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/

🎧 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.

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It was like they had paused in the middle of

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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

227
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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
00:19:06.119 --> 00:19:11.839
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

235
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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

239
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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.

245
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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
00:20:39.599 --> 00:20:43.200
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
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talk to him. Mister Hutchins, I said, what happened when

267
00:22:10.240 --> 00:22:16.400
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
00:23:31.400 --> 00:23:39.119
She stopped making supper and turned slowly toward me. Dead. Yes,

281
00:23:40.880 --> 00:23:45.079
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
00:23:55.920 --> 00:24:01.240
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,