The strange journal of Tibious Frog Jones

Billy closes the strange book. It isn’t anything like he first thought. After setting it aside, he makes a mental note to take it home after work. It is unusual, and something else. He adjusts the blueprints on his desk. In fact, the particular detail he is searching for is close. He can feel it. Speaking of feelings, unsettled. That is what the strange book he found, has him feeling.

The building at 369 Milton Avenue arrived in the early fifties. For seventy years it stood on this corner. The corner of Milton and Main. It has been home to countless families and young professionals for decades. Furthermore, at fifteen stories high it is one of the tallest structures in this part of the city. Due to its age and its storied history, it escaped complete demolition. Thanks to the city council, the building was getting a slight retrofit.

It is an upgrade by way of remodel. Billy’s company, Morning Star demolition, has the demolition contract. The selective demolition. The city council and the city’s Historical Society declared the structure of the building a historical artifact. Therefore, it was to be remodeled and repurposed. However, repurposed for what, Billy couldn’t say. He had the demolition contract, not the rebuild.

The Strange Journal

They were two weeks into the job when Billy found the strange journal. They were at the ground floor opening up the twenty apartments on this level. Billy’s team is moving from the ground up. Likewise, Billy has another team on the top floors working their way down. The plan is to meet in the middle. It’s a good plan and they are right on schedule, until they come to apartment 001.

Closest to the basement level, the apartment also sits adjacent to the elevator. Perhaps that is why the original contractor reinforced the walls of the apartment. It explains some of the oddness of the place, but not why every wall in the apartment is built like a steel bulkhead. Furthermore, it’s the only apartment in the building with these features. And that wasn’t all. Billy thinks back to earlier today. They were in the middle of stripping the walls in 001when they found the safe.

The safe was hidden in the wall. In other words, it was made to be inaccessible. Not only was this odd, but also completely unexpected. Billy’s read stories about hidden wall safes. Even heard stories about things other superintendents have found in old buildings. Things like old coins, or bundles of old forgotten cash. His find wasn’t anything as elaborate as hidden gold or lost cash hoards. Indeed, what he found was an old handwritten journal.

Tibious Frog Jones

An old handwritten journal that once belonged to Tibious Frog Jones. Additionally the journal has a date of June 13th, 1958 on the inside of its front cover. The date is just under the name. What strikes Billy as odd, is the journal belongs to the original owner of the building. Which means apartment 001 was once the owner’s suite. The current year is 2024. Billy does some quick math and comes up with sixty six. Had the owner of the building lived here for sixty six years? Then that must be how old the journal is.

It was all very interesting. And also distracting. His mind keeps going back to the random page he read in the journal.

From the Journal of Tibious Frog Jones

August 15,1974: Apartment 717 – Jerry is back. It took less time than I expected. I felt surprised to see him back so soon. I would have thought his world would have kept him longer. And he still isn’t aware that I know he’s a shape shifter. And the fascinating thing is Jerry isn’t the only one. Furthermore, they are all certain no one knows they are from other planets. I have trouble with it too. Sometimes I’m scared as hell. However, I seem to be safe as long as I keep what I know to myself.

I’m actually more concerned with the new tenant in 1103. As detailed in the pages before this one, I know everything that happens inside 369 Milton Avenue. However, this one is beyond my abilities. It’s as though a vacuum surrounds the woman. Apartment 1103 has never had problems before this tenant moved in. Now it has short circuits and plumbing problems every other day. Furthermore, the neighbors are asking for an intervention.

Imagine that, an intervention. All because there are screams in the night. If they only knew what happened in apartments 1332 and 1333, they most likely would move out. Immediately. Even though I know, I don’t know. I only know what I see. Furthermore, I’ve no way of proving what I see. And I’ve seen some of these protect their secrets with a vengeance.

The Narrator

Billy leaves the job site late. They are pushing to get a stage completion before the end of the week. He is ten minutes away from the site when he remembers the journal. It’s in his briefcase. There is a pull toward the book when he thinks about it. How had this Tibious Frog Jones known the things he wrote in the journal? Was it all made up? Furthermore, why was it hidden where it couldn’t be accessed?

He catches movement in the road and slams on his brakes. The shock of the sudden braking causes the tires to lose their grip and the vehicle shrieks to a stop. But not before Billy sees the shadowy shape dart into the woods. It moved too fast for a human. He feels his nerves catch up with him and his hands start to shake. That was a close one. He almost hit…whatever was in the road.

At home he washes up and has dinner. It will be an early start tomorrow. With this in mind, he settles into his easy chair and opens the old leather bound journal. He decides to begin at the beginning. So he opens the book to page one, dated September the 2nd 1959.

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