Posting from the Ashland Best Western

It's close to Ironton so I can easily investigate both areas and it has high speed internet access so I can update this blog. I've checked in for the next few days along with a companion I met on the road. No, it's not like that guys. He's a Runner, he helped me out and in return I'm giving him a ride and a warm safe place to stay for now. It's better to have someone watching my back, even if I'm worried he may be the infamous Unlucky Man.

I met him when I stopped at an all night grocery store to pick up an energy drink to keep me alert on the road. The store had one of those Salvation Army bell ringers outside the door, not a Santa (do they even do that anymore?) but a lady about my age with long brown hair and a puffy blue down filled coat. When I came out with my Redbull the parking lot was empty except for her, me, and some empty cars. When she saw me all her limbs jerked and she started moving towards me as if her arms and legs were being pulled by marionette strings. I just barely avoided being clocked by her heavy bell, the most disturbing thing is she was crying while she tried to attack me and she alternated between asking what was happening to her and apologizing for what she was doing. I didn't have my bat with me, I couldn't exactly carry it into the store, and had made the mistake of not putting the pepper spray I bought in my coat pocket yet. She was herding me away from my car and I was getting worried that she was going to succeed in beating me to death with that bell soon when he showed up out of the blue. A tall man in blue jeans and a black hoodie literally appeared behind her and whacked her over the head with a crowbar. I have no idea where he came from. "I hate Puppets, especially when I have to get rough with the ones who have no idea what's happening to them." was all the commentary he had on the situation. I thanked him and suggested we both get the hell out of there and call an ambulance for the poor lady while we were on the road. He agreed and as we headed back to my car I noticed the Operator symbol on the back of his hoodie, furthering my suspicions of who he was. He introduced himself just as "Omega" and was pretty tight lipped about his past or where he was going but listened to my story so far and empathized with my situation. Unfortunately he seems to know more about Slenderman than this Wooden Girl so he wasn't able to offer up much advice I hadn't already gleaned from reading the blogs.

A couple hours after that incident I booked us into a double bed room here. He suggested we sleep in shifts in case one of the night staff turns out to be a Puppet or Slenderman creeps in the room and tries to stick his tentacles in our brains or something. I'm taking the first watch. I'm also never forgetting my pepper spray again. The investigation starts tomorrow, I'll update the blog if anything happens.