Hey! Have I got a story for you! Well, actually, you know it isn't a very complete story, because so little of it makes sense to me. Friday is asleep now, and I'm exhausted. It's been a week since I found the first missing student, who turned out to be Jenn Marx. How I got to her I can't say really. It would have been after Christmas, when it seemed like my mind had a...uh...mind of its own. I started smelling that Leith aroma once more, and suddenly I awoke in that cave...

Friday wasn't with me that time, and I can't say why. It was a shame because I figured he would know who nabbed me THIS time and threw me down here. There was something different to those caverns. It was like...well...caves don't have much light in them, right? Well this time it was like the cave was different, like if there WAS light there, it would be in a different area. So, cleverly, I muttered "I'll take what's behind door number two!" and set off to where the new light was.

It was slow going, same as the last time I was trapped there, until the stalactites and mites started growing smaller. Finally there were all but gone and I stood at the edge of a massive ridge. I couldn't see the bottom (I couldn't see much of anything, really) but there, in front of me, the ridge turned into steep steps, each one as high as my chest. I figured "What the hay" (since I was trapped anyways without Friday's teleporter, and he wouldn't be along until he had finished that paper he was writing for TK101) and started to climb down those huge stairs.

They were endless! I must have gone down a hundred of them before the scenery changed. I couldn't see the cavern I'd come from at all, just stairs and then black in both directions. Here the stairs had a path leading off to the left to the cave wall. The right had had one too but it looked like it crumbled away some time ago. So I took the left one and at the cave wall (when I could finally see it) there was an opening leading beyond! It looked natural, but the whole thing was just too convenient, especially after those big ass steps.

Inside was a huge chamber, maybe 100 yards across, round, with a vaulted ceiling. In the middle, also round, was a pit in the floor, maybe 50 yards in diameter. This thing was PERFECTLY round people. The stairs and cave wall had all been natural looking. They had weird curves and growths and...well...I mean this was a round hole. The smell made my eyes water. The Leith smell was replaced by something acidic. I could barely see and tears streamed down my chiseled complexion. Still, in the pit, far far down, I could see light. There wasn't much, but I could make it out. Something was down there. I called out a 'hello' since that's what people do in movies, but of course there was no answer.

At this point, the ground near the edge of that round circle gave way and I fell in. I mean, it didn't break off like it was old (although that would make sense), the circle grew in size and I couldn't tell what was happening until I was plummeting down towards that dim glimmer.

At first I was frightened, but it took me a good two or three minutes of falling to actually reach it, and wouldn't you know...

It was a girl! She was giving off the light, which did a nice job of masking the fact that she was stark naked (Wow!). She was curled up into the fetal position, as if she was hiding her light from the darkness all around us (oh, side note: as I neared her it felt like my descent slowed; we weren't on solid ground, just kind of floating on some horizontal plane). She was beautiful, but the light was so dim now...

Suddenly it was bright red all around us, like the black had turned to fire and we were surrounded by all manner of suns. I closed my eyes but I could still see the light, and it became much warmer...no...intensely hot, all around me. What exactly was I going to do? I stumbled/floated over to the girl and tried to protect her, but the pain was terrible and because I couldn't see I accidentally placed my hands on a few areas I'm not supposed to touch without permission.

And, of course, at the worst possible time, my cell phone starts vibrating in my pants pocket. Not now!

But it wasn't my cell phone, no sir, not at all! It was (bom bom BOM) the G-667 teleporter! I had it all along! I must have snatched it from Friday while he was working on his paper! So I took the girl in my arms (she was a little bit taller than me, but I’m still growing…honest), and hit the “locate location #1” hotkey. Instantly we were in my dorm room (on my bed in fact…yikes!). This time I managed to not throw up which is good because I was preoccupied with making sure the girl was okay! Friday turned around from his desk and went slightly bug eyed and I sent him to get help. When he didn’t move I started to yell but then realized what was wrong and threw my comforter over the girl. No longer distracted, he took off down the hall and I started to check her vitals. Physically she seemed okay (breathing, heartbeat, etc) but her aura was very dim. Also she seemed very pale and there were dark circles under her eyes. I didn’t think much of this because really, here at psyhigh, that’s a common look.

She didn’t stir or move until right when the doctors came to move her to the infirmary. The first thing she said (the only thing she said) was “finally!”

Finally? C’mon baby, I just saved your bacon! Gimme a break!

After that whatever got me into those caves started happening a lot more frequently. In three days I was back, and this time I saved the girl I mentioned in my Jan.9 post. I made sure I kept the G-667 with me in case I ever ended up in the caves, but on the next trip (there were three on the 10th) I didn’t have it.

And here’s where there are actually some clues as to what happened. I didn’t have the teleporter but I was still able to take them back to campus, to my dorm. It makes sense now that I’ve rescued all ten. I could never explain who kept throwing me into the caves or why I always ended up in my bed after the trip back, or especially as to why I didn’t need the teleporter for the last batch (or why Friday was only with me for the last four). Don’t you get it? I was DREAMING! Wherever these kids were (I hear they’re Psyhigh students from Edinburgh, which explains a lot), it’s no wonder no one could find them! They were…I guess, in some kind of Dreamland!

Huh, now that’s funny. I just read James’s post about the missing people and it looks like we never found the Psycurity guys…and the smells and the mind games are gone…hmm.

Oh, and in really important news, I’m happy to say that I now have enough facial hair to grow SIDEBURNS!!! This is going to be so fun!

-Elroy.

 

2004-1-9   Elroy Roundhouse

Almost...almost there...

Noooooooo!

...

Oh wait, I think she's okay.

Whew. That's a relief.

Now...there must be others...
 

2004-1-7   Letters

I was ready to die today. I had given up all hope. Laying in the middle of this... whatever it is, abys of sorts, I tried to let go of the ghost. But it would not be given over so easily.
I believe one of you or maybe some other force beyond those which we know gave me the strength and courage to carry on in this thing. I continue to fear for my life... but somehow, I know it sounds crazy. There is peace.
please. Someone find me soon. Who knows how long I can continue.
I fear the others that have been lost have been lost forever. I have not contacted anyone, though the few of you who have been able to get through to me with your messages have asked where they are.
Please help.
 

2003-12-28   James The Jackle

Myself and the remaining members of Psycurity want to thank those of you who have been posting clues about the recent disapearances.
Right now we feel that they may be leading us to sector AR6 - noting the various smell and heat sencings that have be arizing. I don't think any of us expected they they would be hidden in such an obvious demention, but again, we have not yet detected a single life-force.
The situation has become dyer (and apparently the Edinburgh school didn't even realise that Jenn Marx was missing due to some recent disapearances she has been involved in). The clues are starting to come together.
Please, those of you who are not concentrating on enrollment for next symester or the new year's festivities - we ask that you would focus your mental and psycic powers on this desperate situation.
Thank you.
James
 

2003-12-25   Elroy Roundhouse

Jenn Marx

...

wait, why did I type that?

Ugh, I just wanted to wish everyone a merry Xmas. Friday and I got the packages from our parents yesterday and Wily just called. He didn't talk long but I'm pretty sure he wished us well.

Florence Newbergh

What?!? I wish you could actually delete things you type on these computers. It's not like Nancy Lewis they...uh...they want to look...oh yes, what I meant to say was it isn't like these posts are monitored by the faculty, are they? I mean sure we've all heard about Psycurity's HIDDEN AGENDA Florence Newbergh but I sincerely doubt that Jenn Marx Nancy Lewis Florence Newbergh...weird, that Leith smell is back. Remember what I Nancy Newbergh?

Hang on, I'm gonna go Marx Florence Florence Johan...

Jenn Johan Jenn Lewis Florence Newbergh Marx Marx Nancy.

AUGH!!

-Marx. No! Elroy! LEWIS!!
 

2003-12-23   Letters

Please help. There has been a recent onslaught of heat setting in accompanied by bright lights. I have been both blinded and scorched by this... thing.
Please help!

 

2003-12-22   Elroy Roundhouse

Sigh.

L'amour...

Better to have loved and lost...

Wow, that relationship really was the best ten weeks of my life.

Anyways, now that finals are over and much of the campus is off on vacation with their families, we Roundhouseses have the school essentially to ourselves! This would be great but my sinuses always go haywire when winter sets in for good. No amount of antihistamines or "herbal supplements" has helped. Ever.

Friday demanded that we snoop around like meddling brothers should. I, of course, agreed.

To make a long story brief we solved two whole mysteries and were then kidnapped (too much meddling) and we awoke in a deep underground cavern. As I came to, I noticed right off that there was a certain smell to the place I just couldn't quite pick out.

We spent the next hour or so trying to figure out where we were and how to get out. That smell persisted wherever we went in the cave, and even though I couldn't place it, it was nice to have around. It was very hard to describe (you'll see why later) but completely pleasant, like fine perfumes and fresh mountain air and the smell of an American two car garage.

Finally Friday got fed up and started swearing, and right when we sat down to give up hope (and eat the bags of snack foods we had found), it hit me! The Docks!!! That smell that we'd been smelling was Scotland! I just barely remember living there, Friday and I were so young, but a place like that never leaves you. My Dad had said that of all the places we had moved to while he worked for Zanz-McMoot, that was the one he hated the least. I told Friday, who choked on a potato chip, and muttered "I thought I smelled something."

But this didn't leave us with much. I mean, okay, so a cave smells like Leith - so what? It was then that Friday sneezed violently, and I realized what was wrong: There was no way I could smell anything! My nose was stopped up like Houston city traffic! So what the hell was I smelling?

Again I'm going to jump ahead, but through intuition, experimentation, and plenty of 2d20 rolls, we deduced that what we were smelling was a sort of psychic transmission designed to create a sense based stimulation in our minds. We couldn't figure why someone would want to transmit a smell that evoked memories of Leith, a place most people haven't even been to (it's a suburb of Edinburgh), so we vandalized the caves a little and left.

Oh right, how did we get out?

Well, Friday mentioned that he had in fact snatched an Asland G-667 from the campus laboratory, and I asked him why exactly he had kept the fact that he had a Class X teleporter from me for so long. His response was to warp us both back to Psyhigh. My response was to throw up on our dorm room floor. The G-667 causes stomach upsets, which is actually really mild for something that completely undoes your being and then transmits you at the speed of light to wherever you tell it.

So now we are relaxing after a long day of fighting crime and getting thrown into caves. A lovely witch girl from down the hall cleared my sinuses with a deadly spell, but no smell seems to match the magic of the one from the caves.

I do believe I am still curious...yesss.
 

2003-12-21   James The Jackle

Hey.
My name is James. I have been sent to this school in Edinburgh by the Ministry Of Defense, UK. Something about a rift in the time space continuum that has been taking students alive into another, foreign, demention.
I am told to look for the following students:
Cricket
Jennifer James
Paul Chesterton
Malcom Talbien
George McClarren
Nancy Lewis

the following teachers:
James Johan
Florence Newbergh
Roman Dijeski

and two un-named members of psycurity.

Apparently this situation has gotten out of hand and I have been sent as a trained professional and graduate from the Tokyo base of Psychic High School.

Anyways. These journals were not available to the students when I was in the school. I am trying to get ahold of the ability to leave messages in a specific space of the time continuum without the computer that the bases provide. I will try to keep you students abrest of my findings as they are made clear to me. Any input you can give will be well appreciated.

Thank you.
James The Jackle - Ministry Of Defense, UK
 

2003-12-21   Letters

Thank you to those who have been searching for me. I have been recieving your telecomunic messages. I really appreciate it. Though no one has found me yet I do hope that they will soon. I feel the end may be near.
My food has only been the discusting space slugs that once used to haunt the various Psy-hi bases. My drink... yeah, I won't even indulge you with news of the various things I have had to choke down.
Please someone help! Surely my parents have contacted the school about my strange disapearance? They haven't seen me for months.
 

2003-12-12   Letters

I appear to be locked in some sort of time space portal. It has taken me months to desipher and even longer to figure out how to contact the outside world. Please. Someone. Help.
 

2003-12-11   Letters

S.O.S. I don't know where I am. Details to follow.
 

2003-3-7   Letters

I am sorry for the delay of my last post. It seems that I got my self stuck in the transmitter and have found myself transmitted to two months after the move to the base in city centre. It was the only precaution the school could take to make sure that I did not get lost in the time-space continuum. But I am safe and sound. We seem to have lost a few members of psycurity in the transmitter as well. They are expected to arrive sometime next May. I am happy nothing worse has gone on though.
I was scheduled to begin classes at Edinburgh Uni when I got stuck. My head-master has explained to me that I missed too much of the term to make up for it so I have the next two months off and will be taking summer courses to make up for it.
I was given the option to go back to America and spend time with my family... but Edinburgh really is my home now so I have decided to stay and take some independant art and silver pouring courses with the local art academy. I will be doing that for the next 2 months and working in a cool little cafe off of the Royal Mile called The Elephant House. Looking forward to my 2 months out I guess :-)
I will also be student-teaching in the "History of Edinburgh" and a"Paranormal Studies: The Closes Of Edinburgh" courses.