The Mystery Within

36. Scarebear

It's late at night on what appears to be a devastated wasteland located near the Destroido company. The land appeared to be toxic and heavily polluted as a green mist sat in the air. The tree's were just branches, their leaves now longer green and healthy, their bare trunk's sticking out of the grassless hillsides. A strange glowing river. seemed to flow through the landscape and an owl sat in a tree as it tires to hoot but can only cough with the toxic air. 

Walking through this harsh environment was Sheriff Stone pulling along his smoker as Mayor Nettles followed cautiously beside him. They soon come to a stop atop a hill as they remove a pair of gas masks the two had been wearing. 

"This looks like a good spot for my smoker." Sheriff Stone says. 

"Are you sure it's safe?" Mayor Nettles asks looking around. 

Sheriff Stone looks at a device in his hands now as it beeps. "Air quality, acceptable. Atmospheric ionization, let me see. Ah good. Only dangerous to small vertebrates. Minimal nuclear fallout, check, we're good to go." Sheriff Stone says as he opens a box on his smoker to grab his gear. 

"I can't believe your father used to bring you here." Mayor Nettles says to him.

"Well, It was different back then." Sheriff Stone starts as he grabs a spatula. "No sinkholes, acid geysers. We didn't need the masks. But as Destroido says in their commercials we have to pay a price for progress."

"This is Destroido's doing?" Mayor nettles asks. 

"Well who else would be willing to rip the natural elements out of Mother Earth so we can buy sustainable light bulbs?" Sheriff Stone replies but the sound of an animal shrieking and scurrying nearby gets their attention. 

"What was that?" Mayor Nettles asks a little frightened. 

"Probably bat zombies." Sheriff Stone says ignoring it. "Nothing to worry about. Now, Let's talk meat." Sheriff Stone grins but suddenly a large hulking creature lands near the two as it lets out a roar. It kicks Sheriff Stone's smoker sending it flying down the hill as it smashes into a tree. The creature then turns to both Sheriff Stone and Mayor Nettles as they begin to back up. 

"Werner Herzog, what is that thing?" Sheriff Stone cries. 

The creature roars at the two now as it opens it's palms, Claws extended from it's fingertips as it slashes towards them hitting a tree instead and getting stuck. Both Sheriff Stone and Mayor Nettles use the opportunity to run now as they put distance between them and the creature.

"Keep running, little lass." Sheriff Stone says to Mayor Nettles as the two continue to make their escape. The creature can be heard giving out a large roar as it sits on a hill watching them.

It was the next day and the Mystery gang had been summoned to Mayor Nettles office as she was showing them recorded footage of the creature that had attacked last night on a projector. 

"It's called the Scarebear and it's been terrorizing campers all summer long." Mayor Nettles explains to the gang.

"And Sheriffs, Don't forget Sheriffs." Sheriff Stone adds as everyone looks at him. 

Fred gets up from his seat now as he looks at the projection closely. "The width of the shoulders is about 28.2 inches almsot 50 percent wider than the normal human man which indicates that this is a mutant bear." Fred says.