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there is a particular stretch of woods that goes up through eastern texas and bleeds off
across the Louisiana state lines that is specifically known for its longleaf pine woods.

acid-rich iron oxide soil and the full, blazing texan sun work together to create the perfect habitat
for cultivating spindly, towering trunks that are bare just up until the top
where the needles grow long and thick like eyelashes.













this 97,000 acre area is comprised of 11 different ecosystems and is considered to be the most densely forested area in all of texas. it is sometimes referred to as 'The Pine Curtain.'

while this arboraceous region is home to many different species of trees, the longleaf pine is most commonly found in a system known as the 'uplands'. the sand creates good drainage and provides a rich, idyllic environment for plants like false foxglove and purple pleat-leaf. these woods are home to a national preserve, bringing in many campers and fisherman every year.

however, outside of these scenic park boundaries, the woods can become very thick. low-lying wet areas give way to thick sphagnum bogs and baygalls, making it difficult to navigate in some areas.

it can be very easy to get lost if you aren't paying attention to your surroundings.





transcriber's note: it's here, along the texas-louisiana border that a series of bizarre incidents would occur shortly after
the discovery of 34 year old destiny 'nikki' lawrence's body near devil's slough in ██████, TX. she had been badly beaten
and then manually strangled before her body was disposed of in a heavily wooded area off of a gravel road.

the ensuing events have puzzled law enforcement officers and true crime enthusiuasts all over the state.
this is an attempt at a thorough examination of the occurrences made by compiling what's left of
official documents and reports to try and form a coherent explanation and timeline.

many of the original documents concerning the incidents that occured throughout ████ to ████ have been damaged by
hurricane(s) rita and ike as well as a fire in 2010. this has made ongoing and previous
examinations of preserved documents extremely difficult.

readers will also note that many names, dates and locations have either been altered or redacted completely by request
in order to maintain privacy after several long, tedious legal disputes with TXOIL's lawyers.
the cathederal where rev. lisovski was previously employed has also requested to remain anonymous.



unfortunately due to negligence and corruption of the █████████ co. sheriff's department, there is virtually no remaining evidence from any of the events that took place.



at 03:45 AM on november 10, ████, dispatch received a 911 call reporting a possible homicide discovered by a hunter in a clearing near Devils Slough in ██████ county.
██████ county sheriff's unit ███ (deputy ███████ ███) was dispatched and
arrived at the scene at 03:56 AM. upon verification of the presence
of a body at 04:01 AM, r/o notified dispatch and requested for backup.

r/o ██████ responded to the location & upon investigation discovered
what appeared to be three large black garbage bags disposed of
in a partially uncovered pit that had been washed out by recent heavy rain.


r/o ██████ observed that one of the bags had been torn and an adult woman's body
was found mostly decayed and in varying states of mutilation.

visual inspection indicated that the woman had been bl



 (the document is mostly covered in mold/has been eaten by mice and the remainder of the narrative no longer exists.)




















quinn aleksandrovich lisovski was born 37 years ago in karelia, russia. as a young child, he immigrated to texas with his older brother Viktor to be raised by his uncle when his family disintegrated due to a multitude of reasons.

childhood could be described as "tense", "unstable", and "isolated". after a string of drug-related incidents, quinn was pressured by his brother (now a law enforcement officer with the ████████ sherrif's department) to find steady employment and sobriety or potentially face jail time.

despite having little to no religious beliefs, he registered to become a catholic priest with lakewood seminary.












while this would keep him out of legal trouble (mostly thanks to his brother), his sobriety did not last long.
















it's an unusually cold night. in the morning, there will be a thin layer of
frost on the ground for a few hours before the sun melts it away.





crystal methamphetamine is an intensely powerful central nervous system stimulant. the high is intense, fast and extremely addictive. this can cause a multitude of health issues from rapid weight loss, dental problems, increased stroke risk and can impose mental health disturbances such as psychosis & violent behavior.

quinn's high is long gone. he's still in bed, still trying to hold on to the outer edges of sleep and it'll be a few hours before the sweats start and he'll need another hit - but he's not thinking about that right now.

he's thinking about last night.

he's thinking about the alcohol.

he's thinking about the prostitute.

the rest is a blur - quinn often has lapses in memory after a night of heavy drinking. there are a few things however, that he can remember, and remembers all too clearly.


like the rush of cold dread at the realization you've done something bad while dreaming and trying to will yourself awake, anything to suddenly come back to reality and find (to your great relief) that none of it was real.



but when quinn dredges through the silt of his memories, he knows that this wasn't a dream.
the dark soil caked underneath his nails and embedded into the shovel-raw skin of his palms is enough proof.









there is an old urban legend that in 1831, pastor Ansel Price of the Bevil's Settlement in southeast texas was secretly involved with dark, occult forces and had summoned a demon.

the reason why will differ depending on where you hear the story but all follow similar themes - greed, murder, sin, power.

according to the legend, the other settlers took up arms against the pastor and the demon was bound to a river that ran through the area, making the water impotable. it's said that this is why today what's left of the riverbed is called 'devil's slough.'

many stories tell that the demon will terrorize you if you try to approach the river, unless you bring it a gift. this rumor was most likely concocted by property owners in the area trying to keep people from off their lands, or to keep children from straying too far into the woods.





while Bevil's Settlement was a real place and the foundation for the modern day town of ██████, there is no known record of a pastor or reverend Ansel Price and he is believed to have been fictional. the story has generally been forgotten about in favor of other, more popular urban legends. this may be from general lack of interest or due to the fact that devil's slough mainly runs through private property, discouraging many from visiting.



transcriber's note: there are many claims that the incidents that took place were somehow influenced by paranormal/spiritual forces. there is no recorded evidence that supports these rumors.

















he remembers now.



it doesn't come back in a great flash - rather a slow seeping like pond scum through your pant leg when you take a wrong step. he can still smell cheap body spray clinging to him underneath the sweat.

when the strange man holds out a lock of bleach-fried hair there's an unescapable, cold feeling of regret. it pools in the bottom of his stomach at the realization of what he's done.




















quinn has no desire for any of these things, not from this man at least. there's something discomforting in the way his eyes reflect the low light of the room like some kind of nocturnal animal and it's clear that this isn't one of ricky's friends.

he can faintly recall stumbling through the woods with his mistake in tow. he can remember through sobering and hazy fear trying not to look her in the eye. quinn also remembers digging for a very long time, struggling to cut through intricate pathways of gnarled roots and unruly soil - the effort and the shovel has left his hands blistered.

but he can't remember anyone else being out there, in the woods. he would've remembered being caught and he doubts he would've made it back home to his bed if he had.







quinn begins to wonder if the man standing before him is really a man at all.












████ ███████ cathederal basilica was originally built in 1907. it's undergone several major renovations throughought the years and stands tall and beautiful contrasted against the warehouses and industrial buildings in downtown ████████. the church & it's rectory has been a home for reverend quinn lisovski for the last 3 1/2 years.

in troubled times, (though he doesn't believe) quinn will come sit in the transept and pray. it's late in the evening and daily mass has long since ended, the building is empty & quiet.

despite the usual peaceful atmosphere of the empty sanctuary, there is a sense of heavy and overwhelming dread that encompasses the room.
































































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