Early Morning at the Cryptid Corps Temporary Base
“Today we are leading an expedition to uncover additional information about a local Cryptid. It is believed to resemble that of a bear. We have come aptly prepared to deal with it if it is in fact just a bear.“, as Dr. Milton was explaining one of the Cryptid Corps members interrupted.
“Excuse me sir but aren’t the bears endangered, we shouldn’t be doing anything that could get us in trouble with the local Wildlife and Park Services?”, volunteer Riardo interjected.
“What!? Heavens know none of what we have is lethal, just deterrents and repellents and catch and release if necessary. That is if there is anything to actually catch. However I am confident that we can catch it and observe it. There is no way we have that many sightings in the same place and it’s just some damn kids playing pranks!”, Dr Milton had to stop and recompose himself as he was recalling past excursions failures.
“Now where was I… Ah yes the locals call it Fuzzy Wuzzy. However if the rumors are to be believed Fuzzy Wu- I will simply refer to it as Subject FW or just FW for short from here on out because that name just sounds too darned silly to me. Where was I again? Ah yes Subject: FW supposedly has no hair to speak. So if what sightings and reports say are believed to be true. Then FW wouldn’t be very Fuzzy now would it?”
There is an uncomfortably long pause. Dr Milton is surprised no one even attempted to answer his rhetorical question. Who is is shocked that they either picked up on it or ar e to dumb or don’t even care and may just be here for the perdiem pay.
“Are there any other questions before we embark?” Dr. Milton asked as he began wrapping up the briefing.
“No Dr. Milton Sir!, er Sir Dr. Milton? Dr. Sir Milton?!” One of the smaller recruits tried to say while fidgeting nervously, already losing it at just the mentions of Fuzzy Wuzzy during briefing.
“Subject FW is known to inflict people with a sort of delirium. Some accounts describe it as a sense of unease or lack of confidence among other things. But it all sounds like a case of your nerves getting to you recruit. Someone buddy up with our newest recruit Private Valerie“ Dr. Milton said as he started making notes on his tablet.
“Everyone move out!” The Cryptid Corps Captain Bando shouted.
“Yes Indeed Captain Bando we need to set up the perimeter before the sun begins to set. Subject FW is known to be most active just as night falls”, Milton added.
-3 hours later-
On Site near the last 17 sightings of Subject Fuzzy Wuzzy.
“Everyone makes sure all the monitoring equipment and sensors are online. We cannot afford this expedition to be jeopardized by a faulty camera or other techno thingy.” Milton repeated this point several times as they set up the perimeter on a highly wooded hill that has a great vantage point of a nearby river also known to have bears catching salmon.
“Sir! I think we got motion!” Valerie piped up as one of the thermal sensors picked up a large heat signature across the river.
“Hush now and look through the cameras, Bando and Riardo prepare the capture gear.” Milton quietly ordered.
Riardo got an unusual net shooting contraption while bando prepared a tranquilizer gun.
Milton looked through the camera but saw no shape matching the thermal scanner. However just as the sun began to set and that last setting glare began to fall something was visible to the naked eye but not the camera.
A large fleshy blur. No one could make out what exactly it was but Milton told everyone to wait and see what exactly they were observing.
After one look Valerie seemed to have a breakdown and began repeating something frantically rocking on the ground in almost whispered tone “Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear, Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair, Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn’t really fuzzy, Was he?”
Riardo ran to check on Valerie but tripped and discharged the net gun and hit Captain Bando knocking the tranquilizer gun out of his hands.
As Bando fought his ray out of the net. Milton saw the fleshy blur seem to splash through the river in their direction, still unclear on what exactly was approaching.
He began scrambling towards the Tranquilizer gun when a voice spoke.
“Who… I… you… I…” The unusual voice uttered seemingly from all around them. After it spoke the electronic sensors and cameras began to spark and pop.
Dr Milton had lost sight of the Blur and got to the Tranquilizer gun and tried to get back up on his feet. Valerie had gone completely silent. Riardo was also looking around and Bando was still trying to uncapture himself.
There was complete silence in the forest; the river was silent, the wind through the trees was dead silent. Their footsteps on the forest floor were no longer audible.
The odd voice began again “Who… I… you… I…”
Dr. Milton tried to yell out but he couldn’t get out the words almost as if the air couldn’t escape his throat. It seemed like the others had fainted which was all the more puzzling when he clearly heard Valerie’s voice behind him repeating “Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear, Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair, Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn’t really fuzzy, Was he?” When turned to look behind him it looked like the new recruit but something was definitely off.
Before he could fire the tranquilizer gun his rib cage had been pierced by the Shape Changer’s Arm. It only took a few moments for him to realize that whatever they had found was no bear.
As Milton fell to the ground dying the last thing he saw was Valerie getting to her feet with a bloody knife in hand walking towards the unconscious Bando.
-FIN
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