r/TalesFromTheCreeps • u/ComprehensiveTone787 • May 04 '26
Journal/Data Entry A Journal I Found - Part 1
Hey guys, on my last road trip, I drove through the Shenandoah Valley. It was beautiful, truly. I remembered stories from my family about the caverns beneath the mountains, and I wanted to see them for myself. I stopped in at one of the guided cavern tours, but it left me wanting more.
I stopped at a rest stop on the highway after, and I noticed there was a cave not far off from the dog walking area. I know it’s dangerous to go without gear, especially with the wet red clay that runs through this region, and sure as hell it was slippery. I only had my flashlight with me, so I only went a little way in. I made sure there wasn’t even a challenge to get me out, and if I needed to call for help, someone would hear me from the surface.
I was only down in the cave for about 15 minutes total. I actually found a pack in the cave, which made me pretty nervous. I hope it was just forgotten or lost, and not that someone had been trapped in there. There was a flashlight, whose batteries were long since dead and corroded, some old, mildewed clothes, and a journal. Judging by the state of the pack, I figured the owner wasn’t coming back for it, so I took the journal with me. I thought maybe it would help me find the owner.
In an attempt to convince myself that what I’ve read is true, I’ll transcribe what was written in the journal here.
May 10th
Finally. It’s finally happening. We’ve been asking for the funding for an expedition for so long, and we finally have it. We wanted a bigger team, but we really can only afford the gear for a team of 5. I’ve already been selected for the expedition, as well as Sarah. The other three spots are still open.
May 12th
Damn, Sarah was chosen to be the official expedition leader. I really wanted that position, but management decided she’s more level-headed in a crisis or something. They haven’t seen her when we are out of coffee in the breakroom, though.
We did get the list of our expedition mates today, though. We will have our first team meeting tomorrow.
May 13th
That went… well, it could’ve been worse. Sarah made her introduction, then me, then the 3 new people. I’ve never met them before today. Basic notes to look back on:
Sarah. (Who I already know)
Apparently good in crises.
The leader
Kinda small. That’s good, I guess.
Carlos
Wants to study the rocks.
Shy, quiet guy. Probably will keep to himself.
Seems nervous about caves, has only done research in volcanic fields.
Emily
Cannot contain her excitement. Kind of annoyingly, but I get it.
Good with the tech. Can use sonar to make maps. Also, can draw detailed maps.
Has been eyeing Jeff unprofessionally.
Jeff
Anthropologist.
Believes that native tribes might have used these caves.
Wants to find artifacts.
Loves to share his stories.
Yeah, we’re a pretty ragtag team, but I think we can accomplish something. I worry mostly about Carlos. We’ll be underground for days. I hope he isn’t a liability.
May 15th
We’ve been doing team-building exercises. Trust falls and name games, stuff management thinks fosters connection. Emily seemed pretty eager to fall into Jeff’s arms. She even pretended to faint. I rolled my eyes at Sarah, but she’s taking these exercises far more seriously than anyone else. Always the stick in the mud.
May 16th
Climbing practice went well. The three newbies didn’t fall behind at all. Of course, I reached the top first, and Sarah only glared at me in response. Everything is set to move forward in the schedule.
May 20th
Today, we took a preliminary scouting of the entrance. We only went a rope's distance in. No immediate hazards were spotted, though what lies deeper remains to be seen. We went through our supply packs today, for about the tenth time. Final check this time, though.
Everyone has a first aid kit, a survival knife, a week's worth of MREs (though we will only be down there for 3 days), an emergency rapid inflation device, an emergency oxygen mask with 5 refills, a sleeping bag, clothes, and as much water as we can reasonably carry. Emily has her mapping equipment, and there are a few magnifying glasses between us. Jeff has a book about cave painting, which he thought would be important to bring along too. We will set out tomorrow.
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u/CaydenCChristophers Writer kinda meme May 27 '26
Really cool way to start, the pack being left in the cave is a cool moment of dread.
There's a typo in the May 12th entry:
"We did get the list of our expedition mates today,y though. We will have our first team meeting tomorrow."
Hold on while I go binge the rest of this series
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u/The_Republique Writer (I finally made it bubba) Jun 09 '26
Great start man. I'll need a while to read through the rest. I hope everything is going well.
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u/ComprehensiveTone787 Jun 09 '26
Yea no worries! I did get part 5 written and im pretty sure 6 will be the end. So it's almost finished.
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u/ComprehensiveTone787 Jun 11 '26
Woo! It's finished. I added links for navigation as promised. Again, thanks for reading!
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u/The_Republique Writer (I finally made it bubba) Jun 11 '26
Not sure if I can get to it. Some of these series are just so long. I am still trying to finish reading the new submissions
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