Family Reunion

 There is some cursing, so I guess this should be NSFW. Tell me if I need to improve in anything.

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 '''Police found the audio diary of one Mike Lenser in the home of Laura Lenser, after the disappearance of Max and Jack Lenser, one-month old Mary Lenser, and the murder of Lance Stint. All three have gone missing, possible victims of the ‘Missing Siblings’ Case. All cases are connected only by the fact that the people disappearing have their brothers and sisters go missing within hours of each other. This audio is the only thing police were able to find at the scene.'''

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 (Static, then a man’s voice speaks) “March 12 - 6:30 PM This is a bit... uncomfortable... I never had a journal before, much less an audio one, but I guess that this day calls for me to sort things out a bit.

 “My name is Mike. Just Mike. So, yeah... Hello journal. I’ve never talked to you before. Sorry, I think. Anyway, I should tell you why I’m starting to write on you now rather than at an earlier time.

 (Takes in a breath) “It all started this afternoon, when my brother came to visit. We haven't talked since our father died a year ago. None of us have, actually. There's four of us siblings, with only one girl. She’s the second one born, right after me. I'm the oldest, and I’m almost twenty-seven.

 (Clears throat) “Anyway, as I was saying, we haven't talked since our dad died. He always kept us together, and now we’re separated all over again. If it weren’t for my dad, I’m sure that we would never even know each-other’s names. And yet, here comes my brother, talking to me, as if we were the best of friends. It’s nice to see him and all, but there’s something weird about him. His eyes. (Pause) He looks the same, but his eyes are just... horrible. I can’t really explain it. He’s got the same brown eyes as me, but there’s something wrong about them. They just don’t look human anymore, they’re like the eyes of a mannequin. They’re there for show, but useless in the end. He even asked if I would like to go visit our sister with him. “We’re family,” he said. “We should stick together!” and a bunch of other crap like that.I’m still not sure what he meant by that. When it was time for him to leave he gave me this look. I don’t know what it was, but I felt... (Uncertain) I don’t know... like he was detached. Like he was looking at an insect or something.” (Cuts off)

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 “March 13 - 5:00 PM, I think. He came to visit the next day. Afternoon, same time, with the same damn eyes. I thought I had imagined it at first, but the more he looks at me, the less it feels like I’m talking to a human. What’s going on? Am I going insane? Maybe it’s me who’s the weird one. I don’t know, but he’s making me nervous. Funny, the oldest brother being afraid of the third-born.

 “Again we talked. I can’t remember what we talked about, but it wasn’t important. Mainly we talked about the crappy economy, or a movie he saw. And then he steered it to the family thing from yesterday. He wanted to call up Laura, our sister, and ask her to see a movie with us. “It’ll be fun.” he says, “Just like a family.”

 “I asked what was his obsession with family, a bit peeved. It’s all he seemed to be talking about recently.

 (Pause, shaky inhale) “I almost wish I hadn’t asked. His eyes glazed over and looked like he was seeing things, things that I couldn’t. “Family is important. We need to be together.” he said. Then he left. No goodbye, no see you later, just got up, opened the door, and left. God, I don’t know what the hell is happening anymore.” (Cuts off)

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 (Mike’s voice. He sounds scared.) “March 24 - 7:00 AM. Man. Haven’t written in this in over a week, but again, I-I saw my brother. At least, I think I did. I don’t know if I did. I, uh, I was coming home from work, I work nightshifts, at a factory, and I saw this guy just standing there in the woods outside my home. I think it was him, he had the same short hair, but I guess lots of people have that kind of hair. A-anyway, he simply disappeared before I could get a closer look. Maybe he went into the forest? Hell, maybe it wasn’t my brother. Maybe just some teenagers. I just need to sleep now. Fuck...” (Cuts off)

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<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px13.0px0.0px;font:13.0pxHelvetica;color:#d5d4d4"> (Mike. He’s breathing slowly, trying to calm down.) “March 30 - 12... 26. 12:26 PM. I don’t know why, but I couldn’t sleep today. I felt like I was being watched. I still feel it actually! I know it sounds weird, but I honestly feel like there’s someone here with me. And to make it worse, I heard whispering in my head. I didn’t understand what it was, but I could hear a few things. I heard something like, “One... join... connect... together...” The last thing I heard before I could finally sleep still scares me.

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px13.0px0.0px;font:13.0pxHelvetica;color:#d5d4d4"> “I-it said, ''“... family.”''” (Cuts off)

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px13.0px0.0px;font:13.0pxHelvetica;color:#d5d4d4"> --

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px13.0px0.0px;font:13.0pxHelvetica;color:#d5d4d4"> (Mike. There’s static in the background, and he’s panicking.) “A-april first. Something’s here! In my house! I-I don’t know when it came here, but it’s here. I can feel it, and-and sometimes hear it! Oh fuck! It’s walking around, a-and I’m pretty sure that sometimes it, it crawls on the walls. Whatever it is, it hasn’t approached me, but I don’t think it wants to. I think it’s mocking me.”

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px13.0px0.0px;font:13.0pxHelvetica;color:#d5d4d4"> “And as if that’s not bad enough, my brother’s been appearing more often! I see him in the corner of my eye, sometimes I see him walking away, but I know the bastard is watching me! I’ve tried calling him to tell him to leave me alone, but he wouldn’t answer his phone. And if I try to talk to him outside, he disappears. I don’t want to go back home. That... thing is still there, crawling around. What the hell am I supposed to do!?” (Cuts off)

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px13.0px0.0px;font:13.0pxHelvetica;color:#d5d4d4"> --

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px13.0px0.0px;font:13.0pxHelvetica;color:#d5d4d4"> (Mike. More static. It almost sounds like other people are with him. Maybe a crowd?) “Just got home from work, and I hear the fucking whispers again! “Join... become... connect... spread...” I don’t know what to do! I’m losing sleep. I want to call in sick. Maybe I should just go to a store or something. Somewhere with lots of people. I see my brother. He’s outside!

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px13.0px0.0px;font:13.0pxHelvetica;color:#d5d4d4"> (Sound of door opening. Static becomes louder and the people are talking more.) “Jack! Leave me the fuck alone!

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px13.0px0.0px;font:13.0pxHelvetica;color:#d5d4d4"> (Static stops. People stop. Mike is breathing heavily.) “W-where! Where the fuck did he- Oh, god. What the hell is going on! Fuck! What... What the hell? Jack! Leave me alone!” (Cuts off)

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px13.0px0.0px;font:13.0pxHelvetica;color:#d5d4d4"> --

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px13.0px0.0px;font:13.0pxHelvetica;color:#d5d4d4"> (Mike. He’s panicking. Static and people are back.) “It didn’t help! He’s still following. And the whispers are still there! They want to join or something. What do I do? Someone help me!” (Cuts off)

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px13.0px0.0px;font:13.0pxHelvetica;color:#d5d4d4"> --

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px13.0px0.0px;font:13.0pxHelvetica;color:#d5d4d4"> (Mike. He sounds tired. He’s panting. All is quiet. No static or people) “Called in sick. Didn’t go to work. Fuck! The thing. The thing that was here. It’s gone. Thank god it’s gone. Uh, it’s April third. It’s... I don’t know, eight in the afternoon, I think. It’s getting dark out. Neighbors are going away on a vacation or something. I haven’t seen Jack in a while. Is it over? I hope so. Fuck! I don’t kn-

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px13.0px0.0px;font:13.0pxHelvetica;color:#d5d4d4"> (Glass is broken, static returns. Mike begins to breath harder and there’s a clattering sound. The crowd is back. They... laugh?) “Fuck! Oh fuck! Oh god! That thing! It’s here! Oh fuck, it’s coming up!”

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px13.0px0.0px;font:13.0pxHelvetica;color:#d5d4d4"> (Door is slammed shut. Banging against wood. Laughing is heard, presumably from outside the door. It’s not human.) “Fuck! Fuck, help! HELP ME PLEASE!”

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px13.0px0.0px;font:13.0pxHelvetica;color:#d5d4d4"> (Wood begins to crack. Mike is hysterical. Static is louder, and the people laugh and scream more.) “Help me! Please! Anyone! It’s coming in! Fuck! Help me, please!”

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px13.0px0.0px;font:13.0pxHelvetica;color:#d5d4d4"> (Man’s voice. Presumably Jack. He’s calm, but sounds like he’s trying not to laugh.) Open the door, bro. Let us in! We need to talk. Come on. We need to go get Laura. We already have Max with us. Just come on. We need to stick together. We’re family!”

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px13.0px0.0px;font:13.0pxHelvetica;color:#d5d4d4"> (Mike) “Fuck you! Leave me alone! Stay the fuck away! You and that thing, stay away!”

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px13.0px0.0px;font:13.0pxHelvetica;color:#d5d4d4"> (Wood breaks and Mike yelps. Then the static consumes everything. Mike, Jack,  the crowd, the people laughing is all drowned out. Sounds are heard. An animal’s growl.) “What the fuck... (Static) monster! (Static) Jack hel-! (Static) -ucking bast- (Mike screams. Cuts off)

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px13.0px0.0px;font:13.0pxHelvetica;color:#d5d4d4"> --

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px13.0px0.0px;font:13.0pxHelvetica;color:#d5d4d4"> (Mike. He’s calmer, and the static is only a slight sound in the background.) “I’ve been listening to this thing. Man, I can’t believe I panicked so much. I sound like a damn wuss.”

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px13.0px0.0px;font:13.0pxHelvetica;color:#d5d4d4"> (Laughs lightly) “Oh man. Anyway, uh, it’s April fifth. It’s... I dunno, three in the afternoon I think. Me, Jack, and Max are going to see Laura. Say hi guys!”

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px13.0px0.0px;font:13.0pxHelvetica;color:#d5d4d4"> (Jack and another voice.) “Hey there!” “‘Sup!”

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px13.0px0.0px;font:13.0pxHelvetica;color:#d5d4d4"> (Mike again. The static is beginning to grow in intensity as he speaks.) “We just have to get Laura now. I heard that she had a kid last month. That’s good. We’ll bring her along as well. We’re family after all.”

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px13.0px0.0px;font:13.0pxHelvetica;color:#d5d4d4"> (Static is louder. The people are back. They’re laughing again, and so are the three men. And something else is with them. It’s not human.) “We’re family. We stick together now. We’re family.” (Recording ends.)

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px13.0px0.0px;font:13.0pxHelvetica;color:#d5d4d4"> --

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px13.0px0.0px;font:13.0pxHelvetica;color:#d5d4d4"> '''This recording was found next to Lance Stint, 27. His body was burned, presumably alive. No signs of struggle despite signs that the four siblings were here. Body was found in the living room, on a chair. It seemed that he burned almost instantly, seeing as he was holding the remains of the newspaper in his charred hand. No signs of the Lester siblings, and all signs show they left the house, but somehow disappeared from there. The car was left behind.'''

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px13.0px0.0px;font:13.0pxHelvetica;color:#d5d4d4"> Further investigation is in order.