Welcome to Wakeford
ry, Martin and Steve spent much of their time pouring over all information th
ood her trepidation. It was, after all, the first time she was exposed to the supernatural. It was her first encounter with a being from the world of which
imbed the rickety stairs of his grandfather's house, the closed door of their bedroom seemed to taunt him. Hanging b
ding grilled chicken, mashed potatoes, and asparagus and green peas. A simple dish compared to what they ha
It's di
e him worry. Why wouldn't she just come down and eat with them? Surely, she was invested now in seeing the winge
here forever, sis
tin sighed and set the
shock to you. I mean, that...thing we saw ba
corrected himself. Now w
But you proved resourceful in the face of that thing. I mean, not too many people I know would stare d
e door and made his way to the stairs. He stopped after taking
is mystery. Gramps is already helping me with research. If we encounter it again, I could sure
eaked open slightly. A shaky hand reached for the plate from behind the door and took it in. She didn't have an answer, n
to stay here if
s to the Mothman. Thanks to some extra digging by Steve, he found an interesting connection. As he
revealed, pouring sugar into his coffee. "Got a call from an ol' friend
ilar
ore we first did. Back in 1966, a couple drivin' home late one ni
face, it bore a strong similarity to the Jacobsens' encounter a
'ere. And you ain't gonna believe this, but..." The old man leaned over, as if in fear of others heari
ly like what happene
in' there's gotta be a connection 'tween t
d to Wakeford after the collapse. It would explain how the sightings here started around
I th
ce an enigmatic puzzle. It seemed the most logical explanation to him. Despite that, however, it did
eli
me out of her room ever since that night. Every time I try to talk to her, she just...doesn't answer. It's like s
ein' that thing s
out of all of us. I mean, she shot at that fucker and he
ting his glasses and closing his eyes, a similar reel of memories played in his h
n she ain't shook up. I ever tell ya how
Besides, what does
by the Chinese while out on patrol duty. We took shelter in an abandoned far
s blurred together, and seemed rather...uplifting. Times spent with his comrades in trenches. Being greeted by cheeri
. And in the end, by the time some boys picked me and the lieutenant up
l glasses came to rest
ster for the first tim
orbell rang. That struck both odd, since neither were expecting any v
wed the doorbell's second ring. Steve glanced over his shoulder to find Ma
n was rather quick to stand up, forgetting about his still hot pancakes, to reach o
ir. He wore skinny jeans, a pair of Doc Martens, and a simple black t-shirt. His hazel eyes were pa
?" The man, Josh, completely ignored Mart
his voice a smooth bari
y. Josh embraced her gently and ushered her out
hell is
k like, Marty?" s
leaving your brother a
But she already made here decision. This was no place for her;
good." Martin's eyes widened to t
ere was something crazy and
spoke, her voice sharper than a steak
ng in D.C is going to help?
pend my time living in fear
he of the coffee stains. Seeing the young auburn-haired boy and Mad
allowed Madeline to step behind
yesterday saying she wanted me to take her back to D.C." Steve
gonna tell me
interested in any kind of excuse. Instead,
running away from it isn't going to help! Don't you w
sh interjected. "What happene
! She saw i
adeline spluttered at last. "And it's bette
g from the girl who
if that were true, it was not an indicator of her willingness to continue this. If a
elf-defense! I-it was
tion ballsy. You always bragged about your sho
Martin. And I would rather
need to tackle this together and solve
round with this ghost hunting business. Save that for the middle scho
l Activity and Annabel
hey had nice special effects and c
anything like this. At least before, Madeline never participated in his investigations. But now, she had been part
ase. You're ma
u, Martin. Since I've known you, Maddie has had to put up with your wild i
rned. "Shut it before I break
Josh taunted, feignin
"Martin, I'm sorry, but this is the only way. I need some semblance of normalcy in
inding her boyfriend. "I told you: my channel doesn't have to be a one-man operation. You s
w or something. I swear, you're always loo
his car. A small white hatchback with Virginia license p
y! Don't I get
ened the car door. "I just can't do this. I
" Josh chimed in. "I'll mak
rushing out to the car. "This i
nged on the window, but Madeline refused to even look at him. He might as well have been a crazed homeless man begging for money
andfather gently squeezed his shoulder, but he was unresponsive. Almost cold. A silent storm raged i
een what he had, and realized that his obsession was very real. He thought for sure that she would want to
UC
tical, but quite another to believe, to see with her own eyes, and then leave him behind. Steve tried to console his grandson, but Mar
alone and a meal at Julia's diner would put him at ease, clear his head. He was about to go back insi
CHALM
nning a good distance, perhaps even from the munitions factory itself. His clothes (or what was left of them) were ragged,
That ain't
ere's Martin? I ne
in a talkin' mood. What's happened,
ething muc
ered him up the porch. A small wicker swin
m the begi
essage from Marti
utes e
t only that, the guy was inviting him to join his efforts in subduing the Mothman. Was this the golden opportunity that laid before him? Was this a chance to finally obtain r
her passed out drunk in the living room couch. His father was smoking in the kitchen, looking out
ve decided. I think i
that,
space, that's all. Time
th us. You don't have school. Y
ne," Billy insisted. "It
flinched, shoulders hunched back, and his eyes lowered, refusing to meet his father's dark, disapproving gaze. He no
ith that Chalmers
Billy admitt
about him. He's jus
other night. He says he can help us
staying he
me that! I'm
is left cheek. He stumbled and collapsed on the carpe
"I'm your father, and that means you do what I sa
bring closure to their tragedy, and a chance to finally be free of the creature, Billy found something he hadn't before. A spark lit in his body and
before I make you!
ead, as
his "daughter's" defiance. He reached for an em
d you just s
or more than a year! I can't replace her. No one can replace her! If you'd
back or meet the whiskey bottle,
lammed against the cupboard before falling over the stove and onto the white tile floor. He groaned in pain, looking
shed me...you
ered, his voice firm and strong. "I am lea
ll you
in the shock of what had just happened. He never
just happened, but you'
, I
daze. The boy, still not certain of just what he had unleashed, was not willing to wait around to find out. Instead,
nded up. If he was away from that madhouse and his deranged parents, all else was none of hi
e his house. He escaped. But what came next? What would Billy do now? His eyes scanne
couldn'
woodlot that seemed to stretch on into the distance. Surrounding the area was a wired
MUNITIO
HED JANU
shit
chitter-
s forehead broke into a cold sweat. That sound...! That godforsaken sound. The same one
wards him with two wings sprouting from its back. Two giant red orbs stared b
s, no
led a claw, and insect-like feelers ran up and down its arm. There was no mistaking it. Th
. There had to be a way to best this creature, but he didn't th
..keep away
ings rose up, asserting dominance. It leaped into the air and was ready to pounce on Bi
D STAY
his hands and back at the Mothman. It was regaining its footing, ready to reach out to him again. With clenched teeth and flared
ath. He was done being mistreated and afraid. It was about damn time he fought back, for once in his 13 years of
ing the fresh, deep cuts of his wounds. Something warm dripped down from his nose to his upper lip. He tried to lick it away and tasted his own bloo
r again. With an incensed roar, it lunged at Billy with its large cla
cle happened. The monster froz
k. Billy raised his eyebrows in confusion. What was it waiting
OFF, FOR
ed its wings and flew elsewhere. And just like tha
hell is i
as not about to stick around to see if the creature would change its mind. Instead, he left the munitions factory and started on down t
ent
illy concluded, "I
, to strike him dead, but he didn't. That had to mean there was something else the fiend wanted. If it was just a malevolent being looking to
said at last. "I think what happened to me m
ost someone ourselves, so if you want to talk, y
't tell me that feathe
and poor Martin's pretty tore up 'bout it." Billy, who had b
is, I need to talk to him no
what you went
to face with the monster that drove my family insane and may have cost me my sister. And if Martin prefers to jus
. That was to say nothing of what would happen if the mystery was not at last solved. The Mothman, a larger-than-life legend of We
on in. But don't sa
lly, welcoming him in to final
nutes
only sat quietly, fidgeting with the cuffs of her sweater. She had not spoken a word since getting in
ou okay
the road, but he managed to sneak a few quick glances at her. Concern shone
ine, Josh. D
an talk to me about it. It's not the first
ger than him
an? Did he do s
just...need to be
henandoah Valley zooming by. All she could think of was the allure of Washington. Her parents
called him, so it was understandable that she was not open to talk
, you can stay wi
.wh
you bolting on your bro and your grandpa like that
ou don't
ay out there. I think you need to be with someone who can look after you. Doesn'
s escapades. Even if he did believe like him, one would think he would have had common sense enough to make him stop w
could see its two ruby eyes. She could hear its insect-like chittering. Never in a mill
e out there for as long as you want. Besides, don't take this the wro
ed into one of Martin's escapades. In fact, spending the summer with Josh was better, the more she thought about it. Martin and their parents complained about her being "obsessed" with him, but that was the least o
ady tapping noise, lulling her further towards sleep. G
AY 66
ngton, Alexan
ve West Virginia behind. Josh smiled as he glanced at he
utta here s
we'll be
about the woodlot seemed strange to Madeline. The woods almost engulfed the road, blotting out the summer sun. What was once a bright summer
AAAA
t the windshield but was stopped thanks to her seatbelt. With her eyes and her mind jolted awake, she was gre
ne with dread. Its claws stretched out towards the car, almost beckoning it to come closer. In a flash, the car swerved off to the right, sending Madeline straigh
, GET T
AS
right into a tall spruce, busting o
urn over to him but felt a sharp pain throughout her body. Padding herself down, she felt someth
e
a shock of pain zapped through her body, and she cried out in
of the engine, with small wisps seeping through the broken windshield. The smell...? Yo
sh.
y on impact, mitigating further damage to his body, but he was similarly covered in cuts on his face and arms. T
God. You'
hell hap
blood, his pants heavier than
the road. I narrowly avoide
een it too. Did that mean
are you ta
e insect or something...but th
no...not
adeline, lost in a fog o
you mea
zy...but...that thing...I saw it in Wakef
ll me you're starting to
called you up. I think tha
from behind them, foll
y stared back at him, his unblinking eyes filling him with terror. Any
fuck is th
saw in Wake
s time Junior
eaded to Madeline's side of the car. Josh immediately took that as his cue to run. He unhooked his seatbelt and tried
...wh
ry to save
e ground beneath them. A shot of pain zapped through her right arm as she moved to pull off the seatbelt. Just bending her elbow felt like breaking
help me.
her side of the car, he worked frantically to unhook her from the seat. The girl's glanced back at the creature, who was now a fe
ammit
RY,
tuck, I
do nothing, he only punched it away, giving him enough space to slide out of the driver's car door
at are yo
addie, I can'
OS
ed and cried out his name, but he only kept limping, trying to get away. He abandoned her, just when he said how he
er her jacket and pu
et away, you
bindings, pulling her out of the car. Madeline weakly punched and kicked at its arm, but it was no use. It had
mpenetrable fog. She drifted off, whether from the shock of her