Oct. 21, 2025

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

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

Perfect for fans of urban legends, Halloween creepypasta, or classic horror vibes, these stories will drag you through shadowy small towns, ancient rituals, eerie broadcasts, and supernatural revenge. Whether you’re carving pumpkins or hiding under a blanket, prepare to be scared.
Inside this Halloween finale:

• 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

251
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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
00:16:00.759 --> 00:16:05.759
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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00:16:36.320 --> 00:16:39.440
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

266
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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
00:17:27.079 --> 00:17:30.519
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

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another brand new terror tale. Until next time, My Spooky's

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Halloween never dies.