HABITAT(S): Level 9
Description:
A image of a strider taken by DrawzALot (Sydney)
The Neighborhood Watch is a variety of entities resembling human eyeballs. They are found commonly in Level 9 and are known to occasionally wander into nearby levels. They are not capable of hearing or smelling but have a heightened sense of sight and touch that allows them to move around in low light levels. They also do not require sustenance in order to exist and have not been observed consuming any sort of food.
Behavior:
These entities are classified as extremely dangerous since they immediately try to eliminate any living organism in sight. The reason for this incredible aggressiveness is currently unknown. They are known to cause static interference in video media and still image recordings will destroy any visible electronic devices. If spotted by the Neighborhood Watch, exit the level as soon as possible.
Biology:
The Neighborhood Watch is composed of three different categories of beings:
"Watchers"
An image of a watcher
recovered from a dusty phone.
Watchers resemble gigantic eyeballs with multiple optic veins bulging out of their surfaces. These entities seem to levitate off of the ground at walking speeds without difficulty. They silently glide over the suburbs in search of life. Upon spotting prey, watchers will emit a beam of light from the pupil which causes any living matter fully absorbed in the light to immediately turn into fine, gray dust. This light does not affect any other instances of Entity 96 and only works on living things.
Allegedly, victims retain their consciousness throughout this process which may result in physical and mental anguish. The surfaces of watchers are also known to be resilient, resulting in weaponry being ineffective against them.
"Striders"
These entities are composed of six 8-foot appendages consisting of their choroid, nerves, and veins all centralized under the main eyeball. The surface of the main body, however, is not as resistant as the watchers'. Ranged weaponry is effective at dispatching striders, but the commotion caused by firearms will alert nearby watchers and striders.
Despite the size of these creatures, their members are extremely flexible making hiding in shallow rooms unadvisable. They have also been recorded reaching speeds of up to 90 mph, making them the only category of the Neighborhood Watch that cannot be outrun. When they have located a wanderer or entity they use their legs to grab and pummel their target onto any nearby surfaces until they have expired.
"Swimmers"
These entities are around the size of a dog and can be found inside bodies of water. Adapted to aquatic life, they are composed of a soft, flexible, but strong muscle structure that allows them to travel through tight spaces similar to pipes and hoses. They are made up of 8 optic nerves arranged in a shape similar to known octopi.
These entities are not exclusively water-based creatures, as they can crawl out of the water to slowly chase any organism they spot in an attempt to destroy them. Despite their small stature, they are easily capable of latching onto victims, attempting to submerge and drown them. When drowning is not a possible option for them, they will tear any exposed appendages (e.g. fingers, arms, legs) from the body in order to incapacitate their prey. After a kill, they abandon the corpse and continue searching for intruders.
Intelligence:
Documentations of the Neighborhood Watch have led to the conclusion that all three categories of Entity 96 possess low to medium intelligence. They are capable of tracking down wanderers and on rare occasions creating ambushes by leading wanderers into one another. They will also use the dark and unpredictable environment as a way to make themselves less visible.
Pockets:
Bringing Pockets into Level 9 is not advisable as they will immediately alert the Neighborhood Watch to your location. The cause for this is undetermined but may be related to their desirability among wanderers, and the exposed areas they appear in. After retrieval of a pocket, either a strider or a swimmer will collect the artifact and return it to its original area and resume patrolling the level. No other known object exhibits this property.
Electronic Distortion:
Multiple attempts at long-term surveillance in Level 9 through the use of electronic devices have resulted in failure due to the properties of these entities. Short-term exposure leaves mild distortion and malfunctions in recording devices while long-term exposure leaves equipment completely unresponsive. Investigations on whether this
interference affects cell transmissions are currently ongoing.
Testing Logs:
The following is a multitude of tests conducted by placing streaming devices in different areas of Level 9 in order to discover how they are affected by Entity 96.
| Total Stream Time Before Destruction | Category | Device | Additional Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Minutes | Strider | Laptop | The device was swiftly crushed by tendrils. The entity was out of frame but presumably spotted the device. |
| 45 Minutes | Swimmer | Cell Phone | The device was picked up by the swimmer and thrown around the environment multiple times. The video feed cut off when the cell phone was exposed to a bathtub. There was an increase in video quality when exposed to the swimmer. |
| 34 Minutes | Watcher | Tablet | Video feed shows a watcher approaching and lingering in front of the device. The video feed was slowly filled with black splotches and was eventually fully covered. The retrieved device no longer functions. There was a slight increase in video quality when exposed to the watcher before corruption. |
| 29 Minutes | Strider | Cell Phone | The video feed shows the strider picking up the device to inspect it and then throwing it against the ground. There was an increase in video quality when exposed to the strider. |
Discovery:
The exact time they were discovered is uncertain, but the Lost possess old deteriorated records that describe their characteristics and title them "The Ones That Gaze Into Souls".
Do's and Don'ts:
Do:
- Stay hidden while traveling through Level 9.
- Carry a weapon. You can fend off striders and swimmers if necessary.
- Stay away from bodies of water.
- Keep a level head at all times. the Neighborhood Watch will attempt to trick you.
- Document all information about them in writing.
