xxxEXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW:xxx
MY BROTHER THE REAL MONSTERxxx
Seraphine Hightower -- Forest Ranger Corpsxxx
Seraphine Hightower: When did your brother first get interested in cryptids?
George Mothman: He's actually the odd one out in our family, and he was raised as a regular moth in a family of mothmen. We generally keep to ourselves, but he had the ability to go out into the world and see what people thought of us.
Hightower: And how did that affect him?
Mothman: He wanted the world to know we were real to clear our names as "monsters," even though we were content being the stuff of legends. He tried to find other cryptids based on stories similar to the ones people had created about our family, but we were able to warn most of them and they steered clear.
Hightower: So, what do you think his motive behind the kidnapping was?
Mothman: I think he started to resent the other cryptids and eventually turned against them. If he couldn't find them, then he was going to frame them and try to prove they were real, dangerous, and he was a hero. We saw him take Cirrus, but we didn't want him to turn the blame on us if we tried to stop him. We're well aware it's easy for people to believe someone they know over a "monster."
Hightower: Do you have anything else you want to say with regard to your family?
Mothman: We're very thankful that the Camp Smoothie counselors are open to keeping our secret. It's nice to have friends, but we're never going to be a big name in the media. It seems your publication is a little... fantastical... so I think that this interview will get the truth out to those in the know, but let us keep our cryptid status.
Hightower: Were cryptids present at the scene of the crime?
Mothman: Yes, my family and I as well as some others kept an eye on the kidnapped camper and left her some supplies we were able to pick up from the mess the Glampgrounds tends to leave lying around. We would never have let her be in danger after Mason left her, and we're sorry for not being able to do more, but I'm sure you can understand that we were afraid of discovery too!
Hightower: Do you hold a grudge against the campers from the Glampgrounds?
Mothman: There are a few that we aren't on good terms with--we believe that the campers whose boat is called the FINTASTIC went out hunting for us after Cirrus' disappearance--but we hope they understand now that cryptids were not at fault. A lot of them have made an effort to keep the forest in good condition now, so I think we'll be able to move forward in a peaceful manner.
Hightower: There's one more thing that puzzled me, which you provided an answer to, so I'd like to ask it again: How did Mason get out to and return so quickly from the scene of the crime?
Mothman: Well, he knows the trails much better than the average camper to get there, and as for the return--he can fly, of course! Much faster than walking on the ground. I know I have legs and all, but it's much simpler to use my wings.
Hightower: Where do you think Mason has gone now?
Mothman: Well, if he doesn't want to face justice for kidnapping someone, he's probably had to go into hiding. It's kind of ironic that he never wanted our family to be in hiding, but now he's the one who made his own bed in that respect. I guess he's gotten a taste of his own medicine.
And there you have it, folks! My investigation also uncovered another can of empty paint in the Ranger Station--the evidence points to Mason altering the trail signs to draw me away from my post. I also found samples of "cryptid" fur in his things that matched what was found in the cave; he was really trying to trick you! Now, I know some of you thought that I was a cryptid myself, but isn't that a little silly? It's not like I came through a cave portal to a prehistoric time or anything. Even if I did, fossils were real, right?
Editor's note: Mothman/mothmen is a gender-neutral term in moth society.
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