Man Discovers Strange Creature In Garden, Authorities Quarantine His House

Something Strange

Joshua couldn’t believe his eyes. The creature had appeared in his garden less than a week ago, but where did it come from? It had been mocking him from the plants, but he wouldn’t stand for it any longer.

Gripped by morbid curiosity, Joshua decided there was only one solution to his problems. He got a jar and a lid with holes and got ready to do the unthinkable.

Marching Outside

Joshua mustered up all of his courage and marched out of his house into the garden. He thought he was prepared for what he was about to do, but he didn’t actually know what he was getting into.

His shoes spattered against the mud as he marched forward into the thick grass. He knew he should have taken better care of his garden, but it was too late for that.

Repercussions

He now knew all too well what the repercussions of not maintaining his garden were. The creature must have thought the climate in his backyard was habitable.

But after a week of playing cat and mouse, Joshua had finally managed to track the creature down to where its dwelling was. Now he would be able to catch it and take it out of his garden.

Finally Had It

Joshua saw it hanging on a branch, almost mocking him. It was just out of reach, but he had the right tools at his disposal. He quickly got his step-ladder out of his shed and walked towards the tree.

He placed the ladder and stepped up to where the branch was. The creature was still sitting there; he drew a deep breath, and a few brave seconds later, he had it in the jar.

A Big Mistake

Joshua carefully walked back into his house with the specimen. He put the jar on his countertop and prepared for the next step. Now that it was trapped, he’d be able to closely examine it for the first time.

He looked closely at the creature through the glass, but he noticed something that made his heart start to race. He stumbled backward and felt bead sweat from his brow. Had he really made such a big mistake?

Joshua Edwards

Joshua Edwards knew that most of his life was behind him. The 55-year-old man looked back on his life with pride. He had achieved all of the things he wanted to in life, and even though it was all over, he was happy.

He had gotten married straight out of high school and settled down quickly after finding out his wife was pregnant.

Bad News

Joshua was the best husband and father he could be. He watched his son grow up and eventually move out as an adult. But he was about to encounter a tragedy he wasn’t prepared for.

After his son moved out, things just weren’t working out as they used to. Laura, his wife, told him that their marriage was on the rocks. He couldn’t believe it. She told him she was going to live somewhere else while she figured things out. It was the worst news he’d ever heard.

Having A Good Attitude

Joshua tried his best to have a good attitude. He had just appreciated the time he got to spend with her. But he struggled to look after himself once she was out of the house.

The once beautiful and maintained house started devolving into an eyesore. The paint started to chip, and the once-trimmed lawn started growing out of control. That’s where the problems started.

A New Ecosystem

Something that Joshua didn’t count on was his backyard turning into an ecosystem for all sorts of wildlife. From small rodents to all kinds of insects, he knew he had a mounting problem on his hands.

He didn’t have enough willpower to do anything about it at first. He was okay with things around him falling apart; everything else was, anyway.

Seeing Something Strange

One day, after dragging himself out of bed to start the day, Joshua noticed something strange. The retiree was sitting at his kitchen table when he stared out of his window into his back garden.

He saw something colorful amongst the backdrop of greenery. He squinted his eyes but couldn’t tell what it was. He decided he’d go out and investigate.

What Was It?

His mind started to wonder what was in his garden. It was some kind of animal, but he had no idea what it could have been. He put on his boots and walked out into the overgrowth.

But that’s when he noticed that it was gone. Had he just imagined it? He scratched his head before heading back inside. He quickly forgot about the creature, but that was something he should have done.

Going About His Business

Joshua went about his business as usual. He read through his mail and threw most of it away. He had bills to pay, but he didn’t have the time to worry about that now.

A few days had passed since the incident, and now he sat down and started flicking through the different TV channels. There wasn’t normally anything good on, but he liked the background noise while he reflected on his thoughts.

Seeing It Again

Joshua nearly dozed off while he sat in his recliner with some ESPN playing in the background. But out of the corner of his eyes, he saw movement. He jolted back up and looked out of his window.

There it was again. The strange-looking creature perched on the branch of a tree. His face went sour just looking at it. He couldn’t believe it had evaded him once already. But how would he catch it?

Coming Up With A Plan

The old man needed to come up with a plan to catch the animal. He looked through his kitchen and managed to find an old mason jar. He just hoped it was the right size for the creature.

He took a knife and poked a few holes in the lid so that it would be able to breathe once he caught it. He now had all the tools for the job, but he had no idea what he was dealing with.

Catching It Unaware

Now all he had to do was bide his time and wait for the perfect opportunity to grab the creature. He waited until he was sure it had properly settled onto the branch and wouldn’t be moving around.

It was almost dusk as he stood at his backdoor, ready to get the critter out of his backyard. But he shouldn’t have been messing with something he didn’t understand.

Mocking Him

The creature had appeared in his garden less than a week ago, but where did it come from? It had been mocking him from the plants, but he wouldn’t stand for it any longer.

Gripped by morbid curiosity, Joshua decided there was only one solution to his problems. He got a jar and a lid with holes and got ready to do the unthinkable.

Mustering Up His Courage

Joshua mustered up all of his courage and marched out of his house into the garden. He thought he was prepared for what he was about to do, but he didn’t actually know what he was getting into.

His shoes spattered against the mud as he marched forward into the thick grass. He knew he should have taken better care of his garden, but it was too late for that.

Cat And Mouse

He now knew all too well what the repercussions of not maintaining his garden was. The creature must have thought the climate in his backyard was habitable.

But after a week of playing cat and mouse, Joshua had finally managed to track the creature down to where its dwelling was. Now he would be able to catch it and take it out of his garden.

Catching It

Joshua saw it hanging on a branch, almost mocking him. It was just out of reach, but he had the right tools at his disposal. He quickly got his step-ladder out of his shed and walked towards the tree.

He placed the ladder and stepped up to where the branch was. The creature was still sitting there; he drew a deep breath, and a few brave seconds later, he had it in the jar.

Specimen In Hand

Joshua carefully walked back into his house with the specimen. He put the jar on his countertop and prepared for the next step. Now that it was trapped, he’d be able to closely examine it for the first time.

He looked closely at the creature through the glass, but he noticed something that made his heart start to race. He stumbled backward and felt bead sweat from his brow. Had he really made such a big mistake?

Calling A Professional

Joshua grabbed his phone and found the number for animal control. He hastily called them and, in a gravelly voice, explained what he had just found. They told them they’d send aid immediately, but someone else arrived.

He nervously waited until he heard sirens outside of his house. Confused, he walked outside to ask them what was going on, but he was met with an unapologetic tone.

Detained

The cop arrived and told Joshua to step out of the house, the old man had no idea what was going on, but the cop wasn’t asking nicely. He held out his taser gun to make sure he complied.

The cop seemed nervous and on edge. Did it have to do with the creature that he had found in his garden? He walked out to the police officer, who then gave the go-ahead to some men in coveralls to rush into the house. Who were they?

Animal Control

They must have belonged to the animal control he called, but why had the cops also arrived? Animal control spent a few minutes in his house until they came out holding the jar with the specimen.

They seemed just as scared of the insect as he was. They took it to their van and then had a chat with the officer just out of earshot. What was going on?

Revealing The Truth

Animal control abruptly left, and the police officer was left to pick up the rest of the pieces. He approached Joshua and seemed ready to finally reveal what was going on.

“You know who called us?” The officer asked him while pulling out a cigarette from its box and lighting it. “Animal control?” He answered, but the officer just chuckled, “No.”

A Check Up Call

“It was actually a woman named Laura; she said that she’s your wife, and she wanted us to check up on you.” The officer said. But then, how did that turn into him being detained?

Things didn’t add up, and Joshua’s suspicions only mounted as time passed. The officer still seemed a little nervous. What was he hiding?

Quickly Leaving

“We’re gonna have to quarantine your house, sir. You had a very dangerous animal in there, and we need to make sure there aren’t any others.” He told Joshua, but he wasn’t buying it.

“Really? Well, then, could you kindly show me some documentation to prove that?” He barked back at the officer, capitalizing on his nervousness. He started backpedaling.

Leaving

“I’ll have to go get it in writing, but it would be easier if you let me just do my job.” He snarled back, but Joshua decided that he was standing his ground. If his hunch was right, then it was the right thing to do.

After standing his ground, the officer had no choice but to leave. He said he’d be back with the paperwork. But Joshua knew he was lying.

Calling The Cops

As soon as the cop had left, Joshua wasted no time calling the police. He asked them if they had dispatched a unit to his house because of a dangerous animal, but what they told him shocked him.

The dispatcher told Joshua the truth. They hadn’t dispatched anyone to his house. That meant only one thing; he sprinted inside to make sure he was right.

A Rare Specimen

Joshua looked up the creature he had found in his garden. It was something he should have done before calling animal control. He managed to find the animal; it was a rosy maple moth, a beautiful animal that could be sold domestically.

That’s when it hit him; they had stolen the animal to sell and faked their uniforms. Then he realized who the ringleader was.

His Wife

After months of radio silence, she had really only made a “check-up” call to get the valuable animal from him. How did she even know about it?

Dozens of questions ran through his mind, but he doubted that he would ever figure them out. All he could do now was pick up the pieces and ensure that he was ready to call the cops if the impersonator came back.

In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events, places, or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.