Jan. 2, 2026

Best of 2025: I Was Hunted by a Cryptid in a Snow Storm

Best of 2025: I Was Hunted by a Cryptid in a Snow Storm
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Kick off the Best of 2025 with one of the most intense episodes we released on the Weekly Spooky horror podcast—a brutal winter survival horror story where a long-haul trucker gets trapped at a lonely truck stop after a sudden blizzard buries the world in white.

The bathroom run turns into a nightmare when his tracks vanish, the store is locked and dark, and something moves in the storm—something too big, too patient, and too wrong to be a deer. Back in his cab, with fuel running low and the wind battering the doors, the real terror begins: nudges against the truck, glimpses of massive horns, and a towering creature with a skull-like face that keeps reappearing closer… like it’s learning him.

Glass splinters. The windshield gives. The gunshots don’t do what they’re supposed to do. And when the only safe place left is beneath his own trailer, he realizes the storm isn’t trying to kill him nearly as much as whatever’s hiding inside it.

If you love cryptid horror, creature features, blizzard horror, and stories about being stranded with a monster, this is a Best of 2025 must-listen.

I Was Hunted by a Cryptid in a Snowstorm — by Michael Kelso
You can purchase books from this author here: https://geni.us/michaelkelsoauthor
https://www.reddit.com/user/Horror_writer_1717/

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

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

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Hello, my spookies. Tonight we crack open the vault and

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look back at the scariest moments of twenty twenty five,

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the ones that's stuck to the inside of your skull

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and whispered to you long after the episode ended. So

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pull in close to the fire, let the warmth engulf you,

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because beyond it, the dark is doing what it always

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does waiting. Tonight's terror tale comes from Michael Kelso, a

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very talented writer that I highly recommend you check out

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in the show notes. Picture this. You're alone on the

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highway in a hard winter storm. The world outside your

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windshield is nothing but spinning white, and your truck feels

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like the last solid thing left on earth. You tell

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yourself it's fine, you'll wait it out, you'll be rolling

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again by morning. But then you see it, something out

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in the snow that doesn't move like anything living should.

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And when the blizzard swallows the road, it doesn't swallow that,

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it just brings it closer. If you're ready, then settle

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in for one of the scariest stories of twenty twenty five,

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and make sure you're subscribed for more scary tales to come.

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I was hunted by a cryptid in a snowstorm by

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Michael Kelso. I never thought it would end like this,

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My truck's windows smashed blood all over the interior, the

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frigid wind and snow blowing in on me as those

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two empty eyes stared in like a predator sizing up

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a helpless animal for the kill. It didn't start out

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like that, of course. When I started out for my

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morning run, it wasn't even snowing. There was snow on

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the ground. There had been a quick storm with some

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squalls that left to half a foot of white stuff

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on the roads just a few days earlier. The state

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took care of it pretty quickly, and travel was barely interrupted.

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Everyone went about their merry way, even me. The fact

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that I hated winter even more than driving a truck

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never entered my mind. Okay, that was a lie. As

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I drove down the road, I found myself looking at

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the small piles of snow along the roadside and cursed

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them for not being enough to cancel my run. I

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had to drive my truck through some pretty empty places,

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the kind that made you long for anything to break

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up the monotony of two lanes of asphalt surrounded by

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endless trees. I had to drive that route quite often,

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and it never got easier to stay awake. I would

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even imagine seeing odd things looking out of the trees

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as I flew by. I knew it was my mind

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playing tricks on me, trying to scare me into staying

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alert and not crashing the truck. If it had been

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a deer or bear or something like that, I would

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have just laughed it off. But this thing looked like

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it was out of some nightmare. That's how I knew

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it wasn't real. There was no way it could exist,

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so I put it out of my mind and kept

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on driving. Fortunately, with it being a two day run,

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I was able to pick where I wanted to stay

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after I got my load. Hotels were nice, but if needed,

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I had the sleeper in my cab, which I called

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Home away from Home. It wasn't so bad as far

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as cramped spaces go. There was lots of shelf space

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above the bunk. I had a TV mounted on the

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wall which was hooked up to a GameCube. There was

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a DVD player with an assortment of movies that I

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rotated out on a weekly basis, and there were some

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paperback books. Lord of The Rings Frankenstein. This present darkness,

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along with all the indie author books I had on

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my phone, I didn't have to worry about being bored.

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There was always my laptop that held the novels I'd

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started writing and never finished. The only thing I really

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needed was food and a bathroom. I had snap stashed around,

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sometimes in places even I didn't find for months, but

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it couldn't compare to a nice hot meal. I had

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my favorite stops on the road, and they all had

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two things in common, good food and a quiet place

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to park and sleep. I didn't like having my trucks

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squashed up against other trucks, wondering if I would be

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able to get my door open if they parked like

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an idiot. I liked parking near the outskirts of any lot.

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It was more private and I didn't feel as hemmed in.

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Of course, there was a trade off. More privacy meant

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walking further to get to the truck stop, sometimes a

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lot further, but I used that to my advantage. Nothing

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like a nice long walk to get the blood flowing

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to all those muscles I didn't use when driving. Unfortunately,

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the place was a local mom and pop operation, which

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meant they didn't have the money to see opened twenty

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four hours a day. Usually, I would pull my truck

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into my spot in the evening, go get supper at

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the lunch counter, then grab supplies for the night. I'd

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always go inside one last time to use the restroom

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just before they closed at midnight. That evening, I followed

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the same pattern, pulled in, walked to the store, got

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some supper, and went back in around eleven thirty for

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the restroom and supplies before going back to my truck

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and falling asleep. Normally I try to keep a good

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watch on upcoming weather. For whatever reason I hadn't that day.

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I woke up around eight a m. And looked out

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to a sea of white. It had snowed, and it

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had snowed hard. It looked like someone wanted to make

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up for the snow quote of this winter and did

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it all in just eight hours. I dressed in my

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cold weather gear and went out to see how bad

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it was and if my truck would be going anywhere today.

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When I jumped out of the cab, my legs disappeared.

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There was at least two feet of snow on the

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ground and it was still putting it down. I trudged

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around the truck to make sure everything was okay, then

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got back in the cab, brushing off as much snow

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as I could. First, I climbed into the bunk and

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turned on the news to the announcement that a major

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blizzard had hit the area. Wow, I thought, Wow, I thought,

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that is some great investigative reporting. Right there, they were

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calling for another foot before the snow stopped. Great time

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to call the boss and get my ear chewed off.

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Why can't you get here, he growled. There's this stuff

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called snow, I said. It lands on the ground and

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piles up until it begins to impede travel. Right, it's

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smart ass, When do you think you can be here? Well,

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seeing that I haven't even seen a snowplow go by,

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and I'm sitting in a parking lot that probably won't

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get plowed until much later than the highways. On top

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of the fact that my tires are nearly bald, even

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though I've been telling you for months they needed changed,

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I'd say, I have no earthly clue. When you'll see

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your precious cargo. He was silent for a long moment.

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Do you like your job? He said? Through barely restrained fury.

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Not particularly, I said, then added, when the weather's like this,

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you might want to update your resume with that. The

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line went dead. Thank you for your support, I said

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to the no longer connected cell phone. I settled back in,

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turned off the TV, and went back to sleep. When

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I first started out in trucking, a fellow driver gave

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me a tip that I never forgot. Anytime you have

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a chance to get some rest, take it. That little

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tidbit helped me tremendously over the years. A little extra

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sleep means a lot less coffee. When I woke a

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few hours later and peeked outside, it was still snowing.

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I looked out my driver's side window and even my

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tracks were gone. I was feeling the call of nature

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and decided to brave the elements to take the trek

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to the truck stop for some relief. I felt a

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little silly for putting on all my cold weather gear,

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including gloves and goggles. That feeling didn't last long. It

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was snowing so hard I couldn't even see the truck stop.

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I drew an invisible line with the side of my truck,

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aimed in that direction, and started walking. I never read

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Call of the Wild, I never saw Alive. Maybe if

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I had, I wouldn't have been so eager to throw

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myself out into this blizzard just to go pee. Trudging

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through the snow and the driving wind was growing old quickly,

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I felt like I should have reached the truck stop

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by now. I paused and looked around. Two realizations hit

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me at the same time. First, I couldn't see the

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truck stop. Second, I could no longer see the truck.

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As a lovely addition, my tracks were quickly disappearing. I

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tried to focus on my path toward the truck stop

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and begin trudging again. Fifteen minutes later, I believe, by

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sheer luck, I saw the store appear off to the right.

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My track hadn't been dead on, but I was close

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enough to find the place. My winter gear was starting

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to fail me, especially with the wind finding all the

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little places it could to inject frigid air. As I approached,

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I breathed a sigh of relief at getting in out

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of the cold, not to mention a massive cup of

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steaming hot coffee. I reached for the door, but it

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refused to open. Maybe it was frozen shut. I pulled harder,

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but nothing happened. I looked in through the glass and

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saw no lights on. It struck me how the walkway

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wasn't shoveled either. Oh no, I thought the storm has

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them stuck at home. My hopes for a nice, warm

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toilet and a steaming hot cup of coffee plummeted. I

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took one last forlorn look at the dark store and

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turned back toward my truck. My disappointment grew as I

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realized my tracks were gone. I was now snowblind and

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navigating without a compass or any means of direction. I

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tried to draw an invisible line with the outer wall

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of the store and hoped it would lead me back

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to the truck. I felt my cold, wet feet protest

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as I headed back toward the warmth of my truck.

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I hugged my jacket, attempting to keep the wind out.

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The snow was up past my knees now and seemed

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like trudging through mud. In retrospect, it would have been

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better for me to wait in the truck until I

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saw a snowplow in the parking lot. I had plenty

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of empty tea bottles for bathroom emergencies, but there was

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no use chiding myself. Now I had to get back

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to the truck to keep this mistake from becoming a

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fatal one. If I got lost and couldn't find the truck,

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no one would come looking for me. They might not

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find my frozen body until the spring thaw. That was

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a cheery thought, as if my journey hadn't been hard enough.

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After a while, something caught my foot and sent me

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sprawling face first into the snow. I struggled to write

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myself and quickly wipe the snow from my face, silently

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thanking God that I had worn my goggles. I tried

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to get my bearings again, but curiosity nagged at me.

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What had I tripped on in the middle of a

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parking lot. I dug down and discovered the offending object.

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It was a parking space barrier. I chuckled for a

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moment until I realized, to my horror that I should

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never have come near any of these in the middle

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of the parking lot. In fact, the straight trail from

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the store to the truck would have been a couple

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of dozen yards to the right, past the barrier I

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had tripped on. I scraped the rest of it off

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and saw it was running nearly parallel to my path.

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I had veered off course badly. The bright side was

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I now had a point of reference and hopefully could

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correct my course. I looked around and found myself adrift

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in a sea of white. The store had disappeared and

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the truck was nowhere to be found. I took a

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deep breath and used the barrier to aim toward where

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the truck should be. I remembered one key fact in

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the process. These barriers lined the edge of the parking lot,

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and just past them was a drop off. In retrospect,

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it was lucky I had tripped on it instead of

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stepping over it and rolling down a hill that I

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I might never make it back up again. I turned

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to aim myself where I thought my truck was, when

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out of the corner of my eye, I thought I

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saw a shadow of a figure walk by. Due to

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the blowing snow, visibility was almost impossible more than a

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few yards away, making it hard for me to be certain.

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It could have just been my imagination. I had been

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out in the cold for much longer than I planned,

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00:15:31.080 --> 00:15:33.039
and it was time to get back to the truck.

224
00:15:33.759 --> 00:15:36.200
I was suddenly reminded why I got out of the

225
00:15:36.240 --> 00:15:40.159
truck to begin with. I had to peace so badly.

226
00:15:41.120 --> 00:15:44.039
I did a quick look and saw nothing but snow,

227
00:15:44.120 --> 00:15:47.360
so I whipped it out and let it go. I

228
00:15:47.399 --> 00:15:50.360
think whipped it out was a bit of an oversimplification.

229
00:15:51.200 --> 00:15:54.639
I fought to unzip my frozen zipper as my bladder

230
00:15:54.720 --> 00:15:57.279
screamed a full red alert that it was about to

231
00:15:57.320 --> 00:16:00.559
release the floodgates, whether I was ready or not. I

232
00:16:00.679 --> 00:16:03.639
finally got it out and started the yellow stream when

233
00:16:03.679 --> 00:16:08.519
the wind shifted direction, sending it spraying all over my pants.

234
00:16:09.120 --> 00:16:12.159
I quickly turned so that the stream was down wind.

235
00:16:12.759 --> 00:16:15.039
When I finished, I looked down at the front of

236
00:16:15.120 --> 00:16:20.720
my now wet pants and swore internally, yet another reason

237
00:16:20.759 --> 00:16:24.679
to find the truck Quickly, Wet pants turned to frozen

238
00:16:24.720 --> 00:16:29.440
pants turned to dangerous pants. I looked down at the barrier,

239
00:16:30.000 --> 00:16:34.039
now covered in flecks of yellow snow, and started on

240
00:16:34.200 --> 00:16:37.879
my new course. The snow had not let up one bit,

241
00:16:38.399 --> 00:16:41.639
and my energy started to wane. Even though I had

242
00:16:41.720 --> 00:16:46.159
just been standing around for the last ten minutes, trudging

243
00:16:46.159 --> 00:16:50.039
through nearly waist high snow was making me more tired

244
00:16:50.120 --> 00:16:53.360
than I had been in a long time. The wind

245
00:16:53.480 --> 00:16:57.000
rushing in my ears tore away my hearing. There wasn't

246
00:16:57.039 --> 00:16:59.840
anything out here to listen to, and yet I thought

247
00:16:59.919 --> 00:17:06.519
I heard something. I looked around but only saw white.

248
00:17:08.319 --> 00:17:10.839
Was this my mind starting to play tricks on me,

249
00:17:11.000 --> 00:17:13.400
like it did when I was driving and thought I

250
00:17:13.480 --> 00:17:16.960
saw the creature that doesn't exist peeking out at me

251
00:17:17.039 --> 00:17:21.119
from the trees. I turned back to my imagined destination,

252
00:17:21.839 --> 00:17:25.240
wondering if delusions were the first step, and freezing to death.

253
00:17:26.160 --> 00:17:29.039
As if to answer, the wind hit me with a

254
00:17:29.119 --> 00:17:33.599
solid gust, knocking me down. If I didn't know better,

255
00:17:33.680 --> 00:17:36.079
I'd swear I felt a giant hand in the middle

256
00:17:36.119 --> 00:17:39.920
of my back before I fell. I looked up and

257
00:17:40.000 --> 00:17:45.680
saw nothing but snow swirling around, making many tornadoes. I

258
00:17:45.799 --> 00:17:49.119
chuckled at the irony of them being called snow devils.

259
00:17:49.720 --> 00:17:54.279
I guess my own personal snow devil was pushing me around.

260
00:17:55.160 --> 00:17:58.359
I got up and started for the truck again. Every

261
00:17:58.440 --> 00:18:02.640
step felt like my feet were encased in concrete. I

262
00:18:02.759 --> 00:18:06.720
plodded on, trying to pull from whatever reserve energy I

263
00:18:06.799 --> 00:18:11.680
had to keep going. I couldn't die in the middle

264
00:18:11.720 --> 00:18:14.680
of a parking lot, just yards away from my nice,

265
00:18:15.039 --> 00:18:20.880
warm truck. That would be the ultimate irony. I walked on,

266
00:18:21.160 --> 00:18:25.559
barely conscious, wanting only my eighteen wheeled safe harbor from

267
00:18:25.559 --> 00:18:30.759
this merciless storm. My head was down. I wasn't even

268
00:18:30.839 --> 00:18:36.839
looking anymore. It didn't make any difference. I knew I

269
00:18:36.880 --> 00:18:40.519
would never find it. I knew it was like looking

270
00:18:40.559 --> 00:18:43.680
for a needle in a field of haystacks. There was

271
00:18:43.759 --> 00:18:47.039
no way I would ever get back. I slammed into

272
00:18:47.079 --> 00:18:50.720
something and fell back. The snow was so deep I

273
00:18:50.839 --> 00:18:53.680
just lay there like a turtle, unable to get off

274
00:18:53.720 --> 00:18:57.920
my back. I looked up and saw the thing that

275
00:18:57.960 --> 00:19:00.519
had hit me was the back corn corner of the

276
00:19:00.559 --> 00:19:04.559
truck two feet to the right, and I would have

277
00:19:04.599 --> 00:19:08.960
missed it. I smiled, but it took a lot of energy.

278
00:19:09.920 --> 00:19:13.720
I focused everything I had into getting up. Adrenaline took

279
00:19:13.720 --> 00:19:16.279
care of the rest. I marched up to the driver's

280
00:19:16.319 --> 00:19:19.200
side door and reached into my pocket for the key

281
00:19:19.240 --> 00:19:25.240
to unlock it. I couldn't find the key. I ripped

282
00:19:25.240 --> 00:19:30.839
off my glove and searched again. Still no key. Despair

283
00:19:31.000 --> 00:19:33.720
smothered my mind. If I had dropped it one of

284
00:19:33.759 --> 00:19:36.720
the times I fell in the snow, it was lost

285
00:19:36.799 --> 00:19:42.400
forever and so was I. I leaned against the truck door,

286
00:19:43.440 --> 00:19:48.119
so close yet so far I could almost feel the

287
00:19:48.200 --> 00:19:51.559
heat through it. I smashed my fist into my leg

288
00:19:51.640 --> 00:19:54.839
in frustration, but felt more pain than I should have.

289
00:19:55.920 --> 00:20:00.559
I patted the other pocket and felt a lump. I

290
00:20:00.599 --> 00:20:03.359
tore off my other glove and reached into the pocket,

291
00:20:03.720 --> 00:20:10.279
pulling out the holiest of holies, the key. Tears streamed

292
00:20:10.279 --> 00:20:13.200
down my face and quickly froze as I stuck the

293
00:20:13.279 --> 00:20:16.480
key in the lock and opened the door. It took

294
00:20:16.519 --> 00:20:18.920
every ounce of energy I had left to climb up

295
00:20:18.960 --> 00:20:23.759
into the cab and collapse into the driver's seat. A

296
00:20:23.839 --> 00:20:27.279
wave of heat washed over me. For the longest time,

297
00:20:27.720 --> 00:20:30.519
I just sat there until I mustered the strength to

298
00:20:30.559 --> 00:20:34.599
start pulling off my cold weather gear, one piece at

299
00:20:34.640 --> 00:20:38.319
a time. I threw them into the passenger seat until

300
00:20:38.319 --> 00:20:42.160
I sat in my underwear only. I leaned my seat

301
00:20:42.240 --> 00:20:45.599
back and basked in the warmth that flowed over me

302
00:20:46.240 --> 00:20:50.240
like a wave from the ocean. I imagined sitting on

303
00:20:50.279 --> 00:20:54.000
a beach with the sun shining down on me and

304
00:20:54.039 --> 00:21:00.359
the water beckoning. I fell asleep like this. I woke

305
00:21:00.440 --> 00:21:03.640
to a sore back and stretched as best I could

306
00:21:03.680 --> 00:21:08.279
in my seat, then looked out the windshield. The snow

307
00:21:08.400 --> 00:21:10.720
seemed to have let up a little bit and the

308
00:21:10.759 --> 00:21:15.119
wind wasn't nearly as fierce as before. There was still

309
00:21:15.160 --> 00:21:17.759
no sign of a plow, and there was no way

310
00:21:17.799 --> 00:21:21.599
I was getting anywhere without one. Off in the distance,

311
00:21:22.400 --> 00:21:26.200
I could almost see the outline of the store. I

312
00:21:26.319 --> 00:21:29.200
wasn't going there again until the parking lot was plowed,

313
00:21:29.960 --> 00:21:33.319
but looking around, I couldn't imagine how long that might be.

314
00:21:34.599 --> 00:21:37.359
There was at least three feet of snow already on

315
00:21:37.440 --> 00:21:41.279
the ground, and it was still putting some down. I

316
00:21:41.359 --> 00:21:44.720
crawled into the bunk and covered up for a serious nap.

317
00:21:45.599 --> 00:21:49.279
Hours later, I was starting to feel refreshed. I rolled

318
00:21:49.319 --> 00:21:52.480
over and turned on the TV, trying to see how

319
00:21:52.559 --> 00:21:56.839
bad things were. I couldn't even pick up the local station,

320
00:21:57.200 --> 00:22:01.200
so I stuck in a movie. After it was done,

321
00:22:01.240 --> 00:22:04.519
I decided I should probably take stock of my supplies

322
00:22:05.039 --> 00:22:08.599
since I might be here for a while. I had

323
00:22:08.599 --> 00:22:13.160
plenty of snacks, chips, pretzels, and jerky, among other things.

324
00:22:13.720 --> 00:22:16.480
As long as I didn't binge, I should have been fine.

325
00:22:17.119 --> 00:22:20.079
I had drinks in the mini fridge, too, but water

326
00:22:20.240 --> 00:22:23.200
wasn't a concern all I had to do was bring

327
00:22:23.240 --> 00:22:26.680
some snow inside and melt it. I only needed to

328
00:22:26.759 --> 00:22:29.200
check one last thing to make sure I could outlast

329
00:22:29.240 --> 00:22:34.119
this storm. I looked at the fuel gauge. I rubbed

330
00:22:34.119 --> 00:22:38.279
my eyes and looked at the gauge again. I only

331
00:22:38.319 --> 00:22:44.400
had a quarter tank left. That might last, and it

332
00:22:44.519 --> 00:22:48.160
might not, depending on how long it took to get

333
00:22:48.200 --> 00:22:52.799
plowed out. Obviously, once the plow freed me, I could

334
00:22:52.880 --> 00:22:55.599
drive a hundred yards or so to a gas pump.

335
00:22:56.440 --> 00:22:59.559
As I was looking at the fuel gauge, my eyes

336
00:22:59.680 --> 00:23:03.079
drifted to the windshield and the field of white that

337
00:23:03.160 --> 00:23:07.920
stretched out in front of me. The snow had finally stopped.

338
00:23:09.240 --> 00:23:13.759
How long that would last? I had no idea. I

339
00:23:13.799 --> 00:23:17.519
could finally see the store clearly, but I could also

340
00:23:17.640 --> 00:23:22.000
see clearly that it remained closed. It was hard to

341
00:23:22.039 --> 00:23:25.559
believe anyone would be plowing that amount of snow anywhere.

342
00:23:26.720 --> 00:23:29.240
I guess that's why they had the drop off along

343
00:23:29.279 --> 00:23:33.440
the edges of the parking lot. As I softly chuckled

344
00:23:33.440 --> 00:23:39.039
at my realization, my eyes caught movement. There was some

345
00:23:39.160 --> 00:23:43.480
kind of animal walking around in the parking lot. At

346
00:23:43.519 --> 00:23:45.839
first I thought it was a deer because of the

347
00:23:45.839 --> 00:23:49.519
wide horns on its head. But the longer I looked,

348
00:23:50.440 --> 00:23:56.640
the more I realized this creature was something else. It

349
00:23:56.759 --> 00:24:01.039
seemed bigger than any deer I'd ever seen. Its torso

350
00:24:01.240 --> 00:24:04.440
rode above the snow like it was a ship. Its

351
00:24:04.519 --> 00:24:07.440
face looked like it had wasted away to bare skull,

352
00:24:08.039 --> 00:24:11.839
and it had massive teeth that went far beyond its jaw.

353
00:24:13.359 --> 00:24:18.400
It was rather haunting to look at. It was sniffing

354
00:24:18.480 --> 00:24:21.960
around in the snow. The more I thought about it,

355
00:24:22.000 --> 00:24:26.359
I began to realize that was probably the spot where

356
00:24:26.440 --> 00:24:30.759
I had taken a leak. I was mesmerized and horrified

357
00:24:30.799 --> 00:24:34.359
by this thing at the same time. I was nearly

358
00:24:34.480 --> 00:24:38.079
convinced my mind was playing a trick on me when

359
00:24:38.119 --> 00:24:42.000
it looked right at me and my blood turned to ice.

360
00:24:43.480 --> 00:24:46.759
Its look pierced my soul and made me wish I'd

361
00:24:46.799 --> 00:24:50.039
never come to this place. When it took its first

362
00:24:50.079 --> 00:24:53.559
step in my direction, I dove back into the sleeper

363
00:24:53.599 --> 00:24:57.319
and drew the curtain. I shook for reasons that had

364
00:24:57.359 --> 00:25:00.640
nothing to do with the temperature, and was breathing and

365
00:25:00.680 --> 00:25:07.119
panicked gasps. What was that thing? Did I really see

366
00:25:07.240 --> 00:25:11.319
what I thought I saw? How could a creature like

367
00:25:11.400 --> 00:25:15.079
that exist. I tried to settle down and get my

368
00:25:15.160 --> 00:25:18.799
breathing back to normal, but my mind refused to let

369
00:25:18.839 --> 00:25:24.839
go of the image of that thing. It's just my imagination,

370
00:25:25.480 --> 00:25:29.920
I told myself. It's just a deer roaming around out there.

371
00:25:31.000 --> 00:25:35.839
I told myself that same thing over and over until

372
00:25:35.880 --> 00:25:41.759
my mind finally believed it. However, I didn't look through

373
00:25:41.759 --> 00:25:45.160
the curtain to confirm it. I didn't call it denial.

374
00:25:45.759 --> 00:25:50.880
I called it not pushing my luck. I pulled out

375
00:25:50.880 --> 00:25:54.200
a pack of cheese crackers and turned on the first

376
00:25:54.279 --> 00:26:00.039
Diehard movie to try and forget about the deer outside.

377
00:26:00.160 --> 00:26:02.759
I was fifteen minutes into the movie when I felt

378
00:26:02.759 --> 00:26:08.799
the first nudge. I didn't know what else to call it.

379
00:26:08.799 --> 00:26:13.079
It felt like something just nudged my truck. It was

380
00:26:13.119 --> 00:26:16.200
almost like when a strong wind gust pushed the cab,

381
00:26:17.359 --> 00:26:23.160
but I didn't hear any wind outside. The two sides

382
00:26:23.160 --> 00:26:26.279
of my mind engaged in a shouting match over whether

383
00:26:26.359 --> 00:26:30.039
I should check it out or ignore it. Fear through

384
00:26:30.039 --> 00:26:33.880
its own two cents in and ignore it one out

385
00:26:35.000 --> 00:26:40.319
until the second nudge. Actually, it was like the fifth

386
00:26:40.440 --> 00:26:45.039
or sixth nudge, until curiosity took over and made me

387
00:26:45.160 --> 00:26:49.680
go take a look. I peeked through the curtain and

388
00:26:49.759 --> 00:26:55.119
didn't see anything but snow through the windshield. I climbed

389
00:26:55.200 --> 00:26:59.400
out and looked through the passenger window, but saw nothing.

390
00:27:00.240 --> 00:27:03.720
I chided myself for my skittishness when I looked through

391
00:27:03.759 --> 00:27:07.839
the driver's side window and saw a set of horns.

392
00:27:09.039 --> 00:27:14.799
I rubbed my eyes and looked again, but they were gone.

393
00:27:15.000 --> 00:27:17.559
There were tracks in the snow that looked like deer,

394
00:27:18.400 --> 00:27:25.799
only bigger. Or was that my imagination carrying me away again?

395
00:27:27.319 --> 00:27:29.440
I looked in the rear view mirror and saw the

396
00:27:29.519 --> 00:27:34.079
creature poking at my tires with its horns. I was

397
00:27:34.160 --> 00:27:37.759
fairly sure it couldn't puncture one with just horns, but

398
00:27:38.720 --> 00:27:42.400
I didn't want to chance it. I reached down and

399
00:27:42.480 --> 00:27:46.240
grabbed my club and opened the door to scare it away,

400
00:27:47.440 --> 00:27:53.319
but again it was gone. I was beginning to question

401
00:27:53.480 --> 00:27:59.240
my sanity. Was this thing real? Was it my mind

402
00:27:59.319 --> 00:28:04.039
playing tricks on me? Or was the creature toying with me,

403
00:28:05.240 --> 00:28:09.240
drawing me out of the truck. I closed the door

404
00:28:09.279 --> 00:28:12.799
and went back to my movie, but I couldn't get

405
00:28:12.839 --> 00:28:16.720
that creature out of my head. I was on pins

406
00:28:16.759 --> 00:28:25.680
and needles, waiting, listening, anticipating, the next nudge. Before the

407
00:28:25.759 --> 00:28:35.839
movie was over, I fell into a fitful sleep. I

408
00:28:35.880 --> 00:28:39.640
was in a tall building and there were bad guys everywhere.

409
00:28:40.160 --> 00:28:43.119
I had a machine gun, but had been better served

410
00:28:43.200 --> 00:28:46.559
hiding and picking them off one by one. I was

411
00:28:46.599 --> 00:28:49.279
sneaking up on one who was standing guard on an

412
00:28:49.319 --> 00:28:54.440
isolated floor when I turned the corner and there stood

413
00:28:54.519 --> 00:28:59.079
the deer creature. It was massive, standing on its hind

414
00:28:59.200 --> 00:29:03.400
legs and its horns scraping the ceiling. It looked at

415
00:29:03.440 --> 00:29:06.920
me with those empty eye sockets from its bare skull face.

416
00:29:08.039 --> 00:29:11.440
It made a sound that was half grunt, half howl,

417
00:29:12.519 --> 00:29:17.559
then started towards me. I backed away around the corner,

418
00:29:17.920 --> 00:29:20.960
trying to get back to my hiding space, but as

419
00:29:21.000 --> 00:29:24.519
I turned to run, suddenly the creature was in front

420
00:29:24.559 --> 00:29:27.279
of me. I pulled up my machine gun and started

421
00:29:27.279 --> 00:29:30.720
firing short bursts. I hid it in the chest, but

422
00:29:30.839 --> 00:29:33.599
it kept coming. As I backed away, I shot it

423
00:29:33.680 --> 00:29:36.599
several times in the head. I watched as chunks of

424
00:29:36.680 --> 00:29:41.480
bone flew, but it kept coming as if it didn't care.

425
00:29:42.519 --> 00:29:45.160
I shot at its legs, hoping to throw it off balance,

426
00:29:45.960 --> 00:29:49.519
but it had no effect. As if it had had enough,

427
00:29:49.960 --> 00:29:52.799
it charged, pinning me to a wall with its horns.

428
00:29:53.200 --> 00:29:55.519
I looked down as the blood began to seep from

429
00:29:55.559 --> 00:29:59.680
my belly around its antlers. It pulled back and charged

430
00:29:59.680 --> 00:30:03.440
me again, again and again, sending shock waves of pain

431
00:30:03.519 --> 00:30:08.640
through my body and crushing my spine. It pulled back

432
00:30:08.680 --> 00:30:12.400
and allowed me to fall to the floor. Blood pulled

433
00:30:12.440 --> 00:30:15.200
around me. As I tried to crawl away from the creature.

434
00:30:16.279 --> 00:30:19.759
I could only use my arms. I couldn't feel anything

435
00:30:19.799 --> 00:30:24.559
below my waist, which was a partial blessing because it

436
00:30:24.599 --> 00:30:28.480
cut my pain in half. After I had crawled a

437
00:30:28.480 --> 00:30:31.720
few feet, I suppose it had enough of toying with me.

438
00:30:32.480 --> 00:30:35.119
It stomped its foot down on my neck so hard

439
00:30:35.839 --> 00:30:39.920
I heard a snap and my arms went dead. I

440
00:30:39.960 --> 00:30:43.920
could feel it tear into my back, ripping away pieces

441
00:30:43.960 --> 00:30:48.160
of meat. I could hear the sickening, chewing and slurping

442
00:30:49.119 --> 00:31:02.640
as I was eaten alive. I woke with a start,

443
00:31:03.000 --> 00:31:07.200
sweat pouring from my forehead, and looked around the sleeper cab,

444
00:31:07.920 --> 00:31:11.319
trying to find the creature that was tearing me to pieces.

445
00:31:11.880 --> 00:31:15.759
After a few seconds, I came to the realization it

446
00:31:15.799 --> 00:31:19.640
had been a nightmare. I turned off my DVD player

447
00:31:19.880 --> 00:31:22.720
and stuck my head out through the curtain to check

448
00:31:22.799 --> 00:31:26.880
on my fuel situation. The needle was well below the

449
00:31:26.960 --> 00:31:31.079
quarter mark, almost down to an eighth. I looked out

450
00:31:31.160 --> 00:31:35.440
through the windshield and the snow had not magically melted.

451
00:31:36.000 --> 00:31:38.960
In fact, the wind had picked up and now it

452
00:31:39.039 --> 00:31:42.519
was starting to drift. There was once an even field

453
00:31:42.559 --> 00:31:46.880
of snow. Now there were peaks and valleys forming like

454
00:31:47.039 --> 00:31:51.400
dunes in the desert. The store was still dark and

455
00:31:51.440 --> 00:31:55.160
there was no traffic moving on the road. The sun

456
00:31:55.319 --> 00:31:58.279
was riding low in the sky, and I had yet

457
00:31:58.279 --> 00:32:02.680
to see another living soul. I wondered if my fuel

458
00:32:02.720 --> 00:32:07.000
would last until a plow could rescue me. Soon I

459
00:32:07.039 --> 00:32:11.680
would have to give some serious thought to conserving. It

460
00:32:11.839 --> 00:32:15.480
was an ideal. The thought of bundling up and blankets

461
00:32:15.480 --> 00:32:17.599
in the dark, with no heater and no TV to

462
00:32:17.680 --> 00:32:21.680
watch wasn't exciting to me, but it was better than

463
00:32:21.720 --> 00:32:25.160
waiting until my fuel ran out and I froze to death.

464
00:32:26.640 --> 00:32:29.279
As I killed the engine, I chided myself for not

465
00:32:29.359 --> 00:32:33.000
coming up with this plan sooner. I would have conserved

466
00:32:33.039 --> 00:32:36.000
fuel when the sun was out and the temperatures were higher.

467
00:32:37.000 --> 00:32:40.480
Now I was going to pay for my lack of foresight.

468
00:32:41.400 --> 00:32:43.759
I dug out every blanket I had stored in my

469
00:32:43.880 --> 00:32:48.039
closets and laid them over the bed, then tucked in

470
00:32:48.880 --> 00:32:56.599
for a long nap. When I woke, I was drowning

471
00:32:56.680 --> 00:33:00.200
in utter darkness. I panicked for a moment before I

472
00:33:00.240 --> 00:33:04.440
remembered where I was. I looked at my watch and

473
00:33:04.519 --> 00:33:07.759
it was four in the morning. I pulled the covers

474
00:33:07.799 --> 00:33:11.599
off me and was immediately assaulted by cold air. I

475
00:33:11.640 --> 00:33:14.440
grabbed a flashlight and found my way into the cabin.

476
00:33:15.279 --> 00:33:18.759
I turned the key on and waited with bated breath

477
00:33:18.799 --> 00:33:22.440
that billowed out in clouds that filled the cab until

478
00:33:22.440 --> 00:33:26.680
the engine turned over. As it roared to life, I

479
00:33:26.799 --> 00:33:32.400
felt even colder. I looked to my left and froze.

480
00:33:32.720 --> 00:33:36.559
My driver's side window lay in pieces on the seat

481
00:33:36.640 --> 00:33:41.160
and floor. I slowly turned to look at the passenger

482
00:33:41.240 --> 00:33:46.880
side window when fear grabbed me. There was a face

483
00:33:47.440 --> 00:33:51.279
looking in at me. But it wasn't a human face.

484
00:33:52.440 --> 00:33:55.559
It was the ungodly face of the deer creature that

485
00:33:55.640 --> 00:33:59.039
had gored me to death in my dream. A river

486
00:33:59.200 --> 00:34:02.279
ran down my life, forming a yellow puddle on the floor.

487
00:34:02.519 --> 00:34:05.759
As I stared into the dark, hollow eyes of this

488
00:34:06.200 --> 00:34:10.559
thing sent straight from hell. It reared its head back

489
00:34:10.880 --> 00:34:15.440
and then smashed into my passenger's window, splintering it. It

490
00:34:15.519 --> 00:34:19.880
reared back again and this time shattered the window, reaching

491
00:34:19.960 --> 00:34:23.960
in for me with its fierce, long teeth. I jumped

492
00:34:24.000 --> 00:34:26.760
back and landed in the driver's seat full of glass.

493
00:34:27.840 --> 00:34:31.039
I knew I was dead. There was nothing I could do.

494
00:34:32.079 --> 00:34:35.480
I sat there as it entered the cab, coming for me.

495
00:34:36.719 --> 00:34:42.280
Its head was halfway inside when it suddenly stopped. It

496
00:34:42.400 --> 00:34:47.880
moved around a little bit, then roared in frustration. Its

497
00:34:47.960 --> 00:34:52.119
horns were too wide to fit in the window. It

498
00:34:52.239 --> 00:34:55.320
tried over and over to get in, but there was

499
00:34:55.360 --> 00:34:59.800
no way it could fit with the horns. As suddenly

500
00:34:59.800 --> 00:35:05.519
as it appeared, it vanished. I looked around to see

501
00:35:05.559 --> 00:35:09.679
where it had gone, but the darkness of night covered

502
00:35:09.679 --> 00:35:13.440
it like a shroud. As I was looking, it silently

503
00:35:13.480 --> 00:35:16.480
reached in behind me and would have had me if

504
00:35:16.519 --> 00:35:21.079
it hadn't breathed out warning me of its approach. I

505
00:35:21.239 --> 00:35:25.440
dove into the center console as its deadly jaw snapped shut,

506
00:35:25.599 --> 00:35:29.639
right where my spine had been. It continued its assault

507
00:35:29.760 --> 00:35:34.239
on this window, gaining ferocity as it frustrated itself by

508
00:35:34.280 --> 00:35:37.880
not being able to get hold of me. I stood

509
00:35:37.920 --> 00:35:41.320
in between the two windows, hoping I was safe from

510
00:35:41.400 --> 00:35:45.480
either direction. It was then I decided to go back

511
00:35:45.519 --> 00:35:50.199
into my bunk and close the curtain. I covered up

512
00:35:50.239 --> 00:35:54.559
and reached underneath the bunk to a secret compartment and

513
00:35:54.639 --> 00:35:59.840
pulled out my forty caliber semi automatic handgun. I took

514
00:35:59.840 --> 00:36:03.039
the magazine out and made sure it was loaded with

515
00:36:03.079 --> 00:36:08.119
all ten rounds, then put it back in, pulled back

516
00:36:08.159 --> 00:36:12.159
the side, and flicked on the safety. It made me

517
00:36:12.320 --> 00:36:16.280
feel a little better, but not much. I didn't know

518
00:36:16.400 --> 00:36:19.440
how true my dream was, or if bullets would do

519
00:36:19.559 --> 00:36:25.239
anything to this monster. I no longer had any illusions

520
00:36:25.280 --> 00:36:28.840
that this was a deer. It was something much more

521
00:36:28.960 --> 00:36:34.199
dangerous and terrifying. And it was after me. I covered

522
00:36:34.280 --> 00:36:39.039
up with my blankets again, holding my gun close. The

523
00:36:39.079 --> 00:36:42.480
heater wasn't doing much good with two windows broken out.

524
00:36:43.280 --> 00:36:45.360
I would try to do something about them in the

525
00:36:45.400 --> 00:36:48.800
morning when it was light. There was no way I

526
00:36:48.840 --> 00:36:53.199
was doing anything in the dark with that thing lurking

527
00:36:53.199 --> 00:36:57.440
out there. I lay there for an hour, watching every

528
00:36:57.559 --> 00:37:01.920
second of the clock tick by a wide open ears,

529
00:37:02.039 --> 00:37:08.519
listening for any sound, but there was none, just the

530
00:37:08.559 --> 00:37:13.239
wind howling in between the two broken windows, making my

531
00:37:13.400 --> 00:37:18.960
curtains flutter. Eventually, I recognized the futility of having a

532
00:37:19.000 --> 00:37:22.880
truck running and the warm air just escaping before it

533
00:37:22.880 --> 00:37:26.440
could even get to me. So I got out of

534
00:37:26.480 --> 00:37:30.280
my bunk, keeping my new best friend with me, and

535
00:37:30.400 --> 00:37:34.199
slowly made my way out to the cab, my head

536
00:37:34.280 --> 00:37:37.440
darting left and right to see if the creature was

537
00:37:37.480 --> 00:37:41.760
about to launch itself through either of the windows. I

538
00:37:41.880 --> 00:37:44.880
turned the key off, and before I could pull it

539
00:37:44.920 --> 00:37:48.199
out of the ignition, a set of horns smacked against

540
00:37:48.239 --> 00:37:51.079
the frame of the window, and the deadly teeth came

541
00:37:51.119 --> 00:37:56.159
in and snapped just inches short of my face. I

542
00:37:56.199 --> 00:38:01.039
whipped around and pulled the trigger, but nothing happened. It

543
00:38:01.159 --> 00:38:04.800
snapped at me again, and I panicked until I realized

544
00:38:05.599 --> 00:38:09.400
the safety was on. I flicked it off and aimed,

545
00:38:10.519 --> 00:38:14.800
but the monster was gone. I didn't dare make a

546
00:38:14.840 --> 00:38:18.480
move toward the window for fear it would launch itself

547
00:38:18.559 --> 00:38:22.239
back in at me. I stood still as a statue

548
00:38:22.719 --> 00:38:26.960
and stared at the window it had come through, then

549
00:38:27.119 --> 00:38:31.239
slowly turned to the other side. I kept looking back

550
00:38:31.320 --> 00:38:34.719
and forth between the two, trying to keep my peripheral

551
00:38:34.840 --> 00:38:38.760
vision on both at the same time. I was shaking,

552
00:38:39.559 --> 00:38:42.400
not only from the cold, but also from the sheer

553
00:38:42.599 --> 00:38:47.760
terror of not knowing where or when this thing was

554
00:38:47.800 --> 00:38:52.159
going to show itself. I decided my cold weather gear

555
00:38:52.480 --> 00:38:55.679
would be my best option, so I climbed back into

556
00:38:55.719 --> 00:38:58.760
the bunk and put on as many layers of clothes

557
00:38:58.800 --> 00:39:02.519
as I could find. When I popped my head back out,

558
00:39:03.360 --> 00:39:08.679
I was met with the most terrifying sight imaginable. The

559
00:39:08.760 --> 00:39:11.760
monster had climbed onto the hood of my truck and

560
00:39:11.960 --> 00:39:15.360
was now bashing its head against the windshield, trying to

561
00:39:15.360 --> 00:39:19.039
make its way inside. I knew the windshield was wide

562
00:39:19.159 --> 00:39:21.880
enough that it would be able to get its antlers

563
00:39:21.920 --> 00:39:27.039
inside and I would be done. I pulled the gun up,

564
00:39:27.599 --> 00:39:32.920
aimed at its head, and fired. The explosion was massive.

565
00:39:33.519 --> 00:39:36.559
I instantly lost my hearing, except for the ringing in

566
00:39:36.639 --> 00:39:40.840
my ears. I staggered back, but the monster kept coming.

567
00:39:41.320 --> 00:39:43.800
Not only had my bullet done nothing to the creature,

568
00:39:44.119 --> 00:39:49.079
it weakened the windshield, making it easier to get inside.

569
00:39:49.159 --> 00:39:51.800
The monster shook its head in surprise when the bullet

570
00:39:51.840 --> 00:39:56.159
ricocheted off the bone, and then continued its assault of

571
00:39:56.239 --> 00:39:59.960
the windshield. It hammered on the glass until it shad

572
00:40:00.000 --> 00:40:03.679
battered into a million pieces. I was already aiming at

573
00:40:03.719 --> 00:40:06.960
its face and fired two shots before the glass even

574
00:40:07.000 --> 00:40:11.760
hit the floor. They both ricocheted off its skull, causing

575
00:40:11.800 --> 00:40:13.960
it to rear up just enough for me to fire

576
00:40:14.039 --> 00:40:18.679
two shots into its chest. It didn't collapse screaming in

577
00:40:18.760 --> 00:40:22.679
agony like I wanted, but I could tell it didn't

578
00:40:22.800 --> 00:40:27.000
like it either. It jumped down off the hood and disappeared.

579
00:40:28.320 --> 00:40:31.440
I stared out into the inky blackness, trying in vain

580
00:40:31.519 --> 00:40:35.039
to pick up any glimpse of it. I whipped around

581
00:40:35.039 --> 00:40:37.599
from one side window to the other and back again,

582
00:40:38.360 --> 00:40:42.679
waiting for it to show its horrid face. After what

583
00:40:42.840 --> 00:40:47.159
seemed like forever, I saw horns rising through the passenger

584
00:40:47.239 --> 00:40:52.280
side window. I fired a shot into its face and

585
00:40:52.400 --> 00:40:56.880
it disappeared. I threw myself back into the passenger seat.

586
00:40:56.920 --> 00:40:59.800
When suddenly I saw its head rising in the driver's

587
00:40:59.800 --> 00:41:03.920
side window. I fired a shot, making it disappear again.

588
00:41:04.800 --> 00:41:07.199
I jumped up and threw myself to the other seat,

589
00:41:07.800 --> 00:41:11.920
knowing it would be on the passenger side soon. Sure enough,

590
00:41:12.320 --> 00:41:16.039
ten seconds later, it appeared and I fired another shot.

591
00:41:17.360 --> 00:41:20.679
It was toying with me. It disappeared and I threw

592
00:41:20.760 --> 00:41:24.880
myself over into the passenger seat, waiting, aiming at the

593
00:41:24.920 --> 00:41:31.039
empty driver's window. But instead I felt teeth clamped down

594
00:41:31.159 --> 00:41:35.079
on my neck. It had fooled me. I shoved my

595
00:41:35.199 --> 00:41:38.960
gun up under its skull and fired a shot. If

596
00:41:38.960 --> 00:41:41.880
I hadn't been deaf from the first one, this one

597
00:41:42.079 --> 00:41:44.719
right next to my ear, would have done it. And

598
00:41:44.800 --> 00:41:49.360
yet somehow I heard it squeal and pain as it

599
00:41:49.440 --> 00:41:53.239
released me. I knew I had been inches from death.

600
00:41:53.519 --> 00:41:55.800
I reached up and touched the wound on my neck

601
00:41:56.280 --> 00:42:00.119
and came away with a handful of blood. I went

602
00:42:00.199 --> 00:42:03.119
back into my bunk, tore away a piece of sheet

603
00:42:03.480 --> 00:42:06.639
and pressed it to my wound. Then I tore some

604
00:42:06.719 --> 00:42:09.320
more of the sheet and tied it around my neck

605
00:42:09.599 --> 00:42:12.880
to hold the bandage in place. I went back out

606
00:42:12.920 --> 00:42:15.599
to the cab, only to see it crouching on the hood,

607
00:42:16.280 --> 00:42:19.960
waiting for me. I never thought it would end like this.

608
00:42:20.800 --> 00:42:24.280
My truck's windows smashed blood all over the interior, the

609
00:42:24.360 --> 00:42:28.000
frigid wind and snow blowing in as those two empty

610
00:42:28.159 --> 00:42:31.159
eyes stared in at me like a predator sizing up

611
00:42:31.199 --> 00:42:35.039
a helpless animal for the kill. It crawled in through

612
00:42:35.079 --> 00:42:38.360
the remains of the windshield. I knew I was dead.

613
00:42:39.239 --> 00:42:42.000
In desperation, I shoved the gun into one of its

614
00:42:42.079 --> 00:42:46.679
eye holes and squeezed the trigger. The sound it made

615
00:42:46.840 --> 00:42:50.840
was something I'd never heard before and never wanted to

616
00:42:50.880 --> 00:42:55.559
hear again. The scream was both a low guttural sound

617
00:42:55.880 --> 00:42:59.400
and a high pitched shriek. It sounded like someone had

618
00:42:59.440 --> 00:43:02.840
unleashed it a demon from the pits of hell. My

619
00:43:03.000 --> 00:43:07.079
mind screamed at me, get out of there. I fumbled

620
00:43:07.079 --> 00:43:10.239
with the driver's door and ended up falling out when

621
00:43:10.280 --> 00:43:13.880
it opened. On a clear day with no snow, I

622
00:43:13.880 --> 00:43:17.119
would have gotten a concussion or broken bone falling on

623
00:43:17.199 --> 00:43:20.639
the bare asphalt with three feet of snow on the ground,

624
00:43:21.039 --> 00:43:24.800
I landed on a soft, cold pillow. It was the

625
00:43:24.840 --> 00:43:27.960
only time in the last twenty four hours that the

626
00:43:28.000 --> 00:43:32.400
snow had helped me. I immediately jumped up and looked

627
00:43:32.400 --> 00:43:36.280
around for any place to hide, but there was nowhere.

628
00:43:37.159 --> 00:43:41.360
Everything was covered in snow. I glanced back at the

629
00:43:41.400 --> 00:43:45.239
trailer and realized the snow was so high that it

630
00:43:45.320 --> 00:43:48.960
reached the bottom of the trailer. I couldn't see underneath

631
00:43:48.960 --> 00:43:52.719
it at all. I quickly dove under it, then turned

632
00:43:52.760 --> 00:43:55.639
around and tried to pile the snow into the opening

633
00:43:56.119 --> 00:43:59.440
to hide where I had gone, I shone my light

634
00:43:59.480 --> 00:44:04.239
around at the beautiful sight of bare asphalt. I lay

635
00:44:04.320 --> 00:44:08.840
on my belly, gazing in every direction simultaneously to spot

636
00:44:08.880 --> 00:44:13.039
the monster's potential attack points. My breath blew out in

637
00:44:13.159 --> 00:44:18.679
billows of desperate smoke as I came up empty. There

638
00:44:18.760 --> 00:44:25.840
was nothing. The monster wasn't there yet. I didn't dare

639
00:44:26.039 --> 00:44:29.480
hope to imagine that my shot had killed it. If anything,

640
00:44:30.039 --> 00:44:34.000
it had made it even angrier. It was probably destroying

641
00:44:34.039 --> 00:44:37.199
the inside of my truck. At that very moment, what

642
00:44:37.320 --> 00:44:39.840
I didn't trust was that the monster wouldn't find me

643
00:44:39.960 --> 00:44:43.840
underneath the trailer. I looked around for anywhere I could

644
00:44:44.000 --> 00:44:47.719
use as a better hiding place. My eyes fell on

645
00:44:47.800 --> 00:44:50.880
the wheels of the truck. It looked like there was

646
00:44:51.039 --> 00:44:54.679
just enough room between the tires and the differential. It

647
00:44:54.719 --> 00:44:57.559
would be a tight squeeze, but it was better than

648
00:44:57.599 --> 00:45:01.079
that thing finding me. I turned around and slid my

649
00:45:01.119 --> 00:45:06.599
feet in first. The further I slid, the tighter it got. Ironically,

650
00:45:06.719 --> 00:45:09.960
the grease and oil from the differential helped me slide

651
00:45:10.039 --> 00:45:14.039
through a little easier. When I almost had my shoulders through,

652
00:45:14.119 --> 00:45:18.119
it suddenly felt too tight. I was stuck. I couldn't

653
00:45:18.119 --> 00:45:22.320
move forward or backward. Panic flooded my mind, and I

654
00:45:22.360 --> 00:45:27.119
struggled frantically like I couldn't breathe. After the longest minute

655
00:45:27.119 --> 00:45:31.320
of my life, I finally managed to maneuver my shoulders

656
00:45:31.360 --> 00:45:35.559
through and into my hiding spot. The hood of my

657
00:45:35.719 --> 00:45:39.480
coat did double duty of keeping me warm and completing

658
00:45:39.519 --> 00:45:42.760
my hiding place. I lowered it to the level of

659
00:45:42.800 --> 00:45:46.400
the asphalt and would raise it just an inch when

660
00:45:46.440 --> 00:45:50.000
I wanted to look out. The first half hour was

661
00:45:50.039 --> 00:45:53.880
the worst. The ringing in my ears had begun to subside,

662
00:45:53.880 --> 00:45:57.280
but I still didn't hear anything outside of my own breathing.

663
00:45:58.519 --> 00:46:03.639
The cold slowly leaked through my clothes. Still no sign

664
00:46:03.719 --> 00:46:09.280
of the monster. Another hour passed, My muscles started to

665
00:46:09.320 --> 00:46:15.800
cramp up. Still no sign of the monster. Another hour

666
00:46:16.880 --> 00:46:21.840
I felt like my bladder would burst. Still no monster.

667
00:46:22.599 --> 00:46:26.320
During the long boredom in between, I pulled the magazine

668
00:46:26.320 --> 00:46:29.360
out of the gun and counted how many bullets I

669
00:46:29.400 --> 00:46:34.559
had left. No matter how many times I counted, it

670
00:46:34.639 --> 00:46:40.440
always came out the same number. One. I knew one

671
00:46:40.519 --> 00:46:44.719
bullet wouldn't save me from the monster. There was only

672
00:46:44.800 --> 00:46:48.679
one thing I could do with one bullet and my

673
00:46:48.880 --> 00:46:53.440
suffering if it found me. I took it out of

674
00:46:53.480 --> 00:46:57.880
the magazine and stared at it. I used my coat

675
00:46:57.960 --> 00:47:01.480
to shine it up, then and stared at my reflection

676
00:47:02.159 --> 00:47:06.800
in the gleaming brass. The edges of the snow around

677
00:47:06.840 --> 00:47:11.960
the trailer began to glow. I knew the sun was

678
00:47:12.000 --> 00:47:17.280
coming up. Darkness was no longer my friend. I was

679
00:47:17.320 --> 00:47:20.559
about to give up and crawl out of my hiding

680
00:47:20.599 --> 00:47:27.519
place when I heard it, a soft sniffing sound. I

681
00:47:27.639 --> 00:47:31.400
lifted my hood an inch just enough to peek out,

682
00:47:32.800 --> 00:47:36.760
and there it was. Its head had broken through the

683
00:47:36.800 --> 00:47:39.800
wall of snow, close to where I dove under the trailer.

684
00:47:40.760 --> 00:47:43.440
There were a few drops of blood from my neck wound,

685
00:47:44.000 --> 00:47:48.880
and it was sniffing them. These drops would lead it

686
00:47:48.960 --> 00:47:52.840
right to me. Sure enough, it took a turn toward

687
00:47:52.920 --> 00:47:55.800
the front of the trailer and looked in my direction.

688
00:47:57.119 --> 00:48:00.199
I lay there, still as stone as it inched its

689
00:48:00.239 --> 00:48:04.320
way toward me. It was having trouble squeezing its massive

690
00:48:04.400 --> 00:48:07.360
body under the trailer, and I could hear it growling

691
00:48:07.440 --> 00:48:13.719
with frustration. It came closer, crawling right toward me. There

692
00:48:13.800 --> 00:48:17.280
was no doubt it knew I was there. I closed

693
00:48:17.280 --> 00:48:21.440
my eyes and stuck the barrel of the gun under

694
00:48:21.480 --> 00:48:25.519
my chin. I felt its hot breath and smelled the

695
00:48:25.559 --> 00:48:31.239
stench of death as I squeezed the trigger. Suddenly it shrieked,

696
00:48:31.480 --> 00:48:34.920
and I could feel the truck bucking above me. I

697
00:48:34.960 --> 00:48:39.599
opened my eyes to the most amazing sight. Its horns

698
00:48:40.239 --> 00:48:44.360
had gotten caught in the chains hanging down underneath the trailer,

699
00:48:45.000 --> 00:48:49.000
and it was tangled. It screamed and bucked and fought

700
00:48:49.039 --> 00:48:52.679
to be free from its metal captors. It yanked backwards

701
00:48:52.719 --> 00:48:55.719
so hard I felt the truck move sideways an inch.

702
00:48:56.800 --> 00:48:59.920
The differential was pressing on me now and I had

703
00:49:00.159 --> 00:49:04.480
to shimmy over to avoid being crushed. I watched as

704
00:49:04.519 --> 00:49:09.239
the chains broke away one by one, and then it

705
00:49:09.320 --> 00:49:13.000
was free. I took the opportunity to crawl out from

706
00:49:13.079 --> 00:49:16.519
under the truck. It was useless as a hiding place

707
00:49:16.599 --> 00:49:21.559
now it had already tracked me there. I was almost

708
00:49:21.599 --> 00:49:24.679
out when I heard another sound and saw a shadow

709
00:49:24.760 --> 00:49:27.920
pass by the other side of the truck. It was

710
00:49:28.000 --> 00:49:32.280
coming back, but it was trying from the other side.

711
00:49:32.320 --> 00:49:36.119
I crawled as quickly as I could. This was my chance.

712
00:49:36.519 --> 00:49:38.760
If it searched from the other side, it might not

713
00:49:39.000 --> 00:49:42.119
know I had left. I had no idea where I

714
00:49:42.119 --> 00:49:44.440
would go, but it was better to be out of

715
00:49:44.480 --> 00:49:49.559
a useless hiding place. Besides, I desperately needed to stretch

716
00:49:49.760 --> 00:49:53.360
and pee. As I stood next to the truck, I

717
00:49:53.440 --> 00:49:56.880
saw a large patch of red in the snow. I

718
00:49:56.960 --> 00:49:59.719
guess shooting it wasn't as useless as I had thought.

719
00:50:00.840 --> 00:50:04.400
I took care of business first, peeing before I ruined

720
00:50:04.400 --> 00:50:08.599
another pair of pants. I finished and thought about where

721
00:50:08.599 --> 00:50:11.800
to hide. I looked up at the ruined cabin of

722
00:50:11.840 --> 00:50:16.760
my truck when the nightmare crept around the corner. I

723
00:50:16.880 --> 00:50:21.599
stood there helpless. It had caught me flat footed. I

724
00:50:21.639 --> 00:50:25.079
had nowhere to go. It stared at me as it

725
00:50:25.199 --> 00:50:30.400
limped around the corner. Its empty eyes seemed to exude rage.

726
00:50:31.719 --> 00:50:36.760
I pulled up the gun and aimed. When it disappeared

727
00:50:37.119 --> 00:50:41.639
into a moving mountain of snow. The snow plow had

728
00:50:41.679 --> 00:50:45.840
finally arrived. I watched as the plow pushed its mound

729
00:50:45.880 --> 00:50:48.639
of snow passed my truck and over the edge of

730
00:50:48.679 --> 00:50:52.840
the parking lot. The driver backed up and stopped beside me.

731
00:50:54.039 --> 00:50:58.760
You been here all night, the driver said, since before

732
00:50:58.800 --> 00:51:03.679
the storm. What happened to your truck, he said, looking

733
00:51:03.760 --> 00:51:08.239
up at my shattered windows. I followed his eyes and thought,

734
00:51:08.280 --> 00:51:12.599
for a moment, someone tried to rob me. I lied,

735
00:51:13.199 --> 00:51:17.320
knowing the truth was unbelievable. I see you took care

736
00:51:17.320 --> 00:51:20.400
of it, he said, looking at the gun in my hand.

737
00:51:21.000 --> 00:51:23.079
I looked down at the pistol and stuck it in

738
00:51:23.119 --> 00:51:28.400
my waistband. It's been a hell of a night, I said, Well,

739
00:51:28.440 --> 00:51:31.280
don't worry. The roads are getting cleared, and I'll get

740
00:51:31.320 --> 00:51:36.400
you plowed out of here. Thanks, I said. He nodded

741
00:51:36.760 --> 00:51:40.239
and backed up to continue plowing. I looked at where

742
00:51:40.280 --> 00:51:43.400
he had just plowed, beside my truck and saw a

743
00:51:43.519 --> 00:51:47.440
long smear of red. I followed it to the edge

744
00:51:47.480 --> 00:51:50.039
of the parking lot and looked over the side with

745
00:51:50.119 --> 00:51:53.280
my hand on my gun. The drop off was a

746
00:51:53.280 --> 00:51:56.119
good ten feet or more and the snow had already

747
00:51:56.159 --> 00:51:59.719
started to pile up. I followed the path of red

748
00:51:59.760 --> 00:52:03.920
down the hill with my eyes and saw antlers poking

749
00:52:03.960 --> 00:52:08.119
out of the snow. I stared at them, looking for

750
00:52:08.199 --> 00:52:13.599
any movement. For ten minutes I watched, and they didn't move.

751
00:52:14.920 --> 00:52:17.880
I was interrupted when the plow pushed another pile of

752
00:52:17.960 --> 00:52:22.960
snow over the side, covering the antlers. I watched for

753
00:52:23.000 --> 00:52:28.000
another five minutes, just to be sure. The plow guy

754
00:52:28.039 --> 00:52:32.840
pulled up beside me. You okay, he said, I pulled

755
00:52:32.880 --> 00:52:36.639
my eyes away from the snow pile. Yeah, I'm good.

756
00:52:37.880 --> 00:52:43.039
You sure, he said, pointing at my neck. Yeah. I

757
00:52:43.039 --> 00:52:47.079
had just got nicked by some glass, I said, remembering

758
00:52:47.119 --> 00:52:51.840
the teeth of the monster clamping down on my neck. Well,

759
00:52:51.920 --> 00:52:54.840
I think someone just pulled into the store. He said,

760
00:52:55.719 --> 00:52:59.840
Maybe you should go get something for that. I will, thanks,

761
00:53:00.360 --> 00:53:05.159
I said, knowing I would do no such thing. I

762
00:53:05.280 --> 00:53:09.800
wanted to avoid as many questions as possible. I climbed

763
00:53:09.840 --> 00:53:13.079
into the cab, brushed the glass off my seat, and

764
00:53:13.239 --> 00:53:17.679
drove over to the fuel pumps. After filling up, I

765
00:53:17.800 --> 00:53:22.079
started the long trip home. I kept my cold weather

766
00:53:22.159 --> 00:53:26.159
gear and mask on. Having no windows or windshield made

767
00:53:26.199 --> 00:53:30.320
for a frigid trip. The heater was on max aimed

768
00:53:30.320 --> 00:53:33.440
at my feet, keeping the bottom half of me warm.

769
00:53:34.639 --> 00:53:38.360
I didn't call for a tow truck because I desperately

770
00:53:38.400 --> 00:53:41.800
wanted to get away from there. I never went back

771
00:53:41.840 --> 00:53:44.960
to that truck stop ever. Again. I didn't want to

772
00:53:45.000 --> 00:53:50.480
take the chance that that thing was still alive. I

773
00:53:50.559 --> 00:53:54.760
never told any one else about the harrowing encounter. I

774
00:53:54.840 --> 00:53:58.519
wish I could erase it from my mind. As I

775
00:53:58.639 --> 00:54:02.840
drove towards my home terminal through the endless stretch of trees,

776
00:54:04.000 --> 00:54:07.119
I saw one of the creatures peeking out at me

777
00:54:08.000 --> 00:54:13.159
that I used to think was my imagination. Now I

778
00:54:13.239 --> 00:54:24.400
know better, And that was Tonight's dose of frozen dread.

779
00:54:24.880 --> 00:54:29.159
My spookies, the kind of story that makes you look

780
00:54:29.239 --> 00:54:34.679
behind the shower curtain before you use the bathroom. And remember,

781
00:54:35.280 --> 00:54:39.639
every Friday in January, we are rolling out the absolute

782
00:54:39.760 --> 00:54:44.519
best and most memorable of twenty twenty five, spotlighting weekly

783
00:54:44.599 --> 00:54:48.679
spooky stories of the year. So if you love the

784
00:54:48.760 --> 00:54:52.280
hits the crowd favorites the ones that left a scar

785
00:54:52.679 --> 00:54:57.679
or most scary of all the ones you missed, keep

786
00:54:57.760 --> 00:55:02.519
Friday Nights circled on your calendar and make sure you're subscribed.

787
00:55:03.480 --> 00:55:06.920
And next Wednesday, a brand new mini series drops on

788
00:55:06.960 --> 00:55:12.880
the weekly Spooky feed. Banned by Rob Fields, a horror convention,

789
00:55:13.400 --> 00:55:17.880
a blizzard old grudges that never died, and a single

790
00:55:18.000 --> 00:55:24.079
word that keeps showing up like a curse. Banned It

791
00:55:24.239 --> 00:55:29.519
starts this Wednesday, So sleep tight and if you hear

792
00:55:29.800 --> 00:55:35.079
something outside in the snow well, don't open the door,