Hints
The Alphabet Card
- The letter "X" is followed by a period ("X."), and it is the only letter that does this. This clue will be applied to JWJ's letter.
Bloodied Pen
- A plastic-wrapped pen that is covered in blood. When opened, there is a blade inside the pen. This is the pen JWJ had been hoping for since the beginning of your correspondence.
John William James Letter
- The first half of the letter contains a secret message embedded within the capital "O"s and the lowercase "L"s. In order to decode the message, one must identify the substituted numeral zeros (for the letter "O") and the numeral ones (for the lowercase letter "L"). When correctly identified, the numbers can be translated using a well-known code. Not all "O"s and all "L"s are numbers.
- There are two incidences where the last word of a sentence ends with the letter "X". This forms the "X" period symbol that is found on the alphabet card. In both cases, the word that follows the period can have its letters rearranged to form a new word that has a significance to the story.
Listening Friends of America Letter
- The organization is undergoing a transition, led by George Madson, who is now the Transition Facilitator. Madson goes into strange detail about the current situation and his personal life. The odd line break in the second paragraph following "face. Because we have to" is alarming and should signal danger for George and his family.
Medical Bracelet
- A plastic medical bracelet that has the name "JAMES, J.W.", the date "29-JUN-1956", and the patient number "0000 1618".
Photograph of a Red-Painted Barn
- A snapshot of JWJ's surroundings. It is important to question what type of privileges JWJ may be gaining during the transition at LFoA.
Reveals
The Alphabet Card
- In JWJ's letter, there are two words that end in "X." which is the clue from the alphabet card. The word "flux." found in the 5th section of JWJ's letter reveals the first "X." The following word "Mooded" is an anagram for the word "Doomed".
- The word "box." found in the last section of the letter before the salutation reveals the second "X." The following word "Scungy" is an anagram for the word "Cygnus".
- The hidden message is "DOOMED CYGNUS".
John William James Letter
- When the correct zeros and ones have been identified, they can be grouped in eights and translated using the binary system. The message is revealed to be "I GOT M".
- Here, "M" refers to George Madson. It is safe to assume that the bloodied knife-pen was the murder weapon.
Transcripts
Hidden Audio File
Unknown Man: So, tell me, Mr. McGowan, how do you feel?
McGowan: How do I feel?
Unknown Man: Yes, in simple terms, tell me how you're feeling.
McGowan: You a doctor?
Unknown Man: No.
McGowan: Will you help me?
Unknown Man: Mr. McGowan, I need you to...
McGowan: Look, I'm... I'm scared. I don't know where I am. The lady at the door, she took everything! She took my mother!
Unknown Man: Your mother went home.
McGowan: No, she didn't. She wouldn't do that, she got taken. The lady took her, I know it. Where did she take her to? Let me talk to that lady. I wanna find out where she took my mother! What are these?
[Sounds of cuffs/shackles]
Unknown Man: Those are just to keep you in the chair. Please, calm down.
McGowan: Tell me what's going on. Maybe - Where am I?
Unknown Man: Your new home.
McGowan: Aha!
Unknown Man: What is it?
McGowan: If this is home, then where's mother? You said she went home, but you also said this is... I... I got you, doc.
Unknown Man: I'm... I'm not a doctor.
McGowan: Well, you look big for a doctor. I think you're right. You know what? I could take you. Maybe a doctor would fix you up. Hey, what am I supposed to call you? You know, when I'm busting you up for keeping me in here?
Unknown Man: You have no reason to hurt me. I'm here to help.
McGowan: In a pig's ass...
Unknown Man: You have to trust me, Mr. McGowan. We're here to help you.
[Strange noise]
McGowan: What's that? Who - who's there?
Unknown Man: No one's there, I promise.
[Mic click]
Unknown Man: Well, Lloyd, you've certainly gone and gotten yourself in real trouble this time.
McGowan: I've never been...
Unknown Man: Do you hear me, Lloyd?
McGowan: I hear it's sunny this time of year.
Unknown Man: They're sending you to the far wing, east ancillary, the 300s?
McGowan: The whole thing, I've never been, he, he went...
Unknown Man: Do you know why you're going to the EA?
McGowan: He tried to go. He tried but he didn't make it.
Unknown Man: Jesus Christ, what have they got you on, Lloyd, huh?
McGowan: Gone... the jungle... probably fell in the jungle... gone.
Unknown Man: Yeah, well, you're going to be gone for a while, too. You killed that girl, right?
McGowan: Gone... he's gone... gone...
Unknown Man: Lloyd, I need - Listen to me. Tell me you killed that girl.
McGowan: The crazy statue there... that it was too far... too far, couldn't do it...
Unknown Man: I'm going to ask you plainly. Lloyd McGowan, did you murder that girl? Don't say no.
McGowan: The ferns are red now...
Unknown Man: Atta boy.
[Mic click]
McGowan: What's going on, bud. Things seem scarce around here. Is it spring cleaning already?
Unknown Man: We're transferring you, Lloyd, you and most of the other patients.
McGowan: Transfer?
Unknown Man: Yes, to another institution.
McGowan: What, like Buffalo or something?
Unknown Man: Not quite. We've reached an agreement with a small facility in Maryland, um, Darlington, Maryland. How do you feel about this?
McGowan: Ah, I bet it's darling!
Unknown Man: Are you afraid?
McGowan: I don't know what afraid is anymore. I don't even know what "feel" is anymore...
Unknown Man: Try to tell me.
McGowan: Look, if I feel anything, it's this. I feel like I've been asleep for the past thirty years and I still can't wake up. I feel like you've been selling me lies. I feel like my mother died before I could ever say goodbye, and my Pappy probably outlived her 'cause that's exactly the kind of asshole he was.
Unknown Man: You're handling this well...
McGowan: You're a funny guy, bud. I'll tell you what, you finally get around to telling me what my deal is and I won't beat the shit out of you as soon as they let me go.
Unknown Man: I guess it can't hurt now.
McGowan: Oh, it still could, believe me.
Unknown Man: I see your point. Lloyd, you were a threat to your family. That's why your mother dropped you off here. She was afraid.
McGowan: She was afraid of my father!
Unknown Man: She was afraid of you.
McGowan: In a pig's ass, she was afraid of me. I was her boy, her baby boy!
Unknown Man: Relax, please, Lloyd.
McGowan: What else are you going to pull out of that backwards noggin of yours, huh? Tell me. Tell me somethin' real good.
Unknown Man: Thirty years ago, you committed a murder.
McGowan: What?!
Unknown Man: That's why you can't place the past few years. You've been medicated and isolated for the majority of that time.
McGowan: I ain't never killed nobody! I ain't my father!
Unknown Man: There was a young woman with anterograde amnesia. Do you remember her?
McGowan: What? I... I don't know... Maybe... I... What are you talking about? I ain't killed nobody.
Unknown Man: Do you remember? She was also a patient of Dr. Richter's.
McGowan: Richter? Ah, yeah, that guy. I remember that guy.
Unknown Man: And the young woman?
McGowan: I... I think so. Rachel? Beatrice? I don't remember her name. What was it? I didn't killer her.
Unknown Man: You, yourself, admitted your memory is missing pieces.
McGowan: I think I'd know if I did that!
Unknown Man: Would you now?
[Sounds of cuffs/shackles]
McGowan: You've got some nerve. You're trying to mess me up and get in my head! You can't! Get out! You wake me up from a dream and all my heroes are dead!