Nov. 19, 2025

I'm From a Small Town That No Longer Exists: Small-Town Horror & Government Cover-Up

I'm From a Small Town That No Longer Exists: Small-Town Horror & Government Cover-Up
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Weekly Spooky horror podcast presents a chilling small-town disappearance tale of possession, control, and a ruthless government cover-up. In the rural Midwest, people begin staring without blinking, neighbors vanish and return… wrong, and a hovering light seals the town off from the world.

What follows is a desperate run through cornfields, soldiers, fences, and a mystery scrubbed from history. If you crave alien-or-demonic takeover vibes, X-Files energy, and conspiracy horror, press play and keep your eyes moving.

I'm from a Small Town That No Longer Exists — by Michael Kelso.
You can purchase books from this author here: https://geni.us/michaelkelsoauthor
https://www.reddit.com/user/Horror_writer_1717/

This episode of This Week in Horror History is brought to you by Savorista Coffee. If you love big spooky flavors without the jitters, head to Savorista.com and use promo code SPOOKY at checkout for 25% off your order. Every purchase supports the show directly — treat yourself to better coffee and help keep the spooky stories coming!

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

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📬 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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Your mother stops blinking, your father stops speaking. By midnight,

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the whole town is frozen, staring at light that hovers

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over the road. The door behind you opens, A voice whispers,

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We'll come back for you.

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

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You will experience tales over over, ghosts and death. It

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is not recommended for the weeded.

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Heart listeners in the dark ark It's more fun than

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way way Way.

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This is Weekly Speaking.

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Hello, my spookys, It's Wednesday, and you know what that means.

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It's time for a little spooky in your Weekly. I'm

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your host and narrator, Enrique Kuto, and tonight we're heading

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off to a small town that no longer exists and

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we are going to find out why. But first, I

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want to thank you so much for joining us on

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our spooky excursions even after Halloween is over, because here

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at Weekly Spooky Halloween is a way of life, not

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a date on the calendar, and we have so so

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many scares coming for you this holiday season. So make

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sure you're subscribed on your favorite podcasting app, and make

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make sure to come back on Friday as we drop

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a massive Thanksgiving horror story compilation, and of course, next Wednesday,

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we have a brand new Thanksgiving horror story courtesy of

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David O'Hanlon. This episode is brought to you by Save

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Airista Coffee. Head to save Aista dot com and use

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promo code Spooky to get twenty five percent off your

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first order. We really appreciate all the spookies who are

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supporting save Arista. When you use our code, it supports

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the podcast directly. So if you want delicious premium high

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grade coffee without the caffeine jitters, head to save Arista

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dot com and use promo code Spooky. But now, as

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for tonight, imagine a quiet Midwestern town where the loudest

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sound is wind through the corn. Now we imagine the

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wind stopping and the people stopping with it. What if

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the neighbors you trust became watchers and the rescue at

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your door wasn't meant for you. What if the map

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erased your hometown because something else wrote its name there.

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First tonight, we head to a place that no longer

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exists and discover the secret that made it. I'm from

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a small town that no longer exists by Michael Kelso.

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I'm from a small Midwestern town I'm sure you've never

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heard of and you never will. It wasn't even a

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dot on the map, just seven hundred and sixty one

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people on their own in the middle of nowhere. That's

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why I'm telling this story, so that someone knows what

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happened here. I remember as a kid we used to

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play in the cornfield all the time. We lived on

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a farm just outside of town. The sidewalk literally began

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one block away from our house. It wasn't much a

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single main street with a general store, drug store, and

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a hardware store. The grocery store and diner were around

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the corner, just off of the main street. The only

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reason we had a post office was because the nearest

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town was twenty miles away. It was the kind of

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place even Norman Rockwell would miss if he drove through.

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My brother and sister and I didn't have a lot

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of toys or games, so we played hide and seek

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almost non stop with a few of the other neighborhood kids.

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We tried playing around the house, but with their usually

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being six or seven of us, it was just too easy.

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The best time was during the summer, after the corn

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got above our heads. Nobody wanted to be the seeker then,

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because it was literally impossible to find anyone, games would

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go on for hours with no one found. Our mom

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would have to come out and yell for us to

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come in for meals. The best part of hiding was

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when the seeker walked right past you. The excitement and

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sheer terror as you held your breath and tried to

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stay as still as possible. It was incomparable. I'd nearly

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pee my pants if the seeker stopped right beside me.

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There was that moment when you didn't know if they

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had no clue where you were, or if they knew

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and were just toying around with you. There were a

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couple of times when the seeker was indeed toying with me,

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and they would just stop right beside me, right where

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I was hiding, then take a step or two and

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lunge back and grab me. I screamed both times, not

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the oh you got me squeal that kids do, I

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mean serious, blood curdling everyone is trying to murder me scream.

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My mother came running to make sure I was okay,

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and I got in trouble for scaring her so badly.

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I usually had to sit out the next turn as

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punishment watching the corn stalk sway and bend as the

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pursuers hunted down their prey. The fun suddenly changed when

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the strangers came to town. I remember there were a

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lot of strangers around during that time in my life.

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By strangers, I don't mean people who act odd. They

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acted much more than odd. Remember when you were a

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kid and you dressed up as a superhero. This was

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the same, only these people seemed to be dressed up

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pretending to be people. It was weird. We would go

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to town and some of them would just be standing around,

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pretending to be nonchalant. They were staring at nothing. Not

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the thousand miles stare some people have, but literally staring

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at the strangest things. An old man in a rocking

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chair in front of the general store would sit staring

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at an unlit street light in the middle of the day.

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A man leaning against a door frame was staring at

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his hand as though he had never seen it before.

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Odd things like that became more and more commonplace, and

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the people who lived in the town their entire lives

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started to notice as well. The strangers were approached and

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asked who they were and where they were from. They

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would answer without taking their eyes off the object they

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were focused on. They said they were from a ways

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off and were traveling to their homeland. That seemed to

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appease people for a while. Weeks later, when they were

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still hanging around, folks started to get anxious. My parents

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told us kids that the strangers were down on their

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luck and hadn't done anything wrong. That's what they said

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to our faces, But behind closed doors, I got the

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feeling they weren't so optimistic. I went to the bathroom

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one night and had to pass my parents' bedroom to

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get there. I overheard them talking about the strangers, and

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Dad saying he would keep the gun loaded in case

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they ever came around. It seemed odd that these strangers

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had never done anything wrong and yet were the subject

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of such hushed tones and conversations spoken in fear. I

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remember when our neighbor, mister Hutchins went missing. He was

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a nice older man in his sixties or seventies. I

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think he always gave out full size candy bars on Halloween.

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He used to be out every morning early tending to

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his ans animals. We'd see him when we were on

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our way to school, and he'd always wave to us.

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One morning, he just wasn't there. We didn't think much

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of it at the time. We thought maybe he was

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sick or something. In the evening, he wasn't there either.

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We told Mom about it, but she said he was

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probably in town getting groceries or farm supplies. The next morning,

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when we went to school, there was still no mister Hutchins.

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When we told Mom after school, she decided to go

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visit in case he had fallen. When there was no

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answer at the door and the animals were out roaming,

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Mom decided it was time to call the sheriff. Mom

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tried to show us inside when the sheriff's car show

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showed up, but we went upstairs to Bobby's room and

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watched out the window. The sheriff knocked and called for

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mister Hutchins, then went inside. He was in there for

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a long time. We started thinking one of mister hutchins

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dogs had chewed him up or something. When the sheriff

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finally came back out, he got into his car and

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used the radio. The next thing we know, three more

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sheriff's cars show up, and they start going in and

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out of the house and barn like a swarm of

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angry bees. I never could have imagined what they found.

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We asked Mom about it at supper, and she wasn't

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too pleased that we had been snooping. Dad was out

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of town doing his delayies, but he would have told

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us to mind our own business and stay out of

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others affairs. Mom told us the sheriff didn't know where

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mister Hutchins had gone to, but his truck was still there,

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so he couldn't have gotten far. They said he might

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have had a spell and wandered off. They looked for

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him for two days, then suddenly he showed up at

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his house as if nothing had happened. We were happy

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he was back, but curious where he'd been. After he

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came home, he just sat on his porch and stared

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at the tree in his front yard. We went over

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to visit him and asked him where he'd been. He

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just kept staring at the tree like we weren't even there.

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Mister Hutchins, I said, yes, he said, staring at the tree.

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How are you, sir? I asked. He didn't answer right away,

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his stare never wavered. Finally he replied, good. We were

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wondering where you had gone, sir. Bobby said, I was,

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He seemed to struggle with the right word. Away. Well,

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we're glad you're back, sir, Candace said, do you need

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any help with your animals? Animals? He repeated, as if

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the word was unfamiliar to him. Yes, sir, taking care

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of your animals like we've done before, she said. He

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didn't reply, just stared at the tree. I looked at

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Bobby and Catherine. They both seemed as shocked as I

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was that he was ignoring us. We'd always been on

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good terms with mister Hutchins. There were times we would

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help out around his farm and with his animals. He

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would reward us with some money or some treats, but

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always he was grateful for the help. I waved my

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hand in front of his eyes and he didn't blink.

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We shook our heads and walked away. When we got home,

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we told Mom how he was acting. We told her

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we thought something was wrong with him, like he was sick.

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Mom told us to leave him alone, that he'd had

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a hard time and we shouldn't be pestering him. But

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we soon had more to worry about. We played hide

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and seek all weekend when we weren't doing our chores.

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It was the last fun weekend of my childhood. We

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went to school on Monday and got a nasty shock.

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One of my classmates and buddies that I hung with

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was Mike. When I got to class, Mike was already

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in his seat, staring at the blackboard. Morning Mike, I said,

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he didn't move or speak. What's up with you? I asked,

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you stay up too late last night? No, he said,

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still staring. So what's with the zombie routine? I said,

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you practicing for Halloween? No, he said, not blinking. Okay,

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so you're playing a joke on me. Ha ha, very funny.

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You can return to Earth now, Zombie Mike. He didn't

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move and stop talking whatever man I said, and let

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him play his game. All through class. He didn't say

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a word. Even when the teacher called on him. He

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just sat there and stared at the board. She chided

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him for ignoring her, But then when she came over

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to his desk and waved her hand in front of

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his eyes, he didn't blink. Mike, she said, he didn't answer.

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I haven't seen him move in over an hour, I explained.

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She took him to the nurse, mumbling that maybe he'd

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had a stroke. When the teacher returned. She was alone

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and very rattled. She made us read for the rest

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of the period while we heard her out in the

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hallway discussing Mike's odd behavior with another teacher. Mike never

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came to class that day. When class ended, I approached her.

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How's Mike, I asked. She seemed nervous. I I'm not sure,

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she said, Is he okay? I don't know, she said,

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getting up and walking to the door. If you want

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to know any more about him, you'll have to ask

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his parents. She held the door open as I walked

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through it, then shut it and went back to her desk.

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I saw her pick up her phone. She didn't look

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very happy as she talked. I went home, confused and

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concern for my friend. I asked mom if I could

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go over to Mike's house to check on him. She

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told me to go over and come back in an

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hour for supper. As I walked down the street towards

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Mike's I saw more people standing around, staring at nothing.

224
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It was like they had paused in the middle of

225
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whatever they were doing and found something extremely interesting. It was.

226
00:18:30.599 --> 00:18:35.519
It was creepy. When I knocked on Mike's door, his

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Mom answered, Oh, hey, Bill, She said, Mike isn't feeling

228
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well right now. I know, I said, I saw him

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at school today and he was acting weird. I just

230
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wanted to check and see if he was okay. She

231
00:18:55.400 --> 00:19:01.200
glanced inside the house. I don't know if you would

232
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call it okay or not. Is he still acting like

233
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a zombie? I said, expecting her to laugh. She shot

234
00:19:11.920 --> 00:19:17.720
me a horrified look. Maybe you should come in and

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see for yourself. I stepped inside and she led me

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back to his room. He was standing there in the

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middle of the floor, looking up at the light fixture.

238
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It wasn't even turned on. Hey, buddy, I said, just

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came by to see how you're doing. Good, he said,

240
00:19:54.839 --> 00:19:59.119
still staring. I was a little worried about you, the

241
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way you were acting at school today. He stood silent. Okay, Mike,

242
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whatever game you're playing, you win. Now it's time to

243
00:20:10.039 --> 00:20:14.599
snap out of it and be normal again. His gaze

244
00:20:15.480 --> 00:20:20.160
slowly slid down from the light and landed on me.

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Normal he said, slowly, yeah, normal, you know, like everyone else.

246
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He didn't answer, but his stare freaked me out. It

247
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was like he was looking at me, but not looking

248
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at me at the same time. You know what, Mike,

249
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I've had it with this stupid game. If you don't

250
00:20:47.160 --> 00:20:54.240
quit it, we're not friends anymore. Friends, he said, staring

251
00:20:54.319 --> 00:20:58.880
through me. Yes, friends, You and I have been friends

252
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for years and you know that. He stood, silent and unmoving. Okay,

253
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I'm done, I said, walking out of the room. His

254
00:21:11.079 --> 00:21:15.359
mom followed me. Are you really not going to be

255
00:21:15.440 --> 00:21:20.000
friends with him anymore? She asked, I was trying to

256
00:21:20.039 --> 00:21:24.240
get him to quit playing, I said, peeking around the

257
00:21:24.319 --> 00:21:28.319
corner to see Mike staring at the spot where I

258
00:21:28.480 --> 00:21:32.960
had been standing. Did the nurse say anything about what

259
00:21:33.279 --> 00:21:37.000
could have happened? She said, it might have been a stroke,

260
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but his vital signs say everything is fine. This is

261
00:21:42.799 --> 00:21:48.960
too weird, I said, he's acting just like like who?

262
00:21:49.000 --> 00:21:53.000
She said, as I rushed out the door, like who,

263
00:21:53.200 --> 00:21:57.559
she called after me. I ran to mister Hutchin's house

264
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and found him sitting on the poor or. He was

265
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staring at the tree, like the day we came to

266
00:22:04.279 --> 00:22:10.240
talk to him. Mister Hutchins, I said, what happened when

267
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you disappeared? He didn't respond, Mister Hutchins, I said, grabbing

268
00:22:16.480 --> 00:22:19.680
him and giving him a little shake. I need to know.

269
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His head slumped forward. I jumped back. Mister Hutchins, I said, slowly,

270
00:22:29.880 --> 00:22:34.440
approaching him again. I reached for his neck to feel

271
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for a pulse. I waited a long time before realizing

272
00:22:40.759 --> 00:22:46.000
there was none. As I pulled my hand away, he

273
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grabbed it. I jumped, trying to get away, but his

274
00:22:51.720 --> 00:22:58.400
grip was too strong. He stared into my eyes. Normal,

275
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he said, in a raspy voice that I didn't recognize.

276
00:23:05.920 --> 00:23:12.359
Then he slumped over again. When he released me, I

277
00:23:12.519 --> 00:23:17.920
ran home. Mom, Mom, I said, as I burst in

278
00:23:18.000 --> 00:23:24.279
the door, Billy, what is it. It's mister Hutchins. Has

279
00:23:24.319 --> 00:23:30.240
he gone missing again? She said, no, I think he's dead.

280
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She stopped making supper and turned slowly toward me. Dead. Yes,

281
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how do you know? I explained what happened with Mike

282
00:23:45.559 --> 00:23:49.119
and how I went to mister Hutchins's house after I

283
00:23:49.240 --> 00:23:54.359
told her what happened there, and she got this far off. Look,

284
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stay here, she said, walking out of the door. I

285
00:24:01.400 --> 00:24:05.480
watched her walk over to mister hutchins house. I saw

286
00:24:05.559 --> 00:24:09.359
her look at the body. Then I saw her cover

287
00:24:09.480 --> 00:24:14.599
her mouth and run home. When she burst in the door,

288
00:24:14.720 --> 00:24:18.359
she went straight for the phone and called nine one

289
00:24:18.480 --> 00:24:23.160
one within fifteen minutes. There were just as many flashing

290
00:24:23.279 --> 00:24:26.640
lights at his house as the day he went missing.

291
00:24:27.559 --> 00:24:31.039
The sheriff asked me some questions about it. I don't

292
00:24:31.079 --> 00:24:34.359
think he believed me about the grabbing and talking part.

293
00:24:35.240 --> 00:24:40.839
He said, mister Hutchins had been dead for hours. When

294
00:24:40.880 --> 00:24:44.720
he was done, we finally had supper. None of us

295
00:24:44.799 --> 00:24:50.240
talked much except for asking to pass the food. After supper,

296
00:24:50.319 --> 00:24:52.559
I went to my room and lay on my bed,

297
00:24:53.519 --> 00:24:58.079
staring at the ceiling and wondering what was going on.

298
00:24:59.559 --> 00:25:04.079
Before I I knew it, I had fallen asleep. When

299
00:25:04.079 --> 00:25:06.960
I woke up, I was surprised that I was still

300
00:25:07.000 --> 00:25:10.599
in my clothes from the day before and had slept

301
00:25:10.640 --> 00:25:14.559
on top of my blanket. Usually if I fall asleep

302
00:25:14.720 --> 00:25:18.759
like this, Mom comes in and covers me up. She

303
00:25:18.920 --> 00:25:23.519
must have been tired last night from all the excitement.

304
00:25:24.400 --> 00:25:27.599
I got up and went out to the kitchen. There

305
00:25:27.680 --> 00:25:32.319
was no one there and nothing cooking. That in itself

306
00:25:32.599 --> 00:25:36.000
was odd. Mom was always the first one up in

307
00:25:36.079 --> 00:25:41.200
the morning cooking breakfast. Even if we had just cereal,

308
00:25:41.839 --> 00:25:45.960
she was up making coffee for her and Dad. It

309
00:25:46.039 --> 00:25:49.759
was eerie walking into a dark kitchen and getting my

310
00:25:49.839 --> 00:25:53.880
own cereal. I expected her to show up at any moment,

311
00:25:55.039 --> 00:25:59.440
but she never did. Bobby and Catherine stumbled into the

312
00:25:59.519 --> 00:26:05.000
room and got their breakfast too. Is Mom sick or something,

313
00:26:05.759 --> 00:26:10.400
Catherine asked. I don't know, maybe she's just upset from

314
00:26:10.440 --> 00:26:16.519
the whole mister Hutchins thing, I said. Bobby just sat

315
00:26:16.559 --> 00:26:21.599
and munched on his cereal, half awake. We finished breakfast

316
00:26:21.599 --> 00:26:26.519
and got ready for school. Still no Mom. I went

317
00:26:26.559 --> 00:26:30.519
to their bedroom and peeked inside. Dad and Mom were

318
00:26:30.559 --> 00:26:36.400
both laying in bed, so I let them sleep. That

319
00:26:36.559 --> 00:26:42.119
school day was completely surreal. Half the kids were out sick.

320
00:26:42.920 --> 00:26:46.599
I'd never seen anything like it, except on the first

321
00:26:46.680 --> 00:26:50.519
day of deer season. Even a couple of the teachers

322
00:26:50.640 --> 00:26:55.960
just sat there staring like my cat. They didn't talk

323
00:26:56.000 --> 00:27:00.559
to us all day. We just sat there re or

324
00:27:01.160 --> 00:27:05.640
talking quietly to each other, hoping that no one would

325
00:27:05.720 --> 00:27:09.720
be loud enough to break the teacher out of her stupor.

326
00:27:11.279 --> 00:27:16.640
I knew something was wrong. The strangers had done something

327
00:27:16.720 --> 00:27:22.359
to make these people into these weird zombies. I wish

328
00:27:22.440 --> 00:27:25.359
I had another word for it, because I hadn't seen

329
00:27:25.400 --> 00:27:29.839
anyone trying to attack or bite anyone else, at least

330
00:27:30.920 --> 00:27:36.359
not yet. They just hang around like zombies before they attack.

331
00:27:37.599 --> 00:27:46.640
I just hoped the attack would never come. When we

332
00:27:46.720 --> 00:27:50.440
got home from school that day, Mom and Dad were

333
00:27:50.519 --> 00:27:54.480
still in bed. I went into their room and stood

334
00:27:54.599 --> 00:28:06.920
beside them. Mom's eyes were wide open, staring at the wall. Mom,

335
00:28:07.599 --> 00:28:14.359
I said, are you okay? Yes? She said, without blinking.

336
00:28:15.839 --> 00:28:21.400
Is dad okay? Yes? Have you been in bed all day?

337
00:28:22.839 --> 00:28:29.079
She didn't answer. Are you going to cook supper? She

338
00:28:29.240 --> 00:28:33.960
didn't answer. I waved my hand in front of her face,

339
00:28:35.200 --> 00:28:41.440
and she didn't blink. Please, Mom, please snap out of it.

340
00:28:41.519 --> 00:28:47.000
We need you. For the slightest moment, her eyes met

341
00:28:47.079 --> 00:28:53.000
mine and a single teardrop fell from her eye. Then

342
00:28:54.200 --> 00:29:01.559
she went back to staring at the wall. I went

343
00:29:01.680 --> 00:29:05.400
out and told Bobby and Catherine that they were still

344
00:29:05.440 --> 00:29:09.079
in bed and I didn't think they'd be coming out

345
00:29:09.480 --> 00:29:16.279
anytime soon. Should we call someone? Catherine asked, like who?

346
00:29:16.920 --> 00:29:23.680
Bobby said, I don't know the doctor. Maybe, she thought, okay,

347
00:29:24.200 --> 00:29:27.319
I said, pulling out the phone book and looking up

348
00:29:27.359 --> 00:29:32.119
the number for the doctor. I dialed and waited as

349
00:29:32.160 --> 00:29:39.480
it rang and rang, no one's answering. I said, who

350
00:29:39.519 --> 00:29:43.960
else can we call? She replied? We used to ask

351
00:29:44.039 --> 00:29:48.359
mister Hutchins for help when we needed it. Bobby solemnly said,

352
00:29:50.119 --> 00:29:55.680
a horrible thought suddenly struck me. You don't think mom

353
00:29:55.720 --> 00:29:59.720
and Dad will end up, I said, unable to finish

354
00:29:59.759 --> 00:30:07.839
the sentence, like mister Hutchins, Catherine said. I nodded. Bobby

355
00:30:07.920 --> 00:30:13.319
started to cry. We don't know that'll happen, Catherine said,

356
00:30:13.960 --> 00:30:17.960
mister Hutchins was old, much older than Mom and dad.

357
00:30:18.759 --> 00:30:23.839
Bobby sniffled a few times and stopped crying. So what

358
00:30:23.920 --> 00:30:28.680
do we do now, he asked. Let's make some sandwiches

359
00:30:28.759 --> 00:30:32.079
for us and for Mom and Dad. We can take

360
00:30:32.119 --> 00:30:36.279
them in and see if they're hungry. I suggested we

361
00:30:36.400 --> 00:30:41.599
did exactly that, but neither of them responded. They just

362
00:30:41.799 --> 00:30:46.400
laid in bed, staring at the walls. The three of

363
00:30:46.480 --> 00:30:50.960
us ate our sandwiches and put ourselves to bed. We

364
00:30:51.119 --> 00:30:54.599
agreed to call the doctor again in the morning, and

365
00:30:54.680 --> 00:30:59.240
if he didn't answer, we'd call the sheriff. None of

366
00:30:59.279 --> 00:31:02.440
us went straight to sleep that night. We were too

367
00:31:02.519 --> 00:31:07.200
worried about Mom and Dad. I was also worried about Mike.

368
00:31:08.200 --> 00:31:11.200
This whole thing seemed like it was something out of

369
00:31:11.240 --> 00:31:15.839
a late night movie. I couldn't imagine it being real.

370
00:31:17.000 --> 00:31:19.759
I kept trying to pinch myself to wake up from

371
00:31:19.799 --> 00:31:25.200
this bad dream. Before I knew it, I could hear

372
00:31:25.319 --> 00:31:29.799
my brother and sisters breathing settle into the rhythm of sleep.

373
00:31:31.000 --> 00:31:34.839
I smiled for the first time in a while, listening

374
00:31:34.839 --> 00:31:40.920
to them in peaceful slumber. As I listened, I heard

375
00:31:40.960 --> 00:31:47.319
another sound, floorboards creaking. I froze at the thought of

376
00:31:47.400 --> 00:31:50.920
a burglar breaking in and Dad not being able to

377
00:31:51.000 --> 00:31:56.440
do anything about it. The steps came closer. I huddled

378
00:31:56.519 --> 00:32:02.000
under my blanket for protection. The door open, I snuck

379
00:32:02.039 --> 00:32:08.279
a glance and felt immediate relief. It was Mom. She

380
00:32:08.480 --> 00:32:12.559
was still dressed in her night gown. She moved slowly

381
00:32:12.680 --> 00:32:17.359
to Catherine's bed and lifted her up. She turned and

382
00:32:17.519 --> 00:32:21.359
carried her out of the room. Then Dad came in

383
00:32:22.200 --> 00:32:28.640
and carried out Bobby. I got up and followed Mom. Dad.

384
00:32:29.400 --> 00:32:34.759
I said, where are you taking them? Mom already had

385
00:32:34.799 --> 00:32:40.279
the door open and was walking outside. Dad stopped and

386
00:32:40.440 --> 00:32:45.759
looked at me. Don't worry, he said, we'll come back

387
00:32:45.839 --> 00:32:50.759
for you. Then they walked out into the cool night.

388
00:32:52.440 --> 00:32:56.240
My blood froze. I didn't know where they were going,

389
00:32:56.319 --> 00:33:00.240
but I knew I didn't want to go there, I

390
00:33:00.319 --> 00:33:05.079
threw my shoes on and stepped outside. As I flew

391
00:33:05.160 --> 00:33:08.839
down the stairs, I saw a strange light at the

392
00:33:09.000 --> 00:33:12.799
end of our driveway. There were two silhouettes in it,

393
00:33:13.279 --> 00:33:17.119
and they were heading back toward the house. I squinted

394
00:33:17.200 --> 00:33:20.640
against the light, trying to see if it was my

395
00:33:20.839 --> 00:33:27.440
parents or whatever those things were that looked like my parents.

396
00:33:28.200 --> 00:33:31.720
As the figures grew closer, I could see they were

397
00:33:32.400 --> 00:33:36.559
empty handed. I stood in the middle of our yard,

398
00:33:36.599 --> 00:33:41.599
frozen with fear. I didn't know what to do. If

399
00:33:41.599 --> 00:33:44.759
I went back inside, they would find me and take

400
00:33:44.839 --> 00:33:49.759
me to be turned into a zombie too. I couldn't

401
00:33:49.839 --> 00:33:53.359
run to mister Hutchin's house. Running to town would leave

402
00:33:53.400 --> 00:33:57.480
me wide open to be chased. I turned round and

403
00:33:57.680 --> 00:34:02.519
round in a panic, looking for options. The barn was

404
00:34:02.559 --> 00:34:07.039
an option, but not a good one. There weren't many

405
00:34:07.160 --> 00:34:14.039
places to hide there. Then it hit me, hiding places.

406
00:34:15.000 --> 00:34:21.079
Where was my best hiding place? I ran into the cornfield.

407
00:34:28.239 --> 00:34:31.639
It was nearly harvest time and the corn was as

408
00:34:31.679 --> 00:34:34.920
tall as it was going to get. It was dark

409
00:34:35.360 --> 00:34:39.559
and would be even darker in the rows. The only

410
00:34:39.679 --> 00:34:42.800
light came from the house and whatever was at the

411
00:34:42.960 --> 00:34:47.119
end of our driveway. I threw myself into the forest

412
00:34:47.159 --> 00:34:52.079
of green stalks and ran part way in. I stopped

413
00:34:52.119 --> 00:34:56.079
and realized what I'd done. I had run in a

414
00:34:56.119 --> 00:35:01.840
straight line, making myself an easy target. I refocused on

415
00:35:01.960 --> 00:35:06.000
my usual hide and seek strategy. I started from where

416
00:35:06.000 --> 00:35:09.800
I was counted a certain number of rows up and

417
00:35:09.880 --> 00:35:14.000
a certain number over. I was careful to move slowly

418
00:35:14.679 --> 00:35:18.719
and disturb the corn stalks as little as possible. I

419
00:35:18.840 --> 00:35:22.280
duck walked, staying as low to the ground as possible

420
00:35:22.800 --> 00:35:26.679
and moving as quietly as I could. I was near

421
00:35:26.760 --> 00:35:30.440
where I wanted to hide when something in my head

422
00:35:31.039 --> 00:35:35.920
told me to stop. Where I was it was almost

423
00:35:36.039 --> 00:35:40.039
totally dark. The lights from the house and that thing

424
00:35:40.719 --> 00:35:44.920
cast strange shadows at the base of the corn I

425
00:35:44.960 --> 00:35:47.480
could barely see a few feet in front of me.

426
00:35:48.320 --> 00:35:52.559
I resisted the urge to sit down, and instead stayed

427
00:35:52.599 --> 00:35:56.320
in my crouched position on my toes so I could

428
00:35:56.320 --> 00:36:01.360
be ready to bolt at a moment's notice. I settled

429
00:36:01.360 --> 00:36:07.440
into my spot and focused on slowing my breathing. My

430
00:36:07.559 --> 00:36:12.960
adrenaline fought against me, telling me to run and never stop.

431
00:36:13.480 --> 00:36:17.440
I pushed those thoughts aside and tried to be as

432
00:36:17.559 --> 00:36:23.559
silent as possible. The air was still. There was no wind,

433
00:36:23.679 --> 00:36:30.039
and nothing moved. Each time I inhaled and exhaled, it

434
00:36:30.199 --> 00:36:33.840
sounded like a steam engine chugging to get up a hill.

435
00:36:35.280 --> 00:36:39.039
Any movement I made, I heard the creak of the

436
00:36:39.079 --> 00:36:43.239
souls of my sneakers. I could even hear my neck

437
00:36:43.360 --> 00:36:49.599
muscles as I turned slowly searching for any pursuers. It

438
00:36:49.639 --> 00:36:54.159
was like my body was conspiring against me, bound and

439
00:36:54.280 --> 00:36:59.639
determined to get caught somehow. Over all the racket I

440
00:36:59.719 --> 00:37:04.920
was made. I heard a sound. I closed my eyes

441
00:37:05.039 --> 00:37:11.000
and focused on listening. For a long moment. There was nothing,

442
00:37:12.000 --> 00:37:17.599
I mean nothing, not even the nightly crickets were singing.

443
00:37:18.800 --> 00:37:25.639
And then I heard it again. Someone was in the cornfield.

444
00:37:26.679 --> 00:37:30.760
They were moving slowly. I tried to tell if it

445
00:37:30.880 --> 00:37:35.960
was one or many. At first I couldn't, but then

446
00:37:36.039 --> 00:37:41.280
I heard another sound coming from behind me. They were

447
00:37:41.400 --> 00:37:45.719
still a little ways off. I thought they had just entered.

448
00:37:46.719 --> 00:37:49.679
I painted a mental picture of how close they were.

449
00:37:50.679 --> 00:37:53.880
My mental map showed me one coming from the direction

450
00:37:54.000 --> 00:37:58.719
of the house and one from the driveway. As I

451
00:37:58.800 --> 00:38:02.320
heard them getting closed, Sir, I had to fight to

452
00:38:02.400 --> 00:38:07.280
stay still. My mind was screaming at me to run.

453
00:38:07.679 --> 00:38:10.960
I knew from so many hide and seek sessions that

454
00:38:10.960 --> 00:38:15.159
that was the worst thing to do. I kept my

455
00:38:15.280 --> 00:38:20.280
eyes closed and waited for them to pass by. Then

456
00:38:20.400 --> 00:38:24.559
I would sneak out in the other direction. That plan

457
00:38:24.800 --> 00:38:28.360
seemed to appease my nerves enough to get them to

458
00:38:28.440 --> 00:38:33.719
stop yelling. I heard one of them approaching. They were

459
00:38:33.800 --> 00:38:37.639
coming right at me. I could see the stalks beside

460
00:38:37.679 --> 00:38:43.559
me moving, but I stayed still. Two rows before one

461
00:38:43.599 --> 00:38:48.480
of my pursuers would have literally run me over, but

462
00:38:48.639 --> 00:38:53.320
they stopped. It seemed like there was a moment of indecision,

463
00:38:54.119 --> 00:38:58.199
and then they started off again in a different direction.

464
00:38:59.440 --> 00:39:02.920
I wanted to breathe a sigh of relief, but the

465
00:39:03.039 --> 00:39:08.079
other one was still approaching. They were walking slowly up

466
00:39:08.119 --> 00:39:12.559
the row beside the one I was in. They walked

467
00:39:12.639 --> 00:39:19.440
right beside me and stopped. I recognized my dad's boots.

468
00:39:20.519 --> 00:39:26.880
I just didn't know what was wearing them. Now he

469
00:39:26.960 --> 00:39:32.199
turned towards me. I knew I was done. There was

470
00:39:32.280 --> 00:39:35.880
nowhere I could run that he wouldn't catch me. I

471
00:39:36.000 --> 00:39:40.360
kept my eyes closed, refusing to move even to look

472
00:39:40.480 --> 00:39:45.559
up at the man I called father or what he

473
00:39:45.679 --> 00:39:50.840
had become. He stood there unmoving for what seemed like

474
00:39:50.920 --> 00:39:56.639
an eternity. Self preservation was all that kept me from surrendering.

475
00:39:57.639 --> 00:40:01.280
I had seen these empty shells of people I used

476
00:40:01.280 --> 00:40:05.440
to love, and I wanted to survive, to pass the

477
00:40:05.519 --> 00:40:11.440
memories of who they were. Before he turned and took

478
00:40:11.480 --> 00:40:16.920
a step away from me, then another. I wanted to

479
00:40:17.000 --> 00:40:20.159
jump for joy. I wanted to run as I never

480
00:40:20.280 --> 00:40:25.519
ran before, but mostly I wanted to be careful. I

481
00:40:25.599 --> 00:40:29.199
remembered the times playing hide and seek when the seeker

482
00:40:29.639 --> 00:40:34.519
pretended to walk away, only to turn around and lunge

483
00:40:34.559 --> 00:40:39.079
at me. I held my breath as his footsteps continued

484
00:40:39.800 --> 00:40:44.360
away from me. I counted to one hundred before I

485
00:40:44.360 --> 00:40:49.440
would allow myself to move. As I started to sneak away,

486
00:40:50.199 --> 00:40:54.119
I saw an ear of corn lying on the ground.

487
00:40:55.400 --> 00:40:58.599
I picked it up and threw it as hard as

488
00:40:58.639 --> 00:41:03.400
I could in the opposite direction of my escape route.

489
00:41:03.639 --> 00:41:08.239
When it landed, I heard both of my pursuers converge

490
00:41:08.280 --> 00:41:13.400
on it. I ran quickly and quietly away from them.

491
00:41:14.320 --> 00:41:17.039
Before I knew it, I was at the edge of

492
00:41:17.079 --> 00:41:22.119
the cornfield near the road. I peeked out and saw

493
00:41:22.159 --> 00:41:26.159
the light at the end of my driveway. It didn't

494
00:41:26.199 --> 00:41:30.239
look like headlights from a vehicle. It was just a

495
00:41:30.280 --> 00:41:35.519
bright light hovering a few feet off the ground. It

496
00:41:35.639 --> 00:41:38.679
was so bright I couldn't tell what it was attached to,

497
00:41:39.719 --> 00:41:44.679
or if it was attached to anything. At this point,

498
00:41:45.199 --> 00:41:49.119
I didn't know what I believed any more. I just

499
00:41:49.199 --> 00:41:53.760
knew someone or something had taken the people I loved

500
00:41:54.440 --> 00:42:00.559
and turned them into zombies. No, zombies wasn't right. It

501
00:42:00.679 --> 00:42:04.880
was more like robots. They would just stare at whatever

502
00:42:05.039 --> 00:42:09.079
until needed, then they would be called to action, like

503
00:42:09.280 --> 00:42:14.480
Mom and Dad. I turned away from the light and ran.

504
00:42:15.519 --> 00:42:20.440
It wasn't long until I heard a strange sound. It

505
00:42:20.519 --> 00:42:26.360
was like a mechanical scream. It chilled my bones to

506
00:42:26.440 --> 00:42:30.239
hear it. It seemed to be coming from behind me.

507
00:42:31.400 --> 00:42:35.960
The light was getting brighter too, I knew it was

508
00:42:36.079 --> 00:42:48.119
following me. Dad dashed out of the cornfield and tried

509
00:42:48.159 --> 00:42:51.320
to grab me, but I was already out of his reach.

510
00:42:52.000 --> 00:42:55.559
I could hear him running behind me when Mom came

511
00:42:55.639 --> 00:42:59.000
around the corner and I nearly ran in to her.

512
00:42:59.719 --> 00:43:03.280
I have I've no idea how I avoided her open arms.

513
00:43:04.000 --> 00:43:07.920
Maybe somewhere along the line there was some football player

514
00:43:08.039 --> 00:43:11.239
jeans in me. But I did a stiff arm spin

515
00:43:11.400 --> 00:43:15.599
move that would make any running back proud. I ran

516
00:43:15.880 --> 00:43:20.280
like my life depended on it, which it did. My

517
00:43:20.440 --> 00:43:23.599
legs were burning, my lungs were on fire. I had

518
00:43:23.599 --> 00:43:26.960
a stitch in my side, and yet I kept running.

519
00:43:27.639 --> 00:43:30.559
My parents and the light chasing right behind me, just

520
00:43:30.840 --> 00:43:35.239
waiting for me to trip or make some mistake. I

521
00:43:35.360 --> 00:43:38.320
was almost in town when a light shone in front

522
00:43:38.360 --> 00:43:43.880
of me. It also hovered just above the ground. I

523
00:43:44.000 --> 00:43:49.519
was trapped with nowhere left to go. I stopped. It

524
00:43:49.639 --> 00:43:53.079
wasn't more than a heartbeat until Dad had a.

525
00:43:53.039 --> 00:43:53.559
Hold of me.

526
00:43:54.920 --> 00:43:58.800
Mom was right behind him. They each grabbed an arm

527
00:43:58.880 --> 00:44:03.840
and turned me around to head back towards the driveway light.

528
00:44:05.239 --> 00:44:07.960
At least they were walking and I could take a

529
00:44:08.000 --> 00:44:12.880
breather before being turned into a zombie robot. The light

530
00:44:12.960 --> 00:44:16.920
behind us got brighter, and I heard a strange sound

531
00:44:16.960 --> 00:44:22.519
from that direction. They sounded somewhat familiar, though, as the

532
00:44:22.599 --> 00:44:28.880
light got closer. Suddenly my dad started convulsing. He fell

533
00:44:28.920 --> 00:44:33.400
to the ground, followed shortly by my mom. Someone ran

534
00:44:33.559 --> 00:44:38.519
up and grabbed me. Come on, kid, A large man said,

535
00:44:38.920 --> 00:44:41.800
let's get you out of here. I turned from my

536
00:44:42.079 --> 00:44:46.920
unconscious parents to the man He was in a soldier's

537
00:44:47.039 --> 00:44:51.840
uniform and holding a taser. He dropped it and ran

538
00:44:51.960 --> 00:44:55.880
with me halfway over his shoulder toward the other light.

539
00:44:57.199 --> 00:45:00.639
As we got closer, I turned to see it was

540
00:45:00.679 --> 00:45:04.800
a helicopter. It touched down just long enough for us

541
00:45:04.840 --> 00:45:09.239
to get on and then take off. I watched as

542
00:45:09.239 --> 00:45:15.239
we flew over my parents laying there looking very dead.

543
00:45:16.079 --> 00:45:21.920
Could the shock bring them out of it? I asked, hopefully. Sorry, kid,

544
00:45:22.440 --> 00:45:27.199
it doesn't work that way, he replied, Once they've turned,

545
00:45:28.119 --> 00:45:32.800
there's no going back. A tear slid down my cheek.

546
00:45:33.480 --> 00:45:38.599
As I watched my parents disappear into the distance, I

547
00:45:38.679 --> 00:45:41.159
looked back at the house I had lived in my

548
00:45:41.519 --> 00:45:47.639
entire life, and hopelessness overwhelmed me. For a fleeting moment,

549
00:45:48.039 --> 00:45:51.159
I felt like I would have been better off with them.

550
00:45:51.599 --> 00:45:55.199
At least we would all be together as a family.

551
00:45:56.480 --> 00:46:00.920
My eyes caught a long line of lights dry into town.

552
00:46:02.320 --> 00:46:09.280
What's that, I said, pointing at the lights containment. He said,

553
00:46:11.000 --> 00:46:14.840
what's that mean? It means we can't let anyone escape

554
00:46:14.840 --> 00:46:20.840
who's been infected. Infected, he shrugged. I don't have a

555
00:46:20.880 --> 00:46:25.400
better word for it, I thought. For a moment, am

556
00:46:25.440 --> 00:46:31.360
I infected? He looked at me. Are you talking? Yes?

557
00:46:32.400 --> 00:46:38.880
Are you staring mindlessly at inanimate objects? No, you're not infected.

558
00:46:39.760 --> 00:46:43.440
I slumped back in the seat and closed my eyes,

559
00:46:44.280 --> 00:46:50.679
happy to be alive, but incredibly sad for those i'd lost.

560
00:46:51.519 --> 00:46:56.320
I don't remember falling asleep, but when I woke, we

561
00:46:56.320 --> 00:47:00.760
were on a military base. The soldiers were hustling around

562
00:47:00.880 --> 00:47:04.599
like ants on an ant hill. A man in a

563
00:47:04.639 --> 00:47:08.880
suit came over to the helicopter and took me inside.

564
00:47:09.039 --> 00:47:12.960
What happened next is a long story that I might

565
00:47:13.119 --> 00:47:18.159
tell someday. Suffice it to say for now that after

566
00:47:18.239 --> 00:47:21.880
a long time, I was taken to a foster family

567
00:47:22.519 --> 00:47:26.360
who raised me as their own. The town I used

568
00:47:26.360 --> 00:47:30.679
to live in ceased to exist. I never saw a

569
00:47:30.719 --> 00:47:34.719
single soul from there ever. Again, I was told I

570
00:47:35.039 --> 00:47:38.880
was the only one that was rescued that night before.

571
00:47:40.559 --> 00:47:43.920
I don't want to get into that right now. I've

572
00:47:43.960 --> 00:47:47.800
tried going back, but it's surrounded by a fence with

573
00:47:48.360 --> 00:47:54.559
no trespassing government property signs posted every twenty feet. It

574
00:47:54.679 --> 00:47:59.079
surrounds the entire town. I can see my old house

575
00:47:59.119 --> 00:48:02.960
from the fence, but no matter what I do, they

576
00:48:03.000 --> 00:48:06.440
won't let me back in. I have to wonder if

577
00:48:06.519 --> 00:48:11.440
they don't have the people in there standing around staring

578
00:48:11.519 --> 00:48:16.880
at nothing, waiting to die. I've searched the Internet for

579
00:48:16.960 --> 00:48:21.679
any traces of the town. There aren't any. It's like

580
00:48:21.920 --> 00:48:25.840
every piece of history, every shred of proof that the

581
00:48:25.880 --> 00:48:31.440
town ever existed, has been erased. I've talked to others

582
00:48:31.440 --> 00:48:37.920
who've heard of similar experiences. The words paranormal, possession and

583
00:48:38.400 --> 00:48:43.800
alien come up the most for possible explanations. But I

584
00:48:43.960 --> 00:48:48.480
wonder if it isn't something deeper than that, If it

585
00:48:48.519 --> 00:48:55.639
isn't something so sinister that explanations could be dangerous, Maybe

586
00:48:55.679 --> 00:48:59.239
it's for the best. Maybe I should just drop the

587
00:48:59.280 --> 00:49:03.239
whole thing move on with my life. I just can't

588
00:49:03.280 --> 00:49:07.679
help but wonder what really went on. It's a mystery

589
00:49:08.039 --> 00:49:14.440
I need to unravel for Mom, Dad, Bobby, Catherine, Mike,

590
00:49:15.079 --> 00:49:21.159
mister Hutchins, and everyone else whose life was erased first

591
00:49:21.239 --> 00:49:26.320
by whoever or whatever did this to them, and then

592
00:49:26.519 --> 00:49:30.760
by those who want to cover it up. I posted

593
00:49:30.800 --> 00:49:34.239
this to let everyone know about the people who used

594
00:49:34.239 --> 00:49:39.079
to be my friends, family, and neighbors. I don't want

595
00:49:39.119 --> 00:49:43.039
their memories to be in vain, But mostly I don't

596
00:49:43.079 --> 00:49:46.320
want to allow others to fall into the same trap.

597
00:49:47.519 --> 00:49:52.280
If you see someone staring at nothing in particular and

598
00:49:52.320 --> 00:49:56.360
they refuse to speak, get away from them as soon

599
00:49:56.400 --> 00:50:00.480
as you can. They aren't as lost and help bliss

600
00:50:01.079 --> 00:50:05.760
as you think. How many other tiny towns in the

601
00:50:05.760 --> 00:50:11.199
middle of nowhere have suffered the same fate? I wonder?

602
00:50:15.239 --> 00:50:20.199
And that's our tour through a town that officially doesn't exist,

603
00:50:20.480 --> 00:50:25.199
at least according to the government. Huge thanks to Michael

604
00:50:25.280 --> 00:50:28.920
Kelso for tonight's scary story. Make sure to check his

605
00:50:29.000 --> 00:50:31.800
work out. You can find his links in the show notes.

606
00:50:32.360 --> 00:50:36.159
Now sharpen your carving knives, my spookies, because this Friday

607
00:50:36.519 --> 00:50:42.679
we're serving our big Thanksgiving compilation, six juicy stories, stuffed

608
00:50:42.719 --> 00:50:46.800
with chills, drizzled in dread, and perfect for basting the

609
00:50:46.840 --> 00:50:51.639
bird or hiding from your relatives. It's a full spooky spread,

610
00:50:51.760 --> 00:50:55.360
quick bite, slow burns, and at least one tale you'll

611
00:50:55.400 --> 00:50:58.760
swear is staring at you from across the dinner table.

612
00:50:59.360 --> 00:51:01.920
Make sure you're subscribed so it lands fresh on your

613
00:51:01.960 --> 00:51:06.039
feed and tell a friend who loves leftovers and maybe

614
00:51:06.039 --> 00:51:09.400
some cranberry sauce. And remember, if you love what we're

615
00:51:09.440 --> 00:51:12.239
doing here at Weekly Spooky and want to support it

616
00:51:12.280 --> 00:51:16.000
in a very direct way, head to Weeklyspooky dot com

617
00:51:16.039 --> 00:51:19.599
slash joy. Over ninety other spookies have signed up and

618
00:51:19.679 --> 00:51:22.440
gotten two bonus stories every month for as little as

619
00:51:22.480 --> 00:51:25.440
one dollar. And speaking of an extra special thank you

620
00:51:25.519 --> 00:51:28.800
to our Patreon podcast boosters folks who pay just a

621
00:51:28.800 --> 00:51:30.840
little bit more to hear their names at the end

622
00:51:30.880 --> 00:51:33.960
of the show, and they are Johnny Nix, Kate and Lulu,

623
00:51:34.119 --> 00:51:38.159
Jessica Fuller, Micah Skewey, Jenny Green, Amber Hansford, Karen we Met,

624
00:51:38.360 --> 00:51:40.880
Jack Kerr, and Craig Cohen. If you want to hear

625
00:51:40.920 --> 00:51:43.000
your name at the end of the program, sign up

626
00:51:43.000 --> 00:51:46.199
at the fifteen dollars or higher tier at weeklyspooky dot

627
00:51:46.239 --> 00:51:49.440
com slash Join, or sign up for as little as

628
00:51:49.440 --> 00:51:53.079
a dollar a month and get two bonus episodes every

629
00:51:53.519 --> 00:51:56.559
single month. We're happy to be here to give you

630
00:51:56.679 --> 00:52:00.360
spooky even more than just on your weekly But now,

631
00:52:00.440 --> 00:52:02.679
my spookies, it's time for me to get back to it.

632
00:52:03.000 --> 00:52:05.039
I have so much to do to prepare for a

633
00:52:05.239 --> 00:52:09.199
very very haunted holiday. So I'll see you all back

634
00:52:09.199 --> 00:52:12.519
here on Friday. And remember every Tuesday, we're releasing a

635
00:52:12.559 --> 00:52:15.559
new program called This Week in horror history. Make sure

636
00:52:15.559 --> 00:52:17.719
to check it out. So for myself, for my executive

637
00:52:17.719 --> 00:52:21.519
producers Rob Fields and babbletopia dot com, my producer Dan Wilder,

638
00:52:21.519 --> 00:52:24.519
and my creepy composer Ray Mattis, I'll talk at you

639
00:52:24.559 --> 00:52:25.079
next time.

640
00:52:25.559 --> 00:52:29.280
Thank you for listening. Make sure to find your way

641
00:52:29.360 --> 00:52:36.599
back next week. But for now you are safe. Trust me,