Season 2 - Episode 69: Hide and Squonk

## Synopsis

Bjorn, Henry, and Sammie come up with a plan to try and capture the elusive squonk. They'll split up across East and West to cover more ground and if any of them spot the creature, they'll try to create a portal underneath of it to drop it back into the Riftlands. Sammie suggests a back up plan where they attach something to the squonk and then she can use her finding spell to track it, however her finding spell doesn't exactly go to plan. Bjorn and Henry teach Sammie the spell to open Rifts and Sammie is able to open one due to the Rift permissions being broken in Thornvale for some reason. They change into different clothes to try and keep hidden from the Blackout Society and then split up to search for the squonk.

## Episode Description

Our heroes test out plans to take on the notoriously sad and flighty creature.

## Key Events

* Bjorn suggests that they just try to sneak up on the squonk and open a portal under it to send it back to the Rifts.
* Sammie tests her finding spell that she's been working on but it has a less than perfect performance.
* Bjorn and Henry teach Sammie how to open Rifts.

## Summary

Henry and Sammie pass along all the information they've learned about the squonk to Bjorn. They try to decide what to do with the creature and decide since the creature isn't malicious, they should try to get it back through a Rift if they can. They talk about how to try and find it. Bjorn comments that this is their first hunt in a while without Sammie's passenger and Sammie nods, saying they'll have to do this the old fashioned way. They're both happy with the trade off, however.

Bjorn fills Sammie in on his realization that the monsters aren't coming from the Rifts. Sammie asks if they should try to figure out where the squonk came from then and put it back, but Bjorn thinks that sending it back through a Rift is still their best option. The danger of getting turned into a puddle of tears is reason enough to keep their distance. They agree on a plan to try and sneak up on the creature and then push it through a Rift.

Sammie has an idea. She asks Bjorn and Henry to help her with an experiment. She explains that she has been working on writing her own 'clean' version of the finding spell she learned from Jadis' spellbook and that if they can test it, and it works, they could attach something to the squonk and then if it disappears, she can use the spell to track it down. She asks them to show her an object and then go hide it somewhere and she'll try to find it with magic. Sammie focuses on her spell and follows it to Miguel's bedroom. She feels pulled to Miguel's closet. Sammie reaches out to pull on the lock to the closet. As soon as she touches it, she is blasted backward by a shock of electricity, hitting the opposite wall. Bjorn tells her she was at least close and in the right room, going over and pulling his glasses out of a drawer full of Miguel's gadgets.

Miguel clears his throat from the doorway. Sammie immediately says she didn't do anything, despite all her hair stand up on end from the electricity. Bjorn explains that they were testing Sammie's finding spell that they wrote and Miguel tells them to leave. As they walk down the hall, Bjorn tells Sammie he's not sure if the spell is ready yet. Miguel slams the door shut. Sammie says she can still try it if they need to, but Bjorn is hopeful they can sneak up on it and just open a portal underneath it to send it back.

Bjorn asks if they should split up to cover more ground considering they're not worried about the squonk being too dangerous. The others agree and Henry checks the news to see if there are any other reports to narrow down their search but doesn't find anything. Bjorn says to try and stick to more isolated areas. Sammie offers to go to Big Gator Swamp. Bjorn decides to check the parks on West. Henry takes the northern part of West along the beaches.

Bjorn says that if he or Henry finds the squonk they can just open a portal themselves but Sammie will have to wait for them. Sammie asks if there's a reason she can't open a Rift and Bjorn says she normally wouldn't be able to do that but they've found the permissions are broken so she might be able to. Bjorn and Henry teach her the spell. Sammie is a bit nervous about opening a Rift, thinking about the last time she opened one, and Bjorn assures her everything will be fine now that she doesn't have Jadis interfering.

Bjorn, Henry, and Sammie head up to the courtyard to practice. Eventually Sammie tries to open a Rift and she is successful. A green portal floats perpendicular to the ground. They can see a strange, red terrain on the inside. She feels a pull toward it but not like before when Jadis was a part of her. She is able to resist. She feels some pain in her face and her nose starts to bleed. She quickly dismisses the portal.

Bjorn asks if there's anything else they need to do to prepare to go look for the squonk. Sammie says the only thing they really have to worry about right now is getting spotted by the Blackout Society. Bjorn admits that he'd forgotten about them with all the craziness going on lately and that reminds him he has some things to look into later. Sammie tells Bjorn he probably shouldn't wear a suit. Sammie decides to dye her hair blue with the color Henry gave her for Christmas. Henry changes from one hoodie to another hoodie. Bjorn decides to wear casual clothes and take his thermal glasses to try and spot the squonk easier.

## List of Appearances

* Bjorn Olafson
* Henry Marlowe
* Sammie Overbrook
* Miguel Rodriguez

## Trivia

It is decided that the name of the newspaper is "The Thornvale Harold," like the name Harold. THE Harold has been dead for 100 years but they kept the name. His grandson, Harold III owns it now.