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Chapter one ·Mothmen and Cup Noodles.
Hello, I'm Xenophon Reden, I'm 26 years old and completely bankrupt.
My mom always told me to grow up, go to college, and become a doctor. Or a lawyer. Or president. Something big, important, and-most importantly- well-paid.
I never did heed her advice. At this point, I think maybe I should have.
What did I decide to become? What did I study so many years for? To be a lousy paranormal investigator! A scientist of all sciences that no one believes are real. A documenter of all occurrences strange-may they be real, imagined, or otherwise. Quite frankly-a dead-end, low-paying, disrespectable job.
I thought it'd be interesting. Exciting. Hunting aliens, chasing Bigfoot, defying government cover-ups. Kinda like Fox Mulder-the very definition of cool!
But it's not like that at all.
There's been a real lull in the ways of paranormal activity around here lately. I haven't heard of an authentic UFO sighting in ages. Perhaps a Bigfoot report, but upon further investigation all turned out to be hoaxes or mistakes. Try as I might, I just can't seem to get any decent cases.
So, naturally. I can't pay the rent.
It was a Sunday night, when this story began. Sometime around midnight, I think, though I can't be sure because my watch battery had just gone dead the day before. I was on a bridge, on the pedestrian side, sitting on the edge. My legs dangled over the side, and I kicked them absentmindedly as I looked out into space, humming a tune I had heard in the background of some documentary I had seen earlier that night.
My rent was due soon, and I lacked the money to pay it. I had come out here to relax and try to get my mind off my problems, but as I walked I just got more tense. By now, I was nearly panicking. If I missed this payment, I'd be out on the streets! I could always move in with a friend for a little while, but soon enough they'd probably throw me out too.
So I was screwed, basically.
I looked down to the dark, choppy waters below. Watching the waves, I began to wonder if suicide wasn't such a bad idea. I wasn't usually the kind to think about such things, but I was desperate. With no money, little food, and almost no one to turn to for help, I figured that at least maybe if I died I wouldn't have to worry about the rent anymore.
I stood up, and leaned forward on the railing, staring down at the water, contemplating. There were no boats out now, no one to rescue me. Few cars, and even if someone did drive by and see me jump, I'd probably be dead by the time any rescuers came.
Hmmm.
Eventually I shook my head, putting the thought aside and labeling it as foolish, and turned around to walk away. But when I turned, there was more than just a dark path before me.
There was red.
Red eyes, glowing in the dark.
I stopped, frozen in shock at what was before me. There was only one thing this could be. Only one thing.
It stepped out of the shadows, and into the illumination of the streetlight above me. It was exactly as I had imagined it to be, exactly as I had pictured it (despite the descriptions in the books being completely different from what I had wanted it to look like).
It was a Mothman.
A real, genuine Mothman, right before me.
But soon my shock faded and was replaced with fear. I was on a bridge with a Mothman! Silver Bridge incident, anyone?!
I took a deep breath, intending to make a run for it. But before I could, it walked right up to me, slouched over and holding its stomach with its arms. It looked up at me (I could tell this thing was taller than me, but it was slouching so much that its eye level was lower than mine at the time), a sad, pleading look on its face.
"Wh-what.?" I stuttered, nervous as all hell, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
It didn't answer with words, and I had to wonder whether it was capable of human speech. It just rubbed at its stomach a little, then pointed to its mouth.
I thought for a moment, before realizing what it meant. "What, you're hungry? Is that it?"
It nodded, seeming pleased that I understood. I thought for a moment, wondering what a Mothman ate. "I don't have much food. Can you eat ramen? Is that okay?"
It nodded again, its two sets of wings fluttering slightly.
I was reluctant to bring this potentially dangerous creature into my home, but I had my reasons for deciding to feed it. Firstoff, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity! From this thing I could gain irrefutable proof of the existence of Mothmen (and aliens in general, since Mothmen are believed to be such). Plus, if I didn't feed it, it might destroy the bridge, with me on it. Not a good thing.
So I nodded. "Okay, follow me, I'll feed you."
It jumped a little, happy, then flapped its wings and hovered about a foot off the ground.
I started walking back in the direction of home, and the Mothman followed close behind, flitting about happily, occasionally poking at my scarf as it blew behind me, carried by the occasional gust of autumn wind.
Soon enough we arrived at my apartment building-not the nicest place to live at, but I suppose it could be a lot worse. Of course, it would be worse if I didn't pay my rent soon.
The Mothman eagerly followed me into the building, but refused to board the elevator, forcing me to walk to my apartment on the stairs as the Mothman effortlessly flew up each flight of steps. Eventually we reached my apartment, located on the second-to-top floor, and allowed myself and my unusual guest inside. Upon entering the apartment, the Mothman took to its feet and folded its wings neatly behind its back. It looked at me, and I pointed in the direction that I was walking. "Kitchen's over here."
It followed me again, half-skipping in a cute fashion. I entered the kitchen and opened a cabinet, searching its mostly empty interior. I pulled out a small Styrofoam cup. "You don't mind Cup Noodles? That won't make you sick or anything, will it?"
It eagerly took the cup from me and opened it.
"Hold on, there," I took the cup and its now-removed paper top back. "I still have to prepare it. Go sit down or something."
It nodded, and sat down in one of the two chairs set at my kitchen's table. I then filled the cup with some hot water and replaced the top, waiting for the noodles to soften. As soon as it did, I handed it to the Mothman, along with a fork with which to eat it. It immediately set about devouring the noodles.
"Glad you like it," I took a step back. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be back in just a moment."
I then walked to my bedroom to retrieve my camera. I checked to make sure it was loaded-it was-and then returned to the kitchen to snap some pictures of my new friend.
But when I returned, the Mothman, as well as the Cup Noodles and the fork, were gone.
I sighed, disappointed, then retired to bed.