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Speaker 1: I grew up at the end of the time when

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kids actually played outside, and anytime I spent inside, I

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was a clue to National Geographic I love learning about

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wildlife and our planet. I wouldn't say I'm an expert.

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I have no degrees in these fields, but I was

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that kid on long car rides with a million facts.

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As I got older, my parents got into skiing and

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we took trips to Vermont with some close friends of

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theirs who had two boys. On one trip, we stayed

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in a cabin between two ski resorts. It was at

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the midway point down a mountain that was once a

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skiing location. It was beautiful up there, and the air

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was clean, and that was quiet, and needless to say,

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us boys were excited to explore the area on our own.

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Going to this cabin became a tradition every year. We

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always looked forward to a nice hike up the abandoned

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ski slope and from there deep into the woods and

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up onto a bluff. It was a fifty foot rock

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outcropping covered in pine trees, ice and snow. It was

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truly a magical spot. We named it Misty Mountain and

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it became a big point on our checklist. Every year

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when we were up there, we would hike and eat

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and hang out and maybe do a few things our

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parents wouldn't approve of, like drinking beer. We packed in

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and packed out, and we didn't destroy anything, but we

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would leave apple cores and some other small food items

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under this one tree each time we went. We repeated

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that every year, leaving our apple cores and minor food

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scraps at that spot under the tree. One time we

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got up to Misty Mountain and we noticed all the

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leftovers under the tree were gone. Satisfied we were doing

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a nice thing for some hungry wild animal, we left

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our apple cores by the tree again. At this time,

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bigfoot shows were popular, and I had gotten the idea

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that I wanted to try a bigfoot call from the

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top of that abandoned ski slope, since it was open

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and clear of trees. So I let out my calls

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and listened to an echo as it ran down the mountain.

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But the other boys grew tired of my sili attempts

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and we moved on and we left our apples as usual,

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and just before we left, I let out my best

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bigfoot call ever. We started back on our hike, and

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as we came to the open top of the ski slope,

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I got a strong sense of unease. But I knew

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I had probably just spooked myself, and as we got

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down the trail past the slope again, I began to relax.

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The next day, I was the only one who wanted

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to hike back up again. It was a beautiful day.

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I made my way up and I stopped a while

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for some trail mix while lounging on the steep slope.

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When I reached the top, I could see the apple

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cores were gone from beneath the tree, but that the

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bread crust had been moved around but not eating. I

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thought maybe the deer didn't like bread. Well, that wasn't

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anything strange, and as my thoughts went in the direction

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of bigfoot, I reminded myself that it was just a

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scary story in something that happens at night. But then

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the feeling came over me again, the one that makes

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your whole body tingling gold cold. It was chilly outside,

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but this was different. It was the cool shiver of fear.

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As I tried to brush the feeling off, I became

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hyper aware of how far I was from anyone, and

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how alone I was. I decided I had spent enough

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time up there and that I would head back. I

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left my whole apple as an offering because I figured

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I could potentially use some good luck. A bigfoot were

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watching me, maybe i'd let it know that I had

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left something, so for whatever reason, I got a good

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bigfoot whoop and I started on my way down. In hindsight,

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that was a stupid idea. When I got to the

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top of the ski slope to make my way down again,

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I felt that creepy feeling. This time though it was

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more intense, so I picked up my pace, and as

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soon as I broke the tree line, I felt another

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sensation wash over me, one of sheer panic. I was

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nearly at a full sprint in my own snow shoes

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going down a snow and dirt path when I hit

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the road and popped them off and booked it to

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the house. And when I got inside, I felt silly again,

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like when you run up on a basement steps as

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a kid because you're scared of the dark. By this time, though,

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I was twenty one, so I got myself a beer

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and I put the weird feelings out of my mind

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and enjoyed the rest of my day. I stepped outside

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after my parents had gone to bed and had myself

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a smoke break. It was a clear night, with a

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full moon acting like a big spotlight over the whole wilderness.

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As I smoked a cigarette, that creepy feeling came back

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over me again, and out of the corner of my

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eye I saw movement. It was a massive shadow, moving

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swiftly and silently through the trees. I lost sight of

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whatever it was, and then I went back inside and

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locked the door. Could have been a bear a moves

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or it could have been a bigfoot. I wasn't looking

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to find out. Like many cabins, the one we stayed

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in was mainly wood and glass, and you could see

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three hundred and sixty degrees from any level in that house.

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As beautiful as that sounds, it doesn't offer much privacy.

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And the whole night I felt the sensation of being watched.

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I didn't hear anything, and I can't say that I

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even saw anything, really, But when I woke up in

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the morning and stay out to have a smoke, and

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the exact spot that I had been standing the night

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before was a neat pile of smooth rocks neatly grouped together.

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I picked one up and I showed it to the

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other guys, and I thought maybe they had collected them.

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They asked if I had brought them back from Misty Mountain.

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That wasn't the answer I was expecting and not wanting

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to tell them what I had seen the night before.

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I smiled and I said, yeah, yeah, I brought them back.

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Since then, I have come to believe Bigfoot gifted me

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those rocks. I'm sure apples are a rare treat during winter,

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and I still have one of those rocks. I've heard

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in the stories that in fact, Bigfoot are not fond

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of bread, and that stones, along with sticks and dead animals,

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are sometimes left as gifts. It creeps me out to

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think that I was probably followed back to the cabin

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and observed the whole night. I suspect I got lucky.

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Vice to any Bigfoot fans out there is to leave

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well enough alone. Who knows what my yelling meant and

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Bigfoot language. A smile to a chimp is a threat,

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but to a human it's a greeting. Gifting is maybe

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the safest way to communicate with these creatures. I've always

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had great respect for nature and these things if they're

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out there are no exceptions to me. I haven't been

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back since. Unfortunately, that's life. I suppose. I haven't told

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anyone about this. There's really not much to tell except

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my creepy feelings. Thank you for this platform. It's good

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to get the story off my chest to what I

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know will be a receptive audience. It's hard to find

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these days to all those skeptics. How many fishermen were

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laughed at for giant squid stories until everyone had a

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nice piece of humble pie. I'm no expert nor a

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seasoned out doorsman, but I know what I felt and

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I know what I saw. Be careful out there, people,

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and always trust your gut. Okay, I'm trying to find

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out that. I'm trying to remember back did this monster

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jump out in front of this guy? It was kind

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of vague in the story, and there at the end

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he just says he just had feelings. So I don't know.

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I'm not sure what happened to this story. I'm going

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to assume he saw it, and that is pretty scary.

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But if he didn't see it, maybe feelings are enough

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to confirm a bigfoot encounter. Maybe they're not. I don't know,

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but it was a pretty good story and I appreciate

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the writer. Thank you. Hey, y'all, Welcome to the podcast.

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It's been I think it's been almost thirty days since

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I uploaded a new podcast. I want to apologize for that,

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but I've just been busy. I've been loaded up with work.

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I still have a lot of work, but it's slowing.

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The pressure's off, and the crisis on the schedule is

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seems to be a little bit over, so I can

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drop back and do some podcasts. But since I've been

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gone so long, I've got four stories from listeners. All

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four of them are fantastic. And then at the end,

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I've got an hour and a half long fiction action

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fiction story that I think you guys might like because

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I've missed a couple of fiction Fridays. So I almost

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shutting my mouth. We're gonna get into it all right,

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here we go. Okay. This is a story about the

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little people, many people, maybe even gnomes. The story is

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set in the United Kingdom in nineteen ninety five in Devon,

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United Kingdom. My friend lived in an old quarry right

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on the edge of our small town where the countryside begins.

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He had a caravan at the time, and it was

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sort of an open house with people coming and going.

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He had a big fire pit and we used to

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sit around as you do, drinking coffee and shooting the breeze.

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It was a nice place in the summer because the

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steep back quarry faced north. With all the tall trees

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growing on the slopes and around the edges, it was

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shaded and cool. Winter there was pretty bleak though, and

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it became dark, wet and cold, with heartily any direct sunlight.

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But he did make the perfect environment for ferns to grow.

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Large bunches of ferns were clumped about from the flat

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floor at the back of the quarry and up the

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steep slopes around the curved walls. Late one afternoon, there

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was a small gathering of people there. Six of us

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were crammed into his new caravan, which had a large

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window on one end where the bench seats were. We

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were enjoying the time when someone in the group pointed outside,

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and within seconds each of us was staring out the

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window in disbelief. Only ten feet from the window of

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the caravan were little people standing around the ferns. At

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first there were just a couple, but then more came out.

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They didn't have wings like and they didn't look particularly magical.

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They were just fully clothed miniature people going about their business.

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Are you seeing what I'm seeing? Asked the others, who

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had their mouths open and awe like me. Some of

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them murmured yes, and the others barely managed a week nod.

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Those little people couldn't have been any more than six

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inches tall, and their clothes looked old fashioned. There were

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more than ten of them. I saw a tiny woman

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wearing a long rustic skirt and a fitted button shirt

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collecting sticks from the floor into bundles, and an older

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man with a gray beard jumped up to a sitting

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position on a piece of wood and started happily kicking

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his short, brown booted feet. We all watched him rummage

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in his leather waistcoat pockets, and he retrieved a pipe

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with a long stem and spent a while packing it

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with what looked like little pieces of tobacco. He rummaged

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in his pockets again and sparked up an ember out

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of something, and as he puffed away to get his

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pipe going, we saw his face in more detail as

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it glowed in the light of the burning pipe bowl.

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The rest of the little people were either milling about

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in the open or going to and fro between the

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ferns and the open area by the caravan, seemingly busy

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with chores, picking up stuff from the ground and talking

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with each other. The woman with a long skirt went

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over to the old man with the pipe and conversed

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with him for a while, and then after about a

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half an hour, they all walked back into the ferns.

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They were gone. The six of us in the caravan

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were speechless. One of the group members got agitated and

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accused us of drugging her tea. I had an easier

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time accepting it, and I was grateful to have an

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experience such as an amazing thing as this. My friend

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who owned the caravan hadmitted that he had seen them before,

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but didn't tell anyone because he was afraid no one

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would believe him. I recently caught up with a friend

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who thought she had been drugged and asked her if

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she remembered those little people. Her eyes widened and she

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gasped yes. All these years later, she still couldn't wrap

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her head around it. Okay, y'all, I love this story.

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It reminds me of the did you guys ever see

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the movie Willow? Val Kilmer was in it. It was

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a great movie. My kids loved it. I loved it.

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We watched it a hundred times. We had the VHS

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tape and we watched Willow over and over and over.

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If you have kids that are young, it's a good

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movie for kids to see. And it's full of it's

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got little people in it of all varying sizes, and

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it's a fantasy story. But it's a really, really well

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made movie. This story was just a kind of like Willow.

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So that's all I can say. You know, I don't

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usually I usually have a lot to say, but I

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don't say anything, So I'm gonna quit talking about this.

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But I love this story. Thanks to the writer. He's

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a good writer, and I appreciating sending me this story. Thanks. Okay,

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here's a short story about a desert creature. I don't

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I'm reading this cold. I don't know what it's about,

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but that's the title. Let's see what kind of creepiness

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we can get into on this one. I grew up

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near the small town of Oracle, Arizona, in nineteen eighty.

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I was working for one of the local copper mines.

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One night, I got off work at eleven PM and

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drove the hour long drive back to Oracle and arrived

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at a local bar. I only had an hour before

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closing and was trying to find someone who wanted to

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go four wheeling that night. I talked to a friend

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into going out with me. It was a beautiful full moon,

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it was a warm summer night. After I had gone

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about a mile out of town, I tried to go

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through a really bad spot in the road and I

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got stuck. I had high centered both axles on the

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ridge between the two ditches of the road. We got

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out of the truck, got out the jack to lift

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the axles off the ground, and I started shoveling dirt

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and rocks under the tires. After about an hour of shoveling,

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I thought I would take a break have a beer.

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We were sitting in the back of the truck when

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we heard something come crashing through the brush. It was

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about one hundred yards out and it only got louder

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and got closer, and I couldn't imagine what this could be.

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Sounded like a bull hurtling towards us, and as it

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got closer, I grabbed my pistol. I stood up in

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the back of the truck to get a better few,

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and I saw it come crashing out of the brush

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forty feet behind us. But as thick as the brush

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was pushed and shoved out of the way, as this

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thing hit the road, there was no thing at all.

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We could see the brush moving as it came toward us,

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and we could see it moving as it went away,

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but we saw nothing when it crossed the road. My

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friend and I were freaked the hell out, and we

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jumped in the truck and we blasted off the jack

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and flew out of there. I had to go back

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the next day to get my jack and shovel, and

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when I got there, I could see where the brush

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had been smashed and broken by whatever had torn through it.

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I've never heard or seen anything like it again, and

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to this day I have no idea what it could

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have been. Oh cool, an invisible monster crashing through the air,

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through the through the Arizona brush out in the desert.

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I guess it's a desert. I Oh no, not all

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of Arizona's a desert. However, I've got I remember doing

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00:16:45,279 --> 00:16:49,440
a story like this several years ago, and this I

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00:16:49,480 --> 00:16:52,200
had forgotten about it, but this kind of jogged my memory.

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I doubt I could ever find that story again. I've

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00:16:55,240 --> 00:16:59,879
done so many but this, I have this. I've heard

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00:17:00,159 --> 00:17:04,039
this before, invisible things coming through the brush, and I

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swear I think the story was in Arizona. Anyway, this

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was really cool. I don't think they had too many beers.

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I think they were just enjoying a few drinks and

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going out four wheeling in their truck. It's a pretty

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00:17:16,400 --> 00:17:19,920
cool story. Be a scary story if it happened to me.

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I guarantee you that, thanks to the writer. It was

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00:17:25,319 --> 00:17:29,160
early October in Mississippi, and my family decided they wanted

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to do something special for me from my nineteenth birthday.

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One evening, my mom called us all into the living

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room and told us that she had booked a cabin

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00:17:38,240 --> 00:17:43,240
in Arkansas. Now, this particular cabin was located in the Ozarks,

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which was exciting because I love nature and the outdoors,

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00:17:47,160 --> 00:17:50,759
at least I thought I did. My dad is a

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00:17:50,799 --> 00:17:54,799
software engineer, but still likes activities like camping and fishing

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00:17:54,799 --> 00:17:58,759
and bonfires. My little sister, who was eleven at the time,

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loved the idea of God going to Arkansas just as

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much as the rest of us, and that brings us

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to the glue of our family. Our pet Yorky, He's

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a feisty, vocal, intelligent little thing. He hates this one

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00:18:13,279 --> 00:18:16,799
commercial on TV and whenever it comes on, he'll run

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00:18:16,839 --> 00:18:21,119
around the living room barking and jumping around. Our family

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00:18:21,119 --> 00:18:24,359
of five embarked on this journey to Arkansas with permission

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from the homeowner to arrive that evening so we could

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enjoy all four days that we had off. We took

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a four wheeler with us on an open face trailer,

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00:18:33,839 --> 00:18:38,440
and we were dragging it behind our twenty twelve Chevy Tahoe.

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The four wheeler was a standard and big enough for

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00:18:41,640 --> 00:18:44,240
two to ride at a time. There were plenty of

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trails around the cabin that we could ride up and down,

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and we all look forward to using it. Winding our

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way through the steep hills and rock ledges, we finally

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arrived at the property and we entered through the gate

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and traveled down a twisting, turning dirt road until we

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entered a clearing and spotted the cabin by that time,

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00:19:03,519 --> 00:19:05,440
it was kind of late, and we were happy to

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stretch our legs. When my mom turned the car off,

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everything around us went pitch black. You haven't experienced true

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00:19:13,799 --> 00:19:16,400
darkness until you spend the night deep in the mountains,

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covered by hills and trees. It was so dark that

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00:19:19,839 --> 00:19:24,759
our flashlight could barely penetrate the night well. We unloaded

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00:19:24,799 --> 00:19:27,440
all our belongings and placed them on the front door

334
00:19:27,559 --> 00:19:31,759
as we input the cabin's code. I remember thinking how

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00:19:31,839 --> 00:19:35,960
quiet everything around us was. There were no crickets, bugs,

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00:19:36,039 --> 00:19:39,200
or mosquitos, or any sign of life at all. It

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00:19:39,240 --> 00:19:42,799
was pure darkness and pure silence, almost like a group

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00:19:42,880 --> 00:19:46,119
of uninvited guests had just arrived at a party and

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everyone was staring at them, wondering why they were there.

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I also had this strange feeling that we were being

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watched by something in the darkness, and I told myself

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it was nothing, that my mind was running wild and

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00:20:00,160 --> 00:20:03,680
causing unnecessary fear, that there was nothing out there in

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00:20:03,720 --> 00:20:07,079
the darkness, and that we were safe and sound. I

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00:20:07,279 --> 00:20:10,480
was wrong. Little did we know that the first night

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00:20:10,680 --> 00:20:13,759
was the quietest out of all the nights we stayed there.

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00:20:15,119 --> 00:20:18,240
We got inside and were greeted with a welcome basket

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00:20:18,279 --> 00:20:21,480
placed on the kitchen table with marshmallows and chocolates and

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Graham crackers along with roasting utensils. It looked tempting, but

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00:20:26,720 --> 00:20:29,039
we couldn't wait to get in bed and get ready

351
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for our first big day. My sister and I stayed

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00:20:32,759 --> 00:20:35,240
in the game room, which was the garage with a

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00:20:35,279 --> 00:20:38,960
few beds and a pool table and an xbox. I

354
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got the queen's size bed, while my sister stayed on

355
00:20:42,079 --> 00:20:45,559
a bunk bed. It took us hardly any time to

356
00:20:45,599 --> 00:20:48,960
turn in that first night, and the following morning, I

357
00:20:49,039 --> 00:20:51,519
was woken up by my sister pushing and shoving me

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00:20:51,599 --> 00:20:54,440
to wake up, Wake up, wake up. You've got to

359
00:20:54,440 --> 00:20:58,359
see this, she said. I couldn't tell if there was

360
00:20:58,480 --> 00:21:01,440
excitement or fear in her voice, but I ran to

361
00:21:01,480 --> 00:21:05,359
see what the matter was. Outside the kitchen was a covered,

362
00:21:05,440 --> 00:21:08,240
screened in porch, and I found my mother there with

363
00:21:08,319 --> 00:21:11,799
a strange look on her face. I glanced out the

364
00:21:11,839 --> 00:21:14,920
window and was greeted with a beautiful sight of autumn

365
00:21:14,960 --> 00:21:19,279
colored leaves resting on the trees. In the distance. We

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were surrounded by a sea of rolling hills that stretched

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for as far as the eye could see. It was

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00:21:25,279 --> 00:21:29,880
a spectacular sight. Well, what's the matter, I asked my mom,

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00:21:30,200 --> 00:21:34,240
This is actually beautiful. Your sister and I found something

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00:21:34,279 --> 00:21:39,160
strange outside, she said. My curiosity was peaked. It couldn't

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be anything too bad, right, My sister showed me out

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the door and escorted me to the left side of

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our cabin, where I was greeted by an old tombstone

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00:21:48,160 --> 00:21:51,720
position on a small hill fifty feet away from the cabin.

375
00:21:52,839 --> 00:21:56,039
There were two cowskulls resting on either side of it,

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one on the left and one on the right. It

377
00:21:58,759 --> 00:22:02,279
was a tombstone a little girl from the eighteen hundreds

378
00:22:02,319 --> 00:22:04,839
who drowned in the river, just a couple of hundred

379
00:22:04,920 --> 00:22:09,319
yards behind the cabin. That alone wasn't the strangest part.

380
00:22:09,880 --> 00:22:12,960
The strangest part was when we realized that the death

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00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:16,400
occurred on the same date we arrived at the cabin,

382
00:22:16,880 --> 00:22:22,039
October thirteen, Just like in the old horror movies. It

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00:22:22,079 --> 00:22:24,519
was a clear omen of bad things to come, and

384
00:22:24,559 --> 00:22:28,240
we ignored it. On our phones, we looked up whether

385
00:22:28,400 --> 00:22:31,519
this actually happened or not, and found an article on

386
00:22:31,599 --> 00:22:36,200
the events that took place. They were unseddenly Apparently the

387
00:22:36,240 --> 00:22:39,799
girl was separated from her family somehow and was later

388
00:22:39,839 --> 00:22:45,119
found in the river. Upon discovering this unsettling piece of history,

389
00:22:45,200 --> 00:22:47,279
we decided it may be a good time for us

390
00:22:47,319 --> 00:22:50,039
to get the four wheeler out and do some riding around,

391
00:22:50,119 --> 00:22:52,400
just to scope out the area and get our minds

392
00:22:52,440 --> 00:22:56,400
onto something else. While my dad and I drank our coffee,

393
00:22:56,559 --> 00:22:59,440
my mother and sister rode up the trail behind the cabin.

394
00:23:00,480 --> 00:23:03,079
The trail was a steep hill that led to an

395
00:23:03,160 --> 00:23:06,640
over white area with picnic tables and chairs that overlooked

396
00:23:06,640 --> 00:23:09,079
a river, and on the other side of the river

397
00:23:09,160 --> 00:23:11,759
there was nothing but dense forest as far as the

398
00:23:11,799 --> 00:23:16,079
eye could see. We were truly in a secluded area.

399
00:23:16,839 --> 00:23:19,519
And thirty minutes later, my mom and sister came riding

400
00:23:19,559 --> 00:23:22,680
down the mountain and seemed much happier. There's a big

401
00:23:22,799 --> 00:23:26,160
river over this hill that stretches for miles. My mom said,

402
00:23:26,640 --> 00:23:29,240
your sister wants to go back and look again. You

403
00:23:29,279 --> 00:23:32,720
want to take her, she asked, sure, I will, I said,

404
00:23:34,079 --> 00:23:36,519
I took my binoculars and rode the four wheeler back

405
00:23:36,599 --> 00:23:38,480
up the trail to the top of the steep hill

406
00:23:38,519 --> 00:23:41,720
where the picnic grounds were. I looked over the side

407
00:23:41,759 --> 00:23:43,559
of the hill and I could see the big river

408
00:23:43,680 --> 00:23:46,960
that stretched all the way through the terrain. It was

409
00:23:47,000 --> 00:23:50,920
a massive and endless body of water. And then I

410
00:23:51,039 --> 00:23:55,599
noticed another path. I went straight. There was a small

411
00:23:55,599 --> 00:23:57,799
opening in the woods, just big enough of the four

412
00:23:57,839 --> 00:24:01,680
wheeler to fit through, and I went down this trail

413
00:24:01,839 --> 00:24:04,599
and eventually it leveled off and we were left in

414
00:24:04,640 --> 00:24:07,240
an area that gave us an even better view of

415
00:24:07,279 --> 00:24:10,440
the river. As I brought the foreheather to a stop,

416
00:24:10,480 --> 00:24:13,720
I noticed something in the dirt that sparked my interests.

417
00:24:14,480 --> 00:24:16,519
On the edge of the hill there was a flattened

418
00:24:16,519 --> 00:24:20,160
out area of dirt that was disturbed. I was able

419
00:24:20,200 --> 00:24:24,119
to make out three solid, distinct bear footprints that appeared

420
00:24:24,119 --> 00:24:27,839
to be heading down the water's edge by the river. Now,

421
00:24:27,880 --> 00:24:30,839
at first I thought there must be some campers walking

422
00:24:30,880 --> 00:24:35,119
around barefooted. Not a big deal to me, although I

423
00:24:35,119 --> 00:24:37,279
thought it was odd that when I was walking in

424
00:24:37,359 --> 00:24:40,119
the same dirt, my impressions did not go as deep

425
00:24:40,160 --> 00:24:44,079
as the bare footprints did. Well. We got back on

426
00:24:44,119 --> 00:24:45,839
the foe with her and I looked out over the

427
00:24:45,920 --> 00:24:48,559
river and we could see the forest on the other side.

428
00:24:48,640 --> 00:24:51,599
In the bank where the water met the land, and

429
00:24:51,640 --> 00:24:54,720
as we were looking, a figure in the distance caught

430
00:24:54,759 --> 00:24:57,720
my eye. It appeared to be on the bank, just

431
00:24:57,839 --> 00:25:04,960
resting field glasses out looked down in its direction. First

432
00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:06,880
I thought it was a black bear because it was

433
00:25:06,960 --> 00:25:10,079
down and low close to the water, until it stood

434
00:25:10,160 --> 00:25:13,559
up on two legs and looked right at us. I

435
00:25:13,559 --> 00:25:15,839
thought it might have been one of the barefoot campers,

436
00:25:15,920 --> 00:25:19,440
except that he was covered in this dark blackish color

437
00:25:19,559 --> 00:25:22,799
from head to toe. As it looked at me and

438
00:25:22,880 --> 00:25:25,759
I looked at it, I got the most uneasy feeling.

439
00:25:26,400 --> 00:25:28,640
And then the figure turned and walked behind the cover

440
00:25:28,839 --> 00:25:31,480
of the leaves, and I lost sight of it behind

441
00:25:31,480 --> 00:25:34,039
the tree line. And when we got back to the cabin,

442
00:25:34,119 --> 00:25:36,880
I asked my mother to ask our hostess if there

443
00:25:36,880 --> 00:25:39,799
were any campers in the area. Well, why do you

444
00:25:39,839 --> 00:25:43,160
want to know, she asked, Well, I told her about

445
00:25:43,160 --> 00:25:45,839
the tracks and the person that we saw across the river,

446
00:25:46,319 --> 00:25:49,079
and it got the interest of both my parents, who

447
00:25:49,119 --> 00:25:50,880
wanted to go up to the top of the hill

448
00:25:50,920 --> 00:25:54,400
and investigate it. They took the four wheeler back up

449
00:25:54,440 --> 00:25:56,319
the hill, and when they got back, they had a

450
00:25:56,359 --> 00:25:59,759
serious look on their face. As soon as they pulled

451
00:25:59,759 --> 00:26:02,400
the four wheeler up beside the cabin. My mom got

452
00:26:02,440 --> 00:26:04,839
off and she said she had to get a hold

453
00:26:04,880 --> 00:26:09,119
of the hostess. Apparently the tracks freaked both of them out.

454
00:26:09,440 --> 00:26:12,160
Those tracks are way bigger than your dad's tracks, my

455
00:26:12,240 --> 00:26:15,599
mom said, Well, my dad is six foot three and

456
00:26:15,599 --> 00:26:19,359
he wears a size thirteen. I knew these footprints must

457
00:26:19,359 --> 00:26:22,960
have been larger than his because they were noticeably larger

458
00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:27,000
than mine, and I wear a size twelve. Mom sent

459
00:26:27,039 --> 00:26:30,200
a text to our hostess and inquired about any campers

460
00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:34,559
in the area. Her response was chilling. Not only were

461
00:26:34,599 --> 00:26:37,839
there no other campers in the area that she knew about,

462
00:26:38,279 --> 00:26:40,519
but we were the first family who wanted to stay

463
00:26:40,519 --> 00:26:44,559
in the cabin for months. As for the land across

464
00:26:44,559 --> 00:26:47,200
the river, it was a nature reserve and no one

465
00:26:47,279 --> 00:26:51,839
was allowed into that stretch of land. Now I felt uneasy.

466
00:26:52,319 --> 00:26:54,920
I knew there was a person or something else across

467
00:26:54,960 --> 00:26:58,000
the river on that bank. There were tracks in the

468
00:26:58,039 --> 00:27:01,680
dirt right beside the trail where we were on. With

469
00:27:01,799 --> 00:27:03,720
the rain that had hit the area a couple of

470
00:27:03,720 --> 00:27:06,759
weeks before we got there, these prints should have been

471
00:27:06,920 --> 00:27:09,720
washed away if they had been made by the previous

472
00:27:10,079 --> 00:27:13,680
residents of the cabin. We would soon find out that

473
00:27:13,799 --> 00:27:16,880
it wasn't the residence of that cabin we needed to

474
00:27:16,960 --> 00:27:21,000
worry about, but the residence of the forest. My family

475
00:27:21,039 --> 00:27:25,759
and I just became next door neighbors. That evening, we

476
00:27:25,839 --> 00:27:28,680
decided to make good use of the s'mores kit that

477
00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:31,599
was left for us. We grabbed a basket and went

478
00:27:31,599 --> 00:27:33,640
out the front door and over to the fire pit

479
00:27:33,799 --> 00:27:35,920
right in front of the cabin while it was still

480
00:27:36,039 --> 00:27:39,799
daylight outside. I don't think any of us wanted to

481
00:27:39,839 --> 00:27:44,160
be outside after dark after everything we discovered that first day.

482
00:27:44,559 --> 00:27:47,079
So we sat and we talked, and we made somemores,

483
00:27:47,559 --> 00:27:50,799
all the while listening to the wilderness. A few birds

484
00:27:50,839 --> 00:27:53,359
would chirp here and there and fly overhead every now

485
00:27:53,359 --> 00:27:56,559
and then. And we finished up as the sun was setting,

486
00:27:56,599 --> 00:28:00,079
and we put the fire out and we went back inside.

487
00:28:00,599 --> 00:28:04,119
My mom called DIBs on getting the first shower, and

488
00:28:04,160 --> 00:28:06,400
the rest of us decided to go in the movie

489
00:28:06,519 --> 00:28:09,119
room and watch TV until it was someone else's turn

490
00:28:09,160 --> 00:28:12,960
to use the bathroom. As we were sitting and watching

491
00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:16,000
the TV, we heard a loud pop from somewhere, and

492
00:28:16,039 --> 00:28:18,880
we thought my mom maybe dropped the shampoo bottle in

493
00:28:18,920 --> 00:28:22,319
the shower, but then it happened again twice in a row,

494
00:28:22,559 --> 00:28:26,839
pop pop, one right after another. Our dog came running

495
00:28:26,880 --> 00:28:29,720
into the movie room, curled up beside me and hunkered

496
00:28:29,799 --> 00:28:33,720
down like it was afraid and warning protection. For four

497
00:28:33,799 --> 00:28:36,519
or five minutes, we listened to the popping until we

498
00:28:36,599 --> 00:28:39,519
realized it was the sound of something being thrown onto

499
00:28:39,599 --> 00:28:43,480
the roof. Is it raining? My dad asked, hang on,

500
00:28:43,640 --> 00:28:46,799
let me go see, I said. As the popping continued,

501
00:28:48,079 --> 00:28:49,880
I looked out the window of the front porch and

502
00:28:49,920 --> 00:28:52,200
I couldn't see any rain or hint of any weather.

503
00:28:52,720 --> 00:28:54,599
And when I got back into the movie room, the

504
00:28:54,680 --> 00:28:58,599
sounds came to an abrupt stop and everything went dead silent.

505
00:29:00,039 --> 00:29:02,319
When my mother got out of the shower, she asked

506
00:29:02,400 --> 00:29:05,160
us what all the popping racket was, and we told

507
00:29:05,160 --> 00:29:08,160
her we didn't know, and then went on watching TV

508
00:29:08,240 --> 00:29:12,319
a little longer before going to bed. The next morning,

509
00:29:12,440 --> 00:29:14,680
I made a nice cup of coffee and enjoyed it

510
00:29:14,720 --> 00:29:16,880
at the movie room while I waited for the rest

511
00:29:16,920 --> 00:29:19,680
of the family to get ready. And once we were

512
00:29:19,720 --> 00:29:22,240
all dressed, we stepped outside and had to look around

513
00:29:22,240 --> 00:29:24,440
the cabin to see if we could see anything out

514
00:29:24,440 --> 00:29:27,880
of the ordinary. We didn't have to look too far

515
00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:31,359
before we saw what was causing all the commotion last night.

516
00:29:32,319 --> 00:29:36,319
All over the ground were baseball sized rocks scattered through

517
00:29:36,359 --> 00:29:39,680
the grass around the cabin that came from the top

518
00:29:39,759 --> 00:29:42,599
of the hill where the picnic area was, which overlooked

519
00:29:42,599 --> 00:29:45,680
the river. I knew that because I remember seeing them

520
00:29:45,759 --> 00:29:49,400
up there. As we walked around the other side of

521
00:29:49,440 --> 00:29:52,599
the cabin, we saw that the two cowskulls sitting on

522
00:29:52,720 --> 00:29:57,079
either side of the tombstone were gone. I walked closer

523
00:29:57,079 --> 00:30:00,440
to the tombstone when I saw something by my feet dirt,

524
00:30:01,279 --> 00:30:03,680
the same tracks that I had seen at the top

525
00:30:03,720 --> 00:30:06,400
of the hill. We're now beside our cabin and the

526
00:30:06,400 --> 00:30:10,720
tombstone leading into the woods. Someone was outside our cabin

527
00:30:10,839 --> 00:30:15,359
last night. I said. This was concerning, to say the least,

528
00:30:15,599 --> 00:30:18,799
and we were all starting to get worried. My dad

529
00:30:18,799 --> 00:30:21,079
told all of us that we needed to stay together

530
00:30:21,400 --> 00:30:24,440
and we got on with our day. We rode the

531
00:30:24,480 --> 00:30:27,440
trails again and explored some more, but this time we

532
00:30:27,559 --> 00:30:30,160
decided to drive down the road to the river to

533
00:30:30,200 --> 00:30:33,920
see it up close. It was a beautiful sight to see,

534
00:30:34,079 --> 00:30:36,400
and we saw fish jumping in the stream and we

535
00:30:36,440 --> 00:30:39,400
watched a herd of deer make their way through the woods.

536
00:30:40,359 --> 00:30:42,720
We had some fishing poles with us and we decided

537
00:30:42,759 --> 00:30:46,720
to catch some fish, but didn't have any luck. When

538
00:30:46,799 --> 00:30:48,880
we got back to the cabin, we made a dinner

539
00:30:48,920 --> 00:30:51,880
of hot dogs over the campfire and some more some moors.

540
00:30:52,759 --> 00:30:55,440
After the fire was put out and we were back inside,

541
00:30:55,480 --> 00:30:58,759
my sister talked us into having a foosball tournament in

542
00:30:58,799 --> 00:31:02,880
the game room while we TV. Well. We were having

543
00:31:02,920 --> 00:31:05,359
a great time and it was my sister and I

544
00:31:05,519 --> 00:31:09,039
versus my parents. We were playing for about thirty minutes

545
00:31:09,119 --> 00:31:13,319
until something weird happened. We heard the front door open.

546
00:31:13,759 --> 00:31:17,000
We all froze and looked at each other. My dad

547
00:31:17,039 --> 00:31:19,960
grabbed the remote and mated the TV and we crept

548
00:31:19,960 --> 00:31:22,799
around the corner to see what had happened. But when

549
00:31:22,799 --> 00:31:24,680
we got to the door, there was nothing out of

550
00:31:24,680 --> 00:31:29,039
the ordinary. I was the last one inside after our campfire,

551
00:31:29,039 --> 00:31:31,839
and I guess I forgot to lock it. My dad

552
00:31:31,880 --> 00:31:34,359
closed it and locked it right, and then told us

553
00:31:34,400 --> 00:31:36,559
to go through the cabin to do the same thing

554
00:31:36,640 --> 00:31:39,759
with the rest of the doors. We searched the cabin,

555
00:31:40,079 --> 00:31:42,960
locked all the exterior doors that we could find, and

556
00:31:43,000 --> 00:31:46,240
decided it was time for bed. Tomorrow was going to

557
00:31:46,279 --> 00:31:48,720
be our last full day and we wanted to get

558
00:31:48,720 --> 00:31:51,519
some good rest. But in the middle of the night,

559
00:31:51,720 --> 00:31:54,839
I was woken up by something. I didn't know what

560
00:31:54,920 --> 00:31:57,559
it was. At first. It was dark in the room,

561
00:31:57,640 --> 00:31:59,680
but I could see a little bit thanks to the

562
00:31:59,720 --> 00:32:03,319
alarm arm clock beside my bed. Off in the distance,

563
00:32:03,359 --> 00:32:06,640
I heard a loud whistling noise. It almost sounded like

564
00:32:06,680 --> 00:32:09,960
a freight train. It happened two or three times before

565
00:32:10,000 --> 00:32:12,519
my parents came rushing into the room with our dogs

566
00:32:12,559 --> 00:32:16,200
shaking with fear, and just when our mom told us

567
00:32:16,240 --> 00:32:20,240
to stay put, the whistles started again, but this time though,

568
00:32:20,279 --> 00:32:23,920
they were coming from several different directions all around the cabin,

569
00:32:24,640 --> 00:32:29,039
and then we heard footsteps walking around outside. They started

570
00:32:29,039 --> 00:32:31,279
behind us, and then they worked their way to the

571
00:32:31,359 --> 00:32:33,480
right side of the cabin toward the door of the

572
00:32:33,519 --> 00:32:37,480
game room that led outside. My parents told us to

573
00:32:37,480 --> 00:32:39,960
stay put while they went to lock the dog up

574
00:32:40,000 --> 00:32:42,319
in the closet just outside the room so that he

575
00:32:42,359 --> 00:32:45,680
wouldn't get away from us. They were only gone for

576
00:32:45,759 --> 00:32:48,400
three minutes at the most, and I was trying to

577
00:32:48,440 --> 00:32:51,200
talk my sister to calm to her down because she

578
00:32:51,359 --> 00:32:54,920
was scared, and I couldn't blame her. Just as I

579
00:32:54,960 --> 00:32:58,559
started to console her, she slowly lowered herself down and

580
00:32:58,599 --> 00:33:01,759
pulled the blankets up over her face, and she pointed

581
00:33:01,759 --> 00:33:05,519
to the square window next to the door that let outside.

582
00:33:05,640 --> 00:33:09,400
I will never forget what I saw in the window

583
00:33:09,680 --> 00:33:12,000
that was six feet off the ground. I saw a

584
00:33:12,039 --> 00:33:16,240
giant face with bright red eyes gazing into the room,

585
00:33:16,640 --> 00:33:20,599
and its mouth was halfway open. Its breath fogged up

586
00:33:20,640 --> 00:33:24,799
the window as it watched patiently for movement inside. It

587
00:33:24,960 --> 00:33:29,039
watched and waited for nearly two minutes, and then it disappeared.

588
00:33:30,559 --> 00:33:34,039
We packed our belongings quickly, and we spent the rest

589
00:33:34,039 --> 00:33:37,880
of that night listening to whistles and rocks hit the

590
00:33:38,000 --> 00:33:42,400
house that were coming from every direction. We were ready

591
00:33:42,440 --> 00:33:45,680
to leave as soon as it was light outside. There

592
00:33:45,720 --> 00:33:48,319
was no way we were staying another day knowing these

593
00:33:48,400 --> 00:33:52,480
creatures were out there. When daybreak started to light up

594
00:33:52,519 --> 00:33:55,079
the property, my dad peeked out the window of the

595
00:33:55,119 --> 00:33:57,400
front door to see if we could see the car

596
00:33:57,599 --> 00:34:00,880
or anything else for that matter. We waited for a

597
00:34:00,880 --> 00:34:04,480
few minutes, and then my dad said, with a heavy whisper, Okay,

598
00:34:04,519 --> 00:34:08,719
I think we're good. He quietly cracked the door open,

599
00:34:08,800 --> 00:34:11,079
and when we looked down at the front porch, we

600
00:34:11,119 --> 00:34:15,559
saw a giant, muddy footprint. Actually, there were footprints everywhere.

601
00:34:16,320 --> 00:34:18,480
They were up against the front door and over by

602
00:34:18,559 --> 00:34:22,199
the fire pit, and rocks were scattered all over the place.

603
00:34:22,320 --> 00:34:25,199
A few had landed in the trailer with a four wheeler,

604
00:34:25,559 --> 00:34:28,880
and a few hit the roof of the car. Once

605
00:34:28,920 --> 00:34:31,960
we decided the coast was clear, we loaded our luggage

606
00:34:31,960 --> 00:34:34,559
in a hurry and hit the road. No one said

607
00:34:34,559 --> 00:34:37,079
a word for the first thirty minutes of the ride.

608
00:34:37,519 --> 00:34:40,280
I think everyone was so shocked at what happened that

609
00:34:40,320 --> 00:34:44,599
we needed some time to process it. Our dog finally

610
00:34:44,639 --> 00:34:47,360
calmed down, though, and when we got home again, we

611
00:34:47,440 --> 00:34:50,440
decided we wouldn't tell anyone what had happened, and we

612
00:34:50,519 --> 00:34:55,480
never did. This experience was frightening, yes, but I enjoyed

613
00:34:55,519 --> 00:34:58,199
telling it to you. There will be some people out

614
00:34:58,239 --> 00:35:00,360
there who will say the story is face and that

615
00:35:00,400 --> 00:35:03,760
there's no way this could be real, And to be honest,

616
00:35:04,039 --> 00:35:07,519
I don't blame them. If we didn't live through it,

617
00:35:07,639 --> 00:35:10,760
we wouldn't have believed it either. So to the doubters

618
00:35:10,760 --> 00:35:13,760
out there that say this could never have happened. Go

619
00:35:13,800 --> 00:35:15,960
on and find a cabin deep within the heart of

620
00:35:16,000 --> 00:35:20,159
the Ozarks. Spend a couple of nights out there. Maybe,

621
00:35:20,199 --> 00:35:23,360
just maybe you can encounter these creatures deep within the

622
00:35:23,400 --> 00:35:25,960
mountains and have a story of your own to tell.

623
00:35:26,679 --> 00:35:28,840
Just be sure to bring someone along with you to

624
00:35:28,920 --> 00:35:32,119
watch your back. Oh man, that was a cool story,

625
00:35:32,119 --> 00:35:36,719
as a very detailed story that culminated in a visual

626
00:35:36,840 --> 00:35:40,800
a sighting right outside the window that would scare the

627
00:35:40,840 --> 00:35:43,320
crap out of me if I was If I was

628
00:35:43,360 --> 00:35:45,920
those kids looking out that window, I don't think I'd

629
00:35:45,920 --> 00:35:48,719
ever be the same seeing a bigfoot looking in at me.

630
00:35:49,559 --> 00:35:52,599
Oh my gosh, what a great story. This was awesome.

631
00:35:53,320 --> 00:35:57,000
It's a family from Mississippi took a trip to the Ozarks,

632
00:35:57,119 --> 00:35:59,079
get away from the flat land, get up in the

633
00:35:59,119 --> 00:36:01,679
mountains and the all to look at the pretty leaves,

634
00:36:02,079 --> 00:36:06,039
and a bigfoot ruins their whole vacation. Damn bigfoots. They

635
00:36:06,679 --> 00:36:09,199
just can't leave us alone, can they. Thank you to

636
00:36:09,239 --> 00:36:11,599
the writer. I've had this a long time. I'm glad

637
00:36:11,639 --> 00:36:17,559
I finally got to it. Great story. Thanks Hawk two

638
00:36:17,639 --> 00:36:22,920
Niner by Richie Harris. There are too many monsters and

639
00:36:22,960 --> 00:36:28,079
not enough. He rose these Days, Part one, A rude Awakening.

640
00:36:29,519 --> 00:36:33,079
I regained consciousness in a combat field hospital to the

641
00:36:33,119 --> 00:36:36,480
sound of a nurse's voice talk to me, Captain Tate.

642
00:36:36,760 --> 00:36:41,119
I heard her say everything was blurry, including my memory.

643
00:36:41,679 --> 00:36:44,280
I closed my eyes and put my brain on replay.

644
00:36:45,480 --> 00:36:49,519
We had been tasked with locating and capturing Omar al Kezzini,

645
00:36:49,760 --> 00:36:53,320
an isis bomb maker, and we found him. He was

646
00:36:53,360 --> 00:36:55,559
holed up on the upper floor of a building with

647
00:36:55,679 --> 00:36:59,559
three hodgies on the ground floor acting as bodyguards. My

648
00:36:59,639 --> 00:37:02,840
team took them out and we followed Sergeant Tim Ross

649
00:37:02,920 --> 00:37:06,599
on point up the stairs. Contact he has a vest.

650
00:37:06,960 --> 00:37:11,280
Ross shouted. I switched into negotiator mode and began to

651
00:37:11,280 --> 00:37:14,639
inch toward him. He was a fat, little man with large,

652
00:37:14,639 --> 00:37:20,320
staring eyes. I recognized that look. Kazini was preparing himself

653
00:37:20,360 --> 00:37:25,199
to die. Aloah akbar. He began to repeat. I moved

654
00:37:25,239 --> 00:37:29,360
gradually closer and reminded him how the Koran addresses people

655
00:37:29,519 --> 00:37:34,199
of the book like me, Alua akbar. He continued to repeat,

656
00:37:35,000 --> 00:37:37,159
and then I watched the inner light in the back

657
00:37:37,199 --> 00:37:40,760
of his eyes. Go out, get down, I shouted at

658
00:37:40,840 --> 00:37:44,920
Ross as I launched myself at Kazini. He was standing

659
00:37:44,920 --> 00:37:47,599
in front of a window, and I executed a double

660
00:37:47,719 --> 00:37:50,960
kick in an attempt to knock him through it. The

661
00:37:51,000 --> 00:37:53,639
world slowed to a crawl around me. As his body

662
00:37:53,719 --> 00:37:57,480
started out the window, a clicking sound rang in my ears.

663
00:37:57,519 --> 00:38:00,480
I fell onto my right side, my feet still in

664
00:38:00,519 --> 00:38:04,360
the air. A bright light filled the room. He had

665
00:38:04,400 --> 00:38:08,559
detonated the vest. Fire licked at my legs as I

666
00:38:08,599 --> 00:38:11,960
watched my boots being shredded and felt the sickening crunch

667
00:38:12,000 --> 00:38:16,199
and tear of skin, muscles and tendons being mangled. Then

668
00:38:16,239 --> 00:38:18,719
a nurse was speaking to me, asking me to talk

669
00:38:18,760 --> 00:38:23,159
to her. I'm Captain Harrison Tate, the leader of Delta

670
00:38:23,199 --> 00:38:27,000
Force team tasked with capturing high value targets alive or dead.

671
00:38:27,559 --> 00:38:31,800
I go by Hawk to Niner. After Ranger School, I

672
00:38:31,880 --> 00:38:35,119
decided I would get a degree and apply to OCS.

673
00:38:35,760 --> 00:38:37,920
I was stationed at Fort Campbell at the time, and

674
00:38:38,000 --> 00:38:40,400
I managed to stay there long enough to finish my

675
00:38:40,480 --> 00:38:45,039
first year of college before being sent to Iraq. I

676
00:38:45,079 --> 00:38:47,440
came home. I was sent to Fort Benning, where my

677
00:38:47,519 --> 00:38:51,239
commander told me about an accelerated university program at the

678
00:38:51,280 --> 00:38:55,239
local college that was tailored for soldiers like me, and

679
00:38:55,280 --> 00:38:59,079
I jumped on the opportunity. A week later, I was

680
00:38:59,119 --> 00:39:02,079
sitting in class with my mindset on getting my degree

681
00:39:02,119 --> 00:39:05,679
and internal business, when an Asian kid sat down next

682
00:39:05,719 --> 00:39:10,599
to me, and he introduced himself as Tomahiro Suzuki. But

683
00:39:10,679 --> 00:39:13,599
you can call me Tommy, he added, with a friendly grin.

684
00:39:14,960 --> 00:39:19,079
We developed an immediate friendship. Tiger Tommy, as I came

685
00:39:19,119 --> 00:39:21,440
to know him, was sent to the US by his

686
00:39:21,480 --> 00:39:25,800
father to start a new motorcycle dealership. He was intrigued

687
00:39:25,840 --> 00:39:28,440
by the fact that I was a martial arts practitioner.

688
00:39:29,239 --> 00:39:32,199
I was fascinated by the samurai sword he owned and

689
00:39:32,280 --> 00:39:35,199
let me hold, and the mural on his living room

690
00:39:35,239 --> 00:39:39,920
wall that depicted samurai battles. I studied that mural every

691
00:39:40,000 --> 00:39:43,039
chance I got. It was a strange mix of beauty

692
00:39:43,119 --> 00:39:47,480
and brutality, the realities of war, and the fantasies of legend.

693
00:39:48,360 --> 00:39:52,000
In some of the images, the warriors were fighting strange creatures.

694
00:39:53,360 --> 00:39:56,440
My thoughts dissolved when the doctor approached my bed and

695
00:39:56,480 --> 00:39:59,119
brought me back to the present. He was looking at

696
00:39:59,119 --> 00:40:02,719
my chart with a expression on his face. Am I

697
00:40:02,760 --> 00:40:06,760
going to lose my legs? I asked, without preamble. He

698
00:40:06,800 --> 00:40:09,599
glanced up at me with an appraising look on his face.

699
00:40:10,239 --> 00:40:12,639
I knew what he was thinking. Should I give him

700
00:40:12,639 --> 00:40:15,239
the whole answer or should I hold back? And can

701
00:40:15,360 --> 00:40:18,440
he take it? It's too early to tell were the

702
00:40:18,519 --> 00:40:21,280
words he settled on. Right now, we need to get

703
00:40:21,280 --> 00:40:24,840
you into surgery. He hung my chart on the hook

704
00:40:24,840 --> 00:40:26,639
at the foot of my bed and walked over to

705
00:40:26,719 --> 00:40:30,119
the nurses station. I let my mind wander back to

706
00:40:30,199 --> 00:40:34,880
the past. My father was an alcoholic. He wasn't an

707
00:40:34,960 --> 00:40:38,320
abusive man or a mean drunk. He just lacked ambition.

708
00:40:39,000 --> 00:40:43,159
He was lazy. Mom never worked outside the home. Her

709
00:40:43,239 --> 00:40:46,440
job was to take care of me. We lived on

710
00:40:46,480 --> 00:40:49,639
the poor side of a poor community, in the shadows

711
00:40:49,719 --> 00:40:53,920
of the Smoky mountains on the Appalachian Trail. Everyone was

712
00:40:54,000 --> 00:40:57,639
poor in Hayesville. I was ten before I lived in

713
00:40:57,679 --> 00:41:01,920
a house withindoor plumbing. Vision was a premium. The only

714
00:41:02,039 --> 00:41:04,960
channels we got were the kind that ran constant reruns

715
00:41:05,039 --> 00:41:08,880
of shows like Kung Fu, or showed Bruce Lee movies

716
00:41:08,920 --> 00:41:13,920
interspersed with Billy Jack marathons. My bedroom wall was adorned

717
00:41:13,960 --> 00:41:18,559
with a Chuck Norris poster. I was obsessed with karate

718
00:41:18,880 --> 00:41:22,599
I spent hours practicing in my backyard we were too

719
00:41:22,679 --> 00:41:25,320
poor for lessons, but I studied every move and every

720
00:41:25,400 --> 00:41:28,800
movie or television show that I watched. I even mimicked

721
00:41:28,840 --> 00:41:33,239
them repeatedly for never having a lesson. I wasn't too bad.

722
00:41:34,519 --> 00:41:37,639
When I was thirteen, a karate instructor came to our

723
00:41:37,719 --> 00:41:41,760
school and gave a demonstration. When he asked for volunteers,

724
00:41:41,760 --> 00:41:44,599
my hand shot up so fast that the momentum nearly

725
00:41:44,639 --> 00:41:48,639
lifted me out of my seat. The instructor was impressed

726
00:41:48,679 --> 00:41:51,880
by how intently I listened and how quickly I learned.

727
00:41:52,519 --> 00:41:55,800
He invited me to come for a free lesson. I

728
00:41:55,880 --> 00:41:58,519
knew we could never afford that kind of luxury, but

729
00:41:58,639 --> 00:42:01,400
he cut me a deal of a life lifetime if

730
00:42:01,440 --> 00:42:04,440
I maintained good grades in school and worked for him

731
00:42:04,480 --> 00:42:08,440
at the dojo. He said he would teach me for free.

732
00:42:08,639 --> 00:42:11,480
When I woke up in the recovery room, Sergeant Ross

733
00:42:11,519 --> 00:42:15,039
was sitting next to my bed. Is everyone okay? Or

734
00:42:15,119 --> 00:42:19,400
the first words out of my mouth thanks to your acrobatics, yes,

735
00:42:19,559 --> 00:42:22,719
he assured me. He glanced down at his hands and

736
00:42:22,760 --> 00:42:25,400
did his best not to stare at my legs. I

737
00:42:25,440 --> 00:42:28,039
had an uneasy moment before I was able to look

738
00:42:28,079 --> 00:42:31,599
down at them myself, thinking I was only thirty four

739
00:42:31,719 --> 00:42:34,079
years old and this was how my career was going

740
00:42:34,119 --> 00:42:37,360
to end. I couldn't help the anger that welled up

741
00:42:37,400 --> 00:42:39,960
inside me. I had been at the tip of the

742
00:42:40,079 --> 00:42:43,239
spear in the war on terrorism since I was twenty

743
00:42:43,320 --> 00:42:47,519
years old. The number of hvts that my team had

744
00:42:47,559 --> 00:42:52,800
captured or killed was classified. I held top secret security clearances.

745
00:42:53,400 --> 00:42:57,159
Now what was I going to do? The doctor walked

746
00:42:57,159 --> 00:43:00,320
in and broke me away from those angry thoughts. He

747
00:43:00,400 --> 00:43:02,599
was smiling, and I took it as a good sign.

748
00:43:03,559 --> 00:43:06,760
We were able to repair most of the tendons. He said,

749
00:43:07,199 --> 00:43:10,320
it looks like you're going to keep your legs. Relief

750
00:43:10,360 --> 00:43:12,519
flooded through me, and it felt as though I had

751
00:43:12,559 --> 00:43:16,599
been holding my breath. Fresh cool air filled my lungs,

752
00:43:16,599 --> 00:43:19,639
and I smiled back at the doctor. We're sending you

753
00:43:19,679 --> 00:43:23,400
to Germany. You have more surgery and physical therapy there,

754
00:43:23,599 --> 00:43:27,760
the doctor said. Before he could say any more, Colonel

755
00:43:27,840 --> 00:43:30,599
Jones walked in and announced that the Army was going

756
00:43:30,639 --> 00:43:33,360
to take good care of me. Your days as an

757
00:43:33,360 --> 00:43:36,960
operator are probably over, he said, but all in all,

758
00:43:37,000 --> 00:43:39,800
things look pretty good for you. Some of the Grays

759
00:43:39,880 --> 00:43:44,079
slept back in. I was sixteen years old and getting

760
00:43:44,119 --> 00:43:46,719
ready to take my test for a black belt in

761
00:43:46,800 --> 00:43:50,920
both taekwondo and have keto on the same day. I

762
00:43:51,039 --> 00:43:54,840
was the first student ever to do that. Mister Tubbs,

763
00:43:54,920 --> 00:43:57,559
my instructor, said I was the best student he had

764
00:43:57,599 --> 00:44:01,039
ever had. I was fascinated by the stories he told

765
00:44:01,119 --> 00:44:03,920
me about the orient. I made up my mind that

766
00:44:04,000 --> 00:44:07,920
I would go there one day. Dad was working at

767
00:44:07,920 --> 00:44:10,679
the sawmill then, and on Fridays he and a friend

768
00:44:10,679 --> 00:44:12,960
would get off work and take their checks and go

769
00:44:13,119 --> 00:44:16,880
on a weekend long drunken spree. The day of my test,

770
00:44:17,039 --> 00:44:19,920
Mom was there, but Dad and that friend were recovering

771
00:44:19,960 --> 00:44:23,960
from one of those weekends. As always, they got off

772
00:44:24,000 --> 00:44:26,400
work and headed to the bar, and at some point

773
00:44:26,440 --> 00:44:28,360
they decided to head down to the creek and do

774
00:44:28,440 --> 00:44:32,199
some frog gigging. Both men were sloppy drunk by then,

775
00:44:32,400 --> 00:44:34,960
and they claimed they were having decent luck gigging when

776
00:44:35,000 --> 00:44:37,639
a booger with eyes like a snake came out of

777
00:44:37,679 --> 00:44:41,239
the swamps and attacked them. They went and got the sheriff,

778
00:44:41,559 --> 00:44:44,440
who took one look at their ineborated state and told

779
00:44:44,480 --> 00:44:47,920
them they were just drunk. Dad showed him the scratches

780
00:44:47,960 --> 00:44:50,559
he had on his back, but the sheriff accused them

781
00:44:50,559 --> 00:44:55,119
of fighting with each other. Dad swore those were claw marks.

782
00:44:55,800 --> 00:44:59,960
Mom was humiliated. I passed my test with flying colors.

783
00:45:00,599 --> 00:45:02,519
Mom was there to see it, but Dad was home

784
00:45:02,599 --> 00:45:06,119
recovering from his adventure. And after that day, I became

785
00:45:06,159 --> 00:45:10,079
an instructor at the dojo, and two years later, while

786
00:45:10,119 --> 00:45:12,960
a senior in high school, I joined the Army on

787
00:45:13,039 --> 00:45:18,159
the Delayed Entry Program Part two, Fork in the Road.

788
00:45:19,360 --> 00:45:21,400
I had been to Germany a couple of times, but

789
00:45:21,480 --> 00:45:24,960
I was always working with intelligence on tracking and locating

790
00:45:24,960 --> 00:45:28,960
a target. This time was different. It felt like a long,

791
00:45:29,039 --> 00:45:32,280
boring vacation, but I was determined to come back better.

792
00:45:33,360 --> 00:45:36,199
While I waited for the necessary test and exams, I

793
00:45:36,239 --> 00:45:40,360
spent my free time walking around town. That's how I

794
00:45:40,400 --> 00:45:44,599
found the dojo that taught moy Thai and Kindo. I

795
00:45:44,639 --> 00:45:47,880
had studied kickboxing at the Cantana, but I had never

796
00:45:47,960 --> 00:45:51,000
mastered the two arts, and since I knew I was

797
00:45:51,000 --> 00:45:53,119
stuck there for the next three or four months, I

798
00:45:53,199 --> 00:45:57,880
decided to enroll. Between lessons and the two martial arts,

799
00:45:57,960 --> 00:46:01,880
I was scheduled for physical therapy there. I met several

800
00:46:01,920 --> 00:46:05,400
other operators who hadn't fared as well as me. They

801
00:46:05,400 --> 00:46:09,840
were missing arms or legs. I was inspired by them. Somehow,

802
00:46:09,880 --> 00:46:12,480
I felt I needed to do my best for their sake.

803
00:46:13,360 --> 00:46:17,639
The Kindo and my tie lessons helped. When the day

804
00:46:17,719 --> 00:46:21,519
finally came for my MRI, I was nervous. It was

805
00:46:21,599 --> 00:46:24,360
going to determine what type of surgery I would need.

806
00:46:25,079 --> 00:46:27,719
I was hoping it would be minimal. I was holding

807
00:46:27,760 --> 00:46:30,039
my breath when the doctor came in the room holding

808
00:46:30,079 --> 00:46:34,559
my report, Captain Tate. He said, I don't know what

809
00:46:34,599 --> 00:46:36,639
you've been doing, but I don't think you need any

810
00:46:36,679 --> 00:46:40,519
further surgery. I suppressed a grin, and he went on,

811
00:46:41,440 --> 00:46:43,960
we can do some skin grass for the scars if

812
00:46:43,960 --> 00:46:45,920
you'd like, but there won't be any need for any

813
00:46:45,960 --> 00:46:51,280
more reconstructive surgery. No thanks, I answered, I'll keep the scars.

814
00:46:52,159 --> 00:46:55,599
He gave me an inquisitive look, sort of like tattoos.

815
00:46:55,719 --> 00:47:00,159
I added. He gave me a knowing grin. I'm still

816
00:47:00,159 --> 00:47:02,960
giving you two more months of physical therapy, he said.

817
00:47:03,559 --> 00:47:06,039
While I was happy with that, it meant two more

818
00:47:06,039 --> 00:47:11,800
months of martial arts lessons. My instructor, mister Yuzawa, was

819
00:47:11,840 --> 00:47:15,800
from Japan. He traveled to Thailand and China to study

820
00:47:15,840 --> 00:47:19,599
different styles. He complimented me on being a great student,

821
00:47:20,199 --> 00:47:22,519
and when I told him I'd always dreamed of going

822
00:47:22,559 --> 00:47:26,079
to Japan, he offered to write a letter of recommendation

823
00:47:26,559 --> 00:47:29,400
so I could study at a secluded mountain school that

824
00:47:29,559 --> 00:47:34,440
was world famous for swordsmanship and sword making. Mom had

825
00:47:34,480 --> 00:47:36,880
passed away and I had no real reason to go

826
00:47:36,960 --> 00:47:42,039
back to Hayesville. I had been studying Japanese terms and phrases,

827
00:47:42,280 --> 00:47:45,280
and going to Japan was beginning to feel like a reality.

828
00:47:46,599 --> 00:47:49,559
The morning after my PT appointment, I met with Colonel

829
00:47:49,639 --> 00:47:54,519
Jones and the SoC Special Operations Command. I've been offered

830
00:47:54,519 --> 00:47:57,920
a discharge with full pay and benefits. I asked if

831
00:47:57,920 --> 00:48:01,880
it was still on the table. Yes, Colonel Jones answered,

832
00:48:01,960 --> 00:48:05,840
but I'd like you to consider becoming an instructor. It

833
00:48:05,880 --> 00:48:09,320
was a thought. The earnest expression on the Colonel's face

834
00:48:09,400 --> 00:48:12,760
told me he'd been considering it for some time. I

835
00:48:12,880 --> 00:48:16,840
molded over for a minute. No, sir, I said, there's

836
00:48:16,840 --> 00:48:19,559
something I've wanted to do for a long time. I

837
00:48:19,599 --> 00:48:22,599
need to do it while I'm still young enough. I paused,

838
00:48:22,639 --> 00:48:27,239
before adding, I want to see Japan. If the colonel

839
00:48:27,320 --> 00:48:30,559
was shocked by that statement. He didn't show it. Instead,

840
00:48:30,639 --> 00:48:32,960
he nodded his head and wished me luck and told

841
00:48:33,000 --> 00:48:35,079
me he'd have some people look in on me when

842
00:48:35,119 --> 00:48:39,239
I got there. The next two weeks went quickly. I

843
00:48:39,280 --> 00:48:41,920
was at the end of my PTS sessions, which also

844
00:48:42,039 --> 00:48:44,039
meant I was coming to the end of my lessons

845
00:48:44,079 --> 00:48:48,280
at the dojo. Mister Uzawa helped me find a place

846
00:48:48,360 --> 00:48:50,920
to live by the school, and then we talked to

847
00:48:50,960 --> 00:48:54,760
a man named mister Akagi and made the necessary arrangements

848
00:48:54,760 --> 00:49:00,000
for me to study there. I intensified my conversational Japanese

849
00:49:00,159 --> 00:49:04,599
lessons and practiced every day with mister Uzawa. Before I left,

850
00:49:04,639 --> 00:49:07,239
he gave me a final exam in both my Thai

851
00:49:07,440 --> 00:49:11,280
and Kindo. He brought in some former top level students

852
00:49:11,280 --> 00:49:13,599
for a big sind off that left me bruised but

853
00:49:13,719 --> 00:49:17,880
feeling satisfied. Not the hospital, my brothers in arms threw

854
00:49:17,960 --> 00:49:21,199
me a party. We developed a real bond during my

855
00:49:21,360 --> 00:49:26,360
time there. Two days later, sixteen years, eight months and

856
00:49:26,480 --> 00:49:30,079
five days after I first reported for basic training, I

857
00:49:30,159 --> 00:49:34,400
was sitting in the Army HR office getting discharged. As

858
00:49:34,440 --> 00:49:36,719
I sat there waiting to be called, I reflected on

859
00:49:36,840 --> 00:49:41,639
my military career. I remembered ranger training the Green Beret

860
00:49:41,760 --> 00:49:45,639
in my application to Delta. Most people don't understand what

861
00:49:45,800 --> 00:49:49,280
Delta is. They don't know that Delta pulls from the

862
00:49:49,280 --> 00:49:54,719
best of all specops. Selectionists pulled from Seals, Green Berets,

863
00:49:54,960 --> 00:49:59,639
Marine recon and other elite forces. Only about fifteen percent

864
00:49:59,719 --> 00:50:02,719
make cut. It was the most difficult thing I had

865
00:50:02,760 --> 00:50:05,639
ever done, and I sat there thinking about how I'd

866
00:50:05,639 --> 00:50:08,719
gotten my degree and a commission. It all seemed like

867
00:50:08,760 --> 00:50:12,039
a pipe dream for a poor little boy from the Appalachians.

868
00:50:12,880 --> 00:50:17,519
Captain Tate, a voice broke through my reverie. In two hours,

869
00:50:17,559 --> 00:50:20,119
I would be a civilian, something I had never been

870
00:50:20,360 --> 00:50:24,920
in my entire adult life. The admin clerk made her

871
00:50:25,039 --> 00:50:28,039
pitch to get me to re enlist. She was followed

872
00:50:28,079 --> 00:50:31,559
by a Green Beret sergeant from the European Command. He

873
00:50:31,599 --> 00:50:33,559
could see that my mind was made up, so he

874
00:50:33,639 --> 00:50:37,960
thanked me and left it at that. Colonel Jones entered

875
00:50:37,960 --> 00:50:41,760
the room next, along with Lieutenant General Jackson Miles and

876
00:50:41,800 --> 00:50:45,360
a few more cadre that were carrying a bit certificate,

877
00:50:45,599 --> 00:50:48,480
a cake, and a plaque. It was a photo op

878
00:50:48,559 --> 00:50:51,360
that would be in the Army times and military times,

879
00:50:51,920 --> 00:50:54,480
while I fought back the emotions as I remembered all

880
00:50:54,519 --> 00:50:58,079
the great guys we had lost. My retirement check was

881
00:50:58,079 --> 00:51:02,800
scheduled to be deposited regularly into an online bank. All

882
00:51:02,800 --> 00:51:05,559
I had to do was collect my final paycheck in cash,

883
00:51:06,039 --> 00:51:10,280
and then I would be an official civilian. Part three

884
00:51:10,880 --> 00:51:16,679
a new chapter. I boarded JAL flight two nine for Osaka, Japan.

885
00:51:17,360 --> 00:51:20,079
I was a well traveled special operator going to live

886
00:51:20,119 --> 00:51:22,840
in a foreign country alone, without a team to back

887
00:51:22,920 --> 00:51:27,920
me up. Despite all my experience, it was scary. I

888
00:51:27,960 --> 00:51:29,920
settled in for the flight and I began to hear

889
00:51:30,000 --> 00:51:33,280
chatter in Japanese, and I tried to understand what was

890
00:51:33,320 --> 00:51:36,800
being said, but they were speaking so fast. I picked

891
00:51:36,880 --> 00:51:39,119
up a word here and there and made a mental

892
00:51:39,119 --> 00:51:42,280
note to work harder on my Japanese and settled on

893
00:51:42,320 --> 00:51:46,760
reading my English version of the Osaka newspaper. There were

894
00:51:46,800 --> 00:51:51,039
several interesting accounts of mysterious deaths in the mountainous area

895
00:51:51,159 --> 00:51:54,519
not far from where I would be studying. The deaths

896
00:51:54,559 --> 00:51:59,599
were attributed to animal attacks. The victims were allegedly members

897
00:51:59,639 --> 00:52:04,119
of the u Accusa, the Japanese mafia. A woman had

898
00:52:04,159 --> 00:52:06,880
boarded the plane and was now sitting center aisle for

899
00:52:07,199 --> 00:52:10,840
rows up from me. She was a slender and elegant woman,

900
00:52:11,000 --> 00:52:15,920
and her face had both European and Asian characteristics. She

901
00:52:16,039 --> 00:52:18,480
caught my eye because she was beautiful and because she

902
00:52:18,519 --> 00:52:22,480
had something stashed under her well tailored jacket. And when

903
00:52:22,519 --> 00:52:25,320
she stood up to put a bag in the overhead compartment,

904
00:52:25,679 --> 00:52:29,159
automatically keyed in on the bulge on her lower back.

905
00:52:29,639 --> 00:52:33,039
It was a weapon, I thought. I watched her for

906
00:52:33,079 --> 00:52:36,599
about an hour, and when she displayed no unusual behavior,

907
00:52:36,639 --> 00:52:40,119
I dismissed her as a sky marshall. Maybe it wasn't

908
00:52:40,119 --> 00:52:42,599
a weapon at all, maybe it was some sort of

909
00:52:42,639 --> 00:52:46,760
electronic device. After a while, I drifted off to sleep

910
00:52:46,800 --> 00:52:49,199
for a couple of hours, and when I woke up,

911
00:52:49,320 --> 00:52:52,440
I got up to find the bathroom. The woman wasn't

912
00:52:52,480 --> 00:52:55,239
in her seat, but as I passed by, I saw

913
00:52:55,280 --> 00:52:58,480
she was reading the same newspaper as me, only hers

914
00:52:58,559 --> 00:53:02,000
was in Japanese, and they of the strange deaths had

915
00:53:02,039 --> 00:53:06,800
been highlighted. My curiosity peaked, both for the woman and

916
00:53:06,840 --> 00:53:11,079
the newspaper story. I stayed in the facilities long enough

917
00:53:11,079 --> 00:53:14,199
to hear the door across me open and slide shut

918
00:53:14,400 --> 00:53:16,920
hoping it was her, and as I walked back to

919
00:53:17,000 --> 00:53:20,599
my seat, there was the sculpted goddess back in her seat.

920
00:53:21,119 --> 00:53:24,679
Pardon me, ma'am, I said, I'm learning Japanese and I

921
00:53:24,760 --> 00:53:28,239
notice you're reading the same story. For a second, she

922
00:53:28,320 --> 00:53:32,679
looked surprised, but then she smiled, Yes, isn't it curious?

923
00:53:32,880 --> 00:53:36,519
She said. I introduced myself and told her I was

924
00:53:36,559 --> 00:53:39,280
a retired soldier in that I was traveling to Japan

925
00:53:39,360 --> 00:53:44,559
to study martial arts. My name is akemi Estrata, she said,

926
00:53:44,920 --> 00:53:47,559
motioning for me to sit in the empty seat next

927
00:53:47,599 --> 00:53:51,039
to her. To my surprise, she knew to ask what

928
00:53:51,199 --> 00:53:55,320
my mos was. I told her I was in combat infantry.

929
00:53:55,960 --> 00:53:59,000
That wasn't a lie. I explained that I had been

930
00:53:59,000 --> 00:54:02,360
injured in an and nearly lost the use of my leg,

931
00:54:03,039 --> 00:54:07,239
and then after seventeen years, I decided to retire. How

932
00:54:07,280 --> 00:54:11,199
old are you, she asked, Almost thirty five. I told

933
00:54:11,239 --> 00:54:15,400
her you look younger than that. She said, well, thank you,

934
00:54:15,559 --> 00:54:18,360
I said, your English is perfect, but you have a

935
00:54:18,480 --> 00:54:22,599
unique accent. She explained that her father was a Cuban

936
00:54:22,639 --> 00:54:26,440
American who was in the US Air Force Intelligence. He

937
00:54:26,480 --> 00:54:30,719
had met her mother while stationed in Okinawa. She told

938
00:54:30,760 --> 00:54:32,960
me she had lived all over the world and spoke

939
00:54:33,000 --> 00:54:38,800
several languages fluently, including English, Spanish, Japanese, German, Arabic, and

940
00:54:38,960 --> 00:54:43,800
some Chinese. Well that's impressive, I said, and then told her,

941
00:54:44,000 --> 00:54:46,800
in my best Arabic that she was unique and beautiful,

942
00:54:47,280 --> 00:54:50,159
and she blushed. What line of work are you in,

943
00:54:50,400 --> 00:54:54,079
I asked, giving her a chance to recover, She told

944
00:54:54,159 --> 00:54:58,360
me that she did research for Interpol. Oh, I said,

945
00:54:58,840 --> 00:55:02,800
I thought you were an airmorl Marshall. She raised her eyebrows,

946
00:55:02,960 --> 00:55:06,840
looking surprised again. Why would you think that, she asked.

947
00:55:07,400 --> 00:55:09,559
I guess I thought you might be carrying a weapon,

948
00:55:09,679 --> 00:55:13,679
I said flatly. She changed the topic and I didn't

949
00:55:13,719 --> 00:55:19,960
push it. How many languages do you speak? She asked, English, Arabic,

950
00:55:20,199 --> 00:55:25,039
little Farcie also fluent. He'll billy, I said, he'll billy,

951
00:55:25,400 --> 00:55:29,639
she said, laughing, you mean like the Beverly Hillbillies. Well,

952
00:55:29,719 --> 00:55:33,320
I laughed to and explained where I came from. I

953
00:55:33,400 --> 00:55:36,000
pointed at the newspaper in her lap and asked if

954
00:55:36,039 --> 00:55:39,679
she was researching the strange deaths. She could tell that

955
00:55:39,760 --> 00:55:43,760
I'd brought her back into uncomfortable territory, and she nodded,

956
00:55:44,320 --> 00:55:47,840
just the names and connections of the victims for the database,

957
00:55:48,320 --> 00:55:52,280
she said dismissively. I knew there was more to her story.

958
00:55:53,039 --> 00:55:55,840
I glanced at the newspaper and the information about how

959
00:55:55,840 --> 00:56:01,039
the victims died. She had highlighted it twice. Nodded anyway.

960
00:56:02,239 --> 00:56:05,079
It was after midnight, so I excused myself and I

961
00:56:05,119 --> 00:56:07,199
told her I didn't want to wear out my welcome.

962
00:56:07,880 --> 00:56:09,920
I stood up asked if there was any way I

963
00:56:10,039 --> 00:56:13,719
might see her sometime. She smiled and wrote down the

964
00:56:13,760 --> 00:56:16,159
address and a phone number of the office where she

965
00:56:16,199 --> 00:56:19,760
would be working, and then she handed it to me. Well,

966
00:56:19,800 --> 00:56:21,840
I said good night, and I went back to my seat,

967
00:56:21,920 --> 00:56:24,559
knowing I wouldn't be able to sleep again after talking

968
00:56:24,599 --> 00:56:27,719
with her. Instead, I looked up the meaning of a

969
00:56:27,800 --> 00:56:32,480
Kimi bright and beautiful. The Internet told me it was

970
00:56:32,519 --> 00:56:39,400
fitting Part four. The arrival. At six thirty hours, I

971
00:56:39,440 --> 00:56:43,280
awoke to the sound and smell a flight attendant serving breakfast.

972
00:56:43,960 --> 00:56:46,639
When my vision cleared, I saw a Kimmi walking back

973
00:56:46,639 --> 00:56:49,480
to her seat and toasted her with my coffee cup.

974
00:56:50,280 --> 00:56:53,679
She stepped over to me, smiling again. How did you sleep,

975
00:56:53,960 --> 00:56:57,760
she asked, Not too well, I said, I kept thinking

976
00:56:57,800 --> 00:57:01,880
about something bright and beautiful. Her cheeks warmed to a

977
00:57:02,000 --> 00:57:05,039
rosy pink. She was about to respond when the seat

978
00:57:05,039 --> 00:57:09,199
belt announcement rang through the cabin. See you later, she said,

979
00:57:09,239 --> 00:57:12,559
with a smile. I smiled too, and she had gotten

980
00:57:12,599 --> 00:57:16,599
inside my head. During the stampede. To get off the

981
00:57:16,599 --> 00:57:20,760
plane and into immigration and customs, I separated from Akimi.

982
00:57:21,480 --> 00:57:24,679
She didn't go through the normal lines. Instead, she was

983
00:57:24,760 --> 00:57:27,360
met by a Japanese man who ushered her to a

984
00:57:27,400 --> 00:57:30,760
shorter line. I could barely see her, but we were

985
00:57:30,960 --> 00:57:35,079
able to exchange a quick wave. I handed my passport

986
00:57:35,239 --> 00:57:40,079
military ID to the immigration agent. Welcome to Japan, Captain Tate,

987
00:57:40,280 --> 00:57:43,079
he said, and then asked the purpose of my visit.

988
00:57:43,920 --> 00:57:46,320
I told him of my dream to study martial arts

989
00:57:46,360 --> 00:57:50,440
in Japan. Well, he smiled, and then in Japanese wished

990
00:57:50,480 --> 00:57:55,400
me save travels. If the luggage carousel, I scanned for Akimi,

991
00:57:55,719 --> 00:57:58,599
but I didn't see her. A couple of minutes later,

992
00:57:58,639 --> 00:58:01,320
when I exited the baggage claim, I found a young

993
00:58:01,440 --> 00:58:04,159
Japanese man holding a sign with my name on it,

994
00:58:04,239 --> 00:58:08,039
waiting to take me to my new home. He was goro.

995
00:58:08,800 --> 00:58:14,280
It meant enthusiasm and information. Boy was that right. He

996
00:58:14,320 --> 00:58:17,719
spoke English and seemed truly excited to see me, and

997
00:58:17,760 --> 00:58:20,199
he told me he'd heard that I was a great warrior.

998
00:58:20,960 --> 00:58:23,679
I'm just a soldier, young man, I told him, just

999
00:58:23,760 --> 00:58:28,280
a soldier. We traveled for three hours through heavy traffic

1000
00:58:28,320 --> 00:58:31,039
in his tiny car to reach my landlord and sign

1001
00:58:31,079 --> 00:58:34,079
the lease. I'm five foot ten and one hundred and

1002
00:58:34,119 --> 00:58:38,920
eighty eight pounds felt like a sardine. To distract myself,

1003
00:58:38,960 --> 00:58:42,079
I mentioned the mysterious deaths I read about in the news.

1004
00:58:43,159 --> 00:58:47,400
Some say it's a kappa, Goro said, an evil water spirit.

1005
00:58:48,239 --> 00:58:52,519
Do the police have any suspects, I ask, No suspects,

1006
00:58:52,639 --> 00:58:56,519
he said, They are Yukuza. The police will not interfere,

1007
00:58:57,519 --> 00:59:02,079
or the yakuza common here, I asked. Goro shrugged. You

1008
00:59:02,360 --> 00:59:06,280
only know who the heads of the yakuza are, he explained.

1009
00:59:06,519 --> 00:59:09,239
You don't know who the lesser members are, or the

1010
00:59:09,280 --> 00:59:12,840
people who they call enemies. He said, and then went

1011
00:59:12,920 --> 00:59:15,159
to tell me how it was not good to discuss

1012
00:59:15,199 --> 00:59:20,119
the subject because it makes people nervous. Finally, we rounded

1013
00:59:20,159 --> 00:59:22,960
a corner and turned into a narrow road with a

1014
00:59:23,079 --> 00:59:27,840
row of small traditional Japanese cottages. A man named mister

1015
00:59:27,920 --> 00:59:31,639
Kuu was waiting out front when we pulled up. He

1016
00:59:31,760 --> 00:59:34,599
welcomed me and bowed with his hands pressed together at

1017
00:59:34,599 --> 00:59:38,119
his chest. He spoke very little English, but between my

1018
00:59:38,280 --> 00:59:42,039
Japanese and goros English, we understood each other well enough

1019
00:59:42,039 --> 00:59:46,719
to get the least signed. The cottage was modestly furnished,

1020
00:59:46,760 --> 00:59:50,800
with a loft bedroom and a sleeper sofa. We unloaded

1021
00:59:50,800 --> 00:59:53,559
my bags and went to the Bushido school where I

1022
00:59:53,599 --> 00:59:57,960
would be studying. We drove mostly straight uphill for fifteen

1023
00:59:58,000 --> 01:00:00,960
minutes before we came to a huge ar gate and

1024
01:00:01,039 --> 01:00:03,920
a pebble drive that led into a circle surrounding a

1025
01:00:04,000 --> 01:00:08,679
huge fountain. We must stop and bless the fountain, Goro said,

1026
01:00:08,719 --> 01:00:12,119
as he exited the car. He faced the fountain and

1027
01:00:12,199 --> 01:00:14,800
made a prayer gesture with his hands to his chin.

1028
01:00:15,679 --> 01:00:19,760
Being a Southern Baptist boy, I loosely emulated his actions.

1029
01:00:20,760 --> 01:00:23,679
At the porch. We pulled off our shoes and bowed

1030
01:00:23,719 --> 01:00:27,639
and entered the school. Master Akigi was waiting for me.

1031
01:00:28,559 --> 01:00:33,079
He smiled and extended his hand Welcome, Gokuto harrison tate

1032
01:00:33,719 --> 01:00:37,880
Gakudo means pupil. I gave a respectful bow and shook

1033
01:00:37,880 --> 01:00:41,320
his hand, and then followed him He invited me to

1034
01:00:41,400 --> 01:00:44,760
a traditional Japanese dinner and asked me questions about my

1035
01:00:44,880 --> 01:00:49,320
military service and injuries. Seeming impressed, Where did you learn

1036
01:00:49,360 --> 01:00:52,800
to speak English? I asked him. When I served in

1037
01:00:52,840 --> 01:00:56,800
the Japanese Army, I worked with Americans stationed in Okinawa,

1038
01:00:56,960 --> 01:01:00,360
he said. I motioned with my thumb towards the door

1039
01:01:00,400 --> 01:01:03,360
behind me where Goro had gone, and mentioned that he

1040
01:01:03,440 --> 01:01:08,719
was a good employee. Yes, he is a good kabuko master, Akagi,

1041
01:01:08,840 --> 01:01:13,880
said a houseboy. The next morning, Goro drove us back

1042
01:01:13,880 --> 01:01:17,039
to Osaka so I could get a vehicle. What are

1043
01:01:17,079 --> 01:01:20,360
the car dealers like here, I asked, thinking that where

1044
01:01:20,400 --> 01:01:23,840
I came from. The answer was hit or Miss dealers,

1045
01:01:24,039 --> 01:01:27,880
He asked, No, the school has already arranged a vehicle.

1046
01:01:28,320 --> 01:01:31,960
Apparently my car had already been selected for me. Well,

1047
01:01:32,000 --> 01:01:35,039
what if I don't like it, I asked, If you

1048
01:01:35,039 --> 01:01:40,000
don't take the car, it would be disrespectful for Shadoshi Shadoshi,

1049
01:01:40,239 --> 01:01:45,480
I asked the owner of the school, mister Sumiyoshi. Goro said.

1050
01:01:47,000 --> 01:01:49,559
We arrived at a small building with a vehicle sitting

1051
01:01:49,559 --> 01:01:52,280
on the sidewalk in front of it, and inside we

1052
01:01:52,280 --> 01:01:54,639
were greeted by a petit woman who handed me a

1053
01:01:54,679 --> 01:01:57,960
set of keys. Goro said that he had to get

1054
01:01:58,000 --> 01:02:00,760
back to the school, but that he would see me later.

1055
01:02:02,000 --> 01:02:03,679
When I got back to my new house in my

1056
01:02:03,760 --> 01:02:07,480
new car, I was exhausted. Class began at seven hundred

1057
01:02:07,559 --> 01:02:10,519
the next morning. I knew I needed to get to bed,

1058
01:02:10,639 --> 01:02:14,960
but I couldn't sleep. It was Akimi's fault again. I

1059
01:02:15,039 --> 01:02:18,000
decided to drive by her office in hopes of seeing her.

1060
01:02:18,760 --> 01:02:22,559
After thirty minute driving, another thirty minute attempt to find parking,

1061
01:02:22,960 --> 01:02:25,480
I entered the plaza, only to find that it was

1062
01:02:25,519 --> 01:02:33,719
a PSIA Public Security Intelligence Agencies. Entry was restricted. I

1063
01:02:33,800 --> 01:02:37,119
pressed the buzzer and a voice responded in what I

1064
01:02:37,159 --> 01:02:41,199
guessed was may I help you in Japanese. My name

1065
01:02:41,320 --> 01:02:44,760
is Harrison Tate. I said in English, I'm hoping to

1066
01:02:44,760 --> 01:02:48,639
get a message to Akimi estrata sir. If you give

1067
01:02:48,719 --> 01:02:51,679
us your message, we will determine what to do with it.

1068
01:02:51,840 --> 01:02:56,599
The voice responded in excellent English. It was an interesting way,

1069
01:02:56,679 --> 01:03:00,519
I thought of. Akimi doesn't work here, so I wrote

1070
01:03:00,519 --> 01:03:02,760
a message on a pad of paper in a box

1071
01:03:02,800 --> 01:03:05,280
on the wall next to the buzzer and told her

1072
01:03:05,280 --> 01:03:07,599
I had settled in and that I hoped that she

1073
01:03:07,800 --> 01:03:11,039
was well. Then I added my number and put the

1074
01:03:11,079 --> 01:03:14,639
note in the box and I left. As I drove

1075
01:03:14,719 --> 01:03:17,039
up the winding mountain road back to my new home,

1076
01:03:17,119 --> 01:03:20,760
the setting sun cast long shadows along the road and

1077
01:03:20,800 --> 01:03:26,159
across the forest. It reminded me of the Appalachians. By

1078
01:03:26,199 --> 01:03:28,599
the time I arrived, I was ready for a shower

1079
01:03:28,679 --> 01:03:31,800
in bed. Before turning in, I switched on the old

1080
01:03:31,800 --> 01:03:35,199
television set and found a news program. Thankful there were

1081
01:03:35,320 --> 01:03:40,760
English subtitles. The anchor was talking about another mysterious death.

1082
01:03:41,239 --> 01:03:46,440
This one was only a few kilometers away. Part five

1083
01:03:46,599 --> 01:03:51,159
the Journey. I slept like a rock until five thirty hours.

1084
01:03:51,599 --> 01:03:54,719
I quickly rummaged through my cupboards and found a variety

1085
01:03:54,760 --> 01:03:57,840
of foods that I wasn't quite sure about, But there

1086
01:03:57,880 --> 01:04:00,000
was some tea that looked familiar, and I managed to

1087
01:04:00,119 --> 01:04:04,599
whip up some egg noodles and Japanese bacon. I arrived

1088
01:04:04,599 --> 01:04:07,559
at the school an hour later. At the fountain, I

1089
01:04:07,599 --> 01:04:10,880
stopped and bowed, and then sat down and meditated for

1090
01:04:10,920 --> 01:04:15,119
a few minutes before warming up stretching my muscles. At

1091
01:04:15,320 --> 01:04:18,360
six fifty five hours, the doors of the school opened

1092
01:04:18,679 --> 01:04:21,760
and Goro emerged to tell me that Master Rikagi was

1093
01:04:21,800 --> 01:04:25,559
ready for me. I was fitted for the traditional karate

1094
01:04:25,679 --> 01:04:30,119
uniform and issued protective equipment, a bamboo practiced sword called

1095
01:04:30,159 --> 01:04:33,719
a shinai and an oak sword called a boken. A

1096
01:04:33,760 --> 01:04:38,159
few minutes later, I was introduced to my sense, Jonah Yamamato.

1097
01:04:39,480 --> 01:04:41,719
We spent the morning going over the basics, and then

1098
01:04:41,880 --> 01:04:45,039
stopped for a light ludch of fish and rice. My

1099
01:04:45,159 --> 01:04:48,719
sense whose name means God's Grace, put his food down

1100
01:04:48,800 --> 01:04:53,559
and nodded, you have talent gakuto, he said about in

1101
01:04:53,679 --> 01:04:57,400
humility and thanked him. Now we go to the next level,

1102
01:04:57,480 --> 01:05:00,360
he said. By the end of the day, I was

1103
01:05:00,400 --> 01:05:03,360
ready to go home and crash, knowing that tomorrow I

1104
01:05:03,400 --> 01:05:07,039
would be moving on to a more difficult class. When

1105
01:05:07,039 --> 01:05:09,199
I got in my car, I saw a missed call

1106
01:05:09,360 --> 01:05:12,239
and a voice message. I played the message and heard

1107
01:05:12,239 --> 01:05:15,840
a Kimi's voice thanking me for stopping by and asking

1108
01:05:15,880 --> 01:05:19,960
me to call her after seven pm. At seven oh five,

1109
01:05:20,039 --> 01:05:22,920
I was dialing a Kimi. The pleasant sound of her

1110
01:05:23,000 --> 01:05:28,159
voice caused me to pause for a second before answering, Hello, Harry. Hello,

1111
01:05:28,559 --> 01:05:33,239
She said, yes Hi, I said, untangling my tongue. It's

1112
01:05:33,280 --> 01:05:36,679
good to hear your voice. She asked about my first day,

1113
01:05:36,719 --> 01:05:39,719
and I told her that I was exhausted. I'm looking

1114
01:05:39,719 --> 01:05:43,079
forward to seeing you at your school. She said, well,

1115
01:05:43,119 --> 01:05:46,280
I was caught off guard. I was delighted too. I

1116
01:05:46,320 --> 01:05:50,440
wanted to see her great. I said, what about this weekend?

1117
01:05:51,719 --> 01:05:55,039
We made plans, and she excused herself to go work out.

1118
01:05:55,639 --> 01:05:57,920
I hung up the phone and I made dinner from

1119
01:05:57,960 --> 01:06:00,360
the cabinet full of food I wasn't too sure about,

1120
01:06:00,679 --> 01:06:03,599
and watched the news for a few minutes. There was

1121
01:06:03,679 --> 01:06:07,719
yet another story about a mysterious death. Some of them

1122
01:06:07,760 --> 01:06:12,000
had taken place close to me. Too close. I had

1123
01:06:12,000 --> 01:06:15,000
a hard time sleeping that night. I couldn't stop thinking

1124
01:06:15,039 --> 01:06:18,920
about a Kimi. When I finally dozed off, I dreamed

1125
01:06:18,960 --> 01:06:23,000
about my father and his famous booger incident. At four

1126
01:06:23,199 --> 01:06:26,800
fifteen hours, I was abruptly awakened by a shrill cry

1127
01:06:27,159 --> 01:06:29,920
that sounded like a screech owl blowing a train whistle.

1128
01:06:30,880 --> 01:06:34,119
Instinct took over, and I grabbed the oak boken next

1129
01:06:34,119 --> 01:06:37,599
to my bed and assumed a defensive posture, but silence

1130
01:06:37,639 --> 01:06:41,559
filled the room around me. After looking around for a while,

1131
01:06:41,639 --> 01:06:45,039
I went back to bed. Later that morning, at the dojo,

1132
01:06:45,199 --> 01:06:48,000
I told my sense about the noise that I had heard.

1133
01:06:48,719 --> 01:06:52,920
He was interested and asked several questions, Can you describe it?

1134
01:06:53,199 --> 01:06:56,880
What was the duration? Did it start high or go low?

1135
01:06:57,400 --> 01:07:00,960
Or did it start low and go high? I answered

1136
01:07:00,960 --> 01:07:03,440
his questions and asked if he had heard it himself.

1137
01:07:03,800 --> 01:07:07,519
He shook his head. I'm only curious. Come, let's train,

1138
01:07:07,719 --> 01:07:11,639
he said, since they taught me all the sword strikes

1139
01:07:11,760 --> 01:07:15,079
I had learned from mister Uzawa in Germany, but with

1140
01:07:15,199 --> 01:07:18,800
much more precision and strength. At the end of the day,

1141
01:07:18,800 --> 01:07:21,480
he took me to a room, and before opening the door,

1142
01:07:21,519 --> 01:07:25,800
he paused, this is a privilege, he said, speak of

1143
01:07:25,840 --> 01:07:29,159
it to no one. I nodded and bowed. He opened

1144
01:07:29,159 --> 01:07:31,639
the door to reveal a room full of ancient swords

1145
01:07:31,639 --> 01:07:36,239
and samurai armor. There were murals and drawings of samurais

1146
01:07:36,280 --> 01:07:40,039
and ninjas in battle, sometimes with each other and sometimes

1147
01:07:40,079 --> 01:07:45,000
with strange creatures. I was suddenly reminded of Tiger Tommy's mural.

1148
01:07:46,159 --> 01:07:48,880
I feasted my eyes on the mural and weaponry around

1149
01:07:48,880 --> 01:07:54,000
me for several long minutes before Sinsey got my attention again. Gakuto,

1150
01:07:54,320 --> 01:07:57,800
Tomorrow you will learn some advanced techniques, and then you

1151
01:07:57,840 --> 01:08:02,079
will face a test, umble and honored about to him,

1152
01:08:02,440 --> 01:08:05,800
it is not your proficiency, but your humble spirit that

1153
01:08:05,880 --> 01:08:09,199
tells me you are right for this, he said. He

1154
01:08:09,280 --> 01:08:12,880
handed me some scrolls and told me to study them. Now,

1155
01:08:13,079 --> 01:08:16,119
go purify your body and mind, and stay in your

1156
01:08:16,159 --> 01:08:19,600
home this night. It was a curious thing to say,

1157
01:08:19,720 --> 01:08:22,520
but I agreed that I would, and I left. And

1158
01:08:22,560 --> 01:08:24,640
when I got in my car, I checked my phone.

1159
01:08:25,000 --> 01:08:28,960
There were no miscalls from Akimi at home. I spent

1160
01:08:29,119 --> 01:08:32,960
hours going over the scrolls. One of them contained an

1161
01:08:33,039 --> 01:08:35,760
image of a creature I had seen in the mural.

1162
01:08:36,520 --> 01:08:40,119
It had snake like eyes. Another image was of a

1163
01:08:40,119 --> 01:08:43,800
brilliant blue sword. I studied the scrolls as long as

1164
01:08:43,840 --> 01:08:46,680
my eyes would stay open, and then decided to turn in.

1165
01:08:47,680 --> 01:08:50,840
Before I went to sleep, I sent Akimi a text

1166
01:08:51,000 --> 01:08:55,359
wishing her a peaceful night. At three five hours, I

1167
01:08:55,439 --> 01:08:59,000
woke to the sound of gunfire, five or six double taps,

1168
01:08:59,039 --> 01:09:02,760
followed by two full auto bursts that echoed down the

1169
01:09:02,840 --> 01:09:05,920
valley from a distance. It was the first time I

1170
01:09:05,960 --> 01:09:09,680
had heard gunfire in over four months. Japan was not

1171
01:09:09,760 --> 01:09:14,079
a country famous for firearms, and it was unusual. At

1172
01:09:14,359 --> 01:09:16,880
six fifteen hours, I went to my car and saw

1173
01:09:16,920 --> 01:09:20,039
my neighbor changing out dozens of candles around her house.

1174
01:09:20,760 --> 01:09:23,159
I wanted to ask her about the strange events of

1175
01:09:23,199 --> 01:09:26,439
the last two nights, but my limited Japanese kept me

1176
01:09:26,479 --> 01:09:30,760
from approaching the subject. I checked my phone again, no

1177
01:09:30,840 --> 01:09:35,159
word from Akimi. When I saw Goro, I told him

1178
01:09:35,319 --> 01:09:38,079
that I wanted to talk to him after training, and

1179
01:09:38,119 --> 01:09:40,239
we arranged to meet at my car at the end

1180
01:09:40,319 --> 01:09:43,079
of the day, and I went inside to find Sinse

1181
01:09:43,319 --> 01:09:46,960
waiting for me in full combat gear. I sued it

1182
01:09:47,079 --> 01:09:49,840
up too, and we squared off for some practice strikes.

1183
01:09:50,399 --> 01:09:54,239
It was amazing how fast and fluid he was. We

1184
01:09:54,279 --> 01:09:57,279
spent the morning sparring and I learned to defend and

1185
01:09:57,399 --> 01:10:00,479
counter strike, and during lunch I told her I'm about

1186
01:10:00,520 --> 01:10:04,760
hearing gunfire. He looked at me seriously and asked if

1187
01:10:04,800 --> 01:10:07,640
I was sure. Well, I've heard enough gunfire in the

1188
01:10:07,680 --> 01:10:11,520
military to recognize the sound, I assured him. Could it

1189
01:10:11,640 --> 01:10:15,760
have been fireworks, he asked. I shook my head, and

1190
01:10:15,800 --> 01:10:18,640
he suggested that it was probably a drug gang firing

1191
01:10:18,680 --> 01:10:23,439
their illegal weapons. And we continued our lessons. Sinsey would

1192
01:10:23,479 --> 01:10:26,000
push me to attack him and then kick my ass,

1193
01:10:26,720 --> 01:10:30,359
repeat after repeat, and after two hours of this. He

1194
01:10:30,439 --> 01:10:33,479
told me to stop and stand completely still and control

1195
01:10:33,560 --> 01:10:37,319
my breathing. Put yourself in a meditative state where your

1196
01:10:37,359 --> 01:10:39,840
mind can see what you are doing while you do it.

1197
01:10:39,920 --> 01:10:43,279
He said. I was always good at slowing my breathing

1198
01:10:43,319 --> 01:10:47,119
down during water exercises. I once held my breath for

1199
01:10:47,199 --> 01:10:50,840
over three minutes. I began to breathe slowly and rained

1200
01:10:50,840 --> 01:10:54,800
in my thoughts. With your mind's eyes, see every move

1201
01:10:54,920 --> 01:10:58,720
you make, Sinsey said. I had never had an outer

1202
01:10:58,840 --> 01:11:02,079
body experience, but I found myself wondering if this was

1203
01:11:02,119 --> 01:11:07,239
how it felt. Open your eyes, Gakuto, since snapped attack me.

1204
01:11:07,479 --> 01:11:11,000
Watch every move with your mind. I started moving in

1205
01:11:11,000 --> 01:11:14,079
a fluid manner like my sense, and was now on

1206
01:11:14,199 --> 01:11:19,680
the attack. My blocking and counter attacks were sharper and faster. Now,

1207
01:11:19,800 --> 01:11:23,119
go to a quiet spot and prepare yourself, Sinsey said.

1208
01:11:23,760 --> 01:11:28,239
Visualize your moves and synchronize your mind and body. After

1209
01:11:28,239 --> 01:11:31,000
thirty minutes, I discovered that my thoughts and senses were

1210
01:11:31,000 --> 01:11:35,920
suddenly heightened. Then I heard Sinse's voice. Gakuto, get ready,

1211
01:11:36,039 --> 01:11:38,560
he said. Stand in the center of the room and

1212
01:11:38,600 --> 01:11:42,840
put yourself at ease. The side door opened and in

1213
01:11:43,079 --> 01:11:48,239
walked Master Akagi. In full samurai dress day, he said,

1214
01:11:48,319 --> 01:11:52,399
signifying the moment of contact. He raised his shine eye

1215
01:11:52,520 --> 01:11:55,119
and came at me like lightning, and I blocked his

1216
01:11:55,119 --> 01:11:57,239
first blow, and he came at me with two more.

1217
01:11:57,680 --> 01:12:01,560
See with your mind's eye, he said. I slowed my

1218
01:12:01,600 --> 01:12:04,960
thoughts and breathed deeply, and on his next attack, I

1219
01:12:05,000 --> 01:12:08,760
blocked both strikes. He began to approach me with fluid

1220
01:12:08,840 --> 01:12:12,680
lateral foot movements while striking at opposite angles. I was

1221
01:12:12,720 --> 01:12:16,399
in complete defensive mode, but I did not retreat. I

1222
01:12:16,479 --> 01:12:20,479
began to emulate Master Akagi's moves. My mind's eye had

1223
01:12:20,479 --> 01:12:23,640
photographed each action, and I began to counter with these

1224
01:12:23,680 --> 01:12:26,640
same moves and strikes. And I landed a blow to

1225
01:12:26,720 --> 01:12:30,119
his shoulder, making him pause and stare at me stone face.

1226
01:12:30,800 --> 01:12:35,720
Oh oh, I thought. His sober look turned into a smile,

1227
01:12:35,880 --> 01:12:40,039
and he attacked again. He unleashed the sinpoo on me

1228
01:12:40,399 --> 01:12:44,039
the world when I blocked several strikes as he spun

1229
01:12:44,119 --> 01:12:47,079
and struck and then knelt and struck again, And finally

1230
01:12:47,119 --> 01:12:49,359
he laid back like he was doing a limbo, and

1231
01:12:49,399 --> 01:12:52,960
he struck me with an attack across my ribs. The

1232
01:12:53,000 --> 01:12:57,560
sword was only bamboo, but it hurt enough, he finally said.

1233
01:12:58,640 --> 01:13:01,319
I had a bewildered look of someone who had just

1234
01:13:01,359 --> 01:13:05,520
gotten their ass kicked. When my sense smiled at me, Shiku,

1235
01:13:05,760 --> 01:13:10,640
he said, attention, your title is no longer Goekuto. You

1236
01:13:10,800 --> 01:13:14,359
are now Oshigo. For the first time in the history

1237
01:13:14,399 --> 01:13:17,880
of our school, we are bestowing this title to someone

1238
01:13:18,000 --> 01:13:21,800
in such short time. He presented me with two bundles.

1239
01:13:22,079 --> 01:13:25,840
I looked at Master Akagi, who nodded. The first bundle

1240
01:13:25,920 --> 01:13:31,159
held a magnificent katana, the second held an equally impressive tantu.

1241
01:13:31,680 --> 01:13:34,119
I dropped my head and felt my eyes begin to

1242
01:13:34,159 --> 01:13:38,720
tear up. Harry, hold your head high, Master Akagi said,

1243
01:13:38,840 --> 01:13:42,680
calling me by my first name. You have Musho Rai,

1244
01:13:43,079 --> 01:13:46,960
a warrior spirit. Now you will be welcomed as a

1245
01:13:47,000 --> 01:13:50,920
part of the family. My sinse commented that he and

1246
01:13:51,039 --> 01:13:54,399
Master Akagi saw my brilliance on the first day, but

1247
01:13:54,439 --> 01:13:57,399
they had no idea that I would progress so fast.

1248
01:13:58,000 --> 01:14:00,600
They both told me to enjoy my weekend off, but

1249
01:14:00,640 --> 01:14:07,000
to keep studying the scrolls. Part sixth The Awakening. Goro

1250
01:14:07,199 --> 01:14:10,960
was waiting for me with a big smile on his face. Congratulations,

1251
01:14:11,079 --> 01:14:14,760
he said. I thanked him, but not wanting to waste time.

1252
01:14:14,840 --> 01:14:18,880
I explained the gunfire heard the night before. I asked

1253
01:14:18,920 --> 01:14:21,720
for his help translating to my neighbor, and he agreed,

1254
01:14:22,079 --> 01:14:24,159
And when I jumped into the car, I checked my

1255
01:14:24,199 --> 01:14:28,600
phone again, happy to see a message from Akimi. Sorry

1256
01:14:28,840 --> 01:14:33,319
worked late, thinking of you, she wrote. Goro followed me

1257
01:14:33,439 --> 01:14:36,279
in his car to my house and we parked and

1258
01:14:36,439 --> 01:14:39,920
walked to my neighbor's door and knocked a slight. Elderly

1259
01:14:40,000 --> 01:14:43,439
woman answered the door, and Goro made the introductions for us.

1260
01:14:44,199 --> 01:14:47,479
Her name was miss Hatachi. She was a widow who

1261
01:14:47,479 --> 01:14:50,520
had lived there for more than twenty years. She told

1262
01:14:50,520 --> 01:14:52,880
Goro she was happy to meet me, and I told

1263
01:14:52,880 --> 01:14:55,479
her in my best Japanese that I was a good

1264
01:14:55,520 --> 01:14:58,159
neighbor who she could call on any time for help,

1265
01:14:58,600 --> 01:15:02,600
and she smiled and bowed. Goro asked if she heard

1266
01:15:02,640 --> 01:15:06,279
the strange sounds or gunfry over the past week. She

1267
01:15:06,359 --> 01:15:09,239
looked concerned, but she shook her head, and when I

1268
01:15:09,279 --> 01:15:12,520
tried to describe and emulate the sound, she became frightened.

1269
01:15:13,560 --> 01:15:17,319
I tried to apologize, and Goro asked her what was wrong.

1270
01:15:18,319 --> 01:15:20,760
She explained that the people who grew up in this

1271
01:15:20,880 --> 01:15:26,279
area always spoke of the mutsichi, the water spirits. That

1272
01:15:26,439 --> 01:15:30,119
was why she kept so many candles outside. I gave

1273
01:15:30,159 --> 01:15:32,079
her my phone number and asked her to call me

1274
01:15:32,119 --> 01:15:35,159
if she ever had a problem. She grasped my hand

1275
01:15:35,199 --> 01:15:39,039
and graciously bowed. As Goro and I walked back to

1276
01:15:39,119 --> 01:15:42,319
our cars. He looked at me and whispered, she's talking

1277
01:15:42,359 --> 01:15:46,479
about the Kappa, he said. I hesitated, wanting to show

1278
01:15:46,560 --> 01:15:49,840
him something, but not sure if I should. If you

1279
01:15:49,920 --> 01:15:52,479
tell a soul what I'm about to show you, you'll

1280
01:15:52,520 --> 01:15:57,039
regret it, I said. He nodded eagerly. I let him

1281
01:15:57,039 --> 01:15:59,800
inside my house and showed him the scrolls, skipping the

1282
01:16:00,000 --> 01:16:04,560
image of the creature inside Kappa. He explained, and then

1283
01:16:04,640 --> 01:16:07,159
told me it was an evil water demon that could

1284
01:16:07,199 --> 01:16:11,159
be controlled by a human master. That night, I studied

1285
01:16:11,159 --> 01:16:14,720
the scrolls again, looking closely at the unusual blue sword

1286
01:16:14,800 --> 01:16:17,720
held by the samurai who fought the creature, and then

1287
01:16:17,760 --> 01:16:21,520
I called a kimi. To my surprise, she answered, and

1288
01:16:21,560 --> 01:16:24,319
I told her right away about my new titles. She

1289
01:16:24,479 --> 01:16:27,960
was silent for a few seconds. Hello, I said into

1290
01:16:28,000 --> 01:16:31,600
the phone. I am surprised to hear that a foreigner

1291
01:16:31,680 --> 01:16:35,199
has earned that title so quickly, not knowing what else

1292
01:16:35,239 --> 01:16:38,000
to say, I offered, can we have dinner tomorrow night?

1293
01:16:38,960 --> 01:16:41,439
We agreed to meet the next night at a restaurant

1294
01:16:41,479 --> 01:16:44,640
by the park in Osaka, chatted for a few minutes

1295
01:16:44,680 --> 01:16:47,880
and then said good night. The next day, I left

1296
01:16:47,880 --> 01:16:51,800
for Osaka wearing my best dressed casual clothes, and when

1297
01:16:51,840 --> 01:16:54,640
I entered the restaurant a few minutes early, Akimi was

1298
01:16:54,680 --> 01:16:58,600
standing there dressed like a movie star. We greeted each

1299
01:16:58,600 --> 01:17:00,600
other with a hug that neither of us seemed to

1300
01:17:00,600 --> 01:17:03,319
want to end, and when the host dis greeted us,

1301
01:17:03,359 --> 01:17:06,880
we reluctantly let go and went to our table. Tell

1302
01:17:06,920 --> 01:17:10,000
me more about yourself, I said. As we sat down.

1303
01:17:11,000 --> 01:17:14,279
Akemi was twenty eight. She told me she had been

1304
01:17:14,479 --> 01:17:18,840
recruited by Terpole from her cyber and multi lingual skills.

1305
01:17:19,560 --> 01:17:22,359
When we both relaxed a little, I learned she'd only

1306
01:17:22,399 --> 01:17:25,560
had one serious relationship and it did not end well.

1307
01:17:26,560 --> 01:17:29,239
Her parents lived in Texas, and she had an older

1308
01:17:29,279 --> 01:17:32,439
brother who was a pilot in the Air Force. And

1309
01:17:32,520 --> 01:17:35,159
after a while I confessed to her that I had

1310
01:17:35,199 --> 01:17:39,159
been a Delta team member. I'm not surprised, she said,

1311
01:17:39,920 --> 01:17:42,880
you probably already knew, I said, with a laugh. And

1312
01:17:43,000 --> 01:17:47,199
she laughed too. After dinner, she invited me for another

1313
01:17:47,279 --> 01:17:51,159
drink at her apartment. So are you a Cowboys fan?

1314
01:17:51,560 --> 01:17:54,600
I asked her as I looked around the frame pictures

1315
01:17:54,600 --> 01:17:58,439
of her friends and family back home. Yes, suh, she

1316
01:17:58,640 --> 01:18:02,920
responded with her best Texas accent. While I sat on

1317
01:18:02,960 --> 01:18:05,079
the sofa, she made us a drink and turned on

1318
01:18:05,119 --> 01:18:08,800
the television. I remember a movie playing, but neither of

1319
01:18:08,880 --> 01:18:13,119
us was watching it. Our faces were locked together within seconds.

1320
01:18:14,039 --> 01:18:16,960
Just as the night was progressing, her phone started to ring.

1321
01:18:17,520 --> 01:18:20,840
She groaned and answered it, and then looked worried. She

1322
01:18:20,920 --> 01:18:23,319
spoke urgently to the person on the other end and

1323
01:18:23,359 --> 01:18:27,680
then hung up. Harry, I have to go, she said apologetically.

1324
01:18:28,720 --> 01:18:30,680
I must have looked like a kid who woke up

1325
01:18:30,680 --> 01:18:34,000
on Christmas morning to find an empty stocking, but I

1326
01:18:34,000 --> 01:18:38,079
could respect that her work took precedence. I'll call you tomorrow,

1327
01:18:38,239 --> 01:18:41,239
she promised. A few minutes later, at her car door,

1328
01:18:42,760 --> 01:18:45,319
I kissed her goodbye and watched as she drove away

1329
01:18:45,479 --> 01:18:49,039
and got in my own car. My drive home was beautiful.

1330
01:18:49,520 --> 01:18:52,319
The sky was clear and starry, and I was close

1331
01:18:52,359 --> 01:18:54,520
to my place when I saw the first light over

1332
01:18:54,560 --> 01:18:58,239
the mountain. As I got closer, I decided it must

1333
01:18:58,239 --> 01:19:01,319
have been a helicopter using a spot, and by the

1334
01:19:01,319 --> 01:19:03,920
time I reached my turn off, the helicopter was over

1335
01:19:03,960 --> 01:19:07,119
the trees down by the river, and instead of going home,

1336
01:19:07,439 --> 01:19:09,960
I turned left to head in that direction and check

1337
01:19:10,000 --> 01:19:13,119
it out. It was a road I hadn't taken before.

1338
01:19:13,880 --> 01:19:16,239
On the last curve before the road dropped down to

1339
01:19:16,319 --> 01:19:18,680
the river, I saw a car with its lights still

1340
01:19:18,720 --> 01:19:21,760
on that looked like it had collided with the embankment.

1341
01:19:22,760 --> 01:19:25,840
When I got closer, I realized it was Goro's car.

1342
01:19:26,880 --> 01:19:29,520
I parked behind this car, left my headlights on and

1343
01:19:29,600 --> 01:19:33,159
started to open my door. Suddenly, a large man appeared

1344
01:19:33,199 --> 01:19:37,239
crouching next to Goro's door. As he began to stand

1345
01:19:37,319 --> 01:19:41,000
upright towering over the vehicle, his face and eyes were

1346
01:19:41,039 --> 01:19:46,079
illuminated by my headlights. His face looked human, but it wasn't.

1347
01:19:46,720 --> 01:19:49,520
His eyes were golden, and as my head tried to

1348
01:19:49,520 --> 01:19:52,920
wrap itself around what I was looking at, I experienced

1349
01:19:52,960 --> 01:19:58,239
one of those combat moments where hesitation means death. My

1350
01:19:58,359 --> 01:20:01,159
catana was in the truck, and with my eyes on

1351
01:20:01,239 --> 01:20:04,680
the strange man creature, I exited my car, but by

1352
01:20:04,720 --> 01:20:07,279
the time I reached the trunk and had the cantenna

1353
01:20:07,439 --> 01:20:11,920
in my hand. He had disappeared, with my catana ready

1354
01:20:11,960 --> 01:20:15,159
to strike. I stood there, listening in the silence, hoping

1355
01:20:15,199 --> 01:20:18,640
for a clue as to where he went From the

1356
01:20:18,720 --> 01:20:21,119
right side of my car. Something hit me and it

1357
01:20:21,159 --> 01:20:23,840
knocked me to the ground, and I rolled and brought

1358
01:20:23,880 --> 01:20:27,560
myself up on one knee with my catana held overhead defensively.

1359
01:20:28,640 --> 01:20:31,680
My training kicked in as I breathed slowly and allowed

1360
01:20:31,720 --> 01:20:35,520
my mind's eye to guide me. Standing just outside of

1361
01:20:35,560 --> 01:20:39,439
the light, a faint figure stood motionless. I could hear

1362
01:20:39,479 --> 01:20:43,880
it breathing. I readied myself as he charged me, and

1363
01:20:43,920 --> 01:20:46,439
I moved laterally to my left and made a forty

1364
01:20:46,439 --> 01:20:50,119
five degree strike to the right. He smashed into my

1365
01:20:50,199 --> 01:20:53,279
car and screamed. It was the same scream I had

1366
01:20:53,319 --> 01:20:56,600
heard a few nights before. It was trying to kill me.

1367
01:20:57,960 --> 01:21:00,279
I wasn't sure I would survive another tax, so I

1368
01:21:00,359 --> 01:21:03,159
moved back and put some distance between us and took

1369
01:21:03,199 --> 01:21:07,119
a defensive stance again. I could see his face better

1370
01:21:07,239 --> 01:21:11,079
now and it shocked me to the core. It was

1371
01:21:11,159 --> 01:21:15,239
covered in scaly skin with features that were as reptilian

1372
01:21:15,359 --> 01:21:19,920
as they were human. Vertical pupils, split each eye into

1373
01:21:19,960 --> 01:21:23,920
two golden half orbs. Where its hands should have been,

1374
01:21:24,119 --> 01:21:28,560
it had claws and blood spilled down its side. Come on, you,

1375
01:21:28,680 --> 01:21:31,479
son of a bitch, Come on, I said, inching my

1376
01:21:31,560 --> 01:21:35,560
feet forward into the right. When it lunched toward me,

1377
01:21:35,840 --> 01:21:38,680
I jumped to the right, got my feet on the trunk,

1378
01:21:38,840 --> 01:21:41,520
and struck to the left. I knew I must have

1379
01:21:41,600 --> 01:21:45,119
hit it when it screamed again on top of my car.

1380
01:21:45,199 --> 01:21:48,279
Now I held the high ground and the advantage. You

1381
01:21:48,319 --> 01:21:51,880
want some more, I shouted. It looked at me and hissed,

1382
01:21:51,880 --> 01:21:54,199
and turned away and ran toward the river, out of

1383
01:21:54,279 --> 01:21:57,880
sight in mere seconds. It took a few seconds for

1384
01:21:57,960 --> 01:22:01,840
me to grasp what had just happened. Reality flooded back,

1385
01:22:01,880 --> 01:22:03,880
and I rushed to the car to see if anyone

1386
01:22:04,079 --> 01:22:06,760
was injured. It was sitting at an angle, with the

1387
01:22:06,840 --> 01:22:10,479
driver's side bumper stuck in the embankment. Now rounded the

1388
01:22:10,520 --> 01:22:14,199
corner cautiously with my sword raised, and found Goro lying

1389
01:22:14,319 --> 01:22:18,359
on the ground with his feet still inside the vehicle. Goro, Goro,

1390
01:22:18,520 --> 01:22:21,840
It's harry, I said, dropping down beside him. He was

1391
01:22:21,920 --> 01:22:25,840
a mess of blood and torn clothing. I turned on

1392
01:22:25,920 --> 01:22:28,880
the interior light and saw claw marks where his skin

1393
01:22:29,039 --> 01:22:33,359
was exposed. I had seen those marks before. He looked

1394
01:22:33,399 --> 01:22:36,000
at me weakly, and I could see the life fading

1395
01:22:36,039 --> 01:22:38,800
from his eyes. It was something I had seen many

1396
01:22:38,840 --> 01:22:42,840
times in my career. Don't allow them to have my sword,

1397
01:22:43,079 --> 01:22:46,720
he whispered, barely aloud enough for me to hear. I

1398
01:22:46,760 --> 01:22:49,600
had a million questions, but this was not one of them.

1399
01:22:50,239 --> 01:22:54,039
Goro needed help, and his breathing was labored. The air

1400
01:22:54,119 --> 01:22:58,640
was escaping through a puncture through his ribs. Stay with me, Goro,

1401
01:22:58,960 --> 01:23:02,039
I said, I'm getting help. He grabbed my arm and

1402
01:23:02,079 --> 01:23:07,199
whispered again. My trunk, get the sword, he said. I

1403
01:23:07,239 --> 01:23:10,319
nodded and quickly went to the trunk, and inside was

1404
01:23:10,359 --> 01:23:14,680
a bundle of old canvas material. By the time I returned,

1405
01:23:14,880 --> 01:23:18,680
Goro was dead. I went back to the trunk and

1406
01:23:18,720 --> 01:23:20,960
put the bundle back and hugged my head while I

1407
01:23:21,000 --> 01:23:23,960
composed myself. Then I got on my cell phone and

1408
01:23:24,000 --> 01:23:28,520
called a master Akagi. He answered immediately. I managed to

1409
01:23:28,560 --> 01:23:31,399
tell him most of what had happened, but before I

1410
01:23:31,439 --> 01:23:36,800
could finish, five figures emerged from the trees. Instantly, I

1411
01:23:36,880 --> 01:23:39,880
dropped the phone and was raising my katana to defend

1412
01:23:39,920 --> 01:23:42,079
myself from what I thought was going to be five

1413
01:23:42,199 --> 01:23:46,399
more of those monsters. I was blinded by tack lights.

1414
01:23:46,399 --> 01:23:49,399
As weapons were leveled on me. A voice with a

1415
01:23:49,479 --> 01:23:52,640
Japanese accent shouted to put down the sword and get

1416
01:23:52,680 --> 01:23:56,319
on the ground face first. The zip tied my hands

1417
01:23:56,319 --> 01:23:59,119
behind me and turned me over, and a man asked

1418
01:23:59,119 --> 01:24:03,000
my name, identified myself. It was the first of a

1419
01:24:03,039 --> 01:24:06,479
dozen questions. Who was I What was I doing here?

1420
01:24:06,720 --> 01:24:12,199
What did I see? Inspector? My interrogator shouted, come over here,

1421
01:24:12,560 --> 01:24:15,800
this one is an American. They sat me up against

1422
01:24:15,840 --> 01:24:19,159
the car and the inspector approached. I couldn't see his

1423
01:24:19,239 --> 01:24:23,039
face from all the lights in my eyes. Oh no, Harry,

1424
01:24:23,319 --> 01:24:26,920
I heard a familiar voice say, a Kimi, I said,

1425
01:24:27,000 --> 01:24:30,800
squinting against the blinding lights. Get those lights out of

1426
01:24:30,840 --> 01:24:34,199
his eyes, she ordered, waving off the helicopter. What are

1427
01:24:34,239 --> 01:24:38,279
you doing here? I scoffed. I could ask the same

1428
01:24:38,319 --> 01:24:42,319
of you, I said. She reached down and cut my

1429
01:24:42,439 --> 01:24:45,600
zip ties, but another agent shouted at her to stop.

1430
01:24:46,640 --> 01:24:49,880
In their heated exchange, I learned his name was Agent

1431
01:24:50,079 --> 01:24:55,520
euro Kanaka, a colleague of hers at the PSIA. He

1432
01:24:55,640 --> 01:25:00,439
reluctantly relented and Akimi cut me free. Tell us what happened,

1433
01:25:00,520 --> 01:25:05,119
Akimi said. As I stood up, I hesitated, Promise you

1434
01:25:05,159 --> 01:25:08,159
won't put the zip ties back on, I said, knowing

1435
01:25:08,279 --> 01:25:10,399
what I was about to say warranted a trip to

1436
01:25:10,439 --> 01:25:15,079
a padded room in a straight jacket. I promise, Akimi said,

1437
01:25:15,279 --> 01:25:18,920
Now what happened? As I spit out a string of events,

1438
01:25:19,079 --> 01:25:22,279
leaving out the part about the sword, Akimi and Agent

1439
01:25:22,319 --> 01:25:29,199
Tanaka exchanged a worried look. Part seven myth versus reality.

1440
01:25:30,399 --> 01:25:32,720
So inspector, what are you going to do with me?

1441
01:25:33,079 --> 01:25:37,760
I asked? When Tanaka stepped away. I'm sorry, Akimi offered,

1442
01:25:37,800 --> 01:25:43,560
clearly distressed. Don't apologize, just explain. I said, You're free

1443
01:25:43,600 --> 01:25:47,399
to go. She answered, it wasn't the explanation I wanted

1444
01:25:48,239 --> 01:25:51,319
seeing this, she added, go home and wait for me.

1445
01:25:52,319 --> 01:25:56,039
I nodded. She didn't give me much of a choice.

1446
01:25:56,199 --> 01:25:58,960
When I pulled up to my house, Master Akagi was

1447
01:25:59,000 --> 01:26:05,159
standing outside. I immediately expressed my grief over Goro. Come,

1448
01:26:05,319 --> 01:26:09,279
he said, gently, I will make tea inside. I told

1449
01:26:09,319 --> 01:26:12,239
him what had happened, finding the car and fighting the

1450
01:26:12,239 --> 01:26:15,239
creature and getting the sword, and Goro dying and then

1451
01:26:15,319 --> 01:26:20,279
getting zip tied and blinded by psia. He listened intently

1452
01:26:20,560 --> 01:26:22,920
in his expression, telling me that he was making a

1453
01:26:22,960 --> 01:26:27,079
mental note of every word. You have proven yourself again,

1454
01:26:27,279 --> 01:26:30,239
he said, when I finished. But now you are marked.

1455
01:26:30,479 --> 01:26:34,119
The capita will come after you. Where is the sword?

1456
01:26:34,880 --> 01:26:38,039
I went back outside and retrieved the canvas bundle from

1457
01:26:38,039 --> 01:26:43,199
my car. Master Akagi unwrapped it, revealing a magnificent catana

1458
01:26:43,520 --> 01:26:47,880
made of blue steel. I gasped at the sight of it.

1459
01:26:47,880 --> 01:26:50,239
It was a cloudy blue with a deep finish that

1460
01:26:50,319 --> 01:26:53,039
I could almost look into, but there was no reflection.

1461
01:26:54,359 --> 01:26:57,840
Before I could ask, Master Akagi explained that the steel

1462
01:26:57,880 --> 01:27:00,720
came from within the earth, under the rivers where the

1463
01:27:00,800 --> 01:27:04,079
Kappa live. There were only a few swords like it

1464
01:27:04,199 --> 01:27:10,039
in existence. This is the sword of the scrolls. I said, yes,

1465
01:27:10,239 --> 01:27:12,399
and in the hands of a master, it is the

1466
01:27:12,439 --> 01:27:15,880
only blade that can defeat the kappa. He said, if

1467
01:27:15,880 --> 01:27:18,159
you had not found Goro, the sword would be in

1468
01:27:18,199 --> 01:27:21,000
the hands of the kappa now. He told me that

1469
01:27:21,079 --> 01:27:23,560
Goro was on his way to deliver the sword to

1470
01:27:23,640 --> 01:27:27,319
the home of mister Sumiyoshi, the owner of the school,

1471
01:27:27,399 --> 01:27:33,000
when he was attacked. Master Akagi paus for a moment, Harry,

1472
01:27:33,239 --> 01:27:37,119
there are things I must tell you. Mister Sumiyochi is

1473
01:27:37,159 --> 01:27:40,439
a member of the second largest yakuza family in Japan.

1474
01:27:41,119 --> 01:27:44,880
I leaned in my interest pique. The Yamaguchi are the

1475
01:27:44,960 --> 01:27:48,840
largest family. They want to take over the Sumiyoshi family's

1476
01:27:48,920 --> 01:27:53,720
business dealings. Mister Sumiyoshi left that business many years ago

1477
01:27:53,800 --> 01:27:56,560
to buy our school and start a new life. The

1478
01:27:56,680 --> 01:28:00,720
Yamaguchi think he is becoming weak and has because he

1479
01:28:00,800 --> 01:28:03,600
is an easy target and all the deaths in this

1480
01:28:03,800 --> 01:28:08,199
area were junior members of the Sumiyoshi family. They're sending

1481
01:28:08,199 --> 01:28:11,680
a message to mister Sumiyoshi to sign over all his

1482
01:28:11,800 --> 01:28:14,279
holdings and to persuade the rest of the family in

1483
01:28:14,319 --> 01:28:19,079
Tokyo to do the same. They will refuse this. If

1484
01:28:19,199 --> 01:28:22,479
Yamaguchi are caught in the act of killing a Sumiyoshi

1485
01:28:22,520 --> 01:28:26,520
family member, it will start a war. Someone within the

1486
01:28:26,600 --> 01:28:31,119
Yamaguchi family figured out how to invoke the Kiro, powerful

1487
01:28:31,159 --> 01:28:34,760
evil spirits to gain control of the Kappa. Now they

1488
01:28:34,800 --> 01:28:38,359
want to use them to their advantage. What should I

1489
01:28:38,399 --> 01:28:42,239
do with the sword, I asked, thinking everything he told

1490
01:28:42,319 --> 01:28:45,399
me sounded like it was some crazy plot out of

1491
01:28:45,399 --> 01:28:50,119
a science fiction movie. Keep it, he said, flatly. It

1492
01:28:50,159 --> 01:28:53,159
will be safe with you. Nobody would expect you to

1493
01:28:53,239 --> 01:28:57,720
have it. He stood up and added, Monday, we start

1494
01:28:57,760 --> 01:29:01,359
your training for the sword for fighting the kappa. Now

1495
01:29:01,399 --> 01:29:05,159
come with me. I followed him to the trunk of

1496
01:29:05,159 --> 01:29:07,560
his car, where he pulled out a rifle case and

1497
01:29:07,640 --> 01:29:11,479
a tactical bag. He handed them to me without explaining

1498
01:29:11,560 --> 01:29:15,720
the contents. He knew I was familiar with everything inside.

1499
01:29:16,279 --> 01:29:18,760
Then he handed me an ID card with my picture

1500
01:29:18,840 --> 01:29:22,119
on it. Written in both Japanese and English were the

1501
01:29:22,119 --> 01:29:29,640
words personal Security seg Sumi Yoshi Enterprises Japan. He left

1502
01:29:29,680 --> 01:29:32,800
to make the necessary arrangements for Goro and I looked

1503
01:29:32,800 --> 01:29:36,399
over the contents of the bag, an ar ten carving

1504
01:29:36,479 --> 01:29:40,279
with all the bells and whistles, five twenty round magazines,

1505
01:29:40,680 --> 01:29:44,079
a tactical knife, and a CZ forty five with three

1506
01:29:44,199 --> 01:29:48,600
ten round magazines, and enough mo for an anti insurgent mission.

1507
01:29:49,560 --> 01:29:53,079
The clock told me it was four hundred hours. I

1508
01:29:53,159 --> 01:29:57,319
needed some sleep. At eleven fifteen hours, a knock on

1509
01:29:57,399 --> 01:30:00,199
my door woke me up. It was a Kimi who

1510
01:30:00,319 --> 01:30:03,239
walked in, looking like a dream in just jeans and

1511
01:30:03,279 --> 01:30:08,399
a polo. What no zip ties? I said. She rolled

1512
01:30:08,439 --> 01:30:12,239
her eyes and looked at me. Apologetically. Please, Harry, can

1513
01:30:12,279 --> 01:30:14,880
we put all that behind us, she said, holding up

1514
01:30:14,880 --> 01:30:18,000
a bag of food. I smiled and led her to

1515
01:30:18,039 --> 01:30:21,159
the dining table, where we sat down to eat. You've

1516
01:30:21,199 --> 01:30:25,920
got some explaining to do, I said, bluntly. Yes, she said,

1517
01:30:26,279 --> 01:30:29,039
looking down at her hands for a moment before making

1518
01:30:29,079 --> 01:30:35,399
eye contact again. I hunt monsters, I'm all ears, I said.

1519
01:30:36,479 --> 01:30:39,520
Growing up in East Texas, there were always stories of

1520
01:30:39,560 --> 01:30:44,680
the chupacabra, bigfoot, and dog man. I was fascinated by them,

1521
01:30:44,920 --> 01:30:48,159
and I spent hours researching, and one day I began

1522
01:30:48,239 --> 01:30:51,960
posting about it under a pseudonym. By the time I

1523
01:30:52,039 --> 01:30:55,359
was twenty, I learned enough about cryptids and had taught

1524
01:30:55,399 --> 01:30:59,119
myself enough cyber skills to hack into an obscure cover

1525
01:30:59,359 --> 01:31:03,680
for Dulcia in the Four Corners area. She paused, like

1526
01:31:03,720 --> 01:31:05,840
she was waiting for me to laugh or ask her

1527
01:31:05,880 --> 01:31:08,800
to leave. When I encouraged her with an odd she

1528
01:31:08,840 --> 01:31:12,760
relaxed and went on. My father got a visit from

1529
01:31:12,760 --> 01:31:16,039
an alphabet agency. They wanted to know if this was

1530
01:31:16,079 --> 01:31:19,399
his doing. Her eyes widened as she looked down and

1531
01:31:19,479 --> 01:31:22,319
her plate of food, reliving the memories like it had

1532
01:31:22,319 --> 01:31:26,479
happened yesterday. He was furious with me. But the next

1533
01:31:26,479 --> 01:31:29,520
thing I knew, I was sitting in the NSA office

1534
01:31:29,600 --> 01:31:33,359
getting recruited. First I did research, and then I almost

1535
01:31:33,399 --> 01:31:36,640
sent to a linguistic school, and after that I was

1536
01:31:36,680 --> 01:31:40,520
sent overseas to work with a variety of agencies. She

1537
01:31:40,640 --> 01:31:43,840
looked up with her beautiful eyes. I didn't like the

1538
01:31:43,920 --> 01:31:48,520
direction the NSA was headed, so I resigned. Meanwhile, I

1539
01:31:48,560 --> 01:31:52,479
discovered that Interpole was operating a secret cryptid unit within

1540
01:31:52,520 --> 01:31:55,920
its fugitive unit, so I applied. I've been there for

1541
01:31:55,960 --> 01:32:00,000
almost five years now, so you were packing a gun

1542
01:32:00,159 --> 01:32:04,239
on that plane, I said, and she nodded. I have

1543
01:32:04,359 --> 01:32:07,359
been as honest with you as I can be, she said,

1544
01:32:07,800 --> 01:32:10,399
and I hope you will do me the same favor.

1545
01:32:11,319 --> 01:32:14,079
I just died in my seat, rubbed my chin and nodded.

1546
01:32:14,560 --> 01:32:17,800
I knew I could trust her. I told her everything

1547
01:32:17,880 --> 01:32:20,840
I knew. I recapped my training and how I had

1548
01:32:20,840 --> 01:32:24,319
fought the creature. I told her I had injured it twice.

1549
01:32:24,479 --> 01:32:28,039
And when I told her about my conversation with Master Akagi,

1550
01:32:28,399 --> 01:32:33,359
she nodded. She already knew about the Yukuza connection. She

1551
01:32:33,479 --> 01:32:36,760
was unaware, however, that someone had invoked an evil spirit

1552
01:32:36,840 --> 01:32:41,680
to control the Kappa. You're wrong about one thing, she said.

1553
01:32:41,880 --> 01:32:45,359
This thing isn't a kappa, it's a reptilian. They've been

1554
01:32:45,399 --> 01:32:49,439
here since the beginning of creation. I showed her the

1555
01:32:49,479 --> 01:32:52,920
weapons Master Akagi had given me, and then I showed

1556
01:32:52,960 --> 01:32:57,479
her the scrolls. She examined them closely while I explained

1557
01:32:57,479 --> 01:32:59,640
that they had been given to me to prepare me.

1558
01:33:00,279 --> 01:33:03,279
And when I revealed the sword, she was amazed by it.

1559
01:33:03,960 --> 01:33:07,279
I have only ever seen one of these before, she said,

1560
01:33:07,359 --> 01:33:10,520
staring into the clouded surface, and it was locked in

1561
01:33:10,560 --> 01:33:14,159
a secured vault. This one is better, and then she

1562
01:33:14,279 --> 01:33:18,279
looked up at me. I am obligated to confiscate the sword.

1563
01:33:19,239 --> 01:33:22,680
Before I could react, she added, but my Japanese side

1564
01:33:22,720 --> 01:33:25,600
tells me that it's better if you keep it. I

1565
01:33:25,640 --> 01:33:28,119
told her about the mural that I had seen in

1566
01:33:28,159 --> 01:33:31,119
the battle, with the creature depicted on it, and then

1567
01:33:31,159 --> 01:33:35,039
I told her one last thing. The distinctive scratch marks

1568
01:33:35,079 --> 01:33:38,279
on Goro's body were reminiscent of a set of scratch

1569
01:33:38,319 --> 01:33:41,920
marks my father carried on his back. I told her

1570
01:33:41,920 --> 01:33:44,760
the story of what happened when I was seventeen, and

1571
01:33:44,880 --> 01:33:48,760
how no one had believed my father Akimi placed her

1572
01:33:48,800 --> 01:33:53,239
hand gently on my chest. Harry, do you understand that

1573
01:33:53,359 --> 01:33:57,119
your being here was faded? Before I could answer, she

1574
01:33:57,279 --> 01:34:01,079
leaned in and kiss me. Moments lay, we were tangled

1575
01:34:01,159 --> 01:34:03,800
up in each other and the sheets on my bed,

1576
01:34:04,199 --> 01:34:07,600
as if a lifetime of loneliness and emptiness were finally

1577
01:34:07,720 --> 01:34:11,079
being filled. My phone woke us up a couple of

1578
01:34:11,079 --> 01:34:14,920
hours later. I glanced at the time before answering it.

1579
01:34:14,920 --> 01:34:19,159
It was seventeen thirty hours Captain Tate. A voice said

1580
01:34:19,159 --> 01:34:23,520
on the other end, this is Lieutenant Ellis with Army Intelligence.

1581
01:34:23,560 --> 01:34:26,479
How are you, sir? Who wrote my cell number on

1582
01:34:26,520 --> 01:34:30,399
the bus station wall? I joked, Colonel Jones gave me

1583
01:34:30,479 --> 01:34:33,560
your number. He told me in a voice that, despite

1584
01:34:33,600 --> 01:34:37,800
revealing a complete lack of humor, was not unpleasant. He

1585
01:34:37,840 --> 01:34:39,760
asked that I check in on you and see how

1586
01:34:39,800 --> 01:34:44,000
you're doing. Well. Thank you, I said, I'm still adjusting

1587
01:34:44,039 --> 01:34:47,399
to my new life. I glanced down at a Chmi's

1588
01:34:47,439 --> 01:34:51,239
half covered form in the twisted sheets. Well, I'm sure

1589
01:34:51,239 --> 01:34:53,800
you'll be able to meet all the challenges you'll face,

1590
01:34:53,920 --> 01:34:56,760
but we're here if you need us, he said. I

1591
01:34:56,760 --> 01:34:59,800
thought that was a curious statement. He asked if we

1592
01:34:59,800 --> 01:35:03,920
could meat sometime and break bread. Sure, I said, let

1593
01:35:04,000 --> 01:35:07,439
me call you when things settle down. Roger that, he said,

1594
01:35:07,439 --> 01:35:11,319
and hung up. Akimi, who had been listening to the call,

1595
01:35:11,479 --> 01:35:16,119
noted the strangeness of Lieutenant Ellis's statement as well. She

1596
01:35:16,279 --> 01:35:20,319
reasoned that the Yukuza deaths being in such close proximity

1597
01:35:20,359 --> 01:35:23,640
to me, had put me on their radar. They were

1598
01:35:23,680 --> 01:35:28,359
probably aware of what happened last night. At nineteen hundred

1599
01:35:28,359 --> 01:35:30,640
hours a, Kimi told me she'd left her bag in

1600
01:35:30,680 --> 01:35:32,640
the car, so I offered to go out and get

1601
01:35:32,640 --> 01:35:35,359
it for her. As soon as I walked out to

1602
01:35:35,439 --> 01:35:39,239
the door, and an easy feeling washed over me. I

1603
01:35:39,319 --> 01:35:42,199
backed up into the house again, grabbed the CZ and

1604
01:35:42,239 --> 01:35:46,159
scan the yard. Akimi, I said, over my shoulder through

1605
01:35:46,159 --> 01:35:50,199
the open door, act alert, something isn't right. It was

1606
01:35:50,239 --> 01:35:54,520
the same feeling I'd had walking into an ambush. As

1607
01:35:54,560 --> 01:35:57,039
I inched toward her car, I saw a movement in

1608
01:35:57,119 --> 01:36:00,279
the foliage. Then a creature like I saw all the

1609
01:36:00,359 --> 01:36:04,199
night before, burst out, heading right at me. I squeezed

1610
01:36:04,239 --> 01:36:07,199
all four or five rounds as it advanced on me,

1611
01:36:07,279 --> 01:36:10,319
but I couldn't prevent it from hitting me. It slashed

1612
01:36:10,359 --> 01:36:12,680
at my upper arm and I hit the ground hard.

1613
01:36:13,680 --> 01:36:16,600
I spun around to take aim again, and from behind me,

1614
01:36:16,760 --> 01:36:20,119
I heard the sound of the ar ten barking. It

1615
01:36:20,159 --> 01:36:23,159
was a Kimi firing from the stoop, but she wasn't

1616
01:36:23,199 --> 01:36:26,439
firing at the one attacking me. Another one was closing

1617
01:36:26,479 --> 01:36:29,880
in from behind. I rolled out of the way, and

1618
01:36:29,920 --> 01:36:32,680
the one that attacked me was now bearing down on

1619
01:36:32,720 --> 01:36:35,680
a Chimi, and it jumped onto the stoop and slashed

1620
01:36:35,720 --> 01:36:38,600
at her. She raised the rifle in the fence, but

1621
01:36:38,680 --> 01:36:41,840
it knocked it from her hands. I looked to my

1622
01:36:41,960 --> 01:36:44,439
left and the second creature was lying on the ground

1623
01:36:44,439 --> 01:36:47,479
next to me. A Chimi was down on the stoop

1624
01:36:47,640 --> 01:36:51,560
with that thing standing over her, arms raised and claws bared.

1625
01:36:52,319 --> 01:36:55,039
I emptied the cz into the side of its head.

1626
01:36:55,640 --> 01:36:59,159
It released a horrible screeching sound and fell into the

1627
01:36:59,199 --> 01:37:02,520
side of a house and slid to the ground. I

1628
01:37:02,560 --> 01:37:04,600
looked at the one beside me to make sure it

1629
01:37:04,640 --> 01:37:07,600
was dead, and then ran to Akimi and grabbed the rifle.

1630
01:37:08,199 --> 01:37:11,000
Two more rounds in its skull, assured that it would

1631
01:37:11,000 --> 01:37:15,479
not be getting back up. You're bleeding, get inside, Akimi said,

1632
01:37:15,760 --> 01:37:18,880
getting back to her feet. A minute later, she was

1633
01:37:18,960 --> 01:37:21,600
treating my wound with a medical kit she had stashed

1634
01:37:21,600 --> 01:37:24,600
in her car. I have to give you an injection,

1635
01:37:24,880 --> 01:37:28,760
she said hurriedly as she rummaged through the kit. Scratches

1636
01:37:28,800 --> 01:37:32,800
and bites from these things can cause deadly infections for humans.

1637
01:37:34,279 --> 01:37:39,720
Part eight SUMMATAI kys a cold wind. That was the

1638
01:37:39,880 --> 01:37:44,359
sexiest thing I've ever seen, I said. We were waiting

1639
01:37:44,399 --> 01:37:48,439
for Agent Tanaka and his men to arrive. Akimi raised

1640
01:37:48,439 --> 01:37:52,439
her eyebrows in question, and I elaborated, seeing you fire

1641
01:37:52,479 --> 01:37:56,960
that rifle, that's the sexiest thing I've ever seen. Akimi smiled.

1642
01:37:57,439 --> 01:37:59,960
It is no longer safe for you here, she said,

1643
01:38:00,319 --> 01:38:02,840
you should come and stay with me. Oh, I'd love that,

1644
01:38:03,319 --> 01:38:06,279
I answered with a broad grin, but I'm obliged to

1645
01:38:06,319 --> 01:38:10,520
stay here and finish my studies. Our conversation was cut

1646
01:38:10,560 --> 01:38:14,640
short by a phone call from Master Akagi. Are you okay?

1647
01:38:14,880 --> 01:38:18,840
He asked. My neighbor, Miss Hatachi had called him and

1648
01:38:18,920 --> 01:38:21,760
told him what had happened. You must come and stay

1649
01:38:21,800 --> 01:38:25,319
at the school where they're a security. I agreed with

1650
01:38:25,399 --> 01:38:28,079
that plan. I'm pleased that you have a new friend,

1651
01:38:28,119 --> 01:38:31,920
he added, speak with her. I handed the phone to

1652
01:38:32,000 --> 01:38:35,920
a Kimi. They spoke in Japanese, some of which I understood.

1653
01:38:36,960 --> 01:38:39,319
A minute later, she handed the phone back to me,

1654
01:38:39,479 --> 01:38:42,079
and Master Akagi told me that by the time the

1655
01:38:42,239 --> 01:38:46,399
Gorutsuki the thugs cleaned up the mess, my room at

1656
01:38:46,439 --> 01:38:50,680
the school would be ready for me. Master Akagi thinks

1657
01:38:50,720 --> 01:38:53,479
you are some kind of a chosen one, Akimi said.

1658
01:38:53,479 --> 01:38:56,159
When I hung up the phone. Just then a pair

1659
01:38:56,199 --> 01:38:59,439
of headlights lit up the yard. It was Tanaka in

1660
01:38:59,520 --> 01:39:03,239
an su. He had three men with him and a

1661
01:39:03,319 --> 01:39:07,279
van carrying two men and hazmat suits pulled in behind them.

1662
01:39:07,840 --> 01:39:11,800
Tanaka was clearly angry. He and Akimi got into a

1663
01:39:11,840 --> 01:39:15,479
heated conversation that I didn't like, and I was about

1664
01:39:15,479 --> 01:39:18,960
to interject myself when Akimi put her finger to Tanaka's

1665
01:39:19,039 --> 01:39:22,159
face and said something to the effect of you should

1666
01:39:22,199 --> 01:39:26,199
be happy now you have two to study. She turned

1667
01:39:26,239 --> 01:39:28,319
her back on him and told me that she had

1668
01:39:28,319 --> 01:39:31,279
to go, and I convinced her to stay long enough

1669
01:39:31,319 --> 01:39:34,239
to let Miss Hatachi know that she would be safe now.

1670
01:39:34,319 --> 01:39:37,600
Because I was going to stay at the school. I

1671
01:39:37,640 --> 01:39:40,439
asked Akimi to tell her that I would stop by

1672
01:39:40,479 --> 01:39:43,279
to check on her, to which Miss Hatachi bowed and

1673
01:39:43,319 --> 01:39:46,720
said thank you. When Akimi left, I went to the

1674
01:39:46,760 --> 01:39:50,239
school and found a new servant, Kenda, waiting to help

1675
01:39:50,279 --> 01:39:55,960
carry my things. Kenda spoke almost no English. Master Akagi

1676
01:39:56,000 --> 01:39:58,800
and Jonah were waiting at the front door to usher

1677
01:39:58,840 --> 01:40:01,319
me into the dining ear where the meal had been

1678
01:40:01,359 --> 01:40:06,359
prepared for me, your favorite no Southern fried chicken. Master

1679
01:40:06,479 --> 01:40:10,640
Akagi said, I thank them and the cook for their hospitality.

1680
01:40:12,199 --> 01:40:14,520
As I ate, they told me that tomorrow I would

1681
01:40:14,600 --> 01:40:18,119
learn the kanji or bushido code that few have been

1682
01:40:18,159 --> 01:40:23,159
privy to. It was specific to fighting the kappa. I

1683
01:40:23,279 --> 01:40:25,800
was going to get to meet the Katana sword maker.

1684
01:40:26,560 --> 01:40:29,079
Kenda entered the room, then bowing his head as he

1685
01:40:29,119 --> 01:40:33,359
introduced a visitor. Master Akagi and Jonah both rose to

1686
01:40:33,399 --> 01:40:37,640
their feet and bowed. I followed suit. The man who

1687
01:40:37,760 --> 01:40:41,039
entered was impeccably dressed in a fine three piece double

1688
01:40:41,079 --> 01:40:44,800
breast suit with a fine silk tie, and he greeted

1689
01:40:44,840 --> 01:40:51,000
me in perfect English. Hello, Captain Tate, I am Alexander Asumayoshi,

1690
01:40:51,119 --> 01:40:54,920
he said, seating himself across from me and helping himself

1691
01:40:54,960 --> 01:40:58,199
to a piece of my chicken. He gestured to us

1692
01:40:58,239 --> 01:41:01,399
to sit and join him. May I ask how you

1693
01:41:01,520 --> 01:41:07,000
got the name Alexander sir, I asked, please drop the formalities.

1694
01:41:07,079 --> 01:41:10,600
He said, my father studied Alexander the Great, more than

1695
01:41:10,720 --> 01:41:15,000
any warrior in history, even more than the great Samurai warriors.

1696
01:41:15,399 --> 01:41:18,520
He wanted me to be like Alexander, but it wasn't

1697
01:41:18,560 --> 01:41:23,279
in my DNA, and your English is perfect, I ventured,

1698
01:41:23,399 --> 01:41:26,840
not wanting to sound too intrusive. I went to Harvard

1699
01:41:27,159 --> 01:41:32,760
in an internship on Wall Street. That's impressive, I said, Actually,

1700
01:41:32,920 --> 01:41:36,680
he said, it is you who I find impressive. I've

1701
01:41:36,720 --> 01:41:39,640
never risked my life in combat, nor have i had

1702
01:41:39,720 --> 01:41:43,520
my comrades gata alongside me, and I certainly never fought

1703
01:41:43,560 --> 01:41:48,039
and defeated a Kappa. I listened and made mental notes

1704
01:41:48,039 --> 01:41:52,079
as he explained that Atsumasai Akades had arrived about six

1705
01:41:52,119 --> 01:41:55,600
months ago. He had lost four family members in a

1706
01:41:55,680 --> 01:42:01,039
loyal and noble koboku. He was referring to goro. When

1707
01:42:01,039 --> 01:42:03,479
you fought the Kappa, you became an enemy of the

1708
01:42:03,560 --> 01:42:08,640
Yamaguchi family. It makes you family. The ororo contenta is

1709
01:42:08,680 --> 01:42:12,079
the key to defeating the Kappa. The metal is harmful

1710
01:42:12,119 --> 01:42:15,560
to them. It is even more harmful when forged into

1711
01:42:15,600 --> 01:42:18,359
a sword and in the hands of a master. It

1712
01:42:18,439 --> 01:42:22,920
is terrifying to them. The wizard that has gained control

1713
01:42:22,960 --> 01:42:25,880
of this clan was not able to control all of them,

1714
01:42:26,520 --> 01:42:29,079
but he has gained control of the Alpha, and at

1715
01:42:29,079 --> 01:42:33,119
the Alpha's direction, the clan is attacking my family. There

1716
01:42:33,119 --> 01:42:36,239
are only two ways to stop this. Either we discover

1717
01:42:36,439 --> 01:42:39,399
who the wizard is and force him to reverse the spell,

1718
01:42:39,920 --> 01:42:43,399
or we kill the Alpha. He let me absorb that

1719
01:42:43,520 --> 01:42:48,039
for a second, and then added, your new friend, Missus Estrata,

1720
01:42:48,119 --> 01:42:52,000
is aware of this. The Psia is actively working on

1721
01:42:52,079 --> 01:42:55,600
the wizard angle. She is researching ways to find and

1722
01:42:55,640 --> 01:42:59,600
destroy the Alpha or the entire clan. The problem is

1723
01:42:59,640 --> 01:43:02,680
that these creatures live in caverns under the river, and

1724
01:43:02,720 --> 01:43:05,720
there's no way to determine their exact numbers or the

1725
01:43:05,760 --> 01:43:09,760
exact location of the Alpha. Legend tells us that they

1726
01:43:09,800 --> 01:43:12,119
live in groups of up to one hundred or more.

1727
01:43:13,039 --> 01:43:15,960
About one third of those are warriors, the rest of

1728
01:43:16,000 --> 01:43:19,199
the females and the young. I took the liberty of

1729
01:43:19,239 --> 01:43:22,319
asking Akimi to come here tomorrow to set up a

1730
01:43:22,359 --> 01:43:25,680
research office. I'm sure you will be pleased that she

1731
01:43:25,720 --> 01:43:29,079
will have a room here in the house. He rose

1732
01:43:29,159 --> 01:43:31,800
and told me to get some rest before I started

1733
01:43:31,800 --> 01:43:34,439
my training in the morning, and he shook my hand

1734
01:43:34,479 --> 01:43:38,720
and he thanked me and he left. Afterward, Master Rikagi

1735
01:43:38,840 --> 01:43:42,199
looked at me with a big smile. My name is Theodotus,

1736
01:43:42,520 --> 01:43:47,079
Please call me THEO, he said. At O six hundred hours,

1737
01:43:47,159 --> 01:43:50,279
I was at the breakfast table. Kenda put a bowl

1738
01:43:50,319 --> 01:43:52,520
of eggs, rice, and bacon in front of me and

1739
01:43:52,600 --> 01:43:56,359
managed to say protein and carbs, and I smiled and

1740
01:43:56,439 --> 01:44:00,199
thanked him. At O six thirty hours, Jonah found me

1741
01:44:00,279 --> 01:44:03,560
at the fountain and told me to follow him. He

1742
01:44:03,640 --> 01:44:05,880
led me behind the school to what looked like some

1743
01:44:06,000 --> 01:44:09,920
sort of workshop, and inside I recognized the smell of

1744
01:44:10,039 --> 01:44:14,239
forged hot steel. A plump old man was standing there

1745
01:44:14,279 --> 01:44:18,640
waiting for us. His name was Tetxgen, which means sage

1746
01:44:18,760 --> 01:44:23,439
or philosopher. He told a story and Jonah translated it

1747
01:44:23,479 --> 01:44:27,439
for me. There was once a noble samurai fighting against

1748
01:44:27,520 --> 01:44:31,479
a ruthless warlord. His men were ambushed on a bridge

1749
01:44:31,520 --> 01:44:35,840
by a ninja clan hired by the warlord. Seriously injured,

1750
01:44:35,880 --> 01:44:38,319
he fell off the bridge and into the swift current

1751
01:44:38,359 --> 01:44:42,119
that swept him away. The ninja pursued him on both

1752
01:44:42,159 --> 01:44:46,000
sides of the bank and finally completely exhausted, he sunk

1753
01:44:46,079 --> 01:44:51,399
under the water, nearly slipping into unconsciousness. He was about

1754
01:44:51,399 --> 01:44:54,439
to drown when something grabbed him and pulled him above

1755
01:44:54,479 --> 01:44:58,319
the surface and into the bushes. As he came to

1756
01:44:58,399 --> 01:45:03,399
his senses, he saw creature. There was a kappa. It

1757
01:45:03,439 --> 01:45:06,439
had learned to speak Japanese by hiding in the bushes

1758
01:45:06,479 --> 01:45:10,439
and listening to men talk. The kapa told the samurai

1759
01:45:10,600 --> 01:45:13,039
that it had a cruel master who had taken his

1760
01:45:13,079 --> 01:45:16,199
wife and made him a slave. He tried to kill

1761
01:45:16,239 --> 01:45:19,359
his master, but he was seriously injured and barely managed

1762
01:45:19,399 --> 01:45:23,199
to escape. The samurai said that he was fighting a

1763
01:45:23,239 --> 01:45:27,600
cruel warlord who did a similar thing. The kappa talked

1764
01:45:27,600 --> 01:45:30,079
about the blue steel and the caverns that could harm

1765
01:45:30,119 --> 01:45:33,520
the kappa. He said that this steel could cut through

1766
01:45:33,600 --> 01:45:36,880
other metals, and then he told the samurai that he

1767
01:45:36,960 --> 01:45:39,399
had brought some with him and that he could get more.

1768
01:45:40,399 --> 01:45:42,840
They agreed to become friends and to help each other.

1769
01:45:44,079 --> 01:45:47,399
Over time, the samurai healed, and the kappa taught him

1770
01:45:47,439 --> 01:45:51,279
how to make swords from this blue steel. He forged

1771
01:45:51,399 --> 01:45:55,079
five swords, and he took them to his men. As

1772
01:45:55,119 --> 01:45:58,279
he told this story, he demonstrated how the steel cut

1773
01:45:58,319 --> 01:46:02,359
through their Samurai swords. He and the four best warriors

1774
01:46:02,439 --> 01:46:05,800
led their men to the territory of the cruel Warlord,

1775
01:46:06,079 --> 01:46:08,680
where they began to kill the warlord's men and cut

1776
01:46:08,720 --> 01:46:13,319
their swords in half. Eventually, the Samurai sent a challenge

1777
01:46:13,359 --> 01:46:15,920
to the warlord to do battle with five of his

1778
01:46:16,039 --> 01:46:21,439
best men, and the warlord accepted. The Samurai easily defeated

1779
01:46:21,479 --> 01:46:24,800
the warlord's men, who bowed to them and placed their loyalty.

1780
01:46:25,680 --> 01:46:28,319
The cruel war Lord was put to death and the

1781
01:46:28,359 --> 01:46:32,239
Samurai was made the new leader. He recruited his best

1782
01:46:32,239 --> 01:46:34,640
warriors to go with the Kappa and get more of

1783
01:46:34,640 --> 01:46:37,560
the blue steel, and many more swords were made in

1784
01:46:37,640 --> 01:46:41,800
preparation for the battle against the Cruel Kappa. Master the

1785
01:46:41,880 --> 01:46:45,119
Kappa taught the Samurai and his men how to hold

1786
01:46:45,119 --> 01:46:47,760
their breath so they could go into the river and

1787
01:46:47,920 --> 01:46:51,319
enter the cavern. He taught them the weaknesses of the

1788
01:46:51,399 --> 01:46:54,479
Kappa and how to use blinding power from a plant

1789
01:46:54,600 --> 01:46:58,680
against them, and when the Samurai attacked, one fourth of

1790
01:46:58,720 --> 01:47:02,399
the Kappa were killed or injured. When they arrived at

1791
01:47:02,439 --> 01:47:04,800
the main chamber of the cave, the Kappa told his

1792
01:47:04,920 --> 01:47:08,239
brethren to surrender and hand over their cruel master so

1793
01:47:08,319 --> 01:47:12,239
they could be free, and to everyone's surprise, they did.

1794
01:47:13,520 --> 01:47:17,279
The master was handed over and beheaded by the Samurai leader.

1795
01:47:17,960 --> 01:47:20,960
The samurai's Kapa friend was made the new leader, and

1796
01:47:21,000 --> 01:47:25,000
the Samurai and the Kappa lived in peace. Then an

1797
01:47:25,039 --> 01:47:28,039
evil wizard found a way to enchant the Kappa with

1798
01:47:28,199 --> 01:47:34,359
underground plants that had hallucinogenic properties. That's what was happening now,

1799
01:47:34,640 --> 01:47:38,239
and I realized it. I looked around and saw that

1800
01:47:38,279 --> 01:47:42,640
Tetsujin had forged two more blue swords. It was all

1801
01:47:42,720 --> 01:47:45,640
of the steel he had left, save one small piece.

1802
01:47:46,560 --> 01:47:48,680
I asked if he could make a small knife for me,

1803
01:47:48,720 --> 01:47:52,520
and he agreed. The swords, which were made for Jonah

1804
01:47:52,520 --> 01:47:56,199
and Theo, would be ready by the next morning. Tetsugen

1805
01:47:56,359 --> 01:47:59,319
said that we would practice together to learn the feel

1806
01:47:59,560 --> 01:48:03,159
and the of these weapons. You will learn the kapa

1807
01:48:03,239 --> 01:48:06,560
weakness and lead other warriors into their chamber to kill

1808
01:48:06,600 --> 01:48:09,880
the alpha, he said. We thanked him and went to

1809
01:48:09,960 --> 01:48:14,079
the dojo to commence training for the day. We rolled

1810
01:48:14,079 --> 01:48:16,880
out the scrolls onto the floor and began reading the

1811
01:48:16,920 --> 01:48:20,319
sketches and diagrams, and I learned that the Kappa had

1812
01:48:20,359 --> 01:48:23,960
sensitive ears and their eyes were vulnerable to bright light.

1813
01:48:24,800 --> 01:48:28,239
The skin around their small ear cavities was thin and delicate,

1814
01:48:28,479 --> 01:48:30,520
and the backs of their legs from their knees to

1815
01:48:30,560 --> 01:48:34,840
their ankles were points of great weakness. The ribs under

1816
01:48:34,840 --> 01:48:38,119
their arms near their waist weren't a stick, making an

1817
01:48:38,159 --> 01:48:42,920
easier access point to their vital organs. The scrolls also

1818
01:48:43,079 --> 01:48:46,199
contained a recipe for a fire bomb, but the moisture

1819
01:48:46,239 --> 01:48:50,319
of the tunnels made them almost impossible to light. Another

1820
01:48:50,439 --> 01:48:53,800
recipe for a powder made from another plant could blind

1821
01:48:53,840 --> 01:48:57,680
them when it was thrown directly into their eyes. When

1822
01:48:57,720 --> 01:49:01,079
we stopped for lunch, Akimi was at the damad. I

1823
01:49:01,119 --> 01:49:03,760
told her all that we had studied in the scrolls.

1824
01:49:04,640 --> 01:49:07,159
She said that she had had her own copy of

1825
01:49:07,239 --> 01:49:10,439
them and was studying them as well. And then she

1826
01:49:10,560 --> 01:49:15,359
said Tanaka had brought some incendiary grenades. Someone tipped off

1827
01:49:15,399 --> 01:49:19,560
the US Army about these incidents, minus the details. She warned,

1828
01:49:19,760 --> 01:49:22,960
you should expect a visit. I took her hands in

1829
01:49:23,039 --> 01:49:25,720
mine and looked her in the eyes. Are we in

1830
01:49:25,800 --> 01:49:31,159
this together? I asked? She nodded. My afternoon was reserved

1831
01:49:31,159 --> 01:49:35,640
for practicing attacks. When I re entered the dojo, mister

1832
01:49:35,880 --> 01:49:39,439
Sumiyoshi was there. With a life sized model figure of

1833
01:49:39,479 --> 01:49:43,319
a Kappa on the floor at his feet. Gentlemen, he said,

1834
01:49:43,680 --> 01:49:48,039
you will practice attacking the Kappa's vulnerable spots For the

1835
01:49:48,039 --> 01:49:51,920
next four hours. We repeated our attacks, improving and refining

1836
01:49:51,960 --> 01:49:54,640
them until it was time to stop and the Kapa

1837
01:49:54,640 --> 01:49:59,039
figure was toast. Meanwhile, we were to have some dinner

1838
01:49:59,079 --> 01:50:02,039
and get some rest. When I went to shower, I

1839
01:50:02,079 --> 01:50:07,119
discovered that Akimi's room was next to mine. Part nine,

1840
01:50:07,359 --> 01:50:12,239
the task at hand. At eighteen hundred hours, I knocked

1841
01:50:12,279 --> 01:50:16,600
on Akimi's door, Come in, she said. I opened the

1842
01:50:16,640 --> 01:50:19,520
door to find her seated at her computer with papers

1843
01:50:19,560 --> 01:50:23,319
scattered around her table. She looked up at me reluctantly.

1844
01:50:24,119 --> 01:50:28,279
You know this is a suicide mission, right, she said, huh,

1845
01:50:28,359 --> 01:50:31,399
I said. The only way for this plan to work

1846
01:50:31,439 --> 01:50:35,520
will be for you, THEO agent Tanaka, and the Semiosha's

1847
01:50:35,520 --> 01:50:40,000
security force to die. According to the Plantanaka shared with me,

1848
01:50:40,199 --> 01:50:42,560
you're going to have to fight your way into the

1849
01:50:42,560 --> 01:50:45,760
tunnels and get to the main cavern. There, you'll be

1850
01:50:45,840 --> 01:50:50,600
expected to set explosives and collapse everything. She hesitated for

1851
01:50:50,640 --> 01:50:55,960
a moment before continuing, there will be no time to escape.

1852
01:50:56,159 --> 01:50:59,279
She leaned forward and begged me with her eyes. Please

1853
01:50:59,359 --> 01:51:03,479
don't go. I don't go on suicide missions, I assured her.

1854
01:51:04,800 --> 01:51:09,039
Later at dinner, mister Sumiyoshi, Jonah, THEO, Akimi, and I

1855
01:51:09,119 --> 01:51:12,680
sat at the dinner table together. We sipped saki and

1856
01:51:12,880 --> 01:51:16,640
toasted our health and success. The alcohol burned in our

1857
01:51:16,680 --> 01:51:20,000
throats as we drank it down. You need another plan.

1858
01:51:20,319 --> 01:51:24,279
You're all gonna die, Akimi said to the room. Mister

1859
01:51:24,359 --> 01:51:28,359
Sumiyoshi and Jonah looked at her in surprise. There's a

1860
01:51:28,399 --> 01:51:33,000
better way, she insisted. Everyone at the table began to

1861
01:51:33,119 --> 01:51:37,439
argue with her, besides me. Damn it, she shouted. After

1862
01:51:37,479 --> 01:51:40,159
several minutes, what good would it do for you to

1863
01:51:40,279 --> 01:51:43,359
die in honorable death? She stood up and ran out

1864
01:51:43,399 --> 01:51:45,560
of the room, leaving the rest of us staring at

1865
01:51:45,560 --> 01:51:49,359
each other in silence. After a moment, I stood up

1866
01:51:49,399 --> 01:51:54,000
and followed her. I found Akimi in her room, furious

1867
01:51:54,039 --> 01:51:57,560
and crying, and I pulled her into my arms. What's

1868
01:51:57,560 --> 01:52:01,119
your plan, I asked her. She told me that they

1869
01:52:01,159 --> 01:52:03,800
had used infrared to track the kappa that I had

1870
01:52:03,800 --> 01:52:07,800
wounded back to the river. There they located an underwater cave.

1871
01:52:08,720 --> 01:52:11,720
I asked the US government to provide assistance with ground

1872
01:52:11,800 --> 01:52:15,479
penetrating radar to map the tunnels and hopefully locate the

1873
01:52:15,520 --> 01:52:18,760
main cavity. We can use you to lure them out,

1874
01:52:19,000 --> 01:52:22,279
she said. They have your scent and they hate you.

1875
01:52:23,239 --> 01:52:26,399
She explained that the US military has a type of

1876
01:52:26,560 --> 01:52:29,600
seismic bomb that they can drop over the cave and

1877
01:52:29,680 --> 01:52:33,119
panic the reptilians. It was the same one they used

1878
01:52:33,119 --> 01:52:36,520
to flush out and kill the giants of Kandahar. How

1879
01:52:36,560 --> 01:52:40,159
do you know that, I asked her. Everybody knows that.

1880
01:52:40,439 --> 01:52:43,880
She said, you want to use me for bait, I ask,

1881
01:52:44,600 --> 01:52:48,399
Don't worry. There will be back up, she said. The

1882
01:52:48,479 --> 01:52:50,560
next morning, I was back at the dojo at o

1883
01:52:50,680 --> 01:52:54,560
seven hundred hours. Mounted on a small platform was one

1884
01:52:54,600 --> 01:52:57,800
of the Kappa we had killed. It was almost seven

1885
01:52:57,880 --> 01:53:01,199
feet tall and its steink like hell. A brave man

1886
01:53:01,239 --> 01:53:03,720
would piss himself if he ran into this thing in

1887
01:53:03,760 --> 01:53:07,920
a dark alley. Mister Sumiyoshi and agent Tanaka were there.

1888
01:53:08,960 --> 01:53:12,600
You have this for today, only Tanaka informed us, and

1889
01:53:12,640 --> 01:53:17,279
then we must return it to cold storage. Tetsagen delivered

1890
01:53:17,279 --> 01:53:20,560
our swords in my knife. Our catanas are in the scabbard,

1891
01:53:20,680 --> 01:53:24,479
so our strikes would not completely destroy the Kappa. THEO

1892
01:53:24,640 --> 01:53:28,359
went first, followed by Jonah. When it was my turn,

1893
01:53:28,479 --> 01:53:30,159
I took a moment to get a feel of my

1894
01:53:30,279 --> 01:53:34,479
sword before striking the Kappa. As we sat down for lunch,

1895
01:53:34,760 --> 01:53:38,000
Kenda entered the room and announced that we had guests.

1896
01:53:38,560 --> 01:53:42,359
It was Lieutenant Kobe Ellis and my old teammate Tim Ross.

1897
01:53:42,840 --> 01:53:45,039
I sprang out of my seat to hug him, and

1898
01:53:45,079 --> 01:53:48,359
we both teared up. I would learn that Kobe's mother

1899
01:53:48,600 --> 01:53:52,800
was from Kobe Japan. I heard you've been catching spring lizards,

1900
01:53:52,840 --> 01:53:56,439
Tim said. I pointed at a Kimi. It's her fault.

1901
01:53:57,159 --> 01:54:01,119
Tim looked at Akimi. So this is the sculpted goddess

1902
01:54:01,159 --> 01:54:05,159
you emailed me about, he said. Both My and Achimi's

1903
01:54:05,159 --> 01:54:08,920
face turned brilliant. Shed's afraid. I understand you have a

1904
01:54:08,920 --> 01:54:14,479
wildlife exhibiting the dojo. Kobe interjected, First we eat, THEO

1905
01:54:14,680 --> 01:54:18,640
told him. Then we will see the kappa. As we

1906
01:54:18,880 --> 01:54:22,640
ate our lunch. Kobe explained that a specialized Navy seal

1907
01:54:22,760 --> 01:54:27,319
unit was dedicated to managing these humanoid reptiles. They would

1908
01:54:27,439 --> 01:54:32,039
arrive in Osaka around zero dark thirty. Tim was tasked

1909
01:54:32,039 --> 01:54:36,439
with liaising between us and the seal team. After lunch,

1910
01:54:36,560 --> 01:54:39,119
we walked down to the dojo for a moment of truth.

1911
01:54:39,600 --> 01:54:42,760
Kobe and Tim got their first look at the Kappa. Well,

1912
01:54:42,800 --> 01:54:46,319
I'll be Tim mumbled under his breath, while I got

1913
01:54:46,359 --> 01:54:49,279
back to work. Akemi explained the scrolls and the blue

1914
01:54:49,319 --> 01:54:53,359
steel swords to Kobe and Tim. After a couple of hours.

1915
01:54:53,399 --> 01:54:56,960
The Katana felt like an extension of my arm. It

1916
01:54:57,000 --> 01:55:01,119
was light, but strong and well balanced. Remembered the importance

1917
01:55:01,159 --> 01:55:04,640
of allowing my mind's eye to direct my movements. It

1918
01:55:04,720 --> 01:55:07,680
seemed easier to do with this new sword. I felt

1919
01:55:07,680 --> 01:55:10,479
as though I had a personal connection with it. At

1920
01:55:10,479 --> 01:55:13,800
eighteen hundred hours, we reconvened at the dinner table and

1921
01:55:13,880 --> 01:55:17,880
we discussed strategies and decided on a dry run simulation

1922
01:55:18,079 --> 01:55:21,840
in the dojo for our attack on the tunnels. Akimi's

1923
01:55:21,840 --> 01:55:25,279
plan started sounding better as we ironed out the details.

1924
01:55:26,159 --> 01:55:28,880
At twenty one hundred hours, we called it a night.

1925
01:55:29,840 --> 01:55:32,520
Back in her bedroom. Akimi clung to me tightly and

1926
01:55:32,560 --> 01:55:37,800
we fell asleep in each other's arms. At one five hours,

1927
01:55:37,840 --> 01:55:42,079
the dojo alarm sounded and gunfire erupted, and I sprang

1928
01:55:42,159 --> 01:55:45,479
up and grabbed my tack vest in ar. Stay here,

1929
01:55:45,720 --> 01:55:50,159
I told Akimi and shoot anything with scales. I entered

1930
01:55:50,159 --> 01:55:52,600
the hallway to find Tim and Kobe already there with

1931
01:55:52,640 --> 01:55:56,800
their weapons slung together. We entered the dojo, hugging the

1932
01:55:56,800 --> 01:56:01,479
walls as we moved cautiously forward and began screaming. As

1933
01:56:01,520 --> 01:56:05,239
a hissing screech echoed through the building, I motioned to

1934
01:56:05,279 --> 01:56:09,239
Tim to slide right while I pushed forward contact to right.

1935
01:56:09,359 --> 01:56:13,000
Two o'clock. Tim shouted. We opened up and put one

1936
01:56:13,039 --> 01:56:16,720
down as the other ran off screaming. I heard another

1937
01:56:16,760 --> 01:56:19,119
scream behind me and turned to see one of those

1938
01:56:19,159 --> 01:56:22,640
things attacking Kobe. He had knocked him to the ground

1939
01:56:22,720 --> 01:56:26,359
and was slashing at him. Before I could fire, Tim

1940
01:56:26,399 --> 01:56:29,840
put two rounds into his ear, spraying brains and slime

1941
01:56:30,000 --> 01:56:33,159
onto the wall, and Kobe was cut up badly. But

1942
01:56:33,279 --> 01:56:36,720
before I could check him, another scream split the night.

1943
01:56:37,720 --> 01:56:40,479
One of them beheaded a security team member at the

1944
01:56:40,560 --> 01:56:44,960
dojo entrance. Tim and I opened up simultaneously and put

1945
01:56:45,000 --> 01:56:47,960
it down. As the creature fell to the ground, I

1946
01:56:47,960 --> 01:56:51,439
heard Akimi scream from inside the house. Tim and I

1947
01:56:51,560 --> 01:56:54,319
rounded the corner to the front entrance to find three

1948
01:56:54,359 --> 01:56:58,279
of the reptilians. One of them had Akimi and I

1949
01:56:58,359 --> 01:57:01,720
darted down the driveway as the other two charged us.

1950
01:57:02,279 --> 01:57:05,000
We put rounds into their mouths and throats, and then

1951
01:57:05,199 --> 01:57:09,000
sidestepped and ducked and rolled, and we went after Akimi,

1952
01:57:09,439 --> 01:57:13,520
but they were already gone. Tanaka arrived and announced that

1953
01:57:13,600 --> 01:57:16,920
two of his men were dead. Kobe was in need

1954
01:57:16,960 --> 01:57:21,640
of medical attention and would require an immediate injection. I

1955
01:57:21,720 --> 01:57:25,199
started screaming at Tanaka that I was going after Akimi

1956
01:57:25,279 --> 01:57:27,760
and that he'd better tell me where that entrance was

1957
01:57:27,800 --> 01:57:31,640
to the cave. We will go after her. He said, calmly,

1958
01:57:32,119 --> 01:57:34,960
but this attack was a diversion to abduct her and

1959
01:57:35,039 --> 01:57:38,239
pull us in, to pull you into a trap. I'm

1960
01:57:38,279 --> 01:57:42,560
sure she's still alive. He walked back inside, his words

1961
01:57:42,640 --> 01:57:46,920
doing nothing to placate me. I followed him into the house,

1962
01:57:47,319 --> 01:57:51,239
and a security guard lay dead in the fouryer sitting

1963
01:57:51,239 --> 01:57:53,920
on the floor next to a dead Kappa Jonah was

1964
01:57:53,960 --> 01:57:57,359
bleeding while one of Tanaka's men tended to his wounds.

1965
01:57:58,159 --> 01:58:02,560
Kenda had been beheaded. Master Rikagi Jonas said, when he

1966
01:58:02,600 --> 01:58:06,720
saw me upstairs, I took the steps two at a

1967
01:58:06,800 --> 01:58:09,800
time and discovered theo on the floor in front of

1968
01:58:09,880 --> 01:58:14,239
my room. Next to him was a decapitated kappa. He

1969
01:58:14,279 --> 01:58:18,479
looked into my eyes. We fought well, he said, grabbing

1970
01:58:18,520 --> 01:58:22,279
my hand in his, and then he breathed his last.

1971
01:58:22,800 --> 01:58:26,239
The window frame in Akimi's room had been destroyed, and

1972
01:58:26,279 --> 01:58:30,000
another dead kappa lay with its feet still on the sill.

1973
01:58:30,520 --> 01:58:32,880
Bullet wounds riddled the side of its head and neck.

1974
01:58:33,760 --> 01:58:36,840
I picked up the pistol next to Akimi's bed and

1975
01:58:36,840 --> 01:58:40,239
I examined it, and my mind raised with guilt. I

1976
01:58:40,279 --> 01:58:42,960
should not have told her to stay here. This was

1977
01:58:43,039 --> 01:58:47,000
my fault. Memories of praying with my mother sprang up,

1978
01:58:47,039 --> 01:58:49,560
and I grasped my hands together and leaned my head

1979
01:58:49,600 --> 01:58:52,800
against them, and I started to pray. Show me what

1980
01:58:52,960 --> 01:58:55,760
to do, I said, and then I stood up and

1981
01:58:55,800 --> 01:58:59,760
grabbed my gear and headed downstairs. The sealed team is

1982
01:58:59,760 --> 01:59:03,119
in a Osaka, Kobe said, as I walked past. They'll

1983
01:59:03,159 --> 01:59:06,119
be here around three thirty, and in f twenty two

1984
01:59:06,239 --> 01:59:09,880
is scrambling out of Okinama with percussion bombs. It was

1985
01:59:10,119 --> 01:59:13,479
two hundred hours. I'm not wasting time waiting on the

1986
01:59:13,520 --> 01:59:17,520
seal team, I spat, before turning to Tanaka. Where is

1987
01:59:17,560 --> 01:59:21,199
your helicopter? I can have it here in fifteen minutes,

1988
01:59:21,319 --> 01:59:24,840
he said, then gather your men. There's no time to

1989
01:59:24,920 --> 01:59:32,039
waste Part ten Fukushi Vengeance. I told Tanaka to gather

1990
01:59:32,119 --> 01:59:34,640
up the carcasses of the dead lizards and have the

1991
01:59:34,680 --> 01:59:38,039
helicopter drop them on the bank above the underwater entrance.

1992
01:59:38,720 --> 01:59:43,319
Texagen entered and said in Japanese, how can I serve you?

1993
01:59:43,359 --> 01:59:45,800
Get some rope and go with a helicopter. I told

1994
01:59:45,840 --> 01:59:48,720
him cut the kappa into big chunks and throw them

1995
01:59:48,720 --> 01:59:53,439
in the river like bait. Jonah, bandaged and struggling, said

1996
01:59:53,840 --> 01:59:57,479
take Master Akagi's katana and I'll join you. We can

1997
01:59:57,520 --> 02:00:01,399
cut them up well. I turned back to Tanaka. Have

1998
02:00:01,520 --> 02:00:04,800
your men drop flares on top of the main cavern coordinates,

1999
02:00:05,159 --> 02:00:08,520
and then I turned to Kobe. Are we good to go? Affirmative?

2000
02:00:08,720 --> 02:00:12,079
He replied, you got a high band portable radio so

2001
02:00:12,119 --> 02:00:14,479
we can talk to the F twenty two in the seals.

2002
02:00:14,720 --> 02:00:18,359
I asked, yes, sir. He snapped, Tim, you up for

2003
02:00:18,399 --> 02:00:21,600
a little swim, I asked, turning to him, Oh yeah,

2004
02:00:21,760 --> 02:00:25,279
he answered. By the time the chopper sat us down,

2005
02:00:25,319 --> 02:00:28,560
it was almost three hundred. I jumped off the skids

2006
02:00:28,600 --> 02:00:32,840
with Tim and Kobe on my six. Jonah, Texigen and

2007
02:00:32,880 --> 02:00:35,840
Tanaka along with three of his men were ready to

2008
02:00:35,960 --> 02:00:40,279
join us. They had sophisticated goggles. Two of them were

2009
02:00:40,279 --> 02:00:44,520
wearing James Bond looking spear guns. The plan was for

2010
02:00:44,680 --> 02:00:47,600
Kobe to remain there with the two security guards while

2011
02:00:47,680 --> 02:00:52,880
Jonah chunked bait. Kobe, bring it, I commanded. He nodded

2012
02:00:52,920 --> 02:00:56,319
and keyed the mic on his portable banger two to one.

2013
02:00:56,399 --> 02:01:01,039
This is Angler. Make some noise, he said, Bang one. Roger,

2014
02:01:01,239 --> 02:01:04,920
the voice answered, I said a silent prayer that the

2015
02:01:04,960 --> 02:01:08,760
bombs wouldn't kill a Kemi. When Kobe yelled, cover your ears.

2016
02:01:10,439 --> 02:01:14,359
Thirty seconds later, we heard an explosion, and a harmonic

2017
02:01:14,479 --> 02:01:18,279
shock wave swept under us, vibrating the ground beneath our

2018
02:01:18,319 --> 02:01:22,000
feet and throwing us off our equilibrium. For a few minutes,

2019
02:01:22,880 --> 02:01:29,159
Kobe's radio cracked. Angler copy package delivered Spearfisher inbound Eta

2020
02:01:29,319 --> 02:01:34,159
twenty five. A voice said Roger that six souls to beach.

2021
02:01:34,640 --> 02:01:38,319
Kobe answered, take a deep breath, I said, and we

2022
02:01:38,359 --> 02:01:42,600
went feet wet. Even with the powerful lights, it was

2023
02:01:42,680 --> 02:01:46,640
hard to find the cave entrance. After forty seconds, one

2024
02:01:46,680 --> 02:01:49,960
of Tanaka's men said something over the radio in Japanese

2025
02:01:49,960 --> 02:01:54,039
that I think was several Kappa ascending. Damn they could

2026
02:01:54,079 --> 02:01:57,720
swim fast. At that moment I got to see what

2027
02:01:57,760 --> 02:02:01,520
those spear guns could do. The tip was a phosphorus

2028
02:02:01,560 --> 02:02:05,720
flare that ignited on contact with the kappa. The murky

2029
02:02:05,760 --> 02:02:09,159
water lit up, and we heard the kapa shriek. Three

2030
02:02:09,239 --> 02:02:11,399
or four of them seemed to freeze when they came

2031
02:02:11,439 --> 02:02:15,039
into contact with the bait lines. Tim swam over and

2032
02:02:15,079 --> 02:02:19,479
put his tack knife in one's ear. Konnata Tanaka shouted

2033
02:02:19,520 --> 02:02:23,399
over the colms this way. He directed everyone to follow

2034
02:02:23,479 --> 02:02:26,880
him where he could see a cave entrance illuminated, and

2035
02:02:26,960 --> 02:02:29,680
at the entrance he paused and fired something out of

2036
02:02:29,680 --> 02:02:33,760
a large tube. In seconds, the passage was lit up

2037
02:02:33,840 --> 02:02:37,680
so intensely we had to cover our eyes. I called

2038
02:02:37,760 --> 02:02:40,319
Kobe over the cons to have the F twenty two

2039
02:02:40,479 --> 02:02:44,680
drop round two. I started a thirty second countdown as

2040
02:02:44,720 --> 02:02:48,359
we entered the tunnel. We emerged into an area now

2041
02:02:48,399 --> 02:02:52,560
dimly lit by Tanaka's flare. When we had been under

2042
02:02:52,560 --> 02:02:56,840
the water for a minute, I shouted brace. We covered

2043
02:02:56,840 --> 02:03:00,760
our ears as another shockwave hit. This time it felt

2044
02:03:00,800 --> 02:03:04,279
like our eyes and ears would pop. I turned around

2045
02:03:04,319 --> 02:03:06,760
to take a head count and one of Tanaka's men

2046
02:03:06,920 --> 02:03:10,880
was missing. We got on solid ground and slung weapons.

2047
02:03:11,359 --> 02:03:13,600
We still had one man with a spear gun and

2048
02:03:13,680 --> 02:03:17,399
one man with an intense light beam. I told them

2049
02:03:17,439 --> 02:03:20,319
I would take point and brandish my katana to put

2050
02:03:20,359 --> 02:03:23,760
fear in them, and it apparently worked. As one of

2051
02:03:23,760 --> 02:03:26,680
them approached it froze at the sight of the katana,

2052
02:03:26,880 --> 02:03:29,840
giving me time to slide under it and sever its

2053
02:03:29,920 --> 02:03:33,840
legs while the others opened fire. The screeches were deafening

2054
02:03:34,000 --> 02:03:38,760
as the remaining Kapa retreated. As we penetrated further into

2055
02:03:38,840 --> 02:03:42,039
the passage, I heard a garbled message from Kobe, but

2056
02:03:42,119 --> 02:03:46,119
I couldn't understand it. Above the ground, two security guards

2057
02:03:46,159 --> 02:03:48,760
had shot several Kappa that were coming out of the water.

2058
02:03:49,760 --> 02:03:53,880
Jonah and Texigen had managed to kill one. The combination

2059
02:03:54,000 --> 02:03:56,079
of the bombs and the blue steel had given us

2060
02:03:56,119 --> 02:04:01,399
the advantage. A black Hawk emerged down river unannounced, spear

2061
02:04:01,479 --> 02:04:07,159
fisher on station. Within six minutes, six seals fast rope down,

2062
02:04:07,319 --> 02:04:11,920
equipped with more James Bond looking type equipment. Kobe briefed

2063
02:04:11,960 --> 02:04:15,640
them and they prepared to get wet. Below ground, we

2064
02:04:15,720 --> 02:04:18,840
inched down the passage while pressed against the walls, using

2065
02:04:18,840 --> 02:04:23,039
a red light. The ear piercing screeches and hissing began

2066
02:04:23,079 --> 02:04:27,680
to hit us. It was annoying and confusing and disorienting

2067
02:04:27,760 --> 02:04:31,039
all at the same time. It was as if they

2068
02:04:31,039 --> 02:04:34,560
were all trying to blast us at once. So I

2069
02:04:34,600 --> 02:04:38,079
stood there and took some deep breaths, remembering Master Akagi

2070
02:04:38,119 --> 02:04:43,720
and Jonah's words, use your mind's eye. I turned to Tim,

2071
02:04:43,840 --> 02:04:47,680
who was behind me. Close your eyes and breathe. Imagine

2072
02:04:47,680 --> 02:04:49,520
a little dot of light in front of you and

2073
02:04:49,600 --> 02:04:53,399
concentrate and breathe. Then follow me, I said. I told

2074
02:04:53,399 --> 02:04:56,359
Tanaka that we were advancing, and he informed me that

2075
02:04:56,479 --> 02:04:59,439
the seal team had entered the cave. So I directed

2076
02:04:59,439 --> 02:05:02,039
one man go back to brief them and bring them

2077
02:05:02,039 --> 02:05:05,479
to us. Tanaka told the man with the spear gun

2078
02:05:05,560 --> 02:05:08,960
to fire at the first kappa we saw. We inch

2079
02:05:09,039 --> 02:05:12,880
further under the onslaught of the hissing until several kapa

2080
02:05:13,000 --> 02:05:16,760
rushed forward. The spear gunner managed to fire one round

2081
02:05:16,800 --> 02:05:20,520
before one of them slammed into him. The phosphorus light

2082
02:05:20,640 --> 02:05:25,359
illuminated the chamber to reveal dozens of the sobs. Tim

2083
02:05:25,520 --> 02:05:28,000
opened up as I drew the katana off my back

2084
02:05:28,039 --> 02:05:33,359
and started striking. Tanaka threw an incendiary grenade, and Tim

2085
02:05:33,439 --> 02:05:36,119
followed suit, and a few of them were engulfed in

2086
02:05:36,159 --> 02:05:40,119
the flames. It lit up two side tunnels that revealed

2087
02:05:40,119 --> 02:05:43,720
more Kappa than I could count. The Kappa who were

2088
02:05:43,840 --> 02:05:47,359
close enough to see the blue steel hesitated. They were

2089
02:05:47,399 --> 02:05:51,479
afraid and confused about what to do next. I raised

2090
02:05:51,479 --> 02:05:53,560
the blade over my head as if I were about

2091
02:05:53,560 --> 02:05:56,560
to strike, and they backed away. And at that moment

2092
02:05:56,600 --> 02:05:59,119
I heard a voice in my head say I'm going

2093
02:05:59,159 --> 02:06:03,319
to kill her. I turned and shouted, Tim, she's alive.

2094
02:06:04,680 --> 02:06:07,880
The Kappa surrounding us stayed back to avoid the flames

2095
02:06:07,880 --> 02:06:11,520
from the grenades. Tanaka's man was dead from a deep

2096
02:06:11,560 --> 02:06:15,119
cut to his throat. Tanaka grabbed the spear gun and

2097
02:06:15,199 --> 02:06:19,039
started firing into the side passages as he shouted, go

2098
02:06:19,119 --> 02:06:23,560
get her. Tim chucked another phosphorus grenade way out in

2099
02:06:23,560 --> 02:06:27,560
front of us, and we slowly advanced. This ain't your fight, Tim,

2100
02:06:27,680 --> 02:06:31,560
I shouted, you can lay back and wait for the seals. Well,

2101
02:06:31,600 --> 02:06:34,279
with all due respect, Captain, shut the hell up and

2102
02:06:34,359 --> 02:06:37,960
move out, he yelled back. I nodded, and we moved

2103
02:06:37,960 --> 02:06:40,560
to the edge of the phosphorus light, where the passage

2104
02:06:40,600 --> 02:06:44,439
opened into a huge cavern. With rocks and debris everywhere,

2105
02:06:44,960 --> 02:06:47,960
and we slowly moved forward until we could see the

2106
02:06:48,039 --> 02:06:51,800
outline of dozens of Kappa standing around what looked like

2107
02:06:51,880 --> 02:06:56,159
a stage or an altar. I could hear that voice again, saying,

2108
02:06:56,840 --> 02:07:01,159
enter inter. As we got closer, I could see the

2109
02:07:01,199 --> 02:07:04,760
Alpha standing on the altar, surrounded by four other Kappa.

2110
02:07:05,439 --> 02:07:08,800
He was holding Achimi with one hand as the claws

2111
02:07:08,800 --> 02:07:12,399
of his other hand pressed against her neck. The other

2112
02:07:12,520 --> 02:07:15,079
kappa on the stage were bigger than any I had

2113
02:07:15,119 --> 02:07:18,800
seen so far, and the Alpha was over seven feet tall.

2114
02:07:19,399 --> 02:07:23,000
He had an aura of pure evil about him. The

2115
02:07:23,039 --> 02:07:26,279
air feels like it weighs a ton. Tim whispered from

2116
02:07:26,319 --> 02:07:30,920
behind me, I've never felt so uneasy. The Alpha had

2117
02:07:31,000 --> 02:07:34,680
yellow eyes with vertical pupils and was difficult to look at.

2118
02:07:34,720 --> 02:07:38,479
As we got closer, what do you want? I shouted

2119
02:07:39,520 --> 02:07:43,720
Somewhere in the distance behind us. Loud gunfire cracked the air,

2120
02:07:44,000 --> 02:07:48,279
followed by minor explosions and the sound of kapa suffering.

2121
02:07:49,000 --> 02:07:51,840
Look at the kappa around the altar. They're scared, I

2122
02:07:51,920 --> 02:07:56,039
told Tim, get ready to toss those phosphorus grenades. I'm

2123
02:07:56,039 --> 02:07:59,960
about to do something. The voice in my head spoke again.

2124
02:08:00,680 --> 02:08:03,760
I want you, the Sumiyoshi family, and the rest of

2125
02:08:03,800 --> 02:08:08,840
the worms dead. Slowly, I moved forward, displaying the sword

2126
02:08:08,920 --> 02:08:12,039
in front of me. I know you hear my people

2127
02:08:12,119 --> 02:08:15,399
coming there, killing all the Kappa. If you want to

2128
02:08:15,439 --> 02:08:18,720
save your kind and keep your throne, release her and

2129
02:08:18,880 --> 02:08:22,199
keep me. I made it to the edge of the altar.

2130
02:08:22,800 --> 02:08:26,000
Look around you. You see the fear in the kappa's eyes.

2131
02:08:26,279 --> 02:08:28,960
They know you're about to die. It's up to you

2132
02:08:29,000 --> 02:08:32,159
to save them. And as I got closer, the other

2133
02:08:32,239 --> 02:08:35,359
Kappa on the altar started to move back in fear

2134
02:08:36,760 --> 02:08:41,159
Part eleven a faithful gamble. The Alpha looked at me

2135
02:08:41,239 --> 02:08:44,880
with hatred and rage. I looked around as I moved

2136
02:08:44,880 --> 02:08:47,960
my body from side to side and displayed the sword.

2137
02:08:49,000 --> 02:08:52,119
They're afraid, I shouted. They want to live and they

2138
02:08:52,199 --> 02:08:55,640
know it's up to you to save them. At that moment,

2139
02:08:55,720 --> 02:08:59,000
the gunfire from the seal team drew closer. Many of

2140
02:08:59,000 --> 02:09:02,159
the Kapa flinched and looked in that direction. Some of

2141
02:09:02,199 --> 02:09:05,880
them hid behind each other in this now, I said,

2142
02:09:06,279 --> 02:09:10,479
take me and let her go. The Alpha nodded, and

2143
02:09:10,520 --> 02:09:12,880
the voice in my head directed me to lay the

2144
02:09:12,920 --> 02:09:16,760
sword on the altar. I breathed, and allowed my mind's

2145
02:09:16,800 --> 02:09:20,680
eye to dictate my next move. I heard the voices

2146
02:09:20,720 --> 02:09:23,840
of the seal team calling out. I looked over at

2147
02:09:23,840 --> 02:09:27,039
Tim and he was ready. I inched closer to the

2148
02:09:27,079 --> 02:09:30,760
Alpha and he towered over me. His teeth were like razors.

2149
02:09:31,079 --> 02:09:34,720
His claws were three or four inches long. I inch

2150
02:09:34,800 --> 02:09:38,039
closer and pulled back my collar and exposed my neck.

2151
02:09:38,960 --> 02:09:42,199
His grip on a kimi loosened. She fell forward off

2152
02:09:42,239 --> 02:09:45,960
the altar, and the Alpha wrapped his fingers around my neck.

2153
02:09:46,840 --> 02:09:51,199
Tim grabbed a kimi. My hands were still loosening my

2154
02:09:51,359 --> 02:09:54,520
clothes as if to offer him my neck. I looked

2155
02:09:54,560 --> 02:09:57,720
at the Alpha and his ugly face, and I sneered. God,

2156
02:09:57,800 --> 02:10:03,199
you're ugly, I said. His body tensed as rage flooded

2157
02:10:03,239 --> 02:10:07,439
his face and his eyes burned with pure malice. He

2158
02:10:07,520 --> 02:10:10,119
picked me up by my neck. I heard a chemi

2159
02:10:10,239 --> 02:10:12,800
scream as he pulled me close and opened his big

2160
02:10:12,840 --> 02:10:16,960
mouth to reveal those razor sharp teeth. He was preparing

2161
02:10:17,000 --> 02:10:19,279
to rip my face off, but I needed him to

2162
02:10:19,279 --> 02:10:23,159
pull me just a little bit closer. His mouth gaped

2163
02:10:23,199 --> 02:10:27,359
wider as the fetid smell of putrid breath engulfed my senses.

2164
02:10:28,279 --> 02:10:31,439
I pulled Tetchigen's knife from inside my lapel and I

2165
02:10:31,560 --> 02:10:35,199
thrust it into his neck. He slashed at me with

2166
02:10:35,279 --> 02:10:38,920
his free hand, and I fell backward. The impact left

2167
02:10:38,960 --> 02:10:42,079
me idled as blood poured into my right eye, leaving

2168
02:10:42,119 --> 02:10:45,439
me unable to see out of it. Roll right. Tim

2169
02:10:45,520 --> 02:10:48,920
screamed as he threw a phosphorus grenade onto the altar.

2170
02:10:49,880 --> 02:10:52,520
I rolled as quickly as I could, covering my head

2171
02:10:52,560 --> 02:10:55,560
as I did, and a loud bang, followed by the

2172
02:10:55,560 --> 02:10:59,199
most hideous screeching I had ever heard, fill the air.

2173
02:11:00,640 --> 02:11:04,800
I regained consciousness to the sound of Akimi's voice talk

2174
02:11:04,880 --> 02:11:08,279
to me, Harry, I heard her say. She and e

2175
02:11:08,399 --> 02:11:11,840
Medic were tending to me. She was holding me, looking worried.

2176
02:11:12,520 --> 02:11:16,479
What happened? I asked. She told me that the Seal

2177
02:11:16,560 --> 02:11:19,239
Team had secured the place and what was left of

2178
02:11:19,279 --> 02:11:22,399
the Kappa didn't want to fight anymore. They had brought

2179
02:11:22,479 --> 02:11:25,159
someone with them who could communicate with the Kappa and

2180
02:11:25,199 --> 02:11:29,560
discovered the identity of the evil Wizard. Some people had died,

2181
02:11:29,640 --> 02:11:33,000
but thanks to our efforts, many more had been saved.

2182
02:11:33,760 --> 02:11:38,680
That's not too bad for a hillbilly, she said. Part twelve,

2183
02:11:39,279 --> 02:11:44,239
Dream and Duty Tanaka had lost four men in this fight.

2184
02:11:45,039 --> 02:11:49,840
Mister Sumiyoshi had lost four family members, three security guards,

2185
02:11:49,880 --> 02:11:53,920
and two servants, but I had found my soulmate. I

2186
02:11:54,000 --> 02:11:57,000
was pretty sure I'd also found my new calling after

2187
02:11:57,279 --> 02:12:02,239
mister Sumiyoshi offered me a position Master Jonas' second in command.

2188
02:12:03,439 --> 02:12:05,960
Three days after it was all over and we had

2189
02:12:06,039 --> 02:12:09,239
honored our dead, Achimi and I were having dinner at

2190
02:12:09,239 --> 02:12:12,079
the Big House. Where did you get the idea to

2191
02:12:12,119 --> 02:12:16,399
cut up the reptilian like fish bait? She asked, Vlad

2192
02:12:16,439 --> 02:12:20,560
the Impaler? Do you know Dracula? I told her she

2193
02:12:20,680 --> 02:12:24,199
wasn't familiar with the story, so I explained Vlad would

2194
02:12:24,279 --> 02:12:28,000
impale his enemies on pikes on the battlefield to terrorize

2195
02:12:28,000 --> 02:12:32,039
opposing armies. He and his men would drink their blood

2196
02:12:32,079 --> 02:12:35,159
so the opposing forces would see it. That was how

2197
02:12:35,199 --> 02:12:39,840
the whole vampire legend began. Vampires aren't exactly a legend.

2198
02:12:40,039 --> 02:12:43,079
You know that, right, she said, with a serious look.

2199
02:12:43,560 --> 02:12:46,840
I shook my head, and by the way, she added,

2200
02:12:47,159 --> 02:12:49,359
I've invited a few people to come for dinner, and

2201
02:12:49,399 --> 02:12:52,800
I hope you don't mind. Why would I mind? The

2202
02:12:52,880 --> 02:12:57,680
sides of my face were still bandaged. I wasn't going anywhere, Abby,

2203
02:12:57,880 --> 02:13:01,680
the new servant ushered in our gifts. It was Tim

2204
02:13:01,800 --> 02:13:07,119
Tanaka Kobe, General Edwards of Army Intelligence and Director Smithwick

2205
02:13:07,159 --> 02:13:11,079
of Interpole entered the room. I leaned over to a Kimi.

2206
02:13:11,680 --> 02:13:14,279
What are you up to? I asked her in a whisper.

2207
02:13:15,279 --> 02:13:18,039
She squeezed my arm and gave me a sheepest grin.

2208
02:13:18,119 --> 02:13:24,039
While Kobe handled the introductions, Doctor Smithwick spoke first, Bloody,

2209
02:13:24,039 --> 02:13:26,640
good to meet you, Captain, he said, glancing at the

2210
02:13:26,680 --> 02:13:32,720
General beside him. We have a proposition for you. Epilogue.

2211
02:13:33,119 --> 02:13:37,720
What threatens us most is what we ignore. Thanks for

2212
02:13:37,840 --> 02:13:40,760
joining me on this podcast. I certainly do appreciate it.

2213
02:13:40,760 --> 02:13:43,079
It was longer than most. If you made it to

2214
02:13:43,119 --> 02:13:45,279
the end, drop a comment let me know you made

2215
02:13:45,279 --> 02:13:47,920
it to the end. I love to see those people

2216
02:13:47,960 --> 02:13:51,840
who listened to two or three hour long podcast. You

2217
02:13:52,479 --> 02:13:56,239
deserve to have your name shaved in my back. I

2218
02:13:56,359 --> 02:13:59,760
might do that if I get enough people to get

2219
02:13:59,800 --> 02:14:02,479
my old backshaved. Does that make sense? That make any

2220
02:14:02,560 --> 02:14:05,520
sense at all? Does it anyway? I'll shave your name

2221
02:14:05,720 --> 02:14:08,319
in my back hairs. If you drop a comment and

2222
02:14:08,439 --> 02:14:10,760
say that you made it to the end, it's gonna

2223
02:14:10,760 --> 02:14:12,439
be a little hard to get my wife to do that,

2224
02:14:12,560 --> 02:14:15,000
but I'll try. I'll do my best anyway. Thanks for

2225
02:14:15,039 --> 02:14:17,640
listening this long. I appreciate you, and we'll see you

2226
02:14:17,640 --> 02:14:19,399
guys on the next podcast. Thank you so