Entry #1: Burdale - What Is It?

Okay so before we get into the nitty-gritty of what's really going on, we should begin with some backstory on The Town of Burdale. I have an in within the Burdale Historical Association Museum. That means I... or my source, has access to their archives. This next bit of information can be found on their website.

What is Burdale?

Adjacent to the town is Hale Forest Park - a massive, dense, municipal park that is

home to hiking trails, ponds, creeks, and remnants of the past and beyond. 

Fir, pine, and spruce, as well as walnut, oak, and mountain mahogany trees make up the foliage of Hale Forest Park. Birch, aspen, alder, quercus robur, and beech trees have also been discovered in Hale Forest Park, which is odd as they're not native to the region.

Hale Forest Park adds an additional 7 square miles, bringing Burdale to a total of 27 square miles when taking the park into account. The town and forest are situated

in the bed of The Phantom Valley with mountains surrounding on virtually all sides - Crown Rock to its north, Specter Ridge to its east, Conjure Mountain to the south, and Mt. West to Burdale's west.

As of 2014, The Town of Burdale has a population of approximately 530 residents.

Burdale began as a coal mining town in 1799 with just 53 residents. It remained a coal mining town until the October 21, 1864 Conjure Quake Event. In the 65 years between 1799 and 1864, the town’s population had slowly grown to 130. The town was officially incorporated in 1814. Since the closure of the mine, the town’s population size has sluggishly climbed to an approximate population of 530 residents today.

Okay, now that I've given some historical context, let's talk about the elephant in the room. SHIT IS WEIRD. According to my dad, and his dad, since The Light Beam Incident, something about this place has been pulling in out-of-towners - don't pretend like I'm the only once who's noticed? And when I say "pull in" I don't mean figuratively, I mean literally. It's always the same story, like they're all reading off the same script - "oh, I don't know.. I was just taking a walk in my neighborhood, not paying attention - focused on whatever was on my mind - I turned a corner, and suddenly I didn't recognize the street I was on. Next thing I knew, I was on the corner of Cliffside Drive & Birdview Street staring at the front door to The Burdale Bar". The same story over and over again. And then every time one shows up, that witch lady pops up out of nowhere - and she's been showing up for DECADES. My grandpa mentions her in his journals. How is that even possible? He described her to a tee - it's the same exact lady. The barkeep at The Burdale Bar knows her, but when I asked him for an interview he told me to "get the fuk out and dontcha come back". I'm gonna find out what that's all about.