While I was on my cruise vacation, I could barely work on anything because I had to travel 80% of the time. So instead of working on my Mermay post (which is LONG overdue.) or the video, I wrote the first chapter of Feral: Beware the Beast!! This chapter is longer than ANY chapter from Feral, so enjoy!!
A young beige and white mouse girl from the back of her parents' car asked the same question, for the twenty-fourth time. Her mother answered this time.
"We're almost there. Just a few more minutes until we get there."
"Oh, finally! I can't wait to get out of this car after sixteen full hours of driving on the road.."
Cori Ringerton came a long way from home. Before she moved, she lived with her family back in Oregon, but once her mother found out that she could teach with better pay someplace else, she and her husband decided to leave their home in Oregon behind, and start a new life in a new town.
When Cori first heard of this news, she was mildly upset. She didn't want to leave her home or her friends, but her parents reassured her that everything was going to be alright. They would visit Oregon again whenever they have the time, and Cori could contact her friends anytime with her phone.
Cori felt a little better after hearing their words, and even though she was still sad to leave her home, she was now ready to take on a new life a few hundred miles from here.
Cori: "Are you sure we're here yet? I don't see our new town from here at all."
Mr. Ringerton: "You'll see it in a moment, dearie. For now, just keep doing what you're doing until we finally get there, alright?"
Cori: "Yeah, sure, I'll just keep on looking at the trees and mountains, I guess..."
The little mouse was sick of seeing trees across the road, but then, something new came to her view.
Mr. Ringerton: "Yes, Cori! We're here!"
Cori: "We're finally here!! Yay!!"
Mrs. Ringerton: "It's beautiful from up here."
Mr. Ringerton: "Elmore, California, here we come!"
After a very, very, very long trip, the Ringertons have finally made it to Elmore, California.
From up the mountains, the town looked radiant, like some shiny spectacle, and surrounding it was plenty of lush, green forest.
The family was excited to settle in and experience what this town had to offer for them...but first they had to get out of this mountain.
So, Cori's father continued to drive along the mountain's road until they arrived to their destination.
Once they got there, the family looked around the town's streets to find its residents going through the day, each in their own way.
On the left of their car, a man with antlers was organizing mail in someone's mailbox, and on the right side, a tall paper rock person was moving back and forth between two food stands.
Mrs. Ringerton: "I don't get it. If he doesn't want to go through the hassle of trying to run two stands at once, then why not have one stand with all the food from both stands?"
Mr. Ringerton: "Maybe they're his boss's stands, and they wouldn't even bother trying to fix it."
Mrs. Ringerton: "Poor fellow..."
As they continued to drive through the town, things started to get a little...unusual.
Mrs. Ringerton: "What the?!- Isn't that the same man we saw a few minutes ago?? Why, no, HOW is he working another stand far from where we were back there?!"
Mr. Ringerton: "Well- Umm....I..actually can't come up with a logical explanation for this."
Cori: "He must be really dedicated to his jobs."
Mrs. Ringerton: "Yes, but I'm more focused on how he-AAAAHH!!!"
Mr. Ringerton immediately pressed the car's brake, for giant feet were walking in front of its way.
Mr. Ringerton: "Is...Is that a giant?!"
Cori: "Whoa, cool! They weren't kidding when they said that this town's population is weird."
Mr. Ringerton: "So that's what they meant by that, then? I originally thought that it meant that it's weird as in the population's an unusual number, not that strange creatures were living here.."
Mrs. Ringerton: "Not only strange creatures, but strange happenings, as well. Hopefully, we'll learn to adjust to this town's weird way of living, but for now, we need to find our house."
Back when they lived in Oregon, there wasn't anything particularly weird happening there, so it was quite a shock once the family experienced a mere morsel of Elmore's weirdness.
Will their house, as well as their neighborhood, be just as weird?
Mr. Ringerton: "Alright, we're here at last! Home sweet new home."
Mrs. Ringerton: "It sure does look nice...I wonder if there's some sort of catch, though.."
Mr. Ringerton: "I sure hope not."
The family went out of their car and into their new house. It's two stories tall, with an attic and a backyard. Once they got in from the front door, everything seemed.....normal.
Mrs. Ringerton: "Well, nothing too strange so far."
Mr. Ringerton: "The living room looks alright...so does the kitchen...can't say the same for the rest, yet. Let's explore everything here before we relax, okay?"
The Ringertons split up to investigate every nook and cranny of the house to see if anything peculiar was happening in it. After about half an hour, the family returned to the living room to talk about what they've found.
Mr. Ringerton: "Well, I've checked the bedrooms, laundry room, heck, even the attic, and everything seemed fine to me."
Mrs. Ringerton: "Same here. I went outside to view our backyard, and nothing out of the ordinary seemed to be there."
Mr. Ringerton: "What about the bathrooms? Cori, did you check them?"
Cori: "Yes! The lights worked well, and the bathrooms looked pretty normal."
Mr. Ringerton: "What about the water?"
Cori: "Uh- Well, I didn't need to use the bathroom, so...I..don't know?"
Mr. Ringerton: "...I'm going upstairs."
Cori's father started to walk up the stairs, and once he made it to the second floor, he took a right turn to one of the floor's bathrooms to test the water. But when he did...
Mrs. Ringerton: "Honey, what's wrong?!"
Cori and her mother hastily ran up the stairs to see if Mr. Ringerton was okay, and, although he was alright, the water mostly certainly was not.
Mr. Ringerton: "The water's all dark brownish-green!! Disgusting!!"
Mrs. Ringerton: "Oh, dear..."
Cori: "Can't we call someone to fix it?"
Mr. Ringerton: "Yes, that's a good idea, Cori. It'll take a few hours for our water to come back, though. In the meantime, let's try to find something to do to pass the time."
Mrs. Ringerton: "How about we greet the neighbors? Since we're new, they might like to get to know us better!"
Mr. Ringerton: "I'd like that."
Cori: "Hope our neighbors don't suck."
Mr. Ringerton: "Hello, is anyone there?"
Cori's father was firmly knocking one of his neighbor's doors, but after a few attempts, he started to believe that nobody was there.
Mr. Ringerton: "Well, I guess they aren't home. Maybe the people from the house on the left are still home."
The house from the left side of their house had a similar structure: two floors, an attic, and a backyard. However, the main things that stood out were its gentle green color and various flora around the frontyard and porch.
The family approached the house until they were standing across its front door. Mr. Ringerton, hopeful that there'll be an answer from the other side, firmly knocked the door.
Mr. Ringerton: "Hello? Is anyone there? We just moved here, and we would like to meet you!"
Fortunately, it only took a few knocks for someone to open the door.
???: "Oh! I don't think that I've seen you around before! You must be the new neighbors, right?"
A small, mustached cactus man came out the door to greet the Ringertons. Unlike giants and bending logic, living cacti weren't at all strange to them. Back where they lived, humanoid animals, walking plants, and living objects usually resided there.
Mr. Ringerton: "Hello! We're the Ringertons, and yes, we're your new neighbors. We moved in just recently, and we would like to get to know you a little better."
Mr. Verde: "Well, step right on in to the Verde residence, then! We don't mind visitors, but, erm- Please clean your shoes before you go in. My wife and daughter don't like our house getting dirty, even if it's just a little."
Cori: "Even the smallest dirt speck?"
Mr. Verde: "No, not really! But if the mess is noticeable enough, they will complain. Ohh, for sure!"
Mr. Verde offered the family to come inside and relax in the living room. Meanwhile, his wife, now knowing that there are visitors in her house, started to brew some tea to form a welcoming vibe that'll comfort the new neighbors.
The Verde's living room was neatly organized, with barely anything dirty to be found. It has a little bit of a modern aesthetic to it, and it's spaced out quite a little. And like the front of the house, plants decorated the room. However, there wasn't as much flora as the outside.
The Ringertons admired the room's layout as they all sat down on the couch. Mr. Verde, curious to know more about the family, wanted to begin a friendly conversation.
Mr. Verde: "So, where did you guys come from?"
Mr. Verde: "Ah, that's not very far from here! Though it was still a long trip to get here, I assume?"
Mrs. Ringerton: "Well, yes. I think it took us, like, sixteen hours to get to Elmore."
Mr. Verde: "Wow, that's a lot! At least you're here now, so you don't have to worry about that anymore!"
Mrs. Ringerton: "We still have something to worry about, though. Our plumbing system's broken, so we have to wait a few hours for someone to fix it."
Mr. Ringerton: "And to pass the time, I wanted to meet our new neighbors for the first time, so that pretty much leads us to where we are now!"
Mrs. Verde: "You picked a good neighborhood to live in. Around here, we treat each other well and look out for one another. We're glad that you decided to come into our household this evening, Ringertons. Care for some tea?"
Mrs. Ringerton: "Yes, please."
Cori: "I don't like tea, but thanks."
As the adults enjoyed sipping their tea, Cori, with nothing to do but hang out with them, became bored. But then she noticed something, or someone, on the stairs behind them.
They looked like Mr. Verde, except they had no mustache. Suddenly, they started to signal Cori to come near the stairs. Since Cori didn't have anything to do, she decided to listen.
Carmen: "You must be new here, right? I'm Carmen. Nice to meet you!"
Cori: "I'm Cori! Nice to meet you, too."
Carmen: "Want to come over to my room? It seems like you're kind of bored down here."
Cori: "Yeah, sure! I'll come along!"
Carmen: "Okay, follow me."
The two girls walked up the stairs and turned left towards Carmen's room. Like the living room, and pretty much almost everywhere in the house, her room was neatly organized, and there was some plants around. The colors green, pink, and brown greatly accented the room, and its window was slightly open, letting out a gentle, cool breeze.
Carmen: "Thanks. So, what brought you here to Elmore of all places?"
Carmen: "Certainly not for you, right?!"
Cori: "Clearly not, I'm only twelve! My mom got a new teaching job here because they pay more."
Carmen: "What class does she teach?"
Cori: "English. I don't know which grade she's going to teach at this school yet."
Carmen: "Well, if that's the case, I hope she does a really good job there. The recent staff members have been doing great so far."
Cori: "What's going on with the school staff?"
Carmen: "For the past few months, the school's been understaffed."
Carmen: "Because most of the people who worked there hated their jobs so much and decided to quit, so the school started to hire new members with good payment to keep it going."
Cori: "So school sucks...not only for kids, but for adults as well. Got it."
Carmen: "School isn't that bad! You get to make friends, join clubs, learn new things-"
Cori: "Yeah, yeah, like I haven't heard that before."
Carmen: "*scoffs* What I'm trying to say is that school doesn't have to be boring all the time, and you could still find fun in it!"
Cori: "I get what you mean by that, but, no matter how hard you try, your words won't convince me to look forward to school tomorrow."
Carmen: "I understand how you're feeling right now. Not everyone loves work, and, to be honest, I kind of hate it, too. But we have to push through and get it done, no matter what! And once it's all out of the way, we basically do whatever."
Cori: "It's not only that, though. I'm...I'm also kind of nervous about school tomorrow."
Carmen: "Hey, don't worry about it! If you're ever having any trouble at school tomorrow, just come to me! I'll help you with anything."
Cori: "Thanks, but I'm more worried about how it'll be. This town was nothing like I was expecting. There's weird things happening around all the time, and I genuinely find that to be super cool! But if there's awesome stuff happening, then scary stuff might happen, too, and I really don't want anything bad happening to me at school tomorrow. Carmen, you go to that school, right? What's it like?"
Carmen: "Honestly...it's...it's not like any other school. Different species come together to learn about what the world has to offer, and sometimes, the craziest things just happen. Epic fights, amazing parties, mass destruction...this school has it all."
Cori: "...And, you have to deal with that all the time?"
Carmen: "Not all the time, but mostly, I'm fine after all of that."
Cori: "But- But with crazy stuff like that going on at your school, am I really going to be fine?"
Carmen: "I'm sure of it. And if you're still feeling unsure about tomorrow, I'll be there to show you around and have your back. Okay?"
Cori: "Okay, Carmen. I trust you."
Carmen: "Good, I won't let you down. And another thing: I don't want to talk about school anymore..I want to talk about you, instead! I heard that you came from Oregon. What's it like back there?"
Cori: "It's a pretty neat place. I have pictures on my phone if you want to see."
Carmen: "Sure! I'll look."
For the rest of the afternoon, Cori and Carmen hung out together, talking about their lives and interests. But after a few hours, Cori's parents came into Carmen's room to tell their daughter that their house's plumbing's been fixed.
Before the family left, Cori's mom asked her if she wanted to stay with Carmen for a little while, but she said that she spent enough time with her, and was ready to go home.
And so, the Ringertons said goodbye to the Verdes, and headed back into their own house.
After a long day, it was now Cori's bedtime. However, as her mom tucked her into her bed, Cori, with a mildly concerned look on her face, asked her a question.
Cori: "Mom, will you make sure I'm safe tomorrow?"
Mrs. Ringerton: "Yes, honey! Why would you ask that??"
Cori: "I'm just a little nervous about school. Carmen said that I've got nothing to worry about, but what if something bad does happen to me?? I don't want to think about-"
Mrs. Ringerton: "H-H-Hey!! Listen, listen! Everythong will be alright, okay? Mommy's here for you, so you've got nothing to fear. And if anything tries to hurt you at all, I will stop at nothing until you're safe. Now, sleep tight. We've got a big day tomorrow."
Cori: "Okay, mom..Love you."
Mrs. Ringerton: "Love you too, sweetie."
Cori's mother kissed her on the forehead, and tucked her in again. After she did that, she walked towards the door, and turned off the lights.
Mrs. Ringerton: "Sleep tight."
Cori: "So, this is the school?"
Mrs. Ringerton: "Yep. We're here. Let's get out, sweetie."
The mother and daughter got out of their car, and began to walk towards the school. Once they went through the front doors, they couldn't believe their eyes.
Mrs. Ringerton: "Well, this town just gets weirder and weirder..."
Cori: "Not everyday that you see a flying eyeball, walking toast, and a living, breathing T-Rex in the same room.....the school's awesome so far.."
Mrs. Ringerton: "It's clearly not at all like the last school I teached.....but enough aweing! We've got to find the principal's office."
Mrs. Ringerton: "Oh, there it is. Time to meet the principal!"
Cori's mother opened the door to see a photobashed-looking sea otter sitting behind a desk. She was dressed formally, and her fur was well-kept.
Mrs. Ringerton: "You must be the principal! Hello, my name is Lauren Ringerton, and I'm the school's new English teacher."
Sheila: "Nice to meet you, Lauren. I'm Sheila Mackle, Elmore Junior High's principal, and I'd like to welcome you to my school."
Lauren: "Thank you. And, oh! This here is my daughter, Cori! Say hi, Cori!"
Sheila: "We're glad to have you here, Cori. You're gonna have a great day today, I'm sure of it."
Cori: "Really, though?.."
Sheila: "Yes, really. Now, get to class, it starts in ten minutes."
Cori: "I don't know where to go, though..."
Sheila: "Which is why I'll help you get there. Come with me. And, Lauren?"
Sheila: "Here's where you'll teach. Good luck with your class."
Sheila and Cori exited the principal's office and began heading to Cori's class.
Cori: "So, do you know about my classmates?"
Sheila: "Oh, they're something."
Cori: "Right.....how about my teacher?"
Sheila: "His name is Mr. Staplehead. And yes, that's literally his last name."
Cori: "*chuckles* What a ridiculous name!"
Sheila: "The name will literally make sense once you see him."
The two of them kept walking until they finally reached Mr. Staplehead's classroom.
Sheila: "Alright, this is your homeroom for the entire school year. Now, I've got to get back to my office, so have a good day!"
Cori: "Okay! Bye, Principal Mackle!.....Yeah...I hope I have a good day..."
In a hesitant matter, Cori slowly opened the door to her classroom. Inside, she was met with somewhat surprised looks from her classmates. They probably weren't expecting someone new to join their class.
As Cori was searching for her seat, some of the students started to stare at her. And, even though she couldn't make out what they were saying, they were whispering, possibly about her.
Teri: "*whisper* Another new kid!"
Masami: "*whisper* How long do you think she'll last?"
Carrie: "*whisper* Let's not assume things yet. Let's get to know her first.
Masami: *whisper* Yeah, before she leaves, that is.
Carrie: "*whisper* You don't know that yet."
Masami: "*whisper* Well, everyone new keeps on leaving, and, who knows? Maybe she'll do the same too-"
Masami: "Oh! Yes, sorry, Mr. Staplehead."
His appearance explains it all: his head is literally a stapler. With a serious, yet calm demeanor, he ordered the class to get ready for today's teachings.
Mr. Staplehead: "Alright, everyone, settle down. Today, we are going to learn about about the continent of Europe, but before that, I want you all to say hello to our new student, Cori."
Cori: "H-Hello, everyone!"
Alan: "Hello to you, too!"
The students all gave a warm welcome for Cori, and although she was still a little nervous, she started to feel less worried in this room.
Mr. Staplehead: "Okay. Now that you have made yourselves acquainted with Cori, let's start the lesson. Now, does anyone know where the city of Florence is located?"
Suddenly, a small orange goldfish with legs raised his finger.
Darwin: "I think I know the answer!"
Mr. Staplehead: "Really now, Darwin?"
Darwin: "Umm...since it starts with an F...and is probably associated with flowers...or floors...I'm thinking France!"
Mr. Staplehead: "Well, Darwin, if I followed your logic, then I guess that Bangkok's located in Belgium, which is clearly not the case."
Mr. Staplehead: "Now, does anyone actually know where Florence is? Someone? Anyone? Oh, Cori! You've raised your hand. Now, tell me, where's it at?"
Cori: "I've learned a bit about the renaissance back at my old school. If I remember correctly...it's Italy, right?"
Mr. Staplehead: "My, my.....it seems that you've got it correct! Good job, Cori."
Mr. Staplehead: "And speaking of Italy, today we're going to look through an in-depth analysis of Italy during the renaissance era. Hope you've packed your notes."
Gumball: "Darn it! I knew I forgot something today."
Carmen: "Here, have one of my notebooks. I've got too many at home, anyway."
Carmen: "Don't even worry about it."
Carmen: "So, how are you liking the school so far?"
Cori: "Not as scary as I expected. I'm actually starting to like it here."
Carmen: "Great! And, even though we've yet to go through the second half of school, I'm certain that you'll be fine at the end of the day!"
Cori: "Yeah! I think I actually will."
Cori looked to her right to see a paper bear and flying cloud beside her lunch table. Assuming that they wanted to sit with her, she asked the girls if they wanted to do just that.
Cori: "Yep! That's me! Do you...want to sit with us?"
Masami: "Sure! C'mon, Teri, let's sit."
Carmen: "You guys are going to love Cori! She's a really nice person, and she's pretty smart, too. I hung out with her yesterday afternoon, and it was great!"
Masami: "Well, a friend of Carmen's is a friend of ours! If you didn't know our names yet, my name's Masami, and this one here is Teri."
Masami: "So, how long has it been since you've lived in Elmore?"
Cori: "I just moved in yesterday."
Masami: "Oh, so you're new, new! Got it. What's Elmore been like for you so far? Too weird? Awesome as heck?"
Cori: "It's definitely weird, I'll give it that...but I also love it! It's so unique!"
Masami: "Heck yeah it is! Everything in Elmore just sparks weird and unique, y'know?"
Teri: "So, what do you like to do?"
Cori: "Well, I like to sing karaoke sometimes. I also like to study about different countries and animals....even dance!"
Teri: "How much do you know about dancing?"
Cori: "Well, only a bit. But I'm a decent dancer!"
Teri: "That's nice! I can dance a little, too, but sometimes I just fall over..."
Masami: "Anyways, has anyone got anything planned today?"
Carmen: "I do, actually! I've been thinking about going to the park with you guys after school's over. Does that sound good to you?"
Teri: "Yes, that does sound good!"
Masami: "I've got nothing better to do after school, so I'm in. How about you, Cori?"
Cori: "Well, I've never seen the park before....I guess I could go."
Cori: "But I gotta talk to my mom first."
Carmen: "Okay, then. If she says yes later, then meet us at the front entrance when school's over."
Cori: "Alright, then! I'll go talk to her right now."
Cori walked out of the cafeteria and tried to find wherever her mom was at. Since the students were all in the cafeteria, the staff must be taking some sort of break, too. Maybe the teacher's lounge?
Cori looked both left and right through the hallways to find the teacher's lounge, until she finally caught sight of it. She could barely see what was going on inside, so she wasn't certain if her mom was really there or not.
But wait, isn't she a mouse? Of course! She could use her advanced hearing to make out the voices within the lounge.
As Cori leaned beside the door, she heard a wide arrange of voices.
Mr. Staplehead: "So, I've heard you're the new English teacher here. How's it been so far?"
Lauren: "It's been good! The students were nice, and although sometimes they would talk during class, I've barely had a problem in that classroom."
Mr. Staplehead: "Good for you, Lauren. As for my class today, my experience was almost exactly like yours. Nothing too stressful happening, and barely any tomfoolery whatsoever."
Lauren: "I'm glad that you had a good day as well, Silver."
???: "We've all had a good day as far as you're concerned, Lauren. Not a single student went to counseling today, so the kids must be feeling fine!"
???: "And there's wasn't much junk to clean up after. Good day. Good day, indeed."
Lauren: "Great! This is all great! And- Oh, shoot. I spilled the rest of my coffee. Well, something bad was bound to happen later on after everything good today! Let me clean that up."
Silver: "I'll help, too."
Lauren: "Thank you, Silver."
Suddenly, Lauren heard several knocks at the door.
Lauren: "Oh? I wonder who that could be?"
???: "Is Sheila joining us for coffee?"
Lauren opened the door to see her daughter at the other side of it. Curious on what she could be here for, she asked her why she was here.
Lauren: "Aw, sweetie! What are you doing here? This is the teacher's lounge! Shouldn't you be with your friends, or someplace else?"
Cori: "No, I wanted to talk to you about something."
Lauren: "Oh, alright. What is it?"
Cori: "Well, my friends are going out to the park after school ends today, and I just wanted to get your approval! So, can you please let me go?"
Lauren: "Hmm...I don't know, Cori...I don't really think the park's safe...Is it safe, guys?
???: "Why, yes it's safe! I go there most of the time!"
???: "Not the place for me, but people say it's a neat place."
Silver: "It's most likely that Cori will be safe there, but I think it's best if she stayed with her group of friends so that she doesn't get into any trouble."
Lauren: "Okay...if you guys assume she'll be safe, then I guess you can go!"
Cori: "Yes! Thank you, mom!"
Lauren: "But be back at six!"
Cori: "Okay! Won't forget!"
Masami: "She might've ditched us, or something."
Teri: "Oh, wait! I think I see her!"
Carmen: "Good! You made it. You talked to your mom?"
Cori: "Yeah, she said I could go."
Carmen: "Okay, follow me. It's just a few couple of minutes from here."
It took the girls about ten minutes to get from the school to the park. Once they finally reached it, the girls debated on what they should do.
Carmen: "Here it is! The park."
Masami: "If you think that's pretty, wait until you see my garden! It's got loads of flowers from different countries."
Masami: "Yeah! Maybe I'll invite you to my house some day."
Teri: "So, what should we do?"
Carmen: "I was thinking about us taking a nice walk through the park!"
Cori: "But I don't just want to walk, though. I want to sit down somewhere and admire the scenery!"
Carmen: "I mean, you could enjoy the scenery while walking, as well, but I see what you mean. After walking for a while, we'll sit down somewhere and relax for some time! Sound okay with you girls?"
Teri: "Yes, but what about some snacks?"
Carmen: "We'll think about that later. For now, let's just begin our walk!"
About twenty minuted later, the girls started to feel tired of walking through the park and decided that it was now time to find a spot to sit down and relax in.
Carmen: "Phew! I think that's enough walking for now. How about we go and find somewhere to sit and enjoy nature?"
Cori: "How about over there? It's got a bench."
Carmen: "Yes, that's a good spot!"
Teri: "I'm not going to sit on that bench, though. Who knows how many germs are on it..."
Masami: "Teri, it's just a bench. And it looks clean enough! You'll be fine!"
Teri: "But what if there's gum under it?! Or an infectious disease? Or-"
Masami: "Teri, there's nothing to worry about! Look, I'm about to sit on it right now."
Masami sprouted out her legs and began to sit on the bench to prove to Teri that the bench was alright to sit in.
Masami: "Ahh, look at me! Sitting on this not-at-all dirty bench. Oh, sure does feel good!"
Teri: "AH, no!! Masami, don't do that, please!"
Masami: "Too late. And look, I'm fine! C'mon, nothing bad will happen to you. Just sit with me!"
Teri slowly walked up to the bench. Quivering, she nervously hesitated to sit next to Masami, but after a few seconds, she finallu sat down.
Teri: "This...This bench does feel nice...I guess it's not so bad, after all!"
Teri: "But if I find out this bench is actually dirty, you owe me a quarter."
Masami: "Right, right..."
Carmen: "I'm just happy that we could all relax now, and take in this view!"
Teri: "That does look beautiful!"
Masami: "Truly worth looking at..."
There was a small amount of silence, until one of the girls asked a small request.
Teri: "..........I'm kind of hungry."
Cori: "What food do they have at the park?"
Carmen: "Nuts, popsicles, water, pretzels, strawberries-"
Teri: "I'd like strawberries!"
Cori: "So, strawberries it is, then? I'll start look for some right now."
Carmen: "Be careful, Cori! Don't go too far!"
Cori: "I'll be careful, don't worry!"
It didn't take long for Cori to find a fruit stand in the park. With five dollars, she bought a plastic box of strawberries and began to go back to her friends.
But then...she noticed something on the ground. Something shiny.....
Oh, wait. It was just a penny.
But Cori liked to keep pennies. Despite only being worth one cent, it was still useful, so Cori picked it up and stored it in her pocket.
However, as she picked it up, she saw a cute, little squirrel in front of her.
It stared at her with its sad, teary eyes. Maybe it was hungry?
Cori: "Aww...poor little squirrel...Here, have a strawberry!"
Cori placed the box down and opened it to get a strawberry. Once she picked one up, she gave it to the hungry squirrel. But suddenly...
Cori: "Here you go, little guy! Enjoy your sna- HEY!! Those are MY strawberries!!"
A group of squirrels started to steal Cori's strawberries! This was a trick all along!! Rightfully upset, Cori chased after the thieving squirrels until she reached the forest side of the park.
Cori: "Hey!! H-Hey!! Hey...look, I know the rest of your friends are hungry, just give me the box, and I'll give a strawberry to each one! Deal?.."
The squirrel that Cori fed earlier looked back at her with a smug look on its face. It then chittered in the form of a laugh, mocking her.
Before Cori could speak another word to them, the squirrels vanished into the woods. Cori was having NONE of that.
Cori: "Hey, come back!! I still need those strawberries!! Alright.....though it's a bit risky, I'm coming after you! YOU WON'T-"
Carmen: "WHAT THE HECK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!?!"
Cori: "WHAT THE-?!! Carmen?!"
Carmen: "Get away from there!!"
Cori: "Those squirrels have our strawberries! We HAVE to get them back!"
Carmen: "Your life is more important than some strawberries!"
Teri: "You could've been hurt, or worse, killed!"
Masami: "There's lots of dangers in this forest: Bears, snakes, monsters-"
Cori: "Wait, there's MONSTERS in these woods?!.....Actually, that does make sense, since we're living in Elmore. But WHAT?!"
Carmen: "Don't worry much about the monsters, Cori. The mainly live in the Forest of Doom, which you DEFINITELY shouldn't go to."
Cori: "Yeah, I don't think anyone would go to that place because of that name."
Carmen: "I don't even know why I went to a field trip involved with that forest..."
Cori: "Sorry I couldn't get you guys some food.."
Teri: "Aw, it's okay! I could just buy some strawberries right now to fix the mood!"
Masami: "Why don't I pay instead?"
Teri: "Oh, okay! Go ahead!"
Cori was going to follow her friends, until she heard a mysterious voice.
???: "They aren't telling you the full story, little girl.
Cori: "What?! Who said that?!"
???: "Behind these bushes."
Cori: "Hold on. Carmen, I have to use the restroom."
Carmen: "Okay, take as much time as you need."
???: "So, you're interested in what I have to say?.."
Cori: ".....Are you sure you aren't a monster?"
???: "No, not really. I mean, I kinda look like one. Y'know, maybe I am one. I just don't know it yet. But even if I'm a monster, I'm not a monster, kid."
Cori: "Right...so, about the full story thing."
???: "Ah, yes! That! I'll tell you everything you need to know, for just a small price."
???: "A penny. Just a penny will do."
Cori: "How convenient. I have one right here in my pocket."
???: "Good! Give it to me, please."
Cori: "Alright, here you go..."
???: "Yes, thank you. Now, follow me. My tent isn't too far from here."
Cori: "Umm...okay...but if you try to kidnap me, I will scream."
???: "Why would I kidnap you over a story and penny? It doesn't make sense at all!"
Cori: "I don't know, this town seems to have a knack for it..."
The cloaked man led Cori to his small, shabby tent. It wasn't too bad, but it could've been neater.
Cori: "So...are you going to tell me the story now?"
???: "Not yet! I've still gotta introduce myself."
Moth Guy: "Behind this cloak, I'm........just a moth. Guy. Moth Guy. That's my name."
Cori: "Moth Guy?? That's your actual name?"
Moth Guy: "Yeah, my mother could've given me a normal name, like Guy.....but no."
Cori: "Wait, are you related to-"
Moth Guy: "Yeah, yeah, he's my brother. Super famous, I know. Sometimes, he visits me, mostly to hang out. Overall, he's a really nice guy. But didn't you want to hear the story, though-"
Cori: "Yes, I do! I just wanted to know."
Moth Guy: "Okay, get in the tent. There, I'll tell you everything."
The two of them entered the tent. There wasn't much other than a sleeping mat, a blanket, a pan, and multiple bottles of glowing powder.
Cori: "Are you some sort of wizard?"
Moth Guy: "Not really. I don't really have any powers, but I do this one trick that really helps with my storytelling."
Cori: "So.....you use the powder to form pictures for your stories? That's so cool!"
Moth Guy: "Heh. You haven't seen anything yet."
Moth Guy put some light purple powder in the pan and then threw some pink powder into the pan, causing a light explosion.
Moth Guy: "Are you sure you're ready to listen? This story isn't for the faint of heart..."
Moth Guy: "Okay...here goes."
Moth Guy put out the light in his lantern and began telling the story to Cori with his powder.
Moth Guy: "Several months ago, a horrible tragedy took place. Almost everyone was brutally beaten to death. It was bloodshed."
Cori: "Whoa...what the heck happened?!"
Moth Guy: "The Beast is what happened."
Moth Guy: "About thirteen years ago, a little girl was born. A little minotaur. She had a loving family, and as the years went by, she lived as their happy, good-hearted daughter. But once she started middle school, things began to change. She started to cause mischief around school, and although her parents tried to talk her out of it, she wouldn't stop."
Moth Guy: "Someone hurt her. A friend. Or, at least she thought she was a friend. Turns out her so-called friend feared her, and didn't want anything to do with her. And because of her betrayal, the calf could never trust anyone again. Well, almost everyone. She befriended a girl, who happened to be a T-Rex. Since they both beared the same affliction, they became close friends, and together, they cared for each other."
Cori: "But what about the whole mischief thing?"
Moth Guy: "Oh, yes, that. The two girls realized that, since everyone at school hated them, they didn't have to worry about listening to them or befriending them, so they messed around at school, and that leads us to where we are now."
Cori: "So, what happened next?"
Moth Guy: "One day, the T-Rex had a change of heart. Turns out that she started to talk to the other kids, and they got to know her a little better, but the calf didn't believe her. She thought that her friends were just faking, but actually, they weren't. After some time, she thought that she could befriend the other students, as well. But one day, she was insulted by those students, and that single insult pushed her one step closer into becoming a monster."
Cori: "Wait...she became a worse person because of an insult?! How bad was it?"
Moth Guy: "She was being stereotyped."
Moth Guy: "From that day on, whoever insulted her, made fun of her, or disrespected her in any possible way, she would lash out at them. From fights to bites, she put fear into her classmates' hearts. It got so bad to the point that her own mother had to get a job at school to look after her."
Cori: "That's horrible..."
Moth Guy: "But within all of that fire, there was still a bit of green left. It just took the right person to find it. And eventually, she did find that person. After an unusual incident, she befriended a young rabbit girl, and despite thinking that she was like the other kids, she was willing to understand and cooperate with her, like a true friend. And through this new friendship, she became less aggressive, and more tame. She thought that she could actually become a better person, but she had a long way before everyone at school could trust her."
Cori: "But, wait. Weren't you implying that she's the Beast? She's going through a redemption arc, so how could- Unless..."
Moth Guy: "Unless it failed. One day, she invited her new friend for a sleepover, but not only did she arrive...her brothers arrived, too. They didn't trust the calf, but their little sister told them to trust her, since she was now a changed person. And, for quite some time, they trusted her, and everything was going well, until one of the brothers looked somewhere where he wasn't supposed to. There, he found a photo that showed the calf from when she was a little girl. In it, she killed a wolf just by herself. Horrified, the brother was unsure whether to continue trusting his sister's friend. It didn't take long for the distrust to escalate to the point of him and the calf having to fight. The boy called her a monster, and that's when she lost it. She continously punched and bit him, and it was only that his sister pleaded her to stop that she let him go. He would be fine the next day, but he would never trust her again. The calf felt sorry for hurting him in the first place. She wished she could've controlled herself better, because she thought that if she did, none of this would have happened."
Cori: "That's...sad. For both the brother and the girl."
Moth Guy: "It gets sadder from here. The next day, everyone at school turned their backs on her. They saw what they did to him, so how could they trust her, now? She felt alone. Nobody dared being around her...except for one. Her friend from last night. She still considered her as a friend, but the calf was uncertain whether to believe her or not. As the day progressed, the students kept on taunting and insulting her. It was until her friend's eldest brother lied to her that she stopped being friends with her that she had enough. Tired of hearing the voices of those who hated her over and over again, she agreed to give up her hearing to be more at peace...but she wasn't entirely peaceful yet. Her rage for those who hated her still engulfed her spirit, and to her, the only way that she could truly be at peace was to kill everyone that wronged her."
Cori: "That's terrible!! Wasn't there any other way?!"
Moth Guy: "Sometimes, when the fire fully consumes you, you stop thinking rationally, and you would do anything to reach your goal. With this fire within her, she unleashed her inner beast. She mauled anyone in her path, and didn't stop until everyone was dead. But suddenly, her friend who she thought abandoned her gave her a treat. A form of reconciliation. And that's when she realized that not everything was lost. She still had her friend, despite it all. But she also realized that if she found out sooner, this massacre wouldn't have happened. She felt stupid, but her friend consoled her that everything would be alright. But then, the police came to take her away, and although she tried to escape, the police caught her, and sentenced her to spend the rest of her life in an asylum."
Cori: "But...if she's kept in an asylum, then what does the forest have to do with this? Did she-"
Moth Guy: "Yes, she did. It took some time to find a way out of her prison, but once she freed herself, she decided
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