Chapter 1: Prologue IV

—All right, guys, so are we all set? -Jason asked his friends as he put his video camera in his backpack and pulled a packet of chips out of his bag.

—Everything's ready, Jay. Nikolai! Thanks for joining us. Have you been friends with Jason for a long time? -Ashley turned down the music to hear Nikolai better.

—Yes! I've known Jason for six years. I still remember the enthusiastic young photographer...still is. We are neighbors, we live very close in fact. I met Jason because he was the photographer my brother hired for his wedding, and we've been dating ever since.

—Oh, you're boyfriends? —Rocky commented, smiling, looking in the rearview mirror.

—No, man! I said we've been dating for a while because, well, he's almost like my brother. He's been there for me a lot and considering how close we are....

—Jason's a good guy! I've known him for fifteen years. We came out of photography school fresh out of college and finished college, did a degree in the arts.

—If I put all the junk in my apartment together and put glitter on it and put an "idea" or a "theme" on it, that shit is automatically art —Jason commented, disgusted by his experiences in school.

—Really?

—Seriously, Niko! Art, art my balls. Since then I haven't been able to get anything useful out of my degree and my stupid diploma. Not for nothing did I get into shooting porn movies....

—Are you serious? —Rocky seemed interested in the idea. —And what's it like?

—Rocky! —Ashley slapped her boyfriend's shoulder angrily.

—Well, I have to get close on certain occasions to get a close-up of the act, sometimes we use some cameras that hang from some mechanisms to keep us from showing up in a shot and ruining it. Then, I have to edit the videos, if I had known I would have gone to film school instead of studying art...

—Well, I didn't expect that kind of revelations, no doubt our research group is a marvel... —Rocky spoke, while driving through a road where there were barely a few cars that, just like them, were driving in the middle of the night.

—Research? —Nikolai gave Rocky a puzzled look.

—Oh, yes. Didn't Jason tell you? We're investigating some coordinates we found. Some friends went to those coordinates but haven't returned, and the last signal came from a city... Have you heard of Vallimorth?

—I've never heard of such a place in my life. Do you know where we're going? —Niko asked, covering himself with a blanket that was in the van, since it was quite cold.

—We will practically be traveling a long way on the road. Vallimorth is a rural town that has caught our interest, besides, we think there is something big going on behind the scenes and we have to find out the whereabouts of our friends —Ashley answered, determined to find the truth about the reporters' disappearance.

—And why don't they call the police? Have they launched an investigation of their own?

—The problem is... no one wants to help us, Nikolai. We tried to go to the police, but they couldn't help us, they even blamed them for their own disappearance... that's why we tried to do a thorough investigation without the help of the pigs —Rocky turned on the lights to get a better view across the road.

—So they're looking for their missing friends... I think I'm already too far into the road to get out and call a cab... it's too dangerous.

—Do you want to get out, Niko? -Jason looked disappointed at his friend's refusal.

—I have a bad feeling... but if you think you're doing the right thing, I'll help you... in any way I can, and as far as I can. Maybe they should have brought a representative of the law... What if something bad happens, huh? All kinds of things could happen and...

—Don't worry, Nikolai, we'll make sure nothing bad happens... besides... I'm sure that as soon as we arrive we'll soon have answers.

The journey has begun.