March 14, 2026

Ides of March: Four Horror Stories of Monsters, Revenge, Cannibals, and the Living Dead

Ides of March: Four Horror Stories of Monsters, Revenge, Cannibals, and the Living Dead
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The Ides of March isn’t just a date—it’s a warning. In this compilation from the Weekly Spooky horror podcast, four stories turn bad choices into worse consequences: a cursed swamp legend that crawls out of the mud, a predator’s idea of “conservation,” a feast where the menu fights back, and an alarm clock that wakes up way more than you.

In this episode (in order):

• “Gator Boy of Dead Ore Swamp” — by David O’Hanlon 
• “Stay Hungry” — by David O’Hanlon 
• “You Are What You Eat” — by Robert Fields 
• “Rude Awakenings” — by Rob Fields 

If you like your horror with cryptid folklore, survival dread, dark humor, and that “oh no… it’s happening” momentum—this one’s for you. The swamp is listening. The jungle is watching. And the dead? They’re very cranky about being disturbed.

🎧 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. Welcome back to the IDEs of March,

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that special stretch of the calendar where the air feels

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a little heavier and the world starts acting like it's

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been waiting for you to slip. Tonight's collection drifts in

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on swamp mist and rotten moonlight. You'll hear the hush

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of water that's too still, the soft drag of something

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scaled through reads, and the old local kind of warning

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people laugh off right up until the laughing stops. Then

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the hunger moves in. Not the normal kind, the kind

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with rules, the kind that turns the wild into a

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menu and turns people into ingredients, whether they volunteered or not.

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You'll feel it in the gut, that slow realization that

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nature isn't beautiful, it's honest, and it doesn't care if

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you're scared. And just when you think you've escaped into

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the safety of daylight, you'll wake up to the sound

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of an alarm you never ask for. Only this time,

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the noise isn't calling you to work, it's calling something

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to you. Because in the IDEs of March, even morning

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can be a threat, and the dead don't appreciate being

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put on a schedule, So settle in, get those lights low,

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the doors locked, and remember, some legends don't live in books.

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Some live in places you shouldn't go, in appetites you

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shouldn't feed. And remember, next Saturday we'll have another collection

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of IDEs of March stories from the Weekly Spooky Vault.

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And of course, subscribe today if you haven't already, and

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make sure you don't miss a brand new scary tale

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every Wednesday all year long. Now let's kick off the

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morbid joy Gator Boy of Dead or Swamp by David

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ohan Lay. Garrett Jenkins hated the swamp. He looked around

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the moonlit banks with growing uneasiness. Even if the place

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weren't cursed, he'd still have hated it. When he was little,

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they'd lived in a dilapidated stilt house with his grandparents

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on the edge of Dead Or Swamp, and he remembered

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it all vividly, the terrifying bellows of the alligators and

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their glowing eyes sitting still on the black water outside

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his bedroom window. That had been the worst. He'd never

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been happier than when his pops moved them to the

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duplex in town. Garrett never went to the swamp when

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it was time to visit his grandparents. He suddenly got

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sick when his old man wanted to go fishing. He

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remembered a school project that was due immediately. He hated

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that damn swamp more than anything, but taking your date

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to Bracket's Thumb was a Champsville tradition. He'd never gotten

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the opportunity before, and he wouldn't again. He looked over

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at Tony Rising. Her hair and make up were done

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up perfectly. It was only their fourth date, but also

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their last. They both had great opportunities far from Luxton County,

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and neither was stupid enough to squander that. They both

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knew this was their only chance, so they snuck out

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of the graduation party and headed to the Thumb. They

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sat in the air conditioning of Garrett's Oldsmobile, listening to

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the Cure and watching the haunted swamp. A new Jeep

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wagoner with big mud tires and a boat trailer was

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parked on the far side of the cracked asphalt. The

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night fishers were long gone by the time the couple arrived.

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It made Garrett more nervous. There was only one reason

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to visit the Thumb, after all, what if they came

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back and caught him in Tony. He knew they needed

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to speed things up, but they both waited for the

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other to initiate. They moved nervously in false start, and

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then giggled with embarrassment. Tony cupped his face in her

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hands and leaned in for a soft kiss. Then sighed,

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I hate this town. She whispered, I thought coming out

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here would give me one thing to miss when I

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left in the fall. She leaned back against the passenger

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side door. Garrett twisted to her face. He was secretly

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glad she'd broken contact. It had been a simple, boring kiss,

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but it had been more than enough for the virgin.

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He squirmed uncomfortably, hoping the shadow of the dash would

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hide the bulge in his leviyes. That's why I'm here, too,

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he said. I don't think making it on the boat

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ramp is what I need. She said, we can go

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somewhere else, Garrett suggested. Old man Otto always leaves his

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tractor unlocked. You do you know how many people have

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had sex in that tractor. I'm pretty sure I was

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conceived in that tractor. Garrett admitted he was probably still

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called old man Otto back then too. The guy probably

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knew Reverend Bracket in person. Who's that? Tony asked, with

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obvious embarrassment, Hugh've lived here your whole life, and you

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don't know the story of the thumb. Garrett laughed, How

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is that even possible? It sticks out from the swamp

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like a thumb. Tony shrugged, I never really cared about

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the graudy old swamp. Who was Bracket? Wow? Okay? Garrett

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cleared his throat and changed his position. We should have

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a campfire for this. That's how most of us hear it,

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settle for just hearing it before first semester. It was

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the summer of eighteen eighty eight he started. It had

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been raining for weeks. The men of Champsville were going

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stir crazy being stuck indoors with their wives. Somewhere out

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there across the swamp was a two story whorehouse called

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the Sweet Marsh. In The Sweet Marsh was well known

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in Rooker in Brownsburg, but the Champsville men rarely took

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the eighteen mile journey around the gator infested swamp to

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visit Madam Maddie. With the water up, some of the

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guys decided to shortcut the distance in their boats. They

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came back with erotic tales of the Sweet Marsh. Enterprising

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locals started building rafts for the men to rent. Some

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of them were better built than others, and not all

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of them made it back. Drownings and gator attacks were commonplace,

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so no one really thought anything of it. Naturally, other

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guys thought they were smarter and kept making the trip

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until their luck ran out. It went like that through

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July and most of August. That's when Reverend Brackett came

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to town. Did he have a giant thumb tony interrupted

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or an extra thumb like the guy we saw at

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the fair. I'll get to the thumb in a minute,

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Garrett promised. Brackett had been a Confederate bushwhacker, where he

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earned the name Brutal Bracket. Some time after, he found

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God but didn't quite lose the temperament. He became a preacher,

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traveling with a flock of deranged followers that called themselves

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the Church of Immaculate Wrath. They came to champs like

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a plague. They told the locals the truth about the

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Sweet Marsh. Madam Mattie was a witch and was sacrificing

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the Champsville husbands to the devil The widows were happy

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to hear it. They liked that version better than their

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husband's dying. In order to get some strange, the mob

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stormed the lawn of the brothel, which was sixty feet

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of soggy grass and alligator turrets. Madam Mattie was no pushover.

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When Brackett's devotees tried to torch the inn, she led

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her hookers in an armed counter attack. It was a

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hell of a fight, but the church won. Bracket hung

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the girls from the inn's balconies and left them for

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the customers to see. No one knows if it had

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a name before, but from that day on the area

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was called dead Horse Swamp. Thick accents and poor literacy

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led to maps listing it as dead or and eventually

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that stuck instead. That's terrible, Tony looked across the swamp.

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How morbid can you be? What happened to Mattie? Well,

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if you'd stop interrupting, I'd tell you. Garrett settled back

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into his storytelling voice. When it was time for her judgment,

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Mattie remained defiant. She bit off Bracket's finger and ran

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with her hands still tied up and the finger clenched

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between her teeth. She went straight into the swamp. The

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church tried to pursue the smell of death or maybe

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Maddie's black magic brought the gaiters out in full force,

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and they swarmed the men until Bracket was the only survivor.

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A week later, a finger, a thumb, they say, was

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found right here where we're sitting. That's why we call

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it Bracket's thumb. Mattie never came out of the swamp,

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and everyone assumed she had been eaten as well, until

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she began appearing in the brackish waters around Champsville. People

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saw her in the distance, always half submerged and seemingly

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at home among the reptiles and muck. Almost a year

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after the Sweet Marsh massacre, Champsville got woke up by

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a woman's screams coming from the swamp. The sightings of

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Madam Maddie stopped that night. Legend says that she ran

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away that evening, but she was raped by the alligators.

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The scream heard in Chanceville nine months later for her

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giving birth to the inhuman offspring, the Gator Boy of

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Dead or Tony, broke into laughter. It's true, Garrett promised

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Gator Boy has been seen for generations, especially when it rains. Sure,

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Tony scooted closer to him. It rained yesterday. I didn't

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see your croc boy, gator boy. No, sweetie, it's a crock,

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She caressed his face. Let's make our own story. They

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made out passionately for a long time before Garrett worked

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up the nerve to move his groping hands underneath her shirt.

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He circled her nipple with his thumb and gently pinched.

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She moaned and worked at the button of his jeans.

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Garrett sucked the side of Tony's neck. She screamed, and

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he felt like a total stud until he realized it

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hadn't been a scream of pleasure. He pushed himself away

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from her. What did I do something wrong? He asked.

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There was something outside. It's a swamp. There's lots of

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things outside, not like that. There aren't. Metal shrieked outside.

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A flicker caught Garrett's attention. A strange red glow emanated

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from behind the vehicle. Another scrape, then a third that

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lasted longer than the others. The ominous glow moved. Tony

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looked over the seats, start the engine, Garrett. She whispered

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the reptilian face popped up in her open window, with

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its eyes burning brightly. Tony scooted backwards across the seat

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until she was in Garrett's lap. The monster disappeared before

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she could get a good look. Garrett turned the key,

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but the car didn't start. He tried again, but the

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engine wouldn't turn over. No way, he growled, I just

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got it tuned up, why won't it start? A tire

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popped and the car lurched to one side. The reptilian

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monster peeked over the hood at the two teens. Their

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planned to spend the evening screaming in each other arms

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had come to twisted fruition. The monster darted suddenly out

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of sight. Garrett watched its tail swinging wildly as it

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ran for the bushes. The two teens held onto each other,

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unable to move. The nightmare was gone. For Chris Davidson,

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it was only the beginning. He tightened the lug nuts

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on the spare tire. He'd had too many cups of

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the spiked punch at the graduation party and shouldn't have

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been driving. He'd swerve to avoid an animal on the

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poorly maintained two lane road. The tire blew, and he'd

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careemed through the scrub, scratching the hell out of the

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silica and busting the headlight. It could have been worse.

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If he'd pulled the wheel in the other direction, he'd

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be drowning in the swamp instead of changing attire. Dad

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is gonna kill my ass, he said, tossing the ruined

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tire into the back of the car. Chris listened to

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the night sounds. Crickets and cicadas carried on ceaselessly. Bullfrogs

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did their best to drown them out, while nighthawks added

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their sporadic calls to the mix. Thin clouds obscured the

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half moon, casting waves of shadow over everything below. He

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heard a guttural hiss. Recognition sent shivers racking through his body.

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He whirled, pointing the flashlight at the swamp. He knew

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it was there somewhere, but the weak kmart special barely

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had the power to illuminate the brush. He scanned low

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for the eye shine, but saw nothing. His brother had

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run over a gaiter once on the same stretch, and

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it ripped the transmission clean out from under the small pickup.

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The gaiter survived, and ever since Chris imagined it was

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out there looking to take its revenge on any vehicle

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it could. An idea came to him. That was the

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story he'd tell his dad. The gaiter did it. He

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was driving along Stone sober, and that bastard sprang from

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nowhere and bit his tire off. That might work. Chris

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might have been eighteen, but that wouldn't save his hide

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if he admitted he'd been driving his graduation present shitfaced

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and wrecked it on the first night of ownership. He

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laughed at his own genius, and another hiss answered him.

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Chris moved the light in its direction. At the far

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reach of the beam, a bush seemed to be growling,

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rising straight up from the ground. Then eyes did shine

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back at him. Chris dropped the light. Its plastic housing

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shattered on the blacktop. The monster broke from its cover.

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Chris bolted from the car door. He'd just gotten his

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hands on it when an impossible force struck him from behind.

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The jaws snapped together with an audible crack that left

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Chris's ears ringing. He felt a pull at his scalp

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as the monster tore a chunk of his high top.

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His head. Thick reptilian fingers gripped his arm, keeping Chris

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face down on the road. The teeth came together once more.

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This time, the beast didn't miss The bite cracked the

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team's skull. His eyes bulged from their sockets. Chris could

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hear the teeth grinding against bone. Then he couldn't hear

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anything at all. Terry Billings laughed his ass off as

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he stripped away the Gator Boy costume he'd pieced together

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from spare parts of old Halloween costumes. He'd had a

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crush on Tony since the seventh grade, and that basically

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made them a couple as far as he was concerned.

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He wasn't about to stand while she ran off to

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the thumb with some other guy. He tossed the costume

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into the bed of the Scottsdale. Another round of laughter

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overtook him. They'd tell the story of their encounter with

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Gator Boy, and the whole town would get a very

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good laugh. He drove back to town, taking the dirt

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road that skirted the edge of Old Man Otto's rice fields.

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He thought about riding up to the levee and seeing

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if anyone was bumping uglies in the tractor. Terry had

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a blast, scaring the shit out of Tony and Garrett.

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It wouldn't take too long to put the suit back on.

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Getting another couple would be hilarious, but getting caught wasn't

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an option. He cut onto the blacktop and spotted a

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single headlight along the shoulder. Terry put on his mac

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truck ball cap and pulled the brim down to hide

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00:21:00.839 --> 00:21:05.279
his face. Despite everyone in town knowing his daddy's truck,

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he just passed the car. When he felt a pang

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of unease, Terry pressed the brakes and slowed down. There

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was something beside the car, a dark puddle and a

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strange lump. He assumed the driver had struck an animal

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of some sort, Only the lump didn't remind Terry of

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an animal. It reminded him of an arm. The Chevy

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rocked gently. Terry took his eyes off the unidentifiable mass

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and looked around the otherwise deserted road. There was no

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sign of another driver, or anything else for that matter.

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The truck springs creaked. Terry turned to face the back window.

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A hot breath fall the glass. Black eyes met Terry's gaze.

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He stomped the gas all the way down the bed

263
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shook as the uninvited guest toppled out of it. Terry

264
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didn't dare look at his mirrors to see what it was.

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He didn't need to. The gator Boy was real, and

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he did not appreciate Terry's impersonation. You sure this is

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your dog, Deputy Grant dabbed at his bald head with

268
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a handkerchief. Of course, I am your dumb some bitch,

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Merrill howled, pretty darn plain to see it's Rudolph. No offense, Merle.

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Grant fanned the flies away from the scalp and awful,

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but I can't even tell it's a dog at all,

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not a whole one anyhow Well, no shit, he ain't home.

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Fucking gator boy been eating on my dog while you

274
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was stuffing your fucking face with grits and cock. About

275
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all you some bitch deputies do with my goddamn tax

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00:23:09.839 --> 00:23:16.920
dollars taxes. Grant squinted at the cabin behind Merle, guessing

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you don't mean your property tax you some bitch. Merle.

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You're a mean old bastard. Grant interrupted him. This is

279
00:23:27.440 --> 00:23:31.039
state land that you've been squatting on the last fifty years,

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but no one can tolerate you long enough to tell

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you to move the hell along. The only thing more

282
00:23:37.440 --> 00:23:40.759
rotten and putrid than those six wiggly ass teeth of

283
00:23:40.799 --> 00:23:44.559
yours is the bullshit you spew between them. If that

284
00:23:44.720 --> 00:23:48.079
chewed up poodle were you, even Pastor Fred would be

285
00:23:48.119 --> 00:23:52.599
thanking sweet baby Jesus for the blessing this Sunday, and

286
00:23:52.680 --> 00:23:58.039
I'd be content to call it natural causes. Unfortunately, it's

287
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a poor dog, and that warrants my time and a

288
00:24:00.759 --> 00:24:04.559
proper investigation. So how about you just give me damn

289
00:24:04.599 --> 00:24:10.000
pertinent details. Merle gasped. He'd been a pain in the

290
00:24:10.039 --> 00:24:14.079
ass for almost eight decades, and no one ever talked

291
00:24:14.119 --> 00:24:18.519
to him like that before. Then again, Grant came from

292
00:24:18.559 --> 00:24:22.440
the city. Merle knew better than to expect manners from

293
00:24:22.519 --> 00:24:26.920
city folk. He jabbed a nubby finger at Rudolph's remains,

294
00:24:27.559 --> 00:24:32.079
then cleared his throat. Heard him yowling out here, the

295
00:24:32.160 --> 00:24:36.039
codger said, in a more restrained tone. I grabbed my

296
00:24:36.119 --> 00:24:41.200
scatter gun expecting coyotes. Weren't no goddamn animal, though not

297
00:24:41.319 --> 00:24:47.359
no normal one. So you saw what did this? Grant asked, Sure,

298
00:24:47.480 --> 00:24:50.039
is your chunky ass jiggles on a Monday from a

299
00:24:50.079 --> 00:24:54.319
Sunday fart. Merle assured him it was gator boy. I

300
00:24:54.400 --> 00:24:58.880
done said it once, seven no, eight feet tall, nasty

301
00:24:58.880 --> 00:25:03.440
so bitch would calls big fucking teeth. Alrighty, guess that

302
00:25:03.559 --> 00:25:07.960
wraps this up. Grant headed back to his car. I'll

303
00:25:07.960 --> 00:25:10.799
get an apb out on Kermit the Frog and get

304
00:25:10.839 --> 00:25:15.319
back to you in a day or so. It's Maddie's birthday, dipshit,

305
00:25:15.880 --> 00:25:20.920
Merle snarled. He's always angry on his mama's birthday. You'll see, boy,

306
00:25:21.799 --> 00:25:26.799
killing's just getting started. Do me a solid, Merle. Grant

307
00:25:26.880 --> 00:25:30.200
slid into his seat and leaned out. Have a heart

308
00:25:30.240 --> 00:25:33.519
attack before I come back out here. It had been

309
00:25:33.640 --> 00:25:36.839
a hell of a morning, as it always was after

310
00:25:36.920 --> 00:25:40.799
a night of graduation parties. He didn't even have time

311
00:25:40.880 --> 00:25:44.279
to refresh his coffee at the station before the first

312
00:25:44.359 --> 00:25:50.039
call came in. Most of it was normal nonsense. Merle's

313
00:25:50.079 --> 00:25:53.160
dog was a low priority to the deputy, but the

314
00:25:53.200 --> 00:25:56.039
makeshift cabin was on the way to the first of

315
00:25:56.079 --> 00:26:01.200
the missing person calls. He had three of those. Grant

316
00:26:01.279 --> 00:26:05.279
expected to find each of them nursing a hangover somewhere.

317
00:26:05.599 --> 00:26:09.640
Garrett woke up first and hurriedly scrubbed the sleep from

318
00:26:09.640 --> 00:26:13.279
his eyes so he could pretend that he had guarded

319
00:26:13.319 --> 00:26:17.279
Tony all night. They'd come to the Thumb for an

320
00:26:17.359 --> 00:26:23.480
unforgettable memory. They certainly had that. He gently roused her.

321
00:26:24.160 --> 00:26:28.559
She screeched and palmed him in the nose. Jesus ow,

322
00:26:29.240 --> 00:26:34.920
why I'm sorry, Tony patted his chest. I thought you

323
00:26:35.000 --> 00:26:39.119
were the monster. Why would a monster wake you up gently?

324
00:26:40.319 --> 00:26:44.519
Maybe that's how they do it, Tony snapped back, this

325
00:26:44.599 --> 00:26:48.720
is my first time meeting one. I think it's broken,

326
00:26:49.359 --> 00:26:54.759
Garrett whined. Speaking of broken, Tony pointed at the sunrise.

327
00:26:55.599 --> 00:26:59.599
It's low light, so you can fix the car. Garrett

328
00:26:59.640 --> 00:27:03.039
pinched his bloody nose and scowled at her. He was

329
00:27:03.079 --> 00:27:05.839
the only guy in the history of Luxton County to

330
00:27:05.880 --> 00:27:10.119
strike out at the Thumb. He was attacked by Gator Boy.

331
00:27:10.680 --> 00:27:13.839
His date tried to punch his lights out. After all that,

332
00:27:14.400 --> 00:27:17.640
Tony expected him to go outside with the monster to

333
00:27:17.759 --> 00:27:23.640
fix the damn car. He huffed and stepped outside. The

334
00:27:23.680 --> 00:27:27.680
olds was scratched up bad, the chrome trim ripped off,

335
00:27:27.720 --> 00:27:32.759
and one tire was slashed. Dried cool shimmered on the asphalt.

336
00:27:33.480 --> 00:27:36.640
He popped the hood and found the battery cable torn off.

337
00:27:37.640 --> 00:27:41.480
Garrett looked over at the jeep with its big tires

338
00:27:41.519 --> 00:27:46.119
and wood trim. The Cajun station wagon was easily recognizable

339
00:27:46.759 --> 00:27:53.160
as Carter Stigmuns. Carter had never returned, it seemed. Garrett

340
00:27:53.200 --> 00:27:57.079
went to the jeep to see if Carter was sleeping inside.

341
00:27:57.119 --> 00:28:01.039
Carter had five kids at home, all a year apart,

342
00:28:01.240 --> 00:28:03.680
so it wouldn't be surprising if he camped in the

343
00:28:03.799 --> 00:28:08.119
jeep instead of going back to that madhouse, even if

344
00:28:08.160 --> 00:28:12.680
it were vacant. Perhaps there'd be some tools. The vehicle

345
00:28:12.799 --> 00:28:18.160
was unlocked, with the keys hanging from the ignition. Garrett

346
00:28:18.200 --> 00:28:22.279
set out rummaging through the jeep. Do you think it's

347
00:28:22.319 --> 00:28:28.079
out there? Tony said behind him. Garrett screamed, shrilly, sorry,

348
00:28:28.720 --> 00:28:32.839
Tony hung her head. I didn't want to be alone

349
00:28:32.920 --> 00:28:36.759
and I didn't want to piss my drawers. Garrett slumped

350
00:28:37.039 --> 00:28:40.400
into the back seat. Help me look for a toolbox.

351
00:28:40.519 --> 00:28:44.640
Since you're here, okay. Tony went to the back and

352
00:28:44.759 --> 00:28:48.960
lifted the gate. So do you think it's out there?

353
00:28:50.039 --> 00:28:53.359
No one ever saw gator Boy during the day, he said,

354
00:28:54.119 --> 00:28:59.079
I mean the sweet marsh. Tony clarified, I had a

355
00:28:59.200 --> 00:29:03.920
dream that it was. The dead girls were still hanging there.

356
00:29:04.960 --> 00:29:07.640
I was scared enough, Tony. You don't need to make

357
00:29:07.680 --> 00:29:13.519
it worse. Then you definitely shouldn't look behind you. Not funny, Tony,

358
00:29:14.599 --> 00:29:18.759
not meant to be. Garrett took a deep breath and

359
00:29:18.880 --> 00:29:30.880
turned to see what was there. Grant fired his pistol

360
00:29:30.960 --> 00:29:35.720
into the brush, sending the buzzards scattering back into the sky.

361
00:29:37.079 --> 00:29:42.279
There was roadkill all over Arkansas. They'd find another meal.

362
00:29:43.640 --> 00:29:49.039
The deputy approached the Toyota Celica cautiously. The birds had

363
00:29:49.079 --> 00:29:53.240
been pecking at something next to it. Even up close,

364
00:29:53.359 --> 00:29:56.680
it took Grant a moment to figure out it was

365
00:29:57.599 --> 00:30:01.119
an arm. The bit of his skin left on the

366
00:30:01.160 --> 00:30:04.119
appendage and the make of the car led him to

367
00:30:04.200 --> 00:30:09.200
believe he'd found one of his missing persons. The size

368
00:30:09.240 --> 00:30:12.359
of the blood stain looked to be everything Chris Davidson

369
00:30:12.400 --> 00:30:16.799
would have had in his body. Grant went to call

370
00:30:16.839 --> 00:30:22.880
it in. A rumbling engine stole his attention. Carter Stigmund

371
00:30:23.000 --> 00:30:26.400
hadn't been home in two days. He told his wife

372
00:30:26.480 --> 00:30:30.440
he was going frog gigin at Bracket's Thumb. That was

373
00:30:30.480 --> 00:30:35.599
where Grant had been heading when he spotted the Selica. Apparently,

374
00:30:35.799 --> 00:30:39.400
Carter had woken up from his drunken stupor and was

375
00:30:39.440 --> 00:30:42.640
trying to make it home before his wife got any angrier.

376
00:30:43.720 --> 00:30:48.119
Grant waved for Carter to slow down, but to his surprise,

377
00:30:48.279 --> 00:30:53.400
the jeep came to a screeching halt instead. The smell

378
00:30:53.440 --> 00:30:58.000
of burnt rubber made Grant's bulbous nose twitch. He fanned

379
00:30:58.039 --> 00:31:02.079
the stench away and stepped to the driver's side, shocked

380
00:31:02.079 --> 00:31:07.079
to see the pimple faced teen behind the wheel. Boy,

381
00:31:07.279 --> 00:31:10.839
the hell are you doing? Grant asked, Why are you

382
00:31:10.880 --> 00:31:15.200
in Carter's rig? Where's he at? A girl leaned across

383
00:31:15.240 --> 00:31:19.799
from the other seat. Someone's been killed. Seems to be

384
00:31:19.839 --> 00:31:29.440
a lot of that going around, Grant grumbled. The setting

385
00:31:29.599 --> 00:31:34.440
sun turned the sky into a deep bruise. Airman Griz

386
00:31:34.519 --> 00:31:39.200
sutton yawned and turned up the radio. He hadn't been

387
00:31:39.240 --> 00:31:42.759
home in two years, a fact his mother was sure

388
00:31:42.799 --> 00:31:46.559
to bring up every time he called. He'd been in

389
00:31:46.680 --> 00:31:50.200
Germany on Christmas and promised he'd come to visit as

390
00:31:50.240 --> 00:31:54.000
soon as he got leave. He wasn't looking forward to

391
00:31:54.039 --> 00:31:57.960
the five hundred mile drive to baton Rouge from Blytheville.

392
00:31:58.400 --> 00:32:02.960
After the prior Knight's party. To make matters worse, car

393
00:32:03.039 --> 00:32:06.880
tags had expired while he was overseas, and he'd have

394
00:32:06.960 --> 00:32:09.759
to navigate the back roads, which would add at least

395
00:32:09.920 --> 00:32:14.319
two hours. After an hour of the boring stretches of

396
00:32:14.400 --> 00:32:18.640
nothing that made up southeastern Arkansas, Griz was glad to

397
00:32:18.720 --> 00:32:21.640
have the swamp to look at, not that he could

398
00:32:21.680 --> 00:32:25.640
see much of it at dusk. Still, the thought of

399
00:32:25.680 --> 00:32:29.519
that murky water, combined with the big gulp, pushed his

400
00:32:29.640 --> 00:32:33.559
bladder to its breaking point. He pulled the fierro to

401
00:32:33.640 --> 00:32:39.759
the shoulder. Everything was peaceful and still. Griz stepped out

402
00:32:40.079 --> 00:32:44.079
and went to the brush to relieve himself. A nighthawk

403
00:32:44.160 --> 00:32:48.000
called out from the low branches of a cypress. H

404
00:32:48.720 --> 00:32:54.000
enjoy the view, Buddy, Griz chuckled. Once he finished raising

405
00:32:54.039 --> 00:32:56.799
the water level of the swamp, he went back to

406
00:32:56.839 --> 00:33:01.440
the fierro. A misshapen silhouette prowled at the edge of

407
00:33:01.480 --> 00:33:07.079
the headlights. Griz paused to watch the interloper. It could

408
00:33:07.079 --> 00:33:10.160
have been a trick of the light. He certainly hoped

409
00:33:10.200 --> 00:33:15.839
it was. He detoured to the passenger door, opening it slowly.

410
00:33:16.880 --> 00:33:22.920
The ominous form moved suddenly, but didn't advance. It moved laterally,

411
00:33:23.359 --> 00:33:26.960
watching Griz with the same intensity. The airman watched it back.

412
00:33:28.640 --> 00:33:32.279
Go on now. Griz waved for it to go get

413
00:33:32.319 --> 00:33:37.799
out of here. It didn't. Griz went into his glove

414
00:33:37.839 --> 00:33:42.079
compartment for the Barretta. Whatever was stalking him was smart

415
00:33:42.680 --> 00:33:47.240
and attentive. As soon as Griz thumbed down the safety lever,

416
00:33:47.799 --> 00:33:51.519
the shape rushed straight at him. The airman took his

417
00:33:51.640 --> 00:33:56.119
first two shots one handed, sending them wide. The animal

418
00:33:56.240 --> 00:34:01.880
changed course instead of retreating. The headlights illuminated the leathery

419
00:34:02.000 --> 00:34:07.160
skin for just a second. Griz secured his grip and

420
00:34:07.240 --> 00:34:11.599
took a more stable stance. He led the target and

421
00:34:11.800 --> 00:34:16.920
fired again. The creature bellowed. It launched itself into the air,

422
00:34:17.480 --> 00:34:21.639
landing on top of the sports car with a reptilian hiss.

423
00:34:22.159 --> 00:34:28.119
Griz saw it clearly drool trickled between triangular teeth set

424
00:34:28.159 --> 00:34:33.800
in a stubby jaw, flared nostrils sat beneath emotionless, black

425
00:34:33.840 --> 00:34:38.519
eyes ringed and yellow. Griz threw himself to the ground,

426
00:34:38.840 --> 00:34:42.639
thrusting the pistol up and firing until the monster went away.

427
00:34:43.679 --> 00:34:47.199
It jumped from the roof, hitting the swamp with a splash.

428
00:34:48.079 --> 00:34:53.440
And not making another sound from there, Griz scrambled for

429
00:34:53.480 --> 00:34:57.840
another magazine. He watched the black water as he reloaded,

430
00:34:58.760 --> 00:35:02.280
expecting the thing to come back and finish the job.

431
00:35:03.159 --> 00:35:06.159
His chest burned from the breath he didn't know he

432
00:35:06.199 --> 00:35:11.840
was holding. He let it out sharply. The lizard man

433
00:35:12.000 --> 00:35:17.159
was gone. A hot, wet drop landed on his buzzed

434
00:35:17.199 --> 00:35:22.239
head and rolled behind his ear. Griz reached back to

435
00:35:22.360 --> 00:35:26.360
inspect it and was relieved to see the blood on

436
00:35:26.440 --> 00:35:32.639
his fingertips. He stood up and growled angrily. Aside from

437
00:35:32.719 --> 00:35:36.079
the small pools of blood, there were a lot of

438
00:35:36.199 --> 00:35:40.920
bullet holes. Insurance ain't going to cover that. He shook

439
00:35:40.960 --> 00:35:44.239
his head and shouted at the swamp. I hope I

440
00:35:44.320 --> 00:35:47.800
shot your balls off, you scilly son of a bitch.

441
00:35:48.960 --> 00:35:53.239
Grant angled his desk fan directly into his face. The

442
00:35:53.320 --> 00:35:57.079
teen couple had seen the mauled remains of Carter Stigmund

443
00:35:57.519 --> 00:36:03.360
and his pal John adamlay their ravaged aluminum boat. That's

444
00:36:03.400 --> 00:36:07.880
when they'd peeled away in Stigmun's jeep. Grant was content

445
00:36:08.039 --> 00:36:11.880
to call it an animal attack, but the teams insisted

446
00:36:12.679 --> 00:36:17.360
it was gator boy like any good Luxton County deputy

447
00:36:17.840 --> 00:36:20.840
Grant gave them a line of shit about black bears.

448
00:36:21.599 --> 00:36:25.960
That was the official version they always used. No one

449
00:36:26.039 --> 00:36:29.320
had ever seen a bear of any damn color in Luxton,

450
00:36:30.119 --> 00:36:34.800
but it beat admitting the truth about the swamp. Grant

451
00:36:34.800 --> 00:36:38.599
could see the future. If that ever happened, Champsville would

452
00:36:38.639 --> 00:36:42.760
be a tourist trap photos and souvenirs and a goddamn

453
00:36:42.800 --> 00:36:47.519
gator Boy breakfast cereal with tiny marshmallows shaped like body parts.

454
00:36:48.800 --> 00:36:52.440
The sheriff had taken his misses to the Riverboat Casino,

455
00:36:53.320 --> 00:36:56.599
but was on his way back. Grant had about an

456
00:36:56.639 --> 00:36:58.719
hour to come up with a way to convince the

457
00:36:58.840 --> 00:37:03.320
kids they'd a damn bear. The bell rang over the

458
00:37:03.400 --> 00:37:07.360
door and Grant grumbled. He pushed out of his chair

459
00:37:07.400 --> 00:37:10.559
and stepped out of his office. The man had a

460
00:37:10.599 --> 00:37:14.920
military haircut and the bill to match, shown off by

461
00:37:14.960 --> 00:37:18.519
the cut off Air Force T shirt. Grant waved, and

462
00:37:18.559 --> 00:37:22.440
the man practically ran to meet him. You're not going

463
00:37:22.480 --> 00:37:26.440
to believe this shit, he started. You'd be surprised what

464
00:37:26.519 --> 00:37:30.519
I believe right about now, Grant assured him. There's a

465
00:37:30.599 --> 00:37:35.840
monster in the swamp. You don't say, Grant grumbled. You

466
00:37:35.920 --> 00:37:39.960
get a good look at this monster. Damn skippy, Sheriff

467
00:37:40.360 --> 00:37:45.920
Griz nodded vigorously. I shot the bastard shot it. Grant

468
00:37:46.000 --> 00:37:50.559
raised an eyebrow and looked the man over carefully. Say

469
00:37:51.480 --> 00:37:55.079
I ain't seen you before. That don't happen very often

470
00:37:55.119 --> 00:38:00.239
in this county, Griz sudden. He extended his hand. I'm

471
00:38:00.239 --> 00:38:03.679
on leave from Blytheville Airbase. I was heading home to

472
00:38:03.719 --> 00:38:07.800
Baton Rouge Grant put his hands on his wide hips.

473
00:38:08.400 --> 00:38:14.199
Now what exactly did you see, mister Sutton? Some kind

474
00:38:14.199 --> 00:38:16.960
of a lizard? I can draw pretty good if you

475
00:38:17.079 --> 00:38:21.480
got some paper. This thing was. It was crazy. Have

476
00:38:21.599 --> 00:38:26.280
never seen anything like it? Sure you have? Grant smiled.

477
00:38:26.960 --> 00:38:32.440
It was a black bear? What? No, it definitely wasn't

478
00:38:32.440 --> 00:38:35.639
a bear. This thing was covered in thick skin, like

479
00:38:35.760 --> 00:38:42.000
a like a dinosaur. Mange Grant explained. Their hair falls

480
00:38:42.039 --> 00:38:45.920
out and leaves them with this wrinkled dark skin, could

481
00:38:46.000 --> 00:38:50.119
look just like a lizard, especially in the dark. No,

482
00:38:50.679 --> 00:38:53.639
you don't get it, Sheriff. I was as close to

483
00:38:53.679 --> 00:38:56.360
it as I am to you. Then you must not

484
00:38:56.440 --> 00:38:59.519
be a very good soldier. Son. If I shot something

485
00:38:59.519 --> 00:39:02.800
at this distance, it'd be dead, and I'd have brought

486
00:39:02.800 --> 00:39:05.840
it into this office instead of just a story about

487
00:39:05.840 --> 00:39:10.800
some dinosaur. Grant put a hand on his shoulder, speaking

488
00:39:10.840 --> 00:39:14.840
of shooting things. You do have a permit for that firearm,

489
00:39:15.239 --> 00:39:19.920
don't you. It's my service pistol, which means you can

490
00:39:20.000 --> 00:39:22.920
carry it in the line of duty, not freely. In

491
00:39:22.960 --> 00:39:27.400
the state of Arkansas. That takes a special permit. You

492
00:39:27.559 --> 00:39:32.840
got one of them? Griz looked at him incredulously. Inside. No,

493
00:39:33.840 --> 00:39:37.360
I don't got one of them. I thought Arkansas was

494
00:39:37.400 --> 00:39:42.480
a shall issue, permitless state. Grant interrupts. What I got

495
00:39:42.599 --> 00:39:45.880
is a man illegally carrying a firearm in my county,

496
00:39:46.280 --> 00:39:50.840
filing a bogus report about dinosaurs in my swamp. He shrugged.

497
00:39:51.599 --> 00:39:56.239
Or I have a respectable, reputable patriot with a distinguished

498
00:39:56.280 --> 00:40:01.920
military record who defended himself from a black bear with mange.

499
00:40:02.079 --> 00:40:07.679
So which one have I got? Griz sagged and staggered

500
00:40:07.719 --> 00:40:11.360
to the nearest chair. He sank into it with a curse.

501
00:40:12.360 --> 00:40:15.760
Grant sat on the edge of the desk, waiting for

502
00:40:15.880 --> 00:40:21.199
an answer. Griz stayed silent, telling his mother he wasn't

503
00:40:21.280 --> 00:40:24.920
visiting because he was in jail. Might be worse than

504
00:40:24.960 --> 00:40:28.559
whatever that monster had planned on doing to him. I

505
00:40:28.599 --> 00:40:36.199
guess I need to report a bear attack sheriff. Somewhere

506
00:40:36.280 --> 00:40:41.440
deep amongst the cypress trees, the creature broke the surface

507
00:40:41.519 --> 00:40:45.679
of the murky swamp water. He scratched at the bullet

508
00:40:45.719 --> 00:40:50.719
wound with a cracked claw. The human had hurt him,

509
00:40:51.559 --> 00:40:55.760
but it would heal. The beast crawled up the embankment

510
00:40:56.360 --> 00:41:02.840
to the soggy yard. Alligators hissed his arrival. He returned

511
00:41:02.840 --> 00:41:06.719
the greeting on his way to the dead bones lay

512
00:41:06.760 --> 00:41:11.800
in piles around the porch, with rotten ropes dangling above them.

513
00:41:12.199 --> 00:41:17.079
One skeleton, almost intact, still hung from the frayed noose

514
00:41:17.679 --> 00:41:23.079
caught under its jaw. The creature went inside the ruins

515
00:41:23.119 --> 00:41:26.519
of the Sweet Marsh Inn and settled into one of

516
00:41:26.519 --> 00:41:33.000
the parlor's ragged, mildewed chairs. The gator Boy of Dead

517
00:41:33.119 --> 00:41:48.440
or Swamp had come home Stay Hungry by David O'Hannon.

518
00:41:50.400 --> 00:41:54.960
Ella Scott watched in disbelief as the man passed the

519
00:41:55.039 --> 00:42:00.360
folded bills to the boat Captain. Caine Marlowe was one

520
00:42:00.400 --> 00:42:04.639
of the most infamous poachers in the world, and last

521
00:42:04.719 --> 00:42:09.599
she'd heard was in a Kenyan prison. She doubted he'd

522
00:42:09.639 --> 00:42:14.840
been released on good behavior. Ella's face reddened as Marlowe

523
00:42:14.920 --> 00:42:19.920
went to stow his luggage, her fingernails dug into her palms,

524
00:42:20.400 --> 00:42:26.639
and her entire body shook. Keith, the cameraman for the documentary,

525
00:42:27.159 --> 00:42:30.679
stepped in front of her with his hands raised defensively

526
00:42:31.760 --> 00:42:36.159
deep breaths. He said, it's just a mix up, I'm sure.

527
00:42:37.360 --> 00:42:40.679
Ella shoved him out of her way and stormed over

528
00:42:40.760 --> 00:42:44.920
to the captain, grabbing for his collar but mostly getting

529
00:42:45.039 --> 00:42:50.039
chest hair. The short, stocky man whined and slapped at

530
00:42:50.039 --> 00:42:55.559
her hands. What are you thinking, she demanded that I

531
00:42:55.639 --> 00:43:00.239
didn't ask for a manscaping. He rubbed his chest up

532
00:43:00.280 --> 00:43:06.159
the river or no, yes, Ella barked back to film

533
00:43:06.239 --> 00:43:11.719
the hippos migrating, not being butchered. God damn it, Louise,

534
00:43:12.639 --> 00:43:16.480
do you know who that is? Of course, Louise said,

535
00:43:17.239 --> 00:43:19.639
he's the guy that just paid me a lot more

536
00:43:19.679 --> 00:43:22.159
than you did to go to the exact same place.

537
00:43:22.800 --> 00:43:25.639
I can make a dozen trips to more popular locations

538
00:43:25.679 --> 00:43:29.639
in the same time. This trip is not cost effective.

539
00:43:30.079 --> 00:43:32.679
I got plenty of room. If someone else wants to

540
00:43:32.679 --> 00:43:37.599
come along, I'll take them too. I think you misunderstood,

541
00:43:38.159 --> 00:43:43.039
Keith chimed in. Ella is concerned because that man is

542
00:43:43.079 --> 00:43:46.079
a poacher. I don't care how he eats his eggs.

543
00:43:46.840 --> 00:43:50.960
Louise shrugged and started up to the ship's helm. He'll

544
00:43:51.000 --> 00:43:56.480
slaughter them. Ella said, this is Columbia, Miss Scott. Louis

545
00:43:56.599 --> 00:44:00.280
leaned on the rusted railing. This village here has been

546
00:44:00.280 --> 00:44:03.119
burned down at least three times since I've been alive.

547
00:44:04.000 --> 00:44:08.599
Human life is cheap. Hippos aren't many men pay to

548
00:44:08.679 --> 00:44:11.760
hunt these animals. You're upset that he is here, but

549
00:44:12.239 --> 00:44:16.760
you use this boat, so you'll tolerate him. I understand

550
00:44:16.840 --> 00:44:21.199
it's your boat, but it's their boat. The captain cut

551
00:44:21.199 --> 00:44:24.159
her off. The hunters are why this boat has a

552
00:44:24.239 --> 00:44:27.599
running motor. They are the reason I was able to

553
00:44:27.639 --> 00:44:30.880
pay off my debts when your hippos killed the fish

554
00:44:30.920 --> 00:44:34.440
I used to catch for a living. You hate the hunters,

555
00:44:34.840 --> 00:44:37.559
but the hunters are the only reason you're going upriver

556
00:44:38.320 --> 00:44:41.000
to go where you wish. You either take this boat

557
00:44:41.559 --> 00:44:46.760
or you swim. Guess we're riding with the poacher. Keith muttered,

558
00:44:47.800 --> 00:44:56.880
I'm not letting him kill anything. Ella said, mark my words.

559
00:44:58.159 --> 00:45:03.079
After the Colombian government slaughtered the bull named Pepe, there

560
00:45:03.079 --> 00:45:07.239
had been an international outcry to protect the so called

561
00:45:08.000 --> 00:45:13.960
cocaine hippos. Pablo Escobar had imported four of the animals

562
00:45:14.360 --> 00:45:18.039
for his private zoo back in the eighties, which had

563
00:45:18.159 --> 00:45:23.320
escaped into the wild after his death. Without a dry season,

564
00:45:23.800 --> 00:45:28.840
they begun reaching sexual maturity faster. Their number had swelled

565
00:45:28.880 --> 00:45:32.760
to at least two hundred in the years since. If

566
00:45:32.800 --> 00:45:36.679
interventions weren't found, there would be a thousand by the

567
00:45:36.800 --> 00:45:41.119
end of the next decade. In recent months, reports had

568
00:45:41.159 --> 00:45:46.000
come in of hippopotamus sightings far from Median. However, a

569
00:45:46.039 --> 00:45:51.159
local group of activists exploiting the rampant political corruption, had

570
00:45:51.159 --> 00:45:55.079
supplied Ella with satellite imagery of the area, as well

571
00:45:55.159 --> 00:45:59.440
as aerial photographs of what appeared to be three juveniles

572
00:46:00.039 --> 00:46:05.239
several hundred miles to the north. Ella studied the photos

573
00:46:05.320 --> 00:46:08.719
with the same intrigue she had when she first seen them.

574
00:46:09.800 --> 00:46:14.039
In the alien jungles of South America, the animals often

575
00:46:14.079 --> 00:46:19.960
behaved in ways unseen among their African relatives. Still it

576
00:46:20.079 --> 00:46:25.039
seemed unreasonable. Still, it seemed unreasonable for a group to

577
00:46:25.119 --> 00:46:28.159
break off from the herd when all their needs were

578
00:46:28.199 --> 00:46:33.280
being met in the Magdalena River they called home. If

579
00:46:33.320 --> 00:46:37.039
they had been forced out by a dominant bull. Then

580
00:46:37.079 --> 00:46:40.559
they should have stopped moving once they were outside his range,

581
00:46:40.760 --> 00:46:44.559
which would have been no more than ten miles. The

582
00:46:44.599 --> 00:46:49.320
exodus made no sense. Ella needed to film them in

583
00:46:49.360 --> 00:46:52.840
the wild and to figure out exactly why they had

584
00:46:52.920 --> 00:46:56.360
moved so far. She had to show the world that

585
00:46:56.440 --> 00:47:01.280
the Colombian hippo had become its own species if she

586
00:47:01.440 --> 00:47:05.320
wanted to save them. They'd been on the river all day.

587
00:47:06.159 --> 00:47:10.159
Keith had occupied himself with filming establishing shots. For the

588
00:47:10.199 --> 00:47:14.400
first few hours. Ella had shot thirty three takes of

589
00:47:14.440 --> 00:47:18.880
her introduction, detailing the history of the hippos in Columbia,

590
00:47:19.480 --> 00:47:23.320
the efforts to contain them, and how they had transformed

591
00:47:23.960 --> 00:47:27.400
from an invasive species to a meaningful part of the

592
00:47:27.480 --> 00:47:32.760
ecosystem that they now lived within. Keith wasn't sure he

593
00:47:32.840 --> 00:47:36.239
bought into that last part, no matter how many times

594
00:47:36.280 --> 00:47:40.320
she made him reshoot it. He was from Indiana and

595
00:47:40.400 --> 00:47:44.239
had seen the negative effects of feral hog's first hand.

596
00:47:45.119 --> 00:47:48.960
The hippos were a lot bigger and more ill tempered

597
00:47:49.440 --> 00:47:53.519
than the pigs back home. They'd started their trip at

598
00:47:53.519 --> 00:47:58.079
the tourist trap in Median The hippopotamuses had created a

599
00:47:58.159 --> 00:48:02.320
strange paradox for the local They killed the fish that

600
00:48:02.440 --> 00:48:07.039
provided the basis for their economy and diet, while simultaneously

601
00:48:07.159 --> 00:48:11.840
creating revenue through eco tourism. It was much cheaper to

602
00:48:11.880 --> 00:48:15.559
come see the hippos in South America than venturing to

603
00:48:15.639 --> 00:48:21.000
Africa for a pricey photo safari. Keith didn't see the appeal.

604
00:48:21.760 --> 00:48:25.079
The hippos did nothing but soak in a river and

605
00:48:25.280 --> 00:48:30.239
immodestly shit for the flashing cameras. It hardly seemed worth

606
00:48:30.280 --> 00:48:35.360
the airfare. While Ella reviewed the maps and photographs again,

607
00:48:36.039 --> 00:48:39.519
he optioned to take some still photos of the vast

608
00:48:39.639 --> 00:48:44.679
array of wildlife occupying the riverbanks. He zoomed in on

609
00:48:44.760 --> 00:48:48.960
the stone faced Colombian sitting at the rear of the boat.

610
00:48:49.599 --> 00:48:53.039
Hector filled every role on the boat as he was needed.

611
00:48:53.920 --> 00:48:58.320
He was a former FARC soldier and his bear Torso

612
00:48:58.639 --> 00:49:03.119
was pock marked with shrapnel, scars and burns from his

613
00:49:03.239 --> 00:49:07.760
past life. Once they made land, Hector would make sure

614
00:49:07.880 --> 00:49:12.079
they were safe while filming. Ella had of course protested

615
00:49:12.320 --> 00:49:15.840
an armed guard, but Luis had only been paid half

616
00:49:15.920 --> 00:49:20.920
up front and insisted Hector go with them. Keith wasn't

617
00:49:21.000 --> 00:49:24.760
sure if the man never spoke because he didn't know English,

618
00:49:25.480 --> 00:49:30.719
or if it was some sense of warrior stoicism. Either way,

619
00:49:31.360 --> 00:49:35.760
the cameraman found Hector as intriguing as he was frightening.

620
00:49:36.800 --> 00:49:40.559
Keith pried his lens away from his subject and moved

621
00:49:40.599 --> 00:49:45.760
to the opposite end of the rickety boat. Cain Marlowe

622
00:49:45.800 --> 00:49:49.039
stood at the bow with one boot on the edge

623
00:49:49.480 --> 00:49:52.800
and his Rigby rifle propped on his hip, like he

624
00:49:52.920 --> 00:49:56.239
was gracing the cover of a Harley Quinn romance novel.

625
00:49:57.440 --> 00:50:00.760
He looked the part with his Safari shirts slip rolled

626
00:50:00.880 --> 00:50:05.039
up over muscular forearms and the top two buttons down

627
00:50:05.440 --> 00:50:10.599
to show the valley between thick pectorals. Exotic oils made

628
00:50:10.679 --> 00:50:15.800
his golden beard glisten in the setting sun. He was

629
00:50:15.840 --> 00:50:20.079
a bondye beach allen quartermain. The only thing out of

630
00:50:20.119 --> 00:50:24.199
place about him was the ragged scar on the right

631
00:50:24.360 --> 00:50:30.480
side of his face. The claws had left distinctive raised

632
00:50:30.599 --> 00:50:35.960
lines from his temple to his jaw. His eye was

633
00:50:36.039 --> 00:50:40.000
stuck in a permanent squint on account of the nerve damage.

634
00:50:41.000 --> 00:50:45.039
Keith wondered if some unfortunate jungle cat had turned the

635
00:50:45.079 --> 00:50:48.840
tables on the poacher, or if it had been his

636
00:50:49.039 --> 00:50:53.719
origin story perhaps the beast had mauled a young Marlowe,

637
00:50:54.280 --> 00:50:59.840
beginning his desperate need to kill them in retaliation. Like Hector,

638
00:51:00.400 --> 00:51:04.400
Keith found Marlowe to be more interesting than the hippos.

639
00:51:05.880 --> 00:51:09.840
This is insane, Ella said, snapping him back to reality.

640
00:51:10.679 --> 00:51:14.400
The photos clearly show the hippos have moved on. This

641
00:51:14.599 --> 00:51:20.159
is completely uncharted behavior for them. We're onto something huge

642
00:51:20.239 --> 00:51:25.159
here and crocodile dun dumbass wants to murder them. Maybe

643
00:51:25.159 --> 00:51:29.119
they're trying to go home. Keith said, they are moving

644
00:51:29.159 --> 00:51:34.039
in the general direction of Africa. Ancient Egyptians thought they

645
00:51:34.039 --> 00:51:39.480
were supernatural beings. Ella seemed to consider it. Perhaps the

646
00:51:39.559 --> 00:51:46.519
truth is somewhere in between, perhaps, Keith snorted. Or perhaps

647
00:51:46.599 --> 00:51:49.159
you're reading too much into them going for a walk.

648
00:51:50.360 --> 00:51:55.639
They've traveled over two hundred miles. Ella scoffed. That's hardly

649
00:51:55.679 --> 00:52:01.440
an evening stroll. It's an invasion. Marlowe said, that's what

650
00:52:01.519 --> 00:52:05.519
the Venezuelans are calling it. They've got enough problems without

651
00:52:05.519 --> 00:52:09.719
a bunch of hungry, hungry hippos coming to dinner. So

652
00:52:10.079 --> 00:52:12.519
you're going to kill them and be the big hero.

653
00:52:13.079 --> 00:52:16.679
Ella asked, wouldn't be much fun or profit in that.

654
00:52:17.480 --> 00:52:21.760
Marlow corrected her. If the herd crosses the border, they'll

655
00:52:21.760 --> 00:52:25.719
be slaughtered. That's exactly what you don't want. If I recall,

656
00:52:26.760 --> 00:52:30.719
you're killing them for their own good Ella laughed, that's

657
00:52:30.760 --> 00:52:35.280
a new spin. I'll kill one or two. Marlow admitted,

658
00:52:36.000 --> 00:52:39.920
these animals are simply exploring their boundaries. It takes a

659
00:52:39.960 --> 00:52:45.400
predator to set some Luckily you have me. They don't

660
00:52:45.400 --> 00:52:48.400
go to Venezuela to be massacred, and I get a

661
00:52:48.440 --> 00:52:54.039
grand hunt. We both win. Miss Scott Keith looked around

662
00:52:54.079 --> 00:52:56.960
the boat and raised his hand like he was back

663
00:52:56.960 --> 00:53:02.840
in film school. Yes, Marlo asked, there doesn't seem to

664
00:53:02.840 --> 00:53:06.360
be room for a dead hippo, let alone two of them.

665
00:53:06.960 --> 00:53:12.159
The cameraman said he's only bringing back the teeth. Ella

666
00:53:12.280 --> 00:53:19.800
said pointedly, trading in hippo ivory is illegal internationally. Marlow said,

667
00:53:19.880 --> 00:53:24.079
with a grim smile. They're not an indigenous species, so

668
00:53:24.599 --> 00:53:27.239
the Colombian government doesn't have a law on the books

669
00:53:27.280 --> 00:53:31.480
about domestic sales. You think you Americans have the patent

670
00:53:31.519 --> 00:53:34.800
on rich assholes. I can sell those tusks in Bogatah

671
00:53:34.880 --> 00:53:39.559
for a mint. I won't let that happen. Ella insured

672
00:53:39.639 --> 00:53:44.039
him the sightings indicate an entire pod up there that's

673
00:53:44.079 --> 00:53:46.000
big enough that we can both get the kind of

674
00:53:46.039 --> 00:53:48.880
shots we're looking for without being in each other's way.

675
00:53:50.000 --> 00:53:53.840
Marlow stepped closer to Ella. You're on the backside of

676
00:53:53.840 --> 00:54:00.280
Burke now. No police, ya, no human rights, no fucking Starbucks.

677
00:54:00.880 --> 00:54:04.840
Is that supposed to be a threat? A reminder? You're

678
00:54:04.880 --> 00:54:09.519
not live streaming a protest outside of Maybelene. Everything out

679
00:54:09.519 --> 00:54:15.519
here is lethal. Piranha, crocs and acandas and jaguars, even

680
00:54:15.599 --> 00:54:20.239
the fucking ants. Anyone can come into the jungle, but

681
00:54:20.360 --> 00:54:23.800
it takes a special breed to come back out, and

682
00:54:23.880 --> 00:54:27.440
I don't think you're of that stock. He nodded to Keith.

683
00:54:28.400 --> 00:54:33.000
That bloke certainly isn't. Marlowe climbed the ladder to join

684
00:54:33.079 --> 00:54:37.400
Louise at the helm. Ella looked back at Hector, wondering

685
00:54:37.440 --> 00:54:40.599
if his role as their protector extended to keeping them

686
00:54:40.639 --> 00:54:45.960
safe from Marlowe as well. The former soldier locked eyes

687
00:54:46.000 --> 00:54:49.760
with her and replaced the strap on his holster, letting

688
00:54:49.760 --> 00:54:54.079
her know he'd been prepared to move if things had escalated.

689
00:54:55.199 --> 00:55:00.119
On Whose behalf he'd have acted was still a mystery.

690
00:55:05.079 --> 00:55:09.159
It had been a long night so far from civilization.

691
00:55:10.239 --> 00:55:15.599
The wildlife went about their routines uninterrupted all night long.

692
00:55:16.119 --> 00:55:20.679
Animals carried on in an endless cacophony of mating calls

693
00:55:20.920 --> 00:55:25.840
and ferocious hunts. Every time an animal cried out from

694
00:55:25.840 --> 00:55:30.880
the jaws of some predator, Ella would snap awake, expecting

695
00:55:30.960 --> 00:55:35.119
to see Marlowe carrying a gruesome trophy back on board

696
00:55:35.199 --> 00:55:40.360
the boat. It never happened. Each time she was roused

697
00:55:40.360 --> 00:55:45.480
from sleep, she found the hunter peacefully resting in his hammock.

698
00:55:46.760 --> 00:55:50.599
The sounds of death must have been his favorite lullaby.

699
00:55:51.400 --> 00:55:55.039
He didn't stir in the slightest while she snuck away

700
00:55:55.760 --> 00:56:01.280
with his rifle. They made good time. The next Keith

701
00:56:01.360 --> 00:56:05.480
sat beside Louise at the helm. Ella watched him shakily

702
00:56:05.559 --> 00:56:09.000
pouring a fresh cup of coffee into a cracked mug

703
00:56:09.440 --> 00:56:14.599
with faded letters. Despite having gotten even less sleep than her,

704
00:56:15.360 --> 00:56:19.800
Keith seemed wide awake. Now. Ella went to the top

705
00:56:19.840 --> 00:56:26.000
of the ladder. Keith, She called, yeah, He yipped excitedly,

706
00:56:26.719 --> 00:56:31.920
His feet tapped rapidly, and he was grinding his teeth. Oh,

707
00:56:32.079 --> 00:56:34.559
you want me to get some more bee roll? That

708
00:56:34.639 --> 00:56:39.239
would be great. She gestured to the cup. How much coffee.

709
00:56:39.239 --> 00:56:43.920
Have you had? This is my second cup. Keith nodded vigorously.

710
00:56:44.639 --> 00:56:49.079
Louise held up three fingers. You seem a little jittery,

711
00:56:49.599 --> 00:56:54.400
Ella said, it's really good. Keith slapped Louise on the back.

712
00:56:55.039 --> 00:57:01.199
Folgers doesn't know shit about Colombian blend. Colombian blend, Ella asked,

713
00:57:01.840 --> 00:57:07.800
Colombian blend, Louise said, tapping his nostril for clarity. Take

714
00:57:07.880 --> 00:57:12.320
him before he shakes us off course, Jesus, okay, no

715
00:57:12.440 --> 00:57:16.840
more coffee, Keith. Ella snapped her fingers, pointing to the bow.

716
00:57:17.800 --> 00:57:21.239
We have work to do. Pour it over the side.

717
00:57:21.400 --> 00:57:24.280
I don't think so. Louise took the mug from Keith

718
00:57:24.599 --> 00:57:28.039
and down to gulp. Last thing we need is piranhas

719
00:57:28.039 --> 00:57:31.360
swimming in this. Go make movies with your girlfriend and

720
00:57:31.440 --> 00:57:35.239
leave the coffee to the men. Keith laughed, he thinks

721
00:57:35.280 --> 00:57:39.400
you're my girlfriend. Move your ass. Keith Ella dropped to

722
00:57:39.440 --> 00:57:42.480
the deck and went to stern for the camera equipment.

723
00:57:43.199 --> 00:57:47.440
She looked around suspiciously. Hector had stayed at the rear

724
00:57:47.519 --> 00:57:52.599
of the ship the entire day, but had seemingly given

725
00:57:52.679 --> 00:57:57.400
up his post. A sharp whistle drew her attention, and

726
00:57:57.480 --> 00:58:02.440
apparently the captain's as the boat slowed. I think you

727
00:58:02.480 --> 00:58:06.440
should come and see this, miss Scott, marlow shouted from

728
00:58:06.480 --> 00:58:10.280
the bow. Ella pulled the camera from the bag and

729
00:58:10.400 --> 00:58:14.360
shoved it into Keith's arms. On the way past. Hector

730
00:58:14.519 --> 00:58:18.199
was there, cradling an assault rifle in his arms and

731
00:58:18.280 --> 00:58:23.000
sipping at his own coffee. Marlowe pointed to the riverbank.

732
00:58:24.039 --> 00:58:27.679
You see that, miss Scott, he asked. Make sure your

733
00:58:27.679 --> 00:58:32.360
cameraman gets a good look. Flies swarmed over the corpse

734
00:58:32.760 --> 00:58:37.480
of the American crocodile. It laid on its back, with

735
00:58:37.599 --> 00:58:42.920
its intestines bulging out of its split belly. One leg

736
00:58:43.119 --> 00:58:47.800
was completely torn from its body. A yellow headed vulture

737
00:58:47.960 --> 00:58:51.480
tugged at a strand of muscle hanging from the stump.

738
00:58:52.719 --> 00:58:57.639
The bird stretched the tissue until it snapped loose. The

739
00:58:57.760 --> 00:59:01.760
grass was trampled around the scene, with deep hoof prints

740
00:59:02.159 --> 00:59:07.000
clearly visible in the mud. There are five thousand American

741
00:59:07.079 --> 00:59:13.320
crocodiles in the entire world, marlow said, minus one, thanks

742
00:59:13.320 --> 00:59:17.039
to your hippos. Maybe you two would like to get

743
00:59:17.079 --> 00:59:21.639
off the boat and film that. Fuck you Marlow Ella

744
00:59:21.760 --> 00:59:28.119
spat Territorial disputes happen across species in every ecosystem. Don't

745
00:59:28.159 --> 00:59:32.800
try to justify what you do. That croc was at

746
00:59:32.880 --> 00:59:37.280
least fifty years old, marlow said, pointing at the carcass.

747
00:59:37.800 --> 00:59:44.000
There was no dispute, dearI this was his territory. Your

748
00:59:44.079 --> 00:59:47.639
hippos kill him for the sport of it. Funny how

749
00:59:47.639 --> 00:59:50.719
you seem to have such a problem when I do that.

750
00:59:51.960 --> 00:59:56.000
The crocodile has not been dead long, maybe since last night,

751
00:59:56.800 --> 01:00:01.800
Hector said, in an even mechanical tone. We should not

752
01:00:01.960 --> 01:00:06.760
be this close. What do you mean. Keith looked around,

753
01:00:07.159 --> 01:00:10.760
swinging the camera as he turned his head close to

754
01:00:10.840 --> 01:00:16.400
what blimey Marlowe scanned the water for air bubbles. A

755
01:00:16.519 --> 01:00:24.199
territorial dispute, you say, Ella gasped, Oh shit? What? Keith shouted?

756
01:00:24.800 --> 01:00:28.320
Why does everyone know what's going on except me? We

757
01:00:28.480 --> 01:00:34.320
moving on? Or what? Louise asked? We were wrong? Ella shouted,

758
01:00:34.719 --> 01:00:38.320
get down here and bring your map. Ella laid her

759
01:00:38.360 --> 01:00:42.440
photos in topographic map on a small table and waited

760
01:00:42.440 --> 01:00:46.639
for Luis to add his own. The others gathered around

761
01:00:47.079 --> 01:00:51.079
to hear what she said, but Hector and Marlowe kept

762
01:00:51.079 --> 01:00:55.400
their eyes on the river. Hippos stay in the water

763
01:00:55.599 --> 01:00:59.239
most of the time, but will travel around ten miles

764
01:00:59.280 --> 01:01:02.719
to graze. Ella pointed at a circle on the map.

765
01:01:03.719 --> 01:01:07.239
Our photos were taken here, so we assumed they had

766
01:01:07.320 --> 01:01:11.079
migrated up the Magdalena to this inlet. It was the

767
01:01:11.159 --> 01:01:14.440
only logical place they could be. But we know a

768
01:01:14.559 --> 01:01:19.159
hippo was here recently. The inlet is too far away

769
01:01:19.440 --> 01:01:22.400
for a bull to have wandered. We were going to

770
01:01:22.440 --> 01:01:27.000
go right past them. I'm thrilled for you, lady Louise said,

771
01:01:27.480 --> 01:01:30.199
But like my mother in law always says, you pay

772
01:01:30.280 --> 01:01:32.159
full price even if you don't go all the way.

773
01:01:33.760 --> 01:01:37.880
Was your mother in law a prostitute? Keith asked, second

774
01:01:37.920 --> 01:01:41.800
finest in all of Columbia. Louise told him if she'd

775
01:01:41.800 --> 01:01:45.599
have been the first, I'd have married her instead. It

776
01:01:45.679 --> 01:01:50.880
might have worked out better. Hector added. The answer seemed

777
01:01:50.920 --> 01:01:54.840
so obvious that no one looked for another. Ella sketched

778
01:01:54.840 --> 01:01:58.559
a rough circle that joined their current location to the

779
01:01:58.639 --> 01:02:03.360
confirmed sighting. The calves were photographed at one end of

780
01:02:03.400 --> 01:02:07.119
the grays Lands, and we're sitting on the other. You

781
01:02:07.199 --> 01:02:10.280
can't see it on my map because of the canopy,

782
01:02:10.599 --> 01:02:14.400
but yours is hand drawn. There's a large pond right

783
01:02:14.440 --> 01:02:17.920
in the center. What isn't on your map is the

784
01:02:18.000 --> 01:02:22.559
tributary that feeds it. That's because we already have enough

785
01:02:22.599 --> 01:02:25.599
ways to get killed in this country without going down

786
01:02:25.679 --> 01:02:32.400
Rio de d'l mortal. Seriously, Ella stiffened, it's actually called

787
01:02:32.440 --> 01:02:36.599
the river of deadly evil. You have a river of

788
01:02:36.679 --> 01:02:42.559
deadly evil? Keith screeched, Of course not, Luis laughed. It's

789
01:02:42.559 --> 01:02:44.800
hard enough to get taurusts this far into the jungle

790
01:02:44.880 --> 01:02:50.159
without scary rivers. It looks narrow and shallow. Probably someone

791
01:02:50.239 --> 01:02:53.519
just figured there was no point drawing it on. Can

792
01:02:53.559 --> 01:02:57.960
the boat make it through? Marlowe asked, If not, I

793
01:02:58.000 --> 01:03:02.599
don't give refunds. Louis sipped his coffee. He'll both see

794
01:03:02.599 --> 01:03:12.639
your hippos soon. Luis ducked under a branch, careful to

795
01:03:12.719 --> 01:03:17.039
keep his hand on the wheel. The hull scraped noisily

796
01:03:17.119 --> 01:03:21.760
against the rocky banks of the narrow channel. He stood

797
01:03:21.840 --> 01:03:26.519
and eased back on the throttle. Navigating the unmarked river

798
01:03:26.639 --> 01:03:31.960
had proven more challenging than the map suggested. The jungle

799
01:03:32.079 --> 01:03:35.960
reached out for the boat on both sides, swatting at

800
01:03:36.000 --> 01:03:40.519
the passengers like it was shooting gnats. A monkey jumped

801
01:03:40.519 --> 01:03:43.400
from one of the trees, using the boat as a

802
01:03:43.440 --> 01:03:47.920
stepping stone to the other side. Louise watched the foliage

803
01:03:48.360 --> 01:03:53.880
to make sure it wasn't being pursued. Alto Alto. Hector

804
01:03:53.960 --> 01:03:57.320
called out from the bow something in the bushes ahead,

805
01:03:58.800 --> 01:04:03.840
check it out quickly and Dale. Louise shouted back. Hector

806
01:04:03.920 --> 01:04:08.159
stepped onto the rail, using a branch for stability as

807
01:04:08.199 --> 01:04:11.719
he hopped over a round boulder and on to the bank.

808
01:04:12.679 --> 01:04:17.400
The former rebel moved gracefully through the brush. He stopped

809
01:04:17.440 --> 01:04:23.159
in his tracks as something rustled behind him. He turned

810
01:04:23.199 --> 01:04:27.920
to find Ella picking herself up from the ground. He

811
01:04:27.960 --> 01:04:31.800
should have stayed on the boat, Hector told her, many

812
01:04:31.880 --> 01:04:36.519
dangerous things here. Marlowe swung from a vine to land

813
01:04:36.599 --> 01:04:40.760
between them. He unslung the rifle from across his back.

814
01:04:41.639 --> 01:04:44.960
Hector groaned and signaled for both of them to stay

815
01:04:45.039 --> 01:04:51.239
quiet before moving on. Ella shoved past marlow to catch up.

816
01:04:51.800 --> 01:04:57.760
The hunter chuckled. The smell of death lingered, but without

817
01:04:57.800 --> 01:05:04.679
the usual accompaniment of scavengers. Hector pushed through waste high grass,

818
01:05:05.199 --> 01:05:10.840
stepping into mud. Blood squished up around his boot soles.

819
01:05:11.719 --> 01:05:17.440
A hippopotamus carcass laid on its side. The bones were

820
01:05:17.519 --> 01:05:21.239
still wet where the meat had been removed, and its

821
01:05:21.400 --> 01:05:25.280
organs were strewn from its split belly all the way

822
01:05:25.440 --> 01:05:29.920
to the water's edge. Ornaments hung from the trees like

823
01:05:30.519 --> 01:05:36.760
archaic wind chimes. Ella investigated one of them. Vertebrae were

824
01:05:36.800 --> 01:05:41.360
spaced out along hand braided ropes with conical spikes at

825
01:05:41.360 --> 01:05:49.519
the end. These teeth are crocodilian, she said. The bones aren't,

826
01:05:49.559 --> 01:05:58.719
though they're human. Marlowe informed them some poor bastard spine.

827
01:05:58.760 --> 01:06:03.719
This animal was butchered, Hector said, kneeling to examine the

828
01:06:03.719 --> 01:06:10.679
bear femur. There are knife marks. Another poacher. Ella asked,

829
01:06:10.719 --> 01:06:15.599
with a baleful glare at marlow Jesus. The monsters cut

830
01:06:15.679 --> 01:06:20.719
out its teeth, all of them. Marlowe said a hunter

831
01:06:20.880 --> 01:06:24.719
would have only taken the tusks. These cuts are ragged

832
01:06:25.119 --> 01:06:30.760
and much too rough for steel. This was indios revenge.

833
01:06:31.440 --> 01:06:35.599
Hector rattled one of the wind chimes. The crocodile has

834
01:06:35.639 --> 01:06:40.360
been revered across the globe since time began. Marlowe nodded.

835
01:06:41.480 --> 01:06:45.239
The hippo killed one of their gods. They got their payback.

836
01:06:45.880 --> 01:06:48.840
They probably took the meat to appease the other crocs

837
01:06:49.199 --> 01:06:54.719
and keeping there good graces. Holy shit. Keith called from

838
01:06:54.719 --> 01:07:00.599
the boat. He zoomed in on the carnage. That's insane, Ella,

839
01:07:00.880 --> 01:07:05.079
you're not going to believe the shot. He should probably

840
01:07:05.199 --> 01:07:10.039
keep quiet, Marlow suggested, while bringing his rifle to bear.

841
01:07:11.159 --> 01:07:16.199
This was a pup. The hippos will be more aggressive now.

842
01:07:17.679 --> 01:07:21.239
There's too many rocks here. Louise bellowed, I can't slow

843
01:07:21.280 --> 01:07:25.599
down anymore. You need to get back on the boat, Hector,

844
01:07:26.320 --> 01:07:30.360
what color is the bottom of the boat. Ella watched

845
01:07:30.400 --> 01:07:36.280
the crock teeth swaying on the ceremonial decor white, I guess.

846
01:07:36.920 --> 01:07:43.760
Hector shrugged like a croc belly. Marlow whispered back on

847
01:07:43.840 --> 01:07:49.760
the boat, Louis ordered. Marlow turned slowly, scanning the jungle

848
01:07:49.840 --> 01:07:55.159
for movement. Ella gasped when he pointed the rifle straight

849
01:07:55.199 --> 01:08:00.039
at her. She watched as his finger moved to the

850
01:08:00.119 --> 01:08:05.039
trigger and took up the slack. The muzzle flash stretched

851
01:08:05.079 --> 01:08:10.159
at her like dragon's breath, accompanying the terrifying roar of

852
01:08:10.239 --> 01:08:15.000
the big game rifle. The ground rumbled around her. She

853
01:08:15.159 --> 01:08:20.520
whirled around to see the hippo dead at her feet.

854
01:08:21.600 --> 01:08:25.680
A wisp of smoke drifted from the fist sized hole

855
01:08:26.279 --> 01:08:31.720
in its skull. Crikey, that was a close one. Marlow

856
01:08:31.840 --> 01:08:37.479
chambered another round. Good thing I reloaded since someone took

857
01:08:37.520 --> 01:08:41.560
the bullets from my rifle. No worries I brought more.

858
01:08:43.159 --> 01:08:48.239
Keith screamed as the boat listed violently. Great boulders bobbed

859
01:08:48.279 --> 01:08:52.479
to the surface around the vessel. A muffled whoomp came

860
01:08:52.520 --> 01:08:56.960
from the water, jostling the boat again. The group stood

861
01:08:57.279 --> 01:09:02.239
petrified as the boulders stretched open their wide jaws and

862
01:09:02.359 --> 01:09:08.479
cried out. Unseen members of the pod responded throughout the jungle.

863
01:09:09.159 --> 01:09:13.680
An immense hippo exploded out of the water, crashing bodily

864
01:09:13.760 --> 01:09:18.600
onto the boat's stern. The bow rose up, throwing Louis

865
01:09:18.760 --> 01:09:22.399
from the helm. The captain hit the deck with a splash.

866
01:09:23.319 --> 01:09:28.279
Four thousand pounds of hippopotamus pressed it deeper into the water.

867
01:09:29.640 --> 01:09:34.680
Louis clawed at the floorboards. The beast's fetid breath washed

868
01:09:34.720 --> 01:09:39.199
over him as he slid closer to the gaping maw

869
01:09:40.640 --> 01:09:45.159
on the shore. The others watched as Louis was dragged,

870
01:09:45.680 --> 01:09:52.119
screaming beneath the surface. Keith Ella cried out, you have

871
01:09:52.199 --> 01:09:57.359
to jump. Water rose around the cameraman's legs. The ship

872
01:09:57.520 --> 01:10:01.319
was going down fast. Hippo jaw snapped at him over

873
01:10:01.399 --> 01:10:06.319
the guardrails. He shook his head. I can't jump, Are

874
01:10:06.319 --> 01:10:12.520
you insane? He whined, They'll eat me. You're sinking, dopey.

875
01:10:13.239 --> 01:10:18.159
Marlow shouted, now get off the bloody boat. Automatic rifle

876
01:10:18.199 --> 01:10:22.880
fire masked any reply Keith might have given. Hector sprayed

877
01:10:22.920 --> 01:10:26.640
from his hip at the charging bull. The barrage did

878
01:10:26.720 --> 01:10:30.960
nothing to slow the beast. Hector fumbled a fresh magazine.

879
01:10:31.720 --> 01:10:36.760
The hippo swiped its head once, impaling the soldier with

880
01:10:36.880 --> 01:10:42.279
its tusks. It raised Hector's screaming body into the air,

881
01:10:42.880 --> 01:10:48.319
crushing his torso like an aluminum can. Marlowe knelt and

882
01:10:48.439 --> 01:10:53.760
fired a shot through the hippo's eye. The hippopotamus collapsed,

883
01:10:54.199 --> 01:10:59.800
with Hector wheezing his last breaths, still trapped between its teeth.

884
01:11:01.079 --> 01:11:06.239
Everybody run, Marlowe barked. Keith put a foot on the

885
01:11:06.359 --> 01:11:10.640
railing and leapt for the shore. Ella reached out for him,

886
01:11:11.439 --> 01:11:17.039
and so did a hippo. The jaws closed around his legs,

887
01:11:17.359 --> 01:11:21.680
swinging him to the shore. Ella grabbed him by the wrists.

888
01:11:22.239 --> 01:11:26.439
The hippo tugged on him. Ella dug her heels into

889
01:11:26.479 --> 01:11:31.039
the muck and tried desperately to pull him free. The

890
01:11:31.119 --> 01:11:36.399
hippo gave a slight jerk, ripping Keith's legs off with ease.

891
01:11:37.640 --> 01:11:41.600
Ella cried as she dragged him up the embankment to

892
01:11:41.760 --> 01:11:46.640
her she was torn away from him. Suddenly, she landed

893
01:11:46.680 --> 01:11:53.079
on her back, expecting to see tusks closing around her face. Instead,

894
01:11:54.159 --> 01:12:00.399
she saw Marlowe dragging her away by the collar. No,

895
01:12:01.239 --> 01:12:05.520
she shouted, She clawed at the hunter's hands. We have

896
01:12:05.680 --> 01:12:09.920
to help him. There's no help for him. Marlowe struggled

897
01:12:09.960 --> 01:12:13.960
to get her up. Get on your feet, Keith cried out.

898
01:12:14.880 --> 01:12:19.760
Ella wrestled free and scrambled to the edge. The big

899
01:12:19.920 --> 01:12:23.960
female that capsized the boat rushed out to meet her.

900
01:12:24.920 --> 01:12:29.760
A hoof came down on Keith. His rib cage collapsed

901
01:12:30.399 --> 01:12:35.840
in one wet crunch. Jaws snapped shut in front of

902
01:12:35.840 --> 01:12:39.920
Ella's face with enough force to blow her auburn hair back.

903
01:12:41.159 --> 01:12:45.239
Marlowe blasted a chunk from the beast's snout and worked

904
01:12:45.319 --> 01:12:50.720
the rifle bolt. Now can we bloody leave? Ella used

905
01:12:50.720 --> 01:12:55.039
Marlowe's belt to pull herself up. The hunter swung her

906
01:12:55.079 --> 01:12:59.640
by the arm. Despite the uneven start, she gained her

907
01:12:59.640 --> 01:13:04.159
footing quickly and broke into a full sprint with Marlow

908
01:13:04.479 --> 01:13:09.159
on her heels. The giant female charged out of the jungle,

909
01:13:09.520 --> 01:13:14.760
uprooting trees in furious pursuit of the humans. Shoot it.

910
01:13:15.279 --> 01:13:20.039
Ella plaied, I only have one more shot, Marlow answered,

911
01:13:20.720 --> 01:13:25.600
you said you had more on the boat. Marlow snarled,

912
01:13:26.560 --> 01:13:31.479
what is that? Look up ahead? The jungle broke open,

913
01:13:31.960 --> 01:13:36.800
giving way to a sun drenched clearing full of tall grass.

914
01:13:37.319 --> 01:13:41.159
On the far end stood something as out of place

915
01:13:41.600 --> 01:13:47.720
as the cocaine hippos themselves. Is that a mansion? We're

916
01:13:47.760 --> 01:13:50.880
not going to live long enough to find out. Marlow

917
01:13:50.960 --> 01:13:55.680
growled that Sheila's right on our ass. The hippo let

918
01:13:55.720 --> 01:14:00.920
its jaw hang open, ready to chomp through them. Marlowe

919
01:14:01.000 --> 01:14:04.239
knew he wouldn't have time to line up a kill shot.

920
01:14:05.279 --> 01:14:08.920
He threw himself into Ella, sending her careening into the

921
01:14:09.000 --> 01:14:15.000
lush flora. Marlow leaped the other direction. The hippo slid

922
01:14:15.119 --> 01:14:19.760
and stumbled as it tried to correct course. It wheeled around,

923
01:14:20.119 --> 01:14:24.960
turning its head between the two possible victims. Its black

924
01:14:25.039 --> 01:14:28.560
eye focused on the rifle that had mauled its face.

925
01:14:29.439 --> 01:14:32.600
It snorted and scratched at the earth with its hoof.

926
01:14:33.720 --> 01:14:37.920
There was no time to aim. Marlowe's bullet went wide,

927
01:14:38.479 --> 01:14:43.119
striking the hippo in the neck. Blood spurted from the crater.

928
01:14:44.239 --> 01:14:49.079
The monster fell on a bent knee. Ella walked towards it,

929
01:14:49.840 --> 01:14:56.439
cupping her hands over her mouth. The hippo dragged itself along.

930
01:14:56.960 --> 01:15:00.640
Its jaws snapped weakly as it t tried to get

931
01:15:00.680 --> 01:15:08.159
close to marlow for one final go finish it, Ella sniffled.

932
01:15:09.479 --> 01:15:13.880
Put it out of its misery. I told you I'm

933
01:15:13.920 --> 01:15:20.079
out of ammunition now, Marlowe laughed. As the hippo collapsed.

934
01:15:20.800 --> 01:15:25.520
He watched it struggle for breath. Even after all of this,

935
01:15:26.239 --> 01:15:31.079
he're still on their side. You still have my bullets.

936
01:15:31.840 --> 01:15:35.840
Ella reached to the pocket on her vest. The brass

937
01:15:36.000 --> 01:15:41.560
rattled as she shakily fished out a single bullet. That's

938
01:15:41.600 --> 01:15:45.680
a good lass. Marlowe walked to her and shoved the

939
01:15:45.760 --> 01:15:50.199
rifle into her chest. You got the ammo, now you

940
01:15:50.279 --> 01:15:54.560
have the rifle too. Marlowe leaned against a tree trunk

941
01:15:55.119 --> 01:16:00.399
and gestured for her to finish the wounded animal. Go on,

942
01:16:01.079 --> 01:16:06.960
he said, do it, end it suffering. Ella loaded a

943
01:16:07.000 --> 01:16:12.520
bullet into the chamber and closed the bolt. You heard

944
01:16:12.560 --> 01:16:18.079
the calls, Ella, We're surrounded by them. Marlowe continued. I

945
01:16:18.119 --> 01:16:21.520
can keep you alive until help comes. I'm the only

946
01:16:21.680 --> 01:16:24.760
chance you have, and you haven't even got that until

947
01:16:24.800 --> 01:16:28.319
you show me you're worth saving. Kill the fucking thing.

948
01:16:29.439 --> 01:16:33.760
Ella raised the rifle to her shoulder. She tried to

949
01:16:33.920 --> 01:16:39.640
sight through the scope, but tears obscured her view. A long,

950
01:16:40.039 --> 01:16:46.520
plaintive wine came from the hippopotamus before it fell still.

951
01:16:48.239 --> 01:16:53.399
Ella watched for signs of life, but none came. It

952
01:16:53.439 --> 01:16:57.960
had bled out. She let the rifle hang limply in

953
01:16:58.039 --> 01:17:04.840
her hands. How's that for principles? Marlow snorted and walked away.

954
01:17:06.079 --> 01:17:09.319
Such an animal lover, But you let one die like that,

955
01:17:10.560 --> 01:17:13.239
I reckon. That makes you a damn sight worse than me.

956
01:17:14.319 --> 01:17:18.800
Fuck you keep shouting, Ella, it'll distract the others while

957
01:17:18.840 --> 01:17:22.399
I make a run for the hacienda. Ella kept her

958
01:17:22.479 --> 01:17:26.680
finger on the trigger as they crossed the clearing. If

959
01:17:26.720 --> 01:17:32.119
there was another attack, she'd be ready, ready to put

960
01:17:32.159 --> 01:17:39.760
her one shot right between Marlowe's shoulder blades before she died. Nearby,

961
01:17:40.399 --> 01:17:45.119
a hippo bellowed. Ella listened to the number of responses

962
01:17:45.760 --> 01:17:49.760
and shook her head. The calls were coming from across

963
01:17:49.800 --> 01:17:54.279
the POD's entire range. She tried to guess at how

964
01:17:54.319 --> 01:17:57.800
many animals were out there. The number she came up

965
01:17:57.840 --> 01:18:03.960
with was entirely too large. She'd assumed the hippo sidings

966
01:18:04.000 --> 01:18:08.359
were a secondary herd that had migrated away from the original.

967
01:18:09.279 --> 01:18:13.800
She'd anticipated a colony of a dozen at most. The

968
01:18:13.840 --> 01:18:19.800
female that attacked them was fully matured and larger than average.

969
01:18:20.439 --> 01:18:25.960
A pungent stench disrupted her thoughts. Ella paid attention to

970
01:18:26.000 --> 01:18:31.079
the grass for the first time. Hippo shit clung to

971
01:18:31.159 --> 01:18:36.520
the long, swaying blades. It had smeared across her shorts

972
01:18:36.600 --> 01:18:41.119
and bare legs. Ella stared at the small mansion beyond.

973
01:18:42.039 --> 01:18:45.560
It looked like a private getaway and had clearly been

974
01:18:45.600 --> 01:18:51.199
abandoned for quite a while. Pablo Escobar had many homes

975
01:18:51.239 --> 01:18:57.279
across the country. This one looked special, a place where

976
01:18:57.279 --> 01:19:01.399
he was a father and not a drug lord. She

977
01:19:01.600 --> 01:19:07.119
froze in her tracks. Hippos were her daughter's favorite animal.

978
01:19:09.000 --> 01:19:13.720
Looks like Pablo was a regular. P. T. Barnum Marlow said,

979
01:19:13.920 --> 01:19:18.000
coming to the same conclusion. He waved a hand at

980
01:19:18.039 --> 01:19:23.079
the expansive retaining pond. A rusty fence lay in ruins

981
01:19:23.119 --> 01:19:28.399
around it. Red algae formed a thick layer, concealing its

982
01:19:28.479 --> 01:19:33.720
murky depths. Guess they're more effective than guard dogs. The

983
01:19:33.800 --> 01:19:38.479
authorities definitely never found this place. I bet there's a

984
01:19:38.520 --> 01:19:44.239
ton of cocaine inside. You won't find out. Ella said, Oh,

985
01:19:44.920 --> 01:19:48.279
why is that? Marlow put his hands on his hips.

986
01:19:49.239 --> 01:19:52.000
I'm perfectly safe as long as you have the gun.

987
01:19:53.239 --> 01:19:58.000
Ella aimed the rifle. Marlow followed the barrel to the pond,

988
01:19:58.760 --> 01:20:04.239
and the bubbles pop on its surface. She fired. The

989
01:20:04.279 --> 01:20:08.119
stagnant water erupted in a geyser that showered the hunter.

990
01:20:09.199 --> 01:20:14.119
The bull sprang up. Marlowe watched the small fortune of

991
01:20:14.239 --> 01:20:19.319
ivory stretch open wide. The pink gullet rushed towards him.

992
01:20:20.119 --> 01:20:26.560
Darkness enshrouded the poacher. His feet kicked helplessly as he

993
01:20:26.680 --> 01:20:32.359
descended whole down the hippo's throat. The four ton bull

994
01:20:32.520 --> 01:20:36.880
let itself slide off the side and sunk back to

995
01:20:36.960 --> 01:20:42.600
the bottom of the lake to digest its meal. Ella

996
01:20:42.760 --> 01:20:47.319
walked to the mansion steps. A baby hippo ran from

997
01:20:47.319 --> 01:20:51.239
the porch when it saw her coming. The door was

998
01:20:51.319 --> 01:20:57.119
long gone inside she found all the furnishing still in place.

999
01:20:58.439 --> 01:21:01.840
It seemed as though marlow had been correct about no

1000
01:21:01.920 --> 01:21:07.279
one finding the property. The local wildlife certainly had, though.

1001
01:21:08.399 --> 01:21:13.039
Ella flopped onto a couch, freeing thirty years of dust.

1002
01:21:14.279 --> 01:21:18.039
If she was never found, at least she'd die in style.

1003
01:21:19.560 --> 01:21:23.960
Ella ejected the empty casing from the rifle and rummaged

1004
01:21:24.039 --> 01:21:28.399
for another bullet. She wondered if any canned goods would

1005
01:21:28.399 --> 01:21:32.680
still be edible, or if she'd find some way to

1006
01:21:32.760 --> 01:21:36.880
call for help. Ella pressed a bullet into the chamber

1007
01:21:37.520 --> 01:21:41.520
and closed the bolt. There may have been things she

1008
01:21:41.560 --> 01:21:45.359
could use, but she needed to search while there was

1009
01:21:45.439 --> 01:21:51.000
still daylight coming through the dingy windows. She begrudgingly gave

1010
01:21:51.159 --> 01:21:56.920
up the comfort of the sofa. The door frame crashed inward,

1011
01:21:57.359 --> 01:22:03.079
showering the imported marble with debris. The bull looked around slowly.

1012
01:22:04.199 --> 01:22:08.199
Ella ducked behind the couch and risked a peek at

1013
01:22:08.199 --> 01:22:14.520
the animal. Years of battle scars ornamented its flesh. The

1014
01:22:14.600 --> 01:22:19.920
bull stared back at her and snorted, its jaw hung open.

1015
01:22:21.159 --> 01:22:27.560
Ella swore she could hear Marlowe crying deep inside its belly.

1016
01:22:29.119 --> 01:22:34.279
She'd been so adamant about preserving the Colombian hippos, but

1017
01:22:34.560 --> 01:22:39.520
she didn't want to die either. She raised the rifle,

1018
01:22:40.159 --> 01:22:45.520
steadying it on the back of the couch. Tears welled up.

1019
01:22:46.359 --> 01:22:50.840
She thought about killing it to save herself, only to

1020
01:22:50.920 --> 01:22:55.760
be killed by another one later. It would all be worthless.

1021
01:22:55.800 --> 01:23:01.239
Then she broke down, sobbing and choking for a breath.

1022
01:23:02.279 --> 01:23:07.079
She heard the marble cracking under his hoofs. The room shook.

1023
01:23:08.119 --> 01:23:12.920
All she could see was the blurry mammoth form charging

1024
01:23:12.960 --> 01:23:18.720
at her. Someone was crying out for help. Maybe it

1025
01:23:18.840 --> 01:23:25.960
was Marlowe slowly digesting inside, or maybe it was her

1026
01:23:25.960 --> 01:23:35.359
own voice begging for another solution. Heaving, stinking breaths assaulted

1027
01:23:35.359 --> 01:23:49.760
her As it drew closer, Ella squeezed the trigger. You

1028
01:23:50.000 --> 01:23:55.720
are what you eat by Rob Fields for aj Robbie

1029
01:23:55.760 --> 01:23:59.920
Farnes walked into Mirrorn Automotive, the factory where he worked,

1030
01:24:00.279 --> 01:24:04.960
about twenty miles from Strickfield. He didn't particularly care about

1031
01:24:04.960 --> 01:24:08.039
the place or the job itself, but at least it

1032
01:24:08.119 --> 01:24:11.600
was steady work with a decent paycheck. He'd been working

1033
01:24:11.600 --> 01:24:14.000
there for a couple of years now, at least as

1034
01:24:14.039 --> 01:24:17.439
a way to pay his way through Strickfield University. As

1035
01:24:17.479 --> 01:24:19.920
he walked through the plant to get to his work area.

1036
01:24:20.279 --> 01:24:23.239
He knew it was going to be hot as hell.

1037
01:24:24.279 --> 01:24:26.800
Carrying his lunch box, he knew he would soon get

1038
01:24:26.840 --> 01:24:30.279
even more hell from one of his coworkers about what

1039
01:24:30.439 --> 01:24:34.640
was inside. Robbie had been living the vegan lifestyle for

1040
01:24:34.680 --> 01:24:37.800
the last few months. He had been careful to avoid

1041
01:24:37.840 --> 01:24:42.319
eating literally anything that came from animals. That included, in

1042
01:24:42.319 --> 01:24:47.239
addition to not eating meat, dairy eggs, or any processed

1043
01:24:47.239 --> 01:24:51.000
food containing animal by products. Whenever he'd go out to eat,

1044
01:24:51.119 --> 01:24:53.640
he was careful to avoid eating fried foods, cooked and

1045
01:24:53.720 --> 01:24:57.000
shared oil. He'd even gone to a vegan festival in

1046
01:24:57.039 --> 01:25:00.800
Eerie City. When Robbie reached his work area, he punched

1047
01:25:00.800 --> 01:25:03.760
in at the time clock. After putting his earplugs in,

1048
01:25:03.800 --> 01:25:05.880
he went to his locker to change into his work

1049
01:25:05.920 --> 01:25:09.119
shoes and prepare for his shift. It wasn't long before

1050
01:25:09.119 --> 01:25:11.800
he was greeted by a troublesome co worker in the

1051
01:25:11.840 --> 01:25:16.319
form of Aaron Jamestown. Arin and Robbie were opposites in

1052
01:25:16.439 --> 01:25:20.920
many ways. Robbie was a head taller than erin also thinner.

1053
01:25:21.520 --> 01:25:23.840
Robbie had long, dark hair that went down to his

1054
01:25:23.920 --> 01:25:27.720
shoulders and was always clean shaven, while Arin kept his

1055
01:25:27.760 --> 01:25:31.520
head shaved and had a long, shaggy beard. Robbie's skin

1056
01:25:31.720 --> 01:25:35.840
was a clean slate, while Erin had many many tattoos.

1057
01:25:36.479 --> 01:25:39.199
The big difference was that Erin was a hunter who

1058
01:25:39.279 --> 01:25:43.319
always bragged about his kills, the trophies that he kept

1059
01:25:43.359 --> 01:25:46.720
from many of them, and all the meat he had enjoyed.

1060
01:25:48.079 --> 01:25:50.840
Then he learned that the new guy in his department,

1061
01:25:51.359 --> 01:25:56.279
this quiet young pup, wasn't a meat eater a vegan,

1062
01:25:56.880 --> 01:26:01.279
which got his attention in more ways than one. As always,

1063
01:26:01.680 --> 01:26:06.880
Aaron just looked at Robbie with contempt and disgust. Robbie

1064
01:26:06.920 --> 01:26:10.840
knew and expected this every day, but he didn't care.

1065
01:26:11.560 --> 01:26:13.720
He had been used to people picking on him about

1066
01:26:13.760 --> 01:26:17.039
his vegan ways. Some of his other coworkers had asked

1067
01:26:17.119 --> 01:26:22.039
him many questions about his veganism, mainly because they were curious.

1068
01:26:22.520 --> 01:26:27.239
For the most part, people usually left him alone. Aaron Jamestown, however,

1069
01:26:27.840 --> 01:26:31.880
had issues with Robbie and would be anything but subtle.

1070
01:26:32.399 --> 01:26:36.359
What kind of rabbit food you bring today? Rabbit? Aaron asked,

1071
01:26:36.479 --> 01:26:39.279
taking a seat at a picnic table across from Robbie.

1072
01:26:39.960 --> 01:26:42.840
Robbie remained calm in spite of the nickname Erin had

1073
01:26:42.920 --> 01:26:46.079
hung on him. He looked up at Erin, Why do

1074
01:26:46.159 --> 01:26:50.000
you care? Aaron was twice Robbie's age and never liked

1075
01:26:50.039 --> 01:26:52.920
when people back talked him. There were times when he

1076
01:26:53.000 --> 01:26:56.439
wanted to just lay into Robbie. Sure Robbie always did

1077
01:26:56.439 --> 01:26:59.600
his job and turned out great numbers, just the same

1078
01:27:00.199 --> 01:27:04.800
to find something, anything, to justify giving Robbie a good

1079
01:27:04.800 --> 01:27:08.680
old fashioned ass whoopan as long as they both worked

1080
01:27:08.680 --> 01:27:12.399
for Mere and Automotive. However, Aaron couldn't physically lay a

1081
01:27:12.479 --> 01:27:16.199
hand on Robbie in or out of the plant, not

1082
01:27:16.279 --> 01:27:19.680
if you wanted to keep his job. What you don't

1083
01:27:19.720 --> 01:27:23.159
want to tell me, Aaron said, in his always threatening tone.

1084
01:27:23.880 --> 01:27:27.760
Robbie sighed, Look, we both know you really don't care

1085
01:27:27.800 --> 01:27:30.000
about the food I bring, so why don't you just

1086
01:27:30.079 --> 01:27:35.199
save it? Aaron smiled, which Robbie knew was never a

1087
01:27:35.199 --> 01:27:39.680
good thing. Let me explain something to you, rabbit. I

1088
01:27:39.720 --> 01:27:41.760
don't know what you think you're doing with all this

1089
01:27:42.439 --> 01:27:49.359
vegan bullshit. But here outside Strickfield, we're hunters. That means

1090
01:27:49.720 --> 01:27:55.600
meat is the way we do things. We love our meat,

1091
01:27:55.960 --> 01:28:01.119
we kill for our meat. We eat meat, eat now,

1092
01:28:01.199 --> 01:28:04.479
you come in here with your vegan bullshit and expect

1093
01:28:04.520 --> 01:28:08.439
us to just stop eating meat. Robbie held up his

1094
01:28:08.479 --> 01:28:11.880
hand in front of him. WHOA, Let's get something straight.

1095
01:28:12.520 --> 01:28:14.880
I don't go around telling anybody not to eat meat.

1096
01:28:15.399 --> 01:28:18.119
There are vegans out there that would. But I personally

1097
01:28:18.159 --> 01:28:21.079
don't care what you eat. You eat what you want,

1098
01:28:21.119 --> 01:28:23.439
and I'll eat what I want. I mainly do it

1099
01:28:23.479 --> 01:28:26.239
for health reasons. If you must know, I've lost a

1100
01:28:26.239 --> 01:28:29.359
lot of weight because of it. Aaron kept on him.

1101
01:28:29.880 --> 01:28:34.039
So you saying we're all fat fucks because we eat meat? True,

1102
01:28:34.239 --> 01:28:38.600
Aaron was quite portly for a little man, but Robbie

1103
01:28:38.600 --> 01:28:41.960
wouldn't go there. I never said that. Don't put words

1104
01:28:41.960 --> 01:28:45.399
in my mouth. Aaron threw his arms up. Why the

1105
01:28:45.439 --> 01:28:48.439
fuck be a rabbit. Why can't you go bust your

1106
01:28:48.479 --> 01:28:50.640
ass at the gym or something. Why you gotta be

1107
01:28:50.760 --> 01:28:55.520
so fucking different, Robbie countered again, what do you care?

1108
01:28:55.800 --> 01:28:58.119
I'm not here to preach vegan I'm here to do

1109
01:28:58.239 --> 01:28:59.800
my job and get paid so I can keep the

1110
01:28:59.840 --> 01:29:02.439
light on at my place, eat and attend college. So

1111
01:29:02.520 --> 01:29:09.319
leave me alone, okay, Aaron smiled more sinister. Now, yeah,

1112
01:29:09.520 --> 01:29:13.079
you're a rabbit, now. He pointed at Robbie and shook

1113
01:29:13.119 --> 01:29:17.640
his finger. I seen your kind before. You're gonna crack.

1114
01:29:18.159 --> 01:29:21.359
You're gonna be back. You're gonna eat meat again. No, why,

1115
01:29:22.399 --> 01:29:26.319
he leaned in a little, Because that's the way it is.

1116
01:29:27.079 --> 01:29:31.399
Our ancestors have been hunting and eaten meat since caveman years.

1117
01:29:32.039 --> 01:29:36.439
Meat is the way, the only way. There ain't no

1118
01:29:36.600 --> 01:29:40.279
room in this world for fucking rabbits like you. People

1119
01:29:40.399 --> 01:29:44.920
like you are weak, always have been. Just then, Robbie

1120
01:29:44.920 --> 01:29:49.640
and Aaron were greeted by the presence of their boss. Aaron,

1121
01:29:50.199 --> 01:29:54.119
you causing trouble back here again, Mike Cruz demanded. How

1122
01:29:54.119 --> 01:29:56.680
many times have I talked to you about that? You're

1123
01:29:56.680 --> 01:29:59.359
looking to get rowed up or what? Aaron wasn't even

1124
01:29:59.359 --> 01:30:02.640
afraid to talk back to his own boss. You already

1125
01:30:02.680 --> 01:30:04.960
wrote me up. What more are you gonna do. I'm

1126
01:30:05.000 --> 01:30:09.560
just having a conversation with rabbit here. I don't see

1127
01:30:09.560 --> 01:30:13.560
anybody here named rabbit, Mike snapped. Last time, I'm telling

1128
01:30:13.600 --> 01:30:16.399
you quit getting in everybody's shit. I'm sorry about what

1129
01:30:16.439 --> 01:30:18.960
happened to your sister, but mind your own goddamn business.

1130
01:30:19.119 --> 01:30:20.880
You want to keep going this way, I'll give you

1131
01:30:20.880 --> 01:30:23.159
your final write up. After that, I'll have no other

1132
01:30:23.239 --> 01:30:25.640
choice but to walk you out that what you want.

1133
01:30:26.159 --> 01:30:27.880
You both do good work in this department, and I

1134
01:30:27.920 --> 01:30:29.439
don't want to lose either one of you. But if

1135
01:30:29.439 --> 01:30:31.159
you keep it up, Aaron, you're gonna be out on

1136
01:30:31.199 --> 01:30:34.560
your ass. We on the same page here, Aaron chuckled

1137
01:30:34.600 --> 01:30:38.279
and looked at Robbie. Know what, rabbit, you're part of

1138
01:30:38.319 --> 01:30:42.720
a dying breed. I mean it, you're dead. Know why

1139
01:30:43.239 --> 01:30:46.880
because we meet eaters hunt rabbits and other plant eaters

1140
01:30:46.960 --> 01:30:52.840
like you. You understanding me, You fucking weakling. Only the strong survive.

1141
01:30:53.159 --> 01:30:55.560
It's only a matter of time before you end up

1142
01:30:55.600 --> 01:30:58.680
like all God's creatures right next to the mashed potatoes

1143
01:30:58.720 --> 01:31:01.520
and gravy. My sister was a fucking rabbit, just like you.

1144
01:31:01.680 --> 01:31:03.720
It didn't keep her from being kidnapped and killed a

1145
01:31:03.720 --> 01:31:06.720
few months back. And you know what, he pointed in

1146
01:31:06.720 --> 01:31:10.479
a random direction. The fucker that did it still out there,

1147
01:31:10.720 --> 01:31:13.560
still roaming free. And that's another thing. Women are in

1148
01:31:13.560 --> 01:31:15.760
the same place as you, rabbits on the food chain,

1149
01:31:16.039 --> 01:31:19.399
nothing but weak dead. Wait when the killer catches up

1150
01:31:19.399 --> 01:31:24.279
to you, I'm gonna laugh my fucking ass off. Mike

1151
01:31:24.319 --> 01:31:27.960
had had enough. You know what, Aeron, go home. This

1152
01:31:28.000 --> 01:31:30.960
ain't negotiable. We don't need your shit here. It's obvious

1153
01:31:31.000 --> 01:31:33.079
you still ain't over your sister's death. Go home and

1154
01:31:33.119 --> 01:31:36.159
cool off. Last warning. You come back here tomorrow and

1155
01:31:36.159 --> 01:31:38.319
start your shit again. I won't worry about no final

1156
01:31:38.319 --> 01:31:40.560
write up. I'll just walk you out myself and you

1157
01:31:40.600 --> 01:31:43.560
won't have a job here no more. He pointed in

1158
01:31:43.600 --> 01:31:48.520
the direction of nearest door. Go home now. Aaron didn't

1159
01:31:48.520 --> 01:31:52.000
move it first. Finally, he slammed his palms on the table,

1160
01:31:52.239 --> 01:31:55.920
making sure he got Robbie's attention, then stood up, still

1161
01:31:55.960 --> 01:32:02.720
smiling his sinister smile at Robbie. Be seeing you rabbit, move,

1162
01:32:03.359 --> 01:32:08.359
Mike commanded him, Fuck you, I'm going, Aaron snapped. Robbie

1163
01:32:08.399 --> 01:32:10.960
and Mike both heard Aaron yelling and cursing as he

1164
01:32:11.000 --> 01:32:13.600
moved to the exit door and walked out of the plant.

1165
01:32:14.359 --> 01:32:16.520
Robbie was relieved not to have to work with Aaron,

1166
01:32:17.039 --> 01:32:24.520
at least for today. Robbie managed to avoid Aaron when

1167
01:32:24.520 --> 01:32:27.880
he returned to work. He started taking his lunchbox to

1168
01:32:27.920 --> 01:32:31.039
a different break area and eating there. Mike had told

1169
01:32:31.159 --> 01:32:35.039
Arin not to talk to Robbie unless it was work related, However,

1170
01:32:35.680 --> 01:32:38.800
that didn't keep Aarin from giving him his sinister looks.

1171
01:32:39.600 --> 01:32:43.000
Over time, Robbie had heard around the work area about

1172
01:32:43.000 --> 01:32:47.039
what had happened to Aaron's sister, Susan. Aaron had never

1173
01:32:47.119 --> 01:32:51.279
gotten along with Susan. True Aaron was old enough to

1174
01:32:51.279 --> 01:32:55.840
be Robbie's father and Susan's. Aaron's mother had taken over

1175
01:32:55.920 --> 01:32:58.159
raising him when her husband, David, had died of a

1176
01:32:58.199 --> 01:33:02.239
heart attack. Aaron was around ten, and he never really

1177
01:33:02.239 --> 01:33:06.039
got over the loss of his father. After that, he

1178
01:33:06.079 --> 01:33:09.199
looked up to his uncle George, who was even meaner

1179
01:33:09.359 --> 01:33:13.720
and more vicious than his dad. Still, Uncle George taught

1180
01:33:13.800 --> 01:33:18.640
Erin everything he knew about hunting and fishing. Then, when

1181
01:33:18.640 --> 01:33:21.279
Aaron had reached twenty, his mother had met a man

1182
01:33:21.399 --> 01:33:25.640
named William Sanders. Erin didn't think much about it at first.

1183
01:33:25.960 --> 01:33:28.239
As far as he was concerned, William wasn't going to

1184
01:33:28.279 --> 01:33:31.560
be around long. All of the other men before him

1185
01:33:31.840 --> 01:33:36.000
had left. But months went by and William was still around.

1186
01:33:36.399 --> 01:33:40.520
Committed to his mother, Erin never saw the surprises coming

1187
01:33:40.800 --> 01:33:44.279
when his mother made two big announcements. The first was

1188
01:33:44.279 --> 01:33:48.279
that she and William were getting married. The second was

1189
01:33:48.319 --> 01:33:51.840
that she was going to have William's baby. Aaron flew

1190
01:33:51.920 --> 01:33:55.039
into a wild rage and threatened to shoot William. As

1191
01:33:55.039 --> 01:33:57.479
far as he was concerned, he was the man of

1192
01:33:57.520 --> 01:34:00.960
the house. End of story. Just it's the same. William

1193
01:34:01.000 --> 01:34:06.279
and Rosie were married. Months later Susan came into the world.

1194
01:34:06.920 --> 01:34:09.960
Aarin would never come to accept this daughter as his sister,

1195
01:34:10.359 --> 01:34:12.720
and let William and Rosie know about it on no

1196
01:34:12.880 --> 01:34:17.000
uncertain terms. As Susan grew up, Aarin would be verbally

1197
01:34:17.039 --> 01:34:21.159
abusive towards her, being an overbearing bully. He never had

1198
01:34:21.159 --> 01:34:24.079
to raise his hand to her. Over time, Susan became

1199
01:34:24.119 --> 01:34:27.520
both angry and afraid of Erin. As long as William

1200
01:34:27.520 --> 01:34:31.479
and Rosie were around, Susan felt some semblance of safety

1201
01:34:31.479 --> 01:34:34.560
from Erin. Over the last two years that Susan had

1202
01:34:34.560 --> 01:34:37.239
lived at home, she had taken up a vegan lifestyle

1203
01:34:37.279 --> 01:34:40.039
and refused to eat anything that Aarin had put on

1204
01:34:40.079 --> 01:34:45.119
the table for her. Aarin became increasingly frustrated and abusive

1205
01:34:45.159 --> 01:34:48.880
with her because of it. Susan had finally decided that

1206
01:34:48.960 --> 01:34:52.359
she wasn't going to tolerate Aarin anymore. During her junior

1207
01:34:52.439 --> 01:34:55.319
year at Strickfield High School, Susan moved out and went

1208
01:34:55.359 --> 01:34:58.000
to live with friends who shared her compassion for animals

1209
01:34:58.520 --> 01:35:02.279
who were also vegan. It had taken a restraining order

1210
01:35:02.399 --> 01:35:06.600
to keep Erin away from Susan. After Susan graduated from

1211
01:35:06.720 --> 01:35:10.199
high school, she had gone on to Strickfield University. Aarin

1212
01:35:10.359 --> 01:35:13.159
was around forty and had become meaner and more bitter

1213
01:35:13.279 --> 01:35:18.279
than ever. During this time, Rosy had died, William died

1214
01:35:18.319 --> 01:35:21.880
not too long after. By then, Susan was living in

1215
01:35:21.880 --> 01:35:25.520
a dorm room at Strickfield u Aarin had been arrested

1216
01:35:25.600 --> 01:35:28.920
once for breaking the restraining order during Susan's freshman year

1217
01:35:28.960 --> 01:35:33.039
at Strickfield University. He had gotten drunk and confronted Susan

1218
01:35:33.079 --> 01:35:37.239
in Wilder Hall, the student union building. Susan decided not

1219
01:35:37.319 --> 01:35:40.920
to press charges, and he was released. The police gave

1220
01:35:41.000 --> 01:35:43.239
him a warning about what would happen if he broke

1221
01:35:43.319 --> 01:35:47.079
his restraining order again. Aarin had heard through the grapevine

1222
01:35:47.119 --> 01:35:50.079
that Susan had met someone on campus and was seeing him.

1223
01:35:50.520 --> 01:35:53.119
He didn't know who the person was, but he was

1224
01:35:53.159 --> 01:35:55.760
determined to find him and make life hell for any

1225
01:35:55.800 --> 01:35:59.960
one who thought about hooking up with Susan. A few

1226
01:36:00.079 --> 01:36:03.119
months later, Aarin was arrested again when it was revealed

1227
01:36:03.159 --> 01:36:07.560
that both Susan and her boyfriend had been kidnapped. The

1228
01:36:07.600 --> 01:36:10.560
remains of their body were found not too long after,

1229
01:36:11.199 --> 01:36:15.840
with their clothes on and the flesh and muscles stripped

1230
01:36:15.840 --> 01:36:18.680
clean off. Aaron went into a rage when he was

1231
01:36:18.720 --> 01:36:20.880
in jail and screamed up and down that he had

1232
01:36:20.920 --> 01:36:24.760
nothing to do with their abductions or murders. Aarin would

1233
01:36:24.760 --> 01:36:27.800
be released since it was proven that he didn't abduct

1234
01:36:27.840 --> 01:36:31.359
and kill Susan and her boyfriend, whose name he didn't

1235
01:36:31.399 --> 01:36:35.079
know because he could never remember it. He had been

1236
01:36:35.079 --> 01:36:37.399
home drinking with friends, all of whom were able to

1237
01:36:37.479 --> 01:36:41.039
vouch for him. Aarin continued to go further down the spiral,

1238
01:36:41.560 --> 01:36:44.560
and it showed at Mirn Automotive. If it wasn't for

1239
01:36:44.640 --> 01:36:48.000
Mike Cruz keeping the peace, Aaron would have created quite

1240
01:36:48.000 --> 01:36:51.880
the hostile working environment. A month later, Robbie had accepted

1241
01:36:51.920 --> 01:36:54.640
some overtime at Miron and was given an hour break

1242
01:36:54.680 --> 01:36:57.880
to go and get some dinner. Robbie hadn't packed extra

1243
01:36:57.920 --> 01:37:00.840
food for the overtime period, but he knew that Rockney's

1244
01:37:00.840 --> 01:37:02.800
Bar and Grill across the street was a place that

1245
01:37:02.840 --> 01:37:06.920
had vegan options and decided to go there. Robbie went

1246
01:37:06.960 --> 01:37:10.159
in and sat at the bar. Rockney himself knew Robbie

1247
01:37:10.159 --> 01:37:12.399
and told him of the vegan special, which was a

1248
01:37:12.439 --> 01:37:15.640
meat loaf dinner with macaroni and cheese on a vegetable medley.

1249
01:37:16.520 --> 01:37:20.920
Robbie felt the glare and saw that Aaron was sitting

1250
01:37:20.920 --> 01:37:24.640
about four seats down from him. Still, he knew that

1251
01:37:24.680 --> 01:37:27.279
old man Rockney didn't put up with Aaron's outbursts in

1252
01:37:27.319 --> 01:37:29.560
his bar any more than Mike Cruz did at work.

1253
01:37:30.239 --> 01:37:34.880
Aaron gave Robbie his sinister smile, but he made no move.

1254
01:37:36.119 --> 01:37:39.880
Robbie looked back to Rockney. Sounds good. I'm going to

1255
01:37:39.920 --> 01:37:42.479
go use the restroom. Your Food'll be waiting for you

1256
01:37:42.560 --> 01:37:46.239
when you get back, kid, Rockney said. Aaron watched as

1257
01:37:46.359 --> 01:37:51.119
Robbie walked away. He watched with even greater anticipation as

1258
01:37:51.199 --> 01:37:54.840
Rockney prepared the college rabbit's food. He put the finished

1259
01:37:54.840 --> 01:37:57.479
plate on the table and then put the silverware next

1260
01:37:57.520 --> 01:38:00.199
to the plate. He finished it off by putting a

1261
01:38:00.199 --> 01:38:03.199
glass of water down. As soon as Rockney went to

1262
01:38:03.239 --> 01:38:06.800
the back, Aaron struck he had a big bowl of

1263
01:38:06.880 --> 01:38:09.840
half eaten beef gravy. There was quite a bit of

1264
01:38:09.840 --> 01:38:12.359
it left. He picked it up and moved over to

1265
01:38:12.439 --> 01:38:15.880
Robbie's plate, after making sure that Rockney was still in

1266
01:38:15.920 --> 01:38:19.640
the back. He tilted the bowl and poured the gravy

1267
01:38:19.720 --> 01:38:23.279
all over everything. When he finished, he went back to

1268
01:38:23.359 --> 01:38:27.239
his seat. When Robbie returned and sat down, he immediately

1269
01:38:27.279 --> 01:38:30.359
noticed the gravy all over his food. When Rockney came

1270
01:38:30.399 --> 01:38:34.079
back out, Robbie made his complaint. Rockney looked at the plate.

1271
01:38:35.000 --> 01:38:38.039
I didn't put any gravy on that, kid, he groaned.

1272
01:38:38.600 --> 01:38:41.399
I'll get you a new plate. The fuck you will,

1273
01:38:41.840 --> 01:38:45.560
Aaron called out. Then he pointed at Robbie. You just

1274
01:38:45.600 --> 01:38:48.800
sit your ass down there and eat that food right there.

1275
01:38:49.720 --> 01:38:52.600
Rockney pointed right at Aaron. I'm putting this meal on

1276
01:38:52.640 --> 01:38:55.800
your tab, you little son of a bitch. Aaron ignored

1277
01:38:55.880 --> 01:38:59.920
Rockney and got off his stool. Well, come on, rabbit,

1278
01:39:00.520 --> 01:39:03.600
sit down there and eat. Don't touch that food. I'll

1279
01:39:03.600 --> 01:39:07.000
get you a new plate, Rockney said. Aaron glared at him,

1280
01:39:07.239 --> 01:39:10.840
No you will not. He's eating this one. He glared

1281
01:39:10.880 --> 01:39:13.600
at Robbie. Eat that food there, or I swear to God,

1282
01:39:13.720 --> 01:39:17.520
I'll fucking feed it to you. Myself. Since you tainted

1283
01:39:17.560 --> 01:39:20.880
my food, I'm not touching it, Robbie replied in defiance.

1284
01:39:21.479 --> 01:39:26.800
Erin's glare turned into a sinister smile. Fine, have it

1285
01:39:26.840 --> 01:39:29.960
your way. Aaron hauled off and punched Robbie in the

1286
01:39:29.960 --> 01:39:32.680
face with enough force to send him backward and flying

1287
01:39:32.720 --> 01:39:35.600
over a nearby table. Aaron was quickly around to the

1288
01:39:35.600 --> 01:39:38.079
other side. He pulled Robbie up and hauled off on

1289
01:39:38.199 --> 01:39:41.319
him again. Before Robbie could fall, Erin picked him up

1290
01:39:41.319 --> 01:39:44.279
into a fireman's carry. He took Robbie to another table

1291
01:39:44.359 --> 01:39:46.680
and slammed him right on top of it, making the

1292
01:39:46.720 --> 01:39:52.760
table collapse. What's the matter, rabbit, Aaron taunted. It's vegan food,

1293
01:39:52.800 --> 01:39:55.000
ain't it. I just spiced it up a little bit

1294
01:39:55.039 --> 01:39:58.279
for you. He kicked Robbie in the gut. This place

1295
01:39:58.399 --> 01:40:00.960
used to be just for real men. Then you fucking

1296
01:40:01.079 --> 01:40:04.119
college kids came along with your vegan shit. Now Rockney's

1297
01:40:04.119 --> 01:40:07.199
serving rabbit food here. He kicked Robbie in the gut again.

1298
01:40:07.520 --> 01:40:09.880
You can't even get a real man's meal here no more.

1299
01:40:10.199 --> 01:40:12.720
He kicked Robbi in the gut one more time because

1300
01:40:12.800 --> 01:40:16.960
of you fucking rabbits. Robbie tried to pick himself up.

1301
01:40:17.159 --> 01:40:19.640
Aaron helped him up enough to punch him hard in

1302
01:40:19.680 --> 01:40:22.119
the gut. Look at you. You ain't even a real

1303
01:40:22.159 --> 01:40:24.800
fucking man. You're just some sissy ass kid who can't

1304
01:40:24.840 --> 01:40:27.920
even fight me. Aaron grabbed Robbie's hair and pulled him

1305
01:40:27.960 --> 01:40:30.880
back to the bar. Before Robbie could think, Aaron shoved

1306
01:40:30.880 --> 01:40:33.520
his face right into the gravy soaked food. Then he

1307
01:40:33.560 --> 01:40:36.920
started rubbing Robbie's face in it. Come on, rabbit, come on,

1308
01:40:37.239 --> 01:40:39.720
eat that fucking rabbit food. Doesn't that gravy make it

1309
01:40:39.760 --> 01:40:43.199
taste that much better? Huh? Eat as much as you want.

1310
01:40:44.039 --> 01:40:46.840
But the sound of the pump action shotgun quickly forced

1311
01:40:46.840 --> 01:40:49.600
Aaron to let go of Robbie. Rockney had pulled his

1312
01:40:49.640 --> 01:40:52.199
shotgun out from underneath the bar and was now aiming

1313
01:40:52.239 --> 01:40:54.840
it right at Aaron. Let go of the kid, you

1314
01:40:54.880 --> 01:40:58.920
little bastard. When Aaron hesitated, Rockney screamed, I said, let

1315
01:40:59.000 --> 01:41:02.319
him go. Aaron finally let go of Robbie and stepped

1316
01:41:02.359 --> 01:41:07.199
back very slowly. Rockney gave Robbie a wet towel. Here, kid,

1317
01:41:07.239 --> 01:41:10.159
wipe yourself off. Don't worry, I just called the cops.

1318
01:41:10.720 --> 01:41:13.239
Aaron raised his hands in front of him, as Rockney

1319
01:41:13.279 --> 01:41:17.119
kept him in his sights. Now look here, old man,

1320
01:41:17.560 --> 01:41:20.880
we wouldn't want shut the fuck up, Aaron, Rockney interrupted,

1321
01:41:21.199 --> 01:41:23.600
You're done here. You hear me, You're banned for life

1322
01:41:23.640 --> 01:41:25.680
from here. You ever stepped foot in my place ever again,

1323
01:41:25.720 --> 01:41:27.760
I'll blow your goddamn head clean off. And you know

1324
01:41:27.840 --> 01:41:29.960
I mean just what I'm saying. And don't think I

1325
01:41:29.960 --> 01:41:32.199
ain't collecting what you owe me for wrecking my place.

1326
01:41:33.279 --> 01:41:38.079
Then Aaron heard another voice, Hey, Aaron, you ever stepped

1327
01:41:38.079 --> 01:41:40.680
footing mir An Automotive ever again, and I'll have security

1328
01:41:40.720 --> 01:41:44.359
walk your grass out. Aaron quickly spun around and saw

1329
01:41:44.479 --> 01:41:48.520
Mike Cruz standing there. He pointed right at Mike. Bullshit,

1330
01:41:48.760 --> 01:41:53.359
you didn't see nothing. I saw enough. Mike said, you're fired.

1331
01:41:53.439 --> 01:41:56.520
You hear me, fired. Don't even bother coming back to work.

1332
01:41:56.880 --> 01:41:58.640
I'll be in on Saturday. You can come back in

1333
01:41:58.680 --> 01:42:01.520
and get your shit. Then Mike came over to Robbie.

1334
01:42:01.960 --> 01:42:06.239
You okay, kid. Robbie nodded, I'll be all right. I

1335
01:42:06.279 --> 01:42:09.840
got the police coming. Rockney told Aaron, I'm pressing charges

1336
01:42:09.840 --> 01:42:12.279
on you. You're paying for all that damage you caused here

1337
01:42:12.560 --> 01:42:16.439
and that ruined plate Aaron pointed at Rockney, Fuck you,

1338
01:42:16.520 --> 01:42:19.000
old man, You ain't getting one goddamn dime out of me.

1339
01:42:19.600 --> 01:42:22.199
He pointed at Robbie. Now this ain't over between you

1340
01:42:22.239 --> 01:42:26.199
and me, rabbit, You're permanently on my fucking shit list.

1341
01:42:27.039 --> 01:42:30.640
When Rockney raised the shotgun to erin again, Aaron shouted

1342
01:42:30.680 --> 01:42:34.000
curses as he turned and stormed out of the bar.

1343
01:42:38.119 --> 01:42:41.479
Around three am, Aaron sat in his pickup truck and

1344
01:42:41.600 --> 01:42:45.199
eyed the Mere and Automotive East parking lot. Aaron took

1345
01:42:45.199 --> 01:42:47.479
another swig out of the bottle of whiskey he'd brought

1346
01:42:47.479 --> 01:42:51.239
with him and felt the alcohol mix really good with

1347
01:42:51.319 --> 01:42:54.960
his anger. He caressed the double barreled shotgun that he

1348
01:42:55.079 --> 01:42:58.920
had sitting in the passenger side. Yeah you think I

1349
01:42:58.960 --> 01:43:04.520
can't think a rabbit, Aaron muttered. Maybe I never knew

1350
01:43:04.520 --> 01:43:07.800
your fucking name, but I know where you leave here from,

1351
01:43:08.359 --> 01:43:11.680
I know what car you drive. I'll fucking kill your

1352
01:43:11.840 --> 01:43:14.279
rabbit ass before you make it back to that panty

1353
01:43:14.279 --> 01:43:18.920
waste college of years. He took another swig, then shouted,

1354
01:43:19.359 --> 01:43:23.680
vegan my ass. He didn't have to wait that much longer.

1355
01:43:24.279 --> 01:43:26.920
Eventually he saw a small group of people coming out

1356
01:43:26.920 --> 01:43:30.479
of the plant. He raised his binoculars and saw that

1357
01:43:30.600 --> 01:43:35.800
Robbie was among them. He grinned with anticipation. Oh yeah,

1358
01:43:36.119 --> 01:43:39.199
I'll get you, easy boy. I'll run you right off

1359
01:43:39.199 --> 01:43:42.039
of the goddamn road. Then I'm gonna go on a

1360
01:43:42.079 --> 01:43:46.880
little rabbit hunt. As Aaron reached over to caress his

1361
01:43:46.920 --> 01:43:51.720
shotgun again, he suddenly realized that it was no longer there.

1362
01:43:52.800 --> 01:43:56.600
What the fuck? Suddenly he felt the double barrels being

1363
01:43:56.640 --> 01:43:58.800
pressed right up against the left side of his neck.

1364
01:43:59.479 --> 01:44:02.159
Aaron turned his head to see who managed to sneak

1365
01:44:02.199 --> 01:44:05.000
his shotgun out of the open passenger side window and

1366
01:44:05.039 --> 01:44:08.760
brought it over to his side. His eyes went wide

1367
01:44:08.960 --> 01:44:14.039
when he recognized the face you, Aaron choked out. Can't

1368
01:44:14.079 --> 01:44:18.640
be You're Aaron didn't have time to finish. The person

1369
01:44:18.760 --> 01:44:22.600
quickly raised a pistol and fired. Aaron gasped when he

1370
01:44:22.640 --> 01:44:26.840
felt the dart hit his chest. He blacked out. Seconds later,

1371
01:44:29.760 --> 01:44:34.520
Aaron opened his eyes and groaned, What the fuck? He mumbled.

1372
01:44:35.079 --> 01:44:39.920
Aaron sniffed and recognized that all too familiar scent of

1373
01:44:40.000 --> 01:44:44.319
smoked meat. When he managed to overcome more of the tranquilizer,

1374
01:44:44.399 --> 01:44:47.840
he realized that he was tied up and elevated in

1375
01:44:47.920 --> 01:44:53.680
some backyard somewhere. He looked and saw somebody was roasting

1376
01:44:53.720 --> 01:44:58.079
a big slab of meat over an open fire. What

1377
01:44:58.319 --> 01:45:03.920
the fuck? He repl The person turned around, then he

1378
01:45:03.960 --> 01:45:07.600
moved over to Aerin. In the dim light, Aaron could

1379
01:45:07.600 --> 01:45:12.079
see Robbie. Now, Oh, hey, glad to see you're awake, Karin.

1380
01:45:12.960 --> 01:45:17.000
Guess that was some pretty good trunk. Huh. Aaron glared

1381
01:45:17.039 --> 01:45:21.199
down at Robbie and demanded, what the fuck you think

1382
01:45:21.239 --> 01:45:28.239
you're doing, rabbit? Robbie laughed, why just watching you hang around? Literally,

1383
01:45:29.560 --> 01:45:33.079
pretty soon you're going into that little building right behind

1384
01:45:33.079 --> 01:45:37.359
you since you can't see it, it's a smokehouse. Oh

1385
01:45:37.840 --> 01:45:41.640
and you are going to be getting smoked to perfection

1386
01:45:43.319 --> 01:45:48.159
once you're skinned, that is. Aaron screamed with rage and

1387
01:45:48.239 --> 01:45:51.279
tried to squirre them free. Robbie wasn't in the least

1388
01:45:51.359 --> 01:45:55.720
bit intimidated. When Aaron couldn't fight anymore, he glared at

1389
01:45:55.800 --> 01:46:02.640
Robbie again, let me go. God damn you, Rob, he laughed. Congratulations, asshole,

1390
01:46:03.199 --> 01:46:07.840
you were right about me. Me being a vegan won't last. Okay,

1391
01:46:08.119 --> 01:46:12.000
when we first met, I was eating vegan, not because

1392
01:46:12.039 --> 01:46:15.119
I wanted to, mind you, but the real truth is

1393
01:46:15.920 --> 01:46:21.399
you were the one I was hunting. See, I'm a

1394
01:46:21.520 --> 01:46:25.960
hunter too, except I don't just hunt deer and other

1395
01:46:26.039 --> 01:46:30.279
wild animals. I also hunt for people that might make

1396
01:46:30.359 --> 01:46:35.119
some great tasty meat. And yes, you were definitely right

1397
01:46:35.359 --> 01:46:39.560
about meat being the way. Believe me, you were so right,

1398
01:46:40.000 --> 01:46:43.359
and you are going to make some great eating once

1399
01:46:43.399 --> 01:46:47.520
you're all finished smoking, Aaron growled. When I get my

1400
01:46:47.640 --> 01:46:50.680
fucking hands on you, you son of a bitch. Good

1401
01:46:50.760 --> 01:46:53.760
luck with that, Robbie said, you might want to look

1402
01:46:53.800 --> 01:46:57.039
down at your legs, though Aaron looked down to see

1403
01:46:57.039 --> 01:47:00.800
that he not only had no pants on longer had

1404
01:47:01.359 --> 01:47:06.000
his lower legs only stumps where they once were. Holy

1405
01:47:06.119 --> 01:47:09.279
fucking shit, Oh my fucking God, Jesus fucking Oh, for

1406
01:47:09.399 --> 01:47:12.359
God's sake, would you please, for once in your life,

1407
01:47:12.560 --> 01:47:15.760
shut the fuck up? A female voice familiar to Aaron

1408
01:47:15.840 --> 01:47:20.000
called out from the back door. Aaron looked to see

1409
01:47:20.000 --> 01:47:23.520
the girl who came and stood next to Robbie. I

1410
01:47:23.840 --> 01:47:29.960
did see you outside the factory, Susan, but but you're dead.

1411
01:47:30.800 --> 01:47:33.840
Robbie wrapped an arm around Susan's waist. Then the two

1412
01:47:33.880 --> 01:47:36.680
of them shared a kiss before they looked at Aarin again.

1413
01:47:37.760 --> 01:47:42.680
Our plan worked lover. Susan said, yes, it did. Robbie agreed.

1414
01:47:43.439 --> 01:47:45.760
Going to college was the best thing ever happened to me.

1415
01:47:46.239 --> 01:47:50.159
Susan explained to Aaron. You see, when I met Robbie,

1416
01:47:50.199 --> 01:47:53.760
he was such a sensitive guy. Yeah, he done has

1417
01:47:53.800 --> 01:47:56.680
his problems, such as all the meat he eats, but

1418
01:47:57.159 --> 01:48:00.560
he's still all sweet on me. I mean, I literally

1419
01:48:00.600 --> 01:48:03.720
fell in love with him at first sight. Robbie smiled.

1420
01:48:04.399 --> 01:48:06.680
I used to think girls were trouble, especially the ones

1421
01:48:06.720 --> 01:48:09.560
who lived out here in the country. Then I met

1422
01:48:09.600 --> 01:48:12.359
your sister here, a country girl, while I was at

1423
01:48:12.359 --> 01:48:16.119
the university. Boy, did she ever catch me off guard. Now,

1424
01:48:16.520 --> 01:48:19.079
I don't know how I ever lived without her. Anyway,

1425
01:48:19.560 --> 01:48:22.239
When she told me about what an insufferable prick you

1426
01:48:22.279 --> 01:48:25.640
were to her, and how she had so many sleepless

1427
01:48:25.760 --> 01:48:30.720
nights because of you, he sighed, I flat out suggested

1428
01:48:30.840 --> 01:48:35.960
just killing you. Susan was angry. Now, and believe me,

1429
01:48:36.319 --> 01:48:38.159
you don't know how many times I wanted to blow

1430
01:48:38.239 --> 01:48:41.560
your fucking head off while you was sleeping. Robbie done

1431
01:48:41.600 --> 01:48:45.399
showed me that killing you will be so easy, will

1432
01:48:45.439 --> 01:48:50.199
even benefit from you too. Surprise, I ain't vegan no more.

1433
01:48:50.560 --> 01:48:53.640
Turns out, I love eating meat. She giggled, a little

1434
01:48:54.640 --> 01:48:58.319
human meat. Susan picked up a knife and carved off

1435
01:48:58.359 --> 01:49:01.520
a small piece of the meat from the roast. She

1436
01:49:01.640 --> 01:49:04.840
turned back to erin this here is one of your legs.

1437
01:49:04.840 --> 01:49:08.359
Over this here fire. Aarin was horrified to see Susan

1438
01:49:08.680 --> 01:49:11.319
put the cut of meat into her mouth and eat it.

1439
01:49:12.199 --> 01:49:17.119
She turned to Robbie, M M smoke to perfection, baby,

1440
01:49:17.880 --> 01:49:21.640
Robbie smiled at Aarin. For the record, I did go

1441
01:49:21.800 --> 01:49:25.199
vegan for the last few months. See. Susan made a

1442
01:49:25.199 --> 01:49:27.640
little bet with me. She said, I couldn't be vegan

1443
01:49:27.760 --> 01:49:30.079
for two whole months, so I agreed to try it,

1444
01:49:30.239 --> 01:49:33.720
but in turn agreed to try eating human flesh. If

1445
01:49:33.760 --> 01:49:36.800
I made it two months, which I did today, she

1446
01:49:36.840 --> 01:49:40.000
would go back to eating meat on a full time basis.

1447
01:49:40.479 --> 01:49:43.920
He turned to her. Don't worry, hun, I won't hold

1448
01:49:43.920 --> 01:49:46.800
you to it. If you want to be vegan, it's

1449
01:49:46.840 --> 01:49:51.039
fine by me. They shared another kiss. Then Susan said,

1450
01:49:51.600 --> 01:49:54.840
vegan food is mighty good, but I'll consider eating human

1451
01:49:54.920 --> 01:49:57.159
steaks as long as it don't bother you that I

1452
01:49:57.399 --> 01:50:01.159
still want to eat vegan. Robbi should his head. No,

1453
01:50:01.880 --> 01:50:04.560
we can eat vegan food. You were right, it's actually

1454
01:50:04.600 --> 01:50:08.479
not bad. I'd say we found our happy medium, you

1455
01:50:08.560 --> 01:50:12.960
and me. They kissed one more time again. Aaron struggled

1456
01:50:12.960 --> 01:50:16.039
to free himself. He roared and thrashed with all his might.

1457
01:50:16.680 --> 01:50:21.800
Finally he realized it was all useless and gave up.

1458
01:50:22.560 --> 01:50:26.239
You were dead, Susan, Aaron protested, you and your college

1459
01:50:26.239 --> 01:50:30.479
boyfriend both you saw two bodies were done, carved up.

1460
01:50:30.840 --> 01:50:33.920
Susan corrected him. Robbie and I put our clothes on

1461
01:50:34.000 --> 01:50:36.760
them bodies. The police never even thought to do any

1462
01:50:36.840 --> 01:50:39.039
kind of forensics to see if they was really us

1463
01:50:39.119 --> 01:50:43.239
or not. We're both legally dead. My new name is

1464
01:50:43.680 --> 01:50:47.479
Megan Farnes. Now. We got married shortly after we decided

1465
01:50:47.960 --> 01:50:52.159
we was gonna kill you. Speaking of killing you, Aaron,

1466
01:50:52.800 --> 01:50:55.640
Robbie said, we're going to strip the flesh off you.

1467
01:50:56.239 --> 01:50:58.800
Then we'll put you in the smokehouse and smoke you

1468
01:50:58.880 --> 01:51:02.840
to perfection, just like we did your legs. Susan wanted

1469
01:51:02.880 --> 01:51:05.520
to keep you alive long enough so she could see

1470
01:51:05.560 --> 01:51:09.479
you before we do what needs to be done. I

1471
01:51:09.680 --> 01:51:14.399
know I'll savor every bite until you're gone. Megan murmured,

1472
01:51:14.920 --> 01:51:18.880
still think I'm a rabbit now, you short, little fat fucker,

1473
01:51:19.560 --> 01:51:25.439
Robbie teased. This is bullshit. Aaron cried, bullshit. Putting up

1474
01:51:25.439 --> 01:51:27.640
with you all them years of my life was bullshit.

1475
01:51:27.960 --> 01:51:32.159
Megan snapped. Now I'll sleep peacefully and with my wonderful man.

1476
01:51:32.680 --> 01:51:35.640
She glanced at Robbie. I'm done talking to this shit

1477
01:51:35.720 --> 01:51:39.960
heel now. Thank you for this opportunity. Honey, I love you.

1478
01:51:40.880 --> 01:51:44.520
I love you too, Babe. Here, I'll give you the honors,

1479
01:51:45.159 --> 01:51:49.479
Robbie said, handing her a buck knife. Megan stepped up

1480
01:51:49.479 --> 01:51:51.760
onto a sturdy metal ladder to look at Aaron one

1481
01:51:51.840 --> 01:51:55.119
last time. This is for my life of hell, you

1482
01:51:55.279 --> 01:52:00.319
fucking Neanderthal. Aaron screamed as Megan stabbed him hard in

1483
01:52:00.319 --> 01:52:04.119
his stomach. His blood was spurting out quickly. He groaned,

1484
01:52:04.279 --> 01:52:07.439
intent on not giving up on his life. Megan knew

1485
01:52:07.479 --> 01:52:12.279
this and drew back again for another hard stab. Aaron

1486
01:52:12.399 --> 01:52:17.199
Johnson knew that the second stab would be the end.

1487
01:52:25.159 --> 01:52:30.960
Rude awakenings by Rob Fields. Shawnee Jerrold never had a

1488
01:52:31.000 --> 01:52:34.119
problem getting to bed on time. In fact, she was

1489
01:52:34.239 --> 01:52:36.319
usually in bed by eleven when she had to work

1490
01:52:36.359 --> 01:52:39.359
the next morning. When she didn't have to work, she

1491
01:52:39.399 --> 01:52:42.840
would stay up late, which meant sleeping in late. But

1492
01:52:42.960 --> 01:52:46.840
today wasn't one of those days. Shawnee smiled softly, no

1493
01:52:46.960 --> 01:52:50.800
doubt having an exciting dream, But her smile faded when

1494
01:52:50.800 --> 01:52:55.000
she finally heard her smartphone ringing. She opened her eyes slowly,

1495
01:52:55.079 --> 01:52:59.039
sat up, grabbed her phone, and muttered, whoever is calling

1496
01:52:59.119 --> 01:53:04.279
me better have a good reason for it. Hello, she snapped, Shannie,

1497
01:53:04.319 --> 01:53:06.960
get in here, a female voice said quickly on the

1498
01:53:07.000 --> 01:53:11.800
other end, Bev. Shannie asked, get in here. BEV repeated,

1499
01:53:12.000 --> 01:53:17.239
you're an hour late for work. Shawnnie gasped an hour late. Yes,

1500
01:53:17.560 --> 01:53:21.760
BEV confirmed, hurry get in here. Brent is pissed. Just

1501
01:53:22.079 --> 01:53:25.399
a second, Bev, Shawne muttered. Shannie looked down at her clock.

1502
01:53:25.720 --> 01:53:28.640
It was almost noon. She pressed the alarm check button.

1503
01:53:29.239 --> 01:53:32.119
The display read ten am, just the way it should have.

1504
01:53:32.560 --> 01:53:34.479
This was the second day in a row her alarm

1505
01:53:34.520 --> 01:53:38.000
clock had refused to cooperate. Tell Brent, I'll be right in,

1506
01:53:38.199 --> 01:53:42.119
Shawnee muttered. Shawnnie walked into the Mall's bookstore where she worked.

1507
01:53:42.520 --> 01:53:44.760
When Bev saw her, she quickly motioned for her to

1508
01:53:44.800 --> 01:53:47.399
come to the checkout counter. Brent wants to see you,

1509
01:53:47.880 --> 01:53:53.319
stat Bev said, He's really pissed Shawnnie Jerrel. A masculine

1510
01:53:53.359 --> 01:53:55.560
voice called out. The two girls turned to see a

1511
01:53:55.600 --> 01:53:58.239
man in his mid twenties standing near the back room entrance.

1512
01:53:58.520 --> 01:54:03.479
His eyes seemingly burned right through Shawnee. Hi Brent, Shawnee

1513
01:54:03.479 --> 01:54:06.279
Weekly murmured. He held up a hand to silence her.

1514
01:54:06.840 --> 01:54:11.319
In my office now. BEV gave Shawnee a look that

1515
01:54:12.119 --> 01:54:15.640
wished her luck. After work, Shawnee pulled her car up

1516
01:54:15.680 --> 01:54:18.479
to the closest plaza from her house. She quickly parked

1517
01:54:18.479 --> 01:54:21.079
the car, got out, BEV in tow, and pulled on

1518
01:54:21.119 --> 01:54:24.720
the doors of the department store, but found them locked. Fuck.

1519
01:54:25.239 --> 01:54:28.279
Shawnee turned and leaned against one of the doors. This sucks.

1520
01:54:28.319 --> 01:54:32.119
I should have been watching the time. Fuck. Aren't there

1521
01:54:32.159 --> 01:54:36.920
other places nearby that sell clocks? BEV asked, Yeah, but

1522
01:54:37.079 --> 01:54:40.119
they're closed by now, Shawnee muttered, and I don't want

1523
01:54:40.159 --> 01:54:42.720
some cheap piece of shit. I need a good clock

1524
01:54:42.960 --> 01:54:48.960
and loud. You say you're looking for a loud alarm clock.

1525
01:54:49.359 --> 01:54:52.760
A voice called out nearby. The girls turned to see

1526
01:54:52.800 --> 01:54:55.359
a man in his late forties standing in the doorway

1527
01:54:55.399 --> 01:54:58.720
of a store next door. The man had graying hair

1528
01:54:58.760 --> 01:55:02.239
and looked pleasant but there was something about him that

1529
01:55:02.399 --> 01:55:05.600
just didn't feel right. Shawne couldn't say anything to Bev

1530
01:55:05.640 --> 01:55:08.439
about it right then, but she wasn't about to turn

1531
01:55:08.479 --> 01:55:14.239
down the possibility for getting a working alarm clock tonight. Yeah,

1532
01:55:14.279 --> 01:55:17.359
Shawnee answered, I need one that'll wake me up, and

1533
01:55:17.399 --> 01:55:21.000
it's gotta be loud. Why don't you step inside for

1534
01:55:21.039 --> 01:55:24.159
a little bit, The man suggested, I think I can

1535
01:55:24.199 --> 01:55:27.560
help you. As the girls walked toward the store, they

1536
01:55:27.600 --> 01:55:30.680
looked up and saw the sign above the door Tinkers.

1537
01:55:31.479 --> 01:55:33.359
The man motioned for them to enter as he held

1538
01:55:33.399 --> 01:55:36.880
the door open. The store was filled with what appeared

1539
01:55:36.920 --> 01:55:41.479
to be many used electronic items. I've never seen this

1540
01:55:41.600 --> 01:55:46.800
place before, Bev said me. Neither. Shannie agreed, because people

1541
01:55:46.840 --> 01:55:51.039
don't think to look here for things when they need them.

1542
01:55:51.479 --> 01:55:54.319
The man said, I have an alarm clock in the

1543
01:55:54.359 --> 01:55:57.680
back that I think you might be interested in. Sure,

1544
01:55:58.239 --> 01:56:02.760
Shawnie answered earned and walked into the back room. Seconds later,

1545
01:56:02.800 --> 01:56:06.359
he returned with a small electronic clock. Would you like

1546
01:56:06.439 --> 01:56:12.960
to examine it? Tinker asked, Sure, Shawnee answered. Tinker handed

1547
01:56:13.000 --> 01:56:15.279
the alarm clock to her. It appeared to be a

1548
01:56:15.319 --> 01:56:19.600
standard ge brand electronic alarm clock. If you wish to

1549
01:56:19.640 --> 01:56:22.680
buy this one, I can make you a really good deal.

1550
01:56:23.239 --> 01:56:28.119
Tinker offered, what kind of deal. I'll sell it to

1551
01:56:28.199 --> 01:56:33.960
you for five dollars. I'll take it excellent. Tinker motioned

1552
01:56:33.960 --> 01:56:36.800
to the register to ring up the purchase. Tinker saw

1553
01:56:36.800 --> 01:56:39.359
the girls to the door. Once they were out and

1554
01:56:39.439 --> 01:56:42.960
returning to their car, he closed his shop At eight

1555
01:56:43.000 --> 01:56:45.479
o'clock the next morning, the alarm on her new clock

1556
01:56:45.600 --> 01:56:49.840
kicked on. The repeated blaring woke Shawnee up. Immediately. She

1557
01:56:49.960 --> 01:56:54.039
quickly turned and pushed the alarm stop button. Shawnee stared

1558
01:56:54.039 --> 01:56:56.399
at the clock for a moment. Then she took a

1559
01:56:56.439 --> 01:56:59.920
deep breath and smiled. She got out of bed, grabbed

1560
01:57:00.119 --> 01:57:02.680
work clothes, and headed to the bathroom to get ready.

1561
01:57:03.680 --> 01:57:06.399
Shawnee walked in through the employee entrance to the bookstore

1562
01:57:06.439 --> 01:57:11.279
with a good fifteen minutes to spare hi Brent. Shawnee murmured, well,

1563
01:57:11.319 --> 01:57:14.479
look who's here, he exclaimed. Looks like you get to

1564
01:57:14.600 --> 01:57:18.439
keep your job, he added jokingly, for at least another day.

1565
01:57:19.479 --> 01:57:23.039
It seemed eight o'clock came almost immediately after she fell asleep.

1566
01:57:23.079 --> 01:57:26.800
That night, Shawnee shrieked and suddenly sat bolt upright in bed.

1567
01:57:27.239 --> 01:57:30.680
She quickly reached over and shut the alarm off. The

1568
01:57:30.760 --> 01:57:34.640
alarm had all but scared her half to death. After

1569
01:57:34.720 --> 01:57:36.840
she collected herself, she got out of bed and looked

1570
01:57:36.840 --> 01:57:41.000
at the clock. You seem louder today than you were yesterday,

1571
01:57:41.600 --> 01:57:44.159
she said to the clock. She picked it up and

1572
01:57:44.199 --> 01:57:47.239
found the volume control knob. It was still where she

1573
01:57:47.319 --> 01:57:50.920
had said it. She turned the volume down slightly and

1574
01:57:51.000 --> 01:57:55.159
put the clock back down. Thursday morning came when Shawnie's

1575
01:57:55.199 --> 01:57:57.960
alarm went off. It was so loud that she shot

1576
01:57:58.119 --> 01:58:01.039
right awake and fell out of bed, trying to slap

1577
01:58:01.079 --> 01:58:04.680
the alarm stop button. When Shawnee stepped out of the house,

1578
01:58:04.840 --> 01:58:07.159
she heard the front door of her neighbor's house open.

1579
01:58:07.720 --> 01:58:10.479
Mister Sizemore stepped outside and glared at her with the

1580
01:58:10.479 --> 01:58:14.479
most hateful eyes. You the one making all that racket

1581
01:58:14.520 --> 01:58:19.760
this early in the goddamn morning, he snapped, accusingly. What racket?

1582
01:58:19.920 --> 01:58:24.520
Shawnee answered, confused, What racket? He pointed sharply up to

1583
01:58:24.560 --> 01:58:27.760
her bedroom window. That fucking racket you've been making at

1584
01:58:27.800 --> 01:58:31.760
eight every morning since Tuesday. I don't know what you're

1585
01:58:31.800 --> 01:58:34.880
talking about, mister Sizemore. The only sound that's been going

1586
01:58:34.920 --> 01:58:38.119
off at around that time is my clock. Now, if

1587
01:58:38.119 --> 01:58:40.680
you'll excuse me, I don't want to be late for work,

1588
01:58:41.479 --> 01:58:44.479
mister Sizemore pointed sharply at her. I shouldn't have to

1589
01:58:44.520 --> 01:58:47.479
hear all that shit every day like that, especially this

1590
01:58:47.680 --> 01:58:50.920
early in the goddamn morning. He stormed back into his

1591
01:58:50.920 --> 01:58:54.319
house and slammed the door shut. Shawnie rolled her eyes

1592
01:58:54.319 --> 01:58:58.039
as she stepped off the porch whatever. She got into

1593
01:58:58.119 --> 01:59:01.039
her car and headed off to work. The next day's

1594
01:59:01.039 --> 01:59:04.920
alarm was so loud that Shawnee screamed from fright. But

1595
01:59:05.039 --> 01:59:08.319
this time the alarm wasn't sounding off in continuous blares.

1596
01:59:09.119 --> 01:59:13.640
It was one continuing blare. She reached over to the

1597
01:59:13.640 --> 01:59:17.319
clock and pressed the alarm stop button. The alarm didn't

1598
01:59:17.319 --> 01:59:21.359
shut off. Shut up, she screamed, pressing the button again.

1599
01:59:21.600 --> 01:59:24.920
Shut up. She pressed the alarm stop button one more time.

1600
01:59:25.560 --> 01:59:30.199
Finally there was silence. As soon as she walked outside,

1601
01:59:30.199 --> 01:59:34.560
she was greeted by an unfriendly, familiar voice. I warned

1602
01:59:34.600 --> 01:59:38.359
you about that fucking racket, young lady, mister Sizemore snapped,

1603
01:59:38.880 --> 01:59:42.399
But I didn't do it, Shawnee almost shouted. Just then,

1604
01:59:42.479 --> 01:59:44.840
her other neighbor, an elderly woman, came out onto her

1605
01:59:44.840 --> 01:59:47.479
porch and shouted at her, listen you. If I have

1606
01:59:47.560 --> 01:59:49.439
to put up with that loud racket at this time

1607
01:59:49.439 --> 01:59:51.520
of the morning one more time, I'm going to call

1608
01:59:51.560 --> 01:59:56.560
the police. But it wasn't me, Shawnnie protested. The old

1609
01:59:56.600 --> 01:59:59.560
woman ignored her and stormed back into her house, slamming

1610
01:59:59.600 --> 02:00:02.800
the door sh behind her. Shawnie then realized that some

1611
02:00:02.880 --> 02:00:05.439
of the other neighbors were looking over at her house,

1612
02:00:06.159 --> 02:00:09.800
probably for the same reason. She also realized there was

1613
02:00:09.840 --> 02:00:12.399
only one thing that could have possibly been making all

1614
02:00:12.439 --> 02:00:16.800
the noise, her new alarm clock. She turned and walked

1615
02:00:16.800 --> 02:00:20.159
back into the house, walked back upstairs and into her bedroom.

1616
02:00:20.840 --> 02:00:22.960
She went to the alarm clock and unplugged it from

1617
02:00:22.960 --> 02:00:25.960
the wall outlet. She needed to return it to Tinkers

1618
02:00:26.239 --> 02:00:31.079
and get a refund. As the girls were shelving the

1619
02:00:31.119 --> 02:00:33.960
new books that came in, Shawnie told Bev about her

1620
02:00:33.960 --> 02:00:37.279
clock and how her neighbors had complained or stared at her.

1621
02:00:37.880 --> 02:00:40.960
Bev just looked at her. I'm not making this up.

1622
02:00:41.079 --> 02:00:44.199
Shawnee exclaimed that new clock is loud enough to wake

1623
02:00:44.239 --> 02:00:48.680
the whole neighborhood. Shannie, I've got a suggestion. Bev held

1624
02:00:48.720 --> 02:00:51.399
up her index finger. Why don't you just turn the

1625
02:00:51.520 --> 02:00:56.640
alarm down? I did two days in a row. Shawnie

1626
02:00:56.640 --> 02:00:59.399
was frustrated. But when the alarm went off this morning,

1627
02:01:00.359 --> 02:01:02.680
it was so loud. I woke up just like that,

1628
02:01:03.239 --> 02:01:05.680
and both my next door neighbors gave me hell about it.

1629
02:01:06.439 --> 02:01:09.359
Bev's face then lit up. Let's take it back to

1630
02:01:09.399 --> 02:01:12.279
the store and tell Tinker about it. But first I

1631
02:01:12.479 --> 02:01:16.760
have to hear it. Oh I don't know, Bev. Come on,

1632
02:01:16.960 --> 02:01:19.039
bring it over tonight. The girls are coming over. We

1633
02:01:19.079 --> 02:01:26.159
can annoy them too. Oh kay, Shawnee said reluctantly. That night,

1634
02:01:26.279 --> 02:01:29.720
the girls gathered at Bev's house. Bev lived in a

1635
02:01:29.760 --> 02:01:33.399
large house just outside of town. Her closest neighbors were

1636
02:01:33.680 --> 02:01:36.960
in the graveyard across the road. In addition to Shawnee,

1637
02:01:37.000 --> 02:01:40.079
Bev that invited two close friends to her sleepover. The

1638
02:01:40.159 --> 02:01:44.079
first was Mary Deacons, a slender, geeky girl who was

1639
02:01:44.119 --> 02:01:48.279
always game for anything exciting. And then there was Pam Wesley,

1640
02:01:48.600 --> 02:01:52.840
a girl who lived on the mischievous side. Your alarm

1641
02:01:52.920 --> 02:01:57.560
clock really wakes up your neighbors, Pam asked Shawnie. Uh huh,

1642
02:01:57.800 --> 02:02:03.319
Shawnie answered, well. BEV motioned at the clock. Shawnee looked

1643
02:02:03.319 --> 02:02:06.199
at the device, shrugged, and set the alarm to go

1644
02:02:06.239 --> 02:02:10.319
off in a minute's time, and it did louder than

1645
02:02:10.359 --> 02:02:15.960
ever before. Shawnie, your alarm clock really rules, Pam cheered,

1646
02:02:16.439 --> 02:02:20.560
shut up. A voice shouted, seemingly coming from nowhere. Can't

1647
02:02:20.560 --> 02:02:23.760
a guy get any sleep around here? Another voice, a

1648
02:02:23.840 --> 02:02:27.640
raspy one, called out, turn that blasted thing off. Another

1649
02:02:27.720 --> 02:02:30.960
voice shouted, The girls started in fright. Mary rose and

1650
02:02:30.960 --> 02:02:35.720
went to the nearest window. Holy shit, Mary screamed. Shawnie

1651
02:02:35.760 --> 02:02:38.680
saw that Mary was frantically pointing to the graveyard across

1652
02:02:38.720 --> 02:02:44.039
the street, and then she screamed too. Corpses were coming

1653
02:02:44.119 --> 02:02:46.760
up out of the ground. Some of them were already

1654
02:02:46.760 --> 02:02:52.239
shambling past the graveyard entrance. Turn that thing off. Shut up,

1655
02:02:52.359 --> 02:02:56.520
shut up? Who dares awaken us from our eternal sleep.

1656
02:02:57.159 --> 02:03:01.279
I'm gonna kill whoever's making that noise. Shawne quickly turned

1657
02:03:01.279 --> 02:03:04.239
and yanked the clock plug from the wall. The alarm

1658
02:03:04.399 --> 02:03:08.439
was still blaring. Shawnee shrieked and fumbled with the volume

1659
02:03:08.439 --> 02:03:10.479
control knob. She turned it in the direction of a

1660
02:03:10.520 --> 02:03:14.399
lower setting, but nothing was happening. Bev raced to the

1661
02:03:14.399 --> 02:03:17.279
front door and locked it. I'll get the back door,

1662
02:03:17.439 --> 02:03:20.079
Pam shouted, running for it. Get the side door too,

1663
02:03:20.239 --> 02:03:23.199
Bev shouted back. Mary looked out through the front door's

1664
02:03:23.199 --> 02:03:25.800
window and saw the living dead were in the yard now,

1665
02:03:26.159 --> 02:03:30.159
some almost to the front porch. Bev screamed, they're here.

1666
02:03:30.880 --> 02:03:33.840
What the fuck are we gonna do? Shannie shouted. Bev

1667
02:03:33.880 --> 02:03:37.479
turned to her, turn that fucking clock off. I'm trying,

1668
02:03:37.560 --> 02:03:40.159
as Shannie pressed all the buttons on the clock repeatedly,

1669
02:03:40.319 --> 02:03:43.880
but the alarm still wouldn't stop blaring. Pam returned, the

1670
02:03:43.920 --> 02:03:46.359
doors are all locked. She turned to Shawnee. Turn off

1671
02:03:46.359 --> 02:03:51.000
that clock. This isn't funny anymore. I'm trying, Shannie repeated,

1672
02:03:51.439 --> 02:03:55.119
try harder. Pam shouted, give me that. Bev snatched the

1673
02:03:55.119 --> 02:03:58.319
clock from Shawnee. Bev held it up high before flinging

1674
02:03:58.319 --> 02:04:01.439
it to the hard floor. The clock smashed against it

1675
02:04:01.479 --> 02:04:05.720
with a loud bang. The alarm still didn't stop blaring,

1676
02:04:06.079 --> 02:04:09.000
and the clock wasn't even damaged. By now, the girls

1677
02:04:09.039 --> 02:04:10.840
were putting their hands to their ears to try and

1678
02:04:10.880 --> 02:04:14.560
block out the horrible racket. Pam hollered out, they're at

1679
02:04:14.640 --> 02:04:18.680
the front window. There are more at the door, Shanie added,

1680
02:04:19.079 --> 02:04:22.239
What the fuck are we gonna do? Bev cried out

1681
02:04:22.239 --> 02:04:25.600
the back Mary suggested Quickly, Shannie grabbed the clock and

1682
02:04:25.640 --> 02:04:28.359
followed the others out the back door. The living dead

1683
02:04:28.359 --> 02:04:31.119
were now in the backyard. The girls ran off the

1684
02:04:31.119 --> 02:04:33.680
back porch before the dead could block them in. A

1685
02:04:33.800 --> 02:04:37.520
zombie wearing a Civil War style uniform almost grabbed Shawnee.

1686
02:04:37.640 --> 02:04:41.000
Turn that blasted thing off, it rasped in a shout

1687
02:04:41.000 --> 02:04:44.560
at her, let us sleep in eternal peace. A female

1688
02:04:44.640 --> 02:04:48.199
zombie wearing a tattered white wedding gown added. Shawnie was

1689
02:04:48.279 --> 02:04:51.239
really frustrated. She took the alarm clock by the cord

1690
02:04:51.279 --> 02:04:54.840
and swung it hard and fast onto the hard stone walkway.

1691
02:04:55.319 --> 02:04:59.159
When the clock hit it was still not damaged, nor

1692
02:04:59.239 --> 02:05:03.439
did the blaring s stop. Where can we go? Mary shouted,

1693
02:05:03.560 --> 02:05:06.960
Those things are everywhere. Pam turned to Shawnnie, will you

1694
02:05:07.039 --> 02:05:12.720
shut that fucking thing off? I'm trying, Shawnee screamed. The

1695
02:05:12.720 --> 02:05:15.760
girls ran into the garage through the side door. Bev

1696
02:05:15.800 --> 02:05:18.800
locked it behind them. She turned to Shannee, grab a

1697
02:05:18.840 --> 02:05:22.920
hammer or something and smashed that fucking clock. Shannie saw

1698
02:05:22.960 --> 02:05:26.479
a sledgehammer on a nearby workbench and grabbed it, throwing

1699
02:05:26.520 --> 02:05:28.800
the clock down. She lifted the heavy hammer up over

1700
02:05:28.840 --> 02:05:31.760
her head with a loud scream. She swung the hammer

1701
02:05:31.800 --> 02:05:34.319
down at the accursed clock. She hit it right on

1702
02:05:34.359 --> 02:05:38.640
the mark, but the clock was still undamaged and still

1703
02:05:38.680 --> 02:05:43.880
blaring loudly. I don't believe this shit, Shannie cried. Everybody

1704
02:05:43.920 --> 02:05:47.880
looked at the still undamaged clock. The dead had surrounded

1705
02:05:47.880 --> 02:05:51.119
the garage. The female zombie, wearing the tattered wedding gown,

1706
02:05:51.199 --> 02:05:53.680
shattered one of the garage windows with a single blow.

1707
02:05:54.239 --> 02:05:59.000
Glass yards flew inside. We're coming in, The female zombie

1708
02:05:59.039 --> 02:06:04.119
gurgled you you will all suffer for awaking us. Then

1709
02:06:04.159 --> 02:06:07.920
it reached both of its decaying arms inside and cradled

1710
02:06:07.960 --> 02:06:11.640
the lethal object that was hanging on a nearby utensil rack.

1711
02:06:12.920 --> 02:06:17.359
She's got an axe, Shannie screamed frantically. We're coming in.

1712
02:06:18.079 --> 02:06:21.840
The zombie cheered, gurgling. The girl screamed as the zombie

1713
02:06:21.880 --> 02:06:25.800
started chopping away. Shannee continued to smash the alarm clock

1714
02:06:25.840 --> 02:06:28.560
with the sledgehammer, but no matter how hard she swung,

1715
02:06:28.880 --> 02:06:31.039
no matter how many times she hit it, the clock

1716
02:06:31.039 --> 02:06:35.439
would neither stop blaring nor be destroyed for anything. The

1717
02:06:35.520 --> 02:06:38.520
zombie bride had finally chopped its way through the garage door.

1718
02:06:38.720 --> 02:06:41.680
Another zombie smashed its way through the side door window

1719
02:06:41.840 --> 02:06:44.760
and stuck its hand inside to unlock the door. Mary

1720
02:06:44.840 --> 02:06:47.640
quickly grabbed a nearby mallet, ran to the side door,

1721
02:06:47.680 --> 02:06:50.680
and bashed the zombie's head. The zombie cried out and

1722
02:06:50.720 --> 02:06:53.640
looked up at Mary. Then it screamed loudly at her.

1723
02:06:53.960 --> 02:06:57.039
Mary screamed in terror with the zombie, she screamed even

1724
02:06:57.079 --> 02:06:59.840
louder as the door broke off with the zombie Mary hit.

1725
02:07:00.439 --> 02:07:04.479
Now walking inside, Shawnie gave up trying to smash the clock.

1726
02:07:04.720 --> 02:07:07.840
Seeing it was pointless, she dropped the sledgehammer and picked

1727
02:07:07.880 --> 02:07:10.840
up the clock. As she did, she saw a small

1728
02:07:10.880 --> 02:07:15.319
rectangular outline on the clock's bottom. Of course, Shannie thought,

1729
02:07:15.479 --> 02:07:18.079
these alarm clocks have a battery backup in case the

1730
02:07:18.119 --> 02:07:20.359
plug is pulled out of the wall or the power

1731
02:07:20.399 --> 02:07:23.960
goes out at home. The zombie Bride raised the axe,

1732
02:07:24.279 --> 02:07:27.720
intent on striking Shawnee. Just as she had opened the

1733
02:07:27.720 --> 02:07:32.079
battery backup compartment. One hard jerk severed the industrial strength

1734
02:07:32.199 --> 02:07:36.720
nine volt battery from its connectors. The clock had finally

1735
02:07:37.319 --> 02:07:41.960
stopped blaring. The zombies turned and started shambling back toward

1736
02:07:42.000 --> 02:07:45.239
the graveyard. Shannie knew what she was doing after work.

1737
02:07:45.279 --> 02:07:48.479
The next day, when work was over, the girls punched out,

1738
02:07:48.920 --> 02:07:53.119
got into Bev's car, and headed for Tinkers. I hope

1739
02:07:53.119 --> 02:07:55.880
you can get your money back, Bev said, you've got

1740
02:07:55.920 --> 02:08:00.119
the receipt. Shawnnie groaned, I don't care about that. I

1741
02:08:00.199 --> 02:08:04.119
just want this fucking thing gone. The girls suddenly stopped

1742
02:08:04.520 --> 02:08:09.920
dead in their tracks. Bullshit, Shawnnie cried in shock. Bev

1743
02:08:10.079 --> 02:08:13.199
was just as shocked. The store that was once Tinkers

1744
02:08:13.920 --> 02:08:17.680
was only an empty suite now. Shawnee pointed sharply to

1745
02:08:17.680 --> 02:08:21.760
the empty suite. I bought this clock here, Bev. I

1746
02:08:21.880 --> 02:08:25.279
know I did. You don't have to convince me, Shannie.

1747
02:08:25.880 --> 02:08:29.279
I was here with you. But how did he move

1748
02:08:29.319 --> 02:08:33.760
out so quickly? Shawnie shrugged wearily and through the clock

1749
02:08:33.840 --> 02:08:38.720
where the shop once stood, turned and walked away. As

1750
02:08:38.720 --> 02:08:42.279
the girls walked off, Tinker reached down and picked up

1751
02:08:42.319 --> 02:08:44.880
the clock. He held it up in front of him

1752
02:08:45.359 --> 02:08:58.399
and laughed and laughed and laughed. Well, my spookies, if

1753
02:08:58.439 --> 02:09:03.479
the IDEs of Marchev taught us anything, here tonight, it's this.

1754
02:09:04.600 --> 02:09:09.520
Don't trust the water, don't trust the wilderness, and absolutely

1755
02:09:09.680 --> 02:09:13.520
do not trust anything that looks like it crawled out

1756
02:09:13.560 --> 02:09:19.399
of a story someone like me told just to scare you.

1757
02:09:20.319 --> 02:09:24.239
Because sometimes the swamp gives you a legend, sometimes it

1758
02:09:24.279 --> 02:09:30.439
gives you a problem. Sometimes, stay hungry is motivational, and

1759
02:09:30.520 --> 02:09:35.520
sometimes it's a threat. Sometimes you are what you eat,

1760
02:09:35.640 --> 02:09:41.119
and sometimes that's the most horrifying medical update you'll ever receive.

1761
02:09:41.680 --> 02:09:45.920
And as for rude awakenings, look, I'm not saying your

1762
02:09:45.960 --> 02:09:49.359
alarm clock is evil. I'm just saying if it starts

1763
02:09:49.399 --> 02:09:53.800
going off when you didn't set it, maybe just let

1764
02:09:53.800 --> 02:09:59.760
the undead handle your morning routine. They seem very self starting.

1765
02:10:00.399 --> 02:10:03.399
So lock up, keep your snacks inside the house, and

1766
02:10:03.439 --> 02:10:08.680
if you hear something splashing outside at night, congratulations, you've

1767
02:10:08.680 --> 02:10:13.800
been promoted to person who minds their business and survives.

1768
02:10:14.720 --> 02:10:17.319
Thanks for joining me on this compilation, and I'll see

1769
02:10:17.359 --> 02:10:22.159
you back here next Saturday for four more tales of

1770
02:10:22.199 --> 02:10:28.199
the Odds of March. Until then, sleep tight, and if

1771
02:10:28.239 --> 02:10:33.239
you wake up suddenly, maybe don't look at the clock.