Mirror Monday: Local Legends Make Better Monsters

Sometimes the real world hands you a story at exactly the right time.A little over a week ago, ABC7 Chicago reported multiple mountain lion sightings in southern Illinois. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources received reports from both Union and Jackson counties and believes they are likely sightings of the same animal.Mountain lions are rare in Illinois. According to the report, this is only the twelfth confirmed mountain lion sighting in the state since 2002. But we (Illinoisans) have always known about cougars, mountain lions, and even panthers in Illinois. Naturally, one particular detail caught my attention.Jackson County.Sometimes the universe really isn't particularly subtle.There is another connection here too. Carbondale, Illinois, the real-world inspiration for my fictional Carbon Vale, is in Jackson County. Official Jackson County sources identify Carbondale as one of the county's two largest cities. But I don't need the news to tell me this. I lived in Carbondale…

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