Yellow Poncho

October 31, 2027
02:55:29 AM  RIPLEY

This is Ripley reporting in.

I want to start this off with a Happy Halloween for everyone! I know festivities are kind of… pointless. But it's a great way to keep morale up as we need some, especially if we can celebrate just right! Anyhow, I'm getting too distracted. The team and I finally reached the location and ultimately settled in. The facility is better than expected, but we’re still taken aback by the size of the lighthouse. Or at least I know I am.

I know the details of what they told me, but I thought they were embellishing things. It stands over us as a god. Just looking at the lighthouse is crushing me. That blood-red color makes it hard the breath. It’s weirdly majestic as if it doesn’t care for the world around. Like it has more power than the severe storms. I don’t like it, but it fits the Halloween spirit. I rather not take a step in here, but all our communication equipment is at the top of the lighthouse, so I can’t do much about it. Besides my uneasy feeling about the lighthouse, I still have reservations about the location. I know we needed a place to do more intensive research, but I wished for a better location.

I mean, this used to be a major coastal city, but like the rest of the coastal regions in the world, this place lost cohesion and experienced massive flooding. What used to be here is no longer accessible and submerged underwater. All that’s left is this location is on a cliff, but being on higher ground is only temporary. I know this expedition is only two months before the military retrieves us and we permanently evacuate from the coast. But if we stay here longer than expected it’ll only be a matter of time before we, along with this place, take a swan dive due to the rising tides.

I just don’t know if...

I’m sorry.

Look I’m confident in our ability to make some good headway on finding a solution to stop the continuous rainfall, or at the very least, find an answer to why it’s happening. I’m worried. I’m worried about what can happen, what will happen. It’s surreal how much time has passed since then. I still remember that day.

It was May 3rd when the National Weather Services picked up the unique weather pattern happening not in the United States but in other nations as well. The entirety of the sky would be dark with thundering clouds, lightning storms, and heavy rainfall expected to last throughout the evening, lasting into next week causing some flooding. We were concerned about the phenomenon, especially what could happen with flooding within the coastal regions, but we thought we would ride through that week.

But then, one week turned into four, then four weeks turned into several months, and here we are. The severe weather hasn’t stopped and has only been increasing in intensity. What was initially only a few centimeters of rain for the first week, became close to a meter every few days now.

I’m assuming the whole world has lost access to its coastal areas, and it’s only a matter of time before the rising tides will try to submerge what is inland. We’ve lost so much. People are dying or going missing, homes are destroyed, loved ones are lost. It seems like it’s only getting worst due to the rise of seismic activity due to the pressure on the tectonic plates and water erosion.

It seems hopeless…but I know we’ll make this right. I’ll contact you soon about any new progress. This is Ripley signing out.

January 7, 2028
22:19:57 PM   RIPLEY

This is Ripley.

I…I don't know what to say. Oh, God.

Uhhh…Okay. If you’re listening, it's been at least 14 hours since seismic activity affected the area.

All resources have been destroyed, most of the power has been rendered barely functional, and it has devastated the region to a point where everything is either submerged or floating in the ocean. My situation is the latter as the location has dropped into the ocean and is now akin to a natural flotilla, floating in a random direction with nowhere to go.

I’m...I’m angry. I’m disgusted.

It’s been TWO months since we’ve been here, and I’ve been reaching out, sending memos, and trying everything to get you to see reason but you didn’t listen to me. Ever since the first week of November, our equipment wasn’t up to par and the supplies you sent were SHIT.  From that alone, this expedition should've never happened.

We worked hard despite the bullshit and halved ass excuses you gave us. My team took this very seriously. I took this VERY seriously, but I don't think you did. I understood that this was a dangerous assignment and that an outcome like this was always plausible, but this was preventable.

I tried to stay optimistic. But every single time, I tried to get something done, to try to move locations or even come back to the camps. I was always met with, don't worry, everything will turn out fine.

Every time I mentioned that we were at risk of seismic activity, you told me not to worry. I mentioned that the weather is intensifying and the water is getting higher and higher, you told me not to worry. Instead of LISTENING to my calls of calling this whole operation off, you told me not to worry. Throughout this entire process, you've forced our hand, you've belittled our intelligence, and even threatened our careers! I don't know how the fuck you do that last one based on the state of the world today!

You put me and the rest of my team in danger, and now they're all DEAD!

My team had families they were supposed to go back to. These people were mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, husbands, wives, sons, and daughters! They were everything that you can think of, but now they’re dead!

I…have to take the blame for not fighting for them hard enough. But you deserve EVERYTHING that’s coming you’re way.

We requested to come back immediately, but you not only ignored the request you also wanted us to stay here for another two months! We were supposed to come back to the camps and try to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s! I know we couldn’t really celebrate anything but MY TEAM deserved to go home to their FAMILIES to have a sense of normalcy! But now they’re gone and all of this was so fucking preventable if it wasn’t for your NEGLIGENCE!

They didn’t deserve this, and their families don’t deserve this either.

I’ve lost loved ones because of this anomaly.

My parents were a part of the many casualties when the massive flooding hit our coastal cities. They died assisting the local government in providing aid to people. I wasn’t there to help them. My husband was killed because some punk wanted to use this opportunity to steal from others. He went to stop him and it cost him his life and I couldn’t do anything about it.

I lost my family, and this is why I’m so furious.

I’ve been busting my ass trying to find a solution, to find a way to help end this. To honor the people I’ve lost, I tried to keep my team safe so their families can see them again. But I failed them. They’re dead, and their families have nothing to remember them by...my team never got the chance to say goodbye.

You’re going to get me off this island.

I don’t know how you’re going to do it, but you’re going to find a way to get me off this island. Send the word out, so come and fucking get me! I’ll be seeing you. Ripley out.

February 10, 2028
00:03:08 AM  RIPLEY

No one came for me. It has officially been a little over a month since my last message, but no one came for me.

A couple of things have happened since then. I was hoping that you’d register my location somehow, but I eventually found out that due to the damage to the surrounding and the installation, I no longer have any connection to the internet. Despite this, I thought I would record an explanation of my recent experience as some insurance if anything happens. I can only hope that anyone can get these messages.

The power in the facility completely stopped working. The lighthouse is the only thing with any power due to its crappy generator. Despite the lighthouse beacon outside suggesting otherwise, there’s barely light in here. Something is better than nothing but it's still uncomfortably dark, especially since the sun disappeared behind the clouds months ago. I don’t know what to do since most, if not all, of the resources are gone. I don’t know to fix anything here.

I haven’t gone outside since the incident. I’m staying in the lighthouse as the damage that the facility faced made it inhabitable. The lighthouse is large and both spacey and narrow, if that can make sense. I mope around the lighthouse’s small room where the communication equipment is occupied. I only leave the room to check the generator.

The last time I was down there was when I decided to scavenge for more food and other resources days after the incident. I still hear the echoes of what used to be here. I remember my team working hard while finding comfort in one another. But now all that’s down there is nothing but destruction and debris. It adds noise to the bitter silence. It was hard to navigate as water flooded the ground due to the incident. What made it worse was the dead bodies of my team are still swimming around, giving the dark water a hint of red. It was so dark I had to bring a flashlight, and I stumbled my way into the supply room. The room stunk with a smell of rotting bodies floating around, but I remember something dark was flowing towards me like the thing was still alive.

I flashed my light at it and what I saw disgusted me.

The body was in the next phase of death. They were bloated up to hell with a disgusting pale green to their texture. It was like an exaggerated face when holding your breath and puffing out your cheeks, but only uglier. Their face, eyes, and tongue were so anatomically incorrect that I couldn’t describe who the person was supposed to be. What made the experience worse was that I noticed that the body was starting to decay and melt within the water. I glimpse at skin breaking apart, hair falling out, and organs slipping out.

I want to vomit again just thinking about it. It makes me feel more guilty for not giving them a proper burial. But I’m too afraid to see their bodies, fleshed-out husks of what they were before. I plan on staying away. I’ll never step a foot toward the bottom of the lighthouse or the facility again unless someone comes to my aid.

I’m afraid.      

I’m afraid I’ll run out of all the resources and I’ll die in this godforsaken place.

Despite it being my only safe haven, I still don’t feel safe here in this lighthouse. Lighthouses are a symbol of hope and serenity. The light they give to sailors is a sign of guidance and safety. But what about me? What of the safety of the people inside the lighthouse? The illusion of safety here is fraudulent.       

The only thing that makes me feel safe is my poncho. It’s distinct and ugly, but it was for me. I’ve had this thing for most of my life. I’ve always loved the weather and running out into the rain, so my parents got it for me as a gift. I was ten when I first got it. There was miscommunicate on sizing when buying it, but I grew into it. At parties and gatherings, I wore it every chance I got, even at my wedding to everyone’s dismay.

One of my favorite memories was my birthday three years ago.

It started to rain. Everyone tried to get back inside, but my parents decided it was time to relive their youth and started to dance in the rain. My nephew thought it was fun and joined in and started to spin around with his arms out. He called it his helicopter dance. This prompted my brother-in-law and his wife to join in. Everyone started to join in one by one, and eventually, I put on my poncho and dragged my husband to get in on all the action.

When the anomaly started and we had to evacuate, I decided to take some specific photos with me. One of which was from that birthday, and I currently have it with me. The photo is of me, my husband, and my parents. With them dying in the last few months it felt right to bring this photo with me.

When I wear it, I remember all the good memories I had. Of what came before. But I remember what took it away. I remember it took everything from me.

When I look out my window, all I see are dark clouds throwing heavy rain at me. The pounding of the rain smacks on every surface. The thunder and lightning don’t make it any better. I think you can hear it echoing around the lighthouse. It feels like it encroaching on me outside. If I don’t get out of here, it’s only a matter of time until the rising ocean takes the place of where I stand. It took everything from me. It’s going to take me next!

Oh God! Fuck! What am I going to do?!

I don’t know how much time I have but please, if you’re hearing this I beg of you. Come and find me.

February 28, 2028
19:31:37 PM   RIPLEY

Hello, this is Ripley signing in.

The current time is, uh…dammit, I can't read military time, and I don't know how to change it. But anyways, I know it's late at night.

I’ve been continuing to log my time on the island through these video logs. This is my fifth one this month. I’ve been stuck here since January, and since the inception of making the video recording, I’ve been cooped up in the communication room.

Besides logging my day-to-day, I had activities to get me occupied, such as playing cards, although by myself. Or drawing, but I’m not good at it.

With this, I’ve decided to go outside to scavenge for food, as I’m running low on food supply. The food supply was already low, but I tried to last by only eating enough to suffice a day, but now I have practically nothing left.

The only unlimited resource for my consumption survival is water because of the rain. I mean it’s easier to take my water bottle and collect some by opening the window. Outside of that, I’m on borrowed time, so I need to find food or something that’ll be beneficial.

Although, I don’t relish in the thought of going back down to the base of the lighthouse. The thought of seeing dead carcasses at the base of the lighthouse frightens me. It makes me wonder if I would eat a dead body if desperate enough. No, I shouldn’t have those thoughts.

I remember the last time I looked down at the spiraling staircase. It was like a bullseye straight downward where once reaching the bottom the murky waters will meet you.

The last time I looked I saw a dead body looking up at me.

Man, I don’t want to go down there. But I have no choice. I must survive as I’m holding on to hope that someone might come to save me. I… don’t know why I still fight to survive. I could give up, but wearing my poncho gives me enough to do what I can each day. I don’t want to fail the people who I lost.

Not again. I’ll still hold on to hope.

I’ll…be logging in on my experience once I return. Ripley signing out.

March 05, 2028
03:48:16 AM  RIPLEY

I don't know what to say.

I don't know how much time has passed. But I'm tired. I should've never left my room. I should've never walked through that door. I should've never walked down those stairs.

It was the descent to hell.

It was so dark that the only thing I could see was what my floodlight was pointing at. The smell was so grotesque that I vomited bile. I had to cover my nose and hold my breath because inhaling through my mouth would lead the aroma back to my nostrils. There were dead bodies in the water. Walking through that water was so excruciating. I know I stepped in the remains of humans, decomposed, and melted in the water. I wanted to run back during my sluggish walk. Hearing the wet noises like stepping in mud almost made me vomit a second time.

I wanted to stop, but then the door was in front of me. I had made it.

For me, the hardest part was done. Why give up now? I couldn’t give up. So, with much resolve, I opened the door. And I was...horrified.

The outside...was dark. Pitch black. You couldn’t see anything. The lighthouse beacon would spin, but it would only be a brief flash. Every time it would light up, it would be brief and transparent. The only thing I could rely on was my flashlight. But it wasn’t enough. I couldn’t see. I shouldn’t have moved forward, but I did. I didn’t want to look like a coward. I couldn’t be weak, not for my loved ones.

I was walking. My flashlight was doing everything it can but I felt naked and surrounded by darkness. Something was looking at me but I couldn’t find it. My floodlight couldn’t find it, and the lighthouse beacon was too infrequent to care.  Rain was hitting me. Cold winds were slapping me. But I couldn’t see any of it.

The anomaly was hiding in the dark. Taunting me. Mocking me. Hurting me. But I couldn’t see it and I was its plaything. I wanted to surrender but my poncho protected me. I felt like they were with me at that moment. But it wasn’t enough.

I was weak. I became soaking wet, and I got heavier. So much rain got into my eyes and mouth it felt like I was drowning while walking. The lighthouse started to taunt me. It would taunt my light like it was better. It was better. The lighthouse was better than me in every fashion.

But I keep moving forward.

I remember the mud that was seeping into my boots, weighing me down. It reminded me too much of the decomposed bodies. I almost vomited a third time that day. The heavy rain was coming down rapid fire, hitting me everywhere and making it hard to stand.

I think I needed to pee.

But I was making progress. Or…I believed I was.

The beam of light would come by with more light than mine. It would become clear and then dark again. The light would pulsate looked like a heartbeat. I felt the heartbeat. But it wasn’t only the visual that scared me. When the brief light flashed and rotated away, I would hear a sound. This sound was a dense vibration, reminiscent of breathing. I kept hearing it echo in the darkness, and it would flash by and scream in my ears. It would become clear and then dark again.

I believe the lighthouse is alive.

I was…scared. I wanted to cry but I kept going. It would become clear and then dark again. The darkness was around me, and the anomaly was hiding in it. It was throwing everything at me. I kept hearing the lighthouse in the dark and went it got close it gropes me as it passes by every time.

My poncho was protecting me, but I wish they were there. I needed help, I couldn’t see. I needed light. And then it happened. Lightning struck, bright but instantaneous. It became dark again.

And then boom.

The thunder caught me off guard. The flashlight was flung from my hand, and I saw it get absorbed into the darkness. I couldn’t see the light. I was on my hands and knees, searching for my light on the muddy ground. It was cold like the air, and I couldn’t feel my hand and fingers. The world around me was pulsing because of the beam of light from the lighthouse. I tried so hard to find my light. If I couldn’t, I would be dead. The world around me was pulsing faster. The rain and wind continued to hit me while I was down. I thought the ocean was going to rise and try to drown me in my weakness.

I could barely see anything around me. The lightning started to strike a lot more. The beacon light was flashing faster. The thunder kept exploding matching my distressed heart. My anxiety was never so deadly. I felt my heart in my ass. I was begging and pleading for something to show me my light, as my need for survival was running low. I wished my loved ones didn’t see me like that. The wind was picking up as mud and leaves hit my face. It was stuck in my eyes and mouth. The rain was hitting me hard, and I couldn’t get up from the ground. I kept frantically searching but I could find it. The thunder kept getting louder as the lightning strikes messed with my vision.

The beacon from the lighthouse was getting faster, pulsating, and breathing harder. The world around me was pulsating faster as if they were laughing at me.

They were laughing at me. I was alone in the dark, and everyone was laughing at me.

I started to cry. I couldn’t stop crying like a baby. I started to beg for my family. For my lover. I held on to my poncho while I fell to the side. I asked for their help because I didn’t know what to do anymore. I was alone and I was going to suffer alone. Until I felt something hit my back. It was my flashlight.

My hand trembled as I reached for it. I started to cry. I gripped it like it was a baby. I felt relief wash over me. Everything started to slow down. I remember how cathartic it was. I could survive. I didn’t need to die a needless death. I could do it. I breathed slowly and I began to walk. I could do it, and nothing could stop me.

But I tripped over a tree root. I flung my flashlight again, but I heard a noise. I saw it immediately and it was broken. I was alone and the world was laughing at me again.

I saw red. I was screaming and throwing a tantrum. I started hitting things. I started crying. I kept crying on the ground with mud on my face. I had no control over myself. It wasn’t fair. Why couldn’t I have died with my family?

Why did I have to be alone?

I don’t remember how I got back to the lighthouse, but it was in front of me. I looked up at it and it looked down on me. It wasn’t here for my safety. It was better than me and made me feel it. It was mocking me as I see it laughing at me through the beacon light. The door of the lighthouse was already open, signaling that I should come in. I...I think I might die. I can’t do this anymore I give up. I have nothing left.

If there is anyone out there. Please...save me.

April 14, 2028
08:16:20 AM  RIPLEY

This is Ripley. I'm here to inform...whoever is listening. Or whoever finds this...I'm most likely dead and this will be my last video log. I've done anything and everything I could. But I can’t do it anymore.

 I’m…sick…and very tired. I wished I could’ve gotten off this hellhole. But that’s not going to happen. I’m going to die here. And I’m okay with that. I’ve come to terms with my…death. And I'm happy. I had an epiphany. Before I wasn't in the right mind. I was alone and I was suffering. I felt like I didn't deserve it, that I didn't deserve life. I failed everyone I'd known.  It should've been me, not my loved ones, and not my team. I should've died.

I believed that. Until I saw the photo I took with me. A little messy but still intact. The photo of simpler times. I remembered the details of the birthday. I remembered dancing in the rain. It felt good to remember that. It felt so good. I was happy. I was truly happy, and I haven't felt like this in a long time.

I started to remember all the best moments in my life. I remember when I first got my poncho. I remember when I met my husband. I remember when I graduated college.  I remember when I got the career of my dreams. I remembered when I first met my team. I remember when I didn't feel alone with my team. I remember when I made my team, my family, and my husband proud. I made them proud. They were always proud of me. The people I cared about in my life were always proud of me. I cried so many happy tears. I did my best, and I know they're proud of me. I haven't felt so warm in my poncho.

It's time for me to let go. I'm going to die, and I've accepted that. But before I do. I think…I think I'm going to go dancing in the rain. This is Ripley...signing out.