Dec. 13, 2024

Secret Santa - Office Rivalry, Holiday Jealousy, and Deadly Consequences!

Secret Santa - Office Rivalry, Holiday Jealousy, and Deadly Consequences!
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When a bitter office rivalry meets the holiday gift exchange, secrets and grudges come to light in unexpected and deadly ways. A darkly thrilling Christmas story of obsession, betrayal, and revenge.

Secret Santa by Charles Campbell

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Music by Ray Mattis http://raymattispresents.bandcamp.com

Executive Producers
Rob Fields
Mark Shields
Bobbletopia.com

Produced by Daniel Wilder

This episode is sponsored by 
HenFlix.com

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

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When a bitter office rivalry meets the holiday gift exchange,

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secrets and grudges come to light in unexpected and deadly ways.

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A darkly thrilling Christmas story of obsession, betrayal, and revenge

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is waiting for you right now. You just have to

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unwrap it.

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What's that you want to be scared? Come with me.

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He will experience tales over opera, ghosts, and death Death.

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It is not recommended for a week at heart heart

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listeners in the dark. It's more fun at that way.

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Wait, this is Weekly Speaking, Hello, my spookies, not Wednesday. No, No,

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it's Friday. But it's the holiday season, so that means

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I have to spread good, fear and tidends. I'm your

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host and narrator, Enrique Kuto, and tonight we have a

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very special Southern fried holiday treat from our good buddy,

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Charles Campbell. But before we get to the story, I

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want to say thank you so much for listening to

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the show, and I hope you're enjoying all of the

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holiday cheer and fear we're spreading this year. Wow, that

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was a lot of rhyming and if you enjoy what

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we're doing, well, make sure you're subscribed on your favorite

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podcasting app like Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and while you're

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at it, leave us a five star rating on either.

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It makes a big difference and helps other spookies discover

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the program. And if you need somewhere to hang out

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with people like yourself who like the scary all year long,

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well just head to Facebook and type in Weekly Spooky's

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Tomb of Terror. It's a Facebook group where all kinds

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of spookies and myself and our authors hang out and

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share memes and news stories and just have a great time.

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We'd love to have you, and if you want to

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support the show in a very direct way, we do

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appreciate you going to Weeklyspooky dot com a slash. Join

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for as little as one dollar a month. You get

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two bonus shows every single month, bonus audiobooks, and so

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much more, and you can join over one hundred other

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spookies in keeping it going every single week for another

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five years and beyond. When it comes to Christmas, it's

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supposed to be a time for cheer, goodwill and surprises,

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but sometimes the surprises aren't so merry. Sometimes a simple

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tradition like a secret Santa gift exchange can go terribly wrong.

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What happens when old grudges and hidden secrets bubble to

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the surface during the happiest season of them all is

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the ultimate gift, truly revenge. Well, get comfortable, because we

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are about to find out after this Secret Santa by

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Charles Campbell. It was early Floyd Bennett was tired and

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already dreading the day ahead. He drew Carol Tatum's name

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in Secret Santa. To say he and Carol didn't get

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along would be quite the understatement. They didn't seem to

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see eye to eye on much of anything. Christmas was

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still four days away, but today was gift swap day

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at the Augusta Harald. Meanwhile, across town, Carol Tatum looked

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on in disdain at the alarm clock. It was six

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twenty nine am, and she disabled the alarm before it

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blared whatever was playing on WBBQ. Of all the folks

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at the newspaper, how in the hell did she draw

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Floyd Bennett in Secret Sannah. She thought about trying to

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swap names with someone, but that would defeat the purpose

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of Secret Sanna, and she couldn't bear the thought of

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Floyd finding out. She originally had his name. At least

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she could keep it secret because she wasn't going to

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put her name on it, and if they cared enough

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to go through the process of elimination, they could figure

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out it was her. But Carol didn't think anyone would

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go to those lengths to figure out who gifted Floyd

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a bottle of cheap whiskey. Carol sighed as she rolled

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out of bed. It was time for a quick shower

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and even quicker breakfast, followed by the fifteen minute drive

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from the valley to downtown Augusta, Georgia. Butch, the security

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guard at the Augusta Herald, knew all of the faces

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and names of the newspaper's employees, so badge checks were

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only reserved for unfamiliar faces. Unfamiliar faces rarely showed up

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without scheduled appointments, and those that did were politely shown

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the door. Butch was a fully armed guard, an army

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veteran that knew how to handle and defuse potentially dangerous situations.

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With that said, most folks would not want to challenge

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his prowess with a side arm, and most people that

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were familiar knew this about Butch, as he frequented the

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gun range. Hey, Butch, Carol said as she approached the

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security desk. Good morning, Carol, It's Christmas Party day, Butch

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said with a grin. Seeing Carroll was always one of

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the best parts of his mornings. She was easy on

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the eyes. Butch estimated she was in her mid thirties,

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and he would be right. Carrol had dark brown hair

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with equally dark brown eyes. To day. She was decked

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out in a red form fitting Christmasy dress with green

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lace around the collar and sleeves, along with a pair

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of green velvet knee high boots. Butch would let that

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elf sit on his lap any time. I'll see you there,

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Carrol replied and grinned back. Butch watched every step as

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she approached the elevator. He was thinking about what he

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would do if he was only ten years younger. As

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the elevator doors closed and a new set of footprints

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filled the corridor, Good morning, Butch. Floyd jovially said his

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mood got a little better on the car ride. The

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Christmas songs on w B b Q helped his holiday spirit.

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Hey f Floyd, Christmas Party Day, Butch exclaimed, Yepper, I'll

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see you there, Floyd said, As he walked past, Butch

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noted Floyd's outfit. It wasn't Christmasy at all. It was

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just a regular black polo with black slacks and equally

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black shoes. If Butch didn't know any better, he would

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swear that Floyd was attending a funeral that day. Maybe

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it was an omen. Floyd was older than Carol, but

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younger than Butch by about a decade. Floyd was forty

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nine years old, and by the looks of his full

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mop of gray hair, he could have almost passed for

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Butch's age. Floyd's most striking feature was the deep, superhero

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like dimple in his chin, and his ice blue eyes

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weren't far behind. Butch did not watch Floyd walk to

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the elevator. Floyd was the pre press manager, so it

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was his job to make sure that images sent via

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the newsroom to the imaging department, where color corrected for newsprint.

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He was also in charge of making sure plates were

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created for the press room. The technology had moved from

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processing film to direct to plate years ago, and this

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reduced the need for a large staff of folks in

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pre press. This meant Floyd only managed six people total

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versus the twenty plus folks he managed when he was

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promoted to his position fifteen years before. He wondered when

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the need for the imaging department would go away. It was,

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after all, a digital world now, and color correcting digital

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images required very little touch up. Floyd was sure that

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when the crusty old buzzard that owned the Augusta Harold

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realized this, the imaging department would go away, and in

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all likelihood his position. The reality was he really didn't

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need to manage the page nation folks, and the straight

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to plate technology was nothing to manage. Really, Floyd would

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bide his time for as long as he could and

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continue to collect paychecks until they turned into severance checks,

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or so he thought. Carol smiled as her rotund boss,

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Pete McHugh walked by her desk. Pete was the director

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of production and Carol was his administrative assistant. But if

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you asked Pete, he would say secretary. As he was

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part of the old Guard. Pete had the distinction of

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being the designated Santa for the annual Christmas party. He

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was already in costume San's fake beard and hat. You're

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going to work all day and that, Carol asked, why

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not You're all dressed up for Christmas. Why can't I

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do the same? Pete shot back, point taken, your suit

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looks like it may be uncomfortable, was all I was

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getting at. Carol replied, No, not at all. I don't

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think much work is going to get done today anyway.

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Half of the advertising staff is off today, but they'll

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be back for the free booze and gifts later. It

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will be a short edition filled with ads already booked

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weeks ago. So unless there's some earth shattering event that

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happens between now and press time, things should be pretty

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quiet at the Augusta Harold. Let's hope, so, Carol said,

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as she thought. The less she saw of Floyd, the better. Carol.

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One more thing just between us. Who did you draw

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for secret? Sanna? Now, Pete? If I told you, it

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wouldn't be a secret any longer. Loose lips and all that,

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Carol replied with a sly smile. Pete smiled back and

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stepped into his office. He turned on the radio, and

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Christmas music from w b b Q filled the office

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even through the closed door. The day moved along at

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the Augusta Herald, Floyd was trying not to doze off

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in his office for most of the day. As all

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plates for the press room were out and ready by

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two p m. Instead of the usual six pm. The

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Page Nation folks were already gone. They were helping set

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up for the Christmas party on the third floor. Floyd

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looked at the wrapt gift he brought and sighed. He

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supposed he needed to sneak it up there and under

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the tree before many people showed up. He didn't put

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his name on the gift. No way did he want

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Carrol to know he drew her name. He picked up

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an all in one set of cookwar from Wally World

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for twenty nine ninety nine. It was relatively inexpensive and

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easy to wrap, so it checked off both of Floyd's

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requirement boxes. He figured Carrol could use them or regift them.

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He really didn't care which.

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Don't go away weekly, Spooky, We'll be right back.

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Carol was getting antsy. The normal six pm press run

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was starting at three pm, and she hadn't yet taken

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the opportunity to move Floyd's gift up to the third floor.

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She wanted to get it under the tree without being

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seen by anyone, and her window to do so was closing,

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Carol peeked into Pete's office. His back was turned to

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her and he was formulating an email. From what she

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could tell, so she grabbed the wrapped whiskey bottle and

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blined it for the third floor. She didn't even know

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if Floyd consumed whisky. She knew from personal experience that

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he was a beer drinker, but it didn't really matter.

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If he didn't want the whiskey, he could give it

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away or regift it. She really didn't care which. Floyd

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could hear Christmas music already blaring from the third floor

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meeting room. He saw Ronda and Amy hanging missiletoe in

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the far corner of the room as he skirted quickly

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around the Christmas tree. There were only two gifts under

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the tree so far. He set down the wrapped box

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he was carrying and was trying to make it back

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out of the room before Ronda and Amy saw him.

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When he almost crashed into Carol. Carol stumbled backward, tripped,

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and the wrapped whiskey bottle she was carrying fell from

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her grip. With reflexes Floyd thought were lost to age,

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he managed to catch the wrapped bottle before it hit

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the floor while gripping Carol's shoulder with his free left hand.

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This prevented her from falling on her ass, with a

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bottle of whiskey shattering right in front her. Even though

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Floyd saved her from embarrassment, anger rose in her bosom.

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Why don't you watch where the fuck you're going, you

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big oath. Hey look, I'm sorry, but you got eyes too,

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you know, Floyd replied. Okay, thank you. Carol forced herself

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to say, you're welcome. Not sure who you got, but

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I hope they like to drink, Floyd said as he

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handed over the bottle. Damn it all to hell, Carol

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thought to herself. Floyd knew what was behind the wrapper,

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and more importantly, he knew who was behind the rapper.

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Carol made her way back to the production office, where

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Pete was now in full Santa garb. The hat was

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on and the beard was affixed. He looked happy as

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a clam. She tried to smile as she pretended to

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be enthralled with something on her computer screen. Google's search

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displays could be so captivating. It was almost time for

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the Christmas party, and Carol was not happy at all.

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Once the party began, Most of the Augusta Harold's staff

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was there in full force. Mary Plunkett, the advertising director,

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kicked off the party with a celebratory roast to the

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worker bees. It was followed by the old Man, the

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head hancho, the man that signed the checks, William Moore's

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the third, letting them know what a spectacular year they

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had financially, and that every single one of them would

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be getting a free ham or turkey for their efforts.

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No mention of a Christmas bonus, not that there was

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ever mention of one. Carol meandered toward the tree. She

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was going to swap out her gift with someone else's.

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That's the only thing she could do. No way could

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she let Floyd know his gift was from her, Not

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after what happened between them two years before. She should

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have spoken up when she first drew his name. Floyd

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00:16:32.240 --> 00:16:35.559
was chatting with Amy when she said something that changed

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the course of this evening. Hey, Floyd, what's in the box?

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Amy asked box? What box? Floyd returned. Ronda chimed, in

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00:16:48.279 --> 00:16:50.320
the box you brought in and put under the tree.

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What was in it? They were indeed paying attention after all.

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No way he could let Carol know that he drew

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her name. He needed to swap gifts with somebody on

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the down low. Two years prior Christmas Eve, Floyd looked

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into Carol's eyes. Tonight was the night he was going

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to pop the question. It was perfect. The sky was clear,

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00:17:25.079 --> 00:17:28.839
the moon was full, stars were out, and they were

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the only two left on the Valley hay ride. Floyd

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00:17:32.799 --> 00:17:35.960
made sure of this by giving Rodney Adams a cool

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twenty spot. The tractor pulled them around Langley Pond. Floyd

245
00:17:41.839 --> 00:17:44.920
gave a loud whistle when it was time for Rodney

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to park the tractor. They were on the other side

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00:17:48.799 --> 00:17:51.839
of the pond. The lights from the vendor booths at

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the Valley Christmas Eve festival were bright across the way.

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Rodney hopped from the tractor and walked until he was

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00:17:59.799 --> 00:18:04.119
out out of immediate earshot. His instructions were to return

251
00:18:04.640 --> 00:18:08.279
when he heard the tractor engine come back to life.

252
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Floyd learned how to drive tractors when he was a kid,

253
00:18:11.880 --> 00:18:17.440
so he was certainly qualified to crank one up. What's

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00:18:17.519 --> 00:18:22.640
going on, Carol asked nervously. Tonight is a special night,

255
00:18:23.359 --> 00:18:28.839
and tomorrow is Christmas, and this place well, this place

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00:18:28.960 --> 00:18:36.720
is perfect, Floyd said, perfect for what. Carol's hands were

257
00:18:36.759 --> 00:18:42.519
beginning to shake Carol Floyd began as he reached deeply

258
00:18:42.920 --> 00:18:46.559
into his jacket pocket, pulled out a small jewelry box,

259
00:18:47.079 --> 00:18:51.839
and continued, would you do me the honor of becoming

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00:18:51.880 --> 00:18:56.960
my wife? Floyd attempted to hand Carol the small black

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00:18:57.079 --> 00:19:05.400
box emblazoned with the Jared's Jeweler logo. Floyd. Oh, no, no, why,

262
00:19:06.160 --> 00:19:10.079
Carol questioned. She wouldn't take the box from his hand.

263
00:19:11.440 --> 00:19:17.039
What's wrong, Carol? I thought you loved me. I certainly

264
00:19:17.119 --> 00:19:22.319
love you, Floyd said. He was confused. They had been

265
00:19:22.359 --> 00:19:25.079
seeing each other for a few months, and he was

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00:19:25.119 --> 00:19:30.240
all but certain that she felt the same way. First off,

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00:19:30.799 --> 00:19:34.599
you're too old for me, Floyd. It was fun, This

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00:19:35.200 --> 00:19:39.720
was fun. But that's where it ends. Geez, why did

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00:19:39.759 --> 00:19:43.079
you have to go and ruin a good thing? Floyd's

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00:19:43.079 --> 00:19:48.559
ice blue eyes welled with tears of hurt. Ruin a

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00:19:48.720 --> 00:19:54.079
good thing. I'm trying to make a good thing better.

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00:19:54.759 --> 00:19:59.759
I'm trying to make a good thing last forever. Oh

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00:19:59.799 --> 00:20:04.359
my god, Floyd, is this fucking Hallmark in the valley? Rodney?

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00:20:05.319 --> 00:20:11.920
Carol shouted, Carol, stop, forget it, Floyd said, and stuffed

275
00:20:11.920 --> 00:20:16.039
the jewelry box into his pocket. Floyd jumped from the tractor.

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00:20:16.799 --> 00:20:22.440
Something wrong, Rodney asked, slightly out of breath from sprinting back. No,

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00:20:22.839 --> 00:20:26.599
it's nothing. Go ahead and take Carol back. I'll walk,

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00:20:27.200 --> 00:20:32.599
Floyd said. Carol sat silently. She didn't holler for Floyd

279
00:20:32.920 --> 00:20:38.759
to return. The days turned into weeks as workplace awkwardness

280
00:20:38.880 --> 00:20:44.160
changed into something more adversarial. It got so bad that

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00:20:44.240 --> 00:20:47.440
if Floyd said the sea was blue, Carol would say

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00:20:47.480 --> 00:20:51.839
it was orange, and vice versa. You see, the thing

283
00:20:52.119 --> 00:20:56.559
was they would have to interact daily because Pete was

284
00:20:56.599 --> 00:21:02.400
not only her boss, he was also Lloyd's boss. Floyd

285
00:21:02.519 --> 00:21:05.759
was hurt that Carol was just using him as a distraction.

286
00:21:06.720 --> 00:21:09.880
Carol was perplexed as to why Floyd couldn't enjoy the

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00:21:09.920 --> 00:21:14.319
good times while they lasted. He surely couldn't have thought

288
00:21:14.359 --> 00:21:18.200
it was anything more. She'd never talked about having a

289
00:21:18.240 --> 00:21:22.799
long term relationship with him, much less marriage, and if

290
00:21:22.839 --> 00:21:28.079
he thought it was something more, it was all on him.

291
00:21:28.440 --> 00:21:32.640
You're not safe yet, weekly, spooky will be right back.

292
00:21:36.880 --> 00:21:42.400
Back to the Christmas party, Floyd walked nonchalantly around the

293
00:21:42.519 --> 00:21:46.440
dance floor as most of the advertising team was gyrating

294
00:21:46.519 --> 00:21:50.799
to jingle Bell Rock. He was almost to the Christmas tree.

295
00:21:51.000 --> 00:21:54.680
Floyd could see the wrapped box of cookwear just where

296
00:21:54.680 --> 00:21:58.400
he left it. The problem was now it was surrounded

297
00:21:58.440 --> 00:22:02.519
by gifts with a few others stacked on top. He

298
00:22:02.519 --> 00:22:06.640
would look like the Grinch sifting through presents at this point.

299
00:22:06.920 --> 00:22:11.880
Then someone caught his immediate attention. It was Carol. She

300
00:22:11.960 --> 00:22:14.559
had the gift that she brought up earlier in her hand,

301
00:22:15.079 --> 00:22:18.440
and he couldn't believe his eyes as he witnessed her

302
00:22:18.519 --> 00:22:23.079
quickly removed the tag. She crouched down behind the tree,

303
00:22:23.559 --> 00:22:26.200
and no one seemed to be paying her any mind.

304
00:22:26.720 --> 00:22:31.519
Carol was moving quickly. What Floyd saw next astonished him

305
00:22:31.599 --> 00:22:34.880
even more as he plucked the tag from his box

306
00:22:35.319 --> 00:22:38.599
and taped it on the gift she brought. Carol had

307
00:22:38.599 --> 00:22:41.880
borrowed scotch tape from the office and placed the tag

308
00:22:41.920 --> 00:22:46.440
from hers onto the wrapped box of cookwear. He wanted

309
00:22:46.440 --> 00:22:49.319
to burst out laughing because she was in the same

310
00:22:49.359 --> 00:22:54.200
predicament he was. It was some backwoods valley redneck version

311
00:22:54.279 --> 00:22:57.319
of the Gift of the Magi, except neither one of

312
00:22:57.359 --> 00:23:00.880
them gave a shit about the gifts being exchanged, and

313
00:23:00.920 --> 00:23:05.680
the love was extinguished with an emphatic no. Two years before.

314
00:23:06.599 --> 00:23:10.920
Other than that, Floyd thought jokingly, it was the same story.

315
00:23:11.920 --> 00:23:14.920
Floyd wanted to burst out, laughing at the absurdness of

316
00:23:14.960 --> 00:23:19.400
the situation, and with the room being packed, nobody was

317
00:23:19.440 --> 00:23:24.480
calling her out. Well, this was a golden opportunity. Floyd

318
00:23:24.599 --> 00:23:28.880
changed course and moved quickly to the djay booth. Cheryl

319
00:23:28.960 --> 00:23:33.519
Moxley was Missus Moore's personal assistant who he often used

320
00:23:33.559 --> 00:23:37.960
as a DJA for any work parties. Hey, Cheryl, cut

321
00:23:37.960 --> 00:23:41.400
the music. I have an announcement to make, Floyd said,

322
00:23:41.400 --> 00:23:45.440
with an impish grin that defied his normal stoic appearance.

323
00:23:46.160 --> 00:23:50.079
Sure thing, Cheryl said, as she stopped Rudolph the Red

324
00:23:50.119 --> 00:23:53.559
Nosed Reindeer before the crowd could sing about his place

325
00:23:53.640 --> 00:23:58.519
in history. Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen, if I can

326
00:23:58.640 --> 00:24:03.160
direct your attention to the Christmas tree, please, Santa's helper,

327
00:24:03.480 --> 00:24:07.240
Carol Tatum, seems to be ready to distribute the gifts.

328
00:24:08.559 --> 00:24:12.480
Carol's face went slack as she rose from the base

329
00:24:12.519 --> 00:24:18.440
of the tree. She wanted to kill Floyd. Ho ho ho,

330
00:24:19.400 --> 00:24:23.160
Santa Pete bellowed. He thought he missed his cue, so

331
00:24:23.680 --> 00:24:26.720
it didn't come out as jovial as he would have liked.

332
00:24:27.480 --> 00:24:30.880
She couldn't help it. Carol stormed out in anger, and

333
00:24:31.000 --> 00:24:34.720
Floyd smiled as he watched her exit. The bitch was

334
00:24:34.799 --> 00:24:38.119
finally going to get hers, and he followed her out.

335
00:24:39.279 --> 00:24:45.440
This didn't miss Santa Pete's or Butcher's observation. Nobody else noticed.

336
00:24:46.000 --> 00:24:50.839
Eggnog and booze had the party goers feeling pretty all right.

337
00:24:57.119 --> 00:25:01.119
My god, what an asshole? Care Carl screamed as she

338
00:25:01.160 --> 00:25:04.680
sat behind the wheel of her Nissan Sentra. It was

339
00:25:04.720 --> 00:25:08.720
still early, but she wasn't going back in there. Carol

340
00:25:08.880 --> 00:25:11.920
was going to have a long talk with Pete. She

341
00:25:12.119 --> 00:25:15.279
was going to lay down the ultimatum. It was either

342
00:25:15.400 --> 00:25:18.839
Floyd or her, and Carol would make the case on

343
00:25:19.000 --> 00:25:23.160
why it should be Floyd. Carol pulled out of the Augusta.

344
00:25:23.200 --> 00:25:27.480
Harold parking lot and drove away into the crisp December night.

345
00:25:28.319 --> 00:25:31.680
Unbeknownst to Carol, Floyd had beat her out of the

346
00:25:31.759 --> 00:25:37.279
parking lot. Carol's anger was reflected in her sobs as

347
00:25:37.319 --> 00:25:41.640
she drove home. She pulled into the dark driveway and

348
00:25:41.720 --> 00:25:43.880
felt the chill of the air as soon as she

349
00:25:44.000 --> 00:25:47.480
stepped from the car. He didn't have to call her

350
00:25:47.519 --> 00:25:51.240
out like that. She hated Floyd, and it was more

351
00:25:51.279 --> 00:25:55.759
than apparent the feeling was mutual. Carol unlocked the door

352
00:25:55.799 --> 00:25:59.519
to her home on Oak Street, walked inside and locked

353
00:25:59.559 --> 00:26:08.240
the door behind her. Leading A man on has consequences

354
00:26:08.680 --> 00:26:11.799
is what Floyd thought. As he parked on Pine Street,

355
00:26:12.000 --> 00:26:16.160
one street over from Oak. He cut through Luis Utley's

356
00:26:16.200 --> 00:26:20.039
backyard and crossed over to Oak. Being dressed in all

357
00:26:20.079 --> 00:26:25.319
black definitely had its advantages in this moment. Floyd moved

358
00:26:25.400 --> 00:26:28.519
quickly to the back of Carol's home, where he let

359
00:26:28.559 --> 00:26:33.680
himself in through her back bedroom window. He had promised

360
00:26:33.680 --> 00:26:36.240
to replace the latch on it when they were seeing

361
00:26:36.279 --> 00:26:40.680
each other. It latched, but it was loose latched. All

362
00:26:40.720 --> 00:26:42.559
you had to do to free it was jiggle the

363
00:26:42.599 --> 00:26:45.680
window up and down for a few seconds and the

364
00:26:45.759 --> 00:26:49.920
latch would work itself loose. Floyd wondered if she had

365
00:26:49.920 --> 00:26:53.559
had it fixed in the two year interim, and true

366
00:26:53.720 --> 00:26:59.000
to typical Valley protocol, she had not. Floyd climbed into

367
00:26:59.000 --> 00:27:08.920
her bedroom and waited. Carol placed her phone in keys

368
00:27:09.000 --> 00:27:12.440
on the coffee table before she marched to the bathroom.

369
00:27:13.240 --> 00:27:16.160
She just wanted to take a shower and go to bed.

370
00:27:16.759 --> 00:27:21.640
She'd deal with Floyd tomorrow. She removed her sexy elf dress,

371
00:27:22.119 --> 00:27:25.400
let it fall to the floor, and turned on the shower.

372
00:27:26.400 --> 00:27:30.200
She stepped in and tried to wash away the embarrassment.

373
00:27:31.440 --> 00:27:36.559
As the steam rose, she questioned herself, was what he

374
00:27:36.640 --> 00:27:41.319
did really that bad? She was kneeling under the tree,

375
00:27:41.400 --> 00:27:45.240
she was dressed as an elf. Floyd may have genuinely

376
00:27:45.359 --> 00:27:48.119
thought that is what she was supposed to do and

377
00:27:48.319 --> 00:27:52.720
was just helping to move the proceedings along. Her dislike

378
00:27:52.799 --> 00:27:56.960
of him after that dreaded proposal at Langley Pond had

379
00:27:57.000 --> 00:28:01.960
grown to unreasonable proportions. The man wanted to marry her.

380
00:28:01.960 --> 00:28:06.680
For God's sake. Carol was evaluating her position and adjusting

381
00:28:06.720 --> 00:28:11.359
her tone. She would indeed have a conversation tomorrow, but

382
00:28:12.000 --> 00:28:15.920
it wouldn't be with Pete. It would be with Floyd,

383
00:28:16.240 --> 00:28:19.960
and she would apologize. They would bury the hatchet to

384
00:28:20.440 --> 00:28:25.079
at the very least salvage a decent work environment. He

385
00:28:25.160 --> 00:28:28.559
did save her from busting her ass and embarrassing herself

386
00:28:28.880 --> 00:28:33.680
in front of Ronda and Amy. Everything was mostly her fault,

387
00:28:34.119 --> 00:28:38.160
and standing naked being hit with near scalding water. Carol

388
00:28:38.240 --> 00:28:45.000
finally came to that realization. Floyd heard the water on

389
00:28:45.559 --> 00:28:49.799
and sat in silent rage as he resisted the urge

390
00:28:49.839 --> 00:28:53.680
to leave the bedroom and go all Norman Bates on

391
00:28:53.759 --> 00:28:59.839
her in the shower. He sat in silence. The shower

392
00:29:00.079 --> 00:29:08.799
turned off, and he heard the curtain slide. Carol dried

393
00:29:08.839 --> 00:29:12.920
her body, brushed her teeth, and gave a quick gargle

394
00:29:12.960 --> 00:29:17.920
with mouthwash. There was an oversized teal night shirt hanging

395
00:29:18.000 --> 00:29:20.839
on the edge of the towel rack. She pulled it

396
00:29:20.839 --> 00:29:25.200
over her head and yawned. She just needed a good

397
00:29:25.279 --> 00:29:28.680
night's sleep. Tomorrow was going to be big for her.

398
00:29:29.640 --> 00:29:32.039
She needed to do the right thing to move on

399
00:29:32.240 --> 00:29:36.160
with her life. With her hair still damp from the shower,

400
00:29:36.880 --> 00:29:40.000
Carol turned off the lights and went to bed.

401
00:29:41.920 --> 00:29:44.400
Did you hear that? Better check the locks on your

402
00:29:44.480 --> 00:29:47.920
doors weekly, Spooky, We'll be right back.

403
00:29:51.039 --> 00:29:56.440
Floyd stood over Carol. He remembered her gentle snore and

404
00:29:56.519 --> 00:29:59.759
it sent a longing through him, but he would never

405
00:30:00.079 --> 00:30:05.759
forced himself on anyone ever. He reached into his pocket.

406
00:30:06.640 --> 00:30:10.200
The Jared box was there. She was going to wear

407
00:30:10.240 --> 00:30:15.359
it one way or the other. Before he left Floyd

408
00:30:15.440 --> 00:30:20.079
knelt beside the bed. Carol was a side sleeper. He

409
00:30:20.160 --> 00:30:23.079
put his face right in front of hers. He could

410
00:30:23.160 --> 00:30:27.720
smell mint from the scope mouthwash. Floyd set the jewelry

411
00:30:27.759 --> 00:30:31.759
box on the nightstand beside a long handled kitchen knife

412
00:30:32.319 --> 00:30:35.960
he pulled from the block. He placed his hand on

413
00:30:36.039 --> 00:30:41.160
her shoulder and gave it a gentle shake. Her eyes

414
00:30:41.240 --> 00:30:43.839
opened wide, and she was about to let out a

415
00:30:43.920 --> 00:30:48.519
scream when he placed his gloved hand over her mouth.

416
00:30:49.880 --> 00:30:57.000
Sh Floyd began, and she stopped. This isn't going to

417
00:30:57.119 --> 00:31:00.720
take very long. He grabbed the knife with his free

418
00:31:00.799 --> 00:31:05.000
hand and held it to her neck. If you scream,

419
00:31:05.400 --> 00:31:08.599
when I remove my hand, I'm going to slit your throat,

420
00:31:09.680 --> 00:31:13.920
Floyd said, with a calmness that frightened Carol to her core.

421
00:31:15.079 --> 00:31:18.720
She didn't know this version of Floyd. She had never

422
00:31:18.839 --> 00:31:23.680
seen this version of Floyd. She nodded, and he pulled

423
00:31:23.720 --> 00:31:28.440
his hand away from her mouth. Oh shit, Floyd, I'm sorry,

424
00:31:28.599 --> 00:31:33.799
I really am. It's not that serious. Not that serious.

425
00:31:34.240 --> 00:31:36.960
I asked you to marry me, and you acted like

426
00:31:37.000 --> 00:31:41.079
I was a leper, Floyd replied, trying his best to

427
00:31:41.119 --> 00:31:46.480
temper his rising anger. That's not what I meant. I

428
00:31:46.559 --> 00:31:49.440
know it was serious. I mean I shouldn't have acted

429
00:31:49.519 --> 00:31:53.200
like that afterward. I could have been better instead of

430
00:31:53.799 --> 00:31:57.440
blowing it out of proportion. I swear to God that

431
00:31:57.519 --> 00:32:00.720
I made up my mind to apologize to you tomorrow.

432
00:32:02.200 --> 00:32:05.160
If you just leave now, I won't say shit to anybody.

433
00:32:06.000 --> 00:32:09.599
It'll be water under the bridge. I promise you, Floyd,

434
00:32:10.160 --> 00:32:16.079
no bullshit, Carol said as convincingly as she could, and

435
00:32:16.160 --> 00:32:20.480
she truly meant every word. She wasn't going to say

436
00:32:20.519 --> 00:32:28.960
anything if Floyd just left. Floyd didn't leave afraid. It's

437
00:32:29.000 --> 00:32:32.359
a bit too late for that. It's funny, don't you

438
00:32:32.440 --> 00:32:38.640
think that we drew each other's names? Crazy coincidence, Floyd said,

439
00:32:38.680 --> 00:32:44.799
as he handed Carol the Jared's box. Open it, he commanded.

440
00:32:45.759 --> 00:32:49.279
Floyd moved the knife away from her neck, but kept

441
00:32:49.319 --> 00:32:52.799
it trained on her as she flipped open the box.

442
00:32:53.960 --> 00:32:59.440
The full carrot diamond engagement ring was beautiful. Carol's eyes

443
00:32:59.519 --> 00:33:04.359
filled with tears, and they weren't tears of joy. Put

444
00:33:04.400 --> 00:33:09.400
it on, Floyd said. Carol took a measured breath and

445
00:33:09.519 --> 00:33:12.359
lifted it from its box and placed it on the

446
00:33:12.400 --> 00:33:17.480
ring finger of her left hand. Floyd, please, you know

447
00:33:17.599 --> 00:33:22.319
I still can't marry you, Carol replied. She couldn't believe

448
00:33:22.400 --> 00:33:26.599
she was actually saying it. Her survival instinct was for shit,

449
00:33:26.960 --> 00:33:29.319
as her mind was screaming at her to say yes.

450
00:33:30.200 --> 00:33:33.079
They could get married right then if he wanted, but

451
00:33:33.200 --> 00:33:38.279
her emotions always seemed to override reasonable thought. Oh no,

452
00:33:39.119 --> 00:33:42.880
I'm not asking you to marry me again. That ship

453
00:33:42.960 --> 00:33:46.680
is sailed. I just wanted to see how the ring

454
00:33:46.799 --> 00:33:49.759
looked on you before I give it to the next

455
00:33:49.880 --> 00:33:54.279
lucky young woman, Floyd replied as he quickly jumped on

456
00:33:54.400 --> 00:33:57.960
top of her, pinning her to the mattress. The knife

457
00:33:57.960 --> 00:34:01.599
clanged onto the floor, and Floyd had both hands firmly

458
00:34:01.640 --> 00:34:06.559
gripped around Carol's demure neck. He would watch the life

459
00:34:06.920 --> 00:34:10.679
flee from her eyes before he collected the ring and

460
00:34:10.760 --> 00:34:14.880
moved on with his life. Carol's eyes were bugging as

461
00:34:14.960 --> 00:34:19.079
blood vessels began to burst. She was bucking, but Floyd's

462
00:34:19.119 --> 00:34:22.760
weight was too much. He was straddled across her torso

463
00:34:23.280 --> 00:34:26.320
so she was kicking nothing but air, and the energy

464
00:34:26.360 --> 00:34:30.480
of those kicks was quickly fading away. Floyd was in

465
00:34:30.519 --> 00:34:33.800
a frenzy of rage, and it wouldn't be long now.

466
00:34:34.639 --> 00:34:39.400
Carol would be in his rear view mirror. There are consequences,

467
00:34:40.119 --> 00:34:43.719
is what Floyd was thinking. When the knife pierced him

468
00:34:44.079 --> 00:34:48.760
underneath the left shoulder blade. Floyd released his grip and

469
00:34:48.920 --> 00:34:54.039
spun to see Santa Pete holding the long handled kitchen knife.

470
00:34:54.079 --> 00:34:57.960
In the chaos, Floyd didn't hear Santa Pete unlock the

471
00:34:58.000 --> 00:35:01.400
front door with the spare key caerl had trusted him

472
00:35:01.440 --> 00:35:04.440
with years ago when she had gone on a cruise.

473
00:35:05.480 --> 00:35:09.480
Blood was spewing from Floyd's back, but he had enough

474
00:35:09.519 --> 00:35:13.679
gumption to take out this fat boy before he bled out.

475
00:35:14.360 --> 00:35:18.320
Santa Pete swung again with the knife and Floyd blocked it,

476
00:35:18.920 --> 00:35:22.760
knocking the knife back to the floor. He punched Santa

477
00:35:22.840 --> 00:35:26.320
Pete with a straight right hand to the face, immediately

478
00:35:26.400 --> 00:35:31.320
shattering Santa Pete's jolly red nose. Santa Pete stumbled to

479
00:35:31.400 --> 00:35:34.280
the floor and was met with a foot to the

480
00:35:34.320 --> 00:35:37.719
side of his dome. Carol was still on the bed,

481
00:35:38.079 --> 00:35:42.480
gasping desperately for air. She needed to get to the knife,

482
00:35:42.480 --> 00:35:45.440
but her mind could not will her body to move.

483
00:35:46.559 --> 00:35:49.519
Floyd spat on Santa Pete as he gave him a

484
00:35:49.559 --> 00:35:52.880
stern kick to the ribs before leaning over to grab

485
00:35:52.920 --> 00:35:57.760
the knife. He turned his attention back to Carol. Guess

486
00:35:57.760 --> 00:36:02.480
we all gotta go? Huh, Floyd asked as he raised

487
00:36:02.480 --> 00:36:05.840
the knife above his head. He was going to slash

488
00:36:05.840 --> 00:36:11.000
her up Michael Meyers's style. A shot rang out and

489
00:36:11.119 --> 00:36:15.440
the front of Floyd's head exploded, with bone, brain, and

490
00:36:15.599 --> 00:36:21.880
gore covering Carol's face and neck. Butch walked into the room.

491
00:36:22.840 --> 00:36:26.199
Santa Pete was struggling to breathe with a broken face

492
00:36:26.519 --> 00:36:31.000
and equally broken ribs. Carol was staring at the ceiling

493
00:36:31.119 --> 00:36:36.599
in shock. This shit could not be real. Butch knelt

494
00:36:36.639 --> 00:36:41.480
beside Santa Pete and said, I think your plan to

495
00:36:41.679 --> 00:36:45.360
rig Secret Santa. So they drew each other didn't quite

496
00:36:45.360 --> 00:36:51.760
work out. Santa Pete flipped Butch off, and Carol cackled hysterically.

497
00:36:52.719 --> 00:37:06.079
Her brain was wrecked. Butch called nine one one, fuck Secrets, Santa. Well,

498
00:37:06.079 --> 00:37:09.360
my Spooky's it looks like it's a wonderful life, had

499
00:37:09.400 --> 00:37:13.960
it right? No man or woman is a failure who

500
00:37:14.039 --> 00:37:17.639
has friends that will save you from a psychotic ex

501
00:37:17.679 --> 00:37:20.719
on Christmas Eve. I swear that film gets more topical

502
00:37:20.760 --> 00:37:22.840
every time I watch it. I just love it. And

503
00:37:22.880 --> 00:37:25.599
a big thank you to Charles Campbell for tonight's story.

504
00:37:26.159 --> 00:37:30.880
Very fun, very scary, very merry, and the suspense really

505
00:37:30.920 --> 00:37:33.360
had me going all the way through, and I hope

506
00:37:33.400 --> 00:37:36.719
you all enjoyed it too. And in the topic of

507
00:37:36.960 --> 00:37:40.239
gifts for the season, I want to mention that this Monday,

508
00:37:40.599 --> 00:37:44.400
we'll have a very special episode of Weekly Spooky from

509
00:37:44.559 --> 00:37:48.679
Rob Fields, another trip to Strickfield as we celebrate Christmas

510
00:37:48.760 --> 00:37:53.320
Eve for babysitters. And on Tuesday, we'll have another episode

511
00:37:53.400 --> 00:37:56.639
of Cutting Deep into Horror for you all to enjoy,

512
00:37:56.679 --> 00:38:00.639
where we talk about a more recent holiday horror classic

513
00:38:01.039 --> 00:38:03.760
that I know you'll love. And on Wednesday, we head

514
00:38:03.800 --> 00:38:07.639
back to Strickfield for Christmas at Murder Mansion. So make

515
00:38:07.679 --> 00:38:10.360
sure you're subscribed because you are not going to want

516
00:38:10.360 --> 00:38:13.519
to miss the weeks leading up to Christmas. And I

517
00:38:13.519 --> 00:38:15.280
want to say an extra special thank you to our

518
00:38:15.320 --> 00:38:19.119
Patreon podcast boosters, folks who go to Weeklyspooky dot com

519
00:38:19.119 --> 00:38:21.840
slash join and pay just a little bit more every

520
00:38:21.880 --> 00:38:24.280
month to hear their names at the end of the show.

521
00:38:24.599 --> 00:38:28.679
And they are Jessica Fuller, Johnny Nicks, Jenny Green, Amber Hansford,

522
00:38:28.760 --> 00:38:32.159
Brent McCullough, Karen, we met Jack Kerr and Craig Cohen,

523
00:38:32.199 --> 00:38:34.039
and if you want to join them, just go to

524
00:38:34.039 --> 00:38:37.480
Weeklyspooky dot com slash join. For as little as one

525
00:38:37.519 --> 00:38:40.679
dollar a month, you get bonus episodes every month, including

526
00:38:40.719 --> 00:38:43.360
all of the ones from the past in audiobook form

527
00:38:43.480 --> 00:38:46.559
and a whole lot more. And for fifteen dollars a

528
00:38:46.599 --> 00:38:48.599
month or higher, you can hear your name at the

529
00:38:48.679 --> 00:38:50.880
end of the show. Now, my friends, it's time for

530
00:38:50.920 --> 00:38:52.400
me to get back to work. There is so much

531
00:38:52.440 --> 00:38:55.000
to do before the big Christmas Day. Thank you so

532
00:38:55.119 --> 00:38:58.440
much for helping me stay scary all through the holidays,

533
00:38:58.599 --> 00:39:01.639
for myself, for my executive producers Rob Fields, Mark Shields

534
00:39:01.639 --> 00:39:04.280
and Bubbletopia dot Com, my producer Dan Wilder, and my

535
00:39:04.320 --> 00:39:07.960
composer Ray Maddis. I'll talk at you tomorrow. Thank you

536
00:39:08.039 --> 00:39:09.119
for listening things.

537
00:39:09.719 --> 00:39:13.440
Make sure to find your way back next week. But

538
00:39:13.599 --> 00:39:18.159
for now you are safe, trust me.