The Park Page 15
For the safety of all involved, a 50 foot perimeter will be maintained around the airport. Any persons attempting to cross will be arrested and fined a maximum penalty of $100,000 and serve a minimum six-month prison sentence.
The training may produce strange lights and sounds. Please do not be alarmed by these. Everything is well under control. In the event of a disaster, all citizens within a one-mile radius will be immediately evacuated. While we do not anticipate any such failures, please be prepared for any eventuality.
Lena Browne, United States Secretary of Defense
JOURNAL 04JUSTICE
ENTRY 009
DATE: 4/23/2074
I haven't fucking left, yet. I found those two ladies, but I can't make myself fucking go over there and just do it. Or even try to do it. It wouldn't be difficult. Just set the fucking house on fire. If she runs, I could get her. I only need to take out the business suit, after all.
But I don't want to. I ain't a fucking killer. I know I need to be. I need to be for Desiree's sake. Fuck, it's for my sake just as much. Probably more. Desiree don't fucking know what's going on. Not anymore. She won't fucking know anything ever again. Just thinking about it makes me so mad, I can't hardly fucking think. Which is probably how I need to feel to get this done.
The bitch in the business suit. She's the one who has to suffer. For all the pain she caused. She deserves the absolute worst. I think I can do it. I hope I can. I ain't a killer. But this ain't real life, so I don't have to be me. Ain't that just fucking wonderful?
ENTRY END
JOURNAL 02CHRISTINA
ENTRY 009
DATE: 4/23/2074
I went out with Julia. Back to that spot where the crazy psycho lady tried to kill me. I knew what she was doing. She's not stealthy at all. But I played along. Her little trick didn't scare me, pretending to see someone. I attacked them and acted, for her.
What scared me was what I did see. There was someone out there. A real someone. I couldn’t get a good look. They weren't wanting to be seen, and no matter how used to the dim lights I was, it wasn't hard to hide yourself. But there was definitely someone. I saw them a few times, following along with us. I didn't tell Julia. She thinks I'm breaking. Maybe I am. But she's still fragile, too. Can't worry her, and I didn't want her to think I was just seeing things. That wouldn't make her feel better about any of this.
Of course, maybe I am seeing things. I don’t like it at all, though. Real or not, there's someone. I'm not looking outside. I might see whoever this bastard is. If he's real. Or she. Or it. I don't know. I just don't fucking know.
ENTRY END
JOURNAL 05CRAIG
ENTRY 010
DATE: 4/24/2074
The house isn't right. Everything looks right… but nothing looks right. Like someone was in here. Which worries me. I checked through every room and didn't see anyone. But one of the traps got tripped. A net I made from bed linens. But it's been cut through. Or burned through, judging by the marks.
I shouldn't worry. I'm just paranoid, and I know that. It doesn't help that I didn't find anything to help fight anyone who might show up. No luck at all. Which sucks ass.
I still can't shake the feeling that I'm not safe here. But I'd be a lot less safe if I tried to move. Definitely. I just… I'll have to get over it. I'm writing it here: at this exact moment, I'm going to pull myself together. Doesn't do me any good to worry about the things that could be happening, or that could happen at some point in the future.
I sure do make a lot of affirmations in this damn journal.
While I'm being unrealistically positive, I may as well write about how they're bound to let us all out. And about how Tina's not really dead. I'd throw in how it might all be a dream, but I don't think that would be all that good. What the hell would it say about me if my brain could come up with this kind of shit?
ENTRY END
Evenstad Enterprises Expands to Include New Agricultural Arm, Evenstad Farms
4/24/2074 at 2:19 p.m. EST
Today, Evenstad Enterprises, parent company of Evenstad Technologies, Evenstad Media, Evenstad Foods, and over a dozen other companies, announced yet another member to their family: Evenstad Farms. According to newly appointed COO of Evenstad Farms, Marta Evenstad, their goal will be to 'acquire new, fertile farmland, then ensure it is properly tended so as to avoid the past mistakes of the human race.'
For the past several decades, viable farmland has been scarce. If Evenstad Farms' plans work out, it could be a new beginning. While no more information is available at this time, we will keep you up to date as news reaches us here at The Cruise.
JOURNAL 11SUSAN
ENTRY 010
DATE: 4/26/2074
Kid's good. Got me in a net. Burned my leg cutting my way out with that laser. But I'm alive. Good news. All I need.
Know the layout. Electric wire. Been watching. Craig will come back soon. I'll be there. Then I can have his house. Two million dollar headshot. Just like a pretty model boy.
ENTRY END
07
JOURNAL 05CRAIG
ENTRY 011
DATE: 4/27/2074
It's over. I don't have to worry about Susan at all, now. Not even in my dreams. After I killed her, it all stopped. I was so relieved, I sobbed when I woke up.
Honestly, I don't remember that much of it. I'd gone out looking for a CESU to help protect myself. When I got back, she ambushed me. I sprained my ankle getting away, but I'm still here to feel the pain. Not too much complaint. All I had to work with was the little laser I'd been using to bust into the CESUs. Hell, it could have been useless. But I took my shot when it presented itself. Clean through her forehead and out the other side. And that was it. No more Susan. No more nightmares.
I searched her body right after I was sure she was dead. If I'd let her go cold, I just don't know if I could have done it. She had a nasty burn on her calf. I would bet she was the one that tripped the net. Caught herself with a CESU cutting her way out.
And she had three CESUs. Tina's, her little laser, and a third one. I can't believe that they would actually leave that last one around for just anyone to find. It was a big, golden ball of heat. Or hot light. It was ridiculous, though. I fired it and it just kept going. Don't know what ended up happening to it after it got out of sight, but the fact that it was powerful enough to even go out of sight before dissipating proves how ridiculous it is. I'm glad I have it. I can keep it locked away from everyone else. Nobody needs that kind of power. The other two, I'll figure out something for. I'll probably keep Susan's original medallion just the way it is. Tina's would make a decent booby trap. Doesn't look like it had a whole lot of range, but it's definitely got some power. And it's loud, too. Good alarm. I just have to figure out how to work it to make it as effective as possible.
It's not all good, though. I don't have nightmares about Susan, but I can't get her out of my head. I killed her. I killed another human being. I keep telling myself that she was a psychopath or a sociopath or something, and that she would have killed me just as dead as I killed her, but it doesn't help. I didn't feel remorse. Or not enough remorse, at least. I know it's stupid, but I feel like I should feel worse. Instead, all I think about is how good it all is. No more Susan to worry about. It's so damn nice… but I don't think it should be nice.
ENTRY END
JOURNAL 02CHRISTINA
ENTRY 010
DATE: 4/27/2074
I see him all the time. Everywhere. Never head on. He's always outside. I can see his shadow out of the corner of my eye. Behind the curtains, shadowed footsteps passing by the door. I see them in the tiny space above the kick plate. He'll stop. If I'm quiet, I can hear him breathing. I know he's real. Julia doesn't believe me when I talk about h
im, but I'm not crazy enough to hear things that aren't there. I refuse to believe that. I'm not that creative. He's out there, just waiting for me. If I hold still, and I have the windows open and the lights off, he'll come closer. Close enough to see some of his features, although I don't get much in the darkness. He's tall and he's broad and I can't tell for certain, but I think he's black. It doesn't matter. He's already here. It's not like I'm going to go looking for him. No need to pick him out of a lineup or anything. I just know that he's big and the idea of running into him scares the shit out of me.
I don't know why he's just waiting around and stalking me. He's probably had lots of clear chances to take me down. Then again, why the hell haven't I done the same thing? That one, I know how to answer. As much as I want to be sure of everything, and as much as I think I'm not imagining this, there's enough doubt in there that I can't. What would Julia think if I just melted out the window because… well, because of nothing? For no reason? I don't think she'd abandon me for it, but she'd see me in a less flattering light. We'd have to move to a new house again, too. This one's relatively safe. If I'm just nuts and seeing things, it's really safe. Completely safe. I can't be sure one way or another. So I just have to sit here and hear him and see him stalking around the house and try to pretend that I'm fine when Julia's around.
That'll work.
ENTRY END
JOURNAL 10MANFRED
ENTRY 009
DATE: 4/28/2074
I have neglected my journaling, and this time I have no good reason for doing so. I was already moving out in the open. The light would not have given me away any more than my walking about. I know better