the-hidden-writer

[the-hidden-writer]

A Piece of True Fiction: Chapter 10

An Alan Wake 2 fic. Spoilers for Alan Wake 2!

Summary: Aleksi Kesä manages to slip out of the spiral and film he was trapped in.

Saga Anderson, caught in the middle of Wake's horror story, finds a man that looks identical to her partner in the middle of the woods. He's lost, confused, and only seems to speak Finnish. Saga has to try and uncover the truth as well as trying to save her family. Where did he come from? How did he get here?

And where's her Casey?

Chapter Summary: Saga gains information from an unexpected source. Words: 2,449 AO3 Link: [Here!] [First part] [Previous part]

A Piece of True Fiction

Chapter 10: Balance

Saga throws herself out of her Mind Place and sits up, turning her head and looking around frantically. Her sudden movement startles Jaakko, who visibly jumps, his arm hitting the edge of the well and knocking Kesä’s shoe back into the shaft.

“Did you say something?” Saga asks.

Jaakko looks at her, confused. “No?”

“Are you sure? I heard someone say something.”

Jaakko shrugs. “I didn’t hear anything. Might have been a dream, you looked like you were sleeping.”

Maybe she’d imagined it. Hesitantly, Saga leans back onto the well again and closes her eyes to re-enter the Mind Place.

“Oh hey, it’s back.”

Saga’s heart starts to race. That wasn’t her imagination. That’s a voice speaking. Muffled, but definitely present. The sound doesn’t quite reach her ears, similar to when she’s trying to find the voices and perspective of others when profiling them. Except right now she isn’t trying to profile anyone.

Another knock. This time, Saga is certain it’s coming from the door within her Mind Place.

“Hello? Who’s there?”

That’s someone talking inside her mind. An unfamiliar voice talking inside her mind. Extremely wary, Saga approaches the closed door that’s only ever been there for decoration to complete her version of a familiar space. She tries to open it. It’s locked.

So she crouches by its side and knocks back.

“Who are you? How are you talking to me?” She asserts mentally.

“You’re the one that showed up out of nowhere, madam Locked-Door. Also, I asked first.”

Saga has never experienced anything like this before in her Mind Place. She’s certain she’s never heard this voice before, lending more reasoning that it isn’t just a figment of her imagination. It carries a heavy nonchalance that unnerves her. Her currently highly-stressed subconscious wouldn’t be able to create such a relaxed tone.

She cautiously decides to play along.

“I’m an FBI agent. Who are you?”

She has to play it safe. She can’t risk giving out personal information and finding herself written into another story, let alone her loved ones getting dragged deeper in.

There’s no response from the other side. The pause is long enough for Saga to doubt the entire encounter, when the owner of the voice finally speaks up again, more assertive themself.

“Oh shit, FBI? I am so glad to hear that… you must be looking for your colleague.”

Saga’s body tenses. There are two possible options here. She tries the safe bet first.

“Robert Nightingale?”

“Huh?”

She doesn’t want to suggest it. She doesn’t want to suggest it in case she’s right.

“Alex Casey?”

“Yeah, him!”

Shit. She was right.

“I’m not looking for him. He’s with the FBC, he’s safe. Who are you?”

“Wait- are you saying he’s there? Oh fuck…”

The nonchalance is briefly replaced with panic. Saga is left beyond confused.

“Hey, listen to me. That guy that’s up there with you? That’s not your guy. Your guy’s here with me.”

What?

“What are you talking about? Casey’s with the Federal Bureau of Control. Where are you? Who are you?”

Another pause, long enough for Saga to start to doubt. Long enough for her to try to find a way to deny that Casey is missing, because acknowledging it would make the possible danger he could be in terrifyingly real.

“I’m Alan Wake.”

Saga doesn't miss a beat.

“You don't sound like Alan Wake.”

The stranger, apparently Wake, doesn't miss one either. A choked noise that sounds mostly like a scoff comes from the other side of the door.

“What, you’ve met me? That must be another version. The Dark Place allows for that sort of thing. Besides, does the guy-you-think-is-your-guy sound like your agent friend?”

A valid point. “No…”

“Let me guess, he goes by ‘Aleksi Kesä’.”

Saga’s breath catches in her throat. He just outright acknowledged Kesä’s existence- the first person to do so. The first person who seems to have any idea about what’s going on. Despite the different voice and subtle lilt of an accent, could this really be Alan Wake? Another version still trapped, like she's been seeing in the Overlaps?

The version that did write-in Kesä and write-out Jaakko?

She can't jump to conclusions. As far as she can tell, this is all in her head. She has to learn more while treading cautiously.

“How do you know? Are you in the Dark Place right now?”

“Yup.”

A thought occurs to her. “Are you in the well?”

“...Yes and no.”

“What do you know about Kesä?”

“Oh man, where to start? Aleksi Kesä is the devil in disguise. A doppelgänger made of pure darkness, taking the form of an innocent man- well, FBI agent. He should be confined to the Dark Place, he belongs there, but it sounds like he managed to escape and dragged the real deal down in his place. Problem is that he wants reality to accept him, and he has the power to alter things to get his way, whatever the cost. He’s extremely dangerous.”

Saga tries to process what she's being told. Kesä, the man she’d risked her life to rescue and who’d cared for her in return, with evil intentions?

Not to mention the very idea of Casey having an evil doppelgänger is absurd. Wake and Scratch is one thing. Is this Wake implying that Kesä is to Casey what Scratch is to Wake?

Or is he implying that Kesä is Scratch?

Sure, she’d been wary of Kesä, but the idea of him being ‘made of pure darkness’ is taking it to the extremes…

“So you're saying that the real Alex Casey is in the Dark Place right now?”

“That's right.”

It makes partial sense. Though some parts don't add up, such as Kesä's seemingly non-evil personality and the unknown role of the Koskelas in the story, it's the only explanation she's been given and therefore she can't help but cling to it. 

Even so, she takes everything said with a grain of salt.

“Why should I believe you?”

“Does the name ‘Anderson’ mean anything to you?”

Saga freezes. Tries to convince herself she didn’t say anything, that he can’t read her innermost thoughts, that her private life is safe-

“Clearly means something to this guy. One of the only consistent words between his berserk babbling.”

Her heart sinks.

“Let me talk to him.” she demands.

“Would if I could. He's breaking down big time. I gotta say, I’m getting worried. The more he loses his mind, it means Aleksi Kesä’s grip on reality is getting stronger.”

Saga listens in trepidation and does her best to not imagine Casey falling apart, trapped in the hellscape the other Wake had described. Alan Wake had been trapped there for thirteen whole years. She can’t bear the thought of her friend going through the same nightmare that a week ago she’d claim couldn’t exist. And now Casey’s there too, all because of… Kesä? A doppelgänger? Scratch?

“You have to stop him before it's too late!”

“How do I get Casey out of there?”

“There might be a way. Then again, it might already be too late…”

“If there’s even a chance of it working, tell me.”

“Fine. Use Aleksi. He’s the key. There’s a ritual- the cult will know. They-”

“The ritual with the heart?”

“Yeah, how did..? Uh, if you perform the ritual and throw the heart into the well, you should get your guy back. Balance is important in the Dark Place, the two sides are like a set of scales. Force one in, it’ll force one out.”

What Wake is implying sounds uncomfortably like murder, though the words make the most sense so far. He knew that Aleksi came from the well. The well had been linked to the Overlap. Maybe some remnant from that is what’s letting her talk to Wake in the Dark Place now?

He claimed that Casey’s calling for her, for Anderson. The stranger Wake couldn’t have pulled her name out of thin air. Wake (the one out of the lake) also said that Kesä and Casey might be different. Maybe he knew more than he had let on.

“If you’re going to attempt this, you have to hurry. The longer Kesä stays on the surface, the more he spreads roots of himself there. It’ll reach a point where it’ll be too strong even for the ritual.”

Saga doesn’t know what to make of it. After spending so long in the dark, trying to piece all these mismatched clues together, she suddenly feels like she’s being bombarded with information and instructions that she doesn’t know whether to trust. She doesn’t trust Wake, but once again he’s the only person who seems to have any idea about what’s happening, and the only person who has any idea of how to make things right.

Only now there’s a ticking clock for Casey’s life as well as Logan’s.

“What’s in it for you? If you’re stuck, don’t you want to escape too?”

“You said I’m up there right now, right? That means some part of me makes it out of here. I can live with that. I don’t know about this guy, though. He’s uh… not doing so good.”

The mental image of Casey suffering returns. Saga makes her decision.

“Okay. I’ll do it.”

She’d already handled one heart ritual, what’s another for a greater cause? If Kesä isn’t Casey, if he’s just another figment of the Dark Place, it wouldn’t be murder. It’s just a necessary step in getting Casey and Kesä back where they belong.

Right?

“Good, good. Just remember: the heart goes into the well and you have to say the right words- the cult knows. You’d better hurry, we’re already running out of time to save him. But you can do it.”

Saga nods. Even though Wake on the other side can’t see it, she nods. Another ritual. A gory ritual, but she has to save Casey. The first Wake didn’t know about Kesä, this one does. She follows logic in deciding who to trust.

“And you promise it’ll bring Casey back?”

“If it works, I promise they’ll both be back where they belong. Now look, as much as I’d love to stand by this door all day, I’ve got an agent to look after.”

“Take care of him.” Saga says without thinking. “Tell him I’m coming for him. I’ll save him.”

“You got it.”

“And Wake?”

“Hmm? Oh, yeah?”

“If you’re still writing there, leave innocent people out of it. Their lives are not yours to use.”

“Yes ma’am.”

Saga tensely waits for a few minutes for any further comment from behind the door. When there aren’t any, she slowly slumps down against it, assuming the same position as she physically takes next to the well.

What was that? Alan managing to telepathically communicate with her from the Dark Place?

She has no idea how it could have happened. Stranger still, it sounded like he didn’t know, either.

She suddenly feels light-headed. A haze overcomes her Mind Place. Colors fade, pieces of furniture blend together, the mounted deer head looms. 

She thinks of Wake. A different version, a different voice. Trying to escape the Dark Place, but also somehow in the Huotari Well? She’d never put Wake down as a bad person. A selfish, unsympathetic person, yes, but not cruel. Just desperate. This version hadn’t sounded desperate, had even had a hint of levity to his muffled voice. He’d also sacrificed his own chance at escape to help Casey. 

She wants to profile him but she can’t quite grasp his mindset, as if the door between them created a barrier that blocked her from his thoughts, too. It’s frustrating.

She thinks of Kesä. A different version, a different voice. Escaped the Dark Place by confining Casey in his place. While she couldn’t understand what he was saying, she knew for a fact that he felt lost and afraid. Maybe the real world is too overwhelming for a being that had been created within the Dark Place? 

Saga stops that train of thought. She has to deal with facts only. It’s a delicate case and she can’t muddy the truth with her own speculation when lives are at stake.

She thinks of Casey. Her partner, her friend, trapped. Why did he have to go and joke about this being his last case? She already knows that she’s willing to risk a hell of a lot to save him. The ritual on Kesä is definitely a big risk. Would turning him into a Taken really force him back to the Dark Place? 

Briefly, she wonders if Casey would approve of this plan, and comes to the conclusion that he wouldn’t. Except Saga knows that both she and Casey are very aware that Saga is the one with more to lose. What Casey refuses to understand is that he’s a big part of that.

She’ll have to attempt the ritual. She doesn’t know how yet, but it’s the only option she has. Wake said the cult would have more information, right? Jaakko Koskela, a perfect well of information (pun, for once, unintended) is right there. 

She drags herself out of the Mind Place and back into reality. A deep sigh escapes her lips, her breath condensing in the cold of the night. This hadn’t been what she was expecting by coming here, but she’s glad she did. She feels a lot more knowledgable about the situation than she'd been before.

Slowly, she turns her head to talk to the cultist, calling out. “Jaakko?”

Only she’s faced with a pair of legs hanging over the far side of the well.

Saga jumps to her feet. “Jaakko!”

She rushes around the base and quickly grabs onto a leg with each arm. Luckily, he hasn’t fallen fully, balancing over the edge of the well by his midsection. When she starts to pull, she realizes in terror that there is a force much stronger than her, much stronger than gravity, pulling him down. The bucket he’d attached himself to is nowhere to be seen in the nothingness below.

She hears a quiet, despairing chant echoing in the shaft.

“Mercy. Mercy dear brother, don’t kill me. I’m dying. Mercy, dear brother. Mercy-”

Saga pulls. She grits her teeth and pulls and pulls and groans with exertion and pulls and pulls and tries to anchor her feet into the ground to pull even harder. She pulls despite the strain on her weakened arm. She pulls until she can’t pull any longer, her body forcing her to let go before she greatly damages herself.

“No!”

The legs join the torso and all Saga can do is watch as he descends into darkness.

Thanks for reading!

This fic is going on hiatus for a few weeks while I have exams. Hope you're enjoying it so far ^-^

#alan wake 2 #alan wake 2 spoilers #fanfic #saga anderson #jaakko koskela #alan wake #alex casey #aleksi kesä #thomas zane #yötön yö #a piece of true fiction

[the-hidden-writer]

A Piece of True Fiction: Chapter 9

An Alan Wake 2 fic. Spoilers for Alan Wake 2!

Summary: Aleksi Kesä manages to slip out of the spiral and film he was trapped in.

Saga Anderson, caught in the middle of Wake's horror story, finds a man that looks identical to her partner in the middle of the woods. He's lost, confused, and only seems to speak Finnish. Saga has to try and uncover the truth as well as trying to save her family. Where did he come from? How did he get here?

And where's her Casey?

Chapter Summary: Saga returns to Huotari Well. Words: 2,676 AO3 Link: [Here!] [First part] [Previous part] [Next part]

A Piece of True Fiction

Chapter 9: Doors

The sun has fully set by the time Saga departs from the Sheriff’s Station, alone.

Estevez hadn't fought her decision to resume her own investigation. She must have recognized that Saga has a better chance of solving the case if she’s left to handle things her way. She’d even offered her more of what was left of the FBC’s supplies, as well as exchanging radio frequencies to be able to communicate in case of emergency. Saga promised to report back with any new information in return.

Leaving Kesä behind hadn’t been as simple. She'd tried to mime him an explanation that she was leaving, but he’d tried to follow her when she’d begun to exit. It had taken a lot of convincing to get him to stay and to convey to him that she'd be okay. She'd reiterated her promise that she’d come back. 

She couldn't tell if he was distrustful of the FBC and wanted to latch onto her because of subconscious recognition of a friend, or if he was just worried about the stranger who'd helped him. She hopes it's the former. If Casey was still Casey then she wouldn't hesitate bringing him along with her- as a team, she's certain they’d be able to solve this case within the hour.

She misses Casey.

Since she can’t use her Mind Place while driving (she’s starting to get very fed up with the route to Watery) her thoughts end up drifting back to what Wake had said. ‘The man you found might not be Casey’. She doesn't take his words at face value and yet she can't stop thinking about the implications.

If Kesä isn't her Casey, then who is he?

And if he is someone else, then where's her Casey?

An unpleasant sensation suddenly strikes Saga, anxiety piercing her heart. It’s the feeling of being stranded on an island with no boats in sight. It’s the realization that with Logan ‘dead’, Casey missing, and David’s memories altered, she’s all alone.

Saga quietly blinks away tears as she pulls up outside Coffee World for the third time.

After spending a minute reminding herself what’s at stake to pull herself together, she exits the car, readies her gun and flashlight, and heads into the darkness.

Advancing through the abandoned park, she stays alert for Taken, but also keeps her eyes trained in search of clues. She makes her way to the Fresh Pot Gift Shop first. The door is still smashed and there’s still a carpet of broken glass. Upon closer examination, she doesn’t notice any differences. All the notes are still there and the first aid kit is still left open on the counter from when Kesä had used it.

It makes Saga wonder how exactly Wake’s story has been coming to life. Why do some changes, like Logan, happen instantly and irrefutably in everyone’s minds, while other changes, like Kesä, seem to gradually seep into reality? Do some aspects hold more weight than others? Does reality somehow try to resist?

She thinks about Tor and Odin. Her blood, apparently. Maybe once she finishes her final sweep of this place then she’ll pay them that visit to find out what their perspective on all this is.

She proceeds further into the park, yet to encounter any Taken. She considers finding the nearest bright room to sort out some of the new information in her Mind Place- of which she has plenty. Or maybe, if this area is actually cleared of Taken once and for all, she could do it next to the well to see if the proximity to the now-closed overlap would help deduce anything.

Her hopes are dashed when she hears shuffling sounds accompanied by a low mumbling up ahead, near the location of the well.

Saga sneaks forward, dimming her flashlight and using the trees as cover to assess the situation. Ahead, faintly illuminated, she spots a lone figure looming over the well. After taking a thorough look around to ensure there are no other Taken nearby, she takes a deep breath to steel herself and readies her weapon. Just one of them should be easy enough to deal with.

Once prepared, Saga swiftly rushes forward with her flashlight beam on full, hoping to burn away the darkness while it’s caught off-guard. To her surprise, all the figure does is throw up an arm to shield their face and stumble back from the well, no Dark Presence in sight.

“Perkele…”

Saga recognizes the voice. After reducing her flashlight’s power and taking a closer look, she recognizes the face, too.

“Jaakko?”

Jaakko Koskela sneers as Saga moves the light beam away from his face. He lets out a groan and rubs his eyes.

Saga is just totally surprised to see him. She hadn’t given it too much thought, but a part of her assumed that Jaakko was just… gone, as per the story. And yet here he is, in Coffee World.

“What are you doing here?” she asks, astonished.

“My park.” Jaakko answers dryly and, yeah, Saga should have seen that coming. He then turns to face her properly. “What are you doing here in the middle of the night, Saga?”

What does she say here? She can't explain everything to him, and while she could pull the FBI card, she doesn't really want to. Not without trying to calmly get information from him first.

She decides to ignore his question entirely.

“I know you’re one of the ringleaders of the Cult of the Tree.”

Jaakko’s eyes go wide. She watches his mouth rapidly open and close, flapping like a fish. “What? N-No! That's uh… that's preposterous! Why would we- I mean I- I mean…”

The lie screams out at Saga without the need to profile.. Based on their little commercials, it's clear which brother is the better actor.

She decides to put him out of his misery. “The Federal Bureau of Control has Ilmo in custody.”

Jaakko’s denial attempt comes to an abrupt halt and his expression falls into a frown.

“Is he okay?” he asks quietly.

With her understanding of the strength of a familial bond, Saga decides to tell the truth. “He’s asking for you.”

Jaakko scoffs in a way that’s almost unkind. “Sure he is.”

That’s… not what Saga expected. Ilmo had seemed so adamant about Jaakko’s welfare. She doesn’t know the brothers well, but Jaakko didn’t come across to her as someone who would brush off brotherly concern.

“The FBC think you’re dead.” Saga doesn’t know why she says it. Maybe to see if that would trigger a reaction she’d expect, like anger or disbelief. Maybe because she’s sick of keeping all the horror to herself.

“Okay.” The information doesn’t appear to phase Jaakko in the slightest. All he does is let out a long sigh and his frown deepens. Then, he asks: “Do you think I’m dead?”

The question catches Saga off-guard. Though the words could be taken as sarcasm or a joke, Jaakko says them with a genuine undertone. How is she supposed to answer? She’s clearly talking to him, so what does he mean?

“No… I don’t,” she answers, unsure. It’s almost like he’s expecting her to say yes. It makes no sense and while Saga is certain she remembers the truth, tendrils of doubt start to trickle into her clear image of events. “What’s going on here, Jaakko?”

It’s Jaakko’s turn to avoid the question. “You’re not gonna arrest me?”

“I just want answers. There’s something powerful and dangerous happening and I need to stop it.”

“Hmm,” he hums. “You want to stop it? Kill the writer.”

Saga goes to automatically jump to Alan’s defense when she finally takes note of her surroundings. Having been initially distracted by Jaakko’s appearance, she’d missed the various objects scattered around the base of the well, as well as the dim lantern that had been the small source of light she’d seen earlier. Among the items on the ground there’s a baseball cap, a number of bottles, a small pile of jewelry, and…

Saga, under Jaakko’s scrutinous gaze, bends down and picks up the single black shoe. She turns it over in her hands. It’s soaking wet but does look to be about Casey’s size.

She turns back to Jaakko. “Where did you find this?”

“Uh…” Jaakko motions around to the other side of the well. Following where he’s indicating, Saga finds a bucket resting on the ground with a large bundle of rope attached to the handle. “Found it in the well.”

It shouldn’t surprise her. It really shouldn’t. She’d even suspected that Aleksi had emerged from the well when she’d first found him and when the well was overflowing. She peers down into the shaft, shining her flashlight down. She can barely make out the water surface so far, far below.

“What are you doing?” she asks.

Jaakko picks up the bucket and starts unwinding the rope. His answer is simple. “Dredging.”

“Why?”

Securing the end of the rope around his own body, Jaakko throws the bucket into the well, pulls the rope taut from the middle, and starts to slowly lower the bucket. “You wouldn’t understand.”

Saga places the shoe on the edge of the well and takes a step forward, gently grabbing Jaakko’s nearest arm, forcing him to face her again.

“Please, Jaakko,” her voice is full of desperation she couldn’t hide if she tried, “I understand more than you think. Because of Alan Wake, suddenly everyone thinks my daughter is dead, my FBI partner feels like a total stranger, and I’m caught in the middle of a fucking horror story fighting these Taken monsters. I’m here because I know this well is involved, and I’m pretty sure this story wants you dead too. Believe me, I’m trying to fix this, but I need information to do it. Just… tell me what you know.”

As she lets go of his arm, Jaakko blinks, mouth slightly agape.

“Fuck, Saga.”

Saga grits her teeth. She screwed up. She shouldn’t have revealed so much to a major suspect. Then she backtracks from her doubts. No, she decides. She did the right thing. By laying it out straight to a closed-off individual, exposing her own vulnerabilities, he might be more inclined to do the same.

Her self-reassurance ends up being justified.

“This is gonna sound crazy,” Jaakko begins. His focus is back on his dredging task and he doesn’t make eye contact, though Saga can see that he’s deep in thought and trying to find the best way to respond. “Ilmo and I, we uh… we sometimes have these dreams. Dreams where we’re not ourselves.”

Saga intently listens on, taking many mental notes. “Go on.”

“It’s the writer’s fault. He writes it, it tries to come true. And these dreams are bad. Real bad. Especially Ilmo’s.” Jaakko gulps. Rubs his forehead. “I abandoned him. We were together, about to… uh… do something together when it was really weird. Suddenly it felt like I was in the dream, like I was this other person. I ran away.”

“This was earlier today?” Saga asks. She tries to create a timeline of events. In the late evening she’d caught Ilmo in cultist garb near the lodge. Was Jaakko with him then?

Jaakko nods. “Yeah, it was. But the feeling hasn't gone away. It actually feels like it's getting stronger. It pulled me here.” He leans forward and gazes into the well shaft. “You can call me crazy if you want. I can't explain it, but I feel like there's something important down there I need to find. I know this thing’s history, but… I feel like I’ll know what I'm looking for when I see it.”

“You're not crazy,” Saga is quick to reassure. “I believe you. I’m just trying to make sense of everything put together.”

There are two parts that stand out to her from what Jaakko said. One is that he mentioned he ran away. Why? Was it solely because of the strange pull to this place? And two, although he’s avoided saying it explicitly, he’d all but confirmed his role within the Cult of the Tree. She can't bring herself to confront him about it right now, though. Not only does he seem preoccupied but she has more pressing issues to analyze.

She really needs to compile facts properly in her Mind Place. No time like the present, right? Especially in an area with a steady light source and an extra set of eyes.

“I think I’m going to sit here and think for a bit,” she informs Jaakko (who has already resumed his dredging). “Let me know if you find what you're looking for.”

“Sure,” is the plain response. “You let me know if you figure out why things are changing so weirdly. Thanks for not arresting me.”

With Jaakko busy with his own task, Saga settles herself on the ground on the other side, with her back against the well shaft. She closes her eyes and enters her Mind Place.

Firstly, she decides to compile various clues and observations she’d made onto her case board.

The FBC file on Casey. The first time she’d seen it, it looked like a pretty hefty file. Why did the FBC have it? Did they have one on her, too? And then, after the attack at the station, they’d found the file empty. Which may just be a coincidence alongside the many other file contents the FBC must have lost, but the fact that the name had been only partially obscured makes Saga think it’s too specific for a plain coincidence, like reality is somehow trying to adjust to this version of Casey. To Kesä. Not to mention the file’s unique water-damaged state.

Memories being rewritten. First, it was everyone’s memories of her and Logan living in Watery. Now, it’s about Casey and Jaakko. Initially, even despite the file in her hands, Estevez had no recollection of Casey whatsoever. That might make sense if he was being erased from the story, except that clashes with Saga’s idea of the story trying to replace him with Kesä instead for some unknown purpose. 

The Koskela brothers. Ringleaders of the cult, according to Estevez. What interest did the story take in them? Why try to erase Jaakko from the narrative? Is it for a similar reason, to separate Jaakko from Ilmo in the same way Casey has been separated from her?

She’s far more unsure on that front. She decides to try and profile Jaakko and gather more information that way.

Why did Jaakko run?

She sees the vision of Jaakko in her mind’s eye, for once unaccompanied by Ilmo.

“We’re in this together, brothers in arms.”

“He’s here, brother. We can take him down.”

“Did you feel that? The twisting. We’re awake, aren’t we, Ilmo?”

“This isn’t the dream. Brother, that’s not your face.”

“Mercy, dear brother. Don’t kill me.”

Saga blinks, shocked.

Jaakko was afraid Ilmo was going to kill him. Ilmo’s expression had looked like their dreams, the dreams where they were murderers. Does Ilmo kill Jaakko in those dreams?

Saga thinks back to when she’d spoken to Ilmo in the cell. His voice had been very cold toward her when she hadn’t asked Estevez about Jaakko. Had she gotten it all wrong? Was it not brotherly love to begin with? Did the story cause Ilmo to have bad intentions toward his brother?

She does her best to recall the details of that encounter but the memories all blend together into a nightmare. A lot had happened in a short space of time. Talking to Wake, talking to Ilmo, fighting more Taken, finding Kesä, exchanging information with Estevez…

She can’t shake the image of Kesä’s face of discomfort after they’d rescued him. He’d looked as if he was in physical pain. Saga decides to try and profile him next and find out what’s troubling him once she finishes laying out the facts on her imaginary case board.

The shoe. The well. The discomfort. The file. The knocking sound-

“Hello?”

Thanks for reading! This is the first half of what was going to be a much longer chapter.

#alan wake 2 #alan wake 2 spoilers #fanfic #saga anderson #alex casey #aleksi kesä #jaakko koskela #yötön yö #a piece of true fiction

[the-hidden-writer]

A Piece of True Fiction: Chapter 8

An Alan Wake 2 fic. Spoilers for Alan Wake 2!

Summary: Aleksi Kesä manages to slip out of the spiral and film he was trapped in.

Saga Anderson, caught in the middle of Wake's horror story, finds a man that looks identical to her partner in the middle of the woods. He's lost, confused, and only seems to speak Finnish. Saga has to try and uncover the truth as well as trying to save her family. Where did he come from? How did he get here?

And where's her Casey?

Chapter Summary: Saga braves the basement to find Aleksi. Warnings: description of blood/gore Words: 3,417 AO3 Link: [Here!] [First part] [Previous part] [Next part]

A Piece of True Fiction

Chapter 8: Phantom

The Sheriff’s station is in ruin. There’s no trace of the methodical, organized state she’d last seen it in. Equipment has been smashed. Furniture has been toppled and torn apart. Paper, debris and bloodstains litter the floor. Broken bodies lie pushed up against the walls. It’s a bloodbath and it’s the second Saga has seen today.

A few standing agents are huddled together in the Sheriff’s Office in various states of injury. Estevez hobbles in their direction and Saga follows, politely walking behind her. Saga greets the agents with an awkward little wave.

“Okay,” Estevez begins once she regains her breath. “Plan is that Anderson will head down into the basement with Miller and Young since they’re in the best shape. Take out as many of the Shadow-infested as you can and try and rescue any survivors.”

“Including Casey.” Saga adds.

Estevez nods then turns to the rest of her team. “Keep a special eye out for Anderson’s partner, Agent Alex Casey. If the name hasn’t given it away, there’s a good chance he’s connected to all this. Especially Wake.”

Saga wants to jump to Casey’s defense like the dozens of times she’s had to in the past when his name comes up, to state that it’s just a coincidence, but the words fall away before she’s able to. For the first time, she finds herself doubting something she had vehemently believed to be the truth for years now.

Is it a coincidence?

With the reappearance of Alan Wake and the proven existence of the supernatural, not to mention Casey being written into this horror story as a character just like her, the idea suddenly falls into the realm of possibility. Since she’d caught glimpses of Wake in the Dark Place, clearly time doesn’t work in the same way. Could Casey actually be the man from the books? A figment of Alan Wake’s imagination?

No… he couldn’t be. Saga’s read the books and had taken the time to thoroughly reread them after she first met Casey. While there are definitely some spooky similarities, there are also enough differences to distinguish the two. They aren’t one and the same.

At least Saga hopes that’s the case. If her work-friend-turned-best-friend turns out to be nothing but a fictional character, it would be the last straw in this nightmare.

By the time Saga has pulled herself out of the ocean of existential dread, Estevez has finished briefing the team and has started distributing what remains of supplies, including powerful flashlights, weapons, ammo, and emergency medical items. Saga gratefully takes a selection and stuffs them into her pockets.

Agent Miller is to lead the mission. He’d been the one to make it down, fix the fuse, and make it back alive in the first place. Saga is to be in the middle and be their main shooter, since she’d had the most experience with the Taken. Young is more inexperienced but is also unscathed, so he’ll bring up the rear and provide light and support. It’s a solid makeshift plan.

“I’d say good luck, but… well. Statistics.” says Estevez as they’re about to leave. “Stay safe, agents. I’d better see you up here soon.”

The three of them slowly begin to move through the station in their tiny formation, making it to the stairwell with no issue. The ground level is eerily silent and the many bloodied corpses prove why. The fact that the Taken-killed and killed Taken are indistinguishable chills Saga to her core.

It feels like her heart quickens with each step as they descend into the dark basement. There’s a noticeable drop in temperature, causing Saga to shudder. She’s been on intense cases before, even been injured in the middle of them before, but nothing nearly as personal that has kept her heart rate up quite as much as this one. A thought crosses her mind: is there a limit to the amount of adrenaline a human body can produce? If so, she should really start rationing what she has left.

The basement is just as destroyed as the station above, if not even more so with more corpses and broken FBC equipment littering the hall. Although the trio of flashlights makes it far easier to scan the surroundings, it also reveals the horror not-so-hidden within.

While they don’t encounter any Taken immediately, it soon becomes clear that they aren’t alone. Muffled gunshots resonate through the space and only become louder the deeper they go.

They also start to hear distorted voices.

“T̷̗̲̿h̷̙̤͒̑e̸̱̮̔̓̋r̴͙͉͕͐̽ę̸͘ ̴͎͆̈̈w̶̙͂ȧ̵̰̀s̸̢̆̚ ̴̰̭́̌͝ṫ̶̢̯̟h̵̢̓e̸̗̫̬̕ ̶̪̑̉w̸̖͉̳͆o̷̝̬̪͆̽ȓ̸͈̩̺̂̕d̵͖̰̓͠…!”

“T̴͈̝́h̵̠̀̕e̷̡̟̍ ̴̹̉͐m̷͍̈́a̵̰̱͂s̶͖̩̉t̵̛͇͍e̶͖̾r̴̭̥̀'̵͍͗s̵̻̭̎ ̸̡̘̄c̶̞̓h̴͙̪͑ō̷͇̅s̶̗̅é̴̤͎n̵̹̥̏ ̴͍͂o̸͇̯͒͐n̷̗̕͝e̷̬̔̈́!̴̦̈́͌ͅ”

With someone else to hold a flashlight, Saga is able to bring the pair down quickly and efficiently, although not without close calls.

After checking and clearing every room in the basement (and finding nobody alive) they reach the large set of double doors that lead to the morgue. Based on volume, they are in very close proximity to the shots being fired- with the source most likely being just on the other side.

The three of them share a glance, a silent question of ‘Are we doing this?’, before Miller throws open the door.

There are half a dozen Taken on the other side, pushing over each other to get through a doorway further ahead.

A foreign shout. "Kuolkaa jo, saatana!"

The queue of Taken are pushed back by a spray of bullets, sending one of them to the ground.

The words leave Saga’s mouth without thinking. “That’s him!”

From her shout, she accidentally draws the attention of three of the five remaining Taken. In the fraction of a second before either party makes a move, Saga is reminded of many horror movies she’s seen where the team of good guys faces a horde of zombies, maybe with an upbeat song in the background. At least those movie zombies didn’t cross the distance to the heroes in the blink of an eye.

“T̸͖͝h̵̘͛e̸͇͐ ̴͍̽r̵̭̓i̸̪̚t̷̙̚ú̴̯à̸̞l̸̖͌ ̶̗͌t̴̥̊o̶͜͝ ̸̭̓l̵͇̈́e̴͚̿a̴̱̾d̷͇̈ ̷̰̒ẙ̷̨ó̷͔ṷ̵̾ ̸̲̏ò̸̱n̷͈͑-!”

The Taken that rushes toward them takes a swing at Miller, who Saga manages to pull back at the last second. With three flashlights combined, it’s weakened easily, allowing Saga to unload a round and bring it down.

“Paula…” Saga hears Young murmur behind her. All these Taken are dressed in FBC uniform. She can’t imagine what it must feel like to have to fight a possessed friend. The very thought makes her heart ache.

Fuck the Dark Presence.

Saga elbows Young sharply, though not unkindly, as more Taken move in to attack. “Stay alert, I’m sorry but she’s already dead.”

It’s the only mindset that lets her keep fighting. The moment a person becomes Taken, all that’s left of them is the Dark Presence. Anything they say is just a poor imitation of the life they lived. The Dark Presence killed all the cultists, residents, and FBC agents. It had been the one to kill Thorton and Mulligan, not her. She’s already killed so many Taken, if she thinks any other way then the burden will be too much to bear and she can’t let that happen when she’s trying to save her daughter.

They’re too far gone. She has to think practically if she’s to survive the story.

Removing doubt from her mind, the three of them take out the other four Taken, one by one. The fifth makes it into another room, but if the gunshots are any indication, is soon felled too. 

Miller starts to maneuver their formation around the bodies and toward the doorway, calling out: “It’s Miller, hold your fire!”

The shooter doesn’t listen, firing warning shots through the door and preventing their team from moving closer.

Miller turns to Saga. “The fuse box is in there but I swear this zone was empty when I went down.”

Saga nods, although her mind is elsewhere. She decides to call out herself.

“Aleksi! It’s me!”

The barrage of gunshots finally ceases and there’s a hoarse, hesitant response. “Saga?”

Relief floods through Saga’s system. That’s him, that’s Kesä’s way of pronouncing her name, that’s his non-distorted voice. He’s okay.

“I’m coming in!”

Cautiously overtaking Miller, Saga enters the room, blindly trusting that the man won’t shoot. The first thing she’s faced with in the room is a sea of blood and bullets adorning the morgue’s tiled floor, along with islands in the form of mangled corpses. 

As her gaze trails upward to see more of the wrecked space, she spots the gun pointed at her from the edge of a countertop and the shock of dirty-blond hair peeking out behind it.

Swallowing down her nausea while wading through the pool of gore, Saga approaches what she now realizes is a makeshift barricade made of chairs, boxes, and whatever else could be scrounged together in this place. 

“Aleksi?” she tries again, softly.

It takes a moment before Kesä starts to rise from behind his barricade, though without lowering the pistol in his hands. Saga notices that there’s a selection of various weapons on the countertop, as well as sets of ammo that all look like they’d belonged to the FBC agents. The previously-unarmed Kesä must have used whatever he could find to defend himself.

Once he’s fully stood up, Saga takes a good look at him. She checks for bloodstains, which she thankfully doesn’t find. That being said, he looks far from fine. His pale skin is slick with sweat and his wide, unblinking eyes shimmer with unshed tears. One hand clings to the fabric of his shirt over his chest, despite no visible injury that Saga can see. The other hand shakily holds the pistol in her direction, refusing to lower it even as they make eye contact. 

She watches his shoulders heave as his own fingers claw into his chest. A panic attack, maybe?

Behind her, she notices agents Miller and Young make their way into the room. Aleksi’s shooting arms swings in their direction and he curses under his breath.

“Hey, it’s okay!” Saga says hurriedly, gesturing with her flashlight. “They’re with me, they’re okay.”

Kesä looks to Saga again, and she does her absolute best to convey that they mean no harm. If he’s in a panicked state, she can’t rely on him to not do anything rash. 

Deciding to risk it for his sake, Saga pointedly holsters her own pistol. After a few seconds, Aleksi puts down his, but then his free hand shoots up to join his other one to clutch his chest. He doubles over, hissing through clenched teeth.

Saga rushes toward him. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

She reaches out to touch him and, to her mild surprise, he pulls back, hissing a response under his breath.

“Ja kuka helvetti se sinäkin olet?”

Saga retracts her hand, startled. Aleksi’s hands are suddenly at his sides, shoulders pulled taut, angry and scared, but then his eyes jump between Saga’s hands and her face and he breathes out, reaching up to press his hands against his own face. After a moment, he looks back up and waves at Saga to come closer.

“Tilanne vain pahenee pahenemistaan”, he says, gently placing a hand on Saga’s shoulder and letting her put one on his. “Aluksi luulin, että olin vain hämmentynyt. Että palasin kyllä kylälle, pääsin karkuun vanhoilta kavereilta.” He croaks out a chuckle. “Ehkä luulin, että ne pähkähullut sarvipäät seurasivat minua tänne, että tässä oli joku salaliitto takana.”

“Mutta ei tämä paikka olekaan minun kotini. Teitä jenkkejä on ihan liikaa, kylän raitilla ei mikään ole omalla paikallaan, ja hullujen sijasta puolustaudun hirviöitä vastaan. Sekä näitä-” he gestures towards the bodies of the Taken with his free hand- “että sitä pilveä. Ja vaikka niitä kuinka ampuisi, ne eivät kuole. Ja vaikka kuolisivatkin…”

Aleksi clutches at his chest again, voice agonised and hoarse. “Minulla on huono olo, Saga. Tahdon vain kotiin.”

He finishes his speech and the room is silent barring his heavy breathing. Saga doesn’t know what to say. Saga doesn’t know what he said, but she really, really wishes she did.

Agent Young is the one to break the silence. He clears his throat awkwardly. “I don’t think there are any other survivors, Anderson.”

That strikes Saga as an odd detail. He’s probably right, but especially given the number of dead in this room alone, for Kesä to be the only one unharmed feels suspiciously unlikely. She’d thought he’d be the most at risk, being unarmed and all. Had all these other agents succumbed to the darkness except for him? Or, a frightening but possible alternative explanation, had Kesä been trigger happy and shot everyone he saw without considering if they were Taken or not?

Saying that he survived because ‘Wake wrote it that way’ would be so easy, except Wake had pleaded innocence. It’s another irregularly shaped puzzle piece that only serves to thicken the mystery and leave her no closer to solving it.

“We should report back with Estevez.” Miller suggests. “At least we got someone.”

Saga can’t tell if he’s being genuine or sarcastic and she goes to retort when there’s a sudden soft, low rumbling sound. She looks to Aleksi, who is holding his stomach. He shrugs apologetically. 

She feels like such an idiot. She hadn’t stopped to even consider that he might be hungry, even though she’d heard him presumably puking up the contents of his stomach when she first found him. She knows that Casey had already drank plenty of coffee but had no idea when was the last time he’d eaten something solid. She feels like kicking herself for the oversight.

Then again… when was the last time she’d eaten? Getting caught up in this whirlwind of horror feels like it’s changed her perspective. Bodily needs and the passage of time feel like an afterthought. The way they’d be in a novel, Saga thinks grimly.

She extends a hand for Kesä over the countertop and makes a beckoning motion. “Come on, we’ll take you upstairs and I’ll find you something to eat.”

Kesä peels one hand away from his chest and takes her other one. When their skin makes contact, Saga shudders involuntarily, but puts it down to being a static shock. 

She helps him over the barricade and notices that he’s finally abandoned his singular shoe, as well as his socks. He understandably grimaces when his feet reach the other side and sink into the blood. She does her best to navigate him out of the puddles quickly.

Saga doesn’t let go of his hand the entire time, even as the four of them move out and make their way back to the stairwell. The journey is clear of Taken, but even so, they stay in formation (with Kesä sandwiched between Saga and Young). Kesä leaves a trail of bloody footprints on their path. With fairytales and nursery rhymes still dancing around her head, Saga can’t help but think of it like a fucked up version of Hansel and Gretel.

They reach the office that holds Estevez and the four other FBC agents. Estevez forces herself to stand upon seeing them, now with a freshly bandaged leg.

Miller is the one to break the news. Upon hearing that no other agents made it, Estevez falls back onto her chair with a weary sigh. Saga knows the feeling. While she feels responsible for Casey, Estevez must be feeling the weight of her entire team.

Despite the fucked situation, she still acts professional, agreeing to Saga’s request for food and listening to her suggestion that the diner might still be open. She sends Agent Young (who volunteers with the reasoning that he needs fresh air) to go and fetch something for everyone. 

Saga isn’t one to stress-eat, but after burning so much energy fighting Taken, the thought of fast food is divine. Plus, she’s pretty sure Casey does like to stress-eat, so there’s that.

While they wait and the FBC agents talk among themselves, Saga sees that the remaining agents have managed to recover some of their files. She silently filters through the pile until she comes across the one she’s looking for.

Casey’s file is there, albeit water-damaged. Saga’s hope for information quickly disappears when she discovers that the file is empty barring the singular headshot that she’d seen earlier. It had somehow managed to hang on for dear life to the file via a paperclip. There goes that lead. Saga places it down on the table when she spots something.

The ink on the label that had clearly said ‘Alex Casey’ has been soaked and smudged, with many letters just leaving illegible black splotches. The remaining letters spell ‘Ale■   ■■s■■’. 

It leaves Saga feeling unsettled. It’s as if the proof she has of her partner’s real self is slowly slipping away, even down to the name. And the file’s seemingly the only one water-damaged. 

Where did the water come from?

She looks at the man in question. He’s still holding his chest and is staring into space. Saga debates trying to deduce what he’s thinking, but before she gets the chance to try, Agent Young returns with a plastic bag.

“The waitress was acting strange,” Young comments as he starts to distribute individually-wrapped burgers. “The place was empty and she talked like she was expecting me. Gave me a discount, though. I got twelve in case we need to feed the captives.”

Saga starts to do the math in her head but Estevez beats her to it.

“Twelve?” she asks. “There’s eleven of us.”

Young looks genuinely shocked at the statement. “No, twelve. There’s the seven of us, Agent Anderson, Agent Casey, then…”

He trails off and the other agents in the room stare at him expectantly.

“...Oh shit, yeah, no, eleven. My bad.”

Some of the other agents smile at his slip-up. In the face of disaster they’ll use anything as an excuse for happiness, even silly mistakes that shouldn’t be funny.

Estevez smiles too, small but genuine. She looks tired. “No harm done. Casey can have an extra one, I suppose.”

Saga notices that Kesä perks up at the mention of Casey’s name. She really wants to find out more about what’s going through his head, though something else comes to mind first. 

Agent Young had thought there were twelve.

“Hey, Estevez? Where’s Jaakko Koskela?”

Estevez’s smile falls and she looks up at Saga with surprise and confusion written all over her face. “How should I know?” she answers.

Saga starts to feel uneasy again. That déjà vu sensation starts to prickle at her skin. 

“He’s just as involved with the Cult of the Tree as Ilmo is,” she tries to say with an air of nonchalance to hide her impending fear. “You’ve arrested Ilmo, don’t you want him too?”

“Jaakko Koskela’s been presumed dead for years. Didn’t you know?” Estevez says as if she’s the one talking crazy.

No he isn’t, Saga thinks firmly but doesn’t verbalize. I talked to him earlier.

She doesn’t fight the fact further. Instead, she accepts that it’s another morbid twist of the horror story. Her heart goes out to Ilmo. He’d been adamant that there’s something wrong with Jaakko. Was it more than just brotherly love? Does he recognize the story’s twisting of reality too? Is it linked to what’s going on with Casey?

It’s a lead worth looking further into. Frustratingly, the first place that comes to mind to investigate further is Coffee World. Again. With history appearing to change in real time, maybe things had changed there since she’d last investigated? Would the notes she’d found written by Jaakko still be there?

She looks over at Kesä again. He’s busy eating his burger, his focus entirely on the food. Saga’s glad that at least that part of him hasn’t changed. Even so, she gets the feeling that something about his demeanor has changed. While the confusion and fear is still evident, the way he holds himself looks ever so slightly different, something more stiff and solemn.

Maybe it’s because he’s satiating his hunger. Saga doesn’t dwell on it.

Surely he’d be fine if she left him with (what’s left of) the FBC for another hour or two? She’ll have to trust them to take care of him if she’s going to get to the bottom of this mystery.

She watches as he puts down his food and squeezes his eyes shut, his expression unreadable.

She doesn't know how long she’ll be able to bear seeing him like this. She’ll fix this. She’ll save him.

As long as she can figure out how.

Finnish Translations:

"Kuolkaa jo, saatana!" = "Drop dead already!"

“Ja kuka helvetti se sinäkin olet?” = "And who the hell are you in all this?"

“Tilanne vain pahenee pahenemistaan." = "This situation just keeps getting worse and worse."

“Aluksi luulin, että olin vain hämmentynyt. Että palasin kyllä kylälle, pääsin karkuun vanhoilta kavereilta.” = "At first, I thought I was just confused. That I did manage to get back to town, that I managed to escape from my old friends."

“Ehkä luulin, että ne pähkähullut sarvipäät seurasivat minua tänne, että tässä oli joku salaliitto takana.” = "Maybe I thought that those horned madmen followed me here, that there was some kind of conspiracy at play."

“Mutta ei tämä paikka olekaan minun kotini." = "But this is not my home after all."

"There's too many Americans around, nothing on the main street is where it's supposed to be, and instead of madmen I'm defending myself against some sort of monsters." = "There's too many Americans around, nothing on the main street is where it's supposed to be, and instead of madmen I'm defending myself against some sort of monsters."

"Sekä näitä että sitä pilveä." = "Both these ones and that cloud."

"Ja vaikka niitä kuinka ampuisi, ne eivät kuole. Ja vaikka kuolisivatkin…” = "And no matter how much I shoot at them, they won't die. And even if they die..."

“Minulla on huono olo, Saga. Tahdon vain kotiin.” = "I feel bad, Saga. I just want to go home."

Thanks for reading! I'm very excited for what comes next :3

#alan wake 2 #alan wake 2 spoilers #fanfic #saga anderson #kiran estevez #alex casey #aleksi kesä #jaakko koskela #blood cw #a piece of true fiction

[the-hidden-writer]

really feeling like alan wake rn (alex casey is giving me writer's block) BUT i decided not to split the next chapter so it'll be longer than the rest

#how is alex casey causing writer's block he isn't even THERE #i mean sorry what who said that #a piece of true fiction

[the-hidden-writer]

Chapter 8 sneak peek

#april fools aside #the actual sneak peek is that the chapter is called Phantom :) #a piece of true fiction #alan wake 2

[the-hidden-writer]

IT HAPPENED AGAIN WITH THE NEXT CHAPTER (except it's on the other side... maybe it's a sign...)

i was working on the next chapter and decided to leave it there for the night. thought to check the word count and wouldn't you know it...

#a piece of true fiction

[the-hidden-writer]

KESÄ IT'S OK IT'S JSUT A BURGER AAAAAAAA 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

Sorry I forgot to post speedpaint but omg he looks 100x far miserable in "motion". He's having DOUBTS. What IS a BURGER???? 😭😭😭

#LOOK AT HIM NOOOO #so tempted to add a chapter of my fic where kesä gets a burger #and then just #contemplates it #unbelievably tempted #thanks op this is inspiring me to write #a piece of true fiction

[the-hidden-writer]

A Piece of True Fiction: Chapter 7

An Alan Wake 2 fic. Spoilers for Alan Wake 2!

Summary: Aleksi Kesä manages to slip out of the spiral and film he was trapped in.

Saga Anderson, caught in the middle of Wake's horror story, finds a man that looks identical to her partner in the middle of the woods. He's lost, confused, and only seems to speak Finnish. Saga has to try and uncover the truth as well as trying to save her family. Where did he come from? How did he get here?

And where's her Casey?

Chapter Summary: Saga is trapped in the cell block during the blackout with only Alan and Ilmo for company. Warnings: brief description of blood/injury Words: 2,147 AO3 Link: [Here!] [First part] [Previous part] [Next part]

A Piece of True Fiction

Chapter 7: The Wrong Side

Saga pounds on the door for the hundredth time.

“Hello?! Estevez?! Anyone, please, I’m stuck in here! Open the door!”

Nobody comes to her aid. The gunfire and shouting from earlier had slowly died away, but there’s no indication that anyone can hear her on the other side.

“They’re all fucking dead, Saga.” Ilmo says, dejected. After the initial panic at the blackout, he’d urged Saga to find a way out and to take him with her. When over thirty minutes passed with no luck, he’d silently sat on the cot in his cell in defeat.

Despite the high chance of him being right, Saga doesn’t let it break her spirit. There were so many agents, at least one had to have survived whoever or whatever attacked. Had it been the Taken? 

Had it been Scratch?

The red light that indicated the locked nature of the door had gone out completely, leaving both doors of the cell block jammed shut. Saga had tried to force it with her good shoulder but had quickly given up. She knew she wouldn’t be able to force it open and any further attempts would be a waste of precious energy.

Saga knocks again. No response.

From behind her, she hears Wake groan. He’d reacted worst to the blackout, becoming incoherent and hysterical until he’d passed out entirely on the floor. Once she’d used her flashlight to make sure his chest was still rising and falling, Saga had focused on trying to get out. Him making sounds is a good indication that he’s waking up at least, even if they’re sounds of pain.

Ilmo hears it too and curses.

Saga knocks again. “Hello?!”

No response.

Wake groans again, louder. Deciding that she can spare two minutes without knocking, Saga approaches his cell.

He isn’t sprawled on the floor anymore, but is instead on his knees facing away from her. His elbows are resting on the cot and his fingers dig into his scalp. Another migraine?

“Saga…” he whispers.

Saga goes to reply when Wake starts to talk again.

“Fuck… Scratch- no, yes, Scratch. Why would he… what happened to my story? My story. This isn’t right. It doesn’t make sense, there has to be an escape, why would the hero-”

He continues his ramble. Saga can only make out bits and pieces between the man’s incoherent sentences and ragged breaths. She wants to ask what’s going on. Something holds her back and makes her more inclined to just listen.

“-It’s right but wrong. Wrong what? Right people, but still empty inside. An empty scene. An empty cell. One half of a fractured whole. Right place but… wrong time. Saga… Casey…”

At the mention of Casey’s name, Saga’s focus locks onto Wake’s words with the hope of finding any clue about what’s going on.

“-out of control. It’s… too soon. It’s too soon, or- no, that’s not it. Then what..? Could it be… on the wrong side? The wrong side. The wrong side of the story, an echo or phantom of another. Wait, no, it’s the door. The wrong side of the door. A door that leads where? The station? To the change? To someone. Scratch? Or… to family. A friend. Or maybe… what if it’s not a door, but a mirror? The wrong side of the mirror, my mirror. It’s shattered. No, twisted. Not mine, not anymore. But then who…”

She can’t help herself. 

“Wake?”

Alan jumps at the sound of her voice. His elbows slip from the metal cot and he faceplants into it as a result, with the thump from the impact echoing around the cell.

Alan lets out a small, pained whimper as he forces himself back onto his feet. He rubs his forehead and winces. “Fuck…”

If it was anyone else, Saga would have apologized. Because it’s Wake, Saga feels a sliver of satisfaction. 

“Saga!” Wake rebalances himself and rushes toward the bars again. “You shouldn’t be here. You’re on the wrong-”

“The wrong side of the door, yeah, I got that part.” Saga finishes. It feels like stating the obvious. “Do you remember anything else?”

Wake shakes his head. “Uh… maybe? I don’t know, it’s already slipping away. But it was hazy to begin with… it was like a different version of events. I’ve been feeling this really strong déjà vu. It’s like I’m reliving a memory that ends up deviating, but by the time I’ve noticed a difference I can’t remember the original. Only bits and pieces I can hardly make sense of.”

Saga’s left conflicted. Should she tell him that she… gets it? Maybe not the remembering part, but the déjà vu and feeling like she’s going down the wrong track with all her choices is something that she has definitely been experiencing but hasn’t been able to articulate. 

She decides not to. Wake’s the crazy one, the one who was trapped in a lake and caused all this madness through Scratch- who wouldn’t exist without him, most likely. She doesn’t want to admit that she’s feeling the same as him, and neither does she want to bring him down to her level. It’s clear he has far more experience and is knowledgeable in everything that’s going on, even if he can’t remember half of it, so if they’re struggling with the same feeling…

It would mean that they’re both out of their depth. And that thought is terrifying.

She’s about to ask for clarification on some of the other things he’d said, such as the mention of her and Casey’s name, when their conversation is interrupted by four sharp, distinct knocks.

“Anderson? You in there?”

She and Wake make eye contact for less than a second before Saga darts back toward the door to knock back.

“Estevez! Is that you? I’m here!” She calls. She also notices Ilmo stand back up in anticipation.

“Oh thank God, I was worried they’d found a way in.” Estevez’s voice returns. She sounds out of breath.

Saga immediately starts asking for more information. “Who? What happened?”

“We got swarmed by individuals infected with the Shadow. We weren’t ready… a lot of the people here were infected. But uh- are you good in there? What’s the status on Wake and Koskela?”

“Ask about my brother.” Ilmo sternly demands.

“They’re fine.” Saga answers, prompting swearing from Ilmo. “Wake was out for a while but he’s up again now. Is it clear out there? I can help fight if you get me out.”

“We’re working on it, just need to fix the fuse box. There’s seven survivors up here including me but they got my leg pretty bad. It’s uh… it hurts. It isn’t clear yet though. We got some of them down, but plenty of us got infected. For some reason a few of the Shadow people didn’t attack and just seemed to want to walk through. Gave the couple of us the chance to retreat. I think the ones that got past were headed down into the basement. I’m pretty sure I can hear them still fighting.”

The part about the behavior of (what she assumes are) the Taken strikes a chord of familiarity in Saga. They’d been acting weirdly dismissive in her last encounter with them back in Coffee World, when she was defending Kesä. Even more strangely was that it was like they were being dismissive in favor of attacking him.

Wait.

The basement is connected to the morgue. The morgue where she’d left Kesä in the hands of the FBC. Fuck. She lets out a panicked shout. “Casey’s down there!”

“So is my team.” Estevez counters. “I don’t want to send more down in case they turn too. I just don’t know how things got out of hand so quickly! I know we were low on resources but… this is really bad.”

Saga tries to calm herself by breathing deeply. She’s starting to make connections between events that make her very nervous. It’s only a hypothesis at this stage, but she feels the need to warn Estevez just in case there’s any semblance of truth to it.

“No, you don’t get it. I think the Taken are targeting him.”

Twice now the Taken have ignored potential victims and made their way toward Kesä’s position. It might just be a coincidence- Saga prays that it is. Still, she struggles to hold out hope, even if she can’t deduce the motive behind it.

“Why?” Estevez rightly questions.

“I don’t know, it happened at Coffee World, but you can’t let them get to him! Get this door open and I’ll find him myself!”

“Agent Miller’s gone down to try and replace the fuse. I’ll open the door first thing as soon as we get power. Hang tight, Anderson. I’ll be back as soon as I have an update.”

Saga hears movement from the other side of the door followed by faint voices from further away. Estevez has probably moved.

Saga turns around to face the cells again. Even though she now has reassurance that there are survivors and that they’re working on a solution, the fight having moved toward the vulnerable version of Casey increases her worry tenfold.

“Why didn’t you ask, Saga?”

Through the darkness, Ilmo exudes a sinister, threatening aura. His voice is low and firm. There isn’t a hint of the smile he often wears. Instead, he bears an utterly serious expression that makes Saga, for the first time, believe he could be a cult leader. It looks as if he would commit murder if not for the bars acting as a safety net. It’s entirely uncharacteristic from what Saga has seen of him so far.

She tries to defend herself. “My partner’s in danger. I’ll ask once this door’s open.”

“I need to see him.” Ilmo says in that same dangerous tone.

“I know.” Saga does really understand. Blood is thicker than water, especially when the blood is your own. Logan is everything to her, and while she doesn’t know if Ilmo has family besides Jaakko, she can imagine being separated from his twin in the midst of all the death and chaos must be torture.

It takes another ten minutes before the lights of the cell block flicker back on. Saga readies herself by the door in anticipation for the red light to turn green.

“What’s your plan, Saga?” Wake asks. He sounds a little more stable now, albeit frightened and frustrated.

Her response is a no-brainer. “Find Casey. Figure out what’s going on with him. Stop your story from coming true.”

“And find the Clicker?”

Oh yeah, she’d lied to him about that. Continuing to keep it from him is probably the wisest option. She doesn’t plan on handing it over until she’s certain he can fix things anyways. “And find the Clicker.”

“The cult should have it,” he adds. “This is all new territory but you’re a good hero, you’ll make it work. You have to. Even if-”

Alan pauses for a second. “Nevermind. It wouldn’t make sense.”

“Even if what?” Saga prompts just as she hears movement on the other side of the door. There’s a beep indicating the door being unlocked.

Alan sighs and then relents. “Look, I don’t know for sure, but… the man you found might not be Casey. Or at least not the one you know. Just be careful.”

The door swings open as Saga tries to wrap her head around what the fuck Wake meant by that. She knows it’s not the Casey she’s familiar with, so then what is he implying? That it’s actually a different person? Not just her Casey, transformed?

She’s met with Agent Estevez on the other side. Saga’s eyes are immediately drawn to her heavily wounded leg. Something had sliced right into her thigh, exposing flesh and muscle fibers oozing out blood and leaving Saga feeling grateful that her own arm injury is nowhere as severe. Coupled with the sweat beading down the agent’s forehead, she looks to be deeply in pain. 

“Anderson.” Estevez greets professionally through labored breaths. “Glad to see you're still yourself.”

“Likewise,” says Saga. Then she can’t help herself. “That leg doesn’t look good.”

Estevez lets out a shaky sigh. “Feels even worse. That’s why I think I’m going to have to take you up on that offer to help. We haven’t recovered anyone and I can’t go into the basement myself, so-”

“I’ll go.” 

Forcing a small smile, Estevez nods and steps aside to let her out. “Thanks Agent.”

As she exits, Wake and Ilmo shout after her about the Clicker and Jaakko respectively. Saga pushes both thoughts aside. Yes, they need to be dealt with, but they aren’t her priority at the moment.

Estevez said that they hadn’t recovered anyone. That means Casey’s still down there.

That means that she will blast through as many Taken necessary to get to him, Wake’s warning be damned.

saga: wow wake has been through so much for 13 years straight. he has experienced the horrors. while he's out of line for bringing innocent people into it, i do feel sympathy for him. alan: *faceplants into a hard surface* saga: :)

Thanks for reading! I'm having a blast writing this fic :D

#alan wake 2 #alan wake 2 spoilers #fanfic #saga anderson #alan wake #ilmo koskela #kiran estevez #a piece of true fiction

[the-hidden-writer]

i was working on the next chapter and decided to leave it there for the night. thought to check the word count and wouldn't you know it...

#he could type a new fanfic #like tom zane before him #alan wake #alan wake 2 #fanfic #a piece of true fiction

[the-hidden-writer]

A Piece of True Fiction: Chapter 6

An Alan Wake 2 fic. Spoilers for Alan Wake 2!

Summary: Aleksi Kesä manages to slip out of the spiral and film he was trapped in.

Saga Anderson, caught in the middle of Wake's horror story, finds a man that looks identical to her partner in the middle of the woods. He's lost, confused, and only seems to speak Finnish. Saga has to try and uncover the truth as well as trying to save her family. Where did he come from? How did he get here?

And where's her Casey?

Chapter Summary: Saga finally confronts Alan. Words: 2,524 AO3 Link: [Here!] [First part] [Previous part] [Next part]

A Piece of True Fiction

Chapter 6: Too Soon

“I just don’t understand. It was in my hands, but I could’ve sworn I was reading it for the first time.”

Saga fights the urge to roll her eyes as an FBC medic finishes wrapping her wound. Kesä had done a pretty decent job in Coffee World considering the circumstances, but it does feel better to know it’s been professionally done with less risk of infection. An amputation is the last thing she needs right now.

Right now, she’s itching to speak to Wake. The longer she sits still, the more her thoughts drift to Logan. The more her fury at the writer festers.

She’d described how she’d found Kesä to Estevez while she was being treated (in the morgue of all places). She’d also explained some of her own concerns, such as the mystery of how he ended up in Coffee World, Watery, when she’d last left him in Bright Falls and taken the car herself.

All the more reason she desperately needs to talk to Wake. He was the last person with Casey, and potentially the only person who could explain what’s going on.

Annoyingly, Estevez seems too caught up in her own experience to actually hear what she’s trying to tell her.

“I don’t want to toot my own horn, but I’m lead here for a reason”, the FBC agent continues. “I study and analyze every detail about a case before heading into the field and I’ve never had memory problems before. I should know this file inside out. I’m more inclined to believe that something paranatural’s at work here.”

“And the Finnish part didn’t tip you off?” Saga asks. She’s grateful that the FBC are taking her seriously though she’s also getting increasingly frustrated by them.

They’re acting too composed and methodical for a situation so dire and terrifying. Sure, Saga’s circles within the FBI are also fairly organized, but the FBC agents are on a whole other level. The way they mill around and make use of the small, rural space available to them is almost dystopian. Part of her wonders if it was a mistake coming here and if she’s ended up confining herself to their agency, when she could be outside trying to fix things and actually be making progress.

Estevez scoffs at her comment. 

“Reality’s malleable here. It’s harder to take people for their word.” She frowns. “Then again, we do have Wake in custody…”

Their conversation is interrupted by a shout and a clatter of metal from the other side of the room.

Saga looks over at the source of the noise, where she can just about make out a very uncomfortable-looking Kesä sitting on an examination table, surrounded by four FBC agents holding various items. One has a tablet, another has a clipboard, and another has a stethoscope. The fourth, the only one empty-handed, is recovering from being shoved backward. A reflex hammer lies on the cold floor by their feet.

“Saga!” Kesä cries out, peering between the agents to catch her eye. "Nämä ei helvetti suostu jättämään minua rauhaan! Puhu järkeä niille!"

Estevez approaches them. “What’s the problem?”

The female agent with the clipboard looks at her boss guiltily. “Don’t know, Ma’am. He’s not co-operating.”

“What about the translator?” Estevez demands.

“He’s refusing to type into the software.”

“Can’t you just get a verbal translator?” Saga asks from her side of the morgue, shrugging away the agent tending to her. “It can’t be hard to find one here.”

“I’ll agree with you on it being more convenient,” answers Estevez, “but bringing in external specialists without the Director's approval would be going against protocol.”

“Fuck the protocol!” Saga exclaims, no longer able to suppress her anger. “This is bigger than that! I don’t know how, but I don’t think that just because Wake’s here it means he can’t change reality. If you won’t take my word for it, fine, but I know things are changing and even you’ve acknowledged it. Why the fuck do you have a file on Casey anyway?!”

“That’s cla-”

“Classified, of course.”

While Saga regains her breath, Agent Estevez appears taken aback and the room is silent. Even Kesä looks somewhat shocked by her outburst.

“Just let me talk to Wake.” Saga pleads, more calmly. “I know more about Casey than you do. He’s my partner. Understanding Wake’s part in all this is the only way we can start figuring out how to fix it.”

The last part is a partial lie. It’s true, she needs to understand, but maybe getting the Clicker to him would be a quicker and more efficient fix.

Estevez sighs. “You have a point. Okay, you win, Anderson.”

Saga opens her mouth to respond but Estevez cuts her off. “-But, I’ll accompany you to the cells. Wake’s been agitated and I don’t want you getting hurt. Not to mention that the station’s cameras are video-only and it’s important for us to know what’s going on.”

Shit. If Estevez goes with her, she won’t be able to hand over the Clicker in secret. She can’t risk them taking it away from her.

“You really think he’ll talk to the agents that locked him up the first chance they got?” Saga argues, hoping that she’s passing off as convincing. “I’m FBI, I know how to handle an interrogation. I’ll pass on anything he tells me. For what it’s worth, you have my word.”

A tense minute of contemplation, then: “...Fine. I’ll unlock the door for you.”

Saga lets out a small sigh of relief. “Thanks, Agent.”

She’d really thought that she’d have to fight harder for her case. Still, she isn’t complaining that she’s getting her way.

“I don’t feel good about this at all,” says Estevez, moving toward the exit and beckoning for Saga to follow. “But we really don’t have much of a choice.”

As Saga stands, Kesä speaks up. "Mitä nyt? Mihin olet menossa?"

“We’ll work on getting a translator in the meantime.” Estevez remarks, already walking through the corridor toward the staircase leading up.

Saga hesitates in the doorway. Aleksi’s face is full of confusion, but also holds a twinge of sadness. Maybe even betrayal. They stare at each other for a moment, locked in another exchange via glances. 

Saga is the one to break away, guiltily shooting him a reassuring smile before turning to follow Estevez.

“I promise I’ll be back.”

Saga follows Estevez out of the morgue and back into the station itself. A wave of unease washes over her. She’s getting her way, but something about the situation leaves her feeling unnerved. She feels weirdly unprepared, like she’s missing something important and shouldn’t see Wake without it.

But she has the Clicker. That’s the main thing she needs, right? She tries to shake the feeling away and focus on the present.

How should she approach the situation with Wake? She wants to hold him accountable for his actions- hell, she wants to kill him for what he’s done to Logan, but she knows that she can’t. She could just give him the Clicker without saying a word. 

She won’t do that, though. She needs answers. She needs to hear him acknowledge what he did.

They reach the cell block door and Estevez pulls out a keycard. Before she gets the chance to use it, one of the officers approaches her.

“Uh, Ma’am? We might have a-”

“Give me a second, Young.” Estevez interrupts. “Let me just let Agent Anderson in.”

The door is unlocked and the light above the door turns green.

“I’ll lock this behind you for safety reasons”, explains Estevez. “Just knock four times when you’re ready to come out. I hope you know what you’re doing.”

Saga does. She thinks. “I do. Thanks, Estevez.”

Estevez nods and turns to address the anxious officer to the side.

Saga opens the door.

She walks in. The door closes behind her and green turns to red.

“Saga!” 

The voice that greets her isn’t Wake’s, but Ilmo’s. She spots him in the cell closest to her and he stands up when she enters. In the midst of dealing with Kesä, Ilmo’s involvement had slipped her mind. The man looks disheveled and almost animalistic- a far cry from the friendly and confident persona she was used to seeing.  Ilmo steps right up to the bars of the cage to face her, practically snarling. “Fucking FBI, FBC, you government fucks all fucking this up for us! Where the fuck is my brother?!”

That uneasy feeling settles over Saga again. Instinctively, she looks over to the adjacent cell to Ilmo’s. The cell is empty.

When she doesn’t reply, Ilmo bangs his fist against the metal bar. “What the fuck have you done to him?!”

“I…” Saga doesn’t know what to say. Her mind replays the events of the hour since they’d arrived at the station. She doesn’t remember seeing or even hearing any mention of Jaakko Koskela. “Ilmo, Jaakko isn’t here.”

“Bullshit!” Ilmo spits. “You fuckers have done something. Something’s wrong with him, and you-”

“How do you know?” Saga interjects. 

“I just know!” Ilmo responds. It sounds more like a childish whine. Saga picks up on an element of desperation in his posture and voice, and suddenly something clicks. He sounds just like how she feels on the inside, desperate to get Logan back and to help Casey. He’s worried for his twin, but he’s locked up and helpless. She can’t help but sympathize with him.

She goes to respond, to inquire more about Jaakko’s whereabouts, when another voice speaks up from a cell further down.

“Saga? Is that you?”

Wake.

Her feet start to carry her toward his cell.

“No, don’t fucking talk to him, Saga.” Ilmo says behind her. “He’s a fucking monster! You don’t know what you’re dealing with, let me out!”

Saga ignores him.

Like Ilmo, Alan Wake stands at the edge of his cell to face her, except he’s gripping the bars so tightly that his knuckles are turning white. If she thought Ilmo looked animalistic, Wake is that turned up to eleven. He wears jeans, a bloodied white tee, and an unhinged expression.

“Do you have it?” he asks.

Saga sees red.

“You wrote Logan into the story,” she says coolly. “You told me yourself, from the Dark Place.”

Wake doesn’t react to her words, and instead carries on with his crazy spiel. “Listen! I think something’s wrong. Something- something’s off. The balance is… Scratch is-”

“My daughter is dead because of you! She’s a child.” Saga hisses. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

Alan shakes his head. “I’m trying to fix this. I will fix this, I’ll save everyone, I just need to know what’s happening. There’s something different, just- Just give me the Clicker. I’ll fix everything. We’re running out of time.”

Saga fights the urge to slap the man.

“And Casey?” she asks. “You change his memories to what? Tear us apart? You already ruined his life with your writing, and you just had to do it again. You are one selfish fuck.”

Alan groans, frustrated. “No, I just…”

He trails off. His grip on the iron bars loosens. “I…”

He takes a step back. His strained expression morphs into one of confusion.

“...What?”

“Don’t play dumb. You admitted to using my family as part of your sick story. Well, you’ve gone miles over the goddamn line. How did you get him to Watery?”

Alan lets out a sound of disbelief. “What are you- What was that about memories? I don’t think I…”

“And why Finnish?” Saga snaps. “You twisted so much of him for no reason, even his name. How does this help anything?”

“Saga.” Alan says loudly, breaking her out of her rant. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Saga waits for the prickling in her skin or the flash in her mind or any indication that he might be lying.

When none comes, she is taken aback. “What?”

“I didn’t do anything to Casey.” Wake states. He sounds genuine. Saga hates that. “The lodge was attacked by cultists and he ran outside, then Scratch and the Taken showed up. That’s all I know, I swear.”

“Casey showed up at Coffee World half-naked and talking in Finnish. He didn’t know where he was and he doesn’t know me at all. Are you sure you don’t know anything about that?”

Saga’s grasping at straws. Wake has to be the one responsible, because if he isn’t… What then?

Alan is silent for a moment, his face blank. “No… no, I don’t. I’m trying to remember… you said Finnish, right?”

“What are you talking about?” Ilmo cuts in, sounding very concerned. “Saga? What’s going on?”

“Yes, Finnish.” Saga looks at Ilmo, responding to Alan. With Alan claiming to know nothing, she’s willing to take answers from anyone. She’s starting to feel very, very scared for her partner.

“Give me the Clicker.” Alan says firmly, extending a hand through the bars. “It doesn’t matter what’s been happening on the outside, I’ll fix it all. Just give it to me.”

Ilmo bangs on the bars again. “Don’t fucking give it to him!”

Saga feels conflicted. On one hand, she’d worked so hard to get the Clicker. She’d risked her life, even, and it was all for the sake of saving Logan. As far as she knows, giving Wake the Clicker is the only way of getting her daughter back.

The new question that makes her hesitate is: does that extend to Casey?

Wake admitted to using Logan. She heard him say so himself, and she resents him for it. But he’s adamant in his stance that he didn’t use Casey in the same way. As much as Saga wants to blame it on him and believe he’s lying, there are too many facts that don’t add up. How would the addition of ‘Aleksi Kesä’ help the horror story? It only causes a delay, if anything. It’s a distraction and it’s unlike any of the other changes Wake has been making.

So if he has no idea, how will he be able to fix him? By handing over the Clicker, will she save Logan but doom Casey?

Even though her daughter comes first, she can’t bring herself to do that to her partner. She needs more information to get a better understanding of the situation.

“I don’t have it.” She lies.

“Thank God.” She hears Ilmo mumble.

Both of them are startled when Alan suddenly violently slams the bars of his own cell. “I knew something was different. Fuck!”

He pulls back, his fists clenched.

Saga realizes that with this lie, she needs a new plan ASAP.

Wake seems to have a similar thought process because he turns back around with wide, frantic eyes. “Saga, listen to me, you need to-”

He is cut off by all the overhead lights blacking out at once, leaving the three of them in total darkness.

Alan and Ilmo curse simultaneously.

Gunshots emanate from the door leading to the station, followed by shouts, followed by screams. Saga rushes over and tries to open it. It’s still locked.

Fuck. Not again.

Finnish translations:

"Nämä ei helvetti suostu jättämään minua rauhaan!" = "These people won't leave me the fuck alone!"

"Puhu järkeä niille!" = "Talk sense into them!"

"Mitä nyt? Mihin olet menossa?" = "What now? Where are you going?"

Thanks for reading! I hope you'll stick with me for the ride...

#alan wake 2 #alan wake 2 spoilers #fanfic #saga anderson #kiran estevez #alan wake #alex casey #aleksi kesä #ilmo koskela #jaakko koskela #fbc #federal bureau of control #a piece of true fiction

[the-hidden-writer]

next chapter will be up later today!

Saga gets to shout at everyone. As a treat.

#a piece of true fiction

[the-hidden-writer]

Saga gets to shout at everyone. As a treat.

#a piece of true fiction #saga anderson my beloved #yes you are experiencing the horrors and yes you get to complain about it #sorry estevez she is not going to deal with the fbc today #sorry ilmo she has other things to worry about #sorry alan she hates your guts

[the-hidden-writer]

A Piece of True Fiction: Chapter 5

An Alan Wake 2 fic. Spoilers for Alan Wake 2!

Summary: Aleksi Kesä manages to slip out of the spiral and film he was trapped in.

Saga Anderson, caught in the middle of Wake's horror story, finds a man that looks identical to her partner in the middle of the woods. He's lost, confused, and only seems to speak Finnish. Saga has to try and uncover the truth as well as trying to save her family. Where did he come from? How did he get here?

And where's her Casey?

(Thanks to @honestlyvan for helping me out with Finnish translations! I'll be going back and correcting previous chapters too.)

Chapter Summary: Saga brings Aleksi to the Sheriff's Station. Words: 1,929 AO3 Link: [Here!] [First part] [Previous part] [Next part]

A Piece of True Fiction

Chapter 5: Agency

There's a strange sense of déjà vu in the car on the drive back. Even though the journey itself is pretty short, it's enough for Saga to feel uncomfortable on top of the dull throbbing of her arm.

How long ago had she and Casey been sitting in these seats, back when everything was still normal?

If someone had told her when she was initially driving to Bright Falls with Casey beside her that, in a matter of hours, she would be in the same position except he would be a twisted version of himself with no recollection of her… actually, she probably would have believed it. Because it was so unbelievable that it circled around to having some element of truth. Nobody could make something that absurd up on the spot.

Unless you were Alan Wake, apparently.

The awkward silence between them doesn’t help the tense atmosphere, although there isn’t much Saga can do about that. It isn’t like they can make conversation. So they’re left with just each other’s presence and the faint sound of the radio.

At one point, out of nowhere, Kesä’s body jerks violently. He turns to look over his shoulder at the backseat in a frantic movement, curses to himself, turns back, and relaxes as if nothing had happened. Saga follows his gaze via the mirror, finds nothing, and tries to let it slide. She has no idea what he may have been through (or believes he’s been through) that may warrant his jittery behavior.

Otherwise, Kesä seems content to just look out the window. Saga notes that he seemed especially interested in Watery as they pass. If there’s one perk to not having a conversation, it’s that it gives Saga the chance to go over what she could say to the FBC.

Officially, this is no longer her case. She shouldn’t be involved at all. She can’t exactly stroll up to the Sheriff’s station, knock on the door, and demand to speak to suspects. No, she needs a viable excuse to get in.

The lead agent had said that they’d look for Casey for her. What if they were still looking for him? Surely it would be permissible for her to go inside to let them know that she’d found him already so they could call off their search.

Once inside, she could drop the bombshell of Casey being changed. She couldn’t think of any way to hide that fact without hiding him entirely. Plus, the lead agent had also asked for any important evidence. Would Casey himself count as the evidence in this case? In this Case-y?

She mentally berates herself. Book/movie title jokes are off-limits, even if the subject can’t hear them. The thought leaves her saddened.

The Clicker is still safe in her pocket either way. She can hand that over to Wake as soon as she gets the opportunity. The FBC doesn’t need to know about that part, and instinct keeps her from showing Kesä too. 

They reach Bright Falls with no issue. Out of habit, Saga parks the car outside Elderwood Palace Lodge.

She's suddenly left with an inner conflict. Does she take Kesä to the station straight away? Or should she tell him to wait in the car while she figures out their intentions?

She doesn't mean to stare at him while she thinks, and only realizes she's doing so when he starts to pointedly stare back.

“Saga?” He prompts, with the tiniest hint of a smirk. "Mitäs seuraavaksi?"

Does he know? She wonders. Does he know about everything that’s going on? About the murders, about the pages, about Alan Wake, about anything? Or is he a blank slate just following her lead?

She really needs that translator.

It’s with that thought that she makes her decision. She opens the door and makes a beckoning motion.

“Okay, Aleksi,” she starts by using his name to grab his attention, “we’re going to find some help at the Sheriff’s station. You follow me, okay?”

He nods hesitantly. "Tulenko vaan perässä?”

Another thought jumps into Saga’s mind. Would Casey suddenly speaking Finnish draw unwanted attention? Would there be anyone that would even notice?

Better play it safe. “Aleksi?” 

Saga makes a slow, insinuating gesture to press a finger against her lips.

Kesä looks very confused, maybe even mildly offended, which Saga can completely understand. To his credit, though, he covers his own lips and nods, albeit with uncertainty. Saga gives him an encouraging thumbs up before they both exit the car.

It isn’t a long walk to the Sheriff’s Station. Saga pulls her windbreaker back on over her jacket and starts walking with a determination to reach it as soon as possible, but then remembers that Aleksi only has one shoe. She stops, waits for him to catch up, then continues walking a little slower.

Aleksi seems enthralled by the town, closely observing every building and sign. She finds that odd for a few different reasons that she intends to investigate once they’re able to communicate.

An FBC agent is stationed outside the station door, holding a rifle. He draws the attention of the townsfolk walking past. Upon seeing him, Saga’s instinct is to grab Aleksi’s hand like she would with Logan, but she refrains from actually doing it. He’s a grown man. He’s her senior, for crying out loud.

…She still wants him to stay behind her. Seeing him so scared and half-naked by the well has unintentionally altered her perception of him.

(The presence of the agent also catches her by surprise, as if she’d been expecting nobody to be there. She brushes the feeling off. There’s no reason to feel that way.)

Sucking in a deep breath to draw courage, Saga approaches the agent with Kesä right behind her.

Like clockwork, the agent moves to block the door. “Sorry ma’am, station’s closed under order of the Federal Bureau of Control.”

Saga pulls out her badge. “Saga Anderson, FBI. This case was mine to start with.”

The agent shifts his weight a little, nervous. Saga spots a lack of confidence that probably comes with being of lower rank. She could use that to her advantage.

“I’m here to speak to Agent Kiran Estevez.” She continues in an authoritative tone. “I have new, confidential information that I believe is highly important to this case.”

The agent looks between her and Kesä, unsure. “Uh, I don’t know if you should…”

“Agent Estevez specifically requested that I give her information about the case, along with my partner here. Are you stopping us from doing that, agent..?” Saga fishes for a name.

That seems to snap the agent into action, and he hurriedly steps aside.

“No, ma’am. Sorry, ma’am. Agent Estevez is inside.”

Saga nods and smiles, taking care to not let her relief show. “Thank you.”

They walk in before he has the chance to change his mind. The crowded interior takes Saga aback. Inside, a mix of FBC agents and police officers bustle around the cramped space. Some are behind the front desk, busy typing or examining files. Others stand in small groups, talking among themselves.

All of them stop what they’re doing upon their entrance.

From the corner of her eye, Saga sees Kesä’s body tense. She runs through her practiced monologue in her head in the hopes of making the next few minutes as seamless as possible. Introduce herself, explain why she’s here, explain that she needs help for Kesä and needs to speak to Wake.

She steels herself and clears her throat. “Hi, I’m here to talk to Kiran Estevez.”

“Anderson?”

Agent Estevez emerges from behind the front desk to face her, an array of folders under her arm.

“What are you doing here? Didn’t I tell you to…” Her gaze drifts over Saga’s shoulder. “Who’s this?”

Saga’s monologue crumbles into nothing.

“My partner, Agent Casey?” She answers, surprised. “The man I asked you to find?"

The last part is spoken with an unmasked indignation. Had the FBC not bothered to look for him? An MIA FBI agent caught in the crossfire of a dangerous shootout? If she hadn’t found him, how long would he have been out there, lost and alone?

The confusion on Estevez’s face only adds to the heat of Saga’s fury. She seems to study Kesä for a few moments before speaking up again.

“Right… no, you’re right, you did say that.” She shifts her focus back to Saga. “Sorry, we’ve got a lot we’re trying to handle right now, it must’ve slipped my mind.”

That’s no excuse. Saga wants to tear into Estevez right then and there, but holds herself back knowing that there are more important problems to deal with. 

Estevez uses her free hand to gesture toward Saga’s arm. “Are you guys hurt?”

Saga makes a conscious effort to shake away her anger and focus on the situation. “We were attacked in Watery, I got clipped by a hatchet. But I think you should check Casey, he…”

She pauses. How does she tactfully say what she saw and convince them that it was all real?

“...How much do you know about what’s going on?” She asks instead.

“I could ask you the same thing.” Estevez replies smoothly.

It’s a fair response, Saga thinks, but it leaves her with the dilemma of what she should reveal. It all depends on how ‘unusual’ FBC cases got.

“I know that reality’s being rewritten into something it’s not.” Saga says. “I know about Alan Wake’s involvement, the Dark Presence and the Taken, and how they’re connected to Cauldron Lake and the murders.”

Estevez looks shocked. “Wow, okay… you know quite a lot then. Assuming that your ‘Dark Presence’ is the same as the Shadow, which does sound like-”

“I need to talk to Wake.” Saga interrupts. “I think I know a way he can fix reality. Please let me explain, people’s lives are in danger.”

“‘Fix reality?’” Echoes Estevez. “Agent, even if I could let you speak to a suspect in custody, encouraging someone like him to meddle with and potentially worsen the situation is definitely against protocol.”

“‘Someone like him?’” Saga counters. “What do you mean?”

“That’s classified information.” Estevez responds without missing a beat, even holding up the six folders she’s carefully balancing to make her point.

Saga’s eye catches one of the labels. On the side of one of the smaller folders, hidden between file codes and numbers, she sees the name ‘Alex Casey’ clear as day. Her anger returns in full swing.

“You literally have a file on him!” She exclaims, pointing to the file in question with her good arm. “You have a file on him, and you didn’t recognize him?!”

Estevez takes a step back. “What are you talking about? I…”

She turns the set of files around and looks over each one until her eyes widen. She sets down all the folders except for one, which she opens with an air of caution. Even though Saga can’t read any of the printed text on the inside, she can still make out Casey’s FBI headshot clipped to the top.

Estevez scans the page and then looks up again at Kesä, who shuffles awkwardly under her scrutinizing gaze. She blinks a few times then looks back down at the file.

After a few minutes of deliberation, she closes the file and turns to Saga with a bewildered look on her face.

“Okay Anderson, you’ve got my attention. I’ll hear you out. But first, we’ll get you guys to a medic.”

Saga’s relief almost overshadows her utter dread.

Finnish translations:

"Mitäs seuraavaksi?" = "What next?"

"Tulenko vaan perässä?" = "So do I just follow you?"

Thanks for reading! <3

#alan wake 2 #alan wake #alan wake 2 spoilers #saga anderson #aleksi kesä #alex casey #kiran estevez #fbc #federal bureau of control #a piece of true fiction #fanfic

[the-hidden-writer]

tried reuploading the chapter and still no luck. oh well, hope it reaches people nonetheless :(

whyyy is the newest chapter update not showing up properly on ao3 😭 

#a piece of true fiction

[the-hidden-writer]

whyyy is the newest chapter update not showing up properly on ao3 😭 

#a piece of true fiction

[the-hidden-writer]

A Piece of True Fiction: Chapter 4

An Alan Wake 2 fic. Spoilers for Alan Wake 2!

Summary: Aleksi Kesä manages to slip out of the spiral and film he was trapped in.

Saga Anderson, caught in the middle of Wake's horror story, finds a man that looks identical to her partner in the middle of the woods. He's lost, confused, and only seems to speak Finnish. Saga has to try and uncover the truth as well as trying to save her family. Where did he come from? How did he get here?

And where's her Casey?

Chapter Summary: Saga defends Kesä from the Taken. Warnings: blood/injury Words: 2,760 AO3 Link: [Here!] [First part] [Previous part] [Next part]

A Piece of True Fiction

Chapter 4: Chosen One

“T̸̢͖́̕h̷̜͍͋͝i̵̧̥͐s̶̛̗̜̕ ̴͕̀̅î̴͕͝s̸͖͓͒ ̵͈̍̍t̶̞͌h̸̨͙͊̋ę̷̬̾ ̴̛̼͓̓r̷̳͛i̵̮͎͐ṫ̷͍ǔ̵̝̤å̶͔͛l̷̞̿́ ̷̩͎͊̾t̴͔͙͋̓o̴̮͈̐͊ ̴̡̛̞̈́l̴͔͒͛ẹ̸͂ȃ̶͓̦d̵͍́ ̸̨̠͐͘y̸͙̭͝ơ̸̱̄ü̵̡̋ ̴͙͊͗o̴͔̭̿n̴̢͚̿!̶̯͐͜͠“

Saga acts instantly. She directs her flashlight at the cultist Taken the moment it’s clearly in view and quickly empties a round into it, not giving it the chance to take a single step in her direction. It staggers to the ground and she doesn’t waste a second before reloading her gun.

She waits for any sign of further movement, of which there aren’t any. She breathes during the brief moment of respite that’s doomed to end sooner than later.

Cautiously, she spins around, eyes scanning the surroundings for more Taken. She knows she’d heard a second one and wasn’t planning to let Kesä out until it’s down.

Just as predicted, it isn’t long before she hears the slosh of feet trudging through wet leaves coming from somewhere on the other side of the gift shop.

A deep, distorted voice soon follows.

“T̸͂͜h̴͈̎ë̸̜́ ̸̂͜r̸̻͑i̵̝̇t̵̰̽u̶̻͂ä̶͈́l̷̩͗.̵͉͐.̴̰̒.̷̈́ͅ”

Saga darts around the circular building, gun raised. Her thumb hovers over the button to increase her flashlight’s power, and she forces herself to set aside the worry that it’s due to run out soon. As long as she can take down this other Taken, she would be able to manage. There are more batteries in the jacket pocket which she can access once the danger’s dealt with.

Reaching the other side, she catches sight of the second Taken. Not a cultist this time but, from the look of their jacket through the distorted darkness, a member of the Kalevala Knights. They don’t notice her immediately as they continue to slowly stalk in the other direction around the shop, back toward where Saga had just come from.

Back toward the entrance.

Not a chance.

“Hey! Over here!” She shouts, waving the beam of light over the Knight’s face in an attempt to divert its attention.

They stumble as they’re illuminated and turn to face her. Saga readies herself to increase flashlight power, trigger finger equally prepared, but the Knight has already started to move back on their original path.

“A̶̡̍ ̵̤̋̚s̴͔̔͌a̶̩͕̍c̵̡̽̋r̷͈͌̌i̶̛̙͑f̷̈́ͅi̵̬̊̆c̷̩͉̔e̴͈̓ ̴̰͕̾f̷͉͉̎ŏ̷͔̕͜r̴̫̅ ̵͓̜͐t̶̳͙́͠h̸̬͚̔̓ȩ̴͎̐ ̷̫̒m̷̺̐a̵̗̖̾̉s̶̰̑t̵̻̩̉e̵̠͙͝r̴͖̠̀̿.̵̣̊.̶̜̦̂͠.̵̨͔̓̓”

There’s a second of confusion at the distraction not being effective before Saga boosts the flashlight and unloads the second round into this Taken’s head. Its head is blown off completely, sending blood spraying onto the leaves behind, as well as the remains of the head that fall to the side of the corpse like its own sick little attraction in a theme park that wasn’t that freakish, but also wasn’t far off.

Since Saga had been expecting the light to go out, it doesn’t surprise her when her flashlight flickers into darkness not long after the sound of the shots stop resounding through the quiet area.

She releases the breath she’d been holding and walks over to examine the body. The lack of head makes it impossible to discern any noticeable features, and they don’t seem to have much on them either, apart from the jacket.

It occurs to her that this jacket would probably be a better fit for Kesä than her FBI one, which she’s beginning to realize she really does need back. Even so, she can’t bring herself to take it from the body. Partially because it’s covered in blood, but also because this person was probably innocent and might have treasured that jacket. She isn’t cruel enough to steal possessions from the possessed.

It’s as she kneels there, catching her breath, that her thoughts are interrupted by the sound of glass smashing.

And then a shout. And then a snarl.

“Shit.” Saga murmurs under her breath as she stands and begins to sprint back around the gift shop. “Shit shit shit shit-”

Another cultist Taken, one she hadn’t heard initially, is making its way toward the gift shop entrance, axe in hand. A second axe lies on the ground by the door, surrounded by shards of glass. The door itself is now missing most of its window.

Saga doesn’t think. On autopilot, she leaps to get between the Taken and the door, simultaneously fumbling to reload her gun. She knows she’s going to struggle to take the thing down with a dead flashlight, but she is not letting it get to Casey- or whoever he thinks he is.

“Stay away!” she asserts, more for her own sake than with any sort of expectation that it will listen. She shoots once into its head.

The Taken is only momentarily hindered.

“Shit.” Saga curses again. This is bad.

She’s forced to look down in order to search her pockets for any sort of light source. There must be something, and as long as she stands in between then nothing can get to…

She looks up. The cultist is gone.

“What..?”

She swiftly turns around to see that it had walked around her to reach the door, totally ignoring her presence. Before Saga has the chance to react, it swings its remaining axe into the door, heavily splintering it. She hears another shout from inside.

Panic starts to grab hold of her. She can’t shoot it from this angle without risking hitting Kesä. She’s running out of options. She needs a light.

The Taken raises the axe again. 

“T̷͚͗h̷̜̓è̷̱ ̸̞̎m̵̥͐a̵̖̾s̵̙̽ẗ̷͓́ẻ̴͕r̶͖̐'̶̞͠s̴͊͜ ̵͙͠ć̸̡h̷̭̎ỏ̵̲s̴̩̃e̸̺͒ǹ̷̲ ̶͎̐ŏ̴̳ṅ̵̦ė̵̙!̶̮̓”

Just as it’s about to swing, it suddenly gets pushed back when something hits it square in the head. That something falls to the ground, revealing itself to be a Coffee World coffee mug.

The cultist is not deterred. It snarls angrily, going in for a third attack at the door. Saga doesn’t give it the chance. Her left hand curls around the miraculous flare she finds at the bottom of her left coat pocket. She activates it, hurls it in the Taken’s direction, and then directs all her energy into charging toward it.

“Get away!”

She forcefully grabs the cultist’s cloak and uses the momentum from her run to knock it to the ground. The contact with its coating of darkness sends a surge of something through her. Something heavy, wet and foreign. Something dark, twisted and cruel. 

It only lasts for a moment, though, because the flare does its job. But her victory doesn’t last long. As it falls, the cultist manages to make one last swing that catches Saga in her upper left arm. She only realizes this once she has repeatedly shot the Taken into silence.

Minutes pass as Saga stands by the door, waiting for the sign of the next Taken. Her chest is heavy and her head is spinning and she can feel the blood oozing out of her arm. The adrenaline keeps the pain from reaching her thoughts.

To her utmost relief, after waiting for a reasonable amount of time, there are no further signs of enemies. The flare fizzles out to leave them in darkness once again.

Okay, Saga thinks to herself. New part of the plan: transfer all the ammo into her windbreaker.

She opens the gift shop door, nervously calling out. “Aleksi?”

From what little light filters through inside, she spots him pressed against the back wall of the gift shop, armed with another coffee mug in each hand. He drops them once he realizes it’s her.

Even through darkness, the fear and confusion is evident on his face. "...Mitä helvetin mörköjä nuo oli?"

Saga opens her mouth to respond, but promptly closes it again. Seeing Kesä safe and unharmed starts to make the adrenaline fade from her veins, leaving a sharp pain in her arm in its wake. She starts to feel light-headed.

“Saga?”

She must have been swaying on her feet because, in a flash, Aleksi is by her side and supporting her via her other arm.

“Are you okay?” "Onko kaikki hyvin?" they ask simultaneously.

"Odota. Älä liiku." Says Kesä, his tone indicating that it’s an instruction with no room for debate.

Saga tries to process what he meant while he backs away. However much she tries to focus on Kesä and to form a plan, her thoughts involuntarily drift back to the pain. She carefully uses her right hand to inspect the wound. The axe had sliced through her windbreaker, presumably through her sweater too. Fuck. She’d have to mend that.

Aleksi promptly returns in front of her. He’d managed to find a wooden stool from somewhere. He sets it down, creating a sickening crunch of glass below.

He motions toward the seat. “Istu.”

Now that she can understand. She gratefully sits on it and watches as he scurries behind the counter and bends down. She can hear him rifling through objects.

“Liippasi ihan liian läheltä,” he says. “Pitikö sitä oikein mennä hengellään leikkimään?!” His tone is clearly one of anger, and Saga can’t help but flinch at his raised voice. She instinctively draws back a little, even as he pulls out the first aid kit he finds and walks back toward her.

He opens the box and inspects its contents. Realizing his intention of helping her, Saga does her best to remove the windbreaker and pull her now blood-soaked sweater sleeve to below her shoulder.

There’s no hesitation on her part to do so. She feels comfortable around Casey and he’s seen her look worse. Still, she catches the flash of embarrassment that shoots across his face. He’d always secretly been a gentleman at heart.

She gently prods the wound with the fingers of her other hand. Luckily, it doesn’t seem deep, and is only a few inches long. The Taken must have just clipped her on the way down. It shouldn’t need stitches, she thinks, as she touches the bruised surrounding skin while failing to suppress a hiss of discomfort.

The sound makes Kesä look up. In his hands are a bottle of antiseptic and a roll of gauze. He holds them up in offering.

Saga nods appreciatively. “Thanks, but I can-”

She doesn’t get to finish telling him she can clean it herself since, the second she displays some sort of approval, he douses his own dirtied hands in the antiseptic and then separately pours more onto a gauze pad. Losing the energy to fight, Saga lets him begin to clean and dress the wound.

He starts to talk again while working, still angry.

“Ne mielipuolet peuranaamareissa– eivät ne sinusta välitä, minut ne tahtovat hengiltä. Entä jos se hullu olisi osunut sinua kaulaan? Ethän sinä edes tunne minua, ja silti piti päästä leikkimään sankaria. Minut tässä kirottu on, ei sinua.”

As he talks, Saga makes two observations.

The first is that… he doesn’t sound like her Casey? It’s hard to tell without knowing exactly what he’s saying, but the voice does sound different to her, especially now that he’s speaking more forcefully. It lacks the sharp edge she’s used to hearing alongside a sarcastic comment. There’s almost a softer, airier feel to it that she doesn’t recognize. That scares her.

The second observation is a realization that didn’t occur to her immediately, but now she’s certain of it. Although she doesn’t recognize the voice itself, she does recognize the tone he’s using, and while it is definitely angry, she understands that it isn’t truly directed at her.

The reason the tone is familiar to her is because she’s heard it once before, but from her own mouth. She doesn’t need to comprehend the meaning of the words to know they are tainted with a misdirected blame and an undertone of guilt.

“Don’t blame yourself,” she interrupts, a bittersweet smile forming on her lips. “An axe to the arm is just part of the job.”

He (as expected) doesn’t find her choice of phrase amusing, nor does he react to it in any way as he finishes tightly binding her arm with the gauze. She can hear both of their heavy, shaky breaths mingle in such close proximity to one another. She’s sure he can too. It’s awkward, but only because they’ve run out of words.

It’s endearing. She knows he doesn’t recognize her, and yet he still showed as much concern as Casey normally would. If she takes anything away from this moment, it would be the added strength to her resolve to protect and save him from the story’s twisting of his character.

“I’m fine, Aleksi.” She tries to be reassuring.

She can see the tension start to gradually leave his body. First his strained, angered expression melts away, then his shoulders drop, and lastly his breathing evens out until no trace of his frustration remains.

Icy eyes meet deep brown. So much of what couldn’t be said verbally is conveyed through a look.

“Kiitos... Thank you, Saga.”

That moment is the final chip required to fully shatter the ice between them. If he was suspicious of her intentions before, much of that seemingly dissipates as he surrenders the jacket back to her upon her mimed request. All it took was an axe to the arm. Saga thinks it’s almost poetic in a fucked up way. A twisted mirror of one of the ways she first bonded with Casey.

As well as batteries, a few flares, and the ammo in the jacket pockets, there’s also some painkillers. Saga takes a few (praying that they take effect quickly) before changing the flashlight batteries, standing up, and gesturing to the door.

“Come on, let’s get going. It should be safer now.”

Kesä follows obediently.

She leads him out of the park and through the woods, this time not letting him fall any more than three steps behind. The pain does ease away eventually and it doesn’t take too long before they reach the grassy area she’d parked the car on.

Finally, step one of the makeshift plan was complete.

Leaving Aleksi to stare at the car in some weird form of disbelief that she doesn’t have time to unpack, Saga unlocks the trunk and pulls out one of two small gray bags stored at the very back. After the initial relief of this second bag being in here in the first place, she calls Aleksi over and hands it to him.

He looks confused but trusts her enough to unzip it. He pulls out the uppermost item: a plain white shirt.

Saga gives him the thumbs up. “Go ahead, it’s all yours.”

After a few cases that resulted in ruined clothes, she and Casey had started to keep a spare set each in the car for emergencies. Saga’s pretty sure this counts as an emergency.

Kesä takes out every item individually. Shirt, undershirt, pants, underwear, belt, socks- just the essentials. No shoes, though. Saga makes a mental note to add a pair to the collection for next time.

"Nämähän on minun kokoani." Kesä mumbles to himself as he measures each component against his body. "Mitä helvettiä täällä on meneillään?"

Saga turns to give him the privacy to change while also allowing herself the chance to think things through in her Mind Place. Finding ‘Aleksi Kesä’ adds an entire new train of thought to her case board. There are links to Huotari Well and Watery, and possibly to the Takens’ strange behavior too, but there are too many unanswered questions to discern much else.

As she sees it, there are three options of where to go next. One, she could find a doctor and make sure that Aleksi (and herself) get medical attention. She’d suffered a nasty injury and he’d possibly been submerged in cold water for an extended period of time, let alone the non-impossible chance of brain damage being the cause of his personality shift.

…But something tells her it’s a lot more complicated than that.

Two, she could stop in Watery and find someone to translate for her. The first option of translator that comes to mind is Ilmo, though that idea is quickly dismissed due to current unfortunate circumstances. 

Three, she could drive straight back to Bright Falls Sheriff Station and see if the FBC can help her. Casey had said they deal with unusual cases, right? If this entire situation doesn’t class as unusual, then she doesn’t know what could. Plus, they had Alan there, and she could give him the Clicker and question him on what he did to Logan and Casey once he’s fixed everything.

She takes a quick glance over her shoulder to see Kesä, now in fresh clothes, trying to dry his hair off with his original shirt. The clothes are his, but he looks uncomfortable wearing them.

She decides on option three. The sooner things are back to normal, the better.

Next stop: Bright Falls.

Finnish translations (updated and accurate):

"Mitä helvetin mörköjä nuo oli?" = "What the hell kind of monsters were those?"

"Onko kaikki hyvin?" = "Are you okay?"

"Odota. Älä liiku." = "Wait. Don't move."

"Istu." = "Sit."

“Liippasi ihan liian läheltä." = "That was way too close of a call."

“Pitikö sitä oikein mennä hengellään leikkimään?!” = "Did you have to do something that reckless?"

“Ne mielipuolet peuranaamareissa– eivät ne sinusta välitä, minut ne tahtovat hengiltä." = "Those lunatics in deer mask- they don't care about you, I'm the one they want dead."

"Entä jos se hullu olisi osunut sinua kaulaan?" = "What if that madman had hit you in the neck?"

"Ethän sinä edes tunne minua, ja silti piti päästä leikkimään sankaria." = "You don't even know me, and yet you had to play the hero."

"Minut tässä kirottu on, ei sinua.” = "I'm the one who's cursed here, not you."

"Kiitos." = "Thank you."

"Nämähän on minun kokoani." = "Oh... these are in my size?"

"Mitä helvettiä täällä on meneillään?" = "What the hell is going on here?"

Thanks for reading! Any and all feedback is appreciated :)

#alan wake 2 #alan wake #alan wake 2 spoilers #saga anderson #aleksi kesä #alex casey #cw blood #a piece of true fiction #fanfic

[the-hidden-writer]

next chapter of A Piece of True Fiction should be up tomorrow. tried finishing it tonight but i'm afraid alan sleep is calling

#a piece of true fiction