Lettuce is having a breakdown. She's in a strange place filled with dismembered body parts that move on their own. That just isn't normal. As for Pai, well, his mind is racing at the speed of light, trying to think up a solution that will keep their sanity and lives. Suddenly he hears a voice. "here," It says. Pai turns, and thats when he sees it. Its a newspaper clipping. One that pretty much describes what they couldn't figure out: what on earth happened here?
underground fire claims town of mist haunt
yesterday started as a normal day for the citizens of nearby Mist haunt. They were going about their daily lives when suddenly the town warning system rang. The people turned toward Monger's peek, where a column of smoke filled the air. People hopped in their cars, prepared to evacuate, when they realized something. There had been a rock slide the other day, shortly before the murder Of the dancer Carmen Selas. Due to this, the only safe road out of town was blocked. The people realized this and panicked, abandoning their vehicles to run for safety. unfortunately, they didn't have any place to go. Mist haunt's design is very precarious. there are only two exits, and the town is surrounded by cliffs and mountains. Due to this, they had no place to run to.
The fire was a fast one, and It began to destroy the south side of town rapidly. The people saw only one solution: The town's Citadel, which had been built to protect them in case of rockslide. they ran towards the enormous structure, placed deliberately on top of a large hill. the fire was approaching the north side of Mist haunt rapidly, making hasty work of burning everything in it's path. The problem is, the Citadel was on the south side of town. Panicked citizens fled through the flames, but the flames devoured many of them. For those that reached the Citadel, the gates were only opened for three minutes, says guest at the nearby resort, who witnessed the entire scene.
Oddly enough, no residents made it out alive. The fire triggered two more rock slides, and both roads to Mist haunt were wiped out. The town has been deemed unsaveable. Flying conditions are too horrible to reach the town, and Tokanusa lake was no help, with it's choppy waves. 1 person was lost when the rescue boat overturned. And one rescue helicopter is still being searched for when strong winds wiped it off its course. We can only pray for the poor residents who died in the horrible inferno of Mist Haunt.
Pai checks the date of the paper and nearly has a heart attack. The clipping is 30 years old! and the oddest thing is, it's dated April 15th. Today is the 15 of April! And if the fire started back then, The town shouldn't be standing! And also, they didn't have computers 30 years ago. Pais sure of it. So how had the websites appeared? Had someone made them as a prank? What is going on?
At this point Lettuce stops crying to see what Pai is staring at. She briefly skims the article. "Pai! This has to be a mistake! If the fire wiped out the road, then how did we get here? And where is the lake?You never mentioned a lake! And how come no residents lived but the one guy did? why is that?" asks Lettuce. "And, Pai, If this town was destroyed, why are we standing in the middle of it?" "I don't know," responds Pai. "I don't understand this. I can believe there was a fire, but the rest just seems illogical. They didn't have computer technology back then, so no one could have made the visitors site I found."
Lettuce eyes the library in horror. "Pai," she says. "We have a problem." "I know we do, Lettuce! We're stranded in a town that's been cut off for thirty years and it just so happens that the town shouldn't be standing!" Pai says in frustration. "Uh, Pai? That isn't what I meant. Look at the walls." Pai looked, and was horrified to find they were being shadowed by something. The temperature seemed to have dropped a few more degrees, if that was possible. "lets get out of here!" he shouts, dragging Lettuce through the doors...