WEBVTT
1
00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:05.799
It began as a Halloween prank, just dirt grass seed
2
00:00:06.320 --> 00:00:10.439
and an old legend whispered in the dark. But what
3
00:00:10.679 --> 00:00:15.359
came crawling out of that graveyard wasn't a joke. It
4
00:00:15.519 --> 00:00:20.280
was alive. And this year the dirt babies are back
5
00:00:20.839 --> 00:00:25.039
and hungry for the ones who made them.
6
00:00:25.280 --> 00:00:32.880
There's a shill in the air. Must befall join me
7
00:00:33.920 --> 00:00:37.320
for a tale of Halloween.
8
00:00:41.560 --> 00:00:46.880
You will experience tales of over a ghosts and dam
9
00:00:48.039 --> 00:00:55.399
It is not recommended for the week at Heart.
10
00:00:56.399 --> 00:01:01.159
Join me for a tale of howl.
11
00:01:03.960 --> 00:01:19.760
Is Weekly Spooky. Hello, my spookies, It's Wednesday, the Wednesday
12
00:01:19.799 --> 00:01:25.400
before Halloween, and since it's October, this is the twenty
13
00:01:25.599 --> 00:01:29.359
ninth day of something spooky for you to listen to
14
00:01:29.599 --> 00:01:33.879
right here to make sure you're in the spirit of
15
00:01:33.920 --> 00:01:38.239
the season. I'm your host and narrator, Enrique Kuto, and
16
00:01:38.319 --> 00:01:42.920
we have quite the monstrous scare story for you tonight,
17
00:01:43.560 --> 00:01:48.359
a full length novella about the carnage in Mayhem that
18
00:01:48.519 --> 00:01:52.400
can come in small packages. But before we get to that,
19
00:01:52.480 --> 00:01:55.120
I want to say a huge thank you to our
20
00:01:55.200 --> 00:02:00.599
newest sponsor here at Weekly Spooky Cozy Earth, Because if
21
00:02:00.599 --> 00:02:05.000
you love listening to terrifying tales, whether around Halloween or
22
00:02:05.599 --> 00:02:09.000
all year round. Like you're at Weekly Spooky, you know
23
00:02:09.039 --> 00:02:13.280
how important it is to get comfy while you get scared.
24
00:02:13.719 --> 00:02:20.280
Cozyearth features pajamas, bedding, and of course my favorite bathrobes
25
00:02:20.759 --> 00:02:25.599
made from bamboo viscos, which ensures a very soft and
26
00:02:25.759 --> 00:02:30.039
luxurious feel. And if you head to Cozyarth dot com
27
00:02:30.080 --> 00:02:34.400
and use the promo code Spooky, my listeners get forty
28
00:02:34.599 --> 00:02:39.439
one percent off their order, the best deal anywhere. And
29
00:02:39.560 --> 00:02:43.759
of course, every purchase supports Weekly Spooky. So head to
30
00:02:43.840 --> 00:02:48.960
cozyerth dot com and type in promo code Spooky at checkout.
31
00:02:49.479 --> 00:02:54.280
Get something comfy while you enjoy something scary. Thank you
32
00:02:54.400 --> 00:02:58.840
so much to Cozy Earth for supporting the shell. Now,
33
00:02:58.919 --> 00:03:05.080
as for tonight, imagine making something with your own two hands,
34
00:03:05.120 --> 00:03:13.439
something small, harmless, even a little silly. Now, imagine watching
35
00:03:13.520 --> 00:03:18.840
it move on its own in a forgotten asylum where
36
00:03:19.000 --> 00:03:25.680
tragedy sleeps beneath the floorboards. On Halloween night, an entire
37
00:03:25.840 --> 00:03:29.240
town of kids are about to learn that even the
38
00:03:29.360 --> 00:03:36.159
smallest monsters can have the deadliest bites. Tonight, my spookies,
39
00:03:36.919 --> 00:03:41.520
beware what you bring to life, because it just might
40
00:03:42.240 --> 00:03:54.360
Remember You Asylum of the Dirt Babies by Bruce Haney,
41
00:03:55.599 --> 00:04:00.439
Chapter one. Thomas hated being at the bottom of the
42
00:04:00.479 --> 00:04:04.199
pecking order at school, but it would be a lie
43
00:04:04.240 --> 00:04:07.840
to say he wasn't used to it. It seemed like
44
00:04:07.960 --> 00:04:12.280
his parents would move every year for one reason or another,
45
00:04:13.120 --> 00:04:16.040
and then he would find himself at a new school,
46
00:04:16.639 --> 00:04:21.759
having to make new friends once again. For seventh grade,
47
00:04:22.160 --> 00:04:26.000
he entered Locust Grove Middle School. In the two months
48
00:04:26.040 --> 00:04:29.439
since school started, he had managed to make a couple
49
00:04:29.480 --> 00:04:34.000
of good friends, a dork named Chris and a les
50
00:04:34.279 --> 00:04:38.839
named Maria. Not his words, of course, they were the
51
00:04:38.920 --> 00:04:42.480
insults that the kids he was waiting to meet called them.
52
00:04:43.399 --> 00:04:48.040
Their name for him was Spaz. He was meeting them
53
00:04:48.079 --> 00:04:52.560
at an abandoned building. They were late, he had plenty
54
00:04:52.560 --> 00:04:57.319
of time to look around. He didn't possess any knowledge
55
00:04:57.360 --> 00:05:01.319
of architecture, so he knew nothing about how old the
56
00:05:01.360 --> 00:05:05.480
building was, but he assumed it had been abandoned for
57
00:05:05.560 --> 00:05:09.959
at least a few decades. Above the door, he saw
58
00:05:10.000 --> 00:05:13.399
a metal plaque that had been spray painted over at
59
00:05:13.439 --> 00:05:18.079
some point to hide the name, but time and weather
60
00:05:18.800 --> 00:05:22.600
had taken its toll, so he could just make out
61
00:05:23.040 --> 00:05:29.519
that it said Locust Grove Insane Asylum. Knowing a bit
62
00:05:29.600 --> 00:05:33.759
more about history than architecture, he knew that that was
63
00:05:33.800 --> 00:05:38.600
an antiquated name, so he assumed it had closed some
64
00:05:38.879 --> 00:05:44.240
time before the nineteen sixties. With all the broken windows
65
00:05:44.279 --> 00:05:48.519
and graffiti, he wondered how long before they bulldozed the
66
00:05:48.600 --> 00:05:52.279
old building. He thought about how fun it would be
67
00:05:52.519 --> 00:05:56.639
to explore the place, but it appeared that every exit
68
00:05:56.959 --> 00:06:01.199
was boarded up and the windows all had bars on them.
69
00:06:02.519 --> 00:06:05.439
From the corner of his eye, he thought he saw
70
00:06:05.480 --> 00:06:10.399
something moving in the old building, but by the time
71
00:06:10.439 --> 00:06:13.800
he turned his head to focus on the window, what
72
00:06:13.920 --> 00:06:19.120
he thought he saw was gone. He was so engrossed
73
00:06:19.279 --> 00:06:24.319
watching for more movement that he didn't realize that somebody
74
00:06:24.959 --> 00:06:30.319
was approaching him. Woo, Zeke yelled. Zeke and his two
75
00:06:30.399 --> 00:06:35.279
friends laughed. Thomas jumped, I didn't know you were a
76
00:06:35.360 --> 00:06:40.319
scaredy cat. I'm not, I just Thomas started to say,
77
00:06:41.120 --> 00:06:45.680
then thought better of it. Never mind, he didn't want
78
00:06:45.720 --> 00:06:48.959
to show how stressed he was to be meeting Zeke
79
00:06:49.040 --> 00:06:52.839
and his friends. They were a grade older than him,
80
00:06:53.399 --> 00:06:57.639
and they were bullies. Thomas figured that they were only
81
00:06:57.720 --> 00:07:03.120
popular because their parents had much They all wore those expensive,
82
00:07:03.240 --> 00:07:07.720
big puffy DC skate shoes, and Zeke wore a no
83
00:07:08.000 --> 00:07:12.040
Fear shirt with a matching hat whose bill had been
84
00:07:12.160 --> 00:07:16.439
so curved and worked over that the sides almost touched.
85
00:07:17.319 --> 00:07:21.040
I can't believe I scared you that easily, Zeke laughed,
86
00:07:21.839 --> 00:07:26.720
You didn't scare me. Sure want to hear something really scary?
87
00:07:27.439 --> 00:07:32.279
Zeke asked, sure. I guess nobody told you about what
88
00:07:32.439 --> 00:07:37.800
happened around here last year, did they? Collins added, you
89
00:07:37.839 --> 00:07:44.800
haven't heard about their reign of terror? Andrew laughed there, Yeah,
90
00:07:45.639 --> 00:07:51.240
they killed my cousin. Zeke said he was killed by
91
00:07:51.319 --> 00:07:56.720
the dirt babies. Thomas tried not to laugh. He really did.
92
00:07:57.240 --> 00:08:00.680
He bit his tongue in everything he knew. Laughing at
93
00:08:00.759 --> 00:08:06.639
Zeke was a ticket to Knucklesville. Dirt Babies. You have
94
00:08:06.720 --> 00:08:10.879
to be kidding me? Are you calling me a liar? Spaz?
95
00:08:11.639 --> 00:08:16.680
Zeke asked, no, man, just Thomas took a moment to
96
00:08:16.800 --> 00:08:21.680
think about what to say. Okay, tell me what is
97
00:08:21.720 --> 00:08:26.040
a dirt baby? So you know what this building was?
98
00:08:27.120 --> 00:08:32.600
Thomas didn't respond. What if I told you that was
99
00:08:32.679 --> 00:08:37.799
the Locust Grove Insane Asylum, I would say, I know,
100
00:08:38.559 --> 00:08:41.600
I can read the words from that spray painted over sign.
101
00:08:42.720 --> 00:08:48.399
Thomas's snotty answer annoyed Zeke's friends. Let's kick his ass,
102
00:08:48.600 --> 00:08:53.559
Andrew said. Collins put his fists up. Zeke waved a
103
00:08:53.600 --> 00:08:57.440
hand at them. It closed down in the nineteen forties
104
00:08:58.000 --> 00:09:05.799
after Jonathan Allison, a pace and madman killed eighty people there. Okay,
105
00:09:06.480 --> 00:09:12.240
Thomas said, not understanding the point. Well, last year, some
106
00:09:12.440 --> 00:09:15.679
kids decided to use some dirt from the grave of
107
00:09:15.720 --> 00:09:21.039
the old Killer to make dirt babies. Sorry, man, you
108
00:09:21.159 --> 00:09:24.759
have to explain to me what is a dirt baby.
109
00:09:25.759 --> 00:09:30.759
Zeke signaled to Collins. You put dirt in a nylon stocking,
110
00:09:30.919 --> 00:09:34.200
add some grass seed to become its hair, tie it off,
111
00:09:34.200 --> 00:09:37.360
and then decorate the outside to look like a person.
112
00:09:38.080 --> 00:09:45.559
Colin said, okay, Thomas replied, look man, Zeke said, and
113
00:09:45.639 --> 00:09:49.159
then put his arm around Thomas. I think you have
114
00:09:49.360 --> 00:09:52.639
potential to be cool. You could even be a part
115
00:09:52.679 --> 00:09:57.279
of my group. You have confidence. Any other seventh grader
116
00:09:57.320 --> 00:10:00.720
wouldn't be mouthing off like you are. But you need
117
00:10:00.759 --> 00:10:05.679
to prove yourself first. All right, what are you trying
118
00:10:05.720 --> 00:10:10.440
to get me to do? Initiation? Go to the killer's
119
00:10:10.440 --> 00:10:15.480
grave and bring me back some dirt. Simple, Why do
120
00:10:15.519 --> 00:10:19.639
you want it? To freak out the girls? They believe
121
00:10:19.679 --> 00:10:25.440
in that dirt? Baby nonsense, So it is bs, of course,
122
00:10:26.200 --> 00:10:29.399
So were you gonna do it? I don't know. It's
123
00:10:29.559 --> 00:10:33.159
kind of wrong to mess with somebody's grave. He was
124
00:10:33.240 --> 00:10:36.360
a murderer. If it's okay to mess with anybody's grave,
125
00:10:36.440 --> 00:10:41.759
it would be his look extra incentive. I'll share my
126
00:10:41.919 --> 00:10:46.639
candy hall with you. You trick or treat? No, I
127
00:10:46.720 --> 00:10:50.679
mean the candy I steal from the sixth and seventh graders.
128
00:10:51.440 --> 00:10:54.080
All right, but you remember the deal for me coming
129
00:10:54.120 --> 00:10:58.039
out here, right, you'll leave me and my friends alone.
130
00:10:58.759 --> 00:11:03.360
You have friends, Colin laughed. Give me two names and
131
00:11:03.440 --> 00:11:07.960
I'll leave those two alone. Zeke said, there's no way
132
00:11:08.000 --> 00:11:12.639
he has more than two friends. Andrew laughed. Maria and
133
00:11:12.759 --> 00:11:18.879
Chris Thomas said, who are they? Zeke asked the dork
134
00:11:18.960 --> 00:11:23.720
in the les Colins answered, how can I not mess
135
00:11:23.720 --> 00:11:27.279
with them? On Halloween? Of all nights? The dork is
136
00:11:27.440 --> 00:11:34.000
the biggest dweb, Zeke said, deal Thomas stated, while sticking
137
00:11:34.039 --> 00:11:38.519
his hand out instead of shaking it. Zeke pulled a
138
00:11:38.559 --> 00:11:41.440
baggie out of the pocket of his jorts and put
139
00:11:41.440 --> 00:11:47.440
it in Thomas's hand. Deal, all right, get to it,
140
00:11:47.879 --> 00:11:53.039
Zeke said. As they watched him walk away. Andrew asked,
141
00:11:53.840 --> 00:11:57.440
why include him? Why didn't we just do it ourselves?
142
00:11:58.720 --> 00:12:03.679
Because it's fun to freak out the seventh graders. Zeke said,
143
00:12:04.559 --> 00:12:07.000
I can't believe he thinks we're going to be friends.
144
00:12:08.320 --> 00:12:18.159
They all laughed. The further Thomas went into the woods,
145
00:12:18.759 --> 00:12:23.240
the more uneasy he felt. Just like the building. The
146
00:12:23.320 --> 00:12:27.200
path was on the low maintenance plan, so it was
147
00:12:27.320 --> 00:12:32.120
thick with blackberries and layers of rotting leaves from years
148
00:12:32.120 --> 00:12:37.000
of neglect and rainfall. Many of the graves were covered
149
00:12:37.039 --> 00:12:41.600
in moss, and others were broken or falling apart, but
150
00:12:41.720 --> 00:12:45.559
a few were readable. He read them out loud as
151
00:12:45.559 --> 00:12:50.440
he searched for the one Zeke had mentioned. Thomas Leary,
152
00:12:51.360 --> 00:12:59.559
Sarah Burquette, and then finally he saw it, Jonathan Allison.
153
00:13:00.720 --> 00:13:03.559
He had to wipe a layer of leaves away to
154
00:13:03.679 --> 00:13:08.080
get to the dirt. He didn't notice the cymbals he
155
00:13:08.240 --> 00:13:12.679
was wiping away. He filled the quart bag Zeke had
156
00:13:12.720 --> 00:13:18.399
given him and then turned to walk away. A sudden
157
00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:23.799
breeze went through the trees, scattering the fallen leaves. This
158
00:13:24.159 --> 00:13:28.720
was the moment that Thomas ran. If he had looked
159
00:13:28.840 --> 00:13:33.039
even a second longer, he would have noticed the single
160
00:13:33.159 --> 00:13:38.679
exposed googly eye and how the dirt under it moved
161
00:13:39.320 --> 00:13:44.679
ever so slightly. Thomas slowed down and caught his breath
162
00:13:45.159 --> 00:13:50.799
before getting back to Zeke and his friends. Finally, you loser,
163
00:13:51.200 --> 00:13:54.200
it took you long enough. I thought we were cool.
164
00:13:55.200 --> 00:13:59.519
Zeke took the bag of dirt from Thomas. Cool with
165
00:13:59.679 --> 00:14:03.519
a s bas like you, Zeke laughed, and then in
166
00:14:03.559 --> 00:14:08.159
a mocking tone, I'm Thomas. I'm scared of dirt babies,
167
00:14:08.320 --> 00:14:12.399
but maybe the cool kid'll be nice to me. You suck,
168
00:14:12.960 --> 00:14:17.279
Thomas said, and then turned to walk away. So does
169
00:14:17.320 --> 00:14:23.600
your mom? Zeke said, what did you say? Zeke smiled
170
00:14:23.639 --> 00:14:28.120
at him. Collins and Andrew pushed out their chests, ready
171
00:14:28.159 --> 00:14:32.480
to fight. I'm ready to go if you are, Zeke said.
172
00:14:33.559 --> 00:14:43.080
Thomas turned and walked away. The Pumpkin was the first
173
00:14:43.159 --> 00:14:47.960
one to reform a dirt baby that had the characteristics
174
00:14:48.120 --> 00:14:52.480
of a pumpkin because of his lack of humanity. He
175
00:14:52.679 --> 00:14:56.960
had the least amount of personality. He was a hopping
176
00:14:57.120 --> 00:15:03.360
killer who only made guttural noises. Bucky was next. He
177
00:15:03.480 --> 00:15:08.039
had arms and legs, big buck teeth, and purple eyebrows,
178
00:15:08.720 --> 00:15:13.919
making him the silliest of them. Then goth Baby and
179
00:15:14.200 --> 00:15:19.360
vampire Baby began to form. The goth one looked like
180
00:15:19.399 --> 00:15:22.840
a young David Vanion from the British punk band The
181
00:15:23.000 --> 00:15:29.039
Damned Vampire Baby looked like a vampire because of his large,
182
00:15:29.519 --> 00:15:35.759
sharp teeth. What's the plan, Bucky asked, Kill as many
183
00:15:35.799 --> 00:15:40.559
people as we can. GoF Baby said, that's a good start,
184
00:15:41.399 --> 00:15:49.159
Vampire Baby said. The pumpkin made an approving, slimy guttural noise. Well,
185
00:15:49.519 --> 00:15:53.559
if Pumpkin is on board, let's get to it, goth
186
00:15:53.679 --> 00:16:04.159
Baby said. Two. Kristen stood in her mirror as she
187
00:16:04.320 --> 00:16:08.639
fixed her makeup. It had been perfect, but that was
188
00:16:08.720 --> 00:16:13.519
before she started crying. Today was the anniversary of when
189
00:16:13.600 --> 00:16:17.919
her missteps with witchcraft led to the creation of killer
190
00:16:18.039 --> 00:16:21.960
dirt babies, a mistake that led to the death of
191
00:16:22.080 --> 00:16:25.440
two of her best friends and a few other people.
192
00:16:26.679 --> 00:16:31.039
She had been depressed all year, most people didn't notice
193
00:16:31.120 --> 00:16:35.360
the difference. Sadness went hand in hand with the goth
194
00:16:35.519 --> 00:16:40.039
subculture at her high school. Before, she attempted to look
195
00:16:40.080 --> 00:16:43.399
sad because she thought it made people think she was deep.
196
00:16:44.080 --> 00:16:48.879
But now she was depressed. The music she was listening
197
00:16:48.919 --> 00:16:52.879
to was last year's Gloom Macabre record. It was a
198
00:16:52.960 --> 00:16:55.799
record that her friends were supposed to listen to for
199
00:16:55.879 --> 00:17:00.639
the first time last Halloween, but then she got a
200
00:17:00.679 --> 00:17:06.079
babysitting gig and the whole dirt Baby's thing happened, so
201
00:17:06.279 --> 00:17:10.839
Sarah and Sid never heard the record. She had the
202
00:17:10.920 --> 00:17:16.279
repeat button set on track fourteen. Titled This Rotten Little
203
00:17:16.359 --> 00:17:21.839
Heart of Mine, the song was dark and slow. The
204
00:17:21.880 --> 00:17:26.880
minor keys and suspended chords created a haunting sound that
205
00:17:26.960 --> 00:17:31.319
the lyrics built upon beautifully. In the shadows of this
206
00:17:31.519 --> 00:17:36.079
rotting Heart, love cannot grow in the center of a hole,
207
00:17:36.599 --> 00:17:40.599
in a place so dark? Who needs a soul? Let
208
00:17:40.640 --> 00:17:43.799
it go? Let it go. I don't want to be
209
00:17:44.079 --> 00:17:48.319
in control. The song had been a key factor in
210
00:17:48.359 --> 00:17:52.960
the hate for Gloom Macabre by parent groups. They felt
211
00:17:52.960 --> 00:17:57.279
that it was a pro suicide song. They were right,
212
00:17:57.920 --> 00:18:02.079
and it was the chorus that made that clear. It's
213
00:18:02.160 --> 00:18:05.680
time to let everything go. I can do this no
214
00:18:05.839 --> 00:18:10.599
more then gloom yells. Cross the road won't ever get
215
00:18:10.599 --> 00:18:13.240
me to the other side. If I ever want to
216
00:18:13.319 --> 00:18:18.039
leave this fucking place, I must face my fate. Kristin
217
00:18:18.160 --> 00:18:23.400
stopped putting on her eyeliner to sing along down the road.
218
00:18:23.480 --> 00:18:28.759
I Go, we go, Let go, let go, let go,
219
00:18:30.359 --> 00:18:35.079
Let's go. That chorus always got her pumped, and she
220
00:18:35.279 --> 00:18:37.960
was afraid she would end up stabbing herself in the
221
00:18:38.000 --> 00:18:42.759
eye as she sang along. Its dark lyrics made her
222
00:18:42.799 --> 00:18:48.000
feel better. A knock was heard at her door. Come in,
223
00:18:48.680 --> 00:18:53.480
Kristin's brother pushed open the door. Bram is here, he
224
00:18:53.640 --> 00:18:58.000
said in a snotty voice. Kristin rushed to finish her makeup.
225
00:18:58.559 --> 00:19:01.759
She was happy with the job she did. Her skin
226
00:19:01.920 --> 00:19:04.680
was smooth and as pale looking as she had hoped for.
227
00:19:05.599 --> 00:19:10.079
The fresh onyx lipstick was applied to perfection, and with
228
00:19:10.160 --> 00:19:14.079
her thick eyeliner, she looked as close to Nancy Downs
229
00:19:14.079 --> 00:19:18.559
from the Craft as she could, although her dyed black
230
00:19:18.599 --> 00:19:22.480
hair was longer and wavier, and of course, her dull
231
00:19:22.559 --> 00:19:28.000
brown eyes couldn't compare to Nancy's wild blue ones. Let
232
00:19:28.079 --> 00:19:31.920
him in, You let him in, You left him at
233
00:19:31.920 --> 00:19:35.559
the door. He's your friend. You're lucky I told you
234
00:19:35.640 --> 00:19:38.519
he was here. Remember what Mom and Dad said when
235
00:19:38.559 --> 00:19:42.160
they left no boys in the house. They said, no
236
00:19:42.319 --> 00:19:46.480
friends over. And you've been breaking that rule too. Kristen
237
00:19:46.559 --> 00:19:50.200
walked to the front door and opened it. Come in.
238
00:19:51.119 --> 00:19:55.400
She was always a little disappointed when she saw a Bram.
239
00:19:55.480 --> 00:19:58.720
Now he was still hot, but he had made a