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Weekly Spooky
Weekly Spooky
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Oct. 21, 2025

Halloween Terror Tales: Scary Stories of Masks, Mazes, and Madness

Halloween Terror Tales: Scary Stories of Masks, Mazes, and Madness

In this terrifying Halloween horror anthology from Weekly Spooky—the top-rated podcast for scary stories, haunted legends, and audio horror fiction. This chilling compilation brings together 8 original tales of cursed costumes, haunted airwaves, serial killers, and cornfield nightmares—all soaked in Halloween atmosphere.

• Never Enter the Old Corn Maze on Halloween — by William Rayne
A teenager enters a forbidden corn maze on Halloween night—where the legends say the dead can reach the living.

• I Went on a Halloween Hiking Trip with My Friends. My Reading Light Saved My Life — by Michael Kelso
A camping trip turns to terror when a mysterious figure stalks the group through the woods… and only one faint light stands between survival and slaughter.

• The Strickfield Slasher — by Rob Fields
A masked killer haunts the streets of Strickfield. When bodies pile up, one determined student must survive the night and uncover the truth.
• Stalk — by Mike Ashkewe
Joshua “Foxy” Fox returns to his hometown looking for fun and connection… but finds something far darker stalking him in the shadows.

• Special Halloween Hours — by Rob Fields
Two college students work a Halloween night shift at a retro video store… but what lurks beyond closing time may be more than just horror movies.

• Never Buy a Halloween Mask from a Yard Sale — by Michael Kelso
A father finds the perfect mask for his daughter’s costume—until the mask begins to change her… and reality itself begins to unravel.

• Retro Halloween Revelations — by Rob Fields
Destiny Mirren and her companion Sienna return from the Afterlife to settle old scores and confront the supernatural truth of Strickfield’s dark past.

• The Graveyard Shift — by Shane Migliavacca
At a remote radio station, one Halloween night takes a terrifying turn when a strange caller disrupts reality—and no one is safe from what comes next.

👻 Eight terrifying tales. Only on Weekly Spooky—scary stories for Halloween and beyond!

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

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

📬 Contact Us / Submit Your Horror Story!


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

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Hello, my spookies. October isn't over yet, and we're not

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letting it go without a fight. Tonight, We're diving deep

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into the Weekly Spooky Vault one more time to bring

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you eight of the scariest, weirdest, and most Halloween soaked

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stories we've ever shared, packed with haunted cornfields, cursed costumes,

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masked killers, and late night terrors on the airwaves. Some

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of these tails will chill your bones and others might

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just make you check your closet yet again, but all

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of them are here to make sure you're in that

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spooky season mindset no matter what you're doing, whether you're

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going on a nice fall walk or working a double shift.

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We here at Weekly Spooky want you to have a

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good time with scares, shadows, and to touch of Mayhew. Okay,

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more than just a touch. I'm your host and narrator,

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Enrique Kuto, and I ask you please settle in light

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that pumpkin scented candle and prepare yourself and remember tomorrow

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there's a brand new horror tale for you to enjoy. Now,

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let the Halloween horrors begin. Never enter the Old corn

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Maze On Halloween by William Rayne. There are always plenty

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of strange rumors circulating in small towns across the world.

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The one I grew up in has everything from tales

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of lizard creatures beneath the woods to a bizarre bridge

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that leads you somewhere else if you can cross it

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on foot. Still, the one tale that I can personally

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attest to is the haunted corn Maze just outside the

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city limits. The labyrinth had been out there since law

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before I came along. What always unsettled me about the thing,

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be it from simple urban legend or the truth of things,

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nobody seemed to know who even made it. Another unnerving

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aspect of it was that, while there was no caretaker,

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it never became overgrown or unkempt. Sure, the elusive individual

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who put the whole thing together may well have family

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members who maintained it when nobody was around. Given the

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fact that it was out in the middle of nowhere,

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but nobody knew one way or the other. It was

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a strange thing, for sure, But the rumors of that

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place throwing open the door to the other side on

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that one particular day of the year always freaked me out.

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When I was a kid, it was the Halloween of

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two thousand and five that I learned this was not

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a place to be so casually visited, not by the

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living anyway, not on the thirty first of October. I

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was around thirteen at the time, while my brother was

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approaching seventeen. I idolized Derek had since we were kids.

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Even when he was younger. He always seemed to be

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so much more worldly than I am, though I imagine

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just about anyone with a few more years under their

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belt would come off as more knowledgeable than a wide

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eyed and curious kid. He had already abandoned the sacred

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traditions of trick or treating, something I was not yet

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ready to give up. But when he invited me to

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attend a party with him on the night of the

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thirty first, I both eagerly and reluctantly agreed. As much

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as I loved spending time with my brother, I wasn't

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thrilled about turning my back on the opportunity to score

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a bagload of candy. Derek knew how much I loved

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getting dressed up and going door to door, so he

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promised me he'd take me around the neighborhood before we

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headed out that night. Being a costume part alar we

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were headed to, he decided to bring a bag himself

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when he joined the crowd of kids playfully running from

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one house to the next. In all honesty, he looked

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as happy as I was while we toured the surrounding blocks. Sure,

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his vampire costume wasn't exactly the most extravagant garb for

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the occasion, slick back hair, phony fangs in his mouth,

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and a long black coat. Honestly, it paled in comparison

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to my Michael Meyer's outfit. But I knew his girlfriend

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Alicia was going to meet up with us at the party,

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so I couldn't blame him for dressing more stylishly cool

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and all. Supposedly, her little sister was going to be

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there as well, something that left me both nervous and

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a little intimidated. If I'm being honest, I had only

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recently started appreciating the opposite sex at that time, but

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it was enough to make my palms sweaty while restricting

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my tongue's ability to function properly when attempting to form words.

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Regard Tredless of my apprehensions, I was having a great

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time just hanging out with Derek even with his friendly

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reminders that I needed to just be myself when we

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got there. When the sun finished its descent for the night,

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it was time for us to head back to the

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house to pick up my brother's car. We dropped the

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candy in the house, gave an obligatory goodbye to our folks,

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and got on the road. I hadn't been informed about

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where the party was taking place, but I had just

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assumed it would be at one house or another. When

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we passed by the last neighborhood before the city limits sign,

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the butterflies dancing in my stomach began to sink to

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the bubbling acid below. Where are we going? I asked,

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though I had a solid idea of the answer. I

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didn't tell you, Derek said, looking genuinely uncertain. The parties

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out at the old corn Maze. Oh, come on that please?

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Don't still freak you out, does it? He asked, with

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a chuckle. What, No, of course not, I just didn't.

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There's nothing to be scared of, kid, We ain't going

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into it or anything. Just seemed a good kind of

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creepy spot for the party, is all I couldn't argue

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with that. It was one hell of an eerie spot

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out there in the middle of nowhere. I knew some

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of the older kids would go out there sometimes, but

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I still felt uneasy about it. I was certain that

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most of the stories folks told about the old maze

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were made up, just spooky tales to mess with the

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younger generation and all, but they would still get my

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imagination going. You sure we should be going out there tonight, though,

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I asked, attempting to hide the trembling in my throat.

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They're just stories, Danny, Derek said, with a smile. You

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know that, right, I mean, yeah, but it's only to

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scare people. Kid. Halloween was invented by the candy companies.

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You know, nowhere gets haunted just because it's the third first.

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It's all bullshit, just like every other stupid story around

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these parts. You gotta stop being so scared of everything.

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When I head off to college, you're gonna be on

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your own. I love you, kiddo, but I ain't always

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gonna be around to protect you. It was hard to

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argue with him, as he fully believed every crazy urban

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legend to be false, this one more than others. I

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still felt a little embarrassed by the way he talked

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to me. Yeah, I was very easily freaked out at

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that age, but I was getting better that creepy old Labyrinth,

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though I never wanted to get within a shout of

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that place. I trusted my brother on just about anything,

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but I couldn't convince myself to side with him on this.

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A few years before, some guy named Jackson Fiddle supposedly

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went missing while investigating the Labyrinth just around the thirty

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first Sure, I didn't even know if he was a

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real person, being that just about everyone seemed to know

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everyone in our life town, and I had never heard

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of the guy before the rumors of his disappearance. The

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story about the woman who showed up at the emergency

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room on the morning of November one of ninety eight,

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all bloody and beaten, though, that one messed me up

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for a while. From what she said, or from what

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folks said, she said her car broke down out by

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the old corn Maze. This being before everyone and their

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mother had a cell phone, she couldn't reach out to anyone,

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so she just started walking somehow or another. Whether she

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got turned around or just wasn't paying attention, she ended

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up strolling right into the neatly preserved labyrinth. When they

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asked her why she didn't just turn around, she claimed

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she tried, but it closed up behind her as soon

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as she crossed into it. As far as what happened

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to her when she got lost in there, that varies

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from person to person. Some say that some local boys

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up to no good followed her inside after having sabotaged

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her car to break down. According to that version of things,

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they beat her and raped her, leaving her for dead

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in that damned place. After she crawled her way out

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of there, she managed to get back to town, but

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was never the same since. Other more exaggerated stories claimed

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that she came up on some devil worshipers in there

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who tried to sacrifice her before she managed to make

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her escape. Some even say that she ran into anything

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from supernatural creatures where wolves or Wendy goes and the like,

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to aliens looking to run some experiments on her. I

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think the alien one came around because the pathways through

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the maze aren't so much cut down as the stalks

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are folded flat against the ground. Seems like it's sort

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of like how crop circles are arranged where supposedly no

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man or machine could have bent them so perfectly, and

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all that craziness. Oh yeah, a lot of tall tales

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came from that old place. I suppose my story is

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no different, or will be when I get done telling it.

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I imagine most will read these words with as much

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skepticism as Derek had back then. I can't blame any

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of you, of course, truth be told, I still have

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a hard time believing it to this day. For the

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sake of picking up the pace, or in not dragging

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this out any longer than necessary, I won't waste time

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getting into much concerning the party itself. Yes, there was

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a veritable herd of teenagers out there when we arrived,

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each one dressed in everything from lazy to extravagant costumes.

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That alone set my mind more at ease when we

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got there, the fact that everyone there looked to be

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just having a good time, hidden behind one mask or another.

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We spent more most of our time hanging out with

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Alicia and Sandra, her sister. She was a bit younger

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than me, but she was a really cool girl, also

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quite pretty in her gender swapped Freddy costume. The fact

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that we were both dressed as eighty slashers made it

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easier for me to get over my nerves. We talked

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a lot about scary movies and the like, something we

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were both huge fans of. Everything was going great, even

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after I took it upon myself to sneak a beer

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from the table they had set up beside the keg.

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It would not be until later in life that I

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developed a taste for it. That first sip of whatever

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cheap brand the underage drinkers had gotten their hands on,

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damn near flipped my stomach. Derek full On slapped the

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red Solo cup out of my hand when he noticed it,

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looking at me with an expression of disappointment and anger,

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before cracking up so hard he spilled his own drink

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across the grass. Can't blame you for trying, kid, he said,

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wrapping his arm around my shoulder, when a couple of

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the older looking guys walked up, causing my brother to

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visibly tense up. Our night went from a fun and

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relaxing time to something that still haunts my dreams to

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this day. Got some balls showing up here, Russell said,

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the guy wearing the cheaply made Frankenstein costume, something quite

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fitting to his considerable bulk. The fact that he called

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my brother by our surname made me believe this wasn't

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just friendly badgering. Yeah, what we gonna do about this?

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The other, smaller, more slender guy dressed as a mangy

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looking werewolf, asked, cracking his knuckles. Back off Nate, Derek said,

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pushing himself in front of Alicia and me. Everyone's just

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trying to have a good time, guys. We can settle

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this another time. Nah, Bud Frankenstein said, how about we

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settle up right now? Head back to the car, Danny,

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my brother, said, giving me a quick glance before turning

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his attention back to the duo before him. I'll be there,

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and his words were cut short when the werewolf pushed him,

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causing him to almost topple over his girlfriend. Most of

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the crowd stopped whatever they were doing, turning their attention

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to the fight that was likely to break out any minute.

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There were murmurs throughout the group as they gathered around us,

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forming a makeshift circle, something that assured me that things

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were about to get messy. Not here, Derek said, not now,

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They're not a part of this. Sandra and Alicia were

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attempting to back away while I was darting my eyes

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from my brother to the guys who had some score

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to settle. Tell you what, the big guy said, placing

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his hand on his buddy's shoulder as if commanding his

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guard dog to heal. I got an easy resolution to everything.

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If you guys got the balls, dude, just drop it. Okay,

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this is didn't say you could speak yet, Frankenstein cut in,

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pushing my brother back again with one hand. Derek looked

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fit to burst. I knew he could hold his own

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in a fight. I'd seen it myself when some bigger

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kids were giving me a hard time at school. Sure

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they were a year or two younger than him, but

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he taught them both a solid lesson after he caught

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them trying to clean my clock. He kicked both their asses,

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barely breaking a sweat. Still, the big guy with the

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poorly applied makeup looked like he could easily bench press

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my brother's chevy. So what do you say, willing to

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get your hands a bit dirty to make all this

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go away? Frank said, glaring down his nose at Derek. Fine,

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he replied with a heavy sigh, What the hell do

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you want me to do? Do? No? No, not just

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you He glanced over at me with a menacing smile.

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This is for you and Junior both. Hell, how about

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the little ladies too? Go to hell, Nate, Derek sneered.

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They got nothing to do with this. They do with

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Nate says, they do. The Weasley werewolf added, this is

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between you and me, don't it's okay? Alicia cut in,

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having walked up beside her boyfriend. We'll play his stupid

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little game. Sandra nodded, folding her arms, while I gave

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another token nod. I can't say I was thrilled about

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whatever they had in store for us, but I would

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be damned if I was about to turn my back

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on my brother. Derek whispered back and forth with his

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girl for a moment before turning back to his opponent.

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All right, what the hell do you want us to do?

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Simple enough, he said, cutting his game to the old

254
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corn maze. Y'all spend one hour in there, just one

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00:16:06.120 --> 00:16:11.399
whole hour to the second, and we're good. That's it,

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Derek replied, while my fingers began to tremble. One hour.

257
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That's it, buddy boy. You gotta go in, though, Don't

258
00:16:20.639 --> 00:16:23.360
just hang out in the entrance or nothing. Like walk

259
00:16:23.399 --> 00:16:26.200
around and shit, can't just stand there waiting for the

260
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time to run out. Then we're done. You and I

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00:16:31.000 --> 00:16:35.840
squeaky clean. Nothing more to be said or done. Okay, then,

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Derek said, glancing back at me and the girls, nodding

263
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his head. One hour and we're good. I'll even pour

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you a beer when you come out, Frankenstein said, with

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a satisfied smile. But you' all come out even one

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minute early, and I'll kick your ass so bad you'll

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be eating Thanksgiving dinner through a feeding tube. You got

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me one hour, Derek said, holding his hand, and out

269
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one hour. The big guy nodded, shaking my brother's hand.

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I'm so sorry about this, Derek said. As we approached

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the entrance to the Old Corn Maze. I didn't expect

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them to be here. No worries, babe, Alicia said, rubbing

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her hand on his back. Yeah, Sandra said, I say

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we go in, find a place to chill and tell

275
00:17:24.000 --> 00:17:27.039
some scary stories for an hour, then come back out

276
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and party some more. I just nodded, trying my best

277
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to keep the trembling of my extremities as hidden as possible.

278
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I can't lie. I was scared even with Derek convinced

279
00:17:39.160 --> 00:17:41.559
that the stories of the labyrinth were blown out of proportion.

280
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The idea of actually entering the thing had me shook.

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Of course, I wasn't about to reveal that, especially since

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I had already developed a bit of a crush on

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00:17:51.640 --> 00:17:54.599
the girl in the Freddy costume who came off like

284
00:17:54.680 --> 00:17:57.599
this was just as simple as strolling into a grocery

285
00:17:57.640 --> 00:18:01.160
store with her folks before. Before we walked in, we

286
00:18:01.200 --> 00:18:04.640
all looked back to see every face of every costumed

287
00:18:04.680 --> 00:18:09.039
party goer glaring in our direction. From the expressions on

288
00:18:09.079 --> 00:18:11.079
a few of them, I could tell that I was

289
00:18:11.119 --> 00:18:14.440
not alone in my fear of the old Maze, something

290
00:18:14.480 --> 00:18:18.839
that didn't exactly help my concern at the time. See

291
00:18:18.920 --> 00:18:23.319
y'all in an hour, Frankenstein called out, don't chicken out, now,

292
00:18:23.960 --> 00:18:32.400
we'll be watching. For the first few minutes, we just

293
00:18:32.519 --> 00:18:35.519
walked in silence. I never really took in the height

294
00:18:35.559 --> 00:18:40.279
of the cornstalks before, how they almost towered over our heads,

295
00:18:40.359 --> 00:18:43.279
just like the stories told. It wasn't just grass or

296
00:18:43.319 --> 00:18:48.640
dirt under our feet, but perfectly flattened stalks. They crunched

297
00:18:48.680 --> 00:18:51.799
slightly as we strolled onwards, but I couldn't even make

298
00:18:51.839 --> 00:18:54.400
out the sounds of the crowd outside. After we entered,

299
00:18:55.079 --> 00:18:58.960
the aisles weren't particularly wide, causing us to walk two

300
00:18:59.039 --> 00:19:02.400
by two as we see enttered on. Derek and Alicia

301
00:19:02.480 --> 00:19:05.240
walked in front of Sandra and me, but I just

302
00:19:05.319 --> 00:19:08.680
gazed around as we moved deeper in, even with the

303
00:19:08.720 --> 00:19:12.440
moon shining down from above. I was actually quite surprised

304
00:19:12.480 --> 00:19:16.119
how easy it was to see. Still. I wasn't about

305
00:19:16.119 --> 00:19:18.960
to let my guard down, and neither was anyone else

306
00:19:19.039 --> 00:19:22.640
from what I could tell. Anyway, I say we round

307
00:19:22.680 --> 00:19:26.960
this corner, Derek said, gesturing to the right turn up ahead,

308
00:19:27.559 --> 00:19:30.960
and just plant our asses and wait. Works for me,

309
00:19:31.400 --> 00:19:35.039
I said, feeling no inspiration to bury myself any deeper

310
00:19:35.079 --> 00:19:39.119
in this place than we had to. As my brother suggested,

311
00:19:39.160 --> 00:19:42.599
we took that turn, stopped, and sat down on the

312
00:19:42.640 --> 00:19:47.079
cozier than expected ground. Perhaps, had we a little more

313
00:19:47.119 --> 00:19:52.359
time to appreciate how comfortable flattened cornstalks can be, this

314
00:19:52.480 --> 00:19:56.599
would not be a worthwhile tale to tell. Before I

315
00:19:56.680 --> 00:19:59.440
so much as allowed my butt cheeks to snuggle themselves

316
00:19:59.480 --> 00:20:02.960
into a comfort trouble setting the blood curdling squeal that

317
00:20:03.000 --> 00:20:06.680
echoed from somewhere ahead of us very nearly inspired every

318
00:20:06.720 --> 00:20:10.599
ounce of blood pumping through my veins to stop cold.

319
00:20:11.279 --> 00:20:13.640
Derek and Alicia looked as freaked out by this as

320
00:20:13.680 --> 00:20:17.160
I was, while Sandra darted her head between each of us.

321
00:20:17.720 --> 00:20:21.119
What the hell was that? She asked, placing her palms

322
00:20:21.119 --> 00:20:24.880
against the ground. Probably someone trying to mess with us,

323
00:20:25.359 --> 00:20:29.200
Derek suggested, Looking as uneasy as the rest of us.

324
00:20:29.880 --> 00:20:33.559
That far ahead, though, I asked, I could see from

325
00:20:33.559 --> 00:20:38.319
behind us, But how could another scream much closer than

326
00:20:38.359 --> 00:20:41.480
the last? Cut my words short? I got back to

327
00:20:41.519 --> 00:20:45.319
my feet, as did Eric and the girls. This is

328
00:20:45.359 --> 00:20:48.599
a setup, my brother said, appearing confident in his theory.

329
00:20:49.319 --> 00:20:52.599
Nate probably sent someone in while we weren't looking. They

330
00:20:52.680 --> 00:20:55.440
might have been in here for a while, just waiting

331
00:20:55.440 --> 00:20:59.039
to have some fun with us. It did make sense.

332
00:20:59.480 --> 00:21:02.200
The big guy and the Frankenstein costume did come off

333
00:21:02.279 --> 00:21:05.119
like he knew something when he gave us that friendly

334
00:21:05.200 --> 00:21:09.240
reminder before we entered. Given the fact that whatever beef

335
00:21:09.240 --> 00:21:11.319
he had with my brother would be set right by

336
00:21:11.359 --> 00:21:14.880
this little dare, it would stand to reason that he

337
00:21:15.000 --> 00:21:18.480
wasn't going to make it easy for us. Yeah, I

338
00:21:18.599 --> 00:21:21.680
thought they just want to force us to take off running,

339
00:21:22.240 --> 00:21:24.839
make us embarrass ourselves in front of everyone before he

340
00:21:24.920 --> 00:21:28.880
kicks the crap out of Derek. Three more screams, each

341
00:21:28.960 --> 00:21:32.680
coming from different directions, assured me that our working theory

342
00:21:32.799 --> 00:21:36.119
was right. While the girls looked back at my brother

343
00:21:36.200 --> 00:21:39.640
and me, both smiling at us, I nodded my agreement.

344
00:21:40.640 --> 00:21:44.359
Hell with it, Derek said, with a mischievous grin. Let's

345
00:21:44.400 --> 00:21:47.799
go see what they cooked up for us. Yeah, Yeah,

346
00:21:48.119 --> 00:21:51.680
I said, feeling the most confident I had since walking

347
00:21:51.720 --> 00:21:55.279
into this labyrinth. I can't deny that somewhere in the

348
00:21:55.319 --> 00:21:58.799
back of my grapefruit, I still felt uneasy about both

349
00:21:58.839 --> 00:22:03.799
my surroundings and the unsettling shrieks, but a higher percentage

350
00:22:03.839 --> 00:22:06.680
of my mind fully believed this to be what we thought,

351
00:22:07.279 --> 00:22:10.119
that my brother's adversaries wanted to put on a little

352
00:22:10.480 --> 00:22:14.039
show for us, who were we to deny their invitation.

353
00:22:15.240 --> 00:22:18.799
After walking for another five minutes or so, right turn here,

354
00:22:19.039 --> 00:22:21.839
up a few more feet, another left and right, and

355
00:22:21.960 --> 00:22:25.680
on to another straightaway, with the occasional dramatic, painful yells

356
00:22:25.720 --> 00:22:28.759
guiding our path, we finally caught sight of one of

357
00:22:28.799 --> 00:22:32.519
the likely handful of people who were screwing with us

358
00:22:33.079 --> 00:22:36.759
this particular pathway looked to be a good twenty feet long,

359
00:22:36.880 --> 00:22:39.720
with one opening to the left and another right about

360
00:22:39.720 --> 00:22:43.160
half way up at the far end. Standing directly in

361
00:22:43.160 --> 00:22:46.920
front of another wall of cornstalks, was a tall, slender

362
00:22:46.960 --> 00:22:50.319
individual in a filthy black robe, with the hood pulled

363
00:22:50.359 --> 00:22:53.920
down low enough to only reveal the wider than human

364
00:22:54.680 --> 00:22:58.519
toothy grin. When I first saw it, my heart skipped

365
00:22:58.519 --> 00:23:02.000
a beat or four. It wasn't until Derek let out

366
00:23:02.000 --> 00:23:05.400
a soft giggle that I took in how comically sinister

367
00:23:05.480 --> 00:23:08.880
the costumed person was trying to come off. They just

368
00:23:09.039 --> 00:23:13.599
stood there, heaving in exaggerated breath, keeping their head tilted

369
00:23:13.640 --> 00:23:17.960
down with their arms somewhat outstretched from their sides. It

370
00:23:18.039 --> 00:23:20.640
was sort of like how that quintessential douchebag at the

371
00:23:20.720 --> 00:23:24.000
gym looks after knocking out that first handful of reps

372
00:23:24.559 --> 00:23:28.480
that I'm swollen now because I lifted heavy stuff sort

373
00:23:28.519 --> 00:23:31.440
of thing. When all of us started to laugh at

374
00:23:31.440 --> 00:23:37.039
intermittent intervals, the mimicked heavy breathing became more agitated, inspiring

375
00:23:37.039 --> 00:23:40.000
the hooded figure to wail out in one final attempt

376
00:23:40.079 --> 00:23:44.519
to intimidate us. Unfortunately, for our cose playing friend, we

377
00:23:44.519 --> 00:23:48.960
weren't buying it. Even after two more similarly dressed individuals

378
00:23:49.000 --> 00:23:52.000
walked out from the left and right openings ahead, our

379
00:23:52.119 --> 00:23:55.920
laughter didn't let up. Gotta try harder than that, boys,

380
00:23:56.400 --> 00:23:59.559
my brother shouted, practically daring the trio to take their

381
00:23:59.599 --> 00:24:03.680
taunted to the next level. With one last howling scream,

382
00:24:04.240 --> 00:24:07.599
the one at the far end came charging toward us,

383
00:24:07.680 --> 00:24:10.440
slipping some sort of dagger from inside of its robe.

384
00:24:11.559 --> 00:24:16.000
Oh here we go, Derek said, still chuckling. This ought

385
00:24:16.000 --> 00:24:19.279
to be good. I'll never forget that smile he gave

386
00:24:19.359 --> 00:24:22.599
me when he glanced over his shoulder. He was so

387
00:24:22.759 --> 00:24:26.000
confident that he had this whole thing figured out. So

388
00:24:26.240 --> 00:24:29.640
was I, for that matter. Even when the robed figure

389
00:24:29.680 --> 00:24:32.680
showed no sign of slowing from only a few feet away,

390
00:24:33.359 --> 00:24:37.480
my brother still looked back at me, wearing that care

391
00:24:37.559 --> 00:24:42.160
free smile. The transition of our circumstances, going from something

392
00:24:42.799 --> 00:24:46.480
fun and care free to one of anguished shock and horror,

393
00:24:47.039 --> 00:24:50.920
barely allowed my mind to accept what was happening. It

394
00:24:51.000 --> 00:24:53.400
was the sound of the blade tearing into my brother's

395
00:24:53.440 --> 00:24:57.079
gut that hit me more so than the blood that

396
00:24:57.160 --> 00:25:00.960
spat from his still smiling mouth. I don't know if

397
00:25:01.000 --> 00:25:05.240
it was Alicia or Sandra who screamed first, perhaps both

398
00:25:05.279 --> 00:25:08.839
of them, for all I knew at the time. Three

399
00:25:08.880 --> 00:25:12.880
more times I heard that meaty thunk as the knife

400
00:25:12.920 --> 00:25:19.359
was pulled free and inserted back into Derek's Torso run, Danny,

401
00:25:19.920 --> 00:25:23.519
he spluttered, spritzing more specks of crimson onto his shirt.

402
00:25:24.599 --> 00:25:27.839
I was frozen in place, barely aware that I still

403
00:25:27.839 --> 00:25:31.880
had a body attached to my reeling mind. When one

404
00:25:31.880 --> 00:25:34.799
of the girls grabbed me by the wrist, attempting to

405
00:25:34.799 --> 00:25:37.119
pull me back with them as they began to run

406
00:25:37.160 --> 00:25:40.119
back the way we came. I still could not so

407
00:25:40.240 --> 00:25:43.559
much as hope to break my gaze from my beloved

408
00:25:43.559 --> 00:25:49.920
brother's wide and horrified eyes. If whoever, or whatever these

409
00:25:49.920 --> 00:25:52.920
things were could so easily put an end to someone

410
00:25:53.160 --> 00:25:56.119
who had always been so much stronger and more confident

411
00:25:56.160 --> 00:26:00.640
than me, I had no doubt I would not survived this.

412
00:26:01.799 --> 00:26:04.839
In some ways, I didn't even care. I felt so

413
00:26:05.640 --> 00:26:09.079
weak and pathetic at the time. I couldn't do a

414
00:26:09.119 --> 00:26:14.000
single thing to help Derek. I just stood rooted to

415
00:26:14.079 --> 00:26:18.039
the spot, preparing myself to share the same fate as

416
00:26:18.079 --> 00:26:26.880
my closest friend and brother. Snap out of it, Alicia

417
00:26:26.960 --> 00:26:31.960
demanded slapping me hard across the face. That exaggerated smile

418
00:26:32.079 --> 00:26:35.680
under the dusty black hood stared back at me as

419
00:26:35.680 --> 00:26:39.240
the blade was pulled from Derek's stomach for the last time,

420
00:26:39.839 --> 00:26:43.440
dropping him to the ground while his girlfriend still screamed

421
00:26:43.440 --> 00:26:46.119
at me. I was practically paralyzed by the sight of

422
00:26:46.160 --> 00:26:50.640
blood dripping from the long, jagged blade, blending with the

423
00:26:50.680 --> 00:26:56.359
pool forming around where my brother lay barely twitching. Damn it, Daniel,

424
00:26:56.759 --> 00:27:00.799
she yelled again, slapping me even harder than before, finally

425
00:27:00.839 --> 00:27:04.240
inspiring my mind to collide with my body. I looked

426
00:27:04.279 --> 00:27:07.319
at her and back to the robed figure, who was

427
00:27:07.359 --> 00:27:10.839
wiping the dagger caked in my brother's blood across its chest.

428
00:27:11.640 --> 00:27:15.000
We got a run, kid, you with me? I just nodded,

429
00:27:15.559 --> 00:27:18.880
something that was likely difficult to differentiate from my bodily

430
00:27:18.960 --> 00:27:22.400
spasms at the time. As the robed figure began to

431
00:27:22.440 --> 00:27:26.480
move in closer, stepping over Derek, I started to back

432
00:27:26.519 --> 00:27:30.519
away as he, she, or whatever the hell it was,

433
00:27:30.920 --> 00:27:34.400
lunged at me. It fell hard to the ground itself

434
00:27:34.880 --> 00:27:40.920
as my brother clutched its ankle go he moaned. That

435
00:27:41.160 --> 00:27:45.200
was enough to finally inspire me to run. Alicia and

436
00:27:45.240 --> 00:27:47.519
her sister were already a good ways ahead of me

437
00:27:47.920 --> 00:27:51.359
while I kept stealing glances over my shoulder. It was

438
00:27:51.440 --> 00:27:54.079
during one of those intervals when I turned back to

439
00:27:54.119 --> 00:27:57.160
what lay ahead of me, only to see no trace

440
00:27:57.240 --> 00:28:01.799
of anyone, that I skidded to a halt once more, Alicia,

441
00:28:02.440 --> 00:28:07.200
I called out, barely more than a whisper, Sandra, where'd

442
00:28:07.240 --> 00:28:12.759
you go? Nothing. I began to move steadily forwards in

443
00:28:12.799 --> 00:28:15.920
whatever direction we had been going before I lost sight

444
00:28:15.960 --> 00:28:18.880
of my companions. But when I heard the crunching of

445
00:28:18.960 --> 00:28:22.920
quickly paced footsteps coming from behind, I had no more

446
00:28:22.960 --> 00:28:25.599
time to waste. I took off, hoping to be out

447
00:28:25.599 --> 00:28:27.799
of sight before the robed figures caught up to me.

448
00:28:28.720 --> 00:28:31.440
I could still see the unnervingly wide grin on the

449
00:28:31.480 --> 00:28:34.400
surface of my brain as I ran from one aisle

450
00:28:34.519 --> 00:28:38.160
to the next, Getting myself so turned around, I had

451
00:28:38.200 --> 00:28:41.799
not the slightest clue where I was anymore. Even with

452
00:28:41.880 --> 00:28:44.480
the acknowledgment that I would not easily be making my

453
00:28:44.519 --> 00:28:48.720
way out of that god forsaken labyrinth, I still kept going,

454
00:28:49.160 --> 00:28:52.599
darting from right to left, up and down, over and over.

455
00:28:53.880 --> 00:28:56.559
After running on fumes for the better part of ten

456
00:28:56.680 --> 00:29:00.559
or twenty minutes, if I even had the slight hope

457
00:29:00.599 --> 00:29:04.359
of guessing any sort of time frame. I slowed down,

458
00:29:04.920 --> 00:29:07.799
hoping to catch my breath before it left me passed

459
00:29:07.799 --> 00:29:12.200
out on the flattened cornstalks. When I stopped, blindly charging onward,

460
00:29:12.680 --> 00:29:16.240
I tried to regulate my wheezing while attempting to listen

461
00:29:16.279 --> 00:29:20.240
out for any sounds around me. I couldn't hear a thing,

462
00:29:21.119 --> 00:29:26.240
no footsteps, no screams, no voices, only the thumping of

463
00:29:26.279 --> 00:29:29.680
my pulse against the inner lining of my ears. When

464
00:29:29.720 --> 00:29:32.680
the image of my brother falling lifelessly to the ground

465
00:29:33.119 --> 00:29:36.480
flashed before my eyes, I fought to shake it away,

466
00:29:37.400 --> 00:29:40.960
hopeful to focus on my escape before dwelling on whether

467
00:29:41.039 --> 00:29:45.119
he may or may not have survived this. If I

468
00:29:45.200 --> 00:29:49.400
get out, I thought, I'll get help. He's still alive.

469
00:29:49.559 --> 00:29:53.519
I know he is, I fought to convince myself. But

470
00:29:53.599 --> 00:29:55.519
you can't get him the help he needs if you're

471
00:29:55.559 --> 00:29:59.559
dead too. Yes, with that sound of my brother's flesh

472
00:29:59.599 --> 00:30:02.839
being torn and apart by the lengthy serrated blade beating

473
00:30:02.880 --> 00:30:05.720
against my ear drums, as much as the images flashing

474
00:30:05.720 --> 00:30:08.799
behind my eyes, I didn't believe it for a second,

475
00:30:09.319 --> 00:30:12.079
but I had to convince my legs to get moving again.

476
00:30:13.039 --> 00:30:15.960
It was while I waged that inner battle that another

477
00:30:16.079 --> 00:30:21.279
stomach churning squeal snapped my attention back to my dire situation.

478
00:30:22.119 --> 00:30:25.599
It was close, alarmingly close, but I knew I had

479
00:30:25.640 --> 00:30:28.480
to check it out. Given that it sounded as though

480
00:30:28.519 --> 00:30:31.079
it was one of the girls screaming this time, as

481
00:30:31.119 --> 00:30:33.640
opposed to those we had thought to be only messing

482
00:30:33.640 --> 00:30:35.960
with us, I knew I had to at least attempt

483
00:30:35.960 --> 00:30:38.880
to do what I could to save them. Sure, I

484
00:30:38.960 --> 00:30:41.599
was certain I wouldn't stand a chance against any of

485
00:30:41.640 --> 00:30:46.119
the robed figures, but I had to try. Perhaps it

486
00:30:46.200 --> 00:30:49.200
was little more than my desperation to not be alone

487
00:30:49.240 --> 00:30:52.400
in this anymore that drove my actions, but it was

488
00:30:52.440 --> 00:30:55.920
something again. I ran from one turn to the next,

489
00:30:56.599 --> 00:31:01.039
pursuing yet another horrifying shriek. As I plundered onwards, It

490
00:31:01.079 --> 00:31:03.279
didn't take me long to locate the source of the

491
00:31:03.319 --> 00:31:07.720
new sound to accompany those already haunting my subconscious. But

492
00:31:07.759 --> 00:31:10.759
when I found what I was looking for, I knew

493
00:31:10.799 --> 00:31:14.039
that there was nothing I could do to help. The

494
00:31:14.119 --> 00:31:17.880
red and green striped mini dress was almost treaded in places,

495
00:31:17.920 --> 00:31:22.599
revealing torn flesh and tissue, spilling more crimson fluids across

496
00:31:22.599 --> 00:31:26.440
the ground. My legs gave out, dropping to my knees

497
00:31:26.480 --> 00:31:30.119
beside the young girl, whose eyes glared lifelessly up at

498
00:31:30.119 --> 00:31:33.799
the night sky. Her long brown hair was matted with

499
00:31:33.839 --> 00:31:37.920
blood and chunks of gore, seemingly thrown back at her

500
00:31:37.920 --> 00:31:42.160
from the sequence of attacks that ripped her apart. I

501
00:31:42.279 --> 00:31:45.920
lost it. I just started crying and wailing out, unable

502
00:31:45.960 --> 00:31:48.839
to even hope to battle against such a formidable foe.

503
00:31:49.279 --> 00:31:52.039
The impact of my brother's death hit me at full force,

504
00:31:52.519 --> 00:31:54.759
colliding with the surface of my brain as though it

505
00:31:54.839 --> 00:31:57.920
was launched from a cannon. I continued to howl my

506
00:31:58.000 --> 00:32:01.119
hopelessness into the night even and when I felt myself

507
00:32:01.200 --> 00:32:04.839
being lifted from the ground, it was as though I

508
00:32:04.920 --> 00:32:08.240
was floating weightlessly as the robed individual carried me through

509
00:32:08.279 --> 00:32:11.079
the maze, having thrown me over its shoulder like a

510
00:32:11.119 --> 00:32:14.960
healthy sized bag of dog food. I didn't fight, I

511
00:32:15.000 --> 00:32:18.599
didn't rebel. I didn't attempt to escape. It had been

512
00:32:18.680 --> 00:32:21.920
futile to begin with, just the thought that I could

513
00:32:21.920 --> 00:32:25.599
survive something that my brother could not. When my escort

514
00:32:25.640 --> 00:32:27.880
stopped walking, I was still out of it. While my

515
00:32:27.920 --> 00:32:30.960
wrists and ankles were bound to some sort of wooden

516
00:32:31.000 --> 00:32:34.680
prop Through the tears that still flowed, I could see

517
00:32:34.880 --> 00:32:37.400
that I was in a much wider spot in the maze,

518
00:32:37.960 --> 00:32:40.200
one that was at least four or five times the

519
00:32:40.240 --> 00:32:42.960
size of the slender pathways I had been running in

520
00:32:43.039 --> 00:32:46.680
and out of. Could this be the center of the maze?

521
00:32:47.039 --> 00:32:51.079
I thought, glancing around as much as I could. There

522
00:32:51.079 --> 00:32:54.319
were six of them now, the robed figures, each with

523
00:32:54.400 --> 00:32:57.559
their own unsettling grin peeking out from the darkness of

524
00:32:57.599 --> 00:33:02.440
their hoods. Once my extreme were sufficiently restricted, the one

525
00:33:02.440 --> 00:33:04.920
who carried me there backed away to join the others

526
00:33:04.920 --> 00:33:09.480
in line. They all just glared at me, heaving their

527
00:33:09.519 --> 00:33:14.799
heavy breath while maintaining their sinister smiles. What are you

528
00:33:14.920 --> 00:33:19.720
waiting for? I asked through gritted teeth. I was beaten,

529
00:33:20.200 --> 00:33:23.599
I was done for. I did not doubt that. Why

530
00:33:23.640 --> 00:33:27.920
were they just glaring at me? What the hell are

531
00:33:27.960 --> 00:33:35.039
you waiting for? Still nothing? They just stood there like

532
00:33:35.240 --> 00:33:40.279
robed statues. They weren't even forcing out that exaggerated wheezing anymore.

533
00:33:41.440 --> 00:33:44.799
Just get it over with you, bastards. As one of

534
00:33:44.799 --> 00:33:49.079
them broke from formation, slowly coming closer to me, I

535
00:33:49.200 --> 00:33:52.640
wasn't afraid anymore. My heart ached for the loss of

536
00:33:52.680 --> 00:33:55.720
the person I cared most for in this world. If

537
00:33:55.759 --> 00:33:58.720
they took him away from me, they could have me too.

538
00:33:59.240 --> 00:34:04.119
For all I cared no more running, no more tears,

539
00:34:05.480 --> 00:34:10.559
no more. As it moved in closer, stopping only inches

540
00:34:10.599 --> 00:34:14.280
from me, it leaned over at the waist, almost pushing

541
00:34:14.320 --> 00:34:17.920
its face right next to my own. I closed my eyes,

542
00:34:18.039 --> 00:34:21.280
readying myself for the blood to spill freely to wading

543
00:34:21.360 --> 00:34:27.480
cornstalks pressed to the ground, when happy Halloween baby brother

544
00:34:28.880 --> 00:34:33.280
whispered into my ear. When my eyes blinked back open,

545
00:34:33.719 --> 00:34:36.519
they met not the malicious, grinning thing that sought to

546
00:34:36.599 --> 00:34:39.920
lay me to rest, but the smiling face of the

547
00:34:39.960 --> 00:34:44.760
person I had idolized since I was a child, Derek.

548
00:34:45.920 --> 00:34:49.159
What the I could barely form anything close to a

549
00:34:49.239 --> 00:34:53.679
legible sentence as Alicia and Sandra lowered their hoods, pulling

550
00:34:53.719 --> 00:34:57.800
away the grinning masks, followed by the two guys who

551
00:34:57.840 --> 00:35:01.840
forced us in here, and another blinde I'd never seen before.

552
00:35:02.559 --> 00:35:06.679
They weren't laughing at me, only smiling warmly, as though

553
00:35:06.719 --> 00:35:09.719
they thought this torment they had put me through to

554
00:35:09.800 --> 00:35:15.480
be a heartfelt gift of some kind. You're alive, You're

555
00:35:15.519 --> 00:35:18.840
all I stuttered, while the truth of things struck me

556
00:35:19.000 --> 00:35:22.519
like a serrated blade to the mid section. Are you

557
00:35:22.679 --> 00:35:27.079
kidding me? I belted, wrestling against the bindings holding me

558
00:35:27.119 --> 00:35:30.800
in place. How could you? Why the hell would you?

559
00:35:31.719 --> 00:35:36.039
It's okay, kiddo, Derek said, still smiling, chuckling a little

560
00:35:36.079 --> 00:35:39.159
under his breath. It was just a joke. I just

561
00:35:39.199 --> 00:35:43.079
wanted to give you one good scare for Halloween, one

562
00:35:43.360 --> 00:35:48.320
good scare. I thought you were dead, I shouted, still

563
00:35:48.360 --> 00:35:52.480
pulling against the ropes around my limbs. Whoa danny, my

564
00:35:52.599 --> 00:35:55.880
brother said, reaching out to hold my arm. Still, You're

565
00:35:55.920 --> 00:35:59.119
gonna hurt yourself. Let me, don't touch me. Do you

566
00:35:59.119 --> 00:36:01.880
have any idea? What do you put me through? I

567
00:36:01.920 --> 00:36:05.199
could tell that my brother's accomplices were growing steadily more

568
00:36:05.320 --> 00:36:10.639
uncomfortable as they stared on with varying, though equally uncomfortable expressions,

569
00:36:11.159 --> 00:36:14.320
but I didn't care. I felt betrayed by the actions

570
00:36:14.360 --> 00:36:17.079
of the one person I thought I could truly trust

571
00:36:17.079 --> 00:36:21.239
in this world, not only for this ridiculous charad, but

572
00:36:21.280 --> 00:36:24.199
for leading me into this damned maze in the first place.

573
00:36:25.760 --> 00:36:28.800
You know how I feel about this place, I said,

574
00:36:28.880 --> 00:36:34.679
lowering my voice. You know it scares me exactly, he said,

575
00:36:35.000 --> 00:36:38.599
resting his hand on my shoulder. That's why I chose it, kid,

576
00:36:38.920 --> 00:36:41.320
I'm going off to college next year. I need to

577
00:36:41.360 --> 00:36:44.519
know you'll be all right without me. It's time to

578
00:36:44.559 --> 00:36:47.760
face your fears and grow up some believe me, Danny.

579
00:36:47.800 --> 00:36:49.719
I'd never do anything like this if I didn't have

580
00:36:49.760 --> 00:36:54.199
a good reason. Cut me down, I said, refusing to

581
00:36:54.239 --> 00:36:57.559
look him in the eye. He just stared back at me,

582
00:36:58.000 --> 00:37:01.519
or so it looked through my periphery. The smile faded

583
00:37:01.559 --> 00:37:03.800
from his face by the time I allowed my eyes

584
00:37:03.840 --> 00:37:08.360
to meet his again, but I was still angry, still betrayed.

585
00:37:09.400 --> 00:37:15.079
Cut me down with a heavy sigh. He reached into

586
00:37:15.119 --> 00:37:17.519
his robe, pulling out the pocket knife he had carried

587
00:37:17.559 --> 00:37:20.800
for the last few years. After the last rope was cut,

588
00:37:21.119 --> 00:37:23.880
I just stood there, looking up at him, rubbing the

589
00:37:24.000 --> 00:37:27.119
raw flesh on my wrists from my writhing against the

590
00:37:27.159 --> 00:37:31.800
coarse ropes. Danny, I just get me out of here.

591
00:37:32.480 --> 00:37:34.960
You know your way out right, you guys sure as

592
00:37:35.000 --> 00:37:39.920
hell got around well enough, yeah, he said, lowering his

593
00:37:40.039 --> 00:37:46.719
head and looking defeated. This way, come on, Danny, Sandra said,

594
00:37:46.960 --> 00:37:49.760
pulling off the heavy looking robe to reveal the wounds

595
00:37:49.760 --> 00:37:52.960
that appeared so much more fabricated than they had through

596
00:37:53.039 --> 00:37:57.719
my fear altered vision. We didn't mean leave me alone,

597
00:37:58.239 --> 00:38:01.800
I said, swatting away the hand shoes reached out. Think

598
00:38:01.840 --> 00:38:04.920
we went too hard on him, Frankenstein asked Derek as

599
00:38:04.920 --> 00:38:10.360
we passed by him. Maybe I didn't think. Wait, my

600
00:38:10.440 --> 00:38:13.960
brother said, cutting his head from side to side. Where's

601
00:38:14.039 --> 00:38:17.280
the It wasn't until then that I noticed the circular

602
00:38:17.360 --> 00:38:22.000
clearing no longer had any visible exits. Assuming this to

603
00:38:22.079 --> 00:38:25.320
be just another part of the night's festivities, I felt

604
00:38:25.320 --> 00:38:30.840
my face begin to flush once more. Seriously, guys, I said,

605
00:38:31.239 --> 00:38:34.599
turning to face the group of suddenly bewildered looking teens.

606
00:38:35.480 --> 00:38:40.480
Enough already, can we just this isn't us? Daniel, Alicia said,

607
00:38:40.559 --> 00:38:44.000
looking thoroughly perplexed as she glanced from her sister to

608
00:38:44.119 --> 00:38:50.360
her boyfriend Nate. Is this you, guys, Derek asked? Nuh uh,

609
00:38:50.920 --> 00:38:54.719
I don't even It's all planted in the ground, the

610
00:38:54.800 --> 00:38:57.960
blonde guy said, tugging at the stalks two at a time.

611
00:38:58.920 --> 00:39:03.599
What What the hell is this, Derek, A very uneasy

612
00:39:03.639 --> 00:39:08.719
sounding Alicia asked, before screaming out again when something rolled

613
00:39:08.760 --> 00:39:18.920
across the ground towards us. Alicia wrapped her arms around

614
00:39:18.920 --> 00:39:22.159
her sister, who had begun to whimper slightly, while the

615
00:39:22.199 --> 00:39:26.000
big guy in the Frankenstein costume muttered curses under his breath.

616
00:39:26.559 --> 00:39:29.840
When the pumpkin came to a halt, staring straight up

617
00:39:29.880 --> 00:39:33.159
with a fierce and mocking smile carved into its jack

618
00:39:33.159 --> 00:39:38.440
o' lantern face, everyone grew silent and still. I just

619
00:39:38.519 --> 00:39:41.599
glared down at the thing with my jaw unhinged, still

620
00:39:41.679 --> 00:39:44.599
battling to wrap my mind around everything that had occurred

621
00:39:44.880 --> 00:39:48.480
up until this point. When the long cornstalks began to

622
00:39:48.559 --> 00:39:52.039
rustle violently, making it appear as though the whole labyrinth

623
00:39:52.119 --> 00:39:55.400
was quaking around us, it was hard to differentiate my

624
00:39:55.480 --> 00:40:00.719
own involuntary shivering from my surroundings. A low humming sound

625
00:40:00.800 --> 00:40:03.960
was barely audible above the trembling leaves, but it gave

626
00:40:04.039 --> 00:40:08.679
me the impression that something was drawing closer, as if

627
00:40:08.840 --> 00:40:15.079
gradually escalated push through. Frankenstein said, waving his hands between

628
00:40:15.079 --> 00:40:19.679
the stalks, it's just corn. We can shit. We all

629
00:40:19.719 --> 00:40:22.280
spun to see him wrestling against the vines that were

630
00:40:22.280 --> 00:40:26.679
wrapping around his arms and legs. Derek ran to his side,

631
00:40:26.880 --> 00:40:30.280
quickly slicing through the attacking greenery with his pocket knife.

632
00:40:31.199 --> 00:40:34.360
Help me, my brother shouted, while cutting and pulling the

633
00:40:34.400 --> 00:40:38.199
stems away. As Moore continued to wrap around the big guy.

634
00:40:39.039 --> 00:40:41.639
I ran up with the skinny werewolf and blonde guy,

635
00:40:41.840 --> 00:40:43.920
and we all attempted to yank at the weeds, which

636
00:40:43.960 --> 00:40:47.840
were practically engulfing the writhing Nate. Sarah had dropped to

637
00:40:47.880 --> 00:40:51.599
the trembling ground, shaking her head and whimpering louder, while

638
00:40:51.599 --> 00:40:55.920
Alicia stood seemingly frozen in place with her hands cupped

639
00:40:55.960 --> 00:40:59.960
around her mouth. Within seconds, no matter how hard we

640
00:41:00.159 --> 00:41:04.119
fought against the cornstalks, as ridiculous as that sounds, we

641
00:41:04.159 --> 00:41:06.559
could no longer see even a hint of the boy

642
00:41:06.639 --> 00:41:10.679
in the Frankenstein costume. While we still frantically battled to

643
00:41:10.719 --> 00:41:14.119
free him, he was swiftly pulled away from us, with

644
00:41:14.239 --> 00:41:18.400
only his muffled scream in his wake. When his yelling

645
00:41:18.519 --> 00:41:22.559
fell silent, I still stood there, just staring at the

646
00:41:22.599 --> 00:41:26.440
opening he had left behind, mentally checked out, while Derek

647
00:41:26.519 --> 00:41:30.039
snatched me by the wrist, shouting for the others to follow.

648
00:41:30.800 --> 00:41:33.920
When the deep and guttural laughter echoed from seemingly all

649
00:41:33.960 --> 00:41:38.039
around us. It didn't take much convincing for everyone to

650
00:41:38.119 --> 00:41:45.880
start running. Yeah, the haunting voice spoke, run, run, run away,

651
00:41:46.199 --> 00:41:50.719
My little darling, Sandra squealed out a high pitched shriek,

652
00:41:50.960 --> 00:41:54.599
while the blonde guy whined and moaned, What the hell

653
00:41:54.679 --> 00:41:59.159
is that? Derek, the visibly shivering boy in the werewolf costume, asked,

654
00:41:59.440 --> 00:42:03.480
while we can continued sprinting across the slender pathway left

655
00:42:03.519 --> 00:42:07.519
in the wake of his friend's hasty withdrawal. How should

656
00:42:07.519 --> 00:42:10.800
I know, my brother barked, still not letting go of

657
00:42:10.840 --> 00:42:16.360
my wrist. Run Run, run, run, r run away away,

658
00:42:17.559 --> 00:42:20.639
bellowed out, with each word coming from a different direction,

659
00:42:21.400 --> 00:42:24.280
ending with a sinister laugh. That damn near knocked my

660
00:42:24.360 --> 00:42:28.760
feet out from beneath me. Keep going, Alicia said, now

661
00:42:28.800 --> 00:42:32.800
helping her little sister remain upright. Almost as soon as

662
00:42:32.840 --> 00:42:36.159
the words left her mouth, our path became blocked as

663
00:42:36.199 --> 00:42:39.920
another wall of thick corn stalks burst from the ground.

664
00:42:40.559 --> 00:42:43.440
The blonde guy, who had been running the fastest, lost

665
00:42:43.480 --> 00:42:46.519
his footing as he skidded to a halt, falling with

666
00:42:46.559 --> 00:42:50.960
his back flat against the ground, stopping just short of

667
00:42:51.000 --> 00:42:54.719
the newly formed blockade. As the werewolf reached to help

668
00:42:54.760 --> 00:42:58.320
him back to his feet, the flattened stalks sprang to life,

669
00:42:58.559 --> 00:43:04.840
wrapping around him. Likedls No, he screamed, help me. His

670
00:43:04.960 --> 00:43:09.360
words were quickly muffled as the vines constricted, yanking him

671
00:43:09.400 --> 00:43:12.559
flattered to the floor of the labyrinth. Given the blood

672
00:43:12.599 --> 00:43:16.000
curdling squeal that erupted from his mouth, I was unsure

673
00:43:16.039 --> 00:43:18.079
if he was being pulled into the ground to be

674
00:43:18.159 --> 00:43:22.119
buried beneath it, or if the snapping sounds that accompanied

675
00:43:22.119 --> 00:43:26.559
his horrified wails or his bones fragmenting as the stalks

676
00:43:26.599 --> 00:43:30.400
returned to their previous state. When the blood began to

677
00:43:30.440 --> 00:43:34.000
bubble and seep through the thin gaps, spitting and spraying

678
00:43:34.039 --> 00:43:37.800
against the still trembling greenery around us, I needed no

679
00:43:37.920 --> 00:43:44.360
further clarification on his fate. Holy hell, the slender boy said,

680
00:43:44.440 --> 00:43:47.920
backing away while attempting to wipe the fresh bloodstains from

681
00:43:47.960 --> 00:43:52.719
his furry shirt. This way, Derek said, heading back the

682
00:43:52.760 --> 00:43:55.639
way we had come, gesturing to a left turn a

683
00:43:55.679 --> 00:43:58.559
few feet back. Come on, Jordan, there's nothing we could

684
00:43:58.559 --> 00:44:01.679
do for him. The where still glared down at the

685
00:44:01.719 --> 00:44:05.760
crimson pool where his friend once lay, shaking his head

686
00:44:05.800 --> 00:44:08.679
from side to side as he backed away from it.

687
00:44:09.239 --> 00:44:12.559
Move Jordan, we have to. My brother had no chance

688
00:44:12.599 --> 00:44:15.559
to finish, urging his friend to run before more of

689
00:44:15.599 --> 00:44:19.599
those vines shot from each side, instantly swallowing him whole.

690
00:44:20.719 --> 00:44:24.039
I stared on again, with my lower lip quivering as

691
00:44:24.039 --> 00:44:27.400
I could only make out the lone horrific eye peering

692
00:44:27.440 --> 00:44:31.159
out from within the tendrils of green. For a moment,

693
00:44:31.760 --> 00:44:35.239
it was as though everything fell silent around us as

694
00:44:35.280 --> 00:44:38.360
we gazed upon where the maze had claimed another soul

695
00:44:38.679 --> 00:44:42.440
for its own. It wasn't until the vines retracted on

696
00:44:42.519 --> 00:44:45.679
each side, carrying with them whatever section of the boy

697
00:44:45.760 --> 00:44:48.760
in the werewolf costume they held that each of our

698
00:44:48.800 --> 00:44:53.199
screams blended into one again. My brother snatched me by

699
00:44:53.239 --> 00:44:55.960
the arm, while his girlfriend did the same to her sister.

700
00:44:56.559 --> 00:44:59.360
By this point, I was only vaguely aware of anything,

701
00:44:59.760 --> 00:45:03.440
with my mind still reeling from the shock of everything.

702
00:45:04.159 --> 00:45:06.840
I knew I was running. I knew I was speeding

703
00:45:06.840 --> 00:45:10.159
alongside the person I trusted most in this world, but

704
00:45:10.280 --> 00:45:15.039
beyond that, everything was a blur. We sped right straight

705
00:45:15.079 --> 00:45:18.360
for a bit, then left and right again, every move

706
00:45:18.440 --> 00:45:22.679
almost guided by what the labyrinth would allow pathways opened

707
00:45:22.719 --> 00:45:26.599
and closed around us, leading this way and that, while

708
00:45:26.639 --> 00:45:32.840
that guttural voice continued to mock our desperation. Ah, yes, yes,

709
00:45:33.159 --> 00:45:36.559
this way, no, no that, Which will it be? What

710
00:45:36.679 --> 00:45:41.239
will you see? Shall you set yourselves free?

711
00:45:40.639 --> 00:45:40.840
Free?

712
00:45:41.280 --> 00:45:45.559
How long will it take do you think to find me?

713
00:45:47.559 --> 00:45:51.440
It laughed again, a loud and haunting belly laugh at

714
00:45:51.480 --> 00:45:55.639
our expense. I felt my senses begin to return, only

715
00:45:55.679 --> 00:45:59.360
to find us still charging onwards in search of an exit.

716
00:46:00.039 --> 00:46:03.360
I noticed that Derek was now carrying a hysterical Sandra,

717
00:46:03.719 --> 00:46:07.239
while Alicia held on to my wrist. I almost wanted

718
00:46:07.280 --> 00:46:09.000
to ask her to let go, as I found it

719
00:46:09.039 --> 00:46:12.119
difficult to move as freely with her clutching onto me.

720
00:46:12.760 --> 00:46:15.760
But it did make me feel ever so slightly safer

721
00:46:15.880 --> 00:46:19.280
like this, Even if I did believe our escape attempt

722
00:46:19.719 --> 00:46:23.639
to be feudile, we were in its domain. Whatever the

723
00:46:23.639 --> 00:46:26.760
hell it was it was toying with us. We ran

724
00:46:26.840 --> 00:46:30.519
the path it chose, not one of our own selection. Still,

725
00:46:30.599 --> 00:46:36.360
regardless of those undeniable facts, I knew we couldn't let up. Unfortunately,

726
00:46:36.440 --> 00:46:40.239
this inner rationalization came to a quick halt when we

727
00:46:40.280 --> 00:46:44.559
came face to face with our inevitable end. When the

728
00:46:44.599 --> 00:46:48.519
opening before us closed shut, forcing our hasty retreat short.

729
00:46:48.960 --> 00:46:51.960
I felt my stomach lurch at the sight of only

730
00:46:52.039 --> 00:46:57.719
more tall cornstalks to our sides and backs. There we stood,

731
00:46:57.800 --> 00:47:00.679
each gasping for breath, while the young girl in the

732
00:47:00.719 --> 00:47:03.960
tattered red and green striped mini dress sobbed in my

733
00:47:04.039 --> 00:47:07.559
brother's arms in a space maybe five by five feet,

734
00:47:08.119 --> 00:47:12.119
with nowhere left to go. Just let us go, Derek

735
00:47:12.199 --> 00:47:16.280
shouted into the night. Not just yet, my good lad,

736
00:47:16.639 --> 00:47:20.679
there's far too much fun fun to be had. What

737
00:47:20.760 --> 00:47:24.000
do you want from us? It was you who came

738
00:47:24.079 --> 00:47:27.679
to me, dear boy, would you so abruptly put an

739
00:47:27.880 --> 00:47:33.159
end to my joy? Please? Alicia begged, tears forming in

740
00:47:33.199 --> 00:47:38.760
her eyes. Just let my sister go take me, Derek said,

741
00:47:38.800 --> 00:47:41.480
glancing back at me. Let the others go, and you

742
00:47:41.519 --> 00:47:45.199
can do whatever you want with me. No, I barked,

743
00:47:45.559 --> 00:47:49.639
don't just give up an interesting offer you have presented

744
00:47:49.679 --> 00:47:52.920
to me. But should that be enough to set your

745
00:47:52.960 --> 00:47:56.960
friends free? I have each of you now to do

746
00:47:57.079 --> 00:48:02.079
with as I please, but you still beg for unwarranted release.

747
00:48:02.920 --> 00:48:07.280
They're innocent, my brother said, in a cracking voice. This

748
00:48:07.519 --> 00:48:12.960
is all my fault. Please, just when the stalks parted

749
00:48:13.000 --> 00:48:16.199
to our left. I once more felt my jaw drop.

750
00:48:16.920 --> 00:48:19.400
It looked as though it could very well be that

751
00:48:19.519 --> 00:48:24.039
same circular clearing we began running from, but it was

752
00:48:24.360 --> 00:48:27.360
not how we left it. The wooden prop I had

753
00:48:27.400 --> 00:48:30.559
been tied to was now replaced by a large throne,

754
00:48:31.079 --> 00:48:36.400
pieced together by a combination of vines and bones, some

755
00:48:36.440 --> 00:48:39.320
of which appeared as though they had been freshly pulled

756
00:48:39.800 --> 00:48:45.199
from some unsuspecting corpse. When I noticed the bloodied and

757
00:48:45.280 --> 00:48:48.840
matted fur poking out in places, I had to assume

758
00:48:48.880 --> 00:48:52.840
that theory to be quite accurate. After taking in the

759
00:48:52.880 --> 00:48:56.039
sight of the torn slivers of the werewolf costume, it

760
00:48:56.079 --> 00:48:58.920
didn't take long to see the strips of green latex

761
00:48:59.239 --> 00:49:03.519
that once belonged to a cheaply made Frankenstein outfit. Come in,

762
00:49:03.639 --> 00:49:06.880
Come in, Come in, Come in to my home. Do

763
00:49:07.000 --> 00:49:12.079
not leave me here to linger alone. It wasn't until

764
00:49:12.119 --> 00:49:14.800
I spoke again that I took note of what was

765
00:49:14.840 --> 00:49:19.880
sitting upon the gore lined throne. That same pumpkin, which

766
00:49:19.880 --> 00:49:23.719
had rolled into this very area, now gazed down at

767
00:49:23.760 --> 00:49:28.119
me from a skeletal frame composed of just as much

768
00:49:28.159 --> 00:49:32.480
greenery as the chair upon which it sat. The robit

769
00:49:32.599 --> 00:49:34.960
war looked to be one of those my would be

770
00:49:35.119 --> 00:49:40.119
kidnappers left behind, though the elongated emerald bones of the

771
00:49:40.239 --> 00:49:46.880
arms and legs protruded considerably more than its previous owners. Welcome, Welcome,

772
00:49:47.239 --> 00:49:51.800
my travelers, for now, what exactly possessed you to come

773
00:49:52.000 --> 00:49:55.880
through my door? We all stood in a row, glaring

774
00:49:56.000 --> 00:50:00.519
up at this abomination before us. With every word it spoke,

775
00:50:00.639 --> 00:50:05.320
the carved expression on its face adjusted to fit. It

776
00:50:05.440 --> 00:50:08.599
was my fault, my decision to come into your maze,

777
00:50:09.400 --> 00:50:14.480
my brother said, with confidence in his words. Is that true?

778
00:50:14.480 --> 00:50:19.920
The pumpkin asked? Was it all because of you? Yes?

779
00:50:20.880 --> 00:50:25.679
So please don't punish them. Just take no more words,

780
00:50:26.159 --> 00:50:29.519
the creature said, holding a leafy finger to its mouth.

781
00:50:30.320 --> 00:50:33.639
The fact that not only had its voice deepened even more,

782
00:50:34.320 --> 00:50:37.599
but a rhyme did not follow his lone sentence made

783
00:50:37.679 --> 00:50:41.639
me fear our time was at an end. You do

784
00:50:41.800 --> 00:50:45.760
not belong here, it screamed, spitting pumpkin guts and seeds

785
00:50:45.760 --> 00:50:49.000
to the ground. How would you feel if someone just

786
00:50:49.119 --> 00:50:53.440
let themselves into your home? Would you let them leave unscathed?

787
00:50:53.840 --> 00:51:00.000
I'm so sorry, I know more words. It lifted itself

788
00:51:00.159 --> 00:51:03.599
from its throne, standing twice the height of Derek as

789
00:51:03.599 --> 00:51:08.360
it glared down from its hollow, triangular eye holes. As

790
00:51:08.400 --> 00:51:12.079
what felt like minutes dragged by, we held this silent,

791
00:51:12.199 --> 00:51:16.119
staring contest. Given all I had witnessed, I knew it

792
00:51:16.159 --> 00:51:19.760
wouldn't let us leave this place with our lives. When

793
00:51:19.800 --> 00:51:23.440
the apparent lord of this maddening place finally broke the

794
00:51:23.480 --> 00:51:28.519
suffocating silence, I would find my assumptions proven wrong once more.

795
00:51:29.280 --> 00:51:33.599
Three lost, three may yet be free? Which one of

796
00:51:33.679 --> 00:51:37.920
you will stay here with me? Before I had the

797
00:51:37.960 --> 00:51:42.599
slightest chance to intervene, Derek stepped forward as the creature

798
00:51:42.639 --> 00:51:47.039
slipped off the robe, revealing more of its hauntingly thin frame.

799
00:51:47.679 --> 00:51:51.480
My brother looked back at me with a smile, tears

800
00:51:51.559 --> 00:51:57.440
dripping down his face. I love you, kiddo, were his

801
00:51:57.559 --> 00:52:01.400
last words before the filthy blow. Black fabric was thrown

802
00:52:01.480 --> 00:52:05.159
over my head, hiding whatever happened next from my eyes.

803
00:52:06.360 --> 00:52:09.400
When I pulled the robe away to see only the

804
00:52:09.480 --> 00:52:12.760
outside of the old corn maze before me, I fell

805
00:52:12.800 --> 00:52:16.159
to the ground, unable to prevent the scream from breaching

806
00:52:16.199 --> 00:52:19.760
my lips, even when the arms wrapped around my back

807
00:52:20.239 --> 00:52:22.880
while the girls attempted to lift me back to my feet.

808
00:52:23.480 --> 00:52:27.239
My agonized wail would not let up. In the weeks

809
00:52:27.280 --> 00:52:30.719
following the disappearance of my brother and his friends, the

810
00:52:30.800 --> 00:52:34.760
authorities searched every square inch of that labyrinth, as well

811
00:52:34.800 --> 00:52:38.719
as the woods surrounding it, but nothing was ever turned up.

812
00:52:40.159 --> 00:52:43.119
They even plowed the whole thing down before digging in

813
00:52:43.199 --> 00:52:47.760
search of anything that remained of its victims. Ultimately, they

814
00:52:47.800 --> 00:52:50.840
couldn't find so much as a trace of anyone it

815
00:52:50.920 --> 00:52:54.199
claimed for its own, but there was nothing left of

816
00:52:54.239 --> 00:52:58.360
the old corn maze by the time the work was done.

817
00:52:58.440 --> 00:53:01.039
I can't say that it surprised when it turned back

818
00:53:01.119 --> 00:53:05.079
up the next Halloween, though I couldn't help but wonder

819
00:53:05.119 --> 00:53:09.000
whether it grew back the natural way or just sprouted

820
00:53:09.079 --> 00:53:12.840
out of the ground overnight, Given that I didn't return

821
00:53:12.920 --> 00:53:16.760
to that awful place until the following October thirty first,

822
00:53:17.239 --> 00:53:20.320
I have no idea how it returned, but I knew

823
00:53:20.840 --> 00:53:24.079
it would be there, didn't doubt it for a second.

824
00:53:25.039 --> 00:53:28.119
I didn't go trick or treating that year or any

825
00:53:28.159 --> 00:53:31.840
other after that last time. Sure, I let my folks

826
00:53:31.880 --> 00:53:34.639
think I did, but I had made arrangements for the

827
00:53:34.760 --> 00:53:39.079
ride back out there long before that night. I just

828
00:53:39.159 --> 00:53:42.119
had to see it for myself, you know, just face

829
00:53:42.239 --> 00:53:45.119
off against that damned thing and beg for it to

830
00:53:45.119 --> 00:53:48.880
give back what it took from me. Before I could enter, though,

831
00:53:49.400 --> 00:53:52.880
the pathway was blocked to me not by the stalks

832
00:53:52.920 --> 00:53:55.920
forming another wall, but by the one who chose to

833
00:53:55.960 --> 00:54:00.199
stay behind to grant us freedom. In many ways, I

834
00:54:00.239 --> 00:54:03.320
wasn't surprised to see him either, even if the hope

835
00:54:03.320 --> 00:54:06.679
of pulling him free from that place were short lived.

836
00:54:07.400 --> 00:54:11.039
We talked for a while that night and every Halloween

837
00:54:11.119 --> 00:54:14.679
that came after it. Even all these years later, he

838
00:54:14.800 --> 00:54:17.880
still looks as young as he did that last time

839
00:54:17.920 --> 00:54:20.239
we went door to door in search of bag loads

840
00:54:20.280 --> 00:54:23.639
of candy. It may be the only time I can

841
00:54:23.679 --> 00:54:26.239
see him, and he refuses to tell me what his

842
00:54:26.360 --> 00:54:29.960
existence consists of the other three hundred and sixty four

843
00:54:30.039 --> 00:54:33.079
days of the year. But I will carry on this

844
00:54:33.159 --> 00:54:37.280
tradition for as long as I am able. Sandra and

845
00:54:37.280 --> 00:54:40.519
I are going to be parents. Sing Yes, we've both

846
00:54:40.599 --> 00:54:43.079
been through our fair share of therapy over the years,

847
00:54:43.559 --> 00:54:47.320
as has her sister, But that awful night brought us

848
00:54:47.360 --> 00:54:50.679
all closer than I could ever have imagined. Maybe it's

849
00:54:50.719 --> 00:54:53.360
simply the fact that we could only confide in each

850
00:54:53.400 --> 00:54:56.920
other after that night, as nobody would believe our account

851
00:54:56.920 --> 00:55:01.400
of things. While the psychiatrists help, we haven't exactly been

852
00:55:01.440 --> 00:55:06.960
forthcoming about everything with them. Given my wife's condition, I'd

853
00:55:07.000 --> 00:55:09.400
say there's a good chance our son could be born

854
00:55:09.480 --> 00:55:13.000
any day now. I just hope that he doesn't decide

855
00:55:13.039 --> 00:55:17.639
to wait until Halloween to make his grand entrance. I

856
00:55:17.800 --> 00:55:20.719
have an appointment to keep, after all, one that I

857
00:55:20.840 --> 00:55:24.000
hope to have him accompany me on when he's old enough.

858
00:55:24.880 --> 00:55:28.199
It's only right that he meets the man he's named after.

859
00:55:29.519 --> 00:55:32.000
I don't know why that thing allowed us to leave

860
00:55:32.039 --> 00:55:35.239
that night, something that Derek claims he doesn't have an

861
00:55:35.239 --> 00:55:39.760
answer for either, though I suspect he understands far more

862
00:55:39.840 --> 00:55:44.079
than he's letting on. Perhaps someday, though, when my life

863
00:55:44.119 --> 00:55:46.679
has passed me by and I'm nearing the end of

864
00:55:46.719 --> 00:55:51.039
my journey, maybe then I'll have the answers I seek

865
00:55:52.079 --> 00:55:55.840
When my final Halloween comes, when I visit that labyrinth

866
00:55:55.840 --> 00:55:59.840
for the last time, maybe it'll allow me to enter

867
00:55:59.880 --> 00:56:05.239
it again. If I can't free my beloved brother, perhaps

868
00:56:05.320 --> 00:56:09.119
I can join him and whatever truly lies beneath the

869
00:56:09.199 --> 00:56:22.199
old Corn Maze just outside the city limits. I went

870
00:56:22.320 --> 00:56:26.000
on a Halloween hiking trip with my friends. My reading

871
00:56:26.079 --> 00:56:32.280
light saved my life by Michael Kelso. If only Jolene

872
00:56:32.320 --> 00:56:36.800
hadn't worn that stupid mask, things might have ended differently.

873
00:56:37.480 --> 00:56:42.360
I might have called off the whole trip and saved everyone.

874
00:56:42.440 --> 00:56:45.320
It all started as I stood at my mailbox, waiting

875
00:56:45.440 --> 00:56:47.719
like a little kid who had ordered a toy from

876
00:56:47.760 --> 00:56:51.840
a cereal box. The mailman usually came at three o'clock,

877
00:56:52.559 --> 00:56:57.199
never failing unless something had happened. I stood at my mailbox,

878
00:56:57.280 --> 00:57:01.280
staring at my watch that said three ten. So what

879
00:57:01.480 --> 00:57:04.079
was the hold up? Did he have a flat tire?

880
00:57:04.559 --> 00:57:07.400
Did a terrorist attack? Did a bear grab him when

881
00:57:07.440 --> 00:57:11.880
he was trying to deliver me my precious delivery. Just

882
00:57:11.960 --> 00:57:13.880
as I was about to turn and go back to

883
00:57:13.920 --> 00:57:17.159
the house, I saw the little yellow light flashing on

884
00:57:17.239 --> 00:57:20.960
top of a car coming my way and nearly jumped

885
00:57:20.960 --> 00:57:24.639
out of my skin. This was it. If it didn't

886
00:57:24.679 --> 00:57:26.960
come today, there was no way I'd have time to

887
00:57:27.079 --> 00:57:31.400
order another one before leaving for the camping trip. The

888
00:57:31.440 --> 00:57:35.639
car slowly pulled up to the mailbox and I said hello.

889
00:57:35.840 --> 00:57:38.239
Instead of putting the mail in the box, he handed

890
00:57:38.239 --> 00:57:42.159
me a few letters and looked away. My heart sank

891
00:57:42.199 --> 00:57:46.559
as he turned and faced the road. Isn't there anything

892
00:57:46.599 --> 00:57:49.920
else for me? I said, trying to keep the desperation

893
00:57:50.519 --> 00:57:53.440
out of my voice. He turned and looked in the

894
00:57:53.440 --> 00:57:57.960
back seat. Oh wait, it looks like there's something I forgot,

895
00:57:58.360 --> 00:58:01.280
he said, reaching in the back and handing me a

896
00:58:01.320 --> 00:58:04.199
brown envelope with the address on it I'd been looking for.

897
00:58:05.199 --> 00:58:08.440
He smiled and waved as he drove off, leaving me

898
00:58:08.960 --> 00:58:12.639
holding my prize. This was going to be a good

899
00:58:12.639 --> 00:58:16.840
camping trip now. I nearly skipped back to the house,

900
00:58:17.119 --> 00:58:19.440
threw the other mail on the table without looking at

901
00:58:19.440 --> 00:58:23.880
it before ripping open the package. There it was my

902
00:58:24.079 --> 00:58:28.679
glorious booklight. I'm an avid reader and an avid camper.

903
00:58:29.159 --> 00:58:31.960
It's always been a struggle to read during camping trips.

904
00:58:32.480 --> 00:58:36.280
I took along various battery powered lamps and flashlights, but

905
00:58:36.400 --> 00:58:39.679
nothing seemed to work for me. Getting comfortable enough to

906
00:58:39.760 --> 00:58:42.920
really settle into my book was a challenge. When I

907
00:58:42.960 --> 00:58:46.880
saw this light advertised on Instagram, I instantly knew this

908
00:58:47.239 --> 00:58:50.119
was what I needed. It was a booklight that wrapped

909
00:58:50.119 --> 00:58:52.679
around your neck with a light at each end that

910
00:58:52.679 --> 00:58:56.400
would shine write down on your text. There was no

911
00:58:56.519 --> 00:58:59.480
doubt it would be perfect, and I ordered one right away.

912
00:59:00.480 --> 00:59:04.360
Finally I could finish packing for the camping trip. My

913
00:59:04.440 --> 00:59:07.440
friends and I loved to go hiking and camping. With

914
00:59:07.519 --> 00:59:10.360
a huge state park so close, it was a no

915
00:59:10.519 --> 00:59:13.519
brainer that we would be there as often as possible.

916
00:59:14.199 --> 00:59:16.760
Every time we decided to go, we would all meet

917
00:59:16.840 --> 00:59:19.320
up at the trailhead and hike to the site together.

918
00:59:20.159 --> 00:59:24.400
This time would be the exception. There were scheduling conflicts,

919
00:59:24.400 --> 00:59:26.400
and if we wanted to go at all, it wouldn't

920
00:59:26.400 --> 00:59:29.639
be at the same time. Dawn and Rose could barely

921
00:59:29.679 --> 00:59:32.079
get away for the weekend. They would have to catch

922
00:59:32.159 --> 00:59:34.519
up to us later at the camp site. At the

923
00:59:34.599 --> 00:59:37.440
last minute, even Jolene called and said she was running

924
00:59:37.480 --> 00:59:41.880
behind and might not make it until later. In retrospect,

925
00:59:42.199 --> 00:59:44.920
I should have seen it coming, seeing what the date

926
00:59:44.960 --> 00:59:48.000
we had set for our trip was, but instead of

927
00:59:48.079 --> 00:59:51.639
canceling and choosing another time, I just shrugged it off

928
00:59:51.679 --> 00:59:55.719
as conflicting schedules and hef did my backpack, then started

929
00:59:55.760 --> 00:59:59.440
down the trail. Being by myself on this trail never

930
00:59:59.519 --> 01:00:03.800
really bothered me before. I hiked this many many times

931
01:00:03.840 --> 01:00:06.960
and never had a problem. I decided to go early

932
01:00:07.000 --> 01:00:08.719
and get the camp set up so we could have

933
01:00:09.079 --> 01:00:12.639
maximum time together. My schedule had been cleared for the

934
01:00:12.800 --> 01:00:15.800
entire trip, and I was going to take full advantage.

935
01:00:16.199 --> 01:00:18.519
The sun had set by the time I started down

936
01:00:18.559 --> 01:00:20.840
the trail, and it would be dark by the time

937
01:00:20.880 --> 01:00:24.280
I got to our campsite. Hiking at night wasn't the

938
01:00:24.320 --> 01:00:26.599
best thing to do, even though I knew the trail.

939
01:00:27.159 --> 01:00:29.519
But aside from getting camp set up, I was also

940
01:00:29.599 --> 01:00:34.039
excited to use my new booklight. It worked surprisingly well

941
01:00:34.119 --> 01:00:36.880
lighting up the trail and made it much easier to

942
01:00:36.960 --> 01:00:40.719
use my walking stick for the more difficult parts. Taking

943
01:00:40.760 --> 01:00:43.639
it slow, going at my own pace, and enjoying as

944
01:00:43.679 --> 01:00:46.679
much scenery as I could was a luxury I was enjoying.

945
01:00:47.519 --> 01:00:50.519
Usually Dawn would lead the group and drive us hard

946
01:00:50.599 --> 01:00:53.320
until we got to camp. I wanted to get out

947
01:00:53.320 --> 01:00:56.079
my book and read as I walked, but I figured

948
01:00:56.079 --> 01:00:58.800
that would be tempting fate, and I had no desire

949
01:00:58.840 --> 01:01:01.440
to face plant on the trail. After discovering a tree

950
01:01:01.480 --> 01:01:05.760
route the hard way, as I walked, lost in thought,

951
01:01:05.800 --> 01:01:12.679
suddenly the forest became eerily silent. The birds stopped singing,

952
01:01:12.840 --> 01:01:17.360
squirrels stopped chattering, even crickets stopped chirping. It was so

953
01:01:17.559 --> 01:01:21.719
quiet I could hear my own footsteps. It was very unsettling.

954
01:01:22.400 --> 01:01:26.039
I stopped and slowly turned around, using my light to

955
01:01:26.079 --> 01:01:30.599
search for anything unusual. After a full circle, without seeing

956
01:01:30.639 --> 01:01:33.480
anything out of the ordinary, I tried to shake off

957
01:01:33.519 --> 01:01:37.559
the feeling and just kept going. It didn't take long

958
01:01:37.639 --> 01:01:40.920
for me to begin speeding up. Every step was somehow

959
01:01:40.960 --> 01:01:44.400
more desperate than the last, as if getting to my

960
01:01:44.519 --> 01:01:48.079
campsite would somehow protect me from whatever was out there,

961
01:01:48.159 --> 01:01:51.480
making the animals and creatures of the night afraid to

962
01:01:51.519 --> 01:01:54.639
make a sound. By the time I could see the

963
01:01:54.679 --> 01:01:57.920
clearing where we camped rising in the distance, I was

964
01:01:57.960 --> 01:02:02.320
power walking, nearly running. All of a sudden, the noises

965
01:02:02.800 --> 01:02:05.960
started back up again, as if someone had flipped a

966
01:02:06.000 --> 01:02:09.800
switch or I had somehow stepped out of some invisible

967
01:02:09.880 --> 01:02:13.440
danger zone. I paused and turned back to see if

968
01:02:13.440 --> 01:02:16.800
there was any physical sign of what had happened, if

969
01:02:16.800 --> 01:02:20.199
there was some kind of creature lurking behind me or something.

970
01:02:20.800 --> 01:02:24.760
But there was nothing, and nothing seemed to be even

971
01:02:24.800 --> 01:02:29.199
more unnerving. It wasn't until later, after everything was over,

972
01:02:29.280 --> 01:02:31.559
that I realized how stupid it was for me to

973
01:02:31.599 --> 01:02:35.119
travel this trail by myself, let alone in the dark.

974
01:02:36.119 --> 01:02:38.400
I guess it was a combination of things that made

975
01:02:38.440 --> 01:02:41.840
me do it. First of all, just the disappointment of

976
01:02:41.880 --> 01:02:45.760
everyone nearly canceling at the last minute. Secondly was my

977
01:02:45.880 --> 01:02:49.840
surprise package that came on time, and just wanting to

978
01:02:49.960 --> 01:02:53.000
use this cool new light in any way I could.

979
01:02:53.840 --> 01:02:55.880
But the really big thing that did it for me

980
01:02:56.119 --> 01:03:00.159
was my stubbornness. I had decided I was going camping,

981
01:03:00.239 --> 01:03:03.960
come hell or high water. I didn't realize it would

982
01:03:04.000 --> 01:03:07.920
be the former. It didn't even register that I was

983
01:03:07.960 --> 01:03:11.039
heading out alone on a trail at night on October thirtieth,

984
01:03:11.599 --> 01:03:15.199
the day before Halloween. It didn't take me long to

985
01:03:15.239 --> 01:03:17.639
get my tent set up, and I didn't bother with

986
01:03:17.719 --> 01:03:20.960
a fire. I just dove straight inside and zipped up

987
01:03:21.000 --> 01:03:24.480
the entrance, somehow believing that the thin layer of tent

988
01:03:24.599 --> 01:03:27.880
material would keep me safe from anything that went bump

989
01:03:27.920 --> 01:03:31.119
in the night. I lay there on the bare tent floor,

990
01:03:31.639 --> 01:03:35.719
breathing hard in sheer terror, wondering why I was so frightened.

991
01:03:36.159 --> 01:03:39.280
There hadn't been any tangible proof of anything following me.

992
01:03:39.920 --> 01:03:43.599
I had seen nothing. What had gotten me so worked up?

993
01:03:44.480 --> 01:03:47.719
This is what I told myself over and over until

994
01:03:47.760 --> 01:03:50.880
my breathing slowed back to normal as I unpacked my

995
01:03:51.000 --> 01:03:54.800
backpack to settle in. Once I was secure in my

996
01:03:54.920 --> 01:03:57.719
sleeping bag, I finally dug out the book I'd brought

997
01:03:57.719 --> 01:04:02.000
along for the trip. It was a domestic thriller called Secrets,

998
01:04:02.440 --> 01:04:06.199
about a woman whose life was turned upside down. I

999
01:04:06.280 --> 01:04:09.679
turned on my light and began reading. It didn't take

1000
01:04:09.719 --> 01:04:12.599
me long to become so engrossed in the story that

1001
01:04:12.719 --> 01:04:17.559
the world around me disappeared. That was when the adrenaline

1002
01:04:17.639 --> 01:04:21.519
crash from the fear grabbed my face and said, you're

1003
01:04:21.559 --> 01:04:29.119
going to sleep now. Some time later, I woke up

1004
01:04:29.159 --> 01:04:31.480
and pulled my face out of the small puddle of

1005
01:04:31.599 --> 01:04:35.199
drool that had soaked into my sleeping bag. I sat up,

1006
01:04:35.239 --> 01:04:38.599
wipe my mouth, and stretched. To my great surprise, the

1007
01:04:38.639 --> 01:04:41.440
book light was still on and I hadn't broken it

1008
01:04:41.480 --> 01:04:45.000
by laying on it. The darkness outside had given way

1009
01:04:45.039 --> 01:04:49.079
to a dull gray. It must have been just before sunrise.

1010
01:04:49.760 --> 01:04:52.159
Pulling myself out of the sleeping bag gave me an

1011
01:04:52.159 --> 01:04:55.480
instant reminder of how cold autumn mornings can be in

1012
01:04:55.559 --> 01:05:00.639
the forest. While pulling on my jacket, I froze there

1013
01:05:00.719 --> 01:05:04.519
was something or someone moving around just outside my tent.

1014
01:05:05.480 --> 01:05:09.360
Zipping up my jacket quietly, I slid towards the zippered

1015
01:05:09.400 --> 01:05:12.800
tent window in hopes of getting a closer look. My

1016
01:05:12.960 --> 01:05:16.400
hands shook as I pulled the tabs slowly, hoping to

1017
01:05:16.440 --> 01:05:19.719
make as little noise as possible and sneak a peek

1018
01:05:19.760 --> 01:05:23.119
at whatever was out there. My eyes slid up to

1019
01:05:23.199 --> 01:05:26.280
the opening and peered out. All I could see through

1020
01:05:26.320 --> 01:05:29.599
the slit were dim outlines of trees through the growing

1021
01:05:29.679 --> 01:05:32.920
morning light. I scanned around as much as I could

1022
01:05:32.960 --> 01:05:36.400
through my limited view, when suddenly a pair of glowing

1023
01:05:36.440 --> 01:05:40.960
eyes appeared in the window. I screamed and threw myself

1024
01:05:41.000 --> 01:05:43.920
backward onto my sleeping bag, landing with a thump that

1025
01:05:44.000 --> 01:05:47.440
took my breath away. The shadow of the creature moved

1026
01:05:47.440 --> 01:05:50.199
from the window to the main tent flap. I lay

1027
01:05:50.239 --> 01:05:53.400
there helpless as the zipper undid itself and the hideous

1028
01:05:53.440 --> 01:05:58.079
face of the monster poked itself inside. It roared so

1029
01:05:58.320 --> 01:06:01.320
loud I clamped my hands over my ears. My life

1030
01:06:01.360 --> 01:06:04.320
flashed before my eyes as it slowly entered the tent.

1031
01:06:04.880 --> 01:06:11.039
Growling and snarling. Regret filled me. Why didn't I wait

1032
01:06:11.079 --> 01:06:14.320
for my friends. But then why should they die with me?

1033
01:06:15.199 --> 01:06:18.239
Maybe it was better they were late. They would find

1034
01:06:18.320 --> 01:06:22.719
my horribly mutilated, impossibly eaten body, but they might survive

1035
01:06:22.840 --> 01:06:26.360
if they ran away. As these thoughts chased each other

1036
01:06:26.440 --> 01:06:31.280
around in my brain, I noticed something. The creature was

1037
01:06:31.360 --> 01:06:36.480
wearing a sparkly bracelet. Not only that, but it seemed

1038
01:06:36.480 --> 01:06:40.039
to have a manicure. Now that I looked more closely,

1039
01:06:40.480 --> 01:06:43.679
it was wearing a T shirt and sweatpants. I reached

1040
01:06:43.719 --> 01:06:47.039
up and grabbed the creature's face, then ripped it off

1041
01:06:47.320 --> 01:06:51.159
with all my might. Ouch, it said, as the fur

1042
01:06:51.320 --> 01:06:55.039
came loose. In a heartbeat, I was holding the creature's

1043
01:06:55.079 --> 01:06:59.440
face in my hand and Joline stood there rubbing her ears.

1044
01:07:00.239 --> 01:07:02.440
You think you could yank my ears off next time,

1045
01:07:02.880 --> 01:07:06.320
she said, sure, after I'm done having a heart attack,

1046
01:07:06.360 --> 01:07:11.000
you jerk, she smiled, still rubbing her ears. Happy Yalloween,

1047
01:07:11.840 --> 01:07:14.960
Screw you, I said, throwing the mask at her and

1048
01:07:15.000 --> 01:07:18.440
storming out of the tent. Wait you're not really mad,

1049
01:07:18.559 --> 01:07:21.320
are you, I heard her say from behind me as

1050
01:07:21.320 --> 01:07:24.440
I tromped down the trail. I didn't bother to turn

1051
01:07:24.559 --> 01:07:28.639
answer or even slow down. Where are you going? She said?

1052
01:07:29.239 --> 01:07:31.719
The thought registered in my head, but I couldn't seem

1053
01:07:31.760 --> 01:07:35.519
to answer the question where was I going? I was

1054
01:07:35.639 --> 01:07:38.800
just stomping down the trail with no destination in mind.

1055
01:07:39.199 --> 01:07:41.800
The sun was peeking over the horizon as I passed

1056
01:07:41.800 --> 01:07:45.079
a clearing in the trees. Without thinking, I slowed to

1057
01:07:45.119 --> 01:07:49.079
a stop and stood there, admiring the simple, elegant beauty

1058
01:07:49.119 --> 01:07:52.639
of the sunrise. I heard and felt a presence beside

1059
01:07:52.679 --> 01:07:57.119
me as I stared into the rising sun. Beautiful, isn't it?

1060
01:07:57.519 --> 01:08:01.800
Jolene said. I turned to her, and I should throw

1061
01:08:01.840 --> 01:08:05.400
you off this cliff, I said. She took a step back,

1062
01:08:05.719 --> 01:08:10.239
her eyes filled with uncertainty. Sucks being afraid, doesn't it?

1063
01:08:10.679 --> 01:08:15.280
I said, yeah, she said, staying a healthy distance away

1064
01:08:15.280 --> 01:08:18.760
from me. I guess it. Does. You know what I

1065
01:08:18.800 --> 01:08:22.079
should do with that mask? I said, I'm sure you

1066
01:08:22.159 --> 01:08:27.399
have a few creative suggestions, she said carefully. I turned

1067
01:08:27.439 --> 01:08:30.520
to her, with a gleam in my eyes. You should

1068
01:08:30.560 --> 01:08:34.239
scare the hell out of Dawn and Rose. Her look

1069
01:08:34.359 --> 01:08:39.000
slowly transformed from fear to confusion as the edge of

1070
01:08:39.039 --> 01:08:42.800
her lip slid up into a grin. It was late

1071
01:08:42.840 --> 01:08:46.239
afternoon when Dawn and Rose came huffing and puffing up

1072
01:08:46.279 --> 01:08:49.399
the trail to the campsite. I'd started a fire and

1073
01:08:49.439 --> 01:08:52.600
made some lunch. There was also some coffee brewing on

1074
01:08:52.680 --> 01:08:56.880
the flames. Well, you too, sure took your time, I said,

1075
01:08:56.960 --> 01:08:59.800
poking at the fire and adding another piece of wood.

1076
01:09:00.560 --> 01:09:03.800
You're lucky we came at all, Don said, I was

1077
01:09:03.840 --> 01:09:07.760
going to call and cancel like Jolene did. I said,

1078
01:09:07.800 --> 01:09:11.680
trying my best to sound upset and disappointed. Are you

1079
01:09:11.800 --> 01:09:16.039
kidding me? Rose said, dropping her backpack. After we busted

1080
01:09:16.039 --> 01:09:19.439
our butts to get up here, fraid so, I said,

1081
01:09:20.359 --> 01:09:23.840
that's great, Don said, pulling her cell phone out of

1082
01:09:23.880 --> 01:09:27.319
her pocket. You wait until I talked to her. I

1083
01:09:27.479 --> 01:09:30.119
wasn't sure if Jolene had silenced her phone or not.

1084
01:09:30.840 --> 01:09:34.840
Don's call could ruin the whole prank. My mind searched

1085
01:09:34.840 --> 01:09:39.600
frantically for something to do. Don't bother, I said, I

1086
01:09:39.680 --> 01:09:44.760
already tried calling her this morning. It went straight to voicemail. Hmm,

1087
01:09:45.600 --> 01:09:49.399
Don said, putting her phone back in her pocket. She's

1088
01:09:49.479 --> 01:09:53.359
probably snuggled up in bed sleeping. Well at least you

1089
01:09:53.439 --> 01:09:56.239
two made it, I said, pointing to the logs around

1090
01:09:56.239 --> 01:09:59.640
the fire. Take a load off. They looked at the

1091
01:09:59.680 --> 01:10:03.800
log with disdain, but shrugged and sat. I guess exhaustion

1092
01:10:03.920 --> 01:10:08.159
will lower your standards regarding where you rest. We chitchatted

1093
01:10:08.199 --> 01:10:10.399
for a while, mostly about how upset we were with

1094
01:10:10.520 --> 01:10:13.920
Jolene for skipping out on us. Then I helped them

1095
01:10:13.960 --> 01:10:17.119
set up their tents. We had just finished when off

1096
01:10:17.119 --> 01:10:20.720
in the distance we heard a roar and a scream.

1097
01:10:21.800 --> 01:10:26.239
What was that? Dawn said, looking around, trying to determine

1098
01:10:26.239 --> 01:10:30.319
what direction it had come from. I don't know, I said,

1099
01:10:30.560 --> 01:10:34.000
putting on an Oscar level performance of looking frightened while

1100
01:10:34.039 --> 01:10:38.800
trying not to smile. Jolene had outdone herself. She said

1101
01:10:38.840 --> 01:10:41.000
she would look for roaring sounds on her phone, but

1102
01:10:41.680 --> 01:10:44.760
that was so loud. I didn't know her phone could

1103
01:10:44.760 --> 01:10:48.640
get that loud. Light was just beginning to fade, making

1104
01:10:48.680 --> 01:10:50.840
it even harder to see if there was anything coming

1105
01:10:50.880 --> 01:10:53.600
out of the trees towards us. Rose was having a

1106
01:10:53.640 --> 01:10:57.439
full panic attack. What do we do? What do we do?

1107
01:10:58.039 --> 01:11:01.119
She said? Let's just go in our tents and hope

1108
01:11:01.159 --> 01:11:04.159
whatever it is doesn't care about finding us. I said

1109
01:11:04.880 --> 01:11:08.079
we should leave, Rose said, her eyes darting all around

1110
01:11:08.359 --> 01:11:13.119
searching for danger. I think so too, Don said, If

1111
01:11:13.119 --> 01:11:16.199
there's something out there, it could come after us. I

1112
01:11:16.239 --> 01:11:18.840
tried to do a quick pivot to save the prank.

1113
01:11:19.880 --> 01:11:24.079
Where would we go? I said, our cars are miles away.

1114
01:11:24.119 --> 01:11:27.239
If that thing was after us, it would stalk us

1115
01:11:27.279 --> 01:11:29.960
on the trail too, and we wouldn't have our tents

1116
01:11:30.000 --> 01:11:32.880
made up to hide in. They stared at me with

1117
01:11:32.920 --> 01:11:37.680
what looked like suspicion that turned into resignation. I guess

1118
01:11:37.680 --> 01:11:41.319
you're right, Don said, we should just go in our

1119
01:11:41.439 --> 01:11:45.279
tents and hope that thing goes away. Are you kidding me?

1120
01:11:45.840 --> 01:11:48.800
Rose said, why not just wrap ourselves in our sleeping

1121
01:11:48.800 --> 01:11:51.439
bags and serve ourselves up as burritos for that thing?

1122
01:11:52.720 --> 01:11:56.520
Don't you think you're overreacting? I said, we don't even

1123
01:11:56.600 --> 01:11:59.600
know what that was. Maybe it was some animal calling

1124
01:11:59.600 --> 01:12:03.640
for a minut eight, and the scream could be someone

1125
01:12:03.720 --> 01:12:06.720
saw it and was scared. Dawn watched our back and

1126
01:12:06.760 --> 01:12:12.000
forth conversation. Let's just get to our tents. She said no,

1127
01:12:12.720 --> 01:12:17.960
Rose said, I want to leave right now. There's the trail,

1128
01:12:18.399 --> 01:12:22.520
I said, pointing, no one's stopping you. She looked from

1129
01:12:22.560 --> 01:12:25.600
the trail to Dawn to me. I turned and went

1130
01:12:25.640 --> 01:12:28.560
into my tent. A few minutes later, I heard another

1131
01:12:28.640 --> 01:12:33.159
tent flap rustle, followed by a third. A smile crept

1132
01:12:33.159 --> 01:12:37.199
across my face. This was going to be fun. I

1133
01:12:37.279 --> 01:12:39.600
was so excited I barely read any of my book.

1134
01:12:40.279 --> 01:12:43.880
Within an hour, I heard something outside the tent, rustling

1135
01:12:43.920 --> 01:12:47.479
through the campsite and knocking things over. Here we go,

1136
01:12:48.079 --> 01:12:51.000
I whispered. It was all I could do to stay

1137
01:12:51.039 --> 01:12:53.840
in my tent. When I heard Rose scream. There was

1138
01:12:53.920 --> 01:12:56.640
no way I could watch Jolene chasing them around with

1139
01:12:56.720 --> 01:13:00.680
that ridiculous mask on and not howl with laughter. I

1140
01:13:00.720 --> 01:13:02.840
wanted to give the prank time for them to be

1141
01:13:02.920 --> 01:13:08.359
scared before revealing our devious plan. Fits of laughter fought

1142
01:13:08.399 --> 01:13:10.720
to escape me, but I held them in as I

1143
01:13:10.760 --> 01:13:14.479
heard Dawn screams join the fray from the sound, they

1144
01:13:14.479 --> 01:13:18.560
were all running around, destroying the campsite. Between the growls,

1145
01:13:18.680 --> 01:13:21.960
running knocking into things, and screams of terror, the whole

1146
01:13:21.960 --> 01:13:25.600
cacophony of it was nearly impossible to sit through. Every

1147
01:13:25.640 --> 01:13:27.960
inch of me was aching to jump out and yell

1148
01:13:28.239 --> 01:13:33.000
Happy Halloween, we got you. After a few minutes, the

1149
01:13:33.079 --> 01:13:37.159
noise died down. Everyone must have gotten tired. I was

1150
01:13:37.199 --> 01:13:40.680
still waiting for the aha moment when I heard Dawn

1151
01:13:40.840 --> 01:13:45.239
or Rose curse at Jolene. The mask wasn't that convincing

1152
01:13:45.319 --> 01:13:47.960
once you calm down and got a close look at it.

1153
01:13:48.600 --> 01:13:52.039
Any minute now I leaned close to the wall of

1154
01:13:52.039 --> 01:13:55.640
my tent, but all movement had stopped. It was like

1155
01:13:55.720 --> 01:13:59.199
everyone had just laid down and took a nap. I

1156
01:13:59.239 --> 01:14:01.800
couldn't take it in any longer. I ripped open my

1157
01:14:01.880 --> 01:14:06.960
tent and jumped out, yelling surprise, happy, Hallop. The rest

1158
01:14:07.000 --> 01:14:11.239
of the word died on my tongue. The campsite wasn't

1159
01:14:11.279 --> 01:14:16.279
in disarray, it was destroyed. Both Dawn and Rose's tents

1160
01:14:16.319 --> 01:14:19.920
were flattened. As I stepped closer, I saw rips and

1161
01:14:20.000 --> 01:14:23.520
gouges in there as well. As I looked around the campsite.

1162
01:14:23.560 --> 01:14:27.479
At the carnage, my first thought was, Wow, Jolene really

1163
01:14:27.520 --> 01:14:31.560
overdid it, But that thought didn't hold for long. The

1164
01:14:31.600 --> 01:14:33.760
more I moved through the camp, the more I saw

1165
01:14:33.840 --> 01:14:38.239
claw marks and huge footprints, something that Jolene couldn't do.

1166
01:14:39.520 --> 01:14:43.600
All doubts ended when I came across Dawn. She lay

1167
01:14:43.640 --> 01:14:47.920
in a pool of blood, and at first I thought

1168
01:14:47.960 --> 01:14:51.239
it was a trick, that they had turned Jolene back

1169
01:14:51.279 --> 01:14:55.359
against me, And now I was being pranked. However, that

1170
01:14:55.439 --> 01:14:58.840
thought died a quick death when I saw Don's severed

1171
01:14:58.960 --> 01:15:02.479
arm lying a few feet from her. Her eyes were

1172
01:15:02.520 --> 01:15:06.479
wide open in shock. She looked at me with a

1173
01:15:06.520 --> 01:15:11.159
blank stare of accusation and tried to whisper something, but

1174
01:15:11.239 --> 01:15:16.359
I couldn't hear it. I leaned closer, and she whispered again,

1175
01:15:17.600 --> 01:15:24.159
her final words haunting me. This couldn't be Jolene. It

1176
01:15:24.279 --> 01:15:27.560
wasn't a trick or a prank. Something real had just

1177
01:15:27.600 --> 01:15:32.520
invaded our camp and destroyed my friend. Fear gripped me

1178
01:15:32.560 --> 01:15:35.079
as I looked around to see if this creature was

1179
01:15:35.199 --> 01:15:38.760
lying in wait to kill me too. As I searched

1180
01:15:38.760 --> 01:15:41.479
the rest of the camp, hoping moment by moment that

1181
01:15:41.600 --> 01:15:47.199
this thing was gone, I also didn't find Rose. Eventually,

1182
01:15:47.680 --> 01:15:50.000
I found a large pool of blood not far from

1183
01:15:50.000 --> 01:15:54.600
her tent, but nobody was around. The trail of blood

1184
01:15:54.720 --> 01:15:57.760
led from the pool off toward the woods, and I

1185
01:15:57.840 --> 01:16:01.720
had no desire to follow it. The next thought that

1186
01:16:01.800 --> 01:16:06.159
came to my panicked mind was if this wasn't Jolene,

1187
01:16:06.199 --> 01:16:11.600
then where was she. She purposely didn't tell me where

1188
01:16:11.640 --> 01:16:14.640
she was hiding, so I wouldn't unintentionally give away her

1189
01:16:14.680 --> 01:16:18.479
position by glancing at a certain spot. It was a

1190
01:16:18.520 --> 01:16:22.680
smart plan until she went missing, and I have no

1191
01:16:22.800 --> 01:16:27.199
idea what's going on. The next thought was calling for help,

1192
01:16:27.319 --> 01:16:29.840
but when I got out my phone, I found it

1193
01:16:29.880 --> 01:16:34.159
was also dead. Even though I didn't want to, I

1194
01:16:34.199 --> 01:16:37.520
went over to Dawn's now dead body and searched for

1195
01:16:37.560 --> 01:16:42.239
her cell phone, but I found it in pieces. There

1196
01:16:42.239 --> 01:16:46.680
would be no call for help. Despondency smothered me and

1197
01:16:46.720 --> 01:16:48.920
pulled me to the ground. I sat in the middle

1198
01:16:48.920 --> 01:16:51.319
of the campsite, beside a pool of blood that used

1199
01:16:51.319 --> 01:16:54.119
to be one of my friends, only a handful of

1200
01:16:54.119 --> 01:16:56.800
feet away from the broken body that used to be

1201
01:16:57.199 --> 01:17:00.560
another one of my friends, having no idea where my

1202
01:17:00.720 --> 01:17:04.760
third friend was. I'd never been in such a desperate

1203
01:17:04.800 --> 01:17:09.119
place in my life, not only physically but mentally, and

1204
01:17:09.199 --> 01:17:11.640
I hoped I would never be in such a place again.

1205
01:17:12.600 --> 01:17:15.399
I had no idea what to do or where to go.

1206
01:17:16.399 --> 01:17:19.319
The realization began to set in that I had lost

1207
01:17:19.399 --> 01:17:22.079
three of my closest friends in the space of a day.

1208
01:17:23.319 --> 01:17:26.119
Tears flowed down my cheeks as I sat there in

1209
01:17:26.159 --> 01:17:29.119
the growing darkness, with only the embers of the dying

1210
01:17:29.239 --> 01:17:33.239
fire to keep me company. Should I sit here and

1211
01:17:33.359 --> 01:17:35.920
hope that help would stumble by in the form of

1212
01:17:35.960 --> 01:17:40.479
another hiker, or even better, a park ranger. It was

1213
01:17:40.560 --> 01:17:43.439
late October and the trails weren't very well traveled once

1214
01:17:43.479 --> 01:17:46.880
the weather turned cold. As I sat there, a gust

1215
01:17:46.920 --> 01:17:50.600
of wind blew through, tearing at the few remaining leaves

1216
01:17:50.680 --> 01:17:54.199
clinging to their branches. They began to fall, as if

1217
01:17:54.199 --> 01:18:00.159
the forest was crying with me or for me. I

1218
01:18:00.199 --> 01:18:02.880
wish I was aware of what the forest knew about

1219
01:18:02.920 --> 01:18:06.880
this thing that had destroyed my friends and my life,

1220
01:18:07.439 --> 01:18:09.279
and how I would get out of here alive, and

1221
01:18:09.399 --> 01:18:12.560
most of all, about what had happened to joe Lean.

1222
01:18:13.399 --> 01:18:15.439
As much as I wanted to just sit there and

1223
01:18:15.479 --> 01:18:18.960
mourn forever, I knew I couldn't. I knew I had

1224
01:18:18.960 --> 01:18:23.039
to get up and go figure this out. How would

1225
01:18:23.079 --> 01:18:27.399
I get out there? How would I survive? Maybe my

1226
01:18:27.520 --> 01:18:31.279
tent held the key. By some miracle, my tent was undamaged.

1227
01:18:31.680 --> 01:18:35.119
I started digging through my backpack. There were always things

1228
01:18:35.159 --> 01:18:38.880
in everyone's backpack that they have for emergencies that never happen.

1229
01:18:39.640 --> 01:18:42.319
Usually it's a snake bite kit, a length of rope,

1230
01:18:42.399 --> 01:18:45.840
or band aids that seldom if ever get used. But

1231
01:18:46.000 --> 01:18:48.920
as I was digging, I came across some things that

1232
01:18:49.000 --> 01:18:52.119
might be useful. There was a can of pepper spray

1233
01:18:52.439 --> 01:18:55.520
and a small pocket knife. At this point, I was

1234
01:18:55.560 --> 01:18:57.840
happy to have anything I could use as a weapon.

1235
01:18:59.000 --> 01:19:02.279
They went in my pocket along with the rope. So

1236
01:19:02.439 --> 01:19:05.359
now it was decision time. Do I pack up my

1237
01:19:05.399 --> 01:19:08.439
stuff right now and leave, hiking down the trail in

1238
01:19:08.520 --> 01:19:11.520
the dark, having no idea if this thing is still

1239
01:19:11.560 --> 01:19:14.560
on the hunt? Or do I lay down and get

1240
01:19:14.600 --> 01:19:17.800
some rest, wait for morning and hope it doesn't know

1241
01:19:17.920 --> 01:19:21.960
I'm here. Neither one was a great option. There was

1242
01:19:22.039 --> 01:19:25.640
no way I could even consider burying dawn. I didn't

1243
01:19:25.680 --> 01:19:28.239
have a shovel, and I would need all my energy

1244
01:19:28.279 --> 01:19:32.159
to hike back out of here if I hoped to survive. Thankfully,

1245
01:19:32.760 --> 01:19:35.760
the decision was made for me. As I lay there,

1246
01:19:35.920 --> 01:19:40.119
mind whirling from everything that had happened, I fell asleep.

1247
01:19:44.760 --> 01:19:48.119
I woke hours later to a bright morning sun peeking

1248
01:19:48.159 --> 01:19:52.439
through my open tent window. I yawned and stretched, thinking

1249
01:19:52.479 --> 01:19:55.520
about what a beautiful morning it could be. When I

1250
01:19:55.600 --> 01:19:59.279
suddenly remembered everything that had happened. That's when I heard

1251
01:19:59.359 --> 01:20:02.640
the growling. It was just loud enough to get my attention.

1252
01:20:03.600 --> 01:20:05.720
Fear gripped me as I tried to figure out what

1253
01:20:05.840 --> 01:20:09.279
to do. My brain went into full useless mode as

1254
01:20:09.760 --> 01:20:12.079
run out of the tent. Screaming rose to the top

1255
01:20:12.119 --> 01:20:16.520
of possible options. The growling didn't seem to get any closer.

1256
01:20:16.880 --> 01:20:20.479
As I lay there awaiting my fate. Encouraged by the

1257
01:20:20.520 --> 01:20:24.640
fact that I hadn't become the monster's breakfast yet, I

1258
01:20:24.720 --> 01:20:27.359
got up to my knees and quickly looked out the window.

1259
01:20:28.479 --> 01:20:32.239
What I saw disgusted and enraged me. There were two

1260
01:20:32.359 --> 01:20:36.359
mountain lions having their breakfast. Normally I wouldn't care about

1261
01:20:36.359 --> 01:20:39.399
such a thing more than staying as far away as possible,

1262
01:20:40.479 --> 01:20:45.760
But today their breakfast was my friend's dead body. I

1263
01:20:45.880 --> 01:20:48.720
did exactly what was at the top of my brain's list,

1264
01:20:49.520 --> 01:20:52.960
ran out of the tent, screaming. At first, I ran

1265
01:20:53.039 --> 01:20:56.000
straight at them, hoping it would scare them off. They

1266
01:20:56.000 --> 01:20:59.119
both just stopped and stared at me as if I

1267
01:20:59.239 --> 01:21:04.039
was some rude interlooper interrupting them having morning tea. The

1268
01:21:04.079 --> 01:21:06.159
next thing they did was turn and take a few

1269
01:21:06.199 --> 01:21:10.600
steps toward me. As I stared at their blood soaked faces,

1270
01:21:10.920 --> 01:21:14.640
I realized I had done the worst thing possible. I

1271
01:21:14.720 --> 01:21:18.199
lowered my hands and started backing away, trying to look

1272
01:21:18.239 --> 01:21:22.399
as non threatening as possible. This seemed to encourage them

1273
01:21:22.399 --> 01:21:26.039
to increase their pursuit. I was almost back to my tent,

1274
01:21:26.640 --> 01:21:29.439
but it didn't seem like diving inside and hiding was

1275
01:21:29.479 --> 01:21:34.079
an option. Not now they were aware of me and

1276
01:21:34.359 --> 01:21:40.479
very interested in me, Possibly as lunch. As my list

1277
01:21:40.520 --> 01:21:44.920
of potential actions dwindled to wait for death, my hand

1278
01:21:45.039 --> 01:21:48.119
brushed against my leg and I felt something in my pocket.

1279
01:21:48.880 --> 01:21:52.039
It was the pepper spray. I pulled it out, having

1280
01:21:52.079 --> 01:21:55.199
no idea if it even worked on cats, and aimed

1281
01:21:55.239 --> 01:21:59.079
it at them. They didn't slow. In the slightest it

1282
01:21:59.159 --> 01:22:01.239
looked like a stream of water sprayed out of the

1283
01:22:01.319 --> 01:22:04.880
can and landed on the first cat's face. Its reaction

1284
01:22:05.079 --> 01:22:08.439
was immediate. It let out a massive yell and began

1285
01:22:08.560 --> 01:22:13.039
clawing at its face. The second paused in confusion, watching

1286
01:22:13.079 --> 01:22:17.359
its companion devolve into convulsions of pain. When it looked

1287
01:22:17.399 --> 01:22:20.520
back at me, I had already sprayed its face, causing

1288
01:22:20.560 --> 01:22:23.880
the same reaction. For a long moment, I was treated

1289
01:22:23.920 --> 01:22:27.600
to the insanely comical sight of these two predators twirling

1290
01:22:27.640 --> 01:22:31.359
in circles trying to claw their own faces off, and

1291
01:22:31.479 --> 01:22:36.960
then the impossible happened. They both decided breakfast wasn't worth

1292
01:22:36.960 --> 01:22:40.640
the cost of admission and ran off. I looked down

1293
01:22:40.680 --> 01:22:43.760
at this small, innocuous looking spray can that had just

1294
01:22:43.840 --> 01:22:47.079
saved my life. It was tempting to give it a

1295
01:22:47.159 --> 01:22:50.720
kiss in celebration, but I didn't want to take any

1296
01:22:50.800 --> 01:22:54.079
chance of getting any spray on me. Writhing in pain

1297
01:22:54.239 --> 01:22:56.560
wasn't high on my list of things I wanted to

1298
01:22:56.560 --> 01:23:00.960
do today. Having just escaped down death, I decided on

1299
01:23:01.000 --> 01:23:04.279
my plan of action. My backpack was packed in under

1300
01:23:04.279 --> 01:23:06.920
half an hour, and I was on the trail, having

1301
01:23:06.960 --> 01:23:10.039
said my goodbyes to Dawn and what was left of Rose.

1302
01:23:10.960 --> 01:23:13.560
A sharp pang of guilt stabbed me as I left

1303
01:23:13.600 --> 01:23:19.319
the campsite. Dawn's last whispered words haunted me. Shouldn't have come.

1304
01:23:20.840 --> 01:23:24.039
She was right, of course. If any of us had

1305
01:23:24.079 --> 01:23:26.720
known what was about to happen, there was no way

1306
01:23:26.760 --> 01:23:29.359
we should have been here. But that's the whole point

1307
01:23:29.359 --> 01:23:32.119
of life. I guess none of us know what's going

1308
01:23:32.159 --> 01:23:35.399
to happen at any minute. As if I wasn't depressed

1309
01:23:35.479 --> 01:23:38.159
enough as it was, that thought sent me into a

1310
01:23:38.199 --> 01:23:42.079
near panic as my eyes darted all around searching for danger.

1311
01:23:42.840 --> 01:23:45.640
Now it wasn't only the monster, but the mountain lions

1312
01:23:45.680 --> 01:23:49.640
and any other creature whose home I had invaded. Right then,

1313
01:23:49.720 --> 01:23:54.319
I knew I would never visit this place again. Even

1314
01:23:54.359 --> 01:23:56.920
the woodland creatures were quiet out of respect for my

1315
01:23:57.800 --> 01:24:04.119
fallen friends. How would they know? As if? In answer?

1316
01:24:04.560 --> 01:24:08.119
The monster stepped out onto the trail and stared down

1317
01:24:08.159 --> 01:24:12.640
at me. It was massive. I'd never seen anything that tall.

1318
01:24:13.479 --> 01:24:16.000
Not only was it tall, but its shoulders were a

1319
01:24:16.039 --> 01:24:19.079
good five feet wide. It was covered in dark fur

1320
01:24:19.119 --> 01:24:22.039
that had splotches of wet, dark stains down the front

1321
01:24:22.079 --> 01:24:24.720
of it. My mind told me that that was all

1322
01:24:24.760 --> 01:24:29.319
that was left of Rose. It unleashed a deafening roar

1323
01:24:29.600 --> 01:24:32.039
that made a small river flow down my pant leg.

1324
01:24:32.520 --> 01:24:34.880
My mind was like a little dog chasing its tail,

1325
01:24:35.079 --> 01:24:38.359
trying to figure out what to do. As I stood there,

1326
01:24:38.399 --> 01:24:41.840
frozen to the spot. It took two steps and was

1327
01:24:41.960 --> 01:24:44.840
right in front of me. When it reached for me,

1328
01:24:44.960 --> 01:24:47.680
some basic survival mode kicked in and I went back

1329
01:24:47.680 --> 01:24:50.119
to the last thing that had saved my life. I

1330
01:24:50.159 --> 01:24:52.520
whipped out the pepper spray and emptied the can in

1331
01:24:52.560 --> 01:24:56.600
the monster's face. It reared back and screamed so loud

1332
01:24:56.640 --> 01:24:58.760
I had to hold my ears as I ran around

1333
01:24:58.800 --> 01:25:02.319
it and sprinted down the trail. My heart was pumping

1334
01:25:02.399 --> 01:25:05.600
pure adrenaline. My feet barely touched the ground. I had

1335
01:25:05.640 --> 01:25:08.960
never run so fast in my entire life. The trees

1336
01:25:09.000 --> 01:25:11.640
were a blur as I wound back and forth along

1337
01:25:11.680 --> 01:25:14.479
the trail. All I could think was just get away,

1338
01:25:15.119 --> 01:25:18.399
just get away. As hope soared that I might be

1339
01:25:18.439 --> 01:25:21.439
able to do just that, I heard a noise coming

1340
01:25:21.479 --> 01:25:24.640
from behind me. It was like a bulldozer with legs.

1341
01:25:25.319 --> 01:25:28.439
I heard pounding and crashing, as if something was destroying

1342
01:25:28.560 --> 01:25:31.560
whatever got in its way. I glanced back and the

1343
01:25:31.600 --> 01:25:34.279
monster was gaining on me, but it was flailing its

1344
01:25:34.399 --> 01:25:36.319
arms around in front of it, as if to protect

1345
01:25:36.359 --> 01:25:41.199
its eyes from whatever might be there. That momentary distraction

1346
01:25:41.479 --> 01:25:44.119
was just enough. My foot caught on a branch I

1347
01:25:44.199 --> 01:25:47.159
wasn't looking for, and I went tumbling at full speed

1348
01:25:47.199 --> 01:25:50.279
off the trail and into the brush. I hit a

1349
01:25:50.279 --> 01:25:53.119
tree hard with my back. I was sure I heard

1350
01:25:53.159 --> 01:25:56.000
a crack. It was all I could do just to

1351
01:25:56.000 --> 01:25:59.800
stay conscious. I watched through bleary eyes as the monster

1352
01:26:00.079 --> 01:26:03.319
and passed me on the trail. There was no way

1353
01:26:03.359 --> 01:26:07.000
I could celebrate or even move. Running so fast for

1354
01:26:07.000 --> 01:26:10.039
so long had taken its toll, and now having fallen

1355
01:26:10.079 --> 01:26:13.960
and possibly injuring my back, had just added to my immobility.

1356
01:26:14.479 --> 01:26:17.279
It took me a few long moments to catch my breath.

1357
01:26:17.680 --> 01:26:20.159
Once I did, I slowly moved body parts to make

1358
01:26:20.199 --> 01:26:23.479
sure they still worked. I saved the worst for last.

1359
01:26:24.119 --> 01:26:27.039
Trying to sit up caused pain to shoot down my back.

1360
01:26:28.239 --> 01:26:31.199
That wasn't a good sign. It seemed like I would

1361
01:26:31.239 --> 01:26:33.840
be here for a little bit, at least until I

1362
01:26:33.880 --> 01:26:37.239
recovered enough to make another try for my car. I

1363
01:26:37.319 --> 01:26:39.359
knew it was less than a mile away, but right

1364
01:26:39.399 --> 01:26:42.000
now I couldn't even think about getting up to walk,

1365
01:26:42.079 --> 01:26:46.199
let alone run. I painfully pulled my backpack off and

1366
01:26:46.319 --> 01:26:49.600
sat it beside me. Next, I tried to cover myself

1367
01:26:49.600 --> 01:26:52.640
in my pack with the loose leaves that blanketed the ground.

1368
01:26:53.279 --> 01:26:56.159
Within ten minutes, I was satisfied that no one would

1369
01:26:56.199 --> 01:26:58.479
be able to see me from the trail without looking

1370
01:26:58.720 --> 01:27:02.359
very closely. There was a peep hole I had left

1371
01:27:02.399 --> 01:27:05.520
open to keep an eye on the trail. The monster

1372
01:27:05.600 --> 01:27:08.880
would be back eventually. There was no doubt about that.

1373
01:27:09.560 --> 01:27:12.479
Once it realized I wasn't on the trail anymore, it

1374
01:27:12.520 --> 01:27:16.479
would backtrack looking for me spraying. It may have saved

1375
01:27:16.479 --> 01:27:19.079
my life, but it also doomed me to be its

1376
01:27:19.199 --> 01:27:23.119
enemy forever. It would search high and low to find me.

1377
01:27:23.680 --> 01:27:27.960
I was as sure about that as anything. Even though

1378
01:27:27.960 --> 01:27:30.800
it was mid morning, the trees here were dense and

1379
01:27:30.920 --> 01:27:32.760
light had to filter through a lot of them to

1380
01:27:32.800 --> 01:27:36.119
make it to the ground. Reaching into my pack, I

1381
01:27:36.199 --> 01:27:39.159
pulled out my reading light, which was surprisingly still in

1382
01:27:39.239 --> 01:27:42.239
one piece. I used it to check my wounds and

1383
01:27:42.319 --> 01:27:46.720
found they were mostly cuts and scrapes. As my adrenaline crashed,

1384
01:27:46.760 --> 01:27:50.239
I could feel myself being once again dragged into unconsciousness.

1385
01:27:50.960 --> 01:27:56.520
My eyes drooped, then suddenly shot open as I heard something.

1386
01:27:57.359 --> 01:27:59.119
The part of the trail I could see through my

1387
01:27:59.199 --> 01:28:02.840
peep hole was quite small. I leaned to the left

1388
01:28:02.840 --> 01:28:06.079
a little bit, trying not to make any sound. That's

1389
01:28:06.119 --> 01:28:09.520
when I heard the sniffing and saw the monster coming

1390
01:28:09.560 --> 01:28:13.760
slowly back up the trail. It was on all fours,

1391
01:28:14.239 --> 01:28:18.319
smelling the ground. One eye looked like it was swollen shut,

1392
01:28:18.479 --> 01:28:21.279
and the other was bloodshot. It got to the point

1393
01:28:21.279 --> 01:28:23.880
in the trail where I had fallen and stopped, then

1394
01:28:24.359 --> 01:28:28.600
turned and looked right at me. My blood turned to

1395
01:28:28.640 --> 01:28:32.960
liquid nitrogen. The monster stalked straight towards me, as if

1396
01:28:33.000 --> 01:28:36.319
it could see me plain as day. I glanced down

1397
01:28:36.399 --> 01:28:39.560
and realized, to my horror that my reading light was

1398
01:28:39.600 --> 01:28:42.880
still on. I panicked if I turned it off, the

1399
01:28:42.920 --> 01:28:45.760
monster would know I was there. If I left it on,

1400
01:28:45.960 --> 01:28:49.239
it was a beacon, leading it right to me. I

1401
01:28:49.359 --> 01:28:52.479
gently pulled it from around my neck, trying to move

1402
01:28:52.479 --> 01:28:55.680
it as little as possible. Once I had it off me,

1403
01:28:56.479 --> 01:28:58.800
I set it on top of my backpack so it

1404
01:28:58.880 --> 01:29:00.800
was at the same level as it had been around

1405
01:29:00.800 --> 01:29:04.119
my neck. As I slid away from the pack, I

1406
01:29:04.199 --> 01:29:07.680
reached into my pocket and pulled out the knife, then

1407
01:29:07.840 --> 01:29:11.119
opened it. The monster was so close I could smell

1408
01:29:11.159 --> 01:29:14.880
the stench of death coming from its mouth. It got

1409
01:29:14.960 --> 01:29:17.720
right up to the light and brushed the leaves away.

1410
01:29:17.880 --> 01:29:21.800
To see what this thing was, there was only one

1411
01:29:21.840 --> 01:29:24.560
shot for me to survive. I swung the knife with

1412
01:29:24.680 --> 01:29:27.039
all the strength I had left, stabbing it in the

1413
01:29:27.079 --> 01:29:31.079
eye that wasn't swollen. It reared back and screamed in pain.

1414
01:29:31.960 --> 01:29:34.359
I didn't wait around to see what was going to happen.

1415
01:29:34.640 --> 01:29:37.199
Every ounce of energy I had went to running away

1416
01:29:37.199 --> 01:29:41.279
from this homicidal monster. My back screamed at me, but

1417
01:29:41.359 --> 01:29:44.239
I ignored it. The creature screamed again, this time and

1418
01:29:44.399 --> 01:29:47.399
rage rather than pain. It tore off after me, but

1419
01:29:47.439 --> 01:29:50.119
couldn't see, so it ended up slamming into a tree

1420
01:29:50.199 --> 01:29:53.760
three feet behind me. My legs kept pumping, driven by

1421
01:29:53.800 --> 01:29:56.600
sheer terror. As I glanced back, I saw the monster

1422
01:29:56.760 --> 01:29:59.760
listening to me run away. It followed my sounds and

1423
01:29:59.840 --> 01:30:03.119
ran after me again. I pivoted and ran up the

1424
01:30:03.159 --> 01:30:05.199
side of the trail, just in time for it to

1425
01:30:05.239 --> 01:30:08.600
miss me and fall face first on the trail. It

1426
01:30:08.640 --> 01:30:11.479
wasn't far to the trailhead. Now I knew it was

1427
01:30:11.520 --> 01:30:14.199
getting close. There was a hard turn in the trail

1428
01:30:14.239 --> 01:30:16.880
where I had to be careful of my footing. It

1429
01:30:16.920 --> 01:30:20.119
was narrow and there was a steep drop that ended

1430
01:30:20.159 --> 01:30:22.880
in the river below. I ran to where the turn

1431
01:30:23.079 --> 01:30:26.359
was and suddenly stopped. The monster had gotten up and

1432
01:30:26.479 --> 01:30:29.600
was listening for me again. It was a gamble, but

1433
01:30:29.680 --> 01:30:32.159
I stood at the turn and jogged in place, as

1434
01:30:32.199 --> 01:30:36.359
though I was still running away. It listened, then launched

1435
01:30:36.399 --> 01:30:39.199
itself toward me as soon as it began to run.

1436
01:30:39.640 --> 01:30:43.199
I quietly stepped around the corner and softly walked down

1437
01:30:43.239 --> 01:30:47.159
the trail a few feet. If my gamble paid off,

1438
01:30:47.560 --> 01:30:51.039
I would be home free. If it didn't, I would

1439
01:30:51.039 --> 01:30:55.199
be dead. Time slowed as the beast galloped towards the turn.

1440
01:30:55.720 --> 01:30:58.880
I watched and waited until finally I saw the bloody

1441
01:30:58.880 --> 01:31:01.800
fur of its face with the knife still sticking out.

1442
01:31:02.840 --> 01:31:04.920
At the last moment, it seemed to sense me around

1443
01:31:04.960 --> 01:31:08.279
the corner and tried to turn, but momentum had already

1444
01:31:08.319 --> 01:31:10.760
carried it past me, and it had no chance of

1445
01:31:10.800 --> 01:31:14.119
staying on the trail. I leaned over and watched as

1446
01:31:14.159 --> 01:31:18.000
it fell helplessly over the edge and tumbled down to

1447
01:31:18.039 --> 01:31:21.880
the water below, hitting its head on several trees as

1448
01:31:21.920 --> 01:31:24.960
it went. It had just come to rest at the

1449
01:31:24.960 --> 01:31:28.479
bottom when I took off running. The trail had loomed

1450
01:31:28.520 --> 01:31:30.119
in front of me, and I didn't want to take

1451
01:31:30.159 --> 01:31:33.439
any chances of that thing recovering and catching me. Before

1452
01:31:33.439 --> 01:31:36.479
I got to my car, I'd never seen a more

1453
01:31:36.520 --> 01:31:40.479
beautiful sight than my beat up Toyota Corolla. When I

1454
01:31:40.520 --> 01:31:43.439
approached it, I paused yet again and looked around for

1455
01:31:43.520 --> 01:31:47.439
who or what might be watching me. Hanging from my

1456
01:31:47.560 --> 01:31:52.039
driver's side mirror was the mask Jolene had worn. I

1457
01:31:52.119 --> 01:31:54.520
took it off the mirror and looked at it in

1458
01:31:54.640 --> 01:32:00.840
shock and confusion. Inside was a note there was a

1459
01:32:00.880 --> 01:32:03.319
crash from the woods that told me the monster hadn't

1460
01:32:03.319 --> 01:32:05.680
given up. I jumped in the car through the mask

1461
01:32:05.760 --> 01:32:08.399
on the passenger seat and broke every speed log getting

1462
01:32:08.439 --> 01:32:10.880
out of the park. Even once I was on the

1463
01:32:10.880 --> 01:32:12.880
main road, I pushed the pedal down to make the

1464
01:32:12.920 --> 01:32:15.760
car go as fast as it could. My speedometer needle

1465
01:32:15.800 --> 01:32:18.399
was vibrating when I hit eighty. It wasn't until I

1466
01:32:18.439 --> 01:32:22.600
was close to home that I slowed down. I got

1467
01:32:22.640 --> 01:32:26.039
out and went into my tiny house, bringing the mask

1468
01:32:26.159 --> 01:32:29.119
with me. I collapsed on the couch as my back

1469
01:32:29.159 --> 01:32:33.239
complained I would have to schedule an appointment with my chiropractor.

1470
01:32:34.279 --> 01:32:37.039
Once I was safely inside, I picked up the mask

1471
01:32:37.399 --> 01:32:41.239
and pulled out the note. It read, I'm sorry to

1472
01:32:41.319 --> 01:32:43.960
leave without telling you. The girls were coming up the

1473
01:32:43.960 --> 01:32:45.760
trail and I was about to jump out at them

1474
01:32:46.079 --> 01:32:49.239
when I saw this monster following them through the woods.

1475
01:32:49.640 --> 01:32:52.760
I couldn't warn them or you without the monster seeing

1476
01:32:53.439 --> 01:32:55.800
when they set up their tents. It was watching from

1477
01:32:55.800 --> 01:32:59.159
the edge of the woods. I panicked and quietly left

1478
01:32:59.159 --> 01:33:02.640
while it was busy watching the camp. I hope you're

1479
01:33:02.680 --> 01:33:06.000
alive to read this, and if so, you can someday

1480
01:33:06.039 --> 01:33:11.039
forgive me Jay. I lay the note beside me on

1481
01:33:11.079 --> 01:33:14.399
the couch, and all I could think of as tears

1482
01:33:14.439 --> 01:33:18.399
streamed down my cheeks was Dawn's final words to me.

1483
01:33:20.079 --> 01:33:39.439
Shouldn't have come The Strictfield Slasher by Rob Fields Prologue.

1484
01:33:40.760 --> 01:33:44.079
I was at the Strickfield Town Center Mall on Halloween morning.

1485
01:33:44.960 --> 01:33:47.800
I was very much surprised when it was announced in

1486
01:33:47.800 --> 01:33:51.319
one of my classes this week that Strickfield University wasn't

1487
01:33:51.319 --> 01:33:56.319
having any classes today or tomorrow, something about how it

1488
01:33:56.479 --> 01:34:00.199
was made into village law that there's no school or

1489
01:34:00.239 --> 01:34:04.520
college on Halloween as well as November first, unless you

1490
01:34:04.560 --> 01:34:08.359
went to Strickfield Academy. In light of that, I decided

1491
01:34:08.359 --> 01:34:10.359
to head out to the mall for the first time

1492
01:34:10.399 --> 01:34:15.239
ever and check it out. The mall itself was okay,

1493
01:34:15.880 --> 01:34:18.319
not too many stores in here for a big mall,

1494
01:34:18.960 --> 01:34:21.880
but I noticed some of the vacancies were being filled,

1495
01:34:22.319 --> 01:34:25.560
probably for the holidays. When I reached the other end

1496
01:34:25.600 --> 01:34:29.000
of the mall, that was when things started getting better.

1497
01:34:29.560 --> 01:34:32.239
I went into Spirit Halloween and picked up makeup for

1498
01:34:32.319 --> 01:34:35.439
my costume for tonight. After that, I went into a

1499
01:34:35.439 --> 01:34:38.760
women's clothing store next door. I was so happy to

1500
01:34:38.800 --> 01:34:42.039
be able to find a pair of sexy bib overalls

1501
01:34:42.039 --> 01:34:45.600
in my size for more of my costume. When you're

1502
01:34:45.800 --> 01:34:48.520
chunky like me, finding stuff in your size can be

1503
01:34:48.600 --> 01:34:53.279
hit or miss, but not today, thankfully. When I finished

1504
01:34:53.319 --> 01:34:56.720
my shopping, I got a text from my boyfriend, Dillard Fuller.

1505
01:34:57.439 --> 01:34:59.760
Heard from your roommate. You're at the mall. Can you

1506
01:34:59.800 --> 01:35:02.159
pick pick up my board game I ordered from the bookstore.

1507
01:35:02.520 --> 01:35:05.960
I'll pay you back tonight at the party, I replied,

1508
01:35:06.039 --> 01:35:09.000
and said I would. Then I started walking to the

1509
01:35:09.039 --> 01:35:11.159
other end of the mall to go to the bookstore.

1510
01:35:11.920 --> 01:35:13.960
When I looked down one of the far wings of

1511
01:35:14.000 --> 01:35:19.079
the mall, I saw a faint light. Curiosity got the

1512
01:35:19.119 --> 01:35:21.840
better of me, and I decided to see what was there.

1513
01:35:22.640 --> 01:35:25.279
I reached the light and saw only a single store

1514
01:35:26.239 --> 01:35:31.880
called Tinkers. It looked like a junk or oddity shop.

1515
01:35:32.399 --> 01:35:34.479
Since I walked down this way, I figured I might

1516
01:35:34.520 --> 01:35:38.039
as well go on in. I started looking at all

1517
01:35:38.119 --> 01:35:41.119
kinds of knickknacks, but didn't find anything I just had

1518
01:35:41.119 --> 01:35:46.359
to have. After a time I felt I wasn't alone.

1519
01:35:46.680 --> 01:35:50.439
Can I help you? A man appearing to be fifty asked,

1520
01:35:52.359 --> 01:35:58.119
just looking around, I replied, looking for Halloween things. The

1521
01:35:58.239 --> 01:36:01.359
man brightened up, why don't you come up to the counter.

1522
01:36:01.840 --> 01:36:04.159
I have some Halloween items you might be interested in.

1523
01:36:05.039 --> 01:36:07.319
I humored the man and followed him to the counter.

1524
01:36:08.039 --> 01:36:11.439
He had things in there, from old video game consoles

1525
01:36:11.479 --> 01:36:15.159
to board games. He even had some Halloween things on display,

1526
01:36:15.279 --> 01:36:20.000
ranging from old vinyl records to unopened original Ben Cooper

1527
01:36:20.119 --> 01:36:26.079
costume mask sets to even what's that? I asked, pointing

1528
01:36:26.119 --> 01:36:30.600
to it. The man, who introduced himself as Isley Tinker,

1529
01:36:31.039 --> 01:36:33.479
opened the case and pulled out what looked like an

1530
01:36:33.560 --> 01:36:39.920
old movie on video cassette called The Strickfield Slasher. It

1531
01:36:40.000 --> 01:36:43.640
was in a professional looking clamshell. I opened it to

1532
01:36:43.680 --> 01:36:48.239
see the video cassette. My boyfriend actually watches these things,

1533
01:36:48.840 --> 01:36:52.439
I said to mister Tinker. He still got his VCR

1534
01:36:52.600 --> 01:36:57.840
DVD combo deck hooked up. What's this movie about? Mister

1535
01:36:57.920 --> 01:37:02.640
Tinker explained that Backer. Around nineteen seventy one, these film

1536
01:37:02.680 --> 01:37:05.520
students set out to make an independent horror movie for

1537
01:37:05.600 --> 01:37:10.840
a class project. For Halloween. Damian Carnivosh was a person

1538
01:37:10.840 --> 01:37:14.800
who might have been considered goth by today's standards based

1539
01:37:14.800 --> 01:37:18.079
on how he looked and dressed. However, back in those

1540
01:37:18.159 --> 01:37:23.439
days it wasn't cool anyway. Damien came from money, much

1541
01:37:23.560 --> 01:37:26.720
like the Mirons I'd heard so much about. Since he

1542
01:37:26.800 --> 01:37:30.439
had money, Damien had no problem securing the cast he

1543
01:37:30.520 --> 01:37:33.800
needed to make his movie. Also, there was no way

1544
01:37:33.840 --> 01:37:36.279
he was going to film the movie at his family

1545
01:37:36.479 --> 01:37:39.920
spooky old mansion on Pleasant Valley Road, since it was

1546
01:37:40.039 --> 01:37:43.920
known to be haunted. Damien had found another old mansion

1547
01:37:43.920 --> 01:37:48.720
where he wanted to shoot his film, grim Manner. The

1548
01:37:48.800 --> 01:37:52.640
problem was the old plantation was located in the backwoods

1549
01:37:52.640 --> 01:37:56.079
of Strickfield, and people weren't too inclined to go in there.

1550
01:37:56.960 --> 01:38:01.680
Damien made it known that he wasn't afraid. Also, hasn't

1551
01:38:01.680 --> 01:38:06.399
it always been said that money talks? Again, Damien had

1552
01:38:06.439 --> 01:38:10.039
plenty of money. He easily got the cast to accompany

1553
01:38:10.079 --> 01:38:13.600
him out to grim Manor. He even got a benefactor

1554
01:38:13.840 --> 01:38:16.279
who agreed to put up a special grade of film

1555
01:38:16.359 --> 01:38:20.039
for Carnivoge to use in exchange for a producer credit.

1556
01:38:20.840 --> 01:38:25.199
Among the cast was this huge beefy football player who

1557
01:38:25.199 --> 01:38:28.920
would play the title character of the strict Field Slasher.

1558
01:38:29.960 --> 01:38:34.039
What Damian either didn't know or didn't tell the cast

1559
01:38:34.680 --> 01:38:38.079
was that grim Manor was also supposed to be haunted,

1560
01:38:38.760 --> 01:38:43.239
much like his family's Carnivoche estate. The cast and crew

1561
01:38:43.279 --> 01:38:47.079
would live in grim Manor as they were filming. In

1562
01:38:47.159 --> 01:38:49.920
the beginning, they would leave the old plantation house to

1563
01:38:49.960 --> 01:38:54.000
go to their classes, then return to film at dark.

1564
01:38:54.920 --> 01:38:58.279
As time went on, it was becoming more and more

1565
01:38:58.319 --> 01:39:03.239
evident that the big beefy football player Scott Mead started

1566
01:39:03.279 --> 01:39:06.680
losing his sanity and was taking his role as the

1567
01:39:06.720 --> 01:39:14.880
Strickfield Slasher way too seriously. I'd better stop here, Tinker said.

1568
01:39:15.479 --> 01:39:18.720
The rest of the story isn't something a charming young

1569
01:39:18.800 --> 01:39:23.880
lady like yourself would want to hear. It's very sensitive stuff.

1570
01:39:24.960 --> 01:39:28.239
I smiled at mister Tinker for the compliment, and said,

1571
01:39:29.239 --> 01:39:33.359
our group likes watching horror movies, especially my boyfriend who's

1572
01:39:33.399 --> 01:39:38.720
into these VHS tapes. Please go ahead and finish the story.

1573
01:39:38.840 --> 01:39:40.960
It's not like I'm going to die from hearing it.

1574
01:39:42.439 --> 01:39:46.239
At first, mister Tinker didn't seem to want to. Then

1575
01:39:46.359 --> 01:39:51.640
he took a soft, deep breath. Okay, but I warned you.

1576
01:39:52.920 --> 01:39:56.720
Mister Tinker continued the story and said that on that dark,

1577
01:39:57.359 --> 01:40:01.239
stormy Halloween night, Scott me And had finally lost his

1578
01:40:01.399 --> 01:40:05.800
mind and started attacking his fellow actors and crew members,

1579
01:40:05.840 --> 01:40:10.520
brutally slaying them one by one. It didn't take long

1580
01:40:10.600 --> 01:40:13.600
to see just how he had horribly painted the walls

1581
01:40:13.920 --> 01:40:17.399
and stained the floors of the rooms where Meade killed

1582
01:40:17.399 --> 01:40:22.319
his fellow cast and crew. No one ever knew what

1583
01:40:22.600 --> 01:40:27.359
became of Damian Carnivosh, except that he was never seen again.

1584
01:40:28.359 --> 01:40:30.960
Whether or not he turned up like the others making

1585
01:40:31.000 --> 01:40:38.039
the Strickfield Slasher, nobody knows, mister Tinker finished. Then I

1586
01:40:38.119 --> 01:40:42.520
became skeptical. Okay, so how did you come to know

1587
01:40:42.600 --> 01:40:46.920
all about this? I knew you might doubt me, young lady,

1588
01:40:47.439 --> 01:40:52.119
mister Tinker replied, Make no mistake, there was an official

1589
01:40:52.159 --> 01:40:56.359
police report regarding what I just disclosed. After several missing

1590
01:40:56.439 --> 01:40:59.920
persons reports were filed, the Strickfield Police went out searching

1591
01:41:00.079 --> 01:41:03.960
for the missing students and eventually traced their whereabouts to

1592
01:41:04.039 --> 01:41:07.800
grim Manor. It was there where they found the bodies,

1593
01:41:08.840 --> 01:41:13.560
or rather what was left of them. They also found

1594
01:41:13.600 --> 01:41:17.159
a few cameras and several cans of film that contained

1595
01:41:17.199 --> 01:41:19.840
the footage, which was how the police were able to

1596
01:41:19.880 --> 01:41:25.119
determine what had happened to those students. Mister Tinker also

1597
01:41:25.239 --> 01:41:28.439
mentioned that the police had found some more bodies that

1598
01:41:28.479 --> 01:41:31.000
were brutally slaughtered at the Old House on the Hill

1599
01:41:31.680 --> 01:41:36.079
located at one eight five Indian Hollow Road, much like

1600
01:41:36.119 --> 01:41:39.079
the horrible scenes at grim Manor, the bodies of a

1601
01:41:39.119 --> 01:41:42.479
group of college kids having a Halloween party were found.

1602
01:41:43.600 --> 01:41:49.520
What's more, Scott Meade himself was never found. In addition

1603
01:41:49.680 --> 01:41:55.000
to Damian Carnivoge, mister Tinker continued, it was a few

1604
01:41:55.119 --> 01:41:58.359
years ago when someone brought a VHS collection into my

1605
01:41:58.479 --> 01:42:02.119
shop wanting to unloak. I bought the collection from him,

1606
01:42:02.159 --> 01:42:05.359
since VHS tapes are highly sought after here in Strickfield

1607
01:42:05.720 --> 01:42:09.039
and the surrounding areas. I looked through the collection and

1608
01:42:09.119 --> 01:42:13.119
found that video cassette you're holding. I had seen things

1609
01:42:13.159 --> 01:42:17.159
about this movie posted on your university's website and knew

1610
01:42:17.159 --> 01:42:19.319
I had a rare piece. When I found it in

1611
01:42:19.359 --> 01:42:24.479
the collection, I raised my eyebrow. I think my roommate

1612
01:42:24.520 --> 01:42:28.359
and I did see something about this. Mister Tinker. Zoe

1613
01:42:28.520 --> 01:42:30.960
Griest and I had been spending nights in our dorm

1614
01:42:31.039 --> 01:42:34.479
room and looking over all the different legends on Strickfield

1615
01:42:34.600 --> 01:42:39.560
University's website. In fact, I think it was just last

1616
01:42:39.680 --> 01:42:42.880
night that we saw what you're telling me. I sighed,

1617
01:42:43.960 --> 01:42:46.439
what are you asking for this movie? I know my

1618
01:42:46.520 --> 01:42:50.960
boyfriend would absolutely love this. Mister Tinker took the tape

1619
01:42:51.000 --> 01:42:55.039
back and looked at it again. Based on the back cover,

1620
01:42:55.520 --> 01:42:59.079
there weren't that many copies of this movie made. Possibly

1621
01:42:59.119 --> 01:43:03.199
given the reasons I just explained and the fact that

1622
01:43:03.279 --> 01:43:06.279
only fifty copies were made based on the numbering on

1623
01:43:06.319 --> 01:43:11.800
the back cover, this video cassette is probably a collector's item. However,

1624
01:43:12.479 --> 01:43:14.840
you are the only one who asked about it since

1625
01:43:14.880 --> 01:43:18.560
I acquired it. He seemed to think about it. Tell

1626
01:43:18.560 --> 01:43:23.439
you what, I'll let you have it for twenty dollars done,

1627
01:43:24.079 --> 01:43:26.760
I exclaimed, and opened my purse to fish out a twenty.

1628
01:43:27.640 --> 01:43:31.079
After finishing the purchase, I left the store with the movie.

1629
01:43:31.560 --> 01:43:34.119
I looked over the clamshell case again as I made

1630
01:43:34.119 --> 01:43:37.119
my way to the bookstore. When I reached it, I

1631
01:43:37.159 --> 01:43:41.119
suddenly remembered the mall's bookstore itself was on the university's website,

1632
01:43:41.680 --> 01:43:45.640
something about how two girls went completely crazy and started

1633
01:43:46.239 --> 01:43:49.960
eating people in there. I walked into the bookstore and

1634
01:43:50.039 --> 01:43:54.039
easily picked up Dillard's board game without any issues or

1635
01:43:54.199 --> 01:43:58.239
anybody wanting to eat my brains. Afterwards, I went back

1636
01:43:58.279 --> 01:44:01.319
to my dorm. When I got back, I saw Zoe

1637
01:44:01.560 --> 01:44:06.119
was out again. I found myself looking at the Strickfield Slasher.

1638
01:44:06.880 --> 01:44:10.159
I couldn't tell you why, but I felt I really

1639
01:44:10.319 --> 01:44:13.800
wanted to watch the movie. Only thing was I didn't

1640
01:44:13.840 --> 01:44:17.199
own a VCR. I could have just waited until the

1641
01:44:17.279 --> 01:44:22.720
evening to surprise Dillard, but I just had to see it. Fortunately,

1642
01:44:22.800 --> 01:44:25.680
I knew right where to find a VCR. I left

1643
01:44:25.720 --> 01:44:28.039
my dorm and went to one of the empty classrooms

1644
01:44:28.039 --> 01:44:32.359
at University Hall that I knew had one. I quietly

1645
01:44:32.359 --> 01:44:36.479
closed the door and got everything going. I took the

1646
01:44:36.560 --> 01:44:39.640
tape out of the clamshell case and slid it right

1647
01:44:39.680 --> 01:44:43.119
into the slot. The machine pulled the tape in and

1648
01:44:43.159 --> 01:44:48.359
began playing on its own. There were no trailers for

1649
01:44:48.520 --> 01:44:53.359
upcoming releases or even a copyright warning. The video was

1650
01:44:53.399 --> 01:44:56.239
in black and white and actually looked like it was

1651
01:44:56.279 --> 01:45:00.279
filmed in four K, even though everything looked like it

1652
01:45:00.319 --> 01:45:03.920
was right out of the early seventies. Seeing that everything

1653
01:45:04.039 --> 01:45:07.359
was okay. I went over to a table and sat down.

1654
01:45:08.119 --> 01:45:13.720
From there, I began watching The Strickfield Slasher. As soon

1655
01:45:13.760 --> 01:45:16.680
as I saw the dark and stormy sky that started

1656
01:45:16.720 --> 01:45:20.600
the film, I knew right then it was going to

1657
01:45:20.640 --> 01:45:25.560
be scary. Chapter one. It was around seven pm when

1658
01:45:25.640 --> 01:45:29.079
Zoe and I were riding our scooters from Strickfield University

1659
01:45:29.520 --> 01:45:33.319
to Dillard Fuller's party. We both stopped fast when we

1660
01:45:33.399 --> 01:45:36.560
reached the driveway. Now we were looking at each other.

1661
01:45:37.520 --> 01:45:41.079
What is it, Brianna, I asked. I pointed right up

1662
01:45:41.119 --> 01:45:45.800
at the house. Don't you recognize it, Zoe? This is

1663
01:45:45.920 --> 01:45:49.760
one eight five Indian Hollow Road. That's the same house

1664
01:45:49.800 --> 01:45:53.079
where all those college kids were having their Halloween party

1665
01:45:53.159 --> 01:45:56.920
back in nineteen seventy one, the night Scott Mead left

1666
01:45:56.960 --> 01:46:01.439
grim Manor and made his way here. We just saw

1667
01:46:01.439 --> 01:46:06.439
that on the university's website. Now Zoe looked worried. We

1668
01:46:06.439 --> 01:46:09.880
were both dressed up as sexy clowns, but I thought

1669
01:46:09.920 --> 01:46:13.720
she looked way cuter than me, especially with looking as

1670
01:46:13.720 --> 01:46:19.720
scared as she was. Maybe we should just leave, Zoe suggested.

1671
01:46:20.199 --> 01:46:24.399
Then she pointed to me. Also, the webpage said Scott

1672
01:46:24.479 --> 01:46:29.600
Mead was never found. I shivered a little after remembering

1673
01:46:29.640 --> 01:46:32.720
what me did in the movie. I wasn't sure if

1674
01:46:32.760 --> 01:46:39.199
those kills were real or practical effects. Still, Zoe, we're

1675
01:46:39.279 --> 01:46:43.199
long past nineteen seventy one. I doubt Scott Mead's going

1676
01:46:43.239 --> 01:46:46.760
to be out prowling around tonight in search of well.

1677
01:46:47.640 --> 01:46:52.119
Zoe pointed at me again, say it. I gave her

1678
01:46:52.159 --> 01:46:59.199
a worried look. Young sexy college girls like us. We

1679
01:46:59.279 --> 01:47:02.840
both consider things and eventually decided to ride our scooters

1680
01:47:02.920 --> 01:47:06.039
up the hilly driveway. We parked them at a nearby

1681
01:47:06.159 --> 01:47:09.239
tree and brought our bags to the front door. As

1682
01:47:09.279 --> 01:47:12.720
soon as I rang the doorbell, there was this really loud,

1683
01:47:12.920 --> 01:47:18.079
blood curdling scream, like some girl was being murdered inside.

1684
01:47:18.279 --> 01:47:20.520
Zoe and I both shrieked and then got a grip

1685
01:47:20.560 --> 01:47:24.680
when we saw normal movement in the house. Then I

1686
01:47:24.720 --> 01:47:30.079
had an idea and rang the doorbell again. Again we

1687
01:47:30.159 --> 01:47:35.000
heard the horrifying scream. A few moments later, Dillard Fuller

1688
01:47:35.119 --> 01:47:38.439
himself answered the door, dressed up as a mad doctor.

1689
01:47:39.159 --> 01:47:42.920
Halloween songs were playing inside, not loud enough to wear.

1690
01:47:42.960 --> 01:47:48.439
It was blasting everywhere. Zoe Brionna, glad you guys could

1691
01:47:48.479 --> 01:47:54.439
make it. He said, nice fucking doorbell, dill hole. Zoe muttered,

1692
01:47:55.000 --> 01:47:57.720
we thought some chick was really being slaughtered in there.

1693
01:47:58.760 --> 01:48:02.000
Dillard laughed a little. Yeah, I didn't know about the

1694
01:48:02.000 --> 01:48:05.880
doorbell being rigged until you two rang it just now. Anyway,

1695
01:48:06.239 --> 01:48:10.159
come on in. He stepped aside. The two of us

1696
01:48:10.279 --> 01:48:13.359
entered and looked around to see how creepy this house was.

1697
01:48:14.159 --> 01:48:16.359
We came into the living room where the others were.

1698
01:48:16.920 --> 01:48:21.800
I turned to Dillard, did you rent this place or something? Babe?

1699
01:48:22.399 --> 01:48:26.159
Don't you know about the history of this house? We did?

1700
01:48:26.760 --> 01:48:33.960
Xander Weiss called out, and we do. Eddie Prance added Dillard. Xander, Eddie,

1701
01:48:33.960 --> 01:48:36.840
and Rock Harris were all members of the Sigma Chi

1702
01:48:37.000 --> 01:48:42.319
fraternity in addition to playing football for the Serpents. Along

1703
01:48:42.399 --> 01:48:46.159
with Zoe and me, there were three other girls. Nancy

1704
01:48:46.279 --> 01:48:49.439
Lyles was the only sorority girl here and belonged to

1705
01:48:49.520 --> 01:48:53.960
Alpha Delta Kappa, while Ganice Vender and Misha Bolton House

1706
01:48:54.000 --> 01:48:59.640
were university cheerleaders. There were nine of us total. Seriously,

1707
01:49:00.000 --> 01:49:03.479
why would you guys even throw a party here? I

1708
01:49:03.600 --> 01:49:07.000
asked them? And after that shit that happened back in

1709
01:49:07.119 --> 01:49:12.399
nineteen seventy one, why not Rock grumbled. We got it

1710
01:49:12.399 --> 01:49:17.399
all to ourselves, super cheap. It's ours till tomorrow afternoon,

1711
01:49:18.039 --> 01:49:22.239
Eddie added. Then Dillard wrapped his arms around my waist.

1712
01:49:22.920 --> 01:49:25.680
Did you pick up my game? Honey? We shared a

1713
01:49:25.720 --> 01:49:30.159
quick kiss. I held up the bag right here. There's

1714
01:49:30.239 --> 01:49:34.920
something else in it too. He kissed me again. When

1715
01:49:34.960 --> 01:49:38.680
we came apart, I handed him the bag. No way,

1716
01:49:39.479 --> 01:49:43.640
Dillard gasped. When he pulled the Strickfield Slasher out. He

1717
01:49:43.680 --> 01:49:47.239
looked right at me. Where did you get this, Brianna?

1718
01:49:47.520 --> 01:49:50.840
He opened the clamshell and looked at the tape. Yeah,

1719
01:49:51.000 --> 01:49:54.319
this is the real deal here, He looked at me again.

1720
01:49:55.399 --> 01:49:58.760
You know how extremely rare copies of this movie are.

1721
01:49:59.199 --> 01:50:02.319
You can't even f he's on eBay or Etsy or

1722
01:50:02.720 --> 01:50:06.520
even the more obscure websites. I told him where I

1723
01:50:06.560 --> 01:50:08.880
found the tape, as he whipped out his wallet and

1724
01:50:08.960 --> 01:50:12.880
paid me back. Never heard of no store called Tinkers,

1725
01:50:13.359 --> 01:50:17.079
Eddie said, skeptically. You sure it's in the mall. I

1726
01:50:17.239 --> 01:50:20.319
go there every day and I ain't never once seen

1727
01:50:20.319 --> 01:50:23.199
that store there. Look, I know where I went and

1728
01:50:23.239 --> 01:50:27.159
found that movie at I snapped. Dillard looked Eddie's way,

1729
01:50:28.079 --> 01:50:31.640
don't sweat it man. Maybe the store just opened. It

1730
01:50:31.720 --> 01:50:36.600
is getting closer to the holiday season, maybe, Eddie muttered.

1731
01:50:37.680 --> 01:50:41.119
Sure enough, Dillard brought his VCR DVD combo deck to

1732
01:50:41.159 --> 01:50:44.119
the party. It was hooked up to an old school TV.

1733
01:50:44.960 --> 01:50:49.479
I mean we're talking boob tube here. Dillard popped the

1734
01:50:49.479 --> 01:50:53.600
tape in. Gather around, everybody, It's time to watch a

1735
01:50:53.920 --> 01:50:58.199
very rare piece of horror cinema. The nine of us

1736
01:50:58.239 --> 01:51:02.840
were sitting together and watching The Strickfield Slasher. Now Dillard

1737
01:51:02.880 --> 01:51:05.800
wanted me to sit on his lap. Even watching it

1738
01:51:05.840 --> 01:51:09.319
for the second time, this movie still creeped me out.

1739
01:51:10.359 --> 01:51:13.800
Then Dillard told everybody some trivia about how the movie

1740
01:51:13.920 --> 01:51:17.880
was filmed on some special black and white film which

1741
01:51:17.920 --> 01:51:20.279
made the picture quality look like it was filmed in

1742
01:51:20.399 --> 01:51:24.319
four K like before. The movie started out on a

1743
01:51:24.399 --> 01:51:27.399
night just like tonight, except in the movie it was

1744
01:51:27.439 --> 01:51:33.760
both dark and stormy. There were nine people attending the

1745
01:51:33.800 --> 01:51:38.920
Halloween party at grim manor Funny Thing. There were the

1746
01:51:38.960 --> 01:51:41.760
same number of guys and girls like at our party,

1747
01:51:42.399 --> 01:51:47.000
and they were wearing similar costumes too. A few of

1748
01:51:47.039 --> 01:51:49.680
the other guys agreed on how good the picture quality

1749
01:51:49.840 --> 01:51:53.960
was for an old VHS. The characters were talking among

1750
01:51:54.000 --> 01:51:57.079
each other and doing party stuff. Many of them were

1751
01:51:57.159 --> 01:52:00.159
drinking canned beer. A few of the girls were being

1752
01:52:00.239 --> 01:52:03.359
flirty with the jocks, one of them showing her boobs

1753
01:52:03.399 --> 01:52:07.399
without reservation. It wasn't long before they decided to kick

1754
01:52:07.399 --> 01:52:10.840
the party up a notch. They all gathered around in

1755
01:52:10.880 --> 01:52:14.159
the living room to play a sexy version of Truth

1756
01:52:14.239 --> 01:52:18.000
or Dare. Zoe, who sat next to me and Dillard,

1757
01:52:18.239 --> 01:52:21.039
took my hand and held it. When the game was

1758
01:52:21.079 --> 01:52:25.520
really getting interesting, Scott Mead crashed the party and started

1759
01:52:25.520 --> 01:52:29.840
brutally killing people. I squeezed Zoe's hand a few times

1760
01:52:29.880 --> 01:52:33.680
too at how scary Mead was. When I watched The

1761
01:52:33.680 --> 01:52:37.520
Strickfield Slasher earlier, I was holding myself at how scared

1762
01:52:37.560 --> 01:52:41.720
Scott Mead made me feel. He was playing some big

1763
01:52:41.840 --> 01:52:44.720
monster of a man who escaped from the Eerie City

1764
01:52:44.720 --> 01:52:49.000
Asylum a real place. Eventually, he made his way to

1765
01:52:49.039 --> 01:52:52.920
grim Manor and went on a murder spray. Like mister

1766
01:52:53.000 --> 01:52:57.640
Tinker told me earlier, Mead went totally batshit crazy and

1767
01:52:57.760 --> 01:53:02.840
viciously killed nearly everybody. Then he left grim Manor and

1768
01:53:02.920 --> 01:53:05.279
made his way across the village until he came to

1769
01:53:05.319 --> 01:53:08.680
a house on a hill where some other college kids

1770
01:53:08.680 --> 01:53:13.199
were partying the very same house we were in at

1771
01:53:13.199 --> 01:53:18.000
that moment. Getting back to the movie, Scott Mead was

1772
01:53:18.079 --> 01:53:21.239
creating a hell of a bloodbath with the partiers. I

1773
01:53:21.279 --> 01:53:24.680
still wondered if the kill scenes were fake or if

1774
01:53:24.720 --> 01:53:28.960
we were actually watching a snuff film. The blood, gore,

1775
01:53:29.039 --> 01:53:33.039
and nudity certainly weren't toned down in any way. Even

1776
01:53:33.079 --> 01:53:36.000
the screams were as blood curdling and realistic as could be.

1777
01:53:37.239 --> 01:53:40.680
Just hearing Scott Meade scream each time he went to

1778
01:53:40.760 --> 01:53:45.399
murder somebody kept making shivers go down my spine. We

1779
01:53:45.399 --> 01:53:47.520
were at the part of the movie where Scott Mead

1780
01:53:47.600 --> 01:53:50.680
went upstairs to the bathroom. He opened the door and

1781
01:53:50.760 --> 01:53:53.279
found the flirty girl who was showing her goods, all

1782
01:53:53.560 --> 01:53:57.399
hot and naked and taking a shower. Dillard pointed to

1783
01:53:57.439 --> 01:54:00.720
the screen. Today, a final girl could get away with

1784
01:54:00.800 --> 01:54:04.920
being nude like that in a slasher movie, but back then, yeah,

1785
01:54:05.319 --> 01:54:10.199
she's dead meat. Suddenly a huge flash flickered at the windows,

1786
01:54:10.439 --> 01:54:18.680
making everybody shriek. Then a loud rumble followed. It seemed

1787
01:54:18.720 --> 01:54:22.039
we were getting a dark and stormy night on Halloween

1788
01:54:22.159 --> 01:54:29.239
and Strickfield ourselves. Then I noticed Rock was sneering at me. Hey, Brianna,

1789
01:54:29.800 --> 01:54:31.960
you think you could be a final girl in a

1790
01:54:32.000 --> 01:54:32.800
scary movie?

1791
01:54:33.800 --> 01:54:34.000
Oh?

1792
01:54:34.079 --> 01:54:38.279
I knew where that asshole was coming from, you heard Dillard.

1793
01:54:38.800 --> 01:54:41.800
Even though I'm fat, I'd probably be able to survive

1794
01:54:41.880 --> 01:54:46.119
in a horror movie made today, I sighed. But I

1795
01:54:46.159 --> 01:54:50.279
think even i'd be dead in this movie. I've never

1796
01:54:50.319 --> 01:54:53.680
seen any slashers where a fat girl became a final girl.

1797
01:54:54.640 --> 01:54:58.680
Dillard pointed right at Rock. Lay off, Brianna, I mean it.

1798
01:54:59.159 --> 01:55:01.199
I won't put up with you giving her a hard time.

1799
01:55:02.159 --> 01:55:06.880
When Rock finally shut up, Dillard turned to me, you okay, hun,

1800
01:55:07.720 --> 01:55:12.079
I nodded, I'm not offended. Really. The truth was I

1801
01:55:12.199 --> 01:55:18.159
was easily chunky, maybe considered big, not morbidly obese. However,

1802
01:55:18.760 --> 01:55:20.880
plenty of guys checked me out when I came to

1803
01:55:20.920 --> 01:55:24.760
Strickfield University, but Dillard was the one who acted on me.

1804
01:55:25.680 --> 01:55:28.039
I had been with him for a good two years now.

1805
01:55:29.000 --> 01:55:31.439
Even now, he didn't have a problem with me sitting

1806
01:55:31.439 --> 01:55:35.159
on his lap as we kept watching the movie. When

1807
01:55:35.239 --> 01:55:38.720
Zoe squeezed my hand again, I gulped at, knowing what

1808
01:55:38.800 --> 01:55:41.560
I was about to see on a repeat. Viewing what

1809
01:55:41.640 --> 01:55:45.159
everybody else would see. For the first time, you just

1810
01:55:45.279 --> 01:55:49.159
knew the guys were appreciating the shower chick, especially when

1811
01:55:49.159 --> 01:55:54.439
her nudity was quite graphic. The chick tried being seductive

1812
01:55:54.520 --> 01:55:57.960
to the killer while letting the shower rain down on her.

1813
01:55:58.479 --> 01:56:02.199
It seemed as though Scott me would spare her. Suddenly

1814
01:56:02.319 --> 01:56:06.199
he screamed like a crazy person. Then he grabbed hold

1815
01:56:06.239 --> 01:56:08.840
of her and ripped her arms right out at the roots.

1816
01:56:09.319 --> 01:56:13.119
When the girl screamed and started bleeding everywhere, the others

1817
01:56:13.159 --> 01:56:17.159
all groaned at how grotesque the scene was. Mead finished

1818
01:56:17.159 --> 01:56:20.039
her off by grabbing her head and twisting it off

1819
01:56:20.079 --> 01:56:23.800
in his hands. Even seeing that similar scene in Creep

1820
01:56:23.800 --> 01:56:28.520
Show made me WinCE man. No wonder the Strickfield Slasher

1821
01:56:28.600 --> 01:56:32.479
never really saw the light of day, Dillard said, The

1822
01:56:32.560 --> 01:56:36.479
story's just terrible. It's all extreme violence and nudity just

1823
01:56:36.560 --> 01:56:40.199
for the sake of having it. Whatever made Damien Carnivosh

1824
01:56:40.199 --> 01:56:44.720
want to film this piece of shit? Anyway, Those Carnivoche

1825
01:56:44.760 --> 01:56:49.239
people were always fucking crazy. Nancy muttered, No wonder that

1826
01:56:49.359 --> 01:56:52.319
house on Pleasant Valley Road has always talked about so much.

1827
01:56:53.520 --> 01:56:57.600
You keeping the movie, Zoe asked Dillard. Yeah, I'm definitely

1828
01:56:57.760 --> 01:57:01.880
keeping it, he assured her. Brianna here found it for me,

1829
01:57:01.920 --> 01:57:04.760
and it's a rare collector's item. He don't throw stuff

1830
01:57:04.800 --> 01:57:09.479
like that away. It was then when I realized, hey,

1831
01:57:10.560 --> 01:57:13.760
we never turned the music down to watch this movie.

1832
01:57:14.039 --> 01:57:19.239
Eddie took a drink of his beer and got up. Yeah, yeah,

1833
01:57:19.279 --> 01:57:23.399
I'll get it. He went to the stereo the guy's brought,

1834
01:57:23.720 --> 01:57:28.560
then started pushing the stop button. Huh, what gives man,

1835
01:57:29.520 --> 01:57:33.359
Rock called over his shoulder. It's called the stop button,

1836
01:57:33.439 --> 01:57:38.520
you moron. Eddie turned around. I did push the stop button.

1837
01:57:40.640 --> 01:57:43.439
Rock got up and went to Eddie. He opened the

1838
01:57:43.479 --> 01:57:47.560
CD and tape decks. Both ain't nobody playing nothing in here?

1839
01:57:48.479 --> 01:57:52.239
Then he looked around, where the fuck's that music coming from?

1840
01:57:52.279 --> 01:57:59.720
Then Jennie stood up and stammered, anybody suddenly the front

1841
01:57:59.720 --> 01:58:03.840
door or practically exploded. We either gasped in surprise or

1842
01:58:03.880 --> 01:58:06.640
screamed when we saw this mountain of a man wearing

1843
01:58:06.680 --> 01:58:09.760
a sack cloth over his head. He looked exactly like

1844
01:58:09.840 --> 01:58:13.319
the character Scott Mead played in the movie. This guy

1845
01:58:13.520 --> 01:58:16.119
was so tall he had to lower himself to be

1846
01:58:16.159 --> 01:58:20.199
able to get through the doorway. Upon smashing through, he

1847
01:58:20.279 --> 01:58:24.760
was so drenched in muscles. He easily made Rock look scrawny,

1848
01:58:25.720 --> 01:58:30.760
and he was holding the absolute biggest meat cleaver any

1849
01:58:30.840 --> 01:58:33.720
of us had ever seen. I wasn't sure about the

1850
01:58:33.760 --> 01:58:39.319
others here, but I was definitely scared as hell. Any

1851
01:58:39.359 --> 01:58:44.800
of you guys order him, Edie asked, uneasily, not as

1852
01:58:44.880 --> 01:58:49.079
drunk as I thought. When nobody spoke up, I knew

1853
01:58:49.199 --> 01:58:53.560
right away we were all in for a world of shit.

1854
01:58:54.880 --> 01:58:59.079
Chapter two. The giant looked over everybody in the house

1855
01:58:59.439 --> 01:59:02.840
and started heaving. Then he looked up to the ceiling

1856
01:59:03.359 --> 01:59:07.039
and screamed, the same way Scott Mead screamed in the

1857
01:59:07.079 --> 01:59:11.880
movie before going after his victims. Nobody stuck around to

1858
01:59:11.920 --> 01:59:15.600
see if this guy was real or not. Funny thing.

1859
01:59:16.479 --> 01:59:20.000
The music we were hearing suddenly got quicker and louder

1860
01:59:20.039 --> 01:59:24.479
as we all moved and scattered in different directions. Okay, no,

1861
01:59:25.279 --> 01:59:28.520
Zoe turned and ran with me. As it turned out,

1862
01:59:29.119 --> 01:59:33.000
Mead turned and chased after Zoe and me. First, for

1863
01:59:33.079 --> 01:59:35.239
a giant of a man, he could run like a

1864
01:59:35.319 --> 01:59:41.239
regular sized person. Oh Jesus Christ, Zoe shrieked, why is

1865
01:59:41.279 --> 01:59:46.000
this happening? I don't know, I shrieked back, like Scott

1866
01:59:46.079 --> 01:59:49.680
Mead and the Strickfield Slasher. This guy never spoke a word,

1867
01:59:49.960 --> 01:59:55.000
He just growled, roared, and screamed. Soon Zoe and I

1868
01:59:55.039 --> 01:59:58.000
reached the stairway and ran up. It was a good

1869
01:59:58.039 --> 02:00:01.119
thing we didn't stop, because that a big meat cleaver

1870
02:00:01.239 --> 02:00:04.199
would have got me in the back for sure. Zoe

1871
02:00:04.399 --> 02:00:07.239
screamed when we turned to see the blade embedded in

1872
02:00:07.319 --> 02:00:10.079
the wall at the top of the stairs. When we

1873
02:00:10.159 --> 02:00:13.800
heard Scott Mead coming up, we turned and ran. We

1874
02:00:13.840 --> 02:00:16.119
made it into the open room that was probably the

1875
02:00:16.199 --> 02:00:20.640
master bedroom. Zoe slammed the door and locked it. We

1876
02:00:20.720 --> 02:00:23.640
didn't have much time to catch our breaths when Scott

1877
02:00:23.680 --> 02:00:27.319
Mead exploded right through this door too. When he screamed again,

1878
02:00:27.439 --> 02:00:30.239
Zoe and I slipped past him and got back out.

1879
02:00:31.119 --> 02:00:33.319
We were almost to the stairway when we heard him

1880
02:00:33.359 --> 02:00:37.520
coming for us again. Zoe and I had to take

1881
02:00:37.560 --> 02:00:40.079
the steps two at a time. As soon as we

1882
02:00:40.079 --> 02:00:42.920
were a few steps away from the stairway, the music

1883
02:00:43.000 --> 02:00:47.119
got really loud. Then it drastically changed. After Mead had

1884
02:00:47.199 --> 02:00:51.039
jumped the stairway and landed right by us. He took

1885
02:00:51.119 --> 02:00:54.199
one long look at me and then suddenly turned his

1886
02:00:54.279 --> 02:00:57.960
eyes on Zoe. She screamed when Mead grabbed her by

1887
02:00:58.000 --> 02:01:01.479
one of her pigtails and pulled her back him. Oh

1888
02:01:01.520 --> 02:01:06.439
God help me, she screamed as Mead grabbed the other pigtail.

1889
02:01:07.199 --> 02:01:10.359
When I moved to try and save her, he pulled

1890
02:01:10.399 --> 02:01:14.880
on both of Zoe's pigtails until he pulled her face

1891
02:01:14.960 --> 02:01:19.119
apart right down the middle. You could literally see just

1892
02:01:19.199 --> 02:01:23.920
her eyeballs, muscles, and bone. Now blood was quickly flowing

1893
02:01:23.960 --> 02:01:28.000
down Zoe's body and wetting her costume. Her eyeballs went

1894
02:01:28.079 --> 02:01:31.119
up to the ceiling as she screamed her final scream

1895
02:01:31.640 --> 02:01:37.239
before she dropped to the floor forever. The music changed

1896
02:01:37.239 --> 02:01:41.680
to match this dismal event. Mead growled and picked up

1897
02:01:41.680 --> 02:01:47.079
his cleaver. Then he took another long, hard look at me.

1898
02:01:52.000 --> 02:01:56.319
Chapter three. I shook my head quickly and suddenly ran

1899
02:01:56.359 --> 02:01:58.960
out the front door as Mead screamed like a deranged

1900
02:01:59.039 --> 02:02:03.199
lunatic behind me. Now, Mead roared as he came outside

1901
02:02:03.239 --> 02:02:06.279
and started chasing me down. I knew there was no

1902
02:02:06.319 --> 02:02:08.560
way I could outrun him. In a matter of a

1903
02:02:08.600 --> 02:02:11.560
few minutes, he would easily carve my fat ass up

1904
02:02:11.560 --> 02:02:16.039
into fine cuts of meat. Suddenly, a big pickup truck

1905
02:02:16.079 --> 02:02:18.720
passed in front of me and breake to a stop.

1906
02:02:19.359 --> 02:02:21.840
Eddie Prance was in the back, holding his hands out.

1907
02:02:22.359 --> 02:02:25.600
Get in here, he yelled. I grabbed his hands to

1908
02:02:25.640 --> 02:02:29.439
let him pull me in back, but Mead reached the truck. Suddenly.

1909
02:02:29.560 --> 02:02:32.479
Eddie cried out when he sprang forward to escape and

1910
02:02:32.600 --> 02:02:35.399
fell on top of me. I gasped when I saw

1911
02:02:35.439 --> 02:02:37.840
the meat cleaver slam into the back of the truck,

1912
02:02:38.479 --> 02:02:42.039
making the entire front end come right up off its wheels.

1913
02:02:42.640 --> 02:02:45.880
Eddie and I were right where Mead could easily reach us.

1914
02:02:46.239 --> 02:02:49.760
We got to our feet and tried to run. Come on, Brianna,

1915
02:02:50.279 --> 02:02:54.439
Eddie yelled. Suddenly Mead was right there and grabbed Eddie

1916
02:02:54.479 --> 02:02:59.399
by his long hair. Oh shit, he screeched, Oh God,

1917
02:02:59.640 --> 02:03:05.039
help me, help me. I grabbed Eddie's hands and tried

1918
02:03:05.079 --> 02:03:08.399
to pull him my way. Eddie really clinched his teeth

1919
02:03:08.479 --> 02:03:11.880
as Mead pulled his hair harder. The next thing I knew,

1920
02:03:12.279 --> 02:03:16.960
Eddie's neck skin was pulling apart. Suddenly, Mead had Eddie's

1921
02:03:17.159 --> 02:03:20.560
entire face and hair right in his fist, as if

1922
02:03:20.560 --> 02:03:24.760
it were a Halloween mask. The rest of Eddie and

1923
02:03:24.760 --> 02:03:29.000
me fell and tumbled over each other. Now, Eddie screamed

1924
02:03:29.039 --> 02:03:31.640
as he got up and started running around like a

1925
02:03:31.720 --> 02:03:34.560
chicken with its head cut off, except he had a

1926
02:03:34.560 --> 02:03:40.760
bare skull with just eyeballs, muscles, and bone. Blood ran

1927
02:03:40.880 --> 02:03:44.560
down his body and soaked his costume. Mead marched right

1928
02:03:44.600 --> 02:03:47.920
after him. Then Eddie started to slow down and sink

1929
02:03:48.000 --> 02:03:51.960
to his knees. Before Eddie could sink any further, Mead

1930
02:03:52.039 --> 02:03:55.000
grabbed his neck bone and yanked up hard to take

1931
02:03:55.000 --> 02:03:59.359
his skull and his entire spine along with it. What

1932
02:03:59.560 --> 02:04:04.760
was left of Eddie's body slumped over forever. Mead held

1933
02:04:04.760 --> 02:04:09.039
his cleaver up as he screamed at the sky. Rock

1934
02:04:09.199 --> 02:04:12.119
tried attacking Mead from behind, but all he made the

1935
02:04:12.159 --> 02:04:17.720
Strickfield slasher do was move just slightly. Now the killer

1936
02:04:17.800 --> 02:04:22.359
turned around and saw Rock. Mead screamed insanely again before

1937
02:04:22.359 --> 02:04:26.000
he swung Eddie's spine and skull hard at ROC's head.

1938
02:04:26.840 --> 02:04:30.479
The impact made ROC's head shatter like it was ceramic.

1939
02:04:31.199 --> 02:04:34.439
I screamed really loud on seeing that graphic horror right

1940
02:04:34.479 --> 02:04:38.680
in front of me, knowing it was very real. ROC's

1941
02:04:38.720 --> 02:04:42.640
headless body stood for many long moments until it wobbled

1942
02:04:42.680 --> 02:04:46.640
and fell to its knees. Then it toppled over and

1943
02:04:46.760 --> 02:04:50.760
landed hard on its chest. I looked past Mead to

1944
02:04:50.800 --> 02:04:53.439
the truck and saw everybody else who was in it

1945
02:04:53.520 --> 02:04:57.079
was getting away. It was then when Dillard Fuller came

1946
02:04:57.159 --> 02:05:00.880
to me and took my hand. Come on, honey, let's move.

1947
02:05:01.720 --> 02:05:04.399
As the two of us turned to run away, Mead

1948
02:05:04.520 --> 02:05:09.000
focused right on me again. Then he pointed and screamed,

1949
02:05:09.039 --> 02:05:14.079
bloody murder. Once more, Dillard and I ran like hell

1950
02:05:14.720 --> 02:05:24.479
with Mead in hot Pursuit. Chapter four. Dillard and I

1951
02:05:24.600 --> 02:05:27.720
ran until we reached the barn. We went inside and

1952
02:05:27.760 --> 02:05:31.399
pulled the door shut. He found a baseball bat. Just

1953
02:05:31.439 --> 02:05:35.119
as Mead crashed right through the door. He turned and

1954
02:05:35.159 --> 02:05:38.520
saw Dillard and I again, he pointed right at us

1955
02:05:39.079 --> 02:05:43.279
and screamed with madness. Dillard roared as he jumped his

1956
02:05:43.359 --> 02:05:46.840
skinny ass up and swung the baseball bat, catching Mead

1957
02:05:46.920 --> 02:05:50.000
right on top of the head. I think I actually

1958
02:05:50.000 --> 02:05:52.960
felt the impact of the bat and knew Dillard didn't

1959
02:05:53.000 --> 02:05:56.960
hold back. When my boyfriend landed on his feet, Mead

1960
02:05:57.159 --> 02:06:00.439
just stood there and looked down at him. Then he

1961
02:06:00.520 --> 02:06:06.439
pointed right at Dillard and screamed again, Oh shit, Dillard

1962
02:06:06.520 --> 02:06:09.800
yelled as he turned back to me. Run, Brianna, Run.

1963
02:06:10.920 --> 02:06:13.880
Dillard and I ran out a side door when he

1964
02:06:13.960 --> 02:06:18.640
slammed it behind him. Mead still crashed right through it. Suddenly,

1965
02:06:18.760 --> 02:06:22.880
Dillard took me down, saving my life as that huge

1966
02:06:22.960 --> 02:06:28.039
cleaver flew right over us. Come on, Dillard yelled, grabbing

1967
02:06:28.039 --> 02:06:30.680
my hands and helping me back to my feet. I

1968
02:06:30.720 --> 02:06:34.319
stayed with him as Mead chased us down again. We

1969
02:06:34.439 --> 02:06:37.199
gained a little time since Mead stopped to pick up

1970
02:06:37.239 --> 02:06:41.560
his weapon. Soon he was pursuing us again. For a

1971
02:06:41.640 --> 02:06:44.479
giant man, he was running like he'd gotten his full

1972
02:06:44.600 --> 02:06:48.920
ride to Strickfield University in track and field instead of football.

1973
02:06:49.640 --> 02:06:52.840
Also for a chunky girl. I wasn't doing too bad

1974
02:06:52.880 --> 02:06:56.479
and keeping up with my boyfriend. Then we heard Mead

1975
02:06:56.640 --> 02:07:00.199
screaming behind us again and knew it wouldn't be long

1976
02:07:00.359 --> 02:07:04.359
before he'd catch up to us. Suddenly, Rock's truck came

1977
02:07:04.439 --> 02:07:08.199
right out of nowhere and slammed into Mead. We turned

1978
02:07:08.239 --> 02:07:11.600
to see Xander Weiss was driving it. Mead was holding

1979
02:07:11.640 --> 02:07:16.319
on as Xander eventually rammed him right smack into a tree.

1980
02:07:16.479 --> 02:07:19.800
I swore I could feel my own bones breaking on impact.

1981
02:07:20.560 --> 02:07:24.279
I knew I was fine, but just seeing the way

1982
02:07:24.279 --> 02:07:28.479
they crashed. Then I screamed when I saw Mead was

1983
02:07:28.479 --> 02:07:33.159
on his feet and shouting with utter derangement. Suddenly, Mead

1984
02:07:33.279 --> 02:07:36.840
started pushing the truck back. Xander was flooring it to

1985
02:07:36.880 --> 02:07:40.039
try and keep him pinned where he was. Die, you

1986
02:07:40.199 --> 02:07:47.199
fucking bastard, die, Xander screamed, just as crazily, fuck you.

1987
02:07:49.319 --> 02:07:51.239
Even though there had to be a shit ton of

1988
02:07:51.279 --> 02:07:55.319
horsepower under the hood. Mead was screaming his insane screams

1989
02:07:55.560 --> 02:07:59.439
and actually started pushing the truck back. You could literally

1990
02:07:59.479 --> 02:08:03.840
see the tires spinning in the dirt and grass. Mead

1991
02:08:04.000 --> 02:08:08.119
screamed an even more insane scream before he lifted the

1992
02:08:08.199 --> 02:08:13.399
right front end and turned the truck over onto its side.

1993
02:08:13.640 --> 02:08:16.119
Xander might have been better off staying in the truck.

1994
02:08:16.520 --> 02:08:19.039
When he tried to escape Scott, Mead was right there

1995
02:08:19.039 --> 02:08:21.880
to grab him and raise him up over his head.

1996
02:08:22.680 --> 02:08:27.479
Oh shit, were Xander's last words when Mead ripped him

1997
02:08:27.479 --> 02:08:30.439
in half like he was made out of cloth and

1998
02:08:30.560 --> 02:08:35.520
stuffed with cotton. After doing that, Mead became slickened from

1999
02:08:35.560 --> 02:08:40.239
head to toe with blood. We gotta get out of here,

2000
02:08:40.760 --> 02:08:44.560
Dillard yelled. Then he grabbed my hand, making me turn

2001
02:08:44.600 --> 02:08:48.319
and run with him. Why the fuck is this happening,

2002
02:08:48.840 --> 02:08:52.399
I screamed, This was just supposed to be a Halloween

2003
02:08:52.479 --> 02:08:57.560
party tonight, right. Guess somebody didn't tell him that. Dillard

2004
02:08:57.600 --> 02:09:00.960
called back. As I was trying to focus to keep

2005
02:09:01.039 --> 02:09:04.680
up with him. I knew I wasn't feeling right. Maybe

2006
02:09:04.760 --> 02:09:09.680
seeing all that carnage was making me sick inside. Still,

2007
02:09:10.359 --> 02:09:18.640
I managed to stay with Dillard. Chapter five. Dillard and

2008
02:09:18.720 --> 02:09:22.439
I ran into some woods nearby. I let him continue

2009
02:09:22.479 --> 02:09:26.039
to lead the way. I was hoping we'd lose Scott Mead,

2010
02:09:26.960 --> 02:09:29.640
But why was he here and chasing after us?

2011
02:09:30.119 --> 02:09:30.359
Now?

2012
02:09:30.560 --> 02:09:34.439
After all this time? He was obviously young and strong.

2013
02:09:34.520 --> 02:09:38.239
Back in nineteen seventy one, you'd think Mead was old

2014
02:09:38.319 --> 02:09:41.920
enough to be retired and collecting social Security. By now,

2015
02:09:42.600 --> 02:09:44.920
looking at him, you'd swear he was still hitting the

2016
02:09:44.960 --> 02:09:48.359
gym every hour of every day. He was still able

2017
02:09:48.399 --> 02:09:51.680
to run fast. We couldn't see under his sack mask,

2018
02:09:51.760 --> 02:09:55.000
but it was like the bastard never aged a single day.

2019
02:09:56.439 --> 02:09:58.439
Dillard and I came out of the woods and ran

2020
02:09:58.479 --> 02:10:02.479
across some farmer's field. It wasn't long before we could

2021
02:10:02.479 --> 02:10:08.359
hear Scott Mead screaming his maddening scream behind us. Christ,

2022
02:10:08.880 --> 02:10:12.159
if we don't lose that big fucker, we're both gonna

2023
02:10:12.199 --> 02:10:16.840
be dead. Dillard gasped, No two ways about it. We

2024
02:10:16.840 --> 02:10:20.359
were both running out of steam. Still, we kept running

2025
02:10:20.800 --> 02:10:24.800
and running. It wasn't long before a car pulled right

2026
02:10:24.880 --> 02:10:28.199
up in front of us. It was Mancy and Janice.

2027
02:10:29.079 --> 02:10:31.680
Get in you two. Let's get the fuck out of here,

2028
02:10:32.279 --> 02:10:35.720
Maancy cried. Dillard and I quickly got in the back.

2029
02:10:36.239 --> 02:10:39.600
Genie floored the gas. At least we could catch our

2030
02:10:39.680 --> 02:10:44.000
breaths now, But our rescue and relief was very short

2031
02:10:44.039 --> 02:10:47.960
lived when Scott Mead was suddenly right up in the

2032
02:10:48.079 --> 02:10:54.720
road ahead of us. Chapter six. Mancy and Janice screamed.

2033
02:10:55.399 --> 02:10:58.720
Then Janice slammed on the brakes. How the fuck did

2034
02:10:58.720 --> 02:11:02.119
he get ahead of us like that? Nancy gasped, I

2035
02:11:02.159 --> 02:11:05.800
could have sworn me left his ass back there. Who cares?

2036
02:11:06.199 --> 02:11:10.319
Dillard yelled, get us out of here. Janice put the

2037
02:11:10.319 --> 02:11:13.279
car in reverse and floored it. Soon she was able

2038
02:11:13.319 --> 02:11:15.920
to turn us around. She put it in gear again

2039
02:11:16.239 --> 02:11:20.600
and did some squealing and peeling. Scott Meade landed right

2040
02:11:20.640 --> 02:11:23.520
on the hood. Before I could think I felt my

2041
02:11:23.600 --> 02:11:26.399
head hitting the roof of the car. I was seeing

2042
02:11:26.479 --> 02:11:29.680
stars and was dizzy. Now. I wasn't even aware of

2043
02:11:29.760 --> 02:11:34.840
Dillard pulling me out of the car, Brianna, he yelled

2044
02:11:35.600 --> 02:11:38.680
to me. He sounded like an old record being played

2045
02:11:39.359 --> 02:11:44.000
really slow. I was still too dizzy to shake the cobwebs.

2046
02:11:44.520 --> 02:11:47.359
I was sure I felt skinny Dillard lifting my big

2047
02:11:47.399 --> 02:11:50.520
body up and on to his shoulder. I was also

2048
02:11:50.600 --> 02:11:55.920
sure I heard more screaming, probably from Genie and Nancy.

2049
02:11:57.399 --> 02:12:02.479
God damn you, I heard Dillard yell at meed, you motherfucker.

2050
02:12:03.640 --> 02:12:06.279
I think I passed out when I felt Dillard running

2051
02:12:06.720 --> 02:12:16.920
with me on his shoulder. Chapter seven. I finally woke

2052
02:12:17.039 --> 02:12:20.600
up and recognized where we were. Then I saw my

2053
02:12:20.640 --> 02:12:25.920
boyfriend was right there. You okay, Brianna, Dillard asked, holding

2054
02:12:25.960 --> 02:12:30.760
my hand. I nodded, I think so. I got up

2055
02:12:30.800 --> 02:12:34.840
and attempted to walk. Dillard was there with me. When

2056
02:12:34.840 --> 02:12:37.520
I was doing okay and not feeling dizzy or sick.

2057
02:12:38.000 --> 02:12:43.560
I looked back at him, Yeah, I'm fine. Ow. I

2058
02:12:43.640 --> 02:12:45.880
put my free hand to where my head's still hurt.

2059
02:12:46.760 --> 02:12:50.079
Feels like I got cracked by a baseball bat. I

2060
02:12:50.199 --> 02:12:54.399
raised my eyebrow and you really carried me on your shoulder.

2061
02:12:55.319 --> 02:13:00.359
Dillard squeezed my hand. You bet I did. But you're okay, right,

2062
02:13:01.239 --> 02:13:05.720
I nodded, Yeah, I think I'll be fine. Then I

2063
02:13:05.840 --> 02:13:10.279
recognized our surroundings. Why the fuck did you bring us

2064
02:13:10.319 --> 02:13:13.680
back here? Don't you think Scott Mead will double back

2065
02:13:13.680 --> 02:13:17.960
here to find us? Dillard sighed and shook his head.

2066
02:13:18.720 --> 02:13:21.840
I don't know, honey, but seriously, why are we being

2067
02:13:21.960 --> 02:13:26.720
terrorized by Scott fucking Need Isn't the Strickfield Slasher just

2068
02:13:27.399 --> 02:13:32.720
a fictional movie, a fictional character? I had to think.

2069
02:13:33.880 --> 02:13:37.039
Then I saw the VHS tape of the movie sticking

2070
02:13:37.119 --> 02:13:40.760
out of the VCR. I let go of Dillard's hand

2071
02:13:41.199 --> 02:13:44.520
and went to it to pull the tape out. Honey,

2072
02:13:45.800 --> 02:13:48.960
I'm really sorry, I groaned as I threw the tape

2073
02:13:49.000 --> 02:13:52.039
on the floor and tried smashing it with my shoes.

2074
02:13:52.960 --> 02:13:57.920
What are you doing, Dillard demanded. I don't know. The

2075
02:13:57.960 --> 02:14:00.600
Strickfield Slasher is here in the real world trying to

2076
02:14:00.720 --> 02:14:04.680
kill our asses. Right, maybe if we destroy this fucking

2077
02:14:04.760 --> 02:14:07.920
tape we can send him back. I even jumped up

2078
02:14:07.920 --> 02:14:10.399
and down on the tape, hoping my weight would be

2079
02:14:10.520 --> 02:14:13.560
enough to break the casing when I stepped off of it.

2080
02:14:14.600 --> 02:14:18.560
Oh bullshit, the tape isn't even cracked. I turned to Dillard.

2081
02:14:19.279 --> 02:14:21.279
I know I way enough to be able to destroy

2082
02:14:21.319 --> 02:14:26.159
a fucking videotape. Dillard even tried destroying it, but no

2083
02:14:26.199 --> 02:14:31.239
matter what he did, Okay, I don't get it. Then

2084
02:14:31.479 --> 02:14:35.000
Dillard had an idea. He put the tape back into

2085
02:14:35.000 --> 02:14:40.239
the VCR. I'm glad that oversized idiot didn't destroy my equipment.

2086
02:14:41.359 --> 02:14:46.159
What are you doing, I asked, Let's watch the credits.

2087
02:14:46.640 --> 02:14:52.000
Dillard said, sometimes you learn things by watching those. There

2088
02:14:52.039 --> 02:14:55.760
wasn't much of the movie left no surprise. The Strickfield

2089
02:14:55.760 --> 02:15:00.359
Slasher was never stopped. The movie ended with him walking

2090
02:15:00.399 --> 02:15:06.039
off into the sunrise. From there, the credits rolled. Dillard

2091
02:15:06.119 --> 02:15:11.119
and I watched them carefully, and then I saw it

2092
02:15:11.880 --> 02:15:15.079
right there, Dillard, I yelled, pointing at it. When he

2093
02:15:15.119 --> 02:15:18.800
paused the movie. I pointed to the credit special film

2094
02:15:18.800 --> 02:15:23.560
stock donated by E Tinker. I looked at Dillard. The

2095
02:15:23.600 --> 02:15:26.479
man I bought the tape from this morning introduced himself

2096
02:15:26.600 --> 02:15:32.920
as Isley Tinker. You think it's a coincidence, he sighed

2097
02:15:32.960 --> 02:15:36.600
and looked back at me. Okay, we'll have to go

2098
02:15:36.720 --> 02:15:40.720
on that. We finished watching the credits and saw that E.

2099
02:15:41.000 --> 02:15:45.439
Tinker also had a producer credit. Finally, the tape reached

2100
02:15:45.479 --> 02:15:51.439
the end. Then the VCR automatically started rewinding. Dillard and

2101
02:15:51.520 --> 02:15:55.039
I looked at each other. What do we do now, hun,

2102
02:15:55.560 --> 02:15:59.960
I asked, you're the film student here, what do we do?

2103
02:16:01.119 --> 02:16:05.960
What the holy shit? Dillard shrieked. It happened just like that.

2104
02:16:06.439 --> 02:16:10.479
Suddenly everything went from color to black and white. We

2105
02:16:10.479 --> 02:16:13.880
weren't watching the movie, but you'd swear we were looking

2106
02:16:14.079 --> 02:16:18.359
just as four K as that VHS tape did. Before

2107
02:16:18.399 --> 02:16:20.880
we could think about what to do next, we turned

2108
02:16:20.880 --> 02:16:24.439
to see Scott Mead was standing right there, just outside

2109
02:16:24.479 --> 02:16:27.199
the front door he had crashed through earlier. To let

2110
02:16:27.319 --> 02:16:31.319
us know he was back. He raised his big cleaver

2111
02:16:32.040 --> 02:16:39.920
and screamed like a madman once again. When Scott Mead

2112
02:16:40.079 --> 02:16:43.399
finished screaming, Dillard and I didn't think about it and

2113
02:16:43.479 --> 02:16:47.040
ran upstairs again. I saw the split in the wall

2114
02:16:47.280 --> 02:16:49.840
where Mead threw that cleaver when he was chasing after

2115
02:16:49.879 --> 02:16:53.360
me and Zoe earlier. We made it upstairs and had

2116
02:16:53.360 --> 02:16:57.840
to think, fast, shit, there's nowhere for us to run.

2117
02:16:57.879 --> 02:17:03.280
Brianna Dillard grown when we heard Scott Meade screaming again.

2118
02:17:03.639 --> 02:17:06.200
We knew it would only be seconds before he'd be

2119
02:17:06.239 --> 02:17:11.680
on us. Then I had an idea. I want you

2120
02:17:11.719 --> 02:17:18.319
to listen to me very carefully. Then I explained my plan.

2121
02:17:23.760 --> 02:17:27.040
When Scott Mead found me in the bathroom, I was

2122
02:17:27.159 --> 02:17:30.000
naked and glistening wet from the water raining on me

2123
02:17:30.079 --> 02:17:33.440
from the shower nozzle. Oh believe me. I knew I

2124
02:17:33.559 --> 02:17:36.200
was crazy, but Dillard and I were never going to

2125
02:17:36.239 --> 02:17:39.799
make it back downstairs with me blocking our way, which

2126
02:17:39.840 --> 02:17:42.719
was why I was doing the brainless bimbo thing from

2127
02:17:42.760 --> 02:17:47.319
the movie itself and taking a shower. Mead was looking

2128
02:17:47.360 --> 02:17:51.360
me over as I turned and presented myself again, I

2129
02:17:51.520 --> 02:17:55.000
wasn't the sexiest girl in our group, with being chunky

2130
02:17:55.040 --> 02:17:57.840
and having a bubble butt. At least I had the

2131
02:17:57.920 --> 02:18:01.239
tits that came with having my chunky frame. I also

2132
02:18:01.440 --> 02:18:04.319
said I found it hard to believe skinny Dillard wanted

2133
02:18:04.360 --> 02:18:08.440
to date me just after we met at the university. Hell,

2134
02:18:09.040 --> 02:18:11.479
guys didn't even want to date me back in high school.

2135
02:18:12.440 --> 02:18:15.879
I only said I was sexy earlier because Dillard would

2136
02:18:15.879 --> 02:18:20.520
tell me so. He made me feel good about myself. Now,

2137
02:18:20.600 --> 02:18:23.360
Scott Mead was looking me over as I kept soaping

2138
02:18:23.399 --> 02:18:26.040
myself up. I was expecting him to do to me

2139
02:18:26.159 --> 02:18:28.680
what he did to that porn looking girl from the

2140
02:18:28.719 --> 02:18:32.440
original movie. I really didn't want to die, but I

2141
02:18:32.520 --> 02:18:35.559
wasn't going to let this giant buffoon get my boyfriend

2142
02:18:35.600 --> 02:18:39.799
if I could help it. Well, what are you waiting for,

2143
02:18:40.159 --> 02:18:45.120
I demanded, I'm all wet and sexy, baby, I screamed

2144
02:18:45.159 --> 02:18:49.159
when Mead suddenly reached out and grabbed my throat. His

2145
02:18:49.319 --> 02:18:52.920
hand was big enough to almost go completely around my neck.

2146
02:18:53.680 --> 02:18:57.360
One sudden movement of his wrist would snap my neck.

2147
02:18:58.079 --> 02:19:04.200
Easily closed my eyes and waited for everything to end.

2148
02:19:05.000 --> 02:19:08.680
Then Mead suddenly roared in pain. I opened my eyes

2149
02:19:08.680 --> 02:19:11.399
and saw the tip of the sword sticking out of

2150
02:19:11.399 --> 02:19:17.760
the Strickfield Slasher's chest. I looked past him and saw Dillard. No,

2151
02:19:18.319 --> 02:19:20.680
you were supposed to run, you were supposed to live,

2152
02:19:21.399 --> 02:19:25.520
I yelled. Our story ain't ending like that, Brianna. He

2153
02:19:25.559 --> 02:19:28.000
called back, I love you and we're getting out of

2154
02:19:28.000 --> 02:19:32.159
this together. Now, come on. Dillard snatched my hand. When

2155
02:19:32.159 --> 02:19:35.360
Scott Mead fell to his knees, I moved past him

2156
02:19:35.399 --> 02:19:38.200
and came to my boyfriend. I grabbed my clothes off

2157
02:19:38.239 --> 02:19:41.280
the floor and quickly got dressed. Then Dillard and I

2158
02:19:41.399 --> 02:19:44.559
ran out of the bathroom and were soon leaving the house.

2159
02:19:45.440 --> 02:19:48.200
We realized we were the last two left out of

2160
02:19:48.200 --> 02:19:52.200
our Halloween party from earlier tonight. I hope you killed

2161
02:19:52.200 --> 02:19:57.120
that son of a bitch, I told him. Yeah, I

2162
02:19:57.159 --> 02:20:00.959
hope so too, Dillard replied in a that told me

2163
02:20:01.600 --> 02:20:05.680
he wasn't believing it either. We found the scooters Zoe

2164
02:20:05.680 --> 02:20:08.120
and I had used to come here and took off

2165
02:20:08.159 --> 02:20:11.000
on them. I was sure we both knew it was

2166
02:20:11.040 --> 02:20:14.600
only a matter of time before Scott Mead would recover

2167
02:20:14.719 --> 02:20:19.840
and find us again. We continued riding the scooters until

2168
02:20:19.840 --> 02:20:23.000
we made it back into Strickfield limits. We knew we

2169
02:20:23.079 --> 02:20:26.079
had to reach the police station and get help. We

2170
02:20:26.239 --> 02:20:28.799
parked the scooters outside the station and got off to

2171
02:20:28.840 --> 02:20:31.639
go in. As soon as we reached the double doors.

2172
02:20:32.600 --> 02:20:37.920
That was when tragedy struck. Scott Mead was suddenly right

2173
02:20:37.959 --> 02:20:42.680
there with his big meat cleaver raised high. Also, we

2174
02:20:42.719 --> 02:20:46.440
should have realized things weren't over when we never stopped

2175
02:20:46.479 --> 02:20:52.000
hearing that horrible music all around us. When Meade screamed,

2176
02:20:52.040 --> 02:20:56.120
so did we. Then I screamed even louder when he

2177
02:20:56.159 --> 02:21:00.200
brought the cleaver down and sliced Dillard in half on

2178
02:21:00.239 --> 02:21:04.920
the spot. I screamed even more when both halves of

2179
02:21:05.000 --> 02:21:09.559
Dillard Fuller each fell to a knee and then split

2180
02:21:09.600 --> 02:21:15.120
apart to fall onto their perspective sides. Then I fell

2181
02:21:15.159 --> 02:21:19.200
onto my knees as Scott Mead screamed his loudest yet

2182
02:21:19.680 --> 02:21:24.399
and raised his cleaver for what would be his final kill.

2183
02:21:25.440 --> 02:21:27.760
Dillard and I should have known we weren't going to

2184
02:21:27.799 --> 02:21:32.280
get out of this horrible Halloween nightmare, especially when everything

2185
02:21:32.360 --> 02:21:36.239
was still in black and white. I probably could have

2186
02:21:36.239 --> 02:21:40.360
gotten up and ran, but what was the point. No

2187
02:21:40.440 --> 02:21:43.959
matter where I'd run, Scott Mead would be right there waiting.

2188
02:21:45.200 --> 02:21:48.280
He would always find me. I would never have any

2189
02:21:48.360 --> 02:21:54.799
peace whatsoever. Also, the Strickfield Slasher himself had just taken

2190
02:21:54.840 --> 02:21:58.000
the love of my life. I was on my knees

2191
02:21:58.000 --> 02:22:03.680
in both trembling and at knowing I had just lost Dillard,

2192
02:22:04.440 --> 02:22:09.520
and that goddamned music was just horrible. Now for the

2193
02:22:09.559 --> 02:22:14.959
final time, Scott Mead raised the big butcher's cleaver. Then

2194
02:22:15.840 --> 02:22:19.639
everything started to go dark when the cleaver came right

2195
02:22:19.680 --> 02:22:30.440
down on me. Fast epilogue back in the real world Isley,

2196
02:22:30.559 --> 02:22:35.760
Tinker stopped the VCR and pressed the rewind button. When

2197
02:22:35.760 --> 02:22:39.760
the video cassette was finished, he ejected it and placed

2198
02:22:39.760 --> 02:22:44.280
it back inside the clamshell case. From there, he returned

2199
02:22:44.319 --> 02:22:48.040
it to the display near the cash register. Once more,

2200
02:22:48.680 --> 02:22:54.479
the Strickfield Slasher was available to purchase. It wasn't long

2201
02:22:54.600 --> 02:22:58.920
before some new prospects had entered his establishment at Strickfield

2202
02:22:58.959 --> 02:23:03.079
Town Center Mall. More college kids from the university or

2203
02:23:03.120 --> 02:23:06.479
the high school coming in to look for Halloween items.

2204
02:23:06.719 --> 02:23:10.799
No doubt, Like before, he would approach the students and

2205
02:23:10.920 --> 02:23:13.920
offer his assistance. He would bring them up to the

2206
02:23:13.959 --> 02:23:16.479
counter and show them what he was selling for Halloween.

2207
02:23:17.319 --> 02:23:24.040
Of course, someone would inquire about the Strickfield Slasher. Tinker

2208
02:23:24.079 --> 02:23:27.000
would tell the story the same as he did with

2209
02:23:27.079 --> 02:23:31.760
all his previous customers. Of course, they just had to

2210
02:23:31.799 --> 02:23:38.000
have that copy of that extremely rare movie filmed around Strickfield.

2211
02:23:38.639 --> 02:23:42.920
Tinker would sell it for twenty dollars, which would guarantee

2212
02:23:42.959 --> 02:23:48.520
both the sale and more profit for him. From there,

2213
02:23:48.559 --> 02:23:51.479
it would be only a matter of time before one

2214
02:23:51.639 --> 02:23:56.399
or more people would sit down to watch The Strickfield Slasher.

2215
02:23:57.079 --> 02:24:02.440
Summoning the possessed title character himself. Tinker had indeed been

2216
02:24:02.479 --> 02:24:07.600
the one who supplied the special film stock to Damian Carnivosh,

2217
02:24:08.520 --> 02:24:12.959
earning him a producer credit. Just as people had their

2218
02:24:13.000 --> 02:24:18.879
Halloween traditions, so did Issley Tinker. His was, of course,

2219
02:24:19.680 --> 02:24:23.879
the Strickfield Slasher, in which the movie was both cursed

2220
02:24:24.000 --> 02:24:28.559
and possessed by one of the restless spirits of grim manner.

2221
02:24:29.680 --> 02:24:33.280
As long as the spirit was kept satisfied, it would

2222
02:24:33.360 --> 02:24:37.079
continue its existence within the black and white, fictional yet

2223
02:24:37.680 --> 02:24:44.440
realistic world of Strickfield itself. Tinker himself knew it would

2224
02:24:44.440 --> 02:24:47.280
only be a matter of time before the video cassette

2225
02:24:47.520 --> 02:24:50.280
would find its way back to him, so that the

2226
02:24:50.360 --> 02:24:56.000
vicious cycle could begin again. He would continue to make

2227
02:24:56.079 --> 02:24:59.319
money on selling it, and the spirit contained within the

2228
02:24:59.440 --> 02:25:04.639
medium would get more victims. Tinker sighed after his latest

2229
02:25:04.680 --> 02:25:10.440
customer had just left with The Strickfield Slasher. Ah, Yes,

2230
02:25:11.639 --> 02:25:28.639
I do so love Halloween Stalk by Mike Eskewey. I'm bored, lonely,

2231
02:25:29.840 --> 02:25:34.520
and horny. This is not exactly a great combination for

2232
02:25:34.600 --> 02:25:39.319
an exciting reading week. The exceptional and brilliant life of

2233
02:25:39.440 --> 02:25:44.719
me Joshua Fox or Foxy to most of my friends

2234
02:25:45.440 --> 02:25:49.479
I wish the nickname suggested more success with the ladies,

2235
02:25:49.600 --> 02:25:54.319
but well, let's say it's been a long, dry summer,

2236
02:25:54.920 --> 02:26:00.520
and fuck if I'm not thirsty. Canadian Thanksgiving, the less

2237
02:26:00.600 --> 02:26:06.000
cool cousin of American Thanksgiving, happens in October. But hey,

2238
02:26:06.319 --> 02:26:10.159
it's reading week, so it kind of works out. I'm

2239
02:26:10.200 --> 02:26:13.239
coming home to my old stomping grounds from being away

2240
02:26:13.319 --> 02:26:17.639
in the big city of Toronto. It'll be a week

2241
02:26:17.680 --> 02:26:21.600
of getting together with some friends, playing some dungeons and dragons,

2242
02:26:22.000 --> 02:26:24.600
and maybe putting on the skates for a few games

2243
02:26:24.639 --> 02:26:28.120
of Beer League hockey with the boys. Maybe I was

2244
02:26:28.159 --> 02:26:31.280
expecting college to be like in the movies, and ladies

2245
02:26:31.280 --> 02:26:35.319
would be throwing themselves at me. I am somehow getting

2246
02:26:35.360 --> 02:26:39.399
the idea that the sexy comedies of the eighties might

2247
02:26:39.440 --> 02:26:42.840
have lied to me. There was a distinct lack of

2248
02:26:43.159 --> 02:26:46.639
pante raids, and it was more study your ass off

2249
02:26:46.680 --> 02:26:50.959
and get your homework done than endless fun. I'm lucky

2250
02:26:51.000 --> 02:26:53.879
that I got my college education paid for courtesy of

2251
02:26:53.920 --> 02:26:57.479
the Ontario government and a summer of manning a hot

2252
02:26:57.520 --> 02:27:00.760
dog cart at the Blue Jays games. The drive home

2253
02:27:00.879 --> 02:27:06.600
up Highway six was as always long, boring, and well,

2254
02:27:07.360 --> 02:27:10.399
if you've never seen a cow, then hold onto your

2255
02:27:10.399 --> 02:27:14.239
butts because you are in for a treat. I parked

2256
02:27:14.239 --> 02:27:17.159
my ass at my parents' house and Owen Sound and

2257
02:27:17.280 --> 02:27:21.000
hoped that this week doesn't suck. My mom and dad

2258
02:27:21.000 --> 02:27:24.840
have taken off to somewhere warm, sunny and probably filled

2259
02:27:24.840 --> 02:27:29.360
with conservative nut jobs like Florida. Come to think of it,

2260
02:27:29.840 --> 02:27:32.520
maybe Owen Sound and Florida have a lot in common,

2261
02:27:32.719 --> 02:27:38.559
just with less alligators on meth. Then again, I laughed

2262
02:27:38.559 --> 02:27:43.079
at my own stupid thoughts and continued driving. Fortunately, Foxy

2263
02:27:43.200 --> 02:27:46.120
wasn't totally without a clue or a plan for the

2264
02:27:46.159 --> 02:27:50.399
week ahead. In some ways, there is this cool thing

2265
02:27:50.600 --> 02:27:55.479
called the Internet. Heard of it? Of course, you have

2266
02:27:55.840 --> 02:27:59.040
all the debauchery and raunchy shit you can imagine, and

2267
02:27:59.120 --> 02:28:03.200
all available at the click of a mouse. Kind of

2268
02:28:03.200 --> 02:28:05.360
figured the boys might blow me off for the week

2269
02:28:05.399 --> 02:28:09.000
with work, girlfriends, and kids. So I had to come

2270
02:28:09.079 --> 02:28:12.239
up with a plan B. What's plan B, you ask,

2271
02:28:12.879 --> 02:28:17.200
Internet hookups? Yeah, I know, fuck sexy MILFs in your

2272
02:28:17.239 --> 02:28:19.799
area right now. Just pay nine to ninety nine and

2273
02:28:19.920 --> 02:28:24.120
enter your major credit card. Nah fuck that. I tried

2274
02:28:24.159 --> 02:28:27.959
the sensitive approach and cast a wide net and tried

2275
02:28:28.000 --> 02:28:31.639
the college dating website scene, and I'll see what happens

2276
02:28:31.680 --> 02:28:35.120
when I cast a line. Before leaving my dorm, I

2277
02:28:35.200 --> 02:28:38.120
fired up the old laptop and sent off a few

2278
02:28:38.159 --> 02:28:41.440
messages to some girls up in the area. I knew

2279
02:28:41.440 --> 02:28:43.520
a few of them from going to high school, and

2280
02:28:43.600 --> 02:28:47.760
some I knew by reputation alone. I kind of had

2281
02:28:47.760 --> 02:28:51.159
a feeling that my odds of success weren't great. But hey,

2282
02:28:51.760 --> 02:28:55.040
as a great wise man once said, you can't score

2283
02:28:55.040 --> 02:28:59.799
if you don't take a shot right now. Wait, you're thinking,

2284
02:29:00.440 --> 02:29:05.000
am I really this lonely and desperate? Yes? And no.

2285
02:29:05.879 --> 02:29:08.079
Before I left for school, I did have a girl

2286
02:29:08.159 --> 02:29:12.639
I was going steady with, but well, it didn't work out.

2287
02:29:13.600 --> 02:29:17.639
Maybe it was her, Maybe it was me. Maybe I

2288
02:29:17.639 --> 02:29:22.840
shouldn't have tried to fuck her best friend Courtney. Maybe TLDR.

2289
02:29:23.399 --> 02:29:26.799
I'm an idiot and got what I deserved. However, who

2290
02:29:26.879 --> 02:29:30.200
says that good guys don't get a second chance? Am

2291
02:29:30.239 --> 02:29:31.000
I a good guy?

2292
02:29:31.200 --> 02:29:31.440
Well?

2293
02:29:32.200 --> 02:29:36.639
I'm not Hitler. That has to count for something. Coming

2294
02:29:36.639 --> 02:29:39.840
into Owen Sound was something that I always looked forward to.

2295
02:29:40.399 --> 02:29:43.000
The lovely fall colors of the trees and the big

2296
02:29:43.079 --> 02:29:46.879
hill coming into the downtown. Sure this place sucked to

2297
02:29:46.920 --> 02:29:49.639
grow up, but I'll be damned if it wasn't a

2298
02:29:49.719 --> 02:29:53.040
gorgeous place to look at for a little while. I

2299
02:29:53.159 --> 02:29:55.319
drove up to my parents' house on the west side

2300
02:29:55.360 --> 02:29:59.159
of town by the old Blockbuster and unloaded my backpack

2301
02:29:59.200 --> 02:30:02.360
and hockey back. Walked into the old house that was

2302
02:30:02.399 --> 02:30:06.520
clearly built before people knew what HVAC was and half

2303
02:30:06.559 --> 02:30:10.959
decent wiring. It's quiet here, even the dog is gone.

2304
02:30:11.520 --> 02:30:14.639
They almost never take that yappy thing with them on vacation.

2305
02:30:16.159 --> 02:30:20.680
That's pretty weird. Guess the neighbors finally said, fuck you.

2306
02:30:20.680 --> 02:30:22.920
Your dog won't stop shitting on our lawn, so no,

2307
02:30:23.280 --> 02:30:26.799
Bob and Linda, I won't look after your mud. My

2308
02:30:26.959 --> 02:30:29.639
room was just as I left it. It looked like

2309
02:30:29.680 --> 02:30:33.600
a bomb went off in it. Dirty clothes, fast food wrappers,

2310
02:30:33.639 --> 02:30:36.159
and I'm pretty sure a half empty can of red

2311
02:30:36.200 --> 02:30:40.319
Bull stuffed up under my computer desk. Speaking of my computer,

2312
02:30:41.040 --> 02:30:43.520
I fired up the old desktop that I didn't take

2313
02:30:43.559 --> 02:30:46.399
with me to school. I logged onto a few of

2314
02:30:46.440 --> 02:30:49.520
the college dating sites that I was on before I left,

2315
02:30:49.559 --> 02:30:52.239
and kind of hoped that I'd find someone to help

2316
02:30:52.239 --> 02:30:56.040
take my mind off things for a while. Seems like

2317
02:30:56.079 --> 02:30:59.000
more than a few swiped away from yours truly, but hey,

2318
02:30:59.639 --> 02:31:03.559
this is just separating the wheat from the chaff. The

2319
02:31:03.680 --> 02:31:09.719
strong survive. Right after sorting through like twenty messages and

2320
02:31:09.760 --> 02:31:14.479
getting shot down almost consistently a hit, I've never been

2321
02:31:14.479 --> 02:31:17.680
so happy to see a blinking notification on a website

2322
02:31:17.760 --> 02:31:21.200
that wasn't only fans click that so fast that I

2323
02:31:21.200 --> 02:31:24.639
thought the mouse would disintegrate in my hands. It was

2324
02:31:24.680 --> 02:31:28.680
from Tracy Kidd, totally out of my league, totally not

2325
02:31:28.840 --> 02:31:33.399
into me yet. Hey, Josh, glad to hear your coming

2326
02:31:33.440 --> 02:31:35.520
back to town for a week. When was the last

2327
02:31:35.520 --> 02:31:37.959
time I saw you? Was it the baseball attorney in

2328
02:31:38.040 --> 02:31:41.399
Sawble Beach or at jeans party in Chesley? It's been

2329
02:31:41.520 --> 02:31:45.079
way too long. I was totally surprised to hear from you, though,

2330
02:31:45.440 --> 02:31:48.719
such a pleasant surprise. Sorry to hear that your friends

2331
02:31:48.719 --> 02:31:52.680
ditched you for the week or likely will that totally sucks,

2332
02:31:53.680 --> 02:31:56.719
blah blah, get on with it. But I kept reading

2333
02:31:56.760 --> 02:32:00.719
with anticipation, as this could go my way, or I'm

2334
02:32:00.760 --> 02:32:03.399
spending my week with a jar of vasileene and porn

2335
02:32:03.440 --> 02:32:07.399
hub so I'm stuck this week by myself too, And

2336
02:32:07.479 --> 02:32:09.920
I was wondering if you'd like to get together, no

2337
02:32:10.159 --> 02:32:13.280
pressure or anything. I have to close my parents' cottage

2338
02:32:13.280 --> 02:32:15.399
for the winter, and I could totally use a big

2339
02:32:15.440 --> 02:32:18.799
strong man to help me out. Well, more like, I'd

2340
02:32:18.920 --> 02:32:21.360
rather not be alone in a giant house by myself

2341
02:32:21.360 --> 02:32:24.520
for a week. So tell you what, why don't you

2342
02:32:24.559 --> 02:32:27.000
come up when you're here and we'll get together, have

2343
02:32:27.079 --> 02:32:29.559
a few laughs, go in the hot tub and drink

2344
02:32:29.559 --> 02:32:32.920
what's left in the liquor cabinet. Now, this is what

2345
02:32:33.000 --> 02:32:36.799
I am talking about. I texted her so fast, and

2346
02:32:36.879 --> 02:32:41.559
after literally a few seconds, she replied back, Holy shit.

2347
02:32:42.479 --> 02:32:45.399
She gave me a winkie face emoji and said she'd

2348
02:32:45.399 --> 02:32:49.360
be available later tonight. I texted back and asked for

2349
02:32:49.399 --> 02:32:53.879
the address, but tried to play it cool. Pretty sure,

2350
02:32:53.879 --> 02:32:56.600
I look dumb as hell, but it's a bold move, Cotton.

2351
02:32:56.840 --> 02:33:00.360
Let's see how it plays out. Got the address. I

2352
02:33:00.399 --> 02:33:03.680
had a vague idea on where it was, Sauble Beach.

2353
02:33:04.200 --> 02:33:07.440
It sounded like it was close to Soggin First Nation Territory,

2354
02:33:08.120 --> 02:33:11.879
the Indian Reservation. I'd been there a few times for

2355
02:33:12.000 --> 02:33:15.879
hockey and had a few friends from there. Good guys, deaf,

2356
02:33:15.920 --> 02:33:18.399
the kind of people you want backing you in a fight.

2357
02:33:18.959 --> 02:33:22.440
You don't fuck with res kids. Had an idea that

2358
02:33:22.639 --> 02:33:27.239
kid was Ojibweh, but didn't want to ask. It's cool though.

2359
02:33:27.399 --> 02:33:30.120
Native girls have the most intense dark eyes and that

2360
02:33:30.600 --> 02:33:34.280
amazing black hair. I knew Tracy had a rep, but

2361
02:33:34.840 --> 02:33:38.200
it was well earned. She didn't take any crap from

2362
02:33:38.280 --> 02:33:41.360
any of her boyfriends, so she had that tough girl

2363
02:33:41.399 --> 02:33:46.079
air about her. She was confident, undeniably sexy, but so

2364
02:33:46.200 --> 02:33:48.000
far out of my league. It was like a ten

2365
02:33:48.079 --> 02:33:51.479
year old kid playing in the NHL with a broken arm.

2366
02:33:52.120 --> 02:33:54.399
I can't deny that. I'd love to have a face

2367
02:33:54.440 --> 02:33:57.200
off with her and jersey her if you catch my

2368
02:33:57.319 --> 02:34:01.840
drift still, she responded to. So if I didn't have

2369
02:34:01.920 --> 02:34:06.360
a shot, then she wouldn't have answered me. Maybe this

2370
02:34:06.479 --> 02:34:09.719
reading week is gonna work out after all. Get together

2371
02:34:09.799 --> 02:34:12.719
with a pretty girl, fuck her brains out, and return

2372
02:34:12.840 --> 02:34:16.280
back to the dorms with an awesome story. I could

2373
02:34:16.319 --> 02:34:19.680
also totally brag to my buddies Ryan and Dylan how

2374
02:34:19.760 --> 02:34:22.280
I got laid and they decided to ditch me for

2375
02:34:22.360 --> 02:34:27.680
things like jobs and Beer League losers. I texted her

2376
02:34:27.719 --> 02:34:30.600
back and said I'd take a quick shower and grab

2377
02:34:30.680 --> 02:34:33.760
some supplies and head up her way within the hour.

2378
02:34:34.639 --> 02:34:37.239
It was late afternoon, but I'd still make it up

2379
02:34:37.280 --> 02:34:40.120
there before it got too dark. And then the real

2380
02:34:40.239 --> 02:34:43.360
fun began. I got in the shower and tried to

2381
02:34:43.399 --> 02:34:46.680
imagine all the ways that i'd be all mister super

2382
02:34:46.799 --> 02:34:51.239
sexy and smooth oper Radar. Something felt kind of off

2383
02:34:51.319 --> 02:34:54.120
as I got out of the bathroom, though, it kind

2384
02:34:54.120 --> 02:34:58.280
of felt like someone was watching me. It only happened

2385
02:34:58.319 --> 02:35:00.799
for a few seconds, but for a moment or two,

2386
02:35:01.760 --> 02:35:03.959
I swear I saw a pair of eyes dart by

2387
02:35:03.959 --> 02:35:08.559
my bedroom window. That would be crazy because I was

2388
02:35:08.639 --> 02:35:12.600
up on the third floor. Maybe cut back on the

2389
02:35:12.639 --> 02:35:15.760
red bulls before I leave for her place, got my

2390
02:35:15.840 --> 02:35:19.319
luggage together, some condoms I had stashed for just such

2391
02:35:19.319 --> 02:35:22.840
an occasion, and a six pack of Canadian from the fridge.

2392
02:35:23.559 --> 02:35:25.479
I'm sure Dad won't mind if I take a few

2393
02:35:25.520 --> 02:35:31.120
beers to entertain a lady again. Something seemed weird as

2394
02:35:31.159 --> 02:35:33.680
I was just getting my keys off the kitchen table

2395
02:35:34.200 --> 02:35:37.479
and I looked out towards the back door. I swear

2396
02:35:37.520 --> 02:35:40.639
I saw the biggest damn dog I'd ever seen, just

2397
02:35:40.840 --> 02:35:44.520
peering in at me and looking at me. Now, who

2398
02:35:44.600 --> 02:35:48.159
the hell, let that monster off the leash. Should I

2399
02:35:48.200 --> 02:35:52.239
call the cops or help someone find their dog? Well,

2400
02:35:52.280 --> 02:35:54.959
if it's important enough, then someone will come looking, and

2401
02:35:55.000 --> 02:35:57.920
I'm sure that Kujo, the giant dog will find his

2402
02:35:57.959 --> 02:36:01.360
way home. My car felt like something out of Fast

2403
02:36:01.399 --> 02:36:04.280
and the Furious as I hit the gas and hit

2404
02:36:04.360 --> 02:36:07.319
every single light out of town and up Highway six

2405
02:36:07.520 --> 02:36:11.319
towards Soble Beach. I cranked up the radio and started

2406
02:36:11.360 --> 02:36:15.239
singing along badly to whatever was on it. Frankly didn't matter.

2407
02:36:15.479 --> 02:36:18.479
Tonight was gonna be great and I wasn't gonna let

2408
02:36:18.520 --> 02:36:22.879
anything spoil it. This fox was on the prowl Baby,

2409
02:36:24.200 --> 02:36:26.440
passed by a few small towns along the way to

2410
02:36:26.479 --> 02:36:30.719
Soble Beach. This place was world renowned as a tourist destination,

2411
02:36:31.399 --> 02:36:34.840
huge white sand beach, thriving beach community, and of course

2412
02:36:35.520 --> 02:36:40.520
racial tensions because you know, northern Ontario. I mean, why

2413
02:36:40.559 --> 02:36:44.000
do people gotta be shitheads? Everyone shit stinks, so why

2414
02:36:44.079 --> 02:36:48.639
can't we all just get along? Right right? Leave it

2415
02:36:48.680 --> 02:36:51.479
to me. I'll solve all the world's problems, like the

2416
02:36:51.520 --> 02:36:55.040
fucking United Nations. The only part of the ride that

2417
02:36:55.200 --> 02:36:59.200
wasn't full of fun and fantasy was still shaking, that

2418
02:36:59.319 --> 02:37:05.000
weird feeling of those eyes watching me. The main road

2419
02:37:05.079 --> 02:37:08.920
in Dissamble was quiet, like so quiet you could hear

2420
02:37:08.959 --> 02:37:12.280
a mouse fart for miles. This place rolled up the

2421
02:37:12.360 --> 02:37:15.959
sidewalks after Labor Day weekend and it was just the

2422
02:37:16.000 --> 02:37:19.479
locals left here till the winter comes for the snowmobile crowd.

2423
02:37:20.120 --> 02:37:23.680
Everything was closed or being closed up, and the only

2424
02:37:23.719 --> 02:37:26.239
thing open was a convenience store that sold stuff to

2425
02:37:26.280 --> 02:37:30.399
tourists at inflated prices, and the locals knew better than

2426
02:37:30.440 --> 02:37:33.719
to drive to Owen Sound. I used to spend a

2427
02:37:33.719 --> 02:37:36.360
lot of summers here with the boys and even my

2428
02:37:36.479 --> 02:37:39.600
on and off girlfriends. We'd hang out by the giant

2429
02:37:39.680 --> 02:37:42.799
sign at the beach entrance and walk downtown and not

2430
02:37:42.920 --> 02:37:46.520
have a care in the world. Those summers were amazing

2431
02:37:47.280 --> 02:37:50.639
and I never wanted them to end. We'd usually rent

2432
02:37:50.680 --> 02:37:53.280
a cottage a few times a summer along the beach

2433
02:37:53.600 --> 02:37:57.079
and it was nothing but parties, loud music, weed, and

2434
02:37:57.159 --> 02:38:00.719
staying up all night playing poker or an old till

2435
02:38:00.760 --> 02:38:05.079
we passed out. My GPS started droning on its directions

2436
02:38:05.120 --> 02:38:08.040
to get to Tracy's place. Where in the hell was it?

2437
02:38:08.959 --> 02:38:12.719
Back roads, twists and turns, and I don't even think

2438
02:38:12.760 --> 02:38:15.760
I was anywhere near people at this point. If you

2439
02:38:15.840 --> 02:38:19.200
lived back here, you either valued your privacy or had

2440
02:38:19.200 --> 02:38:22.559
more money than sense to build this far back. It

2441
02:38:22.600 --> 02:38:27.000
was dirt roads, trees, dense bush, and even an occasional swamp.

2442
02:38:27.760 --> 02:38:32.959
Truly paradise, come to think of it. The GPS lady

2443
02:38:33.000 --> 02:38:37.559
sounded kind of hot. Wait, we are not fantasizing about

2444
02:38:37.559 --> 02:38:42.319
fucking Skynet before Tracy, are we? We are? It's a

2445
02:38:42.360 --> 02:38:46.959
new level of sadness, but that's okay. It'll be prime

2446
02:38:47.079 --> 02:38:52.040
time soon enough. Finally I found the address and it

2447
02:38:52.120 --> 02:38:54.479
was tucked back about as far as one could go

2448
02:38:54.559 --> 02:38:58.440
without being totally off grid. I think your neighbors must

2449
02:38:58.440 --> 02:39:01.639
be easily fifteen or twenty minutes away, and I haven't

2450
02:39:01.680 --> 02:39:04.040
seen any cars pass me, and at least that long.

2451
02:39:04.959 --> 02:39:07.639
On the plus side, no one will hear her scream

2452
02:39:07.719 --> 02:39:11.280
my name when we get down to it. I drove

2453
02:39:11.360 --> 02:39:14.920
carefully along the dirt road, trying not to bottom out

2454
02:39:14.959 --> 02:39:17.680
my car. I'm still paying this thing off, and the

2455
02:39:17.760 --> 02:39:20.200
last thing I need is to take it in because

2456
02:39:20.200 --> 02:39:23.799
I knocked off my muffler. Her cottage comes into view

2457
02:39:23.840 --> 02:39:28.000
and it's way bigger than I expected. Looks like someone

2458
02:39:28.000 --> 02:39:30.760
built this place by hand, and they had amazing taste

2459
02:39:30.799 --> 02:39:35.719
as well. Two stories, big glorious windows, and a gorgeous

2460
02:39:35.760 --> 02:39:40.079
wrap around deck and even a little swing set. This

2461
02:39:40.200 --> 02:39:42.200
place was like something out of a TV show or

2462
02:39:42.239 --> 02:39:45.760
a movie. I pulled up beside her pickup truck and

2463
02:39:45.840 --> 02:39:48.120
started to get out when I noticed something as I

2464
02:39:48.159 --> 02:39:53.399
opened the car door. What in the hell was that smell?

2465
02:39:54.520 --> 02:39:58.159
It smelled like a wet dog mixed with something else.

2466
02:39:58.840 --> 02:40:01.559
It almost smelled like rotten meat that had been left

2467
02:40:01.600 --> 02:40:04.280
out in the sun for a few hours. You spend

2468
02:40:04.360 --> 02:40:06.360
enough time in the woods and you know what trouble

2469
02:40:06.399 --> 02:40:12.000
smells like. And this did not exactly scream friendly. Must

2470
02:40:12.000 --> 02:40:15.760
be roadkillers. Something died in the woods nearby. I mean

2471
02:40:16.360 --> 02:40:20.879
there were bears, coyotes, and foxes around here. Probably safe

2472
02:40:20.920 --> 02:40:25.319
to assume that I should get inside quickly. I'd rather

2473
02:40:25.399 --> 02:40:30.280
not end up as something's dinner tonight. I probably taste great.

2474
02:40:30.799 --> 02:40:34.440
One last thing to prepare, I sprayed a little bottle

2475
02:40:34.440 --> 02:40:37.159
of axe body spray on myself before I went up

2476
02:40:37.159 --> 02:40:40.600
to the door. Might as well smell like desperation and

2477
02:40:40.639 --> 02:40:44.239
a little bit of horniness in a can, right, I

2478
02:40:44.319 --> 02:40:46.600
headed up the deck stairs and knocked on the big

2479
02:40:46.600 --> 02:40:49.719
wooden door. I waited a moment or two and then

2480
02:40:49.799 --> 02:40:55.959
knocked again and nothing. Did I get the wrong house.

2481
02:40:56.840 --> 02:40:59.120
I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone

2482
02:40:59.159 --> 02:41:02.840
to text her, but of course, no cell service. I'm

2483
02:41:02.879 --> 02:41:05.040
pretty sure even if I got a bar of service

2484
02:41:05.079 --> 02:41:09.719
out here, it would be a minor technological miracle. Maybe

2485
02:41:09.760 --> 02:41:13.760
she was fucking with me. I mean, it's entirely possible.

2486
02:41:14.559 --> 02:41:17.440
I started to walk back towards my car and defeat

2487
02:41:17.479 --> 02:41:20.239
and shame when I heard a voice call out from

2488
02:41:20.239 --> 02:41:24.360
an upstairs window. Josh, hold on a few, I'm just

2489
02:41:24.360 --> 02:41:27.639
getting out of the shower. The door's unlocked. Head into

2490
02:41:27.680 --> 02:41:30.639
the living room. I'll be down in a few. That

2491
02:41:31.600 --> 02:41:35.200
was Tracy. I opened the door and walked into the cottage,

2492
02:41:35.280 --> 02:41:39.280
and man, what a trip. This place was decked out

2493
02:41:39.280 --> 02:41:41.920
in all sorts of things. On the walls. There was

2494
02:41:41.959 --> 02:41:45.280
a gigantic painting of a pack of wolves above a fireplace,

2495
02:41:45.719 --> 02:41:49.040
and pictures of what I presumed were her family. They

2496
02:41:49.079 --> 02:41:52.280
also had tons of handmade things that looked like they

2497
02:41:52.360 --> 02:41:55.280
must have come from the reservation. I think I had

2498
02:41:55.319 --> 02:41:58.440
heard that her brother John was a big shot dancer

2499
02:41:58.440 --> 02:42:01.760
in the powwow circuit. It's pretty bad ass looking, to

2500
02:42:01.799 --> 02:42:05.440
be honest, I mean, I somehow managed to fuck up

2501
02:42:05.479 --> 02:42:09.200
coloring books, so this was way beyond my skill level.

2502
02:42:10.040 --> 02:42:12.760
I sat down on her sofa and just kept looking

2503
02:42:12.799 --> 02:42:16.079
around the place, half being amazed by all the stuff

2504
02:42:16.559 --> 02:42:19.760
and the other time being kind of snoopy and way

2505
02:42:19.799 --> 02:42:24.760
too curious. After about ten minutes, I hear footsteps coming

2506
02:42:24.799 --> 02:42:28.719
down the staircase behind me. I can't contain my excitement,

2507
02:42:28.920 --> 02:42:30.799
and I spin around on the couch and try to

2508
02:42:30.799 --> 02:42:34.040
look cool. It didn't work, as I turned around so

2509
02:42:34.239 --> 02:42:38.239
fast that I almost fell off the couch. I looked

2510
02:42:38.319 --> 02:42:41.239
up and saw Tracy Kidd for the first time since

2511
02:42:41.360 --> 02:42:46.799
last summer. She looked gorgeous, long black hair, Her makeup

2512
02:42:46.920 --> 02:42:49.799
was done just right to make her eyes pop, and

2513
02:42:49.879 --> 02:42:52.280
she wore a pair of gray sweatpants and a crop

2514
02:42:52.319 --> 02:42:57.920
top black hoodie. She was beautiful. Hey Foxy, long time,

2515
02:42:57.959 --> 02:43:01.600
no see have any trouble find the place? She said

2516
02:43:01.639 --> 02:43:05.200
in a playful tone. Yeah, my GPS tried to take

2517
02:43:05.239 --> 02:43:08.879
me into Lake Huron, but I got here all right. Man.

2518
02:43:09.639 --> 02:43:11.920
Her folks certainly made sure this place would be the

2519
02:43:11.920 --> 02:43:14.239
biggest pain in the ass for a pizza guy or

2520
02:43:14.280 --> 02:43:17.799
Amazon to find. You'd be surprised how easily all the

2521
02:43:17.840 --> 02:43:21.040
cousins find it. After pow Wow and John comes home

2522
02:43:21.040 --> 02:43:24.440
for a few weeks, she laughed. I'm glad I was

2523
02:43:24.479 --> 02:43:28.680
able to come up. By the way, thanks for messaging

2524
02:43:28.680 --> 02:43:31.959
me back, Trace, I needed a friendly face or two

2525
02:43:32.000 --> 02:43:34.959
while I was home. I'm more than happy to help.

2526
02:43:35.000 --> 02:43:38.120
I even brought up a few beers as well. Well,

2527
02:43:38.159 --> 02:43:42.680
aren't you a fucking gentleman, she laughed. Don't worry. I'm

2528
02:43:42.680 --> 02:43:44.799
fully stocked out here as I got to close this

2529
02:43:44.879 --> 02:43:47.079
place up for the winter, and I'm not supposed to

2530
02:43:47.200 --> 02:43:50.799
leave anything behind. My parents said, do what you want,

2531
02:43:50.840 --> 02:43:53.719
but make sure the locks are tight, the windows closed,

2532
02:43:53.799 --> 02:43:57.479
and the power is off before Thanksgiving Monday. I'm just

2533
02:43:57.520 --> 02:43:59.319
glad to be out of the city for a few days,

2534
02:43:59.360 --> 02:44:03.440
so anything you need I got. I'll admit it took

2535
02:44:03.479 --> 02:44:06.760
a lot of restraint to not say anything stupid or

2536
02:44:06.799 --> 02:44:09.040
push my luck too far before we even had a

2537
02:44:09.120 --> 02:44:16.440
chance to get comfortable together. Anything huh, Well, that remains

2538
02:44:16.479 --> 02:44:20.399
to be seen. Her voice and demeanor changed for just

2539
02:44:20.440 --> 02:44:23.440
a second, and I think if I played my cards

2540
02:44:23.520 --> 02:44:27.639
right then I likely would not be sleeping on the sofa.

2541
02:44:28.920 --> 02:44:31.319
I'm pretty handy and I can count to ten without

2542
02:44:31.479 --> 02:44:34.280
using my fingers, so that as to count for something.

2543
02:44:34.840 --> 02:44:36.600
I joked back with her to see if I was

2544
02:44:36.639 --> 02:44:40.719
gauging the room right. She smiled back at me, and

2545
02:44:40.799 --> 02:44:42.959
it was the kind of look that suggested I could

2546
02:44:43.040 --> 02:44:46.719
lower my defenses and see where things led, but slowly,

2547
02:44:47.280 --> 02:44:49.639
and try to play three D chess as it were.

2548
02:44:50.520 --> 02:44:53.479
Tracy sat down on the couch next to me and

2549
02:44:53.559 --> 02:44:56.520
we just caught up on old times and what we've

2550
02:44:56.559 --> 02:44:59.719
been up to since last summer. She was working for

2551
02:44:59.719 --> 02:45:02.840
the conservation Authority and doing some stuff for her brother,

2552
02:45:03.360 --> 02:45:06.719
like helping him book gigs. So kind of like Showbiz

2553
02:45:06.760 --> 02:45:10.600
meets Captain Planet. It did sound pretty cool, if very

2554
02:45:10.639 --> 02:45:13.879
busy and time consuming. I told her that I was

2555
02:45:13.920 --> 02:45:17.280
at Humber College for photography. I wanted to live my

2556
02:45:17.399 --> 02:45:21.000
dream of being a sports photographer, maybe someday work for

2557
02:45:21.040 --> 02:45:25.159
the NHL or the Canadian Hockey League. As the night passed,

2558
02:45:25.159 --> 02:45:28.760
we started developing into deeper topics and it was actually

2559
02:45:28.799 --> 02:45:32.040
pretty pleasant. She asked me why we never hung out

2560
02:45:32.040 --> 02:45:36.440
more in high school. I always thought you were too

2561
02:45:36.479 --> 02:45:39.959
cool for me. You always had a boyfriend, and let's

2562
02:45:39.959 --> 02:45:43.559
be real, most of these guys make UFC fighters seem

2563
02:45:43.680 --> 02:45:48.000
like cuddly little kittens. In comparison, you could have just

2564
02:45:48.079 --> 02:45:52.479
asked Fox, you were a good guy, kind and not

2565
02:45:52.760 --> 02:45:55.600
too much of an asshole. I didn't care much for

2566
02:45:55.639 --> 02:45:58.159
that Dylan friend of yours, but always thought you were

2567
02:45:58.200 --> 02:46:01.520
all right. I remember the first time I saw you

2568
02:46:01.559 --> 02:46:04.760
and your boyfriend fight at school. You punched him so

2569
02:46:04.920 --> 02:46:07.399
hard when he laid his hands on you. It was

2570
02:46:07.440 --> 02:46:10.959
like watching wonder Woman come to life. It was pretty

2571
02:46:11.040 --> 02:46:14.559
fucking awesome. Funnier when he begged you not to do

2572
02:46:14.600 --> 02:46:17.840
it in front of his friends. Yeah, he had it coming.

2573
02:46:18.760 --> 02:46:21.520
I dated a lot of jerks back then. I could

2574
02:46:21.520 --> 02:46:24.959
handle myself though. My grandmother taught me a lot of things.

2575
02:46:25.559 --> 02:46:28.040
She taught me mostly to take shit from no man

2576
02:46:28.360 --> 02:46:31.959
and to end it decisively. She looked at me differently

2577
02:46:32.000 --> 02:46:34.840
when she said that. To me, the air in the

2578
02:46:34.920 --> 02:46:38.120
room seemed to shift, and it wasn't just idle chit

2579
02:46:38.200 --> 02:46:44.760
chat anymore. It was something more real. I'm sorry that

2580
02:46:44.799 --> 02:46:48.000
you had to go through that trace. You deserve better,

2581
02:46:48.760 --> 02:46:52.479
a lot better. Tracy inched closer to me on the

2582
02:46:52.520 --> 02:46:56.719
couch and actually started to cuddle into me. I actually

2583
02:46:56.719 --> 02:47:00.200
felt all my bravado and all my intent ooze away

2584
02:47:00.200 --> 02:47:04.239
as she did. I was vulnerable, and so was she.

2585
02:47:05.639 --> 02:47:08.319
This was the make it or break it moment. This

2586
02:47:08.399 --> 02:47:11.079
is where I either have an amazing night or I

2587
02:47:11.200 --> 02:47:16.879
fuck it up completely. I've been lonely for a while, Josh.

2588
02:47:17.000 --> 02:47:21.440
Things got different after you left. She almost whispered it

2589
02:47:21.520 --> 02:47:25.319
like it was a secret she wasn't supposed to tell anyone.

2590
02:47:25.600 --> 02:47:29.639
What do you mean, what's wrong? I asked, and genuinely

2591
02:47:29.680 --> 02:47:32.840
meant it. The idea of getting laid kind of became

2592
02:47:32.959 --> 02:47:37.159
secondary now. I mean, what if this was something else?

2593
02:47:38.079 --> 02:47:40.399
What if this was one of those moments where something

2594
02:47:41.120 --> 02:47:46.559
becomes really real. I know why you came here, but

2595
02:47:46.959 --> 02:47:51.639
I'm not mad. Oh fuck no, No, it's fine. I

2596
02:47:51.719 --> 02:47:55.600
wanted you to come. It's more than just a hookup. Right.

2597
02:47:58.159 --> 02:48:02.760
How do I answer this? Maybe I'll play honestly because

2598
02:48:03.360 --> 02:48:05.440
I don't know. She can lay me out cold and

2599
02:48:05.520 --> 02:48:09.879
leave me for the bears outside to eat. I'll admit it.

2600
02:48:10.120 --> 02:48:12.840
A lot has changed since I came here and actually

2601
02:48:12.879 --> 02:48:15.840
started talking with you. It's one thing to have a

2602
02:48:15.879 --> 02:48:19.079
hot girl answer you on a dating site, and another

2603
02:48:19.120 --> 02:48:21.440
thing to have said hot girl, invite you up to

2604
02:48:21.479 --> 02:48:24.520
a cottage for a few days. I get the feeling

2605
02:48:24.559 --> 02:48:27.959
that you've been really real with me, and I haven't

2606
02:48:27.959 --> 02:48:32.559
had that since Melissa, my ex, the one you tried

2607
02:48:32.600 --> 02:48:37.319
to cheat on. Yeah, I own that fuck up. I

2608
02:48:37.360 --> 02:48:40.440
didn't expect to say that out loud, but it came

2609
02:48:40.520 --> 02:48:43.520
so naturally. If I'm going to be present and here

2610
02:48:43.559 --> 02:48:45.719
in the moment, then I had better be on my

2611
02:48:45.799 --> 02:48:50.120
best behavior. You're not a bad guy, Josh. I can

2612
02:48:50.120 --> 02:48:55.399
smell it on you. Okay, that's a weird thing to say,

2613
02:48:55.479 --> 02:49:01.639
but sure, that's just the body spray. I nervously laughed.

2614
02:49:02.319 --> 02:49:05.760
She sat up and sat on my lap and looked

2615
02:49:05.799 --> 02:49:09.000
deep into my eyes. She was a lot heavier than

2616
02:49:09.040 --> 02:49:12.520
I expected to be. Honestly, she was built like a tank.

2617
02:49:13.399 --> 02:49:17.280
She didn't look this strong, but looks are deceiving. I'm

2618
02:49:17.319 --> 02:49:19.520
pretty sure she could bench press me and not even

2619
02:49:19.559 --> 02:49:25.079
break a sweat. No, Josh, it's perfectly fine. We all

2620
02:49:25.079 --> 02:49:28.600
have needs, and so do I. It's nothing to be

2621
02:49:28.639 --> 02:49:32.200
ashamed of. She touched the side of my face and

2622
02:49:32.319 --> 02:49:35.159
traced a line from my hairline to my cheek and

2623
02:49:35.200 --> 02:49:38.840
cupped my chin in her hand. Normally, this is where

2624
02:49:38.840 --> 02:49:41.600
I'd get down to business and go to town. But

2625
02:49:42.239 --> 02:49:45.760
here I was absolutely in her hands. I was her

2626
02:49:45.799 --> 02:49:49.879
plaything and she knew it. She had this animalistic power

2627
02:49:49.959 --> 02:49:53.079
over me. And on one hand, it was kind of

2628
02:49:53.120 --> 02:49:56.399
scary how much I knew she could overpower me, but

2629
02:49:57.159 --> 02:50:01.239
I kinda wanted it that way. I looked back into

2630
02:50:01.280 --> 02:50:04.040
her eyes, and there was something in there I didn't

2631
02:50:04.079 --> 02:50:08.520
expect to see. I could see this primal hunger and

2632
02:50:08.559 --> 02:50:12.120
this ferocity you see in a wild predator like a

2633
02:50:12.159 --> 02:50:15.959
wolf for a lynx. This is a weird line between

2634
02:50:16.000 --> 02:50:20.639
sexy as fuck and scary. I think I'm turned on

2635
02:50:20.840 --> 02:50:26.280
but also kinda terrified. What would you say to a

2636
02:50:26.319 --> 02:50:29.920
little game? You win, you can have your way with me,

2637
02:50:30.559 --> 02:50:33.559
and if I win, then I can do whatever I

2638
02:50:33.680 --> 02:50:39.840
want to you. Okay, what do I have to do?

2639
02:50:41.399 --> 02:50:45.559
Answer me honestly, and I'll know if you're lying, she

2640
02:50:45.719 --> 02:50:49.920
said in a flirty but also serious tone. She pulled

2641
02:50:49.920 --> 02:50:52.760
her hair back into a ponytail and didn't take her

2642
02:50:52.799 --> 02:50:56.040
deep brown eyes off me. She was sizing me up

2643
02:50:56.040 --> 02:50:58.000
in a way that I can't say I've ever seen

2644
02:50:58.079 --> 02:51:02.920
outside of a Nature dot Com documentary. Suddenly I felt

2645
02:51:02.959 --> 02:51:06.200
like a kitten. Trapped in a cage with a lioness.

2646
02:51:06.799 --> 02:51:11.319
This is either gonna get kinky or weird, probably both.

2647
02:51:12.360 --> 02:51:16.280
Relax your body and let me guide you. I need

2648
02:51:16.319 --> 02:51:19.559
you to trust me, Josh. She took my hands and

2649
02:51:19.600 --> 02:51:22.920
placed them on her sides, and she kept eye contact

2650
02:51:22.959 --> 02:51:26.959
with me. I relaxed as much as I could. I

2651
02:51:27.040 --> 02:51:31.040
was a little hard, because well, I'm a guy. She

2652
02:51:31.200 --> 02:51:35.079
smiled at me and winked, and then got serious again.

2653
02:51:36.319 --> 02:51:39.520
Do you trust me, Josh? She took my hands and

2654
02:51:39.559 --> 02:51:42.760
put them on her breasts and kept her body taut

2655
02:51:42.799 --> 02:51:49.479
against mine. Okay, this is going places. I do, I

2656
02:51:49.520 --> 02:51:55.319
stammered out. Do you want me, Josh? I do? This

2657
02:51:55.520 --> 02:51:58.959
is happening. Would you still want me if I told

2658
02:51:59.000 --> 02:52:05.360
you a secret? Sure? I mean it's not like you

2659
02:52:05.559 --> 02:52:09.559
killed anybody, right. I could feel her body tense up

2660
02:52:09.840 --> 02:52:14.920
as soon as I said that, And what if I did? Okay,

2661
02:52:15.639 --> 02:52:18.440
not sure. I like where this is going. I don't

2662
02:52:18.680 --> 02:52:22.280
think you're a murderer. Kid. Tough as shit, but you're

2663
02:52:22.280 --> 02:52:25.920
not a killer. Tracy took my hands and guided them

2664
02:52:25.959 --> 02:52:28.639
to her face and held them against the side of

2665
02:52:28.680 --> 02:52:32.000
her head, and we just held hands like that for

2666
02:52:32.040 --> 02:52:35.639
a moment. There was a tenderness and a longing. In

2667
02:52:35.719 --> 02:52:39.399
this moment, I could feel my cheeks flush and my

2668
02:52:39.479 --> 02:52:43.479
heart beating out of my chest like a jackhammer. What

2669
02:52:43.520 --> 02:52:46.760
if you're wrong about me? Would you still want me?

2670
02:52:47.760 --> 02:52:50.879
She relaxed our hands and leaned in to kiss me.

2671
02:52:51.959 --> 02:52:54.280
I could feel her breath just as our lips were

2672
02:52:54.280 --> 02:52:58.120
about to touch, and for a moment, it was like

2673
02:52:58.200 --> 02:53:01.000
the first time I was with someone and I totally

2674
02:53:01.000 --> 02:53:08.360
forgot the peril I was likely in. Yes, good, she

2675
02:53:08.520 --> 02:53:14.079
whispered as she kissed me, long and deep, passionately. This

2676
02:53:14.360 --> 02:53:18.040
wasn't an I want to fuck you kiss. This was

2677
02:53:18.079 --> 02:53:23.040
an I want you forever kind of kiss. Now you

2678
02:53:23.120 --> 02:53:26.559
only have to do one more thing, and it's simple.

2679
02:53:27.920 --> 02:53:31.319
I want you too, But you have to prove how

2680
02:53:31.360 --> 02:53:36.280
strong and clever you are. Can you do that? At

2681
02:53:36.280 --> 02:53:38.760
this moment, I'm pretty sure I would have sold meth

2682
02:53:38.879 --> 02:53:43.319
to nuns. I can do that. I want you to

2683
02:53:43.360 --> 02:53:46.399
play hide and seek with me for ten minutes, and

2684
02:53:46.479 --> 02:53:51.239
I'll give you a head start. Seriously, all I gotta

2685
02:53:51.280 --> 02:53:55.680
do to sleep with this amazing, enchanting sexual goddess is

2686
02:53:55.719 --> 02:53:59.639
play hide and seek for ten minutes. This is gonna

2687
02:53:59.639 --> 02:54:06.239
be so awesome. Okay, that's it, I laughed. That's it.

2688
02:54:07.600 --> 02:54:14.280
I might suggest you start running now, though, what run? Why?

2689
02:54:15.520 --> 02:54:19.159
This seems a little hardcore for for play, don't you think,

2690
02:54:19.520 --> 02:54:23.440
I thought to myself. Tracy leaned in and kissed me again,

2691
02:54:23.840 --> 02:54:28.600
and this time it almost felt sad, like a goodbye

2692
02:54:28.920 --> 02:54:33.159
in a sense. She took herself off my body, off

2693
02:54:33.200 --> 02:54:37.399
the couch and stood up to her full height. If

2694
02:54:37.440 --> 02:54:39.399
you're going to mate with me, then I need to

2695
02:54:39.479 --> 02:54:44.040
know how strong and clever my pupps will be. As

2696
02:54:44.079 --> 02:54:46.680
soon as she said that, I thought I was going

2697
02:54:46.719 --> 02:54:50.159
to shit my pants. This little five foot eight, dark

2698
02:54:50.200 --> 02:54:52.600
skinned girl started to grow in front of me, like

2699
02:54:52.639 --> 02:54:56.319
something out of a nightmare. Her skin started to ripple,

2700
02:54:56.559 --> 02:54:59.680
and a rough, dark brown furry merged like a wave.

2701
02:55:00.680 --> 02:55:04.479
Her features twisted and snapped, like muscles and bone snapping

2702
02:55:04.520 --> 02:55:08.559
into new shapes. The face of Tracy Kidd was replaced

2703
02:55:08.600 --> 02:55:13.319
by a long, wolf like snout filled with sharp, unforgiving teeth.

2704
02:55:14.239 --> 02:55:18.600
Those once kind hands shaped into impossibly long claws that

2705
02:55:18.799 --> 02:55:22.840
scraped the hardwood floor beneath her. She towered over me

2706
02:55:23.239 --> 02:55:29.079
at easily nine feet tall. A rough, almost unrecognizable voice

2707
02:55:29.159 --> 02:55:33.840
growled out of her horrifying visage. I'm going to count

2708
02:55:33.879 --> 02:55:38.239
to thirty and then, if you can survive for ten minutes,

2709
02:55:38.879 --> 02:55:44.000
I'm all yours. I screamed and screamed till my voice

2710
02:55:44.040 --> 02:55:47.040
was hoarse, and I started to run in any direction.

2711
02:55:47.760 --> 02:55:53.639
But where I was, Tracy Kidd was a fucking werewolf. Fuck,

2712
02:55:53.680 --> 02:55:57.559
I gotta run, gotta run, gotta run. I threw open

2713
02:55:57.600 --> 02:55:59.760
the front door and tripped down the stairs as I

2714
02:55:59.799 --> 02:56:03.440
went and landed hard on the grass out front and

2715
02:56:03.520 --> 02:56:06.360
felt the wind to get knocked out of me. I

2716
02:56:06.440 --> 02:56:09.360
felt my car keys jab into my leg, and Jesus

2717
02:56:09.479 --> 02:56:13.200
Christ did that hurt. I started stumbling towards my car

2718
02:56:13.559 --> 02:56:15.280
and thought about how the hell I was going to

2719
02:56:15.280 --> 02:56:17.440
get out of here when I didn't even know where

2720
02:56:17.479 --> 02:56:21.200
here was in this dark it was so pitch black,

2721
02:56:21.520 --> 02:56:24.319
and her porch lights were off. I struggled to get

2722
02:56:24.319 --> 02:56:27.639
my car keys in the lock. They wouldn't turn. I

2723
02:56:27.719 --> 02:56:31.159
kept turning the keys, but the door wouldn't open. Shit,

2724
02:56:31.280 --> 02:56:34.520
I must have bent the key when I fell. Fuck,

2725
02:56:35.520 --> 02:56:38.639
I'm gonna die here, aren't I? I felt beads of

2726
02:56:38.680 --> 02:56:42.079
sweat run down my face and start to sting my eyes.

2727
02:56:42.639 --> 02:56:46.879
Panic had gripped my entire body. This was it, wasn't it.

2728
02:56:47.639 --> 02:56:51.000
This is where it all ends for me. I started

2729
02:56:51.079 --> 02:56:53.719
running down the dirt laneway towards what I assumed was

2730
02:56:53.760 --> 02:56:56.879
the main road that I had came in on. I

2731
02:56:56.879 --> 02:56:59.399
didn't even look back, as I kept focusing on putting

2732
02:56:59.440 --> 02:57:01.680
one foot in front of the other and doing my

2733
02:57:01.719 --> 02:57:05.440
best to keep my forward momentum going. I just wanted

2734
02:57:05.440 --> 02:57:08.680
to get with a girl this week. I just wanted

2735
02:57:08.680 --> 02:57:12.760
to get laid right now. I just want to live

2736
02:57:12.799 --> 02:57:16.959
to see tomorrow. Fuck. I'll take surviving the next hour

2737
02:57:17.200 --> 02:57:20.760
if it means I can keep breathing. I kept running

2738
02:57:20.799 --> 02:57:24.120
further and further into the darkness, and eventually the lights

2739
02:57:24.159 --> 02:57:27.319
from Tracy's cottage could barely be seen because of the

2740
02:57:27.399 --> 02:57:31.840
thick mess of pine trees. Looking around for anywhere to hide,

2741
02:57:32.239 --> 02:57:34.239
or at least a place to gather myself for a

2742
02:57:34.319 --> 02:57:37.680
second and to catch my breath. I'm not exactly in

2743
02:57:37.719 --> 02:57:40.120
the worst of shape, but I could feel my legs

2744
02:57:40.120 --> 02:57:42.559
start to turn to jelly and each breath start to

2745
02:57:42.600 --> 02:57:46.399
burn as I gasped for air. Peeking off the lane way,

2746
02:57:46.440 --> 02:57:49.319
I started dashing into the woods, and when I finally

2747
02:57:49.319 --> 02:57:52.520
got into an area too dense to run, I started

2748
02:57:52.520 --> 02:57:55.639
to slow down and carefully walk so as not to

2749
02:57:55.680 --> 02:57:59.600
make too much noise. I couldn't hear anything except the

2750
02:57:59.639 --> 02:58:02.840
faint sounds of a distant owl and the lapping of

2751
02:58:02.840 --> 02:58:06.639
some nearby body of water. It's too quiet out here,

2752
02:58:07.399 --> 02:58:09.799
and all I can truly hear is the blood pumping

2753
02:58:09.879 --> 02:58:12.920
in my ears. I have a lot to be sorry

2754
02:58:12.959 --> 02:58:16.879
for if this is where it all ends tonight. I'm sorry,

2755
02:58:16.879 --> 02:58:19.079
Mom and Dad. I know you wanted me to go

2756
02:58:19.159 --> 02:58:21.959
off to school like my sister and become a doctor,

2757
02:58:22.079 --> 02:58:27.000
but I wasn't smart enough. I'm mostly sorry to my

2758
02:58:27.079 --> 02:58:31.079
ex girlfriend Melissa Hugh didn't deserve what I tried to

2759
02:58:31.120 --> 02:58:34.680
do to you. I thought I was something special because

2760
02:58:34.840 --> 02:58:38.239
someone else besides you took a liking to me, and

2761
02:58:38.280 --> 02:58:41.959
I let it go to my head. I fucked up,

2762
02:58:42.520 --> 02:58:44.840
and I made a lot of people unhappy in my life.

2763
02:58:46.520 --> 02:58:49.639
Maybe I deserve to be torn apart by this creature

2764
02:58:50.600 --> 02:58:55.440
or turned into a weird breeding thing for her. I

2765
02:58:55.559 --> 02:58:59.399
probably deserve this. I leaned back against a tree and

2766
02:58:59.479 --> 02:59:02.319
let out a and just looked up at the sky

2767
02:59:02.479 --> 02:59:05.719
for a second. I don't know how long it's been

2768
02:59:05.760 --> 02:59:09.959
since I ran from the house, maybe five minutes and

2769
02:59:10.000 --> 02:59:18.680
that's probably being generous. I could smell that rotting flesh again. Shit. Suddenly,

2770
02:59:18.719 --> 02:59:22.040
something wet and heavy slammed into my chest and knocked

2771
02:59:22.079 --> 02:59:24.920
me hard against the tree. Felt like it cracked a

2772
02:59:25.000 --> 02:59:28.120
rib or ten. I crumbled into a heap at the

2773
02:59:28.159 --> 02:59:32.280
base of the tree and was instantly dazed. I tried

2774
02:59:32.280 --> 02:59:34.760
to keep from passing out from the pan and keep

2775
02:59:34.799 --> 02:59:38.040
focused enough to get my wits about me. I opened

2776
02:59:38.040 --> 02:59:43.319
my eyes, and I instantly regretted that decision. Once again,

2777
02:59:43.360 --> 02:59:46.520
I found myself face to face with something that shouldn't

2778
02:59:46.559 --> 02:59:50.680
exist yet here it was, right here in front of me.

2779
02:59:51.920 --> 02:59:54.520
There was enough pale light cast from the overhead moon

2780
02:59:54.959 --> 02:59:57.440
that I could see the face of the creature looking

2781
02:59:57.520 --> 03:00:02.520
right into my soul trace or whatever. She was kept

2782
03:00:02.559 --> 03:00:07.559
inching closer to me with her gigantic mouth drooling. Her

2783
03:00:07.680 --> 03:00:14.799
spit glistened in the moonlight like dew. Okay, this was

2784
03:00:14.920 --> 03:00:20.360
really it, Tracy. If you're gonna kill me, make it quick,

2785
03:00:20.959 --> 03:00:23.000
and please don't make my mom and dad have to

2786
03:00:23.000 --> 03:00:27.680
worry that I disappeared. Give them something to bury, I

2787
03:00:27.760 --> 03:00:31.680
croaked out in a weak voice. The werewolf stood up

2788
03:00:31.719 --> 03:00:35.319
to its full height and cocked its head and looked

2789
03:00:35.319 --> 03:00:38.760
at me. I looked up into the eyes of the creature,

2790
03:00:39.719 --> 03:00:44.959
and suddenly they weren't the eyes of a monster. They

2791
03:00:44.959 --> 03:00:50.760
were Tracy Kid's eyes. Tracy's lupine form leaned down and

2792
03:00:50.840 --> 03:00:53.959
moved closer to my body and nuzzled it like a

2793
03:00:54.040 --> 03:00:58.559
dog would to an injured friend or owner. Her big

2794
03:00:58.600 --> 03:01:02.719
wolf like head against mine and touched the side of

2795
03:01:02.719 --> 03:01:08.079
my face gently. This is not what I expected. Her

2796
03:01:08.159 --> 03:01:11.079
form began to shift back into the nineteen year old

2797
03:01:11.159 --> 03:01:15.319
native girl I had a crush on once she was naked,

2798
03:01:15.399 --> 03:01:20.840
but at that moment it didn't matter. Josh are you

2799
03:01:20.879 --> 03:01:26.440
afraid to die? Yeah? I am. I don't want my

2800
03:01:26.559 --> 03:01:31.479
parents to worry or my sister. I'm sorry for a

2801
03:01:31.520 --> 03:01:34.600
lot of things in my life. I'm sorry that I

2802
03:01:34.639 --> 03:01:38.079
came up here looking to take advantage of you. I'm

2803
03:01:38.120 --> 03:01:44.879
sorry for everything. I whispered quietly. I know you are

2804
03:01:45.760 --> 03:01:48.719
I can smell it on you. You're a lot of things,

2805
03:01:48.840 --> 03:01:53.920
Joshua Fox, but you're not a bad guy. She reached

2806
03:01:53.920 --> 03:01:57.079
out again with her hands and cupped mine in hers

2807
03:01:57.639 --> 03:02:03.719
and touched my face. I'm sorry, Tracy. What would you

2808
03:02:03.760 --> 03:02:09.559
say if I said I was still interested in you? Okay,

2809
03:02:10.440 --> 03:02:15.159
I went from preparing to meet the almighty to whatever

2810
03:02:15.319 --> 03:02:21.479
this is. I'm confused, what do you mean? I didn't

2811
03:02:21.559 --> 03:02:24.680
know how to process what exactly was happening at that moment.

2812
03:02:26.200 --> 03:02:29.319
I'm lonely, Josh. I want to be with someone who

2813
03:02:29.319 --> 03:02:32.719
can be honest like you are right now? What if

2814
03:02:32.760 --> 03:02:37.239
I offered you a chance to be like me, strong, powerful,

2815
03:02:38.239 --> 03:02:43.399
and to be a part of something different? What exactly

2816
03:02:43.559 --> 03:02:47.760
was Tracy asking me? She took back her left hand

2817
03:02:47.799 --> 03:02:50.920
and extended one of her fingernails to an unnatural length

2818
03:02:51.600 --> 03:02:56.280
and pointed it at me. Be with me, Josh. When

2819
03:02:56.280 --> 03:02:59.879
we meet with another we take on strong spiritual and

2820
03:03:00.079 --> 03:03:03.799
personality traits from the partner. I want my pupps to

2821
03:03:03.840 --> 03:03:08.440
have that honesty and that vulnerability you showed tonight. You

2822
03:03:08.479 --> 03:03:10.440
could have tried to fuck me and then left in

2823
03:03:10.479 --> 03:03:14.399
the morning, but instead you chose to talk and open up.

2824
03:03:15.600 --> 03:03:18.319
You went with plan B, even though you didn't immediately

2825
03:03:18.399 --> 03:03:25.520
mean to. Will I be just like you like a monster?

2826
03:03:27.159 --> 03:03:30.040
Yes and no. I'll have to show you how to

2827
03:03:30.079 --> 03:03:33.520
control your new life, and you'll be different from everyone else,

2828
03:03:33.600 --> 03:03:37.600
but you'll meet others like me. It's not as scary

2829
03:03:37.600 --> 03:03:40.719
as it sounds trust me, I found out from my

2830
03:03:40.840 --> 03:03:44.079
grandmother in high school. How did you think I got

2831
03:03:44.079 --> 03:03:50.719
so strong? Will it hurt? Just for a minute. Tracy

2832
03:03:50.840 --> 03:03:54.879
leaned in and pressed her naked body against mine, and

2833
03:03:54.959 --> 03:04:00.639
I felt her fingernail cut deep across my back and

2834
03:04:00.719 --> 03:04:04.399
fire seared across the wound, and I wanted to throw

2835
03:04:04.479 --> 03:04:17.639
up but couldn't. I immediately passed out. The next day,

2836
03:04:17.680 --> 03:04:20.559
I woke up next to Tracy in an unfamiliar bed,

2837
03:04:21.159 --> 03:04:26.079
and all my wounds had healed. I felt weird, like

2838
03:04:26.200 --> 03:04:29.559
everything was moving in slow motion, but I was hyper

2839
03:04:29.639 --> 03:04:34.719
aware of everything. I could hear birds and things that

2840
03:04:34.840 --> 03:04:38.799
seemed miles away. I felt like I was stronger than

2841
03:04:38.840 --> 03:04:43.040
I'd ever been in my life. I got up out

2842
03:04:43.079 --> 03:04:50.520
of bed and noticed I was also naked. Oh that's unexpected. Well,

2843
03:04:51.120 --> 03:04:54.559
if I had any fun last night, it seems like

2844
03:04:54.680 --> 03:05:00.600
I wasn't totally present for that little escapade. I passed

2845
03:05:00.600 --> 03:05:07.239
by a mirror and noticed something different about myself. I

2846
03:05:07.319 --> 03:05:10.680
had the same animalistic look in my own brown eyes

2847
03:05:11.239 --> 03:05:14.360
that Tracy did when we were on the couch last night.

2848
03:05:15.840 --> 03:05:18.959
Well this is going to take some getting used to,

2849
03:05:19.920 --> 03:05:35.920
isn't it? Special? Halloween Hours by Rob fields. When I

2850
03:05:36.040 --> 03:05:40.079
started my freshman year at Strickfield University, I wanted to

2851
03:05:40.079 --> 03:05:43.319
get an evening job to both occupy my free time

2852
03:05:43.479 --> 03:05:47.159
and make some cash. One of my professors said a

2853
03:05:47.200 --> 03:05:50.520
great place to get a job was in downtown village itself.

2854
03:05:51.600 --> 03:05:54.399
I couldn't believe my eyes when I first came into

2855
03:05:54.440 --> 03:05:58.760
downtown Strickfield. This part of the village truly is an

2856
03:05:58.840 --> 03:06:03.760
area that time seems to have mostly forgotten. Sure, there's

2857
03:06:03.840 --> 03:06:09.840
internet service HDTVs, video game consoles, and smartphones. Far from that,

2858
03:06:10.120 --> 03:06:14.879
most everything else that seemed long forgotten is still here.

2859
03:06:15.920 --> 03:06:19.159
Downtown village has things like a twenty four hour video

2860
03:06:19.200 --> 03:06:22.840
game arcade that's part of a donut shop called Roth's Rings.

2861
03:06:23.479 --> 03:06:27.479
There's a daily newspaper printed called The Strickfield Journal, and

2862
03:06:27.600 --> 03:06:32.040
paper carriers on bicycles deliver them. People here still use

2863
03:06:32.120 --> 03:06:39.000
landline phones. There are even payphones, including operator service. There's

2864
03:06:39.079 --> 03:06:43.159
also this soda parlor called Big Edds. There's even a

2865
03:06:43.239 --> 03:06:48.000
vintage movie theater called the Strickfield Centennial. Just outside the

2866
03:06:48.040 --> 03:06:51.559
main village is a diner called Denoyer's Grill that'll take

2867
03:06:51.600 --> 03:06:55.360
you back in time with their menu, the floor, the booths,

2868
03:06:55.680 --> 03:06:59.920
and even the jukebox. Even the drive in theater plays

2869
03:07:00.120 --> 03:07:04.680
by vintage rules where only the driver pays admission, not

2870
03:07:04.840 --> 03:07:10.200
to mention all the vintage movies they play on film. Now,

2871
03:07:10.639 --> 03:07:12.879
you'd take one look at me and you'd think right

2872
03:07:12.920 --> 03:07:16.799
away I don't belong here. I know, I stand out

2873
03:07:16.840 --> 03:07:20.959
with all my tattoos, my long hair, my piercings. Yet

2874
03:07:21.000 --> 03:07:23.479
who'd have thought fortune was with me? As soon as

2875
03:07:23.479 --> 03:07:28.239
I stepped into Strickfield Video. Yeah you heard me, There

2876
03:07:28.319 --> 03:07:32.920
really is a video rental place here in downtown Strickfield.

2877
03:07:33.520 --> 03:07:36.719
When I walked in, my jaw practically hit the floor.

2878
03:07:37.520 --> 03:07:41.920
This place is huge and rents VHS tapes to DVDs

2879
03:07:42.000 --> 03:07:46.680
to Blu rays. Strickfield Video carries movies from every genre.

2880
03:07:47.280 --> 03:07:50.719
The horror section is easily the biggest one here. They

2881
03:07:50.760 --> 03:07:55.559
even sell movie theater style snacks and other novelties. It

2882
03:07:55.719 --> 03:07:58.600
wasn't long before this middle aged man who looks like

2883
03:07:58.639 --> 03:08:02.600
a gangster a hear right behind the counter. You like

2884
03:08:02.680 --> 03:08:06.440
what you see? Yeah, he even sounded like a gangster

2885
03:08:07.280 --> 03:08:10.440
when he saw me with all my tattoos, piercings and

2886
03:08:10.559 --> 03:08:13.399
leather clothes. I thought he was gonna kick me out,

2887
03:08:14.159 --> 03:08:17.879
but he didn't. You hear about the job. Kid help

2888
03:08:17.959 --> 03:08:23.239
wanted sign out there, you're really hiring, was all I

2889
03:08:23.239 --> 03:08:27.959
could say, and that was it. No formal interview, no

2890
03:08:28.120 --> 03:08:31.639
filling out an application or handing over a resume, not

2891
03:08:31.760 --> 03:08:35.559
even a background check. The gangster guy whose name is Lenny,

2892
03:08:35.959 --> 03:08:39.280
hired me right on the spot. He sneered again and

2893
03:08:39.319 --> 03:08:43.120
told me to relax as he showed me around Strickfield Video.

2894
03:08:43.360 --> 03:08:47.840
Like I said, this place is huge, he said, new

2895
03:08:47.879 --> 03:08:50.200
movies come in all the time, and I would have

2896
03:08:50.280 --> 03:08:53.719
my busy moments. Even though I didn't look normal, it

2897
03:08:54.079 --> 03:08:59.079
didn't bother him. Here's my bodily dimensions. I got long

2898
03:08:59.239 --> 03:09:02.319
jet black hair going down to my rear end. I'm

2899
03:09:02.319 --> 03:09:05.239
really skinny, but don't look like I don't eat. The

2900
03:09:05.239 --> 03:09:08.719
one thing people quickly notice are my sparkling blue eyes.

2901
03:09:09.479 --> 03:09:12.159
Like I said, I got tattoos all over my body.

2902
03:09:12.719 --> 03:09:17.360
I also got piercings, multiple earrings, lip hoops, eye hoops,

2903
03:09:17.799 --> 03:09:21.680
tongue stud, nose hoop, and a belly button stud. Even

2904
03:09:21.719 --> 03:09:26.079
my leather clothing speaks volumes, a top showing my tummy,

2905
03:09:26.159 --> 03:09:29.319
a mini skirt and boots going up past my knees

2906
03:09:29.719 --> 03:09:34.440
with fishnets. I also got rings on my fingers. Hey,

2907
03:09:34.799 --> 03:09:38.520
when you come from a biker family. In fact, my

2908
03:09:38.600 --> 03:09:46.079
Harley Davidson's parked right outside. What's your name, kid, Lenny asked, Charlie.

2909
03:09:46.200 --> 03:09:51.360
I replied, Charlie Brewster. My name's supposed to be pronounced Charlie,

2910
03:09:51.959 --> 03:09:54.440
but when people see it in print, they call me

2911
03:09:54.520 --> 03:09:57.959
the guy's name. I finally gave up correcting people and

2912
03:09:58.000 --> 03:10:02.000
go by what I told Lenny. Long story short. Lenny

2913
03:10:02.120 --> 03:10:05.520
explained everything to me on that first day. He also

2914
03:10:05.600 --> 03:10:08.440
said I'd get some weirdo characters that come in from

2915
03:10:08.520 --> 03:10:12.920
time to time, but not to worry about them. Everybody

2916
03:10:12.920 --> 03:10:16.120
comes in here because they want to watch movies. Nobody's

2917
03:10:16.120 --> 03:10:19.040
gonna hurt you here, kid. Just find them what they want,

2918
03:10:19.239 --> 03:10:23.239
ring them out, and you're done. That's simple. Honestly, I

2919
03:10:23.319 --> 03:10:26.920
wasn't sure Strickfield Video was gonna be open that much longer.

2920
03:10:27.000 --> 03:10:30.479
I mean, come on, it's all about streaming these days.

2921
03:10:30.719 --> 03:10:35.760
Nobody cares about renting physical videos right not here in Strickfield.

2922
03:10:36.559 --> 03:10:39.280
It was only my first day with Lenny breaking me in,

2923
03:10:39.360 --> 03:10:43.760
but Strickfield Video was busy. Believe me, I got lots

2924
03:10:43.760 --> 03:10:47.040
of hands on experience. When Lenny felt I could do

2925
03:10:47.159 --> 03:10:51.280
things myself. He started backing off. This place opens at

2926
03:10:51.280 --> 03:10:54.559
ten am each day and closes late, with even later

2927
03:10:54.680 --> 03:10:58.959
hours Friday and Saturday nights. Before long, I settled into

2928
03:10:58.959 --> 03:11:02.440
what might be a job. I got comfortable enough to

2929
03:11:02.440 --> 03:11:04.639
be able to work on my homework during the times

2930
03:11:04.680 --> 03:11:07.639
I wasn't busy. I could even order out for food.

2931
03:11:08.280 --> 03:11:12.079
It was just Lenny and me working Strickfield Video. Usually

2932
03:11:12.159 --> 03:11:15.680
he'd open up and I was the night shifter. When

2933
03:11:15.680 --> 03:11:17.479
one of us needed a day off, the other one

2934
03:11:17.479 --> 03:11:20.520
would cover the entire day. When it was closer to

2935
03:11:20.600 --> 03:11:25.319
October thirty, first, Lenny said there'd be special Halloween hours

2936
03:11:25.399 --> 03:11:28.200
for that night. When he gave me my schedule for

2937
03:11:28.239 --> 03:11:30.559
that week, I saw my hours for Halloween night were

2938
03:11:31.159 --> 03:11:35.719
six pm till We're open all night on Halloween. Lenny,

2939
03:11:36.399 --> 03:11:39.399
Strickfield Video has been open all night on Halloween since

2940
03:11:39.440 --> 03:11:42.639
my father first opened it back in nineteen seventy eight.

2941
03:11:43.079 --> 03:11:47.920
He said, then there's the gangster sneer again. What's the matter, kid?

2942
03:11:48.239 --> 03:11:52.840
You scared? I raised my hands in front of me. No, No,

2943
03:11:53.000 --> 03:11:59.639
I can work Halloween night still sneering all night? Sure,

2944
03:12:00.159 --> 03:12:04.680
I quickly said. He patted my shoulder. I believe in you,

2945
03:12:05.440 --> 03:12:07.600
but I'll come and check on you to see if

2946
03:12:07.639 --> 03:12:12.399
you're all right. Now it's Halloween knight. I'm riding my

2947
03:12:12.520 --> 03:12:16.319
girl into downtown village. Sometimes I ain't sure if I

2948
03:12:16.360 --> 03:12:20.440
want to live here or gun my motor and get away. Still,

2949
03:12:20.719 --> 03:12:23.520
I pull my girl into its usual parking place and

2950
03:12:23.559 --> 03:12:27.200
cut the motor. I dismount and walk into Strickfield Video

2951
03:12:27.280 --> 03:12:31.920
with my backpack. On time as always, kid, Lenny says.

2952
03:12:31.920 --> 03:12:35.760
When I walk in, seeing Lenny's got lots of customers,

2953
03:12:36.040 --> 03:12:38.559
I get behind the counter and help him out. When

2954
03:12:38.600 --> 03:12:40.959
we're caught up, he turns and points to a new

2955
03:12:41.000 --> 03:12:45.040
coffee maker. Make all the coffee you need. Then he

2956
03:12:45.120 --> 03:12:48.959
hands me some money, and get yourself some dinner. You've

2957
03:12:48.959 --> 03:12:52.760
been doing great work here, he sighs. Hope you're here

2958
03:12:52.760 --> 03:12:55.559
for the long haul. Good help is so hard to

2959
03:12:55.600 --> 03:13:02.799
find today, Thanks, I say, Lenny sneers and pats my shoulder.

2960
03:13:03.399 --> 03:13:06.399
Lots of stock that's gotta be put out. You're gonna

2961
03:13:06.399 --> 03:13:10.200
be busy tonight for sure. And remember, kid, you're gonna

2962
03:13:10.280 --> 03:13:13.600
get plenty of weirdos coming in tonight. Just rent the

2963
03:13:13.680 --> 03:13:17.120
videos out like you've been doing, and you're gonna be fine.

2964
03:13:17.159 --> 03:13:21.600
He assures me again I'll be okay and leaves. Now

2965
03:13:21.639 --> 03:13:25.680
it's just me here at Strickfield Video Seeing I'm okay

2966
03:13:25.719 --> 03:13:28.120
at the moment. I make some coffee and pour myself

2967
03:13:28.159 --> 03:13:31.959
a cup yum. He did not buy the cheap stuff.

2968
03:13:32.920 --> 03:13:36.520
Lenny's right about this place being busy on Halloween. As

2969
03:13:36.559 --> 03:13:38.799
part of my job, I play a movie that feeds

2970
03:13:38.799 --> 03:13:41.639
to every TV in here, including the one in the

2971
03:13:41.639 --> 03:13:45.079
main window. Since it's Halloween, I've been playing nothing but

2972
03:13:45.120 --> 03:13:49.879
horror movies. To be honest, I love working here. Even

2973
03:13:49.879 --> 03:13:53.239
though Lenny looks and talks like a gangster, I look

2974
03:13:53.280 --> 03:13:56.760
forward to seeing him every day. Also, he pays me

2975
03:13:56.840 --> 03:14:00.399
good as for benefits. He leaves me money for dinner.

2976
03:14:00.959 --> 03:14:03.399
He also lets me take videos back to my dorm.

2977
03:14:04.200 --> 03:14:06.600
With all the foot traffic coming in here, this place

2978
03:14:06.639 --> 03:14:11.159
ain't closing for good anytime soon. Who knows. Maybe I

2979
03:14:11.200 --> 03:14:14.559
can keep working here all through my years of college.

2980
03:14:14.799 --> 03:14:19.159
Now it's half past eleven, new inventories cataloged and out

2981
03:14:19.159 --> 03:14:23.239
in the sections. Lenny ordered many more copies of Veronda

2982
03:14:23.360 --> 03:14:26.360
Queen of the Night. We already have tons of them,

2983
03:14:26.680 --> 03:14:29.959
but they're hard to keep in during October. Even after

2984
03:14:29.959 --> 03:14:32.360
putting out all the new copies they still flew right

2985
03:14:32.399 --> 03:14:35.920
off the shelves. The people renting them also buy lots

2986
03:14:35.920 --> 03:14:40.479
of candy and microwave popcorn. At first, I wondered if

2987
03:14:40.520 --> 03:14:43.440
I'd be okay being the only girl working here at

2988
03:14:43.520 --> 03:14:46.440
night with all the foot traffic coming in, You'd think

2989
03:14:46.479 --> 03:14:49.520
there'd be more than just Lenny and me. But Lenny

2990
03:14:49.600 --> 03:14:52.120
taught me how to get my rhythm going. I can

2991
03:14:52.200 --> 03:14:57.639
ring out customers, restock inventory, except new inventory, study, make coffee, eat,

2992
03:14:57.760 --> 03:15:01.399
go smoke. I can really do it all. When I

2993
03:15:01.440 --> 03:15:04.440
get another break, I go outside and smoke a cigarette.

2994
03:15:04.920 --> 03:15:07.600
Lenny was here a couple times to check up on me.

2995
03:15:08.280 --> 03:15:10.840
There's still lots of people out trick or treating at

2996
03:15:10.840 --> 03:15:14.040
eleven thirty pm. Come to think of it, trick or

2997
03:15:14.079 --> 03:15:17.040
treating has been going on all week here in Strickfield.

2998
03:15:17.520 --> 03:15:21.000
Lenny explained. It's a full week here and there's absolutely

2999
03:15:21.079 --> 03:15:25.360
no age discrimination. Anybody can do it. Oh yeah, I

3000
03:15:25.399 --> 03:15:28.680
even hand it out the candy Lenny brought over. I

3001
03:15:28.760 --> 03:15:33.600
finish my smoke and go back inside. After midnight. Tricker

3002
03:15:33.639 --> 03:15:37.239
treating is done for Halloween night and the week after.

3003
03:15:37.280 --> 03:15:40.520
I pop in the classic Carnival of Souls a fresh

3004
03:15:40.559 --> 03:15:43.479
wave of people come pouring in. I get a few

3005
03:15:43.520 --> 03:15:46.120
copies of Veranda Queen of the Night, back in, only

3006
03:15:46.159 --> 03:15:49.760
to rent them back out just as quickly. This next

3007
03:15:49.799 --> 03:15:53.120
wave of rentals lasts about an hour. When I get

3008
03:15:53.159 --> 03:15:56.239
another break, I make more coffee. Then I pour a

3009
03:15:56.280 --> 03:15:59.760
cup and savor it. Just then this group of four

3010
03:15:59.760 --> 03:16:03.079
water walks in. Lots of weirdos come in tonight. Like

3011
03:16:03.200 --> 03:16:08.719
Lenny said, this group definitely fits that profile. There are

3012
03:16:08.719 --> 03:16:12.399
two guys and two chicks. Then again, they could have

3013
03:16:12.440 --> 03:16:16.280
been trigger treating or at a Halloween party. Anyway, they've

3014
03:16:16.319 --> 03:16:20.200
all got on dark clothes, got pale skin and gleaming

3015
03:16:20.280 --> 03:16:25.399
red eyes. Unlike me, they're dark clothes, ain't leather. I

3016
03:16:25.479 --> 03:16:29.000
finish my cup of coffee as they look over the selections.

3017
03:16:29.719 --> 03:16:32.840
Suddenly a blonde chick breaks away and comes right to me.

3018
03:16:33.600 --> 03:16:38.520
She checks me out and smiles, nice costume, sweetie. Um,

3019
03:16:39.479 --> 03:16:43.000
I ain't wearing no costume. I tell her I really

3020
03:16:43.040 --> 03:16:46.799
am a biker. She looks outside and sees my Harley

3021
03:16:46.879 --> 03:16:51.360
still parked. Cool. She leans on the counter with her

3022
03:16:51.360 --> 03:16:56.200
elbows and smiles. We can't find Veranda, Queen of the Night,

3023
03:16:56.840 --> 03:17:00.920
your boss said. More copies were coming in. I smile

3024
03:17:01.000 --> 03:17:05.360
a little. They sure did, but they all rented out

3025
03:17:05.399 --> 03:17:09.280
faster than I put them out. Suddenly she stands up straight.

3026
03:17:10.239 --> 03:17:13.879
Now she looks upset. Her red eyes glow hot. Now.

3027
03:17:14.680 --> 03:17:17.920
Then she calls out to the others she ain't got

3028
03:17:18.040 --> 03:17:21.719
Veronda in. Now they're all looking right at me as

3029
03:17:21.799 --> 03:17:26.639
they approach the counter. Their red eyes are glowing hot too.

3030
03:17:27.120 --> 03:17:30.319
Then the other girl, the purple haired one, points right

3031
03:17:30.360 --> 03:17:34.639
at me. You better be joking by her, chick. See,

3032
03:17:34.840 --> 03:17:38.120
my baby's sister here really wants to see that movie,

3033
03:17:38.440 --> 03:17:44.040
and she wants to see it tonight. I shrug. I'm sorry,

3034
03:17:44.079 --> 03:17:46.959
but we're sold out. I did get a few copies

3035
03:17:47.000 --> 03:17:49.319
returned a little bit ago, but they went back out

3036
03:17:49.399 --> 03:17:53.479
just as fast. The blonde girl slams her palms on

3037
03:17:53.520 --> 03:17:57.719
the counter and shows me her teeth. I gasp when

3038
03:17:57.719 --> 03:18:00.479
I see they look like that cover from Right Night,

3039
03:18:00.799 --> 03:18:05.159
which I had showed earlier. Also, those teeth are one

3040
03:18:05.239 --> 03:18:09.799
hundred percent real. I mean, when these people came in,

3041
03:18:10.440 --> 03:18:16.520
they had normal looking mouths. But now the blonde hisses

3042
03:18:16.600 --> 03:18:20.360
and points to the drop box. Why don't you go check?

3043
03:18:21.559 --> 03:18:25.399
I nod and do what she says. Got a few returns,

3044
03:18:25.920 --> 03:18:30.760
I stammer, pulling them out and looking them over. No Vernda.

3045
03:18:31.879 --> 03:18:34.639
The purple haired girl now has the same teeth as

3046
03:18:34.639 --> 03:18:39.280
the blonde I said. She wants to see Veranda. She's

3047
03:18:39.319 --> 03:18:43.440
been waiting a long time to see it. She slams

3048
03:18:43.440 --> 03:18:46.559
her fists on the counter. I can't even find it

3049
03:18:46.600 --> 03:18:52.639
for in stores. I shrug. I'm sorry, we had it in.

3050
03:18:53.159 --> 03:18:56.040
We really did get those extra copies in today, but

3051
03:18:56.159 --> 03:19:00.920
they all rented out quickly. Maybe if you'd come in earlier. Suddenly,

3052
03:19:00.959 --> 03:19:04.159
the blonde vampire hops over the counter. She comes up

3053
03:19:04.200 --> 03:19:07.799
to me and blinks her eyes quickly. Clearly, you don't

3054
03:19:07.840 --> 03:19:12.440
understand how things work, she hisses a little. We can't

3055
03:19:12.479 --> 03:19:16.399
exactly be out during daylight hours, so it's a bit

3056
03:19:16.440 --> 03:19:20.799
hard for us to get here earlier. Now I look

3057
03:19:20.840 --> 03:19:24.200
past her and see the others in their scary teeth.

3058
03:19:25.200 --> 03:19:28.079
Look at me when I'm talking to you, doll. The

3059
03:19:28.159 --> 03:19:31.959
blonde snaps, then she growls with those rows of sharp

3060
03:19:32.040 --> 03:19:38.120
teeth again. I want Vernda, one way or another. I

3061
03:19:38.159 --> 03:19:41.719
am going to see that movie on Halloween night tonight.

3062
03:19:42.680 --> 03:19:47.840
I gulp. I don't I don't know what to tell you.

3063
03:19:47.920 --> 03:19:51.440
We rented out all our copies. The chick still won't

3064
03:19:51.479 --> 03:19:54.760
back off. Oh, she's as mad as all get out.

3065
03:19:55.559 --> 03:20:00.399
Then she sniffs at my bare neck. You smell good,

3066
03:20:01.399 --> 03:20:05.319
you know, cutie. I think maybe I'll take you home instead.

3067
03:20:06.440 --> 03:20:10.000
When I see those rows of sharp teeth again, I

3068
03:20:10.079 --> 03:20:14.440
know exactly what she's wanting. I really love my job

3069
03:20:14.520 --> 03:20:17.559
here at Strickfield Video, but I ain't willing to die

3070
03:20:17.639 --> 03:20:21.000
for it. I reach behind me and grab the coffee pot.

3071
03:20:21.799 --> 03:20:25.399
When she hisses loudly again, I shriek and splash her

3072
03:20:25.440 --> 03:20:29.520
with the remaining hot liquid, making her scream. What the

3073
03:20:30.120 --> 03:20:35.120
One of the male vampires yells, are you serious? Serious enough?

3074
03:20:35.559 --> 03:20:38.440
I yell back, leaping over the counter and running out

3075
03:20:38.479 --> 03:20:41.680
the front door. As the vampires are coming out, I'm

3076
03:20:41.719 --> 03:20:44.959
already on my Harley and firing it up. You gotta

3077
03:20:44.959 --> 03:20:50.120
love old American made machinery. I'm quickly gunning down Main Street.

3078
03:20:50.319 --> 03:20:52.639
I check my mirrors and see I'm free and clear.

3079
03:20:53.479 --> 03:20:58.479
Then I remember fright night, vampires don't reflect in mirrors.

3080
03:20:58.959 --> 03:21:01.639
I look over my shoulders and see four wolves making

3081
03:21:01.760 --> 03:21:06.959
tracks following my tracks. Lenny said there'd be weirdos coming

3082
03:21:07.000 --> 03:21:09.799
into the store, but I don't think he meant real

3083
03:21:09.879 --> 03:21:13.799
life vampires. The wolves keep running to where they can

3084
03:21:13.840 --> 03:21:16.760
stay with my bike. Then I show them I ain't

3085
03:21:16.840 --> 03:21:21.079
just some chick that can simply ride. Nah, my parents

3086
03:21:21.120 --> 03:21:24.200
taught me how to handle my girl. In fact, they

3087
03:21:24.239 --> 03:21:26.920
weren't gonna let me have her until they knew I could.

3088
03:21:27.680 --> 03:21:31.600
My parents spent lots of time teaching me everything they knew.

3089
03:21:32.680 --> 03:21:36.280
I make a quick, sharp turn down another road. Those

3090
03:21:36.319 --> 03:21:40.200
wolves weren't expecting it, slowing them down a little. It

3091
03:21:40.239 --> 03:21:44.000
ain't long before they're after me again. Those red eyes

3092
03:21:44.040 --> 03:21:47.680
are really glowing hot now. I'm almost wondering if I

3093
03:21:47.680 --> 03:21:50.879
could light a smoke off them. No way, I'm letting

3094
03:21:50.879 --> 03:21:56.000
those vampires get me. They'll ravage me and drink me dry. Yeah,

3095
03:21:56.079 --> 03:21:59.239
they'd get an interesting mix out of me. Caffeine from

3096
03:21:59.239 --> 03:22:02.680
the coffee in it, energy drinks, nicotine from my smokes,

3097
03:22:02.920 --> 03:22:05.040
and the kick from the spicy sauce out of the

3098
03:22:05.079 --> 03:22:09.520
pizza I ordered from Alfredo's for dinner. Those vampire wolves

3099
03:22:09.600 --> 03:22:12.840
keep chasing me through downtown village. I get back to

3100
03:22:12.840 --> 03:22:15.479
the video store so I ain't leaving it unattended and

3101
03:22:15.600 --> 03:22:18.799
letting people come in and steal stuff. I park the

3102
03:22:18.840 --> 03:22:21.520
bike and get to the front door. I run inside

3103
03:22:21.559 --> 03:22:25.239
and slam it, locking it from the inside. Now those

3104
03:22:25.319 --> 03:22:29.200
wolves are standing right outside and growling. They turn to

3105
03:22:29.200 --> 03:22:31.399
look at the people trying to come in and growl

3106
03:22:31.440 --> 03:22:34.680
at them, making them run away. I get time to

3107
03:22:34.760 --> 03:22:36.959
move to the back door and slip out that way.

3108
03:22:37.719 --> 03:22:40.440
I'm figuring I can make my way back around and

3109
03:22:40.479 --> 03:22:43.680
get back on my bike, and that's hoping those vamps

3110
03:22:43.760 --> 03:22:47.159
don't trash it. After pulling the back door shut, I

3111
03:22:47.239 --> 03:22:50.360
move and make my way to an alley. Thankfully, my

3112
03:22:50.440 --> 03:22:53.959
knee high boots don't clack when I'm walking. I reach

3113
03:22:54.000 --> 03:22:56.719
the other side of the alley and come out. Then

3114
03:22:56.799 --> 03:23:00.360
I see Roth's Rings across the streets, all also a

3115
03:23:00.440 --> 03:23:03.559
light on at boble Topia. I figure I can head

3116
03:23:03.600 --> 03:23:06.200
across the street and get into one of those places.

3117
03:23:06.680 --> 03:23:10.000
When I reach boble Topia, it ain't actually open. I

3118
03:23:10.040 --> 03:23:14.159
think someone's inside doing inventory or something. I hurry along

3119
03:23:14.200 --> 03:23:17.200
and reach the entrance of Roth's Rings. I open the

3120
03:23:17.239 --> 03:23:20.680
door and am almost inside when I'm suddenly grabbed and

3121
03:23:20.719 --> 03:23:24.319
pulled back. Now I'm being pulled into another alley where

3122
03:23:24.319 --> 03:23:28.040
I got those vampires looking right at me again. They're

3123
03:23:28.079 --> 03:23:31.639
not sporting their fright night, looking teeth like before, but

3124
03:23:31.760 --> 03:23:36.040
their eyes are still glowing hot. Then the spunky blonde

3125
03:23:36.040 --> 03:23:39.719
girl stands in front of me again. I ain't asking

3126
03:23:39.840 --> 03:23:43.319
for much. All I want is to see Veronda, Queen

3127
03:23:43.360 --> 03:23:47.719
of the Night. Now. I tighten my fists and snap.

3128
03:23:48.399 --> 03:23:51.479
I told you we're out of it. Then I get

3129
03:23:51.520 --> 03:23:55.239
bold and rush past them to escape yet her, I

3130
03:23:55.319 --> 03:23:58.760
hear the purple haired chick hiss. I reach my Harley

3131
03:23:58.799 --> 03:24:02.440
and make tracks. I'm surprised those vamps didn't trash it

3132
03:24:03.000 --> 03:24:08.079
or turn the motor off. Geez, how is this even happening?

3133
03:24:08.799 --> 03:24:13.319
Vampires ain't supposed to be real, right, I'm thinking now,

3134
03:24:13.360 --> 03:24:16.440
I gotta get out of Strickfield. Are those vampires gonna

3135
03:24:16.440 --> 03:24:19.600
follow me that far out? The problem is, I ain't

3136
03:24:19.600 --> 03:24:22.120
gonna get out a strickfield. I'm about to cut through

3137
03:24:22.200 --> 03:24:25.520
Gunter Square, a park, when one of those wolves suddenly

3138
03:24:25.559 --> 03:24:28.319
appears right in front of me. I scream as the

3139
03:24:28.319 --> 03:24:31.520
wolf leaps up and is on me. I squeeze the

3140
03:24:31.520 --> 03:24:35.040
brakes to stop, but I'm wiping out. The bike's on

3141
03:24:35.079 --> 03:24:37.159
its side. Now as I'm on my back with that

3142
03:24:37.239 --> 03:24:40.639
wolf on top of me, it ain't making no attempt

3143
03:24:40.719 --> 03:24:43.360
to bite me, but it's showing teeth and growling loud.

3144
03:24:44.040 --> 03:24:47.440
Now the other wolves are right there. Leave me alone.

3145
03:24:47.879 --> 03:24:51.200
I yell at them. The wolves change back into people.

3146
03:24:51.840 --> 03:24:55.360
It's the crazy blonde chick again. Now she's sitting on

3147
03:24:55.399 --> 03:24:58.399
me again. Her teeth look like the Fright night cover.

3148
03:24:59.280 --> 03:25:02.719
Now she's show clawed fingers and brings it to my

3149
03:25:02.799 --> 03:25:07.200
shoulder to tap me with each word she says, I

3150
03:25:07.280 --> 03:25:12.879
want to see Veronda. I scream and shover off me.

3151
03:25:13.520 --> 03:25:15.799
I can't get my bike back since those other vamps

3152
03:25:15.840 --> 03:25:18.639
are right there. I turn and just run for it.

3153
03:25:19.239 --> 03:25:22.040
Next thing I know, I'm being tackled. Now I hear

3154
03:25:22.079 --> 03:25:26.840
the other girl talking in my ear. You don't understand, honey,

3155
03:25:27.399 --> 03:25:32.120
she purrs. Today is China's birthday and she really wants

3156
03:25:32.159 --> 03:25:36.440
to see Veranda, Queen of the Night. Suddenly she's off

3157
03:25:36.479 --> 03:25:39.120
me and pulls me to my feet. She's holding onto

3158
03:25:39.120 --> 03:25:41.760
one of my arms. Then one of the male vamps

3159
03:25:41.799 --> 03:25:44.840
is there to hold the other one. The vampire called

3160
03:25:44.959 --> 03:25:48.760
China is back in front of me. That's right, cutie,

3161
03:25:48.840 --> 03:25:53.120
We hawthorns always get our birthday wishes. Now I know

3162
03:25:53.239 --> 03:25:56.840
you can do something to make my wish come true.

3163
03:25:57.000 --> 03:26:01.680
I groan, why can't you under stand we are out

3164
03:26:01.719 --> 03:26:04.399
of Veronda, Queen of the Night. We did get more

3165
03:26:04.440 --> 03:26:07.600
copies in today, lots more, but they all rent it

3166
03:26:07.600 --> 03:26:10.840
out faster than I put them out. Don't you understand

3167
03:26:11.079 --> 03:26:14.920
we are out? We ain't got no more. You could

3168
03:26:14.920 --> 03:26:20.479
always stream it, couldn't you. China groans back. Not acceptable, babe.

3169
03:26:20.920 --> 03:26:24.920
I want one of your store's copies of Veranda tonight,

3170
03:26:25.680 --> 03:26:30.399
and I intend to have one. I groan more. Now, God,

3171
03:26:30.479 --> 03:26:33.440
I give up already. I fight my way out and

3172
03:26:33.520 --> 03:26:35.920
make it back to my bike. I get it back

3173
03:26:35.920 --> 03:26:38.280
on its wheels and get back on it. As soon

3174
03:26:38.280 --> 03:26:41.319
as I'm escaping, I feel arms wrapping around my waist.

3175
03:26:42.360 --> 03:26:47.000
Where are we going, Cutie back to the video place? Right? Ah? No,

3176
03:26:47.680 --> 03:26:49.959
China's on my bike with me and holding onto me.

3177
03:26:50.520 --> 03:26:53.520
I scream and lose my concentration. As I wipe out again,

3178
03:26:55.000 --> 03:26:59.120
I moan softly and feel myself moving. I'm coming back

3179
03:26:59.159 --> 03:27:02.399
to life. As I open my eyes. It's dark in

3180
03:27:02.479 --> 03:27:06.239
this place where I'm at now. There are fire eurns

3181
03:27:06.280 --> 03:27:09.639
in different areas. I don't know where I'm at, but

3182
03:27:09.719 --> 03:27:13.319
it looks like some room. Am I in a warehouse?

3183
03:27:13.479 --> 03:27:19.040
Maybe a studio. Then I go pard, it's a crypt.

3184
03:27:19.799 --> 03:27:24.479
I'm in a cemetery somewhere. Oh good, you're awake. A

3185
03:27:24.520 --> 03:27:29.159
familiar voice calls out. Now I see that crazy vampire chick,

3186
03:27:29.280 --> 03:27:32.920
China standing in front of me. Then she kneels down

3187
03:27:33.000 --> 03:27:36.879
and takes my hands. Sorry, honey, it wasn't my intention

3188
03:27:37.040 --> 03:27:41.200
to make you spill like that. I groan and yank

3189
03:27:41.319 --> 03:27:44.680
my hands back. Why are you torturing me like this?

3190
03:27:45.840 --> 03:27:48.920
Suddenly she's right on top of me. Give me what

3191
03:27:49.040 --> 03:27:52.840
I want and I'll leave you alone. I look her

3192
03:27:52.840 --> 03:27:55.879
in the face. Now, what's it gonna take for you

3193
03:27:55.959 --> 03:28:00.479
to understand? Strickfield video is out of Veronda. Ye, we

3194
03:28:00.680 --> 03:28:03.559
are out stream it if you want to watch it

3195
03:28:03.680 --> 03:28:12.120
so bad, She hisses at me. Then she growls wrong answer. Also,

3196
03:28:12.559 --> 03:28:16.360
does it look like we can stream movies here? Also,

3197
03:28:16.760 --> 03:28:20.520
Veranda's not available on streaming. You're my one shot here.

3198
03:28:21.559 --> 03:28:25.479
I scream, like some nuthouse escapee. Not because I'm in

3199
03:28:25.520 --> 03:28:29.120
a crypt full of vampires, but because I just can't

3200
03:28:29.159 --> 03:28:32.760
make China listen to reason. She's got it dead set

3201
03:28:32.760 --> 03:28:35.159
in her mind. She's gonna see Veronda Queen of the

3202
03:28:35.280 --> 03:28:39.840
Night tonight. I already explained this to her over and over.

3203
03:28:40.520 --> 03:28:45.559
Lenny's told me the customer is always right. But ah,

3204
03:28:45.680 --> 03:28:48.079
I shove China right off me and spring off the

3205
03:28:48.120 --> 03:28:51.079
stone slab I was on. Then I quickly see it's

3206
03:28:51.079 --> 03:28:54.360
a burial vault. I'm ready to run out the door

3207
03:28:54.440 --> 03:28:57.840
when the other female vampire is suddenly there. I look

3208
03:28:57.879 --> 03:29:00.600
to either side and see those two male vs Empires.

3209
03:29:01.319 --> 03:29:06.719
Then I feel China's arms wrap around me from behind again. Listen, Toots,

3210
03:29:07.200 --> 03:29:09.959
if I can't have my movie, then I'm going to

3211
03:29:10.040 --> 03:29:14.520
have you for my birthday gift. I'll sire you. You

3212
03:29:14.600 --> 03:29:17.440
can be my new best friend. We can watch and

3213
03:29:17.559 --> 03:29:22.760
talk about movies forever. I point to the others, But

3214
03:29:22.879 --> 03:29:28.000
you have friends here. You don't know the situation, Charlie,

3215
03:29:28.040 --> 03:29:32.120
is it? China peurs in my ear. Epiphany here is

3216
03:29:32.200 --> 03:29:36.000
my older sister. The problem is she loves playing with

3217
03:29:36.040 --> 03:29:39.680
her two boy toys here a great deal. She found

3218
03:29:39.760 --> 03:29:43.520
them and sired them both years ago. She still ain't

3219
03:29:43.559 --> 03:29:46.840
tired of them after one hundred and twenty plus years.

3220
03:29:47.319 --> 03:29:51.399
The vampire called Epiphany raises her finger. I promised my

3221
03:29:51.559 --> 03:29:54.200
darling little sister here that she could have whatever she

3222
03:29:54.319 --> 03:29:59.040
wanted for her birthday, I promised her. You understand, China

3223
03:29:59.239 --> 03:30:02.319
loves her horror movies. She's been dying to see the

3224
03:30:02.360 --> 03:30:05.479
original Veranda Queen of the Night movie ever since she

3225
03:30:05.559 --> 03:30:08.399
started watching Up All Night with Veranda Friday nights on

3226
03:30:08.479 --> 03:30:12.600
Channel sixty one over the air. We can never find

3227
03:30:12.639 --> 03:30:16.000
a copy of the movie anywhere, So it's you who

3228
03:30:16.040 --> 03:30:21.239
doesn't understand mortal China's going to watch that movie. I'd

3229
03:30:21.239 --> 03:30:23.079
say it's up to you to locate a copy for

3230
03:30:23.159 --> 03:30:25.879
my sister, or she's going to haunt you until she

3231
03:30:25.959 --> 03:30:29.840
gets it. Like she said, she may even sire you.

3232
03:30:30.639 --> 03:30:33.319
I put my hands to my forehead and groan as

3233
03:30:33.319 --> 03:30:37.840
I shake my head. I keep telling you people, again

3234
03:30:38.040 --> 03:30:43.200
and again, we don't have it. I shake China off

3235
03:30:43.200 --> 03:30:46.520
and run past Epiphany, knocking her to the side. I

3236
03:30:46.719 --> 03:30:50.520
escape the crypt and come outside. You gotta be kidding me.

3237
03:30:50.600 --> 03:30:54.319
This graveyard looks like it stretches for miles and miles.

3238
03:30:54.360 --> 03:30:57.000
How am I ever gonna get out of here? As

3239
03:30:57.040 --> 03:31:01.399
if God just answered my prayer, my heart is right there.

3240
03:31:02.000 --> 03:31:05.920
I quickly mount up and starter. When those vampires are outside,

3241
03:31:05.959 --> 03:31:09.159
I turn the bike and go full throttle again. I

3242
03:31:09.200 --> 03:31:12.120
look over my shoulder and see wolves and giant bats

3243
03:31:12.200 --> 03:31:15.520
chasing me down. I swear as soon as I see Lenny,

3244
03:31:15.559 --> 03:31:19.559
I'm quitting Strickfield Video and finding another job. I did

3245
03:31:19.639 --> 03:31:22.879
not sign on for this. I know he said there'd

3246
03:31:22.879 --> 03:31:29.479
be weirdo customers, but vampires are too weird. Leave me alone,

3247
03:31:29.959 --> 03:31:33.200
I scream. I show these vampires I can ride when

3248
03:31:33.239 --> 03:31:36.959
I'm taking these sharp curves and fast turns. Eventually, I

3249
03:31:37.040 --> 03:31:39.760
make it to the main road and pull out. Now

3250
03:31:39.840 --> 03:31:42.239
I remember where I am and make my way back

3251
03:31:42.280 --> 03:31:45.600
to downtown village. I look over my shoulder and see

3252
03:31:45.600 --> 03:31:49.959
those vampires are still following me. I ride past a

3253
03:31:50.040 --> 03:31:53.559
bank with a clock showing it's almost three am. There

3254
03:31:53.559 --> 03:31:56.520
were no classes today, and I'm glad there aren't any

3255
03:31:56.559 --> 03:31:59.879
classes tomorrow. Lenny told me it's village law that they

3256
03:32:00.000 --> 03:32:03.000
there's no school or college on either Halloween or the

3257
03:32:03.079 --> 03:32:08.120
day after unless you go to Strickfield Academy. Anyway, I'm

3258
03:32:08.239 --> 03:32:11.760
really irritated. Now I ride my girl right back to

3259
03:32:11.799 --> 03:32:15.360
Strickfield Video and Parker in my usual spot again. The

3260
03:32:15.440 --> 03:32:18.399
lights are still on. Inside, I turn off the motor

3261
03:32:18.440 --> 03:32:21.319
and dismount. I unlock the door to go back in

3262
03:32:21.440 --> 03:32:24.680
and get back behind the counter. It ain't long before

3263
03:32:24.680 --> 03:32:28.000
those vampires come right back in. I'm about ready to

3264
03:32:28.040 --> 03:32:30.280
lose my mind again with knowing I'm gonna have to

3265
03:32:30.360 --> 03:32:32.959
repeat to China what I've been trying to tell her

3266
03:32:33.000 --> 03:32:37.399
about Veranda Queen of the Night. But then I remember

3267
03:32:37.440 --> 03:32:41.680
the dropbox and go to it. Looks like quite a

3268
03:32:41.680 --> 03:32:44.920
few videos came back while I was out being chased

3269
03:32:44.959 --> 03:32:49.280
by these vampires. I put the returned rentals right down

3270
03:32:49.319 --> 03:32:53.040
on the counter, and then I see it. I pick

3271
03:32:53.040 --> 03:32:55.879
it up and look right at China. Here a copy

3272
03:32:55.920 --> 03:32:59.520
of Vernda Queen of the Night finally came back. I'll

3273
03:32:59.559 --> 03:33:01.959
gladly wring you out so you can go back to

3274
03:33:02.000 --> 03:33:05.879
your crypt and watch it. China gasps with this news.

3275
03:33:06.280 --> 03:33:09.799
Then Epiphany places the money on the counter. She'll take it.

3276
03:33:10.280 --> 03:33:15.000
Happy birthday, Sis. China turns and hugs her sister. Thank you.

3277
03:33:15.799 --> 03:33:20.440
Epiphany gives me her account number. Seriously, these vampires got

3278
03:33:21.280 --> 03:33:24.680
memberships here. I punch the number into the computer and

3279
03:33:24.719 --> 03:33:28.680
pull the account up. Her account's in good standing. I

3280
03:33:28.799 --> 03:33:31.639
take her money and give her her receipt and the movie,

3281
03:33:31.680 --> 03:33:35.079
which she hands to China. You only have a day

3282
03:33:35.120 --> 03:33:38.319
to watch it, she tells her sister. You don't bring

3283
03:33:38.360 --> 03:33:42.399
this back. I'll bring it back, sis, I promise. China squeals.

3284
03:33:43.159 --> 03:33:47.799
The vampires are finally leaving, or so I thought. China

3285
03:33:47.879 --> 03:33:51.440
stops at the door and turns to me. Now she

3286
03:33:51.559 --> 03:33:56.719
looks sad. I'm really sorry about tonight, Charlie. I give

3287
03:33:56.760 --> 03:34:01.440
her an uneasy smile. We're good, China, go home and

3288
03:34:01.559 --> 03:34:07.399
enjoy your movie. She still looks sad. Will you watch

3289
03:34:07.479 --> 03:34:10.760
this with me? I really want another movie girl to

3290
03:34:10.799 --> 03:34:13.840
watch this with. Epiphany's going to be hanging with her

3291
03:34:13.879 --> 03:34:18.719
boy toys. She ain't interested in watching movies with me. Please.

3292
03:34:20.159 --> 03:34:22.639
Then Epiphany looks at me as if I'd be doing

3293
03:34:22.760 --> 03:34:27.120
China a huge favor. I sigh and hold out my hand.

3294
03:34:27.879 --> 03:34:31.239
China comes and hands me the video. Then Epiphany and

3295
03:34:31.280 --> 03:34:35.120
her two guys leave. I put Veranda, Queen of the

3296
03:34:35.200 --> 03:34:39.079
Night in and play it. I work on putting the

3297
03:34:39.120 --> 03:34:42.159
returns back out and waiting on other customers as I'm

3298
03:34:42.200 --> 03:34:45.159
watching the movie with China, who doesn't give me any

3299
03:34:45.200 --> 03:34:49.399
more trouble. I try offering China some of my leftover pizza,

3300
03:34:49.440 --> 03:34:54.200
but vampires can't eat food. She does accept some coffee

3301
03:34:54.200 --> 03:34:57.079
when I brew a fresh pot. In fact, China ends

3302
03:34:57.159 --> 03:35:00.280
up staying here with me for a while. I watched

3303
03:35:00.360 --> 03:35:04.120
Veranda Queen of the Night twice. Between China and me,

3304
03:35:04.239 --> 03:35:07.600
we had some quality girl time together. The two of

3305
03:35:07.639 --> 03:35:11.840
us actually became friends. She apologized again for all the

3306
03:35:11.879 --> 03:35:16.440
trouble earlier, but she was really dying to see that movie.

3307
03:35:16.520 --> 03:35:19.520
It's around six thirty AM when China and I say

3308
03:35:19.520 --> 03:35:23.280
goodbye to each other after we exchange phone numbers. It

3309
03:35:23.360 --> 03:35:27.360
sounds like we'll be watching more movies together in the future. Wow,

3310
03:35:27.520 --> 03:35:29.959
I'm really friends with a vampire.

3311
03:35:30.040 --> 03:35:30.239
Now.

3312
03:35:31.399 --> 03:35:34.479
At around seven fifteen am, Lenny comes in and sees

3313
03:35:35.120 --> 03:35:38.719
I survived the night. It's still dark, but I'm still

3314
03:35:38.760 --> 03:35:41.600
wide awake. He's got a box with him and opens

3315
03:35:41.600 --> 03:35:45.159
it up to offer me donuts from Roth's Rings. Like

3316
03:35:45.200 --> 03:35:49.680
I said, my gangster looking boss here takes pretty good

3317
03:35:49.719 --> 03:35:52.399
care of me. I'm ready to bite into one of

3318
03:35:52.479 --> 03:35:56.920
my donuts. Then I glare at him. You never told

3319
03:35:57.000 --> 03:36:01.840
me vampires actually rented movies here. Now I tell Lenny

3320
03:36:01.879 --> 03:36:06.040
everything that happened during the night. He just chuckles. Now

3321
03:36:07.000 --> 03:36:10.680
we live in Strickfield, kid. Also, it ain't just vampires

3322
03:36:10.680 --> 03:36:13.680
who got accounts here. I got all kinds of different

3323
03:36:13.719 --> 03:36:17.000
monsters coming in here to rent movies. In this business,

3324
03:36:17.040 --> 03:36:20.479
you can't be selective on who you rent to. Everybody

3325
03:36:20.520 --> 03:36:24.079
loves watching movies, no matter if you're alive or dead.

3326
03:36:24.799 --> 03:36:28.079
He pats my shoulder. So were you gonna tell me

3327
03:36:28.120 --> 03:36:33.360
you quit? I calm down now, No, I mean I was.

3328
03:36:34.159 --> 03:36:36.799
But when you put it that way, it makes a

3329
03:36:36.840 --> 03:36:41.959
lot of sense. He seems satisfied. Good. That means I'll

3330
03:36:42.000 --> 03:36:45.559
see you back here tonight. I nod. You got me

3331
03:36:45.639 --> 03:36:49.399
scheduled for six pm again. Go home and get some sleep, kid,

3332
03:36:49.719 --> 03:36:53.719
he tells me. I got it now. I grab my stuff.

3333
03:36:54.200 --> 03:36:56.319
When I'm leaving to go back to my dorm, I

3334
03:36:56.399 --> 03:37:00.879
turn to Lenny. Thanks for everything, Thanks for giving me

3335
03:37:00.920 --> 03:37:05.479
a job here. Lenny nods, you do good work here, kid,

3336
03:37:05.920 --> 03:37:09.159
See you tonight. I yawn as I mount my Harley

3337
03:37:09.200 --> 03:37:12.200
and head back to Strickfield University to go to bed.

3338
03:37:13.200 --> 03:37:16.639
One thing's for sure, it was definitely a Halloween night.

3339
03:37:17.159 --> 03:37:21.280
I'll never forget. I'm already feeling in my tummy. There's

3340
03:37:21.319 --> 03:37:32.000
gonna be more weirdo stuff happening at Strickfield Video. Never

3341
03:37:32.159 --> 03:37:35.520
buy a Halloween mask from a yard sale. You could

3342
03:37:35.559 --> 03:37:40.600
be getting more than you bargained for by Michael Kelso.

3343
03:37:42.280 --> 03:37:45.600
I always loved taking my eight year old daughter Chrissy

3344
03:37:45.719 --> 03:37:48.840
trick or treating, ever since she was old enough to walk.

3345
03:37:49.479 --> 03:37:52.520
I'd dress her up as a ballerina or a princess,

3346
03:37:52.639 --> 03:37:56.479
or whatever cute character would draw the most smiles and

3347
03:37:56.959 --> 03:38:02.159
oh aren't you adorable? Comments. If I'd known how things

3348
03:38:02.159 --> 03:38:05.079
were going to end, I never would have taken her

3349
03:38:05.079 --> 03:38:10.239
trick or treating in her entire life. It started in

3350
03:38:10.319 --> 03:38:13.239
late September when I hadn't picked out an outfit for

3351
03:38:13.319 --> 03:38:16.680
Chrissy yet. We were hitting the end of season yard

3352
03:38:16.719 --> 03:38:19.559
sales and my neighbor had told me that the one

3353
03:38:19.600 --> 03:38:23.239
we were going to had lots and lots of Halloween costumes.

3354
03:38:24.159 --> 03:38:27.399
When we got there, I discovered she was not kidding.

3355
03:38:28.239 --> 03:38:31.319
The one side of her garage was nothing but costumes

3356
03:38:31.760 --> 03:38:35.520
hanging on racks. I wondered why there were so many.

3357
03:38:36.159 --> 03:38:41.000
When I checked out the prices, mystery solved. Her prices

3358
03:38:41.040 --> 03:38:44.280
were only a few dollars less than in a department store.

3359
03:38:45.559 --> 03:38:48.840
Why do people do that, assume that there's stuff that's

3360
03:38:48.879 --> 03:38:51.920
been sitting around in their attic or garage is worth

3361
03:38:51.959 --> 03:38:55.719
so much money. I still made a polite show of

3362
03:38:55.760 --> 03:38:58.799
looking through the outfits and hopes that I would stumble

3363
03:38:58.840 --> 03:39:03.159
across something cute and cheap, although with the rest of

3364
03:39:03.159 --> 03:39:08.719
the prices being so high, anything cheap would be immediately suspect.

3365
03:39:09.719 --> 03:39:12.840
As I was searching in vain Chrissy came to me

3366
03:39:13.200 --> 03:39:17.479
holding a mask. Look, Mommy, she said, I can go

3367
03:39:17.520 --> 03:39:20.840
as a witch this year. I looked at the mask

3368
03:39:20.920 --> 03:39:25.159
of an old woman's grotesque face. Is that really what

3369
03:39:25.239 --> 03:39:30.360
you want to go as? I said? Why not a princess? Oh? Mom,

3370
03:39:30.879 --> 03:39:34.799
I go as a princess every year. How about a unicorn?

3371
03:39:35.719 --> 03:39:38.079
I just really want to go as a witch this year,

3372
03:39:39.120 --> 03:39:43.079
I sighed, holding the unicorn outfit in my hand and

3373
03:39:43.159 --> 03:39:50.559
looking into her pleading eyes. Please all right, I said,

3374
03:39:50.879 --> 03:39:54.079
putting the unicorn back and digging out the rest of

3375
03:39:54.120 --> 03:39:57.799
the witch outfit. In the end, it saved me ten dollars.

3376
03:39:58.600 --> 03:40:03.079
I guess the witch was selling well. I wish with

3377
03:40:03.319 --> 03:40:06.559
everything in me that I could return that ten dollars

3378
03:40:06.600 --> 03:40:10.920
and undo everything that happened. We walked up to the

3379
03:40:10.959 --> 03:40:15.760
old woman, missus Henderson, who was selling the clothes, and

3380
03:40:15.840 --> 03:40:18.760
paid for the outfit. It struck me as we were

3381
03:40:18.799 --> 03:40:23.680
walking out how much her face reminded me of the mask.

3382
03:40:25.200 --> 03:40:27.840
We were barely in the door at home until Chrissy

3383
03:40:27.959 --> 03:40:31.200
ran off with the outfit to try it on. I

3384
03:40:31.319 --> 03:40:34.040
carried in the rest of my yard sale fines and

3385
03:40:34.120 --> 03:40:37.760
set them down to find places for them. Later, I

3386
03:40:37.840 --> 03:40:41.079
turned around and my heart skipped a beat as a

3387
03:40:41.120 --> 03:40:47.120
tiny witch stood staring at me. Oh, Chrissy, I said,

3388
03:40:47.639 --> 03:40:52.360
you nearly scared the life out of me. I'm sorry, mommy,

3389
03:40:53.360 --> 03:40:57.239
she said, But it wasn't Chrissy's voice that came out.

3390
03:40:58.040 --> 03:41:02.440
It sounded high pitched and garb. I see that mask

3391
03:41:02.520 --> 03:41:06.559
has a little bonus to it, I said, that's not all,

3392
03:41:07.319 --> 03:41:12.239
she said in her modified, high pitched garble. Looking through

3393
03:41:12.280 --> 03:41:16.479
it is really cool too. It was a little disturbing

3394
03:41:16.600 --> 03:41:20.120
hearing that voice, but knowing it was my daughter's saying

3395
03:41:20.159 --> 03:41:23.399
the words if she were older, I was sure she

3396
03:41:23.440 --> 03:41:26.879
would use this to scare me several times before Halloween

3397
03:41:26.959 --> 03:41:32.000
came around. Let me see, I said. She had a

3398
03:41:32.000 --> 03:41:35.760
little difficulty taking the mask off, but once she did,

3399
03:41:36.239 --> 03:41:38.479
I put it on and looked through the red lenses

3400
03:41:38.520 --> 03:41:42.760
that were sewn in. It made the world look a

3401
03:41:42.799 --> 03:41:47.159
lot different, not just the color, but there seemed to

3402
03:41:47.239 --> 03:41:51.559
be an aura around objects. I shrugged it off and

3403
03:41:51.680 --> 03:41:56.680
lunged at Chrissy, saying boo. She jumped and squealed as

3404
03:41:56.719 --> 03:42:00.159
I chased her around the table. I'll get you, Oh

3405
03:42:00.159 --> 03:42:03.319
my pretty, I said. As I chased her into the

3406
03:42:03.319 --> 03:42:06.920
living room. She dove onto the couch and tried to

3407
03:42:07.000 --> 03:42:12.559
hide behind some pillows. I slowly circled the couch, closing

3408
03:42:12.600 --> 03:42:16.040
in for the kill, when I saw something dart away

3409
03:42:16.079 --> 03:42:19.440
out of the corner of my eye. I didn't think

3410
03:42:19.479 --> 03:42:22.600
she could move that fast, but I pursued the new

3411
03:42:22.680 --> 03:42:27.840
target down the hallway toward the bedrooms. Mommy, where are

3412
03:42:27.879 --> 03:42:32.680
you going? I heard Chrissy say behind me. I pulled

3413
03:42:32.719 --> 03:42:34.840
off the mask and she was standing in the living

3414
03:42:34.920 --> 03:42:39.200
room by the couch watching me. I glanced back at

3415
03:42:39.239 --> 03:42:43.280
the hallway and shrugged it off. It must have been

3416
03:42:43.360 --> 03:42:47.360
my imagination. I went back into the living room and

3417
03:42:47.399 --> 03:42:50.959
gave her the mask. Are you sure you'll be able

3418
03:42:50.959 --> 03:42:53.440
to see in that thing on a dark Halloween night,

3419
03:42:54.079 --> 03:42:58.760
I asked. I'll be okay, Mommy, there's plenty of street lights,

3420
03:42:58.799 --> 03:43:03.799
and besides, you'll be there with me. Oh yes, I

3421
03:43:03.799 --> 03:43:08.639
almost forgot. She smiled and hugged me, then grabbed the

3422
03:43:08.719 --> 03:43:13.120
mask and skipped away happily. Over the next week, she

3423
03:43:13.239 --> 03:43:15.959
took the time to scare me with it on a

3424
03:43:16.040 --> 03:43:19.360
daily basis. It got to the point where I had

3425
03:43:19.360 --> 03:43:22.399
to threaten to take it away from her. I still

3426
03:43:22.520 --> 03:43:26.799
caught her wearing it quite often. With Halloween quickly approaching,

3427
03:43:26.959 --> 03:43:30.879
I could barely keep the thing off her head. Finally,

3428
03:43:31.040 --> 03:43:35.120
the big night came, Chrissy was bouncing off the walls

3429
03:43:35.159 --> 03:43:39.079
with excitement. She was dressed in her costume and ready

3430
03:43:39.120 --> 03:43:41.799
to go an hour before trick or treating even started.

3431
03:43:42.760 --> 03:43:45.000
All through the day, I'd been keeping an eye on

3432
03:43:45.079 --> 03:43:48.239
the storm clouds that were brewing, threatening to put a

3433
03:43:48.319 --> 03:43:53.079
damper on our fun, But before the evening rolled around,

3434
03:43:53.600 --> 03:43:56.840
they had blown off and left a nice evening that

3435
03:43:57.079 --> 03:44:01.360
wasn't too warm or too cold. We left the house,

3436
03:44:01.440 --> 03:44:04.319
making sure to leave our porch light off so as

3437
03:44:04.360 --> 03:44:07.479
not to tease any tricker treaters with the false pretense

3438
03:44:07.520 --> 03:44:12.120
of candy at our house. We started down the dark street,

3439
03:44:12.200 --> 03:44:16.079
lit by the occasional street light. At first, Chrissy was

3440
03:44:16.120 --> 03:44:19.319
pulling on me like a dog straining against a leash

3441
03:44:19.440 --> 03:44:22.879
to get to the first house, but as we walked,

3442
03:44:24.000 --> 03:44:28.479
she drew closer to me. The first house was everything

3443
03:44:28.520 --> 03:44:31.840
you'd expect. The nice woman who answered the door asked,

3444
03:44:32.440 --> 03:44:36.360
and what are you supposed to be? I'm a witch,

3445
03:44:37.520 --> 03:44:43.079
was Chrissie's enthusiastic response, but being said through whatever filter

3446
03:44:43.280 --> 03:44:47.159
was in the mask made the woman jump, Oh my,

3447
03:44:47.680 --> 03:44:52.799
that's quite a costume. She politely held out the bowl

3448
03:44:52.879 --> 03:44:57.440
for Chrissy to choose two candies from, then disappeared back

3449
03:44:57.479 --> 03:45:01.440
into her house. We hadn't seem but a few other

3450
03:45:01.559 --> 03:45:05.559
trigger treaters until we turned onto the main street, and

3451
03:45:05.639 --> 03:45:09.799
they seemed to be everywhere, dodging back and forth across

3452
03:45:09.879 --> 03:45:13.399
the street. They wore every kind of costume you could

3453
03:45:13.440 --> 03:45:17.159
think of, from the classic ghost to cartoon characters, to

3454
03:45:17.280 --> 03:45:22.840
zombies to princesses. I looked wistfully at the princesses when

3455
03:45:22.840 --> 03:45:26.559
the little witch holding my hand suddenly pulled against me.

3456
03:45:27.680 --> 03:45:31.239
What's wrong, Sweetee, I said, as she huddled close to me.

3457
03:45:32.319 --> 03:45:37.520
I'm scared, mommy, she said in that high pitched screechy voice.

3458
03:45:37.879 --> 03:45:45.600
The mask somehow produced of what baby? The monsters? I

3459
03:45:45.719 --> 03:45:50.520
looked and there was a zombie Frankenstein and a werewolf

3460
03:45:50.600 --> 03:45:56.319
walking together towards us up the street. Baby, they're just costumes,

3461
03:45:56.680 --> 03:46:01.200
I said, just like every other year. Are you sure,

3462
03:46:02.040 --> 03:46:05.879
she said, her death grip on my hand loosening just

3463
03:46:06.000 --> 03:46:10.559
a bit, of course, honey, I said, everyone is just

3464
03:46:10.680 --> 03:46:14.840
dressed up to have fun, just like you. Don't you

3465
03:46:14.920 --> 03:46:17.280
think some other little girl will look at you and

3466
03:46:17.399 --> 03:46:22.000
be scared of the witch? Her grip loosened to normal,

3467
03:46:22.959 --> 03:46:27.799
I guess. So we started down the street, following along

3468
03:46:27.879 --> 03:46:32.319
with a crowd of superheroes and other colorful characters. The

3469
03:46:32.319 --> 03:46:35.520
more houses we went to, the more she seemed to

3470
03:46:35.559 --> 03:46:39.840
relax and enjoy herself. There were still a few times

3471
03:46:39.920 --> 03:46:42.639
when she would walk so close to me that she

3472
03:46:42.760 --> 03:46:46.799
almost tripped me, mostly when there were large groups coming

3473
03:46:46.799 --> 03:46:51.040
toward us. Frankly, I was surprised she could see much

3474
03:46:51.040 --> 03:46:54.879
of anything out of that mask. There were a few

3475
03:46:54.920 --> 03:46:58.159
spots where the street lights were further apart, and I

3476
03:46:58.360 --> 03:47:02.280
struggled to see the sidewalk on the whole. Though the

3477
03:47:02.399 --> 03:47:06.360
evening had been going well, her bag was filling with candy,

3478
03:47:06.399 --> 03:47:10.000
and everyone seemed to like her outfit. We even came

3479
03:47:10.040 --> 03:47:13.159
to missus Henderson's house, the woman who had sold it

3480
03:47:13.159 --> 03:47:16.639
to us. When we stood at the end of her walkway,

3481
03:47:17.079 --> 03:47:21.959
Chrissie hesitated, Are you sure? The monsters are just pretend,

3482
03:47:22.879 --> 03:47:26.840
she said, looking up at me with that disturbing mask.

3483
03:47:28.159 --> 03:47:31.920
Of course, Sweetie, go on up to the door. A

3484
03:47:31.959 --> 03:47:36.239
group was leaving as Chrissy walked up. Ah, I see

3485
03:47:36.280 --> 03:47:40.719
one of my costumes as come home, missus, Henderson said,

3486
03:47:40.959 --> 03:47:43.760
dressed as a witch herself and sounding much like the

3487
03:47:43.879 --> 03:47:50.280
voice the mask made trick or treat Chrissy said. She

3488
03:47:50.440 --> 03:47:53.000
stared at her for a moment. As Chrissy seemed to

3489
03:47:53.079 --> 03:47:57.239
stare at nothing on the porch beside the woman, she

3490
03:47:57.399 --> 03:48:00.920
glanced over at the empty porch and leaned down to

3491
03:48:01.000 --> 03:48:04.639
whisper something in Chrissy's ear while she held out the

3492
03:48:04.639 --> 03:48:08.959
bowl of candy. Chrissy nodded her head as she grabbed

3493
03:48:08.959 --> 03:48:12.639
two pieces of candy and darted away from the woman.

3494
03:48:13.760 --> 03:48:17.520
I smiled, and we turned toward the next house. As

3495
03:48:17.520 --> 03:48:21.639
soon as we were out of sight, I pulled her aside.

3496
03:48:21.760 --> 03:48:24.680
What did that woman say to you, Chrissy? I asked.

3497
03:48:25.319 --> 03:48:29.239
For a moment, the tiny witch eyes stared at me silently.

3498
03:48:30.319 --> 03:48:35.200
She she asked me if I liked the mask, she said.

3499
03:48:36.120 --> 03:48:40.479
I looked into those red plastic lenses, completely unable to

3500
03:48:40.520 --> 03:48:44.319
tell if what she said was the truth. I paused

3501
03:48:44.840 --> 03:48:48.799
and took a deep breath. I think maybe we've had

3502
03:48:48.879 --> 03:48:54.479
enough tricker treating for tonight. I said, I think so too,

3503
03:48:54.639 --> 03:48:58.319
she said, much to my surprise. Can we go home now?

3504
03:48:59.680 --> 03:49:02.600
I look at her half full bag of candy that

3505
03:49:02.719 --> 03:49:05.680
didn't have nearly as much in it as other Halloween's

3506
03:49:06.520 --> 03:49:11.000
but she'd been acting odd the whole time. Sure, sweetie,

3507
03:49:11.239 --> 03:49:15.639
I said, smiling, let's go home. We crossed to the

3508
03:49:15.680 --> 03:49:18.479
other side of the street at Chrissy's urging, so we

3509
03:49:18.520 --> 03:49:22.399
wouldn't have to go near the woman's house again. Either

3510
03:49:22.440 --> 03:49:25.760
it was my imagination or we made it home more

3511
03:49:25.879 --> 03:49:29.600
quickly than I expected. I was nearly out of breath

3512
03:49:29.600 --> 03:49:32.959
when we opened the door and Chrissy dove inside, ripping

3513
03:49:33.000 --> 03:49:37.079
off the mask and costume. She ran into her room

3514
03:49:37.440 --> 03:49:41.399
and changed into her pajamas, then came back out and

3515
03:49:41.520 --> 03:49:44.920
gave the costume and mask a wide berth as she

3516
03:49:45.040 --> 03:49:49.600
went to the couch. It's not quite bedtime yet. Do

3517
03:49:49.639 --> 03:49:53.239
you want to watch something on TV? I said, no,

3518
03:49:53.559 --> 03:49:57.440
I'm pretty tired. She replied, I think I'll just go

3519
03:49:57.520 --> 03:50:01.799
to bed. Good night, mommy, She started toward her bedroom.

3520
03:50:02.760 --> 03:50:06.200
Don't you want any of your candy? She looked from

3521
03:50:06.239 --> 03:50:09.159
me to the bag of candy sitting on the end table.

3522
03:50:10.040 --> 03:50:14.360
I'll have some tomorrow, she said. What about your costume?

3523
03:50:15.399 --> 03:50:19.280
She stared at it laying on the floor. I don't

3524
03:50:19.280 --> 03:50:22.600
want it any more, she said, then went to her

3525
03:50:22.680 --> 03:50:26.920
room and shut the door. I stared at her as

3526
03:50:26.959 --> 03:50:31.000
she went. I couldn't imagine when she wouldn't dive into

3527
03:50:31.000 --> 03:50:34.520
her candy. Usually I had to limit her so she

3528
03:50:34.559 --> 03:50:37.799
wouldn't go to bed with a sugar high. I stepped

3529
03:50:37.799 --> 03:50:41.600
over and picked up the costume, sighing at the wasted money,

3530
03:50:41.879 --> 03:50:45.680
but happy she enjoyed it, if only for a little while.

3531
03:50:46.639 --> 03:50:49.520
I walked over to the trash can and threw the

3532
03:50:49.600 --> 03:50:54.319
costume in. As I held the mask, I felt like

3533
03:50:54.360 --> 03:50:58.120
I had to look through it one more time. I

3534
03:50:58.200 --> 03:51:01.680
put it over my head and the world was instantly

3535
03:51:02.360 --> 03:51:07.319
bathed in red. I looked around, and for whatever reason,

3536
03:51:08.000 --> 03:51:12.280
the aura's surrounding objects seemed to be brighter. I was

3537
03:51:12.319 --> 03:51:15.760
about to take it off when I saw something dart

3538
03:51:15.840 --> 03:51:19.799
off to the side. I ripped off the mask and

3539
03:51:19.879 --> 03:51:23.520
looked where I had seen the movement, but nothing was there.

3540
03:51:24.719 --> 03:51:27.559
I tossed the mask in the garbage and did a

3541
03:51:27.600 --> 03:51:32.200
slow lap around the room, searching for anyone who may

3542
03:51:32.239 --> 03:51:35.000
have been trying to play a prank on me, like

3543
03:51:35.040 --> 03:51:40.120
a certain little former witch. I smiled as I looked

3544
03:51:40.159 --> 03:51:44.079
from hiding place to hiding place, knowing she was trying

3545
03:51:44.079 --> 03:51:47.680
to sneak up on me and scare me. It was

3546
03:51:47.719 --> 03:51:51.159
the only thing that made sense. She had passed up

3547
03:51:51.239 --> 03:51:55.200
candy and her precious costume to throw me off guard

3548
03:51:55.360 --> 03:51:57.959
so she could sneak up on me and give me

3549
03:51:58.079 --> 03:52:02.600
a Halloween scare. I finished my circle through the room

3550
03:52:03.120 --> 03:52:07.040
without finding her, then ended up locking the front door.

3551
03:52:08.280 --> 03:52:10.959
I made my way back to the hall, expecting to

3552
03:52:11.000 --> 03:52:15.600
be surprised at any moment. My biggest surprise was that

3553
03:52:15.680 --> 03:52:19.600
it never came. I stood in front of Chrissie's door

3554
03:52:20.399 --> 03:52:27.280
and slowly opened it. Peeking inside, I saw her fast asleep,

3555
03:52:28.239 --> 03:52:33.280
or doing an excellent job of faking being asleep. I

3556
03:52:33.319 --> 03:52:37.559
shrugged it off and went to my bedroom. My head

3557
03:52:37.639 --> 03:52:47.079
hit the pillow and I was soon fast asleep. I

3558
03:52:47.200 --> 03:52:50.920
woke in the middle of the night, knowing something was wrong.

3559
03:52:52.239 --> 03:52:57.040
I sat bolt upright and scanned the room. Beside my

3560
03:52:57.159 --> 03:53:02.319
bed stood a shadowy figure. My heart froze as I

3561
03:53:02.360 --> 03:53:06.079
went into full panic mode. Someone was in the house

3562
03:53:06.879 --> 03:53:10.840
and they were standing beside my bed. I threw myself

3563
03:53:10.879 --> 03:53:13.000
to the other side of the bed and fumbled for

3564
03:53:13.040 --> 03:53:17.319
the light. When I turned it on, I saw Chrissie

3565
03:53:17.360 --> 03:53:22.639
standing there wearing the witch mask. It took a minute

3566
03:53:22.639 --> 03:53:28.399
to let my heart return to normal before I said anything. Chrissy, honey,

3567
03:53:29.319 --> 03:53:35.520
you scared me, I said. She didn't reply, She just

3568
03:53:35.559 --> 03:53:40.959
stood there still as a statue. I had to watch

3569
03:53:41.000 --> 03:53:44.600
her chest rise and fall just to be sure she

3570
03:53:44.840 --> 03:53:49.639
was still breathing. Chrissy, why did you get that mask

3571
03:53:49.680 --> 03:53:56.280
out of the garbage. She didn't move. Chrissy, honey, why

3572
03:53:56.319 --> 03:53:58.799
don't you take off that mask and go back to bed?

3573
03:54:00.120 --> 03:54:05.040
She remained still. I slowly crawled across the bed and

3574
03:54:05.120 --> 03:54:10.399
stood beside her. My hand hesitantly reached toward her and

3575
03:54:10.479 --> 03:54:17.360
pulled off the mask. To my surprise, her eyes were closed.

3576
03:54:18.639 --> 03:54:24.120
It was as if she were still asleep. Chrissy, I said, gently,

3577
03:54:24.200 --> 03:54:28.559
rubbing her shoulder. Her eyes fluttered open, and she looked

3578
03:54:28.600 --> 03:54:34.000
at me. Why did you wake me, mommy? She said,

3579
03:54:34.440 --> 03:54:40.079
you were sleepwalking, baby, I was. You took the mask

3580
03:54:40.120 --> 03:54:43.159
out of the garbage and put it on, then walked

3581
03:54:43.159 --> 03:54:49.799
to my room. I don't remember that. That's how sleepwalking works, baby,

3582
03:54:50.559 --> 03:54:55.639
you usually don't remember. I'm tired. I'm going to go

3583
03:54:55.760 --> 03:55:00.680
back to bed now, I kissed her forehead. You sleep

3584
03:55:00.719 --> 03:55:04.719
good now, I said. She walked out of my room,

3585
03:55:04.920 --> 03:55:08.399
leaving me holding the mask. It stared at me with

3586
03:55:08.440 --> 03:55:11.799
its empty red eyes, making me feel more than a

3587
03:55:11.799 --> 03:55:15.840
little uncomfortable. I leaned over and put it in the

3588
03:55:15.840 --> 03:55:20.680
bottom nightstand drawer, then turned off the light and tried

3589
03:55:20.719 --> 03:55:25.120
to go back to sleep. But sleep did not come easy.

3590
03:55:26.000 --> 03:55:29.719
I tossed and turned for hours. Every time I would

3591
03:55:29.799 --> 03:55:33.959
drift off, a vision of that mask would invade my dreams,

3592
03:55:34.520 --> 03:55:39.479
and I would be startled awake, absolutely certain that someone

3593
03:55:40.120 --> 03:55:44.959
had just been in my room. But each time the

3594
03:55:45.079 --> 03:55:51.559
room was empty. No sleep walking, Chrissy, No villainous stranger

3595
03:55:52.399 --> 03:55:57.399
hovering over me. When morning came around, I stumbled for

3596
03:55:57.479 --> 03:56:02.040
the coffee maker to try to get myself moving. Good morning, mommy,

3597
03:56:02.879 --> 03:56:06.879
Chrissy said, cheerfully, sitting at the kitchen table watching TV

3598
03:56:07.120 --> 03:56:11.239
while eating a bowl of cereal. I mumbled something like

3599
03:56:11.760 --> 03:56:15.920
mourning as I stumbled through making a fresh pot of coffee,

3600
03:56:16.600 --> 03:56:22.399
mixing it extra strong. Didn't you sleep good, mommy, she said?

3601
03:56:22.399 --> 03:56:28.399
In her cheerful little voice. No, I didn't thanks to

3602
03:56:28.479 --> 03:56:31.000
a certain little visitor in the middle of the night,

3603
03:56:31.719 --> 03:56:34.600
I said, trying to keep the edge out of my voice.

3604
03:56:35.920 --> 03:56:41.760
Who I looked at her incredulous. Was she serious? Was

3605
03:56:41.799 --> 03:56:47.479
she playing a game? You? I said, you came into

3606
03:56:47.520 --> 03:56:50.079
my room in the middle of the night wearing your

3607
03:56:50.120 --> 03:56:54.600
Halloween costume and scared me half to death. Her little

3608
03:56:54.639 --> 03:56:58.639
brow furrowed. I didn't get out of bed at all

3609
03:56:58.719 --> 03:57:04.399
last night, Mommy, Yes you did, Chrissy, I said, you

3610
03:57:04.520 --> 03:57:07.120
dug that witch mask out of the garbage and wore

3611
03:57:07.159 --> 03:57:12.319
it into my room. You threw my mask in the garbage.

3612
03:57:12.600 --> 03:57:17.600
Yes I did, I said slowly. I thought it scared

3613
03:57:17.639 --> 03:57:21.040
you so bad you didn't want it any more. Her

3614
03:57:21.079 --> 03:57:27.159
eyes became unfocused as she seemed deep in thought. Maybe

3615
03:57:27.200 --> 03:57:29.959
I was just tired last night. I didn't want you

3616
03:57:30.000 --> 03:57:33.719
to get rid of my mask. Then, how did you?

3617
03:57:34.719 --> 03:57:38.639
I said, As a newsflash came over the TV. In

3618
03:57:38.760 --> 03:57:42.360
local news, sixty three year old Martha Henderson was found

3619
03:57:42.440 --> 03:57:46.239
dead this morning. Police are investigating, but it appears someone

3620
03:57:46.280 --> 03:57:50.200
broke into the woman's home late last night and assaulted her.

3621
03:57:50.639 --> 03:57:53.639
She was pronounced dead this morning by the coroner. The

3622
03:57:53.639 --> 03:57:57.840
cause of death multiple stab wounds. A picture of the

3623
03:57:57.879 --> 03:58:02.280
woman flashed up on the screen. Look, mommy, the lady

3624
03:58:02.319 --> 03:58:07.000
we bought the mask from. Chrissie said it hadn't dawned

3625
03:58:07.040 --> 03:58:10.360
on me until she pointed it out. But she was right.

3626
03:58:11.280 --> 03:58:13.840
The lady from the yard sale, who lived only a

3627
03:58:13.920 --> 03:58:18.280
short walk away, was brutally stabbed to death last night.

3628
03:58:19.520 --> 03:58:23.159
I thought back to Chrissie standing in my bedroom and

3629
03:58:23.319 --> 03:58:26.479
shuddered at the fact that some crazed killer could have

3630
03:58:26.559 --> 03:58:31.559
been hovering over me, or even worse, hovering over Chrissy

3631
03:58:32.120 --> 03:58:36.079
last night. I shook the thoughts away as I glanced

3632
03:58:36.120 --> 03:58:40.559
at the clock. Hurry, honey, I said, you'll be late

3633
03:58:40.600 --> 03:58:43.520
for the bus. I went to the door as she

3634
03:58:43.600 --> 03:58:47.559
gathered her book bag. When I got there, a shock

3635
03:58:47.680 --> 03:58:52.120
awaited me. Chrissy, did you unlock the door this morning?

3636
03:58:52.600 --> 03:58:58.559
I said, no, Mommy, Why no reason, I said, smiling

3637
03:58:58.639 --> 03:59:02.040
and pushing open the door that had not only been unlocked,

3638
03:59:02.120 --> 03:59:06.799
but slightly ajar. We stepped out into the cool November

3639
03:59:06.840 --> 03:59:10.959
morning air, street lights still glowing as the sun fought

3640
03:59:11.000 --> 03:59:15.239
to rise over the horizon. I pulled her jacket tight

3641
03:59:15.280 --> 03:59:18.719
around her and zipped it up you have a great

3642
03:59:18.760 --> 03:59:22.000
day at school, I said, as the bus pulled up.

3643
03:59:22.760 --> 03:59:27.239
I will, mommy, she said with that infectious smile. The

3644
03:59:27.280 --> 03:59:30.239
bus slowed to a stop and Chrissy waited in line

3645
03:59:30.280 --> 03:59:32.959
with the other kids to get on and be carried

3646
03:59:33.000 --> 03:59:36.959
away to school. I waved as it drove away, glancing

3647
03:59:37.000 --> 03:59:40.600
at the other mothers. Usually there would be idle chit

3648
03:59:40.719 --> 03:59:45.600
chat between some, but today everyone quickly dispersed back to

3649
03:59:45.639 --> 03:59:49.959
their houses. I told myself it was because of the cold,

3650
03:59:50.559 --> 03:59:53.040
but I knew they were all thinking the same thing

3651
03:59:53.120 --> 03:59:58.000
as me. There's a murderer running loose around our neighborhood.

3652
03:59:58.399 --> 04:00:01.879
Everyone was getting back inside their houses as quickly as

3653
04:00:01.959 --> 04:00:06.840
possible and double locking the doors. I stepped through my

3654
04:00:06.920 --> 04:00:09.680
own door and examined the lock as if it had

3655
04:00:09.719 --> 04:00:14.239
somehow betrayed us. I locked and unlocked it several times

3656
04:00:14.600 --> 04:00:18.159
to make sure it worked. Then, once I was satisfied,

3657
04:00:18.680 --> 04:00:22.799
I closed it and locked it. I changed into my

3658
04:00:22.920 --> 04:00:26.319
work clothes of a dress shirt and jogging pants, then

3659
04:00:26.479 --> 04:00:30.440
sat down at my laptop. Telecommuting had been both a

3660
04:00:30.520 --> 04:00:34.680
blessing and a curse. Staying home was great for a while,

3661
04:00:34.760 --> 04:00:38.200
but soon I began to crave actual face to face

3662
04:00:38.280 --> 04:00:43.200
social interaction. Video meetings on the computer just weren't the same.

3663
04:00:43.840 --> 04:00:47.360
And after the shocking news this morning, I wasn't feeling

3664
04:00:47.479 --> 04:00:50.959
very secure at home. I would have felt better around

3665
04:00:50.959 --> 04:00:54.959
other people. The day seemed to drag on, as I

3666
04:00:55.000 --> 04:00:59.879
found myself often distracted by shooting furtive looks toward the windows,

3667
04:01:00.239 --> 04:01:03.280
as if I expected someone to crash through one and

3668
04:01:03.440 --> 04:01:07.879
murder me at any moment. I found myself coasting through

3669
04:01:07.920 --> 04:01:11.040
the day, fighting to keep my focus on my job.

3670
04:01:12.040 --> 04:01:15.200
When the knock came at the door, I nearly jumped

3671
04:01:15.239 --> 04:01:19.719
out of my skin. I approached it slowly, as if

3672
04:01:19.760 --> 04:01:22.799
it were about to attack me. When I looked out

3673
04:01:22.840 --> 04:01:27.559
through the people, there was no one there. A chill

3674
04:01:27.680 --> 04:01:30.440
ran down my spine. When there was another knock just

3675
04:01:30.520 --> 04:01:35.239
as I turned away. I stared at the door, knowing

3676
04:01:35.239 --> 04:01:38.479
that no one was on the other side, and wondered

3677
04:01:38.520 --> 04:01:42.600
what kind of supernatural dream state I had fallen into.

3678
04:01:43.120 --> 04:01:45.680
Was I asleep at my keyboard and having a nightmare.

3679
04:01:46.600 --> 04:01:51.200
The knock sounded again, but this time there came a

3680
04:01:51.280 --> 04:01:57.079
voice with it. Mommy, why is the door locked? Chrissy said.

3681
04:01:57.840 --> 04:02:00.440
I stepped back to the peep hole and looked doubt.

3682
04:02:01.520 --> 04:02:05.520
There stood Chrissy. I unlocked and ripped the door open

3683
04:02:05.719 --> 04:02:09.840
so fast she jumped back. Why weren't you outside waiting

3684
04:02:09.879 --> 04:02:13.639
for me, she said, with betrayal reflecting in her eyes.

3685
04:02:14.440 --> 04:02:17.159
I glanced over at the wall clock, and sure enough,

3686
04:02:17.719 --> 04:02:21.840
it was time for her to be home. I'm so sorry, sweetie.

3687
04:02:22.399 --> 04:02:26.000
Mommy must have gotten busy and time got away. But

3688
04:02:26.120 --> 04:02:29.840
why did you lock the door? I just felt like

3689
04:02:30.000 --> 04:02:34.600
locking it. She looked at me with this odd, knowing look.

3690
04:02:35.959 --> 04:02:40.719
Was it about the lady who got killed? Maybe? I said,

3691
04:02:40.840 --> 04:02:44.799
trying to be noncommittal. Do you think whoever did it

3692
04:02:44.840 --> 04:02:48.200
is still around? She said, as if she just asked

3693
04:02:48.239 --> 04:02:51.680
if it was going to rain tomorrow? Are you hungry?

3694
04:02:52.159 --> 04:02:56.239
I asked, let's get a snack. I spent the rest

3695
04:02:56.280 --> 04:02:58.840
of the evening helping her with her spelling words and

3696
04:02:58.879 --> 04:03:03.920
playing games. It was a wonderful time. After supper, we

3697
04:03:04.040 --> 04:03:08.399
watched her favorite shows and then went to bed. Good night, mommy,

3698
04:03:09.040 --> 04:03:12.760
she said, as I tucked her in. Don't be afraid.

3699
04:03:13.079 --> 04:03:17.399
Everything will be all right. I considered asking her what

3700
04:03:17.520 --> 04:03:20.360
she meant, but in the end all I did was

3701
04:03:20.399 --> 04:03:24.719
smile and say I know while I stroked her hair.

3702
04:03:26.120 --> 04:03:34.760
If only i'd known. I woke in the middle of

3703
04:03:34.799 --> 04:03:41.719
the night, startled again by Chrissie standing at my bedside. Oh, Chrissy,

3704
04:03:41.879 --> 04:03:45.239
you need to stop scaring Mommy like that, I said,

3705
04:03:45.280 --> 04:03:47.840
looking into the eyes of the mask she was wearing.

3706
04:03:48.719 --> 04:03:55.000
Wait a minute, Chrissy, I said, slowly, how did you

3707
04:03:55.079 --> 04:03:59.959
get that mask back? She didn't answer for a long moment.

3708
04:04:02.440 --> 04:04:07.319
My friends gave it to me. What friends, honey, the

3709
04:04:07.360 --> 04:04:10.879
same ones I saw in the street on Halloween, the

3710
04:04:10.920 --> 04:04:15.440
ones you said were just pretending to be monsters. A

3711
04:04:15.559 --> 04:04:20.120
chill ran down my spine. When did you talk to

3712
04:04:20.200 --> 04:04:25.280
these friends last tonight when they gave me the mask back?

3713
04:04:26.239 --> 04:04:29.040
They're not very happy that you keep throwing it away.

3714
04:04:30.440 --> 04:04:33.440
I took a deep breath and tried to stay calm.

3715
04:04:34.879 --> 04:04:40.000
I threw it away because Halloween is over. Not for them.

3716
04:04:41.079 --> 04:04:47.520
They dress in their costumes all the time, their monster costumes.

3717
04:04:48.040 --> 04:04:53.559
She nodded. And can you see them in their monster costumes?

3718
04:04:54.200 --> 04:04:58.959
I said, slowly, Only when I wear the mask. My

3719
04:04:59.120 --> 04:05:01.680
hand darted out out and tried to grab it and

3720
04:05:01.760 --> 04:05:05.200
take it off her, but she dodged and backed away.

3721
04:05:06.680 --> 04:05:09.559
I heard that high pitched cackle come from the mask,

3722
04:05:10.680 --> 04:05:14.959
remembering how it changed her voice. They said, you might

3723
04:05:15.079 --> 04:05:18.639
try that. They told me about a fun game we

3724
04:05:18.799 --> 04:05:22.920
can play. She skipped away as I jumped out of

3725
04:05:22.959 --> 04:05:26.319
bed and followed her. She ran down the hall to

3726
04:05:26.440 --> 04:05:31.200
her room and darted inside. I peeked around the corner,

3727
04:05:32.079 --> 04:05:35.799
not sure what I'd find. Chrissy was standing on the

3728
04:05:35.840 --> 04:05:39.319
other side of her bed, looking at me through that

3729
04:05:39.479 --> 04:05:43.840
horrid mask. They gave me some fun new toys to

3730
04:05:43.879 --> 04:05:47.639
play this game with, she said, reaching under her pillow

3731
04:05:48.399 --> 04:05:52.040
and pulling out two butcher knives that looked like many

3732
04:05:52.200 --> 04:05:56.920
swords in her little hands that barely wrapped around the handles.

3733
04:05:57.319 --> 04:06:01.399
My eyes grew wide. If I don't want to play

3734
04:06:01.440 --> 04:06:04.799
this game, I said. She looked off to the side,

3735
04:06:04.840 --> 04:06:09.399
as if seeing something I couldn't. They said they wouldn't

3736
04:06:09.520 --> 04:06:14.639
like that at all, she said, lowering her voice. It

3737
04:06:14.680 --> 04:06:19.959
would make them angry. I glanced in the direction she

3738
04:06:20.159 --> 04:06:25.520
was looking, but didn't see anything. Just then, Chrissy jumped

3739
04:06:25.600 --> 04:06:28.920
up on her bed and dove at me, swinging the knives.

3740
04:06:29.639 --> 04:06:31.559
I was caught completely off guard.

3741
04:06:31.879 --> 04:06:32.200
One of the.

3742
04:06:32.239 --> 04:06:36.600
Knives caught my forearm and slashed a long gash in it. Chrissy,

3743
04:06:37.040 --> 04:06:40.680
I yelled, but she was still coming at me, swinging

3744
04:06:40.719 --> 04:06:45.000
the knives. Come on, Mommy, play, she said in that

3745
04:06:45.120 --> 04:06:49.479
maniacally high pitched mask voice. I dove to the side,

3746
04:06:49.559 --> 04:06:52.479
feeling the knife sliced my forearm, then ran out of

3747
04:06:52.479 --> 04:06:56.840
her room and into the kitchen. You hurt, mommy, I

3748
04:06:56.959 --> 04:07:01.200
said as I ran. Don't worry, mommy, It's just like

3749
04:07:01.280 --> 04:07:06.399
in video games. After you die, you respond. I couldn't

3750
04:07:06.399 --> 04:07:09.120
believe what I was hearing. There was something that mask

3751
04:07:09.319 --> 04:07:11.440
was doing to her. I had to get it off

3752
04:07:11.440 --> 04:07:14.719
her any way I could. Once in the kitchen, I

3753
04:07:14.760 --> 04:07:18.760
glanced around for anything I could use. My eyes fell

3754
04:07:18.799 --> 04:07:23.040
briefly on the knife block that still held several steak knives.

3755
04:07:23.440 --> 04:07:26.520
The thought was fleeting, and I quickly dismissed it. I

3756
04:07:26.639 --> 04:07:29.799
was fighting the mask, not my daughter. I had to

3757
04:07:29.840 --> 04:07:33.360
make sure I didn't hurt her. Quickly searching, I found

3758
04:07:33.399 --> 04:07:36.000
a dish towel and grabbed it just in the nick

3759
04:07:36.040 --> 04:07:40.000
of time. As Chrissy came charging into the kitchen. She

3760
04:07:40.159 --> 04:07:42.479
swung at me with one of the knives, and I

3761
04:07:42.639 --> 04:07:45.319
was able to block it with the towel, but it

3762
04:07:45.399 --> 04:07:49.239
had cut part way through. I quickly wrapped the remaining

3763
04:07:49.319 --> 04:07:52.200
towel around the knife and pulled it out of her grip.

3764
04:07:53.000 --> 04:07:55.840
She stumbled and fell to the floor. I was on

3765
04:07:55.920 --> 04:07:58.840
top of her in an instant. She kicked and flailed,

3766
04:07:58.879 --> 04:08:01.680
swinging the remaining knife at me, just missing my face

3767
04:08:01.959 --> 04:08:05.600
by inches. I blocked the knife with my already bleeding

3768
04:08:05.719 --> 04:08:07.399
arm and used the other to rip it out of

3769
04:08:07.479 --> 04:08:10.520
her grasp. It wasn't as easy as it should have been.

3770
04:08:11.040 --> 04:08:16.120
She had some supernatural strength. Eventually I was able to

3771
04:08:16.159 --> 04:08:19.600
pull it free. I reached for the mask when suddenly

3772
04:08:19.799 --> 04:08:23.479
something grabbed my hair and yanked me backward. I rolled

3773
04:08:23.520 --> 04:08:27.520
over and got up, but nothing was there, at least

3774
04:08:27.559 --> 04:08:31.399
nothing I could see. Chrissy jumped up, grabbed two of

3775
04:08:31.440 --> 04:08:34.120
the steak knives from the block, and started chasing me

3776
04:08:34.200 --> 04:08:37.840
around the kitchen table. It would have been comical, just

3777
04:08:37.920 --> 04:08:40.760
like we had done many other times, chasing each other

3778
04:08:40.799 --> 04:08:44.840
and laughing. But no one was laughing now, and my

3779
04:08:45.000 --> 04:08:48.639
life was on the line. A kitchen chair moved itself

3780
04:08:48.680 --> 04:08:51.799
in my way, making me trip and fall. I jumped

3781
04:08:51.840 --> 04:08:54.239
back up before she got to me, but I felt

3782
04:08:54.280 --> 04:08:57.799
something brush against the back of my leg. I glanced

3783
04:08:57.840 --> 04:09:02.399
back and she had sliced a gash deep in my appendage.

3784
04:09:02.440 --> 04:09:05.319
We continued around the table, but I knew I had

3785
04:09:05.319 --> 04:09:07.920
to go somewhere where I could use open space to

3786
04:09:08.000 --> 04:09:12.600
run away, to get some distance between us. You're not

3787
04:09:12.680 --> 04:09:16.520
as fun as missus Henderson was. I heard the mask say,

3788
04:09:17.239 --> 04:09:21.159
she screamed and begged like a little girl. She didn't

3789
04:09:21.280 --> 04:09:25.920
run like you. The shock hit me like a sledgehammer.

3790
04:09:26.719 --> 04:09:29.280
The mask had used my daughter to kill the neighbor.

3791
04:09:30.440 --> 04:09:32.840
I knew now more than ever, I had to get

3792
04:09:32.840 --> 04:09:36.239
that thing off her and destroy it. I ran out

3793
04:09:36.280 --> 04:09:39.040
the front door, not even thinking that I was only

3794
04:09:39.079 --> 04:09:42.520
wearing a night shirt and underwear. I knew I needed help.

3795
04:09:42.959 --> 04:09:45.040
I ran to the next door neighbor's house and beat

3796
04:09:45.040 --> 04:09:48.799
on their door, yelling for help. Chrissy burst out of

3797
04:09:48.840 --> 04:09:53.000
the house and saw me, then ran after me. I

3798
04:09:53.079 --> 04:09:55.159
went to the next neighbor and beat on their door,

3799
04:09:56.120 --> 04:09:59.280
then the next, all while a little girl wearing a

3800
04:09:59.319 --> 04:10:04.920
homicidal mask was chasing me. After three houses, people started

3801
04:10:04.920 --> 04:10:07.879
coming out to see what was going on. I doubled

3802
04:10:07.879 --> 04:10:10.040
back to where a few of my neighbors had gathered

3803
04:10:10.600 --> 04:10:13.440
help me. I said, I need to get that mask

3804
04:10:13.520 --> 04:10:16.479
off of her. They looked for me to a charging

3805
04:10:16.559 --> 04:10:20.520
Chrissie holding two knives. I ran away, and the neighbors

3806
04:10:20.559 --> 04:10:23.600
parted like the Red Sea. There was a tree in

3807
04:10:23.639 --> 04:10:26.559
our yard that had branches low enough to climb, but

3808
04:10:26.680 --> 04:10:29.600
Chrissie hadn't been able to reach them just yet. I

3809
04:10:29.719 --> 04:10:32.600
climbed up, my bare feet, slipping on the bark as

3810
04:10:32.600 --> 04:10:35.360
I tried to make it out of reach. She came

3811
04:10:35.399 --> 04:10:37.719
at me so fast I knew I wouldn't make it

3812
04:10:37.879 --> 04:10:39.559
and I would be a sitting duck for her to

3813
04:10:39.639 --> 04:10:43.200
slice and dice. At the last moment, my feet gained

3814
04:10:43.280 --> 04:10:46.559
enough traction to get me up the first branch. She

3815
04:10:46.760 --> 04:10:49.879
jumped and slashed at me, but all the blades cut

3816
04:10:50.200 --> 04:10:53.360
was thin air. She stood under the branch, jumping and

3817
04:10:53.399 --> 04:10:56.360
slashing at me in vain. She was still doing it

3818
04:10:56.399 --> 04:11:01.159
when the police arrived and took her away. I jumped down,

3819
04:11:01.239 --> 04:11:06.440
nearly tangling myself in the branch, and ran after the police. Wait, please,

3820
04:11:06.920 --> 04:11:11.319
that's my daughter, I begged. They had restrained and disarmed her,

3821
04:11:11.319 --> 04:11:14.399
but not taken off the mask. I pulled it off

3822
04:11:14.440 --> 04:11:17.159
with much more effort than it should have taken and

3823
04:11:17.280 --> 04:11:19.440
threw it as far away from her as I could.

3824
04:11:20.479 --> 04:11:23.840
When it was finally off, Chrissy's eyes searched around as

3825
04:11:23.840 --> 04:11:29.079
if waking from a dream. Her eyes landed on me, Mommy,

3826
04:11:29.760 --> 04:11:34.440
She said, yes, sweetie. I wrapped my arms around her

3827
04:11:34.440 --> 04:11:38.959
in a big hug. U ma'am. One of the officers said,

3828
04:11:39.680 --> 04:11:43.120
are you sure that's wise? This girl was just trying

3829
04:11:43.159 --> 04:11:47.760
to kill you. It wasn't her. It was that thing,

3830
04:11:48.479 --> 04:11:52.479
I said, pointing at the mask. But it was gone.

3831
04:11:57.159 --> 04:12:00.319
I visit her every day in the mental hospit little.

3832
04:12:01.319 --> 04:12:03.879
The staff there are quite fond of her and say

3833
04:12:04.000 --> 04:12:09.040
she's the most delightful patient they've ever had. None of

3834
04:12:09.079 --> 04:12:12.760
them believe why she's there. They all say it must

3835
04:12:12.760 --> 04:12:18.159
be some mistake. I know it was too. It was

3836
04:12:18.200 --> 04:12:32.799
a mistake to ever buy that mask. Retro Halloween Revelations

3837
04:12:33.360 --> 04:12:40.319
by Rob Fields. I look to my best friend and companion.

3838
04:12:41.200 --> 04:12:45.559
Are you ready, si Anna? Michael smiles and nods quickly.

3839
04:12:46.159 --> 04:12:49.440
I smile back and unlock the French doors to the

3840
04:12:49.479 --> 04:12:55.600
newly erected Strickfield Funeral Home located at thirteen thirteen West

3841
04:12:55.639 --> 04:13:01.200
Harlowe Road. Does this location sound familiar to you? It should.

3842
04:13:01.840 --> 04:13:05.239
It used to be the former location for the Strickfield

3843
04:13:05.319 --> 04:13:08.600
Drive in Theater before it closed and moved to the

3844
04:13:08.639 --> 04:13:12.319
other side of the village. In a former life, I

3845
04:13:12.440 --> 04:13:16.760
was a mortal known as Destiny Miren. My life was

3846
04:13:16.760 --> 04:13:20.280
one of negativity that my parents had poisoned my soul

3847
04:13:20.360 --> 04:13:25.440
with as I grew up. Hatred, selfishness, and utter contempt

3848
04:13:25.479 --> 04:13:30.840
were all that I had ever felt. It's beautiful, Sienna says,

3849
04:13:31.399 --> 04:13:34.559
our new home is truly a work of art. She

3850
04:13:34.719 --> 04:13:40.239
looks to me, the boss spared no expense, certainly not

3851
04:13:40.760 --> 04:13:44.799
I agree. In my mortal life, I cared nothing for

3852
04:13:44.879 --> 04:13:48.360
Sienna when we first met, but she would become my

3853
04:13:48.520 --> 04:13:53.239
one and only friend. Though I verbally abused and mistreated her,

3854
04:13:53.920 --> 04:13:59.159
she refused to abandon me. Halloween Night of twenty twenty one,

3855
04:13:59.200 --> 04:14:02.000
I sought to commit crimes in order to gain revenge

3856
04:14:02.440 --> 04:14:05.479
on my older sister, Rebecca, whom many of you know

3857
04:14:06.159 --> 04:14:12.120
as Charity. Sienna refused to abandon me even then. Truly

3858
04:14:12.319 --> 04:14:17.639
she was and still is a most loyal friend. In fact,

3859
04:14:17.760 --> 04:14:20.920
it was this very location where we came to enter

3860
04:14:20.959 --> 04:14:25.319
the afterlife. Sienna and I would come before death himself.

3861
04:14:26.040 --> 04:14:29.879
I learned many things during my reckoning, including how much

3862
04:14:29.920 --> 04:14:33.840
Sienna truly loved me. Death could have made us take

3863
04:14:33.879 --> 04:14:38.479
our final trip across the River Styx. However, this all

3864
04:14:38.600 --> 04:14:42.399
powerful deity saw the damage to my soul that had

3865
04:14:42.440 --> 04:14:46.319
been done in life and offered me a chance at redemption.

3866
04:14:48.000 --> 04:14:52.079
Death appointed me to become his replacement, and Sienna would

3867
04:14:52.120 --> 04:14:55.399
assist me. I knew then that I never wanted to

3868
04:14:55.399 --> 04:14:59.280
be parted from her. For countless years, in traveling through

3869
04:14:59.319 --> 04:15:04.159
space and time, I have claimed many souls. Sienna would

3870
04:15:04.159 --> 04:15:07.040
help to redeem those who she felt were like me.

3871
04:15:07.559 --> 04:15:11.840
In my mortal existence. While I was known as Death,

3872
04:15:12.000 --> 04:15:15.639
my mentor checked upon us every so often. After a

3873
04:15:15.680 --> 04:15:19.239
great many eons, my mentor had decided that I was

3874
04:15:19.280 --> 04:15:24.200
to begin a new undertaking. In fact, that would become

3875
04:15:24.319 --> 04:15:27.920
my new job title. Death knew that Sienna and I

3876
04:15:28.079 --> 04:15:32.559
both desired to exist in the mortal realm again. Finally

3877
04:15:33.000 --> 04:15:36.840
he decided that it should be so. There was only

3878
04:15:36.920 --> 04:15:42.399
one simple catch, however, I myself could never return as

3879
04:15:42.479 --> 04:15:46.879
Destiny Miron, since I still remain as Death and play

3880
04:15:46.879 --> 04:15:51.280
a most important role in the afterlife. To exist in

3881
04:15:51.319 --> 04:15:54.479
the mortal realm, I would require a new body and

3882
04:15:54.559 --> 04:15:58.040
a new name. Just as my mentor had transformed me

3883
04:15:58.120 --> 04:16:01.760
into Death on that Halloween night, so he would transform

3884
04:16:01.840 --> 04:16:06.799
me again. I appear nothing like my mortal self. I

3885
04:16:06.840 --> 04:16:11.319
have a thin body, pale skin, ruby lips, long black hair,

3886
04:16:11.559 --> 04:16:15.879
and dark eyes. As for my clothing, picture a man's

3887
04:16:15.920 --> 04:16:19.760
suit tailored for a female of my stature. I wear

3888
04:16:19.799 --> 04:16:23.360
a pressed white shirt, a gray vest, a black coat

3889
04:16:23.399 --> 04:16:27.840
and trousers and dark shoes. My mentor has also adorned

3890
04:16:27.840 --> 04:16:34.040
me with a new name, Saffron Morningside. Sienna retains her

3891
04:16:34.120 --> 04:16:37.520
mortal identity since she has had many dealings in the

3892
04:16:37.559 --> 04:16:41.959
mortal realm itself. My bond with Sienna has strengthened throughout

3893
04:16:42.000 --> 04:16:45.600
our time in the after life together, and I would

3894
04:16:45.639 --> 04:16:49.559
never wish for her to not be by my side.

3895
04:16:49.799 --> 04:16:53.000
As for our new home, money is no object for

3896
04:16:53.079 --> 04:16:57.200
immortals such as ourselves. Sienna and I bought the old

3897
04:16:57.200 --> 04:17:01.559
Strickfield drive In Theater upon coming available for purchase. We

3898
04:17:01.639 --> 04:17:05.120
paid for everything, the demolition of the old theater, the

3899
04:17:05.159 --> 04:17:09.000
construction of our new home, everything furnished within, and the

3900
04:17:09.040 --> 04:17:13.680
installation of the utilities. The Strickfield Funeral Home would be

3901
04:17:13.719 --> 04:17:18.559
both our dwelling and our new professions. As for our

3902
04:17:18.639 --> 04:17:22.680
duties here, I have become the undertaker. You would think

3903
04:17:22.719 --> 04:17:26.559
that Strickfield would have one here already, but it didn't.

3904
04:17:27.360 --> 04:17:31.120
After the previous undertaker had retired, all of the funeral

3905
04:17:31.159 --> 04:17:34.559
services for Feltner County were handled by the undertaker in

3906
04:17:34.600 --> 04:17:38.760
the neighboring village of Pendleton. Sienna and I now fill

3907
04:17:38.840 --> 04:17:43.120
the Strickfield vacancy. Our main purpose is to continue seeking

3908
04:17:43.239 --> 04:17:46.760
tortured souls and to perhaps guide them back to their

3909
04:17:46.840 --> 04:17:51.360
true paths. Though I am still technically known as Death,

3910
04:17:52.000 --> 04:17:56.719
our boss, the original Death has resumed his duties once

3911
04:17:56.799 --> 04:18:01.200
more so that I may focus upon my own. It's

3912
04:18:01.319 --> 04:18:05.559
now October of twenty twenty four. Sienna and I have

3913
04:18:05.639 --> 04:18:08.799
been serving the village of Strickfield by being available for

3914
04:18:08.879 --> 04:18:13.200
those who would entrust their dead to us. In the beginning,

3915
04:18:13.239 --> 04:18:16.680
there were those who were skeptical about entrusting their loved

3916
04:18:16.680 --> 04:18:21.200
ones to a female undertaker. Nonetheless, they chose to place

3917
04:18:21.239 --> 04:18:24.360
their trust in me. Since I am now the only

3918
04:18:24.559 --> 04:18:28.159
undertaker in Strickfield, it would only be a matter of

3919
04:18:28.200 --> 04:18:32.120
time before we would reach Halloween itself. At the moment,

3920
04:18:32.520 --> 04:18:36.040
Sienna and I have no duties, we again take a

3921
04:18:36.079 --> 04:18:38.879
tour of our new home. It is then that I

3922
04:18:38.920 --> 04:18:44.000
am aware of my assistant. Is something bothering you? I ask?

3923
04:18:44.799 --> 04:18:49.000
Sienna turns to face me. I guess I still haven't

3924
04:18:49.040 --> 04:18:53.479
forgotten about how we died three years ago today. She

3925
04:18:53.639 --> 04:18:56.239
holds up her hands in front of her. I know,

3926
04:18:56.399 --> 04:18:59.120
I know we've been gone from the mortal realm a

3927
04:18:59.120 --> 04:19:03.680
lot longer than that. I smile a little. I knew

3928
04:19:03.680 --> 04:19:09.200
what you meant, my assistant, continue, please, Now that we're

3929
04:19:09.239 --> 04:19:12.559
back in Strickfield and running our funeral home, I guess

3930
04:19:12.559 --> 04:19:16.440
I just can't help remember what brought us to the afterlife,

3931
04:19:16.479 --> 04:19:19.360
maybe because we're on the very spot where it happened.

3932
04:19:20.440 --> 04:19:23.680
I fold my arms in front of me to be clear.

3933
04:19:24.319 --> 04:19:27.280
We were both departed before we entered what used to

3934
04:19:27.319 --> 04:19:30.879
be the Strickfield Drive in theater. We were run down

3935
04:19:30.920 --> 04:19:34.159
by two automobiles and didn't realize it until we were

3936
04:19:34.159 --> 04:19:40.920
watching movies and came before our boss cnsis you're right

3937
04:19:41.399 --> 04:19:45.559
as always? She raises her finger. I don't know. I'm

3938
04:19:45.639 --> 04:19:50.159
just getting this feeling that something's going to happen here today.

3939
04:19:51.479 --> 04:19:54.680
I've known my companion long enough to understand that when

3940
04:19:54.719 --> 04:19:58.120
she gains her feelings, it's best to listen to her.

3941
04:19:59.680 --> 04:20:04.520
Is it just a feeling or something concrete? I unfold

3942
04:20:04.559 --> 04:20:08.920
my arms. Sienna shakes her head. I just feel it.

3943
04:20:09.639 --> 04:20:14.639
I can't explain what it is. I nod once. It's

3944
04:20:14.680 --> 04:20:17.680
still early, so we may yet see what it is

3945
04:20:17.719 --> 04:20:21.760
that you feel. She smiles. You want me to clean

3946
04:20:21.760 --> 04:20:26.159
around here again? I raise my eyebrow. Are you that

3947
04:20:26.360 --> 04:20:30.319
eager to work? You've already cleaned both the funeral parlor

3948
04:20:30.360 --> 04:20:35.760
and the embalming room. Naturally, your work is satisfactory. I guess.

3949
04:20:35.760 --> 04:20:39.040
I just pride myself on being your assistant. She tells me.

3950
04:20:40.239 --> 04:20:42.399
If you feel that you must work, then do what

3951
04:20:42.440 --> 04:20:47.120
you will, as if Sienna's wish becomes granted. We hear

3952
04:20:47.159 --> 04:20:50.360
the signal at the loading area and go there. Two

3953
04:20:50.399 --> 04:20:53.360
men have arrived to deliver the inventory of the caskets

3954
04:20:53.399 --> 04:20:56.680
I ordered to replace the ones previously purchased for other

3955
04:20:56.719 --> 04:21:01.399
services upon signing the manifest and during their payment, they

3956
04:21:01.440 --> 04:21:05.120
bring the inventory inside and unpack it. Once the new

3957
04:21:05.159 --> 04:21:08.479
caskets are in place, the men clean up and depart.

3958
04:21:09.440 --> 04:21:11.799
In time, we hear the bell in the front parlor.

3959
04:21:12.559 --> 04:21:15.239
Sienna and I walk there and see a most familiar

3960
04:21:15.319 --> 04:21:19.479
man and woman before us. They are Brentley and Josephine Miren.

3961
04:21:20.319 --> 04:21:24.520
In my former life they were my parents. Now they

3962
04:21:24.559 --> 04:21:29.680
gaze upon Sienna with both wonder and bewilderment. Sienna is

3963
04:21:29.719 --> 04:21:33.879
always smiling and as happy as can be. I wonder

3964
04:21:33.879 --> 04:21:36.840
if they possibly recognize her, since she was always by

3965
04:21:36.840 --> 04:21:40.879
my side when I was Destiny Mirren. May I be

3966
04:21:40.959 --> 04:21:45.200
of assistance to you? I ask them. Brentley does not speak,

3967
04:21:45.920 --> 04:21:50.559
Josephine does for him. Yes, we need to arrange a funeral.

3968
04:21:51.200 --> 04:21:53.239
I know we should have done it years ago, but

3969
04:21:54.159 --> 04:21:58.360
I listen as Josephine explains to me about Destiny Miron.

3970
04:21:59.120 --> 04:22:02.479
She admits that she Brentley had not always treated Destiny

3971
04:22:02.799 --> 04:22:07.479
as well as they should have. After they finish, I respond,

3972
04:22:08.239 --> 04:22:10.760
are you looking to do just a stone or are

3973
04:22:10.799 --> 04:22:16.200
you wanting a formal funeral for your daughter? Josephine sighs.

3974
04:22:16.680 --> 04:22:19.079
I kept wondering for so long if there was any

3975
04:22:19.120 --> 04:22:24.399
point Destiny disappeared on Halloween night three years ago. Her

3976
04:22:24.440 --> 04:22:28.239
body was never found. There was a police search, we

3977
04:22:28.360 --> 04:22:32.479
put posters up everywhere offering a reward for information leading

3978
04:22:32.479 --> 04:22:37.680
to Destiny's location. We never heard anything regarding her. Her

3979
04:22:37.760 --> 04:22:42.399
sigh is dismal. We can only assume now that Destiny

3980
04:22:42.520 --> 04:22:45.280
is gone. If she would have run away from home,

3981
04:22:45.319 --> 04:22:48.959
I'm sure someone would have seen her. We even had

3982
04:22:49.000 --> 04:22:52.879
posters in both Shore City and Eerie City. I offer

3983
04:22:52.959 --> 04:22:56.959
the woman a sympathetic smile. If you truly wish to

3984
04:22:57.000 --> 04:22:59.959
have a funeral for your daughter, then we shall desci

3985
04:23:00.000 --> 04:23:05.239
discuss it. If not, no, she says quickly. We need

3986
04:23:05.280 --> 04:23:08.159
to do right by our youngest daughter and give her

3987
04:23:08.239 --> 04:23:11.799
something for the way we treated her in life, and

3988
04:23:11.959 --> 04:23:16.799
your eldest I ask. Now, they both look at me hard.

3989
04:23:17.760 --> 04:23:23.040
How would you know about Rebecca? Josephine demands. Being omnipotent,

3990
04:23:23.319 --> 04:23:27.079
knowledge is always at my disposal. However, I have never

3991
04:23:27.120 --> 04:23:30.840
forgotten that Rebecca was my elder sister. Now she is

3992
04:23:30.920 --> 04:23:34.559
known as Charity. Even to day, she remains a kind

3993
04:23:34.959 --> 04:23:39.159
and compassionate soul. Perhaps I should call upon her in

3994
04:23:39.200 --> 04:23:44.159
the future and make things right. Instead, I simply respond,

3995
04:23:44.959 --> 04:23:47.879
the Mirons are quite known in the village of Strickfield.

3996
04:23:48.319 --> 04:23:51.159
I am certain it is common knowledge that Rebecca and

3997
04:23:51.239 --> 04:23:56.120
Destiny were both your daughters. Their expression softened once more.

3998
04:23:57.360 --> 04:24:01.040
I suppose you're right, Brentley says, but yes, we would

3999
04:24:01.120 --> 04:24:06.479
like to arrange a funeral service for Destiny. I nod once,

4000
04:24:07.600 --> 04:24:11.159
very well, this way, please, I bring them to my

4001
04:24:11.239 --> 04:24:14.959
office and offer them chairs. Once they are seated, Sienna

4002
04:24:15.040 --> 04:24:19.239
offers them hospitality. Upon asking for the canned soft drinks

4003
04:24:19.239 --> 04:24:23.159
in the mini fridge, Sienna obliges them. After the Mirons

4004
04:24:23.200 --> 04:24:26.680
take their drinks, they are prepared to discuss funeral arrangements

4005
04:24:26.680 --> 04:24:30.479
with me. Looking upon them, Sienna and I can see

4006
04:24:30.559 --> 04:24:34.280
that Josephine is most regretful. Brentley, on the other hand,

4007
04:24:34.319 --> 04:24:38.159
only seems to be here at his wife's request. When

4008
04:24:38.200 --> 04:24:41.479
Sienna looks to me with concern, I return her look

4009
04:24:41.559 --> 04:24:44.559
to say that we will address it. This is part

4010
04:24:44.600 --> 04:24:47.639
of our duties here in the mortal realm, in addition

4011
04:24:47.719 --> 04:24:51.559
to owning and operating the funeral home. Sienna and I

4012
04:24:51.639 --> 04:24:55.280
listen as Josephine wishes to purchase both a tombstone and

4013
04:24:55.319 --> 04:24:59.040
a casket for destiny. It's quite clear to Sienna and

4014
04:24:59.120 --> 04:25:02.920
I that does not wish to oblige her. In fact,

4015
04:25:03.360 --> 04:25:07.639
we can easily see the blackness of his soul even today,

4016
04:25:08.120 --> 04:25:11.959
he cares nothing for either of his daughters. After we

4017
04:25:12.040 --> 04:25:14.760
discuss figures, I take the couple and show them the

4018
04:25:14.760 --> 04:25:19.559
tombstones and caskets that we offer. Josephine immediately chooses the

4019
04:25:19.600 --> 04:25:24.120
most expensive options for both. Upon seeing the seething contempt

4020
04:25:24.120 --> 04:25:27.639
within Brentley. I look to Siena and know that we

4021
04:25:27.719 --> 04:25:30.840
must address this. I raise my hand in front of

4022
04:25:30.879 --> 04:25:35.639
me before we continue. I feel I must speak to you,

4023
04:25:36.440 --> 04:25:42.239
mister Mirn. Now, mister Mirn appears annoyed. My wife is

4024
04:25:42.319 --> 04:25:45.920
telling you everything. Yes, your wife has done all of

4025
04:25:45.959 --> 04:25:49.920
the talking thus far. I agree, but I offer you

4026
04:25:50.000 --> 04:25:53.200
the floor if you wish to speak. It seems as

4027
04:25:53.239 --> 04:25:56.360
though something troubles you. You might say that I am

4028
04:25:56.440 --> 04:26:00.920
excellent at reading people. He points right at me. Last

4029
04:26:00.959 --> 04:26:04.559
I checked. You're a funeral worker, not a shrink. A

4030
04:26:04.639 --> 04:26:09.239
shrink requires payments for services rendered. I stress I will

4031
04:26:09.239 --> 04:26:13.639
listen for free. Now he's angered. Did you drop out

4032
04:26:13.639 --> 04:26:16.239
of Strickfield High to come work here as an undertaker?

4033
04:26:16.280 --> 04:26:18.639
You don't even look old enough to be an undertaker.

4034
04:26:18.680 --> 04:26:21.479
Why should we trust our dead to you? You are

4035
04:26:21.520 --> 04:26:24.319
within your rights to call upon some one else to

4036
04:26:24.399 --> 04:26:28.280
handle your funeral arrangements. Mister Miron, I raise my finger.

4037
04:26:29.040 --> 04:26:32.000
Do note that the next closest funeral home is roughly

4038
04:26:32.479 --> 04:26:35.600
thirty eight miles on the west end of Pendleton. I

4039
04:26:35.680 --> 04:26:39.239
lower my hand. Shall I telephone there and tell the

4040
04:26:39.319 --> 04:26:45.200
undertaker to expect you no Josephine utters quickly, no, we'll

4041
04:26:45.239 --> 04:26:50.079
conduct our business with you. You seem very knowledgeable, though

4042
04:26:50.200 --> 04:26:52.840
I do agree with my husband and you looking like

4043
04:26:52.920 --> 04:26:56.920
you're still in high school. Then Brentley starts on me again.

4044
04:26:57.760 --> 04:27:00.399
We only came here because our other relative said you

4045
04:27:00.399 --> 04:27:03.559
did a great job on their recent funeral. I think

4046
04:27:03.600 --> 04:27:08.120
they lied, like I said, You're just a kid. Brentley,

4047
04:27:08.559 --> 04:27:12.440
his wife scolds, stop it. We're here for destiny now.

4048
04:27:13.280 --> 04:27:17.040
When Brentley scoffs her, I acknowledged the disdain on Sienna's

4049
04:27:17.040 --> 04:27:21.239
face and know that enough is enough. Have a seat,

4050
04:27:21.280 --> 04:27:25.000
mister Miron. I offer perhaps your wife and I can

4051
04:27:25.040 --> 04:27:30.239
finalize your daughter's final arrangements while you relax. He points

4052
04:27:30.280 --> 04:27:34.040
hard at me. Don't treat me like a child, little girl.

4053
04:27:35.200 --> 04:27:38.159
I am not angry, but I must control this situation.

4054
04:27:39.079 --> 04:27:42.120
Brentley cries out when I shove him with enough force

4055
04:27:42.200 --> 04:27:46.360
to seat him in a chair. Josephine regards me with surprise.

4056
04:27:47.239 --> 04:27:49.840
To the average person, I do not appear to be

4057
04:27:49.920 --> 04:27:53.719
one hundred pounds soaking wet, but I am not a mortal.

4058
04:27:54.559 --> 04:28:00.360
I am Saffron Morningside. I am death. Now that I

4059
04:28:00.399 --> 04:28:04.000
have Brentley's attention. I look down upon him. He does

4060
04:28:04.000 --> 04:28:09.239
not seem so controlling and dominant. Now you carry a

4061
04:28:09.319 --> 04:28:15.280
dark secret within you, mister Miron. Again, I offer you

4062
04:28:15.360 --> 04:28:21.559
the opportunity to speak freely. What do you think you're doing,

4063
04:28:22.040 --> 04:28:27.440
Josephine demands. It's not what we're doing, missus Miron. Sienna says,

4064
04:28:28.159 --> 04:28:31.639
it's what your husband is hiding, and it has a

4065
04:28:31.639 --> 04:28:35.280
great deal to do with your daughter's funeral. If you

4066
04:28:35.319 --> 04:28:38.799
do not feel comfortable speaking to me, mister Miron, then

4067
04:28:38.840 --> 04:28:44.000
perhaps you may feel better confessing to the police. Suddenly,

4068
04:28:44.040 --> 04:28:47.239
Brentley springs from his chair and tackles me to the floor.

4069
04:28:47.799 --> 04:28:50.920
Then he grabs my necktie. What the hell do you

4070
04:28:51.000 --> 04:28:55.879
think you know? Huh, Brentley? His wife shrieks. I stand

4071
04:28:55.920 --> 04:28:59.280
to my feet and lay hold of him again, placing

4072
04:28:59.360 --> 04:29:02.920
him back in his chair again. I stand before him.

4073
04:29:03.479 --> 04:29:06.680
When he seems ready to attack again, I point at

4074
04:29:06.760 --> 04:29:10.799
him enough. He is the first mortal that I have

4075
04:29:10.959 --> 04:29:16.079
used my disembodied voice with since returning here. Brentley cowers

4076
04:29:16.120 --> 04:29:22.200
before me. What are you? He stammers? Perhaps your salvation,

4077
04:29:22.879 --> 04:29:29.600
I answer, or your reckoning. I regard his wife. At

4078
04:29:29.680 --> 04:29:33.399
least you have shown regret and may yet leave here

4079
04:29:33.479 --> 04:29:37.479
this very day. As for your husband, whether or not

4080
04:29:37.600 --> 04:29:42.079
he leaves is entirely his choice. I regard him again.

4081
04:29:43.239 --> 04:29:46.799
All you need to do is confess your greatest sin.

4082
04:29:48.159 --> 04:29:53.239
What sin? Josephine Miren chokes out. I retain my gaze

4083
04:29:53.319 --> 04:29:58.440
upon Brentley. But I answer, Josephine, it was three years ago,

4084
04:29:58.600 --> 04:30:01.760
on this very day, that your husband did something that

4085
04:30:01.799 --> 04:30:05.719
has tainted his soul. Sienna and I both know what

4086
04:30:05.760 --> 04:30:12.079
you have done, Brentley, but it falls to you to confess. Now.

4087
04:30:12.120 --> 04:30:17.120
He appears both apprehensive and fearful. Still he refuses to

4088
04:30:17.200 --> 04:30:22.239
confess that which tortures his soul. My patience is at

4089
04:30:22.280 --> 04:30:26.719
its end. Very well, Brentley Miren, Then you leave me

4090
04:30:26.799 --> 04:30:30.079
no alternative but to reveal the dark secret that has

4091
04:30:30.079 --> 04:30:35.120
plagued your soul for three years to day, I regard

4092
04:30:35.159 --> 04:30:39.319
his wife. You will not like what you hear, for

4093
04:30:39.440 --> 04:30:45.040
I know that you yourself do not know. Then, Josephine reveals,

4094
04:30:46.000 --> 04:30:49.520
I know of his extramarital affairs, if that's what you're

4095
04:30:49.520 --> 04:30:55.000
referring to. Nope, Sienna chirps. What your husband did was

4096
04:30:55.680 --> 04:31:01.520
much worse. Josephine approaches her husband, What did you do Brentley.

4097
04:31:02.319 --> 04:31:05.719
Brentley roars and rises to his feet. He tackles me

4098
04:31:05.760 --> 04:31:08.159
to the floor a second time and starts pummeling me

4099
04:31:08.200 --> 04:31:11.440
with his fists. When he sees that I am neither

4100
04:31:11.520 --> 04:31:15.920
harmed nor intimidated, he quickly removes himself from my body.

4101
04:31:16.520 --> 04:31:20.559
I rise to my feet once more. It has taken

4102
04:31:20.639 --> 04:31:24.319
you three full years to finally come before me to

4103
04:31:24.360 --> 04:31:28.799
purchase funeral services for your youngest daughter, missus Mirin. You

4104
04:31:28.879 --> 04:31:32.680
have spoken of an empty casket, yet your husband knows

4105
04:31:33.159 --> 04:31:38.760
what became of destiny this entire time. Brentley shows great

4106
04:31:38.879 --> 04:31:42.680
fear and flees to the front door. Upon opening one,

4107
04:31:42.719 --> 04:31:46.319
he sees a setting straight out of his very nightmares.

4108
04:31:46.760 --> 04:31:49.559
The sky is a mixture of red and black and

4109
04:31:49.559 --> 04:31:53.719
looks like sediments of brimstone. The heat seethes into the

4110
04:31:53.760 --> 04:31:57.799
parlor as we all witness the erupting fissures and geysers

4111
04:31:57.799 --> 04:32:07.120
of hell itself. No, Brentley gasps. Then he slams the door. No. Now,

4112
04:32:07.159 --> 04:32:11.520
he turns and faces me. I fold my arms. Are

4113
04:32:11.559 --> 04:32:16.079
you ready to confess your greatest sin? Now? When he

4114
04:32:16.159 --> 04:32:20.319
still refuses, I glance over my shoulder. You may have

4115
04:32:20.399 --> 04:32:24.200
the honors, my assistant you wish to do something, so

4116
04:32:24.879 --> 04:32:29.040
you may speak of that night. Sienna squeals with delight.

4117
04:32:29.719 --> 04:32:33.200
You're always so good to me. I turned to face

4118
04:32:33.319 --> 04:32:37.680
Josephine Miron. As Sienna comes and stands with me, my

4119
04:32:37.760 --> 04:32:42.719
assistant speaks, Now it's not quite that time yet today,

4120
04:32:43.000 --> 04:32:46.079
but it will come to mark the three year anniversary

4121
04:32:46.520 --> 04:32:54.120
that both myself and your daughter died. Josephine gasps, Destiny

4122
04:32:54.879 --> 04:32:59.479
really did die. Our physical bodies were damaged that night

4123
04:32:59.520 --> 04:33:04.279
to where we were considered dead. Sienna answered, our souls

4124
04:33:04.880 --> 04:33:09.279
didn't actually die, though, you see, souls live on forever.

4125
04:33:09.599 --> 04:33:12.599
So yes, you do have something to look forward to

4126
04:33:12.680 --> 04:33:16.919
after death. Now what that is, I can't tell you,

4127
04:33:17.680 --> 04:33:22.240
not as long as you're still mortal. Anyway, Destiny and

4128
04:33:22.319 --> 04:33:25.799
I were on our way to this location in life.

4129
04:33:25.840 --> 04:33:30.599
Our motives of coming here were less than desired. Destiny

4130
04:33:30.639 --> 04:33:33.319
and I were very much alive when we left Denoyer's

4131
04:33:33.319 --> 04:33:38.040
grill that Halloween night to come to the drive in here. However,

4132
04:33:38.159 --> 04:33:41.240
before we could arrive to do the bad thing we

4133
04:33:41.279 --> 04:33:44.919
had planned, a couple of cars came speeding right out

4134
04:33:44.959 --> 04:33:49.560
of nowhere, weaving in and out of both lanes. Destiny

4135
04:33:49.599 --> 04:33:52.639
and I never saw them coming until they were right

4136
04:33:52.720 --> 04:33:56.799
on top of us. It was two cars, each carrying

4137
04:33:56.840 --> 04:34:03.080
four people. Sienna points right to Brentley. I remember very

4138
04:34:03.159 --> 04:34:09.000
well you were driving the car that killed me. Josephine

4139
04:34:09.040 --> 04:34:14.639
gasps again and points to her. You're Sienna Michaels, young lady.

4140
04:34:14.639 --> 04:34:17.439
Your parents have been worried, sick, and looking for you

4141
04:34:17.520 --> 04:34:21.639
for these last three years. They remember Destiny coming into

4142
04:34:21.680 --> 04:34:24.880
their house after she got in a fight with your parents.

4143
04:34:24.919 --> 04:34:28.560
You left the house with her. Correction, I left the

4144
04:34:28.639 --> 04:34:34.439
house and followed Destiny, Sienna states, After my parents kicked

4145
04:34:34.439 --> 04:34:38.680
Destiny out of our house, I couldn't just leave her alone.

4146
04:34:38.840 --> 04:34:42.479
You don't do that to your one and only best friend.

4147
04:34:43.439 --> 04:34:48.639
But the fact was you never returned home. Josephine utters,

4148
04:34:49.639 --> 04:34:53.119
how could you do that to your parents? Where did

4149
04:34:53.159 --> 04:34:57.639
you and Destiny go? Hey, it wasn't like we both

4150
04:34:57.720 --> 04:35:02.279
ran away from home, Sienna, sure, believe me. I had

4151
04:35:02.319 --> 04:35:05.720
every intention of coming back that night. I'm sure my

4152
04:35:05.840 --> 04:35:08.279
parents would have cooled off by then and we could

4153
04:35:08.319 --> 04:35:12.080
have talked about things. But again, Destiny and I were

4154
04:35:12.119 --> 04:35:16.319
both killed that night. After she and I came to

4155
04:35:16.360 --> 04:35:19.840
the drive in which used to be here before we

4156
04:35:19.880 --> 04:35:25.479
built this funeral home. Things seemed innocent enough. Destiny and

4157
04:35:25.520 --> 04:35:28.599
I found out quickly that we were both dead and

4158
04:35:28.680 --> 04:35:32.479
in the afterlife when one of the theater ushers, who

4159
04:35:32.560 --> 04:35:35.880
was a ghost, told us that drinking and driving kills

4160
04:35:36.119 --> 04:35:39.000
and that Destiny and I should both know. We didn't

4161
04:35:39.040 --> 04:35:42.439
pick up on it right away. That ghost was trying

4162
04:35:42.439 --> 04:35:46.200
to tell us that that was how Destiny and I

4163
04:35:46.360 --> 04:35:52.319
had died. Josephine looks to her husband. Sienna said, you

4164
04:35:52.439 --> 04:35:56.240
were driving the car that killed her. She gets panicky, Now,

4165
04:35:57.560 --> 04:36:02.119
what did you do, Brentley. Finally, the man releases his demon.

4166
04:36:02.639 --> 04:36:04.840
I left the house that night and went to the club.

4167
04:36:05.599 --> 04:36:08.479
You can't imagine how it feels having to put up

4168
04:36:08.520 --> 04:36:12.279
with you every single day. I suppose you know how

4169
04:36:12.279 --> 04:36:14.680
it feels to have a second daughter you never wanted.

4170
04:36:15.040 --> 04:36:17.759
Neither of us wanted Destiny, but we raised her just

4171
04:36:17.799 --> 04:36:22.040
the same. After Destiny stormed out of the house, I

4172
04:36:22.159 --> 04:36:24.400
left and went to the club. A few of the

4173
04:36:24.400 --> 04:36:27.240
boys were there and we had some drinks. More and

4174
04:36:27.319 --> 04:36:30.520
more the rest of the boys came in. We celebrated

4175
04:36:30.520 --> 04:36:34.119
Halloween the way we used to before you vulturous women

4176
04:36:34.200 --> 04:36:38.240
came along and stole us from our lives personally. I

4177
04:36:38.279 --> 04:36:41.080
had known in life that my parents cared nothing for

4178
04:36:41.159 --> 04:36:44.360
one another. At least, my mother was willing to own

4179
04:36:44.439 --> 04:36:47.520
up to having a daughter she had never wanted, even

4180
04:36:47.560 --> 04:36:51.200
though she could be abusive to her at times. As

4181
04:36:51.200 --> 04:36:55.720
for Brentley, he loathed both his wife and me. He

4182
04:36:55.759 --> 04:36:59.639
considered Rebecca his one true daughter until he learned that

4183
04:36:59.680 --> 04:37:03.799
she was not the mirror he was. From there, he

4184
04:37:03.840 --> 04:37:08.639
and his wife banished her from their home. Keep going, Brentley,

4185
04:37:09.040 --> 04:37:14.360
I urge, finish your horrifying tale. Yeah, I want to

4186
04:37:14.360 --> 04:37:18.279
hear how this ends from your side of things, Sienna agrees.

4187
04:37:19.119 --> 04:37:22.040
Brentley seems ready to run for the door again, but

4188
04:37:22.200 --> 04:37:26.319
stops upon remembering what awaited him earlier and even now.

4189
04:37:27.319 --> 04:37:30.439
He points right at me. Who the hell are you?

4190
04:37:31.119 --> 04:37:35.639
Are you the devil? Are we in hell? I shake

4191
04:37:35.720 --> 04:37:38.759
my head a little. I am not the devil, nor

4192
04:37:38.799 --> 04:37:42.520
would I ever make such a preposterous claim. But I

4193
04:37:42.639 --> 04:37:48.720
promised my assistant that she could have this moment. Sienna, Nah,

4194
04:37:49.000 --> 04:37:54.200
Saffron's not the devil, Sienna confirms she's someone much worse.

4195
04:37:55.000 --> 04:37:58.599
She points to Brentley, you and your drunk friends came

4196
04:37:58.680 --> 04:38:01.159
speeding at us and ran us. Both over three years

4197
04:38:01.200 --> 04:38:04.479
ago tonight. But you were driving the car that killed me.

4198
04:38:05.040 --> 04:38:09.560
I saw your face before I died. What's more, after

4199
04:38:09.599 --> 04:38:13.200
we crossed into the afterlife, you people just kept right

4200
04:38:13.240 --> 04:38:17.279
on going. You never even stopped, You never even cared.

4201
04:38:17.919 --> 04:38:21.599
She raises her finger. But when the alcohol wore off,

4202
04:38:21.880 --> 04:38:25.520
you remembered what you did, didn't you? All of you did,

4203
04:38:26.439 --> 04:38:30.720
one by one. I would claim all of you, I

4204
04:38:30.840 --> 04:38:34.880
tell Brentley, at least the ones who would not confess

4205
04:38:35.000 --> 04:38:39.799
to their sin from that Halloween night. Do note that

4206
04:38:39.959 --> 04:38:43.799
only two of you confessed. Because of that, I spared

4207
04:38:43.840 --> 04:38:46.759
them their fates and am allowing them to die of

4208
04:38:46.840 --> 04:38:53.000
natural causes. Do you understand who I am yet? Dad?

4209
04:38:53.880 --> 04:38:54.240
Mom?

4210
04:38:55.520 --> 04:38:58.880
Josephine gasps when she brings her hands to her mouth.

4211
04:39:01.040 --> 04:39:06.319
But you you can't possibly be her. You look so different,

4212
04:39:07.080 --> 04:39:12.599
your Saffron mourning side. That's how you introduced yourself. I

4213
04:39:12.639 --> 04:39:19.159
am Saffron morning side now, Josephine Miron. In a former life,

4214
04:39:19.400 --> 04:39:23.959
I was Destiny Miron, your daughter. Three years ago, on

4215
04:39:24.040 --> 04:39:27.639
this day, I lost my mortal life to drunken driving.

4216
04:39:28.759 --> 04:39:31.639
My former father here was driving one of the cars

4217
04:39:31.639 --> 04:39:34.279
that killed us. You heard Sienna when she said that

4218
04:39:34.400 --> 04:39:37.680
Dad was the one who killed her. Sienna and I

4219
04:39:37.759 --> 04:39:42.279
have since moved on from that night. We've actually been

4220
04:39:42.319 --> 04:39:45.279
around for a great many years and have seen so

4221
04:39:45.360 --> 04:39:50.759
many things together. Sienna continues, Destiny became the new death

4222
04:39:51.119 --> 04:39:54.240
so that she could have an opportunity at redemption and

4223
04:39:54.319 --> 04:39:57.959
rediscover the humanity she never knew because of the way

4224
04:39:58.000 --> 04:40:03.119
you two abused her in life. Life. Believe me, I've

4225
04:40:03.240 --> 04:40:06.400
learned much during the many eons that I have served

4226
04:40:06.439 --> 04:40:10.439
as the Grim Reaper. I assure them I would never

4227
04:40:10.560 --> 04:40:13.560
have come back to you to claim vengeance for killing

4228
04:40:13.639 --> 04:40:17.959
us both. Brentley, I am about claiming the souls of

4229
04:40:18.000 --> 04:40:21.200
those whose time has come to depart the mortal realm

4230
04:40:21.759 --> 04:40:24.799
and making sure they arrive safely where they need to

4231
04:40:24.840 --> 04:40:28.360
be on their journeys. But there are souls that are

4232
04:40:28.400 --> 04:40:32.159
so tainted, so corrupt, that there is almost never any

4233
04:40:32.240 --> 04:40:37.599
redemption for them. Sienna points to my former mother. At

4234
04:40:37.680 --> 04:40:43.200
least you've shown regret, Missus Miron, and in that you

4235
04:40:43.240 --> 04:40:47.599
are free to go, I assure her, at least for now.

4236
04:40:48.840 --> 04:40:53.520
Now I regard my former father. You had your opportunity

4237
04:40:53.560 --> 04:40:58.959
to confess your greatest sin, Dad, you refused, and now

4238
04:40:59.439 --> 04:41:02.959
it is too late. You would live another three years,

4239
04:41:03.159 --> 04:41:06.240
and you continued to live as if nothing had happened

4240
04:41:06.240 --> 04:41:09.479
on that Halloween night. You showed that you never would care,

4241
04:41:10.360 --> 04:41:14.959
nor would you repent your greatest sin. On this day,

4242
04:41:16.119 --> 04:41:19.959
your soul belongs to me. Not only am I the

4243
04:41:20.000 --> 04:41:28.240
local undertaker here in Strickfield, I am death. My former

4244
04:41:28.360 --> 04:41:31.119
father is so scared now that he screams as he

4245
04:41:31.200 --> 04:41:35.919
turns and runs. Where will you go? I call out

4246
04:41:36.000 --> 04:41:40.520
behind him. Brentley Mirran runs throughout the funeral home looking

4247
04:41:40.599 --> 04:41:48.040
for any means to escape. However, you can never escape me. Yes,

4248
04:41:48.119 --> 04:41:51.439
I did mention that my mentor has retaken the mantle

4249
04:41:51.479 --> 04:41:55.479
of death. His role is the traditional one, which I

4250
04:41:55.560 --> 04:41:59.439
did for eons. My role is death now is to

4251
04:41:59.479 --> 04:42:02.000
see whether there are not souls who have come before

4252
04:42:02.040 --> 04:42:06.200
me can be redeemed. As I have stated, my mother

4253
04:42:06.360 --> 04:42:09.080
showed regret when it came to not being a good

4254
04:42:09.119 --> 04:42:13.240
mother to me, so I have allowed her to live.

4255
04:42:14.319 --> 04:42:18.799
As for Brentley Miron, he has shown no regret over

4256
04:42:18.880 --> 04:42:24.360
his greatest sin. Now my former father flees into the

4257
04:42:24.400 --> 04:42:28.639
basement where the crematorium is located. To date, I have

4258
04:42:28.759 --> 04:42:31.159
yet to fire this up for the purpose to which

4259
04:42:31.159 --> 04:42:34.159
it was intended. Those who have come to me for

4260
04:42:34.240 --> 04:42:38.759
my services have always opted for a traditional funeral. I

4261
04:42:38.799 --> 04:42:42.080
am certain there will eventually be a customer who will

4262
04:42:42.119 --> 04:42:45.279
wish for me to use this basement dweller as a

4263
04:42:45.319 --> 04:42:50.639
final option. Brentley screams when the crematorium door suddenly opens

4264
04:42:50.840 --> 04:42:54.959
and fire erupts. Do you really think that you shall

4265
04:42:55.040 --> 04:42:59.799
find any road to freedom within this establishment? I call

4266
04:42:59.840 --> 04:43:04.560
out to him. Your corrupted soul belongs to me. Now

4267
04:43:05.279 --> 04:43:10.560
you might as well just come and accept your final judgment, mortal. No,

4268
04:43:11.720 --> 04:43:15.400
he screams and runs straight up the stairway that's used

4269
04:43:15.400 --> 04:43:20.279
for deliveries. Upon reaching the back doors, Sienna is right

4270
04:43:20.319 --> 04:43:23.400
there to open one of them up for him. Oh,

4271
04:43:23.479 --> 04:43:28.200
we won't keep you inside against your wishes, Sir Brentley

4272
04:43:28.240 --> 04:43:31.880
screams again. When he sees initially the same scenery as

4273
04:43:31.919 --> 04:43:34.919
he did at the front set of doors, He turns

4274
04:43:34.959 --> 04:43:38.599
around and runs again. Soon he's finally trapped within the

4275
04:43:38.680 --> 04:43:42.080
room where the caskets are on display for the customers.

4276
04:43:42.959 --> 04:43:46.200
I stand at one entrance and Sienna stands at the other.

4277
04:43:46.759 --> 04:43:50.319
Brentley looks at me, Now get away from me. You

4278
04:43:50.400 --> 04:43:55.759
can't have me. Oh but I already have you, Brentley Miren,

4279
04:43:56.520 --> 04:44:00.880
I say, as Sienna and I both approach him. Brentley

4280
04:44:00.919 --> 04:44:03.799
can no longer flee as I lift him off his feet.

4281
04:44:04.240 --> 04:44:08.080
Sienna opens a nearby casket for me to place him within.

4282
04:44:09.840 --> 04:44:15.639
Enjoy your final journey across the River Styx, Brentley Ashford Miron,

4283
04:44:16.439 --> 04:44:20.439
I tell him, as he screams when Sienna closes the casket.

4284
04:44:21.119 --> 04:44:24.759
Now we turn to my former mother. She is seen

4285
04:44:24.959 --> 04:44:30.680
that we have claimed her husband. You killed him, She

4286
04:44:30.880 --> 04:44:36.279
chokes out, his soul was dead long ago, I assure her.

4287
04:44:37.080 --> 04:44:40.159
Then I point to the front set of doors. One

4288
04:44:40.159 --> 04:44:44.880
of them opens for her, revealing her way back into Strickfield.

4289
04:44:45.840 --> 04:44:50.439
As per my word, Josephine, you may depart, but only

4290
04:44:50.560 --> 04:44:54.080
for now. If you do not settle the greatest regret

4291
04:44:54.319 --> 04:44:57.240
still haunting your life, it shall only be a matter

4292
04:44:57.279 --> 04:45:01.520
of time before I come for you myself. Please do

4293
04:45:01.720 --> 04:45:07.639
so while you still can. Josephine nods quickly, then runs

4294
04:45:07.680 --> 04:45:11.520
to her freedom. Now Sienna comes and stands with me.

4295
04:45:12.880 --> 04:45:16.200
You know, I really thought she would have apologized to

4296
04:45:16.240 --> 04:45:19.360
you for the way she treated you in life, she says.

4297
04:45:20.520 --> 04:45:24.840
I turn to my soulmate. I'm not worried. As I

4298
04:45:24.880 --> 04:45:29.319
have stated to her, she still has time. I only

4299
04:45:29.319 --> 04:45:32.799
wish for her to settle her greatest regret first. If

4300
04:45:32.840 --> 04:45:35.880
she does, then I shall grant her more time. I

4301
04:45:35.959 --> 04:45:41.040
look at the closed casket as for him, Sienna and

4302
04:45:41.119 --> 04:45:44.720
I turn to see that the Boss has finally come

4303
04:45:44.759 --> 04:45:48.360
for him. The original death tells us that we have

4304
04:45:48.439 --> 04:45:51.200
been doing great work in our new roles, and that

4305
04:45:51.240 --> 04:45:55.279
we may continue to serve in these capacities. We thank

4306
04:45:55.400 --> 04:45:58.279
the Boss as he takes the casket with the corrupted

4307
04:45:58.360 --> 04:46:02.639
soul of Brentley Miron. Sienna and I have done our work.

4308
04:46:03.880 --> 04:46:05.880
When she and I came to be in our new

4309
04:46:05.919 --> 04:46:10.680
occupations here in Strickfield, we started to once again enjoy

4310
04:46:10.759 --> 04:46:15.119
this village and its charms. The entire week of Halloween,

4311
04:46:15.840 --> 04:46:19.279
we close the funeral home at dusk and have partaken

4312
04:46:19.319 --> 04:46:23.639
in the week long tradition of trick or treating. Halloween

4313
04:46:23.720 --> 04:46:27.840
Night itself will be our final night. After we have finished,

4314
04:46:28.439 --> 04:46:32.200
then we shall return to Denoyer's Grill to enjoy those

4315
04:46:32.319 --> 04:46:37.560
fabulous milkshakes, perhaps a full meal. To those of you

4316
04:46:37.639 --> 04:46:41.319
who have heard this tale today, the time may come

4317
04:46:42.159 --> 04:46:46.040
when you encounter Sienna and I. If you come to

4318
04:46:46.159 --> 04:46:51.720
us with regrets, we may grant you time to settle them. However,

4319
04:46:52.599 --> 04:46:55.439
if you come to us with a corrupted soul and

4320
04:46:55.560 --> 04:46:59.720
refuse to regret, then you may find yourselves crossing the

4321
04:46:59.799 --> 04:47:06.720
River Styx much sooner than you realize. In the meantime,

4322
04:47:08.119 --> 04:47:25.680
Happy Halloween, The Graveyard Shift by Shane miglia Voka Halloween Knight.

4323
04:47:27.080 --> 04:47:30.200
For the first five years, Nate had been the broadcast

4324
04:47:30.240 --> 04:47:34.720
assistant for the night shift at w HNT, the heart

4325
04:47:34.799 --> 04:47:38.880
of upstate New York that basically meant you do the

4326
04:47:38.919 --> 04:47:42.919
shit nobody above you wants to do, mostly being the

4327
04:47:42.959 --> 04:47:47.759
in between for producer Monica Moe Foster on the whnt's

4328
04:47:47.880 --> 04:47:52.680
late night call in program, The Madman Marks Show. It

4329
04:47:52.720 --> 04:47:55.080
was a chilly night when he got to the station.

4330
04:47:55.919 --> 04:47:58.599
A jack O lantern sat grinning on the desk in

4331
04:47:58.639 --> 04:48:01.959
the lobby, and a bowl full of candy kept it company.

4332
04:48:02.880 --> 04:48:05.959
Nate took a look through the station's large front window

4333
04:48:06.040 --> 04:48:09.360
at the lights from town in the distance. It was

4334
04:48:09.400 --> 04:48:12.479
a ten minute walk from the station to town. There

4335
04:48:12.479 --> 04:48:16.360
were never any trick or treaters who ventured out here. Sam,

4336
04:48:16.479 --> 04:48:19.840
the technical assistant, and Moe were grabbing a quick smoke

4337
04:48:19.919 --> 04:48:24.439
by the door. Moe looked at her watch, pushing the envelope.

4338
04:48:24.840 --> 04:48:32.560
Moe said again, Yeah, well I know, shit happens. Sam

4339
04:48:32.639 --> 04:48:36.279
smiled and Moe gave her a dirty look. Moe dropped

4340
04:48:36.279 --> 04:48:39.799
her cigarette and crushed it under her sneaker. The big

4341
04:48:39.840 --> 04:48:44.119
Halloween show starting soon, Moe said, pulling open the door,

4342
04:48:44.799 --> 04:48:48.159
So keep it in your pants, lover boy. She went in,

4343
04:48:48.279 --> 04:48:52.240
letting the heavy glass door slam shut. No doubt for

4344
04:48:52.360 --> 04:48:59.840
Nate's benefit, Hey, Sam said, Hi. Sam Kimbro was fresh

4345
04:49:00.000 --> 04:49:03.000
from college last year when she got a job at

4346
04:49:03.000 --> 04:49:07.080
the station, a local girl. Though Nate never recalled seeing

4347
04:49:07.159 --> 04:49:10.520
her in town till she got the job, the fact

4348
04:49:10.599 --> 04:49:13.439
that they'd been sleeping together for the last five months

4349
04:49:13.560 --> 04:49:18.240
was probably the worst kept secret at the station. Sam

4350
04:49:18.319 --> 04:49:22.560
took one last drag on her cigarette. Thought you were vaping.

4351
04:49:23.279 --> 04:49:27.000
I am forgot to charge the fucker. She put the

4352
04:49:27.040 --> 04:49:31.400
cigarette out, had to bum one off. MO want to

4353
04:49:31.400 --> 04:49:35.279
come over later? Are we actually gonna do more than

4354
04:49:35.400 --> 04:49:40.159
fall asleep on the couch watching old cartoons? Sure, I

4355
04:49:40.279 --> 04:49:44.240
promise we won't fall asleep. We'll watch old horror movies.

4356
04:49:45.439 --> 04:49:51.639
Well that's better. I guess we should probably get in there. No,

4357
04:49:51.759 --> 04:50:01.799
doubt she already wants to hit me good Evening. Boils

4358
04:50:01.919 --> 04:50:07.759
and Ghouls our topic tonight for this Halloween Evening. The

4359
04:50:07.840 --> 04:50:12.560
disappearance of Molly Garvin. Tommy Marks, the late night host,

4360
04:50:12.639 --> 04:50:17.080
grinned like the jack o' lantern in reception. Molly Garvin

4361
04:50:17.319 --> 04:50:20.959
was from Castle, just a few towns away from here.

4362
04:50:21.680 --> 04:50:24.720
She went missing a few days before the fourth of July,

4363
04:50:25.520 --> 04:50:29.400
her car found running with its doors open, her cell

4364
04:50:29.439 --> 04:50:34.319
phone in the passenger seat and the radio playing. She'd

4365
04:50:34.360 --> 04:50:37.240
been heading to her friend's cabin for the long weekend.

4366
04:50:38.080 --> 04:50:41.279
Search parties have come up with nothing. There's even a

4367
04:50:41.319 --> 04:50:45.959
three thousand dollars reward offered to anyone with information leading

4368
04:50:46.000 --> 04:50:49.680
to her being found. What happened to her? Can a

4369
04:50:49.720 --> 04:50:55.720
person just vanish? Steve, Tommy's on air sidekick, pressed a

4370
04:50:55.720 --> 04:50:59.919
button on his console. We've got our first caller, he said,

4371
04:51:00.880 --> 04:51:05.479
The fun begins. Tommy nodded, So what are you thinking

4372
04:51:05.520 --> 04:51:10.919
about this disappearance? A man's voice came through the speakers.

4373
04:51:11.479 --> 04:51:13.759
I think it might be a stunt, Tommy.

4374
04:51:13.959 --> 04:51:16.560
A stunt? What kind of stunt?

4375
04:51:17.119 --> 04:51:21.319
A publicity stunt? Man? They're talking on the news about

4376
04:51:21.319 --> 04:51:25.080
how Leanne Rhymes is her favorite singer, and they're trying

4377
04:51:25.080 --> 04:51:27.279
to get her to come up here for a charity event.

4378
04:51:27.919 --> 04:51:32.080
I've heard about this, Tommy. Stevie ads, Molly's parents have

4379
04:51:32.159 --> 04:51:36.520
been talking to her over the phone. Okay, that's good

4380
04:51:36.560 --> 04:51:40.200
in all, guys, But to what end, say Molly shows

4381
04:51:40.319 --> 04:51:43.599
up all of a sudden with some crazy story. What

4382
04:51:43.759 --> 04:51:44.439
does she get?

4383
04:51:45.000 --> 04:51:50.319
Tommy asked, a reality show. The caller answered, everything is

4384
04:51:50.319 --> 04:51:51.680
about having your own show.

4385
04:51:51.799 --> 04:51:55.639
Now, maybe she gets a book deal, goes on the view.

4386
04:51:56.119 --> 04:52:01.240
Stevie added, good point, guys, Well, definitely something to think about.

4387
04:52:02.000 --> 04:52:05.400
We got another caller, Tommy, Thanks for your call, sir.

4388
04:52:05.799 --> 04:52:09.200
Who we got next? What's your take on this missing girl?

4389
04:52:09.840 --> 04:52:12.080
A woman's voice answers him she.

4390
04:52:12.279 --> 04:52:16.240
Is a sinner, mister Marx, excuse me, a sinner? This

4391
04:52:16.400 --> 04:52:19.560
Garvin girl. I've seen the way they flaunt their little

4392
04:52:19.639 --> 04:52:24.200
bodies on the street, barely wearing anything, sleeping with whomever

4393
04:52:24.279 --> 04:52:27.880
they want. They have children out of wedlock, mister Marx.

4394
04:52:28.639 --> 04:52:33.360
No souls, sin, sin, sin, all of the sinners.

4395
04:52:33.639 --> 04:52:37.279
The devil Steve quickly cuts the woman off, dropping her call.

4396
04:52:37.959 --> 04:52:42.040
Spooky sound effects began to play. A wolf howled and

4397
04:52:42.080 --> 04:52:48.520
a witch cackled. Well that was interesting. Tommy chuckled, I'm

4398
04:52:48.520 --> 04:52:58.159
sure it's all downhill from here. Kids, Happy Halloween. After

4399
04:52:58.200 --> 04:53:01.000
the show went to commercial break, Nate made his way

4400
04:53:01.080 --> 04:53:05.439
to the breakroom. He needed something cold. Sam was already there,

4401
04:53:05.479 --> 04:53:08.880
eating some chips. Without saying a word. She offered him some.

4402
04:53:09.599 --> 04:53:13.159
He took a big, greasy handful. This is what I

4403
04:53:13.200 --> 04:53:19.439
love about our relationship, he said. The junk food. Well, yeah,

4404
04:53:19.959 --> 04:53:23.799
not the great sex. Well that's kind of one sided,

4405
04:53:23.840 --> 04:53:26.439
ain't it. I get great sex and you get to

4406
04:53:26.560 --> 04:53:29.959
ride an old guy. I never thought about it like that.

4407
04:53:30.799 --> 04:53:34.240
You gonna drop dead on me, old man? If I'm lucky,

4408
04:53:34.720 --> 04:53:38.240
that's one hell of a way to go. Why are

4409
04:53:38.319 --> 04:53:47.080
we seeing each other again? Sam asked. Moe looked a

4410
04:53:47.080 --> 04:53:50.319
little pissed. When they got back, Nate was starting to

4411
04:53:50.360 --> 04:53:54.319
wonder if she had the breakroom bugged. Enjoy your break,

4412
04:53:54.840 --> 04:53:59.639
she asked, more than a little sarcastically. Before Nate could answer,

4413
04:53:59.680 --> 04:54:03.880
Steve put on a new caller, So what's on your mind? Caller?

4414
04:54:04.439 --> 04:54:10.000
Tommy asked dead silence on the line. He looked at Stevie,

4415
04:54:10.040 --> 04:54:13.639
who just shrugged, hang on, we got another caller On

4416
04:54:13.680 --> 04:54:20.360
the next line. Stevie puts it on, Hello caller, nothing dead,

4417
04:54:20.439 --> 04:54:26.520
silence again, Hello caller. It's gonna be one of those nights.

4418
04:54:27.040 --> 04:54:31.720
Stevie sighed, well, we got one online. Three? Third time's

4419
04:54:31.759 --> 04:54:35.319
the charm? Who do we got online? Three? A loud,

4420
04:54:35.439 --> 04:54:40.479
metallic hum, answered Tommy. The hum got louder and louder

4421
04:54:40.959 --> 04:54:45.240
till Stevie cut it off. I guess three's not the one.

4422
04:54:46.040 --> 04:54:52.560
Steve tried line four. Silence. Hey, Sam, everything's working like

4423
04:54:52.599 --> 04:54:56.279
it should, right, Nate asked. She looked up at him

4424
04:54:56.319 --> 04:55:01.439
a little frustrated and nodded, Well, five just lit up.

4425
04:55:01.680 --> 04:55:08.000
Steve said, shall we Maybe five is the charm? Tommy answered, hello,

4426
04:55:08.360 --> 04:55:18.639
please be a caller. Nothing. Suddenly, a monotone male voice answered, there.

4427
04:55:18.479 --> 04:55:22.279
Are those among you who know the truth of this.

4428
04:55:24.119 --> 04:55:29.959
There are parallel realities, the walls of which touch ours.

4429
04:55:31.240 --> 04:55:35.319
These realities are overseen by the AGARTI.

4430
04:55:36.479 --> 04:55:39.680
As Nate listened, it felt like someone was running nails

4431
04:55:39.720 --> 04:55:45.720
over a chalkboard. His body shuddered. The voice continued.

4432
04:55:46.520 --> 04:55:50.520
There are areas that are weaker than others, where one

4433
04:55:50.560 --> 04:55:56.159
may cross over, some get stuck in between. In the

4434
04:55:56.200 --> 04:56:04.240
timeless void, they become shadows. They are all around us.

4435
04:56:04.759 --> 04:56:09.159
If you become aware of them, they become aware of you.

4436
04:56:10.799 --> 04:56:15.919
This is what happened to the girl. She is one

4437
04:56:15.959 --> 04:56:16.319
of them.

4438
04:56:16.479 --> 04:56:21.159
Now the line went dead. There was dead air for

4439
04:56:21.240 --> 04:56:24.799
almost a minute as they were all frozen in their spots.

4440
04:56:25.959 --> 04:56:30.520
Go to commercial, Mo said, Finally breaking the eerie silence

4441
04:56:30.639 --> 04:56:35.000
left in the call's wake. Tommy announced the commercial break,

4442
04:56:35.680 --> 04:56:41.520
his voice shaky. What the hell was that? Sam? Bring

4443
04:56:41.639 --> 04:56:44.720
up that skit from last Halloween. We'll play that so

4444
04:56:44.799 --> 04:56:49.119
we can take a breather after whatever that was, Mo said,

4445
04:56:49.799 --> 04:56:58.560
I need a smoke. Nate stopped ya the bathroom first.

4446
04:56:59.040 --> 04:57:02.479
Tommy was splashed some water on his face. He didn't

4447
04:57:02.479 --> 04:57:06.080
look high, not that Nate had much experience there, but

4448
04:57:06.200 --> 04:57:11.000
it looked to Nate like he'd just been crying. Come

4449
04:57:11.000 --> 04:57:15.759
to collect me. Yeah, Moe wants you back. He splashed

4450
04:57:15.759 --> 04:57:20.240
his face once more before turning off the water. That voice,

4451
04:57:20.840 --> 04:57:26.200
Tommy said, cut my damn heart out. You gonna be okay.

4452
04:57:27.279 --> 04:57:31.959
I guess can't go home no show without the Madman, right,

4453
04:57:32.840 --> 04:57:36.479
she'd kill me if I bailed. I can't deny she would.

4454
04:57:37.439 --> 04:57:41.000
Then she'd come after the rest of us. They both laughed.

4455
04:57:41.720 --> 04:57:45.720
Duty calls bro. He walked past Nate patting him on

4456
04:57:45.759 --> 04:57:52.319
the shoulder. The bathroom door creaked shut, leaving Nate alone. Suddenly,

4457
04:57:52.400 --> 04:57:57.840
the bathroom took an eerie presence. The empty stalls seemed threatening,

4458
04:57:58.720 --> 04:58:03.759
The shadows were deeper, darker. Nate felt his pulse quicken.

4459
04:58:04.880 --> 04:58:09.520
The dripping of the faucet sounded like thunder. He rushed

4460
04:58:09.520 --> 04:58:14.000
out of the bathroom without looking back. By the time

4461
04:58:14.119 --> 04:58:18.080
Nate found Sam standing outside by the front door, he

4462
04:58:18.159 --> 04:58:22.119
felt foolish he was letting that weirdo caller get to him.

4463
04:58:22.959 --> 04:58:27.159
He walked outside. The night was cool, the smell of

4464
04:58:27.200 --> 04:58:30.680
cigarettes hung heavy in the air. Sam sat on the

4465
04:58:30.680 --> 04:58:36.479
corner of the brick flower arrangement by the entrance. Hey, Hey,

4466
04:58:37.720 --> 04:58:42.919
back to work, she asked, sadly, can we get drunk

4467
04:58:42.959 --> 04:58:49.520
after or failing that, just hide under some blankets. Don't

4468
04:58:49.520 --> 04:58:52.799
see why we can't do both. Nate looked off in

4469
04:58:52.840 --> 04:58:56.400
the distance at town. Between the station and the edge

4470
04:58:56.439 --> 04:59:00.080
of town was a small, fenced building, almost like a

4471
04:59:00.080 --> 04:59:04.919
concrete shack, lit by two large lights mounted on its sides.

4472
04:59:05.759 --> 04:59:09.000
He was struck by how lonely it looked there in

4473
04:59:09.040 --> 04:59:12.000
the sea of night, as if the rest of the

4474
04:59:12.040 --> 04:59:16.040
world had been wiped away by some great cataclysmic event.

4475
04:59:17.639 --> 04:59:21.919
How are you feeling, Sam asked, everyone else is going mental.

4476
04:59:23.439 --> 04:59:27.919
I'm okay, what's your status? That got a smirk out

4477
04:59:27.919 --> 04:59:31.439
of her. When they first met, Sam compared Nate to

4478
04:59:31.520 --> 04:59:34.959
a robot because he never showed any emotion during any

4479
04:59:35.040 --> 04:59:38.479
kind of crisis. She said he moved like a machine

4480
04:59:38.520 --> 04:59:41.959
when he was working. One day, he started talking like

4481
04:59:42.000 --> 04:59:47.000
a robot to her, asking about her status. She laughed,

4482
04:59:47.400 --> 04:59:51.520
thinking about it all day. Not long after that they

4483
04:59:51.560 --> 04:59:57.159
started seeing each other. Fine, I guess. She flicked her

4484
04:59:57.200 --> 05:00:00.360
cigarette into the night. It hit the sidewalk in front

4485
05:00:00.400 --> 05:00:03.840
of the station, sending out bright little embers that quickly

4486
05:00:03.880 --> 05:00:11.959
faded away into the darkness. During the break, the phone

4487
05:00:12.000 --> 05:00:16.400
lines started lighting up. Almost every call reported the same thing,

4488
05:00:17.240 --> 05:00:21.959
a weird reaction to that last call. Some complained of nausea.

4489
05:00:22.439 --> 05:00:26.159
Others said their hearts started racing. People said their pets

4490
05:00:26.200 --> 05:00:29.799
started acting weird. The rest of the show turned into

4491
05:00:29.799 --> 05:00:33.560
a discussion about that weird caller and what it could

4492
05:00:33.560 --> 05:00:34.200
have been.

4493
05:00:35.119 --> 05:00:38.799
And then all the cars on the street turned on.

4494
05:00:38.799 --> 05:00:40.560
One caller reported.

4495
05:00:40.279 --> 05:00:41.880
The car alarms were blaring.

4496
05:00:42.560 --> 05:00:47.520
Another call reported in a frazzled cashier at the stopping shop.

4497
05:00:47.919 --> 05:00:51.119
All the Kansas soda started popping. As soon as that

4498
05:00:51.200 --> 05:00:52.360
weird dude.

4499
05:00:52.119 --> 05:00:54.919
Was talking, A woman called in.

4500
05:00:55.639 --> 05:00:59.439
I was listening in bed reading. My husband was sleeping

4501
05:00:59.479 --> 05:01:03.439
next to me. As soon as that man began talking,

4502
05:01:03.840 --> 05:01:08.840
my husband started talking in his sleep in Latin. He

4503
05:01:09.000 --> 05:01:10.520
doesn't speak Latin.

4504
05:01:11.279 --> 05:01:15.680
A few of the callers, brave souls, Nate guessed, asked

4505
05:01:15.720 --> 05:01:19.400
them to play the call again. After a few more

4506
05:01:19.439 --> 05:01:23.119
callers asked to hear it, Moe gave in and decided

4507
05:01:23.119 --> 05:01:27.200
to play it. As the playback started, Nate could feel

4508
05:01:27.240 --> 05:01:30.959
the hairs on his arms and neck stand up. When

4509
05:01:31.000 --> 05:01:31.840
the caller.

4510
05:01:31.560 --> 05:01:34.599
Said, they're all around us.

4511
05:01:35.560 --> 05:01:41.000
All hell broke loose. The power clicked off, creating total darkness.

4512
05:01:41.840 --> 05:01:46.720
Nate heard Moe swear. Tommy laughed. Somewhere in the darkness,

4513
05:01:47.360 --> 05:01:50.400
Nate heard Stevie bang into something and yelp and pain.

4514
05:01:51.560 --> 05:01:56.119
Sam grabbed Nate's arm. After what seemed like hours, the

4515
05:01:56.159 --> 05:02:03.439
emergency lights finally kicked on. Shit. Mo said, shit, well

4516
05:02:03.799 --> 05:02:08.840
that worked well, huh? Tommy cracked? Is it just us?

4517
05:02:09.279 --> 05:02:14.840
Sam asked, good question. I'll go look, Nate said, trying

4518
05:02:14.880 --> 05:02:18.400
to look like a hero to Sam. The emergency lights

4519
05:02:18.439 --> 05:02:22.560
didn't help dispel the feeling of dread crawling up Nate's spine.

4520
05:02:23.360 --> 05:02:26.319
The shadows seemed alive as he made his way towards

4521
05:02:26.360 --> 05:02:31.159
the front door. Nate walked outside. Everything was a lot

4522
05:02:31.279 --> 05:02:34.880
darker now. The lights at the entrance and the station

4523
05:02:35.080 --> 05:02:40.319
sign were both out. Nate looked towards the town. Everything

4524
05:02:40.479 --> 05:02:44.680
was out, including the lights on that little fenced in building.

4525
05:02:45.680 --> 05:02:48.880
He could hear dogs barking in the distance and what

4526
05:02:49.080 --> 05:02:57.360
sounded like every car alarm in town going off. Nate

4527
05:02:57.439 --> 05:03:00.799
went back inside. As he walked down the hallway, he

4528
05:03:00.919 --> 05:03:06.200
became aware of movement to his left. Nate turned, thinking

4529
05:03:06.240 --> 05:03:10.720
it was one of his coworkers, but there were only shadows.

4530
05:03:11.400 --> 05:03:15.759
His heart started beating faster. He felt sweat beating up

4531
05:03:15.759 --> 05:03:20.040
on his forehead. He knew he couldn't lose it, not now,

4532
05:03:20.439 --> 05:03:25.279
not with this crazy shit happening tonight. He heard Sam

4533
05:03:25.400 --> 05:03:29.759
screaming somewhere in the dark and started running, only to

4534
05:03:29.799 --> 05:03:32.680
be knocked down as Tommy came running out of the studio.

4535
05:03:33.439 --> 05:03:38.759
Sam right behind him. Run. Tommy said, his face pale.

4536
05:03:39.680 --> 05:03:44.680
The fuck? What's wrong? It It got Mo and Stevie.

4537
05:03:45.200 --> 05:03:50.279
Sam stammers, who uh a man? He came out of

4538
05:03:50.319 --> 05:03:55.400
the shadows. Tommy answered he was a shadow. Sam cut

4539
05:03:55.479 --> 05:03:59.799
him off. Just go God, damn it, Tommy barked, starting

4540
05:03:59.799 --> 05:04:03.599
down on the hall. Sam and Nate followed close behind.

4541
05:04:08.240 --> 05:04:11.439
They got outside just as the street lights started to

4542
05:04:11.520 --> 05:04:15.439
flicker on. Tommy pulled out his car keys, fumbling with

4543
05:04:15.520 --> 05:04:20.520
them as he tried to turn his alarm off. They're dead,

4544
05:04:21.119 --> 05:04:26.159
Nate asked. Sam nodded frantically. Tommy jumped into his car.

4545
05:04:26.599 --> 05:04:30.360
Come on, he shouted as he started the engine. Sam

4546
05:04:30.400 --> 05:04:33.599
pulled Nate towards the car. He still couldn't wrap his

4547
05:04:33.680 --> 05:04:36.919
head around what they told him. Nate's legs felt like

4548
05:04:37.000 --> 05:04:40.680
they were weighed down by concrete. We can't help them,

4549
05:04:41.119 --> 05:04:46.479
Sam pleaded, Let's go please. Nate followed her towards Tommy's car.

4550
05:04:47.400 --> 05:04:49.680
He could see Tommy look in the rear view mirror

4551
05:04:50.560 --> 05:04:53.759
just as a large shadow took form in the back

4552
05:04:53.840 --> 05:04:58.720
seat Tommy. They both screamed, but he never had a

4553
05:04:58.799 --> 05:05:04.639
chance as reached out with its long, wispy fingers, fingers

4554
05:05:04.680 --> 05:05:09.799
that burrowed into Tommy. Tommy started to the Only thing

4555
05:05:09.880 --> 05:05:14.279
Nate could think of is dry up. The sound of

4556
05:05:14.360 --> 05:05:17.479
straw makes when you get that last bit of milkshake

4557
05:05:17.919 --> 05:05:23.599
rang out as he wasted further and further, becoming skeletal.

4558
05:05:24.560 --> 05:05:29.000
What remained was folded into the shadow Man's form. Nate

4559
05:05:29.080 --> 05:05:32.319
didn't realize that they were running down the street. They

4560
05:05:32.360 --> 05:05:35.479
made it to the first light pole. Nate looked back

4561
05:05:35.560 --> 05:05:39.080
to see the shadow Man standing there in front of

4562
05:05:39.119 --> 05:05:43.720
the station's sign. Nate turned and looked at that small

4563
05:05:43.799 --> 05:05:49.759
shack so brightly lit. Could that stop one of those things?

4564
05:05:50.840 --> 05:05:54.319
Nate turned back and looked at the shadow Man. He

4565
05:05:54.400 --> 05:05:58.799
was so much closer now, halfway between them and the station.

4566
05:06:00.400 --> 05:06:02.959
He couldn't have cleared that much distance in only a

4567
05:06:02.959 --> 05:06:06.880
couple of seconds. That little shack, We've got to get

4568
05:06:06.919 --> 05:06:09.400
to that. Stick to the lights and don't look back.

4569
05:06:10.400 --> 05:06:14.319
Nate started running, pulling Sam along with him. They ran

4570
05:06:14.599 --> 05:06:17.959
hand in hand, like lovers running on the beach in

4571
05:06:18.080 --> 05:06:24.959
some cheesy movie. Behind them, the darkness gained. The light

4572
05:06:25.040 --> 05:06:29.319
from the street lights behind them went out one at

4573
05:06:29.360 --> 05:06:35.720
a time. The shack. They were almost there, and then

4574
05:06:36.639 --> 05:06:42.360
they tripped and fell hard. Sam screamed in terror as

4575
05:06:42.439 --> 05:06:47.680
Nate felt her grip on his hand go slack. Nate

4576
05:06:47.759 --> 05:06:53.560
heard that horrible sucking noise. He wanted to see her

4577
05:06:54.439 --> 05:06:59.119
one last time, but he knew the horror that would

4578
05:06:59.159 --> 05:07:05.680
greet him instead. He pictured her smiling that first time

4579
05:07:05.720 --> 05:07:09.520
he met her as he got to his feet and

4580
05:07:09.720 --> 05:07:15.080
ran with all his strength. Nate ran towards those bright lights,

4581
05:07:16.200 --> 05:07:25.119
but the darkness that claimed this Halloween was fast, and

4582
05:07:25.360 --> 05:07:31.119
that My Spookies wraps up our final Halloween compilation of

4583
05:07:31.159 --> 05:07:35.799
the season, Eight terrifying tales to haunt your night and

4584
05:07:35.919 --> 05:07:39.639
maybe stick with you just a little longer. Whether it

4585
05:07:39.720 --> 05:07:42.400
was the corn Maze, the Haunted Mask, or the graveyard

4586
05:07:42.439 --> 05:07:45.959
shift that got under your skin, we hope it's helping

4587
05:07:46.040 --> 05:07:51.000
your spooky season stay just the right amount of scary

4588
05:07:51.720 --> 05:07:56.200
and a little more fun too. But just because Halloween

4589
05:07:56.319 --> 05:07:59.720
will be ending soon, it doesn't mean the scares will.

4590
05:08:00.200 --> 05:08:04.560
There is always a brand new terrifying tale every Wednesday

4591
05:08:04.639 --> 05:08:08.279
here at Weekly Spooky all year long, so make sure

4592
05:08:08.319 --> 05:08:12.439
you're subscribed on your favorite podcasting app because we're going

4593
05:08:12.479 --> 05:08:16.840
nowhere and believe it or not, Oh, at Christmas time,

4594
05:08:17.360 --> 05:08:22.720
things get really diabolical. I'll see you guys tomorrow with

4595
05:08:22.799 --> 05:08:27.000
another brand new terror tale. Until next time, My Spooky's

4596
05:08:27.560 --> 05:08:29.159
Halloween never dies.