rife with his scribblings and circled by permanent marker. Behind him, what used to be his map of connections, linking different pieces of the Mothman legend together, was torn down. His dull eye

r imagined, and now it cost him his sister. If only they had a more normal va

is here, and—" Almost on cue, the yo

t a bad time, but things have happened. We need to

red miserably. Billy's stern ex

use

e anymore. I

What happened to the investigator's r

at's th

wered, voice deadpan and emotio

Billy insisted. "You're just sad righ

once dull, empty eyes were alight with fury and indignan

ucking m

walked to his table. The table were his research took place. The same table where

myth that isn't real!" His arm swung forward, and he pushed aside the materials on the table, letting them fall o

ch a declaration of defeat. He stepped in

"Was what you said to me last night just hot air? Were

h to protest, only to find no w

oice when you said you'd solve this mystery out was…well, damn amazin'. Hell, the only time I ever seen such an attitude like that was when your father asked permission to marry your mother." Steve chuckl

it in!" Martin sharply rebuked. "But that was then, this

laimed. "You'd rather just let tha

a damn anymore! And how

e my parents and fight back against that moth thing. That means I can help you i

ly then narrowed with disb

done with being moc

ed, rolling his eyes. "I've g

d through and slammed into Martin's face, sending him towards the whi

you behind, big whoop! She's still alive, right?" The olde

es is be a bitch and nag at me constantly. And now she would rather just ditch me, after I was being

Billy held out his arm. Martin was lifted from the ground like a flower petal in the wind. His legs flailed, desperately seeking solid ground to rest upon. Martin struggled to fight th

You're just throwing a stupid temper tantrum over nothing! Fuck you! Fuck you

up, only to find his whole body being floating again. He felt an intense pressure entrapping his neck like a snarl. With pained gasps, he struggled for air. Billy

rced to dress up as a girl every day?! Do you know what it's like to get the shit beaten out of you by your

and wheezing for air. Steve, shocked silly from the whole argument, finally shook himself of his stupor and grabbed his ne

now!" Steve shouted, concerned for his gra

to the floor in a disordered, traumatized heap. He looked around the twins' room, unrecognized thanks to his rampage. Martin was whimpering and withering

s brain. With an agonized scream, the young man collapsed on the floor in pain, holding his head. The noseb

grandson's side, patting his

you al

r the table, breathing heavily from being tossed around like a rag doll. The younger teen shot Martin a tearful, almost plea

"You gave me… the push I needed to make a change. You encouraged me… to break free. And now… you're going to sit her

ily staring at the floor. From that very moment, Martin felt smaller than a field mouse. Small as a worm. Small as the broken picture frame o

ly…I

reached for his pockets and seen the caller ID. It was none other than Madeline! What did this mean? Did she have a c

hel

heard was not Madeline's voi

fuck is th

os

Wakeford, Josh…" M

s time Junior

What else should he have expected

Martin grumbled, deadpan. "

round of the call. Footsteps? Of what? Martin was

die," Martin snidely shot back. "W

Madeline not respond to him, but their voices sounded more frantic, anxious, and afr

ry to save

kground, barely audible, all heard the feared insect-like chatter. I

damm

RY,

tuck, I

ted the young investigator, and soon he joined in calls for Madeline to save herself. As Josh apparently fled the scene, Martin hurriedly

t away, you

, and Martin could only hear the flapp

ou hear me? What's going

BOOP-

nd with it, so too

t got he

who along with Steve had been stunned into

w?" Billy pressed him

ou. Only question is wh

ason did this creature have to kidnap his sister and take her God-knows-where?

even counseled him, adjusting his glasses. "

s eyes wide. "That thing almost kill

better id

one to put an end to this monster. Either way, it seemed an enormous ri

that thing is dangerous. We s

w that?" Marti

as he pieced together all he had gathered from the mystery. Not just from the sightings at Wakeford, either, but in Poin

ountered the Mothman

ht at me, Mart! Wh

r the question. Did

r of the monster. It didn't lay a hand—or rather, a claw—on him. But upon seeing him, a sense of

s because I stopped him be

thing's been a menace ever since it was first sighted in Point P

it died in a bridge accident, remember? First in Point Pleasant in the 60s, and then in Wakeford last year.

d an eyebro

ever saw it when my pare

Wakeford was in 1968. That's the year the Wakeford Bridge was built, jus

t. Steve, however, said nothing

re was something wrong. It knew something terrible was gonna happen! When your fami

of it. And that still doesn't

n. Admittedly, he didn't have a good answer for that, eithe

e, then you're right. And if we find Maddie, we'll find that M

t an end to t

not waste any time.

and newfound friend and nodded. Wi

factory tonight.

individual preparations. There was only one path for them

t N

tory. For the sake of ending the mystery, rescuing Madeline, and ending the terror, they had to go back. The answer to this was in findin

he wire fence sealing off the area. He reached for the shotgun he kep

us. Marty, I want you to find Maddie. We ain't leavin' this place without 'er. The minute you find her, bring her b

o it. If they were to get out alive, they needed to stay in sight of each other. Martin, carrying only his camera phone, switched on his flashlight, and headed into the building. A loud

ing to not to be too loud.

the worst. This was the best lead they had f

flashlight bounced around. "I was acting like a jer

of the factory, a metal staircase ran up to a second floor with a row of doors leading to offices and storage rooms. Martin, for no reason he could discern

ddenly, he remembered: if this was their chance to solve the mystery, he needed to get it on

Where a

ng

gentle, feminine, and familiar. Adrenaline flowed through Martin's ve

…I hear you

art

where a

he

els, he spotted a body, crumpled on the ground like a used napkin. The silhouette was thin, slender, with a

uised, blood

y god

ace while the other was spattered with blood like a morbid Jackson Pollock painting. That

rti

r any wounds. Her right arm was covered in blood, and a large gash in her jacket revealed a wounded elb

ed. "I was being stubborn and

addie. Let's just get ou

hink

pushing herself off with her one good arm, throwing her body to her brother. The two siblings embraced, sharing a silent reconciliation.

of pain when she dusted herself off, she walked out of the room and onto the footwalk, as if nothing had s

me?" Madeline asked, unlatchin

if the Mothman took you, it would bring you he

ning on one leg. With one shaky hand she produced her p

better. But instead it just made things worse. We were ab

ed before spitting out a mixture of bl

when it go

east treated Madeline as well as any partner would. To learn that he abandoned her in her hour of need

her." She spun her body around to face her brother. "Look, I was a bitch. I should've

t's just focus on g

kup truck. Her heart was warmed by the sight of her grandfather, light glinting off his tortoise shell glasses, and his handlebar mustache bending to his s

atter chit

stifled

sh

, assuming a ready stanc

rising in her voice. "Well, le

d from the blackness. Two bright red eyes, glowing like beacons on a foggy night, sent a chill dow

"We came back when Madeline was t

y, the Mothman didn't attack any of them. Instead, it walked right past Billy. It didn't even pay him a passing glance as it approached the truck. Steve cocked his shotgun and aimed it at th

camera phone, his wits, and his wor

der right at the Mothman's head. It could barely fit in the frame, thanks to its large ant

thm

understand human speech. That was good, a

behind you. And I know that…a lot of people ar

ow, slightly confused growl. He wasn't

anybody, certainly nobody I've heard of. All yo

pped to Martin's side, her C96 still at the ready. Even if this thing wasn't attacking them yet, she was no

ar. You knew what was going to happen, didn't you? You knew people were going to die if they weren't warned. So that's what you d

rd, the ground rumbling beneath

ghosts, monsters, or aliens. But…that's also what makes us human. It's what makes us…us." The Mothman chittered, as if intrigued. "Mothman, I know what it's like to be misunderstood. It's why

k another step forward. Madeline backed away, raising her pistol

, something to fear. You don't hav

r way," Madeline int

dn't advance with malice or anger. Instead, it seemed…remorseful. Regretful. Melancholy. Its unblinking, ruby-like eyes, large as dinner plates, focused on his

ne, even Martin, in utter as

ped each other. Its claws rested on their shoulders, as if they were old friends. Its head

are…of

o cassette, like when a song is played in slow motion. This creature…this thing tha

ried glances. How did the Mothman even know

to Billy Jacobsen. The young boy who, as a result of his family's encounter, was subjected to

if this was some elaborate trick, a ruse to make them all drop their guard. But such fears proved unfounded. In

aved a deep gasp of breath, as if h

" he realized, tears br

he woods before stopping at the forest edge. Then, it unfurled its great wings, spanning at least ten feet

n had encountered his fair share of strange happenings in his time as a paranormal investigator, but this topped everything. Paranormal beings had a tendency to avoid attention. Ghosts would hi

thoroughly confused and astonished by wh

tual fuck ju

ery in West Virginia," Martin replied, sm

holstered her pistol. "Why don't you guys explain it to me in th

his shotgun. Looking at the clock on his

n a helluva long night. C'm

ers house, Billy took one last look at the munitions factory. In the distance, he could see the Mothman's silhouette, still flying high

ng him when he meant no harm. But that's part of the human condition: fear gives us life. Being afraid of the right things kept our ancestors alive, even if there was no clear and obvious danger. But hopefu