Held |There's something in the water. . . .|

CREEK DEVIL

The next day the guys came by the diner,smiling
like everything was normal. Izuku didn't wave
back. He slipped into the kitchen before they sat
down at the counter and didn't come out until
they were gone.

——-
After the breakfast rush was over, Uncle Yagi
handed Izuku a mug of root beer and told him
To have a seat.

"What's wrong, kiddo?" he asked, sitting
on the stool next to Izuku's. "I see you've been
avoiding your buddies."
"They're not my buddies," Izuku said. "I hardly
know them."

Uncle Yagi peered at Izuku. "Is this because of
that stunt at the creek?"
"You heard about that?" Izuku said.
Uncle Yagi chuckled, but not in a nasty way.
"They didn't mean any harm," he said. "You
should be flattered."

"How's that?" Izuku said. "They made me feel
like an idiot."
"It means they like you, that you're one of
them," Uncle Yagi said. "Now they're expecting
you to get them back. Didn't you know that's
how it works?"

How could Izuku know? He'd never had any
real friends before. He wanted to know more.
But before he could ask, Mr. Shield and Dr.
Shuzenji came through the door. They were Uncle
Yagi's oldest friends. Mr. Shield owned the
hardware store. Dr. Shuzenji took care of practically
everyone in town. They came in every day for
coffee and to chat about baseball with Uncle
Yagi.

But today the men didn't want to talk about
anybody's pitching record. Mr. Shield held
up the morning paper so Uncle Yagi and Izuku
could read the front page headline.

SHARK KILLS SECOND BATHER
IN MASUTAFU
July 7
Shoji Lake, Masutafu
A shark attacked Taneo Takedo, 28, while he
was swimming alone in the ocean yesterday
afternoon. Lifeguards rushed to his rescue, but
the young man's wounds were so severe that he
bled to death before they reached shore.
Taneo, a well-liked photographer at the Emi
and Sirius Hotel, was known to be a strong
swimmer. But he was no match for the beast,
which attacked without mercy. Before he
perished, Taneo was able to tell a remarkable
story to his rescuers.
"He was a big grey fellow, and as rough as
sandpaper," Taneo said. "I didn't see him
until after he struck me the first time. . . .
That was when I yelled. . . . I thought he had
gone on, but he only turned and shot back at
me [and] . . . snipped my left leg off. . . . He
yanked me clear under before he let go. . . .He
came back at me . . .and shook me like a
terrier shakes a rat."
Taneo tried to say more, but he became
too weak. He died of massive blood loss and
shock before lifeguard could get him back to
the shore
Officials are warning people not to swim
alone.

"I still don't believe it." said Uncle Yagi.
"Someone is cooking up these stories to sell
newspapers."

"Could be," Mr. Shield said. "Folks Are terrified,
though. My wife's cousin lives out there, and she
says nobody will go near the ocean. They have
fishermen out with rifles shooting anything
that moves."

"You know what this reminds me of?" Dr. Shuzenji
said. "The Creek Devil."
"What's that?" Izuku asked.
Mr. Shield and Dr. Shuzenji chuckled. Then Mr.
Shield shifted his kinda hefty body forward on the
stool. He leaned closer to Izuku.

"Old-timers say there's a monster that lives
down near the creek. He's covered with mud.
Eats snakes and bats and makes a terrible hissing
sound. Moans, too. Legend is that he comes out
every decade and drags a kid back into the mud
with him."

"People believe that?" Izuku said
"Everyone in town knows the legend," Uncle
Yagi said, "but nobody really believes it."

"Except for Yagi here," Dr. Shuzenji said, slapping
Uncle Yagi on the shoulder. "When we were
little, he wouldn't go near that creek!"

"Bah," Uncle Yagi said, waving his hand
at Dr. Shuzenji "I don't know what you're talking
about. Doesn't someone need a wart removed
or something?"

Was Uncle Yagi blushing?
Imagine Uncle Yagi being afraid of a made-up
monster! Izuku smiled to himself. Maybe there
was hope for him yet.

Suddenly Izuku had an idea for the greatest
prank ever. Folks would be talking about it for
years. And then he'd be part of the gang for
sure.

Eijiro, Tenya, and Katsuki are going to come
face-to-face with the Creek Devil