Nov. 6, 2024

Bite Me -Horror in the Ozarks!

Bite Me -Horror in the Ozarks!
Apple Podcasts podcast player badge
Spotify podcast player badge
Spreaker podcast player badge
Audible podcast player badge
Castro podcast player badge
RSS Feed podcast player badge
Apple Podcasts podcast player icon Spotify podcast player icon Spreaker podcast player icon Audible podcast player icon Castro podcast player icon RSS Feed podcast player icon

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

Support Us and Get Bonus Shows on Patreon!

Contact Us/Submit a Story
twitter.com/WeeklySpooky
facebook.com/WeeklySpooky
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

🎧 LISTEN NOW and subscribe for spine-tingling horror stories every week!

🎉 Unlock exclusive bonus episodes and support the show on Patreon!
👉 WeeklySpooky.com/Join

📬 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

1
00:00:01.240 --> 00:00:04.839
A camping trip in the Ozarks becomes a fight for

2
00:00:04.919 --> 00:00:10.279
survival as a group of friends encounter monstrous, bloodthirsty creatures

3
00:00:10.640 --> 00:00:14.720
on the loose. With each leap, these giant parasites bring

4
00:00:14.839 --> 00:00:19.719
death closer. Can anyone escape this perversion of nature? This

5
00:00:19.960 --> 00:00:28.640
mutated monster? What's that You want to be scared? Come

6
00:00:28.679 --> 00:00:41.520
with me. You will experience tales over opera, ghosts, and death. Death.

7
00:00:42.280 --> 00:00:48.560
It is not recommended for the week at hartt Listen

8
00:00:48.640 --> 00:00:52.920
as in the dark, it's more fun at that way way.

9
00:00:53.479 --> 00:01:08.280
This is Weekly Speaking. Hello, my spookys, It's Wednesday, and

10
00:01:08.400 --> 00:01:11.719
you know what that means. It means it's time for

11
00:01:11.760 --> 00:01:16.719
a little spooky in your weekly. I'm your host and narrator,

12
00:01:16.799 --> 00:01:20.840
Enrique Kuto, and we have quite the terror tale for

13
00:01:20.920 --> 00:01:23.640
you tonight. But before we get to that, I want

14
00:01:23.640 --> 00:01:26.840
to remind you to make sure you're subscribed on your

15
00:01:26.840 --> 00:01:30.519
favorite podcasting app. And while you're at it, leave us

16
00:01:30.560 --> 00:01:33.040
a five star rating if you think we've earned it,

17
00:01:33.560 --> 00:01:38.239
because tonight's story is very filly. And if you want

18
00:01:38.239 --> 00:01:40.519
to know more about Weekly Spooky or how to join

19
00:01:40.560 --> 00:01:45.439
our patreon, just head toweeklyspooky dot com for all information.

20
00:01:45.599 --> 00:01:51.640
You may need. But now about tonight's story. Picture this,

21
00:01:52.519 --> 00:01:56.799
A thick forest stretches for miles, where shadows grow longer

22
00:01:56.840 --> 00:02:00.480
as the sun dips below the hills of the O's

23
00:02:01.159 --> 00:02:04.879
The only sounds of the rustling leaves, the chirp of crickets,

24
00:02:05.280 --> 00:02:09.000
and the crackling of a small campfire. A group of

25
00:02:09.039 --> 00:02:12.759
friends gather around, thinking it's just another night under the stars,

26
00:02:13.240 --> 00:02:17.360
just another adventure out in the wild. But the forest

27
00:02:17.879 --> 00:02:22.479
holds secrets. Some that crawl, some that bite, and some

28
00:02:23.120 --> 00:02:27.800
that are waiting, lurking in the dark with a hunger

29
00:02:28.360 --> 00:02:33.360
unlike anything they've ever seen. They thought they'd come here

30
00:02:33.400 --> 00:02:37.039
to escape the world, to leave their troubles behind. But

31
00:02:37.159 --> 00:02:41.080
when nature itself turns against them, they'll have to fight

32
00:02:41.479 --> 00:02:46.080
to survive against a swarm of bloodthirsty creatures. They can't

33
00:02:46.120 --> 00:02:51.479
outrun creatures that leap and crawl, leaving behind a trail

34
00:02:51.599 --> 00:02:56.520
of terror, because out here, in the deepest woods, even

35
00:02:56.560 --> 00:03:02.199
the smallest bite could mean the end. Now let me

36
00:03:02.319 --> 00:03:06.120
tell you how this peaceful camping trip turned in to

37
00:03:06.240 --> 00:03:09.680
a nightmare. I'll tell you all about that and so

38
00:03:09.840 --> 00:03:21.400
much more right after this. Bite me by David O'Hanlon.

39
00:03:24.479 --> 00:03:27.639
The Rabbit exited the log he'd taken shelter in and

40
00:03:27.719 --> 00:03:30.159
kicked at the fleas that had done much the same

41
00:03:30.639 --> 00:03:35.159
inside his ear. The bunny stretched then hopped onto the log.

42
00:03:35.919 --> 00:03:39.439
His nose twitched in the adorable way that rabbit noses do.

43
00:03:40.599 --> 00:03:43.919
The air was cool and smelled of the previous night's storm.

44
00:03:44.719 --> 00:03:48.280
The morning sun caught in the dewdrops bedazzling the high

45
00:03:48.360 --> 00:03:52.319
grass of the meadow. His beady eyes surveyed the land.

46
00:03:52.919 --> 00:03:56.960
Parasites be damned. It was a beautiful morning in the Ozarks.

47
00:03:57.919 --> 00:04:00.919
Just across the field there was a downward slope that

48
00:04:01.080 --> 00:04:05.039
led to a narrow holler rife with tight caves. Berry

49
00:04:05.039 --> 00:04:08.800
bushes grew plentifully, and rain water pooled in the various

50
00:04:08.879 --> 00:04:13.000
porous stones. For the small fur bearers of the forest,

51
00:04:13.520 --> 00:04:16.360
it was like hanging out at the mall. The rabbit

52
00:04:16.480 --> 00:04:20.079
was only halfway across the field and could already smell

53
00:04:20.120 --> 00:04:23.759
the females. He was late to the party, but it

54
00:04:23.839 --> 00:04:27.800
was better to be late than belated. A persistent eagle

55
00:04:27.879 --> 00:04:30.480
had chased him for over an hour the day before,

56
00:04:31.199 --> 00:04:35.240
forcing him out of his normal foraging range. He finally

57
00:04:35.319 --> 00:04:38.800
managed to escape at the expense of a squirrel that

58
00:04:38.879 --> 00:04:42.720
had been distracted by an acorn. Even in the woods,

59
00:04:43.319 --> 00:04:47.480
shit happens. The storm rolled in before the rabbit could

60
00:04:47.480 --> 00:04:50.959
get back to the warren, necessitating a night in the

61
00:04:51.000 --> 00:04:55.319
log motel. The rabbit knew arriving late wasn't going to

62
00:04:55.360 --> 00:04:59.160
hurt his chances any Aside from the fleas, he was

63
00:04:59.199 --> 00:05:03.439
the perfect spe esmen of rabbit masculinity. He was almost

64
00:05:03.439 --> 00:05:06.759
to the safety of the trees when a shadow cast

65
00:05:06.839 --> 00:05:12.199
over him from above. Before he could react, the flaming

66
00:05:12.319 --> 00:05:16.399
mass struck in front of him. The earth erupted, and

67
00:05:16.439 --> 00:05:22.160
the rabbit disappeared, his body becoming indistinguishable from the explosion.

68
00:05:23.319 --> 00:05:26.480
His head bounced when it finally came back down and

69
00:05:26.600 --> 00:05:30.639
rolled to a stop next to the smoldering crater left

70
00:05:30.680 --> 00:05:34.399
by the falling object. His dead eyes stared at the

71
00:05:34.399 --> 00:05:38.279
scorched metal and the strange glow of the otherworldly power

72
00:05:38.319 --> 00:05:43.360
source that had taken it across the galaxy and inside

73
00:05:43.399 --> 00:05:47.399
the rabbit's ears. The fleas enjoyed their meal next to

74
00:05:47.480 --> 00:05:57.279
a romantic radioactive fire. Several months later, Lilah's nails tore

75
00:05:57.519 --> 00:06:01.439
through the tense nylon bottom as she climaxed yet again,

76
00:06:02.519 --> 00:06:06.000
Rocco was a terrible boyfriend and a miserable human being,

77
00:06:06.839 --> 00:06:10.360
but he was a great lay. With that in mind,

78
00:06:10.480 --> 00:06:13.120
she'd suggested they camp in the woods the night before

79
00:06:13.160 --> 00:06:16.480
the big reunion in hopes they could fuck away any

80
00:06:16.519 --> 00:06:20.360
relationship tensions that might boil over during the weekend with

81
00:06:20.399 --> 00:06:24.879
their former high school click. Rocco groaned and collapsed on

82
00:06:24.959 --> 00:06:29.439
top of her, signaling the end of round three without

83
00:06:29.480 --> 00:06:32.079
taking any of his weight off. He reached from the

84
00:06:32.079 --> 00:06:35.560
nearby pack of camels and pulled one out with his teeth.

85
00:06:36.360 --> 00:06:41.040
Got a spare. She asked about ten of them, he replied,

86
00:06:41.439 --> 00:06:44.759
tossing the pack into the corner of the tent. Rocco

87
00:06:44.920 --> 00:06:49.199
crawled over Lilah and unzipped the entrance, freeing the accumulated

88
00:06:49.240 --> 00:06:52.639
body heat and pheromones of the last hour. He lit

89
00:06:52.639 --> 00:06:56.319
his smoke and discarded the lighter before shuffling out into

90
00:06:56.319 --> 00:07:01.600
the humid Arkansas evening. Twenty yards away, and Tenna twitched

91
00:07:01.600 --> 00:07:04.120
to life and rose out of the protection of the

92
00:07:04.120 --> 00:07:07.759
fossie to take in the chemical stench of sex and

93
00:07:07.879 --> 00:07:13.160
co two. The combination hit the creature's sensory organs, bringing

94
00:07:13.199 --> 00:07:17.079
it out of its torpor like a fresh cup of Folgers. Rocco,

95
00:07:17.600 --> 00:07:21.199
the last true gentleman, wiped his cock on the tent

96
00:07:21.279 --> 00:07:24.480
flap and then walked to the tree line to relieve himself.

97
00:07:25.399 --> 00:07:28.360
He took a long pull from the cigarette and thought

98
00:07:28.399 --> 00:07:32.240
about the others as his bladder let loose. Every year

99
00:07:32.319 --> 00:07:35.920
since high school, they'd gotten together at Hawk's family cabin

100
00:07:36.040 --> 00:07:41.079
to brag about their accomplishments, and every year Rocco had

101
00:07:41.120 --> 00:07:45.199
nothing to add to the conversation. He hated those assholes.

102
00:07:45.759 --> 00:07:50.600
They wasted their lives being overachievers, and every reunion they

103
00:07:50.720 --> 00:07:53.839
tried to make him feel bad, like he was wasting

104
00:07:54.000 --> 00:07:58.759
so much potential, as if he did everything he wanted

105
00:07:58.800 --> 00:08:03.839
to without the burden of success. Successful people set expectations

106
00:08:03.839 --> 00:08:06.920
that they have to live up to, whereas Roco just

107
00:08:06.959 --> 00:08:11.639
had to live to exceed expectations. Piss spattered his feet,

108
00:08:12.040 --> 00:08:16.000
breaking him out of his self congratulations. He looked down

109
00:08:16.040 --> 00:08:19.800
at his bare toes and something shuffling through the fallen

110
00:08:19.879 --> 00:08:24.199
leaves toward him. Roco redirected the stream in its direction.

111
00:08:25.319 --> 00:08:30.879
Whatever it was stopped, but didn't retreat. Kinky, little son

112
00:08:30.920 --> 00:08:34.799
of a bitch, aren't you? He chuckled. The warm fluid

113
00:08:34.919 --> 00:08:38.440
rolled down the armored plates to the still stiff limbs

114
00:08:38.480 --> 00:08:42.480
of the creature. Its simple eyes zeroed in on the

115
00:08:42.519 --> 00:08:46.240
source of the heat. The glowing end of the cigarette

116
00:08:46.639 --> 00:08:49.600
could have been an ice cube compared to the bright

117
00:08:49.720 --> 00:08:55.120
glow of Rocko's shrinking erection. The creature sprang for cover.

118
00:08:56.480 --> 00:09:00.720
Lilah scuttled out of the tent in a panic. Screams

119
00:09:00.799 --> 00:09:03.559
drew nearer, and she spun on her hands and knees,

120
00:09:03.600 --> 00:09:07.240
trying to find out where they were coming from. She

121
00:09:07.399 --> 00:09:11.840
finally spotted him. He stumbled wildly with a large, dark

122
00:09:11.919 --> 00:09:16.679
object obscuring his crotch like an over zealous censor. The

123
00:09:16.679 --> 00:09:20.080
thing fell between his legs, bloated with its first meal.

124
00:09:21.200 --> 00:09:25.679
Blood erupted from the swollen, torn flesh volcano that had

125
00:09:25.720 --> 00:09:30.120
once been Rocco's penis and showered the foot long insect.

126
00:09:30.759 --> 00:09:34.159
It rolled onto all six feet and turned its gaze

127
00:09:34.200 --> 00:09:40.279
to the hot, terrified exhalations of Lilah. She started to scream,

128
00:09:40.559 --> 00:09:44.240
but the creature was too fast. In a single bound,

129
00:09:44.279 --> 00:09:47.639
it covered the distance between them and impacted her face

130
00:09:47.720 --> 00:09:51.440
with the force of a baseball bat. Teeth flew into

131
00:09:51.480 --> 00:09:55.480
the darkness, and the giant flea turned its attention to

132
00:09:55.559 --> 00:09:59.919
the blood pooling in the young woman's mouth. The Surren

133
00:10:00.360 --> 00:10:04.679
stylets of its mouth plunged into the puddle and threw

134
00:10:04.799 --> 00:10:12.679
the back of her skull. The next afternoon, that fucking

135
00:10:12.840 --> 00:10:17.159
losers probably in jail again, Hawk said, as he navigated

136
00:10:17.200 --> 00:10:21.639
down the steep slope of the holler. Rocco keeps getting older,

137
00:10:21.720 --> 00:10:24.960
but he's never gonna grow up. Kara and I are

138
00:10:25.039 --> 00:10:30.000
about to open our second dealership. Rocco's still passing around

139
00:10:30.039 --> 00:10:34.279
his first demo. The world needs musicians as much as

140
00:10:34.279 --> 00:10:39.840
it needs car salesman Danny replied. His bands called Thundercock.

141
00:10:40.480 --> 00:10:45.639
Hawk snorted, let's not pretend he's Beethoven. I meant we

142
00:10:45.720 --> 00:10:49.639
shouldn't downplay the value of art, not that he was

143
00:10:49.759 --> 00:10:55.320
making any Thundercock is dog shit. Brian chimed in, But

144
00:10:55.399 --> 00:10:58.159
I gotta admit they're just as good as a lot

145
00:10:58.159 --> 00:11:04.639
of mainstream bands. White Snake, Danny said, curiously. Yeah, they're

146
00:11:04.679 --> 00:11:09.200
on that list, Brian replied, before noticing his wife had

147
00:11:09.240 --> 00:11:14.360
stopped to inspect something in the foliage. Wait, you mean

148
00:11:14.399 --> 00:11:18.279
you saw a snake, Brian shivered. The woods are just

149
00:11:18.320 --> 00:11:20.559
a part of life when you grow up in Arkansas.

150
00:11:20.960 --> 00:11:23.799
But that doesn't mean you have to like everything about them.

151
00:11:24.399 --> 00:11:27.000
Ever since an incident in the Scouts, when he first

152
00:11:27.000 --> 00:11:30.159
came face to face with a copper head nesting on

153
00:11:30.240 --> 00:11:33.120
the side of a tree trunk, Brian had a lurking

154
00:11:33.200 --> 00:11:38.799
fear that the scheming serpents constantly surrounded him. Next to

155
00:11:38.840 --> 00:11:44.039
that log, Danny told him, a solid white snake, that's

156
00:11:44.120 --> 00:11:47.879
no log, Hawk said, pushing past her for a better look.

157
00:11:48.799 --> 00:11:52.799
Would it kill y'all to slow down? Kara's thick twang

158
00:11:52.879 --> 00:11:56.679
called from the top of the embankment. Take your time, honey,

159
00:11:57.039 --> 00:12:02.279
Frank said, dismissively. The opaque things slithered under the log.

160
00:12:02.759 --> 00:12:06.720
When the humans got too close. Danny circled the object

161
00:12:06.759 --> 00:12:10.480
and put a hand on her stomach. Revulsion churned her,

162
00:12:10.559 --> 00:12:15.320
still digesting breakfast like a queason art. The desiccated skin

163
00:12:15.559 --> 00:12:20.440
had shrunk back, making the terrifying teeth look even more menacing.

164
00:12:21.559 --> 00:12:27.000
There was no blood anywhere, Stranger still, no bugs chewed

165
00:12:27.039 --> 00:12:33.159
on the dehydrated flesh. It's a bear, Hawk, nearly whispered.

166
00:12:34.519 --> 00:12:40.440
Why does it look like that, Danny asked. Dehydration Brian

167
00:12:40.559 --> 00:12:47.840
said as he approached. It's been shit, it's mummified. Revenge

168
00:12:47.840 --> 00:12:54.320
of the mummy Bear. Wah Hawk teased, Come on, man, mummified,

169
00:12:55.600 --> 00:13:01.399
that's why nothing's eating it. Brian informed him. He's bear jerky.

170
00:13:02.559 --> 00:13:06.879
Sucks to be him. Hawk shrugged. The lake is calling

171
00:13:07.159 --> 00:13:14.200
the fuck. Something just touched my ankle. More scares to

172
00:13:14.279 --> 00:13:22.840
come weekly, spooky, We'll be right back. The leaves shuffled

173
00:13:22.840 --> 00:13:27.039
around them, and something long and white inched along beneath

174
00:13:27.080 --> 00:13:32.480
their cover. Then more something's moved. Brian kicked at the

175
00:13:32.519 --> 00:13:38.039
detritus and saw the six inch larvae crawling hurriedly toward

176
00:13:38.120 --> 00:13:43.120
the shelter of the bear's corpse. Well that's enough outside

177
00:13:43.120 --> 00:13:48.519
for me, he grumbled. Ditto Danny whispered, What are y'all

178
00:13:48.559 --> 00:13:51.559
looking at down there? Kara called as she tried to

179
00:13:51.600 --> 00:13:55.480
ease down the decline, but only managed a semi controlled

180
00:13:55.519 --> 00:13:59.519
slide instead. Gosh, did y'all see that? I almost fell

181
00:13:59.600 --> 00:14:02.519
right on my keister. Ain't this where we saw them

182
00:14:02.559 --> 00:14:06.159
squirrels last year? The other three looked around at the

183
00:14:06.200 --> 00:14:10.720
still trees. The dingbat was right. It had been like

184
00:14:10.759 --> 00:14:14.519
a Disney scene when they last visited, with every variety

185
00:14:14.600 --> 00:14:18.559
of woodland critter having a block party. Despite the encroachment

186
00:14:18.600 --> 00:14:22.679
of the nuisance of humans. Even Roco's boombox and his

187
00:14:22.799 --> 00:14:27.480
metallica tape hadn't been enough to disturb them. But this time,

188
00:14:28.559 --> 00:14:33.279
where are all the fucking animals? Brian asked. Danny knelt

189
00:14:33.360 --> 00:14:37.320
beside a strangely shaped stone and flipped it over, revealing

190
00:14:37.519 --> 00:14:41.720
the bucked teeth. Just like the bear, the jack rabbit

191
00:14:41.799 --> 00:14:46.639
had been completely dried out by something. Snap it to

192
00:14:46.720 --> 00:14:51.279
a slim gym Hawk said, holding up the dehydrated remains

193
00:14:51.320 --> 00:14:54.759
of a raccoon by its tail. What the hell could

194
00:14:54.799 --> 00:15:00.639
have done this though? Those? Danny Finally he managed to

195
00:15:00.639 --> 00:15:05.919
get out. She pointed unsteadily toward Kara. The dark sclerites

196
00:15:06.000 --> 00:15:09.120
that armored their bodies blended in with the rocks jutting

197
00:15:09.159 --> 00:15:13.159
from the hillside almost perfectly. One of the insects launched

198
00:15:13.159 --> 00:15:16.360
itself at Kara, so quickly that it appeared to teleport

199
00:15:16.399 --> 00:15:19.840
from its moss covered perch to the pale skin beneath

200
00:15:19.840 --> 00:15:24.399
the ragged hem of Kara's cutoffs. The impact sent her

201
00:15:24.480 --> 00:15:28.000
to the ground with a muted squeal. Two more fleas

202
00:15:28.080 --> 00:15:31.720
pounced on her. The cracking of her rib cage sent

203
00:15:31.759 --> 00:15:37.039
the others running Like a starter pistol. A flea jumped,

204
00:15:37.159 --> 00:15:40.240
covering twenty feet in the blink of an eye. It

205
00:15:40.360 --> 00:15:44.799
landed between Hawk's broad shoulders and pierced his back, scraping

206
00:15:44.840 --> 00:15:48.840
against the scapula with its mouth parts. The former football

207
00:15:48.879 --> 00:15:52.799
star tumbled forward and rolled back to his feet. The

208
00:15:52.840 --> 00:15:56.000
fall shook the bug loose, but the armored body had

209
00:15:56.039 --> 00:15:58.799
protected it from the weight of the human crashing down

210
00:15:58.879 --> 00:16:02.120
on top of it. Another flea landed on his chest.

211
00:16:02.840 --> 00:16:06.000
Hawk pulled it away before it could bite. He tried

212
00:16:06.039 --> 00:16:08.600
to squash it in between his hands, and when that

213
00:16:08.639 --> 00:16:13.480
didn't work, opted for headbutting it. The exoskeleton ruptured with

214
00:16:13.600 --> 00:16:17.279
a spray of hemolymph a cross Hawk's face. The flea's

215
00:16:17.320 --> 00:16:21.480
forelimbs grappled with the human's wrists. Its hooked feet latched

216
00:16:21.519 --> 00:16:24.000
into the muscles and ripped them free from the bone.

217
00:16:24.720 --> 00:16:29.039
Hawk dropped the bug and stumbled away. He stared helplessly

218
00:16:29.159 --> 00:16:33.519
at the mauled tissue and exposed arteries within. The two

219
00:16:33.639 --> 00:16:37.759
fleas leaped at the wounds. Their voracious appetites overpowered the

220
00:16:37.799 --> 00:16:43.559
giant human in seconds. Hawk's whirled spun, his knees wobbled,

221
00:16:43.600 --> 00:16:48.000
and his vision blurred. He hit the ground hard, but

222
00:16:48.080 --> 00:16:53.720
it did not disturb the buffet. Long after everything went dark,

223
00:16:54.279 --> 00:16:58.799
he could still hear them slurping noisily at the last

224
00:16:58.879 --> 00:17:06.599
drops of his life. Danny didn't know where the hell

225
00:17:06.720 --> 00:17:10.079
she was running to, but knew that wherever it was

226
00:17:10.160 --> 00:17:13.799
would be better than where they'd been. They'd stumbled into

227
00:17:13.799 --> 00:17:17.680
the monster bug's nest. Once they were far enough away,

228
00:17:18.039 --> 00:17:21.440
they'd be safe. At least, she hoped that was how

229
00:17:21.440 --> 00:17:25.440
it worked. She didn't know much about regular insects, let

230
00:17:25.440 --> 00:17:31.519
alone twelve inch demon fleas. Left Brian gasped, he slowed

231
00:17:31.519 --> 00:17:35.400
to a jog go left. Danny was breathing too hard

232
00:17:35.440 --> 00:17:38.839
to speak. Her legs were on fire. She wanted to

233
00:17:38.839 --> 00:17:42.200
stop running to gather her thoughts to formulate a plan,

234
00:17:42.759 --> 00:17:45.960
but she was convinced every stone and massive leaves she

235
00:17:46.119 --> 00:17:50.920
saw was another one of those damned things. She banked left,

236
00:17:51.039 --> 00:17:55.079
jumping over a fallen log, and veered towards something resembling

237
00:17:55.119 --> 00:18:00.480
a trail. It is a trail, she realized. Two years before,

238
00:18:00.799 --> 00:18:03.680
they'd ridden hawks three wheelers along the path to an

239
00:18:03.720 --> 00:18:06.519
abandoned summer camp on the north end of the lake.

240
00:18:07.160 --> 00:18:11.400
They weren't far from the cabin. More importantly, they weren't

241
00:18:11.480 --> 00:18:15.279
far from their jeep. Danny's energy levels surged with her

242
00:18:15.279 --> 00:18:19.440
new hopefulness. She ignored the pain and pushed onward faster

243
00:18:19.559 --> 00:18:24.039
than before. After several minutes, the path grew steeper. Her

244
00:18:24.160 --> 00:18:27.720
legs couldn't hold up any longer, and she fell forward,

245
00:18:28.359 --> 00:18:31.359
but didn't allow it to stop her. She dug her

246
00:18:31.400 --> 00:18:34.799
fingers into the earth, crawling along until she could run again,

247
00:18:35.599 --> 00:18:40.279
then falling and repeating the process all the way to safety.

248
00:18:40.759 --> 00:18:43.839
She didn't stop until she'd clambered up the steps and

249
00:18:43.920 --> 00:18:47.680
onto the front porch. Spots filled Danny's vision as she

250
00:18:47.799 --> 00:18:51.640
lay there, choking on the breaths she tried desperately to inhale.

251
00:18:52.640 --> 00:18:56.039
It took several minutes until she gained some control over

252
00:18:56.079 --> 00:19:02.720
herself and finally sat up. She was alone. Fear flooded

253
00:19:02.720 --> 00:19:07.599
her with another burst of adrenaline. Brian Brian. Danny looked

254
00:19:07.599 --> 00:19:13.000
around frantically. Brian answer me, he didn't. The woods were

255
00:19:13.039 --> 00:19:16.240
as still and dead as that bear had been, as

256
00:19:16.279 --> 00:19:22.200
her friends were, as Brian probably was too. Danny climbed

257
00:19:22.200 --> 00:19:25.119
to her feet, taking only a few seconds to scan

258
00:19:25.240 --> 00:19:29.039
the path for him. Once more, no one was coming.

259
00:19:29.960 --> 00:19:32.279
She threw open the cabin door and ran to their

260
00:19:32.359 --> 00:19:35.240
room for the car keys. He'll be there when you

261
00:19:35.279 --> 00:19:39.559
get outside, she told herself. He's never been a strong runner.

262
00:19:39.559 --> 00:19:41.440
He'll catch up by the time you find the keys.

263
00:19:41.559 --> 00:19:45.799
He's probably waiting at the jeep already. She grabbed the

264
00:19:45.880 --> 00:19:49.920
rabbit's foot keychain from the nightstand and rolled the soft

265
00:19:50.039 --> 00:19:53.640
ornament in her palm. Her dad gave it to her

266
00:19:53.680 --> 00:19:58.599
the first day of college for good luck. Good luck,

267
00:19:59.000 --> 00:20:02.799
she laughed softly. Hugh had four of them, and look

268
00:20:02.839 --> 00:20:07.519
what happened to you? Glass broke in the kitchen. Danny

269
00:20:07.559 --> 00:20:10.359
stuffed the keys into her shorts and crept stealthily into

270
00:20:10.400 --> 00:20:14.680
the hallway. A pan clattered to the floor. She looked

271
00:20:14.680 --> 00:20:18.200
around for a weapon, though she wasn't sure exactly what

272
00:20:18.359 --> 00:20:22.880
she could use to fight a giant flea. She eased

273
00:20:22.920 --> 00:20:26.799
along the wall to the kitchen door. A cabinet banged open.

274
00:20:27.519 --> 00:20:32.160
More things crashed. Another cabinet slammed. She took a deep

275
00:20:32.240 --> 00:20:37.400
breath and momentarily forgot how to exhale. The bugs didn't

276
00:20:37.400 --> 00:20:40.480
have a reason to trash the place, which meant someone

277
00:20:40.680 --> 00:20:46.440
or something else was inside. She finally managed to let

278
00:20:46.480 --> 00:20:50.759
go of the captive breath and rounded the jam. The

279
00:20:50.839 --> 00:20:56.759
scream was unintentional. Kara leaned on the counter, wheezing. Sweat

280
00:20:56.799 --> 00:21:00.519
plastered her hair to her face. Bug bites the size

281
00:21:00.519 --> 00:21:05.640
of hubcaps oozed from their gaping centers. Kara scratched violently

282
00:21:05.680 --> 00:21:08.720
at them, chris crossing the deep furrows she'd left with

283
00:21:08.759 --> 00:21:15.400
earlier attempts. Vomits stained her gory shirt. Her eyes were milky,

284
00:21:16.000 --> 00:21:20.599
puss filled orbs tinged with pink swirls from the internal

285
00:21:20.640 --> 00:21:25.599
Hemorrhaging convulsions racked her body, bringing her to her knees.

286
00:21:26.519 --> 00:21:30.880
Danny started toward her, kicking something across the floor. She

287
00:21:31.000 --> 00:21:34.720
followed the noise as it rolled it bumped against the

288
00:21:34.799 --> 00:21:38.519
leg of the dining room table. Danny smiled at the

289
00:21:38.599 --> 00:21:42.160
yellow can of six twelve, the insect repellent that had

290
00:21:42.200 --> 00:21:45.559
been banned the year before, but Kara insisted it was

291
00:21:45.599 --> 00:21:49.000
the only thing that worked against the beefy mosquitoes of

292
00:21:49.119 --> 00:21:53.279
bull shoals. Apparently it worked on mutant fleas as well.

293
00:21:54.000 --> 00:21:56.279
That must have been what Kara was searching for in

294
00:21:56.359 --> 00:22:00.079
the ah. Kara moaned and clawed at the bite on

295
00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:05.319
her chest. She coughed, hacking up crimson phlegm stop, Make

296
00:22:05.400 --> 00:22:09.759
it stop. Kara banged the inside of her head against

297
00:22:09.759 --> 00:22:16.039
the counter. Stop it, she hissed. The banging grew harder faster.

298
00:22:16.720 --> 00:22:22.200
The trim cracked, spatter decorated the cabinet doors. Kara continued

299
00:22:22.240 --> 00:22:26.319
shrieking and moaning like one of the undead. Danny dived

300
00:22:26.359 --> 00:22:30.640
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

303
00:22:39.759 --> 00:22:43.799
skull to mingle with the other fluids in Kara's matted hair.

304
00:22:45.400 --> 00:22:48.480
Danny stretched her sweat drenched t shirt over her nose.

305
00:22:49.319 --> 00:22:53.000
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

309
00:23:05.400 --> 00:23:11.720
the viruses they carried had as well. You're not safe yet, weakly,

310
00:23:11.799 --> 00:23:20.519
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

312
00:23:25.079 --> 00:23:29.200
the front door, then slid to a sudden halt. Everything

313
00:23:29.319 --> 00:23:32.599
was quiet, save for the ticking of the tin roof

314
00:23:33.160 --> 00:23:38.119
expanding in the afternoon sun. A childhood memory scratched at

315
00:23:38.160 --> 00:23:42.480
the back of her mind, as persistent as any flea bite.

316
00:23:42.519 --> 00:23:45.039
She thought about the stray that had wandered into their

317
00:23:45.119 --> 00:23:49.559
yard when she was five. The pup rolled over onto

318
00:23:49.559 --> 00:23:52.799
his back for belly rubs, and little Danny had been

319
00:23:52.839 --> 00:23:57.279
scarred for life. The fleas were clustered together, turning the

320
00:23:57.359 --> 00:24:02.519
dog into their own personal bonanza buffet. She hadn't understood

321
00:24:02.559 --> 00:24:05.240
what the little dark specks all over the animal were.

322
00:24:06.160 --> 00:24:11.519
Some crawled freely between his stiff, tawny hairs. She probed

323
00:24:11.519 --> 00:24:15.279
at a suckling swarm of the parasites. Detecting new prey,

324
00:24:15.759 --> 00:24:19.799
they leapt onto Danny's hands. They'd bitten her dozens of

325
00:24:19.880 --> 00:24:23.519
times before she managed to get them all off. She

326
00:24:23.599 --> 00:24:27.400
had nightmares for months, which had only been quelled once

327
00:24:27.440 --> 00:24:32.240
her father explained to her that fleas couldn't survive without

328
00:24:32.279 --> 00:24:36.640
an animal to live on. That's why everything was silent.

329
00:24:37.079 --> 00:24:41.559
She realized the sparse populations of black bears and elk

330
00:24:41.880 --> 00:24:45.200
were the largest animals in the Ozarks. It wouldn't have

331
00:24:45.240 --> 00:24:49.440
taken the monsters long to exhaust those options. There were

332
00:24:49.480 --> 00:24:53.799
no viable hosts, so they'd turned to attacking everything they

333
00:24:53.799 --> 00:24:58.319
could for even a few drops of warm blood. Danny

334
00:24:58.400 --> 00:25:02.559
started off the porch, and the first step squeaked under

335
00:25:02.599 --> 00:25:05.960
her weight. It reminded her of a dying animal. In

336
00:25:06.000 --> 00:25:10.640
the silence surrounding the cabin, she paused. One of the

337
00:25:10.720 --> 00:25:14.920
rocks in the yard seemed to move. She blinked the

338
00:25:14.960 --> 00:25:18.000
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.

340
00:25:23.039 --> 00:25:26.240
She took another step, and the stairs gave a relieved groan.

341
00:25:27.680 --> 00:25:31.799
She wondered if fleas even had ears. The popping of

342
00:25:31.839 --> 00:25:35.839
the roof grew more rapid. She glanced over her shoulder

343
00:25:37.079 --> 00:25:41.920
and started running. The encroaching humans had been enough to

344
00:25:42.039 --> 00:25:47.279
awaken the entire scratch of super Fleas after months of dormancy.

345
00:25:47.839 --> 00:25:52.119
They were desperate for a meal, any meal. The hot

346
00:25:52.200 --> 00:25:54.960
roof made the cabin look like a giant animal to

347
00:25:55.000 --> 00:26:00.839
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
00:26:04.200 --> 00:26:07.319
to the first hope they'd had for a suitable host.

350
00:26:08.480 --> 00:26:12.680
Their piercing stylets punched fruitlessly into the unnatural skin of

351
00:26:12.720 --> 00:26:17.119
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
00:26:20.440 --> 00:26:23.720
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
00:26:28.279 --> 00:26:32.359
cabin's metal flesh. Danny was almost to the jeep when

356
00:26:32.359 --> 00:26:36.480
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
00:26:41.400 --> 00:26:45.759
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

360
00:26:50.519 --> 00:26:54.319
flea launched itself from the roof, landing a foot from Danny.

361
00:26:55.240 --> 00:26:58.839
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
00:27:33.279 --> 00:27:36.519
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

372
00:27:39.920 --> 00:27:44.079
tore through her skin. Danny screamed and fell backwards into

373
00:27:44.119 --> 00:27:48.319
the vehicle. The insects swarmed around her. She pulled the

374
00:27:48.400 --> 00:27:53.480
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
00:28:28.960 --> 00:28:31.880
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
00:29:26.680 --> 00:29:29.359
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.