Candle Face Spirit Bottles: Glitter Protection or a Trap?

January 13, 2025

Main Subjects: Candle Face

• The Master Shadow

Yesterday, I had a meeting with the GenX Paranormal Investigations team to discuss the fugitives I've been working to protect. I explained that I'd managed to place the fugitives into small glass bottles filled with glitter. The glitter, I told them, was meant to mask their energy, making them harder to detect if the Master Shadow decided to inspect my house again.

There are 31 bottles in total, each holding a fugitive. To ensure their safety, I'd moved all but one to a friend's house in Austin. My reasoning was simple: if the Master Shadow returned and grew suspicious about the bottles, he might destroy or take them. By relocating them, I hoped to avoid that risk.

When I shared this plan, Aaron and his team listened intently. There were moments of hesitation on their part, though. I could feel it. They're experienced enough to question any seemingly simple solution, and the glitter-filled bottles were no exception. They raised concerns through pointed questions, asking whether the glitter might amplify the fugitives' energy. I'd chosen glitter because it seemed innocuous, something that would mask their energy by appearing harmless, like a child's craft project. But now, I'm questioning whether my reasoning was too simplistic. Their skepticism planted seeds of doubt in my mind.

One thing I've always appreciated about the group is their honesty, even when it's difficult to hear. They're not afraid to point out flaws in my ideas, and this time was no different. They suggested that corking the bottles might not be enough to hold the spirits in place. I half-joked that if the genie from I Dream of Jeannie couldn't escape a bottle with a cork, why should these spirits be able to? Besides, these spirits volunteered to get in the bottles for their own safety. But their silence after my comment wasn't reassuring. The humor fell flat.

To address their concerns, I told them I was considering sealing the bottles with hot wax, similar to how they harvest spirits in custom-made boxes. The idea of handling molten wax around spirits that might be stronger than I realized didn't sit well with me. Still, it might be necessary. Before the night was over, I'd made up my mind. I would seal the bottle I kept with hot wax, then seal the rest at Michael's house the next time I'm in Austin.

The group wanted to know what I planned to do next. I shared my intention to spread the bottles across the country. The thought behind this was simple: if any energy escapes the bottles, keeping them all in one place would create a concentration of power that the Master Shadow might detect. The Master Shadow did notice their collective energy when they were in my attic. But if I scattered them, their combined energy would be too diffuse to draw attention. In my mind, it was the safest way to ensure the fugitives' survival and eventual freedom.

I expected some level of agreement or reassurance, but instead, their reaction caught me off guard. They warned me that this plan might be exactly what Candle Face wanted. The possibility that the spirits in the bottles were part of a larger scheme to spread Candle Face's power across the country was terrifying. They speculated that I could be playing into her hands without realizing it.

What if the spirits I've been protecting aren't what they claim to be? What if their presence in the bottles is part of a trap, a way for Candle Face to use me as an unwitting accomplice? If Candle Face is already using me as a writer to spread her story, could she also be orchestrating this plan with the fugitives? Still, I can't bring myself to believe it completely. I've spoken with the leader of the fugitives. They've shared their desperation to escape Candle Face's Lair and their fear of being caught by the Master Shadow. It felt real. But then again, what if they're just better at lying than I am at detecting it?

I can't let this uncertainty paralyze me. For now, I'm sticking to my plan. The fugitives, if that's truly what they are, will be scattered. I've already started mapping out potential Guardians, considering places where the bottles can be hidden without drawing suspicion and where the energy signatures won't overlap.

What if spreading the bottles creates a network, a web that strengthens Candle Face's power?

I keep coming back to one question: Why did the fugitives choose me? Was it simply because I've been vocal about my efforts to free the lost souls? Or was there something more deliberate about their decision? How could the fugitives escape in the first place? When I walked through Candle Face's Lair, most of them were in some kind of torture chamber or device. Wouldn't the shadows know they were missing? The leader of the fugitives seemed sincere when explaining why they needed to hide in the bottles, but sincerity can be a mask, too.

There's one more thing. Near the end of the meeting, I asked the group about Isabel and the Children of Isabel. None of them had heard of either, but one member found something online. I'm not ready to write about it yet. I need to understand what I'm looking at first.

The Master Shadow promised he would return, and I know he will. I don't know when it will happen, but I can feel its inevitability. Whether these bottles hold fugitives or Candle Face's shadows, I need to be ready. Every decision I make feels like a gamble. If I'm wrong about any of this, the consequences could be catastrophic.