Mr. Singh came by the museum today along with Chief Wells to discuss what we have learned about the scouts’ misadventures.

After interviewing all of the boys, it seems they were on the third day of their trip and had done a plant identification exercise, particularly for things you could survive on if you were lost in the woods. While several of the plants were tasted, none were eaten in any real quantity. That night, dinner was mostly prepared rations they had brought with them.

All the boys felt a little rummy when a group of them left to play flashlight tag and became disoriented. The second group of boys were a little better off, but described seeing and hearing all manner of things in the woods and really having to “keep it together” to make their way back  to the car.

When the scout master and his son awoke in the midst of all the commotion, they found empty sleeping bags all around them. They tried looking for the boys, but found moving and thinking difficult. At some point, they became separated, and the Scoutmaster’s son indicated that he was attacked by wildlife “coming at him from every direction, yelling profanities at him.”

In the midst of fighting off hallucinations, the scoutmaster appeared out of nowhere, naked, his eyes as big as pie plates. He grabbed his son by the shoulders and started yelling “A Year and a day, son, A year and a day! Go! Go back and tell them I am free! They can’t take another drop from me!” before running back off into the woods.

The kid fought more imaginary animals until he found his way near the quarry where he hid until he was rescued.

Interesting bit was, when the blood tests came back, he had enough Belladonna in him to kill an ox.

So, What happened, then? At this point, nobody is pressing any charges, and a missing persons case has been opened.

The young Mr. Wobb asked Banjeet about some of the things he thought he saw during his hallucination. They discussed some of the rare wildlife in the area, such as badgers, bears, and the occasional puma we get. Banjeet extended an offer for the young scout to intern with him next summer if he wishes, and Wobb has a standing invite with the Youth Conservation Corps doing field work in the area.

The Scoutmaster is still at large.