You can read the full story here in the pages of Mad Scientist Journal.
Istanbul, Turkey
August
09:12:09 AM
I am at a small outdoor cafe just a few hundred yards from the teeming throng of a morning market, just in sight of the Bosporus. I love this city, and all its thick and violent contradictions. The rising heat of the day is already causing the linen of my suit to cling to my legs.
I awoke last night with a change of heart; you are owed an explanation, and even a warning. If I do as I have planned, I and my actions will be vilified, and misunderstood. Please believe me, I am doing this for all the right reasons. You may not see it now, but in ten or twenty years, you will see a new world born. That is worth any sacrifice.
I have done my work here in Istanbul, the first of many great cities to see, and I board a plane tomorrow. Don’t bother looking for me here.
Samarkand, Uzbekistan
September
05:04:20 AM
I am in one of the oldest settlements of mankind, and her majesty overwhelms me, just as her descent saddens me. Once the jewel of Alexander’s conquest, and the capital of Tamarlane’s empire, she has fallen into disrepair and goes fallow with neglect. I must confess knowing this already, but forgive my sense of romanticism; I did want to see this place, once.
I have no work to do here; once the junction of trade lanes between East and West, Samarkand has become isolated and useless to me. But the ghosts of her history and past bring me strength and resolve. The case that I carry with me is heavy in my hand, it is my burden, but with each stop, that burden lessens.
I have allowed myself this one folly, leaving the web for a moment, but I will not linger long.
Cameron Suey
One little typo I noticed:Tokyo chapter, 3rd paragraph”The simply are no longer among us to act as a warning.”Pretty sure you meant “THEY simply are no longer…”Also, is the puzzle’s solution the name of the individual, or the cure he is offering, or something of that sort. Just wanting to know if we are looking for a proper noun or not is all.But great story nonetheless.
You have an amazing talent at writing. I certainly hope you are, in some way, able to provide for yourself. I would be heartbroken to learn that someone who can write things that not only fascinate me but also make it hard for me to sleep, is living in a substandard way. I first found your work when you posted about cordyceps. I’m always researching symbiotic and parasite relationships because I find them fascinating. Enough so where I made my own little tribute to cordyceps. And I happened upon your blog and started reading through your stories, entranced. I dont read often sadly. There was a time when I was a bookworm but no longer. You sir are slowly breaking that habit of mine. Your passages make my mind dance and shiver in ways it rarely does. Like some strange combination of William S. Burroughs and Lovecraft, and yet unlike them at all, your stories seem to exist in their own little worlds. And yet these worlds are so tangible.And its not like these are even long stories. They are short as hell. And yet you manage to cram such a thick and often horrifying yarn into such a small passage.anyway i’ve kissed your butt enough.just know you have a couple of fans who really appreciate you putting these wonderfully scary nuggets of literature online. ~N
Clever puzzle
I won’t ruin it.
Thanks all, as always, for the feedback and editing advice. It’s always appreciated to know that people are enjoying reading as much as I enjoy writing. This makes it very easy to continue my little hobby.As for the puzzle, I’ll give a small spoiler: You’re looking for a short sentence, encoded in the story.I’ll spoil it in total next weekend, if it’s still elusive.
No spoilers! Let the people puzzle!
that was delightfully disturbing.if it happens, i sure damn hope it’s not a horrid virus that takes us ._.i am amazed by your versatility to come up with different subjects, themes…. and still give them your grand personal touch.
I really liked this story, but feel stupid because I can’t figure the puzzle out. You’re extremely talented, and I’m looking forward to reading more.
Alright, I can’t find it. Everything I thought would work out turned out to be a dead end. Care to share, mate? Great story. Horrifying actually.Just watch your its and your it’s. Very impressed. I could never write something so well.
Spoilers are up at the bottom of the original post; first a hint if you want to work it out, and then the solution as well. Enjoy.
I knew it was the numbers! But I can’t believe I didn’t see that.
Thank you for the spoiler. I’m lazy.Also, Epiphany is supposed to be capitalized. I’m not a grammar Nazi, I just grow a bit annoyed after seeing the same mistake made over and over.Anywho, ’twas amazing, as always. Keep up the good work.
Epiphany doesn’t have to be capitalized unless you’re referring to the Christian holiday.
Wow, this is some pretty good stuff!! Long, but worth it (and let's keep in mind that long isn't necessarily a bad thing in writing). I really hope you keep putting stuff out there, because I'll definitely keep reading it!
Something I notice: The sentence is supposed to be "I lied. There is no cure." With your timestamps, it would have been "I lied. There is bo cire." Dunno if you meant for it to be like that or not, but I wrote the numbers/letters down, and got that. Lol, maybe it's just me? Anyways, I love your stories, and have been reading them ever since I stumbled across them on creepypasta.
Ah, yes, but if you convert to military times, you'll find it reads the way one would expect.Thank you for the kind words, and I'm always glad to have another reader.
Beautiful.
Just read this on MSJ. It’s great, so I decided to do a little post on it. I look forward to reading more of your work.