Oct. 5, 2024

I Went on a Halloween Hiking Trip with My Friends. My Reading Light Saved My Life.

I Went on a Halloween Hiking Trip with My Friends. My Reading Light Saved My Life.
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A Halloween hiking trip turns into a nightmare. Journey through eerie forests, terrifying encounters, and the unexpected hero—a reading light that made all the difference!

I Went on a Halloween Hiking Trip with My Friends. My Reading Light Saved My Life by Michael Kelso

You can purchase books from this author here: https://geni.us/michaelkelsoauthor
https://www.reddit.com/user/Horror_writer_1717/

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Music by Ray Mattis http://raymattispresents.bandcamp.com

Executive Producers
Rob Fields
Mark Shields
Bobbletopia.com

Produced by Daniel Wilder

This episode is sponsored by
HenFlix.com

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🎵 Music by Ray Mattis 👉 Check out Ray’s incredible work here !
👨‍💼 Executive Producers: Rob Fields, Bobbletopia.com
🎥 Produced by: Daniel Wilder
🌐 Explore more terrifying tales at: WeeklySpooky.com
WEBVTT

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There's not much more in life that's more relaxing and

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enjoyable than going into the great outdoors on a hike

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with your good buddies. And having your hike in October

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means you have the woods all to yourself. But unfortunately

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that last part is very untrue. You're not alone. It's waiting.

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There's a hill in the air, must be fall Join

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me for a tale of fallowe You will experience tales

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over a ghosts, and it is not recommended for the

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weak at heart. Join me for a tale of Fallowy.

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This is weekly Spooky.

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Hello, my spookys. No it's not Wednesday, because you see,

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it's October. It's spooky season. So yes, I'm here with

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yet another terror tale to make sure you're properly in

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the spirit of the season. And I do mean spirit,

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so make yourself comfortable. It's time for a scare all

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about Halloween adventure. And before we get to it, I

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want to remind you we have a new program publishing

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every single day of October, so make sure you're subscribed

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on your favorite podcasting app such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify

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and the like. And while you're there, leave us a

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five star rating. It really makes a big difference and

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helps new people find the show. And I know many

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of you listening to me right now are brand new.

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You've discovered this program as a way to celebrate Halloween,

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and I am honored to be a part of your

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spooky season. If you love what we're doing here and

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you want to support us in a very direct way,

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you can go to Weeklyspooky dot com slash join for

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as little as two dollars a month. You get two

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bonus episodes every month, as well as over three or

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four years now of backlog content. I assure you it's

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worth the subscription, and it helps us keep the show

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going and going and going, because Weekly Spooky does not

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stop when October does. Oh no, no, We keep the

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celebration going all year long, and we would love to

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bring you along for the ride. That's at Weeklyspooky dot

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com slash join. That's also where you can go to

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find all of our older episodes and a lot more.

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So make sure to check out Weeklyspooky dot com while

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you're at it. But now, my dear Spooky, it's about

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time we get to the story in this one is

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a hell of a lot of fun, So get your

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sleeping bag ready because we're going camping. Right after these

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quick words, I went on a Halloween hiking trip with

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my friends. My reading light Saved My Life by Michael Kelso.

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If only Joelene hadn't worn that stupid mask, things might

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have ended differently. I might have called off the whole

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trip and saved everyone. It all started as I stood

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at my mailbox, waiting like a little kid who had

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ordered a toy from a serial box. The mailman usually

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came at three o'clock, never failing unless something had happened.

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I stood at my mailbox, staring at my watch that

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said three ten. So what was the hold up? Did

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he have a flat tire? Did a terrorist attack? Did

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a bear grab him when he was trying to deliver

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me my precious delivery. Just as I was about to

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turn and go back to the house, I saw the

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little yellow light flashing on top of a car coming

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my way and nearly jumped out of my skin. This

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was it. If it didn't come today, there was no

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way I'd have time to order another one before leaving

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for the camping trip. The car slowly pulled up to

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the mailbox and I said hello instead of putting the

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mail in the box. He handed me a few letters

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and looked away. My heart sank as he turned and

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faced the road. Isn't there anything else for me? I said,

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trying to keep the desperation out of my voice. He

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turned and looked in the back seat. Oh wait, it

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looks like there's something I forgot, he said, reaching into

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the back and handing me a brown envelope with the

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address on it I'd been looking for. He smiled and

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waved as he drove off, leaving me holding my prize.

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This was going to be a good camping trip now.

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I nearly skipped back to the house, threw the other

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mail on the table without looking at it before ripping

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open the package. There it was my glorious book light.

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I'm an avid reader and an avid camper. It's always

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been a struggle to read during camping trips. I took

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along various battery powered lamps and flashlights, but nothing seemed

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to work for me. Getting comfortable enough to really settle

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into my book was a challenge. When I saw this

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light advertised on Instagram, I instantly knew this was what

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I needed. It was a booklight that wrapped around your

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neck with a light at each other end that would

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shine write down on your text. There was no doubt

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it would be perfect, and I ordered one right away.

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Finally I could finish packing for the camping trip. My

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friends and I love to go hiking and camping. With

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a huge state park so close, it was a no

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brainer that we would be there as often as possible.

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Every time we decided to go, we would all meet

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up at the trailhead and hike to the site together.

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This time would be the exception. There were scheduling conflicts,

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and if we wanted to go at all, it wouldn't

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be at the same time. Dawn and Rose could barely

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get away for the weekend. They would have to catch

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up to us later at the campsite. At the last minute,

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even Jolene called and said she was running behind and

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might not make it until later. In retrospect, I should

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have seen it coming, seeing what the date we had

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set for our trip was, But instead of canceling and

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choosing another time, I just shrugged it off as conflicting

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schedules and hefted my backpack, then started down the trail.

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Being by myself on this trail never really bothered me.

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Before I hiked this many many times and never had

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a problem. I decided to go early and get the

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camp set up so we could have maximum time together.

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My schedule had been cleared for the entire trip, and

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I was going to take full advantage. The sun had

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set by the time I started down the trail, and

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it would be dark by the time I got to

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our campsite. Hiking at night wasn't the best thing to do,

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even though I knew the trail. But aside from getting

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camp set up, I was also excited to use my

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new booklight. It worked surprisingly well lighting up the trail

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and made it much easier to use my walking stick

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for the more difficult parts. Taking it slow, going at

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my own pace, and enjoying as much scenery as I

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could was a luxury I was enjoying. Usually Dawn would

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lead the group and drive us hard until we got

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to camp. I wanted to get out my book and

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read as I walked, but I figured that would be

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tempting fate, and I had no desire to face plant

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on the trail. After discovering a tree route the hard way,

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as I walked, lost in thought, suddenly the forest became

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eerily silent. The birds stopped singing, squirrels stopped chattering, even

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crickets stopped chirping. It was so quiet I could hear

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my own footsteps. It was very unsettling. I stopped and

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slowly turned around, using my light to search for anything unusual.

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After a full circle, without seeing anything out of the ordinary,

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I tried to shake off the feeling and just kept going.

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It didn't take long for me to begin speeding up.

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Every step was somehow more desperate than the last, as

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if getting to my campsite would somehow protect me from

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whatever was out there, making the animals and creatures of

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the night afraid to make a sound. By the time

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I could see the clearing where we camped rising in

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the distance, I was power walking, nearly running. All of

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a sudden, the noises started back up again, as if

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someone had flipped a switch or I had somehow stepped

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out of some invisible danger zone. I paused and turned

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back to see if there was any physical sign of

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what had happened, if there was some kind of creature

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lurking behind me or something. But there was nothing, and

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nothing seemed to be even more unnerving. It wasn't until later,

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after everything was over that I realized how stupid it

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was for me to travel this trail by myself, let

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alone in the dark. I guess it was a combination

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of things that made me do it. First of all,

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just the disappointment of everyone nearly canceling at the last minute.

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Secondly was my surprise package that came on time, and

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just wanting to use this cool new light in any

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way I could. But the really big thing that did

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it for me was my stubbornness. I had decided I

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was going camping, come hell or high water. I didn't

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realize it would be the former. It didn't even register

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that I was heading out alone on a trail at

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night on October thirtieth, the day before Halloween. It didn't

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take me long to get my tent set up, and

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I didn't bother with a fire. I just dove straight

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inside and zipped up the entrance, somehow believing that the

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thin layer of tent material would keep me safe from

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anything that went bump in the night. I lay there

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on the bare tent floor, breathing hard in sheer terror,

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wondering why I was so frightened. There hadn't been any

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tangible proof of anything following me. I had seen nothing,

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what had gotten me so worked up. This is what

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I told myself over and over until my breathing slowed

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back to normal. As I unpacked my backpack to settle in.

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Once I was secure in my sleeping bag, I finally

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dug out the book I'd brought along for the trip.

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It was a domestic thriller called Secrets, about a woman

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whose life was turned upside down. I turned on my

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light and began reading. It didn't take me long to

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become so engrossed in the story that the world around

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me disappeared. That was when the adrenaline crash from the

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fear grabbed my face and said, you're going to sleep now.

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Some time later, I woke up and pulled my face

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out of the small puddle of drool that had soaked

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into my sleeping bag. I sat up, wipe my mouth,

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and stretched. To my great surprise, the book light was

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still on and I hadn't broken it by laying on it.

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The darkness outside had given way to a dull gray.

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It must have been just before sunrise. Pulling myself out

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of the sleeping bag gave me an instant reminder of

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how cold autumn mornings can be in the forest. While

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pulling on my jacket, I froze there was something or

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someone moving around just outside my tent. Zipping up my

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jacket quietly, I slid towards the zippered tent window in

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hopes of getting a closer look. My hands shook as

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I pulled the tabs slowly, hoping to make as little

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noise as possible and sneak a peek at whatever was

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out there. My eyes slid up to the opening and

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peered out. All I could see through the slit were

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dim outlines of trees through the growing morning light. I

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scanned around as much as I could through my limited view,

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when suddenly a pair of glowing eyes appeared in the window.

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I screamed and threw myself backward onto my sleeping bag,

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landing with a thump that took my breath away. The

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shadow of the creature moved from the window to the

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main tent flap. I lay there helpless as the zipper

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und itself and the hideous face of the monster poked

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itself inside. It roared so loud I clamped my hands

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over my ears. My life flashed before my eyes as

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it slowly entered the tent, growling and snarling. Regret filled me.

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Why didn't I wait for my friends? But then why

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should they die with me? Maybe it was better they

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were late. They would find my horribly mutilated, impossibly eaten body,

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but they might survive if they ran away. As these

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thoughts chased each other around in my brain, I noticed something.

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The creature was wearing a sparkly bracelet. Not only that,

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but it seemed to have a manicure. Now that I

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looked more closely, it was wearing a T shirt and sweatpants.

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I reached up and grabbed the creature's face, then ripped

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it off with all my might. Ouch, it said, as

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the fur came loose. In a heartbeat, I was holding

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the creature's face in my hand and Jolene stood there

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rubbing her ears. You think you could yank my ears

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off next time, she said, sure, after I'm done having

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a heart attack, you jerk, she smiled, still rubbing her ears.

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Happy Halloween, screwed you, I said, throwing the mask at

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her and storming out of the tent. Wait you're not

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really mad, are you, I heard her say from behind

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me as I tromped down the trail. I didn't bother

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to turn answer, or even slow down. Where are you going?

226
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She said? The thought registered in my head, but I

227
00:14:39.279 --> 00:14:42.720
couldn't seem to answer the question where was I going?

228
00:14:43.399 --> 00:14:46.360
I was just stomping down the trail with no destination

229
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in mind. The sun was peeking over the horizon as

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I passed a clearing in the trees. Without thinking, I

231
00:14:52.759 --> 00:14:56.240
slowed to a stop and stood there, admiring the simple,

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00:14:56.360 --> 00:14:59.759
elegant beauty of the sunrise. I heard and felt a

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00:14:59.759 --> 00:15:04.879
pres beside me as I stared into the rising sun. Beautiful,

234
00:15:04.960 --> 00:15:08.639
isn't it, Jolene said. I turned to her and smiled.

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I should throw you off this cliff, I said. She

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00:15:12.639 --> 00:15:16.960
took a step back, her eyes filled with uncertainty. Sucks

237
00:15:17.000 --> 00:15:22.200
being afraid, doesn't it? I said, yeah, she said, staying

238
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a healthy distance away from me. I guess it. Does

239
00:15:26.519 --> 00:15:29.000
you know what I should do with that mask? I said,

240
00:15:29.720 --> 00:15:34.240
I'm sure you have a few creative suggestions, she said carefully.

241
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I turned to her with a gleam in my eyes.

242
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You should scare the hell out of dawn and rows.

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00:15:41.960 --> 00:15:46.799
Her look slowly transformed from fear to confusion as the

244
00:15:46.919 --> 00:15:52.000
edge of her lip slid up into a grin. Did

245
00:15:52.039 --> 00:15:54.840
you hear that better? Check the locks on your doors.

246
00:15:55.519 --> 00:16:02.399
Weakly spooky. We'll be right back. It was late afternoon

247
00:16:02.480 --> 00:16:05.360
when Dawn and Rose came huffing and puffing up the

248
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trail to the campsite. I'd started a fire and made

249
00:16:08.720 --> 00:16:13.360
some lunch. There was also some coffee brewing on the flames. Well,

250
00:16:13.440 --> 00:16:16.519
you too, sure took your time, I said, poking at

251
00:16:16.519 --> 00:16:20.120
the fire and adding another piece of wood. You're lucky

252
00:16:20.159 --> 00:16:23.200
we came at all. Don said, I was going to

253
00:16:23.240 --> 00:16:27.240
call and cancel like Jolene did. I said, trying my

254
00:16:27.320 --> 00:16:31.279
best to sound upset and disappointed. Are you kidding me?

255
00:16:31.879 --> 00:16:35.440
Rose said, dropping her backpack. After we busted our butts

256
00:16:35.480 --> 00:16:40.120
to get up here, fraid so, I said, that's great,

257
00:16:40.679 --> 00:16:43.440
Don said, pulling her cell phone out of her pocket.

258
00:16:44.159 --> 00:16:46.919
You wait until I talked to her. I wasn't sure

259
00:16:46.960 --> 00:16:50.519
if Jolene had silenced her phone or not. Don's call

260
00:16:50.639 --> 00:16:54.679
could ruin the whole prank. My mind searched frantically for

261
00:16:54.720 --> 00:16:59.480
something to do. Don't bother, I said, I already tried

262
00:16:59.480 --> 00:17:03.759
calling her this morning. It went straight to voicemail. Hmm,

263
00:17:04.559 --> 00:17:08.400
Don said, putting her phone back in her pocket. She's

264
00:17:08.440 --> 00:17:12.359
probably snuggled up in bed, sleeping. Well, at least you

265
00:17:12.440 --> 00:17:15.200
two made it, I said, pointing to the logs around

266
00:17:15.240 --> 00:17:18.680
the fire. Take a load off. They looked at the

267
00:17:18.720 --> 00:17:22.759
log with disdain, but shrugged and sat. I guess exhaustion

268
00:17:22.920 --> 00:17:27.160
will lower your standards regarding where you rest. We chitchatted

269
00:17:27.200 --> 00:17:29.400
for a while, mostly about how upset we were with

270
00:17:29.519 --> 00:17:32.920
Jolene for skipping out on us. Then I helped them

271
00:17:32.920 --> 00:17:36.079
set up their tents. We had just finished when off

272
00:17:36.119 --> 00:17:39.720
in the distance we heard a roar and a scream.

273
00:17:40.799 --> 00:17:45.240
What was that, Dawn said, looking around, trying to determine

274
00:17:45.240 --> 00:17:49.279
what direction it had come from. I don't know, I said,

275
00:17:49.559 --> 00:17:52.960
putting on an Oscar level performance of looking frightened while

276
00:17:53.000 --> 00:17:57.799
trying not to smile. Jolene had outdone herself. She said

277
00:17:57.839 --> 00:18:00.039
she would look for roaring sounds on her phone, but

278
00:18:00.640 --> 00:18:03.720
that was so loud, I didn't know her phone could

279
00:18:03.759 --> 00:18:07.640
get that loud. Light was just beginning to fade, making

280
00:18:07.640 --> 00:18:09.839
it even harder to see if there was anything coming

281
00:18:09.880 --> 00:18:12.599
out of the trees towards us. Rose was having a

282
00:18:12.640 --> 00:18:16.400
full panic attack. What do we do? What do we do?

283
00:18:17.039 --> 00:18:20.119
She said, Let's just go in our tents and hope

284
00:18:20.160 --> 00:18:23.160
whatever it is doesn't care about finding us. I said

285
00:18:23.839 --> 00:18:27.079
we should leave. Rose said, her eyes darting all around,

286
00:18:27.359 --> 00:18:32.079
searching for danger. I think so too. Dawn said, if

287
00:18:32.119 --> 00:18:35.160
there's something out there, it could come after us. I

288
00:18:35.240 --> 00:18:37.799
tried to do a quick pivot to save the prank.

289
00:18:38.880 --> 00:18:43.079
Where would we go? I said, our cars are miles away.

290
00:18:43.079 --> 00:18:46.240
If that thing was after us, it would stalk us

291
00:18:46.279 --> 00:18:48.960
on the trail too, and we wouldn't have our tents

292
00:18:48.960 --> 00:18:51.839
made up to hide in. They stared at me with

293
00:18:51.880 --> 00:18:56.640
what looked like suspicion that turned into resignation. I guess

294
00:18:56.680 --> 00:19:00.240
you're right, Don said, we should just go so in

295
00:19:00.279 --> 00:19:03.599
our tents and hope that thing goes away. Are you

296
00:19:03.759 --> 00:19:07.240
kidding me? Rose said, why not just wrap ourselves in

297
00:19:07.279 --> 00:19:09.960
our sleeping bags and serve ourselves up as burritos for

298
00:19:10.000 --> 00:19:15.039
that thing? Don't you think you're overreacting? I said, we

299
00:19:15.119 --> 00:19:17.640
don't even know what that was. Maybe it was some

300
00:19:17.759 --> 00:19:22.279
animal calling for a mate, and the scream could be

301
00:19:22.319 --> 00:19:25.559
someone saw it and was scared. Dawn watched our back

302
00:19:25.599 --> 00:19:31.000
and forth conversation. Let's just get to our tents. She said, no.

303
00:19:31.720 --> 00:19:36.960
Rose said, I want to leave right now. There's the trail,

304
00:19:37.400 --> 00:19:41.480
I said, pointing, no one's stopping you. She looked from

305
00:19:41.519 --> 00:19:44.599
the trail to Dawn to me. I turned and went

306
00:19:44.640 --> 00:19:47.559
into my tent. A few minutes later, I heard another

307
00:19:47.640 --> 00:19:52.160
tent flap rustle, followed by a third. A smile crept

308
00:19:52.160 --> 00:19:56.200
across my face. This was going to be fun. I

309
00:19:56.279 --> 00:19:58.640
was so excited I barely read any of my book.

310
00:19:59.240 --> 00:20:01.920
Within an hour or I heard something outside the tent,

311
00:20:02.400 --> 00:20:06.440
rustling through the campsite and knocking things over. Here we go,

312
00:20:07.079 --> 00:20:10.000
I whispered. It was all I could do to stay

313
00:20:10.000 --> 00:20:12.839
in my tent. When I heard Rose scream. There was

314
00:20:12.880 --> 00:20:15.640
no way I could watch Jolene chasing them around with

315
00:20:15.680 --> 00:20:19.640
that ridiculous mask on and not howl with laughter. I

316
00:20:19.720 --> 00:20:21.799
wanted to give the prank time for them to be

317
00:20:21.880 --> 00:20:27.359
scared before revealing our devious plan. Fits of laughter fought

318
00:20:27.400 --> 00:20:29.720
to escape me, but I held them in as I

319
00:20:29.759 --> 00:20:33.480
heard Dawn screams join the fray from the sound they

320
00:20:33.480 --> 00:20:37.559
were all running around destroying the campsite. Between the growls,

321
00:20:37.680 --> 00:20:40.920
running knocking into things, and screams of terror, the whole

322
00:20:40.960 --> 00:20:44.559
cacophony of it was nearly impossible to sit through. Every

323
00:20:44.599 --> 00:20:46.960
inch of me was aching to jump out and yell

324
00:20:47.200 --> 00:20:52.000
Happy Halloween. We got you. After a few minutes, the

325
00:20:52.039 --> 00:20:56.160
noise died down. Everyone must have gotten tired. I was

326
00:20:56.200 --> 00:20:59.640
still waiting for the aha moment when I heard Dawn

327
00:20:59.759 --> 00:21:04.240
or Rose curse at Joelene. The mask wasn't that convincing

328
00:21:04.319 --> 00:21:06.920
once you calm down and got a close look at it.

329
00:21:07.559 --> 00:21:11.039
Any minute now. I leaned close to the wall of

330
00:21:11.039 --> 00:21:14.640
my tent, but all movement had stopped. It was like

331
00:21:14.720 --> 00:21:18.200
everyone had just laid down and took a nap. I

332
00:21:18.240 --> 00:21:21.079
couldn't take it any longer. I ripped open my tent

333
00:21:21.160 --> 00:21:26.079
and jumped out, yelling surprise, happy hollop. The rest of

334
00:21:26.119 --> 00:21:31.039
the word died on my tongue. The campsite wasn't in disarray,

335
00:21:31.880 --> 00:21:36.079
it was destroyed. Both Dawn and Rose's tents were flattened.

336
00:21:36.720 --> 00:21:39.599
As I stepped closer, I saw rips and gouges in

337
00:21:39.640 --> 00:21:42.640
there as well. As I looked around the campsite. At

338
00:21:42.640 --> 00:21:47.160
the carnage, my first thought was, Wow, Jolene really overdid it.

339
00:21:47.799 --> 00:21:50.960
But that thought didn't hold for long. The more I

340
00:21:51.000 --> 00:21:53.559
moved through the camp, the more I saw claw marks

341
00:21:53.680 --> 00:21:59.119
and huge footprints, something that Jolene couldn't do. All doubts

342
00:21:59.240 --> 00:22:02.839
ended when I came across Dawn. She lay in a

343
00:22:02.880 --> 00:22:07.160
pool of blood, and at first I thought it was

344
00:22:07.200 --> 00:22:10.799
a trick, that they had turned Joline back against me,

345
00:22:10.880 --> 00:22:15.160
and now I was being pranked. However, that thought died

346
00:22:15.240 --> 00:22:18.680
a quick death when I saw Dawn's severed arm lying

347
00:22:18.759 --> 00:22:22.160
a few feet from her. Her eyes were wide open

348
00:22:22.799 --> 00:22:26.160
in shock. She looked at me with a blank stare

349
00:22:26.200 --> 00:22:30.720
of accusation and tried to whisper something, but I couldn't

350
00:22:30.759 --> 00:22:36.759
hear it. I leaned closer, and she whispered again, her

351
00:22:36.799 --> 00:22:43.519
final words haunting me. This couldn't be Jolene. It wasn't

352
00:22:43.559 --> 00:22:47.079
a trick or a prank. Something real had just invaded

353
00:22:47.119 --> 00:22:51.680
our camp and destroyed my friend. Fear gripped me as

354
00:22:51.720 --> 00:22:54.480
I looked around to see if this creature was lying

355
00:22:54.519 --> 00:22:57.839
in wait to kill me too. As I searched the

356
00:22:57.880 --> 00:23:00.480
rest of the camp, hoping moment by my moment that

357
00:23:00.599 --> 00:23:06.200
this thing was gone, I also didn't find Rose. Eventually,

358
00:23:06.640 --> 00:23:09.000
I found a large pool of blood not far from

359
00:23:09.000 --> 00:23:13.640
her tent, but nobody was around. The trail of blood

360
00:23:13.720 --> 00:23:16.759
led from the pool off toward the woods, and I

361
00:23:16.839 --> 00:23:20.720
had no desire to follow it. The next thought that

362
00:23:20.799 --> 00:23:25.160
came to my panicked mind was if this wasn't Jolene,

363
00:23:25.160 --> 00:23:30.599
then where was she. She purposely didn't tell me where

364
00:23:30.640 --> 00:23:33.640
she was hiding, so I wouldn't unintentionally give away her

365
00:23:33.680 --> 00:23:37.480
position by glancing at a certain spot. It was a

366
00:23:37.480 --> 00:23:41.680
smart plan until she went missing, and I have no

367
00:23:41.799 --> 00:23:46.160
idea what's going on. The next thought was calling for help,

368
00:23:46.279 --> 00:23:48.839
but when I got out my phone, I found it

369
00:23:48.880 --> 00:23:53.160
was also dead. Even though I didn't want to, I

370
00:23:53.200 --> 00:23:56.519
went over to Dawn's now dead body and searched for

371
00:23:56.559 --> 00:24:01.200
her cell phone, but I found it in pieces. There

372
00:24:01.240 --> 00:24:05.680
would be no call for help. Despondency smothered me and

373
00:24:05.720 --> 00:24:07.880
pulled me to the ground. I sat in the middle

374
00:24:07.920 --> 00:24:10.279
of the campsite, beside a pool of blood that used

375
00:24:10.319 --> 00:24:13.119
to be one of my friends, only a handful of

376
00:24:13.119 --> 00:24:15.799
feet away from the broken body that used to be

377
00:24:16.200 --> 00:24:19.519
another one of my friends, having no idea where my

378
00:24:19.680 --> 00:24:23.720
third friend was. I'd never been in such a desperate

379
00:24:23.799 --> 00:24:28.079
place in my life, not only physically but mentally, and

380
00:24:28.200 --> 00:24:30.599
I hoped I would never be in such a place again.

381
00:24:31.599 --> 00:24:34.400
I had no idea what to do or where to go.

382
00:24:35.400 --> 00:24:38.319
The realization began to set in that I had lost

383
00:24:38.400 --> 00:24:41.039
three of my closest friends in the space of a day.

384
00:24:42.319 --> 00:24:45.119
Tears flowed down my cheeks as I sat there in

385
00:24:45.160 --> 00:24:48.119
the growing darkness, with only the embers of the dying

386
00:24:48.200 --> 00:24:52.200
fire to keep me company. Should I sit here and

387
00:24:52.359 --> 00:24:54.920
hope that help would stumble by in the form of

388
00:24:54.960 --> 00:24:59.440
another hiker, or even better, a park ranger. It was

389
00:24:59.519 --> 00:25:02.240
laid ok ni and the trails weren't very well traveled.

390
00:25:02.240 --> 00:25:05.519
Once the weather turned cold. As I sat there, a

391
00:25:05.599 --> 00:25:08.960
gust of wind blew through, tearing at the few remaining

392
00:25:09.079 --> 00:25:13.000
leaves clinging to their branches. They began to fall, as

393
00:25:13.039 --> 00:25:17.359
if the forest was crying with me or for me.

394
00:25:19.039 --> 00:25:21.480
I wish I was aware of what the forest knew

395
00:25:21.519 --> 00:25:25.799
about this thing that had destroyed my friends and my life,

396
00:25:26.440 --> 00:25:28.279
and how I would get out of here alive, and

397
00:25:28.359 --> 00:25:31.559
most of all, about what had happened to joe Lean.

398
00:25:32.400 --> 00:25:34.400
As much as I wanted to just sit there and

399
00:25:34.480 --> 00:25:37.920
mourn forever, I knew I couldn't. I knew I had

400
00:25:37.960 --> 00:25:42.039
to get up and go figure this out. How would

401
00:25:42.039 --> 00:25:46.359
I get out there? How would I survive? Maybe my

402
00:25:46.519 --> 00:25:50.279
tent held the key. By some miracle, my tent was undamaged.

403
00:25:50.640 --> 00:25:54.119
I started digging through my backpack. There were always things

404
00:25:54.160 --> 00:25:57.880
in everyone's backpack that they have for emergencies that never happen.

405
00:25:58.640 --> 00:26:01.480
Usually it's a snake bike, a length of rope, or

406
00:26:01.599 --> 00:26:05.200
band aids that seldom, if ever, get used. But as

407
00:26:05.240 --> 00:26:08.200
I was digging, I came across some things that might

408
00:26:08.240 --> 00:26:11.519
be useful. There was a can of pepper spray and

409
00:26:11.559 --> 00:26:14.839
a small pocket knife. At this point, I was happy

410
00:26:14.880 --> 00:26:18.160
to have anything I could use as a weapon. They

411
00:26:18.200 --> 00:26:21.680
went in my pocket, along with the rope. So now

412
00:26:21.720 --> 00:26:24.680
it was decision time. Do I pack up my stuff

413
00:26:24.759 --> 00:26:27.920
right now and leave, hiking down the trail in the dark,

414
00:26:28.000 --> 00:26:31.119
having no idea if this thing is still on the hunt?

415
00:26:31.680 --> 00:26:34.960
Or do I lay down and get some rest, wait

416
00:26:35.039 --> 00:26:38.640
for morning, and hope it doesn't know I'm here. Neither

417
00:26:38.720 --> 00:26:41.559
one was a great option. There was no way I

418
00:26:41.559 --> 00:26:45.279
could even consider burying dawn. I didn't have a shovel,

419
00:26:45.799 --> 00:26:47.839
and I would need all my energy to hike back

420
00:26:47.880 --> 00:26:51.839
out of here if I hoped to survive. Thankfully, the

421
00:26:51.920 --> 00:26:55.200
decision was made for me. As I lay there, mind

422
00:26:55.279 --> 00:27:03.839
whirling from everything that had happened, I fell asleep. I

423
00:27:03.920 --> 00:27:07.440
woke hours later to a bright morning sun peeking through

424
00:27:07.480 --> 00:27:11.720
my open tent window. I yawned, and stretched, thinking about

425
00:27:11.759 --> 00:27:15.039
what a beautiful morning it could be when I suddenly

426
00:27:15.079 --> 00:27:18.960
remembered everything that had happened. That's when I heard the growling.

427
00:27:19.559 --> 00:27:22.880
It was just loud enough to get my attention. Fear

428
00:27:22.920 --> 00:27:25.200
gripped me as I tried to figure out what to do.

429
00:27:25.759 --> 00:27:29.119
My brain went into full useless mode as run out

430
00:27:29.119 --> 00:27:32.839
of the tent screaming rose to the top of possible options.

431
00:27:33.240 --> 00:27:36.160
The growling didn't seem to get any closer. As I

432
00:27:36.240 --> 00:27:40.039
lay there awaiting my fate. Encouraged by the fact that

433
00:27:40.279 --> 00:27:44.079
I hadn't become the monster's breakfast yet, I got up

434
00:27:44.119 --> 00:27:47.559
to my knees and quickly looked out the window. What

435
00:27:47.680 --> 00:27:51.720
I saw disgusted and enraged me. There were two mountain

436
00:27:51.799 --> 00:27:55.559
lions having their breakfast. Normally I wouldn't care about such

437
00:27:55.559 --> 00:27:58.400
a thing more than staying as far away as possible,

438
00:27:59.440 --> 00:28:04.759
But today their breakfast was my friend's dead body. I

439
00:28:04.839 --> 00:28:07.720
did exactly what was at the top of my brain's list,

440
00:28:08.480 --> 00:28:11.960
ran out of the tent, screaming. At first, I ran

441
00:28:12.039 --> 00:28:14.960
straight at them, hoping it would scare them off. They

442
00:28:15.000 --> 00:28:18.119
both just stopped and stared at me as if I

443
00:28:18.240 --> 00:28:23.000
was some rude interlooper. Interrupting them having morning tea. The

444
00:28:23.079 --> 00:28:25.160
next thing they did was turn and take a few

445
00:28:25.200 --> 00:28:29.599
steps toward me. As I stared at their blood soaked faces,

446
00:28:29.920 --> 00:28:33.640
I realized I had done the worst thing possible. I

447
00:28:33.720 --> 00:28:37.200
lowered my hands and started backing away, trying to look

448
00:28:37.240 --> 00:28:41.359
as non threatening as possible. This seemed to encourage them

449
00:28:41.400 --> 00:28:45.039
to increase their pursuit. I was almost back to my tent,

450
00:28:45.640 --> 00:28:48.440
but it didn't seem like diving inside and hiding was

451
00:28:48.440 --> 00:28:53.079
an option. Not now they were aware of me and

452
00:28:53.359 --> 00:28:57.519
very interested in me, possibly as lunch.

453
00:28:59.400 --> 00:29:03.079
Don't go oh way, weakly, spooky will be right back.

454
00:29:08.000 --> 00:29:12.240
As my list of potential actions dwindled to wait for death,

455
00:29:12.640 --> 00:29:15.519
my hand brushed against my leg and I felt something

456
00:29:15.559 --> 00:29:19.400
in my pocket. It was the pepper spray. I pulled

457
00:29:19.400 --> 00:29:22.480
it out, having no idea if it even worked on cats,

458
00:29:22.920 --> 00:29:26.279
and aimed it at them. They didn't slow. In the

459
00:29:26.319 --> 00:29:29.319
slightest it looked like a stream of water sprayed out

460
00:29:29.319 --> 00:29:31.640
of the can and landed on the first cat's face.

461
00:29:32.440 --> 00:29:35.839
Its reaction was immediate. It let out a massive yell

462
00:29:36.240 --> 00:29:40.640
and began clawing at its face. The second paused in confusion,

463
00:29:40.920 --> 00:29:45.279
watching its companion devolve into convulsions of pain. When it

464
00:29:45.319 --> 00:29:48.240
looked back at me, I had already sprayed its face,

465
00:29:48.359 --> 00:29:51.759
causing the same reaction. For a long moment, I was

466
00:29:51.799 --> 00:29:55.319
treated to the insanely comical sight of these two predators

467
00:29:55.359 --> 00:29:58.720
twirling in circles trying to claw their own faces off.

468
00:29:59.480 --> 00:30:04.960
And then the impossible happened. They both decided breakfast wasn't

469
00:30:04.960 --> 00:30:08.680
worth the cost of admission and ran off. I looked

470
00:30:08.680 --> 00:30:11.839
down at this small, innocuous looking spray can that had

471
00:30:11.920 --> 00:30:15.200
just saved my life. It was tempting to give it

472
00:30:15.240 --> 00:30:18.759
a kiss in celebration, but I didn't want to take

473
00:30:18.799 --> 00:30:21.960
any chance of getting any spray on me. Writhing in

474
00:30:22.039 --> 00:30:24.680
pain wasn't high on my list of things I wanted

475
00:30:24.720 --> 00:30:29.200
to do today. Having just escaped death, I decided on

476
00:30:29.240 --> 00:30:32.519
my plan of action. My backpack was packed in under

477
00:30:32.519 --> 00:30:35.200
half an hour, and I was on the trail, having

478
00:30:35.200 --> 00:30:38.319
said my goodbyes to Dawn and what was left of Rose.

479
00:30:39.200 --> 00:30:41.799
A sharp pang of guilt stabbed me as I left

480
00:30:41.839 --> 00:30:47.599
the campsite. Dawn's last whispered words haunted me. Shouldn't have come.

481
00:30:49.079 --> 00:30:52.319
She was right, of course, If any of us had

482
00:30:52.319 --> 00:30:54.960
known what was about to happen, There was no way

483
00:30:55.000 --> 00:30:57.599
we should have been here. But that's the whole point

484
00:30:57.640 --> 00:31:00.400
of life. I guess none of us know it's going

485
00:31:00.400 --> 00:31:03.640
to happen at any minute. As if I wasn't depressed

486
00:31:03.759 --> 00:31:06.440
enough as it was. That thought sent me into a

487
00:31:06.440 --> 00:31:10.319
near panic as my eyes darted all around searching for danger.

488
00:31:11.119 --> 00:31:13.880
Now it wasn't only the monster, but the mountain lions

489
00:31:13.920 --> 00:31:17.920
and any other creature whose home I had invaded. Right then,

490
00:31:18.000 --> 00:31:22.559
I knew I would never visit this place again. Even

491
00:31:22.599 --> 00:31:25.160
the woodland creatures were quiet out of respect for my

492
00:31:26.039 --> 00:31:32.359
fallen friends. Wait, how would they know? As if? In answer?

493
00:31:32.799 --> 00:31:36.400
The monster stepped out onto the trail and stared down

494
00:31:36.400 --> 00:31:40.880
at me. It was massive. I'd never seen anything that tall.

495
00:31:41.720 --> 00:31:44.279
Not only was it tall, but its shoulders were a

496
00:31:44.279 --> 00:31:47.319
good five feet wide. It was covered in dark fur

497
00:31:47.400 --> 00:31:50.319
that had splotches of wet, dark stains down the front

498
00:31:50.319 --> 00:31:52.960
of it. My mind told me that that was all

499
00:31:53.000 --> 00:31:57.599
that was left of Rose. It unleashed a deafening roar

500
00:31:57.839 --> 00:32:00.319
that made a small river flow down my pan leg.

501
00:32:00.759 --> 00:32:03.160
My mind was like a little dog chasing its tail,

502
00:32:03.319 --> 00:32:06.640
trying to figure out what to do. As I stood there,

503
00:32:06.680 --> 00:32:10.119
frozen to the spot. It took two steps and was

504
00:32:10.200 --> 00:32:13.079
right in front of me. When it reached for me.

505
00:32:13.200 --> 00:32:15.920
Some basic survival mode kicked in and I went back

506
00:32:15.960 --> 00:32:18.400
to the last thing that had saved my life. I

507
00:32:18.400 --> 00:32:20.799
whipped out the pepper spray and emptied the can in

508
00:32:20.839 --> 00:32:24.880
the monster's face. It reared back and screamed so loud

509
00:32:24.920 --> 00:32:27.000
I had to hold my ears as I ran around

510
00:32:27.039 --> 00:32:30.559
it and sprinted down the trail. My heart was pumping

511
00:32:30.640 --> 00:32:33.839
pure adrenaline. My feet barely touched the ground. I had

512
00:32:33.880 --> 00:32:37.240
never run so fast in my entire life. The trees

513
00:32:37.279 --> 00:32:39.880
were a blur As I wound back and forth along

514
00:32:39.920 --> 00:32:42.720
the trail. All I could think was just get away,

515
00:32:43.359 --> 00:32:46.640
Just get away. As hope soared that I might be

516
00:32:46.680 --> 00:32:49.720
able to do just that, I heard a noise coming

517
00:32:49.720 --> 00:32:52.880
from behind me. It was like a bulldozer with legs.

518
00:32:53.599 --> 00:32:56.680
I heard pounding and crashing, as if something was destroying

519
00:32:56.799 --> 00:32:59.720
whatever got in its way. I glanced back in. The

520
00:32:59.759 --> 00:33:02.559
momster was gaining on me, but it was flailing its

521
00:33:02.640 --> 00:33:04.599
arms around in front of it, as if to protect

522
00:33:04.599 --> 00:33:09.440
its eyes from whatever might be there. That momentary distraction

523
00:33:09.720 --> 00:33:12.400
was just enough. My foot caught on a branch I

524
00:33:12.440 --> 00:33:15.440
wasn't looking for, and I went tumbling at full speed

525
00:33:15.440 --> 00:33:18.519
off the trail and into the brush. I hit a

526
00:33:18.559 --> 00:33:21.359
tree hard with my back. I was sure I heard

527
00:33:21.400 --> 00:33:24.240
a crack. It was all I could do just to

528
00:33:24.240 --> 00:33:28.119
stay conscious. I watched through bleary eyes as the monster

529
00:33:28.279 --> 00:33:31.599
ran past me on the trail. There was no way

530
00:33:31.599 --> 00:33:35.240
I could celebrate or even move. Running so fast for

531
00:33:35.279 --> 00:33:38.279
so long had taken its toll, and now having fallen

532
00:33:38.359 --> 00:33:42.200
and possibly injuring my back, had just added to my immobility.

533
00:33:42.720 --> 00:33:45.559
It took me a few long moments to catch my breath.

534
00:33:45.960 --> 00:33:48.400
Once I did, I slowly moved body parts to make

535
00:33:48.440 --> 00:33:51.720
sure they still worked. I saved the worst for last.

536
00:33:52.400 --> 00:33:55.319
Trying to sit up caused pain to shoot down my back.

537
00:33:56.519 --> 00:33:59.440
That wasn't a good sign. It seemed like I would

538
00:33:59.480 --> 00:34:02.079
be here for a little bit, at least until I

539
00:34:02.160 --> 00:34:05.480
recovered enough to make another try for my car. I

540
00:34:05.559 --> 00:34:07.599
knew it was less than a mile away, but right

541
00:34:07.680 --> 00:34:10.239
now I couldn't even think about getting up to walk,

542
00:34:10.320 --> 00:34:14.480
let alone run. I painfully pulled my backpack off and

543
00:34:14.559 --> 00:34:17.840
sat it beside me. Next, I tried to cover myself

544
00:34:17.880 --> 00:34:20.920
in my pack with the loose leaves that blanketed the ground.

545
00:34:21.519 --> 00:34:24.400
Within ten minutes, I was satisfied that no one would

546
00:34:24.440 --> 00:34:26.719
be able to see me from the trail without looking

547
00:34:26.960 --> 00:34:30.599
very closely. There was a peep hole I had left

548
00:34:30.639 --> 00:34:33.760
open to keep an eye on the trail. The monster

549
00:34:33.840 --> 00:34:37.119
would be back eventually, there was no doubt about that.

550
00:34:37.800 --> 00:34:40.719
Once it realized I wasn't on the trail anymore, it

551
00:34:40.760 --> 00:34:44.719
would backtrack looking for me. Spraying it may have saved

552
00:34:44.719 --> 00:34:47.320
my life, but it also doomed me to be its

553
00:34:47.480 --> 00:34:51.360
enemy forever. It would search high and low to find me.

554
00:34:51.920 --> 00:34:56.199
I was as sure about that as anything. Even though

555
00:34:56.239 --> 00:34:59.079
it was mid morning. The trees here were dense and

556
00:34:59.159 --> 00:35:00.920
light had to filter. I threw a lot of them

557
00:35:00.920 --> 00:35:03.840
to make it to the ground. Reaching into my pack,

558
00:35:04.320 --> 00:35:07.360
I pulled out my reading light, which was surprisingly still

559
00:35:07.360 --> 00:35:10.360
in one piece. I used it to check my wounds

560
00:35:10.400 --> 00:35:13.920
and found they were mostly cuts and scrapes. As my

561
00:35:14.000 --> 00:35:17.360
adrenaline crashed, I could feel myself being once again dragged

562
00:35:17.400 --> 00:35:23.320
into unconsciousness. My eyes drooped then suddenly shot open as

563
00:35:23.320 --> 00:35:26.800
I heard something. The part of the trail I could

564
00:35:26.840 --> 00:35:30.599
see through my peep hole was quite small. I leaned

565
00:35:30.599 --> 00:35:32.559
to the left a little bit, trying not to make

566
00:35:32.599 --> 00:35:36.679
any sound. That's when I heard the sniffing and saw

567
00:35:36.719 --> 00:35:41.079
the monster coming slowly back up the trail. It was

568
00:35:41.119 --> 00:35:45.400
on all fours, smelling the ground. One eye looked like

569
00:35:45.440 --> 00:35:48.760
it was swollen shut, and the other was bloodshot. It

570
00:35:48.840 --> 00:35:50.480
got to the point in the trail where I had

571
00:35:50.519 --> 00:35:54.920
fallen and stopped, then turned and looked right at me.

572
00:35:55.880 --> 00:36:00.320
My blood turned to liquid nitrogen. The monster stalked straight

573
00:36:00.360 --> 00:36:02.840
towards me, as if it could see me plain as day.

574
00:36:03.639 --> 00:36:06.400
I glanced down and realized, to my horror that my

575
00:36:06.480 --> 00:36:10.639
reading light was still on. I panicked if I turned

576
00:36:10.679 --> 00:36:13.360
it off, the monster would know I was there. If

577
00:36:13.400 --> 00:36:15.519
I left it on, it was a beacon, leading it

578
00:36:15.599 --> 00:36:19.480
right to me. I gently pulled it from around my neck,

579
00:36:20.039 --> 00:36:23.239
trying to move it as little as possible. Once I

580
00:36:23.280 --> 00:36:25.719
had it off me, I set it on top of

581
00:36:25.760 --> 00:36:28.239
my backpack so it was at the same level as

582
00:36:28.239 --> 00:36:31.159
it had been around my neck. As I slid away

583
00:36:31.199 --> 00:36:34.360
from the pack, I reached into my pocket and pulled

584
00:36:34.400 --> 00:36:38.360
out the knife, then opened it. The monster was so

585
00:36:38.480 --> 00:36:41.280
close I could smell the stench of death coming from

586
00:36:41.320 --> 00:36:44.679
its mouth. It got right up to the light and

587
00:36:44.760 --> 00:36:48.079
brushed the leaves away. To see what this thing was.

588
00:36:49.239 --> 00:36:51.840
There was only one shot for me to survive. I

589
00:36:51.960 --> 00:36:54.280
swung the knife with all the strength I had left,

590
00:36:54.480 --> 00:36:57.519
stabbing it in the eye that wasn't swollen. It reared

591
00:36:57.559 --> 00:37:01.360
back and screamed in pain. I didn't wait around to

592
00:37:01.360 --> 00:37:04.039
see what was going to happen. Every ounce of energy

593
00:37:04.079 --> 00:37:07.119
I had went to running away from this homicidal monster.

594
00:37:07.840 --> 00:37:10.679
My back screamed at me, but I ignored it. The

595
00:37:10.679 --> 00:37:13.880
creature screamed again, this time and rage rather than pain.

596
00:37:14.360 --> 00:37:16.800
It tore off after me, but couldn't see, so it

597
00:37:16.880 --> 00:37:19.480
ended up slamming into a tree three feet behind me.

598
00:37:20.159 --> 00:37:23.280
My legs kept pumping, driven by sheer terror. As I

599
00:37:23.320 --> 00:37:26.159
glanced back, I saw the monster listening to me run away.

600
00:37:26.880 --> 00:37:30.079
It followed my sounds and ran after me again. I

601
00:37:30.159 --> 00:37:32.639
pivoted and ran up the side of the trail, just

602
00:37:32.679 --> 00:37:34.880
in time for it to miss me and fall face

603
00:37:34.960 --> 00:37:38.199
first on the trail. It wasn't far to the trailhead.

604
00:37:38.280 --> 00:37:41.360
Now I knew it was getting close. There was a

605
00:37:41.400 --> 00:37:43.159
hard turn in the trail where I had to be

606
00:37:43.239 --> 00:37:46.559
careful of my footing. It was narrow and there was

607
00:37:46.599 --> 00:37:50.079
a steep drop that ended in the river below. I

608
00:37:50.199 --> 00:37:53.400
ran to where the turn was and suddenly stopped the

609
00:37:53.440 --> 00:37:55.920
monster had gotten up and was listening for me again.

610
00:37:56.920 --> 00:37:58.880
It was a gamble, but I stood at the turn

611
00:37:59.159 --> 00:38:01.880
and jogged in place, as though I was still running away.

612
00:38:02.760 --> 00:38:06.559
It listened, then launched itself toward me. As soon as

613
00:38:06.599 --> 00:38:09.760
it began to run. I quietly stepped around the corner

614
00:38:10.199 --> 00:38:14.159
and softly walked down the trail a few feet. If

615
00:38:14.199 --> 00:38:17.639
my gamble paid off, I would be home free. If

616
00:38:17.679 --> 00:38:21.800
it didn't, I would be dead. Time slowed as the

617
00:38:21.840 --> 00:38:25.440
beast galloped towards the turn. I watched and waited until

618
00:38:25.480 --> 00:38:28.159
finally I saw the bloody fur of its face with

619
00:38:28.199 --> 00:38:32.039
the knife still sticking out. At the last moment, it

620
00:38:32.079 --> 00:38:34.760
seemed to sense me around the corner and tried to turn,

621
00:38:35.280 --> 00:38:38.039
but momentum had already carried it past me, and it

622
00:38:38.119 --> 00:38:41.440
had no chance of staying on the trail. I leaned

623
00:38:41.480 --> 00:38:45.280
over and watched as it fell helplessly over the edge

624
00:38:45.320 --> 00:38:48.480
and tumbled down to the water below, hitting its head

625
00:38:48.519 --> 00:38:52.519
on several trees as it went. It had just come

626
00:38:52.559 --> 00:38:55.079
to rest at the bottom when I took off running.

627
00:38:55.639 --> 00:38:57.679
The trail had loomed in front of me, and I

628
00:38:57.719 --> 00:38:59.880
didn't want to take any chances of that thing. Where

629
00:39:00.119 --> 00:39:02.679
covering and catching me. Before I got to my car,

630
00:39:03.679 --> 00:39:06.519
I'd never seen a more beautiful sight than my beat

631
00:39:06.599 --> 00:39:10.440
up Toyota Corolla. When I approached it, I paused yet

632
00:39:10.440 --> 00:39:13.400
again and looked around for who or what might be

633
00:39:13.519 --> 00:39:17.760
watching me. Hanging from my driver's side mirror was the

634
00:39:17.800 --> 00:39:21.400
mask Jolene had worn. I took it off the mirror

635
00:39:21.880 --> 00:39:26.599
and looked at it in shock and confusion. Inside was

636
00:39:26.639 --> 00:39:30.159
a note there was a crash from the woods that

637
00:39:30.239 --> 00:39:32.880
told me the monster hadn't given up. I jumped in

638
00:39:32.920 --> 00:39:35.159
the car, threw the mask on the passenger seat, and

639
00:39:35.199 --> 00:39:38.400
broke every speed log getting out of the park. Even

640
00:39:38.440 --> 00:39:40.079
once I was on the main road, I pushed the

641
00:39:40.079 --> 00:39:42.079
pedal down to make the car go as fast as

642
00:39:42.119 --> 00:39:45.400
it could. My speedometer needle was vibrating when I hit eighty.

643
00:39:45.800 --> 00:39:48.400
It wasn't until I was close to home that I

644
00:39:48.440 --> 00:39:52.719
slowed down. I got out and went into my tiny house,

645
00:39:53.360 --> 00:39:56.760
bringing the mask with me. I collapsed on the couch

646
00:39:56.760 --> 00:39:59.800
as my back complained I would have to schedule in

647
00:39:59.800 --> 00:40:04.039
a appointment with my chiropractor. Once I was safely inside,

648
00:40:04.280 --> 00:40:07.559
I picked up the mask and pulled out the note.

649
00:40:07.599 --> 00:40:11.159
It read, I'm sorry to leave without telling you the

650
00:40:11.239 --> 00:40:13.079
girls were coming up the trail and I was about

651
00:40:13.119 --> 00:40:16.079
to jump out at them when I saw this monster

652
00:40:16.239 --> 00:40:19.440
following them through the woods. I couldn't warn them or

653
00:40:19.480 --> 00:40:22.920
you without the monster seeing when they set up their tents,

654
00:40:23.199 --> 00:40:25.840
it was watching from the edge of the woods. I

655
00:40:25.960 --> 00:40:29.039
panicked and quietly left while it was busy watching the camp.

656
00:40:30.280 --> 00:40:33.039
I hope you're alive to read this, and if so,

657
00:40:33.400 --> 00:40:38.599
you can someday forgive me. Jay. I lay the note

658
00:40:38.599 --> 00:40:41.840
beside me on the couch, and all I could think

659
00:40:41.880 --> 00:40:46.000
of as tears streamed down my cheeks was Dawn's final

660
00:40:46.039 --> 00:40:58.079
words to me. Shouldn't have come well, my spookees. I

661
00:40:58.079 --> 00:41:01.199
hope you enjoyed that terror tale as much as I

662
00:41:01.320 --> 00:41:03.800
did reading it. A big thank you to Michael Kelso

663
00:41:04.320 --> 00:41:08.760
for allowing us to read his story tonight. And remember,

664
00:41:09.280 --> 00:41:12.920
if you decide to go on a Halloween hike, bring

665
00:41:13.519 --> 00:41:17.280
your book Life Well Spooky's. Before I get out of here,

666
00:41:17.320 --> 00:41:20.800
I want to let you know that on Monday, Terrifying

667
00:41:20.840 --> 00:41:23.480
and True will be covering the diet Lov Pass incident,

668
00:41:23.840 --> 00:41:28.639
which is a very creepy true story of disappearance while hiking.

669
00:41:29.159 --> 00:41:32.840
Also on Tuesday, David Denoyer and I will be reviewing

670
00:41:32.920 --> 00:41:37.320
the twenty nineteen Halloween horror film Trick. You won't want

671
00:41:37.360 --> 00:41:40.119
to miss it. And of course, on Wednesday, the next

672
00:41:40.159 --> 00:41:43.360
episode of Weekly Spooky will drop and it's a novella

673
00:41:44.079 --> 00:41:48.039
by our good buddy Charles Campbell, so don't miss it.

674
00:41:48.760 --> 00:41:52.000
Make sure you're subscribed on your favorite podcasting apps and

675
00:41:52.079 --> 00:41:54.239
leave us a five star rating. And if you want

676
00:41:54.280 --> 00:41:56.440
to support us in a direct way, head over to

677
00:41:56.519 --> 00:42:00.880
Patreon By going to Weeklyspooky dot com slash joined for

678
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as little as one dollar a month, you get all

679
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kinds of bonus content every single month, and a big

680
00:42:06.840 --> 00:42:10.880
fat thank you to our Patreon podcast boosters folks who

681
00:42:10.880 --> 00:42:13.440
pay just a little bit more to hear their names

682
00:42:13.480 --> 00:42:15.920
at the end of the show, and they are Johnny Nick's,

683
00:42:16.079 --> 00:42:20.599
Jenny Green, Amber Hansford, Brent McCullough, Karen we Met, Jack Kerr,

684
00:42:20.800 --> 00:42:23.079
and Craig Cohen. Thank you all so much. And if

685
00:42:23.119 --> 00:42:25.719
you want to hear your name red by my silky

686
00:42:25.800 --> 00:42:29.280
smooth voice on this very show, just go to Weeklyspooky

687
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dot Com slash join and subscribe at the fifteen dollar

688
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tier or higher. Not only will you get that perk

689
00:42:36.360 --> 00:42:38.119
of hearing me say your name at the end of

690
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691
00:42:42.719 --> 00:42:46.360
at your fingertips, Weeklyspooky dot com slash Join. But now

692
00:42:46.360 --> 00:42:47.599
it's time for me to get out of here. I

693
00:42:47.639 --> 00:42:50.079
have so much more work to do, so for myself,

694
00:42:50.159 --> 00:42:53.920
for my executive producers Rob Fields, Mark Shields and Bobotopia

695
00:42:53.960 --> 00:42:57.039
dot Com, my producer Dan Wilder, and my composer Ray Mattis.

696
00:42:57.199 --> 00:42:59.159
I will talk at you next time.

697
00:42:59.599 --> 00:43:03.360
Thank you for listening. Make sure to find your way

698
00:43:03.400 --> 00:43:10.239
back next week. But for now you are safe, trust me.