The Bluff (Week 9) (final)

[serpentinejacaranda]

[Author's note: A few people encouraged me (or validated my decision) to revoke this submission after political events in the United States in September of 2025. This piece was written the week before the events in question, so I've made a few adjustments to highlight this fact, as incidental associations might be distracting. Still, I regret the initial revocation, which was performed very reluctantly. Censorious impulses born from fear are almost always an ethical mistake. -S]

Coral Landing Police Department - Activity Log - September 14, 2021

 

LOCATION:

Abandoned residence, 1700 block of Harker Point Road, coastal bluff outside Coral Landing Township.

 

INCIDENT TYPE:

Suspicious Death

 

DETAILS:

At approximately 6:40 a.m. on the morning of September 14, 2021, Coral Landing Township Police received a call from a local hiker, Jon Willis, reporting a body on the rocks below the cliff behind the abandoned Harker mansion. The property has been long unoccupied and is rumored to be unsafe. Responding officers located and recovered the deceased man, identified as 21-year-old Edward Lore, a college student known to local law enforcement for prior online harassment complaints (refer to 2020-0403-1306 et al) on both social media platforms and online gaming community forums.

 

The Mansion was searched thoroughly. Three small exhibit cases were discovered in a drawing room, arranged side-by-side. Based on the size of each pedestal and the shards of broken glass recovered from the top of each vitrine and on the carpet, our investigators concluded that the glass on each exhibit had been smashed, and a document removed from each, most likely the recovered parchment pieces (items F-H, see below). Some of the interior of the mansion appears to have been recently cleaned, and no fingerprints have been recovered.

 

DIGITAL FORENSICS:

The following posts were sent from Mr. Lore’s X account between 8:33 and 8:54 p.m. on September 13th, 2021:

 

@ELORE97 [8:33 p.m.]
everyone freaking out about refugees maybe we should let nature take its course

@ELORE97 [8:36 p.m.]
if u got the jab because your boss told you to, CONGRATS you're corporate property

@ELORE97 [8:41 p.m.]
not my problem if you can't figure out you got knocked after 6 weeks, you shouldn’t be raising a kid anyway

@ELORE97 [8:42 p.m.
every year the SAME idiots live in flood zones, DON'T evacuate, and expect sympathy. nature is just better at urban planning LMAO

@ELORE97 [8:55 p.m.]
after two decades people are still milking 9/11 trauma for attention. MOVE ON

 

FORENSIC EVIDENCE FROM AUTOPSY:

[Case #: 2021-0914-0717 // Items #: A-C]

For a detailed summary of physical injuries and recovered clothing, refer to the forensic pathology report.

 

OTHER RECOVERED EVIDENCE:

The following evidence was recovered from the front (left) pocket of Mr. Lord's down jacket. [Case #: 2021-0914-0717 // Items #: D-H]

 

[D] Description: One (1) card stock invitation, approximately 3 inches by 4 inches. The following words are written in purple ink:

 

YOUR PRESENCE IS REQUESTED

FRONT GATE - HARKER MANOR

EIGHT O’CLOCK IN THE EVENING

SEPTEMBER THIRTEENTH

TWENTY TWENTY-FIVE

TELL NO ONE

 

[E] Recovered one (1) Black Samsung Galaxy S23, heavily damaged. Silicone case, serial number [REDACTED]. Located in the victim’s rear (right) pocket.

 

[F+G] Two (2) sheets of parchment. On each sheet is a handwritten poem written in purple ink. Each page is single-sided.

 

[H] One (1) ripped segment of parchment, on which an incomplete poem has been written in purple ink. The parchment displays forceful damage, with a jagged tear at the bottom.

TRANSCRIPTIONS:

 

[ITEM F]

 

If I placed in your mailbox a bright red card,

No return address, just purple ink,

Would you in your pathetic lair stop to think

The lord of edge has given you his regard?

It’s our summons to the information grave --

“Genghis Khan was right!” with an emoji wink.

Child’s play! Ragebait! Who cares what others think?

We have red meat, so don’t feel you have to behave.

Shouldn’t you plan your defense from the angry flock

Of activists who might send you underground?

Before you tweet again, we’ll undo the front lock.

Come in. Your taunts are a hateful marvel on TikTok,

And a few bleeding hearts believe every sound

On Bluesky, though they only pretend to be in shock.

 

[ITEM G]

 

We opened our rusty gates to you at eight,

You aspiring troll -- are you glad we’re gaping wide?

Last week's tweets went so hard we let you inside;

All along we glimpsed your potent hate.

Don't think the volleyballs you lob are always that great;

They drop on people afraid to take a side.

Shock us like the good doctor to the monster's bride;

Start a provocation you can propagate.

What if we are who we pretend to be?

When you preheat this vile stew for your splash,

Will you consume their tears, as salty as the sea?

We call you out here, but plan to set you free.

Don’t forget; before you tweet something rash,

Concoct a cultural monolith and call it a conspiracy.

 

[ITEM H - FRAGMENT - TOP PORTION]

 

Now that your tweet is sent, we cover our trail;

Nine o'clock chimes and brings you well-deserved rest.

If we approve your bait and your trolling test

You won’t have to endure the final epic fail.

After you reach the end of this ordeal

We'll watch your eyes scan the final lines;

Then [...] firm [...] lead out [...]

 

[BOTTOM FRAGMENT NOT RECOVERED]

Comments

[halfshellvenus]

:( I so regret your decision to take this down. It was really well done, and just the genius in the details and formatting alone were of exceptional quality.

Start a provocation you can propagate.
This is the goal of so many trolls, whether they recognize they're trolls or not. They want the controversy, the hits, and sometimes they just revel in the ugliness.

No one deserves to be killed for that, but sometimes you reap what you sow. :(