I have been camping at Devil’s Lake on and off all summer. I basically go whenever I have a day or two off. It’s pretty close to my house but far enough away that it feels isolated. Nothing exciting has really happened except I found something at my campsite. A notebook. The front cover says “Bird Watching Journal” with a child’s scrawl of “Olivia’s” above it. It has clearly been out in the elements for a while but I can make out most of the entries. There is a lot of crossing out and rewriting. The handwriting on the front is the same as the inside. There are pages ripped out in the back.
I am going to share the entries here. I don’t know if someone is playing a prank or just messing around, but the content is truly frightening. Needless to say I left Devil’s Lake directly after reading the journal.
Everything from here on out is in the journal. If you don’t like weird shit, please skip it.
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Entry 1
Hello. My name is Olivia. I am eight years old. I am keeping a journal of what I watch.
Today I saw a goldfinch. She looked happy.
I also talked to the hawk, which I don’t like to do. I know I should and I should be nice but he’s not nice. He didn’t see the goldfinch, which makes me happy.
I have to go now, bye!
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Entry 2
I saw a cardinal and a bluejay and a heron. The heron was really pretty and had a baby with her. I didn’t talk to any of them.
Mommy braided my hair and I wanted to put a crow feather in it but she said birds are dirty. Is that true? They are so pretty. Plus they can fly, which is the best thing ever.
I want to fly.
The goldfinch was still here. She is probably camping.
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Entry 3
The hawk found two more today. Not the goldfinch, but two others. They aren’t here anymore.
He didn’t see me in the brushes but after he was done I went to the place and took a trinket. It was a small ring. It fits on my thumb. I like it a lot. I don’t know if that’s okay to take.
I told Daddy and Mommy about my journal but didn’t show them. They make us live out here in the woods. I don’t like it. I would rather be in school. I had friends at school. Mommy said I can make friends with the birds but she also said birds are dirty. I don’t think she knows what the hawk does. Or maybe she does and that’s why we live out here.
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Entry 4
Mommy found my journal and said I shouldn’t talk about them by name so I changed them all to real bird names. She said I don’t understand adult things, but the hawk isn’t an adult either. He’s only sixteen. But he gets to do whatever he wants.
I told him that he can’t have the goldfinch. I met her and she was nice. He wanted to know where she was but I didn’t tell him. I ran away.
I saw the heron again. She still had the baby with her. I told her to run because there was a hawk nearby. She was worried about me and called the police. I told her not to, but she wasn’t listening.
The police never come.
The hawk got her.
Mommy and Daddy moved us to another place.
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Entry 5
I feel scared.
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Entry 6
The hawk got Mommy. Daddy tried to stop him but it was too late. Daddy keeps crying and crying. I told him that the hawk can’t control himself. That’s what he always says to me. But he seems to be mad when I say it. I don’t understand.
I am worried Daddy is going to leave me here alone with the hawk.
I saw the goldfinch again. She was reading a book by a campfire. Her hair is a very pretty yellow color. I have decided I am going to protect her. She saw me looking at her and smiled. She called to me and asked if I wanted to make smores.
I ran away.
I can’t take the risk.
The hawk is really mad. I don’t think he meant to kill Mommy but he got mad. He always gets mad. I hope he doesn’t get too mad at me.
I don’t want to die.
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Entry 7
My brother kills people. Girls. Mommy isn’t here to see this so I can call him whatever I want. His name is Holden and he hurts people for fun. He scares me a lot. He told me he could kill me any time he wanted and that no one would find me because Mommy and Daddy love him more than me.
That’s what happened to my sister, Grace.
She’s buried at our old house. I hope someone finds her. I miss her a lot. She used to like bird watching. She said birds were scared a lot too, but they could fly away if things got scary.
Daddy told me I never had a sister.
I wonder if Grace might have looked like the goldfinch when she grew up. They both have blond hair.
Daddy isn’t speaking right now. He carries a shovel everywhere he goes.
I can’t sleep.
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Entry 8
Dear Ms. Goldfinch,
I am leaving this by your campsite so you can help me. Daddy is gone and Holden is looking for me. I am afraid he will do to me what he did to Grace and all those girls.
You seem like a nice person. Can I come home with you? I promise I am not like my brother. I am nice. I won’t ever be bad.
If you read this and want to help, maybe you could find me? I am going to try to go back home. I have ripped some pages out and will leave them places. Maybe you will find them and me. Just don’t get caught. Holden is mean and he knows about you.
I’m sorry. This is my fault.
My name is Olivia. If you ever meet me you will know my name and I will ask yours. I bet it is beautiful.
It is dark so I don’t know if I’m writing this right. I am going to go now.
I hope to see you soon.
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Sorry, me again. (I guess you can call me Goldfinch? Olivia clearly did.) Rewriting all of that was really hard. I am rethinking my choice to leave. Should I go back and find her? Should I call the cops? This could all be a prank but if there really is a little girl out there all alone…..I don’t know. What should I do?