Monster Trackers

Episode 1

Chapter 2

“I just don’t understand it. Maybe the connection between the accelerator and the proton release mechanism broke loose.” Bam wonders.

“You know, I was just about to wonder the exact same thing,” says Spades from inside another room.

“You really think so?”

“No, I don’t.” Spades emerges with a portion of the stack of newspapers, and sets them down on the pile.

“Thanks for letting me work at your place while my Dad fixes up the basement.”

“No sweat, just . . . don’t turn my room into a microwave oven, will ya?”

“I’ll try.” Bam smiles. Spades sits down on the carpet, digging through the newspapers once again while Bam works on her invention on the floor as well. “You know, I’ve never gotten a chance to see your place! It’s very . . . spacious!”

“Well, you never leave your Dad’s basement in the first place. Besides, there’s obviously not much here worth seeing.”

“Why don’t you just buy some furniture?”

“Because that costs money, which I have none thereof. I’m even having trouble keeping up with the rent, and this was the cheapest room ‘because’ of how empty it is.”

“Is the landlord even allowed to sell you an empty room?”

“I don’t care, I’m glad he did. Otherwise I’d be at my parents’ house living under ‘their’ rules.”

“. . . Ah-hah!” Bam shouts, scaring Spades as he jolts.

“What?! What happened?!”

“It ‘was’ the connection! Somehow it dislodged itself. If I just tighten the wiring around here . . . then that should about fix it,” she says, leaning closer to the machine. Spades taps her shoulder, getting her to lean back up to look at him.

“Please, don’t cook your face off.”

“Right, got it.” She then lowers a pair of thick, binocular-like goggles from her forehead to her eyes, and leans back in to work on the machine leaving Spades to his stack of papers. “Alright, let me just replace the circuit here. . .”

“You’re kidding me. Bam.”

“Get this new one installed here. . .”

“Bam, look at this.”

“Now to tighten the wiring. . .”

“Bam, listen.”

“Almost got it. . .”

“Bam!” Spades yells, slamming his hoof down onto the newspapers repeatedly.

“I got it!” Bam yells as well, leaning back up. “I’ve got it Spades, everything should be functioning now!”

“Okay, fantastic, please don’t test it here; but did you hear what I was saying?”

“Why? What were you saying?”

“I’ve finally found something!” Spades says, agitated.

“Oh, well go ahead and read it!”

“This small little article here says: Unknown Species Stalks Local’s Home.”

“Oh! Excellent! Go ahead, keep reading.”

“For months, the witness states, he has been stalked by a winged creature that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. It all began when he awoke in the middle of the night to a strange sound. Upon investigating by peering out his bedroom window, he claimed he saw a pair of huge, red eyes. ‘They were like two big, red spotlights shining on me,’ said the witness. ‘I stared at them for a matter of seconds before they disappeared, after that, things just got worse’.”

“Oh boy! This is great!”

“Sightings of this creature were not just limited to the nighttime, he also claims he’s heard the same sound just outside his house while preparing breakfast, and that he’s caught a glimpse of the creature just at the break of dawn. ‘I’ve never felt so unsafe living in my own home,’ the witness adds. The witness has called animal control on several occasions, and they believe that it could be an endangered species of owl, as the witness does live in a thick stretch of woods, it doesn’t sound unlikely.”

“An owl?!”

“Yeah, what I believe is unlikely, is that whatever this guy saw in the woods is just a little owl. There isn't much to go on in terms of what this creature actually looks like, but regardless, ‘this’ is a story worth investigating. And check this out, here’s the guy’s address and everything!”

“Oh . . . but . . . when was this article published?”

“It’s been quite some time, but if we’re lucky, this guy’s probably still living in his house with this thing lurking in the woods. Trust me, from what I’ve read, ponies for some reason tend to stay in the house for years and years despite the amount of strange activity. I just hope he hasn’t been pushed to the breaking point just yet.”

“Well, what are we waiting for?! Let’s go get our gear and head down there!” Bam grabs Spades by the foreleg, and trots out of the room. Realizing she left it behind, she pops back inside to retrieve her invention before galloping back out of the room.

Back down in her Dad’s basement, she and Spades begin packing all their gear into large gym bags, filling each one to the brim with all sorts of gadgets and gizmos that she’s built over the years. “Are you sure we’re going to need ‘all’ of this?” Spades asks.

“Hey, you can never be too prepared!” Says Bam.

“What are you two doing now?” Bam’s father asks as he enters the room in a filthy apron after trying to clean the basement. “Are you moving out?”

“Not yet Dad, we finally might have the case we’ve been waiting for right in our hooves!” Bam cheers as she and Spades climb up the stairs with their stuffed gym bags.

“Alright, well, be careful! I don’t want you guys getting into any trouble!”

“It’s okay Dad! We’re ‘looking’ for trouble!” Bam shouts as she and Spades leave the basement.

“Oh, well that’s okay then.” Her Dad mumbles.