Rituals, Reels & Rentals | 7 Halloween Horror Stories: Cursed VHS & Slashers

There was a time when Halloween Night came with a rewind button. You could summon a nightmare with a battered spell book in a snowy graveyard, stumble into a party where the guest list included something from Hell, or stay awake past midnight while a horror host stared back through the television glass. Then came the video stores, fluorescent aisles, plastic cases, and clerks who learned the hard way that some customers only shop after dark. In one town, a storm turns a rental counter into a killing floor. In another, a black and white slasher refuses to stay inside a cursed VHS tape, and somewhere in the static, a different cassette doesn't kill you at all.

It simply makes the world forget you were ever there. Tonight, every ritual needs an audience, every screen wants something in return, and every rental comes due. So, check the case, lock the doors, and whatever you do. Be kind, rewind, and pray the tape doesn't rewind you in return. And speaking of ominous threats, make sure you subscribe on your favorite podcast app, because every Wednesday is a brand new Terror Tale, and we have a whole lot planned for October. But now, let's head back to the past, to my favorite year, 198666. Halloween, 198666 by Dan Wilder.

Are you sure this is going to work? I can't believe this fool. I'm fucking unemployed, dateless, 18, and working a spell more than 2000 years old on Halloween, in the dark, in a graveyard. Damn, if this crap got any more cliché, I would have flown in here in a sopwell camel while my pals bobbed for apples and picked on a kid with obvious alopecia issues. Don't you think she'll be all hot with a big old set of boobs? How did I end up here? October 31st, 1986, started well enough. Halloween fell on a Friday, which meant that in the past, we would all rush home from school in the already fading daylight and either throw on a store-bought number or a homemade concoction, most likely thought up that day in one class or another and drawn in ballpoint in our well-illustrated notebooks that served as impromptu art galleries and occasionally as a method for taking notes, then head out in those mean small town streets until we were loaded down with enough candy to ensure our lives as future diabetes sufferers, with a whole weekend to utilize as a recovery from our night of unspeakable corn syrup-drenched darkness.

Anyway, all of that happened for 17 years, with more of our friends bailing with each passing year, and this, this was to be our Samhain Swan Song. The sun hung low and swollen when my best friend Ace, well, his name was Ricky, but he looked like Ace Freely, formerly of Kiss, all gangly energy and long straight hair, and I headed out into the cold dusk to collect our saccharine tithe. I was dressed as Brett Michaels from the new band on the scene, Poison, and Ace was dressed as Gene Simmons from Kiss. That Ace always won to defy expectations.

So, long story short, our hall was kinda lame, full of bullshit like mallow cups and pennies in a baggie, and a deficit of miniature name brand candy bars and Reese's cups. Plus, it started to snow. Yeah, it snows here a fucking lot, and early too. And when temps drop and quality sugar is in short supply, there was only one solace a young wanderer could seek. Woods porn? Ace queried as if reading my mind. I exhaled a long trail of visible breath into the rapidly cooling night. Woods porn. I nodded stoically. Now wait, some of you city folk may not be acquainted with a rural kid's main source of sex education.

Namely, a porno mag stuck under a rock in a nearby forest used by any number of neighborhood horn dogs for unspeakable deeds. And we had a real doozy safely stored under the third large rock on the left and barely covered in mold, worms or spunk. Only problem, the magazine wasn't there. But a spell book was. I flipped through that tome while Ace bitched that his titty rag was gone. Hey, Ace, I think this may be even better than porn. Better than porn? Are you having a stroke? No. Listen to this. I read aloud the parts of the text that were in English.

Certain words stuck out. Sex witch. Resurrection. Unspeakable evil will be unleashed upon all mankind. Sex witch? Fuckin rad! Ace ejaculated, almost literally. It was then, right then, that I should have just ripped that book to shreds and to hell with Ace's libido. But I didn't. I simply fucking didn't. I was horny. May my descendants forgive me. The pictures in the book indicated we'd need to be in a graveyard and acquire a few supplies. Mostly simple herbs, spices, some virgin blood. Where the hell are we going to find virgin's blood? I have no idea, Ace. I'm pretty sure these kinds of things were probably easier to come by in the old days.

Yeah, the ancients never had to deal with the liberated 80s woman, all in control with those sweet sweet shoulder pads. Hmm. Are you okay? Do you need a minute? My sister. How is that any way shape or form the answer to that question? My sister, my sister is a virgin. Are you sure? Have you seen her face? Yeah, it's gorgeous. What? Uh, nothing. I was just fucking around is all. Good. Anyway, I know she's a virgin. How? Simple. I read her diary. Dude, isn't that a bit wrong? Who cares? She writes funny ass girl shit in there, including the fact that her legs are locked together tighter than a hummingbird's tweet.

Why? I don't know. She hasn't found her Prince Charming or something. Does she mention me in there? Anywhere? No. Why the hell would she? I don't know. An eligible younger guy can be a real enticing thing for a older lady. Older lady? She's 19. Whatever. So, genius, how are we going to obtain her blood? Leave that all to me. Hey, Hannah, can Sam use your bathroom? Why? What's wrong with the other two? Dad's in one and the toilet's clogged in the other one. Hannah scrunched up her face, her angelic face, and thought. Ace leaned in and offered this wisdom.

Head straight to the trash can next to the toilet. It'll be in there all ripe for the taking. I nodded. Hannah looked me over. Fine. He looks like he has OK, Aim. A compliment. She actually paid me a compliment. He probably sits down to pee anyway. I have a condition. Split stream. It's just easier to sit. Eww. Shut up and go quick. Thanks. I sputtered. I entered her bathroom and was immediately overcome. Here was my holy land. I cast my eyes around. So many sweet smelling lotions and soaps. Finally I saw the goal. The snoopy trash can that sat on the tile floor just left of the sink.

I headed across the cold floor and swallowed hard. There it was. A simple discarded maxi pad. I eyed it nervously and made my approach. We reconvened outside. The swollen full moon and ever increasing snowfall made the whole scene seem surreal. I held aloft that sacred feminine hygiene product. Ace beamed. Yes! Awesome job, dude! I smiled sheepishly. Thanks. The walk to the graveyard was long. And quiet. Given how it was now after nine and trick-or-treating had officially ended. We were two cold lunatics strolling around in the snow heading off to make ourselves a woman. Yeah, now that I say it back, the whole thing does sound ludicrous.

Like an EC comic mixed with a letter to Penthouse Forum as the script. To be honest, I literally had nothing else to do. Neither did Ace. Well, maybe Nintendo. The growing wind lashed me in the face like a slap from a fist made of frozen pizza rolls. Fuck, I could be eating pizza rolls and playing Nintendo. No boobs there, my friend, Ace said quietly. I said that out loud? You said a lot of stuff out loud tonight, like you're narrating our adventure. It's weird, but it's kind of funny, so I figured it's best to keep quiet and enjoy the ride.

You're a real... We're here, Ace said happily. The gates to Prospect Hill Cemetery were three things. Iron, locked, and very, very tall. Four things. What? Four things. It's also decorative and connected to a two-foot concrete wall. Walk like a foot left and right, and we can just hop over and be inside in a jiff. Not even a particularly robust leap either. For shit's sake. One small leap later, we were traversing that icy necropolis on our way to... Where the fuck are we going? I don't know. Cemeteries don't usually have a designated practice black magic section.

That's true. And a tad passive aggressive. Sorry. I was just hoping for more candy and horror flicks and less schlepping around in the freezing cold wandering among the tombstones. It's pretty metal though, Ace offered. We both laughed. You're not wrong. I tripped over an ancient tombstone. Ace extended a hand to help me to my feet and glanced at the grave I had completely decimated. Whoa. This chick was 18 like us when she died. So young. That's so sad. What? No, she was 18. Okay. 18. Three times six. Three sixes. Oh. Oh. Six six six. Yeah.

After that indisputable sign from above. Well, more below in this case, we got down and dirty with the devil's work. You said that out loud. I did. Yeah. Shit. Now you got me doing it. Anyway, Ace and I set up our 11 herbs and spices, lit a candle, got the spell book. Everything was in order. Well, almost everything. Get it, dude. You get it. She's your sister. Gross. I suppose you're right. I am. Besides, you already touched it. I sighed as I reached into my backpack. And removed the maxi pad. I held it in my trembling hands and placed it on the makeshift altar, wiping my hands and silently apologizing to Hannah, his mother, and especially Papap and Mema.

Dear sweet Mema. It took me a few seconds to register what happened next. There was an electric pop, then a slight plume of lavender smoke wafted into the air, after which a crow, like out of a Poe story. That was a raven. What's the difference? Ravens are bigger and their tails are a different shape. How the hell do you know this? Ranger Rick. Ranger Rick? Yeah, it's one of those magazines at every doctor's office, like Highlights. Highlights, now you're talking. Timbertoes. Goofus and Galant. Shit, that crow just snatched Hannah's maxi pad and flew off. I exhaled, dejectedly.

You ready to call this one Ace? Yeah, a shitty send-off if you ask me. Yeah. Build Nest. Use thing humans had. Taste like blood. Blood bad. Body hurt. Ave setanus. I sat the plate of pizza rolls down and returned to my game. While most of the night had been either weird as fuck, disappointing or an unholy combination of both, this was a welcome reprieve. After the ceremonial burning of the mouth on the pizza rolls, I swore and played on. Tap, tap. What in the hell was that? Tap, tap. I looked around the room, but nothing seemed to miss.

Tap, tap. The window. It's coming from the window. I crossed the room and stared into the darkness beyond. I didn't see jack shit. I wonder if those pizza rolls have cooled down any. They hadn't. Shit. Now I can't stop messing around with the loose dangle of burnt skin hanging down from the tender roof of my mouth. Tap, tap. Back to the window I go. This time, I barely caught a glimpse of a porcelain skinned hand retreat into the darkness. After the whole jump back and hope that fart wasn't a shit routine, I scrambled back to the window.

I pressed my face against the pain in a futile attempt to see further into the night. The glass was ice cold. The hand that tapped the glass felt even colder. For a second, my heart stopped. I cartwheeled around the room like a madman upending everything in my whirlwind wake. The pizza rolls definitely didn't survive. Neither did the can of soda that fell onto the video game console creating a massive jolt that traveled along the controller cord, through the buttons, and directly onto my bare feet. That were admittedly a tad damp from piss. Don't judge me.

I'm frail. Can you keep your private time a tad more private, dear? My mother called up the stairs. Just great. I'm going to die and my mother will be left with just a memory of her darling offspring cock in hand trying to beat the devil and losing. Good news. The shock restarted my heart. So there's a fucking Halloween miracle. Tap, tap. Oh, shit. I haven't even caught my breath from dying the last time. I saw the hand again, but this time it didn't retreat. Hello? Hannah came into view. The extended hand connected to her alabaster body by an arm.

So delicate, it could have been that of an angel itself. She was wearing an oversized Kajagoogoo t-shirt. And if the suddenly bright moonlight behind her illuminating that which lurked beneath the smug smile of Limhaw was to be believed, absolutely nothing else. Hannah? Yeah? What are you doing out there? Trying to get your attention? Well, you definitely got that. Hannah drew closer to the window. Her t-shirt shifted to reveal more of her perfect shoulders. And just a pixie's whisper more cleavage. After seeing you earlier, I couldn't get you off my mind. You couldn't? No. I'm sorry I made fun of you.

Your condition must be a heavy cross for you to bear. I mean, it's a bit of an inconvenience at times, but it's manageable. Look at you, shouldering your pain like a big, strong man. Are you feeling okay, Hannah? Yeah. Why? Because usually you're repulsed by my very existence. Now you're rubbing against my window like a cat in heat. Oh, I'm in heat all right. With that, Lamal and the lads were torn free and tossed into the crisp night air. Holy fucking shit, I exclaimed as Hannah's naked form stood at the window. You like what you see?

My boner and I answered in the affirmative. Why not let me in and we can get to getting? Know what I mean? Hannah winked. I don't know. What in the hell was I saying? You don't? Hannah pouted. It was sexy as all shit. Well it's just... it's weird as all. Isn't tonight reserved for the strange and unusual? My pulse pounded in my pants. I... I suppose you're right. I started to make my way closer to the window as if on autopilot. Oh you can just bet I am. I unlocked the window and opened it quickly.

Hannah smiled. So saccharine. So sweet. The door to my bedroom nearly exploded off the hinges. I turned to see Ace and Hannah. You guys look like shit. Did too. All bruises and scratches. I turned back to Hannah. Wait. Hannah at the window. Hannah at the door. Door Hannah pointed at Window Hannah. Window Hannah's skin was going from pure driven snow to blood clot rotten blood. And her pitch black eyes and angler fish teeth weren't doing her any favors either. It was then that a bit of logic slapped me right in the face. I'm on the second floor.

Hannah can't float. At least as far as I know. Man, that should have been a huge tip off that something was slightly amiss. I blame the pizza rolls. You guys really look like shit. Blame it on your girlfriend out there. Tap. Tap. She's not my girlfriend. Closest you'll ever get to me. Real Hannah said under her breath. Tap. Tap. Hey, I heard that. Come on, in my own house and everything? You two can kiss and make up when we're out of here. Tap. Motherfucking tap. The window exploded inward as we all turned in unison to see the creature's extremely enormous bird foot extend back into the darkness.

Speaking of darkness, I then realized why I couldn't see outside as quick flashes of the beast's dreaded wings revealed a wingspan of nearly 30 feet. We didn't hesitate to haul ass from the room, the nightmare form of that toothy horror snapping in our wake. We slammed my bedroom door closed behind us and dashed down the stairs as the sound of the cheap plywood door of my bedroom being splintered from repeated blows of the monster spurned us on. We dashed past the kitchen where my mother washed dishes as she danced and bopped the music issuing from her Walkman.

Wait, we have to get my mother out of here! We don't have time! Ace screamed, dragging me by the arm. I tried to fight back, but a lifetime of video games and shitty eating habits had left me a tad deficient in the strength department. We blasted into the chilly night, large snowflakes blowing past our faces. The creature sailed directly past my mother and followed us through the open front door. We flew into the night. We sat in the closet, trying not to breathe. We had snuck into a house a few blocks away, climbed into an unlocked window, and paused to collect our wits.

After long moments of silence, Ace spoke, What the fuck are we going to do? We? You're the one that talked me into this. I was horny. Reasonable, but still. Hey, does anyone want to discuss how you grody fool stole my maxi-pad to make that thing? It was him. It was your idea, Ace. Yeah, but you took the pad. You didn't want to touch it. Neither did you. But I figured since you're all hot and horny for Hannah. Are you serious? You two are disgusting. I think you're a beautiful woman, Hannah. I had no desire to touch your...

Your period blood. Shut up, Ace. We both spat. Screams filled the air. What the fuck was that? More screams followed. J-Jesus. Hannah exhaled, dejectedly. I'll go and check. You two cuddle here. Hannah gingerly snuck out of the closet. The seconds seemed like days. More screams. Followed by stifled giggles. Hey, heroes! Come here! Hannah whispered. We quietly exited the closet and joined Hannah in the hallway. She pointed down the stairs. We peered cautiously down the steps to see a family watching a film. A horror film where a family was being menaced by some monster porcupines on a farm.

Oh shit! This flick rocks! You've seen it? Yeah, I rented it last weekend. It's like Gremlins, but with aliens. Why didn't you call me? We could have watched it together. I don't know. You had bowling or some such bullshit. You two belong together. Girls can sense that. Shut up, Hannah. Don't tell her to shut up. I don't need you to defend me from this dweeb. The family turned and locked eyes with the trespassers. Hannah? Yes, Mrs. Henderson. It's me. What are you doing upstairs in our house? I'm not going to lie. We're running for our lives from a crow that has turned into an evil version of me.

Oh. Oh dear. Hannah smiled and turned towards her comrades. She believes me. Are you on the drugs? What? No, no drugs. Monsters. Should we call your mother? No, no. Ace led the march down the stairs. Enjoy your movie. We'll get her home so she can sleep it off. Ace smiled his best Sheshire cat grin. He reached into the nearest popcorn bowl and grabbed a handful of the salty snack within. Good night now. Happy Halloween, I injected. We were soon on the streets again. We walked on aimless, directionless. In the distance came the sound of great wings flapping in the midnight sky.

We are so fucked. You think so? Yeah. I mean, come on. We are just some kids in the middle of nowhere, harassed by a demon. The odds are stacked against us, but come on. The assholes in this town always survive. That isn't wrong, you guys, Hannah offered. So what should we do? As if on cue, far in the distance, the bells of St. James' Church of Our Holy Concubine rung out. We headed towards the church. The doors of the church were unlocked. We slinked inside, looking high and low for any means of salvation. It was then we saw it, tucked away in the corner of the pantry, far below the church.

We cut open the box and dragged it up the stairs to the main hallway, to the front doors, and then we started to toss that consecrated birdseed. We scattered the communion wafers about the parking lot of the church, all the while those thunderous wing movements filled the air, punctuated by the angry screams of that unholy amalgamation. Finally, that putrid pigeon came to roost, and forever a slave to its avian instincts, it began to peck at the bread we offered. On and on it ate, so long that the sun began to rise and chase away the darkness.

The illumination increased as the creature feasted on. Crow Hanna burped and looked at the sky. Its eyes grew wide at the sunrise, filled with hope, peace, and possibly a chance at redemption for its blasphemous existence. I stepped forward and stroked its furrowed, nearly innocent brow. It cooed low and satisfied. I leaned close to kiss its forehead. The creature exploded in a shower of gore that plastered us in underworld filth. Ace puked, Hannah sneezed, and I spit bloody chunks from my mouth. Greatest Halloween ever? Ace offered. Fuck yes! The Halloween Party by Keith Tomlin A rock skittered across the cracked pavement of the road as a black engineer boot playfully kicked at it.

Clyde, a young man dressed in blue jeans, white t-shirt and a leather jacket, stopped to survey his surroundings. There were empty warehouses and factories on all sides, most falling apart, victims of a failing economy. The blight stretched as far as he could see, and from what he could tell, he seemed to be the only person within miles. He paused next to a rusty rim with a flat tire and lit an unfiltered cigarette. He took a deep drag, closing his eyes, enjoying the pleasure of the harsh, burning smoke in his lungs for a few moments. He then opened his eyes and, once again, surveyed the empty expanse around him.

Okay, stop fucking around. Where are you? He yelled. Not hearing a response, he tilted his head back and drank from a large bottle of whiskey. He stopped long enough to catch his breath, and then guzzled more of the bitter liquor. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve and yelled again. Come on, I'm bored. Where are you guys? I don't want to miss the party. Fine, fuck it, Clyde yelled, giggling. Downing the last of the liquid, he turned and threw the bottle over a tall, rusty chain link fence. He smiled in satisfaction when he heard the bottle break.

Running his hands along his hair, which was greased back into a duck tail, he started to walk on down the deserted road. Suddenly the evening was split by a soul shattering scream. The sound echoed off of the empty buildings and seemed to come from everywhere. The young man stopped, his head whipping back and forth as he tried to pinpoint the source. Of the scream, he finally zoned in on a row of old brick factories. Flipping the cigarette to the ground, he took off running and grinning like a madman. Amber slowly guided her eyeliner pencil across her cheek.

Leaning back, she looked at the results in the mirror. Prrrrfect, she thought, pleased with the cat whiskers she drew. She stood up and looked at the whole costume in the mirror. The cat suit accentuated her slim figure and provided a decent amount of cleavage without showing too much. She spent three weeks designing and creating the costume and was very proud of the effort. Plus, she could submit it as a final project in the fashion design class she was taking. Loud laughter and crude jokes from her sorority sisters Madison and Sarah intruded on the moment. It almost made Amber wish that she had not agreed to drive them to the party at a friend's cabin on Belleville Lake.

Both of them had started drinking hours earlier and they were pretty wasted by then. Having lived with an alcoholic father, Amber rarely drank and was the resident designated driver. Amber sighed and began the process of hurting the two drunks out the door. Thirty minutes later, Amber turned on to a dark, deserted country road near the lake. After a few minutes, red and blue lights appeared behind her. God damn it, Amber said, turning down the radio. Her two friends looked at each other and burst into laughter. Oh, no, Amber's getting a ticket, Sarah teased. Maybe the cop will be cute.

Ask if you could touch his gun, Madison said, causing Sarah to burst into laughter. Will you two stop it? Amber said, annoyed. She hated dealing with drunks. She pulled over and shut the car off. Rolling her window down, she tried to get a look at the car that pulled in behind her, but a bright spotlight lit up from the car, almost blinding her. Amber had a bad feeling about this. She ignored the snickering comments from her friends as she tried to watch behind her in the side mirror. After a few seconds, she saw a shadow pass in front of the spotlight as a large man walked up alongside the car.

Being backlit, it was hard to see any details. But it looked like he was wearing a uniform. Something in the way he moved seemed... off. When the man reached the driver's side window, he stopped for a few seconds and then leaned down and looked into the car. Amber stared into his face, shocked at seeing him wearing a respirator. She started to speak to ask why he stopped them, but everything froze when she looked into his eyes. Wild, crazy eyes, eyes that seemed to scream out for violence and blood. Are you good girls or bad girls?

He said in a whispery voice, muted by the mask he was wearing. Amber jolted into motion and tried to start the car as the man brought his hand up and sprayed a mist from a small tank into the car. Amber faded into darkness, hearing the screams of her friends. Amber jerked awake to sounds of screaming. Groggily, she looked down and saw that her hands and legs were tied to an old office chair. The chair was on some kind of loading dock in an old, dirty warehouse or factory. She turned towards the screaming and realized that they were coming from a naked young woman lying on the floor.

She was staked out in the middle of a crudely painted pentagram with candles at each point, with her arms and legs stretched out to her sides. The woman was covered in blood, and between cries of pain, she was pleading with a large man standing over her to let her go. The man answered with swipes of a large bloody knife. Amber tried to yell, but she found that she had been gagged with a dirty rag held there by a cloth tied around her head. Even though her cries were muffled, the man responded by turning toward her.

His eyes seemed to shine, lit by the light of insanity. These were the same eyes she saw on the man who had pulled them over. He grinned and held the bloody blade up to his mouth as if to shush her. Amber was able to get a better look at the woman on the floor, and realized it was Sarah. Amber strained against her restraints, trying to yell for help, desperate to do anything to save her friend. The man grinned even more, and turned back to Sarah, using the knife with more enthusiasm, pleased that he now had an audience.

Amber sobbed, choking on the gag, trying to find a way to break free. The killer plunged his knife deep into Sarah, her screams fading into a low gurgle. He reached into her abdomen and cut out a bloody piece of flesh. He turned toward Amber and waved it in the air, mocking her. He flipped it at her, and she had to jerk her head to the side to avoid being hit by the small piece of her friend. The killer laughed and then began to make a game out of cutting pieces of her friend, who now lay silent and unmoving and tossing them at her.

After a few minutes, he seemed to grow bored with this game. He looked up at her and raised the knife high in the air. He mumbled words in a language that Amber didn't recognize, and plunged the knife deep into Sarah's chest. With effort, he ripped the knife down, breaking ribs and cutting flesh. He reached into the large gaping wound and ripped something out, holding it up high as if offering it to the heavens. Amber felt bile rise up as she realized it was her friend's heart. She closed her eyes and turned away from the horror.

A few seconds later, she heard footsteps scraping on the concrete and felt the killer's rancid breath on her face. She closed her eyes even tighter as he spoke. Hey, pretty girl, little miss kitty cat. Look at your savior. Amber turned her head away from the voice. A hand with an iron grip seized her jaw and forced her head up. A cold sharp object placed against her throat. I said, look at me. The killer stated in a cold, hard voice. Amber opened her eyes and whimpered as she looked into the face of evil. You look like a good girl.

I think master will be pleased with you. He wasn't pleased with the other sacrifices. The killer said, pointing towards Sarah, then gestured to a dark corner. Amber looked and could make out an outline of a body, barely recognizable as human. Amber knew without a doubt that the bloody mess was what was left of Madison. She tried not to sob as she looked intently at her face. Yes, I'm sorry you slept through that one. How inconsiderate of me. Anyways, you didn't miss much. Amber, the master didn't respond to her flesh. She must have been unclean. You, on the other hand, the killer used the knife blade to play with the buttons on her costume.

You look like a good girl. And the Dark Lord likes good girls. He said, grinning. Amber trembled with fear, tears and snot running down her face. She tried to talk past her gag, begging him to let her go, to let her live. The killer stepped back, looking pleased. Let's get you ready to meet the master. He said as he wiped the blood off of the blade and inserted it into a sheath on his belt. He stretched, seeming to enjoy the discomfort and fear he was provoking in her. As he started to lean forward, a young man suddenly leapt out of the darkness, swinging a large pipe.

The pipe hit the killer on the side of his head and sent him sprawling across the room, landing near the unmoving body of Sarah. Damn! Home run, Clyde yelled, flipping the pipe like it was a baseball bat and raising his arms in the air, waving to an imaginary crowd. Amber stared at him in astonishment. Clyde lowered his arms and looked around. Wow, man! What the hell happened here? Looks like a slaughter, like one of those slasher movies I keep hearing about, he said, pointing at Madison's body in the corner. Amber snapped out of her trance and struggled against the gag, trying to plead with him to let her go.

He turned to point at the killer. Two bodies and a large ass fuck slicing everyone up. This is a slasher movie, he said, excitedly. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a flask and began to drink from it. I keep hearing about these movies at work. Sounds like a blast, baby, he stated, taking another long pull on the flask. Wiping his mouth, he looked at Amber. Damn, doll, you look like shit, he said, walking over to her. Amber started to sob again, straining against the gag. So, you must be the final girl. All of these movies have one.

He suddenly smiled. That must make me the dutiful boyfriend that sacrifices himself to save you. God, and I thought this would be a boring night, he said excitedly. Amber tried yelling even harder, begging him to let her go. Drink? He said, offering her the flask. Seeing Amber struggle against her restraints, he smacked himself in the forehead. Sorry, little missy, let me help, he said apologetically as he reached down and took the gag out of her mouth. Amber took a few deep breaths. Please, please, oh God, you've got to help me. Untie me and call the police.

This crazy man kidnapped us and killed. She broke into sobs as she looked over at Sarah. Hey now, baby face, dry those tears. As the dutiful boyfriend I have to help you. That's how these movies work, he said. Now let me cut you loose. He gestured to his right hand and a switchblade popped open in it. He gently reached down and cut the ropes tying her to the chair. There we go, sweets, he said, pulling the ropes loose. Oh, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Amber sobbed. Do you have a phone? We need to call the police.

Sorry, babe. Ain't got no phone, he said. We need to get out of here. We need to get help, she said. Her legs were numb from lack of circulation and she stumbled as she tried to stand. As he steadied her, she could smell the overpowering stench of alcohol. We got a long walk then, because I ain't got no car either. I was with some coworkers on the way to a Halloween shindig when I suddenly found myself here in the middle of fucking nowhere. There ain't no one around for miles except us and him, he said, pointing to the killer.

Amber looked to the killer and was shocked to see him beginning to stir. She could now hear a low moan coming from him as the maniac began rubbing the side of his face. Oh God, you have to finish him, he's getting up, she gasped. Well, it's not time for that yet, what kind of movie would that be? This is where we beat feet and try to hide from the vicious killer, the young man said as he turned away from her. God, I always wanted to be in a horror movie. Giggling, the young man walked through a door leading deeper into the factory.

Amber looked at the doorway and then back at the killer who was trying to pull himself up to his knees. She limped through the door. It took Amber a second to see Clyde moving silently through the rows of rusty machinery. She moved as quickly and quietly as her aching legs would allow. When she caught up to him, he turned and looked at her with a sly smile. I hope he's a good killer. I'd hate for this night to be a bust, he said. Amber stared at him for a second before saying, You're crazy. I'm not crazy.

I'm Clyde. He whispered, giggling again. Clyde turned and glided into the darkness. Amber hesitated, but began to move once she heard a metallic scrape somewhere behind her. Amber stumbled and groped her way through the darkened factory, following Clyde. The killer could be heard yelling, his voice echoing off the factory walls. After long, tense minutes, everything grew quiet. Suddenly a beam of light sprung out of the darkness, illuminating the row of machinery ahead of her. She stifled a scream as the light moved back and forth, seeking them out. A booming voice yelled from the darkness behind the flashlight.

Here, kitty kitty. Come out, kitty. And your little boyfriend, too. Clyde reached out and patted Amber's hand. I think it's time for the big scene. You wait here and I'll go out and see if we can't speed things up. I have to be back by dawn, Clyde whispered. He picked up a large, rusty wrench off the bench next to them and banged it on the cement floor. The flashlight whipped around and locked on to the crouching figures of Clyde and Amber. Clyde stood and shaking his fist at the killer, roared, If you want her, daddy-o, you have to go through me first.

The killer, unseen behind the bright light, laughed and said, That's it, little man, come to me. Clyde ran at the killer. Amber heard sounds of a struggle and the beam of the flashlight swung back and forth as they fought, but it was difficult for her to tell what was going on. Finally, the struggle ended. A figure stumbled back and fell on the ground in front of Amber. The flashlight swung around to spotlight Clyde, lying on his back, holding his hands to his throat, blood pouring out from between his fingers. Clyde tried to speak, reaching out to her, but all that came out of his mouth was an eruption of blood.

His outstretched hand fell to the ground as he stopped struggling and laid there, limp and unmoving. The light snapped to Amber's face, blinding her. She tried jumping to her feet to run away, but her legs gave out from under her. She fell forward, striking her head on the edge of a bench, landing on the floor, dazed. She felt the breath leave her as the killer brought his large boot down upon her neck. I have so much to show you. My little kitty cat, he whispered. Once again, Amber's world went dark. As Amber came to, she felt a coldness under her bare skin.

She tried to roll over only to find that she was tied down, spread eagle. She blinked the dizziness from her eyes and squinted at her body. Each wrist and ankle was tied to a steel rod hammered into the concrete. As the fog continued to lift from her consciousness, she saw something move above her and, after a moment of effort, her eyes focused on a face, the face of the killer. There you are, my little one. He cooed, grinning. You gave me a scare. I thought you may not wake up to accept the dark one's blessing.

He said his wicked blade catching the light from the candles that were placed around her. Amber began to weep, begging for her life. Shhh, I'll have none of that. This is a joyous time. If you start blubbering, I'll begin by carving out your tongue. The killer whispered to her. Amber struggled to control herself, but she could not stop her sobbing. Maybe I should begin here. The killer purred as he ran the knife down her bare belly toward her privates. After all, that is what turns little angels into lying whores. He said, yelling the last few words, he plunged the knife several inches deep inside her.

Amber screamed as she felt blood flowing from between her legs. The killer pulled the knife out of her and slowly ran his tongue along the flat of the blade, savoring the taste of her blood. Oh yes, the Dark Lord will shower me with rewards for bringing him a soul like yours. He leaned down and licked the tears from Amber's face as sobs wrecked her body. Laughter exploded from behind them. The killer whipped his head around and gawked at what he saw. Amber, with considerable effort, raised her head and stared, unbelieving at Clyde sitting calmly on the loading dock in the chair that Amber had been tied to earlier.

Clyde's white t-shirt was covered in drying blood, but he seemed unhurt. He flicked his thumb across a match head, causing it to burst into flame. He brought the match up to a cigarette in his mouth, lighting it. Damn, you have no idea how much I missed these, he said, taking a deep drag. You'd think with all the smoke and fire where I work, they would allow these, but nope. Clyde continued wistfully. Hell can be a weird place sometimes. The killer rose to his feet. He waved his knife in the air before saying, You stay back, she is my sacrifice to the dark one, and you cannot have her.

Clyde laughed again. Dark and ominous. You think this? He said, spreading his hands toward the carnage around them, will get you the attention of the Dark Lord? You have no idea what it takes. I committed countless atrocities, gave him the souls of hundreds of men, women, and children. I ripped babies from the wombs of their mothers and burned nuns alive, screaming for their god to save them. And yet, I barely registered on the radar of his lowest lieutenant. Clyde was now standing, screaming at the killer. I devoted my whole life to killing for his glory, and he doesn't even know my name.

You think killing a couple of skirts will bring down his blessing? You're a fool, he said, with contempt. The killer, shaking with rage, roared. The dark one promised me glory, eternal life. You will not take that away from me. The killer lunged forward and buried his knife up to the hilt in Clyde's chest. The killer stopped dead, his mouth agape as Clyde, almost nonchalantly, grabbed him by the neck and lifted him off the ground. Clyde looked up at the killer and grinned. So he promised you eternal life. Well, let's test that out. Clyde's hand shot out and plunged into the killer's chest.

When he withdrew his hand, he was holding the killer's still beating heart. He left both the killer's body and heart to drop to the ground. Sighing, Clyde took a seat at the edge of the loading dock. He reached over and picked up his cigarette from the floor, where he dropped it during the confrontation. He ran his hand still slick with the killer's blood through his hair and sighed again. Taking a drag from his smoke, he said, Man, this isn't how I pictured this night going. Hell is a bitch of a place to work. A handful of us get one night off a year on Halloween.

For the first time since I've been there, almost 70 years, I was picked. We had a great night planned. We were going to terrorize a small remote village, burn their crops and livestock, possess a few people, and end the night in a bloodbath. He flicked ashes on the killer's forehead. Somehow, I ended up here. I think it was because of this fuckwad's ritual or whatever he was doing. Maybe I was sent by the big guy to teach him a lesson. Hell, he laughed. Maybe the Dark Lord did have big plans for him, and I fucked it up.

Well, either way, I'll find out in the morning. Clyde took a final drag off of his cigarette and flicked it off into the darkness. Well, little missy, he said as he looked over at Amber. I don't have to leave until dawn, so let's have ourselves a little Halloween party. He pulled the knife from his chest and tested the edge with his thumb. Grinning, he jumped to his feet and walked toward Amber. For the last time, Amber began to scream. Phantasmagoria by Morgan Moore. Good night, dear, a woman's voice says. She exits a bedroom and closes the door behind her, leaving only the small glow of a nightlight to keep the room out of total darkness.

Stephen Whittington threw off the blanket that was on top of him and sat up on his bed. He looked over at the clock on his bedside table. 9.30, Stephen sighed. This is going to take forever, he said as quietly as possible. Stephen carefully climbed out of bed and tiptoed to a small vent on the floor by his closet. The young boy pressed his ear to the metal of it and listened closely. Beneath his room was the family den and, due to the vent, gave Stephen the ability to hear anything going on below him. He concentrated and grinned when he finally picked up on his mother and father, talking while watching TV.

All is good, for now, he whispered to himself. The boy stealthily plucked a pencil case and a notebook from a small desk by his window and laid down by the nightlight. He gave the clock a quick glance and shook his head. Here we go again. Stephen had a secret. Every Saturday night, he stayed up late, very late, to watch his favorite show on television, Phantasmagoria. Phantasmagoria was a late night show that aired every Saturday. The show was hosted by a person called Moloch. Stephen was both fascinated and terrified of Moloch. Their appearance, their voice, everything about them, scared Stephen, and the show itself did so as well.

Every week, Moloch would showcase a horror movie. In between the commercials, he would pop up and talk to the audience for a minute or two before going back to the film. Stephen, despite being terrified of the show, both for its host and the films, simply loved it. He could never get enough, and made sure he tuned in every week. Of course, he made sure his parents didn't know what he was doing. Even though it aired on Saturdays, Stephen's parents wanted him in bed before ten so that they could be up early for church in the morning.

Along with that, the Whittingtons didn't approve of horror films or anything closely related to them. Stephen could only imagine what the reaction would be if they ever found out that horror movies were his favorites. Not only that he stayed up supremely late, but that he was watching Phantasmagoria, a show that was not afraid to go into very intense places. He would be in major trouble, which is why Stephen handled every Saturday carefully with a plan. After his mother would tuck him in, he would keep an ear open for when his parents would go to bed.

Almost always at 10.30. Once they went to bed, he would sneak downstairs and begin his ritual to prepare for the oncoming horror. Stephen would make popcorn over the stovetop, doing his best to make as little noise as possible. From there, he would grab a bottle of grape soda he always kept hidden under the shelf in the pantry. Then, he would go to the family den, closing the door behind him. He'd sit his mixing bowl of popcorn and soda down by the TV, wrap himself up in a blanket as if it was a cocoon, and turn on the television.

Stephen always turned it on a few minutes before the show started. The station always led up to the program with static crackling before the show. Once the clock struck midnight, it would begin, and for at least two hours Stephen was in paradise. Tonight was extra special. Moloch was hosting an all-night marathon in honor of something called Sam Hain. Stephen didn't really know what it was other than that it was related to Halloween. No movies were announced, a normal practice of the show, but the previous week, Moloch promised something very, very special. Stephen nearly gave away his secret ritual when he heard about it.

To prepare for the special event, Stephen had made sure he got plenty of sleep throughout the week, went above and beyond getting his homework done before Saturday came around, and stockpiled a gym bag of his sodas and enough popcorn, oil, butter and salt to keep him going all night. It was only a matter of time before the show began. Stephen looked over to his clock. It was 1045. He groaned softly. Why aren't they in bed yet? He asked himself. Did they discover his secret? Did they know about the marathon and were planning to stay up until he was asleep?

Stephen wasn't sure what to think. He was tempted to sneak down and see what was going on, but he talked himself out of it for fear of giving away what he was up to. Come 11 o'clock, there was still no sign of his parents going to sleep. Stephen sighed in depression. Maybe I won't get to watch. He started to get off the floor but paused. I hear something. I hear them. Stephen quickly went back to the vent and pressed his ear to it. His parents were turning off the television and were saying it was time for them to get going to bed.

Yes! Stephen had to fight to hold the excitement from spilling out. He would be cutting it close on time but he could make it work. Stephen tiptoed to his door and listened. Footsteps echoed from below and grew louder as the Whittington's ascended the stairs. I'm going to check on Stephen real quick before we go to bed, Mrs. Whittington said. Not a bad idea. He's been so sleepy today. I wonder why? Mr. Whittington replied. Stephen's eyes widened. He had to be careful and quick or else everything would be ruined. The boy grabbed his notebook and pencil case and quickly got back into bed, shoving the items under his pillow before tucking himself back in, positioning his body to where his back faced the door.

His bedroom door cracked open and he felt his parents staring at him. Stephen kept his eyes squeezed real tight and listened. He seems fine to me. I guess he was just tired today. Mr. Whittington said, Yeah, guess you're right. Let's let him get some sleep then. Mrs. Whittington said as she closed the door. Stephen opened his eyes. The boy stayed in bed, waiting until he heard his parents' door shut behind them and could no longer hear any noises from their room. His eyes shifted to the clock. 11 15. It was time. Climbing out of bed as carefully as before, Stephen made his way to his bedroom door.

Stealthily he opened it, making sure not to let it creak at all. He slid out of his room and closed the door behind him. With the quietness of a cat, Stephen made his way downstairs, through the living room and into the kitchen. Time to get to work, he told himself, with a sigh of relief. With the precision of a master surgeon, Stephen went to work on his weekly Saturday ritual. First he made his popcorn, the hardest step due to all the noise. His way around this was to drape a dish towel over the pot. It still made noise, but to him it lessened the volume.

While the popcorn went on popping, the boy unearthed his beverages from the pantry and carried them into the family den. When he returned to the kitchen, he plucked a large bowl from a cabinet and emptied the overflowing pot of popcorn into it. He drizzled butter topping and salt onto it all and did his best to mix it all for ideal results. Bowl of popcorn in hand, he once more made his way to the family den after turning off the kitchen light. Stephen sat it down next to the sodas in front of the television. Next, he closed the door behind him.

He glanced at the clock hanging by a bookcase and smiled. 1155. It was close, but he managed to pull it off. Stephen grabbed a blanket and plopped down in front of the television and turned it on. As static filled the screen, he wrapped himself up. The boy couldn't help but grin as he waited for what was sure to be the time of his life. 1159 hit, and the screen went black, as was tradition. Stephen held his breath in anticipation, not daring to move as he counted down the seconds. The clock struck midnight, and right on cue, the opening vignette of the show started.

A smile wide as a billboard formed on Stephen's face as he went on the ride that was the opening package ending on the logo of the show. The screen went pitch black, and a moment later, the familiar voice of Moloch came through the television. I am the god of nightmares, and I welcome you to the show that relishes and showcases the best of those nightmares. My name is Moloch, and this is Phantasmagoria. The screen became filled with the set of the show, depicting that of a cave whose walls were built from skulls. Sitting around the location were various medieval torture devices, skeletons hanging from the walls via chains, and a small table stood next to an antique chair, another skull resting on the surface.

It was a set that alone could give you nightmares, but the most fearsome thing of all suddenly appeared out of the darkness. Moloch himself. His hair was dark as the night sky. His body was all black with only his hair and face showing. His face was pale white with blackened rings around his eyes, and lips blacker than a tar pit. Accentuating the black were spots of red around the corners of his mouth. His eyes and his forehead. To many, including Stephen, he was the textbook image of a demonic being. And Stephen loved it. This is a special evening, my creatures of the night, for tonight I will be showing movies all night long.

That is right, my children, we will not stop until the morning light appears. I selected our line up with extra special thought for the evening, and while I won't give away all of the titles, I can guarantee they will leave you screaming in terror, and screaming for more. As a special treat, stay tuned for an extra special showcase of my horrifying abilities. But for now, let us move on to our first film. Moloch spoke in his normal, hypnotic yet frightful way, a smirk twitching at the corner of his lips as he went on about the evening.

Stephen watched in gleeful terror as the films went on and on, his popcorn and soda slowly disappearing as the night continued. Films like Night of the Bloodfreaks Part 4, Asylum No. 9, The Demons of Ludlow, and so many others. They terrified him, half to death, but provided such a rush of danger and a thrill that nothing else could match. The night went on, and Moloch as usual would chime in every now and then to speak about the films or about the grand holiday that was Sam Hain. When the night was beginning to wind down and a movie called Frankenstein's Castle of Freaks ended, Moloch appeared standing in the middle of his domain.

My children, I hope you've enjoyed this most special of evenings. A sacred time when this world and the other world are connected. A time where we pay tribute to our gods and goddesses. A time of merriment. I told you I had something special planned for tonight. Well, that time has come. I am going to invite one lucky viewer into my sanctum to participate in a Sam Hain ritual. Stephen watched in anticipation. Ah, man, I wish I could be there. Moloch moved his head side to side, looking for whoever it was he wanted to use. Suddenly he stopped, his eyes staring right down where the camera would be.

Stephen felt his host's eyes staring through the camera, through the television screen, right into his. His body began to feel light and his head became foggy, euphoric. Stephen stared back at the now grinning Moloch getting closer and closer until he was standing in front of him. Awareness came back. What? How did I get here? Moloch took hold of Stephen's chin, moving his head to stare into the boy's eyes. Once more, Stephen became mesmerized. Ah, yes, you will do fine, my dear boy. Come, follow me. The horror host grinned as he moved backwards, holding up an index finger to wave Stephen on.

He followed his host intoxicated by feelings of joy and fear as to what might happen. But, this was what he wanted. He wanted to aid Moloch to be on the show. Moloch led the boy to a stone altar. The horror host pointed to it. Stephen understood what was being asked and climbed on. As he did so, he noticed that there was an empty void around the altar, almost like a moat. Lay down, my child, Moloch instructed. Stephen did as he was told. Once he was flat against the altar, Moloch stepped back from it and held his hands over him.

Samhain, Samhain, Summer's End, Summer's End, Samhain, Samhain, Veil is Thin, Veil is Thin, Samhain, Samhain, Spirit Friends, Spirit Friends, Samhain Fire, Samhain Night, Samhain Magic, Spirit's Light, Spirit's in Light, Spirit's in Sound, Spirit's Within, Spirit's Around, Ancestors, we call to you, Ancestors, we remember you, Ancestors, we honor you, Beloved Dead, Come, Get Fed. Suddenly a great fire erupted from the void that surrounded the altar. Just as quickly as it came, it went. Moloch's lair plunging into darkness. A chuckle emanated from the lair. The lair came back into view. Moloch sat in his throne, a skull clutched in one of his hands.

He raised it to his lips and tipped it back, sipping a liquid his audience could not see. The horror host lowered the skull and stared down the camera, smirking. Well, my children, I believe I delivered on giving you all a very special episode in honor of Samhain. The show is over for tonight. Once more you have a reprieve from the evil that lurks in the celluloid of these terrifying films. Until we join in our horrifying communion again, I bid you all the most unnerving of nightmares. Special Halloween Hours by Rob Fields When I started my freshman year at Strickfield University, I wanted to get an evening job to both occupy my free time and make some cash.

One of my professors said a great place to get a job was in downtown village itself. I couldn't believe my eyes when I first came into downtown Strickfield. This part of the village truly is an area that time seems to have mostly forgotten. Sure, there's internet service, HDTVs, video game consoles and smartphones. Far from that, most everything else that seemed long forgotten is still here. Downtown Village has things like a 24-hour video game arcade that's part of a donut shop called Roth's Rings. There's a daily newspaper printed called the Strickfield Journal, and paper carriers on bicycles deliver them.

People here still use landline phones. There are even pay phones, including operator service. There's also this soda parlor called Big Ed's. There's even a vintage movie theater called the Strickfield Centennial. Just outside the main village is a diner called Denoyer's Grill that'll take you back in time with their menu, the floor, the booths, and even the jukebox. Even the drive-in theater plays by vintage rules where only the driver pays admission, not to mention all the vintage movies they play on film. Now, you'd take one look at me and you'd think right away, I don't belong here.

I know I stand out with all my tattoos, my long hair, my piercings. Yet who'd have thought Fortune was with me as soon as I stepped into Strickfield Video? Yeah, you heard me. There really is a video rental place here in downtown Strickfield. When I walked in, my jaw practically hit the floor. This place is huge and rents VHS tapes to DVDs to Blu-rays. Strickfield Video carries movies from every genre. The horror section is easily the biggest one here. They even sell movie theater style snacks and other novelties. It wasn't long before this middle-aged man who looks like a gangster appeared right behind the counter.

You like what you see? Yeah, he even sounded like a gangster. When he saw me with all my tattoos, piercings, and leather clothes, I thought he was going to kick me out. But he didn't. You hear about the job, kid? Help wanted sign out there. Um, you're really hiring? Was all I could say. And that was it. No formal interview, no filling out an application or handing over a resume. Not even a background check. The gangster guy whose name is Lenny hired me right on the spot. He sneered again and told me to relax as he showed me around Strickfield Video.

Like I said, this place is huge. He said new movies come in all the time and I would have my busy moments. Even though I didn't look normal, it didn't bother him. Here's my bodily dimensions. I got long jet black hair going down to my rear end. I'm really skinny but don't look like I don't eat. The one thing people quickly notice are my sparkling blue eyes. Like I said, I got tattoos all over my body. I also got piercings, multiple earrings, lip hoops, eye hoops, tongue stud, nose hoop and a belly button stud. Even my leather clothing speaks volumes.

A top showing my tummy, a mini skirt and boots going up past my knees with fishnets. I also got rings on my fingers. Hey, when you come from a biker family. In fact, my Harley Davidson's parked right outside. What's your name, kid? Lenny asked. Um, Charlie, I replied. Charlie Brewster. My name is supposed to be pronounced Char-lee. But when people see it in print, they call me the guy's name. I finally gave up correcting people and go by what I told Lenny. Long story short, Lenny explained everything to me on that first day. He also said I'd get some weirdo characters that come in from time to time.

But not to worry about them. Everybody comes in here because they want to watch movies. Nobody's going to hurt you here, kid. Just find them what they want, ring them out, and you're done. That's simple. Honestly, I wasn't sure Strickfield Video was going to be open that much longer. I mean, come on. It's all about streaming these days. Nobody cares about renting physical videos, right? Not here in Strickfield. It was only my first day with Lenny breaking me in, but Strickfield Video was busy. Believe me, I got lots of hands-on experience. When Lenny felt I could do things myself, he started backing off.

This place opens at 10 a.m. each day and closes late, with even later hours Friday and Saturday nights. Before long, I settled into what might be a dream job. I got comfortable enough to be able to work on my homework during the times I wasn't busy. I could even order out for food. It was just Lenny and me working Strickfield Video. Usually, he'd open up, and I was the nightshifter. When one of us needed a day off, the other one would cover the entire day. When it was closer to October 31st, Lenny said there'd be Special Halloween Hours for that night.

When he gave me my schedule for that week, I saw my hours for Halloween night were 6 p.m. till... We're open all night on Halloween, Lenny? Strickfield Video's been open all night on Halloween since my father first opened it back in 1978, he said. Then there's the gangster sneer again. What's the matter, kid? You scared? I raised my hands in front of me. No, no, I can work Halloween night. Still sneering. All night? Um, sure, I quickly said. He patted my shoulder. I believe in you, but I'll come and check on you to see if you're all right.

Now it's Halloween night. I'm riding my girl into downtown village. Sometimes I ain't sure if I want to live here or gun my motor and get away. Still, I pull my girl into its usual parking place and cut the motor. I dismount and walk into Strickfield Video with my backpack. On time as always, kid, Lenny says when I walk in. Seeing Lenny's got lots of customers, I get behind the counter and help him out. When we're caught up, he turns and points to a new coffee maker. Make all the coffee you need. Then he hands me some money and get yourself some dinner.

You've been doing great work here, he sighs. Hope you're here for the long haul. Good help is so hard to find today. Um, thanks, I say. Lenny sneers and pats my shoulder. Lots of stock that's gotta be put out. You're gonna be busy tonight for sure. And remember kid, you're gonna get plenty of weirdos coming in tonight. Just rent the videos out like you've been doing and you're gonna be fine. He assures me again I'll be okay and leaves. Now it's just me here at Strickfield Video. Seeing I'm okay at the moment, I make some coffee and pour myself a cup.

Yum, he did not buy the cheap stuff. Lenny's right about this place being busy on Halloween. As part of my job, I play a movie that feeds to every TV in here, including the one in the main window. Since it's Halloween, I've been playing nothing but horror movies. To be honest, I love working here. Even though Lenny looks and talks like a gangster, I look forward to seeing him every day. Also, he pays me good. As for benefits, he leaves me money for dinner. He also lets me take videos back to my dorm. With all the foot traffic coming in here, this place ain't closing for good anytime soon.

Who knows? Maybe I can keep working here all through my years of college. Now it's half past eleven. New inventories cataloged and out in the sections. Lenny ordered many more copies of Veranda, Queen of the Night. We already have tons of them, but they're hard to keep in during October. Even after putting out all the new copies, they still flew right off the shelves. The people renting them also buy lots of candy and microwave popcorn. At first, I wondered if I'd be okay being the only girl working here at night. With all the foot traffic coming in, you'd think there'd be more than just Lenny and me, but Lenny taught me how to get my rhythm going.

I can ring out customers, restock inventory, accept new inventory, study, make coffee, eat, go smoke. I can really do it all. When I get another break, I go outside and smoke a cigarette. Lenny was here a couple times to check up on me. There's still lots of people out trick-or-treating at 11:30 PM. Come to think of it, trick-or-treating has been going on all week here in Strickfield. Lenny explained, it's a full week here, and there's absolutely no age discrimination. Anybody can do it. Oh yeah, I even handed out the candy Lenny brought over. I finish my smoke and go back inside.

After midnight, trick-or-treating is done for Halloween night and the week. After I pop in the classic Carnival of Souls, a fresh wave of people come pouring in. I get a few copies of Veranda Queen of the Night back in, only to rent them back out just as quickly. This next wave of rentals lasts about an hour. When I get another break, I make more coffee. Then I pour a cup and savor it. Just then this group of four walks in. Lots of weirdos come in tonight like Lenny said. This group definitely fits that profile. There are two guys and two chicks.

Then again, they could have been trick-or-treating or at a Halloween party. Anyway, they've all got on dark clothes, got pale skin and gleaming red eyes. Unlike me, their dark clothes ain't leather. I finish my cup of coffee as they look over the selections. Suddenly a blonde chick breaks away and comes right to me. She checks me out and smiles. Nice costume, sweetie. Um, I ain't wearing no costume, I tell her. I really am a biker. She looks outside and sees my Harley still parked. Cool. She leans on the counter with her elbows and smiles. We can't find Veranda, Queen of the Night.

Your boss said more copies were coming in. I smile a little. They sure did, but they all rented out faster than I put them out. Suddenly, she stands up straight. Now she looks upset. Her red eyes glow hot now. Then she calls out to the others. She ain't got Veranda in. Now they're all looking right at me as they approach the counter. Their red eyes are glowing hot too. Then the other girl, the purple haired one, points right at me. You better be joking, biker chick. See, my baby sister here really wants to see that movie, and she wants to see it tonight.

I shrug. I'm sorry, but we're sold out. I did get a few copies returned a little bit ago, but they went back out just as fast. The blonde girl slams her palms on the counter and shows me her teeth. I gasp when I see they look like that cover from Fright Night, which I had showed earlier. Also, those teeth are 100% real. I mean, when these people came in, they had normal-looking mouths. But now... The blonde hisses and points to the drop box. Why don't you go check? I nod and do what she says. Got a few returns.

I stammer, pulling them out and looking them over. No Veranda. The purple-haired girl now has the same teeth as the blonde. I said she wants to see Veranda. She's been waiting a long time to see it. She slams her fists on the counter. I can't even find it for her in stores. I shrug. I'm sorry. We had it in. We really did get those extra copies in today, but they all rented out quickly. Maybe if you'd come in earlier. Suddenly, the blonde vampire hops over the counter. She comes up to me and blinks her eyes quickly.

Clearly, you don't understand how things work. She hisses a little. We can't exactly be out during daylight hours, so it's a bit hard for us to get here earlier. Now, I look past her and see the others and their scary teeth. Look at me when I'm talking to you, doll, the blonde snaps. Then she growls with those rows of sharp teeth again. I want Veronda. One way or another, I am going to see that movie on Halloween night. Tonight. I gulp. I don't know what to tell you. We rented out all our copies. The chick still won't back off.

Oh, she's as mad as all get out. Then she sniffs at my bare neck. You smell good. You know, cutie, I think maybe I'll take you home instead. When I see those rows of sharp teeth again, I know exactly what she's wanting. I really love my job here at Strickfield Video, but I ain't willing to die for it. I reach behind me and grab the coffee pot. When she hisses loudly again, I shriek and splash her with the remaining hot liquid, making her scream. What the? One of the male vampires yells. Are you serious? Serious enough, I yell back, leaping over the counter and running out the front door.

As the vampires are coming out, I'm already on my Harley and firing it up. You gotta love old American-made machinery. I'm quickly gunning down Main Street. I check my mirrors and see I'm free and clear. Then I remember Fright Night. Vampires don't reflect in mirrors. I look over my shoulder and see four wolves making tracks, following my tracks. Lenny said there'd be weirdos coming into the store, but I don't think he meant real-life vampires. The wolves keep running to where they can stay with my bike. Then I show them I ain't just some chick that can simply ride.

Nah, my parents taught me how to handle my girl. In fact, they weren't gonna let me have her until they knew I could. My parents spent lots of time teaching me everything they knew. I make a quick, sharp turn down another road. Those wolves weren't expecting it, slowing them down a little. It ain't long before they're after me again. Those red eyes are really glowing hot now. I'm almost wondering if I could light a smoke off them. No way I'm letting those vampires get me. They'll ravage me and drink me dry. Yeah, they'd get an interesting mix out of me.

Caffeine from the coffee and energy drinks, nicotine from my smokes, and the kick from the spicy sauce out of the pizza I ordered from Alfredo's for dinner. Those vampire wolves keep chasing me through downtown village. I get back to the video store so I ain't leaving it unattended and letting people come in and steal stuff. I park the bike and get to the front door. I run inside and slam it, locking it from the inside. Now those wolves are standing right outside and growling. They turn to look at the people trying to come in and growl at them, making them run away.

I get time to move to the back door and slip out that way. I'm figuring I can make my way back around and get back on my bike, and that's hoping those vamps don't trash it. After pulling the back door shut, I move and make my way to an alley. Thankfully, my knee-high boots don't clack when I'm walking. I reach the other side of the alley and come out. Then I see Roth's Rings across the street. There's also a light on at Bobbletopia. I figure I can head across the street and get into one of those places.

When I reach Bobbletopia, it ain't actually open. I think someone's inside doing inventory or something. I hurry along and reach the entrance of Roth's Rings. I open the door and am almost inside when I'm suddenly grabbed and pulled back. Now I'm being pulled into another alley, where I got those vampires looking right at me again. They're not sporting their Fright Night looking teeth like before, but their eyes are still glowing hot. Then, the spunky blonde girl stands in front of me again. I ain't asking for much. All I want is to see Veronda, Queen of the Night, now.

I tighten my fists and snap. I told you, we're out of it. Then I get bold and rush past them to escape. Get her! I hear the purple-haired chick hiss. I reach my Harley and make tracks. I'm surprised those vamps didn't trash it or turn the motor off. Geez, how is this even happening? Vampires ain't supposed to be real, right? I'm thinking now I gotta get out of Strickfield. Are those vampires gonna follow me that far out? The problem is I ain't gonna get out of Strickfield. I'm about to cut through Gunter Square, a park when one of those wolves suddenly appears right in front of me.

I scream as the wolf leaps up and is on me. I squeeze the brakes to stop, but I'm wiping out. The bike's on its side now as I'm on my back with that wolf on top of me. It ain't making no attempt to bite me, but it's showing teeth and growling loud. Now the other wolves are right there. Leave me alone, I yell at them. The wolves change back into people. It's the crazy blonde chick again. Now she's sitting on me. Again, her teeth look like the Fright Night cover. Now she's showing me her clawed fingers and brings it to my shoulder to tap me with each word she says.

I want to see Veronda. I scream and shove her off me. I can't get my bike back since those other vamps are right there. I turn and just run for it. Next thing I know, I'm being tackled. Now I hear the other girl talking in my ear. You don't understand, honey, she purrs. Today is Chyna's birthday, and she really wants to see Veronda, Queen of the Night. Suddenly she's off me and pulls me to my feet. She's holding on to one of my arms. Then one of the male vamps is there to hold the other one.

The vampire called Chyna is back in front of me. That's right, cutie. We Hawthorns always get our birthday wishes. Now, I know you can do something to make my wish come true. I groan. Why can't you understand? We are out of Veronda, Queen of the Night. We did get more copies in today. Lots more, but they all rented out faster than I put them out. Don't you understand? We are out. We ain't got no more. You could always stream it, couldn't you? Chyna groans back. Not acceptable, babe. I want one of your store's copies of Veronda tonight.

And I intend to have one. I groan more now. God, I give up already. I fight my way out and make it back to my bike. I get it back on its wheels and get back on it. Soon as I'm escaping, I feel arms wrapping around my waist. Where are we going, cutie? Back to the video place, right? Oh no, Chyna's on my bike with me and holding on to me. I scream and lose my concentration as I wipe out again. I moan softly and feel myself moving. I'm coming back to life as I open my eyes.

It's dark in this place where I'm at now. There are fire urns in different areas. I don't know where I'm at, but it looks like some room. Am I in a warehouse, maybe a studio? Then I gulp hard. It's a crypt. I'm in a cemetery somewhere. Oh, good. You're awake. A familiar voice calls out. Now I see that crazy vampire chick China standing in front of me. Then she kneels down and takes my hands. Sorry, honey. It wasn't my intention to make you spill like that. I groan and yank my hands back. Why are you torturing me like this?

Suddenly, she's right on top of me. Give me what I want and I'll leave you alone. I look her in the face now. What's it gonna take for you to understand Strickfield Video is out of Veranda? We are out. Stream it if you want to watch it so bad. She hisses at me. Then she growls. Wrong answer. Also, does it look like we can stream movies here? Also, Veranda is not available on streaming. You're my one shot here. I scream like some nuthouse escapee. Not because I'm in a crypt full of vampires, but because I just can't make China listen to reason.

She's got it dead set in her mind she's gonna see Veranda Queen of the Night tonight. I already explained this to her over and over. Lenny's told me the customer is always right, but... I shove China right off me and spring off the stone slab I was on. Then I quickly see it's a burial vault. I'm ready to run out the door when the other female vampire is suddenly there. I look to either side and see those two male vampires. Then I feel China's arms wrap around me from behind again. Listen, toots, if I can't have my movie, then I'm going to have you for my birthday gift.

I'll sire you. You can be my new best friend. We can watch and talk about movies forever. I point to the others. But you have friends here. You don't know the situation. Charlee, is it? China purrs in my ear. Epiphany here is my older sister. The problem is she loves playing with her two boy toys here a great deal. She found them and sired them both years ago. She still ain't tired of them after 120 plus years. The vampire called Epiphany raises her finger. I promised my darling little sister here that she could have whatever she wanted for her birthday.

I promised her, you understand. China loves her horror movies. She's been dying to see the original Veranda Queen of the Night movie ever since she started watching Up All Night with Veranda Friday Nights on Channel 61 over the air. We can never find a copy of the movie anywhere. So it's you who doesn't understand, mortal. China's going to watch that movie. I'd say it's up to you to locate a copy for my sister or she's going to haunt you until she gets it. Like she said, she may even sire you. I put my hands to my forehead and groan as I shake my head.

I keep telling you people again and again, we don't have it. I shake China off and run past Epiphany, knocking her to the side. I escaped the crypt and come outside. You got to be kidding me. This graveyard looks like it stretches for miles and miles. How am I ever going to get out of here? As if God just answered my prayer, my Harley is right there. I quickly mount up and start her. When those vampires are outside, I turn the bike and go full throttle again. I look over my shoulder and see wolves and giant bats chasing me down.

I swear as soon as I see Lenny, I'm quitting Strickfield Video and finding another job. I did not sign on for this. I know he said there'd be weirdo customers, but vampires are too weird. Leave me alone, I scream. I show these vampires I can ride when I'm taking these sharp curves and fast turns. Eventually I make it to the main road and pull out. Now I remember where I am and make my way back to downtown village. I look over my shoulder and see those vampires are still following me. I ride past a bank with a clock showing it's almost 3 AM.

There were no classes today and I'm glad there aren't any classes tomorrow. Lenny told me it's village law that there's no school or college on either Halloween or the day after, unless you go to Strickfield Academy. Anyway, I'm really irritated now. I ride my girl right back to Strickfield Video and park her in my usual spot again. The lights are still on inside. I turn off the motor and dismount. I unlock the door to go back in and get back behind the counter. It ain't long before those vampires come right back in. I'm about ready to lose my mind again with knowing I'm going to have to repeat to China what I've been trying to tell her about Veranda, Queen of the Night.

But then I remember the Dropbox and go to it. Looks like quite a few videos came back while I was out being chased by these vampires. I put the returned rentals right down on the counter. And then I see it. I pick it up and look right at China. Here, a copy of Veranda, Queen of the Night, finally came back. I'll gladly ring you out so you can go back to your crypt and watch it. China gasps with this news. Then Epiphany places the money on the counter. She'll take it. Happy birthday, sis. China turns and hugs her sister.

Thank you. Epiphany gives me her account number. Seriously, these vampires got memberships here? I punch the number into the computer and pull the account up. Her account's in good standing. I take her money and give her her receipt and the movie which she hands to China. You only have a day to watch it, she tells her sister. You don't bring this back. I'll bring it back, sis. I promise. China squeals. The vampires are finally leaving, or so I thought. China stops at the door and turns to me. Now, she looks sad. I'm really sorry about tonight, Charlee.

I give her an uneasy smile. We're good, China. Go home and enjoy your movie. She still looks sad. Will you watch this with me? I really want another movie girl to watch this with. Epiphany is going to be hanging with her boy toys. She ain't interested in watching movies with me. Please? Then Epiphany looks at me as if I'd be doing China a huge favor. I sigh and hold out my hand. China comes and hands me the video. Then Epiphany and her two guys leave. I put Veranda, Queen of the Night in, and play it.

I work on putting the returns back out and waiting on her customers as I'm watching the movie with China, who doesn't give me any more trouble. I try offering China some of my leftover pizza, but vampires can't eat food. She does accept some coffee when I brew a fresh pot. In fact, China ends up staying here with me for a while. We watched Veranda, Queen of the Night twice. Between China and me, we had some quality girl time together. The two of us actually became friends. She apologized again for all the trouble earlier, but she was really dying to see that movie.

It's around 6:30 a.m. when China and I say goodbye to each other after we exchange phone numbers. It sounds like we'll be watching more movies together in the future. Wow, I'm really friends with a vampire now. At around 7:15 a.m., Lenny comes in and sees I survived the night. It's still dark, but I'm still wide awake. He's got a box with him and opens it up to offer me donuts from Roth's Rings. Like I said, my gangster-looking boss here takes pretty good care of me. I'm ready to bite into one of my donuts. Then I glare at him.

You never told me vampires actually rented movies here. Now I tell Lenny everything that happened during the night. He just chuckles now. We live in Strickfield, kid. Also it ain't just vampires who got accounts here. I got all kinds of different monsters coming in here to rent movies. In this business you can't be selective on who you rent to. Everybody loves watching movies. No matter if you're alive or dead. He pats my shoulder. So were you gonna tell me you quit? I calm down now. No, I mean, I was. But when you put it that way, it makes a lot of sense.

He seems satisfied. Good. That means I'll see you back here tonight. I nod. You got me scheduled for 6 p.m. again. Go home and get some sleep, kid. He tells me. I got it now. I grab my stuff. When I'm leaving to go back to my dorm, I turn to Lenny. Thanks for everything. Thanks for giving me a job here. Lenny nods. You do good work here, kid. See you tonight. I yawn as I mount my Harley and head back to Strickfield University to go to bed. One thing's for sure. It was definitely a Halloween night.

I'll never forget. I'm already feeling in my tummy there's going to be more weirdo stuff happening at Strickfield Video. Deadly Rental by Charles Campbell October 31, 1983, 6 p.m. Valley Video, Gloverville, South Carolina. Shelly Bryson and Rodney Lee were minding the store, which was owned by Valley legend Rick Spradley. He was attending the annual Halloween Party at Bruce's, so he was probably already drunk off his ass, barreling toward full-on shit-faced. Valley Video was in its second year of business. Last year, people came in steadily throughout the day to rent scary flicks, to play in the background of Halloween get-togethers and slumber parties.

This year hadn't quite lived up to last, but the night was still young. It was pitch dark outside already because of the dense storm clouds overhead. Thunder was rumbling, threatening to release buckets like a pot on the brink of boiling over. This certainly wouldn't help business if it were a rainout. Shelley popped in a thrice-viewed copy of Halloween III, Season of the Witch, and it was followed by a groan from Rodney. Yeah, that movie thucks, Ath, Rodney said through his vampire fangs. His black hair was slicked back with his daddy's pomade. His mother painted his face a pasty white and created a nifty black cape from an old bedsheet.

A decent white button-up, black slacks, and black shoes completed the outfit. I disagree. I think it's highly misunderstood. I'm telling you, years from now, people will appreciate it more, Shelley said. Shelley was dressed as the bride of Frankenstein, complete with a fancy wig her aunt bought for her in a fancy wig shop in downtown Augusta. It wasn't even from a costume store. Her Aunt Billy doctored it up to look even better than the most expensive ones in those costume shops. Her face and arms were painted a shade of olive and her dress was a black and white tattered on purpose number.

She wasn't going to be movie accurate, but Shelley liked to put her own spin on things. What the fuck? Shelley shouted. The thunderclap shook the windows and a couple of movie posters fell from their precariously taped spots. Rodney laughed and said, That was a good one. Do you know how dumb you sound talking through those teeth? You sound like Cindy Brady's real daddy. Shelley said and turned her attention to the television, where the earworm of a song, Silver Shamrock, played. Shelly didn't move. She waited to see if Rodney was going to answer the phone with the vampire teeth in his mouth.

And he did. Valley Video, where we have the best selection of movies in the valley. Trick or treat, said the gravelly voice on the other end of the line. Yes, are you looking for a movie? Rodney asked. Trick or treat, the gravelly voice repeated. Bye, Rodney said and hung up the phone. What did they want, Shelly asked. Rodney popped the teeth out because they were starting to become quite uncomfortable and said, didn't say, all he would say was trick or treat. Oh, Shelly replied. I can't believe nobody's stopped by yet. You think the whole town went to Bruce's?

Rodney asked. I'm sure it'll pick up soon. I mean, it's just past six. Just getting a late start this year. That's all. Shelly said. The door chime came to life, and a woman neither of them recognized walked in, accompanied by a young girl, no older than twelve, that they also did not recognize. Shelly and Rodney looked at one another and shrugged. The woman was dressed up as Dolly Parton with a low cut Western shirt, denim skirt and brown cowboy boots. Rodney was happy to see that she also had something that Dolly was quite famous for, that wasn't a good singing voice.

The little girl was dressed as Ace Freely from Kiss, and the costume wasn't bad. Fact of business, it was remarkable. The makeup pretty much matched the famous guitar player. Her outfit was all black, a combination of spandex and sweats trimmed with some sort of silver material. The silver painted boots on her feet and the toy white guitar strapped to her back would win any costume contest in the valley. Rodney fumbled to put in his teeth. Welcome to Valley Video, Shelly said, beating Rodney to the punch. He smiled as drool dripped from his phony teeth. Hi, we're not from here, but Lila heard about your store from a friend of hers yesterday, and said we must come in, the woman said.

Hi, you must be Lila, Shelly said and smiled at the little girl. The girl nodded, smiled back, but didn't utter a word. And you are? Shelly asked the woman. I'm Tina, Lila's aunt and guardian. Guardian, Shelly thought. She wondered if the little girl's lack of voice had some sort of trauma behind it. Rodney was smiling like an undead dope, as Spittle ran through those teeth as he stared at Tina's tatas. Well, you came to the right place. Lila, please help yourself to some candy from the pumpkin on the table. It's Halloween after all. We have a great selection of scary flicks for the holiday, Shelly said.

Ricky would be proud of her salesmanship. Thank you, Lila meekly replied. Letting her first words since walking in escape her lips. You're welcome, Shelly said, and seemingly right on cue, the Silver Shamrock song blared from the television. What are you watching? Lila asked, peering over the counter. It's not very good. We have a lot of movies that are way better. Rodney said. It's so good. It's Halloween 3. And if you want to rent it, I'll start rewinding it for you. It's the only copy we have that hasn't been checked out. Shelly replied. Yes, please do that, Tina said and continued.

Come on, Lila. Let's see what else they've got. They walked to the back wall that housed the horror section. Take those teeth out. You look like an idiot and wipe off your shirt, Shelly said. Rodney spit them out and simply smiled. Shelly and Rodney turned their attention to the door and a made up, but familiar face was grinning like he just ate a canary. What's up, freakazoids? Guyton O'Hanlon shouted. What's up, my boy? Rad costume, Rodney said. Guyton was dressed as the sworn enemy of what Rodney was depicting. Guyton wore the garb of an impressively accurate for Valley makeup, Lycanthrope, more popularly known around the globe as a werewolf.

Shit, that is good. Your mama do that? Shelly asked. No, new chick that started at Bruce's last week. Her name is Alaina Marie, and she ain't hard to look at even before a few frosty mugs. If you catch my drift, Guyton said. Okay. And why did she want to put makeup on your gnarly face? Shelly asked. She was doing it for a lot of folks. She says that's what she wants to do. Horror makeup on movie sets. That's what she said. How she's going to get there from working at Bruce's in the middle of bum fuck nowhere.

That's beyond me. So listen, I want to rent that Halloween 3 movie everyone's been shitting on. Guyton said. Sorry, just rented the last copy we have. Shelly replied with the tone of not really being sorry. Yeah, to the lady with the stacks. Rodney whispered and nodded his head toward the horror section. But he may as well have said it out loud because Rodney's whispers, much like himself, carried weight. Wowza, Guyton replied after he got an eyeful. Okay boys, that's enough. We have the other two Halloween movies and I think there's still a copy of Friday the 13th, Part 2 back there, Shelly said.

Sorry, no there's not, Tina said as she set a stack of three empty VHS cases onto the counter. I believe that's four movies counting the one you have behind the counter, Tina said. Lila was looking cautiously at Guyton on the cusp of being fearful of his appearance. His makeup was more intimidating than the goofy-faced vampire Rodney portrayed. Well hello, Dolly, Guyton said in a very poor Louis Armstrong impersonation. What's shaking, Wolfman Jack, Tina said. You wouldn't want to give up one of those movies, would you? I mean, are you really gonna watch four tonight? If you let me have the Friday the 13th or Halloween, I promise I'll meet you here tomorrow and give it right back.

I need something new to watch tonight and I've seen most of the other stuff they got back there. And the stuff I haven't seen, well, I don't think I want to see. If you catch my drift, Guyton said. No was the answer, but Tina didn't say it. It was Lila and the fear that threatened to consume her eyes quickly switched to anger. Now, I don't think I was talking to you, Ace. Guyton says in such an acrid tone that Shelley wanted to reach across the counter and slap him across the face. Rodney's mouth dropped. If his teeth had been in, they would have fallen out.

Guess that's a no, Wolfman Jack, Tina said. That'll be eight dollars and twenty-four cents. Shelley chimed in. Wait a minute, Shelley, Guyton said and held up a paw, turning his attention back to Tina. Just no, huh? No negotiation? I think not. It's Ace's show, I'm afraid. Tina said and winked at her niece. This time, Shelley picked up the phone. Valley Video, how can I help you? Trick or treat. The gravelly voice tickled Shelley's ear in the most uncomfortable of ways. She held the phone away. Your trick or treater is back, Shelley said to Rodney, and hung up the phone.

Now, Guyton, play nice and go pick out something else and stop harassing these nice people. Don't make me call Ricky out of Bruce's. I don't think you want him coming down here. You get my drift, Shelley said mockingly. A giggle came from Lila, and Tina's eyes widened as she successfully held back laughter. She apparently just wanted to rent the movies for her niece and leave. Yeah, I get your dru- Guyton stopped mid-word as the phone rang. Once again, Shelley answered, Valley Video, how can I help you? Trick? It is. The gravelly voice said and hung up before Shelley could do the same.

Two more posters fell. Everyone froze, and the lights flickered, but stayed on. The storm clouds released their bounty with a sudden violence. Rain hammered the metal roof like it was a million little monsters pounding on doors to get inside. The gravel dirt parking lot was going to be a pond very soon if this continued. Shit, we might be watching our movies here and having candy for dinner, Tina said. I'm scared, Lila fretted. I'm sure it'll pass soon. They called for scattered storms on Channel 6, so fingers crossed it's just a pop-up, Shelley said. Rain brought by the gusty wind flooded inside with the open door.

Ginger Grant and Bill Haney stumbled in, with Billy busting his ass when he tripped on the instantly water-slicked floor. Ginger immediately pushed the door closed. Her once beautiful witch costume was a sopping mess. Billy didn't look much like Batman. The pointy ears were now floppy, and he looked more like a waterlogged rat than the caped crusader. Oh shit! Guyton said, forgetting all about his little spat with Tina over videotapes. That seemed a lot less important in their current situation. We are so sorry. We got caught in it. We were walking to Bruce's because Billy didn't want to drive because of the alcohol and all, and then the bottom just fell out.

Ginger said, I'm glad you got inside. It sounds brutal out there. You all can just ride it out in here. I was just saying that it's probably only a pop-up. Ginger, come with me to the back. I've got something for you. Sorry Billy, I can bring you a towel, but that's about the best I can do for you. Shelly said and led Ginger to the back office of the store. Damn it all to hell, Billy said. He looked up and noticed Tina and Lila for the first time. Oh, hi. Sorry, I don't think I've seen you around.

I would say I'm Batman, but I'm pretty sure his suit wouldn't fall apart in the rain. I'm Billy. Yep, we heard. Glad you didn't drown. My name's Tina and this is my niece, Lila. Lila gave Billy a finger wave and a curt smile. Billy smiled back and tried not to stare at Tina's cleavage. Hey, Rodney, Ricky got you working tonight, huh? Billy asked. Yeah, he got us both working because he thought it might be busy. Guess the joke's on him, Rodney replied. Yeah, I guess so, Billy said. There was an awkward silence for a couple of minutes until Ginger and Shelly returned.

We're back! Shelly was a lifesaver, Ginger announced. She was nice and dry, wearing an orange Midland Valley Mustangs t-shirt, along with the matching sweatpants. Shelly left her gym bag in the back office the other day, and she and Ginger were close in size. Shelly tossed Billy the promised towel. No fair, the soaked Batman said jokingly, and continued. I guess I wouldn't fit in anything you would have in the back, huh, Rodney? Course, if I did have something, I'd have plenty of cover, blanket it even. Billy finished. Ha ha, Rodney fake laughed and flipped Billy the bird.

I'm just glad I didn't take the gym bag home. Everyone, please help yourself to some candy. I'm afraid we don't have anything more nutritious, but we can gather around and watch a movie if you want until this whole nastiness passes. Shelly finished. Another thunderclap shook the windows. But the remaining posters stayed in place. If we watch one of ours, can we pick another to replace it? Lila suddenly asked. No, Rodney began. Of course, Shelly interrupted. Halloween III is still in the player. You want me to fire it up? No, Rodney said. Shut up, Rodney. Is everyone else good with that one?

Yep, Guyton said. Everyone else nodded yes. So Shelly pressed play. Auto-tracking was adjusting the image for maximum visual quality when another boom shook the windows. Much harder this time, a couple of video cases fell from their perches. A sizzling crack of lightning struck incredibly close to the video store. The lights went out immediately and a smell that can only be described as ozone or burning wires suddenly filled the store. Lila was the first one to break the immediate silence as she coughed into her hand. Shelley lit the bic she kept in her dress pocket. She wasn't a smoker, but a lot of her friends were, and she liked the feel of the lighter.

Something that you may need in a pinch that was easy enough to have on you at all times. Okay, we're okay. This shit is no joke, Shelley said, and continued. I'll be right back. Rodney, come with me. Ricky has some taper candles in the back somewhere. A whole box of them that Darnell brought in a couple of months ago. For what? I have no clue, but we need them now, so come and help me. Everybody else, you're gonna be in the dark for just a little bit, but light is on the way. Shelly finished. She held the bick in front of her as Rodney followed closely behind.

I don't like this, Lila said. It's okay, it's just a bad storm, that's all. We're safe and dry. We might need to rent a boat to get out of here when it passes, but we'll be fine, Tina assured her niece. Wonder if the power's out at Bruce's, Billy asked. Probably. I bet all of Gloverville lost power with that last strike, Ginger said. Well, looky there, Guyton said, as Shelley and Rodney appeared from the darkness of the back office, looking like monks holding lit candles. All right, everybody gets one. Be careful of the wax though, Shelley said as she lit them one at a time, and passed them to everyone.

Rain pelted the roof and slammed into the windows with bad intentions. The wind picked up and the metal roof sounded as if it were a musical instrument being played expertly by a supernatural force threatening to peel it right off and send it into the night sky. It would let the torrent flood the store, destroying every film in its wake and leave people swimming for their cars. But for now, the roof held. Shit, Guyton simply said as he pointed to the bottom of the door as muddy water flooded in under its gap. He was holding his candle above it.

I think we should leave, Lila said. No, we're safer in here than out there, Tina replied. Everyone was holding their candles in front of them, like swords, to avoid wax rolling down and dripping on their hands. Who the hell would be out in this shit? Gaitan asked. He was closest to the door. It wasn't locked, so he had no idea why they were knocking. He didn't open it, but did yell, Come in if you need to get out of that shit, but I ain't opening the door. You chose trick. It was the same gravelly voice that called earlier, and the source of that voice was now right outside the door, caught in a fucking monsoon.

It got Shelly and Rodney's attention. Everyone else had a look of, okay, and? I don't like it, Lila said. It's okay. It's just someone being stupid, Tina said. Just come in already, Billy shouted. You chose trick, the gravelly voice repeated. Billy, the Wet Knight, suddenly felt an uncontrollable anger. He should be at Bruce's, pounding him back. But here he was stuck in Valley Video with his date, that at the very least got to put on dry clothes. And now some dickwad was banging at the door, shouting you chose trick. Billy didn't choose any of this shit.

He marched to the door, and his feet sloshed in the water rushing in. Hey, jerkface, I got your trick in here. Come on in and get it. Billy jerked the door open. The sky lit up, and Billy didn't see anyone. With the door still ajar, Billy turned to face the others. Guess he didn't want to get wet. Everyone stared wildly with their brains not quite comprehending what just happened until Ginger's shrill scream filled the room. Billy's body lay in front of the wide open door, and his separated head was face down in the puddle on the floor.

Blood was spurting out of what was left of Billy's neck. Rodney picked up the phone and, just like the power, it was dead. You got a gun behind that counter? Guyton asked. Nope, Rodney answered. Ginger was shaking hysterically trying hard to gain some sort of composure. We need to get out of here right fucking now. Tina said, I'm not going near that door, Lila moaned. Me either, not without some kind of weapon, Guyton said. A bat, Ricky keeps a big ass aluminum bat in the office, Shelly said. Well, go fucking get it, Guyton commanded. His attention was on the still open front door.

Aunt Tina, we need to find a way out of here. Lila whispered loud enough for others to hear. She was shivering, seeming completely consumed with fear. And she still wasn't going near the front door. Shelly emerged from the back with a shiny black and red bat that looked as if it had never struck a baseball. Now we're talking, give it, Guyton said, holding out his fake fur covered hand. Whoever this Elena was, she paid attention to detail when it came to Halloween makeup. I don't know, what if he takes it away from you or chops your head off too?

Shelly questioned as she held the bat close to her chest. I ain't staying in this video store with a killer waiting to pick us off one at a time. If he wants some, he can come get some. Now hand it over, Guyton said confidently. Wolfman Jack means business, Tina said. Lila poked her on the arm. She loved Aunt Tina's sarcastic wit, but now was not the time. Not with a headless man lying in front of the door and all. Shelly reluctantly handed the bat to Guyton. They were all shit out of luck, especially with the phone still being out of order.

Guyton held the bat like he held many others in his lifetime, being an avid rec league baseball kid, growing up and continuing on the Midland Valley High baseball team. Point was, he knew the proper way to hold a bat to get maximum swing. If whoever decided to remove Billy's head from his body were still out there, he was going to find out right quick why pitchers feared the Gloverville Ball Crusher. Rodney, get on that side of the door, Guyton said as he motioned Rodney to move to the right of the opening. Don't worry, you can stay arm's length away.

I just need you to provide a little bit of light. Rodney walked cautiously toward the door, holding the candle in front of him, careful not to let it get too close to the rain, still cascading in on its sideways arc. Good, good, stop there, Guyton said. Shelly, Lila, Ginger and Tina stood shoulder to shoulder, nervously watching. Guyton began walking slowly toward the door. He could feel the first mist touch his nose. He was about seven feet from the door. Rodney was the shakiest vampire ever known to man. His real teeth were chattering inside his head, and his bladder suddenly felt like a balloon that was one breath away from exploding.

Guyton grinned as he got closer, stepping around Billy's carcass. He could hear footsteps quickly approaching outside. I got you, you son of a bitch! Guyton whispered. He was just inside the door opening, and he was getting drenched, but he kept the grip on the bat. The footsteps barreled toward the door. Guyton raised the bat. Guyton, no! Shelly screamed, but it was too late. He swung the bat with the force that gave him his ball crusher moniker, and it found pay dirt. The sickening crack of bone against the bat sent painful vibrations up his forearms. It was a vastly different sensation than hitting a baseball solid.

The man fell to his knees, half of his body in the store, and the other half still outside. Gaitan smiled until he realized who the man was. Ricky! Shelly screamed. He was gurgling blood. The left side of his head was caved in, and his left eye was dangling out of its socket. Oh, shit! Oh, shit! Gaitan set the bat down and turned his back to the door as he knelt to see if there was anything he could do to help Ricky. The blade came down on the center of Gaitan's noggin, like a hot knife through butter.

His eyes blinked rapidly as his face split in half. Brain matter oozed from his skull when he hit the floor. No silver bullets needed for this werewolf. Rodney took off. He ran straight to the back office, slamming the door behind him, while Shelly, Lila, Ginger, and Tina screamed bloody murder. Billy was dead. Ricky was dead. Gaitan was dead. Who was going to be next? Shelly desperately wanted to grab the dropped bat. She instantly regretted handing it over to Gaitan. If she hadn't, Ricky would be there with them. He would have known what to do. Even leaning over to pick it up would be a risk that she wasn't willing to take.

Lila tugged on Tina's arm. Come on, Lila said. Rodney locked himself in the back office. Shelly grabbed Ginger by the hand and followed behind Lila and Tina. They walked to the back office. Shelly turned the knob. Rodney opened the fucking door and let us in. Is he out there? Rodney asked. No, let us in or we're going to bust it down, Shelly threatened. The lights flickered for just a moment, giving them all an ever-so-brief false sense of hope before they went right back out. It was a good sign. It meant SCE and G were at least working on it.

Rodney stood from behind Ricky's desk, still holding his candle. He walked stiffly to the office door. Another zap of lightning sent a fresh wave of ozone into the air. Rodney heard Lila cough as he turned the knob. Shelly pulled the door open. Rodney fell forward and hit the floor with the sound of a wet dishrag. His guts splayed out from the sides of his ample belly. He's in there! Run! Shelly screamed. The women turned almost in unison. Ginger and Shelly took the lead. Tina and Lila were using a little more caution. No one came rushing out of the office, but Rodney was lying there, deader than shit.

The sound of shattering glass from the small window above the filing cabinet in Ricky's office filled the store. Lila and Tina heard it, so they stopped. Ginger and Shelly did not. Ginger was the first to the door. There was no stopping her. She leapt over Billy's body, almost slipping in the mix of blood and water, and she skirted around Guyton, avoiding the clumps of brain, and stepped over Ricky. Shelly was right behind her, but stopped suddenly, as if she just hit an invisible brick wall. The blade hit Ginger in the left temple and escaped out the right temple before it was pulled back through with lethal precision.

Ginger gasped and blinked. The wires in her brain were severed. She felt no pain as she dropped to her knees, mouth puckering like a fish out of water, before her eyes locked on the forever stare. She slumped over on the welcome mat to the video store. Shelly's adrenaline and self-preservation instinct kicked into high gear as she bolted out the door, ducking her head as she turned to the right. The blade still came, but all it got was the blessed oversized wig her aunt had made for her. The rain was as heavy as it ever was.

There was a party at Bruce's, or at least, there would be people there waiting for the return of power. It was just down the street. Gloverville was so fucking dark with nary a streetlight on. Shelly was passing Oak Street and she could hear a dog barking somewhere down the murky road. The rain washed makeup into her eyes, making them sting. Why didn't she hear Lila and Ginger behind her? Had he killed them? Even though Shelly was running for survival, a wave of guilt hit her. And she stopped. She shouldn't have stopped. He grabbed her by the back of her long brown hair that was now freed from the wig and jerked Shelly to the ground.

The wind was knocked from her lungs and the man pulling her was very short, not much bigger than a child. He drug her painfully across the jagged street. Shelly's dress was ripping as was the flesh on her back and shoulders. Valley Video's parking lot was nothing more than a mud pond now. And the water on the torn flesh of her back was cold. Shelly found her voice. Please stop! Please! The man pulled Shelly over the bodies in their path and slammed her head against the floor. Shelly was concussed but still conscious. She pushed up, trying to stand.

Did you kill them too? Shelly asked. There was a giggle from the horror section. Who's there? Shelly demanded. It's just Ace and Dolly, Lila's voice said. Run! Get out of here! He'll kill you both! Oh no, he won't, Tina's voice said. What? Shelly asked. You chose trick. The gravelly voice whispered in Shelly's ear. Shelly was gone. Lila, get your brother. It's time to go. Don't forget our movies, Lila said. Oh yeah, good catch, Tina replied. Charlee, come on. It's my turn next year. Remember that, Lila chided. You did so good, Charlee, Tina said as she pulled her nephew's bald head into her bosom.

The scales on his face felt sandpapery, but Tina didn't mind. His ninja outfit held up quite well in the chaos. She was so proud of both of them. Lila was becoming a great actress. They were just a trio of psychopaths having fun on Halloween. Life couldn't get much better. The rain suddenly stopped. Charlee held the sword in one hand and took his sisters with the other. They left the store. It would be a new town next year. Would they choose trick or treat? The Strickfield Slasher by Rob Fields Prologue I was at the Strickfield Town Center Mall on Halloween morning.

I was very much surprised when it was announced in one of my classes this week that Strickfield University wasn't having any classes today or tomorrow. Something about how it was made into village law that there's no school or college on Halloween as well as November 1st, unless you went to Strickfield Academy. In light of that, I decided to head out to the mall for the first time ever and check it out. The mall itself was okay. Not too many stores in here for a big mall. But I noticed some of the vacancies were being filled, probably for the holidays.

When I reached the other end of the mall, that was when things started getting better. I went into Spirit Halloween and picked up makeup for my costume for tonight. After that, I went into a women's clothing store next door. I was so happy to be able to find a pair of sexy bib overalls in my size for more of my costume. When you're chunky like me, finding stuff in your size can be hit or miss. But not today, thankfully. When I finished my shopping, I got a text from my boyfriend, Dillard Fuller. Heard from your roommate, you're at the mall.

Can you pick up my board game I ordered from the bookstore? I'll pay you back tonight at the party. I replied and said I would. Then I started walking to the other end of the mall to go to the bookstore. When I looked down one of the far wings of the mall, I saw a faint light. Curiosity got the better of me and I decided to see what was there. I reached the light and saw only a single store called Tinker's. It looked like a junk or oddities shop. Since I walked down this way, I figured I might as well go on in.

I started looking at all kinds of knickknacks but didn't find anything I just had to have. After a time, I felt I wasn't alone. Can I help you? A man appearing to be 50 asked. Um, just looking around, I replied. Looking for Halloween things. The man brightened up. Why don't you come up to the counter? I have some Halloween items you might be interested in. I humored the man and followed him to the counter. He had things in there from old video game consoles to board games. He even had some Halloween things on display ranging from old vinyl records to unopened, original Ben Cooper costume mask sets.

To even… What's that? I asked, pointing to it. The man who introduced himself as Isley Tinker opened the case and pulled out what looked like an old movie on video cassette called The Strickfield Slasher. It was in a professional looking clamshell. I opened it to see the video cassette. My boyfriend actually watches these things, I said to Mr. Tinker. He's still got his VCR-DVD combo deck hooked up. What's this movie about? Mr. Tinker explained that back around 1971, these film students set out to make an independent horror movie for a class project for Halloween. Damien Carnivache was a person who might have been considered goth by today's standards, based on how he looked and dressed.

However, back in those days, it wasn't cool. Anyway, Damien came from money much like the Mirrens I'd heard so much about. Since he had money, Damien had no problem securing the cast he needed to make his movie. Also, there was no way he was going to film the movie at his family's spooky old mansion in Pleasant Valley Road since it was known to be haunted. Damien had found another old mansion where he wanted to shoot his film, Grimm Manor. The problem was the old plantation was located in the backwoods of Strickfield and people weren't too inclined to go in there.

Damien made it known that he wasn't afraid. Also, hasn't it always been said that money talks? Again, Damien had plenty of money. He easily got the cast to accompany him out to Grimm Manor. He even got a benefactor who agreed to put up a special grade of film for Carnivosh to use in exchange for a producer credit. Among the cast was this huge beefy football player who would play the title character of The Strickfield Slasher. What Damien either didn't know or didn't tell the cast was that Grimm Manor was also supposed to be haunted, much like his family's Carnivosh estate.

The cast and crew would live in Grimm Manor as they were filming. In the beginning, they would leave the old plantation house to go to their classes, then return to film at dark. As time went on, it was becoming more and more evident that the big, beefy football player Scott Mead started losing his sanity and was taking his role as the Strickfield Slasher way too seriously. I'd better stop here, Tinker said. The rest of the story isn't something a charming young lady like yourself would want to hear. It's very sensitive stuff. I smiled at Mr.

Tinker for the compliment and said, Our group likes watching horror movies, especially my boyfriend who's into these VHS tapes. Please go ahead and finish the story. It's not like I'm going to die from hearing it. At first, Mr. Tinker didn't seem to want to. Then he took a soft, deep breath. Okay, but I warned you. Mr. Tinker continued the story and said that on that dark, stormy Halloween night, Scott Mead had finally lost his mind and started attacking his fellow actors and crew members, brutally slaying them one by one. It didn't take long to see just how he had horribly painted the walls and stained the floors of the rooms where Mead killed his fellow cast and crew.

No one ever knew what became of Damian Carnivash, except that he was never seen again. Whether or not he turned up like the others making the Strickfield Slasher, nobody knows. Mr. Tinker finished. Then I became skeptical. Okay, so how did you come to know all about this? I knew you might doubt me, young lady, Mr. Tinker replied. Make no mistake, there was an official police report regarding what I just disclosed. After several missing persons' reports were filed, the Strickfield police went out searching for the missing students and eventually traced their whereabouts to Grim Manor. It was there where they found the bodies or rather what was left of them.

They also found a few cameras and several cans of film that contained the footage, which was how the police were able to determine what had happened to those students. Mr. Tinker also mentioned that the police had found some more bodies that were brutally slaughtered at the old house on the hill, located at 185 Indian Hollow Road. Much like the horrible scenes at Grim Manor, the bodies of a group of college kids having a Halloween party were found. What's more, Scott Mead himself was never found, in addition to Damien Carnivosh. Mr. Tinker continued, It was a few years ago when someone brought a VHS collection into my shop wanting to unload it.

I bought the collection from him since VHS tapes are highly sought after here in Strickfield and the surrounding areas. I looked through the collection and found that video cassette you're holding. I had seen things about this movie posted on your university's website and knew I had a rare piece when I found it in the collection. I raised my eyebrow. I think my roommate and I did see something about this, Mr. Tinker. Zoe Greast and I had been spending nights in our dorm room and looking over all the different legends on Strickfield University's website. In fact, I think it was just last night that we saw what you're telling me.

I sighed. What are you asking for this movie? I know my boyfriend would absolutely love this. Mr. Tinker took the tape back and looked at it again. Based on the back cover, there weren't that many copies of this movie made, possibly given the reasons I just explained, and the fact that only 50 copies were made based on the numbering on the back cover. This video cassette is probably a collector's item. However, you are the only one who asked about it since I acquired it. He seemed to think about it. Tell you what, I'll let you have it for $20.

Done! I exclaimed and opened my purse to fish out a 20. After finishing the purchase, I left the store with the movie. I looked over the clamshell case again as I made my way to the bookstore. When I reached it, I suddenly remembered the mall's bookstore itself was on the university's website. Something about how two girls went completely crazy and started eating people in there. I walked into the bookstore and easily picked up Dillard's board game without any issues or anybody wanting to eat my brains. Afterwards, I went back to my dorm. When I got back, I saw Zoe was out.

Again, I found myself looking at the Strickfield Slasher. I couldn't tell you why, but I felt I really wanted to watch the movie. Only thing was, I didn't own a VCR. I could have just waited until the evening to surprise Dillard, but I just had to see it. Fortunately, I knew right where to find a VCR. I left my dorm and went to one of the empty classrooms at University Hall that I knew had one. I quietly closed the door and got everything going. I took the tape out of the clamshell case and slid it right into the slot.

The machine pulled the tape in and began playing on its own. There were no trailers for upcoming releases or even a copyright warning. The video was in black and white and actually looked like it was filmed in 4K, even though everything looked like it was right out of the early 70s. Seeing that everything was okay, I went over to a table and sat down. From there, I began watching The Strickfield Slasher. As soon as I saw the dark and stormy sky that started the film, I knew right then it was going to be scary. Chapter 1.

It was around 7 PM when Zoe and I were riding our scooters from Strickfield University to Dillard Fuller's party. We both stopped fast when we reached the driveway. Now, we were looking at each other. What is it, Brianna? I asked. I pointed right up at the house. Don't you recognize it, Zoe? This is 185 Indian Hollow Road. That's the same house where all those college kids were having their Halloween party back in 1971, the night Scott Mead left Grimm Manor and made his way here. We just saw that on the university's website. Now, Zoe looked worried.

We were both dressed up as sexy clowns, but I thought she looked way cuter than me, especially with looking as scared as she was. Maybe we should just leave, Zoe suggested. Then she pointed to me. Also, the web page said Scott Mead was never found. I shivered a little after remembering what Mead did in the movie. I wasn't sure if those kills were real or practical effects. Still, Zoe, we're long past 1971. I doubt Scott Mead's going to be out prowling around tonight in search of, well, Zoe pointed at me again. Say it. I gave her a worried look.

Young, sexy college girls like us. We both considered things and eventually decided to ride our scooters up the hilly driveway. We parked them at a nearby tree and brought our bags to the front door. As soon as I rang the doorbell, there was this really loud, blood-curdling scream like some girl was being murdered inside. Zoe and I both shrieked and then got a grip when we saw normal movement in the house. Then I had an idea and rang the doorbell again. Again we heard the horrifying scream. A few moments later, Dillard Fuller himself answered the door, dressed up as a mad doctor.

Halloween songs were playing inside, not loud enough to where it was blasting everywhere. Zoe, Brianna, glad you guys could make it, he said. Nice fucking doorbell, Dill hole, Zoe muttered. We thought some chick was really being slaughtered in there. Dillard laughed a little. Yeah, I didn't know about the doorbell being rigged until you two rang it just now. Anyway, come on in, he stepped aside. The two of us entered and looked around to see how creepy this house was. We came into the living room where the others were. I turned to Dillard. Did you rent this place or something, babe?

Don't you know about the history of this house? We did, Xander Weiss called out. And we do, Eddie Prantz added. Dillard, Xander, Eddie, and Rock Harris were all members of the Sigma Chi fraternity, in addition to playing football for the Serpents. Along with Zoe and me, there were three other girls. Mancie Lyles was the only sorority girl here and belonged to Alpha Delta Kappa, while Janice Vender and Misha Boltenhaus were university cheerleaders. There were nine of us total. Seriously, why would you guys even throw a party here? I asked them. And after that shit that happened back in 1971.

Why not? Rock grumbled. We got it all to ourselves. Super cheap. It's ours till tomorrow afternoon, Eddie added. Then Dillard wrapped his arms around my waist. Did you pick up my game, honey? We shared a quick kiss. I held up the bag. Right here. There's something else in it too. He kissed me again. When we came apart, I handed him the bag. No way! Dillard gasped when he pulled the Strickfield Slasher out. He looked right at me. Where did you get this, Brianna? He opened the clamshell and looked at the tape. Yeah, this is the real deal here.

He looked at me again. You know how extremely rare copies of this movie are? You can't even find these on eBay or Etsy or even the more obscure websites. I told him where I found the tape as he whipped out his wallet and paid me back. Never heard of no store called Tinkers, Eddie said skeptically. You sure it's in the mall? I go there every day and I ain't never once seen that store there. Look, I know where I went and found that movie at, I snapped. Dillard looked Eddie's way. Don't sweat it, man. Maybe the store just opened.

It is getting closer to the holiday season. Maybe, Eddie muttered. Sure enough, Dillard brought his VCR-DVD combo deck to the party. It was hooked up to an old school TV. I mean, we're talking boob tube here. Dillard popped the tape in. Gather around, everybody. It's time to watch a very rare piece of horror cinema. The nine of us were sitting together and watching The Strickfield Slasher now. Dillard wanted me to sit on his lap. Even watching it for the second time, this movie still creeped me out. Then Dillard told everybody some trivia about how the movie was filmed on some special black and white film, which made the picture quality look like it was filmed in 4K.

Like before, the movie started out on a night just like tonight, except in the movie it was both dark and stormy. There were nine people attending The Halloween Party at Grimm Manor. Funny thing, there were the same number of guys and girls like at our party, and they were wearing similar costumes too. A few of the other guys agreed on how good the picture quality was for an old VHS. The characters were talking among each other and doing party stuff. Many of them were drinking canned beer. A few of the girls were being flirty with the jocks, one of them showing her boobs without reservation.

It wasn't long before they decided to kick the party up a notch. They all gathered around in the living room to play a sexy version of Truth or Dare. Zoe, who sat next to me and Dillard, took my hand and held it. When the game was really getting interesting, Scott Mead crashed the party and started brutally killing people. I squeezed Zoe's hand a few times too at how scary Mead was. When I watched The Strickfield Slasher earlier, I was holding myself at how scared Scott Mead made me feel. He was playing some big monster of a man who escaped from the Eerie City Asylum, a real place.

Eventually, he made his way to Grim Manor and went on a murder spree. Like Mr. Tinker told me earlier, Mead went totally batshit crazy and viciously killed nearly everybody. Then he left Grim Manor and made his way across the village until he came to a house on a hill, where some other college kids were partying. The very same house we were in at that moment. Getting back to the movie, Scott Mead was creating a hell of a bloodbath with the partiers. I still wondered if the kill scenes were fake or if we were actually watching a snuff film.

The blood, gore and nudity certainly weren't toned down in any way. Even the screams were as blood curdling and realistic as could be. Just hearing Scott Mead scream each time he went to murder somebody kept making shivers go down my spine. We were at the part of the movie where Scott Mead went upstairs to the bathroom. He opened the door and found the flirty girl who was showing her goods all hot and naked and taking a shower. Dillard pointed to the screen. Today, a final girl could get away with being nude like that in a slasher movie.

But, back then, yeah, she's dead meat. Suddenly a huge flash flickered at the windows, making everybody shriek. Then a loud rumble followed. It seemed we were getting a dark and stormy night on Halloween in Strickfield ourselves. Then I noticed Rock was sneering at me. Hey, Brianna, you think you could be a final girl in a scary movie? Oh, I knew where that asshole was coming from. You heard Dillard. Even though I'm fat, I'd probably be able to survive in a horror movie made today. I sighed. But I think even I'd be dead in this movie.

I've never seen any Slashers where a fat girl became a final girl. Dillard pointed right at Rock. Lay off Brianna. I mean it. I won't put up with you giving her a hard time. When Rock finally shut up, Dillard turned to me. You okay, hun? I nodded. I'm not offended, really. The truth was I was easily chunky, maybe considered big. Not morbidly obese, however. Plenty of guys checked me out when I came to Strickfield University, but Dillard was the one who acted on me. I had been with him for a good two years now. Even now, he didn't have a problem with me sitting on his lap as we kept watching the movie.

When Zoe squeezed my hand again, I gulped at knowing what I was about to see on a repeat viewing. What everybody else would see for the first time. You just knew the guys were appreciating the shower chick, especially when her nudity was quite graphic. The chick tried being seductive to the killer while letting the shower rain down on her. It seemed as though Scott Mead would spare her. Suddenly he screamed like a crazy person. Then he grabbed hold of her and ripped her arms right out at the roots. When the girls screamed and started bleeding everywhere, the others all groaned at how grotesque the scene was.

Mead finished her off by grabbing her head and twisting it off in his hands. Even seeing that similar scene in Creepshow made me wince. Man, no wonder the Strickfield Slasher never really saw the light of day, Dillard said. The story is just terrible. It's all extreme violence and nudity just for the sake of having it. Whatever made Damien Carnivosh want to film this piece of shit anyway. Those Carnivosh people were always fucking crazy, Mancy muttered. No wonder that house on Pleasant Valley Road is always talked about so much. You keeping the movie? Zoe asked Dillard.

Yeah, I'm definitely keeping it, he assured her. Brianna here found it for me and it's a rare collector's item. You don't throw stuff like that away. It was then when I realized, hey, we never turned the music down to watch this movie. Eddie took a drink of his beer and got up. Yeah, yeah, I'll get it. He went to the stereo the guys brought, then started pushing the stop button. Huh? What gives, man? Rock called over his shoulder. It's called the stop button, you moron. Eddie turned around. I did push the stop button. Rock got up and went to Eddie.

He opened the CD and tape decks both. Ain't nobody playing nothing in here. Then he looked around. Where the fuck's that music coming from then? Janisse stood up and stammered. Um, anybody? Suddenly, the front door practically exploded. We either gasped in surprise or screamed when we saw this mountain of a man wearing a sack cloth over his head. He looked exactly like the character Scott Mead played in the movie. This guy was so tall, he had to lower himself to be able to get through the doorway upon smashing through. He was so drenched in muscles, he easily made Rock look scrawny.

And, he was holding the absolute biggest meat cleaver any of us had ever seen. I wasn't sure about the others here, but I was definitely scared as hell. Um, any of you guys order... Him? Eddie asked uneasily, not as drunk as I thought. When nobody spoke up, I knew right away, we were all in for a world of shit. Chapter 2 The giant looked over everybody in the house and started heaving. Then he looked up to the ceiling and screamed the same way Scott Meade screamed in the movie before going after his victims. Nobody stuck around to see if this guy was real or not.

Funny thing, the music we were hearing suddenly got quicker and louder as we all moved and scattered in different directions. Okay, no. Zoe turned and ran with me. As it turned out, Meade turned and chased after Zoe and me first. For a giant of a man, he could run like a regular sized person. Oh, Jesus Christ! Zoe shrieked. Why is this happening? I don't know! I shrieked back. Like Scott Meade in The Strickfield Slasher, this guy never spoke a word. He just growled, roared, and screamed. Soon, Zoe and I reached the stairway and ran up.

It was a good thing we didn't stop, because that big meat cleaver would have got me in the back for sure. Zoe screamed when we turned to see the blade embedded in the wall at the top of the stairs. When we heard Scott Meade coming up, we turned and ran. We made it into the open room that was probably the master bedroom. Zoe slammed the door and locked it. We didn't have much time to catch our breaths when Scott Meade exploded right through this door too. When he screamed again, Zoe and I slipped past him and got back out.

We were almost to the stairway when we heard him coming for us. Again. Zoe and I had to take the steps two at a time. As soon as we were a few steps away from the stairway, the music got really loud. Then it drastically changed after Meade had jumped the stairway and landed right by us. He took one long look at me and then suddenly turned his eyes on Zoe. She screamed when Meade grabbed her by one of her pigtails and pulled her back to him. Oh God, help me! She screamed as Meade grabbed the other pigtail.

When I moved to try and save her, he pulled on both of Zoe's pigtails until he pulled her face apart right down the middle. You could literally see just her eyeballs, muscles and bone now. Blood was quickly flowing down Zoe's body and wetting her costume. Her eyeballs went up to the ceiling as she screamed her final scream before she dropped to the floor forever. The music changed to match this dismal event. Meade growled and picked up his cleaver. Then he took another long, hard look at me. Chapter 3 I shook my head quickly and suddenly ran out the front door as Meade screamed like a deranged lunatic behind me.

Now Meade roared as he came outside and started chasing me down. I knew there was no way I could outrun him. In a matter of a few minutes, he would easily carve my fat ass up into fine cuts of meat. Suddenly, a big pickup truck passed in front of me and break to a stop. Eddie Prance was in the back holding his hands out. Get in here, he yelled. I grabbed his hands to let him pull me in back, but Meade reached the truck. Suddenly, Eddie cried out when he sprang forward to escape and fell on top of me.

I gasped when I saw the meat cleaver slam into the back of the truck, making the entire front end come right up off its wheels. Eddie and I were right where Meade could easily reach us. We got to our feet and tried to run. Come on, Brianna! Eddie yelled. Suddenly, Meade was right there and grabbed Eddie by his long hair. Oh, shit! He screeched. Oh, God! Help me, Brianna! Help me! I grabbed Eddie's hands and tried to pull him my way. Eddie really clenched his teeth as Meade pulled his hair harder. The next thing I knew, Eddie's neck skin was pulling apart.

Suddenly Meade had Eddie's entire face and hair right in his fist. As if it were a Halloween mask. The rest of Eddie and me fell and tumbled over each other. Now, Eddie screamed as he got up and started running around like a chicken with its head cut off, except he had a bare skull with just eyeballs, muscles and bone. Blood ran down his body and soaked his costume. Meade marched right after him. Then Eddie started to slow down and sink to his knees. Before Eddie could sink any further, Meade grabbed his neck bone and yanked up hard to take his skull and his entire spine along with it.

What was left of Eddie's body slumped over forever. Meade held his cleaver up as he screamed at the sky. Rock tried attacking Meade from behind, but all he made the Strickfield Slasher do was move just slightly. Now the killer turned around and saw Rock. Meade screamed insanely again before he swung Eddie's spine and skull hard at Rock's head. The impact made Rock's head shatter like it was ceramic. I screamed really loud on seeing that graphic horror right in front of me, knowing it was very real. Rock's headless body stood for many long moments until it wobbled and fell to its knees.

Then it toppled over and landed hard on its chest. I looked past Meade to the truck and saw everybody else who was in it was getting away. It was then when Dillard Fuller came to me and took my hand. Come on, honey, let's move. As the two of us turned to run away, Meade focused right on me again. Then he pointed and screamed bloody murder once more. Dillard and I ran like hell with Meade in hot pursuit. Chapter 4 Dillard and I ran until we reached the barn. We went inside and pulled the door shut.

He found a baseball bat just as Meade crashed right through the door. He turned and saw Dillard and I. Again, he pointed right at us and screamed with madness. Dillard roared as he jumped his skinny ass up and swung the baseball bat, catching Meade right on top of the head. I think I actually felt the impact of the bat and knew Dillard didn't hold back. When my boyfriend landed on his feet, Meade just stood there and looked down at him. Then he pointed right at Dillard and screamed again. Oh shit, Dillard yelled as he turned back to me.

Run Brianna, run. Dillard and I ran out a side door. When he slammed it behind him, Meade still crashed right through it. Suddenly Dillard took me down, saving my life as that huge cleaver flew right over us. Come on, Dillard yelled, grabbing my hands and helping me back to my feet. I stayed with him as Meade chased us down again. We gained a little time since Meade stopped to pick up his weapon. Soon he was pursuing us again. For a giant man, he was running like he'd gotten his full ride to Strickfield University, in track and field instead of football.

Also for a chunky girl, I wasn't doing too bad in keeping up with my boyfriend. Then, we heard Meade screaming behind us again and knew it wouldn't be long before he'd catch up to us. Suddenly, Rock's truck came right out of nowhere and slammed into Meade. We turned to see Xander Weiss was driving it. Meade was holding on as Xander eventually rammed him right smack into a tree. I swore I could feel my own bones breaking on impact. I knew I was fine, but just seeing the way they crashed. Then I screamed when I saw Meade was on his feet and shouting with utter derangement.

Suddenly, Meade started pushing the truck back. Xander was flooring it to try and keep him pinned where he was. Die, you fucking bastard. Die. Xander screamed just as crazily. Fuck you. Even though there had to be a shit ton of horsepower under the hood, Meade was screaming his insane screams and actually started pushing the truck back. You could literally see the back tires spinning in the dirt and grass. Meade screamed an even more insane scream before he lifted the right front end and turned the truck over onto its side. Xander might have been better off staying in the truck when he tried to escape, Scott Meade was right there to grab him and raise him up over his head.

Oh, shit! Were Xander's last words when Meade ripped him in half, like he was made out of cloth and stuffed with cotton. After doing that, Meade became slickened from head to toe with blood. We gotta get out of here! Dillard yelled. Then he grabbed my hand, making me turn and run with him. Why the fuck is this happening? I screamed. This was just supposed to be a Halloween party tonight, right? Guess somebody didn't tell him that. Dillard called back. As I was trying to focus to keep up with him, I knew I wasn't feeling right.

Maybe seeing all that carnage was making me sick inside. Still I managed to stay with Dillard. Chapter 5 Dillard and I ran into some woods nearby. I let him continue to lead the way. I was hoping we'd lose Scott Mead. But why was he here and chasing after us? Now after all this time? He was obviously young and strong back in 1971. You'd think Mead was old enough to be retired and collecting social security by now. Looking at him, you'd swear he was still hitting the gym every hour of every day. He was still able to run fast.

We couldn't see under his sack mask, but it was like the bastard never aged a single day. Dillard and I came out of the woods and ran across some farmer's field. It wasn't long before we could hear Scott Mead screaming his maddening scream behind us. Christ, if we don't lose that big fucker, we're both gonna be dead, Dillard gasped. No two ways about it. We were both running out of steam. Still, we kept running and running. It wasn't long before a car pulled right up in front of us. It was Mancy and Janisse. Get in you two, let's get the fuck out of here, Mancy cried.

Dillard and I quickly got in the back. Janisse floored the gas. At least we could catch our breaths now. But our rescue and relief was very short lived when Scott Meade was suddenly right up in the road ahead of us. Chapter 6 Mancy and Janisse screamed. Then Janisse slammed on the brakes. How the fuck did he get ahead of us like that? Mancy gasped. I could have sworn we left his ass back there. Who cares? Dillard yelled. Get us out of here. Janisse put the car in reverse and floored it. Soon she was able to turn us around.

She put it in gear again and did some squealing and peeling. Scott Meade landed right on the hood. Before I could think, I felt my head hitting the roof of the car. I was seeing stars and was dizzy now. I wasn't even aware of Dillard pulling me out of the car. Brianna, he yelled. To me, he sounded like an old record being played, really slow. I was still too dizzy to shake the cobwebs. I was sure I felt skinny Dillard lifting my big body up and onto his shoulder. I was also sure I heard more screaming, probably from Janice and Mancy.

God damn you, I heard Dillard yell at Meade. You mother fucker. I think I passed out when I felt Dillard running with me on his shoulder. Chapter 7. I finally woke up and recognized where we were. Then I saw my boyfriend was right there. You okay, Brianna? Dillard asked, holding my hand. I nodded. I think so. I got up and attempted to walk. Dillard was there with me. When I was doing okay and not feeling dizzy or sick, I looked back at him. Yeah, I'm fine. Ow. I put my free hand to where my head still hurt.

Feels like I got cracked by a baseball bat. I raised my eyebrow. And you really carried me on your shoulder? Dillard squeezed my hand. You bet I did. But you're okay, right? I nodded. Yeah, I think I'll be fine. Then I recognized our surroundings. Why the fuck did you bring us back here? Don't you think Scott Meade will double back here to find us? Dillard sighed and shook his head. I don't know, honey. But seriously, why are we being terrorized by Scott fucking Meade? Isn't The Strickfield Slasher just a fictional movie? A fictional character? I had to think.

Then I saw the VHS tape of the movie sticking out of the VCR. I let go of Dillard's hand and went to it to pull the tape out. Honey, I'm really sorry. I groaned as I threw the tape on the floor and tried smashing it with my shoes. What are you doing? Dillard demanded. I don't know. The Strickfield Slasher is here in the real world trying to kill our asses, right? Maybe if we destroy this fucking tape we can send him back. I even jumped up and down on the tape, hoping my weight would be enough to break the casing.

When I stepped off of it. Oh, bullshit, the tape isn't even cracked. I turned to Dillard. I know I weigh enough to be able to destroy a fucking video tape. Dillard even tried destroying it, but no matter what he did. Okay, I don't get it. Then Dillard had an idea. He put the tape back into the VCR. I'm glad that oversized idiot didn't destroy my equipment. What are you doing? I asked. Let's watch the credits, Dillard said. Sometimes, you learn things by watching those. There wasn't much of the movie left. No surprise, the Strickfield Slasher was never stopped.

The movie ended with him walking off into the sunrise. From there, the credits rolled. Dillard and I watched them carefully. And then I saw it. Right there, Dillard! I yelled, pointing at it. When he paused the movie, I pointed to the credit. Special film stock donated by E. Tinker! I looked at Dillard. The man I bought the tape from this morning introduced himself as Isley Tinker. You think it's a coincidence? He sighed and looked back at me. Okay, we'll have to go on that. We finished watching the credits and saw that E. Tinker also had a producer credit.

Finally, the tape reached the end. Then the VCR automatically started rewinding. Dillard and I looked at each other. What do we do now, hon? I asked. You're the film student here. What do we do? What the? Holy shit! Dillard shrieked. It happened just like that. Suddenly everything went from color to black and white. We weren't watching the movie, but you'd swear we were looking just as 4K as that VHS tape did. Before we could think about what to do next, we turned to see Scott Mead was standing right there, just outside the front door he had crashed through earlier to let us know he was back.

He raised his big cleaver and screamed like a madman once again. When Scott Mead finished screaming, Dillard and I didn't think about it and ran upstairs. Again, I saw the split in the wall where Mead threw that cleaver when he was chasing after me and Zoe earlier. We made it upstairs and had to think fast. Shit, there's nowhere for us to run, Brianna. Dillard groaned. When we heard Scott Mead screaming again, we knew it would only be seconds before he'd be on us. Then I had an idea. I want you to listen to me, very carefully.

Then I explained my plan. When Scott Mead found me in the bathroom, I was naked and glistening wet from the water raining on me from the shower nozzle. Oh, believe me, I knew I was crazy, but Dillard and I were never going to make it back downstairs with me blocking our way, which was why I was doing the brainless bimbo thing from the movie itself and taking a shower. Mead was looking me over as I turned and presented myself. Again, I wasn't the sexiest girl in our group with being chunky and having a bubblebutt. At least I had the tits that came with having my chunky frame.

I also said I found it hard to believe skinny Dillard wanted to date me just after we met at the university. Hell, guys didn't even want to date me back in high school. I only said I was sexy earlier because Dillard would tell me so. He made me feel good about myself. Now Scott Mead was looking me over as I kept soaping myself up. I was expecting him to do to me what he did to that porn-looking girl from the original movie. I really didn't want to die, but I wasn't going to let this giant buffoon get my boyfriend if I could help it.

Well, what are you waiting for? I demanded. I'm all wet and sexy, baby. I screamed when Mead suddenly reached out and grabbed my throat. His hand was big enough to almost go completely around my neck. One sudden movement of his wrist would snap my neck easily. I closed my eyes and waited for everything to end. Then Mead suddenly roared in pain. I opened my eyes and saw the tip of the sword sticking out of the Strickfield Slasher's chest. I looked past him and saw, Dillard, no, you were supposed to run. You were supposed to live.

I yelled, our story ain't ending like that, Brianna. He called back, I love you and we're getting out of this together. Now, come on! Dillard snatched my hand when Scott Mead fell to his knees. I moved past him and came to my boyfriend. I grabbed my clothes off the floor and quickly got dressed. Then Dillard and I ran out of the bathroom and were soon leaving the house. We realized we were the last two left out of our Halloween party from earlier tonight. I hope you killed that son of a bitch, I told him. Yeah, I hope so too.

Dillard replied in a tone that told me he wasn't believing it either. We found the scooters Zoe and I had used to come here and took off on them. I was sure we both knew it was only a matter of time before Scott Mead would recover and find us again. We continued riding the scooters until we made it back into Strickfield limits. We knew we had to reach the police station and get help. We parked the scooters outside the station and got off to go in. As soon as we reached the double doors, that was when tragedy struck.

Scott Mead was suddenly right there with his big meat cleaver raised high. Also, we should have realized things weren't over when we never stopped hearing that horrible music all around us. When Mead screamed, so did we. Then I screamed even louder when he brought the cleaver down and sliced Dillard in half on the spot. I screamed even more when both halves of Dillard Fuller each fell to a knee and then split apart to fall onto their perspective sides. Then I fell onto my knees as Scott Mead screamed his loudest yet and raised his cleaver for what would be his final kill.

Dillard and I should have known we weren't going to get out of this horrible Halloween nightmare especially when everything was still in black and white. I probably could have gotten up and ran, but what was the point? No matter where I'd run Scott Mead would be right there, waiting. He would always find me. I would never have any peace whatsoever. Also, the Strickfield Slasher himself had just taken the love of my life. I was on my knees and both trembling and crying at knowing I had just lost Dillard. And that goddamn music was just horrible now.

For the final time, Scott Mead raised the Big Butcher's Cleaver. Then, everything started to go dark when the cleaver came right down on me, fast. Epilogue Back in the real world, Isley Tinker stopped the VCR and pressed the rewind button. When the video cassette was finished, he ejected it and placed it back inside the clamshell case. From there, he returned it to the display near the cash register. Once more, The Strickfield Slasher was available to purchase. It wasn't long before some new prospects had entered his establishment at Strickfield Town Center Mall. More college kids from the university or the high school coming in to look for Halloween items, no doubt.

Like before, he would approach the students and offer his assistance. He would bring them up to the counter and show them what he was selling for Halloween. Of course, someone would inquire about The Strickfield Slasher. Tinker would tell the story the same as he did with all his previous customers. Of course, they just had to have that copy of that extremely rare movie filmed around Strickfield. Tinker would sell it for $20, which would guarantee both the sale and more profit for him. From there, it would be only a matter of time before one or more people would sit down to watch The Strickfield Slasher, summoning the possessed title character himself.

Tinker had indeed been the one who supplied the special film stock to Damien Carnivache, earning him a producer credit. Just as people had their Halloween traditions, so did Isley Tinker. His was, of course, The Strickfield Slasher, in which the movie was both cursed and possessed by one of the restless spirits of Grim Manor. As long as the spirit was kept satisfied, it would continue its existence within the black and white fictional, yet realistic, world of Strickfield itself. Tinker himself knew it would only be a matter of time before the videocassette would find its way back to him, so that the vicious cycle could begin again.

He would continue to make money on selling it, and the spirit contained within the medium would get more victims. Tinker sighed after his latest customer had just left with The Strickfield Slasher. Ah, yes. I do so love Halloween. Erasure by Morgan Moore Joey McGee, his brother Chris, and Chris's friend Mack, walked down Main Street on a crisp October afternoon. As normal, Joey was forced to walk behind them, the other two not willing to admit it, but it was due to them being afraid of being seen out and about with a little kid. They were at the age where all any kid cared about was being cool and in.

Joey didn't get it, and usually when he said as such, his parents would say that he would understand when he was older. Chris usually said it was just because he was a seven-year-old baby. Even if he had to stay in the back, Joey didn't mind since it meant he got to hang out with his brother. They never did anymore unless their parents made them, and Joey missed having fun with Chris. It just sucked that they were out and about with Mac, a kid Joey thought was the embodiment of the big dumb dog from the Tom and Jerry cartoons.

Besides, Joey kept reminding himself that while Mac was hanging out with them right now, it wasn't going to take away from their weekend together. Mr. and Mrs. McGee were going away for the weekend to visit some of their extended family. They initially intended to bring Joey and Chris with them. That was until Chris threw a fit, begged, and pleaded to stay home alone. Their mom and dad agreed that it wasn't something they were extremely open to doing, especially with it being the weekend of Halloween, when Lord knows what could happen to their boys, let alone what they might get into.

But they also agreed that Chris, now being 12, was old enough to stay home alone, as that was the age they had been allowed to start being left alone themselves. And so they made the decision to let Chris stay home while they were gone, but only under one condition. Joey got to stay, and Chris had to watch him for the entirety of the time they would be gone. Chris naturally threw a fit, but eventually agreed to the condition. Joey was excited when he heard the news. Finally he could spend some time with his big brother, and maybe the two away from Chris' friends or school could finally reconnect.

Their parents had even given them some cash so they could rent a movie and order some pizza. It was the movie in question that brought the two and Mac out and walking. They were headed to their local rental store, Binford Video. The McGee's had been going there since Chris was little, and while there were a few big name rental stores around the area, they preferred the personal homey feeling of Binford's. The trio stopped as they reached the door of the video store. Well, here we are, Chris said to Mac. You ready? He asked. Of course, Chris answered.

Ready for what? Joey asked. The younger McGee went unanswered as the older boys gave each other high fives, fist bumps and friendly shoves to amp each other up. When done, the two of them looked at the video store in silence. So who's going in? Mac questioned. You mean you're not? Chris responded. Why would I be the one doing it? His friend retorted. Doing what? Joey asked again, getting no answer. Quit being a wimp and go in, Chris commanded his friend. Hell no! It was your idea to begin with! Mac shot back. Guys! Joey shouted. What?

The two older boys shouted at their young companion. Joey shrank back some at the two-on-one verbal attack. What are you guys even talking about? I thought we came here to rent a movie. Why does it matter who goes in? Joey asked, now that he had their attention. Because we're not just getting any movie, twerp. We're renting f— Mac begins to explain before catching one of Chris' elbows in his gut. Shut up! Chris intervened. No, tell me. I can handle it. Whatever it is, Joey insisted. The two older boys looked at each other. Chris sighed and turned his back to his little brother.

We're getting Flesh for the Android. Mac is spending the night and we're going to watch it. Joey frowned as disappointment set in. He should have known Chris was going to have his friend over instead of spending time with him. But while disappointment took hold, a sudden realization came to Joey, and his eyes and mouth widened in shock. But, but that's a horror movie, an R-rated horror movie. Joey stammered out. Uh-huh, and we're going to get it, Mac chimed in. And you're not going to say anything to mom and dad about it. Of course, somebody has to stop being a pussy and go in and get it, Chris explained before shoving Mac.

Oh, screw you, Chris. It's your plan, so you should do it, Mac shot back. Joey watched the two argue and thought. It was one thing that his weekend with his brother was going to be taken away from him. It was another thing that the two were going to get a movie that Joey wouldn't even want to watch. Horror movies scared Joey to death, whether they were old ones with no sound, kooky 3D ones from the 50s or some more gruesome ones that came out anymore. It was also that gruesomeness that made Joey even more uncomfortable.

Chris had been begging and pleading to watch Flesh of the Android from the moment it hit theaters, but while his begging got him his way every so often, it wasn't working this time. Their parents held strong. The movie was rated R and from what they had seen of trailers and promotional images was nothing more than a gross garbage heap of celluloid. Everything Chris found attractive about the film, their parents found repulsive. Joey supposed it wasn't too surprising that now that the movie was on video, Chris was going to try and watch it. But from what he was seeing of the two boys arguing, it seemed like neither one of them wanted to go through with whatever it was they were planning.

How are you going to get it anyways? There's no way Mr. Binford is going to rent either one of you a movie that's rated R, Joey asked. That's the genius part of our plan. We're going to take the tape for Flesh of the Android and put it in a case for a movie he would let us rent, Mack explained with excitement and accomplishment. Mack, shut the hell up! Chris nearly screamed at his friend, clearly upset that his little brother now had even more info on their scheme. What? He was bound to figure out what we did when we took it back to your place.

Besides, at this rate, we aren't going to get it since you're too chicken to go in and do it, Mack argued. The two boys fought more while Joey pondered the situation. A light bulb went off in his head then, an idea to get his time with his brother that he desperately wanted. I'll do it, he announced. The two older kids looked at the younger one and burst out laughing. You're serious? Chris asked in between laughter. Why not? Joey asked. Because you're a baby, Mac answered. At least I'm willing to do it unlike you two, Joey said.

The two bigger boys looked at him in annoyance. Joey knew that while they had to be mad for what he said, that they couldn't admit that he was indeed right. While they bickered about who was going to do it, he had volunteered. Let's say we let you go do it. What then? Chris asked. You get the movie you want. But there's a price, Joey told his brother. That being, Chris questioned. I get to watch it with you too, Joey explained. Chris laughed uncontrollably and was eventually joined by Mac. You're going to watch Flesh of the Android with us.

Get real. Why not? Kid, that movie is supposed to be like the grossest thing ever, Mac told Joey. You're scared of Frankenweenie. Hell, you're scared of Garfield's Halloween. Yet you're going to watch this, Chris questioned mockingly. Yes, Joey stated. Doubt it, Chris retorted. Well, I don't think you have much of a choice if you want to watch the movie. Unless the two of you grow a set of balls and do it yourselves. Besides, Mr. Binford likes me more anyways, Joey said angrily. Mac gasped and softly laughed in surprise at the younger McGee's sudden exclamation. Chris stared down at his little brother, knowing that Joey had him beat.

Chris pulled cash out of his pocket and shoved it into Joey's hand. All right then, since you think you're some hot, tough shit, you do it. Grab the movie and swap its tape into another case. Simple as that. In and out, Chris explained. Easy peasy, Joey said. Uh-huh, we'll see. You don't exactly have a good track record of not spilling the beans or folding under pressure, Chris responded. I won't this time, I promise, Joey insisted. You better not, little man, or else your ass will be in some deep trouble, Mac told Joey. He means it, too.

If you mess this up, Mr. Binford won't be who you'll be in trouble with the most. Mom and dad won't even be the worst you could be in trouble with. Not even the police will be, because for all intents and purposes, you'll be stealing. Nah, bro, I will be the one to be afraid of, especially if you rat me out. You screw this up in any way, shape or form, and I'll make you pay. Chris explained intensely and menacingly to his little brother. Yeah, yeah, yeah, Joey said as he pushed past the two toward the door of the video store.

He stopped and stared into the glass door, hazily able to make out the insides of the lobby. Joey turned around and looked at Chris and Mac. The two of them made a shoeing motion with their hands, gesturing for him to hurry up. Joey looked at the front door engulfed before grabbing the handle and pulling the door open. A bell rang as the door to the video store opened and Joey stepped inside. The interior was the same as it always had been since Joey and his family had started going there. Walls lined with film reels, posters, and various cutouts of movie scenes and stars.

Shelves were placed in almost every nook and cranny and were organized in ways Joey could only call weirdly specific. The owners, Mr. and Mrs. Binford, were both film lovers and wanted the store to reflect that love. Well, would you look at that! Joey McGee, my favorite customer! The old shopkeep called out as he watched the seven-year-old walk in. Hi, Mr. Binford, Joey replied. This is probably a silly question since you're in the shop, but what brings you in today? Mr. Binford looked around as if trying to find somebody. Alone too at that. Oh, is that a problem?

My brother and his friend are outside. I could go get them if you need me to, Joey said with a blush. Oh, it isn't a problem at all. I'm just not used to seeing you by yourself. So what brings you in? Mr. Binford asked with a smile. My parents are away for the weekend, so we're using some of the money they left us to get a movie, Joey explained. This your guy's first time being left alone? The shopkeep asked. Yeah. Big milestone for kids to be left alone for the weekend. Right in time for Halloween too.

Got any scary movies in mind to rent? Mr. Binford asked with a grin. The Binfords liked all kinds of movies, but from what little Joey knew of the couple, it was horror movies Mr. Binford liked, especially The Old Ones. I don't know. Chris just sent me in to get a movie. Didn't say what he wanted. Joey felt a tinge of pain at lying to the old man. I see. Well, I'm running a special right now for the holiday. Rent one horror movie and get one with the price slashed in half. Mr. Binford said with an excited menace before slamming a fake meat cleaver down onto the counter.

Surprised by the sudden action, Joey jumped back a little before smiling and laughing a little bit. The old man laughing along with him. Right, I'll have to see if I find anything I like, the seven-year-old said. Can never go wrong with the classics, but that's a ramble for another time. I'm holding you up while your brother and his friend wait outside. Mr. Binford jabbed a thumb toward the door. The two older boys peered in through its glass. I'll be up here rewinding some tapes if you need anything, kiddo. Thanks, Mr. Binford, Joey said before heading off into the maze of shelves.

Despite boasting about how he would do it, Joey couldn't help but feel bad about the whole thing, especially after talking to Mr. Binford. He really liked the guy and didn't want to disappoint him. Joey shook his head and took a deep breath. Come on, McGee, we have a mission to do. Joey walked through the shelves and looked at case after case and thought about his mission in question. It certainly was an easy enough plan. Swapped the cassette of Flesh of the Android with another movie, any movie, and it would look like he was renting anything other than an R-rated horror film.

Only problem was trying to pick out a movie to do it with. It couldn't just be any movie. Joey needed a movie that Mr. Binford wouldn't think twice about him renting. He was hesitant to make it be another horror film. Mr. Binford had to have remembered he didn't like scary movies. Renting two of them might make him suspect something was going on. Mindlessly Joey wandered into the action section and looked around. He was about to turn a corner and leave when he had an idea. Joey turned around and smiled a bit as he stared at the case for a movie called Quantum Cop.

It was a film he had seen loads of times and while he hadn't seen too many movies in his life, to make a definitive statement, he did consider it his favorite. It was one that he and his family rented numerous times and if he saw it was going to be on TV he would drop everything to watch it. He had toys for it and even acted it out with some of his friends. Most importantly, it was rated PG. Joey knew if he did the swap with Quantum Cop, Mr. Binford would expect nothing. Joey took the tape off the shelf and made his way to the horror section.

Like the rest of the sections it was decorated to its theme with cobwebs and masks and cutouts of various monsters and other things from horror films. It amped up even more so with the rest of the store for Halloween. Joey was always intimidated by the decorations but this was worse. Whether it be its crank to 11 nature for the holiday or because of what he was planning, he found himself deathly frightened of walking through it. He gulped and started down the path making sure he didn't look around too much so that he wouldn't see something he didn't want to.

The way the horror section was set up, Joey went from classic horror movies up through to current ones, the boxes getting more and more intense as he went along, shielding his eyes as they did so. And yet, you're wanting to watch a gross out movie just to be with your brother, he told himself. Joey stopped when he came to his destination. In front of him on the rack was a shiny near brand new VHS tape. It was Flesh of the Android. The front cover depicted what he could only describe as a mix between a zombie and a robot ripping its way through a person.

Blood and viscera flying every which way while the title was printed in such a way that it looked like it had been carved into human flesh. Joey, hands shaking, turned it around to look at the back. While the front had been drawn or painted artwork, Joey was greeted by images from the movie showing the creature chained to a wall and on fire, people looking afraid and huddled together, a scientist with an eye gouged out, and a girl with no shirt having what looked like her chest, but more balloon-shaped being squeezed while puss oozed out of it.

Joey quickly put it back on the shelf and covered his mouth with his now free hand while he gagged. Get it together, Joey, it's only a movie. It's only a movie. It's only a movie. The young boy gathered his composure and took the film off the shelf. He stared at it and the other movie in his hand. One was a simple and fun action movie. The other contained images that, based on the box, were going to live up to how Chris and Mack had been describing it. Quantum Cop in one hand and Flesh of the Android in the other.

Joey looked back and forth between the two. He sighed and placed Flesh of the Android back on the shelf. Afterward, he pulled the cassette of Quantum Cop out and laid it on another movie. Joey then repeated the action for Flesh of the Android before slipping its cassette into the case for Quantum Cop. He sighed after doing so and paused for a second before sliding Quantum Cop into the case of Flesh of the Android. The deed was done. Joey had successfully completed Chris and Mac's plan to rent an R-rated horror movie right under the nose of Mr.

Binford. Joey smiled faintly at having completed his task, but could already feel the guilt eating him up inside. All right, McGee, you did it. Now you just have to check out and get it out of the store. Joey turned around and started back down the horror section. As he walked, he suddenly remembered Mr. Binford's words. Rent one horror movie and get one with the price slashed in half. The old shopkeep might find it weird that Joey had only grabbed not just one movie, but a non-horror title at that. He began to feel anxiety at how his plan might crumble.

Joey stopped when he got to the classic horror section. Maybe if I rent one of these, Mr. Binford won't suspect anything. Joey looked over the movies and blindly picked one. After all, it didn't really matter what the movie was, just that he had another one to distract from the ruse he was attempting to pull. Newly satisfied, Joey made his way out of the horror section and through the maze of shelves and movies until he reached the front counter. After a couple of moments, Mr. Binford turned around from his task of rewinding tapes the customers hadn't.

Ah, if it isn't Mr. McGee, back with some plunder. Let's see what you got, the man said with a smile, holding out his hand for the tapes. Joey returned the smile and handed him the movies. Mr. Binford looked at the two tapes. Let's see what we have here. Quantum Cop. My, my, you never tire of this one, do you? With how many times you rent it, you should save up some allowance and buy yourself a copy, Mr. Binford said with his usual friendly smile. Yeah, maybe, Joey responded. And let's see, we also have, ooh, Phantom of the Opera, the 1943 version starring Claude Rains.

Very, very nice choice here, Joey. It's a personal favorite of mine. I remember seeing this in the theater when I was close to 20 years old. And before I got shipped off to Europe, Mr. Binford explained with a glee and twinkle in his eye that Joey never remembered seeing before. That's really cool, Mr. Binford, Joey said. He genuinely enjoyed seeing the shop owner talk about his childhood. Indeed, those were the days. Oh, I'm sorry, Joey, I'm rambling and getting nostalgic again. I'll make sure these are rewound and then get you checked out and on the way.

Mr. Binford explained. Joey's mind went blank and then flooded with a surge of anxiety. Rewinding the tapes. That meant Mr. Binford would have to take the tapes out of their cases. That meant he would have to see the cassettes and that he would see the titles of the movies on the plastic shells. Joey's plan was about to crumble. That would mean he'd get in trouble with Mr. Binford, with his parents, maybe with the police. Worst of all, he knew that when they asked him about why he did the switch, he would eventually crumble and reveal that it was Chris's idea.

And then he'd be in deep, deep trouble. Joey nervously stood watching as Mr. Binford began the process of checking the tapes and where or if they had been rewound. He paused at one point and turned to look out the glass door, catching Chris and Max staring in and quickly disappearing when they knew they had been seen by the shop owner. Mr. Binford turned his attention back to his task and started humming while doing so. After what seemed like an eternity to Joey, Mr. Binford turned around holding both movies in their cases in his hand and stared at Joey.

Joey, we have a problem here. The young McGee gulped and could feel his heart starting to pound faster and faster. What problem? He stammered out. Well, Joey, you only have one horror movie here. Remember, the special is if you rent one horror movie, you get another horror movie half off. Oh, guess I wasn't thinking, Joey said. Mm-hm. Well, tell you what, since you're my favorite customer, I'll let you have the deal anyways. Just don't go telling anybody. How's that sound? Mr. Binford asked with a smile. Joey felt a wave of relief come over him. He smiled and nodded his head.

Sounds great. Mr. Binford smiled and nodded his head in agreement. Joey handed the cash for the movies to the shop owner, and watched as Mr. Binford bagged up the two movies, and handed them over to his young patron. You boys enjoy yourselves, he told Joey, as the young McGee headed toward the door. Joey turned around and waved goodbye with a smile before leaving the store. He walked away to where Chris and Mac were standing. Well, the two asked in both curiosity and simmering agitation. Joey pulled out the case for Quantum Cop, then slid out the cassette that sat inside of it.

Chris and Mac looked at the tape and grinned like a Cheshire cat when they saw flesh of the android printed on the black plastic in stuttered white. All right, way to go, Joe, Mac cheered before giving Joey a playful punch. Good job, little bro, good job, Chris told his brother with a smile. Joey's face grew warm and he smiled, nearly tearing up at hearing his brother giving him praise. All right, girls, let's go get some poppin pizza and head back, Chris said. Mac and Joey nodded in agreement, and the three walked off towards their next destination, before what was sure to be a terrifyingly fun night.

After the video store, the boys made their way to the supermarket and filled a cart with soda, popcorn and everything they needed to make nachos. Once done, they went down the street to a pizza joint called Haha Pizza. They argued over what to get until they eventually settled on extra cheese with sausage, onions and banana peppers. With pizza and various snacks in hand, the trio headed on back to the McGee's. Once they arrived, the boys got to work on setting up shop for the night. The pizza box got tossed onto the coffee table along with the sodas while the kitchen became an aroma of salt, butter, tortilla chips, cheese, jalapenos and tomatoes.

Done in the kitchen and with the sun starting to set, the trio headed into the living room with their plunder of buttery, greasy goodness. The older McGee instructed Mac to put out a bowl of candy their parents left for trick-or-treaters and turn off the porch lights so that when the sun went down, they wouldn't be disturbed. With that taken care of, Mac returned and handed Chris their feature presentation. He pulled out the in-disguise flesh of the android and headed toward the VCR. What about the other movie? Joey asked. What about it? Chris countered. Aren't we going to watch it?

As if, Chris and Mac said in unison. Why not? Joey questioned. Who wants to watch an older-than-dirt movie? Not us, that's for sure, Chris explained. What if I wanted to? Mr. Binford said it was really good, Joey said. Please, as if Mr. Binford knows anything about quality, the man is older than time itself, Mac said tauntingly. Besides, we have more important things to do, like watching this awesomeness, Chris told his companions as he held up the flesh of the Android tape as if it was a trophy. Aren't you scared of these kinds of movies anyway, Squirt?

Why do you want to watch that one? Mac asked mockingly. I don't know, I guess I just wanted to try Mr. Binford's suggestion, Joey explained as he bowed his head. Well, we're going to show you real horror, that is, if you can make it past the trailers, Chris said with a snicker that was soon followed by Mac. Shut up! Joey shouted as he plopped himself down on the floor in front of the coffee table. Play the movie! Chris and Mac pretended as if they were intimidated by the youngest of the group before having another chuckle.

Chris slid the cassette into the VCR and turned on the television. The older boys settled in on the couch and relegated Joey to turning off the lights. He sighed and reluctantly did so before sitting on the floor in front of the couch. Chris powered on the VCR using the remote, hit play, and the trio waited for the tape to start. Staticky black faded into pitch black before the logo of the video company appeared with its jingle. The boys were then shown trailer after trailer of various movies the company is about to release or has released.

Genres ranged from the expected horror to drama to sci-fi and even to romance albeit of a steamier variety. Joey found the majority of the trailers not to his liking. He had to grit his teeth to make it through the horror trailers, but he stuck through them. If he backed out now because of some trailers, he would never hear the end of it. Once the trailers stopped, the company logo appeared again and gave way to the opening credits. Blood curdling red splashed onto a black as night background. Then the title appeared with a shriek that Joey could only liken to a small dog having its tail stomped on.

When the movie proper started up, Joey found himself able to handle it for the most part. Having not seen a lot of horror, it seemed boring to him that there was a bunch of talk about science and not having any viable options left and some other junk about morality and stuff he didn't understand but seemed to make Chris and Mac excited. And what Joey assumed meant embarrassed with how red they got. But once the horror started, Joey quickly concluded that despite how much he wanted to show the two older boys how tough and brave he was, and especially how much he wanted to spend time with his older brother over the weekend, he simply couldn't handle the horror in the film.

The way everything looked dark and grimy, the music and the special effects, by God, the special effects were simply too much for him. From the crazed doctor dissecting and then forming his abomination, to how that creature looked once completed, and moving around, to the red oozing blood, and the torturous cries of agony. Joey did his best to watch as much as he could. However, when the creature skinned an arm and ripped open the victim's veins to feed on their blood, Joey could take no more. He ran out of the living room hand over mouth. Chris and Mac laughed hysterically while he fled.

I told you he wouldn't be able to handle it, Mac shrilly said through his laughter. That's my baby brother for you. Being a big fat baby, Chris mocked. And like a baby, I think he crapped himself too, Mac shouted in humored excitement. The two continued to watch the movie and make fun of Joey as he made his way upstairs. Tears flowed from his eyes and he was doing his best to not let out the sobbing whimpers building up in his throat. In the safety of his own room, he buried himself under his comforter with his face in his pillow.

Then Joey let out his embarrassment and sadness, confident that the two wouldn't be able to hear him now. He screamed and sobbed and cursed what little curse words he knew. Joey swore that he hated the two of them, his brother in particular, for ruining what was supposed to be their weekend together. It was just like Chris to twist everything into what he wanted, and not what others, or Joey, wanted. I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, Joey shouted into his pillow. He turned to stare at the clock on his bedside table. To him, knowing what time it was didn't really matter.

It was simply something to look at, to help him fall asleep. He certainly wanted to, but every time he closed his eyes, the images of flesh of the android replayed in his mind, distorted in even more nightmarish ways. Joey cursed Chris for wanting to watch such a thing, but equally cursed himself for getting the tape for them, and watching something that he knew he couldn't handle. Their father would say he had polluted his mind, and that it would poison him for the rest of his life. Garbage in, garbage out. His father would say. Joey continued to stare blankly at the clock as he sobbed.

The red glow of the numbers began to blur from the tears before blurring more so from an inability to keep his eyes open. Eventually, mercifully even, Joey fell asleep. A loud thud woke Joey up from his slumber. Dazed from the sudden awakening, he sat himself up and stared off into the darkness of his room. His eyes, half shut, widened quickly. When screams filled his ears, Joey turned to his clock. Midnight. Too late for trick-or-treaters to still be out having fun. It could be older kids trying to scare people. Joey tried to think it through logically so that his mind, his imagination, wouldn't kick in due to the influence of the movie.

Maybe it's Chris and Mack trying to have more fun at my expense, he told himself. Joey laid back down and closed his eyes. The sound of something crashing followed by shrieks disturbed Joey from his attempt to sleep. He bolted upright in his bed, eyes wide open. The thudding and crashing was one thing. It was the shrieks that had Joey upright and starting to be afraid. They sounded too close to be coming from outside the house, and didn't sound as if they were emanating from the television, which left only Chris and Mac. Are they pretending? Or is it?

Joey found his train of thought cut off as the sound of footsteps pounding up the stairs assaulted his ears. At the top, they continued down the hall and only ended once a door was slammed shut. Shocked from the sudden and frantic sequence of events, Joey sat stunned and unsure of what to do. The boy who was known to be greatly susceptible to fear was equally horrified at what he had heard, but was also curious. It could well be Chris and Mac simply messing with him as one final Halloween prank and to taunt him for being unable to handle the movie despite all his boasting.

But what if it wasn't? What if something really did happen that was so horrific that it scared even his older brother and Mac? Joey weighed his options and eventually took a calming deep breath before climbing out of bed. He squeezed his fingers into his palms as he walked towards his bedroom door. The only action he could do to keep himself steady in his decision to investigate and not just hide under the covers. Whatever was going on, Joey was determined to not let it get to him as much as possible. You can do it, you can do it, you can do it, you can do it!

The young McGee reached his bedroom door and stared at it. Doubt crept into his mind. It has to just be a trick, just a trick to scare me one more time. Don't let them get the satisfaction, Joe. Just climb back into bed and go back to sleep. Yet, even with the doubt, Joey's curiosity was too much to not indulge him. He unclenched his right hand and took hold of the doorknob. Joey took several deep breaths, turned the knob and pulled his door open. He stuck his head out. Dark, nothing but darkness in the hallway. The shapes of picture frames were there, but the images inside were hidden.

Not only that, but so was the light switch. Sure, Joey knew where, in theory, it should be. But with the pitch black blanket of darkness, it was as lost as those images in the picture frames. He looked to where the stairs were. Nothing, or at least nothing that seemed to be lurking or out of place. Joey turned his head to the other side of the hall where, hiding behind closed doors, were the remaining rooms. A bathroom, Chris's room, and their parents' room, along with a closet. Again, nothing. What's going on? Joey wondered aloud. He shrugged as he continued to stare in the darkness.

The door to a room down the hall burst open and out flew a body into the wall across from it. Joey screamed in response to the suddenness of the event and ran back into his room. His mind screamed at him to hide. But one thought shut down that idea. He didn't know who it was he saw flung into the wall. It could be Mac. It could be his brother. Joey scrambled to his bedside table and opened the drawer under the top of it. He searched frantically inside until his hand found the shape of the object he was looking for.

Joey pulled his hand out. A flashlight grasped in it. He pushed the power button on and a yellowish white light shined out from it. Joey ran into the hallway and shined the light down where the body was. The light revealed that the body was of Mac. He rushed to the older boy and kneeled down by his side. Mac, what happened? What's going on? Joey asked in a frantic manner. Mac looked at Joey, his movement slow and pained. His eyes were partially glazed over and showed to be unaffected by the light being shined directly into them.

Mac's lips moved in an attempt to speak, but no sound came out. Joey didn't know much about injuries outside of scrapes, cuts, and bruises, but he had heard and seen his dad care for Chris and himself if they got hit roughly on their head. He remembered the word he heard his father used in those situations. Concussion. Joey set the flashlight down and put his hands on Mac's shoulders gently. He tried to remember everything his father would do in situations like this. Come on, Mac, stay with me. What's your full name? Where are you? Countdown from 20.

Who's your best friend? Who am I? Joey asked each question frantically, but also with brief pauses to try and give Mac an opportunity to answer. Mac's eyes slowly became less glazed as Joey talked to him, repeating each question in no particular order. He stared at the younger McGee and tried to gather strength to speak. His eyes widened suddenly as if he had awakened in the middle of the night. Not unlike Joey had earlier, Mac stared at Joey and gulped. Mac? Joey asked, surprised at the older boy's sudden awareness and expression. Run! Mac stammered out. Joey blinked confused by the statement.

Before he could respond, Mac was suddenly pulled away by an unseen force, his body being dragged forcefully down the stairs, screaming all the way. Joey screamed in shock and horror and ran back into his bedroom and quickly shut the door. He ran too and then jumped into his bed, hiding under the covers. What the? What the heck just happened? How can somebody just fly out of a room and then get pulled away? Whatever the answer was, Joey could definitely say that Mack and Chris were not playing a joke. How could they? There was no way they could have done all that.

Maybe Chris could have pushed or thrown Mack out of a room, but pull him down the stairs without being seen. Not even with a rope or a cable could his brother do that. Seeing what happened to Mack only moments ago left Joey unsure what to do next. Every fiber of his being screamed in fear and told him to simply stay in his room and hide. Stay unseen and eventually the sun would come up and all the darkness would be gone. Then he could explore the house and see what exactly was going on or at that point what all had happened.

However, Joey knew that as much as he wanted to do just that, there was something that would not let him do it. The knowledge that it was Mac who ran upstairs to hide before being pulled away meant that Chris was likely still downstairs. Joey wasn't sure what had caused Mac to be thrown from whatever room he had hid in and even less of a clue as to how he had been dragged down the stairs by an unseen force, even with Joey having a flashlight handy to illuminate the darkness. But he did know that meant Chris was downstairs where all the commotion started and was likely where whatever had taken Mac was now at.

Chris, Joey's older brother, one of the people who he loved most in the world, was down on that first story with some unknown being that had hunted down Mac and dragged him downstairs without being seen. Joey crawled out from under his blanket and stared at his door again. He couldn't begin to imagine what was happening to Mac, let alone in general. However, Joey did know that none of it was good and that most likely what happened to Mac was bound to happen to his older brother. Normally, when the two boys were in trouble or something bad happened, they would turn to their father and mother to help them.

They weren't in the house though. They were miles away visiting family. Joey couldn't even recall who they had gone to see. No phone call would likely bring them back. Chris was in an unknown state and Mac was likely no longer able to help. That left only one option and Joey, while aware of it, did not want to admit it. If there was going to be any happy ending to what was going on, it was up to Joey to do it. Trepidatiously, Joey climbed out of bed and walked back to his bedroom door. He was not sure as to what was down there and even less so that he would be able to do much of anything to either help Chris and Mac or stop whatever it was.

But Joey knew deep down that he had to at least try, both for his brother and perhaps even more so, for himself. After all, if his parents, Mac and Chris, weren't going to save him, then he had to do it himself. Just like switching from a tricycle to a bicycle, Joey couldn't rely on training wheels, in this case, others, to help him get along. Joey told himself that was a pretty cheesy and probably dumb comparison, but it was a way to motivate himself. Maybe he needed that silly level of TV sitcom dad pep talk to do what he knew he had to do.

Joey closed his eyes and prayed for protection and the courage to get through the night and protect his brother and himself from whatever it was that had come into the McGee's house. The youngest McGee opened his eyes, took a deep breath, and grasped the knob of his door. He twisted it and, with a newfound courage and intent, pulled open his bedroom door and stepped out into the hallway. Joey looked up and down the hallways for any sign of whatever it was that was inside the house and terrorizing the boys. He couldn't see anything that looked out of place, nor could he see anything that looked like it was moving.

Thinking through the sequence of events that had happened only minutes ago, Joey came to the conclusion that, unless this presence had come back upstairs to get him, it was most likely downstairs where Chris was. Joey thought briefly about why it hadn't come back upstairs to get him. After all, whatever it was must have seen or sensed or had some way of knowing he was there when it took Mac. Not to mention that, if Joey's worst fears were true and the presence had already done something to Chris, then why not come back upstairs and finish the trio off?

Maybe Chris had ran out of the house and whatever it was had chased after him. Perhaps it wanted to save Joey for last. Maybe it didn't want Joey at all. All of these possibilities the young McGee thought about. Joey shook his head. While his thoughts were of genuine concern as to what was going on and why this thing hadn't come back for him, he also knew it was partially him trying to talk and psych himself out of going downstairs. Get it together, Joey. You can do this. You can do this. The young McGee headed to the stairs and started to descend them.

He briefly considered going back up to retrieve his flashlight but opted not to if only because he suspected Chris and Mac had continued to watch TV after finishing Flesh of the Android and thus the television would still be on and provide some form of light. That or at the very least the windows that were peppered on the first floor would allow light from the moon and street lamps to illuminate the house, just enough for Joey to make his way through. Joey continued down the stairs and when at the bottom, looked into the entryway and to the front door.

The door was shut, meaning either Chris was still in the house somewhere or he had left and closed it on his way out. If the latter was the case, then it must have been before this thing had gone after Mac. Joey wasn't quite sure which option seemed more likely. He thought about it and how to proceed. Ultimately, Joey landed on continuing to look around the house for Chris and to see what had happened to Mac. Joey made his way toward the living room. There he found, as he suspected, the television was on. It's screen a bright blue, the default sign for when the VCR was on, but no tape was playing.

Joey looked around the room and saw no sign of his brother or of Mac. However, Joey did see that a lamp had been knocked over, as had the coffee table. Picture frames and other various objects in the room were strewn about. The couch itself had its cushions half off the frame. Broken bottles of pop lined the floors with the glow of the television showing where the fragments of glass were. What in the world happened here? The younger McGee questioned both himself and the room. With the living room empty of his brother and Mac, that left only the kitchen, the downstairs bathroom, and the garage.

Of his options, Joey decided to check the bathroom first. Empty, with no signs of a disturbance like in the living room. One down, two to go. The young McGee walked to the kitchen. Light faintly shined through the window over the sink, and the glass sliding door that led to the backyard. With this, Joey was met with a mess. Parts of it were clearly left over from when he, Chris and Mac had prepared the food for their movie. But containers of flour and sugar, a cutting block and board, pots and pans, dishes and a nearly tipped over refrigerator were not something that the three boys had caused.

At least Joey and the other two hadn't caused it when they were prepping for the movie. Did Chris and Mac do this? Or did whatever this thing is do this? Joey scratched his head and felt his brain starting to hurt from trying to deduce what exactly was going on. He could also feel himself tensing up as he hadn't found his brother yet, which meant all that was left was the garage. He turned and looked down a small hallway on the left-hand side of the kitchen. There he saw the outline of the door that led to the garage.

Joey gulped and felt a chill run down his spine and the cold stickiness of sweat starting to drip down his face. With another gulp to regain his composure and summon some bravery, Joey headed down the hall, stood at the door to the garage, and clutched the knob and threw it open. Stepping into the garage, Joey was once more met with a darkness that was darker than the darkness he had been met with upstairs. How much of his fear was from the unknown and how much of it was the usual unsettling feeling he always had when he was in the garage.

Or maybe the real fear was of not finding Chris in this final room, of having no real answers as to just what was going on in their house. Unlike the other rooms in the house, the garage did not have a light switch to flip. The only way to have light on in the garage was to either pull a cord attached to the ceiling to turn on a light bulb, or to open the garage door and let light in. The latter option was not possible in the dead of night. Joey would need to turn on the light in the garage if he had any hope of actually seeing what all was inside.

Joey held his arms straight out and started to walk toward the center of the garage where the cord should be. While walking, he moved his hands in twisting motions to try and find and grab on to the cord. After what seemed like an eternity to him, he found the cord with his left hand. He let out a sigh of relief and yanked on it. Nothing. No light came on. Joey looked up in surprise. He pulled again. Nothing. He pulled a third time, this time harder and once more. Nothing happened. Joey felt an unsettling feeling flood his whole body, a dread of not being able to search the basement and being stuck in pitch blackness.

Along with that, he felt an anger he couldn't remember ever feeling before. In that anger, Joey thought about moments he had seen his father and even his grandfather angry at something that wasn't going their way. Shit, he shouted in the same way he heard his father and grandfather do so when they were upset. Joey thought about what to do next. I guess I could turn on all the lights in the house. I could get my flashlight and then I could see in the garage. With a new on-the-fly plan made, Joey turned to leave. As he exited facing the door, Joey saw a face illuminated in yellowish white light that was coming from a flashlight.

Joey, a voice said in relief, it was Chris. Chris, Joey cried in joy at being reunited with his brother. He flung himself into him and the two hugged. Where have you been? Chris asked. Looking for you. Where have you been? Joey responded. Hiding. I was hiding for a while in the pantry. Then I remembered you were upstairs and so I went to get you, but you weren't there. I found the flashlight in the hallway and saw some of mom and dad's pictures knocked off the wall, Chris explained. Joey remembered what had happened upstairs. Mac, he came flying up the stairs and then he...

Chris, what's going on? Joey asked his brother. I don't even know how I could explain it. We watched Flesh of the Android, rewound the tape and watched it again. Well, we tried to, we fell asleep and then... Jesus, I can't, just out of nowhere this thing or force or whatever it is appeared and came after us. I ran and hid and Mac ran the other way. Chris explained as best he could, his voice heavy with terror, something that Joey had never heard before. What do we do? he asked his older brother. I don't know what to tell you, Joey.

Mom and dad aren't here. It's too late to go to any of the neighbors too. We can't really call the police either. So what do we do? Joey asked again. I guess just go to our rooms, turn on a light and then wait until morning. Chris suggested. And then what? Joey asked. I don't know. Let's just get through the night and go from there. Chris said. Joey nodded in acceptance and he and Chris left the garage. The brothers walked through the house, passing the entryway to the living room. Joey turned his head and saw the television was still on.

He stopped. Chris noticed and looked at his brother. Then the TV. Then back to his brother. What is it? Chris asked. Shouldn't we turn the TV off? Joey said. Does it matter? Chris asked in honest confusion as to why his brother felt the need to turn off a television. I mean, I guess not, but it's something we always do before we go to bed if we've been watching it, Joey explained. Chris looked at his brother. He smiled at the simplicity of his brother's explanation. Okay, Squirt, I'll humor you. Joey smiled and Chris returned it with a loving punch.

The two walked to the television and Chris turned off the VCR and then the TV. Joey and Chris walked out of the living room into the staircase. Suddenly, they heard the click of both the TV and the VCR turning on and the glow from the television shining into the hallway. The brothers McGee looked at each other in surprise and growing dread. They cautiously walked into the living room and stared in awe at the sight. How? Joey started. I don't know, Chris stammered out. Chris grabbed the remotes to both the TV and VCR and powered both of them.

He then threw the remotes into the hallway. Not even a minute later, they powered back on. The blue of the VCR screen started to distort in colors. Flesh of the Android flickers on and off in its goriest moments, the screen eventually turning into black and white static. Joey and Chris stare at each other in surprise and horror at the scene unfolding before them. They turn their attention back to the television and see the black of the static dripping down to the bottom of the screen until none of it is left, only white. The dust cover of the VCR shoots open and the boys watch in horror as a blackish-brown substance begins to drip out of it.

At first, liquid and substance, it begins to solidify and become almost transparent. As it solidified, it took on monstrous and exaggerated human qualities. Joey and Chris watched as a black and nearly transparent hand reached out of the VCR and dug into the carpeted floor. In a violent, jerky motion, the hand pulled the rest of the growing form out of the VCR and onto the floor of the McGee's living room. Joey and Chris stood in shock and horror at the scene that was unfolding. Joey tried to gather the strength to say something, but was quickly silenced by the form shooting itself upright.

The creature stood almost to the ceiling and, save for its limbs, had no other features recognizably human. Both Joey and Chris saw from the glow of the television that the creature still had a transparent nature to it. However, they also saw that all over the creature's body, it looked as if something was moving back and forth. Joey, in shocked awe and unable to think of anything else, likened it in his mind to a video cassette being rewound and fast forwarded. To him, it made sense considering where this thing had come from. Chris, Joey started, Yeah, Joey, Chris stammered out.

What do we do? The younger McGee asked. Almost exactly at the end of Joey's question, the creature leaped to the ceiling and began crawling around on it. Run, Chris shouted and shoved Joey out of the living room and towards the stairs. Joey looked back toward the room and started to head back. Chris was no longer in sight, but he heard him, and the sounds emanating from Chris were inhuman, and the most pained and terror-filled noises Joey had ever heard. Joey, run! Run, God damn it! Run! Joey began to tear up at his brother's words as he turned around and rushed up the stairs and into his bedroom.

He slammed the door shut and moved his dresser and anything else he could get in front of the door as a barricade. He then ran too and slid under his bed. The young McGee curled up in a ball and continued to cry, hearing the sounds of the living room and likely his brother being torn apart. It's only a dream! It's only a dream! It's only a dream! Joey shouted to himself, repeating the statement until finally, due to exhaustion and the stress of what was happening. He fell asleep. Joey woke up gasping for breath and covered in sweat.

He looked around, remembering that he had hid and spent the remainder of the night under his bed. He remembered watching Flesh of the Android until he ran out nearly vomiting. He remembered seeing Mack thrown and dragged around in the darkness. Chris, not even knowing what ultimately happened to Chris, and that creature, that thing, which came spilling out of the VCR. Joey started to hyperventilate and felt tears starting to run down his face. The young McGee caught himself and started to take slow and deep breaths and counted back from ten to rein in his panic attack.

When the anxiety was at a manageable level, Joey crawled out from under his bed and slowly stood up. His eyes blink and then widen as he sees that his room, barricaded to protect him from whatever that thing was, was back to normal. Every piece of furniture, every item, everything was as it was before the horror had happened. Joey turned to look at his clock, 9:30 AM. Noises. Joey heard noises emanating from downstairs. Was it Chris? Mac? The creature? Somebody or something else? He had to know what it was and perhaps figure out why his room was back to normal.

Joey quickly got dressed and rushed out of his bedroom and down the stairs. Once downstairs, Joey immediately went to the living room and found it not in the state of chaos it was last night, but in a state of ideal cleanliness and organization, just like it was before the boys took it over for their movie. This is surreal. The young McGee heard noises emanating from elsewhere in the house. He followed them, deducing that the noises are coming from the kitchen. Joey slowly moved closer and closer to the kitchen, readying himself in case the creature was back.

His heart drummed fiercely in his chest, to the point where he could hear it in his ears over the sounds that were coming from the kitchen. Joey stopped right near the entryway. He closed his eyes and let out a breath before jumping into the kitchen with what he thought was a battle cry. What was that about Joey? An older male asked. That's certainly a way for you to say good morning, sweetie. An older female said. Joey opened his eyes and found his mom and dad in the kitchen. His father sat at the kitchen table, a cup of coffee in one hand and a pencil in the other.

He used it to work on a crossword. His mother was hopping between the stovetop and the fridge in preparing breakfast. Mom, dad, why? What? I thought you guys were out of town. Joey questioned in utter confusion. We were until we got home last night, his father explained. But I didn't see or hear you guys, Joey said. You were out cold in bed when we got home, his mother added. What time did you get home, Joey asked. Oh, about eleven, his mom answered. Joey walked to the kitchen table and took a seat across from his father.

His head hurt from the shock of seeing his parents and the revelation that they had been home last night. Joey's thoughts swirled with the possibility that the creature might have gone after them first before Mac and Chris. If so, why? Maybe it was surprising that two people came into the house and attacked them in response, but that left the question that plagued Joey from the moment the horror started and still had yet to be answered. Why did it go after them and seemingly left Joey alone? Are you okay, Sport? Joey's dad asked. Yeah, why? Joey said.

You look clammy, his father replied. Oh, I didn't sleep that well, Joey offered as an answer. I think it's more that you ate too much candy and junk food for Halloween. Does your stomach hurt? His mother asked him. Yeah, Joey answered. It was the truth, though. Joey didn't think he had eaten too much junk food and was chalking it up to how anxious and scared he had been and still was. I think your mother's right then. That isn't to say you didn't toss and turn, but eating all that crud won't do you any favors, his father said.

I guess you're right, Joey responded. Joey looked around the kitchen. Everything was put back in place and cleaned just like it had been in the living room. If the creature had gone after his parents before Chris Mack and himself, then who did the cleaning? Did Chris survive his encounter, defeat the creature and then clean up? How did his parents come back if the thing had gotten hold of them? If they were back, did that mean so was Mack? It was in this avalanche of thoughts that something struck Joey. Chris wasn't down yet. Sure it was still the weekend and his brother usually slept in, but their mom was making her homemade biscuits and gravy and that was one of the few things Chris would wake up for, no matter the time.

Where's Chris? Joey asked his parents. I don't know. Who's Chris? His mom answered and then asked. The question hit Joey like a freight train. Who's Chris? You know, Chris. Chris McGee. My brother, Joey said. The older McGees chuckled a little at what their son was saying. Oh, Joey, you don't have a brother, his father explained. But I do. It's Chris, Joey stated. Oh, Bill, maybe this is Joey's way of telling us he wants to be a big brother, his mother suggested. Joey's father snapped his fingers to what his wife was saying. That's got to be it.

Are you ready to be a big brother, Joe? How can I be a big brother to Chris? He's older than me. Is this Chris maybe an imaginary friend that you believe is your big brother, his mom asked. It's okay if you have an imaginary friend, Joe. We all did. After all, it can be lonely being an only child, his father explained. Joey cannot believe what he's hearing. An only child? How is that possible? I've known Chris my whole life. Mom and dad know him too. What's going on? Joey stood up from the table and ran out of the kitchen, his parents shrugging at his action.

His feet carried him back to the living room and right up to where the family's fireplace was. Joey looked at the mantle above it and the row of family photos. There were the ones of just Joey and Chris's parents, the ones of Joey as a baby in a school photo, and the ones of their other family members. But photos that were supposed to have Chris in them, whether it was of just him or with other family members, were missing. Chris was somehow now absent in all the photos he was supposed to be in. This can't be happening, Joey choked out.

The young McGee bolted upstairs to where Chris's room should be and flung open the door only to discover the room was filled with various supplies and stations for his mother's sewing and crafting. Normally, Joey had seen these items in the downstairs office where his father usually worked, apparently having been moved from where Joey's room was after the McGee's found out they were expecting. This isn't right. Joey ran back downstairs to the office and found it filled with everything he knew should be there that belonged to his father and only those items that belonged to his father.

No cramped tight space, no room divided by sports memorabilia in his father's work area along with his mother's sewing and crafts. What the hell is going on? Joey asked the room, finding the situation appropriate for what he was told was a curse word, but frequently heard and saw in church. A thought shot through Joey's mind. The tape. Flesh of the android. The boy walked to where the TV stand was. Joey kneeled down and looked at the VCR. Sweat started to drip down his face. Joey hit the eject button, not sure if he wanted flesh of the android to pop out, have another movie be ejected, or have nothing happen at all.

The VCR made various whirring and clicking sounds before ejecting the cassette. With his hand shaking, Joey took hold of the videotape and pulled it out. He moved it to where he could read the label. His mouth gaped, and a sound of horror and confusion came from his throat. Flesh of the android was printed in blood red on a bright white label. How? Joey questioned. How was any of this possible? If Chris no longer existed to the point that he wasn't in pictures, or more shockingly, their parents' memory, then that would mean the trio of the two McGee's and Mac never went to Bimford's video to get the movie.

So, how was the tape? How was Flesh of the Android here? Bimford's video! Joey sprinted upstairs and hastily put on and then tied his shoes. He threw on a zip-up hoodie before rushing back downstairs, through the kitchen, and into the garage. Whoa, Speed Racer! Joey's dad called out. Joey ignored his father as he hit the button to open the garage door. Once opened, Joey hopped on his bike and sped out of the garage, hands clasped on the handlebars with the tape gripped in his right hand. Hi-ho, Silver, away! His feet pedaled harder and harder to build up speed, Joey leaning forward to try and do so even more.

Joey kept pedaling down his street and through the town. The seven-year-old paid no attention to anybody on the sidewalks or even traffic lights and cars. He heard the screeching of tires and disgruntled drivers shouting and cursing at him as he rode on. Joey had only one thing on his mind, and that was Binford's video, and he was hell-bent on getting there. Everything seemed as if it could be traced back to flesh of the Android. But why and how? How was it that a movie played in theaters and had been seen by others on tape, but yet this happened to Joey and his family?

Has it happened to anybody else? Joey didn't know for sure if Mr. Binford could give him the answers he wanted, but it was his best chance of figuring out what was going on, if only slightly. Joey approached a hill that, once descended, would take him to Binford's video. The young boy pedaled as hard as he could before beginning to go downhill, letting his momentum carry him down. His left hand poised over the brake on the left handle. Joey winced as he flew downhill, hoping that he wouldn't crash when he braked. When close enough to the bottom, Joey began to slowly brake, making sure to not do it too hard or too fast, and cause him to go flying off of the bike.

Just before he reached the end of the hill, Joey gave one final brake, this time harder than before. He breathed a sigh of relief as he successfully came to a stop at the bottom of the hill. With the video store in sight, Joey went back to pedaling and raced up to the storefront. He hopped off of his bike and let it fall to the ground. Videotape in hand, Joey ran to the door, threw it open, and then rushed inside. The bell to the store rang as Joey rushed inside and went straight to the counter. Mr.

Binford stared at the boy in surprise. Why, if it isn't Joey McGee. What has you up this early and out of breath? The man asked his patron. Joey nearly slammed the tape for flesh of the Android down on the counter while he tried to catch his breath. Mr. Binford stared at it while Joey composed himself before his eyes shifted to the boy. Joey stared at the elder man until he was back to a relatively normal state. What is this tape? Joey asked. It looks like a videotape for a movie. Horror movie at that and one which is rated R.

I'm actually curious as to why you have it. Both the movie itself and why you don't also have a case for it. Mr. Binford responded. No, I mean, what is this tape? Joey asked again. I don't know if I follow, Mr. Binford said in a calm and collected manner. Look, me and my brother and his friend came here yesterday. They wanted to rent this stupid movie, but were too chicken shit to come in and do their stupid plan to swap it with another movie so they could rent it. So I said I would do it and I came in and I did it by swapping it with Quantum Cop because I knew you wouldn't bat an eye at me renting that again.

We went home and put it on, but I couldn't finish it because it was too terrible. So I went to bed. Then in the middle of the night, my brother and his friends started screaming and running all over the place and woke me up doing it. Some thing got spat out or crawled out of the VCR and attacked us. It did who knows what to Mac. Apparently also did something to my mom and dad. And then I don't know what it did to Chris because he told me to run. So I did. I hid under my bed until morning.

But then I woke up to find my house not in the mess it was last night. My parents going about their day like normal. But they don't remember Chris. His room is now my mom's sewing room. And he isn't in any pictures that he should be in. And guess what? This stupid movie was still in the VCR. So what is this damned thing? Mr. Binford looked at Joey as he unloaded the whole story on him. He watched as, when finished, Joey had to catch his breath again and cool off. He hadn't meant to get as fired up as he did.

But it was the only way he could think to get Mr. Binford's attention. And he found it came naturally as he went on about the previous day. The elder man looked at Joey, then at the tape of Flesh of the Android, then back at Joey. He took a deep breath before leaning his elbows on to the countertop. I know, Joey, he said. Joey blinked. What? I know. Everything that you just said. I know what happened. Actually it's more accurate to say. I knew it would happen, Mr. Binford explained. Joey's face went blank. Then a scowl formed and tears started to bubble up.

What? Mr. Binford gave a smile. The kind only an older person could. Let me explain, Joey. I knew exactly what was going on yesterday. I might be getting older and losing some of my faculties, but my peepers work just fine. I saw that you would swap the movie with Quantum Cop, and I saw how Chris and his friend were acting. I've seen a lot of kids both here and in general over my years. People too. So I know when a person, especially a kid, is trying to do something they shouldn't. So I let you take the movie, and I let them have it.

Mr. Binford explains. I don't get it. What did you let them have? And what does this have to do with what happened to us and why Chris is just... Gone? Joey asked. What you saw was an erudere, or if you don't want to use Latin, an erasure. It's a creature that has been used throughout history to eliminate things that have been deemed unneeded or for a multitude of other uses. It depends entirely on who the summoner needs it for. Mr. Binford explained like a teacher, explaining history or any other subject. Joey stared at the old man open mouth and visibly confused.

In simpler terms, Joey, it's a monster that people have used to make things disappear completely. But, but how? Joey started but trailed off. The monster once summoned goes after who or what it has been told to erase, and it does not stop until its task is done. When it erases something, it does so completely from existence and history. In this instance, it erased Chris and Mac, Mr. Binford told Joey. So that means, Joey started, they have been utterly erased from existence. That's why your parents don't remember Chris and why he isn't in photos and all of his belongings are gone.

The same with Mac's family. Joey wanted to throw up. He felt his stomach churning and his body began the motions of heaving before vomit would be produced. But nothing came up. Joey dropped to his knees while he continued dry heaving and only stood up once he was able to control his body again. That's, that's terrible. Why? Why did you do this? Joey demanded. Mr. Binford sighed. Joey, I've seen how people act over the years. There are those that are some of the finest examples of goodness and humanity you'll ever see. Some are so-so or middle of the road.

Some aren't the best, but you can tell there's some good deep down. But then there are those you can look at and just tell their bad apples. I hate to say this so matter of fact to you, but Chris was the latter. I've known him since he was little and over the years I've seen him act like, to be frank, an utter brat. I've seen how he manipulates your parents and how he treats you. When the three of you came yesterday, I saw how they were acting. In particular, how they were when I looked out my window when I was rewinding the tapes.

I had seen what the movie was and once I saw them, I knew what was up. Joey, you're a good kid, a good person, one of the kindest and most honest I've ever seen. I know you would never do anything wrong purposefully, so it was easy to piece together that you had been put up to this. I know you said you volunteered to do it, but I know deep down you wanted to impress your brother, so he would like you more. That is why I gave you the movie. But how? How are you able to do this?

Joey questioned. Back when I was a younger man, I served in World War II over in Europe. While we were in Italy, I had found a book containing old dark magic, a combination of my natural curiosity and the pull I've always had to things otherworldly or dark or horror. I've had an interest in the occult. Once I moved out on my own, I slowly started to practice it. So when I found the book, I couldn't just leave it there. I put it in my bag and brought it home. I studied it and found out about the erudere, spell and all.

At first, I tried it out on a random drunkard at a local bar. When I saw that it did in fact work, I started using it more. Despite my interest and practice of the occult, I still believe in doing right and being the best you can be. So, when I would observe the worst of humanity and felt that something needed to be done, I did something and used the erudere, Mr. Binford explained to the boy. Joey listened and took everything in. He didn't fully understand all of it, nor could he believe what he was hearing.

Stuff like this was the kind of thing he would find in books or movies, not to mention it was hard for him to believe that Mr. Binford would be into stuff like that or do something that was so terrible. Erasing people completely from the world to where nobody could remember them and there were no signs that they ever existed. Joey looked Mr. Binford in the eyes and took a deep breath to calm and assure himself. So, my parents, Joey said, it never went after them. Why was the tape still there this morning? Joey asked. The iridere was simply placed into the tape by me using the spell.

At the end of the day, it is still just a videotape of flesh of the android. Usually, if the iridere is placed in an object, the object still remains, unless the summoner wants that object to vanish as well, Mr. Binford told the boy. Joey thought for a second and then gulped. So, why didn't it come after me? And why do I still remember him? Joey asked. Mr. Binford smiled sweetly. As I said a moment ago, you are one of the best kids I've ever seen or met. You're as pure and honest as anybody I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.

And while you could, in theory, use the creature to go after anybody, I don't like using it for just anybody. Only for those that are examples of the worst of humanity. Or those I think need to learn their actions and character, have consequences. In this case, Chris, and how he treated you and your parents and probably others. As for his friend, well, let's just call that a bonus. Bad apples tend to attract bad apples after all. For your other question, I suppose if anything, it's so that you can remember how he was and where it led him.

I know he had his moments of being good most likely, but he still chose to be the way he was. Think of it in a way as a cautionary tale. Joey wasn't really sure what to think. He loved his brother and had looked up to him even when Chris wasn't being that great. Life without him, especially having the knowledge of what happened, was something Joey didn't know if he could handle. He had just been told that magic and monsters were in fact real, and that it was because of this his brother was gone in every sense of the word.

But Joey had to admit that Chris wasn't always the best to him, let alone how he might be toward other people. Still, it was hard to fathom that he would never see Chris again. Joey turned away from Mr. Binford and started to head to the door. Hey, Joey, Mr. Binford called out. Joey stopped at the sound of his name. He turned around and looked at Mr. Binford, the old man using a hand to beckon the young McGee over. Joey walked back to the counter and stared at Mr. Binford. What is it, Mr. Binford? He asked.

Well, I was wondering something. What, Joey asked? You know, Joey, you remind me a lot of me when I was younger. Back when I was a kid, my father got me a job at a general store. I didn't earn much of anything, but it did teach me about how to work hard and it helped me build my character. So I was wondering, would you like to work at the store with me? Mr. Binford questioned. Joey was dumbstruck by the offer. Me? Work here? I couldn't. Why not? Mr. Binford asked. I'm only seven and I don't know anything about movies.

What would I even do? Joey asked the old man. I can teach you about movies. As for what you would do, you could help me put the movies back and make sure they're in the right spots and help me tidy up a little bit. What about how old I am? That is true, but I'm sure if I explain my reasoning to your parents, they would understand. Besides, I would make your pay free rentals of any movie you like. Mr. Binford elaborates. I don't know, Joey said. Well I'll tell you what then. How about we call this an offer for down the road when you're a little older?

But if you still want to come in every so often and learn about movies, I'll talk to you about them. And if you want to do some stuff to help out, I can pay you with those free rentals. How's that sound? Mr. Binford asked with a hand outstretched to Joey. Joey stood there thinking. He liked the idea of being able to rent movies free of charge, and he was sure his parents would enjoy it too. He also liked Mr. Binford and liked that he might be able to learn more about movies. At the same time though, he thought it would be weird working with the man who made his brother disappear and had apparently been using some creature to do the same for others.

In any story that he had ever been told, that would make Mr. Binford a bad guy. Yet Joey could understand Mr. Binford's reasoning for doing it, and if he was being honest with himself, felt a pull to wanting to be able to do the same. Could I ask for an extra way of being paid? Joey asked. Mr. Binford chuckled. Only seven years old and already negotiating for pay. What do you have in mind? Joey looked the old man in the eyes. Well, could you teach me about this magic of yours? Mr. Binford smiled widely. My boy, I would gladly do that.

Joey smiled in return and took Mr. Binford's hand with his. Then you have a deal. Nine years later, Joey stood behind the counter of Binford's video, organizing tapes that had been recently returned. Mr. Binford sat on a stool behind him, rewinding tapes. Now, sixteen years old, Joey had been officially working at the store for about two years. Up until that point, Joey would go into the store once a week to help Mr. Binford with some odd tasks and talk movies with him, along with learning other nuggets of information. Surprisingly, his parents were okay with him having a job, his father even saying it made sense as he too had worked as early as eight years old with a paper route.

The only thing they probably didn't enjoy was the love of collecting films Joey now had. Mr. Binford once said he had become quite the cinephile, and it certainly showed in his bedroom that had become cramped with a TV, VCR, Laserdisc player, and shelves and stacks of videotapes, Laserdiscs, and books about film as well as walls that were covered with posters. The bell on the door rang, letting the two know they had a customer. Welcome to Binford's video, Joey started to greet before stopping mid-sentence. A group of teenagers had walked in and it was a group Joey knew well.

They were a bunch of kids from his class in high school, mostly a mix of quote unquote cool kids. Leading the pack was a wrestler named Fred Tennyson and his girlfriend Cameron Collins. Joey was frequently bullied by most of the kids in the group, but was tormented the most by Fred. If a person could name the things a typical bully would say and do to somebody, Fred had done them to Joey. The animosity stemmed from Joey being labeled a weirdo, but Joey knew it was most likely due to the fact that he had a crush on Cameron.

For every bit of bad Fred was, Cameron was that good. Hey there, it's the film fairy, Fred called out to Joey. The kids laughed, save for Cameron. She gave Joey a small smile and a wave. What do you want, Fred? Joey asked in as flat and annoyed a tone as he could. A movie, duh, a kid said mockingly. Didn't know you were that stupid, Josephine. Another taunted. Don't give me shit, McGee. I don't want to be here either, but Blockbuster and Hollywood Video didn't have what we wanted. So unluckily for me and you, we came here, Fred explained.

He matched Joey's tone, but with the upped ante of getting in his face. Well, then get whatever it is you want and get out. I don't have time for your bullshit, Joey countered. Behind him, Mr. Binford turned his head to the conversation behind him. Fred gave Joey a push before he, Cameron and the rest of their group headed to a wall of new releases. Mr. Binford joined Joey at the counter and watched the group with him. What was that all about? He asked his young employee and friend. Oh, just some blowhards from school, Joey told him.

They give you trouble? Always. Well, all of them but one, Joey said as he pointed to Cameron. Mr. Binford smiled at Joey. Is she somebody that you're sweet on? Joey blushed and smiled a little. I wish. You should tell her sometime, Mr. Binford told Joey. I can't. She's taken by Fred, the guy I had in my face, Joey explained. And that means you can't at the very least talk to her? Mr. Binford asked. Pretty much. She's off limits unless I want to get put in an early grave. The two returned their attention to the group.

They watch as Cameron pulls a movie off of the shelf and shows it to Fred. Unable to hear them, Joey can only make an educated guess as to what was being said, but was able to clear his day, see that she said or did something to tick Fred off. The next thing the two clerks knew, they were watching as the two started to have an argument that ended with Fred shooing his friends away. Believing that no one was watching, Fred smacked Cameron with the tape she had picked out. Joey clenched his hands into tight fists at the scene.

It was not the first time he had observed how Fred treated her when he believed no one was paying attention. Mr. Binford watched the scene unfold in front of him and how his protege was reacting. You never know, Joey. Things change. Sometimes people are into something one day and then simply forget about it the next. Mr. Binford explained, he giving Joey a pat on the back. Joey looked at his mentor, a small smirk on his mouth. Excuse me, geezer and nerd-o-rama. The two returned their attention to the counter. It was Fred with a movie in hand.

You found what you're looking for, son? Mr. Binford asked. Finally, Fred said in his usual gruff fashion. Well, I'll get you checked out while Joey here makes sure the movie's been rewound. Mr. Binford tells the teen. Yeah, yeah, yeah, just make it snappy, all right? Fred told the two before shoving the movie into Joey's hands. Joey turned around and headed for the tape rewinder. He slid the movie out of its case and popped it into the machine. As he watched the tape rewind, Mr. Binford's words echoed in his head. Sometimes people are into something one day, then they simply forget about it the next.

Forget. Joey hung on that word. He thought back to everything Mr. Binford had taught him, both for movies and for what the two decided to refer to as extracurriculars. A grin formed across Joey's lips. He held a hand over the rewinder and under his breath, he uttered a series of words in Latin that Mr. Binford had taught him. An all too important string of words Joey had learned about all those years ago. Once finished with the string of words, the tape rewinder stopped and popped open. Joey took the tape out and slid it back into its case.

He returned to the register and placed it on the counter. That will be $2.50 for the night, Joey tells Fred. Fred fishes the money out of his pocket and pushes it towards Joey before picking up the tape. As the two finish their transaction, Cameron and the other kids walk back up to Fred. Enjoy your movie night, Joey tells them. Whatever freak, Fred said. Is it good? Cameron asked, in her always cheerful but matter-of-fact voice, a voice that Joey compared to Barbara Stanwyck. What do you mean? Joey replied. The movie. Is the movie any good? She asked him again.

Joey smiled at her. Yeah, I think you'll like it. That doesn't tell us if it's good, dumbass, a kid said. Yeah, you only said she'd like it. What about the rest of us? Fred questioned. Oh, don't worry. You have my word that it's something you'll never forget. Joey told them with his best customer service smile. Whatever, Fred said before he and the others head towards the door. Mr. Binford stood beside Joey, whose smile was turning into a smirk. What you thinkin about, my boy? He asked Joey. Oh, just something my father used to tell me.

What was that? Garbage in? Joey started as the bell to the door rang as the group of teenagers left the video store, the door closing behind them. Garbage out. Seven stories later, the graveyard candle has burned low. The last party guest has stopped screaming, and somewhere a late night horror host is smiling as the signal fades to black. The video store is closing, assuming the vampires returned their tape. The storm outside Valley Video has passed, though some stains do not rewind. A black and white slasher is back where he belongs, at least until someone presses play yet again.

And if you've noticed an empty spot in your family photos, maybe don't ask what was on the cassette. Halloween has always been a night for movies, rituals, costumes and stories that we invite into our homes. But after tonight, maybe think twice before you invite one in through the screen. Tapes remember, monsters have membership cards, and some rentals are not late fees, they are debts. Until next time, keep the lights low but keep the popcorn warm, and have one finger near that eject button. From all of us at Weekly Spooky, Halloween's almost here and we're ready to celebrate it with you.

So make sure you're subscribed on your favorite podcast app, and for the love of everything unholy, be kind and rewind.