The Journal of Madie Beartri

Journal 24

Met with the gang leaders and shared the notes from Matt. The atmosphere in this meeting was calmer than the previous one. The gang leaders shared their thoughts on how to proceed toward getting rid of the Hulk and his goons. Everyone agreed that the Hulk was a nuisance. The longer he stayed in town the stronger he was going to get. We have all decided to band together in a show of force. A lot of violence is expected. I gave the gang leaders the opportunity to back out of the conflict if they found the risk too great. No one withdrew his or her gang. I will send a courier to inform Matt about how we plan to proceed.

Journal 23

Sheriff Pete and Tony retrieved another note from Matt.

Not everyone is happy with the way the Hulk runs the Central Campus. This is a good thing. Matt got in an argument this morning with someone trying to take his breakfast. The bully was trying to prove to his pals that he was big and tough. Matt won the argument after a knock down fight.

Matt made some friends. One in particular, a girl named Hemy. She said that there are people at Central that do not like the Hulk or his goons. The Hulk and his inner circle have most of the people who live at Central afraid. Food and a place to sleep seem to be the strongest reasons why people stay. Others stay because they enjoy wrestling tournaments and that way of life. Central reminds me of the stories I heard when I was young about gladiators. The guards force people to fight as the Hulk and his goon’s watch. Matt said there are 10 goons in the Hulks inner circle.

Journal 22

I am having trouble sleeping. I seem to worry about everything. Last night was horrible; I couldn’t shut my mind off from thinking about the day. I don’t like Matt living inside the Central campus. I don’t want him to take any unnecessary chances. I am sure he will only do what is necessary, but I still worry about him. Tony is feeling a little happier. He is anxious about Runt. It was difficult to convince him that he can’t just run over to the Central campus and get Runt back. We have a workable plan to get all the missing boys back. I think he understands that if he ran over there and tried to take Runt back right now the other missing boys could be in trouble. One step at a time and we will get our friends back. Sheriff Pete is currently training his deputies. I think he is enjoying his new role as a Sheriff. He walks differently, taller, I think.

Journal 21

Matt sent a message to me. He is inside the Central campus, and it sounds like he is doing fine. He apologized to Jonas for the eye punch. Apparently, Matt lost his balance on the last blow. Matt has access to most of the Central campus, but a couple of the areas are heavily guarded. Matt has located the Runt and the other lost boys. The boys are slaves forced to do the Hulks bidding. The goons keep the boys in cages most of the day. The Hulk’s goons force the boys to fight in the arena for amusement.

Wrestling seems to be very big on the Central campus. People are continuously challenging each other to duals. Matt has been able to avoid being challenged because he is currently not considered a threat, the higher the rank the more privileges you have and the better food you eat. Matt hopes to be home soon.

Journal 20

I have such a headache. Probably stress. The preparation for the naming ceremony is going well. Casey is getting so excited, and the baby seems to be thriving. Casey is also doing well. Plans for the festival also continue. We have had several responses from several of the local gangs who wish to participate. The same gangs come year after year. I can’t wait; we need some diversion, some fun. My brain is tired. What else can I tell you? Oh, I know Jonas is climbing the walls. We still have not heard from Matt since he defected over to the Central Bobcats. I hope he is safe and not taking any unnecessary chances.

Journal 19

Jonas limped back to Bear Country. He didn’t say a lot when he got back. I cleaned up his wounds and made him something to eat. He didn’t eat much. I am not sure if it was because of his physical injuries or because of the mental anguish I am sure he feels. The whole thing was just incredibly sad. I find it hard to think about one without the other. Matt and Jonas have always done everything together.

Journal 18

There are days and then there are days. Matt and Jonas fought at the plaza today. It was awful. Both boys were injured. They both had bloody lips, cuts, and bruises. A couple of venders are going to have to rebuild after Matt and Jonas crashed through their kiosks. It didn’t take long for a crowd to develop. People began to cheer for one or the other. It always annoys me that people encourage fights. You would think that the proper thing to do would be to stop the fight but not in this town. Anyway, as the fight grew in intensity a couple of the Hulk’s goons from the Central campus arrived. They just stood back and watched. I am not surprised. The fight ended as Matt pinned Jonas on the pavement. Some words exchanged that I would rather not repeat. Then Matt released Jonas and stood up. Jonas struggled to his feet. He yelled at his brother that they were no longer brothers. I wanted to cry. After the show, the crowd dispersed as quickly as it formed except for the Central goons. They were interested in Matt. I wasn’t close enough to hear the conversation, but Matt left with the enemy.

Journal 17

Tony stopped by my room in the admin hallway. He said he wanted to help. I guess this is his way of saying he is sorry for being mad at me.

It’s been a long night. Tony, Matt, Jonas, and I (under the cover of darkness) went to the Central campus. There was a lot of activity even at the hour that we were snooping. The guards seem to all be visible. No need to hide, the size of these people would keep most people away. Of course, we don’t know exactly what is going on inside. We tiptoed around the entire campus. No one seemed to be guarding the east end backside of the building. The door was even unlocked. We went inside. The classrooms in this hallway were all locked and empty. At least the rooms we peaked into were empty. Things seemed a little too easy. Feeling uncomfortable with the ease that we entered we decided to quietly leave. Ok, we can get in. Which means we should be able to get information to each other? The next step is to get someone into the Bobcat gang.

Journal 16

I held a meeting with the community leaders of the larger gangs that are allies with Bear Country. I love community meetings. No, actually, I don’t but sometimes they are a necessity. I am not a particularly good diplomat. I have trouble hiding my emotions. I always turn a bright shade of red when I get flustered. What I hate the most is that these meetings always end up loud and noisy. Getting everyone to agree is always a challenge but I think we have a workable plan. All the gang leaders have agreed that getting someone inside the Bobcat campus is a necessity. Bear Country will have to get someone inside but first we have to find out what kind of security the Hulk has in place so that we can get information once we are inside.

I went to see Tony after the meeting. He is still angry with me. At first, he pretended to be working on something and ignored that I was even standing in the same room. I said I was sorry and that if I could bring back Runt I would. I said I needed his friendship. He threw a wrench across the room (It barely missed my head) and said I wasn’t a very good friend. A friend is someone you can count on. Someone you can depend on. I said, “I was dependable.” He said I wasn’t. He said I should have kept a closer eye on Runt. Perhaps he was right. I should have kept a closer eye on the little guy. However, honestly, I can’t be everywhere at once. I have a great deal of responsibility. I would have done my best to look after Runt if Tony had died. We all would have looked after him. It’s what we do in Bear Country. We look after each other. No one could have prevented Runt from leaving if he wanted to leave. No one is under lock and key.

Tony went back to whatever it was he was working on, and I left the room. I said I really was sorry.

Journal 15

Central continues to cause trouble. I went to the Plaza today with Matt and Jonas. The streets are crazy. People are missing. No proof but the word is that the Central Bobcats are behind the disappearances. I knew Central was recruiting older males, large males of substantial build but the missing are young boys. Apparently, four young boys disappeared in four days. Took Matt and Jonas, collected a few community leaders, and went over to the Central campus. We were hoping that the Hulk (as we endearingly call him) might be able to help us. Let us know where the boys are. His goons wouldn’t let us through the front door. Apparently, the Hulk is busy with Central Bobcat business and can’t be disturbed. We tried to force our way in but the goons guarding the entrance had lethal weapons we weren’t prepared to deal with at that moment in time. We left a message. This whole thing with Central is getting on my nerves.