Vontell's posts

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"Here! This way!" Vanora calls out, leading the group to the pond. When she heard that Vontell was in danger, not only did she insist on joining the search, she called everyone she knew. And with how beloved Vontell is, it didn't take long for every member of Voltra's Monster Task Force to arrive, and then some.

"Alright..." Vyctor flickers on his flashlight, before calling out to the others "We gotta find Vontell, he's gotta be out here somewhere."

The group spreads out, calling out for Vontell as they search for any evidence of him being there. Valentina sifts through the thrushes. Vanora boosts Vivienne into a nearby tree to get a better vantage point. Velvet carefully sifts through the water with the supervision of Vyctor. And yet, despite all this... They seem to find nothing.

"Man not to be that guy but uh... Maybe we got this all wrong guys..." Officer Garry frowns, hands behind his back as he teeters on his feet, "Maybe JC and Milly found something. Maybe he's out on Lake Breaker. We should regroup with them, right?"

Vyctor lets out a weary sigh, "Yeah...I don't see a sign of him. I really hope we're not too late... I..."

To everyone's surprise, Vregory begins to start waving his arms to catch everyone's attention.

"Did you find something?" Valentina asks, her tone sounding hopeful.

"Not me, Eugene! He says to look at this!"

Flashing her light in the direction of Vregory, his rat friends seem to be huddled around something on the ground... Footprints! Human footprints!

"Oh, those soles? Definitely Vontell..." Velvet sighs in relief, gaining a look of confusion before shrugging. "What? You can't tell?"

"Looks like they're heading back to the city...meaning he probably got away..." Garry frowns, rubbing his chin. "Wonder if he made it far...

"Yah, also found this..." Vregory hums, holding up a slightly smashed phone, "Is this good?"

"Ah!" Vanora shouts, pointing excitedly, "That phone case is DEFINITELY Vontell's! I'd know, I sold it to him!"

"Fashion saving the day..." Vyctor mutters. "Officer Garry, should we stay and search the area more? What should we do?"

Garry glances back to everyone, surprised. "Oh, uh! Yeah dude... Great plan. I'll...call JC and Milly... maybe go search Vontell's house, you know? He could be there." Vyctor and the others nod. With everyone's attention divided, he pulls out the stack of wet papers behind his back. Vontell's writing. His research.

His warning.

Garry crumples them up before swiftly hiding them in his uniform's jacket, letting out a sigh before pulling out his phone.

"Hey Milly, it's Garry - I have some news."

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There’s a legend, in the backwaters of Voltra, that says a creature lurks in the waterways that loop around the city, a grotesque little thing, a monster. There are few reports, but the legend says that most who encounter it do not return. They say it has sharp claws, grabbing hands, a stench of stagnant water surrounding it. They say it takes you underwater to it’s algae-infested lair, and waits until you drown.
They’re wrong… aren’t they?
I’m not so sure. I came in search of this creature, against my better judgment perhaps. I’m thinking my next novel will be horror, and these creatures that are popping up around Voltra are the perfect inspiration. They’re only stories, after all.
They call it the Grindylok, from the ancient word for water. They tell children about him, when they’re naughty. Be good, else the Lok will drag you kicking and screaming under the water.
I approach the deserted river. No one comes down here, where the creature is said to live, just in case. It’s dark, getting late, and perhaps I should not be out so far into the evening. The river is wide here, and thick with moss and reeds, a kind of green coating on the water surface. It stinks of stagnant water and rotting plant matter, but I pinch my nose and move on. The grass surrounding it is wet against my feet.
Odd. There are no animals. Closer to the city, there are waterfowl and little insects, but out here it is eerily still and silent.
“Hello?” I call. Even monsters appreciate politeness, I’m sure, but there is no answer. “I’m from the city. I’m here to—“
A gurgle, like bubbles being released. I flinch, but catch myself. It’s just bubbles. Gas beneath the water, probably.
“If you’re there, I mean you no harm—“
Immediately, there’s a disturbance in the water, like something swimming under there. There’s a bulge in the water, where the bubbles came from, right at the widest part of the river. The water is green here, green and murky, and I cannot see what it is.
A head emerges from the reeds, small and skeletal, bony and greenish, like moss, like the river itself. It has stringy black hair, thin and worm-ish. It breathes out bubbles beneath the water, and then its eyes appear, large and yellow, like a belching frog’s, reptilian and clouded with a stark red center.
Its teeth, which emerge above the surface as it takes a gurgling breath, are as yellow as the eyes, old and decaying and deadly sharp.
“Hello,” I say again, hoping good manners will save me. I’m not in the water, yet; it can’t grab me.
It beckons with a thin hand, those fabled claws jutting out of the nail bed. Come closer.
“I’m only here to… I mean, I just came to—“ But why did I come? To see it? I can’t remember.
It continues to crawl out the water, heading for me, its long green limbs unfurling as it moves. It is so bony, how long has it been down there?
I back away, but I cannot tear my eyes from it. It wants me to climb into the water, to drown beneath the reeds. Algae drips from its body as it creeps closer, landing in the river and sending little green clouds of murk as it sinks. It smells ancient.
“I should go, I’m sorry for disturbing you, I mean—“
Why can’t I look away? Its yellow lizard-like eyes are suckering me in. I cannot so much as blink. I take a step closer, and another. My feet are almost at the bank.
Brrrring-brrrrring!
My phone!
The spell is broken and I flinch away. A name pops up on the screen, no doubt wondering where I’ve been. I look away from the cell and back to the river, but it is deserted. Not even so much as a bubble on the water’s surface. Had it ever been there at all? I back further away. My feet are soaked with river water. A close call, no doubt. I run, back to the city, with those yellow eyes forever burned into my vision.

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The night was clear, a slight fog rolling over the top of the water of the river. Vontell carefully walked through the marshy banks, making his way upstream.

Wanting to assist the VPD, he had set out to investigate some creatures himself. Perhaps his findings could be valuable to the investigations and help to rule out suspects, or potentially find the culprit.

He paused momentarily to catch his breath, leaning against a tree. He had come here to find a Grindylok. He was aware of the dangers, but still...he felt it his duty to assist in some way.

As he rested, he noticed a creature emerge from the depths of the water. Its signature yellow eyes pierced the night. Careful not to draw attention to himself, he hid, observing the creature from a safe distance. He took out his notebook to begin to record the encounter.

Vontell grew uneasy as he watched the creature slink back into the depths - losing sight. He waited for a moment for it to resurface, fearful that he may end up becoming a victim of the Grindylok himself. The hair on the back of his neck stood up - something was watching him. He turned, surprised to see a deer standing behind him. He threw his hand over his heart and let out a slight chuckle.

"Ah! You startled me!" He reached out to give the deer a slight pat. "What is a magnificent creature such as yourself doing out here by the water? Come by for a drink, or have you perhaps come to observe the moonlight dancing across these waters?" The deer sniffed at him, making him laugh more. Suddenly, the deer turned its attention, hopping into the nearby brush. "Hm, perhaps the Grindylok has it on edge. I should heed its warning as well." Vontell turned to walk from the water's edge when a small rabbit hopped out by his feet.

He smiled. "I'm being graced by so many new faces tonight. This is surely a surprise." The rabbit hopped between his legs, closer to the water's edge. Vontell frowned slightly, chasing after it. "Oh, friend, please be cautious - you aren't aware of what lies in wait in those waters!" The rabbit gave one last glance to Vontell before it hopped directly into the river. "No!" Vontell jumped in after, desperate to find the rabbit. Instead, the water in front of him bubbled. "Oh dear. I was not thinking this through." Before him, the head of the rabbit popped up, giving him a slight moment of relief. He reached out to grab the rabbit, but as he pulled it out, his relief turned to shock. He dropped the rabbit, scrambling to get out of the water. He rushed to the shore, catching his breath.

He took out his notebook, frantically writing something down on the pages. He turned back, the water's surface still. He sighed, relieved. As he began to leave, something grabbed him from the water, dragging him in. Vontell scrambled to escape from the grasp, dropping his notebook on the shore.

He is pulled into the depths, a yell silenced as his head vanished beneath the surface.

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art by Mica

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