by Voss Foster
That’s eleven of us accounted for. We’re still short one person. They’re probably upstairs dead. At least that’s what I’m hoping for. Anyone who survived that mess up there, I don’t want to have to deal with. If they didn’t run with the rest of us, they’re either dead, deaf, or totally unshakeable.
It’s another reason I’m just staying here. I think I’m pretty well over the shock of killing. Or as over it as I can be in such a short time. But knowing that there’s possibly somebody out there who could have survived all that? It makes my skin crawl, and it makes me worried for Joy. For me, too, but I guess now I know that I can take care of things if I need to. That’s up to and including killing at this point.
I’ve got a little comfort, looking at the competition. Maybe a few of them might prove a little challenging, but all in all, it looks like I wouldn’t have to worry about any of them, if it came down to brass tacks. I don’t want it to come down to that, but if it does, I think I’m more prepared than anyone else here.
A few people have already run off. Those are the only ones who might present a problem. But folks are sticking around for the most part. Sticking around and being peaceful, which is important. It won’t last. If we try to make it, some kind of ‘coincidence’ is going to get in the way, just like every single alarm going off at the same time. Guess we were moving too slow.
ENTRY END
JOURNAL 02JOY
ENTRY 004
DATE: 1/13/2076
I ain’t never seen my brother looking that way before. It’s got me scared, but I know better than to go up and bother him. Not now. Last thing he needs are a bunch of damn questions about how he’s feeling. I can’t even imagine it. Not that I want him to suffer or nothing, but thank God it wasn’t me. I’d have been one big useless mess if I had to kill hr. And with a knife. Right up there where he could see her face. I don’t want to think about it too hard.
At least he did something, finally. He typed on that tablet, which is better than what he was doing, just sitting there. Terrence was a saint. He stood there by him with that gun in his hand. Hasn’t even eaten or drank anything since it happened. He’s a reporter. I doubt very much that he’s used to standing watch over somebody that way. But he did it. Another thing I couldn’t have done, I guarantee you that. Thankfully, we never had to find out if Terrence could actually shoot that damn thing. Nobody tried nothing.
A few people left, but it’s mostly just us sitting here. It’s good, seeing other people’s faces, but I can tell some of them are nervous. And that ain’t good. Nerves make folks do things they otherwise wouldn’t dare. I’m trying to keep an eye on everything, so I can shout if I see something going wrong. Don’t know if I’d notice in time, but I’d damn sure give it the best shot I can.
But for the most part, everybody’s just kind of agreed not to do anything. Nobody had to say anything. I don’t know if it was the killing, or if people are just looking for a little bit of community in this God-forsaken pit, but we’re sticking together. A little conversation here and there, but no more violence.
I don’t think that’ll last, though. I ain’t a fool. Those couple of people who took off are reason enough for me to start worrying. They thought they weren’t safe with this many folks around, and that means they already got murder in their heads. No way you can make that out to be a good thing, that’s for damn sure.
ENTRY END
JOURNAL 07DANIEL
ENTRY 005
DATE: 1/13/2076
It’s ironic, you know? The first chance I have to actually be around other people and I run back up into the hotel rooms that just tried to kill everybody. And I didn’t even hesitate. I guess none of them could live up to the idea of you. See, in my head, you’re a beautiful woman who’ll fall into some sort of impossible, tragic love. Sad for you, but it’s nice to think that it could happen because of me. It’s pretty selfish, right? And that probably wrecked any chance I might have had of that actually happening. But really, it’s the only opportunity I can foresee where I’ll actually have a beautiful woman falling in love with me at all.
I’m back up here. Room 3109 this time. But I’ve got this really sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, like all the alarms are just going to go off again and I won’t be fast enough to make it out, this time. Obviously, someone wanted us all to leave. What other reason would there be for what happened? They wanted to herd us out of here and get us together. Or at least that’s how it seems. What did it look like to you, when it happened?
See, part of me hopes that you were watching and you know what I looked like and that helped. I’m not much to look at, or at least I don’t think so, but everyone is somebody’s type. But then, I hope that you didn’t, because that means you’re not the kind of person who could watch this. I like that, too.
Incredible, how attached I am to you. You don’t exist. But I like my odds talking to you way better than my odds talking with anyone in here.
ENTRY END
JOURNAL 09HIKARU
ENTRY 004
DATE: 1/13/2076
I considered staying with the group. It looks like most of the people are down in the lobby, now. Perhaps even everyone who is left alive. I helped with the bodies after all was said and done, but I knew it wasn’t the wisest choice for me to stay there. I still haven’t decided how to approach my time here, although I’m leaning toward staying alive over my morals. I can work through anything that causes once I leave, but I can’t work through being dead.
I don’t yet want to actively seek conflict, so I had to leave. For my own personal reasons, and for their safety. If I ever fully commit to this and choose to act upon my decision, eliminate risk for myself, I don’t need to make it any easier to kill.
The fact that worries me at all says I at least have some morality left to bring, which is a comfort. Not much of a comfort, of course. The fact that I’m thinking rationally about any of this tells me my mind is most likely made up. I simply have to catch up to my own thoughts.
ENTRY END
TO: Magnus Evenstad
FROM: Niels Evenstad
SUBJECT: The Inn
SENT 1/14/2076 AT 12:23 p.m. EST
Uncle Magnus,
I had my reasons for asking you not to interfere with this show the way you did. They should be much clearer to you now. The contestants have all banded together. Rather than increasing the pace of the show, herding them all together has brought them into one space. Now they have camaraderie, and that has brought all potential activity to a stand-still, possibly for longer than the viewership has patience for.
In short, you made a mistake, and now it’s my responsibility to try and clean it up. If you’re as concerned about my well-being and health as you claim, you should leave the rest of this program to me. I’ve done this twice, now, Magnus, and I’d like to think my team and I have had some decent successes along the way. If you feel differently, then by all means pull the plug on this project and lose all the money we laid out for it to work.
You’ve chosen me yourself to lead this company as your successor, and I have done well. I’ve done better than you could have hoped for from anyone else. It’s not my ego talking, it’s an objective assessment based on profit and customer satisfaction. You can’t deny facts. So please, leave this to me from here on out. I’m more than capable, even with my physical condition not at its best.
Niels Evenstad,
Chief Operating Officer, Evenstad Media
—
TO: Niels Evenstad
FROM: Magnus Evenstad
SUBJECT: The Inn
SENT 1/14/2076 AT 12:51 p.m. EST
First off, you will not treat me with that level of disrespect ever again, or I will cut you off. I’ve been alive too long to deal with that sort of childishness. Whatever your feelings about my decisions, this is business, and I am your superior.
As for your complaints, I can, in fact, admit that I made a mistake. I took a risk and it didn’t pay off, and I do expect you to clean it up. If you can’t, I can find someone else who has the capacity to do so. As you chose to remind me, I made the decision to have you as my successor, and I can choose a new one if necessary. You’re far more expendable than you think. However, I would rather not have to do that. So don’t make it necessary.
I hope you have good success in this endeavor. For both of our sakes.
Magnus Evenstad,
Chief Executive Officer, Evenstad Enterprises
JOURNAL 12TERRENCE
ENTRY 005
DATE: 1/14/2076
I knew it, God damn it. I knew something was going to happen. It was on the air, and then all the sudden every fucking alarm in the place went off. I’m sixty-seven years old. You know what that does to my heart? Nothing good at all. I’ve never heard anything so loud as all those doors slamming shut at the same time. The alarms didn’t make it any quieter, either. Sounded like mortars going off right by my head, and my heart was beating in my ears for a good hour after I got down here.
Max is okay, now. Or as okay as he’ll probably be for quite a while. Killing someone isn’t exactly the kind of thing you sleep on to get through it. But he got up and moved, went to talk with Joy. It gave me a chance to finally sit down and go through everything in my head, get it written out. It’s always so much clearer when it’s written out.
There’s a calm settled over everyone down here. It won’t last. I’ve been to dangerous places before. Big tragedy always calms things down for a while, but eventually something snaps in somebody. It’s the same pattern I’ve seen a dozen times, and I’ll guarantee it’ll happen here, too. So much stress and so much on the line, eventually there’s going to be someone who can’t take it. That’s just the way of things. The human mind is only so resilient.
I’m sticking around for now, but I’m not making myself comfortable. I wouldn’t dare be that foolish.
ENTRY END
JOURNAL 08BILLIE
ENTRY 008
DATE: 1/14/2076
I can’t believe it. Here of all places, I’m finding more acceptance than I do in the outside world. It makes me wonder if I just live in a neighborhood full of assholes, but I can actually sit and talk to people. Only a few words in passing, but I can still sit and talk if I want to and not have to be misgendered or worry about getting the shit beaten out of me. And this is in a hotel full of people who are supposed to be trying to kill each other. I guess that’s still true, but at least they can be respectful and practice some general civility.
I still miss my friends and my family. I wish I had my support system with me, but this is making it a little easier. Just knowing that something like this is possible in this situation is helping to put me at peace. It’s really amazing to me. Even Katya warmed up to me a little, made sure I wasn’t hurt. It’s not much, but I’ll take it in this place. People are actually bothering to give a crap about each other, no matter what any kind of logic says we should be doing. No matter what the intent is, or how much money is on the line for whoever’s willing to go for it.
Maybe part of it’s the fear of retaliation. I can’t say for sure. Last person who killed one of us got a knife in her neck. It’s pretty good motivation to toe the proverbial line. But I also think nobody wants to hurt someone else. Nobody wants to be a murderer. I guess that’s not entirely true, but most people don’t want that out of life. They want to survive and be happy without stepping on anyone else’s toes. That’s what I want out of my life, at least, and I’m guessing the same is true of most people.
So I’m going to enjoy this while I have the chance. I think something will change. If not because of somebody in the hotel, then from whoever’s in charge. Whoever activated the traps that got us all down here to begin with. They’re obviously capable of controlling this place, and hence controlling everyone. It’s scary to think about. I don’t know about the rest of the world, but in here, there’s no benevolent God. Only a malevolent one.
ENTRY END
The Inn: Too Much Power, Evenstad?
Posted 1/16/2076 at 8:08 a.m. EST
Well, I tuned into The Inn last night, just like I’m sure most of you did, too. Tell me if I’m wrong, but they were just the slightest bit heavy-handed. Every alarm just happened to go off. Effective, yes, but it somehow just felt wrong. Directly manipulating these people isn’t why I tune into the damn show. It’s supposed to be about people pitted against each other, not about seeing what kind of bullshit Evenstad can put them through.
If you couldn’t tell, I’m an unhappy fucking camper. It’s ridiculous. If they want to be manipulative, fine. But I’d better not be able to see it from outer space. This was too much, and I’m sure that everyone in that hotel is fully aware that it wasn’t just a fluke.
Did it achieve what they wanted? I hope so. I don’t know what that is, exactly, but I hope it was worth it to them.
Not to mention Lena got killed. There goes the one I would have bet good money on. She didn’t quite hold up to Susan from The Park, but she was damn close and I liked that. It was nice, seeing someone like that involved again. If I ever get chosen for this, I hope I can be like Susan.
Maybe getting rid of Lena is what they were looking for. Maybe she was too much of a threat, or she was too good for their game. Which calls the fairness of this whole thing into question. Big time. But it’s totally possible. Lena could have won outright with no competition, and that’s just not going to make good TV.
I’m going to keep watching. It’s still a good show, and I think it’s still better than The Mall. But this viewer in particular is not totally thrilled with it. Any other crap like that and I might be reconsidering my Wednesday night plans.
They thought I was a valuable enough fan to give me a preview of what was coming. Maybe Evenstad will think I’m valuable enough to listen to. Here’s God damned hoping.
Phil Boggs
TO: Undisclosed
FROM: Undisclosed
SUBJECT: Jeremiah North Didn’t Have to Die!
SENT: 1/15/2076 AT 4:46 p.m. EST
JEREMIAH NORTH DIDN’T HAVE TO DIE!
Evenstad Media killed him for greed. They ended his life at age nineteen. They took him from the world, ended his career.
THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE.
If you want to make it known, take to social media. Post just this and nothing else:
NORTHWARD BOUND
Join the cause and TAKE DOWN EVENSTAD for their crimes!
JOURNAL 06RAY
ENTRY 004
DATE: 1/15/2076
Man, I don’t know about this. There’s so many people, and that old white guy actually killed a woman. Yeah, she killed someone first, but still. How can I be comfortable with someone actually capable of that, you know? That’s not a small feat. That’s pretty major, I think. Killing somebody. I just can’t even wrap my head around it.
Maybe because I just couldn’t really sleep. Too nervous something was going to happen. I stopped shaking for no reason, so I guess that’s pretty good news. I just don’t know. I don’t know what’s going to happen, or how I’m going to deal with any of this, or if I even can. It was bad enough before, but now I know at least three people have died. Those two ladies and whoever that kid was in the closet. Looked a lot like Jeremiah North to me, but it was a little hard to tell with him being dead and all.
I’m trying to hold on, but I can’t guarantee that to myself, and that’s scary. That’s got me terrified more than I’ve ever been.
ENTRY END
JOURNAL 04KATYA
ENTRY 005
DATE: 1/16/2076
It’s been a few days. You might just get through this, Katya. You just might, if things hold the way they are right now. Just have to hope that this is actually sustainable and not a fluke. That’s not really something to trust in, though. Not at all. Too much can go wrong, so I just have to get rea
dy. That’s all there is to it. Have to keep that gun on me, and same thing with the knife. Don’t want to be caught in a compromised state.
I’m not sure I can stick with Billie. She’s really not doing much to help out. Right now, nobody is, but she seems pretty useless in general. Might be time to cut the extra baggage and let her go out and do what she needs to do. She’s okay. You checked on that, Katya. Don’t need to worry about it, now. Don’t need to let it weigh on your conscience.
Might be a good idea to stick around a couple more days. Don’t want to miss out on any kind of awesome plan. Doubtful that anyone’s going to figure out a way to escape this place, but you never know. Not if you don’t give people a chance.
But not much of one. Still best to be out on your own, even if it is lonely as hell. Your life’s on the line, Katya, so you don’t want to take any unnecessary risks. Not now.
ENTRY END
TO: Niels Evenstad
FROM: Stian Evenstad
SUBJECT: Worry
SENT 1/16/2076 AT 7:22 a.m. EST
Niels,
I’m worried about you. Not just your health, although I’d appreciate being updated on that every now and then. I know I’m just your cousin, but I’d still like to know if any sort of treatment is working for you. So keep me in the loop on that, too.
