9/6/24 - The Cryptid Search
Fantastic news on the front of the foolish oddities shop owner. He only has two masks left from our last exchange. His business slowed a bit in the colder months, but when the breeze turned warm again he had an influx. He wants a new batch of masks. He still doesn’t know, of course. I’ve chosen to keep my methods private beyond the confines of this journal.
Luckily for him, I’ve been out collecting again. I was invigorated, I went out looking for more specimens as soon as they were finished. The possibility of them holding sentience has proven to be an anomaly, most likely related to The Infernal. With them out of my workspace, I’ve focused on something far more in line with my interests; cryptozoology.
I flipped through what I could find in Grandfather’s remaining notebooks for ideas on where to look for such things. The only issue was that he had a taste for the supernatural. I presumed The Angler to be an exception to the rule, but it seems even he was a man turned monster. I’ve always been more on the scientific side of things, tangible creatures, unaltered by magic. I lucked out when I found an entry logged from West Virginia.
Grandfather investigated The Mothman for a brief time in the 70s, chasing the concept of it being an omen. He tried to catch it numerous times during his travels, failing due to its speed and wing-based advantages. He was not fast enough. I wish I could say age betrayed him, but he would’ve been a young man at the time. It must have been an issue of skill.
I planned out my road trip before heading out. I made my way down through many states before reaching my destination, Point Pleasant. I found a cheap motel and took a day to explore the tourist attractions. It only seemed fitting given what I was there to do. The museum was helpful, it gave me more precise locations than online articles could. My favorite part was the delightfully themed food in nearby cafes and restaurants. It is a lovely little location. I almost regret taking their beloved creature home with me.
After my exploration, late into the evening, I began my search. Deep in the woods, I pinpointed where the creature was claimed to appear most often. After a short search of the tree line, I spotted what I took to be a nest. My hopes were nearly dashed, it did look to only be an owl's resting place, until it met my gaze. What I thought to be a nest was the upper half of a creature that had disguised itself into the branch it laid upon. The tales were true, it was was far more moth than bird.
My tactic was simple, I had to ground it. Part of me wishes I had found a way to preserve the wings, but there was no way of doing so if I wanted it dead, and I did. I took out the hind wings, aiming for the discal cells with a blunt object, and tracked it until it fell. Next was the legs, the rear ones at least. They were shockingly fragile, but the scuffle between us was much more of a challenge than anything I had collected my first time. I savored it. This was an animal, something that put up a fight. This is what I had been looking for.
When its body fell limp I unsheathed my blade to skin its face. I paused though as I considered its form. With a bit of sawing, the head came right off. It was segmented, like an insect. The eyes especially felt… important to preserve, so removing the whole head was convenient anyway. I chose to bury anything I couldn’t or didn’t want to take with me. I liked Point Pleasant, I hope they continue to believe Mothman flies among them.
I checked out of my hotel by eleven that day, but as I was leaving I overheard chatter of another creature. I stood nearby and listened in on claims of something alien that has been spotted from time to time in West Virginia. I had no idea my travels may lead to a second potential subject.
After a small amount of research I located her, The Flatwoods Monster. It couldn’t hurt to swing by Braxton County on my way home. I didn’t bother booking a room, I was planning to spend the entirety of my extra time in another set of woods anyway. The stretch of nature I found myself in was far wetter than the one I previously explored, I suppose that’s why the fog didn’t seem unnatural. I very nearly gave up. I let out a heavy sigh before I even noticed the soft glow emitting from behind me. My curiosity piqued further as I saw a pointed shadow arising as well. When I turned around she towered over me. Where could she possibly have come from? I knew the word alien was among the murmurs I heard, but there was no spacecraft, no sign of powerful technology, nothing that felt unnatural.
She walked slowly towards me, the glow seeming to emanate from around her rather than behind her. What I initially believed to be a long gown dragged along the forest floor behind her. On further inspection, it was a complex array of tissue, unlike anything I had ever seen. This creature appeared fully clothed but was entirely bare-skinned.
Much to my dismay, she was far less of a fight than her fellow West Virginian. She seemed sickly, almost helpless when I approached her. I wasn’t even entirely convinced she could see out of those glowing yellow eyes. She toppled over after a single strike. The low sound that emitted from her seemed to be one of relief. I believe her to have been an invasive intruder, one abandoned by her brethren. After taking what I desired, I rolled her body into the muck-covered bog nearby.
The journey home was expectedly long, especially with the handful of stops to rest and refresh the ice one of my two specimens required. On the final day of my journey, I found myself driving near Elkhorn, Wisconsin. I didn’t think anything of the road sign at the time. I spotted something with claws outside my window and came to a slow stop. I chuckled to myself as I got a better look. A large wooden carving of a werewolf wrapped in chains stood outside of someone’s country home. I pulled off to the side of the road and snapped a photo. I decided this was as good a place as any to stretch my legs and began to wander towards the field on the other side of the asphalt.
The tall grass seemed the same as any other until I spotted something darker among them. I didn’t want to get ahead of myself, but something stirred inside me, telling me that this could be another unexpected addition to the fruits of my labor.
What I had seen quickly disappeared back into the foliage with a grumble. I backed towards the car to retrieve my hunting knife. I’ve never opened and closed a door quieter in my life. When I had the implement of my task, I couldn’t see the lurking beast at all. It was hard to spot, but not hard to smell. Wet dog permeated the air. It had gotten closer.
I waded back into the brush and heard a whine. Reflective eyes met my own. They looked lost. I knelt and patted my knee, calling the creature closer. It moved in slowly, revealing more of itself to me as it approached. If I had seen it from afar I would’ve called it an unwell wolf. Up close, I knew there to be a man within it. I knew this would be a mercy killing.
I was initially disappointed by the thought that this would be another easy kill, but when I got close enough, the beast lunged. It clawed and bit towards me with reckless abandon. This was a tougher battle than Mothman. This was a creature trying to win one final time.
Unfortunately for it, I am stronger and faster than any dog, regardless of what it once was.
I debated how much of it I wanted. Werewolves only border my interests. Some believe them to be supernatural, some say it's a condition in the biological sense. Grandfather’s writings tell me it varies from person to person. He believed a true werewolf was a human destined to be a creature, in whatever way it meant to them. I find that pretentious. No human is meant to be anything but a man. If I had to guess, the beast I slayed was a prior pet. Neglected at best, at worst…The chains buried in matted fur matched those upon the statue. I tried not to think too hard about those implications.
I ultimately severed half the head, leaving the body to be picked apart by canine brethren.
Upon my return home, I got to work. The three new masks were far less threatening to work with than the previous five. I believe none of these to be haunted. The foolish oddities shop owner wants them finished by the Halloween season, I plan to bring them to him as soon as I attach the straps. I told him the theme and he’s quite excited about this batch. It seems Mothman is a personal favorite of his. He also asked if the werewolf was themed after the local one, The Beast of Bray Road. I told him yes, I suppose it is.
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