apocalyptiacs

[apocalyptiacs]

Eye to Quix/Whisper, written note and daydream

✉️

Addressed to Whisper, placed peeking out a conveniently abandoned locker in the gym.

——Whisper’s an awfully quiet pseudonym for a ring in the ears so deafly loud. Why don’t you come into my canal. I enjoy the buzzing. You’ll feel right at home.

💭

Over and over again, Eye meticulously opens and closes his little gift box. No faster succession, in fact sometimes slower, both admiring and carefully studying the intricacies of each mechanism. He considers its cutting, carving, screwing, and technicalities while running fingers over each groove and crevice and imagining the previous hands sculpting it to existence before him. Surely this pet project took a few hours to complete from idea to form. An individual sitting in a closed lit room, hunched over a well loved desk, creating something for the sole purpose of divulging what was want to stay hidden. Again his attention is drawn back towards the centered Eye, whittled and smoothed. Surely the work of a student with a love or fixation of the work. And surely, too, just as handwriting, could be found a personal touch. To be made with explicit intent? Or its purpose then bestowed upon it once put in the commissioner’s hands. ‘You and I may have that in common, toy.’

Perhaps a trip to the workshop is in order.

[apocalyptiacs]

The Eyes of Sibiu are the iconic eyebrow dormers on the roofs of Sibiu's houses in Romania. Built mostly between the 15th and 19th centuries, the eyes, which were used as a ventilation system for the houses' attics, have given Sibiu the nickname of "The City Where Houses Don't Sleep"

[apocalyptiacs]

Eye to Umby, all of them B)

✉

Posted on the ceiling directly above Umbral’s pillow- a printed blown up image of a text sent to Saturn's phone from Umbral's contact dated right before his disappearance. Immediately below is the image of a crow eating from a mouse surrounded by broken glass.

💬

[to: piper] come over [/trash]

💭

Curves of metal hang strings of glittering glass and lights from the ceiling of the main hall. As he stares up, the iron in his vision curls around ligaments from a spindling form barely wreathing against the cold bars. It is both hiding in and illuminated by the reflected light through teardrop shards. After a few blinks the image above him is gone, but remains for a moment burned into the back of his eyelids.

'He would make a better chandelier.'

📓

Click.

Audio starts with some ambiguous shuffling and muffled approaching stomping.

zzziiip..

zzzZIIIIIIIPP

There’s a loud revving to rumbling distinct to the chug of a chainsaw in time with a distinct shriek,

"I'm coming in or you're coming out!"

Splitting wood cutting against screaming mechanical strain nearly peaks the sound before suddenly dipping back down with a creak of the door and final thud of an abandoned tool.

“That sucked. Hey how’s it g—AACK-“

A thud follows Umbral’s yelp. The thud is followed by sounds of a short scuffle. Then, a large plank of wood thunks back against the wall and a heavy piece of furniture scrapes against the floorboards.

Some quick, labored breathing can be heard for a short moment.

“Try harder.”

And the audio clicks off.

[apocalyptiacs]

Jaggers to Sky, written note and journal entry

✉

The back reads 'Reach for the' across the middle in baby blue marker. The front is color blocked with the marker save for around soft cloud shapes that abstractly form their alias, 'sky.'

📓

There was a dark, foggy sky and a soggy open field in front of me

I was looking for clovers, but they all had too many leaves that would immediately fall off and prick me when I pulled them up (thats when I knew it was a dream, didnt hurt) and I saw Sky in front of me with their back turned

When I started heading up behind them I was going to tap them and get their attention, but before I could reach out they started floating away! There was a bubble too I didnt realize was there until I caught up that was just out of Sky's reach

As they went up the bubble started getting bigger and the fog started lifting so I jumped and started flying after them but they were still too far ahead. An aurora burned through the drab grey with a bright dusting of stars coming in sight too - all reflecting inside this growing bubble that was huge now.

And just when I didnt think we would go any higher, Sky's finger connects with the bubble and there was a big flash of blinding light! End log.

[apocalyptiacs]

"She's early."

Eye comments to no one. The reflection through the window reflects back again past his lenses; a glimmering frosted dew dusts the outer glass to the frigid green blades of grass below. A first frost.

And, speaking of frosting, sits a freshly decorated cake awaiting enjoyers in the cafeteria. White, like the image of what was to come with the season, and blank, in the similar way the rabbit might be to blend with the snow.

[apocalyptiacs]

[apocalyptiacs]

Eye / Cain

[apocalyptiacs]

1 2 3 okay

[apocalyptiacs]

There is one final click. As it would turn out, that final, thinner piece of wood had a couple simple turn locks on it, the force applied to the spin was enough to unlock it. The thin piece of wood plaps down onto the file. Eye can take it out.

The alias on the file: Piper.

Bottoms up goes the box as the panel drops into his lap and, on top of it, the awaited file.

Eye opens the manila folder unceremoniously before immediately falling upon the alias. Piper. He smiles.

The file is promptly closed and dropped back into a wooden frame. Deciding to keep his new trinket the panel and top are replaced as well. Just as the newspaper was, the box takes its position under his arm then as he rises to stand.

Taps of dress shoes echo as he walks on forward, past the altar until he reaches the tabernacle. In his pocket he fishes around and produces a key that is put into a bejeweled center. He opens its door, revealing the bread body it held in its silver paten, and holds it over his head as wafers fall both into his mouth and hedonistically to the floor. When finished with his breakfast, he blows out the sanctuary candle and leaves the silver bowl with the desecrated eucharist and heads back to his own sanctuary for some pleasure reading.

[apocalyptiacs]

Another click. T pops loose, and the ledges fall limp. U, F, and B have not changed. If tried, L and R won't change anymore. The only option would be to put them back and reset. The T beckons. Upon removal of T, there is a much thinner piece of wood. It has a very clear spiral pattern with a bullseye in the middle. The spiral winds left.

The top is removed, revealing the spiraling bullseye signifying to him his prize is well in sight. Looking into the bullseye, he first thinks to dig out its top lid’s pupil to apply in its center but a half-hearted scratch from between the grooves proves unnecessary and places the top aside. Gaze then follows the spiral inside as his hands start to move the box in guidance with the left direction it spins. As he reaches the full rotation, there is a presumably final click.

The missing file.

[apocalyptiacs]

L and R push down, each about a half inch. Upon further completion, they might have more give. The pupil, however, elicits a click. From L and R come small ledges, sprung free by the pupil. One is stained to look like birch, the other is stained to look like dark oak. With closer inspection, Eye might notice that the eyelashes are stained in a light-dark pattern.

Had he not pushed the button first, Eye would have stuck his fingers into the gaps of box but instead watches as the ledges of either side pop out. Fingertips glide over the stained wood as he considers how long it might have taken Whisper to make this contraption. Must be quite the client on the other end if he is willing to put in all this extra credit work.

There is only one real visual to work off of, that being the eye itself. The pupil had use but is unremarkable otherwise. The W’s, however, while a nice decorative touch, also matched the ledges. So starting from left to right he presses on them in accordance with the lashes’ pattern. Further progress.

[apocalyptiacs]

(L - left side, R - right side, F - front, B - back, T - top, U - under) Running his hands over the box, Eye will notice that L and R move slightly. The pupil to the creepy eye also appears to be pushable, but it won't budge at the moment. Nothing else appears to move so far. There is nothing of interest on F, B, or U currently either.

Puzzles are intriguing and the chapel is usually quiet and undisturbed, so Eye toys with the box until he can open it before leaving the area. Revelation will soon be in for his morning ritual duties. Not that he would pay any guests much mind, but he is not in a mood to share.

He finds the pupil to give slightly under the weight of his finger during his time admiring the top, and after his investigation of the rest settles his attention to the sides. Pressure is applied in all directions on the left and right. A small click sounds as he moves them downward, cluing him into pressing in the pupil. He gouges the eye.

[apocalyptiacs]

golden hour walk

It’s July 30 happy birthday Jacinte!

[apocalyptiacs]

As foretold, in the chapel, under the seventh pew, lies what Eye has requested. Inside of a puzzle box. The box has a creepy looking eye carved into it, and the eyelashes are stylized to look like "W"s. It is unmistakably from Whisper, and Umbral's file is inside. Eye needs to solve the box.

On the seventh day, while the Lord rests, the children exchange fruit.

Morning breaks through the window blinds into Eye’s bedroom but the hermit is not present. Instead, he is slipping on clean brown loafers over dirt stained soles in front of the doors of their holy meeting place.

There is a newspaper folded and wrapped around in elastic tucked under his arm as he walks down the center isle and arrives to his desired pew. The paper is set in with the hymnals before he reaches below the seat and places the box in his lap. His nail traces over the carved details. Cute.

Eye inspects the box thoroughly.

[apocalyptiacs]

[W] Is your nest free?

[W] Or do I have to find that, too?

[W] Though, I suppose the huntsman doesn't need all the intimate details of your life. I think he wants to know what makes your clock tick.

[W] How could a nobody burst into stardom?

[W] I'll give you some time to think it over.

[iTxt] no body [iTxt] is that what they think of me?

A randomized combustion if hydrogen and helium contained to a vessel. Burning bright.

Burning fast. He wonders how far the pulsars will reach. A few hours pass. [iTxt] Huntsman can have his autopsy report. Crack the egg.

[apocalyptiacs]

[W] Your blackbird likes to sing. He's a showoff.

[W] But if you want the omelet and not just the yoke, give me a week.

[W] I have plenty on him! But getting the actual file will be difficult.

[W] In seven days, go to where body and blood are shared. Under the seventh pew, you'll either find your nest or the remnants of it.

[W] You may not be assured, but if I cannot hunt, I can still gather.

[iTxt] useful. [iTxt] what weight levels the scale?