They thought they'd caught the only monsters in the marshlands, not realising that those bright lights they saw flickering around at night were the others hunting by the light of the fireflies. It was an old tradition of their people, a way to conceal them from humans that had worked until two children mistook a lantern for a friendly light.
Unfortunately for them, they paid the price for their mistake and their heads were soon stuffed and mounted in the town's history museum/curiosity shoppe for everyone to see and feel safer from the sight. Though the marshfolk were still considered to be a myth and the two heads declared forgeries, regular hunting parties went out in search of more creatures under the guise of protecting a town that had never been in danger.
It was less than a week before all the fireflies vanished, in spite of the hunter's utter failure to so much as catch a glimpse of any creature other than their companions. The myths remained on both sides still, reinforced by those two small heads that sit in jars of formaldehyde mixed with marshwater.
For both sides there are monsters just out of reach of their homes, eager for the blood of the innocent and always waiting to catch any unsuspecting fool by the marsh's edge. Each side has scores of alleged deaths to blame upon the other, however only one has proof and only one is willing to act on stories of murder.
Only one side moved themselves to safety though, taking the fireflies with them deeper into the wilds while the other declared all they saw to be theirs.
Unfortunately for them, they paid the price for their mistake and their heads were soon stuffed and mounted in the town's history museum/curiosity shoppe for everyone to see and feel safer from the sight. Though the marshfolk were still considered to be a myth and the two heads declared forgeries, regular hunting parties went out in search of more creatures under the guise of protecting a town that had never been in danger.
It was less than a week before all the fireflies vanished, in spite of the hunter's utter failure to so much as catch a glimpse of any creature other than their companions. The myths remained on both sides still, reinforced by those two small heads that sit in jars of formaldehyde mixed with marshwater.
For both sides there are monsters just out of reach of their homes, eager for the blood of the innocent and always waiting to catch any unsuspecting fool by the marsh's edge. Each side has scores of alleged deaths to blame upon the other, however only one has proof and only one is willing to act on stories of murder.
Only one side moved themselves to safety though, taking the fireflies with them deeper into the wilds while the other declared all they saw to be theirs.
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