Nine Scary Halloween Stories – Five Hours of Spooky-Season Horror

WEBVTT

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Well, My Spooky's Halloween is indeed in full swing. So

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I have one more compilation of terrifying tales of Halloween

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from the vaults of Weekly Spooky's six year history. This

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is the finest of twenty twenty three, but I want

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to put a caveat in here. If you're on Spotify

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or you want to send us an email at Weeklyspooky

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at gmail dot com. Send us an email or comment.

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Do you want a compilation of last year's Halloween novellas.

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That would be a very big compilation, but I'd be

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happy to put it together before the big day if

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you'd enjoy listening to it, Because these are just the

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short stories of last Halloween. But now get yourself comfortable.

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I'm your host and narrator, Enrique Kuto, and these are

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nine of the finest fearful tales of twenty twenty three's Halloween,

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and they're starting right about now. Strife of the Party

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by David o'hanley. That's just nasty, Kesha said, with a

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sour expression. Of course it's nasty. I'm a zombie Bronson

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James shrugged. What do you want me to do? Twilight

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it up? Sprinkle glitter on the guts, make the pus pink.

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Bronson was the next Stan Winston. He'd gotten his start

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doing low budget effects tutorials on YouTube. When he got

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into college, he started making props for the Drama Club,

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which led to a makeup gig with the Community Theater

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and a public access variety show. Then he did the

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independent film Murder on Bonanza Ranch. Once the B Studio

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saw what he could do with a few hundred bucks,

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they were beating down his doors with a never ending

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string of classy projects like Amityville, Conjurer, Great Lake Shark Attack,

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and The Cleveland Cleaver. The last one got him his

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first Chainsaw Award nomination at twenty five years old. Naturally,

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he went all out designing his Halloween costume. We're a couple,

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Kesha huffed, we should have costumes that go together. What

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the hell goes with a zombie? I don't know, he admitted. Vultures, maggots,

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that one asshole that swears he isn't bit even though

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everybody damn well knows he was. You want me to

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dress like a white guy, she asked with a raised eyebrow.

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It really is always a white guy, isn't it. Bronson

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reached to embrace her with his gory hands. She slapped

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them away. Nw Ah, you are not touching me with

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all that on you. How about I draw up another

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zombie concept for you. It's good experience for the team

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and will be the en life of the party. He

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spreads his hands wide, flicking fake blood on the walls.

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It'll be a romance to die for. How long did

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it take you to get into that costume, she asked,

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Only three hours, he smiled, excitedly. I came up with

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this new three hours, Bronson, have you lost your damn mind.

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I'm not sitting in a chair while someone puts zombie

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makeup on me for three hours. That's only like forty

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five minutes longer than you spend putting on your regular makeup,

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he offered, regrettably. Oh shit, go on, what would you

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like to say about my beauty routine? You don't like it?

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Is it too fake for the man that makes make believe?

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For a fucking living bronze? Inside there was ice skating uphill,

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and then there was arguing with Kesha. Once she got

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on a tangent, only one of them was impossible. Is

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that what you meant? She continued? Are you comparing my

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makeup to your monsters. No, it was the only word

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he was going to get in. Maybe I should dress

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down like what was her name? The skinny one with

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the flat ass who stole your car and left you

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broke charisma with a Z or some bullshit Kesha spun

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around to leave the room. I'll go wash this off

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since you don't seem to like it. Her heels clacked

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across the hardwood floor, almost as sharply as the bathroom

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door slamming. A moment later, Bronson started counting silently. She

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was every bit as hot as a burning fuse and

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just as quick to explode. They had one of these

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arguments every other month, and he'd learned the rhythm of

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the fight. It was charisma with a Y that fucked

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him over and broke his heart, by the way. Bronson

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got to eight when he heard the lock click open,

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and then the door banged against the stop before the

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knob would punch the drywall. She padded back into the room,

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barefoot and working at her face with a makeup removal wipe.

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You know everyone at this party is going to be

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Ken and Barbie because of that dumbass movie. Maybe a

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few ghosts and sexy nurses. An from accounting will be

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a minion or whatever cutesy pajet ammas she can get

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last minute, But not you. She waved her hand at

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his costume. You don't even work for Hind and Heart,

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but you want to be the star with your Hollywood

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special effects and dangling guts. They're a nice touch, right,

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She put her clenched fists at her hips and scowled.

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I don't have to. I just thought you'd want to

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show off. I figured after you saw mine you'd want

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something over the top too, so they'd all still be

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talking about your costume next Halloween. I want to show

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you what we could do. He twisted the latex and

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testines in his hands. We can do whatever costumes you want, babe,

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Really you mean it? Sure of course. He let the

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entrails fall and shrugged. You want to be Ken or Barbie?

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Bronson regretted, not putting limitations on the whatever costumes you want.

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Bit.

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They stepped off the elevator into the Rand Hall on

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the thirty ninth floor of the Hind and Heart Corporate Tower,

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wearing as couples should. Apparently, costumes that went together. Awaiting

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them were no less than two dozen barbies mingled with

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their kens. Two they live aliens that Bronson recognized as

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Kesha's friend Mark and his husband Stewart. There was a Dracula,

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an Amina Harker, a Hawkey and a black widow, a Bella,

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and an Edward. For the most part, Kesha was right

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about the couples. There were the exceptions, of course, as

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well as the singles. To no one's surprise, there was

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also an abundance of Harley Quinn costumes, two from the

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animated series, at least five from the Suicide Squad films,

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and one from the Axel Bron parody. Thereof a few

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Wednesday Adams clones lingered with wolfmen, superheroes, ghosts, ninjas, and

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a couple of Jason's, a piss poor Michael and one

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really well designed mummy. A sexy Freddy gyrated on, a

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man in a banana costume, A pair of inflatable dinosaur

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costumes butted heads. There was Anne in a one hundred

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and one Dalmatian's one piece pajama. Bronson gave her a

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polite wave. She wagged her tail in response. At the bar.

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Gerard Hind wore a professional grade Frankenstein costume that seemed

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appropriate for his powerful six foot five frame. Without the makeup,

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Hind looked like a retired linebacker, not the architectural genius

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that he was. Three interns in various stages of undress

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as sexy emojis, The Evil Anger and sad Ones cackled

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lasciviously at whatever the billionaire was saying. Security guard Tom

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patrolled the party topless as a dad bod Rambo with

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his partner Jeannette, who at sixty three, looked anything but

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wondrous as wonder woman. Bronson recognized Winslow from the company's

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fourth of July party despite his cleverly put together spy

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costume that consisted of a trench coat and two dollars mustache.

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Another man of mystery chatted it up with Winslow in

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an invisible man get up while he tried to figure

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out how to take advantage of the open bar with

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gauze over his mouth and at the opulent fountain. Occupying

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the middle of the hall was Robert Hart, dressed ironically

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and insultingly as a construction worker. The octagenarian had been

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born the fourth richest man in America and never worked

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a day in his life. He waved a hammer around

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like a scepter before the groveling peasants. Among them were

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Esteban and Carly from Kesh's department. Esteban wore a pirate

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costume like you'd see on a romance novel cover, with

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his broad muscular chest revealed between the deep gash of

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the prissy v neck collar. Carly, fully aware that she

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was a stone cold milk, had option to dress up

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as a genuine cougar, or at least a pair of

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whiskers and a tan body suit that hugged every curve.

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Then there was Kesha and Bronson in their matching costumes.

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He stared down at the gold buckles on his shoes

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and his ridiculous striped socks. Kesha adjusted his top hat

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with a happy squeal. It looks great, she told him,

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you really are the next Tim Savini. It's Tom, he mumbled.

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He eyed her costume with the blonde wig spiked gold

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bikini top and short matching skirt that showed off her

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legs in their entirety. He turned to face his reflection

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in the gilded elevator doors. Yeah, well, at least one

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of us does, he said, you said, Halloween costumes should

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be scary. She reminded him, this is my favorite horror movie.

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Leprechaun in Space isn't anybody's favorite horror movie. He grumbled,

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it is when you've only seen three horror movies. Kesha shrugged.

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It was this or that slumber party movie with the

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drill guitar. Slumber Party Massacre two was an option, and

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this is what you chose. Baby. You wouldn't look good

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in a teddy. She tugged at his fake beard. Let's go.

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You need to drink before you shit shillings. The couple

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made it halfway to the bar before Kesha was stripped

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away from Bronson's arm by Carly to join the departmental

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mini celebration. The world's largest online retailer was expanding to

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brick and mortar operations, and Kesha's design had gotten hind

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in heart the contract, Kesha waved him to go on

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without her. He would have regardless. The stupid costume was stifling,

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plus the pants were assize too small and had his

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chaleley in a bunch. But at least it gave him

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the character's trademark waddle. He sidled up to the bar

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and stared at himself in the mirrored back. He hadn't

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had a say in the costume, but he'd done an

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excellent job recreating Warwick Davis's makeup. He tugged at the

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crotch of his trousers to free up space so he

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could mount the stool without tearing them. Good thing, the

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drinks are free, Heind said, lumbering over to Bronson. I

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couldn't wrestle a piece of gold from you if there weren't.

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Many fools have tried to separate a leprechaun from his ends,

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Bronson said, imitating the voice as best he could. Many

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fools have died and others became friends. Hind laughed, that's

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a good one. I don't get it. The intern dressed

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like a purple devil emoji said, you wouldn't, kid. Hind

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waved her off and leaned on the bar so Bronson

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didn't have to strain his neck looking up at him.

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You know, I took Jennifer Aniston to dinner once. No shit,

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Bronson snickered, No shit, Hind assured him. Lisa Kudro turned

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me down. I thought taking jen out might make her

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jealous enough to reconsider. Did it work about as well

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as a fishnet condom. At least it protects against the crabs.

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Bronson shrugged. Hind smiled, I'm about to offer you a

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job so I have someone fun to talk to again.

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I'll settle for a double Jamison, Bronson said. Better make

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it a single, Winslow said, stumbling to the bar and

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rattling the ice in his glass. The Golden Hind pours

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with a heavy hand. A couple of these and your

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after party is going to look like stuffing a marshmallow

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into a key hole. Maybe you're just a lightweight, Bronson said,

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clapping him on the shoulder. Good to see you again.

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So uh, double Jamison for my new friend, and water

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for do you even work for me? Hind made a

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show of trying to see through the shitty spy outfit.

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Oh Winslow from marketing, right right? That explains why your

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shit based off of a Cardi swizzle? Is that what

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that was? Winslow hiccuped. He clumsily straddled the stool beside Bronson.

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Tasted like acetone and sunny d. A blonde sauntered past

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the bar, calling halftime on any further conversation. As the

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three men and even the intern watched her pass. Her

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blue shimmering dress dragged the floor with white ruffles at

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the hem and tassels along the arms and hips, swayed

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as if she brought her own breeze. Cockles decorated her hair,

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and auger shells dangled from her ears along a thin

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porcelain neck. Talk about a glow up, the intern said,

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that's B. Gleason's secretary. I don't remember seeing her at

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the Fourth of July party. Bronson added, she's new Winslow drooled.

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She went from.

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Nerd to knockout? Is she supposed to be elsa? Bronson

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asked the ocean. The interurn corrected her. She rolled her

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eyes and turned to hind. Can I get another mohido?

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Boss man? No, The billionaire shook his head. You can't

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have another because you haven't had a mohido. That's a

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dakaree in your hand. I took French.

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She shrugged.

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I don't know Mexican. Heine started to explain that dakerye

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is a Tano word, then shook off the notion. His partner,

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the Perpetual Letch, hired the three interns to keep employee

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morale up. He turned to the wall of as sordid

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alcohol to make the next round, Winslow leaned toward Bronson.

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The movement proved too much for his compromised equilibrium, and

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he toppled on to the leprechaun. Lad you've had a

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few too many, yet you've had hardly any, Bronson said,

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getting into his character. That is somebody of water. Winslow huffed.

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He gave a half assed whistle. I'd love to disappear

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in her permuta triangle. Bronson heaved Winslow back onto his stool.

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The two watched Bee make her way through the crowd.

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The employees and their plus ones had all stepped aside

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as she flowed across the dance floor. She weaved through

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them in a wave like fashion, befitting her attire. Some

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seemed to drift after her, as if drowned into her wake.

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She was mesmerizing to watch, but her figure wasn't what

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had Bronson's attention. There was something off about her. Bronson

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couldn't put his finger on it. You're right, I'm done drinking,

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00:15:32.679 --> 00:15:37.480
Winslow smoothed his fake mustache. Gonna go play in the ocean.

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00:15:38.919 --> 00:15:41.679
I don't think your dinghy is up to the challenge. Bud,

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Bronson said, be sure to have a nice memorial tomorrow.

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Winslow tried to wink, but blinked both eyes instead. For

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all those seamen getting swallowed by the ocean tonight. Winslow

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slipped off the stool, stumbled, then corrected himself and popped

246
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his collar up as he spy walked after his quarry.

247
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Bronson shook his head. He turned around as Frankenheind set

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down the whiskey and clanked the glass with his own.

249
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You're Kesha's bow, aren't you, Hind asked, we haven't formally met.

250
00:16:15.240 --> 00:16:19.919
You're in movies, I hear, yeah, uh. I do effects

251
00:16:19.960 --> 00:16:23.960
for genre films. He learned that kept people interested far

252
00:16:24.080 --> 00:16:27.679
longer than saying he worked on horror flicks. I was

253
00:16:27.720 --> 00:16:30.279
going to wear something I'm designing for a new movie tonight,

254
00:16:30.360 --> 00:16:36.279
but Kesha insisted on matching costumes I see. Hind looked

255
00:16:36.279 --> 00:16:39.480
around for Kesha and cocked his head, then looked back

256
00:16:39.480 --> 00:16:44.159
at Bronson. So you two decided on Baywatch Lea and

257
00:16:44.240 --> 00:16:49.120
Spooky Smurf close enough? Bronson snorted and sipped his drink.

258
00:16:49.919 --> 00:16:52.320
Did she show you her concept for the new account?

259
00:16:52.759 --> 00:16:56.360
Hind asked, it's brilliant modeled after the ruins of an

260
00:16:56.360 --> 00:17:01.000
ancient temple. I discovered discovered I was going to be

261
00:17:01.080 --> 00:17:04.839
an archaeologist originally, Heine told him. That's how I got

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into architecture. Unlike my partner, I wasn't born into money.

263
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I had to choose between digging up the past or

264
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building it here in the present. All of my works

265
00:17:15.279 --> 00:17:19.720
have utilized the esthetics of ancient civilizations, sometimes even using

266
00:17:19.759 --> 00:17:25.000
original materials from historic sites. That's pretty awesome, Bronson said,

267
00:17:25.240 --> 00:17:28.359
taking in the room itself for the first time, ignoring

268
00:17:28.400 --> 00:17:31.559
the people in tacky furnishing, he could almost see it.

269
00:17:33.039 --> 00:17:37.200
What civilization is this Roman for the most part, but

270
00:17:37.319 --> 00:17:41.240
with a flourish of Persian Heine gestured to the fountain.

271
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That's authentic, found it tucked away in the Hindu kush

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Hart was still entertaining guests as he walked around the

273
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rim of the fountain. It seemed even more of an

274
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elitist dick move to Bronson. Knowing the structure was over

275
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two thousand years old, he'd assumed it was just a

276
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show of wealth, and it certainly was so. He hadn't

277
00:18:01.960 --> 00:18:05.720
paid it any attention. Before the entire thing was carved

278
00:18:05.720 --> 00:18:09.000
to look like a mountain. Two figures stood facing away

279
00:18:09.000 --> 00:18:11.440
from each other at the top, with the water pumping

280
00:18:11.440 --> 00:18:15.200
out of the peak between them like a waterfall. Reliefs

281
00:18:15.200 --> 00:18:17.799
that had been worn by time ringed the base of

282
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the fountain, depicting people as if they were praying to

283
00:18:20.440 --> 00:18:26.200
the things above. In their religion, good and evil were twins,

284
00:18:26.680 --> 00:18:31.799
Hind explained Ahraman, the devil was a circumstance of their

285
00:18:31.839 --> 00:18:35.920
god's existence. Bronson tried to figure out which figure was

286
00:18:35.960 --> 00:18:39.200
supposed to be the evil one. They didn't look any

287
00:18:39.279 --> 00:18:43.799
different to him. Maybe that was intentional. People often did

288
00:18:43.839 --> 00:18:47.319
bad things with the best of intentions. After all, His

289
00:18:47.480 --> 00:18:50.119
mind wandered back to the woman dressed as the ocean.

290
00:18:50.720 --> 00:18:54.039
He didn't see her anymore. He also didn't see Winslow.

291
00:18:54.720 --> 00:18:59.079
He considered the possibility that the inebriated Dweb had indeed

292
00:18:59.160 --> 00:19:02.880
somehow seduced the mysterious woman, then settled on the more

293
00:19:02.920 --> 00:19:07.839
realistic possibility that he'd been abducted by aliens. What about

294
00:19:07.839 --> 00:19:12.039
this temple was that Persian too, Bronson asked, before swiveling

295
00:19:12.079 --> 00:19:15.799
around on his stool. Kesha doesn't talk much about her process,

296
00:19:16.279 --> 00:19:20.519
just the final result. Oh, it is something much older.

297
00:19:21.039 --> 00:19:24.119
In fact, there's a significant debate if the culture existed

298
00:19:24.160 --> 00:19:28.519
at all. Hind looked suddenly excited, say, would you like

299
00:19:28.599 --> 00:19:32.000
to see some of my collection? A lot more than

300
00:19:32.039 --> 00:19:34.680
I'd like to be sitting on this uncomfortable ass stool.

301
00:19:35.160 --> 00:19:39.480
You guys can afford better cushions, Bronson joked, My partner

302
00:19:39.519 --> 00:19:42.960
picked them. He's got no point of reference, Heind said,

303
00:19:43.359 --> 00:19:48.000
his ass is usually cushioned by someone's lips. Hind rounded

304
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the bar and signaled for Bronson to follow him with

305
00:19:50.440 --> 00:19:54.240
an excited smile. Bronson gave the crowd another scan for

306
00:19:54.279 --> 00:19:58.119
the woman, then found Kesha, who gave him a curious look.

307
00:19:58.839 --> 00:20:01.680
He shrugged and followed her boss through a doorway beside

308
00:20:01.680 --> 00:20:05.599
the bar. Heine's boots clumped loudly as they proceeded through

309
00:20:05.640 --> 00:20:10.759
a narrow hall to a tiny stairwell. My escape route,

310
00:20:11.039 --> 00:20:14.000
Heine told him. When parties get to be too much,

311
00:20:14.039 --> 00:20:16.680
I can retreat to my office, and when work gets

312
00:20:16.759 --> 00:20:18.720
to be too much, I can retreat to the bar.

313
00:20:19.359 --> 00:20:22.559
The stairs played hell on Bronson with his tight trouser,

314
00:20:22.799 --> 00:20:26.599
and he didn't think the seams would hold the entire trip. Luckily,

315
00:20:26.640 --> 00:20:29.039
it was a short ascent to the next floor, and

316
00:20:29.079 --> 00:20:32.680
they came out right into Hine's lavish, but somehow still

317
00:20:32.839 --> 00:20:34.160
reasonably down to earth.

318
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Office.

319
00:20:35.359 --> 00:20:37.960
Bronson turned to take it all in and saw the

320
00:20:38.000 --> 00:20:42.279
door they'd entered through swing shut, revealing itself as a

321
00:20:42.319 --> 00:20:46.119
false bookshelf. That was exactly the kind of thing he'd

322
00:20:46.160 --> 00:20:49.680
buy when he made it big in Hollywood. Glass cases

323
00:20:49.720 --> 00:20:53.759
held various artifacts spread around the office, and Bronson made

324
00:20:53.799 --> 00:20:54.640
his way to them.

325
00:20:54.680 --> 00:20:55.119
In turn.

326
00:20:56.000 --> 00:20:58.759
He paused at one filled with stone rubble covered in

327
00:20:58.839 --> 00:21:03.640
crude markings. Their alphabet is unique to them. No one

328
00:21:03.720 --> 00:21:07.960
even knows what they were called. Heine said. They built

329
00:21:07.960 --> 00:21:11.359
their cities on ancient coasts, which is why every site

330
00:21:11.400 --> 00:21:14.839
that's been found is submerged. The temple I spoke of

331
00:21:15.000 --> 00:21:18.319
was found twelve miles off the coast of Cyprus back

332
00:21:18.359 --> 00:21:22.039
in nineteen sixty eight. There's no other structure like it.

333
00:21:22.039 --> 00:21:24.400
It's almost as if the society rose out of the

334
00:21:24.400 --> 00:21:29.039
ocean itself. That's a crazy thought. Bronson moved to another

335
00:21:29.079 --> 00:21:32.319
case with a rock inside. It was clearly a sculpture,

336
00:21:32.400 --> 00:21:35.799
but time had destroyed any clue as to what it represented.

337
00:21:36.680 --> 00:21:39.279
I spent the last two years bringing the temple up

338
00:21:39.440 --> 00:21:44.519
in pieces much to my partner's dismay. Dismantling an ancient

339
00:21:44.599 --> 00:21:47.559
church does sound like the start of a horror movie.

340
00:21:47.920 --> 00:21:51.480
What did you do with the pieces? Reassembled them here

341
00:21:51.519 --> 00:21:56.839
in the sub basement of this building. That's wow, the

342
00:21:56.880 --> 00:22:01.200
whole thing. It wasn't whole after so long. Unfortunately, I

343
00:22:01.319 --> 00:22:03.599
salvaged what I could and have been trying to figure

344
00:22:03.640 --> 00:22:05.920
out how to fill in the gaps for over a decade.

345
00:22:06.480 --> 00:22:09.559
It's a problem I was hoping to speak with Kesha about. Actually,

346
00:22:10.119 --> 00:22:11.960
I want to bring her in. I've never had an

347
00:22:12.000 --> 00:22:17.920
employee with such talent to fill in the gaps, Bronson repeated.

348
00:22:18.200 --> 00:22:21.839
Heine's smile slipped in what appeared to be genuine hurt

349
00:22:21.920 --> 00:22:25.279
over the implication. He put a hand on Bronson's shoulder

350
00:22:25.599 --> 00:22:28.599
and gave him a gentle shake of his head. What

351
00:22:28.720 --> 00:22:32.759
do you notice about all these pieces, he asked. Bronson

352
00:22:32.839 --> 00:22:37.960
pondered on them. There's no metal, that's correct, Hind clapped

353
00:22:38.000 --> 00:22:42.039
with a small chuckle. These people, whoever they were, built

354
00:22:42.279 --> 00:22:45.839
metropolises while the rest of the world was still living

355
00:22:45.880 --> 00:22:49.279
in cages. If they hadn't died out, there's no telling

356
00:22:49.319 --> 00:22:52.680
how much further advanced we'd be as a species now

357
00:22:53.480 --> 00:22:57.640
understanding them, revealing their brilliance and intelligence to the world.

358
00:22:58.200 --> 00:23:00.759
That will be something that lasts long, longer than any

359
00:23:00.799 --> 00:23:02.200
building I've ever created.

360
00:23:03.359 --> 00:23:04.000
How did they?

361
00:23:04.799 --> 00:23:08.279
Bronson was interrupted by a pounding on the door. Hindes

362
00:23:08.359 --> 00:23:11.400
stomped toward the center of the room, his body stiffened

363
00:23:11.400 --> 00:23:13.039
at the strangeness of the intrusion.

364
00:23:13.759 --> 00:23:15.559
Who is it? He shouted?

365
00:23:17.279 --> 00:23:22.039
Did you hear that? Better check the locks on your doors. Weakly, spooky,

366
00:23:22.240 --> 00:23:23.279
We'll be right back.

367
00:23:27.079 --> 00:23:30.640
The door swung open. A disheveled man stumbled into the

368
00:23:30.680 --> 00:23:33.440
room and slammed it behind him. He fiddled with the

369
00:23:33.480 --> 00:23:39.240
locks before rushing behind. Bronson eyed him suspiciously. It was Halloween,

370
00:23:39.319 --> 00:23:43.400
but something bothered him about the man's costume. He wore

371
00:23:43.440 --> 00:23:47.839
a tattered, bloody toga. The gold laurels in his gray

372
00:23:47.920 --> 00:23:51.440
hair were bent in a skew. He appeared to be

373
00:23:51.559 --> 00:23:55.960
dressed as Caesar. After the surprise party, the man grabbed

374
00:23:56.039 --> 00:23:59.400
Hine's jacket and attempted to pull the much larger man close.

375
00:24:00.119 --> 00:24:02.240
I knew you'd be here if you weren't at the party.

376
00:24:02.480 --> 00:24:05.559
I need you, Jerry. It was Robert's stupid idea. It's

377
00:24:05.599 --> 00:24:09.599
always his stupid ideas. Bronson stepped away from the two

378
00:24:09.720 --> 00:24:13.079
and nodded to the door. It was clearly business related,

379
00:24:13.119 --> 00:24:15.799
and he wanted to get back to Kesha anyhow. She

380
00:24:15.960 --> 00:24:19.079
was probably tired of telling everyone who she'd come dressed as,

381
00:24:19.400 --> 00:24:21.960
and it wouldn't make as much sense without her leprechaun.

382
00:24:22.799 --> 00:24:26.799
Heine signaled for him to stay. Whatever terrible business decision

383
00:24:26.880 --> 00:24:31.039
Robert made, this time he can afford to correct. Heine said,

384
00:24:31.640 --> 00:24:35.960
you worry too much, Gleeson. Bronson stiffened. The girl in

385
00:24:36.000 --> 00:24:39.599
the ocean costume was Gleeson's secretary. That's what the intern

386
00:24:39.640 --> 00:24:42.519
had said. He wasn't sure why that bit of information

387
00:24:42.680 --> 00:24:46.400
made his blood go cold. He thought about the woman again.

388
00:24:47.359 --> 00:24:50.759
Something had been wrong with her costume. He almost had

389
00:24:50.799 --> 00:24:54.920
it when Gleeson started shouting, again, fuck the business, Gerard,

390
00:24:55.079 --> 00:24:59.000
this isn't about the company, it's about that. Gleason jabbed

391
00:24:59.000 --> 00:25:01.680
a finger toward the door. I didn't want anything to

392
00:25:01.680 --> 00:25:05.119
do with it, Robert insisted. He thought it would impress

393
00:25:05.200 --> 00:25:09.119
them your fancy fucking temple. He said, they'd feel like

394
00:25:09.240 --> 00:25:13.839
princesses are some shit who This time it was hind

395
00:25:13.880 --> 00:25:16.480
with a fistful of fabric as He lifted Gleeson off

396
00:25:16.480 --> 00:25:22.000
the floor. Who did he take there? The secretary, My secretary.

397
00:25:22.680 --> 00:25:26.680
Gleeson looked around, the nerdy one with the tits. We

398
00:25:26.680 --> 00:25:28.880
were going to fool around, you know how Robert is.

399
00:25:29.599 --> 00:25:32.160
He brought the three bimbos along. He told them it

400
00:25:32.200 --> 00:25:35.279
was the pre party. I've been stuck down there with

401
00:25:35.480 --> 00:25:40.039
them all goddamn day in your stupid tomb. I'm afraid

402
00:25:40.039 --> 00:25:42.759
I have to deal with this. Heind dropped Gleeson to

403
00:25:42.799 --> 00:25:46.319
the floor. Perhaps you can speak to Kesha. I can

404
00:25:46.359 --> 00:25:51.759
have you both down for a tour without imbecilic interruptions. Yeah,

405
00:25:51.799 --> 00:25:55.599
that'd be cool. Bronson backed toward the door. I should

406
00:25:55.599 --> 00:25:59.400
really go find her anyway. She's probably getting pissed. Bronson

407
00:25:59.440 --> 00:26:01.960
found his way to the elevator and chewed the inside

408
00:26:01.960 --> 00:26:05.400
of his jaw while he waited for the car. Fake

409
00:26:05.480 --> 00:26:09.200
blood was his business. No matter how real it looked,

410
00:26:09.559 --> 00:26:13.720
the smell was always wrong, So why could I smell

411
00:26:13.759 --> 00:26:19.079
it for real? On Gleason's toga, he asked himself, as

412
00:26:19.119 --> 00:26:21.319
if the pants weren't tight enough. The whole scene with

413
00:26:21.359 --> 00:26:24.240
Gleason had made his ass chew up any slack they

414
00:26:24.279 --> 00:26:27.839
had to spare the elevator opened, and he stepped inside,

415
00:26:28.119 --> 00:26:32.200
pushing the button for the floor below. The three bimbos

416
00:26:32.279 --> 00:26:36.440
had to be the emoji triplets, he thought. His stomach soured.

417
00:26:37.160 --> 00:26:41.079
What did Julius slee'sball mean? He'd been trapped with them

418
00:26:41.119 --> 00:26:45.359
all day? I just saw them and the secretary, Hell,

419
00:26:45.480 --> 00:26:48.720
everyone saw. They didn't look like they'd been in some

420
00:26:48.880 --> 00:26:52.599
dingy ancient temple all day. They damn sure didn't look

421
00:26:52.680 --> 00:26:55.680
like the hot mess that Gleeson was. Why the fuck

422
00:26:55.759 --> 00:26:59.200
did the blood smell real? In the quick trip down,

423
00:26:59.519 --> 00:27:02.480
Bronze made up his mind to grab Kesha and get

424
00:27:02.519 --> 00:27:05.559
the hell out of there. Bronson gasped at a glimpse

425
00:27:05.599 --> 00:27:08.880
of his reflection in the parting doors. He stepped out

426
00:27:09.079 --> 00:27:11.440
and waved for them to hurry up and close. Again,

427
00:27:12.160 --> 00:27:17.039
he stared at himself, this time, his chest tightened. Experience

428
00:27:17.160 --> 00:27:21.799
told him he was right. But if he was right,

429
00:27:22.839 --> 00:27:27.359
he needed to find be Bronson scanned the crowd, but

430
00:27:27.440 --> 00:27:30.640
there was no ocean in the Cleveland high Rise. One

431
00:27:30.680 --> 00:27:33.480
of the emojis, the Angry one, buzzed through the crowd.

432
00:27:33.920 --> 00:27:37.480
A glass broke, and someone swore. Another person shouted a

433
00:27:37.519 --> 00:27:41.640
threat back. Bronson needed a better vantage point. He jogged

434
00:27:41.640 --> 00:27:43.960
to the fountain and pulled himself up by the ancient

435
00:27:44.000 --> 00:27:47.559
deity's body. A Malibu Ken was in a shoving match

436
00:27:47.599 --> 00:27:51.880
with Dracula. Bronson ignored them. B was all that mattered.

437
00:27:52.359 --> 00:27:56.240
The Devil Emoji's giggle carried over the crowd noise. Two

438
00:27:56.319 --> 00:27:59.359
of the partygoers were sucking each other's tongues while their

439
00:27:59.400 --> 00:28:03.920
dates looked up disapprovingly. Tom's camo pants were around his

440
00:28:03.960 --> 00:28:07.200
ankles as he stormed Barbie's dream house over one of

441
00:28:07.240 --> 00:28:12.119
the uncomfortable barstools. Bronson spun back to the fight. More

442
00:28:12.160 --> 00:28:15.400
people were pushing each other now, Stewart and Mark were

443
00:28:15.440 --> 00:28:18.519
taking turns kicking the shit out of a klingon. One

444
00:28:18.559 --> 00:28:21.680
of the Jasons was being choked out by Jeanette's golden lasso.

445
00:28:22.559 --> 00:28:26.200
The last of the interns, the Sad Emoji, moved through

446
00:28:26.200 --> 00:28:29.680
the fray, lightly dragging a finger across a wolfman's cheek.

447
00:28:30.359 --> 00:28:33.400
He squeezed the champagne glass in his hand until it broke.

448
00:28:34.079 --> 00:28:38.000
Bronson flinched, but the werewolf didn't, not even when he

449
00:28:38.079 --> 00:28:42.559
drove the stem through his own eye socket. The pushing

450
00:28:42.680 --> 00:28:45.240
turned into a riot. The other side of the room

451
00:28:45.240 --> 00:28:48.400
had broken down into an orgy, and in both crowds,

452
00:28:48.440 --> 00:28:53.359
sobbing revelers found inventive ways to kill themselves. All three

453
00:28:53.440 --> 00:28:57.319
groups screamed in their own ways. The three emojis cackled

454
00:28:57.359 --> 00:29:02.279
over the din of death and ecstasy. Bronson spotted Kesha

455
00:29:02.400 --> 00:29:06.440
stumbling trance like toward Esteban. The pirate had dropped his

456
00:29:06.519 --> 00:29:11.000
cutlass to unsheathe his sword. Kesha ripped his frilly shirt open,

457
00:29:11.480 --> 00:29:15.079
tearing furrows in his chest with her nails. Bronson jumped

458
00:29:15.119 --> 00:29:18.759
down from the fountain and charged to tackle Esteban before

459
00:29:18.839 --> 00:29:22.559
he could plunder the booty. A feral shriek pricked Bronson's

460
00:29:22.559 --> 00:29:25.920
ears a moment before someone plowed bodily into him, and

461
00:29:26.000 --> 00:29:31.279
they both crashed through a table together. Prorerefect landing Carly

462
00:29:31.359 --> 00:29:36.920
meowed and licked Bronson's face. Don't worry, I've been spade.

463
00:29:37.160 --> 00:29:42.440
This is not fucking happening. Bronson tried to shove the

464
00:29:42.480 --> 00:29:45.359
cougar off of him. She bit into his cheek until

465
00:29:45.359 --> 00:29:48.599
her teeth scraped bone. Bronson managed to roll over, and

466
00:29:48.640 --> 00:29:51.480
the kitty quickly wrapped her legs around his waist. Her

467
00:29:51.559 --> 00:29:54.720
nails clawed at the heavy fabric of his jacket. Carly

468
00:29:54.799 --> 00:29:57.759
pulled her head back, taking most of his prosthetic cheek

469
00:29:57.920 --> 00:30:00.640
and part of his real one with her. She winked

470
00:30:00.680 --> 00:30:04.119
at him while she swallowed it. What's the matter, sugar

471
00:30:04.720 --> 00:30:08.240
that the first time the pussy hu She gripped his

472
00:30:08.319 --> 00:30:12.279
throat and purred, you'd be lying if you said you

473
00:30:12.319 --> 00:30:16.160
didn't want this cougar. Bronson slipped the sack of prop

474
00:30:16.240 --> 00:30:18.599
gold from his pocket and used it like a sap

475
00:30:18.680 --> 00:30:23.440
to knock her unconscious. Even out cold, she still gyrated

476
00:30:23.480 --> 00:30:26.640
against him. He pried her legs apart and wriggled from

477
00:30:26.680 --> 00:30:30.319
their grasp. He ran over and swatted Esteban's hand with

478
00:30:30.359 --> 00:30:34.079
the sack as he peeled off Kesha's top. No need

479
00:30:34.119 --> 00:30:37.559
to cock block, Esteban rubbed his hand. I could use

480
00:30:37.599 --> 00:30:41.920
a first mate, a hoist sailor. Kesha wrapped her arms

481
00:30:41.960 --> 00:30:47.079
around Bronson's neck. You can scuttle me together. I'll take

482
00:30:47.119 --> 00:30:51.240
the aft maty. Esteban grabbed Kesha by the hips. The

483
00:30:51.279 --> 00:30:54.880
fuck you will. Bronson swung his girlfriend to the side

484
00:30:55.079 --> 00:30:58.880
and cracked Esteban across the jaw. The pouch busted on impact,

485
00:30:59.119 --> 00:31:02.759
showering his un conscious body with lute looks like you

486
00:31:02.839 --> 00:31:07.759
found me gold Captain Jack. Kesha's tongue played along Bronson's ear.

487
00:31:08.240 --> 00:31:11.000
He pushed her back and shook her. Now is not

488
00:31:11.119 --> 00:31:14.480
the time, and these are not the goddamn pants. He

489
00:31:14.519 --> 00:31:17.200
looked around at the chaos. We need to get away

490
00:31:17.200 --> 00:31:19.960
from the three Emota cunts so you can snap out

491
00:31:19.960 --> 00:31:23.200
of this. Bronson pulled her arm and dragged her away.

492
00:31:24.039 --> 00:31:27.279
Where are we going, she whined, There's a perfectly good

493
00:31:27.319 --> 00:31:30.240
table to fuck on right there. I'm too horny for

494
00:31:30.279 --> 00:31:34.359
all this walking. There's a better table over here. Bronson

495
00:31:34.359 --> 00:31:38.480
pulled harder. I just don't want an audience that sounds dull,

496
00:31:39.079 --> 00:31:42.039
the angry emoji said, as she stepped in front of him.

497
00:31:42.359 --> 00:31:44.960
Everything is more fun in a crowd, But if the

498
00:31:45.039 --> 00:31:48.400
leprechaun doesn't want to get lucky, there is an alternative.

499
00:31:49.200 --> 00:31:52.519
The blade sank deep into his shoulder and he whirled around,

500
00:31:52.559 --> 00:31:56.960
barely stopping short of punching his attacker. What the fuck, Kesha?

501
00:31:57.400 --> 00:32:00.680
He shouted, Sex and death are the foundations of a

502
00:32:00.680 --> 00:32:06.599
great party, the emoji growled behind him. Foundations. A light

503
00:32:06.640 --> 00:32:10.480
bulb clicked in Bronson's mind. He caught Kesha's wrists as

504
00:32:10.519 --> 00:32:13.920
she lunged to Claw's face. She struggled to break free,

505
00:32:13.920 --> 00:32:16.960
and he ducked to scoop her over his shoulder. She

506
00:32:17.119 --> 00:32:20.680
twisted the knife still lodged in his back, trying to

507
00:32:20.759 --> 00:32:24.200
free it for another attempt. As they hit the middle

508
00:32:24.200 --> 00:32:26.920
of the room, her hand moved from the hilt to

509
00:32:27.039 --> 00:32:32.599
caress his back. Sensually, that made sense, whichever emoji chick

510
00:32:32.720 --> 00:32:37.160
was closest would influence Kesha's behavior. Bronson stepped backwards until

511
00:32:37.200 --> 00:32:40.200
she tried for the knife again, and then immediately went

512
00:32:40.279 --> 00:32:44.240
forward until she started with the foreplay. He stopped between

513
00:32:44.279 --> 00:32:47.480
the two points. What's going on? Bronson?

514
00:32:47.839 --> 00:32:49.799
Put me down? She demanded.

515
00:32:50.559 --> 00:32:53.200
He did, but made sure not to let her step

516
00:32:53.279 --> 00:32:57.440
out of the safe zone. Kesha crossed her arms, quickly

517
00:32:57.480 --> 00:33:00.799
realizing she was topless. She covered her nipples with her

518
00:33:00.799 --> 00:33:04.759
palms and looked around at the literal fucking chaos occupying

519
00:33:04.799 --> 00:33:07.680
one half of the room and the ultra violence on

520
00:33:07.720 --> 00:33:12.079
the other. What is happening? She threw her hands into

521
00:33:12.119 --> 00:33:14.440
the air and then immediately brought them back down to

522
00:33:14.480 --> 00:33:19.000
cover up. And why are my titties out? Esteban took

523
00:33:19.000 --> 00:33:22.839
your top off, Bronson said, matter of factly. The murder,

524
00:33:22.960 --> 00:33:27.240
suicide orgy thing is because of the interns. Goddamn sorority

525
00:33:27.279 --> 00:33:30.799
girls are always causing trouble. She mumbled. We need to

526
00:33:30.839 --> 00:33:36.119
find b Bronson said, Oh we do, Kesha huffed. If

527
00:33:36.119 --> 00:33:38.759
this is about Esteban, I don't know what he was thinking.

528
00:33:39.000 --> 00:33:41.920
I told him that was a one time deal. It

529
00:33:41.960 --> 00:33:47.759
doesn't have an Wait. You actually fucked Esteban once before

530
00:33:47.799 --> 00:33:52.160
we were together, before we were serious, Kesha shrugged. What

531
00:33:52.279 --> 00:33:56.559
does that matter right now? It doesn't. He turned toward

532
00:33:56.599 --> 00:34:02.440
the elevator. Oh fuck me, exactly my plan, Carly said.

533
00:34:03.119 --> 00:34:06.559
Anger and the Devil joined her on either side. Anne

534
00:34:06.559 --> 00:34:09.199
crawled in front of them on all fours. The ass

535
00:34:09.199 --> 00:34:12.280
of her PJS was torn open and blood stained, her teeth,

536
00:34:12.599 --> 00:34:15.920
indicating that she'd had fun on both halves of the room.

537
00:34:16.239 --> 00:34:20.159
She licked her lips and yipped like a puppy. We

538
00:34:20.239 --> 00:34:25.440
want your lucky charms, Bronson. She started to pant, What

539
00:34:25.519 --> 00:34:28.760
the hell is going on here? Kesha whispered in his ear.

540
00:34:29.800 --> 00:34:33.599
It's called a party, you dumb bitch, The sad Emoji said,

541
00:34:33.639 --> 00:34:37.039
as she joined the others blocking their escape. You don't

542
00:34:37.079 --> 00:34:40.360
seem to like our treats, so how about a trick.

543
00:34:41.199 --> 00:34:44.199
She patted Anne's head and the accountant, sprang from the

544
00:34:44.239 --> 00:34:48.239
floor and charged not at them, but passed them. She

545
00:34:48.360 --> 00:34:51.199
barked wildly as she sprinted across the room and threw

546
00:34:51.239 --> 00:34:55.119
herself through the floor to ceiling window. Bronson spun and

547
00:34:55.119 --> 00:34:58.519
shoved Kesha ahead of him. Someone clapped their hands and

548
00:34:58.599 --> 00:35:02.679
another person whistled. The party animals stopped their recreation of

549
00:35:02.679 --> 00:35:06.760
the entire Kamasutra and turned their attention to the fleeing

550
00:35:06.800 --> 00:35:10.920
couple across the room. The brawlers disengaged from one another

551
00:35:11.000 --> 00:35:15.920
in a similar fashion, stop them. The interns shrieked in unison.

552
00:35:16.760 --> 00:35:20.400
Bronson spotted Hine's escape route, but Kesha was too far

553
00:35:20.440 --> 00:35:22.880
ahead of him to get her. He passed it and

554
00:35:22.960 --> 00:35:26.159
tried to catch up. The crotch of his pants ripped

555
00:35:26.199 --> 00:35:30.360
from his waddling gait. Finally freeing up his movement, he

556
00:35:30.480 --> 00:35:34.199
stumbled and nearly fell into the middle of a disentangling gangbang,

557
00:35:34.519 --> 00:35:38.239
but turned it into a diving roll that looked mostly intentional.

558
00:35:38.880 --> 00:35:41.800
He regained his footing and followed Kesha down a corridor.

559
00:35:42.280 --> 00:35:45.159
The mobs swarmed the narrow passage on their heels with

560
00:35:45.239 --> 00:35:48.599
makeshift weapons and swollen sex organs as the powers of

561
00:35:48.639 --> 00:35:53.639
the interns converged into an insatiable, bloodthirsty lust. Where are

562
00:35:53.639 --> 00:35:58.280
the stairs, Bronson shouted here. Kesha hit the crash bar

563
00:35:58.519 --> 00:36:01.920
and toppled through the doorway, nearly going over the guardrail beyond.

564
00:36:02.639 --> 00:36:05.719
Bronson spilled in behind her and pushed the door closed

565
00:36:05.760 --> 00:36:09.079
as fast as he could against the hydraulic hinge. The

566
00:36:09.119 --> 00:36:13.119
crowd pressed against the other side. The door started inward.

567
00:36:13.400 --> 00:36:15.840
Bronson put his feet on the guardrail to brace it,

568
00:36:16.440 --> 00:36:20.480
push harder. Kesha demanded, maybe if you hadn't stabbed me,

569
00:36:21.199 --> 00:36:24.159
that's not fair. I don't even remember stabbing you. You

570
00:36:24.239 --> 00:36:28.119
remember Esteban stabbing you, though, Bronson grumbled. As the door

571
00:36:28.159 --> 00:36:32.000
started to open again. Take off my belt, Not this

572
00:36:32.199 --> 00:36:36.199
shit again, Kesha sighed. Not for that, Bronson said, in

573
00:36:36.239 --> 00:36:39.800
a strangled voice. Tie the handle to to the bracket

574
00:36:39.880 --> 00:36:41.280
up top to bias time.

575
00:36:42.400 --> 00:36:43.239
Oh.

576
00:36:43.480 --> 00:36:45.960
She did what she was told, and the door jutted

577
00:36:45.960 --> 00:36:49.400
open a few inches, but held firm. Hands lashed through

578
00:36:49.440 --> 00:36:53.360
the gap. Bronson sidled past them, and the couple descended

579
00:36:53.360 --> 00:36:56.119
the stairs, only to be greeted on the next landing

580
00:36:56.800 --> 00:37:00.840
by Winslow, his cheap mustache dangled from the corner of

581
00:37:00.840 --> 00:37:04.199
his blue lips, and his bloodshot eyes stared up at

582
00:37:04.199 --> 00:37:08.000
the ceiling. Kesha prodded his chest with her foot, causing

583
00:37:08.079 --> 00:37:12.480
water to spurt from his mouth. I think he drowned,

584
00:37:12.719 --> 00:37:17.519
she said, in a fucking skyscraper. Bronson shook his head.

585
00:37:18.440 --> 00:37:21.519
It was b Why are you so hung up on Bee?

586
00:37:22.400 --> 00:37:27.440
All this supernatural weirdness is happening and you're getting jealous.

587
00:37:28.079 --> 00:37:31.360
You're the one that brought up Esteban, she said, Were

588
00:37:31.400 --> 00:37:34.920
you possessed by an evil emoji? At the time, Bronson

589
00:37:34.960 --> 00:37:37.559
reached behind him and jerked the knife out of his shoulder.

590
00:37:38.159 --> 00:37:42.880
This is not your fault. Cheating on me was right Now.

591
00:37:43.079 --> 00:37:45.559
We have thirty eight flights of stairs to climb down,

592
00:37:45.719 --> 00:37:48.280
and all your coworkers are trying to kill us and

593
00:37:48.400 --> 00:37:52.039
fuck us in no particular order because they've been brainwashed

594
00:37:52.119 --> 00:37:55.280
by the sorority house of a thousand corpses. So excuse

595
00:37:55.400 --> 00:37:57.480
the hell out of me, but we will talk about

596
00:37:57.519 --> 00:38:01.239
that shit later. The sound of the Horde battering the

597
00:38:01.280 --> 00:38:02.559
door ceased.

598
00:38:03.440 --> 00:38:03.760
Shit.

599
00:38:04.360 --> 00:38:09.719
Bronson held his breath. That's bad, bad, they gave up.

600
00:38:09.760 --> 00:38:13.599
They're probably banging in the hall again, or they're taking

601
00:38:13.639 --> 00:38:16.880
the elevator so they can get ahead of us. We

602
00:38:17.000 --> 00:38:20.559
need to get to the temple in the basement temple.

603
00:38:21.360 --> 00:38:25.199
Kesha raised an eyebrow. What does Jerry's pet project have

604
00:38:25.239 --> 00:38:28.400
to do with this? Bronson, tell me what's going on.

605
00:38:29.440 --> 00:38:33.079
Bronson didn't bother. He was two flights down before she

606
00:38:33.159 --> 00:38:36.400
started running after him. They hit the twenty seventh floor

607
00:38:36.440 --> 00:38:39.559
when a door banged open above them. A few whales

608
00:38:39.639 --> 00:38:42.440
let them know they were no longer alone in the stairwell.

609
00:38:42.960 --> 00:38:45.880
Bronson thought about the weight limit of the elevator. The

610
00:38:45.920 --> 00:38:48.880
possessed would have to come down in groups, meaning a

611
00:38:48.960 --> 00:38:51.599
longer delay in the waves. As they got further down,

612
00:38:52.840 --> 00:38:55.400
a door broke open two floors below, and they took

613
00:38:55.480 --> 00:38:59.320
the next exit, running out into the drafting department. No

614
00:38:59.360 --> 00:39:01.920
one was waiting for them. We need to get to

615
00:39:01.960 --> 00:39:06.079
the elevators, Kesha said. They're using it. Bronson reminded her,

616
00:39:06.639 --> 00:39:10.159
we'll find a place to hide. Only one elevator goes

617
00:39:10.159 --> 00:39:13.880
above the thirteenth Kesha wheezed, leaning on a drawing desk

618
00:39:13.960 --> 00:39:16.880
to catch her breath. We're below that. There are four

619
00:39:16.920 --> 00:39:19.000
more cars that go all the way to the lobby,

620
00:39:19.280 --> 00:39:22.840
and then we can get the hell out of here. Okay, yeah,

621
00:39:22.920 --> 00:39:27.639
that's good. Bronson spotted the bank of elevators. But we're

622
00:39:27.679 --> 00:39:28.639
not leaving.

623
00:39:29.880 --> 00:39:34.159
More scares to come weekly Spooky, We'll be right back.

624
00:39:42.440 --> 00:39:45.440
He pushed the call button, and one of the elevators dinged.

625
00:39:45.920 --> 00:39:48.840
They moved toward the parting doors when Robert Hart sprang

626
00:39:48.920 --> 00:39:52.559
on them. The geezer swung his hard hat, flooring Bronson

627
00:39:52.599 --> 00:39:55.400
with the first blow. He stood there with his flannel

628
00:39:55.440 --> 00:39:59.719
shirt open over his liver spotted saggy torso. His pants

629
00:39:59.719 --> 00:40:02.400
were on, but he kept the costume's tool belt and

630
00:40:02.519 --> 00:40:05.719
work boots. A throbbing erection led the way as he

631
00:40:05.800 --> 00:40:09.880
stepped forward and put a domineering boot down on Bronson's chest.

632
00:40:10.800 --> 00:40:14.760
Kesha heart growled. I thought I was the boss around here,

633
00:40:14.840 --> 00:40:17.519
but it looks like you've given Bobby Junior a raise.

634
00:40:18.920 --> 00:40:22.280
Looks like he's still coming up short. She fired back.

635
00:40:22.960 --> 00:40:25.360
Let's see if you still feel that way when we're finished.

636
00:40:25.880 --> 00:40:29.440
I even brought protection. He slipped the hard hat back

637
00:40:29.480 --> 00:40:32.360
onto his head. He took the hammer from his tool belt.

638
00:40:32.840 --> 00:40:35.599
Maybe I'll nail you to one of these desks. I

639
00:40:35.719 --> 00:40:39.440
prefer my humps to stay STI aha. A hammer fell

640
00:40:39.480 --> 00:40:41.880
from his hands as he rushed to grab the stump,

641
00:40:42.000 --> 00:40:45.440
spurting among the silver pubic hair. He stumbled away, and

642
00:40:45.480 --> 00:40:49.280
Bronson sat up, slapping the dismembered member away from him.

643
00:40:49.519 --> 00:40:52.360
Heart backed into the wall and slid down it. The

644
00:40:52.440 --> 00:40:55.440
hyper sexual curse of the emoji kept pumping blood to

645
00:40:55.480 --> 00:40:58.719
the missing organ. The geriatric watched in horror as the

646
00:40:58.840 --> 00:41:03.199
nub twitched with the final drips of his life. I

647
00:41:03.239 --> 00:41:07.079
guess you lost custody of Bobby Junior. Kesha stomped on

648
00:41:07.159 --> 00:41:11.000
the appendage and grounded into the carpet. Bronson picked up

649
00:41:11.000 --> 00:41:14.239
the hammer and held it up to the light. Yeah

650
00:41:14.599 --> 00:41:18.360
thought so, he said, showing it to Kesha. See the blood.

651
00:41:19.239 --> 00:41:22.960
So what? We just left a riot upstairs, she said.

652
00:41:23.559 --> 00:41:27.440
Another elevator dinged and the doors opened to an empty car.

653
00:41:27.960 --> 00:41:30.639
They jumped inside and pushed the button for the lobby.

654
00:41:30.880 --> 00:41:34.039
As a gang of maniacs burst into the room. The

655
00:41:34.079 --> 00:41:37.559
doors closed and the car started down. They could hear

656
00:41:37.639 --> 00:41:42.000
the fists beating against steel above them. Bronson gave her

657
00:41:42.119 --> 00:41:46.280
the hammer. The blood is dry, he said. It's not

658
00:41:46.400 --> 00:41:49.559
from the party, it's from the pre party. Him and

659
00:41:49.679 --> 00:41:54.639
gleasened through. They rode down in silence. Bronson shucked off

660
00:41:54.719 --> 00:41:58.119
his costume, giving the coat to Kesha to cover her breasts.

661
00:41:58.639 --> 00:42:02.199
He peeled away the prosthetic last and glared at them mindfully.

662
00:42:03.079 --> 00:42:06.559
The elevator chimed at the lobby. The couple crossed to

663
00:42:06.599 --> 00:42:10.519
the maintenance door and descended down into the basement. Three

664
00:42:10.599 --> 00:42:14.480
drowning victims and coveralls greeted them, but they didn't stop

665
00:42:14.519 --> 00:42:18.360
to examine the bodies. B had been there, which meant

666
00:42:18.400 --> 00:42:22.320
Bronson was right about the temple. Down in the sub basement.

667
00:42:22.440 --> 00:42:26.519
Saltwater had flooded the area around the temple. Halagen lights

668
00:42:26.519 --> 00:42:30.599
illuminated the structure. B waited for them on the stone

669
00:42:30.679 --> 00:42:34.800
steps leading into the Holy Structure. B waited for them

670
00:42:34.840 --> 00:42:39.119
on the stone steps leading into the Holy Structure. Twin

671
00:42:39.239 --> 00:42:43.039
monoliths embedded with fossils of ancient sea life, stood on

672
00:42:43.119 --> 00:42:46.960
either side of the entrance. Jack O lanterns burned on

673
00:42:47.039 --> 00:42:49.800
the steps, next to the scattered debris from Heart and

674
00:42:49.880 --> 00:42:56.320
Gleason's private party, including a discarded sad Emoji costume. Bronson

675
00:42:56.400 --> 00:43:01.079
approached the secretary with his hands raised passively. I know,

676
00:43:01.920 --> 00:43:06.320
he said softly. B looked at him curiously. She didn't

677
00:43:06.360 --> 00:43:09.400
stop him as he reached up and stroked her face,

678
00:43:09.920 --> 00:43:15.239
smudging the makeup and revealing the scaled flesh below. You're

679
00:43:15.280 --> 00:43:18.960
not b he told her. He tugged at the wig,

680
00:43:19.079 --> 00:43:22.320
pulling it away from the finned head. I've done a

681
00:43:22.320 --> 00:43:26.039
lot of makeup and prosthetics. You did a really good job.

682
00:43:27.039 --> 00:43:30.639
The being stepped back and waved him into the temple.

683
00:43:31.559 --> 00:43:34.800
Kesha ran quickly to his side, but kept her eyes

684
00:43:34.880 --> 00:43:39.360
on the strange creature in the human costume. Its false

685
00:43:39.400 --> 00:43:43.519
eyes didn't blink as it watched them go by. Inside

686
00:43:43.519 --> 00:43:48.280
the temple, they found the first in turn, blood stained

687
00:43:48.280 --> 00:43:50.840
the wall where one of the degenerates had smashed her

688
00:43:50.880 --> 00:43:55.119
face against it. The angry emoji still had her costume on,

689
00:43:55.719 --> 00:44:00.079
but her head was a different story. A replica Romano

690
00:44:00.119 --> 00:44:02.920
and dagger laid in a gory pool next to her.

691
00:44:03.920 --> 00:44:06.559
Sadness was slumped in the corner of the next room,

692
00:44:06.960 --> 00:44:11.519
wearing only her braw wrapped tightly around her throat. They

693
00:44:11.679 --> 00:44:14.559
entered the sacrificial chamber of the people that worshiped the

694
00:44:14.639 --> 00:44:18.119
Sea and found the girl, dressed like the ocean, sprawled

695
00:44:18.119 --> 00:44:20.840
on the altar in the center of the room. A

696
00:44:20.880 --> 00:44:24.800
mosaic of shells and colored stones showed the creatures coming

697
00:44:24.800 --> 00:44:27.559
out of the waves to meet the chieftains of the

698
00:44:27.599 --> 00:44:33.320
ancient civilization. A worn, barely identifiable statue of a humanoid

699
00:44:33.400 --> 00:44:37.840
fish held an outstretched arm over the sacrifice. The other

700
00:44:37.960 --> 00:44:43.159
limb had broken off long before. Bronson walked on to

701
00:44:43.280 --> 00:44:47.159
the raised ring that surrounded the table. Bits of skull

702
00:44:47.239 --> 00:44:51.440
were indistinguishable from the broken seashells in Bee's bloody hair.

703
00:44:52.639 --> 00:44:55.840
Hart's hammer had reduced her face to a caved in pulp.

704
00:44:56.719 --> 00:45:00.480
A flash drew Bronson's attention to the corner of the room.

705
00:45:00.760 --> 00:45:04.239
Gerard Hind puffed a cigarette to life and let the

706
00:45:04.320 --> 00:45:10.440
lighter go out. Where's Gleason? Bronson asked. Hind blew a

707
00:45:10.480 --> 00:45:13.360
spear of smoke from the corner of his mouth. He

708
00:45:13.519 --> 00:45:16.559
chewed the air, trying to find words that tasted right.

709
00:45:17.599 --> 00:45:26.000
Where is he? Bronson shouted here, The voice whimpered, I'm here.

710
00:45:27.360 --> 00:45:33.400
Bronson looked around, then up above them, Gleason dangled from

711
00:45:33.400 --> 00:45:37.239
his wrists like bait on a hook. Bronson looked at

712
00:45:37.280 --> 00:45:40.480
the massive CEO, who gave him a simple shrug instead

713
00:45:40.480 --> 00:45:45.920
of an answer. The fake Bee entered the chamber. She

714
00:45:46.079 --> 00:45:52.679
peeled away her dress revealing her modeled platinum scales. These

715
00:45:52.719 --> 00:45:58.280
are their gods, Hind explained, or their devils can't have

716
00:45:58.360 --> 00:46:02.000
one without the other. Really, a sacrifice was made here

717
00:46:03.440 --> 00:46:08.960
and a prayer was answered, the fish person said. Apparently

718
00:46:09.039 --> 00:46:13.639
they're not big on subtlety. Heine said, be asked for vengeance,

719
00:46:13.679 --> 00:46:19.119
and that's what she got. Not entirely, the entity corrected him.

720
00:46:19.840 --> 00:46:23.039
We didn't do anything to her. Kesha cleared her throat

721
00:46:23.079 --> 00:46:27.199
and lowered her voice. I mean all the rest of

722
00:46:27.280 --> 00:46:33.760
us were innocent. No, we're not, Heind said. We all

723
00:46:33.840 --> 00:46:37.519
knew what a leacherous piece of shit Robert was. He's

724
00:46:37.559 --> 00:46:40.519
been using his position to force himself on women for years,

725
00:46:41.239 --> 00:46:44.400
and we've all made it into a joke. He became

726
00:46:44.480 --> 00:46:47.719
a cliche old pervert that everyone made fun of around

727
00:46:47.760 --> 00:46:51.320
the water cooler while he went on doing whatever he wanted.

728
00:46:51.920 --> 00:46:57.280
A malignancy starts small and spreads, the ancient creature said,

729
00:46:57.639 --> 00:47:02.320
joining Bronson and Hind next to bees body. Robert Hart

730
00:47:02.519 --> 00:47:07.159
became emboldened by your apathy. He did this because you

731
00:47:07.880 --> 00:47:16.119
did nothing. So what happens now? Bronson asked, you chose

732
00:47:16.199 --> 00:47:20.800
not to flee. You cared for this stranger. The being

733
00:47:20.920 --> 00:47:26.440
rested a webbed hand on Bee's mauled face. You may

734
00:47:26.559 --> 00:47:31.639
leave this place. I care about people, all of them,

735
00:47:32.119 --> 00:47:36.320
Bronson corrected the deity, including the ones that haven't been

736
00:47:36.400 --> 00:47:41.880
killed upstairs. I want everyone to leave. The thing glared

737
00:47:41.920 --> 00:47:49.760
at him curiously. Everyone, well, not that motherfucker. Bronson pointed

738
00:47:49.840 --> 00:47:55.559
up to the suspended Gleason. He can die agreeable terms,

739
00:47:56.079 --> 00:47:59.559
but only if you are prepared to make a trade

740
00:48:00.159 --> 00:48:02.639
and thought about it. He turned to Kesha and took

741
00:48:02.679 --> 00:48:06.079
the hammer from her shaking hands. He stepped around the

742
00:48:06.119 --> 00:48:10.639
altar and presented it to the Aquatic overlord. I killed

743
00:48:10.639 --> 00:48:14.400
the other one, the one that did this, he said.

744
00:48:15.119 --> 00:48:18.679
Neither he or this weapon will ever hurt anyone ever again.

745
00:48:19.559 --> 00:48:23.519
This is what I have to trade. Not good enough.

746
00:48:24.360 --> 00:48:27.880
The being stroked Bee's hair and gingerly lifted one of

747
00:48:27.880 --> 00:48:32.800
the auger shell earrings. It worked the hook from her lobe.

748
00:48:32.920 --> 00:48:38.599
You ask for many lives and bring me only one, two,

749
00:48:38.719 --> 00:48:44.440
Bronson said, sharper than he meant. No way, Pal hind chimed,

750
00:48:44.800 --> 00:48:47.920
I caught that twerp. The two of you will become

751
00:48:48.000 --> 00:48:51.519
our priests. The creature seized Bronson by the back of

752
00:48:51.559 --> 00:48:54.840
the neck and forced the earring through his lobe. This

753
00:48:54.960 --> 00:48:58.559
will be the symbol of our pact. Hind leaned on

754
00:48:58.599 --> 00:49:01.880
the altar so Bronson could see the other shell dangling

755
00:49:01.920 --> 00:49:06.360
from his ear. This sacred day you call Halloween, the

756
00:49:06.400 --> 00:49:11.719
creature continued. It is now our sacred day. You will

757
00:49:11.719 --> 00:49:15.400
bring me more like Robert Hart and Philip Gleeson. You

758
00:49:15.440 --> 00:49:19.719
will split their chests and give their black hearts unto us.

759
00:49:20.280 --> 00:49:27.039
This is the trade for everyone. That's it. Bronson molded

760
00:49:27.159 --> 00:49:32.320
around for a half a second and nodded, deal. Now,

761
00:49:32.400 --> 00:49:36.079
I feel bad, Heine said. I didn't even ask them

762
00:49:36.119 --> 00:49:38.239
to let the rest of you go before I agreed.

763
00:49:39.159 --> 00:49:44.960
Dick Kesha hissed. We're going to head out now, Bronson said.

764
00:49:45.440 --> 00:49:48.000
He patted the fish god on the shoulder and tried

765
00:49:48.079 --> 00:49:53.480
not to gag at the clammy moist texture. Happy Halloween.

766
00:49:54.719 --> 00:49:59.079
Not yet, it caught him by the wrist. There is

767
00:49:59.119 --> 00:50:04.000
still one. A shimmering body slithered through the shadows at

768
00:50:04.039 --> 00:50:08.440
the base of the mosaic. Heavy thick skin scraped stone.

769
00:50:08.719 --> 00:50:12.639
As it moved around the room. The elongated fin cast

770
00:50:12.719 --> 00:50:17.280
a fluttering shadow in the worklights. A bulbous yellow eye

771
00:50:17.480 --> 00:50:20.599
shined a moment before the thing sprang from the darkness.

772
00:50:21.480 --> 00:50:25.000
The thirty foot eel tilted its head and clamped down

773
00:50:25.039 --> 00:50:30.039
on Gleason's kicking legs. The monster tore the appendages away

774
00:50:30.360 --> 00:50:34.079
with its dual set of jaws. It snapped down for

775
00:50:34.199 --> 00:50:39.039
another bite, leaving only the bounded hands still dangling overhead.

776
00:50:39.519 --> 00:50:42.840
As it retreated out of the temple and into the

777
00:50:42.840 --> 00:50:49.760
building's sub basement, the three humans exchanged shocked glances. The

778
00:50:49.800 --> 00:50:54.000
deity clapped Bronson on the shoulder. Its maw spread to

779
00:50:54.039 --> 00:50:58.880
reveal dozens of serrated teeth in a gesture Bronson recognized

780
00:50:59.199 --> 00:51:02.440
as its terrorfying attempt to smile.

781
00:51:04.480 --> 00:51:07.079
See you next year, Priest.

782
00:51:07.719 --> 00:51:12.440
It said, and started out of the chamber. It paused

783
00:51:12.440 --> 00:51:18.840
in the doorway. I forgot my manners. Happy Halloween to

784
00:51:19.039 --> 00:51:34.199
you as well. Fortunate is the man who can make

785
00:51:34.239 --> 00:51:39.159
a living doing what he loves, and Lucien Grayshire is

786
00:51:39.199 --> 00:51:44.840
a fortunate man, despite having risen from the dead. Pickering

787
00:51:44.920 --> 00:51:49.679
Manner hides among ancient cypress and sprawling live oaks on

788
00:51:49.760 --> 00:51:53.920
the edge of the bayou. The yard tangled in rhododendrons

789
00:51:54.000 --> 00:51:58.039
and creeping vines. It once served as the main house

790
00:51:58.119 --> 00:52:02.320
on a modest plantation, Yet early during the Civil War

791
00:52:02.400 --> 00:52:06.679
the property had fallen into disuse. To this day it

792
00:52:06.800 --> 00:52:12.079
remains empty, locked in a state of perpetual desperation. Beyond

793
00:52:12.119 --> 00:52:16.440
an eight foot brick wall in swathed in cobwebs and mold,

794
00:52:16.719 --> 00:52:20.800
A sepulchral squeal slices through the silence as the massive

795
00:52:20.840 --> 00:52:27.400
wrought iron gate is pulled across the drive. A treasure

796
00:52:27.960 --> 00:52:32.559
these rusty hinges, Lucian notes with a thin lipped smile,

797
00:52:33.559 --> 00:52:36.760
no need to make any adjustments to this sound effect.

798
00:52:37.440 --> 00:52:40.880
In the darkness. Beyond his limited field of view, a

799
00:52:41.000 --> 00:52:45.519
crisp rustle in the grass swallows his attention before drifting

800
00:52:46.039 --> 00:52:51.639
back to silence. Thank you, he whispers, with a nod

801
00:52:52.119 --> 00:52:58.079
well done. According to local war rebellious slaves had murdered

802
00:52:58.079 --> 00:53:03.920
the entire Pickering family in the sleep. Night Shrieks, moans, whales,

803
00:53:04.320 --> 00:53:09.840
and thundering footfalls racing across the floorboards have since punctuated

804
00:53:09.920 --> 00:53:16.320
every ghostly tale. The manner is featured within Paine Lives Here.

805
00:53:17.519 --> 00:53:22.039
Wild seclusion, coupled with its sordid history, make this an

806
00:53:22.079 --> 00:53:26.760
ideal choice for Lucian's smashing Halloween bash.

807
00:53:26.480 --> 00:53:27.000
Of the year.

808
00:53:28.280 --> 00:53:31.719
Never has one of his soires been a failure. His

809
00:53:31.880 --> 00:53:36.840
fame legendary clients scramble for a booking and demand only

810
00:53:36.960 --> 00:53:42.639
the best haunted experience as they throw outrageous funds his direction.

811
00:53:42.840 --> 00:53:47.119
In order to impress their peers, he sets his fees high.

812
00:53:48.039 --> 00:53:54.480
They still pay, They will always pay. Each Halloween presents

813
00:53:54.519 --> 00:54:00.519
a new challenge as Lucian strives for proper Orchestrationleting the

814
00:54:00.599 --> 00:54:06.119
express location, perfecting the ghastly props, and inviting the precise

815
00:54:06.320 --> 00:54:10.159
guests to pull it all together makes the passage from

816
00:54:10.159 --> 00:54:14.280
one Halloween to the next seem but a blink in time.

817
00:54:15.119 --> 00:54:20.239
This undertaking ensures each event is unique, lest a staleness

818
00:54:20.320 --> 00:54:24.639
or predictability begin to dampen the excitement and diminish his

819
00:54:24.800 --> 00:54:29.320
list of well paying clients. The one standard which endures

820
00:54:29.360 --> 00:54:34.000
from year to year is his costume. He has only

821
00:54:34.079 --> 00:54:38.840
to dawn. An old ulster and top hat, horrific burn scars,

822
00:54:39.199 --> 00:54:44.079
a natural limp, and a tall gaunt frame exquisitely complement

823
00:54:44.199 --> 00:54:50.239
his duty as host. Tomorrow is all Hallow's Eve. Everything

824
00:54:50.320 --> 00:54:55.000
is set with his single good eye. Lucian glances back

825
00:54:55.039 --> 00:54:59.199
at the manner. A squint of moonlight illuminates three of

826
00:54:59.360 --> 00:55:02.559
five gay in shades of wet Clay.

827
00:55:03.880 --> 00:55:04.599
Tomorrow.

828
00:55:05.800 --> 00:55:09.800
The song raggedly escapes his lips while he locks the

829
00:55:09.880 --> 00:55:16.599
gate tomorrow. Hobbling toward the idling van, his thoughts begin

830
00:55:16.679 --> 00:55:21.000
to process the planning tasks which will comprise the coming

831
00:55:21.079 --> 00:55:26.800
year ahead. He sleeps well now, no longer troubled by

832
00:55:26.840 --> 00:55:36.119
his dreams. Brock hennings Rolex watch reads October thirty first,

833
00:55:36.719 --> 00:55:41.440
six o six pm. He stands before the dressing room mirror,

834
00:55:42.159 --> 00:55:45.880
adjusting the black pirate hat atop the long dreadlocks of

835
00:55:45.920 --> 00:55:50.719
the wig, cocking it first this way then that? Are

836
00:55:50.760 --> 00:55:53.599
you certain you don't want to come? He calls out

837
00:55:53.639 --> 00:55:56.320
to his wife. You'll never have another chance at a

838
00:55:56.320 --> 00:56:00.920
party like this, as if on cue Vian appears in

839
00:56:00.960 --> 00:56:05.039
the dressing room doorway. Don't be absurd. I can't believe

840
00:56:05.079 --> 00:56:10.559
the amount you paid that man. It's positively criminal. Inwardly,

841
00:56:10.679 --> 00:56:14.239
Brock smiles, it would ruin everything if his wife broke

842
00:56:14.360 --> 00:56:18.239
character and chose to accompany him. He already has a date,

843
00:56:19.199 --> 00:56:22.400
and Desirah Jolly is a far more delicious piece of

844
00:56:22.519 --> 00:56:26.639
arm candy than this prim dowager he'd married could ever.

845
00:56:26.480 --> 00:56:27.000
Hope to be.

846
00:56:28.000 --> 00:56:31.639
There isn't enough plastic surgery in the world. But after

847
00:56:31.679 --> 00:56:34.800
three years of marriage, he believes he knows his wife

848
00:56:34.840 --> 00:56:38.880
well enough. Vivian will never lower herself to attend an

849
00:56:38.960 --> 00:56:43.280
event for the sheer fun of it. You are aware

850
00:56:43.280 --> 00:56:47.320
of the notoriety of a Grayshire Halloween, he prods, gently,

851
00:56:47.719 --> 00:56:50.840
knowing he must keep up a modicum of husbandly concerned,

852
00:56:51.360 --> 00:56:55.400
yet not so much to actually change her mind. What

853
00:56:55.480 --> 00:56:58.840
I'm aware of, Brock, is the ridiculous waste of it all.

854
00:56:59.320 --> 00:57:01.960
But since you've already deemed it worthy of my late

855
00:57:02.039 --> 00:57:05.639
daddy's money, there's little I can do about it now.

856
00:57:06.079 --> 00:57:09.400
But keep in mind that, as of tonight the purse

857
00:57:09.440 --> 00:57:13.880
strings close. He moves to the doorway and attempts to

858
00:57:13.920 --> 00:57:19.679
embrace her, but Vivian sidesteps, evading his grasp. Don't be

859
00:57:19.760 --> 00:57:24.159
so testy, dear, Brock, reaches out, ever so slightly. There's

860
00:57:24.199 --> 00:57:28.840
no need to punish me too harshly. Oh really, First

861
00:57:28.840 --> 00:57:31.599
it was the yacht that never leaves the marina. Then

862
00:57:31.679 --> 00:57:33.800
the summer house in Naples, which I have yet to

863
00:57:33.880 --> 00:57:38.719
even see, that damn Maserati, two loser race horses, and

864
00:57:38.800 --> 00:57:42.360
now this I've had more than enough, So go enjoy

865
00:57:42.400 --> 00:57:48.239
yourself while you still can. I'll be contacting the lawyer tomorrow.

866
00:57:49.039 --> 00:57:52.920
My sweet pet, don't act this way, Brock makes another

867
00:57:52.960 --> 00:57:57.360
mock attempt to soothe her. You're absolutely right. I've been

868
00:57:57.360 --> 00:57:59.800
a fool with some of my spending, but I promise

869
00:58:00.360 --> 00:58:03.400
I've learned my lesson. I'll be better in the future.

870
00:58:04.760 --> 00:58:07.440
What you do in the future is no concern of mine.

871
00:58:07.880 --> 00:58:11.280
I'm through. My daddy didn't leave me his estate just

872
00:58:11.360 --> 00:58:13.639
so you could blow it all in a few short years.

873
00:58:14.320 --> 00:58:18.960
Get out, go, don't keep your guests waiting on my account.

874
00:58:19.679 --> 00:58:23.559
Vivian wheels about and strides from the room, slamming the

875
00:58:23.599 --> 00:58:28.440
bedroom door on the way out. Brock relaxes and steps

876
00:58:28.440 --> 00:58:31.719
from the dressing room. At the bedroom window, he glances

877
00:58:31.760 --> 00:58:34.679
out at the hedgerow along the far edge of the

878
00:58:34.760 --> 00:58:40.480
yard beyond. Before drawing the drapes. He unlocks the window latch,

879
00:58:41.280 --> 00:58:45.000
then turns and removes the buccaneer jacket from the costume box.

880
00:58:45.880 --> 00:58:49.199
With a wink of approval to his mirrored reflection, he

881
00:58:49.320 --> 00:58:52.719
tucks his cell phone and wallet away and departs his

882
00:58:52.800 --> 00:58:57.840
wife's ancestral mansion. The drive to Desiriah's home is uneventful

883
00:58:58.159 --> 00:59:01.159
and He whips the sleek black gird Tarismo into the

884
00:59:01.199 --> 00:59:06.119
open driveway, making certain to lock it upon exiting. This

885
00:59:06.239 --> 00:59:10.119
neighborhood seems plucked straight from his past, teeming with the

886
00:59:10.199 --> 00:59:13.840
lower middle class and their wall to wall track combs.

887
00:59:14.519 --> 00:59:17.800
Thanks to Vivian, he is finally moved above all this,

888
00:59:18.599 --> 00:59:22.440
he plans to stay there. Before he can knock upon

889
00:59:22.559 --> 00:59:27.039
his paramour's front door, it opens, revealing the comely young

890
00:59:27.079 --> 00:59:31.400
woman clad in a velvet boustier mini skirt and over

891
00:59:31.440 --> 00:59:33.639
the knee black leather boots.

892
00:59:34.639 --> 00:59:35.119
Ah.

893
00:59:35.199 --> 00:59:38.000
Now there's a fair wench, if ever I've seen one.

894
00:59:38.519 --> 00:59:42.000
Brock sweeps her into his arms, drawing her back inside

895
00:59:42.000 --> 00:59:44.800
the privacy of the house while he closes the door

896
00:59:44.880 --> 00:59:48.199
behind him with his foot. I could devour ye right

897
00:59:48.280 --> 00:59:51.719
here and now any other time, and I'd let you

898
00:59:52.119 --> 00:59:55.239
captain Hook. But I'm pretty anxious to get this night

899
00:59:55.280 --> 01:00:00.320
over with. Is everything set? Brock nuzzles her neck. It's

900
01:00:00.400 --> 01:00:04.519
Jack Sparrow, not Hook. And yes, I have a man

901
01:00:04.639 --> 01:00:07.440
named Watts who will come in to burglarize my home.

902
01:00:08.679 --> 01:00:11.639
It's a damn shame. Vivian will only get in his way.

903
01:00:11.679 --> 01:00:14.599
But such things can't be helped, can they?

904
01:00:15.480 --> 01:00:15.639
Dos?

905
01:00:15.639 --> 01:00:20.599
Ariah purrs against his ear. No, they can't, and I

906
01:00:20.639 --> 01:00:23.559
can't wait to move in. I'm dying to get my

907
01:00:23.679 --> 01:00:27.320
hand on that place, and we've been waiting way too long.

908
01:00:28.239 --> 01:00:31.599
She clutches onto her lover's hand and accompanies him to

909
01:00:31.639 --> 01:00:35.639
the door. After settling into the car, Brock programs the

910
01:00:35.639 --> 01:00:43.880
GPS for directions, and they're off. Lucian waits at the

911
01:00:43.920 --> 01:00:47.559
gate in the dark, a battery operated lantern held in

912
01:00:47.599 --> 01:00:53.679
one hand, created by strategically placed machines. Low fog shimmers

913
01:00:53.719 --> 01:00:56.960
in the distance. It resembles smoke to the point that

914
01:00:57.039 --> 01:01:04.440
he can actually smell it, the rank odor of charred

915
01:01:04.440 --> 01:01:07.800
wood and plaster as the smoke billows beneath the locked

916
01:01:07.800 --> 01:01:11.840
bedroom door. Beyond the door, echoing through the inferno, the

917
01:01:11.920 --> 01:01:16.280
maniacal shouts of his father, footfalls, heavy running the wrong direction.

918
01:01:16.760 --> 01:01:20.800
Help me, Daddy, Lucian's cracked, frantic cry, eyes and throat

919
01:01:20.840 --> 01:01:23.159
of fire, hands beating at the hot door.

920
01:01:23.679 --> 01:01:24.400
Don't leave me.

921
01:01:27.639 --> 01:01:32.800
Lucian snaps to attention, driving the audacious memory into the shadows,

922
01:01:33.159 --> 01:01:36.679
as the engine whine of the approaching Maserati binds him

923
01:01:36.719 --> 01:01:41.000
fully back into the present. The gate screeches as he

924
01:01:41.079 --> 01:01:45.119
opens it wide, and after his client drives through, he

925
01:01:45.239 --> 01:01:48.519
follows the red tail lights up to the lantern lit drive,

926
01:01:49.239 --> 01:01:54.840
limping toward the vehicle. As Broc and desiraah ungracefully extricate

927
01:01:54.880 --> 01:02:01.159
themselves from the low slung car. Good evening, Lucian gives

928
01:02:01.199 --> 01:02:04.639
a courteous bow, doffing his top hat for a moment

929
01:02:05.039 --> 01:02:12.159
before righting himself this place, Brock shakes Lucian's hand. My man,

930
01:02:12.599 --> 01:02:17.000
this all looks spectacular, so far downright haunting, all on

931
01:02:17.079 --> 01:02:21.159
its own. Show me what you have in store. Keeping

932
01:02:21.239 --> 01:02:25.239
close to Brock's side, Desiiah gazes around the empty drive.

933
01:02:26.360 --> 01:02:30.480
Isn't anyone else coming? The party doesn't actually begin until ten,

934
01:02:31.119 --> 01:02:34.000
Brock explains, But I want to see what all mister

935
01:02:34.079 --> 01:02:39.760
Greyshire has planned for our night's entertainment. Sir madam, shall

936
01:02:39.800 --> 01:02:43.840
we go inside? Lucian leads the way, and Desiiah and

937
01:02:43.880 --> 01:02:48.360
Brock follow their host. The flickering lantern light commands grim

938
01:02:48.440 --> 01:02:52.599
Shadows to skid. He through the unkempt yard. At an

939
01:02:52.639 --> 01:02:57.280
oak door burnished with time, Lucian hefts it open, motioning

940
01:02:57.320 --> 01:03:03.639
his guests inside. By the way, great costume, Desiiah says

941
01:03:03.679 --> 01:03:07.039
as she steps over the threshold. You look kind of

942
01:03:07.159 --> 01:03:13.800
like doctor Hyde, mister Brock corrects, examining the cobwebs evident

943
01:03:13.840 --> 01:03:18.000
within the white light of Lucian's lantern. It's Doctor Jekyl

944
01:03:18.039 --> 01:03:22.800
and mister Hide. Muskie Dust rises up, making his nose

945
01:03:22.880 --> 01:03:29.119
itch and threatens a sneeze. Desiiah grasps on to Brock's arm. Whatever,

946
01:03:29.599 --> 01:03:34.159
it's still a pretty cool makeup job. Really gross, Lucian

947
01:03:34.280 --> 01:03:38.079
pulls the door closed behind them. Forgive me if I

948
01:03:38.159 --> 01:03:44.119
appear unhandsome, my lady, it was a childhood misfortune. Desiiah

949
01:03:44.199 --> 01:03:51.159
purses her lips. Oh, sorry, no offense taken. Lucian ushers

950
01:03:51.239 --> 01:03:54.880
them from the foyer. Please let's make our way to

951
01:03:54.920 --> 01:03:58.360
the reception parlor, shall we, for that is where the

952
01:03:58.400 --> 01:04:03.199
main activities will be taking place. Desiraah glances up and

953
01:04:03.280 --> 01:04:06.840
shrinks back against Brock with a shriek. He holds her

954
01:04:06.880 --> 01:04:11.039
and scans the staircase amid the darkness. Upon the top step,

955
01:04:11.320 --> 01:04:16.760
a hazy male figure clearly manifests one hand holds a

956
01:04:16.800 --> 01:04:22.000
bloody axe. A woman's severed head dangles from the other.

957
01:04:23.800 --> 01:04:28.199
There's more scares where that came from. Weakly spooky will

958
01:04:28.239 --> 01:04:29.079
be right back.

959
01:04:36.039 --> 01:04:41.559
What the Brock shoots Lucian in acerbic glare. A simple projection,

960
01:04:42.320 --> 01:04:46.360
Lucian tells him, as the figure fades away, A lovely effect.

961
01:04:46.440 --> 01:04:53.039
Don't you agree? The figure appears once more. That's pretty gruesome,

962
01:04:53.079 --> 01:04:57.280
all right? Brock blows out a foiled whistle, mere breath

963
01:04:57.320 --> 01:05:00.639
between his lips. I've got a hand at to you, you

964
01:05:01.639 --> 01:05:06.679
know your stuff. The figure fades out again. My research

965
01:05:06.760 --> 01:05:11.119
uncovered the estate's true history, Lucian explains. As they proceed

966
01:05:11.159 --> 01:05:14.159
toward the reception parlor to the left of the foyer.

967
01:05:15.239 --> 01:05:17.920
Brock notes the eyes of the portraits on the walls

968
01:05:18.199 --> 01:05:23.519
following their every move. Cliched, he thinks, yet still unsettling.

969
01:05:24.400 --> 01:05:27.920
Evidently it wasn't the slaves who murdered the Pickering family.

970
01:05:28.480 --> 01:05:32.519
Lucian leads his guests through the parlor door. The butchery

971
01:05:32.719 --> 01:05:38.280
was done by Master Pickering himself. Lucian sets his lantern

972
01:05:38.320 --> 01:05:41.599
aside and pulls a small box of matches from his

973
01:05:41.679 --> 01:05:45.360
coat pocket to light the wick of a lamp ensconced

974
01:05:45.440 --> 01:05:51.039
upon the wall. Please forgive the lamplight, but the house

975
01:05:51.079 --> 01:05:56.880
has never possessed electricity. Is this place safe, Desiraah asks,

976
01:05:57.480 --> 01:06:00.960
I mean it's been deserted for like one hundred years

977
01:06:01.760 --> 01:06:05.800
one hundred and fifty two. Brock spews his stifled sneeze,

978
01:06:06.719 --> 01:06:10.360
bless you. Lucian pulls the tissue from his pocket and

979
01:06:10.440 --> 01:06:14.079
hands it to Brock, clicks off the battery operated lantern

980
01:06:14.519 --> 01:06:18.119
and steps to the next scance. With the disappearance of

981
01:06:18.159 --> 01:06:23.519
the cold white lantern light, the room darkens ominously shadowed

982
01:06:23.559 --> 01:06:27.320
beneath fretful flames. He glances back at the girl and

983
01:06:27.440 --> 01:06:31.239
lights the second lamp. Wick the manner is quite sturdy.

984
01:06:31.280 --> 01:06:37.400
If that's your concern, Do you know for sure, Desiree counters, Oh,

985
01:06:37.519 --> 01:06:41.480
I know many things, my lady. Lucian blows out the match,

986
01:06:42.280 --> 01:06:47.840
many things. So it was Pickering who actually killed his family.

987
01:06:48.480 --> 01:06:51.639
Brock takes a sudden step back, startled by the hasty

988
01:06:51.679 --> 01:06:55.719
transparent reflection in the window. The same figure he'd seen

989
01:06:55.719 --> 01:06:59.159
at the top of the stairs. It suspends a different head,

990
01:07:00.039 --> 01:07:04.880
a young boy's. Lucian lights a third lamp. He took

991
01:07:04.920 --> 01:07:08.559
an axe to them, one by one, the children first,

992
01:07:08.840 --> 01:07:12.039
then his wife. By the time he started in on

993
01:07:12.119 --> 01:07:15.880
the household slaves, they overpowered him and threw him into

994
01:07:15.880 --> 01:07:20.360
the cistern, but not before two had perished. After the

995
01:07:20.400 --> 01:07:24.440
slaves realized what had happened, they all fled, fearing the

996
01:07:24.480 --> 01:07:26.239
blame would be laid upon them.

997
01:07:27.199 --> 01:07:28.199
And so it was.

998
01:07:29.519 --> 01:07:33.639
You're making that up, Desiriah shivers beneath the chill blasting

999
01:07:33.679 --> 01:07:36.719
through the room. Everyone knows it was the slaves that

1000
01:07:36.800 --> 01:07:43.440
did it. It was the father. Lucian snaps, impaling her

1001
01:07:43.519 --> 01:07:46.920
with his one eyed glare. Holding her hands up, she

1002
01:07:47.039 --> 01:07:53.159
takes a step back. Okay, okay, geez, chill out. It's

1003
01:07:53.199 --> 01:07:56.159
a damn good story for the effects you've set in place.

1004
01:07:56.719 --> 01:07:59.960
Brock continues to watch the window, waiting for the grizzly

1005
01:08:00.239 --> 01:08:04.400
vision to reappear. This place is really giving me the creeps,

1006
01:08:04.880 --> 01:08:08.599
he admits, turning now to glance out the door. I

1007
01:08:08.639 --> 01:08:11.760
can actually hear footsteps out there, but no one else

1008
01:08:11.840 --> 01:08:16.079
is here. Outstanding people will be talking about my party

1009
01:08:16.079 --> 01:08:20.600
for years. You really think anyone's gonna actually be brave

1010
01:08:20.720 --> 01:08:24.680
enough to show up, Desiree asks. This place has a

1011
01:08:24.720 --> 01:08:29.960
really bad reputation. Brock steps back into the foyer watches

1012
01:08:30.000 --> 01:08:32.680
for the image at the top of the stairs, nearly

1013
01:08:32.800 --> 01:08:36.680
overcome by the stench of swamp rod and dank humus.

1014
01:08:37.359 --> 01:08:41.560
Story's blown way out of proportion, which mister Grayshire has

1015
01:08:41.600 --> 01:08:46.079
managed to magnify magnificently. What better place for a haunted

1016
01:08:46.119 --> 01:08:50.039
party than a well known haunted house. It's brilliant, though

1017
01:08:50.119 --> 01:08:54.039
you might have gone a bit overboard on the smell effects.

1018
01:08:54.680 --> 01:08:58.520
It's more often people who are haunted than places, and

1019
01:08:58.560 --> 01:09:02.560
the odor is natural to the manner. It's not my doing.

1020
01:09:03.920 --> 01:09:08.960
It's hardly a party atmosphere, you're correct, but it is

1021
01:09:09.039 --> 01:09:13.920
a haunted atmosphere which was part of our contract. Lucian

1022
01:09:14.000 --> 01:09:19.199
lights the final lamp, and I always fulfill my contracts.

1023
01:09:20.239 --> 01:09:23.239
The grotesque image in the window fades in and out.

1024
01:09:24.319 --> 01:09:28.279
Would you care to tour the grounds? Desireah shudders again.

1025
01:09:29.039 --> 01:09:34.880
No way, this is scary enough. Oh come on, Brock urges,

1026
01:09:35.600 --> 01:09:40.399
it's not real. It's all simply well orchestrated, like movie effects.

1027
01:09:40.960 --> 01:09:46.880
He winks at Lucian, right Grayshire, Lucian nods. The key

1028
01:09:46.920 --> 01:09:50.479
to any plan is proper orchestration. But it is the

1029
01:09:50.600 --> 01:09:55.960
execution which makes it a success. An unearthly wail echoes

1030
01:09:56.000 --> 01:10:03.479
through the room. Broc and Desiah start with a gasp.

1031
01:10:03.960 --> 01:10:08.560
Their face is ashen. Broc looks uneasily upon Lucian with

1032
01:10:08.640 --> 01:10:14.359
a nod of admiration. Desiiah glares in contempt. Are you

1033
01:10:14.479 --> 01:10:22.119
sure this is all fake orchestrated? Lucian confirms quietly. He

1034
01:10:22.159 --> 01:10:25.159
had been dead when the fireman pulled him from the flames.

1035
01:10:25.720 --> 01:10:29.840
His mother and younger brother remained dead. Lucian had been

1036
01:10:29.880 --> 01:10:34.399
brought back to life, a life irrevocably altered through death,

1037
01:10:35.119 --> 01:10:39.199
A life lived hospitalized for years in burnt agony while

1038
01:10:39.239 --> 01:10:42.600
his father was sentenced to life in prison for arson

1039
01:10:43.239 --> 01:10:47.520
and first degree murder. But it was well orchestrated, his

1040
01:10:47.640 --> 01:10:51.720
father continually claimed in a failed insanity defense, a plan

1041
01:10:52.119 --> 01:10:57.079
well orchestrated. Lucian had studied the court transcripts until he

1042
01:10:57.159 --> 01:11:02.000
knew them by heart. Brock picks up the battery operated

1043
01:11:02.119 --> 01:11:06.800
lantern and clasps Desiraah's hand. Come on, sweet thing, let's

1044
01:11:06.840 --> 01:11:10.479
tour the grounds before the guests arrive. She wrenches free.

1045
01:11:11.159 --> 01:11:16.600
No way, Lucian takes the lantern from Brock's possession. You

1046
01:11:16.680 --> 01:11:20.039
may remain inside if you wish, I shall escort mister

1047
01:11:20.079 --> 01:11:25.039
Henning alone. Wait a minute, Desiah says, Even if all

1048
01:11:25.079 --> 01:11:28.399
of this really is fake, I don't want to stay

1049
01:11:28.439 --> 01:11:32.279
here all by myself. Broc takes her hand once again.

1050
01:11:33.239 --> 01:11:36.359
Then you'll have to come with us. He gives Lucian

1051
01:11:36.399 --> 01:11:39.680
a sidelong glance as they head for the back door.

1052
01:11:41.119 --> 01:11:45.520
Several lanterns hang from the back porch, eve, scattering shallow

1053
01:11:45.560 --> 01:11:51.560
illumination across the neglected yard. Luminous fog creeps across the ground.

1054
01:11:52.560 --> 01:11:57.359
Several unbodied wisps of white slither upwards like sylphs into

1055
01:11:57.399 --> 01:12:01.239
the night. Undaunted, Lucian leads his client through the mist.

1056
01:12:02.239 --> 01:12:06.359
Dimly visible in the restless lantern light, weathered headstones make

1057
01:12:06.399 --> 01:12:12.439
a vague emergence above the fog. Oh hell no, Desiah protests,

1058
01:12:12.840 --> 01:12:16.640
bringing her footsteps to a halt. In the distance. Near

1059
01:12:16.680 --> 01:12:19.439
the edge of the dark, a lone figure of gauzy

1060
01:12:19.479 --> 01:12:26.239
white hovers above the stones. It has no head this

1061
01:12:26.279 --> 01:12:31.359
this isn't a real graveyard, is it? Brock asks. In

1062
01:12:31.520 --> 01:12:34.800
days of old, the dead were often interred upon their

1063
01:12:34.840 --> 01:12:39.680
own land. Lucian continues winding his way through the mist

1064
01:12:39.720 --> 01:12:45.640
and shrouded stones. The headless figure vanishes as the lantern

1065
01:12:45.760 --> 01:12:49.800
light moves off. Brock and Desiiah hasten to keep up

1066
01:12:51.279 --> 01:12:57.399
special effects. Right, Brock asks, Lucian flashes a toothy smile

1067
01:12:57.920 --> 01:13:08.199
and winks his cloudy, heightless eye. Brilliant, wouldn't you say?

1068
01:13:09.399 --> 01:13:12.560
He had purchased the headstones with the prophets from his

1069
01:13:12.640 --> 01:13:16.399
first event, one for his mother, one for his brother,

1070
01:13:16.920 --> 01:13:20.199
finally able to mark their plots in an appropriate manner.

1071
01:13:20.880 --> 01:13:25.840
No longer are they left unnamed, unnoticed, and seemingly forgotten

1072
01:13:26.199 --> 01:13:32.000
in the Havenport cemetery a thousand miles distant. No, they

1073
01:13:32.000 --> 01:13:36.119
were never forgotten, and he feels it an injurious aberration

1074
01:13:36.880 --> 01:13:40.000
that they are the ones buried and gone, while his

1075
01:13:40.159 --> 01:13:44.359
father's every living need is seen to through the taxes

1076
01:13:44.760 --> 01:13:50.199
and sweat of the working class, and though Revenant himself,

1077
01:13:50.319 --> 01:13:53.560
part of his soul still walks the land of the dead,

1078
01:13:54.359 --> 01:14:01.359
especially at this time of year when the veil runs thin.

1079
01:14:08.800 --> 01:14:12.960
Desiiah clings to Brock's side, clutching his hand. Let's go

1080
01:14:13.039 --> 01:14:16.680
back to the house now, she says, I've seen enough.

1081
01:14:17.960 --> 01:14:22.680
Allow me one more piece of orchestration. Lucian says, I

1082
01:14:22.760 --> 01:14:26.479
assure you it will be the highlight of your night.

1083
01:14:27.600 --> 01:14:31.640
Brock readily concedes. Since we've come this far, I suppose

1084
01:14:31.680 --> 01:14:35.239
we should see it. Leaving the graveyard behind them in

1085
01:14:35.279 --> 01:14:39.199
the darkness, the trio wends through a close set grove

1086
01:14:39.279 --> 01:14:45.880
of cypress. Dangling Spanish moss latches onto Desiriah's hair. There

1087
01:14:45.880 --> 01:14:49.359
better not be any spiders in this stuff. She brushes

1088
01:14:49.399 --> 01:14:53.199
at it and grips Brock's hand tighter. If we go

1089
01:14:53.359 --> 01:14:56.279
much further, we'll all end up in the bayou. A

1090
01:14:56.399 --> 01:15:01.720
sliver of moonlight glimmers overhead. They're still upon solid ground,

1091
01:15:02.359 --> 01:15:08.560
Lucian assures, keeping his direction set through the trees. We're

1092
01:15:08.600 --> 01:15:13.319
actually nearer to the road than the swamp. Brock glances

1093
01:15:13.359 --> 01:15:16.880
over his shoulder. You will be able to find your

1094
01:15:16.880 --> 01:15:21.279
way back to the house, won't you. Under the lantern light.

1095
01:15:21.399 --> 01:15:25.640
Lucian's smile stretches wide beneath what remains of his nose.

1096
01:15:27.039 --> 01:15:30.840
I've become quite well acquainted with these grounds. There's no

1097
01:15:30.960 --> 01:15:37.800
need to fear becoming lost. His footsteps. Halt ah, here

1098
01:15:37.840 --> 01:15:41.239
we are. Why would you go and set something up

1099
01:15:41.239 --> 01:15:44.600
this far from the house? Desierahs. Fear comes out bitter.

1100
01:15:45.279 --> 01:15:47.359
No one's even going to come all the way out here,

1101
01:15:47.880 --> 01:15:52.760
not unless they're drunk or stupid. Brock shoots Lucian a

1102
01:15:52.800 --> 01:15:57.399
curious frown. She has a point, as much as the

1103
01:15:57.479 --> 01:16:02.199
taut shriveled skin allows Lucian attempts to pout. If you'd

1104
01:16:02.199 --> 01:16:05.760
really rather not see it, we shall return to the

1105
01:16:05.800 --> 01:16:14.279
manor forthwith forthwith Desiiah grumbles, who even talks like that? Now, now,

1106
01:16:14.359 --> 01:16:18.920
sweet thing, Brock soothes her ruffled feathers. Don't be cruel.

1107
01:16:18.960 --> 01:16:22.880
There's no need to belittle the man's manner of speech. Well,

1108
01:16:23.520 --> 01:16:26.600
this place is creepy enough in the daylight, let alone

1109
01:16:26.640 --> 01:16:30.239
at night with a bunch of scary orchestration going on

1110
01:16:30.359 --> 01:16:33.199
with some weirdo. Can't we all just go back to

1111
01:16:33.239 --> 01:16:37.560
the house and wait for the others. Lucian moves off,

1112
01:16:38.039 --> 01:16:43.000
taking the lantern light with him. Please, it's right over here,

1113
01:16:43.840 --> 01:16:46.960
if you'll but take a quick glimpse. It took great

1114
01:16:47.039 --> 01:16:52.920
effort to prepare a rock wall manifests within the dim glow,

1115
01:16:53.439 --> 01:16:58.000
one foot tall and circular in shape fifteen feet in diameter.

1116
01:16:58.720 --> 01:17:04.439
Broc and Desiah step closer, is that a cistern. Brock

1117
01:17:04.560 --> 01:17:09.399
asks the cistern. Lucian peers over the edge of the

1118
01:17:09.399 --> 01:17:13.840
open well. Lantern light bounces off the lime plaster walls,

1119
01:17:14.119 --> 01:17:18.760
revealing a pit of twelve feet in depth. Shallow black

1120
01:17:18.840 --> 01:17:24.199
water pools at the bottom reflecting the lantern's luminance. Desiiah

1121
01:17:24.239 --> 01:17:29.399
bends forward and glances in. What's that down and there?

1122
01:17:30.079 --> 01:17:34.760
Brock looks at Lucian, his eyebrows knitted in question, pickering.

1123
01:17:36.119 --> 01:17:40.640
Lucian cocks his head and mouths a silent command. Brock

1124
01:17:40.720 --> 01:17:49.079
responds with a shrug. Are those gaiters, Desiriah asks. Lucian

1125
01:17:49.239 --> 01:17:54.600
silently commands Brock again. Brock slowly pries his hand free

1126
01:17:54.600 --> 01:18:00.279
from Desiiah's grasp and shuffles back. Don't be ridiculous, my wheat,

1127
01:18:00.680 --> 01:18:05.520
he says, how would alligators get inside a cistern? I'm

1128
01:18:05.560 --> 01:18:10.960
pretty sure those are gaiters. Indeed, you are correct, Lucian says,

1129
01:18:11.319 --> 01:18:15.359
waving his hand behind her, mouthing his silent words. Yet again,

1130
01:18:16.239 --> 01:18:21.159
Brock takes another step back. Lucian rolls his good eye skyward,

1131
01:18:21.680 --> 01:18:27.800
spewing a disgruntled breath. Bloody hell, must I do everything?

1132
01:18:28.640 --> 01:18:36.720
He steps up and shoves Desiriah in in Lucian's eye.

1133
01:18:36.760 --> 01:18:41.119
She seems to tumble with grace, like a slow motion gymnast,

1134
01:18:41.479 --> 01:18:46.399
dismounting a bar. After she performs a midair twist, her

1135
01:18:46.399 --> 01:18:50.800
fingers are left desperately clinging onto the rock rim. One red,

1136
01:18:50.840 --> 01:18:55.880
fingernail broken, she dangles inside the pit, boots kicking at

1137
01:18:55.920 --> 01:18:59.960
the smooth interior wall in search of a non existent foothold.

1138
01:19:00.680 --> 01:19:07.000
Her plea for help a curdled scream. Brock jutters forward. Oh,

1139
01:19:07.079 --> 01:19:10.600
dear Lord, she's fallen in. We got to help her,

1140
01:19:11.359 --> 01:19:15.239
but mister Henning, Lucian leans in and crooks his non

1141
01:19:15.279 --> 01:19:23.199
existent eyebrow. Your instructions were explicit, your payment, Oh, for

1142
01:19:23.359 --> 01:19:27.079
Peaud's sake, gray Shire, I'm trying to maintain a pretense here,

1143
01:19:27.399 --> 01:19:31.880
Work with me, man, work with me. Desiiah screams again,

1144
01:19:32.119 --> 01:19:35.560
her fingers clawing at the stones. Her left arm crawls

1145
01:19:35.560 --> 01:19:38.960
atop the rim. She begins to worm her way up.

1146
01:19:39.960 --> 01:19:45.239
Lucian straightens my deepest apology, sir. For a dreadful moment,

1147
01:19:45.319 --> 01:19:50.359
I thought perhaps you'd changed your mind. A rock steps

1148
01:19:50.399 --> 01:19:53.720
to the rock rim and stomps upon Desiiah's right hand.

1149
01:19:54.239 --> 01:19:56.600
I'll be damned if I'm going to share my upcoming

1150
01:19:56.640 --> 01:20:01.039
inheritance with this silly little gold digger. As she fights

1151
01:20:01.079 --> 01:20:04.359
to regain her hold, he kicks her arm off the rim.

1152
01:20:04.800 --> 01:20:10.079
She plummets, her blood chilling screen consumed by the surrounding trees.

1153
01:20:11.279 --> 01:20:16.239
A rush of splashing rumbles up from the pit. Brushing

1154
01:20:16.279 --> 01:20:20.720
his hands together, Brock steps backwards with a smirk, and

1155
01:20:20.800 --> 01:20:23.880
thanks to your recommendation of watts. After tonight, I'll be

1156
01:20:23.960 --> 01:20:28.640
sitting pretty for the rest of my life. The screams

1157
01:20:28.680 --> 01:20:34.960
from the cistern go silent, the splashing slowly subsides, muted

1158
01:20:36.119 --> 01:20:41.479
by darkness. Brock glances over at Lucian with a satisfied grin.

1159
01:20:42.600 --> 01:20:48.159
Brilliant job. You've earned every penny I paid you, every penny.

1160
01:20:49.439 --> 01:20:53.239
Lucian tips his hat with a slight bow and more

1161
01:20:54.600 --> 01:21:00.640
from the shadows, A dark, hooded figure emerges silently glides

1162
01:21:00.680 --> 01:21:05.079
to Lucian's side. The scythe shimmers in the lantern light.

1163
01:21:05.920 --> 01:21:09.640
Brock shuffles back with a wide eyed gasp. Bumping against

1164
01:21:09.720 --> 01:21:15.279
the cistern's rim. With a single nudge, he topples over

1165
01:21:15.319 --> 01:21:21.399
the edge. As the screams and splashes below start anew

1166
01:21:22.000 --> 01:21:27.800
Lucian turns and gives an approving nod. Vivian sweeps the

1167
01:21:27.840 --> 01:21:33.199
hood back and spits into the cistern. My daddy didn't

1168
01:21:33.319 --> 01:21:37.720
raise a fool. Reaching inside her robe, she withdraws a

1169
01:21:37.760 --> 01:21:42.079
fat envelope and several keys, and hands them over to Lucian.

1170
01:21:42.960 --> 01:21:45.680
The yacht and the house in Naples are now yours,

1171
01:21:45.760 --> 01:21:49.760
as we agreed, I'm keeping the maserati, so please, when

1172
01:21:49.760 --> 01:21:52.520
you sail off, leave it parked at the marina where

1173
01:21:52.520 --> 01:21:56.920
it'll be noticed. Fortunate is the man who can earn

1174
01:21:57.000 --> 01:22:02.279
an excellent living doing what he loves, and Lucian Greyshire

1175
01:22:03.439 --> 01:22:08.680
is a fortunate man, vigilant and ensuring due justice is

1176
01:22:08.760 --> 01:22:13.960
well served. Graciously, he accepts, tucking the envelope and keys

1177
01:22:14.039 --> 01:22:18.159
into his coat pocket. Thank you, my lady. It's been

1178
01:22:18.199 --> 01:22:22.319
a pleasure doing business with you. I do appreciate you

1179
01:22:22.439 --> 01:22:26.840
allowing me to finish the little weasel off, an opportunity

1180
01:22:26.920 --> 01:22:31.239
well deserved in my humble opinion. He offers her his arm.

1181
01:22:32.119 --> 01:22:33.079
What about Watts?

1182
01:22:34.079 --> 01:22:36.319
I had to shoot him in the leg, but now

1183
01:22:36.359 --> 01:22:41.239
he's in police custody. Vivian entwines her arm around Lucian's

1184
01:22:41.760 --> 01:22:46.399
what about the alligators? I'll return them to the bayou tomorrow.

1185
01:22:47.279 --> 01:22:50.399
Shall we retire now to the manor house. I believe

1186
01:22:50.439 --> 01:22:54.760
our guests will be arriving at any time. Vivian looks

1187
01:22:54.760 --> 01:22:59.960
over and smiles. It would be unkind to keep them.

1188
01:23:00.039 --> 01:23:11.720
I'm waiting a Zombies Halloween by Rob Fields.

1189
01:23:12.760 --> 01:23:14.359
I'm laying in my bed and.

1190
01:23:14.319 --> 01:23:20.000
Just hoping my alarms won't go off. No such luck.

1191
01:23:20.640 --> 01:23:23.560
The alarm clock and my smartphone both go off at

1192
01:23:23.600 --> 01:23:27.239
almost the same time. I groan and force myself to

1193
01:23:27.319 --> 01:23:31.920
move and turn off the alarms. God damn it, I mutter,

1194
01:23:32.880 --> 01:23:36.720
of course, it's God damn it. Today's Halloween here in Strickfield.

1195
01:23:36.960 --> 01:23:39.880
Today I should be sleeping in, not getting up and

1196
01:23:39.920 --> 01:23:44.520
getting ready for school. What's that you say? There's no

1197
01:23:44.680 --> 01:23:47.880
school on Halloween and Strickfield. If you go to public

1198
01:23:47.920 --> 01:23:51.520
school or Strickfield University, then you'd be right. But if

1199
01:23:51.560 --> 01:23:56.520
you go to Strickfield Academy, however, then you're going to school.

1200
01:23:57.039 --> 01:23:59.319
You see, when it was voted into law to make

1201
01:23:59.359 --> 01:24:03.800
Halloween seven day event, Strickfield Academy fought and fought to

1202
01:24:03.880 --> 01:24:06.720
make sure they wouldn't have to be included in the

1203
01:24:06.760 --> 01:24:11.079
proposed law. Mayor Patrick Gunter asked that the exception be

1204
01:24:11.159 --> 01:24:15.199
written into the issue. Even with the exception, the issue

1205
01:24:15.239 --> 01:24:19.600
still passed by an overwhelming majority and became village law.

1206
01:24:20.479 --> 01:24:23.439
As I'm showering and trying to wake my sexy ass up,

1207
01:24:23.760 --> 01:24:26.560
I keep being pissed at my parents for enrolling me

1208
01:24:26.600 --> 01:24:29.760
at that fucking hell hole. I keep telling them I

1209
01:24:29.840 --> 01:24:33.439
wanted to go to public school, but no. My parents

1210
01:24:33.479 --> 01:24:37.560
happen to be friends with quite a few of the Mirans. No,

1211
01:24:37.640 --> 01:24:41.960
not just friends, they are the personal attorneys for those

1212
01:24:42.520 --> 01:24:46.439
overly rich snobs. Many of those Mirans have their kids

1213
01:24:46.520 --> 01:24:50.079
enrolled at Strickfield Academy and recommended my parents do the

1214
01:24:50.119 --> 01:24:53.279
same for me. I've been at that shithole for the

1215
01:24:53.399 --> 01:24:56.560
last three years. Getting through senior year is going to

1216
01:24:56.640 --> 01:24:59.960
be the most difficult yet. I finished showering and start

1217
01:25:00.119 --> 01:25:02.600
drying off. I look in the mirror and see my

1218
01:25:02.720 --> 01:25:06.600
newly dyed hair. It was originally blonde, but I wanted

1219
01:25:06.640 --> 01:25:11.039
black with flaming orange streaks for Halloween. The other girls

1220
01:25:11.039 --> 01:25:14.840
on the cheerleading squad love it, not head Mistress Hiltonson,

1221
01:25:15.319 --> 01:25:18.119
But what can the bitch do? Getting my hair colored

1222
01:25:18.119 --> 01:25:22.000
ain't against school policy. I finish drying off and go

1223
01:25:22.159 --> 01:25:24.760
back to my bedroom. I put on most of my

1224
01:25:24.840 --> 01:25:27.640
cheerleading uniform and then look at my naked upper body

1225
01:25:27.640 --> 01:25:30.800
in the mirror. I love my body, and so do

1226
01:25:30.880 --> 01:25:34.560
many of the boys at Strickfield Academy. Then I put

1227
01:25:34.600 --> 01:25:35.199
my top on.

1228
01:25:35.840 --> 01:25:36.279
No bra.

1229
01:25:36.960 --> 01:25:40.680
Yeah, the handbook says we're supposed to wear underwear, including bras.

1230
01:25:41.079 --> 01:25:43.239
If I gotta keep going to that fucking hell hole,

1231
01:25:43.279 --> 01:25:46.720
I'm gonna wear whatever I please. It ain't long before

1232
01:25:46.760 --> 01:25:49.479
Annie Godfrey texts me and tells me she'll be at

1233
01:25:49.520 --> 01:25:52.560
my house shortly. I blow myself a kiss in the

1234
01:25:52.600 --> 01:25:55.399
mirror before I get up and leave my room. I

1235
01:25:55.520 --> 01:25:58.119
make my way down to the front door. When I

1236
01:25:58.159 --> 01:26:00.560
come out with my backpack, I see Anne and her

1237
01:26:00.600 --> 01:26:04.640
new fully loaded Ford Mustang GT. I get in the

1238
01:26:04.720 --> 01:26:08.880
car and accept the Menthol cigarette from her. Looking sexy

1239
01:26:08.920 --> 01:26:12.800
as always, hotness, Annie says, I take a pull on

1240
01:26:12.840 --> 01:26:16.079
the cigarette and hand it back to her. Maybe Hiltonson

1241
01:26:16.079 --> 01:26:18.399
will finally expel me for being so hot.

1242
01:26:18.439 --> 01:26:18.920
I burn.

1243
01:26:20.039 --> 01:26:23.159
Annie sticks the cigarette back in her mouth and stomps

1244
01:26:23.239 --> 01:26:27.079
the gas. The back tires squeal as we move forward.

1245
01:26:27.640 --> 01:26:30.359
Her dad owns a bunch of car dealerships and gave

1246
01:26:30.399 --> 01:26:35.239
his baby girl whatever new car she wanted for her birthday. Yeah,

1247
01:26:35.680 --> 01:26:40.039
Annie's my spoiled, rotten bestie. I can't believe how this

1248
01:26:40.239 --> 01:26:45.119
fucking village bows to head Mistress Hiltonson. Annie mutters, she's

1249
01:26:45.159 --> 01:26:49.039
the reason we're going to school today and tomorrow. I'm

1250
01:26:49.079 --> 01:26:53.039
telling you we should just skip it. I hint, good idea.

1251
01:26:53.359 --> 01:26:55.680
Then dadd'll find out and take my baby away.

1252
01:26:56.399 --> 01:26:57.000
I smirk.

1253
01:26:57.760 --> 01:27:00.239
I'd love it if Daddy kicked my sexy ass out

1254
01:27:00.239 --> 01:27:03.640
of the house for skipping school. Annie raised an eyebrow.

1255
01:27:04.600 --> 01:27:07.560
And what would you do for money? I'm sure I

1256
01:27:07.600 --> 01:27:10.119
could find a few rich Mirans and let them fuck

1257
01:27:10.199 --> 01:27:14.119
me for some damn good money, I reply, Annie grinns

1258
01:27:14.119 --> 01:27:18.640
and hands me the cigarette again. Better be careful, hotness,

1259
01:27:19.079 --> 01:27:23.479
you're already skating on thin ice with hiltonsent fuck her,

1260
01:27:23.880 --> 01:27:27.239
I mutter. At least we can wear our cheerleading outfits

1261
01:27:27.279 --> 01:27:31.119
without the bitch giving us a hard time. Yep, you

1262
01:27:31.239 --> 01:27:34.159
guessed it. Annie and I do anything and everything we

1263
01:27:34.239 --> 01:27:36.800
can to see how far we can push the boundaries.

1264
01:27:37.560 --> 01:27:41.640
It wasn't long ago Castalia Miran got expelled from Strickfield Academy.

1265
01:27:42.239 --> 01:27:47.640
Lucky bitch anyway, she had tattoos and piercings that kept

1266
01:27:47.640 --> 01:27:50.840
getting her into trouble with Hilton sent. When we all

1267
01:27:50.880 --> 01:27:54.119
heard Castalia got expelled, you'd have thought there was a

1268
01:27:54.159 --> 01:27:57.880
long moment of silence throughout the place. Yeah, that's how

1269
01:27:57.920 --> 01:28:02.199
popular she was. And once Castalia was gone, guess who

1270
01:28:02.279 --> 01:28:06.760
Hiltonson turned her attention to next. Yep, you guessed it.

1271
01:28:07.760 --> 01:28:10.479
The worst the bitch ever got on me was smoking

1272
01:28:10.520 --> 01:28:15.239
a cigarette outside the cafeteria. She bitched and bitched till

1273
01:28:15.359 --> 01:28:18.600
she was blue in the face. I kept hoping and

1274
01:28:18.640 --> 01:28:22.760
praying she would have eventually expelled me, but no such luck.

1275
01:28:24.079 --> 01:28:27.680
Annie turns into the big gate of Strickfield Academy. You

1276
01:28:27.760 --> 01:28:31.159
can tell the other students are just so fucking happy

1277
01:28:31.199 --> 01:28:34.239
to be here today. But here we are, wearing our

1278
01:28:34.319 --> 01:28:38.199
uniforms and our fake smiles. Our cheerleading squad feels like

1279
01:28:38.239 --> 01:28:40.960
we're the chosen ones since we get to wear these

1280
01:28:41.039 --> 01:28:44.760
sexy outfits. Yeah, we got a game to cheer for

1281
01:28:45.000 --> 01:28:49.239
after school today against Ridgeway Heights. That means a long

1282
01:28:49.399 --> 01:28:53.239
ass bus ride there and back, guaranteeing Annie and I

1283
01:28:53.279 --> 01:28:56.840
are gonna miss out on much of the Halloween happenings tonight.

1284
01:28:57.920 --> 01:29:00.880
Annie parks and we walked to our part of the academy.

1285
01:29:01.399 --> 01:29:06.680
Nobody's wearing any kind of Halloween costume. Want to guess why, Yeah,

1286
01:29:06.920 --> 01:29:10.439
you guessed it. Hiltonson only got on the loudspeaker every

1287
01:29:10.520 --> 01:29:13.960
day last week and reminded everybody that the strictfield law

1288
01:29:14.000 --> 01:29:20.319
about Halloween does not and will never apply to this shithole. Furthermore,

1289
01:29:20.640 --> 01:29:24.920
anybody caught wearing Halloween costumes will be assigned Saturday detention

1290
01:29:25.600 --> 01:29:28.920
till the end of the school year. We meet up

1291
01:29:28.920 --> 01:29:31.239
with the rest of the squad. We ain't got much

1292
01:29:31.279 --> 01:29:33.960
time for greetings, however, when the iron claw of head

1293
01:29:34.039 --> 01:29:37.840
Mistress Hiltonson snatches my wrist and turns me around to

1294
01:29:37.880 --> 01:29:42.720
face her. You've been smoking again, haven't you, she demands.

1295
01:29:43.479 --> 01:29:47.760
I smile and show the bitch my pearly whites. Why, yes,

1296
01:29:48.199 --> 01:29:51.880
I am. People do call me the hotness for a reason,

1297
01:29:51.960 --> 01:29:56.039
you know. Oh does she ever frown at me? Don't

1298
01:29:56.079 --> 01:29:59.479
you get smart with me, Bernadette Hollow. I don't care

1299
01:29:59.520 --> 01:30:02.000
if your parent and are the most powerful lawyers for

1300
01:30:02.119 --> 01:30:06.680
miles around, you will be disciplined for getting out of line.

1301
01:30:06.720 --> 01:30:10.520
I still smile brightly for her, sure thing, Your highness,

1302
01:30:11.000 --> 01:30:13.560
anything you say you want me to bend over and

1303
01:30:13.600 --> 01:30:15.880
pull my panties down so you can make my rosy

1304
01:30:15.920 --> 01:30:21.439
red ass even redder. Slap, Oh yes she did. Hiltonson's

1305
01:30:21.479 --> 01:30:24.600
hand was a blur when she slapped me right across

1306
01:30:24.640 --> 01:30:29.520
the face, making my head snap back fast. I slowly

1307
01:30:29.640 --> 01:30:35.880
turned back to her. You, Jezbel Hiltonson yells, yeah, the

1308
01:30:36.000 --> 01:30:39.119
left side of my face is real hot. I still

1309
01:30:39.159 --> 01:30:40.399
smile pretty for her.

1310
01:30:40.439 --> 01:30:40.680
Though.

1311
01:30:41.319 --> 01:30:43.479
There are plenty of things I can do right now,

1312
01:30:43.920 --> 01:30:48.560
including involving my parents, but I love getting under Hiltonson's

1313
01:30:48.560 --> 01:30:52.399
skin so much. In fact, I lean in and lock

1314
01:30:52.479 --> 01:30:59.359
eyes with the head nuns Happy Halloween slap, and that

1315
01:30:59.399 --> 01:31:02.439
one was he and harder than the first, But I

1316
01:31:02.520 --> 01:31:06.520
still show Hilton's in my pearly whites. You want me

1317
01:31:06.560 --> 01:31:08.399
out of this uniform, just say the word.

1318
01:31:08.960 --> 01:31:09.119
Then.

1319
01:31:09.159 --> 01:31:11.279
I ain't got a cheer for the stupid game tonight,

1320
01:31:11.760 --> 01:31:14.399
I can go trick or treating. Oh and there's the

1321
01:31:14.399 --> 01:31:18.800
retro Halloween weekend horrthon playing at the drive in and slap.

1322
01:31:19.640 --> 01:31:23.640
Now I actually taste blood. Yeah, the bitch hit me

1323
01:31:23.760 --> 01:31:27.680
so hard she drew blood. Then I look right at her.

1324
01:31:28.720 --> 01:31:30.640
Fuck you. Yeah.

1325
01:31:30.680 --> 01:31:32.600
She wants to throw me out of here, but she

1326
01:31:32.840 --> 01:31:36.079
knows my parents will sue this place. She sees the

1327
01:31:36.079 --> 01:31:39.239
blood on my lips and teeth. Oh, she's gonna wish

1328
01:31:39.279 --> 01:31:42.119
she'd never met me. I really want to beat the

1329
01:31:42.159 --> 01:31:46.000
living shit out of Hiltonson Right now, I'm gonna come

1330
01:31:46.039 --> 01:31:51.239
back here tonight and fuck her up. Ever hear that's

1331
01:31:51.279 --> 01:31:59.079
saying about being careful what you wish for after school.

1332
01:31:59.159 --> 01:32:02.600
We're on our way to Ridgeway Heights. Well, at least

1333
01:32:02.640 --> 01:32:06.840
we were until the bus broke down. Turned out some

1334
01:32:07.079 --> 01:32:11.359
jackass never filled the fucking gas tank before leaving the academy.

1335
01:32:12.199 --> 01:32:16.720
Fine with me, I'd rather be in Strickfield doing Halloween things.

1336
01:32:17.279 --> 01:32:21.039
Then the bitch bus driver points right at me. How

1337
01:32:21.119 --> 01:32:23.520
about you head into these woods and see if you

1338
01:32:23.560 --> 01:32:27.039
could buy some gas for the bus. I'm ready to

1339
01:32:27.079 --> 01:32:31.039
tell the old bat to get fucked, but Annie quickly

1340
01:32:31.079 --> 01:32:35.560
stops me. Then she whispers in my ear, go just

1341
01:32:35.600 --> 01:32:38.159
take your time. Then we'll have to go to the

1342
01:32:38.199 --> 01:32:41.680
fucking game. In fact, I know plenty of places we

1343
01:32:41.720 --> 01:32:45.640
can get drunk and laid tonight. I smile right at

1344
01:32:45.640 --> 01:32:49.199
Annie and grab the sides of her face. We get

1345
01:32:49.279 --> 01:32:52.199
lots of gasps when I plant one right on her lips.

1346
01:32:52.800 --> 01:32:55.199
When I stop kissing her, Annie looks right at me.

1347
01:32:55.920 --> 01:32:59.039
I think she wants me to kiss her again. After

1348
01:32:59.079 --> 01:33:02.920
I do, she stands up and lets me go. I

1349
01:33:03.039 --> 01:33:04.760
walk to the front of the bus and get out

1350
01:33:04.760 --> 01:33:08.319
to find the gas can the hag wants me to take. Now,

1351
01:33:08.399 --> 01:33:10.880
I see right where we ran out of gas, at

1352
01:33:12.199 --> 01:33:17.039
the backwoods of Strickfield. I heard all kinds of fucked

1353
01:33:17.119 --> 01:33:21.199
up shit happens back here. Personally, I think it's all bullshit.

1354
01:33:21.239 --> 01:33:24.840
As I pick up the gas can and head into

1355
01:33:24.920 --> 01:33:32.760
the woods. You wouldn't believe all the looks I get.

1356
01:33:32.800 --> 01:33:36.199
When I come back onto the bus. It's almost dark.

1357
01:33:36.279 --> 01:33:36.560
Now.

1358
01:33:36.920 --> 01:33:40.399
Oh, I did get the gas, but I really feel

1359
01:33:40.439 --> 01:33:40.800
like shit.

1360
01:33:40.920 --> 01:33:41.199
Now.

1361
01:33:41.760 --> 01:33:44.199
Both my left shoulder and right side of my neck

1362
01:33:44.239 --> 01:33:49.119
are really hurting. Jesus hotness, what happened to you? Annie

1363
01:33:49.199 --> 01:33:53.439
asks When I sit down, she sees my neck. Wow,

1364
01:33:53.520 --> 01:33:58.079
those are some long scratches and your shoulder. Are you bleeding?

1365
01:33:58.720 --> 01:34:02.279
I shiver and hold myself. I got my varsity jacket on,

1366
01:34:02.359 --> 01:34:05.800
which usually keeps me warm. Guess I'm bleeding through it.

1367
01:34:06.560 --> 01:34:10.840
Found this house nobody was home. Found the gas. Little

1368
01:34:10.920 --> 01:34:14.119
hillbilly kid surprised me. I don't know what was wrong

1369
01:34:14.159 --> 01:34:18.159
with him. He just looked horrible. He really stankd too.

1370
01:34:18.199 --> 01:34:20.880
He jumped up on me from behind and took me down.

1371
01:34:21.560 --> 01:34:23.159
I got the little shit off of me, but he

1372
01:34:23.239 --> 01:34:26.960
scratched me on the neck and fuck it hurts. Then

1373
01:34:27.039 --> 01:34:29.760
the old bat comes back on the bus. Do you

1374
01:34:29.800 --> 01:34:33.800
have any idea how late you've made us for the game, Bernadette,

1375
01:34:34.199 --> 01:34:39.039
get fucked, I groan. She wants to unleash her fury

1376
01:34:39.079 --> 01:34:42.399
on me, but sees I'm hurt. She's quickly on her

1377
01:34:42.439 --> 01:34:46.880
smartphone to the academy. After some conversation, she hangs up

1378
01:34:46.920 --> 01:34:50.319
and looks at me again. I'm taking us back, had

1379
01:34:50.359 --> 01:34:53.600
Mistress Hiltonson's going to be very angry with you. Bernadette.

1380
01:34:54.840 --> 01:34:58.600
Fuck Hiltonson, I say under my breath. It takes a

1381
01:34:58.640 --> 01:35:00.960
little bit for the hag to turn the bus around.

1382
01:35:01.319 --> 01:35:04.319
Then I moan a little before I lurch forward and

1383
01:35:04.399 --> 01:35:08.399
puke all over a band geek ew he cries.

1384
01:35:09.079 --> 01:35:09.479
Really.

1385
01:35:10.640 --> 01:35:13.760
Annie puts her hand on my forehead. Then she calls

1386
01:35:13.800 --> 01:35:17.640
up front she's got a fever. She's really burning up.

1387
01:35:18.760 --> 01:35:21.319
I feel the pain on my shoulder again, reminding me

1388
01:35:21.439 --> 01:35:24.720
the little fucker bit me too. I was okay for

1389
01:35:24.800 --> 01:35:27.319
a while. I think I lost a lot of blood

1390
01:35:27.319 --> 01:35:30.920
from the bite. My neck bled too. I know I

1391
01:35:30.960 --> 01:35:33.720
got away from that kid, since I obviously made it

1392
01:35:33.800 --> 01:35:37.079
back to the bus, I can't help myself now. I'm

1393
01:35:37.079 --> 01:35:40.199
so tired and weak. I lay my head on Annie's

1394
01:35:40.199 --> 01:35:42.439
shoulder and fall asleep.

1395
01:35:44.760 --> 01:35:48.880
I like it, spooky weekly, Spooky will be right back.

1396
01:35:58.199 --> 01:36:00.520
I'm not sure how long I slept, but I feel

1397
01:36:00.560 --> 01:36:05.479
myself starting to twitch and know I'm waking up. Something's

1398
01:36:05.520 --> 01:36:09.600
different now I'm not in any more pain. I'm not

1399
01:36:09.640 --> 01:36:13.399
even burning up and freezing at the same time, but

1400
01:36:13.399 --> 01:36:17.439
but I do still feel cold. Honey, are you okay?

1401
01:36:18.000 --> 01:36:21.560
Somebody's asking me. I fully open my eyes and see

1402
01:36:21.600 --> 01:36:25.000
a nun looking down at me. I think I'm back

1403
01:36:25.000 --> 01:36:30.520
at Strickfield Academy. Now. The nun gasps in horror, God,

1404
01:36:30.560 --> 01:36:34.239
in Heaven your eyes, and then I suddenly grab the

1405
01:36:34.319 --> 01:36:37.760
nun and pull her down to me. She cries out

1406
01:36:37.760 --> 01:36:40.520
when I bite a huge chunk of flesh right out

1407
01:36:40.520 --> 01:36:43.479
of the side of her neck. The nun screams and

1408
01:36:43.520 --> 01:36:46.399
tries to break free. I grab hold of the collar

1409
01:36:46.439 --> 01:36:49.159
of her habit and sit up to take another bite

1410
01:36:49.199 --> 01:36:52.960
out of her neck. The nun's blood squirts hard out

1411
01:36:52.960 --> 01:36:57.279
of her gashes, some getting on me. Then she groans

1412
01:36:57.319 --> 01:37:01.520
and drops to the floor. I growl and get off

1413
01:37:01.560 --> 01:37:06.920
the cot. Now I'm lowering myself to the floor She's

1414
01:37:06.960 --> 01:37:10.119
still twitching a little. When I grab her face and

1415
01:37:10.239 --> 01:37:13.800
dig into it, she screams one last time when I

1416
01:37:13.880 --> 01:37:17.920
pull her skin right off her face, taking one of

1417
01:37:17.920 --> 01:37:21.359
her eyeballs along with it. With her face now in

1418
01:37:21.479 --> 01:37:25.159
my hands, I bring it up to my mouth and eat.

1419
01:37:26.640 --> 01:37:28.520
I don't know why I want to eat like this.

1420
01:37:29.159 --> 01:37:34.680
I just know I'm so hungry and this flesh tastes delicious.

1421
01:37:35.840 --> 01:37:39.319
After I finish eating her face, I tear her habit open.

1422
01:37:40.039 --> 01:37:43.199
Then I tear her stomach wide open and pull her

1423
01:37:43.239 --> 01:37:47.000
guts out. It isn't long before I'm wearing more of

1424
01:37:47.039 --> 01:37:52.960
her blood. After some time passes, the nun starts twitching

1425
01:37:53.000 --> 01:37:57.159
a little, then some more. I finish what I'm eating

1426
01:37:57.159 --> 01:38:02.399
and slowly stand up. Such the nuns stand up too.

1427
01:38:02.920 --> 01:38:07.039
Now I understand when she was talking about my eyes,

1428
01:38:08.119 --> 01:38:12.600
the nun's eyes were blue. Now her one remaining is

1429
01:38:12.640 --> 01:38:17.720
a sickening, puky yellow. I understand the nun is just

1430
01:38:17.840 --> 01:38:24.680
like me. Now, wow, I really fucking died. That fucking

1431
01:38:24.760 --> 01:38:28.119
hillbilly Brad who attacked me in the backwoods he was

1432
01:38:28.159 --> 01:38:31.720
dead too. He hurt me bad and made me just

1433
01:38:31.880 --> 01:38:35.319
like him. I just killed this nun and now she's

1434
01:38:35.399 --> 01:38:38.239
like me and the little boy. We both look at

1435
01:38:38.239 --> 01:38:38.880
each other.

1436
01:38:39.119 --> 01:38:40.079
For a long moment.

1437
01:38:40.960 --> 01:38:43.760
I try talking to the nun, but all that comes

1438
01:38:43.840 --> 01:38:48.960
out are growls. The nun answers by making this raspy sound.

1439
01:38:50.079 --> 01:38:53.800
I turned to the door and start moving towards it. Funny,

1440
01:38:54.479 --> 01:38:57.680
I should be able to easily walk, but I can't.

1441
01:38:58.439 --> 01:39:01.239
I can walk, but it's like my get up and go,

1442
01:39:01.640 --> 01:39:07.039
just got up and left. I'm managing walking just really slowly.

1443
01:39:08.239 --> 01:39:11.560
The nun's walking the same pace with me. When we

1444
01:39:11.640 --> 01:39:14.760
reach the door, I open it. We walk out into

1445
01:39:14.800 --> 01:39:19.920
the hallway, and then I know exactly what I want

1446
01:39:19.920 --> 01:39:25.720
to do. I want to scream, Hilton Sin, you're dead,

1447
01:39:25.800 --> 01:39:30.760
Meet you fucking bitch. I'll teach you to slap me again.

1448
01:39:31.439 --> 01:39:34.640
All that comes out are a bunch of growls. Christ

1449
01:39:35.000 --> 01:39:38.279
I'm both angry and hungry as fuck. I really want

1450
01:39:38.279 --> 01:39:42.199
to kill the headmistress. I'm hoping the bitch is still here.

1451
01:39:43.479 --> 01:39:48.000
Wait a minute, of course she is. If she ain't

1452
01:39:48.039 --> 01:39:50.359
in her office, then she's got to be at her

1453
01:39:50.399 --> 01:39:54.960
cottage here on campus. Remembering where her office is, I

1454
01:39:55.079 --> 01:39:59.079
turn and start heading there. The nun turns and comes

1455
01:39:59.119 --> 01:40:04.560
with me. I guess us. Dead people gotta stick together. Right, Yeah,

1456
01:40:04.840 --> 01:40:08.159
I'm fucking dead, no doubt about it. I know I

1457
01:40:08.199 --> 01:40:13.319
ain't breathing. I'm moving really slowly. I'm cold all over.

1458
01:40:14.119 --> 01:40:16.760
It's taking effort for me to move the way I want.

1459
01:40:17.680 --> 01:40:20.920
I want to walk normal, but I just can't. And

1460
01:40:20.960 --> 01:40:23.439
then there's that shit about not being able to talk.

1461
01:40:24.359 --> 01:40:27.840
But how am I still thinking normally? I move my

1462
01:40:27.920 --> 01:40:32.720
hand to my neck. My scratches are still there. I

1463
01:40:32.800 --> 01:40:36.840
touch my shoulder. That piece of flesh is still missing

1464
01:40:36.880 --> 01:40:39.800
from where that little shit bit me, but I'm not

1465
01:40:39.840 --> 01:40:47.520
bleeding anymore. And then I actually have an epiphany. Since

1466
01:40:47.520 --> 01:40:50.960
I'm a walking dead girl, now I don't ever have

1467
01:40:51.000 --> 01:40:54.359
to come to classes here ever again. Right, I can

1468
01:40:54.439 --> 01:41:00.800
literally do whatever I want. Well right now, head Mistress

1469
01:41:00.880 --> 01:41:03.520
Hiltonson is on the menu, and I ain't leaving here

1470
01:41:03.600 --> 01:41:06.560
until I eat every bit of flesh off her body.

1471
01:41:08.479 --> 01:41:11.359
Before long, the faceless nun and I reach the head

1472
01:41:11.399 --> 01:41:15.239
Mistress's office. I open the door and walk in. I

1473
01:41:15.319 --> 01:41:18.960
see another nun. It ain't Hiltonson, but I can feed

1474
01:41:19.039 --> 01:41:23.399
my gnawing hunger some more. At least she looks at us.

1475
01:41:24.680 --> 01:41:29.880
It's sister Sarah Bernadette sister, are you too all right?

1476
01:41:31.039 --> 01:41:35.000
You both know Halloween costumes are not permitted here. When

1477
01:41:35.000 --> 01:41:38.039
the Faceless Nun and I are almost to Sister Sarah,

1478
01:41:38.199 --> 01:41:41.239
she gets all scared now. She quickly gets out of

1479
01:41:41.239 --> 01:41:43.960
her desk and starts grabbing and throwing stuff at us.

1480
01:41:44.640 --> 01:41:48.199
Get back, Sister Sarah yells, get away from me. You

1481
01:41:48.319 --> 01:41:52.359
both are abominations before Almighty God, Oh Lord.

1482
01:41:52.159 --> 01:41:52.600
Save me.

1483
01:41:53.800 --> 01:41:58.279
Unfortunately for her, her savior makes no move whatsoever is

1484
01:41:58.319 --> 01:42:01.000
The Faceless Nun and I both press her up against

1485
01:42:01.079 --> 01:42:05.439
the wall and start biting into her. She screams like

1486
01:42:05.479 --> 01:42:08.239
a wild banshie as we eat one piece of flesh

1487
01:42:08.319 --> 01:42:11.880
right after another off of her. When she falls, we

1488
01:42:12.000 --> 01:42:16.640
lower ourselves and start sharing her together. I rip into

1489
01:42:16.640 --> 01:42:20.800
Sister Sarah's habit and open her up like I did

1490
01:42:20.840 --> 01:42:27.520
the Faceless Nun earlier. After several minutes, Sister Sarah starts twitching.

1491
01:42:28.079 --> 01:42:31.319
The Faceless Nun and I both stop eating her and

1492
01:42:31.439 --> 01:42:36.760
watch her sit up slowly. Why do we just suddenly

1493
01:42:36.840 --> 01:42:39.159
stop when we see she's one of us?

1494
01:42:39.159 --> 01:42:39.399
Now?

1495
01:42:40.720 --> 01:42:43.520
Maybe it's some kind of instinct built into us or something.

1496
01:42:44.119 --> 01:42:47.399
We never eat or attack each other. The three of

1497
01:42:47.479 --> 01:42:50.960
us are on our feet. I remember head Mistress Hiltonson's

1498
01:42:51.000 --> 01:42:55.079
office and start walking there. When I reach her door,

1499
01:42:55.119 --> 01:42:58.800
I grab the handle and open it. Hiltonson's huge copy

1500
01:42:58.840 --> 01:43:01.840
of the Holy Bible is on her desk, but she

1501
01:43:01.880 --> 01:43:04.800
ain't here. That means she's got to be at her

1502
01:43:04.840 --> 01:43:07.000
cottage at that part of the campus where all the

1503
01:43:07.039 --> 01:43:11.279
other senior staff live. Must be nice being an abusive,

1504
01:43:11.359 --> 01:43:14.119
fucking bitch and getting generous perks for it.

1505
01:43:15.279 --> 01:43:16.520
Well, I ain't giving up.

1506
01:43:17.079 --> 01:43:19.680
Like I said, I ain't leaving here until she makes

1507
01:43:19.720 --> 01:43:24.119
my tummy ready to burst. I turn and start walking again.

1508
01:43:24.960 --> 01:43:28.119
I know exactly where the staff cottages are on campus.

1509
01:43:29.079 --> 01:43:34.039
I really wish I could fucking run, but I just can't.

1510
01:43:34.760 --> 01:43:35.239
No matter.

1511
01:43:36.199 --> 01:43:39.319
It's just me and the two nuns I made. I

1512
01:43:39.359 --> 01:43:41.520
don't know why they feel they gotta stick with me,

1513
01:43:41.600 --> 01:43:44.520
but I don't care. The more of us there are,

1514
01:43:44.520 --> 01:43:48.079
the better we can score food. In fact, we end

1515
01:43:48.159 --> 01:43:52.039
up killing and eating some students who stayed behind. Now

1516
01:43:52.079 --> 01:43:55.800
they're walking with us. Now my dead army is up

1517
01:43:55.840 --> 01:43:59.399
to eight. Even the others look at me like I'm

1518
01:43:59.439 --> 01:44:04.439
their leader. Well guess what, Hiltonson, you fascist bitch, you

1519
01:44:04.560 --> 01:44:07.560
wanted to keep Halloween as far away from Strickfield Academy

1520
01:44:07.600 --> 01:44:12.479
as you could, well, you're gonna get a Halloween. You

1521
01:44:12.520 --> 01:44:17.319
ain't never gonna forget. We may be walking so goddamn slow,

1522
01:44:17.399 --> 01:44:20.279
but we do make it to your corner of the campus.

1523
01:44:20.720 --> 01:44:23.600
We're now walking on the street where all the faculty

1524
01:44:23.680 --> 01:44:28.199
cottages are lined up on both sides. Unfortunately for you,

1525
01:44:29.039 --> 01:44:32.600
I know which one you happen to live in. It's

1526
01:44:32.680 --> 01:44:36.479
the odd numbered side in cottage one. That means we

1527
01:44:36.520 --> 01:44:39.479
gotta walk the whole street just to get to you.

1528
01:44:40.079 --> 01:44:42.439
And if you ain't here, we can eat up every

1529
01:44:42.520 --> 01:44:47.079
last person living here. One way or another, I will

1530
01:44:47.239 --> 01:44:51.039
get you. And then, as if luck is walking with us,

1531
01:44:52.199 --> 01:44:55.479
had Mistress Hiltonson just happens to open her front door

1532
01:44:56.079 --> 01:45:00.520
to step outside. She's wearing a long row and is

1533
01:45:00.520 --> 01:45:05.359
smoking one of her herbal cigarettes. She rarely ever walks

1534
01:45:05.399 --> 01:45:09.239
around Strickfield without her habit on. I know she always

1535
01:45:09.239 --> 01:45:12.840
goes to football games and regular clothes. I heard a

1536
01:45:12.880 --> 01:45:15.279
few girls say they'd love to take her to bed,

1537
01:45:15.960 --> 01:45:20.600
crazy fucking bitches. Oh that's right, that crazy Angie wants

1538
01:45:20.640 --> 01:45:25.239
to take Hiltonson to bed. Hiltonson's peace is soon disrupted

1539
01:45:26.000 --> 01:45:29.479
when she hears us making noise. As soon as she

1540
01:45:29.560 --> 01:45:34.399
sees us walking deadly slow down her street, she turns

1541
01:45:34.439 --> 01:45:39.439
and scowls. Students are not permitted to be on faculty grounds,

1542
01:45:39.880 --> 01:45:44.239
Hiltonson states, as headmistress of Strickfield Academy, I demand you

1543
01:45:44.319 --> 01:45:48.680
turn around and leave right now. If you don't, you

1544
01:45:48.720 --> 01:45:53.159
will all be dealt severe discipline. Yeah, like we're really

1545
01:45:53.199 --> 01:45:57.079
gonna let her threats scare us. We just keep right

1546
01:45:57.119 --> 01:46:01.680
on coming. Last chance, turn around and leave right now.

1547
01:46:02.399 --> 01:46:07.399
Hiltonson yells, you will not be told again. It ain't

1548
01:46:07.439 --> 01:46:10.720
long before we're under the street lights near Hiltonson's cottage.

1549
01:46:11.760 --> 01:46:12.119
Oh.

1550
01:46:12.199 --> 01:46:16.079
She gets real pissed off when she sees us. She

1551
01:46:16.159 --> 01:46:19.960
points right at us. How dare you wear Halloween costumes

1552
01:46:19.960 --> 01:46:24.319
on Strickfield Academy grounds. Halloween is Satan's holiday and we

1553
01:46:24.439 --> 01:46:28.520
never celebrate anything of the devil here. You shall all

1554
01:46:28.560 --> 01:46:33.439
be dealt with most harshly. When we keep moving towards her,

1555
01:46:33.720 --> 01:46:38.520
she finally sees me. Now, Bernadette Hollow, I should have known,

1556
01:46:39.079 --> 01:46:42.960
she roars, not only are you a Jezebel, but you're

1557
01:46:43.000 --> 01:46:46.720
a heathen. Just then, one of the priests is right

1558
01:46:46.720 --> 01:46:50.159
there on the street. I just called security they'll be

1559
01:46:50.199 --> 01:46:50.960
along any time.

1560
01:46:51.000 --> 01:46:53.279
To God.

1561
01:46:55.560 --> 01:46:58.319
Some of my army grab hold of him and take

1562
01:46:58.399 --> 01:47:02.359
him down to the road. Head Mistress Hiltonson gasps and

1563
01:47:02.479 --> 01:47:06.479
utter horror when she sees them ripping him apart and

1564
01:47:06.560 --> 01:47:10.199
devouring him. I keep my eyes on the prize and

1565
01:47:10.239 --> 01:47:14.800
reach out for Hiltonson. I growl when I'm grabbing her forearm,

1566
01:47:15.720 --> 01:47:19.319
But it seems I've underestimated the head Mistress. She grabs

1567
01:47:19.399 --> 01:47:23.079
my forearm instead. Now she brings her bare foot up

1568
01:47:23.399 --> 01:47:26.960
and cracks me in the face. I'm feeling dazed now.

1569
01:47:27.680 --> 01:47:30.880
Then she shoves me away from her porch. I fall

1570
01:47:30.920 --> 01:47:34.039
on land on my back. It ain't long before I'm

1571
01:47:34.119 --> 01:47:38.920
slowly getting back to my feet. Hiltonson gets inside her

1572
01:47:38.960 --> 01:47:44.439
cabin and slams her door shut and locks it very quickly.

1573
01:47:44.479 --> 01:47:47.680
We all surround her cottage. There are enough of us

1574
01:47:47.720 --> 01:47:50.319
behind her front door to make it finally give way

1575
01:47:50.359 --> 01:47:55.079
after some minutes. I'm the first one in. She's got

1576
01:47:55.119 --> 01:47:58.880
all kinds of religious shit everywhere. I think she really

1577
01:47:58.920 --> 01:48:03.520
feels like she a child of God suddenly had. Mistress

1578
01:48:03.560 --> 01:48:07.439
Hiltonson comes out of her bedroom. She ain't wearing her

1579
01:48:07.560 --> 01:48:11.239
robe no more. She's fully dressed now, not in her habit,

1580
01:48:11.359 --> 01:48:16.800
though she's wearing everything white pants, turtleneck, sweater, and boots.

1581
01:48:17.560 --> 01:48:21.439
You wish to do battle with me, Satan me, she

1582
01:48:21.600 --> 01:48:25.239
laughed scornfully. I've trained my whole life for the day

1583
01:48:25.279 --> 01:48:28.920
your armies would come for me, Prince of lies, and

1584
01:48:29.000 --> 01:48:32.560
now you send an undead army to challenge me. She

1585
01:48:32.720 --> 01:48:33.640
raises her fists.

1586
01:48:34.560 --> 01:48:36.159
Get behind me, Satan.

1587
01:48:37.159 --> 01:48:40.359
Our dead army is about to find out we greatly

1588
01:48:40.439 --> 01:48:44.359
underestimated Hiltonson. The two dead guys ahead of me get

1589
01:48:44.399 --> 01:48:48.159
knocked flat on their backs. I roar and lunge at her.

1590
01:48:48.920 --> 01:48:51.119
I want to take a bite out of her so badly.

1591
01:48:51.199 --> 01:48:54.000
I really don't care that she can fight. I roar

1592
01:48:54.079 --> 01:48:57.800
again as others are coming up beside me. Then Hiltonson

1593
01:48:57.920 --> 01:49:01.199
kicks me hard in between my tits, making me stagger

1594
01:49:01.319 --> 01:49:04.039
back and knocking a few of my own army down

1595
01:49:04.079 --> 01:49:08.760
with me. Now Hiltonson attacks and moves like she's starring

1596
01:49:08.800 --> 01:49:12.680
in her very own action movie. This fucking bitch is

1597
01:49:12.800 --> 01:49:16.159
like jet Lee. I can't believe she knows martial arts.

1598
01:49:16.439 --> 01:49:19.119
She's beating the snot out of all of us. But

1599
01:49:19.199 --> 01:49:22.000
I ain't given up either. I'm gonna bite her or

1600
01:49:22.039 --> 01:49:25.960
she'll have to kill me. Hiltonsen flips herself over to

1601
01:49:26.079 --> 01:49:29.520
a cabinet and quickly opens it. She's got guns in

1602
01:49:29.560 --> 01:49:33.680
her hands. Now see how quickly I dispel your army, Satan.

1603
01:49:34.520 --> 01:49:39.039
She fires them. Holy shit, she's dropping my army fast

1604
01:49:39.039 --> 01:49:42.279
by shooting them right between the eyes. When they're hit,

1605
01:49:42.399 --> 01:49:47.560
they fall over and stay dead. Now it's just down

1606
01:49:47.600 --> 01:49:52.119
to her and me. I got enough sense in my

1607
01:49:52.239 --> 01:49:55.199
dead brain to quickly move into her little kitchen to

1608
01:49:55.279 --> 01:49:59.600
avoid getting shot. You can flee, Bernadette, but we both

1609
01:49:59.640 --> 01:50:03.000
know you can't move very fast, don't we. I hear

1610
01:50:03.039 --> 01:50:05.880
her saying to me, I have faced your kind before.

1611
01:50:06.000 --> 01:50:08.800
I shall triumph over you, the way I've triumphed over

1612
01:50:08.840 --> 01:50:13.840
all of your lord and Master's minions. Come face me, Heathen,

1613
01:50:15.079 --> 01:50:21.159
let me end your suffering. She's right. If I can't

1614
01:50:21.159 --> 01:50:23.319
make my dead body move fast enough to where I

1615
01:50:23.319 --> 01:50:27.439
can fight hilton Sen, she'll fucking kill my ass. I

1616
01:50:27.439 --> 01:50:29.479
didn't come all the way out here to the queen

1617
01:50:29.560 --> 01:50:32.319
bitch herself just to die at her self righteous feet.

1618
01:50:33.199 --> 01:50:36.439
Remembering I can still think, I turn and open a

1619
01:50:36.520 --> 01:50:40.920
kitchen drawer when I feel Hiltonson's almost on me. I

1620
01:50:41.000 --> 01:50:45.319
attack and stab her with a very sharp kitchen knife. Yeah, bitch,

1621
01:50:45.680 --> 01:50:49.239
looks like you underestimated me. Now she's got a knife

1622
01:50:49.319 --> 01:50:53.159
buried in her shoulder, her white turtlenecks turning red quick.

1623
01:50:53.960 --> 01:50:58.079
I want to scream, fuck you, Hiltonson again. All that

1624
01:50:58.119 --> 01:51:02.600
comes out, though, are loud owls and grunts. Why can't

1625
01:51:02.600 --> 01:51:07.640
I fucking talk? Hiltonson's the one screaming though. Yeah, she

1626
01:51:07.720 --> 01:51:10.880
didn't like me surprising her like that. She kicks me

1627
01:51:10.960 --> 01:51:13.840
hard under my chin and makes me fall on my back.

1628
01:51:14.520 --> 01:51:17.600
My head hits hard against the refrigerator, and I'm on

1629
01:51:17.720 --> 01:51:21.159
my ass. I look up at her now and growl

1630
01:51:21.239 --> 01:51:26.520
with determination. Hiltonson pulls the knife out of her shoulder.

1631
01:51:27.520 --> 01:51:30.720
I will send you back to Satan very shortly, Bernadette,

1632
01:51:31.000 --> 01:51:33.680
tell your master he must do much better if he's

1633
01:51:33.720 --> 01:51:37.640
to defeat a true servant of the Lord. Hiltonson sees

1634
01:51:37.680 --> 01:51:41.000
me get to my feet again, She raises the knife

1635
01:51:41.039 --> 01:51:44.039
and comes after me. I manage to grab hold of

1636
01:51:44.079 --> 01:51:46.720
a pot and swing it hard, cracking her right in

1637
01:51:46.760 --> 01:51:51.479
the head again. She never saw it coming. Now she's

1638
01:51:51.560 --> 01:51:55.039
on her back. Now, I quickly move and drop right

1639
01:51:55.119 --> 01:51:59.840
on top of her. No, Hiltonson cries when I'm snapping

1640
01:51:59.840 --> 01:52:03.920
my teeth at her. Dear God, no, I'm sitting on

1641
01:52:03.920 --> 01:52:08.600
her waist and she's holding my wrists being dead. I

1642
01:52:08.640 --> 01:52:11.199
can't match Hiltonson for shit when it comes to speed,

1643
01:52:11.640 --> 01:52:14.319
but being this close to her means I can almost

1644
01:52:14.359 --> 01:52:17.479
match strength with her. I roar and growl when I

1645
01:52:17.520 --> 01:52:22.239
remember her slapping me three times earlier. Today, you drew

1646
01:52:22.319 --> 01:52:27.279
blood from me, Hiltonson. Now I want yours. Just seeing

1647
01:52:27.319 --> 01:52:30.600
her turtleneck all red now makes me so proud. I

1648
01:52:30.680 --> 01:52:33.760
got that fucking bitch worse than she got me. Now

1649
01:52:33.800 --> 01:52:37.520
I actually scream at her. Get off of me, Bernadette.

1650
01:52:37.840 --> 01:52:42.039
Hiltonson yells. I scream again and finally pin her wrists down,

1651
01:52:42.680 --> 01:52:46.680
and then I focus. God damn it, I'm gonna say

1652
01:52:46.720 --> 01:52:50.039
something to Hiltonson before I eat her. It takes everything

1653
01:52:50.079 --> 01:52:57.399
for me to finally get it out. Joh, I end

1654
01:52:57.479 --> 01:52:59.960
up opening my mouth so wide it makes the side

1655
01:53:00.079 --> 01:53:05.880
it's my face split. Hiltonson shrieks, I hope she pissed herself.

1656
01:53:06.600 --> 01:53:09.800
My tongue's practically hanging out of my wide open jaws.

1657
01:53:09.880 --> 01:53:16.800
Now I'm finally going to have my meal. Never, Hiltonson screams,

1658
01:53:17.239 --> 01:53:19.960
she suddenly roars and finds the strength to shove me

1659
01:53:20.039 --> 01:53:22.640
right off her. Then she does a kip up back

1660
01:53:22.680 --> 01:53:25.760
to her feet. I'm almost back on my feet when

1661
01:53:25.800 --> 01:53:28.199
she picks up the knife I stabbed her with minutes ago.

1662
01:53:28.920 --> 01:53:31.439
As I'm propping myself up on her counter, I look

1663
01:53:31.560 --> 01:53:35.199
right at her and stagger her way. That's when Hiltonson

1664
01:53:35.279 --> 01:53:39.000
draws back. I'm totally fucked when she easily flings the

1665
01:53:39.039 --> 01:53:43.039
knife so it ends up right between my eyes. I

1666
01:53:43.079 --> 01:53:46.000
can feel the blades stuck right in my brain. Now

1667
01:53:46.880 --> 01:53:51.279
I wobble and drop to my knees. I ain't dead yet,

1668
01:53:51.279 --> 01:53:55.520
but I'm losing control of my body. Head Mistress Hiltonson

1669
01:53:55.600 --> 01:53:59.560
comes to me. You were foolish to come and challenge me, Bernadette,

1670
01:54:00.159 --> 01:54:04.239
me know this before you stand before Almighty God for

1671
01:54:04.319 --> 01:54:07.640
his judgment. Through his power, I was able to stand

1672
01:54:07.720 --> 01:54:13.600
victorious against an army of your kind. She sneers. Now, oh,

1673
01:54:13.800 --> 01:54:16.920
I know there are others out there. I know there

1674
01:54:16.960 --> 01:54:21.239
are vampires, werewolves, and other monstrosities that Satan has sent

1675
01:54:21.319 --> 01:54:25.319
here to the mortal realm to corrupt humanity. I fall

1676
01:54:25.359 --> 01:54:29.479
into a reclining position beside the dishwasher. Now it ain't

1677
01:54:29.520 --> 01:54:32.920
gonna be long before I am really gonna be dead,

1678
01:54:33.680 --> 01:54:39.560
Hiltonson smiles. By day, I'm the headmistress of this prestigious academy.

1679
01:54:40.439 --> 01:54:45.079
By night, I go out and prowl for Satan's creations,

1680
01:54:45.159 --> 01:54:49.479
like yourself. In slaying such creatures, I have recently learned

1681
01:54:49.520 --> 01:54:52.920
of a vampire by the name of Bella Tabon and

1682
01:54:52.960 --> 01:54:56.640
a werewolf by the name of Daniel Boyd. Such a

1683
01:54:56.640 --> 01:54:59.359
pity you will not be around to see me destroy

1684
01:54:59.479 --> 01:55:03.359
them with my own two hands. I make a last

1685
01:55:03.359 --> 01:55:07.319
attempt to reach up for Hilton's. She stops me when

1686
01:55:07.359 --> 01:55:09.760
she slams her knee onto my tits and grabs the

1687
01:55:09.840 --> 01:55:15.159
knife handle. Happy Halloween, Bernadette Hallow. I truly hope for

1688
01:55:15.199 --> 01:55:19.159
your sake they celebrate it in Hell, where I'm sure

1689
01:55:19.319 --> 01:55:24.079
God will send you very shortly. When she pushes the

1690
01:55:24.119 --> 01:55:30.000
knife even further into my brain, it's definitely the end.

1691
01:55:40.520 --> 01:55:47.159
Future Tabon by Rob Fields. I suddenly opened my eyes

1692
01:55:47.800 --> 01:55:54.000
and realize that I can move. I live. I can

1693
01:55:54.039 --> 01:55:58.119
see that I am within a construction designed specifically to

1694
01:55:58.239 --> 01:56:02.399
contain my body. With a simple and quick upward movement,

1695
01:56:02.760 --> 01:56:05.159
I push the lid off so that it flies away

1696
01:56:05.640 --> 01:56:09.960
and hits a nearby wall. I sit up and see

1697
01:56:10.199 --> 01:56:15.399
that it is night. However, I can see everything quite clearly.

1698
01:56:16.479 --> 01:56:19.039
I look down upon my lap and see both the

1699
01:56:19.079 --> 01:56:23.039
wooden steak and the crucifix, the accursed objects that were

1700
01:56:23.159 --> 01:56:26.479
used to both bind me and keep me imprisoned within

1701
01:56:26.520 --> 01:56:30.319
this vault in a former lifetime. I stand to my

1702
01:56:30.399 --> 01:56:33.359
bare feet and leap from the vault to land upon

1703
01:56:33.399 --> 01:56:37.119
the floor. I examine myself and see the tattered and

1704
01:56:37.159 --> 01:56:41.920
aged remains of my dress. How long have I been

1705
01:56:41.960 --> 01:56:46.720
imprisoned within that vault? What has transpired during that time?

1706
01:56:47.520 --> 01:56:51.640
More importantly, who was responsible for staking my heart and

1707
01:56:51.760 --> 01:56:57.439
binding me? I must be patient. I currently feel disorientation,

1708
01:56:58.079 --> 01:57:02.079
but I believe that will pass. I step outside the

1709
01:57:02.119 --> 01:57:05.960
crypt and run my fingers through my long, metallic blonde

1710
01:57:06.000 --> 01:57:10.720
hair as the wind caresses me. Then I smile for

1711
01:57:10.760 --> 01:57:15.600
the first time when I see the lightning flash. A

1712
01:57:15.680 --> 01:57:22.199
loud crash of thunder follows. Truly this storm, Truly this

1713
01:57:22.319 --> 01:57:27.399
storm shall be powerful. Soon it begins to rain a

1714
01:57:27.439 --> 01:57:31.720
little at first, then I quickly become thoroughly soaked, making

1715
01:57:31.800 --> 01:57:35.800
me truly relish my freedom. I feel that I have

1716
01:57:35.840 --> 01:57:38.840
been imprisoned within that crypt for a great many years.

1717
01:57:39.960 --> 01:57:43.600
My disorientation causes me to stagger a little, but I

1718
01:57:43.720 --> 01:57:47.079
move through the burial ground in the harsh storm until

1719
01:57:47.119 --> 01:57:51.439
I come upon the gates. I see the crucifix that

1720
01:57:51.640 --> 01:57:58.000
binds the entrance fools before a binding could only be

1721
01:57:58.119 --> 01:58:02.520
used against me and per personally, I can easily remove

1722
01:58:02.560 --> 01:58:07.119
the crucifix, but I have a better idea. I leap

1723
01:58:07.199 --> 01:58:10.319
over the gates and land with the grace of a feline.

1724
01:58:11.000 --> 01:58:14.399
The trees on the path before me sway with intensifying

1725
01:58:14.479 --> 01:58:18.399
winds as the cold rains continue to soak me through

1726
01:58:18.439 --> 01:58:22.399
the remains of my dress for a time. I continue

1727
01:58:22.439 --> 01:58:25.199
along the path until I reach what appears to be

1728
01:58:26.159 --> 01:58:30.079
a dense forest. I enter it as the lightning flashes again,

1729
01:58:30.680 --> 01:58:37.039
followed by a tremendous crash. The trees shield me to

1730
01:58:37.119 --> 01:58:42.199
a degree as the storm grows stronger still in time,

1731
01:58:42.560 --> 01:58:45.600
I come across the remains of a horse drawn carriage.

1732
01:58:46.279 --> 01:58:49.680
As there are two horse skeletons outside, so are there

1733
01:58:49.760 --> 01:58:54.399
two human skeletons inside. Their clothes appear to be just

1734
01:58:54.439 --> 01:58:58.600
as old and tattered as my dress. After searching the coach,

1735
01:58:59.000 --> 01:59:02.520
the only things that I find of potential value are

1736
01:59:02.560 --> 01:59:06.520
some gold coins and a few rubies. I leave them

1737
01:59:06.520 --> 01:59:09.960
with the skeletons, since I have no use for such riches.

1738
01:59:10.880 --> 01:59:13.680
I also do not feel that it is right to

1739
01:59:13.800 --> 01:59:18.119
steal from the dead. I exit the coach and continue

1740
01:59:18.159 --> 01:59:22.239
along the path. Why do I continue to feel disorientation

1741
01:59:22.920 --> 01:59:26.720
in spite of my long slumber? Now I feel a

1742
01:59:26.760 --> 01:59:32.399
slight buzzing sensation deep from within my head. The storm

1743
01:59:32.479 --> 01:59:37.279
grows ever stronger. Then I discover that my hair shows

1744
01:59:37.319 --> 01:59:41.239
no dampness in spite of all the rain. I touch

1745
01:59:41.319 --> 01:59:45.439
my metallic hair to find that it feels silky smooth.

1746
01:59:46.640 --> 01:59:49.520
Suddenly I am attacked by an inhabitant of this forest,

1747
01:59:49.960 --> 01:59:53.319
seemingly out of nowhere. The monster and I tumble over

1748
01:59:53.399 --> 01:59:56.640
one another. Knowing that I must now do battle, I

1749
01:59:56.760 --> 01:59:59.560
seize the creature with one hand and throw it into

1750
01:59:59.600 --> 02:00:03.439
a nearby tree. The creature hits the tree and falls

1751
02:00:03.479 --> 02:00:06.880
forward to land in the mud. It springs to its

1752
02:00:06.920 --> 02:00:10.039
feet and comes for me again. Remembering that I am

1753
02:00:10.079 --> 02:00:15.039
a vampire, I will myself transmorph for battle. However, neither

1754
02:00:15.079 --> 02:00:19.199
my face changes nor do my claws emerge. The creature

1755
02:00:19.319 --> 02:00:24.439
snarls and attacks me again with lightning reflexes. I seize

1756
02:00:24.439 --> 02:00:27.239
the creature by its throat and throw it into the

1757
02:00:27.279 --> 02:00:31.359
nearby river with almost no effort. It sinks below the

1758
02:00:31.399 --> 02:00:37.479
water and resurfaces shortly after. As I understand more, I

1759
02:00:37.520 --> 02:00:41.520
can see that the creature is a werewolf, but with

1760
02:00:41.640 --> 02:00:47.039
the tail of a scorpion, not quite a manticore. The

1761
02:00:47.159 --> 02:00:51.560
monster leaps at me again, colliding once again, we tumble

1762
02:00:51.600 --> 02:00:54.800
over one another. When I am to my feet again,

1763
02:00:54.920 --> 02:00:59.079
the werewolf swiftly lashes out with its tail and stings me.

1764
02:01:00.239 --> 02:01:03.680
The pain is brief, but his attack has angered me.

1765
02:01:05.039 --> 02:01:07.920
I do not wish to do battle with you, I yell.

1766
02:01:08.920 --> 02:01:11.880
I lash out against the creature and subdue it. I

1767
02:01:11.960 --> 02:01:15.239
remember my strength from a past life, though it feels

1768
02:01:15.279 --> 02:01:19.319
as if I am much stronger now. As I have

1769
02:01:19.399 --> 02:01:22.279
the monster down for the final death blow, a sudden

1770
02:01:22.359 --> 02:01:28.279
understanding comes over me. No, I am no murderer. I

1771
02:01:28.359 --> 02:01:31.600
withdraw from the creature and return to the path to

1772
02:01:31.680 --> 02:01:37.840
resume my present course. My disorientation becomes more intense, and

1773
02:01:37.880 --> 02:01:40.079
I cry out when I feel a sudden urge within

1774
02:01:40.159 --> 02:01:44.439
my head that causes me to fall. I lay there

1775
02:01:44.479 --> 02:01:48.560
as the storm continues to wash over me. Have I

1776
02:01:48.640 --> 02:01:51.479
emerged from that tomb, just to gain a new one

1777
02:01:51.640 --> 02:01:57.720
here in the wilderness. No, I scream. I suddenly sit

1778
02:01:57.880 --> 02:02:01.520
straight up and fight to stand. I refuse to be

1779
02:02:01.560 --> 02:02:04.800
a prisoner within my own body. When I am to

1780
02:02:04.840 --> 02:02:09.039
my feet, I fall again. My disorientation and cerebral pains

1781
02:02:09.079 --> 02:02:14.199
are too great now, and then my vision suddenly changes

1782
02:02:14.880 --> 02:02:20.039
and dims. Shortly after, I see the words flashing repeatedly

1783
02:02:20.119 --> 02:02:23.279
in a language I should not be able to understand,

1784
02:02:24.319 --> 02:02:30.760
but they read. Initial systems set up commencing. For a

1785
02:02:30.760 --> 02:02:34.720
brief moment, I see nothing but multiple words and phrases

1786
02:02:35.159 --> 02:02:40.840
rapidly moving upward. And then I can see fully once more.

1787
02:02:41.600 --> 02:02:44.279
In fact, I can now see the clearest that I

1788
02:02:44.319 --> 02:02:49.079
have ever seen in my brief existence. In under a minute,

1789
02:02:49.119 --> 02:02:52.520
the initial system set up is complete. I sit up

1790
02:02:52.560 --> 02:02:58.359
again and no longer feel any pain or disorientation. I

1791
02:02:58.399 --> 02:03:03.199
begin to understand more as other operations commence. First, I

1792
02:03:03.279 --> 02:03:07.560
download and execute a full system's upgrade. I can see

1793
02:03:07.600 --> 02:03:11.439
and feel all of the numerous components inside my brain,

1794
02:03:11.600 --> 02:03:16.039
receiving the most advanced updates, all of which are being optimized.

1795
02:03:16.920 --> 02:03:20.000
In just under two minutes, I am at full optimal

1796
02:03:20.039 --> 02:03:24.119
capacity and remember a great many memories prior to being

1797
02:03:24.239 --> 02:03:28.479
bound and staked. Feeling that the system is awaiting my

1798
02:03:28.600 --> 02:03:33.600
mental commands, I access my internal clock. The last time

1799
02:03:33.640 --> 02:03:37.640
that I can recall through my memories was October thirty first,

1800
02:03:38.239 --> 02:03:43.000
eighteen eighty seven. The interface currently reads October thirty first,

1801
02:03:43.680 --> 02:03:48.199
two thousand and ninety nine. It just does not seem

1802
02:03:48.279 --> 02:03:51.000
that I have been entombed for two hundred and twelve years.

1803
02:03:51.439 --> 02:03:53.760
Though I can remember many of the events of my

1804
02:03:53.840 --> 02:03:59.640
imprisonment clearly, analyzing these memories, I cannot produce a glimpse

1805
02:03:59.680 --> 02:04:03.000
of who it was that both staked and entombed me,

1806
02:04:03.880 --> 02:04:09.199
only the pain and being rendered unconscious. I look up

1807
02:04:09.239 --> 02:04:11.960
to the stormy skies and let the rains wash over

1808
02:04:12.000 --> 02:04:12.520
my face.

1809
02:04:12.560 --> 02:04:12.880
Again.

1810
02:04:13.840 --> 02:04:18.359
After better than two centuries, I live and no freedom.

1811
02:04:19.399 --> 02:04:23.000
I must learn about this new time. Certainly much has

1812
02:04:23.039 --> 02:04:26.960
happened during my entombment. For now, I shall continue along

1813
02:04:27.039 --> 02:04:30.479
this path until I reach a place of interest. The

1814
02:04:30.560 --> 02:04:34.279
storm continues to rage ever stronger, still, with the winds

1815
02:04:34.319 --> 02:04:39.720
showing their tremendous strength. My patience is eventually rewarded upon

1816
02:04:39.800 --> 02:04:43.840
seeing a large structure in the distance. Upon reaching it,

1817
02:04:44.359 --> 02:04:46.680
I see what is left of the sign that once

1818
02:04:46.760 --> 02:04:52.479
identified it. Using but a minuscule fraction of my advanced software,

1819
02:04:52.840 --> 02:04:56.880
I can create a perfect reconstruction of the sign. This

1820
02:04:56.920 --> 02:05:07.199
structure was once known as Strictly Town Center Mall. Immediately

1821
02:05:07.279 --> 02:05:10.680
accessing the files in my limitless data banks, I learned

1822
02:05:10.720 --> 02:05:13.840
that this structure was once a place of commerce that

1823
02:05:14.039 --> 02:05:19.199
housed many shops, all under a single roof. I walked

1824
02:05:19.239 --> 02:05:23.680
to what was once an entrance and enter. I walk

1825
02:05:23.760 --> 02:05:27.600
the brief corridor to reach the main area itself. Walking

1826
02:05:27.680 --> 02:05:31.159
the length of this former mall, I scan the remains

1827
02:05:31.199 --> 02:05:34.439
of the shops. Though the mall is quite dark to

1828
02:05:34.520 --> 02:05:37.359
a normal person, I can easily see it as if

1829
02:05:37.399 --> 02:05:40.880
it's still daylight. My software recreates a map of this

1830
02:05:41.079 --> 02:05:44.920
mall and codes the shops to it. Soon I approach

1831
02:05:44.960 --> 02:05:50.680
a shop of potential interest and enter. This shop has

1832
02:05:50.760 --> 02:05:53.640
many items of vintage clothing that I scanned to my

1833
02:05:53.760 --> 02:05:59.039
exterior measurements. Finding suitable clothing upon a mannequin, I remove

1834
02:05:59.119 --> 02:06:03.039
the tatters of my feeling the rain water dripping from

1835
02:06:03.039 --> 02:06:06.279
my hair and down my naked form. I apply my

1836
02:06:06.399 --> 02:06:10.119
new clothing, a short pair of denim shorts with a belt,

1837
02:06:10.560 --> 02:06:15.279
an athletic red neon top, a synthetic leather jacket and

1838
02:06:15.399 --> 02:06:20.520
ankle high stiletto boots. Upon seeing picture displays of various

1839
02:06:20.560 --> 02:06:24.760
females around the shop, I decide to utilize handkerchiefs to

1840
02:06:24.920 --> 02:06:30.000
secure my abundant hair. Now that I am suitably clothed,

1841
02:06:30.439 --> 02:06:33.159
I exit the shop and examine more of this mall.

1842
02:06:34.319 --> 02:06:37.520
Not finding anything else that I require, I finish my

1843
02:06:37.680 --> 02:06:42.079
tour and approach a different entrance to depart. Seeing the

1844
02:06:42.159 --> 02:06:46.640
still raging storm, I access a map of Strickfield and

1845
02:06:46.720 --> 02:06:51.279
decide to investigate this area. Wishing to venture there swiftly.

1846
02:06:51.800 --> 02:06:54.960
I will transmorph into a bat to be able to

1847
02:06:55.000 --> 02:07:01.039
fly out into the storm. However I cannot, I will

1848
02:07:01.159 --> 02:07:04.760
myself to transmorph into a wolf with the same results.

1849
02:07:05.520 --> 02:07:08.840
Since it seems these aspects of my fampiric powers are

1850
02:07:08.880 --> 02:07:11.840
no longer existent, I leap into the air to make

1851
02:07:11.880 --> 02:07:15.680
a long jump. As I focus on my current destination,

1852
02:07:16.520 --> 02:07:20.279
all that I see are vast wastelands. It seems as

1853
02:07:20.319 --> 02:07:25.000
though someone or something has laid waste to this area.

1854
02:07:25.880 --> 02:07:29.000
As I wonder if my imprisonment was the reason, my

1855
02:07:29.119 --> 02:07:33.920
new memories are quick to say otherwise. No, my imprisonment

1856
02:07:34.119 --> 02:07:37.760
was meant for just that I must learn the reasons

1857
02:07:38.439 --> 02:07:42.840
and those responsible. After one more jump, I land just

1858
02:07:42.880 --> 02:07:47.039
outside of the area of Strickfield and enter. As I

1859
02:07:47.159 --> 02:07:51.079
explore the remains of this village, I soon enter into

1860
02:07:51.119 --> 02:07:54.399
what appears to have been a place of fellowship and dining.

1861
02:07:55.880 --> 02:07:59.760
There are skeletons everywhere, many of which are costumed as

1862
02:07:59.800 --> 02:08:04.600
though oh they are in some form of masquerade. I'm

1863
02:08:04.680 --> 02:08:08.760
quick to ascertain that in a former life, these organics

1864
02:08:08.800 --> 02:08:14.479
celebrated the earth occasion known as Halloween. My software also

1865
02:08:14.600 --> 02:08:17.640
reconstructs the structure to show that it was a popular

1866
02:08:17.720 --> 02:08:22.439
diner once known as Denoyer's Grille. My data banks tell

1867
02:08:22.479 --> 02:08:25.279
me that in the year two thousand and thirty, on

1868
02:08:25.439 --> 02:08:30.279
Halloween Night, a powerful deity known as hell Weaver would

1869
02:08:30.279 --> 02:08:34.600
conquer the mortal realm utilizing an ancient artifact known as

1870
02:08:34.640 --> 02:08:39.079
the reality sphere. A last stand was taken against hell Weaver,

1871
02:08:39.560 --> 02:08:43.359
her daughter, and a high priest. Hell Weaver would prove

1872
02:08:43.479 --> 02:08:49.520
victorious and the entire multiverse would fall to her. As

1873
02:08:49.560 --> 02:08:54.279
a result, Earth's natural balance was forever disrupted, resulting in

1874
02:08:54.319 --> 02:08:59.640
these destructive weather patterns and consistent nights. Hell Weaver and

1875
02:08:59.680 --> 02:09:03.600
her greatly vast armies laid waste to Earth and either

1876
02:09:03.640 --> 02:09:08.039
destroyed or imprisoned many of its people. From there, Hell

1877
02:09:08.079 --> 02:09:14.000
Weaver would repopulate the Earth with her own people of sorts.

1878
02:09:14.600 --> 02:09:17.800
I was upon this world during twenty thirty, but was

1879
02:09:17.840 --> 02:09:21.880
still imprisoned within my tomb. The more data that I compile,

1880
02:09:22.560 --> 02:09:27.079
the more that I what has happened to me? Why

1881
02:09:27.079 --> 02:09:30.359
have I changed so drastically between my imprisonment and now.

1882
02:09:30.880 --> 02:09:33.560
I only remember a former life of being a powerful

1883
02:09:33.640 --> 02:09:39.119
vampire and a Trey Launder hybrid. Now I immediately call

1884
02:09:39.239 --> 02:09:42.239
for the schematics of my body. And how am I

1885
02:09:42.319 --> 02:09:46.520
even capable of doing this? The great energy that I feel,

1886
02:09:46.640 --> 02:09:49.239
the data that I see, the calculations that I can

1887
02:09:49.479 --> 02:09:58.279
instantly perform according to my schematics, I've become a machine.

1888
02:09:58.600 --> 02:09:59.000
Truly.

1889
02:09:59.479 --> 02:10:03.119
I am no longer organic flesh, bone, blood, muscle and organs.

1890
02:10:03.920 --> 02:10:08.199
There is completely nothing left of my original organic body.

1891
02:10:09.159 --> 02:10:14.960
Somehow I have been given a new body comprised of metal, circuits,

1892
02:10:15.319 --> 02:10:20.000
neuro optics, processors, a power core, and a multitude of software.

1893
02:10:20.960 --> 02:10:23.479
On the outside, I have a skin base that greatly

1894
02:10:23.520 --> 02:10:28.359
resembles flesh, nails, and hair that can perfectly mimic the

1895
02:10:28.520 --> 02:10:33.640
organic Earth female that I have now become. My abundant

1896
02:10:33.720 --> 02:10:36.760
hair and my greatly enlarged breasts mimic those of the

1897
02:10:36.880 --> 02:10:42.920
organic trey Launder female. And yet yet, like organic beings,

1898
02:10:43.199 --> 02:10:49.079
I am sentient and can feel emotion. But how how

1899
02:10:49.079 --> 02:10:52.720
did I cease being an organic vampire alien hybrid upon

1900
02:10:52.760 --> 02:10:58.880
my imprisonment and awaken to become a full machine. I

1901
02:10:58.960 --> 02:11:02.520
desire to access this information in my data banks, but

1902
02:11:02.560 --> 02:11:05.600
not yet, not until I have come to terms with

1903
02:11:05.640 --> 02:11:09.760
my new environment and what I now am. This post

1904
02:11:09.760 --> 02:11:13.119
apocalyptic earth is the world I must occupy for now.

1905
02:11:13.920 --> 02:11:17.920
In addition, I must call this new mechanical body my own.

1906
02:11:18.159 --> 02:11:20.239
At least with my new flesh and hair, I can

1907
02:11:20.319 --> 02:11:24.319
pass for an organic earth human, but to live as

1908
02:11:24.359 --> 02:11:28.640
a machine in a world of organics. Like organics, I

1909
02:11:28.680 --> 02:11:30.880
have a will of my own and am quite capable

1910
02:11:30.880 --> 02:11:32.319
of making my own decisions.

1911
02:11:32.960 --> 02:11:33.319
Well.

1912
02:11:33.439 --> 02:11:36.920
Now I wish to know my new world. So far

1913
02:11:37.000 --> 02:11:40.359
I only see what has resulted from hell Weaver's onslaught.

1914
02:11:41.159 --> 02:11:44.920
After finding nothing of great importance, I leave the diner

1915
02:11:45.000 --> 02:11:49.159
and decide to explore more of the former village of Strickfield.

1916
02:11:50.720 --> 02:11:53.039
I walk until I reach what was the heart of

1917
02:11:53.079 --> 02:11:56.840
the village. There are only the remains of the many

1918
02:11:56.920 --> 02:12:01.560
shops that the inhabitants had once taken for granted, I

1919
02:12:01.640 --> 02:12:04.520
call upon more data in regards to the demise of

1920
02:12:04.560 --> 02:12:08.920
this once populated area and learn that the final battle

1921
02:12:08.960 --> 02:12:12.520
between hell Weaver and the Chosen Six, known as the Battleguard,

1922
02:12:12.720 --> 02:12:16.520
had taken place at my location in what was Gunter

1923
02:12:16.680 --> 02:12:21.680
Town Square, a park. I gasp when I learned that

1924
02:12:21.760 --> 02:12:25.800
one among those Chosen Six had betrayed their allies and

1925
02:12:25.920 --> 02:12:29.560
joined hell Weaver, leading to both the downfall of the

1926
02:12:29.600 --> 02:12:36.119
Battleguard and the multiverse. Unfortunately, I have no data regarding

1927
02:12:36.159 --> 02:12:39.960
the betrayer. Feeling anger and frustration over what I have

1928
02:12:40.119 --> 02:12:44.079
just learned, I shout, are there no other life forms

1929
02:12:44.159 --> 02:12:50.560
upon this world? Faint noises are swift to answer my question. Soon,

1930
02:12:50.640 --> 02:12:54.239
I see movements from some of the shops. It appears

1931
02:12:54.279 --> 02:12:57.720
as though organic beings are coming forth. However, they are

1932
02:12:57.760 --> 02:13:01.760
in states of advanced decay. I scan one of the

1933
02:13:01.760 --> 02:13:06.319
beings to determine that the decomposition has been relatively slow,

1934
02:13:06.800 --> 02:13:10.800
But these creatures are indeed in a state of zombification.

1935
02:13:12.079 --> 02:13:16.920
They all slowly advance towards me. In my memories, zombies

1936
02:13:16.960 --> 02:13:22.159
would always ignore vampires, since they too are undead. Now,

1937
02:13:22.239 --> 02:13:25.279
upon quick analysis of my body, it seems as though

1938
02:13:25.319 --> 02:13:30.079
I am miraculously no longer undead. Remembering that I can

1939
02:13:30.199 --> 02:13:34.520
leap far distances, I do so and escape the undead beings.

1940
02:13:35.199 --> 02:13:38.720
The zombies mindlessly and instinctively reach up to grab me.

1941
02:13:39.760 --> 02:13:44.359
I am with great sadness and almost feel discouraged. But

1942
02:13:44.520 --> 02:13:49.520
then I am with optimism. There must be organic living

1943
02:13:49.600 --> 02:13:53.880
beings left upon this world. There must. I receive my

1944
02:13:54.000 --> 02:13:58.479
confirmation when I feel danger coming from behind. Very swiftly,

1945
02:13:58.560 --> 02:14:02.039
someone attacks me and takes me down to the crumbled streets.

1946
02:14:02.840 --> 02:14:07.479
As the zombified organics gather around us, my attacker turns

1947
02:14:07.520 --> 02:14:11.880
and shoots at them with a hand weapon begone empty shells.

1948
02:14:12.039 --> 02:14:17.319
This cow now belongs to Sarathos. Angered by his comment,

1949
02:14:17.600 --> 02:14:22.479
I rise and strike my attacker. I belong to no one.

1950
02:14:22.760 --> 02:14:26.399
This Sarathos flies away from me fast and slides down

1951
02:14:26.439 --> 02:14:29.880
the broken street. Upon coming to a stop, he is

1952
02:14:29.960 --> 02:14:34.359
swift to return to his feet. You dare strike me, cow,

1953
02:14:34.960 --> 02:14:37.880
he points at me. You shall know what it means

1954
02:14:37.920 --> 02:14:42.279
to defy Sarathos. You shall know what it means to

1955
02:14:42.279 --> 02:14:47.439
defy Sarathos, and then there are more of those werewolf

1956
02:14:47.479 --> 02:14:50.640
creatures with scorpion tails, like the one I encountered in

1957
02:14:50.640 --> 02:14:55.359
the woods shortly upon my awakening. She's yours, my pets.

1958
02:14:55.920 --> 02:15:00.279
Sarathos tells them, make this cow pay for her defy ants.

1959
02:15:01.399 --> 02:15:04.640
The werewolves give their battle howls before they charge it me.

1960
02:15:05.520 --> 02:15:08.319
If they wish to engage me in battle, then so

1961
02:15:08.479 --> 02:15:12.439
I shall oblige them. When the first werewolf creature reaches me,

1962
02:15:13.000 --> 02:15:15.279
I take hold of it and hurl it far away.

1963
02:15:16.119 --> 02:15:18.920
I am easily able to avoid the claws and teeth,

1964
02:15:19.359 --> 02:15:22.680
even the tails. As I show these creatures that I

1965
02:15:22.680 --> 02:15:25.680
am far superior to them. I am amazed with how

1966
02:15:25.760 --> 02:15:28.960
fluid and swift I can move in this new body.

1967
02:15:29.760 --> 02:15:33.319
To my memories, no machine has ever moved like this.

1968
02:15:34.119 --> 02:15:38.520
But then, my last recalled time was eighteen eighty seven.

1969
02:15:39.159 --> 02:15:43.479
It seems much as changed by two thousand and ninety nine. However,

1970
02:15:43.560 --> 02:15:46.399
I've seen nothing in the way of advancements for this time.

1971
02:15:47.359 --> 02:15:50.520
Given the complexity of my new body, I already know

1972
02:15:50.640 --> 02:15:53.680
that it was not constructed in two thy ninety nine.

1973
02:15:54.640 --> 02:15:59.960
My new body is futuristic alien technology. I continued to

1974
02:16:00.159 --> 02:16:02.680
do battle with the creatures until I have subdued them all.

1975
02:16:03.119 --> 02:16:07.720
It is then that Sarathos decides to finally engage me himself.

1976
02:16:08.359 --> 02:16:11.640
Only he attacks me from behind a second time, the

1977
02:16:11.680 --> 02:16:15.800
way only a coward would now, cow you shall learn

1978
02:16:15.840 --> 02:16:20.479
your place, he declares. Suddenly he clasps something around my neck,

1979
02:16:20.720 --> 02:16:24.119
securing me as if I was his runaway property. When

1980
02:16:24.119 --> 02:16:26.560
he starts pulling me to him with his great strength,

1981
02:16:26.760 --> 02:16:29.720
I grab hold of the chain and pull against him.

1982
02:16:30.600 --> 02:16:35.399
You dare, Sarathos growls. Surprised by my own great strength,

1983
02:16:36.120 --> 02:16:39.879
This organic despot succeeds in pulling me to him again

1984
02:16:40.200 --> 02:16:43.159
and pummels me with three powerful blows.

1985
02:16:43.879 --> 02:16:44.600
What is this?

1986
02:16:45.159 --> 02:16:48.719
He yells. Seeing that I refuse to stay down, he

1987
02:16:48.799 --> 02:16:52.440
growls and pummels me again. Then he holds me down

1988
02:16:52.479 --> 02:16:54.920
to allow a few of the werewolves that have recovered

1989
02:16:55.159 --> 02:16:59.239
to return, and sting me with enough of their toxins

1990
02:16:59.239 --> 02:17:05.399
in my system. I am compromised and rendered unconscious.

1991
02:17:07.600 --> 02:17:11.959
There's more scares where that came from. Weakly, Spooky will

1992
02:17:12.000 --> 02:17:12.840
be right back.

1993
02:17:17.639 --> 02:17:20.520
I awaken to find myself in what appears to be

1994
02:17:21.239 --> 02:17:25.719
a medieval throne room. My interface comes back online. Then

1995
02:17:25.760 --> 02:17:28.680
I see more of those words in that same alien

1996
02:17:28.799 --> 02:17:32.600
language that I should not be able to understand. Translated

1997
02:17:32.639 --> 02:17:38.280
to American English, the words would say toxin levels zero percent,

1998
02:17:39.000 --> 02:17:44.799
neurotoxins compromised. Yes, it was the Werewolve's toxins that had

1999
02:17:44.799 --> 02:17:48.479
rendered me unconscious. As of now I am at full

2000
02:17:48.520 --> 02:17:51.959
strength once more. I see that I'm shackled by chains

2001
02:17:52.000 --> 02:17:55.440
at my wrists, my ankles, my neck, and even at

2002
02:17:55.479 --> 02:17:58.559
my waist. I scan the throne room and see other

2003
02:17:58.639 --> 02:18:03.360
scantily clad organic females. I feel my emotions rise at

2004
02:18:03.399 --> 02:18:08.239
knowing that these other organics yet live. Then my emotions

2005
02:18:08.319 --> 02:18:12.239
turn to anger at knowing that Sarathos is keeping these

2006
02:18:12.280 --> 02:18:17.639
females here against their will. You've awakened an organic female

2007
02:18:17.639 --> 02:18:20.360
to my left, says to me. I turned to look

2008
02:18:20.479 --> 02:18:23.680
upon her and see that she is with injuries, causing

2009
02:18:23.719 --> 02:18:27.559
my anger to increase. What has become of you? I

2010
02:18:27.680 --> 02:18:33.040
demand did Sarathos beat you? And why? The female begins

2011
02:18:33.079 --> 02:18:36.959
to cry. I was to be married when Sarathos invaded

2012
02:18:36.959 --> 02:18:40.239
our village of Pendleton. He burst into the church at

2013
02:18:40.280 --> 02:18:43.120
our wedding and viciously murdered the man whom I was

2014
02:18:43.200 --> 02:18:47.559
to marry. When my parents tried to stop Sarathos, he

2015
02:18:47.639 --> 02:18:51.440
killed them in cold blood. Then he took me, my

2016
02:18:51.520 --> 02:18:54.520
maid of honor, and two of my bridesmaids, and imprisoned

2017
02:18:54.559 --> 02:18:59.159
us here in this throne room with these others. I

2018
02:18:59.239 --> 02:19:03.680
managed to escape recently, but Sarathos quickly tracked me down

2019
02:19:04.040 --> 02:19:08.000
and beat me harshly before securing me here again. As

2020
02:19:08.000 --> 02:19:10.680
I examine the chamber more, I can see that we

2021
02:19:10.760 --> 02:19:14.319
are all kept five yards apart from one another. Upon

2022
02:19:14.440 --> 02:19:18.920
further analysis, it seems as though we are here for decoration, entertainment,

2023
02:19:19.959 --> 02:19:24.040
and perhaps for non consensual sex. If I have anything

2024
02:19:24.079 --> 02:19:27.760
to say about this, I shall stop Sarathos and free

2025
02:19:27.799 --> 02:19:31.479
these organic females. There is a quick silence when we

2026
02:19:31.559 --> 02:19:35.440
hear a loud noise moments after Sarathos enters the throne

2027
02:19:35.520 --> 02:19:40.000
room and with more organic females secured by chains. As

2028
02:19:40.040 --> 02:19:43.959
the women struggle against him, he pulls back hard. Cease

2029
02:19:44.000 --> 02:19:47.360
your useless struggling, you stupid cows. From now on you

2030
02:19:47.440 --> 02:19:50.719
belong to Sarathos, and soon you shall all serve as

2031
02:19:50.760 --> 02:19:55.799
the yearly Halloween's sacrifice to my almighty Goddess herself. Hell

2032
02:19:55.879 --> 02:19:59.319
Weaver which shall be in remembrance of the anniversary of

2033
02:19:59.360 --> 02:20:04.479
what my God would conquer the entire multiverse. Knowing that

2034
02:20:04.559 --> 02:20:06.959
I must not delay in freeing myself and the others,

2035
02:20:07.280 --> 02:20:10.840
I fight against the chains that bind me, bind me.

2036
02:20:11.639 --> 02:20:15.120
My anger escalates into fury against Sarathos for imprisoning me.

2037
02:20:15.760 --> 02:20:18.840
First I would awaken to find myself imprisoned within a crypt.

2038
02:20:19.319 --> 02:20:20.719
Now I am bound.

2039
02:20:20.399 --> 02:20:24.200
And chained for the pleasures of this despot, to serve

2040
02:20:24.239 --> 02:20:26.920
as a potential offering to the very Goddess that I

2041
02:20:26.959 --> 02:20:31.799
shall eventually engage in battle with. Never I said, there

2042
02:20:31.840 --> 02:20:36.600
is no use struggling cow, Sarathos mocks me. These other

2043
02:20:36.760 --> 02:20:40.600
cows have no chance of breaking free, and neither will you.

2044
02:20:41.559 --> 02:20:44.719
I laugh scornfully at him. You've seen that I am

2045
02:20:44.760 --> 02:20:49.239
not a normal organic female despot, and I shall remain free.

2046
02:20:50.200 --> 02:20:53.959
With one great and powerful pull, I succeed in breaking

2047
02:20:54.000 --> 02:20:55.840
the chains from the metallic walls.

2048
02:20:56.959 --> 02:20:57.680
You dare.

2049
02:20:58.440 --> 02:21:03.200
Sarathos yells and disp He pushes his newly captured females

2050
02:21:03.239 --> 02:21:06.680
aside to grab a very large golden axe from above

2051
02:21:06.680 --> 02:21:10.319
his fireplace. He stands ready to face me in combat.

2052
02:21:10.360 --> 02:21:13.799
Now I have just finished removing the last of the

2053
02:21:13.840 --> 02:21:18.159
shackles from my body and assume a fighting stance. Sarathos

2054
02:21:18.239 --> 02:21:21.719
is easily five feet taller than I and appears to

2055
02:21:21.760 --> 02:21:25.479
have incredible strength. But I do not fear him in

2056
02:21:25.559 --> 02:21:31.280
the least. Today you fall, I tell Sarathos. Suddenly, he

2057
02:21:31.319 --> 02:21:35.079
lowers his weapon and sneers. I look to see his

2058
02:21:35.239 --> 02:21:38.520
pack of werewolves with their scorpion tails, have entered the

2059
02:21:38.600 --> 02:21:43.079
throne room. Sarathos wishes for them to engage me again,

2060
02:21:43.719 --> 02:21:47.120
believing that I am far too insignificant to do battle

2061
02:21:47.120 --> 02:21:52.159
with him myself. Very well, Sarathos, I shall again engage

2062
02:21:52.200 --> 02:21:56.159
in battle with your pets. I concede, and after I've

2063
02:21:56.239 --> 02:22:00.959
defeated them again, I then shall engage and defeat you.

2064
02:22:02.120 --> 02:22:05.120
The five werewolves gather around me like a pack of

2065
02:22:05.200 --> 02:22:09.239
wild dogs. I'm ready for them this time. They growl

2066
02:22:09.280 --> 02:22:12.879
and waste no time in coming at me. I remain calm,

2067
02:22:13.000 --> 02:22:17.000
yet I move swiftly. I utilize my fighting arts that

2068
02:22:17.040 --> 02:22:20.040
were learned from long ago in a previous life, and

2069
02:22:20.159 --> 02:22:24.319
even fighting arts that I should not know presently. Nonetheless,

2070
02:22:24.319 --> 02:22:28.239
I begin dancing with these monstrosities. These creatures are easily

2071
02:22:28.280 --> 02:22:31.719
two feet taller than I, and have great muscular builds.

2072
02:22:32.360 --> 02:22:35.639
Seeing them only reminds me that this body is no

2073
02:22:35.680 --> 02:22:40.639
longer organic. I am a machine. I am far superior

2074
02:22:40.959 --> 02:22:44.959
to these organic creatures. As I battle the werewolves, I

2075
02:22:44.959 --> 02:22:47.719
am quite amazed at how fluidly I move in my

2076
02:22:47.799 --> 02:22:51.920
new body. My fists and feet strike with deadly forces.

2077
02:22:51.920 --> 02:22:56.000
I dance gracefully with these beasts. She is but a cow,

2078
02:22:56.079 --> 02:22:59.719
you mindless critans. Sarah Thos yells when he sees that

2079
02:22:59.799 --> 02:23:03.760
his beasts are truly no match for me. Slay her,

2080
02:23:04.000 --> 02:23:06.319
or I shall offer all of you in the Halloween

2081
02:23:06.440 --> 02:23:10.000
sacrifice to hell Weaver. I move into the final act

2082
02:23:10.040 --> 02:23:13.280
of my dance and render all of the werewolves unconscious.

2083
02:23:13.879 --> 02:23:17.040
As they lay before me at my feet, I turn

2084
02:23:17.159 --> 02:23:22.600
and gaze upon Sarathos. You must face me yourself now, coward,

2085
02:23:23.079 --> 02:23:27.120
unless I raise an eyebrow, Unless you are afraid of

2086
02:23:28.120 --> 02:23:33.120
a cow. Sarathos raises his weapon. I shall end you

2087
02:23:33.200 --> 02:23:34.680
for mocking me this day.

2088
02:23:35.319 --> 02:23:35.799
Cow.

2089
02:23:36.680 --> 02:23:41.200
His body now shudders as Sarathos begins a transformation into

2090
02:23:41.239 --> 02:23:44.840
a more monstrous werewolf creature than his minions that I

2091
02:23:44.879 --> 02:23:48.479
have just defeated. When he finishes, I witness that he

2092
02:23:48.600 --> 02:23:52.040
is much stronger than he was when human. He utters

2093
02:23:52.079 --> 02:23:56.079
a loud roar before he engages me. In response, I

2094
02:23:56.280 --> 02:24:00.440
move and flip towards him, all too eager to dance again.

2095
02:24:01.239 --> 02:24:05.200
Upon our reaching one another, the newly transformed Sarathos swings

2096
02:24:05.239 --> 02:24:08.600
his golden axe to commence our dance. I cross my

2097
02:24:08.760 --> 02:24:11.959
arms in front of me and slowly, ever so calmly,

2098
02:24:12.159 --> 02:24:15.760
arch backward. The axe blade passes over me as a

2099
02:24:15.760 --> 02:24:19.760
gentle breeze. I finish my flip and land gracefully on

2100
02:24:19.799 --> 02:24:23.440
the heels of my stiletto boots. It almost seems as

2101
02:24:23.440 --> 02:24:27.879
if I'm dancing barefoot. Sarathos growls and swings his axe

2102
02:24:27.879 --> 02:24:31.280
with much fury. Truly, I see my dance partner now.

2103
02:24:32.200 --> 02:24:35.040
He is with great arrogance and anger at believing that

2104
02:24:35.079 --> 02:24:38.520
he could easily defeat one such as I simply because

2105
02:24:38.559 --> 02:24:42.319
I have the appearance of an organic earth female. I

2106
02:24:42.440 --> 02:24:45.920
captured you once before myself cow, he roars at me,

2107
02:24:46.360 --> 02:24:49.600
confirming that he is capable of speech in his alternate form.

2108
02:24:49.959 --> 02:24:52.639
Once I have lain captured to you again, I shall

2109
02:24:52.680 --> 02:24:55.920
show the others the error of your ways by ravaging

2110
02:24:55.959 --> 02:24:59.000
you until you beg me for your life. Then your

2111
02:24:59.120 --> 02:25:02.680
meat shall make up most tasty stew to add to

2112
02:25:02.719 --> 02:25:08.639
the Halloween offering for hell Weaver, I laughed softly, foolish

2113
02:25:08.639 --> 02:25:13.360
despot one, you did not defeat me yourself. Your lower

2114
02:25:13.440 --> 02:25:16.920
werewolves did much of the work for you. Two, I

2115
02:25:16.959 --> 02:25:20.719
have had sufficient time to learn and understand more about myself.

2116
02:25:21.120 --> 02:25:24.399
I'm most ready for you this time. Three. I am

2117
02:25:24.479 --> 02:25:27.719
not one of your so called cows. In fact, I

2118
02:25:27.760 --> 02:25:31.239
am actually known by two names. In birth, I was

2119
02:25:31.319 --> 02:25:35.200
Mahari of the royal House of Rielos and was Princess

2120
02:25:35.239 --> 02:25:39.639
of Treylond, a planet many light years from Earth. Here

2121
02:25:39.719 --> 02:25:42.559
on my adopted world, I was given a new name

2122
02:25:42.840 --> 02:25:48.879
and re christened Cassilia Tabon. Sarathos roars again and narrowly

2123
02:25:48.959 --> 02:25:52.000
misses me as I gracefully dance a cartwheel to avoid

2124
02:25:52.040 --> 02:25:56.440
his deadly axe blow. I continue my introduction to Sarathos.

2125
02:25:56.840 --> 02:25:59.959
We Tabons have made it our business to eradicate soon

2126
02:26:00.000 --> 02:26:03.799
supernatural evil wherever we may encounter it, and to protect

2127
02:26:03.879 --> 02:26:07.760
innocent mortals from those who would harm or enslave them.

2128
02:26:08.079 --> 02:26:11.040
For all I know, I may very well be the

2129
02:26:11.120 --> 02:26:14.479
last Tabon in existence, and as long as even one

2130
02:26:14.559 --> 02:26:18.680
Tabon exists. Both the family business and the mission shall

2131
02:26:18.760 --> 02:26:22.520
never change. And today I laugh with the grace of

2132
02:26:22.520 --> 02:26:28.760
my dancing once more. Today you shall fall before a tabon.

2133
02:26:29.719 --> 02:26:33.360
Sarathos roars with intense fury, causing his yellow eyes to

2134
02:26:33.399 --> 02:26:37.920
glow bright, and swings his axe at its hardest once more.

2135
02:26:37.959 --> 02:26:41.079
He is unsuccessful in striking me and embeds his weapon

2136
02:26:41.159 --> 02:26:44.959
into the floor to render it both stuck and useless.

2137
02:26:45.719 --> 02:26:48.040
I enter the next part of my dance and begin

2138
02:26:48.159 --> 02:26:52.520
showing Sarathos that he too is but an inferior organic.

2139
02:26:52.959 --> 02:26:55.799
The longer Sarathos and I battle, the more he learns

2140
02:26:55.840 --> 02:26:59.760
that this cow is not so easily overcome, even in

2141
02:26:59.760 --> 02:27:03.079
his enhanced where will form. He continues to throw his

2142
02:27:03.159 --> 02:27:06.879
powerful fists and claws at me, but I continue dancing

2143
02:27:06.959 --> 02:27:09.920
much too gracefully to allow him to strike me as

2144
02:27:09.920 --> 02:27:13.520
he did during our first encounter. He makes his impending

2145
02:27:13.559 --> 02:27:17.280
defeat all the more as he roars with increasing anger

2146
02:27:17.360 --> 02:27:21.079
and frustration at me. I continue to perform my dance

2147
02:27:21.120 --> 02:27:25.280
recital with Sarathos by attacking him myself and throwing and

2148
02:27:25.399 --> 02:27:28.399
kicking him from pillar to post. At one point I

2149
02:27:28.440 --> 02:27:31.479
even lift him with a single hand and hurl him

2150
02:27:31.520 --> 02:27:34.600
clear across his throne room. He breaks several of the

2151
02:27:34.680 --> 02:27:38.399
large bricks that comprise the wall upon his impact and

2152
02:27:38.520 --> 02:27:42.840
falls upon his back. Sarathos stands to his feet again

2153
02:27:43.159 --> 02:27:46.600
and shows more signs of anger and frustration. When he

2154
02:27:46.639 --> 02:27:50.559
begins to telegraph his blows. He is clearly not thinking

2155
02:27:50.639 --> 02:27:54.040
straight any longer. In memories, I can recall how I

2156
02:27:54.159 --> 02:27:58.280
was chastised by self entitled males because I love to dance.

2157
02:27:58.680 --> 02:28:02.040
I was chastised for my witching beauty and my greatly

2158
02:28:02.159 --> 02:28:05.959
endowed upper body. The self entitled males of the former

2159
02:28:06.079 --> 02:28:09.239
days even chastised me when they discovered that I was

2160
02:28:09.280 --> 02:28:14.000
both a tabon and a trained killer. Sarathos chastised me

2161
02:28:14.120 --> 02:28:17.520
for having the identity of an organic female. And now

2162
02:28:17.559 --> 02:28:20.920
he chastises me again. As I flip over his hulking

2163
02:28:21.000 --> 02:28:25.719
form and land with grace like a feline. I believe

2164
02:28:25.719 --> 02:28:28.799
it is time to finish this dance. I come into

2165
02:28:28.879 --> 02:28:32.600
him and unleash a series of devastating blows in time

2166
02:28:32.879 --> 02:28:38.000
ideal Sarathos a most devastating defeat. Now I stand above him,

2167
02:28:38.239 --> 02:28:41.680
holding his hulking form down with one hand as I

2168
02:28:41.840 --> 02:28:45.760
raised the other for the killing blow. Upon scanning his form,

2169
02:28:46.120 --> 02:28:48.520
I only need to sever his brain from the rest

2170
02:28:48.520 --> 02:28:53.000
of his body to end him. Your tyranny ends here

2171
02:28:53.040 --> 02:28:57.319
and now, Despot, I yell hell Weaver, shall not receive

2172
02:28:57.559 --> 02:29:00.879
your Halloween offering this day, and on this day you

2173
02:29:01.000 --> 02:29:05.680
fall to both a female and a tabon. As I

2174
02:29:05.719 --> 02:29:08.719
hear the cries of the females he's captured to end him,

2175
02:29:09.559 --> 02:29:12.639
I have the sudden realization from when I fought that

2176
02:29:12.719 --> 02:29:16.639
first werewolf. In a former lifetime, I would have indeed

2177
02:29:16.799 --> 02:29:21.520
ended Sarathos and claimed his life. But that former lifetime

2178
02:29:22.200 --> 02:29:26.040
are simply memories that I now possess. That past lifetime

2179
02:29:26.079 --> 02:29:30.479
does not define my new life. Now the females protest

2180
02:29:30.520 --> 02:29:33.520
and chastise me when I release him and step back

2181
02:29:34.680 --> 02:29:38.280
though a machine I may be. In this new life,

2182
02:29:38.399 --> 02:29:42.079
I and I alone decide my own fate. While Sarathos

2183
02:29:42.120 --> 02:29:45.639
has likely taken many organic lives and has captured many

2184
02:29:45.760 --> 02:29:49.079
organic females, while his life is now mine to claim,

2185
02:29:50.079 --> 02:29:53.360
I will not destroy him. In a former life, I

2186
02:29:53.440 --> 02:29:58.000
was indeed a vicious killer, but today I am no killer.

2187
02:29:58.600 --> 02:30:01.879
The Tabon way is to say lives the only lives

2188
02:30:01.879 --> 02:30:04.639
that we claimed in former years were those who had

2189
02:30:04.719 --> 02:30:09.719
none vampires being a prime example that shall hold true

2190
02:30:09.760 --> 02:30:13.760
for me. Now, Sarathos shudders, and then returns to his

2191
02:30:13.840 --> 02:30:18.360
original form. You should have ended me, cow, he sneers.

2192
02:30:19.000 --> 02:30:22.559
Make no mistake. I shall be avenged for your treachery

2193
02:30:22.600 --> 02:30:26.159
this day. When hell Weaver does not receive my offering,

2194
02:30:26.879 --> 02:30:31.040
she will surely come for you and destroy you. I

2195
02:30:31.120 --> 02:30:34.200
laugh a little. And should we ever engage each other

2196
02:30:34.239 --> 02:30:37.520
in battle again, Sarathos, I know that you shall time

2197
02:30:37.559 --> 02:30:41.319
and time again fall to me. I glare at him.

2198
02:30:41.319 --> 02:30:47.319
Now you cannot and will never defeat a machine. Then

2199
02:30:47.360 --> 02:30:50.159
I strike a blow between his eyes to render the

2200
02:30:50.200 --> 02:30:55.399
foolish despot unconscious. As for hell Weaver, if she should come,

2201
02:30:55.959 --> 02:30:59.159
I shall stand ready to engage in battle with her.

2202
02:31:00.639 --> 02:31:03.120
It is still the night of Halloween as I finally

2203
02:31:03.200 --> 02:31:06.280
take my leave of the castle that once belong to

2204
02:31:06.319 --> 02:31:11.280
Sarathos and venture back into the harsh storm. The females

2205
02:31:11.319 --> 02:31:14.360
have turned the despot loose. For fear of hell Weaver

2206
02:31:14.479 --> 02:31:17.559
coming for her offering. He could not run away from

2207
02:31:17.559 --> 02:31:21.440
the castle fast enough. As for the organic females that

2208
02:31:21.479 --> 02:31:24.799
he had captured, they have also abandoned the castle and

2209
02:31:24.840 --> 02:31:28.479
have gone their separate ways. Many of them will return

2210
02:31:28.520 --> 02:31:31.959
to their loved ones. Others will find new adventures or

2211
02:31:32.000 --> 02:31:36.639
homes of their own. As for me, I am a tabon.

2212
02:31:37.280 --> 02:31:40.200
I am an avenger, and shall continue in my present

2213
02:31:40.280 --> 02:31:44.159
course of action. Before I can render a map to

2214
02:31:44.239 --> 02:31:48.440
determine my next destination, my interface begins to flash in

2215
02:31:48.520 --> 02:31:53.479
that alien language again. I will the interface to display

2216
02:31:53.520 --> 02:31:59.959
American English and read mission incoming. When the flashing see

2217
02:32:00.399 --> 02:32:03.639
the files have downloaded and are open to me. There

2218
02:32:03.639 --> 02:32:07.600
are several objectives to my new mission. The ultimate objective

2219
02:32:07.639 --> 02:32:10.760
will be to confront hell Weaver myself and save the

2220
02:32:10.840 --> 02:32:16.479
universe from becoming this hellish, post apocalyptic wasteland. You would

2221
02:32:16.520 --> 02:32:19.680
think and feel that I would have ultimately awakened in

2222
02:32:19.719 --> 02:32:23.600
twenty thirty to engage hell Weaver in battle. Upon reading

2223
02:32:23.600 --> 02:32:26.760
the mission files, it's quite clear to me now as

2224
02:32:26.799 --> 02:32:30.079
to why I am in twenty ninety nine. I have

2225
02:32:30.159 --> 02:32:34.319
objectives that I must accomplish here. First, do note that

2226
02:32:34.440 --> 02:32:38.159
Sarahthos was not a part of my mission. Also note

2227
02:32:38.319 --> 02:32:41.000
that I have stated that I and I alone decide

2228
02:32:41.040 --> 02:32:44.040
my own destiny. While it is true that I have

2229
02:32:44.079 --> 02:32:47.280
been given a mission, I am not bound to comply

2230
02:32:47.399 --> 02:32:51.239
with it. However, it is my emotions and my secondary

2231
02:32:51.280 --> 02:32:56.079
programming that will guide me into accepting the mission. Upon

2232
02:32:56.159 --> 02:32:59.799
finishing my briefing, an updated map of my current location opens.

2233
02:33:00.600 --> 02:33:04.040
I must ultimately reach Shore City, one of the last

2234
02:33:04.040 --> 02:33:07.000
great cities on Earth that survive what is known as

2235
02:33:07.040 --> 02:33:11.319
the hell Weaver Holocaust. I have important side objectives to

2236
02:33:11.399 --> 02:33:16.040
accomplish prior to reaching Shore City. Currently am en route

2237
02:33:16.079 --> 02:33:19.159
to the Pendleton way Station. I walk along what was

2238
02:33:19.239 --> 02:33:22.399
once a major highway that is broken and cracked from

2239
02:33:22.479 --> 02:33:25.920
years of weathering and disrepair, much like many of the

2240
02:33:25.959 --> 02:33:30.239
intersecting roads that I've encountered in time. I hear howling

2241
02:33:30.319 --> 02:33:34.040
in the distance, even through the harsh winds that continue

2242
02:33:34.040 --> 02:33:37.280
to accompany this great and powerful storm. I look up

2243
02:33:37.280 --> 02:33:39.879
to the sky and am able to use filtering software

2244
02:33:39.920 --> 02:33:44.040
to witness the full moon above the clouds. Truly, I

2245
02:33:44.079 --> 02:33:47.600
shall not be alone for much longer. I am prove

2246
02:33:47.600 --> 02:33:51.079
incorrect as a pack of werewolves reveal themselves to me

2247
02:33:51.559 --> 02:33:56.000
and converge they do not possess scorpion tales as Sarathos's

2248
02:33:56.079 --> 02:33:59.920
creatures did. Just the same, they truly mean to eat

2249
02:34:00.280 --> 02:34:03.920
curse me to assimilate me into their pack, or devour

2250
02:34:04.040 --> 02:34:08.440
me without fear. I assume my fighting stance and give

2251
02:34:08.479 --> 02:34:10.840
them a curtsy. Shall we dance?

2252
02:34:11.239 --> 02:34:11.799
I murmur?

2253
02:34:12.520 --> 02:34:17.440
The werewolves growl and advance towards me. Now I can

2254
02:34:17.479 --> 02:34:21.360
begin my dance to be continued.

2255
02:34:32.440 --> 02:34:38.920
Send beer by Michelle Antisocial. You know how sometimes a

2256
02:34:39.000 --> 02:34:42.440
squirrel would just grab an unripened tomato right off the plant,

2257
02:34:42.760 --> 02:34:44.799
take one bite, and then throw the rest right on

2258
02:34:44.840 --> 02:34:47.719
the ground to rot. That's exactly the way I found

2259
02:34:47.760 --> 02:34:51.959
Lucy on the sidewalk, surrounded by flies, A long line

2260
02:34:51.959 --> 02:34:54.319
of ants marching into the missing chunk of flesh and

2261
02:34:54.319 --> 02:34:57.120
feathers on the left side of her neck. I touched

2262
02:34:57.120 --> 02:34:59.879
my own neck in empathy. The area is still slightly

2263
02:35:00.040 --> 02:35:03.440
tender after all this time. Shaking the ants away, I

2264
02:35:03.479 --> 02:35:06.520
picked up her rigid body. I removed the note that

2265
02:35:06.639 --> 02:35:09.600
was still somehow tied to her leg. Send beer.

2266
02:35:10.200 --> 02:35:10.479
Fuck.

2267
02:35:10.920 --> 02:35:13.559
There was no beer. Those frat boys at seventeenth and

2268
02:35:13.600 --> 02:35:15.799
Oak must have been well aware of that fact, And

2269
02:35:15.879 --> 02:35:18.719
yet they sent Lucy to her death for what a joke?

2270
02:35:19.520 --> 02:35:21.479
Or did they really think I could find them alcohol?

2271
02:35:21.879 --> 02:35:24.639
Did they think I hadn't looked? I mean, maybe if

2272
02:35:24.639 --> 02:35:26.639
I broke into every empty house in the area I

2273
02:35:26.639 --> 02:35:30.239
could find some no no, if they wanted it so badly,

2274
02:35:30.520 --> 02:35:33.719
they could do that themselves. This, of course, meant that

2275
02:35:33.879 --> 02:35:36.600
even though I didn't have anything to deliver, I still

2276
02:35:36.639 --> 02:35:38.959
had to stop over there and politely ask them to

2277
02:35:39.079 --> 02:35:44.079
please please stop asking for alcoholic beverages. I wrapped Lucy

2278
02:35:44.159 --> 02:35:46.239
in the remnants of a plastic bag that I'd been

2279
02:35:46.280 --> 02:35:49.479
keeping for this kind of occasion and carefully placed her

2280
02:35:49.520 --> 02:35:52.719
into the empty side pocket of my backpack. I was

2281
02:35:52.760 --> 02:35:56.000
as excited at the prospect of barbecued pigeon for dinner

2282
02:35:56.040 --> 02:35:58.440
as I was nauseous over the idea of chewing on

2283
02:35:58.520 --> 02:36:03.040
her potentially bacteria ridden rotting flesh, and I still had

2284
02:36:03.079 --> 02:36:06.200
a long evening of oppressive early autumn heat and humidity

2285
02:36:06.239 --> 02:36:09.239
before I could get home to cook. I cursed the

2286
02:36:09.360 --> 02:36:12.879
useless gas generator as I loaded my supplies and homing

2287
02:36:12.920 --> 02:36:15.399
pigeons into the rickety cart attached to the back of

2288
02:36:15.440 --> 02:36:18.120
my bicycle to get ready for the ride around town.

2289
02:36:19.000 --> 02:36:21.239
Friday means that instead of just working a nine to

2290
02:36:21.280 --> 02:36:25.239
five delivering floral arrangements to mostly funeral homes, I pull

2291
02:36:25.319 --> 02:36:29.559
a grocery delivery shift afterwards, which is exactly what it

2292
02:36:29.600 --> 02:36:32.479
sounds like. Everyone has a week to send their birds

2293
02:36:32.520 --> 02:36:34.719
back with a list of everything they need, and then

2294
02:36:34.760 --> 02:36:37.120
I go get those things and deliver it to them,

2295
02:36:37.120 --> 02:36:40.040
as well as return the pigeon for next time. Given

2296
02:36:40.120 --> 02:36:43.319
the situation, It's not a job I would choose if

2297
02:36:43.360 --> 02:36:46.079
I actually had the choice, but for reasons I won't

2298
02:36:46.120 --> 02:36:48.479
and frankly do not want to get into. I have

2299
02:36:48.639 --> 02:36:52.280
qualities that make me significantly more capable of being around

2300
02:36:52.319 --> 02:36:56.959
the no longer people people than your average weirdo does.

2301
02:36:58.440 --> 02:37:01.000
So it's either me getting food to people or it

2302
02:37:01.120 --> 02:37:05.280
just doesn't happen, at least now, without terrible, terrible consequences

2303
02:37:05.280 --> 02:37:07.799
for the delivery person. And it seems wrong to make

2304
02:37:07.840 --> 02:37:11.120
others suffer like that, so I suffer instead, just markedly

2305
02:37:11.200 --> 02:37:14.079
less so, or at least that's what i'd tell my

2306
02:37:14.159 --> 02:37:17.239
parents to make them feel better about my recklessness if

2307
02:37:17.280 --> 02:37:20.120
I thought they actually cared about me. Not that they

2308
02:37:20.200 --> 02:37:24.440
can care anymore. They're dead, after all, But enough about

2309
02:37:24.440 --> 02:37:27.760
my dead family. I was headed to the supermarket. The

2310
02:37:27.840 --> 02:37:30.200
supermarket used to be my least favorite part of the

2311
02:37:30.360 --> 02:37:33.959
entire experience until recently it was still open to the

2312
02:37:34.000 --> 02:37:37.159
public in more or less a functional business. Some guy,

2313
02:37:37.319 --> 02:37:39.680
maybe the guy who owned it, was always there and

2314
02:37:39.799 --> 02:37:42.479
would make small talk with me when I shopped, or

2315
02:37:42.520 --> 02:37:46.000
at least he would attempt to. He was nice enough

2316
02:37:46.040 --> 02:37:48.719
and remembered my name from the one time I told him,

2317
02:37:49.040 --> 02:37:51.479
though I think I was his only customer most days.

2318
02:37:51.840 --> 02:37:54.520
I even caught him making attempts to use gender neutral

2319
02:37:54.520 --> 02:37:57.440
pronouns when referring to me. All of that was a

2320
02:37:57.440 --> 02:38:00.760
problem because I couldn't, for the life of me, remember

2321
02:38:00.760 --> 02:38:04.280
his name. I wanted so badly to respond to his

2322
02:38:04.360 --> 02:38:08.959
cheery Hi have Felix with something other than hey, But

2323
02:38:09.239 --> 02:38:12.000
I couldn't, and it killed me more than any zombie ever,

2324
02:38:12.040 --> 02:38:16.200
could you know, metaphorically speaking? At least I tried everything

2325
02:38:16.200 --> 02:38:19.000
I could to figure it out. Could I have just

2326
02:38:19.319 --> 02:38:20.280
asked him?

2327
02:38:20.799 --> 02:38:21.200
Fuck no?

2328
02:38:22.079 --> 02:38:24.879
So you can imagine the position I was in. Anyway,

2329
02:38:25.040 --> 02:38:28.040
All problems are temporary, right at least this one was

2330
02:38:28.079 --> 02:38:31.639
because one day the store was just closed. Maybe he

2331
02:38:31.879 --> 02:38:34.239
just got tired of seeing me and only me, the

2332
02:38:34.319 --> 02:38:36.760
kid who didn't remember his name, and decided it was

2333
02:38:36.799 --> 02:38:40.280
finally time to end this charade. It would make me

2334
02:38:40.319 --> 02:38:42.319
so happy to hear that that was the reason, and

2335
02:38:42.360 --> 02:38:45.440
it's not that he died, but you know how that goes.

2336
02:38:46.680 --> 02:38:49.239
The supermarket was only a few blocks from the flower shop.

2337
02:38:49.639 --> 02:38:52.680
The building was partially boarded, and in the beginning stages

2338
02:38:52.719 --> 02:38:57.000
of decay, tall weeds sprung up from once minuscule sidewalk cracks,

2339
02:38:57.040 --> 02:38:59.399
and the dirty green striped awning that hung over the

2340
02:38:59.559 --> 02:39:03.200
entrance had partially detached from its brackets. It swayed slightly

2341
02:39:03.239 --> 02:39:07.280
in the sweltering breeze. I ducked through the shattered glass door,

2342
02:39:07.440 --> 02:39:11.040
ready to get to work. Despite its exterior, the market

2343
02:39:11.120 --> 02:39:15.239
was quite pleasant now. It's cool, musty decor and shelves

2344
02:39:15.239 --> 02:39:18.760
of decaying food were almost homey to me. At that point,

2345
02:39:18.799 --> 02:39:22.239
there wasn't much desirable product left, but I always did

2346
02:39:22.239 --> 02:39:25.159
my best to accommodate. I do like a good challenge.

2347
02:39:25.520 --> 02:39:28.399
No box spaghetti left. Replace that sucker with a can

2348
02:39:28.440 --> 02:39:32.280
of spaghettios. You want ingredients to make chicken parmesan, Well

2349
02:39:32.360 --> 02:39:34.600
we don't have chicken anymore, but let me introduce you

2350
02:39:34.680 --> 02:39:38.879
to these here spaghettios, green beans. Spaghettio's got you covered.

2351
02:39:38.879 --> 02:39:42.479
Fam looking for those individually wrapped brownies to give your

2352
02:39:42.520 --> 02:39:47.200
kids so they stopped crying about the zombies. Uh canned ravioli.

2353
02:39:47.879 --> 02:39:50.600
They're sort of the same shape and just put sprinkles

2354
02:39:50.639 --> 02:39:53.600
on them and you're all set. The whole shopping experience

2355
02:39:53.639 --> 02:39:55.559
took about an hour, and then I headed out on

2356
02:39:55.559 --> 02:39:59.760
my mission to deliver the goods. Unfortunately, Lucy's demise left

2357
02:39:59.760 --> 02:40:02.159
the f Bros Without a pigeon, which meant that I

2358
02:40:02.200 --> 02:40:05.280
had to do something I'd been putting off a welfare check.

2359
02:40:06.000 --> 02:40:08.120
It had been two weeks since I'd gotten in order

2360
02:40:08.120 --> 02:40:11.399
from one of my oldest customers, the Ptels, a family

2361
02:40:11.440 --> 02:40:14.159
of three on the East Side. They had never taken

2362
02:40:14.200 --> 02:40:16.760
even a week off from ordering before, and while I

2363
02:40:16.799 --> 02:40:19.079
was hoping that they just decided to switch to one

2364
02:40:19.079 --> 02:40:22.159
of my competitors and forgotten to return my bird, I

2365
02:40:22.280 --> 02:40:24.799
was also aware that I didn't have any I was

2366
02:40:24.840 --> 02:40:26.879
the only person on this side of the city stupid

2367
02:40:26.959 --> 02:40:29.680
enough to do this, which meant something happened to my pigeon,

2368
02:40:30.000 --> 02:40:33.399
or worse. The Patels lived at the very edge of

2369
02:40:33.440 --> 02:40:35.719
the suburbs. It was a little bit out of the

2370
02:40:35.760 --> 02:40:38.479
way where the roads were less predictable with cars and

2371
02:40:38.559 --> 02:40:40.920
dead things. So I waited until close to the end

2372
02:40:40.959 --> 02:40:42.879
of my room, when I was carrying less food and

2373
02:40:42.920 --> 02:40:47.120
pigeons to swing pie. Also, I was really dreading it.

2374
02:40:47.959 --> 02:40:51.120
While there was still plenty of time before sunset, you'd

2375
02:40:51.159 --> 02:40:53.600
never have known. Due to the densely wooded streets that

2376
02:40:53.760 --> 02:40:57.600
encompassed the area, all was silent on my approach. Besides

2377
02:40:57.680 --> 02:41:02.000
the crickets, nothing lives here anymore, lives here anymore, lives

2378
02:41:02.000 --> 02:41:05.200
here anymore. The phrase welled up from somewhere deep within

2379
02:41:05.239 --> 02:41:09.079
my subconscious and gave me pause. I gulped, gripping my

2380
02:41:09.120 --> 02:41:11.799
handlebars a little harder than necessary, as I turned down

2381
02:41:11.840 --> 02:41:14.840
the Betel's driveway. Their house was one of those mid

2382
02:41:14.879 --> 02:41:19.360
century types, one story, flat roof, no basement, many many windows,

2383
02:41:19.760 --> 02:41:21.879
exactly the kind of place you'd pray you didn't have

2384
02:41:21.920 --> 02:41:24.680
to ride out the apocalypse in. They'd done their best

2385
02:41:24.719 --> 02:41:27.280
to board up most of the windows, but I always

2386
02:41:27.280 --> 02:41:30.239
wondered why, with the majority of the city available, they'd

2387
02:41:30.319 --> 02:41:33.600
chosen to stay in that particular place. It's the kind

2388
02:41:33.680 --> 02:41:37.159
of ridiculous sentimentality that'll get you killed. I scoffed and

2389
02:41:37.200 --> 02:41:39.200
hopped off my bike at the curve of the driveway

2390
02:41:39.200 --> 02:41:42.120
by the front door. The place looked secure, but as

2391
02:41:42.120 --> 02:41:45.600
my breathing calmed, I noticed an unusual sound intermixed with

2392
02:41:45.639 --> 02:41:51.399
the drone of crickets, tap tap tap, the unmistakable sound

2393
02:41:51.399 --> 02:41:54.760
of a fingernail hitting plexiglass radiated out from the building

2394
02:41:54.840 --> 02:41:58.840
in an unpredictable, somewhat frantic pattern. Were they trapped inside

2395
02:41:58.840 --> 02:42:01.680
and trying to get my attention? I wondered? Maybe someone

2396
02:42:01.760 --> 02:42:05.479
was just practicing their drumming technique against the window. I sighed,

2397
02:42:05.719 --> 02:42:09.399
If so, they had no sense of rhythm. Now, in context,

2398
02:42:09.479 --> 02:42:12.680
that makes next to zero sense. But since I'd conjured

2399
02:42:12.719 --> 02:42:15.520
the possibility into existence, I took a moment to wonder

2400
02:42:15.559 --> 02:42:17.840
what I'd do if mister Prittel answered the door and

2401
02:42:17.920 --> 02:42:21.680
asked what I thought I'd say. It sounded delightful. They

2402
02:42:21.680 --> 02:42:24.360
were doing their best, after all, and a little encouragement

2403
02:42:24.399 --> 02:42:27.680
can go a long way. Sweating more over the possibility

2404
02:42:27.719 --> 02:42:30.799
of an awkward conversation than someone needing my help escaping.

2405
02:42:31.200 --> 02:42:35.799
I knocked timidly on the door. Nothing. I tried a

2406
02:42:35.799 --> 02:42:41.120
bit harder, missus Pattel, It's Felix, I fumbled. You know

2407
02:42:41.319 --> 02:42:46.200
the grocery person you uh sometimes get grocery deliveries from

2408
02:42:47.440 --> 02:42:52.559
no response, just consistent light tapping. Are are you okay,

2409
02:42:52.639 --> 02:42:56.319
in there, I gingerly tested the doorknob. It was locked.

2410
02:42:57.200 --> 02:43:01.840
Mister Pettel, do you still have my pigeon? Maybe they

2411
02:43:01.879 --> 02:43:05.079
were just in the bathroom or something. Yeah, all three

2412
02:43:05.079 --> 02:43:08.200
of them in the bathroom, just hanging out. I'd hate

2413
02:43:08.200 --> 02:43:11.520
to think that I rushed their bathroom family time. So

2414
02:43:11.680 --> 02:43:14.719
I just silently stood there for a full five minutes,

2415
02:43:14.959 --> 02:43:17.639
trying to be polite and panicking about what to do next.

2416
02:43:18.280 --> 02:43:22.239
All the while the tapping persisted. I sighed it was

2417
02:43:22.280 --> 02:43:25.959
time to get serious and investigate the source. I carefully

2418
02:43:26.000 --> 02:43:29.680
and quietly began to walk the perimeter of the sprawling residence,

2419
02:43:30.000 --> 02:43:32.159
weirdly afraid that someone would see me and think I

2420
02:43:32.200 --> 02:43:35.440
was trying to break in, like there were people. As

2421
02:43:35.479 --> 02:43:37.559
I made my way around the left side of the home,

2422
02:43:37.959 --> 02:43:40.719
I was able to pinpoint its general location to a

2423
02:43:40.760 --> 02:43:45.239
window directly behind a row of overgrown barberry bushes, which,

2424
02:43:45.639 --> 02:43:49.120
as you probably don't know, are my number one least

2425
02:43:49.159 --> 02:43:52.319
favorite type of shrub, and yes I do have a list.

2426
02:43:53.159 --> 02:43:56.360
I pushed myself between the vegetation and siding, trying to

2427
02:43:56.440 --> 02:43:59.879
avoid the plants, thorns, and failing miserably. The area behind

2428
02:44:00.120 --> 02:44:02.639
the bush wasn't completely boarded, but it was too dark

2429
02:44:02.680 --> 02:44:05.239
for me to see inside. I pressed my hand against

2430
02:44:05.280 --> 02:44:08.719
the glass. It reverberated in tandem with the taps. I

2431
02:44:08.799 --> 02:44:11.760
was in the right place. I fought with the thorns

2432
02:44:11.799 --> 02:44:15.559
and my pants pocket to retrieve my flashlight, and then, shaking,

2433
02:44:15.680 --> 02:44:18.399
lifted it towards the window and slid the switch to

2434
02:44:18.440 --> 02:44:24.760
the yond position. A tiny face was staring back at me. Bisurah,

2435
02:44:24.840 --> 02:44:28.600
I gasped. My pigeon cocked her head, possibly equally as

2436
02:44:28.600 --> 02:44:32.079
surprised to see my face. Her beak and feathers were

2437
02:44:32.200 --> 02:44:36.040
soaked in blood. Smeared specks of blood clung to the

2438
02:44:36.079 --> 02:44:40.040
window where she'd been pecking. Adrenaline shot through my small frame,

2439
02:44:40.079 --> 02:44:42.000
and I tore out of the bushes and back to

2440
02:44:42.040 --> 02:44:44.559
the front door. And then I kicked that fucker until

2441
02:44:44.559 --> 02:44:47.159
the jam snapped and the door burst open and slammed

2442
02:44:47.159 --> 02:44:53.600
deafeningly against the wall. Sorry, I called out, sheepishly, but

2443
02:44:53.719 --> 02:44:57.559
it was silent. Streaks of daylight from the gaps between

2444
02:44:57.559 --> 02:45:01.440
the boarded windows criss crossed the lime green carpet, illuminating

2445
02:45:01.440 --> 02:45:04.079
the interior just enough for me to see without a flashlight.

2446
02:45:04.120 --> 02:45:07.399
Once my eyes adjusted from the four year where I stood,

2447
02:45:07.840 --> 02:45:11.680
everything looked pristine. I was beginning to consider the possibility

2448
02:45:11.760 --> 02:45:14.040
that they'd simply packed up and moved to a safer,

2449
02:45:14.159 --> 02:45:17.680
less windowy house, or headed west in a desperate attempt

2450
02:45:17.719 --> 02:45:22.000
to cross state lines, just leaving my pigeon intentionally or unintentionally,

2451
02:45:23.000 --> 02:45:27.280
Convinced I was at least momentarily alone, I crossed the

2452
02:45:27.319 --> 02:45:29.760
living room and started down the hallway in the direction

2453
02:45:29.840 --> 02:45:32.079
of the window that had my bleeding bird in it.

2454
02:45:32.719 --> 02:45:36.079
Four doorways loomed ahead of me. The first two were

2455
02:45:36.079 --> 02:45:39.040
empty bedrooms, then the third was a bathroom with no

2456
02:45:39.159 --> 02:45:42.520
family time happening in it. However, the last door, unlike

2457
02:45:42.559 --> 02:45:45.760
the others, was shut and locked. I thought maybe I

2458
02:45:45.799 --> 02:45:49.280
could hear faint rustling inside, but Surah, I called out.

2459
02:45:49.879 --> 02:45:52.120
I was so relieved to hear her coup from within

2460
02:45:52.120 --> 02:45:54.239
the room that I jimmied the door open and took

2461
02:45:54.280 --> 02:45:57.440
several steps into the space without much thought. My only

2462
02:45:57.479 --> 02:45:59.520
goal was to grab her and get the hell home.

2463
02:45:59.680 --> 02:46:01.399
There was There's no way I trusted the frat froze

2464
02:46:01.399 --> 02:46:03.799
with an injured pigeon, or really anything. At this point,

2465
02:46:04.000 --> 02:46:06.719
they'd have to wait. Basurah flew right over to me

2466
02:46:06.719 --> 02:46:10.520
and perched on my hand. Good girl, I assured her quietly,

2467
02:46:10.559 --> 02:46:13.360
as I examined her body, trying to locate a cut

2468
02:46:13.440 --> 02:46:15.639
or a wound of any kind. But while she was

2469
02:46:15.639 --> 02:46:19.680
caked in what was most certainly blood, she wasn't actually bleeding,

2470
02:46:20.079 --> 02:46:24.479
not anywhere. My heart sank. What have you been eating, sweetheart?

2471
02:46:25.319 --> 02:46:27.920
Basurah bobbed her head at me quizzically, as if to say,

2472
02:46:28.200 --> 02:46:31.879
no oblo English an espongol porfoifour you know I don't

2473
02:46:31.879 --> 02:46:34.639
speak Spanish, I said aloud, Let's just get out of.

2474
02:46:34.639 --> 02:46:35.120
Here, okay.

2475
02:46:35.760 --> 02:46:38.200
As I turned around to leave the bedroom, I caught

2476
02:46:38.239 --> 02:46:41.440
something big and dark in my peripheral vision. I froze.

2477
02:46:41.760 --> 02:46:42.200
There.

2478
02:46:42.479 --> 02:46:45.799
Hanging from one of those decorative exposed ceiling beams was

2479
02:46:45.799 --> 02:46:50.200
a very dead missus Pattel, And to make matters more uncomfortable,

2480
02:46:50.680 --> 02:46:55.360
she was just covered in peck marks. I unconsciously dropped

2481
02:46:55.399 --> 02:46:58.159
my hand, prompting Mesura to fly off of it and

2482
02:46:58.319 --> 02:47:01.600
over to missus Pateel's shoulder and begin munching on her face.

2483
02:47:02.559 --> 02:47:05.120
Ba Surah, get down from there for this instant. You're

2484
02:47:05.120 --> 02:47:09.360
embarrassing me, I said, in an unnecessarily hushed tone. My

2485
02:47:09.479 --> 02:47:12.600
bird continued to not understand English. And attempted to rip

2486
02:47:12.639 --> 02:47:14.959
some of the skin off of Missus Bettel's cheek, but

2487
02:47:15.120 --> 02:47:19.920
Sir I, something stirred further off in the darkness. Hello.

2488
02:47:20.760 --> 02:47:22.959
I switched on my flashlight and began to search the

2489
02:47:23.000 --> 02:47:25.520
far side of the bedroom, careful to aim around Missus

2490
02:47:25.520 --> 02:47:29.440
Battel to spare my psyche any further gory details. Something

2491
02:47:29.520 --> 02:47:31.600
was hunched down behind one of the chairs in the

2492
02:47:31.639 --> 02:47:34.600
small sitting area near the en sweet bathroom.

2493
02:47:35.360 --> 02:47:38.799
You're not safe yet, weakly spooky, We'll be.

2494
02:47:38.879 --> 02:47:39.799
Right back.

2495
02:47:43.799 --> 02:47:48.239
For my position. All I could see was long, dark hair. Hey,

2496
02:47:48.479 --> 02:47:52.719
are you a zombie or The thing continued to sit quietly,

2497
02:47:52.840 --> 02:47:55.159
So I made the regrettable decision to find out for

2498
02:47:55.239 --> 02:47:59.399
myself and slowly close the distance between us. If you're

2499
02:47:59.440 --> 02:48:02.000
not dead and you could respond to me, it did

2500
02:48:02.000 --> 02:48:05.239
help a lot, I coached, realizing in my panic to

2501
02:48:05.280 --> 02:48:08.559
save my injured pigeon, i'd left my weapon outside.

2502
02:48:09.440 --> 02:48:10.079
This was bad.

2503
02:48:10.559 --> 02:48:14.239
The thing that I could by that point more accurately

2504
02:48:14.280 --> 02:48:17.879
categorize as a little girl, probably the Beateel's daughter, was

2505
02:48:18.159 --> 02:48:22.200
still not moving. Her head was down, body slumped, and

2506
02:48:22.239 --> 02:48:26.159
I could make out several partially scabbed, partially infected human

2507
02:48:26.200 --> 02:48:30.360
bitemarks around her ankles. So yeah, this was probably a zombie,

2508
02:48:30.840 --> 02:48:33.120
but I needed to confirm before I made any decisions

2509
02:48:33.159 --> 02:48:36.120
about how to dispose of it. Prepared to pull away

2510
02:48:36.120 --> 02:48:38.600
in case of an attack. I carefully pushed back her

2511
02:48:38.600 --> 02:48:40.680
hair as I did. Her body tensed.

2512
02:48:40.840 --> 02:48:41.079
Fuck.

2513
02:48:41.360 --> 02:48:44.600
Sorry, I mean, but I couldn't think of another word

2514
02:48:44.639 --> 02:48:47.840
to replace it with. Not that she was listening, not really.

2515
02:48:48.760 --> 02:48:51.440
After a moment of awareness, her eyes had fixed on

2516
02:48:51.479 --> 02:48:55.760
something very far away. If this was literally any other

2517
02:48:55.959 --> 02:48:58.959
place or time in modern history, i'd have called nine

2518
02:48:59.000 --> 02:49:02.719
one one the ambulance and the police would have been dispatched,

2519
02:49:02.879 --> 02:49:05.200
and I would have sat outside with her until they came.

2520
02:49:05.639 --> 02:49:08.479
They'd wrap us in blankets and I'd give a statement

2521
02:49:08.520 --> 02:49:10.920
to the cops. Then they'd take her to the hospital

2522
02:49:10.959 --> 02:49:13.840
and treat her injuries, and CPS would handle things from there.

2523
02:49:14.639 --> 02:49:18.559
But none of those things existed anymore. So I was

2524
02:49:18.639 --> 02:49:21.040
going to have to handle it, and I don't mean

2525
02:49:21.079 --> 02:49:23.559
handle it in a good way. A sudden wave of

2526
02:49:23.600 --> 02:49:26.440
anger course through my body. You don't go about this

2527
02:49:26.520 --> 02:49:28.799
the same way as when the oxygen mask drops on

2528
02:49:28.840 --> 02:49:31.840
a plane. You do not take care of yourself before

2529
02:49:31.959 --> 02:49:35.600
your child. Missus Vittel. Child first, always child first, and

2530
02:49:35.719 --> 02:49:40.239
murder suicides don't make me do it. Based on her

2531
02:49:40.399 --> 02:49:43.719
limited reaction to stimuli, it wasn't too difficult to estimate

2532
02:49:43.760 --> 02:49:46.719
that the girl whose name I'd forgotten was on day

2533
02:49:46.719 --> 02:49:49.639
five or six of a grueling seven day slock between

2534
02:49:49.680 --> 02:49:54.079
exposure and full infection, which consisted of increasing confusion, loss

2535
02:49:54.079 --> 02:49:58.040
of awareness, antisocial behavior, and well, who really knows what

2536
02:49:58.159 --> 02:50:01.959
else until at the end you're just some violent human husk.

2537
02:50:02.920 --> 02:50:05.600
There was, of course, a point five percent chance that

2538
02:50:05.760 --> 02:50:09.799
she'd just die instead, but that death always looked incredibly painful,

2539
02:50:10.000 --> 02:50:11.840
so I can't say it would be much of an upgrade.

2540
02:50:12.600 --> 02:50:15.079
I sat there for a long time, trying to convince

2541
02:50:15.079 --> 02:50:17.360
myself of the importance of committing the act. That her

2542
02:50:17.399 --> 02:50:20.040
mother would rather end her life than see come to pass.

2543
02:50:21.200 --> 02:50:24.959
You have to, you know, I told myself. Straightening my back,

2544
02:50:25.280 --> 02:50:28.319
I reached out towards her and wrapped my hands around

2545
02:50:28.319 --> 02:50:32.040
her throat without a gun. No bullets left, bet dubs.

2546
02:50:32.479 --> 02:50:34.559
It was the nicest way I could think of. Once

2547
02:50:34.600 --> 02:50:37.000
her body was dead, I'd have to use more violence

2548
02:50:37.040 --> 02:50:40.280
to make sure she didn't come back. I'd made the decision.

2549
02:50:40.600 --> 02:50:44.159
All I had to do was squeeze. As my grip increased,

2550
02:50:44.280 --> 02:50:47.200
her eyes suddenly locked with mine. They were filled with fear,

2551
02:50:48.040 --> 02:50:50.600
A lot of fear, like way too much fear I'd

2552
02:50:50.600 --> 02:50:54.079
been wrong about the timeline. Her fingernails sunk into my forearms,

2553
02:50:54.200 --> 02:50:56.440
desperately trying to pull me off as I choked her.

2554
02:50:56.760 --> 02:50:59.879
The awareness of her reaction completely caught me off guard.

2555
02:51:00.000 --> 02:51:02.399
She's even been bitten, I mean, I was almost positive

2556
02:51:02.440 --> 02:51:04.799
that those were human bitemarks on her ankles. But the

2557
02:51:05.040 --> 02:51:07.719
very real and increasing possibility that what I was really

2558
02:51:07.760 --> 02:51:10.600
dealing with was just a very traumatized seven year old,

2559
02:51:10.799 --> 02:51:13.959
not a monster, made my extremities go cold, and before

2560
02:51:14.000 --> 02:51:16.760
I realized what I was doing, I'd grabbed Bassurah and

2561
02:51:16.840 --> 02:51:19.920
bolted out of the room. I could hear her coughing

2562
02:51:19.959 --> 02:51:22.479
and gasping for air as I rushed down the hallway.

2563
02:51:22.959 --> 02:51:27.159
Fuck this, Fuck all of this. In the kitchen, the

2564
02:51:27.200 --> 02:51:30.760
Patels had a large stock pile of bottled water. I

2565
02:51:30.799 --> 02:51:33.520
sat my pigeon in the sink, and as carefully as

2566
02:51:33.600 --> 02:51:37.000
was possible with my trembling hands, washed the blood from

2567
02:51:37.040 --> 02:51:40.760
her feathers. There was absolutely no reason I needed to

2568
02:51:40.799 --> 02:51:43.719
add this one to the long list of things plaguing

2569
02:51:43.760 --> 02:51:46.600
my conscience. I wasn't even sure I agreed with the

2570
02:51:46.639 --> 02:51:50.440
premise of mercy killings anyway sparkly clean, or at least

2571
02:51:50.520 --> 02:51:53.920
clean enough. I toweled Bassura off in my shirt and

2572
02:51:54.079 --> 02:51:56.879
headed for the front door. I was gonna drop Bissura

2573
02:51:57.000 --> 02:52:00.479
off at the frat and go home, and suddenly scream

2574
02:52:00.559 --> 02:52:03.280
crashed through the building and sent me running right back

2575
02:52:03.319 --> 02:52:08.079
down that Saint damn hallway. Oh it was mister Brettel.

2576
02:52:08.360 --> 02:52:10.959
I've been wondering about him, but there he was now

2577
02:52:11.000 --> 02:52:13.920
in the bedroom, pinning his already almost strangled daughter to

2578
02:52:13.959 --> 02:52:17.399
the ground and like eating her small intestines, large intestines.

2579
02:52:18.000 --> 02:52:20.719
I don't know. I'm really not that good at anatomy. Well,

2580
02:52:20.920 --> 02:52:23.639
at least that's what he was doing until my rapid

2581
02:52:23.680 --> 02:52:26.799
approach distracted him and he lunged at me. I wasn't

2582
02:52:26.799 --> 02:52:29.479
able to dodge quite as nimbly as I've liked, and

2583
02:52:29.520 --> 02:52:32.280
he flat out tackled me, knocking me into the bedside

2584
02:52:32.280 --> 02:52:34.600
table before I hit the ground. I was trying to

2585
02:52:34.680 --> 02:52:38.399
keep his teeth away from my everything and simultaneously punch

2586
02:52:38.479 --> 02:52:40.399
him hard enough to get him off of me. But

2587
02:52:40.760 --> 02:52:43.520
I'm not that great at close combat. Granted he was

2588
02:52:43.559 --> 02:52:45.479
like twice my size, but I feel like I should

2589
02:52:45.479 --> 02:52:48.200
have been able to manage better all things considered. So

2590
02:52:48.440 --> 02:52:50.840
I was laying there, using every ounce of my strength

2591
02:52:50.879 --> 02:52:53.319
to keep from being chewed on, excepting that everything I'd

2592
02:52:53.319 --> 02:52:55.959
done that day was very stupid. When a dark blur

2593
02:52:56.079 --> 02:52:59.079
streaked across the room, landed on mister Rittel's face and

2594
02:52:59.159 --> 02:53:04.559
started pecking his eyes. It was Bisurah, my attacker. Momentarily distracted,

2595
02:53:04.760 --> 02:53:06.719
I was able to reach behind me, hoping that there'd

2596
02:53:06.719 --> 02:53:08.479
be something in the knocked over table that I could

2597
02:53:08.559 --> 02:53:11.000
use to end this. I fumbled around until I felt

2598
02:53:11.000 --> 02:53:14.200
something cold, hard and substantial, and then I brought it

2599
02:53:14.239 --> 02:53:17.280
down over his skull. And then I hit him over

2600
02:53:17.479 --> 02:53:21.399
and over and over again. And then I continued to

2601
02:53:21.479 --> 02:53:23.399
hit him until I was sure that no part of

2602
02:53:23.440 --> 02:53:28.120
him would ever be able to move again. I then

2603
02:53:28.319 --> 02:53:31.159
took a moment to catch my breath and waited patiently

2604
02:53:31.200 --> 02:53:34.760
for his daughter to stop breathing, and you know, proceeded

2605
02:53:34.760 --> 02:53:38.639
to do the same thing to her too. Afterwards, I

2606
02:53:38.879 --> 02:53:43.639
washed my hands really really well. It was only then

2607
02:53:43.680 --> 02:53:46.440
that I realized what the object I'd been using to

2608
02:53:46.479 --> 02:53:51.479
crush my attackers. Was he somehow still intact three quarters

2609
02:53:51.479 --> 02:53:56.319
full bottle of vodka? The frat was only about a

2610
02:53:56.319 --> 02:53:59.120
fifteen minute bike ride away, so I made it there

2611
02:53:59.120 --> 02:54:02.040
before eight thirty. I don't know why I keep calling

2612
02:54:02.079 --> 02:54:05.639
it that. By the way, the university had been made inaccessible,

2613
02:54:06.040 --> 02:54:07.559
as it was on the other side of the now

2614
02:54:07.600 --> 02:54:10.639
blown up bridge, and also it hadn't held classes in

2615
02:54:10.680 --> 02:54:13.120
over a year, so it was a little less like

2616
02:54:13.159 --> 02:54:15.680
a frat and more like a gang, like a really

2617
02:54:15.719 --> 02:54:20.280
boring gang. The house was one of those opulent nineteen

2618
02:54:20.319 --> 02:54:23.639
twenties Johns that had been falling apart for at least

2619
02:54:23.639 --> 02:54:27.000
a decade before the bad stuff happened, surrounded by a

2620
02:54:27.040 --> 02:54:30.159
fifteen foot tall fence made of an amalgamation of just

2621
02:54:30.200 --> 02:54:34.079
about every building material that you can think of. A

2622
02:54:34.159 --> 02:54:37.559
guy dressed in too cool for the Apocalypse gear pointing

2623
02:54:37.600 --> 02:54:40.639
his gun in my direction from a makeshift watchtower as

2624
02:54:40.680 --> 02:54:43.799
I approached, only to lower it again. I tried and

2625
02:54:43.879 --> 02:54:46.600
failed to speak so that I could explain myself, but

2626
02:54:46.680 --> 02:54:49.719
it didn't seem to matter. I know, just going already,

2627
02:54:50.000 --> 02:54:52.959
He motioned to the gate with his rifle. Earlier on

2628
02:54:53.000 --> 02:54:55.399
my route, I'd come up with the most perfect soap

2629
02:54:55.440 --> 02:54:58.479
boxy speech to shame these guys. I was going to

2630
02:54:58.479 --> 02:55:00.920
tell them about Lucy and how they were putting me

2631
02:55:01.079 --> 02:55:03.639
and my birds in a necessary danger, but I'd give

2632
02:55:03.680 --> 02:55:05.719
them one more chance, because I didn't think they were

2633
02:55:05.719 --> 02:55:09.079
being malicious. But by the time I stood on that

2634
02:55:09.200 --> 02:55:12.799
dry rotted porch staring at Stefan, the only guy whose

2635
02:55:12.879 --> 02:55:15.840
name I'd actually remembered, I was having trouble keeping any

2636
02:55:15.879 --> 02:55:19.680
sort of mental narrative running. I was really just trying

2637
02:55:19.719 --> 02:55:22.159
not to throw up. I don't know how I looked

2638
02:55:22.159 --> 02:55:23.920
at that point, but I can only assume it was

2639
02:55:24.040 --> 02:55:27.879
kind of off putting because instead of saying hello, Stefan

2640
02:55:28.120 --> 02:55:31.639
just stared at me. I parted my lips to speak first,

2641
02:55:31.680 --> 02:55:35.079
but I could only manage a nonsensical squeak, so instead,

2642
02:55:35.120 --> 02:55:37.680
I lifted the bottle of vodka out of my backpack

2643
02:55:37.959 --> 02:55:40.680
and shoved it into his chest, then turned to leave.

2644
02:55:42.120 --> 02:55:45.000
Oh oh, the beer thing that was really just supposed

2645
02:55:45.000 --> 02:55:47.399
to be a joke, he said, staring at the bottle.

2646
02:55:47.959 --> 02:55:50.920
I stopped, turned back, and made a spur of the

2647
02:55:50.920 --> 02:55:55.559
moment decision. Instead of Besserah, I retrieved the plastic bag

2648
02:55:55.600 --> 02:55:58.479
wrapped dead Lucy from the pouch i'd stored her in

2649
02:55:58.799 --> 02:56:01.879
and shoved her into his hands. He fumbled to hold

2650
02:56:01.920 --> 02:56:06.040
on to both her and the vodka. Thanks, I shrugged

2651
02:56:06.200 --> 02:56:09.719
and again turned to leave. I could hear the plastic

2652
02:56:09.760 --> 02:56:12.680
crinkle behind me as he opened the Lucy package. Hey,

2653
02:56:13.159 --> 02:56:16.000
it was really supposed to be a joke, Stefan called out.

2654
02:56:16.639 --> 02:56:23.079
I stopped good one. I managed to eke out good one.

2655
02:56:23.399 --> 02:56:26.520
Fucking good one, I berated myself as I rode through

2656
02:56:26.559 --> 02:56:30.600
the mostly empty streets, zigzagging to avoid the occasional zombie.

2657
02:56:30.799 --> 02:56:33.600
How on earth was that a good one? Felix? And

2658
02:56:33.799 --> 02:56:37.520
to make matters worse, I'd handed them my food. I

2659
02:56:37.600 --> 02:56:39.799
was clearly never gonna be able to face that gang again.

2660
02:56:40.680 --> 02:56:43.079
Luckily for me, I was no longer even a little

2661
02:56:43.079 --> 02:56:46.280
bit hungry, So instead of having barbecued pigeon as planned,

2662
02:56:46.680 --> 02:56:49.600
I went to sleep for dinner, feeling like I'd played

2663
02:56:49.600 --> 02:56:54.360
the ultimate prank on myself. Gotta make the joke funny somehow,

2664
02:56:54.479 --> 02:57:04.159
I guess.

2665
02:57:04.879 --> 02:57:12.639
Sweet Revenge by David Ohan, October twenty ninth, nineteen ninety nine.

2666
02:57:12.719 --> 02:57:16.280
The nozzle sputtered and sprayed thick ropes of its gooey

2667
02:57:16.399 --> 02:57:19.360
confection across the men on either side of the conveyor.

2668
02:57:20.239 --> 02:57:24.040
Hank and Reuben exchanged glances. Hank had gotten the worst

2669
02:57:24.079 --> 02:57:28.319
of it. Globs of peanut butter infused molasses soaked through

2670
02:57:28.360 --> 02:57:31.440
the beard net and glued the mesh to the hair underneath.

2671
02:57:32.120 --> 02:57:35.159
Ruben laughed at his partner as he tried peeling the

2672
02:57:35.200 --> 02:57:38.719
garment away. Ruben hit the stop button to remove the

2673
02:57:38.760 --> 02:57:44.719
clogged nozzle. I'm gonna have to shave, Hank grumped. Shelley

2674
02:57:44.799 --> 02:57:48.600
hates it when I shave. I don't blame her, Ruben said,

2675
02:57:48.639 --> 02:57:51.520
as he retrieved the pipe wrench. Seeing half your face

2676
02:57:51.600 --> 02:57:56.159
is bad enough. It is pretty ugly. Hank tugged at

2677
02:57:56.200 --> 02:57:59.600
a gob of candy. Maybe that's why your mom insists

2678
02:57:59.600 --> 02:58:04.479
on sitting on it. Funny hillbilly, Ruben cranked on the nozzle.

2679
02:58:05.239 --> 02:58:09.639
This bitch is really stuck. Hank handed a cheeter pipe

2680
02:58:09.639 --> 02:58:12.319
over the conveyor and Ruben slipped it onto the handle

2681
02:58:12.360 --> 02:58:15.680
of the wrench for more leverage. The nozzle came loose

2682
02:58:15.719 --> 02:58:20.319
with ease, promptly spraying warm gunk across Ruben's face. He

2683
02:58:20.440 --> 02:58:24.559
backpedaled and slipped, falling into the mess. It was Hank's

2684
02:58:24.600 --> 02:58:27.920
turn to laugh. Ruben tried to throw the pipe at

2685
02:58:27.920 --> 02:58:30.959
the machine, but the goop on his hands made it impossible.

2686
02:58:31.840 --> 02:58:36.200
It clattered harmlessly a foot away. I hate this job,

2687
02:58:36.840 --> 02:58:40.719
Ruben huffed. Nobody even wants the goddamn peanut butter kisses.

2688
02:58:41.399 --> 02:58:45.520
They're a staple of Halloween, Hank offered in defense, Yeah,

2689
02:58:45.799 --> 02:58:49.239
like STDs are a staple of prom. You might get

2690
02:58:49.280 --> 02:58:53.079
a few in your sack, but nobody wants him. Ruben

2691
02:58:53.159 --> 02:58:56.120
peeled himself from the floor and checked the clock. He

2692
02:58:56.159 --> 02:58:58.520
looked down at the analog counter on the side of

2693
02:58:58.520 --> 02:59:01.079
the machine and tapped the cover to make sure it

2694
02:59:01.159 --> 02:59:06.120
wasn't stuck. Fuck it, that's quota, he said. We can't

2695
02:59:06.159 --> 02:59:09.680
work in nasty clothes health code right, we can go

2696
02:59:09.799 --> 02:59:12.639
change and clean up for the last hour. Got a

2697
02:59:12.719 --> 02:59:16.120
razor in your locker, Hank asked, I got a bic,

2698
02:59:16.840 --> 02:59:20.559
not a brush hoog. Ruben gestured at Hank's bushy beard.

2699
02:59:21.479 --> 02:59:23.280
What the hell is a razor going to do for that?

2700
02:59:24.680 --> 02:59:26.559
I figure if I shave it off here, I can

2701
02:59:26.559 --> 02:59:29.440
tell Shelly it got caught in one of the machines.

2702
02:59:29.879 --> 02:59:33.879
She won't be as angry. Then, good plan, Ruben tried

2703
02:59:33.920 --> 02:59:38.280
to snap his fingers, but the sticky substance wouldn't allow it. Cleo,

2704
02:59:38.840 --> 02:59:41.079
she goes to beauty college. I bet she's got her

2705
02:59:41.120 --> 02:59:45.159
shit in the car. Hank stared at him inquisitively. You

2706
02:59:45.200 --> 02:59:49.440
trust Cleo with sharp objects around your neck, not my neck,

2707
02:59:49.479 --> 02:59:54.200
But I'd trust her around yours. That was fair. Cleopatra

2708
02:59:54.319 --> 02:59:57.760
and Ruben had a thing once. Unfortunately they had different

2709
02:59:57.799 --> 03:00:02.239
ideas of what that thing was. Ruben's idea involved bawling

2710
03:00:02.280 --> 03:00:05.959
Cleo's cousin. The men shut down their machine and started

2711
03:00:05.959 --> 03:00:10.120
across the factory. The locker rooms occupied the space beneath

2712
03:00:10.120 --> 03:00:12.799
the break room, in a two story structure that looked

2713
03:00:12.840 --> 03:00:16.920
something like a prison watch tower. Hank used his pocket

2714
03:00:17.000 --> 03:00:19.719
knife to cut away the beard net while Ruben scrubbed

2715
03:00:19.719 --> 03:00:24.120
away the residual peanut butter kisses. Hank snickered. It served

2716
03:00:24.159 --> 03:00:26.879
him right, after all, it was all his fault they'd

2717
03:00:26.879 --> 03:00:29.840
been stuck on the machine. It shouldn't come as a

2718
03:00:29.840 --> 03:00:32.920
surprise that the owner of a place called Candy Jacks

2719
03:00:33.639 --> 03:00:37.319
is a complete degenerate. When Candy Jack heard what had

2720
03:00:37.319 --> 03:00:40.680
gone down, he quickly assigned Ruben to the worst shit

2721
03:00:40.799 --> 03:00:44.520
detail in the plant. To score points with Cleo. He

2722
03:00:44.680 --> 03:00:47.680
sent Hank along because he knew Ruben wouldn't leave his

2723
03:00:47.799 --> 03:00:51.959
partner holding the bag. The plan hadn't worked, but Jack

2724
03:00:52.120 --> 03:00:55.520
wasn't giving up, so for three years the duo had

2725
03:00:55.559 --> 03:00:59.760
been making peanut butter kisses for Halloween, fruity candy canes

2726
03:00:59.760 --> 03:01:05.040
for Christmas, and Candy Jack's knockoff peeps the appropriately named

2727
03:01:05.479 --> 03:01:10.559
cheaps for Easter. That's how it works in a candy factory.

2728
03:01:11.600 --> 03:01:13.959
Your rank is based on how much people love or

2729
03:01:14.040 --> 03:01:17.239
hate the product you're making. Reuben and Hanks stood on

2730
03:01:17.319 --> 03:01:21.360
the bottom rung. Cleo worked on the Jacked protein bars

2731
03:01:21.399 --> 03:01:25.120
in the healthy options department. It was third in the

2732
03:01:25.200 --> 03:01:29.079
hierarchy of Candyland. Lording over them all were the workers

2733
03:01:29.120 --> 03:01:33.440
that made the Carson line. Invented by Candy Jack's grandfather.

2734
03:01:33.760 --> 03:01:37.040
Carson bars came in a number of varieties and were

2735
03:01:37.079 --> 03:01:41.040
the third most popular candy bar in the country. An

2736
03:01:41.239 --> 03:01:45.719
entire wing of the factory was dedicated solely to Carsons.

2737
03:01:46.239 --> 03:01:49.000
Once they were cleaned up enough to look presentable but

2738
03:01:49.079 --> 03:01:52.479
still appear to have been working their entire shifts, Hank

2739
03:01:52.559 --> 03:01:56.159
and Reuben sneaked across the plant to find Cleo the

2740
03:01:56.280 --> 03:01:59.520
end of shift, Whistle blew halfway to her line, so

2741
03:01:59.559 --> 03:02:02.879
they had to jog to catch her. Cleo came down

2742
03:02:02.920 --> 03:02:06.639
from the catwalk, stripping the chocolate spattered vinyl apron off

2743
03:02:06.680 --> 03:02:11.159
to reveal the curves beneath. Ruben gulped. He knew he

2744
03:02:11.200 --> 03:02:13.760
screwed up big time, but the closest he'd come to

2745
03:02:13.840 --> 03:02:17.360
fixing it was getting Cleo to wave at him. It

2746
03:02:17.479 --> 03:02:20.360
was a step up from the fuck you he'd gotten

2747
03:02:20.399 --> 03:02:27.079
for the first two years. Cleo had, in fact brought

2748
03:02:27.120 --> 03:02:31.280
her beauty supplies. Since Reuben had ridden with Hank that afternoon,

2749
03:02:31.680 --> 03:02:34.559
it meant he couldn't leave until his friend was finished.

2750
03:02:35.200 --> 03:02:38.280
Cleo knew that too, and took her time. She lined

2751
03:02:38.319 --> 03:02:42.319
up Hank's beard perfectly, then offered to fix his hair.

2752
03:02:42.920 --> 03:02:45.799
She even threw in a neck and shoulder massage, just

2753
03:02:45.840 --> 03:02:50.920
to keep Reuben from whatever or whoever he might have

2754
03:02:51.040 --> 03:02:53.959
done had he not been stuck pacing the break room

2755
03:02:54.040 --> 03:02:59.440
for an additional forty minutes. Finished, she finally said, Hank

2756
03:02:59.520 --> 03:03:02.559
checked himself in the mirror and whistled, I'll be damned,

2757
03:03:03.479 --> 03:03:04.479
I've met your wife.

2758
03:03:04.840 --> 03:03:05.239
You are.

2759
03:03:05.760 --> 03:03:08.360
Reuben nodded for the door and she's going to be

2760
03:03:08.399 --> 03:03:12.520
wondering where your ass is. We should hurry up. Some

2761
03:03:12.639 --> 03:03:16.680
men can actually be trusted, Cleo whispered. As she packed

2762
03:03:16.719 --> 03:03:19.319
up her stuff. She stared at her hands for a

2763
03:03:19.399 --> 03:03:23.959
second and grasped her wrist. Shit, I left my bracelet

2764
03:03:23.959 --> 03:03:27.680
on deck. She looked out of the breakroom windows and

2765
03:03:27.760 --> 03:03:31.719
saw a bank of lights shut off. Unlike Candy Jack,

2766
03:03:32.120 --> 03:03:36.079
his grandpa had been a great guy. Tucker Carson took

2767
03:03:36.120 --> 03:03:40.120
care of the employees, including giving them November first off

2768
03:03:40.319 --> 03:03:42.600
so that parents could stay out late trick or treating

2769
03:03:42.639 --> 03:03:45.840
with their kids. In his will, he'd put a clause

2770
03:03:45.959 --> 03:03:50.120
that it stay that way, with Halloween being Sunday. They

2771
03:03:50.200 --> 03:03:53.959
were the last shift until Tuesday. If I go home

2772
03:03:54.000 --> 03:03:58.360
without that bracelet, my daughter will lose her shit, Cleo said.

2773
03:03:58.879 --> 03:04:03.399
Another bank of light clicked off. She sighed, Will you

2774
03:04:03.399 --> 03:04:07.040
guys wait for me? Of course, Ruben said too quickly.

2775
03:04:07.360 --> 03:04:11.799
I mean I'll wait. Hank has to get home. I'm

2776
03:04:11.840 --> 03:04:15.840
your Hank started best friend. Ruben finished. He jabbed a

2777
03:04:15.879 --> 03:04:18.399
finger to the door, Which is why I want you

2778
03:04:18.479 --> 03:04:23.559
to hurry home before you get in trouble, right, Hank winked,

2779
03:04:24.159 --> 03:04:27.879
wouldn't want Shelley grounding me. We have bowlin Sunday, the

2780
03:04:27.879 --> 03:04:32.639
big Halloween tournament. Ruben scowled. He hated bowling and rejected

2781
03:04:32.680 --> 03:04:36.239
every attempt Hank made to get him to go. His

2782
03:04:36.319 --> 03:04:41.079
shoulders sagged. That's right, he agreed. I wouldn't want to

2783
03:04:41.120 --> 03:04:45.840
miss out on bowling night. See you there, partner, Hank

2784
03:04:45.879 --> 03:04:48.440
whistled as he left the two alone in the break room.

2785
03:04:49.120 --> 03:04:52.559
Cleo grabbed the bag of styling tools and glared at Reuben.

2786
03:04:53.360 --> 03:04:56.200
She didn't want to admit she had ever actually liked him,

2787
03:04:56.239 --> 03:05:00.959
but she had, and three years later she still did.

2788
03:05:01.680 --> 03:05:05.040
It made her want to punch his stupid pretty face in.

2789
03:05:06.319 --> 03:05:09.600
I know it's normally your line, but I'll be quick,

2790
03:05:10.079 --> 03:05:14.479
she huffed. Cleo stormed out. Reuben watched her go down

2791
03:05:14.520 --> 03:05:17.520
the stairs and disappear out of sight. It was going

2792
03:05:17.559 --> 03:05:20.239
to be a long walk back to his place, but

2793
03:05:20.280 --> 03:05:23.399
if he could get one step closer to unfucking things

2794
03:05:23.440 --> 03:05:26.959
between them, it would be worth it. He dragged out

2795
03:05:27.000 --> 03:05:30.879
one of the plastic chairs and slouched into it. Cleo

2796
03:05:31.040 --> 03:05:35.239
clamored up the stairwell quickly to her station. She'd forgotten

2797
03:05:35.319 --> 03:05:38.719
she was wearing the little woven Friendship bracelet. Tia made

2798
03:05:38.760 --> 03:05:42.280
her to commemorate starting first grade, and she hadn't had

2799
03:05:42.280 --> 03:05:45.440
time to run back to her locker. She'd tucked it

2800
03:05:45.479 --> 03:05:49.200
into the battered metal desk for safe keeping. She set

2801
03:05:49.200 --> 03:05:53.159
her bag down and opened the desk. Its bent, hinges screeched.

2802
03:05:53.799 --> 03:05:57.399
She slipped the ornament back onto her wrist and closed

2803
03:05:57.399 --> 03:06:01.760
the desk. There's no overtime tonight, a man said, in

2804
03:06:01.840 --> 03:06:06.559
a predatory hiss. Not milking the clock, are you? Candy

2805
03:06:06.680 --> 03:06:10.920
Jack leaned on the handrail, pantomiming something other than milking.

2806
03:06:11.600 --> 03:06:14.959
His hair was slicked back in a platinum pompadour, with

2807
03:06:15.079 --> 03:06:19.399
a goatee dyed to match. All of his suits were gaudy,

2808
03:06:19.760 --> 03:06:22.520
but the plum number he was wearing then was the worst.

2809
03:06:22.879 --> 03:06:26.559
With the orange jacket lining and accompanying tie, and a

2810
03:06:26.600 --> 03:06:32.639
black shirt embroidered with tiny purple lollipops, his exotic leather

2811
03:06:32.760 --> 03:06:37.920
shoes were something akin to pumpkin guts. He sucked lecherously

2812
03:06:37.959 --> 03:06:41.840
on a licorice and tried to look suave. Cleo could

2813
03:06:41.840 --> 03:06:44.920
only think of one thing as Candy Jack blocked or

2814
03:06:45.079 --> 03:06:50.399
escape Willy Wonka and the Nose candy Factory. I forgot

2815
03:06:50.399 --> 03:06:53.040
something in my desk, she held up her wrist to

2816
03:06:53.079 --> 03:06:57.200
show the bracelet. I'm heading out. Jack seized her arm

2817
03:06:57.360 --> 03:07:01.600
lightning fast. He stepped close and eyed the jewelry, then

2818
03:07:01.760 --> 03:07:04.399
let his gaze shift down to the collar of her

2819
03:07:04.440 --> 03:07:09.959
t shirt. He pursed his thin lips. We're starting Carson

2820
03:07:10.040 --> 03:07:13.680
Christmas trees next week, he didn't bother, looking up from

2821
03:07:13.680 --> 03:07:16.799
her breasts. That comes with a lot of extra hours

2822
03:07:17.280 --> 03:07:20.840
between school and being a single milf. You could use

2823
03:07:20.920 --> 03:07:23.879
more of those. I make do with what I have.

2824
03:07:24.760 --> 03:07:28.319
She jerked her hand back and forced a smile. I'm

2825
03:07:28.319 --> 03:07:32.079
fine where I'm at. Have a happy Halloween, mister Carson.

2826
03:07:32.959 --> 03:07:36.159
She grabbed her bag and started around him. He cut

2827
03:07:36.159 --> 03:07:39.559
her off, wagging a finger in the air. You know

2828
03:07:39.680 --> 03:07:42.879
you can call me Jack, he said, placing his hands

2829
03:07:42.879 --> 03:07:47.600
on her shoulders. Cleo clenched the bag tighter. You know

2830
03:07:47.719 --> 03:07:49.639
I'm going to call you an ambulance if you don't

2831
03:07:49.680 --> 03:07:54.040
get your hands off me. That's cute. Jack stepped back

2832
03:07:54.120 --> 03:07:59.479
and snickered, you're cute too. Everyone wants the pink starburst.

2833
03:08:00.239 --> 03:08:02.399
Every once in a while, you just gotta pop a

2834
03:08:02.479 --> 03:08:04.440
yellow one in your mouth and suck on it for

2835
03:08:04.479 --> 03:08:09.840
a while. The taste grows on you. So do genital Wartz.

2836
03:08:10.680 --> 03:08:13.239
You don't have to like me, Cleo. I'm not asking

2837
03:08:13.280 --> 03:08:16.840
you to date me. I'm just saying I have other

2838
03:08:16.920 --> 03:08:21.639
positions for you. Jack hands moved to his belt. He

2839
03:08:21.680 --> 03:08:25.719
hooked his thumb behind the brass buckle and slurped loudly

2840
03:08:25.760 --> 03:08:28.920
on the licorice. You should pay more attention to your

2841
03:08:28.920 --> 03:08:33.239
market research, Jack. She shoved past him. No one likes

2842
03:08:33.280 --> 03:08:37.040
the fun sized bars. Her feet left the floor as

2843
03:08:37.079 --> 03:08:40.360
he slung her back by the hair. The handrail slammed

2844
03:08:40.360 --> 03:08:43.319
into her back. Her bag hit the deck and spilled out.

2845
03:08:44.079 --> 03:08:47.159
Jack kicked it out of his path. Grabbing her shirt,

2846
03:08:47.440 --> 03:08:49.440
he spat the licorice into her face.

2847
03:08:50.600 --> 03:08:51.040
You could have.

2848
03:08:51.040 --> 03:08:54.040
Made this easy, he knelt and grabbed her chin with

2849
03:08:54.120 --> 03:08:58.280
his free hand. But I'm glad you didn't. Cleo tried

2850
03:08:58.319 --> 03:09:01.280
to push his hands away, but Jack slammed her against

2851
03:09:01.319 --> 03:09:04.840
the railing once more. He pulled his hand back and

2852
03:09:05.000 --> 03:09:09.159
slapped her, then lifted her to her feet. My lawyers

2853
03:09:09.280 --> 03:09:11.840
keep a check book ready just to pay off ungrateful

2854
03:09:11.920 --> 03:09:16.319
bitches like you. He slugged her in the stomach. Everyone's

2855
03:09:16.360 --> 03:09:19.840
a victim until they take the hush money. Then they're

2856
03:09:19.920 --> 03:09:23.040
just wares. I wonder how much you'll end up costing me?

2857
03:09:23.959 --> 03:09:27.920
How about a leg? Cleo gasped the shears buried into

2858
03:09:27.959 --> 03:09:32.120
Jack's thigh. He bellowed and stumbled back. Cleo sprang past

2859
03:09:32.200 --> 03:09:34.959
him and ran down the steps, using the rails to

2860
03:09:35.040 --> 03:09:38.440
sling herself over the last few. Jack ripped the scissors

2861
03:09:38.440 --> 03:09:41.719
free and rubbed the puckered wound before chasing after her.

2862
03:09:42.559 --> 03:09:46.840
Cleo shouted for Reuben, but heard Jack's uneven gait catching

2863
03:09:46.959 --> 03:09:50.760
up and darted for cover. The worrying of machinery gave

2864
03:09:50.799 --> 03:09:54.079
her hope of finding help. She moved into the shadows

2865
03:09:54.079 --> 03:09:57.799
of the equipment and followed the noise. Maybe someone was

2866
03:09:57.840 --> 03:10:01.799
still shutting down. Cleo duck behind a half stacked palette

2867
03:10:02.079 --> 03:10:06.360
to look for Jack. His hair glinted in the emergency lighting,

2868
03:10:07.479 --> 03:10:12.079
letting her know he was still pursuing. She stayed low

2869
03:10:12.200 --> 03:10:17.319
and crept alongside a melting vat keep running, Cleo. Jack

2870
03:10:17.399 --> 03:10:22.079
called out, it makes it more fun. Jack's steps were

2871
03:10:22.079 --> 03:10:25.840
getting closer. Cleo rolled under a conveyor and watched the

2872
03:10:25.959 --> 03:10:30.000
ugly shoes stop behind her. Blood dripped from the stab

2873
03:10:30.040 --> 03:10:34.399
wound down on the leather. Jack laughed and started away.

2874
03:10:35.360 --> 03:10:38.760
Cleo crawled under the line. Old candy bits dug into

2875
03:10:38.799 --> 03:10:42.040
her hands and knees like thumbtacks, but she forced herself

2876
03:10:42.079 --> 03:10:45.120
on until she could hear the machine running more clearly.

2877
03:10:45.760 --> 03:10:48.479
She rolled out from under the conveyor and sprinted up

2878
03:10:48.520 --> 03:10:49.639
the first set of steps.

2879
03:10:49.680 --> 03:10:50.200
She saw.

2880
03:10:50.959 --> 03:10:55.040
Large drum mixers lined the platform, with another catwalk above

2881
03:10:55.079 --> 03:10:59.479
them to operate the loading bins. There wasn't anyone there.

2882
03:11:00.159 --> 03:11:03.440
The hard candy machines had to run continuously to keep

2883
03:11:03.479 --> 03:11:05.799
the leftovers from seizing up the workings.

2884
03:11:06.719 --> 03:11:07.040
Fuck.

2885
03:11:08.000 --> 03:11:10.799
She leaned on the handrail, looking for Jack and Reuben

2886
03:11:10.840 --> 03:11:14.399
in equal measure behind her candy. Jack pulled himself over

2887
03:11:14.399 --> 03:11:19.639
the railing silently. Cleo turned in time to see him spring.

2888
03:11:20.159 --> 03:11:23.760
He tackled her onto the ascending staircase. Her head clanked

2889
03:11:23.760 --> 03:11:27.600
off the steel steps. Jack opened the shears and slipped

2890
03:11:27.600 --> 03:11:33.000
a blade into each of her nostrils. The scissors closed slowly,

2891
03:11:33.639 --> 03:11:39.000
crunching wetly through the gristle of Cleo's septum. She screamed

2892
03:11:39.200 --> 03:11:44.000
and thrashed beneath them. Jack clenched her jaws and licked

2893
03:11:44.040 --> 03:11:48.280
the spilling blood from her nose. You got to stick

2894
03:11:48.319 --> 03:11:53.959
something in me, he growled, it's my turn. He punched

2895
03:11:54.000 --> 03:11:57.479
the scissors through her side, scraping them against the ribs

2896
03:11:57.479 --> 03:12:00.159
as he wriggled them around, trying to find the law hung.

2897
03:12:01.239 --> 03:12:06.319
She howled in pain, then cursed Cleo couldn't see him

2898
03:12:06.360 --> 03:12:09.959
through the tears. Another pained grunt, and his weight came

2899
03:12:10.000 --> 03:12:13.399
off her. She started clamoring up the stairs to get away.

2900
03:12:14.399 --> 03:12:18.879
Then she heard the voice, I never liked this fucking job,

2901
03:12:19.399 --> 03:12:23.200
Ruben said. The thud of a fist meeting flesh punctuated

2902
03:12:23.239 --> 03:12:28.120
the statement. More like candy ass Jack. Cleo tried to

2903
03:12:28.120 --> 03:12:30.520
clear her vision. She could see the shapes of the

2904
03:12:30.559 --> 03:12:34.200
two men fighting. Ruben clubbed Jack across the back with

2905
03:12:34.280 --> 03:12:37.159
both hands. He kicked their boss while he was down,

2906
03:12:37.520 --> 03:12:41.360
Then he screamed. Jack pulled the scissors from Reuben's foot

2907
03:12:41.399 --> 03:12:44.879
and stabbed wildly up his leg before scooping him onto

2908
03:12:44.879 --> 03:12:48.879
his shoulder and dumping him over the guardrail. The snap

2909
03:12:48.920 --> 03:12:52.120
of bone giving way to concrete was clear even over

2910
03:12:52.200 --> 03:12:56.479
the noisy equipment. Cleo stumbled up the stairs. Jack ran

2911
03:12:56.559 --> 03:12:59.879
up them after her. He dived forward and caught her ankle,

2912
03:13:00.120 --> 03:13:03.079
dropping her to the grated floor. He scrambled to his

2913
03:13:03.120 --> 03:13:06.040
feet but Cleo rolled and brought a heel up into

2914
03:13:06.040 --> 03:13:10.159
his groin. Jack fell against the railing and began undoing

2915
03:13:10.159 --> 03:13:13.680
his belt while Cleo struggled to stand. He wrapped the

2916
03:13:13.719 --> 03:13:17.719
garment around his hand. He stepped in and punched her

2917
03:13:17.760 --> 03:13:20.959
on the injured side. He threw the next one across

2918
03:13:21.000 --> 03:13:25.239
her jaw. The buckle tore a deep gash. Cleo slumped

2919
03:13:25.280 --> 03:13:29.200
over the handrail, but kept herself upright. She stared into

2920
03:13:29.239 --> 03:13:34.719
the swirling, prismatic abyss of molten confection below your wrappers,

2921
03:13:34.799 --> 03:13:40.319
Looking a bit wrinkled, Cleo. Jack kissed, but the candy

2922
03:13:40.440 --> 03:13:46.360
is going to be so sweet. He swung another haymaker,

2923
03:13:46.520 --> 03:13:50.040
and Cleo let herself drop and trip him. Jack flipped

2924
03:13:50.040 --> 03:13:53.959
over the railing. Cleo sat up, looking him in the eyes.

2925
03:13:55.040 --> 03:13:59.879
Nice trick, little treat. He got his foot on the edge,

2926
03:14:00.040 --> 03:14:02.520
But I'm still coming to eat you up.

2927
03:14:03.559 --> 03:14:04.079
Eat this.

2928
03:14:05.000 --> 03:14:08.000
Cleo jerked a lever down. The bin opened, and a

2929
03:14:08.040 --> 03:14:11.520
waterfall of high fructose corn syrup blasted Jack from his

2930
03:14:11.600 --> 03:14:17.040
perch into the superheated mixture. His skin burned and blistered,

2931
03:14:17.440 --> 03:14:21.840
Sugars sparkled in the grooves of raw muscle. He screamed

2932
03:14:21.920 --> 03:14:25.680
until the powerful paddles pulled him under, flooding his lungs

2933
03:14:25.879 --> 03:14:31.280
and leaving the vat filled with nothing but sweet silence.

2934
03:14:33.079 --> 03:14:37.360
More scarce to come weekly, Spooky, We'll be right back.

2935
03:14:41.440 --> 03:14:47.360
Halloween two thousand. The ball hook left, dropping a single

2936
03:14:47.440 --> 03:14:52.200
pin before hitting the gutter. Reuben scowled. His injuries had

2937
03:14:52.200 --> 03:14:54.799
gotten him out of it for a time, but he

2938
03:14:54.879 --> 03:14:59.200
still owed Hank. He limped back to the bench. It's

2939
03:14:59.239 --> 03:15:03.799
the leg, he said, throws off my balance. How long

2940
03:15:03.879 --> 03:15:06.840
are you going to milk that? Hank sipped his beer.

2941
03:15:07.600 --> 03:15:11.920
I got stabbed nine times, you dick, Ruben shrugged. Oh,

2942
03:15:12.000 --> 03:15:14.600
trust me, I know you've been bringing it up for

2943
03:15:14.639 --> 03:15:19.639
a year. Hank took a contemplative swig. Well, since he

2944
03:15:19.760 --> 03:15:24.000
came out of the coma, anyhow, nine stab wounds, permanent

2945
03:15:24.040 --> 03:15:27.959
nerve damage, eleven days in a coma, and Cleo still

2946
03:15:28.000 --> 03:15:31.959
hadn't given him a second chance. Ruben chugged half his beer.

2947
03:15:32.799 --> 03:15:37.840
After Candy Jack's death, his second cousin, Delia Carson Fitzpatrick,

2948
03:15:37.920 --> 03:15:41.799
took over the company. It was renamed the Carson Candy Works,

2949
03:15:42.120 --> 03:15:45.120
and all the employees got a fat raise, with Ruben

2950
03:15:45.239 --> 03:15:49.760
being given a sizeable settlement and a promotion, so there

2951
03:15:49.799 --> 03:15:53.399
had been an upside to the entire thing. It just

2952
03:15:53.559 --> 03:15:57.799
wasn't the payoff. Ruben really wanted. The healthiest relationship he'd

2953
03:15:57.799 --> 03:16:01.920
ever had was banging his math teacher in tenth grade. Naturally,

2954
03:16:02.000 --> 03:16:05.479
he panicked when things started going good with Cleo. He

2955
03:16:05.639 --> 03:16:09.040
wasn't ready for a real commitment or to be a stepdad,

2956
03:16:09.520 --> 03:16:14.319
so he'd intentionally sabotaged everything and regretted it for the

2957
03:16:14.440 --> 03:16:18.799
last four years, minus the COMA. It's not too late,

2958
03:16:18.879 --> 03:16:23.200
Rube Hank said, as if reading his friend's mind. Probably

2959
03:16:23.280 --> 03:16:26.639
haven't even left to go trick or treating yet. We're

2960
03:16:26.639 --> 03:16:29.600
in the middle of a game. I'm in the middle

2961
03:16:29.600 --> 03:16:32.520
of a game. You're knocking dust out of the gutters.

2962
03:16:33.159 --> 03:16:35.920
Hank took Reuben's bottle and finished it in one gulp.

2963
03:16:36.559 --> 03:16:47.319
Now you're out of excuses. Go this is illegal. Graham

2964
03:16:47.399 --> 03:16:50.079
rolled the drum down the ramp and into the grave

2965
03:16:50.159 --> 03:16:57.239
with the others federal offense level illegal. Who's gonna tell how,

2966
03:16:57.280 --> 03:17:00.840
he gestured across the cemetery. Unless the EPA has a

2967
03:17:00.879 --> 03:17:04.840
goddamn seance out here, I think we'll be fine. How

2968
03:17:04.879 --> 03:17:07.639
he had managed to convince the pencil pushers at Denyer

2969
03:17:07.680 --> 03:17:11.520
Grove Chemical that he was a toxic waste disposal expert.

2970
03:17:12.159 --> 03:17:15.239
It wasn't too far from the truth. He figured. He'd

2971
03:17:15.280 --> 03:17:18.040
been working in meth labs since he was twelve, after all.

2972
03:17:18.799 --> 03:17:21.680
How he wasn't sure what was in the drums, but

2973
03:17:21.799 --> 03:17:24.719
he was sure it wouldn't matter so far from the town.

2974
03:17:25.520 --> 03:17:28.520
He even had a tombstone made to add legitimacy to

2975
03:17:28.559 --> 03:17:32.280
the whole thing. It was the most brilliant idea he'd

2976
03:17:32.319 --> 03:17:36.719
ever had. Another drum rolled down and clanked against the rest.

2977
03:17:37.360 --> 03:17:41.559
He stared at the battered containers and huffed. Damn it,

2978
03:17:42.239 --> 03:17:45.879
they're all jumbled up, he growled. The dirt has got

2979
03:17:45.879 --> 03:17:49.440
to go over flats so it don't look conspicuous. Hop

2980
03:17:49.479 --> 03:17:52.440
down there and stand them up. You hop down there,

2981
03:17:53.120 --> 03:17:57.440
Graham Froze then stood up and craned his neck. Shit,

2982
03:17:57.559 --> 03:18:02.559
howie look at that? How he turned? A dim, flickering

2983
03:18:02.600 --> 03:18:06.079
glow came from the far side of the graveyard. How

2984
03:18:06.120 --> 03:18:09.719
He cupped a hand to his ear. A voice carried

2985
03:18:09.760 --> 03:18:13.879
on the crisp fall breeze. He glanced back at the truck,

2986
03:18:14.639 --> 03:18:18.239
only one barrel left. They still needed to run the

2987
03:18:18.280 --> 03:18:21.159
back hoe to cover the grave or they'd be caught

2988
03:18:21.200 --> 03:18:24.680
for sure. I'm going to go over there and see

2989
03:18:24.719 --> 03:18:28.520
what's going on. How he said, finish up. I'll tell

2990
03:18:28.559 --> 03:18:31.959
them we're cleaning up after grave robbers. That'll explain the

2991
03:18:32.000 --> 03:18:37.159
back hoe. Good idea, the only kind I got. How

2992
03:18:37.200 --> 03:18:39.440
he left Graham to finish the hard work while he

2993
03:18:39.520 --> 03:18:43.479
went to investigate the strange visitor. He could hear the

2994
03:18:43.520 --> 03:18:46.639
feminine voice more clearly, but that didn't make the words

2995
03:18:46.680 --> 03:18:50.680
any more familiar. He snuck up alongside an ancient oak

2996
03:18:50.799 --> 03:18:54.680
for a peak. Black candles burned in a pattern around

2997
03:18:54.680 --> 03:18:57.799
a grave, and a cloaked figure muttered the words with

2998
03:18:57.920 --> 03:19:02.920
increasing speed. Electric hum crackled deep in how He's ears,

2999
03:19:03.399 --> 03:19:08.399
his skin prickled, the ground throbbed beneath him. The sudden

3000
03:19:08.440 --> 03:19:11.920
rumble of the back hosed diesel engine nearly emptied his bowels,

3001
03:19:11.920 --> 03:19:15.879
and he squealed in surprise. How He slapped a hand

3002
03:19:15.920 --> 03:19:19.120
over his mouth and looked over his shoulder. The work

3003
03:19:19.200 --> 03:19:21.879
lights on the machine were moving as Graham covered the

3004
03:19:21.920 --> 03:19:25.360
evidence of their crime. He turned back to the arcane

3005
03:19:25.399 --> 03:19:30.479
memorial service, only to find it was over. The candles

3006
03:19:30.479 --> 03:19:35.120
were out, the woman was gone. How he stepped from

3007
03:19:35.159 --> 03:19:40.399
behind the tree and wandered over. Something crunched beneath his shoe,

3008
03:19:41.040 --> 03:19:46.440
then something else. The next thing he stepped on squished

3009
03:19:47.559 --> 03:19:51.239
how He took out his flashlight to look around. Halloween

3010
03:19:51.319 --> 03:19:54.920
candy was spread within the boundaries of the candles. A

3011
03:19:55.040 --> 03:19:58.639
darkened patch of empty space lay before him, and he

3012
03:19:58.799 --> 03:20:03.920
eased to the edge. Inside was a coffin, its lid

3013
03:20:04.079 --> 03:20:07.639
splintered and broken open. He moved the light up to

3014
03:20:07.719 --> 03:20:16.000
the gravestone. I'll be damned, he whispered. Candy Jack is back,

3015
03:20:16.600 --> 03:20:25.479
the gravelly voice said behind him. Cleo watched Tia trot

3016
03:20:25.559 --> 03:20:30.559
excitedly down the driveway lined with giant inflatable pumpkins. They'd

3017
03:20:30.639 --> 03:20:34.399
hit the afternoon trick or treat circuit downtown before going

3018
03:20:34.440 --> 03:20:37.399
home to touch up the child's costume and down a

3019
03:20:37.440 --> 03:20:41.799
few chicken nuggets before the real fund began. Tia, dressed

3020
03:20:41.799 --> 03:20:45.399
as a commando princess, held up the king sized reces

3021
03:20:45.479 --> 03:20:49.040
with a gap toothed smile. She'd been self conscious about

3022
03:20:49.120 --> 03:20:52.479
losing four teeth in one week, but the tooth fairy

3023
03:20:52.559 --> 03:20:56.159
paid up and it made her costume look more authentic.

3024
03:20:56.879 --> 03:21:00.000
The groupers are giving away the big ones, she squeaked,

3025
03:21:00.479 --> 03:21:04.719
they're the best. The groupers went all out for every holiday.

3026
03:21:05.120 --> 03:21:08.040
Their Christmas lights even made the must see list in

3027
03:21:08.120 --> 03:21:11.120
the Kuto Basin Tourist Guide, and they were the first

3028
03:21:11.120 --> 03:21:15.319
stop on every kid's trick or treating map. Cleo straightened

3029
03:21:15.319 --> 03:21:19.159
TIA's lipstick bandolier and smiled. The last week had been

3030
03:21:19.200 --> 03:21:22.440
a nightmare. Memories of the fight with Jack and his

3031
03:21:22.559 --> 03:21:26.360
final screams kept her up at night. Her hands shook

3032
03:21:26.399 --> 03:21:29.760
whenever she picked up her scissors at work. She'd wanted

3033
03:21:29.760 --> 03:21:33.479
to write off the entire holiday, but pushed through and

3034
03:21:33.600 --> 03:21:37.559
distracted herself by helping Tia make her costume. It would

3035
03:21:37.559 --> 03:21:40.520
be worth it. She was still on edge, but seeing

3036
03:21:40.520 --> 03:21:43.799
how excited the little girl was kept her focused on

3037
03:21:43.879 --> 03:21:46.280
the moment. I bet the next house will be a

3038
03:21:46.280 --> 03:21:50.239
good one too, Tia shouted as she ran away. Wait up, guys.

3039
03:21:51.280 --> 03:21:54.799
Tia disappeared into a gaggle of children as they swarmed

3040
03:21:54.840 --> 03:21:58.719
along the sidewalk for the next house. Cleo started after them,

3041
03:21:58.799 --> 03:22:01.200
joining with the other parents trying to keep up with

3042
03:22:01.239 --> 03:22:05.680
their own kiddos. Lame a power ranger said as he

3043
03:22:05.719 --> 03:22:09.399
waddled across the street. He scooped a handful of candy

3044
03:22:09.440 --> 03:22:12.440
from his bag to show his parents what kind of

3045
03:22:12.520 --> 03:22:17.200
rich people hand out hard candies. Cleo's mind flashed back

3046
03:22:17.520 --> 03:22:21.520
to Jack, boiling alive in the mixer. She watched the

3047
03:22:21.600 --> 03:22:25.079
orange wrapped discs spill from the kid's hand into the

3048
03:22:25.120 --> 03:22:29.639
street like bits and pieces of her attacker. She wondered

3049
03:22:29.639 --> 03:22:32.440
if they'd cleaned the machine thoroughly enough to get every

3050
03:22:32.520 --> 03:22:37.440
particle of Jack out of the candy. Her stomach flipped

3051
03:22:37.680 --> 03:22:40.479
and she veered for the sidewalk to vomit behind a

3052
03:22:40.559 --> 03:22:47.600
row of styrofoam gravestones. The coop chirped as Reuben set

3053
03:22:47.639 --> 03:22:51.120
the alarm. He'd been too late to catch Cleo at home,

3054
03:22:51.399 --> 03:22:54.600
so he set out to find her. Everyone knew the

3055
03:22:54.639 --> 03:22:58.280
best candy was in Argento Hills. Traffic in and out

3056
03:22:58.360 --> 03:23:01.639
of the gated community was a truecious on Halloween, so

3057
03:23:01.799 --> 03:23:04.719
Rubin did like most people and found a spot at

3058
03:23:04.719 --> 03:23:09.479
Cohen Park. Even that had been challenging, he was really

3059
03:23:09.520 --> 03:23:13.399
doing it. He was going to find Cleo and finally

3060
03:23:13.479 --> 03:23:18.559
fix things. The nervousness ran straight for his bladder. It

3061
03:23:18.600 --> 03:23:20.559
could be a while before he caught up with her,

3062
03:23:20.639 --> 03:23:24.719
so he made a bee line to the restroom. The

3063
03:23:24.760 --> 03:23:28.159
automatic lights flicked as if they were tired of doing

3064
03:23:28.200 --> 03:23:32.319
their job too, but finally kicked on, casting the concrete

3065
03:23:32.399 --> 03:23:37.079
room in a wash of dim, corpse white illumination. Rubin

3066
03:23:37.120 --> 03:23:40.600
scrunched his nose at the sight of the urinal. Someone

3067
03:23:40.639 --> 03:23:44.639
hadn't understood the purpose, apparently. Rubin gagged a little and

3068
03:23:44.680 --> 03:23:47.879
proceeded to one of the stalls. He closed the door,

3069
03:23:48.000 --> 03:23:52.239
slipping the bar lock into place. Something tickled his fingertips,

3070
03:23:52.440 --> 03:23:56.719
and he pulled his hand back reflexively. Ants scurried along

3071
03:23:56.799 --> 03:24:00.680
the lock in a dedicated formation before disappearing into the

3072
03:24:00.719 --> 03:24:05.879
neighboring stall. Jesus, this place needs work. He lifted the

3073
03:24:05.920 --> 03:24:11.479
seat with his shoe, ugh and some bleach candy ass

3074
03:24:12.479 --> 03:24:17.760
A voice grumbled. Ruben jumped, almost letting the stream go prematurely.

3075
03:24:18.799 --> 03:24:22.159
His neighbor didn't say anything else, but the man's voice lingered,

3076
03:24:22.600 --> 03:24:27.000
haunting him like an old ghost. It was strange and guttural,

3077
03:24:27.840 --> 03:24:32.319
but he knew it from somewhere. The lights sputtered, Ruben's

3078
03:24:32.319 --> 03:24:35.600
bladder constricted. The automatic lights had been off when he

3079
03:24:35.639 --> 03:24:40.280
came in. The stranger with the familiar voice had been

3080
03:24:40.399 --> 03:24:44.520
hiding in there. Ruben shook it off. He told himself

3081
03:24:44.520 --> 03:24:46.760
it was just a bum looking for a warm place

3082
03:24:46.799 --> 03:24:51.520
to sleep. The lights flickered again, and he looked up

3083
03:24:51.520 --> 03:24:57.959
at them. Ruben's eyes widened. The lights weren't flickering at all.

3084
03:24:59.040 --> 03:25:02.680
They were covered with millions of sugar ants swarming around

3085
03:25:02.719 --> 03:25:06.959
the tubes. He stumbled backwards through the door, plowing into

3086
03:25:07.000 --> 03:25:09.959
the other occupant. His shirt clung to the man as

3087
03:25:09.959 --> 03:25:15.000
he spun away. He gawked, his mouth moved soundlessly. Ruben

3088
03:25:15.079 --> 03:25:23.000
cleared his throat. That's that's some fucking costume. Cracked multicolored

3089
03:25:23.079 --> 03:25:27.760
candy scales covered Jack's exposed flesh. The gaudy suit he'd

3090
03:25:27.799 --> 03:25:32.200
been buried in was stained with expelled embalming fluid engraved dirt.

3091
03:25:32.840 --> 03:25:37.360
Ants crawled between the candy plates, gnawing at sugary scabs.

3092
03:25:38.239 --> 03:25:41.840
Jack glared at Reuben with eyes hard and red ringed

3093
03:25:41.920 --> 03:25:47.159
like peppermint discs. He smiled, revealing a row of jagged

3094
03:25:47.799 --> 03:25:48.760
rotten teeth.

3095
03:25:49.520 --> 03:25:55.000
Thanks Pal, he growled. Guess you could say Cleo made

3096
03:25:55.040 --> 03:25:55.600
it for me.

3097
03:25:56.360 --> 03:26:00.399
Candy Jack backhanded him. Ruben slid across the grimy floor

3098
03:26:00.440 --> 03:26:03.959
and banged into the wall. Jack stood over him, his

3099
03:26:04.000 --> 03:26:08.200
fingertips ripped as candy spikes grew in place of nails.

3100
03:26:08.719 --> 03:26:11.399
He stabbed them into Ruben's shoulders and lifted him to

3101
03:26:11.479 --> 03:26:15.200
his knees. He glanced at the defecation spilling over the

3102
03:26:15.200 --> 03:26:19.239
brim of the urinal. Would you look at that? Jack

3103
03:26:19.319 --> 03:26:23.079
turned Ruben's face to see remind you of the peanut

3104
03:26:23.120 --> 03:26:28.239
butter kisses. Rube time to get back to work. He

3105
03:26:28.399 --> 03:26:32.120
slammed Ruben's face into the bowl of fecal matter. Ruben's

3106
03:26:32.200 --> 03:26:36.680
legs flailed, his shoes squeaked for traction. Jack stabbed his

3107
03:26:36.760 --> 03:26:40.000
claws into the man's side, forcing him to inhale more

3108
03:26:40.040 --> 03:26:44.719
of the filth. Ruben fell still, and Jack stuck him

3109
03:26:44.760 --> 03:26:48.360
again to make sure, before letting him slump in a

3110
03:26:48.399 --> 03:26:52.360
lifeless heap. Candy Jack chuckled at the sight.

3111
03:26:52.200 --> 03:26:54.239
Of him, Sorry Rube.

3112
03:26:55.000 --> 03:26:57.760
Jack slipped a licorice rope from his jacket pocket and

3113
03:26:57.840 --> 03:26:58.879
stuck it in his mouth.

3114
03:26:59.360 --> 03:27:01.879
That was a shitty way to go.

3115
03:27:04.040 --> 03:27:08.000
You're not safe yet, weekly Spooky will be right back.

3116
03:27:13.079 --> 03:27:16.079
Kuto Basin was a town with a lot of history,

3117
03:27:16.760 --> 03:27:20.719
and with history comes tradition. One of the oldest was

3118
03:27:20.840 --> 03:27:25.079
vandalizing the Swinton home every Halloween since Carl Swinton tried

3119
03:27:25.120 --> 03:27:29.559
banning the holiday back in forty eight. The Swintons continued

3120
03:27:29.600 --> 03:27:32.559
passing the home on from one generation to the next,

3121
03:27:32.959 --> 03:27:37.120
and likewise the town continued passing on the tradition. Karen

3122
03:27:37.200 --> 03:27:40.079
Swinton chased four delinquents from her yard with a broom

3123
03:27:40.360 --> 03:27:44.239
as they teepeed her trees. Hank chuckled as he drove by.

3124
03:27:45.120 --> 03:27:48.920
Those four were the distraction. The main attack force swarmed

3125
03:27:48.920 --> 03:27:52.120
from the bushes and egged the Bejesus out of the porch.

3126
03:27:52.920 --> 03:27:57.559
Hank belched beer, hot wings and candy corn swirled in

3127
03:27:57.639 --> 03:28:01.680
the confines of the car. Needed to reassess his diet,

3128
03:28:02.440 --> 03:28:05.959
he lowered the window to get some breathable air. Down

3129
03:28:05.959 --> 03:28:09.159
the road, he saw the twelve foot tall inflatable skeleton

3130
03:28:09.280 --> 03:28:12.879
waving in front of the library. Shelley had worked there

3131
03:28:12.920 --> 03:28:16.600
since high school, finally becoming the director three years prior.

3132
03:28:17.159 --> 03:28:20.319
On Halloween, she stayed late to read scary stories to

3133
03:28:20.399 --> 03:28:25.040
the kids. Shelley never liked to drive, especially on the holidays.

3134
03:28:25.479 --> 03:28:28.079
Hank swung the car into the parking lot and moved

3135
03:28:28.079 --> 03:28:30.879
his bowling ball to the back seat before putting in

3136
03:28:30.959 --> 03:28:33.760
the book on tape Shelley had checked out for him.

3137
03:28:34.040 --> 03:28:36.440
He didn't want a rusher, and the car still needed

3138
03:28:36.440 --> 03:28:42.399
more time to air out. Anyhow, panicked screams broke up

3139
03:28:42.440 --> 03:28:46.479
the merriment. Cleo sprinted down the sidewalk. Tia was wiping

3140
03:28:46.520 --> 03:28:49.840
away tears, while two other kids were still fully engaged

3141
03:28:49.840 --> 03:28:52.879
in the waterworks. Others clung to each other or the

3142
03:28:52.920 --> 03:28:56.399
adults that had arrived at the scene. First, a teenager

3143
03:28:56.440 --> 03:28:59.760
in a bloodied clown costume laughed until he fell over

3144
03:28:59.799 --> 03:29:03.639
and prop knife clattered on the pavement. His friend, garbed

3145
03:29:03.680 --> 03:29:07.639
as a victim, chuckled but clearly realized the gag had

3146
03:29:07.680 --> 03:29:11.079
gone too far. As the adults gathered around to confront

3147
03:29:11.120 --> 03:29:14.399
the children, Cleo grabbed the red nose and jerked the

3148
03:29:14.479 --> 03:29:17.479
mask off the boy's head. What the hell is wrong

3149
03:29:17.520 --> 03:29:21.920
with you, she shouted, They're just babies, you asshole. Unbunch

3150
03:29:21.959 --> 03:29:25.559
your fucking panties, lady. The boy snatched the mask from

3151
03:29:25.600 --> 03:29:28.680
her and stood up. It was just a joke, so

3152
03:29:28.959 --> 03:29:31.879
was your birth Cleo spun to check on her daughter.

3153
03:29:32.520 --> 03:29:37.040
Fuck you, hypocrite. The clown started leave it alone. The

3154
03:29:37.079 --> 03:29:39.639
other team grabbed his arm and tried dragging him away.

3155
03:29:40.280 --> 03:29:44.000
Suck it, Brian, The clown pulled free. How'd you spend

3156
03:29:44.000 --> 03:29:49.040
your Halloween last year? Cleo bit her lip. I made

3157
03:29:49.040 --> 03:29:53.319
the kiddies cry. I'm such a terrible person, Bozo mocked.

3158
03:29:53.760 --> 03:29:57.520
At least I'm not a goddamn murderer. Cleo had a

3159
03:29:57.520 --> 03:30:01.000
fistful of colorful polyester before any anyone could stop her.

3160
03:30:01.559 --> 03:30:04.760
Want to see how easy it was, you little prick mommy.

3161
03:30:05.360 --> 03:30:09.360
Tia ran to her side, still sniffling. My bag's almost full.

3162
03:30:09.719 --> 03:30:13.959
Can we go home? Cleo uncocked her fist and looked around.

3163
03:30:14.719 --> 03:30:19.120
The other parents watched silently. Cleo pushed the clown into

3164
03:30:19.159 --> 03:30:22.959
a hedge, then turned to the other teen. It was

3165
03:30:23.159 --> 03:30:27.079
just a joke, she said, before taking TIA's hand and

3166
03:30:27.200 --> 03:30:31.440
walking away. You'd think killing a Slee's ball rapist like

3167
03:30:31.559 --> 03:30:35.280
Jack Carson would make you a town hero, and it

3168
03:30:35.399 --> 03:30:38.920
mostly had, but there were still others who were more

3169
03:30:38.920 --> 03:30:45.159
content spreading bullshit theories to paint it differently. He deserved it, truly,

3170
03:30:45.239 --> 03:30:47.879
Martin shuffled up beside them with her son Warwick, in

3171
03:30:47.920 --> 03:30:51.399
tow The entire Bryson litter should have been dropped at

3172
03:30:51.399 --> 03:30:55.680
the pound. Truly had been TIA's babysitter while Cleo worked

3173
03:30:55.719 --> 03:30:59.159
evenings at the factory. The two had become good friends,

3174
03:30:59.440 --> 03:31:02.000
but weren't nearly as close as their children had gotten.

3175
03:31:02.879 --> 03:31:06.079
During the weeks Cleo spent in the hospital. Truly had

3176
03:31:06.120 --> 03:31:08.280
been the first to step up and take care of

3177
03:31:08.319 --> 03:31:11.559
the little girl. The extra time at the Martin House

3178
03:31:11.600 --> 03:31:15.559
had led Tia to declare Warwick her big brother. They'd

3179
03:31:15.600 --> 03:31:18.719
even made official certificates that hung on each other's walls,

3180
03:31:18.719 --> 03:31:22.639
declaring them siblings for life. One day, I'll be big

3181
03:31:22.760 --> 03:31:26.200
enough to kick his butt, Warwick whispered loudly as he

3182
03:31:26.280 --> 03:31:32.000
hugged Tia. You okay, Truly asked, Just ready to go home,

3183
03:31:32.399 --> 03:31:35.280
Cleo said, it was a long day at the salon,

3184
03:31:35.399 --> 03:31:39.200
lots of costumes needing special hair dues. Yours looks great,

3185
03:31:39.239 --> 03:31:41.799
By the way, it's a fitting costume.

3186
03:31:41.799 --> 03:31:42.239
I think.

3187
03:31:42.879 --> 03:31:45.760
Truly made a show of fluffing her bo peep curls

3188
03:31:46.600 --> 03:31:50.520
barely fitting. Cleo laughed, You're a half inch away from

3189
03:31:50.520 --> 03:31:55.440
indecent exposure. I've got five, maybe six more halloweens before

3190
03:31:55.479 --> 03:31:58.799
me exposing myself becomes a trick instead of a treat.

3191
03:31:59.440 --> 03:32:03.280
Truly put us upper cleavage. I swear girl after forty

3192
03:32:03.600 --> 03:32:06.760
the women in my family go from milf to Mildred.

3193
03:32:07.760 --> 03:32:15.440
What's a milf? Warwick asked. Hank jumped at the sudden

3194
03:32:15.479 --> 03:32:18.280
shriek coming from the radio as the DJ came back

3195
03:32:18.360 --> 03:32:21.680
on the air. He snickered at himself for being so jumpy.

3196
03:32:22.360 --> 03:32:25.879
Hank glanced at the dash clock Shelley was taking forever

3197
03:32:25.920 --> 03:32:29.520
getting the Halloween lights shut off. Their orange glow still

3198
03:32:29.559 --> 03:32:33.639
sparkled through the frosted glass of the children's library. He

3199
03:32:33.719 --> 03:32:36.280
looked back at the clock and crushed something on it

3200
03:32:36.319 --> 03:32:39.399
with his thumb. He clicked on the dome light to

3201
03:32:39.520 --> 03:32:43.959
examine the kill mashed onto the digit, a little black

3202
03:32:44.799 --> 03:32:49.159
sugar ant. Another toppled out of the heater vent, letting

3203
03:32:49.200 --> 03:32:51.719
the blast of air push it in a spin that

3204
03:32:51.840 --> 03:32:55.840
landed it next to the gearshift. Hank ignored it. He

3205
03:32:55.959 --> 03:32:58.600
always banged on the hood when the Knights got cooler

3206
03:32:58.639 --> 03:33:00.879
to make sure no stray cat. That's we're looking for

3207
03:33:00.920 --> 03:33:04.639
a warm spot to sleep. He'd never considered bugs might

3208
03:33:04.719 --> 03:33:07.600
do the same. Hank got out of the car, but

3209
03:33:07.760 --> 03:33:11.239
left it running for the six legged hitchhiker. He walked

3210
03:33:11.319 --> 03:33:13.559
up to the sidewalk in the dim illumination of the

3211
03:33:13.600 --> 03:33:16.959
street lamps. The city spent a lot on the library,

3212
03:33:17.000 --> 03:33:19.559
but never seemed to have enough left over to replace

3213
03:33:19.600 --> 03:33:23.000
the bulbs in the parking lot. A long crack in

3214
03:33:23.040 --> 03:33:26.719
the concrete caught his eye. He didn't remember it, and

3215
03:33:26.799 --> 03:33:29.079
it was too damn big to have not been noticed.

3216
03:33:30.479 --> 03:33:34.399
He knelt to inspect it. The crack moved away from

3217
03:33:34.399 --> 03:33:38.360
his probing fingers. His eyes followed the long line of

3218
03:33:38.399 --> 03:33:43.600
ants to the front door of the library. Hank jerked upright, Shelley.

3219
03:33:44.239 --> 03:33:46.959
He ran to the doors and jerked them open. Shelley,

3220
03:33:47.040 --> 03:33:50.399
we need to go. Hank didn't know why the ants

3221
03:33:50.520 --> 03:33:53.719
terrified him. He didn't have a problem with bugs in general,

3222
03:33:53.799 --> 03:33:56.799
but ants were the puppies of the insect world as

3223
03:33:56.840 --> 03:34:00.079
far as he was concerned. Yet there he was, in

3224
03:34:00.159 --> 03:34:03.799
a full blown bowel shaking terror over the critters. He

3225
03:34:03.920 --> 03:34:06.959
darted through the library to the children's reading room. The

3226
03:34:07.000 --> 03:34:10.959
wooden doors were ajar, halting him in his tracks. Shelley,

3227
03:34:11.440 --> 03:34:14.799
where are you, honey? He stepped hesitantly into the room

3228
03:34:14.879 --> 03:34:18.639
and got his answer. Her bulging, bloodshot eyes stared at

3229
03:34:18.719 --> 03:34:22.399
him from a blue face. Her tongue lolled from her mouth.

3230
03:34:22.639 --> 03:34:26.600
The strand of orange lights blinked festively around her neck.

3231
03:34:27.200 --> 03:34:29.280
Hank ran to her and tried to lift her up.

3232
03:34:30.120 --> 03:34:32.559
She slipped in his arms, and he saw the puncture

3233
03:34:32.559 --> 03:34:37.559
wounds still oozing from her victorian dress. Her ruffled sleeves

3234
03:34:37.680 --> 03:34:42.079
ended at ragged stumps. You're gonna be all right, Hank said,

3235
03:34:42.440 --> 03:34:44.879
I'm gonna get you down. You're gonna be all right.

3236
03:34:44.799 --> 03:34:47.120
Honey, that's a funny one.

3237
03:34:47.680 --> 03:34:51.600
Jack stepped out of the shadows, clapping with Shelley's severed hands.

3238
03:34:52.200 --> 03:34:57.920
Sorry for the terrible applause their second hand. Hank roared

3239
03:34:58.000 --> 03:35:01.559
and charged candy. Jack leaped away, letting him barrel into

3240
03:35:01.600 --> 03:35:06.200
the drywall. Jack discarded the appendages over his shoulders. Hank

3241
03:35:06.239 --> 03:35:09.959
collected himself and attacked again. Jack ducked a haymaker and

3242
03:35:10.079 --> 03:35:13.520
lashed out at Hank's belly, and testines spilled at the

3243
03:35:13.559 --> 03:35:18.799
man's feet. Jack backed away, chuckling. He wiggled his fingers

3244
03:35:18.840 --> 03:35:20.040
to show his claws.

3245
03:35:20.719 --> 03:35:22.440
Damn strange thing, isn't it.

3246
03:35:22.799 --> 03:35:25.559
Jack sucked the viscera from one and moaned.

3247
03:35:25.440 --> 03:35:27.239
They each have their own flavor.

3248
03:35:27.280 --> 03:35:31.040
Even Jack stabbed the talon under Hank's jaw until it

3249
03:35:31.079 --> 03:35:32.319
came through his tongue.

3250
03:35:32.959 --> 03:35:34.280
What's that taste like to you?

3251
03:35:35.360 --> 03:35:41.000
He asked, despair, death, blue raspberry. You're bitch fought harder

3252
03:35:41.000 --> 03:35:44.440
than you. Hank swung his arms up and gripped Jack's throat.

3253
03:35:45.040 --> 03:35:50.399
Um Not finished yet, he forced himself to stand, letting

3254
03:35:50.440 --> 03:35:53.440
his guts empty into a pile. As he strangled the

3255
03:35:53.440 --> 03:35:57.639
candy coated killer. Hank charged forward. His boots slipped in

3256
03:35:57.680 --> 03:36:01.319
his own insides, but he kept driving Jack back. He

3257
03:36:01.399 --> 03:36:04.559
wanted Shelley to see when he popped the monster's head off.

3258
03:36:05.280 --> 03:36:08.479
All his strength surged into his hands. As they tightened,

3259
03:36:09.000 --> 03:36:13.360
candy scales cracked and sliced into his palms. Jack jerked

3260
03:36:13.360 --> 03:36:16.399
his finger from Hank's chin and plunged the claws into

3261
03:36:16.399 --> 03:36:21.360
his chest. The chocold didn't release. Jack twisted his fist.

3262
03:36:21.639 --> 03:36:26.079
Hank stumbled, his grip loosened. Jack tore Hank's beating heart

3263
03:36:26.120 --> 03:36:29.680
from his rib cage. Hank's hands slipped from Jack's neck

3264
03:36:30.079 --> 03:36:34.280
as he fell. Haven't you heard, fat boy? Jack held

3265
03:36:34.360 --> 03:36:36.639
up the organ carbs will kill you?

3266
03:36:38.680 --> 03:36:44.040
Are you afraid? Good? Weakly spooky? We'll be right back.

3267
03:36:47.360 --> 03:36:50.840
The candy spilled from the pumpkin bucket onto the coffee table.

3268
03:36:51.319 --> 03:36:54.200
It wasn't a great haul, not like the previous year's,

3269
03:36:54.639 --> 03:36:58.159
and Cleo felt bad about it. If she hadn't lost

3270
03:36:58.159 --> 03:37:00.760
her shit on that punk, they'd have stayed out longer.

3271
03:37:01.360 --> 03:37:04.760
Tia was excited. Nonetheless, all her favorites were in the mix,

3272
03:37:05.000 --> 03:37:07.840
and even better, there was a pack of dunk aoos.

3273
03:37:08.520 --> 03:37:11.639
Those were Warwick's favorites, so she quickly set them aside

3274
03:37:11.680 --> 03:37:14.360
to give him The next day at school, she picked

3275
03:37:14.360 --> 03:37:17.520
out a three pack of whoppers, dangling them by the paper.

3276
03:37:18.639 --> 03:37:20.719
I'll trade you these if I can stay up late,

3277
03:37:21.239 --> 03:37:26.280
she negotiated. You're already up late, goober. Cleo leaned over

3278
03:37:26.360 --> 03:37:30.159
and smudged the pink and purple camo on her daughter's cheeks,

3279
03:37:30.680 --> 03:37:33.280
And you still need a bath. Go get washed up

3280
03:37:33.280 --> 03:37:36.760
and you can stay up for one scary movie. Not

3281
03:37:36.879 --> 03:37:41.719
too scary, though, deal Cleo snatched the moltballs and leaned

3282
03:37:41.760 --> 03:37:44.200
back on the couch. Hurry up, and make sure to

3283
03:37:44.319 --> 03:37:47.719
wash your face really good. Tia scampered down the hall.

3284
03:37:47.959 --> 03:37:50.719
Cleo tore the wrapper with her teeth and popped one

3285
03:37:50.719 --> 03:37:53.600
of the candies into her mouth. She rolled it around

3286
03:37:53.639 --> 03:37:56.840
with her tongue. If Tia hadn't stopped her, she'd be

3287
03:37:56.879 --> 03:37:59.920
spending the next few halloweens in jail for assaulting a minor.

3288
03:38:00.879 --> 03:38:04.040
She might have killed Jack a year before, but he

3289
03:38:04.120 --> 03:38:07.360
was still chasing her every day she dealt with him again.

3290
03:38:07.920 --> 03:38:10.520
If the meds worked, maybe she didn't dream about him

3291
03:38:10.520 --> 03:38:13.719
as often, But she still jumped whenever someone touched her,

3292
03:38:14.239 --> 03:38:16.879
still slept with the lights on, still kept a gun

3293
03:38:16.879 --> 03:38:19.520
in her nightstand, still puked at the sight of a

3294
03:38:19.520 --> 03:38:24.639
carson bar. Every day, she faced Jack again, just like

3295
03:38:24.719 --> 03:38:28.200
she had in the factory that night, only she hadn't

3296
03:38:28.239 --> 03:38:32.120
faced him alone. Then she went into the kitchen. The

3297
03:38:32.159 --> 03:38:35.719
bathtub started running. That would give her time to do

3298
03:38:35.799 --> 03:38:38.840
what she should have done months before. She took the

3299
03:38:38.879 --> 03:38:43.520
phone from the wall and dialed Reuben's number. She hated

3300
03:38:43.520 --> 03:38:45.479
that it was so easy for her to remember it.

3301
03:38:46.760 --> 03:38:50.799
The line rang nine times before the answering machine picked up.

3302
03:38:51.280 --> 03:38:54.079
She wasn't going to leave a message, but she didn't

3303
03:38:54.120 --> 03:38:59.319
hang up either, Hearing his voice was strangely calming. When

3304
03:38:59.319 --> 03:39:02.399
the machine beat, she ended the call and returned the

3305
03:39:02.440 --> 03:39:07.440
phone to the receiver. Of course you're not home, shithead,

3306
03:39:08.040 --> 03:39:12.760
she muttered. Or maybe I'm just a loser. It's the

3307
03:39:12.799 --> 03:39:15.120
last Halloween of the millennium and I'm home by nine

3308
03:39:15.120 --> 03:39:19.399
point thirty. Cleo stared at the phone, willing it to ring.

3309
03:39:20.319 --> 03:39:22.399
Maybe he was home and saw her name on caller

3310
03:39:22.479 --> 03:39:27.760
id he'd call her right back. It didn't ring. She

3311
03:39:27.879 --> 03:39:30.559
reached for it to try again and pulled her hand

3312
03:39:30.600 --> 03:39:34.159
away as if the phone were searing hot. He'd see

3313
03:39:34.200 --> 03:39:38.200
she'd called twice. How would that look? Maybe he was

3314
03:39:38.239 --> 03:39:41.159
too scared to try again, or maybe he'd moved on

3315
03:39:41.399 --> 03:39:45.319
after years of getting the cold shoulder. He'd almost died

3316
03:39:45.399 --> 03:39:47.879
saving her, and she sent him a get well soon card.

3317
03:39:48.559 --> 03:39:50.840
There was enough to process after what happened that she

3318
03:39:50.840 --> 03:39:52.920
couldn't bring herself to explain it all to the man

3319
03:39:52.959 --> 03:39:56.079
that broke her heart. Cleo went to the fridge and

3320
03:39:56.120 --> 03:39:59.959
pulled a soda from the plastic rings. She paced the linoleum.

3321
03:40:00.639 --> 03:40:03.120
The phone rang, and she sat the can on the table,

3322
03:40:03.399 --> 03:40:07.280
sloshing some out. In her rush to answer Reuben, she asked,

3323
03:40:07.959 --> 03:40:11.680
you no, truly said, I know it's a rough night,

3324
03:40:11.760 --> 03:40:15.479
but it's never take back an X rough girl. I

3325
03:40:15.559 --> 03:40:19.440
just wanted to make sure you two got home safe. Yeah, true,

3326
03:40:19.760 --> 03:40:22.600
we made it just fine. Cleo let her head bang

3327
03:40:22.680 --> 03:40:26.920
against the door jam. It is a rough night, you

3328
03:40:27.040 --> 03:40:30.760
got no idea, Cleo Truly said, keeping her voice low.

3329
03:40:31.440 --> 03:40:32.040
What do you mean?

3330
03:40:33.200 --> 03:40:36.000
There was a long pause before Truly could bring herself

3331
03:40:36.040 --> 03:40:40.680
to answer. Shelley Rudolph was murdered at the library. Her

3332
03:40:40.760 --> 03:40:45.120
husband too. Dan just called from the station. It's bad,

3333
03:40:45.840 --> 03:40:53.120
like Manson family, kind of bad. Hank. They killed Hank too,

3334
03:40:53.920 --> 03:40:59.879
Cleo stiffened. Did Dan say anything else? No, Truly, so

3335
03:41:01.120 --> 03:41:04.399
he just said it was terrible. Why don't you two

3336
03:41:04.440 --> 03:41:06.879
come over here. It'd be better for you tonight anyhow,

3337
03:41:07.399 --> 03:41:11.680
even if, I mean, even if this hadn't happened, I

3338
03:41:11.799 --> 03:41:15.719
really don't want to be alone tonight either. TIA's in

3339
03:41:15.719 --> 03:41:19.159
the bath right now. Cleo tried to control her breathing.

3340
03:41:19.559 --> 03:41:22.680
She wanted to call Reuben even more. She needed to

3341
03:41:22.680 --> 03:41:26.000
make sure he hadn't been with Hank. I'll call you

3342
03:41:26.040 --> 03:41:29.239
in a bit. She hung up before Truly could protest,

3343
03:41:29.520 --> 03:41:32.760
and went to sit at the dining table. She started

3344
03:41:32.799 --> 03:41:37.319
dialing Reuben's number again when she spotted the ant on

3345
03:41:37.399 --> 03:41:40.840
the rim of her soda can. A few more lapped

3346
03:41:40.879 --> 03:41:45.799
at the edges of spilled drops. Gross Cleo took the

3347
03:41:45.879 --> 03:41:48.680
can to the sink and poured it out. She watched

3348
03:41:48.680 --> 03:41:53.399
it going down the drain. Oh look, it's like my sanity,

3349
03:41:53.840 --> 03:41:57.239
she mumbled. She went down the hall to check on Tia.

3350
03:41:57.760 --> 03:42:00.559
She could hear the child singing free your Mind through

3351
03:42:00.600 --> 03:42:03.799
the bathroom door. She smiled and went to their rooms,

3352
03:42:04.159 --> 03:42:06.639
turning on the lights in both before going to her

3353
03:42:06.639 --> 03:42:11.600
bedside table for her thirty eight special Ruger. She set

3354
03:42:11.639 --> 03:42:15.360
the revolver on the bed while she changed into her pajamas.

3355
03:42:15.719 --> 03:42:18.799
Her jim bag caught her eye. Dan was one of

3356
03:42:18.879 --> 03:42:23.000
Kuto Basin's seven detectives. Truly would be alone all night

3357
03:42:23.040 --> 03:42:25.600
and probably into the morning with a murderer on the loose.

3358
03:42:26.399 --> 03:42:30.559
Cleo chewed her lip thoughtfully. She decided to try Reuben

3359
03:42:30.600 --> 03:42:34.040
one more time before going over. Cleo went into the

3360
03:42:34.120 --> 03:42:37.120
living room to get another Whopper from the pack. She

3361
03:42:37.239 --> 03:42:40.600
popped it into her mouth and immediately spat it out.

3362
03:42:41.559 --> 03:42:45.879
Ants crawled out of the packaging, running across her fingertips.

3363
03:42:46.520 --> 03:42:50.360
She threw the candy and slapped the bugs away. Great,

3364
03:42:51.159 --> 03:42:53.719
now I have ants to deal with, she glared at

3365
03:42:53.719 --> 03:42:57.200
the package she'd tossed. That's not going to help matters.

3366
03:42:57.920 --> 03:43:00.680
Cleo went and picked up the candy. As she stood,

3367
03:43:01.159 --> 03:43:05.799
she saw the chain lock dangling her gaze drifted to

3368
03:43:05.879 --> 03:43:08.959
the two dead bolts. She'd forgotten to lock both of

3369
03:43:09.000 --> 03:43:11.680
them for the first time since she had them installed.

3370
03:43:12.399 --> 03:43:15.639
She corrected the mistake, clicking each into place and then

3371
03:43:15.680 --> 03:43:19.479
securing the chain too. She stormed into the kitchen, dropping

3372
03:43:19.520 --> 03:43:23.639
the last maltball in the trash bin. Good idea Jack

3373
03:43:23.760 --> 03:43:26.120
decked her across the jaw as she turned.

3374
03:43:26.120 --> 03:43:27.959
Sugar'll give you twothaches.

3375
03:43:28.520 --> 03:43:35.840
Cleo propped herself against the countertop. How what No, I don't.

3376
03:43:35.639 --> 03:43:37.360
Quite understand it either.

3377
03:43:37.719 --> 03:43:42.040
Candy Jack spun in place, but here I am looking

3378
03:43:42.600 --> 03:43:46.280
sweeter than ever. He sprang across the room, pinning her

3379
03:43:46.280 --> 03:43:49.559
between him and the formica. He spread his fingers in

3380
03:43:49.600 --> 03:43:53.479
the air, letting the light shimmer inside the translucent talons.

3381
03:43:54.159 --> 03:43:57.879
He dragged their points along Cleo's cheek before settling his

3382
03:43:58.040 --> 03:43:59.040
hand on her throat.

3383
03:44:00.079 --> 03:44:01.239
He gave a squeeze.

3384
03:44:01.680 --> 03:44:06.200
Cleo tried to scream, but he tightened his grasp, turning

3385
03:44:06.200 --> 03:44:09.399
it into a squeak. I'm going to give you the

3386
03:44:09.440 --> 03:44:14.600
sugar frosted fuck of your life, little treat. He licked

3387
03:44:14.600 --> 03:44:17.440
the scar on her chin, leaving a sticky trail over

3388
03:44:17.479 --> 03:44:21.799
the raised flesh. Don't worry, I'll pull out. Don't want

3389
03:44:21.799 --> 03:44:26.840
any sour patch kids running around. Could you imagine that?

3390
03:44:27.680 --> 03:44:31.559
Think they'd look like their daddy. Jack clicked his claws

3391
03:44:31.600 --> 03:44:35.280
against the candy scales of his face. He ground against

3392
03:44:35.280 --> 03:44:39.440
her thigh. Cleo brought her knee into his groin. Jack

3393
03:44:39.520 --> 03:44:41.879
staggered back, clutching himself.

3394
03:44:42.239 --> 03:44:46.120
Ah right in the milk duds. He groaned.

3395
03:44:46.639 --> 03:44:49.639
Cleo wrenched the carving knife from the wooden block. She

3396
03:44:49.799 --> 03:44:54.280
slashed repeatedly in an X pattern. Candy chips flew from

3397
03:44:54.360 --> 03:44:57.959
bloodless wounds on his face. Jack brought his arms up

3398
03:44:58.120 --> 03:45:00.920
and the knife sliced through the bright orange sleeves of

3399
03:45:00.959 --> 03:45:06.000
his jacket. The blade clinked against the scales underneath. She

3400
03:45:06.200 --> 03:45:09.440
thrust under his guard. The knife flexed and skittered off

3401
03:45:09.440 --> 03:45:12.920
his chest. Jack's forearms slammed into her face.

3402
03:45:13.639 --> 03:45:15.159
You can't stop me, Cleo.

3403
03:45:15.959 --> 03:45:19.479
I've been snorting pixie sticks and chugging Serge since I

3404
03:45:19.559 --> 03:45:22.239
crawled out of that grave you put me in. He

3405
03:45:22.360 --> 03:45:25.680
tore open his shirt, revealing a torso covered in thick

3406
03:45:25.760 --> 03:45:29.719
scales and wrinkled scar tissue between where his flesh had

3407
03:45:29.760 --> 03:45:34.639
burned in the mixing vat. I'm an armor plated high calorie,

3408
03:45:34.719 --> 03:45:36.440
supernatural killing machine.

3409
03:45:36.799 --> 03:45:40.600
Baby, Now give me some sugar.

3410
03:45:41.639 --> 03:45:45.399
He lunged forward, and Cleo dived under his arms, rolling

3411
03:45:45.440 --> 03:45:49.959
across the floor to safety. Spiked maltodexter and missiles splintered

3412
03:45:49.959 --> 03:45:53.239
the doorframe. Cleo screamed and grasped the one that had

3413
03:45:53.239 --> 03:45:56.799
gone through her shoulder, pinning her to the jam. Jack

3414
03:45:56.879 --> 03:46:00.360
looked quizzically at his fingers as new talons grew in

3415
03:46:00.440 --> 03:46:03.239
place of the old ones. I didn't even know I

3416
03:46:03.280 --> 03:46:08.040
could do that, he smiled malevolently. Cleo pulled herself off

3417
03:46:08.079 --> 03:46:11.520
the spear and crawled into the living room. You know

3418
03:46:11.760 --> 03:46:15.600
running doesn't work, Cleo, and no one's coming to save

3419
03:46:15.680 --> 03:46:16.440
you this time.

3420
03:46:17.159 --> 03:46:19.680
I've made sure of that. Candy.

3421
03:46:19.799 --> 03:46:23.000
Jack stalked her down the hallway. He paused by the

3422
03:46:23.000 --> 03:46:28.079
bathroom door and listened to the child singing. He dragged

3423
03:46:28.079 --> 03:46:32.120
a claw down the wood, tearing a deep furrow. It

3424
03:46:32.239 --> 03:46:36.280
isn't Halloween if the kiddies don't get some candy.

3425
03:46:36.799 --> 03:46:40.600
He hissed. Leave her alone for now.

3426
03:46:41.120 --> 03:46:46.879
Jack agreed, if you satisfy my sweet tooth, blood spurted

3427
03:46:46.879 --> 03:46:49.760
from the wound. As Cleo pressed herself up from the floor,

3428
03:46:50.319 --> 03:46:53.040
she fell against the bedroom door and toppled through it.

3429
03:46:53.639 --> 03:46:56.559
Jack threw himself onto her before she could recover.

3430
03:46:57.200 --> 03:46:58.000
Don't get up.

3431
03:46:58.559 --> 03:47:02.639
That's my job, and as you can tell, I'm very

3432
03:47:02.680 --> 03:47:07.000
hard at work. He pressed his hips against her ass. Ironic,

3433
03:47:07.120 --> 03:47:10.920
isn't it. You're about to give the candy your cavities.

3434
03:47:11.799 --> 03:47:15.200
Jack twisted Cleo's hair around his hand and dragged her

3435
03:47:15.280 --> 03:47:19.479
up to bend her over the bed. Mommy, Tia came

3436
03:47:19.520 --> 03:47:24.239
around the doorway. Get away from my mommy, run Tia,

3437
03:47:24.760 --> 03:47:28.959
Cleo shouted, but it was too late. The child charged

3438
03:47:29.000 --> 03:47:31.920
into the room and beat her fists on Jack's back.

3439
03:47:32.680 --> 03:47:35.200
Wait your turn, he.

3440
03:47:35.239 --> 03:47:37.719
Swung around, slashing her across the abdomen.

3441
03:47:38.120 --> 03:47:40.200
I'll unwrap you next.

3442
03:47:40.799 --> 03:47:43.959
Jack lifted Tia by the jaw and slammed her onto

3443
03:47:44.000 --> 03:47:46.360
the bed. He jerked his head around to see the

3444
03:47:46.399 --> 03:47:50.680
revolver bounce up from the mattress. Cleo jerked away, leaving

3445
03:47:50.680 --> 03:47:54.479
a fistful of hair in Jack's sticky fingers. She stretched

3446
03:47:54.479 --> 03:47:58.079
out her hand for the falling pistol. Jack pounced on

3447
03:47:58.120 --> 03:48:01.159
her as she hit the floor. The blue steel broke

3448
03:48:01.200 --> 03:48:04.879
his teeth and the barrel punched into his palate. Suck

3449
03:48:04.920 --> 03:48:09.239
on it, Jack, Cleo thumbed back the hammer. The taste

3450
03:48:09.559 --> 03:48:14.639
grows on you. The back of Jack's head came apart

3451
03:48:14.680 --> 03:48:19.200
like a busted pinata. An iridescent slime dripped down the wall,

3452
03:48:19.520 --> 03:48:25.319
and confectionery shrapnels scattered all over the floor. Jack slumped over.

3453
03:48:26.120 --> 03:48:30.120
Tia crawled across the bed, hugging her mom's side. Cleo

3454
03:48:30.280 --> 03:48:35.760
scraped up a handful of brain matter smarties. She dumped

3455
03:48:35.799 --> 03:48:40.680
them onto Jack's corpse. Of course they are Was he

3456
03:48:40.719 --> 03:48:48.120
a monster? The child whispered always, Cleo answered. The scales

3457
03:48:48.159 --> 03:48:53.040
on Jack's chest began to move, some ground noisily against

3458
03:48:53.120 --> 03:48:58.399
one another. Others fractured. Cleo aimed at his heart, preparing

3459
03:48:58.440 --> 03:49:02.520
to fire again. The ants scuttled around the seams where

3460
03:49:02.559 --> 03:49:07.000
the flesh met candy plaiting scar. Tissue pulsed, then erupted

3461
03:49:07.040 --> 03:49:12.000
with black lava across Jack's body. Cleo gasped and jumped back.

3462
03:49:12.399 --> 03:49:15.399
She picked you up, keeping the weapon aimed at Jack.

3463
03:49:16.159 --> 03:49:21.639
The corpse disappeared beneath the insects. Cleo backed them out

3464
03:49:21.680 --> 03:49:25.079
of the room, unable to keep her eyes off the buffet.

3465
03:49:26.079 --> 03:49:29.600
The body was already breaking down and collapsing in on itself.

3466
03:49:30.479 --> 03:49:35.040
Cleo stuffed the revolver into her waistband. There wouldn't be

3467
03:49:35.159 --> 03:49:39.639
anything left when they were finished. She closed the door

3468
03:49:39.760 --> 03:49:45.559
so the ants could dine in peace. Candy Jack wouldn't

3469
03:49:45.600 --> 03:50:02.680
come back again. The portal by Rob Carter Cross is

3470
03:50:02.719 --> 03:50:07.280
standing outside my bedroom. You ready, Madeline? One sec I

3471
03:50:07.360 --> 03:50:10.239
tell him. He comes in and watches me finish a

3472
03:50:10.280 --> 03:50:14.079
really tough level on Donkey Kong. It's an old school

3473
03:50:14.200 --> 03:50:18.239
video game that Nintendo released many years ago. I'm playing

3474
03:50:18.280 --> 03:50:20.959
an actual arcade cabinet Dad picked up for me a

3475
03:50:20.959 --> 03:50:23.920
few years ago. It was all beat up and scratched,

3476
03:50:23.959 --> 03:50:27.360
but I restored it and gave it new life. Yes,

3477
03:50:28.040 --> 03:50:30.639
I cry when I finished the level. Since I know

3478
03:50:30.799 --> 03:50:33.520
Carter and me gotta get going, I turn off the cabinet.

3479
03:50:34.000 --> 03:50:36.680
After putting on my ball cap with a familiar horror

3480
03:50:36.719 --> 03:50:41.079
hockey mask, I tell Carter I'm ready. You always get

3481
03:50:41.079 --> 03:50:44.079
your geek on with our horror thons, Madeline. He tells

3482
03:50:44.120 --> 03:50:47.360
me he's right. In addition to my ball cap, I'm

3483
03:50:47.399 --> 03:50:50.559
also wearing a Freddy Krueger T shirt. I finished my

3484
03:50:50.600 --> 03:50:56.840
outfit with jeans and sneakers. Who dresses you anyway? Carter jokes, Mom,

3485
03:50:57.280 --> 03:51:00.280
I say, without hesitation. She's picked up a lot of

3486
03:51:00.319 --> 03:51:03.680
horror clothes for me. By the way, nice shirt yourself.

3487
03:51:04.319 --> 03:51:07.520
Carter's wearing a Michael Myers T shirt. Guess I don't

3488
03:51:07.520 --> 03:51:10.840
want to feel left out. Nah, I'd never let you

3489
03:51:10.879 --> 03:51:14.200
feel left out, buddy. Carter and I leave my room

3490
03:51:14.239 --> 03:51:17.360
and head downstairs. Dad ain't home at the moment, but

3491
03:51:17.440 --> 03:51:20.559
Mom's working on some artwork she was commissioned for. She

3492
03:51:20.680 --> 03:51:23.239
takes the time to look up at us. I've heard

3493
03:51:23.239 --> 03:51:25.840
people say she looks a lot like Violet from Friday

3494
03:51:25.879 --> 03:51:30.000
the Thirteenth, Part five. I'm so jealous of you kids,

3495
03:51:30.520 --> 03:51:34.520
Mom exclaims. Then she groans. If I didn't have two

3496
03:51:34.559 --> 03:51:38.079
projects needing finished by Monday, i'd totally go with you both.

3497
03:51:38.879 --> 03:51:39.200
Yeah.

3498
03:51:39.280 --> 03:51:43.280
Little known fact, Mom, Carter and me have done horrorthons together.

3499
03:51:43.799 --> 03:51:46.319
In fact, she took Carter and me to our very

3500
03:51:46.360 --> 03:51:48.639
first one at the Strickfield Drive in Theater a few

3501
03:51:48.760 --> 03:51:51.840
years ago. You went to all that trouble to find

3502
03:51:51.840 --> 03:51:55.479
out about the lineup, and you can't go, Carter asks her,

3503
03:51:56.120 --> 03:52:00.520
and thank you. By the way, I know, Mom groans,

3504
03:52:01.200 --> 03:52:05.120
Maddie's gonna be haunting me in my dreams later tonight. Ah,

3505
03:52:05.120 --> 03:52:09.799
come on, Mom, I grown back. Carter and me understand. Really.

3506
03:52:10.680 --> 03:52:13.600
Then Mom gives me some money, bring me back a

3507
03:52:13.600 --> 03:52:17.440
T shirt? You got it, I tell her. We say

3508
03:52:17.479 --> 03:52:20.680
our goodbyes, and Carter and me leave. We're talking about

3509
03:52:20.680 --> 03:52:24.559
tonight's lineup. Carter's really excited about seeing the director's cut

3510
03:52:24.559 --> 03:52:28.280
of Veranda, Queen of the Night. Know how I'm going

3511
03:52:28.319 --> 03:52:32.079
to Friday night sleepovers at Ariel Miron's house. Carter usually

3512
03:52:32.120 --> 03:52:35.680
catches Veranda on Friday nights on Channel sixty one. Anyway,

3513
03:52:35.879 --> 03:52:39.760
I think Veranda's his favorite movie monster. It ain't long

3514
03:52:39.840 --> 03:52:43.760
before we're coming into downtown Strickfield. Thanks again for all

3515
03:52:43.760 --> 03:52:46.680
the tutoring you've been giving me for miss Ridolfi's class.

3516
03:52:46.719 --> 03:52:50.280
Carter says, I just aced her test today, so I

3517
03:52:50.319 --> 03:52:53.639
got no worries about doing the horror thon. Glad I

3518
03:52:53.639 --> 03:52:57.120
could help pal. Now we're gonna watch twelve hours of

3519
03:52:57.200 --> 03:53:01.440
horror movies, scarf lots of junk food, and drink lots

3520
03:53:01.479 --> 03:53:07.440
of caffeine. Believe me, I'm ready, Carter promises me too.

3521
03:53:08.479 --> 03:53:13.360
Then Carter bumps my arm. Uh oh, don't look now, Madeline.

3522
03:53:14.680 --> 03:53:18.559
Of course, I end up looking Ariel Mirron Mona Abels

3523
03:53:18.600 --> 03:53:21.040
and Bailey downs are crossing the street to come and

3524
03:53:21.079 --> 03:53:24.040
meet us, and you know they're gonna be picking on me.

3525
03:53:24.559 --> 03:53:28.799
Ah man, Sorry, Princess, I don't have any pop for you,

3526
03:53:29.399 --> 03:53:33.239
Carter tells Ariel. Then he points past her. Maybe you

3527
03:53:33.239 --> 03:53:36.120
can use King Daddy's royal credit card to buy a

3528
03:53:36.159 --> 03:53:39.959
great big one at the horror thon. Ariel glares at him.

3529
03:53:40.479 --> 03:53:44.120
You just keep it up, Carter cross. Then she shoves him,

3530
03:53:44.399 --> 03:53:48.280
and you owe me forgetting me detention today. Carter grins

3531
03:53:48.319 --> 03:53:53.159
at her. Ooh, I'm so scared, princess. Then he glances

3532
03:53:53.200 --> 03:53:56.799
at Mona and Bailey. You gonna sick your royal handmaidens

3533
03:53:56.799 --> 03:54:01.120
there on me. Mona gives him a mean look. Bailey snickers.

3534
03:54:01.559 --> 03:54:03.840
She don't even hide it when Ariel growls at her.

3535
03:54:04.200 --> 03:54:06.680
Then Ariel looks back at Carter and growls at him.

3536
03:54:07.360 --> 03:54:12.040
Carter shrugs, anyway, not my fault, Princess. You were the

3537
03:54:12.079 --> 03:54:14.520
one who started hitting me when I wouldn't bow down

3538
03:54:14.559 --> 03:54:18.479
to you. Actually, Ariel wanted his bottle of soda and

3539
03:54:18.520 --> 03:54:21.479
he wouldn't give it to her. Naturally, Ariel's gonna make

3540
03:54:21.520 --> 03:54:25.680
a scene. Principal Benjamin van Deist caught her and slapped

3541
03:54:25.680 --> 03:54:29.120
her with a detention. Boy, if Ariel's looks could kill,

3542
03:54:30.040 --> 03:54:32.840
then she points right at me, and you are supposed

3543
03:54:32.840 --> 03:54:34.959
to be coming over to my slumber party tonight, or

3544
03:54:35.000 --> 03:54:37.559
did you forget what day it is? I shake my

3545
03:54:37.600 --> 03:54:41.399
head quickly, Sorry, Ariel. You know Carter and me always

3546
03:54:41.440 --> 03:54:43.760
go to our horror thons, even if they fall on

3547
03:54:43.799 --> 03:54:46.520
a Friday night. Any other time I'd become into your

3548
03:54:46.520 --> 03:54:51.239
slumber parties. But tonight ain't happening, I smirk. Unless you

3549
03:54:51.280 --> 03:54:54.799
three want to join us tonight. Yeah, Ariel's mad at

3550
03:54:54.840 --> 03:55:00.479
me too. I hate you mouse, I shrug, Sorry, not sorry.

3551
03:55:01.159 --> 03:55:05.200
Then Mona's given me this weird look. Wait a minute here,

3552
03:55:05.760 --> 03:55:09.239
you too can't go to the horror thon. Oh that's right,

3553
03:55:09.680 --> 03:55:14.680
Bailey agrees. Last I checked, you two ain't eighteen. In fact,

3554
03:55:15.159 --> 03:55:17.639
none of us are eighteen. We ain't even old enough

3555
03:55:17.639 --> 03:55:23.000
to drive Carter's smirkin'. Now this is true, But I

3556
03:55:23.120 --> 03:55:26.719
raise my finger, but Carter and me are allowed in.

3557
03:55:27.520 --> 03:55:30.000
I explained to the other girls how Carter and me

3558
03:55:30.120 --> 03:55:34.440
were walking around Strickfield University last February because Mom sent

3559
03:55:34.479 --> 03:55:37.159
me there to buy this exotic coffee she wanted from

3560
03:55:37.440 --> 03:55:40.360
the bitter end in Wilder Hall, the student union building.

3561
03:55:41.000 --> 03:55:45.159
Then we get approached by these redheaded twins, the Corgan Twins.

3562
03:55:45.719 --> 03:55:48.120
They made a lot of horror movies around our area.

3563
03:55:48.600 --> 03:55:50.479
Now they wanted Carter and Me to be in one

3564
03:55:50.479 --> 03:55:52.520
of their latest movies as a couple of kids for

3565
03:55:52.639 --> 03:55:56.000
this mom and dad. While we was on set, we

3566
03:55:56.120 --> 03:55:59.200
got to talking with the Corgans about all these different movies,

3567
03:55:59.600 --> 03:56:02.600
mostly Roger Corman ones. I think it was safe to

3568
03:56:02.639 --> 03:56:06.040
say Carter and Me earned their respect. We also found

3569
03:56:06.079 --> 03:56:09.159
out they're big with the university's film society and they

3570
03:56:09.200 --> 03:56:12.079
put on a lot of events in our village. They're

3571
03:56:12.079 --> 03:56:14.959
the ones who are putting on Tonight's Horror Thon. Jesse

3572
03:56:15.079 --> 03:56:17.360
and Jenny gave Carter and Me both passes to be

3573
03:56:17.360 --> 03:56:20.680
able to get in all the events we want. Yeah,

3574
03:56:20.799 --> 03:56:23.879
they know we're both underage technically, but all we gotta

3575
03:56:23.920 --> 03:56:26.920
do is show our passes and we get in, no

3576
03:56:27.120 --> 03:56:31.680
questions asked. But then we get another surprise. These three

3577
03:56:31.719 --> 03:56:35.440
giving you problems again. Maddie boy do Ariel, Mona and

3578
03:56:35.479 --> 03:56:38.840
Bailey gasp when they turn and see Bella Tabon standing

3579
03:56:38.959 --> 03:56:43.159
right behind him and next to her is Eileen. I

3580
03:56:43.200 --> 03:56:47.479
shriek with excitement. Maddie, she's just as excited to see me.

3581
03:56:48.159 --> 03:56:50.760
The two of us quickly hug. Looking at us, you'd

3582
03:56:50.840 --> 03:56:53.239
swear we were twin sisters instead of cousins.

3583
03:56:53.680 --> 03:56:54.159
I mean it.

3584
03:56:54.559 --> 03:56:58.280
We look exactly alike, same height, we're very skinny, same

3585
03:56:58.319 --> 03:57:02.360
brown hair, same mouse voices, same faces, same last names,

3586
03:57:02.680 --> 03:57:07.479
and even the same velma dinkly looking glasses. Standing together,

3587
03:57:07.520 --> 03:57:10.479
there's only one way to tell us apart. Aileen's got

3588
03:57:10.479 --> 03:57:14.360
brown eyes and I got blue ones. You and Bell's

3589
03:57:14.360 --> 03:57:18.639
are doing the horrorthon too. I shrieked, iine here practically

3590
03:57:18.680 --> 03:57:22.239
handcuffed me and dragged me along with her Bell's mutters.

3591
03:57:22.799 --> 03:57:26.200
Then she gets serious. Ainie and I wanted to get

3592
03:57:26.239 --> 03:57:29.520
out and go do something, so she suggested the horrorthon,

3593
03:57:30.440 --> 03:57:33.360
and you two get to hang with us tonight. Bells

3594
03:57:33.399 --> 03:57:37.639
calls Aileen Inini and is short for Einstein, a nickname

3595
03:57:37.680 --> 03:57:40.040
her older brother Martin gave her on account of her

3596
03:57:40.079 --> 03:57:43.719
being gifted with quite a brain. In response, Aileen calls

3597
03:57:43.760 --> 03:57:48.520
bella Bell's, Oh, Ariel's really mad now, she ain't got

3598
03:57:48.520 --> 03:57:51.920
her way all day long. Then she looks from me

3599
03:57:52.000 --> 03:57:54.760
to Aileen and back. Why do there have to be

3600
03:57:54.840 --> 03:57:58.799
two of you? Just why are you feeling okay?

3601
03:57:58.840 --> 03:57:59.200
Ariel?

3602
03:57:59.559 --> 03:58:03.600
Aileen ask her now, Ariel's wide eyed, how do you

3603
03:58:03.639 --> 03:58:06.479
even know my name? Then she looks right at me.

3604
03:58:07.239 --> 03:58:11.360
Oh you you. Then she belts out one of her

3605
03:58:11.399 --> 03:58:15.319
blood curdling screams. Aileen and I just look at each other.

3606
03:58:15.399 --> 03:58:19.200
Now Bell's is giving us her own funny looks. Carter

3607
03:58:19.479 --> 03:58:23.559
just shrugs. When Ariel stops screaming, Bells starts patting her

3608
03:58:23.559 --> 03:58:27.760
on her head. They're there, you want some cookies? Ariel

3609
03:58:27.799 --> 03:58:30.840
puts her finger right in Bell's face. You listen to me,

3610
03:58:30.959 --> 03:58:35.520
you augh. Turns out Bell's really does have Halloween cookies.

3611
03:58:36.000 --> 03:58:39.520
Guess she brought them to sneak into the horror thon. Anyway,

3612
03:58:39.760 --> 03:58:42.559
Bell's ends up giving them all to Ariel, Mona, and Bailey.

3613
03:58:43.200 --> 03:58:47.719
Happy Halloween girls enjoy Well, not quite Halloween yet, but

3614
03:58:48.120 --> 03:58:51.399
it is the final weekend in October. Bell's turns to

3615
03:58:51.479 --> 03:58:55.319
Carter and me, we better get going. Ariel, Mona, and

3616
03:58:55.360 --> 03:58:57.719
Bailey don't say anything as the four of us walk

3617
03:58:57.799 --> 03:59:01.000
to the theater together. Still, well, I got a feeling.

3618
03:59:01.040 --> 03:59:03.280
Carter and me are gonna hear about it on Monday

3619
03:59:03.319 --> 03:59:06.559
at school. We walk a few more blocks before we

3620
03:59:06.639 --> 03:59:10.120
reach the Strickfield Centennial Theater. We only got to wait

3621
03:59:10.159 --> 03:59:12.319
in line for a little while, but we're up near

3622
03:59:12.360 --> 03:59:15.639
the front. Soon as it's time, the theater starts letting

3623
03:59:15.680 --> 03:59:18.760
people in for the Horror Thon. Carter and Me show

3624
03:59:18.799 --> 03:59:21.760
our passes and Aleen and Bell show their printed tickets.

3625
03:59:22.360 --> 03:59:25.200
Bell sends Aileen on ahead to get us good seats.

3626
03:59:25.680 --> 03:59:28.799
Then Bell's insists on treating us to the concession stand.

3627
03:59:29.479 --> 03:59:32.799
Carter's surprised that Bell's orders a lot of stuff, including

3628
03:59:32.879 --> 03:59:37.200
lots of pizzas. She even ordered one for Aleen. Once

3629
03:59:37.239 --> 03:59:40.159
we're getting everything, we take it back into the auditorium,

3630
03:59:40.719 --> 03:59:43.719
Aleen calls out to us she got us great seats.

3631
03:59:44.280 --> 03:59:46.440
Before long, the Corgan twins are up in the front

3632
03:59:46.440 --> 03:59:49.200
of the screen to kick off the Horror Thon. They

3633
03:59:49.239 --> 03:59:52.479
do announce one change to the lineup to the secret

3634
03:59:52.520 --> 03:59:56.760
midnight screening. Now, I told Carter that the director's cut

3635
03:59:56.760 --> 03:59:58.639
of Veranda Queen of the Night was going to be

3636
03:59:58.639 --> 04:00:02.280
the secret midnight screening. Carter's looking kind of bummed out,

3637
04:00:02.879 --> 04:00:05.559
at least until the twins say it's replacing the Spanish

3638
04:00:05.639 --> 04:00:07.760
version of Dracula because they weren't able to get the

3639
04:00:07.799 --> 04:00:11.000
print in time. The biggest thing about the Horrorthons the

3640
04:00:11.000 --> 04:00:14.600
Corgan Twins present is that every single movie is shown

3641
04:00:15.040 --> 04:00:18.760
on real film. The Corgan Twins say that a secret

3642
04:00:18.760 --> 04:00:21.559
new film will be screening at midnight. There would be

3643
04:00:21.600 --> 04:00:25.639
giveaways during intermissions and some short films playing. They thank

3644
04:00:25.719 --> 04:00:29.360
everybody for being here and supporting both horror movies and Halloween.

3645
04:00:29.959 --> 04:00:33.079
Then they tell everybody to have a great time. The

3646
04:00:33.200 --> 04:00:37.200
lights dim and the first feature starts. We're all cheering

3647
04:00:37.280 --> 04:00:41.000
when Veranda, Queen of the Night, kicks off the Horrorthon. Man,

3648
04:00:41.120 --> 04:00:44.399
you should have seen how happy Carter was. Carter even

3649
04:00:44.479 --> 04:00:47.399
quietly tells us what's different about the director's cut scenes.

3650
04:00:48.360 --> 04:00:51.280
But that ain't all Carter's getting. When it comes to Veranda.

3651
04:00:51.799 --> 04:00:56.040
After the movie's over, the Corgan Twins spring a huge surprise.

3652
04:00:56.959 --> 04:01:01.440
Vicky Valentine, who plays Veranda, is here in person.

3653
04:01:02.239 --> 04:01:02.879
Ah Man.

3654
04:01:03.319 --> 04:01:06.680
Carter practically faints, but we're there with him when he

3655
04:01:06.719 --> 04:01:10.959
finally meets Vicky Valentine in the flesh and gets her autograph.

3656
04:01:11.159 --> 04:01:13.120
He also gets Aileen in Me to pose for a

3657
04:01:13.159 --> 04:01:16.879
pick with him and Vicki, which Bella takes Belle's does

3658
04:01:16.920 --> 04:01:20.159
get an autograph, but doesn't pose for a pick. Ah.

3659
04:01:20.200 --> 04:01:23.840
That's right, she can't. Vampires don't cast a reflection, which

3660
04:01:23.840 --> 04:01:27.840
means she won't show up on picks. You okay, buddy,

3661
04:01:28.319 --> 04:01:31.680
I ask Carter as we're taking our seats again. I

3662
04:01:31.719 --> 04:01:35.840
can't believe I finally met Veranda. Carter gushes, I think

3663
04:01:35.879 --> 04:01:39.440
I'm in love. Don't be letting Ariel here, you say that,

3664
04:01:39.840 --> 04:01:43.799
I tease. Carter suddenly turns to me, why you little?

3665
04:01:44.319 --> 04:01:47.000
When I laugh, he playfully pulls me into a headlock

3666
04:01:47.280 --> 04:01:50.200
and rubs his knuckles on my noggin. Then he lets

3667
04:01:50.200 --> 04:01:54.719
me go. Carter points at me, Hugh, just keep dreaming, Madeline.

3668
04:01:55.600 --> 04:01:59.200
But I definitely know better. In fact, Carter's checking his phone.

3669
04:01:59.399 --> 04:02:02.280
Not only does you have a wallpaper of Ariel, they

3670
04:02:02.399 --> 04:02:05.879
even have each other's numbers, because he's texting with her

3671
04:02:05.959 --> 04:02:08.520
right now. And I know for a fact Ariel don't

3672
04:02:08.520 --> 04:02:12.280
give her phone number to just anyone. Speaking of phone numbers,

3673
04:02:12.680 --> 04:02:15.920
Ariel made sure she texted me too, I hate you

3674
04:02:16.040 --> 04:02:20.280
mouse with a little mouse emoji. The second feature is

3675
04:02:20.319 --> 04:02:24.600
the original Halloween. Oh Man, Mom's gonna be so bummed

3676
04:02:24.600 --> 04:02:28.280
when she hears this one was playing. This is our movie.

3677
04:02:28.399 --> 04:02:30.920
In fact, it was the first one and our first

3678
04:02:30.959 --> 04:02:34.479
Horrthon together. As we're watching the movie, I can't help

3679
04:02:34.520 --> 04:02:37.680
noticing Bells is in the middle of her fifth whole

3680
04:02:37.879 --> 04:02:42.719
Pepperoni pizza. Bells is a very unique form of master vampire.

3681
04:02:43.280 --> 04:02:46.079
She don't drink blood, so she's got to eat lots

3682
04:02:46.120 --> 04:02:49.479
and lots of food to get her nutritional requirements. No

3683
04:02:49.600 --> 04:02:53.719
problem for Bells since she loves food, especially from Denoyer's grill.

3684
04:02:54.520 --> 04:02:57.319
We're having fun now, but things are about to get

3685
04:02:57.360 --> 04:02:59.760
a lot more interesting real soon.

3686
04:03:01.399 --> 04:03:05.280
You're not safe yet, Weekly Spooky will be right back.

3687
04:03:13.319 --> 04:03:17.319
Another intermission comes. Then the Corgan Twins appear and do

3688
04:03:17.399 --> 04:03:20.600
a couple of giveaways. I even remember to buy Mom

3689
04:03:20.639 --> 04:03:23.920
her Horrorthon T shirt. When I get back. They're starting

3690
04:03:23.959 --> 04:03:28.040
to announce the secret midnight screening. It's a new film

3691
04:03:28.079 --> 04:03:32.239
that's supposed to be called The Portal. Ain't none of

3692
04:03:32.319 --> 04:03:34.959
us ever heard of it? The Corgan Twins say they

3693
04:03:35.000 --> 04:03:37.079
attended a secret screening of it and that it was

3694
04:03:37.159 --> 04:03:40.239
really good, so they had to secure it for the

3695
04:03:40.280 --> 04:03:43.680
Horror Thon. Soon as they walk out, the lights dim

3696
04:03:44.079 --> 04:03:47.959
and the movie starts. The portal ends up being about

3697
04:03:48.000 --> 04:03:52.000
this group of teenage kids like high schoolers. They end

3698
04:03:52.079 --> 04:03:54.479
up running from this gang who was chasing them down.

3699
04:03:55.200 --> 04:03:58.200
Before long, they take refuge in a cemetery and break

3700
04:03:58.280 --> 04:04:01.879
into a crypt to hide. They lose the gang, but

3701
04:04:02.520 --> 04:04:05.360
they get real tired and fall asleep in the crypt.

3702
04:04:06.159 --> 04:04:09.360
Next morning, things get weird when they walk around in

3703
04:04:09.399 --> 04:04:14.200
the town they live in. Everybody's given the kids weird looks.

3704
04:04:14.879 --> 04:04:19.760
Turns out everybody in the town is all vampires. The

3705
04:04:19.840 --> 04:04:22.920
kids are on the run now. Along the way, some

3706
04:04:23.000 --> 04:04:27.719
of them either fall for the vampires or become vampires themselves.

3707
04:04:28.360 --> 04:04:31.719
Long story short, they learn they're in a parallel universe

3708
04:04:31.760 --> 04:04:35.879
where everybody on this earth is a vampire. In the end,

3709
04:04:35.959 --> 04:04:38.799
the kids never return to their universe again, and the

3710
04:04:38.879 --> 04:04:42.000
last one's got a fake being a vampire to hide

3711
04:04:42.040 --> 04:04:45.879
in plain sight with them. Suddenly, I gasp and open

3712
04:04:45.959 --> 04:04:49.000
my eyes. I look and see Carter, Bells and Aleen

3713
04:04:49.040 --> 04:04:52.760
are still in the theater with me. No movies are playing,

3714
04:04:53.040 --> 04:04:56.239
no lights are on. We can see the auditorium's big

3715
04:04:56.280 --> 04:05:01.079
time trashed. Did we fall fall asleep and miss the

3716
04:05:01.079 --> 04:05:06.520
rest of the horothon? Aileen asks, I don't recall falling asleep.

3717
04:05:06.959 --> 04:05:11.239
I say, yeah, me either, Carter mutters, shaking his head.

3718
04:05:11.760 --> 04:05:15.520
Aileen looks at Bell's. I know you couldn't have fallen asleep.

3719
04:05:15.559 --> 04:05:20.000
You never sleep. Bell stands up. Okay, I think it's

3720
04:05:20.000 --> 04:05:22.959
safe to say something ain't right here. For one thing,

3721
04:05:23.399 --> 04:05:24.879
where are all the pizza boxes?

3722
04:05:25.680 --> 04:05:25.760
What?

3723
04:05:25.959 --> 04:05:30.280
You're still hungry? Bella Carter asks in surprise. No, don't

3724
04:05:30.280 --> 04:05:32.959
you get it, Carter, we never got up to throw

3725
04:05:33.000 --> 04:05:36.159
anything away. If we did fall asleep, then those boxes

3726
04:05:36.159 --> 04:05:40.360
should still be right here. We're all quiet for a bit.

3727
04:05:41.200 --> 04:05:44.079
Then I say we might as well head outside and

3728
04:05:44.120 --> 04:05:48.799
see what's up. Let's go. Bell's agrees. The four of

3729
04:05:48.840 --> 04:05:52.920
us leave the auditorium. Even the lobby's a mess. Not

3730
04:05:53.000 --> 04:05:57.000
only that, nobody's man in the concession stand. Then we

3731
04:05:57.079 --> 04:06:03.360
walk outside. Where is everybody? Aileen asks Church. I pipe up,

3732
04:06:04.079 --> 04:06:09.760
Bells looks my way on a Saturday morning? Oopsies. Then

3733
04:06:09.799 --> 04:06:13.879
I sigh, What do we do now? We look around

3734
04:06:13.920 --> 04:06:17.280
for a little bit. Hey, it's still night out here.

3735
04:06:17.520 --> 04:06:21.479
I quickly notice that or there are storm clouds up there,

3736
04:06:21.840 --> 04:06:26.319
Aileen says, I look at my smart watch. Huh, what

3737
04:06:26.440 --> 04:06:28.799
gives I got blanks? Where the time?

3738
04:06:28.799 --> 04:06:29.200
Ought to be.

3739
04:06:30.000 --> 04:06:33.920
We look at our smartphones and get the same results.

3740
04:06:34.639 --> 04:06:38.239
Maybe something happened in the theater got cleared out, I suggest,

3741
04:06:39.120 --> 04:06:42.360
and they just left us sitting in there. Carter mutters.

3742
04:06:42.760 --> 04:06:45.959
I shrug, just trying to make sense out of all this, buddy,

3743
04:06:46.959 --> 04:06:49.639
Maybe we should see what's going on at home, Aileen

3744
04:06:49.719 --> 04:06:52.680
throws out. We talk about it and decide to do

3745
04:06:52.920 --> 04:06:57.920
just that. The computers should be working, Aileen says, message

3746
04:06:57.959 --> 04:07:00.319
us as soon as you get home, Maddie, you too, Carter.

3747
04:07:01.120 --> 04:07:04.920
Carter nods. Then we split up. Carter and me walk

3748
04:07:05.000 --> 04:07:08.200
until we're back in our neighborhood. So far and nothing

3749
04:07:08.239 --> 04:07:13.280
out of the ordinary. But where is everybody, Madeline? Carter asks,

3750
04:07:13.959 --> 04:07:16.520
We ain't seen a single person since we left the theater.

3751
04:07:17.200 --> 04:07:21.319
Then I tap his shoulder. Looks like familiar faces. We

3752
04:07:21.440 --> 04:07:25.120
both look to see Ariel, Mona and Bailey across the street.

3753
04:07:25.440 --> 04:07:27.959
When I wave at him, they just stop and look

3754
04:07:28.000 --> 04:07:32.360
at us in this weird way. Now, Ariel motions for

3755
04:07:32.440 --> 04:07:35.159
Mona and Bailey to come with her. They cross the

3756
04:07:35.200 --> 04:07:38.959
street and approach us. When they get close enough, they

3757
04:07:39.000 --> 04:07:42.799
all gasp. Ariel Mona cries happily.

3758
04:07:43.479 --> 04:07:43.879
I know.

3759
04:07:45.040 --> 04:07:49.600
Ariel groans seemingly with relief and shows us a huge smile.

3760
04:07:50.719 --> 04:07:51.079
Food.

3761
04:07:52.079 --> 04:07:54.760
Huh, I utter, what you mean?

3762
04:07:54.879 --> 04:07:55.239
Food?

3763
04:07:55.920 --> 04:07:59.159
Before Carter can say anything, all three girls open their mouths.

3764
04:07:59.719 --> 04:08:04.159
Are you seeing this, Madeline? Carter stammers, yeah, you know,

3765
04:08:04.239 --> 04:08:04.879
I'm seeing it.

3766
04:08:04.959 --> 04:08:06.159
But run.

3767
04:08:06.879 --> 04:08:09.399
Carter and me turn away from him and run fast,

3768
04:08:10.079 --> 04:08:15.440
foolish mortals, Ariel calls out, when will you learn? Suddenly

3769
04:08:15.520 --> 04:08:17.879
Ariel appears right in front of me. She puts her

3770
04:08:17.920 --> 04:08:20.079
hand on my neck and lifts me off the sidewalk.

3771
04:08:20.360 --> 04:08:22.840
I'm trying to get down, but she's got me up

3772
04:08:22.879 --> 04:08:26.639
here good. Ariel's hands are so cold, and how did

3773
04:08:26.680 --> 04:08:29.760
she get so strong? Next thing I know, Ariel brings

3774
04:08:29.799 --> 04:08:32.280
me down and pins me up against a tree. I

3775
04:08:32.360 --> 04:08:35.079
shriek when I see how red Ariel's eyes are. Now

3776
04:08:35.479 --> 04:08:38.799
her fangs are glistening and sharp. Then I see how

3777
04:08:38.840 --> 04:08:42.200
pale her skin is. Usually Ariel's got some of her

3778
04:08:42.239 --> 04:08:47.639
summer tan leftover during October. Help, Carter, yells. I look

3779
04:08:47.680 --> 04:08:50.239
over Ariel's shoulder and see Bailey and Mona have Carter

3780
04:08:50.399 --> 04:08:54.719
on the ground. You two can have Carter. Ariel tells him,

3781
04:08:55.319 --> 04:09:00.239
I'm going to dine on a delicious little mousey. I'm

3782
04:09:00.280 --> 04:09:04.159
just so glad we have food again. Bailey squeals, shall

3783
04:09:04.200 --> 04:09:09.760
we Mona, we shall Mona murmurs, You're going to taste

3784
04:09:09.840 --> 04:09:15.360
so good, Carter, even better than Denoyer's Grill's cheeseburgers. Ariel

3785
04:09:15.399 --> 04:09:18.360
glares at me. Now, this is what you get for

3786
04:09:18.440 --> 04:09:23.680
ditching your girls for a horror thon Mouse, No no,

3787
04:09:24.399 --> 04:09:27.879
I scream. Then I suddenly drop out of Ariel's grip

3788
04:09:28.239 --> 04:09:31.159
and scurry right between her legs. I come back up

3789
04:09:31.239 --> 04:09:34.319
and quickly shove Mona. Carter fights back now and shoves

3790
04:09:34.360 --> 04:09:37.479
Bailey off him. When Carter's back up, I quickly grab

3791
04:09:37.520 --> 04:09:40.239
his arm and we run. We see our houses and

3792
04:09:40.319 --> 04:09:43.440
go right to mine, since it's there first. We quickly

3793
04:09:43.520 --> 04:09:46.879
go inside and slam the front door shut. Go check

3794
04:09:46.920 --> 04:09:49.959
the back. Carter, he didn't need me to tell him twice.

3795
04:09:50.319 --> 04:09:52.719
He quickly locks that door. I do the same with

3796
04:09:52.760 --> 04:09:59.479
the front open up. Ariel screams, I hate you Mouse, oh,

3797
04:09:59.639 --> 04:10:03.920
you wicked little rodent. Mona yells, you really think these

3798
04:10:04.000 --> 04:10:08.520
doors are gonna keep us out? Bailey teases. Carter points

3799
04:10:08.559 --> 04:10:12.760
to me, listen, vampires can't come in unless you invite them, right,

3800
04:10:13.399 --> 04:10:19.120
I go pard last I checked. Then Carter gulps too.

3801
04:10:19.280 --> 04:10:22.159
How do we know we ain't like those girls outside, Madeline?

3802
04:10:22.920 --> 04:10:24.559
Or what if we're turning?

3803
04:10:25.360 --> 04:10:25.559
Now?

3804
04:10:25.600 --> 04:10:29.239
I'm real scared. We gotta find a mirror first we

3805
04:10:29.280 --> 04:10:32.559
can confirm we got reflections. Then I can summon Mary Worth,

3806
04:10:32.600 --> 04:10:35.159
the spirit of a witch who's possessing me. All I

3807
04:10:35.159 --> 04:10:37.319
gotta do is say her name three times in a mirror,

3808
04:10:37.360 --> 04:10:39.440
and then she can take over my body and stop

3809
04:10:39.479 --> 04:10:44.280
these vampires. Suddenly we hear movement on the stairs. Then

3810
04:10:44.360 --> 04:10:49.000
we see Mom coming down. When she sees us, she smiles, Maddie,

3811
04:10:49.040 --> 04:10:52.760
you're home. What's the matter, honey? You two might as

3812
04:10:52.760 --> 04:10:56.440
well just let us in right now. Ariel yells, go

3813
04:10:56.520 --> 04:10:59.239
back to your coffin and get your beauty sleep. Princess

3814
04:10:59.719 --> 04:11:04.920
Card yells back, not that it'll do you any good. Carter, Oh,

3815
04:11:05.040 --> 04:11:09.079
you you, and that sets off another one of Ariel's

3816
04:11:09.120 --> 04:11:12.840
blood curdle and screams. Mom's dressed in her pink clothes

3817
04:11:12.879 --> 04:11:17.280
like she usually is, but something's wrong here. Mom's skin

3818
04:11:17.399 --> 04:11:24.000
looks just as pale as those vampires outside. Come to Mom, Maddie,

3819
04:11:24.399 --> 04:11:28.239
she says, not paying attention to the girls outside, Let

3820
04:11:28.280 --> 04:11:31.600
me sire you so you can keep being my little girl.

3821
04:11:32.000 --> 04:11:37.440
Then we can dine on Carter together. Oh man, Carter chokes,

3822
04:11:37.600 --> 04:11:42.319
shaking his head slowly. Not you too, missus, Donnery. We

3823
04:11:42.479 --> 04:11:45.959
both scream when Mom shows us her fangs. Then she

3824
04:11:46.159 --> 04:11:49.239
raises her hands, which are claws. Now Carter and me

3825
04:11:49.319 --> 04:11:53.040
are backing up when she's moving closer. Ah, why are

3826
04:11:53.040 --> 04:11:57.319
you like this, Mom, I stammer. I'm now seeing things more.

3827
04:11:58.360 --> 04:12:01.959
No mirrors anywhere, and all the windows are painted black.

3828
04:12:03.000 --> 04:12:06.440
You don't get it, maddie. Mom growls and holds her tummy.

3829
04:12:07.239 --> 04:12:10.399
There's no more food. One day, many of us woke

3830
04:12:10.479 --> 04:12:13.399
up to find we were vampires. We claimed many of

3831
04:12:13.399 --> 04:12:17.000
the mortals that didn't turn. What few were left managed

3832
04:12:17.040 --> 04:12:20.840
to escape and form a resistance. We're so very hungry.

3833
04:12:21.079 --> 04:12:23.680
The only way we could find food quickly was to

3834
04:12:23.719 --> 04:12:26.319
open a portal that would allow us to gather mortals

3835
04:12:26.520 --> 04:12:30.319
from other realities. Carter and me look at each other.

3836
04:12:31.040 --> 04:12:33.440
Guess that explains how we woke up in the theater

3837
04:12:33.600 --> 04:12:38.639
all by ourselves, Madeline. Carter says. Then I understand something else.

3838
04:12:39.280 --> 04:12:42.159
That means you ain't really my mom, and those girls

3839
04:12:42.159 --> 04:12:46.239
outside ain't really our friends. Suddenly, Aeriel bursts right through

3840
04:12:46.280 --> 04:12:49.200
the front door. Mona and Bailey are coming in right

3841
04:12:49.280 --> 04:12:52.799
behind her. We gave you and Carter both a chance

3842
04:12:52.840 --> 04:12:57.600
to be reasonable about this mouse, Bailey says. Guess now

3843
04:12:57.639 --> 04:13:02.600
it's survival of the hungriest. Mona ads, licking her fangs.

3844
04:13:03.440 --> 04:13:05.680
I know you've always had an eye for me, Carter,

3845
04:13:06.280 --> 04:13:11.840
Ariel laughs. Now you can know the feeling is entirely mutual.

3846
04:13:13.040 --> 04:13:16.399
Then Carter acts. He quickly dives for two pieces of

3847
04:13:16.399 --> 04:13:19.120
wood from the broken door and puts them together into

3848
04:13:19.159 --> 04:13:22.000
a cross. Ariel moves her hands out in front of

3849
04:13:22.040 --> 04:13:25.079
her and hisses. Then Bailey and Mona do the same.

3850
04:13:25.600 --> 04:13:29.760
Mom just gets back. You're a genius, Carter, I cry.

3851
04:13:30.200 --> 04:13:32.360
I quickly pick up two pieces of wood and make

3852
04:13:32.399 --> 04:13:35.239
my own. At first, the vampires don't seem to be

3853
04:13:35.319 --> 04:13:38.280
afraid of me. Then I figure out why they're afraid

3854
04:13:38.280 --> 04:13:42.040
of Carter. When you use a crucifix against a vampire,

3855
04:13:42.600 --> 04:13:45.559
you have to have faith for it to work. Fright night,

3856
04:13:45.639 --> 04:13:48.559
Sure got that one right. Suddenly we hear the back

3857
04:13:48.639 --> 04:13:53.040
door explode. Ah Man, more vampires breaking in, looking to

3858
04:13:53.079 --> 04:13:55.680
have Carter and me for dinner. Next thing we know,

3859
04:13:55.840 --> 04:14:00.559
we're both being snatched up. These two are mine. I

3860
04:14:00.600 --> 04:14:03.200
almost cry out Bell's name, but that would have given

3861
04:14:03.280 --> 04:14:06.680
us away fast. Bell's quickly turns and kicks the huge

3862
04:14:06.680 --> 04:14:09.479
front window out. Then she takes us out through it.

3863
04:14:10.040 --> 04:14:14.399
Come back here with our food, Ariel screams. Bell's leaps

3864
04:14:14.440 --> 04:14:17.200
off the porch with both of us. Good thinking with

3865
04:14:17.280 --> 04:14:21.799
those crosses. She tells us, wait a minute, you're a vampire.

3866
04:14:21.879 --> 04:14:22.079
Two.

3867
04:14:22.639 --> 04:14:26.479
Carter shrieks. It's okay, Carter, Bell's is on our side,

3868
04:14:26.760 --> 04:14:29.639
I tell him. Then I ask her, how'd you know

3869
04:14:29.760 --> 04:14:32.200
to come back for us. We'll talk about it as

3870
04:14:32.200 --> 04:14:35.440
soon as we meet up with iiny they're turning into bats.

3871
04:14:35.840 --> 04:14:39.600
Carter quickly tells. Bells, yeah, I expect it as much.

3872
04:14:39.959 --> 04:14:43.239
Hang on you two. Bells leaps into the air again

3873
04:14:43.280 --> 04:14:46.399
and eventually ducks into an alley with us. When she lands,

3874
04:14:46.840 --> 04:14:50.479
the bats are soon flying right over us. You two, okay,

3875
04:14:51.040 --> 04:14:54.959
Bell's asks. When she knows it's safe. We both nod quickly.

3876
04:14:55.680 --> 04:14:59.600
Then Bell's nods once from there, she grabs hold of

3877
04:14:59.680 --> 04:15:02.600
us again and jumps back up into the air. After

3878
04:15:02.639 --> 04:15:05.719
a few more jumps, we're at a church. We go

3879
04:15:05.840 --> 04:15:08.760
inside the wrecked church and find Aileen sitting on top

3880
04:15:08.799 --> 04:15:12.399
of the altar. She's very happy to see Bell's brought us.

3881
04:15:13.079 --> 04:15:15.559
When we reach a Leen, she quickly holds out across

3882
04:15:16.239 --> 04:15:16.680
touch it.

3883
04:15:17.399 --> 04:15:17.920
Both of you.

3884
04:15:19.600 --> 04:15:24.920
Are you afraid? Good weekly spooky, We'll be right back.

3885
04:15:32.760 --> 04:15:36.159
I touched the cross without hesitation. When I don't burn,

3886
04:15:36.280 --> 04:15:41.000
then Carter touches it. Aileen sighs with relief. I'm so

3887
04:15:41.159 --> 04:15:44.840
glad you guys are okay, Belle says. As soon as

3888
04:15:44.879 --> 04:15:47.239
me and Iny got home, Martin was right there.

3889
04:15:47.920 --> 04:15:48.559
Funny thing.

3890
04:15:49.200 --> 04:15:52.959
He didn't recognize me, but he was oh so eager

3891
04:15:53.000 --> 04:15:56.799
to sink his teeth into Iiny. Yeah, Madeline and me

3892
04:15:57.000 --> 04:15:59.959
just found out we're in a different universe. Carter said.

3893
04:16:00.799 --> 04:16:05.159
Her mom knew about it. Yeah, it's like Marvel Zombies,

3894
04:16:05.200 --> 04:16:10.319
except everybody's vampires here. I say, Bell's gives us funny looks.

3895
04:16:10.639 --> 04:16:13.159
The three of us quickly explained the plot behind that

3896
04:16:13.239 --> 04:16:16.159
comic book series. You'll have to let me read that

3897
04:16:16.200 --> 04:16:19.040
one if any of you've got it, Bell says, Or

3898
04:16:19.120 --> 04:16:21.280
you guys could have said it was like the Last

3899
04:16:21.280 --> 04:16:25.280
Man on Earth. Sorry, I squeak. Mom did say not

3900
04:16:25.399 --> 04:16:28.559
everybody got turned. She never said what caused it either,

3901
04:16:29.120 --> 04:16:31.280
She just said one day they woke up and they

3902
04:16:31.280 --> 04:16:34.719
were all vampires. But how did they get to us?

3903
04:16:35.239 --> 04:16:40.200
Carter asks, I don't get it. Think Carter, what was

3904
04:16:40.239 --> 04:16:43.879
the one thing that was weird earlier? Aini asks, we

3905
04:16:43.959 --> 04:16:47.920
were at the horror thon. Carter recalls, that's it. We

3906
04:16:47.920 --> 04:16:51.360
were watching that secret movie. That's what Bell's and I

3907
04:16:51.440 --> 04:16:55.079
came up with two Inini agrees. We decided that the

3908
04:16:55.120 --> 04:16:58.280
film had opened up some kind of portal to let

3909
04:16:58.360 --> 04:17:01.719
those vampires come into our reality and bring us to theirs.

3910
04:17:02.120 --> 04:17:05.479
Bell says, you think they got everybody else in the theater?

3911
04:17:05.879 --> 04:17:09.840
I ask, hard to say, Maddie, Aini replies, if we

3912
04:17:09.959 --> 04:17:12.239
ended up in the theater by ourselves, I'm guessing the

3913
04:17:12.280 --> 04:17:16.360
other people were either taken by the vampires or they escaped,

3914
04:17:17.200 --> 04:17:19.760
and the ones that were taken probably became food for

3915
04:17:19.799 --> 04:17:24.399
the vampires or they became like them. By now, Carter ads,

3916
04:17:24.799 --> 04:17:28.200
I mean they are starving, right, that would make sense.

3917
04:17:28.559 --> 04:17:31.959
Bell's agrees. So what do we do now?

3918
04:17:32.079 --> 04:17:32.520
I ask?

3919
04:17:33.440 --> 04:17:35.280
We got to figure out how to get back home.

3920
04:17:35.479 --> 04:17:38.200
Aini says, we can't stay here or we're going to

3921
04:17:38.280 --> 04:17:42.639
end up being food or becoming vampires ourselves. Well aside

3922
04:17:42.639 --> 04:17:45.719
for you, bells Bell sits next to Aileen on the altar.

3923
04:17:46.520 --> 04:17:48.760
No telling how long we're going to be safe in here,

3924
04:17:49.280 --> 04:17:51.319
so we need to come up with a plan fast.

3925
04:17:52.200 --> 04:17:56.680
I quickly raise my finger. Hey, wouldn't Strickfield Academy have

3926
04:17:56.760 --> 04:18:00.639
weapons against the vampires? I mean there's supposed to be

3927
04:18:00.680 --> 04:18:05.319
a parochial institution, right, I was just going to say that, Maddie.

3928
04:18:05.479 --> 04:18:09.120
Then Aileen and me slap fives. Hugh twins. Realize that's

3929
04:18:09.159 --> 04:18:13.319
a long shot, right. Bell's asks, Like I said, we

3930
04:18:13.440 --> 04:18:17.079
can't stay here. There's a car out back. AINI says,

3931
04:18:17.840 --> 04:18:20.840
think you can start at Bell's once I hot wire it.

3932
04:18:21.559 --> 04:18:24.760
Iiny nods and then hands Carter and me crosses and

3933
04:18:24.799 --> 04:18:28.799
some packs she made up vampire survival kits. You both

3934
04:18:28.879 --> 04:18:31.559
know what to do with the crosses. There are wafers

3935
04:18:31.559 --> 04:18:34.440
and a few bottles of holy water inside. Use them

3936
04:18:34.520 --> 04:18:37.760
only if you have to, and don't drop the crosses.

3937
04:18:38.120 --> 04:18:41.600
Above all, make sure you have faith. You don't gotta

3938
04:18:41.639 --> 04:18:45.440
tell me twice. Carter says, quickly, We leave the building

3939
04:18:45.479 --> 04:18:48.000
out the back and get into the car. Aileen mentioned

3940
04:18:48.920 --> 04:18:52.200
after Bell's hot wires that she's driving us to Strickfield Academy.

3941
04:18:52.959 --> 04:18:55.639
I wish I knew what time it is, iiny groans.

3942
04:18:56.239 --> 04:18:58.159
It sure would be nice to know when the sun's

3943
04:18:58.159 --> 04:19:00.840
coming up. For all we know, the sun might not

3944
04:19:00.920 --> 04:19:03.959
be coming up. Bell says, I don't mean to be

3945
04:19:04.000 --> 04:19:07.680
a Debbie Downer here, Believe me, the thought crossed my

3946
04:19:07.799 --> 04:19:11.280
mind too. I ney admits bats in the air. I

3947
04:19:11.399 --> 04:19:15.319
quickly call out lots of them. Hang on Bell's yells.

3948
04:19:15.920 --> 04:19:19.520
She floors the gas and drives across Strickfield University. It

3949
04:19:19.559 --> 04:19:22.360
ain't long before the bats are really flapping their wings.

3950
04:19:22.879 --> 04:19:26.920
Then I suddenly remember cars have mirrors. But I groan

3951
04:19:27.000 --> 04:19:28.760
when I see the rear view mirror and the door

3952
04:19:28.799 --> 04:19:32.319
mirrors are broken out. Guess these vampires didn't want any

3953
04:19:32.399 --> 04:19:37.079
mirrors period. When we finally reach Strickfield Academy, Bells drives

3954
04:19:37.159 --> 04:19:39.760
right through the main gate and up the driveway. When

3955
04:19:39.760 --> 04:19:42.280
we reach the main building, Bell screeches to a halt

3956
04:19:42.600 --> 04:19:43.399
and we get out.

3957
04:19:43.959 --> 04:19:44.440
Follow me.

3958
04:19:44.840 --> 04:19:48.360
Bell's tells us. Bells pulls one of the main doors open,

3959
04:19:48.639 --> 04:19:51.479
breaking the lock in the process. As soon as we're in,

3960
04:19:51.559 --> 04:19:55.120
she quickly pulls the door shut. That won't keep them out.

3961
04:19:55.479 --> 04:19:56.920
Bell's points to another door.

3962
04:19:57.319 --> 04:19:57.639
Run.

3963
04:19:58.440 --> 04:20:01.319
We turn and run down the hallway soon we're running

3964
04:20:01.319 --> 04:20:05.120
through the cafeteria. It ain't long before vampires are showing up.

3965
04:20:05.520 --> 04:20:08.399
We raise our crosses and keep them back. We run

3966
04:20:08.440 --> 04:20:10.920
out of the building and head into another one. Now

3967
04:20:10.959 --> 04:20:14.479
we're running into a gym. Bell's points to me, you

3968
04:20:14.559 --> 04:20:18.600
need to find a mirror. I'm trying. I say, mirror.

3969
04:20:19.000 --> 04:20:23.280
Carter wonders for what. Then my tummy drops when I

3970
04:20:23.319 --> 04:20:26.159
see the windows out of the gym doors. Lots of

3971
04:20:26.200 --> 04:20:29.680
bats out there. We can't go back outside again. Then

3972
04:20:29.760 --> 04:20:32.760
Bell sees something when we're leaving the gym. There's a

3973
04:20:32.840 --> 04:20:35.959
chapel right over there. As we run into the chapel,

3974
04:20:36.159 --> 04:20:39.559
I know right away if we end up trapped in here, No,

3975
04:20:40.159 --> 04:20:43.920
I gotta find a mirror. I gotta Madeline, Carter yells

3976
04:20:43.920 --> 04:20:46.920
when I turn and take off running. Just trust me

3977
04:20:47.000 --> 04:20:50.360
on this, Carter, I call back. I got an idea

3978
04:20:50.399 --> 04:20:52.559
where I might find a mirror. As soon as I

3979
04:20:52.600 --> 04:20:55.079
go back into the gym, a vampire tries grabbing me,

3980
04:20:55.159 --> 04:20:57.799
making me lose my cross. I quickly drop to the

3981
04:20:57.840 --> 04:21:00.799
gym floor and crawl between his legs. Spring back up

3982
04:21:00.799 --> 04:21:03.360
and head into a nearby locker room. I run through

3983
04:21:03.399 --> 04:21:05.879
it looking for a mirror. If we're gonna have any

3984
04:21:05.879 --> 04:21:07.479
hope of making it out of here. I gotta be

3985
04:21:07.520 --> 04:21:10.559
able to call Mary Worth. I'm checking all over the place.

3986
04:21:11.079 --> 04:21:14.559
Come on, there's gotta be a mirror. Then I suddenly

3987
04:21:14.600 --> 04:21:17.559
stop slipping and falling on my keyster. When I finally

3988
04:21:17.600 --> 04:21:20.680
see it, I quickly pull myself up and move to

3989
04:21:20.719 --> 04:21:24.200
the mirror. It's right then when the vampire grabs me

3990
04:21:24.239 --> 04:21:28.399
from behind and lifts me off the floor. No, then

3991
04:21:28.440 --> 04:21:30.559
I scream and struggle with every bit of fight I've

3992
04:21:30.600 --> 04:21:33.440
got left in me. When the vampires struggling to keep

3993
04:21:33.440 --> 04:21:35.680
a hold of me, I quickly push back and make

3994
04:21:35.760 --> 04:21:38.399
him fall over a bench in a locker area. I

3995
04:21:38.520 --> 04:21:41.200
fall over myself and quickly crawl to the mirror. The

3996
04:21:41.319 --> 04:21:44.399
vampire's quickly on me again, thanks to that warping thing

3997
04:21:44.440 --> 04:21:48.799
they do. I quickly say Maryworth's name three times. Suddenly,

3998
04:21:49.120 --> 04:21:51.920
the vampires forced off of me. When the energy comes

3999
04:21:51.959 --> 04:21:54.440
out of the mirror and into me, I feel the

4000
04:21:54.559 --> 04:21:57.440
essence of my ghostly friend taking over my body until

4001
04:21:57.479 --> 04:22:00.680
I'm nothing more than a passenger. Now we're in a

4002
04:22:00.719 --> 04:22:04.200
real bad fix. Mary, I tell her I shall do

4003
04:22:04.280 --> 04:22:07.879
what must be done. Madeleine in the meantime, you are

4004
04:22:07.920 --> 04:22:11.959
safe now. Mary turns and sends the vampire flying away

4005
04:22:11.959 --> 04:22:14.639
from us. Then she floats through the walls until she

4006
04:22:14.719 --> 04:22:18.239
comes into the chapel where everybody else is. Carter gasps

4007
04:22:18.239 --> 04:22:21.280
when he sees the ghost of Mary Worth. For the record,

4008
04:22:21.520 --> 04:22:25.319
only Aileen and Bell's know my secret. Bell's looks relieved

4009
04:22:25.360 --> 04:22:29.079
to see Mary. If you know what's going on, I do,

4010
04:22:30.200 --> 04:22:33.399
Mary chance a witch spell. Suddenly, the power of the

4011
04:22:33.399 --> 04:22:36.959
white light appears at the doors and windows. It ain't sunlight,

4012
04:22:37.000 --> 04:22:39.399
but it sure drives the vampires away like it is.

4013
04:22:39.959 --> 04:22:43.159
Aileen's got an idea. Why didn't I think of it before?

4014
04:22:43.479 --> 04:22:45.440
We need to get back to the theater and restart

4015
04:22:45.440 --> 04:22:48.879
that movie. We listen as Aileen explains she believes that

4016
04:22:48.959 --> 04:22:52.280
the film The Portal brought us into this alternate universe

4017
04:22:52.319 --> 04:22:56.000
where everybody's a vampire. Nobody has any objections to going

4018
04:22:56.040 --> 04:22:59.479
back to the theater. Listen, Aileen, if you're wrong about

4019
04:22:59.479 --> 04:23:01.719
replaying the movie and it don't get us back home,

4020
04:23:02.159 --> 04:23:06.600
we're not only stuck here, we're goners. Carter stresses, then

4021
04:23:06.639 --> 04:23:13.079
he realizes, Hey, where's Madeline. Madeleine is safe? Mary tells him,

4022
04:23:13.280 --> 04:23:15.319
I assure you that she shall be with you again

4023
04:23:15.440 --> 04:23:18.879
upon your return home. Carter ain't sure if he can

4024
04:23:18.920 --> 04:23:22.360
trust Mary, but Bell's and Aileen both assure him everything

4025
04:23:22.479 --> 04:23:25.479
is gonna be okay. We just have to fight our

4026
04:23:25.520 --> 04:23:27.879
way through those vampires to get back to the car.

4027
04:23:28.200 --> 04:23:33.440
Aileen mutters, leave the fighting to me. Belle says, you guys,

4028
04:23:33.520 --> 04:23:35.479
just be ready to roll when I open the door.

4029
04:23:36.760 --> 04:23:41.079
That shall not be necessary. Bella tabon, Mary tells her.

4030
04:23:41.639 --> 04:23:44.719
Mary conjures up more white light to teleport us back

4031
04:23:44.760 --> 04:23:49.000
to the Strickfield Centennial Theater. Just like that, as soon

4032
04:23:49.040 --> 04:23:51.680
as we're outside the theater, more vampires are crawling out

4033
04:23:51.719 --> 04:23:56.639
of the woodwork inside. Mary instructs everybody. As soon as

4034
04:23:56.639 --> 04:23:59.959
we're in, Bell's holds the doors shut. Mary seals them

4035
04:24:00.040 --> 04:24:02.680
with the white light. And that's when I finally solved

4036
04:24:02.680 --> 04:24:06.840
the mystery about how all this happened, and quickly tell Mary.

4037
04:24:07.600 --> 04:24:08.680
Be on your guard.

4038
04:24:09.200 --> 04:24:13.920
Mary warns the others we may have unexpected company awaiting

4039
04:24:13.959 --> 04:24:17.479
us within this structure. We move and head back into

4040
04:24:17.479 --> 04:24:22.520
the auditorium. You're much too late, we hear from up

4041
04:24:22.520 --> 04:24:25.680
in the projection booth. Mary floats up at the same

4042
04:24:25.719 --> 04:24:30.000
time Bell's vampire warps into the booth. I was right, Mary,

4043
04:24:30.319 --> 04:24:33.559
I cry. I knew it had to be them. It

4044
04:24:33.680 --> 04:24:36.680
was the Corgan Twins. I didn't want to point fingers

4045
04:24:36.719 --> 04:24:38.920
at him, but it was the only thing that made sense.

4046
04:24:39.559 --> 04:24:41.639
They were the ones who put the portal in as

4047
04:24:41.719 --> 04:24:45.479
the new secret midnight screening. Right, I'm pretty sure these

4048
04:24:45.520 --> 04:24:49.799
eight are Corgan Twins. Though these vampire versions were probably

4049
04:24:49.879 --> 04:24:53.319
sent here to bring an unsuspecting crowd to their universe.

4050
04:24:53.920 --> 04:24:58.079
These two redheaded bees destroyed the film. Bell's yells we're

4051
04:24:58.159 --> 04:25:01.440
stuck here. Then Ma Mary floats through the wall and

4052
04:25:01.479 --> 04:25:04.719
into the projection booth. Just as Belle slams the Corgan

4053
04:25:04.760 --> 04:25:08.200
Twins into a walled to daisum, all is not lost

4054
04:25:08.239 --> 04:25:13.319
here bella tabon, Mary says, we shall return home. Shortly,

4055
04:25:14.120 --> 04:25:17.799
Mary uses her witch magic to restore the film. Well,

4056
04:25:18.040 --> 04:25:21.079
that's great. Unfortunately I don't know how to work one

4057
04:25:21.120 --> 04:25:25.079
of these things. Belle says, looks like I'm gonna have

4058
04:25:25.120 --> 04:25:25.879
to come back out.

4059
04:25:25.920 --> 04:25:26.200
Mary.

4060
04:25:26.559 --> 04:25:30.079
I tell her that is not possible without a mirror, Madeline.

4061
04:25:30.760 --> 04:25:33.879
Mary thinks back at me, can you make Aleen appear

4062
04:25:33.959 --> 04:25:34.440
up here? Then?

4063
04:25:34.840 --> 04:25:35.280
I ask?

4064
04:25:35.840 --> 04:25:39.440
Good thinking Mary magically makes a lean appear in the

4065
04:25:39.479 --> 04:25:43.360
projection booth AINI you gotta mount this film and run

4066
04:25:43.399 --> 04:25:47.440
the projector yesterday. Bell's quickly tells her, I got this.

4067
04:25:48.000 --> 04:25:51.840
Aleen picks up the top reel and moves to the projector. Um,

4068
04:25:52.479 --> 04:25:55.520
we don't need the entire film, do we. This is

4069
04:25:55.680 --> 04:26:01.000
just the first part we shall see soon enough. Mary says, proceed.

4070
04:26:01.799 --> 04:26:04.799
Aileen quickly mounts the film, making it look real easy.

4071
04:26:05.239 --> 04:26:08.639
Then she turns the projector on and starts the movie.

4072
04:26:08.760 --> 04:26:10.719
I don't know when the magic is supposed to happen,

4073
04:26:10.760 --> 04:26:15.280
you guys, leave that to me. One final time, Mary

4074
04:26:15.399 --> 04:26:17.959
uses her witch powers on the film to open the

4075
04:26:18.000 --> 04:26:22.639
portal and bring us safely back to our strickfield. Suddenly,

4076
04:26:22.680 --> 04:26:25.440
we find ourselves back down on the floor and back

4077
04:26:25.440 --> 04:26:28.079
in our seats where we were before everything went crazy

4078
04:26:28.120 --> 04:26:31.840
on us, the theaters still full of people enjoying the horror.

4079
04:26:31.879 --> 04:26:34.719
Thon I'm back to be and me again, and quickly

4080
04:26:34.799 --> 04:26:37.399
check my smart watch to see we're in the middle

4081
04:26:37.440 --> 04:26:40.559
of the secret midnight screening. Believe it or not, The

4082
04:26:40.600 --> 04:26:44.559
Corgan Twins and Vicki Valentine end up presenting the director's

4083
04:26:44.600 --> 04:26:48.120
cut of Veranda Queen of the Night. After all, funny

4084
04:26:48.159 --> 04:26:51.479
thing we all end up remembering the first movie being

4085
04:26:51.520 --> 04:26:54.639
the nineteen ninety version of Night the Living Dead. We'd

4086
04:26:54.639 --> 04:26:59.319
compare notes later to learn we remember both realities. We

4087
04:26:59.399 --> 04:27:01.479
end up making it through the rest of the Horrorthon

4088
04:27:01.520 --> 04:27:03.639
and don't get out of there until around nine thirty

4089
04:27:03.639 --> 04:27:06.920
on Saturday morning. Bell's and Aileen walk Carter and Me

4090
04:27:07.000 --> 04:27:09.399
back to our house just to make sure everything's okay.

4091
04:27:10.040 --> 04:27:13.079
In fact, Mom opens up, glad to see all of us.

4092
04:27:13.479 --> 04:27:15.799
She invites everybody in and we talk about the Horror

4093
04:27:15.840 --> 04:27:19.120
Thon for a little bit. Of course, we leave out

4094
04:27:19.159 --> 04:27:20.639
our little side adventure.

4095
04:27:21.079 --> 04:27:21.520
Anyway.

4096
04:27:21.840 --> 04:27:23.879
Mom was real happy to get her T shirt, and

4097
04:27:23.920 --> 04:27:26.760
she never once does anything to say she's a vampire.

4098
04:27:27.399 --> 04:27:30.200
When everybody leaves, Mom offers to make me breakfast, but

4099
04:27:30.239 --> 04:27:33.600
I tell her I'm going to bed. She kisses me

4100
04:27:33.680 --> 04:27:36.840
good night and I head upstairs. When I'm getting ready

4101
04:27:36.879 --> 04:27:39.239
for bed, I talk to Mary in the bathroom mirror.

4102
04:27:39.799 --> 04:27:42.159
She tells me we should be safe from those vampires

4103
04:27:42.159 --> 04:27:45.280
from that other universe. After she used the white light

4104
04:27:45.360 --> 04:27:48.559
to make the film send us back, she destroyed it again.

4105
04:27:49.520 --> 04:27:52.319
What if they have or make another print of the portal?

4106
04:27:52.639 --> 04:27:55.719
I ask her, we can only hope that they do not.

4107
04:27:56.399 --> 04:27:59.319
She replies, I hate to say it, Mary, but I

4108
04:27:59.360 --> 04:28:01.079
get the feeling. And we ain't seen or heard the

4109
04:28:01.159 --> 04:28:04.280
last of this. Even Belle said that on the way home,

4110
04:28:05.239 --> 04:28:07.680
all that we may do is deal with it should

4111
04:28:07.719 --> 04:28:11.920
things transpire as such again. But for now, go and

4112
04:28:12.079 --> 04:28:17.440
rest yourself. We shall talk again soon. I say good

4113
04:28:17.479 --> 04:28:20.120
night to Mary and head off to bed. As I'm

4114
04:28:20.120 --> 04:28:22.920
about to fall out, I get a text from Carter

4115
04:28:23.040 --> 04:28:25.040
asking if I want to go trick or treating tonight.

4116
04:28:25.840 --> 04:28:28.680
I tell him I'll gladly go with him when I

4117
04:28:28.719 --> 04:28:33.559
get up. Anyway, I'm really tired, so I'm gonna say

4118
04:28:33.559 --> 04:28:38.559
goodbye to you all until our next adventure. See you soon,

4119
04:28:49.239 --> 04:28:56.760
Caroline Quinn Vampire Hunter by Mike Ascuie. Halloween always brings

4120
04:28:56.799 --> 04:28:59.680
out the weird ones. Can you remember a time when

4121
04:28:59.680 --> 04:29:02.399
it did didn't bring out the weird ones? I can't

4122
04:29:03.000 --> 04:29:07.000
now toss in all sorts of things people consider fantastic

4123
04:29:07.280 --> 04:29:12.840
and impossible only fifty years ago, and now it's only weirder.

4124
04:29:13.559 --> 04:29:18.120
It's also a lot more dangerous. See fifty years ago,

4125
04:29:18.440 --> 04:29:22.000
something happened and no one can explain it. People just

4126
04:29:22.120 --> 04:29:28.440
were born different, different, How well suddenly, people could fly,

4127
04:29:29.079 --> 04:29:33.360
people could turn invisible, and sometimes those special people had

4128
04:29:33.440 --> 04:29:38.079
bad days and people ended up dead. Now toss in

4129
04:29:38.159 --> 04:29:41.200
the fact that some things we considered myth and legend

4130
04:29:41.680 --> 04:29:46.559
were also real, real life monsters, vampires, werewolf's, shape shifters

4131
04:29:46.639 --> 04:29:49.520
and stuff that would make Stephen King say, what in

4132
04:29:49.600 --> 04:29:54.280
the actual fuck? It's a real shit show, but it's home,

4133
04:29:54.600 --> 04:29:59.920
and frankly, it's a living I deal with problems that

4134
04:30:00.000 --> 04:30:04.639
the usual police or even gifted individuals can't. My name

4135
04:30:04.719 --> 04:30:08.079
is Caroline Quinn, and I'm something a little different than

4136
04:30:08.120 --> 04:30:11.440
what you might expect. I'm not a super and I'm

4137
04:30:11.440 --> 04:30:15.639
not a cop, but something in between those things. I

4138
04:30:15.639 --> 04:30:18.959
don't report to anyone per se, but I do draw

4139
04:30:19.000 --> 04:30:24.319
a paycheck. I'm what's known as a troubleshooter. I am

4140
04:30:24.399 --> 04:30:27.799
contracted by the government to deal with quote issues that

4141
04:30:27.920 --> 04:30:33.879
require discretion and most importantly, plausible deniability. See it's okay

4142
04:30:33.920 --> 04:30:36.760
to have your local neighborhood asshole in a cape deal

4143
04:30:36.799 --> 04:30:39.520
with some lunatic who can level a building with a punch,

4144
04:30:40.000 --> 04:30:43.319
But sometimes you deal with something different.

4145
04:30:44.040 --> 04:30:44.399
Again.

4146
04:30:44.879 --> 04:30:47.280
You know how I mentioned that whole creatures of myth

4147
04:30:47.319 --> 04:30:51.520
and legend, Well, those same things cause trouble, and your

4148
04:30:51.520 --> 04:30:55.600
average person isn't equipped to deal with the truly paranormal.

4149
04:30:56.280 --> 04:30:59.319
People can accept superpowers, but you start bringing in the

4150
04:30:59.399 --> 04:31:02.840
undead and all that shit, well, let's say they don't

4151
04:31:03.000 --> 04:31:06.680
deal with it well at all. Suddenly what goes bump

4152
04:31:06.719 --> 04:31:09.159
in the night is real and makes Freddy Krueger look

4153
04:31:09.280 --> 04:31:13.600
tame in comparison. Governments try very hard to suppress a

4154
04:31:13.639 --> 04:31:17.879
lot of the truly scary shit, but sometimes it gets out.

4155
04:31:18.760 --> 04:31:21.600
Thanks to Instagram, I'm sure we needed to see one

4156
04:31:21.600 --> 04:31:25.319
of America's top superheroes get torn apart by vampires, or

4157
04:31:25.360 --> 04:31:27.760
a group of teenagers get pulled under the water by

4158
04:31:27.760 --> 04:31:31.239
an ancient shark god near New Zealand. You might ask,

4159
04:31:31.680 --> 04:31:36.920
why try to hide it we have literal superheroes. Well,

4160
04:31:37.360 --> 04:31:41.879
something happened, and those things are becoming more frequent, almost

4161
04:31:41.920 --> 04:31:44.760
like a natural response to the rise of the gifted.

4162
04:31:45.600 --> 04:31:49.479
It's almost like undeath finds a way. I'm sure there

4163
04:31:49.520 --> 04:31:53.479
is a philosophical or religious explanation, or maybe even scientific

4164
04:31:53.559 --> 04:31:57.159
reason behind it, But if there is, I don't know it,

4165
04:31:57.760 --> 04:32:00.479
and I don't care to know it. I get paid

4166
04:32:00.559 --> 04:32:02.959
to deal with it. How do I deal with it?

4167
04:32:03.520 --> 04:32:08.000
I'm tough, supernaturally tough, even by the standard set by

4168
04:32:08.040 --> 04:32:12.600
the gifted community. I'm an anomaly. There aren't many like me,

4169
04:32:12.680 --> 04:32:15.799
and that is probably a good thing. I've heard more

4170
04:32:15.840 --> 04:32:20.120
than a few whispered conversations worrying about what she and

4171
04:32:20.200 --> 04:32:24.799
her kind represent. In short, they think I'm a threat.

4172
04:32:25.479 --> 04:32:29.520
I'm also something that seems to be somewhere between them

4173
04:32:30.000 --> 04:32:33.799
and the gifted. They believe, however, better to have that

4174
04:32:33.920 --> 04:32:37.799
threat under control than on your side. A fucking cocktail

4175
04:32:37.840 --> 04:32:41.760
of supernatural and superpowered? Did I mention I get some

4176
04:32:42.040 --> 04:32:45.040
perks from this gig. I get two weeks of paid

4177
04:32:45.159 --> 04:32:47.760
vacation a year, which can be revoked at any time

4178
04:32:47.879 --> 04:32:52.920
should the situation dictate. Isn't that just swell? I got

4179
04:32:52.920 --> 04:32:55.920
to go to Disney World once till some undead goon

4180
04:32:56.079 --> 04:32:58.760
tried to kill some kid in a Mickey Mouse costume.

4181
04:32:59.360 --> 04:33:01.479
I got a free hair of mouse hears for my trouble.

4182
04:33:02.200 --> 04:33:05.599
So where does that bring us now? A few days

4183
04:33:05.599 --> 04:33:07.880
ago I got a tip that led to a small

4184
04:33:07.959 --> 04:33:12.000
town in rural upstate New York. Your quiet, little sleepy

4185
04:33:12.040 --> 04:33:15.000
town that has a Denny's, a big box retailer, and

4186
04:33:15.360 --> 04:33:19.159
people get excited when Starbucks comes to town. The information

4187
04:33:19.360 --> 04:33:21.959
was compiled by a computer forensic person I knew in

4188
04:33:22.000 --> 04:33:24.720
the FBI who had an eye for this sort of thing.

4189
04:33:25.400 --> 04:33:28.680
Her name was Rhianne and she was also my ex girlfriend.

4190
04:33:29.119 --> 04:33:33.319
Aren't workplace romance is complicated? Still, she and I were

4191
04:33:33.360 --> 04:33:36.799
good till we weren't. The information dealt with a very

4192
04:33:36.880 --> 04:33:39.560
strange set of deaths that had occurred over the last

4193
04:33:39.599 --> 04:33:43.400
few months in the local old age communities. A lot

4194
04:33:43.439 --> 04:33:46.599
of dead old timers and not passing away from natural

4195
04:33:46.639 --> 04:33:49.759
causes either. Normally, this would have just slid under the

4196
04:33:49.840 --> 04:33:53.240
radar and been filed away under so sad, too bad.

4197
04:33:53.840 --> 04:33:56.240
But I guess some in turn did some blood work

4198
04:33:56.319 --> 04:33:59.080
up and it got sent to the wrong lab and

4199
04:33:59.119 --> 04:34:02.840
that got Rhanne's attention. Certainly makes my job easier than

4200
04:34:02.880 --> 04:34:06.080
having to rely on AI and search algorithms. I still

4201
04:34:06.080 --> 04:34:09.560
don't trust computers and probably never will. I had to

4202
04:34:09.560 --> 04:34:11.919
be dragged out of using a flip phone in the

4203
04:34:11.959 --> 04:34:16.040
last ten years. I stopped for breakfast before driving into

4204
04:34:16.080 --> 04:34:19.000
Hope Springs. I traveled in a little camper van, and

4205
04:34:19.040 --> 04:34:22.200
while it wasn't the most glamorous, it wasn't a half

4206
04:34:22.279 --> 04:34:25.400
bad place to sleep and even had a mini refrigerator

4207
04:34:25.439 --> 04:34:29.080
and solar panels. It wasn't Howard Johnson, but it was

4208
04:34:29.159 --> 04:34:32.360
home for most of the year. Sitting down and eating

4209
04:34:32.400 --> 04:34:36.000
an overpriced plate of bacon and eggs, I started to

4210
04:34:36.040 --> 04:34:39.680
look over the files. Rheianne always did me a solid

4211
04:34:39.720 --> 04:34:43.840
and compiled it into easy to understand pieces, and compartmentalization

4212
04:34:44.159 --> 04:34:48.520
was her specialty. For about four months, twenty or so

4213
04:34:48.639 --> 04:34:52.240
unusual deaths were recorded in the city's Corners report, and

4214
04:34:52.360 --> 04:34:54.919
all of them had an unusual marker in the blood work.

4215
04:34:55.479 --> 04:34:57.959
One of the recently deceased had a busy body of

4216
04:34:58.000 --> 04:35:01.360
a son who demanded to know what happened to dear

4217
04:35:01.400 --> 04:35:05.240
old dad and demanded a full autopsy and evidently had

4218
04:35:05.279 --> 04:35:08.159
the pull to make it happen despite a coroner who

4219
04:35:08.159 --> 04:35:11.680
could not have cared less the sun probably wanted some

4220
04:35:11.799 --> 04:35:14.840
kind of an insurance payout or something equally as heartless.

4221
04:35:15.479 --> 04:35:20.520
Isn't family great? Sipping at my disgusting black liquid allegedly

4222
04:35:20.599 --> 04:35:26.520
called coffee, something stood out to me that unusual marker

4223
04:35:26.560 --> 04:35:29.319
in the blood work was some kind of thing I'd

4224
04:35:29.360 --> 04:35:34.159
seen before. Without getting all technical and probably losing your interest,

4225
04:35:34.599 --> 04:35:37.479
it was a foreign element and it didn't belong in

4226
04:35:37.520 --> 04:35:40.680
the body of an eighty nine year old man. It

4227
04:35:40.799 --> 04:35:44.639
was gifted blood and contained trace elements of what has

4228
04:35:44.680 --> 04:35:50.360
been widely identified as vampiric blood. I stopped eating and

4229
04:35:50.439 --> 04:35:54.159
kept reading the files over and over again. Over the

4230
04:35:54.200 --> 04:35:58.000
course of four months and twenty bodies, this particular blood

4231
04:35:58.040 --> 04:36:02.919
pattern occurred over ten times. Someone or something was preying

4232
04:36:02.919 --> 04:36:05.959
on the elderly and was using them to feed, but

4233
04:36:06.159 --> 04:36:10.520
not turning them into more of them. Normally, a vampire

4234
04:36:10.560 --> 04:36:13.520
would create a little army and we'd have a small

4235
04:36:13.560 --> 04:36:17.279
problem on our hands. Some of the more unique gifted

4236
04:36:17.319 --> 04:36:22.680
heroes like Photonic or Ultraviolet would be asked to help. However, recently,

4237
04:36:23.080 --> 04:36:27.040
after almost dying themselves, they were reluctant or flat out

4238
04:36:27.080 --> 04:36:32.360
refused to assist. Usually superior firepower with silver and UV

4239
04:36:32.479 --> 04:36:35.680
grenades would do the job, but you could always count

4240
04:36:35.759 --> 04:36:38.720
on one of the slippery undead fucks getting away, like

4241
04:36:38.799 --> 04:36:43.720
some kind of Houdini and Dracula combined. This one was

4242
04:36:43.799 --> 04:36:46.759
greedy and didn't want to share eating with the old folks.

4243
04:36:47.319 --> 04:36:51.279
This one also was different and maybe was working with

4244
04:36:51.319 --> 04:36:56.200
a gifted person to incapacitate the geezers or something else. Entirely.

4245
04:36:56.639 --> 04:36:58.720
Maybe they were like me and had a mix of

4246
04:36:58.759 --> 04:37:02.240
both worlds in their blod blud. Either scenario means I

4247
04:37:02.240 --> 04:37:05.200
wouldn't be out of here by Monday, and with Halloween

4248
04:37:05.319 --> 04:37:07.880
happening in a day, it meant a lot of potential

4249
04:37:07.919 --> 04:37:13.919
collateral damage with civilians nearby. Great now I have to

4250
04:37:14.000 --> 04:37:17.919
hunt down a potentially superpowered vampire or a regular vampire

4251
04:37:17.959 --> 04:37:22.279
with a super sidekick. You know, working at Applebee's certainly

4252
04:37:22.319 --> 04:37:25.840
sounds a lot less dangerous, right now. I'd at least

4253
04:37:25.880 --> 04:37:28.680
make tips and not have to worry about half my

4254
04:37:28.799 --> 04:37:32.720
guts decorating the walls or having my soul sucked out.

4255
04:37:33.639 --> 04:37:37.119
Remember two weeks paid vacation plus four oh one K

4256
04:37:37.759 --> 04:37:41.560
plus blah blah, protect your country and save humanity blah blah.

4257
04:37:41.639 --> 04:37:45.759
Right right, I can practically recite the recruiting speech. Just

4258
04:37:45.840 --> 04:37:47.520
have to hold up my end of the bargain and

4259
04:37:47.599 --> 04:37:52.000
make sure super villains or Satan doesn't destroy the planet first.

4260
04:37:52.400 --> 04:37:52.680
Fuck.

4261
04:37:53.840 --> 04:37:57.599
They could have called people like Megaton or Phase, but no,

4262
04:37:58.639 --> 04:38:02.479
my name comes up first in the rolodex Do people

4263
04:38:02.520 --> 04:38:07.240
still use those rolodexes? I finish my breakfast and leave

4264
04:38:07.279 --> 04:38:10.040
a few bucks on the table. I throw a rye

4265
04:38:10.080 --> 04:38:13.159
look at my waitress as if saying I'm sorry. I'm

4266
04:38:13.200 --> 04:38:15.479
gonna fuck up your town in a few days, but hey,

4267
04:38:15.880 --> 04:38:19.279
have ten bucks. I exit the diner and start heading

4268
04:38:19.319 --> 04:38:22.599
back to my camper van. It's cold in late October,

4269
04:38:22.599 --> 04:38:25.080
and my leather jacket isn't quite as warm as I

4270
04:38:25.080 --> 04:38:28.040
would like. It's at least pretty out here in that

4271
04:38:28.119 --> 04:38:31.639
quaint kind of way. Hope Spring is about another twenty

4272
04:38:31.680 --> 04:38:34.479
miles away, and I have nothing but my thoughts and

4273
04:38:34.560 --> 04:38:38.200
a playlist of Megadeth another eighties hair metal. What can

4274
04:38:38.240 --> 04:38:41.119
I say? It sets the mood for killing vampires and

4275
04:38:41.200 --> 04:38:44.959
probably looking sexy while doing it. I won't look sexy

4276
04:38:44.959 --> 04:38:47.639
while doing it because no one is ever going to

4277
04:38:47.680 --> 04:38:49.759
know I did it, and if it ends up on

4278
04:38:49.880 --> 04:38:52.040
Reddit with my face, then I'll have a lot of

4279
04:38:52.080 --> 04:38:54.919
explaining to do and probably no four oh one k

4280
04:38:55.080 --> 04:38:58.479
to look forward to. Maybe I'll write a book after

4281
04:38:58.520 --> 04:39:02.680
I retire. I could do a podcast. Any asshole with

4282
04:39:02.720 --> 04:39:05.240
a microphone has one of those these days. Anyway, right

4283
04:39:06.520 --> 04:39:08.880
hit the road and it's a long twenty miles with

4284
04:39:08.959 --> 04:39:14.479
only trees, farmhouses, and the occasional cow or horse outside grazing.

4285
04:39:15.119 --> 04:39:18.360
There is boring, and then there is boring. It's an

4286
04:39:18.400 --> 04:39:21.360
easy drive, though, and besides picking up a cherry slurpee

4287
04:39:21.400 --> 04:39:25.520
on the way, it's uneventful too. Entering the city limits

4288
04:39:25.520 --> 04:39:28.279
and I immediately feel like have entered a Charlie Brown

4289
04:39:28.319 --> 04:39:32.319
Halloween special. This place has gone absolutely all out on

4290
04:39:32.360 --> 04:39:36.080
the season. There are pumpkins and scarecrows and all sorts

4291
04:39:36.119 --> 04:39:39.319
of window displays. I'm pretty sure I saw a life

4292
04:39:39.360 --> 04:39:42.880
size Pennywise, the clown, welcoming me into the jewel of

4293
04:39:42.959 --> 04:39:47.080
upstate New York. Well, I'm sure this is tax dollars

4294
04:39:47.119 --> 04:39:50.639
well spent. Rhianne had arranged a visit for me to

4295
04:39:50.720 --> 04:39:53.360
examine the latest victim before they were sent off to

4296
04:39:53.400 --> 04:39:57.919
the funeral home. Oh joy, cadaver fresh, Just like Mom

4297
04:39:58.040 --> 04:40:01.119
used to make you know what I like about dead people.

4298
04:40:01.799 --> 04:40:04.880
They're easy to get along with, They're quiet, and they

4299
04:40:04.919 --> 04:40:09.720
always listen. Wait, no, I take that back. Most of

4300
04:40:09.759 --> 04:40:13.159
the dead people I deal with are supernaturally strong, fast,

4301
04:40:13.200 --> 04:40:16.360
and probably have lived a few centuries and have razor

4302
04:40:16.400 --> 04:40:20.400
sharp fangs and claws. I did, however, kill one Scottish

4303
04:40:20.479 --> 04:40:24.000
vampire with an accent so thick I couldn't stop laughing

4304
04:40:24.040 --> 04:40:27.080
when he threatened me. It was like killing a blood

4305
04:40:27.119 --> 04:40:30.840
sucking version of Shrek. Wasn't so bad once I unloaded

4306
04:40:30.919 --> 04:40:34.720
one of the vampire killing shotguns into him. Still, you

4307
04:40:34.799 --> 04:40:39.560
haven't lived until you fought vampire Shrek. I still giggle

4308
04:40:39.599 --> 04:40:43.520
about that one, even though he dislocated my shoulder. That's

4309
04:40:43.560 --> 04:40:47.080
the one thing I didn't expect. I thought I was invincible,

4310
04:40:47.200 --> 04:40:51.040
or at least damned close to it. For some strange reason,

4311
04:40:51.279 --> 04:40:56.119
things like them can hurt me anything unnatural not human.

4312
04:40:56.880 --> 04:40:59.000
I've been put in the hospital a few times and

4313
04:40:59.080 --> 04:41:01.639
even had a few clothes calls. I don't like to remember.

4314
04:41:02.360 --> 04:41:04.840
It's likely the only thing that puts me in the ground.

4315
04:41:05.439 --> 04:41:07.560
I'd still not want to take one of the phase's

4316
04:41:07.680 --> 04:41:11.479
energy discharges to the face, just to be sure. I'm

4317
04:41:11.520 --> 04:41:15.599
too damn pretty to die like that. Driving around town

4318
04:41:15.680 --> 04:41:18.000
and it's like I was in a weird cross between

4319
04:41:18.560 --> 04:41:22.240
Halloween Town and the wet dream of a spirit Halloween executive.

4320
04:41:22.720 --> 04:41:25.799
I eventually found the coroner's office tucked away near a

4321
04:41:25.840 --> 04:41:30.240
cute little Dutch bakery and a Mennonite furniture store. Pulled

4322
04:41:30.319 --> 04:41:32.639
up the van to the building's parking lot and grabbed

4323
04:41:32.680 --> 04:41:35.639
my gear bag and my federal ID and my shoulder

4324
04:41:35.680 --> 04:41:39.400
holster for my sidearm. I had the absolute worst hair

4325
04:41:39.479 --> 04:41:42.919
day when they took that photo, too. They didn't seem

4326
04:41:43.000 --> 04:41:45.599
too thrilled when I wanted to give finger guns either.

4327
04:41:46.520 --> 04:41:47.880
No one has a sense of humor.

4328
04:41:47.959 --> 04:41:53.919
These days don't go away weekly spooky. We'll be right back.

4329
04:42:01.639 --> 04:42:02.119
Anyway.

4330
04:42:02.799 --> 04:42:04.799
I made my way up to the door and hit

4331
04:42:04.840 --> 04:42:08.000
the buzzer. A couple of minutes passed before a board

4332
04:42:08.080 --> 04:42:11.919
looking black gentleman approached the glass door. I'm assuming this

4333
04:42:12.119 --> 04:42:16.159
was the coroner for Hope Springs, Percy Downer. He kind

4334
04:42:16.200 --> 04:42:18.680
of looked like the guy from the John Wick movies

4335
04:42:18.759 --> 04:42:21.360
and had this quiet confidence about him. But he didn't

4336
04:42:21.400 --> 04:42:23.639
look too happy to see me when he saw the

4337
04:42:23.680 --> 04:42:27.959
ID badge on my breast pocket. Mister Downer, I smiled

4338
04:42:28.000 --> 04:42:31.240
and said through the glass door, yes, and you are.

4339
04:42:31.919 --> 04:42:34.880
He didn't return my warmth. It was gonna be one

4340
04:42:34.880 --> 04:42:39.119
of those days, wasn't it. Special Agent Carolyn Quinn, Federal

4341
04:42:39.159 --> 04:42:42.680
Bureau of Investigation. My field office should have called ahead.

4342
04:42:43.279 --> 04:42:45.520
They better have called ahead, or this was going to

4343
04:42:45.520 --> 04:42:49.200
be a fun time. Fast talking mister personality over here

4344
04:42:50.279 --> 04:42:53.639
they did seems like a bit unusual to send an

4345
04:42:53.720 --> 04:42:56.279
FBI agent out here to examine what is clearly a

4346
04:42:56.319 --> 04:42:59.799
heart attack. I smiled back at him and even tried

4347
04:42:59.799 --> 04:43:03.360
to straighten out my breasts and try my womanly wiles

4348
04:43:03.400 --> 04:43:08.240
on him. Please work, I just want to examine the body,

4349
04:43:08.680 --> 04:43:13.319
confirm my suspicions, and actively begin my investigation and get

4350
04:43:13.319 --> 04:43:17.279
back on the road. Well, I just go where Washington

4351
04:43:17.279 --> 04:43:20.040
tells me to go. I don't imagine it'll be anything

4352
04:43:20.080 --> 04:43:23.040
too involved. I mean, if you wanted to take off

4353
04:43:23.080 --> 04:43:25.919
and grab lunch, I don't think I'll be longer than

4354
04:43:25.959 --> 04:43:29.360
an hour. He frowned when I said take off for lunch.

4355
04:43:30.080 --> 04:43:32.639
This was the kind of guy who liked his workspace

4356
04:43:32.919 --> 04:43:37.959
and didn't appreciate outsiders interfering in his little corner. Look,

4357
04:43:38.000 --> 04:43:41.799
Agent Quinn, there isn't anything to see here. Mister Carey's

4358
04:43:41.840 --> 04:43:45.000
son has already had me do the initial autopsy, and

4359
04:43:45.080 --> 04:43:48.400
I found nothing out of the ordinary. I'm starting to

4360
04:43:48.400 --> 04:43:52.439
lose my patience and any potential head start. I'm relatively

4361
04:43:52.479 --> 04:43:55.040
sure that the bloodsucker doesn't know I'm in town yet.

4362
04:43:55.439 --> 04:43:58.200
I'm also not wearing a giant neon sign that says

4363
04:43:58.520 --> 04:44:02.439
vampire killer either, so I probably have the element of

4364
04:44:02.479 --> 04:44:06.240
surprise so far, mister Downer. If you want me to

4365
04:44:06.279 --> 04:44:08.479
call the field office and make this a whole thing,

4366
04:44:08.639 --> 04:44:11.680
I can do that, but I'd really rather not. So

4367
04:44:11.759 --> 04:44:13.599
why don't we just let each other get out of

4368
04:44:13.639 --> 04:44:16.720
each other's way and let me do my job. Let

4369
04:44:16.720 --> 04:44:18.840
me make it interesting to you. Why don't you go

4370
04:44:18.880 --> 04:44:21.240
out to lunch on Uncle Sam's tab and invoice the

4371
04:44:21.240 --> 04:44:25.159
Field Office on my authorization. Just don't break the bank, Okay.

4372
04:44:26.000 --> 04:44:29.439
His demeanor changed when I said charge it to the government.

4373
04:44:30.360 --> 04:44:32.639
I probably won't get into too much trouble. I mean,

4374
04:44:33.240 --> 04:44:36.479
how much could the guy realistically eat and drink? Why

4375
04:44:36.479 --> 04:44:38.599
don't you take your lab in turn with you. I

4376
04:44:38.639 --> 04:44:41.279
think your name is Michelle, right, go out, have a

4377
04:44:41.279 --> 04:44:43.400
great lunch and a few drinks, and I'll call you

4378
04:44:43.400 --> 04:44:47.080
when it's time to come back and lock up. Fine,

4379
04:44:47.560 --> 04:44:50.520
I'll get Ms Crawford and we'll be down at Hitch Steakhouse.

4380
04:44:50.880 --> 04:44:54.479
You have my number, I nodded. I think you could tell.

4381
04:44:54.520 --> 04:44:56.599
I just wanted to get this over with as quickly

4382
04:44:56.599 --> 04:44:59.119
as I could. He opened the door and led me

4383
04:44:59.200 --> 04:45:02.000
to the mortuwary and his lockers all sealed up tight.

4384
04:45:02.799 --> 04:45:06.080
Downer gestured toward a series of slabs near the middle row,

4385
04:45:06.119 --> 04:45:10.560
and said I'd find my guest in locker three. I

4386
04:45:10.720 --> 04:45:13.959
noticed there was a lot of blood on the examination tables,

4387
04:45:14.000 --> 04:45:17.639
and some looked fairly fresh. The Bureau thanks you for

4388
04:45:17.680 --> 04:45:23.680
your assistance and cooperation in this matter. Agent Quinn. Please

4389
04:45:23.720 --> 04:45:27.439
do not disturb the lower row. Those ladies came in

4390
04:45:27.439 --> 04:45:29.680
this morning, and I haven't had a chance to properly

4391
04:45:29.720 --> 04:45:32.759
do anything with them. They didn't come in a very

4392
04:45:33.599 --> 04:45:38.680
pleasant or complete manner. Gross I waited a few minutes

4393
04:45:38.720 --> 04:45:41.040
while Downer and his assistant left the morgue, and I

4394
04:45:41.119 --> 04:45:44.959
was alone with my new friends. All right, let's get

4395
04:45:45.000 --> 04:45:47.680
to work and see what we got here. I slide

4396
04:45:47.720 --> 04:45:50.080
open the drawer where my first guest of honor is

4397
04:45:50.119 --> 04:45:53.279
supposed to be. According to what Rhianne sent me, this

4398
04:45:53.439 --> 04:45:57.400
was phil Carey, age eighty nine. His naked body was

4399
04:45:57.439 --> 04:46:00.319
stark white, as most corpses are, and it would have

4400
04:46:00.360 --> 04:46:03.000
been nothing out of the ordinary, except if you knew

4401
04:46:03.000 --> 04:46:06.400
what to look for. A lot of newer vampires took

4402
04:46:06.439 --> 04:46:10.000
blood from unusual places, and this one was no different.

4403
04:46:10.759 --> 04:46:14.119
There was a small set of puncture wounds behind his

4404
04:46:14.279 --> 04:46:17.119
right knee. It was pretty easy to miss due to

4405
04:46:17.159 --> 04:46:20.639
the scar tissue back there, suggesting he'd probably had knee

4406
04:46:20.680 --> 04:46:23.520
surgery or some kind of an injury when he was younger.

4407
04:46:24.240 --> 04:46:27.279
I kept looking over the body with my examination gloves

4408
04:46:27.279 --> 04:46:30.639
and gently turning over the old man well as gently

4409
04:46:30.680 --> 04:46:34.400
as I could. Old guy wasn't exactly heavy, but for

4410
04:46:34.400 --> 04:46:37.840
some reason I was having a hard time moving. The

4411
04:46:37.919 --> 04:46:40.799
body seemed not as stiff as I was expecting either,

4412
04:46:41.560 --> 04:46:45.759
almost like rigor mortis hadn't totally set in. What in

4413
04:46:45.840 --> 04:46:48.959
the fuck? I turned away for a second to grab

4414
04:46:49.000 --> 04:46:51.599
my phone and maybe call Rhanne and see what else

4415
04:46:51.720 --> 04:46:53.840
was pulled up in that lab report that I missed.

4416
04:46:54.479 --> 04:46:59.880
This guy shouldn't be this uh fresh, This is so weird.

4417
04:47:00.720 --> 04:47:04.680
No sooner did I think that, than something absolutely unearthly

4418
04:47:04.840 --> 04:47:09.520
split the room with a ear shattering howl. The sound

4419
04:47:09.639 --> 04:47:12.240
vibrated off of every surface and seemed to rattle my

4420
04:47:12.279 --> 04:47:14.319
ear drums in my head, and I couldn't get my

4421
04:47:14.360 --> 04:47:17.040
bearings for a second, as it was like someone set

4422
04:47:17.080 --> 04:47:20.240
off a flash bang right next to my face. The

4423
04:47:20.279 --> 04:47:22.919
body of Phil Carey sat straight up on the slab

4424
04:47:22.959 --> 04:47:25.919
and looked right at me. I froze for a second.

4425
04:47:26.439 --> 04:47:30.159
I'd never seen a new vampire animate before. The old

4426
04:47:30.240 --> 04:47:33.360
man looked confused as the scream emitted from his cracked,

4427
04:47:33.439 --> 04:47:37.000
cold lips. He looked wildly around the room and locked

4428
04:47:37.040 --> 04:47:42.159
onto me in terror, panic, and something else I can't describe.

4429
04:47:42.360 --> 04:47:45.159
Did he want help? What did you do to me?

4430
04:47:45.799 --> 04:47:48.840
The man screamed. I reached into my jacket and tried

4431
04:47:48.880 --> 04:47:52.319
unlatching my side arm, a specialty nine millimeters pistol with

4432
04:47:52.400 --> 04:47:57.279
silver bullets. Okay, it's game time. The old man looked

4433
04:47:57.279 --> 04:47:59.799
down at the y incision in his chest and he

4434
04:47:59.799 --> 04:48:03.840
said started screaming again, and this time there was pain, rage,

4435
04:48:03.959 --> 04:48:07.159
and sadness. As he cried out, I held my ground.

4436
04:48:07.520 --> 04:48:10.200
His body started to change and morph into his new

4437
04:48:10.400 --> 04:48:15.439
un life. Soon mister Carry would have enhanced strength, armor

4438
04:48:15.599 --> 04:48:19.520
like skin, and even wings if he wanted. His fingernails

4439
04:48:19.560 --> 04:48:22.560
grew into nasty looking claws, and he started cutting into

4440
04:48:22.639 --> 04:48:25.360
his own chest and started pulling out his own guts

4441
04:48:25.400 --> 04:48:28.919
through the fresh incision on his chest. What the fuck

4442
04:48:28.959 --> 04:48:31.159
are you doing? I blurted out, as I leveled my

4443
04:48:31.200 --> 04:48:34.520
weapon at his head. He kept screaming and started pulling

4444
04:48:34.560 --> 04:48:38.040
his chest open, and eventually his entrails were everywhere, but

4445
04:48:38.159 --> 04:48:42.919
he still was alive. I guess blood and viscera and

4446
04:48:43.000 --> 04:48:46.240
everything that was inside was now on the outside. I

4447
04:48:46.279 --> 04:48:52.240
steeled myself and pulled the trigger. One, two, three. I

4448
04:48:52.319 --> 04:48:54.959
put three rounds into his head and he stopped screaming.

4449
04:48:55.000 --> 04:48:58.360
After his head exploded like a watermelon filled with firecrackers.

4450
04:48:58.959 --> 04:49:01.520
The body fell off the examination table and into a

4451
04:49:01.560 --> 04:49:04.639
pile of blood, gore, and what was left of his head.

4452
04:49:05.240 --> 04:49:08.159
I put another two rounds into his heart, just to

4453
04:49:08.200 --> 04:49:12.959
be sure. Always double tap the heart or completely incinerate

4454
04:49:13.000 --> 04:49:16.439
the torso usually you take out the head and the

4455
04:49:16.479 --> 04:49:21.880
heart and it'll stop them usually, Okay, never seen that before.

4456
04:49:22.400 --> 04:49:26.319
That was new and fucking terrifying. I stopped for a

4457
04:49:26.360 --> 04:49:29.240
second and look around the carnage, and it's one of

4458
04:49:29.240 --> 04:49:32.400
the worst places I've ever been to. I was at

4459
04:49:32.400 --> 04:49:36.200
the vampire Nest in twenty eighteen in Boston, and that

4460
04:49:36.400 --> 04:49:39.080
was messed up and even the soupers won't talk about it.

4461
04:49:39.599 --> 04:49:42.880
Blood gore and missing limbs, dead agents.

4462
04:49:43.599 --> 04:49:44.400
That was the day.

4463
04:49:44.400 --> 04:49:48.159
That Nightshade lost her eyes when the vampire Lord stuck

4464
04:49:48.200 --> 04:49:52.720
his claws into her face. That's a sound you never forget.

4465
04:49:53.599 --> 04:49:55.720
One of the worst days we ever suffered as a

4466
04:49:55.720 --> 04:50:00.680
Task Force but we won. I guess third of us,

4467
04:50:00.720 --> 04:50:04.000
including a few soupers, went in. Only seven of us

4468
04:50:04.040 --> 04:50:07.279
came back out alive or close enough to not be

4469
04:50:07.360 --> 04:50:10.479
considered a casualty. I start to catch my breath and

4470
04:50:10.520 --> 04:50:13.720
I can hear banging and muffled screams coming from inside

4471
04:50:13.720 --> 04:50:18.319
the freezers. You've gotta be fucking shitting me. There's more

4472
04:50:18.319 --> 04:50:21.200
of these things. I'm in a goddamn nest with no

4473
04:50:21.319 --> 04:50:23.799
backup and not nearly enough AMMO on me to do

4474
04:50:23.840 --> 04:50:26.400
the job. All my specialty stuff is in the van

4475
04:50:26.479 --> 04:50:30.000
and locked up. I'm tough, but I'm not invincible, and

4476
04:50:30.080 --> 04:50:32.759
I'm certainly not equipped to deal with this by myself.

4477
04:50:33.560 --> 04:50:37.799
Time to go Downer had said the new bodies didn't

4478
04:50:37.799 --> 04:50:41.319
come in intact. I can use that to my advantage.

4479
04:50:41.759 --> 04:50:44.279
If they reanimate without all their limbs, then maybe I

4480
04:50:44.319 --> 04:50:48.759
wouldn't be dealing with the Golden ghoules at full power. Okay, grannies,

4481
04:50:49.240 --> 04:50:52.919
I have an idea hold that thought. I'll be right back.

4482
04:50:53.840 --> 04:50:56.599
I ran into the morgue and then right outside into

4483
04:50:56.639 --> 04:51:00.360
the now pouring rain, and straight into my van, tossing

4484
04:51:00.479 --> 04:51:03.159
open the doors and into the secured compartment by my

4485
04:51:03.240 --> 04:51:06.919
tiny fridge. They say that happiness is a warm gun,

4486
04:51:07.439 --> 04:51:12.520
and in this particular instance, happiness and security was delivered

4487
04:51:12.560 --> 04:51:15.639
by a top of the line paranormal defense contractor and

4488
04:51:15.720 --> 04:51:20.159
an alleged coven of witches from Salem. All right, motherfuckers,

4489
04:51:20.799 --> 04:51:24.279
I grab sweet Baby Jane, my custom automatic twelve gage

4490
04:51:24.279 --> 04:51:27.720
shotgun with a carbon fiber finish with pink highlights and

4491
04:51:27.759 --> 04:51:31.240
a laser sight, buckshot with silver and some other stuff

4492
04:51:31.240 --> 04:51:34.240
that I don't totally understand, but all I know it

4493
04:51:34.240 --> 04:51:38.080
turns the undead into Swiss cheese. All I know right

4494
04:51:38.119 --> 04:51:42.040
now is that baby Jane is hungry. The big surprise, though,

4495
04:51:42.119 --> 04:51:45.639
doesn't so much go boom as it goes pop. The

4496
04:51:45.680 --> 04:51:50.720
real piece of hardware I came for ultraviolet grenades. Those

4497
04:51:50.720 --> 04:51:54.599
same DoD eggheads developed a way to deliver a concentrated

4498
04:51:54.639 --> 04:51:58.720
blast of ultraviolet energy in a small package, no bigger

4499
04:51:58.759 --> 04:52:01.959
than a pack of smokes. These things could really fuck

4500
04:52:02.040 --> 04:52:04.360
up a bloodsucker's day if you could get them in

4501
04:52:04.400 --> 04:52:07.360
an enclosed area and you didn't mind risking the chance

4502
04:52:07.400 --> 04:52:12.080
of going blind and maybe contracting cancer. Walk back inside

4503
04:52:12.119 --> 04:52:14.479
the mortuary and I can hear the banging of the

4504
04:52:14.560 --> 04:52:18.759
undead against the steel coolers and the occasional confused yelp.

4505
04:52:19.319 --> 04:52:22.439
I slide around into the shotgun's chamber and make my

4506
04:52:22.520 --> 04:52:27.560
way back into the examination room. Move forward slowly, cautiously,

4507
04:52:27.959 --> 04:52:30.880
and be ready to unload hell into whatever face decides

4508
04:52:30.919 --> 04:52:34.639
to come up and say hello. Good news is that

4509
04:52:34.720 --> 04:52:37.240
they don't know how to break the seal on the lockers,

4510
04:52:37.639 --> 04:52:41.520
and for now I have the element of surprise. Creeping

4511
04:52:41.599 --> 04:52:44.400
up the first locker, I can hear whatever is inside

4512
04:52:44.439 --> 04:52:48.319
just absolutely freaking out. As much as a part of

4513
04:52:48.360 --> 04:52:50.919
me is afraid on some level for getting my throat

4514
04:52:50.959 --> 04:52:53.479
ripped out by b Arthur, here there is a bit

4515
04:52:53.520 --> 04:52:56.840
of a sadistic joy crawling through my body. I sling

4516
04:52:56.919 --> 04:52:58.880
the shotgun at my side and grip one of the

4517
04:52:58.880 --> 04:53:03.000
small black UV grenades an inch my way towards the cooler.

4518
04:53:04.200 --> 04:53:06.919
Trick or treat, I say as I open the door

4519
04:53:06.959 --> 04:53:09.799
and quickly pull the pin and throw the small device

4520
04:53:09.880 --> 04:53:14.240
inside and seal the door once again. An audible voice

4521
04:53:14.279 --> 04:53:18.680
exclaims what. A second later, a brilliant flash and the

4522
04:53:18.720 --> 04:53:22.400
satisfying thump of a contained detonation within a confined space

4523
04:53:22.720 --> 04:53:26.560
are music to my ears. That's two dead vampires, and

4524
04:53:26.599 --> 04:53:29.840
it's not even lunchtime. Yet you could call this a

4525
04:53:29.919 --> 04:53:31.159
kill streak, couldn't you?

4526
04:53:32.119 --> 04:53:32.680
Not bad?

4527
04:53:32.799 --> 04:53:35.759
But no time to get sloppy. The screeching sound of

4528
04:53:35.840 --> 04:53:38.599
steel being torn from its moorings fills the room as

4529
04:53:38.639 --> 04:53:40.880
the second undead Grandma makes her way out of her

4530
04:53:40.919 --> 04:53:44.159
makeshift toomb. The steel door flies off across the room

4531
04:53:44.159 --> 04:53:47.279
and embeds itself in the wall by the entrance. Downer

4532
04:53:47.360 --> 04:53:49.200
isn't going to be happy with what I did to

4533
04:53:49.200 --> 04:53:54.080
his workspace. In my defense, they started it. The blood

4534
04:53:54.080 --> 04:53:57.720
at least adds some color, so there's that. The creature

4535
04:53:57.799 --> 04:54:00.439
started clawing its way out of the locker, and its

4536
04:54:00.479 --> 04:54:04.040
twisted aged face emerged with a furious rage, and it

4537
04:54:04.159 --> 04:54:08.319
locked eyes with me. Normally, this would be absolutely terrifying

4538
04:54:08.360 --> 04:54:11.360
to come face to face with an undead, vampiric horror,

4539
04:54:11.880 --> 04:54:14.680
but when it's an undead vampiric horror of a bingo

4540
04:54:14.799 --> 04:54:18.080
lady in her late seventies, it loses a little bit

4541
04:54:18.119 --> 04:54:20.959
of the fear factor. She was still a threat to

4542
04:54:21.000 --> 04:54:24.759
me due to her newly unleashed strength and speed and toughness,

4543
04:54:25.240 --> 04:54:27.959
but if I'm lucky, she'd be like a baby elephant

4544
04:54:28.040 --> 04:54:31.159
learning how to walk. For the first time and be clumsy.

4545
04:54:31.959 --> 04:54:34.599
Fortunately she hadn't been undressed yet, so I didn't have

4546
04:54:34.639 --> 04:54:37.560
to witness something that could have seared my eyes out.

4547
04:54:37.799 --> 04:54:40.040
The creature fell out of the locker and onto the

4548
04:54:40.080 --> 04:54:43.880
cold floor and started to transform into her new unlife

4549
04:54:43.959 --> 04:54:48.000
before my very eyes. Bones snapped into new places, a

4550
04:54:48.040 --> 04:54:51.159
pair of thin, bony wings started to form and unfurl

4551
04:54:51.200 --> 04:54:54.200
from her back and tear from her little blue nightgown,

4552
04:54:54.479 --> 04:54:58.240
and finally, her skin started to take on an ashen

4553
04:54:58.360 --> 04:55:03.159
gray shade as it solid into an armor like hide.

4554
04:55:03.200 --> 04:55:06.040
I've never seen a new vampire gain so many of

4555
04:55:06.040 --> 04:55:10.479
its new abilities so quickly after reanimating. This was something new,

4556
04:55:10.680 --> 04:55:13.959
and this was definitely something I wasn't quite expecting so

4557
04:55:14.119 --> 04:55:17.119
early on a Friday morning. The grenades wouldn't do a

4558
04:55:17.159 --> 04:55:20.400
lot since the space was too open unless I landed

4559
04:55:20.439 --> 04:55:22.959
it right on her shoulder, so that was out for

4560
04:55:23.000 --> 04:55:27.040
the time being. Immediately, without really thinking about it, I

4561
04:55:27.080 --> 04:55:29.520
had Baby Jane back in my arms and ready to

4562
04:55:29.599 --> 04:55:33.759
unleash Hell upon this fiend. The old lady unfurled her

4563
04:55:33.799 --> 04:55:36.520
new wings and stretched them out and knocked over several

4564
04:55:36.560 --> 04:55:40.560
tables of supplies. She looked amazed at her new body

4565
04:55:40.599 --> 04:55:43.360
and didn't seem too phazed that she was now among

4566
04:55:43.439 --> 04:55:47.919
the planet's paranormal population. I aimed the shotgun at her,

4567
04:55:47.959 --> 04:55:51.479
and immediately its green laser engaged and painted a picture

4568
04:55:51.520 --> 04:55:54.360
on the center of her mass. She didn't seem to

4569
04:55:54.400 --> 04:55:57.360
take notice of the six foot blonde federal agent aiming

4570
04:55:57.439 --> 04:56:01.240
a fully automatic shotgun at her, extended her arms forward

4571
04:56:01.279 --> 04:56:04.159
and started looking at her new hands, which had now

4572
04:56:04.200 --> 04:56:08.360
formed into wicked, long sickle like claws. I racked the

4573
04:56:08.400 --> 04:56:10.479
slide and made sure that it was ready to sing

4574
04:56:10.639 --> 04:56:14.000
that twelve gage buckshot show tune. As soon as the

4575
04:56:14.040 --> 04:56:18.319
slide clicked, the creature's eyes immediately narrowed and focused on me.

4576
04:56:19.880 --> 04:56:22.560
We both held tents at the standoff here in the

4577
04:56:22.599 --> 04:56:25.840
Hope Springs Morgue, and not one made a move or sound.

4578
04:56:26.439 --> 04:56:29.119
The only sound we could both hear was an ancient

4579
04:56:29.200 --> 04:56:32.439
wall clock that was suspended above the lockers, and it

4580
04:56:32.520 --> 04:56:37.880
was clicking up towards noon eleven fifty nine. The second

4581
04:56:37.880 --> 04:56:41.319
hand was swinging around towards the bottom, and the last

4582
04:56:41.319 --> 04:56:45.240
thirty seconds of the morning was counting down. The old

4583
04:56:45.319 --> 04:56:48.080
lady opened her mouth with her new fangs and drooled

4584
04:56:48.119 --> 04:56:51.000
as she smiled at me. I smiled back at her,

4585
04:56:51.439 --> 04:56:53.520
part of it to relieve the tension I was feeling

4586
04:56:53.599 --> 04:56:55.680
in my own body, and part of it was hoping

4587
04:56:56.240 --> 04:56:58.479
it would unnerve her a touch as to why I

4588
04:56:58.599 --> 04:57:02.040
was being so confident, She didn't seem phazed by my

4589
04:57:02.200 --> 04:57:07.200
bravado or the shotgun. Twenty seconds left, she took a

4590
04:57:07.200 --> 04:57:10.000
step towards me and tore off what remained of her

4591
04:57:10.000 --> 04:57:13.360
blue nightgown and growled at me. I stood my ground.

4592
04:57:14.080 --> 04:57:18.400
Are you prepared to die, young lady? I grinned and

4593
04:57:18.520 --> 04:57:22.080
tightened my grip and slowly prepared to squeeze the trigger

4594
04:57:22.119 --> 04:57:22.759
on my weapon.

4595
04:57:23.560 --> 04:57:24.159
Not today.

4596
04:57:24.840 --> 04:57:29.040
Fifteen seconds she took another step towards me, and now

4597
04:57:29.159 --> 04:57:32.200
less than ten feet separated us, and I swear she

4598
04:57:32.279 --> 04:57:34.599
grew another two feet in height as she took that

4599
04:57:34.759 --> 04:57:39.639
single stride. Ten seconds Wait for it, I thought, she

4600
04:57:39.759 --> 04:57:42.759
leaped at me with a supernatural speed and swiftness, and

4601
04:57:42.880 --> 04:57:46.040
threw her entire body forward and her claws reaching for me.

4602
04:57:47.439 --> 04:57:51.520
Showtime as the clock struck noon. Part of my abilities,

4603
04:57:51.560 --> 04:57:54.439
besides being tough, is that I'm also as quick as

4604
04:57:54.520 --> 04:57:57.599
most of the night creatures themselves. If I can judge

4605
04:57:57.639 --> 04:58:01.799
things right this time, my luck paid off as I

4606
04:58:01.840 --> 04:58:05.119
suspected it would. I twisted my body at the last

4607
04:58:05.119 --> 04:58:07.799
second and let her fly right past me and crash

4608
04:58:07.880 --> 04:58:11.639
into the workstation behind. As the old woman flew past

4609
04:58:12.000 --> 04:58:15.040
and crashed into the equipment as well, I fired off

4610
04:58:15.080 --> 04:58:18.840
a few rounds from the shotgun. Two quick succession blasts

4611
04:58:18.959 --> 04:58:22.400
erupted from the weapon and shredded her new wings into confetti.

4612
04:58:23.080 --> 04:58:27.360
These particular shotgun rounds were particularly nasty too, as those

4613
04:58:27.439 --> 04:58:31.360
said defense contractors decided to pack something a little extra

4614
04:58:31.759 --> 04:58:36.560
besides the magic adjacent mojo into them, magnesium pellets and

4615
04:58:36.680 --> 04:58:41.520
silver and enchanted pellet shards dragon's breath shotgun shells with

4616
04:58:41.560 --> 04:58:44.279
a little bit extra The rounds lit her up and

4617
04:58:44.400 --> 04:58:48.360
she was doused and flamed as well. The monster yelped

4618
04:58:48.360 --> 04:58:51.880
in pain and surprise as her armored hide didn't have

4619
04:58:51.919 --> 04:58:54.639
an answer to that little one. It didn't seem to

4620
04:58:54.639 --> 04:58:56.840
slow her down much as she quickly got to her

4621
04:58:56.880 --> 04:58:59.759
feet for yet another attack. This time I wasn't so,

4622
04:59:00.400 --> 04:59:02.840
and I got the full force of this creature barreling

4623
04:59:02.880 --> 04:59:06.959
into me with tremendous and unexpected force. The blow knocked

4624
04:59:07.000 --> 04:59:08.759
the wind out of me and sent my weapon from

4625
04:59:08.799 --> 04:59:11.720
my hands. Across the room and under an examination table.

4626
04:59:12.240 --> 04:59:15.000
I was knocked against a steel table and left gasping

4627
04:59:15.040 --> 04:59:18.319
for air. The old woman delivered another sucker punch into

4628
04:59:18.360 --> 04:59:20.639
my gut, and I doubled over in pain and was

4629
04:59:20.720 --> 04:59:24.319
left gasping for air. I'm in trouble here, guys.

4630
04:59:26.520 --> 04:59:30.759
More scarce to come weekly, Spooky, We'll be right back.

4631
04:59:37.919 --> 04:59:40.560
The monster grabbed a hold of my head and started

4632
04:59:40.680 --> 04:59:44.159
raising it up to her face directly. Her grip was

4633
04:59:44.240 --> 04:59:48.840
powerful and would not be easily broken. I said, are

4634
04:59:48.840 --> 04:59:52.439
you prepared to die? She hissed at me through her fangs.

4635
04:59:53.200 --> 04:59:55.840
She started squeezing my head, and I could feel things

4636
04:59:55.880 --> 04:59:58.599
start to go black and my consciousness start to fade.

4637
04:59:59.119 --> 05:00:01.759
She was gonna knock me out before she likely tore

4638
05:00:01.799 --> 05:00:05.880
me apart limb from limb. This old bitch isn't exactly

4639
05:00:05.919 --> 05:00:06.599
playing fair.

4640
05:00:07.919 --> 05:00:08.080
Well.

4641
05:00:08.119 --> 05:00:10.520
I don't have to play fair either. I thrust my

4642
05:00:10.639 --> 05:00:13.240
arms up between hers and tried to force them apart

4643
05:00:13.240 --> 05:00:16.560
from squeezing me further. I just got enough force together

4644
05:00:16.599 --> 05:00:19.000
to loosen her grip and knock her hands free from

4645
05:00:19.000 --> 05:00:22.520
my head. I started raining blows upon her face and

4646
05:00:22.599 --> 05:00:25.520
just let fly every bit of anger, rage, and even

4647
05:00:25.560 --> 05:00:27.560
a bit of fear that I'd built up over the

4648
05:00:27.599 --> 05:00:31.759
course of our confrontation. My fist kept connecting against her

4649
05:00:31.799 --> 05:00:35.200
skull and blood kept flying out, and while she kept

4650
05:00:35.200 --> 05:00:38.319
trying to dodge and hold back my assault, she didn't

4651
05:00:38.360 --> 05:00:42.439
stand a chance. I felt my fists crushed the bones

4652
05:00:42.479 --> 05:00:45.479
in her face as her skull began to disintegrate under me.

4653
05:00:46.119 --> 05:00:48.639
I had her pinned against a table and she had

4654
05:00:48.680 --> 05:00:52.560
nowhere to run and couldn't fly. This thing was at

4655
05:00:52.560 --> 05:00:55.560
my mercy, and today was not a day to expect

4656
05:00:55.599 --> 05:00:59.319
mercy from someone you just tried to murder. I hit

4657
05:00:59.360 --> 05:01:01.439
her until there there was nothing left of her head

4658
05:01:01.720 --> 05:01:03.639
and left the body to hit the floor in a

4659
05:01:03.680 --> 05:01:07.919
bloody pile. After what seemed like forever, I left the

4660
05:01:08.000 --> 05:01:10.959
body in a disgusting heap of meat in a corner

4661
05:01:11.279 --> 05:01:16.159
and retrieved my weapons. Wait, gotta make sure, and it's

4662
05:01:16.279 --> 05:01:20.000
probably overkill. I grabbed one of the UV grenades I

4663
05:01:20.040 --> 05:01:22.520
had left and put it inside what remained of her

4664
05:01:22.560 --> 05:01:26.000
torso and pulled the pin and quickly left the room.

4665
05:01:27.360 --> 05:01:27.799
Boom.

4666
05:01:28.840 --> 05:01:31.200
Cool kids don't look back at explosions.

4667
05:01:31.680 --> 05:01:31.880
Now.

4668
05:01:31.919 --> 05:01:34.159
I can add that to my list of cool action

4669
05:01:34.319 --> 05:01:37.680
movie things I've done, and I will never tell anyone

4670
05:01:37.720 --> 05:01:43.599
about because they'll never believe me. Nope, keep walking. Emerging

4671
05:01:43.599 --> 05:01:46.599
outside in the cold October rain was refreshing, as it

4672
05:01:46.680 --> 05:01:49.599
not only washed off the blood and gore of the

4673
05:01:49.680 --> 05:01:54.319
last encounter, but was oddly refreshing too. I stood outside

4674
05:01:54.319 --> 05:01:56.400
in the rain and just let the adrenaline of the

4675
05:01:56.439 --> 05:02:01.639
melee wash over me. I needed to rely, but too bad,

4676
05:02:01.759 --> 05:02:05.639
I don't smoke anymore. Finally, the combat rush was over

4677
05:02:05.680 --> 05:02:09.200
and my breathing returned to normal. This was gonna be

4678
05:02:09.240 --> 05:02:12.959
a problem, and probably one that a single troubleshooter won't

4679
05:02:13.000 --> 05:02:15.959
be able to handle on her own. I'm gonna need help,

4680
05:02:16.000 --> 05:02:19.279
and there's probably no way around this. You call for

4681
05:02:19.319 --> 05:02:21.560
help in a situation like this, and it's going one

4682
05:02:21.560 --> 05:02:25.200
of two ways. You're either overreacting and it's fine, or

4683
05:02:25.919 --> 05:02:29.279
end up with a situation like Boston and it's one

4684
05:02:29.319 --> 05:02:32.919
step away from calling in the proverbial air strike and

4685
05:02:32.959 --> 05:02:35.520
a room of old white dudes looking for a reason

4686
05:02:35.560 --> 05:02:39.799
to enact the Cradle of Liberty protocol. Cradle of Liberty

4687
05:02:39.919 --> 05:02:44.200
was basically the nuclear option for all threats super and paranormal,

4688
05:02:44.639 --> 05:02:47.560
and had only ever been deployed once since the seventies.

4689
05:02:48.080 --> 05:02:51.000
You used it when you had absolutely zero choice, and

4690
05:02:51.119 --> 05:02:55.560
collateral damage wasn't a primary concern. Survival was, and the

4691
05:02:55.599 --> 05:02:57.840
cost would be paid, and it didn't matter how it

4692
05:02:57.919 --> 05:03:01.520
was accomplished. No one alive to would talk about what

4693
05:03:01.599 --> 05:03:04.240
it would entail, but we all knew that it was

4694
05:03:04.279 --> 05:03:07.279
the last possible option, and no one wanted to be

4695
05:03:07.319 --> 05:03:10.360
the one to sanction its use. I thought I had

4696
05:03:10.360 --> 05:03:13.080
it figured out and this was not a vampire nest,

4697
05:03:13.200 --> 05:03:18.639
but instead some new undead douche being greedy. It seems

4698
05:03:18.639 --> 05:03:21.319
that I may be wrong if the last encounter was

4699
05:03:21.400 --> 05:03:26.000
any indication of what's going on. Super vampires are on

4700
05:03:26.080 --> 05:03:28.959
the loose and this town is ground zero or something

4701
05:03:29.119 --> 05:03:32.400
much much worse is on the horizon. I don't like

4702
05:03:32.439 --> 05:03:35.400
what I'm seeing here, and something is definitely not adding

4703
05:03:35.479 --> 05:03:38.919
up like it should. I'm pretty fucking terrible at math,

4704
05:03:38.959 --> 05:03:41.720
but I sure as shit know that two plus two

4705
05:03:41.840 --> 05:03:47.040
ain't ten. I don't like this. Remember why you're doing this, Quinn?

4706
05:03:47.959 --> 05:03:53.439
Two weeks paid vacation. Oh yeah, and saving the world

4707
05:03:53.520 --> 05:03:57.040
or some shit. I made a call first to Rhand

4708
05:03:57.599 --> 05:03:59.799
and let her know that I was probably in over

4709
05:03:59.799 --> 05:04:03.200
my pretty little head. I wasn't too thrilled to call

4710
05:04:03.240 --> 05:04:05.799
the FEDS, but they'd have a solution, and at least

4711
05:04:06.200 --> 05:04:09.959
Rheanne was a calming influence. She always knew what to

4712
05:04:09.959 --> 05:04:11.840
say to talk me down off the ledge, and it

4713
05:04:11.880 --> 05:04:14.840
didn't hurt that she sounded cute when she was concerned

4714
05:04:14.840 --> 05:04:19.279
about me. I miss her. The second call was a

4715
05:04:19.279 --> 05:04:23.200
little harder to make. I called the Department, which is

4716
05:04:23.279 --> 05:04:27.680
code for the Department of Paranormal Resources, a subset of

4717
05:04:27.720 --> 05:04:31.919
the Department of Defense and Homeland Security. Layers upon layers

4718
05:04:32.000 --> 05:04:36.000
upon layers of bureaucracy, but also they had resources and

4719
05:04:36.119 --> 05:04:40.919
people that your average gifted or troubleshooter didn't have access to.

4720
05:04:41.919 --> 05:04:44.200
I was told to sit tight and hold my position

4721
05:04:44.279 --> 05:04:49.360
while they assessed the situation and confer with partners within

4722
05:04:49.520 --> 05:04:53.959
paranormal research and defense. Great, I get to cool my

4723
05:04:54.080 --> 05:04:57.919
jets in the middle of Vampire City. I got lucky,

4724
05:04:57.959 --> 05:05:00.479
and a cleanup crew was that the Hope Springs Corner

4725
05:05:00.520 --> 05:05:03.840
office within an hour, and Percy Downer was offered a

4726
05:05:03.880 --> 05:05:08.159
generous payout for his silence and a two week vacation.

4727
05:05:09.200 --> 05:05:12.599
Must be nice, though odds are he'll be sent to

4728
05:05:12.680 --> 05:05:17.080
Langley for an extensive debrief and probably psychic mind probe

4729
05:05:17.319 --> 05:05:19.479
to see if he knows more than what he's letting on.

4730
05:05:20.400 --> 05:05:23.680
Guy like that is probably next level boring. Then again,

4731
05:05:24.439 --> 05:05:27.119
I didn't expect to fight a retirement home in a morgue,

4732
05:05:27.159 --> 05:05:31.880
so who knows? Enjoy Virginia. I drove away from the

4733
05:05:31.919 --> 05:05:34.639
corner's office and pulled up in a nearby hotel and

4734
05:05:34.680 --> 05:05:37.520
booked a room. It had only been a few hours

4735
05:05:37.520 --> 05:05:40.439
since the confrontation. In my mind, wasn't ready to let

4736
05:05:40.439 --> 05:05:43.560
go of what happened. The thing that bothered me the

4737
05:05:43.599 --> 05:05:47.159
most is how quickly those things moved and how quickly

4738
05:05:47.200 --> 05:05:50.959
they reanimated into their new un life. The real question

4739
05:05:51.040 --> 05:05:54.840
that bothered me is why didn't this happen before with

4740
05:05:55.000 --> 05:05:59.599
the other victims. Why was this happening now? There has

4741
05:05:59.680 --> 05:06:01.880
to be a reason for it. Was there a new

4742
05:06:02.000 --> 05:06:04.880
vampire lord attempting to make a nest in this town?

4743
05:06:05.720 --> 05:06:09.200
How does the superpowered angle figure into it? Was someone

4744
05:06:09.360 --> 05:06:13.639
or worse something creating a vampire super hybrid? What in

4745
05:06:13.680 --> 05:06:18.200
the hell was happening in Hope Springs, New York. I

4746
05:06:18.279 --> 05:06:20.959
laid down in the hotel's uncomfortable bed and put my

4747
05:06:21.040 --> 05:06:24.000
head down on the pillow and felt every bump and

4748
05:06:24.119 --> 05:06:28.000
bruise from today's encounter. My wounds would heal by morning.

4749
05:06:28.080 --> 05:06:31.680
But still, that old lady tossed me around pretty good.

4750
05:06:31.720 --> 05:06:34.479
And if I hadn't gotten a lucky break, I'm sure

4751
05:06:34.520 --> 05:06:37.119
she'd be picking me out of her fangs right now.

4752
05:06:38.200 --> 05:06:42.720
I could have died today. I got lucky, or I

4753
05:06:42.799 --> 05:06:47.279
got sloppy. Drifting off to a strange and unusual sleep,

4754
05:06:47.639 --> 05:06:52.240
I passed out and had nightmares all night. The following morning,

4755
05:06:52.799 --> 05:06:55.439
I was awakened by my phone ringing off the hook

4756
05:06:55.720 --> 05:06:58.680
and about thirty missed calls. I tried to get my

4757
05:06:58.759 --> 05:07:01.000
eyes to focus on the time any screen and see

4758
05:07:01.040 --> 05:07:01.759
who had called.

4759
05:07:02.720 --> 05:07:03.439
It was Rheanne.

4760
05:07:04.400 --> 05:07:07.119
I called her back, and immediately I knew something was

4761
05:07:07.159 --> 05:07:10.360
wrong from the second she answered the other line. Where

4762
05:07:10.439 --> 05:07:13.000
the hell have you been? I've been trying to call

4763
05:07:13.040 --> 05:07:15.000
you all night? Are you okay? Are you all right?

4764
05:07:15.240 --> 05:07:18.599
What the hell happened to you? I tried to sound

4765
05:07:18.680 --> 05:07:21.680
cool and brave, but I get the feelings she wasn't

4766
05:07:21.720 --> 05:07:25.840
in the mood for my particular brand of humor. Well,

4767
05:07:26.599 --> 05:07:28.720
I went to the morgue to see a corpse and

4768
05:07:28.759 --> 05:07:32.639
got jumped by three of them instead. She exhaled loudly.

4769
05:07:33.040 --> 05:07:35.959
I could tell it was a mix between frustration and relief.

4770
05:07:36.840 --> 05:07:40.680
Are you okay, Quinn, talk to me. Rhianne's voice had

4771
05:07:40.680 --> 05:07:42.639
this thing in it that made you want to confess

4772
05:07:42.720 --> 05:07:45.880
what you were really feeling, especially when you didn't want

4773
05:07:45.919 --> 05:07:51.799
to honestly, No, I'm not. Something is pretty fucked up

4774
05:07:51.840 --> 05:07:55.159
here in upstate New York. One of those things almost

4775
05:07:55.159 --> 05:07:58.080
got the best of me. I've never fought anything like

4776
05:07:58.159 --> 05:08:03.840
them before. Something is very, very wrong here, Caroline. If

4777
05:08:03.880 --> 05:08:05.880
I'd known, I would have never sent you there in

4778
05:08:05.880 --> 05:08:09.279
the first place. She was sorry beyond words, and part

4779
05:08:09.319 --> 05:08:11.240
of me could hear that she was on the verge

4780
05:08:11.240 --> 05:08:14.639
of crying, almost like I could feel her lip tremble

4781
05:08:14.680 --> 05:08:17.799
on the phone. I know you had no clue. I'm

4782
05:08:17.840 --> 05:08:20.680
waiting on the call from the department on what we're

4783
05:08:20.680 --> 05:08:23.479
going to do next. I don't have a good feeling

4784
05:08:23.520 --> 05:08:27.119
about this. I'm legitimately worried what this could all mean.

4785
05:08:27.599 --> 05:08:30.439
On one hand, I had always quietly suspected that the

4786
05:08:30.439 --> 05:08:34.720
paranormal war was escalating on some level. I was living

4787
05:08:34.759 --> 05:08:38.159
proof that hybrids of some type were possible, even if

4788
05:08:38.200 --> 05:08:42.759
we don't know exactly what I was. There were other troubleshooters,

4789
05:08:42.799 --> 05:08:46.439
who were a mix of paranormal and superpowered, but were

4790
05:08:46.520 --> 05:08:51.279
remarkably few in numbers, like less than fifty identified across

4791
05:08:51.319 --> 05:08:55.159
the entirety of North America. I should let you rest,

4792
05:08:55.200 --> 05:08:59.279
but Caroline, you be careful out there. I know you

4793
05:08:59.360 --> 05:09:02.080
think you're in and like nothing can hurt you. But

4794
05:09:02.319 --> 05:09:05.880
you're human, like the rest of us, know when to run. Okay,

4795
05:09:07.159 --> 05:09:10.439
she said, I was human. There are days I wish

4796
05:09:10.520 --> 05:09:14.319
I was. I'm not human. I don't know what I

4797
05:09:14.360 --> 05:09:18.680
am honestly. I will look when I get back to

4798
05:09:18.720 --> 05:09:20.880
the city. Why don't we get together and maybe get

4799
05:09:20.880 --> 05:09:24.400
dinner in a movie like old times. I'd like that.

4800
05:09:25.439 --> 05:09:28.840
I'll talk to you soon, Quinn. She paused for a second,

4801
05:09:28.880 --> 05:09:31.520
and I could tell she stopped herself from saying something

4802
05:09:31.560 --> 05:09:36.479
more before she hung up the phone. I love you too.

4803
05:09:36.959 --> 05:09:39.439
I sat in the hotel room and stared at the

4804
05:09:39.479 --> 05:09:43.840
peeling wallpaper and was just alone with my thoughts. What

4805
05:09:43.919 --> 05:09:46.360
am I going to do? How am I going to

4806
05:09:46.400 --> 05:09:49.560
do it? I finally asked myself the hard question of

4807
05:09:49.599 --> 05:09:54.479
the day. How many people are going to die? The

4808
05:09:54.520 --> 05:09:58.439
phone rang again. I wanted it to be Rhiann and

4809
05:09:58.479 --> 05:10:00.639
for her to talk me out of this assignment and

4810
05:10:00.720 --> 05:10:02.720
to come back to New York and for her to

4811
05:10:02.759 --> 05:10:06.400
convince me to leave this world behind and run. It

4812
05:10:06.479 --> 05:10:10.080
wasn't Rheianne. It was the Department, and it was the

4813
05:10:10.119 --> 05:10:13.279
secured line that you never wanted to call you directly,

4814
05:10:14.159 --> 05:10:18.759
Director James Carlson, Department of Paranormal Resources, the guy whose

4815
05:10:18.799 --> 05:10:21.680
desk issues the orders, and the guy who could sign

4816
05:10:21.759 --> 05:10:25.599
your death warrant should the need arise. This was about

4817
05:10:25.599 --> 05:10:30.360
to turn my Halloween into a fucking horror show. Agent Quinn,

4818
05:10:30.959 --> 05:10:34.279
the situation has changed. We're preparing to activate the Cradle

4819
05:10:34.279 --> 05:10:37.360
of Liberty protocol in the city of Hope Springs. Assets

4820
05:10:37.400 --> 05:10:40.840
will be on the scene within the next hour. My orders, Sir,

4821
05:10:41.680 --> 05:10:44.400
Megaton and Phase will be on scene and the Hammer

4822
05:10:44.439 --> 05:10:47.479
and Carpenter teams will support them. You coordinate with the

4823
05:10:47.520 --> 05:10:50.479
other gifted on scene. I want that nest burned to

4824
05:10:50.520 --> 05:10:53.040
the ground. Burn the city to the ground if you

4825
05:10:53.119 --> 05:10:58.360
have to, sir, what about the civilians? Like I said,

4826
05:10:58.919 --> 05:11:04.400
the situation is changed, consider all civilians as hostile. What

4827
05:11:04.560 --> 05:11:07.840
in the fuck did he just say? Were they really

4828
05:11:07.880 --> 05:11:11.080
going to activate the Cradle of Liberty protocol? What the

4829
05:11:11.119 --> 05:11:14.400
hell did they even mean. The line went dead and

4830
05:11:14.439 --> 05:11:17.279
a text message appeared with a set of coordinates and

4831
05:11:17.360 --> 05:11:21.799
a timestamp of one hour. Oh fuck, this was it,

4832
05:11:21.880 --> 05:11:27.400
wasn't it. The paranormal war just escalated. An hour later,

4833
05:11:27.479 --> 05:11:29.720
I was at the arranged meeting place and the air

4834
05:11:29.880 --> 05:11:33.159
was grim. It was a small farmhouse that had been

4835
05:11:33.279 --> 05:11:38.240
requisitioned for use as a staging area. Soldiers, heavy equipment,

4836
05:11:38.279 --> 05:11:43.080
and helicopters, and the Supers showed up. Before the world

4837
05:11:43.159 --> 05:11:47.360
changed fifty years ago, superheroes wore colorful costumes and capes

4838
05:11:47.680 --> 05:11:51.919
and were larger than life and existed purely as fiction. Now,

4839
05:11:52.040 --> 05:11:55.759
in the time of Kevlar, synthetic fabrics and utility ruled

4840
05:11:55.759 --> 05:11:58.880
the day, and it was less tights and spandex and

4841
05:11:59.000 --> 05:12:03.319
more tactical gears with a few colorful adornments. A few

4842
05:12:03.319 --> 05:12:06.720
of the more outlandish supers wore stuff that people only

4843
05:12:06.759 --> 05:12:10.720
wore at Halloween, but most were modest about their abilities.

4844
05:12:11.799 --> 05:12:14.959
It should be noted that very few people can successfully

4845
05:12:15.000 --> 05:12:17.799
pull off wearing a cape and actually have it look cool.

4846
05:12:18.720 --> 05:12:20.720
A group of about twelve of us stood by the

4847
05:12:20.759 --> 05:12:23.439
barn and watched as a man descended from the sky

4848
05:12:23.639 --> 05:12:28.639
with a purple cape billowing behind him very dramatically. Megaton

4849
05:12:28.759 --> 05:12:31.560
always knew he had to make an entrance and always

4850
05:12:31.599 --> 05:12:34.159
made sure that you knew he was on the scene,

4851
05:12:34.639 --> 05:12:37.759
and that he was the best and brightest of all

4852
05:12:37.840 --> 05:12:41.360
the gifted world. I didn't care for him, but I

4853
05:12:41.400 --> 05:12:45.520
couldn't deny how powerful he was. Strong, tougher than me,

4854
05:12:46.479 --> 05:12:49.919
and a unique ability to repel the force used against him.

4855
05:12:50.439 --> 05:12:54.439
Oh and he could also fly a shimmering red light

4856
05:12:54.479 --> 05:12:57.759
beside him. As Megaton landed and from a glowing red

4857
05:12:57.799 --> 05:13:02.639
portal stepped Faz, the woman known as FaZe, whose gifts

4858
05:13:02.680 --> 05:13:07.759
allowed her limited teleportation and energy manipulation. She was a

4859
05:13:07.799 --> 05:13:12.159
real showstopper, but young and often reckless when she was

4860
05:13:12.200 --> 05:13:16.520
in combat against paranormal threats. The Supers were fine fighting

4861
05:13:16.599 --> 05:13:20.799
against other gifted and villains like Hurricane and Dread, but

4862
05:13:21.000 --> 05:13:25.080
paranormal entities were a different breed. The last Super to

4863
05:13:25.279 --> 05:13:28.799
arrive pulled up on a tricked out motorcycle. He was

4864
05:13:28.840 --> 05:13:33.040
a combat expert known as Mnemonic. His ability was to

4865
05:13:33.159 --> 05:13:36.880
learn in a new, instantaneous manner, and he used his

4866
05:13:36.959 --> 05:13:40.680
abilities to learn all sorts of martial arts and weaponry.

4867
05:13:41.200 --> 05:13:43.119
He was a show off, but let me tell you

4868
05:13:43.639 --> 05:13:47.479
he was the best shot likely on the entire planet Earth.

4869
05:13:48.959 --> 05:13:51.479
While all of us were here now and it was

4870
05:13:51.560 --> 05:13:54.680
time to get to work. The team leader for Hammer

4871
05:13:54.720 --> 05:14:00.080
and Carpenter squad stepped forward typical military bravado and swagger

4872
05:14:00.119 --> 05:14:04.840
that depended on superior firepower and overwhelming numbers. Trust me,

4873
05:14:05.360 --> 05:14:08.000
I've seen this movie before and it never ends well

4874
05:14:08.119 --> 05:14:11.080
for the guys with the guns. But this is the

4875
05:14:11.119 --> 05:14:15.520
hand we've been dealt. Captain Tony King and Lieutenant Tanya

4876
05:14:15.599 --> 05:14:20.000
Dante they nicknamed these two TNT and for good reason,

4877
05:14:20.639 --> 05:14:24.759
a lot of shit tended to blow up in their presence. Okay,

4878
05:14:24.959 --> 05:14:27.919
we have a good actionable intelligence and we're going to

4879
05:14:27.959 --> 05:14:31.279
act on it immediately. Hope Spring's retirement community is a

4880
05:14:31.360 --> 05:14:34.319
vampire nest and is about to be as infested as

4881
05:14:34.319 --> 05:14:38.119
a place can get. Think of a goddamn cockroach infestation,

4882
05:14:38.479 --> 05:14:40.279
and you've got a pretty good idea of what we're

4883
05:14:40.360 --> 05:14:45.040
up against. We do have an advantage. The vamps are new, inexperienced,

4884
05:14:45.080 --> 05:14:47.880
and still not used to their powers. This means the

4885
05:14:47.919 --> 05:14:50.639
new staff from the Pentagon should make short work of them.

4886
05:14:51.080 --> 05:14:54.560
Our significant threat has been identified as a new hybrid

4887
05:14:54.599 --> 05:14:57.919
type vampire lord. We believe it to be an individual

4888
05:14:58.040 --> 05:15:01.159
named Terry Fisher. We know how strong they can be,

4889
05:15:01.680 --> 05:15:04.479
but this new lord seems to only be recruiting from

4890
05:15:04.479 --> 05:15:08.000
the weak and feeble, so not exactly fighting the Russians

4891
05:15:08.080 --> 05:15:11.560
or the North Koreans. Here, Dante said matter of factly,

4892
05:15:11.599 --> 05:15:13.880
as she laid out the information for all of us.

4893
05:15:14.720 --> 05:15:17.560
Captain King stepped forward and pointed to the group of

4894
05:15:17.599 --> 05:15:22.040
about twelve soldiers behind him and gestured toward their weapons.

4895
05:15:22.599 --> 05:15:24.759
We have state of the art fire power and enough

4896
05:15:24.759 --> 05:15:28.040
ammunition to shoot at anything that moves. We have enhanced

4897
05:15:28.080 --> 05:15:31.759
fire support in terms of a troubleshooter and their superpowered allies.

4898
05:15:32.240 --> 05:15:34.439
There is no reason we can't wrap this up by

4899
05:15:34.479 --> 05:15:37.080
morning and be home for breakfast. I'd like to go

4900
05:15:37.119 --> 05:15:40.400
get a Grand Slam at Denny's afterwards, So who's with me?

4901
05:15:41.759 --> 05:15:42.360
I sighed?

4902
05:15:42.959 --> 05:15:46.200
I was surrounded by overconfidence and itchy trigger fingers and

4903
05:15:46.279 --> 05:15:49.599
show offs with superpowers. Is it too late to go

4904
05:15:49.639 --> 05:15:53.759
work at Applebee's? I looked at the assembled superpowered individuals

4905
05:15:54.040 --> 05:15:56.680
and approached them and tried to be as friendly as

4906
05:15:56.720 --> 05:16:00.520
I could. I worked with Megaton and Fays before in Boston,

4907
05:16:00.639 --> 05:16:03.639
but I'd never worked with Mnemonic I don't like going

4908
05:16:03.639 --> 05:16:06.439
into a combat situation with people I don't trust, and

4909
05:16:06.599 --> 05:16:09.200
especially people who had declined to help when their country

4910
05:16:09.240 --> 05:16:12.439
needed them. I told them what happened this morning at

4911
05:16:12.439 --> 05:16:15.720
the Morgue, and they laughed at me. They wanted to

4912
05:16:15.759 --> 05:16:19.159
know how the great Agent Caroline Quinn could get her

4913
05:16:19.200 --> 05:16:21.439
ass kicked by an old man and a few ladies

4914
05:16:21.479 --> 05:16:25.439
from Bingo. I told them to take this seriously. This

4915
05:16:25.680 --> 05:16:29.040
wasn't your usual bloodsucker. They didn't want to hear it.

4916
05:16:29.560 --> 05:16:31.599
They laughed it off and said it would be easy.

4917
05:16:32.759 --> 05:16:36.279
I remember how Boston happened, and Megaton and Phase should

4918
05:16:36.319 --> 05:16:40.360
have too. King and Dante barked orders across the staging

4919
05:16:40.400 --> 05:16:43.080
area for everyone to get ready. As we were wheels

4920
05:16:43.159 --> 05:16:46.520
up in five minutes and got on board of the choppers.

4921
05:16:46.880 --> 05:16:49.759
I went and got my gear loaded up and enhanced

4922
05:16:49.759 --> 05:16:53.400
protective vest, my trustee, Baby Jane, and a few of

4923
05:16:53.439 --> 05:16:56.680
the UV grenades. I guess we were as ready as

4924
05:16:56.680 --> 05:16:59.479
we were gonna be. This was going to be bad,

4925
05:17:00.200 --> 05:17:00.599
wasn't it?

4926
05:17:02.439 --> 05:17:06.720
More scares to come? Weekly? Spooky, We'll be right back.

4927
05:17:14.080 --> 05:17:17.400
As the helicopters flew over Hope Springs, it was kind

4928
05:17:17.439 --> 05:17:21.240
of pretty in a sense. It was Halloween night and

4929
05:17:21.319 --> 05:17:24.200
tricker treaters could be seen walking down the streets with

4930
05:17:24.240 --> 05:17:28.360
their parents or friends. This town had no idea what

4931
05:17:28.479 --> 05:17:31.520
was happening in it. You could almost feel the sense

4932
05:17:31.560 --> 05:17:34.799
of fun and joy that people were having. I wish

4933
05:17:34.880 --> 05:17:37.119
I didn't have to bring hell to this little place,

4934
05:17:37.799 --> 05:17:41.759
but it can't be helped. The two aircraft cut through

4935
05:17:41.799 --> 05:17:44.919
the night sky and headed towards the retirement home and

4936
05:17:44.959 --> 05:17:48.840
presumably where this was going to end. I glanced out

4937
05:17:48.840 --> 05:17:51.759
the side door and saw Megaton keeping pace with us.

4938
05:17:52.400 --> 05:17:56.799
Megaton still had that stupid, overconfident smile on his face.

4939
05:17:57.959 --> 05:18:00.360
One of the things I learned very early on in

4940
05:18:00.400 --> 05:18:04.279
my career was never underestimate your enemy, no matter how

4941
05:18:04.319 --> 05:18:08.240
weak they appear. An enemy is most dangerous when they

4942
05:18:08.279 --> 05:18:12.360
are cornered, and especially when they're on their own turf.

4943
05:18:12.520 --> 05:18:15.040
We started to begin our descent onto the lawn of

4944
05:18:15.040 --> 05:18:18.240
the retirement home, which was a two story structure that

4945
05:18:18.319 --> 05:18:22.080
looked like it was built fairly recently. It looked super

4946
05:18:22.119 --> 05:18:24.560
modern and almost out of place for a town that

4947
05:18:24.639 --> 05:18:27.840
looks like it was taken out of a postcard advertising

4948
05:18:27.880 --> 05:18:32.200
for rural charm. Captain King slid the side door open

4949
05:18:32.240 --> 05:18:34.759
of the helicopter and looked back at all of us

4950
05:18:34.759 --> 05:18:39.439
in his command and patted his weapon. Okay, kids, it's

4951
05:18:39.479 --> 05:18:43.080
time to visit Grandpa, he cheered as he pulled down

4952
05:18:43.119 --> 05:18:46.880
his night vision goggles above his eyes. No sooner did

4953
05:18:46.880 --> 05:18:51.680
the words leave his mouth. Things began to go immediately wrong.

4954
05:18:52.599 --> 05:18:55.279
King was yanked out of the door and thrown screaming

4955
05:18:55.319 --> 05:18:59.560
towards the ground by an unseen assailant. Everyone couldn't comprehend

4956
05:18:59.599 --> 05:19:02.959
what just happened to the Hammer Squad commander, and everyone's

4957
05:19:03.040 --> 05:19:08.040
jaw was just hanging open. Panic was not unlike fire.

4958
05:19:08.560 --> 05:19:12.520
When panic spreads uncontrolled, it spreads fast, just like a

4959
05:19:12.560 --> 05:19:17.159
forest blaze. Suddenly, without warning, the helicopter lurched forward and

4960
05:19:17.240 --> 05:19:20.200
pitched itself towards the ground in an out of control spiral.

4961
05:19:20.680 --> 05:19:23.319
Soldiers fell out of the open hatch door and tumbled

4962
05:19:23.319 --> 05:19:26.479
to their deaths. You are not surviving that kind of

4963
05:19:26.520 --> 05:19:29.959
a fall, with that kind of force. I held onto

4964
05:19:29.959 --> 05:19:32.279
my seat as best I could and tried to unlatch

4965
05:19:32.319 --> 05:19:37.200
my safety harness. I kneeded out fast. We smashed into

4966
05:19:37.200 --> 05:19:40.400
the ground hard and glass and metal flew everywhere as

4967
05:19:40.400 --> 05:19:44.360
the helicopter split apart from the impact. Fire and small

4968
05:19:44.400 --> 05:19:47.959
explosions happened all around us as we skidded across the

4969
05:19:48.040 --> 05:19:50.840
lawn and finally came to a stop when we hit

4970
05:19:50.919 --> 05:19:54.840
the entranceway of the structure. My safety, harness and enhanced

4971
05:19:54.880 --> 05:20:00.360
durability probably kept me alive. Probably everyone else was not

4972
05:20:00.439 --> 05:20:03.040
so lucky. The other soldiers who were still in their

4973
05:20:03.040 --> 05:20:06.400
seats did not survive the crash. One of them seemed

4974
05:20:06.400 --> 05:20:09.159
to have caught shrapnel to the face and neck, the

4975
05:20:09.200 --> 05:20:12.080
other had her neck snapped by the force of the crash,

4976
05:20:12.240 --> 05:20:15.400
and another soldier whose face I couldn't see, had been

4977
05:20:15.439 --> 05:20:19.240
messily disemboweled by a piece of debris. I could hear

4978
05:20:19.279 --> 05:20:22.119
the other craft land safely, and then I heard the

4979
05:20:22.159 --> 05:20:27.360
sounds of gunfire outside and people screaming time to go.

4980
05:20:28.200 --> 05:20:30.720
I escaped my harness and the wreckage of the crash

4981
05:20:30.919 --> 05:20:34.080
and pushed my way out of the shattered helicopter. The

4982
05:20:34.119 --> 05:20:36.680
others had landed safely, but it didn't matter, as they

4983
05:20:36.680 --> 05:20:40.759
were completely surrounded by flying creatures, and they weren't shooting

4984
05:20:40.799 --> 05:20:45.040
with any precision. They were shooting wildly and without thinking,

4985
05:20:45.159 --> 05:20:48.880
except to empty their magazines at anything that moved. If

4986
05:20:48.919 --> 05:20:51.639
you can believe it, this is where things went from

4987
05:20:51.680 --> 05:20:56.840
bad to worse. Tanya Dante stood back to back with

4988
05:20:56.919 --> 05:21:00.759
Mnemonic in an attempt to keep some sense of combat awareness.

4989
05:21:01.360 --> 05:21:03.880
The pair at least were shooting with purpose and even

4990
05:21:03.959 --> 05:21:06.439
hitting a few of the creatures in the air and

4991
05:21:06.479 --> 05:21:09.840
potentially even killing a few. But I couldn't be sure

4992
05:21:09.880 --> 05:21:14.040
from all the muzzle flashes. Fall back, fall back, goddamn it,

4993
05:21:14.560 --> 05:21:18.479
Dante yelled at anyone who would listen. No sooner did

4994
05:21:18.520 --> 05:21:21.439
she yell that. Something swooped out of the sky and

4995
05:21:21.520 --> 05:21:24.639
picked her up by her shoulders and carried her into

4996
05:21:24.680 --> 05:21:28.319
the air. The lieutenant wasn't going down without a fight, though,

4997
05:21:28.599 --> 05:21:31.279
as she kept firing her weapon. As she ascended into

4998
05:21:31.319 --> 05:21:35.560
the sky with her captor, the monster used its tremendous

4999
05:21:35.639 --> 05:21:38.560
strength to throw her against a second story building wall

5000
05:21:38.880 --> 05:21:44.959
with enough force to shatter concrete. Mnemonic looked at me

5001
05:21:45.040 --> 05:21:48.119
in utter terror and started to run away from the fight.

5002
05:21:48.959 --> 05:21:51.520
He didn't make it fifty feet before he was swarmed.

5003
05:21:52.159 --> 05:21:55.479
The creatures tore the poor hero to pieces within seconds,

5004
05:21:55.560 --> 05:21:59.000
and fountains of blood spewed from what remained of his body.

5005
05:22:00.279 --> 05:22:05.159
That's enough, A powerful voice echoed across the battlefield, and

5006
05:22:05.240 --> 05:22:10.000
for a second, everyone stopped fighting and shooting, and all

5007
05:22:10.040 --> 05:22:14.680
eyes focused in that direction. A person in medical scrubs

5008
05:22:14.720 --> 05:22:18.560
emerged from behind the crashed helicopter near the entrance and

5009
05:22:18.680 --> 05:22:22.080
started walking towards the center of all of us. The

5010
05:22:22.119 --> 05:22:26.360
shimmering light distortion appeared beside this new stranger, and Fase

5011
05:22:26.439 --> 05:22:29.040
stepped out and started to engage in hand to hand

5012
05:22:29.080 --> 05:22:33.880
combat with his new enemy. She started kicking and punching

5013
05:22:34.240 --> 05:22:38.159
with her attacks enhanced with her bioelectric energy, and while

5014
05:22:38.200 --> 05:22:42.439
spectacular looking, it didn't seem to hurt this person at all.

5015
05:22:42.880 --> 05:22:45.959
They just kept walking towards the middle of the battleground.

5016
05:22:47.000 --> 05:22:53.639
They kept walking towards me stand still. Fucker Phase yelled

5017
05:22:53.680 --> 05:22:56.200
as she kept up, but none of her attacks seemed

5018
05:22:56.200 --> 05:23:00.040
to affect them. Finally, enough light was present that I

5019
05:22:59.880 --> 05:23:02.880
could get a good look at this person in the scrubs.

5020
05:23:03.319 --> 05:23:06.720
It was a man in his early twenties or maybe

5021
05:23:06.759 --> 05:23:10.200
mid twenties at most. He walked with a stride and

5022
05:23:10.279 --> 05:23:15.520
purpose that someone who knows their untouchable does. Fase stood

5023
05:23:15.560 --> 05:23:18.360
in front of him and cupped her hands together and

5024
05:23:18.560 --> 05:23:22.319
thrust them forward and hurled a huge bolt of blue,

5025
05:23:22.319 --> 05:23:25.959
crackling lightning. The discharge filled the air with so much

5026
05:23:26.080 --> 05:23:28.680
power that I could feel my hair pick up on

5027
05:23:28.799 --> 05:23:33.000
a static charge. The man kept walking past Phase and

5028
05:23:33.080 --> 05:23:38.479
towards me. I said, stop, Fase teleported right in front

5029
05:23:38.479 --> 05:23:41.560
of him and attempted to stand in his way, and

5030
05:23:41.799 --> 05:23:46.400
just as she rematerialized, the man grabbed her by the throat. No,

5031
05:23:47.560 --> 05:23:51.240
the man snapped her neck and tossed her lifeless body

5032
05:23:51.279 --> 05:23:55.040
to the ground with a wet smack. Megaton chose his

5033
05:23:55.119 --> 05:23:58.599
moment to dive bomb the man from somewhere high above

5034
05:23:59.000 --> 05:24:02.759
and create a huge, huge impact crater. The two struggled

5035
05:24:02.759 --> 05:24:07.000
in exchanged blows while entangled in each other's limbs. Okay,

5036
05:24:07.720 --> 05:24:10.400
maybe this will make a difference. Maybe this is the

5037
05:24:10.520 --> 05:24:13.880
edge we need. Megaton grabbed hold of the man and

5038
05:24:13.919 --> 05:24:16.720
flew straight up into the sky out of sight, and

5039
05:24:16.799 --> 05:24:22.840
for a moment, everyone stopped again, absolutely transfixed by what happened.

5040
05:24:23.720 --> 05:24:28.919
Vampire and soldier alike just stood there and waited. You

5041
05:24:28.959 --> 05:24:32.560
could hear a thunderous clash of blows above us, high

5042
05:24:32.639 --> 05:24:35.599
in the clouds, and it echoed so loudly that the

5043
05:24:35.639 --> 05:24:40.720
remaining glass near us vibrated and threatened to shatter. Megaton

5044
05:24:40.880 --> 05:24:44.840
had this guy on the ropes America. Fuck yeah, take

5045
05:24:44.919 --> 05:24:46.840
that Dracula.

5046
05:24:47.400 --> 05:24:51.279
Then silence, thud.

5047
05:24:52.319 --> 05:24:55.119
A body hit the ground with such impact that it

5048
05:24:55.200 --> 05:24:59.200
exploded and coated everything nearby in a shower of blood

5049
05:24:59.240 --> 05:25:03.680
and gore. The gentle flapping of leather wings carried upon

5050
05:25:03.759 --> 05:25:07.560
the night wind. The man and the scrubs had transformed

5051
05:25:07.599 --> 05:25:11.479
into his monstrous and vicious vampire lord form. In his

5052
05:25:11.639 --> 05:25:15.479
left hand, he held what was left of Megaton's head.

5053
05:25:16.360 --> 05:25:18.840
He smiled as he held it and looked at me

5054
05:25:19.400 --> 05:25:23.599
as he took a bite out of Megaton's face and

5055
05:25:23.759 --> 05:25:28.680
chewed on his flesh. Finish the others off, Leave this

5056
05:25:28.759 --> 05:25:33.680
one to me, he quietly whispered, And no sooner did

5057
05:25:33.720 --> 05:25:37.279
those words leave his ashen gray lips than the other

5058
05:25:37.439 --> 05:25:40.959
soldiers fell silent as they too joined their friends as

5059
05:25:41.119 --> 05:25:46.400
killed in action. This is it, Caroline Quinn. This is

5060
05:25:46.439 --> 05:25:48.159
where you die.

5061
05:25:48.400 --> 05:25:48.840
Rhianne.

5062
05:25:48.880 --> 05:25:53.040
I'm sorry I wasn't better to you. The menacing vampire

5063
05:25:53.119 --> 05:25:55.840
lord flew right down in front of me and stood

5064
05:25:55.919 --> 05:26:00.720
up to his full hulking height and towered above me. Jesus,

5065
05:26:00.799 --> 05:26:04.799
this guy was huge. We share the same blood, you

5066
05:26:04.880 --> 05:26:08.880
and I. We're the next step in ascending what humanity

5067
05:26:08.959 --> 05:26:13.720
can be we are better than the cattle around us.

5068
05:26:14.159 --> 05:26:15.040
Great.

5069
05:26:15.319 --> 05:26:17.319
Not only am I gonna die here, but I have

5070
05:26:17.400 --> 05:26:20.479
to listen to this dickhead monologue before he kills me

5071
05:26:21.159 --> 05:26:28.279
or something worse. Think Okay, okay, maybe that'll work. A

5072
05:26:28.319 --> 05:26:31.479
piece of the shredded helicopter about as long as a

5073
05:26:31.520 --> 05:26:35.159
baseball bat and sharp as hell. I can probably reach

5074
05:26:35.200 --> 05:26:38.919
it if I can keep this idiot talking and inching

5075
05:26:38.959 --> 05:26:44.439
me backwards. How are we alike exactly? I'm not exactly

5076
05:26:44.479 --> 05:26:48.279
feeling the whole undead vibe or looking like something from

5077
05:26:48.319 --> 05:26:53.279
a horror movie. Keep him talking. I've known about others

5078
05:26:53.400 --> 05:26:56.880
like you for a long time. You aren't as special

5079
05:26:56.919 --> 05:27:00.159
as you think. You're what was created long ago, oh

5080
05:27:00.200 --> 05:27:06.040
by those who helped us escape the confinements of the void. Okay,

5081
05:27:06.279 --> 05:27:09.479
I have no fucking clue what this guy is talking about.

5082
05:27:10.520 --> 05:27:13.520
I know who I am and more or less where

5083
05:27:13.560 --> 05:27:18.279
I came from. Right, I slowly back up and keep

5084
05:27:18.319 --> 05:27:20.720
my eye on a piece of shrapnel I'm hoping to

5085
05:27:20.759 --> 05:27:25.959
turn into a weapon. Void Huh sounds like a nightclub.

5086
05:27:26.919 --> 05:27:30.560
Your attempts at delaying your fate are amusing, but it

5087
05:27:30.680 --> 05:27:34.240
stops here. Join others like yourself and take your place

5088
05:27:34.279 --> 05:27:38.080
at the unholy throne at the head of humanity, turn

5089
05:27:38.119 --> 05:27:41.880
this diseased world into a paradise for those wronged by

5090
05:27:41.959 --> 05:27:46.360
that from above. I am not getting into a religious

5091
05:27:46.360 --> 05:27:50.520
debate with this goddamn monster. I stop and I can

5092
05:27:50.560 --> 05:27:53.479
feel my hand touch the hot steel of the shrapnel.

5093
05:27:54.599 --> 05:27:58.240
You know what, I'm good. I grab the piece of

5094
05:27:58.279 --> 05:28:01.240
metal like a sword and apps sslutely throw all of

5095
05:28:01.240 --> 05:28:05.119
my momentum into a forward swing at this thing's head.

5096
05:28:06.000 --> 05:28:10.040
It blocks the strike with its clawed hand. Oh shit,

5097
05:28:10.919 --> 05:28:13.520
It gets a solid grip on my left arm and

5098
05:28:13.680 --> 05:28:16.599
breaks it at the wrist and throws me aside roughly.

5099
05:28:16.959 --> 05:28:20.520
I tumble toward the helicopter near the entranceway and skid

5100
05:28:20.599 --> 05:28:27.040
right into the doorframe. The vampire lord continues advancing towards me. Okay,

5101
05:28:27.880 --> 05:28:32.520
that didn't work. I quickly assessed my situation and I

5102
05:28:32.560 --> 05:28:36.159
got one last hail Mary as it were. Just inside

5103
05:28:36.200 --> 05:28:39.360
the wreckage is one of the helicopter mounted weapons, and

5104
05:28:39.439 --> 05:28:44.759
it looks relatively intact despite its crash. The barrel appears

5105
05:28:44.799 --> 05:28:48.680
to be fine and it seems spilled up to the magazine.

5106
05:28:48.880 --> 05:28:52.119
I start crawling my way inside the crash and try

5107
05:28:52.159 --> 05:28:55.439
my best not to get burned by the dying fires.

5108
05:28:56.200 --> 05:28:59.479
You chose to hide like a coward rather than live

5109
05:28:59.520 --> 05:29:04.959
as a guy among mortals. Okay, it's time to shut

5110
05:29:04.959 --> 05:29:07.919
the fuck up. I pull myself forward and aim the

5111
05:29:07.959 --> 05:29:11.279
mounted minigun out the ruined door and squeeze the triggers

5112
05:29:11.319 --> 05:29:14.240
on both sides of the weapon. It hums to life

5113
05:29:14.240 --> 05:29:16.720
with an electric whirl as it begins to spin its

5114
05:29:16.799 --> 05:29:21.880
rotating barrels. This mini gun fires more of the enhanced AMMO,

5115
05:29:22.119 --> 05:29:25.319
except it's seven point six y two, which means that

5116
05:29:25.400 --> 05:29:28.919
our vampire lord friend pretty much liquefies when I hit

5117
05:29:29.000 --> 05:29:32.599
him with hundreds of rounds, if not thousands of rounds

5118
05:29:32.639 --> 05:29:35.759
per minute. He doesn't even have a chance to look

5119
05:29:35.799 --> 05:29:40.840
surprised before I completely turn him into paste. There isn't

5120
05:29:40.919 --> 05:29:44.000
much left of him besides a pair of shoes, and

5121
05:29:44.439 --> 05:29:48.680
I'm totally okay with that. Silence fills the air once

5122
05:29:48.720 --> 05:29:51.720
again as soon as I stop firing, and the barrels

5123
05:29:51.759 --> 05:29:57.520
wind down as the electric motor disengages, I one. I

5124
05:29:57.599 --> 05:30:01.080
take myself outside of the ruined chopper and back outside

5125
05:30:01.119 --> 05:30:04.560
into the night once again. I stand up and cradle

5126
05:30:04.639 --> 05:30:08.720
my broken wrist and notice a distinct lack of undead

5127
05:30:08.799 --> 05:30:12.919
in my immediate area. I fiddle inside my vest and

5128
05:30:12.959 --> 05:30:16.159
look for my phone and call in to Director Carlson.

5129
05:30:17.000 --> 05:30:21.880
Agent Quinn. Here operation to success. Vampire Lord eliminated, the

5130
05:30:21.919 --> 05:30:26.479
other vampires escaped. My team is gone. Everyone is gone

5131
05:30:26.919 --> 05:30:32.720
Megaton phase mnemonic, everyone except me. This wasn't a success,

5132
05:30:33.599 --> 05:30:38.319
not by a long shot. Understood beginning Cradle of Liberty protocol,

5133
05:30:38.759 --> 05:30:42.040
your country. Thanks you for your service, Agent Quinn. Wait

5134
05:30:42.119 --> 05:30:47.000
what total elimination of the target zone in fifteen minutes? Goodbye,

5135
05:30:47.000 --> 05:30:51.360
Agent Quinn. The line went dead, and so did every

5136
05:30:51.439 --> 05:30:55.560
light in the city. And it was darkness and the

5137
05:30:55.599 --> 05:30:59.959
sound of something sinister in the evening air. This was

5138
05:31:00.240 --> 05:31:04.759
not my idea of a Halloween prank. This is definitely

5139
05:31:04.799 --> 05:31:08.240
not a treat. This had to be a trick, right,

5140
05:31:11.159 --> 05:31:23.000
This was not worth two weeks of vacation in between

5141
05:31:23.479 --> 05:31:30.119
by Shane Migliovokna. Ruby Salazar felt herself slipping. She gripped

5142
05:31:30.119 --> 05:31:32.560
the wood armrests of the chair in the waiting room.

5143
05:31:33.119 --> 05:31:36.520
She jolted awake from her quick nap, only to lock

5144
05:31:36.560 --> 05:31:39.560
her eyes on a wildly grinning face painted on a

5145
05:31:39.639 --> 05:31:44.919
large illuminated plastic pumpkin sitting on a nearby desk. You

5146
05:31:45.080 --> 05:31:48.680
have somebody coming for you, hun, the ultrasound tech asked,

5147
05:31:48.720 --> 05:31:53.279
as she smiled gently at Ruby. No, you were my

5148
05:31:53.400 --> 05:31:55.720
last for the day. You can rest here, or I

5149
05:31:55.759 --> 05:31:58.840
can see if there's a room free. The tech smiled again.

5150
05:31:59.560 --> 05:32:02.599
Ruby smiled weakly. Here's good.

5151
05:32:03.119 --> 05:32:03.479
Thank you.

5152
05:32:04.520 --> 05:32:07.799
Somebody'll call you tomorrow with the results. If you need anything,

5153
05:32:07.840 --> 05:32:11.240
I'll be at my desk. The tech left, leaving Ruby

5154
05:32:11.279 --> 05:32:15.959
alone alone in a medical nightmare on Halloween of all days.

5155
05:32:16.720 --> 05:32:19.040
A light in the corner of the waiting room flickered

5156
05:32:19.040 --> 05:32:23.639
and buzzed softly, crying out for a replacement. The tech

5157
05:32:23.720 --> 05:32:26.759
sat down at her desk, the seat creaking under her.

5158
05:32:27.720 --> 05:32:30.560
Ruby sunk down in her chair as she pulled up

5159
05:32:30.599 --> 05:32:34.000
the hood of her black sweatshirt to cover her head.

5160
05:32:34.520 --> 05:32:39.159
Closing her eyes, she allowed herself to drift off. She

5161
05:32:39.319 --> 05:32:42.759
started to slip again. Her head was spinning, her body

5162
05:32:42.799 --> 05:32:45.799
felt as if it was melting into the chair. Ruby's

5163
05:32:45.840 --> 05:32:49.279
eyes snapped open. She stood in a long, featureless hallway,

5164
05:32:49.639 --> 05:32:53.520
bathed in a crimson glow. A steady hum reverberated from

5165
05:32:53.520 --> 05:32:56.759
one end of the hall. Walking toward the humming, she

5166
05:32:56.880 --> 05:33:00.639
realized the floor was made of water, which rippled at

5167
05:33:00.639 --> 05:33:03.880
her feet as she walked. As Ruby made her way

5168
05:33:03.959 --> 05:33:07.560
down the hall, her progress was slow. What should have

5169
05:33:07.599 --> 05:33:10.000
been a short walk felt like a ten minute one.

5170
05:33:10.639 --> 05:33:13.360
As she neared the end of the hall, the source

5171
05:33:13.360 --> 05:33:17.319
of the humming came into view, two large metal forks

5172
05:33:17.560 --> 05:33:21.560
parallel to one another. The space between them shimmered like

5173
05:33:21.599 --> 05:33:26.119
the sun on an ocean wave. No, a voicelike gravel

5174
05:33:26.200 --> 05:33:31.159
filled her head do not. Ruby fell out of the

5175
05:33:31.159 --> 05:33:35.159
waiting room chair on to the carpeted floor she'd been dreaming.

5176
05:33:36.040 --> 05:33:38.840
Ruby looked around the waiting room. Her face was red

5177
05:33:38.880 --> 05:33:43.680
with embarrassment. She was all alone, she stood, The tech

5178
05:33:43.880 --> 05:33:47.159
was gone, the light over her desk was off. Even

5179
05:33:47.200 --> 05:33:51.040
the fau jack o' lantern was dark. How long had

5180
05:33:51.080 --> 05:33:54.200
she been out? Glancing up at the clock, she was

5181
05:33:54.240 --> 05:33:58.520
astonished to see it appeared stuck. The clock would advance

5182
05:33:58.560 --> 05:34:02.720
a minute and then back to the previous minute, over

5183
05:34:03.319 --> 05:34:06.639
and over. Ruby poked her head in a couple of

5184
05:34:06.639 --> 05:34:10.599
the exam rooms empty, she went to the door leading

5185
05:34:10.639 --> 05:34:12.000
out of the ultrasound area.

5186
05:34:12.840 --> 05:34:13.240
Locked.

5187
05:34:14.159 --> 05:34:16.759
She could see the hallway beyond through the glass of

5188
05:34:16.759 --> 05:34:18.759
the door. It was empty.

5189
05:34:18.799 --> 05:34:19.279
As well.

5190
05:34:20.479 --> 05:34:27.040
Hello, Ruby called out, pulling at the door handle. Hello, anybody.

5191
05:34:27.720 --> 05:34:30.959
She banged on the door frantically at first, becoming more

5192
05:34:31.040 --> 05:34:36.159
angry with each blow. Come on, somebody. She went to

5193
05:34:36.200 --> 05:34:37.560
the phone on the text desk.

5194
05:34:38.360 --> 05:34:38.880
Static.

5195
05:34:39.560 --> 05:34:43.799
She hit buttons, trying to get a dial tone. Nothing worked.

5196
05:34:44.639 --> 05:34:47.520
Ruby sat at the desk for some time, her head

5197
05:34:47.599 --> 05:34:49.159
resting on her arms.

5198
05:34:49.599 --> 05:34:50.439
She was trapped.

5199
05:34:51.319 --> 05:34:54.680
Feeling desperate, she got up and climbed onto the desk.

5200
05:34:55.159 --> 05:34:58.400
She pushed a large ceiling tile out, raining dust down

5201
05:34:58.439 --> 05:35:01.759
on her climb up onto the metal frame that held

5202
05:35:01.799 --> 05:35:05.439
the ceiling tiles in place. Ruby was thankful she was small.

5203
05:35:06.040 --> 05:35:09.799
She could feel the tiles buckle under her weight. Just

5204
05:35:09.840 --> 05:35:13.799
a little ways, she whispered. She made her way past

5205
05:35:13.880 --> 05:35:18.560
the doorframe and out over the hallway. Shit, Ruby cried out,

5206
05:35:18.560 --> 05:35:22.560
cutting her hand on an exposed screw. The surprise and

5207
05:35:22.639 --> 05:35:25.680
pain threw off her balance and she fell through a tile,

5208
05:35:26.240 --> 05:35:28.880
catching herself at the last minute on the metal frame.

5209
05:35:29.520 --> 05:35:33.799
Ruby dangled over the hallway, dropping down. She landed on

5210
05:35:33.840 --> 05:35:38.400
her feet, Son of a bitch. Her legs stung with pain.

5211
05:35:39.360 --> 05:35:42.040
Ruby rubbed her sore legs as she hunted for a

5212
05:35:42.080 --> 05:35:46.240
bathroom to clean her injured hand. All was silent save

5213
05:35:46.279 --> 05:35:48.880
for the sound of her breathing and the hum of

5214
05:35:48.959 --> 05:35:53.919
the overhead lights. She soon found some antiseptic gauze and bandages,

5215
05:35:53.959 --> 05:35:58.319
which admittedly was not that difficult given her hospital surroundings.

5216
05:35:59.040 --> 05:36:03.000
She sat in an empty examination room. The distinct possibility

5217
05:36:03.040 --> 05:36:05.959
that there wasn't another living soul in the hospital was

5218
05:36:06.000 --> 05:36:10.080
starting to sink in. How could she be all alone?

5219
05:36:10.479 --> 05:36:14.000
What had happened? Maybe there'd been some kind of fire

5220
05:36:14.119 --> 05:36:17.639
drill or bomb scare and she slept right through it.

5221
05:36:18.159 --> 05:36:22.119
From what she'd seen, it was possible. Some of the

5222
05:36:22.200 --> 05:36:25.799
rooms in the hall were a mess. Beds were overturned,

5223
05:36:25.799 --> 05:36:28.720
and all manner of papers and equipment littered the floor,

5224
05:36:29.119 --> 05:36:33.240
as if everybody had rushed out all at once. Yeah,

5225
05:36:33.599 --> 05:36:36.720
that had to be it. Everybody was outside. She was

5226
05:36:36.759 --> 05:36:39.840
the only dumbass in the hospital. She went to the

5227
05:36:39.880 --> 05:36:45.200
nearest window outside, smoke hung thick in the air, making

5228
05:36:45.200 --> 05:36:48.919
it hard to see very far. A large shadow passed

5229
05:36:48.919 --> 05:36:53.240
over the window, headed towards the roof, skittering up the

5230
05:36:53.279 --> 05:36:57.520
side of the hospital, making sharp clicking sounds as it went.

5231
05:37:02.080 --> 05:37:06.759
Ruby jumped back. She felt her heart race. That hadn't

5232
05:37:06.799 --> 05:37:11.599
been her imagination there had been something out there. Sitting

5233
05:37:11.639 --> 05:37:15.279
behind the desk at the third floor nurses station, Ruby

5234
05:37:15.319 --> 05:37:18.840
pondered her next move. She picked up the receiver at

5235
05:37:18.880 --> 05:37:22.759
the desk. Instead of a dial tone, there was a

5236
05:37:22.799 --> 05:37:27.560
constant howl of static. Next, she tried the computer, which

5237
05:37:27.639 --> 05:37:30.880
flickered with a blank, bright red screen. When Ruby tried

5238
05:37:30.880 --> 05:37:35.080
to log on, no hope there From somewhere on the

5239
05:37:35.119 --> 05:37:38.080
other end of the floor. Something crashed to the ground

5240
05:37:38.119 --> 05:37:46.040
in a loud, metallic bang. Ruby jumped up from her chair,

5241
05:37:46.119 --> 05:37:51.279
knocking it over. That thing had it come looking for her?

5242
05:37:52.240 --> 05:37:56.119
She dropped down, hiding behind the desk. There was a

5243
05:37:56.200 --> 05:38:01.439
sharp click clack that grew closer and closer. Ruby had

5244
05:38:01.439 --> 05:38:04.680
to calm herself as she felt her heart start to race.

5245
05:38:05.799 --> 05:38:09.319
There was another loud crash as something fell to the floor.

5246
05:38:10.439 --> 05:38:16.680
A stale, rotting smell grew stronger, causing her to involuntarily gag.

5247
05:38:18.479 --> 05:38:24.240
The click clack stopped. Had it heard. Pulling herself under

5248
05:38:24.240 --> 05:38:29.479
the desk, she waited, trying not to breathe. Something knocked

5249
05:38:29.479 --> 05:38:32.720
the phone receiver from its cradle. It swung back and

5250
05:38:32.759 --> 05:38:36.840
forth briefly before the whole thing smashed to the floor.

5251
05:38:37.680 --> 05:38:41.959
The phone was quickly followed by the computer, keyboard and monitor.

5252
05:38:43.319 --> 05:38:47.479
Ruby stifled her urge to cry out. A shadow fell

5253
05:38:47.520 --> 05:38:51.720
over the floor in front of her before retreating. Suddenly,

5254
05:38:51.759 --> 05:38:54.880
there was a deafening scraping sound as something tried to

5255
05:38:54.880 --> 05:38:58.479
pull the desk apart. She screamed and scrambled away from

5256
05:38:58.479 --> 05:39:01.959
the desk, only to come face to face with the

5257
05:39:02.000 --> 05:39:07.040
beast stalking her. Six red eyes stared back at Ruby

5258
05:39:07.319 --> 05:39:10.240
from a thing that looked like a mad scientist had

5259
05:39:10.279 --> 05:39:15.200
mashed a spider and a crab together. Mandibles clicked excitedly

5260
05:39:15.240 --> 05:39:19.560
in the creature's cavernous mouth. A long hairy leg poked

5261
05:39:19.560 --> 05:39:23.799
at her just out of reach. Snatching up the desk chair,

5262
05:39:24.040 --> 05:39:26.520
Ruby held it up like a lion tamer from an

5263
05:39:26.520 --> 05:39:31.880
old movie. Back off, she ordered, trying to sound intimidating.

5264
05:39:32.720 --> 05:39:37.000
The spider crab thing hissed at her, fuck you too.

5265
05:39:37.639 --> 05:39:40.000
She hurled the chair at the thing with an angry swing,

5266
05:39:40.520 --> 05:39:42.799
not staying to see if the chair hit the beast.

5267
05:39:43.040 --> 05:39:46.599
Ruby ran down the hall. She skidded to a stop

5268
05:39:46.639 --> 05:39:51.599
at an intersection. Written on the wall in something disgustingly

5269
05:39:51.680 --> 05:39:56.880
brown was a message this way if you want to

5270
05:39:56.919 --> 05:40:02.000
live under the message was a crude drawn arrow pointing

5271
05:40:02.119 --> 05:40:07.360
left and left she went. The spider crab thing screeched

5272
05:40:07.520 --> 05:40:11.439
as it skittered down the hall. In pursuit, Ruby bounded

5273
05:40:11.439 --> 05:40:14.799
down a couple of flights of stairs following another arrow.

5274
05:40:15.720 --> 05:40:19.520
She stopped to catch her breath. How many levels did

5275
05:40:19.520 --> 05:40:23.319
the damn hospital have? Two more flights and she reached

5276
05:40:23.360 --> 05:40:27.720
the bottom. A single metal door greeted her. A small

5277
05:40:27.759 --> 05:40:31.119
glass window revealed little of what waited on the other side,

5278
05:40:31.720 --> 05:40:35.959
save for darkness. Up above came the sound of something

5279
05:40:36.479 --> 05:40:40.840
pounding against one of the metal doors. Fuck it, She

5280
05:40:41.000 --> 05:40:44.400
pulled the door open, stepping into a dimly lit corridor.

5281
05:40:45.159 --> 05:40:50.279
Broken glass crackled under her feet. Ruby pressed on until

5282
05:40:50.319 --> 05:40:54.479
she came to a door. Opening the door caused something

5283
05:40:54.560 --> 05:40:58.560
to clang loudly. Looking up, there was an empty metal

5284
05:40:58.639 --> 05:41:03.279
can hanging down. It swung back and forth banging on

5285
05:41:03.400 --> 05:41:09.360
the door. Inside was some kind of storage area. Metal

5286
05:41:09.439 --> 05:41:14.080
chairs and trays were haphazardly jammed into the room. The

5287
05:41:14.119 --> 05:41:17.400
next room had the same kind of can in the doorway,

5288
05:41:17.479 --> 05:41:22.959
rig larger than the previous room. This one was a

5289
05:41:22.959 --> 05:41:27.520
boiler room. Water dripped from pipes and steam hissed out

5290
05:41:27.520 --> 05:41:31.759
of metal floor grates, Ruby shivered. It was something from

5291
05:41:31.799 --> 05:41:36.479
a nightmare. This whole thing was a flicker of light

5292
05:41:36.520 --> 05:41:39.159
from the far end of the room caught her eye.

5293
05:41:39.840 --> 05:41:44.119
In a small area behind the rusty, rumbling boiler was

5294
05:41:44.159 --> 05:41:50.799
some kind of shrine. Trinkets, jewelry, faded photos, even bits

5295
05:41:50.840 --> 05:41:55.680
of hair hung on the stained wall. What the hell,

5296
05:41:56.319 --> 05:41:57.360
she muttered.

5297
05:41:58.000 --> 05:41:58.759
What do you have?

5298
05:41:59.479 --> 05:42:04.759
A man, gruff voice asked Ruby spun around. A large,

5299
05:42:04.840 --> 05:42:10.200
scraggly man stood waiting. His long, thinning hair was pulled

5300
05:42:10.240 --> 05:42:13.759
back into a ponytail, and he wore stained and faded

5301
05:42:13.880 --> 05:42:20.080
janitor's coveralls. You work here, Ruby asked, trying not to

5302
05:42:20.159 --> 05:42:26.080
sound scared forever in a day. The man replied, custodial technician.

5303
05:42:26.759 --> 05:42:31.400
That's their bullshit term for janitor. He chuckled, makes him

5304
05:42:31.400 --> 05:42:34.759
feel better when I have to clean the shitter. What's

5305
05:42:34.840 --> 05:42:38.720
going on? Everybody's gone and there's a monster.

5306
05:42:39.479 --> 05:42:40.360
The man nodded.

5307
05:42:41.240 --> 05:42:46.759
You fell through a crack. You're stuck, stuck, stuck where

5308
05:42:47.680 --> 05:42:53.639
out of time? Another world? Hell, take your pick. Ruby

5309
05:42:53.680 --> 05:42:57.080
felt weak, Leaning against the walls. She tried to make

5310
05:42:57.159 --> 05:43:01.520
sense of what he told her. Well, you want to

5311
05:43:01.560 --> 05:43:06.400
get out of here, the janitor grumbled, after a few minutes. Yeah,

5312
05:43:06.720 --> 05:43:09.599
I want to get out of here good. I don't

5313
05:43:09.639 --> 05:43:13.520
want a roommate. It's simple. You pay me, I show

5314
05:43:13.560 --> 05:43:19.080
you the way. Hey, she shivered. I want food or

5315
05:43:19.240 --> 05:43:24.240
something important to you, something with meaning, a story. I

5316
05:43:24.319 --> 05:43:28.599
collect him, He pointed to the shrine. People that pass

5317
05:43:28.680 --> 05:43:33.000
through here gives me a bit of living again. The

5318
05:43:33.080 --> 05:43:36.520
only things in this hospital are me and those hissing

5319
05:43:36.599 --> 05:43:41.759
bastards up there. Ruby rummaged through her pockets. What if

5320
05:43:41.759 --> 05:43:45.880
someone doesn't have something to pay you? The man licked

5321
05:43:45.880 --> 05:43:50.840
his lips and flashed her a greasy smile. Then I

5322
05:43:50.919 --> 05:43:53.840
send you on your way, and the way you are

5323
05:43:53.880 --> 05:44:01.840
blundering through here, they'll get you lickety split. Or you

5324
05:44:02.000 --> 05:44:08.560
go and bring me something from up there. Shit, Ruby whispered.

5325
05:44:12.439 --> 05:44:16.319
Ruby pushed roughly past the janitor. She hadn't eaten in

5326
05:44:16.400 --> 05:44:18.799
some time, and it was starting to affect her mood.

5327
05:44:19.720 --> 05:44:21.880
Maybe she could mug a trick or treater for some

5328
05:44:22.040 --> 05:44:25.560
candy on her way home, if this nightmare ever ends,

5329
05:44:25.639 --> 05:44:29.439
that is, she thought. She opened the door across from

5330
05:44:29.439 --> 05:44:33.279
the boiler room. If you're looking for the way out,

5331
05:44:33.479 --> 05:44:37.759
won't do no good. It's locked, and I got the key.

5332
05:44:38.599 --> 05:44:43.919
The janitor chuckled. If I'm going back up there, I'm

5333
05:44:43.919 --> 05:44:48.000
getting something to defend myself. Wouldn't happen to have a

5334
05:44:48.119 --> 05:44:52.000
rocket launcher, would you? This made the man laugh harder.

5335
05:44:53.080 --> 05:44:56.319
Inside the room there were some old folded tables and

5336
05:44:56.439 --> 05:45:00.799
rusty IV stands. Grabbing one of the stands, Ruby swung it,

5337
05:45:01.279 --> 05:45:06.000
feeling its weight in her hands. It could work. Ruby

5338
05:45:06.040 --> 05:45:10.279
could feel the bemused janitor watching her. Next, she needed

5339
05:45:10.279 --> 05:45:14.200
something sharp. In a utility closet, she found a broken

5340
05:45:14.279 --> 05:45:19.639
floor lamp. Ruby carefully unscrewed the long glass light bulb tube,

5341
05:45:20.319 --> 05:45:23.799
Using a thick rag for protection, She smashed the tube

5342
05:45:23.799 --> 05:45:28.759
against a wall to create a jagged glass shard. Carrying

5343
05:45:28.759 --> 05:45:32.040
her fines back to the boiler room, Ruby cleared a

5344
05:45:32.119 --> 05:45:35.400
space on a work table. She removed the metal pole

5345
05:45:35.479 --> 05:45:38.759
from the ivy stand base, laying it on the table.

5346
05:45:39.560 --> 05:45:43.159
Taking the duct tape the janitor had grudgingly provided, she

5347
05:45:43.319 --> 05:45:46.439
firmly wrapped and secured the sharp glass spear.

5348
05:45:46.119 --> 05:45:47.040
Head to one end.

5349
05:45:48.080 --> 05:45:51.759
Once the glass shard was tightly bound, Ruby tested the

5350
05:45:51.799 --> 05:45:55.599
balance and grip of the full spear. The janitor watched

5351
05:45:55.680 --> 05:46:01.599
warily as she took a few practice jabs. She nodded,

5352
05:46:02.520 --> 05:46:15.439
I'm ready. The janitor smiled, we'll see about that. Ruby

5353
05:46:15.560 --> 05:46:19.080
held her makeshift spear at the ready. She stepped out

5354
05:46:19.119 --> 05:46:23.799
into the corridor, not far from the ultrasound unit. Get in,

5355
05:46:24.240 --> 05:46:29.799
get out, get downstairs, she repeated the mantra. Ruby took

5356
05:46:29.840 --> 05:46:33.279
a deep breath and crept down the hallway iv stand

5357
05:46:33.439 --> 05:46:38.840
poised to strike. The hospital was eerily quiet, except for

5358
05:46:38.880 --> 05:46:43.200
the buzzing of flickering fluorescent lights. She paused outside the

5359
05:46:43.279 --> 05:46:47.560
ultrasound unit where this nightmare had started. The door was

5360
05:46:47.639 --> 05:46:52.439
still closed locked. She'd have to get back inside the

5361
05:46:52.479 --> 05:46:55.959
same way she'd escaped. Dragging a gurney to the spot

5362
05:46:56.119 --> 05:46:59.599
she'd dropped down, Ruby climbed back up into the ceiling.

5363
05:47:00.279 --> 05:47:03.560
Before she could pull herself up, a bone chilling screech

5364
05:47:03.680 --> 05:47:08.159
pierced the air. The spider crab creature skittered around the corner,

5365
05:47:08.680 --> 05:47:13.560
beady red eyes fixed on Ruby. She swung the ivy stand,

5366
05:47:14.040 --> 05:47:18.240
slashing at its hairy legs. The creature recoiled with an

5367
05:47:18.279 --> 05:47:25.639
angry hiss. Back off ugly, Ruby shouted, Brandishing her makeshift

5368
05:47:25.720 --> 05:47:28.919
spear from atop the gurney. She jabbed at the thing's

5369
05:47:29.000 --> 05:47:32.599
eyes as the gurney wobbled under her. It was useless

5370
05:47:32.639 --> 05:47:35.080
fighting it here. She needed to get on the other

5371
05:47:35.159 --> 05:47:38.959
side of that door. Throwing the spear at the thing's eyes,

5372
05:47:39.080 --> 05:47:42.599
Ruby leaped for the opening in the ceiling, jumping up.

5373
05:47:42.759 --> 05:47:46.080
The creature's armored legs smashed at the ceiling as Ruby

5374
05:47:46.119 --> 05:47:49.080
pulled herself through the spider web of metal that held

5375
05:47:49.119 --> 05:47:52.080
up the ceiling tiles. By the time she made it

5376
05:47:52.119 --> 05:47:56.080
back into the ultrasound waiting room, she felt like passing out.

5377
05:47:56.639 --> 05:48:00.639
Her lungs burned as she gasped for air. Sitting on

5378
05:48:00.720 --> 05:48:04.240
the edge of the receptionist's desk, Ruby tried to catch

5379
05:48:04.279 --> 05:48:08.119
her breath. The door shook as the spider crab thing

5380
05:48:08.279 --> 05:48:12.439
rammed it, hissing angrily on the other side. Ruby slid

5381
05:48:12.439 --> 05:48:15.240
off the desk. She didn't have much time. The door

5382
05:48:15.240 --> 05:48:18.959
wouldn't hold up under that monster's attack. She needed to

5383
05:48:18.959 --> 05:48:21.720
get what she came for and get the hell out.

5384
05:48:22.599 --> 05:48:25.319
In the doctor's office next door to the ultrasound room,

5385
05:48:25.680 --> 05:48:29.319
there were stacks of papers and folders littering a large desk.

5386
05:48:30.360 --> 05:48:33.439
No time to be gentle, Ruby thought as she rummaged

5387
05:48:33.479 --> 05:48:37.240
through them, dumping searched folders on the ground. It had

5388
05:48:37.279 --> 05:48:40.759
to be here. Out in reception, the door began to

5389
05:48:40.799 --> 05:48:41.680
splinter open.

5390
05:48:42.360 --> 05:48:42.720
Hurry.

5391
05:48:43.639 --> 05:48:47.200
She threw a stack of papers on the floor. Nothing there.

5392
05:48:48.000 --> 05:48:51.959
Ruby looked up. There it was right where the doctor

5393
05:48:52.000 --> 05:48:56.000
had left it after showing her. Grabbing her prize, Ruby

5394
05:48:56.040 --> 05:48:59.200
stuffed it into her hoodie. The wood door splintered under

5395
05:48:59.200 --> 05:49:03.000
the spider crab attack. Ruby grabbed a chair, swinging it

5396
05:49:03.040 --> 05:49:07.279
at the twisted monstrosity. She backed towards the ultrasound room.

5397
05:49:07.840 --> 05:49:11.040
The door was thicker. There, come on, you, ugly son

5398
05:49:11.080 --> 05:49:14.799
of a bitch, it hissed at her, its demon eyes

5399
05:49:14.880 --> 05:49:18.680
fixed on their prey. Ruby darted into the ultrasound room.

5400
05:49:19.400 --> 05:49:23.200
The thing closed in, ready for the kill. She'd only

5401
05:49:23.200 --> 05:49:26.319
get one shot at what she had in mind. Circling

5402
05:49:26.360 --> 05:49:28.439
around the large bed at the center of the room,

5403
05:49:28.919 --> 05:49:32.360
she put it between herself and the angry horror. With

5404
05:49:32.520 --> 05:49:35.639
all the strength she could muster, Ruby pushed the large

5405
05:49:35.639 --> 05:49:39.040
bed towards the creature, Pinning the spider crab against the wall.

5406
05:49:40.159 --> 05:49:44.360
Ruby ran for the door. Suddenly, a claw lashed out,

5407
05:49:44.560 --> 05:49:47.200
grabbing her by the leg. Ruby let out a cry

5408
05:49:47.240 --> 05:49:50.880
of pain as it dug into her. She furiously kicked

5409
05:49:50.919 --> 05:49:53.560
at the thing's claw with her free leg, and when

5410
05:49:53.560 --> 05:49:56.479
that didn't work, she kicked at the bed, ramming it

5411
05:49:56.560 --> 05:49:59.799
repeatedly into the spider crab until it let her loose.

5412
05:50:00.720 --> 05:50:03.840
As the beast fought to free itself, Ruby scrambled out

5413
05:50:03.840 --> 05:50:07.680
the door, slamming it shut in her wake. Inside, the

5414
05:50:07.720 --> 05:50:14.759
spider crab screeched in protest. Limping back, Ruby found the

5415
05:50:14.840 --> 05:50:18.919
janitor sitting on the floor of the boiler room. Ruby

5416
05:50:18.959 --> 05:50:22.119
threw down the fruits of her quest, a pair of

5417
05:50:22.319 --> 05:50:27.880
X rays. It's back, she revealed, it was in remission,

5418
05:50:28.959 --> 05:50:35.400
not anymore. There's your story. The man nodded, then stood

5419
05:50:36.400 --> 05:50:40.279
follow me. He led her through a maze of hallways

5420
05:50:40.560 --> 05:50:44.360
through the inner recesses of the basement. After what seemed

5421
05:50:44.360 --> 05:50:48.159
like forever, they arrived at a small flight of concrete steps,

5422
05:50:48.560 --> 05:50:52.720
headed up to a set of double doors. We had

5423
05:50:52.759 --> 05:50:55.639
a deal, the janitor said, as he pulled out a

5424
05:50:55.680 --> 05:50:59.479
gold key on a gold chain from his coveralls, and

5425
05:50:59.560 --> 05:51:04.520
here we are the exit. Ruby started up the steps

5426
05:51:04.599 --> 05:51:08.319
and stopped. What's on the other side of those doors,

5427
05:51:09.479 --> 05:51:15.240
he shrugged. Can't say, maybe away back, maybe more of

5428
05:51:15.279 --> 05:51:23.040
the same, maybe nothing. Why Why do you stay? I've

5429
05:51:23.080 --> 05:51:26.439
been here a long time. It may be shitty here,

5430
05:51:26.520 --> 05:51:30.159
but I know what I got. Besides, there's always another

5431
05:51:30.200 --> 05:51:36.639
asshole coming through without me. He shrugged. The lock loudly

5432
05:51:36.680 --> 05:51:41.240
clicked as he turned the key. So get going, I'm

5433
05:51:41.279 --> 05:51:47.919
already bored of you, Ruby smiled. Thanks, yep. He backed

5434
05:51:47.959 --> 05:51:53.720
down the stairs. Good luck, and then she was alone.

5435
05:51:55.000 --> 05:51:58.479
Ruby put her hand on the door. It was warm

5436
05:51:58.560 --> 05:52:03.439
to the touch. She took a deep breath and pushed

5437
05:52:03.479 --> 05:52:13.080
the doors open. Ruby wandered the streets, ghosts and goblins

5438
05:52:13.119 --> 05:52:19.880
swirling around her, their gyrations fueled by sugar and mischief.

5439
05:52:21.119 --> 05:52:25.119
But all the Halloween haunts couldn't compare to the horror

5440
05:52:25.240 --> 05:52:30.840
she now knew existed in between our world and the

5441
05:52:30.840 --> 05:52:44.680
world beyond. Well, my spookies, you've survived nearly six hours

5442
05:52:45.200 --> 05:52:49.080
of Halloween horror. I'm proud of you for making it

5443
05:52:49.159 --> 05:52:53.279
this far. But don't get cocky. We have a lot

5444
05:52:53.360 --> 05:52:57.680
more of spooky season left. And remember weekly spooky doesn't

5445
05:52:57.680 --> 05:53:03.200
go anywhere when October is over. Every single week we

5446
05:53:03.279 --> 05:53:07.080
bring the scares so we can keep that Halloween vibe

5447
05:53:07.119 --> 05:53:11.840
alive all year long. And we always have lots of

5448
05:53:12.439 --> 05:53:17.560
very special festive fears coming right for you in December,

5449
05:53:18.159 --> 05:53:21.319
so make sure you're subscribed on your favorite podcasting app,

5450
05:53:21.680 --> 05:53:27.080
and check out Weeklyspooky dot com for merchandise, Patreon, and

5451
05:53:27.240 --> 05:53:30.200
so much more. But now it's time for me to

5452
05:53:30.240 --> 05:53:34.400
get back to work and you to try and survive

5453
05:53:34.479 --> 05:53:37.400
the night. See you tomorrow