Hey, El! It’s me! Thought I would go ahead and give you a call see as how.. Well. I hope things are fine where you are, its a.. Its real foggy right where I am right now. But I’m hoping’ that things are gonna turn out better. 

I don’t.. I don’t rightly know if you’ve uh.. Seen everything that’s goin’ on out there? I mean you must of. There’s no way that you can’t. I’ve just been callin’ them the ghouls. And Uh, I mean you know the stories from when we were kids, right? The ones in the swamps? But I thought they were only in the swamps, ya’know? But I’ve seen em.. Uh, elsewhere? And the mud that’s everywhere? And well you know… *cough*

Right so I’m headin’ up your way, up north hopefully ya’ll don’t have nothing like this. ...This ain’t right, El. I’m stickin’ to the highway all the way up there, I’m only gonna stop to sleep and .. well maybe to shit, but ah damn you didn’t need to know that. 

My damn back is actin’ up again too. I don't know how much of it is sittin’ all day in my truck but There’s not much I can do about it now, huh. I just gotta hope that I don’t have to do much runnin’ from those things.

I’m sorry, El, I know this is a lot hearin’ from me now but … I just hope you're safe…. I don’t think… I don’t think those things can reach me in my truck anway. 

I’m commin’ to see you. I .. I just gotta know if you’re safe. 

Take care, El. I…. Take care. *click*

Second Unheard Message

Hey, El, It’s me again! I’m callin again to let you know I’m still alive! *weak laugh* Um, I’m lookin’ forward to seein’ you again, ya know. Still pretty foggy out here! I guess that’s what this place is known for… At least I’m not in the desert…. But I guess I’ll have to cross that cold one up in the north ta find you! I’ll have to comb all that sand out of my hair before I go knockin’ on your door. 

It’s gettin pretty long… Say remember that time I set your hair on fire? *laugh* You kept tellin’ me not to play with the lighter, and I kept jokin’ about how it’ll be fine and then the next thing I knew all that hairspray ya put in your ‘do went up and you were bald for three months… *weak laugh* ha … I’m real sorry about that, El. I was thinkin’ about it on the road too… 

I saw .. I saw a building on fire as I was drivin’. I don't know if there was anyone in it. I kept smelling the smoke, and it stung my eyes as I was drivin’. It’s a wonder I didn’t drive off the road. But I… *long pause* I think there were people in there…. I could smell them. I could smell them, El. 

Sorry, that isn’t what you want to hear from me right now. I’m doing fine! I’m doin’ real fine. 

Whelp, I gotta get back on the road, you know how it goes! 

Talk to ya soon, El. *click*

Third Unheard Message

El! I got good news! I found another rig! It was just like Ol’ Barbara! She’s patched up better than ever and I’ll be there in no time! Still in the fog zone though… I wonder whatever happened to the guy who drove that twin. I mean guy as in person, didn’t have to be a guy-guy ya know? I bet she or he or what have you is doin’ just fine! … Just fine! There wasn’t blood or guts or anything, in the car. Just one little open window and the whole thing was empty! It’s not like I saw pictures of their family attached with cheap glue to the dashboard or nothin’ … No smiling kids and a cute little puppy dog. … Or their name tag that said Big Deb…. *Laugh* NO no! I’m just speculating! 

She had a … she had one of those pendulums on the rearview mirror, though. I didn’t touch it. I don’t know what kind of curses or whatever are on it. Best let them witches do their own thing. I got.. I got maps to navigate ya know! Good old fashioned maps… that can get wet… and torn.. Aw shit. Aw shit aw shit… 

Sorry. I’ve been sain’ that a lot lately. ‘Cuz things are shit. Things are real shit out here, El. I’m not gonna lie to you. 

My backs’ been worse too. I… I can’t move my left leg without it hurtin’.... I don’t know how much runnin’ I can do if one of those things sees me. I need to find some pain killers soon, or I might be down for a while. Just in, my truck, bitchin’ and moanin’ with the pain.. But as long as they can’t see me I’m fine, right? Just like them swamp ghouls… just like ‘em… 

Whelp, I’ll go ahead and let you go. You probably got lots to do up there, with all the snow and stuff. 

Take care, El. I… *click*

Write something short and special you will carry to your destination

Elenora, 

I’m writing this to you in case I don’t get the chance to see you again. I want you to know you were the only woman I loved. I know I played it cool and tried to act tough but deep down, you were always dear to me. I knew I loved you since I saw you the first time on that playground with your long braided hair and skinned knees. 

I’m sorry it’s taken me this long to write something like this, or even say it to you. I wish I could say it in person, face to face. Not over some cheap payphone in a broken down gas-station out in the middle of gods’ know where. I wish the world wasn’t endin’. There’s some prophets on the radio sayin’ things are going to be fine. Maybe there are some places in the world where everything will be ok. I want to believe them. But I’m writing you this letter just in case I can’t.

I’m out here overlooking a beautiful view. There’s trees and some more of that damned fog. You know there was always that rumor of the Plague City, the one that calls you to atone for your deeds. I wonder if it’s really out there. I wonder if that’s where it’s from. Hell, I feel like a damned explorer traveling out here, even though the roads are paved and everything’s already been explored. 

Sorry I’m … I love you.

Fourth Unheard Message

El~ .. It’s me! Bet you thought I was dead! Haha! It’ll take more than the dead to keep me from.. Well bein’ dead. I wrote you a letter! I got up to the top of a nice big hill and saw some pretty little trees and I wrote you somethin’! But here’s the catch! If I see you, which I will, I’ll just tell you all the stuff that’s in it in person so there’s no need! I’m keepin’ it right under the driver’s seat! That’s where I keep the good stuff… You know the whiskey… The one from.. Well you know, with the label and.. It doesn’t matter… It doesn’t matter, since that’s where your letter is! That’s much more valuable! 

I don’t know if I should be tellin’ you this but, you aren’t the only lady I’ve been talkin’ to. Well, you’re the only real lady. See I’ve been thinkin’ about Big Deb, that other trucker that I saw. I was wonderin’ what kinda things she’d be up to if she was still… 

Well I’ve been imagin us talkin’. *sad laugh* I know it sounds crazy but, I mean I know its just me makin’ stuff up like I’m your writer friend, so there’s no harm to it? Aw shit, sorry El.. It’s just real lonely, and havin’ pretend conversations like this is .. well It’s helpin’ me through this. Ya’know? I can at least pretend that I’m not just talkin’ to myself. We talked about the radio and stuff.. The only signal I can get is The Forecast, which of course is of no help. Damned thing doesn’t even mention what’s goin’ on.  But we were talkin’ about music and where we’d like to go after all of this. 

Ah sorry, I’m startin’ to sound like a real nut-job. Sorry, El. 

I’ll uh, I’ll go ahead and let you go! See ya soon, El. *click* 

Fifth Unheard Message

EL! EL! I’m commin’ for you! I’m gettin closer and closer each day! I’m out of that damned fog! You know, … talkin’ .. well talkin’ to myself as Big Deb, but ya know myself. I was thinkin’ about her pendulum. I mean … they are older than maps right? Welllllll I rigged one up usin’ an old screw and some twine and whoooooo boy is it guidin’ me in the right direction. I went straight through a big ol dust storm and out of it without gettin’ lost once! I should have done this years ago! 

The only thing was… there was one of those things in the smoke. It was… It locked eyes with me. It knows me, El. It… its not going to stop. They they’re commin for me. But I won’t let it get you, don’t you worry about that! It won’t hurt you none! I won’t let nothin hurt you. I was real lucky I was in my car though… I don’t know if I could have gotten away from it on a counta my back and all. 

Hey El, I don’t think it’s regular back pain.. Somethin about it doesn’t feel.. Right. It feels like there’s somethin , ah nevermind. 

Right, I mentioned smoke, there was more fires, yadayada, same old same old like before, dead bodies on fire, you know the drill. Ha ha … same as before. There’s going to be more too, aren’t there. *long pause* 

El, … I’m sorry. Just in general, for anything I’ve done to you. Just.. I wanna apologize for anything .. and well everything. 

Take care now, El. *click* 

Sixth Unheard Message

*long pause* Hey, El. How are ya? 

I uh, I haven’t seen anyone in a long time ya know. El, what if… what if my own smelly body is the last person I see. I don’t know if I can live with that. El, what if… Sorry. I El, I’m just real messed up. I had to pull a tooth out today, El. 

It was my own tooth, it was startin to rot and.. Ya know, I can't exactly go to a dentist or anything so I just took the ol pliers out and, you get my drift. Whoooo boy did it hurt like a bitch. I migha blacked out there for a second and … 

Hey El, do you ever get the feeling like something is watching you? Of course you have, everyone has at some point, but really, really watching you. Something that wants you dead. Something, fuck I don’t even know what those things do to bodies. Big Deb looks like she was got by  a person and… *long pause* 

*whispers* El, I think it’s here. El, it’s still following me. I can hear the footsteps, squishing.. I can smell the swamp waters. El we are thousands of miles away from the swamps… I have to go, 

Love ya, bye. *click*

Seventh Unheard Message

We are calling to reach you about your car’s extended warranty---Awwww I’m just kiddin’ It’s only me!  Guess where I am? I’m up near Oarth! I’m commin to get you! I’m a little less than halfway there! I’ll be able to see the Peak soon! It’s gettin’ real exciting! Hope the Valley is ready for me! You better have a big party to welcome me! 

I don’t think I’ve ever been up here.. Don’t know much about the city or the surrounding areas. Real shame, it’s got some nice trees and stuff. One of the bigger lakes is nearby, the one that leads into the Fen. I could go up that way… Or not, nothin’ up there now. 

Remember when we used to go joy ridin’. Just you and me and the open road. We’d roll down all the windows and “count the trees” as we’d tell our parents but really we were gettin’ high. Then we’d always make up some new number, like they didn’t know what was goin’ on. Aw shit, those were the good times. 

The trees don’t look anything like that now. These are all beech trees. Sounds like bitch trees. Maybe these are bitchin’ trees but I don’t know anythin about them. * long pause* 

It’s too quiet, El. I miss everyone. *click*

Eighth Unheard Message

Elenora!!! Elenora, its your old buddy! It’s me! How ya doin’? Hope you’re doin fine!

Look I won’t lie to you, I’m doin’ bad. Real bad. Remember that whiskey? Well I’m out.. Because I ran out of food, and so I’ve just been drinkin’ it before bed. But now it’s gone and I still got nothin’. PHew… I’m uh… It’s bad, It’s real bad, El. Um… Hehehehe El, I won’t let you down though. I won’t…. Uh, there was nothin’ but some rotten fruit in the stores here. I had to um. I had to cut away some of it, and whelp, that didn’t go so well because it all came up in the end anyway. So uh, I’m, well enough about that let me tell you what I did to Ol Barbara!!!

I gave her a fancy new tattoo! Meanin’ I found some spray paint in the stores! I gave her a nice new name tag with her name all in cursive font on the hood. I did it up in pink and gold, just like you would a liked!  She’s real fancy now, a proper lady. Maybe I can get her mani-peti too! Meanin new wheels or hubcaps or somethin’. 

*long pause* 

I miss you El. I really hope you’re safe. *click*

Nineth Unheard Message

Oh El, I can’t tell you how good it is to finally be able to speak to you! Or at you, you know what I mean, it all doesn’t matter. I had a little hiccup with Ol Barbara.. Uh. well let me start over…

So I was drivin’ mindin’ my own business on the road you know how it goes. Then in the distance I saw it. So there’s been so much smoke and burnin’ and all sorts a stuff since everything happened and… so I thought I saw some faces or somethin’. *laugh* now I know it sounds crazy but uh, the wind began to take the shape of people with screaming faces. Now … I know I know, it’s all in my head… but .. it was so real! … El, it’s like they were people. El it’s like I’m seeing demons. 

Right well that freaked me out so much I hit a damn deer. Luckily it didn’t do any damage to anything but the paint, but El, oh El, that deer ain’t right. It was covered in what looked like sores and its skin was fallin’ off. It was so sick. I guess I did a good thing but puttin’ it out of it’s misery but… aw shit. The world’s fucked isn’t it? 

And ontop of that my dang back is gettin’ worse. I’m all outa the whiskey and the pain killers and sittin all day is makin’ it so bad. Fuck El, I don’t … I don’t…. 

*cough*

I’ll be there soon, you just hold tight. Love ya! *click*

Tenth Unheard Message

Aw shit, El, I’m so tired. I can’t stop thinking I see that thing, and those faces! And.. Oh El, I’m so tired. I’m so so tired. El, what I wouldn’t give! I’d… i’d stop well I was about to say I’d give up whiskey but I don’t have any of that anyway, so, shit I dunno, I don’t have much else to give… 

I did find more pain killers though! I went through the shelves at an old gas station that was off the beaten path. See I figured those things were more likely to be on the main roads, so I took a little detour to find some place that wasn’t nearby and boy did that pay off! I just wish this back of mine wasn’t so shitty. I wish I could rip it out and shake it at one of them gods. Or maybe all of them. Doesn’t matter anyway. 

Whelp, I’m falling asleep at the thought of it… I wish I could fall asleep next to you. That’d be nice. See ya next  time, El. *click*

Eleventh Unheard Message

Elenora~~~ I’m back!!!! Did you miss me? I’m not dead yet! Still truckin’... still truckin’. …

I heard the screeching today. It came through the CB radio at first. I thought it was static, but then it just kept gettin louder and louder and louder and I could see the faces more clearly in the smoke. And I swear to you, I swear that smoke started to change colors at one point, but I think that was just from my lack of sleep. 

Speakin’ a sleep, I told you i have a little cot in the rig right? Just a little thing, but it’ll do. Not for my back of course but I don’t think anything will be good enough for that old sack a bones…. I heard it last night too. 

The squelching of the footprints.. The mud on the floor. Scared the ever loving shit outta me and the only thing I could think was awww shit, this thing’s in my rig. … I’d unhitch it but that’s where I keep all the supplies, ya see. I can’t go and just ditch halfa Ol Barbara like that.

 I saw the mud too when I opened my eyes. It was there, clear as day, wet footprints and all. Elenora, how is this happening? How could we live through something like this? Have we been abandoned? Did we do… Naw, it’s nothin’. 

I cleaned up everything and got a move on down the road. … Threw that damn CB radio out the window too, can’t have that wakin’ me up in the middle of the night. Just hope no one wants to talk to me or Ol Barbara…. 

Whelp, I’m startin to smell the swamp again so I’ll have to let you go. See ya soon, El. *click*

Twelfth Unheard Message

Oh El, I miss you so much. You know, I’m sorry I never called before. I’m so sorry that I let you leave. I know… I know that you wanted me to give you a reason to stay but I couldn’t. I’m so sorry. El, I messed up. You know I was out in those swamps before all this started. ….I thought I saw one of them. I wasn’t treasure hunting again, I swear it! I was just.. Fishing. You know, for actual fish. I mean if I found some treasure… but I wasn’t lookin’! …. 

It was about ten years ago this happened. Thats when I first saw one of them ghouls…. I didn’t tell you before because .. well I didn’t want you to worry. But I saw it… I don’t know if it saw me. But  I couldn’t take any chances. I know those things are supposed to pursue you to the ends of the world if they see you, and so I took a job drivin big rigs so that I would always be movin’. That way.. That way if it ever did see me then I would be out somewhere… I thought it was safest. *long pause* I guess it doesn’t matter since they are everywhere now…. 

I saw an ad on the side of the road. One of those big billboards, you know the type, the ones that shift and show you different things.. This one was about that coffee. You know, the real cheap shit we used to drink when we were teens to get the taste of the cigarettes out of our mouth… what I wouldn’t give for a cup of coffee, doesn’t matter how nice or shitty it is, just a good cup of mud. I miss you El. 

That coffee got me thinkin and thinkin got me distracted and before I knew it the screw was on the floor and I was out somewhere else entirely, goin’ to gods’ know where and I found myself on the road back down to Memank before I knew it. I must have lost at least a day’s worth of travel goin’ south instead north…. Don’t know how I missed it since I shoulda been looking for the Peak. It’s in view now, the center of the world right there in one fuckin mountain. 

Anyway, I managed to turn around but almost tipped Ol Barbara while doing it. She can’t really take those turns anymore, the old girl. I was real lucky that she didn’t topple over or blow out any a her tires. Damn but you don’t care about any of this do you? Sorry El, I just got no one to talk to about any a this, and I… you know I still… 

*long pause* 

I’ll talk to you later, El. *click*

Thirteenth Unheard Message

El… Do you remember that time that we sat outside on your back porch, it was real hot and we were both sweatin buckets, drinkin’ beers and watchin the fireflies dance around. You took my hand in yours and held it tight--tighter than I thought your dainty little paws could, and we stayed up to watch the sunrise. I think about that more and more as the days grow shorter. I’m sorry.  I keep thinkin about it over and over and over, and wonderin what I wouldn’t give to just sit next to you again. 

I’ll be real with you, El. Ol Barbara isn’t doin’ too good. I… I don’t know how much longer she can take it. A whole mess a stuff messed her up real good. The breaks ain’t workin’ and … and I hit a wreck, and there was a fire and… 

Damn, I know none of this matters but…. Aw shit, El. I saw a wreck of a school bus. I couldn’t get close to it, I didn’t wanna see it. I can’t think about that kinda stuff El. I just gotta focus on you and gettin’ to you. I’ll be there soon. You can laugh and laugh at the bad paint job and how all the gold’s faded to a piss yellow. It will be like old times. 

I’m sorry. *click* 

Fourteenth Unheard Message

Hello Ellie! Haha I haven’t called you that in years! I remember the last time I did, you got so pissed, and said “I’m not a child anymore, don’t call me that.” *laughter* 

Things are alright… things are alright. Hey sorry that I got so bleak in that last message. I’ve hit the tundra now! El… I’m in the home stretch. El I might just make it! I even took a nap today! 

See I reached the border where the tundra starts! The place to show us outsiders where the Nomad’s lands are. I’m not planning on stayin’ so I don’t think they’ll mind if I pass on through…. I hope not at least. Aw shit, you think they’ll be mad? I hope they’re doin’ ok. They move around a lot so maybe they’ll be safe. 

I took a nap inside one of the buildings in there… It was abandoned, but there was a nice thick blanket that I got to keep. Well I guess I stole it, but its not like anyone was using it! I’m sure who ever made it would rather it be used by someone that just rottin’ away in the back of an abandoned building. Anyway… you remember that old story, the one about the birds and the omens… 

I’m not much one for pattern reading but I have been usin’ that screw as pendulum and it hasn’t steered me wrong yet, so I figured… why not look out for them birds too? Especially since I’m headed up north. I know I’m nowhere near where that monster thing is but you can never be too careful, right? So… I saw them, a whole messa birds over on the horizon. I think .. I think I’ll avoid that place. 

I hope the birds are keepin’ ya safe El. Take care. *click*

Last Unheard Message

*heavy breathing* El… Elenora. I fucked up. I fucked up so bad El. I’m so sorry. I can feel it. Deep inside me, it’s writing in my spine. Somethings wrong with me. It pulled me… it pulled me out of the car towards that animal. I… I didn’t know what it was. I still don’t know… it .. it was full of sores and what looked like a cloud around it. It’s almost… it’s like it was disintegrating or something. 

Fuck. 

… 

El… I’m falling apart too. I can feel it, and I can hear it. That thing got me. El the animal tore into me. I got… El I can see that ghoul, it’s coming right for me. I’m in a phone booth, but it’s pressed its hands on the *smash*

*distant shouting* YEAH I HEAR YOU I’M ON THE PHONE

Look El, It’s here. I’m scared. But I won’t make you listen to this. 

El I love you and I’m sorry I couldn’t say it before. I love you. *click*