Dec. 25, 2024

A Sinister Santa Spectacle - A Dark and Twisted Holiday Anthology!

A Sinister Santa Spectacle - A Dark and Twisted Holiday Anthology!
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Join Jack Scratch as he tells two chilling Christmas tales of greed, betrayal, and supernatural revenge. From cursed gifts to haunting carolers, this holiday horror anthology will leave you questioning the true spirit of Christmas.

A Sinister Santa Spectacle by Keith Tomlin

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WeeklySpooky@gmail.com

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

Executive Producers
Rob Fields
Mark Shields
Bobbletopia.com

Produced by Daniel Wilder

This episode is sponsored by 
HenFlix.com

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📬 Contact Us / Submit Your Horror Story!


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

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In order to properly celebrate Christmas Day, I've invited my

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good buddy Jack Scratch to share two terrifying tales of

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holiday horror that I know you're going to enjoy. You'll

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get to learn why it's truly better to give than

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to receive. You'll also learn how to carol with loved

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ones even if they're dead.

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What's that you want to be scared? Come with me.

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You will experience tales over opera, ghosts, and death death.

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It is not recommended at the butt of week at

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heart heart listeners in the dark. It's more fun at

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that way way. This is Weekly Spooking.

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Hello, my Spookyes, it's Wednesday, and you know what that means.

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It's time for a little spooky in your weekly I'm

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your host and narrator, Enrique Kuto. And it's also Christmas.

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If you're listening to this on Christmas, thank you for

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inviting me to be part of your day. I know

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many people don't celebrate Christmas or don't take it very seriously,

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and that's okay. I believe the holidays are what you

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want to make of them. But I'm honored either way

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to spend this day with you. So I'm not gonna

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give you a sales pitch about Patreon or about going

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to the website or anything like that. But what I

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do have for you is one last gift this holiday season,

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and it is a super fun, super creepy, super disturbing

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story written by my good friend Keith tom Oh. Yes,

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you better be ready because this story is as demented

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and depraved as they come. There's no happy endings and

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tearful goodbyes in this story. No, no, We're going full

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evil right after this A Sinister Santa Spectacle by Keith Tomlin.

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The lights from the huge Christmas tree sitting in the

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middle of the small park next to City Hall lit

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up the street, a mist in the air, giving each

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light a halo. The cold wind blew the light layer

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of snow across the sidewalk and street. Many people stood

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around the tree with their children in hand, enjoying the

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holiday display. From deep within the branches of the Christmas

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tree appeared a man like silhouette that solidified as it

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got closer to the outside of the tree. A tall,

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impossibly thin man stepped out from the branches and held

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his hand up high, one holding a silver cane as

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if he was a rock star on stage. Acknowledging his

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many adoring fans, he wore a Christmas version of a

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ring master. His two tailed jacket was green with tufts

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of white fur at the cuffs. On his head sat

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a red top hat, which itself was topped with a

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Santa hat. Sitting at an impossible angle, he did a

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forward roll, barely missing several spectators who seemed to have

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only eyes for the tree, as they did not react

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to his antics. Hello, children, adults, and those in between.

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I am your humble servant, Jack Scratch. It's been years,

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the speaker spun around, since I've been able to experience

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the joy and agony that is Christmas. I normally only

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make it to the mortal realm on Halloween, but I

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was exceptionally busy this year. After all, with the election

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and all, it's been a banner year for the big

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guy downstairs. And the dark Lord took pity on his

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unworthy minion. He bowed in mock humility and allowed me

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to visit on this most holy of occasions, Christmas. This

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is my second favorite holiday. I find the despair and

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greed irresistible. He gestured like he was playing a violin.

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These are a few of my favorite things, he said

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in a musical voice. It's hard to find that perfect

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gift for someone. You think you know what they want,

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but can you really see deep down inside their souls

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for their true heart's desire. Let's see what happens when

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a perfect family finds the perfect gift. He gestured at

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a family of five walking down the street, A couple

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walking arm in arm, and three adorable children. Maybe it's

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not the most clever title, but I think i'll call

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this one hm the gift open a gift on Christmas Eve?

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Why would we do that, Mark said, with an air

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of feigned puzzlement. Come on, dad, Sophia whined. She risked

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a quick glance at the presence piled in front of

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the family Christmas tree, before snapping her eyes back to

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her father. She searched his face, her six year old

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mind trying to comprehend why her father would treat her

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so cruelly. She started to open her mouth to protest

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the injustice of it all, but her older brother beat

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her to it. Dad, you know we do this every year,

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Ethan said, after dinner on Christmas Eve, we always open

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one gift. He pointed at his younger brother and sister.

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I mean, look how excited they are. We can't disappoint

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the children. Both Sophia and Connor, the youngest of the bunch, nodded.

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Wild eyed. Mark tried not to smile. Damn, he thought

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they grow up so fast. Ethan just turned twelve and

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he was already sounding like a lawyer, just like his

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old man. It's been a tough couple of years, starting

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a new job and moving to a new city. He

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hasn't been able to spend as much time at home

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as he liked, but he wanted to provide for his

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family and give them the best life he could. Mark

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rubbed the stubble on his chin. Well, I don't know,

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Mark joined his sister in whining dead, while a three

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year old Connor just giggled and clapped his hands. What

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do you think? Mark looked over at his wife, Susan.

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I think you better stop teasing them, or we may

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have a riot on our hands, Susan said, as she

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reached over and picked up Connor, plopping him in her lap. Okay, fine,

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I know when I'm beaten, Mark conceded. He moved over

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to the end of the couch, and began to look

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through the mound of gifts. He pulled a couple of

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them out and put them on the couch next to him.

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He stopped, looking puzzled and pulled the medium sized box

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out of the pile. He held it up for Susan

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to look at. I don't recognize this wrapping paper. Do

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you know where it came from? Susan leaned forward and

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studied the gift. The wrapping paper depicted a Santa Claus

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with horns and flames surrounding him, sitting in a sled

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being pulled by skeleton reindeer. No, I've never seen that before.

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It's very unsettling, she said, as the chills ran through her.

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Mark looked at every side of the gift. There's not

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a card or anything. He shook it, but couldn't hear anything.

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I'm going to open it, Susan looked apprehensive. Maybe we

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should just put it aside until we figure out who

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it came from. Tearing into the package, Mark did not

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seem to hear her. He tore off the wrapping to

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reveal an ancient looking lacquered wooden box. For some reason,

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the box looked bigger unwrapped. He set the box on

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the coffee table and sat there staring at it for

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a few minutes. His wife and the kids, even the baby,

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also sat there unmoving. Mark shook his head like he

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was jerking away from a dream. He reached out and

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slowly opened the box. The lid seemed to jump and

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sprung all the way open. A smell of ancient dust

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fire and a trace of something else, something sinister and sickening,

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permeated the air. Mark slowly leaned forward and looked into

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the box. He saw a necklace with a pendant hanging

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from it. The pendant showed a skull in the middle

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of a pentagram. When Mark touched the necklace, it flickered,

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and he was now holding a pair of dog tags.

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What Mark whispered as he pulled them from the box

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and held them up. He looked over the dog tags,

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confused until he read the name emblazoned on them.

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Don't go away weakly, Spooky will be right back.

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My god, Mark thought, as he carefully turned them over

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in his hands. These were his grandfathers. He hadn't seen

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them since he was a kid playing soldier with his cousins.

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He remembered the hours spent listening to his grandfather, his hero,

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talking about World War two and Korea. His grandfather had

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an endless supply of amusing anecdotes about army life, which

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he loved telling. When he got a few beers in him,

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he would talk about the more violent side of war,

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and those were Mark's favorite stories. Mark had lost the

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dog tags while playing in the woods when he was eleven.

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His grandfather said he wasn't upset, but Mark could see

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the disappointment in his eyes. Losing them was one of

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the biggest regrets in Mark's life, and now he finally

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had them back. Susan's eyes teared up when she saw

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what Mark pulled from the box. The ragged doll hanging

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from Mark's hands looked like it was being held together

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by only a few threads, but to Susan, the doll

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was perfect. The doll had been her mother's and her

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mother's before her. It was passed on to Susan when

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she was just a toddler. Susan grew up an army brat.

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Her father was an army doctor, and they seemed to

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have to move every year or two. When she was

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growing up, that doll was her constant and sometimes only friend.

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She loved that doll and was devastated when it was

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lost in an apartment fire soon after she graduated from college.

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She slowly began to reach out to take the doll.

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At that moment, Ethan gasped as his dad pulled out

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his old baseball glove. Back in his old house, his

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father used to play catch with him every day after

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school when the weather was nice. On days when they

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couldn't go outside, he remembered sitting in the den while

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his dad went through his massive collection of baseball cards,

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explaining the stats and the history of the players. His

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dad's new job didn't allow him to get home before dark,

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and he kept putting off spending time with Ethan, promising

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to play catch tomorrow, which never seemed to come around.

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His eyes teared up with shame when he thought about

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how he threw the glove away last year in a

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fit of anger and resentment. Ethan had regretted that ever since.

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Sophia stared mesmerized at the little black puppy in her

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father's hands. It was beautiful, its long ears flopping every

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time her dad moved his hands. It's sad, puppy dog

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eyes staring deep into her soul. Every year that she

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could remember, she always asked for a dog for Christmas,

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but her parents kept telling her no that she wasn't

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old enough to take care of one. Susan reached out

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for the doll in her husband's grip. As her hands

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touched it, Mark seemed to jerk back to reality and

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pulled his hands away. Those dog tags are mine. Susan

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lunged forward, grabbing again at the doll. Stop it. What

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are you doing? Why would you want this? Ethan yelled,

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where did you get that glove? It's mine? Look inside

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you'll see my name. He took a swipe at the

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glove in his father's hands, but missed. Using his right hand,

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Mark fended off Susan and Ethan as he held the

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dog tags off to the side With his right hand.

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Mark swung the puppy around, squeezing it so hard that

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it began to whimper. Sophia's little heart broke, and she snapped,

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don't you hurt that dog? She screamed, leaping up onto

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the coffee table and jumping into her dad's lap, inadvertently

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landing on his crotch. Mark screamed in pain as Sophia

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grabbed the dog and ran out of the living room

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and up the stairs. Mark screamed, you little bitch, get

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back here. Susan yelled, bring mommy her doll. She jumped

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to her feet, causing Connor to be flung forward, hitting

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the side of his head on the edge of the

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coffee table. He hit the ground and began screaming in pain.

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Susan didn't seem to notice as she ran off after Sophia.

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Both Mark and Ethan leapt up and ran out of

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the room. Following Susan. Mark stepped on Connor's leg as

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he ran by. No one heard the crack of a

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bone breaking or of a baby crying. The two adults

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and Ethan searched the second floor looking for their gift.

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Ethan entered the laundry room, pausing to see if he

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could hear anything. Hearing only silence, He looked under the

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folding table and behind the door and did not see Sophia.

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He pulled the door of a cabinet open, and there

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she was, cradling his baseball glove to her like it

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was a baby. She screamed and began kicking at him, grunting.

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He grabbed her leg and dragged her out onto the floor.

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Her head hit with a loud thump on the floor.

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As she laid there, dazed, screaming with triumph, Ethan grabbed

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the glove and began to run. After only two steps,

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he stumbled, tripped up by Sophia, who latched onto his leg.

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The glove flew across the room, bouncing off of the dryer.

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Sophia grabbed her puppy and began to stand when a

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toolbox slammed down on the back of her head. A

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panting Ethan growled with frustration as he tossed the toolbox aside.

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The box hit the wall and popped open, spilling screwdrivers

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in a hammer across the floor. Grabbing the baseball glove,

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Ethan ran out of the room and into the hallway.

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Connor's scream subsided, turning more into a loud whimper. The

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young man made it to the top of the stairs

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before a hand grabbed the back of his shirt and

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spun him around. Mark's face was filled with hate as

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he looked at his son.

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Did you hear that? Better check the locks on your doors? Weakly,

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Spooky will be right back.

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When his eyes flickered to the chain and tags in

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Ethan's hand. He screamed in rage. Grabbing Ethan's throat, he

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began to squeeze as he grabbed the tags with his

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other hand. The veins on his throat began to stand

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out as he squeezed even harder, Ethan's eyes bulging. Finally,

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a crack echoed through the hall as Ethan went limp,

239
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dropping the body. Mark stood there examining the dog tags

240
00:18:45.279 --> 00:18:51.599
as the cries from Connor faded into silence. That silence

241
00:18:51.720 --> 00:18:56.400
was broken by a primal scream. Clawing on his face.

242
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Mark grunted as her long fingernails raked a ross his flesh.

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A loud pop echoed through the hall as she dug

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a finger into his left eye. She snatched at the

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doll as one arm snaked around his neck. With a roar,

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Mark reached behind him and grabbed Susan's head. He leaned

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forward as he pulled and flipped Susan forward and over

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the railing into the air. A sickening splat reverberated through

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the house as Susan hit the living room floor below.

250
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Roaring with triumph, Mark turned around and saw his daughter

251
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standing there. Sophia swayed back and forth, blood pouring from

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the back of her head. Confusion filled Mark's face as

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he tried to reach out to move her aside, but

254
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instead slumped to his knees. Looking down, he noticed a

255
00:19:56.480 --> 00:20:01.400
screwdriver sticking out of his chest. He glanced at his

256
00:20:01.559 --> 00:20:08.240
daughter again in confusion and fell forward, driving the screwdriver deeper.

257
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Stumbling forward, shaking her head to try to clear the

258
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double vision, Sophia gently picked up the puppy and headed downstairs,

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00:20:19.319 --> 00:20:23.119
leaving a trail of blood in her wake. She had

260
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to stop several times on the stairs to wait out

261
00:20:26.880 --> 00:20:30.279
bouts of dizziness, but she finally made it to the

262
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bottom and walked across the room. She left bloody footprints

263
00:20:36.119 --> 00:20:39.559
as she stumbled through the puddles of gore that were

264
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her mother. When she made it to the Christmas tree,

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she lay down, embraced her puppy, and closed her eyes

266
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for the last time. Burr Jack shook all over his grin,

267
00:21:12.559 --> 00:21:17.519
belittling his claim. I'm not used to this cold. It's

268
00:21:17.640 --> 00:21:22.759
quite toasty where I'm from. Ah, the sacrifices I make

269
00:21:23.160 --> 00:21:30.079
for my fans, he sighed mockingly. He looked around. I

270
00:21:30.279 --> 00:21:34.519
do so miss the hustle and bustle of kids running

271
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around for trick or treating unsupervised. Jack stated, But it

272
00:21:40.640 --> 00:21:45.880
seems like the streets are getting pretty bear here. Not

273
00:21:46.000 --> 00:21:51.680
that many people out and about, except maybe for carollers,

274
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he said, pointing at a house where a small group

275
00:21:56.359 --> 00:22:02.920
of people stood around a front porch singing Christmas carols. Well,

276
00:22:03.839 --> 00:22:14.039
I suppose we'll just call this one the carrollers. Phil

277
00:22:14.160 --> 00:22:18.480
Miller closed the wedding album and wiped the tears from

278
00:22:18.480 --> 00:22:23.079
his eyes. He took another drink of whiskey and looked

279
00:22:23.160 --> 00:22:28.000
longingly at the picture of a happy, older couple standing

280
00:22:28.039 --> 00:22:32.160
in front of an ancient ruin, smiling like they had

281
00:22:32.240 --> 00:22:39.359
the rest of eternity together. God, I miss you, he mumbled.

282
00:22:40.200 --> 00:22:43.680
The picture was from their trip to Rome, a trip

283
00:22:43.720 --> 00:22:46.799
that his wife, Margaret, had been asking him to go

284
00:22:46.920 --> 00:22:51.680
on for decades. He finally had the time and money

285
00:22:52.440 --> 00:22:55.640
to take the trip after his retirement from his job

286
00:22:56.160 --> 00:23:01.200
driving long haul tractor trailers. He took another swig of whiskey.

287
00:23:02.440 --> 00:23:06.279
God damn it, he said, as he tossed the wedding

288
00:23:06.319 --> 00:23:10.559
album on to the coffee table. Although it had been

289
00:23:10.720 --> 00:23:14.960
almost two years since Margaret died, it still seemed like

290
00:23:15.039 --> 00:23:18.440
he would hear her voice coming from the kitchen telling

291
00:23:18.519 --> 00:23:22.079
him it was time to eat. He could almost smell

292
00:23:22.160 --> 00:23:26.000
the roast cooking in the oven, his favorite meal and

293
00:23:26.079 --> 00:23:30.519
one that she learned to cook to perfection. A hint

294
00:23:30.519 --> 00:23:33.880
of a smile crossed his face as he remembered when

295
00:23:33.920 --> 00:23:37.400
they first wed. He would come home from a twelve

296
00:23:37.400 --> 00:23:41.680
hour shift sweeping up sawdust at Cooper's Lumber, and she

297
00:23:41.839 --> 00:23:45.519
would have dinner ready for him, or at least something

298
00:23:46.119 --> 00:23:50.079
that vaguely resembled dinner. He would say that it looked

299
00:23:50.119 --> 00:23:55.359
good and eat every last burnt bite, both knowing that

300
00:23:55.440 --> 00:24:01.079
it was a lie that woman could burn water. It

301
00:24:01.119 --> 00:24:05.880
took her years, but eventually she became the best cook

302
00:24:05.920 --> 00:24:11.839
he knew, even including his mother. He poured more whiskey

303
00:24:11.920 --> 00:24:16.400
into his glass. The drink didn't make the pain hurt less,

304
00:24:17.240 --> 00:24:21.079
it just made him not care as much. As he

305
00:24:21.200 --> 00:24:26.240
lifted the glass to his mouth, he suddenly realized he

306
00:24:26.240 --> 00:24:31.480
heard singing from outside. He wasn't sure if it just

307
00:24:31.559 --> 00:24:34.720
started or it had been going on a while, and

308
00:24:34.839 --> 00:24:38.119
he was too lost in his memories to notice, but

309
00:24:39.160 --> 00:24:43.079
sure as shit, there was Christmas music coming from his

310
00:24:43.200 --> 00:24:47.839
front yard. Sitting the glass on a side table. He

311
00:24:47.920 --> 00:24:52.319
stood and walked to the picture window, pulling the blinds aside.

312
00:24:52.920 --> 00:24:56.920
He saw seven or eight people standing in a semicircle

313
00:24:57.400 --> 00:25:05.559
facing his front door. God damn Christmas Carollers. Besides the

314
00:25:05.599 --> 00:25:08.759
clerks at the liquor store. He hasn't had contact with

315
00:25:08.799 --> 00:25:13.200
other people since the funeral. Cursing, he made sure his

316
00:25:13.319 --> 00:25:16.400
robe was tied shut and walked to the front door.

317
00:25:17.319 --> 00:25:20.720
As he stepped onto his porch, the cold hit him

318
00:25:20.799 --> 00:25:25.920
like a sledgehammer. Fuck. He thought, this is gonna sober

319
00:25:25.960 --> 00:25:31.359
me up. It was eerie. The Carollers ignored his presence,

320
00:25:32.200 --> 00:25:36.480
continuing to sing Little Drummer Boy, after which they launched

321
00:25:36.519 --> 00:25:40.200
into Silent Night. Phil took a good look at them.

322
00:25:41.319 --> 00:25:47.559
They seemed off somehow. Most were adults, and some of

323
00:25:47.599 --> 00:25:52.359
those were dressed in old timey outfits. The lone child

324
00:25:52.519 --> 00:25:57.240
was a girl, maybe twelve or so, dressed in some

325
00:25:57.359 --> 00:26:03.480
kind of Quaker outfit, her law blonde hair tied in braids.

326
00:26:03.480 --> 00:26:07.119
Phil tried not to shiver and to be polite by

327
00:26:07.160 --> 00:26:10.680
standing there and acting like he was enjoying the show.

328
00:26:12.799 --> 00:26:16.720
You're not safe yet, Weekly Spooky will be right back.

329
00:26:20.279 --> 00:26:25.519
When they finished Silent night. They stopped singing and just

330
00:26:26.440 --> 00:26:33.920
stood there, unmoving, staring at him expectantly. After a minute

331
00:26:33.960 --> 00:26:40.319
of uncomfortable silence, Phil finally spoke, well, that was great,

332
00:26:40.920 --> 00:26:46.759
very uh christmasy. A few more seconds of silence passed

333
00:26:47.359 --> 00:26:51.960
until he spoke again, I'm not sure how to handle this.

334
00:26:52.799 --> 00:26:55.039
My wife used to be the one to take care

335
00:26:55.079 --> 00:26:58.720
of this kind of stuff. He looked at the singers

336
00:26:59.319 --> 00:27:07.039
and none of them moved, each staring unblinking at him. Well,

337
00:27:07.480 --> 00:27:11.240
let me run inside and grab my wallet. He waited

338
00:27:11.279 --> 00:27:16.559
for an acknowledgment, and when none came, he stumbled inside

339
00:27:16.599 --> 00:27:19.400
and retrieved his billfold from a table next to the

340
00:27:19.400 --> 00:27:23.079
front door. When he returned, he walked toward the edge

341
00:27:23.079 --> 00:27:26.920
of the porch. Digging through his wallet, he held out

342
00:27:26.960 --> 00:27:30.759
a twenty dollar bill. Here you go, give it to

343
00:27:30.839 --> 00:27:35.000
charity or divide it between yourselves. Have a merry Christmas.

344
00:27:35.920 --> 00:27:39.559
He stood there for at least ten seconds before the

345
00:27:39.640 --> 00:27:44.519
young girl rushed forward, ripping the bill out of his hands.

346
00:27:45.240 --> 00:27:49.720
She turned and ran off into the darkness. As if

347
00:27:49.720 --> 00:27:53.799
that were a signal. The other singers turned and wordlessly

348
00:27:53.920 --> 00:28:02.279
walked off after her. Okay, Phil said, confused, that was weird.

349
00:28:03.279 --> 00:28:08.720
He shrugged and walked back inside. Shivering from the cold.

350
00:28:09.839 --> 00:28:12.960
He locked the door and stood over a heating duct,

351
00:28:13.720 --> 00:28:17.480
the hot air blowing up into his robe. After the

352
00:28:17.519 --> 00:28:22.000
shivering stopped, he untied his rap and sat back down

353
00:28:22.079 --> 00:28:27.119
on the couch, pouring himself another drink. Margaret would have

354
00:28:27.200 --> 00:28:32.400
loved seeing the carrollers. She loved bullshit like that. After

355
00:28:32.480 --> 00:28:35.480
Beggar's Night, she would talk for a week about the

356
00:28:35.599 --> 00:28:40.559
kids and their costumes. She was a people person, the

357
00:28:40.599 --> 00:28:44.839
total opposite of Phil. She volunteered both at the animal

358
00:28:44.960 --> 00:28:49.559
and homeless shelters. He would often tease her about loving

359
00:28:49.640 --> 00:28:52.880
any kind of strays she could find, to which she

360
00:28:53.000 --> 00:28:56.759
would usually respond about him needing to find a hobby.

361
00:28:57.799 --> 00:29:02.440
He would remind her that he had one. Drinking At

362
00:29:02.480 --> 00:29:06.880
the thought of this, Phil held up his whisky, saluting

363
00:29:07.359 --> 00:29:11.480
his dead spouse. He looked over at the bottom of

364
00:29:11.519 --> 00:29:15.519
the stairs leading up to the second story. That's where

365
00:29:15.559 --> 00:29:20.880
he found her. She died on November first, the night

366
00:29:20.960 --> 00:29:25.480
after trick retreat. He didn't like thinking about that day.

367
00:29:26.440 --> 00:29:29.480
Whenever he did think about it, he would drink until

368
00:29:29.519 --> 00:29:34.279
the memories faded away. True to his word, he raised

369
00:29:34.279 --> 00:29:37.440
the glass to his lips and took a long pull.

370
00:29:38.519 --> 00:29:43.400
The cheap bitter whisky burned his mouth and throat. He

371
00:29:43.480 --> 00:29:46.720
wished he had the money for better whisky, but in

372
00:29:46.759 --> 00:29:50.200
the amounts that he drank this rot cut was all

373
00:29:50.200 --> 00:29:55.400
he could afford. Phil poured more whisky. The glass was

374
00:29:55.440 --> 00:30:00.680
half way to his mouth when he heard singing again.

375
00:30:03.839 --> 00:30:08.440
Those damned carrollers were back. He waited a few moments,

376
00:30:08.799 --> 00:30:13.200
and then, sighing, got up and walked to the front door.

377
00:30:14.359 --> 00:30:18.960
Stepping outside, he put on a fake smile. The carrollers

378
00:30:19.000 --> 00:30:22.200
were singing the second verse of Frosty the snow Man.

379
00:30:22.720 --> 00:30:26.359
When Phil shut the front door, he looked them over

380
00:30:27.119 --> 00:30:31.680
and spotted the little girl with pigtails. Yep, he thought,

381
00:30:32.519 --> 00:30:36.400
this is the same bunch. His eyes flicked over the

382
00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:39.440
back row and it seemed like there were quite a

383
00:30:39.480 --> 00:30:44.799
few more than before. He continued to stand there, faking

384
00:30:44.839 --> 00:30:48.519
a smile, wishing yet again that Margaret was still alive

385
00:30:48.960 --> 00:30:54.039
so she could deal with this bullshit. After Frosty, they

386
00:30:54.079 --> 00:30:57.759
sang jingle bells, and as they did before, when they

387
00:30:57.799 --> 00:31:03.640
finished the second song, they stood there, every eye staring

388
00:31:03.680 --> 00:31:07.960
at him. He pulled his wallet out of his robe

389
00:31:08.000 --> 00:31:12.160
pocket and removed the last of his cash He showed

390
00:31:12.160 --> 00:31:18.279
the empty wallet to the crowd. So, here's like fifty

391
00:31:18.440 --> 00:31:22.799
three dollars. That's all I have, so thanks again. It

392
00:31:22.880 --> 00:31:27.440
was real nice with the singing and everything. He held

393
00:31:27.480 --> 00:31:31.799
the money out and as before, the little blonde girl

394
00:31:31.920 --> 00:31:36.680
ran forward and ripped the money from his hand. After

395
00:31:36.759 --> 00:31:41.880
they all disappeared into the darkness, Phil walked back inside,

396
00:31:42.000 --> 00:31:45.920
tossing his now cashless wallet onto the table next to

397
00:31:45.960 --> 00:31:49.880
the door. He once again warmed up on the heating

398
00:31:49.960 --> 00:31:54.559
duct Before moving to the couch. Phil drank the rest

399
00:31:54.559 --> 00:31:58.200
of his whiskey. He reached over and opened a new bottle,

400
00:31:58.920 --> 00:32:02.680
noticing that this was the one that his son in law, Jonathan,

401
00:32:03.319 --> 00:32:07.319
gave him for Christmas last year. He knew it was

402
00:32:07.359 --> 00:32:11.640
from Jonathan because his daughter April wouldn't have given anything

403
00:32:12.119 --> 00:32:16.839
except for a cold shoulder. Their relationship had been strained

404
00:32:16.880 --> 00:32:19.680
for years, and the death of her mother seemed to

405
00:32:19.720 --> 00:32:23.279
have pushed her over the edge. He shook his head

406
00:32:23.279 --> 00:32:27.720
at the memory of Margaret's funeral. All of the screaming

407
00:32:27.759 --> 00:32:32.559
and accusations from his daughter made that dark day even worse.

408
00:32:34.039 --> 00:32:36.359
So what if in his younger years he had fallen

409
00:32:36.400 --> 00:32:39.279
into the arms of other women. That was between him

410
00:32:39.359 --> 00:32:42.559
and Margaret. He was gone at least four days a week,

411
00:32:42.759 --> 00:32:46.319
delivering cargo all across the country. He was a man,

412
00:32:46.400 --> 00:32:50.279
after all, he had urges, and was it his fault

413
00:32:50.519 --> 00:32:54.720
that drinking made it difficult to resist temptations. He knew

414
00:32:54.759 --> 00:32:59.400
that Margaret was aware, but she forgave his weaknesses. As

415
00:32:59.440 --> 00:33:03.400
long as he indulged away from home, April had no

416
00:33:03.559 --> 00:33:06.319
right to accuse him of cheating, and in front of

417
00:33:06.359 --> 00:33:10.920
strangers no less. He angrily slammed his glass down on

418
00:33:10.960 --> 00:33:14.599
the wooden arm of the couch, splashing whiskey on his hand.

419
00:33:15.519 --> 00:33:19.799
Once again, the hand holding the glass stopped halfway to

420
00:33:19.880 --> 00:33:26.759
his mouth as he heard singing from outside. Are you

421
00:33:26.960 --> 00:33:31.640
fucking kidding me? He thought? He leaped ungainly from the

422
00:33:31.680 --> 00:33:35.759
couch and stumbled to the door, his robe hanging open.

423
00:33:36.519 --> 00:33:40.799
Bursting through the door, he stood, ready to berate the singers,

424
00:33:41.559 --> 00:33:47.880
but the yard was empty. Confused, he stared for a

425
00:33:47.920 --> 00:33:54.599
few seconds before realizing that the singing was coming from

426
00:33:54.640 --> 00:34:02.599
behind him. He turned and stepped back inside, slamming the

427
00:34:02.640 --> 00:34:07.079
front door shut. The carroller seemed to emerge from the

428
00:34:07.119 --> 00:34:12.719
air around him, humming some Christmas song or another. The

429
00:34:12.760 --> 00:34:17.519
pigtailed girl was the only one who was silent. She

430
00:34:17.719 --> 00:34:25.760
stepped forward and touched his bare chest. Remember, she said,

431
00:34:26.960 --> 00:34:30.920
Phil gasped as he dropped to his knees, his mind

432
00:34:31.039 --> 00:34:34.960
going back to the morning of November first, the morning

433
00:34:35.679 --> 00:34:40.400
that Margaret died. He was in bed, sleeping off another

434
00:34:40.480 --> 00:34:46.199
whiskey filled bender. When pain invaded the darkness. He clawed

435
00:34:46.199 --> 00:34:51.199
his way out of unconsciousness and opened his eyes. Margaret

436
00:34:51.239 --> 00:34:54.559
was slapping him as hard as she could across his face.

437
00:34:55.599 --> 00:34:58.639
After a few tries, he was finally able to grab

438
00:34:58.639 --> 00:35:04.280
her hand and stopp He mumbled, what the hell's going on?

439
00:35:05.360 --> 00:35:09.920
How dare you? She screamed, spittle flying from her mouth.

440
00:35:10.719 --> 00:35:12.960
I put up with all the women when you were

441
00:35:12.960 --> 00:35:17.320
on the road. But this, She held up her left hand,

442
00:35:17.800 --> 00:35:22.559
where she clenched a stack of polaroids. This is sick

443
00:35:23.360 --> 00:35:27.840
your own daughter. Phil wiped the sweat from his face,

444
00:35:28.400 --> 00:35:32.480
his brain racing. I don't know what those are. Where

445
00:35:32.480 --> 00:35:35.519
did you get those? I was looking for a pair

446
00:35:35.559 --> 00:35:40.079
of scissors and found these in your desk? You sick bastard.

447
00:35:41.079 --> 00:35:46.559
She was so young. Tears rolled down Margaret's face. Phil's

448
00:35:46.559 --> 00:35:52.639
face was ashen. Damn, he thought, I must have left

449
00:35:52.639 --> 00:35:58.599
that desk drawer unlocked last night. On nights when he overindulged,

450
00:35:58.679 --> 00:36:02.760
which was often and Margaret was asleep, he liked to

451
00:36:02.800 --> 00:36:08.239
spread the pictures out and reminisce about daddy's girl. I

452
00:36:09.199 --> 00:36:12.599
don't know what those are, he said, pointing to the

453
00:36:12.679 --> 00:36:19.840
pictures in her hand. I oh, bullshit, Margaret exclaimed, I'm leaving.

454
00:36:20.400 --> 00:36:24.159
I hope you rotten hell, you bastard. She threw the

455
00:36:24.239 --> 00:36:29.639
pictures at him, turned and stomped away. Phil jumped out

456
00:36:29.639 --> 00:36:34.480
of bed. Wait can we talk about this? Margaret ignored

457
00:36:34.559 --> 00:36:39.239
him and kept moving. Phil followed, trying to convince her

458
00:36:39.280 --> 00:36:43.480
to stay, saying that it was all a misunderstanding. He

459
00:36:43.559 --> 00:36:45.639
caught up to her at the top of the stairs.

460
00:36:46.239 --> 00:36:51.079
He reached out and grabbed her shoulder. She turned, knocking

461
00:36:51.119 --> 00:36:54.920
his hand away and began to shake her finger in

462
00:36:55.039 --> 00:36:59.800
his face. Two Flustered for words, she took a step

463
00:36:59.800 --> 00:37:04.239
back and began to lose her balance. She waved her

464
00:37:04.400 --> 00:37:08.639
arms as she struggled to keep from falling. Phil reached

465
00:37:08.679 --> 00:37:13.239
out with the intent of pulling her toward him towards safety,

466
00:37:14.239 --> 00:37:18.239
but his hand seemed to have a mind of its own,

467
00:37:18.559 --> 00:37:25.280
as he gave her a small, almost gentle push, Margaret

468
00:37:25.320 --> 00:37:29.679
plunged down the stairs, her head hitting a step halfway down,

469
00:37:30.360 --> 00:37:34.159
and there was a loud crack as her skull was

470
00:37:34.199 --> 00:37:39.760
twisted sideways. She landed on her stomach, her face looking

471
00:37:39.880 --> 00:37:45.840
up toward the ceiling. Phil stood there, shocked the reality

472
00:37:45.880 --> 00:37:50.880
of the situation finally hitting him. He cleaned up all

473
00:37:50.920 --> 00:37:55.199
the pictures and fed them to the shredder. He placed

474
00:37:55.199 --> 00:37:57.719
a hamper of clothes at the top of the stairs

475
00:37:58.119 --> 00:38:01.119
at an angle to make it look like she tripped

476
00:38:01.480 --> 00:38:05.880
and fell. Once he had the scene set, he called

477
00:38:05.880 --> 00:38:09.480
the paramedics to let them know that he had woken

478
00:38:09.559 --> 00:38:15.840
up to find his wife dead. The pigtailed girl removed

479
00:38:15.840 --> 00:38:20.320
her hand and Phil pitched forward, curling up on the

480
00:38:20.400 --> 00:38:25.320
floor whimpering. She patted the top of his head like

481
00:38:25.400 --> 00:38:28.960
she would apprized pet and helped him to his feet.

482
00:38:36.000 --> 00:38:41.159
Later that night, forty six miles away in Middletown, Ron Stewart,

483
00:38:41.440 --> 00:38:45.559
thirty five, was sitting on the couch, eating chips, drinking

484
00:38:45.639 --> 00:38:50.519
diet coke, and watching TV. As he watched, he wiped

485
00:38:50.519 --> 00:38:53.440
the grease in salt from his hands on the couch cushion,

486
00:38:54.039 --> 00:38:57.440
something he would never have done if his mother was

487
00:38:57.480 --> 00:39:02.119
still alive, that is, if he hadn't killed her three

488
00:39:02.199 --> 00:39:06.920
years ago. He cocked his head as if hearing a noise.

489
00:39:07.880 --> 00:39:12.079
He muted the TV and heard singing coming from his

490
00:39:12.119 --> 00:39:16.880
front yard. Putting the bag of chips down, he walked

491
00:39:16.920 --> 00:39:20.400
to the front porch and saw a group of carollers

492
00:39:21.079 --> 00:39:27.199
singing White Christmas. Standing in front was a little blonde

493
00:39:27.199 --> 00:39:32.679
girl with pigtails. Standing next to her was an older

494
00:39:32.760 --> 00:39:50.039
man wearing a robe. Ron stepped outside to greet the carrollers. Ah,

495
00:39:50.119 --> 00:39:53.480
it's so nice to see a family spending time with

496
00:39:53.559 --> 00:39:58.440
each other in these hectic times. Almost brings a tear

497
00:39:58.559 --> 00:40:03.039
to my eye. With an exaggerated gesture, he wipes at

498
00:40:03.039 --> 00:40:08.559
his eyes. It's always difficult to find that perfect gift,

499
00:40:08.559 --> 00:40:14.199
but when you do, it's just so much sweeter. Jack

500
00:40:14.320 --> 00:40:17.880
checked his watch. Oh my, it's later than I thought.

501
00:40:18.519 --> 00:40:22.280
I'd better get going, but first I need to find

502
00:40:22.320 --> 00:40:27.199
the old big red a gift. I have the perfect thing.

503
00:40:28.239 --> 00:40:31.400
Jack reached the front gate of an expensive looking house.

504
00:40:32.360 --> 00:40:36.079
Using the cane, He tapped its latch and it popped open.

505
00:40:37.079 --> 00:40:39.519
Swinging the cane like he didn't have a care in

506
00:40:39.559 --> 00:40:42.920
the world, Jack walked up to the front door, and

507
00:40:43.039 --> 00:40:47.679
went inside. He headed past the stairs to the upper level,

508
00:40:48.280 --> 00:40:52.559
effortlessly avoiding the body and gore that covered the floor.

509
00:40:53.480 --> 00:40:57.559
He approached the Christmas tree and leaned down, grabbing a

510
00:40:57.599 --> 00:41:02.480
necklace still locked in the hand of a little girl.

511
00:41:02.800 --> 00:41:06.599
When he pulled the necklace up, the congealing blood seemed

512
00:41:06.639 --> 00:41:09.719
to try and hold the arm down, but let go

513
00:41:10.239 --> 00:41:15.679
as more pressure was applied. Jack Scratch held up the necklace,

514
00:41:16.280 --> 00:41:21.119
which appeared to be an amulet showing a skull and pentagram.

515
00:41:21.519 --> 00:41:27.360
Ah perfect, he said, as he pocketed the gift, and

516
00:41:27.480 --> 00:41:33.239
with that I must bid you a jew. Jack removed

517
00:41:33.239 --> 00:41:38.400
his hat and bowed the Santa hat hanging on. Much

518
00:41:38.480 --> 00:41:42.880
to do before next Halloween, and unlike you, I don't

519
00:41:42.880 --> 00:41:46.920
have the time to sit around and listen to podcasts.

520
00:41:47.559 --> 00:41:51.960
I have much more exciting and painful things to listen to.

521
00:41:52.960 --> 00:41:56.400
Jack put his hat back on his head and strolled out,

522
00:41:57.039 --> 00:42:07.079
leaving the house as quiet as a who well, my Spookyes,

523
00:42:07.320 --> 00:42:09.880
I hope I delivered. And a big thank you to

524
00:42:09.920 --> 00:42:13.239
my good buddy Keith Tomlin for such a terrifying tale.

525
00:42:13.760 --> 00:42:17.320
And hopefully he'll bring us even more, Jack Scratch, If

526
00:42:17.360 --> 00:42:20.519
we're all good little boys and girls, and we make

527
00:42:20.599 --> 00:42:23.719
it on the nice list. All Right, my friends, I

528
00:42:23.719 --> 00:42:27.719
hope you have a very, very merry Christmas. I really do,

529
00:42:28.000 --> 00:42:30.480
thank you so much for making this an incredible year.

530
00:42:30.679 --> 00:42:33.159
I'll get even more mushy when we do the New

531
00:42:33.199 --> 00:42:36.599
Year's show. And speaking of there's a New Year's compilation

532
00:42:36.800 --> 00:42:39.719
on Friday, so make sure you're subscribed. You won't want

533
00:42:39.719 --> 00:42:43.199
to miss five tales of New Year's Fear. And I

534
00:42:43.239 --> 00:42:45.880
can't lie. I'm exhausted. I have so much to do

535
00:42:45.960 --> 00:42:48.840
for the holidays, and I am so glad that I

536
00:42:48.880 --> 00:42:51.679
could give you guys a great story that was really scary,

537
00:42:51.960 --> 00:42:55.079
had lots of cool musical moments, and I just hope

538
00:42:55.119 --> 00:42:57.480
it gave you a little bit of a charge for

539
00:42:57.559 --> 00:43:00.000
your holiday. And if you love what we're doing here,

540
00:43:00.039 --> 00:43:02.639
please do consider supporting us on Patreon by going to

541
00:43:02.639 --> 00:43:06.480
Weeklyspooky dot com slash join. For as little as one

542
00:43:06.519 --> 00:43:09.199
dollar a month, you get bonus shows and so much more.

543
00:43:09.400 --> 00:43:12.239
It really makes a huge difference, and it's a little

544
00:43:12.239 --> 00:43:14.920
something under my tree and an extra special, big fat

545
00:43:14.960 --> 00:43:18.079
thank you to our Patreon podcast boosters, folks who pay

546
00:43:18.199 --> 00:43:20.519
just a little bit more to hear their names on

547
00:43:20.559 --> 00:43:24.280
the show and they are Jessica Fuller, Johnny Nix, Jenny Green,

548
00:43:24.559 --> 00:43:28.599
Amber Hansford, Brent McCullough, Karen we Met, Jack Kerr and

549
00:43:28.800 --> 00:43:32.760
Craig Cohen. Thank you all so very very much. And

550
00:43:32.800 --> 00:43:34.320
if you want to hear your name on the show

551
00:43:34.480 --> 00:43:38.000
with all of the other illustrious Patreon podcast boosters, all

552
00:43:38.000 --> 00:43:40.480
you have to do is go to Weeklyspooky dot com

553
00:43:40.599 --> 00:43:43.559
slash join and sign up at the fifteen dollars a

554
00:43:43.599 --> 00:43:47.280
month or higher tier. We really do appreciate it, but

555
00:43:47.320 --> 00:43:49.079
of course you can sign up for as little as

556
00:43:49.119 --> 00:43:51.880
one dollar a month and get all kinds of fun bonuses.

557
00:43:52.599 --> 00:43:54.480
All right, my friends, it's time for me to get

558
00:43:54.519 --> 00:43:57.079
out of here and enjoy my holiday. I hope I

559
00:43:57.119 --> 00:43:59.480
helped you enjoy yours, and I'll see you back here

560
00:43:59.800 --> 00:44:04.000
on Friday, and you never know when. So Mary, Marry,

561
00:44:04.199 --> 00:44:07.960
Merry Christmas. From myself, from my executive producers Rob Fields,

562
00:44:07.960 --> 00:44:11.400
Markshields and babbletopia dot Com, my producer Dan Wilder, and

563
00:44:11.519 --> 00:44:14.320
of course my composer Ray Maddis. I will talk at

564
00:44:14.360 --> 00:44:17.480
you very soon. Thank you for listening.

565
00:44:18.559 --> 00:44:21.440
Make sure to find your way back next week week.

566
00:44:22.199 --> 00:44:27.159
But for now you are safe, trust me.