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Jan. 24, 2026

Scary Road Trip Horror Stories: 5 Highway Tales of Hitchhikers, Monsters, and Motels

Scary Road Trip Horror Stories: 5 Highway Tales of Hitchhikers, Monsters, and Motels
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Scary stories for road trips, late-night drives, and anyone who’s ever felt the world get wrong somewhere between exits. In this Weekly Spooky horror podcast compilation, we’re digging into the creepiest vault picks built around roadside terror, travel nightmares, and the kind of highway horror that follows you long after the headlights fade.

Inside this episode (in order):

- I used to drive a delivery truck, until the incident — by Michael Kelso A routine delivery route turns into a nightmare when the road gets quiet, the cab feels crowded, and the truth arrives through a call you can’t ignore.
- Strike-Out! — by Morgan Moore A father-daughter road trip with spring tradition vibes goes sideways when trouble hits the tires… and the “help” they find waiting in the dark feels like a trap.
- ROADKILL — by Travis VanHoose A driver with a taste for the disturbing picks up strangers on the wrong stretch of road—where deer in the headlights are the least unsettling thing you might hit.
- Wilson Road — by Charles Campbell A Deep South dirt road, an abandoned finishing plant, and something watching from the dark—because some family roads don’t just lead home… they lead back.
- They Don’t Drive Cars — by Scott S. Phillips A late-night snack run becomes a blood-soaked sprint when something small, fast, and hungry pours out of the shadows—and starts hunting by the light.

🎧 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. It's your host and narrator, Enrique Cuto,

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here to bring you something spooky from the vault. Many

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of you are under quite a bit of wintry weather

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right now. But that innocent snowfall, the kind that makes

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everything look clean and quiet, well that is a lie,

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because right now a whole lot of you are being

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buried in snow, and the roads are turning into long,

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white hallways with no exits, headlights, vanish tires lose their grip,

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GPS starts offering shortcuts that feel suspicious. So tonight we're

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leaning into it. This compilation, built for roadside and travel nightmares,

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features stories where the worst part isn't the weather, it's

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what the weather lets you miss. The thing standing too

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still at the edge of the tree line, the help

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that arrives a little too immediately, the back road you

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swear wasn't there yesterday. If you're listening at home, lock

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the door and enjoy the storm from a safe distance.

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If you're listening in the car, keep both hands on

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the wheel and don't look too long into your rear

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view mirror, because the road is open and something out

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there is already on its way, So make sure you're

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subscribed for a new scary story every Wednesday. And now

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let's hit the road. I used to drive a delivery

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truck until the incident by Michael Kelso to Harry, my

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oldest nephew on the cusp of adulthood and looking for

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his first job. I've been told you want to drive

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a truck and are looking for me to give you

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a good recommendation to my former employer, I'm sorry to

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say I will not do that now. Before you get

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angry or hurt, please listen to why and judge for

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yourself if you really want to pursue this avenue. I

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used to drive a delivery truck for a car parts company.

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It wasn't a bad job. I spent a lot of

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time alone with my thoughts while driving to various garages

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to deliver parts. I also listened to a lot of

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audio books as I drove. It was a wonderful way

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to pass the time. I could get totally immersed in

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a book as I was driving endlessly boring miles. I

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never considered myself to be much of a troublemaker. I

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would go along to get along, as they say, working

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for just above minimum wage while driving on ice see

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roads to the middle of nowhere garages was what I

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did all the time. I didn't complain about it much,

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at least not to the boss. But I did my job,

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and I thought I did it well. Apparently not everyone agreed.

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One day I came to work and was shown the

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new addition to my truck. There was a small box

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that hung down under the rearview mirror. I asked what

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it was, and they told me it was a camera.

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What they didn't tell me was was actually two cameras,

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one facing out toward the road and one facing in

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toward the driver. They were being installed to make sure

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the drivers were doing their jobs. Now, I had worked

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for the company for years without a single ticket. I

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never had any complaints from any of my customers, and

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I never put a scratch on any of the trucks

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I drove, so naturally, I took this camera situation as

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a personal incitement on my driving and on my moral character.

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I wasn't the only one who wasn't happy about it,

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but the company's stance was essentially get over it. This

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was back when jobs were harder to come by, and

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the company said if we didn't like it, we were

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welcome to get the hell out. Those of us who

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needed to pay bills and feed our families decided to

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keep working and earning a paycheck. After a few months,

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we mostly forgot the cameras were there and went back

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to doing what we do, keep our mouths shut and

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deliver parts like we had a choice. The cameras weren't

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the end of the world that we thought. There were

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a few write ups, but they were stupid people doing

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stupid things. Me. I followed the rules and didn't have

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any problems. I did what I was supposed to and

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didn't do what I wasn't supposed to. I know, that's

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a strange concept in today's world. That changed the day

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the boss told me I was being written up for

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having a passenger with me. He recited the rule number

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in the handbook that clearly stated that no passengers are

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to be in company vehicles unless approved by a supervisor.

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I asked him what he was talking about and told

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him I didn't have any passengers. He told me that

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the main office had a video of me carrying a

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passenger along with me. He even quoted the date and

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time of the offense. I thought back and racked my

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brain trying to remember if I had stopped and picked

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someone up on that day, and then I remembered I've

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never stopped and picked anyone up, because I know it's

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against the rules. I thought about getting angry and raising

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a fuss. I thought about telling them that this was

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precisely the kind of harassment I expected what happen when

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these damn cameras were installed. Then I remembered their stance

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of shut up and deal with it, or we'll find

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someone else who will. That thought made me calm down

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and let it slide. I chuckled. Someone must have gotten

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videos and names mixed up. I thought, no big deal,

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I know the truth. I shrugged it off and threw

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the rite up away. When I got it, my boss

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told me it didn't really mean anything anyway. Only major

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infractions were going to be disciplined. I wondered why he'd

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even told me about it if it didn't mean anything.

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Driving in traffic and on snow covered roads in winter

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was stressful enough without worrying about the main office saying

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I did something I didn't do. The following week, I

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got another write up, once again for having a passenger.

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I told the boss I hadn't had any passengers. I

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told him I follow the rules and he knows it. Again,

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he told me the main office had a video of

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me driving with someone in the passenger seat. At this point,

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I was starting to get upset. Being accused of something

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I did was one thing, but being accused of what

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I've never done and getting ridden up for it was

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just too much. I asked the boss to see the video.

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He pulled it up on the computer. I watched as

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he worked through the controls, confident that I was going

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to find the mistake or the name of the person

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who actually had committed the infraction and clear my name.

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But that didn't happen. He pulled up the video, and

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sure enough, there I was driving along, and in the

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passenger seat was a large, middle aged man just staring

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out the windshield like he was along for the ride.

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My mind was having trouble comprehending what I was seeing.

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When I I pulled myself out of my shocked stupor.

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I asked the boss what the date was when this happened.

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He told me, and I racked my brain to come

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up with an answer to this. I peered closer at

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the screen to make sure I was the driver, There

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was little doubt it was me. I was wearing the

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gray sweatshirt I wear when I drive. I had one

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hand on the wheel and the other leaning out the window,

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just like I do when I'm bored. I was wearing

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my ball cap with the logo of my favorite baseball team.

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It was me. If only I could figure out who

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this other person was and what was happening to me?

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Was I forgetting things? Was I having blackouts and not

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knowing it? How could this person be in my truck

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without me knowing. It's not like he was some stowaway

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hiding amongst the parts in the back. He was sitting

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three feet away from me. That person wasn't there. I

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told the boss. The camera says he was. The boss said,

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I don't know what to tell you. I wish I

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could believe you. You've been one of my best drivers,

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but we're starting to get into repeat offenses. The company

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is going to take action soon, take action against what

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I said a little louder than I intended. There was

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no one there. I don't know who has it out

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for me, or who is playing this little photoshop trick

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to get me in trouble. But I swear on a

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stack of bibles. That man was never in my truck.

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I don't know what to tell you, he said. A

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thought crossed my mind. Can you see where I pick

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him up? I said. The boss eyed me. You said

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I have him in my truck. I must have picked

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him up somewhere. Can you tell me where? He looked

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at the computer and began rewinding the video. The miles

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rolled backwards, and the man just sat there watching the windshield.

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Then suddenly he disappeared. He stopped video and ran it

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forward at normal speed. I came to a stop sign

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and the man jumped in pause it. I said, where

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is that? He looked at the GPS information that was

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embedded in the video, the corner of Hamilton and Wright.

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What's there? I said? He looked at the map. Nothing.

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I leaned over and saw the same thing. There was

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nothing around there for at least a half a mile.

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That's on my normal Thursday route. Isn't it looks like it?

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I sat back in thought. He shot me a grim look.

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You know this is out of my hands. I stared

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at him, shocked that this falsehood was going to end

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up costing me my job. You're my boss, I said,

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how can it be out of your hands. The main

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office wants to make an example out of me. He

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nodded slowly. Should I be updating my resume? I said

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I would if I were you. I got up, hung

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my head and turned to walk away, then paused, would

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you do me a favor? I said? He looked at

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me skeptically. Depends on what it is. Could you call

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the main office and ask the person who monitors the

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trucks to call me if this ever happens again. The

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boss rubbed his chin as he thought, I guess that

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could be doable. I nodded and started toward my truck

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to load for my run. As I drove away from

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the terminal, my eyes kept darting towards the passenger's seat,

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as if I was somehow missing someone climbing into the

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truck and sitting beside me. That was the way my

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entire run went that day. I was so distracted I

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nearly rear ended a car at a stop sign. I

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looked over, and the sign said I was at the

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corner of Hamilton and Wright. I looked to see what

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was there and didn't immediately see anything. I leaned forward

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to see what was beside me. And paused. There was

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a small graveyard. It wasn't big enough to register on

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the map. There were maybe thirty gravestones all together. It

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didn't even have a fence around it. I was pulled

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from my thoughts by the car behind me, honking their horn.

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I pulled out and started down the road, lost in

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the thoughts that were chasing each other around in my head.

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A graveyard, I thought, there's no one I can see.

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Could it be a I didn't want to finish the thought.

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I was never into that kind of thing and never

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really believed in it. When the phone rang, I nearly

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jumped out of my skin. Hello, I said, this is Carl.

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I monitor the cameras in the trucks. Look, I know

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I nearly hit that car, but I'm just a little

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distracted today. What. No, that's not why I am calling. Okay,

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you just bored and need to talk to someone. No,

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your boss told me to call you when I saw

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you with a passenger. Yeah, so, I said, looking over

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at the empty space beside me, you have a passenger.

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My entire body turned to ice. Say that again, I said,

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you have a passenger, he said. I stared at the

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empty seat where I said He's sitting in the passenger

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seat right beside you, he said, sounding a little annoyed.

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Carl I said, that can't be right. There's no one

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besides me. That's not true, he said, his voice rising.

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I can see him plain as day. He's wearing a

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red ball cap overalls in a plaid shirt. I was

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staring at the seat when I looked back at the road.

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There was a truck stopped right in front of me.

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I stood on the brakes, hearing them scream and protest,

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but not slowing my truck. I knew I was going

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to hit him. I swung the wheel over as hard

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as I could, feeling the truck start to tip, then

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swung back. As I slid to a stop at the

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berm of the road, I looked at the truck sitting

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beside me, breathing hard, not only from the accident I

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just avoided, but also from the news Carl had given me. Okay, Carl,

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I said, in a lower voice, as if I didn't

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want my imaginary passenger to hear. What is my so

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called passenger doing. He's just staring straight ahead. I'm going

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to try something, I said, Tell me what he does next.

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I hesitated, for a moment, then reached my hand slowly

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across the passenger seat. I waved it back and forth

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in the empty air. As I did, my hand felt cold,

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as if I had just stuck it into a freezer.

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Oh my god, Carl said, what's happening your hands? It's

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passing right through him. It feels cold. Wait a minute,

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Carl said, he's doing something. What he's looking at your hand?

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I immediately pulled my hand back. What's he doing now,

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he's looking straight at you. I felt the blood drain

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out of my face. Holy shit, Carl screamed, Get out

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of there, Get out now. I fumbled with the door

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latch somehow forgetting how to open a door. When it opened,

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I tumbled out of the truck. I looked back inside,

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still not seeing anything. Then I put the phone back

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up to my ear. Now was all I was able

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to get out before my world went dark. I woke

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to a white room, beeping machines and hoses stuck in

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my arm. I looked around the room and saw a

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bouquet of flowers that were starting to wilt. A nurse

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walked into the room with a syringe in her hand.

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Where am I? I rasped, causing her to jump. Oh

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my god, you scared me, she said, why, because you've

250
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been in a coma for three weeks. What happened? Don't

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you remember, she said? I slowly shook my head. You

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pulled over on the side of the road and jumped

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out of your truck right into traffic. She said, you

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got hit by a car and sustained several life threatening injuries.

255
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Am I okay, now you really should talk to the

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doctor about that, she said, please, I rasped, grasping her hand.

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She looked around as if someone was listening, then leaned

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close to my ear. As far as I know, you

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should make a full recovery, she said. They just aren't

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sure about your mental state. Why I heard you were

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babbling on about seeing things when you first came in,

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like what things like a goat? How's the patient, an

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authoritative voice said. The nurse straightened and backed away. He's

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awake and seems to be progressing, the nurse said, straightening

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her uniform. Good. Good. The doctor said, Let's see how

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you do in a day or so. Maybe we can

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have a little talk about when you first came in.

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I nodded and tried to fake a smile. The following day,

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I received an unexpected visitor. He was a small man,

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00:17:36.599 --> 00:17:39.200
not too far out of his teens by his appearance.

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He knocked quietly at my door and started to turn

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around and leave when I said, can I help you? Yeah? Uh, maybe,

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I don't know, he said. Okay, let's start with who

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are you? Oh? Sorry, he said, stumbling forward and nearly

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falling on top of me as he held out his hand.

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End I'm Carl. I shook it slowly. Carl, I repeated,

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Like Carl from the company. He smiled, Like Carl who

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00:18:11.319 --> 00:18:14.279
told me to jump out into traffic and nearly killed me,

279
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I said, tightening my grip. He winced and wormed his

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way out of my grip. Yeah, about that, he said. Sorry,

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00:18:23.640 --> 00:18:28.279
by the way, but I wanted to explain, explain what

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I said, sitting up so I might get another chance

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00:18:31.240 --> 00:18:36.799
at him. This, he said, holding up his phone. It's

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00:18:36.839 --> 00:18:41.039
a phone, I said, sarcastically. I've seen them before once

285
00:18:41.119 --> 00:18:44.799
or twice, I'm sure, he said. But it's what's on

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00:18:44.920 --> 00:18:48.519
the phone that you need to see. Okay, what's on it?

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00:18:49.000 --> 00:18:51.359
He fiddled with the phone for a moment, almost dropping

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00:18:51.400 --> 00:18:54.839
it twice, then turned it toward me. What am I

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00:18:54.880 --> 00:18:58.440
looking at? I said, As the screen shook, give it

290
00:18:58.480 --> 00:19:02.240
a minute. The green settled down and I saw it

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00:19:02.319 --> 00:19:05.680
was a recording of me in the truck. I was

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00:19:05.799 --> 00:19:08.559
mesmerized at the sight of the person sitting next to me.

293
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I watched as I waved my hand back and forth

294
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through his torso. I saw him look at my hand,

295
00:19:17.240 --> 00:19:23.079
then look at me. His face suddenly changed. His smile

296
00:19:23.319 --> 00:19:30.200
turned malevolent as it grew impossibly large. The grin extended

297
00:19:30.279 --> 00:19:33.480
nearly to his ears, and his teeth grew three inches

298
00:19:33.519 --> 00:19:36.039
to where he looked like a shark about to attack

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00:19:36.759 --> 00:19:40.279
his fingers. They grew into claws, and his eyes disappeared

300
00:19:40.319 --> 00:19:44.920
into his head, turning as black as the abyss. I

301
00:19:45.000 --> 00:19:47.200
saw him reach for me as I fumbled with the

302
00:19:47.240 --> 00:19:50.160
door latch, and he swiped his claws at me. As

303
00:19:50.200 --> 00:19:53.039
I fell out of the cab, he leered out the

304
00:19:53.119 --> 00:19:56.039
driver's side window at me, but stayed in the truck

305
00:19:56.839 --> 00:20:02.720
and slowly faded away. When Carl pulled the phone away,

306
00:20:03.240 --> 00:20:06.599
sweat was pouring off my forehead. I looked him in

307
00:20:06.640 --> 00:20:11.519
the eye and said I forgive you. He smiled and said,

308
00:20:12.240 --> 00:20:16.519
you're welcome. We sat in silence for a long moment.

309
00:20:18.240 --> 00:20:20.839
What did the company have to say about that video?

310
00:20:21.319 --> 00:20:25.200
I said it was deleted off the server the following day.

311
00:20:25.720 --> 00:20:31.400
He said, so that's the only copy. Yep, he said,

312
00:20:31.440 --> 00:20:35.559
holding up his phone. Do me a favor. Sure, what

313
00:20:35.759 --> 00:20:40.599
is it? Delete it? Are you sure this is the

314
00:20:40.680 --> 00:20:45.519
proof that you weren't lying. I'm sure. I don't ever

315
00:20:45.720 --> 00:20:50.519
want to see that thing again. I quit driving a

316
00:20:50.599 --> 00:20:54.400
truck for a living after that. I never again drove

317
00:20:54.480 --> 00:20:58.079
past the corner of Hamilton and Wright. I'll go miles

318
00:20:58.119 --> 00:21:01.279
out of my way just to avoid it, and I

319
00:21:01.359 --> 00:21:16.279
suggest you do the same. Strikeout by Morgan Moore. How

320
00:21:16.359 --> 00:21:22.160
much longer, dad, Callie Jensen asked for today or in general?

321
00:21:22.839 --> 00:21:29.960
He replied, I guess both. The eleven year old answered, well,

322
00:21:30.000 --> 00:21:32.720
we'll probably stop in an hour or so for the

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00:21:32.799 --> 00:21:36.680
night at a hotel. Then tomorrow it shouldn't be much

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00:21:36.720 --> 00:21:42.799
longer to Grammys. He told her. Awesome, Callie responded. Her

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00:21:42.839 --> 00:21:47.319
father smiled at her eagerness. Callie and her father were

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on their way to her grandmother, or as she had

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00:21:50.599 --> 00:21:55.000
always called her grammys house in Maryland. It was a

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00:21:55.039 --> 00:21:58.880
tradition they had kept every spring since Callie could remember,

329
00:21:59.799 --> 00:22:03.839
she and her father loved baseball, and the Baltimore Orioles

330
00:22:03.920 --> 00:22:08.240
were their shared favorite team. Her name, in fact, came

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from one of their more storied players, in cal Ripken Junior.

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00:22:14.240 --> 00:22:17.799
Calli's dad insisted on using the name in any way,

333
00:22:18.000 --> 00:22:22.359
shape or form for his first born, so when he

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00:22:22.440 --> 00:22:25.319
and her mom learned they were having a little girl,

335
00:22:25.960 --> 00:22:30.799
they decided on Calli. Currently they were nearing the halfway

336
00:22:30.839 --> 00:22:34.759
point of their trip. Calli and her family lived in Ohio,

337
00:22:35.200 --> 00:22:37.720
which meant she and her father would trek through the

338
00:22:37.720 --> 00:22:43.440
Buckeye State, down through West Virginia, Virginia, and finally Maryland.

339
00:22:44.319 --> 00:22:48.759
Calli's dad usually considered West Virginia the halfway point unless

340
00:22:48.759 --> 00:22:51.079
they got up super early, where they would do the

341
00:22:51.079 --> 00:22:54.880
trip in one go. Knowing they would be stopping soon

342
00:22:55.000 --> 00:22:58.160
brought joy to Calli, as they usually stopped in the

343
00:22:58.200 --> 00:23:02.200
same town known as more In Town, and almost always

344
00:23:02.240 --> 00:23:06.240
either went to a diner near the hotel or ordered pizza.

345
00:23:07.400 --> 00:23:09.920
Then it would be breakfast at the hotel in the morning,

346
00:23:10.519 --> 00:23:15.960
and then onward to Grammys, where, save for some eating out,

347
00:23:16.519 --> 00:23:20.920
they dined on her grandmother's homemade cooking with her chocolate

348
00:23:21.000 --> 00:23:25.720
chip pancakes, being Callie's favorite, she could almost taste them.

349
00:23:26.680 --> 00:23:32.079
Not to mention opening day for the Orioles, Callie returned

350
00:23:32.079 --> 00:23:35.559
her attention to the book. She was reading, her normal

351
00:23:35.599 --> 00:23:38.799
way of passing the time on the drives, unless she

352
00:23:38.880 --> 00:23:42.160
wanted to break out her Game Boy Advance and replay

353
00:23:42.279 --> 00:23:46.440
one of the Pokemon games for the umpteenth time. If

354
00:23:46.480 --> 00:23:49.359
she had her way, Calli would have her mit and

355
00:23:49.480 --> 00:23:52.920
ball with her and pass the time by lightly tossing

356
00:23:52.960 --> 00:23:56.440
it and catching it. But her dad had vetoed that

357
00:23:57.039 --> 00:23:59.880
since last year when she nearly caused him to have

358
00:23:59.880 --> 00:24:04.400
it accident. The mitten ball, along with her bat would

359
00:24:04.480 --> 00:24:08.039
have to wait. Callie felt her eyes start to grow

360
00:24:08.119 --> 00:24:13.119
heavy as she continued to read. The heaviness soon overcame

361
00:24:13.200 --> 00:24:18.400
her and they began to close. Once fully closed, she

362
00:24:18.599 --> 00:24:23.160
was out like a light. Her eyes shot open as

363
00:24:23.160 --> 00:24:27.559
her body was jolted away. Her eyes danced around before

364
00:24:27.599 --> 00:24:30.200
catching a glance at the time on the radio deck,

365
00:24:31.359 --> 00:24:36.079
six thirty pm. She turned her attention to her dad,

366
00:24:36.599 --> 00:24:41.759
who was cursing under his breath. Daddy, she asked, in

367
00:24:41.839 --> 00:24:45.759
shocked fright. I don't know what I hit, but two

368
00:24:45.799 --> 00:24:49.799
of our tires just blew out. He told her, what

369
00:24:49.799 --> 00:24:55.480
do we do? Callie questioned, Well, normally, when you have

370
00:24:55.519 --> 00:24:59.559
a flat tire, you just change it, but I don't

371
00:24:59.559 --> 00:25:04.680
have two spares, so he trailed off. So then what

372
00:25:04.799 --> 00:25:08.839
do we do? She asked, with fear creeping into her tone.

373
00:25:08.880 --> 00:25:13.559
More and more. Well, we're not close to a town yet,

374
00:25:13.759 --> 00:25:18.559
he responded, as his eyes looked at their surroundings. We're

375
00:25:18.559 --> 00:25:24.960
in trouble, Callie asked. Her father does not answer. Instead,

376
00:25:25.039 --> 00:25:30.240
he keeps his eyes scanning the area. Finally, a small

377
00:25:30.319 --> 00:25:34.039
smile appears on his mouth, and he snaps his fingers.

378
00:25:34.960 --> 00:25:40.240
There we go, he exclaims, in hopeful joy. Callie turns

379
00:25:40.279 --> 00:25:44.240
her attention to where her father was looking. Shortly up

380
00:25:44.279 --> 00:25:48.759
ahead was what looked like the start of a driveway.

381
00:25:50.440 --> 00:25:55.119
Does that lead to somebody's house? She asked. We'll find

382
00:25:55.160 --> 00:25:58.559
out soon enough, honey. Either way, it'll lead somewhere that

383
00:25:58.640 --> 00:26:02.200
will hopefully find people and can plan our next steps

384
00:26:02.200 --> 00:26:06.680
from there, he answered. Will we make it with the tires?

385
00:26:07.440 --> 00:26:11.440
Calli questioned, as her nostrils became filled with the smell

386
00:26:11.519 --> 00:26:17.599
of burning rubber. I hope so, sweetie, he said. Calli's

387
00:26:17.640 --> 00:26:22.079
father carefully turned the car leftwards into the opening and

388
00:26:22.160 --> 00:26:26.039
began driving up the path slowly. While night was not

389
00:26:26.200 --> 00:26:29.640
far behind, the sun was starting to lower. As dusk

390
00:26:29.759 --> 00:26:33.400
took over, the path winded up part of a mountain

391
00:26:33.480 --> 00:26:37.680
whose trees, along with the slowly setting sun, left little

392
00:26:37.759 --> 00:26:42.839
light for them to use. Finally, they arrived at an

393
00:26:42.839 --> 00:26:47.480
open gate. The father and daughter rolled down their windows

394
00:26:47.880 --> 00:26:51.839
and poked their heads out. Calli spotted an old metal

395
00:26:51.920 --> 00:26:56.319
sign dangling from one of the gate doors. She squinted

396
00:26:56.400 --> 00:27:02.640
her eyes to read it, keep out, She said, what

397
00:27:02.839 --> 00:27:07.240
was that, sweetie? Her father asked, there's a sign that

398
00:27:07.359 --> 00:27:11.359
said keep out. I think that means we shouldn't go

399
00:27:11.440 --> 00:27:15.880
in any more, Daddy, Callie told her father the gate

400
00:27:15.960 --> 00:27:20.480
is open though. Besides, even if they don't necessarily want

401
00:27:20.519 --> 00:27:25.480
strangers around, we do have a valid reason on our side.

402
00:27:25.519 --> 00:27:31.079
We need help, he explained. Are you sure about this, dad,

403
00:27:31.839 --> 00:27:36.559
Calli questioned, it's either this or pulling over on the road.

404
00:27:37.160 --> 00:27:42.039
He answered with that. Her father drove through the gates

405
00:27:42.079 --> 00:27:46.079
as he switched on the headlights. The pair continued forward.

406
00:27:46.279 --> 00:27:49.359
As the large house came into view via the headlights,

407
00:27:50.160 --> 00:27:55.240
Calli's father slapped the steering wheel in excitement. Once close enough,

408
00:27:55.279 --> 00:27:58.920
Calli's dad pulled to a stop and turned off the truck.

409
00:28:01.240 --> 00:28:07.359
Calli said, what is it, honey, he returned, I don't

410
00:28:07.400 --> 00:28:12.200
have a good feeling about this, She told him. How come,

411
00:28:12.759 --> 00:28:19.440
he asked, It just doesn't feel right going somewhere we shouldn't. Besides,

412
00:28:20.480 --> 00:28:24.680
she started, as she looked at the surroundings. This place

413
00:28:24.759 --> 00:28:29.880
gives me the creeps, she finished. Her father smiled at her.

414
00:28:30.960 --> 00:28:33.559
I know, hone, it's a new place and we're in

415
00:28:33.599 --> 00:28:36.400
a bad spot. But at the end of the day,

416
00:28:36.519 --> 00:28:39.279
I like to believe that people are good and will

417
00:28:39.319 --> 00:28:42.720
help their fellow man. Even if the people who live

418
00:28:42.759 --> 00:28:47.519
here are angry that we pulled in, surely they'll understand why.

419
00:28:48.799 --> 00:28:52.200
Come on, let's find out what fate has in store

420
00:28:52.240 --> 00:28:57.599
for us, he said. On that note, her father swung

421
00:28:57.640 --> 00:29:02.799
his door open and exited the Hesitating for a moment,

422
00:29:03.559 --> 00:29:07.000
Calli took some deep breaths before getting out of the

423
00:29:07.079 --> 00:29:11.240
car and joining her father. She grasped and curled her

424
00:29:11.279 --> 00:29:15.720
hand around his, prompting a smile from him and a

425
00:29:15.799 --> 00:29:20.039
ruffle of her hair in response. The father and daughter

426
00:29:20.559 --> 00:29:25.119
made their way across the grounds. The duo ascended up

427
00:29:25.160 --> 00:29:28.279
a small set of steps onto the wooden patio of

428
00:29:28.319 --> 00:29:33.160
the house. At the door, Calli's father took a deep breath,

429
00:29:33.720 --> 00:29:39.319
put on his best friendly smile, and knocked on the door. Nothing.

430
00:29:40.599 --> 00:29:44.599
He waited for a moment before knocking again, a bit harder,

431
00:29:46.039 --> 00:29:51.200
still nothing. Frowning a bit, Calli's father banged on the

432
00:29:51.240 --> 00:29:57.200
door with his whole fist. Not two seconds later, the

433
00:29:57.319 --> 00:30:04.400
door swung open violently. Go away, a grisly voice commanded.

434
00:30:05.480 --> 00:30:08.119
Calli and her dad looked at the man in front

435
00:30:08.119 --> 00:30:11.920
of them. He was tall and burly, with a full

436
00:30:11.960 --> 00:30:15.319
and bushy black beard and head of dark hair that

437
00:30:15.440 --> 00:30:20.480
looked messy and greasy. He was dressed in jeans, a

438
00:30:20.519 --> 00:30:25.400
plain colored T shirt and opened up workshirt, and large boots.

439
00:30:26.119 --> 00:30:31.359
Most importantly and jarringly to the father and daughter was

440
00:30:31.440 --> 00:30:38.480
the shotgun he held in his hands. Hello, Calli's dad started.

441
00:30:39.519 --> 00:30:44.160
My name is Nathan Jannam. This is my daughter Calli.

442
00:30:45.200 --> 00:30:47.839
We were on our way to visit some family when

443
00:30:48.119 --> 00:30:51.559
two of our tires blew. He points to their car.

444
00:30:52.599 --> 00:30:56.200
I know it's late and probably not what you wanted

445
00:30:56.200 --> 00:31:00.119
to have at your doorstep this time of night, but

446
00:31:00.240 --> 00:31:05.519
we really need help. My cell phone is close to dead.

447
00:31:06.799 --> 00:31:09.400
I do have some cash, though, if you'd be willing

448
00:31:09.440 --> 00:31:13.400
to help us, he finished, as his hand slides into

449
00:31:13.440 --> 00:31:19.880
his pocket and withdraws his wallet. I don't care get

450
00:31:20.200 --> 00:31:24.599
the man told them with growing menace. Callie shuddered at

451
00:31:24.599 --> 00:31:30.119
the look in his eyes. I'm sorry, sir, but I'm

452
00:31:30.200 --> 00:31:33.079
just a father in a bad predicament with his daughter.

453
00:31:34.279 --> 00:31:37.000
I promise if you let me use your phone, me

454
00:31:37.119 --> 00:31:39.000
and her will get out of your hair as fast

455
00:31:39.039 --> 00:31:44.440
as possible, Calli's dad said. The man held up and

456
00:31:44.519 --> 00:31:49.599
aimed the shotgun right at Calli's father. I don't give

457
00:31:49.599 --> 00:31:53.200
a shit who you are and what you want. Get

458
00:31:53.240 --> 00:32:00.559
off my property now, last warning, he told her father directly,

459
00:32:00.599 --> 00:32:04.559
before giving a look at Calli that made her skin crawl.

460
00:32:06.200 --> 00:32:13.119
Her father gulped and then sighed and took another breath. Listen, buddy,

461
00:32:13.920 --> 00:32:16.680
I'm not fallen for this tough guy who lives out

462
00:32:16.680 --> 00:32:21.079
in seclusion in the wilderness. Crap. We need help. The

463
00:32:21.160 --> 00:32:23.559
least you can do if you won't help us is

464
00:32:23.680 --> 00:32:29.400
tell us who will, her father all but ranted. The

465
00:32:29.480 --> 00:32:35.200
man's response was a simple one. He raised his aim,

466
00:32:36.359 --> 00:32:40.119
pulled on the trigger of the shotgun, and blew the

467
00:32:40.160 --> 00:32:47.160
head of Calli's father right off, blood and brain matter

468
00:32:47.720 --> 00:32:51.880
splattered all over the porch, as well as the man

469
00:32:53.319 --> 00:32:58.000
and Calli. She turned and looked to where her father

470
00:32:58.480 --> 00:33:02.319
had stood a moment prior, only to find him splayed

471
00:33:02.359 --> 00:33:06.400
out on the ground with his head blown open and

472
00:33:06.480 --> 00:33:13.400
a messy pile of flesh and blood and brain. Callie

473
00:33:13.440 --> 00:33:16.799
wanted to scream, but couldn't find the ability to do

474
00:33:17.000 --> 00:33:22.079
so due to the shock. Her eyes returned to the man,

475
00:33:22.599 --> 00:33:26.359
who was loading two fresh slugs into the shotgun and

476
00:33:26.480 --> 00:33:30.799
locking it into place. He pointed it at her torso

477
00:33:32.960 --> 00:33:36.079
before she knew what was happening, she jumped off the

478
00:33:36.160 --> 00:33:40.599
porch and started running across the grounds. A shot thundered

479
00:33:40.640 --> 00:33:43.400
out from the gun, and she saw the ground off

480
00:33:43.400 --> 00:33:48.400
to her side erupt he missed. She kept her pace up,

481
00:33:48.720 --> 00:33:51.640
unsure of where to go or how far the man

482
00:33:51.720 --> 00:33:56.039
would give chase. Another blast from the gun echoed through

483
00:33:56.079 --> 00:33:59.440
the air, and Callie felt the ground right behind her

484
00:33:59.519 --> 00:34:04.000
at her feet blown apart. The impact on the ground

485
00:34:04.079 --> 00:34:07.680
near her caused her to stumble and then fall forward,

486
00:34:08.159 --> 00:34:12.760
slamming face down into the dirt. She felt like she

487
00:34:12.800 --> 00:34:16.360
had been punched square in the face and was dizzy.

488
00:34:17.599 --> 00:34:22.599
Her eyes fluttered open and stared ahead. Callie became grateful

489
00:34:22.639 --> 00:34:26.079
that she landed where she did, only a few inches

490
00:34:26.119 --> 00:34:30.400
away from where she fell was a snap trap. If

491
00:34:30.440 --> 00:34:33.239
she had kept running or fell a bit farther, either

492
00:34:33.320 --> 00:34:38.360
her foot or her face would have been crushed. She

493
00:34:38.440 --> 00:34:42.559
got to her feet slowly and risked a look behind her.

494
00:34:43.480 --> 00:34:46.440
The man was off of the porch and started to

495
00:34:46.559 --> 00:34:50.679
run toward her. Unsure of what was the best option,

496
00:34:51.519 --> 00:34:55.599
Calli looked down and around the ground. In her search,

497
00:34:56.400 --> 00:34:59.480
she found an old beer bottle and picked it up.

498
00:35:00.880 --> 00:35:06.360
Better than nothing, she told herself. Callie turned to face

499
00:35:06.440 --> 00:35:10.159
the oncoming threat, and when he was just close enough

500
00:35:10.920 --> 00:35:14.840
as he started to raise the gun, she reared back

501
00:35:14.880 --> 00:35:18.079
her arm and threw the bottle like she was trying

502
00:35:18.159 --> 00:35:21.480
to strike out a player to win a game. The

503
00:35:21.559 --> 00:35:26.840
bottle collided with the man's face and shattered. He rubbed

504
00:35:26.880 --> 00:35:29.960
and picked at his visage to remove any glass that

505
00:35:30.079 --> 00:35:34.920
might have embedded itself in his flesh. Using the opportunity

506
00:35:35.000 --> 00:35:40.159
to her advantage, Callie sprinted past the man and kept

507
00:35:40.239 --> 00:35:47.039
running past the house towards its backyard. Behind her, all

508
00:35:47.159 --> 00:35:52.000
she heard was the man, I'm gonna kill you, you

509
00:35:52.559 --> 00:36:06.199
little bitch. Calli's eyes darted around the backyard. Her options

510
00:36:06.239 --> 00:36:10.639
for a hiding spot were not the best. There was

511
00:36:10.679 --> 00:36:14.320
a shed, but surely the man would look there first,

512
00:36:15.079 --> 00:36:19.800
and it was possible that it was locked. She considered

513
00:36:19.840 --> 00:36:25.400
trying the back door, but who knew what horrors were inside.

514
00:36:26.039 --> 00:36:30.239
Callie considered hiding under the raised back porch, climbing a tree,

515
00:36:30.480 --> 00:36:37.199
or to simply keep running. Then her eyes landed on

516
00:36:37.280 --> 00:36:41.880
a doghouse which looked to be big and dug into

517
00:36:41.920 --> 00:36:47.320
a decently deep level. Callie sprinted towards it and slid

518
00:36:47.360 --> 00:36:52.800
into the opening. The space inside was tight, but was

519
00:36:52.880 --> 00:36:57.440
indeed deep enough to allow her to partially crawl out

520
00:36:57.519 --> 00:37:02.840
of view, lying in the dirt. The tears finally came

521
00:37:02.960 --> 00:37:08.599
as Callie processed the last few minutes. Her father had died,

522
00:37:09.800 --> 00:37:15.840
no was slaughtered before her eyes. Her white and black

523
00:37:15.920 --> 00:37:19.440
baseball shirt was covered in his blood, and she could

524
00:37:19.519 --> 00:37:23.440
feel the wetness of brain matter on her face and

525
00:37:23.480 --> 00:37:30.760
in her hair. Daddy, she cried in her head. She

526
00:37:30.880 --> 00:37:34.760
dared not to speak and give away her hiding spot.

527
00:37:36.199 --> 00:37:40.639
Callie shook her head. Get it together, You need to

528
00:37:40.719 --> 00:37:44.119
keep it together if you want to survive, she told herself.

529
00:37:45.760 --> 00:37:51.239
How though, was the question. She didn't know fully why

530
00:37:51.320 --> 00:37:55.119
she had even chosen to run to the backyard. Her

531
00:37:55.119 --> 00:37:58.480
best guess was fear that if she left the property

532
00:37:59.000 --> 00:38:02.639
that the man would sue her and most likely get her.

533
00:38:03.800 --> 00:38:08.079
After all, he lived out here and most likely knew

534
00:38:08.079 --> 00:38:12.000
the land better than anybody. Not to mention, it was

535
00:38:12.079 --> 00:38:15.480
possible he did leave the property, Thinking she may have

536
00:38:15.519 --> 00:38:18.920
gone back down the mountain and could have closed and

537
00:38:18.960 --> 00:38:23.559
locked the gate, she thought about running past the back yard,

538
00:38:24.360 --> 00:38:29.280
but was unsure if and when it would stop. It

539
00:38:29.400 --> 00:38:33.440
seemed plausible the man might have another gate or fence

540
00:38:33.960 --> 00:38:39.840
somewhere behind his house. In her mind, that left one

541
00:38:39.920 --> 00:38:46.320
option the car. Calli knew her father had the keys

542
00:38:46.400 --> 00:38:49.920
with him when they went to the door, most likely

543
00:38:49.960 --> 00:38:53.519
in one of his pockets. The issue, though, was both

544
00:38:53.559 --> 00:38:56.800
being able to get to them before being caught and

545
00:38:56.840 --> 00:39:01.280
the fact that two tires were unusable. Callie didn't know

546
00:39:01.400 --> 00:39:04.679
much about cars, but she knew driving on blown out

547
00:39:04.719 --> 00:39:08.440
tires leads to driving on rims, which is an even

548
00:39:08.480 --> 00:39:12.760
worse problem. Add to that the growing darkness and her

549
00:39:12.760 --> 00:39:17.280
inability to drive, which meant it was most likely not

550
00:39:18.119 --> 00:39:23.639
a good idea. A few seconds later, though, A fresh

551
00:39:23.679 --> 00:39:28.800
idea entered Callie's head and brought a smile to her face.

552
00:39:30.000 --> 00:39:32.840
Her baseball stuff was in the trunk of the car,

553
00:39:33.480 --> 00:39:36.880
which meant her baseball bat was in there as well.

554
00:39:37.960 --> 00:39:41.039
If she could get the keys to the car, Calli

555
00:39:41.119 --> 00:39:46.559
could unlock the trunk, get her bat, and have a weapon. True,

556
00:39:46.760 --> 00:39:50.800
she knew a baseball bat, especially a wooden one, wasn't

557
00:39:50.840 --> 00:39:56.800
the best choice against a shotgun, but it was something besides,

558
00:39:57.119 --> 00:40:01.960
she told herself, if you could outrun and dodge two shots,

559
00:40:02.719 --> 00:40:07.400
maybe you can do it again. When he would go

560
00:40:07.480 --> 00:40:09.880
to reload, you can go up to him and start

561
00:40:09.920 --> 00:40:14.000
beating him with the bat. Her smile turned to a

562
00:40:14.079 --> 00:40:19.519
grin as she envisioned getting revenge against the man. It

563
00:40:19.639 --> 00:40:23.639
was a risky plan, but the only feasible one Callie

564
00:40:23.760 --> 00:40:28.440
could think of. She started to crawl out of the doghouse.

565
00:40:29.199 --> 00:40:31.519
She figured it might be best to run around the

566
00:40:31.559 --> 00:40:34.880
house the opposite way she came into the backyard in

567
00:40:34.920 --> 00:40:39.119
case the man was waiting for her. Callie considered crawling

568
00:40:39.159 --> 00:40:41.719
on the ground to do so, but if there was

569
00:40:41.840 --> 00:40:45.920
one spring trap on the premises, there would likely be more.

570
00:40:47.039 --> 00:40:51.199
This man clearly took any and all precautions to keep

571
00:40:51.239 --> 00:40:57.480
people away. Exiting the doghouse, Callie slowly rose to her

572
00:40:57.480 --> 00:41:02.519
feet when a thought occurred to her. There was a doghouse,

573
00:41:03.599 --> 00:41:09.039
but there didn't seem to be a dog. Unless foss

574
00:41:09.679 --> 00:41:13.559
the man's voice roared. Callie turned her attention to the

575
00:41:13.599 --> 00:41:17.960
back porch and saw the man standing there. Next to

576
00:41:18.079 --> 00:41:23.159
him was a dog, a cane corso. The moment it

577
00:41:23.199 --> 00:41:26.840
heard its master speak, it shot forward like a speeding

578
00:41:26.960 --> 00:41:31.320
train towards Calli. The plan to go around the house

579
00:41:31.519 --> 00:41:35.400
vanished as Callie began sprinting for her life back the

580
00:41:35.440 --> 00:41:40.119
way she came, with the dog in pursuit behind her.

581
00:41:41.559 --> 00:41:43.159
How am I going to get the keys and get

582
00:41:43.159 --> 00:41:47.519
away before the dog even catches me? The answer was simple,

583
00:41:48.880 --> 00:41:53.559
I'm just going to have to. Callie rounded a corner

584
00:41:53.599 --> 00:41:56.679
into the front of the grounds and turned to the porch.

585
00:41:57.599 --> 00:42:00.880
She ran towards it, with the dog barking right behind her.

586
00:42:01.960 --> 00:42:05.320
Callie jumped up the small steps and slid to a

587
00:42:05.400 --> 00:42:10.000
crash against the wall. She shook it off and hustled

588
00:42:10.039 --> 00:42:18.639
to her father and checked his pockets. The keys were gone.

589
00:42:18.920 --> 00:42:22.480
The man must have taken them, she said to herself,

590
00:42:23.920 --> 00:42:29.119
Before she could think any further, the dog jumped onto her, snarling.

591
00:42:30.239 --> 00:42:34.119
Callie remembered when a police officer visited her class and

592
00:42:34.239 --> 00:42:36.719
explained to them what to do if a dog ever

593
00:42:36.800 --> 00:42:42.119
attacked you. Normally, it would be to stay still, but

594
00:42:42.320 --> 00:42:46.960
this was no ordinary dog. Callie shook her body around

595
00:42:47.039 --> 00:42:51.920
back and forth to gather any momentum she could. Feeling

596
00:42:52.000 --> 00:42:56.000
confident enough, Callie rolled her body to the side and

597
00:42:56.079 --> 00:42:59.480
brought the dog onto its side. She then gave it

598
00:42:59.519 --> 00:43:03.440
a hard punched to its chest, which elicited a yelp

599
00:43:04.039 --> 00:43:08.719
and a momentary retreat from the dog. Callie jumped to

600
00:43:08.760 --> 00:43:11.719
her feet. If I want in the trunk, I'll have

601
00:43:11.840 --> 00:43:15.199
to use the hatch in the car, she hoped, and

602
00:43:15.280 --> 00:43:18.760
prayed the man hadn't locked it as she leapt off

603
00:43:18.800 --> 00:43:23.920
the porch and ran towards the car. She pulled hastily

604
00:43:23.960 --> 00:43:27.480
on the driver's side door and was relieved to find

605
00:43:27.559 --> 00:43:32.679
it unlocked. Callie quickly got inside and shut the door.

606
00:43:33.800 --> 00:43:37.840
A moment later, the dog jumped against the window, barking fiercely.

607
00:43:39.199 --> 00:43:43.119
Callie screamed as she searched for the right lever to pull,

608
00:43:44.239 --> 00:43:48.000
pulling on all of them just to be sure. Hearing

609
00:43:48.039 --> 00:43:51.719
the trunk click and pop open. Callie breathed a sigh

610
00:43:51.760 --> 00:43:55.159
of relief. Then she stared out the front of the

611
00:43:55.239 --> 00:44:00.599
car and found the dog standing by the man shotgun

612
00:44:01.119 --> 00:44:04.800
aimed right at the vehicle. The next thing she knew,

613
00:44:04.880 --> 00:44:10.400
there was a bang and the windshield shattered. Screaming in terror,

614
00:44:10.599 --> 00:44:15.239
Callie crawled from the driver's seat into the back. There

615
00:44:15.280 --> 00:44:19.159
she opened a door and crawled out. Staying on the ground,

616
00:44:19.760 --> 00:44:21.679
she made her way to the back of the car,

617
00:44:21.880 --> 00:44:25.840
then moved onto her knees. Gripping the latch of the trunk,

618
00:44:26.320 --> 00:44:29.400
she pushed it open the rest of the way and

619
00:44:29.480 --> 00:44:34.840
there it was her baseball bat. She grinned as she

620
00:44:34.880 --> 00:44:37.679
pulled it out of the trunk and wielded it like

621
00:44:37.719 --> 00:44:43.599
a sword. Okay, Callie, time to do either the bravest

622
00:44:44.119 --> 00:44:48.840
or dumbest thing in your whole life, she said, to

623
00:44:48.920 --> 00:44:53.559
hype herself up. Callie stood up and walked around the

624
00:44:53.679 --> 00:44:57.159
car to find the man and the dog. The man

625
00:44:57.280 --> 00:45:01.440
had the shotgun aimed at her the baseball bat in

626
00:45:01.480 --> 00:45:07.480
her hands, adjusted his aim and fired. The bat blew

627
00:45:07.519 --> 00:45:11.440
apart in Calli's hand, sending wood all over the ground

628
00:45:12.159 --> 00:45:15.639
as well as into the flesh of her hands, arms,

629
00:45:16.199 --> 00:45:21.280
and face. She fell to the ground, ears ringing from

630
00:45:21.320 --> 00:45:25.800
the force of the blast, and screamed in agony. She

631
00:45:25.880 --> 00:45:31.639
felt more pain than she could have ever imagined foss

632
00:45:31.679 --> 00:45:36.679
The man commanded again. She heard the snarl, but couldn't

633
00:45:36.719 --> 00:45:40.639
find the strength to move. A moment later, the dog

634
00:45:40.800 --> 00:45:44.639
was on her and elicited fresh screams from her throat

635
00:45:44.880 --> 00:45:48.559
as it ripped and teared into her thigh. With what

636
00:45:48.719 --> 00:45:52.679
strength she had, Calli beat on its head to no avail.

637
00:45:53.559 --> 00:45:57.199
Her defense only caused the dog to tighten its hold.

638
00:45:57.800 --> 00:46:02.599
It shook its head, causing more damage, which through growingly

639
00:46:02.760 --> 00:46:07.519
hazier eyes. Callie turned her head and saw that in

640
00:46:07.559 --> 00:46:11.840
her right hand she was still gripping the shattered and

641
00:46:11.960 --> 00:46:16.400
splintered remains of the bat. She looked at the dog,

642
00:46:17.880 --> 00:46:24.320
Dear God, I'm sorry. In one furious movement, she plunged

643
00:46:24.400 --> 00:46:28.119
the remains of the bat into the neck of the beast.

644
00:46:29.079 --> 00:46:32.800
She twisted it as she pulled it out, and watched

645
00:46:32.880 --> 00:46:38.760
blood flow out of the wound barbous. The man screamed,

646
00:46:39.760 --> 00:46:42.880
almost as if the first stab filled her with more energy.

647
00:46:43.360 --> 00:46:47.440
Callie screamed as she repeatedly thrust the broken bat into

648
00:46:47.440 --> 00:46:52.480
the dog's throat and its torso. Her body became covered

649
00:46:52.480 --> 00:46:57.079
in its blood as life quickly drained from it. Callie

650
00:46:57.119 --> 00:47:01.000
shoved the dog off of her and slowly stood up,

651
00:47:01.880 --> 00:47:07.239
her body shaking from shock. She looked to where the

652
00:47:07.239 --> 00:47:11.320
man was and saw him running at full speed toward her.

653
00:47:12.760 --> 00:47:17.760
You have one chance, Callie, she told herself. The moment

654
00:47:17.840 --> 00:47:21.519
the man was in range, Callie shrieked and pushed her

655
00:47:21.559 --> 00:47:26.400
body forward and plunged the remains of the bat into

656
00:47:26.400 --> 00:47:31.639
the man's hip. He howled in pain and in response

657
00:47:31.760 --> 00:47:35.400
dropped the shotgun as he staggered back a few inches.

658
00:47:37.039 --> 00:47:40.440
Not wasting a moment, Callie picked up the shotgun and

659
00:47:40.559 --> 00:47:44.400
aimed it at the man. She watched as he pulled

660
00:47:44.440 --> 00:47:48.679
out the bat and threw it to the ground. His

661
00:47:48.800 --> 00:47:53.000
eyes moved to her, and a grin formed across his

662
00:47:53.159 --> 00:48:01.159
bearded mouth. What's you gonna do with that, bitch, he asked, tauntingly,

663
00:48:03.559 --> 00:48:06.480
I'm going to shoot you, just like you did my dad,

664
00:48:07.400 --> 00:48:15.480
Callie retorted. The man's grin widened. Really, now, sure you

665
00:48:15.599 --> 00:48:20.960
have enough strength to do it? Uh? Huh, she answered,

666
00:48:21.679 --> 00:48:27.679
knowing her strength was indeed fading fast. Are you sure

667
00:48:27.719 --> 00:48:36.079
it's loaded? The man questioned, wha Callie responded, The man chuckled,

668
00:48:37.760 --> 00:48:41.440
what makes you so sure it's loaded? After all, you

669
00:48:41.519 --> 00:48:44.519
were in La La land getting mauled by my dog,

670
00:48:45.199 --> 00:48:47.559
So how do you know if I ever loaded it again?

671
00:48:49.679 --> 00:48:53.519
Of course you did, Callie says back to him, but

672
00:48:53.639 --> 00:48:56.639
it admits in her head that the man raises a

673
00:48:56.760 --> 00:49:02.440
viable point. Really, now you bet on it being loaded,

674
00:49:03.079 --> 00:49:12.960
he taunts, Yeah, she squeaks out, Well, what about this one,

675
00:49:13.199 --> 00:49:17.360
the man said, as he reached behind him and brandishes

676
00:49:17.400 --> 00:49:23.360
a pistol, aiming it at Cali. You have another gun,

677
00:49:24.239 --> 00:49:30.719
Cali questioned, in genuine surprise. Course, I do be prepared

678
00:49:30.760 --> 00:49:36.280
to protect yourself and whatnot? The man answered with a

679
00:49:36.360 --> 00:49:42.480
menacing glee. Silence fell between the two, with only the

680
00:49:42.559 --> 00:49:48.079
sound of nature filling the space between them. They stare

681
00:49:48.119 --> 00:49:52.679
each other down, each one waiting for the other to

682
00:49:52.800 --> 00:49:59.000
make the first move. So you really want to bet

683
00:49:59.079 --> 00:50:03.480
your life on that shotgun being loaded? The man asked,

684
00:50:05.239 --> 00:50:10.000
Finding she had little strength left to speak, Callie nodded

685
00:50:10.039 --> 00:50:15.840
her head to say that she does. Well, I guess

686
00:50:15.880 --> 00:50:21.880
we'll find out, then, the man said. They let silence

687
00:50:21.960 --> 00:50:25.960
fall over them once more as they listened to crickets

688
00:50:26.360 --> 00:50:32.639
and other nocturnal sounds. Their fingers each squeeze and then

689
00:50:32.760 --> 00:50:38.039
pull back on their respective triggers. There was a bang

690
00:50:39.119 --> 00:50:43.960
and the odor of gun smoke as it filled the night.

691
00:50:51.679 --> 00:50:59.559
Roadkill by Travis van Houss. Lucas Riggs was on top

692
00:50:59.639 --> 00:51:03.159
of the water. For years, he had struggled to make

693
00:51:03.199 --> 00:51:07.599
it as a professional photographer, a career he believed he

694
00:51:07.679 --> 00:51:11.880
was destined for. Yet he had never made a sale

695
00:51:11.920 --> 00:51:15.440
like the one he had just closed. He attributed his

696
00:51:15.559 --> 00:51:20.960
sudden success to the unorthodox and disturbing subject matter of

697
00:51:21.039 --> 00:51:27.239
his latest series of photographs. Multiple buyers had placed competitive

698
00:51:27.320 --> 00:51:31.559
bids on the series, resulting in a crisp check for

699
00:51:31.760 --> 00:51:37.039
one hundred thousand dollars folded neatly in his back pocket.

700
00:51:37.800 --> 00:51:42.719
It's been a long time coming, Lucas thought. He always

701
00:51:42.800 --> 00:51:46.239
knew he was talented and could hardly believe it had

702
00:51:46.280 --> 00:51:50.639
taken until age thirty three to get his first big break.

703
00:51:51.559 --> 00:51:54.800
He had flown home to Ohio with a shit eating

704
00:51:54.880 --> 00:51:58.719
grin plastered on his face. He was eager to spread

705
00:51:58.760 --> 00:52:03.559
the word of his good fortune. His few friends would

706
00:52:03.559 --> 00:52:07.480
refer to him as arrogant. They believed he expected the

707
00:52:07.559 --> 00:52:11.920
world to hand him everything on a silver platter, and

708
00:52:12.039 --> 00:52:17.119
his obsession with status defined him. They all knew he

709
00:52:17.239 --> 00:52:21.840
was living life on his parents' dime. Those in the

710
00:52:21.960 --> 00:52:26.519
art world despised him. Lucas had a habit of dismissing

711
00:52:26.559 --> 00:52:31.800
their work as amateurish and lacking inspiration, even though he

712
00:52:31.880 --> 00:52:36.280
had not sold a single peace since college. He was

713
00:52:36.320 --> 00:52:43.039
a hypocrite with many enemies. Lucas Riggs his arrogance extended

714
00:52:43.159 --> 00:52:48.320
far beyond his photography, seeping into every aspect of his life,

715
00:52:49.079 --> 00:52:55.039
especially his interactions with women. Lucas believed he was God's

716
00:52:55.079 --> 00:52:58.960
gift to women and would seethe with rage whenever he

717
00:52:59.119 --> 00:53:03.360
was rejected. When he looked in the mirror, he saw

718
00:53:03.400 --> 00:53:08.400
a masterpiece and couldn't understand why any woman would ever

719
00:53:08.559 --> 00:53:13.559
consider turning him down. He believed they should feel honored

720
00:53:14.159 --> 00:53:18.440
to be in his presence. When a woman rejected him,

721
00:53:19.000 --> 00:53:23.039
he always found a way to get his revenge. He

722
00:53:23.119 --> 00:53:26.559
wasn't violent by nature, but he acted out when he

723
00:53:26.639 --> 00:53:31.400
felt slighted. Once he had been snubbed by a girl

724
00:53:31.440 --> 00:53:34.599
at a bar. When he saw her kissing another guy.

725
00:53:35.760 --> 00:53:40.119
Recognizing the car she drove to the bar, he slashed

726
00:53:40.519 --> 00:53:46.199
all four tires with the switchblade he always carried. Physically,

727
00:53:46.360 --> 00:53:51.719
Lucas was undeniably attractive. He worked out and took care

728
00:53:51.760 --> 00:53:55.440
of his body. He had well defined muscles and a

729
00:53:55.480 --> 00:54:02.199
strong jawline. His arms were covered with defensive tattoos. His

730
00:54:02.360 --> 00:54:08.199
smile revealed full lips, perfect teeth, and deep dimples. His

731
00:54:08.320 --> 00:54:14.079
eyebrows and lashes were dark and striking, framing his hazel eyes.

732
00:54:15.039 --> 00:54:19.000
His hair, short on the sides and tussled on top,

733
00:54:19.639 --> 00:54:24.159
seemed casually perfect, though he spent at least half an

734
00:54:24.159 --> 00:54:28.639
hour each morning creating the just rolled out of bed look.

735
00:54:30.239 --> 00:54:34.480
Rolling down the window of his red BMW, Lucas lit

736
00:54:34.519 --> 00:54:38.599
a cigarette and cranked up the stereo. An old rock

737
00:54:38.719 --> 00:54:43.199
tune blasted through the speakers as he drummed his fingers

738
00:54:43.239 --> 00:54:47.239
in time with the music on the steering wheel. The

739
00:54:47.320 --> 00:54:51.199
cocaine he had snorted in the airport parking lot was

740
00:54:51.280 --> 00:54:55.480
still coursing through his veins, and his buzz was keeping

741
00:54:55.559 --> 00:54:59.559
him sharp and jittery. He couldn't wait to get home

742
00:55:00.159 --> 00:55:04.480
to keep the party going. The night stretched on as

743
00:55:04.519 --> 00:55:07.800
he drove down an old road known as Route seven

744
00:55:07.920 --> 00:55:12.960
forty seven that led to Rigg's Manor, where he lived

745
00:55:13.400 --> 00:55:17.280
with his wealthy parents. He had the guest house to

746
00:55:17.400 --> 00:55:22.000
himself and rarely engaged with his mother and father. In

747
00:55:22.079 --> 00:55:26.679
his mind, their only purpose was to fund the extravagant

748
00:55:26.679 --> 00:55:32.159
lifestyle he had been accustomed to since birth. He never

749
00:55:32.239 --> 00:55:35.280
set it out loud, but he couldn't wait until they

750
00:55:35.440 --> 00:55:39.960
died so he could inherit their fortune, something he felt

751
00:55:40.320 --> 00:55:45.599
he was entitled to. Lucas's father was a day trader

752
00:55:46.159 --> 00:55:50.559
and his mother was a famous lifestyle blogger. Together they

753
00:55:50.599 --> 00:55:56.400
brought in nearly thirty million dollars a year. Lucas couldn't

754
00:55:56.519 --> 00:56:02.199
understand why they lived in Ohio. He continuously encouraged them

755
00:56:02.519 --> 00:56:08.119
to relocate to the West Coast, but they refused, explaining

756
00:56:08.159 --> 00:56:12.239
that they loved the tranquility of their small Ohio town

757
00:56:12.840 --> 00:56:18.440
Hob's End, believing it kept them grounded. They feared moving

758
00:56:18.519 --> 00:56:22.519
to a big city would change them and challenge their humility.

759
00:56:23.320 --> 00:56:28.519
Mister and missus Riggs knew they were solely responsible for

760
00:56:28.639 --> 00:56:33.360
Lucas's behavior. They spoiled him as a child and oft

761
00:56:33.400 --> 00:56:36.679
in disgusted cutting him off to find his own way

762
00:56:36.760 --> 00:56:39.880
in the world, but neither of them could bear the

763
00:56:39.920 --> 00:56:45.440
guilt of actually doing it. Towering stalks of corn flanked

764
00:56:45.440 --> 00:56:50.800
the road. The BMW was speeding down. Lucas's sharp eyes

765
00:56:51.199 --> 00:56:56.400
scanned the road ahead. The cocaine heightened his senses, and

766
00:56:56.519 --> 00:57:02.119
his wide eyes were overly alert. Deer were notorious for

767
00:57:02.280 --> 00:57:05.000
darting out from the sides of the road this time

768
00:57:05.039 --> 00:57:09.079
of year, and he had no intention of damaging his

769
00:57:09.199 --> 00:57:15.800
pristine BMW by hitting one. Just a month earlier, he

770
00:57:15.880 --> 00:57:19.679
hit a deer on this road, but unlike the others

771
00:57:19.719 --> 00:57:25.360
who might swerve to avoid the deer, Lucas deliberately hid

772
00:57:25.360 --> 00:57:35.679
it for his art. An art professor once told Lucas

773
00:57:36.320 --> 00:57:41.400
that there is beauty in everything, even death. He was

774
00:57:41.480 --> 00:57:45.719
referring to the vibrant hues of the leaves changing color

775
00:57:46.079 --> 00:57:50.599
in the fall, but Lucas took this to the extreme.

776
00:57:51.639 --> 00:57:56.480
His mind fixated on Route seven forty seven, the desolate

777
00:57:56.599 --> 00:58:01.159
stretch of road to his home. It was the kind

778
00:58:01.199 --> 00:58:05.159
of road where you could speed for miles before passing

779
00:58:05.199 --> 00:58:10.159
another car. For this reason, it was also littered with

780
00:58:10.360 --> 00:58:14.719
road kill. All types of wild life lived in the

781
00:58:14.760 --> 00:58:19.880
woods and fed in the cornfields surrounding the road. Almost

782
00:58:19.920 --> 00:58:24.440
everyone who lived along Route seven forty seven had at

783
00:58:24.440 --> 00:58:30.000
some point hit a helpless critter on this stretch of asphalt.

784
00:58:31.559 --> 00:58:34.480
Once a week, a city clean up crew arrived to

785
00:58:34.559 --> 00:58:40.119
collect and dispose of the dead carcasses. Lucas often wondered

786
00:58:40.480 --> 00:58:44.360
what type of man could do such a job. In

787
00:58:44.440 --> 00:58:49.639
his eyes, public waiste workers were beneath him, What a

788
00:58:49.840 --> 00:58:54.800
sad fucking existence, he would think with a sneer when

789
00:58:54.800 --> 00:58:59.239
he saw them working. On more than one occasion, he'd

790
00:58:59.239 --> 00:59:02.320
even tossed an empty bottle from his window at them,

791
00:59:03.000 --> 00:59:09.880
his lips curling in satisfaction. Beauty in everything, even death,

792
00:59:11.079 --> 00:59:15.519
the professor's words echoed in Lucas's mind the day he

793
00:59:15.599 --> 00:59:19.360
pulled his car to the side of Route seven forty seven,

794
00:59:20.159 --> 00:59:24.239
where he spotted what looked like a dead raccoon in

795
00:59:24.320 --> 00:59:29.239
the middle of the road. Grabbing his camera, he slung

796
00:59:29.280 --> 00:59:32.239
the strap over his neck and stepped on to the

797
00:59:32.280 --> 00:59:36.840
hot asphalt. He could smell the decay as the animal

798
00:59:37.000 --> 00:59:42.280
rotted in the beating sun, but the odor didn't bother Lucas.

799
00:59:43.079 --> 00:59:49.920
To him, the scent represented art. When he arrived within

800
00:59:50.199 --> 00:59:55.559
touching distance of the dead and bloated animal, his brilliant

801
00:59:55.599 --> 00:59:59.280
white teeth appeared behind a smile that would have been

802
00:59:59.320 --> 01:00:04.960
disturbing if anyone else had witnessed it. Large black flies

803
01:00:05.079 --> 01:00:10.119
buzzed around the rotting corpse, and maggots were already feasting

804
01:00:10.519 --> 01:00:14.480
on the critter. A black beetle crawled from a hole

805
01:00:14.960 --> 01:00:19.480
where one of the raccoon's eyes used to be. Raising

806
01:00:19.519 --> 01:00:25.079
the camera, Lucas began shooting the raccoon. The camera clicked

807
01:00:25.599 --> 01:00:31.840
and the film inside rolled. As Lucas collected photograph after photograph,

808
01:00:32.760 --> 01:00:36.559
he knelt to adjust his angle, then lay flat on

809
01:00:36.639 --> 01:00:41.360
the hot asphalt to snap an even lower perspective of

810
01:00:41.400 --> 01:00:46.320
the poor animal. As he stood up, he noticed large

811
01:00:46.440 --> 01:00:53.920
black winged vultures circling above. Their slow, ominous movements told

812
01:00:53.960 --> 01:00:57.480
him they would descend to feast the moment he left,

813
01:00:58.599 --> 01:01:01.639
he made a mental note to return in a few

814
01:01:01.679 --> 01:01:08.039
hours to capture the gruesome act of the circle of life.

815
01:01:08.920 --> 01:01:15.679
Throughout that afternoon, Lucas captured what he considered beautiful photographs

816
01:01:15.719 --> 01:01:22.079
of raccoons, squirrels, a possum, and even a dog. He

817
01:01:22.119 --> 01:01:26.840
had found his inspiration in death and believed each photograph

818
01:01:27.440 --> 01:01:32.119
was a work of art, but he craved something more,

819
01:01:33.199 --> 01:01:41.559
something significant, smashed and strewn across the road, something big

820
01:01:42.639 --> 01:01:47.400
and fresh, Lucas spent the rest of the day developing

821
01:01:47.519 --> 01:01:50.639
film in his photo lab tucked in the back of

822
01:01:50.679 --> 01:01:55.039
the guest house of Riggs Manor. His parents had paid

823
01:01:55.159 --> 01:01:59.440
for every piece of expensive equipment. As he watched the

824
01:01:59.480 --> 01:02:05.239
pictures slowly develop, he was consumed with excitement. He had

825
01:02:05.280 --> 01:02:10.800
never seen something so beautiful as the entrails of roadkills

826
01:02:10.800 --> 01:02:15.760
spilled on Routes seven forty seven. He was amazed at

827
01:02:15.760 --> 01:02:20.360
how the white maggots shined in the bloody folds of

828
01:02:20.480 --> 01:02:26.760
the dark fur. This calls for a celebration, Lucas said aloud,

829
01:02:27.280 --> 01:02:30.800
patting himself on the back. As he admired his work,

830
01:02:31.880 --> 01:02:35.960
he poured himself tall glasses of whiskey and coke, and

831
01:02:36.039 --> 01:02:41.760
he was thoroughly drunk by nightfall. That is when inspiration

832
01:02:42.039 --> 01:02:49.480
struck a brilliant, twisted idea to complete his collection of photographs.

833
01:02:50.679 --> 01:02:54.840
He'd take the gardener's truck head down Route seven forty

834
01:02:54.920 --> 01:02:59.800
seven and scatter apples from the family orchard along the

835
01:03:00.000 --> 01:03:05.239
deserted road. He'd bust them open, hoping the scent would

836
01:03:05.320 --> 01:03:11.199
lure a deer, maybe even an entire family, onto the road.

837
01:03:12.360 --> 01:03:15.960
When the moment was right, he would floor the truck,

838
01:03:16.519 --> 01:03:23.519
propelling it forward, metal meeting flesh and bone. He'd then

839
01:03:23.760 --> 01:03:30.440
take his camera and create another photographic masterpiece, the perfect

840
01:03:30.440 --> 01:03:42.280
work of art, to complete his collection. Returning from his

841
01:03:42.480 --> 01:03:47.199
art exhibit in California, Lucas hadn't seen a single piece

842
01:03:47.239 --> 01:03:51.760
of roadkill on Route seven forty seven. He was still

843
01:03:51.920 --> 01:03:55.760
thirty miles from home and eager to tell his parents

844
01:03:55.800 --> 01:04:00.760
about his good fortune, letting them know he would relocate

845
01:04:00.840 --> 01:04:05.280
to California. He couldn't wait to hold up his check

846
01:04:05.760 --> 01:04:09.159
and prove to his parents he had finally made it.

847
01:04:10.239 --> 01:04:13.440
He'd have called ahead, but had left his cell phone

848
01:04:13.440 --> 01:04:17.840
in the hotel room in California. It was being shipped

849
01:04:17.880 --> 01:04:23.039
back to Rigg's manor the next day. Up ahead, something

850
01:04:23.159 --> 01:04:28.559
caught his eye. This time it wasn't roadkill. It was

851
01:04:28.599 --> 01:04:33.000
a woman, a stunning woman. She stood on the edge

852
01:04:33.039 --> 01:04:35.880
of the road with a brown suitcase in one hand

853
01:04:36.480 --> 01:04:41.079
and her skirt hiked up with the other. Her leg

854
01:04:41.280 --> 01:04:44.719
gleamed in the moonlight. In the headlights of his car.

855
01:04:45.760 --> 01:04:49.480
Even from a distance, he could see the woman's smile.

856
01:04:50.360 --> 01:04:55.679
Her long blonde hair blew gently in the evening breeze.

857
01:04:55.800 --> 01:04:59.320
Lucas eased his foot off the gas pedal, pulling the

858
01:04:59.440 --> 01:05:03.400
car to the side of the road. He assumed the

859
01:05:03.480 --> 01:05:07.440
woman needed a ride, and Lucas was more than willing

860
01:05:07.519 --> 01:05:14.000
to offer one, perhaps even more if the opportunity presented itself.

861
01:05:15.360 --> 01:05:19.239
As the car rolled to a stop, the woman swiftly

862
01:05:19.360 --> 01:05:25.480
moved toward the vehicle, her suitcase gone. Lucas barely blinked

863
01:05:25.480 --> 01:05:30.000
his eyes before both the front and back passenger doors

864
01:05:30.440 --> 01:05:35.400
swung open. The vixen slid gracefully into the front seat,

865
01:05:36.039 --> 01:05:41.119
while a strangely dark, rough looking man slid into the back.

866
01:05:42.519 --> 01:05:47.840
What the fuck? Lucas froze as both the doors slammed shut.

867
01:05:48.639 --> 01:05:55.239
I thought she was alone. He became instantly nervous, jumping slightly.

868
01:05:55.679 --> 01:05:59.000
When the cigarette he had been smoking had burned down

869
01:05:59.039 --> 01:06:04.079
to his fingertip, searing his skin. He flicked the butt

870
01:06:04.119 --> 01:06:08.400
out the window without taking his eyes off his passengers.

871
01:06:09.440 --> 01:06:12.960
His eyes darted to the rear view mirror. He had

872
01:06:13.000 --> 01:06:16.719
seen enough movies to know he might be in a

873
01:06:16.880 --> 01:06:22.199
terrible predicament. Thanks for picking us up, the blue eyed

874
01:06:22.320 --> 01:06:27.199
vixen said, with a comforting smile. I'm Doris, and that's

875
01:06:27.239 --> 01:06:32.960
my boyfriend Derek. She nodded toward the back seat, no problem.

876
01:06:33.800 --> 01:06:38.400
Lucas's tone was sharp and steady, although he was nervous.

877
01:06:39.039 --> 01:06:42.320
His hand trembled as he gripped the steering wheel so

878
01:06:42.559 --> 01:06:47.079
tight his knuckles turned white. He didn't like the idea

879
01:06:47.199 --> 01:06:51.480
of a strange guy sitting behind him. Too many horror

880
01:06:51.519 --> 01:06:56.400
stories about people picking up hitchhikers and being robbed or

881
01:06:56.840 --> 01:07:03.519
murdered started this way. Don't worry, we're not psychopaths. Doris

882
01:07:03.639 --> 01:07:07.960
laughed lightly, as if she could read his mind. We

883
01:07:07.960 --> 01:07:11.960
were riding with another guy, but he kept getting handsy,

884
01:07:12.079 --> 01:07:15.440
so we had him drop us off. He's not the

885
01:07:15.519 --> 01:07:19.360
type of guy Derek and I would invite into our bedroom,

886
01:07:20.000 --> 01:07:27.039
she remarked playfully. Lucas's shoulders relaxed slightly. He wasn't against

887
01:07:27.079 --> 01:07:30.559
the idea of joining Doris and her boyfriend in the bedroom,

888
01:07:31.119 --> 01:07:34.800
as he couldn't take his eyes off her. Yeah, you

889
01:07:34.920 --> 01:07:37.239
have to be careful who you ride with or pick

890
01:07:37.320 --> 01:07:41.519
up these days, Lucas said, glancing at Derek in the

891
01:07:41.519 --> 01:07:45.880
rear view mirror. He was tall and lanky, and Lucas

892
01:07:45.960 --> 01:07:48.559
knew he could take him in a fight as long

893
01:07:48.559 --> 01:07:52.039
as the guy didn't have a weapon. He also had

894
01:07:52.119 --> 01:07:56.760
long brown hair, which Lucas considered to be sissy hair.

895
01:07:57.760 --> 01:08:01.159
He didn't believe real men should row their hair long

896
01:08:01.719 --> 01:08:07.719
unless they were bikers. Where are you headed, Doris asked, home,

897
01:08:08.320 --> 01:08:12.760
I live about thirty miles down the road. Lucas glanced

898
01:08:12.800 --> 01:08:16.319
at the glove compartment, wishing his switchblade was in his

899
01:08:16.439 --> 01:08:22.119
pocket instead of locked away. Perfect, we can find our

900
01:08:22.159 --> 01:08:25.359
way to town from there. We're just trying to meet

901
01:08:25.479 --> 01:08:28.760
up with some friends. They were supposed to pick us

902
01:08:28.840 --> 01:08:31.840
up from the bus station, but their car broke down,

903
01:08:32.520 --> 01:08:37.199
Doris said, with a smile, Sorry to hear that. Lucas

904
01:08:37.239 --> 01:08:40.560
put the car and drive, pulled back onto the road

905
01:08:41.159 --> 01:08:46.279
and speeded down Route seven forty seven. Once again, he

906
01:08:46.399 --> 01:08:49.279
kept his eye on Derek through the rear view mirror

907
01:08:49.680 --> 01:08:54.760
to ensure he wasn't up to something sinister, but he

908
01:08:54.880 --> 01:09:00.119
sat quietly, holding the brown suitcase on his lap. There

909
01:09:00.159 --> 01:09:03.239
was a big white sticker on the side that declared

910
01:09:03.920 --> 01:09:09.039
pork sucks. The rock music on the stereo played softly,

911
01:09:09.720 --> 01:09:14.560
almost blending into the engine's hum. I don't even remember

912
01:09:14.600 --> 01:09:20.319
turning it down, Lucas thought. Don't you get scared driving

913
01:09:20.359 --> 01:09:25.720
on these old roads alone at night? Doris asked, scared

914
01:09:26.840 --> 01:09:31.239
should I have something to be scared about. Lucas knew

915
01:09:31.319 --> 01:09:35.880
the cocaine buzzing through his system was most likely making

916
01:09:35.960 --> 01:09:41.079
him paranoid. He shook off the creeping anxiety, but remained

917
01:09:41.159 --> 01:09:47.000
on guard. Not really, I like the seclusion. It's beautiful

918
01:09:47.000 --> 01:09:52.880
out here, Lucas replied, focusing on Doris. He prayed that

919
01:09:52.920 --> 01:09:56.840
she didn't hear the tremor in his voice. This time.

920
01:09:57.039 --> 01:10:01.000
He couldn't hide it. Something was on about the couple,

921
01:10:01.880 --> 01:10:06.000
but he couldn't put his finger on it. He regretted

922
01:10:06.079 --> 01:10:08.960
picking them up, but couldn't think of a way to

923
01:10:09.039 --> 01:10:13.199
politely get them out of his car, so he stepped

924
01:10:13.239 --> 01:10:16.920
harder on the gas pedal, speeding up to get to

925
01:10:17.000 --> 01:10:22.039
his house as soon as possible. I just think it's

926
01:10:22.119 --> 01:10:27.359
creepy out here, Doris said, her voice soft. She crossed

927
01:10:27.359 --> 01:10:31.199
her legs in a deliberate motion, and Lucas couldn't help

928
01:10:31.279 --> 01:10:35.760
but notice we heard strange sounds when we were standing

929
01:10:35.760 --> 01:10:40.560
alongside the road. I started to imagine spirits lurking in

930
01:10:40.600 --> 01:10:46.520
the woods or cornfields, she laughed nervously. I've never seen

931
01:10:46.560 --> 01:10:50.760
a ghost out here. Lucas scoffed. He didn't believe in

932
01:10:50.840 --> 01:10:55.760
such foolishness. I drive this road almost daily, and the

933
01:10:55.800 --> 01:11:04.560
grisliest thing I've seen has been roadkill. No ghosts, Lucas replied, calmly. Really,

934
01:11:05.399 --> 01:11:09.720
Doris asked what the hell does she mean by really?

935
01:11:11.439 --> 01:11:15.159
A sound came from the back seat. It was slow,

936
01:11:16.000 --> 01:11:21.000
heavy breathing. If that dude is masturbating behind that suitcase,

937
01:11:21.239 --> 01:11:26.000
I will be pissed. Lucas couldn't bring himself to look

938
01:11:26.039 --> 01:11:29.880
in the rear view mirror. He was focused on Doris,

939
01:11:30.520 --> 01:11:35.720
who shifted her skirt higher. Lucas was sure she was

940
01:11:35.840 --> 01:11:41.319
intentionally giving him a show. Yeah, I hit a deer

941
01:11:41.359 --> 01:11:44.560
out here a few weeks back, tore the shit out

942
01:11:44.600 --> 01:11:46.560
of the front hood of the truck I was driving,

943
01:11:47.279 --> 01:11:52.920
Lucas said, his voice thick. He felt himself growing hard.

944
01:11:53.680 --> 01:11:57.920
He didn't know if it was because of Doris or

945
01:11:58.760 --> 01:12:03.079
from remembering how beautiful the dead deer had been when

946
01:12:03.119 --> 01:12:07.399
he smeared it across the road. He could still remember

947
01:12:07.439 --> 01:12:12.479
that night as vividly as if it had happened yesterday.

948
01:12:13.960 --> 01:12:18.560
After scattering apples along the pavement, Lucas pulled the gardener's

949
01:12:18.560 --> 01:12:21.359
beat up green truck to the side of Route seven

950
01:12:21.520 --> 01:12:26.279
forty seven and waited with the headlights on. He knew

951
01:12:26.439 --> 01:12:30.840
most deer were reckless when it came to light. People

952
01:12:30.920 --> 01:12:33.920
said they ran straight toward the light, as if they

953
01:12:33.960 --> 01:12:39.239
were drawn to them, like moths to a flame. Lucas

954
01:12:39.279 --> 01:12:42.960
didn't have to wait long. From the edge of the cornfield,

955
01:12:43.279 --> 01:12:49.319
a large deer had emerged, cautious but curious, its legs

956
01:12:49.399 --> 01:12:54.359
moving hesitantly across the grass before stepping on to the pavement.

957
01:12:55.800 --> 01:13:00.079
It placed its nose against the concrete, sniffing the broken

958
01:13:00.119 --> 01:13:04.199
apples on the asphalt. Tapping the apples with its nose,

959
01:13:04.680 --> 01:13:09.000
it lifted its beautiful head to stare directly at Lucas

960
01:13:09.520 --> 01:13:14.640
and the truck. Then hunger went over fear, and it

961
01:13:14.720 --> 01:13:20.840
dipped its head again, nibbling at the apples. Tightening his

962
01:13:20.960 --> 01:13:24.600
seat belt, Lucas eased the truck to the center of

963
01:13:24.640 --> 01:13:29.640
the road. The deer didn't seem to notice or care.

964
01:13:31.079 --> 01:13:37.399
He pressed the gas slowly at first, then harder. The

965
01:13:37.479 --> 01:13:42.439
deer looked up with only a few seconds left to escape,

966
01:13:42.479 --> 01:13:47.199
but was frozen in the headlights. Lucas hit the accelerator,

967
01:13:48.039 --> 01:13:53.640
colliding with the deer. He heard the sickening thud, followed

968
01:13:53.680 --> 01:13:57.279
by the scrape of the body, hitting the bumper as

969
01:13:57.319 --> 01:14:01.840
it flew up and over the hood before landing on

970
01:14:01.960 --> 01:14:08.560
the pavement. Fuck yah, Lucas screamed, spittle flying from his lips.

971
01:14:09.159 --> 01:14:12.159
He slammed on the brakes, coming to a screeching halt.

972
01:14:12.920 --> 01:14:16.640
He placed the truck in park, opened the door, and

973
01:14:16.800 --> 01:14:22.039
ran to the deer. It was twitching and making horrible sounds.

974
01:14:22.920 --> 01:14:27.479
It was still alive, struggling to get up, but Lucas

975
01:14:27.520 --> 01:14:30.800
could see one of the legs was broken and bleeding,

976
01:14:31.479 --> 01:14:35.720
nearly torn from the hip. Blood was pulling around its

977
01:14:35.800 --> 01:14:41.039
mangled body. But that wasn't enough for Lucas. He wanted

978
01:14:41.119 --> 01:14:48.560
more slick blood, torn flesh, and twisted organs. Lucas was

979
01:14:48.680 --> 01:14:52.239
panting as he jumped back into the truck, put it

980
01:14:52.279 --> 01:14:56.920
in drive, and floored it. He felt the dull crunch

981
01:14:56.960 --> 01:15:01.560
as the tires rolled over the deer. The brakes squealed

982
01:15:01.840 --> 01:15:05.600
as he put the truck into reverse, backing over the deer.

983
01:15:06.600 --> 01:15:10.920
This time, the tires crushed its skull and tore its

984
01:15:11.039 --> 01:15:16.880
flesh from its bones. Its guts smeared across the road.

985
01:15:18.560 --> 01:15:22.960
Lucas killed the engine, grabbed his camera and ran to

986
01:15:23.039 --> 01:15:28.840
the deer. It was still twitching, barely alive. His hands

987
01:15:29.000 --> 01:15:34.199
trembled with excitement as he began snapping photos, each one

988
01:15:34.359 --> 01:15:39.079
more beautiful than the first. It was the most incredible

989
01:15:39.119 --> 01:15:43.600
work of art he had ever created. Amid the frenzy

990
01:15:43.640 --> 01:15:47.760
of his work, he didn't hear the faint cries from

991
01:15:47.760 --> 01:15:55.039
the cornfield, a noise that was both animalistic and disturbingly human.

992
01:16:01.439 --> 01:16:07.159
Was the deer okay? Doris lowered her eyes, then stared

993
01:16:07.199 --> 01:16:13.560
out the windshield. Her voice was slow and quiet, almost haunting.

994
01:16:14.560 --> 01:16:18.119
Lucas shook away the vivid memory of killing the deer,

995
01:16:19.119 --> 01:16:22.840
wondering why the hell. She asked if the deer was okay?

996
01:16:23.880 --> 01:16:27.119
He thought it was just a pointless animal with no

997
01:16:27.399 --> 01:16:33.960
soul or purpose, even if its meat tasted fowl. Don't know,

998
01:16:34.760 --> 01:16:39.199
Lucas lied with a casual shrug. I got out and

999
01:16:39.279 --> 01:16:42.000
it was still moving a little, but I didn't know

1000
01:16:42.000 --> 01:16:46.000
what to do, so I just drove on, leaving it

1001
01:16:46.039 --> 01:16:49.960
on the roadside. He didn't want to share the secret

1002
01:16:50.479 --> 01:16:56.079
of his creative process that was just for him to savor.

1003
01:16:57.680 --> 01:17:00.880
You hit a poor, defenseless animal and left it to

1004
01:17:00.960 --> 01:17:07.119
die on the roadside. Doris's voice wavered with shock. Lucas

1005
01:17:07.159 --> 01:17:10.720
turned to look at her. Her eyes, which had been

1006
01:17:10.760 --> 01:17:15.960
a beautiful shade of blue, now appeared almost entirely black,

1007
01:17:16.720 --> 01:17:22.159
as if her pupils had dilated, erasing all color. It

1008
01:17:22.319 --> 01:17:25.520
had to be the faint glow from the stereo display

1009
01:17:26.119 --> 01:17:31.119
playing tricks on him. Lucas glanced into the rear view

1010
01:17:31.159 --> 01:17:34.119
mirror and was pleased to see the guy in the

1011
01:17:34.159 --> 01:17:40.239
back seat staring blankly out the window. Uninterested in their conversation.

1012
01:17:41.800 --> 01:17:45.720
He reached for his cigarette in the center console, grabbed

1013
01:17:45.760 --> 01:17:50.479
one and placed it between his lips. Do you mind,

1014
01:17:51.039 --> 01:17:56.880
he asked. Doris shook her head slowly. Lucas lit the cigarette,

1015
01:17:57.520 --> 01:18:02.359
taking a long drag to call his nerves. It was

1016
01:18:02.640 --> 01:18:07.439
just an animal, he muttered. Wanting to change the subject,

1017
01:18:08.159 --> 01:18:11.760
He tried to switch the conversation to see if the

1018
01:18:11.840 --> 01:18:15.119
couple was interested in going to his guesthouse to party

1019
01:18:15.199 --> 01:18:18.119
for a bit and let Doris show off more of

1020
01:18:18.159 --> 01:18:22.760
her legs. His mind flicked to the fat check in

1021
01:18:22.800 --> 01:18:26.680
his pocket. He was no longer afraid of the situation.

1022
01:18:27.680 --> 01:18:32.399
He wanted to celebrate his big win. Just an animal.

1023
01:18:33.359 --> 01:18:36.319
What the hell do you mean by that? That deer

1024
01:18:36.560 --> 01:18:40.159
was a living and breathing organism. It had a family

1025
01:18:40.279 --> 01:18:46.439
and friends. It even had kids. Doris screamed in rage.

1026
01:18:46.680 --> 01:18:51.359
Lucas almost laughed at the absurdity. He assumed she was

1027
01:18:51.399 --> 01:18:56.039
an animal activist or a dirty hippie. He hated hippies.

1028
01:18:56.760 --> 01:19:00.720
He nervously took another drag of his cigarette, noticing the

1029
01:19:00.800 --> 01:19:05.359
sincerity in the girl's eyes. At the same time, he

1030
01:19:05.479 --> 01:19:09.920
once again heard the man in the back seat breathing heavily.

1031
01:19:11.560 --> 01:19:15.520
It was a deer, just an animal. No harm was done,

1032
01:19:16.359 --> 01:19:20.239
Lucas said flatly. He glanced in the rear view mirror

1033
01:19:20.600 --> 01:19:24.880
as fear crawled up the back of his neck. He froze,

1034
01:19:25.600 --> 01:19:29.279
his cigarette hanging from his lips. As the heavy breathing

1035
01:19:29.319 --> 01:19:33.399
from the back seat turned into a low, guttural growl.

1036
01:19:34.760 --> 01:19:39.159
Lucas's heart pounded in his chest as sweat pooled under

1037
01:19:39.199 --> 01:19:44.079
his armpits. It wasn't just a deer, it was my father,

1038
01:19:44.800 --> 01:19:50.159
Doris screamed, her voice trembling with fury. What the fuck,

1039
01:19:50.840 --> 01:19:54.680
Lucas hissed. I think it's time I drop you too off.

1040
01:19:55.439 --> 01:20:00.159
Lucas wanted to say more, but the words died in

1041
01:20:00.239 --> 01:20:05.039
his throat. Lucas's foot eased off the gas as his

1042
01:20:05.159 --> 01:20:09.840
trembling hand reached for the gearshift. Cigarette smoke burned his

1043
01:20:09.920 --> 01:20:16.239
eyes as Doris's face began to change. Her soft porcelain

1044
01:20:16.439 --> 01:20:23.279
skin faded, replaced with coarse, bristly brown fur. Shocked, his

1045
01:20:23.399 --> 01:20:27.880
cigarette fell from his lips, landing between his legs. He

1046
01:20:28.000 --> 01:20:31.880
slammed the brakes as her long blonde hair morphed into

1047
01:20:31.920 --> 01:20:37.239
a thick brown pelt sprouting from her scalp. Lucas didn't

1048
01:20:37.239 --> 01:20:40.439
want to believe his eyes as he stared back at

1049
01:20:40.479 --> 01:20:47.880
Doris's unblinking, black as tar eyes. Doris, the woman was

1050
01:20:47.960 --> 01:20:52.600
no longer sitting next to him, replaced by something else.

1051
01:20:53.720 --> 01:20:57.960
The growling from the back seat increased. Lucas dared to

1052
01:20:58.079 --> 01:21:01.479
look into the rear view mirror, just in time to

1053
01:21:01.520 --> 01:21:05.640
see the man Doris called Deryck, now with the face

1054
01:21:06.159 --> 01:21:13.960
and hoofs of a deer, his mouth stretched unnaturally wide.

1055
01:21:14.239 --> 01:21:19.039
Deer don't have teeth like that, Lucas's mind screamed. The

1056
01:21:19.159 --> 01:21:25.880
teeth were elongated into jagged, razor sharp points. Dereck lurched forward,

1057
01:21:26.479 --> 01:21:31.520
the suit case tumbling aside. Lucas let out a strangled

1058
01:21:31.560 --> 01:21:37.039
scream as Deryck's teeth sank into his cheek. Blood rolled

1059
01:21:37.119 --> 01:21:41.039
down his neck as the flesh was torn from the bone.

1060
01:21:42.079 --> 01:21:45.359
His foot slipped from the brake pedal as the car

1061
01:21:45.439 --> 01:21:51.239
inched forward into the ditch next to the cornfield. This

1062
01:21:51.640 --> 01:21:57.359
can't be fucking happening. Lucas's mind twisted, but he couldn't

1063
01:21:57.359 --> 01:22:04.000
deny what was occurring. The two strange hitchhikers had transformed

1064
01:22:04.079 --> 01:22:09.439
before his eyes into deer with razors sharp teeth. We

1065
01:22:09.640 --> 01:22:14.640
are more than roadkill. We are alive. We are man

1066
01:22:15.119 --> 01:22:21.119
and beast. Doris's distorted voice roared as she bit into

1067
01:22:21.159 --> 01:22:26.479
his side. Lucas cried out in pain, blood dripping from

1068
01:22:26.479 --> 01:22:31.560
his torn flesh. Derek spoke for the first time. She

1069
01:22:31.800 --> 01:22:36.000
watched you hit him and run him over again and again.

1070
01:22:37.039 --> 01:22:39.760
Had I been there, you would have been dead that night.

1071
01:22:40.880 --> 01:22:46.560
We've been watching you and waiting for this moment. There,

1072
01:22:47.039 --> 01:22:52.840
dear and people. This was the last coherent thought Lucas

1073
01:22:52.920 --> 01:22:57.800
had as Doris and Derek tore him apart with teeth

1074
01:22:57.960 --> 01:23:03.760
and claws. They ripped open his stomach, spilling his guts,

1075
01:23:03.880 --> 01:23:08.359
just like he had done to Doris's father. When the

1076
01:23:08.399 --> 01:23:13.520
grizzly task was done, Doris and Derek began to shift

1077
01:23:13.600 --> 01:23:18.760
back to their human forms. Their clothes were tattered and

1078
01:23:18.880 --> 01:23:25.119
torn as they sat naked, covered in blood. Doris leaned over,

1079
01:23:26.039 --> 01:23:33.199
kissing Derek gently. Thank you, baby, she whispered through tears.

1080
01:23:34.319 --> 01:23:39.119
Derek nodded, pulling the suitcase from the back seat. He

1081
01:23:39.239 --> 01:23:44.920
ripped Lucas's still warm heart from his chest and placed

1082
01:23:44.920 --> 01:23:49.199
it inside the suitcase to bring to the others. As

1083
01:23:49.359 --> 01:23:56.600
proof of their revenge. They scattered Lucas's remains, draping his

1084
01:23:56.840 --> 01:24:01.720
entrails across the road, recreating them the exact scene he

1085
01:24:01.920 --> 01:24:08.079
had left behind the night he killed Doris's father. As

1086
01:24:08.119 --> 01:24:13.640
the wind swept across Route seven forty seven, Lucas's shredded

1087
01:24:13.720 --> 01:24:20.560
one hundred thousand dollars check fluttered free. Later that night,

1088
01:24:21.399 --> 01:24:27.800
Lucas's mangled corpse would be discovered the most gruesome roadkill

1089
01:24:28.319 --> 01:24:33.640
ever found en Route seven forty seven in Hobbs End,

1090
01:24:34.399 --> 01:24:48.560
Ohio Wilson Road. By Charles Camp There is nothing like

1091
01:24:48.640 --> 01:24:52.640
a dirt road in the Deep South. The dust kicked

1092
01:24:52.720 --> 01:24:55.319
up by your truck when you race up the hill

1093
01:24:55.399 --> 01:24:59.000
after a long day of hard work. The occasional deer

1094
01:24:59.119 --> 01:25:02.119
that looks back at you curiously when you round the

1095
01:25:02.199 --> 01:25:06.000
corner is a sight to behold. There are snakes that

1096
01:25:06.119 --> 01:25:08.359
slither across the dirt road to get to the other

1097
01:25:08.399 --> 01:25:11.960
side of the woods. You will see hawks scoping out

1098
01:25:12.000 --> 01:25:14.720
prey from the trees as you move down the dirt road.

1099
01:25:15.319 --> 01:25:18.640
There are many surprises when you go up or down,

1100
01:25:19.119 --> 01:25:25.039
and old fashioned in the woods, authentic dirt road. I

1101
01:25:25.079 --> 01:25:27.800
should know. I grew up in a big house at

1102
01:25:27.840 --> 01:25:30.079
the top of the hill of one of these roads,

1103
01:25:30.399 --> 01:25:34.159
a road that was named after my family, Wilson Road.

1104
01:25:35.279 --> 01:25:38.199
There is one story above the many that stands above

1105
01:25:38.239 --> 01:25:41.800
them all. It was late summer and my cousin came

1106
01:25:41.880 --> 01:25:44.439
running up the road. He was out of breath, and

1107
01:25:44.520 --> 01:25:49.239
it was a night none of us would ever forget. Danny,

1108
01:25:49.279 --> 01:25:52.880
you gotta come down the hill, Tanner hollered. He had

1109
01:25:52.880 --> 01:25:55.279
his hands on his knees and he sucked in air

1110
01:25:55.399 --> 01:25:59.479
like no tomorrow. What happened, Danny asked, as he rose

1111
01:25:59.479 --> 01:26:02.359
from his seat on the back steps. I saw something

1112
01:26:02.399 --> 01:26:05.319
down there. It took off in the woods. Go in

1113
01:26:05.319 --> 01:26:08.359
the house and get the shotgun real quick, Tanner said,

1114
01:26:08.600 --> 01:26:11.680
finally catching his breath. Was it a deer? You know

1115
01:26:11.760 --> 01:26:15.000
we can't shoot deer with a shotgun. Danny said, and

1116
01:26:15.079 --> 01:26:18.359
began to sit back down. Don't get back on your ass,

1117
01:26:18.399 --> 01:26:20.520
get in the house and grab the shotgun. It wasn't

1118
01:26:20.520 --> 01:26:23.199
any deer. I don't know what it was exactly. I

1119
01:26:23.279 --> 01:26:25.159
just caught a flash of it, but it was big

1120
01:26:25.600 --> 01:26:28.920
and it was an animal. You probably just saw a dog,

1121
01:26:29.319 --> 01:26:32.000
Danny replied. As he turned to open the door. He

1122
01:26:32.159 --> 01:26:35.640
grabbed the Remington that sat just inside the doorway. What

1123
01:26:35.760 --> 01:26:39.199
the big house was not low on was shotguns. There

1124
01:26:39.239 --> 01:26:43.560
were a few Winchesters, a couple of Mossburgs, and four Remington's.

1125
01:26:44.119 --> 01:26:46.800
Danny grabbed the box of shells, and Tanner was waiting

1126
01:26:46.840 --> 01:26:49.359
for him at the edge of the dirt road. Come on,

1127
01:26:49.479 --> 01:26:51.960
I'll show you where I saw it. I ain't shooting

1128
01:26:52.000 --> 01:26:55.880
a dog, Tanner, just telling you that now. It weren't

1129
01:26:55.920 --> 01:26:59.880
no dog. Come on. Tanner wasn't a small guy. He

1130
01:27:00.159 --> 01:27:02.119
was a seventeen year old that had hit his growth

1131
01:27:02.159 --> 01:27:05.760
spurt at thirteen. He was six foot three and still

1132
01:27:05.800 --> 01:27:08.960
had a little growing left in him. Danny was much

1133
01:27:09.000 --> 01:27:12.960
smaller in stature by comparison, standing at just five foot

1134
01:27:13.039 --> 01:27:15.439
six with a slender frame, which made it kind of

1135
01:27:15.479 --> 01:27:18.439
funny that he was the one in charge of the shotgun.

1136
01:27:19.079 --> 01:27:22.560
Tanner lumbered down the hill like sasquatch, with Danny following

1137
01:27:22.560 --> 01:27:26.600
close behind. Tanner pointed, it was down there near the

1138
01:27:26.600 --> 01:27:28.720
bottom of the hill, off close to the creek bed,

1139
01:27:29.279 --> 01:27:32.720
all right. Then Danny racked the remington and stepped off

1140
01:27:32.720 --> 01:27:35.279
the dirt road and led the way in front of Tanner.

1141
01:27:35.760 --> 01:27:37.880
The two of them made their way down the creek bed,

1142
01:27:37.920 --> 01:27:41.039
and Danny noticed something right off the back. There was

1143
01:27:41.079 --> 01:27:45.000
a litany of broken branches lying about. It was as

1144
01:27:45.079 --> 01:27:48.680
if someone tossed them about haphazardly all over the ground.

1145
01:27:49.399 --> 01:27:52.520
They were definitely out of place, as the tree line

1146
01:27:52.560 --> 01:27:55.479
was approximately fifteen yards or so from the edge of

1147
01:27:55.520 --> 01:27:58.920
the creek bed. You see anybody dumping their sticks down here,

1148
01:27:59.319 --> 01:28:03.159
Danny asked Tanner. No, there ain't no tire tracks. I

1149
01:28:03.159 --> 01:28:05.399
don't know why they'd lug all these branches down here

1150
01:28:05.399 --> 01:28:08.359
by foot be easier to run them over to Langley dump.

1151
01:28:08.880 --> 01:28:14.079
Tanner answered, well, these limbs didn't magically fly from the trees.

1152
01:28:14.720 --> 01:28:16.680
We ain't had no big wins in a couple of

1153
01:28:16.680 --> 01:28:18.880
months at least, And I was down here at the

1154
01:28:18.880 --> 01:28:22.560
creek two days ago and these weren't here. Danny said,

1155
01:28:23.159 --> 01:28:25.399
he did a three P sixty to see if anything

1156
01:28:25.399 --> 01:28:28.439
else jumped out at him. Tanner acted as if the

1157
01:28:28.439 --> 01:28:31.560
limbs weren't a big deal. The big deal was the

1158
01:28:31.640 --> 01:28:34.840
something he swore he saw. I don't know nothing about

1159
01:28:34.840 --> 01:28:37.479
the stupid sticks, but what I saw was standing about

1160
01:28:37.479 --> 01:28:41.760
where we are now. You see any prints, Danny asked.

1161
01:28:42.000 --> 01:28:46.680
Tanner was looking at the ground looking for that very thing. No,

1162
01:28:47.000 --> 01:28:50.439
but you know how this ground is. It don't hold prints.

1163
01:28:50.479 --> 01:28:55.119
That good, true, Danny said. Let's walk up the creek

1164
01:28:55.159 --> 01:28:58.399
a bit. Danny took the lead and Tanner followed. It

1165
01:28:58.479 --> 01:29:00.319
was going to be dark soon, but the two of

1166
01:29:00.319 --> 01:29:02.560
them knew these woods better than they knew just about

1167
01:29:02.560 --> 01:29:06.760
anything else in the world. Keep your eye out for moccasins,

1168
01:29:07.359 --> 01:29:11.199
Danny warned. Tanner rolled his eyes to signify that Danny

1169
01:29:11.319 --> 01:29:14.560
must have forgotten who he was talking to. Tanner fancied

1170
01:29:14.600 --> 01:29:18.520
himself as the Moccasin King. He had so many skins

1171
01:29:18.560 --> 01:29:20.880
hanging on his walls that he lost count of them.

1172
01:29:21.399 --> 01:29:23.720
I don't know where it could have gone. We're almost

1173
01:29:23.840 --> 01:29:27.279
up the old finishing plant, Tanner said. You think it

1174
01:29:27.359 --> 01:29:30.840
might have went in the plant? Danny asked, could be?

1175
01:29:31.600 --> 01:29:33.920
I just got a quick glance before it took off.

1176
01:29:34.239 --> 01:29:37.720
It was big and dark. You'd think I was going crazy,

1177
01:29:37.760 --> 01:29:39.600
But I know what I saw, and I ain't smoked

1178
01:29:39.600 --> 01:29:41.880
any weed in the last week. If that's what you're thinking.

1179
01:29:42.800 --> 01:29:45.359
That bad shit I got from Frog last time taught

1180
01:29:45.359 --> 01:29:48.600
me the error of my ways, Tanner said, with a

1181
01:29:48.960 --> 01:29:53.359
nervous chuckle. Yeah, I don't know where he got that shit.

1182
01:29:53.880 --> 01:29:57.000
He must have grown that out by Langley Pond. It

1183
01:29:57.039 --> 01:30:00.000
messed you up pretty bad. Glad it didn't kill you,

1184
01:30:00.239 --> 01:30:04.640
Danny said, and chuckled himself. Darkness was creeping up around them.

1185
01:30:05.159 --> 01:30:07.359
They could see the lights from the Big House, but

1186
01:30:07.760 --> 01:30:10.920
it was quickly receding. Wish I would have grabbed the

1187
01:30:10.960 --> 01:30:14.279
flashlight out of my truck, Danny said. You want me

1188
01:30:14.319 --> 01:30:17.680
to run up there and get it real quick? Tanner asked, No,

1189
01:30:18.000 --> 01:30:20.039
you about died when you ran up there a little

1190
01:30:20.039 --> 01:30:22.399
while ago. I'm not telling Nana you died of a

1191
01:30:22.399 --> 01:30:24.920
heart attack while we chased your fake monster to the

1192
01:30:24.960 --> 01:30:29.880
finishing plant. You got your lighter, don't you. Yeah, we'll

1193
01:30:29.960 --> 01:30:32.399
just light a few sticks if we need to. We

1194
01:30:32.520 --> 01:30:36.600
know our way around here that we do. There was

1195
01:30:36.640 --> 01:30:39.319
a crash. It sounded like a boulder was dropped from

1196
01:30:39.319 --> 01:30:41.600
the second story of the finishing plant. The two of

1197
01:30:41.640 --> 01:30:43.960
them looked at one another. They knew they were going

1198
01:30:44.000 --> 01:30:47.079
to find out where the noise came from. Danny broke

1199
01:30:47.119 --> 01:30:49.359
into a jog and Tanner fell a little behind. The

1200
01:30:49.399 --> 01:30:51.479
boys came up on the tricky part of the track.

1201
01:30:51.960 --> 01:30:54.720
They had to cross a narrow pipe on foot. One

1202
01:30:54.800 --> 01:30:57.960
misstep and they would go tumbling into the creek below.

1203
01:30:58.960 --> 01:31:01.920
Danny could walk it in his sleep. Tanner could move

1204
01:31:02.000 --> 01:31:04.640
quickly across it in the stark light of day, but

1205
01:31:04.720 --> 01:31:08.239
he took measured steps in the narrow light. He could

1206
01:31:08.319 --> 01:31:10.359
tell that he would probably have to take the long

1207
01:31:10.399 --> 01:31:12.399
way back to the hill when they were done at

1208
01:31:12.439 --> 01:31:15.600
the plant. No way could he balance back across the

1209
01:31:15.640 --> 01:31:19.159
pipe in complete darkness. Good news is that Danny would

1210
01:31:19.159 --> 01:31:21.960
take the long way with him. Danny stood at the

1211
01:31:22.039 --> 01:31:25.760
end of the pipe patiently waiting on Tanner to finish crossing.

1212
01:31:26.159 --> 01:31:29.199
He stayed quiet as not to startle his large cousin.

1213
01:31:30.039 --> 01:31:33.359
All right, let's go, Danny said. Once Tanner cleared the pipe,

1214
01:31:33.720 --> 01:31:36.439
the boys walked the grooved path to the old plant.

1215
01:31:36.960 --> 01:31:39.720
There was a redneck console and gretel trail of tossed

1216
01:31:39.760 --> 01:31:44.079
cigarette butts and rolling papers. The abandoned plant was a

1217
01:31:44.199 --> 01:31:47.720
cool place for the valley kids to break shit. Danny

1218
01:31:47.760 --> 01:31:51.199
suspected the crashing sound they heard on approach was one

1219
01:31:51.359 --> 01:31:55.079
or more of those said kids screwing around the decrepit building,

1220
01:31:55.840 --> 01:31:58.840
and it was probably one of those kids that Tanner

1221
01:31:58.920 --> 01:32:02.880
saw at the creek. The sun was almost fully set,

1222
01:32:02.920 --> 01:32:07.199
with only the last haze disappearing, surrendering the day. It

1223
01:32:07.239 --> 01:32:10.039
was a good thing they were wearing shoes with heavy soles,

1224
01:32:10.079 --> 01:32:12.720
because the crunch of broken glass under their feet as

1225
01:32:12.760 --> 01:32:16.079
they got closer to the building was now prominent with

1226
01:32:16.159 --> 01:32:21.079
every step. The darkness finally enveloped them completely, and the

1227
01:32:21.199 --> 01:32:23.720
night sky was star filled with a full moon that

1228
01:32:23.800 --> 01:32:28.119
provided adequate light. There were no clouds in the sky,

1229
01:32:28.520 --> 01:32:31.560
and that was good. What the boys didn't need was

1230
01:32:31.600 --> 01:32:34.239
to be stomping around the inside of the gutted plant

1231
01:32:34.319 --> 01:32:39.720
with zero visibility. Danny was very good directionally, but complete

1232
01:32:39.840 --> 01:32:44.159
darkness would definitely test his skill. Let's just stop for

1233
01:32:44.199 --> 01:32:47.760
a minute and listen, Danny said, as he held the

1234
01:32:47.760 --> 01:32:51.560
shotgun by his side. I think you saw a buck, Tanner.

1235
01:32:52.119 --> 01:32:54.560
It warn't no deer. I know what a damn deer,

1236
01:32:54.600 --> 01:33:00.760
looks like Tanner whispered angrily. All right, sh Danny replied.

1237
01:33:02.000 --> 01:33:06.840
The boys got quiet and listened. The wind had ceased

1238
01:33:07.439 --> 01:33:11.439
and the crickets weren't as noisy. They could hear some

1239
01:33:11.600 --> 01:33:15.319
of them, but not the overwhelming chorus that was common

1240
01:33:15.399 --> 01:33:17.760
for this time of the day in this part of

1241
01:33:17.800 --> 01:33:23.199
the woods. Danny finally broke the silence. Well, Tanner, I

1242
01:33:23.239 --> 01:33:25.920
ain't going in there unless we hear something. I don't

1243
01:33:25.920 --> 01:33:29.159
feel like tripping over something and breaking my neck. We

1244
01:33:29.199 --> 01:33:31.399
can take the main road back. I know you can't

1245
01:33:31.439 --> 01:33:35.439
cross that pipe now, Danny said. Come on, man, I

1246
01:33:35.479 --> 01:33:38.039
didn't make it up. Let's wait about five more minutes,

1247
01:33:38.039 --> 01:33:40.399
and if we don't hear nothing, then we can scoot back.

1248
01:33:40.720 --> 01:33:45.079
Just five more, okay, all right? Then five more and

1249
01:33:45.159 --> 01:33:49.119
then we're out of here. Danny replied. Five minutes, then

1250
01:33:49.640 --> 01:33:52.760
Tanner said, and no sooner did he get the words

1251
01:33:52.800 --> 01:33:56.319
out of his mouth. There was another loud crash, and

1252
01:33:56.399 --> 01:33:59.479
it definitely came from the second floor of the plant.

1253
01:34:00.359 --> 01:34:04.199
Let's go, Danny said flatly. The boys entered the plant

1254
01:34:04.199 --> 01:34:06.359
from what would have been the back entrance when it

1255
01:34:06.399 --> 01:34:09.760
was functioning. Now there were entry points everywhere that the

1256
01:34:09.800 --> 01:34:13.199
walls had crumbled. It certainly wasn't a safe place to

1257
01:34:13.239 --> 01:34:17.680
be screwing around, especially at night. What remained of the

1258
01:34:17.720 --> 01:34:21.119
old stairs near the back entrance was a precarious snack

1259
01:34:21.159 --> 01:34:26.079
of bricks that resembled stairs, but there were chunks missing

1260
01:34:26.199 --> 01:34:29.119
where you would have to really stretch to reach the

1261
01:34:29.159 --> 01:34:33.359
next usable step. This wasn't a problem for Tanner, but

1262
01:34:33.479 --> 01:34:37.439
presented a challenge for the shorter leg to Danny, let

1263
01:34:37.439 --> 01:34:40.520
me hold your lighter real quick. Danny motioned for Tanner

1264
01:34:40.520 --> 01:34:43.640
to hand it over. Danny flicked the bit and carefully

1265
01:34:43.680 --> 01:34:46.840
took the lead. Tanner stayed close behind so we could

1266
01:34:46.880 --> 01:34:50.920
grab Danny if he fell backwards. The boys paused when

1267
01:34:50.920 --> 01:34:54.640
another crash broke the silence. Shit, it's up there, all right,

1268
01:34:55.039 --> 01:34:58.760
Tanner whispered. It's not an it. It's just some kids,

1269
01:34:58.760 --> 01:35:00.600
and they'll piss their pants when they see us coming

1270
01:35:00.680 --> 01:35:04.720
up there. Danny said, Cuz, I hope you're right what

1271
01:35:04.840 --> 01:35:08.159
I saw weren't no kids. Make sure that shotgun is ready,

1272
01:35:08.439 --> 01:35:12.439
Tanner said. There was no jest in his voice. There

1273
01:35:12.520 --> 01:35:16.399
was a calm clarity that Danny didn't recognize in his cousin.

1274
01:35:17.279 --> 01:35:20.800
Tanner was never clear about anything, so this gave Danny

1275
01:35:20.840 --> 01:35:26.319
some inner pause to hear this unfamiliar tone in his voice.

1276
01:35:26.439 --> 01:35:29.680
The two of them got to the second floor. Abandoned

1277
01:35:29.680 --> 01:35:32.319
spindles were spread all around, and the light from the

1278
01:35:32.399 --> 01:35:35.319
night sky peaked through the many holes and craters in

1279
01:35:35.359 --> 01:35:38.520
the walls. There were a number of large holes in

1280
01:35:38.560 --> 01:35:41.159
the floor that would send you on a rapid descent

1281
01:35:41.199 --> 01:35:43.399
to the first floor if you stepped fully into one,

1282
01:35:44.239 --> 01:35:47.159
unintended booby traps that the boys would have to navigate

1283
01:35:47.520 --> 01:35:51.359
in order to get to the sound source. There was

1284
01:35:51.399 --> 01:35:55.039
another crash, bricks exploding back in the darkest corner of

1285
01:35:55.079 --> 01:35:58.319
the second floor. It was completely engulfed in darkness, and

1286
01:35:58.399 --> 01:36:01.079
Danny was beginning to second guess their decision to chase

1287
01:36:01.119 --> 01:36:05.239
Tanner's beast. Maybe it wasn't as imaginary as he thought

1288
01:36:05.720 --> 01:36:10.239
just moments before. It's back there, Tanner said, and pointed

1289
01:36:10.800 --> 01:36:14.840
he had no reservation in his voice. It was more determination,

1290
01:36:15.600 --> 01:36:18.359
determination that they were going to find out what he saw,

1291
01:36:18.600 --> 01:36:21.039
and if they needed to pump it full of shotgun shells,

1292
01:36:21.479 --> 01:36:25.520
then so be it. Watch your step, Danny whispered, back,

1293
01:36:26.000 --> 01:36:29.800
stay close and follow my exact steps. It might still

1294
01:36:29.840 --> 01:36:32.199
be some kids screwing around back there, and I'm not

1295
01:36:32.239 --> 01:36:36.600
shooting anything until I can see it, gotcha, Tanner replied

1296
01:36:36.640 --> 01:36:40.520
in agreement and understanding. The wind picked up just a bit.

1297
01:36:41.159 --> 01:36:43.199
The boys got closer to the dark side of the

1298
01:36:43.239 --> 01:36:47.039
second floor, and there was another explosion of brick against wall.

1299
01:36:47.680 --> 01:36:49.880
Danny flicked the bick again and held it out in

1300
01:36:49.880 --> 01:36:51.840
front of him for just a second. He would have

1301
01:36:51.880 --> 01:36:54.119
to give it to Tanner to hold the shotgun properly,

1302
01:36:54.359 --> 01:36:56.600
but he wanted to see if anything would reveal itself

1303
01:36:56.600 --> 01:37:00.680
before they completely walked into the darkness. He always heard

1304
01:37:00.720 --> 01:37:03.960
the shuffling of what could have been Claus, but they

1305
01:37:04.039 --> 01:37:09.199
still couldn't see anything. Okay, then Danny said and handed

1306
01:37:09.199 --> 01:37:12.560
the lighter back to his cousin. Keep it lit. Danny

1307
01:37:12.640 --> 01:37:15.439
paused for a couple of seconds, held the shotgun out

1308
01:37:15.439 --> 01:37:19.560
in front, ready to fire, and hollered out, who's back there,

1309
01:37:20.000 --> 01:37:23.880
Come on out now. Tanner was steady with the lighter,

1310
01:37:24.079 --> 01:37:27.479
and his breath was measured. Danny couldn't believe how calm

1311
01:37:27.520 --> 01:37:30.680
his cousin was. Danny didn't scare easy, but he was

1312
01:37:30.720 --> 01:37:33.960
beginning to feel something approaching fright, but he fought the

1313
01:37:34.159 --> 01:37:37.920
urge to be trigger happy. The boys stepped completely into

1314
01:37:37.920 --> 01:37:42.199
the darkness, and that's when the Red Eyes turned to

1315
01:37:42.319 --> 01:37:45.039
look at them. Oh shit, shoot it, Danny, you don't

1316
01:37:45.039 --> 01:37:47.760
need to see it. Danny fired the Remington into the

1317
01:37:47.800 --> 01:37:51.199
darkness just below the Red Eyes. There was a growl

1318
01:37:51.279 --> 01:37:54.279
of anger that shook the boys to their core. Danny

1319
01:37:54.359 --> 01:37:57.119
chambered another shell, and it screamed out of the muzzle

1320
01:37:57.119 --> 01:38:00.000
with nothing but death as its intent. The Red Eye

1321
01:38:00.199 --> 01:38:03.680
were still there, and the beast moved quickly. Danny was

1322
01:38:03.720 --> 01:38:05.960
in the process of racking the third shell when the

1323
01:38:05.960 --> 01:38:09.399
barrel of the Remington was sliced in half. The beast

1324
01:38:09.479 --> 01:38:13.000
was in front of them. Now Danny couldn't believe his eyes.

1325
01:38:13.840 --> 01:38:17.359
It was straight out of the movies, only it was

1326
01:38:17.439 --> 01:38:21.079
so much worse. The creature's eyes were blood red and

1327
01:38:21.119 --> 01:38:24.680
its canines were bared. It stood a good foot taller

1328
01:38:24.720 --> 01:38:27.479
than Tanner and twice as wide. It was haunched on

1329
01:38:27.560 --> 01:38:30.800
its back legs. Tanner and Danny stepped back into the

1330
01:38:30.840 --> 01:38:34.800
lip part of the plant, and the creature walked toward them.

1331
01:38:35.079 --> 01:38:37.640
The boys couldn't just turn and run, they would surely

1332
01:38:37.680 --> 01:38:40.319
step into one of those death traps. They had to

1333
01:38:40.359 --> 01:38:45.640
back away slowly and hope for the best. As they stepped,

1334
01:38:46.199 --> 01:38:49.880
the creature continued to follow. They should have just left

1335
01:38:49.920 --> 01:38:53.680
this thing alone in the dark. Finally, the boys got

1336
01:38:53.720 --> 01:38:58.560
a full body look at the monster. It was covered

1337
01:38:58.600 --> 01:39:02.199
in black fur from head to toe. There was burnt

1338
01:39:02.239 --> 01:39:05.560
hair and scorched flesh from where the shotgun shells found

1339
01:39:05.560 --> 01:39:09.079
their mark. But did little but really piss this thing off.

1340
01:39:09.520 --> 01:39:12.479
It had the ears and snout of a wolf. It

1341
01:39:12.560 --> 01:39:16.039
was a creature of muscle and destruction. It snarled in

1342
01:39:16.159 --> 01:39:19.159
anger and had a hunger in its eyes, but it

1343
01:39:19.199 --> 01:39:25.439
also didn't attack. It looked at the boys. Tanner and

1344
01:39:25.560 --> 01:39:28.600
Danny were silently making their peace with the Lord. As

1345
01:39:28.640 --> 01:39:31.880
the creature was almost on top of them. They were

1346
01:39:31.920 --> 01:39:35.840
going to die, no doubt about it. Tanner and Danny

1347
01:39:35.920 --> 01:39:39.800
closed their eyes and wished for a quick death. Danny

1348
01:39:39.800 --> 01:39:42.680
could feel the hot breath of the creature on his forehead,

1349
01:39:43.319 --> 01:39:47.600
and then it moved to Tanner. The calmness Tanner displayed

1350
01:39:47.640 --> 01:39:52.560
just moments before was all gone. He pissed himself. The

1351
01:39:52.600 --> 01:39:54.880
creature jumped into one of the craters in the floor

1352
01:39:55.560 --> 01:40:00.199
and disappeared into the woods. Tanner and dan and he

1353
01:40:00.279 --> 01:40:03.520
kept their eyes closed for another minute or two. Tanner

1354
01:40:03.600 --> 01:40:05.760
was the first one to open his eyes, and he

1355
01:40:05.840 --> 01:40:10.960
poked his cousin in the back. I think it's gone,

1356
01:40:11.520 --> 01:40:15.840
Tanner said nervously. Danny opened his eyes. He was still

1357
01:40:15.880 --> 01:40:18.800
holding the shotgun. The creature had turned it into the

1358
01:40:19.159 --> 01:40:23.359
sawed off variety. Let's just wait here for another couple

1359
01:40:23.359 --> 01:40:27.439
of minutes before we go back out, just in case

1360
01:40:27.479 --> 01:40:32.720
he's out there waiting, Danny said. Let's not. If that

1361
01:40:32.800 --> 01:40:35.800
thing wanted to kill us, he would have. Let's just

1362
01:40:35.880 --> 01:40:39.000
get out of here, get to the road, get back

1363
01:40:39.039 --> 01:40:42.720
to the house, and don't say shit to anybody about this.

1364
01:40:44.359 --> 01:40:48.880
That was a damn werewolf. Danny, Yeah, I wonder what

1365
01:40:48.960 --> 01:40:53.319
he was doing back in that corner. Well, we are

1366
01:40:53.319 --> 01:40:56.399
on a need to know basis, and we don't need

1367
01:40:56.439 --> 01:41:03.119
to know. Let's go, Tanner shouted, And that's exactly what

1368
01:41:03.159 --> 01:41:08.119
the boys did. They went home. They were asleep in

1369
01:41:08.199 --> 01:41:11.920
their beds when Grandpa climbed up the back of the

1370
01:41:12.000 --> 01:41:16.800
house and slipped into the attic. He'd transform and be

1371
01:41:16.920 --> 01:41:21.439
down for breakfast. Grandpa was a good man. He wouldn't

1372
01:41:21.479 --> 01:41:25.439
kill someone unless he had to. When he transformed, he'd

1373
01:41:25.439 --> 01:41:28.039
take out some of the deer around his property and

1374
01:41:28.159 --> 01:41:30.800
then take his aggression out on the many bricks inside

1375
01:41:30.800 --> 01:41:34.000
of the plant. It was better than ripping out throats

1376
01:41:34.000 --> 01:41:36.439
and bringing the weight of the world down on his family.

1377
01:41:37.680 --> 01:41:41.000
Grandpa was happy that the curse had skipped over Tanner,

1378
01:41:41.800 --> 01:41:45.840
but Tanner's kid, if he ever had them, would be

1379
01:41:45.920 --> 01:41:50.439
subject to the curse, and maybe that kid would succumb

1380
01:41:50.439 --> 01:41:54.640
to the animalistic urges of the hunt. Fortunately for the valley,

1381
01:41:55.359 --> 01:41:57.760
the man that currently lived at the top of Wilson

1382
01:41:57.880 --> 01:42:13.640
Road did not They don't drive cars. By scott As Phillips.

1383
01:42:15.600 --> 01:42:18.640
Aaron had been hoping to sit through the entire Leave

1384
01:42:18.680 --> 01:42:22.359
It to Beaver marathon on TV Land without interruption, at

1385
01:42:22.439 --> 01:42:25.640
least until he had to leave for work, but by

1386
01:42:25.800 --> 01:42:29.520
two am, his belly was asserting that food was better

1387
01:42:29.560 --> 01:42:33.079
than the beaver. He'd already exhausted his supply of snacks,

1388
01:42:33.600 --> 01:42:36.479
not thinking that the bag of salsa verde doritos should

1389
01:42:36.520 --> 01:42:39.960
have been held in reserve for just such an emergency.

1390
01:42:40.119 --> 01:42:44.239
His stomach gurgled aggressively. One of those microwave breakfast sandwiches

1391
01:42:44.239 --> 01:42:47.880
from Freddy's all night would go down real smooth beaver

1392
01:42:48.199 --> 01:42:50.960
or no, it was tough to bail on the show

1393
01:42:51.039 --> 01:42:53.640
when the Beaver's pals were about to dick him by

1394
01:42:53.680 --> 01:42:56.840
wearing their normal mom approved clothes to school instead of

1395
01:42:56.880 --> 01:42:59.319
the cool monster shirts the fellows had picked up the

1396
01:42:59.399 --> 01:43:03.279
day before. But Erin could deny his hunger no longer.

1397
01:43:03.960 --> 01:43:06.680
He slipped on his shoes, grabbed the car keys, and

1398
01:43:06.760 --> 01:43:09.319
lit out, leaving the TV on so as not to

1399
01:43:09.359 --> 01:43:13.279
miss a second. When he came back, canned laughter echoed

1400
01:43:13.319 --> 01:43:16.119
as he shut the door behind him. Aaron knew he

1401
01:43:16.239 --> 01:43:18.359
was lucky to have a place like Freddy's all night,

1402
01:43:18.760 --> 01:43:22.560
considering the entire population of Charlton, New Mexico, was about

1403
01:43:22.560 --> 01:43:24.760
the size of the cast of Leave It to Beaver.

1404
01:43:25.159 --> 01:43:28.640
He'd been the local paper boy for almost ten years now,

1405
01:43:28.880 --> 01:43:31.960
which meant working during the wee hours and sleeping while

1406
01:43:32.000 --> 01:43:34.439
the sun was up, and Freddie's had kept him in

1407
01:43:34.560 --> 01:43:37.920
late night cokes and junk food. During that time. Eron

1408
01:43:38.000 --> 01:43:41.159
had never seen another human being in the place besides

1409
01:43:41.199 --> 01:43:45.520
Freddie anyway, after eleven pm. He lived in constant fear

1410
01:43:45.560 --> 01:43:47.319
that the old man would get fed up with it

1411
01:43:47.359 --> 01:43:51.439
and start closing at midnight. A peculiar wail emanated from

1412
01:43:51.479 --> 01:43:56.359
Aaron's stomach Jesus, he said, patting his burgeoning gut and

1413
01:43:56.439 --> 01:44:00.800
steering with one finger. Getting chubby at twenty five didn't

1414
01:44:00.880 --> 01:44:04.239
change his feelings about that chicken sandwich. Though. The roads

1415
01:44:04.239 --> 01:44:06.920
were still wet from the most recent rainstorm, which meant

1416
01:44:06.920 --> 01:44:10.680
another night of wrestling the newspapers into their little plastic sleeves.

1417
01:44:11.079 --> 01:44:14.279
Aaron hated the things and was grateful that rain didn't

1418
01:44:14.279 --> 01:44:17.960
come to Charlton very often. Aaron pulled into the parking

1419
01:44:17.960 --> 01:44:21.560
lot at Freddy's as usual, the place was a tomb.

1420
01:44:22.159 --> 01:44:25.399
Swarms of bugs battered themselves against the lights out front,

1421
01:44:25.760 --> 01:44:29.680
filling the quiet night with a soft, steady thunking sound.

1422
01:44:30.239 --> 01:44:32.760
As he stepped out of the car, Aaron noticed the

1423
01:44:32.880 --> 01:44:35.760
rack of stp near the front door had been knocked over,

1424
01:44:36.239 --> 01:44:40.119
bottles of fuel additives strewn across the walk. He paused

1425
01:44:40.119 --> 01:44:43.239
to clean the mess up. There was a small trail

1426
01:44:43.319 --> 01:44:47.880
of thick, dark liquid splattered across the pavement, but Aaron

1427
01:44:47.960 --> 01:44:51.359
couldn't track down which bottle had sprung a leak, and

1428
01:44:51.520 --> 01:44:54.840
just stuck them all back on the rack. The new

1429
01:44:54.880 --> 01:44:57.520
electric eye Freddie had bought set off a chime. As

1430
01:44:57.600 --> 01:45:00.960
Aaron entered the store. The old the man was nowhere

1431
01:45:01.000 --> 01:45:06.680
to be seen. Hey, Freddie, how's tricks? Aaron said, a

1432
01:45:06.680 --> 01:45:10.000
little louder than he meant to. After a few seconds,

1433
01:45:10.039 --> 01:45:12.880
Aaron lifted his foot and thrust it back and forth

1434
01:45:12.920 --> 01:45:16.039
through the beam of the electric eye, setting off the chime.

1435
01:45:16.159 --> 01:45:20.399
A few more times, you in the shitter. He poked

1436
01:45:20.399 --> 01:45:22.760
his head around a couple of the aisles, then glanced

1437
01:45:22.760 --> 01:45:27.039
towards the counter, both restroom keys still hung from their nails.

1438
01:45:27.760 --> 01:45:29.840
Heading to the back of the store, Aaron tapped on

1439
01:45:29.880 --> 01:45:34.199
the storeroom door, Freddie. He put his ear to the door,

1440
01:45:34.560 --> 01:45:38.079
listening for some sound of the old man. Remembering the

1441
01:45:38.159 --> 01:45:42.079
upturned STP rack, Aaron quickly walked the entire length of

1442
01:45:42.119 --> 01:45:46.199
the store, the electric eye chiming again. As he went outside,

1443
01:45:46.920 --> 01:45:50.039
Rounding the corner of the building, Aaron felt his stomach

1444
01:45:50.119 --> 01:45:53.680
do the hokey pokey. There was a shitload of blood

1445
01:45:53.840 --> 01:45:56.880
slung from hell to breakfast. Back by the restroom doors,

1446
01:45:57.960 --> 01:46:01.960
Aaron took a couple steps back, stopped, turned his head

1447
01:46:01.960 --> 01:46:10.439
to stare at the spilled STP. Only it wasn't stp. Ah, Freddy.

1448
01:46:11.079 --> 01:46:14.880
He shuffled towards the mess. Crouching, Aaron rested his hands

1449
01:46:14.920 --> 01:46:17.520
on his knees, his eyes fixed on a fat june

1450
01:46:17.600 --> 01:46:22.520
bug wallowing in a particularly large splatter. Then the guy

1451
01:46:22.600 --> 01:46:25.119
came out of nowhere, slamming into Aaron and sending them

1452
01:46:25.119 --> 01:46:28.119
both tumbling ass over tea kettle threw the smeared blood

1453
01:46:28.119 --> 01:46:30.680
and into the alley behind the store, rolling to a

1454
01:46:30.680 --> 01:46:32.960
stop in a puddle of grease slicked rainwater. The two

1455
01:46:33.039 --> 01:46:36.960
men came up in a gory tangle. Terrified, Aaron flailed

1456
01:46:36.960 --> 01:46:39.520
wildly with both fists, trying to fend off his attacker.

1457
01:46:39.760 --> 01:46:44.199
The guy yelped as a blow connected with his nose. Asshole.

1458
01:46:44.439 --> 01:46:47.560
He shrieked, blood gushing from his nostril. Let me go.

1459
01:46:48.199 --> 01:46:50.880
Aaron continued to sling fists with abandon as the guy

1460
01:46:50.960 --> 01:46:55.439
struggled to disentangle himself, wrestling a leg free. He awkwardly

1461
01:46:55.560 --> 01:46:59.359
kicked erin in the chest and scrambled away. They're gonna

1462
01:46:59.439 --> 01:47:02.840
get us. Blood was coursing from the man's nose, dribbling

1463
01:47:02.840 --> 01:47:06.279
onto his already stained shirt. Aaron sat up in the puddle,

1464
01:47:06.359 --> 01:47:13.199
finally recognizing the man, Lucas. What the hell wait? Lucas

1465
01:47:13.239 --> 01:47:16.039
had made his feet and was sprinting blindly down the alley.

1466
01:47:16.319 --> 01:47:19.720
Screw you, he yelled. Back. Further down the alley, a

1467
01:47:19.760 --> 01:47:22.680
rectangle of pale light spilled out through a gap between

1468
01:47:22.720 --> 01:47:26.880
two buildings, silhouetting Lucas as he fled. Aaron jumped to

1469
01:47:26.920 --> 01:47:29.399
his feet, wincing at a sharp pain in his knee,

1470
01:47:29.760 --> 01:47:33.479
and took off after him. Lucas doutat was the only

1471
01:47:33.520 --> 01:47:37.279
customer on Aaron's route who always gave him a Christmas bonus,

1472
01:47:37.760 --> 01:47:40.600
and he figured he'd better smooth over that bloody nose.

1473
01:47:41.279 --> 01:47:44.880
As Lucas ran into the strip of light, the creatures

1474
01:47:44.920 --> 01:47:48.800
took him down. Aaron skidded to a halt, panting, eyes

1475
01:47:48.840 --> 01:47:53.479
wide with shock. The things, dozens of them, each one

1476
01:47:53.600 --> 01:47:56.720
no more than eight inches tall, moved as a unit,

1477
01:47:56.880 --> 01:47:59.720
like a school of fish, flooding out from between the

1478
01:47:59.720 --> 01:48:04.159
two buildings and swarming over Lucas's thrashing body. He shrieked

1479
01:48:04.159 --> 01:48:09.720
as he disappeared beneath the frenzied horde. Aaron stared useless

1480
01:48:09.920 --> 01:48:12.079
as the things darted in and out of the throng,

1481
01:48:12.399 --> 01:48:15.359
tearing at the man. The creatures moved so fast he

1482
01:48:16.000 --> 01:48:18.840
couldn't get a clear look at them. Even the two

1483
01:48:18.920 --> 01:48:21.600
standing at the edge of the swarm heads swiveling like

1484
01:48:21.680 --> 01:48:26.439
prairie dogs. Standing guard seemed almost to vibrate with barely

1485
01:48:26.600 --> 01:48:31.199
contained energy. As suddenly as they had appeared, the creatures

1486
01:48:31.199 --> 01:48:35.600
began scurrying away, headed back between the buildings. As the

1487
01:48:35.600 --> 01:48:41.000
swarm dissipated, Aaron could see Lucas's shredded remains, one clawlike

1488
01:48:41.119 --> 01:48:45.640
hand uplifted, flesh torn from the fingers. The last creature,

1489
01:48:45.920 --> 01:48:49.039
one of the guards, darted in and snapped up a

1490
01:48:49.279 --> 01:48:52.880
treat in its tiny jaws. The thing ran off a

1491
01:48:53.000 --> 01:48:57.680
length of intestine trailing behind it. Aaron stood in silence

1492
01:48:57.680 --> 01:49:00.640
for a long moment. When he released the breath he'd

1493
01:49:00.680 --> 01:49:05.000
been holding, the sound and made him jump. Holy shit,

1494
01:49:05.479 --> 01:49:10.359
he muttered. He took a step forward, then froze. One

1495
01:49:10.359 --> 01:49:13.199
of the things had flitted back into the alley and

1496
01:49:13.359 --> 01:49:16.840
was staring at him, its tiny head cocking at a

1497
01:49:16.920 --> 01:49:22.039
dozen different angles like a dog in dexadren Aaron held

1498
01:49:22.039 --> 01:49:25.359
his breath again, felt in his pocket for his car keys.

1499
01:49:26.399 --> 01:49:28.880
Another creature darted in to stand next to the first,

1500
01:49:29.239 --> 01:49:33.000
their heads moving in unison. Aaron turned tail and ran

1501
01:49:33.159 --> 01:49:36.079
like hell. Instantly, the two creatures took off after him,

1502
01:49:36.159 --> 01:49:39.079
the entire swarm spilling around the corner behind them, as

1503
01:49:39.079 --> 01:49:42.359
if caught in their jet stream. Feet pounding the damp pavement,

1504
01:49:42.560 --> 01:49:45.399
Aaron tugged his car keys from his pocket, fumbled them.

1505
01:49:45.479 --> 01:49:48.079
The keyring clattered to the ground at his feet, caught

1506
01:49:48.119 --> 01:49:50.199
to the toe of his shoe, and went skidding across

1507
01:49:50.199 --> 01:49:52.720
the asphalt to wind up in a puddle of blood.

1508
01:49:53.439 --> 01:49:56.159
Without slowing down, Aaron scooped up the keys and hauled

1509
01:49:56.199 --> 01:49:58.279
as to the car. He flung the door open and

1510
01:49:58.359 --> 01:50:01.039
jumped in, just as the swarm began pouring out of

1511
01:50:01.079 --> 01:50:04.840
the alley, skittering towards him. He jammed the key into

1512
01:50:04.840 --> 01:50:07.279
the ignition and slammed the car into reverse. As the

1513
01:50:07.319 --> 01:50:10.640
engine caught, the car laid rubber, obscuring the creatures in

1514
01:50:10.680 --> 01:50:14.720
a cloud of smoke. Aaron wiped a bloody hand on

1515
01:50:14.760 --> 01:50:17.039
his pants and gripped the steering wheel as the car

1516
01:50:17.119 --> 01:50:20.119
bounced over the curb and into the street, dropping it

1517
01:50:20.159 --> 01:50:22.960
into drive. Aaron peeled out again. He watched in the

1518
01:50:22.960 --> 01:50:26.079
rearview mirror as the goddamn things poured into the street,

1519
01:50:26.479 --> 01:50:29.399
ran through a confused circle, and then scurried off to

1520
01:50:29.439 --> 01:50:35.640
disappear amongst the buildings again. So now what Aaron's gaze

1521
01:50:35.680 --> 01:50:38.399
flicked from the road ahead to the bloodstains on his shirt.

1522
01:50:39.119 --> 01:50:42.119
He was practically wheezing, sucking air like an old man

1523
01:50:42.199 --> 01:50:45.920
climbing stairs. There wasn't even a police station in Charlton.

1524
01:50:46.640 --> 01:50:49.720
Nearest cop was sixty miles down the highway in Estancia,

1525
01:50:50.560 --> 01:50:55.600
and uh, what cop would believe Aaron's story anyway? A

1526
01:50:55.640 --> 01:50:58.479
bunch of quivering little monsters with lots of teeth ate

1527
01:50:58.520 --> 01:51:02.359
a guy while he watched. He suddenly felt like Steve

1528
01:51:02.479 --> 01:51:06.319
McQueen and the Blob. He needed somebody to back him up.

1529
01:51:06.960 --> 01:51:10.399
Aaron spun the wheel, whipping his car into a left turn.

1530
01:51:10.760 --> 01:51:13.039
He was impressed that the old beater had performed so

1531
01:51:13.119 --> 01:51:16.319
well under pressure. The car had a tendency to choke

1532
01:51:16.399 --> 01:51:18.920
and die when asked to accelerate away from a fast

1533
01:51:18.960 --> 01:51:22.039
food drive through window. Another left took him on to

1534
01:51:22.159 --> 01:51:25.439
Howard Road, where his friend Noel lived. There were no

1535
01:51:25.560 --> 01:51:28.479
curbs out here. Aaron rolled the car to a stop

1536
01:51:28.520 --> 01:51:31.560
in Nol's muddy front yard and jumped out. Tramping to

1537
01:51:31.600 --> 01:51:33.760
the door, Aaron banged with one hand and rang the

1538
01:51:33.760 --> 01:51:37.039
doorbell with the other. After a short barrage of this noise,

1539
01:51:37.159 --> 01:51:39.960
a light came on in the bedroom, and Nol's angry,

1540
01:51:40.079 --> 01:51:44.119
narrow face appeared through the parted curtains. Erin very faintly

1541
01:51:44.159 --> 01:51:48.199
heard the words what the fuck, and the curtains closed

1542
01:51:48.239 --> 01:51:51.760
once again. A few seconds later, Noel opened the door,

1543
01:51:51.920 --> 01:51:55.119
still in the act of zipping his pants. Man, you'd

1544
01:51:55.159 --> 01:51:57.359
better not be waking me up to help you with

1545
01:51:57.439 --> 01:52:01.720
your fucking paper route, he grumbled, voice thick with sleep.

1546
01:52:02.479 --> 01:52:05.239
Aaron pushed past his friend, leaving muddy footprints as he

1547
01:52:05.359 --> 01:52:07.800
entered the house. I need to use your phone, and

1548
01:52:07.800 --> 01:52:10.880
you've got to help me. You wake me up at

1549
01:52:11.039 --> 01:52:13.800
two thirty to teach you how to use a phone.

1550
01:52:14.479 --> 01:52:16.880
Nole's crusty eyes followed the trail of mud as it

1551
01:52:16.920 --> 01:52:20.760
extended down the hall and into the kitchen. Look at

1552
01:52:20.760 --> 01:52:24.319
that shit, man, he shuffled off after Aaron, shaking his

1553
01:52:24.359 --> 01:52:27.920
head in annoyance. In the kitchen, Aaron had pulled Nole's

1554
01:52:27.920 --> 01:52:31.239
phone book from the drawer and was flipping pages. What's

1555
01:52:31.279 --> 01:52:35.479
the number for the cops? I don't know, nine one one,

1556
01:52:35.960 --> 01:52:39.640
Noel said, dropping his bony butt into a chair. What's

1557
01:52:39.680 --> 01:52:44.720
going on? Aaron stabbed three digits and waited. Lucas Dutat

1558
01:52:44.840 --> 01:52:48.960
got killed by hell, by some kind of freaky things,

1559
01:52:49.000 --> 01:52:53.960
and I think they got Freddy too. You're you're all bloody,

1560
01:52:54.279 --> 01:52:58.880
Noel mentioned, finally noticing Aaron's filthy shirt. An operator picked up,

1561
01:52:58.920 --> 01:53:01.800
and Aaron talked fast, hoping to avoid too many questions.

1562
01:53:02.159 --> 01:53:05.079
I'm over in Charlton. Somebody's been killed outside Freddy's all night. No,

1563
01:53:05.199 --> 01:53:07.680
it was animals, coyotes or something, a whole pack of them.

1564
01:53:08.159 --> 01:53:10.479
He looked over at Noel, who was staring at him

1565
01:53:10.520 --> 01:53:13.960
like he was a lunatic about what he expected. Yeah,

1566
01:53:14.199 --> 01:53:18.600
I'll wait here for you. Thanks. Aaron cradled the receiver. Coyotes,

1567
01:53:18.960 --> 01:53:22.279
Noel asked. Aaron shook his head. I need you to

1568
01:53:22.319 --> 01:53:26.680
come with me, ah man, Noel said. Aaron's butt cheeks

1569
01:53:26.760 --> 01:53:29.000
nibbled the seat cushion as he guided his car into

1570
01:53:29.000 --> 01:53:32.319
Freddy's parking lot. Once again, there was no sign of

1571
01:53:32.359 --> 01:53:35.560
the little creatures, but who knew where the bastards might

1572
01:53:35.560 --> 01:53:39.920
be hiding. So what are these things again? Noel mumbled

1573
01:53:39.960 --> 01:53:42.880
through a yawn. I told you, I don't know. I

1574
01:53:42.920 --> 01:53:45.119
didn't get a clear look at them. They're like a

1575
01:53:45.159 --> 01:53:50.039
bunch of piranhas or something. But they walk, No, they

1576
01:53:50.119 --> 01:53:53.479
run like striped ass apes. The car came to a

1577
01:53:53.520 --> 01:53:56.239
stop in the same parking space that had occupied earlier.

1578
01:53:56.680 --> 01:53:59.760
Noel reached for his door handle. Aaron frantically grabbed his

1579
01:53:59.880 --> 01:54:04.479
arms wait staring out the window. Aaron unbuckled his seat belt,

1580
01:54:04.880 --> 01:54:08.680
then turned to face Nol. All right, try to keep

1581
01:54:08.760 --> 01:54:12.960
quiet and stay with me. Don't go wandering off by yourself. Okay.

1582
01:54:13.920 --> 01:54:16.359
Noel rubbed a meaty nugget of sleep from his eye

1583
01:54:16.640 --> 01:54:20.760
and flicked it onto the dashboard. Aaron's lip curled, Sorry,

1584
01:54:21.199 --> 01:54:26.239
Nol said, did you hear me? Don't worry. Satisfied, Aaron

1585
01:54:26.279 --> 01:54:29.079
lifted his door handle and slowly pushed the door open.

1586
01:54:29.520 --> 01:54:33.199
The hinges howled like a wild cat in heat shit fire,

1587
01:54:33.479 --> 01:54:36.279
Aaron hissed. Noel had better luck with his door. It

1588
01:54:36.399 --> 01:54:39.600
swung open with only the slightest squeak, and he leaned out,

1589
01:54:39.640 --> 01:54:43.680
peering around. Confident there were no strolling piranha lurking nearby,

1590
01:54:44.079 --> 01:54:46.520
he stepped out. The two men met in front of

1591
01:54:46.560 --> 01:54:49.560
the car, backs to each other, mindful of the darkness

1592
01:54:49.560 --> 01:54:53.359
around them. Let's get a flashlight, Aaron said, I don't

1593
01:54:53.359 --> 01:54:55.840
want to run into those things in the dark. Aaron

1594
01:54:55.880 --> 01:54:59.039
and Nol entered the stoor, the chime went off. Both

1595
01:54:59.079 --> 01:55:02.960
men leaped skyward. They came down, gasping, looking at each

1596
01:55:03.000 --> 01:55:06.680
other in embarrassment. Recovering, Aaron found the aisle he wanted

1597
01:55:06.680 --> 01:55:09.760
and selected a cheap flashlight, then went to the counter

1598
01:55:09.840 --> 01:55:13.199
and grabbed batteries. I don't know where Freddy is, but

1599
01:55:13.399 --> 01:55:16.560
Lucas is out in the alley. Aaron unscrewed the flashlight

1600
01:55:16.600 --> 01:55:19.159
cap and dropped the batteries in. He flicked the light

1601
01:55:19.239 --> 01:55:23.520
on plaited it around. So why do we have to go?

1602
01:55:23.560 --> 01:55:27.319
Look at him? Glancing around feartively, Noel snatched a Kitcat bar.

1603
01:55:28.000 --> 01:55:30.960
I don't want to see some chewed up dead guy.

1604
01:55:32.119 --> 01:55:35.479
Just play along, will you. Let's go. Aaron started for

1605
01:55:35.560 --> 01:55:39.239
the door, setting off the chime again. Jesus, Noel yelped,

1606
01:55:39.520 --> 01:55:42.720
Why the hell did Freddie install the damn thing? Aaron

1607
01:55:42.800 --> 01:55:45.159
held the door for Noel. He's got that thing with

1608
01:55:45.239 --> 01:55:48.199
his bowels. Kids hang around outside till they saw him

1609
01:55:48.199 --> 01:55:50.760
go in the can then run in and steal candy bars.

1610
01:55:51.640 --> 01:55:55.239
Noel bit into his pilfered Kitcat and followed Aaron around

1611
01:55:55.279 --> 01:55:58.279
the corner of the building. His eyes widened when he

1612
01:55:58.319 --> 01:56:05.560
saw the blood smeared across the pave man. You weren't kidding. Cautiously,

1613
01:56:05.640 --> 01:56:08.279
Aaron led Noel to the building next door to Freddy's,

1614
01:56:08.520 --> 01:56:11.000
where he flattened against the wall and poked his head

1615
01:56:11.000 --> 01:56:14.840
out into the alley. Lucas's ravaged corpse still lay in

1616
01:56:14.880 --> 01:56:19.000
the fragment of light not far away. Aaron gestured for

1617
01:56:19.079 --> 01:56:22.640
Nol to follow, and they stepped into the alley, quietly

1618
01:56:22.720 --> 01:56:26.560
moving towards the body. As they passed the dumpster shared

1619
01:56:26.600 --> 01:56:29.399
by Freddy's in the business next door, Noel poked his

1620
01:56:29.479 --> 01:56:34.319
head over the rim, looking for anything dive worthy. Oh shit,

1621
01:56:34.760 --> 01:56:38.760
he whispered. Noel pointed into the dumpster. I think this

1622
01:56:38.920 --> 01:56:43.600
might be Freddy. Aaron hesitantly approached the dumpster and looked

1623
01:56:43.600 --> 01:56:47.039
in a pair of half empty eye sockets stared back

1624
01:56:47.039 --> 01:56:50.279
at him. It looked like Freddy's wispy gray hair, but

1625
01:56:51.199 --> 01:56:55.399
the face had been eaten away. Bits of muscle and

1626
01:56:55.600 --> 01:57:00.640
stringy flesh dangling from the blood smeared bone, appy set

1627
01:57:00.680 --> 01:57:05.520
of absurdly white dentures were wedged into the jaws. Those

1628
01:57:05.560 --> 01:57:09.920
were definitely Freddy's. Aaron turned away all the junk he'd

1629
01:57:09.920 --> 01:57:13.800
eaten during leave it to beaver rising in his gorge.

1630
01:57:13.880 --> 01:57:16.159
He must have crawled in there trying to get away

1631
01:57:16.159 --> 01:57:19.800
from him. He choked. Noel stared at the kitcab bar

1632
01:57:19.840 --> 01:57:23.840
in his trembling hand. Reverently, he dropped it into the dumpster,

1633
01:57:24.079 --> 01:57:27.560
returning it to its rightful owner. Not far away, a

1634
01:57:27.640 --> 01:57:31.760
dog launched into a fit of ferocious barking. That's Jasper's dog,

1635
01:57:31.880 --> 01:57:34.520
Aaron said. He took off running down the alley. Noel

1636
01:57:34.600 --> 01:57:37.279
dithered for a second, then followed. As they raced past

1637
01:57:37.399 --> 01:57:40.279
Lucas's corpse. The dog's barking was cut short by a

1638
01:57:40.359 --> 01:57:44.399
yelp of pain. Aaron shot Noel look and quickened his pace.

1639
01:57:45.039 --> 01:57:48.199
An eight foot wooden fence surrounded Jasper's gravel yard. It

1640
01:57:48.239 --> 01:57:51.720
had originally been a six footer, but Riley, Jasper's guard dog,

1641
01:57:51.960 --> 01:57:54.479
had a habit of jumping it whenever anyone walked by.

1642
01:57:55.079 --> 01:57:57.800
The dog would then follow them all over town as

1643
01:57:57.840 --> 01:58:01.279
long as the petting kept up anyway, leaving the yard unprotected.

1644
01:58:02.039 --> 01:58:05.319
Reaching the fence, Aaron skidded to a halt. Noel came

1645
01:58:05.399 --> 01:58:08.560
up beside him. They could hear soft, wet sounds on

1646
01:58:08.600 --> 01:58:15.239
the other side, and something else, something scuttling around moving fast.

1647
01:58:16.279 --> 01:58:18.800
Aaron handed Noel the flashlight and jumped up to grab

1648
01:58:18.840 --> 01:58:21.399
the top of the fence. Straining to keep any noise

1649
01:58:21.439 --> 01:58:24.359
to a minimum, he carefully poked his head over the

1650
01:58:24.359 --> 01:58:29.560
fence and peered into the gravel yard. Jesus Christ, he whispered,

1651
01:58:30.079 --> 01:58:33.399
get up here. Noel clicked the flashlight off and stuck

1652
01:58:33.439 --> 01:58:37.000
it in his pocket. Jumping, he hoisted himself alongside Aaron.

1653
01:58:37.399 --> 01:58:39.199
As his eyes cleared the top of the fence, he

1654
01:58:39.279 --> 01:58:44.039
suddenly wanted very badly to go home. I got a piss,

1655
01:58:44.119 --> 01:58:49.199
he muttered, unblinking. Jasper's Dog, a brawny retriever, was in

1656
01:58:49.239 --> 01:58:52.520
the process of being hollowed out and stripped to the bone.

1657
01:58:52.560 --> 01:58:56.720
The creatures swarmed over the fallen dog, tiny jaws rapidly

1658
01:58:56.840 --> 01:59:00.720
nipping out juicy chunks of meat. As before or two

1659
01:59:00.760 --> 01:59:04.239
of the things stood guard heads cocking and swiveling in

1660
01:59:04.279 --> 01:59:09.039
all directions. Aaron stared in bewilderment at the pale skinned creatures.

1661
01:59:09.520 --> 01:59:11.640
While they still moved too fast for him to make

1662
01:59:11.680 --> 01:59:14.960
out any real detail. He was close enough this time

1663
01:59:14.960 --> 01:59:17.920
to see the fleshy quills that sprouted from their backs,

1664
01:59:18.640 --> 01:59:21.680
running from between their bulging black eyes. To the tips

1665
01:59:21.680 --> 01:59:27.439
of their thick plated tails, thin inteneye like those of

1666
01:59:27.479 --> 01:59:31.399
a cockroach, whiplashed above their heads. Aaron thought he could

1667
01:59:31.439 --> 01:59:35.159
see some sort of filaments surrounding their mouths, filtering each

1668
01:59:35.239 --> 01:59:39.239
bit of the dog as they greedily devoured it. What

1669
01:59:39.319 --> 01:59:42.840
do you think they are, Noel whispered. Aaron tensed at

1670
01:59:42.880 --> 01:59:45.479
the sound of Noel's voice, ready to beat feet, but

1671
01:59:45.560 --> 01:59:48.840
the creatures didn't seem to have heard or weren't interested.

1672
01:59:50.159 --> 01:59:52.520
We've been getting a lot of rain, he said quietly.

1673
01:59:53.199 --> 01:59:56.119
That doesn't happen much around here. I heard about these

1674
01:59:56.159 --> 01:59:59.520
little crab things. Their eggs can sit in the dirt

1675
01:59:59.520 --> 02:00:02.840
for like a hundred years, then when it rains, they

1676
02:00:02.880 --> 02:00:09.119
hatch out, kinda like sea monkeys, except they don't drive cars.

1677
02:00:09.439 --> 02:00:13.760
Noel pointed out sea monkeys don't drive cars. I saw

1678
02:00:13.800 --> 02:00:15.800
an ad in a comic book where they were driving

1679
02:00:15.840 --> 02:00:19.760
a little convertible. Man that's just for the rubes, Aaron said.

1680
02:00:19.880 --> 02:00:23.119
Sea monkeys are some kind of shrimp. They don't do shit.

1681
02:00:23.880 --> 02:00:26.159
Noel was about to argue the point when he slipped

1682
02:00:26.279 --> 02:00:29.399
his foot, banging loudly against the fence, their pellet like

1683
02:00:29.439 --> 02:00:32.239
eyes locking on Aaron and Nol, the two creatures on guard,

1684
02:00:32.319 --> 02:00:35.960
instantly sent up the alarm, chittering horribly. Run like hell,

1685
02:00:36.279 --> 02:00:39.079
Aaron said, dropping to the ground. Noel clung to the fence,

1686
02:00:39.119 --> 02:00:41.880
staring stupidly as the things swept from the dog's corpse

1687
02:00:41.880 --> 02:00:44.520
and scurried towards him. His nose bounced off the fence

1688
02:00:44.560 --> 02:00:47.199
as Aaron yanked him to the ground, I said, run.

1689
02:00:47.640 --> 02:00:49.720
Aaron and Nol high tailed it down the alley. The

1690
02:00:49.760 --> 02:00:53.000
creatures thudded into the fence like ham sized hailstones, scuffling

1691
02:00:53.000 --> 02:00:55.239
against the barrier as they attempted to clamber up it.

1692
02:00:55.439 --> 02:00:57.760
Some of them began gnawing at the wood. This time.

1693
02:00:57.800 --> 02:00:59.720
Aaron held his keys in a white knuckled grip as

1694
02:00:59.720 --> 02:01:02.359
he put them from his pocket. They're out, They're out,

1695
02:01:02.600 --> 02:01:06.720
Noel screeched, gawking over his shoulder. Aaron glanced back, sure

1696
02:01:06.720 --> 02:01:08.640
as hell. The things were pouring through a hole at

1697
02:01:08.640 --> 02:01:10.840
the base of the fence and running after them. Then

1698
02:01:10.880 --> 02:01:13.239
his foot sank into something gooey, and he did a

1699
02:01:13.279 --> 02:01:16.239
face plant into the pavement, flinging his keys away as

1700
02:01:16.239 --> 02:01:19.479
he hit. Moving too fast to avoid it, Noel drove

1701
02:01:19.520 --> 02:01:22.279
a foot into Aaron's crotch, launching himself over his pal

1702
02:01:22.399 --> 02:01:25.680
and coming down hard. Wincing at the agonizing pain centered

1703
02:01:25.680 --> 02:01:28.439
in his groin, Aaron rolled onto his ass and sat up.

1704
02:01:28.800 --> 02:01:32.119
One of his shoes was buttered with thick gore. He

1705
02:01:32.199 --> 02:01:36.760
tripped over Lucas's corpse for crying out loud, Aaron griped.

1706
02:01:37.000 --> 02:01:39.640
The creatures were about twenty yards away and moving fast,

1707
02:01:39.840 --> 02:01:42.760
ready to dive into the sumptuous feast laid before them.

1708
02:01:43.000 --> 02:01:47.039
Aaron let out an exasperated sigh. If he just hadn't

1709
02:01:47.039 --> 02:01:50.920
eaten those fucking doritos, Noel propped himself on his hands

1710
02:01:50.920 --> 02:01:54.439
and knees and screamed girlishly. Whipping towards his friend. Aaron

1711
02:01:54.520 --> 02:01:58.920
noticed the flashlight tucked in Nol's pocket. Hm. Aaron looked

1712
02:01:58.960 --> 02:02:02.640
back at the creatures, imagining them licking their freakish little chops.

1713
02:02:02.760 --> 02:02:05.600
As Noel scrambled to his feet, Aaron tackled him, yanking

1714
02:02:05.600 --> 02:02:09.640
the flashlight from his pocket. What the fuck, man, Noel shrieked.

1715
02:02:09.960 --> 02:02:12.439
I thought of something sea monkeys do, Aaron said. He

1716
02:02:12.479 --> 02:02:15.000
sat up again, aimed the flashlight towards the creatures, and

1717
02:02:15.079 --> 02:02:18.720
flicked it on and illuminated the swarm to no effect

1718
02:02:19.199 --> 02:02:21.880
other than that he could now see very clearly what

1719
02:02:22.039 --> 02:02:25.079
was about to dine on his guts. I just want

1720
02:02:25.119 --> 02:02:27.319
to thank you for waking my ass up so I

1721
02:02:27.319 --> 02:02:30.000
could be a part of this, Noel said. Aaron swung

1722
02:02:30.000 --> 02:02:32.359
the flashlight beam away from the creatures, putting a circle

1723
02:02:32.359 --> 02:02:34.760
of light on the wall, making a sudden right turn,

1724
02:02:34.800 --> 02:02:37.399
and the creatures darted toward the light and away from

1725
02:02:37.439 --> 02:02:41.640
Aaron and Nol. Aaron grinned, playing the light across the pavement.

1726
02:02:42.000 --> 02:02:44.279
Aaron led the swarm of flesh eaters on a winding

1727
02:02:44.359 --> 02:02:47.239
chase back and forth in the alley. The things had

1728
02:02:47.239 --> 02:02:50.720
seemingly forgot their prey, intent only on capturing that dot

1729
02:02:50.760 --> 02:02:54.119
of light. Noel watched the creature's zip about, his mouth

1730
02:02:54.199 --> 02:02:57.479
hanging open. Who do we know that has a basement,

1731
02:02:58.119 --> 02:03:01.319
Aaron asked. Twenty minute es later, Aaron and Nol were

1732
02:03:01.359 --> 02:03:03.760
walking up the drive to fill Gomes his place with

1733
02:03:03.800 --> 02:03:07.439
a shitload of nasty creatures in tow. The things hadn't

1734
02:03:07.560 --> 02:03:10.359
veered from their stubborn pursuit of the flashlight beam during

1735
02:03:10.399 --> 02:03:13.720
the entire walk to Phil's. As they reached the front door,

1736
02:03:13.760 --> 02:03:16.000
Aaron played the light around in the field, keeping the

1737
02:03:16.039 --> 02:03:19.479
creatures occupied while Noel knocked. It took Phil a few

1738
02:03:19.479 --> 02:03:23.560
minutes to answer. He was righteously pissed. What the hell

1739
02:03:23.680 --> 02:03:27.079
is this all about? He wheezed, brushing his thickly palmated

1740
02:03:27.119 --> 02:03:31.279
hair out of its sleepy dew. Take a look, Aaron said,

1741
02:03:31.359 --> 02:03:36.680
gesturing toward the flashlight beam. Phil squinted. What are those squirrels?

1742
02:03:37.279 --> 02:03:41.159
Noel started to speak, but Aaron cut him off. Yeah,

1743
02:03:40.760 --> 02:03:44.319
we need to store them in your basement. What the

1744
02:03:44.359 --> 02:03:49.279
hell for their rabbit bit Some folks gotta keep them

1745
02:03:49.279 --> 02:03:53.760
penned up until animal control can get here. Shit, Phil said.

1746
02:03:54.079 --> 02:03:56.760
He backed into the house, allowing Aaron and Nol to enter.

1747
02:03:57.239 --> 02:03:59.880
While Noel ran to open the basement door. Aaron led

1748
02:03:59.880 --> 02:04:03.119
the creatures inside. Phil bent to stare at the things

1749
02:04:03.159 --> 02:04:06.279
as they skittered past his feet. Don't get too close,

1750
02:04:06.399 --> 02:04:12.159
Aeron cautioned, those aren't squirrels, Phil said, radioactive, Aaron explained.

1751
02:04:12.479 --> 02:04:16.319
Phil hissed through his teeth. Getting it. Aaron moved into

1752
02:04:16.319 --> 02:04:19.560
the kitchen and stepped aside. The things obediently followed the

1753
02:04:19.600 --> 02:04:22.520
flashlight beam through the basement door and down the stairs.

1754
02:04:23.039 --> 02:04:25.680
When the last one passed, Noel slammed the door shut

1755
02:04:25.680 --> 02:04:28.000
and through the bolt. With the hypnotic effect of the

1756
02:04:28.039 --> 02:04:31.119
light gone, the creatures instantly went berserk, slamming into the

1757
02:04:31.159 --> 02:04:33.279
door and banging around the basement like a truckload of

1758
02:04:33.319 --> 02:04:36.279
civet cats with a hose turned on them. I suggest

1759
02:04:36.319 --> 02:04:38.640
we nail some cookie sheets or something over the door

1760
02:04:38.720 --> 02:04:41.199
so they can't shoot through it, Aaron said, listening to

1761
02:04:41.239 --> 02:04:46.840
the gnawing sounds emanating from below. A week later, Aaron

1762
02:04:46.920 --> 02:04:49.479
sat on the tape together swivel stool at Freddie's all Night,

1763
02:04:49.720 --> 02:04:51.800
his feet propped up on the counter and the portable

1764
02:04:51.840 --> 02:04:54.960
TV tuned to a rerun of Jenny Jones. In an

1765
02:04:54.960 --> 02:04:57.439
effort to help out Freddy's widow, Aaron had taken over

1766
02:04:57.520 --> 02:05:00.479
the graveyard shift at the all night, relinquishing his paper

1767
02:05:00.520 --> 02:05:03.840
boy duties. The new paper boy wasn't as regular a

1768
02:05:03.880 --> 02:05:06.600
customer at the store as Aaron had been most nights.

1769
02:05:06.640 --> 02:05:11.000
Aaron's only customer was himself, gave him lots of time

1770
02:05:11.039 --> 02:05:13.760
to snack and watch the tube. He looked up from

1771
02:05:13.800 --> 02:05:17.560
the TV as the electric eye chimed. Noel strode towards

1772
02:05:17.560 --> 02:05:20.760
the counter, dripping wet and feeling the gentle buzz of

1773
02:05:20.840 --> 02:05:25.600
a few afterwork beers. Do you hear about Phil, He asked,

1774
02:05:25.640 --> 02:05:29.119
grabbing a kick habbar and tearing the wrapper open. Oh shit,

1775
02:05:29.439 --> 02:05:32.279
Aaron said, worried. So far nobody had been able to

1776
02:05:32.279 --> 02:05:35.439
figure out what the creatures were, or where they came from,

1777
02:05:36.239 --> 02:05:40.520
or whether there were more. No, no, nothing bad. He's

1778
02:05:40.520 --> 02:05:42.800
still got all those damn scientists over at his place

1779
02:05:42.880 --> 02:05:46.239
doing their research thing on the little bastards. But he's

1780
02:05:46.279 --> 02:05:50.560
stirring up trouble how so he won't let him take

1781
02:05:50.600 --> 02:05:53.520
the things away. Says they're in his basement and they

1782
02:05:53.560 --> 02:05:56.760
belong to him. He wants to open some kind of

1783
02:05:57.479 --> 02:06:00.520
monster museum, put them on display and charge it mission.

1784
02:06:00.960 --> 02:06:04.199
Thinks he's gonna put Charlton on the map. Aaron considered

1785
02:06:04.239 --> 02:06:07.479
it for a second. Damn if I'd thought of that,

1786
02:06:07.760 --> 02:06:09.600
I had to put the things in my own basement.

1787
02:06:10.359 --> 02:06:13.319
You don't have a basement, Noel said, starting for the door.

1788
02:06:13.880 --> 02:06:17.439
You gotta pay for that, Aaron said, indicating the candy bar.

1789
02:06:18.039 --> 02:06:20.600
Noel grinned and walked out, setting off the chime again.

1790
02:06:21.239 --> 02:06:24.479
Aaron stared after his friend for a long moment, gazing

1791
02:06:24.479 --> 02:06:28.279
out into the rainy night. Probably wouldn't be another customer

1792
02:06:28.279 --> 02:06:32.119
for the whole shift. Abruptly, he left the counter, threw

1793
02:06:32.159 --> 02:06:35.000
a chicken sandwich into the microwave, and went to the door,

1794
02:06:35.439 --> 02:06:38.680
where he began the process of lowering the electric eye

1795
02:06:39.359 --> 02:06:46.920
to radioactive squirrel level. And that is the trouble with travel,

1796
02:06:47.079 --> 02:06:52.039
my spookies. You can pack snacks, charge your phone, and

1797
02:06:52.159 --> 02:06:56.680
fill your tank, but you can't prepare for the moment

1798
02:06:57.119 --> 02:07:03.920
the road decides it doesn't recognize you anymore, especially not

1799
02:07:04.159 --> 02:07:09.199
in weather like this, with snow pounding the windshield, every

1800
02:07:09.319 --> 02:07:12.840
mile starts to feel like a gamble, and every set

1801
02:07:12.840 --> 02:07:17.880
of headlights behind you feels like a challenge. So if

1802
02:07:17.920 --> 02:07:21.960
you've got to travel, please be careful out there, take

1803
02:07:22.000 --> 02:07:25.199
it slow, keep blankets in the trunk, and if you

1804
02:07:25.359 --> 02:07:29.399
end up on some back road your iPhone swears is

1805
02:07:29.479 --> 02:07:34.359
the fastest route. Maybe ask yourself why it's so eager

1806
02:07:34.840 --> 02:07:40.399
to get you alone. And if you're staying in tonight, well, congratulations,

1807
02:07:41.000 --> 02:07:46.560
you are very fortunate. Now go warm up, double check

1808
02:07:46.640 --> 02:07:50.279
the locks, and enjoy the comfort of knowing the only

1809
02:07:50.439 --> 02:07:56.119
footsteps you'll hear are the ones inside your house. Probably,

1810
02:07:56.880 --> 02:08:02.079
so sleep tight, my spookys, and I'll see you very soon.