Entry #52

I've been working on the riddle and code. I may or may not have gotten part of it, I don't know. Here's a picture of the paper it was written on.

It told me that this is a riddle. Most riddles are "What am I?" riddles, so I looked for anything that could be "I am". And I replaced any capital letters in the middle of sentences with I, because I figured that would work. Here's what I got.

I am os sltw cckataqg. I am ahscz, atc ehnk. I am olpv dufmb eoa ltln ccdah, xng fvmv bcrc aqt sxth teorc. Mhco I abm, std ris oqi ou kizi tba qwy fks avqy I gctv hcrqa. I am fou bmpotyu ln ykux cszof.

Sil edetb sxvk ottw oxyunaa sr rv vt mtxd sspt.

I don't even know if it's correct, but I think it might be. And riafyalp backwards is playfair, but I have no idea why it was backwards, nor why the two words were put together.

Here's the other letter I got, the one from the slaughter in the front yard. I don't think this is from the Howler.

There's nothing to figure out on this one, other than those damn arrows and the ripped corner that's been on every one.


I covered up the blood in the snow outside as much as I could. If my parents saw it, they wouldn't have allowed me to go to swim team, and I need the swim. Well, I don't need swimming, I need the people. I need the friends, I need everything to at least pretend it's normal.


Mike hasn't been to practice, and any time I try to ask him if I can visit, he doesn't answer his phone. I couldn't visit him yesterday because of this. I'm just going to wait until he comes to swim practice.


I don't believe this is paranormal. I don't believe in ghosts, I don't believe in werewolves, and I don't believe in vampires. But if there's anything else strange, I might start doubting a little. Up to this point, I've kept it in my head this is all a sick dream, or some psychos messing with us. I don't know now. With my headaches when I wake up, the howling before I go to sleep, and the gruesome stuff I don't think I could even dream up if I tried, I'm starting to think this is real. This isn't good.


How can I keep these things from taking me like they took James? I'm double James's age, but I know they can come in the house without anybody ever knowing. Should I just play along with them, whatever they are, to find James? Or should I just give up and hope they kill me? You guys have given me so much help already, I feel like I can trust you. 


I'm not really asking whether I should give up. I'm not going to give up. Please help me solve this code. Please.


R.C.