Ep.210 – The Piano Witch - Time for a Lesson in EVIL!

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Is there anything less suspicious than piano
lessons sitting down on a little bench and

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learning to tickle the ivories to make
people smile? But what if a piano

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was actually a gateway to communicate with
a being beyond our own knowledge of evil?

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And it's hungry? What's that you
want to be scared? To?

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

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It is not recommended. And for
the week at heart, listen us in

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the dark. It's more fun than
that way this weekly speaking Hello, my

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spookies, It's Wednesday, and you
know what that means. It's time for

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

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and I have quite the show for
you, because you see, this

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is the last story before Halloween,
before Spooky Season Folly kicks in, and

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our dear friend Charles Campbell has decided
to step up to the plate and help

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us get ready, help us pregame
for Spooky Season. And that's just what

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we're going to do with our story
tonight. But before we get to that,

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I just want to say a humongous
thank you to all of you who

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are listening in October, we get
a lot of new listeners, but many

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of you who are sitting here listening
to my voice right now, listen every

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single week allowing me to help you
celebrate Halloween on the weekly. So I

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have a very special gift that I'm
ready to fully announce now, and that

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is every single day in October,
thirty one days, there will be new

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content, whether it be a true
crime story, a brand new story,

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a novella, some full audio books. We are going to have something to

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keep the spooky rolling every single day
in October. That's my thank you because

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I love doing the show. And
on the thirty first, it'll be four

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years of Spooky on the weekly.
If you want to help get the word

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out, tell a buddy, tell
a friend, and leave us a review

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on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever
you enjoy your podcasts, and of course

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make sure you are subscribed. Those
five star readings really do make a difference

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in helping brand new people find us, and I'm sure do appreciate it.

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But now, my friends, it's
about time for our piano lessons, and

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they're not going to be as uneventful
as you're imagining. Believe you me,

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We're going to get to the Piano
Witch. After these quick words from our

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sponsors. The Piano Witch by Charles
Kim Fall two twenty two. The familiar

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scent of honeysuckle was in the air. Brooke held her mother's hand as she

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walked nervously up the driveway toward the
Brantley estate. It only had one remaining

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resident, Norma Brantley. Brooke's mother, Janet Holden, signed her daughter up

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for piano lessons only a week ago. Brooke's eyes widened once they reached the

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steps leading up to the spacious plantation
home. Brooke stopped in her tracks,

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her mother tugging at her arm.
Come on, Brooke, you begged me

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for lessons. You didn't realize the
work involved, did you. That wasn't

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it, not at all. Brooke
did want piano lessons, and she wanted

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to learn, but there was something
she was holding her tongue about. Something

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she couldn't tell her mother even if
she wanted to, and she did want

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to, but she wouldn't let her, not yet anyway, Hello, Brooke,

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Norma said she was standing at the
top of the steps. Norma was

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eighty four years old, but could
truly pass for a woman. Thirty years

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younger. Janet's own mother was seventy
two and looked decades older than Norma.

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Come on, Brooke, let's get
inside and let your mother do her shopping.

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Norma held out a hand. Brooke
let go of her mother's hand and

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walked robotically up the steps as she
reached for Norma. Janet, if you

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want to come back in about an
hour, that would be fine. I'll

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take care of this young lady,
Norma said, with a comforting smile.

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Okay, thank you, and Brooke, sure you listen to missus Brantley.

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Brooke didn't reply. Janet turned and
walked away. Norma led the little girl

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into the house. I hope you're
ready for your lesson today, Norma said.

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She led Brooke down the vast hallway, and the door creaked as it

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was opened, revealing the spacious music
room. The ceiling was high, with

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ample space to host parties, you
know, those parties with men in suits

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and women in fancy dresses. The
old Steinway grand piano sat in the middle

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of the room. It dated back
to the mid eighteen hundreds and had been

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Enorma's family since she was a child. If this piano could talk, oh,

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what tales it would tell. Brooke
looked at the piano, wide eyed,

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as if she were seeing it for
the first time. But the wide

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eyes weren't eyes of wonder. It
was fear. Okay, child, let's

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ride the bench, Norma said,
as she released Brooke's hand and flicked her

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wrists toward the bench as if she
were showing off a new car and a

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game show. It was early fall, but the room felt unusually warm.

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Brooke's throat suddenly felt parched. Norma
took a seat to Brooke's left. Brooke's

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eyes were closed. She didn't want
to open them. Brooke didn't want to

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see what would be staring back.
Okay, you're not Ray, Charles,

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Child, open your eyes and place
your fingers on the keys, Norma commanded.

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Brooke's eyes opened wide, as if
she were jolted out of a deep

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slumber. Her red hair was sticking
to her clammy forehead, and the face

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was still there staring back at her. Brooke gulped hard with a dry mouth.

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We will start with C major.
Do you remember the key, Norma

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asked, yes, ma'am. Brooke
croaked, but Brooke was focused on the

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crooked warp tipped nose, the dark
circles for eyes, and the haggard face

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with scraggly hair sticking in all directions
out from her pointy hat. The witch

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in the wood of the piano was
grinning at Brook, and it was unnerving,

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to say the least. Norma sat
still and watched the little girl tremble.

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Hello, little girl, whispered the
voice in Brooke's ear. Such a

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pretty girl, such beautiful red hair. Brooke glanced at Norma, who was

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just smiling back at her, completely
unaware of what was happening. Such a

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pretty girl with pretty green eyes,
a pretty green dress, and pretty green

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shoes. This is such a big
piano for such a little girl. The

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voice had the timber of the old
lady Brooke had seen with tweedy Bird in

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the cartoons. Norma watched an amusement
as Brooke's fingers began gliding across the keys,

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tapping out a melody that she could
not replicate. Once freed from the

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trance, Brooke and Norma sat side
by side as the piano music filled the

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home. Norma studied the little girl's
hands as they played with honed skill.

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Then Brooke stopped playing and looked at
Norma, I don't want to play anymore,

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Brooke said, Her voice was on
the verge of monotone. It's almost

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time for your mother. How about
some milk and cookies before you go,

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Norma asked. The color was coming
back in Brooke's cheeks and life was returning

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to her eyes. I'm not hungry, Brooke said, now with a trembling

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voice. Norma caressed the top of
Brooke's head. But she is, Brooke,

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the witch is hungry. What can
we do about that, Norma asked.

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Brooke raised her head with wide eyes
and replied, feed her. Norma

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smiled as she rose with the child's
hand in hers. Your mother's here same

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time on Friday. I have a
special surprise planned, Norma said. It

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was Friday morning and the first of
October. Brooke was chipper and ready for

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her piano lessons. As soon as
the bell signaled the end of the school

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day, spooky season was upon them. The halls were decorated with ghosts,

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vampires, werewolves, and witches.
Brooke took special note of the witches.

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Since her last lesson with Missus Brantley, she had a couple of nightly visits

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in the Land of Slumber, from
her piano. Witch. The Witch was

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right out of the movies, a
cackling woman with olive skin, sunken eyes,

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long curved nose, and the breath
of rotting flesh. The witch told

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Brooke that she needed to be fed
because she was hungry, very hungry,

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because she was trapped in the wood
for a very long time. The pull

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on you, Brooke was strong and
convincing. After a couple of visits,

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Brooke was no longer afraid of the
witch. Oh, quite the opposite.

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Brooke wanted to help the witch feed
her and escape the confines of the wood

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and witch she was trapped. Janet
picked Brooke up from school right on time.

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Brooke was grinning from ear to ear. Hey smiley, Janet said,

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Hey, Mom, I'm ready for
my lessons. Brooke exclaimed, alrighty,

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then, I'm glad you're excited for
them. I was worried you weren't enjoying

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it. Missus Brantley told me on
the phone that you were picking it up

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rather quickly and that you have been
a stellar student. That makes me a

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proud mama. Janet said, yes, ma'am. Missus Brantley is great,

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Brooke assured, But Missus Brantley wasn't
the one Brooke wanted to speak with.

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It was the piano Witch, and
she needed Brooke's help. Twenty minutes later,

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the room filled with noise from the
flawless movement of fingers on keys.

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As Brooke was in the midst of
her trance talk with the piano Witch.

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Brooke could see the witch inside the
small shack in the woods. The sound

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of crows filled the night sky.
Do you think I'm ugly, asked the

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piano Witch. No, I don't
think you're ugly. I think you're just

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hungry and need food. Brooke replied, that's right, my dear, I

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am so hungry. I need you
to get food for me. Can you

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do that for me? I will
help you. What do you want me

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to do? The witch smiled and
exhaled. I'm glad you, asked the

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broken window. James Van Houst used
to often think about his past, but

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as time marched along, every once
in a while he would only allow himself

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a fleeting memory. Now, even
the occasional flash thought seemed to have vanished.

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James was living the life of the
man he always wanted to be.

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But the past never lets you off
the hook. That easily. Even though

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it was early October. James was
mowing his lawn on a regular schedule.

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He didn't like his lawn turning into
a crunchy dead thing in the fall.

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The lawn wasn't very big, less
than an acre front and backyard included,

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so he didn't have the need for
a riding mower. He did, however,

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have a rather nice Toro Recycler twenty
two inch self propelled push mower that

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normally started up with one yank of
the pull cord. But today it didn't

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crank on the first, second,
or third pull. James side in frustration.

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He knew the spark plug was good
and this wasn't a sling blade situation

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are at Den. The lawnmower was
definitely full of high octane gasoline. James

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didn't buy that cheap it. James
placed a hand on his chin as if

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the solution to his problem would present
itself. As soon as he put on

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his thinking cap, he was quickly
pulled out of his contemplation mister Vanhous.

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James immediately recognized it to be Broke
Holden, the little girl from across the

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street he affectionately called Junebug. He
smiled as he wiped his brow with the

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back of his hand. Hey,
June Bug, what's happening, James asked,

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Oh, nothing, your lawnmower broke. Broke asked, fraid, so

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don't know what's wrong with it?
James replied, I can ask mamma if

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you can borrow ours if you want. Brooke said, well, that's mighty

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and I see you, June Bug, but let me see if I can

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get this one to work first.
I do appreciate the offer, though,

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you better get back onto the house
before your mamma comes looking for you.

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I don't want her mad at me, James said with a grin. Mister

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vanhous James looked up, still smiling
from the mower. Yes, Junebug.

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Can you keep a secret? Well, it depends on what it is.

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If it's something that may cause harm
to somebody, well I don't keep those

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kinds of secrets, and neither should
you. Is it something that will hurt

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somebody? James asked the grinning girl. With that a sordid memory threatened to

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cross his mind. Looking at the
little girl kept it at bay, James

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could see Brooke contemplating an answer,
with light dancing in her eyes. James

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felt something different about the air.
All of a sudden, it became heavier,

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and the smells everything seemed to be
heightened. He could smell gas and

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oil from the mower, along with
the scent of pesticide used earlier in the

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house and garage. Brooke finished mulling
over her answer and opened her mouth.

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No, sir, nobody will get
hurt. Well, then James began.

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He pulled at his now erratic nose. It was overwhelmed by the aromas all

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around found him. I guess I
can keep a secret, Spilett. Do

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you know missus Brantley? Brooke whispered, Of course, the whole town knows

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Missus Brantley. James answered, Mamma
takes me there for piano lessons. And

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I heard her telling Mama she needs
to hire a handyman to fix up some

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things around her house. I think
she said something about some doors and painting.

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I thought I might tell you because
I see you working on that kind

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of stuff all the time when I'm
playing in the yard. I heard her

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tell Mama she'd pay somebody handsomely.
And I heard Mamma call you handsome before,

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so I thought you'd be perfect Brooke
finished, Well, June Bug,

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I think that's a secret I can
safely keep, and I appreciate you telling

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me I could use the extra cash. James stood and kicked the tire of

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the mower. You think Missus Brantley
would mind if I drop by, I

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don't have her phone number, James
said, I don't think she'd mind at

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all. I think you'd better get
over there before some other handsome man gets

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there first, Brooke said. James
looked at his phone. It was only

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two in the afternoon, so if
he called on her now, it wouldn't

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be that late in the day.
She could give him a rundown of what

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she needs, and he was very
interested in the handsomely paid part. Much

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obliged june Bug, James said,
as he held out a hand, which

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she firmly shook and grinned. Don't
tell Missus Brantley or Mama I told you

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about it though. Okay, you
got a deal, James replied. Brooke

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continued to smile as she walked across
the street That was one for the witch

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two twenty five pm. James took
the time to wash his face and comb

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his hair before he hopped into his
forward ranger and drove over to Norma's.

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He knew the lady was loaded,
and if she needed a regular handyman,

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he was going to put his best
foot forward to be that guy. He

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assumed she was a cash on the
barrel head kind of woman, which meant

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it would be tax free money.
Back in his younger days, James may

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have cased the place and just robbed
the old woman, but the sin he

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committed showed him the errors of the
path he had almost chose. Older,

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wiser, James expected to work for
it, and it would be excellent if

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Uncle Sam didn't get a cut at
his expense. He remembered the Brantley home

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was big, but he didn't remember
how friggin big it actually was until he

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pulled into the driveway. To James's
surprise, Missus Brantley was standing on her

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front porch as if she were expecting
him. She spoke first as he approached,

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mister van huss to what do I
owe the pleasure? Norma asked,

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good afternoon, Missus Brantley. Scuttlebud, is you're looking for a handyman to

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do some work around the big house? That true? James asked, he

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was standing at the base of the
steps. Where did you hear that from,

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00:17:59.680 --> 00:18:03.960
miss Vanhous? Norma inquired with a
grin. A little birdie told me,

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He replied, was it a little
red headed birdie, mister Vanhouse?

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James smiled and answered, to keep
a promise, I can neither confirm nor

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00:18:15.279 --> 00:18:19.079
deny. Well, the little birdie
was correct. I can use the work

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of a handyman. It's been years
since some things have been taking care of

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00:18:23.000 --> 00:18:27.119
proper well, Missus Brantley, I'm
your guy. As long as the pay

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00:18:27.200 --> 00:18:32.079
is right, James said, hoping
he didn't insult Norma. Oh, you

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won't have to worry about pay with
me, mister Vanhus. As long as

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the work is up to snuff.
Could you start tomorrow? I can.

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00:18:38.559 --> 00:18:42.160
I can even start today if you'd
like. No, not today, tomorrow

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will be fine. I want you
to start in the piano room. I

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have a broken window that needs attention, and we'll go from there. How

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does that sound, mister Vanhouse?
Sounds divine? Missus Brantley, and please

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please call me James very well,
James. I'll see you right and early

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00:19:00.599 --> 00:19:04.480
tomorrow, say eight o'clock eight it
is, And thank you, Missus Brantley.

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You're welcome, James. James left
happy. He needed the money and

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00:19:10.680 --> 00:19:15.920
he needed to get that damn lawnmower
running. Don't go away weekly, Spooky

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00:19:15.960 --> 00:19:27.240
will be right back. The next
day, seven thirty am, James was

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bright and early, thirty minutes ahead
of schedule. He was in Norma's driveway

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taking inventory of his toolbox. He
had also done so the night before,

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but he was giving it another once
over. He had all of the basics

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and if he needed to purchase anything
special, he would ask Norma if she

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would foot the bill for any unforeseen
but necessary material. He was sure she

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00:19:49.160 --> 00:19:53.160
would be okay with it as long
as receipts and purposes were provided, which

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they would be. He would wait
until eight am before he rang the doorbell.

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Turns out he didn't have James.
You are a prompt one, aren't

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00:20:03.480 --> 00:20:07.319
you. That's a good sign,
Norma said as she stepped onto the porch.

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Yes, ma'am, I figure you're
paying me by the job and not

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the hour. A quick question before
I get started, If I need any

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00:20:15.279 --> 00:20:18.000
special equipment or tools for any of
the work you signed, Can I submit

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00:20:18.039 --> 00:20:22.640
purchase receipts to you? You can, as long as you can account for

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00:20:22.680 --> 00:20:27.400
their use figured as much much obliged. Now, you said yesterday we'd start

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00:20:27.440 --> 00:20:30.039
with a broken window in the piano
room. Did I hear that right?

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00:20:30.480 --> 00:20:36.480
You did? Grab your toolbox and
follow me, yes, ma'am. James

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00:20:36.519 --> 00:20:41.200
followed Norma into the house down the
hallway, and his mouth fell a gape

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00:20:41.480 --> 00:20:45.880
when she opened the door to the
sprawling piano room. It was like something

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00:20:45.920 --> 00:20:51.799
out of an old movie or a
historical document. Wow, I feel somehow

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00:20:51.880 --> 00:20:56.160
under dressed walking in here, James
said, half kidding. It's been a

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long time since I hosted anything formal, James, the problem child is over

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00:21:00.000 --> 00:21:04.440
here. Norma motioned James to follow
her to the far side of the room,

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to a window facing the east side
of the property. She pried on

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the locking mechanism at the top of
the window, and it would not move

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00:21:12.400 --> 00:21:18.160
an inch. It may just be
these old hands, but I cannot get

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00:21:18.200 --> 00:21:22.240
this thing to budge. I need
this either replaced or fixed to a working

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00:21:22.319 --> 00:21:26.039
state. I don't care which,
as long as it's fully functional. I

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00:21:26.039 --> 00:21:30.680
would also like all the window frames
in this room repainted eggshell white. Not

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a problem, missus Brantley. I
don't think I'll need any special tools for

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00:21:33.200 --> 00:21:37.599
any of this, I'll just need
to expense the paint and brushes here,

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00:21:38.160 --> 00:21:41.759
Norma began. As she opened her
purse. She pulled out a hundred dollar

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00:21:41.880 --> 00:21:47.039
bill. I would expect this would
cover brushes and paint for these windows.

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Collect the receipts if more money is
required, let me know. I haven't

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00:21:51.480 --> 00:21:56.839
priced paint and brushes and years.
Yes, ma'am, James replied. He

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00:21:56.920 --> 00:21:59.759
was impressed with the way she flipped
out a hondo like it was just a

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00:22:00.680 --> 00:22:06.160
He could see a prosperous relationship developing
with Missus Brantley. She left the room

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00:22:06.160 --> 00:22:10.240
and he began to work. He
would start with a stuck sill. Missus

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00:22:10.319 --> 00:22:15.480
Brantley grinned as she exited the room. The little girl was off to a

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great start. James pulled some WD
forty in a clawhammer from his toolbox.

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He'd try that first. The mechanism
was one of those spin and lock deals

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00:22:30.640 --> 00:22:34.039
that were standard in many houses built
the last hundred years. He'd give the

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00:22:34.079 --> 00:22:37.920
lock a good spraying down before trying
to wrench it around with the claw end

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00:22:37.920 --> 00:22:41.599
of the hammer. If this worked, he would simply apply more oil,

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00:22:41.839 --> 00:22:45.559
spin the lock open and closed a
few times, and that would be that.

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00:22:47.599 --> 00:22:51.200
James shook the can of w D
forty and was just about to give

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00:22:51.240 --> 00:22:56.000
the lock a good dowsing when he
heard a single key of the piano.

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00:22:59.079 --> 00:23:03.799
What He spun to see if Norma
was sitting on the bench. She was

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00:23:03.880 --> 00:23:08.480
not in the room. James took
a step closer to the piano, curiosity

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00:23:08.680 --> 00:23:17.559
rising within. Suddenly behind him there
was the sound of shattering glass. He

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00:23:17.599 --> 00:23:22.319
turned quickly and saw a cardinal flailing
on the floor. Shards of glass from

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00:23:22.319 --> 00:23:26.960
the busted pane were all around the
struggling bird. Damn it all, James

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00:23:26.960 --> 00:23:32.279
said, as he moved quickly toward
the dying bird. He placed the heel

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00:23:32.319 --> 00:23:36.279
of his workfoot on the top of
the bird's floppy head and pressed until the

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00:23:36.359 --> 00:23:41.839
crunch let him know to lift it. The bird was fanito. James shook

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00:23:41.839 --> 00:23:47.400
his head in disbelief as he wondered
why the cardinal went on a Kamakazi attack.

284
00:23:48.480 --> 00:23:52.839
James grabbed a shop rag from his
toolbox to pick up the little guy.

285
00:23:52.920 --> 00:23:56.279
He leaned down, and just as
he was about to enclose the bird

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00:23:56.359 --> 00:24:02.759
into the rag, the sound of
another piano key the room. James turned

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00:24:02.799 --> 00:24:07.559
again and still missus Brantley was not
there. What the hell is going on

288
00:24:07.680 --> 00:24:14.000
here? James asked as he stood
rag in hand, leaving the bird untouched.

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00:24:14.559 --> 00:24:19.079
He inched closer to the piano,
Missus Brantley, he asked the empty

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00:24:19.160 --> 00:24:23.720
room it was quiet. James stood
in front of the bench and froze.

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00:24:25.599 --> 00:24:30.839
The rag in his hand fell to
the floor. He was staring at the

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00:24:30.880 --> 00:24:37.160
piano intently, specifically at a certain
spot on the piano. He was staring

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00:24:37.240 --> 00:24:41.240
into the wood. James kept his
focus on the spot. As he sat

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00:24:41.319 --> 00:24:47.519
down on the bench. He placed
his hands on the keys and they immediately

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00:24:47.559 --> 00:24:52.960
began gliding across the ivory. Norma
was listening just outside the door with a

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00:24:53.079 --> 00:24:59.759
smile on her face. Mister van
Hous, what a name, van House.

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00:25:00.240 --> 00:25:04.400
I'm glad you came, spoke the
face in the wood. What's going

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00:25:04.480 --> 00:25:08.920
on? James asked. He was
unaware that he was playing the keys at

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00:25:10.039 --> 00:25:15.400
Liberacci's level. A little this,
A little that I thought I saw a

300
00:25:15.480 --> 00:25:21.759
puddy tat the piano, which replied
with a cackle. Who are you?

301
00:25:22.559 --> 00:25:26.759
James asked. There was a darkness
in front of him, followed by wisps

302
00:25:26.839 --> 00:25:30.240
of fog. He could detect the
dank smell of wet leaves. As the

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00:25:30.279 --> 00:25:37.519
temperature rapidly dropped, he could hear
boiling and shuffling very close by. His

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00:25:37.640 --> 00:25:41.839
eyes tried to focus. He could
faintly hear the concerto. His fingers were

305
00:25:41.880 --> 00:25:47.720
playing on another plane. Where am
I? Oh, sweet brook brought you

306
00:25:47.799 --> 00:25:51.759
to me? What an angel?
That little child is? The piano,

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00:25:51.799 --> 00:25:59.000
which said, what what does she
have to do with this everything? Replied

308
00:25:59.039 --> 00:26:04.319
the piano. Witch fuck me,
James said. Everything was coming into focus.

309
00:26:04.839 --> 00:26:08.440
He was inside of a shack,
it was storming outside, and there

310
00:26:08.480 --> 00:26:15.079
was a legit boiling black cauldron right
in front of him. I thought witches,

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00:26:15.119 --> 00:26:19.039
eight children, James found himself saying. The witch stepped from the darkness,

312
00:26:19.640 --> 00:26:23.799
and she looked like any witch in
a child's nightmare, long nose,

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00:26:23.960 --> 00:26:29.279
pointy face, rancid teeth and all. Oh no, oh no, oh

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00:26:29.319 --> 00:26:34.160
no, James repeated, Oh no, mister Vanhuss. We don't all just

315
00:26:34.279 --> 00:26:40.680
eat children, especially children that provide
path back to the mortal plane. And

316
00:26:40.799 --> 00:26:45.559
you, mister Vanhuss, you have
everyone fooled, don't you. You are

317
00:26:45.640 --> 00:26:49.920
clever in your deception. I'll give
you that, but I see through you.

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00:26:51.359 --> 00:26:56.599
I know what you did. My
sister knows what you did, missus

319
00:26:56.640 --> 00:27:02.960
Bradley James screamed. His past trainsgressions
came back to him in waves. James

320
00:27:03.000 --> 00:27:06.200
was young and dumb. There was
a crude end to that, saying,

321
00:27:06.319 --> 00:27:10.319
so we'll just leave it at young
and dumb. The woman he stalked when

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00:27:10.319 --> 00:27:15.680
he was nineteen. It didn't feel
like a dream any longer. James remembered

323
00:27:15.680 --> 00:27:19.160
the smell of copper in the air
when he finished stabbing her to death.

324
00:27:21.480 --> 00:27:25.559
In the moment of her final breath, James was in a blood lust,

325
00:27:26.279 --> 00:27:30.000
but once he was out of it, the realization of what he'd done made

326
00:27:30.079 --> 00:27:36.000
him ill, Not ill enough to
turn himself in and confess, but ill

327
00:27:36.119 --> 00:27:40.079
enough to make him never want to
do it again. It compelled James to

328
00:27:40.119 --> 00:27:45.160
turn his life around and stay on
the straight and narrow. But once you

329
00:27:45.240 --> 00:27:49.640
commit a cold blooded murder, the
straight and narrow would always be a facade,

330
00:27:51.480 --> 00:27:55.079
something you could never attain if you
lived the rest of your days sind

331
00:27:55.119 --> 00:27:59.720
free. The blood lust of his
past was James's albatross, and the piano

332
00:28:00.799 --> 00:28:04.599
was there to collect the debt.
Oh, silly man, Norma can't help

333
00:28:04.680 --> 00:28:10.000
you. She doesn't want to help
you. If people knew what you'd done,

334
00:28:10.160 --> 00:28:14.000
no one would ever want to help
you. The piano, which said,

335
00:28:14.119 --> 00:28:18.920
inching closer to James's face, how
many years do you think you have

336
00:28:18.119 --> 00:28:22.960
left mister van House? Thirty?
Maybe? How many years did you take

337
00:28:23.039 --> 00:28:29.920
from that girl? Sixty? Maybe? I don't know, James answered.

338
00:28:30.599 --> 00:28:34.599
The witch ran her fingers through his
now snow white hair. Maggots were falling

339
00:28:34.680 --> 00:28:38.599
from them on to his scalp.
The piano which secured her grip on the

340
00:28:38.640 --> 00:28:44.000
back of James's head. He started
to scream, but she beat him to

341
00:28:44.119 --> 00:28:48.440
it. It was a shrill scream, so high in pitch that James's head

342
00:28:48.640 --> 00:28:52.079
felt as if it was going to
explode. Then, with force of the

343
00:28:52.160 --> 00:28:57.799
supernatural, the piano which plunged James's
face first into the boiling cauldron. The

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00:28:57.920 --> 00:29:02.839
skin melted from his bones, and
with that, the essence of his soul

345
00:29:03.440 --> 00:29:10.839
was pulled into the piano witch.
James's fingers stopped playing the keys, his

346
00:29:11.000 --> 00:29:15.640
body slumped on the bench and slid
to the floor. Norma walked into the

347
00:29:15.759 --> 00:29:21.240
room. She was chipper, and
her body felt the effects of gaining the

348
00:29:21.359 --> 00:29:26.279
years that were left in mister van
House. Soon her sister would be free

349
00:29:26.400 --> 00:29:32.240
and the coven could thrive once again. The little girl was doing a great

350
00:29:32.359 --> 00:29:37.440
job and would serve them well.
Norma looked forward to tomorrow's lesson with Brooke,

351
00:29:38.039 --> 00:29:42.440
but now she had to fix a
window latch and replace a pain.

352
00:29:44.519 --> 00:29:49.400
Good thing she had James's toolbox.
She'd make all evidence of him disappear.

353
00:29:51.440 --> 00:30:02.799
After all, it's easy for a
witch. I don't know about you,

354
00:30:02.920 --> 00:30:06.599
but that story really started to get
to me and I had a great time

355
00:30:06.720 --> 00:30:10.480
narrating it. Now this is where
it becomes a little bit of a tease.

356
00:30:11.400 --> 00:30:15.839
That story is the beginning of a
full novel called The Piano Witch by

357
00:30:15.920 --> 00:30:21.680
Charles Campbell, which you can purchase
right now if you want to experience the

358
00:30:21.720 --> 00:30:26.240
rest of the story. The first
chapter works as a short story for here

359
00:30:26.279 --> 00:30:29.559
on the show. But if you
want more and you want to support one

360
00:30:29.559 --> 00:30:33.119
of our favorite indie authors, Charles
Campbell, all you have to do is

361
00:30:33.160 --> 00:30:37.920
go to Valley Boy Publications dot com
and get yourself a signed copy of The

362
00:30:37.960 --> 00:30:42.759
Piano Witch. And thank you,
Charles for letting us read your very very

363
00:30:42.759 --> 00:30:48.000
scary chapter. I really do appreciate
it, and I gotta be honest with

364
00:30:48.079 --> 00:30:52.799
you, Spookies. I am exhausted. I have been working day and night

365
00:30:52.960 --> 00:30:56.680
getting all of the content prepared for
October. I hope you guys enjoy it

366
00:30:56.720 --> 00:31:04.119
because we have four novellas entirely narrated
and two audiobooks full audiobooks that'll be going

367
00:31:04.200 --> 00:31:08.240
up on the feed free for you
to enjoy this Halloween season. And if

368
00:31:08.240 --> 00:31:12.000
you want to support my mayhem and
insanity a little bit more, you can

369
00:31:12.039 --> 00:31:15.920
go to Weekly Spooky dot com.
For as little as one dollar a month,

370
00:31:17.119 --> 00:31:19.200
you can help support the show in
a very direct way and get a

371
00:31:19.240 --> 00:31:23.279
bonus episode every single month behind the
scenes. Look at everything we do hear

372
00:31:23.319 --> 00:31:29.400
at Weekly Spooky, and of course
you would get my undead and undying gratification.

373
00:31:29.839 --> 00:31:30.839
In fact, I want to say
an extra special thank you to all

374
00:31:30.839 --> 00:31:34.240
the folks in the Patreon podcast boosters. These are folks who pay just a

375
00:31:34.240 --> 00:31:37.359
little bit more to hear their names
on the show, and they are Johnny

376
00:31:37.480 --> 00:31:41.799
Nicks, Bobbletopia dot Com, Megan
Hua, Julia Kirsh, Brent mccallus,

377
00:31:41.799 --> 00:31:45.240
Steve King, Karen we Met,
Jack Heer, and Craig Cohen. Thank

378
00:31:45.240 --> 00:31:48.400
you all so much. Go to
Weekly Spooky dot com. Click on Patreon

379
00:31:48.480 --> 00:31:52.680
and join that list of names,
because you're going to be hearing it a

380
00:31:52.720 --> 00:31:56.400
lot this October. But now I
am going to go and get back to

381
00:31:56.400 --> 00:31:59.920
work because this is going to be
the best spooky season ever. I swear

382
00:32:00.279 --> 00:32:02.359
so for myself, for Dan Wilder, my producer, my executive producer,

383
00:32:02.400 --> 00:32:07.720
Rob Fields, and our composer Ray
Madis. I'll talk at you really really

384
00:32:07.799 --> 00:32:13.720
soon. Bye. Thank you for
listening. To make sure to find your

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00:32:13.720 --> 00:32:21.039
way back next week, but for
now you are safe. Trust me.