revenant: Now it’s your turn again. Listen carefully, because while I appreciate your attempt at being clever, I am not in the mood to repeat myself or listen to you whine. Are we clear?
You: Yes.
Revenant: Good.
Revenant: This app has many functions, but one of them is to serve as a guide. It contains a map that will show you where you need to go. When we finish talking, go to the map and you will find a yellow star on it. You need to reach that star no later than 4:45pm. Do not leave work to reach the star earlier than necessary, but keep watch on the map regularly. Make sure you can reach it on time. Get stuck in traffic or lose your way, and you will have failed.
Revenant: And what happens if you fail will make what the cop went through look like a paradise.
You: I won’t fail. I promise.
Revenant: Good. I have faith in you.
Revenant: When you are within 15 meters of the person the star represents and the time is 4:43 or later, you will receive further instructions from the app on how to complete your task.
Revenant: It should go without saying that you should avoid being conspicuous, be aware of any security or surveillance, and generally avoid getting caught. If you get caught, that counts as failure too.
You: Ok. I’ll do it.
Revenant: After you hit “Accept” on the task it gives you, the app will start recording video. Leave the app open until the task is completed. When you are finished, hit “Send” and wait for me to contact you. Understand?
You: Yes. I won’t mess it up.
Revenant: We’ll see.
Chat Log from “Polterzeitgeist! Find that ghost!” app (11/7/18) Beginning 5:15pm
Revenant: Good job.
You: My hands are shaking. Fuck. You made me do that.
Revenant: No, you chose to do that. You decided you valued yourself more than a stranger.
You: Who was she?
Revenant: Her name was Alison Murphy.
You: Why her?
Revenant: She used to have a fairly boring job as a law clerk that one day led to her having some excitement. Seeing a small part of how this all works.
Revenant: She was invited to participate, but declined. Instead, she decided to just talk to others about things she didn’t understand. Her talking about it wasn’t the problem. Her lack of participation, however…well, you know how I feel about people that don’t want to participate.
You: Did you know where she’d be? That she’d be alone at the top of that parking garage like that?
Revenant: I knew she’d most likely be at one of six places at that particular time. She had established several relevant patterns of behavior in the past few weeks. One of those patterns was parking her car occasionally at the top of that particular garage, which she did this morning at 9:44am. Another was returning to her car between 4:40 and 4:55pm when it was parked at that location. All of this, combined with the app tracking, made the place you found her the most likely place she would be.
You: But that’s still just an educated guess. What if she did something different? Came back early or late? What if at 4:45 she was in the middle of a grocery store full of people?
Revenant: Then you would have had to “figure something else out”. Just like you would have had to find other places to stick your poison and knife if poor old Chester wasn’t there to kill.
You: Okay. But what if she had just left her car this morning, got on a bus and went to another state? Went somewhere I couldn’t reach in time?
Revenant: Lol! Oh no. Did you think this was all about you? That you’re the only one I’m connecting with? You did, didn’t you? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Revenant: Wherever she went, whatever she did, Alison Murphy was going to die today. Luckily for you, she was close to your hospital. Even better for you, she was pushed from the sixth story of a sparsely populated parking garage that has no cameras.
You: So there are others like me?
Revenant: There are others, but each of you is special and unique. :)
Text Log (7/4/18) Beginning 1:01am
BRNR6: So you found the phone I added to the box? Can I assume you’ve gone through the rest of my “Private Valuables” then?
You: Yes. I did. I didn’t know the combination to open the lock on the book. And I don’t know how to open the small metal box. But yeah, I looked at the rest. You’re insane.
BRNR6: Sanity is a relative concept. You think that Independence Day is a good movie, for example, yet I don’t judge.
You: Okay.
You: What do you want from me?
BRNR6: Do you appreciate the fact that I can find you now?
You: Yes. I just want this to be over.
BRNR6: Well, you’re about to take the first step towards that.
BRNR6: Look in the box. You see the little clay pumpkin?
You: Yes.
BRNR6: Great. Now pull up the app drawer on the phone you’re using. I want you to familiarize yourself with the app called “Polterzeitgeist! Find that ghost!”
You: Why?
BRNR6: Because tomorrow it’s going to show you where you need to take that little pumpkin and what to do when you get there.
Chat Log from “Polterzeitgeist! Find that ghost!” app (7/7/18) Beginning 12:19pm
You: I can’t keep doing this. Whatever sick game this is, I can’t do it. I can’t keep hurting people, helping you hurt people.
Revenant: I think you can. I think you will. You’ve done so well so far.
Revenant: But I do think it’s time for you to open the book and read it. It will help you understand. The combination is 10925.
Revenant: I’ll expect a thorough book report tomorrow morning. ;)
Chat Log from “Polterzeitgeist! Find that ghost!” app (7/8/18) Beginning 9:35am
Revenant: Do you understand now?
You: I don’t know.
You: Maybe.
Revenant: Are you ready to continue?
You: Do I have a choice?
Revenant: You always have a choice.
You: I’m ready.
Revenant: Good. Find the little cornhusk ghost in the box.
Chat Log from “Polterzeitgeist! Find that ghost!” app (7/12/18) Beginning 8:42pm
You: I’m inside. Everything is prepared.
Revenant: Good.
Chat Log from “Polterzeitgeist! Find that ghost!” app (7/12/18) Beginning 9:25pm
You: Sam Morris has been claimed. The work is done.
Revenant: The work is far from done. But you have taken another step down the Dark Path I’ve shown you. I’m proud of you.
You: I think I enjoyed it this time.
Revenant: I know. That’s good.
You: What is happening to me?
Revenant: You are finding your true self.
You: Can I look in the metal box yet?
Revenant: In due time, my love. All in due time.
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Credits
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