Alan Wake Timeline

The following is a timeline of events in the Remedy Connected Universe.

1800-1899

1846

• The Oregon Treaty is signed.
• A tree whose ring would be exhibited at the Elderwood National Park more than a century later begins growing.

1853

• The Washington Territory is formed.

1857

• Bizarre animal sounds are heard echoing across Cauldron Lake by the locals of the community that would later become Bright Falls. "Mountain Mike" Callahan, who had been camping on the shores of the lake, is seen running in fear through the town by the locals. He is found two miles outside town the next day, shivering and with his formerly dark hair having gone entirely white. Callahan would never speak again and he would die nine months later in the Olympia Asylum for the Afflicted; many locals speculated he had an encounter with the Sasquatch.

1878

• Alongside the founding of the Bright Falls Mining Company and the opening of the Bright Falls Coal Mine, the town of Bright Falls is founded by Hubert Biltmore and Amos Gunderson.

1889

• Washington is granted statehood.

1891

• The town of Watery is founded by Finnish immigrants.

1898

• The Elderwood Palace Lodge is built in one of the settlements around the greater Bright Falls area.

1900-1999

1901

• A series of incidents involving "hovering lights" occur on four separate nights throughout the summer in Bright Falls, Washington, with each one of them being reported by multiple witnesses.

1910

• Bright Falls industrialist Bartholomew Weaver built a manor near Mirror Peak. The cost of construction, however, leads him to bankruptcy.

1919

• William T.G. Randall is born.

1919-1933

• Moonshine Cave becomes the site of frequent bootlegger activity throughout the Prohibition.

1928

• The mining town of Gray Peak Gorge is founded by the Bright Falls Mining Company to house its workers.

1929

• The tree that began growing in 1846 is damaged in a forest fire.

1937

• The Great Old One is felled by lighting.

1938

• Tor Anderson is born.

1940

• Odin Anderson is born.

1942

• Pat Maine is born.

1945

• Doc Nelson is born.
• Barbara Jagger is born.

1946

• Cynthia Weaver is born.

1954

• Emil Hartman is born.

1957

• Bright Falls residents Vern and Norma Bergdale die almost simultaneously, while being on opposite sides of the town, of seemingly natural causes, though private letters in local archives and an eyewitness account seem to suggest that a supernatural element was involved in their passing.

1965

• The Valhalla Nursing Home is built in Bright Falls, Washington by an unknown architect for the renowned Finnish filmmaker Thomas Zane and his partner Barbara Jagger to serve as an artist's commune.

1967

• November 23: Ted Lane is born.

1970

• July 5: Following an encounter with "floating lights" and a "stranger lurking in the shadows" while he was camping near the Rain Cove Point Lighthouse the night before, British tourist Robert "The Colonel" Hambleton seemingly leaves Bright Falls.
• July 10: Bright Falls resident Barbara Jagger drowns in Cauldron Lake under mysterious circumstances.
• Bright Falls AWE
  • After her death, Jagger's lover, Thomas Zane, is convinced by his assistant, Emil Hartman, to write her back to life using the supernatural properties of Cauldron Lake. Even though Zane was successful in resurrecting Barbara, her body was taken over by a malignant entity that inhabited the lake known as the Dark Presence.
  • Cynthia Weaver is at some point touched by the Dark Presence.
  • July 18:
    • After many attempts to exorcise the Dark Presence from his lover's body, Zane realizes that the only way to put an end to it is to erase everything that had made its release possible, including himself.
    • As a contingency, Zane writes that any of his belongings left in a shoe box would remain in the real world, and entrusts Cynthia Weaver with the task of protecting one containing a light switch known as the "Clicker".
    • Taking the possessed Jagger with him, Zane dives into Cauldron Lake. As they sink, the poet's body is taken over by the Bright Presence. He then recites a final "master poem" that creates a baby universe for his and Jagger's "essences" to live in.
    • A 7.3 volcanic earthquake sinks Diver's Isle and causes the collapse and flooding of most of the Bright Falls Mining Company's tunnels, killing 32 miners in the process.

• A Gosling A550 twin-prop seaplane crashes into Elderwood National Park, killing two crew and three researchers - Doctor C.D. Ward, Professor Richard Hallorann, and Hallorann’s assistant Mary Derleth - who had been investigating the earthquake.
• August 3: The remains of British tourist Robert Hambleton are found in his truck deep within the Elderwood National Park, in an abnormally advanced state of decomposition.
• Due to damages caused by the earthquake, the mining activity in the region is brought to a permanent halt; the Bright Falls Mining Company shuts down permanently, and as a result, the company town of Gray Peak Gorge is abandoned practically overnight.
• A restoration project for Bartholomew Weaver's mountain manor begins, but it is halted due to lack of funds and the building's precarious position.

1971

• The Anderson Brothers, form a heavy metal band known as the "Old Gods of Asgard." They also legally change their names to those of Nordic deities, Odin and Tor.
• Old Gods of Asgard release their first album, "The Memory of the Slaughter."
• Old Gods of Asgard perform in Los Angeles.

1972

• Old Gods of Asgard release their second album, "Follow Me Underground".
• Shortly after the release of the band's second album, Old Gods of Asgard guitarist, Loki Darkens, goes missing.

1973

• Old Gods of Asgard release their third album, "Alone at My Own Wake".

1974

• Russell Johnston is born.

1975

• Bright Falls resident Ingrid Peterson reports seeing a "dark brontosaurus-shaped" creature emerging from Cauldron Lake. Due to her history of alcoholism, the account was largely dismissed.
• The Old Gods of Asgard go on their Ragnarock Tour, with concerts in the following cities:
  • April 11: Seattle, Washington.
  • April 13: Bakersfield, California.
  • April 14: Long Beach, California.
  • April 17: New York City, New York.
  • April 18: Newark, New Jersey.
  • April 22: Detroit, Michigan.
  • April 26: Jacksonville, Florida.
  • April 27: Tampa, Florida.
  • April 30: New Orleans, Louisiana.
  • May 1: Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
• Old Gods of Asgard release their fourth album, "The Unraveling of Reason’s Skein".

1976

• Bright Falls AWE
  • September 17:
    • During the annual Deerfest festival, the Anderson brothers rehearse near their farm while consuming their home-brewed moonshine. Their music seemingly causes the Dark Presence to resurface once more. While details are not clear, it appears that the Andersons are somehow able to fight and repel an army of Taken that emerged from the lake, led by the Dark Presence still using the late Barbara Jagger's appearance.
    • While the Bright Falls residents celebrate the Deerfest in the town's southwestern fields, an unnatural thunderstorm appears on the Anderson Farm, followed by a tornado on Cauldron Lake and a torrential rain that floods the festival grounds.
    • After evacuating the crowd, Sheriff Frank Breaker is asked by Freya Anderson, daughter of Tor, to check on her father and uncle. Breaker finds the Andersons alive but in need of medical attention. Odin had cut out his right eye while Tor had been struck by a lightning.
    • Because of this incident, the Anderson brother are listed as persons of interest by the Federal Bureau of Control.
• Old Gods of Asgard release their fifth album, "The Black Rider Cometh".

1977

• Alan Wake is born to Linda Wake and an unknown father.
• A young couple claims to have had an encounter with an "inky dark cloud" near the shores of Cauldron Lake.

1978

• Old Gods of Asgard release their sixth album, "In the Valley of My Shadow".
• The Anderson brothers are interviewed by the FBC after a third seeming Altered World Event occurs on Bright Falls.

1979

• Alice Wake is born.
• August: Bright Falls resident Mick “Mini Ha Ha” Shrimpton wins Seattle’s August 1979 Most Off-Color Comedian.

1980

• Mount St. Helens erupts.
• "Fat" Bob Balder, bassist of Old Gods of Asgard, dies of leukemia.

1981

• February 2: Wendy Davis is born.
• July 12: A "rescue party" is held for the Cape Campbell Covered Bridge.
• WW2 veteran Lt. William T.G. Randall (b.1919) dies from his injuries after rescuing two children from a burning car crash near Bright Falls Light & Power. The swing bridge leading towards the Power Station is named after him in memorial.
• The skeleton of a Columbian Mammoth is recovered from the La Brea Tar Pits.

1987

• The tree that began growing in 1846 is felled by a storm.

1988

• Tor and Odin Anderson confront Warlin Door on the shores of Cauldron Lake. After taking Odin's right eye, Door disappears after being struck by lighting.
• Saga Anderson is born.

1989

• Rose Marigold is born.
• Freya Anderson leaves the Anderson Farm with her daughter Saga.
• Lauren Miller makes a sculpture named "Suspended".

1991

• November 2: During a gathering of local youths in a sealed underground bunker near the Oceanview Hotel, Norah Hesberg drowns at the age of 15.
• November 3: Norah Hesberg is reported missing by her parents. After receiving a tip from one of her acquaintances, local authorities find the young girl's corpse in the bunker.
• November 5: A newspaper article about Norah Hesberg's death is published by the Bright Falls Record.

1992

• Rock Retrospective magazine publishes an article about Old Gods of Asgard.

1995

• At age 18, Alan Wake writes his first short story, Errand Boy.
• November: the 23rd Issue of the fourth volume of the Dark Vision magazine is released. Said issue contains the short story, Errand Boy.

1998

• Minneapolis police arrest Alan Wake on charges of public drunkenness and battery.
• The skeleton of the Columbian Mammoth found in 1981 is donated to the Elderwood National Park after the Columbian Mammoth becomes Washington's state fossil. Named Buck-Toothed Charlie, it becomes the park's official mascot.

1999

• Charges of disorderly conduct and battery filed against Alan Wake in West Hollywood; the battery charge is dropped.

2000-Present

2002

• August 30 - September 14: An Altered World Event occurs in Ordinary, Maine where most of the town's adult population disappears. Siblings Jesse and Dylan Faden were responsible due to tampering with an altered slide projector.

2006

• January 14: Alan Wake assaults a paparazzi while attending a gala promoting his upcoming book, The Sudden Stop.
• March 21: Alice Wake's exhibit "Inflammatory" was set to open in Chelsea in New York; it is unknown whether the exhibition went ahead.

2007

• Alan Wake finishes writing The Sudden Stop, the sixth and final book in his Alex Casey novel series.
• During a power outage on their New York Apartment, Wake gives the Clicker to his wife.

2008

• The Sudden Stop is released.
• Alan Wake goes on a publicity tour to promote The Sudden Stop.
• Alan Wake appears on The Harry Garrett Show to discuss his new book and announces that he is working on his next novel. After the show, he and Barry Wheeler go to a party.
• The following day, Wake returns home at 7:00 AM. After waking up, he has a brief argument with his wife but they quickly make up.

2009

• Not long after developing an intense fear of darkness, FBI Agent Finn dies "in the line of duty".
• Finn's partner, Robert Nightingale, tormented by guilt, turns to alcoholism.
• Clay Steward begins to experience recurring dreams in which he is attacked shadow entities alongside Alan Wake.

2010

• August 25:
  • Reporter Jake Fischer travels to Bright Falls in order to interview Doctor Emil Hartman about his new book, The Creator's Dilema. Upon arriving, he has dinner at the Oh Deer Diner.
  • On his way to the Mountain Air Motel, Fischer accidentally runs over a deer. After this incident, he stays at the aforementioned motel.
• August 26:
  • Jake Fischer reunites with his old friend, Ellen Adams, on the Oh Deer Diner.
  • During his interview with Doctor Hartman at the Cauldron Lake Lodge, Fischer blacks out and experiences a series of visions.
  • After leaving the office, he discovers that he had actually taken notes of the interview, alongside strange scribbles and drawings, before entering entering a tunnel.
• August 27:
  • Jake Fischer wakes up in the middle of the forest, near the Mountain Air Motel, unable to remember how he got there or what happened.
  • Fischer meets once again with Ellen Adams at The Bright Falls Record; she advises him to leave the town as soon as possible.
  • At dusk, Sam Smith, owner of the Mountain Air Motel, disappears in the forest while investigating strange noises.
• August 28:
  • Jake Fischer attempts to buy medicine at a local general store.
  • Bright Falls resident Shel Dyck, exhibiting erratic and violent behavior, attempts to destroy a lamp post in front of the Oh Deer Diner before being arrested by Deputy Mulligan, injuring him in the process. After witnessing this incident, Fischer blacks out once more.
• August 30
  • Jake Fischer wakes up in a body bag on the shores of Cauldron Lake after being dragged from the lake by an unknown figure.
  • After visiting Doctor Hartman once again to have a copy of his book signed, Fischer talks with him about the visions and blackouts he had been experiencing since his arrival to Bright Falls. He leaves the office in pain after Hartman points a light at him.
  • Returning to his motel room, Fischer restrains himself to a fridge and sets up a camera in order to record himself during the night. Shortly after falling asleep, he wakes up and destroys the room.
• August 31:
  • After watching in horror the recording of the previous night, Jake Fischer is confronted by Deputy Mulligan about the disappearance of Sam Smith. Fischer is able to convince the deputy that the damage to his motel room was caused by a wild animal.
  • Determined to leave Bright Falls, Fischer asks Ellen Adams to drive him out of the town. After having another blackout, Fischer finds himself alone in his car, driving towards Bright Falls, before vanishing.
  • Local authorities find Fischer's abandoned car; Alan and Alice Wake pass by the scene on their way to Bright Falls.
• Bright Falls AWE
  • September 1:
    • During a ferry ride to Bright Falls, Alan Wake, alongside Clay Steward, experience a shared recurring nightmare in which both men are attacked by a Taken Hitchhiker near the Rain Cove Point Lighthouse. During the nightmare, Wake is aided by the Bright Presence.
    • After he wakes up, Wake and his wife meet local radio host Pat Maine, who informs them of the upcoming Deerfest. Unbeknownst to them, the couple is being followed by Ben Mott under Doctor Emil Hartman's orders.
    • Upon arriving at the town, Wake goes to the Oh Deer Diner to retrieve the keys to their cabin from Carl Stucky. There, he meets some of the locals, before being intercepted by the Dark Presence – still using the appearance of the late Barbara Jagger – who directs the couple to the cabin on the resurfaced Diver's Isle instead.
    • After unpacking, Alice reveals to her husband that the real purpose of their trip was to have him see Doctor Hartman in order to help him with his writer's block. Infuriated by this, Wake storms out of the house, but rushes back after he hears his wife crying for help as she is dragged into the lake by the Dark Presence. Believing that his wife drowned, Wake falls under the influence of the Dark Presence and begins writing a manuscript titled Departure, which will ensure its escape.
  • After checking all of Carl Stucky's rental cabins in search of the Wakes, Ben Mott finds the couple' abandoned car near Cauldron Lake.
  • September 7: In the early morning, many Bright Falls residents see lights hovering over and around Cauldron Lake. Subsequently, both the Bright Falls Sheriff Station and the KBF-FM Radio Station receive many calls about this phenomenon.
  • Barry Wheeler travels to Bright Falls looking for the Wakes.
  • Carl Stucky is taken by the Dark Presence. He is subsequently sent to the Biltmore Logging camps to kill its workers. He also kills a stray dog named Toby.
  • September 8:
    • Deputies Mulligan and Thornton deal with two intoxicated young men who were celebrating the completion of their Deerfest float.
    • Wake escapes from Cauldron Lake by writing The Bright Presence, in the form of Thomas Zane, into the story to free him. After freeing the writer, Zane takes the Departure manuscript and begins spreading its pages through the area of Bright Falls for Wake and others to find. During his escape, Wake drives his car off the road, and falls unconscious.
    • Wake wakes up some time afterwards with no memory of the events of the previous week aside from the fact that his wife had fallen into the lake. Noticing the nearby Stucky's Gas Station, he decides to head there in search of help. On his way there, he starts finding the manuscript pages left by Zane.
    • At the Biltmore Logging camp, Wake is ambushed by the Taken Carl Stucky. He hides in an office, where he tries to call the sheriff but is stopped by Stucky. Left with no other choice, Wake continues through the logging camps and the surrounding woods towards the gas station.
  • September 9:
    • After killing the Taken Carl Stucky, Wake finally reaches the gas station and calls for help. Sheriff Sarah Breaker arrives at the gas station. Hiding his encounter with the taken, Wake tells her about his wife's disappearance, but the sheriff shows him that there is no island in Cauldron Lake before taking him to the sheriff station.
    • 10:29 AM: At the Bright Falls Sheriff Station, after being examined by Doc Nelson, Wake is contacted by Ben Mott, purporting to be Alice's kidnapper. Mott guides Wake to back of the building, where he left Alice's driver license, and instructs him to meet him alone at Lovers' Peak that night. Following this, Wake meets Doctor Emil Hartman, who offers him to stay at the Cauldron Lake Lodge. The writer responds by punching him in the face, before Barry Wheeler intervenes and the two leave the station.
    • Wake tells Wheeler about the recent events, but aside from Alice’s kidnapping and the manuscript, Wheeler finds most of it unbelievable. The two visit the Visitor Center in Elderwood National Park and rent a cabin from Rusty Johnston.
    • Wake departs to Lovers' Peak for his meeting with Mott. The Dark Presence attacks the Visitor Center, severely injuring Johnston. Wake attempts to help him, but the ranger is Taken by the Dark Presence and the writer is forced to kill him. Witnessing the destruction of the Visitor Center from his cabin, Wheeler finally believes his friend's story.
    • On his way to Lover's Peak, Wake is cornered and almost killed by a group of Taken, but he is saved at the last moment by Mott. The two men then join forces to reach the meeting point. Once there, Mott demands the finished manuscript from Wake in exchange for his wife. After a brief struggle, Mott escapes.
    • Wake makes his way back to his cabin through the woods and camping sites. He is contacted again by Mott and given only two days to hand over the finished manuscript. Upon returning to his cabin, he saves Wheeler from a flock of Taken birds.
    • FBI Agent Robert Nightingale arrives at Bright Falls in search of Wake, whom he believes to be involved in the disappearance of his partner, Finn, and stays in room 2 of The Majestic Motell.
  • September 10:
    • Wake attempts to finish the manuscript to no avail. Meanwhile, Wheeler is sent to the town to search for information about the kidnapper's identity and Diver's Isle. He is contacted by Rose Marigold, who, under the influence of the Dark Presence, tells him that she has found the manuscript pages.
    • Agent Nightingale goes to the Sheriff Station and asks Sheriff Breaker to contact Alan Wake for him.
    • Wake and Wheeler go to the Sparkling River Estates to meet Marigold. The two are drugged by her and spend the rest of the day unconscious in her trailer.
    • While searching for Wake in the Elderwood National Park, Agent Nightingale runs into Ben Mott and attempts to interrogate him. However, Mott resists and escapes.
    • Paul Randolph, believing that Marigold is in trouble, calls the sheriff station. Shortly after Wake regains consciousness, local authorities, led by Agent Nightingale, arrive at the trailer park. Wake, however, escapes through the nearby woods. Officers are sent after him, but they are killed by the Dark Presence and brought back as Taken.
    • Wheeler and Marigold are detained by deputies Thornton and Mulligan and taken to the Sheriff Station, where they would later be examined by Nelson.
    • Wake goes the KBF-FM Radio Station to ask Pat Maine for directions. Agent Nightingale and Sheriff Breaker arrive at the place immediately after, forcing Wake to escape once again. Maine is detained by the authorities.
  • September 11:
    • Wake reaches the Train Depot, where he fights a Taken bulldozer and finds a vehicle.
    • Agent Nightingale gets lost while investigating animal noises. He interviews the Majestic Motell receptionist about Wake to no avail.
    • Wake drives to the Bright Falls Coal Mine Museum for his meeting with Mott.
    • At night, after having waited for him for practically an entire day, Wake is contacted by Mott, who tells him to meet him at the Mirror Peak lookout.
    • Wake fights his way to the lookout through the Gray Gorge Peak Ghost Town, the Old Silver Mine and the Mountain Manor.
    • Upon reaching the meeting point, he finds Mott being tortured by the Dark Presence and discovers that he never actually had Alice. Mott is killed by a dark tornado while Wake falls into the lake, but he is saved by Emil Hartman and Birch, and taken to the Cauldron Lake Lodge.
    • Agent Nightingale's scanner picks up confusing distress calls. He later finds and attempts to follow Barry Wheeler.
  • September 12:
    • Barry Wheeler is invited by Hartman to "pick up" Wake at the Cauldron Lake Lodge. While the doctor showed him his trophy collection, he is restrained by his henchmen and locked in a closet.
    • Robert Nightingale, who had been following Wheeler, tries to verbally force his way into the Lodge but is ultimately denied access by Hartman.
    • After Wake regains consciousness, Hartman attempts to convince him that the recent events he experienced were the result of a psychotic break triggered by his wife's death. He gives him a tour of the Lodge and presents him the rest of his patients, including the Anderson Brothers. After Hartman leaves, the brothers tell Wake to find a "message" left by them on their farm.
    • As a storm begins to form at Cauldron Lake, the Andersons cause a commotion to help Wake escape the lodge. He finds and frees Wheeler and the two recover the manuscript. Hartman tries to convince the writer to work with him to no avail before the lodge is attacked by the Dark Presence. The doctor is locked in his office and left at the mercy of the Dark Presence, but he manages to survive the encounter.
    • The Anderson brothers help the remaining patients to escape from the Lodge, except for Rudolf Lane, who finds himself unable to stop painting.
    • Wake makes his way through the shadow-infested Lodge and the hedge maze, where he fights many Taken, including Birch, before escaping alongside Wheeler.
    • Wake and Wheeler drive to the Anderson Farm to find a message left by the brothers. On their way there, the Dark Presence causes their car to drive off a cliff, separating the two and forcing them to reach the farm on their own.
    • Walter Snyder drives to the Anderson Farm to drinking some of the brother's home-brewed moonshine, but is attacked by the taken Danny. Snyder escapes back to his house but is followed and severely injured by Danny. As he dies from his injures, he is found by Wake, who then kills Danny.
    • Arriving at the Anderson Farm, Wakes reunites with Wheeler and the two fight a horde of Taken using the Old Gods of Asgard's pyrotechnic equipment. The commotion is noticed by Agent Nightingale.
    • At the Andersons' house, Wake and Wheeler discover the message left by the brothers in the form of a song, which they deduce refers to Cynthia Weaver.
    • Taking shelter at the farm, Wake is finally able to remember the events of the missing week after drinking the Andersons' moonshire. Upon waking up, he and Wheeler are arrested by Agent Nightingale.
  • September 13:
    • At the Sheriff Station, Agent Nightingale confronts Wake and Wheeler despite Sheriff Breaker's objections. As Nightingale realizes that he is experiencing the events described on the manuscript pages, he is taken away by the Dark Presence. After Wake explains the situation to the sheriff, she agrees to take him to the Bright Falls Light & Power, where Weaver lives.
    • As Wake and Sheriff Breaker go to the Town Hall to retrieve the keys for the rescue helicopter, Wheeler is tasked with calling a group of Bright Falls residents - among them Frank Breaker - and deliver the message "Night Springs". Not long afterwards, the station is attacked by the Dark Presence, forcing Wheeler to escape.
    • After retrieving the keys, Wake and Sheriff Breaker fight their way through town before reuniting with Wheeler. The group reaches the rescue helicopter and depart to the power plant.
    • Frank Breaker alerts FBC agent William Kirklund of a possible Altered World Event taking place on Bright Falls. However, he is told that reinforcements will not arrive on time. Upon arriving in town, he gives instructions to the rest of the "Night Springs" group before departing to the power plant to help his daughter.
    • While trying to find a place to land, the helicopter is attacked by a flock of Taken birds, causing Wake to fall from it and forcing him to continue on foot.
    • At Cauldron Lake Lodge, Emil Hartman wakes up and saves Nurse Sinclair from the taken Ben Mott. The two find Rudolf Lane, still unable to stop painting. Upon seeing Lane's paintings, Hartman realizes that Mott will kill him and tricks Lane into taking his place. Deputies Thornton and Mulligan arrive at the lodge as per Frank Breaker orders.
    • Wake reaches the power plant and meets Cynthia Weaver, who leads him to the Well-lit Room at the Bright Falls Dam to retrieve Zane's counter measure. However, as the helicopter is attacked once again and crashes, Wake leaves Weaver to help Wheeler and Sheriff Breaker.
    • Frank Breaker reaches the power plant before heading to the dam by car. On his way there, he is taken out of road by a possessed truck and is confronted by the Dark Presence in the form of Barbara Jagger.
    • The Wake, Wheeler and Sheriff Breaker make their way to the dam and reach the Well-lit Room. There, they get Zane's counter measure, the Clicker. Wake uses the Clicker, causing the darkness to temporarily vanish and saving Frank Breaker from a group of taken.
  • September 14:
    • At the Cauldron Lake Lodge, Doctor Hartman and Deputies Thornton and Mulligan set a trap for the Taken Mott and successfully kill him. With the danger now over, Hartman contacts an unknown individual.
    • With the Clicker now in his possession, Wake decides to return Cauldron Lake to write the ending of Departure. Per the writer's wishes, Wheeler, Sheriff Breaker and Weaver stay behind on the Well-lit Room. As Wake departs from the dam, Frank Breaker arrives at the place but loses consciousness.
    • Wake makes his way to the lake by car, passing through the Majestic Motel, Larsen's Auto Salvage and the Southeast Cliffs Ghost Town, with the Dark Presence doing everything it is power to kill him. Upon reaching the lake and destroying a dark tornado blocking his way, he jumps into it and enters the Dark Place.
    • Navigating the surreal environment, Wake meets with "Thomas Zane", who tells him how to stop the Dark Presence. He also sees a duplicate of himself, known as Mr. Scratch. The writer reaches the Bird Leg Cabin, where he confronts "Barbara Jagger" and destroys her by activating the clicker in the hole in her chest. With the Dark Presence gone, Wake is able to write the ending of Departure, freeing Alice from the Dark Place, but being forced to take her place.
    • At the Bright Falls dam, Frank Breaker regains consciousness and reunites with his daughter.
  • September 15:
    • The 68th annual Deerfest festival begins.
    • Alice Wake emerges from Cauldron Lake.
    • Agents of the Federal Bureau of Control arrive at Bright Falls in response to Frank Breaker's alert and begin their investigation.

• Ted Lane disappears during Deerfest while he was with his friend, Jay Huhtiniemi.
• September 18: The 68th annual Deerfest festival ends. After the conclusion, funerals are held for the victims of the Dark Presence.
• September 20: An Oh Deer Diner coffee thermos is acquired by the Federal Bureau of Control and classified as an altered item.
• Clay Steward travels to Bright Falls in hope of finding answers to the recurring nightmares he has been experiencing for the past months. Staying in room 2 of the Majestic Motell, Steward finds Agent Nightingale's case files. Over the course of several weeks, Steward uncovers more information about Alan Wake, the events that transpired in Bright Falls, and the history of the town, while also helping in the town's rebuilding efforts. On one night in particular, while returning to the Majestic Motell through the Elderwood trail, Steward comes across an individual resembling Wake, who smiles at him before disappearing. After his investigation reached a dead end, Steward throws his dream journal into the lake and returns to Madison.
• Doctor Emil Hartman is detained by the FBC due to his illegal actions; his research and property are confiscated and his medical license permanently revoked.
  • He would be released some months afterwards. Seeing no other option to continue his research, Hartman would dive into Cauldron Lake, becoming possessed by the Dark Presence. The taken Hartman would subsequently be captured by the Bureau and transported to the Oldest House in New York City.
• Bright Falls resident, Wendy Davis disappears from her house.

2011

• The Alan Wake Files, written by Clay Steward and published by Roundabout Press, is released. FBC agents would later interview Steward and place him under indefinite surveillance due to suspicions of minor parautilitarian sensitivity.

2012

• February 22, 9:14 AM: Samantha Wells begins writing a blog titled This House of Dreams with the purpose of recording her process of renovating an old house she bought in the town of Ordinary, Maine.
• February 23, 2:53 PM: Samantha Wells uploads on her blog photos of her new house while also commenting about the previous owner's belongings left on the attic.
• March 2, 9:01 AM: Samantha Wells writes on her blog about her first night on her new house.
• March 5, 7:44 AM: Samantha Wells writes on her blog about the objects the previous owner left, including an old shoebox containing typewritten sheets of poems, and black and white photographs.
• March 11, 5:34 PM: Samantha Wells uploads on her blogs scans of the photographs that she found on her attic.
• March 14, 7:52 AM: Samantha Wells writes on her blog about a dream she had earlier that night, about a federal agent who demanded the shoebox she had found days ago. According to Wells, the agent's face was covered in dark ink, and his badge read "AWE". Wells also comments that she is unable to find the shoebox.
• March 25:
  • 6:36 PM: Samantha Wells writes on her blog about her discovery of a trapdoor leading to the crawl space underneath the house.
  • 6:49 PM: Samantha Wells uploads on her blog photos of the poems that she had found on her attic, while also commenting about her fruitless efforts to find out the identity of the couple shown in the black and white photographs.
• April 9, 4:07 PM: Samantha Wells posts on her blog transcriptions of the poem pages she had found.
• May 30
  • Samantha Wells experiences a dream in which a man, matching Alan Wake's description, begged her to turn all the lights on. After waking up and going for a glass of water, Wells glimpses the silhouette of a man outside her window, causing her to panic. After some hesitation, she opts to call one of her friends to help her check over the place.
  • 6:03 PM: Wells writes on her blog about the events that transpired the night before.
• June 4, 11:37 PM: Samantha Wells writes on her blog about the progress made on her house. Shortly after, while watching a rerun of an episode of Night Springs, in which the plot shown seemed to coincide with Wells' current situation, a group of unidentified individuals break into Wells' house.
• June 5, 12:50 AM: Hiding in her closet, Samantha Wells writes on her blog in a desperate attempt to ask for help. As the door is opened violently, Wells falls to the ground and hits her head, with the last thing she sees before falling unconscious being the missing shoebox. Afterwards, she is found by the police in her house, which showed no signs of a break-in, and is taken to the hospital.
• June 13, 6:23 PM: Samantha Wells writes on her blog about the events that took place on the night of June 5 and the fact that the shoebox has new contents in it. Shortly after, an unknown source contacts Wells, warning her about the contents of the shoebox, and promising to tell her more on the condition that she stops writing on her blog.
• July 22:
  • 9:45 AM: Having reflected about the unknown source's warning, Samantha Wells states on her blog her intention to continue writing on it and that she will keep the contents of the shoebox.
  • 9:52 AM: Wells writes on her blog about an old light switch that she had found in the shoebox, which seemingly caused a blackout on her neighborhood, though the cause was later attributed to a passing thunderstorm.
• July 23, 5:57 AM: Samantha Wells writes on her blog about the new pages she had found in the shoebox.
• July 26, 5:10 PM: Samantha Wells posts on her blog transcriptions of the new poem pages.
• July 29, 10:54 AM: Samantha Wells writes on her blog about a dream she had involving Thomas Zane. In the dream, Zane explained to Wells the events that occurred on Cauldron Lake on July of 1970, the nature of the Dark Place and his and Barbara's ultimate fates. Even though Wells is not capable to fully understand Zane's words, she nonetheless feels privileged to have experienced this.
• August:
  • Barry Wheeler, who had become the manager of the Old Gods of Asgard, and the Anderson Brothers stay on The Edge Motel during their comeback tour.
  • Alan Wake writes another draft of Return in an attempt to escape the Dark Place. This version of Return causes the plot of an episode of Night Springs, in which Wake himself, fulfilling the role of the "champion of light", faces his doppelganger Mr. Scratch, the "herald of darkness", to manifest itself on a small town in Arizona located near a weak point between the real world and the Dark Place.
    • Arriving in the desert, Alan is attacked by a horde of Taken and forced to retreat to the Desert Shore Motel, where he meets mechanic Emma Sloan, who provides him with one of his manuscript pages. By altering small details on the scene to match those described on the page, Wake is able to rewrite reality and cause a satellite to crash on the oil derrick, stopping the hordes of taken. However, he is unable to save Sloan, who is killed by Mr. Scratch.
    • Following clues left on the motel, Wake goes to the Mount Redtooth National Observatory, where he meets Doctor Rachel Meadows, who was tracking a mysterious signal that Mr. Scratch interested in. After helping Meadows repair the damage made to the telescope, Wake discovers that the signal is a story he can use to rewrite reality and defeat Scratch. However, the signal is incomplete.
    • Wake is lead to a nearby drive-in theater, where he meets Serena Valdivia, who is under Mr. Scratch's influence. After being freed, Valdivia tells Wake that Scratch's plan is to prevent the sun from ever rising again and gives him the projection room where he can change reality. However, since the message is incomplete, Wake fails and is sent a few hours back in time.
    • Wake repeats his action for the second time. However, he is still unable to save Sloan, obtain the complete signal and stop Mr. Scratch, and sent back to the beginning once again.
    • Wake repeats his actions for the third time. This time, he is able to save Sloan, obtain the complete signal, and rewrite reality to have the projector of the theater show a film about him made by his wife Alice, defeating Mr. Scratch, at least temporarily.
    • Though Wake succeeds in finishing this Return draft, his writing fails to manifest an actual connection to the real world, and Wake remains trapped in the Writer's Room. He continues to write more, different drafts.

• October: Watery residents Jakko and Ilmo Koskela are attacked by the Taken Ted Lane. After killing him, they bury his body in a shallow grave on the outskirts of Watery. His body is later discovered by a local dog walker.

2013

• March 17: The Federal Bureau of Control cordons off Cauldron Lake Campground, restricting most public access to Cauldron Lake, citing concerns over volcanic activity.
• Federal investigators arrest members of a cult in New York City that were committing ritualistic murders inspired by the Alex Casey novels.
• After stealing some documents from a FBC laboratory, the Koskela brothers learn about the Dark Presence, the Clicker and Alan Wake's involvement in the 2010 Bright Falls AWE. Believing that the FBC is not fit for the task, they decide to form their own group to combat the Dark Presence called the "Cult of the Tree". They would also sabotage the FBC's monitoring station to alert them instead whenever something emerged from the lake.
  • Months later, the cult finds the Clicker washed ashore and decide from that point on use it to kill any Taken they find.

2014

• March 21: An FBC Agent follows Rose Marigold and observes her daily routine.
  • 6:35 AM: Marigold leaves her home in her car.
  • 6:46 AM: Marigold arrives at the Oh Deer Diner.
  • 7:00 AM: Marigold opens the restaurant.
  • 9:44 AM: Marigold spills a cup of coffee. Stares at coffee puddle and seems suddenly delighted, begins talking animatedly to the puddle.
  • 11:30 AM: Marigold goes on a break.
  • 12:04 PM: After eating a sandwich and writing in a notebook, Marigold returns from her break.
  • 1:21 PM: Marigold stares at ceiling fan for approximately 50 seconds, smiling.
  • 3:05 PM: Marigold leaves the Oh Deer Diner on foot.
  • 3:08 PM: Marigold stops at the pier and writes in her notebook. Stares at clouds and becomes upset, shaking her head and speaking up at the sky.
  • 4:23 PM: Marigold leaves the pier.
  • 4:25 PM: Marigold enters her car.
  • 4:34 PM: Marigold arrives at her home.
  • 4:52 PM: Marigold watches TV.
  • 5:45 PM: Marigold cooks dinner (macaroni and cheese), and watches TV while eating.
  • 9:21 PM: Marigold goes to bed and reads "The Sudden Stop".
  • 10:05 PM: Marigold turns off the light.
• Fearing for the Anderson Brothers' health, Barry Wheeler buys the Oceanview Hotel and turns it into the Valhalla Nursing Home using the money gained from the Old Gods of Asgard record sales.

2015

• The Elderwood Palace Lodge is taken down and rebuilt in downtown Bright Falls in its original form.
• Construction of the Research Facility WA-03, the "Lake House", is completed.

2016

• July 15: Dr. Diana Marmont writes a report titled "The Definition of "Art": a Study".
• The Elderwood Palace Lodge reopens.

2017

• The Lake House team makes strides in their research of Threshold energy detection and measurement, allowing them to work with the Investigations Department in the construction of an early-warning system near the shore of Cauldron Lake. However, without an active AWE, their research of the Dark Presence and the development of additional means to contain and defend themselves against said entity is fruitless. In addition, per mandate V-29-HED, the team also tests counter-frequency projection in the vicinity of the lake, with all findings being sent to Dr. Casper Darling as requested.
• December 15: The Lake House's annual Threshold study report is written.
• After experiencing recurring nightmares and being haunted by visions her husband trying to escape the Dark Place, Alice Wake contacts the Federal Bureau of Control for assistance. Sensing Alice's presence in the Investigation Sector, the Taken Emil Hartman breaches containment and rampages through the sector, killing many personnel, and forcing the FBC to evacuate and seal off the sector to contain Hartman. Head of Investigations William Kirklund and Frederick Langston are among the survivors. After this incident, Alice is now able to remember her time trapped in Dark Place in 2010.

2018

• January: The Cult of the Tree kills the Taken Wendy Davis. Her body is later found floating on Cauldron Lake. Davis' husband, Gil, is subsequently arrested and charged with murder. Following a three-month trial, he is found not guilty.

2019

• February 26: To help the Lake House team to "get started" with their new task of researching the Cauldron Lake Threshold's reality manipulation effects, Dr. Casper Darling sends Drs. Jules and Diana Marmont drawings made by Dylan Faden to test the Dark Presence's reaction to them.
• August 8: Saga Anderson receives a merit award from the FBI for her work in the Mile High Strangler case.
• August 27: One of Alan Wake's manuscript pages is found by the Federal Bureau of Control and classified as an Altered Item.
• October 29:
  • Zachariah Trench, Director of the Federal Bureau of Control, unleashes the Hiss through the Slide Projector Object of Power. The Oldest House seals its exits to contain the invasion. Despite this, Jesse Faden, guided by the paranatural entity Polaris, manages to enter the Oldest House and is appointed by The Board as the new Director after Trench commits suicide.
  • During the Hiss Invasion, the Dark Presence within the taken Emil Hartman mixes with the Hiss, further transforming Hartman. Jesse Faden is guided by an apparition of Alan Wake to the Investigation Sector, where she finds and faces Hartman. After Hartman is killed, an Altered World Event is detected taking place on Bright Falls several years in the future.
• December 13: The Lake House staff compiles a background report on Rudolf Lane.

2020

• April 18: After confirming that Rudolf Lane possesses parautilitarian capabilities following extensive testing, the Project Rhamnus team compile a research profile on him.
• September 12: Drs. Jules and Diana Marmont establish a new goal for the Lake House: to create a stable connection between the Cauldron Lake Threshold and their world. They also order the construction of a laboratory in sublevel 5, where experiments that help achieve this goal will be carried out, taking full advantage of the proximity of that location to the lake.

2021

• An unidentified musician that was being held at the Lake House managed to escape the research site by unknown means, speculated to be her song "6 Deep Breaths".
• May 12: The Lake House writes a "Follow Up Report" detailing the escape of the unidentified musician.
• July 23, 12:30 PM: Barry Wheeler sends an email to Alice Wake. He explains how he feels like a fish out of water in Hollywood, but he has to be there to look after Alan Wake's legacy.
• Drs. Jules and Diana Marmont begin having more and more interpersonal conflicts.

2022

• January 19: Dr. Diana Marmont writes a report detailing the discovery of Return manuscript pages and their content, alongside her thoughts on the matter.
• March 24: Project Arbutus staff writes a report detailing the functionality of the ATD devices.
• May 11, 09:01 AM: Barry Wheeler sends an email to Alice Wake. He tells her that he has joined the Blessed Wellness Retreat organization/cult and gotten to know the "miracle worker" who runs it, Chester. He tells her how the retreat have helped him feel much better and that he has lost a lot of weight.
• June 20, 08:23 PM: Barry Wheeler sends an email to Alice Wake. He checks in to see how she is doing after not getting any replies from the previous emails.
• June 23: The Lake House staff writes a progress report on their investigation of the brand and model of typewriter used by Alan Wake for their use in Project Arbutus. Said investigation continues to be unsuccessful, with the team continuing to explore alternative sources of information.
• December 12, 08:00 AM: Dr. Eugene Campbell sends an e-mail to Drs. Jules and Diana Marmont regarding Project Nursery Rhymes.

2023

• January 23:
  • 12:12 PM: Junior Assistant Researcher Michaels sends an e-mail to Assistant Researcher Vega detailing his lack of success with the Project Nursery Rhymes experiment PF-NR-16: codename "Maiden Waiting".
  • 12:30 PM: Vega responds to Michaels' e-mail, advising him to try different approaches regarding the structure and tone of the rhyme used.
  • 12:41 PM: Michaels responds to Vega telling him that he will try to add "complexity and charm" to the rhyme.
• February 02, 01:20 PM: The Bright Falls Sheriff Station Admin sends an e-mail to the station staff reminding them not to "microwave the whole fish".
• March 3, 02:21 PM: Ilmo Koskela sends an e-mail to the members of the Kalevala Knights telling them not to place the Cult of the Tree stashes in the open.
• March 6: Lake House administrator Harry Kingston writes an organization update announcing that, from that point onward, research will be divided into two projects lead by the station's co-heads: Dr. Diana Marmont's Project Arbutus, and Dr. Jules Marmont's Project Rhamnus.
• March 10: Dr. Jules Marmont writes a report about Project Rhamnus Threshold linking experiment.
• March 21, 10:10 PM: Dr. Eugene Campbell writes an e-mail to Drs. Jules and Diana Marmont with an update on the initial Project Nursery Rhymes' experiments, which yielded negative results.
• March 28, 04:44 AM: Barry Wheeler sends an email to Alice Wake stating the Hollywood "sharks" now want to make either a movie, TV show or video game based on Alan's disappearance. He also tells her that he hunted down true crime writer Tammy Booker and threatened to sue after learning that she was working on a book about Alan.
• May 9, 11:03 PM: Barry Wheeler sends an e-mail to Alice Wake, checking in after failing to reach her.
• Unknown day, July, 02:31 PM: Jaakko Koskela sends an e-mail to the members of the Kalevala Knights warning them to stop taking the Clicker out of their assembly hall while drunk.
• July 14: Ava Rahmani writes a status update report about Oldest House, mentioning that it is still under active lockdown and that fluctuations of an unknown field were detected by on-site observations teams, with the FBC's Boston office analyzing the readings.
• August 7: A team notice is sent to the Project Arbutus staff about Karla Livingston's reassignment.
• August 15: Vladimir Blum is accepted into the Cult of the Tree.
• August 16: Vladimir Blum disposes of a dead raccoon over the bunker.
• August 17, 05:16 PM: Charlie Koskela sends an e-mail to Ilmo Koskela telling him that he and his sister did not receive their paychecks for a Coffee World-related job they did the previous month.
• Unknown day, 10:01 AM: Ilmo Koskela sends an e-mail to the members of the Kalevala Knights complaining about the parade floats are taking up the space on their workshop.
• Unknown day, 03:22 AM: Sheriff Tim Breaker sends an e-mail to the Bright Falls Sheriff Station staff announcing the 3rd Annual Community Outreach Barbecue. Deputy Thornton is chosen as the "victim" for the community-voted dunk tank.
• August 26:
  • 11:40 AM: Deputy Thornton, using the the Bright Falls Sheriff Station admin account, sends an e-mail to the station staff complaining about a $20 debt owed by Deputy Mulligan and suggesting that said amount be deducted from the latter's pay and given to him instead.
  • 11:49 AM: Deputy Mulligan, also using the the Bright Falls Sheriff Station admin account, defends himself by stating that he had paid the debt by buying Thornton lunch months earlier.
• August 27, 01:31 PM: William Portman sends an e-mail to Joel Skarsgaard informing him that the latter's graphic novel proposal, "Starlight Symphony", has been rejected by the former's publishing house.
• August 29, 06:51 PM: Tony Tennenba sends an e-mail to Fred Jones informing him that he has moved the Trailer Park Stash Key to a place where it cannot be washed away by the flooding.
• August 31, 09:06 PM: Ilmo Koskela sends an e-mail to the members of the Kalevala Knights suggesting that they start a regular Saturday sauna night in view of the Watery sauna having been re-opened.
• September 1:
  • 08:14 AM: Fred Jones responds to Ilmo Koskela's e-mail, expressing his dislike for sauna.
  • 08:20 AM: Marvin Williams sends an e-mail supporting of employer's suggestion.
  • 08:31 AM: after viewing his employees' responses, Koskela sends an e-mail announcing the official start of regular Saturday sauna nights.
• September 2:
  • 01:32 AM: James Johnson sends an e-mail to Megan Johnson pleading her to reply to his messages.
  • 11:04 PM: Jaakko Koskela sends an e-mail to his brother complaining about not being able to find the new lock combination.
• September 3, 08:00 AM: The Bright Falls Sheriff Station admin sends an e-mail to the station staff reminding them that the front desk computer and admin e-mail are not to be used for personal quarrels or other unofficial business. They also remind the staff to wash their coffee mugs.
• September 5:
  • 12:30 PM: Officer Barbara Morgan sends an e-mail to the Bright Falls Sheriff Station staff asking about safety preparations for the upcoming Deerfest.
  • Lake House lead Threshold analyst Harris Krus writes a report requesting authorization to contact the AWE response team in view of the readings collected in the previous 48 hours.
• September 7, 03:22 PM: Officer James Copper sends an e-mail to the Bright Falls Sheriff Station admin expressing his concerns about the station's security measures.
• September 8: Project Rhamnus produce a catalogue of Rudolf Lane's paintings.
• September 9:
  • 10:28 AM: Due to their request of not having personal packages being sent to the Bright Falls Sheriff Station had been repeatedly ignored, the station's admin sends an e-mail to the station staff warning that the content of any further package will be announced to the entire station and proceeds to reveal that Officer Lightfoot has received a beard oil.
  • 10:36 AM: Officer Chet Yazzie writes an email making fun of Officer Lightfoot's beard, and asks which beard oil brand he uses.
  • 10:39 AM: Officer Hanna Oshinoya responds to Officer Yazzie's email, jokingly telling him that he needs a face capable of growing a beard to make effective use of a beard oil.
• September 10: Following Rudolf Lane's suicide, Dr. Jules Marmont orders that the painted wall of Lane's cell be removed and transported to Sublevel 5.
• September 12:
  • Project Arbutus staff produce two initial findings reports about Ed and Tammy Booker.
  • 05:36 PM: The Bright Falls Sheriff Station Admin sends an e-mail to the station staff complaining about there not being coffee in the coffee machine for the third time that week.
• Bright Falls AWE.
  • Night of September 12/Morning of September 13: The Taken Robert Nightingale reemerges from Cauldron Lake, sent to retrieve the Clicker, but is intercepted and "killed" by the Cult of the Tree, who remove his heart from his body. Tammy and Ed Booker accidentally discover the ritual and call the police.
  • September 13:
    • FBI agents Saga Anderson and Alex Casey arrive in Bright Falls to investigate the string of murders committed by the Cult of the Tree, setting up their field office in the Elderwood Palace Lodge.
    • Agents Anderson and Casey go to the Cauldron Lake murder site, where they meet Deputies Mulligan and Thornton and identify the victim as former FBI agent Nightingale. Inspecting the area they also discover their first manuscript page from Return.
    • The agents go to the Oh Deer Diner, where they meet Sheriff Tim Breaker and interview the Bookers, discovering that the cult is responsible for the supposed murder. Agent Anderson also meets Rose Marigold, who, due to the Return manuscript, remembers a false history where the former previously lived in Bright Falls with her daughter Logan, who drowned several years before.
    • At the Bright Falls Sheriff Station, an autopsy is conducted on Nightingale. After agent Anderson finds another manuscript page, Sheriff Breaker is taken away by Warlin Door to the Dark Place while Nightingale's corpse comes "back to life" and attacks and kills several deputies before escaping.
    • FBC technician Steven Lin arrives at Cauldron Lake to conduct maintenance on the FBC's Cauldron Lake monitoring station, with Ilmo Koskela serving as his guide.
    • Deputies Mulligan and Thornton are taken over by the Dark Presence.
    • Agents Anderson and Casey track the Taken Nightingale back to Cauldron Lake. Guided by the manuscript pages, Anderson manages to find Nightingale's heart and use it to open the Witch's Ladle Overlap. Inside the overlap, she kills the Taken and close the Overlap. After receiving a vision of Alan Wake while he was at the Caldera Street Station murder site, Anderson is transported back to Cauldron Lake, where she meets Wake, who was freed from the Dark Place by a summoning ritual made two days in the future. Unbeknownst to them, the Dark Presence is also inside Wake's body.
    • 7:00 PM: Cauldron Lake AWE activity surpasses "acceptable limits." Investigations Unit Beta, led by Agent Kiran Estevez, is dispatched to respond after the staff at the Lake House fail to respond to communications requests.
    • Agents Anderson and Casey take Alan Wake back to Bright Falls for questioning. While initially unable to remember, he regains some of his memories after seeing Ahti's janitor bucket, which contains water from Cauldron Lake, and he begins to explain his story.
    • After an argument with his wife, Ed Booker returns to Cauldron Lake to prove his masculinity. However, he is captured by the Project Arbutus team and taken to the Lake House.
  • September 14:
    • At the Lake House, Ed Booker is tasked by the Project Arbutus team to write a story that matches the style of that of Alan Wake.
    • Agents Anderson and Casey learn from Wake about the Dark Place, the Dark Presence, the Clicker, Mr. Scratch, and the Return manuscript, which will bring the release of the Dark Presence. Anderson obtains a manuscript page from Wake placing the Clicker and the Cult of the Tree in a trailer in Watery, and departs to investigate while Casey stays in Bright Falls with Wake.
    • The Valhalla Nursing Home residents, minus Cynthia Weaver and Gail Barrows, travel to Watery for a day trip.
    • Having heard that agents Anderson and Casey had taken Wake to Bright Falls, Ilmo and Jakko Koskela leave Coffee World to storm the lodge and kill Wake. The Dark Presence attacks Coffee World shortly afterwards.
    • Agent Anderson meets the Koskela brothers near downtown Watery, who are also affected by the Return manuscript, and learns that she supposedly lives in a trailer at the Watery Lighthouse Trailer Park. The brothers tell her that she can retrieve her key from Coffee World, and soon depart to organize their attack on Alan Wake.
    • With the key now in her possession, Agent Anderson goes to the trailer park, where she meets the Anderson brothers, unaware of her relationship with them. She also finds in her trailer details about her false life in Watery and realizes that the horror story is changing reality and threatening her daughter's life.
    • Agent Anderson encounters the Taken Deputies Mulligan and Thornton and follows them to the Kalevala Knights Workshop, where the Clicker is located. However, before she could take it, it is stolen by the Deputies, who escape to an Overlap in the Huotari Well. By finishing a parade float made by the Koskelas, Anderson manages to enter the Overlap, where she kills the Deputies and recovers the Clicker. She also receives another vision of Wake while he was at the Poet's Cinema murder site.
    • At the Lake House, Dr. Jules Marmont experiments with opening an Overlap into the Dark Place using Rudolf Lane's last painting; however, the various experimental materials created by the Marmonts over time lacks the true artistic potential needed for the Dark Place's powers to manifest, causing a "pressure buildup." As a result, the Overlap opened by Jules' experiment causes a containment breach which allows the Dark Presence to overrun the facility. Many FBC staff become Taken, including both Jules and Diana Marmont. The Painting also becomes sentient, filled with Rudolf Lane's anger against the FBC, and its shards, the Painted, also threaten the Lake House.
    • Agent Kiran Estevez and some members of Investigations Unit Beta arrive at the Lake House. Estevez quickly learns that the research site has been taken over by the Dark Presence and is forced to face not only the Taken Lake House staff, but also the final painting made by Rudolf Lane, which has gained sentience and is animated by hatred against the FBC. Her reinforcements are killed by the Taken Jules Marmont.
    • While traversing the Lake House, Estevez uncovers the details of both Project Arbutus and Project Rhamnus, realizing the horrors of what the Marmonts did when left unchecked. She encounters Ed Booker in the process, who is unharmed and believes the entire experience to be an immersive writing camp. She also learns of the experiment on sublevel 5 which caused the containment breach.
    • At sublevel 5, the Taken Diana Marmont kills her husband before she is in turn killed by Estevez, who closes the Overlap. Estevez then receives a vision of Alan Wake and learns of his location before she and Ed Booker are transported outside the research site.
    • While agent Anderson is at Watery, the Cult of the Tree raids the Elderwood Palace Lodge. After he is separated from Casey, Wake is taken over by the Dark Presence and massacres a group of cultists. Waking up shortly after, he attempts to follow Casey to the Bunker Woods. However, upon reaching him, he is taken over again and Casey is attacked by Scratch. Ilmo Koskela is almost able to kill the writer, but is stopped in time by Agent Anderson before Agent Estevez and her team arrive and arrest Wake and the Koskelas. Anderson is also shut out of the case.
    • Using Cynthia Weaver, the Dark Presence "seduces" Tor Anderson. He and another Dark Presence victim, Gail Barrows, are locked in the Wellness Center by Rose Marigold and Vladimir Blum. However, before being locked up, Tor manages to contact his granddaughter Saga.
    • Agent Anderson arrives at the Valhalla Nursing Home in search of Odin and Tor for answers about the Cult and Wake. She learns from her great uncle about the truth of her family and the importance of the Clicker. Anderson is let into the Wellness Center by Rose Marigold, where she faces more Taken and looks for her grandfather. However, Tor is lured by Weaver into an Overlap in the nursing home's pond.
    • The Taken attack the nursing home, killing Blum in the process. With the help of Marigold, Agent Anderson manages to find the record of the Old Gods of Asgard song Anger's Remorse and uses it to enter the Overlap. Anderson kills the Taken Weaver and closes the Overlap, rescuing Tor. She also receives another vision of Wake while he was at the Oceanview Hotel murder site.
    • 10:18 PM: After being found by FBC in the woods, agent Casey undergoes a physical evaluation, with exposure to the Dark Presence being suspected, but not confirmed.
  • September 15:
    • 07:30 AM: Agent Casey undergoes a second physical evaluation.
    • The Bright Falls Sheriff Station, which is being used by FBC as their field HQ, is attacked by the Dark Presence.
    • After learning from her grandfather that in order to use the Clicker she also needs Wake, Agent Anderson goes to the Sheriff Station in search of him. By the time she arrives, however, almost everyone inside was killed by the Taken, with Agent Estevez, Agent Casey, the Koskelas and Wake being the only survivors. With the help of Estevez, Anderson restores the power in the building and reunites with Casey. She subsequently finds Wake, but the writer is taken over by the Dark Presence and kills Jaakko Koskela before attacking Anderson. However, she manages to fend him off using the FBC's light arrays.
    • Agent Estevez informally deputizes Agent Anderson into the FBC. Under the assumption that the Wake they rescued was Scratch and that the real one is still trapped in the Dark Place, Anderson formulates a plan to free him by using a piece of art in conjunction with the Clicker, the piece of art in question being a song made by the Anderson brothers. She also asks Ilmo to reunite whoever is left of the Cult of the Tree to protect the town.
    • Agents Anderson and Casey, the Anderson brothers, Agent Estevez, and her surviving FBC agents arrive at the Cauldron Lake shore to start the summoning ritual. As the brothers perform their song, Dark Ocean Summoning, hordes of Taken emerge from the Lake, but are fended off by Anderson, with support from Estevez and Casey. Once the song finishes, Anderson uses the Clicker, completing the summoning. While Wake is released from the Dark Place, due to unknown reasons, he is transported to the evening of September 13.
    • Scratch arrives at the lake and attacks Agent Anderson for the Clicker. During the confrontation, the Dark Presence exits Wake's body and possesses Agent Casey instead. He takes the Clicker and throws Anderson into Cauldron Lake before departing to Bright Falls, where he uses the Clicker to materialize the ending of Return, turning the town into an eternal Deerfest.
    • The Anderson brothers enter the Dark Place to help Saga.
    • Wake goes to Scratch's corrupted Bright Falls to read the ending of Return and rewrite it. After obtaining a copy of the book, he escapes from the brainwashed townsfolk and the possessed Casey to the Valhalla Nursing Home, where Rose Marigold is waiting for him. He is let into the Writer's Room by Ahti and begins writing a new ending chapter for Return with the help of Saga Anderson, who communicates with him from the Dark Place.
    • Agent Anderson escapes the Dark Place and enters the Writer's Room with the Clicker and a bullet of light. As Scratch arrives, Anderson uses the Clicker to manifest the ending, expelling the Dark Presence from Agent Casey's body back into Wake's. Anderson then shoots Wake with the bullet of light, destroying the darkness. However, at the same time, the Dark Presence is born out of the remains; with the unconventional nature of time in the Dark Place, the Dark Presence influences Alan's earlier writings of Initiation and Return.
  • The events of the last three days and Alan Wake's journey through the Dark Place of Initiation are repeated. This time, however, the Dark Presence is effectively destroyed, the changes made by the Return manuscript are undone, and the loop is closed. Alan Wake is revived, having escaped the Dark Place for good and realizing that his wife Alice has been supporting him from the Dark Place, Casey recovers, and Saga Anderson is able to call her daughter Logan, confirming her safety.