Maisel’s Neighbourhood Watch Log: September 17th, 2023 – 12:43 PM – Murlocke’s Treehouse
The three of us sat up in Murlocke’s treehouse. Outside of our clubhouse, this was easily one of my favourite places in Harrington. It was built super high in the air—irresponsibly high—so from inside, you could look out over the other houses in Harrington. It had everything you could want in a treehouse: books, toys, a cot, a desk, and even an old TV. We used to stay up late playing games while discussing our recent missions. One night, we completely lost track of time, and when we looked out at Harrington, we couldn’t see a single light on in any of the houses. Outside of the street lamps and the stars, Harrington was entirely dark. It was magical.
Do either of you see anything?
Murlocke was lounging on the cot while Sasheen and I shared his only pair of binoculars; Sasheen looked out the left side, while I looked out the right.
Nothing yet. There are too many butterflies, so it’s hard to see much of anything.
This reminds me of the time we were working on the Lighting Bug Experiment, and Pocket accidentally started that fire that took out power to… Oh, sorry, Maisel… I shouldn’t have.
No… It’s fine.
I could feel a lump in my throat as I responded. This did kind of feel like the lighting bug mission. Pocket had gone out on his own to try to catch the firefly because he felt responsible for letting it out in the first place. It wasn’t really his fault, though. The bug’s cage wasn’t closed properly, so the next person to try to pick up the cage would have let it out, regardless.
But Pocket wanted to own up to his mistake, and he did, by making things a little a lot worse…*
| *Comment: He took out power to half of Harrington. – Sasheen |
Although in the end, it was his idea that we used to finally catch the lightning bug. So, I think that evens things out.
I swallowed the lump and tried to focus.
It’s impossible to see where these butterflies are going! There are too many of them. Can we get any higher?
We could go on the roof, but I’m not sure it would help much. You two still can’t see anything?
Just a blur of butterflies.
Sasheen put down the binoculars.
I’ve never even heard of something like this. Most supernatural events are contained or grow slowly. It’s only been a few hours, and it already looks like a storm. In a few more, it might be as dangerous as a hurricane out there.
It feels like this is a reaction to something. Like nature’s out of balance.
It could be… I thought that if we could see the butterflies from a distance, we could see some sort of pattern that would give us a clue. Do you remember when our science substitute teacher played us that movie… I can’t remember what it was called but it was about that guy who discovered how cells divide.
| Comment: Let the record show that I found the movie Sasheen was talking about – Maisel |
| Bio–Pic: A Walther Flemming Story: A Riveting tale of Walther Flemming’s life from the Franco-German War to the Discovery of Cell Division. |
| Comment: Also, look at this review I found. Maybe research can be fun. – Maisel |
| “Bio-Pic: A Walther Flemming Story is at once dreadfully boring and minimally educational. A confounding 67 minutes of the 91-minute runtime was dedicated to Walther’s childhood in Sachsenberg, leaving only 24 minutes to cover his entire military and scientific career. 1.5/5 stars.” – The Harrington Journal, June 20, 1987 |
| Comment: Why would they show us that movie in school? Anyway, sorry, back to the mission. – Maisel |
Like how they split in half?
Yeah, I thought maybe if we looked from further away, we would be able to see if it happened and maybe figure out how to reverse it.
I pulled my copy of The Layman’s Field Guide to Monster Hunting from my backpack and began to flip through the pages.
I feel like I’ve read every entry in this book, and don’t remember reading about anything like this.
Have you considered the bit on gnomes?
You always think it’s gnomes.
Statistically, at some point it has to be gnomes.
He has you there, Sasheen.
I continued flipping through the book.
What about what Murlocke said, about nature being out of balance? Could you check the section on omens? I remember reading something about freak weather patterns there.
I read from the guidebook.
Omens are supernatural events that foretell something bad happening. What does that mean?
| “Omens are best exemplified through real-life events, so let me provide an example: right before a tsunami happens, all of the water on the beach is sucked out into the ocean. Then all the water returns in the form of a massive wave. That moment when all the water disappears is a lot like an omen. Not all omens lead into terrible events quite as literally, though.” – Excerpt from ALFRED’S The Layman’s Field Guide to Monster Hunting (undated) |
It means that these duplicating butterflies could just be the beginning…
I looked out the treehouse window and could barely see Murlocke’s house; there were so many butterflies. If this is only the beginning, what could possibly be worse than this?
Sasheen’s right, we need to find a way to see all this from above. There must be some kind of pattern.
What about your mom’s weather equipment, Murlocke?
I don’t know… I’m not allowed to touch it…
Not even for something important like this?
Please, please please—
Fine, but we have to be quick, and Maisel, no touching anything.
I wouldn’t—
No touching.
Fine, no touching.
– Maisel
Leave a comment