WEBVTT
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Firefighters expect flames, smoke, and things that don't survive. But
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after one cabin fire, a notebook was found, almost untouched,
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in the ashes. Inside was a lifetime of Halloween nights,
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a blood-soaked railroad tunnel, and a shadow. What's that? You
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want to be scared? Come with me. You will experience
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tales of horror, ghosts, and death. It is not recommended
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for the weak at heart. Listen in the dark. It's
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more fun that way. This is Weekly Spooky. Spooky. Hello,
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my spookies. It's Wednesday, and you know what that means.
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It's time for some spooky in your weekly. And tomorrow,
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spooky season hits full tilt and boogie as October welcomes
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us all. So make sure you're subscribed because tomorrow not
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only will we feature Thursday thrills, but a little later
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in the day, a brand new Halloween Horror Story, courtesy
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of author Morgan Moore. So click subscribe on your preferred
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podcast app. You won't want to miss it, and that's
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not all there'll be. On Friday, we have a very
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special guest talking all about the folklore of the original
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Romanian vampire, the Strigoi. And all October long, we'll have
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bonus scary stories to help you get in that Halloween
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spirit and make the most of your spooky season. So
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not only make sure you're subscribed, but also leave us
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a five-star rating on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to make
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sure other spookies who discover the program know they are
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in the right place. Oh, what a Halloween it's going
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to be. And of course, if you head to weeklyspooky.com
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slash join, You can support us directly for as little
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as $ 1 a month and get two bonus shows every
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single month as well as over six years of original
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creepypasta readings and exclusive audiobooks at weeklyspooky.com slash join. But now,
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as for tonight, the calendar says September, but tonight we're
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standing right on Halloween's doorstep. For most kids, the holiday
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begins with costumes, porch lights, and too much candy. For Joe,
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it begins with a forbidden railroad tunnel and the first
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taste of a world his mother never wanted him to see.
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But some doors only open one way. Years later, the tracks,
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the shadows, and a voice whispering, Home, are still waiting
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for him. So keep your porch light on. Stay away
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from the tunnel and listen very closely. I'm a firefighter,
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and what I found creeped me out. By Michael Kelso
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There was a notebook that survived the last fire I
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was called to. I found it in the smoldering remains
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of the ashes. I'm not sure if I believe the
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story in it or not, but I thought I would
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share it just in case it's real. Mama said there'd
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be days like this. It's a nice thought, isn't it?
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It speaks of a concerned parent trying to comfort her
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child to the harsh realities of the world. The problem is,
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I don't recall my mama ever saying anything like that
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to me. Even if she had, I don't think in
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her Wildest nightmare she could have imagined a day like
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that one. The day I leaned against the inside of
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a train tunnel, soaked in sweat and grime, staring at
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the train tracks that dripped with the blood of my friend.
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Blood that should have been mine. My name is Joe.
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I don't think I'm named after anybody. Mama just always
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called me Joe. There are lots of things that Mama
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always just did, like beating the tar out of me
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when I sassed her, beating the tar out of me
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if I didn't kill anything for supper, beating the tar
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out of me the day I told her I wanted
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to learn to read. At this point, you wouldn't think
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I had much tar left in me, but you couldn't
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tell Mama that. She was a big woman, and I
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think beating me made her feel better about herself. I
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grew up in a little shack in the middle of nowhere.
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Mama always called it a cabin, but it was really
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just four walls and a roof, hastily put together with
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stolen boards and nails from an old barn down the road.
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Mama always told me that she took good care of me.
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Of course, she told me that the cabin was a
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huge house and that learning was bad. I guess, in
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a way, it was for her. I wasn't allowed to
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have picture books or anything like that. I'll teach you
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everything you need to know, Mama said. That's what I
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call a half-truth. She taught me everything she needed me
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to know. Like how to cook, clean, cut firewood, and
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take care of her when she was sick. Anything other
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than that was on Mama's forbidden list. How does all
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this lead to a boy watching his friend being... Horribly
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dismembered by a speeding train? Well, stick with me for
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a little bit. We'll get there. Mama didn't have a job.
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We hunted and grew food. Once a month, the two
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of us would drag our small, rickety cart to a
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truck stop on the outskirts of Larson, 15 miles away.
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We would set up alongside the road, selling homegrown vegetables
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during the day. Mama never let me see or talk
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to any of the people. They ain't no good, she said,
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and I don't want you taken after them. Mama had
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a special word for people who lived in any town. Arrogant.
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I didn't know what it meant at the time, but
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found out later that it meant folks who don't see
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things the same as Mama. At night, we would go
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shopping in dumpsters. The next day, we would head back
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home with a few dollars in Mama's pockets and a
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cart full of treasures. Frost Creek was only two miles
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from the cabin, but to reach it, you had to
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walk through a railroad tunnel, yet another thing that was
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on Mama's forbidden list. That tunnel took your daddy away
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from me. I ain't gonna let it take you, too,
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she said. The funny thing about curiosity is you can
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bottle it up, but once it's out, there ain't no
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way of getting it back in. I found an old
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children's dictionary on one of our trips. You remember the
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kind that had pictures beside the words. Well, I started
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looking at that book, and before you know it, the
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stopper was out of my bottle. I lost a lot
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of tar the day Mama caught me with it. We
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ain't reading, folk, she screamed as she beat me. Nothing
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in that book is gonna put food on the table. But,
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being young, dumb, and, well, whatever, I snuck the book
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away from her and hid it. This was the beginning
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of my new life. Isn't it funny how when you
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latch on to something new, the old just doesn't quite
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cut it anymore? There was a large, empty cave where
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I hid my treasures, the few children's books that I
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had snuck home, my dictionary, and a pair of dress
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shoes that actually fit. I struggled to read the books,
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relying heavily on the pictures. My favorite was the one
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that told me about Halloween, Christmas, and Thanksgiving. Halloween was
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my favorite. The thought of getting all that candy just
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for putting on a costume made me feel excited. I
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planned my first trick-or-treat trip very carefully. I told Mama
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I would be gone most of the day and into
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the night, picking her favorite berries, which were already picked
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and hidden in my cave. She knew it was a long,
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dangerous way to the patch where those berries grew. She
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wanted to tell me no, but Thank you for watching.
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It's funny how desire can override concern. Having gotten her blessing,
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I went to my cave, put on my dress shoes,
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ragged jeans, and shirt. I wrapped my supper in a
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red bandana and hung it on the end of a stick.
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With my outfit complete, I walked down to the railroad
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tracks and stared at the tunnel. The sun was just
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starting to set. bathing it in an eerie red glow.
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The stones that formed the opening looked like giant, bloody
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teeth just waiting to eat me. Mama always told me
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there was evil that lurked in that tunnel. I used
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to think she was just trying to scare me to
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keep me out, but that evening things were different. As
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I stepped into the dark, I felt the wickedness inside
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me like I knew I was doing something wrong but
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didn't care. I ate my supper as I walked through
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the tunnel, leaving the bandana nearly empty. When I came
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out on the other side, the world had been transformed.
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Everywhere I looked were bright, shining lights and people hurrying
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this way and that. I stopped and stared at a
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giant yellow M. The smells that came from inside made
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my mouth water. Someday I'll be rich enough to eat there.
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Mama wouldn't like that, I argued with myself. I dragged
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myself away from the sight and stared down a street
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that on any other night would have seemed bizarre beyond description,
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yet tonight it was the greatest thing I had ever seen.
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I smiled from ear to ear as ghosts holding plastic
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pumpkins floated by. Next was a trio of miniature superheroes
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arguing over which one had the most candy. I walked
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up to the first house I saw and knocked on
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the door. The porch light came on and an old
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man flung open the door. What? He snarled. Trick or treat.
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I said, holding out my bandana. The old man glared
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at me. Do you see my porch light on? He said. Yes,
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I replied, looking up. The old man looked up too
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and harrumphed, as several more trick-or-treaters were drawn toward the
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light like brightly colored insects. He quickly turned the light
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off and they drifted away. You see that, boy? the
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old man said, pointing toward the other houses. All those
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idiots with their porch lights on. Yes, those are the
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ones you go to for your satanic pagan candy. Not
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understanding the word satanic or pagan, I turned to leave,
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but the old man held me back. I do have
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a treat for you, though, he said with a wicked grin.
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Since you were kind enough to wake me up, wait here.
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The old man disappeared and reappeared quick enough to be
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a magician. Here you go, he said, holding out a
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rotten banana. I took it, and tears welled up in
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my eyes. Thank you, I said, hugging him. It was
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the last thing he expected. He pulled away from me, harrumphed,
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and slammed the door in my face. I peeled the
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banana and ate it as I walked toward the next house,
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making sure the porch light was on. As I started
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up the walkway, I finished the banana and tossed the
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peel in the yard. A large man in his mid-thirties
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stood on the lighted porch, holding a bowl of candy
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and frowning as I approached. Trick or treat! I said,
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holding out my bandana. Are you going to throw that away?
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The man said, gruffly. I looked at my bandana, seeing
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no reason why I should throw it away. No, not
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the bandana, the man said. The banana. He pointed to
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the discarded peel I had thrown into his yard. I
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picked it up and looked at the large man. Trash can,
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he said. pointing toward the street. I walked out and
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saw a can sitting beside a streetlight, looked at the man,
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and pointed towards the can. He nodded his approval, and
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I threw the peel in, then walked away. Hey, called
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the large man. Don't you want any candy? I ran
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back to the porch, looked into the bowl filled with
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colorful wrappers, and grabbed a handful. Only take two, the
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man said. It's still early. I need to have some
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for the other kids. I hesitated, then picked the two
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that had the most interesting wrappers. Didn't your parents ever
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teach you not to litter? The man asked. Not understanding
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the word litter, I bluffed by nodding my head. Where
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are they anyway? The man said. Who? Your parents. Daddy's
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gone and Mama's at home, I said. Your mother let
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you go trick-or-treating by yourself? The man said with an
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edge in his voice. Sensing that I had done something wrong,
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I said, I gotta go. Then I ran across the
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street and hid behind a tree. Maybe I should just
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give up and go home. I pulled out one of
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the pieces of candy, opened it, and took a bite.
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My mouth exploded with sweetness. I gobbled it and the
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next piece right away. I could feel the blood rushing
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through my body. The sudden burst of energy dragged me
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to the next house. The lady smiled and complimented my
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hobo suit, then gave me three pieces of candy, which
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I devoured as soon as I got out of sight.
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The rest of the evening was more of the same,
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polite smiles and lots of candy. My bandana never got
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a chance to fill up. An hour later, I headed
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back out of town, moving a lot slower. My stomach
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began to feel strange and make sounds I had never
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heard it make. I stopped at the trash can I
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had thrown my banana peel into and suddenly upchucked all
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the candy I had eaten. The large man came outside
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and watched me heaving into the trash can. You okay?
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he asked. Yeah, I said, breathing hard. Here, he said,
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handing me some paper towels. Clean yourself up and follow me.
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He waited for me to finish, then started walking toward
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the middle of town. I followed him until we came
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to a building with a large star on the front
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of it. I hesitated. Come on in, the man said.
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It's okay. The large man walked inside, closely followed by me. Evening, Sheriff,
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said a man behind a raised counter. Who's your friend?
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What is your name, boy? the sheriff asked. Um... Joe.
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Joe what? Just Joe. But what's your last name? I
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don't understand. My mama always called me Joe. Okay, what's
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your mama's name? Mama, I said, confused. Joe Mama? The
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man at the desk said. Really? The sheriff chuckled a little. Okay, kid,
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let's get you cleaned up. Follow me. He took me
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to the back hallway where the cells were. I got
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nervous right away. Don't worry, kid. I'm just letting you
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shower and get some clean clothes. After I showered and changed,
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he brought me back out and took my picture and prints.
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Let's run them against the National Runaway Network, he told
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the deputy. Sure thing, boss. Nothing came back. Joe? How
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long have you been living on the street? The sheriff asked.
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I didn't know what to say, so I didn't say anything.
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Where does your mother live? Once again, I was silent.
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I think I know exactly what you need to loosen
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that tongue of yours. Come on. He left the station
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with me tagging along carrying my old clothes. How's your
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stomach feeling? He asked. A little better, I said. Good,
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because we're here. It was a large, two-story brick house.
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I could see from the street lamp that the house
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was well-kept. When the woman answered the door, she seemed familiar. Hello, Sheriff,
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she said cheerfully. Hello, Marcy. I have someone for you
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to meet. We've already met, she said, smiling. He was
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dressed like a hobo. Well... I'm not sure it was
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a costume. I think he's a runaway. She shook her
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head and made a sad, clucking sound. Come on in.
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I've got to get going if it's all the same
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to you. Sure, Sheriff, she said. You know our door
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is always open. Thanks, Marcy. I'll send the paperwork over
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for Joe in the morning. Sounds good. Thanks. You take care, kid.
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You're in good hands here. I'll see you around. Thank you, sir,
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I said. He laughed. You can call me Ted. Then
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he nodded and walked away. Marcy showed me my room,
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apologizing for how small it was. Little did she know
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it was nearly the same size as the shack I
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lived in with Mama. I laid down on the soft bed,
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and fell instantly asleep. I woke with a start and panicked,
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alone in a huge room I didn't recognize, surrounded by
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comforts I never had at home. I jumped out of bed,
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threw on my old clothes, and snuck out of the
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bedroom window. I headed back toward the tunnel, with dawn
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about an hour away, feeling guilty for leaving Mama to
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begin with. But Marcy seemed so friendly, and the bed
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was so soft. By the time I reached the tunnel,
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my mind was in an all-out war with itself over
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which place to call home. Lost in thought, I wasn't
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paying attention to where I was and had meandered into
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the tunnel. Instead of going through it as quickly as
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00:22:03.940 --> 00:22:09.730
I could, I kicked rocks and pondered life. Ray was
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the closest thing I had to a friend. He lived
285
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in a shack two hollows up from the one I
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lived in. He was born with only one working arm.
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The other one just wasn't there. One tiny finger grew
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out of his shoulder. It was the weirdest thing I
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00:22:28.980 --> 00:22:33.420
ever saw. Ray didn't talk either. He only had a
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stump for a tongue. I never knew if he was
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born that way or if He said something real bad
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to his daddy. I never knew how old Ray was.
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He was full-grown when I was still toddling around the shack,
294
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but he always had the brain of a child. Sometimes
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when I would go dumpster shopping, I would bring Ray
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back an old, beat-up action figure that someone had tossed out.
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He loved playing with them, but the first thing he
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did with each one was tear off the right arm.
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I guess he thought it made them more like him.
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Ray loved the trains. Every time I saw him, it
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was somewhere near the tracks. Tonight was no exception. The
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00:23:23.099 --> 00:23:29.140
hum grew steadily louder. The air itself seemed charged with electricity.
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00:23:29.619 --> 00:23:34.650
The ground shook as I stood, frozen by fear and indecision.
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The deafening scream of the horn jolted me into action
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As I ran, the realization washed over me that I
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was about to die horribly. I stumbled blindly into the
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powerful light, helpless and lost. Suddenly, a hand grabbed me
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and yanked me back from the tracks and shoved me
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into the emergency cutout as the train careened past. The
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wind from the passing train made me cover my face.
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Once the train had passed, I looked around to see
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00:24:08.529 --> 00:24:15.039
who my Savior was, but no one was there. I
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00:24:15.130 --> 00:24:21.119
slowly stepped out of the cutout and looked around. Ten
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yards away, sitting in between the tracks, was a colorful
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piece of plastic. I picked it up. It was a
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dirty action figure with one of its arms ripped off.
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Oh my god. Ray, I looked down and saw a
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small splatter of blood. As I followed the tracks to
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the opening of the tunnel, it intensified. By the time
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I tasted fresh air, the rail looked like the floor
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00:24:55.980 --> 00:25:02.380
of a slaughterhouse. So that's how I came to be there,
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watching my friend's blood drip down off the cold steel rails.
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the noblest self-sacrificing act I had ever witnessed, and I
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00:25:13.299 --> 00:25:17.099
was the only one who knew about it. If that
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was the end of the story, most of you would
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just sadly shake your head and move on. But the
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00:25:24.019 --> 00:25:29.859
story was just beginning. I stood at a crossroads in
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00:25:29.900 --> 00:25:32.960
my young life. If I went back home and told
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00:25:33.019 --> 00:25:36.180
Mama what happened, I would lose a lot of tar
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for going through the tunnel and lying to her. If
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I just up and left, Mama would come looking for me,
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and God knows what would happen if she found me.
333
00:25:49.660 --> 00:25:52.849
I ran to my cave, threw all of my important
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things into a ratty old backpack, then ran back to
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the tunnel. Next I took the basket full of berries,
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00:26:02.109 --> 00:26:06.950
threw them here and there, anywhere there was blood. Then...
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00:26:07.509 --> 00:26:11.049
sat the basket in the middle of the tracks, and waited.
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I could just see the light as dawn began to
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fight off the darkness. Joe! came Mama's voice. I froze.
340
00:26:22.799 --> 00:26:25.960
I didn't think she could see me. She was probably
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00:26:26.019 --> 00:26:29.420
just calling out, hoping I was close enough to hear her.
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My resolve waned every time she called my name. Finally,
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I saw two lights. One was Mama's old hurricane lamp,
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and the other one was an oncoming train. My heart
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leaped and failed at the same time. The train approached quickly,
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its horn nearly deafening me. It drove into the tunnel,
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destroying the basket. As soon as it passed, I ran through.
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00:27:02.630 --> 00:27:06.170
Just as I came out, the lamp appeared at the
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other end. I slowly peeked around the corner and could
350
00:27:11.230 --> 00:27:14.640
barely make out the silhouette of a woman on her
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knees between the tracks. She was rocking back and forth,
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00:27:21.440 --> 00:27:26.640
holding something in her arms. Finally, I realized it was
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the remains of the basket. My heart nearly failed me.
354
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I wanted to run back to her and tell her
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it was all right, I took half a step forward,
356
00:27:38.690 --> 00:27:45.430
then remembered Ray. Not wanting his sacrifice to be in vain,
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I quickly turned my back on the tunnel and started
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00:27:49.859 --> 00:27:54.740
toward town. Ten minutes later, I climbed back into the
359
00:27:54.819 --> 00:27:59.680
open bedroom window, closed it behind me, and turned around
360
00:27:59.759 --> 00:28:05.460
to see Marcy standing there with her arms folded. That's
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00:28:05.579 --> 00:28:11.059
strike one. she said firmly. You never leave this house
362
00:28:11.119 --> 00:28:18.660
without asking first. Sorry, I said, hanging my head. Well,
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00:28:19.079 --> 00:28:23.980
come on then and get some breakfast. That's it? What
364
00:28:24.059 --> 00:28:30.960
else were you expecting? A beating. Who beat you? Marcy asked,
365
00:28:31.420 --> 00:28:37.900
her eyes moist with sympathy. Mama, I said. shrugging my shoulders.
366
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She hugged me tightly and whispered, I will never beat you.
367
00:28:45.579 --> 00:28:50.599
She suddenly released me and went downstairs, dabbing at her eyes.
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00:28:51.869 --> 00:28:55.630
I followed and ate the largest breakfast I'd ever had.
369
00:28:56.750 --> 00:28:59.269
It didn't take long for me to start thinking I
370
00:28:59.309 --> 00:29:03.690
had picked the right household. The year was full of
371
00:29:03.890 --> 00:29:08.119
ups and downs, Marcy and her kids, Paul and Sharon,
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00:29:08.829 --> 00:29:12.200
not only welcomed me into their house, they took me
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00:29:12.380 --> 00:29:16.289
on as their pet project. I had never heard the
374
00:29:16.329 --> 00:29:21.829
phrase foster family before. Within six months, I had caught
375
00:29:21.930 --> 00:29:24.849
up on years of neglect and was able to go
376
00:29:24.890 --> 00:29:28.390
to school only one grade lower than my age bracket.
377
00:29:29.390 --> 00:29:33.009
They rallied around me as their cause, and we became
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00:29:33.069 --> 00:29:37.970
a true family like i had never known the lord
379
00:29:38.059 --> 00:29:44.099
giveth and the lord taketh away next halloween i went
380
00:29:44.160 --> 00:29:49.500
trick-or-treating again sharon had just turned 14 and decided that
381
00:29:49.579 --> 00:29:54.059
she was too mature for trick-or-treating paul and i had
382
00:29:54.099 --> 00:29:58.670
dressed up as pirates and went together but got separated
383
00:29:58.730 --> 00:30:02.569
in a crowd of costumes. As I looked for him,
384
00:30:02.829 --> 00:30:07.210
I realized how close I was to the tunnel. Hesitantly,
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00:30:07.950 --> 00:30:12.650
I went over and peered into it. To my surprise,
386
00:30:13.289 --> 00:30:16.730
I saw a woman, silhouetted, kneeling in the middle of
387
00:30:16.789 --> 00:30:24.369
the tracks, holding a basket as she rocked back and forth. Mama?
388
00:30:25.410 --> 00:30:31.680
I whispered. Somehow, the figure heard me. The silhouette looked up,
389
00:30:32.339 --> 00:30:36.819
straight at me. Without knowing why, I felt a sudden
390
00:30:37.019 --> 00:30:41.140
chill run up my spine. The figure stood and began
391
00:30:41.200 --> 00:30:46.160
to walk, slowly toward me. I was drawn towards it
392
00:30:46.319 --> 00:30:51.380
and started into the tunnel. Instead of being overwhelmed with
393
00:30:51.440 --> 00:30:57.819
relief and love, I felt as if I was suffocating. Suddenly,
394
00:30:58.660 --> 00:31:04.809
the figure disappeared. Once again, my curiosity had overwhelmed my
395
00:31:05.150 --> 00:31:09.210
common sense. I strained my eyes to see where the
396
00:31:09.309 --> 00:31:13.730
figure had gone. I pulled out a small flashlight and
397
00:31:13.839 --> 00:31:20.480
shone it around the tunnel. My shadow seemed bigger. I
398
00:31:20.579 --> 00:31:24.259
shone the flashlight on it, but it didn't go away.
399
00:31:25.259 --> 00:31:30.250
The light just disappeared. disappeared into it like an empty abyss,
400
00:31:31.569 --> 00:31:36.329
an abyss that even light couldn't escape from. Then I
401
00:31:36.410 --> 00:31:43.380
realized that it wasn't my shadow. It was Mama's. As
402
00:31:43.480 --> 00:31:47.579
I looked, the air became heavy and hard to breathe.
403
00:31:48.660 --> 00:31:55.759
I felt a presence behind me and heard the word, Joe, whispered.
404
00:31:56.400 --> 00:32:01.579
In my ear. I panicked and froze. The dark figure
405
00:32:01.859 --> 00:32:07.319
came closer. I felt like I was suffocating. An icy
406
00:32:07.440 --> 00:32:11.259
tendril touched my face, breaking me out of my stupor.
407
00:32:12.079 --> 00:32:15.490
I ran with all my might. Before I knew it,
408
00:32:15.599 --> 00:32:19.660
I was back home. I slammed the door and leaned
409
00:32:19.720 --> 00:32:25.319
against it, shaking. It's about time you got home. Paul
410
00:32:25.359 --> 00:32:28.259
and I were about to go looking for you. Marcy
411
00:32:28.339 --> 00:32:32.960
called from the kitchen. How was trick-or-treating? I had to
412
00:32:33.059 --> 00:32:38.869
focus to slow my breathing. Fine, I said, to buy
413
00:32:38.930 --> 00:32:43.690
a few precious moments to recover. Well, I made a
414
00:32:43.730 --> 00:32:47.519
pumpkin pie, but I'm sure you ate half your candy already,
415
00:32:48.099 --> 00:32:53.140
she said. Yeah, I'm kinda tired. I'm gonna go to bed.
416
00:32:54.230 --> 00:32:58.470
She smiled that warm smile that let me know everything
417
00:32:58.539 --> 00:33:09.299
would be okay. Good night, sweetie. A few hours later,
418
00:33:09.460 --> 00:33:14.519
I was having a wonderful sugar-fueled dream about diving into
419
00:33:14.559 --> 00:33:19.740
a swimming pool full of candy when my dream went dark.
420
00:33:21.160 --> 00:33:23.819
I felt so cold that I tried to snuggle up
421
00:33:23.900 --> 00:33:28.180
in my blanket, but it didn't warm me. I opened
422
00:33:28.240 --> 00:33:33.589
my eyes to find the room. Totally black. No lights
423
00:33:33.690 --> 00:33:36.849
at all. I looked around to try to get my
424
00:33:36.910 --> 00:33:42.569
bearings and saw a shadow beside the bed move on
425
00:33:42.630 --> 00:33:47.960
its own. It reached out for me, but I recoiled. Joe.
426
00:33:49.420 --> 00:33:55.490
It whispered. Mama? I slowly reached toward it. It felt
427
00:33:55.569 --> 00:34:00.769
like liquid ice running over my hand. Home, it said,
428
00:34:01.210 --> 00:34:05.230
looking out the window toward the tunnel. I looked where
429
00:34:05.269 --> 00:34:10.570
it was pointing. No, Mama. This is my home now.
430
00:34:11.929 --> 00:34:15.429
The shadow drew back as Marcy stumbled into my room,
431
00:34:16.090 --> 00:34:21.449
half asleep. What's wrong, honey? Is all that sugar... She
432
00:34:21.530 --> 00:34:25.869
stopped dead when she saw the shadow hovering over me.
433
00:34:27.190 --> 00:34:31.349
This is my new mama, I said. She treated me good,
434
00:34:31.929 --> 00:34:34.570
taught me to read, and she never once beat me.
435
00:34:35.510 --> 00:34:42.269
The shadow seemed to consider this. Joe? Marcy whispered to
436
00:34:42.309 --> 00:34:46.489
me without taking her eyes off of the shadow. I'll
437
00:34:46.530 --> 00:34:55.860
explain later, I whispered back. The shadow whispered. Blood. Black
438
00:34:55.980 --> 00:35:00.690
tendrils shot into Marcy's ears. She screamed but was silenced
439
00:35:00.750 --> 00:35:04.889
when the shadow filled her mouth and eyes from the inside,
440
00:35:05.489 --> 00:35:10.429
making her look like a living skull. I have no
441
00:35:10.570 --> 00:35:13.550
idea the kind of hell she was going through on
442
00:35:13.590 --> 00:35:19.250
the inside, but outside her body was flailing around uncontrollably.
443
00:35:19.929 --> 00:35:23.980
Blood flew as she smashed herself against walls as though
444
00:35:24.280 --> 00:35:29.699
looking for an escape that she could never find. Stop it, Mama!
445
00:35:30.539 --> 00:35:34.300
I screamed, but dared not make a move for fear
446
00:35:34.380 --> 00:35:39.710
of being pummeled by Marcy. Finally, the tendrils came out
447
00:35:39.750 --> 00:35:44.750
of Marcy's ears, and she collapsed in a bloody heap.
448
00:35:45.869 --> 00:35:49.650
Paul and Simon wandered into the room, rubbing their eyes.
449
00:35:51.170 --> 00:35:55.030
What's all the commotion? Sharon was cut short by the
450
00:35:55.110 --> 00:35:58.900
sight of the blood and her mother face down on
451
00:35:58.940 --> 00:36:04.719
the floor. Mom! She and Paul yelled, running towards her
452
00:36:04.820 --> 00:36:09.760
as the shadow reached for them. No, Mama! I dove
453
00:36:09.800 --> 00:36:13.800
toward the shadow, trying to tackle it or stop it somehow,
454
00:36:13.900 --> 00:36:18.389
but my body passed right through. It felt as if
455
00:36:18.489 --> 00:36:22.849
my very soul was frozen. I crashed to the floor
456
00:36:22.929 --> 00:36:26.530
on the other side, knocking over most of my possessions.
457
00:36:27.590 --> 00:36:31.679
I watched in horror as the tendrils penetrated their ears.
458
00:36:32.489 --> 00:36:35.420
The looks of terror and betrayal on their faces are
459
00:36:35.820 --> 00:36:41.079
something I've never forgotten, as the shadow turned them into bloody,
460
00:36:42.000 --> 00:36:46.440
struggling puppets as well. They slumped to the floor of
461
00:36:46.519 --> 00:36:57.489
my destroyed bedroom as I lost consciousness. I woke to
462
00:36:57.550 --> 00:37:02.789
a strange combination of hot and cold. The shadow brushing
463
00:37:02.849 --> 00:37:06.789
my cheek gave me shivers while flames licked the walls
464
00:37:06.869 --> 00:37:11.110
of my room. I looked around and saw my portable heater,
465
00:37:11.710 --> 00:37:16.780
laying face down, still running. Its red-hot coils had caught
466
00:37:16.820 --> 00:37:20.280
the carpet on fire, and the flames had spread like
467
00:37:20.340 --> 00:37:24.539
the flu in an elementary school. The fire surrounded me.
468
00:37:25.380 --> 00:37:29.539
I glanced over at the three mangled bodies that hadn't moved.
469
00:37:30.340 --> 00:37:34.619
I panicked and jumped through the window as the flames converged,
470
00:37:35.099 --> 00:37:37.780
landed on the grass in the cool night air, then
471
00:37:38.619 --> 00:37:42.110
turned back to watch the fire devour what was my
472
00:37:43.230 --> 00:37:51.429
home and family. Home. The shadow whispered in my ear. No, Mama.
473
00:37:51.889 --> 00:37:57.789
You destroyed my home. Home. It hissed while tendrils hovered
474
00:37:57.869 --> 00:38:02.420
next to my ears. Go ahead. I would rather die
475
00:38:02.460 --> 00:38:06.420
than go back with you. It hovered there as the
476
00:38:06.460 --> 00:38:11.530
mournful wail of fire trucks sounded in the distance. I
477
00:38:11.590 --> 00:38:16.010
reached out to the shadow. Let me live my life, Mama.
478
00:38:17.030 --> 00:38:22.070
When it's done, I swear I'll come home. The tendril
479
00:38:22.150 --> 00:38:25.929
encompassed my hand as I fought the urge to pull away.
480
00:38:27.010 --> 00:38:32.519
Just when I thought I would get frostbite, the shadow evaporated.
481
00:38:33.880 --> 00:38:37.059
I collapsed onto the wet grass and stared at the
482
00:38:37.139 --> 00:38:41.179
flames as they climbed high into the night sky. The
483
00:38:41.280 --> 00:38:44.489
smell of plastic and wood burning made me feel like
484
00:38:44.800 --> 00:38:48.469
my own flesh was burning off of my bones, leaving
485
00:38:48.530 --> 00:38:56.710
me dead inside. The mournful wail ended as the fire
486
00:38:56.769 --> 00:39:02.309
trucks pulled up and bathed the neighborhood in flashing red light.
487
00:39:03.230 --> 00:39:06.010
One of the firemen guided me away from the house,
488
00:39:06.760 --> 00:39:09.900
sat me on the curb, and threw a blanket over
489
00:39:09.940 --> 00:39:14.820
my shoulders. Slowly they got control of the fire. The
490
00:39:15.000 --> 00:39:19.639
angry orange flames were quenched like my hopes and dreams
491
00:39:19.719 --> 00:39:24.559
of a normal life. I watched as three gurneys, each
492
00:39:24.679 --> 00:39:28.210
holding a body, were wheeled out of what was left
493
00:39:28.349 --> 00:39:33.070
of the house. They each bypassed the ambulance and went
494
00:39:33.170 --> 00:39:38.449
straight to the coroner's van. I sat silently, staring at
495
00:39:38.489 --> 00:39:47.039
the ground. Joe? Ted said. My eyes didn't move, didn't blink.
496
00:39:48.570 --> 00:39:53.570
Questions flew from everywhere. The EMT, the sheriff, the judge,
497
00:39:54.289 --> 00:39:58.789
the jury. I didn't dare tell any of them the truth.
498
00:40:00.369 --> 00:40:04.269
After the trial, Ted drove me to my new home.
499
00:40:05.690 --> 00:40:09.530
We pulled up to a huge brick building, surrounded by
500
00:40:09.679 --> 00:40:14.780
fences covered in razor wire. The sign in front said,
501
00:40:15.760 --> 00:40:21.789
Larson Mental Institute. The gate opened, and he drove inside.
502
00:40:22.989 --> 00:40:26.949
After he parked, he slumped forward against the steering wheel
503
00:40:26.989 --> 00:40:33.690
for a moment, then let out a long sigh. Look, kid,
504
00:40:34.510 --> 00:40:38.809
if you do get better, I'll bring you back. I promise.
505
00:40:40.409 --> 00:40:47.849
Four orderlies came out and took me inside. I'd like
506
00:40:47.909 --> 00:40:51.219
to say that my time at the Institute was helpful
507
00:40:51.340 --> 00:40:54.519
and productive. I'd like to say that I learned a
508
00:40:54.559 --> 00:40:57.820
lot and came out a better person. I'd like to
509
00:40:57.880 --> 00:41:00.719
say that Ted was as good as his word and
510
00:41:00.800 --> 00:41:04.550
came to get me when my time was up. As
511
00:41:04.590 --> 00:41:08.769
a wise man once said, two out of three ain't bad.
512
00:41:10.150 --> 00:41:13.329
I've written more journals about the other things that have51300:41:13.710 --> 00:41:16.719
happened to me in my life, but There's still a51400:41:16.760 --> 00:41:25.909
little more left to this story. Fifty years later. Grandpa,51500:41:26.349 --> 00:41:31.050
did that story really happen? Emily said, looking up into51600:41:31.110 --> 00:41:36.579
my face. Of course it did, I said. Are you51700:41:36.639 --> 00:41:42.079
calling your grandpa a liar? No, sir, she said. But51800:41:43.079 --> 00:41:47.840
whatever happened to that boy? He got better, grew up,51900:41:48.440 --> 00:41:56.869
got married, and had a wonderful family, I said, smiling. Okay, honey,52000:41:57.570 --> 00:42:01.789
Joe Jr. said. It's getting late. We better get going.52100:42:03.150 --> 00:42:06.110
Emily hugged me and got down off of my lap.52200:42:07.309 --> 00:42:11.940
Look at me, Grandpa. I'm a princess, she said, twirling52300:42:12.000 --> 00:42:16.650
in a circle. And a beautiful princess, too. I said52400:42:16.670 --> 00:42:21.070
I hope you get lots of candy this year here's52500:42:21.110 --> 00:42:24.510
some to get you started then I put a handful52600:42:24.550 --> 00:42:28.280
of candy in the little plastic pumpkin she was carrying52700:42:29.639 --> 00:42:33.480
she smiled and kissed me on the cheek then skipped52800:42:33.500 --> 00:42:38.579
to the car well we're gonna get going Joe Jr.52900:42:38.639 --> 00:42:43.340
said lots of trick-or-treating to do I can't believe she's53000:42:43.400 --> 00:42:49.590
already in second grade Where does the time go? Joe Jr. said,53100:42:50.269 --> 00:42:56.210
looking at his watch. Where indeed? I said, looking at53200:42:56.269 --> 00:43:00.840
Joe Jr. Are you sure you won't come live with us?53300:43:01.639 --> 00:43:05.280
Mom's been gone for over a year now. You know53400:43:05.360 --> 00:43:09.739
I can't do that. I made a promise. Please, Dad,53500:43:10.219 --> 00:43:14.869
not this again. Joe Jr. said, putting his face in53600:43:14.889 --> 00:43:18.659
his hands. I thought they cured you of this at53700:43:18.699 --> 00:43:23.880
the institute. Aren't you taking your meds? I smiled, but53800:43:24.619 --> 00:43:29.619
there was no warmth in it. Son, they can't cure53900:43:29.679 --> 00:43:34.360
my problem with medication. I pulled out a pocket knife54000:43:35.179 --> 00:43:40.409
and started to whittle. Joe Jr. just bowed his head54100:43:40.510 --> 00:43:46.929
in resignation. Okay. Love you, Dad. Love you too, son.54200:43:48.130 --> 00:43:52.150
Emily waved as they drove their new SUV over the54300:43:52.170 --> 00:43:56.090
dirt road that crossed the tracks and started the long,54400:43:56.590 --> 00:44:01.570
winding trip toward town. I watched them go as I54500:44:01.650 --> 00:44:06.809
whittled absently. The red, orange, and yellow leaves had given54600:44:06.889 --> 00:44:12.030
way to the dull browns. Soon winter would rear its54700:44:12.150 --> 00:44:15.880
ugly head. I smiled as I looked at the empty54800:44:15.960 --> 00:44:21.780
woodpile with a complete lack of concern. My jaw clenched54900:44:21.880 --> 00:44:27.340
as the air around me grew heavy. A shadow appeared55000:44:27.380 --> 00:44:31.969
in the chair. I continued to whittle, trying my best55100:44:32.030 --> 00:44:36.889
to appear as if its presence didn't disturb me. The55200:44:36.929 --> 00:44:40.829
shadow reached its hand over and gently laid it on55300:44:40.889 --> 00:44:48.230
top of mine. Home. Yes, Mama, I'm home. I smiled,55400:44:48.710 --> 00:44:52.480
ignoring the chills that shot up my arm, sat down55500:44:52.539 --> 00:44:54.699
the piece of wood I had been carving into a55600:44:54.760 --> 00:44:58.840
train engine, picked up my pipe, packed it with tobacco,55700:44:59.579 --> 00:45:02.929
and lit it. I took a long draw on it55800:45:03.550 --> 00:45:08.530
and watched the match continue to burn. The flame seemed55900:45:08.590 --> 00:45:12.710
to mesmerize me, as if staring at a microcosm of56000:45:12.769 --> 00:45:20.550
my entire life, in that tiny, glowing chemical reaction. I56100:45:20.630 --> 00:45:26.929
barely ever smoked, but today was different. Today was a56200:45:26.989 --> 00:45:32.230
special day. As the flame burned down to my fingers,56300:45:33.230 --> 00:45:35.750
I dropped the match on top of the pile of56400:45:36.190 --> 00:45:43.050
whittled wood shavings, then got up and went inside. The56500:45:43.090 --> 00:45:47.590
recommended dosage for my sleeping pills was two as needed.56600:45:48.849 --> 00:45:52.309
I took two dozen and swallowed them with a glass56700:45:52.329 --> 00:45:56.590
of water. As I write these last words that I56800:45:56.630 --> 00:46:00.989
will ever write, I just wanted to say a few goodbyes.56900:46:02.110 --> 00:46:07.300
To Ray, thank you for sacrificing your life to save mine.57000:46:08.380 --> 00:46:11.550
To Ted, thank you for giving me a new one.57100:46:12.639 --> 00:46:17.300
And to Mama. Burn in hell, just like I will.57200:46:18.519 --> 00:46:22.079
I laid down on the old worn cot and looked57300:46:22.139 --> 00:46:27.980
around the cabin one last time. Night, Mama, I mumbled57400:46:28.099 --> 00:46:33.309
to the shadow. The shadow caressed my face, causing me57500:46:33.389 --> 00:46:37.969
to shiver. I laid my notebook down, set it in57600:46:38.010 --> 00:46:41.710
a bucket, and placed a blanket on top of it.57700:46:46.769 --> 00:46:50.050
Fire crews worked through the night to control the blaze57800:46:50.150 --> 00:46:54.750
before it became a full-blown forest fire. Once it was out,57900:46:54.829 --> 00:46:59.010
they investigated the cause. They found the remains of the58000:46:59.030 --> 00:47:04.030
cabin and the remains of Joe. The fire had started58100:47:04.179 --> 00:47:07.579
on the front porch beside what was left of a58200:47:08.159 --> 00:47:13.260
wooden chair. There wasn't much left to identify except a58300:47:13.300 --> 00:47:17.480
notebook that had been covered up in a bucket. The58400:47:17.519 --> 00:47:21.880
very notebook I'm reading this story from. As they searched,58500:47:22.320 --> 00:47:28.179
they also found two graves. One was freshly dug and empty.58600:47:29.059 --> 00:47:34.480
The markers were badly burned, but still legible. The first58700:47:34.619 --> 00:47:42.699
one said, Mama. And the second marker said, Joe. Followed58800:47:42.780 --> 00:47:48.889
by a short passage. Death. Death. Where is thy sting?58900:47:54.739 --> 00:47:58.519
And just like that, the porch lights are all coming59000:47:58.780 --> 00:48:03.059
on and plastic pumpkins are coming out of their hiding place.59100:48:03.659 --> 00:48:08.429
October is waiting right outside the door. So, fill the59200:48:08.469 --> 00:48:12.630
candy bowl, carve the jack-o'-lanterns, and maybe stay away from59300:48:12.730 --> 00:48:17.829
any dark railroad tunnels, even if they're calling your name59400:48:18.510 --> 00:48:20.690
thank you all so much for joining me here tonight59500:48:20.909 --> 00:48:25.090
and for an incredible october right here at weekly spooky59600:48:25.250 --> 00:48:30.429
as halloween season air quotes officially begins tomorrow but of59700:48:30.510 --> 00:48:34.110
course you know that halloween is in your heart in59800:48:34.150 --> 00:48:37.610
your state of mind and in how you treat those59900:48:37.659 --> 00:48:40.619
you love so make sure you're subscribed. And I want60000:48:40.639 --> 00:48:44.059
to say thank you all so much for heading to weeklyspooky.com60100:48:44.119 --> 00:48:47.099
slash join and supporting us for as little as $ 160200:48:46.639 --> 00:48:49.469
a month. It really does make a huge difference for60300:48:49.489 --> 00:48:52.789
the show. There are over 90 Spookys supporting us, and60400:48:52.829 --> 00:48:54.949
now's a great time for you to join up as well.60500:48:55.349 --> 00:48:57.900
And speaking of, I want to say an extra special60600:48:57.960 --> 00:49:01.199
thank you to our Patreon podcast boosters. Those are folks60700:49:01.219 --> 00:49:03.199
who pay just a little bit more to hear their60800:49:03.239 --> 00:49:05.320
names at the end of the show. And they are60900:49:05.500 --> 00:49:09.969
Johnny Nix, Kate and Lulu, Jessica Fuller, Mike Eschewy, Jenny Green,61000:49:10.070 --> 00:49:13.230
Karen Wemet, Jack Kerr, and Craig Cohen. Thank you all61100:49:13.289 --> 00:49:14.809
so much. And if you want to hear your name61200:49:14.829 --> 00:49:17.389
at the end of every episode of Weekly Spooky, just61300:49:17.429 --> 00:49:19.880
head to weekly spooky.com slash join and sign up at61400:49:19.940 --> 00:49:23.559
the $ 15 a month or higher tier. It really makes61500:49:23.619 --> 00:49:25.969
a difference and means a whole hell of a lot61600:49:26.030 --> 00:49:28.090
to me. But now it's time for me to get61700:49:28.130 --> 00:49:31.550
back to work because as October approaches, we'll be publishing61800:49:31.650 --> 00:49:35.090
more than just once a day. We'll have special novellas,61900:49:35.409 --> 00:49:38.530
extra stories, all kinds of goodies for you to enjoy62000:49:38.630 --> 00:49:42.309
right here, so make sure you're subscribed. Now it's time62100:49:42.349 --> 00:49:44.199
for me to get back to it. So many things62200:49:44.260 --> 00:49:48.179
to record, including a very special Thursday Thrills with brand62300:49:48.219 --> 00:49:51.320
new horror Halloween releases you will not want to miss.62400:49:51.400 --> 00:49:54.199
So see you tomorrow. For myself, for my executive producers,62500:49:54.260 --> 00:49:57.590
Rob Fields and Bobletopia.com, my producer, Dan Wilder, and my62600:49:57.630 --> 00:50:01.989
creepy composer, Ray Mattis, talk at you tomorrow. Thank you62700:50:02.050 --> 00:50:06.219
for listening. Make sure to find your way back next week.62800:50:07.340 --> 00:50:12.269
But for now, you are safe. Trust me.
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