It was a dream. No it wasn't. Yes it was.

[cab312]

Being completely still, I was laying on the ground in the middle of the forest. Earlier in the day Raven had confirmed with one of his contacts that our target would be there. All we needed was to wait. Being a little bit impatient, I raised my binoculars to have a closer look at the apartment building, being on the lookout for our quarry. Our op was simple: grab the cheesedick and haul out of there. Being experienced operators, it should have been a walk in the park. Being realists, we knew that shells would be raining down on us as we walked.

But back to the binocs because this is important. As I brought them to my eyes I became blinded by a great blinding flash of light. For the moment I felt that the flash had come from within rather than the outside. I blinked trying to shake off the confusion and nausea. I tried to find Raven, but he was nowhere near to me. There was no reaction from our target area. Being sure I wasn't the only one, I kept looking around but it was at this time that I realized I did not have my gun and Raven was still nowhere to find.

Being confused, I went for the binocs, but they were gone, too. When I looked out from my vantage point in the tree line I saw something truly odd--it was a trailer park. Being two in the morning there was not much activity. And then the disorientation began to set in, and I found myself starting to forget things. At first I was aware that I was losing memories, but then I was not even remembering that I was forgetting. Being horrified, I started to ponder just what the fuck was going on with me. Being scared, I just let my instincts guide me. I was still a little bit foggy when I started to stumble to the road; one way led to the trailer park, while the other went the other way.

Being careful, I went the other way, and eventually found my way to a 24-hour Wally World. There was an enthusiastic old man--a real night owl--who greeted me to the Sullivan Wally World. Sullivan? I could not find any identification on me. After stumbling around a bit being keen to figure out where I was stranded, I found a rack of maps, and almost all of them were for Missouri. I looked through the city index and there I found myself. I was in Sullivan, Missouri. It is true. Being thorough, I confirmed it.

I crashed for the night near a fast food joint, being exhausted, and decided to get my bearings in the morning. I found my way to a large truck stop type of place across the Interstate, where they have free wi-fi. A patron being ultra generous is letting me tap out this message. But I have to go for now. I will post back as soon as I can....once I get a handle on what is happening to me.

I don't even know my name anymore.

[Willie Long]

Head to St. Louis. You got friends there.

[Scotty]

ew we. sounds ike you was fuckin round in ma backyard mack. we shud prolly tawk bout why.

lisa frum da lieberry cawd me back on satterday sayin some mafuckers asked janet some questions bout me but janet didden member the tawk at all an lisa git her panties inna bunch an she cawd me. i took maude to da y-2-k bunker fer safety but nuthin happened.

git up to st louis or let me give you a ride. we ken tawk there widda lazlo society folk and whatnot bout how da fuck ya ferget whudya ferget. im more confused an a blind lesbian inna fish market.

[Natasha]

I have a theory. I need to talk to cab and Scotty about the precise timing of things though to verify. If this is what I think this is, it's going to be great news for some us and good news for the Society in general. I just hope cab doesn't get lost; I really need to talk to him.

cab if you read this, check your PM for more information.

Scotty I need to talk to you, too. Check your PM for more information.

[cab312]

After failing to get a ride I returned and found messages from Willie, Natasha and Scotty. A guy from LS would be there to pick me up to help me get to St. Louis. Being polite, I introduced myself when the LS guy arrived. While making some chit-chat a burly guy in faded jeans, a flannel shirt (in the middle of summer), a cowboy hat, and cowboy boots strolled up. "ew we, how yall are?" he said with a smile hidden under a burly beard and reaching out a powerful hand.

"Good to see ya again, Scotty," the LS guy said, and shaking his hand.

I shook Scotty's hand, being somewhat hesitant. After all, just a few days ago I was apparently trying to murder this man. Scotty waited to launch an arc of chew-spit until after we shook hands. He wiped his beard with his sleeve.

Being consoling he said as he slapped pretty hard on the upper arm, "we'll square ya way, Mack."

Being hopeful that he wasn't, I asked, "are you joining us?"

"eeeap," he said straightening his beard somewhat, "gotta debrief sum shit an in imma gitten our annversary gift. five mafuckin years. ewww weee."

"Congratulations," I said, trying not to sound like I was asking a question but making a statement.

Scotty launched another arc of chew-spit, wiped, "eeap," which I assume was "thank you".

The LS guy interrupted, "let's roll." Scotty followed in his pickup truck while we rolled in a Prius, which was about as tall as the tires on Scotty's truck.

When we got to St. Louis we got immediately to work on piecing together exactly who I was and if I had a family somewhere. As Scotty was leaving I heard him say, "make sure at at mafucker aint frum mitchagain".

I won't be able to post again for some time as I'm about to become extremely busy trying to find myself.

[Sheyblade]

Maybe the others can post for you? Uh, good luck and junk. Finding yourself that is. In the meantime, what do we call you?

[skeptic]

I'd say that we call him a most unfortunate victim of some extreme case of dissociative fugue.
Unless he's heavily into drugs of some kind then it may not be entirely psychogenic.
I know where Natasha is going with this: none of the above.

[Scotty]

how yall are?

we got mack settled while the lazlo boys did sum psychometrics on sum mafuckin guns i found. i thank mack had cached em there which explains why he was unarmed when he snapped outta da fuckin trance er whuddever da fuck it was. once those mafuckers were finished wid tha psychometrics i got in touch wi sahra kane here in st louis. jusso yall know i found cached an m-14 an a leupold scope, and uh 1911 .45 caliber pistol. both ovem well used but in eggsallent shooting condition. ewww weee scotty almost git mself gooden fucked up.

[GhostSpider]

Scotty, how you doing man?

Been awhile since we last heard from you, hope everythings going okay.

Point of fact, we're hearing from alot of old friends in this post. Glad to see your all still alive.

Well, sort of glad in skeptic's case.

[Scotty]

eap sumtimes itssa small world. as fer how im doin well fixin to celebrate our fith annversary. headin back home now.

[cab312]

Maybe the others can post for you? Uh, good luck and junk. Finding yourself that is. In the meantime, what do we call you?

People are calling me "Mack" in the meantime.

If I'm being too busy, I'm sure that somebody from LS will leave updates.

[skeptic]

Scotty, how you doing man?

Been awhile since we last heard from you, hope everythings going okay.

Point of fact, we're hearing from alot of old friends in this post. Glad to see your all still alive.

Well, sort of glad in skeptic's case.

If I said I'm glad some things don't change, I'd be lying.

[Ron Caliburn]

From my experience reality and dreams crashing together are always bad things. It doesn't matter the cause - mental, chemical or supernatural.

[skeptic]

From my experience reality and dreams crashing together are always bad things. It doesn't matter the cause - mental, chemical or supernatural.

I kind of agree.
It is bad but once we allow ourself to accept that the paranormal or supernatural is at play, actually and effectively dealing with the problem is certainly impossible.

[Ron Caliburn]

The paranormal and the supernatural can certainly be dealt with. My preferred means is a 12 guage with a 3.5 inch chamber.

[GhostSpider]

If I said I'm glad some things don't change, I'd be lying.

What's that supposed to mean?

The paranormal and the supernatural can certainly be dealt with. My preferred means is a 12 guage with a 3.5 inch chamber.

I prefer five feet of enchanted steel. Unfortunately, its not always that easy.

[skeptic]

If I said I'm glad some things don't change, I'd be lying.

What's that supposed to mean?

That you are still an ascerbic ass?

[GhostSpider]

Got ya now.

[cab312]

I'd say that we call him a most unfortunate victim of some extreme case of dissociative fugue.
Unless he's heavily into drugs of some kind then it may not be entirely psychogenic.
I know where Natasha is going with this: none of the above.

Yes, none of the above.

Apparently a monster was implanting hallucinations in my mind in real time. When I would see Scotty's trailer, for example, my brain would register a warehouse or anything else the monster wanted me to see instead. This monster - called dym, "smoke" in Russian - was working on this for a long time and was using testing it on people in Russia and probably elsewhere in the world. (I know that Kei experienced some of the automatons or whatever is appropriate to call them.) Being relentless, the monster seems to have perfected it with me. The test was to assassinate Scotty. I can't express the distress I feel that I was so close to the attempt, and it always causes me awe to think that Scotty takes it so nonchalantly.

Oh yea, being thorough, I should add that all the other ones dym controlled are dead. Problem is, I don't know if I'm the lucky one or not.

[Ron Caliburn]

Do we have any society members in that list?

[Grace]

I'm sorry to hear about dym.

I was really hoping to be the one to smoke him.

[Scotty]

The test was to assassinate Scotty. I can't express the distress I feel that I was so close to the attempt, and it always causes me awe to think that Scotty takes it so nonchalantly.

ya missed. ifya hit me then ida be pissed.

eww wee iva had werse en you on ma tung.

[skeptic]

I'm sorry to hear about dym.

I was really hoping to be the one to smoke him.

Clever.

[Grace]

I'm sorry to hear about dym.

I was really hoping to be the one to smoke him.

Clever.

Of course but thank for noticing anyway.

[cab312]

Do we have any society members in that list?

I'm pretty sure that it was just me.

[cab312]

The test was to assassinate Scotty. I can't express the distress I feel that I was so close to the attempt, and it always causes me awe to think that Scotty takes it so nonchalantly.

ya missed. ifya hit me then ida be pissed.

eww wee iva had werse en you on ma tung.

That's kinda gross. So did you have a nice anniversary celebration with your wife?

[Scotty]

The test was to assassinate Scotty. I can't express the distress I feel that I was so close to the attempt, and it always causes me awe to think that Scotty takes it so nonchalantly.

ya missed. ifya hit me then ida be pissed.

eww wee iva had werse en you on ma tung.

That's kinda gross. So did you have a nice anniversary celebration with your wife?

eeap. maude en i ate at the chew and spew buffet an en we retired back at the trailer. i gotta pair of boots and piece of pussy but both uffem was too big.

[cab312]

I'm sorry.

And I'm sorry that I asked.

As it turns out I am not the guy from Michigan that Scotty has been tracking for a while now. So that's pretty good news. It seems though that I had a girlfriend but it turns out she wasn't disappointed by my disappearance. She made it a point to complain about the few minutes the cops spent asking her questions about me and where I might be.