Page 18 of Glow

“And half-eaten rabbit,” Chet added. “But better that than people, right, Phil?”

“Totally right,” Phil replied, nodding enthusiastically. “Now remember, what we’re about to show you hasn’t been published anywhere else—yet. You can bet this will be big news once other outlets pick up on it. By tomorrow, it’ll be splashed all over the headlines. Just remember, we brought it to you first, and our intrepid network of brave hunters risked their lives to get this evidence.”

Dan found himself clutching his mug of tea so hard he was afraid it might break. He hoped to see the same out-of-focus, grainy pictures that often such overhyped proclamations, ones that were more shadows and imagination than real evidence.

“Here he is, in all his terrible glory,” Chet crowed.

The photo that filled the screen was a night shot, but the creature captured in the image was in focus and identifiable.

That’s me, Wally said in the back of Dan’s mind. For the first time Dan could remember, Wally sounded scared.

“Shit,” Dan muttered.

The photo on the screen showed Dan’s daemon form from the front, with the large head, elongated arms and legs, and huge, glowing eyes clearly visible. There was no mistaking it for a moose, bear, or any other regular animal. The clip only lasted seconds before his cryptid form turned and sprinted away, but the podcast played it over and over, making sure viewers got a good look.

“I don’t know about you, Phil, but I think it’s absolutely terrifying to think that monster is prowling around in our forests, near homes and children,” Chet said.

“Now I want to go back and look at missing person reports over the years. Maybe it’s been taking people all along,” Phil theorized.

“You lying son of a bitch,” Dan muttered to the screen.

“There’s a lot here to unpack,” Phil picked up, and Dan realized that the podcasters were going to milk this for all it was worth. “Missing pets. Unexplained property damage. Who knows how dangerous this creature is?”

“How do we stop it?” Chet asked. “The National Guard won’t believe us. So, what do we do?”

“We offer a reward for anyone who can bring in the creature, alive, if possible,” Phil replied. “Calling all hunters who want the challenge of a lifetime. Catch the Dover Demon, and you’ll go down in local history for saving our city.”

“It’s a pretty big forest out there,” Chet countered. “How are they going to find him again?”

“We had fans send us security camera footage from neighborhoods near where we spotted the monster recorded just after the sighting,” Phil said. “We picked up a figure leaving the forest just after the hunters lost sight of the creature. Can’t make out a face, but it walks like a man, at a strange time of night to be out for a stroll.”

“Interesting,” Chet picked up. “Maybe it can disguise itself. There could be a creature living next door to you, and you’d never know.”

“Scary, isn’t it?” Phil replied. “The footage drops off, so we don’t see where the walker goes, but if anyone else in that area has video and you haven’t sent it to us yet, the email address is at the bottom of the screen. Together, we can make our community safer and monster-free.”

Dan’s hand holding the phone shook, and he stopped the video. “We’ve got to go.” He looked around wildly for anything he had forgotten to pack.

We’ve never hurt anyone, Wally said in his mind.

They don’t care if it makes a good story, Dan told his other side. And if anyone connects it with us, we’re in danger. They’ve just put a bounty out on the “demon.”

How far could people follow his walk home from the forest, Dan wondered. He had avoided driving for that very reason, not wanting his license plate to be seen and recorded. It had never occurred to him that anyone would associate an evening walker with the creature, or that people’s private security videos might pose a threat.

At the least, anyone with a map can narrow down where the person on the video was heading. And that could lead them right to me.

Dan peered out from behind the curtains in his living room, almost expecting to see a lynch mob heading down his street. No one was in sight, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

He cleaned up the last scraps of food, made a final desperate look around to ensure he didn’t forget anything important or expensive, and turned off the lights.

Dan: Change of plans. Driving back tonight. I’ll get in really late and explain later.

Quinn: Be safe. See you soon.

Dan didn’t spot anyone nearby when he locked the back door and got into the car. He was glad he had stopped for gas earlier, so he didn’t have to stay near Dover for a second longer.

I’m sorry, Wally said after they had been on the road for a while. Your ancestors and I have been in these parts for a long time. No one ever tried to kill us or make us leave.

Times change, Dan replied in his mind. He realized he had clenched his jaw and tried to relax a little. People see stuff on TV and think it’s real. Or they want to get bragging rights online for being a big, bad monster hunter, get a few minutes of fame. That sort of thing didn’t happen before.