Page 119 of Claimed By the Mothman

“What to Expect When You’re Unexpectedly Claimed by a Cryptid”

by Nell Townsend-Samora (Floor Seventeen)

As submitted to theGreymarket Gazette

Hey, friend. So…you got claimed by the cryptid next door. Don’t sweat it; it happens to the best (and sometimes not the best—case in point)8 of us. Sure, it may not have come at a convenient time, and you may not even know said cryptid,and now you’re wondering: what the hell happens next?

First: Don’t panic. That was my mistake. Panic leads to overreaction, and overreaction can fling you—quite literally—into someone's arms, where you may or may not make a series of deeply questionable choices. (It’ll all be fine in the end, but seriously: take a breath, don’t let your amygdala get hijacked, and definitely don’t do any skin to skin contact. Not at first.9)

Second: Don’t make any rash decisions. Think of it like getting general anesthesia and how they tell you not to drive or make any big decisions for twenty-four hours. Same principle, just a slightly lengthier detox time. My suggestion is to call a trusted friend to come over with spells and snacks. Or just snacks. Snacks helpeverything.

Third: Talk to the building. You’re here at Greymarket Towers because you (lucky you!) were chosen to live here. That’s a big deal. So, seek out your neighbors and ask questions, kick things, cry, eat banana bread, you do you. Also, I mean it literally: talk to the building. It listens and answers, although sometimes you don’t really know what it’s saying until later.10

Once you’ve done those three things, it’s time to ask these questions. Take them in whatever order you want, but just be sure you consider them carefully.

Will paperwork need to be filed?Reach out to Mr. Lyle to discuss the nature of the claim and see if there are any extenuating circumstances that may affect temporal disputes, open liminal spaces, or potentially require an up-front deposit. For all his rigidity, he is usually flexible.11

Will there be a sacrificial unraveling or a metaphysical journey?This one is important, because if so, you’ll want to train during the days leading up to it. You don’t want to throw a muscle.

Is becoming something different involved?This is not necessarily a deal-breaker for your decision, but it’s important to consider, because no one likes to be surprised by future sight or hearing things at a pitch that isn’t comfortable for human ears.12

I wish I could say there were clear guidelines after you’ve asked those questions, but being claimed is a little like stepping into a story halfway through. It’s unique to the situation, and your experience may be completely different than mine. All I know is that it can be messy,maycause breakdowns, andwillcause you to drink your weight in tea13, but once you get past the metaphysical angst and drama…you may become surprised by yourself.

At how, suddenly, the world starts appearing differently around you.

At how the weirdness that was weird starts to become…not weird.

As your mindset begins to switch into something, other, more than,better than.

That doesn’t mean you’re broken, or delusional, or mutating. It just means that you’re on a path you never expected for yourself, and that’s okay.

Life doesn’t always follow a straight line. It loops, lurches, transmutes uncomfortably, and often inconveniently. Love isn’t always a straight line either. What was expected sometimes14 doesn’t sit right in your skin, no matter how hard or long you’ve tried. Sometimes…being claimed may just be the best thing that’s happened to you.

As it turns out, love—true love—sometimes feels monstrous. That doesn’t mean it’s wrong, just different. I’ve discovered that monsters15 love deeply, messily, and wholly, without asking for permission to be proper or fit into boxes.

If you find yourself in that situation, where you’ve been claimed and the cryptid who has claimed you is obviously, utterly, unquestionably ready and willing to love you, warts and all—

Let them. Let them see you come undone.16 Let them see your broken pieces and give them permission to stay. Even if you fear what they will think. Because in my experience, what you think makes you wrong and different and less than…is actually what makes you whole.

If the cryptid who claims you is the one that sees that—and better yet, allows you to see yourself that way? That’s something beautiful.

I didn’t fall in love with a cryptid.17 I fell in love with someone who saw something in me that was worth saving, and chose not to look away. Who risked unraveling for me before he even knew why he was doing it, who gave of himself unquestionably, and waited patiently until I realized that he was everything I never knew I wanted.18

When you’re claimed by a cryptid, you don’t always get to choose the direction your life suddenly takes. However, you do get to choose what it becomes.

So choose well. Choose with your heart.

I promise you this: you’ll be glad you did.