the-projectgaiaea-lorebase

[the-projectgaiaea-lorebase]

Writer's Block Shenanigans

"Deep within the forest, there laid a trail where one could pass through unseen---and soon reach a ridge that leads to an abandoned town where the past was left to rot. There, one would find symbols etched onto the remnants of an era that flourished not long ago---they will be your guiding light that leads to a place where you and I belong. Venture to it if you must, but remember… time is not your friend."

"Also, patience is a virtue."

[the-projectgaiaea-lorebase]

Astria Earthen: The Space Girl

"Oh how cruel is Fate, forcing me to abandon the stars to protect a pathetic vision. I swear, someone dear was there to bear the burden with me. How come I cannot remember a thing?"

[the-projectgaiaea-lorebase]

Deleting Claire

Chapter 1 - Hello Stranger, Are You An Idea?

Colors, disappearing and reappearing like soft waves in the air. Invisible solid ground, making my legs feel numb. I waved my hand around the bright world. Where am I?

I walked around this odd environment, never knowing if I am going anywhere or if I arrived somewhere. There was no sign of air, but I could breathe, and my hair floated as if I was in outer space. "Why am i here?" I asked myself. My head was heavy and light at the same time. My eyes widened as a curtain draped over my memories. "Huh?" I hummed. "What was I doing before all this?"

Silent, I stood confused over my predicament. All I could do was make squeaky noises as I tried to search for an answer. Nothing, nothing popped up in my hazy mind. My head was about to explode, frustrated I was, so so much. So I raised my hand to slap myself as a last resort. My eyelids are closed, bracing for the impact. But it never came. "Huh?"

I couldn't move my hand. There's nothing stopping me but myself, so why?

I opened my eyes. There was an eye in front of me.

"Don't do that," it said. "It's pointless."

My body jolted away from the eye, my hands passed right through the sharp black fingers that wrapped around my frail arm.

"Where am I?" I inquired with a harsh voice.

The eye stood up, revealing its tall incomprehensible body. It looked real and fake, or rather… flat. its body made of colorless turtleneck and pants. I squinted my eyes trying to comprehend its existence, its being. Suddenly, the clothes became solid, enveloped with light and shadows.

"Are you an idea?" It asked.

I tilted my head as my mind bumped into a thick wall. "Huh?" What is this guy talking about? "No," I answered, "I'm not an… idea."

"I see…" The eye replied, looking down on the floor that doesn't exist. "Then why are you here?"

"I-" My eyes looked for a hidden answer, it couldn't find anything. I stood there, numb all over my body. "I don't know," I answered. "Why am I here?" I could feel something within me, like I have something to offer this tall creature that's staring at me impatiently. But it's not there, I don't have anything to offer. I can't understand anything at all… If I try to, it feels as if my head would explode. C'mon head, think! Argh… Ah! The creature might know.

It sat down on the non-existent floor, it's unproportioned spiky palms touched the colors. It turned away from me, as if it didn't want to answer my question. Does it know why I'm here? Is that the reason why they aren't answering? What is it doing? What is it clinking-

"Call me Willow, please," it requested. "I can assure you, I am not an it."

"What?" I raised my thick brow. It- I mean Willow… Willow can hear my thoughts?

"If you call speaking aloud to yourself as thoughts, then yes."

I don't know how to react… I sat beside him, balancing myself on the floor as carefully as I could, because I thought I would fall. I frowned, if you can hear my voice, why didn't you answer my question?

"It's not the right time," Willow replied. Willow was sipping tea from a cup that looked AI generated. I think it looked that way because I couldn't comprehend its existence. What do you mean it's not the right time? I think right now is a perfect time, I can't remember a thing and I don't know if I'm supposed to be hurrying off to somewhere!

"That's why," said Willow, "you don't remember why you came here."

Why I came here? In a place like this? Hm… I get it now.

"No you don't." It's a dream! "No."

Huh? Are you one of those entities that would get upset if I kept insisting otherwise?

Willow sighed. I think it was a sigh, but all I heard was static.

"You'll see," he said as he stood up and disappeared.

"Huh." And there I was, sitting in… what I think is the void, all alone.

"You gotta be kidding me."

Hmm paper, the perfect canvas to draw the colorless creature named Willow.

[the-projectgaiaea-lorebase]

Hmm paper, the perfect canvas to draw the colorless creature named Willow.

[the-projectgaiaea-lorebase]

Organized Story Link Depository (?)

A Spook In The Woods (ASITW)

A short story of two individuals trying to find what they have lost. One lost her self-proclaimed purpose, the other--- his safe haven. A sequel of The Journal.

DISCLAIMER: This story has parts that has: Existentialism (Lots of existential crisis), S*icidal Ideation, Swearing (In multiple languages), and Gorey/Gory descriptions.

CHAPTERS:

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 3.5

Chapter 4

Deleting Claire

CHAPTERS:

Chapter 1

[the-projectgaiaea-lorebase]

ASITW 4: A Spook In The Woods

DISCLAIMER: This story has parts that has: Existentialism (Lots of existential crisis),S*icidal Ideation, Swearing (In multiple languages), and Gorey/Gory descriptions.

A year ago, Claire scrolled through the internet using her laptop, reading some articles. She laid on her swivel chair looking up at the ceiling. Her feet climbed up on the seat, moving it an inch. Accidentally, she bumped into a pile of her old notebooks. "Oops." She grimaced.

Another conspiracy theory went viral. The group of text that flashed on her computer's screen were talking about the news of people going missing after growing some weird bumps on their body. Many people debated what the actual story and its purpose would be. Some said it was a hoax, others said it was a trafficking method or a hate crime, and others said… that those were some sort of non-humans that finally shapeshifted or grew wings.

People laughed at the individuals who publicly believed the last theory. Claire was one of them, she rolled her eyes and with a smirk she scoffed, "Ah, here we go again." When deep inside, her heart fluttered at the thought of its possibility. At the same time, it ached. Were those words drenched in deceit? She wouldn't dare to know. If fate would allow it, she would let an encounter fall in front her.

Well… Fate wouldn't have allowed it. But despite all odds, her hidden wish came true. It's like someone was watching her, pulling the strings, although she would not believe that. A fact like that would be too funny. As gold had a higher value than her existence, that's what she believes.

She was now in the forest, lost and alone. All because she chose to chase something that ran away from her. She glanced up at the sky, the warm hue slowly disintegrating---being replaced with a cold embrace. Gritty grunts were all that she could speak; her mind fought against the fatigue; pitiful she was, so weak. Stuck in an unfamiliar terrain, far away from her homes, like in her dream.

Her right hand covered her wounded face. It stung, the red scratches powdered with dirt. However, Claire was confused. Her frail fingers crawled all over her face---something bulged on her cheeks, forehead, and neck. Then her hands, her face scrunched. It was wrapped in white fabric. Bandages covered her entire body, no wonder she thought she couldn't move. In her imagination, she was merely a hopeless ghost trapped in her unwanted vessel. Unfortunately for her, she was still alive.

"Well…great." She sighed. Whispering under her labored breath, she scoffed, "I am so lucky! Now, where the hell am I?"

Endless clumps of trees stood in front of her view. Grass, rocks, leaves, and old tattered fabrics surrounded her. None could tell her where she was. She grabbed the skin of her chest. With a pale face, she did nothing else but continued breathing and stared at the land being devoured by darkness. "It's better if I don't move here, right?" She whispered, "I should've watched those survival videos until the end, damn it."

An eerie freezing breeze teased her skin. Crickets and the ferocious howls of the wind grew louder by each tick of a clock that she doesn't have. Her breathing, audibly unstable. Her free hand dug into her oak coat's pocket. She pulled out a phone and sighed in relief as it turned on, with no obvious cracks or dead pixels. She shook it sideways, again and again. With a worried laugh, her throat croaked. She continued to shake it, to the point that the phone's screen was the only light shining in her dark world. Her eyes began to sting with tears, which was her only source of warmth aside from her dwindling body heat. She whimpered. "Alex!" She screamed, "please, Alex."

Such ugly moans of despair echoed from her dry bleeding lips, "I can't do this again, please." The warm tears finally streamed down her cheeks. The ache from her heart, and the subtle maddening voices in her head eventually numbed her injuries. She drew her knees close to her chest, wrapping her shivering arms around them. Her frail fingers clutched the fabric of her long dirty wrinkled sleeves. Then, with a slow, trembling exhale, she hid her head from the unknown. "Not again… please." Her breath became visible in the small crevice that she made, along with the tears that glowed because of the lonely phone screen she loosely held---presenting a wallpaper of her, Jade, and Alex, making funny faces. It would've been calming to look at, if the battery wasn't so low and the signal wasn't inexistent.

Claire's nails dug into her sleeves, clutching tight on her skin each time the breeze whispered into her ear. Her head sunk deeper into her own flesh, with arms squeezing its sides, blocking out the horrific sounds. But that wasn't enough to block out all of the noise.

"There's no point in hiding," said a familiar voice. That voice with a light southern drawl.

"Shut up!" She shouted. "Just disappear, please!"

"I'm going to find you and make you pay, no matter what," it continued.

"NO!" Claire growled, accidentally biting her tongue. "Di-FUCK OFF!"

"Just be done with it already," she added, "end me for all I care, just stop this pointless shit. PLEASE."

She continued to cry. Her shameless wailing blended with the sound of crunching leaves. Claire's head perked up, eyes wide open---tears and snot overflowing. "Who's there?"

In the darkness, irregular sharp paws stole down a slope. Claire turned her head to every corner, flashing the faint light of her screen at the shadows. A deep hiss crawled from the air to her spine, climbing into her exposed ears. "Oh no…" Claire grimaced as she began to drag her body closer to the tree behind her. A sharp texture grazed the palm of her left hand. She could care less. Right now she has a new problem to deal with other than her own incomprehensible fear.

Can she survive whatever lurks in these woods? If there ever is one.

The wind howled once again, Claire's heels rose up from the ground, lips sealed shut. She closed her eyes, forcing herself to breathe in a calm and quiet manner. She barely stood up from her vulnerable position to crouch.

There was something growling, like a cat ready to fight. Claire remained steady, glaring at what she assumed to be the source of the sound. Her palms were sweaty, her phone was about to slip out of her hand. At that very moment, her sensitivity skyrocketed to her limits. Every pulse, every muscle, every drop of tear and sweat, and her loud beating heart. Her chest could explode at any minute. Painful it was, to feel each process that your body performs to function.

She gulped. Her legs grew impatient, she wanted to run so bad, but where would she go? The noise won't stop. Is it a creature out on a hunt perhaps? "If so, devour me quick please," she whispered to herself. She was smirking as she said that, imagining Alex lightly smacking her head.

Alone she stood in the middle of who knows where in the woods, waiting for either death or salvation. Expecting the former, she prepared herself for the pain that she instinctively cannot endure. The noise grew louder, and louder, until… it stopped.

Claire closed her eyes as a twig cracked behind her. Warmth radiated from her right. She gulped once again, slowly turning her upper body towards the sound of doom.

Nothing pounced on her, huh. Only the sound of the breeze and crickets remained. Carefully, she opened her right eye. There was only darkness. However, she raised a brow. "Huh?" She hummed. This darkness had a shape that contrasted from the environment's color. It's like that moment when you're in your bedroom and see that shadow that looks like a person, but is actually a pile of clothes. Well, Claire pointed her faint screen at said shadow. It was a decaying bush.

Somehow, a bit of fear flew off from Claire. Relieved, she placed down her phone. The screen was still pointing in that direction on its way down on the grass floor. As the light scanned the bush, Claire's eyes widened and glanced at two sharp glowing blue eyes staring at her with curiosity and patience.

She suddenly froze. "Hah."

"A ghost. Hm." She thought.

[the-projectgaiaea-lorebase]

ASITW 3.5: Dream Journal Entry No. 12-15-18-5 1

DISCLAIMER: This story has parts that has: Existentialism (Lots of existential crisis),S*icidal Ideation, Swearing (In multiple languages), and Gorey/Gory descriptions.

I had a dream. I was stuck in the woods once again. It's been a long time since I saw that old house, I could never escape from it. Such a horrible experience, walking through a path, only to end up seeing that building that filled my heart with absolute dread again, again, again, and again. I wonder, why do I keep having this dream?

After my countless attempts, I gave up and decided to take explore the house. It was so vivid, it's painful. Static became the main sensation of my vessel. Now, I couldn't leave the house, my surroundings became smaller. The wake up method did not work. I did not know what to do.

I went in further, darkness consumed my presence. I couldn't see anything but these tiny glowing red strings. It flowed like calm waves, like moths enamored by light. I tried to follow one of the strings, wrapping my fingers around it lightly. However, as I tried to do it, it flew away.

And then I woke up. I thought I would wake up in my bed or at the inn, sweating and gasping for air. Instead, I awoke in the middle of the forest, covered in dirt and bleeding scratches. The sun was setting. I wondered, "Damgo ini?"

Was this another dream?

More happened.

[the-projectgaiaea-lorebase]

ASITW 3: Claire In The Woods

DISCLAIMER: This chapter: Existentialism (Lots of existential crisis), S*icidal Ideation, Swearing (In multiple languages), and Gorey/Gory descriptions.

A million drums were pounded by a powerful heavy thought. The cold morning air could not dry the nervous tears of a pale skinned woman short in breath. "Oh no," Claire whispered. In her room, every pillow got flipped, mattresses were undressed, luggage wide open, and the dusty insides of cabinets and drawers were exposed to spiders and tiny insects. "Where the heck is it?" She whimpered.

She ran to the bathroom, opening every container that could fit two of her hands wide open. "Ah!" She groaned. "Ah, haha!"

Walking back and forth in her room, she recalled the moment she woke up to open her bag that contained her personal recording equipment. It contained everything from a mic to a microchip reader. However… "Frick, frick—DAMN IT!" She shouted. "OF ALL THE THINGS I COULD'VE LOST," she despaired as her aching hands pulled her frizzy black hair, "MY CAMERA, WHY?!"

"Stupid!" She kicked the mattress. "Why am I so dumb?" Tears began to drip from her swollen eyes. She sighed and crouched. Her head glared at the fuzzy floor. "Ahaaaaaaaaay. Ughhhh."

"I wanna die," said she with a creepy grin as she cried in hopelessness. "I'm so so…"

Suddenly the door swung open. "Merlin?! What happened?" Asked Alex, whose eyes were open wide.

Claire wanted to face Alex. Yet, she turned to her right, pushing out her left hand—revealing her reddish palm. "Yeah, yeah, it's okay. I'm sorry."

"Huh?" Alex raised a brow.

Standing up, Claire revealed her back. Alex could hear her rubbing her nose while sniffling loudly. "Sorry, I seem to have caught a cold." Then she hiccupped. "Travel fever, haha." and then silence. She sneakily turned her head to her shoulder to take a peek at Alex, which revealed her poor face, swollen eyes, and dripping snot.

Alex frowned. He marched towards her, making Claire panic. She immediately hid her face and quickly wiped her face using her pajamas. In her head, echoed a scene where he mocked her for crying over a small thing, and another where he remained sympathetic but detached. While in reality, Alex looked around the room and fixed the bed. "What were you looking for? If you don't mind," he inquired.

Claire pursed her lips as her eyes glanced at the occupied Alex. "My camera," she answered. Her sticky fingers held and scratched the moist fabric of her shirt. "I can't find it anywhere."

"I see," said Alex. "I'll help you look for it." Then he glanced at Claire. "Do you know any other places where you could have left it?"

Claire's heart pounded. "I think in the forest we went to yesterday."

"Then I'll contact the guide," he replied, pulling out his fancy phone from his deep pocket.

Anxious, Claire bit her lips and marched towards Alex. "Thanks, but I don't want our budget for the project to be wasted on my misfortune, Alex." She sighed. Her right hand held the hair from her scalp like a snake on the loose. "Maybe I just misplaced it somewhere."

"But that camera is important for you." He raised a brow. "Isn't it important for Jade as well?"

She couldn't bear to look at his concerned eyes. "It is," she sighed again, "but who knows? Later I might just find it in my backpack!" She grinned, her lips crooked.

He rolled his eyes and sighed as well. "If you say so." He then yawned. He stretched his arms and began to pick up the pillows that fell on the floor. "Well, let's clean this place up so we can finish this film. Hopefully you'll find it later. If not, let me know. I'll lend you a hand."

Still grinning, Claire turned her head away from Alex. "Sureee," she replied with an unconvincing tone.

Time then passed. After cleaning the room and fixing themselves up, they ventured back into the woods. Claire opened the car's door on her right and stepped out of the van. The fresh air greeted the anxious Claire, who was comforted by its embrace. However, the comfort quickly went away when the voice of the familiar explorer crawled into her ears. She held her neck, that had nothing hanging on it.

"Heya!" Greeted the explorer, whose wide smile never faltered. "Back again to solve the mystery of the Thetis Lake Monster?" They chuckled.

Alex smirked as he got his camera off the back of the van. "Still don't know what that is."

Claire walked to Alex. "It's that hoax in the 70's about a creature that was actually inspired by some movie because some teen boys wanted to feel special."

Alex's eyes widened. Amused, he said, "You know about it, Merlin?"

"I did some research…" She answered, with her eyes stuck to the ground. "before going… here."

"I see…" Alex frowned. Claire acted like a ghost that was about to cease to exist as everyone grew to forget her. Paler than usual, more pale than Alex's marble skin. He crossed his fingers as they walked and followed the guide into a new spot.

Alex walked behind the explorer. He whispered to her, "Hey, hey, guide?" He then scrunched his face. "Actually, I'm sorry, but I seem to have forgotten to ask your name."

"It's Lor-" said the explorer, who instantly waved out her hand and stopped Alex's footsteps. "Stop!" She shouted.

Alex looked down to his feet. "What is it?" He asked.

"There's a rusty nail, I think." The explorer then smiled. "Good thing you did not step on it, did ya? Haha!" She sighed and placed her hand in front of Alex. "Call me Lorraine."

Alex shook her hand slowly as he stared at her in bewilderment. He pursed his lips and then replied, "Nice to meet you again, Lorraine."

"Same to you, Alex. So what was it you wanted to ask?"

"Uhm… well." He let go of Lorraine's hand and scratched his bald nape. "I was wondering if you happened to see a camera that was left behind?"

Lorraine tilted her head, still smiling. "Hm, camera?" She shook her head, "I do not think so."

"Really? Not anywhere in this abandoned town?" He frowned again.

"Sadly no, I may be a guide, but I'm not the guardian of this forest." She shrugged. "If it was indeed left behind here—in these woods, it would be picked up by some stranger and sent to the nearest mounted police." She then tilted her head on the other side. "Or worse…"

"Or worse?" Alex grimaced.

"It might've been stolen by the lake monster that now haunts this place."

He rolled his eyes. "Look, Lorraine. As much as I am fascinated by your tales… an important property was stolen. No one's going to believe that some fictional monster or ghost stole people's belongings!" He sighed. "Thanks for the tip about the police, but I'd rather not waste my time on some tales that are ruining my plan."

Lorraine scoffed. "Isn't this a documentary about this mythical creature?"

He scratched his nape again. "Yes." He then sighed. "But we're not here to prove the existence of some hoax like that Thetis Monster." He glared at her. "We're only here to present the truth."

"A boring truth, I may say," replied Lorraine.

Alex raised a brow, "What's wrong about the truth that may actually make people feel safe? Do you prefer having people worry about some creature running amok just because it's entertaining?" His glare deepened, trying to dig into Lorraine's condescending smile. "Sadly for you, Lorraine, we're not making a thriller story here."

Silence then filled their surroundings after Alex's fierce response. Lorraine remained smiling, while Alex combed his hair as if he was petting a cat. Only the sound of singing birds remained, flowing with the wind, calming the weak fire that erupted. Lorraine slowly closed her eyes, revealing six strips of unusually long pink eyelashes. Time began to walk, not run. The leaves floated down, and the grass took longer to wave to the other side. The clouds remained unmoved. The world then zoomed into a person that was nearly ignored by the narrative. Claire's attention stuck into something else. Like she was holding a red string as a leash tied around a creature's neck. This creature was holding something important.

The camera… clicked.

Alex flicked his head towards the sound. Claire took off without letting anyone know. Her feet stomped on the ground, breaking rotting leaves and fragile twigs. The air divided in the middle, providing a path for her to run. She passed by the trees and ignored the scream shouting, "Merlin!" She could not take her eyes off the running creature.

The creature had spiky hair, as if it was made of brown grass. It ran quickly, like a cat on the loose. It jingled with every pounce. Claire wondered what she was doing, and if this chase was worth it. The amount of flags and signs were getting less, nothing but trees beyond. She glanced at the ground as she leaped from the big crumbling roots, grass covered a path that ceased to exist. She sighed and quickened her pace. She shouted on top of her lungs, "Give me back my camera! GAGO KA!!!"

After damaging her vocal chords, "DIPUTA! IBALIK AKON CAMERA KAY BALION TA KA!" She tripped.

Everything disappeared.

[the-projectgaiaea-lorebase]

ASITW 2: A Phantom Thief

DISCLAIMER: This story has parts that has: Existentialism (Lots of existential crisis),S*icidal Ideation, Swearing (In multiple languages), and Gorey/Gory descriptions.

The serene forest took their breath away. The luscious vibrant green leaves, the brittle webbed tree trunks, and its mesmerizing swirling roots growing in and out of the ground. "And…click!" said Claire as her camera flashed and absorbed the scene. The trees were not the only staple of this hidden spot, there were more to be discovered. Claire and Alex walked in the woods, following the guidance of an explorer whose expertise are places abandoned by society. This explorer was quirky, wearing dark clothing that made her colorful style stand out. This style of hers included pink hair, cartoonish irises, and a very wide smile that reached her mangled ears. They all ventured around the woods, enjoying and taking in the beautiful view.

Alex marched behind the explorer as he observed his surroundings. They were on a trail leading to a ghost town, and as the title suggested, it was awfully quiet and barren. Nature reigned in this abandoned sanctuary---and some human tourists camped on the hillside to enjoy this peaceful and eerie atmosphere they could not experience in their urban homes. History, a tourist spot, what's new?

Alex asked the explorer, "Say, have you ever heard of the news of things going missing?"

"Sorry?" The explorer hummed. "You mean people going missing after growing some weird tumor on their body?"

Alex shook his head. "No? No, I meant people's things, here in this place." Then he raised his well-groomed eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?" He added.

"Oh, it's just some conspiracy theory I saw that's going viral, my bad." Replied the explorer. "And people's things have indeed been going missing. We don't know who's the culprit, unfortunately."

"Some people say that they saw a creature with silvery scaled skin, sharp claws, and spikes on its head," the explorer added.

"Really?" Asked the bewildered Alex.

"Yep, although I'm pretty sure it's a hoax. You know, like that Thetis Lake Monster."

"No, I don't know about that."

"Eh? You should read about it." Said the explorer. "You'll see how much supernatural lore there is about our world. It shapes it, you know. Without it, we wouldn't exist."

"Okay…" replied Alex.

Soon they reached an abandoned house with its walls painted with illustrations made of spray paint. The explorer chuckled and ran towards the mural, then she began to present each detail to Alex. A blue portrait of a man covered the entire wall, Alex was in awe of how it looked, on the other hand, Claire was surprised and nearly lost her balance.

Her eyes widened. "Phew, I thought it was a giant insect," she thought. She stood behind the two, admiring the scenery. Holding the camera firm in her calloused hands, she held her head up. Birds flew over the tall trees, flying through the bright sky. The air danced around her, carrying the sweet melody of the birds, the rustling of the leaves, and the faint echoes of human chatter. She inhaled the cold fresh air deep into her weak lungs. Her eyelids slowly covered her vision. Her ears listened to the song of nature once again. The soft chirping of the crickets and birds, leaves crunching with each step---which must be Alex and the explorer, and a sudden screech. Claire immediately turned around and glared at the source of the sound, which was behind them. There laid nothing but grass and trees. Her eyes widened again, and a stake pounced on her heart, metaphorically.

She leaned on her right, staring at the vague path between the trees. Again, there was nothing but the soil of the Earth. She sighed and turned around to be with Alex and the explorer, however, she stood still. "Where… are they?" She said,

"Alex?" She called out. No one answered. Her face grimaced. Frantic, she looked around the forest without trying to leave the abandoned house. There was no sign of them. Claire could barely look for footprints at the ground covered in grass with her nearsighted eyes. She sighed and her attention then dwelled within her mind. She began to remember her dream where she was also stuck in the same predicament, only that in the dream, she walked down the clear path and attempted to leave the house. The path led her to return to the house, over and over. She could never escape. It was also the same in real life, when she got lost in the forest with her dear friend Jade, escaping from that madman. It was a sad realization for her, she could never survive alone, could she?

"Merlin?" Said a concerned voice.

Claire looked up and saw Alex towering her. His face was painted with worry. "What are you doing here?" He asked.

"Dying," she nonchalantly replied. "Where were you?!"

"We were down that path. I thought you were following us!"

Claire scoffed as she slowly stood up and stepped away from the wall. "Sorry, I thought I saw something over there."

Alex held her hand. "What did you see?"

"Nothing, it was probably just some animal or something."

"Okay…" Alex pursed his lips, and his eyes were still filled with worry. However, inside, he was relieved.  "I saw a hiker over there we can interview," he added, "shall we?"

Claire nodded after patting the dust off of her coat. "Yeah, let's go." 

And off they went forward on the trail, leaving behind the first abandoned house they saw behind them. Soon, they arrived at a camping site of some random hikers. Their small tents circled on an empty patch, surrounding a small pile of logs with ashes.

"Hello there!" One of the hikers greeted them. They walked closer to Claire, making her appear like a child. Claire was amazed and pissed off at the same time about their significant difference in height. An alien was how she felt being surrounded by humongous western people.

"Good morning dear Sirs!" Alex greeted back. "Me and my colleague here are wondering if you and your group here are willing to answer a few questions?"

The hiker hummed in thought. He looked at his fellow hikers who then said, "Sure!"

They all sat around the pile of logs, except for the explorer who leaned on a tree, still smiling wide. The hiker hunched, with his clasped hands hovering over a gap between his hairy legs. "We're a frequent hiker here and we've always kept our utilities in check," he whispered. "However, this past month, whenever night fell and we rested in our tents, our belongings would disappear. We could hear growling and the zipper of our bags opening. Then when we checked our belongings in the morning, only our food and clothing went missing." He sighed. "We thought it was just some critters, until one night I saw what it was with my own two eyes."

"What was it?" Asked Claire, whose face appeared smug and skeptical.

The hiker chuckled. "I know you don't believe me, and I won't force you to. I only hope you won't experience an encounter with it." He sighed again and frowned. "That night, we had an idea to use our bags as pillows instead, so we slept on it. I was about to fall asleep when suddenly, I saw a ghost who went inside our tent."

Claire raised her thick eyebrow. "Mhm…" she hummed with a doubtful tone.

The hiker continued, "I thought it was a ghost, until I saw its claws sinking into my leg. It got into our tent, going after our bags. I saw its sharp blue eyes glowing out of its gigantic spiky fur. It stared at me, as if it knew it was caught. Then it ran away." Suddenly, the hiker tilts his hairy leg towards Claire and Alex to show deep red marks. "This was where it dug its claws."

Claire's face scrunched. "Those look like bite marks," she quietly muttered under her breath.

"Woah, it really happened?" Alex gasped. "It's fortunate that you're alive!"

The hiker retracted his feet. He replied, "Yeah, who knew what could've happened to me that night?"

"Yeah, who knows?" Claire frowned, which the courteous Alex noticed. It was a subtle hint of annoyance, hidden underneath her tired---but focused and somewhat polite face. She casually hugged her waist and leaned towards the hiker as she nodded after every sentence. Alex raised an eyebrow while he continued to watch Claire and listen to the eerie tale of the hiker at the same time. Soon, after a few minutes, the interview ended. Claire sat up from the chair and slightly bowed as she thanked the hikers for their time. Alex did the same as well, minus the bow. Then they returned, with the assistance of the explorer. Claire let out a deep sigh when they reached the van. The explorer then parted ways with them, waving farewell with that same wide smile. Before fully departing, Claire witnessed the explorer whisper "Amor…" which made her scrunch her face like it would help her see some faraway subtitles that don't exist. After that, the explorer faded like the wind.

Claire and Alex were alone, preparing to go back to their inn. However, the sun was in the middle of the sky and their stomachs were rumbling. "Wanna eat?" Said Alex, who was inside the van, offering Claire her own lunch box through the open car door. 

Claire, with an absent consciousness, reluctantly accepted the food. "Thanks," she whispered.

Alex then sat down on the doorway of his vehicle and ushered Claire to sit next to him. Without hesitation, he opened his lunch box and began to eat his food---which consisted of well-balanced ingredients. Claire soon followed suit and opened hers. A bomb of warm savory scents and flavors exploded on her famished being. Rice and a fluffy omelet with a mixture of sweet tomatoes---and only that, a simple but perfect meal for her. With her shiny spoon, she did not dig in just yet, but she checked the crevices of the dish for a certain transparent bluish crescent, onions. She trusted Alex and she was grateful for what he made, however habits are not very easy to ignore. After checking, Claire sighed and smiled. Her spoon punctured the egg, grabbed a tiny part of it along with a scoop of rice. She munched and munched, devouring her lunch. Meanwhile, Alex, who paused eating, glanced at Claire with a curious and serious glare.

He asked, "Are you okay, Merlin?"

Claire replied, "Myeah, mmm." She was still munching. "Why'd you ask?"

"It's just…" Alex groaned. "You don't appear to be comfortable with what we're doing right now."

She scoffed. "I think I'm okay with eating your cooking, Al."

"I-" He pursed his lips. "I'm serious, Merlin. I'm starting to think this was a bad idea."

Chuckling, she waved her hand and gave Alex a bewildered look. "Tell me. This job was assigned to us, correct?"

"Yes," he replied helpfully.

"So then it's our responsibility." Claire smirked. "I'm fine, Alex."

Alex frowned. "Are you sure? I don't want you to sacrifice your well-being for the sake of money."

Claire rolled her eyes as she stood up, holding the lunch box with her hands. "I am fine, I swear." She then let out a long sigh. "Plus, who doesn't sacrifice themselves for the sake of money? Even if that isn't what I am after…" Suddenly, she shrugged and climbed into the van. "The only time I'll truly be fine is when I pass and no one will find…" She mumbled under her breath.

Alex's ears perked up, he glared at Claire. "What was that, Merlin?"

Her eyes widened. "Nothing!" Then with a chuckle she tells Alex to hurry up, "Get in the car seat, Al. We still have a lot of work to do!" She wailed.

Alex scratched and combed his hair with his neat fingers. "Alright, alright." He said. "I just have to double check if we left some things behind." He looked at the trunk and inspected their belongings, everything appeared to be there, at least. Then at the car seat, he sat down and asked Claire, "What about you? Have anything missing?"

"Me?" Asked Claire, who had to pull out an earphone from her ear that's being blasted with loud mind-breaking music. "Well, I think everything's checked. I still feel like I'm missing something, so that probably means I'm not missing anything. I already double checked when you did."

"Okay." Alex smiled. "So we’re good to go?"

Claire nodded with a smile as she put her earphone back on. Suddenly, everything felt light for her, especially around her neck.

[the-projectgaiaea-lorebase]

ASITW 1: My Camera and I

DISCLAIMER: This story has parts that has: Existentialism (Lots of existential crisis), S*icidal Ideation, Swearing (In multiple languages), and Gorey/Gory descriptions.

There was once a woman named Claire, who lived her dream life making and documenting stories. She had dark hair, brown-crimson irises, moles that either look like constellations or surgical marks, and a posture of a shrimp. She resided in a flat owned by her landlord, and she worked as an assistant in a studio that was also managed by her landlord---who was addressed as a land lady sometimes. Her landlord, named Alex, was peculiar in a great way. Sometimes he wears a smooth short brown hair, comfy striped sweaters, and a comforting smile. Then suddenly he shapeshifts into Claire's sassy landlady named Harmony, wearing a glowing wavy hair, a shiny jacket, and an inspirational smile.

Claire worked day and night, dealing with clients left and right, managing equipment, and a lot of other tasks that piled up on her plate. Each night, after a day's worth of work, she would write everything that happened that day in her notebook. It was detailed and even contained illustrations. However, with each passing day, each dull moment, her entries got shorter, shorter, shorter, shorter, shorter, shorter, shorter, shorter, and shorter… until, the remaining pages were left clean and dusty. Left to rot unfulfilled and disrespected. However, after one fateful day… Those papers were finally filled with black ink, and later with crimson.

Do you know that feeling? Leaving something behind, only to find it later on your doorstep---or rather, on the road in the middle of the night. It was a haunting memory that was written in Claire's notebook. That exact moment, as if someone stepped on a butterfly. She fell back into a rabbit hole she dug a long time ago. A shallow tunnel once full of shallow conspiracies made by her, now full of red strings that burst from a dark abyss. "Where am I?" She thought. "Why is this happening?"

An alien she was to herself. Refusing this reality- no, more so denying the existence of the impossible. Jade, a wounded woman who fell back into her landlord's arms, claimed to be a winged humanoid called an Aviae or Avian. Claire wondered if the world was playing games with her. "Stop getting my hopes up," she whispered as a tear fell from her left crimson eye. Remaining skeptical, she made Jade her friend and found a lot of similarities between them. They became close, to the point Claire rushed to a locked house to save Jade from a maniac client who proudly said he saw her wings. What happened next… was in her notebook---the journal, lost in a fire.

She had plenty of notebooks. However, nothing could ever replace the primary source, full of details… evidence needed to solve the mystery of this story, evidence to persecute that bas-

Wait… evidence? Were all the materials devoured by the frightening fire? Remember, the past events that shouldn't be told, shouldn't be spoiled. Without relying on a piece of paper, recall the most important detail. The most critical fragile tool, made of metal and plastic, enveloped in a cool dark color, with its large eye protruding at the center---ready to capture the image of the culprit.  They say the one holding it never dies, but on its own, will it survive?

Did… the camera make it out alive?

On a cold dark morning, Claire sat on a red couch, staring at the syrup scented candle that her landlord---namely Alex, bought. Her calloused fingers fiddled with a heavy fragile object, careful she was not to let it slip from her pale shivering hands. She turned it on, then the small oval glass near the button flickered a yellow light.

Her lungs could barely grab air as her heart pulsed like an ominous drum beating for war. She then pressed another button, opening a tab on the screen of what seems to be a camera.

A thumbnail of a video popped up. To describe it might make one's insides upside down. Claire gulped after her thumb pressed the dreadful play button. Have you ever experienced scrolling through social media on a somewhat peaceful day, only to bump into a video that can surely traumatize you for the rest of your life?

The video began to play. It remained static for a few seconds, showing a scene in the basement of a madman Claire named as Blitz, who's smiling as he had his hand ready to grab the dirty curtain covering a hidden scene. Claire gulped again, she wanted to close her eyes. However, she desired to grab any information she could take, no matter how small.

In the video, Blitz proceeds to unveil the curtain, revealing Jade, who's lying on a surgery table while facing the bloody floor. Spine-shivering grunts and moans crawled into Claire's ineffective ears. Unfortunately, Jade couldn't move as Blitz stepped closer. What happened next is up to your imagination, as Claire sped up the video, analyzing each frame that swiftly passed by. Her bloodshot eyes were open wide, and soon it was drained of tears.

The wooden door creaked, and a sigh flew into the room. A cup clinked on the drawer, followed by another sigh deeper than before. "Let me guess, you didn't sleep again. Didn't ya, Merlin?" Said Alex, who rolled his eyes while approaching Claire on the couch.

Claire did not reply, remaining quiet as an owl in the daytime. Alex sat beside her and tried to peek at the screen she was observing. However, Claire immediately hid it from his view. "Sorry, but do you mind?" She sighed. Her face scrunched like an old lady who's disappointed in her daughter.

Alex was visibly unamused. In his mind he thought, "Okay, so the first step is not working out." He rolled his eyes once again. He said in a serious and concerned tone, "Merlin, we did not fly across the Atlantic just so you could spend the whole day in a room watching videos."

Claire's attention did not flinch an inch at all.

He sighed. His fingers were tingling and his pulse beat faster. "Merlin," he called. "Merlin," again. "Merlin!" He was talking to a wall. He grumbled as his left hand rose up and snatched the camera from the child's hands.

"Hey!" Claire shouted. "What are you doing? Give that back!"

"When are you gonna start acting like an adult again?" Alex frowned. "You're not listening at all."

"I-" Her eyes glared at the most annoying creature before her. "You could've just called me or tapped me on the shoulder or something!"

"Huh!" He scoffed. "I thought you hated that."

"Well…" Her crimson irises ogled at the ceiling, and her lips became crooked. "Hmph." She shrugged.

He let out a heavy sigh. "Merlin, I know how difficult this situation is for you."

"Yeah?" She smirked.

"I may not know what exactly happened, but I'm here for you. As your boss and friend, you can rely on me." Soon, Alex's free comforting hand patted Claire's stiff shoulders. "And I want to help you right now. So the first step in me being able to help you, is getting your cooperation. I want you to breathe, Merlin. Don't let yourself be drowned by those monsters."

Claire frowned for a moment after hearing half of Alex's speech. A tiny sweat of doubt dripped from her face.

"Jade is safe, and I am here to protect you. Justice will be served, do not worry, Merlin." He added. "So, if you don't mind, shall we get to work?"

"Ah, I haven't slept yet though."

Alex smiled. "You can peacefully sleep on our way to the site. Unfortunately, you might miss the maple leaves you've been eagerly waiting to see."

Claire shrugged. "It's fine, there's a lot of those in this country, right?"

"Right," he replied.

And a few hours had passed. The sun was now following behind them, revealing the trees on the side of the highway. Claire snuggly laid on the car seat of Alex's van, wearing a mask as she listened to her personal playlist with the earphone lodged into her right ear. A blanket covered her shivering body. With one eye left slightly open, she glanced at Alex who was on her left side, driving. The van rolled to their destination, on a highway leading to a forest---and hopefully a lake.

"What's the number 99 for?" Asked Claire using tired slurred words.

It was a very random question. Alex chuckled. "It's the number of the route we're taking, I believe."

"That's a lotta routes." She replied.

"Yeah," he whispered. "A lot of routes, and one of them leads to a ghost town."

"I wonder what we'll be uncovering in that place."