I think I understand now. The journal shows the next "entry" before it's written. So far, every time I finish writing what's shown in gold, another one appears immediately after. As strange as that sounds, it should at least help me to avoid any more surprises until I can get out of here.
ā
Unfortunately, leaving is going to be harder than I thought. Apparently, I own this building. Nearly every cent of my savings is currently tied up in this damn place. Thankfully, I found the paperwork in the back of the filing cabinet. It may take a while to sell, but I could end up turning a profit.
ā
P.S. Get dressed. Mrs. Green is about to arrive.
(clothes on the floor)
ā
Didn't
Anne say something
about buying the
building?
Hold on...
I flip back to Anne's entry.
Honestly, I canāt be sure that any of my choices over the past two years have been mine alone. Like buying the Pandora Apartments... Well, I assume you've noticed
Don't
tell me...
I scour the office, sifting through stacks of papers and tossing out any unnecessary clutter in my search for the filing cabinet mentioned in the journal.
By the time I discover the filing cabinet at the bottom of a cupboard, I've managed to clean and organize the entire office, as well as find a set of keys, my wallet, a closet stocked with spare clothes, and even a full ensuite bathroom along the way.
The deed is right where the journal described, and to my utter dismay, I see my name, Kogan Mendez, listed on the document and not a single mention of anyone named ‘Anne’.
How?
My signature stares up at me from one of the pages and I freeze. It's not right. To an untrained eye, it may pass as my handwriting, but I know better. This is a forgery.
Anne did
this.
Each step feels like a mile as I make my way to the desk.
One of the computer’s tangled wires is disconnected. I plug it back in and the screen flickers to life.
My fingers tremble as I go through the login process for my bank account.
I should
still have over $500,000
saved from my mother's
life insurance
settlement...
F*ck...!
This can't
be happening!
I frantically scan through the transactions find a transaction of $589,000 paid to Bennet & Shore Law Group on January 5th, 2021.
I slump back into my chair, burying my face in clammy hands as the the weight of reality settles over me.
ā
Okay, let’s
think about this.
I’m in possession of an asset. I just need to liquidate it.
ā
If it’s
in a decent area,
I might even make some money back.
Tempering my expectations, I run a search for "Pandora Apartments" online.
Interesting,
it appears to be
located just outside of London, Ontario...
I'm familiar with the area, having lived only a couple of hours away. If memory serves, it's a rather attractive city, with good hospitals, schools, and yes, a respectable job market.
Intrigued, I delve a bit further and discover that property values have been steadily appreciating over the past two years.
I mull it over for a moment, then, before I can second-guess myself, I schedule an appointment with a local real estate agency, securing an appointment with an agent for the following day.
A cautious sense of optimism begins to take hold, but I know better than to fully trust it.
Best not to get
my hopes up just
yet.
Not until
I can be sure what
to expect...
And speaking of knowing what to expect...
Everything
the journal said
turned out to be true...
So are they really
messages from the
future?
Having studied mathematics, the concept of time travel is not foreign to me. I also know it's impossible.
...but if that was what's going on, it would theoretically explain why I can't change what's written on the page as it would have an effect on the timeline.
Whatever
the explanation, if
it works, it would
definitely be a
useful tool...
For
an advantage like
that, I could tolerate
the odd scratch and
general creepiness.
ā
Huh.
Bennet & Shore...
I suppose this was a
"Thanks for your Business"
gift.
I scribble the message down quickly. It's a perfect match as always. And, as always, a new message appears below it.
I have my work cut out for me to sell this place. I just hope I can find a buyer before it drives me completely insane.
The security team, if you can even call them that, seems to be comprised of drug dealers and lowlifes. I fired the one called "Wolf" and he had the audacity to threaten me afterward. It's also clear that Oliver has been running his mouth about what happened the other night like it's a big joke.
ā
To make matters worse, the trash chute sounds like it's been taken over by a colony of wasps. Just my luck. I'll have to call an exterminator first thing in the morning.
ā
Drug dealers
and wasp nests…
I can handle
that.
In the
meantime, I might as
well take the trash
out.
The hallway, now brighter and less ominous than the night before, still sends shivers down my spine when I see the plaque that reads "Floor 2".
I could
have sworn I came
out on the fourth
floor last time...
Was it all
in my head? ...Am I
making up the journal
as well? The deed?
And Anne?
"Damaged..."
"Crazy..."
"Just like his mother..."
"Something's wrong with him..."
"Troubled mind..."
"Not quite right..."
"Crazy..."
"Crazy..."
"Unnatural..."
"It's for his own good..."
"Too much to deal with..."
"Runs in the family..."
"Get out..."
Enough!
I'm not
crazy. I know
what I saw.
Thought
you could get
away, did
you?
I for some reason didn't get any music even though I have the sound on and pressed play on the thing
"I can handle that", famous last words, Kogan.
No peace. This man gets no peace! :')
Quebec? Interessant...
The music perfectly fit the contemplative, searching, and tense mood. And I love how the journal is part of the plot while giving intriguing exposition about the place. I do wonder if the journal is predicting his actions or guiding them, but he seems to get information he didn't have before from the journal, so I don't think it's just prediction.
And man, Kogan is dealing with so much stress; from his financial situation to questioning his own sanity/perceptions, that "drug dealers and wasp nests" are no problem. Also love the insight we get into his past. Seems like he's had a real time of it even before all this. I doubt he's going to have an easy time selling the place either. It's more like a prison than an apartment complex.
Anyway, this chapter has the further questioning who Anne is, especially since her actions are (or at least seem) separate from Kogan's. The forged signature is one of the things leading me in that direction, since even if it's a Kogan from the future, I doubt his signature would change that much. I'm not sure she's much of an ally either.
Is the journal really predicting the future or setting it on stone for Kogan to follow? He can't write outside the lines, but can he act outside what is recorded? If he lies on the journal about what he did, could he act contrary to what the journal says?
Hmm my guess is that Anne is who Kogan becomes if heās being controlled by whatever entity is causing this, maybe the signature being wrong is because it canāt fully access his mind? Also, love how practical heās being about this, looking for a buyer and taking the time to clean while he tries not to go insane lol
Ohh...this must be a true waking nightmare for Kogan. If his sanity's been questioned so aggressively in the past, I can only imagine the difficulty he has in trusting his own mind in the first place. Now he's dealing with this situation. He must be fighting the belief that he's finally just lost his mind like he was always told he would. Increasingly I'm inclined to believe that Anne somehow possessed him, and that's why Kogan doesn't remember anything about getting here: none of the actions leading here were actually his own. And if that is the case, I have to wonder if she has the ability to reassert control whenever she wants... Whatever the case, I don't trust Anne. She presents herself like an ally, but evidently she used him to get here, one way or another. (Also: "Drug dealers and wasp nests...I can handle that." Love that those are just Not A Problem, lol.)
Holy cow ! A lot to process here. First and foremost, my theory is stacking about Anne and Kogan being two seperate people/entities? Second ! Kogan's past and the constant accusations of him being "crazy, just like his mother" explains part of his personality so much ! Also eyeing that" VSC Bank of Canada" hehe. The shape of the apartments also looked incredibly eery to me. Almost like a prison. Really sent shivers down my spine. I also like the idea that a small little guy like Kogan is like "wasps and drug dealers? no big deal" love that for you Kogan. Baiting my breath as always for the next episode AAAA
A forged signature?? Just when I thought āAnneā was a secret alias of Koganāsā¦ Iām no longer sure who she could be!