Uh oh! Bad decision, Mark!
"I DO NOT WANT TO SEE WHAT'S ON THE OTHER SIDE, BUT IT'S BEEN DAYS AND NOBODY HAS COME TO HELP ME."
The video is a collection of various training tapes and a recording of a phone call.
It begins with another iteration of the THINK principle, but now the section of the Type 2 "Detectable" has been removed.
The video cuts to a phone call between Mark Heathcliff and Cesar Torres, listed as "victim one" and "victim two" respectively. Cesar asks Mark to come to his house to turn on the house's cameras while he's going to ER because his mother has been "knocked cold". Mark reluctantly agrees. The video then distorts and cuts to a distorted version of Cesar's face with a
Slasher Smile.
Mark is shown driving next to Cesar's house and turning on the cameras. They show that a door and the barnyard have opened on their own. A sound increase has also been detected at night, showing us a woman's voice screaming for help. Cesar's face is distorted even more, leaving only two eyes.
Mark is shown to have gone back to his house, but the Alternate has followed him and is taunting him. The text on the screen tell us he's been inside his room for days, with no help coming for him. Mark opens the door and fires a gun, but the text on the screen says "uh oh! bad decision, mark!" with a face of the Alternate coming in front of the camera. It then shows Mark's lifeless body next to a gun.
Cut to a police training video regarding the various scenarios that a 911 dispatchers may handle: police, fire and medical. As the video ends, a fourth one is shown: "encounter". The dispatcher is instructed to answer and calm the caller, then hang up and not send help. The tape instructs to not speak too much, because the dispatcher may "reveal their fear".
Cut to a "Toddler Assessment Video" that will help the viewer understand their child's responses. The first segment features audio of animals. Cut to a segment about "The Scary Night" by Mark, age 4, who recounts a story at night, while walking by dark room by the stares, where he saw a "man in the corner". Cut to a drawing of the man. The video then shows us various pictures, like a cat, a family, a balloon, the dark room by the stairs and the man in the corner, called "an Intruder".
Volume 1 provides an example of:
- Anachronic Order: One of the biggest examples in the series: The video jumps from 1992 to the late 70s when it introduces the Intruder.
- The Bad Guy Wins: Our proper introduction to the enigma that are the Alternates is showing how the closest thing to a protagonist is forced into committing suicide by one of their many members's hands.
- Canon Discontinuity: Not outright stated, but counting this one, there's at least four different versions of Mark's altercation with "Cesar." Including an actual remake of the episode, which practically puts a final nail on it's coffin.
- Despair Event Horizon: Mark eventually reaches his after spending 2 whole days with Cesar's Alternate tormenting him outside his room.
- Foreshadowing: "Cesar" is way too calm while talking about his mother getting sent to the ER, of course, this is very short-lived as he's practically confirmed to be an Alternate mere seconds later when his picture distorts.
- Police Are Useless: Police officers and emergency call operators are explicitly told not to go help any victims of an Alternate encounter, as any single interaction with them might accidentally reveal their fear, and therefore make them a possible victim.
