Wednesday, October 13th.
"Today was an exhilarating experience. I had just finished a book signing in Donald's Dock ahead of the release of my second novel. If that wasn't enough, I was approached with an amazing opportunity! Mayor Wacky Banana himself. That monkey is just as spry and energetic as a dog half of his age, and well he showed up today. At first it started with him getting a copy of the book signed, but it turned into a long conversation. Apparently, he was very impressed by my work with Captain Scurvy and "The Melville." Well, one thing led to another, and he let slip that there has been some ongoing troubles on the waters south of Toontown. Ever since the Quentin Tarintoono movie, a lot more Toons have become interested in becoming explorers. Unfortunately, many are not equipped, or experienced enough to handle the open seas. Over the last few weeks, several ships, big and large, have sailed off to uncharted waters in hopes of becoming rich and famous, or discovering something world changing. Two large ships have already gone missing, including a cargo carrier Toontanic that had a crew of sixty Toons. A task force is being assigned to go on a search and rescue mission for the missing and lost. To be honest, I'm not optimistic. Nobody has ever been that way, at least not recorded, and for a ship not ready for the harsh conditions easily could have capsized. Anyways, to make a long story short I will be attending a crew as the recorder. Someone needs to take notes and what not. I suppose it is something. I was kind of hoping to navigate, but apparently, they're bringing in some of the top sailors in Toontown. No Scurvy though, as they retired to live with their husband. Should be fun. Going to prepare and go see the kiddo tomorrow. Early night sleep for me!"
Friday, October 15th.
"Forgot what it was like to wake up so early. Don't think I've seen the sunrise since my last journey. Spent most of the day meeting the crew. Quite a diverse group. We have a couple of Toons from the Island, which Toontown Leadership still has not given a name, and a couple of familiar names. One of them is Captain Ahab. To be honest, I was a little flabbergasted when I saw him wearing that prominent looking cap. Thought he only did Toontasks and ran a small shop in Donald's Dock. Aside from him though, mostly everybody else was a stranger or somebody who I had the lightest of knowledge. Our navigator is an older dog named Salty Seadog. Not sure if that is his real name, or a nickname, but was afraid to ask. The guy looked like his entire face has been torn apart and put back together like a puzzle. So many scar lines! I'm sure he's nicer than he looks. The ship we are using is only equipped for twenty-six Toons, so I am going to be sharing a room with a raccoon named Otis. Kind of quiet, unassuming fellow. I guess being in a brand-new world, I would probably be a bit shy meeting new Toons. I got to see Mariner and John. Neither are attending, but both showed up to wish me good wishes. Unfortunately, the rest of the old crew couldn't make it so early. Alas, that is the life of fame that has been brought upon all of us. Or I guess they didn't want to wake up at four in the morning. My body is sore from the moving and physical work. I'm just a writer, I'm not built for this! Anyways, we ship off tomorrow morning. I'm going to sleep on the ship to get in the habit. I hope I can sleep tonight. My anxiety is off the charts, but I am also excited! Let this journey be a swift and successful one!"
Tuesday, October 19th.
"Wow, what a couple of days it has been! I feel like I've been spending so much time up on the ship, I've had no time to write. Well, writing is almost all I've been doing. I've been documenting every small detail. For insurance, and regulatory reasons I'm required to ensure that a bunch of safety rules are being followed. Salty says I'm being overly cautious and to just make up that I've done everything. I mean, he does have sixty years of sailing experience. I just nodded and laughed and have been slipping away down under deck to free myself enough to do my assigned task where he won't notice and scold me. Ahab is a striking captain, but no Scurvy. I've been very nostalgic of the journey since I've gotten on the ship. I think I'm going to get in touch with everybody when I get home and see about taking a nice cruise or something just for fun. We've had no luck in running down either of the ships but these things can take a while. The chef, some pig named Wanda, absolutely loves making soup. Not my favorite thing, but I guess it is probably more out of necessity than taste that she sticks to it so often. I'm not sure how we are doing on food, but I'll survive… probably. Wouldn't mind a slice of pumpkin pie though. I'm hoping to be back home by Halloween to go trick or treating with Bubbles. This might be the last year before he feels he's "too old" for trick or treating. Funny, I feel like I see just as many adults as children out collecting candy every year. Maybe it is just a phase for some. It looks like Otis will probably be returning soon, so I'm going to finish off here for the night. I hope to have more interesting tales to write the next time I open this diary."
Friday, October 22nd.
"I'm still in a bit of bad mood, and honestly not sure what to write here. What an awful day this has been. It started off with a heavy storm. Very unusual for this time of year, but not unheard of. We had been setting up some card games outside, where the sun shone as brightly as it ever has, when about thirty seconds later, the sky decided against our Poker game. The sky was immediately filled with gloomy, tear-driven Altostratus clouds came to rain on our parade – literally in a way. On top of that, dinner wasn't served as for some reason many of the vegetables had suddenly spoiled. It was almost as if we had wandered into some sort of alternate world that hates fun and food. I'm pretty hungry, and quite exhausted. We decided if we don't find anything tomorrow, we'll need to return home and regroup. I hope I'm there for a while before we set out again. I haven't had the internet in what seems like an eternity. I just want to watch some TV, drink some hot chocolate, and snuggle under my warm blanket. But for now, my itchy rug and creaky old bed will have to do. I pray for better things tomorrow. Goodnight."
Saturday, October 23rd.
"How do I even start writing here? I'm completely in shock, and my mouth seems incapable of speech. Fortunately, my hands are still worthy of something. First, the good news if you can call it that. At around seven this morning, we have found the drifting cargo ship, "Ship-Shop-Shape." The vessel itself looked pristine, as if it had never seen a day on the waters. I'm not sure if this was a brand new Toontanic, but if it was, then I see where it received the name. This is where the good ends though. Once we approached and called out for the crew, we heard not a single whisper. Sixty Toons, and nary a one in sight. Even for that early, it must have had a steersman, or a navigator, or even just a passing Toon onboard where they would notice us. If the ship had stalled, surely, they would have put up a smoke signal. I, Salty, Ahab, and Otis boarded. I only went so I could record things like remaining life boats, and any comments on the state of the crew. I had gone with little optimism and had left with a feeling of dread I don't think I've ever felt. We were split up and searched for about forty-five minutes. In that time, I didn't come across nary a crocodile or rabbit. I wasn't sure if I had searched incorrectly, but when I was met on the hull by Salty and Otis, we were empty-handed. Don't worry though, it gets much grimmer. Ahab returned about ten minutes after we did, and he looked perplexed and emotionless at the same time. Like a Toon who had been beaten down by life, and then forced to accept it. He said he had only come across one Toon, a relatively young deer and apparently the captain. This news was a bit of a relief for about half a second – as my brain was convinced that maybe they stayed behind to watch the ship while others went for help. However, my hopes were quickly dashed when he explained that the poor soul wouldn't be coming back with us, or anybody else. They were dead. Ahab would not allow anybody to see the body, as he said the scene was a bit gruesome. Salty insisted, but eventually gave in to Ahab's pressure. We consulted on what to do and decided that we would keep a record but that we had no place to store a corpse for almost a week. The body will be left in the final resting place in the captain's quarters. Writing this makes me feel sick. Where was the rest of the crew? Had they abandoned their own captain? What fate had taken them? I'm not really sure, but maybe some things are better unknown. I will be spending the rest of the night writing a report. Some other crew members have been sent onboard to search for supplies for the trip home. It feels kind of bad to raid an abandoned ship before we know it has been abandoned, but all hope seems lost at this point. I can only hope that our other missing ship hasn't come across the same fate."
Monday, October 25th.
"The rain continues to pound the ever-lasting life out of the crew. The last few days have been fueled by negativity, unsurprisingly. Captain Ahab has been quite irritable, and prone to bursts of anger I hadn't seen from him previously. Surely the situation has been difficult, and likely traumatic for him. However, I've noticed that several other crew have been acting strangely the last few days, including Otis. Salty said it is probably just stress and frustration reaching a boiling point, and I'm not going to disagree. Although, there have been a few odd things. We have an elephant onboard, a massive woman named Donut. She has been talking to herself and leaning over the railings, almost as if she could fall of with the slightest bump. It makes me uneasy after what happened with Scurvy, but with how testy everybody is right now, I won't dare test anybody's patience. At this point, I think I would give up the entire salary from this task and all my future book sales to be back home. The first thing I'm going to do is get down and kiss the ground and never leave it again. Secondly, I'm going to take a nice trip to Sillyworld and soak in the sun. I'm probably going to sleep early to pass the time, and to avoid speaking with Otis tonight. I don't wish to get on his bad side.
Thursday, October 28th.
"Things have become increasingly worrying here. For the last few days, we have been sailing through the torrential rain, and yet we seem to have made no progress. It seems as if our ship has been placed on a conveyor belt that loops endlessly through the same scenery. We have come across the same few landmarks at least four times. Once would be a coincidence, but four? Morale seems lower than ever. Several have had full-blown meltdowns. Otis threatened to stab Wanda for making soup again and had to be restrained for a while. I'll be alone in the cabin for at least tonight. It isn't the ideal way of getting time alone. Ahab has been very quiet the last day or so. Hardly speaking a word. It seems he is overwhelmed beyond belief and can hardly take to the task he was assigned. Salty has taken over as the de facto Captain while Ahab is spending some time in his quarters resting. The poor cat probably hasn't slept in a week. The only words coming out of his mouth have been murmurs speaking of strange dreams, and visions of the dead captain from the ship we found. If only teleportation holes worked out here, none of this would be needed. I am going to head upstairs and see if anybody needs any help. It sounds like the rain has – at least briefly – given us some respite. I just want an excuse to see the skies free of clouds. Maybe this means we have broken free from whatever weird cycle we were stuck in and can get back home. My notebook is already nearing full. I will be back to write if anything eventful happens."
Thursday, October 28t.
"I didn't know I was capable of screaming like that. I don't know if the tears coming from my eyes were those of fear, sadness, shock, or some combination of the three. About an hour and a half after stepping upstairs and enjoying a warm, gentle night air, there was some odd noises coming from the captain's quarters. At the time I was with Salty, and a few others and telling stories. It was actually the first time I had fun, and genuine enjoyment in too long. We assumed it was nothing, but it kept getting louder. Like screaming. We all ran for the cabin and found that the door was locked. It was definitely screams, but not those of fear necessarily, but painful, blood-curdling screams. I still feel the chills escaping down my spine as those will surely haunt my nightmares for the rest of my life. With our combined efforts, we were able to burst through the door. From there… I don't know how to say this, other than I hope this WAS the nightmare. In the room it was mostly dark, aside from the illumination from the moon. Captain Ahab was alone, and in a most disturbing way he turned to us and smiled… His face though… it was. He was… His eyes were gone. In their stead were only two large, black holes. Devoid of anything except streams of blood which pooled onto his blankets. Quickly we hurried to help, but he could only laugh like a deranged Toon and spoke of how he was free of the horrible visions. Good lord, he gouged out his damn eyes! Just thinking about it makes me retch in disgust. What the Hell could happen to make a Toon do such a terrible thing to himself? Yet he seemed quite content and spoke calmly as if he hadn't just mutilated himself. He was taken to the infirmary, but I doubt there is much they can do now. After everybody regained themselves, if one could even do that, we all gathered for an emergency meeting, with the exception of the ship doctor. Salty believes that Ahab had been developing Ocean Madness for a while – likely when he discovered the dead captain and was likely unfit to do anything. He was to be monitored around the clock to avoid further harm to himself. Hopefully with enough Toonup he will be able to recover, but I doubt it. This wasn't a simple eye injury; the entire eye was gone. When I started this expedition, I was excited for the potential stories that would unfold and the hope of a new adventure… But I didn't realize that this would become a horror movie unfolding before my eyes. I only hope that this all comes to an end soon. I worry that others may succumb to similar horrifying results if we do not get off of this ship soon. After all, Ahab started off with the same manner of agitation and depression as many of us. I just want to see my son. I doubt I will be sleeping tonight, but for now I think I need a long shower to help scrub my memories."
Saturday, October 30th.
"It has been absolute calamity onboard. My gut-feeling was proven correct regarding the spread of the Ocean Madness. In the last two days, we have seen several more fights… but the worst part is that we have lost a crew member. Donut exclaimed she could not stand being in this world of terrible apparitions and decided to leap from the boat. Our search for her was impossible with this weather. It seems most of those who have been affected are those who boarded the "Ship-Shop-Shape." In fact, I think it is only those who boarded. Fortunately for me, I do not have seem to have been affected. Although I worry because, could a mad duck take notice of his own insanity? After everything that has happened, I'm not even sure if I am sane. Salty has tried to keep a stable and sane crew, and his experience and leadership are praise-worthy, but I feel we reached a breaking point when we reached a similar landmark for the fifth time. A small island with a singular palm tree. It seems too odd to mistake as a coincidence. Even Salty shed a tear of anger at notice. Whatever is happening here seems like a cruel joke, but yet it is real. Food is depleting and if we do not get out of here, I fear that Donut will not be the only one lost. I lock my door at night to protect myself, and others as I don't know how long it will take for somebody to snap. I'm hardly sleeping anymore, and I am dreadfully exhausted. I can hardly keep my eyes open, but my fears and anxiety are dragging me along to the world of the wakened. I do not know if there is a great being but if there is, I can only plead that whoever they are, that they have mercy on us."
Sunday, October 31st.
"I don't know if this will be the last time I write in this diary, but I am becoming so desperate that I don't think I will be able to stay here. This morning, the bodies of Otis, and a bear named Teddie were both found unresponsive in their beds. Neither seemed to be out of any sort of malice or intent as both had been locked in their windowless rooms, and there were no signs of harm. We were sent to save others, and slowly we find ourselves disintegrating into nothingness. I would have thought that seeing the dead bodies of two comrades would shatter me, but yet I feel nothing. I have become a pit of despair, and I do not know what to do. We have passed that island for the seventh time. It seems we are stuck in an endless looping Hell. We have tallied up our rations and realized we are down to about two weeks' worth. If we stay here, we will die. Salty has began preparing for us to disperse through life boats in teams of four. Ahab will have to be watched very carefully as he is still a danger to himself. Almost everybody is speaking in ways unimaginable to what I could have imagined. We have been broken and battered. My only will to live is fueled by my son and my friends. I cannot fail now. I will power through this. I leave this diary here, so that if somebody is to come across our cursed ship, they will know what fate has befallen the crew. I hope that if anybody is currently reading this, and I have not been found, that they can pass on to my only son my truest and deepest apologies for not making it home, and to tell him I love him dearly. The lifeboats will be leaving soon, and I must make my final preparations. Pray for us all.
- - Calypso
