Episode 2 - This Podcast Now Sponsored By the Lake Mystery Ranger Department

## Summary

One Goonch, Two Goonch, Red Goonch, wait how many Goonch? The Club gets their act together to pull CEJ out of hot water after a deadly encounter with the Goonch. But even then the gang isn't safe, because it's a slippery slope straight down the Goonch-Hole as we get closer and closer to finding out where the creatures lurking under Lake Mystery are coming from. More importantly, is Miss Wexler dating somebody!?

## Previously On...

This is an entry from the diary of Shamanda Felt; enter at your own caution. Last week when I had my shift at Cold Stone, Adam and I were hanging out, going over our math homework and Aleesha came in with her mom she was like crying like big time. I guess Dylan was eaten by the Goonch? So me and the other hunters decided to go hang out with Mrs. Wexler, excuse me, Miss Wexler. Don't bring it up. We decided to go get a big net to see if we could scoop up this monster out of the lake. So we go to this hardware store and there's like this really inappropriate adult, but we figure we'll go to the park ranger to figure out what's going on near the lake. We get down there. We are patrolling the area. I'm in the bathroom going through papers and stuff. Then I hear CEJ crying out bloody murder. So cut to me jumping out there with a big net. I just took a big L with that one; I felt terrible about it. Basically choked him to death. He's still flailing around in the water, I guess. I should finish up this entry and save him. Shamanda out.

## Plot

### LAKE MYSTERY

CEJ has been dragged into Lake Mystery by a giant catfish! His head has been tethered to the dock by a giant net thrown by Shamanda while she tried to help him. Susan is sitting astride the monstrous fish and helping CEJ to get free, however, a second overgrown catfish is trying to pull her under the water. Meanwhile, Adam has transformed into his caterpillar form, and three catfish have surrounded him in the shallow waters.

Using his move, No Limits, CEJ is able to rip the jaws of the catfish off his body, and uses the net to sling himself out of the water.

> "Not today Goonch!" - CEJ
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As CEJ escapes the jaws of the giant catfish, his walkman isn't so lucky. It is damaged by the thrashing fish and the water, forever skipping when jostled. Susan watches as Adam paddles toward the three catfish, and knows exactly what to do.

> "You know, I have read a little bit about this and I know because of science that if you love water and live in water, that you hate fire. I'm going to pull out my flame thrower." -Susan Wexler
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Susan fumbles with her flamethrower and is pulled down the spiny back of the catfish she is atop, cutting into her back, and spilling blood into the water. Krashlee is watching the fighting take place and starts to Connect the Dots. She sees the caterpillar form of Adam Miller wriggling out of the teenagers clothing, and figures out that Adam is the Mothman of Mystery County! Krashlee remembers the night when she got into a car accident with Adam, and how he disappeared. Only the soft sound of a large moth's wings could be heard.

As Krashlee shoots her rifle at one the catfish attacking Susan, killing it, the shoreline beneath her starts to crumble. She tumbles into the water. Shamanda pushes CEJ onto the shore, and jumps into the lake to attack a catfish when a behemoth, 8-ft long catfish surfaces and consumes her to the waist. She take damage as she is whipped back and forth in its jaws.

CEJ is weighed down by all the heavy chains on his pants, but is able to turn to Ranger Ilong and call out to him to shoot the Goonch.

> "Bro, you can either be a hero who broke a promise, or you can be a man who is true to his word and the biggest coward of all time who watched five people die to a bunch of Goonch. Blub, blub....glub, glub." - CEJ to Ranger Ilong
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Ranger Ilong takes out his flare gun, shoots the giant catfish grabbing Susan and it burns up to a crisp. The other catfish flee, and the club members are all able to get safely to shore. Krashlee confronts Adam about being the Mothman in front of the group and he denies it. CEJ makes fun of Adam, and while Adam tries to physically retaliate, he trips and hits a rock, hurting himself.

Near the water, Ranger Ilong notices the entrance to a small cave that had been revealed by an earlier mudslide. He mentions it could be where the catfish had gone to. Adam wants to learn more, and asks his Secret Master for more information. Meanwhile, Susan recommends that everyone strike the lust from their hearts and bodies. The Club sees an opportunity to set Susan up with Ranger Ilong.

Adam goes into a fugue state in a wooden chrysalis and his Secret Master gives him a sense that the catfish are feeding on something that is causing them to grow. When he finishes communicating with the Secret Master he realizes that every time he contacts the Master, he will be pushed to finish the chrysalis and complete his transformation.

Susan attempts to hustle the teenagers back to her haven and Adam tells her and CEJ about what he learned. CEJ goes off to investigate on his own and uses his move Don't Worry I'll Check it Out. He slips and slides into the mouth of the cave and he is angry. Shamanda starts to follow, rips her pants and is insecure, but Krashlee comes down, reassures her, and helps her feel better.

### THE CAVE

A noxious smell fills the cave, so powerful awful it hurts to breathe.

> "It smells like Adam's sweatpants in here" - CEJ
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In the back of the cave is a giant pile of things spilling into the water flowing into the cave. A figure is struggling to throw something onto the pile. A corpse. The pile at the back of the cave is packed with dead bodies.

CEJ uses the move What's Going On Here to figure out what happened here. The figure starts to carve symbols into the bloodless body, and the other corpses are covered in similar marks. A magical ritual appears to be taking place. Where the pile of bodies are partially submerged, pieces of flesh are missing, and a catfish swims up and nibbles on the leg of corpse. CEJ realizes that animals are eating these magical bodies and that is why they are growing.

Acting Under Pressure, CEJ begins to sprint out of the cave, yelling for everyone's attention. Susan tries to help CEJ up and away from the cave. A humanoid Salamander runs after him yelling "The time is wrong! This time is wrong!". It pins his leg to the cave wall with a rusty dagger.

Adam changes into his caterpillar form and descends to protect his cousin. He rolls into the cave, bouncing off of rocks painfully. Shamanda is also trying to get back to the surface and has trouble with the muddy ground, falling against Adam Miller's caterpillar form. The Salamander pins Shamanda to the ground with a slimy foot.

Krashlee sees through the eyes of a past life and understands that they need to get the dagger from the Salamander to break the ritual it is performing. Adam uses his innate luck to save CEJ from the Salamander and gains a curse that gives him a drive to feed on clothing. The dagger is knocked free and Susan scoops up the knife. The Salamander grabs CEJ and stuffs a piece of its skin into his mouth. The neurotoxin in its skin slows CEJ's synaptic responses.

A four foot long millipede skitters toward Shamanda as she tried to boost Krashlee out of the cave.

The Club now has two threats to fight against.

## Characters

Main Cast

* Rashawn Nadine Scott as Shamanda Felt
* Jeff Murdoch as Adam Miller
* Erin Rein as Krashlee Grenadine
* Claire Linic as Susan Wexler
* Alan Linic as CEJ
* Tyler Samples as Byron Ilong, the Salamander, and everyone else

## Introductions

Tyler: Hey everybody, welcome to Mystery County Monster Hunters Club. An actual play, Monster of the Week podcast. I'm Tyler Samples, your keeper of monsters and mysteries. Thank you so much for listening. Soon we'll get into the wild world of Mystery County, USA, in the year 2005. But first let's do a quick rundown of who is here. Let's start with you, Rashawn

Rashawn: Hey everybody, my name is Rashawn Nadine Scott, and my character is Shamanda Felt and my job at Cold Stone isn't the only thing cursed about me.

Jeff: Hi, I'm Jeff Murdoch and my character is Adam Miller. I'm half moth, half man, and all Korn fan.

Erin: Hey I'm Erin Rein and my character is Krashlee Grenadine. Some people call me a flake, but I call me Krashlee Grenadine, girl detective!

Alan: Hello, hello, I'm Alan Linic and my character is CEJ and he's a normal boy.

Claire: Hi babes, I'm Claire Linic and my character is Susan Wexler. And she's an expert in two things: Harsh breakups and mentoring young monster hunters.

## Notable Quotes

* "Looking for some of that good ol' razmataz violence." -Tyler Samples
* "Every woman has *one* secret." -Susan Wexler, in reference to where she keeps the pilot light for her flame thrower.
* "He's Adam. He's always wet. He's just a wet guy." -Shamanda Felt
* "You guys help! Guys, the catfish stole my clothes. You gotta help me." -Adam Miller
* "Adam, I need to talk to you, and I don't like to confront people in front of the group - I LOVE it." -Krashlee Grenadine
* "Pretty sure you do, Ranger Byron. Because I just had one try to eat me from the balls down, my man." -CEJ
* "Something about those eyes. They not gonna like scare you, but they're gonna like make you question who you are as a person or a fish" -Jeff Murdoch, in reference to the defensive eye markings on Adam Miller's caterpillar form.
* "It's a hiking backpack, but it's one of those you can kinda wear to the side, you know what I mean? So it's a little bit fashion and a little bit functionality" - Susan Wexler

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