Candle Face's Codex: The Lost Souls' Secret Messages

June 1, 2024

Main subjects:

• The Lost Souls

• Candle Face

Just as Crystal told me last week, I need to pay more attention to the testimonies. So I applied Ramsey Theory to the spirits’ testimonies and searched the text for hidden words and phrases.

Ramsey Theory is named after the British mathematician Frank P. Ramsey. It deals with the point at which order starts to appear inside what first looks random. It’s usually discussed in mathematics and computer science, but the basic idea is familiar to intelligence work as well. When enough material is laid out in front of you, patterns start to show. One literary example appears in Moby-Dick by Herman Melville, published in 1851. By applying Ramsey Theory to Moby-Dick, researchers were able to identify hidden words and phrases tied to the novel’s central concerns.

1. “VENGEANCE” The word “VENGEANCE” can be found hidden in the text, fitting Captain Ahab’s relentless pursuit of the whale, Moby Dick. Ahab’s drive for vengeance pushes the story forward and shows the destructive force of obsession. This hidden word points back to the novel’s treatment of revenge and its consequences for Ahab and his crew.

2. “MADNESS” The word “MADNESS” is another hidden message found in Moby Dick. It points to the psychological unraveling of Captain Ahab and the crew during their voyage. Madness runs through the novel and tracks the line between sanity and insanity as Ahab’s obsession with Moby Dick consumes him and affects the men around him.

These hidden words, found through the application of Ramsey Theory, align with the novel’s central themes and character motives. They show how a long text can hold recurring patterns beneath its surface.

I used the same approach on Candle Face Chronicles: The Lost Souls [Book One]. I removed spaces, punctuation, and formatting from the text, then searched for words in multiple directions: up, down, backward, and diagonal. That search turned up a large number of words and phrases. Some appeared in every direction, which is why they drew my attention first. This journal entry examines the strongest of those words and phrases, what they may mean, and what they may suggest about the Lost Souls’ testimonies.

Ramsey Theory Analysis

After removing spaces, punctuation, and formatting from Candle Face Chronicles: The Lost Souls [Book One] and searching for words up, down, backward, and diagonal, I found a large number of recurring words and phrases. Some stood out because they appeared in every direction, which may mean they matter more than the others. These words include “MAMA,” “FIRE,” “LOVE,” “SAFE,” “BURN,” “SCARE,” “NIGHT,” “TIGHT,” “GIRL,” and “SAD.” Each may point to something important in the Lost Souls’ testimonies.

Analysis of Key Words and Phrases Found in All Directions:

1. “MAMA” Found 9 times in all directions, “MAMA” may point to the repeated presence of maternal figures in the testimonies. In “Candle Face Victim #2: Mama’s Last Embrace,” the young girl’s testimony centers on her mother’s protection and the separation that followed. This hidden word is more likely to refer to the young girl from the testimony of Tanisha Lorraine Watkins. Its repeated appearance may also matter for another reason. It raises the question of whether Candle Face’s past involved a significant maternal bond that was damaged or broken.

2. “FIRE” Found 22 times in all directions, “FIRE” is tied directly to Candle Face’s story and the trauma surrounding her. The fire on Ben Howell Drive in Austin, Texas, which claimed the life of a young boy and may have involved Candle Face herself, is a major event in my memoir The Empty Lot Next Door. The repeated appearance of “FIRE” suggests that this event sits close to the center of the spirits’ stories and their trauma. If that’s true, then understanding what really happened in that fire may be necessary if I’m going to understand Candle Face or stop her.

3. “LOVE” Found 12 times in all directions, “LOVE” seems out of place at first in testimonies filled with fear and suffering. But the word may point to the bonds the spirits held onto in life. In “Mama’s Last Embrace,” the bond between the young girl and her mother stands in direct conflict with what Candle Face does. The repeated appearance of “LOVE” suggests that attachment, loyalty, and loss play a larger role in these testimonies than I first assumed.

4. “SAFE” Appearing 21 times in all directions, “SAFE” lines up with one of the clearest needs in these testimonies: the desire to be protected, sheltered, or left in peace. Many of the spirits speak as if safety was lost long before death. This word may point to a condition that has to be restored before the spirits can rest.

5. “BURN” Found 28 times in all directions, “BURN” is tied so directly to Candle Face that it’s hard to separate it from her. The word points to literal burning and the lasting damage she leaves on people. Its repeated appearance may lead back to Candle Face’s central trauma and to whatever keeps that trauma active.

6. “SCARE” Appearing 8 times in all directions, “SCARE” points to the role fear plays in how Candle Face controls her victims. The testimonies are filled with terror, and that fear is part of how she holds power over them. If that reading is correct, then fear may be part of the mechanism she uses.

7. “NIGHT” Found 8 times in all directions, “NIGHT” may refer to the time when Candle Face is most active and when the spirits come to me. The word may be practical as much as symbolic. Much of what I have learned from the Lost Souls has happened at night, which makes its repeated appearance hard to dismiss.

8. “TIGHT” Appearing 10 times in all directions, “TIGHT” may refer to physical restraint, emotional pressure, or the way fear closes in on the spirits. It may also point to the bonds between the spirits and the people they loved, bonds Candle Face seeks to destroy. This word suggests pressure, confinement, and attachment all at once.

9. “GIRL” Found 12 times in all directions, “GIRL” points back to Candle Face herself and to many of her victims, several of whom are young girls. The repeated appearance of this word stands out because so much of this case turns on girls, mothers, and the loss of safety at a young age. That pattern may hold clues to Candle Face’s motives.

10. “SAD” Found 33 times in all directions, “SAD” captures the emotional tone that runs through nearly every testimony. Grief, loss, and longing sit at the center of these stories. The frequency of this word suggests that sorrow is built into the structure of the testimonies themselves.

Hidden Phrases in Spirit’s Testimonies

Single words can point in a direction. Full phrases are harder to dismiss as chance and more likely to show intent. The following phrases were found using Ramsey Theory and may offer clearer clues than the single words alone:

1. “ISAWMMAMA” (direction = down) This appears to be a compressed version of “I SAW [MY] MAMA.” It likely points to a memory tied to the little girl in “Mama’s Last Embrace.” It could mark a moment of comfort, trauma, or recognition. In a more disturbing reading, it could mean that her mother is also in Candle Face’s Lair and that the little girl saw her there.

2. “HOMEMOBILEROUS” (direction = down) This phrase likely points to a mobile home, which aligns with the little girl’s testimony in “Mama’s Last Embrace” and her account of living in a mobile home with her mother and grandmother. Its appearance reinforces the setting of that testimony and the instability tied to it.

3. “THEREMYGRANNY” (direction = up) Translating to “THERE MY GRANNY,” this phrase appears to point to the grandmother’s presence and importance in the spirit’s life. In “Mama’s Last Embrace,” Granny is a source of love and security. Another hard possibility is that her grandmother is also in Candle Face’s Lair and that the little girl saw her there.

4. “THEREMYGRANNYMA” (direction = down) Similar to “THEREMYGRANNY,” this phrase may read as “THERE MY GRANNY [AND MY] MA[MA],” again placing the grandmother and mother together. It may point to the combined importance of those maternal figures in the spirit’s life. It could also mean that the little girl saw both of them in Candle Face’s Lair.

5. “EYESLOVEONEMORE” (direction = diagonal upper right to bottom left) This phrase may point to a last look, a final plea, or the desire for one more moment of love and recognition. The wording is compressed, but the emotional direction is clear.

6. “SCAREREALTOUGHT” (direction = diagonal upper left to bottom right written backward) This phrase likely points to real fear. The spelling is rough, but the meaning appears clear enough. It reinforces the terror Candle Face instills in her victims and the fact that this fear feels immediate and physical.

7. “DONTPLEASEDONT” (direction = down) This phrase likely captures a direct plea. Of all the phrases found, this one is among the hardest to explain away. It sounds like a spirit begging for the pain to stop.

8. “TRELEE” (direction = up) This appears to be either an incomplete phrase or a name. A Google search shows that “TRELEE” is used as a first name. Without more context, I can’t say more than that. It may still point to a specific spirit, person, or place.

9. “TEXAS” (direction = down) The appearance of “TEXAS” confirms the geographical setting of all of the spirits’ testimonies. So far, every story points back to Texas, especially Austin, and this phrase reinforces the importance of location in the larger pattern.

Analysis of Hidden Phrases

The hidden phrases found in Candle Face Chronicles: The Lost Souls [Book One] point most clearly in four directions:

• Familial Connections: Phrases like “ISAWMMAMA,” “THEREMYGRANNY,” and “THEREMYGRANNYMA” point back to mothers and grandmothers, especially in “Mama’s Last Embrace.” If that reading is correct, then the female family line in that testimony plays a larger role than I first realized.

• Settings and Context: “HOMEMOBILEROUS” and “TEXAS” provide details about the settings of the spirits’ lives and deaths. The reference to a mobile home fits the testimony connected to Tanisha Lorraine Watkins and grounds that story in a specific place and living situation. “TEXAS” places the broader pattern inside a clear regional setting.

• Emotional States: Phrases like “EYESLOVEONEMORE,” “SCAREREALTOUGHT,” and “DONTPLEASEDONT” point to longing, fear, and desperation. These emotions run through the testimonies and shape the spirits’ experience.

• Desperation and Fear: The repeated pleading and fear, especially in “SCAREREALTOUGHT” and “DONTPLEASEDONT,” show the helplessness the Lost Souls carry. These phrases point to sustained psychological torment.

Taken together, these phrases suggest that the testimonies contain a second layer of information. They point to identity, relationships, memory, and emotional condition. They may also point to ways of understanding Candle Face’s hold on the spirits and, possibly, ways of weakening it.

Interpretation of the Hidden Messages

The words found in all directions in Candle Face Chronicles: The Lost Souls [Book One] appear to point toward two connected issues: Candle Face’s identity and the conditions that might weaken her power. Maternal ties (“MAMA”), fire (“FIRE”), and the repeated need for safety and love (“SAFE,” “LOVE”) keep pulling me back to Candle Face’s past, especially her relationship with her mother and the events of the fire. Fear (“SCARE”), sadness (“SAD”), and night (“NIGHT”) point to the conditions in which she operates and the emotional state she creates.

The repeated appearance of “GIRL” is also important. It points back to Candle Face and to many of her victims, several of whom are young girls. That pattern could help explain her motives and choice of victims.

If these patterns are real, then the testimonies may be pointing toward more than memory. The unresolved grief, fear, and attachment running through them may be tied to how Candle Face keeps these souls trapped in her Lair.

The application of Ramsey Theory to Candle Face Chronicles: The Lost Souls [Book One] exposed a set of recurring words and phrases that I can’t ignore. Each one needs more work. I need to test them again, compare them across testimonies, and see whether the same patterns hold as new spirits come forward.

If any of my readers have ideas about the meaning of these hidden messages, please contact me. The words suggest a path toward understanding Candle Face’s past and finding a way to help the Lost Souls.

Here’s a list of additional words that were found written backward in all directions, listed in order of appearance:

ETAH - HATE

EFIL - LIFE

ELPOEP - PEOPLE

GNINNIGEB - BEGINNING

STNERAP - PARENTS

SDNEIRF - FRIENDS

TNAW - WANT

DLROW - WORLD

DEVIVRUS - SURVIVED

NEVAEH - HEAVEN

LLEH - HELL

DEPPANDIK - KIDNAPPED

DEPOH - HOPED

EKAW - WAKE

DEIRC - CRIED

HTAED - DEATH

YDOB - BODY

YARTEB - BETRAY

SLLIK - KILLS

DAED - DEAD

PLEH - HELP

ESAELP - PLEASE

EID - DIE