Transcripts from the Audio Diaries of researcher Dr. David Smalls

Subject: Matthew Daley

Source: Los Angeles Police Department

 

Natural Observation Case 347: Subject: Matthew Daley Date :October 3^rd 2015

Matthew’s parents are concerned about him, they say he’s spend his days playing a video game he received in the mail recently and done little else. There are obvious concerns that this might be the infamous deadly video game that’s been circling around recently. It took some convincing but I finally got them to agree to let me study the effects the game has on him without his knowledge. All under the guise of trying to find a way to stop the negative effects from happening, of course.

 

Natural Observation Case 347: Subject: Matthew Daley Date: October 5^th 2015

The hidden cameras have all been set up around the house. I have several in Matthew’s bedroom, and scattered all around the house. For obvious reasons, I’ve placed no cameras in the house’s bathrooms. Matthew has no idea what is happening and I’ll be able to watch his every move moving forward.

 

Natural Observation Case 347: Subject: Matthew Daley Date: October 9^th 2015

Matthew came home from school today and went immediately to his room and put the headset on. For a second I thought the footage froze but I confirmed with several of the cameras in his room that there was no error. Matthew spent the hours of 5pm to 2am sitting completely still in his chair, headset on. At one point his mother walked in to ask him if he wanted dinner, she was ignored completely.

 

Natural Observation Case 347: Subject: Matthew Daley Date: October 12^th 2015

Today I witnessed Matthew urinate himself while sitting in his chair. Not once during the process did he flinch or even attempt to make his way to the restroom. The footage shows the true addictive nature this game must have. To deny one’s own primal needs so blatantly. I’ve never seen anything like it.

 

Natural Observation Case 347: Subject: Matthew Daley Date: October 16th^th 2015

Up until now I have instructed Matthew’s parents to leave Matthew to his own devices. I’ve assured them I would tell them should any dangerous activities present themselves. I was able to convince them that the defecation and urination was typical behavior in situations such as these. Well, no one ever won a Nobel prize being honest.

 

Natural Observation Case 347: Subject: Matthew Daley Date: October 20th^th 2015

Matthew did not play his game today. Instead he walked straight up to one of my cameras and stared into it for four hours. I could feel his gaze on me the entire time. It was the hardest footage I’ve had to watch thus far.

 

Natural Observation Case 347: Subject: Matthew Daley Date: October 24^h 2015

Matthew knows he is being watched. That much is clear, he has taken to not playing the game in his bedroom anymore but taking it to the restroom where he knows I am not watching. I will not let this experiment get away from me. Perhaps it’s time to start pulling some more strings.

 

Natural Observation Case 347: Subject: Matthew Daley Date: October 27^h 2015

I instructed Matthew’s parents to confiscate the game. I have never seen such rage before. As soon as they lifted the headset off his head Matthew attacked like a feral dog, thrashing wildly, knocking over his desk and charging at his mother. If it wasn’t for his dad tackling him to the ground and holding him there I have no doubt that he would have tried to kill his mother.

 

Natural Observation Case 347: Subject: Matthew Daley Date: October 28^h 2015

Matthew sat in his bed all day today holding his knees and rocking back and forth. His parents took everything from him. The boy has completely lost it and at first I thought it was time to call the ambulances. Then he began muttering to himself. It was the same two words over and over again. When I played the audio back a chill ran down my spine. He was repeating my name.

 

Natural Observation Case 347: Subject: Matthew Daley Date: October 31st 2015

Matthew has disappeared. At approximately midnight every last one of my cameras went black, two minutes later the images returned and Matthew was no where to be found. His parents have finally given in and called the police. A wise decision.

 

Natural Observation Case 347: Subject: Matthew Daley Date: November 7^th 2015

Matthew visited me tonight. I woke up at 3 in the morning to a knocking at my door. I went to look through my peephole and heard him immediately, still repeating my name. I told him to go home or that I was going to call the police. He didn’t stop. I called the police and they showed up 20 minutes later to find no trace of the boy. All that they found was a small unmarked package on my doorstep. Inside was Matthew’s video game.

 

Natural Observation Case 347: Subject: Matthew Daley Date: November 10th^th 2015

Matthew visits me every night at 3:00 am. Every night I am woken up to the whispers of my name from outside my door, the police are sending an officer to stay in my home tonight, to try and catch him when he returns.

 

 

The final audio diary has never been released by the investigators. Purportedly it begins with Matthew arriving at the door at 3:00 am and what follows is the gruesome murder of David Smalls and Officer James Howell. The contents have been deemed too disturbing for the public and there are no plans to release the tape in the immediate future. Matthew Daley remains missing.

Medical Restricted

Montana Health Department

Division of Mental Health Services

 

Identification of Patient:

• Fifteen years old
• Caucasian male
• Single
• First year high school student
• Lives at home with both parents (married) and two sisters (ages six and ten)

 

Referral Source: Dr. Delfino Cordez, MD (through the inquisition of the patient’s parents)

 

Sources of Information:

• Karen Stowe and Mark Stowe (the patient’s parents)
• Karen, an accountant, and Mark, an architect, both appear to be reliable sources of information.
• Several phone calls with Karen lasting from one half to a full hour in the month prior to the first assessment of the patient.
• One half-hour interview with both Karen and Mark in office one week prior to the first assessment of the patient.
• Medical records
• This is the patient’s third evaluation.

 

Chief Complaint: The patient states that he does not need to be evaluated. When asked to explain, the patient says that he is “still fine” and otherwise remains silent. The patient has again been brought to this facility for a third evaluation by his parents for worsening behavioral changes including irritability and anger, a decline in school performance, insomnia, a withdrawal from normal activities and social relationships, failure to eat, and an unhealthy obsession with a new video game. Noticeably small changes at home began in November with mild mood swings and reclusive inclinations. The severe effects of poor school performance, malnutrition, a propensity for violence, lack of sleep, memory loss, and the fixation on the game began to emerge at the end of the month of December and only seem to have increased over this month of January.

 

History of Present Illness: The patient has been receiving services at this facility over the past two months under my care. Historically, he has found that he is often distracted and unable to focus for long periods of time. His parents relate that they became aware of this struggle and lack of ability to concentrate when he was ten years old. After many conferences with the patient’s elementary and middle school teachers, the patient’s parents finally had him tested for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Symptoms of poor school performance, minimal motivation, absentmindedness, and the inability to remain actively engaged and involved in day-to-day actives have greatly improved with treatment that began in October 2010. The patient has had no troubles for five years. However, suddenly the patient’s medication does not seem to slow the arrival of both old and new problems as of November 2015. The patient is often not present mentally. He seems far away and disconnected from the conversation or task at hand. This detachment and disinterest has been increasing with time. It began with decisions to forgo simple social outings with friends and has developed to include weekly school absences, a refusal to join the family for gatherings during the Christmas holidays, and the confinement of himself to his room. Food has not only become unappetizing, but also recently toxic. The patient either chooses not to eat or involuntarily regurgitates all that he consumes. The patient has lost twelve pounds since the last evaluation two and a half weeks ago. The patient’s parents report that the dark circles under his eyes and his lifeless demeanor and appearance stem from insomnia and malnutrition. Over the months the patient’s sleep has diminished from four hours a night, to two hours a night, to now around four hours per week. The patient’s parents convey that he spends all of his time and sleepless nights alone in his room either playing his game or staring at it in silence. Symptoms of verbal aggression began with minor incidents at school. These incidents have now escalated to encompass fits of uncontrollable physical violence and verbal threats that exist in all aspects of daily life. The patient “does not become angry, he becomes infuriated at anything….with everything,” Karen said. According to the patient’s parents, violent behavior is most common when in connection to the game and namely, attempts to confiscate it from the patient. The patient also exhibits periods of memory loss. The patient often disappears anywhere from hours to days at a time. Upon return, the patient reports that he “never left [his] bedroom.” The patient claims that he has “been upstairs playing [his] game the whole time.” However, the patient’s shoes, clothing, and documented history of credit card charges imply otherwise. Review of symptoms suggests something greater than the return of an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The symptoms of the patient suggest that something in his life has changed. An unidentified stimulus has generated the sudden onset of such behaviors.

 

Psychiatric History: The patient has never been hospitalized for a psychiatric purpose. The patient was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in October 2010 at the age of ten by Dr. Samantha Brock, MD of Riverside Medical.

 

Substance Abuse History: NONE

 

Medical History: See History of Present Illness. Ongoing nausea, upset stomach, vomiting since the end of November 2015. The patient suffered from a broken wrist and two broken fingers from a bicycle accident in June 2007 (age seven). No reports of head trauma or seizures.

 

Surgeries: Adenoids and Tonsils Removed August 2003 (age three)

 

Allergies: NONE

 

Current Medications: Prescription – Vyvanse 30 mg daily (a.m.)

 

Family Medical History: The patient’s paternal grandfather diagnosed with lung cancer at age sixty-five. The patient’s father suffers from hypertension. No family history of heart disease or diabetes. No family history of psychiatric disorders.

 

Spiritual Beliefs: Christian

 

Employment: Student

 

Legal: No legal problems.

 

Hobbies: The patient plays baseball and likes to be outdoors (prior to the problems that emerged in November 2015). “Now all he wants to do is play that game. I’m not even sure where he got it or who gave it to him. He has never shown an interest in video games until this one came along,” reported Karen.

 

Education: The patient’s parents relate that the patient is (was) very social. He had many friends and was always well liked. He never had any problems with anyone. He had a good relationship with all of his teachers. The patient’s parents reported that the patient did not always make straight A’s, but he never made below a B+ (until now). “He had to work for his grades. But that’s what is important to note. He always worked for it. He usually puts all his effort, every ounce of his being, into everything he does. Now he doesn’t seem to care about anything. Not school, not his friends, not even his own health,” said Mark.

 

Mental Status Examination: The patient is five minutes late to his appointment. According to the patient’s parents, the patient refused to get in the car. The patient locked himself inside his room and barricaded his door with his bed. It is reported that the patient violently screamed and threatened to injure his parents when they finally managed to open his door. “Once I finally got a hold of his thrashing arms, I noticed that he was foaming at the mouth. He was uncontrollable. He was shaking from the anger. His cheeks were red, his back was wet with sweat, and he was hot to the touch. When I looked into his eyes, I didn’t recognize my son anymore,” explained Mark. The patient is unclean. His unwashed and thinning hair is dark with grease, his body emits a foul odor, and his fingernails are uncut and yellow with bacteria. His clothes hang two sizes too big off of his small and continually shrinking frame. The patient’s pale and weak demeanor ages his young body. The patient is not cooperative and does not maintain good eye contact. He is not alert. When he is not looking at his hands, mumbling in anger, he stares through me, only seeing the thoughts in his head. The patient’s gaze often scans the room, back and forth, as if he is watching a very different scene unfold. He is distant. His reactions and speech are slow. It seems that a response is only generated after the question is repeated for the third time. The patient’s educational history reveals that his intelligence is above average. However, he offers little explanation and insight when asked for interpretations of various pictures, readings, or questions. When asked why, the patient often responds: “I don’t know or I don’t care.” Although the patient displays a good short-term memory when asked to recall a series of phrases previously stated, the patient denies any memory of purchasing batteries four days ago. The patient denies any behavioral changes, mood swings, irritability, and physical transformation. As questions about the video game begin, the patient once again becomes fidgety. The patient finally discloses that he found the game in his backpack at school on October 31, 2015. When asked about the need and desire he has to play the game, the patient quickly shouts, “I have to. I have to play it. I have to play.” The escalation from a calm and detached disposition to one of rage is noted to both occur more quickly and with more intensity each successive evaluation.

 

Clinical Impression: The patient is a fifteen year-old Caucasian male with no family history of any psychiatric disorders. He has no history of substance or family abuse. The patient benefited from the treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in October 2010. Although medical treatment has been successful, the patient now displays troubling symptoms in addition to and greater than that of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

 

Diagnoses:

• AXIS I: Rule out PTSD. Rule out Bipolar Disorder. Rule out Panic Disorder. Rule out Depression.
• AXIS II: Rule out Borderline Personality Disorder
• AXIS III: History of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
• AXIS IV: Psychosocial Stressors: The patient’s behavioral changes began after he acquired the new game. The patient’s obsession to the game is the catalyst to his arising problems.
• AXIS V: GAF: 11. Declining with time.

 

Prognosis: Good, if the patient adheres to treatment. The patient will continue to display physical, mental, and emotional degradation without the correct assistance from his treatment plan.

 

Treatment Plan: The patient is to return to this facility for evaluations every week. We will check the patients weight and blood pressure. We will examine the patient’s alertness, mental presence, response time, cooperation, judgment, and emotional stability. We have discussed treatment options for the patient’s parents to implement at home regarding the video game. We also have discussed hospitalization.

 

Dr. Brett Boline

3 January 2015

Coroner’s Report

 

Patient Name: [REDACTED]

Patient Age: ██

Location: █████████, Texas

Date: 10/14/20██

Cause of Death: Unknown

 

Notes: Patient is a male of age ██. Height is 6 feet 2 inches, weight is 210 pounds. Patient’s cells appear to be in a state of advanced necrosis considering the time of death reported to be less than 48 hours past. Skin exhibits a deep pallor common among cadavers that have been expired for extended periods of time. The patient did not exhibit any external wounds indicative of the cause of death, but internal organs appeared to have ceased function long before the patient expired. Samples were taken of the patient’s blood and spinal fluid to investigate for clues as to what may have caused his death. Analysis of the blood revealed little, although the presence of [REDACTED]; however, the patient’s spinal fluid contained a formerly unknown prion, the structure of which was many times more complex than any seen before. Further testing of the prion is underway to determine what effects it may have had on the patient and to test for its virulence. See Addendum 01-A for further details. Of note was that the patient underwent several bouts of reinvigorated brain activity during autopsy. These caused sporadic movement in the extremities and rapid movement of the eyes, including extreme dilation of the pupils. These spasms occurred twice, the first of which lasted roughly 30 seconds and the second lasting almost a full minute. It was after this that the brain was removed for testing, and from that point no further spasms were noted. Samples were taken from the patient’s stomach and found to include the flesh of █████████. Samples were sent to the lab for further analysis.

 

Addendum 01-A: After extensive testing, it was determined that the prion discovered in the patient’s spinal fluid could very well have been the cause of death. Cultures were replicated in order to experiment on various subjects. It appears that the prion has absolutely no effect on most forms of life, simply entering a state of hibernation until transmitted to a human host.  Preliminary tests indicate that once infected with the prion, victims undergo the following phases.

 

0 – 12 Hours: Victim will notice few if any symptoms. These may include fever, sweating, dilation of the pupils, and vomiting.

12 – 24 Hours: Victim will begin to notice increased onset of symptoms, ranging from severe restlessness to acute paranoia. Subjects were noted to refuse any and all food offered to them, often violently attacking attending staff and attempting to [REDACTED].

24+ Hours: [REDACTED]

 

Addendum 01-B: [ACCESS RESTRICTED]

On 10/16/20██, security staff responded to a report that there was an intruder located in the morgue. First response teams arrived on the scene to find [REDACTED]. Casualties were recorded at ██ security staff members and █ research staff that were still within the building. All remains were incinerated with extreme prejudice.

 

Addendum 01-C: [ACCESS RESTRICTED]

Further analysis of the prion and ensuing infection have revealed that the main vector of infection is the bodily fluid of the infected. Most commonly this involves saliva entering a new victim from bite wounds inflicted by the infected. Once infected, there appears to be no way to reverse the progression to the final phase outside of early termination, and even then the infected must be left in a state which prohibits any and all mental activity, the most effective method found to date being incineration. It is currently theorized that an outbreak of this infection would be catastrophic if not responded to immediately.

Here is a link to our central narrative, presented in the form of a teenager’s blog:

https://dissocalledlife.wordpress.com/