4 AM Jitters: The Midnight Extraction & The Shadow-Run

Wednesday, December 17th, 2025 — 4:18 AM

The adrenaline isn't just in my veins anymore; it's vibrating the very walls of the Shreveport Cabin.

I made it back through the Hedge Portal at the Barataria Preserve, clutching the Silver-Scale Purge—that glowing bundle of Blood-Vine and D-Mannose Root. But the Fenwood Forest doesn't like being plundered. As I stepped back onto the wooden boardwalks of Louisiana, the air behind me didn't just close; it ripped.

The Pursuit: The Fenwood Stalker a Fen Wraith

Something came through with me. A Fen-Wraith—a screeching manifestation of the swamp’s own hunger. I didn't have time for a slow incantation; I had to move. I hit the pavement and dived into the Iron Steed. The '69 Mustang’s Cobra Jet engine snarled in defiance as I shifted into my Tygerian PM form, my 600 lbs of muscle slamming into the reinforced seat.

The 4 AM Chase

The Wraith hit the roof of the Mustang just as I slammed it into gear. I dropped the hammer, and the ghost-grey tiger stripes on the hood began to glow with an ethereal amber light. I wasn't just driving; I was dogfighting.

I hit I-10 at 120 mph, the exhaust spitting alchemical fire. I reached over, grabbed my father's Vietnam-era Tiger Force knife, and slammed the pommel into the dashboard, focusing my Level 2 Hedge Wizard energy through the steel.

"Not today," I growled.

The Mustang surged. The Ink of Anticipation on the windshield flashed a path through the morning fog that only a Tygerian could see. With one final burst of speed, I crossed the city limits, the "consecrated" energy of the city finally snapping the tether of the Fen-Wraith.

The Delivery

I skidded into the hospital parking lot as the clock struck 4 AM. The tires were smoking and the roof was scarred, but the Silver-Scale Purge was intact. I ran that brew up to the Captain’s room just as the sepsis was reaching its peak.

The Jitters are real. The swamp is quiet now, but the Mustang is still ticking in the driveway, cooling down from a race against death itself.

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Product Identity & Legal

The following items are designated Product Identity of Arthur Earl C. Hedges Jr. / The Adventures of Captain Hedges: The world of Zimrala, the Tygerian Isles, the Ether Dragons, the Tiger Force Shadow Saga, the specific "Hedge Wizard of the Shreveport Cabin" persona, the "Royal Cartographer" archetype, and the character "Emperor Rajah." Unique Items: The Ink of Anticipation, The Compass of Lost Things, Parchment of Echoes, The Scope of the True Meridian, The Rod of Infinite Spanning, and The Plumb of Gravity’s Anchor. Monsters! Monsters! and Humans, Humans (1st Edition) are trademarks of Ken St. Andre and Troll Godfather Press and are used with permission. The statistics and game mechanics provided herein are designated as unofficial playtest material for the Tygerian Isles campaign setting. © 2025 Arthur Earl C. Hedges Jr. All rights reserved.