Page 43 of Glow

“Not everyone sees it as isolation.” Calder’s voice was thoughtful rather than dismissive. “Some seek companionship. Others prefer solitude. Neither way is wrong.”

“It’s all a lot to absorb,” Dan replied. “My grandfather tried to prepare me, but it was only a start.”

Calder was silent for a moment. “Preparation only takes you so far,” he said. “The rest comes only with experience.”

“Yeah. I should let you go. You’ve helped a lot. Thank you.”

“If you need me again,” Calder replied, “ask.”

Dan logged out and stared at his screen for a few minutes, processing what Calder had told him. The perspective helped him reframe his own difficulties, and he tried to avoid feeling bad about not coming to the insights on his own.

Then again, I’ve only been a cryptid since grandpa died, so I’m sorta new at it. He poured himself a fresh cup of coffee, turned up the music, and plunged back into his analysis. Once he got immersed in the challenge of the project, the time flew by, and before he knew it, his alarm reminded him to close down and meet Quinn for supper.

When he got to Quinn’s place, the smell of pizza made his stomach rumble.

“Hey there.” Quinn greeted him with a kiss. “I picked up a pizza to eat here since you’re dodging the paparazzi.”

“Let’s hope I don’t end up on the cover of the tabloids again.” Dan wrinkled his nose. “Been there, done that. It’s not what it’s cracked up to be. Didn’t even get a product sponsorship out of my five minutes of fame.”

The pizza had all of Dan’s favorite toppings, and Quinn had ordered fried mushrooms on the side. Conversation waited until they poured drinks and filled their plates. They settled at the kitchen table to eat, and Dan didn’t realize just how hungry he was until the first few bites. “Good stuff,” he said.

“It’s some of the best pizza I’ve ever had,” Quinn agreed. “We’re lucky the owner is local. It’s a Fox Hollow institution.”

Quinn filled Dan in on what happened during his day after their morning appointment, recounting encounters with confused tourists, an indignant raccoon, and backed-up campground bathroom facilities.

“Just another day in paradise,” Quinn said, but his smile made it clear that, despite the frustrations, he loved his job.

“I turned in the work that was due, and made sure my team is covering the rest.” Dan skipped the intricate details. “Now we’ll see if my predictions are right.” He wiped pizza sauce from his lips. “And I spent some time talking to Calder on the Network.”

“Oh?” Quinn left the question open.

“He was sympathetic but reminded me that some cryptids have become so well-known people actually go looking for them,” Dan said. “Which I should have realized, and now I feel like a self-centered prick for not thinking of it.”

Quinn took his hand across the table. “You’re not self-centered, and I happen to like your prick,” he added with a smirk.

“The other cryptids you talk to, they’ve always been their creature, right?” Quinn went on. Dan nodded.

“Yours is different being passed down from one host to another,” Quinn said. “Every generation has to learn to deal with it all over again, with the challenges of their own times. That’s a big difference.”

“I guess,” Dan allowed.

“Some of the other creatures are very old,” Quinn added. “So, for at least part of their existence, there weren’t as many people around, not as much technology to dodge. You’re new at this. Live and learn.”

“I don’t have any records about how things were for Wally before my grandfather,” Dan said. “Time doesn’t seem to mean the same thing for him, so it’s hard to figure out what he remembers. I’m not sure where he came from originally or where he goes, since I’m not going to have a kid to pass him on to.”

“One thing at a time,” Quinn said. “You’re in the right place to figure that out. Speaking of which, my ninja squirrel brigade had news to report.”

“Ninja squirrels?” Dan couldn’t help chuckling at the image that came to mind.

“Uh-huh. They’re everywhere, and so are the birds,” Quinn replied. “They’ve been looking for the missing hikers, the wurm, and keeping an eye out for the bounty hunter, like an advance warning system.”

“And?” Dan held his breath.

“Nothing yet on the hikers. But they’ve spotted the bounty hunter. Right now, he’s not close to Fox Hollow. Even better, they think he blundered into view of some of the trail cameras, so we might actually be able to get a picture we can use to figure out who he is. Knowledge is power.” Quinn grinned.

“I hope they pelt him with acorns and bird shit,” Dan muttered.

“They do. They wanted to make sure I told you that.” Quinn chuckled and winked. “They are vindictive little buggers, don’t let the cuteness fool you.”