Nov. 29, 2024

8 Christmas Horror Stories to Give You a Scary Christmas!

8 Christmas Horror Stories to Give You a Scary Christmas!

Get ready to deconstruct holiday cheer with this sensational marathon on *Weekly Spooky*! I'm your host, Enrique Couto, guiding you through a chilling selection of tales expertly remastered to amplify the eerie magic of the season. In this festive edition, join me on a spine-tingling jaunt filled with desperation, darkness, and all the holiday horrors that should never have found their way into the light.

We kick off the eerie journey with "Biting Cold," a brutal story of survival against the bitter chill of winter and the lurking terrors it harbors. It follows a nameless man, wounded and trapped in a snowstorm, who wrestles with the chilling question of mortality versus survival. Here, amidst frozen landscapes, our protagonist must confront both the beasts of the wilderness and the demons of his mind, spiraling deeper into a fight for life at the brink of frostbite and despair.

Next, we drift into "The Gathering," where a group of students at Black Oaks Academy are forced to confront the shadows of Christmas past as they huddle together amidst a raging blizzard, only to find that the warmth of companionship may not be enough to fend off the terror that dwells within the snow-covered darkness. Clashing personalities reveal buried resentments, and as mysteries unravel, a sinister stranger appears on their doorstep.

In "Christmas Rage," we witness the chaos undulating just under the surface of a festive holiday, as mallgoers find themselves at the mercy of an unhinged Santa. The cheer of the season is quickly drowned out by the cries of horror as most are hunted down without mercy. The juxtaposition of holiday glee and gruesome violence will leave you questioning the thin line that separates joy from fear.

As the marathon progresses, our thrills continue with "Tiny Christmas, Iowa," where a jaded New Yorker finds herself smack in the middle of a quaint small-town holiday that quickly devolves into a fight for survival against local legends intertwined with real-life terror. This charming facade rapidly crumbles when the cheerful inhabitants reveal themselves to harbor dark secrets, forcing her to confront the nightmarish reality hidden behind the cheery decorations.

Next, brace yourself for "Santa Letters," a haunting tale tracing the deadly legacy of a vengeful spirit tied to Christmas letters gone awry, leaving a trail of blood that spans years and shadows the town of Circleville, Ohio. The eerie echo of children’s laughter fades to silence as the community learns that the true horror lies not in the tales told, but in the unchecked darkness of our deepest fears.

Finally, we reach "The Weather Outside is Frightful," where an unsuspecting blizzard brings more than just a chill to the air. Patrol officers find themselves facing a supernatural threat as the walls between reality and nightmare blend into a harrowing landscape where creatures of the night lurk just beyond their view, and no one is safe from the impending doom.

So snuggle up tight, dear listeners, and prepare for the chilling tales we've unraveled just for you. Remember to stay subscribed for even more spine-tingling holiday stories throughout the festive season. You wouldn't want to miss out on the dangers that lurk when the lights dim and the snow swallows the screams, would you? Until next time, may your holiday season be spookily delightful!

The Legend of Oopsie Poopsie" is a twisted, darkly comedic horror story about a grotesque, six-foot-tall baby with a bloodied rattle and a tragic, inbred origin. Set in a creepy Adirondack town, it blends absurd humor, chilling suspense, and over-the-top gore as an outsider discovers the horrifying truth behind the town’s most infamous legend. Prepare for a story that’s equal parts terrifying and hilariously unsettling.


Support Us and Get Bonus Shows on Patreon!

Contact Us/Submit a Story
twitter.com/WeeklySpooky
facebook.com/WeeklySpooky
WeeklySpooky@gmail.com

Music by Ray Mattis http://raymattispresents.bandcamp.com

Executive Producers
Rob Fields
Mark Shields
Bobbletopia.com

Produced by Daniel Wilder

This episode is sponsored by 
HenFlix.com

🎧 LISTEN NOW and subscribe for spine-tingling horror stories every week!

🎉 Unlock exclusive bonus episodes and support the show on Patreon!
👉 WeeklySpooky.com/Join

📬 Contact Us / Submit Your Horror Story!


🎵 Music by Ray Mattis 👉 Check out Ray’s incredible work here !
👨‍💼 Executive Producers: Rob Fields, Bobbletopia.com
🎥 Produced by: Daniel Wilder
🌐 Explore more terrifying tales at: WeeklySpooky.com
WEBVTT

1
00:00:01.840 --> 00:00:06.639
Hello, my spookies. It's your narrator and host, Enrique Kuto,

2
00:00:06.799 --> 00:00:11.320
here to bring you the first of many holiday gifts

3
00:00:11.960 --> 00:00:17.559
starting right now, with not only the first eight holiday

4
00:00:17.679 --> 00:00:22.640
stories to ever be released on Weekly Spooky, but I

5
00:00:22.719 --> 00:00:27.760
went back and digitally remastered them for optimal sound quality, because,

6
00:00:27.760 --> 00:00:30.000
as you know, we've been at this show for over

7
00:00:30.079 --> 00:00:33.399
five years, and on this journey, I've learned a lot

8
00:00:33.439 --> 00:00:36.479
about how to make the Spooky sound just the way

9
00:00:36.520 --> 00:00:40.000
you like it. So please kick back and enjoy this

10
00:00:40.240 --> 00:00:44.359
marathon of holiday horrors. And in the month of December,

11
00:00:44.399 --> 00:00:47.520
we have so many bonus episodes it's going to get

12
00:00:47.560 --> 00:00:50.960
a little out of hand. We have ten brand new

13
00:00:51.079 --> 00:00:55.920
holiday stories for you, and that's just the beginning, So

14
00:00:56.000 --> 00:00:59.960
make sure you're subscribed and enjoy the Yule tie.

15
00:01:00.240 --> 00:01:24.280
Terror Biting Cold, biting cold, biting cold.

16
00:01:22.920 --> 00:01:29.760
By Jeff Carpenter. Pain hit him like a spear in

17
00:01:29.840 --> 00:01:33.480
the gut. He was hungry, but he knew that thing

18
00:01:33.599 --> 00:01:37.200
out there was too, and he knew its kind never

19
00:01:37.280 --> 00:01:40.799
left wounded prey until they could pick the bones clean.

20
00:01:43.319 --> 00:01:47.239
He was sheltered, safe for now, or so, he hoped.

21
00:01:48.079 --> 00:01:52.599
Dug into his snow cave, he shifted his body bumping

22
00:01:52.680 --> 00:01:56.400
up against the cold walls. He couldn't see his right arm,

23
00:01:56.439 --> 00:02:00.680
and maybe that was for the best. The solidity of

24
00:02:00.719 --> 00:02:04.480
the snow walls comforted him, but it was a frozen comfort,

25
00:02:05.319 --> 00:02:10.080
a chilled comfort for his cold, tired bones. A sound

26
00:02:10.199 --> 00:02:16.759
carried over the crisp air. His ears pricked up, chattering,

27
00:02:17.960 --> 00:02:23.680
an incessant clacking that assaulted his ears. It was his

28
00:02:23.719 --> 00:02:26.960
own noise. With every intake of breath, he could feel

29
00:02:27.000 --> 00:02:31.199
the sharp cold shoot through his teeth. His teeth chattered,

30
00:02:32.080 --> 00:02:35.719
but he could not feel them. He longed for another

31
00:02:35.759 --> 00:02:39.439
familiar sound, a sound that would take him home. In

32
00:02:39.520 --> 00:02:42.039
his breast pocket was a cell phone with very low

33
00:02:42.080 --> 00:02:45.120
battery charge. He was far out of range of any

34
00:02:45.159 --> 00:02:48.280
known cell tower, but he still had some voice messages

35
00:02:48.280 --> 00:02:52.240
saved that he'd listened to before the blizzard hit, one

36
00:02:52.319 --> 00:02:55.639
from his father at the hunting lodge. Christmas was approaching

37
00:02:55.680 --> 00:02:58.000
and his father had exhorted him to check the trap

38
00:02:58.039 --> 00:03:00.759
lines one more time before the big snow hit hard

39
00:03:01.000 --> 00:03:04.319
and stranded them. He was sure his father had attempted

40
00:03:04.319 --> 00:03:06.719
to search for him, but the guests had gone home

41
00:03:06.719 --> 00:03:09.719
for the holidays, and the wheelchair would have been useless.

42
00:03:10.080 --> 00:03:12.599
Much beyond the pack down paths around the cabin in

43
00:03:12.639 --> 00:03:15.879
the snow. Another message from his little girl back in

44
00:03:15.919 --> 00:03:18.639
the city, complaining about her new braces and how they

45
00:03:18.719 --> 00:03:21.039
hurt her teeth and made her lips bleed when she

46
00:03:21.120 --> 00:03:24.240
practiced her carols for the choir. She would be caroling

47
00:03:24.280 --> 00:03:27.520
out there tonight, braving the cold and her sore gums,

48
00:03:27.520 --> 00:03:31.039
to spread her joy to the world around her. She'd

49
00:03:31.120 --> 00:03:34.360
left him one last message, but he would leave that

50
00:03:34.400 --> 00:03:39.360
one unheard until he really needed to hear it. He

51
00:03:39.400 --> 00:03:44.280
would survive for her. He exhaled and felt the steamy

52
00:03:44.319 --> 00:03:47.080
breath in front of his face. He tried to breathe

53
00:03:47.120 --> 00:03:50.280
warmth into his fingers on his left hand, but they

54
00:03:50.280 --> 00:03:53.639
were well pass numb. Now out there was the only

55
00:03:53.719 --> 00:04:05.960
hope for life, but death lurked there in the shadows.

56
00:04:07.080 --> 00:04:09.479
If he did nothing, if he curled up in his

57
00:04:09.719 --> 00:04:13.039
icy tomb and let sleep overtake him, the beast would

58
00:04:13.039 --> 00:04:16.519
have him still. It would dig in and dig him out,

59
00:04:17.079 --> 00:04:20.600
scavenge his cold, tired bones like a grave robber. The

60
00:04:20.600 --> 00:04:24.279
beast's teeth would crunch and crush the bones and frozen

61
00:04:24.319 --> 00:04:28.759
flesh of his rigid corpse just as easily as if

62
00:04:28.800 --> 00:04:32.199
he had offered himself to it. It would swallow him

63
00:04:32.199 --> 00:04:37.240
in huge choking gulps, and then he would be gone,

64
00:04:37.759 --> 00:04:47.920
and it would be night forever. He closed his eyes

65
00:04:48.279 --> 00:04:50.519
tight enough to shut out the images in his brain,

66
00:04:51.040 --> 00:04:54.439
the creature invading the hole with its snout slavery to

67
00:04:54.439 --> 00:04:57.879
get at the bloody, sweating slab of meat still living inside.

68
00:04:58.519 --> 00:05:03.120
If only he could last through the then maybe one

69
00:05:03.199 --> 00:05:11.000
more night. It was just the last night that it

70
00:05:11.040 --> 00:05:13.879
all had happened. The avalanche had thrown a tree on

71
00:05:13.920 --> 00:05:18.439
top of him, brought a roll damn tree down on

72
00:05:18.519 --> 00:05:21.560
top of him. It must have been the rifle shot

73
00:05:21.600 --> 00:05:25.759
that set it off. Must have been from behind him.

74
00:05:25.800 --> 00:05:28.879
The rumble came out of nowhere. The tree had torn

75
00:05:28.920 --> 00:05:31.800
his arm from his shoulder and left it gashed and bleeding.

76
00:05:32.480 --> 00:05:34.720
When he came to with a violent tug on his

77
00:05:34.879 --> 00:05:38.360
arm socket, the beast's beady red eyes dared him to

78
00:05:38.360 --> 00:05:41.800
wrench his arm back into place. He let the animal

79
00:05:41.879 --> 00:05:45.040
take his prize. It was no good to him anymore anyway.

80
00:05:45.399 --> 00:05:48.480
But now the beast knew he was weakened and had

81
00:05:48.480 --> 00:05:54.800
limited mobility, had limited range, had tasted mortality, and was handicapped.

82
00:05:55.560 --> 00:05:58.639
It would come again and again to test its preise

83
00:05:58.720 --> 00:06:02.920
strength and its ebbing will to survive. If he could

84
00:06:02.920 --> 00:06:06.920
only make it to the tree, The upturned tree, its

85
00:06:06.920 --> 00:06:10.759
branches ready made kindling. The waterproof matches in his pocket

86
00:06:11.000 --> 00:06:16.240
were still good. He hoped fire, A glorious fire could

87
00:06:16.279 --> 00:06:21.240
be kindled, bringing warmth to this long night, warming his belly,

88
00:06:22.000 --> 00:06:27.319
slacking his thirst, thawing his fingers. The beast would feed

89
00:06:27.439 --> 00:06:31.839
him its long, dense fur. The oil in its hairs

90
00:06:32.439 --> 00:06:35.959
would keep the frost off of him. His boot would

91
00:06:35.959 --> 00:06:39.160
hold enough snow to melt into drinking water. His left

92
00:06:39.160 --> 00:06:42.360
hand clenched into a fist. It needed to hold something,

93
00:06:42.800 --> 00:06:46.759
something solid. His bolt action remington had been broken and

94
00:06:46.879 --> 00:06:53.240
buried by the tree's weight. No weapon. Still. The branches

95
00:06:53.279 --> 00:06:56.079
could make a spear, but he didn't have a knife

96
00:06:56.079 --> 00:07:00.800
to sharpen it. Teeth He had teeth, as did the beast,

97
00:07:00.879 --> 00:07:04.720
of course, and he would pit his molars, canines and scisors,

98
00:07:04.720 --> 00:07:08.079
and his dizzy brain against the animals. He had thirty

99
00:07:08.120 --> 00:07:12.959
two thirty one after that drunken brawl. Molars for grinding,

100
00:07:13.000 --> 00:07:17.920
and scissors for biting and cutting canines, his eye, teeth

101
00:07:18.879 --> 00:07:22.560
for tearing, flipping, he would chew the bark and spit

102
00:07:22.639 --> 00:07:25.160
it out. He would chew the fleshy tip of his

103
00:07:25.279 --> 00:07:28.879
branch into a wicked, sharp point of death, dealing plunge

104
00:07:28.920 --> 00:07:32.199
it into the gut of the ravenous animal, finally killing

105
00:07:32.240 --> 00:07:36.839
its hunger. He had no fingers, not that he could

106
00:07:36.839 --> 00:07:40.839
feel any way. He could pull himself to the tree,

107
00:07:40.879 --> 00:07:44.399
but that could loosen the shirt of his makeshift tourniquet

108
00:07:44.720 --> 00:07:48.240
and open the flow of blood again. He can feel

109
00:07:48.279 --> 00:07:54.439
himself succumbing to the cold, to his leaking blood, to

110
00:07:54.560 --> 00:07:58.480
the dark night all around. It was now or never.

111
00:07:59.199 --> 00:08:07.040
His eyelids fled letter to sleep or he moves. He

112
00:08:07.079 --> 00:08:11.279
pushes out the hole, crawling at first, then limping, stooping,

113
00:08:11.879 --> 00:08:16.319
gradually more erect from animal to man, a momentary recurrence

114
00:08:16.360 --> 00:08:20.759
of evolutionary strides. He can do it. He is doing it.

115
00:08:21.160 --> 00:08:24.079
His numb fingers find the tree with a grunt. He

116
00:08:24.120 --> 00:08:27.319
feebly snaps off twigs. He clutches them clumsily in his

117
00:08:27.399 --> 00:08:31.920
single arm. They slip and fall out. He scoops them

118
00:08:31.959 --> 00:08:36.080
up again. He collects and breaks off branches of various

119
00:08:36.120 --> 00:08:40.080
sizes from the falling tree, smaller for kindling, larger for

120
00:08:40.159 --> 00:08:42.720
the main fuel of the fire. He stacks them in

121
00:08:42.759 --> 00:08:46.679
a rickety pyramid. His hand curled like a useless claw,

122
00:08:47.039 --> 00:08:50.279
clutches the match box to his chest. He pulls out

123
00:08:50.320 --> 00:08:53.440
one match with his teeth. His lips tremble as he

124
00:08:53.519 --> 00:08:57.120
bends his head to the matchbox striking surface. The match

125
00:08:57.159 --> 00:09:00.399
flares up and burns his lips. It falls to snow

126
00:09:00.879 --> 00:09:04.840
and fizzles. He tries again and manages to catch it

127
00:09:04.879 --> 00:09:08.559
a flame. He ignites the pyramid stack of wood with

128
00:09:08.720 --> 00:09:12.559
the warmth comes the feeling back into his fingers. He

129
00:09:12.639 --> 00:09:15.320
bites into the fleshy wood, his lips curling at the

130
00:09:15.360 --> 00:09:18.120
bitter taste of bark. He grinds away at the wood,

131
00:09:18.279 --> 00:09:22.039
periodically spitting out the pulpy ball of mulch. He wipes

132
00:09:22.080 --> 00:09:24.039
the wood juice running down his chin with the back

133
00:09:24.080 --> 00:09:27.200
of his hand. The hot saliva runs cold and icy

134
00:09:27.240 --> 00:09:30.840
down his chin, almost freezing solid, before running down his

135
00:09:30.879 --> 00:09:34.879
neck collar. He breaks a tooth and whimpers in pain.

136
00:09:35.759 --> 00:09:40.279
Then he stops. He sees a movement motion at the

137
00:09:40.360 --> 00:09:43.200
edge of the perimeter of the circle of firelight. His

138
00:09:43.279 --> 00:09:46.679
eyes dart to the right, scanning the flickering shadows and

139
00:09:46.799 --> 00:09:50.120
darkness beyond. He holds the rim of the boot collar

140
00:09:50.159 --> 00:09:53.639
to his lips, awaiting the refreshing slake of liquid to

141
00:09:53.720 --> 00:09:58.200
quench his thirst. The smell hits him first, the foul,

142
00:09:58.440 --> 00:10:02.759
pungent odor, then the crushing weight of the beast slams

143
00:10:02.799 --> 00:10:06.080
into his chest, bowling him over. His arms flail to

144
00:10:06.120 --> 00:10:09.320
fight for balance, but he's gone, and so is his boot.

145
00:10:09.759 --> 00:10:13.519
Flung into the fire, splashing water, it sizzles and steams,

146
00:10:14.120 --> 00:10:17.600
and then the wolverine growls and makes his slow advance

147
00:10:18.360 --> 00:10:24.639
halty bathing. The beast leaps on him, snarling, slavering hot

148
00:10:24.720 --> 00:10:27.519
spit and wet saliva on his face. He turns his head,

149
00:10:27.559 --> 00:10:30.399
avoiding its snapping teeth, the hot breath on his face.

150
00:10:30.519 --> 00:10:33.440
It pushes on top of him for better advantage. It

151
00:10:33.480 --> 00:10:37.240
will have him soon. He can feel himself losing the battle.

152
00:10:37.759 --> 00:10:44.200
His eyelids flutter to sleep, or he bites into the

153
00:10:44.240 --> 00:10:46.840
exposed neck of the beast and wet fur. The beast

154
00:10:46.919 --> 00:10:49.519
jerks and rears back, giving him enough room to reach

155
00:10:49.559 --> 00:10:52.960
his stride and grab the spear. He plunges the spear

156
00:10:53.080 --> 00:10:55.639
deep into the belly of the beast. It howls an

157
00:10:55.679 --> 00:10:59.559
agony in its tongue, lolls in its mouth, tasting mortality.

158
00:11:00.240 --> 00:11:03.000
The wolverine slumps to the ground, its fur bathed in

159
00:11:03.080 --> 00:11:05.840
the orange glow of the fire. He raises his stick

160
00:11:05.960 --> 00:11:08.919
in victory. He circles the body of the wolverine, watching

161
00:11:08.960 --> 00:11:12.000
it closely, the steam escaping from the gash in its

162
00:11:12.000 --> 00:11:17.360
belly as it slowly cools to the outside temperature. Snap

163
00:11:17.559 --> 00:11:19.759
teeth bite into his ankle. The shin bone of his

164
00:11:19.840 --> 00:11:22.879
leg fractures. The unrelenting metal jaws of one of his

165
00:11:23.080 --> 00:11:27.320
steel traps enclose his lower leg. He hits the ground hard.

166
00:11:27.960 --> 00:11:31.320
He stares at the wolverine's missing fore length, the nub

167
00:11:31.360 --> 00:11:32.279
where it had bitten it.

168
00:11:32.279 --> 00:11:36.840
Off to escape, and then his own missing arm. The

169
00:11:36.840 --> 00:11:41.759
wolverine's eyes now closed, its soft lashes whiting over the

170
00:11:41.759 --> 00:11:47.360
fresh snowflakes. His lashes, too, grow heavy with white flakes.

171
00:11:48.240 --> 00:11:52.200
The flickering flames of the fire die to embers. His

172
00:11:52.279 --> 00:11:56.000
eyelids flutter. He takes the cell phone out of his

173
00:11:56.039 --> 00:12:02.399
breast pocket. One last unheard message, He clicks it. It

174
00:12:02.519 --> 00:12:15.399
is his daughter, singing softly. He closes his eyes and

175
00:12:15.519 --> 00:12:19.600
listens to the carol on repeat until the battery dies.

176
00:12:20.159 --> 00:12:24.679
A thrill love the weary world.

177
00:12:24.879 --> 00:12:33.919
Rejoice is Frionner breaks a new en. Glorious morn fall.

178
00:12:35.360 --> 00:12:37.039
On your knees.

179
00:12:38.360 --> 00:12:45.159
Oh his the angel's voice, Oh night.

180
00:12:47.519 --> 00:12:55.600
Divine. A thought passes through his frozen mind to sleep

181
00:12:56.600 --> 00:13:04.960
or or or or I'll be home for Christmas. By

182
00:13:05.120 --> 00:13:11.879
shine Mikleyovoka, a weekly smunky origin. It's never going to stop,

183
00:13:12.279 --> 00:13:15.720
Kat Walker said to herself, watching as never ending white

184
00:13:15.759 --> 00:13:19.039
fell outside. The dying embers of the day cast a

185
00:13:19.039 --> 00:13:22.039
soft glow that lit the snow covered landscape in a

186
00:13:22.039 --> 00:13:26.120
blood red hue. The wind howled, making the old walls

187
00:13:26.159 --> 00:13:29.559
of the house creak and strain. Cat was alone in

188
00:13:29.559 --> 00:13:32.399
the parlor, the gathering place for most of the social

189
00:13:32.440 --> 00:13:35.879
activity at Black Oaks. A tall Christmas tree sat in

190
00:13:35.879 --> 00:13:39.840
the room's center, its lights blinking on and off. The

191
00:13:39.879 --> 00:13:44.600
smell of cinnamon delighted Cat's senses. Cinnamon cookie ornaments hung

192
00:13:44.679 --> 00:13:48.799
from the tree branches, crafted in various Christmas related forms,

193
00:13:49.519 --> 00:13:56.039
Santa frosty snowflakes, and Christmas trees, all lovingly made by

194
00:13:56.080 --> 00:14:00.679
Black Oak's resident cook, Malory Horst. A fire crackled in

195
00:14:00.679 --> 00:14:03.799
the fireplace, and the scent of burning wood hung in

196
00:14:03.840 --> 00:14:07.360
the air. The sound of whiskey flowing over ice pulled

197
00:14:07.440 --> 00:14:11.360
Cat from her thoughts. She watched fellow student Georgina harris

198
00:14:11.480 --> 00:14:15.679
enter reflected in the glass of the window. Georgina returned

199
00:14:15.679 --> 00:14:18.759
her metal flask to the folds of her expensive robe

200
00:14:18.799 --> 00:14:22.799
before crashing to the couch. The chikh brunette lounged on

201
00:14:22.840 --> 00:14:26.320
the couch, her sleek legs visible at the robe's part.

202
00:14:26.639 --> 00:14:30.039
Taking a sip of whiskey. She lit a cigarette. The

203
00:14:30.120 --> 00:14:35.200
weather outside is indeed frightful. Little kitten Cat turned angry

204
00:14:35.240 --> 00:14:38.240
at the interruption. She spun around so fast her long,

205
00:14:38.360 --> 00:14:42.799
raven black hair fell across her eyes, stinging them. What

206
00:14:42.879 --> 00:14:46.080
are you doing, Cat blurted out, her anger getting the

207
00:14:46.120 --> 00:14:49.039
better of her. Working towards a career in alcoholism and

208
00:14:49.120 --> 00:14:53.120
nicotine addiction, Georgina smirked, raising her glass in a toast.

209
00:14:53.799 --> 00:14:57.440
Just like dear old mom. You know the rules, Kat said,

210
00:14:57.879 --> 00:15:01.240
If Miss Keene sees you, her lowered, as if saying

211
00:15:01.279 --> 00:15:04.120
the woman's name would summon the headmistress out of thin air,

212
00:15:04.559 --> 00:15:07.879
don't worry about it. Georgina took a puff off her cigarette.

213
00:15:07.960 --> 00:15:10.000
It's not your ass on the line. If I'm caught,

214
00:15:10.080 --> 00:15:15.000
kitten fine Cat gave up. Why did she care if

215
00:15:15.000 --> 00:15:18.600
the bitch got in trouble anyway. And my name is Kat.

216
00:15:19.200 --> 00:15:22.480
I hate it when you call me kitten. Girls like

217
00:15:22.519 --> 00:15:25.679
Georgina were the reason Cat was at Black Oaks. She'd

218
00:15:25.720 --> 00:15:28.200
gotten in her fair share of fights with girls that

219
00:15:28.279 --> 00:15:31.120
thought they were better than her. Thought they could tell

220
00:15:31.200 --> 00:15:35.600
Cat or place. Expulsion for Cat soon followed nearly every

221
00:15:35.639 --> 00:15:39.399
time a slight red haired girl with a fox like

222
00:15:39.440 --> 00:15:43.240
face stood framed in the doorway. Her freckled brow wrinkled

223
00:15:43.240 --> 00:15:47.480
in concern. She was wearing a snug, if preposterous sweater.

224
00:15:48.080 --> 00:15:51.000
Robots danced around a Christmas tree on its front and

225
00:15:51.080 --> 00:15:54.360
a pair of pale blue jeans. There you guys are,

226
00:15:54.559 --> 00:15:58.360
Sue McCoy said, sounding relieved. Miss Keane wanted to know

227
00:15:58.399 --> 00:16:01.120
if you guys wanted to exchange Christmas presence now are

228
00:16:01.159 --> 00:16:04.639
in the morning. Kat looked down at the presence, neatly

229
00:16:04.759 --> 00:16:07.799
arranged under the tree. She wondered how the tree looked

230
00:16:07.799 --> 00:16:10.559
at home. Her mom would have it all decked out

231
00:16:10.600 --> 00:16:13.320
with all the usual ornaments. This would be the first

232
00:16:13.360 --> 00:16:16.159
year Cat wouldn't be there to help her decorate it.

233
00:16:16.960 --> 00:16:20.120
She was stuck here at Black Oak's boarding school mainly

234
00:16:20.159 --> 00:16:22.159
for the simple fact that her parents couldn't afford to

235
00:16:22.200 --> 00:16:25.120
come and get her, even if the weather did permit,

236
00:16:26.120 --> 00:16:27.840
not that she was the only one stuck here for

237
00:16:27.919 --> 00:16:31.279
Christmas break. Georgina's mom and her new girlfriend were off

238
00:16:31.279 --> 00:16:34.720
to Barcelona for the holiday. Sue was still here because

239
00:16:34.759 --> 00:16:38.399
she preferred it to her home life. Why Cat really

240
00:16:38.519 --> 00:16:42.480
wasn't sure, nor did she want a pry. The other

241
00:16:42.519 --> 00:16:46.600
two students still here, Lois Kincaid and Alice and Gordy,

242
00:16:46.919 --> 00:16:49.240
were both stuck due to the stubborn onslaught of the

243
00:16:49.279 --> 00:16:53.240
freak blizzard assaulting half of the country. Besides the remaining

244
00:16:53.279 --> 00:16:56.559
five girls, there was miss Keene and Mallory still at

245
00:16:56.600 --> 00:16:59.720
the school. Georgina kicked one of the presents under the

246
00:16:59.720 --> 00:17:02.679
tree with an outstretched leg. I say we get this

247
00:17:02.799 --> 00:17:06.400
shit over with, Sue turned to Cat, Yeah, why not?

248
00:17:06.839 --> 00:17:10.799
Can answered. A half hour later, wrapping paper littered the

249
00:17:10.839 --> 00:17:14.720
parlor's royal blue carpet. The girls had done a secret Sanna,

250
00:17:15.160 --> 00:17:17.880
ensuring that each girl got a gift and they didn't

251
00:17:17.920 --> 00:17:20.279
have to spend a lot of money getting multiple presents.

252
00:17:21.039 --> 00:17:23.400
Kat sat with her knees drawn up on the floor,

253
00:17:23.759 --> 00:17:26.839
clutching her gift in her arms, a simple black T

254
00:17:26.960 --> 00:17:30.160
shirt with I'm against it written on its front in

255
00:17:30.240 --> 00:17:34.519
a spray paint font. Whoever had drawn Cat's name, they

256
00:17:34.559 --> 00:17:38.359
certainly knew her tastes. Sitting next to her was Mallory,

257
00:17:38.839 --> 00:17:41.000
the Cook, was only a few years older than her

258
00:17:41.039 --> 00:17:43.519
and lived in town with her mother, who had held

259
00:17:43.559 --> 00:17:47.519
the position previously until injuring her back. Now her daughter

260
00:17:47.559 --> 00:17:51.279
supported her. Cat had bonded with her, both feeling very

261
00:17:51.400 --> 00:17:54.920
much the outsider at black Oak's. Malory had a crisp,

262
00:17:55.039 --> 00:17:57.720
no bullshit way of looking at things and never sat

263
00:17:57.759 --> 00:18:00.559
around feeling sorry for herself or whining up the shit

264
00:18:00.880 --> 00:18:03.799
life had handed her. It was something Kat aspired to

265
00:18:03.839 --> 00:18:08.319
do herself. Mallory's secret Sannah bought her a simple pendant necklace.

266
00:18:08.880 --> 00:18:11.920
She wore it proudly around her neck, turning to smile

267
00:18:11.960 --> 00:18:13.920
at Kat. As they all laughed at one of Miss

268
00:18:14.039 --> 00:18:17.440
Keene's stories. Cat drifted in and out of the story

269
00:18:17.480 --> 00:18:20.359
the woman was telling. Her ears picked up bits and

270
00:18:20.440 --> 00:18:23.200
pieces of the news playing on the TV behind them,

271
00:18:23.480 --> 00:18:27.319
The Storm of the Century, flights canceled, power outages, escaped

272
00:18:27.359 --> 00:18:30.519
mental patients pile up on the throughway. The girls all

273
00:18:30.599 --> 00:18:34.440
laughed again, and Kat joined in instinctively. Her thoughts turned

274
00:18:34.480 --> 00:18:38.759
back towards home. Were Mom and Dad celebrating tonight? Was

275
00:18:38.839 --> 00:18:43.839
Mom making her annual Christmas lasagna tomorrow? She hoped her

276
00:18:43.880 --> 00:18:49.519
parents were safe and happy. What's on your mind? Kat

277
00:18:49.559 --> 00:18:54.119
turned to see Mallori looking at her. Nothing, just Christmas

278
00:18:54.160 --> 00:18:59.119
at home, Kat answered, miss your folks. Yeah, we uh,

279
00:19:00.039 --> 00:19:02.920
we don't always get along, but this time of year though,

280
00:19:03.359 --> 00:19:07.519
all the shit of the year disappears. Kat smiled, thinking

281
00:19:07.559 --> 00:19:10.039
about the warm feelings she got sitting around the tree

282
00:19:10.079 --> 00:19:14.319
on Christmas morning. How about you hope I can get

283
00:19:14.359 --> 00:19:18.559
back into town tomorrow spend the day with Mom. Hold

284
00:19:18.599 --> 00:19:21.920
hands you love birds. Georgina mocked. The heavy scent of

285
00:19:21.960 --> 00:19:25.759
whiskey hung in the air as she spoke. Malory made

286
00:19:25.799 --> 00:19:31.640
a face, God, you're drunk, Georgina laughed. Fuck yea towny.

287
00:19:32.480 --> 00:19:35.279
Kat noticed a repeated thumping sound under the din of

288
00:19:35.319 --> 00:19:39.240
the girl's laughter and the TV. It grew louder and

289
00:19:39.359 --> 00:19:45.039
more ferocious as seconds ticked by, until finally, someone's here,

290
00:19:45.279 --> 00:19:48.400
Kat said, springing up from the floor. All eyes turned

291
00:19:48.400 --> 00:19:50.400
toward her. They stared as if she was in a

292
00:19:50.400 --> 00:19:53.880
one woman play written by a psychotic. At the door,

293
00:19:54.000 --> 00:19:57.279
Kat added, Already headed to the foyer, Kat fumbled with

294
00:19:57.319 --> 00:20:00.599
the door lock as the knocking outside intensified. Miss Keen

295
00:20:00.640 --> 00:20:03.519
and the girls gathered behind her. I told you there's

296
00:20:03.519 --> 00:20:07.400
somebody at the door. Cat felt vindicated as the knocking continued.

297
00:20:08.160 --> 00:20:11.839
Maybe you shouldn't open that door. Sue spoke up. It

298
00:20:11.839 --> 00:20:17.240
could be a you know, a crazy person. It might

299
00:20:17.279 --> 00:20:21.759
be a rapist, Lois said, or a holy roller. Georgina added,

300
00:20:22.039 --> 00:20:25.680
we'll be buried in watchtowers. From the other side of

301
00:20:25.720 --> 00:20:29.680
the door, a man spoke, Please, I know you're in there.

302
00:20:30.079 --> 00:20:33.480
I need help. Cat looked at Miss Keen for guidance.

303
00:20:33.799 --> 00:20:38.039
The head mistress nodded her approval. Without hesitation, Cat unlocked

304
00:20:38.079 --> 00:20:41.720
the door. Wind and snow assaulted her immediately. A man,

305
00:20:42.160 --> 00:20:45.039
looking half dead, stood at the center of the moustrom.

306
00:20:45.519 --> 00:20:48.160
His hair whipped about as if alive, and his eyes

307
00:20:48.160 --> 00:20:51.240
were wide with panic. The man stumbled into the house,

308
00:20:51.559 --> 00:20:54.880
helped along by Cat and Miss Keen. Sue struggled to

309
00:20:54.920 --> 00:20:57.759
shut the door behind them, the snow and wind fighting her.

310
00:20:58.240 --> 00:21:01.519
Mallory stepped in and helped her close the door. Well,

311
00:21:01.599 --> 00:21:05.680
this is something, Georgina said, observing the scene before her.

312
00:21:06.559 --> 00:21:09.480
They took the stranger into the dining room. A large

313
00:21:09.480 --> 00:21:12.799
wood table sat at room center. The room, much like

314
00:21:12.839 --> 00:21:16.160
the living room, had been decorated for the holiday. Lights

315
00:21:16.240 --> 00:21:19.119
and Garland ran along the walls, and the table was

316
00:21:19.160 --> 00:21:22.680
covered by a tablecloth and place mats depicting Santa and

317
00:21:22.759 --> 00:21:26.319
his reindeer on Christmas night. Alison pulled out one of

318
00:21:26.359 --> 00:21:29.200
the chairs for the disheveled man. Get him a blanket

319
00:21:29.200 --> 00:21:32.599
and some coffee. Miss Keen instructed Alison and Lois, sending

320
00:21:32.599 --> 00:21:36.400
the two girls racing off in opposite directions. I told

321
00:21:36.400 --> 00:21:39.000
them I'll be home for Christmas, the man said, through

322
00:21:39.079 --> 00:21:42.640
chapped lips. He looked up into cat's eyes. My wife

323
00:21:42.680 --> 00:21:45.839
and son, they're waiting for me. Miss Keane took the

324
00:21:45.880 --> 00:21:48.359
blanket from a returning Alison and draped it over the

325
00:21:48.400 --> 00:21:52.319
man's shoulders. Were you in an accident? The man hugged

326
00:21:52.319 --> 00:21:55.880
the blanket to himself before nodding. Our bus went off

327
00:21:55.880 --> 00:21:58.680
the road. The snow made it hard to see. Lois

328
00:21:58.720 --> 00:22:01.359
came back with a steaming cup of coffee. The man

329
00:22:01.480 --> 00:22:04.039
gladly took the mug, holding it in his hands for

330
00:22:04.079 --> 00:22:08.119
the warmth that radiated. Whereabout did you crash? Miss Kean

331
00:22:08.200 --> 00:22:11.119
asked how many people were on the bus besides you.

332
00:22:12.559 --> 00:22:14.680
I don't know where. The storm made it hard to

333
00:22:14.680 --> 00:22:18.519
see any landmarks. The man took a sip of coffee. Ten.

334
00:22:19.400 --> 00:22:22.319
I think there was maybe ten on the bus. He

335
00:22:22.400 --> 00:22:25.400
pondered this for a moment before continuing. I went for

336
00:22:25.480 --> 00:22:31.240
help and I got lost, he laughed grimly. I was

337
00:22:31.680 --> 00:22:34.680
in the army, some tracker I turned out to be.

338
00:22:35.400 --> 00:22:38.519
I used to go through the jungle like nothing. We

339
00:22:38.559 --> 00:22:41.440
should call the police, Lois said, and tell them what

340
00:22:41.640 --> 00:22:44.799
Georgina pointed out. We don't know where this guy crashed.

341
00:22:45.079 --> 00:22:47.839
Where are we going to send them? Mallory stepped forward.

342
00:22:48.759 --> 00:22:51.920
She's right, we should get you to a hospital, Miss

343
00:22:52.039 --> 00:22:55.359
Keane said, turning towards the man. I'll call for an ambulance.

344
00:22:55.680 --> 00:22:58.960
The headmistress left. There were only two working phones at

345
00:22:59.000 --> 00:23:02.039
Black Oaks, one in Miss Kean's office and the other

346
00:23:02.119 --> 00:23:04.440
in the wreck room. The girls weren't allowed to have

347
00:23:04.480 --> 00:23:06.319
cell phones, as they were felt to be too much

348
00:23:06.359 --> 00:23:09.480
of a distraction from their studies. The same went for

349
00:23:09.559 --> 00:23:13.279
the internet. The girls were allowed laptops for assignments, but

350
00:23:13.359 --> 00:23:16.680
couldn't even get those online After a few minutes. A

351
00:23:16.720 --> 00:23:19.920
stone faced, Miss Keen returned. The phone is out, she

352
00:23:20.000 --> 00:23:23.279
informed the girls, fighting to conceal any troubling emotion that

353
00:23:23.359 --> 00:23:27.599
might slip out. It must be the blizzard. I'm so hungry,

354
00:23:27.880 --> 00:23:30.920
the man groaned, his voice full of pain and regret.

355
00:23:33.319 --> 00:23:38.200
USh, it was only the wind. You're safe, weekly, spooky,

356
00:23:38.319 --> 00:23:39.319
We'll be right back.

357
00:23:40.960 --> 00:23:43.880
I'm starving. Mallory went to the kitchen to get the

358
00:23:43.880 --> 00:23:46.359
man some food, while Kat and the others stayed with

359
00:23:46.440 --> 00:23:50.400
him in the dining room. Under the circumstances, Miss Keen

360
00:23:50.480 --> 00:23:53.240
addressed the group, I think it best I drove into

361
00:23:53.279 --> 00:23:55.640
town with our guest. We can get him help and

362
00:23:55.720 --> 00:23:58.680
get a search started for that bus. There was some

363
00:23:58.720 --> 00:24:01.960
debate over the idea before the headmistress's authority went out.

364
00:24:01.960 --> 00:24:05.000
Over the girl's doubts, miss Keen agreed to take Lois

365
00:24:05.000 --> 00:24:08.279
and Alison with her and the man into town. The

366
00:24:08.319 --> 00:24:11.599
stranger greedily devoured the tune of his sandwich Mallory brought him.

367
00:24:11.640 --> 00:24:13.640
As miss Keen and the two girls geared up for

368
00:24:13.680 --> 00:24:16.640
their trip, Cat donated one of her trench coats for

369
00:24:16.680 --> 00:24:19.319
the man to wear out into the bitter cold. The

370
00:24:19.359 --> 00:24:22.400
remaining girls watched as the four headed towards the garage,

371
00:24:22.839 --> 00:24:26.519
the four swallowed up by the blizzard. Cat took one

372
00:24:26.599 --> 00:24:34.880
last look outside before closing and locking the door. Georgina

373
00:24:34.960 --> 00:24:38.680
sauntered off back to the parlor. Back to our regularly

374
00:24:38.720 --> 00:24:43.160
scheduled program, she quipped. Anxious Cat glanced out the window.

375
00:24:43.839 --> 00:24:47.720
It had been fifteen minutes. Shouldn't she have seen something

376
00:24:47.759 --> 00:24:50.960
from the garage by now, a light from the car

377
00:24:51.000 --> 00:24:55.200
through the billowing snow, just something to confirm they'd left.

378
00:24:56.279 --> 00:25:00.119
I don't like this, she muttered, Where are they? It's

379
00:25:00.000 --> 00:25:03.000
it's gonna take time in this weather, Sue answered, pulling

380
00:25:03.000 --> 00:25:06.000
on her jacket and hat, she unlocked the door. I'm

381
00:25:06.000 --> 00:25:09.359
gonna go check on them, just to make sure Sue

382
00:25:09.359 --> 00:25:13.119
thought about it. Can't hurt. I'll go with. We'll hold

383
00:25:13.160 --> 00:25:17.000
down the fort, Georgina said, lighting up a cigarette. As

384
00:25:17.000 --> 00:25:19.720
soon as Sue was ready, the two girls headed outside.

385
00:25:20.400 --> 00:25:24.079
Malory stood inside the doorframe. Hurry back, I'll have some

386
00:25:24.160 --> 00:25:27.160
hot chocolate waiting. Don't leave me alone with that boozy

387
00:25:27.240 --> 00:25:31.000
bitch for too long, Cat laughed. Don't worry, we won't.

388
00:25:31.799 --> 00:25:35.680
I heard that, Georgina hollered from the parlor. Don't care,

389
00:25:36.160 --> 00:25:39.640
Mallory shot back, slamming the door shut. The snow was

390
00:25:39.640 --> 00:25:42.119
ankle deep as the girls made their way down the walk,

391
00:25:42.519 --> 00:25:45.920
holding gloved hands as snow and bitter cold wind raged

392
00:25:45.960 --> 00:25:50.079
around them. Cold snow slipped down into Cat's boots. She

393
00:25:50.119 --> 00:25:52.680
felt her nose start to run as her cheeks reddened.

394
00:25:53.279 --> 00:25:56.240
Halfway to the garage, she was already regretting coming out here.

395
00:25:56.599 --> 00:26:00.799
Why couldn't the fucking garage be connected to the day house,

396
00:26:01.119 --> 00:26:04.599
she moaned. Sue made a face. Cat had forgot the

397
00:26:04.599 --> 00:26:09.039
girl's disdain for colorful language. With the garage in sight,

398
00:26:09.160 --> 00:26:12.160
the pair were surprised to see the garage door still closed,

399
00:26:12.920 --> 00:26:16.880
car headlights visible from within the slats. Entering, the girls

400
00:26:16.880 --> 00:26:21.960
found Miss Keane's van sitting there, headlights on, doors closed,

401
00:26:22.839 --> 00:26:27.000
melting snow. Footprints led to the van, but none led away.

402
00:26:28.240 --> 00:26:31.359
There seemed to be something smeared on the interior windows,

403
00:26:32.039 --> 00:26:36.359
making it hard to see inside. The faint sound of

404
00:26:36.440 --> 00:26:40.839
music came from within the vehicle. Is that Buddy, Holly,

405
00:26:41.200 --> 00:26:45.440
she asked? It was indeed, as Buddy sang about a

406
00:26:45.480 --> 00:26:48.519
love that never fades away. Kat touched the handle of

407
00:26:48.519 --> 00:26:52.200
the driver's side door. She glanced at Sue, who nodded

408
00:26:52.240 --> 00:26:56.960
in approval. Cat turned the handle, slowly opening the door.

409
00:26:58.400 --> 00:27:02.519
Miss Keene, is everything all right night? In response, something

410
00:27:02.599 --> 00:27:05.839
fell from the van with a moist thud, rolling to

411
00:27:05.880 --> 00:27:09.279
a stop next to Sue's feet, causing her to scream.

412
00:27:09.960 --> 00:27:12.359
Before Kat could turn to see what was wrong, her

413
00:27:12.400 --> 00:27:15.400
eyes were caught by the van's interior, which was covered

414
00:27:15.599 --> 00:27:20.480
in splashes of dripping crimson. Human limbs, chunks of flesh,

415
00:27:20.559 --> 00:27:23.759
and what appeared to be intestines littered the front seats.

416
00:27:24.319 --> 00:27:27.039
The next thing, Cat knew, what she'd had for dinner,

417
00:27:27.079 --> 00:27:31.440
now covered her boots and part of the floor. Oh god,

418
00:27:31.559 --> 00:27:34.640
Cat groaned. Sue had stopped screaming and was now doing

419
00:27:34.680 --> 00:27:40.240
an impromptu impression of a Monty Python routine. It's it's

420
00:27:41.519 --> 00:27:45.519
it's Miss Keane's head lay at Sue's feet. The dead

421
00:27:45.559 --> 00:27:51.920
head Mistress's eyes were wide with terror. I'm starving. The

422
00:27:51.960 --> 00:27:55.759
stranger's voice came from somewhere in the shadows of the garage.

423
00:27:56.000 --> 00:28:00.400
I couldn't help it. Kat took Sue's hand, ready to

424
00:28:00.480 --> 00:28:03.279
drag the girl out of there if need be, Backing

425
00:28:03.319 --> 00:28:06.759
towards the side door they entered by. They hadn't gotten

426
00:28:06.759 --> 00:28:09.799
more than a few steps when something slithered out from

427
00:28:09.880 --> 00:28:13.200
under the van. The thing grabbed Sue by the leg

428
00:28:13.279 --> 00:28:15.880
and wrenched the startled girl off her feet, which caused

429
00:28:15.960 --> 00:28:19.400
Kat to lose her footing as well. Desperately, Cat scrambled

430
00:28:19.400 --> 00:28:22.200
to grab the screaming girl's outstretched hand. The thing that

431
00:28:22.279 --> 00:28:25.079
had hold of Sue was faster, dragging the red haired

432
00:28:25.119 --> 00:28:28.000
girl into the darkness under the van. Screaming once more

433
00:28:28.039 --> 00:28:32.839
filled the air before being suddenly cut off. Gripped by terror,

434
00:28:33.160 --> 00:28:36.559
Cat half crawled, half ran for the door. Stumbling out

435
00:28:36.559 --> 00:28:39.559
into the snow. Cat gasped her breath as the wind hammered,

436
00:28:39.559 --> 00:28:42.839
her heart pounding. She retraced her footprints in the snow drifts.

437
00:28:42.960 --> 00:28:44.680
She tried to block what she saw in the van

438
00:28:44.720 --> 00:28:46.880
from her head, tried not to think about what must

439
00:28:46.920 --> 00:28:49.400
be happening to Sue back there in the garage. It

440
00:28:49.400 --> 00:28:52.519
had happened so fast, could she have possibly saved her.

441
00:28:53.200 --> 00:28:55.720
Back At the main house, Cat found the front door locked.

442
00:28:56.000 --> 00:28:59.119
Pounding on it, she waited, prayed for someone to open it.

443
00:28:59.200 --> 00:29:01.880
Suddenly overtime, with the feeling that someone was behind her,

444
00:29:02.039 --> 00:29:04.759
Cat spun around in the distance through the snow. She

445
00:29:04.799 --> 00:29:06.960
saw them standing there at the end of the driveway,

446
00:29:08.279 --> 00:29:13.839
three figures. Then she saw two more standing in adrift

447
00:29:13.920 --> 00:29:18.680
on the lawn, their features obscured by snow and distance.

448
00:29:20.079 --> 00:29:21.799
She wanted to call out to them for help, but

449
00:29:22.960 --> 00:29:27.720
something about them felt wrong. Filling her head with dread,

450
00:29:28.880 --> 00:29:32.200
she returned to pounding the door frantically. The door opened,

451
00:29:32.400 --> 00:29:35.839
Cat pushed past a slightly aggravated Georgina, nearly falling to

452
00:29:35.880 --> 00:29:38.759
her knees. Panic stricken and out of breath, tears and

453
00:29:38.799 --> 00:29:43.240
snot were frozen to her face. What the hell, Georgina said,

454
00:29:43.599 --> 00:29:46.240
Who's that out there? She poked her head out the door.

455
00:29:46.880 --> 00:29:50.680
Who are those people? Close the door? Cat gasped warm air,

456
00:29:50.759 --> 00:29:54.440
burning her lungs. Lock it. Georgina slammed the door shut,

457
00:29:54.440 --> 00:29:56.799
clicking the dead bolt in place as Stevie Nicks belted

458
00:29:56.880 --> 00:30:00.880
out Silent Night from the parlor's TV. Stood feeling her

459
00:30:00.960 --> 00:30:04.079
knees shake. Looking down at her shirt, she noticed chunks

460
00:30:04.079 --> 00:30:07.559
of vomit. Pulling off her coat and shirt, Cat walked

461
00:30:07.559 --> 00:30:11.640
into the parlor, Georgina followed her. What the fuck is

462
00:30:11.680 --> 00:30:15.440
going on? Where's the sidekick? Kat pulled on her I'm

463
00:30:15.480 --> 00:30:19.000
against It T shirt. She took a deep breath, not

464
00:30:19.160 --> 00:30:26.039
wanting to say the words She's dead, Georgina laughed, what

465
00:30:26.440 --> 00:30:30.920
are you shitting me? No, Cat's eyes scammed the room.

466
00:30:32.000 --> 00:30:36.559
Where's Mallory in the kitchen washing dishes or some shit?

467
00:30:37.359 --> 00:30:41.799
Sue's dead? What the fuck? Cat took off for the kitchen,

468
00:30:42.319 --> 00:30:45.920
Georgina storming after her, profanity flowing freely from her mouth.

469
00:30:46.359 --> 00:30:49.640
They found Malorie in the kitchen, standing uneasily next to

470
00:30:49.680 --> 00:30:55.440
the stranger, seated at the counter, eating a sandwich. Your

471
00:30:55.440 --> 00:30:58.599
friend made me a nice sandwich. He took a bite

472
00:30:58.640 --> 00:31:01.960
from it, blood running down his chin as he chewed.

473
00:31:02.240 --> 00:31:05.440
Pieces of fleshy meat stuck to the corners of his mouth.

474
00:31:07.079 --> 00:31:10.960
You're not safe yet, Weekly Spooky will be right back.

475
00:31:13.640 --> 00:31:18.519
That's disgusting, Georgina gasped. Mallory get away from him. Cat

476
00:31:18.559 --> 00:31:21.559
reached out towards the young cook. A large kitchen knife

477
00:31:21.640 --> 00:31:25.400
gleamed near Mallory's side, held in the stranger's free hand.

478
00:31:26.319 --> 00:31:32.839
I think she's fine right here, the man smiled bloodily. Oh,

479
00:31:33.200 --> 00:31:37.200
there's a hair in my mouth. He pulled a red

480
00:31:37.279 --> 00:31:42.279
hair from between his teeth. Who the fuck are you,

481
00:31:42.480 --> 00:31:47.680
Georgina asked, horrified and angry, Just a man on his

482
00:31:47.720 --> 00:31:51.079
way home from a pointless war in the jungle, sick

483
00:31:51.119 --> 00:31:54.359
of being called baby killer, just wanted to get home

484
00:31:54.400 --> 00:31:58.160
to my wife and boy for Christmas. The man sighed,

485
00:31:58.480 --> 00:32:02.559
his eyes focusing on something long gone, and then that

486
00:32:02.759 --> 00:32:07.000
goddamn blizzard hit. The old drunk behind the wheel of

487
00:32:07.039 --> 00:32:10.720
the bus drove us into a ditch on some backwoods road.

488
00:32:11.240 --> 00:32:13.839
I went for help with one of the passengers, and

489
00:32:13.880 --> 00:32:17.920
we got lost in the storm. A chill ran down

490
00:32:17.960 --> 00:32:21.759
Cat's spine as the man spoke, I don't know how

491
00:32:21.799 --> 00:32:25.640
long we were out there. I got so hungry, and

492
00:32:25.720 --> 00:32:29.279
the other man was falling behind in the bush. You

493
00:32:29.359 --> 00:32:32.400
had to do anything it took to survive. He was

494
00:32:32.440 --> 00:32:37.000
holding me back, and I needed food. So the man

495
00:32:37.039 --> 00:32:41.640
licked his blood caked lips and laughed. And then the

496
00:32:41.680 --> 00:32:45.160
next day I found myself back at the fucking bus,

497
00:32:45.599 --> 00:32:49.680
those ungrateful shits criticizing me for getting lost, accusing me

498
00:32:50.279 --> 00:32:54.160
after everything I did, everything I went through, it was

499
00:32:54.200 --> 00:32:59.359
too much, and a man's gotta eat. Cat felt sick

500
00:32:59.400 --> 00:33:02.359
to her stomach. She willed herself not to throw up

501
00:33:02.680 --> 00:33:06.960
for a second time that night. It came to me,

502
00:33:07.559 --> 00:33:10.559
standing there at the edge of the trees. It called

503
00:33:10.559 --> 00:33:17.960
to me. When to go, demon spirit, my burden, my curse,

504
00:33:18.920 --> 00:33:23.880
the hunger inside me. That's where it lives, keeping me

505
00:33:23.960 --> 00:33:30.400
alive to feed it. Georgina scoffed, that's a pretty fucked

506
00:33:30.480 --> 00:33:33.480
up story, buddy. What are you smoking? And can I

507
00:33:33.559 --> 00:33:38.240
get some? A loud knock came from the door. They're here,

508
00:33:38.640 --> 00:33:41.640
the man said as he stood. I hate to eat

509
00:33:41.680 --> 00:33:44.880
and run, but their company. I try not to keep

510
00:33:46.319 --> 00:33:49.920
Who are those people out there? Georgina asked, I really

511
00:33:50.000 --> 00:33:53.000
must be going. I fucked around here too long. The

512
00:33:53.039 --> 00:33:55.400
stranger held the tip of the knife to Malory's throat.

513
00:33:56.079 --> 00:33:58.920
I was looking forward to sampling all of this young

514
00:33:59.079 --> 00:34:02.559
flesh tastes so much better than that old hag in

515
00:34:02.640 --> 00:34:06.039
the car. He backed towards the rear door that connected

516
00:34:06.079 --> 00:34:09.119
the kitchen to the courtyard behind the main house. Another

517
00:34:09.199 --> 00:34:12.559
knock came from the front door. Shit, I don't think

518
00:34:12.599 --> 00:34:16.159
I have time to even slaughter you bitches properly. I'll

519
00:34:16.199 --> 00:34:19.320
have to be quick. Cat scanned the kitchen quickly. The

520
00:34:19.320 --> 00:34:21.679
stranger could kill Mallory before she got to a knife.

521
00:34:21.760 --> 00:34:24.320
There had to be something else. A third knock came

522
00:34:24.320 --> 00:34:26.440
from the front door, with his free hand, the stranger

523
00:34:26.519 --> 00:34:29.599
yanked Mallory's head back by her long blonde hair, exposing

524
00:34:29.639 --> 00:34:33.280
her neck. Quick and easy, babe. The stranger grinned the

525
00:34:33.280 --> 00:34:35.719
whine of a kettle sliced through the tension of the kitchen,

526
00:34:35.960 --> 00:34:37.719
causing the man to look up from his prey just

527
00:34:37.760 --> 00:34:40.559
in time to see Cat snatch it from the stove.

528
00:34:41.159 --> 00:34:44.199
Have a little hot chocolate, Cat screamed. As the scolding

529
00:34:44.239 --> 00:34:46.800
water hit the man dead center in the face. He

530
00:34:46.920 --> 00:34:49.119
let go of Mallory and the knife as he held

531
00:34:49.119 --> 00:34:52.639
his face, screaming in pain. Mallory screamed herself as some

532
00:34:52.719 --> 00:34:55.000
of the water had hit her as well. Cat hurled

533
00:34:55.000 --> 00:34:57.679
the now empty kettle at the wounded stranger. Georgina, for

534
00:34:57.719 --> 00:35:00.320
her part, pulled the startled Mallory to her feet. Let's

535
00:35:00.360 --> 00:35:03.280
get the fuck out of here, Georgina shouted. The girls

536
00:35:03.320 --> 00:35:05.960
started towards the door, but the man blocked their escape route,

537
00:35:06.000 --> 00:35:08.639
holding his ragged face with one hand and a knife

538
00:35:08.639 --> 00:35:13.880
in the other. You cunts aren't going anywhere. The trueau

539
00:35:13.880 --> 00:35:15.840
of girls turned and ran out the kitchen, down the

540
00:35:15.840 --> 00:35:20.039
hallway towards the front door. Out there, Georgina stopped them.

541
00:35:20.519 --> 00:35:23.800
What choice do we have? Kat said out one of

542
00:35:23.840 --> 00:35:26.719
the windows. Mallory answered the stranger stood in the hallway,

543
00:35:26.920 --> 00:35:30.599
having replaced the knife with a meat cleaver. You ain't

544
00:35:30.639 --> 00:35:34.480
going anywhere. I could have ran, but you three really

545
00:35:34.719 --> 00:35:37.679
pissed me off. The knocking on the door turned into

546
00:35:37.679 --> 00:35:40.599
a loud banging. The man charged them with the cleaver,

547
00:35:40.760 --> 00:35:43.000
forcing the girls to run into the parlor, slicing at

548
00:35:43.039 --> 00:35:46.159
them as they went. Georgina lunged towards the fireplace, grabbing

549
00:35:46.199 --> 00:35:49.239
a poker. Spinning around, she confronted the stranger, swinging the

550
00:35:49.280 --> 00:35:51.880
poker at him. It collided with the stranger's head with

551
00:35:51.960 --> 00:35:54.599
a sickening thud. Never mess with a chick from the

552
00:35:54.679 --> 00:35:58.199
Upper east Side, asshole. Georgina followed up with a couple

553
00:35:58.199 --> 00:36:00.840
of hard swings, but her cockiness was her downfall. As

554
00:36:00.840 --> 00:36:03.360
the stranger caught the poker, yanking it from her grip,

555
00:36:03.679 --> 00:36:06.360
he kicked her in the gut, doubling Georgina over in pain.

556
00:36:06.719 --> 00:36:10.280
Throwing the poker aside, the stranger hoisted the cleaver, ready

557
00:36:10.320 --> 00:36:14.159
to strike down on the stunned girl. Kat ran towards

558
00:36:14.199 --> 00:36:17.159
the man, howling like a banshee, attempting to tackle him.

559
00:36:17.280 --> 00:36:20.079
She grabbed the man's hand holding the cleaver. The two struggled,

560
00:36:20.119 --> 00:36:22.880
but the man was stronger and a trained fighter. Using

561
00:36:22.920 --> 00:36:25.360
Kat's weight and momentum against her, he sent her sailing

562
00:36:25.400 --> 00:36:28.239
into the Christmas tree with a loud crash. Both the

563
00:36:28.280 --> 00:36:30.519
girls and the tree went down in an explosion of

564
00:36:30.559 --> 00:36:33.519
tinsel and ornaments. From the foyer came a sound of

565
00:36:33.559 --> 00:36:37.480
straining wood as the pounding assault continued on the front door. Cat,

566
00:36:37.519 --> 00:36:39.519
now caught up in the tinsel and lights of the tree,

567
00:36:39.639 --> 00:36:42.760
struggled to free herself. The man stalked towards her, a

568
00:36:42.840 --> 00:36:47.639
desperate evil smile on his burned lips. She watched helpless,

569
00:36:47.880 --> 00:36:50.880
unable to defend herself. A strand of lights dropped over

570
00:36:50.920 --> 00:36:54.119
his head, wrapping around his neck. Standing behind him, Mallory

571
00:36:54.199 --> 00:36:57.639
pulled it tight, choking him. Holding tight the young cook

572
00:36:57.719 --> 00:37:00.960
pulled him away from Cat. The pair stumbled towards the man,

573
00:37:01.039 --> 00:37:04.000
clumsily taking wild swings with the cleaver, trying to hit

574
00:37:04.079 --> 00:37:07.000
Mallory behind him. Taking a handful of the man's unkempt

575
00:37:07.000 --> 00:37:09.400
hair with one hand and holding the strand tight with

576
00:37:09.480 --> 00:37:12.239
the other, Malory rammed the man's head into the mantle

577
00:37:12.280 --> 00:37:16.039
repeatedly until the bloodied and battered man pushed away from her,

578
00:37:16.400 --> 00:37:18.760
Yanking the strand from his neck, he hurled it to

579
00:37:18.800 --> 00:37:21.679
the ground. Finally free of the Christmas tree, Cat was

580
00:37:21.679 --> 00:37:24.280
on her feet. Picking up the discarded fire poker, she

581
00:37:24.320 --> 00:37:27.679
attacked the stranger, screaming as she beat him. Georgina picked

582
00:37:27.719 --> 00:37:30.400
up a second poker and swung primily as well, forcing

583
00:37:30.480 --> 00:37:33.039
the man to fall to his knees. The girl stopped

584
00:37:33.039 --> 00:37:37.800
when the front door shattered. The three girls turned as

585
00:37:37.840 --> 00:37:43.320
something shambled into the house. Standing framed in the parlor

586
00:37:43.400 --> 00:37:49.239
door stood a decayed corpse dressed in a tattered, age

587
00:37:49.360 --> 00:37:55.599
ravaged bus driver's uniform. Standing behind it were similarly decayed corpses.

588
00:37:56.159 --> 00:37:59.400
The three girls stood tall and readied themselves for a

589
00:37:59.440 --> 00:38:04.840
new fight. To their surprise, the dead ignored the three.

590
00:38:05.480 --> 00:38:10.159
The walking corpses surrounded the man, who now knelt laughing

591
00:38:10.360 --> 00:38:15.400
hysterically behind him. The discarded strand had partially fallen into

592
00:38:15.400 --> 00:38:20.400
the fireplace. Burning like a fuse, it had lit the

593
00:38:20.440 --> 00:38:25.519
carpet up. The fire was quickly spreading. Come and get it,

594
00:38:25.559 --> 00:38:29.679
you bastards, the man laughed as the dead descended on him,

595
00:38:30.159 --> 00:38:34.679
ripping at his flesh. Let's get the fuck out of here,

596
00:38:35.039 --> 00:38:38.000
Cat said, as she watched the man being ripped apart.

597
00:38:38.760 --> 00:38:40.519
The three girls hurried out of the house as the

598
00:38:40.559 --> 00:38:44.119
fire and the dead claimed it. They stood on the

599
00:38:44.199 --> 00:38:48.039
lawn for several minutes, watching the house burn, holding their

600
00:38:48.079 --> 00:38:54.039
jackets tight in the bitter cold. So now what, Georgina asked,

601
00:38:55.000 --> 00:38:59.199
Walk to town, Cat said, Mallory shook her head. We

602
00:38:59.199 --> 00:39:01.400
should wait out the fire and the storm in one

603
00:39:01.400 --> 00:39:04.000
of the staff buildings. They're far enough away not to

604
00:39:04.039 --> 00:39:08.280
catch fire. We should be warm. There sounds like a plan,

605
00:39:08.440 --> 00:39:18.239
Georgina said. Kat looked at her two friends. Merry Christmas, guys, baumbug,

606
00:39:18.679 --> 00:39:23.239
Georgina laughed. The three girls trudged through the snow. Cat

607
00:39:23.280 --> 00:39:26.159
turned to take a last look at the burning building

608
00:39:27.000 --> 00:39:45.639
before continuing on Christmas Range by rob Fields December twenty third, evening.

609
00:39:46.760 --> 00:39:49.960
Strickfield Town Center Mall only seemed to be a hopping

610
00:39:50.000 --> 00:39:53.760
place around the holidays. The vacancies left during the usual

611
00:39:53.840 --> 00:39:56.119
ten months out of the year were mostly filled by

612
00:39:56.239 --> 00:39:59.480
seasonal stores. There was even a Santa Claus house in

613
00:39:59.519 --> 00:40:03.320
the mall's enter court. Families would line up with their children,

614
00:40:03.719 --> 00:40:06.760
many of whom had Christmas lists to give to Santa.

615
00:40:07.559 --> 00:40:12.480
But on this day things were about to take macabre turn.

616
00:40:14.119 --> 00:40:17.239
Santa Claus had just taken his seat on his throne.

617
00:40:17.280 --> 00:40:20.320
Templeton Mirn, the owner of the mall, and his family

618
00:40:20.320 --> 00:40:23.119
were right there in front of him. Santa just sat

619
00:40:23.159 --> 00:40:27.079
there and looked right at them. Templeton appeared to be patient.

620
00:40:27.679 --> 00:40:31.159
When Santa's silence got to be too much, Templeton leaned

621
00:40:31.159 --> 00:40:35.519
in and whispered loudly, if you don't get your act together, Stanley,

622
00:40:35.760 --> 00:40:39.000
you'll be enjoying this Christmas on your fucking welfare check.

623
00:40:40.119 --> 00:40:43.320
Stanley Monroe was always tapped to play Santa Claus from

624
00:40:43.679 --> 00:40:47.239
Black Friday until Christmas Eve at the Strickfield Town Center mall.

625
00:40:47.800 --> 00:40:50.639
But as Santa slowly stood up and glared at Templeton,

626
00:40:50.679 --> 00:40:55.679
Mirran and his family, he seemed to have a foreboding presence.

627
00:40:56.519 --> 00:41:00.280
Then Santa opened the door to his house and reived

628
00:41:00.320 --> 00:41:05.079
several screams when the slain, bloody body of Stanley Monroe

629
00:41:05.239 --> 00:41:08.920
just fell out onto the porch. The family scattered in

630
00:41:08.920 --> 00:41:12.000
different directions. Santa took his time as he reached inside

631
00:41:12.000 --> 00:41:14.960
the house and pulled out the same bloody axe that

632
00:41:15.000 --> 00:41:18.440
he had used on Stanley earlier. Then he marched toward

633
00:41:18.440 --> 00:41:23.159
Templeton Mirran, raising his lethal weapon. Templeton Mirron turned and

634
00:41:23.280 --> 00:41:25.760
yanked a nearby father right in front of the Santa.

635
00:41:25.920 --> 00:41:28.800
The father never uttered a peep as Santa buried the

636
00:41:28.800 --> 00:41:32.079
blade right in his head. The other bystanders were too

637
00:41:32.159 --> 00:41:35.280
frightened to see what Templeton Mirron had done. They never

638
00:41:35.360 --> 00:41:38.360
saw him or his wicked wife grab their children and

639
00:41:38.519 --> 00:41:41.679
leave from there. Santa pulled the axe out of the

640
00:41:41.719 --> 00:41:45.199
father's head and buried it into another bystander as it

641
00:41:45.280 --> 00:41:49.199
came upon a midnight clear slowly began to play over

642
00:41:49.239 --> 00:41:59.159
the mall speeders. Christmas Eve morning, I awaken in a

643
00:41:59.159 --> 00:42:02.840
different room and remember that I'm here at Franklin Sloan's house.

644
00:42:03.519 --> 00:42:06.159
Franklin invited me to come home with him for Christmas.

645
00:42:06.760 --> 00:42:09.519
Franklin and I have been seeing each other since late August.

646
00:42:10.119 --> 00:42:14.800
In fact, he's been my only companion this semester. After

647
00:42:14.840 --> 00:42:18.119
I take a shower and get dressed, I hear arguing downstairs.

648
00:42:18.639 --> 00:42:20.719
I make my way down and stop short when I

649
00:42:20.719 --> 00:42:25.480
hear that I'm the topic of discussion. Actually, it's more

650
00:42:25.519 --> 00:42:28.199
like Franklin's parents are giving him a hard time about me.

651
00:42:29.000 --> 00:42:32.320
The more I listen, the more I hear his father,

652
00:42:33.079 --> 00:42:38.440
Joseph and his stepmother Delphine just discouraging him. His dad

653
00:42:38.480 --> 00:42:42.119
tells him there's no way that a big titted putana

654
00:42:42.480 --> 00:42:45.679
like me would ever care for him. They tell him

655
00:42:45.679 --> 00:42:48.559
that I'm just using him for my own selfish ends.

656
00:42:49.480 --> 00:42:52.760
Franklin argues back and tells them that I'm nothing like that.

657
00:42:53.400 --> 00:42:55.519
He tells them We've been seeing each other since the

658
00:42:55.519 --> 00:42:58.119
beginning of the fall semester. He asks them what I

659
00:42:58.119 --> 00:43:03.199
could possibly be using him for. Here's the irony. I

660
00:43:03.400 --> 00:43:07.440
am using Franklin, but not for the reasons his parents

661
00:43:07.480 --> 00:43:10.840
are implying. They think I'm with him for money or

662
00:43:10.840 --> 00:43:14.000
that I'm waiting to humiliate him. I'm fully aware that

663
00:43:14.039 --> 00:43:16.840
people look at Franklin and decide that he's the biggest

664
00:43:16.840 --> 00:43:20.199
nerd there is. Do you have any idea how many

665
00:43:20.239 --> 00:43:23.320
times I've heard people whisper that to each other when

666
00:43:23.320 --> 00:43:26.639
they think I'm not listening. I even hear those same

667
00:43:26.760 --> 00:43:30.360
people wondering how someone like me would even be with Franklin.

668
00:43:31.559 --> 00:43:35.159
Delphine tells Franklin that I'm way too beautiful for him.

669
00:43:35.679 --> 00:43:38.400
She even tells Franklin that I would never have sex

670
00:43:38.440 --> 00:43:42.639
with him, that people like me belong with fraternity boys. Yes,

671
00:43:43.079 --> 00:43:45.599
I certainly could have had my pick of a fraternity

672
00:43:45.599 --> 00:43:49.000
boy or even a jock. The problem with those types

673
00:43:49.039 --> 00:43:50.960
of guys is that they would only want to have

674
00:43:51.039 --> 00:43:54.400
sex with me just for a short time. They would

675
00:43:54.440 --> 00:43:58.719
not want to commit to me. No, I need much

676
00:43:58.840 --> 00:44:03.039
more than they are willing to give. For those of

677
00:44:03.079 --> 00:44:05.800
you who haven't been following me, since the beginning, from

678
00:44:05.840 --> 00:44:09.000
the time I came into the world, I have never

679
00:44:09.360 --> 00:44:13.239
felt so much as a single emotion. Perhaps my being

680
00:44:13.239 --> 00:44:18.000
emotionless is why I'm a serial killer. Your society has

681
00:44:18.079 --> 00:44:20.880
labeled me the angel of death because I destroy those

682
00:44:20.880 --> 00:44:24.079
who pray on innocent people. I suppose the closest thing

683
00:44:24.119 --> 00:44:28.239
to emotion that I feel is my ever insistent bloodlust,

684
00:44:28.360 --> 00:44:32.199
which pushes me onward to claim my victims. In fact,

685
00:44:32.719 --> 00:44:37.559
I'm feeling the urgent need to kill right now. I

686
00:44:37.639 --> 00:44:39.920
make my way to the dining room. The family doesn't

687
00:44:39.960 --> 00:44:42.559
hear me come in until I'm right there. Right when

688
00:44:42.599 --> 00:44:46.159
Franklin yells at Delphine, that's your problem. You always think

689
00:44:46.199 --> 00:44:48.719
everybody's out to get me. Well, rage isn't like that

690
00:44:48.840 --> 00:44:53.760
at all. Franklin becomes quiet when he realizes I'm here.

691
00:44:54.360 --> 00:44:57.440
The family is just looking at me. Now, perhaps I

692
00:44:57.440 --> 00:45:01.719
should just go, I say I'm not wanted or welcome here.

693
00:45:02.239 --> 00:45:04.519
I'll just get my things and go back to my dorm.

694
00:45:05.320 --> 00:45:10.320
Delphine looks sternly at me. You heard everything I nod

695
00:45:10.400 --> 00:45:15.119
once I did, and you're wrong about me. I fold

696
00:45:15.159 --> 00:45:18.760
my arms in front of me. Please enlighten me. What

697
00:45:18.920 --> 00:45:23.840
do I hope to gain by using Franklin? Delphine takes

698
00:45:23.880 --> 00:45:28.559
a deep breath. Do you see yourself, Reagan? Do you

699
00:45:28.639 --> 00:45:32.599
see Franklin? Do you see how completely mismatched the two

700
00:45:32.599 --> 00:45:35.559
of you are? You can have any man you want.

701
00:45:36.199 --> 00:45:40.400
Why would you settle for Franklin? While I myself don't

702
00:45:40.440 --> 00:45:44.039
have emotions, I have come to understand a great deal

703
00:45:44.039 --> 00:45:48.239
about how emotions can move people, both positively and negatively.

704
00:45:48.599 --> 00:45:51.599
Watching enough television and being around MoMA long enough will

705
00:45:51.599 --> 00:45:54.440
do that for someone like me. So let me get

706
00:45:54.440 --> 00:45:58.079
this straight. Just because I'm a beautiful girl and Franklin's

707
00:45:58.079 --> 00:46:00.480
a nerd, I would not want to be with someone

708
00:46:00.639 --> 00:46:05.599
like him. Then why would I date Franklin? Why would

709
00:46:05.639 --> 00:46:09.079
I agree to come home with him for Christmas? Delphine

710
00:46:09.079 --> 00:46:13.280
glares at me now, well, I don't know. Why don't

711
00:46:13.320 --> 00:46:17.559
you tell us I agreed to come here with Franklin

712
00:46:17.639 --> 00:46:21.159
because he asked me to. I reply, I wasn't going

713
00:46:21.159 --> 00:46:23.679
home for Christmas, and Franklin didn't want me to be alone.

714
00:46:24.239 --> 00:46:26.440
I'm thinking he invited me out of the kindness of

715
00:46:26.440 --> 00:46:29.639
his heart. That's why I choose to be with Franklin.

716
00:46:30.480 --> 00:46:33.039
He's kind to me. He's never once tried to take

717
00:46:33.039 --> 00:46:36.920
advantage of me. I enjoy his company. I unfold and

718
00:46:36.960 --> 00:46:39.920
lower my arms. I can't believe that you and your

719
00:46:40.000 --> 00:46:43.639
husband would cut Franklin down like this, especially you a

720
00:46:43.760 --> 00:46:48.039
church minister. Delphine took over being the minister of Strickfield

721
00:46:48.039 --> 00:46:52.960
Community Church after the scandal with Minister Darren Harlowe years ago. Yes,

722
00:46:53.039 --> 00:46:57.039
it's the usual type of scandal you read about with children.

723
00:46:57.360 --> 00:47:00.679
After Harlowe was removed, Delphine became the new minister. She

724
00:47:00.760 --> 00:47:03.000
had to work very hard to keep the church going,

725
00:47:03.440 --> 00:47:05.840
but she managed to do it. I was a freshman

726
00:47:05.880 --> 00:47:08.599
in high school when this happened. By the way, Delphine's

727
00:47:08.599 --> 00:47:11.679
been quite strict on Franklin ever since. According to what

728
00:47:11.679 --> 00:47:14.559
he's told me about her, and from what I've just witnessed.

729
00:47:15.480 --> 00:47:18.760
I put a comforting hand on Franklin's shoulder. Are you

730
00:47:18.800 --> 00:47:24.679
all right? Franklin shakes his head. Can we just leave rage? Yes,

731
00:47:25.079 --> 00:47:28.119
yes we can. I reply, go pack a few things

732
00:47:28.119 --> 00:47:31.159
and we can have Christmas at my dorm. Franklin leaves

733
00:47:31.159 --> 00:47:33.679
the dining room. His parents only glare at me before

734
00:47:33.719 --> 00:47:35.679
I turn and head back up to the guest room

735
00:47:36.000 --> 00:47:38.679
to pack my things. You're thinking that I want to

736
00:47:38.760 --> 00:47:43.519
kill them both, right, Nope, they're both innocent, so I

737
00:47:43.639 --> 00:47:48.719
can't kill them. Ah. Yes, now we're getting to what

738
00:47:48.760 --> 00:47:51.519
I want to tell you. I currently have an even

739
00:47:51.679 --> 00:47:57.360
greater need to satisfy, even more than I need to kill. Now,

740
00:47:57.679 --> 00:48:00.800
while I don't feel anything emotional, I do feel things

741
00:48:00.800 --> 00:48:06.320
that are physical. I know when I need to eat, drink, sleep,

742
00:48:06.800 --> 00:48:10.559
clean my body, seek comfort. I did say that I'm

743
00:48:10.599 --> 00:48:13.840
looking to use Franklin. As of late, I'm feeling the

744
00:48:13.920 --> 00:48:16.679
need to have sex. I was able to get by

745
00:48:16.840 --> 00:48:19.719
for many years without having to fulfill this basic need.

746
00:48:20.519 --> 00:48:24.159
Now my sex drive is becoming as insistent as my bloodlust.

747
00:48:25.039 --> 00:48:27.119
It's because of this that I've come to realize that

748
00:48:27.199 --> 00:48:31.360
I need a mate, a constant companion. I need someone

749
00:48:31.360 --> 00:48:33.559
who can be good company for me and satisfy my

750
00:48:33.639 --> 00:48:38.039
sexual desires when the need arises. In turn, I would

751
00:48:38.079 --> 00:48:41.360
be just as responsive to my mate. Would you call

752
00:48:41.400 --> 00:48:44.519
me a primal girl in spite of my highly developed brain?

753
00:48:45.360 --> 00:48:48.199
Perhaps you would be right. Franklin Sloane is one of

754
00:48:48.239 --> 00:48:50.960
the few young men at Strickfield University who's taken an

755
00:48:51.000 --> 00:48:53.639
interest in me. Over time, he's shown me that he

756
00:48:53.719 --> 00:48:57.480
is both a suitable companion and an intellectual peer. I

757
00:48:57.519 --> 00:48:59.800
really don't care that Franklin is a skinny nerd who

758
00:48:59.800 --> 00:49:03.159
talked about chess or contemporary movies. I don't even care

759
00:49:03.199 --> 00:49:05.039
that the rest of you in the female population are

760
00:49:05.079 --> 00:49:08.199
repulsed by him. Unlike you, I don't have it in

761
00:49:08.239 --> 00:49:10.800
me to be repulsed by him. On the other hand,

762
00:49:11.280 --> 00:49:13.360
I don't even have it in me to be able

763
00:49:13.360 --> 00:49:17.119
to love him regardless. Franklin has proven himself to be

764
00:49:17.159 --> 00:49:20.360
a suitable companion for me and my desires for him

765
00:49:20.440 --> 00:49:25.960
to be my mate. Franklin comes and gets me You ready, rage, Yes,

766
00:49:26.079 --> 00:49:29.000
we can go. We head downstairs to the front door.

767
00:49:29.360 --> 00:49:32.679
Before we leave, Franklin turns to his parents. I really

768
00:49:32.719 --> 00:49:34.800
thought we were going to have a normal family Christmas

769
00:49:34.840 --> 00:49:38.440
this time even with my bringing Rage. But I can

770
00:49:38.480 --> 00:49:42.199
see now that's never gonna happen. Come on, Rage, let's

771
00:49:42.239 --> 00:49:46.920
go once more. Franklin's parents exchange looks. Then I turn

772
00:49:47.039 --> 00:49:50.719
and leave with Franklin. Franklin is settled in my dorm room.

773
00:49:51.079 --> 00:49:53.199
I didn't have a room mate during the fall semester.

774
00:49:53.840 --> 00:49:56.039
The only reason I'm allowed to stay over the holiday

775
00:49:56.039 --> 00:49:59.280
break is because I'm attending classes here at Strickfield University

776
00:49:59.320 --> 00:50:03.599
next semester. Franklin looks pretty down. I'm sorry you had

777
00:50:03.599 --> 00:50:06.559
to see that back home, Rage, We're both sitting on

778
00:50:06.599 --> 00:50:10.039
our beds. I reach across and take his hands. May

779
00:50:10.079 --> 00:50:14.239
I say something? He raises his eyes to mine. Sure,

780
00:50:15.239 --> 00:50:18.760
I know you're probably having your doubts about me. Please don't.

781
00:50:19.400 --> 00:50:23.800
I really do want to be with you. But why Rage,

782
00:50:24.360 --> 00:50:27.800
Why are you still with me? Delphine's right, you can

783
00:50:27.880 --> 00:50:31.360
have any man you want. I could ramble to Franklin

784
00:50:31.400 --> 00:50:34.800
about why I want him, but I've learned that actions

785
00:50:34.840 --> 00:50:38.679
can speak a lot for a person. Still holding his hands,

786
00:50:38.960 --> 00:50:43.280
I move across to Franklin's bed, then we kiss. The

787
00:50:43.280 --> 00:50:45.960
more we get into our kiss, the more I'm feeling

788
00:50:45.960 --> 00:50:50.119
that I can't hold back anymore. I need him so desperately.

789
00:50:50.920 --> 00:50:54.280
I let go of his hands. Franklin is surprised when

790
00:50:54.280 --> 00:50:56.960
he sees me stand up and take off my clothes.

791
00:50:57.679 --> 00:50:59.840
Once I'm naked, I pull back the covers on my

792
00:51:00.239 --> 00:51:03.880
and lay down to face him. It's just you and me, Franklin.

793
00:51:04.440 --> 00:51:07.079
The dorm is all ours. I want to take this

794
00:51:07.159 --> 00:51:10.559
next step with you. If you do too, then come

795
00:51:10.760 --> 00:51:14.119
be with me. I only want and desire you, Franklin.

796
00:51:14.679 --> 00:51:17.480
Franklin trusts me enough to where he knows I'm sincere.

797
00:51:18.119 --> 00:51:20.480
He removes his clothes and climbs into bed with me.

798
00:51:22.360 --> 00:51:26.559
I like it, Spooky weekly. Spooky will be right back.

799
00:51:38.079 --> 00:51:42.760
Christmas Eve, late afternoon. The Strickfield Community Center was always

800
00:51:42.800 --> 00:51:45.199
a place where parents could bring their children on Christmas

801
00:51:45.280 --> 00:51:49.440
Eve for things such as Christmas stories, Christmas cakes and cookies,

802
00:51:49.679 --> 00:51:53.280
hot chocolate, and visiting with Santa. It had been just

803
00:51:53.320 --> 00:51:55.280
as much of a tradition as the fact that each

804
00:51:55.320 --> 00:51:57.800
in every household in Strickfield would be decorated to make

805
00:51:57.840 --> 00:52:01.559
the village look like a winter wonderland, with the exception

806
00:52:02.119 --> 00:52:05.760
of the Waldoff property that belonged to the Mirons. In fact,

807
00:52:06.320 --> 00:52:09.880
Delphine Brewster Sloane helped run the establishment along with a

808
00:52:09.920 --> 00:52:13.519
few other mothers. Delphine was making more mugs of hot

809
00:52:13.599 --> 00:52:16.840
chocolate when Missus Patterson walked into the kitchen. She gave

810
00:52:16.880 --> 00:52:21.880
Delphine a look of desperation. Mary, what's wrong. Hasn't our

811
00:52:21.920 --> 00:52:27.159
Santa arrived yet? Delphine asked. Mary Patterson reached out, stopped

812
00:52:27.199 --> 00:52:30.400
motionless for a moment, then fell flat on her face

813
00:52:30.440 --> 00:52:33.079
to reveal the axe that was sticking out of her back.

814
00:52:33.719 --> 00:52:37.000
Delphine screamed, then she looked up and screamed even louder

815
00:52:37.000 --> 00:52:39.679
as the bloodstained Santa Claus stormed in and retrieved the

816
00:52:39.719 --> 00:52:43.079
axe from Mary Patterson's back. Santa looked right at Delphine

817
00:52:43.199 --> 00:52:47.320
and watched her scream when he drew back the axe. Somehow,

818
00:52:47.320 --> 00:52:49.800
she forced herself to duck. When the axe blade became

819
00:52:49.840 --> 00:52:53.400
embedded in a cupboard, Delphine shoved Santa down and ran out.

820
00:52:53.880 --> 00:52:57.000
Delphine tried to yell for everyone to leave quickly. The

821
00:52:57.039 --> 00:52:59.639
shrilling scream of the Santa Claus from Hell overshadowed the

822
00:52:59.639 --> 00:53:03.519
soft Christmas music. Then more screams overshadowed Santa's as he

823
00:53:03.599 --> 00:53:06.599
chased after people while swinging the axe, sinking it into

824
00:53:06.639 --> 00:53:09.599
a few more parents. Delphine grabbed a folding chair and

825
00:53:09.639 --> 00:53:11.920
moved at Santa to try and keep him from killing

826
00:53:11.960 --> 00:53:15.920
any more parents or even children. Santa howled with rage

827
00:53:15.920 --> 00:53:18.880
and disarmed Delphine with a few hard swings of the axe.

828
00:53:19.079 --> 00:53:21.639
Santa shoved her down and raised the axe for the kill.

829
00:53:22.079 --> 00:53:24.800
Delphine held her hands up and screamed as her life

830
00:53:24.960 --> 00:53:34.119
flashed right before her eyes. Christmas Eve evening, I awaken

831
00:53:34.239 --> 00:53:36.519
and know that Franklin and I are spooned up together.

832
00:53:37.079 --> 00:53:40.639
We spent much of the afternoon having sex. Franklin has

833
00:53:40.639 --> 00:53:43.480
definitely proven to be my chosen mate, as he satisfied

834
00:53:43.519 --> 00:53:47.639
my every desire. I in turn focused to satisfy his.

835
00:53:48.440 --> 00:53:52.280
Then we fell asleep together. My need for sex is

836
00:53:52.360 --> 00:53:57.599
satisfied for the time being. However, my need to kill

837
00:53:58.559 --> 00:54:02.719
is as urgent as ever. I managed to slip out

838
00:54:02.760 --> 00:54:06.079
of bed. Franklin is still fast asleep. I need to

839
00:54:06.119 --> 00:54:10.039
go out and prowl for a kill. Since it's Christmas Eve,

840
00:54:10.159 --> 00:54:12.960
I don't really think I'm going to find anyone. I

841
00:54:13.079 --> 00:54:15.079
may end up having to wait until the day after

842
00:54:15.159 --> 00:54:20.280
Christmas to look for somebody. My bloodlust is demanding satisfaction.

843
00:54:21.000 --> 00:54:23.559
But I'm not going to take an innocent to do it.

844
00:54:24.679 --> 00:54:27.360
I get dressed and grab my smartphone. I leave the

845
00:54:27.400 --> 00:54:31.159
dorm and begin my walk around Strickfield. If Franklin texts me,

846
00:54:31.280 --> 00:54:33.679
I'll just tell him that I'm picking up food for

847
00:54:33.760 --> 00:54:37.440
us from either Andy's China Garden or Denoyer's Grill downtown,

848
00:54:37.840 --> 00:54:41.599
which are always open. If I had emotions, I'm sure

849
00:54:41.599 --> 00:54:43.920
it would simply amaze me at how this village goes

850
00:54:43.960 --> 00:54:48.119
all out for many of the holidays, including Christmas. Every

851
00:54:48.199 --> 00:54:51.559
house is decorated and lit brightly. Some of the yards

852
00:54:51.599 --> 00:54:55.159
even have animatronics. In spite of all this, I still

853
00:54:55.159 --> 00:55:00.360
continue to feel my constant numbness. It isn't long before

854
00:55:00.360 --> 00:55:02.719
I hear the sounds of police cars in the distance.

855
00:55:03.519 --> 00:55:06.559
I decide to go and see what's going on. I

856
00:55:06.599 --> 00:55:08.920
know I'm only a police intern, which is why I'm

857
00:55:08.960 --> 00:55:12.519
not being called Strickfield PD only calls me when it

858
00:55:12.559 --> 00:55:15.960
comes to detective work. If there are that many police cars,

859
00:55:16.239 --> 00:55:19.519
it's probably something more dire that doesn't require detective work.

860
00:55:20.480 --> 00:55:23.159
Just the same, I'm going to go and see for myself.

861
00:55:23.920 --> 00:55:26.800
When I get to the scene, the Strickfield Community Center.

862
00:55:27.079 --> 00:55:29.840
Mayor Patrick Gunter recognizes me and waves for me to

863
00:55:29.880 --> 00:55:32.800
come over. I know you've been helping the police, but

864
00:55:33.280 --> 00:55:36.599
this doesn't require you tonight. Can you at least tell

865
00:55:36.599 --> 00:55:40.039
me what's going on? I ask? Mayor Gunter tells me

866
00:55:40.079 --> 00:55:43.000
that there's an escaped lunatic from glen View Asylum inside

867
00:55:43.039 --> 00:55:45.880
the building, wearing a Santa Claus suit and killing people

868
00:55:45.960 --> 00:55:49.320
left and right. He mentions how this Santa left bodies

869
00:55:49.360 --> 00:55:52.559
all over center Court at Strickfield Town Center Mall last night.

870
00:55:53.079 --> 00:55:56.559
As Mayor Gunter keeps talking, my bloodlust is going crazy,

871
00:55:56.880 --> 00:56:01.440
commanding me to claim this Santa. Just what Mayor Gunter

872
00:56:01.519 --> 00:56:03.400
tells me alone is enough to wear. I don't have

873
00:56:03.519 --> 00:56:06.679
to do my usual research. But the question now is

874
00:56:07.039 --> 00:56:09.440
how do I get inside the community center without the

875
00:56:09.480 --> 00:56:13.760
police seeing me? Then I immediately have a plan and

876
00:56:13.880 --> 00:56:18.000
proceed with its execution. I say good bye to Mayor

877
00:56:18.039 --> 00:56:22.960
Gunter and wish him a good holiday. I know the

878
00:56:23.039 --> 00:56:26.039
village of Strickfield very well, thanks to all the maps

879
00:56:26.079 --> 00:56:29.079
on hand at the police station, including the one for

880
00:56:29.159 --> 00:56:32.880
the sewer system. Because of my highly photographic memory, I

881
00:56:32.880 --> 00:56:35.800
immediately remembered the way into the community center through the

882
00:56:35.840 --> 00:56:38.880
sewer tunnels. I open a manhole covered down in the

883
00:56:38.960 --> 00:56:41.800
crawl space where the shower pipes are located, and come

884
00:56:41.840 --> 00:56:44.559
out that way. After putting the cover back on, I

885
00:56:44.639 --> 00:56:48.800
begin my hunt for this Santa. My blood lust is

886
00:56:48.920 --> 00:56:52.320
nagging at me now. It doesn't take me long to

887
00:56:52.360 --> 00:56:55.840
locate Santa. He's got a few women trapped in the kitchen,

888
00:56:56.159 --> 00:57:00.000
and then I immediately recognize Franklin's stepmother as one of them.

889
00:57:00.519 --> 00:57:03.119
When we started seeing each other, Franklin told me that

890
00:57:03.199 --> 00:57:06.159
Delphine volunteers her time here when she's not being the

891
00:57:06.239 --> 00:57:10.440
minister for Strickfield Community Church. It looks as though Delphine

892
00:57:10.440 --> 00:57:14.039
got beat up, but she's still alive. I know that

893
00:57:14.079 --> 00:57:16.880
Franklin would be devastated if anything were to happen to

894
00:57:16.920 --> 00:57:19.920
his parents. The two of them put Franklin down, and

895
00:57:20.000 --> 00:57:23.519
yet he still thinks the world of them. I literally

896
00:57:23.519 --> 00:57:26.960
don't understand it. Just the same I know I've got

897
00:57:27.000 --> 00:57:30.760
to do something to save these people. Santa never says

898
00:57:30.800 --> 00:57:33.039
a word. He just glares at the eight women he's

899
00:57:33.039 --> 00:57:36.280
holding hostage. He even raises his axe and brings it

900
00:57:36.320 --> 00:57:39.159
down in front of them, making them shriek or scream.

901
00:57:39.559 --> 00:57:42.400
Even I understand how cowardly it is for an empowered

902
00:57:42.400 --> 00:57:46.360
male to attack a helpless female. I tighten my fists

903
00:57:46.400 --> 00:57:49.199
as my bloodlust now screams for me to take his

904
00:57:49.639 --> 00:57:54.039
fucking life. I must use my head. I can't just

905
00:57:54.119 --> 00:57:56.679
go in there and fight him. It would be different

906
00:57:56.719 --> 00:57:59.880
if Santa wasn't toying with those women. Then I moved

907
00:58:00.039 --> 00:58:02.960
ealthily into the kitchen. He doesn't see me as I

908
00:58:03.039 --> 00:58:06.480
carefully slide open a drawer and pull out a kitchen knife.

909
00:58:07.360 --> 00:58:10.000
All I have to do is just draw it back.

910
00:58:10.599 --> 00:58:13.280
Then I'll fling it right into his back. As I

911
00:58:13.400 --> 00:58:16.280
raise the knife for the kill, I get a text

912
00:58:16.360 --> 00:58:19.719
chime on my smartphone and no, it's from Franklin. That

913
00:58:19.880 --> 00:58:22.679
throws off my plan. As Santa turns and sees me

914
00:58:22.719 --> 00:58:25.880
with my knife raised, he screams and rushes right at me.

915
00:58:26.159 --> 00:58:30.119
Delphine is surprised to see me now, Reagan, No, she

916
00:58:30.239 --> 00:58:33.519
cries out. When Santa reaches me, he swings the axe wildly.

917
00:58:33.639 --> 00:58:35.360
I quickly hit the floor and feel the rush of

918
00:58:35.400 --> 00:58:37.199
the blade go right over the back of my head.

919
00:58:37.480 --> 00:58:39.800
As I quickly turn onto my back, Santa raises his

920
00:58:39.840 --> 00:58:42.639
axe and brings it down. I turn over again and

921
00:58:42.679 --> 00:58:44.599
hear it hit the floor. I get to my feet

922
00:58:44.639 --> 00:58:46.280
and kick Santa in the back of the knee to

923
00:58:46.280 --> 00:58:49.000
take his leg out from underneath him. Santa growls and

924
00:58:49.039 --> 00:58:51.159
falls to the floor. I still have the knife in

925
00:58:51.159 --> 00:58:53.400
my hand. Before I can raise it to stab him,

926
00:58:53.719 --> 00:58:56.599
Delphine surprises both of us by crying out and ripping

927
00:58:56.639 --> 00:59:00.119
the axe away from Santa. Reagan, get out of here now,

928
00:59:00.920 --> 00:59:04.440
Delphine cries. Santa quickly gets back to his feet, then

929
00:59:04.440 --> 00:59:07.000
he reaches out and grabs the axe. Having a struggle

930
00:59:07.000 --> 00:59:09.559
with Delphine. I don't see the other women that were

931
00:59:09.559 --> 00:59:11.960
with Delphine and determine that she must have gotten them

932
00:59:11.960 --> 00:59:15.400
out while I was distracting Santa. I'm definitely ready to

933
00:59:15.400 --> 00:59:18.039
stab Santa now, but I know that I can't let

934
00:59:18.119 --> 00:59:21.920
Delphine wait a minute. She won't know that I'm a

935
00:59:21.960 --> 00:59:25.199
serial killer. Killing Santa would just be a matter of

936
00:59:25.880 --> 00:59:31.280
helping Delphine of self defense. Neither Delphine nor Santa can

937
00:59:31.320 --> 00:59:33.679
see what must be the evil glow in my eyes

938
00:59:33.880 --> 00:59:36.639
that all of my past victims have seen. All I

939
00:59:36.719 --> 00:59:40.079
have to do is move up behind Santa. Delphine will

940
00:59:40.079 --> 00:59:42.440
be splattered with his blood once I slice his throat,

941
00:59:42.760 --> 00:59:45.440
but common sense gets the better of me. I can't

942
00:59:45.480 --> 00:59:48.800
let Delphine see just how violent I can truly become.

943
00:59:49.480 --> 00:59:53.440
She might tell Franklin and I would possibly lose my mate.

944
00:59:53.480 --> 00:59:55.840
I have another idea.

945
00:59:56.039 --> 01:00:01.400
Are you afraid? Good, weakly spooky, We'll be right back.

946
01:00:03.760 --> 01:00:05.960
I quickly make my way around to where Santa can

947
01:00:06.000 --> 01:00:09.960
easily see me. Hey, Santa's eyes are on me as

948
01:00:09.960 --> 01:00:12.360
I pull my Christmas sweater up and show him my

949
01:00:12.480 --> 01:00:17.599
large breasts pikaboobies. His eyes are locked right on my breast,

950
01:00:17.719 --> 01:00:20.639
which gives Delphine the advantage. She yanks the axe out

951
01:00:20.639 --> 01:00:23.159
of Santa's hands and swings it to catch him right

952
01:00:23.199 --> 01:00:26.280
in the gut. He groans and stands for a long moment.

953
01:00:27.039 --> 01:00:29.760
I pull my sweater down as Delphine removes the axe

954
01:00:29.800 --> 01:00:34.199
and nails him one more time before he finally goes down.

955
01:00:34.280 --> 01:00:36.639
I quickly pull out my smartphone and call the police.

956
01:00:36.960 --> 01:00:39.000
I get Mayor Gunter and tell him that everything's all

957
01:00:39.079 --> 01:00:43.440
right and that Santa is slaid. My bloodlust is screaming

958
01:00:43.480 --> 01:00:46.880
at me for a fresh victim, but I had to

959
01:00:46.960 --> 01:00:51.239
give my kill de Delphine to keep my secret. Delphine

960
01:00:51.239 --> 01:00:53.639
and I are alone now. After I finished talking to

961
01:00:53.679 --> 01:00:56.679
Mayor Gunter. She turns to me and gives me a

962
01:00:56.679 --> 01:01:03.039
stern look. Really, Reagan, showing him your dirty pillows. I

963
01:01:03.119 --> 01:01:07.239
look sternly at her in return, You are still alive

964
01:01:07.320 --> 01:01:12.119
because of my dirty pillows. Never forget that, Delphine and

965
01:01:12.159 --> 01:01:15.840
I keep glaring at one another. Finally, Delphine softens her

966
01:01:15.880 --> 01:01:20.119
expression and sighs. She looks around and moves to make

967
01:01:20.159 --> 01:01:23.440
sure that we're truly alone. I can't imagine why she

968
01:01:23.480 --> 01:01:27.199
would need to do that. She returns to me, Yes,

969
01:01:28.440 --> 01:01:32.000
you did save many lives today, Reagan. Then she leans

970
01:01:32.000 --> 01:01:37.079
in and says quietly, I know who and what you are.

971
01:01:38.159 --> 01:01:41.920
Don't try to hide it from me. You are the

972
01:01:41.960 --> 01:01:45.960
angel of death. Then she backs away to get my reaction.

973
01:01:47.400 --> 01:01:52.400
I just look at Delphine. I think you're mistaken. Delphine

974
01:01:52.400 --> 01:01:57.840
shakes her head slowly. I'm not. You don't know, Reagan,

975
01:01:58.360 --> 01:02:01.800
but many years ago, you've saved many lives that night,

976
01:02:02.559 --> 01:02:06.519
including mine. Just then, Mayor Gunter comes in with some

977
01:02:06.599 --> 01:02:11.719
police officers. He points right at me. Reagan Devereaux over here. Now.

978
01:02:12.559 --> 01:02:17.039
Delphine mouths to me, we'll talk later. I nod to

979
01:02:17.039 --> 01:02:19.880
her and address Mayor Gunter, who gives me hell for

980
01:02:19.960 --> 01:02:22.239
not keeping my distance on account of my being a

981
01:02:22.280 --> 01:02:26.079
college intern. At the same time, he congratulates me on

982
01:02:26.159 --> 01:02:29.159
being the hero. Of course, I make sure that Delphine

983
01:02:29.159 --> 01:02:31.440
has given her fair share of the credit, since I

984
01:02:31.480 --> 01:02:42.199
didn't stop that Santa from Hell alone. Christmas afternoon, I

985
01:02:42.239 --> 01:02:44.840
look into the eyes of Templeton Mirn. After I remove

986
01:02:44.880 --> 01:02:49.039
his blindfold, then I remove his wife's. I have both

987
01:02:49.039 --> 01:02:52.480
of them secured to tables in their basement. Then I

988
01:02:52.559 --> 01:02:57.639
remove their gags. What the fuck is this? Destiny Miren demands.

989
01:02:58.239 --> 01:03:00.440
I move to the front where they can see me.

990
01:03:01.119 --> 01:03:03.000
I have her remote control in my hand, and I

991
01:03:03.039 --> 01:03:06.280
turn on their television. I have a little video here

992
01:03:06.400 --> 01:03:08.360
that I'd very much liked the two of you to see.

993
01:03:08.880 --> 01:03:12.039
I tell them I play what is the security camera

994
01:03:12.079 --> 01:03:14.800
footage that was taken from the Strickfield Town Center mall?

995
01:03:15.320 --> 01:03:18.679
Could I have gotten any more lucky? Chief Kashmerek was

996
01:03:18.719 --> 01:03:21.159
a little strapped at the station, so he asked me

997
01:03:21.159 --> 01:03:23.480
if i'd stick around and go through the security footage

998
01:03:23.519 --> 01:03:26.880
from the mall. After texting Franklin and letting him know

999
01:03:26.920 --> 01:03:29.239
where I was, I went to the station and looked

1000
01:03:29.239 --> 01:03:32.119
over the footage. Then I saw the angle to where

1001
01:03:32.159 --> 01:03:36.079
Templeton Miron had grabbed an innocent man and pulled him

1002
01:03:36.159 --> 01:03:39.039
right into the path of the killer Santa, just so

1003
01:03:39.119 --> 01:03:42.159
he could preserve his own life. His wife had seen

1004
01:03:42.199 --> 01:03:45.320
what her husband had done and wasn't concerned in the least.

1005
01:03:45.960 --> 01:03:48.079
She only moved to get Templeton and the kids out

1006
01:03:48.079 --> 01:03:51.880
of the mall quickly. Neither Destiny nor Templeton looked back.

1007
01:03:52.760 --> 01:03:55.159
After finishing the footage, I stopped the video and look

1008
01:03:55.199 --> 01:04:00.480
at them any questions, So what, Destiny groans, looking as

1009
01:04:00.480 --> 01:04:03.960
annoyed as she sounded, all this over an insignificant man,

1010
01:04:04.360 --> 01:04:07.880
Templeton ads, it looks to me as if your family

1011
01:04:07.880 --> 01:04:10.239
could have easily gotten away, But you grabbed that man

1012
01:04:10.280 --> 01:04:13.079
and pulled him right in front of the killer, guaranteeing

1013
01:04:13.119 --> 01:04:16.719
his death. In effect, you killed him in cold blood.

1014
01:04:17.440 --> 01:04:21.239
Your wife saw you and didn't care, in effect condoning

1015
01:04:21.280 --> 01:04:25.199
what you did. So now I'm going to claim the

1016
01:04:25.239 --> 01:04:28.480
both of you. Your children are with their grandparents. I've

1017
01:04:28.519 --> 01:04:32.639
even disabled your cameras in your security system. It's just

1018
01:04:32.960 --> 01:04:36.360
the three of us here. I even have pictures to

1019
01:04:36.440 --> 01:04:40.400
display of shady bank records and illegal money laundering. I

1020
01:04:40.440 --> 01:04:43.159
even found some darknet stuff that they were involved in

1021
01:04:43.760 --> 01:04:47.119
too much to list here, but seeing the security video

1022
01:04:47.239 --> 01:04:50.239
from his own mall was more than a red flag

1023
01:04:50.320 --> 01:04:53.800
for me. Normally, I'd have killed them just based on that,

1024
01:04:54.519 --> 01:04:57.519
but I wanted more to give to the police. After all,

1025
01:04:57.559 --> 01:05:01.880
these two were from the infamous Mirror family. The two

1026
01:05:01.880 --> 01:05:04.760
of them are quite emotionless. The only difference between these

1027
01:05:04.800 --> 01:05:08.280
mirrors and myself is that I was naturally born without emotions.

1028
01:05:09.119 --> 01:05:12.440
These two are of great money and privilege, so much

1029
01:05:12.480 --> 01:05:18.159
that they just stopped caring. I'm wearing a plastic poncho

1030
01:05:18.199 --> 01:05:21.400
and have an axe cradled in my hands. Oh wait,

1031
01:05:22.079 --> 01:05:25.639
it looks as if they do know fear. They see

1032
01:05:25.719 --> 01:05:29.800
my evil glare and beg for their lives. Oh but

1033
01:05:29.920 --> 01:05:34.519
it's far too late for that. Templeton and Destiny, Miron.

1034
01:05:35.440 --> 01:05:39.880
Let the punishment fit the crime. Destiny screams as I

1035
01:05:39.880 --> 01:05:44.320
bring the axe right down on her face. And I

1036
01:05:44.360 --> 01:05:48.880
feel so much better now that my bloodlust is finally

1037
01:05:48.960 --> 01:05:57.639
being satiated. Christmas evening, Delphine called Franklin and made things

1038
01:05:57.719 --> 01:05:59.920
right with him. She even told him to bring me

1039
01:06:00.119 --> 01:06:02.960
back to the house for Christmas dinner. I agreed when

1040
01:06:03.000 --> 01:06:06.480
he asked me, and all was well. Franklin's dad still

1041
01:06:06.480 --> 01:06:10.679
gave me some distrustful looks, but that was it. Delphine

1042
01:06:10.719 --> 01:06:12.480
asked me to help her in the kitchen so we

1043
01:06:12.519 --> 01:06:16.920
could have our little talk. As it turned out, Delphine

1044
01:06:16.960 --> 01:06:20.000
had indeed discovered my secret. When she said that I

1045
01:06:20.039 --> 01:06:22.760
had saved the lives of her and many children that night,

1046
01:06:23.400 --> 01:06:26.519
it was because she had discovered Minister Harlowe's terrible secret.

1047
01:06:27.280 --> 01:06:29.280
She had tried to stop him on her own, using

1048
01:06:29.280 --> 01:06:33.239
the legal system, but his influence was too strong. She

1049
01:06:33.360 --> 01:06:35.719
decided that she would bring him down alone, even if

1050
01:06:35.760 --> 01:06:40.039
it meant breaking the commandment regarding killing. As it turned out,

1051
01:06:40.239 --> 01:06:42.559
I had read the story about Harlow in our newspaper

1052
01:06:42.559 --> 01:06:45.559
in North Ridgeway. I came to Strickfield to claim him.

1053
01:06:45.599 --> 01:06:49.159
After I did my research, I broke into Harlow's house,

1054
01:06:49.280 --> 01:06:51.920
not knowing that Delphine was already there ahead of me.

1055
01:06:52.800 --> 01:06:55.480
I ended up finding five children that Harlow had locked

1056
01:06:55.559 --> 01:06:58.920
up in his basement. I freed them and told them

1057
01:06:59.000 --> 01:07:03.000
to keep quiet. Harlow wasn't expecting a high school freshman

1058
01:07:03.039 --> 01:07:05.599
girl to come for him. After going up to the

1059
01:07:05.639 --> 01:07:08.199
second floor and beating the living shit out of Harlow.

1060
01:07:08.280 --> 01:07:11.800
I tied him up to his bed and castrated him.

1061
01:07:12.039 --> 01:07:15.599
Even then, I remembered Mamma's words about making the punishment

1062
01:07:15.639 --> 01:07:19.280
fit the crime. Delphine had been hiding in a closet,

1063
01:07:19.840 --> 01:07:23.280
possibly waiting for the right moment to strike Harlow herself,

1064
01:07:23.920 --> 01:07:28.440
and discovered that I was the angel of death. After

1065
01:07:28.480 --> 01:07:31.079
cleaning myself up, I gave one of my burner phones

1066
01:07:31.079 --> 01:07:33.960
to the kids and told them to call the police.

1067
01:07:34.840 --> 01:07:37.239
Delphine told me that after I had left, she had

1068
01:07:37.239 --> 01:07:40.440
explained everything to the police, leaving me out of it.

1069
01:07:41.000 --> 01:07:43.800
Delphine gave me a big hug and thanked me for

1070
01:07:43.880 --> 01:07:48.039
what I had done to day and back then. She

1071
01:07:48.159 --> 01:07:51.039
promised me that she would keep my secret. The only

1072
01:07:51.079 --> 01:07:53.360
thing she asked was for me not to hurt Franklin.

1073
01:07:53.880 --> 01:07:58.320
I in turn promised her that I wouldn't. Delphine never

1074
01:07:58.400 --> 01:08:01.440
so much as gave me or frank a hard time

1075
01:08:01.840 --> 01:08:06.840
ever again. That night, Franklin and I go back to

1076
01:08:06.880 --> 01:08:10.079
my dorm. After we have sex, Franklin and I talk.

1077
01:08:10.840 --> 01:08:13.119
He tells me that he only wants to make me happy.

1078
01:08:13.960 --> 01:08:18.760
I tell him that I am well in my own way.

1079
01:08:19.439 --> 01:08:22.399
I'm more than content on having Franklin Sloane as my mate,

1080
01:08:22.680 --> 01:08:25.880
and I tell him that I'm not leaving him. Franklin

1081
01:08:25.920 --> 01:08:30.880
has a realization I have something for you rage. He

1082
01:08:30.920 --> 01:08:33.039
gets out of bed and brings me a small gift

1083
01:08:33.039 --> 01:08:36.960
wrapped box. I unwrap and open it to reveal his

1084
01:08:37.039 --> 01:08:41.359
high school class ring. It's not much, Franklin tells me,

1085
01:08:42.319 --> 01:08:45.359
but I know how I feel about you. Maybe Dad

1086
01:08:45.359 --> 01:08:47.520
and Delphine are right about you being too good for me,

1087
01:08:47.600 --> 01:08:53.960
but I need to know, Reagan Devereux, will you marry me?

1088
01:08:55.760 --> 01:09:00.399
I will? I say, without hesitation. Franklin is speechless in

1089
01:09:00.439 --> 01:09:03.520
his emotions, but he finally finds himself and puts his

1090
01:09:03.600 --> 01:09:06.359
ring on my finger. I return the favor by giving

1091
01:09:06.439 --> 01:09:09.479
him my high school ring on a necklace. I only

1092
01:09:09.520 --> 01:09:11.920
wish that I could feel the love that Franklin feels

1093
01:09:11.960 --> 01:09:15.760
for me. Regardless, I will be a good wife to

1094
01:09:15.840 --> 01:09:18.159
him as he will be a good husband to me.

1095
01:09:19.640 --> 01:09:23.840
So this turned out to be a very good Christmas

1096
01:09:23.840 --> 01:09:45.159
for me. After all. Merry Christmas, everyone, don't be naughty.

1097
01:09:46.520 --> 01:09:55.560
Welcome to Tiny Christmas Iowa by Michelle Adler. I let

1098
01:09:55.560 --> 01:09:58.640
out a sigh as my uber passed the now entering

1099
01:09:58.760 --> 01:10:02.840
tiny Christmas Iowa sign. According to the sign, it's the

1100
01:10:02.880 --> 01:10:06.600
tiniest most Christmasiest place in all of Iowa. My Uber driver,

1101
01:10:06.680 --> 01:10:10.359
a Jeet, chuckled, sensing my displeasure. I'm sure it's just

1102
01:10:10.399 --> 01:10:13.439
as Christmasy as all fuck. I say, trying to come

1103
01:10:13.439 --> 01:10:17.119
off as cheery and almost succeeding until that curse word

1104
01:10:17.159 --> 01:10:21.520
at the end. I lied on my interview. I hate Christmas.

1105
01:10:21.760 --> 01:10:24.079
I hate the Midwest. The only thing I know about

1106
01:10:24.079 --> 01:10:27.239
Iowa is that it's a Slipknot album, and I've never

1107
01:10:27.279 --> 01:10:31.000
designed a window display in my life. I Am just

1108
01:10:31.039 --> 01:10:35.399
an unemployable, grumpy freelance graphic designer from New York City

1109
01:10:35.439 --> 01:10:38.520
trying to find any work that isn't stocking shelves at

1110
01:10:38.520 --> 01:10:42.439
a grocery store. To be honest, I didn't realize the

1111
01:10:42.479 --> 01:10:45.800
position was out of state until after i'd applied. I

1112
01:10:45.840 --> 01:10:48.199
had initially intended to turn the job down, as I'd

1113
01:10:48.199 --> 01:10:50.920
never had any desire to live anywhere other than the

1114
01:10:50.920 --> 01:10:56.760
city that never sleeps. The high rise condos, rats street vendors,

1115
01:10:57.079 --> 01:11:01.279
homeless people on every street corner, bodega's also on every corner,

1116
01:11:01.880 --> 01:11:05.560
and constant bustle are things I've lived for but at

1117
01:11:05.560 --> 01:11:08.520
this point, maybe it's time to stop pretending I could

1118
01:11:08.560 --> 01:11:12.079
make it in NYC anymore. It wasn't like I had

1119
01:11:12.159 --> 01:11:15.439
a support system either, no family left and no friends

1120
01:11:15.439 --> 01:11:17.760
to speak of. I hadn't even been on a day,

1121
01:11:17.880 --> 01:11:21.880
and the last two years my social life revolved mostly

1122
01:11:21.920 --> 01:11:25.319
around my interactions with my landlord, none of which were pleasant.

1123
01:11:26.039 --> 01:11:27.960
I heard that she was so happy I was leaving.

1124
01:11:28.039 --> 01:11:31.800
Apparently she even threw me a goodbye party after I left.

1125
01:11:32.840 --> 01:11:35.640
I lived for my work, but things have been so

1126
01:11:35.800 --> 01:11:38.720
hard lately. Maybe it was time for me to give up.

1127
01:11:39.640 --> 01:11:42.760
Maybe it was time for me to start over. Ma'am.

1128
01:11:42.960 --> 01:11:45.880
That's all good and fine, but we're here, ajit said,

1129
01:11:45.920 --> 01:11:50.399
while simultaneously unlocking the doors. I hadn't realized we'd even stopped,

1130
01:11:51.479 --> 01:11:54.399
or that I was talking out loud. I guess it

1131
01:11:54.479 --> 01:11:56.760
had been a while since I'd been around other people.

1132
01:11:57.720 --> 01:11:59.760
I started to open the door before even looking at

1133
01:11:59.760 --> 01:12:02.920
where I was. When I did, I pulled it back shut.

1134
01:12:03.479 --> 01:12:06.239
This can't be right, I mumbled, fumbling for my phone

1135
01:12:06.239 --> 01:12:08.560
to pull up the address I'd been given. I was

1136
01:12:08.600 --> 01:12:10.399
sure I was supposed to be in front of a house,

1137
01:12:10.760 --> 01:12:15.279
my new house or I don't know. Anything but. Instead,

1138
01:12:15.319 --> 01:12:17.680
we sat in a desolate parking lot on the outskirts

1139
01:12:17.720 --> 01:12:21.319
of what was hopefully the correct town, at least, though

1140
01:12:21.319 --> 01:12:24.800
it looked anything but Christmasy. In front of me bloomed

1141
01:12:24.840 --> 01:12:28.399
an industrial complex with a small collection of seemingly long

1142
01:12:28.399 --> 01:12:32.159
abandoned warehouses and factories. I felt a jolt of fear

1143
01:12:32.279 --> 01:12:37.279
pined through my body. It was quiet here, too quiet,

1144
01:12:38.199 --> 01:12:41.119
quiet enough for me to be raped and murdered without

1145
01:12:41.159 --> 01:12:44.439
anyone noticing. This is as far as I can take you,

1146
01:12:44.880 --> 01:12:47.159
I jumped as I realized a jeete was already grabbing

1147
01:12:47.159 --> 01:12:52.239
my luggage from the trunk. What why so no murder? Then,

1148
01:12:52.880 --> 01:12:55.359
it's a small town and a beautiful day. Why not

1149
01:12:55.399 --> 01:12:57.840
take a nice stroll through town on your way. I

1150
01:12:57.840 --> 01:13:01.840
think the farmer's market goes till three, he dodged. No,

1151
01:13:02.119 --> 01:13:05.680
I don't want to walk in. It's thirty degrees, I said,

1152
01:13:05.720 --> 01:13:08.840
while repositioning the luggage he'd removed back into the uber.

1153
01:13:09.279 --> 01:13:11.760
I just want you to finish driving me. What's the

1154
01:13:11.760 --> 01:13:16.399
big deal, it's your job, for Christ's sake. A jeep paused. Listen,

1155
01:13:17.079 --> 01:13:19.840
I don't go in there. Tiny Christmas is not a

1156
01:13:19.880 --> 01:13:23.319
town for people like me. He pointed to his turban.

1157
01:13:24.680 --> 01:13:28.479
They're racist. I don't know what you want to call it,

1158
01:13:28.560 --> 01:13:30.560
but I just don't want to spend the afternoon stuck

1159
01:13:30.600 --> 01:13:33.960
in there while they try to convert me again. Last time,

1160
01:13:33.960 --> 01:13:35.560
I didn't even get to take a lunch break, and

1161
01:13:35.600 --> 01:13:38.840
I'm really hungry today. So you're on your own, he said,

1162
01:13:38.880 --> 01:13:42.039
as he finished re removing my luggage. Like I said,

1163
01:13:42.319 --> 01:13:45.439
small town, very friendly. I'm sure you'll have no problem

1164
01:13:45.479 --> 01:13:50.880
finding the place. Well, I personally respect the Islamic religion,

1165
01:13:51.359 --> 01:13:53.159
I chased him as he walked back around to the

1166
01:13:53.199 --> 01:13:55.880
driver's side door and pulled it open. I'll even buy

1167
01:13:55.920 --> 01:13:59.720
you lunch. How's that? Nope, therapist said, I need to

1168
01:13:59.720 --> 01:14:01.920
start defining my boundaries or people are going to walk

1169
01:14:01.960 --> 01:14:03.960
all over me for the rest of my life. He

1170
01:14:04.079 --> 01:14:06.840
slammed the door and pressed the lock down. Enjoy your

1171
01:14:06.920 --> 01:14:09.800
stay in tiny Christmas. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful

1172
01:14:09.840 --> 01:14:12.800
time with that. He and his niece on Altima pulled

1173
01:14:12.800 --> 01:14:17.159
out of the lot. Wait, you can't be serious, and

1174
01:14:17.199 --> 01:14:20.800
I'm a Sikh, you asshole, he called back as he

1175
01:14:20.840 --> 01:14:25.199
sped away. I stood there, shivering in the cold, confused

1176
01:14:25.199 --> 01:14:29.680
and becoming increasingly angry at my predicament. No, you're the asshole,

1177
01:14:29.880 --> 01:14:32.600
I grumbled as I grabbed my luggage and resigned myself

1178
01:14:32.640 --> 01:14:36.279
to walking into town. As I'd mentioned before, I was

1179
01:14:36.279 --> 01:14:39.199
basically left to fend for myself in an abandoned wasteland.

1180
01:14:39.680 --> 01:14:42.239
A beautiful young woman such as myself should not have

1181
01:14:42.319 --> 01:14:45.920
to subject herself to such a dangerous situation. I pushed

1182
01:14:45.960 --> 01:14:49.239
through the dystopian scenery with a confident stride, preparing myself

1183
01:14:49.239 --> 01:14:53.319
for whatever unsavory situation lay ahead of me. However, when

1184
01:14:53.359 --> 01:14:57.119
I finally rounded the last warehouse, I was not prepared

1185
01:14:57.680 --> 01:15:01.279
for what I saw ahead of me. Across a set

1186
01:15:01.319 --> 01:15:05.199
of train tracks lay the most adorable little downtown I'd

1187
01:15:05.239 --> 01:15:08.159
ever laid my eyes on. As I walked onward, the

1188
01:15:08.199 --> 01:15:11.439
air became filled with the scent of pine, cinnamon and

1189
01:15:12.159 --> 01:15:16.319
roasted chestnuts. The streets were packed with happy looking townsfolk,

1190
01:15:16.560 --> 01:15:18.439
each one going out of their way to say hello

1191
01:15:18.520 --> 01:15:21.560
as I passed, and a jeet was right there was

1192
01:15:21.600 --> 01:15:25.319
a farmer's market. As nice as this all was, I

1193
01:15:25.399 --> 01:15:27.479
have to admit I was a little uncomfortable with the

1194
01:15:27.560 --> 01:15:31.800
level of friendliness and Christmas I was experiencing. I felt

1195
01:15:31.840 --> 01:15:33.840
a bit of guilt well up inside me for not

1196
01:15:33.920 --> 01:15:37.560
immediately being drawn into the merriness. I managed to brush

1197
01:15:37.600 --> 01:15:40.560
it off quickly, though I wasn't wrong. They were the

1198
01:15:40.600 --> 01:15:44.479
ones that were wrong. As I slowly became increasingly annoyed

1199
01:15:44.520 --> 01:15:48.000
at the pleasantries I happened upun a coffee shop. Welcome

1200
01:15:48.000 --> 01:15:51.439
to Christmas Coffee. An overweight, elderly woman hollered in an

1201
01:15:51.439 --> 01:15:54.960
alarmingly cheery tone as the door jingled closed behind me.

1202
01:15:56.079 --> 01:15:57.960
Would you be able to point me in the direction

1203
01:15:58.079 --> 01:16:01.279
of six one six Pine Street eight. I am an

1204
01:16:01.359 --> 01:16:06.239
unemployed graphic designer with no chitchat skills. Oh, I know

1205
01:16:06.319 --> 01:16:09.199
who you are. You're the new window display coordinator from

1206
01:16:09.239 --> 01:16:14.640
the big city. Well, yes, and I'm running late. Oh sweetie,

1207
01:16:15.000 --> 01:16:17.600
you look just about chilled to the bone. Did some

1208
01:16:17.760 --> 01:16:20.319
ethnic cab driver refuse to take you the whole way?

1209
01:16:20.800 --> 01:16:24.079
She asked? I wondered how common of a thing that was.

1210
01:16:24.920 --> 01:16:27.680
Here you go. She poured a cup of coffee and

1211
01:16:27.720 --> 01:16:31.159
slid it to me. Free coffee on the house. I'm Amanda,

1212
01:16:31.159 --> 01:16:34.760
by the way, I took the coffee, avoiding her outstretched arm.

1213
01:16:35.479 --> 01:16:38.319
That's really nice of you. I'll be sure to stop

1214
01:16:38.359 --> 01:16:41.000
back when i'm settled. But I'm running late right now,

1215
01:16:41.079 --> 01:16:46.199
so yeah, I was never coming back. Oh right, six

1216
01:16:46.279 --> 01:16:49.039
one six pine? Was it? Make it left? Then it's

1217
01:16:49.079 --> 01:16:51.199
two blocks down. You couldn't even miss it if you

1218
01:16:51.239 --> 01:16:54.840
wanted to. I thanked her and sped out the door

1219
01:16:54.880 --> 01:16:57.640
before she could continue to waste my time. I took

1220
01:16:57.640 --> 01:16:59.359
a sip of the coffee as I walked out into

1221
01:16:59.399 --> 01:17:02.039
the holiday pape and ammonium, and stopped dead as the

1222
01:17:02.079 --> 01:17:07.800
warmth hit my tongue. This was the best cup of

1223
01:17:07.840 --> 01:17:11.720
coffee I'd ever had in my entire life. It was

1224
01:17:11.960 --> 01:17:15.920
rich and full bodied, with notes of cinnamon, all spice,

1225
01:17:15.920 --> 01:17:19.439
and honey. It brought back a flood of childhood memories,

1226
01:17:20.159 --> 01:17:22.840
drinking hot chocolate after school as my mother brushed the

1227
01:17:22.880 --> 01:17:26.279
snow out of my hair, watching movies, huddled by the fire,

1228
01:17:26.840 --> 01:17:30.319
my mother's warmth as she rocked me to sleep. God,

1229
01:17:30.359 --> 01:17:34.239
I missed her. If only I thought I could have

1230
01:17:34.319 --> 01:17:39.720
something like that again in a real, non coffee based sense. Wait,

1231
01:17:40.399 --> 01:17:44.079
what was I thinking? I am a powerful, competent, unemployed

1232
01:17:44.079 --> 01:17:48.279
graphic designer. I'd never wish for a family, I convinced myself.

1233
01:17:48.640 --> 01:17:51.720
Brushing the tears from my eyes, I went to take

1234
01:17:51.760 --> 01:17:55.399
another sip of coffee, but I was beginning to feel nauseous,

1235
01:17:55.479 --> 01:17:59.920
so instead I dropped it in the next available garbage can.

1236
01:18:00.199 --> 01:18:03.680
Was right. This place was hard to miss. Two blocks down,

1237
01:18:03.760 --> 01:18:06.880
was almost a full mile away and basically in the woods.

1238
01:18:07.640 --> 01:18:10.600
The quaint tutor with six one six scrolled across the

1239
01:18:10.640 --> 01:18:13.640
door was the only building on the entire street. As

1240
01:18:13.680 --> 01:18:16.680
I walked up the driveway, I realized how eerily quiet

1241
01:18:16.720 --> 01:18:19.640
it had become. I hadn't seen a single car pass

1242
01:18:19.720 --> 01:18:22.560
me in the last half a mile. I shivered as

1243
01:18:22.560 --> 01:18:25.000
the wind whipped up. This was the perfect place for

1244
01:18:25.039 --> 01:18:28.279
an unsuspecting young woman to be raped and murdered. I

1245
01:18:28.399 --> 01:18:33.800
was all alone. No wait, I was being watched. Well,

1246
01:18:33.840 --> 01:18:36.640
hello there, Rachel. I jumped as the door of the

1247
01:18:36.640 --> 01:18:39.279
house popped open to reveal a smiling middle aged man

1248
01:18:39.319 --> 01:18:44.039
in a suit. Oh oh, hi, I tried to collect myself.

1249
01:18:44.479 --> 01:18:47.640
You must be correct. I'm Jake from the agency. So

1250
01:18:47.760 --> 01:18:49.760
glad you were able to find your way here. I

1251
01:18:49.880 --> 01:18:51.720
was getting a little worried that you hadn't been able

1252
01:18:51.760 --> 01:18:55.159
to find a ride into town. Funny you should say

1253
01:18:55.159 --> 01:18:58.199
that anyway, This is the place. He cut me off,

1254
01:18:58.399 --> 01:19:02.399
holding the door open, beckoning me inside. The interior, despite

1255
01:19:02.439 --> 01:19:05.399
having a certain charm, was covered in a layer of

1256
01:19:05.479 --> 01:19:08.920
dust and white sheets. The air had a musty quality

1257
01:19:08.960 --> 01:19:13.079
that signaled that this place had been long forgotten. I sighed,

1258
01:19:13.640 --> 01:19:17.560
I did not like cleaning, as mentioned earlier. He continued,

1259
01:19:17.840 --> 01:19:19.680
it's two hundred and fifty dollars a month, and you're

1260
01:19:19.720 --> 01:19:22.920
responsible for paying all utilities, as well as any yardwork

1261
01:19:23.039 --> 01:19:25.840
or snow removal that needs to be done. Also, I

1262
01:19:25.880 --> 01:19:28.000
think there are Christmas lights in the basement, so you

1263
01:19:28.039 --> 01:19:30.520
won't even need to buy a need to decorate. I

1264
01:19:30.560 --> 01:19:32.960
won't be needing them, but thank you. I just want

1265
01:19:33.000 --> 01:19:39.000
to settle in. Oh, he seemed crushed. Well, they're in

1266
01:19:39.079 --> 01:19:41.800
there in case you change your mind. It would probably

1267
01:19:41.840 --> 01:19:46.439
go a long way to making this place feel like home. Thanks.

1268
01:19:47.840 --> 01:19:50.840
How long has it been vacant? I slid my fingers

1269
01:19:50.880 --> 01:19:54.039
through the dust on the fireplace mantle and almost gagged

1270
01:19:54.079 --> 01:19:58.600
at the many years of dead skin cells. About five years?

1271
01:19:58.640 --> 01:20:03.760
I think that, Uh, why so long? I couldn't really

1272
01:20:03.800 --> 01:20:05.960
tell you. I'm just a real estate agent and I

1273
01:20:05.960 --> 01:20:10.399
don't own it or anything. He shrugged. Oh well, I mean,

1274
01:20:10.920 --> 01:20:14.119
if I had to guess, maybe it was the murders.

1275
01:20:15.119 --> 01:20:19.079
Don't go away weekly spooky, We'll be right back.

1276
01:20:22.359 --> 01:20:26.760
Murders, I parroted. See, I knew I was going to

1277
01:20:26.760 --> 01:20:31.279
be raped and killed. Sorry I misspoke. Disappearances is what

1278
01:20:31.319 --> 01:20:35.199
I mean. It's not really murder without a body, Jake said,

1279
01:20:35.239 --> 01:20:38.920
matter of factly. But anyway, that was a long time ago,

1280
01:20:38.960 --> 01:20:41.359
and I heard that Tenant was like really into meth,

1281
01:20:41.520 --> 01:20:46.079
so it was likely drug related. Wait didn't you say anyway?

1282
01:20:46.560 --> 01:20:48.720
Here are the keys. He handed them to me while

1283
01:20:48.760 --> 01:20:51.439
also turning the doorknob. You should be good to go.

1284
01:20:51.720 --> 01:20:54.880
Have a wonderful life in tiny Christmas, and with that

1285
01:20:55.279 --> 01:21:00.359
he was already halfway down the walk. Murders. I had

1286
01:21:00.399 --> 01:21:04.479
an unremarkable first night. Despite wondering just how many disappearances

1287
01:21:04.600 --> 01:21:08.079
Jake had accidentally inferred, I tried not to concentrate on

1288
01:21:08.119 --> 01:21:10.600
it too much. I was starting my new job the

1289
01:21:10.640 --> 01:21:18.039
next morning after all holidays and more. Occupied the largest

1290
01:21:18.079 --> 01:21:21.319
building in town. It was two floors of highly polished

1291
01:21:21.319 --> 01:21:24.760
marble and glass. The first floor held the perfect area

1292
01:21:24.800 --> 01:21:29.319
for a window display, but was currently empty. This will

1293
01:21:29.359 --> 01:21:32.880
be my canvas, I thought. I put my hand up

1294
01:21:32.920 --> 01:21:35.800
to the glass wistfully, only to have it slapped from

1295
01:21:35.840 --> 01:21:37.800
the other side of the glass by a burly man

1296
01:21:37.840 --> 01:21:40.159
with a beard. I jumped back and he let out

1297
01:21:40.159 --> 01:21:44.520
a chuckle and motioned me to come inside. I'm mister Santon,

1298
01:21:44.600 --> 01:21:47.880
the general manager, the burly man explained, giving me a

1299
01:21:47.880 --> 01:21:51.560
firm handshake. Great to meet you in person. Thanks so

1300
01:21:51.680 --> 01:21:54.920
much for the job. We're just so pleased you accepted it.

1301
01:21:55.199 --> 01:21:58.359
The entire board was unanimous in the decision to hire you.

1302
01:21:58.359 --> 01:22:00.760
Your plan for a Christmas display that gets us back

1303
01:22:00.800 --> 01:22:05.199
to our roots is genius. Thank Before I could finish,

1304
01:22:05.239 --> 01:22:07.680
he pulled me in for a hug. Say no more,

1305
01:22:07.760 --> 01:22:10.479
miss Adler. We're just so happy we can add you

1306
01:22:10.600 --> 01:22:13.199
another true believer of the magic of Christmas to our

1307
01:22:13.279 --> 01:22:16.760
wonderful family, he said, while patting me on the back.

1308
01:22:17.479 --> 01:22:20.720
I recoiled slightly, and he seemed to catch my discomfort

1309
01:22:20.840 --> 01:22:24.319
and let me go. Sorry. I just love Christmas so

1310
01:22:24.399 --> 01:22:30.199
much I get carried away sometimes that's I just I

1311
01:22:30.199 --> 01:22:34.479
should probably get to work, right, I deflected, Oh, of course,

1312
01:22:34.760 --> 01:22:37.159
there's only two weeks till the big reveal. After all,

1313
01:22:37.359 --> 01:22:41.079
I'm sure every second counts. Mister Santon led me over

1314
01:22:41.119 --> 01:22:44.319
to my workspace and introduced me to my assistant, Tom Thompson.

1315
01:22:44.680 --> 01:22:47.600
A tall and slightly too handsome man in a red

1316
01:22:47.720 --> 01:22:52.359
vest I felt uncomfortable for looking at him for too long,

1317
01:22:52.560 --> 01:22:56.279
like I might I don't know, blush if I did?

1318
01:22:56.760 --> 01:22:59.399
You know, Tom, you could take notes from miss Adler here,

1319
01:23:00.079 --> 01:23:03.079
Santon said before leaving up your holiday game a little,

1320
01:23:03.079 --> 01:23:05.800
and maybe you'll be the next one promoted. Tom looked

1321
01:23:05.800 --> 01:23:09.960
towards me and let out a little sigh. Yes, sir.

1322
01:23:13.960 --> 01:23:16.199
On that first day, we spent most of our time

1323
01:23:16.279 --> 01:23:19.680
going through boxes, taking inventory of what supplies the store

1324
01:23:19.720 --> 01:23:21.920
already had so i'd know what we would need to buy.

1325
01:23:23.560 --> 01:23:27.520
So I broke the silence. Mister Santan wants you to

1326
01:23:27.600 --> 01:23:30.920
up your holiday game. Eh. Yeah, I guess he's noticed

1327
01:23:30.920 --> 01:23:33.479
I haven't been my normal, cheery self for the last

1328
01:23:34.039 --> 01:23:37.560
couple of years. He seemed as surprised by that timeline

1329
01:23:37.600 --> 01:23:41.199
as I did. That's a long time to not be happy,

1330
01:23:41.920 --> 01:23:44.800
Like I'd know what happy was. I was a weirdly

1331
01:23:44.880 --> 01:23:48.079
employed graphic designer caught in what was increasingly feeling like

1332
01:23:48.159 --> 01:23:52.560
a low budget Christmas movie. I guess so, I just

1333
01:23:52.600 --> 01:23:58.640
haven't been myself since my wife died. Oh he was single,

1334
01:23:58.640 --> 01:24:02.039
and not even the divorced kind widowed the good kind

1335
01:24:02.039 --> 01:24:05.680
of single. I stopped going through the box of Christmas lights.

1336
01:24:06.079 --> 01:24:11.159
My hands were shaking. Yeah, it was really tragic. She

1337
01:24:11.279 --> 01:24:14.399
hit a deer. He was going on about his dead wife.

1338
01:24:14.399 --> 01:24:17.279
But all I could concentrate on was my own heartbeat

1339
01:24:17.640 --> 01:24:20.600
as it began to speed up. Why did I care

1340
01:24:20.640 --> 01:24:23.600
if this guy was single? What was happening to me?

1341
01:24:24.680 --> 01:24:28.079
I concentrated on regaining my composure. I just needed to

1342
01:24:28.079 --> 01:24:30.399
take it easy. This had been a big move, a

1343
01:24:30.520 --> 01:24:33.800
huge change, and I'd lost my bearings. It was perfectly

1344
01:24:33.840 --> 01:24:36.600
reasonable that I would feel confused and even want to

1345
01:24:36.640 --> 01:24:39.000
fit in. Things would get less weird once I was

1346
01:24:39.079 --> 01:24:42.159
used to my surroundings. And then when we took her

1347
01:24:42.199 --> 01:24:46.079
off life support, Oh god, he was still going, I

1348
01:24:46.159 --> 01:24:50.600
just don't think I'll ever really love anyone again. You know,

1349
01:24:52.359 --> 01:24:55.640
I get it. But you're young. You'll meet someone again

1350
01:24:55.760 --> 01:24:59.960
when you're ready. I tried to console he blushed slightly.

1351
01:25:01.079 --> 01:25:04.680
You're a really good listener, you know, Hey, would you

1352
01:25:04.760 --> 01:25:06.880
like to come over for dinner on Sunday? We make

1353
01:25:06.920 --> 01:25:09.079
a big meal after church, so it's always nice to

1354
01:25:09.079 --> 01:25:13.560
have some extra company. Oh no, no, I don't want

1355
01:25:13.560 --> 01:25:16.600
to impose. We don't really know each other, and please.

1356
01:25:17.479 --> 01:25:20.560
I think of it as me repaying you for your kindness,

1357
01:25:20.560 --> 01:25:22.800
for letting me dump all my problems on you like this,

1358
01:25:23.439 --> 01:25:28.720
he begged, Well, when you put it that way, sure.

1359
01:25:34.640 --> 01:25:38.720
After a relatively uneventful week, I awoke from a particularly

1360
01:25:38.760 --> 01:25:42.159
weird nightmare at three am Saturday morning to the sound

1361
01:25:42.159 --> 01:25:46.960
of talking. Frustrated and groggy, I did what any good

1362
01:25:47.039 --> 01:25:49.720
New Yorker would. I pushed the window open with a

1363
01:25:49.800 --> 01:25:52.199
level of violence that this house had probably never seen,

1364
01:25:52.600 --> 01:25:55.520
and leaned out into the dark. Shut the fuck up,

1365
01:25:55.600 --> 01:25:59.399
or I'll fucking come down there and murder you, I yelled,

1366
01:25:59.760 --> 01:26:04.079
then slammed the window shut and lay back down. It

1367
01:26:04.119 --> 01:26:08.079
was quiet for a minute, but then was that chanting.

1368
01:26:09.119 --> 01:26:11.720
By that point, my complete consciousness had returned, and I

1369
01:26:11.800 --> 01:26:14.840
realized that I was no longer in an apartment. I

1370
01:26:14.880 --> 01:26:18.960
was in a house. I was in a completely isolated house.

1371
01:26:19.960 --> 01:26:23.800
No one should be outside. I lay there in silence,

1372
01:26:24.159 --> 01:26:29.439
trying to get a grasp on what I was hearing. Chanting, crying.

1373
01:26:30.279 --> 01:26:33.680
Maybe it was a wild animal. I thought I had

1374
01:26:33.680 --> 01:26:37.640
heard foxes kind of sound like people. Honestly, I didn't

1375
01:26:37.680 --> 01:26:40.680
want it to be people or animals. Both seemed like

1376
01:26:40.720 --> 01:26:42.680
they could be dangerous, and for the first time since

1377
01:26:42.720 --> 01:26:45.319
the day I'd moved in, I considered what the word

1378
01:26:45.439 --> 01:26:50.399
disappearances could possibly mean. After what may have been hours,

1379
01:26:50.479 --> 01:26:53.720
the strange noises dissipated, but I did not sleep for

1380
01:26:53.720 --> 01:26:56.920
the rest of the night. In the morning, I decided

1381
01:26:56.920 --> 01:26:59.760
maybe I would put up those Christmas lights. The house

1382
01:26:59.800 --> 01:27:02.319
had no exterior lighting at all, and seeing as it

1383
01:27:02.359 --> 01:27:05.880
had sat unoccupied, there was a chance someone could still

1384
01:27:05.960 --> 01:27:08.439
think it was vacant and try to break in. If

1385
01:27:08.479 --> 01:27:11.560
the noises I'd heard were people. Anyway, if it was

1386
01:27:11.680 --> 01:27:15.720
foxes or wolves or something, the light should deter them too.

1387
01:27:16.159 --> 01:27:19.319
Despite being opposed to my core beliefs, I'd do it

1388
01:27:19.359 --> 01:27:22.439
for my safety. I found a box with one whole

1389
01:27:22.479 --> 01:27:25.199
strand of lights in it in the basement, just enough

1390
01:27:25.239 --> 01:27:27.720
to do the awning out front. I figured it was

1391
01:27:27.760 --> 01:27:29.640
better than nothing, and it also meant I didn't have

1392
01:27:29.680 --> 01:27:34.159
to spend all day putting them up. So when there was, however,

1393
01:27:34.560 --> 01:27:37.680
another box in the basement, I'd thought it was more

1394
01:27:37.720 --> 01:27:40.880
Christmas decorations originally since there was a piece of garland

1395
01:27:40.920 --> 01:27:43.239
at the top, but when I brought it upstairs, I

1396
01:27:43.319 --> 01:27:47.640
realized that what I'd really found was a gun, a

1397
01:27:47.680 --> 01:27:50.920
shotgun of some sort to be more specific. Along with

1398
01:27:51.000 --> 01:27:53.359
it was a little box with just a few bullets

1399
01:27:53.399 --> 01:27:57.880
in it. Seven. I counted. I'd never really handled a

1400
01:27:57.920 --> 01:28:01.119
gun before, and felt conflicted of realizing that it had

1401
01:28:01.159 --> 01:28:03.079
been in the house with me for the last week.

1402
01:28:03.640 --> 01:28:06.840
Whose was it and why would they leave it anyway? Shit?

1403
01:28:07.359 --> 01:28:09.880
For all, I knew all houses in Iowa came with guns.

1404
01:28:10.640 --> 01:28:14.600
After some careful contemplation and YouTube videos, I decided to

1405
01:28:14.680 --> 01:28:17.359
keep it by the door, loaded in case I did

1406
01:28:17.479 --> 01:28:19.920
end up running into whatever I had heard the night prior.

1407
01:28:20.880 --> 01:28:23.399
When I heard the noises again that night, I at

1408
01:28:23.479 --> 01:28:26.640
least managed to convince myself I could protect myself and

1409
01:28:26.680 --> 01:28:30.119
got the smallest bit of sleep. By the time Tom

1410
01:28:30.159 --> 01:28:32.239
came to pick me up on Sunday, I was already

1411
01:28:32.279 --> 01:28:36.399
exhausted and a little jumpy. You look tired, Are you okay?

1412
01:28:37.079 --> 01:28:40.600
He asked as I fastened my seat belt. His genuine

1413
01:28:40.600 --> 01:28:45.119
concern made my heart feel all warm for some reason. Yeah,

1414
01:28:45.359 --> 01:28:49.359
just insomnia. I used to have that real bad when

1415
01:28:49.439 --> 01:28:54.079
Joanne first died. It's hard being in that house all alone. Huh,

1416
01:28:54.479 --> 01:28:58.720
Not really, why would it be hard? I just guess

1417
01:28:58.800 --> 01:29:02.479
I find being alone really difficult. Everyone needs someone to

1418
01:29:02.520 --> 01:29:06.119
hold at night, he informed me. Was he suggesting he

1419
01:29:06.199 --> 01:29:09.520
wanted to hold me at night? We arrived at his

1420
01:29:09.560 --> 01:29:12.960
parents' lovely little colonial only a few minutes later. I

1421
01:29:13.039 --> 01:29:15.760
may have neglected to say this, but he'd been living

1422
01:29:15.760 --> 01:29:18.359
with his family since his wife died. I thought it

1423
01:29:18.439 --> 01:29:21.000
was a little weird, but I also knew grief could

1424
01:29:21.000 --> 01:29:23.720
really mess up a person, so it was better I

1425
01:29:23.760 --> 01:29:27.279
didn't judge anyway. The house was all decked out in

1426
01:29:27.319 --> 01:29:31.319
a literal ton of blinking Christmas lights outside and in.

1427
01:29:31.840 --> 01:29:35.560
It was really too distracting and tacky for my taste.

1428
01:29:35.600 --> 01:29:38.079
His mom and dad hugged me immediately as we entered

1429
01:29:38.119 --> 01:29:41.119
and thanked me for taking such good care of their son.

1430
01:29:41.359 --> 01:29:44.439
Did they think we were a couple? Did I want

1431
01:29:44.520 --> 01:29:48.920
us to be a couple? What? No. We had a

1432
01:29:49.000 --> 01:29:51.359
nice dinner and his family told me stories about what

1433
01:29:51.399 --> 01:29:54.680
Tom was like growing up. After dinner, they wanted to

1434
01:29:54.680 --> 01:29:57.239
sing Christmas carols, so his mom gathered us around the

1435
01:29:57.239 --> 01:30:01.800
piano as his father played know any full carols, but

1436
01:30:01.880 --> 01:30:05.880
I managed to stumble through all right. We laughed a lot.

1437
01:30:06.079 --> 01:30:09.520
It was It was really nice to feel like I

1438
01:30:09.560 --> 01:30:12.600
was a part of something again. It made me miss

1439
01:30:12.640 --> 01:30:17.239
my parents terribly. I wanted so much to feel safe

1440
01:30:17.279 --> 01:30:21.720
and loved like that again. Maybe I thought, just maybe

1441
01:30:21.720 --> 01:30:25.039
the Thompsons could be my new family. Maybe this place

1442
01:30:25.079 --> 01:30:27.199
could be my new something to be a part of.

1443
01:30:28.319 --> 01:30:30.720
We kissed in my driveway before I got out of

1444
01:30:30.760 --> 01:30:33.359
the car. He told me he was falling for me.

1445
01:30:34.319 --> 01:30:36.720
Maybe I was falling for him too.

1446
01:30:43.880 --> 01:30:44.479
Did you hear that?

1447
01:30:44.960 --> 01:30:49.000
Better check the locks on your doors weekly, spooky, We'll

1448
01:30:49.039 --> 01:30:49.840
be right back.

1449
01:30:51.479 --> 01:30:53.800
I woke up in a pure panic at three am.

1450
01:30:54.319 --> 01:30:56.479
I wasn't even aware of why I was so scared

1451
01:30:56.520 --> 01:30:59.079
for a minute until the events of the evening came

1452
01:30:59.119 --> 01:31:03.359
back to me. Something was terribly wrong with me, and

1453
01:31:03.439 --> 01:31:08.000
the noises were back. The next week was crunch time.

1454
01:31:08.279 --> 01:31:10.439
We had to make this display the most wonderful the

1455
01:31:10.479 --> 01:31:13.319
town had ever seen. We could do it, I knew

1456
01:31:13.319 --> 01:31:15.640
we could. Tom and I spent most of our waking

1457
01:31:15.640 --> 01:31:18.439
hours together making sure everything was perfect for the big

1458
01:31:18.479 --> 01:31:21.800
reveal on Friday night. Well, he spent most of his

1459
01:31:21.840 --> 01:31:25.279
waking hours. I mean he was probably sleeping. I was

1460
01:31:25.319 --> 01:31:30.039
still hearing those weird noises. However, I was beginning to

1461
01:31:30.039 --> 01:31:32.560
think that living in the country just meant hearing unexplained

1462
01:31:32.560 --> 01:31:35.319
sounds at night. It was nothing to worry about, and

1463
01:31:35.359 --> 01:31:38.319
I had that gun just in case, which I decided

1464
01:31:38.319 --> 01:31:42.079
to leave by my front door indefinitely. Plus Tom and

1465
01:31:42.119 --> 01:31:45.239
I were considering moving in together so he would be

1466
01:31:45.239 --> 01:31:49.760
able to protect me. Everything was okay, Everything was better

1467
01:31:49.800 --> 01:31:54.560
than expected. Friday went wonderfully. Mister Santon praised us both

1468
01:31:54.560 --> 01:31:57.640
and offered me a permanent position, which I gladly accepted.

1469
01:31:58.079 --> 01:32:01.760
I invited Tom over that evening to sell So. Uh,

1470
01:32:02.439 --> 01:32:04.720
are you going back to New York City for Christmas?

1471
01:32:05.079 --> 01:32:07.960
He asked me as we cuddled on the couch. Christmas

1472
01:32:08.039 --> 01:32:11.720
was just five days away, wasn't it. Nah, I'm just

1473
01:32:11.800 --> 01:32:15.600
gonna get some Chinese food and watch movies. That sounds

1474
01:32:15.640 --> 01:32:18.560
really sad, Rachel, you should come over to my house.

1475
01:32:18.640 --> 01:32:21.159
We always decorate our tree on Christmas Eve, then we

1476
01:32:21.199 --> 01:32:23.479
do presents in the morning. You can sleep over. It'll

1477
01:32:23.520 --> 01:32:27.399
be fun, he suggested. My family loves you, so I'm

1478
01:32:27.399 --> 01:32:30.840
sure they'd be happy to have you. That sounds really nice.

1479
01:32:30.880 --> 01:32:36.119
But actually I think I just want to take it easy. Oh.

1480
01:32:36.199 --> 01:32:40.199
His expression fell. No, it's not like that, but I've

1481
01:32:40.560 --> 01:32:42.479
I needed to be honest with the man, I loved,

1482
01:32:43.399 --> 01:32:46.359
I've been lying to you. I'm not There was that

1483
01:32:46.479 --> 01:32:51.359
chanting again? Lying, he asked, but then saw the fear

1484
01:32:51.399 --> 01:32:55.960
on his face. What's wrong? Do you hear that? What

1485
01:32:56.199 --> 01:32:58.880
is that? I said in a whisper, my voice shaking.

1486
01:32:59.680 --> 01:33:05.039
Tom listened for a second. The singing that's carolers, isn't it.

1487
01:33:05.880 --> 01:33:08.239
I held my breath to try to ascertain what I

1488
01:33:08.319 --> 01:33:12.760
was hearing. It was getting closer this time. Tom was right.

1489
01:33:13.319 --> 01:33:19.600
It was people singing carolers. I breathed. Yep, the weekend

1490
01:33:19.600 --> 01:33:22.000
before Christmas they go out and sing at people's houses.

1491
01:33:22.279 --> 01:33:25.079
Didn't you have that in New York? I shook my head.

1492
01:33:25.680 --> 01:33:27.680
Had this been what I was hearing the whole time?

1493
01:33:28.439 --> 01:33:33.840
Carolers practicing somewhere? It sounds like they're right outside. I

1494
01:33:33.920 --> 01:33:36.399
jumped as the doorbell rang, but convinced myself it was

1495
01:33:36.439 --> 01:33:40.079
okay to answer it. Outside were seven of the townsfolk,

1496
01:33:40.159 --> 01:33:43.119
decked out in Christmasy attire. As soon as they saw me,

1497
01:33:43.199 --> 01:33:46.520
they began to sing. I wasn't familiar with the song,

1498
01:33:46.600 --> 01:33:49.600
but it was just so beautiful that tears started coming

1499
01:33:49.640 --> 01:33:52.359
to my eyes. Here I'd been all worked up about

1500
01:33:52.359 --> 01:33:56.239
people singing Christmas songs. This wasn't New York City. Nothing

1501
01:33:56.319 --> 01:33:58.560
was going to try to hurt me here. No one

1502
01:33:58.640 --> 01:34:01.800
had been anything other than kind to me. I stood

1503
01:34:01.800 --> 01:34:05.399
in the doorway listening for a long time, just taking

1504
01:34:05.399 --> 01:34:07.920
in the joy. I let the New Yorker part of

1505
01:34:07.920 --> 01:34:13.560
me fade. It was okay now, I was okay. Maybe

1506
01:34:13.640 --> 01:34:15.359
I should go get some money for them or something.

1507
01:34:15.399 --> 01:34:17.520
I thought that was the least I could do for

1508
01:34:17.560 --> 01:34:21.439
this kind of spiritual awakening, right. I was about to

1509
01:34:21.479 --> 01:34:24.640
turn around to find my purse when something stopped me.

1510
01:34:26.079 --> 01:34:30.199
I stopped me. What the fuck was I doing? I

1511
01:34:30.279 --> 01:34:32.920
was a savvy, fucking New Yorker. I didn't need this

1512
01:34:33.079 --> 01:34:35.760
dumb shit. This wasn't even what I wanted at all.

1513
01:34:36.319 --> 01:34:39.079
What was I even doing with this boring sad guy.

1514
01:34:39.439 --> 01:34:42.359
I didn't even like men, and I hated Christmas carols.

1515
01:34:43.079 --> 01:34:45.880
Hey can you guys? That's enough? Can you stop now?

1516
01:34:46.119 --> 01:34:50.159
I pleaded, really, please stop. No one seemed to hear me.

1517
01:34:50.520 --> 01:34:53.119
I felt a deep, primal fear rise up in my stomach.

1518
01:34:53.279 --> 01:34:55.680
I needed to lie down or something. I needed them

1519
01:34:55.680 --> 01:34:59.520
to stop singing already, Tom, can you? I turned around

1520
01:34:59.560 --> 01:35:01.720
just in time to see Tom lunge at me with

1521
01:35:01.760 --> 01:35:04.880
a weird looking knife. Instinctively, I dodged and pushed him

1522
01:35:04.920 --> 01:35:06.920
to the ground. I am a New Yorker who knows

1523
01:35:06.960 --> 01:35:11.119
how to defend myself. I grabbed the shotgun aw The

1524
01:35:11.199 --> 01:35:14.800
carollers grumbled in unison. What the fuck is going on here?

1525
01:35:14.840 --> 01:35:19.239
I spat, clenching my weapon tightly. You ruined everything, That's

1526
01:35:19.279 --> 01:35:22.239
what one of them moaned. I pointed my gun at

1527
01:35:22.239 --> 01:35:25.399
the small crowd. Are you trying to disappear me? Is

1528
01:35:25.439 --> 01:35:26.159
that what this is?

1529
01:35:27.079 --> 01:35:27.319
You know?

1530
01:35:27.439 --> 01:35:30.319
Tom? If you hadn't waited so long, one of them began.

1531
01:35:30.680 --> 01:35:33.119
Tom was now sulking on the ground behind me. I

1532
01:35:33.199 --> 01:35:36.119
was waving the gun wildly between him and the carrollers. Now,

1533
01:35:36.880 --> 01:35:40.079
I just wanted it to be perfect. I'm sorry, guys,

1534
01:35:40.439 --> 01:35:44.199
Tom shrugged. She's gonna taste like shit now. Adrenaline fucks

1535
01:35:44.279 --> 01:35:48.319
everything up. Another said, will someone please tell me what's

1536
01:35:48.359 --> 01:35:51.479
going on? I shouted, tell me, or I kill every

1537
01:35:51.720 --> 01:35:55.399
one of you. Tom sighed, we were just trying to

1538
01:35:55.439 --> 01:35:59.920
teach you the true meaning of Christmas by killing me,

1539
01:36:00.760 --> 01:36:03.239
of course, not think of all the love we showed

1540
01:36:03.239 --> 01:36:05.880
you these past couple of weeks. That's the true meaning

1541
01:36:05.920 --> 01:36:09.720
of Christmas. I recognized this one. It was the woman

1542
01:36:09.760 --> 01:36:13.359
from the cafe. We know you felt it, We could

1543
01:36:13.439 --> 01:36:18.560
tell felt it. This this isn't me. What did you do?

1544
01:36:18.760 --> 01:36:22.000
Have you been putting something in my food? Oh sweetie,

1545
01:36:22.079 --> 01:36:24.960
don't be so paranoid. Everything we gave you was simply

1546
01:36:25.000 --> 01:36:28.920
made with love, something you've been sorely lacking. Amanda explained,

1547
01:36:29.319 --> 01:36:33.479
well that in just a teensy tiny bit of LSD.

1548
01:36:34.159 --> 01:36:38.520
The others nodded in agreement. You fucking dosed me with LSD.

1549
01:36:39.039 --> 01:36:41.479
What we did, Rachel, was give you the best two

1550
01:36:41.520 --> 01:36:43.560
weeks of your life. We even got you back in

1551
01:36:43.600 --> 01:36:48.920
touch with your religion, said mister Santon. My, what now

1552
01:36:48.960 --> 01:36:52.279
you can die? Happily? Tom chimed in, now standing over

1553
01:36:52.319 --> 01:36:57.000
me with that knife, smiling manically. I'm Jewish, you assholes,

1554
01:36:57.880 --> 01:37:00.399
I screamed, and shot a bullet into Tom's case, fused

1555
01:37:00.439 --> 01:37:04.439
looking face. His body thudded to the floor. Oh man,

1556
01:37:05.159 --> 01:37:07.640
how are we gonna explain this to everyone? They whined,

1557
01:37:07.680 --> 01:37:10.239
as I turned my gun back to them. Can we

1558
01:37:10.319 --> 01:37:14.680
even sacrifice a Jew? You're not sacrificing anyone. If you try,

1559
01:37:14.720 --> 01:37:18.079
I'll blow all your goddamn brains out, I threatened, holding

1560
01:37:18.159 --> 01:37:21.039
the shotgun mere inches from them, but they ignored my

1561
01:37:21.119 --> 01:37:24.199
warning and continued discussing my murder like I wasn't even there.

1562
01:37:24.800 --> 01:37:29.319
Fucking rude townies. It's not ideal, But where are we

1563
01:37:29.359 --> 01:37:33.039
gonna find a Christian this close to the ceremony? Santan explained,

1564
01:37:33.399 --> 01:37:35.800
A Jew is probably better than nothing, even if she

1565
01:37:35.920 --> 01:37:39.920
is all upset and will probably taste like sadness. Hey,

1566
01:37:40.079 --> 01:37:43.039
I bet I taste just fine. What was I saying?

1567
01:37:43.640 --> 01:37:46.479
I did probably taste like sadness, but that wasn't the point.

1568
01:37:46.640 --> 01:37:48.319
They were trying to kill me. I knew if I

1569
01:37:48.359 --> 01:37:50.560
wanted to survive the night and ever see my actual

1570
01:37:50.560 --> 01:37:52.199
home again, I was going to have to stand my

1571
01:37:52.239 --> 01:37:55.039
ground and take those fuckers out. Then and there. I

1572
01:37:55.119 --> 01:37:58.039
broke their disagreement with a single shot fired directly into

1573
01:37:58.079 --> 01:38:00.359
the chest of the weirdo closest to me. He fell

1574
01:38:00.439 --> 01:38:02.920
to the ground in a motionless heap. That was finally

1575
01:38:02.960 --> 01:38:05.079
the motivation the rest needed to actually come at me.

1576
01:38:05.319 --> 01:38:08.000
But I was the one with the gun. What you're

1577
01:38:08.039 --> 01:38:10.640
not even gonna try to rape me first? I shouted

1578
01:38:10.680 --> 01:38:13.760
as I fired mercilessly into them. Turns out it isn't

1579
01:38:13.800 --> 01:38:16.079
actually that hard to shoot people when they're that close

1580
01:38:16.119 --> 01:38:18.159
to you. I don't know if I killed them all,

1581
01:38:18.319 --> 01:38:20.239
but I certainly shot them enough to make it so

1582
01:38:20.359 --> 01:38:22.920
they'd have a hard time chasing me if they survived.

1583
01:38:23.239 --> 01:38:25.520
I ran as far away as I could before calling you.

1584
01:38:25.840 --> 01:38:27.920
I don't know if others are coming for me, but

1585
01:38:28.000 --> 01:38:30.479
I'll be ready if they do. I would have called

1586
01:38:30.479 --> 01:38:33.119
the police, but I'm sure they're in on it. You

1587
01:38:33.159 --> 01:38:37.319
were right, that town is crazy. A jeet let out

1588
01:38:37.359 --> 01:38:40.640
a sigh. How many times he wondered was he going

1589
01:38:40.640 --> 01:38:43.600
to help people flee from a crime scene. This couldn't

1590
01:38:43.600 --> 01:38:46.159
be worth the money. He'd be better off working for

1591
01:38:46.159 --> 01:38:49.239
one of those takeout services. Yeah, he was going to

1592
01:38:49.279 --> 01:38:52.920
sign up once he got home. No more transporting crazy people,

1593
01:38:53.359 --> 01:38:58.199
just transporting food to crazy people. Wait, weren't there eight

1594
01:38:58.199 --> 01:39:01.159
of them total? He asked, hoping this didn't set her off.

1595
01:39:01.560 --> 01:39:04.760
Didn't you see that gun only had seven bullets? Doesn't

1596
01:39:04.800 --> 01:39:09.399
that mean you missed one? Rachel thought for a second. Nope,

1597
01:39:09.840 --> 01:39:14.880
she definitely shot eight cultists she'd counted. I guess you

1598
01:39:14.880 --> 01:39:20.239
could call it a Hanikkah miracle, she giggled. A jeep

1599
01:39:20.319 --> 01:39:22.800
let out a fake laugh, not sure what she meant.

1600
01:39:23.000 --> 01:39:43.239
Huh so uh, airport. Then Yeah Please Babes in terror

1601
01:39:43.319 --> 01:39:49.680
Land by Morgan Moore. As with many holiday seasons before it,

1602
01:39:50.199 --> 01:39:53.399
parents and children flocked to Baron's toy store in the

1603
01:39:53.520 --> 01:39:57.039
village of Green Seas. In the middle of the crowd

1604
01:39:57.159 --> 01:39:59.960
was Justin Baron, a fourteen year old boy with a

1605
01:40:00.000 --> 01:40:03.159
an apron featuring a hand sewn version of the store's

1606
01:40:03.199 --> 01:40:06.680
logo in the middle. Justin was staying with his grandmother,

1607
01:40:06.800 --> 01:40:08.960
the owner of the store, for the holidays while his

1608
01:40:09.079 --> 01:40:12.279
parents were away on a business trip. He was enlisted

1609
01:40:12.279 --> 01:40:15.000
to lend a hand almost immediately upon his arrival. With

1610
01:40:15.039 --> 01:40:18.840
it being the store's busiest time of year. Justin could

1611
01:40:18.880 --> 01:40:21.760
never understand how she managed it all on her own,

1612
01:40:22.359 --> 01:40:24.680
but she had been doing it ever since his grandfather

1613
01:40:24.760 --> 01:40:28.920
died a few years ago and was managing it successfully Somehow.

1614
01:40:29.960 --> 01:40:32.279
Justin moved around the store as best he could, seeing

1615
01:40:32.359 --> 01:40:35.159
how crowded the small store was in all. The building

1616
01:40:35.199 --> 01:40:38.159
itself was an old brownstone, with the store situated on

1617
01:40:38.199 --> 01:40:41.439
the ground floor and Missus Barron's home on the second.

1618
01:40:42.279 --> 01:40:46.239
The store could become a claustrophobic nightmare when business was booming,

1619
01:40:46.640 --> 01:40:49.560
but he managed stocking the shelves and helping out customers

1620
01:40:49.600 --> 01:40:53.119
as best he could. By the time three o'clock came around,

1621
01:40:53.199 --> 01:40:55.399
Justin was spent and was ready for the day to

1622
01:40:55.439 --> 01:40:58.479
be over so he could finally get some rest. Those

1623
01:40:58.520 --> 01:41:03.279
thoughts were interrupted when he laid eyes on Kathy Wilcox.

1624
01:41:04.439 --> 01:41:06.359
He had known her since fourth grade and had a

1625
01:41:06.359 --> 01:41:10.000
crush on her that never faded. Justin always wanted to

1626
01:41:10.039 --> 01:41:12.680
tell her how he felt, but he could never muster

1627
01:41:12.800 --> 01:41:15.800
up the courage to do it. Somehow, he could picture

1628
01:41:15.840 --> 01:41:18.800
everything he wanted to say, but any time he saw her,

1629
01:41:19.600 --> 01:41:23.680
it all vanished. Justin felt himself beginning to melt as

1630
01:41:23.720 --> 01:41:26.920
he kept looking at her. His face turned bright red,

1631
01:41:26.920 --> 01:41:29.960
and immediately Justin began to do some busy work around

1632
01:41:30.000 --> 01:41:33.159
the area, trying to disguise the fact that he had

1633
01:41:33.199 --> 01:41:36.760
been staring at her. Justin's heart beat faster and faster,

1634
01:41:36.880 --> 01:41:39.760
as if somebody was pounding away on a drum, but

1635
01:41:39.880 --> 01:41:42.439
that came to an immediate halt when he felt a

1636
01:41:42.520 --> 01:41:46.079
gentle tap on his shoulder. He turned round and saw

1637
01:41:46.159 --> 01:41:53.279
Kathy there. Hi, Justin, Cathy said sweetly, Hi, Kathy. Justin stammered,

1638
01:41:53.279 --> 01:41:56.479
his face feeling like it was on fire. Cathy gave

1639
01:41:56.560 --> 01:41:59.600
him an intimate smile, her blue eyes seeming to shimmer

1640
01:41:59.600 --> 01:42:02.560
to Justine, and mind if I ask you a question?

1641
01:42:03.399 --> 01:42:07.680
Uh oh, Justin thought. She's gonna chew me out for

1642
01:42:07.800 --> 01:42:09.720
looking at her, and in the middle of the store too.

1643
01:42:09.800 --> 01:42:14.359
Everybody's gonna think I'm some perv. Sure, Justin responded, after

1644
01:42:14.399 --> 01:42:18.359
a brief pause. Could you help me and my sister

1645
01:42:18.399 --> 01:42:23.319
real quick? What a relief, Justin thought, Oh yeah, for sure.

1646
01:42:23.960 --> 01:42:26.920
What do you guys need? He asked. She then began

1647
01:42:27.000 --> 01:42:30.560
to walk away down an aisle. Justin followed close behind her.

1648
01:42:31.479 --> 01:42:34.159
My sister found something she wants, but I can't reach it,

1649
01:42:34.199 --> 01:42:37.239
and neither can she. I saw you and thought i'd

1650
01:42:37.279 --> 01:42:39.159
ask if you could bring it down for me, since

1651
01:42:39.159 --> 01:42:43.640
you're so tall and all, Kathy explained, Oh yeah, I

1652
01:42:43.680 --> 01:42:46.399
should be able to get it for you. Justin replied

1653
01:42:46.439 --> 01:42:52.439
with a smile. Kathy returned the smile. Man, she's so cute,

1654
01:42:52.880 --> 01:42:56.880
Justin thought. As they kept walking beside one another. The

1655
01:42:56.960 --> 01:43:00.479
two eventually got to their location and joined Kathy's sister, Janet.

1656
01:43:00.920 --> 01:43:03.560
Upon seeing Justin and the apron identifying him as a

1657
01:43:03.560 --> 01:43:07.239
store employee, Janet pointed upwards toward the top of the

1658
01:43:07.239 --> 01:43:11.640
shelf she was standing at that one, Please, Janet asked Justin.

1659
01:43:12.399 --> 01:43:14.600
Justin looked up to where the child pointed and saw

1660
01:43:14.640 --> 01:43:17.159
a clown doll. The doll had been in the store

1661
01:43:17.319 --> 01:43:20.279
ever since he could remember. It had a wooden head

1662
01:43:20.279 --> 01:43:22.960
and hands, and was dressed in a hand sewn outfit

1663
01:43:23.079 --> 01:43:26.760
colored silver and blue. A jester had adorned its head,

1664
01:43:27.000 --> 01:43:32.119
bells dangling down playfully. Justin had always thought it looked creepy,

1665
01:43:32.479 --> 01:43:34.439
and other people must have thought the same, as the

1666
01:43:34.439 --> 01:43:36.359
doll had been around the store ever since he was

1667
01:43:36.399 --> 01:43:41.079
a child. But maybe finally someone had found the doll

1668
01:43:41.119 --> 01:43:45.079
appealing and wanted to give it a home. Justin smiled

1669
01:43:45.079 --> 01:43:47.720
and reached up, just barely able to get the doll.

1670
01:43:48.239 --> 01:43:49.960
He got a grip on it and brought it down,

1671
01:43:50.119 --> 01:43:53.560
handing it gently to the little girl. Here you go,

1672
01:43:54.119 --> 01:43:57.840
Justin said, Janet smiled as she held and stared at

1673
01:43:57.840 --> 01:44:00.479
the doll. Cathy turned to Justin in gave him a

1674
01:44:00.479 --> 01:44:04.439
big smile. He returned it in kind. I want him,

1675
01:44:04.720 --> 01:44:07.760
Janet responded energetically, as she held the clown doll up

1676
01:44:07.800 --> 01:44:11.039
to the two. How much is it, Kathy asked Justin.

1677
01:44:11.880 --> 01:44:14.119
I'm not sure. It doesn't look like it has a

1678
01:44:14.119 --> 01:44:18.319
tag on it. Let's ask my grandma, Justin said. They

1679
01:44:18.439 --> 01:44:21.479
arrived at the register to find Justin's grandmother smiling at

1680
01:44:21.479 --> 01:44:24.880
the three. There you are, Justin. What cute friends you

1681
01:44:25.000 --> 01:44:29.520
have there, she said. Kathy blushed lightly at the comment, Hey, grandma,

1682
01:44:29.760 --> 01:44:32.199
how much is this? There's no tag on it, or

1683
01:44:32.239 --> 01:44:34.560
even a sign on the shelf it was on. His

1684
01:44:34.640 --> 01:44:40.319
grandmother's smile turned to a slight frown. Oh honey, I'm

1685
01:44:40.399 --> 01:44:44.239
so sorry that doll isn't for sale. I only keep

1686
01:44:44.239 --> 01:44:47.640
it on the shelf for decoration, she explained, as sweetly

1687
01:44:47.680 --> 01:44:52.479
as possible. But I want it. Janet told her. Are

1688
01:44:52.520 --> 01:44:56.840
you sure you're not able to sell it? Kathy asked, unfortunately,

1689
01:44:56.920 --> 01:44:59.760
I am, dear. My husband made the doll many years

1690
01:44:59.800 --> 01:45:03.359
ago for Justin's mother and it just has too much

1691
01:45:03.399 --> 01:45:06.399
sentimental value for me to sell it. It's been watching

1692
01:45:06.439 --> 01:45:10.560
over the store for years, Justin's grandma explained to the three.

1693
01:45:11.359 --> 01:45:15.840
Janet frowned, tears starting to well up. Justin smiled a

1694
01:45:15.920 --> 01:45:18.760
little bit at the two and at his grandma. It's

1695
01:45:18.800 --> 01:45:21.880
all right, I'll put him back, Justin said. He then

1696
01:45:21.920 --> 01:45:24.479
made a motion with his head for Kathy and Janet

1697
01:45:24.520 --> 01:45:26.960
to follow him. The three of them made their way

1698
01:45:27.039 --> 01:45:30.399
back to the aisle. Janet looked utterly devastated that she

1699
01:45:30.479 --> 01:45:33.800
couldn't have the doll, and Cathy looked equally saddened for

1700
01:45:33.880 --> 01:45:37.199
her sister. Once they got back to the aisle, Justin

1701
01:45:37.279 --> 01:45:40.199
put the doll back up. He then turned to Kathy

1702
01:45:40.239 --> 01:45:43.760
with a small grin. She tilted her head in confusion.

1703
01:45:45.079 --> 01:45:48.239
What is it? Why are you grinning like that, she asked,

1704
01:45:48.920 --> 01:45:52.119
Because I know of a way to get that doll

1705
01:45:52.199 --> 01:45:56.199
for Janet, he explained. Janet's face brightened up at once.

1706
01:45:56.720 --> 01:46:01.039
Really how Justin moved in a bit closer to Kathy

1707
01:46:01.119 --> 01:46:03.439
so that he could talk to her in semi privacy.

1708
01:46:04.079 --> 01:46:07.800
Janet frowned when she realized what was going on. My

1709
01:46:07.920 --> 01:46:09.920
grandma is going to go out to a party tonight

1710
01:46:09.960 --> 01:46:12.880
and I'll be alone for hours. Come on buy around

1711
01:46:12.880 --> 01:46:14.720
eight and I'll let you in. We can get the

1712
01:46:14.760 --> 01:46:18.880
doll then, he explained to her. But she'll notice, won't she,

1713
01:46:19.359 --> 01:46:22.800
Kathy asked, don't worry, I'll take care of it. Just

1714
01:46:22.880 --> 01:46:36.239
be here by eight. Later that night, Justin made his

1715
01:46:36.279 --> 01:46:38.800
way downstairs to the store and opened the front door

1716
01:46:38.880 --> 01:46:42.840
to find Kathy and Janet standing there. Justin frowned a

1717
01:46:42.920 --> 01:46:45.680
tiny bit as the two girls made their way inside.

1718
01:46:46.520 --> 01:46:48.720
Why did you bring your sister, he asked, doing his

1719
01:46:48.800 --> 01:46:52.880
best to hide his disappointment that it wasn't just Kathy.

1720
01:46:53.039 --> 01:46:54.640
She wanted to come, and I couldn't get her to

1721
01:46:54.640 --> 01:46:57.399
stay home without spilling the beans. I told my parents

1722
01:46:57.439 --> 01:46:59.560
I was going out with friends, and she threatened to

1723
01:46:59.560 --> 01:47:04.199
tell them what I was really doing. Kathy explained, I mean,

1724
01:47:04.520 --> 01:47:09.279
it isn't entirely untrue. You are hanging out with a friend,

1725
01:47:09.720 --> 01:47:13.880
Justin said, with a small smile. I'm going Janet blurted

1726
01:47:13.920 --> 01:47:16.760
out and ran towards the aisle with the doll. So

1727
01:47:17.239 --> 01:47:19.399
how are you going to explain this to your grandma?

1728
01:47:19.880 --> 01:47:22.199
Kathy asked as she walked past the display of a

1729
01:47:22.239 --> 01:47:25.600
toy war scene. Oh, I'm gonna tell her I ordered

1730
01:47:25.640 --> 01:47:27.439
a pizza and just forgot to lock the door on

1731
01:47:27.479 --> 01:47:29.560
my way back up. I'll take some money out of

1732
01:47:29.600 --> 01:47:32.239
the register and hide a few other toys, maybe knock

1733
01:47:32.319 --> 01:47:34.439
some displays over and make it look like somebody broke

1734
01:47:34.479 --> 01:47:40.119
in and robbed the place. He explained. That's pretty clever, mean,

1735
01:47:40.920 --> 01:47:44.920
but clever, she responded as she stopped by the register. Justin,

1736
01:47:45.000 --> 01:47:48.720
stopping in front of her. Hey, what can I say?

1737
01:47:49.159 --> 01:47:52.520
Justin said? Kathy smiled a bit as she fiddled with

1738
01:47:52.560 --> 01:47:55.560
some small toys by the register. She looked around, then

1739
01:47:55.640 --> 01:47:58.920
returned her gaze to Justin. Why are you doing this

1740
01:47:59.000 --> 01:48:02.399
for us? Why are you risking getting into so much trouble?

1741
01:48:03.159 --> 01:48:05.560
His mind raced at a million miles an hour, trying

1742
01:48:05.560 --> 01:48:07.720
to figure out how to explain why he was so

1743
01:48:07.840 --> 01:48:12.680
willing to help her sister out. No, help her out.

1744
01:48:12.800 --> 01:48:15.119
Before he could give it any more thought, he'd blurted

1745
01:48:15.159 --> 01:48:18.840
out his response, It's because I like you. I've always

1746
01:48:18.920 --> 01:48:20.720
liked you. I think you're sweet and cute, and I

1747
01:48:20.800 --> 01:48:22.399
just wanted to help because I like you, and I

1748
01:48:22.399 --> 01:48:24.039
thought maybe you'd like me back if I did it.

1749
01:48:24.720 --> 01:48:27.960
He gasped for breath. Justin closed his eyes and took

1750
01:48:27.960 --> 01:48:31.359
several deep breaths, eventually regaining control of his breathing. After

1751
01:48:31.399 --> 01:48:34.640
a few brief minutes, he opened his eyes, finding that

1752
01:48:34.720 --> 01:48:37.239
Cathy was staring at him, her mouth dropped open some

1753
01:48:37.720 --> 01:48:41.560
and her eyes wide dread filled. Justin his heart beating

1754
01:48:41.680 --> 01:48:45.279
harder and harder. Oh no, she's gonna leave and never

1755
01:48:45.319 --> 01:48:47.399
speak to me again, and tell everybody I'm a loser

1756
01:48:47.680 --> 01:48:51.279
and a freak, but she surprised him by smiling at

1757
01:48:51.319 --> 01:48:57.239
him warmly and widely. Justin slowly smiled back. They brought

1758
01:48:57.279 --> 01:49:00.560
their faces close to one another. Only a hair's breathed

1759
01:49:00.600 --> 01:49:03.800
the part. The scream that ripped through the air put

1760
01:49:03.840 --> 01:49:06.840
an end to that. Janet Kathy called out and rushed

1761
01:49:06.840 --> 01:49:10.079
toward the location the scream emanated from, just In following

1762
01:49:10.119 --> 01:49:13.039
in her wake. The duo arrived to find Janet laying

1763
01:49:13.079 --> 01:49:16.039
on the floor, screaming and crying in agony, her eye

1764
01:49:16.039 --> 01:49:19.960
sockets bleeding profusely. As for the former resident of those

1765
01:49:20.039 --> 01:49:23.359
yawning black holes, they were in the hands of the

1766
01:49:23.359 --> 01:49:29.399
clown doll. The toy turned its head and looked at them.

1767
01:49:29.920 --> 01:49:32.600
Justin and Kathy bolted from the aisle, the clown doll

1768
01:49:32.720 --> 01:49:35.239
right behind them. As they ran down the aisles, Cathy

1769
01:49:35.279 --> 01:49:37.319
shrieked as the other toys began to spring from the

1770
01:49:37.319 --> 01:49:40.720
shelves and joined the hunt. Stuffed bears and lions pawed

1771
01:49:40.760 --> 01:49:43.560
at them with vicious claws that sprang from their plush baws.

1772
01:49:43.600 --> 01:49:46.199
As metal model cars pelted down on the teens like rain,

1773
01:49:46.359 --> 01:49:50.159
leaving bruises and cuts. Justin managed to grab a baseball

1774
01:49:50.159 --> 01:49:53.079
bat from a nearby barrel and started swinging away, as

1775
01:49:53.159 --> 01:49:55.520
Kathy grabbed a stick horse and did the same. The

1776
01:49:55.560 --> 01:49:58.600
two sent toys flying left and right, but more and

1777
01:49:58.640 --> 01:50:02.520
more came forth. Soon Justin and Cathy found themselves surrounded.

1778
01:50:02.720 --> 01:50:05.840
They continued to swing away, but soon the terror toys

1779
01:50:05.880 --> 01:50:10.000
grabbed their weapons and pulled them away, leaving the pair defenseless.

1780
01:50:10.680 --> 01:50:12.840
Justin and Cathy looked at each other and took hold

1781
01:50:12.880 --> 01:50:16.600
of each other's hand, ready to accept their doomed fate.

1782
01:50:17.720 --> 01:50:20.640
The store lights came alive and bathed everything in a warm,

1783
01:50:20.680 --> 01:50:25.319
fluorescent glow, causing the pair to start. Oh no, look

1784
01:50:25.359 --> 01:50:28.520
at this mess, The voice of Justin's grandmother rang out.

1785
01:50:29.079 --> 01:50:31.760
The older woman looked around at all the toys, who

1786
01:50:31.840 --> 01:50:35.560
now looked back at her. She stopped a few feet

1787
01:50:35.600 --> 01:50:41.119
away from the rattled teens. Grandma, what's going on? Why

1788
01:50:41.159 --> 01:50:43.479
are you home? Justin spat out, in a mix of

1789
01:50:43.560 --> 01:50:47.359
confusion and anger, and why did they attack us and

1790
01:50:48.000 --> 01:50:52.399
my sister? My god Janet Kathy started, but soon stopped

1791
01:50:52.720 --> 01:50:56.039
as she succumbed to raw grief. The senior shook her

1792
01:50:56.079 --> 01:51:00.479
head and sighed, I suppose I should explain you see

1793
01:51:00.479 --> 01:51:04.760
these toys, all of them. They come alive every nightfall.

1794
01:51:06.159 --> 01:51:13.600
But but why how, Justin demanded Justin, dear your grandfather.

1795
01:51:14.479 --> 01:51:18.880
Your grandfather made them that way. Business hasn't been the

1796
01:51:18.920 --> 01:51:23.640
same for years, not since that damned department store opened up. Then,

1797
01:51:24.319 --> 01:51:27.600
when we learned your grandpa didn't have long left, he

1798
01:51:27.640 --> 01:51:30.640
was afraid of what would happen to the store. To me,

1799
01:51:31.920 --> 01:51:34.520
it was his opinion that without any help, the store

1800
01:51:34.520 --> 01:51:39.479
would have shut down, So he decided to create some help.

1801
01:51:40.319 --> 01:51:43.560
Your grandfather came across a strange scroll during the war

1802
01:51:43.600 --> 01:51:46.600
in a bombed out toy store, a store he swore

1803
01:51:46.800 --> 01:51:51.760
was filled with screaming, burning toys. You can guess the rest.

1804
01:51:52.199 --> 01:51:57.039
These toys have been cleaning, stocking, and providing security as

1805
01:51:57.079 --> 01:52:03.319
you've seen here. Ever since, these wonderful toys. They're loyal

1806
01:52:03.920 --> 01:52:09.199
and always have been and always will be. Justin and

1807
01:52:09.279 --> 01:52:13.159
Cathy were taken aback. They believed it all, after all,

1808
01:52:13.640 --> 01:52:19.600
how could they not, But something still bothered them. Oh,

1809
01:52:19.600 --> 01:52:23.720
thank god, we're safe, then, Cathy told them. The two

1810
01:52:23.800 --> 01:52:26.760
smiled as they looked at each other and then at

1811
01:52:26.880 --> 01:52:31.239
Justin's grandma, but the smiles faded as they saw that

1812
01:52:31.319 --> 01:52:36.319
The elder in front of them was grim. Grandma. Justin

1813
01:52:36.359 --> 01:52:41.000
started with a shaky voice. I'm sorry, love, but you

1814
01:52:41.079 --> 01:52:44.560
were trespassing. You know I don't like you coming down

1815
01:52:44.600 --> 01:52:47.199
here at night to say nothing of your friend here

1816
01:52:47.279 --> 01:52:52.079
and her sister. The store was closed. Besides, they don't

1817
01:52:52.079 --> 01:52:55.920
move during the day, but they can still hear. When

1818
01:52:55.960 --> 01:52:57.920
I left for the party, they told me about your

1819
01:52:57.960 --> 01:53:02.079
little plan. That's why I came back early. You mean

1820
01:53:03.239 --> 01:53:06.800
you're gonna turn us into the police, Kathy asked, No,

1821
01:53:07.800 --> 01:53:10.840
Unfortunately for you two. I leave all my security matters

1822
01:53:10.920 --> 01:53:13.920
up to them, and I believe I know what they'll

1823
01:53:13.920 --> 01:53:18.479
do with you, she explained. The toy soldiers from the

1824
01:53:18.520 --> 01:53:21.439
war scene filed in, aiming their guns at the teenagers.

1825
01:53:22.199 --> 01:53:27.119
Justin and Cathy's faces displayed pure and utter terror. With that,

1826
01:53:27.680 --> 01:53:30.279
Justin's grandmother left and made her way to the stairs.

1827
01:53:30.760 --> 01:53:33.520
She looked over at the two again and shook her

1828
01:53:33.560 --> 01:53:37.119
head and sighed. Then, with a flick of her wrist,

1829
01:53:37.279 --> 01:53:41.159
she turned off the lights. A stream of sharp bangs

1830
01:53:41.199 --> 01:54:02.880
filled the store. Santa Letters by Morgan Moore. Every year,

1831
01:54:03.119 --> 01:54:06.680
millions of children send letters to Santa Claus expressing their

1832
01:54:06.680 --> 01:54:09.079
wishes of what they hope will be under their tree

1833
01:54:09.159 --> 01:54:14.159
come Christmas Day? But what if somebody used those letters

1834
01:54:14.199 --> 01:54:19.119
for a not so joyful purpose. It has happened, and

1835
01:54:19.199 --> 01:54:21.680
the following is purported to be the true account of

1836
01:54:21.720 --> 01:54:27.000
those events. This is the case of the Circleville Santa

1837
01:54:27.079 --> 01:54:40.920
Letter murders. In nineteen seventy eight, the citizens of the

1838
01:54:40.920 --> 01:54:44.560
small Ohio town of Circleville were beginning their Christmas season

1839
01:54:44.680 --> 01:54:48.720
like any other, planning the December holiday while eating Thanksgiving dinner,

1840
01:54:49.039 --> 01:54:52.800
making travel arrangements, and all the other hullabaloo that comes

1841
01:54:52.800 --> 01:54:56.159
with the impending season. While the adults were occupied, the

1842
01:54:56.279 --> 01:54:59.720
children of Circleville were planning as well, once more taking

1843
01:54:59.760 --> 01:55:02.279
up the job of writing letters to inform Old Saint

1844
01:55:02.359 --> 01:55:06.560
Nicholas of their Yule Tide desires. Even the local schools

1845
01:55:06.560 --> 01:55:08.880
were caught up in the fund, setting up small deposit

1846
01:55:08.960 --> 01:55:12.680
mailboxes for the kids to place their letters in. All

1847
01:55:12.880 --> 01:55:16.399
was well in Circleville as December came and Christmas magic

1848
01:55:16.479 --> 01:55:20.000
filled the air even more than it already had throughout November.

1849
01:55:20.600 --> 01:55:26.239
Everything was peace and joy. Unfortunately, that was all about

1850
01:55:26.279 --> 01:55:30.319
to change. In the early morning of December seventh, ten

1851
01:55:30.359 --> 01:55:33.760
year old Dylan Jones was delivering papers for the Circleville Herald,

1852
01:55:34.039 --> 01:55:37.039
like he always did. When he reached the house of

1853
01:55:37.119 --> 01:55:40.199
Joe and April Robinson, he was about to be greeted

1854
01:55:40.520 --> 01:55:43.840
with a horrendous sight. Jones went around back to deliver

1855
01:55:43.880 --> 01:55:46.159
the paper as he always did, when he discovered the

1856
01:55:46.239 --> 01:55:50.439
mutilated body of five year old Mary Kate Robinson, a

1857
01:55:50.520 --> 01:55:54.239
letter to Santa Claus nailed to her forehead. The boy

1858
01:55:54.359 --> 01:55:57.680
screamed so loud that almost the entire neighborhood was jarred

1859
01:55:57.720 --> 01:56:03.640
awake and came rushing to the scene. Police questioned the family, friends, teachers,

1860
01:56:03.920 --> 01:56:06.760
everybody within the small community to try to figure out

1861
01:56:06.800 --> 01:56:09.880
any clues and leads as to who may have committed

1862
01:56:09.920 --> 01:56:14.880
this horrible crime, but no answers emerged. Unfortunately for the town.

1863
01:56:15.359 --> 01:56:21.640
It was not the end of this tragedy. On December twelfth,

1864
01:56:21.640 --> 01:56:24.800
around twelve o'clock in the afternoon, eight year old Michael

1865
01:56:24.840 --> 01:56:26.920
Stolings was on his way to the park to meet

1866
01:56:26.960 --> 01:56:29.439
up with a group of friends. At two o'clock, his

1867
01:56:29.520 --> 01:56:32.279
friends called Michael's house and informed his parents that he

1868
01:56:32.319 --> 01:56:35.640
had never showed up. Immediately, the Stallings phoned the police,

1869
01:56:35.720 --> 01:56:38.439
worried about their son. The fate of the Robinson girl

1870
01:56:38.520 --> 01:56:42.680
foremost in their minds. It wasn't long before police found Michael,

1871
01:56:43.000 --> 01:56:46.960
much like Mary Kate Robinson, dead with his body mutilated

1872
01:56:47.199 --> 01:56:50.439
and a letter to Santa Claus nailed to his forehead.

1873
01:56:55.000 --> 01:56:58.279
The next day, Sheriff Patrick o'Kyle held a press conference

1874
01:56:58.319 --> 01:57:00.920
in which he vowed to put a stop to this chaos.

1875
01:57:01.520 --> 01:57:03.720
Curfews were put in place to make sure children of

1876
01:57:03.760 --> 01:57:06.560
all ages were home by five o'clock at night, and

1877
01:57:06.600 --> 01:57:10.319
the youngsters were also advised to travel in groups. Soon

1878
01:57:10.520 --> 01:57:13.000
things looked to be improving, and a week went by

1879
01:57:13.079 --> 01:57:18.640
without anything happening. That was soon to change. December twelfth

1880
01:57:18.760 --> 01:57:22.439
was another quiet day. Fred and Darlene Brooks headed out

1881
01:57:22.479 --> 01:57:25.399
for a long overdue date night, leaving fifteen year old

1882
01:57:25.439 --> 01:57:29.159
Tanya wise Cup in charge of their children. The pair

1883
01:57:29.239 --> 01:57:32.520
returned it close to midnight to find their home bathed

1884
01:57:32.600 --> 01:57:35.960
in darkness. Upon entering the house, the two noticed a

1885
01:57:36.039 --> 01:57:40.199
smell they later said reminded them of rotting meat. They

1886
01:57:40.199 --> 01:57:42.479
didn't think much of it, as they had recently been

1887
01:57:42.520 --> 01:57:45.399
battling with raccoons, getting stuck in the attic and dying.

1888
01:57:46.079 --> 01:57:50.680
Tired and tipsy, the Brooks went to bed, assuming that

1889
01:57:50.760 --> 01:57:53.520
their babysitter was down in the basement a sleep, spending

1890
01:57:53.560 --> 01:57:56.119
the night as she tended to do when she had

1891
01:57:56.119 --> 01:57:59.640
school the next day. When they awakened the following morning,

1892
01:57:59.840 --> 01:58:02.359
the couple went downstairs to check on Tania and see

1893
01:58:02.359 --> 01:58:06.119
if she had indeed stayed overnight. What they discovered was

1894
01:58:06.199 --> 01:58:10.840
nothing short of a bloodbath. Their children, John, Laura, and

1895
01:58:10.960 --> 01:58:15.520
Victoria were all dead, letters nailed to their foreheads, but

1896
01:58:15.680 --> 01:58:19.319
this time there was a chilling new twist. A limb

1897
01:58:19.520 --> 01:58:22.960
from each child was placed under the small Christmas tree

1898
01:58:23.199 --> 01:58:26.840
set up in the basement. As for Tanya, she laid

1899
01:58:26.880 --> 01:58:30.399
discarded on the floor, cut from neck to groin, and

1900
01:58:30.520 --> 01:58:37.880
left to bleed out. Later that day, the city announced

1901
01:58:37.880 --> 01:58:41.680
a new curfew for all residents, stating everyone in town

1902
01:58:41.760 --> 01:58:45.039
must be home and have their businesses closed by four pm.

1903
01:58:45.359 --> 01:58:49.319
Sheriff Okyle also advised residents take extra precautions to keep

1904
01:58:49.359 --> 01:58:52.960
their homes locked and defended. The city became a ghost

1905
01:58:53.000 --> 01:58:56.039
town come four o'clock. The chimes of clocks that rang

1906
01:58:56.119 --> 01:59:00.920
the curfew hour ushered in eerie quiet. Twenty second and

1907
01:59:01.000 --> 01:59:04.560
twenty third came and went with no incidents, but the

1908
01:59:04.600 --> 01:59:08.399
town remained firmly on guard. The morning of December twenty

1909
01:59:08.399 --> 01:59:11.359
fourth came with no surprises as well. It was a

1910
01:59:11.439 --> 01:59:15.039
dreary winter day, the gloom and holiday cheer mixing together

1911
01:59:15.199 --> 01:59:18.960
like cold and warm fronts. Circleville had started to loosen

1912
01:59:19.079 --> 01:59:22.279
up slightly, something not hard to do considering it was

1913
01:59:22.359 --> 01:59:26.479
Christmas Eve. The curfew was still in effect, but that

1914
01:59:26.520 --> 01:59:29.079
seemed to almost add to the magic of the holiday,

1915
01:59:29.079 --> 01:59:32.800
as families stayed bundled in together, celebrating in warm homes

1916
01:59:33.159 --> 01:59:37.279
that stood in contrast to the cold outside. Night came

1917
01:59:37.319 --> 01:59:40.439
and the hours drifted along. It seemed that perhaps these

1918
01:59:40.560 --> 01:59:44.159
terrible crimes were at an end. Christmas morning came and

1919
01:59:44.199 --> 01:59:46.560
the police, who had stood guard in the city streets

1920
01:59:46.600 --> 01:59:49.159
throughout the night, started to head back to the station,

1921
01:59:49.640 --> 01:59:52.119
ready to go home to their own families to celebrate.

1922
01:59:52.600 --> 01:59:56.239
But before anybody could leave, a call came in. Somehow

1923
01:59:56.479 --> 02:00:01.680
the killer had struck again, right under their noses twice.

1924
02:00:01.800 --> 02:00:04.760
The first victim was ten year old Jackson Devns, who

1925
02:00:04.800 --> 02:00:07.439
was found dead in his bedroom by his parents his

1926
02:00:07.520 --> 02:00:11.039
window pried open. At the same time, police also discovered

1927
02:00:11.079 --> 02:00:13.840
the body of six year old Addison Ferguson, who was

1928
02:00:13.880 --> 02:00:16.760
found in a shed in her family's back yard. This

1929
02:00:16.840 --> 02:00:19.960
sent the town over the edge into a full blown frenzy.

1930
02:00:20.319 --> 02:00:24.039
Who was responsible for all these deaths? How could anybody

1931
02:00:24.079 --> 02:00:26.800
have broken into the homes and committed the crimes without

1932
02:00:26.840 --> 02:00:31.039
being caught? Who was next? Police set up barricades to

1933
02:00:31.079 --> 02:00:33.840
close off the town and began a city wide manhunt,

1934
02:00:33.960 --> 02:00:37.560
joined by the town's residents. All day they searched, and

1935
02:00:37.600 --> 02:00:40.399
the next day and the next. For a solid week

1936
02:00:40.520 --> 02:00:44.319
they searched, but no leads arose and no culprit was found.

1937
02:00:44.960 --> 02:00:48.279
The new year came and it seemed that finally there

1938
02:00:48.359 --> 02:00:51.920
was peace. No murders had been committed since Christmas, and

1939
02:00:52.039 --> 02:00:54.960
law enforcement officials theorized that there would be no more

1940
02:00:54.960 --> 02:00:59.880
incidents since the season was over. On January tenth, Circleville

1941
02:00:59.880 --> 02:01:02.880
had held a citywide memorial service in honor of the victims,

1942
02:01:03.279 --> 02:01:06.319
and has held a similar service every Christmas Eve since.

1943
02:01:07.359 --> 02:01:10.960
These murders left many questions, all starting with who the

1944
02:01:11.039 --> 02:01:15.359
murderer was. Upon reflection, they stated that they believed the

1945
02:01:15.439 --> 02:01:18.119
murderer due to the use of the letters the children

1946
02:01:18.159 --> 02:01:20.880
wrote to Santa Claus, had to work for either the

1947
02:01:20.920 --> 02:01:25.119
postal service or the public school. As such, the police

1948
02:01:25.159 --> 02:01:28.880
conducted mass interviews for all post office and school employees.

1949
02:01:29.720 --> 02:01:33.479
While everyone interviewed seemed on edge, nobody stood out as

1950
02:01:33.479 --> 02:01:36.760
being a psychopathic killer. As the weeks rolled on, the

1951
02:01:36.800 --> 02:01:40.399
case began to go cold. Without conclusive evidence to form

1952
02:01:40.479 --> 02:01:43.960
any leads, the city and police made the controversial decision

1953
02:01:44.439 --> 02:01:49.319
to stop the investigation. Nineteen seventy nine continued on, the

1954
02:01:49.359 --> 02:01:52.479
tragedies still hanging over the town of Circleville like the

1955
02:01:52.520 --> 02:01:56.119
specter of death. People slowly started to return to what

1956
02:01:56.159 --> 02:01:59.520
they would call a normal life, with only hushed whispers

1957
02:01:59.720 --> 02:02:03.960
of the Santa Letter murders remaining. Months went by, and

1958
02:02:04.039 --> 02:02:07.359
soon it was November. The Christmas spirit began to grow

1959
02:02:07.359 --> 02:02:10.119
in the town once more, but it was tempered by

1960
02:02:10.239 --> 02:02:15.279
fears of a new murder spree possibly arising. In preparation,

1961
02:02:15.439 --> 02:02:17.960
Circleville schools announced that they would not put up letter

1962
02:02:18.000 --> 02:02:21.199
boxes for kids this year as a safety precaution. The

1963
02:02:21.279 --> 02:02:24.000
post office took action as well, stating that any letters

1964
02:02:24.039 --> 02:02:26.680
addressed to Santa Claus would go straight to the police

1965
02:02:26.720 --> 02:02:30.359
for protection. Everything that the town could think of they implemented,

1966
02:02:30.640 --> 02:02:35.560
hoping to avoid another year of mayhem. December nineteen seventy

1967
02:02:35.640 --> 02:02:41.000
nine began and ended with no murders. This left everyone baffled.

1968
02:02:41.560 --> 02:02:44.640
Why did the killer not strike again? What was it

1969
02:02:44.680 --> 02:02:47.720
about this year compared to last to make him or

1970
02:02:47.840 --> 02:02:52.000
her not lash out? Perhaps the crimes would be nothing

1971
02:02:52.039 --> 02:02:55.039
more than a freak event and unsolved mystery. Like so

1972
02:02:55.119 --> 02:02:58.960
many others. That feeling continued into the next year, and

1973
02:02:59.039 --> 02:03:04.159
the next, and on and on to this day. Nobody

1974
02:03:04.239 --> 02:03:07.279
knows who could have been behind the murders. Christmas in

1975
02:03:07.319 --> 02:03:10.239
Circleville was never quite the same, but the years dulled

1976
02:03:10.239 --> 02:03:13.439
the fear somewhat, and the police allowed the post office

1977
02:03:13.439 --> 02:03:16.680
to start accepting letters to Santa Claus once more, but

1978
02:03:16.760 --> 02:03:20.600
did not allow the school to reopen their dropbox. The

1979
02:03:20.680 --> 02:03:25.039
same question always pops up, who did it? While law

1980
02:03:25.119 --> 02:03:28.560
enforcement never did name a suspect or conduct any arrests

1981
02:03:28.880 --> 02:03:31.640
Okyle later said that he had a theory of the

1982
02:03:31.760 --> 02:03:37.119
murderer's identity. He suspected that elementary school teacher Linda Morrison

1983
02:03:37.520 --> 02:03:41.000
was the killer after discovering her dead from suicide in

1984
02:03:41.119 --> 02:03:44.560
January of nineteen eighty. His reasoning was based on the

1985
02:03:44.600 --> 02:03:47.039
fact that she was the one responsible for handing the

1986
02:03:47.119 --> 02:03:50.600
letters to the post office in nineteen seventy eight, it

1987
02:03:50.680 --> 02:03:53.880
was his belief that she made photocopies of the letters

1988
02:03:53.920 --> 02:03:57.119
before delivering them. As for how she would have selected

1989
02:03:57.119 --> 02:04:00.520
her victims, O Kyle claimed that she did so based

1990
02:04:00.560 --> 02:04:03.800
on which children in the school were receiving discipline for

1991
02:04:03.880 --> 02:04:09.239
bad behavior. However, there was no concrete evidence. Perhaps it

1992
02:04:09.399 --> 02:04:12.560
was Morrison trying to enact a form of discipline on

1993
02:04:12.600 --> 02:04:15.199
the children who acted out and the parents who raised

1994
02:04:15.199 --> 02:04:19.039
their children to act as such. Though perhaps it was

1995
02:04:19.079 --> 02:04:23.199
a disgruntled Post office employee. Maybe it was somebody else

1996
02:04:23.279 --> 02:04:26.439
who worked at one of the schools. Some theory suggest

1997
02:04:26.520 --> 02:04:31.520
it was o Kyle himself or another person within law enforcement. Doubtless,

1998
02:04:32.000 --> 02:04:35.319
no one will ever know Forshare. All that is known

1999
02:04:35.720 --> 02:04:38.359
is that the fear lingers in the cool, crisp winter

2000
02:04:38.439 --> 02:04:43.079
air that one day the devilish Deliverer will once again return,

2001
02:04:43.640 --> 02:04:56.560
bringing Christmas terror to Circleville. The weather outside is frightful

2002
02:04:56.840 --> 02:05:01.479
by Shane Migliovaka. It was the worst blizzard the city

2003
02:05:01.520 --> 02:05:04.640
had seen in over a decade. In time, the storm

2004
02:05:04.640 --> 02:05:07.840
would be known as the Christmas Eve Blizzard of seventy three,

2005
02:05:08.039 --> 02:05:12.399
but tonight it was just the storm. Patrol women Halsey

2006
02:05:12.479 --> 02:05:15.720
Stone strained her eyes scanning the sidewalk as the radio

2007
02:05:15.800 --> 02:05:19.920
car crawled down the street, her partner, officer Roy socerso

2008
02:05:20.119 --> 02:05:22.439
at the wheel. This part of the city had been

2009
02:05:22.479 --> 02:05:27.079
hit hard by the country's current financial stagnation, decaying buildings,

2010
02:05:27.159 --> 02:05:29.640
junk piled on the side of the street, broke down,

2011
02:05:29.680 --> 02:05:33.079
cars left to rot, and open lots. For Stone, this

2012
02:05:33.239 --> 02:05:35.720
was too much like the poverty she'd grown up around.

2013
02:05:36.520 --> 02:05:39.720
Many of the large buildings were seemingly abandoned, but in truth,

2014
02:05:39.960 --> 02:05:43.319
whole families lived within their walls, as did the normal

2015
02:05:43.399 --> 02:05:48.279
cast of junkies, drunks, and other shady characters. An anonymous

2016
02:05:48.279 --> 02:05:51.840
caller had reported a woman screaming for help. They'd circled

2017
02:05:51.840 --> 02:05:54.439
the block a few times but come up with nothing.

2018
02:05:55.000 --> 02:05:58.319
The blizzard had driven everyone indoors. Between the strong gusts

2019
02:05:58.319 --> 02:06:01.159
of wind and the visibility being shit, nobody in the

2020
02:06:01.279 --> 02:06:04.840
right mind would be out here, But here they were

2021
02:06:05.600 --> 02:06:08.640
on Christmas Eve, no less, not that either of them

2022
02:06:08.640 --> 02:06:11.479
had anywhere else to be. Stone had left her family

2023
02:06:11.520 --> 02:06:14.119
behind when she'd moved to the big city, and her

2024
02:06:14.119 --> 02:06:18.079
partner was estranged from his wife and daughter. Stone's left

2025
02:06:18.079 --> 02:06:23.439
hand clasped and unclasped her holster, almost keeping a steady rhythm. Enough,

2026
02:06:23.800 --> 02:06:29.239
snapped Socker, So what with the holster? Kid shit? She

2027
02:06:29.319 --> 02:06:32.000
hadn't realized she'd been doing it. She could get lost

2028
02:06:32.000 --> 02:06:36.359
in thought sometimes, Sorry, this is just a bullshit call,

2029
02:06:36.479 --> 02:06:41.479
kid sure Stone took off her uniform cap. She smoothed

2030
02:06:41.520 --> 02:06:44.439
back some of her long blonde hair that obstinately refused

2031
02:06:44.439 --> 02:06:48.359
to cooperate. What you think there's something to this call?

2032
02:06:48.800 --> 02:06:51.439
Probably just some junkie trying to steal a few bucks,

2033
02:06:51.520 --> 02:06:54.640
or some asshole trying to stay warm by raping a

2034
02:06:55.279 --> 02:06:59.479
He stopped himself, his face reddened a little. Sorry, kid

2035
02:07:00.079 --> 02:07:03.800
Stone adjusted her dirty blonde ponytail. Maybe he was right.

2036
02:07:04.760 --> 02:07:07.039
How long do you want this to go on? Soccer

2037
02:07:07.119 --> 02:07:12.560
so said, what your shitty attitude? No Oakie looking for

2038
02:07:12.680 --> 02:07:17.600
our phantom suspect. God. She hated that. When somebody back

2039
02:07:17.600 --> 02:07:19.920
at the precinct found out about her family coming from

2040
02:07:19.960 --> 02:07:22.960
the Ozarks, one of the assholes had started calling her

2041
02:07:23.159 --> 02:07:26.159
oak They got it from some old song and it

2042
02:07:26.279 --> 02:07:30.920
stuck like glue. You got somewhere to be, she said, somehow,

2043
02:07:30.960 --> 02:07:35.199
making it sound like fuck you. He shot her a look, no,

2044
02:07:36.520 --> 02:07:40.199
just think our time could be spent better. She drummed

2045
02:07:40.199 --> 02:07:43.159
her fingers on the dash. All she wanted to do

2046
02:07:43.359 --> 02:07:46.640
was bounce soccer So's head off the dash. The anger

2047
02:07:46.720 --> 02:07:50.800
was always there, had always been there. Once it scared her.

2048
02:07:51.319 --> 02:07:55.279
Now it was a friend. You know what, Okie, I'm

2049
02:07:55.279 --> 02:07:59.479
gonna make it your call. Do we continue? Looking? Stone

2050
02:07:59.520 --> 02:08:05.119
took a d breath. My choice, no bitching, you're a call.

2051
02:08:06.039 --> 02:08:09.079
Since she'd been a kid, she'd had a feeling she

2052
02:08:09.119 --> 02:08:12.560
could always tell when something bad was coming. Stone had

2053
02:08:12.560 --> 02:08:18.199
that feeling now another time around. If there's nothing, we go. Okay,

2054
02:08:18.640 --> 02:08:22.359
fair enough? Soccer So turned the corner. As outside the

2055
02:08:22.359 --> 02:08:25.439
wind gusted. Stone could feel the car move a little,

2056
02:08:25.520 --> 02:08:28.560
pushed by the wind. We've been at this dance for

2057
02:08:28.560 --> 02:08:31.640
almost a month now, Kid, I'm supposed to be training you,

2058
02:08:32.079 --> 02:08:35.600
be your partner, and I know jack and shit about you.

2059
02:08:36.479 --> 02:08:39.239
That was the way she liked it. There was too

2060
02:08:39.359 --> 02:08:43.880
much in her past. What's there to know? I'm from Missouri.

2061
02:08:44.560 --> 02:08:47.520
Should open up more, hang out with some of us.

2062
02:08:47.800 --> 02:08:51.039
Why you guys constantly make fun of me and where

2063
02:08:51.039 --> 02:08:55.520
I came from. That's just ribbing. You no different than

2064
02:08:55.520 --> 02:08:58.560
any other rookie. You make it harder on yourself anyway,

2065
02:08:58.560 --> 02:09:02.239
acting like a brat. Sorry, I'm just not miss fun.

2066
02:09:02.239 --> 02:09:05.319
In Games, a woman came out of the blanket of

2067
02:09:05.319 --> 02:09:08.680
falling snow running at their car, screaming. There was blood

2068
02:09:08.680 --> 02:09:11.680
on her hands and jacket. Soccer So swerved the car

2069
02:09:11.720 --> 02:09:14.079
and ended up in a snow bank. Stone was already

2070
02:09:14.119 --> 02:09:18.960
undoing her seat belt. Fuck you, okay, kid, Yeah. The

2071
02:09:19.000 --> 02:09:22.279
woman came running towards them. Stone started to open the door.

2072
02:09:22.760 --> 02:09:26.159
Oh god, officer, I'm so sorry, ma'am. Take it easy.

2073
02:09:26.479 --> 02:09:29.920
Is that your blood? Are you injured? She shook her head. No,

2074
02:09:30.560 --> 02:09:35.159
the woman was shaking his blood. Soccer So tried getting

2075
02:09:35.159 --> 02:09:37.560
his door open, but the snow bank wouldn't give as

2076
02:09:37.560 --> 02:09:41.279
he slammed the door repeatedly against the packed snow. Stone

2077
02:09:41.279 --> 02:09:46.119
took the panicked woman towards their car. What's your name, ma'am, Dorothy,

2078
02:09:46.760 --> 02:09:50.199
it's Dorothy. Okay, Dorothy. I need you to get in

2079
02:09:50.239 --> 02:09:55.880
the back of the car. Dorothy hesitated, What why? You'll

2080
02:09:55.880 --> 02:09:58.520
be safe until we can get somebody to look at you.

2081
02:09:59.159 --> 02:10:01.520
Soccer So find he gave up on getting his door

2082
02:10:01.560 --> 02:10:04.840
to open. Dorothy slid in and sat in the middle

2083
02:10:04.840 --> 02:10:08.000
of the back seat. A steel mesh separated Dorothy from

2084
02:10:08.000 --> 02:10:11.640
soccer so you'll be safe here. Now. Can you tell

2085
02:10:11.680 --> 02:10:15.520
me what happened Dorothy. Dorothy told her how she'd been

2086
02:10:15.560 --> 02:10:17.640
cutting through the alleyway on her way home from the

2087
02:10:17.680 --> 02:10:20.319
corner store, when a large man had come out of

2088
02:10:20.359 --> 02:10:23.479
a nook in the alley and chased after her. When

2089
02:10:23.560 --> 02:10:26.600
she fell on the icy ground, he grabbed her. Terrified,

2090
02:10:26.640 --> 02:10:29.520
she pulled a metal nail file from her purse, stuck

2091
02:10:29.560 --> 02:10:33.159
it into his leg, and made her escape. Dorothy pointed

2092
02:10:33.199 --> 02:10:35.399
to the alley across the street, a little way's back.

2093
02:10:36.199 --> 02:10:40.760
It was there. Thank you, Dorothy, Stone said, you're very brave.

2094
02:10:41.199 --> 02:10:43.800
My partner will take care of you until an ambulance arrives.

2095
02:10:44.359 --> 02:10:48.119
I will Dorothy looked up at Stone, perhaps sensing what

2096
02:10:48.239 --> 02:10:51.880
was about to happen. I looked into his eyes. Officer,

2097
02:10:52.760 --> 02:10:58.159
there was nothing inside. Stone tried to reassure her. It's

2098
02:10:58.199 --> 02:11:02.399
going to be okay, kid, don't even think Soccriso said.

2099
02:11:02.760 --> 02:11:05.720
She cut him off. Call it in, get back up.

2100
02:11:06.439 --> 02:11:09.279
Stone slammed the door shut Before he could protest any more.

2101
02:11:10.199 --> 02:11:12.520
She took off down the street towards the alley. Dorothy

2102
02:11:12.560 --> 02:11:15.880
had indicated this was it that feeling of dread that

2103
02:11:15.960 --> 02:11:18.000
she'd felt her heart felt like it was going to

2104
02:11:18.039 --> 02:11:21.079
break free from her chest. She'd made it to the alley.

2105
02:11:21.319 --> 02:11:25.199
He could still be here nursing his wound, she thought. Ultimately,

2106
02:11:25.319 --> 02:11:30.239
he wasn't in the alley, but something was the nail file.

2107
02:11:30.880 --> 02:11:33.319
He'd pulled it out. Now he'd bleed more and make

2108
02:11:33.359 --> 02:11:36.960
her job easier. Stone followed the blood down another alley

2109
02:11:36.960 --> 02:11:39.880
and out to a deserted street. She had never been

2110
02:11:40.000 --> 02:11:42.479
much of a hunter. Her dad had tried to teach her,

2111
02:11:42.479 --> 02:11:46.159
but her patience was lacking. He'd seemed so disappointed in her.

2112
02:11:46.520 --> 02:11:49.279
But those times out in the woods with him, just walking,

2113
02:11:50.359 --> 02:11:52.520
those were some of her favorite memories of growing up.

2114
02:11:53.439 --> 02:11:56.079
But now her father was spending another Christmas in prison,

2115
02:11:56.760 --> 02:12:02.760
She sighed. From somewhere above, Christmas music drifted down hark

2116
02:12:02.840 --> 02:12:07.520
the Herald Angels. The heavy snowfall was quickly covering the blood.

2117
02:12:08.720 --> 02:12:11.479
Stone came out of the alley. She heard voices and

2118
02:12:11.560 --> 02:12:14.479
a door close. She spun around her gun at the ready.

2119
02:12:15.039 --> 02:12:18.760
A young couple stood there holding Christmas gifts, a look

2120
02:12:18.800 --> 02:12:22.199
of shock etched on their faces. Their little dog on

2121
02:12:22.279 --> 02:12:25.640
a leash yelped at her. The man raised his hands,

2122
02:12:25.720 --> 02:12:30.359
dropping the gifts. Have you seen anyone suspicious other than me,

2123
02:12:30.960 --> 02:12:35.199
maybe bleeding. The dog continued yelping. The man pulled hard

2124
02:12:35.239 --> 02:12:38.800
on its leash. Shut up, Mitzi. Stone wouldn't mind slamming

2125
02:12:38.840 --> 02:12:42.680
the guy against the wall. No, officer, I need you

2126
02:12:42.720 --> 02:12:45.159
both to go back inside. There's a dangerous and wounded

2127
02:12:45.239 --> 02:12:48.319
man in the vicinity. Did you hear that?

2128
02:12:48.760 --> 02:12:52.840
Better check the locks on your doors. Weakly, spooky, We'll

2129
02:12:52.880 --> 02:12:53.680
be right back.

2130
02:12:55.239 --> 02:12:59.159
Stone crossed the street. The trail continued down, pasted a

2131
02:12:59.239 --> 02:13:04.159
large abandoned building. Then it stopped ahead of her. Stone

2132
02:13:04.199 --> 02:13:07.640
heard a loud, metallic clank, like a metal door or

2133
02:13:07.720 --> 02:13:12.319
lid closing. She regretted, leaving SoC or So behind. No.

2134
02:13:12.720 --> 02:13:15.199
Stone thought, this is where I show them what I

2135
02:13:15.239 --> 02:13:20.359
can do. She crouched slowly. She peeked around the corner

2136
02:13:20.399 --> 02:13:23.079
of the building until she had a full view of

2137
02:13:23.119 --> 02:13:27.800
the small street that lay beyond. There, next to an

2138
02:13:27.800 --> 02:13:31.359
abandoned theater was a metal hatch set in the ground.

2139
02:13:32.239 --> 02:13:35.880
Those led to basements. Soccer So had told her. Stone

2140
02:13:36.279 --> 02:13:39.199
gun at the ready inch towards it. Snow had been

2141
02:13:39.199 --> 02:13:43.840
brushed off very recently, and there was a bloody handprint

2142
02:13:43.840 --> 02:13:48.479
on the hatch. Got you, bastard, she thought, She pulled

2143
02:13:48.479 --> 02:13:51.119
a rag from her jacket. There was no way she

2144
02:13:51.199 --> 02:13:54.199
was taking a chance of fucking up the evidence her

2145
02:13:54.239 --> 02:13:59.239
service pistol. Ready, Stone pulled on the latch. Locked, of course,

2146
02:14:00.199 --> 02:14:05.239
she'd have to find another way in. Then she heard it,

2147
02:14:06.439 --> 02:14:10.359
the rustle of wings. Stone looked up. Perched on a

2148
02:14:10.439 --> 02:14:14.159
rusty metal railing was a large white owl. It stared

2149
02:14:14.159 --> 02:14:18.039
at her with its large luminous eyes, eyes that looked

2150
02:14:18.159 --> 02:14:24.159
into her. She stared at it, transfixed. Then it struck

2151
02:14:24.199 --> 02:14:27.479
her what it was. Sitting on the railing of a

2152
02:14:27.560 --> 02:14:30.960
fire escape. She ran over and discovered the bottom of

2153
02:14:31.000 --> 02:14:34.479
the escape's ladder was just out of reach. Frantically, she

2154
02:14:34.520 --> 02:14:37.079
looked around for something she could use to get up there,

2155
02:14:38.000 --> 02:14:40.720
and there it was, sitting against the far wall of

2156
02:14:40.720 --> 02:14:45.239
an adjacent building, an old plastic chair. She carried the

2157
02:14:45.319 --> 02:14:48.880
chair over, and on tiptoes, she reached and pulled herself

2158
02:14:48.960 --> 02:14:52.520
up all that tree climbing as a kid. Paid off

2159
02:14:53.560 --> 02:14:56.680
the fire escape led to a locked second story metal door.

2160
02:14:57.279 --> 02:14:59.520
Not far from it was a window set above a

2161
02:14:59.600 --> 02:15:03.239
narrow ledge. She stepped over the metal railing and on

2162
02:15:03.319 --> 02:15:06.720
to the ledge. The wind howled. She feared a really

2163
02:15:06.760 --> 02:15:10.079
strong gust might blow her off her perch. Her feet

2164
02:15:10.119 --> 02:15:13.880
knocked snow free as she inched towards the window. Finally

2165
02:15:14.399 --> 02:15:17.560
she made it. Using the flashlight from her belt, Stone

2166
02:15:17.600 --> 02:15:20.600
smashed through the glass and climbed through the window into

2167
02:15:20.600 --> 02:15:24.159
the dark interior. She played the beam of the flashlight

2168
02:15:24.199 --> 02:15:26.600
over the floor and walls of what had once been

2169
02:15:26.640 --> 02:15:30.560
in office. The broken glass crumbled underfoot as she made

2170
02:15:30.560 --> 02:15:34.079
her way through the room. Stone crept into the hallway

2171
02:15:34.399 --> 02:15:37.800
and soon entered the main theater area. Paint was chipping

2172
02:15:37.840 --> 02:15:40.680
off the walls. The seats that hadn't been ripped out

2173
02:15:40.760 --> 02:15:44.239
or defaced in some way were covered in years of dust.

2174
02:15:45.199 --> 02:15:48.600
She headed towards the stage area. Her snow covered boots

2175
02:15:48.680 --> 02:15:51.680
kicked up dust as she moved, leaving wet tracks on

2176
02:15:51.720 --> 02:15:56.319
the dirty floor. Stone climbed onto the stage. An ugly

2177
02:15:56.359 --> 02:15:59.640
looking green couch sat by itself at the center the

2178
02:15:59.680 --> 02:16:03.279
curtain and pulled shut behind it. She opened the curtain

2179
02:16:03.800 --> 02:16:08.039
and entered the backstage, Stone's flashlight being caught a blank

2180
02:16:08.039 --> 02:16:11.239
white face. She almost pulled her trigger before she realized

2181
02:16:11.640 --> 02:16:16.960
a mannequin stood before her. She walked past the expressionless figure,

2182
02:16:17.920 --> 02:16:22.960
Fuck you asshole. There was a long, dark hallway that

2183
02:16:23.079 --> 02:16:27.000
led off the backstage area. Old mattresses were stacked in

2184
02:16:27.039 --> 02:16:31.520
a haphazard pile stained with god knows what. A musty

2185
02:16:31.640 --> 02:16:36.360
smell permeated the air. A large wood wardrobe sat in

2186
02:16:36.399 --> 02:16:40.200
the middle of the hall. Rotting Stone raised her weapon

2187
02:16:40.239 --> 02:16:42.840
in her left hand and reached out with her right.

2188
02:16:43.520 --> 02:16:45.799
She yanked the door open, causing it to fall off.

2189
02:16:45.840 --> 02:16:53.120
In the process. Stone backed up. It was empty. Continuing on,

2190
02:16:53.479 --> 02:16:56.680
she passed a pile of broken props and raggedy costumes

2191
02:16:56.680 --> 02:17:01.040
on racks before arriving at a metal staircase lee to

2192
02:17:01.120 --> 02:17:05.600
the basement. She headed down, the metal clanking under her boots.

2193
02:17:05.760 --> 02:17:08.639
The basement hallway was lined with brick and appeared to

2194
02:17:08.639 --> 02:17:12.000
be in better shape than the walls above. Another foul

2195
02:17:12.159 --> 02:17:16.840
smell filled the air down here, the smell of something rotten.

2196
02:17:17.840 --> 02:17:20.440
A mattress lay on the floor. Next to it sat

2197
02:17:20.520 --> 02:17:24.879
stacks of books and empty soup cans. Someone was living here.

2198
02:17:25.680 --> 02:17:28.959
Taped to the wall were newspaper clippings and excerpts from

2199
02:17:29.000 --> 02:17:37.760
books and magazines, all concerning axe murders. Above them, scrawled

2200
02:17:37.799 --> 02:17:43.879
in blood red the axe man cometh, Oh great, he's

2201
02:17:43.920 --> 02:17:46.879
got a secret identity. At the far end of the

2202
02:17:46.959 --> 02:17:50.280
room was a metal door. A large rusty chain was

2203
02:17:50.319 --> 02:17:54.120
wound through the handles and secured with a padlock. Before

2204
02:17:54.120 --> 02:17:57.239
she could reach the door, something wet hid her face.

2205
02:17:57.920 --> 02:18:02.559
Stone turned her beam upwards to see multiple severed arms

2206
02:18:03.079 --> 02:18:07.959
hanging from large strands of butcher's twine. Not thinking, she

2207
02:18:08.079 --> 02:18:10.559
bolted forward and crashed into the metal doors with all

2208
02:18:10.559 --> 02:18:13.680
her might. The doors tore from their rusty hinges and

2209
02:18:13.719 --> 02:18:16.319
crashed to the floor with Stone and tow. She quickly

2210
02:18:16.319 --> 02:18:18.680
sprung to her feet and swung her flashlight around the

2211
02:18:18.719 --> 02:18:23.079
new room. Taped to the walls in various sizes were

2212
02:18:23.159 --> 02:18:26.680
crosses made out of paper. She inspected one of the

2213
02:18:26.680 --> 02:18:30.000
crosses on the wall closest to her to find it

2214
02:18:30.040 --> 02:18:33.319
was made from Bible pages. At the far end of

2215
02:18:33.319 --> 02:18:36.760
the room was some kind of demented altar made primarily

2216
02:18:36.799 --> 02:18:40.239
of lashed together bones. A large metal cross stood at

2217
02:18:40.239 --> 02:18:43.879
its center, surrounded by a multitude of crimson candles, which

2218
02:18:43.920 --> 02:18:49.719
filled the surrounding air with acrid smoke. I've taken their sin,

2219
02:18:50.520 --> 02:18:54.239
a deep voice said from behind her. Startled Stone spun

2220
02:18:54.280 --> 02:18:56.840
around to see a brute of a man covered in shoddy,

2221
02:18:57.000 --> 02:19:00.000
blood stained clothes standing in the doorway, cradling an act

2222
02:19:00.200 --> 02:19:02.520
in his arms as if it were a newborn baby.

2223
02:19:03.440 --> 02:19:06.319
Around his right leg, a rag was tied where he'd

2224
02:19:06.360 --> 02:19:10.680
been stabbed by Dorothy. I cut it from their bodies.

2225
02:19:11.760 --> 02:19:17.440
You killed them, freed them. They died without sin. He

2226
02:19:17.520 --> 02:19:23.399
walked forward towards her with a limp. Freeze you motherfucker Stone, barked,

2227
02:19:23.440 --> 02:19:28.280
her voice trembling. He stopped in his tracks. I was chosen.

2228
02:19:28.959 --> 02:19:34.840
He held out the axe. It chose me. Shut up. She

2229
02:19:34.840 --> 02:19:37.559
didn't want to hear his psycho sails. Pitch. Put the

2230
02:19:37.600 --> 02:19:40.200
axe on the ground and place your hands behind your head.

2231
02:19:40.959 --> 02:19:45.440
He stared at her as if not comprehending. I've been

2232
02:19:45.479 --> 02:19:50.360
to another plane ascended. I was sent back to do

2233
02:19:50.399 --> 02:19:54.719
their work. Here, do it, fucker Stone, screamed her, anger

2234
02:19:54.760 --> 02:19:58.479
getting the best of her. He set the axe down, tenderly,

2235
02:19:58.879 --> 02:20:03.200
putting his hands together behind his head. Neil, He did

2236
02:20:03.200 --> 02:20:06.760
as he was told with some effort. She moved forward

2237
02:20:06.840 --> 02:20:10.200
and kicked the axe away. She noticed before its flight

2238
02:20:10.440 --> 02:20:14.440
that it was covered in strange symbols. The wind outside

2239
02:20:14.520 --> 02:20:19.879
sounded like whispers in the air, calling her. I can't help,

2240
02:20:19.920 --> 02:20:24.719
but notice your left handed He said this caught her

2241
02:20:24.760 --> 02:20:26.719
off guard enough that the man was able to lunge

2242
02:20:26.719 --> 02:20:29.040
at her legs with a pocket knife, catching her in

2243
02:20:29.079 --> 02:20:31.239
the side of her right leg. The thirty eight in

2244
02:20:31.280 --> 02:20:34.239
the flashlight fell from her hands as she instinctively grabbed

2245
02:20:34.239 --> 02:20:39.319
her wound. Stone retreated as painfully he stood and retrieved

2246
02:20:39.319 --> 02:20:43.120
his axe. Do you know what it's like to die?

2247
02:20:43.280 --> 02:20:47.639
The painful death of a million? Screams in silence every day.

2248
02:20:48.719 --> 02:20:51.440
Stone fell against the wall, leaving a trail of blood

2249
02:20:51.440 --> 02:20:57.319
in her wake. Then they came to me. Angels took

2250
02:20:57.399 --> 02:21:02.959
my pain, gave me this act. God teaches us with pain.

2251
02:21:03.959 --> 02:21:08.319
That's how we become worthy of his love through pain.

2252
02:21:09.559 --> 02:21:14.479
He limped forward. Stone's head began swimming wildly. Would you

2253
02:21:14.680 --> 02:21:19.600
like to meet God, he asked, raising the axe. She

2254
02:21:19.719 --> 02:21:22.760
felt the cold metal sticking in her leg. With all

2255
02:21:22.799 --> 02:21:26.479
her remaining strength and channeled anger. Stone pulled the knife

2256
02:21:26.479 --> 02:21:31.879
from her wound. The pain was immeasurable. You first, Stone screamed.

2257
02:21:32.079 --> 02:21:35.239
She plunged the blade deep within his breast, causing him

2258
02:21:35.239 --> 02:21:38.639
to howl in agony. Stone pulled out the blade and

2259
02:21:38.719 --> 02:21:43.719
brought it down again and again and again until blackness

2260
02:21:44.440 --> 02:21:51.440
took her. She awoke to find the man in a

2261
02:21:51.479 --> 02:21:56.520
fetal position, sobbing loudly, Stone crawled forward and found her

2262
02:21:56.559 --> 02:22:00.360
thirty eight. The man started to slowly rise, using the

2263
02:22:00.399 --> 02:22:04.440
axe to prop himself up. Don't you move, Stone said, hoarsely.

2264
02:22:05.559 --> 02:22:09.280
I could have helped you. He stood fully on, shaking legs.

2265
02:22:10.319 --> 02:22:14.559
I said, don't move. She took aim. Her arms felt

2266
02:22:14.559 --> 02:22:19.639
like rubber, cleansed the world of sin. He limped towards her,

2267
02:22:19.920 --> 02:22:24.079
dragging the axe along the ground. Stop, she said, her

2268
02:22:24.159 --> 02:22:30.680
voice breaking. You see it, don't you see them? It's

2269
02:22:30.719 --> 02:22:35.680
in your eyes, in your soul, he said, reaching out

2270
02:22:35.719 --> 02:22:39.719
for her with a bloody hand. Stone squeezed the trigger,

2271
02:22:39.920 --> 02:22:43.120
firing around into his chest and another into his forehead.

2272
02:22:43.440 --> 02:22:46.959
His brains exited in a geyser of gore. He fell

2273
02:22:47.000 --> 02:22:50.399
to his knees, the axe clattering to the ground. Then

2274
02:22:51.280 --> 02:22:56.440
he fell forward. His body shuddered and lay still. The

2275
02:22:56.520 --> 02:23:02.799
darkness took her once more. Stone saw her parents playing

2276
02:23:02.799 --> 02:23:05.959
with her as a child, followed by the great white

2277
02:23:06.000 --> 02:23:10.600
owl swooping down from the sky. It landed in a

2278
02:23:10.639 --> 02:23:19.040
tree watching her. It spoke to her. Oakie oaki oki

2279
02:23:19.840 --> 02:23:22.920
okie soccer so called from somewhere out in the hall

2280
02:23:24.120 --> 02:23:27.559
here she said, Stone wasn't sure if he'd hear her.

2281
02:23:28.079 --> 02:23:31.079
He stumbled into the room. Hang on, kid, He put

2282
02:23:31.120 --> 02:23:34.239
a hand over her wound, pressing tight. Back up's coming,

2283
02:23:34.520 --> 02:23:39.120
stay awake, okay, she grabbed his arm. God, my corns

2284
02:23:39.120 --> 02:23:41.799
are killing me. After tracking your damn ass all over town.

2285
02:23:43.079 --> 02:23:46.680
I'm dying and you're bitching about your feet. Shut the

2286
02:23:46.680 --> 02:23:49.799
fuck up. You're not dying. They make em tough where

2287
02:23:49.799 --> 02:23:56.600
you're from, right, Missouri? She nodded and smiled. Well, Merry Christmas, Missouri.

2288
02:24:04.520 --> 02:24:12.959
Satan Claus by Keith Tomlin December twenty fifth, nineteen ninety eight,

2289
02:24:13.479 --> 02:24:17.200
one forty five am. Edward burst out of the back

2290
02:24:17.239 --> 02:24:19.680
door of his house. His foot missed the second step

2291
02:24:19.719 --> 02:24:23.200
of the concrete stairs, and he went sprawling, landing hard

2292
02:24:23.440 --> 02:24:27.040
on the neglected wooden deck of his back patio. Gasping

2293
02:24:27.079 --> 02:24:29.520
for breath, he struggled to his feet, losing one of

2294
02:24:29.520 --> 02:24:32.559
his slippers. After a few tries, he regained his balance

2295
02:24:32.559 --> 02:24:35.000
and raced off into the woods that edged his backyard.

2296
02:24:35.479 --> 02:24:38.319
Burrs and thorns tore at his skin and clothing as

2297
02:24:38.360 --> 02:24:42.360
he plunged into the darkness. As Edward ran, he heard

2298
02:24:42.399 --> 02:24:47.079
a loud crash as something large and powerful followed after him.

2299
02:24:47.120 --> 02:24:50.799
An unearthly roar filled with hate and rage, rang through

2300
02:24:50.799 --> 02:24:55.639
the night. Edward pushed himself harder, charging faster into the forest.

2301
02:24:56.239 --> 02:24:58.479
After a few minutes of running in a blind panic,

2302
02:24:58.840 --> 02:25:02.479
Edward felt a sharp pain run from his chest down

2303
02:25:02.520 --> 02:25:05.840
his arm. He gasped and dropped at the base of

2304
02:25:05.879 --> 02:25:09.280
a large elm tree. Sobbing, he worked himself into a

2305
02:25:09.319 --> 02:25:13.600
sitting position, trying to breathe through the pain. He wiped

2306
02:25:13.639 --> 02:25:19.120
blood from his face, some his some from his wife.

2307
02:25:19.360 --> 02:25:22.239
Hearing a branch breaking, Edward tried to push himself up,

2308
02:25:22.280 --> 02:25:25.000
but the pain in his chest nearly caused him to

2309
02:25:25.000 --> 02:25:28.879
black out. Fighting unconsciousness, he felt hot breath on his

2310
02:25:28.959 --> 02:25:32.719
face as he fought to open his eyes. When he did,

2311
02:25:33.840 --> 02:25:38.280
Edward saw yellow, bloodshot eyes staring into his As the

2312
02:25:38.280 --> 02:25:42.559
creature snorted, sending its moist to rancid breath into his face.

2313
02:25:42.959 --> 02:25:45.280
It let out a blood curdling scream as it reached

2314
02:25:45.280 --> 02:25:48.799
for him with long arms ending in razor sharp claws.

2315
02:25:49.760 --> 02:25:53.319
As the creature tore Edward apart, his last thought was

2316
02:25:53.360 --> 02:25:55.639
not of the intense pain or the realization that his

2317
02:25:55.639 --> 02:26:00.680
life was over. It was a question, is that thing

2318
02:26:00.799 --> 02:26:10.559
wearing a Santa hat, Edward thought as he passed into darkness.

2319
02:26:10.600 --> 02:26:16.200
December twenty fourth, nineteen ninety nine, eleven fifteen, am Emily

2320
02:26:16.280 --> 02:26:20.920
looked incredulously at her thirteen year old brother Tyler satan clause,

2321
02:26:21.319 --> 02:26:25.600
are you fucking serious? She said, Well, yeah, I mean

2322
02:26:26.200 --> 02:26:29.479
it's real, well not real, but they think it's real,

2323
02:26:29.719 --> 02:26:34.120
Tyler said, trying to gather his thoughts. So we're going

2324
02:26:34.159 --> 02:26:38.040
to summon a pretend demon dressed like Santa Claus to

2325
02:26:38.079 --> 02:26:43.520
take care of our stepfather, Emily said, with scorn, Well sorta,

2326
02:26:44.000 --> 02:26:49.000
Tyler sighed, taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out. Okay,

2327
02:26:49.079 --> 02:26:52.639
so take the legend of Bloody Mary. The story goes

2328
02:26:52.639 --> 02:26:54.280
that if you look in the mirror and say her

2329
02:26:54.360 --> 02:26:57.760
name three times, she'll appear and start killing people. Now,

2330
02:26:58.079 --> 02:27:01.319
everyone knows that's not real. If you're having a sleepover

2331
02:27:01.399 --> 02:27:02.840
with friends and they dare you to look in the

2332
02:27:02.879 --> 02:27:05.440
mirror and say her name, you will, you know it's

2333
02:27:05.479 --> 02:27:09.280
not true and nothing will happen. But he said excitedly,

2334
02:27:10.079 --> 02:27:13.040
if it's night and you're alone in the house and

2335
02:27:13.079 --> 02:27:15.159
you're standing in front of a mirror, when the thought

2336
02:27:15.200 --> 02:27:18.639
crosses your mind to say her name three times? Will

2337
02:27:18.680 --> 02:27:23.040
you do it? Without waiting for an answer, Tyler went on, no,

2338
02:27:23.479 --> 02:27:26.200
you wouldn't, and why not. The logical part of your

2339
02:27:26.200 --> 02:27:29.079
mind will say, surely it's not real, it's just crazy talk.

2340
02:27:29.280 --> 02:27:31.600
But on a primal level, you know that if you

2341
02:27:31.639 --> 02:27:35.760
say her name three times, she may appear. This belief

2342
02:27:35.840 --> 02:27:39.440
is what gives these creatures their power. Tyler paused, slightly

2343
02:27:39.479 --> 02:27:45.559
out of breath. You are one weird kid. Emily said, yeah, well,

2344
02:27:45.959 --> 02:27:48.440
you know, growing up in this house does tend to

2345
02:27:48.479 --> 02:27:54.760
make one unusual. Tyler replied solemnly. Emily shook her head. Okay,

2346
02:27:55.120 --> 02:27:59.159
I'm still confused. What creatures are you talking about? Tyler

2347
02:27:59.159 --> 02:28:02.239
looked Emily in the end eyes, something he rarely did

2348
02:28:02.239 --> 02:28:07.079
with anyone. To be honest, I don't know. I just

2349
02:28:07.239 --> 02:28:10.959
know they exist. Throughout history, different cultures had legends of

2350
02:28:11.000 --> 02:28:14.399
horrific creatures that terrorize the common folk. I think that

2351
02:28:14.440 --> 02:28:17.280
these were all some kind of a supernatural force that

2352
02:28:17.360 --> 02:28:20.559
draws power from the beliefs and fears of the people.

2353
02:28:21.239 --> 02:28:24.680
If enough people believe in them, then these ghosts, demons

2354
02:28:24.799 --> 02:28:27.760
or whatever can draw strength in life from these beliefs

2355
02:28:27.760 --> 02:28:34.239
that will actually become these creatures. Wow, I think this

2356
02:28:34.319 --> 02:28:39.120
is insane, said Emily, speechless. I know, and I accept that,

2357
02:28:39.239 --> 02:28:42.120
but I need your help. For you this is a

2358
02:28:42.120 --> 02:28:44.639
win win. If you help and it works, we'll be

2359
02:28:44.760 --> 02:28:48.280
rid of that asshole forever. Tyler looked at Emily, who

2360
02:28:48.319 --> 02:28:52.319
nodded emphatically. If it doesn't work, then you have something

2361
02:28:52.360 --> 02:28:54.520
else to make fun of me for, Not that there's

2362
02:28:54.559 --> 02:28:58.040
any lack of material for that, Tyler said, pointing to

2363
02:28:58.120 --> 02:29:02.120
the piles of role playing manuals superhero comic books stacked

2364
02:29:02.159 --> 02:29:06.079
around his bedroom. Not for the first time, Emily was

2365
02:29:06.120 --> 02:29:10.760
amazed at how smart her brother was. Naive and childlike,

2366
02:29:10.959 --> 02:29:15.719
but also so goddamn smart. She had sworn to herself

2367
02:29:15.719 --> 02:29:17.920
to do whatever she had to do to make sure

2368
02:29:17.920 --> 02:29:21.959
that he reaches adulthood without life crushing his soul. She

2369
02:29:22.079 --> 02:29:23.959
was only a year older than him, but she was

2370
02:29:24.000 --> 02:29:27.000
a survivor. She could take all the pain and suffering

2371
02:29:27.040 --> 02:29:31.360
that life and her stepfather could dish out. Tyler, however,

2372
02:29:32.159 --> 02:29:34.959
was a fragile soul. If this helped him deal with

2373
02:29:35.000 --> 02:29:37.120
all the bullshit, then she was willing to go along

2374
02:29:37.159 --> 02:29:41.040
with it. Fuck it, I'm in, she said, consider it

2375
02:29:41.079 --> 02:29:48.680
your Christmas present. Well, really, Tyler said, clearly expecting more resistance.

2376
02:29:49.319 --> 02:29:53.680
Emily continued, Look, this is the most batshit crazy thing

2377
02:29:53.719 --> 02:29:56.239
I've ever heard, But you're my brother and I'll do

2378
02:29:56.280 --> 02:30:01.200
anything to support you. So Satan Clause, Tyler took a

2379
02:30:01.200 --> 02:30:06.040
few seconds to blink some tears away. Okay, So Satan

2380
02:30:06.079 --> 02:30:08.200
Clause is an urban legend that's been around for at

2381
02:30:08.280 --> 02:30:12.280
least fifteen years. Basically, it's a story of a department

2382
02:30:12.280 --> 02:30:14.399
store Santa that was beaten to death by a gang

2383
02:30:14.440 --> 02:30:17.040
of kids, and his wife got a revenge by baking

2384
02:30:17.079 --> 02:30:20.159
cookies with her blood. She tricked the kids into eating them,

2385
02:30:20.280 --> 02:30:22.639
which caused her husband to come back from the dead

2386
02:30:22.879 --> 02:30:26.600
and kill everyone. Tyler finally paused to take a breath.

2387
02:30:27.479 --> 02:30:30.079
At least nine times in the last seven years, there

2388
02:30:30.120 --> 02:30:32.840
have been a series of gruesome deaths on Christmas Eve,

2389
02:30:32.959 --> 02:30:35.520
so brutal that the police have suspected it was either

2390
02:30:35.559 --> 02:30:39.520
the work of a Satanic cult or some kind of huge,

2391
02:30:40.280 --> 02:30:45.280
unidentified wild creature. I disagree. I think it was the

2392
02:30:45.360 --> 02:30:48.159
legend of Satan Clause that killed them, and that's what

2393
02:30:48.239 --> 02:30:52.239
I want for dear old Frank, Tyler said, referring to

2394
02:30:52.280 --> 02:30:57.239
their stepfather. He deserves to die Emily said, in a cold,

2395
02:30:57.479 --> 02:31:01.959
hard voice, for what he's done to mom you and

2396
02:31:02.000 --> 02:31:05.879
for what he tried to do. Emily trailed off. Tyler

2397
02:31:05.920 --> 02:31:10.760
awkwardly reached out and patted her hand. I know he'll

2398
02:31:10.799 --> 02:31:14.639
pay for all of it, So all we need to

2399
02:31:14.639 --> 02:31:17.440
do is get Frank to eat some cookies, Emily asked.

2400
02:31:17.920 --> 02:31:23.120
Tyler nodded, what do you need from me? Emily finally asked.

2401
02:31:27.639 --> 02:31:32.559
December twenty fifth, nineteen ninety nine, twelve thirty six am

2402
02:31:33.520 --> 02:31:37.360
Emily rubbed the band aid covering her finger, thinking that

2403
02:31:37.440 --> 02:31:39.719
only her brother could talk her into using her blood

2404
02:31:39.719 --> 02:31:42.879
as an ingredient in a cookie recipe. If she had

2405
02:31:42.920 --> 02:31:45.479
to be honest, She enjoyed cutting her finger a lot

2406
02:31:45.520 --> 02:31:48.959
more than baking the cookies. The first batch ended up

2407
02:31:48.959 --> 02:31:51.760
a burned, smoking mess, and she had to mix up

2408
02:31:51.760 --> 02:31:55.399
and recut a second batch. She shook her head, thinking

2409
02:31:55.440 --> 02:31:59.239
about the things that people do for family. Emily looked

2410
02:31:59.239 --> 02:32:01.719
down at her brother asleep on the couch next to

2411
02:32:01.760 --> 02:32:07.360
her and sighed, she loved that crazy little bastard. She

2412
02:32:07.479 --> 02:32:09.879
turned back towards the large picture window to keep up

2413
02:32:09.879 --> 02:32:13.479
her vigil on the dark street outside. After a minute

2414
02:32:13.559 --> 02:32:16.280
or so, the lights from an approaching car lit up

2415
02:32:16.280 --> 02:32:19.680
the neighboring houses. Emily leaned further over the back of

2416
02:32:19.680 --> 02:32:22.600
the couch, face pressed against the window to get a

2417
02:32:22.600 --> 02:32:26.239
better look. When a familiar car pulled into the driveway

2418
02:32:26.239 --> 02:32:28.840
of the house across the street, Emily grabbed her brother

2419
02:32:28.879 --> 02:32:29.680
and shook him awake.

2420
02:32:31.639 --> 02:32:36.040
There's more scares where that came from. Weakly, Spooky will

2421
02:32:36.079 --> 02:32:36.760
be right.

2422
02:32:36.600 --> 02:32:41.799
Back, Tyler. Frank just pulled into our driveway, Emily whispered loudly.

2423
02:32:42.399 --> 02:32:45.920
Tyler sat up, rubbing his eyes. Looking around, he asked,

2424
02:32:46.680 --> 02:32:51.040
where's Missus Patterson. Missus Patterson is in bed. It's past midnight,

2425
02:32:51.319 --> 02:32:55.079
Emily said. Missus Patterson was an elderly woman who lived

2426
02:32:55.079 --> 02:32:59.319
across the street from them, and, understanding their volatile family situation,

2427
02:32:59.680 --> 02:33:01.719
often let the kids spend the night at her house

2428
02:33:02.040 --> 02:33:04.280
while their mom was working the graveyard shift at the

2429
02:33:04.360 --> 02:33:07.639
nursing home. Grab the binoculars and keep your voice down,

2430
02:33:08.000 --> 02:33:12.120
Emily commanded. Tyler's eyes popped open as he suddenly remembered

2431
02:33:12.399 --> 02:33:15.520
what they had planned for Frank. He grabbed his cheap

2432
02:33:15.559 --> 02:33:18.200
pair of binoculars from the coffee table and joined his sister.

2433
02:33:18.520 --> 02:33:21.639
Leaning over the back of the couch, Frank pulled into

2434
02:33:21.639 --> 02:33:24.840
the snow covered driveway, his ragged old Ford sliding to

2435
02:33:24.879 --> 02:33:28.000
a stop, almost hitting the garage door. He opened the

2436
02:33:28.040 --> 02:33:31.879
car door and stumbled out. Frank was a tall, lean man,

2437
02:33:32.000 --> 02:33:35.000
what some may call wiry. He had a face that

2438
02:33:35.200 --> 02:33:38.120
used to be quite handsome and may still be to

2439
02:33:38.200 --> 02:33:41.520
some hidden under the years of hard living and even

2440
02:33:41.559 --> 02:33:45.600
harder drinking. Frank lived to drink and spent most evenings

2441
02:33:45.639 --> 02:33:49.159
complaining about his miserable life to the regulars at Whitey's Tavern,

2442
02:33:49.559 --> 02:33:52.360
a dive bar a few blocks from his house. He

2443
02:33:52.399 --> 02:33:56.440
would usually come home shit faced tonight, however, he was

2444
02:33:56.479 --> 02:33:59.639
well beyond that. One of the bar patrons, a well

2445
02:33:59.680 --> 02:34:02.479
to do businessman that liked to flaunt his success, kept

2446
02:34:02.479 --> 02:34:06.399
buying drinks for the house. Frank kept drinking, and he

2447
02:34:06.559 --> 02:34:12.360
kept getting angrier. Frank's passed kept rolling around in his head.

2448
02:34:12.719 --> 02:34:15.799
Why has his life turned out like shit? Why is

2449
02:34:15.840 --> 02:34:18.440
everyone against him? Why did that bitch of an ex

2450
02:34:18.520 --> 02:34:20.559
wife keep hounding him for money to buy gifts for

2451
02:34:20.600 --> 02:34:24.319
a bunch of ungrateful little shits. Why did his current

2452
02:34:24.360 --> 02:34:26.840
wife keep picking up extra shifts when she should be

2453
02:34:26.879 --> 02:34:29.639
home taking care of him. Why do her fucking brats

2454
02:34:29.680 --> 02:34:33.239
show him no respect in his own goddamn house. Frank

2455
02:34:33.280 --> 02:34:35.200
shut the car door and made his way up the

2456
02:34:35.360 --> 02:34:38.559
icy walkway to the front of the house, swaying as

2457
02:34:38.559 --> 02:34:42.479
he opened up the front door and walked inside. Hey,

2458
02:34:43.799 --> 02:34:47.959
anyone here, Frank bellowed, slamming the front door. Where the

2459
02:34:48.040 --> 02:34:51.440
fuck is my dinner? Frank listened to the sounds of

2460
02:34:51.440 --> 02:34:54.479
an empty house as he remembered that his bitch wife

2461
02:34:54.559 --> 02:34:58.120
was working tonight. Frank mumbled curses under his breath as

2462
02:34:58.159 --> 02:34:59.920
he walked across the small living room to the k

2463
02:35:00.879 --> 02:35:03.360
Seeing a pizza box on the counter, he opened it

2464
02:35:03.440 --> 02:35:06.920
up and grabbed a slice. Chewing on the cold pizza,

2465
02:35:07.120 --> 02:35:09.360
he walked over to the fridge and grabbed a beer.

2466
02:35:09.959 --> 02:35:11.879
He was walking back to the living room when he

2467
02:35:11.959 --> 02:35:15.319
noticed a plate of cookies with a note under it. Squinting,

2468
02:35:15.440 --> 02:35:18.520
he picked up the note and read it. Frank, I

2469
02:35:18.559 --> 02:35:21.479
know we've not gotten along, but for Mom's sake, I

2470
02:35:21.520 --> 02:35:24.600
want to try to fix that. Please accept these cookies

2471
02:35:24.600 --> 02:35:28.840
as a peace offering. Merry Christmas, Emily, the note said.

2472
02:35:29.440 --> 02:35:31.760
Frank picked up the plate with the cookies and turned

2473
02:35:31.799 --> 02:35:34.319
back to the living room. He paused at the end

2474
02:35:34.360 --> 02:35:36.399
of the counter and dropped the cookies, plate and all

2475
02:35:36.879 --> 02:35:41.040
into the trash can. Tyler reached out and grabbed Emily's arm.

2476
02:35:41.360 --> 02:35:44.040
He picked up the cookies, he said, excitedly, looking through

2477
02:35:44.040 --> 02:35:50.600
the binoculars. He's walking Wait. Oh no, he threw them away,

2478
02:35:51.280 --> 02:35:55.079
Tyler said quietly, as silent tears began to roll down

2479
02:35:55.079 --> 02:35:58.719
his face. Give me those, Emily said, as she grabbed

2480
02:35:58.760 --> 02:36:01.360
up the binoculars. She brought them up to her face

2481
02:36:01.360 --> 02:36:03.879
and pointed them at the run down house across the street.

2482
02:36:04.399 --> 02:36:08.360
Because a particularly violent outburst from Frank last week resulted

2483
02:36:08.360 --> 02:36:10.920
in the curtain rods being ripped down, she had a

2484
02:36:10.920 --> 02:36:13.200
good view of the living room and most of the kitchen.

2485
02:36:13.680 --> 02:36:17.520
Emily focused on Frank, sitting in an armchair, drinking a

2486
02:36:17.559 --> 02:36:25.680
beer and watching TV. Emily sighed, lowering the binoculars. Damn, oh, well,

2487
02:36:25.920 --> 02:36:29.360
we tried. She turned to her brother, and her heart

2488
02:36:29.440 --> 02:36:34.200
broke when she looked upon his face wet with tears. Hey,

2489
02:36:35.120 --> 02:36:38.760
don't worry, we'll get through this. Emily reached out and

2490
02:36:38.840 --> 02:36:44.479
hugged Tyler, who began to sob louder. Okay, it'll be okay.

2491
02:36:45.079 --> 02:36:48.520
Emily leaned back and looked Tyler in the eyes. You

2492
02:36:48.600 --> 02:36:50.920
know that this wasn't going to actually work, don't you?

2493
02:36:51.959 --> 02:36:58.040
Tyler shrugged, wiping at the wetness on his cheek. Emily sighed, okay, fine,

2494
02:36:58.600 --> 02:37:02.200
I still owe you a Christmas present, and I'll go

2495
02:37:02.280 --> 02:37:03.959
over there and try to get the ass hat to

2496
02:37:03.959 --> 02:37:06.639
eat a blood cookie. Even if some creature doesn't rip

2497
02:37:06.680 --> 02:37:09.239
him a new asshole, it would be fun just watching that.

2498
02:37:10.600 --> 02:37:14.559
Tyler hugged her tightly for a few seconds. Emily hugged

2499
02:37:14.639 --> 02:37:17.440
him back. She then stood up and looked at Tyler,

2500
02:37:18.159 --> 02:37:20.639
you stay here. I'll be back in a few minutes.

2501
02:37:21.600 --> 02:37:25.639
Walking away, Emily thought, once again, the things you do

2502
02:37:25.719 --> 02:37:29.719
for family. Emily stood on the front stoop of her house,

2503
02:37:30.120 --> 02:37:33.639
shivering in her thin jacket. She took a few deep breaths,

2504
02:37:33.719 --> 02:37:37.360
trying to build up her courage. Damn it, why did

2505
02:37:37.360 --> 02:37:41.360
I agree to do this, Emily thought, exhaling. She turned

2506
02:37:41.360 --> 02:37:45.879
the doorknob and walked inside. Oh hi, Frank, she said,

2507
02:37:45.920 --> 02:37:49.120
as she shut the door. Where the fuck have you been?

2508
02:37:49.559 --> 02:37:53.159
Frank said, without taking his eyes off the TV set. Oh,

2509
02:37:53.639 --> 02:37:55.559
I'm staying at a friend's house. I just stopped by

2510
02:37:55.639 --> 02:37:59.159
to pick something up I forgot. Emily answered, where's your

2511
02:37:59.159 --> 02:38:04.559
retarded brother? Frank said, still watching TV. Emily ignored the insult.

2512
02:38:05.000 --> 02:38:08.440
He's staying with them too. Mom knows your mom doesn't

2513
02:38:08.440 --> 02:38:10.559
tell me shit. I never know what the fuck is

2514
02:38:10.600 --> 02:38:13.760
going on in my own house, Frank said, raising his voice.

2515
02:38:14.600 --> 02:38:19.200
Oh I figured she would, Emily said. A silence fell

2516
02:38:19.200 --> 02:38:22.680
over them, only broken by the muted sound of the television.

2517
02:38:23.600 --> 02:38:26.680
Uh did you see the cookies I baked you, Emily

2518
02:38:26.719 --> 02:38:30.680
asked hesitantly. Frank tossed an empty bottle across the room.

2519
02:38:31.000 --> 02:38:33.239
It landed on the bare wooden floor and rolled to

2520
02:38:33.319 --> 02:38:36.799
a stop next to a table lamp. Get me another beer,

2521
02:38:37.159 --> 02:38:41.399
Frank said. Emily stood still for a few seconds, trying

2522
02:38:41.440 --> 02:38:44.079
to keep her temper in check. She then walked to

2523
02:38:44.120 --> 02:38:46.120
the fridge and grabbed a beer from a half full

2524
02:38:46.200 --> 02:38:49.159
six pack. She paused and grabbed a cookie out of

2525
02:38:49.159 --> 02:38:52.639
the trash can before moving to the living room. Here's

2526
02:38:52.680 --> 02:38:56.760
your beer, Emily said, trying to sound cheerful. She sat

2527
02:38:56.799 --> 02:39:00.959
a beer on the end table next to Frank's prized recliner. Also,

2528
02:39:01.520 --> 02:39:03.840
here's one of the cookies I made for you, she said,

2529
02:39:03.879 --> 02:39:06.079
sitting at cookie down next to the bottle of beer.

2530
02:39:06.520 --> 02:39:08.719
Frank's hand shot out and grabbed her by the arm.

2531
02:39:09.200 --> 02:39:12.719
He began moving his index finger lightly tracing circles on

2532
02:39:12.799 --> 02:39:16.200
the inside of her wrist. He looked up at her, sneering.

2533
02:39:17.079 --> 02:39:19.760
Emily pulled out of his grip. She glared at Frank,

2534
02:39:19.799 --> 02:39:23.840
struggling to hold her temper. Look, I'm trying to be nice.

2535
02:39:23.840 --> 02:39:26.120
I made you some cookies as a peace offering, and

2536
02:39:26.159 --> 02:39:28.680
the least you could do is try one, Emily said

2537
02:39:28.719 --> 02:39:31.879
through gritted teeth. Frank opened the beer and took a

2538
02:39:31.920 --> 02:39:34.520
long pole from it. He slammed it down on the

2539
02:39:34.600 --> 02:39:37.639
end table, smashing the cookie. If you want to be

2540
02:39:37.799 --> 02:39:41.680
nice to me, he said, sarcastically, you could make me

2541
02:39:41.760 --> 02:39:45.440
a sandwich. After a few moments, Frank looked over and

2542
02:39:45.520 --> 02:39:49.559
noticed that she was still standing there, staring daggers at him.

2543
02:39:50.239 --> 02:39:53.799
Look women are only good for two things, he said,

2544
02:39:54.520 --> 02:40:00.040
cooking and fuckin' it's your choice. Bawling her hands in

2545
02:40:00.079 --> 02:40:02.959
to fists, Emily turned and walked back to the kitchen.

2546
02:40:03.280 --> 02:40:05.879
After taking a moment to calm herself down, she opened

2547
02:40:05.959 --> 02:40:08.120
up the fridge and grabbed some baloney and a jar

2548
02:40:08.159 --> 02:40:12.159
of mayonnaise. Hearing the fridge door open, Frank yelled, get

2549
02:40:12.200 --> 02:40:16.319
me another beer too. Emily ignored him and grabbed a

2550
02:40:16.319 --> 02:40:19.719
butter knife from the utensil drawer. She slapped the bolooney

2551
02:40:19.799 --> 02:40:21.920
on a piece of bread and smeared a generous portion

2552
02:40:22.000 --> 02:40:25.000
of mao on top. Reaching back into the trash can,

2553
02:40:25.399 --> 02:40:28.799
she grabbed another cookie. She rolled the jar of mayonnaise

2554
02:40:28.840 --> 02:40:32.879
over the cookie, reducing it to crumbs. Scooping up the crumbs,

2555
02:40:33.040 --> 02:40:35.440
she tossed them on the sandwich and smashed the second

2556
02:40:35.440 --> 02:40:38.639
piece of bread on top. She turned around and dropped

2557
02:40:38.639 --> 02:40:40.920
the plate as she ran into Frank, who had walked

2558
02:40:41.000 --> 02:40:44.559
up behind her. Taking advantage of her surprise, he reached

2559
02:40:44.600 --> 02:40:47.399
and pulled her close to him, the alcohol from his

2560
02:40:47.479 --> 02:40:52.079
breath burning her eyes. I decided that I'm not hungry,

2561
02:40:52.719 --> 02:40:58.639
which only leaves one option, Frank said. Emily growled with rage,

2562
02:40:58.680 --> 02:41:01.559
bringing her knee up with all her might, swinging towards

2563
02:41:01.559 --> 02:41:05.280
his crotch. Frank laughed as he turned slightly, taking the

2564
02:41:05.319 --> 02:41:09.239
blow on his upper thigh. Darling, you ain't gonna catch

2565
02:41:09.239 --> 02:41:12.239
me with that move again. Emily started to reach up

2566
02:41:12.280 --> 02:41:16.200
towards Frank's face, her fingers curled into claws. Frank's hand

2567
02:41:16.239 --> 02:41:18.920
shot out and grabbed her by the neck. Stop fighting.

2568
02:41:19.040 --> 02:41:21.879
Or I'll crush your fucking throat, he growled as he

2569
02:41:21.920 --> 02:41:22.719
squeezed her neck.

2570
02:41:24.159 --> 02:41:28.639
If you're not afraid, then you're already dead. Weakly spooky,

2571
02:41:28.719 --> 02:41:29.639
We'll be right back.

2572
02:41:31.360 --> 02:41:34.920
Emily began to panic as Frank squeezed harder. She was

2573
02:41:34.920 --> 02:41:37.719
swinging her arms wildly, trying to knock his hand loose.

2574
02:41:38.200 --> 02:41:42.399
Frank wasn't a large guy, but he possessed an unexpected strength.

2575
02:41:42.840 --> 02:41:44.719
He used that strength to lift her up by the

2576
02:41:44.799 --> 02:41:47.559
neck and slam her down on the counter. Emily's head

2577
02:41:47.600 --> 02:41:49.959
hit the formica hard enough to cause her to briefly

2578
02:41:50.000 --> 02:41:53.239
lose consciousness. She woke up to fingers tugging at the

2579
02:41:53.239 --> 02:41:56.520
buttons on her shirt. She tried protesting, but it felt

2580
02:41:56.559 --> 02:41:59.799
like she was moving in slow motion. A slap stung

2581
02:41:59.840 --> 02:42:02.559
her cheek and threatened to send her back into darkness.

2582
02:42:03.639 --> 02:42:07.280
Frank pulled his hand back and slapped her again. Little

2583
02:42:07.319 --> 02:42:11.319
miss cock teas Frank said, leaning over her. As he

2584
02:42:11.360 --> 02:42:14.479
brought his hand back to hit her again, something flew

2585
02:42:14.520 --> 02:42:17.239
by his head. He looked up as a pair of

2586
02:42:17.280 --> 02:42:23.040
binoculars hit the front door and shattered what the Frank

2587
02:42:23.079 --> 02:42:26.239
said as something leaped on him from behind, arms reaching

2588
02:42:26.280 --> 02:42:30.280
around his face. Frank laughed as he realized who'd attacked him.

2589
02:42:30.719 --> 02:42:34.120
It's the little fucking retard coming to rescue his sister,

2590
02:42:34.559 --> 02:42:38.360
Frank said, grinning like a madman. Frank reached back and

2591
02:42:38.399 --> 02:42:40.600
grabbed Tyler by the back of the shirt and tossed

2592
02:42:40.680 --> 02:42:43.680
him into the refrigerator door. Tyler slid down and hit

2593
02:42:43.719 --> 02:42:46.959
the ground hard. With Frank's hands off her throat, Emily

2594
02:42:47.079 --> 02:42:49.319
was able to catch her breath as she coughed and

2595
02:42:49.319 --> 02:42:52.280
struggled to clear her head. She reached out with fumbling hands,

2596
02:42:52.440 --> 02:42:56.239
trying to find something, anything, to help her. When she

2597
02:42:56.319 --> 02:42:59.159
felt a cold metal handle, she grabbed it and swung

2598
02:42:59.200 --> 02:43:02.879
it blindly at front. The mayonnaise covered butter knife slammed

2599
02:43:02.879 --> 02:43:07.399
into Frank's upper arm, burying itself deep enough to hit bone.

2600
02:43:07.479 --> 02:43:10.040
As Frank screamed and ripped the knife out of his arm,

2601
02:43:10.280 --> 02:43:13.280
Emily began rolling around the counter, hitting the edge. She

2602
02:43:13.319 --> 02:43:15.639
fell off, landing on the trash can and sending it

2603
02:43:15.719 --> 02:43:19.639
crashing across the floor. The noise jolted Frank into action,

2604
02:43:19.760 --> 02:43:22.319
and he leaped forward, trying to grab her ankles as

2605
02:43:22.319 --> 02:43:25.760
she scrambled across the cracked linoleum onto the cheap threadbare

2606
02:43:25.840 --> 02:43:28.920
carpet of the living room. Emily crawled toward the front door,

2607
02:43:28.959 --> 02:43:31.920
but stopped when she looked back and noticed Tyler, who

2608
02:43:31.959 --> 02:43:35.040
was beginning to stir on the kitchen floor. She tried

2609
02:43:35.040 --> 02:43:37.440
to yell for her brother, but her bruised and swollen

2610
02:43:37.520 --> 02:43:40.920
throat could only manage a weak moan. Frank stormed into

2611
02:43:40.920 --> 02:43:43.239
the living room. As he approached Emily, she cocked her

2612
02:43:43.280 --> 02:43:45.760
leg back and aimed to kick at his knee. He

2613
02:43:45.879 --> 02:43:48.319
jumped to the side, avoiding her strike, and pounced on her,

2614
02:43:48.520 --> 02:43:51.159
pinning her to the carpet. He leaned forward inches from

2615
02:43:51.200 --> 02:43:55.559
her face and said, in a quiet, rage filled voice,

2616
02:43:56.079 --> 02:44:00.440
Merry Christmas. Frank leaned back and started swinging his fist

2617
02:44:00.520 --> 02:44:03.200
to Emily's head. She did her best to block the blows,

2618
02:44:03.200 --> 02:44:05.799
but he kept on swinging, unleashing the rage upon her.

2619
02:44:06.319 --> 02:44:08.879
After a few moments, he stopped, out of breath and

2620
02:44:08.920 --> 02:44:13.360
looked back toward the kitchen. Tyler was standing there, holding

2621
02:44:13.399 --> 02:44:18.760
something triumphantly in his hand. Frank, let her go, I'll

2622
02:44:18.760 --> 02:44:22.799
do it, I swear, Tyler yelled, holding his hand out.

2623
02:44:23.520 --> 02:44:26.879
Emily looked up, her face already starting to swell, and

2624
02:44:27.000 --> 02:44:29.879
tried to focus on Tyler. When she saw what he

2625
02:44:29.920 --> 02:44:33.159
was holding in his hand, a realization hit her like

2626
02:44:33.200 --> 02:44:36.280
a bucket of cold water. She knew what he was

2627
02:44:36.319 --> 02:44:41.200
about to do. She knew, and she believed. Emily tried

2628
02:44:41.200 --> 02:44:43.040
to yell at him to stop, but all she could

2629
02:44:43.040 --> 02:44:47.879
do was lay there and watch. Frank, looking confused, stood

2630
02:44:47.920 --> 02:44:51.120
to face the youngster. Tyler held up a cookie for

2631
02:44:51.159 --> 02:44:54.120
a few seconds and then yelled, take this, you son

2632
02:44:54.159 --> 02:44:56.920
of a bitch. He then shoved the whole cookie in

2633
02:44:56.959 --> 02:45:01.360
his mouth and started chewing vigorously. Frank shook his head

2634
02:45:01.360 --> 02:45:06.559
and said, you are one fucking weird kid as he

2635
02:45:06.639 --> 02:45:10.520
began to move. Tyler stood there, defiantly, chewing as Frank

2636
02:45:10.559 --> 02:45:13.079
closed in on him. Just as Frank crossed over into

2637
02:45:13.079 --> 02:45:17.879
the kitchen, a loud thud shook the house. At first,

2638
02:45:17.879 --> 02:45:20.680
Emily thought a car hit their house, but as a

2639
02:45:20.719 --> 02:45:24.040
thunderous roar pierced the night, she knew that Tyler had

2640
02:45:24.040 --> 02:45:30.399
been correct. Satan Clause had arrived. Frank, who had his

2641
02:45:30.479 --> 02:45:33.479
fist raised to strike Tyler, turned and took a few

2642
02:45:33.520 --> 02:45:38.319
steps toward the door, holding his ears. The scream suddenly stopped.

2643
02:45:38.799 --> 02:45:42.360
There were a few seconds of silence, dead silence where

2644
02:45:42.399 --> 02:45:44.079
the only sound you could hear was the beating of

2645
02:45:44.120 --> 02:45:49.120
your own heart. And then the front door exploded. Fragments

2646
02:45:49.120 --> 02:45:51.799
of wood, glass, and metal shot through the air, revealing

2647
02:45:52.360 --> 02:46:00.200
a gruesome creature. The creature filled the doorway, ducking down

2648
02:46:00.280 --> 02:46:02.680
to enter the room. It had a vaguely wolf like

2649
02:46:02.760 --> 02:46:06.120
face and large pointed horns. It wore a tight, dirty

2650
02:46:06.159 --> 02:46:09.200
red jacket trimmed in white fur on its ape like torso.

2651
02:46:09.600 --> 02:46:12.239
It stood on two massive legs that ended in cloven

2652
02:46:12.280 --> 02:46:15.559
hoofs that caused the ground to shake with every step.

2653
02:46:15.920 --> 02:46:18.319
It had long, wicked claws at the end of its

2654
02:46:18.399 --> 02:46:23.200
elongated arms. The strangest part was the almost comical, undersized

2655
02:46:23.239 --> 02:46:27.840
red hat that sat on the creature's head. Frank appeared dazed,

2656
02:46:27.959 --> 02:46:30.719
dozens of small cuts along his face and arms. He

2657
02:46:30.840 --> 02:46:33.120
staggered forward as if he were going to push by

2658
02:46:33.200 --> 02:46:35.920
the creature to leave. The demon looked down at Frank

2659
02:46:35.959 --> 02:46:38.879
as if amused, then grabbed him by the neck. It

2660
02:46:39.000 --> 02:46:42.079
raised Frank high and then slammed him to the floor.

2661
02:46:42.520 --> 02:46:44.840
Emily stumbled to her feet and ran to Tyler, who

2662
02:46:44.920 --> 02:46:47.559
was slumped against the fridge. The creature roared as it

2663
02:46:47.600 --> 02:46:50.799
began to tear Frank's chest open. Emily grabbed Tyler by

2664
02:46:50.840 --> 02:46:53.239
the shoulders and turned toward the back door when a

2665
02:46:53.239 --> 02:46:56.719
body part, probably a leg, flew across the room and

2666
02:46:56.840 --> 02:46:59.239
slammed into the wall next to it. She then gathered

2667
02:46:59.280 --> 02:47:02.040
up Tyler and ran down the hall to her mom's bedroom,

2668
02:47:02.200 --> 02:47:04.959
the only one with a lock on the door. Emily

2669
02:47:05.040 --> 02:47:07.559
laid her brother on the floor, then she noticed he

2670
02:47:07.680 --> 02:47:10.440
was gasping for air. She looked down and saw blood

2671
02:47:10.520 --> 02:47:13.120
pouring from a wound on his chest, where a large

2672
02:47:13.159 --> 02:47:17.159
piece of wood was protruding. Sobbing, she cradled him in

2673
02:47:17.159 --> 02:47:19.920
her arms, listening to the blood rattle in his chest

2674
02:47:19.959 --> 02:47:23.280
with every breath. The house shook as the creature walked

2675
02:47:23.280 --> 02:47:25.760
down the hall. It stopped in front of the bedroom

2676
02:47:25.799 --> 02:47:28.520
door and kicked the door off of its hinges. It

2677
02:47:28.520 --> 02:47:32.079
took two long steps and stood over the two siblings.

2678
02:47:32.879 --> 02:47:36.280
Leaning down, It took in a deep breath and seemed

2679
02:47:36.319 --> 02:47:40.360
to shiver with anticipation. Emily held her brother tight and

2680
02:47:40.440 --> 02:47:44.120
closed her eyes. The creature reached forward, a single talon

2681
02:47:44.239 --> 02:47:48.040
waving in the air teasingly. All of a sudden, the

2682
02:47:48.079 --> 02:47:50.920
creature stood up straight, whipping its head around like it

2683
02:47:50.959 --> 02:47:54.600
heard something off in the distance. It turned and bolted

2684
02:47:54.600 --> 02:47:58.239
out of the room. Emily sat there in a state

2685
02:47:58.280 --> 02:48:01.399
of shock, convinced that any it would bring the creature back.

2686
02:48:02.159 --> 02:48:05.680
When the phone rang, Emily's heart jumped. She reached with

2687
02:48:05.719 --> 02:48:09.120
one hand to the nightstand and grabbed the receiver. She

2688
02:48:09.239 --> 02:48:12.079
tried to say something, but could only produce a weak,

2689
02:48:12.440 --> 02:48:18.559
raspy grunt. Hello, Emily, this is Mom. Emily managed to

2690
02:48:18.600 --> 02:48:23.799
croak out, Mom, Yes, honey, it's Mom. You sound sick.

2691
02:48:24.120 --> 02:48:26.479
You better go get some sleep. I just wanted to

2692
02:48:26.479 --> 02:48:28.760
call and thank you for trying to make nice with Frank.

2693
02:48:29.319 --> 02:48:31.000
I know it's been a hard year, but I think

2694
02:48:31.040 --> 02:48:33.799
things will get better. It was a nice gesture to

2695
02:48:33.799 --> 02:48:36.559
bake him some cookies. He doesn't have much of a

2696
02:48:36.600 --> 02:48:38.920
sweet tooth, so I hope you don't mind that I

2697
02:48:39.000 --> 02:48:41.520
brought some to work. I've been passing them out in

2698
02:48:41.559 --> 02:48:45.239
the breakroom and they're a huge hit. Everybody just loves them.

2699
02:48:45.799 --> 02:48:49.760
Emily's mom paused as loud noises and screams can be heard.

2700
02:48:50.879 --> 02:48:53.639
Oh my, something is going on down the hall. I

2701
02:48:53.639 --> 02:48:55.120
had better get off here and see if I can

2702
02:48:55.159 --> 02:49:00.680
help you get some rest. Merry Christmas, sweetheart. The phone

2703
02:49:00.879 --> 02:49:09.479
went dead well, my spookies, it's about time for me

2704
02:49:09.520 --> 02:49:12.399
to get out of here, but just for now, there'll

2705
02:49:12.440 --> 02:49:16.520
be several more holiday packages ready for you to unwrap

2706
02:49:16.879 --> 02:49:19.879
right here at Weekly Spooky, So make sure you're subscribed

2707
02:49:20.120 --> 02:49:23.799
on your favorite podcasting app. And I wasn't being naughty

2708
02:49:23.840 --> 02:49:26.760
when I said there would be ten brand new holiday

2709
02:49:26.799 --> 02:49:32.200
horrors this year for Weekly Spooky, so stay tuned. You'll

2710
02:49:32.239 --> 02:49:35.479
have something to listen to every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday

2711
02:49:35.920 --> 02:49:41.079
and maybe even beyond all through December. See you next time, spookys.