Episode 2: A Meeting of Minds and a Monster

## Synopsis

Henry and Stanley go on the hunt for the monster. Sammie also heads to Big Gator Swamp. Bjorn gets to the swamp with his legal pull. The group finally crosses paths and sees the Big Gator for the first time.

## Episode Description

The investigation into the monster in the Big Gator Swamp continues... In this episode, Sammie goes off-trail to get the job done. Agent Whiskey snitches on Sammie and uses his government pull to get into the park. Henry and Stanley sneak in the back. Everyone closes in on the monster, and they finally meet the other hunters.

## Key Events

* Henry picks up a book written by David Marlowe, an ancestor of his. It's called "The Great Big Book of Monsters."
* Sammie discovers tracks that suddenly and mysteriously stop.
* Bjorn and Henry notice that a supply shed has been destroyed and materials collected from it.
* Bjorn, Henry, Sammie, and Stanley all meet for the first time.
* The Big Gator is revealed to be able to teleport through water.

## Summary

Henry is exploring his new library room and finds a book written by one of his ancestors, David Marlowe. While he's browsing, an alarm starts going off down the hall. Henry runs toward the source and finds Stanley and Miguel in their main operations room. Stanley shows him on the monitor that there are reports of something eating people in the Big Gator Swamp. Henry gets geared up and they go out to search for the monster.

Sammie leaves her apartment in her Jeep and heads to Big Gator Swamp to investigate. She finds the park is closed due to an accident. The park ranger won't allow her to enter, so she drives a distance and parks alongside the road to hike in. Sammie finds a pond surrounded with caution tape. She finds large footprints that disappear as suddenly as they appear.

Bjorn has promised Diane, the victim's wife, that he'll look after himself and the park rangers. He leaves her house and heads to Big Gator Swamp. He notices Sammie's Jeep on the way. Bjorn uses his official pull to gain entrance into the park. The park ranger says there's nothing left at the pond, but that something destroyed a supply shed as well. Before Bjorn enters the park he tells them about the Jeep parked illegally on the road outside.

Bjorn goes back to the supply shed and finds that it's been completely flattened. It had been full of feed and straw, but tracks leading up to it that look like an alligator's belly show that the creature crushed it.

Stanley and Henry arrive in the swamp and are greeted by Park Ranger Ted. Ted tells him that it's not really the time to be bringing kids around, but Stanley assures him it'll be fine - that it's his job to look into things and someday it's going to be Henry's. Henry observes the same crushed supply building and notices that supplies have been taken from it.

Henry says that Stanley acts like this stuff happens every day. Stanley says it does, that Thornvale is a weird place and monsters come through the Rifts all the time. Henry doesn't know what he means and Stanley says his dad must not have given him a very good Dragon Knight education.

Sammie and Bjorn both hear the same noise. Sammie arrives first and see bubbles in the pond. This is the first time Sammie and Bjorn have met. Bjorn tells her that she needs to leave. Sammie says she's just a hiker and can handle herself. The Big Gator quickly makes an appearance, whacking Bjorn with its tail before snatching up Sammie with its mouth. Sammie stabs it with her knife and it drops her roughly to the ground

Stanley and Henry arrive on the scene. Henry takes the first shot and completely misses. The Big Gator notices Henry and slams a clawed hand down on Henry's chest. Bjorn tries to take a shot but is picked up by the gator and thrown into the water. Sammie notices that the monster has kept some part of itself in the water at all times. Bjorn says they need to fall back. The group makes their escape.

The Big Gator disappears under the water, there shouldn't be enough room for it to fully submerge, so it becomes obvious to the group that the monster is able to teleport through water.

## List of Appearances

* Henry Marlowe
* Stanley Marlowe
* Miguel Rodriguez
* Sammie Overbrook
* Elise Romano
* Bjorn Olafson
* Park Ranger Ted
* The Big Gator

## Harm Taken

 Hannah/Sammie
 Wesley/Henry

## Trivia

This is the episode where the "dragon chicken farmer" quote that is referenced throughout the show comes from. After hearing about the shed and that it had been collecting things, Hannah thought it sounded like a dragon collecting things for his chicken coop.