Episode 10 - The Barilla Gorilla

## Summary

The Club takes a much needed day to recollect themselves and do some healing of both the emotional and physical kind (but ESPECIALLY the physical kind). Apologies are almost given, secrets are almost shared, and demons are almost removed from some people's bodies. It looks like it's going to be a well-earned time to relax and come back together as a group. At least, it looks that way until Susan and Shamanda get in trouble with the principal--and Adam gets kicked in the heart and the nuts.

## Previously On...

Hey, it's Krashlee.

So yeah, CEJ basically made Chet impale himself to death on his own knife, otherwise known as **a stabbing**. I operate outside the oppressive systems of traditional law enforcement, and also most of my professional detective work has been around solving the case of like, why someone's Laffy Taffy melted, even though it was 30 degrees Fahrenheit. So this is a lot for me. CEJ and Adam also both freaked out and rightly so, and CEJ wouldn't even admit that he killed. Shamanda and I tried to cool off all the older kids, and I'll be honest, I don't think I learned as much about sex as I thought I did from Judy Bloom and Austin Powers movies.

Anyway, Shamanda and I saved the day by like, hosing them all off. And then Susan totally took the blame for killing Chet and CEJ *believed* her, even though he did it. It's super crazy. Then Shamanda went into this weird trance and she called Adam back from the woods and he was fully a caterpillar, and she's still like, I don't know if we're boyfriend and girlfriend, because like, I think he might not be that into labels. And I'm like, maybe that's because he'd be labeled a moth.

Anyway, I also did get to drive CEJ's van and I didn't even really damage it...when I crashed it, but this highway patrol guy still seized my license and cut it up. Well, it sucks for him because my real provisional license was already taken away when I crashed during Driver's Ed. So he just cut up a fake ID that I had printed at the spy store in D.C. where they had a Meenjet MX1 ID printer in the backroom and very few scruples about printing me a fake ID, even though I was a 14 year old girl. So, face.

## Plot

### THE LAIR

Krashlee and Susan head to Susan's Lair at QLSFGGaAB that Friday evening while Shamanda heads home and CEJ goes back to Aunt Diane's house. Adam wants to be as far away from CEJ as possible after all of the hurtful things CEJ said to him. Feeling broken, Susan spends the night in the infirmary. While Susan puts on some sunglasses, pretending not to cry, Krashlee calls her family's housekeeper, Jared, to come pick her up, Shamanda is physically and emotionally bruised and afraid of her emotional connection and the mental intimacy she shared with Adam Miller. Adam separates from his Clubmates and wanders off on his own.

As Krashlee waits for Jared, she gets a shock when, instead of a friendly face, her mom arrives. Paula Grenadine is livid after getting a call from the Superior Highway Patrol about her daughter being involved in a crash while driving, when Paula knows for certain that Krashlee doesn't even have a valid permit. After lecturing Krashlee, Paula takes away her phone and grounds her for the whole weekend.

Susan puts on some Rod Stewart, picks up a bit, and tries to heal, escaping into a world of music and acceptance.

### THE MILLER HOUSE

CEJ walks through the door of Diane Miller's house, tear-stained, covered in blood and looking entirely the worse for wear. Diane drops the spatula she was using to spoon dinner into a Tupperware, and runs to CEJ, enveloping him in a motherly embrace.

> "CEJ, what's wrong? Are you okay?" She asks him.
>
>

CEJ lets her hold him for a minute, but then breaks away. "You should ask yourself where Adam is right now, and what kinds of people he's been hanging out with."

He stomps up the stairs, falls into bed and spends the whole night tossing and turning, getting no sleep at all.

### THE FELT HOUSE

Shamanda rings the bell at her aunt and uncle's house, even though she has her keys. When they let her in, she barely speaks, walks up to her room and sits back in her bed. She stares at the ceiling and can hardly close her eyes. Her uncle lightly raps on the door and asks if she is alright.

> "No."
>
>
> "Do you want to talk?"
>
>
>
> "No."
>
>

Tony Felt asks her about her missed shifts at Cold Stone, and Shamanda responds that she isn't good enough for that job. She tells him she's a bad person. He reassures her that everyone feels that way sometimes, and gives her some privacy. A little later, her aunt knocks at the door, and when Shamanda opens it, she finds a small tower of Oreos stuck together with peanut butter. Her favorite treat.

### THE LIDS

Feeling guilty and wanting to be somewhere that brings comfort, Adam Miller walks to the free standing Lids on Mall Street. He thinks about the first time he transformed, destroying the only hat he owned, a Superior State sports team hat. He missed his Superior State Spaghetti hat. He didn't have a job, so he had no money to buy a new one. The Lids employees, never on good terms with Adam, seem to relax as he makes no move to enter the store. He just walks aimlessly by. Around 11:30 pm, Diane Miller pulls up in her car. She tells Adam to get in.

"CEJ's not with me, Mom."

"I know, he's at home. You need to get in the car."

Adam reluctantly gets in. A long, awkward silence bears down on them as Diane drives them back home. Eventually, his mom breaks it and asks him to talk to her about what he's going through. Adam wants to know why CEJ has to live with them, and his mom reveals that when she was pregnant with Adam, CEJ's parents took her in and taking care of CEJ is a way to return that kindness. Adam asks her if his father is Chet, and Diane demurs, telling him that his father didn't want to be in their lives. She tells Adam that she loves him and believes in him.

"I feel like if you knew who I really was, though, you wouldn't love me." Adam says to his mother.

She slams on the brakes and turns to shake a finger at Adam.

"Adam Miller. You don't ever say that to me. I know exactly who you are. I love you. I have always loved you. I always will. And I always, I know who you are. And you are **my** son."

She tells him that he doesn't know how much she has sacrificed to have him, and that he is the most important thing in her life. She drives him back, saying nothing the rest of the drive. They get back and Adam heads up to his room, slightly shaken at the emotion his mother had shown.

The next morning, everyone wakes up with a fever.

### THE GRENADINE HOUSE

After dealing with one injustice after another, Krashlee wakes up very hot and bothered. Knowing just who to unleash some of her fury on, Krashlee grabs a pair of kitchen scissors and walks into her mother's room. Paula had taken an Ambien the night before and was completely out. Holding the scissors, Krashlee snips at her mother's hair, cutting it to ear length. Leaving a note beside her bed, reading '-from Krashlee', she walks away.

She tells Jared she is sorry about the mess before she puts on some hiking boots and a sensible windbreaker. Then she is out the door and heading to Susan Wexler.

### THE LAIR

Susan is surprised as Krashlee storms into the Lair. She has been up for hours, trying to put the pieces together of what happened the night before. She has figured out that whatever is infecting people seems to get stronger with repeat exposure, and is accelerated during certain acts, including the intimate actions the teenagers where performing. The more lust has been given in to, the faster the combustion occurs.

Seeing how upset and off Krashlee seems, Susan coaxes her into the panic room and locks her in. As Susan is figuring out what to do next, Shamanda bursts into the Lair, dressed in full Fallentine's regalia. Trying to deal with her emotional manic energy, Shamanda offers Susan any help she needs, as long as she doesn't have to think about her feelings. Susan seems to miss the unhealthy aspect of this, and takes her up on it. Shamanda walks over to the panic room and starts murmuring to Krashlee about all the calming things she likes to do. Playing with cabbage patch dolls, watching cartoons, changing toilet paper rolls...really nerdy stuff.

Feeling calmer, but still very warm, Krashlee strips down to her undershirt. Rather then it's usual pin straight style, Krashlee's hair is wild, and sweaty. Her head is pounding and she asks herself what is happening to her. As she paces back and forth in the panic room, an inky black spot in her shadow catches her eye. Two little sparks of red flash, and she hears a chuckle before it disappears. Susan's words from a few weeks ago come back to her.

Lust Demon.

Krashlee focuses and starts to put together everything she knows. When Dennis and Wyatt got out of Camp Onomatopoeia, Wyatt must have been harboring this creature. While the sickness it inflicted could be passed with a touch, it needed a human body to bond to and live in. They had to find a way to exorcise the creature and prevent it from bonding to someone else.

### THE MILLER HOUSE

CEJ is tossing and turning, staying in bed until noon. He feels grievously injured, worse than the night before. Adam knocks on the door to check on CEJ. They talk through the door. Adam apologizes to CEJ for getting him involved in monster hunting, and CEJ says he can come in. Adam sees how terrible CEJ looks. He is gaunt and feverish. While CEJ had been hurt the night before, this looks worse than the injuries can explain. Something seems to be affecting his mental state and emotions as well as his body.

Adam hugs CEJ, and tells him the truth about his secret master.

> "Oh no! I came down on Susan so hard!"
>
>

CEJ tells Adam all the terrible things he said to Susan. He tries to get out of bed, and Adam helps him up. CEJ tries to make up for all the tough things he said to Adam the day before, and offers him his torn and bloody shirt. Adam takes it and eats it. He asks for CEJs pants but, since CEJ wore them to a No Doubt concert, he needs them. Adam no longer feels insecure after his cousin gives him the shirt off his back, fully accepting him.

> "Let's go, you guys." CEJ says before running out of the room, feeling a little better after the emotional healing session.
> Adam looks around. "You *guys*, what?"
>
>

### THE LAIR

CEJ and Adam get to the Lair, and tell Susan they need to apologize to her.

> "Miss Wexler, we've got something to say." Adam begins. "Yeah, we goofed." CEJ continues.
>
>
> "We goofed too bad."
>
>
>
> "We goofed equally, I would say."
>
>

Wanting everyone to be involved in this sharing moment, Susan opens the panic room. Krashlee yells not to touch her and angrily climbs out of the panic room. She looks around and starts to lay into everyone there.

"Susan you are not my mom...CEJ, I will never date you...Adam, you're a Moth Man and it's gross...Shamanda, you love a Moth Man, which is worse...I hate you guys."

Susan is taken aback as about half the kids she mentors seems to hate her now. CEJ makes a snide comment to Krashlee and she jumps at him, starting to wring his neck. Adam protects CEJ by holding Krashlee back from his cousin. Krashlee kicks Adam in the balls and his eyes cross as he drops her. She stomps out of the Lair.

Krashlee yells out in the hallway, trying to alert anyone that could be listening about the Lair, and how Susan isn't a real janitor at QLSFGGaAB. Susan quickly follows her, and starts to rub her down with an experimental magic soap she is developing to alleviate the affects of the monster. Krashlee suddenly feels lighter, as the Demon is temporarily banished from her.

Her rage dissipates, and Krashlee is left feeling sad and forlorn. Susan wraps her in a hug, and Krashlee sobs into her arms. Krashlee tells her Clubmates about being possessed by a demon.

While the Club is trying to investigate what is going on with Krashlee, they hear footsteps approach and Paul DeBello comes into view. He wants to join the group in investigating this mystery, and CEJ tries to cut him out of it. Susan brings him in, realizing that Paul seems to know too much already, and having him in with them, is better than having him out against them.

While they bicker, another person comes into the hallway. Principal Norton is working on decorating the school for the Fallentine's dance. He's surprised to see the students, as the school isn't open until 5pm. Susan deflects, saying the kids are helping her set up for the dance, as they all have detention. Principal Norton makes a few unpleasant comments about Shamanda, and her Scantron selling days. She snaps back at him, with a quick remark and he gives her an additional month of detention, and threatens her participation in the band competition. Feeling threatened, Shamanda warns Norton that she could burn the school to the ground, and he bans her from the dance.

As Krashlee feels the presence of the demon returning, and CEJ starts to get into the Principals face as well, Adam comes out of the Lair and casts mental dominion on Norton. He tells him to forget everything he has seen here, and Principal Norton goes catatonic.

Susan sees Adam once again dominate an older man, obviously floundering without a father figure in his life. She ushers Principal Norton into the principals office, and tries to bring him around. Susan knows that, in order to fix him, she'll have to use magic, and he will know she did. He will know everything that happened.

She touches the pad of each finger and as she does, chants: Remember me, remember me, remember me...Ten times. The spell takes effect and Susan knows that, by the end of the day, Principal Norton will be back to normal.

Meanwhile the Club and Paul have retreated into Susan's Lair. Krashlee goes back down to the panic room, knowing she needs to be contained. Paul is reading through some of Susan's more delicate books, wearing flesh colored librarians gloves to keep them safe.

As Susan returns they discuss the mystery before them.

Paul talks about the Gunch, and how it's a Lust Demon that was probably in Wyatt and has moved to Krashlee. They need to exorcise the demon and destroy it. They begin to prepare for an exorcism, and Paul looks over at the party ready Shamanda. He compliments her dress, and she smiles. She looks into his eyes, locks her mind into Adam's, and asks Paul out to the dance.

He happily agrees.

## 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 Diane Miller, Principal Norton, Paul DeBello, and everyone else.

## Introductions

Tyler: Welcome to Mystery County Monster Hunter's Club, a Monster of the Week actual play podcast. I'm Tyler Samples, your Keeper of Monsters and Mysteries, and let's meet our players.

Rashawn: Hi everybody, I'm Rashawn Nadine Scott and my character is the Crooked, Shamanda Felt, and I swear, the movie Roll Bounce is gonna win an Oscar this year.

Jeff: Hi, I'm Jeff Murdoch and I play Adam Miller, the Monstrous. I didn't vote for President Lieberman, but that's just because I'm 16.

Erin: Hi, I'm Erin Rein and I play Krashlee Grenadine the Flake, and I will be going full Carrie on all these motherfuckers that told me I was a virgin.

Claire: I'm Claire Linic and I play Susan Wexler, the Expert, I'm an expert monster hunter and an amateur Rod Stewart fan.

Alan: Hey, what's up, I'm Alan Linic. I play CEJ aka Cody Ernst, Jr. I am the Mundane of the group and I'm a long time caller, first time listener.

## Notable Quotes

* "Seatbelts are lame." - Adam
* "Now let's think about cooling down, you know, like watching One Saturday Morning, watching cartoons and really just calming down. Hanging out with cabbage patch dolls, you know, changing the toilet paper rolls stuff like that. Real nerd stuff that really calms you down." - Shamanda
* "I hope that you take a long walk off a short pier. I read that in a book." - Krashlee
* "It takes a big man to admit when they're wrong, and I'm the biggest." - CEJ
* "He is not literally on death's door, but he is walking up the front sidewalk." - Tyler

## Links

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