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Weekly Spooky
Weekly Spooky
Scary stories, urban legends, haunted places, cryptids and dark folklore with Henrique Couto. New nightmares throughout the week. Halloween all year long.
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Oct. 7, 2025

9 Scary Halloween Stories — Headless Riders & Haunted Towns

9 Scary Halloween Stories — Headless Riders & Haunted Towns
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It’s Spooky Season—prime time for a wall-to-wall Halloween horror binge. This full audio compilation from the Weekly Spooky horror podcast packs 9 scary stories of monsters, urban legends, ghostly vengeance, and October-night mayhem. Hit play for a cinematic mix of pumpkin curses, headless riders, haunted towns, and parties from hell—perfect for late-night listening, trick-or-treat routes, or fall drives.

What’s inside (in order):

- Mischief Night: The Halloween Invasion — Shane Migliavacca: A touring punk band limps into a silent town on Halloween…where the “locals” aren’t human anymore. Survival horror across a diner, alleys, and rooftops before the bridge out.
- Dullahan — Morgan Moore: A new kid—eerily resembling a condemned witch-trial figure—finds himself hunted on a moonlit path by a headless rider bent on collecting. Creepy folklore turned chase-night terror.
- Origin of the Pumpkin Man — Charles Campbell: Middle-school hijinks at the Jack-O-Lantern Jubilee escalate from pranks to explosions…and seed the birth of a grim valley legend. 80s Halloween vibes with a sharp fuse.
- The Grinner — Henrique Couto: A Halloween-obsessed kid, a coveted VHS, and a scarecrow with a warped smile guarding a candy bowl at a decaying hall. Greed, dares, and a grin you can’t forget.
- Ghost in the Graveyard — Rob Fields: Strickfield extends trick-or-treating to a full week; three friends push to midnight and stir up unfinished business from a summer of horrors. Small-town tradition meets the supernatural.
- Tricks and Treats — Keith Tomlin: Jack Scratch—an infernal “talent scout”—walks a Midwestern Halloween to sample blood, death, and pain. Interlinked vignettes of wicked people getting the justice they deserve.
- The Night Stocker — Shane Migliavacca: First night on the job, Halloween shift, “special shipment” in the back, and wolves circling in the parking lot. A grocery aisle turns slasher-stage after hours.
- Strife of the Party — David O’Hanlon: Glitzy corporate Halloween gala, FX-artist costume flexing, billionaires behaving badly—then the masks come off and the body count climbs. A savage social-horror romp.
- Burn on the Bayou — L. F. Falconer: A famed Halloween host stages his most ambitious haunted soirée at a ruined manor—while a lover’s plot to “solve” a marriage collides with real ghosts and older fires. Gothic, lush, and lethal.

Curl up with a pumpkin spice (or something stronger), turn the lights down, and let October do what October does.

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

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Hello, my spookies. October is in full swing. The leaves

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are fluttering, the moon is watching, and the porch lights

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are flickering like they know something evil is coming. I'm

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your host and narrator, Enrique Kuto, and while we do

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celebrate Halloween all year long here at Weekly Spooky, it's

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extra special in October. So to help you get in

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the spirit of the season, we've cracked open the Weekly

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Spooky Vault for nine terrifying tales of Halloween horror, mischief

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in the streets, pumpkin born curses, headless riders, graveyard games,

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buy you flames, parties that end badly, and a late

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night grocery run you will absolutely regret. So dim the light,

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get that candy bowl within eyesight, and let us do

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the rest. And remember, we'll be dropping another big spooky

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compilation next Tuesday, and of course tomorrow we'll have a

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brand new horror story for you to enjoy. So take

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a breath, lock the door, and let's begin Mischief Night.

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The Halloween Invasion by Shane.

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Migliavaka Happy mother fucking Halloween, Calm Down, Son, Son swore

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in Korean before she kicked the van's flat tire why

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should I, Jade, We're stuck in the middle of nowhere

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on Halloween night with a blown out tire and a

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gig we're supposed to be at actually two blown out tires,

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another voice added. This caused more swearing in Korean from Sun.

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Jade sighed, mumbling under her breath. Good one. Alli. Ali

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stepped around from the other side of the van. She

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was a short, bleach blonde with a style that contrasted

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her bandmate's maulpunk coteur. Now what the fuck do we do?

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Sun leaned. Defeated against the van. Jade, the lead singer

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of the Disposable Tampons, looked up and down the long

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stretch of road. Nothing but fucking trees. She pulled at

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one of her long brown curls. Son, think your sister

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Bay would come get us, Jade asked, not feeling hopeful

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about the answer. Son shook her head. She's got an

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art class tonight. Damn. How about the town we passed?

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Ali interjected, They gotta have a garage or something. Jade smiled, brilliant.

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We'll push the van off the road then hook it

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to that town. The three girls got ready to move

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the van when they realized something. Aren't we missing something?

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Sun nodded towards the van or someone. Sun pulled the

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van sliding door open. Wedged between the seats and the

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band's gear was a sleeping bag with a human like

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lump inside. Sun knocked on the side of the van,

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Up and Adam rasse Linda. A groan came from the

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sleeping bag. What we need your help, Roz. Roz opened

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the sleeping bag.

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What's up?

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Sun frowned, Really, you slept through the hole, nearly going

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off the road thing Roz slid out of the van.

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We crashed? Why tires blew out? Ali informed her. Fuck

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knows how the shitty machine strikes again. Sun kicked one

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of the van's tires. Don't talk about my baby like that,

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Jade warned her. A fine mist settled over the ground

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as dusk fell. Roz yawned. Why are you always doing that?

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Sun asked, I'm tired from what sleeping? Channeling the energies

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I do? It taxes my spirit? How about channeling us

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up a couple of tires. Ali looked over at Jade,

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who appeared to be deep in thought as they walked.

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Is the country supposed to be this quiet? Sun asked,

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like we're the only ones that exist. Ali observed, have

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you ever thought about that? Roz spoke up existing. I

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mean right now we can't see or hear anybody. Do

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they still exist? Or is it only when we can

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see them that they exist? No, I can't say I have,

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Jade answered. Sun looked at Roz, you high. All four

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girls chuckled. That's when they saw it ahead of them

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down the road, an old steel bridge, large enough for

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two lanes of traffic and nothing more. Beyond the bridge

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lay the town. They were a quarter of a way

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across the bridge when Jade noted how still the town looked.

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It was Halloween night, there should be some tricker treaters.

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A gust of wind blew across the bridge, bringing with

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it a sudden chill in the air and something else.

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What is that smell, Sun said, pinching her nose shut.

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Did somebody shit their pants? I think it's sewage, Ali said,

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making a face. Maybe there's a treatment plant or something

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around here. The road led to the main drag of town.

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On the right was a diner. A paper cut out

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of a witch was taped up in the window. A

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banner hung over it. Proclaiming Happy Halloween. Jade pulled open

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the diner's door. You guys wait here, No, can't do.

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I'm going in with you, Ali said, Son looked up

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and down the empty street. Shit, me too. The three

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girls entered the diner. Ros lingered alone for a second

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before following them inside. Country music drifted through the uninhabited

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structure from somewhere behind the counter. Plates sat on tables

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covered in half eaten meals. For the briefest of seconds,

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Jade saw it, a figure standing in the semi darkened kitchen. Hey,

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Jade called out, startling the girls and herself as she

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slid over the counter in pursuit. Her bandmates called after

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her as she ran into the kitchen. The kitchen was

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empty save for her and a grinning Jack o' lantern

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decoration hanging on the far wall. What are you laughing at,

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Jade asked, frustrated Jade, you better see this. Jade leaned

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over the counter. What. Ali pointed out the large front window,

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where a group of people stood in a straight line

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on the street, their features hidden in the dark shadows

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of the night. Oh oh shit. They stepped forward in unison.

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The one closest to the door, peered into the diner,

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tilting its head as it studied them. Its green eyes

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shone in the darkness. Oh fuck, Son uttered, what is

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that a really good Halloween costume? Ali queried. Through with

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its study, the once human thing punched through the glass.

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The girls jumped back, shrieking. Back here, back here, Jade screamed.

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The three joined her in the kitchen, quickly arming themselves

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with cooking implements. The thing crunched broken glass under its

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foot as it stepped through the broken door. What do

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you want, Ali asked, We don't want any trouble. It

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turned towards them, Its mouth opened wide as it let

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out an unearthly bellow, causing the nearby windows to vibrate

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and shatter. Okay, Jade said, now we run. The band

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burst out of the diner onto a cluttered back alley.

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At the end of the alley stood more of the

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former townsfolk, forever watching them. Sun hefted a cleaver. Let's

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fight these assholes. We don't know what they want, Roz said.

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They could be trying to communicate with us. They might

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be possessed by something, maybe that body snatches or some shit.

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Sun added. That guy in the diner didn't look so hot.

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What if they have some kind of virus, Ali offered.

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The townspeople started down the alley towards them. Jade was

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just about to begin the fight when she saw it,

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a rusty fire escape ladder up there. She motioned to

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the others, I think it's our best bet. There was

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no disagreement from the others as they pulled down the

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ladder and made their way up. As the strangers closed

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in on the roof, the girls took a moment to rest.

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Think those fuckers can climb, Son asked, spitting over the

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edge of the roof. Jade looked at the throng below.

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Think we can sneak out of here? Well, we can't

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make it to the bridge. There's too many of them

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between here and there. Ali observed. Maybe we should call

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the cops, Roz said. Son scoffed at the idea, and

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tell them what the whole town has gone wacko, Roz shrugged.

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Worth a shot, Jade stepped forward, Do it, Ali, keep

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a watch on our friends. Son pulled out her phone.

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She looked at Jade. What the hell do I tell them?

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Jade pondered the question for a moment. I don't know.

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Tell him it's terrorists. Son made a face. Terrorists took

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over the town. Yeah, basically, Jade answered. Sun punched nine

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one one into her phone. She was answered with a

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shrill electronic shriek. Hang it up, Hang it up, Roz pleaded.

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Sun fumbled with the phone before finally turning it off. Guys,

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Ali said, they're stirring down there. I think they heard that.

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Realizing they had no other option, the four snuck down

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from the roof and advanced down main Street, hugging the storefronts.

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They made it a few down when Suns stopped them

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in front of an auto shop. Look, she whispered, enthusiastically,

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motioning inside. Two dirt bikes sat against one wall of

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the garage. We could totally jet out of here. Sun whispered, easy, breezy, beautiful.

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What if they don't work? Ali said, they're in a garage.

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What if they do? Sun shot back. Jade thought, for

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a moment, Okay, we'll go for it. They entered through

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an unlocked office window, revealing the dingy garage. A man

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in overalls lay on the center of the oil stained

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concrete floor. A strange green substance covered his upper torso

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think he's dead. Maybe he's taking a long break, Son answered.

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As the girls examined the something fell in the far

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corner of the garage, causing the foursome to jump in fright.

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Duct tape rolled across the floor towards them. A boy

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stepped out of the shadows, dressed in a dracula costume.

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An overturned toolbox lay at his feet. Are you okay, kid,

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Jade asked. The child remained silent. Come here, kiddo, Ali

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beckoned him over. The boy stood staring at them. Is

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that your dad, Son asked, pointing to the man on

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the ground. Again, The child did not respond. Don't ask

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him that, Roz scolded. He could be traumatized. Screw this,

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Sun said, starting towards the boy. Come on, kid. She

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reached out towards the youth. The boy let out a

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deafening howl. Struggled against the sonic barrage, unaware that the

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prone man sat up next to her. Son screamed as

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the man took hold of her shoulders. As this was happening,

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the boy advanced towards the distracted sun. Jade wiped blood

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from her ears as her hearings started to return The

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first thing she heard was Son swearing. Hearing her friend

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in trouble, she grabbed a pipe wrench from the nearby table.

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Charging by her two still recovering friends, Jade swung the wrench,

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hitting the man in the side of the head as

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he tried forcing Son to the ground. The blow landed

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with a wet crunch. The boy howled and lunged at Sun.

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His jaw expanded as green liquid dripped from his mouth.

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Son kicked him away, sending him to the nearby tool bench.

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Son stood and grabbed the wrench from Jade's hand. Mother

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fucking little shit, she grumbled as she swung at the boy.

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She cracked him in the head, causing him to spin

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around and spew green mucus all over the concrete floor.

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He stumbled around like a drunk before dropping to the ground.

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Oh fuck, Sun gasped, I just killed that kid. Jade

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put a hand on her friend's shoulder. It's okay. Son

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looked down at the man's body. Is he think so?

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Jade responded. They turned to their friends, who were recovering

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from the sonic attack. You guys, okay, yeah, Roz answered,

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As Son, Jade and Roz moved the dirt bikes into

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position and gave them a quick check. Ali found a

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good view of the street from one of the windows.

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They definitely heard. We got strange assholes inbound, she reported

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back to them. Jade and Son started the bikes up

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as Ali and Roz raised one of the garage doors.

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Jumping onto the backs of the bikes, the women roared

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out onto the streets as the townspeople closed in trying

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to encircle the girls. Jade kicked one as Roz belted

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one of over the head with a frying pan she'd

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taken from the diner. Suddenly more of them came from

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the surrounding buildings. There's too many, Ali roared over the

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bike's engine. Follow me, Sun said, pointing to a thinned

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out area of the mob. She gunned her engine, plowing

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through a few of the horde, while Jade followed. As

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Son took off down a side street, some of the

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people were running after them. They're getting better, Jade said aloud,

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what Ali asked? Those people? Those things? They're getting better

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at being people. When they'd been watching from the diner roof,

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they'd stumbled about and had trouble with the ladder. Now

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they were running. Were they learning? Jade shivered, Just what

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the hell was going on? Son stopped her bike next

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to a heavily wooded area. Jade slowed her bike, pulling

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up next to her look. Son motioned, a path. Maybe

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it'll take us out of town to a rote or something.

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Roz stared into the darkness of the woods. She shivered

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and rubbed her arms. Those woods ancient dark, Roz warned,

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feels like a storm in my head. She put a

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hand to her temple, so much energy out there. Son

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turned to Jade with a puzzled look. Are you okay,

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Jade asked. Roz nodded, I will be. I just have

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to do a simple inspection first. She started to quietly chant.

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I hope this spell is fast, Sun said, looking around.

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Never know who'll show up, quiet Ali said. After a

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few minutes, Roz stopped chanting. She looked at her bandmates.

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It's fine, now we can enter. Jade shrugged, sure, fine whatever.

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They entered the woods, leaving their rides behind. The path

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was too dark and uneven to use the bike safely.

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As they walked, the shadowy trees loomed over them on

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either side. The bare branches reached out for them from

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the dark like the devil's trident. The wind gusted and

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that strange rotting smell assaulted their noses again. After following

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the path awhile it opened up to a clearing, the

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cold fall air was still once more. From the other

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side of the clearing came a familiar sound. Is that?

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Jade asked. Ali listened for a moment before answering. It's sting.

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She answered indeed it was. They crossed the clearing, heading

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towards the source of the melancholic singing. The trailer home

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came into view. Christmas lights hung from the trees surrounding

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the home. Sun stopped them. Wait it's a trap. I

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don't know, Ali replied, I don't think those things would

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listen to message in a bottle. All the same, we'll

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move forward cautiously, Jade said. Their stealthy approach was quickly

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ruined by the happy bark of a German shepherd. The

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dog tail wagging ran up to the forsom It barked

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again before trotting off to the trailer door to scrape

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on it with its paws. God damn it, Clint, a

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man hollered from inside the trailer. I was taking a shit.

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The trailer door swung open, and an older man in

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a beat up bathrobe stepped out holding a shotgun. He

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saw the girls and swung the shotgun around, pointing it

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at them. Only fucked up jumping shit, some fucking guard

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dog you are, Clint, don't shoot, mister. Jade raised her arms.

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The other girls followed suit. We're not monsters, Roz added,

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put your hands down. The old man looked at the girls. Well,

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you can talk and your faces aren't fucked up. He

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looked at the dog, who was licking Jade's hand. Clint

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likes you, so, I guess you're not with them commie

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martians in town. No we're not, Sun grumbled. His eyes

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flicked from Son to Jade, then Roz and Ali. Who

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the fuck are you the un We're a band, Jade said,

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ignoring his comment. Our van broke down outside of town.

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What the fuck is going on around here? Sun blurted out.

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Let's go inside. The man said, we'll shoot the shit.

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Sounds good to me. I'm Jade, these are my friends, Ali,

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Son and Roz. He lowered the shotgun. I'm gunnery Sergeant

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Dale Campbell, grumpy old bastard by trade. Were you in

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the army, Ali asked, I was a goddamn marine. Where

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the best there is? They followed him inside, Clint the

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dog happily tagging along. Inside the trailer was pretty much

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what Jade expected. A Marine Corps flag hung on one wall.

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On another was a gunrack. There were empty beer cans

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and whiskey bottles competing for space on the kitchen counter.

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Sitting next to a CD player. On the coffee table

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was a signed picture of Linda Carter as Wonder Woman.

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Cozy Son said, looking around, so, mister Campbell you live

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out here, Jade asked, My dad was mister Campbell? Just

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call me Gunny? He said, yeah, just me and Clint.

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You know about the town, Jade asked. Gunny went to

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the fridge and took out a beer. He held it

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out to Jade. Interest you in a Palantine? Jade hesitated,

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don't worry. I don't give a fuck if you're twenty

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one or not sure. She took the beer, cracking it open.

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He did likewise with the rest of the band, each

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of them excepting Soon they were sitting around the living

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room of the trailer, listening as Gunny told them how

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Howard Phillips had found a strange rock buried on his property,

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one that turned out to be way larger than anyone

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could have guessed. That was maybe a week ago, Gunny said,

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taking a last pull from his can. But my memory

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00:21:37.559 --> 00:21:39.680
ain't what it used to be, so don't quote me

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on this shit. He shook the can empty. Another one

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bites the dust. He got up and went to the fridge.

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Clint followed after him. I only go into town every

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couple of weeks for supplies, but I hear shit. Strange

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stuff started happening, people disappearing, others not leaving their houses.

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He cracked the new beer open. Then today I went

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into town. Fucked up. Shit was going down, people attacking

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other people, puking green shit on him. I got my

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ass back here, decided to get fucked off my ass

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before the world ended. Gunny raised his newly opened beer.

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Here's to the end of the world. Fuck that shit, son,

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spoke up. I have a sister, my mom, and dad.

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If this shit gets out into the world, she shook

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00:22:31.759 --> 00:22:36.039
her head. No fucking way. But what the hell can

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we do? Roz asked, you saw how many of those

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things there are. I don't think we can let those

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things leave town. They have to be stopped. Ali said,

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before she turned to Jade, what do you think boss?

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They'd been friends for as long as Jade could remember.

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They'd started the band together after listening to some punk

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rock compilation. Ali's father had she never failed to have

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some advice when Jade needed guidance. We gotta fight them,

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Jade decided. But we could die, Roz muttered. For nothing.

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At least we would have tried. Jade said, I understand.

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If you don't want to go, stay here. If we succeed,

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we'll come get you. Roz looked down at the floor.

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I don't know. Jade gave her friend some space, turning

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her attention to Gunny. How about you, old soldier. Gunny

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balanced an empty beer can on top of another one.

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Fuck you ask him me to go on some no

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chance to succeed suicide mission, little lady. Yeah, basically, fuck it,

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Let's kill us some commie martians. Gunny pulled on his

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old bomber jacket, the jacket he'd worn the night he

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met Margaret, his now ex wife. For once, he was

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glad Margaret and his daughter, Jenny lived on the other

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side of the country. He opened the door to the

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bedroom and noticed Jade pacing. Hey kid, come here, sec Yeah,

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got something for you. On the wall behind the bed

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hung a katana. Jade's eyes lit up when she saw it.

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No shit, a katana really for me? Gunny frowned. He

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looked down at the knife in his hands and then

333
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chucked it over his shoulder. Yep, all yours. He presented

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it to Jade. I got this when I was stationed

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in Japan after Nam. Take good care of her, damn,

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Son complained, why does she get an awesome sword? Don't worry,

337
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I got something for you. Gunny took a shotgun from

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the rack. He presented it to Son. This here is

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an under over shotgun. He slapped it open loading. It

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00:25:02.720 --> 00:25:06.599
works just like a regular shotgun, but one barrel is

341
00:25:06.640 --> 00:25:10.640
over the other one. She's got quite a kick. He

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handed the loaded shotgun to Sun. Think you can handle it.

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Son looked at the gun in her hands. Yeah good.

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He handed her a box of shells. Just don't shoot me.

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He went over to the small kitchen table where Ali

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and Roz were making Molotov cocktails out of whiskey bottles.

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He sighed, a damn waste of fine whiskey. Jade was

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watching them prepare, a pensive look etched on her face.

349
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Gunny stood next to her, ready for battle. I hope so,

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Jade replied, Got a plan? Jade made a face. Kind

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of works for me. Gunny's truck roared down the dirt road,

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kicking up dirt as the Beegi's blare from the truck's stereo.

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The girls held on for dear life. In the back,

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Sun hollered over the noise. I can't believe the dog

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gets to ride in the cab. They were headed to town.

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According to Gunny, the bridge was the only way in

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and out save for trekking through the woods. If they

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could take out the bridge somehow, or block it, then

359
00:26:21.880 --> 00:26:25.359
they might stand a chance of stopping these things from

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spreading if they hadn't already. If they could do that,

361
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Jade hoped they could lure the fuckers into a large

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area and finish them off with the molotops. That was

363
00:26:37.119 --> 00:26:41.200
a big If the trucks stormed out of the woods

364
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onto a quiet street, there was no sign of those

365
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things or another living person. Get ready, Gunny hollered, We're

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headed for the bridge. Who knows what we'll run into

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When they hit main Street. There was still no sign

368
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of them. Gunny brought the truck to a stop within

369
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sight of the bridge. The girls tensed up, waiting for

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an attack to come.

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There was nothing.

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Maybe we're too late, Ali said. After a few moments

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of silence, everyone piled out of the truck, each of

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them feeling defeated. Clint sniffed at the air, running around

375
00:27:25.000 --> 00:27:28.880
in a circle. So now what, son asked anger in

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her voice, as if answering her. Clint started barking frantically

377
00:27:33.680 --> 00:27:36.599
before running off down the street. Son of a bitch,

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Gunny shouted, get back here, I've got him. Jade took

379
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off after the dog, despite everyone's protests, following Clint down

380
00:27:46.640 --> 00:27:51.880
main Street, the katana held firmly. Jade was ready for trouble.

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The dog stopped in front of the town's theater, barking

382
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madly at the entrance. What's in there, boy? The dog

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00:28:00.119 --> 00:28:04.480
whined and barked excitedly. Jade tried the glass double doors

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of the theater. It was locked. She looked down at

385
00:28:07.839 --> 00:28:12.200
the dog. Stay here. Clint let out a low growl.

386
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As Jade stepped into the theater. She shushed him, stay here.

387
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Jade closed the door behind her. Immediately she heard the low,

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00:28:21.720 --> 00:28:26.400
deep hum reverberating through the building. That rotten smell was

389
00:28:26.440 --> 00:28:31.720
here as well, stronger than before. She went to the auditorium,

390
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Gently opening one of the double doors, Jade peered inside.

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What she saw took the breath from her lungs. A

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00:28:42.440 --> 00:28:46.039
ten foot stone monolith stood in front of the stage.

393
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Green light shimmered around it. The auditorium was filled to

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the brim with the possessed townfolk. They stood unmoving, as

395
00:28:58.680 --> 00:29:03.440
if in reverence of the monolith. The hum was emanating

396
00:29:03.480 --> 00:29:09.680
from there. It became louder and louder, becoming a deep pulse,

397
00:29:10.519 --> 00:29:14.960
a pulse Jade could feel in her body. The motionless

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00:29:15.000 --> 00:29:20.720
people began to stir. They moved towards the monolith, laying

399
00:29:20.759 --> 00:29:25.519
their hands upon it. Jade's mind tried to comprehend what

400
00:29:25.720 --> 00:29:32.559
happened next. The people's hands began to melt together. Then

401
00:29:32.640 --> 00:29:38.039
their bodies merged with the next closest person engulfing them.

402
00:29:38.400 --> 00:29:44.119
Flesh joining with flesh. A membrane of merged bodies grew

403
00:29:44.200 --> 00:29:52.799
bigger and bigger, flowing around the colossal stone monolith. The

404
00:29:52.880 --> 00:29:56.279
door made a creaking noise. As Jade leaned against it.

405
00:29:57.000 --> 00:29:59.799
One of the townspeople closest to her, a young woman

406
00:29:59.839 --> 00:30:03.799
in and the cheerleader outfit, turned seeing Jade, it hissed

407
00:30:04.039 --> 00:30:07.920
and came at her, Lashing out, Jade cut the cheerleader's

408
00:30:07.960 --> 00:30:11.519
head off with the katana. This alerted some of the others,

409
00:30:11.880 --> 00:30:16.480
who turned and charged towards Jade. Fuck She slammed the

410
00:30:16.480 --> 00:30:19.519
door shut, trying to hold it as angry fists pounded

411
00:30:19.559 --> 00:30:21.880
on it from the other side, but the assault was

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00:30:21.920 --> 00:30:25.359
too much, and Jade fell backwards. As the door burst open.

413
00:30:25.839 --> 00:30:29.119
Jade struck out with the katana, cutting down a teenaged

414
00:30:29.160 --> 00:30:31.720
boy dressed as a hockey masked serial killer.

415
00:30:32.000 --> 00:30:32.920
It was no use.

416
00:30:33.279 --> 00:30:35.440
As she pulled the sword free of the dead boy,

417
00:30:35.799 --> 00:30:39.319
More of the possessed people closed in. Jade took a

418
00:30:39.319 --> 00:30:43.880
deep breath. She vowed to herself she'd take as many

419
00:30:43.920 --> 00:30:47.079
with her as possible. As she raised up the katana.

420
00:30:47.720 --> 00:30:50.759
The double glass doors of the lobby behind her exploded

421
00:30:50.960 --> 00:30:54.599
as Gunny's truck rammed through them. Jade jumped for cover

422
00:30:54.680 --> 00:30:58.400
as wood and glass flew. Before she could recover, her

423
00:30:58.440 --> 00:31:01.160
ears still ringing, one of the nearest of the possessed

424
00:31:01.200 --> 00:31:04.960
people flew with a loud crack, their chest exploding in

425
00:31:05.000 --> 00:31:10.279
a red and green mess. Holy shit, son, howled, this

426
00:31:10.359 --> 00:31:13.440
thing does kick. Jade looked up to see her friends

427
00:31:13.480 --> 00:31:16.880
standing next to her with the shotgun. Gunny grinned at

428
00:31:16.920 --> 00:31:21.079
them from behind the wheel. Come on, let's get the

429
00:31:21.119 --> 00:31:24.839
fuck out of here. The building shook as the pulse

430
00:31:24.880 --> 00:31:30.039
grew louder. Fucking a right, Jade said, scrambling into the

431
00:31:30.039 --> 00:31:34.039
back where Ali, Roz and Clint waited. Gunny backed up,

432
00:31:34.119 --> 00:31:37.599
swerving the truck around. The pulse from the monolith could

433
00:31:37.599 --> 00:31:40.880
be heard even over the roar of the engine. Possessed

434
00:31:40.920 --> 00:31:45.160
townsfolk rushed from the theater towards the truck. Light them up, girls,

435
00:31:45.559 --> 00:31:48.960
Gunny hollered. The girls hurled the lit maltovs, hitting the

436
00:31:49.000 --> 00:31:52.079
oncoming horde and sending many of them up in flames.

437
00:31:52.680 --> 00:31:55.680
The ground started to rumble as the pulse grew louder.

438
00:31:56.319 --> 00:31:59.759
Let's get out of here, Jade said. As Gunny peeled out.

439
00:32:00.119 --> 00:32:03.079
Jade told the others what she'd seen and heard in

440
00:32:03.119 --> 00:32:06.920
the theater. Roz stopped her when she heard about the sounds.

441
00:32:07.920 --> 00:32:11.119
I have an idea, she said. We have to get

442
00:32:11.160 --> 00:32:15.680
to the van quickly. The whole earth seemed to shake

443
00:32:16.039 --> 00:32:21.519
as Jade stood the bridge at her back. Something was coming.

444
00:32:23.880 --> 00:32:27.839
Jade gripped the microphone tight in her hand. Cymbals written

445
00:32:27.880 --> 00:32:31.480
in her and her bandmate's blood adorned her face and arms.

446
00:32:32.400 --> 00:32:37.599
Roz sat cross legged behind her, chanting. Jade took a

447
00:32:37.640 --> 00:32:43.680
deep breath as another building crumbled. The misshapen thing lumbered

448
00:32:43.720 --> 00:32:48.079
from the cloud of destruction, a mass of limbs and

449
00:32:48.279 --> 00:32:53.680
bodies and melted flesh a mast around the stone monolith.

450
00:32:54.880 --> 00:33:01.599
Sun stood filming with her phone as the beast approached. One, two, three, four,

451
00:33:01.960 --> 00:33:06.200
another one bites the dust. Jade said, ready for battle?

452
00:33:06.920 --> 00:33:10.240
Whoa son stopped her. That song will get us taken

453
00:33:10.279 --> 00:33:16.079
down from YouTube for copyright. Okay, Jade said, one of ours. Then,

454
00:33:16.599 --> 00:33:22.079
fuck you motherfuckers by disposable tampons. She felt the energy

455
00:33:22.240 --> 00:33:26.039
flow through her, with each verse coming to her mind.

456
00:33:31.079 --> 00:33:35.319
Fuck you, motherfucker, I hate everything about you.

457
00:33:35.960 --> 00:33:39.240
The blast of energy leapt from her asonic lance that

458
00:33:39.359 --> 00:33:43.680
pierced the damned beast, staggering it. Jade kept singing.

459
00:33:44.519 --> 00:33:46.519
Your hair, socks and your bread steaks.

460
00:33:46.960 --> 00:33:49.519
Another bolt of energy shot out of her had struck

461
00:33:49.559 --> 00:33:52.200
the beast, going through and out the other side.

462
00:33:52.880 --> 00:33:59.680
Fuck you motherfucker. Bag your wrass up quick, fuck you motherfucker,

463
00:34:00.839 --> 00:34:04.559
and you could suck mine.

464
00:34:04.039 --> 00:34:09.440
Jade finished, dropping the mic to the ground. A third

465
00:34:09.480 --> 00:34:12.800
bolt shot out, hitting the monolith at the beast's center,

466
00:34:13.079 --> 00:34:16.360
causing it to fracture. Energy began bleeding out of the

467
00:34:16.400 --> 00:34:20.159
cracked edifice. The beast let out a pained screech before

468
00:34:20.199 --> 00:34:24.239
being consumed by the energy and exploding. The shockwave sent

469
00:34:24.360 --> 00:34:31.679
everyone sprawling to the ground. Jade lay on the street,

470
00:34:32.079 --> 00:34:36.079
drifting in and out of consciousness. She wasn't sure how

471
00:34:36.119 --> 00:34:42.440
long she'd been there, but she could hear Ali's voice. Jade,

472
00:34:42.519 --> 00:34:47.639
are you all right? I think so, she said, standing

473
00:34:47.639 --> 00:34:53.039
with some help from Ali. Is everybody okay? Pretty much?

474
00:34:53.639 --> 00:34:58.199
Son answered. Roz stood next to her, petting Clint Gunny

475
00:34:58.320 --> 00:35:02.400
stood leaning on his truck. They stared at the ghostly

476
00:35:02.559 --> 00:35:08.199
decimated town in silence. A fine ash began to fall

477
00:35:08.239 --> 00:35:13.480
over the city. It's snowing on Halloween, Sun said, catching

478
00:35:13.519 --> 00:35:17.039
some of it in her hand. That's the ashes of

479
00:35:17.079 --> 00:35:20.280
the burned townspeople. Ali informed them.

480
00:35:21.440 --> 00:35:32.199
You do la hand by Morgan Moore.

481
00:35:33.360 --> 00:35:37.960
Halloween night. It's a night where fun can be had

482
00:35:38.760 --> 00:35:43.320
as well as mischief. In ancient folklore, it is a

483
00:35:43.440 --> 00:35:48.039
night where the plains of existence open up, a night

484
00:35:48.119 --> 00:35:55.400
of thrills, where anyone can be anybody or anything. At

485
00:35:55.400 --> 00:36:01.079
this moment, however, Isaiah Crane was late. The young man

486
00:36:01.199 --> 00:36:04.559
was expected at a costume party his classmates were holding.

487
00:36:05.360 --> 00:36:09.079
He was considered the guest of honor. Isaiah was the

488
00:36:09.119 --> 00:36:12.559
new kid in Yatesville, and he quickly learned through the

489
00:36:12.599 --> 00:36:16.159
other kids and even the adults, that he bore an

490
00:36:16.239 --> 00:36:22.039
uncanny resemblance to a man of local legend, Gerald Johnson.

491
00:36:23.159 --> 00:36:28.039
Johnson was infamous for having been convicted of witchcraft and

492
00:36:28.199 --> 00:36:33.320
executed by decapitation for the crime. Whether he did or

493
00:36:33.400 --> 00:36:37.480
did not practice witchcraft was a matter of debate. Like

494
00:36:37.880 --> 00:36:43.199
many other witch hunt victims, None of this mattered to Isaiah, however.

495
00:36:43.840 --> 00:36:46.559
All that mattered to him was getting to the party.

496
00:36:47.239 --> 00:36:50.440
Being the new kid wasn't easy, and he hadn't yet

497
00:36:50.440 --> 00:36:54.039
made any real friends. His invite to the party came

498
00:36:54.119 --> 00:36:58.519
as a genuine surprise, as he didn't think anybody really

499
00:36:58.599 --> 00:37:03.480
knew him. What made the invitation even more surprising was

500
00:37:03.559 --> 00:37:08.519
that it came from a girl named Phoebe Hart. Phoebe

501
00:37:08.679 --> 00:37:11.880
was Isaiah's crush and he couldn't help but take up

502
00:37:11.960 --> 00:37:16.239
the invitation just to hang out with her. He found

503
00:37:16.239 --> 00:37:19.599
it odd that they wanted him to dress up as Johnson,

504
00:37:20.280 --> 00:37:23.840
but if they thought he looked like the guy, and

505
00:37:23.920 --> 00:37:27.000
if Phoebe thought it would be fun, then he would

506
00:37:27.000 --> 00:37:31.480
do it. Unfortunately, things weren't going as well as he

507
00:37:31.519 --> 00:37:37.119
had hoped. His costume had to be homemade, an understandable circumstance,

508
00:37:37.199 --> 00:37:41.199
but Isaiah was afraid he would look drabby compared to

509
00:37:41.239 --> 00:37:44.119
the other kids. Adding on to that was the fact

510
00:37:44.159 --> 00:37:46.920
that Isaiah had to bike his way to the party.

511
00:37:47.719 --> 00:37:50.320
He had planned on riding through the streets of town,

512
00:37:50.480 --> 00:37:54.559
but a downtown party for the older residence made that

513
00:37:54.679 --> 00:37:59.039
next to impossible to do. His next best option was

514
00:37:59.079 --> 00:38:02.400
to take the bike path. All would be fine if

515
00:38:02.440 --> 00:38:05.760
he knew how to traverse it to get to his destination.

516
00:38:06.920 --> 00:38:10.679
Isaiah pedaled on, desperately trying to get to the party,

517
00:38:11.239 --> 00:38:15.599
to his chance to make friends, to fit in to

518
00:38:15.719 --> 00:38:21.480
be with Phoebe. He went faster and faster, trees blurring

519
00:38:21.559 --> 00:38:26.920
by while he rode too fast, though his pant leg

520
00:38:27.079 --> 00:38:30.840
caught on the pedal. He shouted in aggression and disbelief.

521
00:38:31.639 --> 00:38:35.159
The speed was much too high, and Isaiah lost control

522
00:38:35.239 --> 00:38:38.000
of the bike. As the pedal came to a stop,

523
00:38:38.760 --> 00:38:42.280
it turned and twisted off to the side. The front

524
00:38:42.280 --> 00:38:45.639
wheel slammed into the curb of the trail and threw

525
00:38:45.679 --> 00:38:50.039
Isaiah off the bike and into the tree line. Isaiah

526
00:38:50.159 --> 00:38:53.239
laid on the ground in pain in his head. He

527
00:38:53.320 --> 00:38:57.760
started counting backwards from ten and recited various phone numbers

528
00:38:57.800 --> 00:39:01.119
he knew to make sure he didn't have any head trauma.

529
00:39:02.039 --> 00:39:05.440
After he was sure his head was all right, Isaiah

530
00:39:05.519 --> 00:39:10.079
slowly stood up and started checking himself for any more injuries.

531
00:39:10.960 --> 00:39:14.960
He felt blood on his forehead and hands. Along his

532
00:39:15.000 --> 00:39:19.320
shirt sleeves and pants legs, he found multiple rips, his

533
00:39:19.480 --> 00:39:24.679
limbs underneath sure to have cuts and bruises. Nothing seemed

534
00:39:24.679 --> 00:39:27.360
to be wrong with his chest or back as he

535
00:39:27.400 --> 00:39:31.199
pressed his hand against them. The only real pain he

536
00:39:31.320 --> 00:39:34.559
felt was in his ankle, where his pants leg had

537
00:39:34.599 --> 00:39:40.159
gotten caught. Overall, he wasn't too banged up. The young

538
00:39:40.199 --> 00:39:43.280
man began to carefully walk the area he had been

539
00:39:43.320 --> 00:39:47.079
thrown to, trying to find his bike and his way

540
00:39:47.119 --> 00:39:50.800
back to the path. He sighed as he stumbled around

541
00:39:50.840 --> 00:39:55.239
in the dark, unsure really of where he was While

542
00:39:55.280 --> 00:39:58.159
the flight from the bike didn't send him deep into

543
00:39:58.199 --> 00:40:00.960
the wooded part of town, did put him at a

544
00:40:00.960 --> 00:40:05.679
good distance from the trail. With only the faintest shimmers

545
00:40:05.719 --> 00:40:10.159
of moonlight to aid him, Isaiah continued on his hunt.

546
00:40:10.960 --> 00:40:13.840
He walked in the dark towards what he thought was

547
00:40:13.880 --> 00:40:17.000
the way he came from. As he walked, the wind

548
00:40:17.159 --> 00:40:21.320
picked up and brought a chill with it. Isaiah shuddered

549
00:40:21.599 --> 00:40:25.400
at the sudden coldness, his costume not giving him much

550
00:40:25.480 --> 00:40:30.519
protection from the elements. Leaves danced around him as he

551
00:40:30.599 --> 00:40:35.599
continued on. The wind continued to pick up, no longer

552
00:40:35.679 --> 00:40:40.440
making the leaves dance, but plastered them to his face.

553
00:40:41.639 --> 00:40:45.039
He pulled them away, only for them to return moments later.

554
00:40:45.800 --> 00:40:49.559
It got louder and more forceful as it continued to

555
00:40:49.599 --> 00:40:53.719
pick up. Isaiah soon found himself being pushed around by

556
00:40:53.760 --> 00:40:59.400
the wind, as if it was leading him somewhere. The

557
00:40:59.440 --> 00:41:03.800
wind stop shop. Suddenly, Isaiah, having closed his eyes to

558
00:41:03.840 --> 00:41:08.000
protect them from the leaves, opened them, finding himself in

559
00:41:08.039 --> 00:41:12.280
a small clearing. He stood there, taking in the silence

560
00:41:12.320 --> 00:41:16.119
of the night. The moon, once hidden, was now clear

561
00:41:16.199 --> 00:41:19.960
as daylight, providing him with a light source to see

562
00:41:20.079 --> 00:41:24.639
his surroundings. It was then that he heard a thunderous sound.

563
00:41:25.320 --> 00:41:29.280
Isaiah looked around frantically to find the source. The sound

564
00:41:29.320 --> 00:41:33.199
reminded him of horses racing down a track. It grew

565
00:41:33.440 --> 00:41:40.039
closer and closer. The closer it came, the louder it got. Suddenly,

566
00:41:40.079 --> 00:41:45.199
through the trees came the source, a tar black horse

567
00:41:45.480 --> 00:41:49.320
with eyes that glowed like hell fire. Sitting atop the

568
00:41:49.400 --> 00:41:53.760
horse was a man, or what was once a man.

569
00:41:54.360 --> 00:41:58.719
His body was dressed in navy attire reminiscent of a pilgrim,

570
00:41:59.079 --> 00:42:03.719
a black coat draping around his shoulder. The only difference

571
00:42:03.760 --> 00:42:08.159
between this man and any other was his lack of

572
00:42:08.239 --> 00:42:13.760
a head. Isaiah stared in awe of the thing before him.

573
00:42:14.239 --> 00:42:18.920
Just as suddenly as the horseman appeared and stopped before him,

574
00:42:20.320 --> 00:42:25.400
it now started again, charging towards Isaiah at inhuman speed.

575
00:42:25.880 --> 00:42:28.559
The teenager bolted into the tree line to escape the

576
00:42:28.599 --> 00:42:31.920
hellish being. It followed him into the woods, riding so

577
00:42:32.119 --> 00:42:34.559
hard and so fast it was as if it was

578
00:42:34.639 --> 00:42:38.639
burning the land as it went. The boy continued to

579
00:42:38.719 --> 00:42:44.000
run as the horseman thundered behind him. Suddenly, Isaiah felt

580
00:42:44.039 --> 00:42:47.719
a sting on his cheek. He touched his skin and

581
00:42:47.840 --> 00:42:53.000
felt the warm stickiness of blood oozing from his face.

582
00:42:53.840 --> 00:42:58.360
Isaiah looked behind him and found the horseman with an

583
00:42:58.480 --> 00:43:02.800
arm held high and a whip tightly clenched in his hand.

584
00:43:03.840 --> 00:43:07.840
He wasn't sure, but it looked to Isaiah that the

585
00:43:07.880 --> 00:43:13.440
whip was made from something that looked like a spine.

586
00:43:13.880 --> 00:43:18.639
His pursuer cracked it again and struck Isaiah's shoulder. Isaiah

587
00:43:18.719 --> 00:43:22.199
tumbled forward to a stop. He quickly picked himself back

588
00:43:22.280 --> 00:43:28.199
up and continued his escape. The horseman now closer than ever.

589
00:43:29.719 --> 00:43:32.840
Isaiah kept running through the woods with the horsemen on

590
00:43:32.920 --> 00:43:37.440
his heels. His legs grew more and more tired, his

591
00:43:37.639 --> 00:43:41.440
lungs burning, and his body covered in sweat and blood

592
00:43:41.480 --> 00:43:44.719
from his wounds. The ankle he had hurt from his

593
00:43:44.800 --> 00:43:49.199
bike crash throbbed with pain. If this kept up, he

594
00:43:49.360 --> 00:43:53.159
was sure to be a goner. In the distance, Isaiah

595
00:43:53.199 --> 00:43:57.400
saw an opening in the woods. He smiled in hope

596
00:43:57.440 --> 00:44:00.840
that it would lead to his safety. The boy threw

597
00:44:00.960 --> 00:44:04.639
all of his energy into one final mad dash towards

598
00:44:04.719 --> 00:44:10.440
the opening. Isaiah burst through it to find a cabin.

599
00:44:11.239 --> 00:44:14.840
He approached the building and noticed a sign by the

600
00:44:14.880 --> 00:44:19.480
front steps. Denoting it to be a museum devoted to

601
00:44:19.519 --> 00:44:23.920
the witch hunts and trials. Before he could process everything,

602
00:44:24.320 --> 00:44:30.039
he heard the shriek of the horse. He spun around

603
00:44:30.480 --> 00:44:35.119
and saw the horseman galloping towards him. Isaiah instinctively ran

604
00:44:35.239 --> 00:44:38.280
up the stairs to the door, using his good leg

605
00:44:38.920 --> 00:44:45.440
to kick it open. Isaiah flicked the lights on and

606
00:44:45.599 --> 00:44:49.960
was greeted with an array of relics, pictures, and various

607
00:44:50.039 --> 00:44:55.440
odds and ends related to the witch hunts. The teenager

608
00:44:55.519 --> 00:45:00.039
walked around, trying to find something to aid him. The

609
00:45:00.079 --> 00:45:03.360
sewer did not give him much time. As Isaiah was

610
00:45:03.400 --> 00:45:06.639
looking at a display case of antiques, the horseman burst

611
00:45:06.679 --> 00:45:10.440
in horse and all tearing apart the entrance. Isaiah whipped

612
00:45:10.440 --> 00:45:13.920
around to see the horseman himself. Its horse cried out

613
00:45:13.960 --> 00:45:18.039
in anger, and the rider cracked its whip. The horseman

614
00:45:18.199 --> 00:45:24.760
strode slowly towards its prey. Isaiah walked backwards, Trapped with

615
00:45:24.920 --> 00:45:29.199
no exit in sight. He found himself up against an

616
00:45:29.280 --> 00:45:34.480
odd shaped item. The boy turned around and discovered a

617
00:45:34.639 --> 00:45:39.480
row of wax heads. A quick glance at the placards

618
00:45:39.559 --> 00:45:44.039
under them revealed that they were sculptures of those who

619
00:45:44.119 --> 00:45:49.559
were executed. One in particular caught Isaiah's attention. It was

620
00:45:49.599 --> 00:45:55.119
of Gerald Johnson. Johnson had been beheaded for his execution.

621
00:45:57.199 --> 00:46:00.280
Could it be? A crack and a cry from the

622
00:46:00.320 --> 00:46:03.800
horse brought Isaiah back to the situation at hand. The

623
00:46:03.880 --> 00:46:08.159
horseman was getting closer and closer. Isaiah had an idea,

624
00:46:08.559 --> 00:46:13.440
a hope. He grabbed hold of Gerald Johnson's head and

625
00:46:13.559 --> 00:46:17.440
pulled it off its stand. Isaiah turned around and found

626
00:46:17.480 --> 00:46:20.719
the horseman right in front of him. The horse breathed

627
00:46:20.800 --> 00:46:24.039
onto Isaiah, filling the boy's nose with the scent of

628
00:46:24.119 --> 00:46:29.639
decades old decay. Isaiah said a small prayer before holding

629
00:46:29.719 --> 00:46:34.760
up the wax head of Johnson. The horseman slowly lowered

630
00:46:34.760 --> 00:46:39.239
his whip, placing it on his hip with both hands.

631
00:46:39.280 --> 00:46:42.760
He took the sculpture from the boy and placed it

632
00:46:42.800 --> 00:46:47.320
on his shoulders. The head began to meld to the

633
00:46:47.360 --> 00:46:53.000
horseman's body, and a smile formed on the wax's lips.

634
00:46:54.000 --> 00:46:58.079
The smile quickly faded, and the horseman started to claw

635
00:46:58.119 --> 00:47:03.599
at his throat. Isaiah watched confused. It suddenly hit him

636
00:47:04.079 --> 00:47:07.239
that the head being wax meant it wouldn't have any

637
00:47:07.280 --> 00:47:10.840
openings for a person to breathe. The horseman pointed at

638
00:47:10.840 --> 00:47:15.280
Isaiah's head angrily. It must have really been Gerald Johnson,

639
00:47:15.840 --> 00:47:21.960
and he wanted his head or the next best thing Isaiah's.

640
00:47:22.840 --> 00:47:25.679
Isaiah ran from the wax heads with the horsemen on

641
00:47:25.760 --> 00:47:30.000
his heels. His plan failed, and now his pursuer was

642
00:47:30.079 --> 00:47:35.239
angrier and more hell bent to kill him. In his rush,

643
00:47:35.519 --> 00:47:38.880
Isaiah tripped over a display the horseman had knocked down

644
00:47:39.280 --> 00:47:43.480
and landed face first on the floor. He looked over

645
00:47:43.679 --> 00:47:49.960
towards a fallen table and noticed an old lantern. Isaiah

646
00:47:50.039 --> 00:47:53.199
crawled over to it and discovered a small book of

647
00:47:53.280 --> 00:47:56.880
matches sitting next to it, with the logo of the

648
00:47:57.000 --> 00:48:01.039
museum on the front. The boy took one look inside

649
00:48:01.119 --> 00:48:06.159
of the lantern, saw a heavily used candle, and instantly

650
00:48:06.880 --> 00:48:10.840
knew what to do. He grabbed the lantern and the

651
00:48:10.840 --> 00:48:15.119
matches and quickly scrambled to his feet. Isaiah ran out

652
00:48:15.119 --> 00:48:17.719
onto the porch and fumbled to get the matches out

653
00:48:17.760 --> 00:48:21.119
and lit. Once they were ignited, he threw them into

654
00:48:21.119 --> 00:48:25.159
the lantern. He watched the candle catch on fire, illuminating

655
00:48:25.199 --> 00:48:28.760
the dark. Isaiah looked to the door and saw the

656
00:48:28.880 --> 00:48:32.840
charging glow of the horse's eyes. He waited until he

657
00:48:32.920 --> 00:48:38.239
saw the horseman saw the wax visage. Once he saw

658
00:48:38.280 --> 00:48:40.599
it clear as day, he threw the lantern at the

659
00:48:40.639 --> 00:48:45.960
wax head. Please God, The glass broke and the candle

660
00:48:46.039 --> 00:48:50.440
fell on top of the horseman's head. Instantly, the head

661
00:48:50.519 --> 00:48:54.360
caught on fire as quick as it had started. It

662
00:48:54.599 --> 00:48:57.400
just as quickly spread down the rest of the horseman

663
00:48:57.679 --> 00:49:00.800
and on to the horse The creature threwt dashed around

664
00:49:00.840 --> 00:49:05.199
in agony, spreading the fire all about the cabin. Isaiah

665
00:49:05.280 --> 00:49:08.119
ran off of the porch and beelined to an opening

666
00:49:08.400 --> 00:49:12.079
he spotted behind the house. He ran with all of

667
00:49:12.079 --> 00:49:15.960
the energy he had left, not daring to look behind him.

668
00:49:16.599 --> 00:49:20.000
His only comfort was that he didn't hear the horsemen coming.

669
00:49:20.679 --> 00:49:24.559
The young man continued to run, his eyes spotting an

670
00:49:24.599 --> 00:49:28.800
opening in the trees ahead. Isaiah burst through the trees

671
00:49:29.039 --> 00:49:32.760
and fell over his feet on to the pavement. He

672
00:49:32.840 --> 00:49:36.159
stood up and turned around to face the trees from

673
00:49:36.199 --> 00:49:40.840
where he had come. His eyes widened. The fire had

674
00:49:40.880 --> 00:49:43.840
grown from the cabin to the woods around it. It

675
00:49:43.960 --> 00:49:47.400
was a horrific sight, but also one that gave Isaiah

676
00:49:47.480 --> 00:49:53.000
a great comfort, comfort that he was safe. Isaiah walked

677
00:49:53.000 --> 00:49:56.119
for what seemed like an eternity. He had a limp

678
00:49:56.199 --> 00:49:59.719
from all the pain in his ankle, making his already

679
00:49:59.760 --> 00:50:05.559
slip trek that much longer. Listlessly, he walked through the

680
00:50:05.599 --> 00:50:09.360
streets and into a neighborhood. Trick or treating had long

681
00:50:09.440 --> 00:50:13.199
been over, but yards were still decorated with store bought

682
00:50:13.239 --> 00:50:17.079
displays and toilet paper from kids who had been rowdy

683
00:50:17.119 --> 00:50:21.880
that night. Isaiah, a voice feminine called out to him.

684
00:50:22.840 --> 00:50:25.800
The boy stopped and turned to where the voice had

685
00:50:25.800 --> 00:50:29.719
come from. It was Phoebe. She ran up to him

686
00:50:29.760 --> 00:50:32.000
and gasped a little at the state he was in.

687
00:50:32.920 --> 00:50:35.880
You're late. I was worried. It looks like I was

688
00:50:35.960 --> 00:50:41.840
right too. What happened, Phoebe asked, Oh, yeah, I guess

689
00:50:41.920 --> 00:50:45.039
I am late. I crashed my bike and got lost

690
00:50:45.079 --> 00:50:49.480
in the woods. I got out, but well I'm new.

691
00:50:49.679 --> 00:50:52.840
I don't know where everything is yet. Guess I got

692
00:50:52.920 --> 00:50:59.679
lucky that I ended up here, Isaiah explained, Yeah.

693
00:50:58.519 --> 00:50:58.880
You are.

694
00:50:59.639 --> 00:51:03.280
Phoebe smiled. She took his hand, and the two kids

695
00:51:03.320 --> 00:51:07.480
started to head back to the house and to the party.

696
00:51:08.639 --> 00:51:11.280
You should really learn the town and how to get around,

697
00:51:11.880 --> 00:51:15.440
Hugh could lose your head getting lost, Isaiah smiled a

698
00:51:15.519 --> 00:51:29.440
little and laughed to himself, nearly dead. The Origin of

699
00:51:29.480 --> 00:51:37.559
the Pumpkin Men by Charles Campbell, All Hallow's Eve, LBC

700
00:51:37.800 --> 00:51:43.360
Middle School, nineteen eighty seven. What began in nineteen eighty

701
00:51:43.400 --> 00:51:48.239
as an experiment became an annual tradition at LBC Middle School,

702
00:51:49.079 --> 00:51:53.159
the Jack O Lantern Jubilee. It was a day full

703
00:51:53.199 --> 00:51:57.440
of festivities, games and candy giveaways that ended with a

704
00:51:57.519 --> 00:52:03.039
student dance in the school's gymnasium. LBC stood for Langley,

705
00:52:03.159 --> 00:52:06.519
Bath and clear Water. It was the middle school for

706
00:52:06.679 --> 00:52:09.239
most of the Valley kids before they moved up to

707
00:52:09.360 --> 00:52:14.719
Midland Valley High. Raymond Mathis taught seventh grade science and

708
00:52:14.840 --> 00:52:17.199
drew the short straw to be one of the staff

709
00:52:17.320 --> 00:52:22.559
chaperones for the dance this year. Halloween was nonsense to him,

710
00:52:23.000 --> 00:52:27.159
but he'd play along. He got along with the kids

711
00:52:27.199 --> 00:52:29.280
for the most part, except for a couple of the

712
00:52:29.360 --> 00:52:35.039
boys in his fifth period class. But today was Halloween,

713
00:52:35.840 --> 00:52:38.559
and it just so happened that it actually fell on

714
00:52:38.639 --> 00:52:42.440
a Saturday. This year, it was still early in the day.

715
00:52:43.039 --> 00:52:46.480
Raymond didn't have a costume and didn't want a costume,

716
00:52:47.119 --> 00:52:50.840
but he was never accused of not being a team player,

717
00:52:51.360 --> 00:52:54.559
so he would head over to party Dollar and pick

718
00:52:54.639 --> 00:52:58.559
up the cheapest costume he could get away with. Raymond

719
00:52:58.559 --> 00:53:02.199
settled with a seven dollar vampire cape equipped with fake

720
00:53:02.320 --> 00:53:06.800
fangs and a tube of blood jelly. The festival started

721
00:53:06.840 --> 00:53:11.039
around noon, so he'd show up around ten to help

722
00:53:11.079 --> 00:53:14.360
the other staffers make sure the tables in the cafeteria

723
00:53:14.840 --> 00:53:19.360
were set up for the butchers, bakers, candlestick makers, and

724
00:53:19.920 --> 00:53:23.800
whoever the fuck else needed a table at this bullshit festival,

725
00:53:24.440 --> 00:53:28.639
is what Raymond thought, but he'd think it with a

726
00:53:28.679 --> 00:53:32.880
smile on his face. Butch Marker was one of those

727
00:53:32.920 --> 00:53:36.880
fifth grade boys that Raymond didn't get along with. Butch,

728
00:53:37.119 --> 00:53:41.320
in truth, didn't get along with very many authority figures.

729
00:53:41.920 --> 00:53:44.960
Since he went to see the movie Ferris Bueller's Day

730
00:53:45.000 --> 00:53:48.639
Off with his sister the year before, he fancied himself

731
00:53:48.679 --> 00:53:52.000
to be like Ferris. He wanted to be loved by

732
00:53:52.039 --> 00:53:56.480
everyone while pulling the wool over people in charge. Problem

733
00:53:56.679 --> 00:53:59.320
was a lot of kids didn't like him, and he

734
00:53:59.440 --> 00:54:03.840
really wasn't fooling anyone. His best friend was Steve Vig,

735
00:54:04.320 --> 00:54:08.480
and he was the follower. The boys hatched a plan

736
00:54:08.599 --> 00:54:13.039
for this year's Jack O'Lantern jubilee. Hey, did you get them?

737
00:54:13.519 --> 00:54:17.960
Butch asked Steve. Steve was nodding his bulbous head and

738
00:54:18.039 --> 00:54:21.639
smacking chewy candy between his teeth as he held out

739
00:54:21.679 --> 00:54:26.440
the bag. Sweet, Butch said, Snatching the bag from Steve,

740
00:54:27.159 --> 00:54:33.719
he peeked inside a grinch like smile spread under his nose. Hell, yeah,

741
00:54:34.079 --> 00:54:37.960
you get them from Ricky. Yep, just like you said.

742
00:54:38.440 --> 00:54:41.079
He had a bunch of them too. We gonna paint

743
00:54:41.119 --> 00:54:45.159
them up, like you said, Steve asked. His jowls shook

744
00:54:45.199 --> 00:54:48.719
as he nodded his head like a lunatic. Butch often

745
00:54:48.800 --> 00:54:52.400
thought Steve was the spitting image of a mini boss hog,

746
00:54:53.039 --> 00:54:56.719
and he wasn't wrong. He was a short, fat kid

747
00:54:56.760 --> 00:54:59.480
with a buzz cut so low that he may as

748
00:54:59.519 --> 00:55:04.000
well be. Yeah, we're gonna paint them up. Come on,

749
00:55:04.519 --> 00:55:07.360
Butch said, and Steve followed him to the shed in

750
00:55:07.400 --> 00:55:11.199
the backyard. Butch dumped the cherry bombs on the workbench.

751
00:55:11.800 --> 00:55:14.320
There was a can of orange spray paint along with

752
00:55:14.400 --> 00:55:18.360
a small jar of black ink with an assortment of

753
00:55:18.480 --> 00:55:23.119
tiny paint brushes. Steve shook the spray can and the

754
00:55:23.119 --> 00:55:31.119
boys got to work. As the early birds filed into

755
00:55:31.119 --> 00:55:36.360
the school cafeteria. Raymond helped fellow teacher Kathy Fletcher set

756
00:55:36.440 --> 00:55:40.159
up the Gift Basket Raffle booth. This was a big draw,

757
00:55:40.639 --> 00:55:45.119
an assortment of gift baskets donated by local businesses and townsfolk.

758
00:55:45.760 --> 00:55:49.599
Some of them had very good prizes, gift certificates to

759
00:55:49.719 --> 00:55:54.960
fancy for the valley restaurants like Western Sizzlin and Red Lobster,

760
00:55:55.639 --> 00:56:00.239
some fantastic fishing gear from Spradley's Bait and Tackle. There

761
00:56:00.280 --> 00:56:04.360
was always a nice quilt with other homemade accessories contributed

762
00:56:04.719 --> 00:56:09.599
by Louise Utley, baked goods galore in another basket. The

763
00:56:09.639 --> 00:56:12.880
Gift Basket Raffle was a can't miss and it was

764
00:56:12.920 --> 00:56:15.079
held at the end of the day when the daytime

765
00:56:15.159 --> 00:56:20.119
festivities would give way to the middle school dance. Lots

766
00:56:20.159 --> 00:56:23.920
of nice stuff this year, Raymond said, not bad at all.

767
00:56:24.639 --> 00:56:28.760
Kathy replied as she pressed a pushpin into the handwritten sign.

768
00:56:29.320 --> 00:56:34.280
It read Gift Basket Raffle one dollar per ticket drawing

769
00:56:34.400 --> 00:56:38.000
at six p m. Sharp. Got my eye on that quilt,

770
00:56:38.639 --> 00:56:43.559
Cathy said. It was Halloween themed, adorned with bats, wide

771
00:56:43.559 --> 00:56:48.320
eyed pumpkins, and sheeted ghosts. Yeah, that's quite a prize,

772
00:56:48.639 --> 00:56:51.760
Raymond said, thinking to himself, what a crock of shit

773
00:56:51.920 --> 00:56:55.440
this holiday was. It was going to be a long

774
00:56:55.599 --> 00:56:59.519
day and he was dreading the dance. But on the

775
00:56:59.559 --> 00:57:02.880
bright side, he wouldn't have to do this again next year.

776
00:57:03.840 --> 00:57:07.199
No back to backs for faculty unless they volunteer, and

777
00:57:07.360 --> 00:57:13.280
he certainly wasn't volunteering for this flea circus. Although seeing

778
00:57:13.360 --> 00:57:18.360
Cindy dressed as Elvira, complete with the dress, black wig,

779
00:57:18.880 --> 00:57:23.039
and push up bra wasn't exactly excruciating to look at,

780
00:57:27.159 --> 00:57:34.480
the boys admired their handiwork. These are fucking awesome, Butch announced, yeah, awesome.

781
00:57:34.960 --> 00:57:39.440
Steve parroted. The little pumpkins with stem fuses looked back

782
00:57:39.480 --> 00:57:44.639
at them different black grins adorned their little round faces.

783
00:57:45.519 --> 00:57:49.920
They're going to shit their pants, Butch said, yeah, they're

784
00:57:49.920 --> 00:57:53.519
gonna have to run to the crapper, Steve exclaimed, popping

785
00:57:53.599 --> 00:57:56.679
another one of those gooey peanut butter dog shit Halloween

786
00:57:56.719 --> 00:58:03.400
candies into his mouth. The Jack o' Lantern Jubilee was

787
00:58:03.440 --> 00:58:07.760
something the valley folks looked forward to every Halloween, and

788
00:58:07.840 --> 00:58:10.880
it seemed like all of the small towns that comprised

789
00:58:10.880 --> 00:58:15.000
the valley showed up. Raymond was assisting Kathy at the

790
00:58:15.039 --> 00:58:18.800
gift basket table. The line to buy raffle tickets was

791
00:58:18.880 --> 00:58:21.159
almost to the double doors at the far end of

792
00:58:21.199 --> 00:58:26.679
the cafeteria. He was tearing tickets, wishing this day was over.

793
00:58:27.480 --> 00:58:30.400
He still had a dance to chaperone, and hiding the

794
00:58:30.480 --> 00:58:33.800
disdain that wanted to move across his face was becoming

795
00:58:34.360 --> 00:58:39.400
more and more difficult. Then he saw two of his

796
00:58:39.480 --> 00:58:44.400
troublemakers poking around the tables. Steve was dressed in a

797
00:58:44.440 --> 00:58:48.119
pretty decent Jason Vorhees get up a La Friday the

798
00:58:48.199 --> 00:58:53.199
Thirteenth Part two, complete with the one eye pillowcase, which

799
00:58:53.239 --> 00:58:55.840
Steve would have to cut two big holes in very

800
00:58:55.960 --> 00:58:59.840
quickly so that he would stop slamming into people. He

801
00:59:00.239 --> 00:59:03.679
was the proverbial bull in a China shop, smacking his

802
00:59:03.800 --> 00:59:08.320
peanut butter dogshit candy under the pillowcase mask. Butch was

803
00:59:08.400 --> 00:59:11.760
disguised as a werewolf with a brown wig that was

804
00:59:11.800 --> 00:59:15.760
teased out to stand up high, black makeup on his nose,

805
00:59:15.840 --> 00:59:19.440
with brown smeared across his face. He had a decent

806
00:59:19.559 --> 00:59:23.400
set of fake fangs, a tattered T shirt, ripped jeans,

807
00:59:23.800 --> 00:59:28.400
and white canvas sneakers soaked in blood jelly. The boys

808
00:59:28.440 --> 00:59:31.719
both had paper grocery sacks for trick or treat bags.

809
00:59:32.360 --> 00:59:35.639
They were raiding the tables looking for candy, and Raymond

810
00:59:36.239 --> 00:59:38.679
was trying to keep a close eye on the two

811
00:59:38.719 --> 00:59:44.400
of them. Raymond eyes over here, Cathy said. Raymond turned

812
00:59:44.400 --> 00:59:47.960
his attention back to see Missus Martha Jenkins holding out

813
00:59:47.960 --> 00:59:51.440
a five dollar bill. She told Raymond what baskets she

814
00:59:51.559 --> 00:59:55.079
was bidding for, and he tore the tickets, took the money,

815
00:59:55.480 --> 00:59:59.440
and dropped the stubs in their respective bowls. He glanced

816
00:59:59.480 --> 01:00:02.800
over his shoes, trying to get a location on the troublemakers,

817
01:00:03.440 --> 01:00:12.599
but they were out of his field of vision. You

818
01:00:12.639 --> 01:00:18.199
see turg Berger, Butch asked, Huh, what's a turg burger?

819
01:00:18.679 --> 01:00:23.480
Steve replied, Butch removed his fangs and said, turd burglar.

820
01:00:23.800 --> 01:00:28.639
Did you see turd Burglar? No, didn't see him. Where's

821
01:00:28.639 --> 01:00:33.159
he at, Steve asked, smiling under the pillowcase. He's at

822
01:00:33.159 --> 01:00:36.880
the gift basket table with Ms. Fletcher. You see her bazongas,

823
01:00:37.239 --> 01:00:41.760
Butch asked, raising his eyebrows. Damn it, No, this pillowcase

824
01:00:41.840 --> 01:00:45.760
is bullshit. Steve said, Well, if he's working the tables.

825
01:00:46.119 --> 01:00:49.199
He's working the dance. Butch held up a hand for

826
01:00:49.280 --> 01:00:52.840
a high five. Steve didn't see it, so Butch smacked

827
01:00:52.880 --> 01:00:55.800
him on top of his head. Steve regrouped and hit

828
01:00:55.840 --> 01:01:00.679
the high five. The boys continued making their rounds. Seemed

829
01:01:00.760 --> 01:01:02.639
like there was going to be one hell of a

830
01:01:02.719 --> 01:01:06.480
crowd at the dance. These fuckers will be shitting themselves

831
01:01:06.559 --> 01:01:09.559
before the night was over, is what Butch was thinking.

832
01:01:10.199 --> 01:01:14.360
Forty five minutes later, the kid was no older than

833
01:01:14.480 --> 01:01:17.880
six or seven. He was a fine looking lad with

834
01:01:18.000 --> 01:01:21.639
sandy blonde hair and blue eyes. He held a pumpkin

835
01:01:21.760 --> 01:01:25.480
candy bucket and was moving with sugar fueled excitement to

836
01:01:25.519 --> 01:01:30.039
each table, saying trick or treat to whoever might drop

837
01:01:30.119 --> 01:01:35.000
him some candy. Butch removed his fangs, nudged Steve and asked,

838
01:01:35.480 --> 01:01:38.280
who's that little shit stain. I've never seen him in

839
01:01:38.320 --> 01:01:42.800
the valley. Don't know, Maybe he's an achin or Augusta kid.

840
01:01:43.239 --> 01:01:46.639
Steve replied, really paying no mind to the little boy.

841
01:01:47.280 --> 01:01:49.679
Look at him, he's running all around like he's got

842
01:01:49.719 --> 01:01:53.519
ants in his pants. Butch said, A gleam flashed in

843
01:01:53.599 --> 01:01:58.920
his eyes, a gleam that Steve picked up on. So

844
01:01:59.480 --> 01:02:03.559
are you thinking what I'm thinking? You're thinking? Steve asked,

845
01:02:03.880 --> 01:02:08.239
The smile was growing under his mask. Yeah, he needs

846
01:02:08.280 --> 01:02:12.679
some special candy in that bucket, don't you think, Butch asked,

847
01:02:13.320 --> 01:02:16.679
feeling the bulge of pumpkin bombs in his pants pocket.

848
01:02:17.480 --> 01:02:21.599
Steve was nodding and snickering, may as well get the

849
01:02:21.599 --> 01:02:26.400
party started early. Raymond looked at his watch and thought

850
01:02:26.400 --> 01:02:30.119
to himself, do vampires really care what time it is?

851
01:02:31.199 --> 01:02:34.119
But sure they do. They couldn't be caught out in

852
01:02:34.159 --> 01:02:36.559
the stark light of day, or they would burn into

853
01:02:36.639 --> 01:02:40.000
ash and blow away with the wind. The start of

854
01:02:40.039 --> 01:02:43.360
the dance was just under two hours away. He could

855
01:02:43.360 --> 01:02:45.960
see a lot of the middle schoolers milling around the

856
01:02:46.000 --> 01:02:51.000
cafeteria in their scariest and goofiest get ups. He didn't

857
01:02:51.000 --> 01:02:54.599
see his two trouble makers. He thought he shouldn't be

858
01:02:54.679 --> 01:02:59.719
too uptight about it, but something wasn't quite right. He

859
01:02:59.719 --> 01:03:02.960
would feel much more comfortable if he could put eyes

860
01:03:03.000 --> 01:03:07.800
on them. Hey, kid, Butch said to the little boy.

861
01:03:08.679 --> 01:03:12.239
Before the little boy turned to face him, the boy

862
01:03:12.320 --> 01:03:17.079
placed a plastic pumpkin mask over his face. Trick or treat,

863
01:03:17.519 --> 01:03:22.280
the little boy said, exactly Steve said, and the boy

864
01:03:22.360 --> 01:03:25.840
looked to his left, held out his candy bucket and repeated,

865
01:03:26.320 --> 01:03:30.079
trick or treat. Steve was removing candy from his own

866
01:03:30.119 --> 01:03:33.559
paper sack, while Butch was flicking a bit as he

867
01:03:33.639 --> 01:03:37.119
pulled a little pumpkin bomb from his pocket. The kid

868
01:03:37.119 --> 01:03:40.639
held the bucket out to Steve. Steve had a fistful

869
01:03:40.679 --> 01:03:44.119
of candy and was holding it precariously over the bucket.

870
01:03:44.679 --> 01:03:48.639
The little boy was smiling under his mask. Butch lit

871
01:03:48.679 --> 01:03:52.480
the fuse. He felt a sudden adrenaline rush, but fought

872
01:03:52.519 --> 01:03:55.719
it for just a moment. He needed the fuse to

873
01:03:55.800 --> 01:04:00.960
burn down just a bit. Steve was teasing them, not

874
01:04:01.079 --> 01:04:05.000
dropping the candy into the bucket. Trick or treat, the

875
01:04:05.039 --> 01:04:09.360
little boy shouted. Butch spun in front of Steve. Trick

876
01:04:09.440 --> 01:04:12.920
or treat, you, little fucker. Butch dropped the pumpkin bomb

877
01:04:12.960 --> 01:04:16.480
into the bucket and moved back fast. The little boy

878
01:04:16.559 --> 01:04:20.480
didn't have time to say anything before the pumpkin exploded.

879
01:04:21.079 --> 01:04:24.320
The cherry bomb had enough force to destroy a mailbox.

880
01:04:25.079 --> 01:04:29.280
Candy and orange plastic shrapnel was sent flying. The boy

881
01:04:29.400 --> 01:04:32.840
screamed in terror. The tops of four fingers on his

882
01:04:32.960 --> 01:04:39.400
right hand were bloody stumps of bone. Raymond heard the

883
01:04:39.480 --> 01:04:42.639
ruckus on the other side of the cafeteria. His hair

884
01:04:42.760 --> 01:04:46.000
stood on end. The explosion, followed by the scream of

885
01:04:46.039 --> 01:04:50.239
a child, got Raymond moving post haste. Other faculty members

886
01:04:50.239 --> 01:04:53.639
were ushering people out of the cafeteria just in case

887
01:04:53.679 --> 01:04:56.719
there was a shooter in their midst Raymond knew it

888
01:04:56.800 --> 01:05:00.599
was those boys. Kathy ran to the cafeteria kitchen to

889
01:05:00.639 --> 01:05:04.280
call the police. Butch and Steve didn't hang around to

890
01:05:04.360 --> 01:05:07.960
admire their work. The boys darted out the double doors

891
01:05:08.000 --> 01:05:11.239
and b lined it for the gymnasium. They were laughing

892
01:05:11.400 --> 01:05:15.239
all the way as they ran. The main gymnasium doors

893
01:05:15.280 --> 01:05:18.199
would be locked because it wasn't yet time for the dance.

894
01:05:18.320 --> 01:05:22.280
But Butch and Steve knew the janitor's entrance and they

895
01:05:22.360 --> 01:05:25.280
never left it locked because half of them had lost

896
01:05:25.280 --> 01:05:30.000
their keys. They rushed inside. Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit,

897
01:05:30.559 --> 01:05:33.840
was all Steve could garble. Did you see that? Almost

898
01:05:33.880 --> 01:05:37.159
blew the little shit's hand off. These fuckers are like dynamite,

899
01:05:37.480 --> 01:05:41.679
Butch said, pulling a pumpkin bomb from his pocket. We're

900
01:05:41.719 --> 01:05:44.800
going to jail, Steve said, as the stark realization of

901
01:05:44.880 --> 01:05:49.199
consequences overrode the joy of the prank. The fuck we

902
01:05:49.239 --> 01:05:52.039
are nobody knows it was us. They all ran to

903
01:05:52.079 --> 01:05:55.000
the kid as we scooted it out. Let's just hang

904
01:05:55.039 --> 01:05:58.360
out here until the dance starts. We'll get lost in

905
01:05:58.440 --> 01:06:03.000
the crowd and fail what we started. Butch said, confidently,

906
01:06:03.800 --> 01:06:06.199
you think they're still gonna have the dance after that?

907
01:06:06.840 --> 01:06:11.159
Steve asked, the boys heard sirens and it wasn't just

908
01:06:11.199 --> 01:06:15.119
an ambulance. Butch knew the distinct tone of the Burnett

909
01:06:15.199 --> 01:06:18.280
Town police sirens because they had been called to Oak

910
01:06:18.320 --> 01:06:22.519
Street on more than a few occasions in his short lifetime.

911
01:06:23.599 --> 01:06:27.440
No way they're canceling the dance. No way that's gonna happen.

912
01:06:27.880 --> 01:06:30.960
Let's just stay here until it dies down. The janitor's

913
01:06:30.960 --> 01:06:34.039
closet is the safest place to be right now, Butch said,

914
01:06:34.719 --> 01:06:42.840
almost believing it. The little boy was screaming his head off.

915
01:06:43.320 --> 01:06:46.920
Raymond took off his vampire cape and wrapped the kid's hand,

916
01:06:47.400 --> 01:06:50.880
trying to apply pressure, but not really knowing what to

917
01:06:50.960 --> 01:06:54.199
do with stark white bone and chunks of meat that

918
01:06:54.400 --> 01:06:58.320
was one's fingers hanging from his hand. Where's his mother?

919
01:06:58.800 --> 01:07:02.159
Raymond screamed at the by standers. They all just gawked

920
01:07:02.159 --> 01:07:06.280
at the scene until paramedics and police rushed through the cafeteria.

921
01:07:07.000 --> 01:07:09.840
Raymond looked at the kid and said, it's going to

922
01:07:09.840 --> 01:07:12.760
be okay. I'm going to get the kids that did

923
01:07:12.760 --> 01:07:15.719
this to you, I promise, and I'll bring you all

924
01:07:15.800 --> 01:07:19.400
of their candy. The little boy looked back at Raymond,

925
01:07:19.880 --> 01:07:24.719
stopped screaming and spoke so calmly it startled Raymond into

926
01:07:24.760 --> 01:07:31.280
paying close close attention. In my pocket, the boy pointed

927
01:07:31.280 --> 01:07:34.239
to his right pocket with his left hand, get it

928
01:07:34.280 --> 01:07:40.360
out and eat it. Be the pumpkin man and kill them.

929
01:07:40.719 --> 01:07:44.320
Raymond was shocked at the calmness in the kid's voice.

930
01:07:44.400 --> 01:07:47.440
He heard the medics getting closer, and he could see

931
01:07:47.440 --> 01:07:51.320
the panic return to the kid's eyes. He reached into

932
01:07:51.320 --> 01:07:55.239
the boy's pocket and pulled out a small plastic bag.

933
01:07:56.239 --> 01:07:59.199
It was a black bag sealed with an orange topper.

934
01:08:00.079 --> 01:08:04.280
It had green letters printed on the topper pumpkin potion.

935
01:08:05.760 --> 01:08:08.960
Raymond backed away as the medics took the child away.

936
01:08:09.599 --> 01:08:18.239
He would be an Aiken Regional within fifteen minutes. It

937
01:08:18.319 --> 01:08:22.000
was determined the dance would continue, albeit not on time.

938
01:08:22.880 --> 01:08:26.199
The police questioned the folks in the area and They

939
01:08:26.279 --> 01:08:29.439
gave descriptions of a fat kid with a pillowcase mask

940
01:08:29.920 --> 01:08:32.720
and another kid dressed up like a monkey or a

941
01:08:32.720 --> 01:08:36.000
werewolf running from the scene. When they heard an explosion

942
01:08:36.520 --> 01:08:41.079
followed by a blood curdling scream, they did a cursory

943
01:08:41.119 --> 01:08:44.680
search of the school. Raymond gave them the names of

944
01:08:44.720 --> 01:08:47.239
the boys so their houses would be next on the

945
01:08:47.279 --> 01:08:51.800
search list. They didn't find the boys. They were tucked

946
01:08:51.880 --> 01:08:56.079
quietly away in the janitor's locker in the gym and

947
01:08:56.119 --> 01:08:59.279
would stay there all night if they had to. They

948
01:08:59.279 --> 01:09:02.840
would only come if they heard the dja start playing tunes.

949
01:09:03.720 --> 01:09:06.600
Steve would take off his mask and Butch would remove

950
01:09:06.640 --> 01:09:10.119
the wig. Luckily for the two of them, there was

951
01:09:10.159 --> 01:09:13.239
an unopened bag of large sized white T shirts in

952
01:09:13.279 --> 01:09:16.920
the locker that belonged to one of the janitors. They

953
01:09:17.000 --> 01:09:20.640
ripped them open and changed their shirts. Butch removed the

954
01:09:20.680 --> 01:09:24.279
makeup using soap and water from the janitor's sink. There

955
01:09:24.319 --> 01:09:26.840
was a gallon of bleach under that sink that he

956
01:09:27.039 --> 01:09:29.600
used to clean the blood jelly from his sneakers as

957
01:09:29.640 --> 01:09:33.479
best he could. The boys could now pass as hoboes

958
01:09:33.920 --> 01:09:39.560
if the dance ever started. The gymnasium opened its doors

959
01:09:39.600 --> 01:09:44.199
an hour late. Kids were lined up waiting impatiently and cheered.

960
01:09:44.199 --> 01:09:49.319
When the doors finally opened, Raymond was already inside, waiting

961
01:09:49.600 --> 01:09:53.119
just inside the double doors. He was going to put

962
01:09:53.159 --> 01:09:57.279
his eyes on every ghost and ghoul that walked inside.

963
01:09:57.399 --> 01:10:00.800
The DJA was starting the show with everyone's hallow Ian favorite,

964
01:10:01.439 --> 01:10:05.720
the Monster Mash. You ready, Butch asked, when he heard

965
01:10:05.720 --> 01:10:11.520
the music kick in, Yeah, Steve hesitantly replied, shuffling his feet.

966
01:10:12.199 --> 01:10:16.399
Maybe he finally realized that being friends with Butch wasn't

967
01:10:16.439 --> 01:10:19.800
such a great idea. If we need to get out quick,

968
01:10:19.880 --> 01:10:22.319
light a pumpkin and toss it in the crowd. Understand,

969
01:10:22.760 --> 01:10:27.880
Butch asked, Yeah, Steve replied. Butch opened the door and

970
01:10:27.920 --> 01:10:31.239
the two hoboes stepped into the back of the gymnasium.

971
01:10:31.520 --> 01:10:35.119
Kids were already dancing. Let me know if you see

972
01:10:35.159 --> 01:10:37.960
turd burglar, I want to give him a trick before

973
01:10:37.960 --> 01:10:42.840
we leave, Butch said. Steve nodded his head but didn't

974
01:10:42.840 --> 01:10:46.760
say a word. Monster Mash gave way to the Munster's

975
01:10:46.880 --> 01:10:50.960
theme song. The boys walked around the edge of the gym.

976
01:10:51.439 --> 01:11:00.640
There were so many people, so many cool costumes. Vampires werewolves, ghosts, zombies, demons, princesses.

977
01:11:01.039 --> 01:11:05.079
Every Halloween character was represented. There were even a couple

978
01:11:05.119 --> 01:11:09.319
of decent looking Freddy Krueger's turd burglar. At twelve o'clock,

979
01:11:09.680 --> 01:11:12.680
Butch said and nodded toward the double doors where the

980
01:11:12.760 --> 01:11:16.640
kids were still filing in. Let's just go, man, we

981
01:11:16.680 --> 01:11:18.840
can get in some real shit if we hang around.

982
01:11:19.319 --> 01:11:21.439
Let's just say hey to a couple of kids. So

983
01:11:21.479 --> 01:11:27.239
we have a what do the cops call it on TV? Abilie?

984
01:11:28.079 --> 01:11:33.039
Steve asked, fuck that, and it's Alibi, you moron, Butch replied.

985
01:11:33.600 --> 01:11:37.119
Steve felt a tap on his shoulder. He gulped and turned.

986
01:11:38.039 --> 01:11:40.960
It was Miss Fletcher, and Steve was getting an eye

987
01:11:40.960 --> 01:11:44.800
full of the bazongas he missed earlier. You two need

988
01:11:44.800 --> 01:11:47.079
to come with me right now, she said, as she

989
01:11:47.159 --> 01:11:50.760
reached for both of their hands. Steve, being enamored with

990
01:11:50.800 --> 01:11:54.159
the bazongas, actually held his hand out before Butch slapped

991
01:11:54.159 --> 01:11:57.920
it away. We ain't going nowhere with you, Butch said.

992
01:11:58.560 --> 01:12:01.680
Cathy screamed out at the top of her lungs, Raymond,

993
01:12:01.880 --> 01:12:05.760
They're over here. She grabbed for Steve since he was

994
01:12:05.800 --> 01:12:08.079
the closest, and caught the back of his T shirt.

995
01:12:08.359 --> 01:12:11.680
It ripped haul Coogan style. As he pulled away from her,

996
01:12:12.159 --> 01:12:15.439
Butch reached into his pocket and pulled out a pumpkin bomb.

997
01:12:16.000 --> 01:12:20.000
He was crashing into kids left and right. Hey, hey stop.

998
01:12:20.439 --> 01:12:24.439
Raymond was hollering, getting closer to the boys. Butch fumbled

999
01:12:24.439 --> 01:12:28.319
for the bick. Eddie Hardy, seventh grader and middle linebacker

1000
01:12:28.319 --> 01:12:31.880
for the LBC Lions, grabbed Butch around his waist and

1001
01:12:32.000 --> 01:12:35.840
tackled him to the gym floor. Butch was crawling and kicking.

1002
01:12:36.079 --> 01:12:40.000
The other kids were backing away. Steve stopped in his tracks.

1003
01:12:40.800 --> 01:12:43.359
His days of getting in trouble with Butch were going

1004
01:12:43.399 --> 01:12:46.560
to come to an end here. Butch was no fucking

1005
01:12:46.640 --> 01:12:51.880
Ferris Bueller, and he certainly wasn't Cameron fuck Butch. Raymond

1006
01:12:51.920 --> 01:12:55.640
was instructing Kathy to call the police. Eddie still had

1007
01:12:55.680 --> 01:12:59.359
his grip, but Butch wasn't trying to free himself. Butch

1008
01:12:59.560 --> 01:13:02.720
was busy. He lit the fuse and held it for

1009
01:13:02.760 --> 01:13:06.319
as long as he could. Raymond grabbed him by the shoulder,

1010
01:13:06.399 --> 01:13:11.239
trying to help Eddie keep Butch immobilized. Butch grinned as

1011
01:13:11.239 --> 01:13:16.399
he turned to see Raymond trick turd burglar. He screamed

1012
01:13:16.560 --> 01:13:19.840
and dropped the pumpkin bomb into Raymond's shirt pocket. It

1013
01:13:19.960 --> 01:13:25.439
exploded immediately. Raymond's glasses flew from his face. His eyes

1014
01:13:25.479 --> 01:13:28.640
felt as if they were orbs of hot lava melting

1015
01:13:28.680 --> 01:13:32.640
his brain. Eddie looked in horror at his seventh grade

1016
01:13:32.640 --> 01:13:37.119
science teacher. Butch stood up, laughing for all he was worth.

1017
01:13:37.920 --> 01:13:41.560
Steve pulled a pumpkin bomb from his own pocket, lit it,

1018
01:13:42.279 --> 01:13:45.960
and ran up to Butch. Butch held up a hand

1019
01:13:46.000 --> 01:13:49.600
to get a high five from his fat buddy. His

1020
01:13:49.720 --> 01:13:54.079
fat buddy grabbed Butch's sagging pants by the belt line, grinned,

1021
01:13:54.680 --> 01:13:59.960
and shoved the pumpkin bomb down Butch's underwear. It exploded.

1022
01:14:00.840 --> 01:14:04.800
Butch fell to the floor. The crotch of his jeans

1023
01:14:04.880 --> 01:14:09.159
wore a black, smoldering hole. His twig and berries were

1024
01:14:09.199 --> 01:14:14.600
nothing more than a bloody ground mess. Fuck you, Butch,

1025
01:14:15.159 --> 01:14:20.600
Steve said as he walked away. Raymond couldn't see, he

1026
01:14:20.640 --> 01:14:23.920
could hear, but it sounded like everyone was in a tunnel.

1027
01:14:24.720 --> 01:14:31.840
Kathy ran to him. He mumbled a single word, water, okay, okay.

1028
01:14:32.439 --> 01:14:35.399
Kathy got a cup from the stack near the punch bowl,

1029
01:14:35.800 --> 01:14:38.239
which was spiked. When the first set of kids came

1030
01:14:38.279 --> 01:14:42.680
through and retrieved water from the fountain. Raymond fumbled with

1031
01:14:42.720 --> 01:14:46.520
the package. While Kathy was getting the water. He ripped

1032
01:14:46.560 --> 01:14:51.279
the orange topper from the pumpkin potion. Kathy attempted to

1033
01:14:51.319 --> 01:14:54.920
give him water. He held out his hand instead, and

1034
01:14:55.000 --> 01:14:58.039
she gave him the cup. He emptied the pouch of

1035
01:14:58.119 --> 01:15:01.680
pumpkin potion into his mouth and chased it down with

1036
01:15:01.760 --> 01:15:06.720
the water. Raymond, what are you doing, Kathy asked. She

1037
01:15:06.840 --> 01:15:11.600
reached down to help him. Raymond contorted in pain. His

1038
01:15:11.760 --> 01:15:16.319
bones literally sounded as if they were cracking. Sirens were coming.

1039
01:15:16.640 --> 01:15:19.720
He could hear them. He could hear her screaming for help.

1040
01:15:20.439 --> 01:15:25.920
Raymond could hear everything. No tunnel. His eyes were clear,

1041
01:15:26.760 --> 01:15:31.000
and the pain was gone. Raymond stood and held out

1042
01:15:31.000 --> 01:15:38.600
his hand. No stay away, he said. Kathy was wide eyed.

1043
01:15:39.600 --> 01:15:43.840
Raymond ran. His shoes burst under his feet. He escaped

1044
01:15:43.880 --> 01:15:48.119
the gym through the janitor's closet. He was gone. No

1045
01:15:48.159 --> 01:15:53.880
one would find him. Raymond Mathis was as good as dead.

1046
01:16:00.600 --> 01:16:03.560
It had been seventy two hours since the events at

1047
01:16:03.680 --> 01:16:08.359
LBC Middle School, Butch lived, but he was now a eunuch.

1048
01:16:09.039 --> 01:16:12.399
Steve turned himself into the police and confessed to what

1049
01:16:12.439 --> 01:16:16.119
the boys had done. The little boy was lying wide

1050
01:16:16.159 --> 01:16:19.560
awake in his hospital bed at two o'clock in the morning.

1051
01:16:20.560 --> 01:16:24.600
No mother, father, aunt, or uncle came to get him,

1052
01:16:25.239 --> 01:16:31.039
but someone did. The tall man walked quietly into the room.

1053
01:16:31.880 --> 01:16:35.640
The boy lit up, holding up his bandaged hand. Did

1054
01:16:35.640 --> 01:16:40.479
you kill them, the little boy asked, no, but I

1055
01:16:40.600 --> 01:16:43.920
punished the one that did this to you. Are you

1056
01:16:43.960 --> 01:16:48.880
ready to go, my son, the tall man asked, I

1057
01:16:48.920 --> 01:16:53.359
am father. My daddy is the Pumpkin Man. The kid said,

1058
01:16:53.399 --> 01:16:57.079
with an excitement that made the tall man smile. I

1059
01:16:57.199 --> 01:17:01.159
can fix your hand, you know, really truly fix it.

1060
01:17:01.640 --> 01:17:05.479
But there is a trade off. The tall man said,

1061
01:17:06.479 --> 01:17:11.199
what is it? The boy asked, You'll stay this age

1062
01:17:11.239 --> 01:17:16.439
forever and I'll be with you forever. How does that sound,

1063
01:17:17.119 --> 01:17:21.279
the tall man asked. It's all I've ever wanted, said

1064
01:17:21.279 --> 01:17:26.199
the little boy, And at that moment, the little piece

1065
01:17:26.239 --> 01:17:30.119
of Raymond that was dying away inside the tall man

1066
01:17:31.119 --> 01:17:49.079
finally appreciated Halloween. The Grinner by Henry Coot. Halloween was

1067
01:17:49.159 --> 01:17:54.640
my absolute, one hundred percent all time favorite day of

1068
01:17:54.680 --> 01:17:58.239
the year. The moment I could see the leaves changing colors,

1069
01:17:58.279 --> 01:18:01.760
my mind would start to spin. I'd sit in school

1070
01:18:01.800 --> 01:18:06.039
with my leg nervously jumping as I drew zombies and

1071
01:18:06.199 --> 01:18:12.800
vampires attacking unsuspecting townspeople in my trapper keeper and hummed

1072
01:18:12.840 --> 01:18:17.560
the monster mash to myself. My grades definitely dipped during

1073
01:18:17.640 --> 01:18:20.880
the fall, but who cares, It's just the start of

1074
01:18:20.880 --> 01:18:24.760
the school year. Anyway, I'd show plenty of improvement once

1075
01:18:24.800 --> 01:18:29.359
Thanksgiving rolled around. I'm no schlub, though, I would start

1076
01:18:29.399 --> 01:18:33.439
plotting out my costume during summer break, gathering all the

1077
01:18:33.520 --> 01:18:37.720
pieces from the garage sales, thrift stores, and relatives we'd

1078
01:18:37.800 --> 01:18:41.119
visit in Rhode Island. The ride from Ohio was like

1079
01:18:41.279 --> 01:18:44.079
sixteen hours, so the least they could do is help

1080
01:18:44.159 --> 01:18:48.399
me out. My Dracula outfit last year was a plus,

1081
01:18:48.720 --> 01:18:52.239
and every kid at school was impressed. Even the upper

1082
01:18:52.239 --> 01:18:55.680
classmen bully types had to admit my fangs and fake

1083
01:18:55.760 --> 01:19:00.520
blood were startlingly realistic. So realistic, in fact, that they

1084
01:19:00.560 --> 01:19:02.439
sent me to the nurse and made me scrub it

1085
01:19:02.479 --> 01:19:05.840
off with some weird, smelling off brand pink hand soap.

1086
01:19:06.760 --> 01:19:09.640
When I was four years old, I was a power Ranger.

1087
01:19:10.239 --> 01:19:14.560
Don't judge me, they were awesome. Five was a mummy,

1088
01:19:14.960 --> 01:19:17.840
mainly because my dad was an r nurse, and he

1089
01:19:17.920 --> 01:19:22.800
brought home boatloads of bandages. At six, I tried Dracula

1090
01:19:23.000 --> 01:19:26.520
for the first time. I was a total goober, though,

1091
01:19:26.920 --> 01:19:30.359
and had those cheesy plastic fangs that never stay in

1092
01:19:30.439 --> 01:19:34.039
place and they're pretty much guaranteed to make your gums bleed.

1093
01:19:34.640 --> 01:19:38.680
I also had the most obscenely long painted on widow's

1094
01:19:38.720 --> 01:19:41.439
peak that my mom did up in black make up.

1095
01:19:42.439 --> 01:19:45.680
Seven was when I really started hitting my stride though.

1096
01:19:46.399 --> 01:19:50.720
That's when I discovered Saturday Nightmares on TV. My mom

1097
01:19:50.760 --> 01:19:53.880
and dad loved watching it, and it was way too

1098
01:19:54.000 --> 01:19:57.319
scary for kids. I would stretch out on the love

1099
01:19:57.359 --> 01:20:01.119
seat next to them and pretend to fall asleep. I

1100
01:20:01.159 --> 01:20:04.600
would then go totally dead weight and grouchy. When they

1101
01:20:04.680 --> 01:20:06.960
tried to pry me off and put me to bed,

1102
01:20:07.960 --> 01:20:11.279
They'd give up and I'd get to lay there sneaking

1103
01:20:11.399 --> 01:20:17.119
peaks of Jason Vorhees, Dracula, Candy Man, and so many

1104
01:20:17.159 --> 01:20:22.600
more the perfect crime. So my costume at seven years

1105
01:20:22.640 --> 01:20:26.159
old was Jason. I ripped up some old clothes and

1106
01:20:26.239 --> 01:20:28.399
got a hockey mask out of an old trunk in

1107
01:20:28.439 --> 01:20:32.079
the garage. I made a big machete out of a

1108
01:20:32.119 --> 01:20:36.520
cardboard box and was out in the neighborhood stalking for

1109
01:20:36.640 --> 01:20:42.079
camp counselors to skewer. When I was eight, I did Frankenstein,

1110
01:20:42.239 --> 01:20:49.720
but I made all my body parts nasty different colors, greens, grays, reds.

1111
01:20:50.199 --> 01:20:53.920
I really did look like a hodgepodge of stolen body

1112
01:20:53.920 --> 01:20:58.239
parts stitched together. That was the first year I made

1113
01:20:58.279 --> 01:21:03.560
another Tricker treater cry sweet Action. At nine, I wore

1114
01:21:03.600 --> 01:21:07.840
the aforementioned Dracula costume, and I was the most rad

1115
01:21:08.000 --> 01:21:13.000
prince of darkness anyone had ever seen. I practiced my

1116
01:21:13.159 --> 01:21:16.640
accent in the mirror every morning with my fangs in.

1117
01:21:17.239 --> 01:21:21.079
Of course, I even bought Densher glue to keep them

1118
01:21:21.079 --> 01:21:24.880
in my mouth securely. It tasted awful, by the way.

1119
01:21:25.840 --> 01:21:28.960
This year, though, I really had to go all out

1120
01:21:29.359 --> 01:21:33.680
because I was ten and I got my first invitation

1121
01:21:34.479 --> 01:21:37.960
to an older kid party. It may not seem like

1122
01:21:38.000 --> 01:21:40.920
a big deal to you, but middle schoolers usually never

1123
01:21:40.960 --> 01:21:44.680
want anything to do with elementary schoolers. I got on

1124
01:21:44.760 --> 01:21:48.640
their radar when words spread. I had a video copy

1125
01:21:48.680 --> 01:21:52.399
of sleep Away Camp two and the king of gross

1126
01:21:52.399 --> 01:21:57.399
out party movies, Faces of Death. In our small town,

1127
01:21:57.520 --> 01:22:00.600
getting a copy of the most notorious horror movie of

1128
01:22:00.640 --> 01:22:05.159
all time, banned in forty six countries was nearly impossible,

1129
01:22:05.600 --> 01:22:09.000
but thanks to my summer trips to New England, I

1130
01:22:09.159 --> 01:22:12.760
managed to score a copy. I may have convinced my

1131
01:22:12.880 --> 01:22:17.319
grandma that it was a cartoon based on the illustrated

1132
01:22:17.359 --> 01:22:21.279
hooded skeleton on the cover. This is great and all

1133
01:22:21.319 --> 01:22:25.800
except for one issue. These cool older kids are just

1134
01:22:25.880 --> 01:22:28.239
going to put my movies on and then ignore me

1135
01:22:28.319 --> 01:22:31.760
the whole night. But not if tonight when according to

1136
01:22:31.880 --> 01:22:37.640
plan Earth to Robbie, come in, Robbie, a playfully annoyed

1137
01:22:37.720 --> 01:22:40.840
voice blasted me back to reality, where I stood next

1138
01:22:40.840 --> 01:22:46.359
to my locker at school. What, I replied, trying to

1139
01:22:46.399 --> 01:22:48.720
remember if I was in a conversation with my best

1140
01:22:48.720 --> 01:22:51.800
friend Michael and forgot, or if he'd just walked up

1141
01:22:51.840 --> 01:22:56.119
to me daydreaming about the Girl's Gone Wild commercial again? Huh,

1142
01:22:56.560 --> 01:23:00.239
Michael said, with a huge cheese eating grin on his face.

1143
01:23:01.039 --> 01:23:05.479
He was a degenerate, but he was my degenerate. Shut up.

1144
01:23:06.039 --> 01:23:10.199
I was just plodding out tonight. Michael shifted his weight

1145
01:23:10.239 --> 01:23:12.319
from one foot to the other as he regained a

1146
01:23:12.359 --> 01:23:16.279
grip on his binder, which was undoubtedly full of comic

1147
01:23:16.319 --> 01:23:20.399
books and not a single piece of schoolwork. Oh yeah,

1148
01:23:20.439 --> 01:23:23.600
you're going to that middle schooler party, the one I'm

1149
01:23:23.640 --> 01:23:27.840
not cool enough to tag along to. Once I blow

1150
01:23:27.920 --> 01:23:31.279
them away with faces of death and my Freddy Krueger costume,

1151
01:23:31.520 --> 01:23:34.119
they're going to realize how cool I am for my age,

1152
01:23:34.560 --> 01:23:37.079
and then we can work on convincing them about you too.

1153
01:23:37.960 --> 01:23:40.920
I meant it as badly as I wanted to be cool.

1154
01:23:41.079 --> 01:23:44.119
Michael had been my best friend since kindergarten, and I

1155
01:23:44.159 --> 01:23:47.840
wouldn't want him to be left out. Yeah, yeah, great,

1156
01:23:48.319 --> 01:23:51.279
we're still trigger treating together, right, he asked, as he

1157
01:23:51.359 --> 01:23:56.359
tried not to sound too disappointed. Duh, we're taking this

1158
01:23:56.479 --> 01:23:59.520
town for all of its candy. I raised my hand

1159
01:23:59.520 --> 01:24:03.279
for a high, then quickly realized Michael had both his

1160
01:24:03.359 --> 01:24:07.279
hands full. My eyes narrowed as I got very serious

1161
01:24:07.800 --> 01:24:12.239
and leaned in close. So here's the plan. We score

1162
01:24:12.319 --> 01:24:15.319
all the candy up the south side of town. Then

1163
01:24:15.520 --> 01:24:18.880
when we looped back around, we stopped by the Grinner.

1164
01:24:19.720 --> 01:24:22.319
I thought we agreed we'd steer clear of the grinner

1165
01:24:22.359 --> 01:24:26.840
this year, Michael replied with a whine. The grinner was

1166
01:24:26.880 --> 01:24:30.680
a scarecrow like dummy placed in front of McClellan Hall,

1167
01:24:31.199 --> 01:24:34.800
which was a creepy, old, beat up historical landmark and

1168
01:24:35.039 --> 01:24:38.279
former funeral home. Every year for as long as I

1169
01:24:38.279 --> 01:24:41.399
could remember, the grinner was put on the front steps

1170
01:24:41.399 --> 01:24:44.279
of the hall with a big, fat bowl of candy

1171
01:24:44.319 --> 01:24:47.720
in its lap and a sign that said please take

1172
01:24:47.800 --> 01:24:53.039
only one, which we had always ignored. The only problem

1173
01:24:53.079 --> 01:24:58.479
with the grinner was well the grin, the weird sack

1174
01:24:58.680 --> 01:25:01.760
like head had warped in strange ways over the years.

1175
01:25:02.319 --> 01:25:06.600
It seemed like every Halloween the hellish smile was more

1176
01:25:06.680 --> 01:25:12.319
lopsided and deformed and terrifying. Most of the younger kids

1177
01:25:12.359 --> 01:25:14.479
never dared to get a piece of candy from the

1178
01:25:14.479 --> 01:25:18.039
grinner at all. I would never hesitate to grab a

1179
01:25:18.079 --> 01:25:21.560
couple of extra fun sized kitkats, even if it gave

1180
01:25:21.600 --> 01:25:26.880
me the creeps. It was kind of fun until last year.

1181
01:25:27.840 --> 01:25:30.399
Michael and I were getting ready to fill our bags

1182
01:25:30.439 --> 01:25:33.720
with candy from the large and mostly full bucket of

1183
01:25:33.760 --> 01:25:37.399
sweet treats. Mike was trying to stop me from taking

1184
01:25:37.439 --> 01:25:40.239
more than one because I guess his old man had

1185
01:25:40.239 --> 01:25:44.560
told him if you cross the grinner, he eats kids. Yeah,

1186
01:25:44.600 --> 01:25:46.960
that's so believable and not just the kind of crap

1187
01:25:47.039 --> 01:25:51.399
parents makeup on the spot to scare us. Not so

1188
01:25:51.479 --> 01:25:54.119
I went to fill my bag with ill gotten gains,

1189
01:25:54.279 --> 01:25:59.680
when all of a sudden, the grinner moved. We both

1190
01:25:59.880 --> 01:26:02.439
mp back and let out yelps as a jet black

1191
01:26:02.479 --> 01:26:06.680
cat skittered past us. Stupid cat nearly made me jump

1192
01:26:06.680 --> 01:26:09.880
out of my skin. Michael fell flat on his butt

1193
01:26:09.920 --> 01:26:12.920
off the stoop. On the way home that night, he

1194
01:26:13.039 --> 01:26:17.439
made me promise we'd never ever bother going to the

1195
01:26:17.439 --> 01:26:25.399
Grinner's house. But desperate times call for desperate measures. God, Robbie,

1196
01:26:25.640 --> 01:26:28.439
you want to take the Grinner's candy to that stupid party?

1197
01:26:28.920 --> 01:26:35.560
Michael groaned, what no anybody can buy candy? I'm going

1198
01:26:35.600 --> 01:26:40.520
to take the Grinner's head, I smiled, as if I

1199
01:26:40.560 --> 01:26:45.800
had long, sharp teeth to bear. Michael's words exploded out

1200
01:26:45.800 --> 01:26:50.039
of him. Are you kidding? That's insane? All of his

1201
01:26:50.079 --> 01:26:52.960
school supplies fell out of his arms and onto the floor,

1202
01:26:53.399 --> 01:26:57.359
as he didn't even acknowledge the mess he had made. Relax,

1203
01:26:57.479 --> 01:27:02.720
it's just a dummy. My confidence wasn't waning. We don't

1204
01:27:02.760 --> 01:27:05.800
know that. No one even knows who puts him there.

1205
01:27:06.439 --> 01:27:10.920
Michael dropped down to gather his belongings. It's probably like

1206
01:27:11.039 --> 01:27:14.399
the mayor or the school board or something. I squatted

1207
01:27:14.439 --> 01:27:17.680
down to help him gather his comics. So were you in?

1208
01:27:18.279 --> 01:27:22.760
It would be ultimate? Michael looks up at me. No,

1209
01:27:29.039 --> 01:27:32.439
would you slow down? Michael yelled as he sucked on

1210
01:27:32.479 --> 01:27:36.560
a jolly rancher six steps behind me. The streets were dark.

1211
01:27:37.079 --> 01:27:39.600
Most of the other kids had already called it a night,

1212
01:27:40.079 --> 01:27:44.520
but we had one last stop before I became the

1213
01:27:44.760 --> 01:27:50.159
King of Halloween to all the middle schoolers. Michael and

1214
01:27:50.199 --> 01:27:53.880
I walked up to McClellan Hall and stopped dead in front,

1215
01:27:54.479 --> 01:27:57.520
just barely outside of the glow of the nearest street light.

1216
01:27:58.920 --> 01:28:03.119
There he was, The Grinner was sitting in his usual

1217
01:28:03.239 --> 01:28:07.479
disheveled manner. His smile was warped up the side of

1218
01:28:07.520 --> 01:28:12.800
his head. The stitched lips looked oddly convincing in the dark,

1219
01:28:13.439 --> 01:28:15.680
like they were going to spread apart at any moment

1220
01:28:16.119 --> 01:28:20.560
and reveal rows of teeth like a shark. I stared

1221
01:28:20.600 --> 01:28:23.359
hard at the Grinner as I formulated a game plan

1222
01:28:23.920 --> 01:28:27.880
for the soon to come decapitation. From as far as

1223
01:28:27.920 --> 01:28:31.319
I could tell, it was barely attached to anything. The

1224
01:28:31.319 --> 01:28:34.399
way it sat on its shoulders and tattered double breasted

1225
01:28:34.479 --> 01:28:39.720
jacket made it seem free of much resistance. Michael stood still,

1226
01:28:40.159 --> 01:28:43.239
his white Michael Meyer's Halloween mask hanging on top of

1227
01:28:43.279 --> 01:28:47.199
his head like a hat. He sighed deeply as he

1228
01:28:47.279 --> 01:28:52.960
crunched hard candy between his teeth. Dude, no, don't do it.

1229
01:28:53.880 --> 01:28:56.880
I couldn't believe he was still so scared. This was

1230
01:28:56.920 --> 01:28:59.399
the kid who watched Evil Dead at three thirty a m.

1231
01:28:59.479 --> 01:29:02.399
In the morning, after I had fallen asleep an hour earlier.

1232
01:29:02.920 --> 01:29:06.359
Michael could be a spaz sometimes, but he was never

1233
01:29:06.439 --> 01:29:10.560
a woos. My eyes went from him back to the grinner,

1234
01:29:11.079 --> 01:29:16.880
whose demented happy face remained thankfully unchanged. At that moment,

1235
01:29:16.960 --> 01:29:22.439
I realized maybe I was a little scared too. Mikey,

1236
01:29:23.000 --> 01:29:25.680
if you're that afraid, it's okay. You can go home

1237
01:29:25.720 --> 01:29:28.479
and I'll take care of business. The party isn't far

1238
01:29:28.520 --> 01:29:32.279
from here anyhow. I bluffed, knowing full well that he

1239
01:29:32.319 --> 01:29:36.199
would never leave me alone in such a situation. Plus

1240
01:29:36.359 --> 01:29:39.439
I really didn't want him to. It was a creepy night,

1241
01:29:39.479 --> 01:29:43.199
and I felt better with him having my back. Okay,

1242
01:29:43.479 --> 01:29:46.800
see tomorrow. All of a sudden, my best friend turned

1243
01:29:46.800 --> 01:29:50.760
into a chubby, Midwestern, speedy Gonzales as he ran out

1244
01:29:50.760 --> 01:29:53.399
of sight faster than I had ever seen him move before.

1245
01:29:54.479 --> 01:29:57.520
Dang it, I yelled as I stood there all alone,

1246
01:29:58.199 --> 01:30:02.760
nervously picking at my Freddie Krueger melted skin makeup, which

1247
01:30:02.840 --> 01:30:06.039
was failing to stay adhered to my face. I'd have

1248
01:30:06.159 --> 01:30:08.119
to stop by home on my way to the party

1249
01:30:08.159 --> 01:30:12.000
to get more spirit gum. My plastic razor glove replica

1250
01:30:12.159 --> 01:30:15.399
was tapping on my sack of candy as I stalled

1251
01:30:15.439 --> 01:30:20.560
for dear life, I really wasn't alone, though the Grinner

1252
01:30:20.680 --> 01:30:24.000
hadn't moved a millimeter in the four or five minutes

1253
01:30:24.199 --> 01:30:29.479
since I arrived. Thank God for small favors. I suddenly

1254
01:30:29.560 --> 01:30:32.399
realized I had been staring with my jaw agape at

1255
01:30:32.399 --> 01:30:37.039
the freaky shape and averted my eyes. I'm from the Midwest,

1256
01:30:37.079 --> 01:30:39.560
and my mama taught me it's not polite to stare.

1257
01:30:40.359 --> 01:30:44.359
It was a reflex. The sounds of crickets and distant

1258
01:30:44.439 --> 01:30:47.279
dogs barking were deafening to my ears. As I now

1259
01:30:47.319 --> 01:30:51.319
stood in front of McClellan Hall, purposefully not looking at

1260
01:30:51.319 --> 01:30:55.319
the grinner, A feeling started to rumble inside me as

1261
01:30:55.319 --> 01:31:00.439
I realized I felt angry. I was really ticked off.

1262
01:31:01.279 --> 01:31:04.199
Come on, I'm the King of Halloween. I'm the kid

1263
01:31:04.239 --> 01:31:06.600
that watched all seven Nightmare on Elm Street movies in

1264
01:31:06.640 --> 01:31:09.800
a row. I've played with Ouiji boards on Friday the thirteenth.

1265
01:31:10.000 --> 01:31:13.279
The Grinner was just some stupid life sized sock puppet

1266
01:31:13.479 --> 01:31:15.760
that we turned into a legend because our town is

1267
01:31:15.920 --> 01:31:20.039
that boring. My chest puffed out under my red and

1268
01:31:20.119 --> 01:31:25.399
green striped sweater. I'm Robin Osbourne. I am not afraid

1269
01:31:25.640 --> 01:31:30.239
of anything. Tonight is Halloween, the one night a year

1270
01:31:30.479 --> 01:31:33.520
when the stupid and gross things I love are cool.

1271
01:31:34.239 --> 01:31:38.079
It's my night, dang it. I stomped my feet hard

1272
01:31:38.119 --> 01:31:40.720
as I headed straight for the Grinner, who sat still

1273
01:31:40.720 --> 01:31:45.319
in his chair, candy bowl waiting. I stopped as I

1274
01:31:45.399 --> 01:31:50.159
was almost exactly face to stitched up sack with him.

1275
01:31:50.720 --> 01:31:53.439
I looked down at the handwritten sign around his neck.

1276
01:31:54.319 --> 01:32:00.319
Please take only one. The only was underlined. I read

1277
01:32:00.359 --> 01:32:04.399
that phrase three or four times. Then I laughed to

1278
01:32:04.439 --> 01:32:08.880
myself and reached into the bowl. Thanks, old pal, I

1279
01:32:09.039 --> 01:32:13.159
taunted as I took exactly two pieces and placed them

1280
01:32:13.159 --> 01:32:17.359
into my bag. I flinched out of nowhere like something

1281
01:32:17.399 --> 01:32:22.520
had startled me, except there was nothing, nothing but silence.

1282
01:32:23.560 --> 01:32:27.399
The Grinner was as motionless as ever I took a

1283
01:32:27.439 --> 01:32:31.119
few deep breaths as I regained my calm. I locked

1284
01:32:31.119 --> 01:32:35.199
my eyes on its lumpy visage. That grin of his

1285
01:32:35.520 --> 01:32:39.479
really was eerie, But it was time for me to

1286
01:32:39.520 --> 01:32:44.960
get ahead. For once get it ahead, I set my

1287
01:32:45.079 --> 01:32:47.960
candy down on the grass and brought both of my

1288
01:32:48.079 --> 01:32:53.000
hands up. I stopped and removed my plastic Freddy Krueger glove.

1289
01:32:53.840 --> 01:32:57.279
It may have been great for slashing teenagers, but its

1290
01:32:57.359 --> 01:33:01.920
tensile strength was well below par. My palms were both

1291
01:33:02.039 --> 01:33:06.479
so unbelievably clammy. Even in the crisp forty six degree night,

1292
01:33:07.840 --> 01:33:13.279
my hands were finally functioning again and going closer and

1293
01:33:13.479 --> 01:33:18.920
closer to the grinner's noggin. I winced, ever so slightly

1294
01:33:19.640 --> 01:33:23.439
when my hands made contact with the coarse fabric that

1295
01:33:23.560 --> 01:33:27.920
made up his flesh. It felt a bit harder than

1296
01:33:27.960 --> 01:33:31.880
I was expecting, definitely not filled with hay or cotton.

1297
01:33:32.520 --> 01:33:36.520
I grasped both sides of the head and took a

1298
01:33:36.600 --> 01:33:40.880
deep breath while biting down softly on my tongue. As

1299
01:33:40.880 --> 01:33:44.000
I lifted the head, I was also surprised by the

1300
01:33:44.039 --> 01:33:47.199
weight of it. I could still lift it no problem,

1301
01:33:47.239 --> 01:33:51.439
but I had expected it to be pretty airy must

1302
01:33:51.439 --> 01:33:54.800
be filled with sand or kitty litter or something. I

1303
01:33:54.920 --> 01:33:58.119
was right. The head doesn't appear to be attached by

1304
01:33:58.159 --> 01:34:02.119
more than a couple of threads. I lifted harder and

1305
01:34:02.279 --> 01:34:05.720
heard the few threads snap as I held the head

1306
01:34:05.800 --> 01:34:07.520
above the padded shoulders.

1307
01:34:08.079 --> 01:34:09.560
Ah.

1308
01:34:09.880 --> 01:34:12.359
The Grinner's arms suddenly shot up and grabbed me by

1309
01:34:12.399 --> 01:34:15.079
the wrists. I bit my tongue hard as my entire

1310
01:34:15.119 --> 01:34:19.359
body tensed in absolute terror. He pulled my arms downward

1311
01:34:19.560 --> 01:34:22.479
and forced me to place his head on the makeshift neck.

1312
01:34:23.399 --> 01:34:28.239
At that moment, the grinner stood up. Our height difference

1313
01:34:28.399 --> 01:34:33.640
was sizeable, to say the least. Oh my god. The

1314
01:34:33.760 --> 01:34:38.520
stitched lips began to separate, but instead of revealing row

1315
01:34:38.680 --> 01:34:44.520
upon row of carnivorous teeth, he had more average teeth.

1316
01:34:45.479 --> 01:34:48.760
In fact, his two front teeth protruded lower than the rest.

1317
01:34:49.800 --> 01:34:54.119
The buck toothed living dummy smiled and began to speak.

1318
01:34:54.840 --> 01:34:59.439
Hello boy, are you having a happy Halloween? He hissed,

1319
01:34:59.479 --> 01:35:04.000
and an oddly friendly tone. I tried to answer as

1320
01:35:04.039 --> 01:35:07.520
best I could, but I was gagging on blood flowing

1321
01:35:07.560 --> 01:35:15.920
freely from my tongue. Yes, well, just you wait, You

1322
01:35:16.039 --> 01:35:18.880
and I are going to have the best Halloween ever

1323
01:35:19.239 --> 01:35:24.439
full of adventures, laughter and candy, candy, candy. He chuckled

1324
01:35:24.479 --> 01:35:30.439
his laughter childlike with glee. Really, I didn't know what

1325
01:35:30.560 --> 01:35:34.760
to think. Of course, I exist for Halloween. It's my

1326
01:35:34.920 --> 01:35:38.479
favorite night, and you've awakened me to be your companion

1327
01:35:38.640 --> 01:35:42.520
for a spooky good time. The Grinner then puffed out

1328
01:35:42.520 --> 01:35:45.600
his chest as he began to recite a poem that

1329
01:35:45.720 --> 01:35:50.960
reminded me of black and white movies. One hundred years

1330
01:35:51.000 --> 01:35:54.479
and one hundred nights. For all the children, I bring

1331
01:35:54.560 --> 01:35:59.239
them frights. But I'm really truly quite kind. Only fun

1332
01:35:59.279 --> 01:36:03.000
and friends are on my mind. I participate in all

1333
01:36:03.159 --> 01:36:06.880
the spooky fun. My only rule is that you take

1334
01:36:07.000 --> 01:36:11.239
only one. The truth is, boy, you're a winner. You've

1335
01:36:11.279 --> 01:36:16.199
made best friends with the Grinner, so we're gonna have

1336
01:36:16.319 --> 01:36:19.800
fun and get candy, and you're gonna show me Halloween's magic.

1337
01:36:20.800 --> 01:36:25.520
The Grinner laughed so deeply, so truly with happiness and joy.

1338
01:36:30.279 --> 01:36:36.359
Oh goodness, no I eat children. As his smile opened,

1339
01:36:36.920 --> 01:36:49.159
his mouth grew and grew, and I never did. Ghost

1340
01:36:49.479 --> 01:36:54.720
in the Graveyard by Rob Fields. It was the final

1341
01:36:54.800 --> 01:36:59.359
week of October in Strickfield after the previous year's Halloween.

1342
01:37:00.079 --> 01:37:03.199
The people of Strickfield had voted into village law by

1343
01:37:03.239 --> 01:37:07.680
a huge majority that tricker Treating was extended to a

1344
01:37:07.840 --> 01:37:12.800
full week instead of just Halloween Eve and Halloween Knight

1345
01:37:13.199 --> 01:37:17.680
as in previous years. The news had reached surrounding villages

1346
01:37:17.760 --> 01:37:22.159
and even the bigger megalopolises like Shore City and Erie City.

1347
01:37:23.039 --> 01:37:27.239
People came from everywhere to take part in the legendary event.

1348
01:37:27.439 --> 01:37:32.119
Because there was never any age discrimination, and with the

1349
01:37:32.159 --> 01:37:36.600
annual tradition being a week, more people came than ever.

1350
01:37:37.920 --> 01:37:42.319
It was on the final night, Halloween Night, when Bill Chapman,

1351
01:37:42.520 --> 01:37:46.600
Brian Chunk, and Richie Horton were out making their rounds.

1352
01:37:47.279 --> 01:37:50.880
Their pillowcases were stuffed with all the candy and other

1353
01:37:50.960 --> 01:37:55.199
goodies they'd collected. Man, I can't believe we actually did

1354
01:37:55.239 --> 01:37:58.720
the whole week. Horton, who was dressed as a Cobra

1355
01:37:58.800 --> 01:38:01.800
chi fighter, said, I know, we said we'd do a

1356
01:38:01.800 --> 01:38:06.239
few days, but I know. Chapman agreed, who was dressed

1357
01:38:06.239 --> 01:38:09.960
as an army soldier to match his crew cut. Yeah,

1358
01:38:10.000 --> 01:38:13.279
but look at all the candy we got. Chunker reminded

1359
01:38:13.319 --> 01:38:16.560
them he was dressed as a zombie. We got so

1360
01:38:16.720 --> 01:38:19.800
much stuff we'll probably be eating it. Until next Halloween.

1361
01:38:20.399 --> 01:38:23.960
Chapman sneered, I'd be surprised if even you can eat

1362
01:38:24.000 --> 01:38:27.800
that much candy Chunker. Chunker had made good on his

1363
01:38:27.920 --> 01:38:31.960
promise to lose weight upon surviving their horrible ordeal with

1364
01:38:32.000 --> 01:38:35.920
Abigail Tomlin in what seemed like only a few short

1365
01:38:35.960 --> 01:38:39.680
months ago. He was still a little chunky, but his

1366
01:38:39.760 --> 01:38:43.119
weight loss was quite noticeable between the summer and now.

1367
01:38:44.079 --> 01:38:46.800
In spite of the weight loss, Chunker found he still

1368
01:38:46.840 --> 01:38:51.319
had his same monstrous appetite and exercised more in order

1369
01:38:51.359 --> 01:38:55.119
to keep from putting the weight back on. Chunker'll probably

1370
01:38:55.199 --> 01:38:59.680
end up getting diabetes, Horton stated. When Chapman and Horton

1371
01:38:59.760 --> 01:39:04.880
both laughed, Chunker just looked at them. Yeah, yeah, man,

1372
01:39:04.960 --> 01:39:08.800
these pillow sacks are heavy. Chapman said, maybe we should

1373
01:39:08.840 --> 01:39:13.319
head back to the clubhouse again. Good idea, Horton agreed.

1374
01:39:14.159 --> 01:39:16.720
The boys walked a couple of blocks to get to

1375
01:39:16.760 --> 01:39:20.720
their clubhouse, which was the old tool shed in Chunker's backyard.

1376
01:39:21.279 --> 01:39:23.960
His dad built a new garage with some extra space

1377
01:39:24.000 --> 01:39:26.840
for the tools and told Brian he and his friends

1378
01:39:26.920 --> 01:39:30.640
could use the old shed for their hangout. They walked

1379
01:39:30.680 --> 01:39:34.039
in and emptied their pillowcases into the large chest, where

1380
01:39:34.079 --> 01:39:38.119
their haul for the week continued to grow and grow.

1381
01:39:38.840 --> 01:39:40.880
Looks like if we make one last set of rounds,

1382
01:39:40.920 --> 01:39:44.680
we can actually fill this bad boy up completely, Chunker stated.

1383
01:39:45.600 --> 01:39:48.880
Chapman looked at his watch. We still got time. We

1384
01:39:48.960 --> 01:39:51.199
started at six, and trig or treating doesn't get done

1385
01:39:51.279 --> 01:39:55.479
until midnight, and there's no school tomorrow. Horton looked at

1386
01:39:55.479 --> 01:39:58.600
both of his friends. We're really going back out for

1387
01:39:58.720 --> 01:40:03.560
more candy. What you don't want to, Chapman asked. Horton

1388
01:40:03.640 --> 01:40:07.159
glanced over at the chest. I'm just wondering if Chunker'll

1389
01:40:07.199 --> 01:40:09.560
start on the candy since it's all here at his place.

1390
01:40:10.319 --> 01:40:13.279
Chapman pointed right at Brian. You don't want to be

1391
01:40:13.319 --> 01:40:16.760
eating all the candy in one night, buddy. Chunker gave

1392
01:40:16.800 --> 01:40:20.680
a mischievous grin. You never know, I just might get

1393
01:40:20.680 --> 01:40:24.119
the munchies in the middle of the night. Chapman tightened

1394
01:40:24.119 --> 01:40:28.640
his jaw. I mean it, Chunker, don't you even? Chunker

1395
01:40:28.680 --> 01:40:34.039
picked up his pillowcase and walked slowly to the door. Fine.

1396
01:40:34.279 --> 01:40:38.000
When Chunker stopped in the doorway, Horton and Chapman heard

1397
01:40:38.039 --> 01:40:43.720
what sounded like a very loud trumpet playing. When it stopped,

1398
01:40:44.039 --> 01:40:47.279
Chunker quickly went outside and slammed the door shut. He

1399
01:40:47.399 --> 01:40:50.119
pressed himself up against the door and soon felt the

1400
01:40:50.159 --> 01:40:54.079
others pushing to get out. Chunker started laughing as the

1401
01:40:54.079 --> 01:40:57.000
others were pounding and pushing hard on the door. He

1402
01:40:57.079 --> 01:41:02.680
could even hear Horton coughing, open the open the door,

1403
01:41:02.760 --> 01:41:07.800
you uneducated piece of pork. Fat, Chapman yelled, Oh my god,

1404
01:41:08.520 --> 01:41:13.399
come on, Chunker, Horton protested, after gagging, We're gonna die

1405
01:41:13.399 --> 01:41:17.479
in here. Finally, Chunker got caught off guard when Chapman

1406
01:41:17.760 --> 01:41:20.359
backed up and ran against the door to both force

1407
01:41:20.399 --> 01:41:24.640
it open and knock Chunker down. Horton ended up falling

1408
01:41:24.680 --> 01:41:27.239
on top of both of his friends and sucking for

1409
01:41:27.319 --> 01:41:32.000
fresh air. Chunker was really laughing it up now. After

1410
01:41:32.079 --> 01:41:35.079
Chapman eased Horton off him, he got up and pointed

1411
01:41:35.119 --> 01:41:38.439
down at Chunker. You really are a sick pig man.

1412
01:41:38.680 --> 01:41:42.319
I can't believe you tried to kill us like that. Seriously,

1413
01:41:42.640 --> 01:41:46.800
what did you eat earlier? Horton demanded. Then he gagged

1414
01:41:46.840 --> 01:41:50.319
and moved farther away from the clubhouse. Yeah, keep the

1415
01:41:50.399 --> 01:41:54.279
door open, Chapman told Horton. Then he said to Chunker

1416
01:41:54.880 --> 01:41:57.239
that's the last time we go to Denoyer's Grille with

1417
01:41:57.319 --> 01:42:00.880
you before we trick or treat. Then he and stepped

1418
01:42:00.880 --> 01:42:04.760
away from the clubhouse and lay off that sweet potato pie.

1419
01:42:05.960 --> 01:42:09.800
After waiting several minutes, Chapman and Horton went back inside

1420
01:42:09.800 --> 01:42:13.000
to get their pillow cases. From there, they headed back

1421
01:42:13.039 --> 01:42:15.960
out and onto the streets of Strickfield for more trick

1422
01:42:16.000 --> 01:42:20.239
or treating. They'd received several comments from houses taking part

1423
01:42:20.680 --> 01:42:23.760
about how they'd been around many times throughout the week

1424
01:42:24.600 --> 01:42:28.199
just the same, They still gave them the treats. After all,

1425
01:42:28.279 --> 01:42:31.720
Strickfield was the one village where there was no discrimination

1426
01:42:32.319 --> 01:42:35.520
for trick or treating. It was around eleven o'clock when

1427
01:42:35.520 --> 01:42:40.119
the boys reached Denoyer's Grill. Now, remember, Chunker, we're not

1428
01:42:40.399 --> 01:42:44.399
going in for food. Chapman reminded him, you just said

1429
01:42:44.439 --> 01:42:47.600
you needed a bathroom break. I know, I know, he

1430
01:42:47.720 --> 01:42:51.039
replied and opened the door. The boys walked inside to

1431
01:42:51.159 --> 01:42:54.399
a still packed dining room. They knew October was the

1432
01:42:54.439 --> 01:42:58.359
biggest month where Denoyer's Grill got the most business this year.

1433
01:42:58.479 --> 01:43:01.439
Business really picked up during the first full week of

1434
01:43:01.520 --> 01:43:05.319
tricker treating. Now it was Halloween night and people were

1435
01:43:05.359 --> 01:43:09.399
still packing Denoyer's grill. It was also known that Denoyer

1436
01:43:09.479 --> 01:43:12.119
paid his people extra for working this time of year.

1437
01:43:13.239 --> 01:43:18.039
Back again, boys, huh, Denoyer asked, pleasantly, just using the bathroom?

1438
01:43:18.640 --> 01:43:22.640
Chunker told him, you know where it is. They walked

1439
01:43:22.680 --> 01:43:25.560
to the men's room and went in. When they were finished,

1440
01:43:25.640 --> 01:43:30.720
Chapman looked at Horton, Hey, where's Chunker. Horton gave a

1441
01:43:30.720 --> 01:43:34.000
grim look that said he knew. The two of them

1442
01:43:34.039 --> 01:43:37.279
finished washing their hands and came outside to find Chunker

1443
01:43:37.720 --> 01:43:40.239
sitting at the counter and eating a piece of Denoyer's

1444
01:43:40.279 --> 01:43:45.399
famous sweet potato pie. Horton pointed to the pie, this

1445
01:43:45.640 --> 01:43:48.319
is why you blew up the clubhouse earlier. This is

1446
01:43:48.359 --> 01:43:55.000
what your fifth piece today sixth. Chunker corrected him. Come on, guys,

1447
01:43:55.079 --> 01:43:57.159
you know I don't feel right using the restroom here

1448
01:43:57.199 --> 01:44:01.359
and not putting into the till. Wanted to yell again,

1449
01:44:01.439 --> 01:44:05.760
but he sighed and ordered some French fries. Horton ordered

1450
01:44:05.760 --> 01:44:09.199
a soft drink. After they finished, they left Denoyer's grill

1451
01:44:09.520 --> 01:44:13.840
and headed back out. We only got forty minutes until midnight,

1452
01:44:14.119 --> 01:44:17.079
Horton said, Do we just head back to the clubhouse

1453
01:44:17.159 --> 01:44:19.439
or do we ride it out and get more candy.

1454
01:44:20.640 --> 01:44:22.560
I think we got more than enough to fill the

1455
01:44:22.560 --> 01:44:26.800
rest of the chest. Back at the clubhouse, Chunker stated, still,

1456
01:44:27.520 --> 01:44:30.119
forty minutes is forty minutes. Might as well end on

1457
01:44:30.159 --> 01:44:33.359
a high note. Even Chapman wasn't going to give Chunker

1458
01:44:33.399 --> 01:44:36.439
a hard time. They'd started trick or treating right at

1459
01:44:36.520 --> 01:44:40.279
six every night when Trick or Treat Week started and

1460
01:44:40.319 --> 01:44:43.680
went all the way until the end. They knew they

1461
01:44:43.800 --> 01:44:47.640
couldn't stop. Now. Just a little while longer and they'd

1462
01:44:47.640 --> 01:44:51.640
have officially tricker treated for seven nights straight from start

1463
01:44:51.680 --> 01:44:54.720
to finish. The boys managed to make the rounds on

1464
01:44:54.840 --> 01:44:58.239
four more blocks before it was almost midnight and the

1465
01:44:58.279 --> 01:45:01.680
week long Trick or Treat festival would be over for

1466
01:45:01.760 --> 01:45:05.840
the season. We really did it, guys, Horton said, with pride.

1467
01:45:06.359 --> 01:45:09.199
We got more candy than we ever did before, and

1468
01:45:09.359 --> 01:45:13.000
probably from all of our other years combined. Yeah, we did,

1469
01:45:13.079 --> 01:45:19.239
didn't we. Chapman agreed, I'm surprised Chunker here went the distance. Yeah, yeah,

1470
01:45:19.359 --> 01:45:23.680
when have I ever not? Chunker demanded, well, he did

1471
01:45:23.840 --> 01:45:27.159
keep up with us on that night last summer, Horton recalled,

1472
01:45:27.920 --> 01:45:32.159
Chapman pointed at him, don't you even talk about that? Toothpick.

1473
01:45:32.560 --> 01:45:35.680
We said we'd never talk about Abigail Tomlin ever again.

1474
01:45:36.600 --> 01:45:40.119
When he saw both Horton and Chunker giving him strange looks,

1475
01:45:40.439 --> 01:45:45.319
he started to wonder himself. He got confirmation when Chunker

1476
01:45:45.399 --> 01:45:48.960
pointed at him. Here's still dreaming about her, too, ain't you.

1477
01:45:50.119 --> 01:45:52.720
Chapman didn't want to admit it, but the look on

1478
01:45:52.800 --> 01:45:58.520
his face said enough. Horton adjusted his circular glasses. Face it, you, guys.

1479
01:45:59.119 --> 01:46:02.920
We've never been able to forget about that ghostly woman.

1480
01:46:04.279 --> 01:46:06.800
It had been just shortly after the boys had finished

1481
01:46:06.800 --> 01:46:11.520
sixth grade and their time at Strickfield Elementary. Now they

1482
01:46:11.520 --> 01:46:15.239
were at Strickfield Junior High. As much as they had tried,

1483
01:46:15.640 --> 01:46:19.159
they just couldn't forget the horror they had experienced on

1484
01:46:19.239 --> 01:46:23.479
the cry Baby Bridge on Indian Hollow Road. It was

1485
01:46:23.600 --> 01:46:26.960
just supposed to be an urban legend. Brian and his

1486
01:46:27.039 --> 01:46:30.319
older brother Kenny made plans to scare Horton and Chapman

1487
01:46:30.600 --> 01:46:32.760
by making it seem like the legend of the cry

1488
01:46:32.800 --> 01:46:36.880
Baby Bridge was real. Kenny had even gone so far

1489
01:46:36.920 --> 01:46:39.399
as to mount a speaker at the bridge to amplify

1490
01:46:39.479 --> 01:46:43.800
the sounds of a little baby crying. The joke had

1491
01:46:43.840 --> 01:46:48.239
worked and Horton and Chapman were both scared. Kenny revealed

1492
01:46:48.239 --> 01:46:51.560
the speaker before he took it down and went home.

1493
01:46:52.680 --> 01:46:55.039
But what the three boys were about to find out

1494
01:46:55.199 --> 01:46:57.880
was that the legend of the cry Baby Bridge was

1495
01:46:58.000 --> 01:47:03.399
indeed true. They not only heard a baby crying Arthur Tomlin,

1496
01:47:03.880 --> 01:47:08.279
but his mother had appeared in her horrible, ghostly form.

1497
01:47:08.680 --> 01:47:11.520
The boys were soon running for their very lives when

1498
01:47:11.560 --> 01:47:15.560
Abigail Tomlin chased them through very heavy winds conjured up

1499
01:47:15.920 --> 01:47:20.039
by the haunting itself. The boys barely made it as

1500
01:47:20.039 --> 01:47:23.399
the morning sun came up and sent Abigail Tomlin back

1501
01:47:23.640 --> 01:47:27.239
to whatever nether world she may have come from. From

1502
01:47:27.239 --> 01:47:30.279
that moment on, the boys made it a point to

1503
01:47:30.479 --> 01:47:34.439
never go anywhere near that bridge on Indian Hollow Road

1504
01:47:35.039 --> 01:47:38.920
ever again. Brian really wanted to tell Kenny that the

1505
01:47:39.000 --> 01:47:41.439
legend of the cry Baby Bridge was real, but he

1506
01:47:41.520 --> 01:47:45.279
reconsidered when he realized Kenny might actually go out there

1507
01:47:45.760 --> 01:47:49.680
and check the legend out for himself. After all, their

1508
01:47:49.720 --> 01:47:52.159
father was the one who told the brothers the story

1509
01:47:52.800 --> 01:47:56.720
of the cry Baby Bridge. Naturally, Brian wanted to see

1510
01:47:56.720 --> 01:48:01.640
if the legend was true. Many times over, he'd wished

1511
01:48:01.680 --> 01:48:05.560
he hadn't. The boys had never been the same after that.

1512
01:48:06.119 --> 01:48:10.000
They kept having awful nightmares about Abigail Tomlin and the

1513
01:48:10.039 --> 01:48:13.399
horrible ordeal that had cost her both her life and

1514
01:48:13.560 --> 01:48:16.920
that of her baby son. Both of them died on

1515
01:48:17.000 --> 01:48:20.359
that very bridge as a result of her tyrannical husband

1516
01:48:20.600 --> 01:48:24.800
and the gunfight she had lost to him many many

1517
01:48:24.880 --> 01:48:28.720
years ago. The boys felt deep down that Abigail Tomlin

1518
01:48:28.880 --> 01:48:33.000
wasn't finished with them, not by a long shot. I

1519
01:48:33.079 --> 01:48:37.760
really didn't want to say it. Horton finally confessed, she's

1520
01:48:37.840 --> 01:48:41.359
coming back for us. I think she's just waiting for

1521
01:48:41.399 --> 01:48:45.079
the right time. How's she going to come back for us?

1522
01:48:45.560 --> 01:48:48.520
Chapman demanded, None of us have ever gone back to

1523
01:48:48.560 --> 01:48:53.079
Indian Hollow Road right. Chunker shook his head. I haven't,

1524
01:48:53.359 --> 01:48:59.319
no way me neither. Horton confessed, I haven't either. Chapman

1525
01:48:59.399 --> 01:49:02.880
also confess. Then he reached out and swung his fist

1526
01:49:02.880 --> 01:49:06.039
at nothing. Why are we still dreaming about her? Then?

1527
01:49:06.399 --> 01:49:09.239
It's like she's still haunting us. I don't want to

1528
01:49:09.239 --> 01:49:12.319
say anything to mom and dad. I don't know what

1529
01:49:12.359 --> 01:49:16.239
they'd say. Well, my mom would likely take me to

1530
01:49:16.319 --> 01:49:20.680
a shrink. Horton piped up she already thinks I'm crazy enough,

1531
01:49:21.079 --> 01:49:24.319
especially since I'm hanging around with you two. Both of

1532
01:49:24.359 --> 01:49:28.239
them sighed. They knew Horton's mother never really liked either

1533
01:49:28.279 --> 01:49:32.119
of them. Still, she never forbade her son from being

1534
01:49:32.159 --> 01:49:35.439
friends with them. Chapman and Chunker didn't want to give

1535
01:49:35.439 --> 01:49:39.880
Horton's mom a reason to finally reconsider that the three

1536
01:49:39.920 --> 01:49:42.439
of them had been friends since first grade at Strickfield

1537
01:49:42.439 --> 01:49:46.520
Elementary and had been through a lot together. While they

1538
01:49:46.520 --> 01:49:50.000
were different in so many ways, they made their friendship

1539
01:49:50.119 --> 01:49:53.880
last going into junior high. They knew they didn't want

1540
01:49:53.880 --> 01:49:57.840
their group to end. Abigail Tomlin's going to keep driving

1541
01:49:57.960 --> 01:50:02.359
us crazy, Chunker stated, I'm surprised we aren't already nuts.

1542
01:50:03.600 --> 01:50:05.960
Or maybe we are and we just don't know it yet.

1543
01:50:06.439 --> 01:50:11.239
Horton interjected, shut up. Chapman snapped, pushing Horton a little.

1544
01:50:11.520 --> 01:50:14.560
Then he groaned, let's go back to the clubhouse and

1545
01:50:14.640 --> 01:50:17.600
talk about this some more. I don't want to talk

1546
01:50:17.640 --> 01:50:23.479
about this out here. Good idea, Chunker agreed. The boys

1547
01:50:23.560 --> 01:50:26.640
turned down a nearby street which took them past the

1548
01:50:26.680 --> 01:50:31.079
gated community where it was all mirans. It always seemed

1549
01:50:31.119 --> 01:50:33.560
to be the one area of strickfield that stood out

1550
01:50:33.960 --> 01:50:38.760
around October and December. The Mirans never opened their gated

1551
01:50:38.800 --> 01:50:42.479
community for Halloween for trick or treating, and they certainly

1552
01:50:42.560 --> 01:50:46.359
never decorated for Christmas. The boys were quick to notice

1553
01:50:46.359 --> 01:50:50.439
how deathly still it seemed on the outside. They kept

1554
01:50:50.479 --> 01:50:54.239
walking until they were clear of the gated community. The

1555
01:50:54.319 --> 01:50:58.000
boys continued to walk in silence. They would only have

1556
01:50:58.159 --> 01:51:02.239
about three blocks before they'd reach Chunker's house and their clubhouse.

1557
01:51:03.039 --> 01:51:06.439
They just finished walking the first block and crossed into

1558
01:51:06.439 --> 01:51:09.479
the second. They were about a quarter mile into the

1559
01:51:09.520 --> 01:51:14.199
block when they started to pass village cemetery. It was

1560
01:51:14.319 --> 01:51:20.800
then when they heard some sounds in the distance. You

1561
01:51:20.800 --> 01:51:27.119
guys hear that, Chunker asked quietly. Sounds like little kids playing.

1562
01:51:27.720 --> 01:51:33.319
Chapman replied, scratching his bird head. It's after midnight, Horton noted.

1563
01:51:33.840 --> 01:51:38.760
Then he checked his smart watch, it's almost twelve thirty. Yeah,

1564
01:51:39.079 --> 01:51:43.039
but we're in Junior High. Chapman stressed, the cops aren't

1565
01:51:43.079 --> 01:51:45.800
going to say anything to us. Besides, we're not too

1566
01:51:45.880 --> 01:51:49.640
far from Chunker's house. We might as well keep moving,

1567
01:51:50.000 --> 01:51:54.199
Chunkers suggested. Then they heard the sounds of the little

1568
01:51:54.279 --> 01:52:03.199
kids laughing in the cemetery again. The boys wanted to

1569
01:52:03.239 --> 01:52:08.319
turn away and keep going, but deep down, we should

1570
01:52:08.319 --> 01:52:12.119
head inside and check on those kids. Chapman said, yeah,

1571
01:52:12.119 --> 01:52:16.279
but Horton stammered. When he saw the slight glare on

1572
01:52:16.359 --> 01:52:20.600
Chapman's face, he sighed, yeah, you're right. It is too

1573
01:52:20.640 --> 01:52:23.279
late for those kids to be out here and in

1574
01:52:23.319 --> 01:52:27.359
a graveyard, Chunker added. The boys went to the cemetery

1575
01:52:27.560 --> 01:52:32.399
entrance and found the iron gates were locked. When they

1576
01:52:32.439 --> 01:52:36.800
heard the children laughing again, they realized they had only

1577
01:52:36.880 --> 01:52:41.760
one way inside. They tossed their pillowcases of candy over

1578
01:52:41.800 --> 01:52:46.279
the wall and scaled it to get inside. After dropping

1579
01:52:46.279 --> 01:52:49.800
to the grass below, they picked up their candy and

1580
01:52:49.960 --> 01:52:52.640
stashed it until they could come back for it and leave.

1581
01:52:53.520 --> 01:52:57.159
Over there, Chunker said, pointing in the direction of the laughter.

1582
01:52:58.119 --> 01:53:03.399
The boys walked cautiously through the seemingly endless rows of tombstones.

1583
01:53:04.479 --> 01:53:09.520
Village Cemetery wasn't nearly as big as Strickfield Cemetery, but

1584
01:53:09.600 --> 01:53:13.399
it may as well have been. With the atmosphere. There

1585
01:53:13.479 --> 01:53:17.319
was a light fog among the tombstones. Even though it

1586
01:53:17.399 --> 01:53:22.439
was officially November first, now Halloween night itself, continued into

1587
01:53:22.479 --> 01:53:27.279
the late hours in many places, Strickfield was no exception.

1588
01:53:28.560 --> 01:53:31.000
I can't believe I'm walking around in a graveyard on

1589
01:53:31.079 --> 01:53:37.199
Halloween night. Horton groaned, Yeah yeah, Chucker muttered, stick close.

1590
01:53:37.960 --> 01:53:42.920
The boys kept walking cautiously through the cemetery until they

1591
01:53:42.960 --> 01:53:46.479
came upon the scene of the laughter. It looked as

1592
01:53:46.520 --> 01:53:49.640
though a group of children were in their Halloween costumes.

1593
01:53:50.359 --> 01:53:55.720
They were laughing as it seemed they were playing a game. Well,

1594
01:53:56.279 --> 01:54:01.199
it don't look like they're in any danger, Chunker observed. Okay,

1595
01:54:01.800 --> 01:54:05.359
guess we can go home. Then Horton uttered quickly. As

1596
01:54:05.359 --> 01:54:09.279
Horton turned away, Chapman snatched his wrist. Come on, dude,

1597
01:54:09.359 --> 01:54:14.720
really don't forget safety in numbers here. When Horton calmed down,

1598
01:54:15.079 --> 01:54:18.640
Chapman let go of him. The boys watched the children

1599
01:54:18.720 --> 01:54:22.720
still playing their game. They weren't sure what the game was,

1600
01:54:22.800 --> 01:54:26.239
but it looked like some form of hide and seek.

1601
01:54:27.399 --> 01:54:29.720
Before the boys were going to talk about what to

1602
01:54:29.760 --> 01:54:33.239
do next, Ghost in the Graveyard, Ghost in the Graveyard,

1603
01:54:33.439 --> 01:54:36.760
the boys shrieked with fright before they turned around to

1604
01:54:36.840 --> 01:54:39.840
see a little girl dressed as Little Red riding Hood

1605
01:54:40.239 --> 01:54:44.159
pointing at Chunker in his zombie makeup. Ghost in the graveyard.

1606
01:54:44.199 --> 01:54:48.159
Ghost in the graveyard, she called out again. It wasn't

1607
01:54:48.199 --> 01:54:50.880
long before a little boy came up next to the girl.

1608
01:54:51.520 --> 01:54:56.600
His costume looked quite awkward. He appeared to be all wet.

1609
01:54:57.279 --> 01:55:00.359
His makeup was really good because he it seemed to

1610
01:55:00.399 --> 01:55:03.359
look like he had some stages of decomposition on his

1611
01:55:03.479 --> 01:55:09.199
face and arms. That's not the ghost, Annabeth, The boy

1612
01:55:09.279 --> 01:55:12.479
told her. The ghost is still around in here, somewhere.

1613
01:55:13.079 --> 01:55:16.640
You know who the ghost is. Annabeth turned to the boy,

1614
01:55:17.000 --> 01:55:20.800
still pointing at Chunker. But he looks like a ghost too, Arthur.

1615
01:55:21.680 --> 01:55:25.920
Arthur was looking the boys over. It's not him, he

1616
01:55:26.039 --> 01:55:30.079
told Annabeth again. What are you guys doing out here

1617
01:55:30.119 --> 01:55:33.960
in the cemetery? Chapman asked, it's after midnight. Aren't you

1618
01:55:33.960 --> 01:55:39.479
afraid the copsule come here? Arthur laughed. The police never

1619
01:55:39.560 --> 01:55:42.399
come in here on Halloween. They got way too much

1620
01:55:42.479 --> 01:55:46.119
to do tonight to be looking in here. But what

1621
01:55:46.279 --> 01:55:50.960
are you doing in here? Horton asked, Ah, we're playing

1622
01:55:51.000 --> 01:55:54.520
our favorite game for Halloween, Knight Ghost in the Graveyard.

1623
01:55:55.000 --> 01:55:59.279
Arthur answered, want to play? The boys looked among themselves

1624
01:55:59.279 --> 01:56:05.079
with uncertainty. Oh, come on, Arthur, beckoned, it's Halloween knight.

1625
01:56:05.159 --> 01:56:08.199
We got the whole graveyard to ourselves. There ain't gonna

1626
01:56:08.239 --> 01:56:13.680
be any cops looking in here. Trust me on this one. Okay,

1627
01:56:14.199 --> 01:56:18.000
Horton stammered. We can play a few rounds, right, no

1628
01:56:18.159 --> 01:56:24.359
school tomorrow and all. Yeah. Okay. Chapman agreed. Chunkers seemed

1629
01:56:24.479 --> 01:56:27.399
just as unsure as his friends, but he still gave

1630
01:56:27.439 --> 01:56:31.000
an affirming nod. Arthur motioned for the boys to follow

1631
01:56:31.079 --> 01:56:34.560
him in Annabeth. He called for the other children, who

1632
01:56:34.640 --> 01:56:38.640
were quick to gather around. Okay, people, these guys are

1633
01:56:38.640 --> 01:56:41.479
playing Ghost in the Graveyard with us. He told them.

1634
01:56:42.079 --> 01:56:45.159
The ghost is still out there. Then he explained the

1635
01:56:45.239 --> 01:56:48.399
rules to the boys as he pointed to the nearby mausoleum.

1636
01:56:49.279 --> 01:56:52.119
That's our home base. We already picked somebody to be

1637
01:56:52.199 --> 01:56:55.960
the ghost. The ghost is out there in this cemetery somewhere.

1638
01:56:56.600 --> 01:56:59.479
Now we'll chant the hours again so the ghost knows

1639
01:56:59.520 --> 01:57:02.399
we got new players in the game. I'll call out

1640
01:57:02.399 --> 01:57:05.760
once we finish the chant. Once I do, we all

1641
01:57:05.800 --> 01:57:09.039
go out looking for the ghost. If anybody spots the ghost,

1642
01:57:09.159 --> 01:57:12.039
you yell ghost in the graveyard and run back to

1643
01:57:12.119 --> 01:57:15.880
home base, the mausoleum. Now, if the ghost catches you

1644
01:57:15.920 --> 01:57:19.000
at any point and you're not at home base, then

1645
01:57:19.079 --> 01:57:23.720
you become the next ghost. Got it? The boys nodded.

1646
01:57:24.279 --> 01:57:27.880
Then Arthur led the chant by chanting the hours. When

1647
01:57:27.880 --> 01:57:33.199
they reached midnight, Arthur called out, midnight, midnight. We hope

1648
01:57:33.199 --> 01:57:37.520
we don't see a ghost tonight. Everybody cautiously walked away

1649
01:57:37.520 --> 01:57:41.880
from the mausoleum and started looking around. The boys pulled

1650
01:57:41.880 --> 01:57:45.560
out their smartphones and turned on their camera flashes. They

1651
01:57:45.600 --> 01:57:48.720
found they weren't much help. After a little bit, they

1652
01:57:48.760 --> 01:57:53.720
also noticed they weren't getting any reception. I don't like this,

1653
01:57:54.439 --> 01:58:00.000
Horton whispered, something's really wrong here. I can feel it. Yeah,

1654
01:58:00.720 --> 01:58:05.039
I feel the same way. Chunker agreed. It'll be okay, guys,

1655
01:58:05.600 --> 01:58:08.439
Chapman said, we'll just play a few rounds and then

1656
01:58:08.760 --> 01:58:12.119
get these kids to go home. You don't sound so

1657
01:58:12.199 --> 01:58:16.439
sure of yourself, Horton said. Chapman didn't have to say it,

1658
01:58:16.920 --> 01:58:19.560
but Horton and Chunker could both see on his face

1659
01:58:20.000 --> 01:58:25.600
that he was just as concerned as them. Just then, Oh,

1660
01:58:25.600 --> 01:58:29.439
come on, Chunker, really, Horton groaned as he coughed and

1661
01:58:29.520 --> 01:58:32.680
waved his hand in front of his face. Chapman was

1662
01:58:32.720 --> 01:58:36.279
also waving his hand in front of his own face. Man, Chunker,

1663
01:58:36.359 --> 01:58:41.439
you gotta stop eating so much of Denoyer's sweet Potato pie.

1664
01:58:41.479 --> 01:58:46.039
I'm sorry, guys, Chunker said quietly. It's kind of scary

1665
01:58:46.079 --> 01:58:50.800
in here. It's no different than during the day, Chapman countered,

1666
01:58:51.239 --> 01:58:55.439
trying to sound more confident than he felt. Don't you

1667
01:58:55.520 --> 01:59:00.399
watch scary movies, Horton demanded. You know what you said, right,

1668
01:59:01.159 --> 01:59:05.079
it's always different in a cemetery at night, Chapman grown,

1669
01:59:05.800 --> 01:59:09.640
But we're not in a scary movie, nerd. You're right,

1670
01:59:10.560 --> 01:59:15.319
We're in a very scary graveyard on Halloween night, Horton

1671
01:59:15.399 --> 01:59:19.159
said quickly. It was nighttime when we saw a ghost

1672
01:59:19.199 --> 01:59:24.640
over the summer. Yeah, we know, ghosts surreal, Chapman, Chunker

1673
01:59:24.680 --> 01:59:28.039
reminded him. Chapman looked like he wanted to yell at

1674
01:59:28.039 --> 01:59:32.920
both of them, but he kept his thought to himself instead.

1675
01:59:33.640 --> 01:59:39.680
And you guys see the ghost yet, Horton shook his head. No, nope,

1676
01:59:39.960 --> 01:59:45.279
Chunker replied, could be anywhere, and then Arthur joined up

1677
01:59:45.319 --> 01:59:48.600
with them. It's okay, guys, there's nothing to worry about.

1678
01:59:49.039 --> 01:59:51.439
Once we find the ghost, we run back to home base.

1679
01:59:52.560 --> 01:59:55.079
You sure there's somebody being the ghost out there right,

1680
01:59:55.600 --> 01:59:59.439
Chunker asked, We've been looking around and we haven't seen

1681
01:59:59.479 --> 02:00:04.560
anybody yet else except you. Horton added, trust me, there

1682
02:00:04.720 --> 02:00:08.680
is a ghost, Arthur promised, probably stalking us right now.

1683
02:00:09.159 --> 02:00:13.560
Unless the ghost is where the others are. Um no,

1684
02:00:14.479 --> 02:00:19.000
Horton disagreed. You said, if anybody saw the ghost, they're

1685
02:00:19.039 --> 02:00:22.840
supposed to chant ghost in the graveyard. Yeah, we haven't

1686
02:00:22.840 --> 02:00:27.840
heard anybody chant yet, Chunker stressed. Village cemetery was lit

1687
02:00:27.880 --> 02:00:31.880
decently thanks to the street lights around the paths. The

1688
02:00:31.960 --> 02:00:34.359
boys didn't want to say it, but they seemed to

1689
02:00:34.399 --> 02:00:38.920
think that Arthur's makeup looked more and more realistic in

1690
02:00:39.039 --> 02:00:43.920
terms of the decomposition, and he still looked soaking wet.

1691
02:00:44.279 --> 02:00:46.680
If he was supposed to be a zombie himself, then

1692
02:00:47.159 --> 02:00:51.439
whoever did his makeup was really good. Let's check over

1693
02:00:51.439 --> 02:00:56.000
there at that mausoleum, Arthur suggested. At first, Horton hesitated,

1694
02:00:56.600 --> 02:01:03.720
Then Chapman reminded him safety in numbers. Okay, Horton groaned.

1695
02:01:04.359 --> 02:01:07.640
The four boys cautiously walked to the mausoleum. Arthur was

1696
02:01:07.680 --> 02:01:10.640
guiding them too. I'm pretty sure the ghost is hiding

1697
02:01:10.720 --> 02:01:14.399
in there. That's where she was last time. Yeah, but

1698
02:01:15.000 --> 02:01:18.720
wouldn't it be better to hide somewhere else, Chapman asked.

1699
02:01:19.319 --> 02:01:22.800
Arthur didn't say anything, but they continued until they reached

1700
02:01:22.840 --> 02:01:28.560
the entrance of the mausoleum. Mom, you in there, Arthur

1701
02:01:28.600 --> 02:01:34.319
called out. Horton looked from Chunker to Chapman. Mom. Now

1702
02:01:34.359 --> 02:01:37.800
both Chunker and Chapman had the same worried looks as Horton.

1703
02:01:38.880 --> 02:01:42.199
Suddenly the door to the mausoleum flew open, to the

1704
02:01:42.239 --> 02:01:45.960
horror of the three friends. A ghastly glowing woman who

1705
02:01:46.000 --> 02:01:49.399
wore a blood stained, damp wedding gown now stood in

1706
02:01:49.439 --> 02:01:52.760
the doorway. Her flesh was quite decayed, and her red

1707
02:01:52.800 --> 02:01:56.279
eyes glowed as bright as those at a railroad crossing gate.

1708
02:01:57.840 --> 02:02:01.560
The apparition screamed with delight as she looked upon the

1709
02:02:01.600 --> 02:02:06.600
three faces. My babies, you finally come home to your mother,

1710
02:02:07.199 --> 02:02:12.199
Abigail Tomlin said in her dead and disembodied voice. Then

1711
02:02:12.319 --> 02:02:16.199
she held her arms out to grab them. Abigail Tomlin,

1712
02:02:16.760 --> 02:02:19.960
The three friends screamed together, then they turned and ran

1713
02:02:20.079 --> 02:02:23.399
for all they were worth. The ghost of Abigail Tomlin

1714
02:02:23.479 --> 02:02:27.079
screamed herself to pierce the stillness of the night as

1715
02:02:27.119 --> 02:02:32.840
she began chasing them. We're not at the bridge, Chunker moaned,

1716
02:02:33.119 --> 02:02:36.520
how is this even happening? Oh man, oh man, oh man,

1717
02:02:36.600 --> 02:02:40.439
oh man, oh Man. Horton squealed, We gotta get out

1718
02:02:40.479 --> 02:02:44.159
of here. Chapman yelled, there will never be any escape

1719
02:02:44.199 --> 02:02:49.399
for you, my babies. Abigail Tomlin called out to them,

1720
02:02:49.439 --> 02:02:53.800
not this time, and never again. To the surprise of

1721
02:02:53.920 --> 02:02:57.640
Chapman and Horton, Chunker was actually running fast enough to

1722
02:02:57.720 --> 02:03:01.359
leave them behind. Horton shrieked, and both he and Chapman

1723
02:03:01.479 --> 02:03:04.479
ran faster to keep up with him. As the boys

1724
02:03:04.560 --> 02:03:07.359
came upon the other children, they were yelling for them

1725
02:03:07.359 --> 02:03:11.199
to run, waving their arms at them. Frantically Ghost in

1726
02:03:11.239 --> 02:03:15.119
the graveyard for real, Horton screamed, get out of here,

1727
02:03:15.199 --> 02:03:18.680
go home. Chapman added, We're all gonna die if she

1728
02:03:18.760 --> 02:03:23.279
catches us. For real, Chunker yelled. When the other children

1729
02:03:23.359 --> 02:03:27.479
saw Abigail Tomlin, they all screamed and scattered. You can

1730
02:03:27.560 --> 02:03:30.800
run all you want, Arthur called to the three friends.

1731
02:03:31.439 --> 02:03:36.039
There's no escape. Mom will have you all. You escaped

1732
02:03:36.039 --> 02:03:41.159
her once, but there's no escape this time. Then Horton

1733
02:03:41.239 --> 02:03:45.640
made a startling realization. He said his name was Arthur.

1734
02:03:46.000 --> 02:03:49.279
That's the name of Abigail Tomlin's little baby boy, like

1735
02:03:49.319 --> 02:03:52.920
in the legend of cry Baby Bridge. You mean Arthur's

1736
02:03:52.920 --> 02:03:58.960
a ghost too, Chunker cried in disbelief. Makes sense, Chapman gasped.

1737
02:03:59.159 --> 02:04:01.920
He calls her mom. They both died together at the

1738
02:04:01.960 --> 02:04:05.520
bridge years ago. You may run as much as you like,

1739
02:04:06.199 --> 02:04:10.039
my children, Abigail Tomlin called to them. You are within

1740
02:04:10.119 --> 02:04:14.159
the boundaries of this burial ground. You will never escape

1741
02:04:14.199 --> 02:04:20.000
me again, especially not before the sun rises. The boys

1742
02:04:20.079 --> 02:04:23.239
knew the sun wouldn't be up for several hours, yet

1743
02:04:23.399 --> 02:04:26.960
it was just after one o'clock. We can't keep running

1744
02:04:27.039 --> 02:04:30.600
much longer, Chunker groaned. Let's get back to the wall

1745
02:04:30.640 --> 02:04:34.399
and climb over, Chapman yelled. The boys quickly reached the

1746
02:04:34.439 --> 02:04:37.560
wall with all the strength and determination that came from

1747
02:04:37.600 --> 02:04:40.680
being scared for their lives. The boys quickly scaled the

1748
02:04:40.720 --> 02:04:45.680
wall and dropped to the outside. Abigail Tomlin floated high

1749
02:04:45.800 --> 02:04:50.079
enough to where they could see her. However, she could

1750
02:04:50.119 --> 02:04:54.800
not float over the wall itself. The boys knew they

1751
02:04:54.800 --> 02:04:59.279
were safe, but Abigail Tomlin gave them a weird look

1752
02:04:59.640 --> 02:05:04.800
before she slowly lowered herself back into the cemetery. Let's

1753
02:05:04.800 --> 02:05:07.960
get out of here, Chunker said, after catching his breath.

1754
02:05:08.680 --> 02:05:14.880
Horton was inclined to agree. However, we can't, guys, we

1755
02:05:14.920 --> 02:05:18.560
can't just leave those kids in there. Abigail Tomlin will

1756
02:05:18.560 --> 02:05:22.319
claim them, you know she will. You guys want to

1757
02:05:22.399 --> 02:05:24.680
go home, then go, But I won't be able to

1758
02:05:24.680 --> 02:05:29.479
sleep tonight, knowing I didn't at least try to save them. True,

1759
02:05:29.600 --> 02:05:33.960
the boys had escaped Abigail Tomlin once more. However, they

1760
02:05:34.000 --> 02:05:37.600
knew Horton was right, and he certainly did not want

1761
02:05:37.640 --> 02:05:41.199
to go back in there himself. I'm with you, Horton,

1762
02:05:41.760 --> 02:05:44.680
Chapman said, Way to put a guilt trip on us,

1763
02:05:44.720 --> 02:05:49.239
But you're right. You know we're not gonna make it

1764
02:05:49.279 --> 02:05:53.560
out again, right, Tomlin's gonna get us this time? Yeah,

1765
02:05:53.640 --> 02:05:57.720
I know, Horton replied. You know, I'm really scared, but

1766
02:05:58.800 --> 02:06:02.159
I'm going back in. Chunker put a hand on Horton's

1767
02:06:02.199 --> 02:06:05.760
shoulder and laughed a little. We still got to get

1768
02:06:05.800 --> 02:06:08.319
all our candy we left in there. I'm not letting

1769
02:06:08.359 --> 02:06:12.439
Abigail Tomlin have all that candy, no way. The others

1770
02:06:12.520 --> 02:06:15.760
laughed a little at Chunker's humor, even though the candy

1771
02:06:15.880 --> 02:06:19.880
was the farthest thing from their minds. Thanks for being

1772
02:06:19.920 --> 02:06:25.279
my best friends, guys, Horton said. Chunker pointed sharply at him, No,

1773
02:06:25.439 --> 02:06:28.119
you don't. We're getting back out of here, and you'd

1774
02:06:28.119 --> 02:06:31.600
better believe that, though he didn't sound as confident as

1775
02:06:31.600 --> 02:06:34.840
he would have liked. I got a plan to get

1776
02:06:34.880 --> 02:06:38.760
the children out, Horton told them. The other two listened

1777
02:06:38.760 --> 02:06:44.600
as Horton explained the plan. It's suicide, but let's do it.

1778
02:06:45.039 --> 02:06:49.760
Chapman said, yeah, Chunker cheered. The boys took a deep

1779
02:06:49.800 --> 02:06:52.960
breath before they scaled the wall again and dropped back

1780
02:06:53.000 --> 02:06:56.880
into the cemetery. They ran in the direction of the children, screaming.

1781
02:06:57.560 --> 02:07:00.439
It wasn't long before they saw the ghost of Abigail

1782
02:07:00.560 --> 02:07:04.359
Tomlin floating near the kids. She had them backed up

1783
02:07:04.359 --> 02:07:08.359
against the mausoleum that was declared home base. Of course,

1784
02:07:08.840 --> 02:07:12.000
she had no intention of honoring that part of ghost

1785
02:07:12.039 --> 02:07:17.880
in the graveyard. Hey, Abigail over here, Chunker called out,

1786
02:07:18.479 --> 02:07:22.359
leave them alone. Chapman added, it's us you want remember.

1787
02:07:23.520 --> 02:07:27.279
Horton put his thumbs in his ears. Nana na, Na, Na, Nana.

1788
02:07:28.279 --> 02:07:32.960
Abigail Tomlin immediately turned to them, it's time to come home,

1789
02:07:33.079 --> 02:07:37.159
my children, You've been in the mortal realm long enough.

1790
02:07:37.760 --> 02:07:41.119
As soon as she began floating towards them, Chunker called

1791
02:07:41.159 --> 02:07:44.840
to the children, get out of here now. The boys

1792
02:07:44.880 --> 02:07:47.880
saw the children move from the home base mausoleum and

1793
02:07:48.000 --> 02:07:52.000
run to the wall. Arthur Tomlin couldn't stop them as

1794
02:07:52.000 --> 02:07:55.119
they helped each other get up and over. The boys

1795
02:07:55.119 --> 02:07:58.720
stood their ground as Abigail Tomlin continued closing the gap

1796
02:07:58.920 --> 02:08:03.159
between herself and the boys. As they agreed they would

1797
02:08:03.159 --> 02:08:06.960
stand their ground until every last child had escaped. It

1798
02:08:07.119 --> 02:08:10.079
was when the last one had scaled the wall that

1799
02:08:10.119 --> 02:08:15.159
Abigail Tomlin finally reached them. The boys never screamed as

1800
02:08:15.199 --> 02:08:17.399
she touched all three of them to bring them into

1801
02:08:17.439 --> 02:08:22.920
the realm of the dead. Now Abigail Tomlin had finally

1802
02:08:22.960 --> 02:08:27.399
claimed the three of them as her own. Here, finally

1803
02:08:27.560 --> 02:08:32.920
home at last, my long lost children. Now, my son

1804
02:08:33.119 --> 02:08:42.880
Arthur will not be so lonely. The family and friends

1805
02:08:42.920 --> 02:08:45.600
of the boys and the children of those they saved,

1806
02:08:45.680 --> 02:08:50.760
searched village cemetery again and again. The only thing they

1807
02:08:50.800 --> 02:08:55.520
turned up were the three pillowcases full of candy. As

1808
02:08:55.560 --> 02:08:59.199
far as Brian Chunk, Richie Horton, and Bill Chapman went,

1809
02:09:00.079 --> 02:09:05.399
their bodies were never found. In fact, they were never

1810
02:09:05.439 --> 02:09:09.960
found within the entire village of Strickfield. After several weeks

1811
02:09:09.960 --> 02:09:14.279
of searching and an investigation, the boys were finally given

1812
02:09:14.359 --> 02:09:19.520
up for lost. In fact, the three boys were never

1813
02:09:20.199 --> 02:09:26.600
ever seen again. However, if you're ever fulheartedly brave enough

1814
02:09:27.000 --> 02:09:30.479
and you happen to drive into Strickfield, go to the

1815
02:09:30.520 --> 02:09:36.800
bridge on Indian Hollow Road, the cry Baby Bridge at night.

1816
02:09:37.720 --> 02:09:41.279
Just remain there for a while. When you feel the

1817
02:09:41.319 --> 02:09:46.880
winds starting to blow, you might just might hear the

1818
02:09:46.960 --> 02:09:52.640
cries of Brian Chunk, Richie Horton, and Bill Chapman calling

1819
02:09:52.680 --> 02:09:56.840
out for help from beyond the mortal realm as we

1820
02:09:56.960 --> 02:10:02.319
know it. And you might even see the ghost of

1821
02:10:02.359 --> 02:10:08.600
Abigail Tomlin, who continues to haunt this region of Strickfield,

1822
02:10:10.000 --> 02:10:28.000
especially on Halloween night. Tricks and Treats, Volume two, So nice,

1823
02:10:28.399 --> 02:10:32.680
We had to do it twice. A cool breeze blue

1824
02:10:32.760 --> 02:10:37.760
down the sidewalk, past the swarms of costumed merrymakers, stirring

1825
02:10:37.840 --> 02:10:43.000
up small cyclones of discarded candy wrappers and haunted house leaflets.

1826
02:10:43.479 --> 02:10:46.479
A lone figure stood in the center of the chaos,

1827
02:10:46.920 --> 02:10:50.319
head down like a stage actor waiting for the curtain

1828
02:10:50.399 --> 02:10:55.079
to rise. The tall, impossibly thin man had on a

1829
02:10:55.159 --> 02:10:58.800
top hat and wore a bright, gaudy suit with tails.

1830
02:10:59.239 --> 02:11:03.159
With his handlebar mustache and Van Dyke beard, he looked

1831
02:11:03.199 --> 02:11:06.920
like a demonic circus ring master. He leaned on a cane,

1832
02:11:07.079 --> 02:11:10.640
blocking a substantial part of the sidewalk, but the revelers

1833
02:11:11.039 --> 02:11:16.680
unconsciously parted around him like he wasn't even there. Suddenly,

1834
02:11:17.199 --> 02:11:21.640
as if someone flipped a switch, the strange man sprung

1835
02:11:22.319 --> 02:11:27.760
into action. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, writers and wrongers,

1836
02:11:28.000 --> 02:11:32.279
killers and pray, he said, as he spun in a circle,

1837
02:11:32.640 --> 02:11:36.199
his cane whipping through the air, barely missing some of

1838
02:11:36.239 --> 02:11:40.399
the pedestrians. I am the Count of Carnage, the Prince

1839
02:11:40.479 --> 02:11:44.960
of the perverse, the phantom of the faithless, and your

1840
02:11:45.039 --> 02:11:50.840
humble host, he said, winking Jack Scratch. He performed an

1841
02:11:50.840 --> 02:11:55.840
impossibly low bow, his hat almost touching the ground. Standing

1842
02:11:55.920 --> 02:12:00.439
up straight, Jack began strolling down the sidewalk. Tonight is

1843
02:12:00.479 --> 02:12:05.199
a special night, the unholiest of knights, all Hallow's Eve,

1844
02:12:05.520 --> 02:12:10.800
or Halloween as you humans call it, Jack spoke, this

1845
02:12:10.880 --> 02:12:13.319
is the one night a year that I can leave

1846
02:12:13.399 --> 02:12:17.520
the infernal flames of Hell and walk among you mortals.

1847
02:12:18.159 --> 02:12:21.039
He paused to light a cigar, the pure joy of

1848
02:12:21.079 --> 02:12:25.439
it registered on his face. As Hell's director of talent acquisition,

1849
02:12:25.920 --> 02:12:28.920
I have been all over your world. I've seen the

1850
02:12:29.000 --> 02:12:32.399
worst you have to offer. However, there is one place

1851
02:12:32.960 --> 02:12:37.039
that never disappoints, one place where killers seem to multiply

1852
02:12:37.840 --> 02:12:43.439
like rabbits and mothers constantly weep. Jack stopped and spread

1853
02:12:43.479 --> 02:12:49.760
his arms Strictfield, Ohio. He took a long, deep breath

1854
02:12:50.079 --> 02:12:54.880
and seemed to shiver with anticipation when he exhaled. You

1855
02:12:55.039 --> 02:13:03.840
can just smell the crazy in the air. Ah, he continued,

1856
02:13:03.880 --> 02:13:10.000
strolling down the sidewalk. Strickfielders love Halloween. Just look at them,

1857
02:13:10.600 --> 02:13:14.279
he said, pointing to the mob of tricker treaters crowding

1858
02:13:14.279 --> 02:13:19.439
the streets. An entire town rais to love the gruesome

1859
02:13:19.520 --> 02:13:23.439
and the macabre, so used to murder in Mayhem that

1860
02:13:23.520 --> 02:13:28.359
they spend an entire month celebrating it. Just thinking about

1861
02:13:28.359 --> 02:13:34.279
it brings a tear to my eye. Jack said, what

1862
02:13:34.560 --> 02:13:39.159
happens when someone doesn't appreciate the darker side of life.

1863
02:13:40.000 --> 02:13:44.399
One who moves into a community but rejects what they

1864
02:13:45.000 --> 02:13:49.479
hold deer Jack stops and points at a house across

1865
02:13:49.479 --> 02:13:54.079
the street. Well, there's no time like the present, so

1866
02:13:55.239 --> 02:14:01.000
let's find out. Ha ha. This one is called Beggars Can't

1867
02:14:01.079 --> 02:14:05.600
Be Choosers by Morgan Moore. Now go away, kid, you

1868
02:14:05.640 --> 02:14:13.439
bother me. The sound of the doorbell ringing brings Melissa

1869
02:14:13.479 --> 02:14:16.720
White to her front door with a sigh. She scoops

1870
02:14:16.800 --> 02:14:19.920
up the bowl set by the door, opens it and

1871
02:14:20.079 --> 02:14:22.840
is greeted, as she had been all night, by a

1872
02:14:22.880 --> 02:14:27.680
group of kids dressed up for Halloween. They all shout

1873
02:14:27.720 --> 02:14:34.159
at once, Oh wow, look at you all. You're so spooky.

1874
02:14:35.039 --> 02:14:38.039
Melissa doesn't even attempt to mask how over the night

1875
02:14:38.119 --> 02:14:41.600
she was. She quickly hands each child a piece of

1876
02:14:41.640 --> 02:14:45.520
candy with the best smile she can muster. All right, then,

1877
02:14:45.680 --> 02:14:49.439
you scary kids, don't eat too much and be safe

1878
02:14:49.439 --> 02:14:53.159
out there. Before a child can even blink at her actions,

1879
02:14:53.359 --> 02:14:58.640
Melissa shuts the door and releases a sigh. God, I

1880
02:14:58.760 --> 02:15:03.359
hate Halloween. The irony was not lost on Melissa that

1881
02:15:03.439 --> 02:15:07.359
for how much she hated the holiday, she moved to Strickfield,

1882
02:15:07.800 --> 02:15:11.319
a town which didn't just celebrate the holiday yearly, but

1883
02:15:11.439 --> 02:15:14.840
around the clock come October. If she would have known

1884
02:15:14.880 --> 02:15:18.680
about the village's infatuation with the damned Day, she would

1885
02:15:18.720 --> 02:15:21.840
have never moved there, but it was affordable, and she

1886
02:15:21.920 --> 02:15:24.640
wasn't going to turn down the small house that she

1887
02:15:24.680 --> 02:15:28.399
had inherited from her aunt. What made it seemingly more

1888
02:15:28.439 --> 02:15:32.800
insufferable than any other Halloween was the costumes she saw.

1889
02:15:33.560 --> 02:15:35.600
It was one thing for a kid to dress up

1890
02:15:35.640 --> 02:15:38.920
like a movie monster or a psychopath, but she saw

1891
02:15:39.079 --> 02:15:47.560
child after child dressed like actual killers. Upon announcing her

1892
02:15:47.600 --> 02:15:51.600
intentions to move to Strickfield, and once getting there, Melissa

1893
02:15:51.680 --> 02:15:56.000
quickly learned the village had a history of killings and

1894
02:15:56.239 --> 02:16:00.199
numerous serial killers, some of which taking on Neil her

1895
02:16:00.279 --> 02:16:05.479
idle status in the small community. So since October started,

1896
02:16:05.520 --> 02:16:09.479
she got to learn all about every last one and

1897
02:16:09.800 --> 02:16:12.880
got to see every child up to adults dressed as

1898
02:16:12.960 --> 02:16:19.279
those lunatics. It made her sick. Melissa rolled her eyes

1899
02:16:19.359 --> 02:16:22.079
and walked over to her couch and plopped down on it.

1900
02:16:22.600 --> 02:16:25.000
She looked at her hand, which still had the bowl

1901
02:16:25.159 --> 02:16:28.880
she was using for candy. With a shrug, she reached

1902
02:16:28.880 --> 02:16:32.639
into it with her other hand. Nothing touched her fingers

1903
02:16:32.760 --> 02:16:36.120
or palm as she searched for something to snack on.

1904
02:16:37.079 --> 02:16:40.000
Melissa looked into the bowl and was met with the

1905
02:16:40.079 --> 02:16:45.079
sight of nothing but her hand being inside. Ah shit,

1906
02:16:45.840 --> 02:16:49.719
she muttered. She was screwed. On the one hand, it

1907
02:16:49.760 --> 02:16:52.239
gave her an excuse to just turn off the lights

1908
02:16:52.280 --> 02:16:55.840
and call it a night, but she knew better. She

1909
02:16:55.879 --> 02:16:58.600
had been seen handing out candy, and even with it

1910
02:16:58.639 --> 02:17:02.319
being nine o'clock, there were still people roaming the streets

1911
02:17:02.319 --> 02:17:06.440
in search of treats. Eventually, her doorbell would be pushed

1912
02:17:06.799 --> 02:17:09.079
and then knocked on until she would be forced to

1913
02:17:09.120 --> 02:17:13.239
answer it. Heavens knew what would happen if she did

1914
02:17:13.280 --> 02:17:16.120
and had to announce to the beggars that there was

1915
02:17:16.159 --> 02:17:20.479
no more candy to be had. Keep participating in this

1916
02:17:20.639 --> 02:17:24.920
rotating psycho fashion show and get more candy, or call

1917
02:17:24.959 --> 02:17:26.920
it a night and probably have the house and my

1918
02:17:27.040 --> 02:17:31.440
car messed with. Melissa contemplated her options. It didn't take

1919
02:17:31.479 --> 02:17:34.120
her long to reach the conclusion to grab her purse

1920
02:17:34.200 --> 02:17:38.040
and keys and find a store that somehow still had

1921
02:17:38.079 --> 02:17:46.360
candy to buy. Melissa slowly drove through Strickfield, her speed

1922
02:17:46.520 --> 02:17:49.959
due to the number of people blindly walking through the streets.

1923
02:17:50.680 --> 02:17:54.040
She groaned at the snail's pace she was going. All

1924
02:17:54.079 --> 02:17:56.799
would be fine, as Melissa had passed a few stores

1925
02:17:57.159 --> 02:18:00.600
that were clearly still open, yet the heavy foot traffic

1926
02:18:00.680 --> 02:18:04.479
made it next to impossible to turn into any of them.

1927
02:18:04.680 --> 02:18:08.200
As her drive progressed, less and less buildings became present

1928
02:18:08.239 --> 02:18:11.680
as scenery. From what little she had traversed the village

1929
02:18:11.719 --> 02:18:14.840
in her short time there, Melissa had never come out

1930
02:18:14.879 --> 02:18:18.280
this far. Most of the activity was in the heart

1931
02:18:18.319 --> 02:18:21.600
of the village, not out in the boonies. On the

1932
02:18:21.639 --> 02:18:24.360
plus side, being this far out meant there was no

1933
02:18:24.440 --> 02:18:28.000
foot traffic to hinder her driving. But being out this

1934
02:18:28.159 --> 02:18:31.680
far in the dark on Halloween definitely sent a shiver

1935
02:18:32.239 --> 02:18:37.040
down Melissa's spine. Melissa continued her drive through what started

1936
02:18:37.079 --> 02:18:41.879
to look more and more like countryside. Her attention suddenly

1937
02:18:41.879 --> 02:18:46.319
snapped to the left. Was that she questioned having driven

1938
02:18:46.399 --> 02:18:50.559
past whatever it was too quickly. Melissa put the car

1939
02:18:50.600 --> 02:18:53.520
in reverse and slowly backed up to what had caught

1940
02:18:53.520 --> 02:18:57.239
her eye. The sight of it brought a smile to

1941
02:18:57.319 --> 02:19:00.840
her face. In front of her was an old general

1942
02:19:00.920 --> 02:19:09.079
store that was still open. Thank god. Melissa maneuvered the

1943
02:19:09.159 --> 02:19:11.479
car into what could pass as a parking lot for

1944
02:19:11.520 --> 02:19:15.959
the store and turn the car off outside. She shivers

1945
02:19:16.000 --> 02:19:19.520
as the autumn air brushes against her. Crisp and chilly,

1946
02:19:20.280 --> 02:19:23.680
Melissa made her way toward the general store, cautious of

1947
02:19:23.719 --> 02:19:27.200
the environment and its lack of outdoor lighting. Only the

1948
02:19:27.280 --> 02:19:30.159
faint glow of the light from inside the store led

1949
02:19:30.239 --> 02:19:33.879
her way. As she opened the door, a bell chimed

1950
02:19:33.920 --> 02:19:37.319
and nearly gave her a heart attack. God, this place

1951
02:19:37.440 --> 02:19:41.920
is old, isn't it. Melissa walked around the store, the

1952
02:19:42.000 --> 02:19:45.959
light inside faint as it was from the outdoors. The

1953
02:19:46.000 --> 02:19:49.120
place reminded her of an Amish store she visited once

1954
02:19:49.120 --> 02:19:53.200
in Indiana. Everything on the shelves appeared to be homemade,

1955
02:19:53.639 --> 02:19:58.239
stored in either plastic bags or Mason jars. Handwritten labels

1956
02:19:58.319 --> 02:20:01.440
carefully glued to each item with what it was and

1957
02:20:01.559 --> 02:20:05.239
how much it cost. Melissa was certainly impressed by the

1958
02:20:05.319 --> 02:20:08.760
amount of items the store seemed to have and its

1959
02:20:08.760 --> 02:20:12.719
owners had made. Melissa continued to walk through the store

1960
02:20:12.760 --> 02:20:15.319
in search of any kind of candy she could find.

1961
02:20:16.840 --> 02:20:19.440
Rounding a corner, she found what she was looking for,

1962
02:20:20.000 --> 02:20:24.239
a small wooden shelf against the wall filled with bags

1963
02:20:24.280 --> 02:20:30.239
of homemade candy. Perfect, she exclaimed. Melissa plucked a couple

1964
02:20:30.280 --> 02:20:33.159
of bags from the shelf with a smile. She turned

1965
02:20:33.159 --> 02:20:35.719
around to head back toward the front of the store,

1966
02:20:36.040 --> 02:20:39.600
only to find her path blocked by a man. He

1967
02:20:39.760 --> 02:20:42.760
was only a few hairs taller than her, but was

1968
02:20:42.959 --> 02:20:47.319
very visibly over double her age. May I help you,

1969
02:20:48.120 --> 02:20:52.079
he asked? The old man, while taller than Melissa, spoke

1970
02:20:52.120 --> 02:20:55.680
with a softness that she assumed came from his old age.

1971
02:20:56.319 --> 02:21:00.399
His attire, whether a Halloween costume or his everyday clothes,

1972
02:21:00.520 --> 02:21:05.000
reminded her of a pioneer or the Amish, only without

1973
02:21:05.040 --> 02:21:09.520
the beard. It seemed rather fitting for him. Oh sorry,

1974
02:21:09.680 --> 02:21:12.959
I think I was just trying to find some candy,

1975
02:21:13.399 --> 02:21:17.000
Melissa fumbles out. The old man looks her up and

1976
02:21:17.120 --> 02:21:20.920
down and smiles. Well, it looks like you found some

1977
02:21:21.799 --> 02:21:29.200
Is that all you need? I would say, yes, Melissa responded, great. Well,

1978
02:21:29.239 --> 02:21:31.600
then let's get you cashed out and on your way.

1979
02:21:32.639 --> 02:21:35.360
The man smiled and turned to head toward the front

1980
02:21:35.360 --> 02:21:39.760
of the store. Melissa raised an eyebrow quizzically, but shrugged

1981
02:21:39.760 --> 02:21:43.120
and followed after the man up front. He tossed the

1982
02:21:43.159 --> 02:21:48.920
bags onto the counter. Run out tonight, did you? He asked? Yeah,

1983
02:21:49.200 --> 02:21:51.760
didn't expect to get as much foot traffic as I did.

1984
02:21:53.000 --> 02:21:57.239
Must be new to the area, aren't you bingo? Melissa

1985
02:21:57.280 --> 02:22:01.760
replied with a slight smile. Oh, there's a pretty smile.

1986
02:22:02.319 --> 02:22:04.079
I'm not surprised you weren't more prepared.

1987
02:22:04.120 --> 02:22:04.280
Then.

1988
02:22:04.920 --> 02:22:07.239
Halloween is a big night and a big deal for

1989
02:22:07.280 --> 02:22:12.000
those here in Strickfield, always has been, the old man explained,

1990
02:22:12.799 --> 02:22:16.079
so I've heard. Melissa answered with a small roll of

1991
02:22:16.120 --> 02:22:20.440
her eyes. Not a fan of Halloween, the man asked,

1992
02:22:20.440 --> 02:22:25.399
after catching her rolling her eyes. Not really, I always

1993
02:22:25.479 --> 02:22:29.120
found it kind of goofy growing up. If anything, living

1994
02:22:29.159 --> 02:22:33.799
here has made me dislike it more. Constantly being surrounded

1995
02:22:33.799 --> 02:22:36.840
by it does no favors for me. Not to mention,

1996
02:22:36.959 --> 02:22:42.600
it's pretty revolting seeing kids dressed up as serial killers. Well,

1997
02:22:42.719 --> 02:22:44.879
it's up to the parents what their children want to do.

1998
02:22:45.840 --> 02:22:49.799
That's part of the problem. It's disgusting. How okay it

1999
02:22:49.920 --> 02:22:54.159
is that this, and forgive me for saying it, backwoods

2000
02:22:54.239 --> 02:22:59.079
town idolizes mass murderers and a stupid holiday that's only

2001
02:22:59.159 --> 02:23:02.680
point is to dry candy sales and horror movie reynolds.

2002
02:23:03.440 --> 02:23:06.280
Truth be told, I wouldn't even be buying this if

2003
02:23:06.319 --> 02:23:08.879
I wasn't afraid of having the little rugrats kicked my

2004
02:23:09.000 --> 02:23:12.040
door down. They'd probably try to eat me in place

2005
02:23:12.079 --> 02:23:15.399
of the candy, Melissa ranted to the store owner. She

2006
02:23:15.559 --> 02:23:18.680
paused after finishing her sentence and looked at the old man.

2007
02:23:19.559 --> 02:23:23.360
His face, which minutes ago showed an old warmth and pleasantness,

2008
02:23:23.879 --> 02:23:28.239
was now replaced by cold eyes and a frowned, furrowed brow.

2009
02:23:29.200 --> 02:23:32.319
Something about the old man's face and how he was

2010
02:23:32.399 --> 02:23:35.399
now holding his body made the hairs on Melissa's neck

2011
02:23:35.840 --> 02:23:39.159
stand up and put her on edge. It was as

2012
02:23:39.159 --> 02:23:42.719
if her insulting the holiday had offended the once kind

2013
02:23:42.799 --> 02:23:47.280
sales clerk, having committed a mortal sin. Melissa felt her

2014
02:23:47.360 --> 02:23:51.920
cheeks grow hot from embarrassment at the situation. Uh uh,

2015
02:23:52.319 --> 02:23:56.760
how much do I owe you? She asked cautiously. Well, dear,

2016
02:23:57.520 --> 02:24:01.680
let's just call it paying it forward. He answered, I

2017
02:24:01.719 --> 02:24:06.040
don't get it, She responded in confusion. Well, paying it

2018
02:24:06.120 --> 02:24:10.200
forward means I give you these because of generosity I've received,

2019
02:24:10.319 --> 02:24:15.760
he explained. Oh okay. Melissa carefully reached across the counter

2020
02:24:16.239 --> 02:24:19.520
and took the bags of candy. She went to walk

2021
02:24:19.559 --> 02:24:23.879
away and head back home, but paused. The words the

2022
02:24:23.920 --> 02:24:27.040
old man had just said rewound and then replayed in

2023
02:24:27.079 --> 02:24:32.760
her head. Melissa turned around and looked at the old man. Hey,

2024
02:24:33.200 --> 02:24:38.319
may I ask you something? Course, he replied, you said

2025
02:24:38.360 --> 02:24:42.040
you received a generosity. I'm curious as to what it was,

2026
02:24:42.879 --> 02:24:48.799
Melissa questioned. Ah, well, let's see. You gave me some sourness, which,

2027
02:24:49.120 --> 02:24:51.559
as you could expect, is something we use in many

2028
02:24:51.639 --> 02:24:56.079
of our goods. Besides, you got some chocolate coins, so

2029
02:24:56.719 --> 02:24:59.280
we can just consider those your pay for the ferryman,

2030
02:25:00.159 --> 02:25:03.079
the old man elaborated, before ending with a warm smile.

2031
02:25:03.959 --> 02:25:07.639
Melissa looked in confused terror at the old man. On

2032
02:25:07.639 --> 02:25:10.360
one hand, she didn't understand what any of this had

2033
02:25:10.360 --> 02:25:14.120
to do with generosity, Yet something about how he spoke

2034
02:25:14.639 --> 02:25:16.799
and the way he was smiling made her feel as

2035
02:25:16.840 --> 02:25:19.600
if a terrible event was going to happen.

2036
02:25:21.920 --> 02:25:22.120
Right.

2037
02:25:22.520 --> 02:25:26.799
Well, I gotta go, Melissa choked out. She turned around

2038
02:25:26.799 --> 02:25:29.239
to leave, only to find herself surrounded by what she

2039
02:25:29.360 --> 02:25:33.719
assumed was the old man's family. Each one was dressed

2040
02:25:33.719 --> 02:25:37.399
in the same amish like attire, the only difference being

2041
02:25:37.440 --> 02:25:40.040
for the girls, who wore dresses of the same fashion.

2042
02:25:40.840 --> 02:25:44.120
Melissa couldn't believe they had appeared as quickly as they did,

2043
02:25:44.440 --> 02:25:47.959
and found herself equally unable to find a way to escape. There,

2044
02:25:48.319 --> 02:25:52.120
encircling of her. As they got closer and closer, Melissa

2045
02:25:52.120 --> 02:25:56.239
felt panic overtake her, shutting down all brain function and

2046
02:25:56.319 --> 02:26:00.479
leaving her like a defenseless newborn baby. She dropped the candy,

2047
02:26:00.600 --> 02:26:05.719
save for the chocolate coins, remembering what the man had said. Yes, yes,

2048
02:26:06.600 --> 02:26:08.840
I think this might be the best treat we could

2049
02:26:08.840 --> 02:26:13.280
have gotten this year. Now, remember, children, we must remember

2050
02:26:13.799 --> 02:26:18.120
to pay it forward. Strickfield gave us this wonderful package

2051
02:26:18.120 --> 02:26:26.479
of ingredients. Yes, yes, new from CROs in Hand, old

2052
02:26:26.520 --> 02:26:29.639
time General Store. Short on candy bars, but need something

2053
02:26:29.760 --> 02:26:33.920
sweet for your tricker treaters. Try our new sour nut clusters,

2054
02:26:34.319 --> 02:26:36.959
all the salty crunchiness of the nuts you love with

2055
02:26:37.040 --> 02:26:40.879
the sourness and coating of your favorite candies. They're so

2056
02:26:41.040 --> 02:26:43.680
crunchy and sour you'd almost think we made them from

2057
02:26:43.719 --> 02:26:47.239
your worst enemies. So come on down and get yourself

2058
02:26:47.239 --> 02:26:50.719
our new sour nut clusters at crows in Hand Old

2059
02:26:50.760 --> 02:27:00.440
Time General Store. My my Jack said, popping a piece

2060
02:27:00.479 --> 02:27:03.799
of candy into his mouth. I'm not normally a fan

2061
02:27:03.879 --> 02:27:08.920
of recycling, but he eats another one. You can't argue

2062
02:27:08.959 --> 02:27:12.680
with the results. Best damn sour nuts I've ever tried,

2063
02:27:13.639 --> 02:27:17.239
Jack began to stroll down the sidewalk, his cane twirling

2064
02:27:17.280 --> 02:27:27.760
in his hands. Strickfield attracts killers and fimes of all types. Humans, ghosts, vampires, werewolves,

2065
02:27:27.799 --> 02:27:33.120
Everything and anything is possible in Strickfield. It baffles me

2066
02:27:33.200 --> 02:27:36.600
why any good hearted mortal who makes it out would

2067
02:27:36.600 --> 02:27:40.360
ever come back. But if they did, wouldn't it be

2068
02:27:40.520 --> 02:27:45.600
grand if they unintentionally brought death and destruction with them.

2069
02:27:45.920 --> 02:27:49.719
Not only is Strickfield a cruel bitch, it also has

2070
02:27:49.760 --> 02:27:53.680
a wicked sense of humor. He grandly gestured at a

2071
02:27:53.760 --> 02:27:57.840
pair of women across the street. Well, we'll see what

2072
02:27:57.920 --> 02:28:01.639
happens to these two young ladies and just moment. But first,

2073
02:28:02.239 --> 02:28:07.079
here's something even more terrifying for you. A word from

2074
02:28:07.120 --> 02:28:12.200
our sponsors. What you think hell pays well? Not a chance?

2075
02:28:15.600 --> 02:28:20.879
Halloween Cookies by Keith Tomlin. Children, teenagers, and even adults

2076
02:28:20.959 --> 02:28:24.639
walked the streets in costume, their laughter reverberating in the

2077
02:28:24.719 --> 02:28:29.319
chilly October air. Two women, Megan Smith and her aged

2078
02:28:29.399 --> 02:28:32.840
mother May, turned off the sidewalk and headed up a

2079
02:28:32.879 --> 02:28:35.680
walkway to the front door of a modest, yellow two

2080
02:28:35.760 --> 02:28:39.680
story home. May was all smiles as she looked around

2081
02:28:39.680 --> 02:28:42.000
the neighborhood she lived in for most of her life.

2082
02:28:42.760 --> 02:28:46.840
When they reached the door, Megan rapped sharply and they waited.

2083
02:28:47.559 --> 02:28:50.559
Within a few seconds, the door was opened by a

2084
02:28:50.600 --> 02:28:54.799
slightly overweight man in his early thirties dressed as beetlejuice.

2085
02:28:55.440 --> 02:28:59.680
Trick or treat? May yelled, trick or treat, the man

2086
02:28:59.680 --> 02:29:03.440
said back to her. Suddenly, his eyes grew wide as

2087
02:29:03.440 --> 02:29:07.159
he realized who was standing at his door. Auntie, May,

2088
02:29:07.920 --> 02:29:12.440
is that you, Daniel. I wouldn't have recognized you if

2089
02:29:12.479 --> 02:29:16.040
Megan hadn't told me that you lived here. Daniel stepped

2090
02:29:16.040 --> 02:29:19.200
forward and gave May a gentle hug, trying not to

2091
02:29:19.239 --> 02:29:23.399
smash the covered tray that she was carrying. I haven't

2092
02:29:23.440 --> 02:29:27.479
seen you in what fifteen years? Let me get Sarah.

2093
02:29:27.879 --> 02:29:31.040
Daniel stepped back inside and yelled for Sarah, his wife.

2094
02:29:31.440 --> 02:29:34.840
After not hearing a response, he apologized, she's giving the

2095
02:29:34.879 --> 02:29:37.520
baby a bath and putting him to bed. Why don't

2096
02:29:37.559 --> 02:29:40.879
you come in and wait? She would love to see you. Sorry,

2097
02:29:40.920 --> 02:29:44.319
dear May said, patting his cheek. I have a lot

2098
02:29:44.360 --> 02:29:48.600
of houses to visit tonight, after all, it's Halloween. Don't worry, though,

2099
02:29:49.079 --> 02:29:51.879
I'm moving back to Strickfield, so you'll see a lot

2100
02:29:51.920 --> 02:29:54.879
more of me. I'm moving in with Megan and her boyfriend.

2101
02:29:55.399 --> 02:29:58.399
She lowered her voice. I was living with my other

2102
02:29:58.479 --> 02:30:01.680
daughter in Phoenix, but she's getting divorced and had to

2103
02:30:01.680 --> 02:30:05.719
move into a smaller house. Mother, don't air our dirty

2104
02:30:05.799 --> 02:30:10.840
laundry in public, Megan said. Aghast oh, hush Daniels family.

2105
02:30:11.360 --> 02:30:15.440
May retorted. When May lived in this neighborhood, she considered

2106
02:30:15.479 --> 02:30:18.479
any kid within eight blocks of her house and their

2107
02:30:18.559 --> 02:30:22.879
parents' family. She would give every kid small but thoughtful

2108
02:30:22.959 --> 02:30:27.319
gifts for birthdays and Christmases. She never said no to babysitting,

2109
02:30:27.360 --> 02:30:31.040
and her house was a wonderful, chaotic mess of children.

2110
02:30:31.840 --> 02:30:35.079
She loved every second of it. Twelve years ago, after

2111
02:30:35.120 --> 02:30:38.280
her husband passed, her health began to fail, and her

2112
02:30:38.360 --> 02:30:41.319
children convinced her to move to the warm and dry

2113
02:30:41.399 --> 02:30:45.840
climate of Arizona. The losses of her beloved husband and

2114
02:30:45.920 --> 02:30:48.920
her adopted family blew out the spark she had in

2115
02:30:48.959 --> 02:30:52.120
her eyes, and her life in Arizona became one of

2116
02:30:52.479 --> 02:30:56.600
mere existence. But now that she was back in Strickfield,

2117
02:30:57.079 --> 02:31:00.120
there was a new bounce in her step. May was

2118
02:31:00.120 --> 02:31:03.200
about to ask about Daniel's parents when she noticed a young,

2119
02:31:03.680 --> 02:31:08.120
green faced child with big eyes peering around his legs.

2120
02:31:08.879 --> 02:31:14.280
My who is this, May exclaimed. Daniel gently scooted the

2121
02:31:14.360 --> 02:31:18.639
child forward. This is Chloe, my daughter, he said, proudly.

2122
02:31:19.239 --> 02:31:23.000
I'm a ninja turtle. Chloe said shyly, pointing at her

2123
02:31:23.040 --> 02:31:28.399
Leonardo costume. Oh, that sounds like fun. Do you eat flies,

2124
02:31:28.959 --> 02:31:31.639
May asked, bending down to look the little girl in

2125
02:31:31.680 --> 02:31:37.440
the face. Chloe laughed, no, silly, I eat pizza. Good choice,

2126
02:31:37.840 --> 02:31:43.319
May said, Do you eat cookies? Chloe's eyes brightened at that. Yes,

2127
02:31:43.760 --> 02:31:48.000
ninja turtles can eat cookies, she exclaimed. May looked up

2128
02:31:48.000 --> 02:31:52.159
at Daniel, who nodded. Let's see, she said, as she

2129
02:31:52.280 --> 02:31:56.000
opened up her tupperware tray. We don't have turtles, but

2130
02:31:56.079 --> 02:32:01.680
we do have bats, spiders, kitty cats, and wool wolves. Ooh,

2131
02:32:01.719 --> 02:32:06.079
I'll take a wolf, Chloe said, excitedly, reaching out, there

2132
02:32:06.120 --> 02:32:09.040
you go, Dear May smiled as she handed the little

2133
02:32:09.079 --> 02:32:12.920
one a sugar cookie shaped like a wolf. Chloe turned

2134
02:32:12.920 --> 02:32:15.840
and ran deeper into the house, holding the cookie to

2135
02:32:15.879 --> 02:32:18.399
her chest like she was afraid that someone would take

2136
02:32:18.440 --> 02:32:22.520
it from her. Daniel called after her, Hey, come back

2137
02:32:22.559 --> 02:32:26.680
and thank Auntie May. Sighing, he turned back and apologized.

2138
02:32:27.280 --> 02:32:30.680
May waved the apology off, and after her daughter helped

2139
02:32:30.719 --> 02:32:33.239
her stand back up, she held out the tray to

2140
02:32:33.319 --> 02:32:39.079
Daniel Care for a cookie. Daniel's shoulders slumped. I wish

2141
02:32:39.120 --> 02:32:42.920
I could. I always loved your cookies, but I'm diabetic

2142
02:32:43.000 --> 02:32:45.360
and I've already dipped into her candy bag more than

2143
02:32:45.360 --> 02:32:48.239
I should have this evening. They stood there for a

2144
02:32:48.280 --> 02:32:51.920
few minutes more and exchanged their goodbyes, ending with May

2145
02:32:52.040 --> 02:32:55.159
promising to stop by on Saturday to meet the rest

2146
02:32:55.200 --> 02:32:58.159
of the family. As the women turned to walk away,

2147
02:32:58.520 --> 02:33:01.040
Megan realized that she had hadn't seen her mother this

2148
02:33:01.159 --> 02:33:06.799
happy since before her father died. Chloe played with her

2149
02:33:06.799 --> 02:33:10.760
teenage mutant Ninja turtle action figures, acting out scenarios where

2150
02:33:10.799 --> 02:33:13.959
they saved April O'Neill from a rampaging wolf in the

2151
02:33:14.000 --> 02:33:17.840
form of May's sugar cookie. When this became boring, she

2152
02:33:17.879 --> 02:33:21.200
had Leonardo cut the head off the wolf cookie, ending

2153
02:33:21.280 --> 02:33:25.520
the threat. She celebrated by eating the cookie head first,

2154
02:33:25.959 --> 02:33:30.159
savoring each bite. Chloe put her figures away, grabbing her

2155
02:33:30.200 --> 02:33:33.840
coloring books and began to carefully draw within the lines.

2156
02:33:34.399 --> 02:33:37.440
After a few minutes, she started to sweat and a

2157
02:33:37.479 --> 02:33:41.760
feeling of intense fear began washing over. She started to

2158
02:33:41.840 --> 02:33:46.159
yell out for her father, but something, a feeling of apprehension,

2159
02:33:46.840 --> 02:33:51.520
held her back. A figure passed her open door, causing

2160
02:33:51.600 --> 02:33:55.760
Chloe to shrink back in terror. The creature looked like

2161
02:33:55.799 --> 02:33:59.000
a monster, one of the wolf men from the scary

2162
02:33:59.079 --> 02:34:01.680
movies that her parents and didn't let her watch, but

2163
02:34:01.840 --> 02:34:06.120
she did anyway. She heard the front door open, Snarls

2164
02:34:06.159 --> 02:34:09.520
and howls floated down the hall, ending when the front

2165
02:34:09.600 --> 02:34:14.319
door was shut. She sat there on her bed, paralyzed

2166
02:34:14.399 --> 02:34:18.440
until the creature walked by again, pausing in her doorway.

2167
02:34:19.360 --> 02:34:22.879
It stared at her, its lips curled back in rage,

2168
02:34:23.280 --> 02:34:26.399
spittle spraying from its mouth as it glowered at her.

2169
02:34:27.639 --> 02:34:30.840
Chloe broke her stillness as she screamed and rolled off

2170
02:34:30.879 --> 02:34:34.319
the bed. Grabbing the plastic katana from her costume, she

2171
02:34:34.479 --> 02:34:39.200
dove under the bed. She waited, trembling with fear, until

2172
02:34:39.239 --> 02:34:42.280
the wolf man on his knees, pulled the blanket aside

2173
02:34:43.079 --> 02:34:47.200
and peered at her, his long teeth glinting in the lamplight.

2174
02:34:48.120 --> 02:34:52.360
Chloe screamed again and thrust the sword forward, catching the

2175
02:34:52.440 --> 02:34:55.840
monster in the face. It pulled back and let out

2176
02:34:55.840 --> 02:34:58.840
a horrific howl as she scuttled out the other side

2177
02:34:59.239 --> 02:35:05.959
and ran out of the room. My god, it's so

2178
02:35:06.079 --> 02:35:09.280
good to see you, aunt May, Christine said, giving the

2179
02:35:09.319 --> 02:35:12.719
old woman another hug. Same here, my dear, it's so

2180
02:35:12.840 --> 02:35:16.440
good to be back. I've been gone for way too long.

2181
02:35:16.959 --> 02:35:20.680
May replied. Christine waved her daughter over and presented her

2182
02:35:20.760 --> 02:35:24.040
to May. This is d. She would have been two

2183
02:35:24.200 --> 02:35:27.799
or three the last time you saw her. My, she's

2184
02:35:27.879 --> 02:35:32.360
grown into such a lovely girl, May exclaimed. Christine looked

2185
02:35:32.399 --> 02:35:36.159
down at her daughter and pointed at May. D. This

2186
02:35:36.399 --> 02:35:39.799
is Auntie May. She was everyone's favorite neighbor when we

2187
02:35:39.799 --> 02:35:43.040
were growing up. D looked at May and, in a flat,

2188
02:35:43.159 --> 02:35:47.479
bored tone, said hi. She looked back at her mom

2189
02:35:47.520 --> 02:35:49.760
and asked, can I go to my room and listen

2190
02:35:49.760 --> 02:35:55.920
to music? Christine sighed fine, go D began to walk

2191
02:35:55.959 --> 02:36:00.479
away when May spoke, oh, I almost forgot. Do you

2192
02:36:00.520 --> 02:36:03.639
want a Halloween cookie? She held out the tray to

2193
02:36:03.680 --> 02:36:08.639
the girl. D hesitated and nodded, grabbing a cookie shaped

2194
02:36:08.680 --> 02:36:12.879
like a spider before walking off. I'm sorry, you know

2195
02:36:12.920 --> 02:36:18.319
how teenagers are, Christine said, apologetic, Oh, dear, no, need

2196
02:36:18.360 --> 02:36:23.239
to tell me. May responded, pointedly, looking at Megan. Nonsense,

2197
02:36:23.399 --> 02:36:27.520
I was an angel, Megan said, playfully, smacking her mother

2198
02:36:27.600 --> 02:36:32.520
on the shoulder. D flopped on the bed, grabbing her

2199
02:36:32.559 --> 02:36:35.280
phone out of her back pocket and putting in her earbuds.

2200
02:36:35.879 --> 02:36:39.040
She absently ate the cookie as she scrolled through Instagram

2201
02:36:39.120 --> 02:36:43.200
posts and listened to music. After a few minutes, she

2202
02:36:43.319 --> 02:36:48.920
began to feel strange, like someone was watching her. The

2203
02:36:49.040 --> 02:36:51.360
hair on the back of her neck was standing up.

2204
02:36:52.079 --> 02:36:56.440
She removed the earbuds and heard screeching and scratching coming

2205
02:36:56.479 --> 02:37:00.719
from the other room. She slowly rose from the bed

2206
02:37:01.399 --> 02:37:07.360
and made her way into the hall. Scott is working

2207
02:37:07.399 --> 02:37:10.879
second shift at Mirn Automotive. He'll be sorry he missed you.

2208
02:37:11.440 --> 02:37:13.440
Let's all get together and have dinner some night at

2209
02:37:13.479 --> 02:37:17.639
Dnoyer's grill, Christine said, noticing the look on May's face,

2210
02:37:17.760 --> 02:37:20.440
she said, sorry, I forgot. You have an issue with

2211
02:37:20.520 --> 02:37:23.760
that place. Mom is slowly getting over it now that

2212
02:37:23.799 --> 02:37:25.959
she's not able to cook as much as she used to.

2213
02:37:26.399 --> 02:37:30.520
Megan said, May couldn't contain herself. I don't think you

2214
02:37:30.600 --> 02:37:33.600
can call something homemade if it's being cooked in the

2215
02:37:33.639 --> 02:37:37.120
back of a kitchen of a diner. Besides, I still

2216
02:37:37.159 --> 02:37:40.479
say that they stole my recipe for country fried chicken gravy,

2217
02:37:41.040 --> 02:37:48.520
May huffed. D snuck down the hall, the clicking and

2218
02:37:48.639 --> 02:37:52.280
scraping getting louder with every step. She stopped at the

2219
02:37:52.319 --> 02:37:55.000
doorway to the living room and peered around the corner.

2220
02:37:55.600 --> 02:37:59.840
She quickly pulled back, stifling a scream, fighting the panic

2221
02:37:59.840 --> 02:38:03.520
that threatened to a mobilizer. She looked around the corner again.

2222
02:38:04.360 --> 02:38:07.159
Standing where her mother had been was a humanoid creature

2223
02:38:07.559 --> 02:38:11.360
with the head of a spider. In addition to the

2224
02:38:11.399 --> 02:38:14.920
two legs the creature was standing on, there were six

2225
02:38:15.120 --> 02:38:19.600
thin spider like legs sticking out of its back. The

2226
02:38:19.719 --> 02:38:24.200
legs absently tapped and scraped along the open front door

2227
02:38:24.319 --> 02:38:28.639
and the walls surrounding it. Two other spider creatures stood

2228
02:38:28.680 --> 02:38:32.680
on the porch, and all three were emitting high pitched noises.

2229
02:38:33.440 --> 02:38:37.079
D slowly backed down the hall, her heart racing as

2230
02:38:37.120 --> 02:38:40.799
she tried to clear her head. She thought, what would

2231
02:38:40.840 --> 02:38:46.200
Dad do? Then she remembered the shotgun. Every year on

2232
02:38:46.280 --> 02:38:49.000
his birthday, he took her to the Sportsman Club to

2233
02:38:49.040 --> 02:38:52.239
shoot skeet. So she knew how to use a shotgun,

2234
02:38:52.799 --> 02:38:56.399
and she knew where he kept it. Decision made, she

2235
02:38:56.600 --> 02:39:02.159
turned and ran toward her parents room. Daniel looked at

2236
02:39:02.159 --> 02:39:05.000
his eye in the mirror. It was swelling shut and

2237
02:39:05.040 --> 02:39:08.159
he couldn't see anything out of it. His wife, Sarah,

2238
02:39:08.239 --> 02:39:10.520
walked into the room and put her arm around him.

2239
02:39:11.239 --> 02:39:16.079
How's your eye, she asked, Not good. I'll probably have

2240
02:39:16.159 --> 02:39:19.719
to go to the er, Daniel said. Chloe's not in

2241
02:39:19.719 --> 02:39:23.239
her room, Sarah said, I wonder what got into her.

2242
02:39:24.120 --> 02:39:26.719
I have no idea. I was asking her if she

2243
02:39:26.879 --> 02:39:29.159
liked the cookie when she freaked out and hid under

2244
02:39:29.159 --> 02:39:31.959
the bed. When I checked on her, she jabbed me

2245
02:39:32.079 --> 02:39:36.159
with that damn sword, Daniel said, wincing with pain as

2246
02:39:36.200 --> 02:39:39.760
he dabbed a damp washcloth around his eye, cleaning up

2247
02:39:39.799 --> 02:39:43.280
some of the fresh blood seeping from it. I'll keep

2248
02:39:43.280 --> 02:39:46.079
looking for her. Hopefully she didn't leave the house. His

2249
02:39:46.200 --> 02:39:50.680
wife said, she was scared to death, poor thing. As

2250
02:39:50.680 --> 02:39:52.760
soon as we find her and calm her down, I'll

2251
02:39:52.799 --> 02:39:56.159
head to the hospital. Daniel said, No, I don't want

2252
02:39:56.159 --> 02:40:00.479
you driving. We should call an ambulance, Sarah said. Daniel

2253
02:40:00.600 --> 02:40:04.840
was about to protest when he heard light footsteps running

2254
02:40:04.879 --> 02:40:09.040
down the hall. Chloe stormed into the room, wearing the

2255
02:40:09.040 --> 02:40:14.000
full Leonardo costume and brandishing a large butcher's knife. She

2256
02:40:14.079 --> 02:40:18.840
began swinging it wildly with almost superhuman strength, plunging it

2257
02:40:18.959 --> 02:40:23.639
first into her father and then into her mother, over

2258
02:40:24.360 --> 02:40:30.360
and over again. A few minutes later, Chloe stood over

2259
02:40:30.440 --> 02:40:33.879
the remains of the two wolf monsters. She was wiping

2260
02:40:33.920 --> 02:40:36.760
blood from her face when she heard the high pitched

2261
02:40:36.799 --> 02:40:40.959
howling coming from the baby's room. She gripped the knife

2262
02:40:41.000 --> 02:40:51.799
with determination and turned. Walking out of the bathroom, Christine

2263
02:40:51.840 --> 02:40:56.000
examined the cookie in her hand, shaped like a cat. Wow,

2264
02:40:56.479 --> 02:41:00.920
the details on these cookies are amazing, she exclaimed, I know,

2265
02:41:01.520 --> 02:41:04.760
perfect for Halloween. When I moved in with Megan, she

2266
02:41:04.840 --> 02:41:08.879
gave me an amazing set of horror themed cookie cutters.

2267
02:41:08.879 --> 02:41:11.559
May said, I found them at some hole in the

2268
02:41:11.559 --> 02:41:15.360
wall antique store near the Strickfield Town Center mall called

2269
02:41:16.360 --> 02:41:20.079
Tinkers or something like that. The owner was a bit peculiar,

2270
02:41:20.120 --> 02:41:24.680
but the prices were amazing, Megan interjected. Christine was about

2271
02:41:24.719 --> 02:41:27.959
to take a bite when she heard a yell behind her.

2272
02:41:28.680 --> 02:41:32.760
As she turned, the unmistakable sound of a shotgun being

2273
02:41:32.879 --> 02:41:41.520
racked filled her ears. Jack holds up one finger like

2274
02:41:41.639 --> 02:41:45.520
he's waiting for something off in the near distance. You

2275
02:41:45.559 --> 02:41:49.639
can hear gunshots, and Jack swings his hands back and

2276
02:41:49.680 --> 02:41:54.440
forth like he's conducting a symphony. The people milling about

2277
02:41:54.440 --> 02:41:59.600
the street jump startled and look around. Not seeing any

2278
02:41:59.639 --> 02:42:04.159
immediate threat, they hurry on about their business. When the

2279
02:42:04.239 --> 02:42:10.280
last shot ends, he sighs, Oh, well, that was fun

2280
02:42:10.319 --> 02:42:13.120
while it lasted. You have to give it up for

2281
02:42:13.200 --> 02:42:16.879
Isley Tinker. He does good work. I don't know how

2282
02:42:16.879 --> 02:42:20.399
he stays in business selling cursed antiques at such low

2283
02:42:20.479 --> 02:42:26.680
prices artists, Jack rolls his eyes. Jack begins to continue

2284
02:42:26.719 --> 02:42:32.399
strolling down the street when suddenly he stops. Wait. I

2285
02:42:32.440 --> 02:42:39.000
know that smell, the sickly sweet scent of decay, Jack said,

2286
02:42:39.200 --> 02:42:44.840
breathing deeply. I think we're in for a treat, he said,

2287
02:42:45.239 --> 02:42:50.079
almost giddy with anticipation. That's what I love about Strickfield.

2288
02:42:50.440 --> 02:42:54.719
You never know who you'll run into. He turns and

2289
02:42:54.799 --> 02:42:58.639
points at the house up the block. Ah, there we go.

2290
02:42:59.319 --> 02:43:02.959
I wish I had popcorn because I am expecting quite

2291
02:43:03.000 --> 02:43:06.639
a show. Smoke him if you got him, Jack said,

2292
02:43:07.079 --> 02:43:12.399
as he lit up another cigar. After a quick word

2293
02:43:12.440 --> 02:43:26.399
from our sponsors, of course, Beggar's Night Massacre by Rob Fields.

2294
02:43:28.559 --> 02:43:31.520
As I walked down Park Avenue with my plastic pumpkin

2295
02:43:31.600 --> 02:43:34.719
basket and my drink bottle, I got to thinking more

2296
02:43:34.760 --> 02:43:37.520
about how the village of Strickfield made trick or treating

2297
02:43:37.559 --> 02:43:41.479
a full week instead of just one night. This year,

2298
02:43:41.479 --> 02:43:44.319
I heard people calling the last full week of Halloween

2299
02:43:45.000 --> 02:43:48.040
Beggar's week. I think I can see why the people

2300
02:43:48.040 --> 02:43:52.000
here call it that. By definition, Beggar's night is when

2301
02:43:52.040 --> 02:43:54.920
trick or treating falls on any other night but Halloween.

2302
02:43:55.639 --> 02:43:59.000
But now there are six additional nights of trick or

2303
02:43:59.040 --> 02:44:02.799
treating prior to Halloween, right here in this village, meaning

2304
02:44:02.840 --> 02:44:07.520
the first six nights are technically Beggar's nights. I take

2305
02:44:07.559 --> 02:44:10.040
a quick drink of the red liquid from my bottle

2306
02:44:10.360 --> 02:44:13.280
and see the porch light of my next house. I

2307
02:44:13.360 --> 02:44:16.520
walk up to the door of nineteen Park Avenue and

2308
02:44:16.639 --> 02:44:20.559
ring the bell. I can hear Bobby Pickett's Monster Mash

2309
02:44:20.639 --> 02:44:25.680
playing inside. The door opens, making the music louder, and

2310
02:44:25.799 --> 02:44:30.959
that's when I see her, Megan Harris. I ask, Megan's

2311
02:44:31.040 --> 02:44:35.000
dressed like a sexy vampire. I am also dressed as

2312
02:44:35.000 --> 02:44:39.920
a vampire, only I look more like Dracula. Megan opens

2313
02:44:39.959 --> 02:44:43.079
the screen door. I think you're too old to be

2314
02:44:43.159 --> 02:44:46.680
trick or treating, Richie, she says, holding the large bowl

2315
02:44:46.719 --> 02:44:50.920
of candy in her arm. I smirk. Not in Strickfield,

2316
02:44:51.440 --> 02:44:55.719
anybody can trick or treat here. No judgments or age discrimination.

2317
02:44:56.319 --> 02:45:00.600
Never has been anyway where you been hiding. People at

2318
02:45:00.639 --> 02:45:03.600
Strickfield High have been saying you disappeared two years ago.

2319
02:45:04.479 --> 02:45:09.600
Megan smiles a little. I'm here now. Just then, this

2320
02:45:09.760 --> 02:45:12.639
beefy guy comes and stands at the door with her.

2321
02:45:13.280 --> 02:45:16.159
I don't care what Strickfield law says about trick or treating.

2322
02:45:16.639 --> 02:45:21.440
You're too old, dweeb. Then he grins, Yeah, maybe you're

2323
02:45:21.440 --> 02:45:26.360
in your second childhood. He scowls now get lost, fuck stick,

2324
02:45:27.239 --> 02:45:30.959
But I ignore him. You know I've been looking everywhere

2325
02:45:31.000 --> 02:45:34.559
for you, too, Megan. Then the guy whom I recognize

2326
02:45:34.600 --> 02:45:37.959
as Mike Stanley, opens the door and steps out onto

2327
02:45:38.000 --> 02:45:41.760
the porch. You deaf nerd beat it or I am

2328
02:45:41.840 --> 02:45:46.639
gonna beat your ass. Mike. Just stop. Megan snaps, this

2329
02:45:46.920 --> 02:45:50.799
is my house. Just like that. The buffoon listens to

2330
02:45:50.840 --> 02:45:53.920
her and backs off, And I know he'd like nothing

2331
02:45:53.959 --> 02:45:57.840
better than to lay into me. Megan turns back, Hey,

2332
02:45:58.200 --> 02:46:01.959
since you're here, I'm inviting you to my party. Come

2333
02:46:02.000 --> 02:46:07.639
on in, Richie Hawthorne. Are you fucking serious, Megan, Mike protests.

2334
02:46:08.120 --> 02:46:12.399
Megan glares at him again. Last time, shut the fuck up,

2335
02:46:12.639 --> 02:46:15.280
or you can leave right here and now. This is

2336
02:46:15.360 --> 02:46:18.639
my house and I'll invite whoever I want. I don't

2337
02:46:18.639 --> 02:46:21.520
give a rats ask what, Ken says. She points to

2338
02:46:21.600 --> 02:46:27.879
him again. Just stop again, Mike Obazer. Then Megan steps

2339
02:46:27.920 --> 02:46:30.600
aside to let me come in. There are plenty of

2340
02:46:30.600 --> 02:46:34.680
people from Strickfield High here at Megan's shindig, and in costume.

2341
02:46:35.079 --> 02:46:38.200
People are drinking cups of what looks like red punch.

2342
02:46:38.959 --> 02:46:42.360
The TV's on. A news report about people disappearing from

2343
02:46:42.399 --> 02:46:46.000
area high schools is on. I watch the report, attentively

2344
02:46:46.520 --> 02:46:49.600
reading the lips of the people talking over the loud music.

2345
02:46:50.360 --> 02:46:54.959
Then Megan comes up beside me. Listen. I'm really glad

2346
02:46:55.000 --> 02:46:58.360
you're here at my party tonight. I let Megan bring

2347
02:46:58.399 --> 02:47:01.319
me into the kitchen, opens the fridge and gives me

2348
02:47:01.360 --> 02:47:04.479
a can of soda, even though the others are drinking

2349
02:47:04.520 --> 02:47:07.200
out of two big punch bowls on the dining room table.

2350
02:47:08.239 --> 02:47:12.159
Megan just stands there expectedly. I turn and follow her

2351
02:47:12.159 --> 02:47:15.520
through the kitchen and out the back door as soon

2352
02:47:15.559 --> 02:47:19.719
as we're private enough. She turns and faces me. I've

2353
02:47:19.760 --> 02:47:23.600
been watching the news, I tell Megan, how long did

2354
02:47:23.600 --> 02:47:25.680
you think it would be before your parents ended up

2355
02:47:25.680 --> 02:47:28.760
being featured on it? How long were they out looking

2356
02:47:28.799 --> 02:47:32.600
for you after you disappeared from Strickfield. Megan kind of

2357
02:47:32.639 --> 02:47:35.639
looks desperate. Now. I know you haven't lived here in

2358
02:47:35.680 --> 02:47:38.840
Strickfield for long, Richie. You have no idea how my

2359
02:47:38.959 --> 02:47:42.639
parents constantly smothered me with their religion. It was always

2360
02:47:42.639 --> 02:47:44.959
them telling me to read my Bible, or tuck my

2361
02:47:45.000 --> 02:47:48.319
shirt in, or my skirt's too short. I couldn't take

2362
02:47:48.319 --> 02:47:53.120
it anymore. I had to lose them. I raise my finger. Yeah,

2363
02:47:53.360 --> 02:47:56.440
but you just ran away from home. You never showed

2364
02:47:56.479 --> 02:47:59.479
up at school. The police were out looking for you.

2365
02:48:00.239 --> 02:48:03.079
If you were that desperate to leave, you should have

2366
02:48:03.200 --> 02:48:07.479
just left Strickfield. But here you are, out of the blue,

2367
02:48:07.959 --> 02:48:12.520
having a Halloween party and hosting trick or treating? Aren't

2368
02:48:12.559 --> 02:48:15.799
you afraid people might recognize you? Cops are stepping up

2369
02:48:15.840 --> 02:48:19.719
their patrols this week. What if they saw you face

2370
02:48:19.760 --> 02:48:22.600
at Megan? You're not exactly a subtle kind of girl.

2371
02:48:23.559 --> 02:48:25.319
The two of us look at each other for a

2372
02:48:25.360 --> 02:48:29.239
long while, and then things are about to get serious

2373
02:48:29.319 --> 02:48:33.040
when we hear people hooping and hollering nearby. As soon

2374
02:48:33.079 --> 02:48:36.040
as we go back inside, this gang of hoodlums enters

2375
02:48:36.079 --> 02:48:39.600
Megan's house. The others already here don't seem to care.

2376
02:48:40.159 --> 02:48:44.399
They're all drinking their red punch and doing whatever. I

2377
02:48:44.440 --> 02:48:48.280
remember seeing these guys at Strickfield High. The leader is

2378
02:48:48.360 --> 02:48:52.040
Ken Stover. He's probably been in more trouble with Principal

2379
02:48:52.120 --> 02:48:56.920
Van Deste than Bella Tabon and Ronnie Brunswick combined. Suddenly,

2380
02:48:57.000 --> 02:49:00.000
Ken pulls Megan to him and locks her in eyes

2381
02:49:00.159 --> 02:49:03.840
hungry kiss. Megan wraps her leg around him and kisses

2382
02:49:03.920 --> 02:49:08.079
him back. When they finish, he shoves her away. Then

2383
02:49:08.159 --> 02:49:11.200
he goes and smashes the sound system to kill the music.

2384
02:49:12.079 --> 02:49:16.159
Now everyone's looking right at him, Look at you fuckers

2385
02:49:16.319 --> 02:49:21.000
having a Halloween party. Then Ken screams at Megan, you

2386
02:49:21.079 --> 02:49:25.239
didn't invite us, your stupid bitch. He quickly shoves her

2387
02:49:25.280 --> 02:49:28.200
to the floor. Did you forget who's running the show

2388
02:49:28.239 --> 02:49:33.319
around here? Yeah? Not inviting us ain't polite. Darren Jeevers adds,

2389
02:49:33.840 --> 02:49:36.079
we ought to just give Megan to the cops. And

2390
02:49:36.159 --> 02:49:41.479
tell him she's back, bart Parker suggests. Then Gerald Atkins

2391
02:49:41.479 --> 02:49:44.879
points right at me. Who's this fuck? He ain't one

2392
02:49:44.920 --> 02:49:49.360
of us? Ken comes right at me. I know nobody

2393
02:49:49.399 --> 02:49:52.920
invited you to our group. Know why because ain't nobody

2394
02:49:52.920 --> 02:49:57.159
part of this group? Without me saying so, I invited him?

2395
02:49:57.559 --> 02:50:01.639
Megan snaps, standing up. Ken points right behind him at her,

2396
02:50:02.440 --> 02:50:06.440
and I'm uninviting him. He points at me. Now get

2397
02:50:06.479 --> 02:50:09.959
the fuck out of here, you panty waste. But Megan

2398
02:50:10.040 --> 02:50:13.719
isn't done yet. We all know the Master's coming. What

2399
02:50:13.760 --> 02:50:17.079
if he decides Richie might be a worthy offering? You

2400
02:50:17.239 --> 02:50:21.280
never disappoint the Master, I can tell. Ken still wants

2401
02:50:21.319 --> 02:50:24.680
me gone. He backs off, however, and pats my shoulder.

2402
02:50:25.600 --> 02:50:31.079
Enjoy yourself, fuck face. Suddenly the doorbell rings. The gang

2403
02:50:31.120 --> 02:50:34.079
answers the door to see two pizza delivery guys standing

2404
02:50:34.120 --> 02:50:39.360
there with a bunch of pies delivery for nineteen Park Avenue.

2405
02:50:39.799 --> 02:50:43.000
One of them stammers, Ken opens the screen door and

2406
02:50:43.079 --> 02:50:46.559
yanks them both inside. The pizza boxes spin or drop

2407
02:50:46.639 --> 02:50:49.920
to the floor. Then I see the entire gang shutter

2408
02:50:50.040 --> 02:50:54.319
before they charge, Their hands become claws, their faces get

2409
02:50:54.360 --> 02:50:59.239
even uglier than they already were, and then the others

2410
02:50:59.239 --> 02:51:04.959
here are transfer. Ken tells everybody, pizzas here, help yourselves.

2411
02:51:05.799 --> 02:51:08.799
The pizza guys scream in total terror as they leap

2412
02:51:08.879 --> 02:51:11.479
to their feet and try running. But where can you

2413
02:51:11.639 --> 02:51:16.559
run in a house full of bloodthirsty vampires. Suddenly Ken

2414
02:51:16.600 --> 02:51:20.440
shoves me aside out of the fucking way milksop. The

2415
02:51:20.440 --> 02:51:24.399
pizza guys keep running before Mikey Stanley snags one of them.

2416
02:51:24.520 --> 02:51:27.840
Megan snatches the other one. He points to the pizza guy.

2417
02:51:27.959 --> 02:51:31.440
Megan has give me that one, but Megan won't give

2418
02:51:31.520 --> 02:51:36.120
him over. We save them for the Master. Ken raises

2419
02:51:36.159 --> 02:51:40.040
his hand to Striker. You keep forgetting your place here, bitch.

2420
02:51:40.520 --> 02:51:43.600
I'm calling the shots here. Only reason I took you

2421
02:51:43.680 --> 02:51:46.120
with me was because you was running from the Master.

2422
02:51:47.000 --> 02:51:50.959
He made you, but you ran away when I found you.

2423
02:51:50.959 --> 02:51:54.280
You needed blood. He kept saying, the Master's coming. We

2424
02:51:54.360 --> 02:51:57.600
still ain't seen him. If he's so fucking badass, how

2425
02:51:57.639 --> 02:51:58.840
come he ain't never found you?

2426
02:51:58.959 --> 02:51:59.600
Huh?

2427
02:51:59.760 --> 02:52:02.200
All, so you ain't never seen what he looks like.

2428
02:52:03.079 --> 02:52:07.040
Megan shakes her head. I'm telling you, Ken, you're greatly

2429
02:52:07.120 --> 02:52:11.440
underestimating him. I did escape, but I can feel he's

2430
02:52:11.559 --> 02:52:15.159
very close. I never should have run away. You can't

2431
02:52:15.200 --> 02:52:18.719
beat him, Ken, He'll kill you. She addresses the others

2432
02:52:18.760 --> 02:52:22.719
at the party, Now all of you. Now. Ken finally

2433
02:52:22.719 --> 02:52:26.360
strikes her, sending her to the floor again. Nobody comes

2434
02:52:26.399 --> 02:52:29.879
to her aid. Ken turns and points at me. Grab

2435
02:52:29.959 --> 02:52:34.440
him too, there's another mortal for us. Megan suddenly jumps

2436
02:52:34.479 --> 02:52:38.079
on Ken's back. Run, Richie, get off of me, bitch,

2437
02:52:38.360 --> 02:52:42.040
Ken yells, get the milksop guys. I quickly turn and

2438
02:52:42.120 --> 02:52:45.280
run through Megan's house. I grab my pumpkin basket of

2439
02:52:45.319 --> 02:52:48.000
candy as I reach the back door and escape. I

2440
02:52:48.040 --> 02:52:50.559
don't get far when I'm grabbed and pulled back into

2441
02:52:50.559 --> 02:52:53.600
the house. Now I'm thrown to the floor next to

2442
02:52:53.639 --> 02:52:58.600
the pizza guys. Ken rubs his hands together. Boys, we

2443
02:52:58.639 --> 02:53:02.600
are gonna have a bank. He points to Mike. How

2444
02:53:02.639 --> 02:53:05.959
about you order us some more pizzas Mike pulls his

2445
02:53:06.040 --> 02:53:08.399
cell phone out and starts to punch in a number.

2446
02:53:09.319 --> 02:53:11.920
Then I hear some of the other vampires making noise

2447
02:53:11.959 --> 02:53:16.600
about something. Now I see the house is catching fire,

2448
02:53:17.200 --> 02:53:21.680
just like that. What the fuck? Ken yells. Now the

2449
02:53:21.719 --> 02:53:25.280
fire starts burning the vampires until they're being smothered by it.

2450
02:53:25.760 --> 02:53:30.920
All except Megan, me and the pizza guys. Megan quickly

2451
02:53:30.959 --> 02:53:33.920
grabs my arm. Let's get out of here. The master's here.

2452
02:53:34.079 --> 02:53:36.879
He's burning everybody in here alive. I won't let him

2453
02:53:36.920 --> 02:53:39.719
take you two. The four of us make it through

2454
02:53:39.719 --> 02:53:42.799
the burning vampires and to the back door. We're out

2455
02:53:42.799 --> 02:53:45.600
in the backyard and keep moving. As soon as we're

2456
02:53:45.600 --> 02:53:49.159
far enough, we turn to see the houses completely engulfed

2457
02:53:49.200 --> 02:53:53.440
in flames. We even hear the vampires inside screaming as

2458
02:53:53.440 --> 02:53:58.079
their immortality is ending. Most cruelly, Megan and I keep

2459
02:53:58.120 --> 02:54:02.079
moving with the pizza guys until we're in a wooded area.

2460
02:54:02.239 --> 02:54:06.799
We made it, Richie. Megan says, we're safe, we're free now.

2461
02:54:07.440 --> 02:54:10.159
She's about to take my hand, but suddenly I slap

2462
02:54:10.200 --> 02:54:14.840
hers away. Did you really think I would never find you, Meghan?

2463
02:54:15.399 --> 02:54:18.079
You were a fool to think you could truly escape me.

2464
02:54:18.879 --> 02:54:21.760
I use my power to force Megan to fly back

2465
02:54:21.920 --> 02:54:24.879
and hit hard against a big tree and fall forward.

2466
02:54:25.319 --> 02:54:27.680
She lifts her head up and looks at me with

2467
02:54:27.840 --> 02:54:32.920
utter horror. Now you can't be the Master. I smile

2468
02:54:33.520 --> 02:54:38.040
cruelly now and lean forward and slash both of the

2469
02:54:38.079 --> 02:54:42.920
delivery guy's throats with my long sharp claws. Then I

2470
02:54:43.040 --> 02:54:46.639
drink them both up. When I'm finished, I look right

2471
02:54:46.680 --> 02:54:50.799
at her, you ungrateful cow. I came to you and

2472
02:54:50.959 --> 02:54:54.239
offered you a way out of your miserable mortal life.

2473
02:54:54.399 --> 02:54:57.200
I gave you immortality, and running away is how you

2474
02:54:57.239 --> 02:55:01.319
repay me. At least now I know and understand where

2475
02:55:01.360 --> 02:55:06.840
your kind come from. You only care about yourselves, truly,

2476
02:55:06.920 --> 02:55:11.079
I was foolish to sire you for your beauty alone.

2477
02:55:11.280 --> 02:55:16.559
No it's not like that, Megan protests, standing up. I

2478
02:55:16.639 --> 02:55:20.920
point to her. Now too late, you've abused the gift

2479
02:55:20.959 --> 02:55:25.360
of immortality, giving it to all those unworthy vermin back there.

2480
02:55:26.000 --> 02:55:29.440
You even killed your own parents in cold blood. When

2481
02:55:29.440 --> 02:55:36.159
will you understand you became mine? When I sired you mine,

2482
02:55:36.319 --> 02:55:39.360
I would have given you your heart's desire. All you

2483
02:55:39.399 --> 02:55:42.479
had to do was stand by me and obey me.

2484
02:55:43.719 --> 02:55:49.120
Now I must destroy you. I reach into my suit

2485
02:55:49.120 --> 02:55:54.000
coat and pull out a very sharp steak. No, ritchie,

2486
02:55:54.520 --> 02:55:58.760
Megan begs, please, No. I could have just left you

2487
02:55:58.799 --> 02:56:01.000
to burn in that fire with you the others, but

2488
02:56:01.120 --> 02:56:05.000
that would have been showing you mercy. You need to

2489
02:56:05.159 --> 02:56:09.799
suffer for your betrayal and your treachery. I kick Megan

2490
02:56:09.879 --> 02:56:12.879
to the ground and get on top of her. Megan

2491
02:56:13.000 --> 02:56:17.280
screams as I raise the stake and end her. Once

2492
02:56:17.360 --> 02:56:21.200
she's nothing but ash, I stand up and retrieve my

2493
02:56:21.280 --> 02:56:25.879
plastic pumpkin basket. There's still plenty of time to go

2494
02:56:26.000 --> 02:56:34.360
trick or treating while looking for more food. That's the

2495
02:56:34.479 --> 02:56:38.479
problem with kids today, ungrateful for the gifts they are given,

2496
02:56:39.159 --> 02:56:42.079
Jack stated as he shook his head. As a fire

2497
02:56:42.120 --> 02:56:45.920
truck pulled up to the burning house, sirens blaring. Jack

2498
02:56:46.040 --> 02:56:50.079
took a peek at his watch. Oh my, it's getting late.

2499
02:56:50.479 --> 02:56:53.360
I have to head down south soon, but I can't

2500
02:56:53.440 --> 02:56:57.440
leave without partaking in the best sport that Strickfield has

2501
02:56:57.479 --> 02:57:03.159
to offer. Hmmm, let's see. Jack opened up his jacket

2502
02:57:03.559 --> 02:57:09.840
to show a row of knives attached to the inner lining. Decisions, Decisions.

2503
02:57:10.719 --> 02:57:15.440
Jack finally selected a long, thin razor sharp blade and

2504
02:57:15.559 --> 02:57:19.879
tested the balance in his hand. I must leave you now.

2505
02:57:20.559 --> 02:57:27.040
I prefer to do my wet work alone. Goodbye until

2506
02:57:27.120 --> 02:57:39.239
next year, toodles my friends, Jack said, waving goodbye. The

2507
02:57:39.440 --> 02:57:46.600
Night Stalker by Shane Migleavanka Millicent Richard's Milly to her friends,

2508
02:57:47.000 --> 02:57:50.159
sat on the edge of her bed Pulling on her sneakers,

2509
02:57:50.840 --> 02:57:54.600
she took a deep breath, lost in her thoughts. Tonight

2510
02:57:54.680 --> 02:57:58.920
she would begin her first real job, and on Halloween

2511
02:57:59.079 --> 02:58:02.360
no less a lot less fun than trick or treating

2512
02:58:02.360 --> 02:58:07.399
with Annette Wilson and Diane Samuels. Damn. Milly sure as

2513
02:58:07.440 --> 02:58:10.239
hell didn't want to go tonight, but she needed the

2514
02:58:10.280 --> 02:58:14.120
money and her parents could use the help. She stood

2515
02:58:14.719 --> 02:58:17.879
on the radio. Bobby Brown was singing about calling the

2516
02:58:17.879 --> 02:58:21.520
Ghostbusters while a muted Knight of the Living Dead played

2517
02:58:21.520 --> 02:58:25.559
on the television. She picked up her bargain grocer's cap

2518
02:58:25.639 --> 02:58:28.799
and adjusted it on her head. She took a moment

2519
02:58:28.840 --> 02:58:32.079
to look at herself in the mirror, smartly dressed in

2520
02:58:32.120 --> 02:58:36.159
her crisp new blue and gold uniform, her light brown

2521
02:58:36.239 --> 02:58:41.600
hair pulled back into a ponytail. Not too bad. Switching

2522
02:58:41.639 --> 02:58:44.799
the TV and radio off, Milly picked up her walkman

2523
02:58:44.879 --> 02:58:48.280
an orange book bag. She turned to leave, but first

2524
02:58:49.040 --> 02:58:52.360
turned to her poster of Patrick Swayzee, which hung on

2525
02:58:52.479 --> 02:58:57.559
her bedroom door. Wish me luck. She headed downstairs. The

2526
02:58:57.639 --> 02:59:02.319
staircase railing was decorated with orange pumpkin shaped lights. Her

2527
02:59:02.360 --> 02:59:06.319
mother always went all out for the holidays. Rise from

2528
02:59:06.399 --> 02:59:10.520
the Grave an artificial voice commanded from her brother's video

2529
02:59:10.639 --> 02:59:14.399
game in the living room, see you later, Russ. Without

2530
02:59:14.479 --> 02:59:18.440
taking his eyes off the TV, Russ waved back. Milly

2531
02:59:18.559 --> 02:59:21.479
stepped into the hall, taking her coat from the closet.

2532
02:59:22.799 --> 02:59:26.680
Can we manage barb, Milly heard her father in the kitchen.

2533
02:59:27.719 --> 02:59:32.639
We can try the extra money'll definitely help. Is it enough?

2534
02:59:34.440 --> 02:59:39.680
I I don't know, her mother answered. Milly went to

2535
02:59:39.719 --> 02:59:49.200
the door quietly and exited the house unnoticed. Witches, zombies,

2536
02:59:49.239 --> 02:59:52.440
and skeletons rushed up and down the street on the

2537
02:59:52.520 --> 02:59:58.200
hunt for candy or mischief. She clipped the walkman to

2538
02:59:58.319 --> 03:00:02.399
her belt and slid on the head. Retrieving her bicycle

2539
03:00:02.440 --> 03:00:05.920
from the garage, Milly weaved her way through her mom's

2540
03:00:06.000 --> 03:00:10.319
crazy lawn decorations and passed a pair of ghosts arguing

2541
03:00:10.719 --> 03:00:14.360
over who had more candy. She'd felt a bit self

2542
03:00:14.399 --> 03:00:17.920
conscious about going out in her uniform, but it was

2543
03:00:17.959 --> 03:00:22.399
Halloween night everybody was dressed up as something. Milly just

2544
03:00:22.520 --> 03:00:27.319
happened to look like a bargain grocer's clerk. Once Milly

2545
03:00:27.440 --> 03:00:31.200
was on the road, she peddled faster and faster, scared

2546
03:00:31.319 --> 03:00:35.079
she might be late. Shit, She came to a stop.

2547
03:00:35.280 --> 03:00:37.799
A gaggle of trick or treaters and their chaperone were

2548
03:00:37.840 --> 03:00:42.319
crossing the intersection. Damn it, Milly swore under her breath,

2549
03:00:42.719 --> 03:00:47.200
come on, come on. A car roared up alongside her,

2550
03:00:47.440 --> 03:00:51.920
its engine drowning out her music. The red Firebird sat

2551
03:00:52.120 --> 03:00:55.799
waiting for the procession of kids to cross. Heavy metal,

2552
03:00:55.879 --> 03:00:59.319
cranked to the STEREO's highest volume level blared over the

2553
03:00:59.360 --> 03:01:03.559
thunder of the engine. Milly knew the car. She'd seen

2554
03:01:03.600 --> 03:01:07.200
it several times at school. Milly felt the two men

2555
03:01:07.239 --> 03:01:12.360
inside watching her. Hey, Troy, look at this. It's a

2556
03:01:12.399 --> 03:01:15.840
working girl. Get off the bike, Darlin, I got something

2557
03:01:15.879 --> 03:01:20.239
you can ride, and it's a stick shift. Milly gulped.

2558
03:01:20.680 --> 03:01:24.600
Come on, kids, come on, She tensed up. After the

2559
03:01:24.680 --> 03:01:29.200
kids had all crossed, the car mercifully roared away. Milly

2560
03:01:29.360 --> 03:01:34.360
exhaled and pedaled on. She skidded to a stop by

2561
03:01:34.360 --> 03:01:38.440
the bike rack outside of Bargain Groceries. The parking lot

2562
03:01:38.520 --> 03:01:43.079
was fairly dead, only some last minute shoppers left. Milly

2563
03:01:43.200 --> 03:01:46.719
quickly chained her bike up. The sudden sound of heavy

2564
03:01:46.719 --> 03:01:49.799
metal music made her heart skip a beat. A familiar

2565
03:01:49.879 --> 03:01:54.920
red Firebird slowly drove past the store. She watched as

2566
03:01:54.959 --> 03:01:59.200
it passed turning off onto a side street. There wasn't

2567
03:01:59.280 --> 03:02:01.719
much time to worry about if they were looking for

2568
03:02:01.760 --> 03:02:04.760
her or not, as Milly was pretty sure she was

2569
03:02:04.840 --> 03:02:13.760
late for her first night on the job. The automatic

2570
03:02:13.840 --> 03:02:19.399
doors swished open. Hey, a young woman called over. Hero

2571
03:02:19.680 --> 03:02:24.719
see oc was Milly's nickname from way back, given to

2572
03:02:24.760 --> 03:02:27.719
her by her best friend at the time, Samantha Vale.

2573
03:02:28.520 --> 03:02:31.479
A cute redhead, waved her over to the breakroom entrance.

2574
03:02:31.959 --> 03:02:35.159
She was wearing a uniform like Millie's, but she had

2575
03:02:35.159 --> 03:02:38.079
an eye patch and a fake mustache on for Halloween.

2576
03:02:38.680 --> 03:02:41.600
Quick punch in, you got a minute to go. The

2577
03:02:41.680 --> 03:02:45.120
girl held open the breakroom door. Just inside the door

2578
03:02:45.159 --> 03:02:48.239
of the breakroom was a time clock. Milly pulled out

2579
03:02:48.239 --> 03:02:52.440
her punch card and pulled the machine's lever just in time.

2580
03:02:53.399 --> 03:02:57.440
Thanks Sam, Milly said Sam had always been a good friend.

2581
03:02:57.799 --> 03:03:01.120
Though high school social status had caused them to drift,

2582
03:03:01.520 --> 03:03:06.000
they had finally reconnected and their friendship was stronger than ever.

2583
03:03:06.639 --> 03:03:08.879
Stow your bag and jacket in the locker. I'll take

2584
03:03:08.920 --> 03:03:12.319
you to meet John. He's out back. Sam pointed to

2585
03:03:12.360 --> 03:03:16.639
Milly's walkman. Better stow that too. John's not into having

2586
03:03:16.680 --> 03:03:19.360
that shit on the job. He's not too bad, he

2587
03:03:20.040 --> 03:03:23.360
just has his own way of doing stuff. Hi, the

2588
03:03:23.399 --> 03:03:26.840
cashier said. As they walked past, Milly noted he was

2589
03:03:26.840 --> 03:03:32.360
wearing pointy fangs. A vast me heartee, Sam laughed, this

2590
03:03:32.479 --> 03:03:37.200
is Brian, Hey, Milly, you working here now. She felt

2591
03:03:37.239 --> 03:03:41.239
a rush of embarrassment. Brian knew her, but she didn't

2592
03:03:41.280 --> 03:03:45.840
recognize him at all. Yeah, I sure do, she struggled.

2593
03:03:46.559 --> 03:03:50.559
He looked a little disappointed. I shot behind you in English,

2594
03:03:50.959 --> 03:03:56.840
mister Kendrick's class. Oh sorry, right, She still didn't recognize him.

2595
03:03:57.280 --> 03:04:01.319
Good to see you, she lied, thankful, Sam led her away.

2596
03:04:01.920 --> 03:04:05.319
John's a cool boss, can be a little intense sometimes,

2597
03:04:05.360 --> 03:04:08.520
because he was a nam. Millie followed Sam to the

2598
03:04:08.559 --> 03:04:12.239
back of the store through large double doors. A sign

2599
03:04:12.319 --> 03:04:17.639
read employees only. The back area was stuffed with racks

2600
03:04:17.680 --> 03:04:21.959
and pallets filled with various products. Piled high. In a

2601
03:04:22.000 --> 03:04:25.319
cramped little corner in the back was a desk. A

2602
03:04:25.360 --> 03:04:29.319
middle aged man sat talking on the phone. He had

2603
03:04:29.399 --> 03:04:32.120
the usual store uniform on, as well as a thick

2604
03:04:32.200 --> 03:04:35.440
pair of glasses. His dark brown hair was cut in

2605
03:04:35.520 --> 03:04:40.000
a neat crew cut that matched his neatly trimmed mustache.

2606
03:04:40.159 --> 03:04:43.559
All right, I understand, he wrote something on a pad

2607
03:04:44.079 --> 03:04:47.360
special shipment. Got it, We'll be ready, he hung up.

2608
03:04:48.479 --> 03:04:51.959
Hi John, I'm not disturbing anything, am I? Sam asked.

2609
03:04:52.239 --> 03:04:55.639
No jokers from corporate are sending a special shipment for

2610
03:04:55.719 --> 03:04:58.639
me to unload tonight. He took out a metal lighter

2611
03:04:58.680 --> 03:05:02.719
and cigarette. Fighting up. He turned to Millie new girl.

2612
03:05:03.399 --> 03:05:07.799
Millie nodded. Behind him was a sign that read no smoking.

2613
03:05:08.479 --> 03:05:11.600
Next to that sign was a picture of John snuggling

2614
03:05:11.639 --> 03:05:15.920
with a tiger cub wearing a camouflage cap. Both things

2615
03:05:16.040 --> 03:05:22.239
summed up John perfectly. You come very highly recommended. Well,

2616
03:05:22.600 --> 03:05:26.360
Sam blushed. I'd better get back out there. She left,

2617
03:05:26.440 --> 03:05:30.159
leaving Milly with John. So I'll lay out some ground

2618
03:05:30.239 --> 03:05:32.360
rules around here and what you should expect to be

2619
03:05:32.440 --> 03:05:35.959
doing work wise. He opened the desk drawer, taking out

2620
03:05:35.959 --> 03:05:39.719
a clip on holster with a box cutter. You'll need this,

2621
03:05:40.399 --> 03:05:42.920
He handed it to her, taking a puff of his cigarette.

2622
03:05:43.399 --> 03:05:46.200
Clip it onto your belt or pocket. He looked at

2623
03:05:46.200 --> 03:05:49.639
her shirt. Did they give you an ID badge? She

2624
03:05:49.760 --> 03:05:52.920
reached into her pocket, trying to fish it out. He stood,

2625
03:05:53.000 --> 03:05:56.079
crushing his cigarette under his heel. Skip it. Come on,

2626
03:05:56.520 --> 03:06:02.040
I'll give you the cheap tor. I have a little

2627
03:06:02.079 --> 03:06:04.799
test for you. She followed him to an aisle of

2628
03:06:04.840 --> 03:06:09.639
paper products, paper towels, boxes of facial tissue, and toilet paper.

2629
03:06:10.120 --> 03:06:13.319
He arranged some rolls of toilet paper neatly on the shelf.

2630
03:06:14.079 --> 03:06:17.840
We call this facing or blocking. It basically creates the

2631
03:06:17.879 --> 03:06:21.360
appearance that the shelves are perfectly stocked. You do this

2632
03:06:21.520 --> 03:06:23.799
by pulling a couple of products on the shelf to

2633
03:06:23.840 --> 03:06:27.239
the front. We also pulled down anything that's double stacked.

2634
03:06:27.760 --> 03:06:31.200
He demonstrated for Milly a couple more times. Among some

2635
03:06:31.360 --> 03:06:34.040
rolls of paper towels, he found a jar of peanut butter,

2636
03:06:34.520 --> 03:06:38.440
causing him to grumble under his breath. See this, we

2637
03:06:38.559 --> 03:06:44.200
call these returns or re shops. People are They're lazy bastards.

2638
03:06:44.440 --> 03:06:46.440
They like to leave stuff they don't want all over

2639
03:06:46.479 --> 03:06:49.760
the store. Some do it just to be dicks. He

2640
03:06:49.840 --> 03:06:53.319
shook his head. You find something like this, return it

2641
03:06:53.360 --> 03:06:56.760
to its proper place later, unless it's something like meat, dairy,

2642
03:06:56.840 --> 03:06:59.719
or frozen. Those are top priority and need to go

2643
03:06:59.760 --> 03:07:04.040
back asap. Milly nodded, trying to process all of the

2644
03:07:04.079 --> 03:07:06.959
new information. I have a few things to take care of.

2645
03:07:07.079 --> 03:07:08.719
I want you to get a feel for doing it.

2646
03:07:09.040 --> 03:07:11.159
Take your time, do as much as you can. I'll

2647
03:07:11.159 --> 03:07:13.719
be back to tell you how much you screwed it up.

2648
03:07:14.120 --> 03:07:18.200
Milly looked at him unsure. John laughed, do your best.

2649
03:07:18.239 --> 03:07:21.600
I'll be back in a bit. He left, leaving Milly

2650
03:07:21.639 --> 03:07:25.159
alone in the aisle. She wandered up and down before

2651
03:07:25.200 --> 03:07:27.719
deciding to start on one end and work her way down.

2652
03:07:28.280 --> 03:07:30.959
After a few minutes of work, Milly was starting to

2653
03:07:31.000 --> 03:07:36.000
relax some. This was kind of like Tetris, neatly arranging

2654
03:07:36.040 --> 03:07:40.600
the brightly colored boxes together. This brand here, that brand there.

2655
03:07:41.399 --> 03:07:45.639
She stepped back to admire her work. Hey, she heard

2656
03:07:45.680 --> 03:07:48.879
Sam call out from the front of the store. Peeking

2657
03:07:48.920 --> 03:07:52.680
around a display of paper towels, Milly saw Sam confronting

2658
03:07:52.760 --> 03:07:58.280
two girls. Milly recognized them the McNab sisters. They'd hung

2659
03:07:58.360 --> 03:08:02.680
in the preppy crowd. I saw you, Sam said, you

2660
03:08:02.760 --> 03:08:05.399
put a couple beers in your person tried to walk out.

2661
03:08:06.159 --> 03:08:10.600
Oh please, Terry McNabb scoffed. Do you know who our

2662
03:08:10.680 --> 03:08:16.639
father is? Yes? Skids, Terry McNabb added. She felt bad

2663
03:08:16.680 --> 03:08:20.280
for Sam. Skids. That's what they call anybody from the

2664
03:08:20.319 --> 03:08:25.159
poorer section of town. Why would we steal Terry pointed out,

2665
03:08:25.479 --> 03:08:30.079
our father could own you, Yes, skids, Daddy could bulldoze

2666
03:08:30.120 --> 03:08:33.920
your little trailer park hovel. In a heartbeat, Milly knew

2667
03:08:34.040 --> 03:08:37.200
Sam was holding back. If she didn't need the job

2668
03:08:37.280 --> 03:08:39.920
so much, she would have given both sisters a good

2669
03:08:39.959 --> 03:08:45.559
ass kicking. Pretty good kid, John said, Milly jumped. She'd

2670
03:08:45.559 --> 03:08:47.680
been so wrapped up in her thoughts as she worked

2671
03:08:47.920 --> 03:08:51.639
she hadn't noticed him standing there. Although you've been adjusting

2672
03:08:51.639 --> 03:08:54.600
that one roll of paper towels for a good minute

2673
03:08:54.639 --> 03:08:57.760
or two. You're gonna make love to it. Milly set

2674
03:08:57.799 --> 03:09:01.639
the roll down, embarrassed John, his watch, letting out a whistle.

2675
03:09:02.159 --> 03:09:05.719
Almost that time. Gotta close up the store. Carry on

2676
03:09:05.799 --> 03:09:09.159
with what you're doing, Just don't fondle any more paper towels.

2677
03:09:09.680 --> 03:09:13.200
He left her alone again. After a few minutes, John

2678
03:09:13.280 --> 03:09:16.280
came on the intercom. The store will be closing in

2679
03:09:16.399 --> 03:09:20.200
five minutes. Please make your final purchases, Thank you for

2680
03:09:20.319 --> 03:09:24.079
choosing bargain groceries, and have a good night. A few

2681
03:09:24.079 --> 03:09:28.079
minutes later, the lights dimmed just a little. Milly continued

2682
03:09:28.120 --> 03:09:32.000
working without the din of shoppers. She could hear the

2683
03:09:32.040 --> 03:09:36.239
store's musac trigger treat oh C Sam stood at the

2684
03:09:36.319 --> 03:09:38.639
end of the aisle holding a couple of candy bars.

2685
03:09:38.959 --> 03:09:42.719
Brian stood next to her. Sam handed Milly a chocolate bar.

2686
03:09:43.280 --> 03:09:48.959
Brian looked at Milly, confused. Oh, c a nickname, Milly answered,

2687
03:09:49.280 --> 03:09:53.399
ask Sam. Brian turned to Sam. Maybe I'll tell you

2688
03:09:53.440 --> 03:09:57.399
the story sometime. Sam snapped her bar in two if

2689
03:09:57.440 --> 03:10:00.760
you can guess what it stands for. Mill crinkled the

2690
03:10:00.799 --> 03:10:04.600
candy bar wrapper, sticking it into her pocket. What are

2691
03:10:04.600 --> 03:10:08.600
you guys still doing here? We got volunteered with that

2692
03:10:08.760 --> 03:10:13.120
special shipment coming in, Sam explained. There was an audible

2693
03:10:13.200 --> 03:10:17.120
click as the intercom came to life. A robotic female

2694
03:10:17.200 --> 03:10:20.920
voice sounded, front end, front end has a call on

2695
03:10:21.079 --> 03:10:24.239
line five ten to one. The truck just got here,

2696
03:10:24.600 --> 03:10:28.559
Sam said. The intercom crackled to life again. This time,

2697
03:10:28.600 --> 03:10:32.079
the automated voice was replaced by John's Sam to the

2698
03:10:32.079 --> 03:10:35.719
back room. I repeat, Sam to the back room. Sam

2699
03:10:35.799 --> 03:10:41.360
started down the aisle duty calls. So what now, Milly asked.

2700
03:10:41.920 --> 03:10:46.479
Brian adjusted his plastic fangs. I guess we'll just finish

2701
03:10:46.559 --> 03:10:49.840
this aisle and then do the next sounds like a

2702
03:10:49.879 --> 03:10:55.799
plan ocean cruise, Billy asked, off hand, excuse me, oh, see,

2703
03:10:56.200 --> 03:11:02.319
just taking a guess. Milly laughed, Sorry now, uh obsessive compulsive?

2704
03:11:02.920 --> 03:11:07.799
Ah no, damn, I'll get it sooner or later. After

2705
03:11:07.840 --> 03:11:10.879
a few moments, they finished up and moved to Aisle two,

2706
03:11:10.959 --> 03:11:14.559
which had a view of the parking lot. Milly stopped

2707
03:11:15.200 --> 03:11:18.079
the sight of something sitting in the parking lot gave

2708
03:11:18.120 --> 03:11:22.600
her a chill. No, no, no. She walked towards the

2709
03:11:22.639 --> 03:11:27.840
front of the store. Hey, what's up? Brian asked that.

2710
03:11:28.840 --> 03:11:33.319
Milly pointed nervously out the large front window. The firebirds

2711
03:11:33.399 --> 03:11:38.280
sat there under a light pole. Milly shuddered. What about

2712
03:11:38.280 --> 03:11:41.600
that car? The assholes in the car harassed me on

2713
03:11:41.639 --> 03:11:46.840
the way here. Brian sighed, damn it. He shook his head.

2714
03:11:47.280 --> 03:11:51.559
Those two are always making trouble, you know them. Stay here,

2715
03:11:51.639 --> 03:11:56.200
I'll go talk to Milly watched, feeling helpless, as Brian left.

2716
03:11:57.239 --> 03:12:01.479
She watched Brian walk across the parking lot. She needed

2717
03:12:01.479 --> 03:12:04.799
to get John. Running over to the intercom, Milly fumbled

2718
03:12:04.840 --> 03:12:08.479
with the buttons. Her first attempt was greeted by ear

2719
03:12:08.559 --> 03:12:12.719
splitting feedback. Her second and third attempts were no better.

2720
03:12:13.479 --> 03:12:19.920
On the fourth try, her nervous voice boomed throughout the store, Hello, Hello,

2721
03:12:20.520 --> 03:12:23.479
John to the front. Repeat, John to the front. Hurry.

2722
03:12:24.159 --> 03:12:26.719
The sound of her struggling to hang up the intercom

2723
03:12:26.760 --> 03:12:31.159
receiver boomed throughout the store. She waited, expecting John to

2724
03:12:31.159 --> 03:12:37.440
come rushing. Instead, nothing happened. Milly ran back to the

2725
03:12:37.520 --> 03:12:40.959
front window and peered out. Brian stood by the firebird

2726
03:12:41.360 --> 03:12:46.600
talking to the driver, not exactly the tense confrontation she'd expected.

2727
03:12:47.280 --> 03:12:50.000
Movement in the reflection of the glass made her turn

2728
03:12:50.120 --> 03:12:57.000
in surprise John there was nobody. Something hit the floor

2729
03:12:57.040 --> 03:13:02.079
in one of the aisles. Eyes she walked by a

2730
03:13:02.120 --> 03:13:06.600
display of Halloween candy. A plastic candy filled skull grinned

2731
03:13:06.600 --> 03:13:10.840
at her. Maybe this was a Halloween prank, hazing the

2732
03:13:10.920 --> 03:13:14.479
new girl. Milly turned back to check on how Brian

2733
03:13:14.639 --> 03:13:18.600
was doing, only to see the firebird driving slowly towards

2734
03:13:18.680 --> 03:13:22.879
the store, Brian nowhere in sight. She watched as the

2735
03:13:22.959 --> 03:13:26.079
car drove by the front of the store. The interior

2736
03:13:26.239 --> 03:13:29.799
was too dark to make out its occupants. Milly felt

2737
03:13:29.799 --> 03:13:33.879
her heart beat faster and faster in her chest. She'd

2738
03:13:33.920 --> 03:13:37.040
have to go out there and look. Brian could be

2739
03:13:37.200 --> 03:13:41.000
lying hurt out of sight. Somewhere there was a first

2740
03:13:41.079 --> 03:13:43.840
aid kit on the wall. Next to the intercom. She

2741
03:13:43.959 --> 03:13:48.559
grabbed it before heading out. Pushing the door open, Milly

2742
03:13:48.639 --> 03:13:54.040
stepped outside into what felt like a dangerous alien land. Brian,

2743
03:13:54.799 --> 03:13:59.280
she called out, her voice cracking and low. Milly wanted

2744
03:13:59.280 --> 03:14:02.200
to grab her bike, get home and hide under the covers.

2745
03:14:03.239 --> 03:14:06.040
She needed to get John. He'd know what to do.

2746
03:14:06.879 --> 03:14:10.680
Milly hurried back inside and locked the door. Sliding on

2747
03:14:10.719 --> 03:14:13.079
the high polished floor, she hurried to the back of

2748
03:14:13.120 --> 03:14:16.879
the store, nearly toppling a display of Halloween themed cereal.

2749
03:14:17.799 --> 03:14:21.120
Barreling through the double doors into the back, Milly stopped

2750
03:14:21.120 --> 03:14:25.440
for a second to catch her breath. John. She called

2751
03:14:25.479 --> 03:14:31.479
between gasps Sam silence except for the low, constant rumble

2752
03:14:31.760 --> 03:14:36.920
of the overhead heater. The loading dock was empty. The

2753
03:14:36.959 --> 03:14:40.680
overhead door was open, letting in the cool autumn air,

2754
03:14:40.840 --> 03:14:43.559
where it poured in around the semi trucks backed up

2755
03:14:43.600 --> 03:14:49.239
to the dock guys. Milly started to panic. She was

2756
03:14:49.319 --> 03:14:55.760
completely alone. Her eyes scanned the dark, cavernous room. The

2757
03:14:55.840 --> 03:15:01.600
shadows hid countless possible terrors, but alas so too did

2758
03:15:01.639 --> 03:15:05.000
the floor. As she slipped in a puddle on its surface,

2759
03:15:06.280 --> 03:15:10.280
landing hard on her knees and hands, Milly yelped in pain.

2760
03:15:11.520 --> 03:15:14.639
There was something wet and sticky on her sore hands.

2761
03:15:15.399 --> 03:15:20.360
Raising them up, she screamed they were coated in a

2762
03:15:20.399 --> 03:15:24.760
crimson blood. There was a trail leading out to the

2763
03:15:24.799 --> 03:15:28.239
semi truck, and there seemed to be something hanging in

2764
03:15:28.280 --> 03:15:33.520
the truck's trailer. With pained steps, she cautiously approached that trailer,

2765
03:15:34.120 --> 03:15:37.719
her eyes adjusted to the near dark of its interior.

2766
03:15:38.799 --> 03:15:42.479
Hanging from chains by his ankles at the trailer's center

2767
03:15:43.399 --> 03:15:49.319
was John. His forehead had a bloody gash. Oh god,

2768
03:15:50.079 --> 03:15:57.079
Millie stammered John. She reached out, stopping short of touching him. John,

2769
03:15:57.159 --> 03:16:01.239
who did this? She ventured a little further into the trailer.

2770
03:16:02.000 --> 03:16:06.200
There was no sign of Sam turning around. Milly used

2771
03:16:06.239 --> 03:16:09.600
the wall to guide her out. Her eyes scanned the

2772
03:16:09.639 --> 03:16:14.000
loading dock. They could be lurking anywhere. She had to

2773
03:16:14.000 --> 03:16:18.120
get help. On John's cluttered desk, she noticed a phone

2774
03:16:18.159 --> 03:16:22.639
earlier limping over. Milly snatched up the receiver and quickly dialed,

2775
03:16:22.680 --> 03:16:26.799
with bloody hands, We're sorry your call cannot be completed

2776
03:16:26.840 --> 03:16:30.879
at this time, A robotic voice informed her, shit shit.

2777
03:16:31.479 --> 03:16:34.399
Milly slammed down the receiver. She was growing just as

2778
03:16:34.440 --> 03:16:38.319
frustrated as she was scared, John's metal lighter lay on

2779
03:16:38.360 --> 03:16:43.440
a stack of papers, Fuck Communism engraved its front. She

2780
03:16:43.559 --> 03:16:47.120
snatched it up and exited. Limping along, she leaned on

2781
03:16:47.200 --> 03:16:51.239
a concrete wall. The block under her hand glowed lightly.

2782
03:16:51.959 --> 03:16:55.799
Pulling her hand away, a strange symbol pulsated through the concrete.

2783
03:16:57.000 --> 03:17:00.639
What the shit is that? The bloody hand print she'd

2784
03:17:00.719 --> 03:17:05.719
left was absorbed into the block. Hurrying towards the double doors,

2785
03:17:05.719 --> 03:17:10.719
Milly stopped. Someone walked past an aisle, a large someone

2786
03:17:11.680 --> 03:17:16.280
or some thing. Milly ducked down. She needed to get

2787
03:17:16.280 --> 03:17:18.399
a better view of what was going on out there.

2788
03:17:19.159 --> 03:17:21.879
Not far from her was a sliding, white metal door.

2789
03:17:22.920 --> 03:17:26.479
She slowly unhooked the latch and pushed the door open

2790
03:17:26.920 --> 03:17:30.600
and slipped into the dairy cooler. She spied into the

2791
03:17:30.639 --> 03:17:34.440
store between gallon jugs of milk. Her eyes caught another

2792
03:17:34.520 --> 03:17:41.159
flash of movement. There definitely was somebody here. The intercom

2793
03:17:41.280 --> 03:17:46.200
loudly crackled to life, come out, come out, little goblin.

2794
03:17:46.840 --> 03:17:52.159
A voice hissed, trick or treat. An involuntary shudder of

2795
03:17:52.200 --> 03:17:56.360
fear ran through her body. They were looking for her,

2796
03:17:57.760 --> 03:18:01.079
sneaking out of the cooler Milly made up her she

2797
03:18:01.159 --> 03:18:06.079
couldn't leave Sam and Brian. Milly had to fight them somehow.

2798
03:18:07.000 --> 03:18:10.280
There was another set of double doors further down. She

2799
03:18:10.520 --> 03:18:14.040
used them to slip into the store, hiding behind a

2800
03:18:14.079 --> 03:18:17.360
tank of lobsters. Milly looked up at the signs for

2801
03:18:17.440 --> 03:18:22.479
each aisle. She was directly across from Aisle two, Housewares

2802
03:18:22.479 --> 03:18:33.879
and Cleaning Perfect Calling all assholes, I'm right here, Milly

2803
03:18:33.959 --> 03:18:37.319
called from the intercom as she stood a broom handle ready,

2804
03:18:37.639 --> 03:18:40.840
rags tied to one end. It wasn't very long before

2805
03:18:40.879 --> 03:18:44.159
a man dressed in a black leather jacket emerged from

2806
03:18:44.239 --> 03:18:49.520
Aisle six. A cheap halloween mask hid his identity. Well,

2807
03:18:49.559 --> 03:18:56.079
look ye here, little goblin girl. He strode confidently towards Milly, stopping.

2808
03:18:56.600 --> 03:18:59.520
He looked down as his boot clad foot made a

2809
03:18:59.559 --> 03:19:03.079
squishing noise. There was a puddle of floor wax in

2810
03:19:03.120 --> 03:19:08.280
front of him. Sneaky trying to make me slip. Milly

2811
03:19:08.399 --> 03:19:11.079
took out John's lighter and held it to the rags

2812
03:19:11.120 --> 03:19:14.760
on the mop handle. Where are my friends? She lit

2813
03:19:14.799 --> 03:19:18.280
the end of the mop with us, just like you'll

2814
03:19:18.319 --> 03:19:22.600
be wrong answer. She lit the puddle of floor wax.

2815
03:19:22.920 --> 03:19:26.280
It exploded in a burst of flame, surprising Milly as

2816
03:19:26.360 --> 03:19:30.040
much as it did the man fuck. He recoiled the

2817
03:19:30.040 --> 03:19:34.200
tip of his foot on fire. Another similarly dressed man

2818
03:19:34.399 --> 03:19:37.000
rushed down one of the checkout lanes at her. As

2819
03:19:37.000 --> 03:19:40.440
she ran for the door, Milly hurled the flaming mop

2820
03:19:40.479 --> 03:19:43.760
handle at him like a spear. Inches from the door,

2821
03:19:44.200 --> 03:19:50.239
Milly stopped dead in her tracks. Outside, robed figures stood

2822
03:19:50.280 --> 03:19:55.000
side by side, their faces hidden by hoods. One of

2823
03:19:55.040 --> 03:19:58.559
the masked men grabbed her. He wrapped his arms tightly

2824
03:19:58.639 --> 03:20:03.120
around Milly rashed and kicked to no avail. The man

2825
03:20:03.200 --> 03:20:06.440
with the burnt boot walked up to them. Lights out,

2826
03:20:06.520 --> 03:20:10.040
little goblin bitch. He pulled a black hood down over

2827
03:20:10.079 --> 03:20:16.680
Milly's head, enveloping her in darkness. Milly felt herself being

2828
03:20:16.799 --> 03:20:21.799
dragged along. She struggled, but it was no use. After

2829
03:20:21.879 --> 03:20:24.600
a few minutes, they roughly forced Milly to her knees.

2830
03:20:25.760 --> 03:20:30.159
This Halloween wasn't doing her legs any favors. Someone yanked

2831
03:20:30.200 --> 03:20:33.600
the hood from her head. As her eyes adjusted, Milly

2832
03:20:33.680 --> 03:20:37.879
found she was flanked by Sam and Brian. Next to

2833
03:20:37.920 --> 03:20:43.360
Brian were the men from the Firebird. The concrete floor

2834
03:20:43.559 --> 03:20:46.920
was bitterly cold. They appeared to be in the store's

2835
03:20:47.040 --> 03:20:51.760
large freezer. A black sheet covered a mysterious shape underneath.

2836
03:20:52.760 --> 03:20:57.719
Across the freezer stood seven robed figures. Behind Milly and

2837
03:20:57.799 --> 03:21:02.200
the others. The two masked men stood, this is bullshit,

2838
03:21:02.719 --> 03:21:05.719
one of the firebird men barked, earning him a smack

2839
03:21:06.440 --> 03:21:11.600
quiet pup. The masked man hissed. The center figure stepped forward.

2840
03:21:12.440 --> 03:21:15.559
We've had our little trick or treat tonight, and I

2841
03:21:16.040 --> 03:21:19.879
do enjoy a good treat, he laughed, lowering his hood.

2842
03:21:21.159 --> 03:21:26.559
The older man was vaguely familiar looking, Milly thought as

2843
03:21:26.600 --> 03:21:30.520
he paced back and forth. Tonight is a blessed night,

2844
03:21:31.000 --> 03:21:34.520
he said, and you lucky few are here among us

2845
03:21:34.520 --> 03:21:39.200
to bear witness and serve a glorious purpose. He reached

2846
03:21:39.200 --> 03:21:43.440
down and pulled the black sheet up in one motion. Underneath,

2847
03:21:43.719 --> 03:21:48.200
lying on the floor was a large, grayish body. It

2848
03:21:48.239 --> 03:21:52.000
was unlike anything Milly had ever seen before. It was

2849
03:21:52.040 --> 03:21:55.079
similar to one of those diagrams of a person without

2850
03:21:55.159 --> 03:21:58.680
skin that hung up in science class, except this thing

2851
03:21:58.840 --> 03:22:03.200
was way more muscular, and it had strange symbols cut

2852
03:22:03.239 --> 03:22:06.959
into its chest, head, and limbs. Each one had a

2853
03:22:07.000 --> 03:22:10.920
strange stone at its center. Milly noticed with a shiver

2854
03:22:11.200 --> 03:22:13.879
that its limbs and head weren't attached to the torso,

2855
03:22:14.559 --> 03:22:18.040
but were laying next to it in an approximation of

2856
03:22:18.079 --> 03:22:22.920
a human body. This is our lord, he smiled, proudly.

2857
03:22:23.600 --> 03:22:29.959
Cool nuts. The beast king a corpse. The driver of

2858
03:22:30.000 --> 03:22:34.440
the firebird protested, your fucking nuts. This earned him a

2859
03:22:34.479 --> 03:22:36.879
punch to the jaw from one of the masked men,

2860
03:22:37.120 --> 03:22:41.319
bloodying his lip. Leave him alone, his friend pleaded, He's

2861
03:22:41.319 --> 03:22:45.479
an idiot. Shut up, little bro, stay out of it, brother,

2862
03:22:46.200 --> 03:22:51.520
Milly pondered. She looked at them. There was a resemblance. Enough.

2863
03:22:52.040 --> 03:22:56.079
The old man ordered no more delays. Then it suddenly

2864
03:22:56.159 --> 03:23:01.760
came to Milly. This was Nathan Solomon, founder and CEO

2865
03:23:01.959 --> 03:23:05.639
of Bargain Groceries. His portrait hung in the back of

2866
03:23:05.680 --> 03:23:10.360
the store. No shit, she whispered to herself. As she

2867
03:23:10.479 --> 03:23:14.520
made the connection. One of the robed figures stepped forward,

2868
03:23:14.600 --> 03:23:20.440
handing Solomon a large ornate dagger. Cool nucks. Betrayed by

2869
03:23:20.440 --> 03:23:24.840
the Druids, enslain by the warrior Aeron, his body was dismembered,

2870
03:23:24.879 --> 03:23:30.079
bound by Druid magic, and scattered, still living. I've found him,

2871
03:23:30.879 --> 03:23:34.559
built an empire for him, constructed this place of power

2872
03:23:34.639 --> 03:23:39.239
to heal him. He'll make this world right again. Solomon

2873
03:23:39.280 --> 03:23:43.200
made a sweeping gesture. Blood will run in the streets,

2874
03:23:43.319 --> 03:23:47.280
and he'll feast on his enemy's bones, the king of

2875
03:23:47.319 --> 03:23:51.360
a new order. But first, the blood of the Virgin

2876
03:23:51.520 --> 03:23:56.120
must flow. Millie felt her heart beat faster as Solomon

2877
03:23:56.239 --> 03:24:02.159
raised up the dagger. Virgin, Oh shit, bring forth the Virgin.

2878
03:24:03.000 --> 03:24:07.079
He pointed at the driver of the firebird. Me I

2879
03:24:07.079 --> 03:24:10.719
ain't no virgin. I've a girlfriend in Canada. We've banged

2880
03:24:10.799 --> 03:24:15.719
like a lot. Randy, No, his brother cried out. Two

2881
03:24:15.760 --> 03:24:19.000
of the robed figures dragged Randy to where Solomon stood.

2882
03:24:19.879 --> 03:24:24.479
Only blood will remove the runes binding our king. Solomon

2883
03:24:24.600 --> 03:24:29.280
brought the blade across Randy's throat in one swift motion. No.

2884
03:24:30.360 --> 03:24:33.639
Milly heard herself gasp as blood sprayed out of Randy's

2885
03:24:33.680 --> 03:24:38.319
sliced throat. Solomon held Randy's limp body up as the

2886
03:24:38.360 --> 03:24:42.239
blood flowed over the strange marks on the body before them.

2887
03:24:42.680 --> 03:24:46.719
One by one, the runes glowed. The severed limbs and

2888
03:24:46.799 --> 03:24:50.239
head began to mend themselves to the torso of the

2889
03:24:50.280 --> 03:24:56.959
strange body. Bring me another, Solomon ordered. Our king is thirsty.

2890
03:24:57.600 --> 03:25:01.000
One of the robed figures grabbed Brian, Leave him the

2891
03:25:01.079 --> 03:25:05.000
fuck alone. A battered John stood in the freezer door,

2892
03:25:05.239 --> 03:25:09.239
a metal chain wrapped around his fist. What catch you

2893
03:25:09.319 --> 03:25:12.879
coltest shitters? At a bad time? The night manager let

2894
03:25:12.879 --> 03:25:17.360
his fists fly as the robed figures advanced. Solomon struggled

2895
03:25:17.360 --> 03:25:20.920
with Brian. The King must have his blood. He slashed

2896
03:25:20.959 --> 03:25:23.879
madly at Brian, cutting open one of the young man's hands.

2897
03:25:24.280 --> 03:25:28.319
The blood splashed across the body of Kolnuks. The once

2898
03:25:28.440 --> 03:25:34.000
lifeless gray body shuddered to life. It then sucked air

2899
03:25:34.440 --> 03:25:39.440
into its ancient lungs. John decked one of the cult members, Sam,

2900
03:25:39.559 --> 03:25:43.360
Get everyone out of here. Sam and Milly grabbed Randy's brother,

2901
03:25:43.559 --> 03:25:45.920
and the three went for Brian, who was doing his

2902
03:25:46.040 --> 03:25:50.920
best to fend off Solomon's wild swings. No, Solomon pleaded,

2903
03:25:51.079 --> 03:25:54.680
I must finish. He's too weak. Milly set her jaw

2904
03:25:54.799 --> 03:25:57.760
and unleashed a powerful strike to the old man, sending

2905
03:25:57.799 --> 03:26:02.200
him flailing desperately before he hit the cold floor. The

2906
03:26:02.239 --> 03:26:05.680
others grabbed Brian and rushed to the freezer door. Milly

2907
03:26:05.760 --> 03:26:08.440
turned to see John trying to fend off the coltists.

2908
03:26:08.920 --> 03:26:12.280
At the same time, the monstrous form of coal Noook's

2909
03:26:12.559 --> 03:26:19.520
began to rise. John Sam shouted desperately, go, he ordered.

2910
03:26:20.319 --> 03:26:23.799
Randy's brother turned to Milly and Sam. I'll stay get

2911
03:26:23.799 --> 03:26:26.440
out of here for what it's worth. I'm Troy and

2912
03:26:26.520 --> 03:26:30.559
I'm sorry we fucked with you earlier. Milly nodded stoically.

2913
03:26:31.159 --> 03:26:34.200
Milly and Sam dragged Brian out of the freezer. A

2914
03:26:34.280 --> 03:26:39.159
hideous roar sounded from inside, followed by the frantic screams

2915
03:26:39.879 --> 03:26:44.520
of the damned that things gotta be stopped. Milly took

2916
03:26:44.559 --> 03:26:48.680
a deep breath. Get help, What the hell are you

2917
03:26:48.799 --> 03:26:56.000
gonna do, Sam asked. Milly watched a reluctant Sam help

2918
03:26:56.040 --> 03:27:00.239
Brian through the double doors. She scanned the room. Then

2919
03:27:00.600 --> 03:27:05.159
she saw it, the forklift. Coal Nooks banged on the

2920
03:27:05.159 --> 03:27:07.840
freezer door as she made her way to the machine.

2921
03:27:08.520 --> 03:27:12.079
Milly climbed up into the cab and studied the controls.

2922
03:27:12.959 --> 03:27:17.079
Oh shit, she said, confused. There was a key hanging

2923
03:27:17.120 --> 03:27:21.000
on a hook like a car. Right, she turned the

2924
03:27:21.079 --> 03:27:26.000
key and the forklift rumbled to life. Okay, she could

2925
03:27:26.079 --> 03:27:29.120
do this. There was a loud crash as the freezer

2926
03:27:29.159 --> 03:27:33.239
door surrendered to kolel Nook's assault. Milly scrambled to figure

2927
03:27:33.239 --> 03:27:36.479
out the forklift controls. Most of the labels had long

2928
03:27:36.559 --> 03:27:40.559
since worn off. I can do this, she repeated to herself.

2929
03:27:41.079 --> 03:27:45.399
Milly caught a glance of the beast King advancing time

2930
03:27:45.479 --> 03:27:48.719
to die bastard. She pulled a lever and the forklift

2931
03:27:48.760 --> 03:27:53.719
jerked forward and stopped what Milly pulled another lever. She

2932
03:27:53.840 --> 03:27:57.520
managed to raise the forks up, but no forward momentum.

2933
03:27:58.239 --> 03:28:02.280
Milly yanked a second level. The forklift roared forward. The

2934
03:28:02.319 --> 03:28:06.000
beast King seemed slightly perplexed for a moment, but it

2935
03:28:06.079 --> 03:28:09.559
passed even faster. Milly tried ramming him with the forks,

2936
03:28:09.559 --> 03:28:11.920
but Nucks was quick and strong enough to grab them.

2937
03:28:12.239 --> 03:28:15.559
The creature pushed back against the mechanical strength of the machine,

2938
03:28:15.879 --> 03:28:20.280
causing the wheels to spin out. Milly swung the forklift around,

2939
03:28:20.520 --> 03:28:24.079
dragging Nucks, who still pushed back. Come on, you hunk

2940
03:28:24.120 --> 03:28:26.920
of crap. Milly pushed the machine as far as it

2941
03:28:26.959 --> 03:28:31.799
would go, slowly backing her beastial opponent. Kull Nucks roared.

2942
03:28:32.399 --> 03:28:36.239
Milly found herself screaming back at the monster. The old

2943
03:28:36.319 --> 03:28:40.520
forklift lurched forward one final time, but not without struggle.

2944
03:28:41.000 --> 03:28:43.520
It was enough to knock the mighty beast king into

2945
03:28:43.520 --> 03:28:48.200
the waiting maw of the nearby garbage compactor. Milly sprang

2946
03:28:48.280 --> 03:28:51.440
from the lift and slammed down the metal gate, trapping

2947
03:28:51.520 --> 03:28:55.559
Nucks inside. The metal wouldn't hold long as the enraged

2948
03:28:55.559 --> 03:28:59.600
monster hammered it with his large fists. Milly slammed her

2949
03:28:59.639 --> 03:29:03.520
palm down on the large green button. The compactor squealed

2950
03:29:03.520 --> 03:29:07.239
to life. Cole Nucks fought back, trying to stave off

2951
03:29:07.319 --> 03:29:11.239
the crushing grip, but in the end the strength of

2952
03:29:11.239 --> 03:29:15.680
the large machine was too great. Nucks's arms shattered under

2953
03:29:15.719 --> 03:29:20.360
the strain as he was crushed, letting out one last, pitiful,

2954
03:29:20.879 --> 03:29:28.239
defiant roar. They found John and Troy dead in the freezer,

2955
03:29:28.680 --> 03:29:32.920
along with the coltists. Millie took John's pack of cigarettes.

2956
03:29:33.920 --> 03:29:36.399
The sound of sobbing came from behind a stack of

2957
03:29:36.440 --> 03:29:41.840
egg cartons. Solomon, curled up in a ball, was devastated.

2958
03:29:43.200 --> 03:29:49.000
Our King, Our King, the King is dead, Milly informed him.

2959
03:29:49.719 --> 03:29:53.680
She lit one of John's cigarettes and exhaled. The doors

2960
03:29:53.719 --> 03:29:56.879
to the store unlocked as the rising sun filled the

2961
03:29:56.920 --> 03:30:01.360
building with hazy orange light. Girls from the day shift

2962
03:30:01.520 --> 03:30:04.000
entered the store and caught a glimpse of the mess.

2963
03:30:04.040 --> 03:30:08.399
That was Milly. Oh my god, one stammered, are you

2964
03:30:08.479 --> 03:30:13.639
okay first night? Milly answered, the spent bud of the

2965
03:30:13.680 --> 03:30:27.520
cigarette dangling from her lips. Strife of the party by

2966
03:30:27.680 --> 03:30:34.440
David o'hanley. That's just nasty, Kesha said, with a sour expression.

2967
03:30:35.040 --> 03:30:39.239
Of course it's nasty. I'm a zombie. Bronson James shrugged.

2968
03:30:39.719 --> 03:30:41.760
What do you want me to do? Twilight it up,

2969
03:30:42.040 --> 03:30:46.360
Sprinkle glitter on the guts, make the PUFs pink. Bronson

2970
03:30:46.520 --> 03:30:49.799
was the next Dan Winston. He'd gotten his start doing

2971
03:30:49.840 --> 03:30:54.000
low budget effects tutorials on YouTube. When he got into college,

2972
03:30:54.079 --> 03:30:56.840
he started making props for the drama Club, which led

2973
03:30:56.879 --> 03:30:59.639
to a makeup gig with the Community Theater and a

2974
03:30:59.639 --> 03:31:03.840
public access variety show. Then he did the independent film

2975
03:31:04.200 --> 03:31:08.079
Murder on Bonanza Ranch. Once the B Studio saw what

2976
03:31:08.159 --> 03:31:10.440
he could do with a few hundred bucks, they were

2977
03:31:10.479 --> 03:31:13.040
beating down his doors with a never ending string of

2978
03:31:13.120 --> 03:31:18.120
classy projects like Amityville Conjurer, Great Lake Shark Attack, and

2979
03:31:18.159 --> 03:31:21.840
The Cleveland Cleaver. The last one got him his first

2980
03:31:21.959 --> 03:31:26.440
Chainsaw Award nomination at twenty five years old. Naturally, he

2981
03:31:26.520 --> 03:31:30.760
went all out designing his Halloween costume. We're a couple,

2982
03:31:31.280 --> 03:31:35.079
Kesha huffed. We should have costumes that go together. What

2983
03:31:35.120 --> 03:31:41.559
the hell goes with a zombie? I don't know, he admitted, Vultures, maggots,

2984
03:31:42.079 --> 03:31:44.559
that one asshole that swears he isn't bit even though

2985
03:31:44.600 --> 03:31:48.840
everybody damn well knows he was. You want me to

2986
03:31:48.959 --> 03:31:52.600
dress like a white guy, she asked, with a raised eyebrow.

2987
03:31:53.520 --> 03:31:56.879
It really is always a white guy, isn't it. Bronson

2988
03:31:57.000 --> 03:32:00.799
reached to embrace her with his gory hands. Slap them away.

2989
03:32:01.440 --> 03:32:04.040
Na Ah, you are not touching me with all that

2990
03:32:04.319 --> 03:32:07.840
on you. How about I draw up another zombie concept

2991
03:32:07.840 --> 03:32:10.600
for you. It's good experience for the team and will

2992
03:32:10.639 --> 03:32:14.200
be the life of the party. He spreads his hands wide,

2993
03:32:14.319 --> 03:32:17.799
flicking fake blood on the walls. It'll be a romance

2994
03:32:17.879 --> 03:32:20.920
to die for. How long did it take you to

2995
03:32:20.959 --> 03:32:25.440
get into that costume, she asked, Only three hours, he

2996
03:32:25.520 --> 03:32:31.120
smiled excitedly. I came up with this new three hours, Bronson,

2997
03:32:31.799 --> 03:32:34.159
have you lost your damn mind. I'm not sitting in

2998
03:32:34.200 --> 03:32:37.040
a chair while someone puts zombie makeup on me for

2999
03:32:37.120 --> 03:32:41.440
three hours. That's only like forty five minutes longer than

3000
03:32:41.479 --> 03:32:45.520
you spend putting on your regular makeup, he offered, regrettably.

3001
03:32:46.200 --> 03:32:49.079
Oh shit, go on, what would you like to say

3002
03:32:49.120 --> 03:32:52.000
about my beauty routine? You don't like it? Is it

3003
03:32:52.040 --> 03:32:54.559
too fake for the man that makes make believe? For

3004
03:32:54.600 --> 03:32:59.479
a fucking living bronze? Inside there was ice skating uphill

3005
03:32:59.559 --> 03:33:01.760
and then and there was arguing with Kesha. Once she

3006
03:33:01.840 --> 03:33:05.159
got on a tangent. Only one of them was impossible.

3007
03:33:05.879 --> 03:33:09.360
Is that what you meant? She continued? Are you comparing

3008
03:33:09.360 --> 03:33:14.399
my makeup to your monsters? No? It was the only

3009
03:33:14.440 --> 03:33:17.000
word he was going to get in. Maybe I should

3010
03:33:17.079 --> 03:33:20.440
dress down like what was her name? The skinny one

3011
03:33:20.479 --> 03:33:22.520
with the flat ass who stole your car and left you,

3012
03:33:22.600 --> 03:33:26.920
broke charisma with a Z or some bullshit. Kesha spun

3013
03:33:26.959 --> 03:33:30.079
around to leave the room. I'll go wash this off

3014
03:33:30.120 --> 03:33:33.399
since you don't seem to like it. Her heels clacked

3015
03:33:33.440 --> 03:33:36.639
across the hardwood floor, almost as sharply as the bathroom

3016
03:33:36.639 --> 03:33:41.319
door slamming. A moment later. Bronson started counting silently. She

3017
03:33:41.479 --> 03:33:44.159
was every bit as hot as a burning fuse and

3018
03:33:44.360 --> 03:33:47.399
just as quick to explode. They had one of these

3019
03:33:47.520 --> 03:33:50.319
arguments every other month, and he'd learned the rhythm of

3020
03:33:50.360 --> 03:33:54.000
the fight. It was charisma with a y that fucked

3021
03:33:54.040 --> 03:33:57.719
him over and broke his heart by the way. Bronson

3022
03:33:57.760 --> 03:34:00.399
got to eight when he heard the lock click open,

3023
03:34:00.760 --> 03:34:03.639
and then the door banged against the stop before the

3024
03:34:03.719 --> 03:34:07.719
knob would punch the drywall. She padded back into the room,

3025
03:34:07.760 --> 03:34:11.600
barefoot and working at her face with a makeup removal wipe.

3026
03:34:12.280 --> 03:34:14.360
You know everyone at this party is going to be

3027
03:34:14.600 --> 03:34:17.719
Ken and Barbie because of that dumbass movie. Maybe a

3028
03:34:17.719 --> 03:34:21.079
few ghosts and sexy nurses, and from accounting will be

3029
03:34:21.159 --> 03:34:24.520
a minion or whatever cutesy pajamas she can get last minute.

3030
03:34:24.719 --> 03:34:27.879
But not you. She waved her hand at his costume.

3031
03:34:28.600 --> 03:34:31.479
You don't even work for hind and Heart, but you

3032
03:34:31.559 --> 03:34:34.360
want to be the star with your Hollywood special effects

3033
03:34:34.440 --> 03:34:39.000
and dangling guts. They're a nice touch, right, She put

3034
03:34:39.040 --> 03:34:43.000
her clenched fists at her hips and scowled. I don't

3035
03:34:43.000 --> 03:34:45.200
have to. I just thought you'd want to show off.

3036
03:34:45.840 --> 03:34:48.559
I figured after you saw mine you'd want something over

3037
03:34:48.600 --> 03:34:50.799
the top too, so they'd all still be talking about

3038
03:34:50.840 --> 03:34:54.360
your costume next Halloween. I want to show you what

3039
03:34:54.440 --> 03:34:58.680
we could do. He twisted the latex intestines in his hands.

3040
03:34:59.280 --> 03:35:03.799
We can do whatever costumes you want, babe, really you

3041
03:35:03.920 --> 03:35:08.079
mean it? Sure? Of course, He let the entrails fall

3042
03:35:08.079 --> 03:35:16.079
and shrugged, you want to be Ken or Barbie? Bronson

3043
03:35:16.120 --> 03:35:20.520
regretted not putting limitations on the whatever costumes you want, bit.

3044
03:35:21.120 --> 03:35:23.680
They stepped off the elevator into the Grand Hall on

3045
03:35:23.719 --> 03:35:26.479
the thirty ninth floor of the hinden Hart Corporate Tower,

3046
03:35:26.840 --> 03:35:32.920
wearing as couples should apparently costumes that went together. Awaiting

3047
03:35:32.959 --> 03:35:36.399
them were no less than two dozen Barbies, mingled with

3048
03:35:36.479 --> 03:35:41.040
their kens. Two they Live aliens that Bronson recognized as

3049
03:35:41.159 --> 03:35:45.440
Kesha's friend Mark and his husband Stuart. There was a Dracula,

3050
03:35:45.840 --> 03:35:50.000
an Amina, Harker, a Hawkey and a Black Widow, a Bella,

3051
03:35:50.120 --> 03:35:53.239
and an Edward. For the most part, Kesha was right

3052
03:35:53.280 --> 03:35:57.280
about the couples. There were the exceptions, of course, as

3053
03:35:57.319 --> 03:36:00.159
well as the singles. To no one's surprise, their was

3054
03:36:00.200 --> 03:36:03.680
also an abundance of Harley Quinn costumes, two from the

3055
03:36:03.719 --> 03:36:07.520
animated series, at least five from the Suicide Squad films,

3056
03:36:07.920 --> 03:36:11.799
and one from the Axel Bron parody. Thereof a few

3057
03:36:11.879 --> 03:36:17.200
Wednesday Adams clones lingered with wolfmen, superheroes, ghosts, ninjas, and

3058
03:36:17.280 --> 03:36:20.920
a couple of Jason's, a piss poor Michael, and one

3059
03:36:21.159 --> 03:36:25.280
really well designed mummy. A sexy Freddy gyrated on, a

3060
03:36:25.319 --> 03:36:28.959
man in a banana costume. A pair of inflatable dinosaur

3061
03:36:29.000 --> 03:36:32.799
costumes butted heads. There was Anne in a one hundred

3062
03:36:32.799 --> 03:36:36.799
and one Dalmatian's one piece pajama. Bronson gave her a

3063
03:36:36.840 --> 03:36:41.719
polite wave. She wagged her tail in response. At the bar,

3064
03:36:42.159 --> 03:36:46.600
Gerard Hind wore a professional grade Frankenstein costume that seemed

3065
03:36:46.920 --> 03:36:52.040
appropriate for his powerful six foot five frame. Without the makeup,

3066
03:36:52.319 --> 03:36:57.120
Hind looked like a retired linebacker, not the architectural genius

3067
03:36:57.120 --> 03:37:01.040
that he was. Three interns in various stages of undress

3068
03:37:01.079 --> 03:37:05.799
as sexy emojis, The Evil Anger and sad Ones cackled

3069
03:37:05.879 --> 03:37:10.840
lasciviously at whatever the billionaire was saying. Security guard Tom

3070
03:37:10.879 --> 03:37:14.799
patrolled the party topless as a dadbod Rambo with his

3071
03:37:14.840 --> 03:37:18.959
partner Jeannette, who at sixty three, looked anything but wondrous

3072
03:37:19.319 --> 03:37:23.639
as wonder woman. Bronson recognized Winslow from the company's fourth

3073
03:37:23.639 --> 03:37:27.600
of July party, despite his cleverly put together spy costume

3074
03:37:27.879 --> 03:37:31.200
that consisted of a trench coat and two dollars mustache.

3075
03:37:31.760 --> 03:37:34.719
Another man of mystery chatted it up with Winslow in

3076
03:37:34.760 --> 03:37:37.520
an invisible man get up while he tried to figure

3077
03:37:37.520 --> 03:37:40.360
out how to take advantage of the open bar with

3078
03:37:40.520 --> 03:37:45.120
gauze over his mouth. And at the opulent fountain. Occupying

3079
03:37:45.159 --> 03:37:49.760
the middle of the hall was Robert Hart, dressed ironically

3080
03:37:49.879 --> 03:37:55.239
and insultingly as a construction worker. The octagenarian had been

3081
03:37:55.239 --> 03:37:58.600
born the fourth richest man in America and never worked

3082
03:37:58.600 --> 03:38:01.399
a day in his life. He waved a hammer around

3083
03:38:01.440 --> 03:38:05.120
like a scepter before the groveling peasants. Among them were

3084
03:38:05.239 --> 03:38:09.639
Esteban and Carly from Kesha's department. Esteban wore a pirate

3085
03:38:09.719 --> 03:38:12.639
costume like you'd see on a romance novel cover, with

3086
03:38:12.719 --> 03:38:16.879
his broad muscular chest revealed between the deep gash of

3087
03:38:16.920 --> 03:38:20.719
the prissy v neck collar. Carly, fully aware that she

3088
03:38:20.840 --> 03:38:23.879
was a stone cold milk, had optioned to dress up

3089
03:38:23.879 --> 03:38:26.680
as a genuine cougar, or at least a pair of

3090
03:38:26.719 --> 03:38:30.840
whiskers and a tan body suit that hugged every curve.

3091
03:38:31.840 --> 03:38:35.040
Then there was Kesha and Bronson in their matching costumes.

3092
03:38:35.680 --> 03:38:38.360
He stared down at the gold buckles on his shoes

3093
03:38:38.600 --> 03:38:42.959
and his ridiculous striped socks Kesha adjusted his top hat

3094
03:38:43.000 --> 03:38:46.639
with a happy squeal. It looks great, she told him.

3095
03:38:47.319 --> 03:38:52.079
You really are the next Tim Savini. It's Tom, he mumbled.

3096
03:38:52.799 --> 03:38:55.719
He eyed her costume with the blonde wig, spiked gold

3097
03:38:55.760 --> 03:38:59.399
bikini top, and short matching skirt that showed off her

3098
03:38:59.440 --> 03:39:03.159
legs in their entirety. He turned to face his reflection

3099
03:39:03.319 --> 03:39:08.120
in the gilded elevator doors. Yeah, well, at least one

3100
03:39:08.120 --> 03:39:12.319
of us does, he said. You said Halloween costume should

3101
03:39:12.319 --> 03:39:17.840
be scary, She reminded him, this is my favorite horror movie.

3102
03:39:18.959 --> 03:39:24.120
Leprechaun in Space. Isn't anybody's favorite horror movie, he grumbled.

3103
03:39:24.639 --> 03:39:28.840
It is when you've only seen three horror movies. Kesha shrugged.

3104
03:39:29.760 --> 03:39:32.239
It was this or that slumber party movie with the

3105
03:39:32.319 --> 03:39:36.719
drill guitar. Slumber Party Massacre two was an option, and

3106
03:39:36.920 --> 03:39:40.079
this is what you chose. Baby. You wouldn't look good

3107
03:39:40.079 --> 03:39:43.680
in a teddy. She tugged at his fake beard. Let's go.

3108
03:39:44.200 --> 03:39:47.719
You need to drink before you shit shillings. The couple

3109
03:39:47.799 --> 03:39:50.639
made it halfway to the bar before Kesha was stripped

3110
03:39:50.680 --> 03:39:54.639
away from Bronson's arm by Carly to join the Departmental

3111
03:39:54.719 --> 03:39:59.399
Mini Celebration, the world's largest online retailer was expanding to

3112
03:39:59.399 --> 03:40:03.280
brick and mortar operations, and Kesha's design had gotten hind

3113
03:40:03.319 --> 03:40:07.120
in heart the contract. Kesha waved him to go on

3114
03:40:07.280 --> 03:40:11.680
without her. He would have regardless. The stupid costume was stifling,

3115
03:40:11.959 --> 03:40:14.600
Plus the pants were a size too small and had

3116
03:40:14.639 --> 03:40:17.559
his chaley in a bunch. But at least it gave

3117
03:40:17.639 --> 03:40:21.479
him the character's trademark waddle. He sidled up to the

3118
03:40:21.520 --> 03:40:24.680
bar and stared at himself in the mirrored back. He

3119
03:40:24.760 --> 03:40:27.600
hadn't had a say in the costume, but he'd done

3120
03:40:27.639 --> 03:40:32.040
an excellent job recreating Warwick Davis's makeup. He tugged at

3121
03:40:32.079 --> 03:40:34.719
the crotch of his trousers to free up space so

3122
03:40:34.760 --> 03:40:37.840
he could mount the stool without tearing them. Good thing,

3123
03:40:37.920 --> 03:40:41.280
the drinks are free, heind said, lumbering over to Bronson.

3124
03:40:41.959 --> 03:40:44.280
I couldn't rustle a piece of gold from you if

3125
03:40:44.319 --> 03:40:48.719
there weren't. Many fools have tried to separate a leprechaun

3126
03:40:48.879 --> 03:40:52.920
from his ends, Bronson said, imitating the voice as best

3127
03:40:52.920 --> 03:40:58.280
he could. Many fools have died and others became friends.

3128
03:41:00.639 --> 03:41:04.040
That's a good one. I don't get it. The interurn

3129
03:41:04.120 --> 03:41:08.319
dressed like a purple devil Emoji said you wouldn't kid.

3130
03:41:08.920 --> 03:41:11.239
Hind waved her off and leaned on the bar so

3131
03:41:11.280 --> 03:41:13.920
Bronson didn't have to strain his neck looking up at him.

3132
03:41:14.360 --> 03:41:18.920
You know, I took Jennifer Aniston to dinner once. No shit,

3133
03:41:19.360 --> 03:41:24.319
Bronson snickered, No shit, Hind as shirt him. Lisa Kudro

3134
03:41:24.440 --> 03:41:27.280
turned me down. I thought taking Jen out might make

3135
03:41:27.280 --> 03:41:31.760
her jealous enough to reconsider. Did it work about as

3136
03:41:31.760 --> 03:41:35.120
well as a fishnet condom? At least it protects against

3137
03:41:35.120 --> 03:41:39.680
the crabs, Bronson shrugged. Hind smiled, I'm about to offer

3138
03:41:39.719 --> 03:41:41.600
you a job so I have someone fun to talk

3139
03:41:41.639 --> 03:41:46.760
to again. I'll settle for a double Jamison, Bronson said,

3140
03:41:46.760 --> 03:41:50.280
Better make it a single, Winslow said, stumbling to the

3141
03:41:50.319 --> 03:41:53.520
bar and rattling the ice in his glass. The Golden

3142
03:41:53.600 --> 03:41:56.879
Hind pours with a heavy hand. A couple of these

3143
03:41:56.959 --> 03:41:59.479
in your after party is going to look like stuffing

3144
03:41:59.479 --> 03:42:03.440
a marshman into a keyhole. Maybe you're just a lightweight,

3145
03:42:03.719 --> 03:42:06.600
Bronson said, clapping him on the shoulder. Good to see

3146
03:42:06.600 --> 03:42:10.280
you again. So, uh, double Jamison for my new friend

3147
03:42:10.360 --> 03:42:14.079
and water for do you even work for me? Hind

3148
03:42:14.120 --> 03:42:16.319
made a show of trying to see through the shitty

3149
03:42:16.319 --> 03:42:22.159
spy outfit. Oh Winslow for marketing, right right, that explains

3150
03:42:22.159 --> 03:42:25.639
why you're shit faced off a Bacardi swizzle? Is that

3151
03:42:25.719 --> 03:42:29.840
what that was? Winslow hiccuped. He clumsily straddled the stool

3152
03:42:29.879 --> 03:42:34.639
beside Bronson. Tasted like actone and sunny d. A blonde

3153
03:42:34.680 --> 03:42:38.559
sauntered past the bar, calling halftime on any further conversation.

3154
03:42:39.120 --> 03:42:42.639
As the three men and even the intern watched her pass,

3155
03:42:43.239 --> 03:42:46.639
Her blue shimmering dress dragged the floor, with white ruffles

3156
03:42:46.680 --> 03:42:49.719
at the hem and tassels along the arms and hips,

3157
03:42:50.040 --> 03:42:53.920
swayed as if she brought her own breeze. Cockles decorated

3158
03:42:53.920 --> 03:42:56.879
her hair, and auger shells dangled from her ears along

3159
03:42:56.920 --> 03:43:02.120
a thin porcelain neck about a glow up. The intern said,

3160
03:43:02.760 --> 03:43:07.360
that's be Gleason's secretary. I don't remember seeing her at

3161
03:43:07.360 --> 03:43:12.680
the Fourth of July party. Bronson added, she's new. Winslow drooled.

3162
03:43:13.319 --> 03:43:16.520
She went from nerd to knockout. Is she supposed to

3163
03:43:16.559 --> 03:43:21.440
be elsa? Bronson asked the ocean, The in turn corrected her.

3164
03:43:22.040 --> 03:43:25.120
She rolled her eyes and turned behind. Can I get

3165
03:43:25.159 --> 03:43:30.079
another mohido? Boss man? No? The billionaire shook his head

3166
03:43:30.680 --> 03:43:33.479
you can't have another because you haven't had a mohido.

3167
03:43:33.959 --> 03:43:38.719
That's a dakaree in your hand. I took French, She shrugged.

3168
03:43:39.159 --> 03:43:43.319
I don't know Mexican. Heine started to explain that dakkai

3169
03:43:43.559 --> 03:43:47.719
is a Tano word, then shook off the notion. His partner,

3170
03:43:47.799 --> 03:43:51.440
the perpetual letch, hired the three interns to keep employee

3171
03:43:51.440 --> 03:43:54.719
morale up. He turned to the wall of assordid alcohol

3172
03:43:54.760 --> 03:43:58.879
to make the next round. Winslow leaned toward Bronson. The

3173
03:43:58.959 --> 03:44:02.559
movement proved too much much for his compromised equilibrium, and

3174
03:44:02.639 --> 03:44:06.159
he toppled on to the leprechaun. Lad you've had a

3175
03:44:06.159 --> 03:44:09.959
few too many, yet you've had hardly any, Bronson said,

3176
03:44:10.000 --> 03:44:14.799
getting into his character. That is somebody of water. Winslow huffed.

3177
03:44:15.159 --> 03:44:18.600
He gave a half ass whistle. I'd love to disappear

3178
03:44:18.639 --> 03:44:23.319
in her permuta triangle. Bronson heaved Winslow back onto his stool.

3179
03:44:23.719 --> 03:44:26.280
The two watched Bee make her way through the crowd.

3180
03:44:26.760 --> 03:44:29.920
The employees and their plus ones had all stepped aside

3181
03:44:30.200 --> 03:44:33.600
as she flowed across the dance floor. She weaved through

3182
03:44:33.639 --> 03:44:37.159
them in a wave like fashion, befitting her attire. Some

3183
03:44:37.239 --> 03:44:40.600
seemed to drift after her as if drowned into her wake.

3184
03:44:41.479 --> 03:44:44.639
She was mesmerizing to watch, but her figure wasn't what

3185
03:44:44.760 --> 03:44:50.879
had Bronson's attention. There was something off about her. Bronson

3186
03:44:50.959 --> 03:44:54.920
couldn't put his finger on it. You're right, I'm done drinking,

3187
03:44:55.559 --> 03:45:00.399
Winslow smoothed his fake mustache. Gonna go play in the ocean.

3188
03:45:01.760 --> 03:45:04.200
I don't think your dinghy is up to the challenge,

3189
03:45:04.239 --> 03:45:08.760
Bud Bronson said, be sure to have a nice memorial tomorrow.

3190
03:45:09.200 --> 03:45:13.280
Winslow tried to wink, but blinked both eyes instead. For

3191
03:45:13.399 --> 03:45:18.319
all those seamen getting swallowed by the ocean tonight. Winslow

3192
03:45:18.399 --> 03:45:22.280
slipped off the stool, stumbled, then corrected himself and popped

3193
03:45:22.280 --> 03:45:25.079
his collar up. As he spy walked after his quarry.

3194
03:45:25.760 --> 03:45:29.520
Bronson shook his head. He turned around as Frankenheind set

3195
03:45:29.559 --> 03:45:32.319
down the whiskey and clanked the glass with his own.

3196
03:45:33.360 --> 03:45:37.879
You're Kesha's bow, aren't you, Hind asked, we haven't formerly met.

3197
03:45:38.079 --> 03:45:42.799
You're in movies, I hear, yeah, Uh. I do effects

3198
03:45:42.799 --> 03:45:46.799
for genre films. He learned that kept people interested far

3199
03:45:46.959 --> 03:45:50.559
longer than saying he worked on horror flicks. I was

3200
03:45:50.600 --> 03:45:53.159
going to wear something I'm designing for a new movie tonight,

3201
03:45:53.200 --> 03:45:59.120
but Kesha insisted on matching costumes I see. Hind looked

3202
03:45:59.159 --> 03:46:02.319
around for Kesha and cocked his head, then looked back

3203
03:46:02.360 --> 03:46:06.959
at Bronson. So you two decided on Baywatch Lea and

3204
03:46:07.079 --> 03:46:12.000
Spooky Smurf close enough, Bronson snorted and sipped his drink.

3205
03:46:12.799 --> 03:46:15.200
Did she show you her concept for the new account,

3206
03:46:15.639 --> 03:46:19.200
Hind asked. It's brilliant, modeled after the ruins of an

3207
03:46:19.200 --> 03:46:23.920
ancient temple. I discovered discovered I was going to be

3208
03:46:23.920 --> 03:46:27.719
an archaeologist originally, Heind told him. That's how I got

3209
03:46:27.719 --> 03:46:32.360
into architecture. Unlike my partner, I wasn't born into money.

3210
03:46:32.680 --> 03:46:34.959
I had to choose between digging up the past or

3211
03:46:35.000 --> 03:46:38.120
building it here in the present. All of my works

3212
03:46:38.120 --> 03:46:42.600
have utilized the esthetics of ancient civilizations, sometimes even using

3213
03:46:42.600 --> 03:46:47.879
original materials from historic sites. That's pretty awesome, Bronson said,

3214
03:46:48.120 --> 03:46:51.200
taking in the room itself for the first time, ignoring

3215
03:46:51.239 --> 03:46:54.440
the people in tacky furnishing, he could almost see it.

3216
03:46:55.920 --> 03:47:00.120
What civilization is? This Roman for the most part, but

3217
03:47:00.200 --> 03:47:04.079
with a flourish of Persian. Hind gestured to the fountain.

3218
03:47:04.680 --> 03:47:09.239
That's authentic. Found it tucked away in the hindukush Hart

3219
03:47:09.280 --> 03:47:12.200
was still entertaining guests as he walked around the rim

3220
03:47:12.239 --> 03:47:14.959
of the fountain. It seemed even more of an elitist

3221
03:47:15.040 --> 03:47:18.120
dick move to Bronson. Knowing the structure was over two

3222
03:47:18.159 --> 03:47:21.280
thousand years old, he'd assumed it was just a show

3223
03:47:21.319 --> 03:47:25.040
of wealth, and it certainly was so. He hadn't paid

3224
03:47:25.079 --> 03:47:28.680
it any attention. Before the entire thing was carved to

3225
03:47:28.719 --> 03:47:32.040
look like a mountain. Two figures stood facing away from

3226
03:47:32.040 --> 03:47:34.479
each other at the top, with the water pumping out

3227
03:47:34.520 --> 03:47:38.159
of the peak between them like a waterfall. Reliefs that

3228
03:47:38.200 --> 03:47:41.159
had been worn by time ringed the base of the fountain,

3229
03:47:41.239 --> 03:47:44.159
depicting people as if they were praying to the things above.

3230
03:47:45.040 --> 03:47:51.680
In their religion, good and evil were twins, Hind explained Ahraman,

3231
03:47:52.120 --> 03:47:56.879
the devil was a circumstance of their god's existence. Bronson

3232
03:47:56.920 --> 03:47:59.440
tried to figure out which figure was supposed to be

3233
03:47:59.520 --> 03:48:02.920
the evil one. They didn't look any different to him.

3234
03:48:03.639 --> 03:48:07.479
Maybe that was intentional. People often did bad things with

3235
03:48:07.559 --> 03:48:11.319
the best of intentions. After all. His mind wandered back

3236
03:48:11.360 --> 03:48:14.200
to the woman dressed as the ocean. He didn't see

3237
03:48:14.239 --> 03:48:18.360
her anymore. He also didn't see Winslow He considered the

3238
03:48:18.399 --> 03:48:23.120
possibility that the inebriated Dweeb had indeed somehow seduced the

3239
03:48:23.159 --> 03:48:27.760
mysterious woman, then settled on the more realistic possibility that

3240
03:48:27.799 --> 03:48:31.719
he'd been abducted by aliens. What about this temple? Was

3241
03:48:31.760 --> 03:48:35.879
that Persian too, Bronson asked, before swiveling around on his stool.

3242
03:48:36.680 --> 03:48:41.520
Kesha doesn't talk much about her process, just the final result. Oh,

3243
03:48:41.559 --> 03:48:45.399
it is something much older. In fact, there's a significant

3244
03:48:45.440 --> 03:48:50.319
debate if the culture existed at all. Hind looked suddenly excited, say,

3245
03:48:50.840 --> 03:48:54.280
would you like to see some of my collection? A

3246
03:48:54.319 --> 03:48:56.000
lot more than I'd like to be sitting on this

3247
03:48:56.120 --> 03:49:01.120
uncomfortable ass stool. You guys can afford better cushions, Bronson joked.

3248
03:49:01.719 --> 03:49:04.600
My partner picked them. He's got no point of reference,

3249
03:49:05.120 --> 03:49:09.600
Heine said, his ass is usually cushioned by someone's lips.

3250
03:49:10.079 --> 03:49:12.959
Hind rounded the bar and signaled for Bronson to follow

3251
03:49:13.040 --> 03:49:16.559
him with an excited smile. Bronson gave the crowd another

3252
03:49:16.600 --> 03:49:20.040
scan for the woman, then found Kesha, who gave him

3253
03:49:20.079 --> 03:49:23.559
a curious look. He shrugged and followed her boss through

3254
03:49:23.600 --> 03:49:27.559
a doorway beside the bar. Heine's boots clumped loudly as

3255
03:49:27.559 --> 03:49:31.040
They proceeded through a narrow hall to a tiny stairwell.

3256
03:49:32.360 --> 03:49:36.319
My escape route, Heine told him. When parties get to

3257
03:49:36.319 --> 03:49:38.799
be too much, I can retreat to my office, and

3258
03:49:38.879 --> 03:49:41.159
when work gets to be too much, I can retreat

3259
03:49:41.159 --> 03:49:44.319
to the bar. The stairs played hell on Bronson with

3260
03:49:44.399 --> 03:49:47.319
his tight trouser, and he didn't think the seams would

3261
03:49:47.360 --> 03:49:50.520
hold the entire trip. Luckily, it was a short ascent

3262
03:49:50.840 --> 03:49:53.120
to the next floor, and they came out right into

3263
03:49:53.159 --> 03:49:58.200
Heine's lavish, but somehow still reasonably down to earth office.

3264
03:49:58.239 --> 03:50:00.840
Bronson turned to take it all in and saw the

3265
03:50:00.879 --> 03:50:05.120
door they'd entered through swing shut, revealing itself as a

3266
03:50:05.159 --> 03:50:08.959
false bookshelf that was exactly the kind of thing he'd

3267
03:50:09.000 --> 03:50:12.520
buy when he made it big in Hollywood. Glass cases

3268
03:50:12.559 --> 03:50:16.639
held various artifacts spread around the office, and Bronson made

3269
03:50:16.680 --> 03:50:19.799
his way to them. In turn, he paused at one

3270
03:50:19.879 --> 03:50:24.399
filled with stone rubble covered in crude markings. Their alphabet

3271
03:50:24.479 --> 03:50:27.559
is unique to them. No one even knows what they

3272
03:50:27.600 --> 03:50:32.639
were called, Hein said. They built their cities on ancient coasts,

3273
03:50:32.959 --> 03:50:35.959
which is why every site that's been found is submerged.

3274
03:50:36.479 --> 03:50:39.479
The temple I spoke of was found twelve miles off

3275
03:50:39.520 --> 03:50:43.280
the coast of Cyprus back in nineteen sixty eight. There's

3276
03:50:43.319 --> 03:50:45.879
no other structure like it. It's almost as if the

3277
03:50:45.920 --> 03:50:50.280
society rose out of the ocean itself. That's a crazy thought.

3278
03:50:50.719 --> 03:50:53.920
Bronson moved to another case with a rock inside. It

3279
03:50:54.000 --> 03:50:57.399
was clearly a sculpture, but time had destroyed any clue

3280
03:50:57.440 --> 03:51:00.600
as to what it represented. I spent the last two

3281
03:51:00.680 --> 03:51:03.959
years of bringing the temple up in pieces, much to

3282
03:51:04.040 --> 03:51:08.600
my partner's dismay. Dismantling an ancient church does sound like

3283
03:51:08.639 --> 03:51:11.520
the start of a horror movie. What did you do

3284
03:51:11.600 --> 03:51:15.239
with the pieces? Reassembled them here in the sub basement

3285
03:51:15.280 --> 03:51:21.440
of this building. That's wow, the whole thing it wasn't

3286
03:51:21.479 --> 03:51:25.280
whole after so long. Unfortunately, I salvaged what I could

3287
03:51:25.319 --> 03:51:27.159
and have been trying to figure out how to fill

3288
03:51:27.159 --> 03:51:30.040
in the gaps for over a decade. It's a problem

3289
03:51:30.079 --> 03:51:33.079
I was hoping to speak with Kesha about. Actually, I

3290
03:51:33.120 --> 03:51:35.440
want to bring her in. I've never had an employee

3291
03:51:35.479 --> 03:51:40.840
with such talent to fill in the gaps, Bronson repeated.

3292
03:51:41.079 --> 03:51:44.719
Hind smile slipped in what appeared to be genuine hurt

3293
03:51:44.760 --> 03:51:48.159
over the implication. He put a hand on Bronson's shoulder

3294
03:51:48.440 --> 03:51:51.479
and gave him a gentle shake of his head. What

3295
03:51:51.600 --> 03:51:55.600
do you notice about all these pieces, he asked. Bronson

3296
03:51:55.680 --> 03:52:00.840
pondered on them. There's no metal, that's correct, Hind clapped

3297
03:52:00.840 --> 03:52:04.879
with a small chuckle. These people, whoever they were, built

3298
03:52:05.120 --> 03:52:08.719
metropolises while the rest of the world was still living

3299
03:52:08.760 --> 03:52:12.120
in cages. If they hadn't died out, there's no telling

3300
03:52:12.200 --> 03:52:15.520
how much further advanced we'd be as a species now

3301
03:52:16.319 --> 03:52:20.520
understanding them, revealing their brilliance and intelligence to the world.

3302
03:52:21.040 --> 03:52:24.079
That will be something that lasts longer than any building

3303
03:52:24.159 --> 03:52:25.079
I've ever created.

3304
03:52:26.200 --> 03:52:26.760
How did they?

3305
03:52:27.680 --> 03:52:31.120
Bronson was interrupted by a pounding on the door. Hind

3306
03:52:31.200 --> 03:52:34.239
stomped toward the center of the room, his body stiffened

3307
03:52:34.280 --> 03:52:38.399
at the strangeness of the intrusion. Who is it, he shouted.

3308
03:52:40.879 --> 03:52:44.399
The door swung open. A disheveled man stumbled into the

3309
03:52:44.479 --> 03:52:47.200
room and slammed it behind him. He fiddled with the

3310
03:52:47.239 --> 03:52:53.040
locks before rushing behind. Bronson eyed him suspiciously. It was Halloween,

3311
03:52:53.120 --> 03:52:57.200
but something bothered him about the man's costume. He wore

3312
03:52:57.239 --> 03:53:01.639
a tattered, bloody toga the gold laurels and his gray

3313
03:53:01.680 --> 03:53:05.680
hair were bent in askew. He appeared to be dressed

3314
03:53:05.680 --> 03:53:10.200
as Caesar. After the surprise party, the man grabbed Heine's

3315
03:53:10.280 --> 03:53:13.200
jacket and attempted to pull the much larger man close.

3316
03:53:13.879 --> 03:53:16.000
I knew you'd be here if you weren't at the party.

3317
03:53:16.280 --> 03:53:19.360
I need you, Jerry. It was Robert's stupid idea. It's

3318
03:53:19.360 --> 03:53:23.440
always his stupid ideas. Bronson stepped away from the two

3319
03:53:23.479 --> 03:53:26.879
and nodded to the door. It was clearly business related,

3320
03:53:26.879 --> 03:53:29.600
and he wanted to get back to Kesha anyhow. She

3321
03:53:29.719 --> 03:53:32.920
was probably tired of telling everyone who she'd come dressed as,

3322
03:53:33.159 --> 03:53:36.040
and it wouldn't make as much sense without her Leprechaun.

3323
03:53:36.600 --> 03:53:40.600
Heine signaled for him to stay. Whatever terrible business decision

3324
03:53:40.680 --> 03:53:44.799
Robert made, this time he can afford to correct. Heine said,

3325
03:53:45.399 --> 03:53:49.719
you worry too much, Gleeson. Bronson stiffened. The girl in

3326
03:53:49.760 --> 03:53:53.360
the ocean costume was Gleeson's secretary. That's what the intern

3327
03:53:53.399 --> 03:53:56.319
had said. He wasn't sure why that bit of information

3328
03:53:56.440 --> 03:54:00.000
made his blood go cold. He thought about the woman again.

3329
03:54:01.120 --> 03:54:04.559
Something had been wrong with her costume. He almost had

3330
03:54:04.600 --> 03:54:08.719
it when Gleeson started shouting, again, fuck the business, Gerard,

3331
03:54:08.879 --> 03:54:12.799
this isn't about the company, It's about that. Gleason jabbed

3332
03:54:12.799 --> 03:54:15.479
a finger toward the door. I didn't want anything to

3333
03:54:15.479 --> 03:54:18.920
do with it, Robert insisted. He thought it would impress

3334
03:54:19.000 --> 03:54:22.920
them your fancy fucking temple. He said, they'd feel like

3335
03:54:23.000 --> 03:54:27.639
princesses are some shit? Who this time it was Hind

3336
03:54:27.639 --> 03:54:30.239
with a fistful of fabric as he lifted Gleeson off

3337
03:54:30.280 --> 03:54:35.760
the floor. Who did he take there? The secretary? My secretary?

3338
03:54:36.440 --> 03:54:40.479
Gleeson looked around, the nerdy one with the tits. We

3339
03:54:40.479 --> 03:54:42.680
were going to fool around, you know how Robert is.

3340
03:54:43.399 --> 03:54:45.959
He brought the three bimbos along. He told them it

3341
03:54:46.000 --> 03:54:49.079
was the pre party. I've been stuck down there with

3342
03:54:49.280 --> 03:54:53.799
them all goddamn day in your stupid tomb. I'm afraid

3343
03:54:53.840 --> 03:54:56.559
I have to deal with this. Heind dropped Gleeson to

3344
03:54:56.600 --> 03:55:00.440
the floor. Perhaps you can speak to Kesha. Have you

3345
03:55:00.479 --> 03:55:05.840
both down for a tour without imbecilic interruptions? Yeah, that'd

3346
03:55:05.840 --> 03:55:09.559
be cool. Bronson backed toward the door. I should really

3347
03:55:09.639 --> 03:55:13.520
go find her anyway. She's probably getting pissed. Bronson found

3348
03:55:13.520 --> 03:55:15.840
his way to the elevator and chewed the inside of

3349
03:55:15.840 --> 03:55:19.600
his jaw while he waited for the car. Fake blood

3350
03:55:19.760 --> 03:55:23.440
was his business, no matter how real it looked. The

3351
03:55:23.559 --> 03:55:27.639
smell was always wrong, so why could I smell it

3352
03:55:28.319 --> 03:55:33.040
for real? On Gleason's toga, he asked himself, as if

3353
03:55:33.079 --> 03:55:35.600
the pants weren't tight enough. The whole scene with Gleason

3354
03:55:35.879 --> 03:55:38.239
had made his ass chew up any slack they had

3355
03:55:38.280 --> 03:55:42.280
to spare. The elevator opened and he stepped inside, pushing

3356
03:55:42.280 --> 03:55:46.239
the button for the floor below. The three bimbos had

3357
03:55:46.239 --> 03:55:50.200
to be the Emoji triplets, he thought. His stomach soured.

3358
03:55:50.959 --> 03:55:54.879
What did Julius slee'sball mean? He'd been trapped with them

3359
03:55:54.879 --> 03:55:59.159
all day? I just saw them and the secretary, Hell,

3360
03:55:59.280 --> 03:56:02.399
everyone saw her. They didn't look like they'd been in

3361
03:56:02.440 --> 03:56:06.159
some dingy ancient temple all day. They damn sure didn't

3362
03:56:06.200 --> 03:56:09.159
look like the hot ness that Gleeson was. Why the

3363
03:56:09.200 --> 03:56:12.959
fuck did the blood smell real? In the quick trip down,

3364
03:56:13.360 --> 03:56:16.239
Bronson made up his mind to grab Kesha and get

3365
03:56:16.280 --> 03:56:19.360
the hell out of there. Bronson gasped at a glimpse

3366
03:56:19.399 --> 03:56:22.680
of his reflection in the parting doors. He stepped out

3367
03:56:22.840 --> 03:56:25.239
and waved for them to hurry up and close. Again,

3368
03:56:25.959 --> 03:56:30.840
he stared at himself, this time, his chest tightened. Experience

3369
03:56:30.959 --> 03:56:35.559
told him he was right, But if he was right,

3370
03:56:36.639 --> 03:56:41.159
he needed to find Bee. Bronson scanned the crowd, but

3371
03:56:41.239 --> 03:56:44.520
there was no ocean in the Cleveland Highrise. One of

3372
03:56:44.559 --> 03:56:47.799
the emojis, the Angry one, buzzed through the crowd. A

3373
03:56:47.840 --> 03:56:51.959
glass broke and someone swore. Another person shouted a threat back.

3374
03:56:52.440 --> 03:56:55.600
Bronson needed a better vantage point. He jogged to the

3375
03:56:55.639 --> 03:56:58.639
fountain and pulled himself up by the ancient deity's body.

3376
03:56:59.239 --> 03:57:03.040
A Malibuqi was in a shoving match with Dracula. Bronson

3377
03:57:03.079 --> 03:57:07.239
ignored them. B was all that mattered. The Devil emoji's

3378
03:57:07.280 --> 03:57:11.079
giggle carried over the crowd noise. Two of the partygoers

3379
03:57:11.079 --> 03:57:14.879
were sucking each other's tongues while their dates looked on disapprovingly.

3380
03:57:15.760 --> 03:57:19.319
Tom's camo pants were around his ankles as he stormed

3381
03:57:19.360 --> 03:57:23.719
Barbie's dream house over one of the uncomfortable barstools. Bronson

3382
03:57:23.840 --> 03:57:27.000
spun back to the fight. More people were pushing each

3383
03:57:27.000 --> 03:57:30.440
other now, Stewart and Mark were taking turns kicking the

3384
03:57:30.479 --> 03:57:33.200
shit out of a klingon. One of the Jasons was

3385
03:57:33.239 --> 03:57:36.879
being choked out by Jeanette's golden lasso. The last of

3386
03:57:36.920 --> 03:57:40.879
the interns, the Sad emoji, moved through the fray, lightly

3387
03:57:41.000 --> 03:57:44.920
dragging a finger across a wolfman's cheek. He squeezed the

3388
03:57:45.000 --> 03:57:48.920
champagne glass in his hand until it broke. Bronson flinched,

3389
03:57:49.319 --> 03:57:52.280
but the werewolf didn't, not even when he drove the

3390
03:57:52.319 --> 03:57:57.000
stem through his own eye socket. The pushing turned into

3391
03:57:57.079 --> 03:57:59.479
a riot. The other side of the room had broken

3392
03:57:59.559 --> 03:58:03.280
down into an orgy, and in both crowds, sobbing revelers

3393
03:58:03.319 --> 03:58:08.200
found inventive ways to kill themselves. All three groups screamed

3394
03:58:08.239 --> 03:58:11.440
in their own ways. The three emojis cackled over the

3395
03:58:11.520 --> 03:58:17.280
din of death and ecstasy. Bronson spotted Kesha stumbling trance

3396
03:58:17.440 --> 03:58:20.879
like toward Esteban. The pirate had dropped his cutlass to

3397
03:58:20.959 --> 03:58:25.639
unsheathe his sword. Kesha ripped his frilly shirt open, tearing

3398
03:58:25.719 --> 03:58:29.040
furrows in his chest with her nails. Bronson jumped down

3399
03:58:29.079 --> 03:58:32.719
from the fountain and charged to tackle Esteban. Before he

3400
03:58:32.719 --> 03:58:36.680
could plunder the booty, a feral shriek pricked Bronson's ears

3401
03:58:36.719 --> 03:58:39.920
a moment before someone plowed bodily into him, and they

3402
03:58:39.959 --> 03:58:45.520
both crashed through a table together. Prefect Landing Carly meowed

3403
03:58:45.600 --> 03:58:51.040
and licked Bronson's face. Don't worry, I've been spade. This

3404
03:58:51.559 --> 03:58:56.639
is not fucking happening, Bronson tried to shove the cougar

3405
03:58:56.719 --> 03:58:59.280
off of him. She bit into his cheek until her

3406
03:58:59.280 --> 03:59:02.479
teeth scraped bone. Bronson managed to roll over, and the

3407
03:59:02.559 --> 03:59:05.719
kitty quickly wrapped her legs around his waist. Her nails

3408
03:59:05.760 --> 03:59:08.840
clawed at the heavy fabric of his jacket. Carly pulled

3409
03:59:08.840 --> 03:59:11.799
her head back, taking most of his prosthetic cheek and

3410
03:59:11.879 --> 03:59:14.559
part of his real one with her. She winked at

3411
03:59:14.600 --> 03:59:18.559
him while she swallowed it. What's the matter, sugar that

3412
03:59:18.719 --> 03:59:22.399
the first time the pussy hu She gripped his throat

3413
03:59:22.440 --> 03:59:26.399
and purred, you'd be lying if you said you didn't

3414
03:59:26.479 --> 03:59:30.360
want this cougar. Bronson slipped the sack of prop gold

3415
03:59:30.360 --> 03:59:32.520
from his pocket and used it like a sap to

3416
03:59:32.600 --> 03:59:37.879
knock her unconscious. Even out cold, she still gyrated against him.

3417
03:59:38.399 --> 03:59:41.319
He pried her legs apart and wriggled from their grasp.

3418
03:59:41.840 --> 03:59:44.600
He ran over and swatted Esteban's hand with the sack

3419
03:59:44.879 --> 03:59:48.680
as he peeled off Kesha's top. No need to cock block,

3420
03:59:49.200 --> 03:59:52.600
Esteban rubbed his hand. I could use a first mate,

3421
03:59:53.159 --> 03:59:56.879
a hoist sailor. Kesha wrapped her arms around Bronson's neck.

3422
03:59:57.639 --> 04:00:01.719
You can scuttle me together. I'll take the aft. Maty

3423
04:00:02.319 --> 04:00:05.959
Esteban grabbed Kesha by the hips the fuck you will,

3424
04:00:06.559 --> 04:00:09.879
Bronson swung his girlfriend to the side and cracked Esteban

3425
04:00:09.920 --> 04:00:13.520
across the jaw. The pouch busted on impact, showering his

3426
04:00:13.639 --> 04:00:17.479
unconscious body with lute. Looks like you found me gold

3427
04:00:17.600 --> 04:00:22.520
Captain Jack. Kesha's tongue played along Bronson's ear. He pushed

3428
04:00:22.520 --> 04:00:25.360
her back and shook her Now is not the time,

3429
04:00:25.399 --> 04:00:28.920
and these are not the goddamn pants. He looked around

3430
04:00:28.959 --> 04:00:31.280
at the chaos. We need to get away from the

3431
04:00:31.319 --> 04:00:33.959
three emotic cunts so you can snap out of this.

3432
04:00:34.879 --> 04:00:38.159
Bronson pulled her arm and dragged her away. Where are

3433
04:00:38.200 --> 04:00:41.520
we going, she whined. There's a perfectly good table to

3434
04:00:41.559 --> 04:00:44.920
fuck on right there. I'm too horny for all this walking.

3435
04:00:45.879 --> 04:00:49.239
There's a better table over here. Bronson pulled harder. I

3436
04:00:49.319 --> 04:00:53.440
just don't want an audience that sounds dull, the angry

3437
04:00:53.479 --> 04:00:56.680
emoji said, as she stepped in front of him. Everything

3438
04:00:56.760 --> 04:00:59.319
is more fun in a crowd, But if the leprechaun

3439
04:00:59.360 --> 04:01:03.040
doesn't want to get lucky, there is an alternative. The

3440
04:01:03.120 --> 04:01:06.319
blade sank deep into his shoulder and he whirled around,

3441
04:01:06.360 --> 04:01:10.760
barely stopping short of punching his attacker. What the fuck, Kesha,

3442
04:01:11.200 --> 04:01:14.479
He shouted, Sex and death are the foundations of a

3443
04:01:14.479 --> 04:01:20.399
great party, The emoji growled behind him. Foundations. A light

3444
04:01:20.399 --> 04:01:24.280
bulb clicked in Bronson's mind. He caught Kesha's wrists as

3445
04:01:24.319 --> 04:01:27.719
she lunged to Claw's face. She struggled to break free,

3446
04:01:27.719 --> 04:01:30.760
and he ducked to scoop her over his shoulder. She

3447
04:01:30.879 --> 04:01:34.479
twisted the knife still lodged in his back, trying to

3448
04:01:34.559 --> 04:01:37.959
free it for another attempt. As they hit the middle

3449
04:01:38.000 --> 04:01:40.719
of the room, her hand moved from the hilt to

3450
04:01:40.799 --> 04:01:46.399
caress his back. Sensually, that made sense. Whichever emoji chick

3451
04:01:46.479 --> 04:01:50.920
was closest would influence Kesha's behavior. Bronson stepped backwards until

3452
04:01:50.959 --> 04:01:54.000
she tried for the knife again, and then immediately went

3453
04:01:54.079 --> 04:01:58.040
forward until she started with the foreplay. He stopped between

3454
04:01:58.079 --> 04:02:02.399
the two points. What's going on? Bronson? Put me down?

3455
04:02:02.920 --> 04:02:06.520
She demanded. He did, but made sure not to let

3456
04:02:06.520 --> 04:02:10.600
her step out of the safe zone. Kesha crossed her arms,

3457
04:02:10.799 --> 04:02:14.399
quickly realizing she was topless. She covered her nipples with

3458
04:02:14.440 --> 04:02:17.639
her palms and looked around at the literal fucking chaos

3459
04:02:17.920 --> 04:02:21.360
occupying one half of the room and the ultra violence

3460
04:02:21.399 --> 04:02:25.639
on the other What is happening? She threw her hands

3461
04:02:25.680 --> 04:02:28.000
into the air and then immediately brought them back down

3462
04:02:28.120 --> 04:02:32.520
to cover up. And why are my titties out? Esteban

3463
04:02:32.600 --> 04:02:36.239
took your top off? Bronson said, matter of factly, the

3464
04:02:36.319 --> 04:02:40.520
murder suicide orgy thing is because of the interns. Goddamn

3465
04:02:40.559 --> 04:02:44.520
sorority girls are always causing trouble. She mumbled. We need

3466
04:02:44.520 --> 04:02:49.239
to find b Bronson said, Oh, we do. Kesha huffed.

3467
04:02:49.719 --> 04:02:52.000
If this is about Esteban, I don't know what he

3468
04:02:52.040 --> 04:02:54.719
was thinking. I told him that was a one time deal.

3469
04:02:55.639 --> 04:03:00.000
It doesn't have an Wait, you actually fucked Esteban? Why

3470
04:03:00.000 --> 04:03:05.520
tents before we were together, before we were serious, Kesha shrugged.

3471
04:03:05.879 --> 04:03:10.120
What does that matter right now? It doesn't. He turned

3472
04:03:10.159 --> 04:03:16.200
toward the elevator. Oh fuck me, exactly my plan. Carly said,

3473
04:03:16.879 --> 04:03:20.319
Anger and the Devil joined her on either side. Anne

3474
04:03:20.360 --> 04:03:23.000
crawled in front of them on all fours. The ass

3475
04:03:23.000 --> 04:03:26.120
of her PJS was torn open and blood stained, her teeth,

3476
04:03:26.399 --> 04:03:29.680
indicating that she'd had fun on both halves of the room.

3477
04:03:30.040 --> 04:03:34.000
She licked her lips and yipped like a puppy. We

3478
04:03:34.040 --> 04:03:39.239
want your lucky charms, Bronson. She started to pant, What

3479
04:03:39.280 --> 04:03:42.559
the hell is going on here, Kesha whispered in his ear.

3480
04:03:43.600 --> 04:03:47.399
It's called a party, you dumb bitch, the sad emoji said,

3481
04:03:47.399 --> 04:03:50.799
as she joined the others blocking their escape. You don't

3482
04:03:50.840 --> 04:03:54.159
seem to like our treats, so how about a trick.

3483
04:03:54.959 --> 04:03:58.000
She patted Anne's head and the accountant, sprang from the

3484
04:03:58.040 --> 04:04:02.040
floor and charged not at them, but passed them. She

3485
04:04:02.159 --> 04:04:05.000
barked wildly as she sprinted across the room and threw

3486
04:04:05.000 --> 04:04:08.879
herself through the floor to ceiling window. Bronson spun and

3487
04:04:08.920 --> 04:04:12.319
shoved Kesha ahead of him. Someone clapped their hands and

3488
04:04:12.360 --> 04:04:16.440
another person whistled. The party animals stopped their recreation of

3489
04:04:16.479 --> 04:04:20.520
the entire Kamasutra and turned their attention to the fleeing

3490
04:04:20.600 --> 04:04:24.719
couple across the room. The brawlers disengaged from one another

3491
04:04:24.760 --> 04:04:29.719
in a similar fashion, stop them. The interns shrieked in unison.

3492
04:04:30.559 --> 04:04:34.200
Bronson spotted Hine's escape route, but Kesha was too far

3493
04:04:34.239 --> 04:04:36.680
ahead of him to get her. He passed it and

3494
04:04:36.760 --> 04:04:39.959
tried to catch up. The crotch of his pants ripped

3495
04:04:39.959 --> 04:04:44.159
from his waddling gait. Finally freeing up his movement, he

3496
04:04:44.280 --> 04:04:47.959
stumbled and nearly fell into the middle of a disentangling gangbang,

3497
04:04:48.280 --> 04:04:52.000
but turned it into a diving roll that looked mostly intentional.

3498
04:04:52.680 --> 04:04:55.559
He regained his footing and followed Kesha down a corridor.

3499
04:04:56.079 --> 04:04:58.959
The mobs swarmed the narrow passage on their heels with

3500
04:04:59.040 --> 04:05:02.360
makeshift weapons and swollen sex organs. As the powers of

3501
04:05:02.399 --> 04:05:07.399
the interns converged into an insatiable, bloodthirsty lust. Where are

3502
04:05:07.440 --> 04:05:12.079
the stairs, Bronson shouted here. Kesha hit the crash bar

3503
04:05:12.280 --> 04:05:15.719
and toppled through the doorway, nearly going over the guardrail beyond.

3504
04:05:16.440 --> 04:05:19.520
Bronson spilled in behind her and pushed the door closed

3505
04:05:19.559 --> 04:05:22.879
as fast as he could against the hydraulic hinge. The

3506
04:05:22.920 --> 04:05:26.920
crowd pressed against the other side. The door started inward.

3507
04:05:27.200 --> 04:05:29.639
Bronson put his feet on the guardrail to brace it.

3508
04:05:30.239 --> 04:05:34.280
Push harder. Kesha demanded, maybe if you hadn't stabbed me,

3509
04:05:34.959 --> 04:05:37.920
that's not fair. I don't even remember stabbing you. You

3510
04:05:38.000 --> 04:05:41.879
remember Esteban stabbing you, though, Bronson grumbled, as the door

3511
04:05:41.959 --> 04:05:45.799
started to open again. Take off my belt, not this

3512
04:05:45.959 --> 04:05:50.000
shit again, Kesha sighed. Not for that, Bronson said, in

3513
04:05:50.000 --> 04:05:53.600
a strangled voice. Tie the handle to to the bracket

3514
04:05:53.680 --> 04:05:57.920
up top to bias time. Oh she did what she

3515
04:05:58.040 --> 04:06:00.719
was told, and the door jutted open a few inches,

3516
04:06:00.760 --> 04:06:05.280
but held firm hands lashed through the gap. Bronson sidled

3517
04:06:05.280 --> 04:06:08.440
past them, and the couple descended the stairs, only to

3518
04:06:08.520 --> 04:06:12.680
be greeted on the next landing by Winslow. His cheap

3519
04:06:12.799 --> 04:06:15.959
mustache dangled from the corner of his blue lips, and

3520
04:06:16.040 --> 04:06:20.040
his bloodshot eyes stared up at the ceiling. Kesha prodded

3521
04:06:20.040 --> 04:06:23.559
his chest with her foot, causing water to spurt from

3522
04:06:23.559 --> 04:06:28.120
his mouth. I think he drowned, she said, in a

3523
04:06:28.159 --> 04:06:34.000
fucking skyscraper. Bronson shook his head. It was b Why

3524
04:06:34.000 --> 04:06:37.479
are you so hung up on Bee? All this supernatural

3525
04:06:37.520 --> 04:06:42.280
weirdness is happening and you're getting jealous. You're the one

3526
04:06:42.319 --> 04:06:46.040
that brought up Esteban, she said, Were you possessed by

3527
04:06:46.040 --> 04:06:49.680
an evil emoji? At the time, Bronson reached behind him

3528
04:06:49.799 --> 04:06:52.639
and jerked the knife out of his shoulder. This is

3529
04:06:52.680 --> 04:06:56.959
not your fault. Cheating on me was right now. We

3530
04:06:57.040 --> 04:06:59.600
have thirty eight flights of stairs to climb down, and

3531
04:06:59.639 --> 04:07:02.040
all your our coworkers are trying to kill us and

3532
04:07:02.200 --> 04:07:05.840
fuck us in no particular order because they've been brainwashed

3533
04:07:05.920 --> 04:07:09.079
by the sorority house of a thousand corpses, So excuse

3534
04:07:09.200 --> 04:07:11.319
the hell out of me, but we will talk about

3535
04:07:11.319 --> 04:07:15.040
that shit later. The sound of the horde battering the

3536
04:07:15.079 --> 04:07:22.239
door ceased. Shit. Bronson held his breath. That's bad, bad,

3537
04:07:22.840 --> 04:07:25.520
They gave up. They're probably banging in the hall again,

3538
04:07:26.559 --> 04:07:29.520
or they're taking the elevator so they can get ahead

3539
04:07:29.520 --> 04:07:31.959
of us. We need to get to the temple in

3540
04:07:32.000 --> 04:07:38.159
the basement temple. Kesha raised an eyebrow. What does Jerry's

3541
04:07:38.200 --> 04:07:41.600
pet project have to do with this? Bronson? Tell me

3542
04:07:41.639 --> 04:07:46.040
what's going on. Bronson didn't bother. He was two flights

3543
04:07:46.120 --> 04:07:49.200
down before she started running after him. They hit the

3544
04:07:49.239 --> 04:07:52.360
twenty seventh floor when the door banged open above them,

3545
04:07:52.520 --> 04:07:55.000
a few whales let them know they were no longer

3546
04:07:55.079 --> 04:07:58.399
alone in the stairwell. Bronson thought about the weight limit

3547
04:07:58.440 --> 04:08:01.120
of the elevator. The pozzes would have to come down

3548
04:08:01.200 --> 04:08:04.280
in groups, meaning a longer delay in the waves. As

3549
04:08:04.319 --> 04:08:08.680
they got further down, a door broke open two floors below,

3550
04:08:08.719 --> 04:08:11.239
and they took the next exit, running out into the

3551
04:08:11.319 --> 04:08:15.360
drafting department. No one was waiting for them. We need

3552
04:08:15.399 --> 04:08:18.559
to get to the elevators, Kesha said, they're using it.

3553
04:08:18.719 --> 04:08:22.840
Bronson reminded her we'll find a place to hide. Only

3554
04:08:22.879 --> 04:08:26.920
one elevator goes above the thirteenth Kesha wheezed, leaning on

3555
04:08:26.959 --> 04:08:29.639
a drawing desk to catch her breath. We're below that.

3556
04:08:30.120 --> 04:08:32.040
There are four more cars that go all the way

3557
04:08:32.079 --> 04:08:34.280
to the lobby, and then we can get the hell

3558
04:08:34.280 --> 04:08:39.200
out of here. Okay, yeah, that's good. Bronson spotted the

3559
04:08:39.239 --> 04:08:48.680
bank of elevators, but we're not leaving. He pushed the

3560
04:08:48.760 --> 04:08:52.000
call button and one of the elevators dinged. They moved

3561
04:08:52.040 --> 04:08:54.879
toward the parting doors when Robert Hart sprang on them.

3562
04:08:55.200 --> 04:08:58.479
The geezer swung his hard hat, flooring Bronson with the

3563
04:08:58.479 --> 04:09:01.680
first blow. He stood there with his flannel shirt open

3564
04:09:01.760 --> 04:09:05.959
over his liver spotted saggy torso. His pants were gone,

3565
04:09:06.040 --> 04:09:08.799
but he kept the costume's tool belt and work boots.

3566
04:09:09.239 --> 04:09:12.159
A throbbing erection led the way as he stepped forward

3567
04:09:12.360 --> 04:09:16.840
and put a domineering boot down on Bronson's chest. Kesha

3568
04:09:17.360 --> 04:09:20.360
heart growled. I thought I was the boss around here,

3569
04:09:20.479 --> 04:09:23.120
but it looks like you've given Bobby Junior a raise.

3570
04:09:24.559 --> 04:09:27.920
Looks like he's still coming up short. She fired back.

3571
04:09:28.600 --> 04:09:31.000
Let's see if you still feel that way when we're finished.

3572
04:09:31.479 --> 04:09:35.040
I even brought protection. He slipped the hard hat back

3573
04:09:35.079 --> 04:09:37.959
onto his head. He took the hammer from his tool belt.

3574
04:09:38.479 --> 04:09:41.239
Maybe I'll nail you to one of these desks. I

3575
04:09:41.319 --> 04:09:45.040
prefer my humps to stay STI aha. A hammer fell

3576
04:09:45.079 --> 04:09:47.520
from his hands as he rushed to grab the stump,

3577
04:09:47.600 --> 04:09:51.079
spurting among the silver pubic hair. He stumbled away, and

3578
04:09:51.120 --> 04:09:54.920
Bronson sat up, slapping the dismembered member away from him.

3579
04:09:55.120 --> 04:09:58.000
Heart backed into the wall and slid down it the

3580
04:09:58.079 --> 04:10:01.159
hyper sexual curse of the emoji, pumping blood to the

3581
04:10:01.200 --> 04:10:04.719
missing organ. The geriatric watched in horror as the nub

3582
04:10:04.799 --> 04:10:09.159
twitched with the final drips of his life. I guess

3583
04:10:09.159 --> 04:10:12.840
you lost custody of Bobby Junior. Kesha stomped on the

3584
04:10:12.879 --> 04:10:16.680
appendage and grounded into the carpet. Bronson picked up the

3585
04:10:16.719 --> 04:10:20.639
hammer and held it up to the light. Yeah thought so,

3586
04:10:21.239 --> 04:10:25.280
he said, showing it to Kesha. See the blood. So what?

3587
04:10:25.799 --> 04:10:30.120
We just left a riot upstairs? She said. Another elevator

3588
04:10:30.200 --> 04:10:33.719
dinged and the doors opened to an empty car. They

3589
04:10:33.799 --> 04:10:36.680
jumped inside and pushed the button for the lobby. As

3590
04:10:36.719 --> 04:10:40.079
a gang of maniacs burst into the room. The doors

3591
04:10:40.120 --> 04:10:43.360
closed and the car started down. They could hear the

3592
04:10:43.399 --> 04:10:48.239
fists beating against steel above them. Bronson gave her the hammer.

3593
04:10:49.120 --> 04:10:52.760
The blood is dry, he said, it's not from the party,

3594
04:10:53.440 --> 04:10:57.159
it's from the pre party. Him and gleasened through. They

3595
04:10:57.239 --> 04:11:01.360
rode down in silence. Bronson shuck off his costume, giving

3596
04:11:01.360 --> 04:11:04.760
the coat to Kesha to cover her breasts. He peeled

3597
04:11:04.760 --> 04:11:08.760
away the prosthetics last and glared at them mindfully. The

3598
04:11:08.840 --> 04:11:12.280
elevator chimed at the lobby. The couple crossed to the

3599
04:11:12.280 --> 04:11:16.639
maintenance door and descended down into the basement. Three drowning

3600
04:11:16.719 --> 04:11:20.239
victims and coveralls greeted them, but they didn't stop to

3601
04:11:20.280 --> 04:11:24.479
examine the bodies. B had been there, which meant Bronson

3602
04:11:24.680 --> 04:11:27.920
was right about the temple. Down in the sub basement.

3603
04:11:28.040 --> 04:11:32.120
Saltwater had flooded the area around the temple. Halagen lights

3604
04:11:32.159 --> 04:11:36.200
illuminated the structure. B waited for them on the stone

3605
04:11:36.280 --> 04:11:40.440
steps leading into the Holy Structure. B waited for them

3606
04:11:40.479 --> 04:11:44.719
on the stone steps leading into the Holy Structure. Twin

3607
04:11:44.840 --> 04:11:48.639
monoliths embedded with fossils of ancient sea life stood on

3608
04:11:48.760 --> 04:11:52.600
either side of the entrance. Jack O lanterns burned on

3609
04:11:52.639 --> 04:11:55.440
the steps, next to the scattered debris from Heart and

3610
04:11:55.479 --> 04:12:01.959
Gleason's private party, including a discarded sad Emoji. Cut Bronson

3611
04:12:02.000 --> 04:12:06.680
approached the secretary with his hands raised passively. I know,

3612
04:12:07.559 --> 04:12:11.959
he said softly. Be looked at him curiously. She didn't

3613
04:12:11.959 --> 04:12:15.000
stop him as he reached up and stroked her face,

3614
04:12:15.559 --> 04:12:20.879
smudging the makeup and revealing the scaled flesh below. You're

3615
04:12:20.920 --> 04:12:24.559
not be, he told her. He tugged at the wig,

3616
04:12:24.680 --> 04:12:27.920
pulling it away from the thinned head. I've done a

3617
04:12:27.959 --> 04:12:31.639
lot of makeup and prosthetics. You did a really good job.

3618
04:12:32.680 --> 04:12:36.239
The being stepped back and waved him into the temple.

3619
04:12:37.159 --> 04:12:40.399
Kesha ran quickly to his side, but kept her eyes

3620
04:12:40.479 --> 04:12:45.000
on the strange creature in the human costume. Its false

3621
04:12:45.040 --> 04:12:49.120
eyes didn't blink as it watched them go by. Inside

3622
04:12:49.159 --> 04:12:54.000
the temple, they found the first intern, blood stained the

3623
04:12:54.079 --> 04:12:56.840
wall where one of the degenerates had smashed her face

3624
04:12:56.920 --> 04:13:00.719
against it. The angry emoji still had her costume on,

3625
04:13:01.360 --> 04:13:05.799
but her head was a different story. A replica Roman

3626
04:13:05.879 --> 04:13:10.120
dagger laid in a gory pool next to her. Sadness

3627
04:13:10.200 --> 04:13:12.959
was slumped in the corner of the next room, wearing

3628
04:13:13.000 --> 04:13:17.559
only her bra wrapped tightly around her throat. They entered

3629
04:13:17.559 --> 04:13:20.520
the sacrificial chamber of the people that worshiped the sea,

3630
04:13:21.120 --> 04:13:23.799
and found the girl dressed like the ocean, sprawled on

3631
04:13:23.879 --> 04:13:27.079
the altar in the center of the room. A mosaic

3632
04:13:27.159 --> 04:13:30.600
of shells and colored stones showed the creatures coming out

3633
04:13:30.600 --> 04:13:34.319
of the waves to meet the chieftains of the ancient civilization.

3634
04:13:35.319 --> 04:13:40.000
A worn, barely identifiable statue of a humanoid fish held

3635
04:13:40.040 --> 04:13:44.040
an outstretched arm over the sacrifice. The other limb had

3636
04:13:44.040 --> 04:13:49.399
broken off long before Bronson walked on to the raised

3637
04:13:49.479 --> 04:13:54.000
ring that surrounded the table. Bits of skull were indistinguishable

3638
04:13:54.319 --> 04:13:59.040
from the broken seashells in Bee's bloody hair. Hart's hammer

3639
04:13:59.040 --> 04:14:02.479
had reduced her face to a caved in pulp. A

3640
04:14:02.520 --> 04:14:05.520
flash drew Bronson's attention to the corner of the room.

3641
04:14:06.360 --> 04:14:09.879
Gerard Hind puffed a cigarette to life and let the

3642
04:14:09.959 --> 04:14:16.040
lighter go out. Where's Gleason? Bronson asked. Hind blew a

3643
04:14:16.079 --> 04:14:18.959
spear of smoke from the corner of his mouth. He

3644
04:14:19.120 --> 04:14:22.200
chewed the air, trying to find words that tasted right.

3645
04:14:23.239 --> 04:14:31.639
Where is he? Bronson shouted, here, the voice whimpered, I'm here.

3646
04:14:33.000 --> 04:14:39.000
Bronson looked around, then up above them, Gleason dangled from

3647
04:14:39.040 --> 04:14:42.879
his wrists like bait on a hook. Bronson looked at

3648
04:14:42.879 --> 04:14:46.120
the massive CEO, who gave him a simple shrug instead

3649
04:14:46.120 --> 04:14:51.559
of an answer. The fake Bee entered the chamber. She

3650
04:14:51.719 --> 04:14:58.319
peeled away her dress, revealing her modeled platinum scales. These

3651
04:14:58.360 --> 04:15:03.920
are their gods, Hind explained, or they're devils. Can't have

3652
04:15:03.959 --> 04:15:07.639
one without the other. Really, a sacrifice was made here

3653
04:15:09.040 --> 04:15:14.600
and a prayer was answered, the fish person said. Apparently

3654
04:15:14.680 --> 04:15:19.280
they're not big on subtlety. Heine said, Be asked for vengeance,

3655
04:15:19.319 --> 04:15:24.760
and that's what she got. Not entirely, the entity corrected him.

3656
04:15:25.440 --> 04:15:28.680
We didn't do anything to her. Kesha cleared her throat

3657
04:15:28.680 --> 04:15:32.840
and lowered her voice. I mean all the rest of

3658
04:15:32.879 --> 04:15:39.360
us were innocent. No, we're not, Heind said. We all

3659
04:15:39.479 --> 04:15:43.159
knew what a leacherous piece of shit Robert was. He's

3660
04:15:43.159 --> 04:15:46.120
been using his position to force himself on women for years,

3661
04:15:46.840 --> 04:15:50.000
and we've all made it into a joke. He became

3662
04:15:50.079 --> 04:15:53.360
a cliche old pervert that everyone made fun of around

3663
04:15:53.360 --> 04:15:56.920
the water cooler while he went on doing whatever he wanted.

3664
04:15:57.559 --> 04:16:02.879
A malignancy starts small and spreads, the ancient creature said,

3665
04:16:03.280 --> 04:16:08.120
joining Bronson and Hind next to Bee's body, Robert Hart

3666
04:16:08.159 --> 04:16:12.799
became emboldened by your apathy. He did this because you

3667
04:16:13.479 --> 04:16:21.760
did nothing. So what happens now, Bronson asked, you chose

3668
04:16:21.799 --> 04:16:26.399
not to flee. You cared for this stranger. The being

3669
04:16:26.520 --> 04:16:32.079
rested a webbed hand on Bee's mauled face. You may

3670
04:16:32.159 --> 04:16:37.280
leave this place. I care about people, all of them,

3671
04:16:37.760 --> 04:16:41.920
Bronson corrected the deity, including the ones that haven't been

3672
04:16:42.000 --> 04:16:47.479
killed upstairs. I want everyone to leave. The thing glared

3673
04:16:47.520 --> 04:16:55.360
at him curiously. Everyone, well, not that motherfucker. Bronson pointed

3674
04:16:55.440 --> 04:17:01.200
up to the suspended Gleason. He can die agreeable terms,

3675
04:17:01.719 --> 04:17:05.319
but only if you are prepared to make a trade.

3676
04:17:05.360 --> 04:17:08.280
Bronson thought about it. He turned to Kesha and took

3677
04:17:08.280 --> 04:17:11.719
the hammer from her shaking hands. He stepped around the

3678
04:17:11.760 --> 04:17:16.239
altar and presented it to the Aquatic overlord. I killed

3679
04:17:16.280 --> 04:17:20.000
the other one, the one that did this, he said.

3680
04:17:20.760 --> 04:17:24.280
Neither he or this weapon will ever hurt anyone ever again.

3681
04:17:25.159 --> 04:17:29.120
This is what I have to trade. Not good enough.

3682
04:17:30.000 --> 04:17:33.479
The being stroked Bee's hair and gingerly lifted one of

3683
04:17:33.520 --> 04:17:38.440
the auger shell earrings. It worked the hook from her lobe.

3684
04:17:38.520 --> 04:17:44.200
You ask for many lives and bring me only one two,

3685
04:17:44.319 --> 04:17:50.040
Bronson said, sharper than he meant. No way, Pal Hind chimed,

3686
04:17:50.399 --> 04:17:53.520
I caught that twerp. The two of you will become

3687
04:17:53.600 --> 04:17:57.120
our priests. The creature seized Bronson by the back of

3688
04:17:57.159 --> 04:17:59.639
the neck and forced the ear ring through his lobe.

3689
04:18:00.239 --> 04:18:04.079
This will be the symbol of our pact. Hind leaned

3690
04:18:04.120 --> 04:18:06.639
on the altar so Bronson could see the other shell

3691
04:18:06.959 --> 04:18:11.239
dangling from his ear. This sacred day you call Halloween,

3692
04:18:11.879 --> 04:18:17.079
the creature continued. It is now our sacred day. You

3693
04:18:17.120 --> 04:18:20.600
will bring me more like Robert Hart and Philip Gleeson.

3694
04:18:20.959 --> 04:18:24.159
You will split their chests and give their black hearts

3695
04:18:24.280 --> 04:18:31.040
unto us. This is the trade for everyone. That's it.

3696
04:18:31.760 --> 04:18:37.959
Bronson molded around for a half a second and nodded. Deal. Now,

3697
04:18:38.000 --> 04:18:41.719
I feel bad, Heind said. I didn't even ask them

3698
04:18:41.719 --> 04:18:43.840
to let the rest of you go before I agreed.

3699
04:18:44.799 --> 04:18:50.559
Dick Kesha hissed, we're going to head out now, Bronson said.

3700
04:18:51.079 --> 04:18:53.639
He patted the fish god on the shoulder and tried

3701
04:18:53.680 --> 04:18:59.120
not to gag at the clammy moist texture. Happy Halloween.

3702
04:19:00.319 --> 04:19:04.639
Not yet, it caught him by the wrist. There is

3703
04:19:04.760 --> 04:19:09.520
still one matter. A shimmering body slithered through the shadows

3704
04:19:09.520 --> 04:19:13.639
at the base of the mosaic. Heavy thick skin scraped

3705
04:19:13.680 --> 04:19:17.760
stone as it moved around the room. The elongated fin

3706
04:19:18.040 --> 04:19:22.520
cast a fluttering shadow in the worklights. A bulbous yellow

3707
04:19:22.600 --> 04:19:26.159
eye shined a moment before the thing sprang from the darkness.

3708
04:19:27.120 --> 04:19:30.600
The thirty foot eel tilted its head and clamped down

3709
04:19:30.680 --> 04:19:35.639
on Gleason's kicking legs. The monster tore the appendages away

3710
04:19:36.000 --> 04:19:39.719
with its dual set of jaws. It snapped down for

3711
04:19:39.799 --> 04:19:44.680
another bite, leaving only the bounded hands still dangling overhead.

3712
04:19:45.120 --> 04:19:48.440
As it retreated out of the temple and into the

3713
04:19:48.479 --> 04:19:55.399
building's sub basement, the three humans exchanged shocked glances. The

3714
04:19:55.440 --> 04:19:59.559
deity clapped Bronson on the shoulder. Its maw spread to

3715
04:19:59.600 --> 04:20:04.520
reveal dozens of serrated teeth in a gesture Bronson recognized

3716
04:20:04.840 --> 04:20:12.239
as its terrifying attempt to smile. See you next year, Priest,

3717
04:20:13.319 --> 04:20:18.040
it said, and started out of the chamber. It paused

3718
04:20:18.079 --> 04:20:24.440
in the doorway. I forgot my manners. Happy Halloween to

3719
04:20:24.639 --> 04:20:36.319
you as well, and that is our October nightcap for now,

3720
04:20:36.959 --> 04:20:42.719
my spookies. Candy wrappers are strewn about, the moon is

3721
04:20:42.879 --> 04:20:48.959
still a little sketchy, and the shadows are closer than before.

3722
04:20:49.879 --> 04:20:53.600
If you had a wicked time, make sure you're subscribed

3723
04:20:53.639 --> 04:20:57.559
on your favorite podcasting app to get how lloween all

3724
04:20:57.639 --> 04:21:00.200
year long. And if you love what we're doing, head

3725
04:21:00.239 --> 04:21:04.760
toweeklyspooky dot com slash join and get bonus episodes for

3726
04:21:04.799 --> 04:21:07.760
as little as one dollar a month. And don't forget

3727
04:21:07.840 --> 04:21:12.079
Tomorrow a brand new horror story clause its way into

3728
04:21:12.159 --> 04:21:17.040
your feed, and next Tuesday we'll return with another spine

3729
04:21:17.159 --> 04:21:22.120
tingling Halloween horror compilation to keep you shivering in your

3730
04:21:22.159 --> 04:21:26.319
pumpkin spice latte. And leave us a review on your

3731
04:21:26.360 --> 04:21:30.959
favorite podcasting app, whether it's Apple Podcasts or Spotify to

3732
04:21:31.079 --> 04:21:33.360
help us in a way that doesn't cost you anything.

3733
04:21:33.920 --> 04:21:38.040
A five star rating helps other spookies discover the show

3734
04:21:38.200 --> 04:21:42.200
and make sure they get in the spirit of the season.

3735
04:21:43.159 --> 04:21:47.639
Until tomorrow, lock the doors, check the closets, and keep

3736
04:21:47.680 --> 04:21:51.040
a little candy by the bed just in case.