Nov. 6, 2024

Bite Me -Horror in the Ozarks!

Bite Me -Horror in the Ozarks!
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In tonight’s episode, we embark on a treacherous journey deep into the heart of the Ozarks, where a seemingly innocent camping trip devolves into a nightmarish struggle for survival. 

Bite Me by David O'Hanlon

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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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🎵 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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A camping trip in the Ozarks becomes a fight for

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survival as a group of friends encounter monstrous, bloodthirsty creatures

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on the loose. With each leap, these giant parasites bring

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death closer. Can anyone escape this perversion of nature? This

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mutated monster? What's that You want to be scared? Come

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with me. You will experience tales over opera, ghosts, and death. Death.

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It is not recommended for the week at hartt Listen

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as in the dark, it's more fun at that way way.

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This is Weekly Speaking. Hello, my spookys, It's Wednesday, and

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you know what that means. It means it's time for

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a little spooky in your weekly. I'm your host and narrator,

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Enrique Kuto, and we have quite the terror tale for

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you tonight. But before we get to that, I want

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to remind you to make sure you're subscribed on your

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favorite podcasting app. And while you're at it, leave us

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a five star rating if you think we've earned it,

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because tonight's story is very filly. And if you want

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to know more about Weekly Spooky or how to join

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our patreon, just head toweeklyspooky dot com for all information.

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You may need. But now about tonight's story. Picture this,

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A thick forest stretches for miles, where shadows grow longer

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as the sun dips below the hills of the O's

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The only sounds of the rustling leaves, the chirp of crickets,

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and the crackling of a small campfire. A group of

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friends gather around, thinking it's just another night under the stars,

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just another adventure out in the wild. But the forest

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holds secrets. Some that crawl, some that bite, and some

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that are waiting, lurking in the dark with a hunger

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unlike anything they've ever seen. They thought they'd come here

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to escape the world, to leave their troubles behind. But

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when nature itself turns against them, they'll have to fight

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to survive against a swarm of bloodthirsty creatures. They can't

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outrun creatures that leap and crawl, leaving behind a trail

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of terror, because out here, in the deepest woods, even

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the smallest bite could mean the end. Now let me

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tell you how this peaceful camping trip turned in to

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a nightmare. I'll tell you all about that and so

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much more right after this. Bite me by David O'Hanlon.

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The Rabbit exited the log he'd taken shelter in and

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kicked at the fleas that had done much the same

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inside his ear. The bunny stretched then hopped onto the log.

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His nose twitched in the adorable way that rabbit noses do.

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The air was cool and smelled of the previous night's storm.

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The morning sun caught in the dewdrops bedazzling the high

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grass of the meadow. His beady eyes surveyed the land.

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Parasites be damned. It was a beautiful morning in the Ozarks.

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Just across the field there was a downward slope that

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led to a narrow holler rife with tight caves. Berry

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bushes grew plentifully, and rain water pooled in the various

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porous stones. For the small fur bearers of the forest,

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it was like hanging out at the mall. The rabbit

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was only halfway across the field and could already smell

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the females. He was late to the party, but it

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was better to be late than belated. A persistent eagle

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had chased him for over an hour the day before,

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forcing him out of his normal foraging range. He finally

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managed to escape at the expense of a squirrel that

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had been distracted by an acorn. Even in the woods,

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shit happens. The storm rolled in before the rabbit could

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get back to the warren, necessitating a night in the

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log motel. The rabbit knew arriving late wasn't going to

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hurt his chances any Aside from the fleas, he was

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the perfect spe esmen of rabbit masculinity. He was almost

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to the safety of the trees when a shadow cast

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over him from above. Before he could react, the flaming

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mass struck in front of him. The earth erupted, and

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the rabbit disappeared, his body becoming indistinguishable from the explosion.

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His head bounced when it finally came back down and

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rolled to a stop next to the smoldering crater left

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by the falling object. His dead eyes stared at the

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scorched metal and the strange glow of the otherworldly power

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source that had taken it across the galaxy and inside

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the rabbit's ears. The fleas enjoyed their meal next to

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a romantic radioactive fire. Several months later, Lilah's nails tore

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through the tense nylon bottom as she climaxed yet again,

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Rocco was a terrible boyfriend and a miserable human being,

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but he was a great lay. With that in mind,

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she'd suggested they camp in the woods the night before

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the big reunion in hopes they could fuck away any

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relationship tensions that might boil over during the weekend with

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their former high school click. Rocco groaned and collapsed on

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top of her, signaling the end of round three without

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taking any of his weight off. He reached from the

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nearby pack of camels and pulled one out with his teeth.

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Got a spare. She asked about ten of them, he replied,

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tossing the pack into the corner of the tent. Rocco

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crawled over Lilah and unzipped the entrance, freeing the accumulated

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body heat and pheromones of the last hour. He lit

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his smoke and discarded the lighter before shuffling out into

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the humid Arkansas evening. Twenty yards away, and Tenna twitched

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to life and rose out of the protection of the

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fossie to take in the chemical stench of sex and

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co two. The combination hit the creature's sensory organs, bringing

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it out of its torpor like a fresh cup of Folgers. Rocco,

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the last true gentleman, wiped his cock on the tent

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flap and then walked to the tree line to relieve himself.

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He took a long pull from the cigarette and thought

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about the others as his bladder let loose. Every year

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since high school, they'd gotten together at Hawk's family cabin

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to brag about their accomplishments, and every year Rocco had

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nothing to add to the conversation. He hated those assholes.

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They wasted their lives being overachievers, and every reunion they

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tried to make him feel bad, like he was wasting

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so much potential, as if he did everything he wanted

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to without the burden of success. Successful people set expectations

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that they have to live up to, whereas Roco just

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had to live to exceed expectations. Piss spattered his feet,

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breaking him out of his self congratulations. He looked down

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at his bare toes and something shuffling through the fallen

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leaves toward him. Roco redirected the stream in its direction.

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Whatever it was stopped, but didn't retreat. Kinky, little son

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of a bitch, aren't you? He chuckled. The warm fluid

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rolled down the armored plates to the still stiff limbs

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of the creature. Its simple eyes zeroed in on the

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source of the heat. The glowing end of the cigarette

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could have been an ice cube compared to the bright

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glow of Rocko's shrinking erection. The creature sprang for cover.

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Lilah scuttled out of the tent in a panic. Screams

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drew nearer, and she spun on her hands and knees,

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trying to find out where they were coming from. She

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finally spotted him. He stumbled wildly with a large, dark

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object obscuring his crotch like an over zealous censor. The

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thing fell between his legs, bloated with its first meal.

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Blood erupted from the swollen, torn flesh volcano that had

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once been Rocco's penis and showered the foot long insect.

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It rolled onto all six feet and turned its gaze

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to the hot, terrified exhalations of Lilah. She started to scream,

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but the creature was too fast. In a single bound,

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it covered the distance between them and impacted her face

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with the force of a baseball bat. Teeth flew into

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the darkness, and the giant flea turned its attention to

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the blood pooling in the young woman's mouth. The Surren

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stylets of its mouth plunged into the puddle and threw

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the back of her skull. The next afternoon, that fucking

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losers probably in jail again, Hawk said, as he navigated

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down the steep slope of the holler. Rocco keeps getting older,

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but he's never gonna grow up. Kara and I are

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about to open our second dealership. Rocco's still passing around

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his first demo. The world needs musicians as much as

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it needs car salesman Danny replied. His bands called Thundercock.

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Hawk snorted, let's not pretend he's Beethoven. I meant we

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shouldn't downplay the value of art, not that he was

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making any Thundercock is dog shit. Brian chimed in, But

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I gotta admit they're just as good as a lot

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of mainstream bands. White Snake, Danny said, curiously. Yeah, they're

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on that list, Brian replied, before noticing his wife had

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stopped to inspect something in the foliage. Wait, you mean

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you saw a snake, Brian shivered. The woods are just

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a part of life when you grow up in Arkansas.

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But that doesn't mean you have to like everything about them.

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Ever since an incident in the Scouts, when he first

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came face to face with a copper head nesting on

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the side of a tree trunk, Brian had a lurking

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fear that the scheming serpents constantly surrounded him. Next to

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that log, Danny told him, a solid white snake, that's

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no log, Hawk said, pushing past her for a better look.

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Would it kill y'all to slow down? Kara's thick twang

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called from the top of the embankment. Take your time, honey,

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Frank said, dismissively. The opaque things slithered under the log.

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When the humans got too close. Danny circled the object

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and put a hand on her stomach. Revulsion churned her,

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still digesting breakfast like a queason art. The desiccated skin

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had shrunk back, making the terrifying teeth look even more menacing.

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There was no blood anywhere, Stranger still, no bugs chewed

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on the dehydrated flesh. It's a bear, Hawk, nearly whispered.

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Why does it look like that, Danny asked. Dehydration Brian

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said as he approached. It's been shit, it's mummified. Revenge

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of the mummy Bear. Wah Hawk teased, Come on, man, mummified,

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that's why nothing's eating it. Brian informed him. He's bear jerky.

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Sucks to be him. Hawk shrugged. The lake is calling

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the fuck. Something just touched my ankle. More scares to

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come weekly, spooky, We'll be right back. The leaves shuffled

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around them, and something long and white inched along beneath

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their cover. Then more something's moved. Brian kicked at the

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detritus and saw the six inch larvae crawling hurriedly toward

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the shelter of the bear's corpse. Well that's enough outside

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for me, he grumbled. Ditto Danny whispered, What are y'all

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looking at down there? Kara called as she tried to

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ease down the decline, but only managed a semi controlled

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slide instead. Gosh, did y'all see that? I almost fell

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right on my keister. Ain't this where we saw them

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squirrels last year? The other three looked around at the

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still trees. The dingbat was right. It had been like

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a Disney scene when they last visited, with every variety

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of woodland critter having a block party. Despite the encroachment

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of the nuisance of humans. Even Roco's boombox and his

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metallica tape hadn't been enough to disturb them. But this time,

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where are all the fucking animals? Brian asked. Danny knelt

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beside a strangely shaped stone and flipped it over, revealing

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the bucked teeth. Just like the bear, the jack rabbit

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had been completely dried out by something. Snap it to

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a slim gym Hawk said, holding up the dehydrated remains

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of a raccoon by its tail. What the hell could

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have done this though? Those? Danny Finally he managed to

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get out. She pointed unsteadily toward Kara. The dark sclerites

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that armored their bodies blended in with the rocks jutting

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from the hillside almost perfectly. One of the insects launched

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itself at Kara, so quickly that it appeared to teleport

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from its moss covered perch to the pale skin beneath

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the ragged hem of Kara's cutoffs. The impact sent her

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to the ground with a muted squeal. Two more fleas

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pounced on her. The cracking of her rib cage sent

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the others running Like a starter pistol. A flea jumped,

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covering twenty feet in the blink of an eye. It

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landed between Hawk's broad shoulders and pierced his back, scraping

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against the scapula with its mouth parts. The former football

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star tumbled forward and rolled back to his feet. The

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fall shook the bug loose, but the armored body had

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protected it from the weight of the human crashing down

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on top of it. Another flea landed on his chest.

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Hawk pulled it away before it could bite. He tried

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to squash it in between his hands, and when that

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didn't work, opted for headbutting it. The exoskeleton ruptured with

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a spray of hemolymph a cross Hawk's face. The flea's

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forelimbs grappled with the human's wrists. Its hooked feet latched

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into the muscles and ripped them free from the bone.

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Hawk dropped the bug and stumbled away. He stared helplessly

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at the mauled tissue and exposed arteries within. The two

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fleas leaped at the wounds. Their voracious appetites overpowered the

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giant human in seconds. Hawk's whirled spun, his knees wobbled,

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and his vision blurred. He hit the ground hard, but

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it did not disturb the buffet. Long after everything went dark,

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he could still hear them slurping noisily at the last

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drops of his life. Danny didn't know where the hell

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she was running to, but knew that wherever it was

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would be better than where they'd been. They'd stumbled into

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the monster bug's nest. Once they were far enough away,

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they'd be safe. At least, she hoped that was how

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it worked. She didn't know much about regular insects, let

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alone twelve inch demon fleas. Left Brian gasped, he slowed

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to a jog go left. Danny was breathing too hard

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to speak. Her legs were on fire. She wanted to

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stop running to gather her thoughts to formulate a plan,

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but she was convinced every stone and massive leaves she

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saw was another one of those damned things. She banked left,

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jumping over a fallen log, and veered towards something resembling

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a trail. It is a trail, she realized. Two years before,

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they'd ridden hawks three wheelers along the path to an

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abandoned summer camp on the north end of the lake.

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They weren't far from the cabin. More importantly, they weren't

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far from their jeep. Danny's energy levels surged with her

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new hopefulness. She ignored the pain and pushed onward faster

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than before. After several minutes, the path grew steeper. Her

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legs couldn't hold up any longer, and she fell forward,

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but didn't allow it to stop her. She dug her

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fingers into the earth, crawling along until she could run again,

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then falling and repeating the process all the way to safety.

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She didn't stop until she'd clambered up the steps and

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onto the front porch. Spots filled Danny's vision as she

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lay there, choking on the breaths she tried desperately to inhale.

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It took several minutes until she gained some control over

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herself and finally sat up. She was alone. Fear flooded

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her with another burst of adrenaline. Brian Brian. Danny looked

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around frantically. Brian answer me, he didn't. The woods were

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as still and dead as that bear had been, as

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her friends were, as Brian probably was too. Danny climbed

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to her feet, taking only a few seconds to scan

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the path for him. Once more, no one was coming.

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She threw open the cabin door and ran to their

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room for the car keys. He'll be there when you

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get outside, she told herself. He's never been a strong runner.

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He'll catch up by the time you find the keys.

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He's probably waiting at the jeep already. She grabbed the

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rabbit's foot keychain from the nightstand and rolled the soft

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ornament in her palm. Her dad gave it to her

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the first day of college for good luck. Good luck,

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she laughed softly. Hugh had four of them, and look

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what happened to you? Glass broke in the kitchen. Danny

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stuffed the keys into her shorts and crept stealthily into

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the hallway. A pan clattered to the floor. She looked

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around for a weapon, though she wasn't sure exactly what

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she could use to fight a giant flea. She eased

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along the wall to the kitchen door. A cabinet banged open.

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More things crashed. Another cabinet slammed. She took a deep

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breath and momentarily forgot how to exhale. The bugs didn't

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have a reason to trash the place, which meant someone

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or something else was inside. She finally managed to let

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go of the captive breath and rounded the jam. The

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00:20:50.839 --> 00:20:56.759
scream was unintentional. Kara leaned on the counter, wheezing. Sweat

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plastered her hair to her face. Bug bites the size

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00:21:00.519 --> 00:21:05.640
of hubcaps oozed from their gaping centers. Kara scratched violently

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at them, chris crossing the deep furrows she'd left with

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00:21:08.759 --> 00:21:15.400
earlier attempts. Vomits stained her gory shirt. Her eyes were milky,

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puss filled orbs tinged with pink swirls from the internal

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Hemorrhaging convulsions racked her body, bringing her to her knees.

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Danny started toward her, kicking something across the floor. She

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followed the noise as it rolled it bumped against the

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leg of the dining room table. Danny smiled at the

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yellow can of six twelve, the insect repellent that had

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been banned the year before, but Kara insisted it was

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the only thing that worked against the beefy mosquitoes of

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00:21:49.119 --> 00:21:53.279
bull shoals. Apparently it worked on mutant fleas as well.

293
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That must have been what Kara was searching for in

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the ah. Kara moaned and clawed at the bite on

295
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her chest. She coughed, hacking up crimson phlegm stop, Make

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it stop. Kara banged the inside of her head against

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the counter. Stop it, she hissed. The banging grew harder faster.

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The trim cracked, spatter decorated the cabinet doors. Kara continued

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shrieking and moaning like one of the undead. Danny dived

300
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for the can of repellent. Kara's screams were punctuated by

301
00:22:30.680 --> 00:22:34.359
the frantic strikes of her head against the counter. Then

302
00:22:35.240 --> 00:22:39.640
she collapsed. Gray matter pushed through the shards of broken

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skull to mingle with the other fluids in Kara's matted hair.

304
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Danny stretched her sweat drenched t shirt over her nose.

305
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Fleas carried plagus. She didn't want to believe that's what

306
00:22:53.039 --> 00:22:56.759
the bugs were, but there was no denying it. The

307
00:22:56.759 --> 00:23:01.160
way they jumped, the way they ate. Giant fleas had

308
00:23:01.160 --> 00:23:05.359
attacked them, and if the insects had mutated, then maybe

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the viruses they carried had as well. You're not safe yet, weakly,

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Spooky will be right back. She backed out of the kitchen,

311
00:23:20.640 --> 00:23:25.039
rubbing the repellent across her exposed areas. She blasted through

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00:23:25.079 --> 00:23:29.200
the front door, then slid to a sudden halt. Everything

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was quiet, save for the ticking of the tin roof

314
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expanding in the afternoon sun. A childhood memory scratched at

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the back of her mind, as persistent as any flea bite.

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She thought about the stray that had wandered into their

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yard when she was five. The pup rolled over onto

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his back for belly rubs, and little Danny had been

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scarred for life. The fleas were clustered together, turning the

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dog into their own personal bonanza buffet. She hadn't understood

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00:24:02.559 --> 00:24:05.240
what the little dark specks all over the animal were.

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Some crawled freely between his stiff, tawny hairs. She probed

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at a suckling swarm of the parasites. Detecting new prey,

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they leapt onto Danny's hands. They'd bitten her dozens of

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times before she managed to get them all off. She

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had nightmares for months, which had only been quelled once

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her father explained to her that fleas couldn't survive without

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an animal to live on. That's why everything was silent.

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She realized the sparse populations of black bears and elk

330
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were the largest animals in the Ozarks. It wouldn't have

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taken the monsters long to exhaust those options. There were

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no viable hosts, so they'd turned to attacking everything they

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could for even a few drops of warm blood. Danny

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started off the porch, and the first step squeaked under

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her weight. It reminded her of a dying animal. In

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the silence surrounding the cabin, she paused. One of the

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00:25:10.720 --> 00:25:14.920
rocks in the yard seemed to move. She blinked the

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sweat away from her eyes as best she could and

339
00:25:18.119 --> 00:25:21.519
watched it for a moment. It was just a rock.

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She took another step, and the stairs gave a relieved groan.

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She wondered if fleas even had ears. The popping of

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the roof grew more rapid. She glanced over her shoulder

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and started running. The encroaching humans had been enough to

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awaken the entire scratch of super Fleas after months of dormancy.

345
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They were desperate for a meal, any meal. The hot

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roof made the cabin look like a giant animal to

347
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their simplified heat sensing eyes. They'd forgotten in higherly about

348
00:26:00.880 --> 00:26:04.200
the humans that had led them there, and attached themselves

349
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to the first hope they'd had for a suitable host.

350
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Their piercing stylets punched fruitlessly into the unnatural skin of

351
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the house. Starvation was taking its toll on them. One

352
00:26:17.200 --> 00:26:19.799
of the weakest slid off the roof and into the yard.

353
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Its legs curled up to its abdomen as it died

354
00:26:24.160 --> 00:26:28.200
without a sound. The others continued working away at the

355
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cabin's metal flesh. Danny was almost to the jeep when

356
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the windshield of Hawk's Toyota shattered. The malnourished flea had

357
00:26:36.519 --> 00:26:40.880
misjudged its jump and smashed face first into the safety glass.

358
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Its lanky hind legs kicked for another go. The sickle

359
00:26:45.960 --> 00:26:50.519
like claws scraped divots into the truck's hood. Another famished

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flea launched itself from the roof, landing a foot from Danny.

361
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She squeezed the bottle of six twelve, blasting the bugs

362
00:26:58.880 --> 00:27:02.599
in the face. It hopped in a circle, toppling wildly

363
00:27:02.680 --> 00:27:07.440
over itself, and then bounded into the woods. The incessant

364
00:27:07.480 --> 00:27:11.200
pecking of the parasites on the roof stopped in near unison.

365
00:27:12.319 --> 00:27:17.319
One after another, they sprang from their perch. Danny stumbled

366
00:27:17.359 --> 00:27:20.920
backwards and fell to the ground. She scrambled on all fours,

367
00:27:21.119 --> 00:27:24.480
finally getting to her feet just in time to grab

368
00:27:24.519 --> 00:27:27.920
the jeep's door handle. She threw open the red door,

369
00:27:27.960 --> 00:27:32.759
inadvertently batting down an attacking creature. Another landed on her arm.

370
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She grabbed its head, mashed her thumb into the thing's eye,

371
00:27:37.039 --> 00:27:39.839
and slung it away so quickly that its clawed feet

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00:27:39.920 --> 00:27:44.079
tore through her skin. Danny screamed and fell backwards into

373
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the vehicle. The insects swarmed around her. She pulled the

374
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door shut, catching one in the jam. Its armored exoskeleton cracked,

375
00:27:53.960 --> 00:27:57.559
but it didn't break. The monster tried to bite. It

376
00:27:57.720 --> 00:28:01.519
squirmed and swung its head around. The lancing mouth parts

377
00:28:01.519 --> 00:28:06.119
stabbed into the seat repeatedly. Danny leaned back, pulling the

378
00:28:06.200 --> 00:28:09.720
door with all her weight. It never made a sound,

379
00:28:10.400 --> 00:28:15.359
and somehow that terrified her more than anything else. It

380
00:28:15.440 --> 00:28:19.119
should have roared or hissed or made some other horrifying

381
00:28:19.200 --> 00:28:23.359
noise like the monster it was, But the thing was

382
00:28:23.440 --> 00:28:27.279
completely silent. As the two combatants tried to murder one another,

383
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Danny reached for the keys and found the pocket empty,

384
00:28:32.799 --> 00:28:36.359
the flea inched inside. She quickly pulled the door with

385
00:28:36.440 --> 00:28:41.720
both hands. Again. The windshield cracked in tiny snowflakes. The

386
00:28:41.799 --> 00:28:45.480
fleas were striking at her heat signature, fracturing the barrier

387
00:28:45.519 --> 00:28:51.200
between themselves and their feast. She was dead, and she

388
00:28:51.319 --> 00:28:54.640
knew it. Either her arms were going to tie her

389
00:28:54.680 --> 00:28:58.640
out or the windshield was going to shatter, but sooner

390
00:28:59.200 --> 00:29:02.680
rather than later, the fleas would be inside the jeep

391
00:29:02.720 --> 00:29:07.240
with her. Her muscles burned. Danny wondered which would be

392
00:29:07.279 --> 00:29:12.079
more painful, a single flea or the entire scratch latching

393
00:29:12.119 --> 00:29:16.319
on at once. She'd probably lose enough blood to pass

394
00:29:16.319 --> 00:29:18.519
out in a second or two if all of them

395
00:29:18.559 --> 00:29:23.480
got to her. The canvas roof sagged suddenly, hooks tore

396
00:29:23.640 --> 00:29:25.960
through the top as others searched for another way in.

397
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She tried to weigh her options, only to find herself

398
00:29:29.400 --> 00:29:33.119
without any The lacerations on her arms leaked down the

399
00:29:33.160 --> 00:29:37.720
door panel the handle started slipping through her grasp. Danny

400
00:29:37.799 --> 00:29:41.039
swung the appendage over the entrapped flea and flexed the

401
00:29:41.119 --> 00:29:45.039
muscles to speed up the flow. Droplets pelted the monster

402
00:29:45.160 --> 00:29:49.119
like crimson rain. It twitched and twisted, trying to find

403
00:29:49.160 --> 00:29:53.319
the source of the smell. Driven mad by hunger, it

404
00:29:53.480 --> 00:29:57.240
stabbed into its own thorax, chasing a drop of the

405
00:29:57.319 --> 00:30:01.680
precious fluid. Danny really least enough pressure to kick it

406
00:30:01.720 --> 00:30:05.279
to the ground while it was distracted. Before she could

407
00:30:05.319 --> 00:30:08.640
slam the door, she saw other fleas descend on it.

408
00:30:09.240 --> 00:30:12.559
They ferociously bit into their brethren, trying to get their

409
00:30:12.640 --> 00:30:16.240
share of the blood. Danny hit the door locks out

410
00:30:16.240 --> 00:30:19.240
of instinct. She crawled into the back of the vehicle

411
00:30:19.279 --> 00:30:22.839
to find a weapon. A nylon bag caught her eye.

412
00:30:22.880 --> 00:30:26.480
While she wrestled the tire iron free. She looked out

413
00:30:26.519 --> 00:30:30.880
the plastic back window behind the extra gas can. The

414
00:30:31.000 --> 00:30:34.359
driveway was a steep hill that banked hard to the right.

415
00:30:35.279 --> 00:30:39.319
The fabric tore overhead as more fleas congregated. She could

416
00:30:39.400 --> 00:30:42.400
see them through the widening gashes and knew she was

417
00:30:42.480 --> 00:30:45.240
almost out of time. They were going to get in

418
00:30:45.359 --> 00:30:48.599
through sheer dumb luck. When the weight brought the canvas

419
00:30:48.640 --> 00:30:52.880
top down, a plan was starting to formulate, but she

420
00:30:53.000 --> 00:30:55.440
needed just a little longer to put it into motion.

421
00:30:56.319 --> 00:30:59.119
She clamored back to the front and rolled the passenger

422
00:30:59.160 --> 00:31:03.519
window down and inunch. Pressing her wounded arm against the opening,

423
00:31:04.319 --> 00:31:07.920
she mashed at the cuts. Blood trickled down the glass

424
00:31:07.920 --> 00:31:10.839
in tiny rivulets, but it was more than enough to

425
00:31:10.920 --> 00:31:15.240
draw the attention of the ravenous fleas. She cranked the

426
00:31:15.240 --> 00:31:18.920
window almost closed, but left enough gap to give them

427
00:31:18.960 --> 00:31:22.480
false hope. As she smeared the fluid over the upholstery,

428
00:31:23.279 --> 00:31:27.240
the parasites fought for space, knocking each other aside and

429
00:31:27.279 --> 00:31:30.279
clawing away the more persistent ones for their chance to

430
00:31:30.319 --> 00:31:34.279
get into the jeep. Danny toppled into the back once more.

431
00:31:35.160 --> 00:31:38.359
She grabbed the bag and wrestled out an emergency flare.

432
00:31:39.079 --> 00:31:41.920
A flea dropped through the roof and scurried onto the

433
00:31:41.960 --> 00:31:46.359
back seat. Danny brought the tire iron up, running it through.

434
00:31:47.400 --> 00:31:50.319
She swung the spiked end, bug and all toward the

435
00:31:50.359 --> 00:31:55.039
back window and slashed the plastic. She discarded the weapon,

436
00:31:55.119 --> 00:31:58.559
watching the flea suckling desperately at its own bodily fluids

437
00:31:58.799 --> 00:32:03.200
oozing down the metal, Danny struck the flare and wedged

438
00:32:03.240 --> 00:32:06.400
it into the gas can's handle. She flipped over the

439
00:32:06.440 --> 00:32:08.920
back seat and released the parking break. As she moved

440
00:32:08.920 --> 00:32:12.640
to the driver's seat, she rubbed her arm across the dashboard.

441
00:32:13.440 --> 00:32:17.519
The roof collapsed and Danny opened the door, letting herself

442
00:32:17.599 --> 00:32:21.680
drop backwards out of the rolling vehicle. Fleas sprang onto

443
00:32:21.680 --> 00:32:24.720
the fresh blood trail she'd left for them. The jeep

444
00:32:24.759 --> 00:32:28.799
gained speed as it descended the driveway. The starving fleas

445
00:32:28.839 --> 00:32:31.960
were too busy stabbing at the instruments and radio in

446
00:32:32.079 --> 00:32:35.799
hopes of finding more blood within to notice their predicament.

447
00:32:36.960 --> 00:32:40.400
The jeep missed the turn and jumped a stump, careening

448
00:32:40.440 --> 00:32:44.240
into the woods before slamming into a tree. The impact

449
00:32:44.359 --> 00:32:47.880
ruptured the gas can. The flare ignited the wave of

450
00:32:47.960 --> 00:32:52.519
fuel as it washed over the vehicle. The fleas became fireballs,

451
00:32:52.759 --> 00:32:56.279
shooting out of the wreckage. Others were trapped inside the

452
00:32:56.319 --> 00:33:01.240
mangled jeep. Their internal fluids boiled. They exploded from the

453
00:33:01.279 --> 00:33:05.559
pressure inside their armored bodies. Danny laughed at the sound

454
00:33:05.640 --> 00:33:12.920
of the parasitic popcorn bursting. She'd survived. She'd won. The

455
00:33:13.039 --> 00:33:17.519
jeep's gas tank exploded, rumbling the ground beneath her. She

456
00:33:17.640 --> 00:33:20.559
watched the pillar of fire and smoke rise above the

457
00:33:20.640 --> 00:33:25.119
tree tops. Danny laid back. She'd find the keys to

458
00:33:25.160 --> 00:33:29.119
Hawk's truck later. Maybe Roco and Lila would finally show

459
00:33:29.240 --> 00:33:32.839
up and she wouldn't have to, or maybe the fire

460
00:33:32.880 --> 00:33:37.960
would attract a game warden. That part could wait. Five

461
00:33:38.000 --> 00:33:41.519
minutes before she was sure she was going to die.

462
00:33:41.559 --> 00:33:44.640
She was safe, and she just wanted to spend some

463
00:33:44.799 --> 00:33:49.759
time relishing in that. She closed her eyes. Her heart

464
00:33:49.799 --> 00:33:53.599
rate was starting to slow down when she heard branches

465
00:33:53.640 --> 00:33:58.640
in the trees above. She opened her eyes slowly, looking

466
00:33:58.720 --> 00:34:04.240
for the source. A fat squirrel eased out onto a branch,

467
00:34:05.000 --> 00:34:09.559
looking down curiously at the human. Danny smiled at the

468
00:34:09.599 --> 00:34:14.559
critter and brought her wounded arm up and waved at it.

469
00:34:14.559 --> 00:34:20.920
It chittered in response. Hey there, she said, fighting back

470
00:34:20.920 --> 00:34:26.000
the urge to cry. We made it, little fella. It

471
00:34:26.079 --> 00:34:32.000
chittered again. A shadow fell across its furry form. Danny

472
00:34:32.039 --> 00:34:35.679
barely processed it before the flea dropped onto the rodent.

473
00:34:36.280 --> 00:34:41.320
The stilets punctured the squirrel's neck, effectively decapitating it. The

474
00:34:41.360 --> 00:34:44.920
flea drank greedily from the stump, and Danny watched in

475
00:34:44.960 --> 00:34:48.719
horror as the plump body shriveled. The slurping let her

476
00:34:48.760 --> 00:34:53.519
know the parasite had finished the appetizer. The flea jumped

477
00:34:53.519 --> 00:34:58.119
from the branch straight for Danny's prone body. Something boomed,

478
00:34:58.400 --> 00:35:03.199
and bits of exoskeleton helted Danny's body. She rolled over

479
00:35:03.320 --> 00:35:07.000
and saw Brian limping toward her with one of hawk'skeet

480
00:35:07.079 --> 00:35:14.000
guns over his shoulder kills. On contact, he said, Oh

481
00:35:14.039 --> 00:35:18.400
my god. Tears welled up in her eyes. You're alive.

482
00:35:19.440 --> 00:35:22.519
Danny ran to him, throwing her arms around his plump

483
00:35:22.559 --> 00:35:27.239
waist and burying her face into his chest. He kissed

484
00:35:27.280 --> 00:35:29.960
the top of her head and forced himself to let

485
00:35:29.960 --> 00:35:33.079
out a manly chuckle that was harder to believe than

486
00:35:33.199 --> 00:35:38.800
giant mutated flies. Danny squeezed him harder, and they both

487
00:35:38.840 --> 00:35:43.920
sank to the ground. I thought they got you, Danny sniffled.

488
00:35:45.079 --> 00:35:50.119
Almost he whispered. They wouldn't follow Kara because of all

489
00:35:50.159 --> 00:35:53.440
the bugspray she had on, so I followed her back.

490
00:35:54.719 --> 00:35:56.800
It was like they couldn't find me in her trail.

491
00:35:57.719 --> 00:36:01.039
Then I saw them gathering on the roof, so I hid.

492
00:36:02.119 --> 00:36:07.519
I shouldn't have. I'm sorry, I don't care. I'm just

493
00:36:07.599 --> 00:36:11.880
glad you made it. Danny squeezed his chubby face between

494
00:36:11.880 --> 00:36:17.679
her hands, that we made it. Yeah, me too. Brian

495
00:36:17.800 --> 00:36:22.559
stood and helped her up. I appreciate the romantic fire, honey,

496
00:36:22.559 --> 00:36:26.599
but I wish you'd blown up someone else's car. The

497
00:36:26.679 --> 00:36:31.960
ground trembled beneath them again, but there hadn't been another explosion.

498
00:36:33.000 --> 00:36:37.280
Danny looked around at the rocks dotting the yard, wondering

499
00:36:37.840 --> 00:36:41.960
which of them might be hidden bugs. Her eyes flicked

500
00:36:41.960 --> 00:36:47.400
to the trees, nothing was moving. Her hand moved from

501
00:36:47.440 --> 00:36:52.519
Brian's side to the double barreled shotgun. She snatched it

502
00:36:52.559 --> 00:36:55.719
from his hand, passing it behind her back to her

503
00:36:55.719 --> 00:36:59.960
dominant hand like a majorrette. The ground began to pull

504
00:37:00.599 --> 00:37:07.880
and crack. Hey, babe, she said quietly, I think it's

505
00:37:07.960 --> 00:37:17.639
time we flee. Well, my spookies, I hope you enjoyed

506
00:37:17.679 --> 00:37:21.199
this return to form from our good buddy and author

507
00:37:21.719 --> 00:37:26.159
David O'Hanlon, And this is one of many terrifying stories

508
00:37:26.559 --> 00:37:29.800
he's written for us, and I'm sure there'll be many

509
00:37:29.880 --> 00:37:33.639
more to come. Thank you all so much for joining

510
00:37:33.639 --> 00:37:37.079
me tonight for another episode of Weekly Spooky. If you

511
00:37:37.199 --> 00:37:40.000
joined us in October and have been sticking around, well

512
00:37:40.480 --> 00:37:42.880
you made a good choice because there's so many more

513
00:37:42.920 --> 00:37:48.519
big scares to come, including a novella just for Thanksgiving

514
00:37:48.880 --> 00:37:52.119
written by our very own Bruce Haney, the writer of

515
00:37:52.199 --> 00:37:56.039
Dirt Baby, said novella from back in October that a

516
00:37:56.079 --> 00:37:59.360
lot of you really seem to enjoy, So make sure

517
00:37:59.400 --> 00:38:03.159
you're subscrib on your favorite podcasting app, because Spooky Season

518
00:38:03.679 --> 00:38:06.920
is not a time of year, it's a frame of mind.

519
00:38:07.440 --> 00:38:09.639
And if you love what we're doing here, please leave

520
00:38:09.679 --> 00:38:12.360
us a five star rating on your favorite podcasting app.

521
00:38:12.519 --> 00:38:15.639
It really does make a difference in helping other spookies

522
00:38:16.000 --> 00:38:18.599
discover the show, and you can go to Facebook and

523
00:38:18.639 --> 00:38:21.559
search Weekly Spooky's Tomb of Terror. If you want to

524
00:38:21.559 --> 00:38:23.800
hang out with all of us, you can also support

525
00:38:23.880 --> 00:38:26.800
us on Patreon, speaking of which I'd like to say

526
00:38:26.840 --> 00:38:30.159
an extra special thanks to our Patreon podcast boosters, folks

527
00:38:30.199 --> 00:38:32.239
who pay us a little bit more to hear their

528
00:38:32.320 --> 00:38:34.239
names at the end of the show, and they are

529
00:38:34.360 --> 00:38:38.639
Johnny Nick's, Jenny Green, Amber Hansford, Brent McCullough, Karen we Met,

530
00:38:38.880 --> 00:38:41.320
Jack Kerr, and Craig Cohen. Thank you all so much.

531
00:38:41.320 --> 00:38:43.280
And if you want to join our Patreon for as

532
00:38:43.320 --> 00:38:45.400
little as one dollar a month and get two bonus

533
00:38:45.440 --> 00:38:49.760
shows every single month, just go to Weeklyspooky dot com

534
00:38:49.800 --> 00:38:53.639
slash join. There are over one hundred spookies there right now.

535
00:38:54.079 --> 00:38:56.679
Won't you consider joining them? It really helps keep the

536
00:38:56.719 --> 00:39:00.800
show going and going and going. But now it's time

537
00:39:00.840 --> 00:39:02.960
for me to get back to work and actually while

538
00:39:02.960 --> 00:39:05.400
you're listening to this. I'm on a little bit of

539
00:39:05.440 --> 00:39:08.000
a vacation, but don't worry. That doesn't mean you won't

540
00:39:08.000 --> 00:39:10.639
have a show to listen to. So until next time,

541
00:39:10.639 --> 00:39:14.519
for myself, for my executive producers Rob Fieldsmarkshields and Babletopia

542
00:39:14.559 --> 00:39:17.960
dot Com, my producer Dan Wilder, and my composer Ray Mattis,

543
00:39:18.320 --> 00:39:22.000
I will talk at you next time. Thank you for listening.

544
00:39:23.079 --> 00:39:26.800
Make sure to find your way back next week, but

545
00:39:26.960 --> 00:39:31.519
for now you are safe. Trust me.