In Search of the Unknown Chaptered Version

Part 6

The group had been traveling for a few hours. Though they lived in upper Georgia and wasn't far from the Tennessee border, it was very difficult to find New Byzantium. The road to there was weird and twisting. It now made more sense to Dalen why she said the town seemed so isolating.

It was years since the time she said the event occurred, and the town had certainly changed once they arrived. It seemed in better condition. It had new stores and businesses, and the town had developed.

Though they just wanted to get footage for a follow-up, Dalen did decide to see if he could contact Emma Raisend. He didn't think she still lived there but contacting her could give some details on things.

Dalen did find her online. He talked to her and told her who he was. She seemed like she was willing to talk and be interviewed. She heard of the small documentary series but was a bit bothered that they found her statement. She never gave it to them and whoever did she knew of, but she was less inclined to talk about him.

What surprised Dalen the most was that she still lived in New Byzantium. It was astonishing to think she continued to live in a town she said she hated so much. He wondered what had changed.

Emma gave them the address of her house and the time they could meet tomorrow. They filmed in the older parts of the town, which were more like how Emma described. After got as much footage they needed, Trevor decided that there was more time to kill. Trevor wanted to do something; he just didn't know where to go. They did find a place to eat, but it wasn't dinner time yet, so they had to find something to do.

While they were driving by, David saw something that caught his eye. It was a small antique store. The store was very much out of the way compared to everything else. Something about it seemed off, it seemed almost tilted, and the windows seemed warped, contorting whatever shapes were inside. Trevor was against taking souvenirs into the small car they drove, but he was ok with just looking at it.

They entered the store, the customer bell rings, signaling the shop owners to their presence. The shopkeeper was short and old. He was gaunt and wore a wife beater that almost hanged off him, and he had a wide smile. A smile that was too wide for his face.

No one noticed that though. The image of the man went away every time their attention parted. They were none the wiser to him, he may as well be a voice and nothing else. Maybe he was.

Trevor looked around a look of indifference painted across his face and demeanor. He felt content, and he had town anything would catch his interest.

Dalen was interested in these old trinkets. Each trinket held a certain history and life to it, they pulled him in like a magnet. The store was small and packed with stuff, and Dalen made sure to see all of it. Time ticked away. He found something he was interested in. It was an old video game, specifically made for a PC before the digital made it that CD games for PCs were less convenient. It didn't have any pictures on the back. It most importantly barely had any descriptions of it. No reviews, no age ratings, it only had its title. Its title was simple and ominous

"Clench".

Dalen didn't know why, but the title itself brought him to buy it. It had to be horror with such a haunting title. It made his skin crawled and his curiosity attracted him like a fish to the lure of an anglerfish. Dalen bought the game and stared at it with intensity.

What David looked around for was a book to read. There were a lot of books, but most were old encyclopedias and Almanacs. He wanted to find a good novel or some fiction. He looked tentatively for one, but he only found two he was interested in. One was named "The Retaliation of the Stalwart Sparrow", the book seemed bizarre and nonsensical. Its cover filled with twisting green vines and an Orange background, the sparrow had its wings out as if showing its power. He was interested in what this book entails, its story, and the reason for such a title. When he showed it to the Shopkeeper, the old thing smiled with a grin so wide it left his mouth.