SPRINGBOUND SUMMER COUR

FIRST ENCOUNTER

The small bit of grassy lowlands that separated that of the countryside and Podunk itself was cited as one of the calmer, prettier sights around the small town. It was a very good clearing to go stargazing or simply have fun catching bugs and whatnot. But today, it was different, because as Ninten took a step out into the countryside he immediately could tell something was off just by the ringing noise that plagued his eardrums and head. It was a whirring mechanical noise, at the frequency of a dog whistle, and boy did it annoy him. He shook his head to clear it, the noise never disappearing, as he began the small walk to town.

Last time he checked, the animals of Podunk were peaceful. But this time around, he had to dodge and weave around those that acted weird. A group of butterflies, for example, came together in a weird mass of butterfly matrimony and, somehow, all of them had the plan to attach themselves to his baseball hat and fluttered, it made his hat lift up slightly before he used his bat to swoosh them away from himself. The snakes too, he had to shoo a couple away because they were so lenient on biting his exposed ankles.

When he stopped by the OTHER neighbors, they were all complaining about the weather instead of the fact that even the butterflies were attacking kids.

"Oh, they're just acting all loopy due to the heatwave, I'm sure they'll come to their senses later!", one of them said, a chubbier lady named Eva.

When he checked in with the more elderly couple that live on the more flowery side of the area, they also shook off the angry animals.

"It's the heat" they kept saying, over and over was the same response that Ninten got at least 4 times in a row. Even the neighbors he didn't talk to were weirdly nice to him, despite his unlucky well-known aggression being a key factor in why such neighbors didn't bother talking to him. Even, to a degree, his own mother had been acting weird ever since the attack that occurred last night. She's been on the phone much more recently, acting aloof and only taking care of Minnie and Mimmie on the occasion when she isn't focused on calling Mr.Agergate or Ms.Polestar from a few towns over.

"It's always blah, blah, blah. Why the hell are these adults so damn talkative and cheery today?! Some sort of 'be nice to Ninten Halloway' festival going on?"He spoke out into the air.

Of course nobody would respond.

"It's stupid! Aren't they supposed to be helping the cops with finding Pippi anyways?", he spat.

He grumbled as he sat down on a rock, making sure there were no snakes hiding in the crevices, crossing his arms like a child.

"..Oh right, Pippi. Hah, wherever she is, she's probably as loopy and stupid as these adults.", He had turned his head to spit those words at the neighbor.

Though the neighbor only waved in a dopey manner with a big wide grin.

"And stop staring at me like that!" He yelled as he got up and walked over to the grinning lady.

She kept smiling wide, her ginger bobbed hair bouncing up and down as she leaned back and forth on her slippers. Even when the neighborhood menace, and also the neighborhood star, was walking up to him she continued her dopey demeanor and clueless smile. When he struck up a conversation, her words were as slurred as someone who was drunk on liquor, he knew that cause Wally, one of his neighbors, also sounded like that almost 24/7. He tried his hardest to listen in on her words.

"Oh, me. Oh, my. Whatever shall we do? I'm stuck here in this little house, but there's undead and aggression afoot, oh me, oh my, what if the door suddenly comes to life and begins attacking me? Oh, will anyone help me?" Her words made no sense to him.