Sunday, November 27, 2011

The Scenery

I need to get out of the house. I feel like a prisoner in here. So much is going on in and around the damn house. I just need to breathe some fresh air. Weird kids, tall strangers, and ghost chessboards, I've had enough. I just want things to be normal. I don't know why this is all going on. I think I am a fairly unremarkable person. I just want this all to go away.

Osiris is still gone. Our friend Lynn found a skull, but the snout bone looks way too wide to be his. I still hold out hope that he is missing and I will find him.

Pixi has been doing alright. She has been very clingy ever since Osiris has disappeared. She hasn't started looking out the window all night like Osiris did before he ran away.

I'm a Broncos fan, and they are doing well with Tim Tebow, and the haters have been proven wrong so many times, but they keep on trying to put down Tebow. You "experts" are always good for a laugh.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

The Continuation

He is getting up and running to the streetlight. I have had to drag him back into bed. He is still delusional, rambling all sorts of nonsense, including swinging flashlights, and the trouble the filming began, or something.

He is eating. Not much, but food is food. He is staying hydrated, and I am hoping soon I can get him up and moving, and away from the house, for even a few days.

Speaking of, I want to find a getaway for us. Something simple, but romantic. We need it. This whole thing has stressed him out.

I don't think we are going to find Osiris. It's simply been too long. Part of me wants to keep hoping, but we have to face the reality that he is gone. Who knows, though? His sister's cat went missing for 3 months in the winter and randomly showed up. Anything can happen.

T.A.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

The Status

Tristan left his blogger logged in as well as his YouTube. I guess I will just give an update on the current situation.

He is feverish. His temperature is over 100 degrees. Keeping him in bed is easier now, but he has this and his fall injuries to deal with.

His injuries. Nothing too major. When I finally dragged him into quick care, they ran a CAT scan and found nothing abnormal in his brain, so I am happy there isn't a concussion or anything. He has a sprained ankle and wrist, as well as a lot of bruising.

He is delusional, or something. He is speaking in strange cadences, and his sentences are garbled up and don't make too much sense. I personally find some of it rather funny, but I shouldn't laugh when he is in the shape he is in. I will video record one of these little episodes if I can, and put it up on YouTube, and maybe all you in YouTube land can get a chuckle out of it.

I think it is good, this fever of his, at least he doesn't have the stress of that stupid stranger guy, or has he even looked at the chess board in the last week. Maybe everything can return to normal now.

T.A.

p.s. I think his little naming thing is cute, so I kept up the theme!

Monday, October 31, 2011

The Retention

In the most recent video I posted, I took Pixi for a walk, and upon returning, I saw the Stranger standing in the very window that I have looked out at him from. When I went upstairs to look for him(bigger knife than the Shadow video), he wasn't there. My fiancee didn't hear anything odd while we were out, and she still refuses to believe that anyone is there. She thinks that some clothes were just hung up in the closet in such a way that I manifested it into seeing the Stranger. I need proof, solid, undeniable proof, that he is around, and that he is dangerous. I can't show her the events of the park video I shot, because I fear somehow it would wind up in a situation where the police become involved. I am going to try to get this proof, at whatever cost. I can't let her lose trust in me, I need to keep her with me. I can't do this alone.

My memory is strange. No loss, or gaps in my memory, but rather the memories themselves, or whatever I can collaborate with video, don't line up perfectly. I would remember a conversation as me being calm and talking rationally, but the video would show me talking quickly, and a little eccentric. I don't think this is too big of a deal, at least right now, as so long as the memories are there, even if the details don't match. It may just be the stress of Osiris still being gone. We've slowed down our call rate, and our searches grow fewer. I don't know if we'll ever see him again, and if this creepy Stranger punk took him, I am going to personally beat the ever living shit out of him.

Pixi was Darth Vader for Halloween. I'll post a video we took of her in her costume in a couple days. I loaned my card reader to my sister so she can do a school project, so I won't be able to upload it until Thursday. It's still late night on Halloween, I may go out and see if the Stranger or the missing children are randomly roaming the streets.

And to whoever is breaking into my house to play chess against me: My father taught my how to play chess before he taught me how to tie my shoes. You aren't going to beat me, and I don't even see what you are trying to accomplish by playing such a meaningless game of chess against me. Go waste someone else's time.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

The Gone

Osiris ran away. He chased after that fucker that I call the Stranger. It's been over 3 days. We've looked. Day in and day out, we've looked. We canceled the vacation in order to look for him, and we've turned up nothing. We have gone to every local shelter, and even looked around the local ditches, hoping we wouldn't see him lying in one. No matter what, we haven't found a lead on this. The Stranger hasn't been around since that night, and that's probably a good thing considering how badly I would beat the piss out of him if I find out that he took my dog. I don't have much else to say right now, as the YouTube and the Twitter and the Blogger were supposed to be about Osiris, and now he is missing. I don't know if I am going to update this until he is found and I can simply resume talking about his day to day. I'll make my decision soon enough, but for the few people that actually read these, I wouldn't hold my breath, unless something I film absolutely needs to be uploaded or I experience something that needs to be talked about. There will be a new video up tonight but I am unsure if that is the last one or not.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

The Frantic

Believe me believe me believe me. Don't act like you don't know don't act like you don't know don't act like you don't know. The Walls. I thought these rooms were bigger.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

The Unconvinced

She "humored" me, by looking around for this guy. She still doesn't believe that this guy is a  threat, or really doing anything that wrong. She was only mad that he was on the property. She said that the way he  moved his arm while petting(?) Pixi was unnatural and therefore it had to be a prank. The problem I keep running into, though, is that I haven't told her about the park. He way he moved then, what he did, just didn't seem anything like this. It's like he is toying with me by keeping her incredulous. Yeah, I looked at the footage of this newest video and of the park video that I don't want to upload, and it isn't the same. A thought just occured to me. Did I unknowingly make the title "The Taunt" mean both him taunting me about being in my yard and next to my dog, as well as him taunting me with a movement that looked just "off" enough to keep my fiancee unconvinced? I know I am clever, but what if he is too?

I am buying a really nice coat today. Maybe this coat will be enough for me to step into the screen for a video that actually makes it onto YouTube, as opposed to all of the footage I have of me sleeping and other few random times I find myself on the other end of the view-find. This coat is fantastic, oh yes! I have to order it online, so I hope that shipping doesn't interfere with my vacation. Oh yeah, the vacation....

So far the vacation plans are holding strong. I will be heading to Colorado soon. My fiancee has some family there, and I am a Broncos fan, so it should be a nice trip for us and for me to get my mind off of this Stranger nonsense. He can stare at an empty house all he wants for all I care. Obviously I am going to bring the camera. I will upload any interesting places, or people, that we encounter.

Friday, October 7, 2011

The Priorities

While the chess board is creepy, a harmless game of chess with a ghost or whatever is not enough to sway me away from buying a beastly new coat. So, if I end up getting a new chess board at all, it will be in November. I think I may have overblown the connection between the chess board and the Stranger showing up around my house. The human mind always looks for patterns, and I believe I may have prematurely connected some dots. I went outside recently, at night, to look for him. I made sure to arm myself, in the event that he tried anything. The video of this is up on YouTube.

Nothing new about the lost but somehow  not lost kids. I don't really know why I am even bothering to take the time to write about that bit of news. i am not related, directly or indirectly, nor do I know, anyone that is involved in this. I mean sure, it makes for something interesting to write about, but they don't have anything to do with Osiris or me.

I started walking. I take the camera and go walking.  I walk around the neighborhood, to local stores,  and even the local forest preserve. It's nice, and a good way to relax and unwind. With this Stranger asshole taking so much face time in my most recent videos, I think I am going to deny this punk the satisfaction of being a fixation, and I will post a new video about something that isn't him. I mean seriously, does that dude have nothing better to do in his spare time? Doesn't he have a family or something? Friends? I don't recall angering anyone locally, except for some idiot woman at the video store. Quick version of that gem: She rented her kid a video game. The clerk asked how many nights they would like to have it, 2 or 5. The little boy, LIKE EVERY LITTLE BOY DOES, looks upward at his mother, eyes hopeful. She gets it for 5 nights. As they are walking out, I make a comment that I just to do that, and the mother gets all pissed like I was making fun of her kid. No, idiot woman, I was reminiscing about my personal childhood and how I completely relate to the situation. Whatever.

I may be gearing up for a vacation out west. More details in the next blog, assuming the plans hold together.

Sunday, October 2, 2011

The Sidewalks

Something came to attention. Rather fast, I must say. I moved the pawn, and on that night, the Bishop was moved on the board and the Stranger stood on the sidewalk in front of the house. I have video of it. He isn't there anymore, and it seems like he only showed up the one time. This is in stark contrast to him standing under that streetlight for the better part of 2 weeks. He was there, without fail, for every night. Now, after this first night, he hasn't shown up for the last couple of days. This whole haunted chess board and the Stranger creeping around outside the house has really got me on edge. I am thinking about putting the chess board into storage and just buying a new one or something. The pieces are the only thing that gets moved, in the entire house, as far as I am aware.

Osiris has tried to bolt outside every night since the Stranger appeared on the sidewalk. His hip is bothering him still, but he isn't letting that stop him. I hope I can keep him from getting out. He hasn't been eating as much lately, and that, coupled with his hip issues, have me worried. Luckily, he was sleeping when I saw the Stranger outside the window on the sidewalk, so it didn't alter his behavior while a potential threat was around.

There are weird rumors going around. The missing kids, all 3 of them, have still not been found. That isn't the strange thing. The part that is getting attention, though, is the unverified sightings of them. A few people have claimed to have seen them walking around the sidewalks in their neighborhoods, but they disappear before their identities can be confirmed. This isn't isolated. At least 10 unrelated people, in different local neighborhoods have come forward to the police, claiming to have seen them. There was also a murder. An elderly woman was killed in one of the neighborhoods. Again, wouldn't be a big deal, but, the children were seen just a few houses away from the house the woman resided in just a couple hours before the woman's death was reported. Maybe a grand wild goose chase to keep the police looking for these children instead of investigating a murder more thoroughly? Not really my concern, just a strange bit of happenings lately.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

The Gears

I made my move on the chess board. I just simply moved a pawn forward. I will post either a picture or a video of the move(as I have both) soon. I simply don't think me moving one chess piece is enough to warrant any kind of attention, so I will try to get the dogs to do something interesting so I can put something of substance on the channel. I really don't want to flood the channel with spam videos, especially if it's just me responding to what seems to be a haunted chess piece.

Osiris just stares at the streetlight man. For what seems like hours, Osiris looks out that window and watches him. When streetlight man(I will dub him "The Stranger" from now on, as I did in my YouTube video) disappears, Osiris whimpers and comes over to me, acting like I need to explain to him who that weird Stranger is. I informed the police about this guy, but they claim that they never see anyone out there when they do their rounds in the neighborhood. The fact that Osiris can see him too comforts me. It helps me know that I am not just making this up, or hallucinating.

Those dreams people have about falling? Yeah, I am having those now too. The thing is, though, that my dreams aren't about me falling off a tall building or a cliff, but out my own windows. The slow motion style, coupled with immense dread, have overriden my "normal" nightmares of red skies and darkness. My fiancee is getting worried about the increase in my sleep "abnormalities". She took a class to train to become a Sleep Study Technician a while back, and she says that what I am experiencing is not consistent with any "normal" sleep issues, or dream issues.

Gears of War 3. How to review it properly without spoiling the campaign story.... Well, the story isn't much. It's actually the low point in the game for me. The missions are lame, and when you stop to think about what you are truly doing, you become disappointed. That said, the level design is great, the gameplay is top notch and the graphics and sound are wonderful. The battles are a blast, and the scenery is really neat. I guess I will make a small spoiler here, and speak of the horrors of going through 7 chapters that are entirely about getting gasoline. No, I am not kidding. Of course, you will have a fun time doing it, but to me, the epic(no pun intended) ending to a trilogy like this needs to be about more than a glorified fetch quest. The multiplayer shines in this installment. The weapons feel more balanced, and even I, a pretty average to below average multiplayer gamer in Gears of War 1 and 2, found myself playing well in this new multiplayer. Horde mode got a face lift, and now features boss battles and allows you to build fortifications. The new Beast mode is a ton of fun, where the players assume the role of the locust and attack the humans for a change. It is definitely worth a look. Wrapping up this short review, I would say that the groundwork laid in the first two installments really comes to life in this last one, apart from the story. The controls are tight, the game strikes a great balance in difficulty and now there is even a 4 player co-op feature. To me, this game is a must buy.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

The Stillness

The man outside the window under the streetlight hasn't moved. He is still there, every night. He doesn't move. Ever. He just stands there. I decided to play an opening move on the chess board. I doubt that anything will happen, but I'll do it anyway, because I want "the last word". The piece has moved back to it's location every time I tried to move it. I am going to move a pawn of my own. Whether or not I will upload a video of such a mundane thing is still up in the air. 

I've spent the majority of the last week playing Gears of War 3. I have been trying to escape the nightmares, forget about the streetlight man, and overall just feel better. I will do a move detailed write-up and review on the game with my next entry.

Pixi did something interesting today. She needed a bath, so I turned on the water, and let the tub begin to fill a bit. Then, she jumped in on her own! I was surprised, because she hates water(why, I'll never understand) and doesn't much care for baths. She was also good for the entire bath, another oddity. I won't complain though, and I will take my victories where I can get them.

Sorry about another short update, I promise the next one will be longer, even without a full Gears of War 3 review.

Monday, September 12, 2011

The Standing

A man has appeared outside the last few days. He is under the streetlight, just standing there, and not doing anything. When a car comes by, he disappears. I haven't tried capturing him on camera yet, I will try tonight to get him on film. He doesn't move, he just stands there. He wasn't there before I uploaded the Pawn video.

The pawn itself moved back. I have decided to play a move myself. I haven't decided on how to open yet, so I am going to wait and think of what strategy to employ.

Osiris' is really sick. I am sorry the posts haven't been longer. I have to take care of him. Hopefully I get that guy on camera and can upload a video tomorrow or Wednesday.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

The Opener

Something happened when I said goodbye to my fiancee last night. I caught it(somewhat) on video, and I will post the video tonight if all goes well with my day.

UPDATE: I left the camera in my fiancee's car. The video is still on the camera. I won't be able to upload until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest.

UPDATE 2: The video is now up on the Osiris Chronicles YouTube.

Friday, September 2, 2011

The Flu


Like every story on the news, it seems like the story about abducted children has been overblown. While 3 children have been abducted in the last 2 weeks, it isn't exactly an alarming number, if you consider the reality that children will get abducted and the timing is just a coincidence. No one has even seen the potential abductor, the parents have all said that their kid was outside, one on the way home from school, one was taken while playing outside in the front yard of the family house, and the other one simply wandered into the wooded area of a local park, and was never found. I have doubts that the last one was taken, I think she just may have had an unfortunate run in with a bear or something. I think the news outlets simply want to lump this kid in with the other ones to make the story even more dramatic.

I have a bad flu. It started when I woke up today. My head pounded and felt heavy. After pumping myself with fluids and grabbing a bite to eat it isn't as bad, but definitely not good. I don't remember eating any bad foods lately, or being around anyone  that could have made me feel so sick. Aside from getting food and drink, I have been in bed all day. Crappy day, hopefully it gets better soon. I hope I get better before I go to sleep, I know that flu nightmares are horrible.

Osiris has hip dysplasia. It's supposed to be something older dogs gets, but he got it young, possibly because he was overweight in his youth and traversed a lot of stairs. We can elect to get him surgery or to get him a wheelchair. Both options are expensive, and neither of them are perfect. I don't know what to do about it. I am more happy to be making this video series about him than ever before. It does seem, however, that ever since I've started doing this that things have progessively gotten worse.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

The Abductions


There are reports on the news. Children are going missing. Every local telecast has been talking non stop about it. They are giving tips to parents about watching out for their children. They advise, that even if the stranger is dressed in a nice suit, it doesn't mean he can be trusted. I guess kids are trained to think bad people only dress in grungy clothes. It isn't much of a stretch to think an abductor can dress nicely to give children a false sense of security. That was the only part that stands out to me. The rest of the tips, including the "strangers with candy" the "vans" and all that jazz is such staple advice that I wish they'd discontinue, only because parents should not need the news to tell their kids that for them. It's common sense, and parents should already know about it. Oddball things, like the abductor's dress, is comething most people don't think of. We need that more if we want these abductions to stop. I'll post more details as I learn of them.

Osiris will be going to the vet on wednesday for his hip. I hope it is a simple leg break, and they'll cast him up, and he'll be back in god shape in a couple weeks. He just won't sit still, and it frustrates me that he won't just calm down and rest. He is a trooper though, and still wants to play and run around. It melts my heart. I hope that I can help him and he'll be the active and happy dog that I know him as.

Battlefied Bad Company 2(BBC2) is a great game. In preparation of the launch of the new Battlefield 3, I decided to finally pick up BBC2. This game is solid. The game plays silky smooth and the controls feel natural as soon as you get used to them. The environments are almost totally destructable, which is a neat feature. Almost every building can be blown up, and that is something new to the first person shooter genre. The storyline is solid, nothing too special, but it is servicable. The level design is actually really something special. While yes, most of it is a straight forward game, there are levels like the blizzard level that changes up the pace in a really enjoyable way. The graphics are amazing, and although the game plays at 30 frames per second, it isn't bogged down in any way by the action on the screen. Overall, BBC2 is a great game, that really got me excited for the upcoming Battlefield 3, which, unfortunately, is not a sequel to BBC2, but a sequel to 2005's PC Battlefield 2.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

The Upbeat


Today a couple of our friends, Lynn and Charlie, came over, promising to treat us to pizza. I needed a break from the routine of questioning reality, so naturally, we went to Pizza Hut. I brought the camera, so naturally, I have footage. It was a good day, so it was easy to be comfortable, and at ease. I feel like uploading something upbeat again, after the unsettling Nightmare video. In regards to the Nightmare video, why did YouTube make it look letterbox? I haven't watched the YouTube version all the way, because the letterbox look the uploaded video throws a lot into doubt for me. Is YouTube taunting my perception? I haven't looked through the footage, but I don't feel much like I need to. I'll upload it as soon as my fiancee is done using the camera.

Osiris and Pixi are dirty. They need baths. Trouble is, neither of them like baths very much, so getting them to jump in and get clean is a chore in and of itself. Pixi smells worse though, so I may tackle that chore first. I wish we had a fence so I could just hose them down.

The rope toys are gone. The dogs liked those a little too much. They made their feelings known by destroying the jack made out of tennis ball. It's not our fault they eat the rope material, so they shouldn't look at us when we quit buying them rope toys. It is my hope that they will just accept the new toys from here on out instead of showing their displeasure with their current batch. That jack toy is over 3 years old and just now they ripped it apart. Not cool.

I'm going to keep the video game reviews coming along. I will give my thoughts on Resistance 3 and Dead Island when they launch, and then I will do a Gears of War 3 review. No reviews for October, unless I can put Battlefield 3 down long enough to do a write up on it. November will see an Uncharted 3 review, Modern Warfare 3 and Saint's Row 3. As you can tell, the number "3" is a big one this holiday season. In my next blog, I will do a review of Battlefield Bad Company 2. I'm a bit late to the Battlefield party, but hopefully a review now may add even more interest to Battlefield 3. If I decide that a newer, more relevent to today, game is more worthy, I will review that instead.

Friday, August 19, 2011

The Eyes


Osiris licks his paws. I don't know if this is an obsessive compulsive thing, or if he just thinks they're really dirty. We have to yell at him to stop, so he doesn't lick himself raw. I sometimes think about putting socks on him for a while just to get him to stop, but our floors are slippery enough without taking away his traction. He's done this for years now, and I just don't understand it. I think Pixi may be picking up on this habit. I've already had to yell at her to stop doing this as well. They're both very good dogs though, so I don't care too much if they get yelled at for something like this. They almost never hear us raise our voices to them, so they can just deal with it. It's for their own good, at least in my opinion.

I threw french fries at the dogs today. Osiris just sat next to the edge of the bed and I threw them right to him. I made Pixi leap into the air for her's. Well, she decided to leap into the air. No one made her. It made for an amusing time. I love seeing the look on a dog's face when you give them a treat that is too hot or too cold but tastes delicious to them. It's moments like those that you treasure and look back on fondly. It's moments like those that inspired me to start this group of web pages. I can't imagine keeping more than one blog, YouTube channel and twitter account, so we share. Osiris and I share a home, and I think our experiences directly affect each other, so I have no problem posting blogs and videos that aren't always completely related to the life and times of Osiris.

I found the charge cable to the camera. It just popped back into existence, as if by magic. I charged up the camera and it seems to work just fine still. There is something strange though. There are videos on there that I don't remember filming. Videos I think would be impossible to film. I haven't looked at too many of them yet, but I saw one, and posted it on the YouTube channel. The red sky. It's there. I've only seen this in my nightmares. I don't ever remember taking a video of it. From the ambient sounds of birds, it sounds like it takes place during the morning, but I am never awake at those hours. The sunrise also would never leave a sky looking like that. Not a uniform red. I asked my fiancee about the sky and she said she's never seen it quite like that.

I feel like I am being watched. Like there are eyes peering into my house, from every window, all at once. When I look, they vanish. I think this is happening while I am awake, because I seem to only hear voices in my dreams. I don't feel safe. Not alone, at least. I lock the pets in here, so that I have company. They seem so blissfully unaware of the eyes that surround the house. I wish I was too.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

The Perception


Day and night are blending. Sleep is awareness and awake is a dream. I feel tired all the time, no matter if I am awake or asleep. Most of the time I cannot tell the difference. I feel almost as if I am in 2 different realities. It seems like I post here all the time, but either I didn't, or I dreamt the posts. I also feel like I posted more YouTube videos, but when I look at the channel, they aren't there and I can't remember what they even were about.

Osiris' hip is bothering him. We think it is dislocated or something. A vet visit is imminent. I know this is true, because no matter if I am awake or dreaming, his hip is bad. It is a constant. When reality seems surreal, it is hard to take matters seriously if they appear to be just a dream. Osiris eats, and eats well, though he has lost weight. I worry, but he is still only a middle aged dog. Every day, though, I am happy to know I am documenting his life through this series of websites.

I watched the movie Inception, and it only furthered my perpetual state of surreal awareness. The movie was good, but it only raised more questions about the reality I may or may not be living in. So far, the red sky nightmare has stayed out of my life when I can clearly demonstrate to myself that I am indeed awake. I am hoping that this post itself isn't a dream. I have written that sentence before, or at least I think I have.

"Do not be afraid. You will succumb like the rest. Want no more than what he offers. To resist is pointless. Know not but the end." I hear this, over and over in my head. Word for word. I don't know if this is in my dreams or in the time I spend awake. After this is repeated, I hear a faint whisper, child-like, saying simply "the dark one comes".

Saturday, August 6, 2011

The Sound

It gets really quiet at night. I sit and type on my computer and the pets sleep. The box fan hums quietly and nothing even so much as peeps. The doors and windows are locked, and the blinds drawn where we have blinds. Last night, I heard a noise. I shouldn't hear anything. All of the pets sleep up here with me. The sound is sudden, like a single footstep, or a small object crashing onto a hard floor. It isn't the sound of the house settling or anything like that. It sounds too.....specific, I guess. The pets pay it no mind, which is even more strange, as the dogs are very territorial.

Osiris has been good lately. He snuggles at bedtime and eats his food again. He isn't playing as rough as he used to, but I think if his hip was better he would be. Him and Sammy get along just like brothers. It's always cool to see a cat and a dog get along as well as these two do.

I still can't find that camera cable. I have tried looking everywhere that I remember plugging it in, as well as places that I store cables. It's strange, not taping the day to day. It feels almost unsafe, like I am not protected. As soon as I get that cable, I am going to feel a lot better.

The nightmares are not going away. The only comfort is that I can seperate nightmares from reality. I wake up after the nightmare, and can clearly establish myself as awake and alert. I have, however, dreamt of posting on here, and uploading videos on the YouTube account. It is my hope that the nightmares will eventually fade, but the red sky feels so menacing, so...wrong.

Thursday, August 4, 2011

The Lost

The lapse in videos is due to my Camera's charge cable mysteriously going misssing. I have some fun footage that I can post, but I need to find the cable to post anything worth substance right now. Besides, I feel like keeping up a pace of videos every 3-5 days would be hard to keep, as well as my not wanting to flood the channel with too many videos. A new video should be up tomorrow.

Nothing new to report. The internet is back, so I can post blogs and videos without worrying about any sudden connection loss messing with the process. I do not recommend AT&T internet. Pay the little extra and get Comcast.

My fiancee has been cleaning out that strange room. She dumped a bunch of storage in there and now is going through it. Once I get the camera charged I'll shoot a video of it for everyone to see.

One interesting thing to note though, in the nightmares that I'm having about the red sky, I am gradually growing less afraid. More....accepting. I used to run, and now I just wait around the house.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

The Solitary

The internet has not been strong in the last week. It hasn't worked for longer than a few minutes at a time sporadically throughout this week.  Someone is coming to look at it tomorrow and I can't wait for it to be restored.

Not having a link to the outside world frightened me. It was strange, an eerie calm, but a menacing silence. It looms over me, the prospect of being alone. My fiancee has been out taking care of family matters throughout the week, so I have been alone. The dogs are blissfully unaware of the internet and what it means to me. They doze, snooze, dream, and snore. I, well, I sit and stare at the lights on the modem. I time my mouse clicks, and hope that I get enough internet to find out what is going on in the rest of the world. I also feel like I need the rest of the world to know what is going on with me, even if there aren't many reading these, I feel like at least someone is, and to be connected to someone, even in a vicarious way, or the reverse of, makes me feel like I am not so alone.

I feel confined in the house. The walls are a prison. Whenver I am out, it feels like the house itself is calling me back to it. Something feels off, and I don't know exactly what it is. There is a room here, and this room intrigues me. It is subtle, as would be the case in any house that has been built less than 40 years ago. The carpet doesn't match. The door knob has a strike plate. The closet is broken. There are words on the walls. They were painted over, but they are still visible. They haunt me. They beckon me.  The door to that room is closed and I'll be damned if I go in there. Maybe I'll ask my fiancee to take a video of the room. The house itelf, being as new as it is, contained several oddities when we got it,  including the lack of a smoke detector upstairs, the thermostat was gone, and large chunks of air conditioner piping were stolen. You could say that the previous owner took everything including the kitchen sink.....oh wait, he took that too.

The nightmares remain. I don't know if they are tied to the house, as I think personally that a house as young as this simply shouldn't be haunted or even mess with my head. I have the nightmares wherever I sleep and they don't focus on the house itself, it simply happens to be a common setting. I chalk this up to my mind placing myself in a familiar setting, and it doesn't get more familiar than home. The latest nightmare had a record playing in the background, and I was sitting in the chair in the TV room. I was looking out the window and the sky turned red, as it does every time I see it in the nightmares anymore. I got up and looked outside. Thunder struck and the record started skipping. All it said, constantly, in a loop, was, "the dark one comes". I am going to the store and buying caffeine. I don't want any Freddy Krueger style nonsense going on in my dreams. Well, Freddy did wear a festive sweater, so I'd cross him out of the dark category. They're just dreams. They'll pass, in time.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

The Midnight

I've never been afraid of the dark. I used to read scary stories as a kid, and I just felt like there was nothing to be afraid of. Recently that has changed. I lock up the house at night, not for fear of unsavory people, but because I feel safer from the unknown. I sleep with lights on now. I used to absolutely need to be cloaked in darkness to sleep. Now it seems to be the opposite. I keep having that red sky nightmare. Nothing I do is stopping it. My fiancée works nights, so I am alone here until she gets home. There are days that I'll wait for her to get home before I sleep. I also have become wary of the street light outside the house. Something about it feels wrong to me. I know it's an irrational fear, but it doesn't change the fact that I don't like looking out the window at night. The world feels enveloped at night, like someone is out there, watching, waiting, observing, stalking. Something dangerous. It sounds stupid when I type it out, but it's how I feel. I want to board up the windows. 

Osiris isn't enjoying summer. It's been rough for him. We've kept Pixi from getting to rambunctious with him, as his hip is still causing him discomfort every now and again. He didn't eat much for a couple days, but his appetite has returned in force today. He keeps licking his paws. Is that normal? I don't think it is. My fiancée thinks he has obsessive compulsive disorder. I think he is a clean freak. 

I think I found the first layer that these creepy old ladies had mentioned. Maybe I'm wrong, but regardless, my findings creeped me out further and has subsequently made my insomnia even worse. I'll try to get it on video as soon as I can. I'm hoping this is unrelated to cryptic old ladies. I hope that was just some prankster. Odd coincidence though. 

Saturday, July 9, 2011

The Catalyst

LA Noire is a great example of how video games can be more than any one element. The game features car chases, interrogations, shootouts and clue gathering. Everything blends in well, and the game shines for it. The controls are straightforward and the graphics incredible. The story is well done, as is the new technology that has the voice actor's facial animations translate to the game. All in all, it is well worth a purchase. The game itself is lengthy and has plenty to keep you immersed in the world. 

Osiris refused food today. Strange. I hope he just didn't have an appetite. Pixi ate, and actually tried to eat from both Both equally before I stopped her. Osiris has been rather needy as well lately, I guess he is just in one of those moods. He also hasn't tried to test his boundaries in the yard lately either. Maybe he is just getting old. Either way, I am still a little worried. He is a big part of this family, and when he is dragging, it seems like we all are. 

Another nightmare. Horrible. The sky was red. Lightning struck. I heard strange noises and then had a blinding headache. I came to and from the red sky came this vine like black mass. It reached out at me, beckoning me. No matter what I did, it kept coming closer. As I ran down the street, there were black "X"'s spray painted on the manhole covers, as if saying that trying to escape through those wasn't an option. I got in my car and drove, and that's when I woke up. I don't know why my dreams have been so messed up. I heard the laughter of children, and I can't remember if that was in the dream or if it came from outside as I woke up. I hate sleep. 

Monday, July 4, 2011

The Thunder

I dislike the 4th of July. Not because a am anti American, but because of what the fireworks do to the dogs. They hate the loud banging noises, and they are always afraid. They hide in the bathroom, and it is so hard to get them to simply relax after a loud evening of non stop mortars. I love seeing the displays, and some of the neighbors really go all out with illegal fireworks. 

We're all huddled up as a family right now, and we'll probably stay right here for the night. I covered my car in a tarp, and that is the extent of my preparedness. Pixi is on the bed with us and Osiris is in his chair. Well, he just got up and wants attention. He's had his fair share of fireworks, but they're still upsetting to him. 

I feel like something is coming. Maybe a breakthrough, maybe something horrible, or maybe simply some bad weather. I have felt like I have been anticipating something for a little while now, and I don't know what. Strange. Maybe it's just my brother getting his new Playstation. I don't know. I have started taping even more lately, as I bought a couple more 16 gig SD cards for the camera. 

I promised a write up on LA Noire, and it'll be in the next blog. 

Thursday, June 30, 2011

The Resurgence

I will be able to post blogs from a real computer in a week. I can't wait. Every time I want to relay my thoughts onto this blog, I am saddled with the the limitations of my failing iPhone. Ever since I started the Osiris Chronicles, my technology has been resisting me. My phone was once able to handle my typing on the safari browser, and now it freezes when I try. 

I am doing my best to keep this blog updated. Osiris has hurt his hip again, so I've been busy making sure he isn't over exerting himself. I think he was just happy and feeling young for a day, and he paid for it. Apparently there are meds that I can give him to help, so I will be looking into those. He got a haircut recently, I took the scissors to him. I feel like I did a good job, and he looks happy for it. That enthusiasm is probably what aggravated his hip injury. 

Have you ever had a moment where you remember something that is important, but somehow forget it before you can translate that thought into writing? This just happened to me. Between nightmares and flashes of forgetfulness, I've had a rough go of things. I've been recommended to keep a dream journal. Draw what is in the dreams, write what is remembered. I've started doing this already, as I mentioned in a previous blog entry. Nothing worth mentioning so far, and the only nightmare I had since starting this I had forgotten in translation much like just now. I will persevere, however, and hope something comes of this. 

Another woman came up to me, while at the video store. She asked simply, "have you looked under the first layer yet?". I was bewildered. I thought the first crazy lady was an anomaly. I think there is a prankster paying nice old ladies to tell me cryptic nonsense. The weird thing is though, she rented The Stand, the Stephen King mini series version. I think it's possible the prankster knew I mentioned The Stand earlier, but how would they know who I am? 

Continuing my random video game write ups will be L.A. Noire. I'll have my thoughts on it in an upcoming blog post. 

Monday, June 27, 2011

The Electricity

I was able to get the video game InFamous 2 a couple weeks ago, and after playing it non stop for quite a while, these are my impressions. 

The gameplay is solid. The parkour climbing aspects have been cleaned up and there are new, fun ways to scale buildings. The buildings themselves are varied nicely, and the half underwater "flood town" is a cool locale. No one building or place stood out, but the city as a whole felt solid. 

The fighting mechanics are much better. Cole gains many great new attacks and the melée aspect has been greatly improved. He carries a giant electrical tuning fork looking weapon called the "amp" and with it, melée combat is immensely satisfying. 

The storyline is good, not too simple and yet not convoluted. It's easy enough to follow. The game opens with a comic book style cinematic that's gets you up to speed. 

All in all, great game. InFamous 1 was great, and InFamous 2 improved on nearly all facets. Even the new voice actor did a fine job. 

No real news, just been talking to my fiancée's friends. Apparently some guy has been sneaking into their garage and messed with their electrical inside it. I think it's just some deadbeat neighbor. 

Thursday, June 23, 2011

The Punch

Pixi punched me in the eye today. Flush. I've spent the whole day with a bandage around my head that I periodically put ice on. Her claw actually got my eyeball itself, so it's been miserable on that front. Osiris is enjoying the cool breezes that have infiltrated our room. He seems the happiest for this cool June. I can't blame him, it can't be easy being a long haired Golden Retriever in the summer. We'll shave his belly some when we get clippers. 

I'm not sleeping well. Maybe 5 hours on a good night. It's frustrating, especially since there hasn't been a bad dream for a while. The most recent nightmare involved a storm. The sky was red and lightning shook the house. The sky actually laughed at me. I woke up right there. I am sketching my dreams now, after this one. I'm going to lock those sketches away, and look back on them after I get past this string of nightmares. I promise to talk about something non nightmare related next entry. 

Sunday, June 19, 2011

The Heat

Osiris has a bad hip. He was limping badly a few weeks ago, but it seems to have gotten better. When he gets up after laying down for a long period of time it is apparent that it still bothers him. Pixi doesn't want excuses, she wants to play! Summer has finally kicked into gear and we still have no A/C. I don't think we've turned off the fans all week. We've played around with the idea of putting ice cubes in the toilet for them, but haven't bothered. They don't usually run out of water in their bowls so this would only be implemented if we leave for an extended period of time. 

I am still taping the day to day around here. It feels impulsive. It feels right. After the nightmares, it feels safe. The strain must be taking it's toll on both the camera and the SD cards. Some footage is corrupted when i watch it back. I won't stop though, and if I have to buy another camera and more SD cards I will. It's been an endless cycle though, watching through countless hours of footage, but somehow it feels worth it. This has grown into my routine, as an extension of my day. I only think about it when I talk or write about it. 

And by the way I don't like the Miami Heat, I'm glad they lost.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

The King

For 12 long years I've waited. Patiently. I didn't yearn, nor did I crave, this day. In fact, I simply welcomed it. I waited by virtue of keeping up with it. Through the medium of the Internet I kept tabs on it. Finally, after 12 years, Duke Nukem Forever is in my hands. Was it worth it?

Simply put, if you liked Duke Nukem 3D and wouldn't mind playing almost the same game with a new coat of paint, it's wonderful. Duke is the same as he ever was, and the game was outrageous as it has ever been. That said, fans of twitch shooters like Call of Duty, well, they won't like this game. It's rough around the edges and hasn't aged particularly well. Mindless fun with loads of nostalgia? Yes. Tight controls and a visually stunning game? No. Let's not forget, video games are here to enjoy and provide entertainment, they aren't simply a competition of graphical superiority. Verdict: rent before you buy. 

I was asleep when my fiancée let the dogs out in a thunderstorm. Osiris stayed in the yard and was good, so she didn't have to wake me. A few normal days in a row. It feels good to sleep without waking up with a horrible nightmare. I feel like any day now, I'll be in that cornfield and Mother Abigail will tell me to beware of the "Dark Man With No Face". I'm hoping this doesn't happen but the only parallel to those dreams that I have found seem to be "The Walkin' Dude" Randall Flagg. I think I'll just ignore it for now and be happy that I am not having nightmares. 

I was told today by an old woman that "below the first layer lies the first step to the last of your pain". When I asked her what she meant, she said she had no idea and some man told her to tell me this. She also said that "first layer" was a physical one, according to this man, not simply a mental or emotional layer. I would have forgotten the whole exchange had the lady just moved on with her day to day, but she collapsed in the middle of the store. She didn't die or anything, but it sure made a scene. Probably just another thing to forget about, I don't need old ladies telling me creepy messages that they claim were passed on to them from some other person. 

Wow. I rambled quite a bit there. Oh well. It's my blog(and Osiris') so I can ramble if I so choose. If anyone has a guess as to what creepy cryptic old lady meant, I'd love to hear theories. Comment or:

Osirischronicles2011@gmail.com

I'll do a quick review on inFamous 2 in a few days. I'll also try to get Osiris to do something interesting enough to blog or record for YouTube. 

YouTube.com/OsirisChronicles

Yes, I'm plugging my other sites. At least I'm not plugging something random and pointless, like a Mega Shark vs Giant Dorito commercial. 

Monday, June 13, 2011

The Company

The dogs have been needy today. No matter what I did, they kept coming back to bug me. It was cute, I guess, that they wanted to hang out so badly. They still had no idea what to do with themselves. Pixi eats bugs when it is dark out and Osiris sleeps. He has chairs in every major room of the house that he is allowed in. They are clingy, and will only sleep in an occupied room, and these days, I am the same way. I lock them in with me every night so I am not alone. 

I had another nightmare. This one was similar to the other one. This time I could look behind me. The sun was out and it was sunny, but as I ran, it got darker. I looked behind me and it was a tree, a big, tall, twisted looking tree that was causing it. The branches extended into the sky and multiplied. The tree itself had a darkness around it that grew as the tree did. I ran as hard as I could, but I wasn't moving. Before the dark overtook everything in my dream, Osiris woke me up, insisting that he be let outside for the morning routine. What a good dog. 

I'm not allowing YouTube comments simply because this is a channel dedicated to my dog, kind of as a legacy type thing. I'm sure there would be fights on the comments, or people saying mean things, and I want to simply enjoy the videos, and let other people do so as well. I accept any feedback, and will respond to e-mails. 

Osirischronicles2011@gmail.com

Friday, June 10, 2011

The Climate

It's cold in June. That's a wonderful change. The air conditioner is broken and the summer heat was already bearing down on us. The last couple of days have been stormy and windy. It's brought cold air in, cold air we desperately needed. 

Pixi and Osiris have been toughing it out with us. Osiris has developed a love for ice cubes, a treat that is, in essence, free. Since we're trying to keep him off leash, he will immediately respond to ice cubes, but he doesn't care to respond to Beggin' Strips the same way. The dogs seem very happy with this cold front and I can't blame them. 

When we gave the dogs their treats, Osiris was told to lay down, so he went from sitting to laying down....and right back to sitting. It was cute. He didn't want to hold the position because the Beggin' Strip had farther to go to reach his mouth. It's little moments like these that inspired me to launch the Osiris Chronicles. 

I keep hearing noises now. Noises the dogs aren't aware of. I assume they're in my head, because any time I investigate, it turns up nothing. Next time I hear a noise, I'm bringing the camera, in hopes it picks up anything my eyes miss. Normal noises creep me out suddenly. It's weird. I've never been afraid to hear a car passing by my house before. I live right next to a school, so if the kids are not afraid of the ambient noises of a subdivision, I shouldn't be either. 

I slept better. No bad dreams, but only 5 hours of sleep. I'd call that a win, considering how vivid the dream was. I had felt so young, but I wasn't. I felt like as my legs moved, they stretched out and became longer, but didn't help me move. It was so strange. I've had vivid dreams before, so I'm going to try to move on from this one. 

I could have sworn I just heard a little girl scream. The dogs didn't move. 

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

The Sleep

I'm trying a new approach. Writing the post on my iPhone notepad and copy/pasting into the blog. Hopefully this works better than blogger itself being laggy on my device. 

I've noticed that a dog matures gradually, and after so many years, that dog that was once a bashful puppy has now become your best friend. Osiris is that to me. I can still remember the first day I got him quite fondly, and even today I can look at him and feel like we've been through a lot together and seen so much of what life has to offer. Plus, he's growing a white goatee, which is pretty cool if you ask me. Summer is approaching, and I might have to cut some of his golden locks, so he doesn't overheat. Our other Golden Retriever, Pixi, is a shorter haired Golden, so I'm not as concerned about her. 

The heat must be messing with my head. Sleep has been hard to come by. I feel like I'm being watched while I am trying to fall asleep. I look around, and obviously I'm not seeing anyone, so it is a little unnerving. I've started to tape the day to day around here more. Not sure why, but it should get me the best moments that Osiris can offer. Since I'm recording with SD cards, I am just uploading it all to my PS3 and keeping anything I deem important. My fiancé is calling me OCD about it, but she says it in a joking enough manner. 

Ever have a dream where you are running but it seems like you move very very slowly? You try to run away from something but it seems like you are not moving fast at all, and the worst part is how tired you feel trying so hard to move? That's what I dreamt last night, after my paranoia subsided. These issues only just began, and I'm hoping that continuing the Osiris Chronicles will put my mind at ease and cure my semi-insomnia. 

Sunday, June 5, 2011

The Beginning

The beginning is as good a place as any to start this blog. Osiris is my dog, a Golden Retriever, and he is about five years old now. I got him as a puppy from a farm somewhere in central IL. After getting a place with my fiancé last year, Osiris came with us, and now, in the middle years of his life, I'd like to leave a record behind of his life and what has endeared him to all those who met him.

However, I don't think I will be able to fill pages with only the day to day of a dog, so he is going to have to share it with me. My phone is acting up, so I will end this first blog right here. I'll update with a second one as soon as my technology decides to co-operate.

YouTube.com/OsirisChronicles
Twitter.com/OsirisChronicle