Doors.

Doors. Doors lead to everywhere, and to nowhere.

Don't look at me like that, you know what I'm talking about, you've seen it!

It doesn't matter anyway. They know that I know, and it won't be long now before they come for me. What do you mean you don't know what I'm talking about!? You were there!? You saw what happened to Erika!

Fine, fine, I'll explain it again. The Shadow People, they've been hunting. You don't remember? Well, THINK, you piece of shit! It can't be just me!

They probably made you forget. Again. It's okay, I suppose. No, I don't know why I remember. It doesn't matter, they'll make you forget again anyway.

They live in the City, y'see. You know, the Empty City? This is basic stuff, guy, get it together. The Empty City is where the Shadow People live and that's where they take people. It's the center of it all. The...the Nexus of it all. It's where They gather, the players. The ones in charge of this whole thing.

See, it's all a big Game to them, right? And us, normal people, that is...we're the pieces. We're pawns, no, we're worse than pawns...chess metaphors are old hat anyway. We're like checkers. They move us around and add and subtract from the board, and every once in awhile one of us gets to get a nice fancy crown but it doesn't matter because they control it all and we don't even know the rules and goddamn it they are LAUGHING at us, don't you GET IT!?

DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN, YOU CALM THE FUCK DOWN!!

Fine, fine...so, the Shadow People. They hide in the cracks and crevices of the world, in the shadows and the dark. They come through Doors, any door can be a Door, and they come to our world from the Empty City, a place of eternal twilight where everything is just...off. It's like a...a shadowy reflection of our world.

They take people. They took Erika, and They're gonna take me, next. I know. Because I remember Them.

What do you mean, I'm babbling! You asked me what happened, and I TOLD YOU! Stop writing things down, it's not helping!

No, I don't think there are monsters in my closet. I'm not stupid, and I'm not insane, I'm...fuck you. Fuck you.

No, sit the fuck down. I'm not done yet. I saw Them take a man off of the street a few weeks ago. I saw Them take him in the middle of a busy street and I'm the only one that saw it happen. A week after that, I watched them following a little boy home from school. That one was worse.

See, as soon as I realized They were hunting this kid I decided to follow them. I followed them all the way to this kid's front yard. I saw his parents come out of the house and wave to him. I saw Them envelop him, cover him head to toe like some immense black sheet. I heard him SCREAM for them, and I watched them look confused for moment before going back into the house.

They don't remember. I asked them. They don't remember him. He's gone. Like he never existed. And I'm next.

What are you doing, I said SIT DOWN! No, no I don't want you to check the closet for monsters, the fuck is wrong with you!?

Anyway, that wasn't the end of it. You and I, we went to Erika's house last week. We went to hang out, maybe have a few drinks. Well, I wanted a few drinks. They were already there. You saw Them. You pointed to Them. You shouted for us to run. We didn't get far, did we. No, They ate her all up, took her to the City, probably to make her one of Them.

Sit. Down. You asked, and now I'm telling. I'm here to save your ass, even though by all rights I should have just run. I saw Them coming here. They are after you, too, now. Get away from the goddamned closet! What are...

Why the fuck do you keep...oh, I get it. Yeah, sure. Open the Door. That's the deal, right? Give Them people to leave you alone? Huh, I should have thought of it first. I'm coming Erika.