File 22 and File 23

Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for the wait, but we have done it. We’ve found the Mother of Snakes. Though not in the way that I had originally thought we would. I couldn’t post last night due to the fact that I had no internet access. I suppose I’ll just explain how all this came about.

As usual, Elise and I woke up. Of course, it looked like Sylvia had been glaring at us all night. I think she was a little on the jealous side. We got dressed, as usual, and went to have some breakfast. Luna was already up, with Sol sitting at the kitchen table, smoking and reading the newspaper. It was either the Chicago Tribune or the New York Times, I can’t remember which.

“You two want some pancakes too? I could make a few more on if you want some.” Luna asked us.

“Sure, I could go for some non-obfuscated food.” I replied. It had been at least a week since I had eaten anything that wasn’t spontaneously spawned out of fiction by Elise.

After some pancakes and Apple Juice, Elise and I went to talk to Mistress. “You’re going after the Mother of Snakes, arentcha?” She asked us.

“Yep. What else is new?” I replied. “Also, I’m not sure if it’s gonna work, Sylvia being in the room with Elise and I.” I added.

“Shut up, you’ll just have to live with it.” Mistress replied. “I only have so many bedrooms, and your incestous friends there are taking up one of them. I don’t have any to spare.”

“Anyways, if we want to find the Mother, we have to leave now. Hopefully we’ll find her today.” Elise sighed, and we left.

Things in the Empty City went as normal, until we unexpectedly went through a door. I hate it when the City does this to us. Either way, we found ourselves driving somewhere in Brazil. BRAZIL, of all places. We shrugged it off and continued driving.

Someone flagged us down to the side of the road. I rolled down the window. The man who had caused us to stop recognized me instantly. “I’d recognize those glasses and trilby anywhere! Daniel Thompson, right?” He asked.

“The one and only.” I replied. Seems my blog has made me famous.

“Can I get a ride back to the Tower? I’m a Doll, and was searching for the Archangel, when I ended up here.” The Doll asked me.

“Sure, get on in the back, and please don’t touch the rocket launcher.” I replied. “By the way, what’s your name?” I asked him.

“Reynard. Walter Reynard.” He replied.

So we got back to the Empty City and everything, and we got back to the Screaming Tower without incident. What happened after, was the weirdest. While we walking across the parking lot, Elise and Walter suddenly dropped to the ground. I looked around, and I heard a muffled noise, felt a sharp pain in my hand…and fainted as the tranquilizer dart took hold.

I woke up on a back country road with Elise and Walter. They had both come to already, and were scanning the area tentatively. There was a road, stretching forward in a straight line as far as the eye could see in both directions. An endless stretch of field everywhere we could see.

“I think I know where we are.” Walter said.

“Where?” Elise asked.

“Nebraska.” Walter replied.

“Either way, if we walk one way or another, we’re bound to find some civilization.” I shrugged, standing up.

“Why don’t we go this way.” Elise pointed to the left. Walter and I shrugged. We started walking, and never making hardly any progress. We walked and walked, but it seemed like we were in the same place. There were no landmarks, no changes in scenery. It was maddening.

“I’m sooooooo tired. Carry me, Daniel.” Elise complained loudly.

“Fine.” I sighed, and ended up giving Elise a piggyback ride. Good thing she’s light.

We continued walking. Night fell. Nothing. Continuing to walk. Nothing. Walter and I felt like we were going to fucking collapse. Elise had fallen asleep on my back.

We walked all night, or until about 4am, when we got so tired we couldn’t move, and we literally fell asleep while walking and collapsed in the road. Come about 11am, Elise and I woke up. And by that I mean we woke up to Walter screaming.

“I had just picked up this bottle of whiskey and-” He was on fire. He was literally burning up in front of us, screaming and crying for help. Yet there was nothing either of us could do.

“Obfuscate water or something!” I yelled at Elise.

“I can’t obfuscate anything here!” She yelled back.

Walter burned away to nothing but ash. A loud voice boomed down at us. “WALTER REYNARD. YOU HAVE FAILED THE TRIALS. YOUR JUDGEMENT HAS COME. YOU ARE GUILTY OF SINNING IN ALCOHOLISM.”

“What’s his deal?” Elise asked.

“I dunno…but I guess we’re undergoing some trials or something.” I replied.

We continued walking. Elise stopped moving. She froze up. “D-Daniel…look right there.” She pointed something. It was The Rake, limbless, lying there on the side of the road. “H-he killed my family. He’s vulnerable now!” Elise began grinning evilly. “There’s a shotgun! I can kill him! I can kill him!” She rushed forward and grabbed the shotgun. “You fucking bastard…” her voice was harsh and raspy as she approached the injured Rake with malice in her eyes.

“Elise, stop! Remember what happened to Walter!” I yelled.

She turned, stopped, and dropped the shotgun. “You’re right. I don’t need revenge like this.” The shotgun and Rake dissipated in a puff of smoke. Then came the loud booming voice again.

“ELISE MURRAY, YOU HAVE PASSED YOUR TRIAL. YOU MAY HAVE ONE WISH. WHAT IS YOUR WISH?”

“How many things can I wish for?” Elise asked.

“AS MANY AS YOU CAN FIT INTO ONE SENTENCE, ELISE MURRAY.” The voice replied.

“Uh, okay…” Elise inhaled deeply. “I wish Daniel and I were at the Tower, that Sylvia had her own room, and that we had full analysises of The Eye and The Mother of Snakes!” She yelled.

The booming voice paused for a moment. Then a loud sigh could be heard. “I DID SAY EVERYTHING THAT COULD FIT INTO ONE SENTENCE, INDEED. VERY WELL. IT SHALL BE DONE.”

Suddenly Elise and I were standing in the foyer of the Screaming Tower, myself with about 50 pieces of paper in my hand.

“Elise, any reason why you wished for analysises of the Mother of Snakes and The Eye but not The Quiet and The Archangel?” I asked her.

“…………Shit.” Elise said. “I guess I forgot.”

“It’s fine.” I sighed. “Now let’s go talk to Mistress.” I said, heading to Mistress’s room.

“Good news, you two!” Mistress grinned. “I figured out that is indeed possible for Sylvia to have her own room! You two are lucky!” Elise and I high-fived. “By the way, what info did you get?”

“The Eye and The Mother of Snakes.” I replied.

“Good work you two. But you have the two most difficult ones up ahead for you.” Mistress said, before shooing us out of her room.

After thoroughly studying both notes, I was able to make reports on both of them.

File 22: The Eye

Alternate Names: PRE17, Fossil-Type IRIS, The Judge, Subject Echo Yankee, The Watcher, Blinky, Osiris, The Warden, The Gryphon, Crystal Curfew

Attitude Towards Humans: Mostly Passive

Control Over: N/A

The Eye is a judge. He doesn’t hate humans inherently, he even can help. Often, The Eye will pit someone against their worst fear, or worst avarice. If they give in to the temptation, they will die, by bursting into flame. If they resist temptation, however, they get one wish granted to them. This wish can be anything they want. As a result, the Eye tries to make it as difficult as possible for one to overcome their avarice. If one looks at The Eye, they will become possessed by him. They will go around “marking” people to be judged by the Eye in the coming days, burning up within a few days. If someone becomes possessed by the Eye, before they carry out their job, they will begin to see Eyes everywhere, on them, on their friends, on everything they touch and see. Always watching them. The Eye is watching us all. He sees you when you’re sleeping. He knows when you’re awake. He knows if you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake. Else you might find yourself dying in a fire.

File 23: The Mother of Snakes

Alternate Names: PRE20, Fossil-Type SHALOTT, The Speculum, Queen Louhi, The Lady of Shining Scales, Lamia, The Serpent of Eden, Naga Kanya

Attitude Towards Humans: Sees them as Playthings

Control Over: Mirrors, Reflective Surfaces

There’s no escaping her. She’s there when you brush your hair in the morning, in the puddles on your morning jog, in your rearview mirror on your way to work. She will find you. She’s always tempting you. Always trying to get you to come over. “You’re a horrible person. I’m a horrible person. Come, join me, on the other side, you deserve me, I deserve you. Let’s live together, basking in each other’s evilness. There’s no denying it. We both want to be evil. Let’s be evil together. Join us. Join me. Come to mommy now.” She will use whatever she can to get you to join her. Promises of sex, of money, wealth, power. She can appear as a beautiful woman, a snake, a Lamia, whatever it’ll take to get you to join her. She lives in the Garden of Desolation, a desert, with her servants, the Lilim. The ones she’s tempted. They have snake-like qualities and should be killed on sight.

So tired. I’ll post more tomorrow. Goodnight everyone.

~Thompson out.