A little background:
I had a great uncle who passed away recently (cliche, I know. Trust me, it’s not lost on me). I never really knew him growing up. Apparently, he used to be a professor of some kind, though I can’t exactly remember of what, and after going through his belongings, I’m even less sure about what his field of study was. While cleaning out his estate with my mom I stumbled across a box full of letters, the newest of which arrived about a month before he died. Felt bad reading them at first, but now I don’t know what to make of them. There are only a few, and the handwriting is in cursive, so I’ll do my best to transcribe them. I’m hoping maybe someone has some insight or can at least validate me that the vibe of these letters are not normal?
“Dear Dr. Scythe,
I do not mean to skip all pleasantries in this correspondence but recent events leave me with such feverishness to report them to a trusted source, I must skip to exactly what I need to say in order to make sure I get it all down. Much like Johnathan Harker isolated within Dracula’s tower, I feel it is important now more than ever for me to record and report my experiences as soon as they happen so that I may assure myself later that what I have seen and felt are as real and as valid as this letter you now hold in your hands.
I write to you as you are aware that I am not prone to flights of fancy, and that while I am open-minded to many experiences, I approach them, as you yourself have remarked, “like a spider in its web, meticulously mapping the network of secrets.” Ironically, I find myself the subject of a predator that would make a spider’s exoskeleton shiver. I first came across this creature when I was writing my thesis about ancient cultures and their unconventional practices. I had been particularly preoccupied with making a discovery of a secret society or their forgotten rituals.
Dr S, pardon my hopes of grandeur, but it may go without saying that I had started this journey hoping to find proof of something our colleagues haven’t yet. Who in our field doesn’t dream of accomplishing something like this? I know that at least one point early in your career you shared similar aspirations. That said, I don’t think it’s fair to say my ambitions were the sole fuel for this freakish endeavor I embarked on, though they may well have been the catalyst.
I already fear I have given you too little to go on, yet a dangerous amount of information at the same time. I cannot afford to keep on writing at present. I beseech you, keep an eye on the post - I plan on sending you follow-up letters post marked to several forwarded addresses, so it may be a while before each reaches you. This is my concerted effort to keep you and myself safe. Until then,
P.S. Flamma utere, me reperias”
By the way anyone know what that last part means? I don’t think it’s English but I don’t know any other languages. Maybe Spanish?? We’re at his house for the next week or two getting it cleaned out so we can put it up for sale, so I’ll try to transcribe the letters when I have time in between cleaning.
Thanks in advance for anyone who offers their help.