About this Episode:
Episode Transcript:
Hello everybody! It’s Kenzie here. Thank you all so much for listening to our show! We are very excited to announce a little update… our first pieces of merch! If you head over to our website, queerpg.com, you can check out all our new stuff! We have queerpg logo stickers and pins, AND something fun for season one. We have Wildmoore High Wyverns notebooks. They come in three different designs so head on over there to check it out! We are selling these through Society6 so if you go to our website, under the shop tab, you’ll see the notebook. Clicking on it will redirect you so that you can purchase! Again, thank you guys so much for your support and enjoy the episode!
The content warning for this episode includes snakes, blood, drinking blood, rodent sounds, and a very, very small amount of body horror near the end.
Kenzie (Master of Ceremonies):It is a Sunday in Wildmoore in the middle of summer when you all are about eight years old, little Caleb being a bit younger. Sawyer had just had a pretty intense conversation with his father for an eight-year-old to have. And was stopped from hanging out with his friends and Adam had promised that they would push the creek to the next day and that you could all have a creek day together. And so I think we find ourselves in the middle of the woods. Adam, Caleb, and Ivy, already there doing what kids do – probably already kinda dirty for no reason – as Sawyer approaches. I think Adam is carrying a stick and brandishing it as a sword and he’s the first to notice – or hear – the tires, the bike tires and looks up.
Kenzie (Adam Moore):Finally!
Brennan Hershock:
Sawyer like slowly, very slowly inches down a hill like constantly pressing the brakes and jerking to a stop every time on the downhill and then skids just forward, right in front of Adam.
Brennan (Sawyer Hook):
Sorry!
Brennan:
And I’ll get off the bike, let it drop.
Brennan (Sawyer):
What are we doing?
April Consalo:
Ivy is like kneeling down in the creek. She has like little denim shorts and pigtails and she has Sawyer’s snake just around her neck, just chillin.’ She’s completely unafraid of it. Thinks its really cool.
April (Ivy Duncan):
Hey, Sawyer, wait! I have something for you, one second.
April:
And she darts her hand into the water and pulls out a little silvery fish she caught with her bare hands.
Brennan (Sawyer):
Holy crap!
April:
And then she flings it at his head.
Brennan (Sawyer):
Ahhhh!
Brennan:
(laughs) Like swats at it. Does not try to catch it at all.
Kenzie (MC):
Its on the ground now just flopping without – you know a fish out of water.
Brennan:
Sawyer rushes forward and scoops up the fish but also the rocks under the fish.
Brennan (Sawyer):
That’s pretty cool! Hold on! Do we have like a bag – do we have a bag? Adam do you have a bag?
Mads McDonough (Caleb Moore):
Uh, I – I have a bag.
Mads:
You see now Caleb is also squatting down near the edge of the creek and has been looking for really shiny rocks the entire time. He’s wearing a little like denim overalls that are rolled up and bunched around the thighs and like a bright red T-shirt underneath. And he scuttles over to a little pack that they brought with them, and digs inside and finds a little baggie that has half of a peanut butter sandwich inside of it. He opens it up, pulls the peanut butter sandwich out, stuffs it in his mouth, and goes,
Mads (Caleb):
Here!
Brennan:
Sawyer rushes over – by the way – Sawyer is definitely wearing long, denim shorts that are just too big – like way past the knees. Oversized Jordans. And a wife beater (laughs) that’s very tight.
Kenzie (MC):
If we want to know, Adam is wearing not an actual sports jersey but one of those tank tops that looks like it’s a sports jersey. So it just has like a random number on it and no team name. And is wearing long cargo shorts and just these old, beat up sneakers.
Brennan:
I’m rushing over (laughs), grab the bag.
Brennan (Sawyer):
Okay. Hold on.
Brennan:
And I’ll put the bag in the water and start getting some of the remnants of sandwich out. And fill it up. Put the rocks and the fish inside.
Kenzie (MC):
There’s some pieces of jelly floating in the water.
Mads:
I’m watching very intently while eating my sandwich.
Brennan:
Sawyer holds it up right to his eyes.
Brennan (Sawyer):
I don’t know what this is.
April (Ivy):
Me either, but you gotta get a new pet. ‘Cause I’m keeping this one.
April:
And she like gestures and takes the snake off of her neck onto her arm.
Brennan (Sawyer):
No! I don’t want this!
April (Ivy):
You literally abandoned her.
Brennan (Sawyer):
It was - I just – you saw what my dad was gonna do. This is not as cool.
April (Ivy):
Sorry but she likes me better.
April:
You know she like walks through the water and is just kinda splashing water everywhere.
Brennan:
I just haphazardly hand the bag of fish (laughs) backwards to Caleb.
Mads:
I shove the rest of the sandwich like further into my mouth so that my cheeks chipmunk out a little and go,
Mads (Caleb):
(unintelligible talking around food)
Brennan (Sawyer):
Can you hold this?
Brennan:
And take the bag.
Brennan (Sawyer):
I need to find a cooler pet.
Kenzie (Adam):
Caleb, you better not be hungry in like half an hour because that was the last of the sandwich and otherwise, you’re gonna have to just eat worms.
Mads (Caleb):
(unintelligible talking around food)
April (Ivy):
(laughs) Caleb eats worms!
Mads (Caleb):
(unintelligible talking around food)
Mads:
Just like peanut better spittle.
Kenzie (Adam):
I’m just saying. I don’t want to hear you complaining because you at the peanut butter and jelly sandwich too quickly.
Mads (Caleb):
(unintelligible talking around food)
Kenzie (Adam):
I can’t understand a thing you’re saying.
Mads (Caleb):
(unintelligible talking around food)
Kenzie (MC):
He just stares at you for like an awkwardly long time while you’re finishing chewing your sandwich.
Mads:
I stick my hand out like palm forward in a big stop motion. I’m holding the fish bag in the other hand and I vigorously chew and swallow the sandwich.
Mads (Caleb):
I said I’m not gonna be hungry later.
Kenzie (MC):
He narrows his eyes.
Kenzie (Adam):
You better not be.
Mads (Caleb):
Or what?
Kenzie (Adam):
Worms, Caleb! Worms.
Mads (Caleb):
I don’t eat worms.
Kenzie (Adam):
I’m gonna make you eat worms.
Mads (Caleb):
I don’t eat worms!
Brennan:
Sawyer lifts a rock. Pulls a worm out from the ground.
Brennan (Sawyer):
Oh, found one!
Mads (Caleb):
No!!!
Brennan (Sawyer):
Here we can keep it in the sandwich bag.
Mads (Caleb):
No!!
Brennan:
Sawyer will lift it up and like mimic putting it down his gullet.
Mads:
Caleb reaches forward and slaps your hand.
Brennan (Sawyer):
What the heck I wasn’t actually going to eat it.
Mads:
The worm does somersaults through the air (laughs).
Kenzie (Adam):
Okay, fine, we’ll – if you’re hungry, you’ll eat worms. You don’t have to eat them now. But, we have to – we have to find Sawyer a cooler pet than the fish and it should fit in that tank you have. The empty tank in your room.
Brennan (Sawyer):
I am looking for an axolotl.
Kenzie (Adam):
What the hell is that?
Brennan (Sawyer):
My mom told me about it because she read about it in the newspaper and something about like a fish that can walk on land but also in the water and that’s what I want.
April (Ivy):
Sawyer, are you making that up?
Brennan (Sawyer):
No! It’s an axolotl.
April (Ivy):
Where are we supposed to find an axlotl?
Brennan (Sawyer):
You have to look under rocks or I guess that could really be anywhere because they can go on land too so look anywhere. Or just give me my snake back?
April (Ivy):
Okay, number one, not helpful. Number two, she’s mine now and her name is Priscilla and I’m going to feed her some worms now and it’s not my fault you abandoned her.
April:
And Ivy goes over to the same rock and lifts the whole thing up in the air with one hand and starts picking worms off and dangling one near the snake’s mouth to see if she’ll eat it.
Kenzie (Adam):
Come on!
Brennan:
I walk over to Adam.
Brennan (Sawyer):
Can you believe this?
Kenzie (Adam):
I mean you did kinda shove the snake into Ivy’s arms yesterday.
Brennan (Sawyer):
That was just for safekeeping. You know – you knew the deal.
Kenzie (Adam):
I don’t know if that was explained.
Brennan (Sawyer):
No, that was – come on.
Kenzie (Adam):
I know the deal. I’m not the one with the snake though.
Brennan (Sawyer):
So, you’re going to help me steal it?
April (Ivy):
I can hear you.
Brennan (Sawyer):
(clears throat)
Kenzie (Adam):
No, you can’t! We’re whispering.
April (Ivy):
I can still hear you.
Mads (Caleb):
Yeah, you’re really bad at whispering.
April (Ivy):
And also, I’m keeping her very safe.
Kenzie (Adam):
Okay well why don’t we look for the axolotl thing where we look for frogs.
Brennan (Sawyer):
Yeah, or like a box turtle or like a snub-nosed turtle or something even cooler or like, um, that’s all I know right now…
Kenzie (Adam):
Wait! Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait… would a turtle just be an axolotl then because it can go in the water and on land.
Brennan:
Sawyer just stand there like puzzled.
Brennan (Sawyer):
They might be related. So let’s look for a turtle.
Kenzie (Adam):
Okay, we’ll go over to where the frog logs are. We’ve seen turtles there before.
Brennan (Sawyer):
Yeah, let’s go to the frog logs.
Mads (Caleb):
What do I do with the jelly-fish?
Kenzie (Adam):
What?
Mads (Caleb):
He’s a jelly… fish. A fish with jelly.
April (Ivy):
Jelly fish!
Brennan (Sawyer):
What do I do with it?
Kenzie (Adam):
Well, I mean, Sawyer, that was a present from Ivy, I think it’d be kinda rude if you didn’t take it.
April (Ivy):
Sawyer, you’re my best friend, you can’t turn down a gift.
Brennan (Sawyer):
You’re my best friend and you stole my snake.
April (Ivy):
Look at him!
Mads:
I hold up the bag.
Brennan (Sawyer):
I don’t want the jelly fish.
Mads:
The fish at this point is looking a little less fish the longer that it remains in this bag.
Brennan (Sawyer):
Let’s just release it, I think it’s going to die.
April:
I snatch the bag out of your hand and peer into it and poke it. It doesn’t really move.
April (Ivy):
I think its fine.
April:
And I shove it back at Sawyer.
Brennan (Sawyer):
(sighs) Yes, I’ll keep the fish but let’s go look for turtles! The frog logs!
Kenzie (Adam):
Okay, let’s go.
April (Ivy):
(singsong) Frog log, frog log.
April:
Ivy jumps back into the water and the snake kind of is on her shoulder and once around her arm.
Kenzie (MC):
Adam jumps off of the bank and into the creek cand splashes a little bit of water up and brandishes the sword over his head and says,
Kenzie (Adam):
I will lead the charge to find this weird creature that Sawyer doesn’t really know what it is, but we’ll find it!
Kenzie (MC):
And then starts doing an exaggerated march through the creek.
Brennan:
I’ll look around for a stick. I’ll grab a really big one and just start dragging it behind me.
Mads:
I pick up my little pack and its one of those little drawstring bags and I’ll throw it over and I’ll watch as Sawyer attempts to drag this big, weird, log things. Kinda like tilt my head to the side, absolutely befuddled by this fool of a little boy – says my seven year old brain – I go,
Mads (Caleb):
Sawyer, you look so dumb right now.
Mads:
And I’m going to run up behind and try and heave up the other end of the stick to help carry it.
Brennan (Sawyer):
Wait, don’t touch that end! That’s a greatsword. You’re going to cut yourself.
Mads (Caleb):
I’m stronger than you are.
Brennan (Sawyer):
No, you’re not.
April:
Ivy like turns around and sees them struggling with this log and like splashes through.
April (Ivy):
Do you need some help?
Brennan (Sawyer):
I don’t need any help. This is my greatsword and I can handle it.
April:
She lifts it up in the air with one hand.
Brennan (Sawyer):
Fine, you get the greatsword.
April (Ivy):
I’ll give it – I’ll give it back.
Brennan (Sawyer):
No. You can obviously wield it better than me.
April (Ivy):
It’s okay. I’ll give it back.
April:
And she just drops it into the water and it splashes both of them.
Brennan (Sawyer):
Ahhh!
Mads (Caleb):
Oh!
April (Ivy):
(laughs)
Brennan:
Sawyer will then just like kinda wander back a little bit behind Ivy as Ivy speeds off and also just keep a little distance from the younger Moore and pick up a stick that’s thinner but definitely has like sharp end on it. And will take and start peeling away pieces of the bark of this stick and try and make it a little bit sharper. And start heading towards Adam.
Mads:
Caleb has watched Ivy run off and looks down at this big heavy log and knowing that, yeah, sure, I’m stronger than Sawyer is but I still can’t lift this by myself. And gets a little disgruntled thinking about it and then by the time they’re looking up, everyone else has walked on without them. They hurriedly look down around them, looking for anything that looks like something kind of like what Adam has but not – maybe something like what Sawyer has but not – and instead settles on – there’s a big husk of bark that was shorn off of a tree, maybe it was hit by lightning, maybe it was just a storm that blew through that really rattled the forest around them. But it’s this big hunk of bark that they’re able to get their hands around and its dry enough its not too saturated with like the goo of the forest floor that it is sturdy to a degree. And they tap the side of it and its almost like a weird little shield. And they look back to the group,
Mads (Caleb):
Hey, guys, wait up!
Kenzie (MC):
Ivy runs to catch up with Adam. He has stopped the exaggerated march but is walking very straight backed, shoulders square, stick brandished like a sword about to encounter something jumping out of the trees and is holding himself like a knight would as you run up behind him. And as you do, he hears your splashing. He turns around and says,
Kenzie (Adam):
Who goes there!?
April (Ivy):
It is I the Midnight Knight.
April:
And Ivy realizes that she’s the only one without a weapon at this point and kinda like sinks down and is like,
April (Ivy):
You have entered into my kingdom. All of you are trespassers.
April:
And she whips around and looks at the two behind her.
April (Ivy):
Dare you? To cross me?
Kenzie (MC):
Adam glances back towards Sawyer and Caleb and says,
Kenzie (Adam):
I’ve never heard of the Midnight Knight. How do I know you’re not lying to us?
Kenzie (MC):
And points the stick into your face.
April:
Ivy like unravels the snake from her body.
April (Ivy):
See here, my dragon of truth. She knows when you’re being honest.
April:
And she holds the tiny little snake’s face against her cheek and goes,
April (Ivy):
Priscilla? Am I telling the truth?
April:
And the snake like flicks its little tongue out and licks her on the cheek and then she whips the snake around and approaches Adam’s face with it and is like,
April (Ivy):
How do I know that you are who you say your are?
Kenzie (MC):
He kinda moves his face, trying to get away from the snake, not wanting it anywhere near his face.
Kenzie (Adam):
I – stop it! Get it away!
April (Ivy):
Priscilla will tell you! Priscilla knows all!
April:
And then she gets the snake’s face right next to Adam’s.
April (Ivy):
Are you scared?
Kenzie (Adam):
No!
April (Ivy):
Are you scared of my dragon?
Kenzie (Adam):
I have slain dragons before.
April (Ivy):
It’s just a little dragon. Just a little dragon. Oh look, she likes you!
April:
The snake kisses his little cheek.
Kenzie (Adam):
Stop it!
April (Ivy):
Alright. I suppose you can stay.
Brennan:
When that’s happening, Caleb would have definitely heard under Sawyer’s breath,
Brennan (Sawyer):
Ugh. It’s not even a dragon. It’d be more like a worm. Dragons have four legs (laughs).
Kenzie (Adam):
Sawyer!
Brennan (Sawyer):
What!?
Kenzie (Adam):
Are you not going to come defend me!?
Brennan (Sawyer):
(groans) Yeah! To the Knight of Midnight!
Brennan:
And I’ll rush forward and stand next to Adam.
Brennan (Sawyer):
(mumbling) snake. (groans).
Brennan:
And I’ll just push my hands up against the face of the snake.
Brennan (Sawyer):
There you go.
April (Ivy):
This is why Priscilla doesn’t like you anymore.
April:
And I hold Priscilla’s little face and like tongue touch.
Brennan (Sawyer):
Ugh. You’re going to get disease.
April:
Her tongue is still out. She’s like,
April (Ivy):
I don’t think so.
Brennan (Sawyer):
I think so! I think snakes have a bunch of diseases and kissing ‘em gives you disease.
April (Ivy):
I don’t think I’m gonna have a disease.
Brennan (Sawyer):
I don’t think I want to touch you after this.
Kenzie (Adam):
Caleb likes eating worms and Ivy likes kissing snakes. You both are weird!
April:
Ivy palms Sawyer’s face –
Brennan (Sawyer):
Ahh!
April (Ivy):
I’m touching you. I’m touching you.
Brennan (Sawyer):
No!
Brennan:
And I’m just like swinging the stick, trying to bop against your head. Not the pointing bit. But just the brunt side just pappin’ away at your forearm.
Brennan (Sawyer):
Stop!
Mads:
As this is happening, Caleb is realizing that this hunk of bark is a little more unwieldy than he thought. It’s not exactly even. So, its – his movements are really hindered and he’s also trying to like keep up with kids that are much taller than him so he’s like trying to jump over sticks and long and brambles and everything else and all the while being like,
Mads (Caleb):
Hey, guys! Wait up. I said wait – woah!
Mads:
And his foot tangles between two weird rocks that he slipped on and he tumbles full tilt with this bark shield held outright, like a bowling ball (laughs) moving straight through between where Ivy’s hand is out against Sawyer’s face and just pummels through the both of them.
Kenzie (MC):
There’s a splash and Caleb is now just doused in water dripping off of his hair and clothes.
Brennan (Sawyer):
Wait everybody hide. Caleb’s the water beast.
April (Ivy):
Water beast!
Brennan (Sawyer):
Water beast!
Kenzie (Adam):
I have slain many of those too! Let’s run!
Kenzie (MC):
And then Adam starts running farther down the stream.
Mads:
Are they running toward me or away from me?
Kenzie (MC):
Away.
Mads:
I’m like sitting flat on my ass, legs like straight out in front of me. My sad little shield knocked over next to me and because I took the tumble that I did, I’ve got like sticks and twigs in my hair. A couple of scrapes on my arms and my knees now too. And I kinda just sit there for a minute. I can hear their footsteps getting further and further and further away from me. The splash as it goes and I just go,
Mads (Caleb):
(sighs, deep breath) Don’t cry. Don’t do it. Don’t do it – nope. Hmm (clears throat). Of course.
Mads:
I look down at my shield. Strangely still intact. I lean into my knees and stand myself back up, pick up my shield, and I follow.
Kenzie (MC):
You guys run until you reach this area where the creek becomes – not like a deep pond or anything – just like widens into a more circular source of water. It’s a little bit deeper here and there are remnants of fallen trees that kinda lay across it and break up the water flow and you see a ton of logs and this is where you often go to search for frogs and bugs and the like. And Adam runs in an jumps over a log and turns around to you guys, Ivy and Sawyer, and says,
Kenzie (Adam):
Okay, split up. I get that log. You get that log, Ivy. And you take that log, Sawyer. We’re going to find this thing, or a turtle. ‘Cause it could be the same thing.
Brennan (Sawyer):
Yeah, or a turtle.
April (Ivy):
You got it! I bet I find one before you do.
Kenzie (Adam):
No you won’t! She’s not going to find one before me.
Brennan (Sawyer):
No. You would definitely one first.
Kenzie (Adam):
I know!
Brennan (Sawyer):
Let’s fine one – quick!
Kenzie (MC):
Um, and runs into and starts searching – just like ripping moss off these logs and picking up rocks, and hands going through the bed of the creek. And eventually, Caleb, you catch up close enough to hear,
Kenzie (Adam):
No, I can’t find it!
Mads:
I’m like wading in the creek now. It’s coming up to my knees at least. I have my sad little shield. I’m covered in mud and sticks and bits and I just look absolutely miserable. I look at my brother who is just being so stupid and dumb and ran off without me again.
Kenzie (MC):
You see him just ripping at things and he also actively looks mad. Not just frustrated of like we’re searching for something that no one knows what it looks like, but like, just like actively angry.
Mads (Caleb):
He’s even more annoying when he’s like this. I see Sawyer next to him trying to assist, placate?
Brennan:
Sawyer’s standing there just trying to listen for like –
Mads (Caleb):
Yeah, just looking so confused. I shake my head. I look over at Ivy who, arguably, is the most put together of us always. And I like plunk plunk plunk through the water over to where Ivy is and say,
Mads (Caleb):
Did you find anything yet?
April (Ivy):
I found a spider.
April:
And she opens her palm for this like giant, definitely probably poisonous, water spider.
April (Ivy):
I don’t know. Priscilla doesn’t seem to like it. And I don’t think it’s really what Sawyer’s looking for but I think he’s pretty cool.
Mads:
I get really close to the spider and my mouth is a little bit open looking at it and I go,
Mads (Caleb):
Do you think – do you think its poisonous?
April (Ivy):
I didn’t really think about that?
Mads (Caleb):
Or is it the venom? Is that the one? What’s the difference? Sawyer was trying to say –
April (Ivy):
Wait, no it’s venom – venomous like venomous is when you bite something and it dies, right? And then poisonous is like when you – the thing – you bite it and you die.
Mads (Caleb):
So we shouldn’t bite it.
April (Ivy):
No.
Mads (Caleb):
No.
April (Ivy):
I think if we don’t bite it we’ll be fine.
Mads (Caleb):
Yeah.
April (Ivy):
I kinda want to bite it.
Mads (Caleb):
Don’t bite it.
April (Ivy):
What do you think?
Mads (Caleb):
No!
April:
And then Ivy like –
Mads (Caleb):
No!
April:
-brings the spider up to her mouth and with one sharp tooth bites this spider.
Mads:
Just as before with Sawyer, I slap your hand!
April (Ivy):
(sighs) I really wanted to see what would happen.
Mads (Caleb):
Even though you have like mega super powers, you can’t just bite spiders.
April (Ivy):
I think I can. I think you’re stopping me from being my coolest self.
Mads (Caleb):
I think I’m stopping you from having the worst poops of your life.
April:
Ivy does think about that for a second.
April (Ivy):
I guess you’re right.
Mads:
I nod my head like I am a wise old sage in this seven year old body.
Brennan (Sawyer):
I found one!
April (Ivy):
No way.
Kenzie (Adam):
No you didn’t -
Mads (Caleb):
No.
Brennan (Sawyer):
No, that’s a rock.
Kenzie (Adam):
Yeah, that’s what I thought.
April:
Ivy mutters to herself like,
April (Ivy):
How did he even mix those up?
April:
And then lifts like a giant rock and is like,
April (Ivy):
Caleb, do you see anything under there?
Mads:
Can I stare into the abyss?
Kenzie (MC):
Yeah, yeah, okay. Roll your 2d6 and add your dark.
Mads:
It’s a seven! Okay this is going to be a lot of sensory stuff, I think is how he taps into that. He’s kneeling down in the water now, the water that before I said came up to his knees, so he’s like squatted entirely in the water right now. Maybe just a little bit of his like abdomen is out of the water but his arms are completely there too. He’s crouched over top of it in a weird way that his head is almost like a foot away from the water itself and the way that Ivy has picked up this giant rock and is holding it aloft is almost creating this like enclosed space above his head. Like it’s shaded and dark here and it creates a weird echo effect off of the noise bouncing from the water to where the rock is. It’s almost like a pseudo cave for a such a small kid. And my hands are searching through the dirt and the muck of this creek water and getting stuck in that silty, almost silky texture of moss and dirt and water and reeds and there’s a moment where my – I don’t think tunnel vision – but the noise around me, I can only hear my breathing and how its echoing off of the water drips and the rock above me and this really distant chatter of Sawyer and my brother and Ivy asking me if I see anything yet. And I take in a deep breath and my hand catches on something that snares up almost in-between where my fingers are and its rough and sharp and the texture is so different from the soft sand and dirt that I was lifting through that my eyes laser focus in on it and I clamp my hand down.
Kenzie (MC):
As you do that, all of the sounds that you were hearing – the dripping of water, the distant voices – stay the same but like warp slightly where the water drips take longer to hit the ground and then they’re not hitting water anymore and they’re hitting stone. And you hear voices but they’re coming through as if you were listening to something in slow motion. And you see this black ichor dripping and you don’t see what you picked up anymore, you just see this black ooze starting to flow down your hands and twist across your skin until its covering and almost completely consuming you.
And there’s like a low hearty, mocking, chuckle. And then it feels like that black ichor is trying to get into your mouth. And it does. And it gets down your throat. And your eyes open back up into the world.
Mads:
I breathe in really sharply through my nose in a way that it almost like – you know whenever you have bad allergies, you have that post-nasal drip? That whenever you try to take in ad eep breath through your nose, how it almost gets stuck and clogged for a minute. There’s this stutter where his shoulders brace up around whatever it is that he’s holding and he’s looking just dead fish eyes into the water, not even at whatever is in his hand now.
April (Ivy):
Caleb? Did you see anything?
Mads (Caleb):
I don’t – I don’t want it - take it back. Take it back. I don’t want it. I don’t want it.
Mads:
And I shove whatever is in my hand at Ivy.
April:
It’s a big rock so she kind of like need both hands but lets it fall down back into the water.
Kenzie (MC):
Its kind of covered in dirt and you can brush it off a little bit and it seems to be this like iron circle either like engraved or stamped
April:
Ivy stares at this thing.
April (Ivy):
Wow. Caleb how did you find treasure?
Mads:
Caleb is dunking his hands into the creek water and splashing it up against his face and around his mouth like he’s trying to clean something off.
April (Ivy):
Caleb?
Mads (Caleb):
Uh, I didn’t – I didn’t mean to. I’m – I’m sorry. Is it bad? Is it?
April (Ivy):
No! It’s cool. It’s really cool..
Mads (Caleb):
You think its cool?
Mads:
Caleb looks at it now for the first time and takes in the weird textured pattern and reaches out his hand, a little shakily, and touches it and sort of melds his fingures into the grooves of the little etchings.
Mads (Caleb):
What’d I find? What is it?
April (Ivy):
I don’t know. Maybe it’s a really old cold or like a map.
Mads (Caleb):
Like a treasure map?
Kenzie (Adam):
You found treasure?
Mads (Caleb):
Yeah!
April (Ivy):
Caleb found the treasure.
Kenzie (MC):
Adam splashes over.
Brennan:
Sawyer’s like down on his knees like elbow deep in the water. Gets splashed by Adam
Brennan (Sawyer):
We found treasure?
Brennan:
And wipes his face from the splash, stands up, wipes his hands off and starts running over.
Kenzie (Adam):
Can I see it?
April:
Ivy holds it away.
April (Ivy):
No, we found it. It’s ours.
Mads (Caleb):
Yeah, its ours!
Kenzie (MC):
He lashes out a hand to grab it from you.
April:
Ivy’s way too quick for him.
Kenzie (Adam):
Ivy, just let me see it!
April (Ivy):
No!
Brennan (Sawyer):
Adam’s the commander knight.
Kenzie (Adam):
Yeah.
April (Ivy):
It’s ours. Caleb and I found it while you were being stupid over there.
Kenzie (Adam):
I find frogs and I give them to you guys sometimes. It’s not finders keepers.
April:
Ivy like jumps onto Adam’s back and like holds it up out of his reach.
Kenzie (Adam):
Ivy, stop playing around! Let me see it!
April (Ivy):
Fine!
April:
And she like loops her arms around her shoulders so she’s holding it right in front of his face.
Kenzie (MC):
He reaches up and tries to take it from your grasp.
April (Ivy):
Look. Don’t touch.
Kenzie (Adam):
Ivy I want to hold it!
April (Ivy):
Caleb, can Adam hold it?
Mads:
I screw up my face, scrunch my nose up. And then this like little smirk starts to form because it is very rare that I get to have power over my older brother. I make a show of tapping my chin,
Mads (Caleb):
Hhhhhmmmmm.
Kenzie (Adam):
Caleb, I swear.
Mads (Caleb):
Well, I guess you can hold it for a minute. If you promise to give me a piggyback ride home.
April (Ivy):
What do you think?
Kenzie (MC):
He’s just looking at Caleb.
Brennan:
Sawyer’s just shaking his head no.
Mads:
I put my hands on my hips and stare at him.
Kenzie (MC):
He looks at Sawyer who’s shaking his head. Looks back at Caleb,
Kenzie (Adam):
More than one minute.
Mads (Caleb):
Two minutes. Piggy ride back home. And I get two of your Chips Ahoy cookies.
Kenzie (Adam):
You can’t just add stuff like that!
Brennan (Sawyer):
Yeah, you can’t just add stuff.
Mads (Caleb):
Well, you can just add minutes!
Kenzie (Adam):
You offered and I made a counteroffer. That’s how it works.
Mads (Caleb):
And I counter offered your counteroffer.
Kenzie (Adam):
You can’t do that!
April:
Ivy just is holding it above his head going,
April (Ivy):
Na na na na boo boo!
Kenzie (Adam):
No you don’t – that’s not how it works, Caleb! You either say yes to my counter offer or you say no to my counter offer, you don’t add something else.
Mads (Caleb):
Oh, okay. No.
April (Ivy):
Ha-ha!
April:
Ivy just jumps off of his back into the water.
Kenzie (MC):
I think Adam dives after you and tries to pin you to the ground and rip the thing from your hand. But I also think I’m going to have a roll for Adam to Lash Out Physically to see if he’s able to because you’re so strong.
Mads:
If this adds to anything, when I see him do this, I’m going to retrive my bark shield that has been floating aimlessly in the water as I’ve been searching through the muck and I’m going to try and full body tackle him with my shield.
Kenzie (MC):
Okay, then I think I need you to roll Lash Out Physically too.
Brennan:
Sawyer takes a step back. All the way out of the water. And then just clutches the sharp part of the end of the stick with both hands and just stares at the three of them and is very nervous.
Mads:
I got a nine
Kenzie (MC):
As Adam is lunging down to pin Ivy to the ground, Caleb comes rushing with this makeshift shield and like cracks it against Adam’s side, throwing Adam sideways. I think the husk of bark splits and cracks with the impact. And Adam like slams into the water and you just hear him go,
Kenzie (Adam):
Ow!
Kenzie (MC):
He’s wincing and he kinda sits up and he looks and there’s a massive cut slash gash in his arm from where it hit against a hard rock under the water and it’s just like dripping blood.
Mads:
I have like nearly face planted in the water. I come back up, see this, see him bleeding like this and I immediately start rushing toward him.
Kenzie (Adam):
Caleb, get away from me! Stop! Don’t touch me!
Mads (Caleb):
I’m sorry. I didn’t mean – I didn’t mean, ugh…
Kenzie (Adam):
Ow.
Mads (Caleb):
Are you okay?
Kenzie (Adam):
No, it hurts!
Mads (Caleb):
Well, what do I do?
Kenzie (Adam):
Leave me alone!
April:
Ivy was under the water when this happened. She was actually filling her mouth with creek water to spit in Adam’s face and then all of a sudden he’s not there. So, she waits a second to see what’s going on. You know when you like look through water up at the sky and its like green and shimmery and she’s just kinda like chilling there and he doesn’t come back. So she sits back up. Her mouth is still full of the creek water and its kind of in her nose and so it takes her a second. She has to find him visually. And she whips her head around and sees Adam and Caleb arguing and sees the huge cut. And she spits out the creek water and can smell the blood and she’s like – she knows at this point she feeds. Her dads have told her about how dangerous it is. And so she just locks eyes with Adam and jumps back into the creek and starts swimming as deep as she can.
Brennan:
Sawyer, sees this whole scene in like hyper slow motion of just the impact o the shield and blood spurting out and Ivy’s face just emerging from the water and everything almost sounds slowly like this horrendous cacophony of bestial noises. Like everything that happens sounds animalistic to him. And he grabs the edge of the stick as Ivy gets up out of the water and looks to Ivy and looks to the blood and begins to like shakily get the stick ready to throw. And I’d like to roll for Keeping My Cool.
Kenzie (MC):
Okay, yeah, roll you 2d6 and add your cold.
Brennan:
I rolled two ones and get a plus zero. I would also be looking for an alternative while this is happening, aka I’d be looking for some sort of like frog or noise that I can deter the situation with. Because I don’t want to throw this tick.
Kenzie (MC):
In this moment of literally one day later seeing the truth of what your dad told you even though you didn’t really understand or want to believe it, you saw your friends become something that you had never expected them to be before. Which isn’t even necessarily true. It’s not like none of you had ever fought before this moment, it was just put into a different light. The fear has overcome you to the point of shaking, I don’t know what I’m doing, I’m definitely not prepared for any of this, and you do throw the stick. But you don’t have good aim and Ivy has also kind of darted away, swimming through the creek.
So, it doesn’t land. Both Caleb and Adam notice that you had thrown a sharpened point weapon at your friends and are probably – I know Adam at least – is just looking up at you, eyes confused, mouth dropped open like in the process of trying to rub the blood from his arm.
Mads:
I think Caleb is too focused on trying to figure out how to try to fix Adam’s wound. Like rifling through his little drawstring pack to see if there’s anyting he can use as a bandage. Or if there’s. T-shirt or something like that. Something to just put over top of it. That its not until Adam still that he takes note of it. And then is like,
Mads (Caleb):
What are you, what…?
Kenzie (MC):
And then follows his eyeline to where Sawyer is.
April:
I’m like removing myself completely from the situation if I can.
Kenzie (MC):
Okay, yeah, do 2d6 and add volatile.
April:
I got a three.
Kenzie (MC):
Caleb has noticed Sawyer. Adam says,
Kenzie (Adam):
What are you doing?
Kenzie (MC):
And Ivy as you dive down under water, you get a mouthful of iron tasting water from the blood that has dripped into the creek.
April:
Ivy’s dads like train her, you know? To an extent. But other than like feeding on her friends, she hasn’t really been feeding on hot blood. She doesn’t really encounter if very often and never this much at one time and she – it just comes over her and she rips out of the water and starts rapidly approaching Adam. And she looks like a little monster fairy thing. She looks so small but she’s drenched, her pigtails have two streams of water running off the ends and her teeth are bared.
Brennan:
When Adam looks at me and says that, I am – my eyes dart to Ivy.
Brennan (Sawyer):
(gasp)
Kenzie (MC):
And Adam looks at Ivy and sees her rushing him and there’s a recognition that comes over his face that he hadn’t realized that this was a big deal. Like it really hadn’t clicked even though you all know. And I think he’s stunned. I think – also – I think for all of you maybe, this is the first time Ivy has been aggressive about it. It’s usually an ask and a mutual thing.
I think he like shoves Caleb away, out of whatever harm’s way could happen. And tries to put hands up to snap Ivy out of this mindset that she is in.
Mads:
I plunk into the water.
April:
Ivy rushes to Adam and like grabs onto his wrist, of the bleeding arm, and like licks up the stream of blood that’s been coming down and uh, latches her mouth onto this wound and she starts to feed on him. She’s kinda like lost in it. She’s not very aware of her surroundings.
Kenzie (MC):
There’s a moment where Adam gets really tense and puts a hand on Ivy’s shoulder as if to try but like with effort, she is immovable. And he just looks up to Sawyer and goes,
Kenzie (Adam):
Get out of here.
Brennan:
Oh, yeah, I was gonna try to run away anyways. I am fucking hauling ass. Like the fucking gravel is fucking skirting out from under my feet. And I’m falling. I scrape of mu knees that probably lead to like, maybe a trickle of blood (Laughs). And I see that I push myself forward like a runner at the start of a track. And head for my bike and rip that off the ground and start going back through the woods, not going slow down any of these hills this time, just full on leaping.
Kenzie (MC):
After he tells Sawyer to go, he looks at Caleb and says,
Kenzie (Adam):
Go with him.
Mads (Caleb):
No. No, no, no, no no.
Mads:
He tries to get up and rush at Ivy.
Kenzie (MC):
Roll Lash Out Physically.
Mads:
So that’s an eleven (laughs).
Kenzie (MC):
You rush Ivy and are just hauling ass, able to bulldoze her like over, across Adam. I think in doing so, her teeth are ripped out of his arm which makes the bleeding even worse. And Ivy you’re kind of stunned for a moment, giving Adam enough time to get up and try to grab Caleb to pull – like start running and you guys are splashing through the creek, up onto the bank, sprinting back to where you tossed your bikes before you went on this adventure to find an axolotl. And it takes a few minutes Ivy, for you to snap out of the bloodlust, snap out of being stunned by being tossed and thrown around, and you find yourself, sitting alone, in a creek, chin and neck covered in blood, hearing the distant footsteps of your friends running away from you.
April:
As Ivy is sitting there, in this state, she looks over into the water and sees an axolotl.
Kenzie (MC):
It is a long and mostly silent walk through an expansive cave system. Every so often you can hear the nails of a rat running across your path or a bat that squeaks as it wings flap too close to your heads but for the most part, you can only really hear the sound of dripping water and the shuffling ahead of your group.
The three of you, Sawyer, Caleb, and Ivy, are in the back. You have seen a few lights flick on in front of you as your parents have turned on flashlights to help lead and guide the way, but you three are a little bit separated in the back from all of the them.
Mads:
I’ll pull my phone out and turn the flashlight on and kinda hold it up and in front of us so we can see where we’re stepping.
Brennan:
I’ll do the same. And just get the spots that Caleb’s phone isn’t reaching.
April:
Ivy reaches into her pocket to do the same and realizes she doesn’t have her phone on her.
April (Ivy):
Fuck.
Mads (Caleb):
What? Are you okay?
April (Ivy):
Yeah, I’m fine. I don’t know, I lost my phone I guess in the craziness. It’s fine! It’s - we just have to stick together.
Brennan (Sawyer):
Yep, you said it spot on actually.
Mads (Caleb):
Sometimes I think that the two of you just share a brain. I’m not jealous of it, I just – it’s – the two of you are so in sync sometimes it’s insane.
Brennan:
I’m just gonna kinda look down and smile.
April:
I look at Sawyer and smile.
April (Ivy):
Yeah.
Brennan (Sawyer):
So, how far is this gonna go?
April (Ivy):
Hold on, let me – this is gonna be weird.
April:
And Ivy lets out like a low whistle. Just a little like do do do. And then there’s a beat and then it echoes and its like do do do.
Mads:
You know what? With that as Ivy’s saying, “Oh, this is gonna be weird,” Caleb’s about to roll his eyes and then that happens and its like (laughs) if I could use my fucking heightened senses ability. To listen to the sound reverberate off the walls and see if I can get an idea how huge this place is.
Kenzie (MC):
Roll with your dark.
Mads:
It’s a five.
Kenzie (MC):
You can hear it for quite a while but it seems like at a point, it bounces off into multiple like paths so there’s just no context of like a straight path.
Mads:
I like stick my finger in my ear and pop it.
Mads (Caleb):
This place is big.
April (Ivy):
Yeah, my dads taught me how to figure out how big something is that way but I’m actually not that great at math so.
Mads (Caleb):
I think that’s more for like ballroom sized locations.
April:
She like tries to focus and lets out one more whistle but her head is just pounding.
April (Ivy):
Sorry, I’ve got nothing.
Kenzie (MC):
You hear a voice come echoing back to you from the group.
Kenzie (Adam):
How long is it going to take anyway?
Kenzie (MC):
And then you hear Daniel Moore say,
Kenzie (Daniel Moore):Be quiet, Adam.
Mads:
I involuntarily (snorts).
Brennan (Sawyer):
He’s really acting up.
Mads (Caleb):
It’s getting worse if you can believe it.
April:
When Caleb says that, Ivy whips her head at him and just like stares into his soul. She doesn’t say anything but she really looks at him questioningly. She just says,
April (Ivy):
Yeah, um…
Brennan (Sawyer):
I’m sure he’s just nervous like the rest of us.
Mads (Caleb):
He doesn’t get nervous. Adam doesn’t have nerves. He barely has thoughts.
Brennan (Sawyer):
Everybody has nerves.
April (Ivy):
I don’t think that’s really fair.
Mads (Caleb):
What? That he doesn’t think? He’s the most impulsive person I’ve ever met in my life.
Brennan (Sawyer):
Yeah but I still think he gets scared about things.
April (Ivy):
Do we really need to keep talking about Adam right now?
Mads (Caleb):
We don’t.
Brennan (Sawyer):
I guess not…
April (Ivy):
Great. Perfect. Thanks.
April:
And Ivy kind of like walks a few beats ahead of them.
Brennan (Sawyer):
What’s a good traversing into the depths of a possibly magical cave conversation?
Mads (Caleb):
Are you watching any new TV shows lately?
Brennan (Sawyer):
Um… kinda in a show hole.
Mads (Caleb):
A what?
Brennan (Sawyer):
A show hole. It’s not landing. It’s just a present situation joke. Hole, like a cave. A cave is like a hole in the ground.
April:
Ivy just like calls out over her shoulder,
April (Ivy):
We get it Sawyer.
Brennan (Sawyer):
Okay.
Mads:
Caleb’s just like blinking like this dead eyed – like at first its confusing and then its leans into you have to be fucking kidding me look.
Brennan:
Sawyer averts his gaze.
Kenzie (MC):
There is, I think, just this awkward tension that kinda permeates the three of you after that attempt at conversation because I think the three of you are coming at this with very different intents and purposes. And also just a general confusion that you thought you were in o the families and you’re finding out a lot of new information all at once.
Brennan (Sawyer):
Well, its weird that we’ve never met Wyatt before. Anybody else think so?
Mads (Caleb):
It’s weird that other people know about us and we don’t know about them. Not just Wyatt, But Kai, whoever that was. Have either of you seen them around before? They’re like our age.
April (Ivy):
No, I would remember meeting her.
Brennan (Sawyer):
No. How many people do you think know about us then outside of Wildmoore? Or inside?
Mads (Caleb):
Well, we are the three families. I just assumed everyone kinda knew about us, but not that part. Now it’s not looking like that anymore. I mean, there could be other people. People we go to school with. Adult, maybe even teachers, that know.
April (Ivy):
There’s no way. There’s no way!
Mads (Caleb):
How can you be so sure?
April (Ivy):
We’ve been keeping this secret since we were kids. I’ve been –
April:
Ivy for some reason, blinks back tears suddenly.
April (Ivy):
I’ve been keeping this secret so carefully and my dads and – I mean, I feel like I would know.. Right? We would have to know. Everybody else can’t be in on it but us.
Mads (Caleb):
We might have done our part: the secret business. But that doesn’t mean our parents –
Mads:
I look at Sawyer.
Mads (Caleb):
Grandparents. Whoever. Have been as secretive?
Brennan (Sawyer):
I was thinking the same thing.
Mads:
And he looks down a little bit like almost acting like he’s focusing on where he’s stepping with the light – trying to look at that – but there’s this like kinda disgruntled, frustrated look that sets into his features.
Mads (Caleb):
I barely know what I am somedays. Who’s to say that other people couldn’t know?
April (Ivy):
My dads, they have a lot of friends. We’re not exactly rare. And they have rules and we have rules and the families hvae rules. Like the rules have to followed. There’s not way –
Brennan (Sawyer):
Well, where we’re going, I think that might tell if the rules are still in place or not.
Mads:
Caleb looks back up and over to Ivy.
Mads (Caleb):
Yeah, your dads do have friends. Do you know someone named Gregor?
April (Ivy):
Yeah! Gregor’s kinda been a part of our family for years.
Mads (Caleb):
Is he like you guys?
April (Ivy):
Um… honestly, I never asked.
Mads (Caleb):
But you’ve met him before? You’ve talked to him? Not just whenever we got dropped off at the hospital.
April (Ivy):
No I mean I’ve like seen him around but now that you mention it -I don’t think I’ve ever really talked to him directly. Why?
Mads (Caleb):
You guys have like a – I mean this in the most literal sense. This isn’t anything mean or whatever – You smell.
April (Ivy):
I smell?
Mads (Caleb):
Not like that! Like you -
April:
Ivy smells her clothes.
Brennan (Sawyer):
You smell really good like all the time. You have the best perfume.
April (Ivy):
Thanks, Sawyer.
Mads (Caleb):
You’re different than Sawyer and you’re different than people we go to school with. Your dads its more. Yours isn’t as much but its different. Like that, okay?
April (Ivy):
Okay. You kinda smell too.
Brennan (Sawyer):
Really good. You smell the best.
April (Ivy):
No actually, its like, it’s like – I mean I know you like switched to the natural deodorant thing but like maybe you should like go back I just don’t think that its really working.
Mads (Caleb):
Oh my god. It’s not –
April (Ivy):
But I mean it’s the same thing. You do, you smell, I mean, you – it changed.
Mads (Caleb):
It’s like a crypt Ivy. You smell like deep something underground. Like rocks and stones and dirt and something that I can’t describe, okay? I’m not talking about that.
April (Ivy):
That’s kinda hot.
Brennan:
Sawyer’s like looking literally up into the air like, “How is that…?” (laughs).
Mads:
I snap my fingers a few times,
Mads (Caleb):
Ivy come back to me. Come back – just for a minute.
April (Ivy):
Okay, I’m sorry. I’m sorry. And I really – I do apologize. I just like – I’ve been really ruminating on the deodorant thing and I just wanted to (laughs)
April:
She like bites back a laugh
April (Ivy):
Okay. I’m sorry.
Mads:
He like almost stops walking for a minute. One of his hands is still held above him with (laughs) the light from his phone and the other one is just over top of his face with like two of his fingers gritting into his brow and trying to like rub – like he has a tension headache all of a sudden (laughs).
April (Ivy):
But I do get what you mean. I mean you smell like – like –
Mads (Caleb):
If you say dog so help me.
April (Ivy):
I was gonna say like warm. Like meat.
Mads (Caleb):
Okay, you had me in the first part.
April (Ivy):
Like cooking. Like – like - like hot bread and like steak (sighs). It’s hard to describe but I get it! I do.
Brennan (Sawyer):
Decadent.
April (Ivy):
Maybe, that’s kind of a weird word, Sawyer, I don’t know –
Brennan (Sawyer):
Okay. Alright. Alright, Okay.
Mads (Caleb):
Yeah that was really weird.
April (Ivy):
But thanks for the contribution with your human nose.
Brennan (Sawyer):
It’s actually kinda stuffy in here right now (sniffs loudly).
April (Ivy):
Yeah ewww, I heard that go back into your brain, Jesus. Wait, why were you telling me that I smell?
Mads (Caleb):
Gregor smells like something too.
April (Ivy):
But something different?
Mads (Caleb):
Really different. Like bones and ashes and sand and old. Old, old. Something that’s been locked away for a long, long time.
Brennan (Sawyer):
Like cigarettes in a garage.
Mads (Caleb):
Your color commentary is amazing. Just spot on. Everything that you’ve said in this conversation. Thank you.
Brennan (Sawyer):
Just trying to be a part of it.
Mads (Caleb):
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. I don’t know what he is. I don’t know what a lot of things are. I’m still trying to figure this out. I’m going off of nothing. It’s like I’m making up rules for myself and the rules around me everyday. But there’s other people that aren’t us, here. I mean we just saw two more. I think there’s a lot more at work here than just three families.
April:
Ivy looks up, kinda like squints.
April (Ivy):
So, uh, there is something that I didn’t tell you guys about the night of the party.
Mads (Caleb):
Mm-hmm?
April (Ivy):
In retrospect, I probably should’ve brought it up so, do you remember that bus that we passed on the way to the car?
Mads (Caleb):
Yeah, when we were leaving.
April (Ivy):
Yeah.
Mads (Caleb):
What was that?
April (Ivy):
When I came back to the party, I investigated. There was a girl there and um, she was –
Mads (Caleb):
Oh my god.
April (Ivy):
Really just –
Brennan (Sawyer):
Super your type?
April (Ivy):
Beautiful. She had the whole 90s grunge thing going on.
Brennan (Sawyer):
Oh that’s cool.
Mads (Caleb):
Come back to me.
April (Ivy):
Yeah, I know right?
Mads (Caleb):
Come back. Come back.
April (Ivy):
Okay, I’m coming. I’m here. So, I talked to her and I invited her to come back to the party with me (mumbles suggestively. And she said, “Yes.” And then we like went off the bus and then I turned around and she was gone. And the bus was gone.
Mads (Caleb):
What do you mean?
April (Ivy):
It disappeared into thin air. Like I stepped off the bus. I heard her footsteps behind me and I turned around and it was just all gone.
Mads (Caleb):
Like it wasn’t even there to begin with? Like there were no tire tracks?
Brennan (Sawyer):
Did you like put your hand out to check to make sure it was just still there but invisible?
April (Ivy):
Like invisible?
Brennan (Sawyer):
Yeah. An invisible bus. Invisi-bus.
Mads (Caleb):
There’s no such things as an invis-bus.
Brennan (Sawyer):
Why is that the weird thing? A bus disappeared! Why could is not be invisible?
April (Ivy):
It just disappeared! Okay? It was truly gone, believe me. And there was no wind. There was no sounds. It just disappeared. Do we think that’s something?
Brennan (Sawyer):
Yup, that’s something.
Mads (Caleb):
What was that, that Kai said, about the barrier? Do either of you know about a barrier that’s here? Because this is the first time I’m hearing about it.
April (Ivy):
No I’ve never heard of it.
Brennan (Sawyer):
The barrier’s flickering.
Mads (Caleb):
Yeah. I mean If you’re thinking about it like a game, you’re casting a shield. An AOE effect that’s going to take up a large space. It probably needs a lot of power funneled into it to keep it alive. To keep it working. If its flickering, stuff could get in. Look, I’m going to be super honest with you guys, I have no idea what’s going on with my family right now. It’s really freaking me out. I’m the last one to hear about anything. And I’m kinda used to that, you know? But this is like a little bigger. I think at least they would consider telling me. ‘Cause I’m supposed to be their person now or whatever. I don’t know where my Aunt is and I don’t know where the idol is. I mean with my aunt maybe, probably. But if she’s not here, if she and it got out, could that have busted it? Broken the barrier?
Brennan (Sawyer):
I think there’s a good chance. I’m also a little worried now if things can get in, that means, I mean there was just recently a murder. And not everybody’s nice that wants to get into Wildmoore.
Mads (Caleb):
Do you think the murder was supernatural?
Brennan (Sawyer):
I don’t know.
April (Ivy):
There was a lot of blood. I know we’re not - I know – I watched that video a few times.
Mads (Caleb):
Yeah, me too.
April (Ivy):
I know its probably like disrespectful or whatever but it did seem different. I mean – you know, there’s fights at school but there’s not shit like that. Why would that have happened?
Brennan (Sawyer):
Do you guys think that, um, that we’re in danger?
April (Ivy):
Think the vampire and the werewolf and their best friend are going to be a target?
Brennan (Sawyer):
Yeah, I guess its more so, the next people in charge.
April (Ivy):
Right, we are also that.
Mads (Caleb):
So great that we are so filled in on everything too.
Brennan (Sawyer):
Yeah, what the fuck.
Mads (Caleb):
Just love that for us.
Brennan (Sawyer):
Hey but you guys are like super strong.
Mads (Caleb):
Yeah and super, “Oops I ripped your head off.” This isn’t good, what I do. It’s not good.
April:
Ivy like clenches her fists.
April (Ivy):
Um, I wouldn’t want to use this if I didn’t have to. It never goes well.
Brennan (Sawyer):
Well, at least you guys have the option.
April (Ivy):
No, Sawyer!
April:
She like holds his hand.
April (Ivy):
Sawyer, we will protect you. We would never do anything to hurt you. You know that right?
Brennan (Sawyer):
Yeah, uh, I know.
Brennan:
And Sawyer just kinda loosely grabs your hand back. Like without full confidence.
Mads (Caleb):
My control isn’t good. I’m trying to work on it. But I’m still me when it happens and I want to protect people still. I think I just take it too far. But you’re safe, okay?
Brennan:
I’m a little bit more worried about when you guys aren’t around. If someone’s looking for us or dangerous people are getting in. There’s not much I can do that’s going to be different from the night of the party.
Kenzie (MC):
Your voices start taking on a different sound quality and you hear Mr. Hook say,
Kenzie (William Hook):
Well, here it is.
Kenzie (MC):
And then Sawyer’s mom go,
Kenzie (Ely Hook):
This should be a more happy time. You’re first time seeing it in person after hearing about it all of these years.
Kenzie (MC):
And everybody starts kind of getting into a wider group as you enter a cavernous space. Stalctites hang from the ceiling, high enough up that no one has to worry about hitting their head. And there seems to be some sort of natural, or maybe supernatural, blue light glowing in the room and everybody kind of turns their flahslights off. The source of this light seems to be both from just literally the crease wehre the walls reach the floor as from this stone structure that sits in the middle of the room. There is a moldy, wet stench, almost ligke decay and Bast and Gabriel’s noses both wrinkle.
Kenzie (Daniel Moore):Something is definitely wrong,
Kenzie (MC):
Daniel Moore says. And the stone structure in the middle of the room is this wide, unassuming basin. It’s not polished in any way as if it were mandmade but looks like it has grown up from the ground. Like the way the stone twists itself into shape reminds you of roots. And then Bast says,
Kenzie (Bast Duncan):
The Heart of Wildmoore. And its failing.
Kenzie (MC):
And maybe the roots aren’t roots. But maybe they’re veins or arteries. A lifeline to the land. And everybody can kind of approach this structure and you look in and all that sits within in now is a thick, black, sludge-like liquid. And its glommed onto the stone and it looks thick and putrid and sticky.
Mads:
Caleb kinda – maybe Ivy remembers it – this stutter of his shoulders, kind of his hackles raising up a little bit and that weird inhale like something getting stuck in the back of your throat as you try to gasp in a breath and he just stares at it wide-eyed.
April:
Ivy instinctively grabs Caleb’s arm and maybe not really understanding the association, but she does feel like this wave of protectiveness over Caleb.
April (Ivy):
Hey, are you good?
Mads:
He kinda mutters to himself,
Mads (Caleb):
I don’t want this anymore. Take it away.
Mads:
But clears his throat and says,
Mads (Caleb):
I don’t know. I remembered something. I don’t know.
Kenzie (MC):
Adam is circling the group. His fingers like centimeters away from running along the edge of the basin. And he says,
Kenzie (Adam):
It looks like what’s in the marsh.
Kenzie (MC):
And Bast in matter of seconds, is next to him, slamming a hand into his chest.
Kenzie (Bast):
Don’t touch it!
Kenzie (MC):
And Adam stumbled back, hand rubbing at his sternum.
Kenzie (Adam):
What? If it’s the same stuff in the marshlands, I’ve touched it before.
Brennan:
When that happens as well, Sawyer instinctively tightens his grip on his pants, on the right side.
Kenzie (MC):
Gabriel speaks up,
Kenzie (Gabriel Duncan):
What are you talking about? In the marshlands?
Kenzie (MC):
And Adam looks towards, your guys’ father and says,
Kenzie (Adam):
Dad, tell him.
Kenzie (MC):
And Bast says,
Kenzie (Bast):
The marshlands on your property?
Kenzie (Adam):
Yeah, something’s wrong with them.
Kenzie (Daniel):
Adam, keep your mouth shut.
Kenzie (MC):
And Bast stands up straighter.
Kenzie (Bast):
No, please, Adam go on. There seems to be more than one secret the Moore family is keeping from us. And after the young one here almost wolfed out in front of the entirety of their school, I don’t think they have much leverage anymore.
Kenzie (Adam):
I don’t know.
Kenzie (MC):
Adam just shrugs,
Kenzie (Adam):
It’s been hard to keep them healthy and – I don’t know, I saw some of this stuff there too.
Kenzie (MC)And Sawyer, your mom speaks up and says,
Kenzie (Ely):
Well, has anyone else noticed anything like it? Any of this anywhere? Any new thing that doesn’t belong here?
April:
Ivy looks at Adam and she says,
April (Ivy):
Well, I did see a little bit of this at the old creek. The mud it looked a little different. I thought it was just like erosion or something, I don’t know.
April:
For some reasons he’s very nervous and she looks at her dads.
April (Ivy):
I really – I mean I didn’t – it didn’t look like anything that I would tell you about or really notice that much but now that you mention it. I think it was there too.
Kenzie (Bast):
How long ago was this?
April (Ivy):
Um, well I went there with Adam so if was probably like six months ago now.
Kenzie (Bast):
And you didn’t see it anywhere else? Just the creek.
April (Ivy):
All that I remember.
Kenzie (Bast):
Anyone else?
Kenzie (MC):
Adam just goes,
Kenzie (Adam):
No! I didn’t see it at the creek, but just saw it in the marsh.
Kenzie (MC):
Bast is just kind of nodding.
Kenzie (Bast):
Six months ago (chuckles).
Kenzie (MC):
And bears down a bit on the Moores.
Kenzie (Bast):
You were all ready to let this town, our home, fall into disrepair, for what? Pride? Fear? This place is falling apart and you’re just letting it. This is our home. This has been our home for years. And for your families, for generations. Does that not mean anything to anyone. We built this place from the ground up and what was this going to accomplish, I ask. What was all of this secrecy’s purpose?
Kenzie (MC):
He points at Daniel.
Kenzie (Bast):
You are your sister’s keeper. In this you are. We are each, each other’s keepers. Why do you think we have these stupid, vapid, pointless ceremonies that we all grin and bear. Becdause its tradition. And tradition has always been the one thing holding us together. This place called to us and all we had to do for it to prosper was care for it and you have failed at that.
Kenzie (MC):
It feels like a low drone of silence just permeating the room. It’s still. The water dripping. Bast’s voice takes a few seconds to stop echoing up at the ceiling. Caleb, your mom is the first to move out of the stillness and says,
Kenzie (Sharon Moore):
I believe they’re calling them puncture wounds Bast. I’d be careful who you start blaming for apathy.
April:
Ivy looks between the two parents.
April (Ivy):
Yeah, just what - what is she talking about?
Kenzie (MC):
Bast snarls, animal-like, his lips pulling back from his teeth. And you can all see his fangs distend.
Kenzie (Bast):
Wolves have fangs too.
Kenzie (MC):
And I think Ivy, you’re the only one that can hear this whisper in the air. Gabriel barely moving his lips as he says,
Kenzie (Gabriel):
Stai attento amore mio.
Kenzie (MC):
And I think you know enough of Gabriel talking Italian that you know this is a warning and that he’s warning Bast to be careful.
Brennan:
I look at my dad.
Kenzie (MC):
He has not reached for anything but there is a stiffness to his shoulders and his eyes are completely locked on Bast.
April:
I drop Sawyer’s hand and Caleb’s arm to approach my dads.
April (Ivy):
What is she talking about?
Mads:
As you step forward, Caleb is going to move forward as well. But not in front you, not saying anything, just at your side, right behind your shoulder.
Kenzie (MC):
Sharon Moore crosses her arms almost as if she’s in a courtroom.
Kenzie (Sharon):
The police. They’re calling the wounds on Ryan Bishop’s neck, puncture wounds.
April:
Ivy looks between her dads and thinks back to that night at the party and how they told her not to come home. How she was accounded for. How Caleb was accounted for and she claps both hands over her mouth and stumbles backwards and knock into Caleb.
April (Ivy):
You didn’tt, right? You didn’t – that wasn’t –
Kenzie (MC):
Bast’s lips twitches.
Kenzie (Bast):
As I said, wolves have fang too.
April (Ivy):
Dad I was with Caleb all night -I – I
Kenzie (Bast):
Oh, I’m not saying its Caleb. Daniel, where is Sarah?
Kenzie (Daniel Moore):
I don’t know where my sister is Bast. I don’t know how many times you’re going to need me to say it to you. But I do not know where she is. But if you think anybody in my family would do something like this, then you’re obviously not looking at the greater pictures. She took the stone, you all know that now. She broke whatever was keeping this place secluded to itsself. You can see it missing!
Kenzie (MC):
And he points at this basin and there does seem to be one of the stones in the top, taken out of place.
Kenzie (Daniel):
Who knows what else besides wolves and vampires could have fangs?
April (Ivy):
Are we gonna like play a guessing game here or is someone going to actually like tell me what’s going on? Do you know what it could be, Dad? Papa?
Kenzie (Bast0:Ivy you have to believe that I did not do this.
April:
She looks at her dad with huge eyes. She says,
April (Ivy):
I believe you. I – I – I just saw something that night that Ryan and I don’t know what it was – you guys just keep a lot of – a lot from me and I don’t want to ask.
April:
Her head is just pounding and her composure, which is usually so strong, is just crumbling. And she looks at her dads. She looks over at Adam for a second and she’s like,
April (Ivy):
I just – I – I – I believe you. But what are we supposed to do now?
Kenzie (MC):
Adam, when you look at him, starts walking towards you, getting closer, and comes right up to you and with a thumb, wipes away a tear that’s falling down your face.
Kenzie (Adam):
What did you see that night?
April (Ivy):
Well, you guys told me not to come home and I – someone was there and there was blood. I mean, it wasn’t anything I had ever smelled before. I – I – I didn’t recognize it, I just – I know –
April:
She steps close to Bast and whispers quietly enough that only the vampire would be able to hear. She says,
April (Ivy):
I know that sometimes things happen. I mean – I don’t think it was Ryan but what was going on? Why are there so many secrets? Why aren’t you telling me?
Kenzie (MC):
Bast clenches his jaw and Gabriel says,
Kenzie (Gabriel):
Not here.
Kenzie (MC):
And Sawyer, you watch your dad reach behind and pull out this larger than what he gave you and train it on the vampires. And Sharon goes,
Kenzie (Sharon):
Wow. What is happening?
Kenzie (MC):
And he goes,
Kenzie (William):
Right in front of us they’re keeping secrets and telling lies. I’ve had enough of this.
Mads:
I’m shouldering past Adam and I’m standing in front of where Ivy is and I am locking eyes with Mr. Hook.
Kenzie (MC):
Do you want to step out of the way?
Mads (Caleb):
I don’t want to. Thank you for asking, Mr. Hook.
Brennan:
Sawyer reaches down as quietly as he can crouch, as everyone is looking at my dad and that exchange is happening and just pulls the gun from his sock and puts it behind him into his belt.
Kenzie (William):
Caleb then I would advise you to step out of the way. You’re not the one here that’s in any trouble.
Mads (Caleb):
With all due respect, Mr. Hook. We can stand her and go in circles for the whole night. We can talk around each other about secrets and whispering and about what we’re all keeping from each other, but its not going to solve what has already happened. My aunt has done something very bad and I didn’t know about it until you just found out as well. But I know enough about our families, about this town, about everything that we’re supposed to stand for, to protect, to know that if we turn on each other now, we are never going to be able to fix this. I know I have problems with control and with everything that this is, okay? I didn’t ask for it, but I’m not just going to sit by and watch when I think I can do something to help. I’m not going to step aside.
Mads:
I look down at my feet and grit my teeth.
Brennan:
Sawyer, his mouth is completely dry, and just as Caleb started speaking, Sawyer had like caught a word in his throat and looked at Caleb with a reverence of, “I wish I could be as brave as you are and say all of that,” throughout that whole thing.
Kenzie (MC):
Bast sweeps an arm and tries to put you behind him.
Kenzie (Bast):
I didn’t realize we had to have a problem betwixt ourselves, William. You’re not really involved in this this time around, are you? You didn’t have the stone to lose, and you don’t have the stone to gain. So what game are you playing here?
April:
Ivy just cries against her dad’s back. Feel very small but also reaches out and grabs Caleb’s little fingers and holds onto it with hers.
Mads:
He kind of tenses for a moment where he was looking down at the ground, trying to hold himself together, and not run like he so wants to right now. And your hand on his pinky is like a tether line, that’s holding him still and present, and he relaxes a little bit and turns his hand so he’s holding onto yours as well.
Kenzie (MC):
William Hook says,
Kenzie (William):
I’m not the one who feels the need to stand behind a child.
Kenzie (MC):
And Bast says,
Kenzie (Bast):
I think we stopped letting them be children a long time ago. Don’t you? I know about your family’s little tricks. I’ve been on the receiving end of them before actually. Your great-great-great-great grandfather and I didn’t really get along. Let’s just say that. So I’d put that away before you hurt anybody else. I’d put that away before you get hurt actually. Because that’s the next thing that happens here.
Kenzie (MC):
Sawyer, your dad glances over at your, sees you prepped, sees it behind your back, sees you looking at Caleb, sees that Caleb’s parents have tried to step back as if in almost a surrender like, “We are not doing anything here.” Adam is staring at this well of sorts. And William says,
Kenzie (William):
I don’t trust you. I don’t know if I ever have but I definitely don’t now.
Kenzie (MC):
And Bast says,
Kenzie (Bast):
That’s probably healthy of you.
Kenzie (MC):
And William does put away the dart gun that he brought with him.
Brennan:
My hands release mine and I pull my shirt over.
Brennan (Sawyer):
I, um –
Brennan:
And I look to my dad as soon as I start to speak. Does he look at me like angry that I’m even saying anything?
Kenzie (MC):
He’s just staring at Bast. The two men just are eyes are locked.
Brennan (Sawyer):
Big D, I don’t think anybody should be worried about any games here except for Hide and Seek.
Brennan:
And Sawyer’s like pitting sweating.
Mads:
The absurdity of Sawyer in this moment has Caleb – usually he’s deadpan. Usually, he regards like puns and really weird nonsense stuff with a, “Really?” or just like a raised eyebrow. In this moment he almost barks about a laugh. This like one note (laugh) that sort of churns up out of his stomach from pure anxiety and adrenaline and fear and everything. It’s just Sawyer is always going to be so, Sawyer. And something about it calms him and kind of stresses him out.
Kenzie (MC):
The bark of laugher and Sawyer’s absurd comment works to cut the tension. And it feels like William and Bast take the first breath that they’ve taken this entire time. And Gabriel claps and says,
Kenzie (Gabriel):
Well, since it seems like the obvious has now been stated. It’s good to now, for sure, that there is no trust here. Great. How wonderful how we break history, our histories, our legaices, for what purpose? This is a travesty?
Kenzie (MC):
And he glances to the well.
Kenzie (Gabriel):
This needs to be fixed. Immediately. We need to find Sarah and we need to bring the stone back because who knows what other kind of horrors could happen in the time being. So how about everybody, me included, Bast included decide what’s important and we can deal with the rest later.
April:
Ivy’s still holding Caleb’s hand and she looks up and him and whispers,
April (Ivy):
I trust you.
April:
She looks over at Sawyer and smiles and says the same thing.
April (Ivy):
I trust you.
Mads:
Caleb squeezes your hand a little bit. He’s shaking his head a little bit, kind of still struck by Sawyer, but there’s a smile, just barely. Maybe its mostly anxiety but its sorta there.
Brennan:
Sawyer gets a very small wave of confidence that you see change in his posture after that.
Kenzie (MC):
It feels like no one – while everybody wants to leave – no one is willing to be the first to go. They don’t want anyone at their backs. And as everybody kinda slowly walks toward the cave tunnel that you all entered from, there’s a sense amongst you all of how different this could have been. How Ely’s words at the beginning of walking into this chamber kind of ring true. How you had been told – especially Ivy – about how wonderful this thing was that you were one day going to be able to see. And then to come in here and not only it itself, the hear be desecrated, but for then the people that you love to become aggressive and spiteful and hateful. Clouded any idea that this was going to be anything else than what it turned out to be.
Brennan:
I am hanging around as everyone’s leaving for Adam.
April:
I’m also hanging around for Adam.
Mads:
I don’t trust any of these adults as far as my werewolf strength could throw them. So, I guess, I’m also waiting for Adam by proxy.
Kenzie (MC):
I guess it’s a good thing that you do ‘cause as everyone’s leaving the room. You realize that he is not amongst them. You turn around and he has both hands pressed, like knuckles white, firmly against the edge of the basin. Shoulders up and hunched with the pressure of leaning over and forwar. As he’s just staring down into this sludge and putrid gobs of some sort of substance. And you can kind of almost hear it, Caleb and Ivy too, squelch under where his hands are pressing down into it.
Brennan:
Sawyer takes a step forward and says,
Brennan (Sawyer):
Adam, where were you on the night of the quarry? I texted you. I looked for you. I couldn’t find you.
Kenzie (MC):
He says,
Kenzie (Adam):
Sawyer can you hear it?
Brennan (Sawyer):
What?
Kenzie (Adam):
Can you hear it?
Brennan (Sawyer):
Hear what?
Kenzie (MC):
You see his body lean even more forward over the opening.
Kenzie (Adam):
I didn’t kill anyone.
April:
Ivy kind of breaks the line of the three and approaches Adam and gently touches his back and is like,
April (Ivy):
We should go, Adam.
Kenzie (Adam):
Caleb, can you hear it?
Mads:
I take a step forward and I’m so angry at my brother, so fucking pissed off this stupid dipshit pulling his stupid fucking pranks and stupid, stupid Adam. Stupid Adam is always the one that’s always taking up all the attention. That’s always drawing everything to him. Stupid fucking Adam. I can’t believe he’s trying to make a bit out of this right now. I’m going to take a really deep breath in and exhale and the whoosh sound taps something in the back of my head of noise, smacking against a rock, against water, dripping, dripping. I would like to try and stare into the abyss again. To see if I can hear this.
The memory of whenever we were in the creek, whenever I found that weird like coin, emblem thing, the sludge that I saw. And I didn’t say anything when anyone was talking about sludge and muck and goo because I thought that was all in my head. And it was kind of. It was all in my head. It wasn’t real. It wasn’t tangible. It wasn’t there on my hands. I was trying to wash it off but there was nothing to wash off because it wasn’t there. But when it happened I heard something. I heard whispers and cackling and laughter and voices and maybe Adam is hearing that too right now.
It's a nine.
Kenzie (MC):
As you do this, the room around you darkens until Ivy disappears, Sawyer disappears. Your vision almost does tunnel visions until its just you and Adam. And while he had been bent over, as soon as that happens, its like your world glitches and he’ standing straight up, looking right at you. And you see these like veins of black just covering every inch of his body and you feel this – ‘cause its so dark you cant’ see it – but you feel this shadow behind him. You hear the same low mocking, cackle, laugh, weird, discordant, almost like nails on a chalkboard.
Kenzie (The Shadow):
Caleb Moore, I’ve been waiting to be introduced. You know that I could make you better?
Mads:
In that little vision, that moment, when I hear that voice and when I can sense the presence of something behind my brother, there’s still this running, inner monologue, “fucking Adam, taking up all the attention. Doing everything for himself. He’s so selfish. Its always about him. Its always Adam. He’s always first. He’s always Adam.” And then I see him at eight years old, and nine, and ten, and eleven and twelve and I see him with scuff knees. And I see him with bandages on his face because he’s so stupid and he’s so reckless and he makes such impulsive decisions. But he’s laughing and he’s happy and he’s holding my hand and he’s pulling me along because he wants me to be there with him. And he’s such an ass. And he’s so dumb. And I hate him so much. And I love him so much. And I can feel this like snap, pop of my spine. This like fire bursting up through my body and down my limbs and I can feel my teeth gorwing too big in my mouth and there’s this snarl that I’m holding at bay because he’s mine. He’s mine and no one else can have him.
Kenzie (MC):
And you are pulled back out of that. Your brother still leaning over and he flips around, now in real time, in the room where there are blue glowing lights again, flips around. You all see that his eyes have gone completely black and they’re almost – they almost look it’s a moving liquid in his eyes. And he seems to be looking at each of you but its hard to gauge exactly where his focus is with how these eyes move. And his head cricks over to Sawyer, who had originally asked the question of, where he had been on the night of the quarry party. Looks to Ivy, kind of smirks, and then look to Caleb and then to Caleb says, in a voice that sounds like it has an echo to it. It’s still Adam’s voice.
Kenzie (Adam):
Huh. Well, I think I was pretty fucked up, but I think I was fucking Alina in the woods when Ivy’s dad tore out Ryan Bishop’s throat.
Kenzie:
We hoped you enjoyed the episode! If you want to support our show, you can become a patron at patreon.com/queerpg. Becoming a patron allows you access to our exclusive after show, where the cast talks about character insights and their own reactions to the episode, as well as a plethora of other perks. If you like the show, remember to rate and review. And to keep up with queeRPG, make sure you’re following us on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @queerpgpod and on Tumblr at tumbr.com/queerpg. Until next time!
Meet your hosts:
Kenzie Tartaglione
Creator/Producer
