Día de los Muertos: 8 Stories from Beyond the Grave — Ghosts, Zombies & Grave Robbers

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Hello, my spookies. Well it looks like the season of

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how Loween has come to an end. But of course,

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here at Weekly Spooky, it's always Halloween at least once

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a week, so make sure you're subscribed. But today is

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a special day. It's Die de rosmrtos, the Day of

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the Dead, a day when we spend time remembering those

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we've lost and when they can possibly speak for themselves.

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So I've put together a special compilation of some of

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my favorite stories all about returning from the grave. Some

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of them are scary, some of them are disgusting. Some

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of them are even a little funny. So get comfortable

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and get ready for eight stories from Beyond the Grave.

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I hope you enjoy them as much as I did,

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so thank you and enjoy.

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The spirit of Langley Pond by Charles Campbell.

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Summer nineteen eighty one. Elena Ann Sanders swam for all

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she was worth. She could hear the echo of her

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mother's sentiment in her mind. Don't get into any trouble.

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Call me if you need me to come get you.

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No questions asked. Elena wished she had listened to her

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mother instead. It was nearly midnight, and she was swimming

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for her life to shore. Elena was beginning to think

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she was going to make it. She was going to

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see her mother again. The crack of a gunshot was

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the last sound Elena heard before the darkness of the

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water claimed her. Langley Pond was going to be her grave.

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Summer two thousand and twenty one, Langley Pond had changed

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quite a bit in the last forty years, Being billed

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as the largest pond in North America, it was nearly

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the size of a lake. No longer were clay mud

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slides used as makeshift boat ramps. Now there were full fledged,

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paved boat ramps descending into the water. There were designated

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picnic areas spread around the shoreline, along with a few

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cabins that were rented nearly every weekend. It was almost

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ten o'clock at night and the humidity of the day

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still hung in the air. Brianna Turner glanced at her

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cell phone. It was eighty two degrees. Ugh, I can't

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believe how hot it is, Brianna said. She peeled a

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strand of sweat stuck hair from her forehead and grinned

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at her friend Andy Spires. Andy smiled back and said, yeah,

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it was over a hundred today. Thought we might get

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a little relief by being near the water and all

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guess not. At least we have the cabin with the

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window unit. That's a plus. You're right, that's a plus,

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Brianna agreed. They both turned toward the woods when they

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heard snapping twigs and shuffling feet. Hey, Frog, y'all catch anything,

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Andy asked when he saw Frog Spradley and his girl

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of the week, Jenny Coggins clear the tree line into

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their sight. Had a few nibbles, but nothing big. Threw

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them all back, Frog said, Jenny smiled, but she didn't

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look all that happy to be trapesing through the woods.

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Good thing we brought beanie weenies. Then, Andy said. Jenny

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gave him the you can't be serious look, and Frog replied,

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damn man, you are a lifesaver. Beanie weenies are the shit.

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I thought I'd have to break out the Vienna sausages

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and saltine crackers. Hey, Jenny, you want to go in

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the cabin and cool off, Brianna asked, yes. Jenny shouted

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it was hot, she was sticky, and if this excursion

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with Frog taught her anything, she was definitely an inside girl.

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The boys watched as the girls walked into the cabin. Okay, Frog,

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where'd you find that one? Andy asked. Frog gave him

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a sneaky smile, and sheepishly shrugged his shoulders. Come on, man,

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I don't recognize her. She ain't one of your usual

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Valley honeys. She's from Martinez. Frog whispered, Why are you whispering?

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She can't hear us out here. What in the world

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were you doing in Martinez? And how'd you get her?

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She looks too sophisticated to be stomping around Langley Pond,

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especially with you the prints of the valley. She don't

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know nothing about the valley, does she? Andy asked, Well

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she does now. I told her about the spirit of

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Langley Pond. Frog replied, you didn't, and she hasn't left screaming,

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not yet. Maybe it's because her phone died while we

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were fishing. She seemed more interested in whatever was on

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Instagram or Facebook than catching a catfish inside the cabin.

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Oh my god, that ac feels fantastic, Jenny said, and

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stuck her face in front of the window unit. It

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was turned all the way up and Jenny's sandy blonde

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hair blue behind her like she was riding on the

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back of a motorcycle. Yeah, it's the only cabin out

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here with one. Andy sprang for the extra sixty bucks,

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said it would be worth it to sleep in comfort,

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and he ain't wrong. It's sticky as hell outside. How

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long you and Frog been seeing each other? Oh? I

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just met him yesterday. Where are you from? You ain't

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from the valley valley? What's the valley, Jenny asked? You're

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in it, Brianna answered and continued. You know that main

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road you took to get here, the one that went

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through a bunch of little bitty towns. Yeah, Jenny replied

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and turned to face Brianna. Brianna was grinning and her

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brown eyes were gleaming. Jenny really paid attention to Brianna

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for the first time, and she had this country girl

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pretty thing going for. She looked like she could be

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fun in the sack, but could kick your ass out

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of it if necessary. Well, that road is four twenty

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one and for twenty one is the valley Rednecks for

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as far as the eye can see. And you got

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yourself what we call a valley prince, that right? Why

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is he a valley prince? He's a Spradley, and Spradley's

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have been around the valley for as long as anybody

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can remember. Everybody calls him Frog. I don't even know

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if that's his given name, but I know his daddy

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was called Frog and his daddy's daddy was called Frog.

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They owned several businesses in the valley. His brother Ricky

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owns Valley Video. His other brother, Johnny, owns Spradley's filling

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station in Langley. His sister Darnell Well, she owns a

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beauty shop in Gloverville named Can you guess Spradley's Beauty Shop?

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Jenny asked as she shrugged her shoulders. Yep, nailed it.

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So if you're from the valley, you know who the

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Spradleys are. Oh really, that's good to know. So what

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do you know about this spirit he was telling me

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about while we were fishing? He didn't tell you about

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the spirit of Langley Pond. Please tell me he didn't

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try to scare you with that story, Brianna suppressed a chuckle.

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He did, and it it freaked me out a bit.

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Is there any truth behind it? From what I've heard,

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these local legends start with a grain of truth somewhere

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and that grain grows and gets exaggerated over the years.

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That's kind of what I'm thinking. Am I wrong? Should

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I be afraid of a ghost in the pond? Jenny asked.

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Brianna smiled and motioned for Jenny to take a seat

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in the living room. Yeah, I know about the grain

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that started the story. It was something that really happened

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about forty years ago. It went something like this summer

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nineteen eighty one. It was Friday morning and Elena bit

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her mother farewell for the weekend. Her mother's voice issued

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a lifeline as Elena walked out the door to meet

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her boyfriend, Dustin Hines. Don't get into any trouble. Call

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me if you need me to come get you. No

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questions asked. Elena told her mother not to worry and

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that she would be home on Sunday night. Hey babe,

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Dustin said. As Elena hopped into his forward pickup, she

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leaned over and gave Dustin a quick kiss before she

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pounded the dashboard, which meant it was time to burn rubber.

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Dustin pulled out of the driveway and be lined to

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Belvideer Clearwater Road. Finally, Elena shouted she was ready to

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have a weekend alone with Dustin. They had been talking

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about it for the better part of six months. Elena

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leaned her head out of the open window to feel

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the wind in her face. Hey, babe, watch out for

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telephone polls. You don't want to get your head knocked off.

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Who would really put a damper on the weekend, Dustin said,

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as he tugged on Elena's arm. Okay, okay, I'm just

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excited that I know. It's just Langley Pond, Just Langley Pond,

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Just Langley Pond. You know, what's the pride of the valley?

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Dustin said. He looked at Elena with his blue eyes,

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and he could see her melt just a little. You're

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laying on a little thick there, ain't you. Everybody knows

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Richardson's Lake is the pride of the valley, she said,

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enamored with her.

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Man, don't go away weekly, Spooky will be right back.

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I beg to differ. He can't put a boat on

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Richardson's Lake, And I really don't know how they can

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call that tiny mud puddle a lake anyway. Langley Pond

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should be a lake. I mean it's as big as one.

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Speaking of boats, Elena interrupted, Does your daddy still have

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that john boat at Langley Pond? He does, Dustin smiled,

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trolling motor in the back of the truck. Dustin answered sweet,

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Elena replied. The pair rode in silence for the next

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nine minutes. Elena hopped out of the truck as soon

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as it rolled to a stop just inside the confines

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of Langley Pond. I can't wait to jump in the water,

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Elena screamed and shed her clothing as fast as she could,

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revealing her bathing suit underneath. Dang, girl, you ain't gonna

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wait for me to put up the tent, Dustin asked

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the air. Elena was already splashing in the water. Dustin

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set up the two person tent and pulled the trolling

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motor from the back of the truck. Alena swam to

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shore when she saw the tent was all set up

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and the trolling motor was attached to the john boat. Hey, babe,

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we gonna do some night fishing. The bass should be

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popin' top water plugs tonight, Elena said, as she took

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a seat in the lawn chair set outside the tent.

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I reckon, we can do that. Mama, up some ham

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sandwiches in the small cooler, and I got papst in

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the bigin. I love you, Dustin, shut up, you do not.

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You just want me for my money, Dustin joked. The

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couple ate sandwiches, drank beer, let their food and drink

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settle before they made clumsy love. In the tent, Elena

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fell asleep with Dustin's arms wrapped around her. She woke

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up five hours later alone. Dustin you outside, Elena asked,

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as she rubbed her eyes and stretched. She shuffled out

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of the tent and heard the frogs croaking their night tunes.

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The crickets returned to symphony of their own. Dustin, where

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are you at? You know you can pee in front

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of me, Elena shouted. She looked around and was comforted

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that the truck was still parked in the same spot,

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so Dustin didn't decide to go on a midnight snack

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run and leave her out here all alone. But he

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didn't answer her, and that was a reason for concern

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until she saw the light from the flashlight out in

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the middle of the pond. The john boat. Wasn't there

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that sorry sack of potatoes? Elena shouted, Dustin, get your

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ass back over here and pick me up. She hollered

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into the night toward the light of the boat. The

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light flashed in her direction, but the boat didn't move.

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Don't make me swim out there, Dustin. I swear I will,

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and I'll make so much noise that no fish is

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gonna bite for the rest of the night. Don't test me.

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Elena was leaving playful and moving into piste off. The

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light flashed in her direction once more, but the boat

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still did not move. Okay, I'm coming. Elena sloshed into

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the pond and began swimming toward the boat. The boat

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still did move. The longer she swam, the angrier she became.

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He better not dare ask for sex the rest of

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the trip, is what she was thinking, Not even a

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hand job. The light still shined like a beacon from

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a lonely lighthouse. Elena was about thirty yards away from

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the john boat when she realized something was very, very wrong.

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There was a figure standing in the center of the boat,

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a figure that was a mite bit shorter than her boyfriend.

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That was their john boat, but that wasn't Dustin. Elena

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swam a little closer to see if she could make

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out who it was standing in the boat and screamed

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in horror when she saw what the man was holding

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in his left hand. It couldn't be real. It had

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to be some kind of joke. Her mind was telling

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her someone was just pranking her. The man in the

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boat swung his left arm up around and launched the

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severed head of dust and hinds in Elena's direction. She

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waited what seemed like hours on the sound of the splash,

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and when the sound came, Elena turned around and swam

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for all she was worth. Elena felt as if bricks

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were weighing her down. The burning in her lungs felt

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like she inhaled lit gasolene. She could hear the echo

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of her mother's sentiment in her mind, don't get into

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any trouble. Call me if you need me to come

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get you, no questions asked. Elena wished that she had

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listened to her mother instead. She was swimming from her

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life to shore. Elena was beginning to think she was

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going to make it. She was going to see her

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mother again. The crack of a gunshot was the last

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sound Elena heard before the darkness of the water claimed her.

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Langley Ponnd was going to be her grave summer twoenty

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twenty one. Jenny's face was flush when Brianna finished the story.

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Was that true what you told me? She asked, pretty much.

236
00:16:20.080 --> 00:16:23.039
I don't know if that's exactly how the conversations went down,

237
00:16:23.159 --> 00:16:26.480
but the facts are, Elena and Dustin went to Langley Pond.

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00:16:27.320 --> 00:16:30.840
Dustin's head was chopped off. They found the body in

239
00:16:30.919 --> 00:16:33.399
the boat, and Elena had been shot in the head.

240
00:16:34.320 --> 00:16:36.480
It took them a while to find her body, though

241
00:16:37.240 --> 00:16:40.639
longer than it probably should have. They say her body

242
00:16:40.759 --> 00:16:43.000
was in the pond long enough for her spirit to

243
00:16:43.120 --> 00:16:47.159
be trapped here. Some people say they can hear splashing

244
00:16:47.279 --> 00:16:51.919
around and hollering. Sometimes me, I think it's just the

245
00:16:52.000 --> 00:16:55.039
bass having their late night snacks. They can make quite

246
00:16:55.039 --> 00:16:58.840
a ruckus when they're attacking frogs, lizards and whatnot. I

247
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wouldn't let it scare you too much, though. Brianna finished

248
00:17:02.679 --> 00:17:06.359
and patted Jenny on her hands. Did they ever catch

249
00:17:06.400 --> 00:17:10.640
the guy that did it? Jenny asked, Well, that's the

250
00:17:10.759 --> 00:17:14.880
thing they did. That's how we got this story that's

251
00:17:14.920 --> 00:17:17.920
been passed down for forty years. But he was shot

252
00:17:17.960 --> 00:17:19.720
in the head with a long range rifle as he

253
00:17:19.839 --> 00:17:23.240
was escorted to the courthouse. Let's just say the police

254
00:17:23.279 --> 00:17:25.440
didn't spend a lot of time looking for the killer

255
00:17:25.519 --> 00:17:29.599
of Billy Jean Morris. From what's been passed down, a

256
00:17:29.680 --> 00:17:31.559
lot of folks think it was set up that way.

257
00:17:32.279 --> 00:17:34.880
The police can turn a blind eye sometimes when it

258
00:17:34.960 --> 00:17:39.039
comes to valley justice, especially when it's a couple of

259
00:17:39.119 --> 00:17:43.759
local kids that were killed. Kids that everybody knew, kids

260
00:17:43.839 --> 00:17:47.759
that everybody loved. There were some rumors that it was

261
00:17:47.799 --> 00:17:51.680
Elene's daddy or even Dustin's daddy. They were both avid

262
00:17:51.759 --> 00:17:55.920
hunters with rifles to do the job. They weren't even questioned.

263
00:17:56.920 --> 00:17:58.799
I don't blame either one of them. If they killed

264
00:17:58.799 --> 00:18:03.920
Billy Jean, he deserved it, Brianna finished. Jenny looked at

265
00:18:03.960 --> 00:18:07.039
her in all seriousness and said, what if Billy Jean

266
00:18:07.160 --> 00:18:10.839
didn't kill them, what if someone else did? And what

267
00:18:10.920 --> 00:18:15.039
if that someone else is still around? Jenny asked, clearly

268
00:18:15.160 --> 00:18:18.160
working herself up into something that Brianna thought was silly.

269
00:18:19.000 --> 00:18:22.000
Calm down, girl, it was Billy Jean. I know it

270
00:18:22.160 --> 00:18:26.160
was Billy Jean. It's a valley thing. He wouldn't understand. Now,

271
00:18:26.240 --> 00:18:29.240
let's go see what those boys are up to. Frog

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00:18:29.400 --> 00:18:31.319
was grinning from ear to ear as he saw the

273
00:18:31.359 --> 00:18:35.960
girl's approach and he was downing another PBR. I was

274
00:18:36.000 --> 00:18:38.920
beginning to worry about you too. You get your girl

275
00:18:39.000 --> 00:18:43.440
talk in, Frog asked, as he grabbed his own PBR. Yeah,

276
00:18:43.759 --> 00:18:47.200
something like that, Brianna replied and winked at Jenny to

277
00:18:47.319 --> 00:18:50.400
let her know it was okay. It was just a

278
00:18:50.559 --> 00:18:55.559
stupid local legend. Nothing to worry about, Frog. Are we

279
00:18:55.720 --> 00:18:59.079
really having Beanie Weenies for dinner? I mean, I'd rather

280
00:18:59.200 --> 00:19:01.079
go to the store and I have some sandwich stuff.

281
00:19:01.599 --> 00:19:03.720
Maybe Brianna and I could run to the grocery store

282
00:19:03.759 --> 00:19:05.720
real quick. We'll get a bag of ice and some

283
00:19:05.799 --> 00:19:08.680
more of that beer, y'all like. Frog was all set

284
00:19:08.759 --> 00:19:12.240
to disagree and force the Beanie Weenie supper, but when

285
00:19:12.319 --> 00:19:16.359
the bee word came up, he changed his course of thinking.

286
00:19:17.519 --> 00:19:19.960
I think that'd be okay. What do you think Andy,

287
00:19:20.279 --> 00:19:22.519
The girls can go get the sandwich stuff in another

288
00:19:22.599 --> 00:19:25.200
case of beer. I'll contribute ten bucks for the cause,

289
00:19:25.880 --> 00:19:28.359
Frog said, and pulled a crinkled bill from his well

290
00:19:28.440 --> 00:19:33.240
weathered leather wallet. Yeah, I reckon that'll be okay. Brianna

291
00:19:33.359 --> 00:19:35.839
take her to the Bilo where Jimmy works he'll let

292
00:19:35.880 --> 00:19:39.000
you buy the beer with no id. Brianna rolled her

293
00:19:39.039 --> 00:19:42.160
eyes at Andy like she didn't already know that she

294
00:19:42.279 --> 00:19:44.960
had bought beer at that bilo since she was fourteen

295
00:19:45.079 --> 00:19:48.000
years old. The valley kids knew where to go without

296
00:19:48.079 --> 00:19:51.440
being ripped off. There was always the quick shop option,

297
00:19:51.599 --> 00:19:53.839
where the owner would only sell the swill known as

298
00:19:54.000 --> 00:19:57.839
Milwaukee's Best for triple the labeled price to desperate teens.

299
00:19:58.720 --> 00:20:00.799
That's the only way he could get rid of the crap,

300
00:20:01.160 --> 00:20:02.920
and he had to carry it because it was such

301
00:20:02.920 --> 00:20:06.279
an under the table money maker for him. Any Way

302
00:20:06.400 --> 00:20:08.720
he can stick it to the government and help raise

303
00:20:08.759 --> 00:20:11.200
the next generation of valley rats, the better for his

304
00:20:11.400 --> 00:20:13.440
valley pride and his pockets.

305
00:20:15.519 --> 00:20:17.920
Did you hear that? Better check the locks on your

306
00:20:18.039 --> 00:20:21.440
doors weekly, spooky. We'll be right back.

307
00:20:23.319 --> 00:20:26.759
Andy tossed the truck keys to Brianna. Be careful, babe,

308
00:20:27.079 --> 00:20:29.400
don't wreck my truck, and don't get caught with that beer.

309
00:20:30.079 --> 00:20:32.599
Brianna gave him another eye roll and trotted to the

310
00:20:32.720 --> 00:20:36.319
driver's side. Jenny felt a wave of relief when Brianna

311
00:20:36.440 --> 00:20:39.319
started the engine and the cool lair from the ac

312
00:20:39.720 --> 00:20:45.559
kissed her face. Andy Frog said with a wicked grin. Yeah,

313
00:20:46.839 --> 00:20:49.160
I had Jenny going pretty good with the spirit of

314
00:20:49.240 --> 00:20:52.359
Langley Pond. You want to have some fun and scare

315
00:20:52.400 --> 00:20:55.960
the girls when they get back, more Jenny than Brianna.

316
00:20:56.559 --> 00:21:00.319
I know she's tough to scare. I don't know, oh man,

317
00:21:00.759 --> 00:21:03.359
that new girl might go off the deep end. I mean,

318
00:21:03.519 --> 00:21:06.519
you don't know her all that well, and it'll severely

319
00:21:06.599 --> 00:21:09.160
reduce your chances of playing Hide the Snake. If you

320
00:21:09.519 --> 00:21:13.160
catch my drift, it'll be more like a whack a mole.

321
00:21:13.640 --> 00:21:17.880
Andy replied and smiled. I don't care, Frog began. I

322
00:21:17.960 --> 00:21:20.680
don't think she's gonna give it up anyway. May as

323
00:21:20.720 --> 00:21:23.119
well have some fun with her. She's creeped out over

324
00:21:23.200 --> 00:21:27.599
the ghost of Elena Sanders. First, what did you have

325
00:21:27.680 --> 00:21:31.440
in mind? And second, if Brianna gets pissed, it's on you.

326
00:21:32.200 --> 00:21:36.559
Andy replied, Look, while they're gone, I'm gonna go to

327
00:21:36.640 --> 00:21:39.319
the edge of the woods over yonder Frog pointed to

328
00:21:39.400 --> 00:21:42.240
the shoreline at his left. You see that cluster of

329
00:21:42.319 --> 00:21:46.119
trees over there. Yeah, well, I'm gonna go over there

330
00:21:46.279 --> 00:21:49.200
behind them trees and start tossing some of the red

331
00:21:49.279 --> 00:21:51.920
bricks that Ricky put over in that clearing into the pond.

332
00:21:52.559 --> 00:21:54.960
He'll never miss him. He done forgot he put them

333
00:21:55.000 --> 00:21:57.759
out there, and check this out real quick, give me

334
00:21:57.799 --> 00:22:00.599
a second. Frog ran to his car, and Andy could

335
00:22:00.599 --> 00:22:03.119
hear him rustling before he came trotting back with a

336
00:22:03.200 --> 00:22:07.799
palm sized speaker. It's a bluetooth, man, I'm gonna play

337
00:22:07.880 --> 00:22:11.319
some Halloween screams out of this bad boy. It works

338
00:22:11.400 --> 00:22:14.680
right off my phone. And while you're doing all this shit,

339
00:22:15.279 --> 00:22:18.039
where am I supposed to tell them? You are? Tell

340
00:22:18.079 --> 00:22:19.440
them I went to the other side of the pond

341
00:22:19.519 --> 00:22:22.799
to go gigin. Brianna will believe that she knows how

342
00:22:22.880 --> 00:22:26.559
much I love to go giggin, and when she finds

343
00:22:26.599 --> 00:22:29.519
out that's a lie, then me and my right hand

344
00:22:29.559 --> 00:22:31.200
are going to be best friends for the rest of

345
00:22:31.240 --> 00:22:35.720
the trip. I don't think so, Andy replied, you have

346
00:22:35.920 --> 00:22:37.359
to take the fun out of everything.

347
00:22:37.480 --> 00:22:37.680
Man.

348
00:22:37.960 --> 00:22:40.119
Look, I will tell you that I was going gigin

349
00:22:40.319 --> 00:22:42.640
and I'm going to disappear for a little while. Then

350
00:22:42.720 --> 00:22:44.680
you won't be lying and you can act like you're

351
00:22:44.839 --> 00:22:47.559
just as pissed as the girls. I suspect I'll be

352
00:22:47.640 --> 00:22:50.039
taking Jenny home after this stunt, and you and Brianna

353
00:22:50.079 --> 00:22:53.359
will be all alone. In the cabin. Frog grinned and

354
00:22:53.519 --> 00:22:55.680
poked his finger through the hole he made with his

355
00:22:55.799 --> 00:23:00.119
other hand. A smile ran across Andy's face. Now, now

356
00:23:00.279 --> 00:23:03.599
that sounds like a better plan. My man, I know nothing,

357
00:23:04.000 --> 00:23:06.480
I see nothing, I hear nothing but the spirit of

358
00:23:06.519 --> 00:23:11.279
Elena Anne Sanders splashing and screaming in the water. That's

359
00:23:11.359 --> 00:23:20.599
the spirit, Frog replied, without realizing the pun. Darkness was

360
00:23:20.680 --> 00:23:23.160
closing in on the valley when Andy saw the lights

361
00:23:23.200 --> 00:23:27.319
of his truck coming down the path. They're back, he shouted,

362
00:23:27.319 --> 00:23:30.480
which sent Frog scurrying for the tree line. Brianna and

363
00:23:30.640 --> 00:23:33.799
Jenny were still laughing from their conversation on the trip back.

364
00:23:34.680 --> 00:23:38.680
Hey girls, need a hand, Andy walked toward them. Where's

365
00:23:38.720 --> 00:23:42.279
Frog was the first question from Jenny's lips, and Brianna

366
00:23:42.319 --> 00:23:45.640
already had her doubting eyes looking around for the mischievous

367
00:23:45.759 --> 00:23:49.680
valley prince. He'll be back directly, he went Giggan on

368
00:23:49.720 --> 00:23:53.440
the other side of the pond. What's gigin, Jenny asked,

369
00:23:53.799 --> 00:23:56.720
thinking it was some made up thing by these valley people.

370
00:23:57.599 --> 00:24:01.359
He went to kill his namesake. Giggin is when you

371
00:24:01.480 --> 00:24:04.519
basically take a three prong metal spear and go stab

372
00:24:04.640 --> 00:24:08.079
frogs with them. Don't worry, though, Frog isn't killing them

373
00:24:08.240 --> 00:24:10.880
entirely for fun. He'll cut the legs off and fry

374
00:24:10.960 --> 00:24:15.240
them up. Ew he's going to eat their legs. Jenny

375
00:24:15.319 --> 00:24:19.240
couldn't believe what she was hearing. Yeah, I'll probably eat

376
00:24:19.279 --> 00:24:22.759
some too, Andy, though he's not much on frog legs,

377
00:24:22.839 --> 00:24:26.440
are you, babe? Briann asked, y'all can have that. If

378
00:24:26.519 --> 00:24:28.359
I eat a fried leg, it better have belonged to

379
00:24:28.400 --> 00:24:31.640
a chicken. That's all I'll say. Did he say when

380
00:24:31.680 --> 00:24:36.160
he's coming back? Jenny asked, Well, with frog, you never

381
00:24:36.240 --> 00:24:38.880
can tell. If he starts sticking them left and right,

382
00:24:39.000 --> 00:24:41.200
it might be a while. But if he can't catch

383
00:24:41.279 --> 00:24:44.359
him then he might not be gone so long. Is

384
00:24:44.480 --> 00:24:48.160
he good at catching them? Jenny asked, best in the valley?

385
00:24:48.480 --> 00:24:53.200
Brianna replied, oh. Jenny said she thought that was a

386
00:24:53.240 --> 00:24:55.400
hell of a way to treat your date. Send her

387
00:24:55.440 --> 00:24:57.720
off to get your beer while you go kill frogs

388
00:24:57.759 --> 00:25:00.519
around the pond. Jenny made up her mind that Frog

389
00:25:00.559 --> 00:25:02.279
would have to take her home as soon as he

390
00:25:02.359 --> 00:25:06.400
got back. Here's your beer, Brianna said, and pulled the

391
00:25:06.519 --> 00:25:09.200
case from the bed of the pickup. It's still cold.

392
00:25:09.599 --> 00:25:11.440
Jenny and I are going to make ourselves a couple

393
00:25:11.480 --> 00:25:14.519
of sandwiches. You want a ham and cheese, you know

394
00:25:14.640 --> 00:25:17.000
I do? Can you bring it back out here? I'm

395
00:25:17.039 --> 00:25:19.599
going to start a fire in the pit. It's eighty

396
00:25:19.680 --> 00:25:21.880
something degrees out Andy, do you really want to make

397
00:25:21.920 --> 00:25:24.599
it any hotter? I like to see the people in

398
00:25:24.680 --> 00:25:28.680
the flames, Babe. I won't keep it lit all night. Alrighty,

399
00:25:28.759 --> 00:25:32.240
then go see your flame people. Come on, Jenny, I'm starving.

400
00:25:32.880 --> 00:25:35.519
The girls went into the cabin. Andy lit up the

401
00:25:35.599 --> 00:25:39.039
fire pit and waited to hear the first splash. Brianna

402
00:25:39.119 --> 00:25:41.640
came out ten minutes later with andy sandwich wrapped in

403
00:25:41.720 --> 00:25:46.119
a paper towel. Did Frog really go giggin? Brian asked?

404
00:25:46.759 --> 00:25:50.240
Andy truthfully answered that's where he told me he was going.

405
00:25:50.359 --> 00:25:53.079
But you never know with Frog. He added that just

406
00:25:53.160 --> 00:25:55.200
to cover his ass for when the shit went down.

407
00:25:56.200 --> 00:25:58.960
All Right, it's pretty dark out here. Now, you coming

408
00:25:59.000 --> 00:26:01.880
in soon? Yeah, I'll be in in a little bit.

409
00:26:02.319 --> 00:26:04.119
I was trying to wait on Frog to get back.

410
00:26:04.319 --> 00:26:06.440
I'm surprised he didn't come running when he heard the

411
00:26:06.480 --> 00:26:10.119
beer truck, Andy said, already thinking of how fake mad

412
00:26:10.200 --> 00:26:12.759
he was going to be with Frog when the prank unfolded.

413
00:26:13.319 --> 00:26:15.559
Andy wondered if Frog would let him get a punch

414
00:26:15.680 --> 00:26:19.559
in just to completely exonerate himself from any involvement in

415
00:26:19.680 --> 00:26:22.960
his childish ploy. Just put that fire out before he

416
00:26:23.079 --> 00:26:24.880
come in. We don't want to be the ones to

417
00:26:24.960 --> 00:26:29.400
burn down the cabins. Roger that. Andy smiled and pursed

418
00:26:29.440 --> 00:26:32.640
his lips for a kiss. Brianna gave him a quick pack.

419
00:26:33.599 --> 00:26:37.039
Fifteen minutes passed and there was no splash, no sound

420
00:26:37.079 --> 00:26:40.599
from the area in which Frog disappeared. Andy was getting

421
00:26:40.599 --> 00:26:43.039
a little antsy as he stood from his chair, took

422
00:26:43.079 --> 00:26:46.720
another gulp of PBR, and turned toward the cabin. He

423
00:26:46.799 --> 00:26:49.160
could see the outline of the girls standing near the

424
00:26:49.240 --> 00:26:53.559
ac unit. Andy began walking toward the cabin when the

425
00:26:53.640 --> 00:27:01.319
first splash finally came. Ah, so it began, Andy thought

426
00:27:01.359 --> 00:27:04.640
to himself. The girls didn't hear it, or if they did,

427
00:27:05.119 --> 00:27:07.720
it wasn't enough ruckus yet to make them come outside.

428
00:27:08.640 --> 00:27:14.440
Then there was a second splash, much louder than the first.

429
00:27:15.240 --> 00:27:18.519
He saw Brianna's head turn, but she didn't come outside.

430
00:27:19.440 --> 00:27:21.920
I guess third times a charm is what Andy thought.

431
00:27:22.599 --> 00:27:25.839
The third splash came and it was much louder than

432
00:27:25.880 --> 00:27:30.759
the first two. This time he saw Brianna move toward

433
00:27:30.799 --> 00:27:39.200
the door. Then came the scream. It was loud, shrill,

434
00:27:39.640 --> 00:27:45.000
and brief, almost inhuman. It was a scream of severe pain.

435
00:27:45.799 --> 00:27:49.359
Brianna came bursting out the door. All right, Andy, tell

436
00:27:49.480 --> 00:27:52.319
Frog to cut the shit. Jenny's freaking the hell out

437
00:27:52.359 --> 00:27:56.119
in there. She's afraid to come out. Frog, cut the shit,

438
00:27:56.839 --> 00:28:00.480
Brianna hollered in the direction of the commotion. There were

439
00:28:00.559 --> 00:28:07.680
more splashes. They got louder and closer, louder and closer.

440
00:28:08.960 --> 00:28:14.359
Then the second scream. It was so loud. Andy was

441
00:28:14.440 --> 00:28:17.079
thinking that was one hell of a speaker. Frog had brought.

442
00:28:17.599 --> 00:28:20.799
Andy and Brianna heard running, and it was coming toward

443
00:28:20.920 --> 00:28:26.000
them very quickly. Frog emerged from the darkness and his

444
00:28:26.160 --> 00:28:29.359
face was white as a sheet. Frog, you son of

445
00:28:29.440 --> 00:28:33.359
a bit. Brianna began and then stopped. Her heart felt

446
00:28:33.440 --> 00:28:36.359
like it was going baboom out of her chest when

447
00:28:36.400 --> 00:28:40.440
she heard the next scream. This was no bluetooth speaker.

448
00:28:41.480 --> 00:28:45.960
This was menacing and so full of pain. Damn Frog,

449
00:28:46.640 --> 00:28:50.319
how are you doing that? Andy asked, still not getting it.

450
00:28:51.079 --> 00:28:55.759
Actually impressed with his friend's skill, it's not me, Andy,

451
00:28:56.400 --> 00:29:00.599
it's a Lena, and I pissed her off. Stopped at frog.

452
00:29:00.960 --> 00:29:04.279
Take me home. I'm done with this shit, Jenny yelled.

453
00:29:04.839 --> 00:29:08.319
Her entire body was shaking. The poor girl was scared

454
00:29:08.359 --> 00:29:10.880
out of her mind. I think we all need to leave,

455
00:29:11.359 --> 00:29:15.240
Andy said, as he realized his buddy wasn't joking. Andy

456
00:29:15.359 --> 00:29:18.839
kept calm. Let's just go. We'll come clean up our

457
00:29:18.920 --> 00:29:23.160
crap in the morning. There was another tremendous splash, and

458
00:29:23.319 --> 00:29:26.279
it was closer than any of the others. The rhythm

459
00:29:26.519 --> 00:29:30.640
was almost like thunder followed by lightning. A few seconds

460
00:29:30.680 --> 00:29:34.519
after the splash, the screech came. It was a sound

461
00:29:34.599 --> 00:29:38.680
of unmitigated pain. The four of them froze in place

462
00:29:39.400 --> 00:29:43.839
and their mouths fell open, almost in unison at what

463
00:29:44.000 --> 00:29:49.000
they saw next. The apparition of Elena was floating above

464
00:29:49.039 --> 00:29:52.359
the water, just past the shoreline. The front of her

465
00:29:52.400 --> 00:29:55.799
head was busted wide open, and her eyes were contorted.

466
00:29:55.880 --> 00:30:00.799
Black pools that looked in opposite directions fell into the

467
00:30:00.880 --> 00:30:06.920
water with a loud, cursed splash, and slowly rose again.

468
00:30:08.119 --> 00:30:12.559
Her mouth opened wide, and this time the scream pierced them.

469
00:30:13.240 --> 00:30:15.559
The ear drums of all four of them were on

470
00:30:15.680 --> 00:30:18.920
the verge of exploding in their skulls. Hands went to

471
00:30:19.000 --> 00:30:22.519
cover ears on instinct, but it didn't matter. This scream

472
00:30:22.920 --> 00:30:27.200
moved through flesh and bone, through space and time. This

473
00:30:27.599 --> 00:30:32.519
was the scream of the dead, the dead trapped in

474
00:30:32.640 --> 00:30:36.319
her watery grave. It was a macabre dance of the

475
00:30:36.440 --> 00:30:39.400
dead in which Elena was forever trapped.

476
00:30:41.400 --> 00:30:45.240
You're not safe yet, weekly Spooky will be right back.

477
00:30:49.440 --> 00:30:52.440
Jenny was the first to speak when the screaming stopped.

478
00:30:53.400 --> 00:30:56.759
She's not gonna let us leave. Brienna looked at Andy

479
00:30:57.119 --> 00:30:59.799
and they felt the same apprehension that Jenny spoke a

480
00:30:59.880 --> 00:31:03.920
loud but Andy simply said, let's get the hell out

481
00:31:03.960 --> 00:31:07.079
of here. Andy and Brianna ran to the truck, while

482
00:31:07.200 --> 00:31:11.000
Frog and Jenny ran to Frog's mustang. Andy turned the

483
00:31:11.079 --> 00:31:15.039
key and heard the clicking sound associated with a dead battery.

484
00:31:15.759 --> 00:31:19.119
Frog did the same. Jenny was shaking in her seat.

485
00:31:19.720 --> 00:31:22.599
Brianna was already thinking that they would just book it

486
00:31:22.960 --> 00:31:26.279
to four twenty one on foot. It wasn't that far away,

487
00:31:26.319 --> 00:31:28.599
and once they were on that stretch of road they

488
00:31:28.640 --> 00:31:32.440
would be home free. The wind suddenly picked up and

489
00:31:32.559 --> 00:31:35.720
the temperature dropped. The four of them got out of

490
00:31:35.759 --> 00:31:40.319
the vehicles and moved closer to one another. Brianna wanted

491
00:31:40.359 --> 00:31:43.359
to scream, wanted to tell them to run, but something

492
00:31:43.400 --> 00:31:46.599
in her gut warned her that would be a big mistake.

493
00:31:47.640 --> 00:31:51.200
Jenny's lips were quivering with fear, and Frog didn't look

494
00:31:51.279 --> 00:31:54.000
like a prince at all. For the first time in

495
00:31:54.119 --> 00:31:58.200
his life, Frog truly felt fear rush up his spine.

496
00:31:59.000 --> 00:32:02.400
The calmness that Andy displayed just moments before was replaced

497
00:32:02.440 --> 00:32:06.279
with a feeling of despair. They all felt like Brianna

498
00:32:06.920 --> 00:32:11.200
felt as if they should run but couldn't. Not that

499
00:32:11.359 --> 00:32:15.279
anyone or anything was stopping them, but it just felt

500
00:32:15.960 --> 00:32:19.960
like a very bad idea. There was another screech, and

501
00:32:20.079 --> 00:32:23.319
the four of them turned toward the pond. The apparition

502
00:32:23.599 --> 00:32:27.079
was floating above the water, just at the shoreline. Her

503
00:32:27.200 --> 00:32:31.000
dark hair was flowing behind her, and she wasn't falling

504
00:32:31.160 --> 00:32:34.680
this time. Her mouth was contorted as if she were

505
00:32:34.759 --> 00:32:39.200
about to release another screech, but this time she didn't.

506
00:32:40.119 --> 00:32:42.960
The spirit of Elena looked directly at Frog with a

507
00:32:43.039 --> 00:32:48.240
face of recognition. The spirit began shaking above the water.

508
00:32:48.839 --> 00:32:53.920
What the fuck, Frog, Andy whispered, I don't know, man,

509
00:32:54.559 --> 00:33:00.400
Frog whispered back, she's pointing at you, Jenny said, verge

510
00:33:00.440 --> 00:33:05.279
of sobbing. No she's not. She's pointing at us. She

511
00:33:05.440 --> 00:33:07.119
don't want us to be here, and I think we

512
00:33:07.200 --> 00:33:11.559
should give her what she wants. Frog whispered back, Andy, Jenny,

513
00:33:11.599 --> 00:33:16.720
and Brianna slowly stepped away from Frog. Elena's spirit kept

514
00:33:16.799 --> 00:33:21.319
pointing to the Valley Prince. It was recognition and it

515
00:33:21.519 --> 00:33:25.319
wasn't coincidence. What the hell, man, what did I ever

516
00:33:25.400 --> 00:33:28.359
do to her? I don't know, man, but I wouldn't

517
00:33:28.359 --> 00:33:34.839
make any sudden movements if I were you. Summer nineteen

518
00:33:34.920 --> 00:33:38.240
eighty one, he had seen Elena come in his store

519
00:33:38.319 --> 00:33:42.200
through the years. He longed for her, but she was taken.

520
00:33:43.079 --> 00:33:46.119
Dustin Hines was her man, and it didn't sit well

521
00:33:46.160 --> 00:33:49.440
with him, not one bit. He heard it through the

522
00:33:49.480 --> 00:33:51.960
grapevine that they were going to Langley Pond for a

523
00:33:52.079 --> 00:33:57.680
romantic getaway this weekend, and today was Friday. Elena wouldn't

524
00:33:57.720 --> 00:34:00.400
give him the time of day, would barely utter a

525
00:34:00.519 --> 00:34:02.599
word when she came in to pick out a movie.

526
00:34:03.359 --> 00:34:06.799
Sometimes Dustin would be with her. She would come in

527
00:34:06.960 --> 00:34:10.480
with her beautiful, long black hair and perfect smile, teasing

528
00:34:10.559 --> 00:34:13.280
him Elena had to know that he was in love

529
00:34:13.320 --> 00:34:16.159
with her, but she would come in with Dustin, flaunting

530
00:34:16.239 --> 00:34:20.079
her love for him and in a sense a disdain

531
00:34:20.960 --> 00:34:26.159
for Frog Spradley. He didn't understand why Valley Video was

532
00:34:26.199 --> 00:34:29.199
going to be his outright. In another year, he would

533
00:34:29.199 --> 00:34:32.400
be a reputable business owner. Frog was sure that the

534
00:34:32.480 --> 00:34:36.000
video rental business would be a necessity for generations to come.

535
00:34:36.880 --> 00:34:41.679
But she would come and go, tease him, taunt him,

536
00:34:42.400 --> 00:34:45.559
show him what he can't have, show him who was

537
00:34:45.639 --> 00:34:49.079
getting her love. This wasn't going to work for Frog.

538
00:34:49.920 --> 00:34:52.880
He would be at that pond tonight, just like the

539
00:34:53.039 --> 00:34:59.280
song said, bang bang he shot me down, Bang bang

540
00:35:00.159 --> 00:35:05.760
hit the ground, bang bang that awful sound bang bang,

541
00:35:06.400 --> 00:35:10.760
My baby shot me down. And that's exactly what Frog

542
00:35:10.840 --> 00:35:14.239
would do. He would go to the pond. He would

543
00:35:14.280 --> 00:35:17.239
hear them making love in the tent. He would take

544
00:35:17.320 --> 00:35:20.679
his machete and get Dustin to come outside. While Elena

545
00:35:20.840 --> 00:35:24.599
was sleeping. He'd hack him up and chop off his head.

546
00:35:25.320 --> 00:35:28.639
He'd take the john boat out late he heard them

547
00:35:28.719 --> 00:35:32.360
talking about their late night fishing trip. She would come out.

548
00:35:32.920 --> 00:35:35.320
She would see the light. She would think that her

549
00:35:35.400 --> 00:35:38.639
lover was fishing without her. She'd see the man that

550
00:35:38.760 --> 00:35:42.920
she scorned, see what she could have had. He would

551
00:35:43.000 --> 00:35:46.360
toss the head of her betrothed. She would see him.

552
00:35:47.159 --> 00:35:50.519
All she had to do was keep swimming to the boat,

553
00:35:51.079 --> 00:35:54.679
and she would have lived. But she turned and swam away,

554
00:35:55.480 --> 00:35:57.840
afraid of the man that was truly meant for her.

555
00:35:58.400 --> 00:36:01.760
He'd line her up with his dear Frog was a

556
00:36:01.840 --> 00:36:05.800
dead shot. He wasn't going to miss. He'd let her

557
00:36:05.880 --> 00:36:08.920
feel as if she may get away before the shot

558
00:36:09.320 --> 00:36:12.920
would zip through the back of her skull. It was

559
00:36:13.039 --> 00:36:16.119
pure luck that they pinned it on Billy Jean. He

560
00:36:16.239 --> 00:36:19.559
always had a short fuse, and that was all very

561
00:36:19.639 --> 00:36:23.599
well and good. With Frog. He'd find another love, one

562
00:36:23.679 --> 00:36:27.039
that would love him. They'd have a baby boy, and

563
00:36:27.199 --> 00:36:30.599
he would keep the name of Frog alive. Frog was

564
00:36:30.639 --> 00:36:34.400
the spitting image of his father and his grandfather. He'd

565
00:36:34.440 --> 00:36:37.840
grow up as a valley prince. Frog Senior wouldn't think

566
00:36:37.880 --> 00:36:41.800
of Elena again until he took his final breath in

567
00:36:41.880 --> 00:36:46.599
twenty fifteen, when the song floated through his mind for

568
00:36:46.719 --> 00:36:52.400
the first time since that day. Bang bang, he shot

569
00:36:52.480 --> 00:36:58.440
me down, Bang bang, I hit the ground, Bang bang.

570
00:36:59.159 --> 00:37:04.400
That awful so bang bang my baby shot me down.

571
00:37:05.800 --> 00:37:09.239
Frog died with his loved ones around him and tears

572
00:37:09.320 --> 00:37:14.360
in his eyes. His family didn't know the tears weren't

573
00:37:14.400 --> 00:37:20.559
for them, but for Elena, the spirit of Langley Pond,

574
00:37:24.440 --> 00:37:30.239
Summer twoenty twenty one. The specter was transfixed on Frog,

575
00:37:30.719 --> 00:37:34.360
and he was in turn locked onto her lifeless eyes.

576
00:37:35.320 --> 00:37:38.559
Her mouth curled in pain, and it was as if

577
00:37:39.079 --> 00:37:43.519
she were the one seeing a ghost. Frog couldn't move.

578
00:37:44.199 --> 00:37:47.119
It was as if he were stuck knees deep in mud,

579
00:37:48.000 --> 00:37:51.039
and the air around him was infused with a coldness

580
00:37:51.519 --> 00:37:56.280
that chilled him to his soul. The spirit of Langley

581
00:37:56.400 --> 00:37:59.760
Pond seemed to know him, and she didn't seem all

582
00:37:59.840 --> 00:38:04.239
that thrilled that he was looking at her. Oh my god,

583
00:38:04.840 --> 00:38:09.440
Brianna screamed in Frog's direction, she knows you. Andy turned

584
00:38:09.480 --> 00:38:13.440
away from the ghost and saw the angst in Frog's

585
00:38:13.480 --> 00:38:18.119
face before he said, that's impossible. There's no way she

586
00:38:18.280 --> 00:38:22.480
knows Frog. The ghost floated closer to them and seemed

587
00:38:22.519 --> 00:38:26.079
to put her feet on the ground. The entire shoreline

588
00:38:26.159 --> 00:38:30.159
got much colder, and the others felt it. Everyone was

589
00:38:30.280 --> 00:38:33.519
stuck in their spot, afraid to make any sudden movement.

590
00:38:34.519 --> 00:38:37.280
The four of them formed somewhat of a straight line,

591
00:38:37.840 --> 00:38:40.960
and they all faced the spirit of Elena, But that

592
00:38:41.159 --> 00:38:45.679
spirit was only focused on one of them, and she changed.

593
00:38:46.239 --> 00:38:49.920
The life came back into her eyes. They turned from

594
00:38:50.039 --> 00:38:55.000
black pools to light brown. The distortion in her face

595
00:38:55.159 --> 00:38:59.119
also melted away. The ghostly apparition that the four of

596
00:38:59.159 --> 00:39:02.960
them witnessed flowing above the pond changed into healed flesh

597
00:39:03.119 --> 00:39:07.880
and blood. She no longer floated, but walked toward Frog.

598
00:39:08.960 --> 00:39:14.440
He managed to utter the first words to break the silence. Hey, look,

599
00:39:15.760 --> 00:39:18.960
what do you want from us? The young woman smiled

600
00:39:18.960 --> 00:39:22.559
at him and held out her hands. Frog wanted to

601
00:39:22.639 --> 00:39:25.360
believe this was just a dream, that he had drank

602
00:39:25.480 --> 00:39:28.880
five too many PBRs and would wake up any minute,

603
00:39:29.400 --> 00:39:31.679
but he knew that he was in the here and

604
00:39:31.880 --> 00:39:38.360
now take my hand. You were there, You killed my boyfriend,

605
00:39:39.159 --> 00:39:43.920
you chopped off his head, and you shot me, Elena said,

606
00:39:44.000 --> 00:39:48.360
and continued, Take my hand so I can leave this

607
00:39:48.639 --> 00:39:53.119
god forsaken place. Frog trembled. His brain was trying to

608
00:39:53.199 --> 00:39:58.800
fight the overwhelming compulsion to grab Elena's hand. If he did,

609
00:39:59.400 --> 00:40:01.320
he thought it might might be the last thing that

610
00:40:01.440 --> 00:40:07.840
he ever did. Brianna found her courage and spoke Elena.

611
00:40:08.599 --> 00:40:12.000
The girl turned to face her. He couldn't have killed

612
00:40:12.000 --> 00:40:17.920
your boyfriend or you. Please just listen to me, U

613
00:40:18.039 --> 00:40:19.039
sh it was.

614
00:40:19.079 --> 00:40:23.800
Only the wind. You're safe, weekly, Spooky will be right back.

615
00:40:25.559 --> 00:40:29.159
Elena placed her hands at her side and gave Brianna

616
00:40:29.199 --> 00:40:34.679
a sense of relief. She was going to listen to her. Good. Good. Look.

617
00:40:35.679 --> 00:40:39.320
The year is twenty twenty one. You were killed in

618
00:40:39.440 --> 00:40:42.599
nineteen eighty one by Billy Jean Morris. It was in

619
00:40:42.719 --> 00:40:45.719
all the papers. My mama told me about it. The

620
00:40:45.800 --> 00:40:49.159
whole town knew it was Billy Jean. He was shot dead, Elena.

621
00:40:49.760 --> 00:40:52.119
They got the man that killed you and your boyfriend.

622
00:40:53.760 --> 00:40:57.159
Elena turned her attention away from Frog for just a

623
00:40:57.280 --> 00:41:01.480
moment and walked to Brianna. Jenny ran to Andy and

624
00:41:01.559 --> 00:41:03.440
stuck her head in the crook of his arm, like

625
00:41:03.559 --> 00:41:06.000
she was trying to shield herself from seeing a kill

626
00:41:06.039 --> 00:41:10.599
in a horror movie. Elena walked toward Brianna. She seemed

627
00:41:10.599 --> 00:41:14.039
to admire the beauty of the girl. They were close

628
00:41:14.119 --> 00:41:17.880
to the same age. Billy Jean Morris did not kill me.

629
00:41:18.760 --> 00:41:22.639
Billy Jean Morris never talked to me. I know who

630
00:41:22.719 --> 00:41:27.519
I saw, and it was his face, she said, and

631
00:41:27.679 --> 00:41:33.039
pointed back at Frog. Shit woman, I wasn't even born yet, please,

632
00:41:33.840 --> 00:41:38.480
Frog pleaded. It was him, Elena said and started to

633
00:41:38.599 --> 00:41:42.639
turn away from Brianna. Brianna lunged forward and grabbed Elena

634
00:41:42.760 --> 00:41:46.480
around her wrist. She was surprised that she didn't pass

635
00:41:46.559 --> 00:41:50.199
through her. Brianna really had a grip on the young woman.

636
00:41:50.920 --> 00:41:54.920
Elena spun around and Brianna's backwards hug like a slippery eel,

637
00:41:55.360 --> 00:41:59.559
and placed her hands on Brianna's head. The memory of

638
00:41:59.639 --> 00:42:03.880
that night and her death filled Brianna's mind in what

639
00:42:04.079 --> 00:42:11.159
felt like a wave of electricity. Brianna blinked rapidly. Andy

640
00:42:11.239 --> 00:42:15.039
pushed Jenny away and started to run toward his girlfriend. No,

641
00:42:15.960 --> 00:42:21.400
Brianna screamed, stop. Andy stopped in his tracks. Elena looked

642
00:42:21.440 --> 00:42:27.360
into Brianna's eyes, looking for understanding. You see it was him,

643
00:42:28.400 --> 00:42:33.079
You see that now right. Elena broke Brianna's grip around

644
00:42:33.119 --> 00:42:37.280
her waist and turned back to Frog. What the hell, man,

645
00:42:37.599 --> 00:42:41.840
I wasn't even on the planet. Then it was his daddy,

646
00:42:42.239 --> 00:42:47.199
Brianna shouted. This made Elena pause. It is twenty twenty one.

647
00:42:47.760 --> 00:42:50.519
His daddy's name was Frog, and his name is Frog.

648
00:42:51.079 --> 00:42:53.800
He looks just like his daddy. He didn't have anything

649
00:42:53.840 --> 00:42:57.280
to do with it. Andy rushed to his girlfriend's side,

650
00:42:57.559 --> 00:43:01.000
and Jenny was right behind him. Three of them stood together.

651
00:43:01.599 --> 00:43:05.920
Frog was still frozen in place. Elena moved closer to Frog.

652
00:43:06.559 --> 00:43:09.079
She could see the man that chopped off Dustin's head.

653
00:43:09.800 --> 00:43:12.519
She could almost feel the bullet break open the back

654
00:43:12.559 --> 00:43:16.039
of her skull all over again. He put his hands

655
00:43:16.119 --> 00:43:18.880
out in front of him, hoping this would keep her

656
00:43:18.920 --> 00:43:23.400
at arm's length. She touched his hand and it was

657
00:43:23.559 --> 00:43:26.960
colder than anything he had ever felt in his young life.

658
00:43:27.599 --> 00:43:31.880
You have his blood, and a penance has to be paid,

659
00:43:32.400 --> 00:43:35.599
Elena said, as she grabbed the valley prince by the hand.

660
00:43:36.119 --> 00:43:39.480
I will not stay here any longer. I was waiting

661
00:43:39.559 --> 00:43:43.719
on him to return, and he never did, but his

662
00:43:43.960 --> 00:43:47.440
son will do. You carry the blood of the man

663
00:43:47.559 --> 00:43:52.440
that killed me. You should have never been born, Elena said,

664
00:43:52.920 --> 00:43:56.960
and pulled Frog closer to her. Brienna and Andy started

665
00:43:57.000 --> 00:44:00.960
to run toward them. Jenny was a blubbering man to

666
00:44:01.079 --> 00:44:04.679
save their friend, but it was too late. Elena had

667
00:44:04.719 --> 00:44:07.599
a firm grip on both of Frog's arms, and she

668
00:44:07.840 --> 00:44:12.199
morphed back into the specter. Frog was lifted straight up

669
00:44:12.239 --> 00:44:15.559
into the sky, his legs kicking and his lungs screaming

670
00:44:15.679 --> 00:44:20.000
into the night. Brienna and Andy shouted Frog's name. As

671
00:44:20.039 --> 00:44:26.440
he disappeared into the sky, his screams went silent. Andy

672
00:44:26.519 --> 00:44:30.159
and Brianna looked at one another, waiting for another sound,

673
00:44:31.000 --> 00:44:35.719
another sign of life from the valley prince. What they

674
00:44:35.880 --> 00:44:39.840
heard in the far distance of the pond was a splash,

675
00:44:40.920 --> 00:44:49.840
a cackle, and then silence. The spirit of Elena Anne

676
00:44:49.960 --> 00:44:55.360
Sanders was now free. It was replaced by the son

677
00:44:55.440 --> 00:44:59.440
of the man that killed her and dustin. This would

678
00:44:59.480 --> 00:45:05.360
be the pen that set her free. Brianna, Andy and

679
00:45:05.519 --> 00:45:09.079
Jenny would never be able to explain what they witnessed.

680
00:45:09.960 --> 00:45:13.800
They just said Frog went giggin and never came back.

681
00:45:15.199 --> 00:45:27.760
What else could they say? The Truth about Groundhog Day

682
00:45:28.599 --> 00:45:37.400
by Rob Fields February second, eighteen twenty one. Hollow Point

683
00:45:37.559 --> 00:45:41.440
was established one year ago on this date. It was

684
00:45:41.519 --> 00:45:45.000
a small farming village where most everyone greeted each other

685
00:45:45.440 --> 00:45:49.760
with courtesy and friendship. This was an ideal place to

686
00:45:49.880 --> 00:45:54.559
raise kids or crops. Hollowpoint had all of the basic

687
00:45:54.719 --> 00:45:58.840
essentials for education. There was a one room schoolhouse that

688
00:45:59.039 --> 00:46:03.079
serviced every grade level. There were stores and markets that

689
00:46:03.280 --> 00:46:07.880
serviced most everyone's needs, from food to tools. The village

690
00:46:07.960 --> 00:46:11.639
Hall was the biggest building on the square. The constables

691
00:46:11.719 --> 00:46:15.119
occupied a small building next door to it. There was

692
00:46:15.199 --> 00:46:18.840
also a library and a few small inns for food

693
00:46:19.199 --> 00:46:23.320
and rest. On this day, a festival was being held

694
00:46:23.400 --> 00:46:27.679
to celebrate the first year anniversary of Hollow Point, and

695
00:46:27.800 --> 00:46:32.559
it was on this day that she had come. During

696
00:46:32.679 --> 00:46:36.320
the festival, as Mayor Jeffrey Miron was standing on the

697
00:46:36.360 --> 00:46:40.840
gazebo and giving his speech to commemorate the anniversary, a

698
00:46:40.960 --> 00:46:45.719
beautiful young woman approached the village square dressed all in black.

699
00:46:46.440 --> 00:46:49.440
She wore a dress with a flowing skirt and a

700
00:46:49.559 --> 00:46:54.519
long cape that flowed down her back evenly. In her hands,

701
00:46:55.159 --> 00:47:00.400
she cradled a brown adult groundhog. When the mayor caught

702
00:47:00.480 --> 00:47:03.199
sight of her, all of the other villagers turned to

703
00:47:03.280 --> 00:47:06.599
look at her. She stood at least fifty feet away

704
00:47:07.000 --> 00:47:12.360
as she gazed upon them hatefully. Hear me, people of

705
00:47:12.519 --> 00:47:16.920
Hollow Point, and hear me well, the woman said boldly.

706
00:47:17.639 --> 00:47:21.800
Today you celebrate the birth of your village. Prior to

707
00:47:21.920 --> 00:47:25.079
the birth of Hollow Point, you and yours alike drove

708
00:47:25.199 --> 00:47:29.199
many of our people from our land. Hardly any of

709
00:47:29.280 --> 00:47:33.159
you showed regret for the terrible wrongs you have done.

710
00:47:34.000 --> 00:47:37.719
Why should we show any regret? Girl, Mayor Miron asked,

711
00:47:38.000 --> 00:47:41.639
just as boldly. A petition was received stating a need

712
00:47:41.760 --> 00:47:44.599
for new land due to the overcrowding in our neighboring

713
00:47:44.679 --> 00:47:48.079
village of Strickfield. By rights, this land was ours to

714
00:47:48.159 --> 00:47:51.039
begin with. It was left to us by our forefathers.

715
00:47:51.760 --> 00:47:57.920
Your forefathers, the woman replied bitterly. Was that the lie

716
00:47:58.079 --> 00:48:00.880
you told your people to get them to drive us

717
00:48:00.960 --> 00:48:05.519
from our land and kill us. Your forefathers had nothing

718
00:48:05.639 --> 00:48:08.559
to do with our land. It was in our family

719
00:48:08.760 --> 00:48:13.320
long before Columbus himself journeyed to this country. You sought

720
00:48:13.400 --> 00:48:16.039
to drive us from our land so that you could

721
00:48:16.119 --> 00:48:19.880
build this pitiful village, and with the help of some

722
00:48:20.039 --> 00:48:24.960
of these people here you did so. I recognize their faces.

723
00:48:25.719 --> 00:48:28.800
It was you and your followers who violently put our

724
00:48:28.880 --> 00:48:31.199
people to death in order for there not to be

725
00:48:31.400 --> 00:48:36.039
any opposition to you. You had your way, and your

726
00:48:36.159 --> 00:48:41.159
village would be built, and today you celebrate the birth

727
00:48:41.239 --> 00:48:44.559
of it. Wait a minute, one of the men cried,

728
00:48:45.119 --> 00:48:48.480
I know who she is that's Greta Finny, the daughter

729
00:48:48.559 --> 00:48:55.400
of Helia, a witch. Greta Finny chuckled, yes, And can

730
00:48:55.480 --> 00:48:58.800
you tell me what else happened the day you established

731
00:48:58.840 --> 00:49:04.039
your village, fool, We burned your mother at the stake

732
00:49:04.159 --> 00:49:07.280
for her evil. What's to keep us from doing the

733
00:49:07.360 --> 00:49:13.559
same to you, Greta Finny. Mayor Mirn retorted, Greta held

734
00:49:13.639 --> 00:49:15.800
up the groundhog for all to see.

735
00:49:16.920 --> 00:49:16.960
This.

736
00:49:18.679 --> 00:49:21.360
The mayor and the rest of the villagers laughed at her.

737
00:49:22.239 --> 00:49:26.880
Despite this, Greta Finney stood her ground. They were playing

738
00:49:27.039 --> 00:49:31.159
right into her hands, and she knew it. She also

739
00:49:31.320 --> 00:49:35.119
knew that the time had now come for the citizens

740
00:49:35.519 --> 00:49:40.760
of Hollow Point. Greta Finny continued to stare hard upon them,

741
00:49:41.880 --> 00:49:47.960
Gaze upon this groundhog, fools, Gaze upon him well, because

742
00:49:48.039 --> 00:49:51.920
from this day forward, your very lives, as well as

743
00:49:52.000 --> 00:49:57.360
those of your descendants, shall depend upon him. You and

744
00:49:57.519 --> 00:50:00.960
yours alike drove us from our homes and murdered us

745
00:50:01.239 --> 00:50:05.519
so that you could build your precious village. You murdered

746
00:50:05.559 --> 00:50:10.079
our people because of who we are. Only I now live.

747
00:50:10.920 --> 00:50:14.559
You think Hollow Point is your pride. I say it

748
00:50:14.679 --> 00:50:17.519
is both your prison and your tomb.

749
00:50:20.159 --> 00:50:24.360
More scares to come weekly, Spooky will be right back.

750
00:50:27.400 --> 00:50:31.119
From this day forward, none of you shall ever again

751
00:50:31.639 --> 00:50:37.159
leave the boundaries of your village. Greta's eyes shifted from

752
00:50:37.199 --> 00:50:41.760
their hazel color to bright red. Then her eyes and

753
00:50:41.920 --> 00:50:45.840
those of the groundhog began to glow. She looked to

754
00:50:45.920 --> 00:50:51.880
the sky. Hear me, dark mother, I Greta Finny, daughter

755
00:50:51.960 --> 00:50:57.679
of Helia Finny, invoke thee. These mortals have stolen from

756
00:50:57.719 --> 00:51:01.679
our people and built wrongfully upon that which did not

757
00:51:02.039 --> 00:51:07.199
rightfully belong to them. These mortals have spilled the sacred

758
00:51:07.280 --> 00:51:12.000
blood of our people in doing so. Hear me, dark Mother,

759
00:51:12.440 --> 00:51:15.480
I curse these people who have done evil onto us.

760
00:51:16.039 --> 00:51:19.679
I curse the land they now inhabit that was once ours.

761
00:51:20.159 --> 00:51:22.800
I decree that the lives of these mortals and of

762
00:51:22.920 --> 00:51:27.320
their descendants are to be bound to this groundhog, of

763
00:51:27.480 --> 00:51:32.719
which I now hold and offer to you. The winds

764
00:51:32.840 --> 00:51:37.239
began to blow slightly, then they gradually increased, until the

765
00:51:37.320 --> 00:51:40.719
citizens were forced to hold their own hats and bonnets

766
00:51:40.760 --> 00:51:43.920
to their heads. Greta's cape began to flow in the

767
00:51:44.000 --> 00:51:49.239
windy breezes. She continued her chanting. The shadow of this

768
00:51:49.480 --> 00:51:54.400
groundhog shall be decided with the mystic number of six,

769
00:51:55.360 --> 00:51:59.599
six consecutive years upon this date that this groundhog sees

770
00:51:59.639 --> 00:52:05.000
his shed, shall bring your wrath down upon them, unless

771
00:52:05.159 --> 00:52:09.599
one among either their number or of their descendants comes

772
00:52:09.760 --> 00:52:14.599
forward and offers payment of their lives to you willingly,

773
00:52:15.440 --> 00:52:22.360
a payment fit only onto you, hell Weaver. Furthermore, anyone

774
00:52:22.480 --> 00:52:26.079
who should dare to leave this village, which I now curse,

775
00:52:26.639 --> 00:52:31.239
shall be forbidden from ever doing so. The winds blew

776
00:52:31.320 --> 00:52:34.480
even harder. Now some of the villagers were forced to

777
00:52:34.519 --> 00:52:37.719
grab onto something in order to keep their ground. Many

778
00:52:37.880 --> 00:52:42.320
hats and bonnets now flew in different directions. The children

779
00:52:42.360 --> 00:52:47.039
were so terrified that they screamed and cried. Greta still

780
00:52:47.159 --> 00:52:50.880
held her position, Her cape flowed wildly behind her. Now

781
00:52:51.400 --> 00:52:56.280
both Finney's eyes and the groundhogs glowed even brighter. As

782
00:52:56.360 --> 00:53:01.000
all ties to this curse fall upon this groundhog, she screamed.

783
00:53:01.559 --> 00:53:04.920
He shall be immortal upon this earth until either he

784
00:53:05.079 --> 00:53:08.199
sees not his shadow upon this day for six years,

785
00:53:08.960 --> 00:53:12.880
or when the last citizen or descendant of Hollow Point dies.

786
00:53:14.519 --> 00:53:19.199
This is my curse, dark Mother. I invoke THEE. I

787
00:53:19.519 --> 00:53:23.360
invoke THEE. She finished at the top of her lungs.

788
00:53:24.280 --> 00:53:29.760
I involve thee. Suddenly, a bolt of red lightning struck

789
00:53:29.840 --> 00:53:35.320
the groundhog. To the surprise of the villagers, neither the

790
00:53:35.400 --> 00:53:40.079
groundhog nor Greta Finney were harmed. Greta herself wasn't even

791
00:53:40.199 --> 00:53:43.760
moved from where she stood. The groundhog appeared to be

792
00:53:44.840 --> 00:53:49.719
different now. Its fur was tinted brimstone, and its eyes

793
00:53:49.920 --> 00:53:56.000
glowed crimson red. The winds began to die down until

794
00:53:56.079 --> 00:53:59.840
the weather was as normal as it had been before

795
00:54:00.039 --> 00:54:05.360
Greta Finny had arrived. She lowered her head to face

796
00:54:05.480 --> 00:54:12.199
the villagers. It is done, fools of hollow Point, Greta said,

797
00:54:12.920 --> 00:54:16.079
From this moment on, you shall never again leave the

798
00:54:16.199 --> 00:54:22.320
boundaries of your accursed village. What have you done, Greta Finny.

799
00:54:23.320 --> 00:54:27.960
Mayor Miron shouted at her. Are you that ignorant? Jeffrey Miron?

800
00:54:28.559 --> 00:54:32.800
Greta retorted, you would be advised to hear me well,

801
00:54:33.440 --> 00:54:35.639
for the rest of your lives and those of your

802
00:54:35.719 --> 00:54:40.960
descendants depend upon it. She held out the groundhog. He

803
00:54:41.280 --> 00:54:43.519
is the key to the curse. As long as he

804
00:54:43.719 --> 00:54:47.199
does not see his shadow for six consecutive years, upon

805
00:54:47.320 --> 00:54:52.000
this very day, you shall continue to prosper the only

806
00:54:52.119 --> 00:54:54.639
way that you may be spared from your fate is

807
00:54:54.760 --> 00:54:58.199
that he does not. And what if he does, a

808
00:54:58.320 --> 00:55:02.280
frightened woman stammered. If he does, then you shall all

809
00:55:02.440 --> 00:55:06.239
suffer the wrath of the dark Mother. And believe me,

810
00:55:07.000 --> 00:55:11.800
you would sooner die first than face the hell Weaver herself,

811
00:55:12.320 --> 00:55:15.800
all of you. The only way to avoid this fate

812
00:55:16.079 --> 00:55:19.280
is for one or more of you to willingly offer

813
00:55:19.400 --> 00:55:24.400
your lives to the hell Weaver. Upon six straight years

814
00:55:24.519 --> 00:55:27.920
of the groundhog not seeing his shadow, you shall all

815
00:55:28.039 --> 00:55:31.840
be free from my curse. The reason I have so

816
00:55:32.079 --> 00:55:35.480
granted you this favor is because there were a select

817
00:55:35.599 --> 00:55:40.159
few of you who had decent hearts. It was those

818
00:55:40.320 --> 00:55:43.599
few who fought for the freedom of my family before

819
00:55:43.639 --> 00:55:48.239
they were either banished or killed by you. She lowered

820
00:55:48.280 --> 00:55:52.400
the groundhog and released it. It just stood in front

821
00:55:52.400 --> 00:55:57.000
of Greta and looked at the villagers. The mayor pointed

822
00:55:57.079 --> 00:56:02.360
to the cursed creature. Capture that groundhogg. Greta just laughed.

823
00:56:03.440 --> 00:56:06.079
And what would you do with it upon capturing it?

824
00:56:06.880 --> 00:56:11.880
Kill it? You cannot. I have seen to that. Now.

825
00:56:12.679 --> 00:56:17.159
If you will excuse me, my task here is finished.

826
00:56:18.000 --> 00:56:21.960
Enjoy your pitiful village. You only have the remainder of

827
00:56:22.039 --> 00:56:28.519
your lives, she paused, or until six consecutive years of

828
00:56:28.599 --> 00:56:34.199
Groundhog's shadow on this day have passed. We will kill

829
00:56:34.280 --> 00:56:38.320
you for this, Greta Finny. Another citizen shouted, lay a

830
00:56:38.440 --> 00:56:42.000
finger upon me. Any of you and you shall truly

831
00:56:42.199 --> 00:56:45.559
know what it is to suffer. I am protected by

832
00:56:45.599 --> 00:56:49.400
the dark Mother herself, and you will all die where

833
00:56:49.480 --> 00:56:54.840
you stand. She looked down at the groundhog. Away with you.

834
00:56:56.079 --> 00:56:59.639
As the groundhog turned and ran away quickly. The mayor

835
00:56:59.679 --> 00:57:04.119
shall capture that groundhog. Some of the villagers quickly ran

836
00:57:04.239 --> 00:57:08.800
after it. The mayor looked to Greta again. You shall

837
00:57:08.920 --> 00:57:15.519
pay dearly for this, Greta Finny. Finny smirked, I seriously

838
00:57:15.679 --> 00:57:21.119
doubt that Mayor, Jeffrey Miron. Now I take my leave

839
00:57:21.320 --> 00:57:25.519
of you. She wrapped herself in her cape and laughed

840
00:57:25.679 --> 00:57:36.239
scornfully as she disappeared. Groundhog Day the present. It was

841
00:57:36.360 --> 00:57:39.599
late Saturday afternoon as the four girls crossed into the

842
00:57:39.760 --> 00:57:44.960
village of Hollow Point. They explored the village, taking pictures

843
00:57:45.000 --> 00:57:49.199
on their smartphones and being excited about their first experience

844
00:57:49.679 --> 00:57:52.840
in a ghost village. When it got to be dark,

845
00:57:52.920 --> 00:57:56.039
they built a campfire in the village square and began

846
00:57:56.119 --> 00:57:59.280
to prepare a meal from food they had brought. Leslie

847
00:57:59.360 --> 00:58:03.639
Meetschum was tending to the food. Connie Damien was sitting

848
00:58:03.719 --> 00:58:07.400
with her back against the gazebo. Cynthia Andrews was sitting

849
00:58:07.440 --> 00:58:11.119
on a picnic table. Next to her was Gretchen Sable.

850
00:58:12.079 --> 00:58:15.760
Gretchen decided to invite her new friends from Strickfield University,

851
00:58:16.159 --> 00:58:20.079
who were all too eager to accept her invitation, especially

852
00:58:20.199 --> 00:58:22.960
when they knew they would have a whole village all

853
00:58:23.079 --> 00:58:27.480
to themselves and now here they were. When the food

854
00:58:27.639 --> 00:58:32.079
was ready, they began their feast. Hey, Gretch, where did

855
00:58:32.119 --> 00:58:35.599
you say your parents were going for their vacation? Connie asked.

856
00:58:36.199 --> 00:58:40.000
Gretchen seemed surprised. You mean I didn't tell any of

857
00:58:40.079 --> 00:58:44.679
you No, Cynthia replied, you just told us they would

858
00:58:44.719 --> 00:58:47.480
be gone all day today and all night tonight. Then

859
00:58:47.519 --> 00:58:50.280
they would come by the university to see you tomorrow evening.

860
00:58:51.280 --> 00:58:55.920
That's right, Gretchen agreed. Leslie leaned forward and gazed at

861
00:58:55.960 --> 00:59:00.920
her intently. So where are they all ready? Gretchen laughed?

862
00:59:01.639 --> 00:59:07.880
Would you believe PUNKSATONI Pennsylvania? Are you serious? Cynthia asked,

863
00:59:07.920 --> 00:59:11.760
in surprise. Yeah, Gretchen answered, how do you think I

864
00:59:11.880 --> 00:59:14.199
was able to text all of you about punks Atoni

865
00:59:14.239 --> 00:59:17.559
Phil seeing his shadow. Mom and Dad called me earlier

866
00:59:17.599 --> 00:59:20.079
this morning and told me they were at the annual

867
00:59:20.159 --> 00:59:24.000
Groundhog Day celebration. They even saw punk Satoni Phil in

868
00:59:24.119 --> 00:59:29.559
the fur. Yay, six more weeks of winter. Connie muttered, yeah,

869
00:59:30.199 --> 00:59:34.440
like you can complain. Gretchen returned, you three are attending

870
00:59:34.480 --> 00:59:38.519
Strickfield University on full ride scholarships. You all can afford

871
00:59:38.559 --> 00:59:41.239
to go on spring break next month. Some of us

872
00:59:41.360 --> 00:59:43.719
have to make coffee at the Bitter End in Wilder

873
00:59:43.800 --> 00:59:48.360
Hall to help pay for school. Connie raised her hands, Hey, Gretch,

874
00:59:48.480 --> 00:59:51.679
come on, it ain't like that. No, you're our friend.

875
00:59:52.159 --> 00:59:55.199
Cynthia agreed, and we haven't made any plans to go

876
00:59:55.360 --> 00:59:58.039
on spring break. I know I could actually stay in

877
00:59:58.079 --> 01:00:02.159
Strickfield for my break, Les said, it's such an awesome town.

878
01:00:02.440 --> 01:00:06.159
Face it, Gretch, you're stuck with us. Cynthia took one

879
01:00:06.199 --> 01:00:10.480
of Gretchen's hands. Come on, honey, we're friends here. You're

880
01:00:10.679 --> 01:00:13.239
our friend. We're here for the night in this village.

881
01:00:13.320 --> 01:00:16.920
We've got all to ourselves. You're fined. We're here to

882
01:00:17.000 --> 01:00:20.239
have fun. So let's pull together here and have some fun. Okay,

883
01:00:21.199 --> 01:00:25.920
Gretchen nodded, Okay, I'm sorry about what I said anyway,

884
01:00:26.360 --> 01:00:30.000
I was just messing around. Well, that groundhog definitely made

885
01:00:30.039 --> 01:00:33.119
the right prediction about six more weeks of winter, Leslie

886
01:00:33.199 --> 01:00:37.119
muttered as she shivered, it's cold out here. Well, we've

887
01:00:37.159 --> 01:00:40.159
got our fire and our sleeping bags to keep us warm.

888
01:00:40.519 --> 01:00:45.440
Connie reminded her. Then she had an idea. Hey, we

889
01:00:45.519 --> 01:00:50.320
could tell scary stories. We are in a ghost village, right,

890
01:00:51.480 --> 01:00:55.440
Gretchen raised her finger, and I've got the perfect one

891
01:00:55.559 --> 01:00:56.440
to start us off.

892
01:00:58.280 --> 01:01:02.719
If you're not afraid, then you're you're already dead. Weekly spooky.

893
01:01:02.840 --> 01:01:03.719
We'll be right back.

894
01:01:06.599 --> 01:01:10.559
You girls want to hear something about groundhog Day, something

895
01:01:10.639 --> 01:01:17.320
you won't believe what. Connie asked. How groundhog Day really

896
01:01:17.840 --> 01:01:23.159
got its name, Gretchen revealed, Doug Gretch everybody knows about that.

897
01:01:24.039 --> 01:01:27.280
Leslie replied, it's why we celebrate it, you know, the

898
01:01:27.400 --> 01:01:32.880
longer winter and early spring stuff. Gretchen shook her head slowly. Nope,

899
01:01:34.039 --> 01:01:37.920
far from it. Huh. The other girls uttered in wonder.

900
01:01:38.800 --> 01:01:43.280
Gretchen just looked at their disbelieving faces. What part about

901
01:01:43.320 --> 01:01:46.719
what I just said, didn't you understand? Are you saying

902
01:01:46.800 --> 01:01:52.360
that Groundhog Day is totally something else? Cynthia asked. Gretchen

903
01:01:52.440 --> 01:01:56.920
pointed to her sharply, Hey, you win the prize. Oh

904
01:01:57.000 --> 01:02:00.519
come on, Gretch. Connie muttered, what do you claim to

905
01:02:00.599 --> 01:02:02.920
know about Groundhog Day that the rest of this country

906
01:02:03.039 --> 01:02:07.360
don't more than the rest of this country? Gretchen cracked.

907
01:02:07.920 --> 01:02:12.400
She became serious. Then everything I know I learned here

908
01:02:13.000 --> 01:02:18.800
at hollow Point, this place here, Cynthia asked, This village

909
01:02:18.880 --> 01:02:23.039
about five miles from Strickfield, This village that's supposed to

910
01:02:23.119 --> 01:02:29.360
be cursed, haunted maybe, Gretchen finished for her, that's right,

911
01:02:30.280 --> 01:02:34.159
But how would you find that information here? Leslie demanded.

912
01:02:35.199 --> 01:02:38.480
There's an old log in the village hall. Gretchen pointed

913
01:02:38.519 --> 01:02:41.519
to it right over there. Let's go look at it.

914
01:02:41.639 --> 01:02:45.760
Then Connie suggested, we're here for the night. This village

915
01:02:45.840 --> 01:02:48.519
is all ours. We might as well explore it more.

916
01:02:49.400 --> 01:02:53.079
I like that idea, Cynthia said, show us the log, Gretch.

917
01:02:54.079 --> 01:02:57.360
When Gretchen stood up, the others followed her lead. They

918
01:02:57.480 --> 01:02:59.800
walked to the old town hall building and went in.

919
01:03:00.519 --> 01:03:03.400
They went into the mayor's office. Gretchen sat at the

920
01:03:03.480 --> 01:03:07.159
desk and had the others gather around. This is the log,

921
01:03:07.639 --> 01:03:11.880
she said, pleasantly, pointing to a large, thick, hard bound book.

922
01:03:12.639 --> 01:03:16.119
The cover had the words the Colony of Hollow Point

923
01:03:16.719 --> 01:03:21.400
Established eighteen twenty embedded into it. What do you think,

924
01:03:21.920 --> 01:03:25.639
Gretchen asked. Cynthia reached her hand out and felt the cover.

925
01:03:26.559 --> 01:03:30.719
It's definitely old leather, that's for sure. What you don't

926
01:03:30.719 --> 01:03:35.679
believe me, Gretchen demanded, I never said that, Gretchen pointed

927
01:03:35.719 --> 01:03:40.440
at her. But you sounded like it. Cynthia shrugged. Well,

928
01:03:40.639 --> 01:03:45.239
it's just that it's all so unbelievable, that's all. Gretchen

929
01:03:45.320 --> 01:03:49.480
lowered her finger. And yet we're all here, aren't we.

930
01:03:50.239 --> 01:03:54.519
For a moment, nobody said anything. I'll show you what

931
01:03:54.639 --> 01:03:59.599
I found, Gretchen said, and opened the log. Yeah, Connie

932
01:03:59.639 --> 01:04:03.360
agreed with the same excitement. Gretchen slowly turned through the

933
01:04:03.480 --> 01:04:08.119
log's aged pages. The entries were all handwritten and were

934
01:04:08.159 --> 01:04:12.559
still readable. Try to find where the curse starts, Connie said,

935
01:04:13.119 --> 01:04:16.880
I'm trying, Gretchen replied, flipping through the pages. I just

936
01:04:16.960 --> 01:04:20.440
have to remember what page it's on. Hey, wait, here's something.

937
01:04:21.159 --> 01:04:24.239
Gretchen pointed at a paragraph on one page where mention

938
01:04:24.360 --> 01:04:28.079
of the curse was. After Gretchen read the entry, she

939
01:04:28.280 --> 01:04:30.599
turned back the pages to try to find where the

940
01:04:30.679 --> 01:04:34.400
first entry of the curse was. Hey, I remember now,

941
01:04:35.000 --> 01:04:39.960
February second, eighteen twenty one. Yeah, right here. The others

942
01:04:40.039 --> 01:04:43.119
leaned in close as Gretchen read the pages about how

943
01:04:43.199 --> 01:04:45.960
a young witch by the name of Greta Finny had

944
01:04:46.039 --> 01:04:49.840
cursed the village on that day. Wow, how long have

945
01:04:49.920 --> 01:04:52.800
you been coming out here and reading this? Connie asked?

946
01:04:53.440 --> 01:04:55.960
Mom and Dad let slip about this village while they

947
01:04:56.000 --> 01:04:59.400
were talking to me about their trip. So I decided

948
01:04:59.440 --> 01:05:02.880
to find it. When I got here, I explored. I

949
01:05:02.960 --> 01:05:06.679
found this log and read some of it. Then Leslie

950
01:05:06.760 --> 01:05:10.079
had an idea, go to the last entry. Let's see

951
01:05:10.079 --> 01:05:13.199
if it says what happened to the people. Gretchen quickly

952
01:05:13.320 --> 01:05:17.760
turned the pages until she found the final entry, February second,

953
01:05:18.360 --> 01:05:23.480
nineteen eighty six. She murmured, Wow, that wasn't too long ago.

954
01:05:24.599 --> 01:05:27.320
They all read the entry in the log to themselves.

955
01:05:28.679 --> 01:05:31.639
My brother Gary and I John Miron are among the

956
01:05:31.719 --> 01:05:35.960
last remaining survivors in Hollow Point. The Hollow Point Groundhog

957
01:05:36.079 --> 01:05:39.760
has again seen his shadow for the sixth consecutive year.

958
01:05:40.559 --> 01:05:43.519
That means the curse of the witch Greta Finny will

959
01:05:43.559 --> 01:05:47.400
be realized once again. The curse will bring the hell

960
01:05:47.440 --> 01:05:51.599
Weaver herself in time. Our village only has around twenty

961
01:05:51.639 --> 01:05:55.719
eight people remaining, counting Gary and I. My brother and

962
01:05:55.800 --> 01:05:58.039
I are going to offer ourselves to the hell Weaver,

963
01:05:58.519 --> 01:06:02.360
who will soon arrive to rack the village. From this entry,

964
01:06:02.679 --> 01:06:06.400
someone else must continue the log of hollow point, assuming

965
01:06:06.480 --> 01:06:09.719
any of us survive the hell Weaver. When I think

966
01:06:09.800 --> 01:06:13.000
about what my ancestors did to build this accursed village,

967
01:06:13.440 --> 01:06:15.239
it makes me just want to go back to the

968
01:06:15.320 --> 01:06:18.840
exact moment in time and beg Greta Fini to spare

969
01:06:18.920 --> 01:06:23.440
the remaining people and take me instead, But Greta Fini

970
01:06:23.559 --> 01:06:27.480
is probably long since dead by this time. It is

971
01:06:27.559 --> 01:06:30.440
also my shame to say that I and my brother

972
01:06:30.559 --> 01:06:33.199
are both descended from the first mayor of the village,

973
01:06:33.880 --> 01:06:37.639
Geoffrey Miron. He was instrumental in putting nearly all of

974
01:06:37.719 --> 01:06:41.599
the witches who once lived peacefully here to death, with

975
01:06:41.800 --> 01:06:46.400
the exception of Gretafini. I can only hope that after

976
01:06:46.480 --> 01:06:49.679
tonight the curse of Gretafini will finally be lifted and

977
01:06:49.800 --> 01:06:52.480
the rest of the population can go on living in peace.

978
01:06:53.679 --> 01:06:58.320
I now conclude my final log entry here Mayor Jonathan

979
01:06:58.400 --> 01:07:02.159
Miron February second, nineteen eighty six.

980
01:07:03.320 --> 01:07:03.559
Whoa.

981
01:07:04.679 --> 01:07:11.800
Connie uttered, this is really intense. Definitely, Leslie agreed. Wait

982
01:07:11.840 --> 01:07:16.800
a second, Hollow Points abandoned now, Cynthia recalled. If what

983
01:07:16.960 --> 01:07:20.159
the mayor here said is true, then how that was

984
01:07:20.239 --> 01:07:21.920
going to be the second part of the story. I

985
01:07:22.039 --> 01:07:25.480
was going to tell all of you, Gretchen answered, tell us.

986
01:07:25.559 --> 01:07:29.480
Then Connie cried. Gretchen stood up and closed the book.

987
01:07:30.360 --> 01:07:34.960
Let's go back to the fire. Yeah, good idea, Cynthia consented,

988
01:07:35.599 --> 01:07:38.719
it is chilly. The girls left the town hall and

989
01:07:38.840 --> 01:07:41.760
went back to the comfort of their campfire. As soon

990
01:07:41.800 --> 01:07:45.960
as they were all situated, Gretchen began, Okay, as I said,

991
01:07:46.599 --> 01:07:50.239
we already know the first part of the story. So

992
01:07:50.719 --> 01:07:54.559
what did this Greta Finny do to the village? Connie asked,

993
01:07:55.440 --> 01:07:58.519
Remember the part in the final log about the Hollow

994
01:07:58.599 --> 01:08:03.880
Point groundhog. Yeah, Greta Finney had the groundhog in her

995
01:08:03.960 --> 01:08:06.920
hands when she put the curse on the village. She

996
01:08:07.079 --> 01:08:11.360
called upon the Dark Mother, herself hell Weaver, to grant

997
01:08:11.400 --> 01:08:15.400
her the curse the groundhog was the focal point of it.

998
01:08:16.119 --> 01:08:19.079
If the Hollow Point Groundhog saw his shadow for six

999
01:08:19.239 --> 01:08:23.359
consecutive years on February second, then the Dark Mother would

1000
01:08:23.359 --> 01:08:26.840
appear in this village and unleash their hellish wrath upon

1001
01:08:26.920 --> 01:08:30.199
the people who lived here. But if he didn't see

1002
01:08:30.279 --> 01:08:33.520
his shadow for six straight years, then the curse would

1003
01:08:33.560 --> 01:08:36.920
be lifted. The curse would also be lifted when the

1004
01:08:37.000 --> 01:08:41.319
last surviving citizen of Hollow Point died. Not only that,

1005
01:08:42.079 --> 01:08:44.640
those who lived in Hollow Point at the time couldn't

1006
01:08:44.720 --> 01:08:50.319
leave whatsoever, and neither could their descendants. She raised her finger. However,

1007
01:08:50.960 --> 01:08:57.039
it turned out there was a loophole. What loophole, Cynthia asked, well,

1008
01:08:58.000 --> 01:09:00.359
not a loophole to end the curse itself, but one

1009
01:09:00.399 --> 01:09:02.520
that would allow descendants to not have to be in

1010
01:09:02.600 --> 01:09:07.119
the village. Gretchen said, the people living here couldn't leave

1011
01:09:07.199 --> 01:09:10.600
the village, but there was nothing in the curse about outsiders.

1012
01:09:11.079 --> 01:09:14.079
They could come and go as they pleased. There were

1013
01:09:14.119 --> 01:09:17.159
women who came through Hollowpoint and became romantically involved with

1014
01:09:17.279 --> 01:09:20.800
the men here. They became pregnant and had their babies

1015
01:09:20.840 --> 01:09:27.720
outside the village. WHOA So what happens to them. Connie asked, well,

1016
01:09:28.199 --> 01:09:33.920
supposedly the groundhog still exists because descendants still exist. Gretchen

1017
01:09:34.000 --> 01:09:38.119
answered that was in the log too. About midway, Hey,

1018
01:09:38.640 --> 01:09:43.279
what about just killing the groundhog, Leslie asked. Suddenly, Gretchen

1019
01:09:43.319 --> 01:09:46.960
shook her head slowly. Greta Finny fixed it so it

1020
01:09:47.039 --> 01:09:50.600
couldn't die. The villagers tried to kill it and failed

1021
01:09:50.600 --> 01:09:54.960
at every turn. Hey, I just thought of something, Connie exclaimed.

1022
01:09:55.560 --> 01:09:57.880
How would the people know if the groundhog saw his

1023
01:09:57.960 --> 01:10:01.560
shadow or not? Fogg mentioned how the village had a

1024
01:10:01.640 --> 01:10:05.800
bad storm snow or rain just after the groundhog saw it.

1025
01:10:06.319 --> 01:10:08.079
If he didn't see it, the weather would go on

1026
01:10:08.199 --> 01:10:12.119
as normal. Of course, there were never six consecutive years

1027
01:10:12.199 --> 01:10:15.680
the Hollow Point groundhog didn't see his shadow. Getting back

1028
01:10:15.720 --> 01:10:19.479
to my story, Jeffrey Miron saw the area as good

1029
01:10:19.560 --> 01:10:22.600
building land. The only problem was that a coven of

1030
01:10:22.720 --> 01:10:26.239
witches lived here. To make this part of the story short,

1031
01:10:26.359 --> 01:10:29.119
he was able to get enough followers behind him to

1032
01:10:29.239 --> 01:10:32.720
help him drive the witches from this land on Jeffrey

1033
01:10:32.760 --> 01:10:36.439
Miron's orders. They even shot and killed them when they protested.

1034
01:10:38.199 --> 01:10:43.359
If you thought that was scary, just you wait weekly spooky,

1035
01:10:43.560 --> 01:10:44.560
we'll be right back.

1036
01:10:46.640 --> 01:10:49.640
On the first day of Hollow Point, the remaining witches

1037
01:10:49.800 --> 01:10:52.079
came into the village to try to wreck it in

1038
01:10:52.199 --> 01:10:55.039
determination to get revenge for the deaths of their kind

1039
01:10:55.359 --> 01:10:58.439
and being driven off their land. But the villagers were

1040
01:10:58.479 --> 01:11:01.600
able to kill many of them. What few that remained

1041
01:11:01.920 --> 01:11:05.479
were captured and hung that very night. One of them

1042
01:11:05.920 --> 01:11:09.800
was Helia Finney. But she wasn't hung, she was burned

1043
01:11:09.840 --> 01:11:14.800
at the stake. That must explain, Greta Leslie figured, right,

1044
01:11:15.359 --> 01:11:18.840
Gretchen confirmed, From there you know the rest of the story.

1045
01:11:19.399 --> 01:11:22.079
Greta Finny, the last of her coven, came back a

1046
01:11:22.199 --> 01:11:25.479
year later and invoked her revenge by cursing the village,

1047
01:11:25.880 --> 01:11:30.560
thus creating the Hollow Point Groundhog. Okay, but what happened

1048
01:11:30.560 --> 01:11:35.600
in nineteen eighty six, Cynthia cheered in anticipation. Simple story there,

1049
01:11:36.199 --> 01:11:41.079
Gretchen replied. John's brother Gary was secretly practicing the Dark Arts.

1050
01:11:41.600 --> 01:11:44.279
He was determined to use his powers to drive the

1051
01:11:44.359 --> 01:11:48.199
Dark Mother away. See he'd been practicing over the years

1052
01:11:48.239 --> 01:11:51.920
and was learning powerful magic. His idea was to confront

1053
01:11:51.960 --> 01:11:55.920
the hell weaver head on. Well, if Hollow Point is

1054
01:11:55.960 --> 01:11:59.000
a ghost village, then that means Gary Miron must have failed.

1055
01:11:59.439 --> 01:12:04.479
Connie did, That's right, Gretchen confirmed. His brother tried to

1056
01:12:04.560 --> 01:12:07.520
convince him to stop, but he wouldn't listen, and when

1057
01:12:07.560 --> 01:12:11.479
the hell Weaver came, she immediately destroyed him. She was

1058
01:12:11.600 --> 01:12:14.079
far too powerful and he never even stood a chance

1059
01:12:14.119 --> 01:12:18.000
against her. John Miron tried to offer himself to hell Weaver,

1060
01:12:18.760 --> 01:12:21.399
but Gary must have pissed her off so badly that

1061
01:12:21.560 --> 01:12:24.760
she also destroyed him and the remaining twenty six people

1062
01:12:25.119 --> 01:12:28.920
who lived in Hollow Point. From that moment on, Hollow

1063
01:12:29.000 --> 01:12:31.960
Point was a ghost village. The curse was believed to

1064
01:12:32.000 --> 01:12:35.119
have ended that night, once and for all. As far

1065
01:12:35.199 --> 01:12:39.800
as how Groundhog Day became so big in Punksatoni, Pennsylvania, again,

1066
01:12:40.039 --> 01:12:43.920
outsiders could pass through Hollow Point. Some must have caught

1067
01:12:44.000 --> 01:12:47.560
wind of the curse anyway. One of them was from

1068
01:12:47.560 --> 01:12:50.279
the Punksatoni area and was able to get the people

1069
01:12:50.359 --> 01:12:53.840
to start observing the traditions in eighteen eighty seven, calling

1070
01:12:53.920 --> 01:12:57.680
this day Groundhog Day. Only difference was that the story

1071
01:12:57.760 --> 01:13:00.199
of the curse was watered down to predict either six

1072
01:13:00.279 --> 01:13:03.760
more weeks of winter or in early spring. You know,

1073
01:13:04.039 --> 01:13:07.479
something fun to look forward to once a year. Gretchen finished.

1074
01:13:08.119 --> 01:13:12.119
Now that was a story, Cynthia exclaimed in approval. Yeah,

1075
01:13:12.760 --> 01:13:16.399
Leslie agreed, and it's all true, every word of it.

1076
01:13:16.760 --> 01:13:21.399
Gretchen murmured, hold it, I've got a question, gretch Connie

1077
01:13:21.479 --> 01:13:27.319
said with skepticism, what, Gretchen replied in anticipation. If the

1078
01:13:27.439 --> 01:13:30.399
log only goes up to February second, nineteen eighty six,

1079
01:13:30.560 --> 01:13:33.079
then how would you know what happened after the last

1080
01:13:33.199 --> 01:13:37.359
entry was made. Gretchen smiled, I'm so glad you asked.

1081
01:13:38.199 --> 01:13:43.600
Then her gentle smile became a more sinister, evil smile.

1082
01:13:44.880 --> 01:13:50.359
Gretchen began to laugh. The winds began to grow stronger. Suddenly,

1083
01:13:50.840 --> 01:13:54.800
Gretchen floated off the ground to a standing position. The

1084
01:13:54.920 --> 01:13:58.079
others gasped when they saw the face that was once

1085
01:13:58.199 --> 01:14:03.199
Gretchen Sable replaced by that of Greta Finney. She still

1086
01:14:03.279 --> 01:14:05.800
looked as young and beautiful as she did the day

1087
01:14:05.920 --> 01:14:09.720
that she had cursed Hollow Point on February second, eighteen

1088
01:14:09.880 --> 01:14:15.239
twenty one. Now do you understand, Greta asked scornfully, because

1089
01:14:15.439 --> 01:14:20.000
I was the one who cursed this foul village. The

1090
01:14:20.119 --> 01:14:23.159
girls were too scared to run. They huddled together and

1091
01:14:23.239 --> 01:14:27.319
looked up at her. What do you want, Connie stammered.

1092
01:14:27.880 --> 01:14:32.640
Greta chuckled, Why nothing, I already have the three of you.

1093
01:14:33.520 --> 01:14:37.479
You see, you are the last remaining descendants of Hollow Point.

1094
01:14:38.520 --> 01:14:40.800
Using my ancient magics, I was able to find the

1095
01:14:40.840 --> 01:14:45.119
descendants who remained. Getting you here was so very easy

1096
01:14:45.479 --> 01:14:50.119
with the free ride scholarships to Strickfield University. And now

1097
01:14:50.319 --> 01:14:53.439
the three of you will see my curse to its end.

1098
01:14:54.199 --> 01:14:58.479
You three shall remain here for the remainder of your days.

1099
01:15:00.760 --> 01:15:04.960
Why would you do this to us, Cynthia cried. Greta

1100
01:15:05.039 --> 01:15:10.039
looked even more hateful. Now, why because your ancestors destroyed

1101
01:15:10.159 --> 01:15:13.239
every one of my people all those years ago, leaving

1102
01:15:13.439 --> 01:15:17.600
me as the soul survivor. Her eyes began to glow

1103
01:15:17.680 --> 01:15:22.079
red and bright. But don't worry, you three won't be alone.

1104
01:15:22.439 --> 01:15:25.840
You'll have my precious pet here to keep you company.

1105
01:15:26.479 --> 01:15:29.920
Greta pointed, and the girls looked to see the Hollow

1106
01:15:30.000 --> 01:15:33.279
Point groundhog. Its fur was as dark as brimstone, and

1107
01:15:33.359 --> 01:15:37.680
its eyes glowed as evilly red as its creators. You

1108
01:15:37.920 --> 01:15:42.479
three shall remain here and see my curse to its end. Then,

1109
01:15:43.119 --> 01:15:47.520
only then will the souls of my people finally rest

1110
01:15:47.880 --> 01:15:51.920
she laughed, an evil laugh. You have only until either

1111
01:15:52.039 --> 01:15:55.680
the rest of your natural lives or until my little

1112
01:15:55.760 --> 01:16:00.119
friend here brings about the hell weaver from there. One

1113
01:16:00.159 --> 01:16:03.359
of you will have to offer her life to appease her.

1114
01:16:04.119 --> 01:16:09.000
She raised her finger. However, this groundhog may not see

1115
01:16:09.039 --> 01:16:14.079
his shadow for six consecutive years. Then you will be free.

1116
01:16:15.159 --> 01:16:19.159
So I've given you hope. You can't do this, Connie shouted,

1117
01:16:19.399 --> 01:16:23.199
We treated you as our friend. Greta fired twin beams

1118
01:16:23.239 --> 01:16:26.319
from her eyes to strike Connie down. Then she said

1119
01:16:26.319 --> 01:16:30.039
to them, I don't need your friendship. You may wish

1120
01:16:30.119 --> 01:16:33.359
to try and make friends with this groundhog, because he'll

1121
01:16:33.439 --> 01:16:36.960
be all that you'll see for years to come unless

1122
01:16:37.039 --> 01:16:39.159
outsiders come into this village.

1123
01:16:39.520 --> 01:16:39.840
That is.

1124
01:16:40.880 --> 01:16:44.439
Having fulfilled my revenge with you three, I take my

1125
01:16:44.680 --> 01:16:49.840
leave now. With that, Greta Finny disappeared. The remaining three

1126
01:16:49.920 --> 01:16:53.760
girls turned and tried to leave Hollow Point. As they

1127
01:16:53.840 --> 01:16:58.119
reached the boundary, they found themselves blocked, as if by

1128
01:16:58.159 --> 01:17:04.159
an invisible barrier. You can't leave, Leslie cried, We're really

1129
01:17:04.279 --> 01:17:08.840
stuck here. Connie groaned. Cynthia gasped as she turned around.

1130
01:17:09.520 --> 01:17:11.800
The other two girls turned with her to see the

1131
01:17:11.960 --> 01:17:16.680
evil groundhog standing before them. Its eyes glowed red as

1132
01:17:16.760 --> 01:17:20.159
it looked at them. It made no move to attack them, however,

1133
01:17:20.960 --> 01:17:25.680
but then it really didn't have to, as Greta Finny

1134
01:17:25.760 --> 01:17:29.560
had told them, they were now permanent residence in Hollow

1135
01:17:29.640 --> 01:17:32.640
Point until such.

1136
01:17:32.560 --> 01:17:43.640
Time the God Tongue by Dan Wilder.

1137
01:17:44.119 --> 01:17:46.880
Born without a tongue to grant him the power of speech.

1138
01:17:47.359 --> 01:17:50.600
Ezra had long been the target of derision by his peers,

1139
01:17:51.239 --> 01:17:53.960
so much so that when his beloved mother had breathed

1140
01:17:53.960 --> 01:17:56.640
her last, he abandoned the home in which he was

1141
01:17:56.760 --> 01:17:59.920
raised and took to the hills and forests that bordered

1142
01:18:00.279 --> 01:18:03.800
the microcosm of the world's backwoods notions that was the

1143
01:18:03.920 --> 01:18:08.479
town of Jadon's Cross. Once there, Ezra built himself a

1144
01:18:08.560 --> 01:18:12.039
modest cabin, financed with his meager inheritance, where he could

1145
01:18:12.039 --> 01:18:16.720
find solace away from the chorus of mocking voices. Living

1146
01:18:16.840 --> 01:18:20.319
off the land, Ezra killed only that which he could consume,

1147
01:18:20.840 --> 01:18:24.239
and his growling stomach, coupled with his barren ice box,

1148
01:18:24.640 --> 01:18:26.840
had told him it was high time to venture out

1149
01:18:26.920 --> 01:18:32.039
into the crisp autumnal evening. After long, fruitless hours, Ezra

1150
01:18:32.159 --> 01:18:34.880
had seen nary a hint of prey, and though the

1151
01:18:34.960 --> 01:18:38.000
moon hung swollen in the sky, a mist had begun

1152
01:18:38.159 --> 01:18:41.479
to encroach upon the landscape of stoic pines that pointed

1153
01:18:41.880 --> 01:18:46.119
like accusing fingers at the heavens. Ezra exhaled wearily and

1154
01:18:46.239 --> 01:18:48.840
sat down at the base of the nearest pine. The

1155
01:18:48.960 --> 01:18:52.720
miasma played seductively at his neck and chin, causing his

1156
01:18:52.800 --> 01:18:55.439
skin to turn to goose flesh. As the fog was

1157
01:18:55.479 --> 01:18:57.760
a great deal cooler than the air that surrounded it,

1158
01:18:58.760 --> 01:19:01.159
Ezra closed his eyes for a moment and let the

1159
01:19:01.239 --> 01:19:04.800
symphony of the forest fill his ears, And for minutes

1160
01:19:05.000 --> 01:19:08.359
it did just that, until his placid repose was shattered

1161
01:19:08.600 --> 01:19:11.159
by the sound of a twig breaking that echoed through

1162
01:19:11.199 --> 01:19:14.840
the cool air like the report of a shotgun being discharged.

1163
01:19:15.680 --> 01:19:20.039
Ezra's eyes snapped open, and as his gaze furatively darted

1164
01:19:20.119 --> 01:19:23.800
to and fro, he spied majestic antlers rising from the

1165
01:19:23.920 --> 01:19:27.199
fog in a fluid motion. He rose to his feet

1166
01:19:27.479 --> 01:19:29.640
and brought the sight of his Remington rifle to bear

1167
01:19:29.720 --> 01:19:32.239
on the dark shape that stood just below the mist.

1168
01:19:32.880 --> 01:19:36.159
Ezra squeezed the trigger, sending fire and thunder forth into

1169
01:19:36.239 --> 01:19:39.720
the night, and as soon as they appeared, the antlers fell.

1170
01:19:40.399 --> 01:19:43.319
He bolted forward through the swirling gray, which seemed to

1171
01:19:43.399 --> 01:19:46.159
recoil from his advancing form, as if fearful of his

1172
01:19:46.279 --> 01:19:50.359
presence to his quarry. As he approached, the fog had

1173
01:19:50.439 --> 01:19:53.279
now parted and refused to trespass where the beasts lay.

1174
01:19:53.960 --> 01:19:56.640
And while Ezra was unable to give voice to his shock,

1175
01:19:57.279 --> 01:20:00.680
his slack jaw and bolding eyes more than conveyed it emotions.

1176
01:20:01.239 --> 01:20:04.800
For while he expected to find a stag, he instead

1177
01:20:05.319 --> 01:20:10.039
found a caricature of a man, albeit a man with antlers.

1178
01:20:11.720 --> 01:20:15.079
Ezra kneeled and rolled the creature on its back. Its

1179
01:20:15.119 --> 01:20:18.560
lifeless eyes were large, dark and set wide upon a

1180
01:20:18.640 --> 01:20:22.199
face covered in coarse fur. It wore little in the

1181
01:20:22.239 --> 01:20:25.680
way of clothing, just a simple robe, from which extended

1182
01:20:25.760 --> 01:20:29.199
limbs that resembled a dog's leg that ended in long,

1183
01:20:29.439 --> 01:20:33.680
tapered fingers tipped with crimson nails. It was in one

1184
01:20:33.760 --> 01:20:37.359
such appendage that the creature clutched what at first appeared

1185
01:20:37.359 --> 01:20:40.840
to Ezra to be a smooth ebony stone. He reached

1186
01:20:40.880 --> 01:20:45.359
for the object and found it malleable and warm, more

1187
01:20:45.560 --> 01:20:49.439
flesh than mineral. As he turned the artifact over and

1188
01:20:49.720 --> 01:20:53.199
over in his palm. The mist began to slowly creep back,

1189
01:20:53.960 --> 01:20:59.159
and with it came the inhuman wailing. Ezra panicked as

1190
01:20:59.199 --> 01:21:02.359
the mist around him produced its litany of grief, which

1191
01:21:02.479 --> 01:21:05.439
resulted in a mad flight through the dense pines. As

1192
01:21:05.479 --> 01:21:08.439
he ran, Ezra could feel the miasmas strike his legs

1193
01:21:08.479 --> 01:21:12.319
as it began to solidify into long, lashing tendrils. As

1194
01:21:12.399 --> 01:21:15.920
if that wasn't disconcerting enough, the wailing had now transformed

1195
01:21:15.920 --> 01:21:21.319
into protracted screams of pure rage. Onward, he flew, tripping

1196
01:21:21.439 --> 01:21:24.960
and struggling as the fog continued its battery. Finally, he

1197
01:21:25.039 --> 01:21:27.520
saw the familiar outline of his cabin in the clearing

1198
01:21:27.720 --> 01:21:30.479
just beyond the forest. He threw his weight against the

1199
01:21:30.560 --> 01:21:34.079
unlocked front door and exploded into his domain. In an instant.

1200
01:21:34.119 --> 01:21:36.560
He slammed shut the door, threw the bolt into place,

1201
01:21:36.680 --> 01:21:39.399
and collapsed to the floor in a crumpled mass of

1202
01:21:39.560 --> 01:21:43.760
pure exhaustion. He sat for minutes as hot tears ran

1203
01:21:43.880 --> 01:21:46.399
down his cheeks and his heart beat so fast and

1204
01:21:46.560 --> 01:21:48.760
hard that at any other time he would have been

1205
01:21:48.840 --> 01:21:52.520
sure he was having a heart attack. Indeed, his hammering

1206
01:21:52.640 --> 01:21:54.920
pulse was all he could hear, and it was that

1207
01:21:55.119 --> 01:21:59.520
fact that made him realize that whatever outray abominations he

1208
01:21:59.600 --> 01:22:02.439
had left behind in the woods, they had decided not

1209
01:22:02.600 --> 01:22:06.359
to stray from that realm. Finally, he gained control of

1210
01:22:06.439 --> 01:22:09.359
his faculties, moving his hands to his face to rub

1211
01:22:09.399 --> 01:22:13.079
the last vestiges of tears from his eyes. Ezra realized

1212
01:22:13.119 --> 01:22:16.720
he still clutched that preternatural stone, and where once it

1213
01:22:16.880 --> 01:22:21.399
was merely matt black, now it glowed a brilliant gold

1214
01:22:21.560 --> 01:22:25.520
from a thousand hairline cracks that crossed its surface, like arteries,

1215
01:22:25.640 --> 01:22:29.560
no wider than a human hair. Ezra was entranced by

1216
01:22:29.600 --> 01:22:33.119
the artifact. So entranced he failed to notice the mist

1217
01:22:33.319 --> 01:22:36.760
that had crept ever closer along the floorboards as it

1218
01:22:36.880 --> 01:22:40.279
issued forth from the small wood burning stove behind him.

1219
01:22:41.239 --> 01:22:45.000
Ever onward it came crawling up his back, until finally

1220
01:22:45.479 --> 01:22:49.119
it plunged deep into his brain via his left ear canal.

1221
01:22:50.119 --> 01:22:53.079
Ezra's brain exploded with a thousand images of a history

1222
01:22:53.520 --> 01:22:56.520
not his own. He saw an endless array of beings,

1223
01:22:56.800 --> 01:22:59.960
more beast than man, hideous and beautiful in equal measures.

1224
01:23:00.479 --> 01:23:03.720
He floated onward through a great city beneath the forest floor.

1225
01:23:04.159 --> 01:23:07.920
Finally he saw a diaphanous stag over twenty feet high,

1226
01:23:08.239 --> 01:23:11.880
its head adorned with seven sets of antlers. The image

1227
01:23:11.920 --> 01:23:14.800
swirled and rippled as the sight of that ebony edifice

1228
01:23:14.920 --> 01:23:18.680
he held filled his field of vision. Ezrah felt his

1229
01:23:18.880 --> 01:23:21.880
arm move of its own accord, and while he struggled

1230
01:23:21.920 --> 01:23:24.319
to make it remain at rest, he was powerless to

1231
01:23:24.359 --> 01:23:27.479
stop its ascent or the action which followed. His hand

1232
01:23:27.560 --> 01:23:30.760
simply placed the glowing midnight hued object into his mouth,

1233
01:23:31.399 --> 01:23:35.159
which had mechanically opened to accept it. For the briefest

1234
01:23:35.199 --> 01:23:38.560
of seconds, he could taste infinity, and with that he

1235
01:23:38.640 --> 01:23:42.239
could feel a new organ grow inside him, a tongue

1236
01:23:42.920 --> 01:23:47.359
which pulsed and throbbed within his mouth. His first words

1237
01:23:47.600 --> 01:23:50.279
were a scream. Then came blackness.

1238
01:23:51.039 --> 01:23:54.760
You murdered the historian. You must take his.

1239
01:23:54.920 --> 01:23:58.159
Place, The voice echoed so loud in his mind that

1240
01:23:58.279 --> 01:24:01.600
it snapped him awake. Ezra found himself lying on the

1241
01:24:01.680 --> 01:24:06.439
cold floor of his cabin Historian, he said involuntarily. His

1242
01:24:06.600 --> 01:24:09.159
eyes grew wide as the memory of the dark tongue

1243
01:24:09.279 --> 01:24:12.159
which had replaced his own missing organ, flowed into his head.

1244
01:24:12.800 --> 01:24:15.319
With a start, he lifted himself from the floor and

1245
01:24:15.479 --> 01:24:18.640
sped to the bathroom, examining himself in the mirror. He

1246
01:24:18.720 --> 01:24:21.840
opened his mouth to view that demon tissue, which he

1247
01:24:21.920 --> 01:24:26.159
seemed to know, by some arcane intuition, was connected to

1248
01:24:26.279 --> 01:24:30.560
that ancient stag. There sat the obsidian stone like mass

1249
01:24:30.640 --> 01:24:34.079
of the previous night, but now it pulsed and throbbed

1250
01:24:34.119 --> 01:24:37.960
with an unearthly power, which flowed through those golden veins

1251
01:24:38.359 --> 01:24:41.960
which now had spread throughout the interior of his mouth.

1252
01:24:42.800 --> 01:24:46.560
Ezra began clawing at the offending member, but to no avail.

1253
01:24:47.119 --> 01:24:52.119
The flesh, though supple, was completely unyielding, his thoughts locked

1254
01:24:52.159 --> 01:24:55.279
upon its removal, Ezra ran to the kitchen to procure

1255
01:24:55.319 --> 01:24:58.720
a large steak knife. As he steeled his nerves, Ezra

1256
01:24:58.840 --> 01:25:01.600
stuck out his tongue and brought the blade into place

1257
01:25:01.720 --> 01:25:04.960
for the amputation. The air split with static before he

1258
01:25:05.000 --> 01:25:08.319
could begin that dreaded surgery. The small short wave radio,

1259
01:25:08.600 --> 01:25:11.800
his one mechanical distraction, which provided for him a chance

1260
01:25:11.880 --> 01:25:15.239
to voyeuristically listen to the voices of others without being

1261
01:25:15.359 --> 01:25:18.479
pressed to respond in kind, had come to life from

1262
01:25:18.520 --> 01:25:22.359
its home atop his rough hewn dining room table. As

1263
01:25:22.439 --> 01:25:25.000
he dashed into the room, his eyes beheld yet another

1264
01:25:25.119 --> 01:25:30.680
incomprehensible sight, the mist, now solidified into the contours of

1265
01:25:30.800 --> 01:25:34.680
a vaguely humanoid shape, save for the long horns protruding

1266
01:25:34.760 --> 01:25:38.720
from its incorporeal forehead. It hunched over the device and

1267
01:25:38.840 --> 01:25:43.239
exhaled streams of vapor directly into the microphone from somewhere

1268
01:25:43.720 --> 01:25:46.479
that sounded both close and at the opposite end of

1269
01:25:46.520 --> 01:25:49.479
the galaxy. Came a sound that at first was not

1270
01:25:49.680 --> 01:25:53.239
unlike the purring of a large cat, but quickly turned

1271
01:25:53.239 --> 01:25:57.840
into a low, guttural growl, before finally becoming words that

1272
01:25:57.920 --> 01:26:01.039
simply could not have been formed by human lips.

1273
01:26:01.640 --> 01:26:04.399
Pass on, old friend, we are coming.

1274
01:26:05.039 --> 01:26:08.319
Ezra reached for the figure, which dissipated into the ether

1275
01:26:08.800 --> 01:26:12.359
at his touch, accompanied by a chorus of melodic laughter.

1276
01:26:13.039 --> 01:26:15.359
He grabbed for the microphone in one hand, and with

1277
01:26:15.479 --> 01:26:18.239
the other tried furiously to find the proper channel to

1278
01:26:18.319 --> 01:26:20.760
connect him with the one agency he felt would be

1279
01:26:20.800 --> 01:26:23.840
able to help him fend off whatever malevolence was creeping

1280
01:26:23.920 --> 01:26:28.880
his way the town militia of Jaden's Cross. Finally, he

1281
01:26:29.119 --> 01:26:32.640
arrived at the proper frequency and parted his dry lips

1282
01:26:32.960 --> 01:26:36.760
to do that which had eluded him low these many years,

1283
01:26:37.560 --> 01:26:39.960
pressing the button which would allow his voice to travel

1284
01:26:40.000 --> 01:26:44.239
the waves, Ezra began to speak. What followed was not

1285
01:26:44.399 --> 01:26:50.439
one voice but legion. Some were mere growls, others came

1286
01:26:50.640 --> 01:26:54.119
like gently chirping birds, and a few were close to human,

1287
01:26:54.239 --> 01:26:58.800
yet still possessing a preternatural timber. But above all rang

1288
01:26:58.880 --> 01:27:03.119
the impossibly deep tones of their God. For the stag

1289
01:27:03.279 --> 01:27:06.880
did speak, the great animal whose voice was known when

1290
01:27:06.920 --> 01:27:10.159
the universe was a mere speck of dust, hanging like

1291
01:27:10.279 --> 01:27:13.560
a moat in the eye of infinity. With that, the

1292
01:27:13.720 --> 01:27:17.079
radio exploded in a shower of acrid smoke and sparks

1293
01:27:17.119 --> 01:27:20.439
that knocked Ezra to the floor. Ezra began to weep,

1294
01:27:20.840 --> 01:27:23.199
yet the sound of crying that issued from his mouth

1295
01:27:23.359 --> 01:27:28.039
was again the product of that unholy throng. Unable to

1296
01:27:28.119 --> 01:27:31.439
retain his tenuous grasp on sanity, he was determined to

1297
01:27:31.560 --> 01:27:34.079
rip the organ from his mouth with his bare hands,

1298
01:27:34.439 --> 01:27:37.279
hands that he noticed were covered in ruins and glyphs

1299
01:27:37.439 --> 01:27:41.119
carved deep upon the surface of his skin. Furiously, he

1300
01:27:41.239 --> 01:27:44.399
flew again to the bathroom, where he exhaled in shock

1301
01:27:44.760 --> 01:27:47.479
at the face that met his gaze within the mirror.

1302
01:27:48.640 --> 01:27:51.600
Like his hands and every other scrap of visible flesh,

1303
01:27:51.880 --> 01:27:55.560
he was covered in those strange markings. Ezra clawed at

1304
01:27:55.560 --> 01:27:58.119
the skin, which gave way in thin sheets to reveal

1305
01:27:58.239 --> 01:28:01.359
layers of fresh dermis below, marked the same as the

1306
01:28:01.439 --> 01:28:05.479
skin above. He attempted to scream, but what came instead

1307
01:28:05.600 --> 01:28:09.119
was the shouting of every supernatural being that had ever

1308
01:28:09.600 --> 01:28:12.560
or will ever walk the earth, all proclaiming their name

1309
01:28:12.960 --> 01:28:16.000
to the midnight that lie just beyond the cabin's roof.

1310
01:28:16.560 --> 01:28:19.279
Ezra ran towards the door of the cabin, the ancient

1311
01:28:19.359 --> 01:28:22.359
instinct to flee that which we do not or simply

1312
01:28:22.439 --> 01:28:26.840
cannot understand overtaking him. But suddenly he could move forward

1313
01:28:26.920 --> 01:28:31.079
no more, as that demon mist once more held him firm,

1314
01:28:31.399 --> 01:28:33.880
where it issued from between the floorboards of the cabin

1315
01:28:34.199 --> 01:28:38.079
to solidify into its humanoid form, the shifting arms of

1316
01:28:38.119 --> 01:28:40.840
which wrapped tightly around its panic stricken prey.

1317
01:28:41.319 --> 01:28:43.479
You murdered me.

1318
01:28:44.319 --> 01:28:49.880
It whispered seductively. Now you shall walk eternally into that

1319
01:28:50.039 --> 01:28:55.000
resplendent ebony with your brethren. Ezra struggled for a moment

1320
01:28:55.319 --> 01:28:59.039
until a sound distant at first, yet growing ever nearer,

1321
01:28:59.159 --> 01:29:02.760
began to fill the room, the pounding of hoofs upon

1322
01:29:02.920 --> 01:29:06.479
cold ground. The front door exploded in a molstrom of

1323
01:29:06.520 --> 01:29:10.119
splinters as a menagerie appeared that was equal parts animal

1324
01:29:10.439 --> 01:29:13.920
and man, and the worst of both. Ezra once again

1325
01:29:14.000 --> 01:29:19.439
succumbed to the ebben darkness. Over the next hours, Ezra

1326
01:29:19.520 --> 01:29:23.720
would occasionally regain consciousness, and while the moonlight illuminated only

1327
01:29:23.880 --> 01:29:27.760
endless miles of forest, it also revealed the talon tipped

1328
01:29:27.800 --> 01:29:31.199
hands that held him aloft, as well as the nightmares

1329
01:29:31.279 --> 01:29:35.560
they belonged to. Finally, he came to the group had

1330
01:29:35.640 --> 01:29:39.760
stopped before a long forgotten farmhouse. Even in the waning moonlight,

1331
01:29:39.840 --> 01:29:44.159
the house looked impossibly ancient and beyond any hope of repair.

1332
01:29:44.840 --> 01:29:47.880
One of the creatures to his left loped forward and

1333
01:29:48.039 --> 01:29:52.000
threw open the large storm doors, whose hinges creaked and protested,

1334
01:29:52.119 --> 01:29:55.560
and led Ezra down into the darkness. They walked for

1335
01:29:55.680 --> 01:30:00.439
what seemed several minutes through the inky blackness. Occasionally Ezra

1336
01:30:00.520 --> 01:30:02.960
could swear that he felt hot breath on the back

1337
01:30:03.000 --> 01:30:06.399
of his neck, or a gentle touch of something inhuman

1338
01:30:06.600 --> 01:30:10.920
reaching toward him from the darkness. Soon, in the distance,

1339
01:30:10.960 --> 01:30:13.560
a faint light could be seen, which grew brighter and

1340
01:30:13.720 --> 01:30:17.079
brighter until Ezra could make out the lithe silhouette of

1341
01:30:17.159 --> 01:30:20.720
his guide. They arrived in a large circular room which

1342
01:30:20.840 --> 01:30:24.439
was carved from the earth itself. A multitude of doorways

1343
01:30:24.520 --> 01:30:27.960
dotted the walls, and in the darkness of each Ezra

1344
01:30:28.039 --> 01:30:33.000
could see indescribable shapes moving ever closer in the light. Finally,

1345
01:30:33.279 --> 01:30:36.319
all were revealed as creatures which may have been constructed

1346
01:30:36.359 --> 01:30:40.520
of wild daydreams, absent visions, and children's chalk drawings. Gathered

1347
01:30:40.560 --> 01:30:44.840
in the chamber, Ezra shrunk under their gaze. For here,

1348
01:30:45.119 --> 01:30:48.760
as in the world above, he felt the outsider say

1349
01:30:48.840 --> 01:30:53.720
hello to your new family. Something croaked from the assemblage.

1350
01:30:54.399 --> 01:30:58.039
A being more owl than man stepped from the crowd

1351
01:30:58.159 --> 01:31:01.159
and stared at Ezra for what it seemed like days.

1352
01:31:01.960 --> 01:31:04.600
As it looked, it would crane its head from side

1353
01:31:04.680 --> 01:31:08.399
to side and snap its great beak open and shut.

1354
01:31:09.640 --> 01:31:14.439
Ezra stood stock still. Suddenly it dawned on him that

1355
01:31:14.520 --> 01:31:17.000
the beast wasn't figuring out the best way to pluck

1356
01:31:17.039 --> 01:31:19.960
out his eyes. Rather, it was reading the glyphs that

1357
01:31:20.039 --> 01:31:24.239
adorned his face. He gasped as the owl spoke, you

1358
01:31:25.560 --> 01:31:28.560
you tell the story of my family. Ezra could only

1359
01:31:28.600 --> 01:31:32.479
stare at the being dumbfounded. No, came a voice from

1360
01:31:32.560 --> 01:31:32.960
the throng.

1361
01:31:33.279 --> 01:31:35.520
He tells the tale of the fleet claws. I can

1362
01:31:35.600 --> 01:31:37.880
read it even from here and the moon rays.

1363
01:31:38.319 --> 01:31:39.920
Came a response from the crowd.

1364
01:31:40.680 --> 01:31:43.960
No, he tells the story of us all. Look.

1365
01:31:44.760 --> 01:31:47.159
Ezra looked down at his hands, which had started to

1366
01:31:47.239 --> 01:31:50.560
unravel into long flesh scrolls, which were soon picked up

1367
01:31:50.960 --> 01:31:54.640
by the discolored fingers, talons, and tentacles, the owners of

1368
01:31:54.720 --> 01:31:58.960
which read aloud and babbled excitedly of the stories contained therein,

1369
01:31:59.560 --> 01:32:03.680
of their acred lineage as well as their futures. Soon

1370
01:32:03.800 --> 01:32:06.960
Ezra was unraveling from every piece of exposed skin, some

1371
01:32:07.159 --> 01:32:09.479
of which drifted to the ground as torn pages from

1372
01:32:09.520 --> 01:32:13.520
an ancient tome. More creatures arrived and picked up the pages,

1373
01:32:13.920 --> 01:32:17.159
laughing as they celebrated all that made them. Onward and

1374
01:32:17.279 --> 01:32:20.760
onward the pages and scrolls fell, until finally all that

1375
01:32:20.920 --> 01:32:25.079
was left of Ezra were the pages themselves. Each tribesman

1376
01:32:25.159 --> 01:32:27.840
held a page or scroll of their own, and each

1377
01:32:28.159 --> 01:32:32.119
cherished the sacred words they contained. The stranger came.

1378
01:32:32.039 --> 01:32:35.399
To speak to us all, and what words he has

1379
01:32:35.560 --> 01:32:36.079
brought us?

1380
01:32:44.720 --> 01:32:49.680
Alien Zombie Punks from Upstate New York by Dan Wilder.

1381
01:32:51.359 --> 01:32:55.079
Why is it so dark in here? Damn it, I

1382
01:32:55.279 --> 01:32:59.520
just hit my head on a ceiling. Wait a minute,

1383
01:33:01.159 --> 01:33:03.119
I think I'm.

1384
01:33:04.840 --> 01:33:05.119
Dead.

1385
01:33:10.600 --> 01:33:14.000
Let's see if I can piece this thing together. We

1386
01:33:14.159 --> 01:33:17.920
went into the city earlier. It was me Sloppy Suicide,

1387
01:33:18.359 --> 01:33:21.960
or Ricky as he was known before last year, Debbie

1388
01:33:22.319 --> 01:33:26.199
and myself. We strolled around the city streets, which were

1389
01:33:26.279 --> 01:33:29.159
both ten to twenty degrees warmer than the streets of

1390
01:33:29.279 --> 01:33:32.840
the nowhere mountain town we left three hours earlier, but

1391
01:33:33.000 --> 01:33:39.119
also inexplicably smelled like chocolate flavored breakfast cereal, which was

1392
01:33:39.279 --> 01:33:42.399
strange but better than the leather mill runoff that usually

1393
01:33:42.520 --> 01:33:46.359
tickled our noses with its award losing scent of sickly

1394
01:33:46.520 --> 01:33:51.560
sweet putrescence mixed tenderly with chemicals that were most likely

1395
01:33:51.720 --> 01:33:56.439
banned everywhere else in the free world anyway. Earlier, our

1396
01:33:56.560 --> 01:34:00.880
punk rock asses clamored into Ricky sorry Sloppy, busted up

1397
01:34:00.960 --> 01:34:04.840
conversion van with bags of snacks and beer and began

1398
01:34:04.960 --> 01:34:08.520
the long drive to the Big Apple. It was already

1399
01:34:08.640 --> 01:34:11.600
snowing steadily as we tore down the roads leading to

1400
01:34:11.680 --> 01:34:14.399
the highway entrance that would bring us close to our

1401
01:34:14.520 --> 01:34:19.119
ultimate destination, Max's Kansas City for a likely to be

1402
01:34:19.279 --> 01:34:23.479
unforgettable night of punk music and New Year's revelry. But

1403
01:34:23.680 --> 01:34:27.079
the chains wrapped securely around the van's tires kept us

1404
01:34:27.600 --> 01:34:30.720
thankfully on the road, no matter how dicey the weather was.

1405
01:34:31.760 --> 01:34:35.760
Apparently it was in part forgettable, because piecing this shit

1406
01:34:35.880 --> 01:34:40.920
together is getting harder. But I digress. So we walk around,

1407
01:34:41.159 --> 01:34:45.039
got buzzed. Debbie bought a few trinkets from the street vendors,

1408
01:34:45.079 --> 01:34:47.720
and eventually we wandered our way over to the venue.

1409
01:34:51.680 --> 01:34:56.439
After arriving and stepping gracefully over a disturbingly large puddle

1410
01:34:56.479 --> 01:35:03.399
of puke, we stepped inside. The place was wall to wallpunks, bullshitting, drinking,

1411
01:35:03.880 --> 01:35:07.960
being charmingly rude, All of our greatest qualities brought out

1412
01:35:08.000 --> 01:35:11.760
in mass. We mingled, we drank, We were loud, and

1413
01:35:11.960 --> 01:35:16.039
soon the opening band lurched to life. I can't, for

1414
01:35:16.159 --> 01:35:19.199
the life of me remember their names, but they sang fast,

1415
01:35:19.279 --> 01:35:23.760
aggressive songs about alienation, indiscriminate, fucking. There might have even

1416
01:35:23.800 --> 01:35:26.920
been a television cover in there. They were quickly followed

1417
01:35:26.960 --> 01:35:30.119
by more scruffy snot leaking bands that played forty song

1418
01:35:30.239 --> 01:35:33.640
sets in the space of twenty minutes. Apiece so far,

1419
01:35:34.359 --> 01:35:37.960
So worth it. The night wore on and on, but

1420
01:35:38.199 --> 01:35:41.560
soon the headliners took the stage. Coming straight from the

1421
01:35:41.680 --> 01:35:45.920
wilds of New Jersey. These folks looked, for all the

1422
01:35:46.000 --> 01:35:49.079
world could tell, like Ghules returned from the dead to

1423
01:35:49.199 --> 01:35:53.760
raise unholy Hell, and they were louder and more confrontational

1424
01:35:53.880 --> 01:35:58.640
than all the other acts combined. Wait a minute, Gules,

1425
01:35:59.560 --> 01:36:03.600
that true, here's something to fire off deep within my brain.

1426
01:36:06.119 --> 01:36:08.600
The scream started from the back of the club, but

1427
01:36:08.680 --> 01:36:11.159
it was barely audible over the din of the band

1428
01:36:11.279 --> 01:36:15.319
and the crowd cheering them on. Occasionally, the band's bass player,

1429
01:36:15.399 --> 01:36:18.560
a hulking dude with long black hair brushed in front

1430
01:36:18.600 --> 01:36:21.640
of his face, would smash his instrument into anyone foolish

1431
01:36:21.720 --> 01:36:25.479
enough to dare to get on stage. Onward, they played

1432
01:36:25.600 --> 01:36:29.159
bringing Us Chain Gang, choruses and three Angry chords, all

1433
01:36:29.279 --> 01:36:33.479
wrapped around tales of the Kennedy assassination, teenagers from outer

1434
01:36:33.600 --> 01:36:39.239
space and Satanic werewolves, and subtly the crowd noise became

1435
01:36:39.439 --> 01:36:43.319
less and less. I have no idea what compelled me

1436
01:36:43.439 --> 01:36:48.800
to turn around, but I did then quickly regretted it.

1437
01:36:50.399 --> 01:36:52.920
In the front of the house, someone, or more accurately,

1438
01:36:53.600 --> 01:36:59.039
something moved among the crowds swiftly. The being's eyes reflected light,

1439
01:36:59.159 --> 01:37:03.239
not unlike a or a cat, which was disquieting enough

1440
01:37:03.319 --> 01:37:06.720
for sure, but the fact that it was seemingly murdering

1441
01:37:06.840 --> 01:37:12.039
patrons left and right was undoubtedly its worst feature. I

1442
01:37:12.159 --> 01:37:15.800
turned back to warn Debis and Debbie, but another shadow

1443
01:37:15.880 --> 01:37:19.119
being had torn them to pieces before setting to work

1444
01:37:19.159 --> 01:37:23.079
on the band, who admittedly fought like leather clad perserkers,

1445
01:37:23.680 --> 01:37:26.520
but no amount of leather clad muscle and violence could

1446
01:37:26.560 --> 01:37:30.159
stop the creatures, whose numbers had now swollen to four.

1447
01:37:31.399 --> 01:37:33.920
Upon seeing this, I did the only same thing I

1448
01:37:33.960 --> 01:37:37.359
could think of. I ran the fuck out of there.

1449
01:37:42.560 --> 01:37:46.560
I pushed through the throng, slid constantly on barf, blood,

1450
01:37:46.600 --> 01:37:50.079
and lord knows what other bodily secretions, before I burst

1451
01:37:50.119 --> 01:37:53.960
out onto the city street. The heavily falling snow made

1452
01:37:54.039 --> 01:37:57.960
everything seem like a Christmas card worthy winter wonderland, but

1453
01:37:58.960 --> 01:38:04.159
the sky held less en chanting prospects. Far above the skyscrapers,

1454
01:38:04.279 --> 01:38:08.119
meteors streaked across the sky, leaving violet trails in their wake.

1455
01:38:09.079 --> 01:38:14.880
I ran on, passing various New Yorkers staring uncharacteristically in shock.

1456
01:38:15.359 --> 01:38:18.199
As feet away, one of the meteors hit the sidewalk,

1457
01:38:18.680 --> 01:38:22.960
splitting it violently. One of the shadow beings rose from

1458
01:38:23.000 --> 01:38:27.439
the smoking rubble and immediately attacked a bystander, sending a

1459
01:38:27.520 --> 01:38:30.920
geyser of blood up into the frigid night sky, the

1460
01:38:31.079 --> 01:38:34.560
resulting crimson rain freezing to red ice as soon as

1461
01:38:34.600 --> 01:38:39.760
it collided with the ground in steam hissing droplets. Shit,

1462
01:38:40.760 --> 01:38:44.359
why is this happening? I thought stereotypically as I tore

1463
01:38:44.479 --> 01:38:47.119
ass on and on without a destination and no other

1464
01:38:47.199 --> 01:38:50.199
motivation than saving my narrow ass from getting ripped a

1465
01:38:50.279 --> 01:38:54.760
new one from astromonsters falling from the heavens. A few

1466
01:38:54.840 --> 01:38:59.760
blocks down, things got much worse. I saw one of

1467
01:38:59.760 --> 01:39:03.279
the sh shadow creatures attack a woman, but amazingly, it

1468
01:39:03.359 --> 01:39:06.039
didn't finish her off before it bounded off after a

1469
01:39:06.479 --> 01:39:09.960
faster moving victim that ran like a fucking cartoon character

1470
01:39:10.319 --> 01:39:13.239
over a sheet of ice before regaining his footing and

1471
01:39:13.399 --> 01:39:17.159
speeding off into the night. Against all common sense, I

1472
01:39:17.239 --> 01:39:18.960
made my way over to the woman to try and

1473
01:39:19.039 --> 01:39:22.640
help her, but upon arrival, she was a complete and

1474
01:39:22.720 --> 01:39:25.520
total mess that looked more like a plate of discarded

1475
01:39:25.560 --> 01:39:28.079
spaghetti and red sauce than a young lady out for

1476
01:39:28.159 --> 01:39:37.680
a stroll. Please please just hold me, she whimpered. I did, immediately,

1477
01:39:37.840 --> 01:39:41.840
soaking my best T shirt and blood. What's your name,

1478
01:39:42.920 --> 01:39:46.159
I asked, mainly because it's what I saw characters do

1479
01:39:46.319 --> 01:39:53.720
on TV when they encountered similar, deeply shitty situations. Uh, Olivia,

1480
01:39:54.439 --> 01:39:59.720
she muttered weakly. That's a great name, I said, unconvincingly.

1481
01:40:00.680 --> 01:40:04.319
So what brings you out tonight? What the hell kind

1482
01:40:04.399 --> 01:40:08.079
of question was that? In response to my quandary, her

1483
01:40:08.199 --> 01:40:12.880
eyes glazed over cataract white. Suddenly, she sat up straight

1484
01:40:12.960 --> 01:40:16.479
and shoved me back hard, sending me directly on my ass.

1485
01:40:17.119 --> 01:40:20.279
A hiss escaped her now blue lips, which were flecked

1486
01:40:20.319 --> 01:40:23.880
with neon green phlegm. Her gums had retracted to the

1487
01:40:23.920 --> 01:40:27.920
point where her teeth now appeared ginormous. Speaking of teeth,

1488
01:40:28.279 --> 01:40:32.399
she began clicking them together rhythmically. Somewhere behind me, I

1489
01:40:32.479 --> 01:40:36.199
heard a slight commotion which quickly grew in intensity before

1490
01:40:36.199 --> 01:40:41.399
a group of What the hell are these things? Zombies? Yeah,

1491
01:40:41.800 --> 01:40:44.520
let's go with that. A group of zombies spilled forth

1492
01:40:44.560 --> 01:40:48.399
from a nearby bodega, their limbs flailing wildly as they

1493
01:40:48.520 --> 01:40:53.239
moved both fast and clumsily forward. I screamed and possibly

1494
01:40:53.359 --> 01:40:56.039
peed a tad and booked it like a freight train

1495
01:40:56.199 --> 01:40:57.039
straight out of hell.

1496
01:40:59.039 --> 01:41:03.159
I like it weekly, Spooky, will be right back.

1497
01:41:11.720 --> 01:41:14.720
I ran until my lungs burned from the freezing air.

1498
01:41:15.439 --> 01:41:19.880
Then I made the absolutely idiotic decision to stop for

1499
01:41:20.000 --> 01:41:23.720
a second get my shit together. The zombies were on

1500
01:41:23.880 --> 01:41:27.479
me before you could say George A. Romero. I felt

1501
01:41:27.560 --> 01:41:36.520
no pain, but darkness soon took me. I came to

1502
01:41:36.760 --> 01:41:40.720
for the briefest of seconds. The sound of unearthly trumpets

1503
01:41:40.800 --> 01:41:43.880
filled the sky, and as soon as they arrived, the

1504
01:41:44.000 --> 01:41:48.199
creatures formed back into meteors and rose into the sky.

1505
01:41:48.359 --> 01:41:53.079
As the strange music became more and more like sirens.

1506
01:41:54.399 --> 01:42:04.960
Blackness came for me again, and then I woke up

1507
01:42:05.039 --> 01:42:08.119
to even more blackness and a minor head injury from

1508
01:42:08.199 --> 01:42:12.720
the aforementioned ceiling. I stared into the darkness before my

1509
01:42:12.840 --> 01:42:15.399
eyes finally settled on a sliver of light down by

1510
01:42:15.479 --> 01:42:18.760
my feet. I slid forward on my back and pressed

1511
01:42:18.760 --> 01:42:23.159
my feet towards the light. Damn, whatever I pushed up

1512
01:42:23.199 --> 01:42:29.640
against was cold, cold, but very forgiving. A door opened,

1513
01:42:29.720 --> 01:42:33.800
letting harsh fluorescent lights smash into my eyes. With wild abandon,

1514
01:42:34.760 --> 01:42:38.079
I pushed forward and immediately fell onto the rigid tile floor.

1515
01:42:38.840 --> 01:42:41.520
It took me about three point seven seconds to realize

1516
01:42:41.560 --> 01:42:46.560
where I was the morgue. I looked down at my

1517
01:42:46.680 --> 01:42:49.279
now bare feet and removed the Manila tag that was

1518
01:42:49.359 --> 01:42:52.720
tied around my big toe. I have no idea what

1519
01:42:52.840 --> 01:42:56.560
had happened to me, but I was definitely not dead.

1520
01:42:57.680 --> 01:43:00.560
I caught my reflection in a nearby mirror mounted on

1521
01:43:00.640 --> 01:43:06.199
the wall. I wasn't a zombie either. Then I saw

1522
01:43:06.279 --> 01:43:14.000
the two forms rise from the gurneys behind me. Rick,

1523
01:43:14.640 --> 01:43:19.239
Sloppy Whoever, and Debbie sat up. They were nude minus

1524
01:43:19.319 --> 01:43:22.319
the thin sheets that covered them, but Sloppy's mohawk was

1525
01:43:22.680 --> 01:43:26.399
unmistakable since it was hot pink with electric blue tips.

1526
01:43:27.159 --> 01:43:29.159
It took a minute, but I could tell they were

1527
01:43:29.239 --> 01:43:31.800
much the same as Olivia from earlier in the evening,

1528
01:43:32.319 --> 01:43:36.359
but their faces seemed downright friendly instead of, you know,

1529
01:43:37.239 --> 01:43:42.319
menacing as could possibly fucking be. You guys look like shit,

1530
01:43:43.520 --> 01:43:48.600
Thanks Pal, you look naked. I hadn't noticed it before,

1531
01:43:48.680 --> 01:43:51.479
but Sloppy was right. I was every bit as naked

1532
01:43:51.479 --> 01:43:54.520
as my friends, but where I was shivering from the

1533
01:43:54.600 --> 01:43:57.239
coldness of the room, they seemed to be as cozy

1534
01:43:57.279 --> 01:44:00.279
as could be. My eyes darted around the room for

1535
01:44:00.399 --> 01:44:03.319
something to cover up in, and then they fell on

1536
01:44:03.439 --> 01:44:07.159
a plastic bin filled with my clothes. Wallet. Hell, even

1537
01:44:07.199 --> 01:44:10.399
my beat to shit Doc Martin's were accounted for. I

1538
01:44:10.520 --> 01:44:14.239
crossed the room and pulled on my clothes. So, uh,

1539
01:44:15.119 --> 01:44:19.159
what's new with you two? Well, we were ripped apart

1540
01:44:19.239 --> 01:44:21.880
by aliens and woke up as zombies. But you know,

1541
01:44:22.600 --> 01:44:27.560
doesn't feel too bad, Debbie said, cheerfully. You guys don't

1542
01:44:27.600 --> 01:44:32.479
want to eat me, not particularly, No turn me into

1543
01:44:32.520 --> 01:44:38.680
one of you. Nope, Sloppy said flatly, Well what do

1544
01:44:38.920 --> 01:44:44.880
you want to do? We sat at Max's drinking our

1545
01:44:44.920 --> 01:44:49.039
stolen beer, just me and my two naked zombie pals.

1546
01:44:49.760 --> 01:44:53.479
The walk back was uneventful. This particular area of the

1547
01:44:53.560 --> 01:44:59.239
city seemed completely abandoned. Only corpses remained. Occasionally we'd hear

1548
01:44:59.359 --> 01:45:02.560
noises of happy crowds from deeper within the city, or

1549
01:45:02.640 --> 01:45:06.439
footsteps close behind us or from the rooftops, But if

1550
01:45:06.520 --> 01:45:09.479
more creatures prowled tonight, we sure as fuck didn't see them.

1551
01:45:10.279 --> 01:45:13.800
The entire thing was very omega man to be quite honest,

1552
01:45:14.239 --> 01:45:18.159
but as previously mentioned, one with less monsters for a change,

1553
01:45:18.279 --> 01:45:22.359
so that was a big plus. Anyway, a punk and

1554
01:45:22.479 --> 01:45:26.399
two naked zombies walked into a bar. No punchline, We

1555
01:45:26.600 --> 01:45:29.399
just walked in, stole beer, and sat at a table

1556
01:45:29.479 --> 01:45:32.600
surrounded by corpses on a chilly New Year's Eve night.

1557
01:45:33.800 --> 01:45:36.760
Hell As hard as it is to believe, the New

1558
01:45:36.840 --> 01:45:40.279
year had already begun a few hours ago, probably between

1559
01:45:40.319 --> 01:45:42.800
the time we were eaten by monsters and waking up

1560
01:45:42.840 --> 01:45:46.439
as either one a guy that obviously fainted at the

1561
01:45:46.479 --> 01:45:49.640
prospect of being eaten, when in fact, some cosmic twist

1562
01:45:49.720 --> 01:45:52.680
of fate called the herd home before said eating could

1563
01:45:52.720 --> 01:45:57.159
take place, or two as monsters that behave absolutely nothing

1564
01:45:57.239 --> 01:45:59.880
like monsters that made them, who in turn or made

1565
01:46:00.000 --> 01:46:04.920
from other monsters from space. It makes perfect sense if

1566
01:46:04.960 --> 01:46:09.239
you're drunk or mentally ill, or a combo of the two.

1567
01:46:10.319 --> 01:46:13.720
So we sat and drank and laughed as if absolutely

1568
01:46:13.840 --> 01:46:17.399
nothing was off in any way. It was kind of perfect,

1569
01:46:17.479 --> 01:46:21.199
to be honest with you, So now, what what what

1570
01:46:21.880 --> 01:46:25.199
I mean? You too can't exactly go back home again

1571
01:46:25.279 --> 01:46:28.720
unless everyone in your family. Fuck that if the whole

1572
01:46:28.840 --> 01:46:32.840
damn town was suddenly stricken blind. You know that's kind

1573
01:46:32.880 --> 01:46:37.039
of mean, but totally true, don't you think, Rick, Debbie asked,

1574
01:46:37.079 --> 01:46:40.720
a little string of neon green flems slash drool escaping

1575
01:46:40.800 --> 01:46:44.000
from her mouth as she spoke. It does make sense

1576
01:46:45.079 --> 01:46:47.199
you're not going to correct her for calling you Rick

1577
01:46:47.960 --> 01:46:52.279
after being dead. I don't know, the nickname seems tacky.

1578
01:46:52.399 --> 01:46:57.319
Now it's not just now, kiddo, Debbie countered. Rick flipped

1579
01:46:57.359 --> 01:47:00.520
her the bird playfully. I think the first thing we

1580
01:47:00.560 --> 01:47:03.319
should do is assess just how far this thing spread.

1581
01:47:04.279 --> 01:47:08.239
The rest of the city seems okay, but here you'd

1582
01:47:08.319 --> 01:47:12.840
think there'd be emergency crews or or something. I said,

1583
01:47:12.920 --> 01:47:16.279
looking for a TV or radio we could use. I

1584
01:47:16.399 --> 01:47:19.960
finally located a small transistor radio behind the bar and

1585
01:47:20.079 --> 01:47:23.319
switched it on. Only static filled the air no matter

1586
01:47:23.399 --> 01:47:27.439
what channel I tuned to. Well, so much for that.

1587
01:47:28.520 --> 01:47:30.960
Rick got up and wandered around the room for a minute.

1588
01:47:32.000 --> 01:47:35.720
I think we have to consider something else, he said, solemnly,

1589
01:47:36.600 --> 01:47:40.439
which is those things will be back. You can bet

1590
01:47:40.520 --> 01:47:44.720
on that. What makes you so sure, Debbie asked, her white,

1591
01:47:45.039 --> 01:47:49.239
pupilless eyes, staring blankly. Why come all this way, rip

1592
01:47:49.279 --> 01:47:51.479
shit up for under an hour, then just piss off

1593
01:47:51.600 --> 01:47:55.279
back to whatever demented home? World could spawn space invader

1594
01:47:55.359 --> 01:47:58.239
rejects that turn people into zombies, most of which are

1595
01:47:58.479 --> 01:48:02.319
hungry for human flesh except when they aren't like me

1596
01:48:02.479 --> 01:48:08.000
and deb That seems like a solid assumption. Maybe this

1597
01:48:08.279 --> 01:48:11.680
was like a dry run test shit out. See how

1598
01:48:11.720 --> 01:48:16.159
it goes, Debbie said quietly. I'd say it went swimmingly,

1599
01:48:16.239 --> 01:48:19.239
with the exception of you guys, what if we are

1600
01:48:19.399 --> 01:48:23.680
the desired result and the others were failures. Rick offered

1601
01:48:24.800 --> 01:48:28.239
no offense, but naked zombies that are no different than

1602
01:48:28.319 --> 01:48:32.479
regular humans other than looks seems like an experiment created

1603
01:48:32.560 --> 01:48:36.239
by an asshole convention, or just by someone that has

1604
01:48:36.359 --> 01:48:41.880
next to zero common sense. I mean, they're aliens, presumably,

1605
01:48:42.520 --> 01:48:45.479
maybe their standards of intelligence are vastly different from ours.

1606
01:48:46.520 --> 01:48:50.119
As logical as anything else that's gone on tonight, Debbie,

1607
01:48:50.199 --> 01:48:52.279
can I talk to you in private for a moment?

1608
01:48:52.960 --> 01:48:56.079
Ricky asked, sounding more like an adult than I've ever

1609
01:48:56.199 --> 01:48:59.760
heard him before. Debbie and Ricky crossed to the opposite

1610
01:48:59.800 --> 01:49:02.840
end of the room. They stood silhouetted by the stage

1611
01:49:02.880 --> 01:49:06.119
lights that remained on. I couldn't help but wonder what

1612
01:49:06.319 --> 01:49:09.079
in the hell was so damn important? But I didn't

1613
01:49:09.119 --> 01:49:11.000
have a long time to contemplate as soon as they

1614
01:49:11.079 --> 01:49:15.600
returned to the table. So listen, man, me and deb

1615
01:49:15.680 --> 01:49:19.239
were just talking and we have a proposition for you.

1616
01:49:20.319 --> 01:49:23.760
Is this going to get weirdly sexual? Debbie and Rick

1617
01:49:23.880 --> 01:49:26.880
laughed until they coughed up more green goo that hung

1618
01:49:27.000 --> 01:49:32.000
tenaciously to their cold blue lips. No, it's more like

1619
01:49:32.119 --> 01:49:37.079
dinner plans. Spill it. Let's say, for instance, that those

1620
01:49:37.199 --> 01:49:40.800
cosmic creeps make a return engagement tonight. Do you think

1621
01:49:40.880 --> 01:49:45.079
your chances of continued survival are greater or lesser given

1622
01:49:45.159 --> 01:49:48.880
your current state? Obviously, to be like you would help,

1623
01:49:48.960 --> 01:49:52.399
but I'm not too keen on joining the ranks of

1624
01:49:52.439 --> 01:49:56.880
the shambling dead. We move around just fine, and we're

1625
01:49:56.880 --> 01:50:01.560
impervious to the cold. Deb added merrily. That's all well

1626
01:50:01.640 --> 01:50:05.239
and good, But say I agree to this. What makes

1627
01:50:05.279 --> 01:50:07.359
you so sure I won't end up like the others

1628
01:50:08.399 --> 01:50:11.479
because we aren't like that, and we'll both bite. You

1629
01:50:12.119 --> 01:50:15.680
better your chances that way? And then what do we do?

1630
01:50:16.560 --> 01:50:20.399
Hide out? Maybe gather some weapons. If they think we're

1631
01:50:20.439 --> 01:50:22.239
on their side, we may be able to just walk

1632
01:50:22.359 --> 01:50:24.319
up and pop them before they know what hit them.

1633
01:50:25.319 --> 01:50:27.960
I truly hate it when you make reasonable arguments.

1634
01:50:29.039 --> 01:50:29.439
Is that a.

1635
01:50:29.560 --> 01:50:34.920
Yes, I mean, back home is comfortable. But I can't

1636
01:50:34.960 --> 01:50:37.399
help but think I have a greater purpose in life

1637
01:50:37.479 --> 01:50:41.720
than being a counter jockey at a video store. Saving

1638
01:50:41.760 --> 01:50:46.239
the whole damn planet would definitely qualify for that. Fuck

1639
01:50:46.800 --> 01:50:50.520
all right, I'm in. Debbie barely let out an excited

1640
01:50:50.600 --> 01:50:59.199
yay before the biting began. When I woke up, I

1641
01:50:59.319 --> 01:51:06.560
felt nothing, no more cold, no more warmth, thankfully, no hunger. Eventually,

1642
01:51:06.680 --> 01:51:09.720
we gathered some supplies, clothes, and made our way back

1643
01:51:09.760 --> 01:51:12.800
to our van. Soon we were headed due west. As

1644
01:51:12.840 --> 01:51:15.920
we exited the city, which, besides the few blocks we

1645
01:51:16.000 --> 01:51:19.199
spent the night on, seemed perfectly normal in every single way.

1646
01:51:20.359 --> 01:51:24.680
For now, we sat under the hot desert sky, just

1647
01:51:24.760 --> 01:51:27.399
outside the trailer we had shared for over fourteen years.

1648
01:51:28.239 --> 01:51:31.520
We sipped lemonade from glasses adorned with various sci fi

1649
01:51:31.680 --> 01:51:35.560
flick characters, more for nostalgia than anything, since we no

1650
01:51:35.680 --> 01:51:40.000
longer required any food or drink whatsoever. As the years

1651
01:51:40.039 --> 01:51:43.079
wore on, we became less and less sure our intergalactic

1652
01:51:43.199 --> 01:51:46.800
enemies would ever return, But since we basically just hung

1653
01:51:46.840 --> 01:51:49.880
out and watched TV and made music, it really didn't

1654
01:51:49.920 --> 01:51:59.720
matter much until the day that changed The saucer hovered

1655
01:51:59.760 --> 01:52:03.439
low in the sky before releasing three meteors that collided

1656
01:52:03.520 --> 01:52:07.479
with the desert floor. Three shadow beings crossed the sand.

1657
01:52:08.119 --> 01:52:10.680
We drew weapons we've never fired, and prepared for what

1658
01:52:10.800 --> 01:52:15.960
we guessed was coming. Except what came was vastly different

1659
01:52:16.000 --> 01:52:19.479
than any scenario we'd imagined over the years. The beings

1660
01:52:19.560 --> 01:52:24.199
held out their smoky hands, and our weapons vanished. Didn't

1661
01:52:24.239 --> 01:52:28.359
plan on that, Ricky whispered. Then the largest of the

1662
01:52:28.439 --> 01:52:33.279
three spoke to us, Hey, folks, we just want to

1663
01:52:33.359 --> 01:52:36.399
say sorry for the trouble we caused you. As children.

1664
01:52:37.039 --> 01:52:40.319
We've done some serious growth since then and realized how

1665
01:52:40.479 --> 01:52:45.199
childish our prank was. But we were just young punks.

1666
01:52:46.119 --> 01:52:48.479
We all looked at each other with our cataract eyes,

1667
01:52:48.880 --> 01:52:52.840
and it finally all made sense. The anarchy, the chaos.

1668
01:52:53.560 --> 01:52:58.239
We as punks held those beliefs deer, and so did

1669
01:52:58.279 --> 01:53:02.000
our brothers from the stars. I cracked some beers and

1670
01:53:02.119 --> 01:53:06.399
handed them to our guests. So what bands were you? Guys?

1671
01:53:06.479 --> 01:53:23.439
Into Grave consequences by Killian Crane, Dennis's shovel bit into

1672
01:53:23.520 --> 01:53:27.279
packed dirt. Years of practice told him he'd passed the

1673
01:53:27.399 --> 01:53:30.560
five foot marker only a few more inches and his

1674
01:53:30.680 --> 01:53:33.840
blade would strike the coffin lid. This was one of

1675
01:53:33.920 --> 01:53:37.079
the good cemeteries. It was off of a main road,

1676
01:53:37.199 --> 01:53:40.199
but the town was sleepy and there were no lights.

1677
01:53:41.079 --> 01:53:44.000
No lights meant he could park damn near on top

1678
01:53:44.079 --> 01:53:47.600
of the grave. He wouldn't have to lug everything from

1679
01:53:47.640 --> 01:53:51.279
a block or two away. As an added bonus, the

1680
01:53:51.399 --> 01:53:55.279
night dripped with a heavy fog, it would be impossible

1681
01:53:55.359 --> 01:53:59.319
to see his electric lantern from a distance. Mister Piles

1682
01:53:59.399 --> 01:54:02.199
told him too for an old money tombstone, and he

1683
01:54:02.399 --> 01:54:06.520
wasn't kidding. The once lavish tombstone had a statue of

1684
01:54:06.640 --> 01:54:10.239
a weeping angel wielding a sword, staring down at Denis

1685
01:54:10.520 --> 01:54:14.359
as he worked at the angel's feet. Read here lies

1686
01:54:14.560 --> 01:54:18.800
Vanya Mills. Her birth year was worn away, but she

1687
01:54:19.039 --> 01:54:23.560
died in sixty two. Chances were any one coming to

1688
01:54:23.680 --> 01:54:26.600
check on dear old Vanya was either an old fart

1689
01:54:27.319 --> 01:54:32.640
or buried close by. He dug faster, feeling sweat dripped

1690
01:54:32.680 --> 01:54:36.640
down his chin. He learned long ago to keep plenty

1691
01:54:36.720 --> 01:54:39.800
of sweat rags handy for long nights, and there was

1692
01:54:39.840 --> 01:54:42.319
a fresh beech towel already waiting for him in the

1693
01:54:42.399 --> 01:54:45.399
driver's seat. Of his truck. He had a change of

1694
01:54:45.520 --> 01:54:48.720
shoes in his covered bed, where he'd place his muddy

1695
01:54:48.760 --> 01:54:51.479
boots and tools of the trade in one large trash

1696
01:54:51.560 --> 01:54:56.079
bag and his hall in another. If it was too big,

1697
01:54:56.640 --> 01:54:59.399
he'd just wrap it in painters plastic and tape it up.

1698
01:55:00.159 --> 01:55:02.760
Once upon a time, Dennis was something of a jack

1699
01:55:02.840 --> 01:55:05.600
of all trades, a pipe fitter when he could pass

1700
01:55:05.600 --> 01:55:08.960
a drug test, a construction hand when he couldn't, and

1701
01:55:09.119 --> 01:55:12.720
a thief in between. It was a stroke of genius

1702
01:55:12.800 --> 01:55:16.560
that he found his favorite form of larceny grave robbing.

1703
01:55:17.640 --> 01:55:21.439
Many homeowners were getting home security systems, the ones with

1704
01:55:21.640 --> 01:55:25.520
anything worth stealing anyway. The same was basically true of

1705
01:55:25.640 --> 01:55:30.680
people you'd never guess who all was packing across the country. Sure,

1706
01:55:30.920 --> 01:55:34.800
some places had hinky gun laws, but that didn't stop

1707
01:55:34.920 --> 01:55:39.840
Granny from carrying a forty five. Dennis knew that from experience.

1708
01:55:41.079 --> 01:55:43.720
Several years ago. He'd held up an old woman and

1709
01:55:43.840 --> 01:55:47.960
she pulled heat on him. Luckily, her hands shook something fierce.

1710
01:55:48.359 --> 01:55:51.560
The forty five rang his ears but didn't ventilate him.

1711
01:55:52.279 --> 01:55:55.439
Dennis had enough gumption to snatch the revolver from her hands.

1712
01:55:55.880 --> 01:55:59.840
He retaliated, stomping granny's ass into the ground. She had

1713
01:56:00.000 --> 01:56:03.600
He's just been protecting herself, but she damn near killed him.

1714
01:56:04.199 --> 01:56:06.880
To teach her a lesson, Dennis made sure that she

1715
01:56:07.000 --> 01:56:10.800
had the ass whooping of her long life. When he

1716
01:56:10.880 --> 01:56:13.199
found the only thing of value she had was the

1717
01:56:13.319 --> 01:56:16.399
revolver and a coin purse with a whopping five dollars

1718
01:56:16.600 --> 01:56:20.640
and change, he decided that robbing people was just too

1719
01:56:20.720 --> 01:56:24.560
much drama. That night, he used the five dollars to

1720
01:56:24.600 --> 01:56:27.399
get a coffee at a local diner. The night had

1721
01:56:27.439 --> 01:56:30.520
been rough, so sweet thang at the counter wasn't getting

1722
01:56:30.560 --> 01:56:33.760
a tip. The local paper was on the counter, opened

1723
01:56:34.359 --> 01:56:38.239
to the o bits. One in particular caught his eye.

1724
01:56:39.039 --> 01:56:42.800
A local heiress, pretty little thing probably in her forties,

1725
01:56:43.279 --> 01:56:47.239
had kicked the bucket. She wore something intricate around her neck.

1726
01:56:48.079 --> 01:56:50.640
The black and white photo didn't do the thing justice,

1727
01:56:51.159 --> 01:56:55.079
but he could tell it was gold and diamonds. It

1728
01:56:55.239 --> 01:56:59.520
was then he had an idea. While he waited for

1729
01:56:59.600 --> 01:57:02.479
her to be buried, Dennis pawned the forty five for

1730
01:57:02.560 --> 01:57:05.560
three hundred dollars, then went to the hardware store for

1731
01:57:05.680 --> 01:57:12.680
things he thought he'd need. A shovel, crowbar, mallet, good rope,

1732
01:57:13.560 --> 01:57:20.840
bolt cutters, flashlights and a lamp, towels and large trash bags.

1733
01:57:21.880 --> 01:57:24.319
It all came out to just under two hundred dollars.

1734
01:57:24.920 --> 01:57:28.600
Another eighty five went to a shithole motel nearby, and

1735
01:57:28.680 --> 01:57:31.079
the last fifteen dollars to his name went to a

1736
01:57:31.199 --> 01:57:34.479
good hot meal. He had a full night's work ahead

1737
01:57:34.479 --> 01:57:37.000
of him and he needed to have his strength up.

1738
01:57:37.960 --> 01:57:41.199
Once he was at the cemetery, he realized just how

1739
01:57:41.319 --> 01:57:46.720
brilliant his plan was. Graveyards were empty at night. The

1740
01:57:46.880 --> 01:57:51.319
dead made people uneasy, except goth kids, but they were

1741
01:57:51.399 --> 01:57:55.520
easy to scare off. Another plus, there were no pigs

1742
01:57:55.600 --> 01:57:59.439
on patrol. Small town pigs couldn't be bothered that late

1743
01:57:59.760 --> 01:58:01.960
when there was a car to sleep in or doughnuts

1744
01:58:02.039 --> 01:58:06.000
to suck on. Best of all, graves didn't call the

1745
01:58:06.079 --> 01:58:13.079
police or shoot back. They were buried treasure waiting to

1746
01:58:13.239 --> 01:58:17.119
be plundered. As he dug up the Arris's grave, he

1747
01:58:17.279 --> 01:58:21.239
had this feeling of destiny. As macabre as it was,

1748
01:58:22.079 --> 01:58:24.600
this was what he was truly put on earth for.

1749
01:58:25.800 --> 01:58:29.479
His shovel bit greedily into the dirt Like a first date.

1750
01:58:29.800 --> 01:58:33.680
He was both nervous and excited to meet little miss money.

1751
01:58:34.479 --> 01:58:36.840
When he finally felt the thunk of his shovel on

1752
01:58:36.920 --> 01:58:39.800
her coffin lid, he scraped away enough of the dirt

1753
01:58:39.880 --> 01:58:43.039
to put his hand on bare wood. He gave the

1754
01:58:43.119 --> 01:58:48.880
coffin a little knock you in there, sweet thing. No answer,

1755
01:58:50.119 --> 01:58:53.520
don't you worry. I'm on my way. He cleared the

1756
01:58:53.560 --> 01:58:56.119
dirt away from the top and the sides, and slid

1757
01:58:56.199 --> 01:58:59.159
his crowbar under the lip of the lid. It was

1758
01:58:59.319 --> 01:59:01.560
like he was at a casino pulling the handle of

1759
01:59:01.600 --> 01:59:05.920
a slot machine. Would he hit? Would he bust? He

1760
01:59:06.079 --> 01:59:10.399
pulled the crank. The lid popped with a hiss. She

1761
01:59:10.560 --> 01:59:15.640
still smelled sweet like flowers. He turned away, caught in

1762
01:59:15.720 --> 01:59:19.399
a sneezing fit. Anything scented always did this to him.

1763
01:59:19.880 --> 01:59:23.800
Well damn near anything, really, he had a sensitive nose.

1764
01:59:24.680 --> 01:59:27.640
He sniffled, embarrassed that she saw him like this on

1765
01:59:27.720 --> 01:59:32.039
their first meeting, But that embarrassment evaporated when he saw

1766
01:59:32.159 --> 01:59:36.279
the gold chain encrusted with diamonds around her pretty little

1767
01:59:36.399 --> 01:59:42.359
neck jackpot. He took the necklace off her. She didn't

1768
01:59:42.399 --> 01:59:45.319
seem to mind. As he stared at her, he had

1769
01:59:45.319 --> 01:59:49.239
another bright idea. She wasn't doing anyone any good. Laying

1770
01:59:49.279 --> 01:59:52.479
in that coffin, but maybe she could still be good

1771
01:59:52.560 --> 01:59:55.600
to someone out there. He threw the arrass over his

1772
01:59:55.720 --> 01:59:58.600
shoulders and loaded her into the back seat of his sedan.

1773
01:59:59.439 --> 02:00:01.760
It took a lot doing to get her seated on

1774
02:00:01.840 --> 02:00:05.800
account of her being so stiff, but he got it. Tone.

1775
02:00:06.600 --> 02:00:09.600
Dennis buckled her in and covered his work in the

1776
02:00:09.720 --> 02:00:12.840
driver's seat, he wiped his forehead with an old bandana.

1777
02:00:13.800 --> 02:00:17.520
He saw her through the rear view mirror, staring at him.

1778
02:00:18.399 --> 02:00:21.880
The glue holding her eyes closed had come undone.

1779
02:00:23.960 --> 02:00:27.560
Don't go away, weakly, spooky, We'll be right back.

1780
02:00:31.880 --> 02:00:34.399
It freaked Dennis out a little, but she was just

1781
02:00:34.479 --> 02:00:38.680
a stiff. Nothing she could do to anyone. I know.

1782
02:00:38.840 --> 02:00:41.600
This car ain't what you're probably used to, he said,

1783
02:00:41.720 --> 02:00:45.079
giving her a bashful smile, But I hope you enjoy

1784
02:00:45.199 --> 02:00:48.680
the ride. He threw the sedan in drive and crept

1785
02:00:48.720 --> 02:00:52.239
out of the cemetery. To Dennis's surprise, it didn't take

1786
02:00:52.319 --> 02:00:56.359
much searching to find a buyer for the Heiress. Down

1787
02:00:56.439 --> 02:00:59.560
a dirt road that the sedan didn't like, he found

1788
02:00:59.640 --> 02:01:03.520
the old ranch house of mister Piles. He was an

1789
02:01:03.520 --> 02:01:07.119
old man with a look in his eye of terrible intelligence.

1790
02:01:07.680 --> 02:01:10.560
He and Dennis shook, and he explained that he was

1791
02:01:10.600 --> 02:01:15.359
a sort of artist. After viewing the heiress and seeing

1792
02:01:15.439 --> 02:01:19.319
what he liked, he paid Dennis two thousand dollars for

1793
02:01:19.439 --> 02:01:24.760
her in cold, hard cash. He was floored like a

1794
02:01:24.880 --> 02:01:27.960
kid looking at the ocean for the first time. Before

1795
02:01:28.000 --> 02:01:30.960
Dennis could leave, mister Piles fetched two glasses and a

1796
02:01:31.039 --> 02:01:34.239
batch of moonshine from the cabinet. You got time for

1797
02:01:34.319 --> 02:01:37.680
a drink, the old man asked, I got an offer

1798
02:01:37.760 --> 02:01:41.279
for you you might like to hear. Dennis never was

1799
02:01:41.399 --> 02:01:44.119
one to say no to good money, so he stayed

1800
02:01:44.159 --> 02:01:47.359
for the drink. I've been looking for someone like you,

1801
02:01:48.039 --> 02:01:52.359
mister Piles said, been looking a long while. You know,

1802
02:01:53.039 --> 02:01:55.439
in the right hands, a dead body can be spun

1803
02:01:55.560 --> 02:02:00.479
into gold. He poured two shots of moonshine and slid one. Dennis,

1804
02:02:01.279 --> 02:02:04.199
How would you like to make this a regular thing?

1805
02:02:05.359 --> 02:02:08.119
Dennis stared at the shot of moonshine, reminiscing about the

1806
02:02:08.239 --> 02:02:11.560
thrill of the dig. He flexed his fingers, remembering the

1807
02:02:11.640 --> 02:02:14.399
tension of his crowbar under the lid of the coffin.

1808
02:02:15.520 --> 02:02:19.720
For the sake of formality, he had to ask, what's

1809
02:02:19.800 --> 02:02:25.159
the pay? Mister Piles smiled same for her two thousand

1810
02:02:25.199 --> 02:02:28.520
dollars as stiff. Anything on their person is a bonus

1811
02:02:28.600 --> 02:02:34.560
for you, unless specifically instructed otherwise. For Dennis, it was

1812
02:02:34.600 --> 02:02:38.760
a no brainer. They toasted the moonshine burned on the

1813
02:02:38.800 --> 02:02:43.680
way down, and their packed was forged. Mister Piles gave

1814
02:02:43.760 --> 02:02:47.079
him a burner phone, a name, a photo of a gravestone,

1815
02:02:47.439 --> 02:02:52.000
and an address. Dennis set out immediately. Things went that

1816
02:02:52.119 --> 02:02:55.840
way for three good years since then. Dennis sold the

1817
02:02:55.920 --> 02:02:58.680
sedan in favor of a four wheel drive truck with

1818
02:02:58.800 --> 02:03:02.359
a long bed to hard cover. An eight foot bed

1819
02:03:02.479 --> 02:03:04.840
meant he could put a basketball player in the back

1820
02:03:05.239 --> 02:03:09.039
if need be. His new profession took him all across

1821
02:03:09.119 --> 02:03:12.520
the country. He found that northern dirt didn't like to

1822
02:03:12.640 --> 02:03:15.119
give like the ground in the south, and the more

1823
02:03:15.239 --> 02:03:18.600
rain a place got, the better for the older graves.

1824
02:03:19.359 --> 02:03:22.199
Wet ground meant the coffins weren't busted when he got

1825
02:03:22.279 --> 02:03:25.880
to them. He wasn't sure why that was, He just

1826
02:03:26.000 --> 02:03:28.000
knew it meant he had a lot less work to do.

1827
02:03:28.920 --> 02:03:32.920
A busted coffin meant playing archaeologist, and on more than

1828
02:03:33.000 --> 02:03:37.680
one occasion it resulted in a bust. Despite his love

1829
02:03:37.760 --> 02:03:41.479
of Southern coffins. Southern air played hell with his allergies.

1830
02:03:42.279 --> 02:03:44.720
They were bad enough as it was, but the South

1831
02:03:44.880 --> 02:03:47.960
really let him have it. He caught a sneeze in

1832
02:03:48.000 --> 02:03:50.239
the crook of his arm for probably the tenth time

1833
02:03:50.319 --> 02:03:55.359
that night. The angel looked down at him scornfully. Bless me,

1834
02:03:56.000 --> 02:03:58.920
he said, blowing a snot rocket at her feet before

1835
02:03:58.960 --> 02:04:02.399
he kept digging. Most of the houses near the cemetery

1836
02:04:02.479 --> 02:04:06.319
looked like old money. Chances were Vanya was probably a

1837
02:04:06.439 --> 02:04:10.239
trophy wife for some local millionaire when she was alive,

1838
02:04:11.039 --> 02:04:15.680
meaning she carried some trophies into the after life. Dennis

1839
02:04:15.760 --> 02:04:20.600
hoped anyway. He wondered if Vanya was feeling lonely down there,

1840
02:04:21.560 --> 02:04:24.079
maybe she was looking forward to finding a new friend

1841
02:04:24.199 --> 02:04:27.479
in mister Pile's. He wasn't sure what the old man

1842
02:04:27.600 --> 02:04:30.319
did with any of the bodies. Dennis brought him all

1843
02:04:30.439 --> 02:04:34.119
kinds of people at various stages of decay. He learned

1844
02:04:34.159 --> 02:04:37.279
that graves over fifty years old were usually just the frame.

1845
02:04:38.239 --> 02:04:41.880
He enjoyed those graves. The best bones were easy to

1846
02:04:41.960 --> 02:04:44.880
pick and clean and load into the truck. As he

1847
02:04:44.960 --> 02:04:47.680
bit into the dirt, the shovel jolted with a thunk.

1848
02:04:48.920 --> 02:04:53.359
The ar she be, he whispered with a smile. He

1849
02:04:53.520 --> 02:04:56.920
cleared away enough dirt to touch the coffin lid. If

1850
02:04:56.960 --> 02:05:00.439
that little bit was any indication Vanya's caught often was

1851
02:05:00.479 --> 02:05:03.920
a good looking one in its heyday. Fingers crossed for

1852
02:05:04.000 --> 02:05:07.960
a bonus, he gave the lid a little knock. I'm

1853
02:05:08.039 --> 02:05:11.319
coming for you, old biddy, You better be decent. He

1854
02:05:11.479 --> 02:05:14.199
cleared away the dirt as he had so many times before,

1855
02:05:14.640 --> 02:05:17.640
and grabbed his crowbar. If the lid wouldn't act right,

1856
02:05:17.880 --> 02:05:20.239
he'd have to grab the mallet and force it open,

1857
02:05:20.840 --> 02:05:23.920
but he wasn't worried about that. Vanya was going to

1858
02:05:23.960 --> 02:05:26.760
be a good girl. She wanted to feel the air

1859
02:05:26.880 --> 02:05:29.640
on her old cheeks again, and if she played her

1860
02:05:29.720 --> 02:05:33.800
cards right, she could leave with Dennis like a good

1861
02:05:33.960 --> 02:05:37.720
Southern coughin the crowbar, slid under the lip with no resistance.

1862
02:05:38.199 --> 02:05:40.920
Gripping in his hands. Feeling how ready the lid was

1863
02:05:41.000 --> 02:05:45.159
to pop, Dennis wiped excited sweat from his brow. Would

1864
02:05:45.199 --> 02:05:48.720
he hit, would he bust? All he had to do

1865
02:05:49.479 --> 02:05:53.560
was pull and find out. The lid popped with a hiss.

1866
02:05:54.319 --> 02:05:57.479
Dead air swelled into the night sky and Dennis found

1867
02:05:57.520 --> 02:06:02.399
himself in another sneezing fit. Allergies and the dead didn't mix. Well,

1868
02:06:03.960 --> 02:06:07.199
it's okay, old gal, he said, once he could breathe again,

1869
02:06:08.000 --> 02:06:11.920
We'll get you out of that stinking box. Lid up,

1870
02:06:12.359 --> 02:06:16.640
Dennis leveled his lantern, not understanding what he saw. Where

1871
02:06:16.760 --> 02:06:21.159
Vanya should have been, there was a ragged hole leading

1872
02:06:21.239 --> 02:06:25.800
somewhere below the ground. Dennis lowered his lamp, trying to

1873
02:06:25.840 --> 02:06:30.479
see past the dark. Uneasily, he realized that wherever the

1874
02:06:30.560 --> 02:06:35.520
hole went, it went deep from the depths below. A

1875
02:06:35.680 --> 02:06:40.079
screech shattered the silence of the night. Dennis tripped face forward.

1876
02:06:40.399 --> 02:06:42.640
Before he could grab for anything, he was falling through

1877
02:06:42.640 --> 02:06:46.960
the coffin into nothing. As he slid, the dirt scraped

1878
02:06:47.119 --> 02:06:51.720
painfully into his stomach. Then he stopped sliding and started falling,

1879
02:06:52.199 --> 02:06:56.880
spinning in the air. Something not dirt broke his fall.

1880
02:06:57.600 --> 02:06:59.720
A jolt of pain shot from his ankle as he

1881
02:06:59.760 --> 02:07:05.319
landed wrong, and his lantern went out Above, he heard

1882
02:07:05.399 --> 02:07:13.880
the coffin lid slam shut. He was left in total darkness. Instinctively,

1883
02:07:14.279 --> 02:07:17.159
he reached for his leg, but he was waist deep

1884
02:07:17.279 --> 02:07:22.159
in something slimy and dense. His heart pounded in his

1885
02:07:22.359 --> 02:07:26.239
throat as pitch black pressed in on him. The smell

1886
02:07:26.479 --> 02:07:30.399
was unbearable, making him vomit on himself. He tried to

1887
02:07:30.479 --> 02:07:35.119
be quiet about it, because somewhere someone was crying. He

1888
02:07:35.279 --> 02:07:38.600
fumbled for his lantern, fingers trembling as they dug into

1889
02:07:38.720 --> 02:07:44.359
slime and something else. Please, he whispered, the sound of

1890
02:07:44.399 --> 02:07:48.560
his echoing voice, terrifying him. After what felt like an eternity,

1891
02:07:49.439 --> 02:07:53.479
he found the lantern. He pressed the button, but it

1892
02:07:53.520 --> 02:07:59.319
wouldn't come on. No, he hissed, no, no, no. He

1893
02:07:59.479 --> 02:08:03.880
jammed the button madly, but still the light wouldn't activate.

1894
02:08:04.600 --> 02:08:09.960
He felt himself sinking deeper. Liquid drenched his clothes and

1895
02:08:10.039 --> 02:08:15.520
wet his skin. Whatever it was, it felt disgusting. Please,

1896
02:08:16.079 --> 02:08:20.880
he cried, terror, almost drowning him. After an eternity, the

1897
02:08:21.000 --> 02:08:24.600
lantern blessedly came on, and the echoes of someone crying

1898
02:08:25.239 --> 02:08:30.680
stopped immediately despite its blinding effect, Dennis held the light

1899
02:08:30.760 --> 02:08:34.000
close to himself, thanking the powers that be that it

1900
02:08:34.159 --> 02:08:38.239
wasn't dark anymore. But as his eyes adjusted and he

1901
02:08:38.359 --> 02:08:41.960
saw what it was he'd fallen into, realized what it

1902
02:08:42.239 --> 02:08:46.880
was that he smelled, He wished otherwise he was in

1903
02:08:46.960 --> 02:08:51.359
a large cavern. As he squirmed, he sank deeper into

1904
02:08:51.399 --> 02:08:55.800
a pile of bodies, each of them at wildly different

1905
02:08:55.880 --> 02:09:00.520
stages of decomposition. Through the muck, he could see that

1906
02:09:00.640 --> 02:09:05.960
they were missing parts, faces ripped off, hands, missing bodies

1907
02:09:06.479 --> 02:09:11.000
torn in two. He tried to wriggle free, only succeeding

1908
02:09:11.079 --> 02:09:15.000
and falling further into the pile. The dead weight began

1909
02:09:15.119 --> 02:09:17.359
to press on him, and with the little air he

1910
02:09:17.439 --> 02:09:21.960
had left in his lungs, he screamed. From the single

1911
02:09:22.119 --> 02:09:26.680
rough entrance to the cavern, came a faint light accompanied

1912
02:09:27.319 --> 02:09:31.760
by wailing. Whatever the crying thing was it knew he

1913
02:09:31.960 --> 02:09:35.279
was near. He tried to turn off the lamp, but

1914
02:09:35.439 --> 02:09:38.760
the button was jammed. The glow beyond the cavern grew

1915
02:09:38.840 --> 02:09:41.960
brighter as the patter of bare feet and wild shrieking

1916
02:09:42.039 --> 02:09:45.520
closed in on him. He was out of time and

1917
02:09:45.640 --> 02:09:50.039
only saw one option. He flung the lantern away and

1918
02:09:50.159 --> 02:09:55.079
played dead. The crying things stepped into the cavern, having

1919
02:09:55.159 --> 02:09:59.479
to hunch over. She was tall, with long red hair

1920
02:10:00.000 --> 02:10:04.279
and impossibly long arms and legs. She wore a ragged

1921
02:10:04.359 --> 02:10:07.800
black dress that was much too short for her skeletal frame,

1922
02:10:08.359 --> 02:10:11.319
exposing her bony legs to the tops of her thighs.

1923
02:10:12.520 --> 02:10:17.199
One slender hand held an electric lantern, bathing the room

1924
02:10:17.359 --> 02:10:21.479
with questing light. With her other hand, she held her face.

1925
02:10:22.119 --> 02:10:25.720
Tears streamed between her fingers and down her forearm, where

1926
02:10:25.760 --> 02:10:30.279
they dripped from her elbow. Peeking between her fingers, Denis

1927
02:10:30.359 --> 02:10:34.119
caught a look at her eyes. They were puffy and

1928
02:10:34.279 --> 02:10:37.319
impossibly red and searching for him.

1929
02:10:39.199 --> 02:10:43.279
Did you hear that? Better check the locks on your doors? Weakly,

1930
02:10:43.439 --> 02:10:45.119
Spooky will be right back.

1931
02:10:47.479 --> 02:10:50.439
It took everything he had to keep up the act.

1932
02:10:51.239 --> 02:10:54.960
Her hand, which ended in jagged nails covered with black grime,

1933
02:10:55.720 --> 02:10:59.680
dropped from her vericos face, revealing crude makeup that ran

1934
02:10:59.800 --> 02:11:03.479
down on her cheeks and cracked lips, dribbling the same

1935
02:11:03.640 --> 02:11:08.960
black grime on her fingers. What that grime could possibly be,

1936
02:11:09.920 --> 02:11:13.520
Dennis didn't know. Snot flowed from her nose, and a

1937
02:11:13.560 --> 02:11:16.600
fresh line of drool leaked from her mouth. She looked

1938
02:11:16.640 --> 02:11:19.239
like she was always trying to say something, but the

1939
02:11:19.359 --> 02:11:24.279
tears only aloud, hitching sobs. Her cries reminded him of

1940
02:11:24.399 --> 02:11:26.760
his mother's the day his baby brother was put in

1941
02:11:26.800 --> 02:11:31.199
the ground. That memory, in this strange place, sent cold

1942
02:11:31.319 --> 02:11:35.119
sweat trickling down his spine. He wanted to look away,

1943
02:11:36.199 --> 02:11:39.760
but he didn't dare move. She put her lantern down

1944
02:11:39.880 --> 02:11:42.359
and reached for the one Dennis had flung, picking it

1945
02:11:42.479 --> 02:11:46.600
up with two spindly fingers, She sniffed at the handle,

1946
02:11:47.359 --> 02:11:51.880
licking it with a long, dirty tongue. Tears streamed down

1947
02:11:51.960 --> 02:11:56.720
the lantern, glistening in the light. She gently placed his

1948
02:11:56.880 --> 02:12:00.640
lantern on the ground and sniffed at the air. Her

1949
02:12:00.800 --> 02:12:05.840
nose danced in his direction with a sad grunt. She

1950
02:12:06.000 --> 02:12:09.520
worked both hands into the piles of bodies. She fished

1951
02:12:09.520 --> 02:12:12.319
out the bottom half of a corpse, her hand still

1952
02:12:12.399 --> 02:12:16.680
searching the pile. Her sobbing mouth worked around a bloated thigh.

1953
02:12:17.159 --> 02:12:20.840
Every bite a struggle as her teeth sank into decayed flesh.

1954
02:12:21.520 --> 02:12:24.560
Black goo bubbled around her mouth as her slender neck

1955
02:12:24.680 --> 02:12:28.640
flexed and pulled the sound of old thigh me tearing

1956
02:12:28.720 --> 02:12:31.520
from the bone made Denis sick again, but he kept

1957
02:12:31.560 --> 02:12:36.279
his face stone dead. His eyes begged him to blink,

1958
02:12:36.760 --> 02:12:40.399
but he didn't care. As she chewed and swallowed, he

1959
02:12:40.479 --> 02:12:43.399
could feel her other hand questing the muck near him.

1960
02:12:44.680 --> 02:12:47.960
The dark liquids oozed down the length of the half corpse,

1961
02:12:48.279 --> 02:12:51.840
mixing with her tears into the dirt. Even as she ate,

1962
02:12:52.560 --> 02:12:58.880
she sobbed, her fingers, prodded his foot. His heart jumped

1963
02:12:58.920 --> 02:13:00.840
in his chest as she grabsbbed him by the ankle,

1964
02:13:01.000 --> 02:13:04.039
testing him. As she pulled his leg, he grimly thought

1965
02:13:04.079 --> 02:13:07.840
of his crowbar against the lid of the coffin. Would

1966
02:13:07.920 --> 02:13:14.039
she hit? Would she bust? She squeezed, shooting fresh pain

1967
02:13:14.199 --> 02:13:16.800
up his leg. He knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt,

1968
02:13:17.039 --> 02:13:20.920
his ankle was broken like her. He began to cry.

1969
02:13:21.239 --> 02:13:24.680
The tears rolled down his cheeks, but somehow he kept

1970
02:13:24.760 --> 02:13:28.600
himself from blinking. Back and forth, she worked his leg,

1971
02:13:28.760 --> 02:13:31.479
forcing Denis to use willpower he didn't know. He had

1972
02:13:31.880 --> 02:13:38.279
to stay absolutely still. There was a rumbling in the pile.

1973
02:13:38.960 --> 02:13:42.960
Her questing had disturbed some precarious balance, and the meat

1974
02:13:43.399 --> 02:13:48.199
shifted in response. Dennis became even more entangled, only his

1975
02:13:48.359 --> 02:13:52.439
head above the pressing corpses. The mourner squealed, her hand

1976
02:13:52.560 --> 02:13:55.640
darting from his ankle into the shifting. She thought she

1977
02:13:55.800 --> 02:14:00.199
had him. This might be my chance. He thought. It

1978
02:14:00.319 --> 02:14:04.319
was a slim one, so impossibly slim. But maybe if

1979
02:14:04.399 --> 02:14:09.600
she didn't find anything, she'd move on. It would be terrible,

1980
02:14:10.199 --> 02:14:13.960
but maybe he could wait her out. There had to

1981
02:14:14.039 --> 02:14:17.000
be another way out of this cavern. She got down

1982
02:14:17.039 --> 02:14:20.760
here somehow. He wasn't sure yet what he'd tell mister Piles,

1983
02:14:21.199 --> 02:14:23.199
but he'd burn that bridge when he got to it.

1984
02:14:24.119 --> 02:14:30.199
Right then, he just had to stay calm as the

1985
02:14:30.319 --> 02:14:33.680
Piles shifted. The body of an ancient woman whipped around

1986
02:14:33.720 --> 02:14:37.199
to face Dennis. Around her bony neck was a solid

1987
02:14:37.239 --> 02:14:41.560
gold necklace, sparkling with fine emeralds. He was face to

1988
02:14:41.680 --> 02:14:46.479
face with Vonya Mills. He didn't know how he knew,

1989
02:14:47.520 --> 02:14:51.159
but he did. His night had already been the craziest

1990
02:14:51.199 --> 02:14:53.840
of his life. He was terrified, and he should have

1991
02:14:53.920 --> 02:14:57.479
been screaming, but all he could do was look at

1992
02:14:57.520 --> 02:15:04.600
that necklace. It was beautiful, easily the most valuable thing

1993
02:15:04.880 --> 02:15:07.960
he'd ever seen on a dead person, easily worth more

1994
02:15:08.119 --> 02:15:12.319
than the bones wearing it. Dear old Vanya was just

1995
02:15:12.399 --> 02:15:17.159
another skeleton, begging Dennis to pick her clean. Mad Lee

1996
02:15:17.319 --> 02:15:20.920
threatened to creep into his stone face. He flexed his fingers,

1997
02:15:21.000 --> 02:15:24.760
fighting the urge to grab the precious jewelry. The mourner

1998
02:15:24.880 --> 02:15:27.960
wailed in anger, grabbing a body and flinging it into

1999
02:15:27.960 --> 02:15:31.000
the cavern ceiling. It exploded up there like a party.

2000
02:15:31.079 --> 02:15:35.800
Favor and parts reigned. An arm struck Dennis in the head.

2001
02:15:36.239 --> 02:15:39.000
He couldn't scream. Now he had to have that necklace.

2002
02:15:39.319 --> 02:15:42.680
This thing thought she had him licked. She didn't. She

2003
02:15:42.800 --> 02:15:45.319
didn't have any idea who Dennis was, what he was

2004
02:15:45.399 --> 02:15:48.880
capable of. He was in his element. He understood then,

2005
02:15:49.159 --> 02:15:52.039
the intoxicating thrill he felt the night he stole to heiris.

2006
02:15:53.359 --> 02:15:56.439
His entire life had been building up to this very moment.

2007
02:15:56.920 --> 02:16:02.520
He breathed carefully, shallow breathes, reveling and how the dead

2008
02:16:03.359 --> 02:16:07.159
made him feel alive. Vanya must have been able to

2009
02:16:07.239 --> 02:16:11.319
read his mind, because as he stared into her empty hollows,

2010
02:16:11.960 --> 02:16:17.600
she gave him a light, knowing smile. He wanted to

2011
02:16:17.640 --> 02:16:22.119
smile back. No, Vanya, he thought, unblinking as his vision

2012
02:16:22.199 --> 02:16:25.840
began to blur. He won't get me that easy. I'll

2013
02:16:25.880 --> 02:16:27.840
be getting out of this one, and that necklace around

2014
02:16:27.880 --> 02:16:32.239
your scrawny neck will be mine. The mourner collapsed, pulling

2015
02:16:32.280 --> 02:16:34.680
at her hair, ripping it out in clumps, and pounding

2016
02:16:34.719 --> 02:16:38.399
her fists into the ground. The thuds made Vanya's head

2017
02:16:38.520 --> 02:16:43.680
tilt to one side. Now she was questioning Dennis. She

2018
02:16:43.879 --> 02:16:47.000
thought she had him licked too. She and the mourner

2019
02:16:47.079 --> 02:16:50.920
were in this together. He might take Vanya's head as

2020
02:16:50.920 --> 02:16:54.760
a souvenir, just to spite her, take her on a vacation,

2021
02:16:55.000 --> 02:16:57.879
paid for it with her necklace. That would show her,

2022
02:16:58.399 --> 02:17:01.280
That would put her in her place. Who did she

2023
02:17:01.479 --> 02:17:05.399
think she was? She thought she was a match for Dennis.

2024
02:17:05.920 --> 02:17:09.760
He'd robbed hundreds of graves, hundreds, all of them preparing

2025
02:17:09.879 --> 02:17:14.479
him for this, his masterpiece. You can't stop me, Vanya,

2026
02:17:15.120 --> 02:17:18.760
he thought, No one can. I'm getting out of here.

2027
02:17:19.319 --> 02:17:24.120
I'm gonna win. Vanya laughed at him, not out loud,

2028
02:17:25.120 --> 02:17:28.559
but in his head. As she did, her head whipped

2029
02:17:28.639 --> 02:17:32.440
back and her jaw fell open. Dust spewed from her

2030
02:17:32.520 --> 02:17:36.120
skull into Denis's face. The kiss of death hit him

2031
02:17:36.520 --> 02:17:39.680
just right. He wanted to cover his face, but he

2032
02:17:39.799 --> 02:17:43.079
was thoroughly trapped by the dead. His grand plan to

2033
02:17:43.159 --> 02:17:46.879
steal the necklace and Vanya's head evaporated as he let

2034
02:17:46.920 --> 02:17:51.920
out a loud sneeze. The morning Lady stopped pounding the

2035
02:17:52.000 --> 02:17:57.520
ground and their eyes met for the first and last time. Terrified,

2036
02:17:57.879 --> 02:18:00.280
Dennis realized he knew that look in her eyes eyes

2037
02:18:00.719 --> 02:18:16.440
all too well. Jackpot echo echo Echo by shame shame,

2038
02:18:16.600 --> 02:18:21.920
biglea Vodka. I first met him last week, though I'd

2039
02:18:21.959 --> 02:18:25.000
heard about the new guy in town before that. Castle,

2040
02:18:25.120 --> 02:18:29.159
New York was the smallest of small towns. Word travels

2041
02:18:29.239 --> 02:18:32.840
fast when somebody knew moves to town. Travis looked like

2042
02:18:32.920 --> 02:18:35.879
he stepped out of one of those fifties biker films.

2043
02:18:35.920 --> 02:18:38.520
And last Thursday, when he walked into the diner I

2044
02:18:38.639 --> 02:18:41.520
work at, I couldn't take my eyes off him, and

2045
02:18:41.639 --> 02:18:44.239
he knew it. He caught me looking at him and

2046
02:18:44.360 --> 02:18:48.440
smiled that sly smile of his. My eyes darted away

2047
02:18:48.479 --> 02:18:50.040
and I tried to make it look like I was

2048
02:18:50.120 --> 02:18:53.479
working around the diner, but it was too late. He

2049
02:18:53.680 --> 02:18:59.120
strode over to me. Hello there, he said. Hey. I

2050
02:18:59.239 --> 02:19:01.799
tried to sound confident, like I didn't give a fuck,

2051
02:19:01.920 --> 02:19:06.280
but my voice cracked. He smiled at me. Can I

2052
02:19:06.399 --> 02:19:12.200
get a chocolate milkshake to go? Sure? I heard there,

2053
02:19:12.360 --> 02:19:16.719
like wow here. I started making the shake. As he

2054
02:19:16.840 --> 02:19:19.479
leaned on the counter, he looked at his reflection in

2055
02:19:19.520 --> 02:19:23.520
the glass case of donuts, adjusting his perfect hair. Yeah

2056
02:19:23.559 --> 02:19:28.280
they're really good, I said, unsuccessfully, thinking of something cool

2057
02:19:28.360 --> 02:19:33.239
to say, lived here all your life, he asked. Unfortunately,

2058
02:19:34.040 --> 02:19:37.959
ain't so bad. I've been to worse. I finished the

2059
02:19:38.000 --> 02:19:40.399
shake and brought it over to him. He gave me

2060
02:19:40.479 --> 02:19:43.840
a wink and took a sip. Before I could say anything,

2061
02:19:44.040 --> 02:19:46.680
he slid a ten dollars bill across the counter. A

2062
02:19:46.840 --> 02:19:50.520
large silver ring gleamed on his hand. He turned and

2063
02:19:50.719 --> 02:19:54.799
started to leave. Let me get your change. The rest

2064
02:19:54.920 --> 02:20:00.040
is for you, Dolly. I watched him go, Dolly. He

2065
02:20:00.040 --> 02:20:03.239
felt a bit offended, but at the same time I

2066
02:20:03.399 --> 02:20:09.040
was feeling something else, love lust, whatever it was, it

2067
02:20:09.159 --> 02:20:13.600
made me somewhat forgiving of the Dolly remark. So that's

2068
02:20:13.680 --> 02:20:16.959
the new guy, not bad. I turned and it was

2069
02:20:17.040 --> 02:20:20.600
my coworker and friend, bren She adjusted her raven hair.

2070
02:20:21.479 --> 02:20:24.559
What did he say to you, Ronnie? Nothing much, Just

2071
02:20:24.959 --> 02:20:30.280
wanted a milkshake? Yeah, yours. We both laughed. Brenn has

2072
02:20:30.399 --> 02:20:33.840
this obnoxious laugh that usually ends up making me laugh

2073
02:20:33.920 --> 02:20:37.159
even harder. The next day he didn't show up, but

2074
02:20:37.399 --> 02:20:40.799
the day after that he was there again, this time

2075
02:20:40.959 --> 02:20:44.840
wanting a milkshake and a burger. No matter who waited

2076
02:20:44.879 --> 02:20:47.719
on him, he always ended up talking to me, usually

2077
02:20:47.799 --> 02:20:52.360
asking me about some town idiosyncrasy or whatnot, always coming

2078
02:20:52.399 --> 02:20:56.200
in at the same time every other day. It continued

2079
02:20:56.239 --> 02:20:59.040
like this for a month. We'd small talk a little,

2080
02:20:59.159 --> 02:21:01.760
and then he'd leave. I never saw him outside of

2081
02:21:01.799 --> 02:21:06.440
the diner. Then one day he changed the routine. I

2082
02:21:06.559 --> 02:21:09.360
got off work one sunny Monday afternoon and Travis was

2083
02:21:09.440 --> 02:21:12.920
waiting for me. He was leaning ever so slightly against

2084
02:21:12.959 --> 02:21:16.440
the side of the diner. He smiled at me. Hey,

2085
02:21:17.159 --> 02:21:21.239
I said, hey, he answered. He flicked out a metal

2086
02:21:21.319 --> 02:21:24.000
lighter and lit a slim cigarette. So what do you

2087
02:21:24.120 --> 02:21:27.639
do for a kick around here? There's the movie theater

2088
02:21:27.920 --> 02:21:35.200
or the bowling alley? No, no, you? He took a puff. Me, Uh,

2089
02:21:36.440 --> 02:21:44.719
not much. Nah, dang, shame, pretty little girl like you. Thanks.

2090
02:21:45.440 --> 02:21:48.680
The flattery made me blush. Was he hitting on me?

2091
02:21:49.799 --> 02:21:51.719
I sucked at this kind of thing? I wasn't sure

2092
02:21:51.719 --> 02:21:55.680
if he wanted me to say anything. I haven't found

2093
02:21:55.799 --> 02:22:00.040
much in town to get excited about Dullsville. Really, he

2094
02:22:00.120 --> 02:22:03.360
took a long drag on his cigarette, so I was wondering,

2095
02:22:03.399 --> 02:22:07.559
if you want to hang? I thought, for a second,

2096
02:22:08.280 --> 02:22:12.399
he's asking me out. I suck at dating. He's good

2097
02:22:12.440 --> 02:22:15.639
looking and seems nice, but there's no way a date

2098
02:22:15.680 --> 02:22:19.879
between us won't end an embarrassment for me and perhaps

2099
02:22:20.000 --> 02:22:23.520
him too. How can I talk him out of it?

2100
02:22:25.159 --> 02:22:28.479
It's kind of been a rough day, you know, mondays,

2101
02:22:29.200 --> 02:22:32.680
I just want to go back home and chill. It

2102
02:22:32.760 --> 02:22:33.760
don't have to be today.

2103
02:22:35.280 --> 02:22:35.920
Oh cool?

2104
02:22:36.959 --> 02:22:40.399
So want to see a flick? He said, show the

2105
02:22:40.479 --> 02:22:44.760
new guy the sights? Sure? Am I really going to

2106
02:22:44.879 --> 02:22:50.319
do this? Yeah? I guess I was. Why not? I

2107
02:22:50.479 --> 02:22:52.719
deserve some fun, right right?

2108
02:22:53.600 --> 02:22:53.879
You do?

2109
02:22:54.680 --> 02:22:56.760
Brand was always trying to get me to go out.

2110
02:22:57.520 --> 02:23:02.920
This would really shocker tomorrow night. Good, I thought about it.

2111
02:23:03.600 --> 02:23:08.520
Did you know I didn't have to work the day after? Sure, aces,

2112
02:23:09.000 --> 02:23:13.239
it's a date. Then I'll let you pick the flick. Cool? Yeah,

2113
02:23:14.280 --> 02:23:16.319
he looked at me. You should always have.

2114
02:23:16.360 --> 02:23:17.000
Your hair like that.

2115
02:23:18.040 --> 02:23:20.600
I touched my hair. I forgot I tied it back

2116
02:23:20.639 --> 02:23:23.639
at work. This was probably the first time he saw

2117
02:23:23.719 --> 02:23:31.840
it loose. It's so beautiful and red like a rose. Thanks.

2118
02:23:32.719 --> 02:23:37.440
My face lit up as I blushed. Great, got a run, babe,

2119
02:23:37.680 --> 02:23:40.200
be seeing you. He did a little point at me

2120
02:23:40.280 --> 02:23:43.159
and winked before leaving, the spurs on the back of

2121
02:23:43.239 --> 02:23:46.799
his cowboy boots jangling as he went. What had I

2122
02:23:46.959 --> 02:23:51.360
got myself? Into Our first date went well, as did

2123
02:23:51.440 --> 02:23:54.440
the next three. Before I realized it, we were a

2124
02:23:54.719 --> 02:23:59.319
thing in town. I think Brenn was jealous. For our

2125
02:23:59.399 --> 02:24:01.879
fifth date, Travis wanted to take me on a picnic

2126
02:24:01.920 --> 02:24:04.719
to Harmony Lake. It would be our first date in

2127
02:24:04.799 --> 02:24:09.319
a less public space. I wasn't too worried. On every date.

2128
02:24:09.680 --> 02:24:12.440
Travis had been quite the gentleman. I was getting ready

2129
02:24:12.440 --> 02:24:15.159
in the apartment I share with Brenn. I stood doing

2130
02:24:15.239 --> 02:24:19.520
my hair over and over again. You look good. Let

2131
02:24:19.600 --> 02:24:22.559
it go, she said. I turned from the mirror and

2132
02:24:22.639 --> 02:24:26.360
presented myself. You think, I said, twirling around in my

2133
02:24:26.479 --> 02:24:32.120
new dress. You're hideous, hilarious. Seriously, hun, you look a

2134
02:24:32.239 --> 02:24:35.559
maze balls, she hugged me. Have fun at the lake.

2135
02:24:36.200 --> 02:24:40.360
Try not to get too lucky. Hey, it's been a while,

2136
02:24:40.440 --> 02:24:44.239
but not that long. Travis picked me up in his

2137
02:24:44.360 --> 02:24:48.399
nineteen fifty seven Plymouth Fury. It was a convertible. The

2138
02:24:48.479 --> 02:24:50.959
thing looked like a shark that decided to crawl out

2139
02:24:50.959 --> 02:24:53.280
of the ocean and start looking for meals on land.

2140
02:24:54.079 --> 02:24:57.879
He tooted the horn as he pulled up. You look stunning, babe,

2141
02:24:58.360 --> 02:25:01.319
he said. Ever the gentlemen, he wouldn't let me into

2142
02:25:01.360 --> 02:25:03.760
the car unless he got out and opened the door

2143
02:25:03.879 --> 02:25:07.120
for me. Some old song was playing on the car radio.

2144
02:25:07.719 --> 02:25:10.959
In fact, I don't think he ever listened to anything

2145
02:25:11.040 --> 02:25:13.920
after the fifties. We headed out of town as the

2146
02:25:14.079 --> 02:25:18.440
King sang on the radio. I can't get over your car, Travis,

2147
02:25:18.639 --> 02:25:22.360
I said, it looks so good for its age. I

2148
02:25:22.479 --> 02:25:24.840
take care of this baby means a lot to me

2149
02:25:25.440 --> 02:25:29.959
sentimental value. I keep her cherry, try to get maximum performance.

2150
02:25:30.760 --> 02:25:33.760
He steps on the gas and we're moving a little

2151
02:25:33.840 --> 02:25:36.959
too fast through town. I look at him nervously as

2152
02:25:37.040 --> 02:25:39.959
he speeds up. Don't sweat it, Rose, I got this.

2153
02:25:41.040 --> 02:25:45.120
Travis had started calling me Rose. Honestly, I didn't mind.

2154
02:25:45.760 --> 02:25:50.319
He took my hand. I think today is going to

2155
02:25:50.360 --> 02:25:56.920
be special. The lake looked beautiful in the summer sun

2156
02:25:57.000 --> 02:25:59.399
as we walked to a nice secluded spot under a

2157
02:25:59.520 --> 02:26:04.079
large tree. Travis left the car radio on Down in

2158
02:26:04.239 --> 02:26:08.479
the willow garden where me and my love did meet,

2159
02:26:09.559 --> 02:26:13.120
he set down a large blanket. My dear, he said,

2160
02:26:13.360 --> 02:26:17.079
ushering me to the blanket. We brought quite the selection

2161
02:26:17.200 --> 02:26:21.120
of food. Travis popped open a bottle of wine. Was

2162
02:26:21.200 --> 02:26:24.239
that weird for a picnic? He caught me making a face.

2163
02:26:25.159 --> 02:26:28.719
Don't tell me you don't drink wine. No, just seems

2164
02:26:28.879 --> 02:26:32.639
like a bit much for an afternoon picnic. Well, it's

2165
02:26:32.680 --> 02:26:37.040
a celebration too, babe. It is. What are we celebrating?

2166
02:26:37.680 --> 02:26:43.680
Five dates? I laugh, Okay, I'll drink to that, my love.

2167
02:26:44.200 --> 02:26:47.559
She did not know. The song played on as he

2168
02:26:47.680 --> 02:26:50.760
poured us each a glass of wine. We eat and

2169
02:26:50.879 --> 02:26:53.399
I take a couple SIPs of wine. I haven't had

2170
02:26:53.479 --> 02:26:56.040
much in the way of wine, but this is really good.

2171
02:26:56.520 --> 02:26:59.479
I wonder where he dug it up around here. As

2172
02:26:59.520 --> 02:27:03.239
we eat, we talk mostly about me. He always has

2173
02:27:03.399 --> 02:27:07.000
so many questions. Every time I ask him something about him,

2174
02:27:07.959 --> 02:27:12.239
he seems sad, almost on the verge of tears. I

2175
02:27:12.280 --> 02:27:15.680
don't want to bring up any bad memories. As we talk,

2176
02:27:15.840 --> 02:27:20.319
my head starts to feel light, which was a dreadful sign.

2177
02:27:21.559 --> 02:27:26.799
What's up, Ronnie wow? Uh getting a head rush. I

2178
02:27:26.920 --> 02:27:29.280
try to stand up, but my legs feel like rubber.

2179
02:27:29.840 --> 02:27:33.000
Travis catches me as I come crashing back down on

2180
02:27:33.120 --> 02:27:39.239
the radio, the song keeps repeating a dreadful sign. He

2181
02:27:39.319 --> 02:27:41.920
brushes the hair out of my face and gives me

2182
02:27:42.000 --> 02:27:49.200
a sad smile. I'm so sorry, dull what sorry about?

2183
02:27:49.840 --> 02:27:52.280
I stammer. My mouth doesn't want to move.

2184
02:27:53.280 --> 02:27:55.120
I'm sorry. You have to die.

2185
02:27:56.200 --> 02:28:01.559
All beauty must die. It's my curse. I summon up

2186
02:28:01.600 --> 02:28:04.760
all my strength and push away from Travis. He tries

2187
02:28:04.840 --> 02:28:07.079
to grab me, and I scratch his face with my nails.

2188
02:28:07.399 --> 02:28:10.159
Trying to stand again, I fall to my knees. The

2189
02:28:10.239 --> 02:28:13.840
world begins shaking apart at the seams. My eyelids feel heavy.

2190
02:28:14.159 --> 02:28:16.680
Every time I blink, it feels like it'll be my last.

2191
02:28:17.239 --> 02:28:20.680
Maybe if I just sleep, it'll be better. I'll wake

2192
02:28:20.760 --> 02:28:24.680
up from this nightmare. No fight it. I start crawling

2193
02:28:24.760 --> 02:28:28.000
on all fours, dragging myself, digging my nails into the ground.

2194
02:28:28.399 --> 02:28:31.319
I have to get away, have to fight, have to

2195
02:28:31.399 --> 02:28:35.600
get to the car. A dreadful sign. I see someone

2196
02:28:35.680 --> 02:28:39.559
standing by Travis's car. I can't make them out. Why

2197
02:28:39.600 --> 02:28:46.479
won't they help? Please Rose, No one can help. I'm sorry.

2198
02:28:47.079 --> 02:28:49.719
He grabs me by the leg, pulling me back. Travis

2199
02:28:49.799 --> 02:28:53.200
turns me over, glaring at me. The scratches on his

2200
02:28:53.360 --> 02:28:58.559
face aren't bleeding. I like playing with you, Rose, he said,

2201
02:28:58.840 --> 02:29:05.399
But my dear, you're breaking my heart. Fuck you. I

2202
02:29:05.520 --> 02:29:08.079
try to hit him, but I have no strength left.

2203
02:29:08.399 --> 02:29:12.040
Why won't that person do something? He stands up, pulling

2204
02:29:12.079 --> 02:29:15.000
a large knife from his leather jacket. I could gut you,

2205
02:29:15.799 --> 02:29:19.959
but that's no fun, not anymore. He looks at his

2206
02:29:20.079 --> 02:29:23.840
reflection on the knife blade. He adjusts his hair. I

2207
02:29:24.000 --> 02:29:28.520
used to find his vanity. Cute, bastard. The poison isn't

2208
02:29:28.600 --> 02:29:35.239
killing you, just making it hard for you to do anything. Why?

2209
02:29:36.280 --> 02:29:39.239
Why not? I tried to move my head to see

2210
02:29:39.239 --> 02:29:42.799
if that person was still standing there a dreadful sign.

2211
02:29:44.239 --> 02:29:47.200
Why is that song repeating? Is that an effect from

2212
02:29:47.239 --> 02:29:50.239
the drugs? Travis notices me trying to look at the car.

2213
02:29:50.879 --> 02:29:54.639
I can hear him talking to somebody. I think, go away.

2214
02:29:55.040 --> 02:29:59.239
He says, you're not welcome here. He turns the radio off.

2215
02:30:00.239 --> 02:30:03.200
Who was that? Who was he talking to.

2216
02:30:05.159 --> 02:30:08.639
A sh It was only the wind. You are safe,

2217
02:30:09.120 --> 02:30:11.120
weekly spooky. We'll be right back.

2218
02:30:13.479 --> 02:30:16.520
After what seems like hours, Travis comes back, holding a

2219
02:30:16.600 --> 02:30:21.399
large cinder block and rope. Comfortable, dull, go to hell.

2220
02:30:21.840 --> 02:30:26.120
I manage my mouth starting to fail me. Travis just laughs,

2221
02:30:26.760 --> 02:30:30.479
be right back. He walks off, carrying the cinder block

2222
02:30:30.520 --> 02:30:35.799
and rope. My mind races, move, move, but I can't.

2223
02:30:36.440 --> 02:30:40.719
It's physically impossible. I try to will myself, picturing my

2224
02:30:40.840 --> 02:30:44.559
spirit leaving my body, flying over the trees, finding brend

2225
02:30:44.799 --> 02:30:47.760
or my folks, telling them what's happening here. If I

2226
02:30:47.840 --> 02:30:52.319
want it strong enough, I can make it happen. Run, flee,

2227
02:30:53.000 --> 02:30:57.840
I will my spirit to soar. He comes back, standing

2228
02:30:57.920 --> 02:31:02.159
over me. He reaches down and my legs. Going for

2229
02:31:02.280 --> 02:31:06.079
a little trip, my beautiful rose. He drags me across

2230
02:31:06.120 --> 02:31:08.639
the ground. I can see the grass ending as we

2231
02:31:08.760 --> 02:31:12.319
go over a rocky area, but I can't feel any

2232
02:31:12.360 --> 02:31:15.040
of it. I can't feel his hands on my legs,

2233
02:31:15.239 --> 02:31:19.399
just a great numbness. We go up a small hill

2234
02:31:19.479 --> 02:31:23.520
near the beach. He stops dragging me. We're here. We

2235
02:31:23.600 --> 02:31:26.879
don't have much time left together. He kneels down and

2236
02:31:27.000 --> 02:31:31.040
touches my face, wiping away my tears. He pulls out

2237
02:31:31.079 --> 02:31:33.360
two coins and puts one on each of my eyes.

2238
02:31:34.239 --> 02:31:37.520
I blink my eyes and they slide off. He gets frustrated,

2239
02:31:38.200 --> 02:31:41.920
Why did you do that? Therefore your journey over. He

2240
02:31:42.040 --> 02:31:44.200
takes them and sticks them in one of my hands,

2241
02:31:44.680 --> 02:31:47.760
bawling it into a fist. I see the cinder block

2242
02:31:47.799 --> 02:31:50.360
with the rope tied to it near my feet. He

2243
02:31:50.479 --> 02:31:55.040
crawls over to it and ties the rope to my legs. No, no, no,

2244
02:31:55.719 --> 02:31:58.799
he's going to drown me. You've been a blast. He

2245
02:31:58.879 --> 02:32:00.479
picks up the cinder block and he walks to the

2246
02:32:00.600 --> 02:32:03.360
edge of the hill, overlooking the lake. I scream, but

2247
02:32:03.840 --> 02:32:06.840
my throat fails me. I can barely make more than

2248
02:32:06.879 --> 02:32:10.719
a crackling noise. He hefts the block up. He sighs,

2249
02:32:11.360 --> 02:32:16.520
parting sweet sorrow and whatnot. He throws the block over

2250
02:32:16.600 --> 02:32:18.520
the side, and I can hear the rope quickly chasing

2251
02:32:18.600 --> 02:32:21.520
after it, knowing that any second I'll be following it,

2252
02:32:21.959 --> 02:32:27.319
and then I'm falling, followed by the slam of hitting

2253
02:32:27.360 --> 02:32:32.399
the water. I sink, my lungs quickly filling with water.

2254
02:32:33.799 --> 02:32:40.040
I welcome it. Please let there be peace. I feel

2255
02:32:40.120 --> 02:32:45.639
so tired. I just want it to be over. I

2256
02:32:45.719 --> 02:32:50.360
can see the sunlight trickling down through the water. Darkness

2257
02:32:50.479 --> 02:32:52.239
starts to creep into my vision.

2258
02:32:53.520 --> 02:32:54.319
Until the light.

2259
02:32:56.000 --> 02:33:04.200
Is swallowed by it. I wake, unable to move, my

2260
02:33:04.319 --> 02:33:10.600
heart racing where am I. I'm in my room, laying

2261
02:33:10.639 --> 02:33:14.959
on my bed. I hear a noise, a crackling hiss,

2262
02:33:15.440 --> 02:33:19.239
almost like static. My eyes catch movement in the darkness.

2263
02:33:20.239 --> 02:33:22.959
The thing nears the edge of my bed. My heart

2264
02:33:23.040 --> 02:33:26.600
pounds faster and faster. Am I having a heart attack?

2265
02:33:27.239 --> 02:33:29.479
A low, whispering hiss comes from the shade at the

2266
02:33:29.479 --> 02:33:34.479
foot of my bed. Not a dream. Heed the sign,

2267
02:33:36.200 --> 02:33:39.719
and then the world went back to normal. I could

2268
02:33:39.840 --> 02:33:43.239
move again. I wiped the sweat from my forehead. My

2269
02:33:43.360 --> 02:33:46.360
heart beat started to slow. I curled up in a

2270
02:33:46.399 --> 02:33:49.680
ball on the bed, pulling the blankets over me. For

2271
02:33:49.760 --> 02:33:53.479
the longest time, I didn't move, fearing that that thing

2272
02:33:54.200 --> 02:33:58.399
was waiting for me in the darkness. Eventually I drifted

2273
02:33:58.479 --> 02:34:01.680
off to sleep again. I woke and my room was

2274
02:34:01.760 --> 02:34:04.959
lit by the light of early morning. Had it just

2275
02:34:05.040 --> 02:34:10.120
been a dream? A nightmare? I get up, dangling my

2276
02:34:10.239 --> 02:34:12.719
legs over the side of the bed. Was this all

2277
02:34:12.799 --> 02:34:16.559
a nightmare brought on by being nervous over my big

2278
02:34:16.680 --> 02:34:21.239
date with Travis. I stand in the shower, almost in

2279
02:34:21.319 --> 02:34:24.639
a trance, as the water pours over me. I've taken

2280
02:34:24.719 --> 02:34:28.280
plenty of showers before of it. This just seems weird.

2281
02:34:28.959 --> 02:34:31.319
The water feels like it's closing in on me. I

2282
02:34:31.680 --> 02:34:36.520
hear the jarring sound of static through the shower curtain.

2283
02:34:36.559 --> 02:34:39.760
I see a dark shape move the thing from my nightmare.

2284
02:34:40.319 --> 02:34:43.600
It's back for me. I back against the shower wall.

2285
02:34:44.120 --> 02:34:47.239
The wet tiles are cold against my back. I run

2286
02:34:47.319 --> 02:34:50.959
my hands over them, looking for escape. A voice snaps

2287
02:34:51.000 --> 02:34:55.680
me back to reality. You almost done, Brenn says, annoyance

2288
02:34:55.719 --> 02:35:02.120
in her voice. Water will be freaking cold. Sorry, almost done.

2289
02:35:02.760 --> 02:35:06.840
I hear the door slam shut. All dread is faded away,

2290
02:35:08.000 --> 02:35:10.680
and I just feel like a shit for hogging the shower.

2291
02:35:11.680 --> 02:35:14.200
I get out and dry off quick, trying not to

2292
02:35:14.280 --> 02:35:17.200
waste any more time. I leave the bathroom a towel

2293
02:35:17.280 --> 02:35:20.319
wrapped around me. Bren is waiting for me by the door.

2294
02:35:21.159 --> 02:35:25.559
You okay, Why what were you doing in the shower

2295
02:35:25.680 --> 02:35:31.319
so long? Daydreaming or a little pre date gratification? I

2296
02:35:31.399 --> 02:35:34.440
shoot her a look and bren does that laugh of hers.

2297
02:35:35.319 --> 02:35:39.159
I'm sorry, Ronnie, I know you're all stressed. She gives

2298
02:35:39.200 --> 02:35:41.879
me a kiss on the cheek and goes into the bathroom,

2299
02:35:42.399 --> 02:35:45.280
shutting the door behind her. I hear the lock click.

2300
02:35:46.280 --> 02:35:50.159
Guess I should have done that at work. It's no easier.

2301
02:35:50.319 --> 02:35:54.200
My mind drifts all day thinking about our date this afternoon,

2302
02:35:55.360 --> 02:35:59.000
The day moves in slow motion. What seemed like hours

2303
02:35:59.079 --> 02:36:02.079
were in fact minutes when I looked at the clock

2304
02:36:02.159 --> 02:36:05.920
and everything I did at work seemed like the wrong thing,

2305
02:36:06.680 --> 02:36:11.399
giving people the wrong order, spilling drinks. I shouldn't be

2306
02:36:11.479 --> 02:36:16.440
distressed over a date. No, it was that dream, that nightmare.

2307
02:36:17.360 --> 02:36:20.239
I consider calling the picnic off, but by the time

2308
02:36:20.319 --> 02:36:24.040
my shift is over, I've reconsidered maybe I could turn

2309
02:36:24.120 --> 02:36:26.840
this day around. When we get back to the apartment,

2310
02:36:27.360 --> 02:36:29.639
I strip out of my waitress uniform and splash some

2311
02:36:29.719 --> 02:36:32.799
water on my face. The water seems to engulf the

2312
02:36:32.879 --> 02:36:37.520
room for the briefest of seconds, but the hallucination quickly fades.

2313
02:36:39.280 --> 02:36:43.680
Am I losing my mind? The lake looked beautiful in

2314
02:36:43.719 --> 02:36:47.000
the summer sun. We found a nice secluded spot under

2315
02:36:47.040 --> 02:36:50.639
a large tree. Travis left the car nearby. He had

2316
02:36:50.680 --> 02:36:55.239
the top down and the radio on. Down in the

2317
02:36:55.399 --> 02:37:00.680
willow garden where me and my love did me. He

2318
02:37:00.840 --> 02:37:05.360
sat down a large basket. My dear, he said, ushering

2319
02:37:05.440 --> 02:37:07.319
me to the blanket with a wave of his hand.

2320
02:37:08.280 --> 02:37:11.680
We'd brought quite the selection of food. Travis popped open

2321
02:37:11.719 --> 02:37:14.440
a bottle of wine. Was that weird for a picnic?

2322
02:37:15.239 --> 02:37:18.959
He caught me making a face. Have we done this before?

2323
02:37:19.680 --> 02:37:24.719
Don't tell me you don't drink wine. No, just seems

2324
02:37:24.760 --> 02:37:29.799
a bit much for a afternoon picnic. Well, it's a

2325
02:37:29.879 --> 02:37:35.760
celebration too, Babe, my love. She did not know. I

2326
02:37:35.840 --> 02:37:38.799
put my hand up. I'm sorry, but I don't think

2327
02:37:38.799 --> 02:37:43.360
I should. I'm feeling a little sick, sick everything, Okay,

2328
02:37:44.399 --> 02:37:48.479
I just had a rough night, bad nightmare. He touches

2329
02:37:48.559 --> 02:37:52.280
my hand. I don't know why this makes me flinch.

2330
02:37:52.959 --> 02:37:57.639
He looks at me, puzzled. What kind of nightmare? I

2331
02:37:57.760 --> 02:38:00.719
think I was drowning and there was this figure there

2332
02:38:01.319 --> 02:38:04.079
when I woke up. I swear it was still there,

2333
02:38:04.719 --> 02:38:08.280
you know. He starts pouring wine into the glasses. I

2334
02:38:08.399 --> 02:38:12.760
think you need a little nip of wine, my rose. No, really,

2335
02:38:12.879 --> 02:38:17.799
it's okay. It'll help your nerves, Okay, maybe just a little.

2336
02:38:18.559 --> 02:38:21.639
Travis hands me one of the glasses. There's the sound

2337
02:38:21.680 --> 02:38:25.120
of static cutting through the air, like someone's adjusting the radio.

2338
02:38:26.280 --> 02:38:32.040
A dreadful sign. I look over at Travis's car and

2339
02:38:32.760 --> 02:38:37.239
see it there, the thing from my nightmare. The glass

2340
02:38:37.239 --> 02:38:39.239
of wine falls from my hand. It hits the ground,

2341
02:38:39.559 --> 02:38:43.239
rolling and spilling all over the blanket. The song skips

2342
02:38:44.000 --> 02:38:51.799
or repeats a dreadful sign. Not a dream, it said,

2343
02:38:52.559 --> 02:38:57.440
heed the sign At first, I don't realize I'm screaming

2344
02:38:58.040 --> 02:39:02.000
until I see Travis's face. He grimaces. He grabs me,

2345
02:39:02.120 --> 02:39:04.760
clapping a hand over my mouth. He holds me so tight.

2346
02:39:05.120 --> 02:39:07.760
I start to tear up. Shut the fuck up, would you.

2347
02:39:08.600 --> 02:39:10.680
I try to pull away, but his hands are like

2348
02:39:10.840 --> 02:39:13.479
iron clamps. I can see the anger in his eyes.

2349
02:39:13.680 --> 02:39:15.920
He looks over to the thing standing next to the car,

2350
02:39:17.159 --> 02:39:21.120
A dreadful sign. That's not gonna help you, Ronnie, dear,

2351
02:39:21.600 --> 02:39:25.440
he says, his voice never wavering. It's just an echo,

2352
02:39:26.239 --> 02:39:29.639
as if robbed of its power. The thing evaporates into

2353
02:39:29.680 --> 02:39:33.440
the air. He tightens his grip, tears streaming down my cheeks,

2354
02:39:33.879 --> 02:39:36.680
soaking his hand. I see the wine bottle lying there,

2355
02:39:36.959 --> 02:39:40.040
just out of reach of my free hand. I could

2356
02:39:40.120 --> 02:39:43.360
hit him with it. Listen to yourself, you're gonna hit him.

2357
02:39:43.799 --> 02:39:47.680
This is nuts. It has to be a game, right, No,

2358
02:39:47.840 --> 02:39:51.559
it's not. I just need a weapon to get away.

2359
02:39:52.200 --> 02:39:55.479
I rake his face with my fingernails, scratching jagged lines

2360
02:39:55.520 --> 02:39:58.239
down his face. For all the world, it sounded like

2361
02:39:58.319 --> 02:40:01.159
running your nails over stone. He lets go of me,

2362
02:40:01.520 --> 02:40:03.879
and I lunge for the wine bottle. As I reach

2363
02:40:03.959 --> 02:40:05.559
for the bottle. He grabs me by the belt of

2364
02:40:05.600 --> 02:40:08.200
my jeans. The bottle slips from my hands as he

2365
02:40:08.239 --> 02:40:11.719
yanks me towards him, rolling just out of reach. I

2366
02:40:11.840 --> 02:40:14.239
dig my feet and hands into the ground, pulling myself

2367
02:40:14.280 --> 02:40:17.120
towards the bottle, the sun reflecting off of it like

2368
02:40:17.239 --> 02:40:20.760
some magical weapon. It beckoned to me. My arms and

2369
02:40:20.879 --> 02:40:25.719
legs burned as I strained. Almost my fingers brushed off

2370
02:40:25.760 --> 02:40:28.520
the smooth neck of the bottle. Why won't you let

2371
02:40:28.600 --> 02:40:32.719
me help you, Travis says, help me, I'm going to

2372
02:40:32.799 --> 02:40:36.760
free you of all this bullshit. I manage a last

2373
02:40:36.799 --> 02:40:41.799
bit of strength and grab the goddamn bottle. I swing

2374
02:40:41.920 --> 02:40:43.879
it and hit him square in the side of the head.

2375
02:40:44.760 --> 02:40:48.399
Unlike in the movies, the bottle doesn't break. Travis lets

2376
02:40:48.440 --> 02:40:51.920
go of me. I hit him again, and again the

2377
02:40:52.000 --> 02:40:56.040
bottle doesn't break. He falls to the ground, momentarily stunned.

2378
02:40:56.520 --> 02:40:58.440
I bring the bottle down again on his head for

2379
02:40:58.559 --> 02:41:02.719
good measure. This time it shatters. I turn and run

2380
02:41:02.799 --> 02:41:05.719
for his car. As I reached the car, Travis appears,

2381
02:41:05.920 --> 02:41:08.680
pulling a large knife from his leather jacket. I didn't

2382
02:41:08.719 --> 02:41:11.760
want to make a mess Rose. He touches the wounds

2383
02:41:11.799 --> 02:41:15.479
on his face. Gonna have to fix these. I slide

2384
02:41:15.479 --> 02:41:18.319
into the driver's seat. Yes, the keys are there. I

2385
02:41:18.440 --> 02:41:20.840
start the car. It roars to life. I hit the gas,

2386
02:41:20.879 --> 02:41:24.040
aiming right for Travis. This is insane, am I in

2387
02:41:24.120 --> 02:41:27.360
a never ending nightmare? I ram into him, sending his

2388
02:41:27.440 --> 02:41:30.680
body flying up onto the hood. He smashes through the windshield,

2389
02:41:30.719 --> 02:41:34.879
his face contorted in a wicked smile. Hold hands you,

2390
02:41:35.079 --> 02:41:38.879
love birds, he says. The car plunges into the lake.

2391
02:41:39.399 --> 02:41:43.959
Water rushes in as we sink the nightmare. I'm going

2392
02:41:44.000 --> 02:41:48.239
to drown here with him. A shard of broken window

2393
02:41:48.319 --> 02:41:51.159
floats by me as we sink down. I grab it.

2394
02:41:51.879 --> 02:41:55.040
The jagged edges cut into my hand. I take it,

2395
02:41:55.840 --> 02:41:58.680
jabbing it into his eye. He lets go of me.

2396
02:41:59.280 --> 02:42:02.079
He smiles at me as I push him away. I

2397
02:42:02.200 --> 02:42:05.399
swim through the open top. For however long I live,

2398
02:42:05.479 --> 02:42:08.600
I don't think I'll ever forget that smile, the jagged

2399
02:42:08.680 --> 02:42:13.520
shard embedded in his eye. Travis and his car sinking

2400
02:42:13.639 --> 02:42:17.360
to the bottom. I pull myself onto the beach. I

2401
02:42:17.440 --> 02:42:20.079
think I pass out for a while, lying there in

2402
02:42:20.120 --> 02:42:24.559
the dirt, soaking wet. I wake with a start and

2403
02:42:24.680 --> 02:42:28.760
see a shadow fall across me. I look up and

2404
02:42:28.879 --> 02:42:32.520
see that thing, the thing from my nightmare, standing over me.

2405
02:42:33.200 --> 02:42:37.280
Its face and arms are blue and bloated, Its face

2406
02:42:38.040 --> 02:42:43.360
vaguely feminine, Its remaining hair rotten, hangs down in long strands.

2407
02:42:44.760 --> 02:42:59.239
It wore a dress, my dress first date by Rob

2408
02:42:59.440 --> 02:43:06.319
feel perspective Ariel Mirron. Who would have thought that my

2409
02:43:06.520 --> 02:43:10.360
life would have changed so drastically over the holidays. I'm

2410
02:43:10.399 --> 02:43:13.840
pretty good at keeping my feelings to myself, but I'm

2411
02:43:13.920 --> 02:43:18.559
still very angry and upset with my parents, mostly Mom.

2412
02:43:19.280 --> 02:43:23.000
I still can't believe that which offered me to Queen

2413
02:43:23.120 --> 02:43:27.719
Arcadia in exchange for her fame and fortune. Oh let

2414
02:43:27.840 --> 02:43:30.399
me tell you. I was so angry with Mom that

2415
02:43:30.479 --> 02:43:33.159
I screamed and threw everything at her that I could

2416
02:43:33.200 --> 02:43:37.200
get my hands on. I mean, I destroyed a lot

2417
02:43:37.319 --> 02:43:40.079
of stuff. My friends who were there with me had

2418
02:43:40.120 --> 02:43:43.040
to pull me off Mom when I finally attacked her myself.

2419
02:43:44.200 --> 02:43:47.520
I've had sufficient time now to calm down and assess

2420
02:43:47.639 --> 02:43:51.600
my current situation. I'm living with Madeline Donnerley and her

2421
02:43:51.680 --> 02:43:56.360
family now and actually have my own room. Mouse's parents

2422
02:43:56.479 --> 02:44:00.360
converted a spare bedroom just for me, not only I

2423
02:44:00.479 --> 02:44:04.600
figured that upon returning to Strickfield Junior High that people

2424
02:44:04.680 --> 02:44:08.680
would be jeering me about the whole fall from Grace thing.

2425
02:44:09.920 --> 02:44:14.120
No one said a word. In fact, I continued on

2426
02:44:14.360 --> 02:44:16.479
as if that whole blow up between Mom and I

2427
02:44:17.319 --> 02:44:21.760
had never happened. But something did happen at school today.

2428
02:44:22.479 --> 02:44:24.959
You probably know by now that Carter Cross and I

2429
02:44:25.399 --> 02:44:29.319
have always been polar opposites. Even now, he still calls

2430
02:44:29.399 --> 02:44:33.200
me princess, but he's not making fun of me because

2431
02:44:33.239 --> 02:44:36.399
of my fall from Grace. I wasn't letting him off

2432
02:44:36.440 --> 02:44:39.520
so fast, though. I still managed to swipe a few

2433
02:44:39.600 --> 02:44:44.399
of his sodas, including at lunch period today today, though

2434
02:44:44.920 --> 02:44:49.319
it just it didn't feel right. Normally, Carter's on me

2435
02:44:49.399 --> 02:44:52.799
the minute I swipe a soda. In fact, we both

2436
02:44:52.879 --> 02:44:56.639
had the can ready to fight for it, then he

2437
02:44:56.840 --> 02:44:59.719
just let me have it. The truth is, I have

2438
02:45:00.159 --> 02:45:02.600
forgotten that he asked me out the first weekend of

2439
02:45:02.680 --> 02:45:06.799
December when we were trapped in the Strickfield Town Center

2440
02:45:06.920 --> 02:45:12.319
Mall overnight hanging Christmas decorations for cousin harmony. I can't

2441
02:45:12.360 --> 02:45:15.280
stop replaying that event in my mind over and over.

2442
02:45:16.000 --> 02:45:20.520
Carter hasn't asked me out again since, though, However, I

2443
02:45:20.639 --> 02:45:24.680
haven't really given him an answer. Then I remember that

2444
02:45:24.799 --> 02:45:29.200
Carter Cross actually lives next door to me. Now I

2445
02:45:29.319 --> 02:45:31.959
go to my smartphone and text Carter to see if

2446
02:45:32.000 --> 02:45:36.440
he's home. I get a reply back almost immediately. Yes.

2447
02:45:37.239 --> 02:45:39.360
I get off my bed and head downstairs to go

2448
02:45:39.440 --> 02:45:42.000
to his house. He's right there at the back door

2449
02:45:42.040 --> 02:45:46.760
and invites me in. What's up, princess, he asks. I

2450
02:45:46.879 --> 02:45:49.840
take a deep breath and look at him. Yes, Carter,

2451
02:45:50.520 --> 02:45:53.159
I'm sorry I never answered you that night, but yes,

2452
02:45:53.680 --> 02:45:56.879
I will go out with you. Carter and I stare

2453
02:45:56.920 --> 02:46:02.159
at each other for a long moment. Sure, he asks quietly.

2454
02:46:02.959 --> 02:46:06.440
I nod quickly. We need to know for sure if

2455
02:46:06.479 --> 02:46:09.799
there's really something there between us. We can know for

2456
02:46:09.879 --> 02:46:13.520
sure in one date. Right. We stare at each other again.

2457
02:46:16.440 --> 02:46:21.239
What do we do? He stammers. I ain't never been

2458
02:46:21.319 --> 02:46:26.600
on a date before me neither, I admit. I guess

2459
02:46:26.680 --> 02:46:32.200
we can just go hang out together, right? Carter nods, okay, Yeah,

2460
02:46:33.239 --> 02:46:40.520
what time do you want to go? Perspective Carter Cross,

2461
02:46:41.479 --> 02:46:44.680
Madeline Donnerley, and me are playing video games at Roth's

2462
02:46:44.760 --> 02:46:48.319
Rings after losing a third straight game of Cruise in

2463
02:46:48.479 --> 02:46:53.680
USA Place in nearly last Madeline looks at me. Let's

2464
02:46:53.719 --> 02:46:57.559
go talk, buddy, she says in her mousey voice. We

2465
02:46:57.680 --> 02:47:00.920
grab our drinks and head outside. Then I just tell

2466
02:47:00.959 --> 02:47:04.520
her Ariel and me are going on a date tonight.

2467
02:47:05.319 --> 02:47:10.120
Her eyes are really wide. Now, really, I tell Madeline

2468
02:47:10.159 --> 02:47:12.440
about when I asked Ariel out at the mall during

2469
02:47:12.520 --> 02:47:16.639
that overnight last month. I just kept thinking about it.

2470
02:47:17.520 --> 02:47:20.239
You've been giving me a hard time about Ariel. I

2471
02:47:20.360 --> 02:47:22.879
know Mona and Bailey give Ariel a hard time too.

2472
02:47:23.840 --> 02:47:26.200
Ariel said, we got to know if there's something there,

2473
02:47:26.399 --> 02:47:31.239
so we're gonna do one date tonight. Now it's the

2474
02:47:31.319 --> 02:47:33.799
same silence like at my place when Ariel and I

2475
02:47:33.959 --> 02:47:38.760
agreed to go out. Madeline breaks the silence, told you

2476
02:47:38.879 --> 02:47:43.120
you liked her, buddy, I sigh. What if I mess

2477
02:47:43.200 --> 02:47:46.479
things up with her? Madeline, this is our first date.

2478
02:47:46.959 --> 02:47:50.399
It ain't gonna be like when we hang out, she smirks.

2479
02:47:51.360 --> 02:47:54.559
Just talk to her Carter. The rest will work itself out.

2480
02:47:55.360 --> 02:47:57.879
I ain't never dated yet, but I understand a few

2481
02:47:57.959 --> 02:48:03.280
things based on movie. She gently slaps my shoulder. Just

2482
02:48:03.440 --> 02:48:08.280
talk to her, I nod quickly. Sorry about what happened

2483
02:48:08.319 --> 02:48:12.120
in here. I should have just talked to you. It's

2484
02:48:12.159 --> 02:48:15.479
all good, buddy, she replies. I put my hand on

2485
02:48:15.559 --> 02:48:19.120
her shoulder. I'm glad I can always talk to you, Madeline,

2486
02:48:20.159 --> 02:48:24.239
and you always will, she promises me. Feeling better, we

2487
02:48:24.360 --> 02:48:27.719
go back inside and start playing again. Now I can

2488
02:48:27.799 --> 02:48:35.200
actually compete with Madeline when we start racing again. Perspective,

2489
02:48:35.840 --> 02:48:41.079
Ariel mirrn. I enter Mouse's house she calls it the Mousehole,

2490
02:48:41.879 --> 02:48:44.920
and see she's typing away on her computer. A few

2491
02:48:45.000 --> 02:48:48.079
minutes later, she's finally done. I think she finished a

2492
02:48:48.159 --> 02:48:51.120
paper for one of our classes. Now she looks right

2493
02:48:51.159 --> 02:48:55.239
at me. It's gonna be okay, Ariel, she tells me.

2494
02:48:56.079 --> 02:49:00.440
I sigh. Carter talked to you, didn't He turns in

2495
02:49:00.520 --> 02:49:02.319
her chair and waits for me to sit on her

2496
02:49:02.399 --> 02:49:06.239
lower bunk. He did, but you kind of been fidgeting

2497
02:49:06.319 --> 02:49:09.719
all day. You only ever do that when you're really nervous,

2498
02:49:09.840 --> 02:49:14.719
which don't happen often with you. I sigh again. I

2499
02:49:14.959 --> 02:49:19.799
hate you Mouse. She comes and sits beside me. It'll

2500
02:49:19.879 --> 02:49:22.879
be okay. You and Carter are gonna hang out, just

2501
02:49:23.319 --> 02:49:27.879
have fun and talk to him. Suddenly the doorbell rings.

2502
02:49:28.879 --> 02:49:32.479
It's Carter. Mouse tells me. I give her an odd look.

2503
02:49:33.120 --> 02:49:37.799
Carter usually just comes in. Mouse smirks, Yeah, Carter and

2504
02:49:37.920 --> 02:49:41.159
me usually walk into each other's houses. But Carter ain't

2505
02:49:41.200 --> 02:49:43.360
here to hang out with me. He's here for you.

2506
02:49:44.399 --> 02:49:47.600
Better go answer that. I look at the Freddy Krueger

2507
02:49:47.680 --> 02:49:51.280
clock next to the door. Seven point thirty. Time sure

2508
02:49:51.399 --> 02:49:54.360
flew since Carter and I arranged our date. I see

2509
02:49:54.440 --> 02:49:57.879
Mouse's smile and know everything's going to be all right.

2510
02:49:58.600 --> 02:50:00.280
I get up and make my way down to the

2511
02:50:00.319 --> 02:50:04.239
front door. Mouse is right when Carter's standing outside. We

2512
02:50:04.360 --> 02:50:07.239
look at each other for a long moment, just like

2513
02:50:07.360 --> 02:50:10.319
at his house earlier. Then I finally put on my

2514
02:50:10.479 --> 02:50:13.040
jacket and go out onto the porch, with him closing

2515
02:50:13.120 --> 02:50:17.399
the door behind me. Where officially on our first date.

2516
02:50:18.120 --> 02:50:23.479
Now, the only thing scarier than that is not being

2517
02:50:23.559 --> 02:50:27.040
subscribed weekly Spooky will be right back.

2518
02:50:32.319 --> 02:50:38.120
Perspective. Carter Cross, Ariel and me are both pretty nervous.

2519
02:50:38.680 --> 02:50:42.000
We're walking to downtown village together in silence, glancing at

2520
02:50:42.040 --> 02:50:46.760
each other at times. Finally, Ariel says something, I'm just

2521
02:50:46.879 --> 02:50:50.360
as scared as you, Carter. That makes me feel better.

2522
02:50:51.280 --> 02:50:54.159
What do you want to do? We stop right outside

2523
02:50:54.200 --> 02:50:58.639
the Strickfields Centennial Theater. There's only two movies playing, including

2524
02:50:58.719 --> 02:51:02.600
a special screening of Yeah, that bicycle movie from the

2525
02:51:02.680 --> 02:51:06.399
nineteen eighties. Ariel surprises me and wants to see it.

2526
02:51:07.239 --> 02:51:09.520
I pay for our tickets and buy us both cokes.

2527
02:51:10.440 --> 02:51:12.719
Madeline and I had seen this movie plenty of times

2528
02:51:12.760 --> 02:51:16.040
after we became friends. Rad got us into riding bikes

2529
02:51:16.079 --> 02:51:20.959
the way we do, even getting mongooses. Anyway, Ariel never

2530
02:51:21.079 --> 02:51:26.799
got bored once. Later, we're sitting in Big Ed's soda

2531
02:51:26.879 --> 02:51:30.479
parlor after the movie and talking about it. Madeline's right

2532
02:51:30.520 --> 02:51:34.600
about just talking to Ariel. Also, Ariel insisted on paying

2533
02:51:34.680 --> 02:51:38.920
for our Sundays since I paid it the movies. Suddenly,

2534
02:51:39.159 --> 02:51:43.559
Ariel's eyes get wide, so do mine. When Bailey Downs

2535
02:51:43.639 --> 02:51:47.959
and Mona Abels approach our table, Ariel's face goes red fast,

2536
02:51:48.600 --> 02:51:52.559
and not because she's mad. Awe, ain't you too cute?

2537
02:51:53.120 --> 02:51:58.879
Mona teases. Bailey just gives Ariel this weird smile. Now

2538
02:51:59.000 --> 02:52:03.280
Ariel does tough up. Yes, I am here with Carter Cross,

2539
02:52:03.639 --> 02:52:06.719
go tell the whole school. When Bailey and Mona look

2540
02:52:06.760 --> 02:52:10.440
at me, I just nod Ariel's way what she said.

2541
02:52:11.520 --> 02:52:14.639
Then Mona and Bailey smile wickedly and giggle a little

2542
02:52:14.719 --> 02:52:16.079
before they start singing.

2543
02:52:16.520 --> 02:52:20.840
Ariel's got a boy friend. Ariel's got a boy friend.

2544
02:52:21.760 --> 02:52:25.879
Ariel growls at them, I hate you both. Then they

2545
02:52:26.000 --> 02:52:29.239
turn and walk away, laughing. The last thing I hear

2546
02:52:29.360 --> 02:52:32.559
before they leave is Bailey telling Mona told you so.

2547
02:52:34.040 --> 02:52:36.360
Ariel takes a deep breath and looks at me. Now,

2548
02:52:37.440 --> 02:52:40.760
I really don't care Carter. I smile at Ariel.

2549
02:52:41.840 --> 02:52:45.159
Me neither. When we finish our ice cream, we leave

2550
02:52:45.280 --> 02:52:48.360
and go walking around. Then I decide to be a

2551
02:52:48.479 --> 02:52:53.239
man and take Ariel's hand. She gasps at first and

2552
02:52:53.479 --> 02:52:57.799
then relaxes. She doesn't take her hand back. Then we

2553
02:52:57.920 --> 02:53:07.600
get calm and start talking again. Perspective, Ariel, mirn. You

2554
02:53:07.879 --> 02:53:10.479
just know Bailey and Mona are going to tell anyone

2555
02:53:10.520 --> 02:53:13.239
who's willing to listen. I meant what I said. I

2556
02:53:13.319 --> 02:53:15.639
really don't care who knows that I'm on a date

2557
02:53:15.920 --> 02:53:19.440
with Carter Cross. I decide to be honest with him.

2558
02:53:20.360 --> 02:53:23.479
Maybe if I was still living back in the gated community,

2559
02:53:23.559 --> 02:53:26.760
I might have denied it. But I'm out here with

2560
02:53:26.879 --> 02:53:30.120
all of you. Now, you ever miss being in there?

2561
02:53:30.760 --> 02:53:36.239
Carter asks, no, I say, without hesitation. My parents never

2562
02:53:36.399 --> 02:53:39.840
once called Mouse's house asking for me. They never stopped

2563
02:53:39.879 --> 02:53:44.399
by either, not even anything in the mail. I smile

2564
02:53:44.479 --> 02:53:50.719
a little. Madeline's parents are good people, I know. Suddenly,

2565
02:53:50.879 --> 02:53:55.799
Carter and I just stop dead. How did we end

2566
02:53:55.879 --> 02:54:01.639
up walking down this street? Carter, I ask, we just did?

2567
02:54:02.159 --> 02:54:06.440
Carter tells me we just turned down this way. And well,

2568
02:54:07.360 --> 02:54:10.520
Carter and I are staring right at the old Carnivosh

2569
02:54:10.719 --> 02:54:14.559
estate from outside the high fence. When Carter and I

2570
02:54:14.719 --> 02:54:18.799
squeeze hands, I admit something to him. Mona Bailey and

2571
02:54:18.879 --> 02:54:20.879
I dared Mouse to go into this house when we

2572
02:54:21.360 --> 02:54:24.799
walked by it in early October. Mona asked her if

2573
02:54:24.840 --> 02:54:28.079
she was chicken. Mouse simply told us she was brave

2574
02:54:28.200 --> 02:54:32.200
enough to go in there, but not stupid enough. We

2575
02:54:32.319 --> 02:54:36.920
didn't say anything more to her about it after that. Okay, well,

2576
02:54:37.280 --> 02:54:42.120
let's just keep walking, Carter suggests, after a little bit. Yeah,

2577
02:54:42.639 --> 02:54:47.760
let's I agree fast, but neither of us move. It's

2578
02:54:47.840 --> 02:54:51.040
not because we're both scared of the house. It's because

2579
02:54:51.040 --> 02:54:55.239
we're looking through the main gate and seeing a little

2580
02:54:55.360 --> 02:55:00.520
girl standing in one of the windows, looking right out

2581
02:55:00.559 --> 02:55:11.120
at us perspective. Carter, cross Ariel and I both agree

2582
02:55:11.200 --> 02:55:14.040
we saw that little girl in the house We're both

2583
02:55:14.200 --> 02:55:18.040
pretty sure nobody lives in the Carnivosh estate, and not

2584
02:55:18.239 --> 02:55:21.920
for a very long time living in the village itself.

2585
02:55:22.000 --> 02:55:25.680
It would be big news fast if anyone actually moved

2586
02:55:25.760 --> 02:55:29.159
in there. When the little girl moves away from the window,

2587
02:55:29.280 --> 02:55:32.879
Ariel and I look at each other. Carter, we can't

2588
02:55:33.399 --> 02:55:37.399
leave that little girl in there, Ariel tells me. I gulp.

2589
02:55:38.239 --> 02:55:41.440
I was afraid you'd say that. Ariel and me don't

2590
02:55:41.440 --> 02:55:43.719
even got to talk about it. We climb the fence

2591
02:55:43.799 --> 02:55:46.840
and go inside. The property looks like this place ain't

2592
02:55:46.879 --> 02:55:50.879
had yard work done in years, even though it's early January.

2593
02:55:51.000 --> 02:55:54.559
Weeds seem to keep growing real good here. When we

2594
02:55:54.639 --> 02:55:57.920
reach the front door, one of them's wide open. Then

2595
02:55:58.000 --> 02:56:01.920
I hear Ariel gulp. She's breathing fast and giving me looks.

2596
02:56:02.879 --> 02:56:06.000
I know I gotta be looking scared too. Ariel and

2597
02:56:06.079 --> 02:56:08.879
I are still holding hands when we slowly go inside.

2598
02:56:09.840 --> 02:56:13.760
We hain't even two steps past the door when Ariel

2599
02:56:13.799 --> 02:56:15.959
and me both cry out and turn around to see

2600
02:56:16.000 --> 02:56:20.120
the doors are both completely closed. We go to them

2601
02:56:20.680 --> 02:56:26.639
and find we're locked in. Ariel quickly pulls out her phone. No,

2602
02:56:27.319 --> 02:56:32.319
she looks at me, no signal you. Uh huh, I confirm.

2603
02:56:32.719 --> 02:56:36.319
Then I open my settings. No nearby Wi Fi either.

2604
02:56:37.200 --> 02:56:40.440
We put our phones away. Then Ariel points to the stairway.

2605
02:56:41.639 --> 02:56:44.719
I don't think she was upstairs, Ariel, I say, I

2606
02:56:44.799 --> 02:56:46.520
thought the little girl was in the room to the

2607
02:56:46.600 --> 02:56:50.920
left of the doors. Ariel points in the direction in there.

2608
02:56:51.760 --> 02:56:55.360
Ariel quickly grabs my hand. Don't you dare let go.

2609
02:56:55.559 --> 02:56:59.079
I'm not losing you, carter cross. I shake her hand

2610
02:56:59.159 --> 02:57:02.159
to assure her I'm holding it. Then we walk into

2611
02:57:02.200 --> 02:57:06.879
what looks like a living room. Little girl, I call out.

2612
02:57:07.559 --> 02:57:11.040
Then I point to the window. There's where we saw her. Right.

2613
02:57:11.799 --> 02:57:14.000
We moved to the window and look outside to see

2614
02:57:14.079 --> 02:57:17.120
where we were before we came in. We'll have to

2615
02:57:17.200 --> 02:57:20.399
keep looking around. Ariel says, she's not in here. Now

2616
02:57:21.319 --> 02:57:25.079
I stop her fast, Ariel. She turns and sees I'm

2617
02:57:25.120 --> 02:57:29.440
pointing down a hallway where we see the little girl. Stop.

2618
02:57:29.840 --> 02:57:33.680
Ariel calls out, please come this way. Ariel and I

2619
02:57:33.799 --> 02:57:36.600
run down the hallway as she turns away. When we

2620
02:57:36.680 --> 02:57:39.920
reach the end, we come into a conservatory. We moved

2621
02:57:39.959 --> 02:57:42.000
to the other entrance and go through it to see

2622
02:57:42.000 --> 02:57:46.040
the little girl again. At the end of another hallway, Carter,

2623
02:57:46.639 --> 02:57:51.520
Ariel gasps, you seeing this, I nod fast. The little

2624
02:57:51.559 --> 02:57:54.639
girl's feet are pointing to the floor, but it's plain

2625
02:57:54.760 --> 02:57:59.440
as the noses on our faces. She's floating. Yeah, I

2626
02:57:59.600 --> 02:58:03.760
definitely I think she's a ghost, Ariel. I hate you, Carter.

2627
02:58:04.319 --> 02:58:08.639
Ariel stutters. She really squeezes my hand. Now, then we

2628
02:58:08.719 --> 02:58:11.600
look down the hallway. I think she wants us to

2629
02:58:11.719 --> 02:58:15.079
follow her. I say, it's like she's trying to tell

2630
02:58:15.159 --> 02:58:18.799
us something. Ariel gulps again and turns me to look

2631
02:58:18.840 --> 02:58:22.959
at the wall. There's an old Carnivoche family portrait hanging there.

2632
02:58:24.200 --> 02:58:26.600
Now we see the little girl at the very center

2633
02:58:27.319 --> 02:58:32.479
in front of her family. Clearly she was the youngest.

2634
02:58:33.200 --> 02:58:43.680
The date is January fourth, eighteen twenty four. Perspective, Ariel mirron.

2635
02:58:44.879 --> 02:58:48.120
That little Carnivosh girl is over two hundred years old.

2636
02:58:49.079 --> 02:58:52.399
Had she lived, we look to see her ghost is

2637
02:58:52.520 --> 02:58:57.319
still waiting for us. Come on, Carter, I stammer. The

2638
02:58:57.399 --> 02:58:59.879
two of us keep following the little girl until we're

2639
02:58:59.920 --> 02:59:03.879
another door. No doubt, this one's going to lead into

2640
02:59:03.920 --> 02:59:06.399
the one place you would never want to go in

2641
02:59:06.479 --> 02:59:11.559
a creepy old mansion like this, the basement. The door

2642
02:59:11.719 --> 02:59:14.719
opens on its own. Then the little girl floats down

2643
02:59:14.760 --> 02:59:18.159
the stairway. She's giving off this eerie light to show

2644
02:59:18.280 --> 02:59:22.159
she's at the bottom and waiting for us. Since she's

2645
02:59:22.239 --> 02:59:25.600
lighting our way, we can easily follow her down without

2646
02:59:25.680 --> 02:59:29.520
tripping over our own feet. Carter insists on leading the

2647
02:59:29.600 --> 02:59:33.159
way like the gallant guy I know he is. When

2648
02:59:33.200 --> 02:59:37.079
we reach the bottom, the ghost moves again, the basement

2649
02:59:37.239 --> 02:59:40.159
still lit thanks to her. She takes us through a

2650
02:59:40.239 --> 02:59:43.239
few rooms and finally stops next to a big brick wall.

2651
02:59:43.920 --> 02:59:49.440
Then she points right at it. You want us to break,

2652
02:59:50.040 --> 02:59:53.159
Carter mumbles. The little girl keeps pointing to the wall.

2653
02:59:53.799 --> 02:59:58.000
Then I see something over there. Carter grab that big hammer.

2654
02:59:58.639 --> 03:00:00.719
Carter and I let go of each other other's hands.

2655
03:00:01.120 --> 03:00:03.959
He finds the big sledgehammer on a workbench and brings

2656
03:00:04.000 --> 03:00:07.399
it over. It takes Carter a few really big hits

2657
03:00:07.799 --> 03:00:11.639
before he finally succeeds in cracking the mortar. He keeps

2658
03:00:11.719 --> 03:00:14.799
swinging and hitting until he finally makes a block come loose.

2659
03:00:15.639 --> 03:00:18.079
Then he keeps hitting it until it falls over on

2660
03:00:18.159 --> 03:00:22.360
the inside. Carter has to take little breaks to collect himself,

2661
03:00:22.440 --> 03:00:25.479
but he finally manages to break the wall in enough.

2662
03:00:26.239 --> 03:00:29.000
I take out my smartphone and shine my light through

2663
03:00:29.079 --> 03:00:34.079
the hole Carter made. Carter and I both scream when

2664
03:00:34.120 --> 03:00:38.879
we see a couple of skeletons, one big and one small,

2665
03:00:39.920 --> 03:00:43.600
and then the little girl smiles happily and points to

2666
03:00:43.680 --> 03:00:48.000
both of us. Suddenly, this huge flash of light washes

2667
03:00:48.079 --> 03:00:57.079
over us. Epilogue perspective aerial mirror. Later that night, Carter

2668
03:00:57.239 --> 03:00:59.920
and I are in the mousehole telling mouse about our

2669
03:01:00.159 --> 03:01:04.040
experience at the Carnivosh estate. We told her about finding

2670
03:01:04.079 --> 03:01:06.600
the little girl and then her leading us to where

2671
03:01:06.680 --> 03:01:09.760
she and her dad were both walled up in the basement.

2672
03:01:11.200 --> 03:01:15.000
Two hundred years ago today, a band of robbers came

2673
03:01:15.040 --> 03:01:19.879
to the Carnivosh estate and robbed it. Emilio Carnivoche tried

2674
03:01:19.920 --> 03:01:23.000
to save and protect his family from the robbers, but

2675
03:01:23.159 --> 03:01:26.680
it was all in vain. Emilio and little Rosemary were

2676
03:01:26.719 --> 03:01:30.079
walled up within the basement to cruelly separate the two

2677
03:01:30.159 --> 03:01:34.600
of them from Margo, the mother, and Rosemary's two older brothers,

2678
03:01:34.959 --> 03:01:39.319
Waldo and Morton. Emilio was badly hurt and weakened, and

2679
03:01:39.520 --> 03:01:44.239
Rosemary was too little unable to free themselves from their tomb.

2680
03:01:45.040 --> 03:01:49.639
They died of starvation we weren't shown what happened to

2681
03:01:49.680 --> 03:01:53.600
the rest of the Carnivoche family. I can feel like,

2682
03:01:53.920 --> 03:01:56.399
deep down that both the father and the little girl

2683
03:01:56.479 --> 03:02:00.959
are resting in peace. Now I finish. Yeah, we got

2684
03:02:01.000 --> 03:02:02.840
out of the house and went to Roth's Rings to

2685
03:02:02.920 --> 03:02:07.079
call the police. Anonymously, Carter ads. Carter and I both

2686
03:02:07.159 --> 03:02:11.319
Pinky promised Mouse that we weren't making up the story. Ah,

2687
03:02:11.440 --> 03:02:14.760
I believe you both, she said. Come on, we survived

2688
03:02:14.760 --> 03:02:19.280
Abigail Tomlin, a big vampire woman, and Queen Arcadia. Right,

2689
03:02:20.360 --> 03:02:24.719
good point, Madeline, Carter agrees. When we finish talking, Carter

2690
03:02:24.840 --> 03:02:27.959
and I leave the house. We find ourselves holding hands

2691
03:02:28.040 --> 03:02:32.399
again as we walk onto Carter's back porch. Carter and

2692
03:02:32.479 --> 03:02:34.520
I both look like we want to say something to

2693
03:02:34.600 --> 03:02:37.479
each other, but we just look at each other again.

2694
03:02:38.360 --> 03:02:43.760
Carter leans in a little. He's hesitating, I'm hesitating, and

2695
03:02:44.000 --> 03:02:47.639
then I barely feel it when we come apart, but

2696
03:02:47.840 --> 03:02:51.559
Carter and I shared our first kiss. We don't even

2697
03:02:51.639 --> 03:02:53.399
have to say anything to each other, but we know

2698
03:02:53.600 --> 03:02:56.680
mutually we're not going to be just one and done

2699
03:02:56.760 --> 03:03:00.239
on dating. Carter and I say goodbye, and I watch

2700
03:03:00.319 --> 03:03:03.200
him go into his house. I returned to the Donnerly

2701
03:03:03.319 --> 03:03:06.440
home and go back in. I head to my room

2702
03:03:06.520 --> 03:03:09.040
and lay on my bed, knowing I have a lot

2703
03:03:09.120 --> 03:03:13.000
to think about, and that's where this particular adventure ends.

2704
03:03:13.680 --> 03:03:18.120
But I can promise you we'll be back again very soon.

2705
03:03:23.600 --> 03:03:29.159
Lucian Grayshire and the Ghost from Applebee's by L. F. Falconer.

2706
03:03:32.360 --> 03:03:36.200
The three young girls in the corner booth continued to stare,

2707
03:03:37.280 --> 03:03:43.200
not due to rudeness, Lucian determined, merely out of morbid curiosity.

2708
03:03:44.399 --> 03:03:48.719
Their parents attempted to be more furative in their sidelong glances,

2709
03:03:48.840 --> 03:03:53.159
and struggled with useless, hushed commands to curtail their daughter's

2710
03:03:53.559 --> 03:03:58.879
blatant surveillance. Lucian no longer cared. With three quarters of

2711
03:03:58.920 --> 03:04:02.680
his body severely scarred from a house fire he'd survived

2712
03:04:02.719 --> 03:04:06.120
as a child forty years ago. He'd grown hardened to

2713
03:04:06.200 --> 03:04:11.319
the horrified scrutiny of others, the secretive glimpses, the whispers

2714
03:04:11.479 --> 03:04:15.920
behind his back. At one time his disfigurements brought him shame.

2715
03:04:16.719 --> 03:04:20.920
Now he wore these scars with honor, deeming his outer

2716
03:04:21.079 --> 03:04:26.520
grotesqueness more valuable than his business card. A man no

2717
03:04:26.680 --> 03:04:31.200
one truly wanted to see, yet one not so easily forgotten.

2718
03:04:31.959 --> 03:04:35.479
If he caused anyone nightmares along his journey through life,

2719
03:04:36.280 --> 03:04:39.959
he lost no sleep over it. Harried to the point

2720
03:04:40.040 --> 03:04:43.440
of distraction by their children, the two adults in the

2721
03:04:43.520 --> 03:04:47.040
corner booth remained oblivious to the fact that half their

2722
03:04:47.159 --> 03:04:51.040
current troubles were caused by the antics of the youthful poltergeist.

2723
03:04:51.520 --> 03:04:55.760
Hovering above their table a spilled glass of milk, the

2724
03:04:55.879 --> 03:04:58.639
forks fallen to the floor, the plate of French fries

2725
03:04:58.719 --> 03:05:01.319
toppled onto the youngest girl. His lap had nothing to

2726
03:05:01.440 --> 03:05:05.319
do with the carelessness of rambunctious children, and at this

2727
03:05:05.559 --> 03:05:09.440
moment the ghost was ever so slowly unscrewing the cap

2728
03:05:09.959 --> 03:05:14.360
on the salt shaker. Lucian savored the final bite of

2729
03:05:14.479 --> 03:05:18.159
his lemon chicken, then dabbed his napkin over the thin

2730
03:05:18.280 --> 03:05:22.520
lips below the cartoliginous remnants of his nose. He rose

2731
03:05:22.600 --> 03:05:25.079
to his feet and placed enough cash on his meal

2732
03:05:25.200 --> 03:05:28.159
check to cover his lunch, as well as a generous tip.

2733
03:05:29.079 --> 03:05:32.600
In response to his appearance, the server had neither bulked

2734
03:05:32.760 --> 03:05:37.159
nor over compensated. Shrugging on his wool jacket, he took

2735
03:05:37.280 --> 03:05:40.479
pity on the beleaguered parents in their challenge to maintain

2736
03:05:40.559 --> 03:05:44.639
a sense of decorum amid the chaos, especially as the

2737
03:05:44.719 --> 03:05:47.440
children's father had just ruined his own meal with a

2738
03:05:47.559 --> 03:05:52.680
full shaker of salt spilled upon it. The poltergeist above

2739
03:05:52.799 --> 03:05:58.799
the table glowed in rapid pulses of jade green. Leaving

2740
03:05:58.879 --> 03:06:03.079
his table, Usian limped directly to the booth the family occupied.

2741
03:06:03.959 --> 03:06:07.520
Everyone at the table fell transfixed, as if they'd all

2742
03:06:07.840 --> 03:06:11.159
just been caught with their hands in the till Lucian

2743
03:06:11.280 --> 03:06:15.879
greeted them with a courteous bow, good afternoon. He raised

2744
03:06:15.920 --> 03:06:21.120
his one good eye to acknowledge the ghost hovering above. Bemusedly.

2745
03:06:21.280 --> 03:06:24.760
The ghost cocked an eyebrow, then darted to the left

2746
03:06:24.799 --> 03:06:29.120
side of the table, taking refuge behind a potted imitation Philodendron.

2747
03:06:29.920 --> 03:06:34.520
Lucian straightened his gaunt frame and withdrew a business card

2748
03:06:34.600 --> 03:06:38.239
from his inner jacket pocket. Allow me to introduce myself.

2749
03:06:38.840 --> 03:06:42.600
I am Lucian Greyshire, and I have a business proposal

2750
03:06:42.639 --> 03:06:46.120
if you'd be interested. He handed his card to the father,

2751
03:06:46.840 --> 03:06:49.639
then glanced over at the ghost, who peeked through the

2752
03:06:49.760 --> 03:06:53.239
kelly green leaves, giving the young shade a polite nod.

2753
03:06:54.360 --> 03:06:57.520
The man at the table seemed hesitant to accept the card,

2754
03:06:58.120 --> 03:07:01.239
but once he took it into his possession, he scanned

2755
03:07:01.239 --> 03:07:04.799
it out loud. Let the Dead bring your party to life.

2756
03:07:05.479 --> 03:07:11.479
Grayshire Incorporated Unique Halloween Entertainment Services. He looked up at

2757
03:07:11.520 --> 03:07:16.879
Lucian with knitted brows. What's this about, I'm in need

2758
03:07:16.959 --> 03:07:20.799
of an assistant events coordinator. Lucian glanced back over at

2759
03:07:20.840 --> 03:07:24.000
the ghost. If you're interested, meet me in the park

2760
03:07:24.079 --> 03:07:27.079
across the street within the hour. He kept his one

2761
03:07:27.159 --> 03:07:30.559
eyed gaze on the ghost. I already have a job.

2762
03:07:31.000 --> 03:07:33.319
The man at the table tried to hand the business

2763
03:07:33.399 --> 03:07:36.840
card back, but Lucian stepped away from the table and

2764
03:07:37.040 --> 03:07:41.040
gave another slight bow. I'll be waiting, should you be interested.

2765
03:07:41.799 --> 03:07:45.680
His papery lips smiled at the ghost before he turned

2766
03:07:46.079 --> 03:07:51.239
and departed the restaurant. A somber sky loomed above, gray

2767
03:07:51.399 --> 03:07:56.159
with pewter clouds billowing like dust. Lucian breathed deeply of

2768
03:07:56.280 --> 03:08:00.360
the air, still wet from last night's tempest and laced

2769
03:08:00.399 --> 03:08:05.239
with faint hints of pine, damp, bark, and blight. Dying

2770
03:08:05.399 --> 03:08:09.280
boughs and limbs ripped from their hosts and tossed haphazardly

2771
03:08:09.399 --> 03:08:14.399
by the uncarrying gale, littered the park's greensward. Lucian blessed

2772
03:08:14.520 --> 03:08:18.600
the previous night's storm. The howling winds had covered every

2773
03:08:19.200 --> 03:08:25.200
muffled scream. The man's name had been Daniel. He was

2774
03:08:25.280 --> 03:08:30.840
sixty seven years old, and now he was dead. October

2775
03:08:31.000 --> 03:08:36.079
leaves in per simmon amber and blood crunched beneath Lucian's feet,

2776
03:08:36.680 --> 03:08:41.840
while crisp, lake eerie air nipped at his exposed, disfigured flesh.

2777
03:08:42.600 --> 03:08:46.479
He settled onto a park bench, his muscles aching strained

2778
03:08:46.520 --> 03:08:50.680
from last night's activities. Out of his jacket pocket, he

2779
03:08:50.879 --> 03:08:55.280
removed a well used paperback copy of Peter Nichols A

2780
03:08:55.440 --> 03:08:59.360
Day in the Death of Joe Egg. He'd barely read

2781
03:08:59.479 --> 03:09:05.360
three page when an adolescent apparition tentatively drifted near. Lucian

2782
03:09:05.479 --> 03:09:08.680
looked up from his book. Though little more than a

2783
03:09:08.799 --> 03:09:13.079
translucent shadow. The ghost featured a clinging, wet T shirt,

2784
03:09:13.600 --> 03:09:17.479
dark jeans, and high top athletic shoes. He looked to

2785
03:09:17.559 --> 03:09:20.399
have been maybe fifteen or sixteen at the time of

2786
03:09:20.520 --> 03:09:24.959
his death, His dark, damp ribbons of hair plastered against

2787
03:09:25.000 --> 03:09:29.159
his skull. Last night's events flickered through Lucian's mind in

2788
03:09:29.280 --> 03:09:33.159
high speed clips. Cold waters whipped to a frenzy by

2789
03:09:33.440 --> 03:09:37.879
boisterous wind. Daniel's hand clawing at Lucian's own as he

2790
03:09:38.000 --> 03:09:42.440
gurgled within the spume, The young shades scooted swiftly to

2791
03:09:42.559 --> 03:09:46.600
the left with a steady gaze. Lucian's good eye trailed

2792
03:09:46.680 --> 03:09:50.520
the movement. The shade darted back to the right, still

2793
03:09:50.680 --> 03:09:55.920
fixed beneath Lucian's magnetic stare. The ghost took a minor

2794
03:09:56.000 --> 03:10:02.479
step closer. You can really say, may Lucian closed his book. Indeed,

2795
03:10:04.239 --> 03:10:07.600
was this job offer really for me or for him?

2796
03:10:08.680 --> 03:10:11.120
The ghost jerked his head in the direction of the

2797
03:10:11.200 --> 03:10:15.719
restaurant across the street. For you, of course. I thought

2798
03:10:15.760 --> 03:10:19.360
I'd made that pretty clear. You was a bit fuzzy, mate.

2799
03:10:20.319 --> 03:10:22.879
I believe it would have been awkward to speak to

2800
03:10:22.920 --> 03:10:25.799
you directly when it's only I who am aware of

2801
03:10:25.879 --> 03:10:29.159
your presence. I'm not certain why you're trying to pull

2802
03:10:29.200 --> 03:10:32.440
off a phony accent. I happen to know you're an American.

2803
03:10:33.120 --> 03:10:37.280
The ghost took a step back, crossing his arms. And

2804
03:10:37.360 --> 03:10:41.600
what makes you so smart? Huh, Lucian winked his sighted eye.

2805
03:10:43.079 --> 03:10:47.280
I know many things. It's what I do. The ghost

2806
03:10:47.520 --> 03:10:50.840
jutted his chin forward. But I guess you don't know

2807
03:10:51.040 --> 03:10:55.799
my mum's Canadian. Lucian flipped his jacket collar up to

2808
03:10:55.920 --> 03:10:59.239
keep the lake chilled air off his neck. Point taken.

2809
03:10:59.559 --> 03:11:03.200
But that's neither here nor there. The important thing is

2810
03:11:03.280 --> 03:11:06.639
that you've come. You may call me Lucian, and what

2811
03:11:06.840 --> 03:11:11.000
may I call you? Anything you like? I suppose in

2812
03:11:11.079 --> 03:11:14.639
another life, I believe they called me Patrick, but can't

2813
03:11:14.680 --> 03:11:17.319
recall the last time I heard the name. Could just

2814
03:11:17.399 --> 03:11:20.120
be a name I like. I don't know. There's not

2815
03:11:20.280 --> 03:11:24.000
much about life I can remember. He relaxed, looking Lucian

2816
03:11:24.159 --> 03:11:27.280
directly in the eye. It's kind of like a shattered

2817
03:11:27.319 --> 03:11:31.000
mirror life, I mean, my life, and I'm afraid if

2818
03:11:31.040 --> 03:11:33.520
I try to put the pieces back together, I might

2819
03:11:33.600 --> 03:11:36.440
not like what I see. Other than looking like a

2820
03:11:36.559 --> 03:11:40.520
drowned rat, you're not a bad looking fellow. The ghost

2821
03:11:40.639 --> 03:11:44.239
faded slightly. It's not about my looks. I'm invisible, unlike you,

2822
03:11:44.959 --> 03:11:49.559
meaning no offense. But dude, really, Lucian shook his head.

2823
03:11:50.200 --> 03:11:53.000
No offense taken, and there's no need to pick up

2824
03:11:53.040 --> 03:11:56.239
the pieces. It could do you no good now, he

2825
03:11:56.399 --> 03:12:00.360
swiftly caught a wayward breeze blown newspaper page beneath his foot,

2826
03:12:00.840 --> 03:12:04.600
anchoring it to the ground. Patrick. It is then the

2827
03:12:04.719 --> 03:12:08.959
name suits you, So tell me, Patrick, would you like

2828
03:12:09.079 --> 03:12:09.479
the job?

2829
03:12:11.719 --> 03:12:16.079
A sh it was only the wind. You're safe, weekly,

2830
03:12:16.159 --> 03:12:17.680
Spooky will be right back.

2831
03:12:19.879 --> 03:12:23.280
Patrick settled onto the seat beside him. What's in it

2832
03:12:23.360 --> 03:12:25.559
for me? I'm free to come and go as I

2833
03:12:25.680 --> 03:12:29.319
please and don't have to answer to anyone. I dare say.

2834
03:12:29.440 --> 03:12:34.000
You're rather bored and lonely, Lucian thought, a feeling he

2835
03:12:34.120 --> 03:12:38.200
knew too well, being little more than a living wraith himself.

2836
03:12:39.280 --> 03:12:42.959
But what a pitiful way to spend eternity tormenting children

2837
03:12:43.000 --> 03:12:47.200
in a restaurant and an Applebee's no less ah, That's

2838
03:12:47.239 --> 03:12:50.440
why you're wrong, mate. I have no ties to the restaurant,

2839
03:12:50.520 --> 03:12:53.879
and I wasn't tormenting the children. I was tormenting the parents.

2840
03:12:54.799 --> 03:12:58.000
You hold a grudge against parents, do you? It would

2841
03:12:58.040 --> 03:13:00.399
seem that way, now, wouldn't it. But but I can't

2842
03:13:00.440 --> 03:13:03.399
say for schef. Could just be something I do for kicks,

2843
03:13:03.440 --> 03:13:08.360
you know, probably one of those broken pieces. Patrick leaned forward,

2844
03:13:08.479 --> 03:13:12.200
elbows on his knees. So how come you can see

2845
03:13:12.280 --> 03:13:16.239
me and hear me when no one else can. The

2846
03:13:16.360 --> 03:13:19.600
crackle of flames and the smell of charred wood inundated

2847
03:13:19.680 --> 03:13:24.760
Lucian's memory, smoke billowing beneath the locked bedroom door. On

2848
03:13:24.879 --> 03:13:30.959
the other side, his father shouts, heavy footfalls, leaving help me, Daddy.

2849
03:13:31.639 --> 03:13:37.280
Lucian's frantic cries, eyes burning throat, constricting, hot smoke wrapping

2850
03:13:37.399 --> 03:13:41.840
him in a shroud. I was dead once myself, he admitted,

2851
03:13:42.159 --> 03:13:46.399
glancing over at the ghost beside him. A fireman resuscitated me.

2852
03:13:47.680 --> 03:13:50.319
He had been brought back to life. His mother and

2853
03:13:50.440 --> 03:13:53.280
brother had been more fortunate, not having to live the

2854
03:13:53.440 --> 03:13:58.479
ordeal over and over and over again. The nightmares had

2855
03:13:58.559 --> 03:14:04.319
long ago disappeared, way for vivid, waking memories. Patrick straightened

2856
03:14:04.360 --> 03:14:07.440
in his seat. That's how you got all them scars. Eh,

2857
03:14:08.120 --> 03:14:11.319
that's rough, man, But that don't explain much. Other folks

2858
03:14:11.399 --> 03:14:14.760
have been resuscitated, but no one's ever seen me before,

2859
03:14:14.920 --> 03:14:19.479
So why you. For nearly a year during my recovery,

2860
03:14:19.520 --> 03:14:22.600
I remained in a state of flux, or half life,

2861
03:14:22.799 --> 03:14:26.319
if you will. Forced against his will into a world

2862
03:14:26.399 --> 03:14:29.559
of forgotten shadows, Lucian continued to keep one foot in

2863
03:14:29.680 --> 03:14:33.399
reality and the other foot in the grave. A part

2864
03:14:33.479 --> 03:14:36.200
of me still dwells in the realm of lost souls.

2865
03:14:36.799 --> 03:14:40.319
Some people might consider that a curse, but I view

2866
03:14:40.360 --> 03:14:43.000
it as a unique gift. For I am in a

2867
03:14:43.079 --> 03:14:48.200
position to offer those in limbo some comfort. Limbo sucks,

2868
03:14:48.680 --> 03:14:52.840
especially if you're invisible. Patrick's voice broke upon his words.

2869
03:14:53.719 --> 03:14:56.680
It was impossible to give the boy a hug. Lucian

2870
03:14:56.799 --> 03:14:59.920
had to rely on speech. That's why you feel compelled

2871
03:15:00.120 --> 03:15:03.000
to cause chaos. It's the only way you can validate

2872
03:15:03.040 --> 03:15:08.360
your dismal existence. Patrick leaned back, clasped his hands, and

2873
03:15:08.440 --> 03:15:12.479
twiddled his thumbs, staring up at the steely, cloud studded sky.

2874
03:15:13.399 --> 03:15:16.959
A pair of starlings roosted chattering quietly in the bare

2875
03:15:17.079 --> 03:15:20.600
tree tops above. Patrick shot up like a rocket and

2876
03:15:20.719 --> 03:15:24.840
thumped the branch, startling the birds into flight. As Patrick

2877
03:15:24.920 --> 03:15:28.239
settled back onto the bench beside him, Lucian stowed his

2878
03:15:28.319 --> 03:15:32.319
book away in his pocket. What I'm offering you, Patrick,

2879
03:15:33.000 --> 03:15:35.760
is a chance to do something productive with your existence.

2880
03:15:36.399 --> 03:15:39.079
I could use a man of your talents. I have

2881
03:15:39.200 --> 03:15:43.399
no talent, but you do. Very few spirits have the

2882
03:15:43.479 --> 03:15:46.479
ability to move objects. I can only do it if

2883
03:15:46.479 --> 03:15:49.000
they're not too heavy. I can't budge anything over a

2884
03:15:49.040 --> 03:15:51.680
couple of pounds, And I don't know why you'd want

2885
03:15:51.719 --> 03:15:56.319
a limbo ghost anyway, where a pathetic bunch nowhere to go,

2886
03:15:56.920 --> 03:16:01.239
nothing to do, bored like you said, and boring to boot.

2887
03:16:02.200 --> 03:16:04.559
I can do nothing about whatever is holding you here,

2888
03:16:04.680 --> 03:16:09.040
but I can offer you a sense of purpose. After tomorrow, I'll.

2889
03:16:08.920 --> 03:16:09.440
Be moving on.

2890
03:16:10.879 --> 03:16:13.680
This is an opportunity you may never come across again.

2891
03:16:14.840 --> 03:16:18.159
Patrick kicked at the leaves below his feet, swirling them

2892
03:16:18.239 --> 03:16:22.159
in a colorful dance upon the sidewalk, doing what exactly?

2893
03:16:23.360 --> 03:16:27.600
Helping me and my endeavors, that's all? What kind of endeavors?

2894
03:16:28.280 --> 03:16:32.680
What do you do besides no? Many things? Well? For one,

2895
03:16:33.360 --> 03:16:37.280
I throw parties, huge Halloween parties for the filthy rich,

2896
03:16:37.680 --> 03:16:43.120
excruciating extravaganzas. Really, but I always deliver on my client's contracts,

2897
03:16:43.440 --> 03:16:47.360
and they're willing to pay me quite well. Parties, huh.

2898
03:16:48.079 --> 03:16:50.440
I think there's more to it than that you said

2899
03:16:50.559 --> 03:16:56.079
for one? So what's for two? Talented and attentive? Even better,

2900
03:16:56.319 --> 03:16:59.639
Lucian thought, allowing his good eye to wander the immediate

2901
03:16:59.719 --> 03:17:03.520
vistasy for a moment. The threat of more stormy weather

2902
03:17:03.719 --> 03:17:07.879
kept the park relatively deserted. Ensured there was no one nearby,

2903
03:17:08.360 --> 03:17:15.159
he quietly confided, for two I kill people. Patrick sprang

2904
03:17:15.280 --> 03:17:18.200
from the bench. Hold a minute. He raised his hand

2905
03:17:18.280 --> 03:17:21.559
in a stop action and took a step back. Tormenting

2906
03:17:21.639 --> 03:17:23.840
folks is one thing, but I want no part in

2907
03:17:23.959 --> 03:17:29.399
killing innocence. Unapologetically, Lucian stared up at him. Only children

2908
03:17:29.440 --> 03:17:32.559
are innocent. The rest of us are all guilty of something.

2909
03:17:33.239 --> 03:17:36.719
Think of me as an extension of justice. Are you

2910
03:17:36.959 --> 03:17:39.799
like some kind of hit man? Or do people only

2911
03:17:40.079 --> 03:17:45.399
pay you for parties? Lucian hesitated momentarily. I do get

2912
03:17:45.440 --> 03:17:49.200
paid for hosting parties quite well, in fact, Yet there

2913
03:17:49.280 --> 03:17:52.479
are some clients who request an extra dash of pepper

2914
03:17:52.600 --> 03:17:56.639
on their salad, so to speak. Patrick paced the concrete,

2915
03:17:56.920 --> 03:18:01.120
stirring the leaves beneath his feet, back into action. I dunno, mate,

2916
03:18:01.840 --> 03:18:04.000
I start doing real harm to folks, and next thing

2917
03:18:04.040 --> 03:18:07.559
you know, I'm yanked straight into hell. Lucian folded his

2918
03:18:07.639 --> 03:18:12.200
gnarled hands, his sightless eye gleaming dully in the muted daylight.

2919
03:18:13.159 --> 03:18:16.159
I would never ask you to harm anyone. That pleasure

2920
03:18:17.000 --> 03:18:20.840
is reserved for me and me alone. I simply need

2921
03:18:20.920 --> 03:18:24.639
help in orchestrating my events, hence the job title of

2922
03:18:24.959 --> 03:18:31.600
assistant Events coordinator. Your soul and conscience remain unsullied. A

2923
03:18:31.719 --> 03:18:35.920
young couple holding hands strolled by, giving Lucian a wide berth.

2924
03:18:36.479 --> 03:18:39.479
They passed through Patrick, causing him to fade in and out.

2925
03:18:40.319 --> 03:18:45.200
He stopped pacing and lunged towards Lucian, Ripping the newspaper

2926
03:18:45.280 --> 03:18:48.040
page from beneath his foot, he swatted the couple with

2927
03:18:48.120 --> 03:18:49.959
it on the back of their heads before setting the

2928
03:18:50.040 --> 03:18:54.319
page free in the breeze. His bone colored face distorted

2929
03:18:54.360 --> 03:18:59.479
by deep thought, he swept back to Lucian's side. I'm

2930
03:18:59.520 --> 03:19:01.120
still not sure Show this is something I should be

2931
03:19:01.200 --> 03:19:04.200
taking part in, if you know what I mean, he muttered,

2932
03:19:04.719 --> 03:19:09.239
the killing pot. I understand your concerns, Patrick, yet you

2933
03:19:09.360 --> 03:19:12.399
seem to enjoy tormenting the living, and that's all I

2934
03:19:12.440 --> 03:19:16.360
would ever expect you to do during the party. Would

2935
03:19:16.399 --> 03:19:19.120
you be willing to give it a trial run? I

2936
03:19:19.200 --> 03:19:22.600
have an event scheduled tomorrow night at Gates Hotel, a

2937
03:19:22.719 --> 03:19:25.879
party at the Gates. Patrick snorted and took a step back.

2938
03:19:26.399 --> 03:19:29.600
While that should be a hoot, those two snobby sisters

2939
03:19:29.639 --> 03:19:33.000
there don't much care for company. Dead or alive, carrying

2940
03:19:33.079 --> 03:19:36.840
on like the world belongs to only them. That's odd,

2941
03:19:37.440 --> 03:19:41.600
Lucian said, I found them to be rather charming. It

2942
03:19:41.719 --> 03:19:44.799
had been those sisters who'd led him to Patrick, who

2943
03:19:44.959 --> 03:19:48.120
told him of the boy's talent and revealed the details

2944
03:19:48.520 --> 03:19:52.120
of his untimely death. And since the hotel is slated

2945
03:19:52.200 --> 03:19:55.920
to be raised before Christmas, Jasmine and Ruby have graciously

2946
03:19:56.000 --> 03:19:59.520
agreed to help me host this year's event. One last

2947
03:19:59.600 --> 03:20:03.600
hurrah for them, so to speak with them. Two, you've

2948
03:20:03.639 --> 03:20:06.000
already got the best. What do you need me for,

2949
03:20:06.879 --> 03:20:10.920
Lucian spoke with a smile. The sisters may be capable

2950
03:20:10.959 --> 03:20:15.319
of vivid manifestation and bone chilling audio, but they cannot

2951
03:20:15.440 --> 03:20:19.360
move things. The party guests will be expecting a magnificent

2952
03:20:19.520 --> 03:20:22.840
haunted experience. I'd prefer to give them a night to

2953
03:20:22.959 --> 03:20:28.120
truly remember. A green aura glowed from within, and Patrick smiled.

2954
03:20:29.399 --> 03:20:32.920
Most of these people are parents, right, I would assume so,

2955
03:20:33.959 --> 03:20:35.680
And I don't have to take part in no killing.

2956
03:20:36.440 --> 03:20:41.000
Lucian nodded, rest assured that contract has already been completed.

2957
03:20:42.079 --> 03:20:45.799
A small white lie. Sometimes a party was simply a

2958
03:20:45.879 --> 03:20:51.680
party and a target. A deliciously convenient coincidence Patrick gusted

2959
03:20:51.760 --> 03:20:54.879
across the sidewalk, knocking the hat off the woman pushing

2960
03:20:54.920 --> 03:20:59.239
a baby carriage, then sidled back to Lucian's side. Can

2961
03:20:59.319 --> 03:21:01.840
I ask who it was us? No, you may not

2962
03:21:02.840 --> 03:21:06.600
not even a clue. Lucian ran a ragged finger across

2963
03:21:07.000 --> 03:21:10.280
the thinly stretched skin of his missing lips, as if

2964
03:21:10.399 --> 03:21:13.680
zipping them shut. There was no need to tell the

2965
03:21:13.840 --> 03:21:17.719
lad it had been his father. Lucian's own father may

2966
03:21:17.760 --> 03:21:21.559
have been unsuccessful, but Patrick's had seen the deed through.

2967
03:21:22.280 --> 03:21:25.040
For thirty years, Patrick has wandered in the realm of

2968
03:21:25.159 --> 03:21:29.239
lost souls, and last night the father, like the sun,

2969
03:21:29.719 --> 03:21:34.360
unwillingly surrendered his life within the cold, dark waters of

2970
03:21:34.520 --> 03:21:39.000
Lake Erie. He wondered, had Patrick fought as hard to

2971
03:21:39.079 --> 03:21:44.239
survive as Daniel had. Lucian rose from the bench stick

2972
03:21:44.280 --> 03:21:46.879
with me, Patrick, and I promise you you will never

2973
03:21:47.040 --> 03:21:50.200
be forced to carry the burdens of my sin. Now

2974
03:21:50.799 --> 03:21:54.479
shall we go. There's a pair of fine nineteenth century

2975
03:21:54.600 --> 03:21:58.879
sisters i'd like you to meet. Lucian limped down the walkway,

2976
03:21:59.440 --> 03:22:08.280
the leaves beside him swirling in a kaleidoscopic dance. Well,

2977
03:22:08.440 --> 03:22:11.920
my spookys, it's time for me to leave you to

2978
03:22:12.040 --> 03:22:18.159
your own devices, but remember it's not over the other

2979
03:22:18.360 --> 03:22:22.840
world is all around us, waiting for the barrier to thin.

2980
03:22:25.319 --> 03:22:29.879
So anyway, my friends, please take care of yourselves if

2981
03:22:29.920 --> 03:22:33.079
you're fortunate enough, give a loved one a big hug,

2982
03:22:34.399 --> 03:22:39.079
and remember that spooky season is in our hearts, not

2983
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just in a calendar. And make sure you're subscribed because

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we've got so much more to share with you as

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we go into what may be another six years. Thank

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you all so much. I'll talk at you later.