ted in a low voice. "I'm here at the Wakeford Public Library doing so

re sprawled everywhere. The headlines themselves were varied, but all tied back to that cryptid which now h

on the headlines printe

STRANGE CREATURE

CONNECTED TO TH

H-LIKE MONSTER

THE 'M

COLLAPSES - 30

, "accounts of the Mothman go quite far back. He may have been around befor

ular newspaper, dated August

ing quite a stir in Wakeford ever since it was taken yesterday. The photo shows

le blue sky, climbing up the steel ramparts was a dark smudge. A single red dot glanced at the camera, bet

d. And it turns out the Jacobsens were not the on

d December 14th, 2001, and read a

laimed he saw an insect-like creature lurking around the old abandoned arms factory near th

n from some library-goers. This was far too important a revelati

ody, stand at least 12 feet tall, have wings th

ing, while crude and dated, was nonetheless forbidding. Its stare almost cut r

owing re

d plenty of cases before, but none of them required this level of research. At last, he t

no bird I've ever heard of as big as this, and especially not with red eyes. Not only that, but what's the connection between this thing and

were connected, but others needed a thread to tie

elf. I figure getting their input on this makes the most sense. They s

't mind much the neatness of his pile or if they were in the correct order; in his mind, he was

"THUD!" from the weight. The librarian, an elderly woman in her 60s with

ked, taken aback by the large colle

collected all that

to solve...whatever

looking for leads re

er chair as she caught her breath. If Martin didn't know any bett

you want to r

on me

..is nothing

le. So, I'm trying to get to the bottom of the

you should pursue something

like this Mothman i

The youth of this world seemed cursed to be foolish, constan

re are you goi

Jacobsen

he Librarian's face grew even paler

J-J-J-J-Jacob

that incident one year ago. They los

ke sure nobody was present. She ushered Martin c

wers from them. They'v

ill grieving. My gr

that. They turned into co

at suppose

oke too much. She stared at her black shoes

te enough already. I'm scan

uld have this mystery solved well before then. However, the librarian's unwillingness to share information only raised further questions. This Moth

artin that much f

a distressed family, but he needed answers. If he was going to figure out what this Mothman was

pboard walls while an errant roof tile slid off porch awning like autumn leaves. How long had it been in this state of

ment of silence, the door suddenly opened, revealing…a disheveled woman in her 50s, holdi

-day! How c-c-c

Chalmers' grandson. I'll be

told me some things abou

cleaner…that is, if one could bypass the dozens of dirty dishes piled up on the kitchen sink. Or the few holes on the wall big enough for a fist

e yourself at home. I'll ha

it, Audrey…bu

k woman shouted. "

y three or even four years. She was petite for her age as well, whether it from a stunt in growth or something else was uncertain. She wore a pink h

es,

bring our guest so

lrig

ced to the kitchen to fetch som

re yo

you…A

broad shoulders. Back when he seen a picture of her from the old magazines, she looked drasticall

the matter. For now, he needed to focus on

where Mr. J

ight now. Won't be back i

Audrey correc

yeah,

nother time. If it's alright with you, I would

y at her mother, Mrs. Jacobsen, who lowered her head and grew quiet. Martin produced an article from his bag and carefully opened it up, reading the contents as he went along. It was the ve

ut but…I would like to know what happened

t?" Mrs. Jacobsen denied.

ease. I

y, I'm talking

not Audrey.

f a mother threw her empty wine bottle at

Martin. "And YOU! I don't know what the fuck you're here for but if you are just some

no disrespect. I

nder her sofa she sat in and menaced the teenager. The boy

FUCK OUT!

He held on to his mother's ha

shoo Billy away. "We have nothing to say

nce door. However, he was desperate for answers, any at all, and tried to fight through Billy's grasp. But it was no use; the boy was stronger than him, and he thrust h

e truth about the incident? The bridge

his brown jacket. "But what about the Moth

ha

the bridge collapsed. And I know the Mothman's been sighted near the b

together the fading memories in his mind. It was a complic

While we were waiting for our parents. Audrey and I saw a pair of red eyes, staring right back at us. They were hiding behind tall

guys home...past the ar

for us." Martin reached for h

happened?" The boy looked dow

you, a r

…an inves

rabbed the 'investigator' by

ut in public a

fered enough, pal.

steps of the porch and offered Martin a final warning. "Stay away from my family and don't go any

eaky is going on here and I

t!? Are you looking f

e out what's going on in this town! Nobody is saying

re his mother still awaited him. Marty was miffed by this. Why

Martin chided, worriedly. "Can't you see this

softened, and he tu

o believe they can change. I want to help them through this. So, I'm willing

n challenged. "Is it?" Billy scoffed a

ould EVER u

nd turned his back on the run-down house. He should have known better than to expect rationality from a grieving family hit by tragedy

ister. Now, even the victims of potential paranormal activity. But in the time, he had spent chasing ghosts and unravelin

f as he kicked a stone along the dirt roa

g amidst the lonely waves of grass and the woods that spotted the landscape. It stood two stories tall, with a bay window on the bottom floo

to the small of her back while skin-tight blue jeans highlighted her slim figure. A red and black plaid flannel jack

I was waiting for

me?" Martin repeated

ld me what you w

s the only person who had welcomed him warmly in this town, would take the same stan

an

I spotted the

ed. If the Jacobsens couldn't provide him with any further evidence and testimony, then surely Julia, the girl who gave h

ou saw

h-think so

he

driving home and I thought spotted

lead back to t

he recorder. Julia looked askance at the device but said not

ime was

-thirty, 10 o'clock, maybe? I don't really rem

se? Anything out of the ordi

d an effect on the Jacobsens, but they were older, more vulnerable. And Julia, while more than forthcoming with details on the lege

" she

s. Julia raised an eyebrow at his eagerness. Catching himse

o

. How she almost mustered the courage to investigate the grounds herself. How she caught and restrained h

keford? Why did it come for the Jacobsen family? Was it an enemy or an ally? So many questio

ate it all the same. The more we know about this thing, the sooner we ca

really needed to get that out of m

'll be reading more of them now that I have plenty of free

?" Julia asked. Martin n

s been a little

us. It's inspiring to see someone hav

rag about, really…" Ma

rely even remember. Throughout their time together, Martin was put at ease. Of all the locals he had encountered so far in Wakeford, Julia proved the most welcoming and helpful.

Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance,

oing. It's a little late and

ked out front next to his grandfather's red pickup truck. However, before

ould be careful about factory. I've heard that if so

sweat, but he hid his tre

in mind, th

r car and drove off. Martin scratched the back of his head. He was half expecting Julia

ours

Anything co

Martin littered with newspapers. Her brother stood in a corner of the room, with various clippings pinned to a dashboard with long threads of yarn zigzagging across like a railroad

here?" Martin looked up

about the mess. Ju

e that. But, wh

ng on the whiteboard. It was a dark figure with wi

ed her suspicions by showing her an ar

to interview the Jacobsen family, though that didn't go too well. Whatev

han three years this had gone on. For three years she put up with her brother's interest in the supernatural and paran

, he and his late sister saw the Mothman at a gas station near the arms factory. So, I think that could mean one of two things. Ei

erated his antics. This had gone on long enough. With alm

to know wh

ped the newspaper in half, much

ycho!? I have to retur

e carpet floor, not minding the mess. With a fiery, alm

go. You're never going to succeed in life as a ghost hunter. I

he did was ask a simple question. It would have been nice to hear some feedback, but what else was he expecting? His twin

's eyebrows dipped betwe

dripping with acid. Martin crossed his arm

no interests, just talking all day to your spineless bitch of a boyfriend! So much so that after we graduated, you flat out told Mom and Dad that you didn't want to go to

ut food on the table? Will it get you six figures? Will it get you a wife and a nice house? All it does is garn

call my 10,000 plu

ly. "THEY'RE ALL JUST A BUNCH OF GODDAMN MOT

him that she was willing to demean his followers? The people who loved his work and supported hi

gh school, you know! Do me a favor and drop this worthless, garbage obsession, fo

ess…? G

been told to give up. His counselors at school, his classmates, his sister, strangers, and even a broken family victimized by this creature. All of them did nothing but try to qu

ewspaper in his hands, forming i

what!? F

shock of surprise. Now it was his time to counterattack,

n, you should be a construction worker instead. Give up Martin, ghost hunting is just kids' stuff. Give up

brother's anger. Martin took a deep breath and grabbed hi

500 dollars a month on Patreon's gotta mean something! That's far more than anyone can say about you! All you care abo

d donned a black baseball cap, bearing the

ry, one way or another! If you got a problem with that, sho

ving Madeline soaked with shock. As he marched down the stairs, he chec

No matter how scary