Part 2: The Hunt is on

 

I awoke to the sounds of sirens rushing past the resort driveway to the river. Out of curiosity I hopped out of bed and ran outside. My dad was up along with many other guests huddled on the road by the river bank. I pushed my way through the crowd until I saw blood, a thick stream of it flowing into the river. Hoping this was some sort of nightmare, I pinched myself, closed my eyes and opened them to the sight of Penny’s face, realizing this was in fact real. I stood there, stunned, still hoping that I’d awake to the sounds of birds chirping in the bright sun, rather than the blaring sirens in this dark hell.

    It was Early, still dark outside, but I couldn't get back to sleep. I smoked a cigarette and tried to relax, but just couldn't get the image of Penny’s face out of my mind. I decided to hop on my bike and just ride. It was an indestructible 1978, 125 cc Honda Super Cub, It easliy reached 60 miles per hour and I found myself at the MultiCare ER about fifteen minutes later. Reporters, or the wanna-be journalist gossip bloggers that count at Taylor’s Neighborhood Newsletter were already there, trying to figure out what had happened and get the story of a lifetime. Of course I was already pretty sure what had happened.

I passed out on the short couch in the waiting room of the ER, and woke up a few hours later, when the day was starting to brighten. That’s when I saw my friend Nick Jordan. He said “hey man what up? I was on my way to work when I heard what happened, are you ok?” He was a short and stout, dark skinned man, dressed up for work. I had not seen him in awhile. As kids we were best friends growing up in Taylor Reach. After graduation though, he joined the coast guard, and now lives in Kent, working the morning shift at the first Tulleys. I told him “I’m fine, it was a girl I just met named Penny Parker I don’t know exactly what happened but there was a lot of blood and i’m pretty sure the alligators got her ” Nick replied with a slightly surprised look on his face “oh, well, I’m sorry to hear that bro” I said “I barely know her, but she seemed really nice and I would’ve wanted to get to know her better and now, I just, I don’t know, it sucks”. At that moment a doctor walked out wearing a white lab coat with a stethoscope around his neck and a near neon face mask.

He walked over to the reporters, his name tag read “Doctor Schultz”. he asked if anyone had any idea what had happened? The group of reporters began rambling “No idea, nothing we can think of that it could have been”. I perked up and sarcastically said “Had to be the Northern Alligator Lizard, right?” The group looked at me before one spoke “do you think this is fucking funny” and I replied “DO YOU think this fucking funny” Nick looked at me, put his hand on my shoulder and said “okay calm down Conrad” and I went off “NO NO I knew what I saw, everyone said I was fucking crazy but I FUCKING knew, and now this poor girls bouts to die cause ya’ll”- I was interrupted by Dr. Schultz “she’s not dead, we’ve managed to stabilize her for now, but she is in a coma and honestly it does not look great. That’s all I can say for now, but does anyone have any idea how to get a hold of her family?” I said, “ I don’t know for sure but she’s from Los Angeles taking a semester off from UCLA.” Dr. Schultz replied “Okay, thank you” and walked off to talk to a receptionist, presumably about trying to get intouch with Penny’s family.

Later that night the neighborhood block watch met with Taylor Reach Park Rangers at the community services and utilities property across the street from the Taylor Trade Post. There were two buildings, a single story large concrete building with no windows, one metal door, and a bunch of antennas and satellite dishes on the roof. The other was a two story white wooden house like structure with green trim, and a three door garage on the first level with offices on the second. The meeting was in the garage, it looked like a large mechanic shop with an ambulance van, an antique fire truck and a bunch of golf carts, motorcycles, electric bikes, gas bikes, UTVs and ATVs decked out with red, blue and orange siren lights, all labeled “Mouth of Taylor Reach Park Rangers”. I attended with my father. Everyone was freaking out but no one was willing to consider what I already knew. Jim Maxwell, a silver haired, elderly wealthy landlord, owner of the Taylor Trade Post, and namesake of Taylor Reach’s main road, Maxwell. Stood up and said “Whatever happened it is clear that there is a threat around the river and we need to do something lest one of our kids is next. So with that in mind I am proposing a bounty of ten thousand dollars for the catching or killing of whatever monster did this''. I shook my head, leaned forward and thought and spoke to myself “Rich people think they can solve any problem by just throwing money at it, but alligators don’t take bribes”. I must have been louder than I thought, because when I looked up everyone was staring at me.

    My dad was laughing as I began to make an impassioned plea. “You guys, it's been weeks since I walked my dog around the river bank. I know you all think I’m just crazy, maybe smoke too much weed, and ok, the first time I may have been with you but when I saw that bank covered in ‘em like an alligator rescue in Florida, I knew this was real, and now that a girl lost her legs and might die, y'all should be with me, there are alligators in the cedar river and the sooner we all recognize that fact, the sooner we can figure out how to keep ourselves” then I, looking over at Jim, finished up saying “and our kids, safe”. Jim smiled and said “Well then, the hunt is on”.

My dad was getting his old boat ready. It was an 8 by 8 fishing boat with two large engines, step ladders, and a compartment underneath with bunk beds and a small bathroom. It had not been out for at least a decade, but it was a good quality boat and with some help from Shane Schnider, a boat mechanic who used to work with my dad, and now lives down the street. They were able to get it running surprisingly well in a surprisingly short amount of time, they were both very good at what they did. Every old and current boater was preparing for a hunt, though I was still the only one willing to accept what we were actually hunting. People came from all around the area. My friend Nick even joined in giving advice from his coast guard experience and bringing coffee and pastries from the Tully’s where he worked. That day everyone was out on the river, There were more boats than I had ever seen. All full of harpoons, fishing rods, and nets. 

In the evening Nick was walking with his little step sister Sam Grey. Sam was very obsessed with sea monsters, and really wanted to be on the hunt. Though she was only 8, a bit young. So Nick and her walked along the cedar trail bridge by the river, with a phone light and camera in hand, they climbed down a rocky slope off to the right of the bridge. Holding the phone light by her temple, she saw glowing yellow eyes just for a second and got very excited. She said “Nick, Nick, I saw the monster, take the phone and keep recording” as she handed the phone to Nick, and climbed faster down the rock slope. Boats were still on the river, I was a bit downstream to the right, on my dad's boat, with him and Shane. Another boat was up stream, to the left of the cedar trail bridge, full of three or four people. Nick Told Sam to be careful as she climbed down the slope faster. Sam responded “I know I know, keep recording” And at that moment, a scaly green monster jumped up being pushed on the tail by another, with almost eusocial efficiency, grabbed Sam by the head, falling back into the water where the other bit down on her legs, as they both turned in opposite directions ripping her four foot body in half. Nick stood there in shock, like me and all the other boaters. Noone had time to register exactly what had happened, but this time they all saw what I had seen. It was unmistakable. Two giant alligators in the cedar river, once again diluted with blood…