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Oct. 28, 2025

Tricks and Treats 2025 — Three Halloween Horror Stories by Keith Tomlin

Tricks and Treats 2025 — Three Halloween Horror Stories by Keith Tomlin
Apple Podcasts Spotify Spreaker Audible Castro RSS Feed
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Jack Scratch presents three Halloween stories involving an unholy trick-or-treat ritual, a vengeful zombie dog, and thieves who open a cursed chamber.

This special episode of Weekly Spooky, Tricks and Treats 2025, delivers three blood-chilling tales of terror told by your favorite infernal host, Jack Scratch. These interconnected Halloween stories explore the darkest corners of small-town evil, from child-snatching cultists to vengeful zombie dogs and serial-killer soulmates.

👻 Rebirth – A sweet night of trick-or-treating turns into a nightmare when a little boy knocks on the wrong door… and becomes the center of an unholy ritual.
🐕 Big Bill – A brutal dogfighter meets justice from beyond the grave when the ghost of his prized killer comes back for blood.
💍 The Room – Two petty thieves stumble into a secret chamber filled with cursed treasures… and awaken something far worse.🔥 Plus Jack Scratch and Daisy are back, tying the terror together with sinister flair.

This Halloween episode is packed with evil rituals, monstrous returns, spectral vengeance, and a healthy dose of pitch-black humor. Whether you’re handing out candy or hiding under the covers, Weekly Spooky is your haunted home for horrifying stories, all year round.

Tricks and Treats 2025 — by Keith Tomlin

The original copy promises four tales but lists three; the revised metadata corrects the count. “Rebirth” turns trick-or-treating into an occult child-snatching ritual. “Big Bill” brings supernatural revenge to a brutal dogfighter. “The Room” follows thieves into a hidden chamber whose treasures carry consequences beyond ordinary crime.

Jack Scratch and Daisy provide the anthology frame, connecting the stories through pitch-black humor without becoming a fourth tale. Keith Tomlin’s collection is therefore accurately presented as three Halloween stories about cult ritual, a returning animal, cursed valuables, murder, and punishment.

Get comfy, my spookies! 41% off at https://cozyearth.com/discount... with code SPOOKY — supports the show!

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

🎉 Unlock exclusive bonus episodes and support the show on Patreon!
👉 WeeklySpooky.com/Join

📬 Contact Us / Submit Your Horror Story!


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

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On Halloween Night, the shadows of Salisbury, Massachusetts grow teeth,

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a child vanishes into an old house, a dogfighter is

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hunted by his worst mistake, and two burglars awaken a

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killer's love from the grave. As Jack Scratch makes his return.

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There's a hill in the air. Must befall. Join me

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for a tale of Halloween.

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You will experience tales over ghosts, and damn, it is

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not recommended for the weak a heart.

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Join me for a tale of flow.

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Weekly speaking Hello, my spookies.

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We're getting closer day by day to Halloween, but don't worry,

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there's still a lot more fear to come. Tonight we

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have three brand new tales of terror, presented by Jack

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Scratch himself. Tomorrow we have a brand new novella just

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for you called Asylum of the Dirt Babies. And on

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Thursday we have yet another novella, Halloween Night at grim

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Mannor So make sure you're subscribed. You will not want

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to miss it. Oh and don't worry, there's something extra

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special for Halloween Day. I know you spookys out there

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love getting cozy with your scary stories just as much

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as me, and that's why I'm excited to tell you

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that Cozy Earth has sponsored the show and is giving

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all of my listeners a forty one percent off discount

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at cozyarth dot com. So if you go to cozyerth

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dot com and select whether it's bamboo sheets, super soft pajamas,

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or my favorite, a good, warm and absorbent bathrobe, you

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get forty one percent off using promo code spooky at

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cozyerth dot com, and every purchase supports the podcast directly.

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So grab yourself something to make sure you're ready for

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the very spooky winter we have here at cozyerth dot

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com promo code spooky. But as for tonight, it's Halloween

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night in Salisbury, Massachusetts. But the real scares don't come

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from plastic skeletons or dollar store masks. Sometimes the night

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gives you more than you bargain for. What if the

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man behind the door while your tricker treating, isn't just

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creepy but ancient and evil. What if your crimes brought

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back something long buried? And what if some monsters where

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the faces of those we love the most. Tonight, my Spookies,

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we follow Jack's Scratch on a journey through three terrifying

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tales where innocence dies, the dead rise, and evil is

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not in short supplies. So light your pumpkin, guard your candy,

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and listen close because Halloween has one more trick. In

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Store Tricks and Treats twenty twenty five by Keith Tomlin.

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Parents walked the streets of Salisbury, Massachusetts, shepherding children in

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Halloween costumes from door to door. A couple in light

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winter jackets led their own children wearing Marvel's superhero masks,

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past the plain brick wall that made up the east

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side of Cooper's Pharmacy. They showed no reaction when two

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spotlights flipped on, illuminating the wall. Shadows emerged from the light,

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forming a crowd of people surrounding a ring. A ring

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master in a top hat and tailcoat strutted into the middle,

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waving a cane like he was conducting an orchestra. He

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raised his hands and the shadows formed two trapeze swings

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above him, dark images of a man and a woman

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swinging through the empty space. Circus music began to play

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louder with every second. When the trapeze artists reached their zena,

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they leaped from the swings and launched themselves at the crowd,

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transforming wings springing from their backs and fingers elongating into claws.

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The shadow crowd tried to run, but they were ripped apart,

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black blood splattering the wall, The ring master waved his

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came and ran forward, leaping an impossible distance, and emerged

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from the bricks. Jack Scratch slid on the sidewalk, barely

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missing two couples with a line of children, all oblivious

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to his presence. He landed on one knee, hands raised

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in the air as the wall turned dark, completely covered

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in the shadow blood, Brushing dust from his bright red coat,

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Jack spoke in a booming voice. Ladies and gentlemen, saints

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and sinners, killers and victims bonjorno. They call me Jack Scratch,

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and I am your humble guide through the unknown. The tall,

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lanky man bowed so deep that his forehead touched his knees,

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yet his red top hat stayed on his head, popping

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back up like a snake springing at its prey. Jack

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began to stroll down the street, speaking nostalgically, Ah, Halloween again,

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my favorite holiday. I mean, what other day can you

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get sweets along with the savory sounds of slaughter, such

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joy brings the tear to my eye. Jack mockingly wiped

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his eye with a gloved hand. Pedestrians shifted unconsciously aside

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as Jack passed. After a few minutes, he began to speak.

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It's been such a busy year, he said, conspiratorially. So

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much going on, many plans in motion, no rest for

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the wicked, as they say. I was able to get

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away for a few hours to experience my favorite pastime,

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human suffering, he said, longingly, waving his cane in a circle.

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So many experiences from all around the world to choose from,

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but he took a long, deep breath. My senses tell

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me that this town holds a few secrets. Jack stopped

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his stroll and slapped his forehead. I almost forgot I

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brought a friend this year. He whistled, and a large

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black hound leaped from the shadows. Steam rolled off her

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massive body as she stood in the cool night air,

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every exhale brought a stream of flames, and her eyes

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glowed with hell fire. Meet Daisy, my ex's sweet little pooch.

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My ex got called away on a possession gig, and

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I generously offered to watch her. I really don't mind.

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I actually like this bitch more than the other, Jack

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said as he lovingly stroked the top of Daisy's head.

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Standing up, Jack paused before saying, what I find amazing

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about humans is their desire to live forever, but few

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are willing to do what it takes. The man that

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lives here, Jack pointed to a run down house is

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the exception. No hesitation, no qualms, no regrets, willing to

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sacrifice anything, even the innocent. I think I'll call this

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one rebirth. The wind blew cold, sending leaves scurrying down

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the sidewalk past young children in store bought costumes and

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bored looking adults acting as chaperones. Eli, dressed as a

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tiny firefighter, gleefully jumped into a shallow puddle, causing his dad, Marcus,

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to leap backwards to avoid getting wet. Marcus looked at

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his wife, Danielle, and smiled, shaking his head. You had

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to wear your new shoes, Danielle said, I know, Marcus sighed,

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looking down at the now muddy nikes. He raised his

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voice a bit and called out to his son, Eli,

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we need to head home. It's getting late. Eli turned

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to his dad, shocked that this night could ever end

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but I still have room in my pumpkin, he said,

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holding up a three quarter full plastic pail shaped like

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a jack o' lantern. Okay, one more, but that is it,

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Danielle said. Eli screamed yes and ran ahead. Marcus looked

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at his wife, annoyed. She sheepishly shrugged. It's only once

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a year. Let him have his fun, she said. Marcus

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reluctantly nodded as she snuggled up against his side and

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rested her head on his shoulder. Marcus reached out with

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his left arm and pulled her closer. They held this

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pose as they walked up the sidewalk, Marcus awkwardly matching

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his gait to hers. The houses have been getting further apart,

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and the blocks were getting longer as they near the

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edge of town. The yard of the next house was

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overgrown with tall grass and weeds. The concrete pathway leading

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up to the front door was cracked and uneven. The

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two story house looked abandoned. The paint was chipping, and

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there were no lights inside or out, showing if anyone

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lived there. Shutters buried under ropes of ivy covered the windows.

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Eli veered right at the pathway excitedly running up to

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the front door. Wait, I don't think anyone lives there.

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Let's hit the next house, Marcus yelled, but Eli had

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already run up the steps and knocked once twice. After

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a short pause, the front door opened and an elderly man,

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the oldest man that Eli had ever seen in person,

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stood in the doorway. He was dressed in a black

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suit with an ancient jacket, the kind you may find

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on an old gunfighter. His face was lit by candlelight

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from inside the front room, and his paper like skin

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was almost transparent. Marcus thought he could see every beat

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of his heart. My my, what have we here? The

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man named Jacob said, in a raspy voice, drier than

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the Sahara desert. Eli, come on, let's leave the nice

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man alone, Marcus said. Sensing trouble, he separated from his

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wife and began walking across the lawn toward his son.

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Eli stared up at the man, speechless and unmoving. The

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old man leaned down and looked Eli in the face. Yes,

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you'll do, you'll do quite nicely. It's nice to see

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that the prayers to the dark one do not go unanswered.

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Jacob croaked, his lips splitting as he smiled. Seeing the

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hungry and demented expression on Jacob's face, yelled Eli step away.

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When his son remained, Marcus screamed at the old man

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and demanded that he leave his son alone. He began

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to run. Jacob rose up to his full height. The

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cracking and popping of his bones could be heard across

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the yard. He turned to Marcus and gave a self

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satisfied smile and a mocking tilt of his head. Danielle

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let out a gasp, and Marcus unconsciously flicked his eyes

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in her direction, noticing that her confused expression was being

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replaced by panic and concern. He looked back at the

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house just in time to see the front door slam

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shut with a metallic clang. The plastic pumpkin basket hit

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the front stoop and cracked open, spilling candy all over

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the concrete. His son was nowhere in sight. Danielle screamed.

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As Marcus reached the front stoop. The door was locked.

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Marcus hurled himself at it, pounding with his fists. Hey

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open the door, God, damn it. Marcus's hands were throbbing,

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but he kept hitting the metal door over and over again.

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Nothing moved. The night was quiet. He ran to the

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windows and found that each of them were shut tight,

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with steel shutters fastened to the walls and rusted bolts

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covered in appealing blue paint. Danielle was already dialing nine

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one one, her voice shrill and panicked. Help. A man

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just took my son. We were trigger treating and he

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just grabbed him and took him inside his house. Marcus

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rubbed his shoulder, feeling like he may have broken something

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against the metal door, looking around in panic, the sweat

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ran in a river down his back. Shit shit, shit, shit,

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he thought, Struggling to think through his panic. He could

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still hear his wife give the address of the old

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house and more details on what happened. Suddenly, an idea formed,

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and his head whipped back to look at the way

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they had come. Danielle, wait here, I remember passing a

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patrol car a few blocks back. I'm going to see

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if he's still there. He looked over at his wife

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as he started to run, but it looked like she

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did not hear him. Marcus ran faster than he had

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ever ran before in his life. Four blocks later, he

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saw the patrol car sitting under an ancient elm tree.

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He ran up to the driver's side window partially rolled down,

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gasping for breath, and began to pound on it. The

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police officer, Officer Parker, who was alone in the car,

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almost dropped his half filled cup of lukewarm coffee and

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reached toward the holster on his side. Marcus noticed and

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took a step back, holding his hands up. Officer, A

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man grabbed my son and dragged him into his house.

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The doors are locked and I can't get inside, Marcus said,

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in between breaths. The cop rolled the window down the

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rest of the way and gave the panting man a long,

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cold look. He finally nodded and asked which house. Marcus

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fought the urge to run back to his wife. Instead,

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he took another deep breath to calm himself and replied,

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it's about four blocks up the street, white two story

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house with blue shutters. Paint is pealing and the lawn

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needs mode. Gotcha, I know the house. I'll meet you there,

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Officer Parker said. Marcus nodded, turned and started running back

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up the street, his shoulder throbbing with every step. Parker

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threw the plastic coffee cup out the window and slammed

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on the accelerator, throwing wet leaves both all over the

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street and on Marcus. Eli stood unmoving and began to

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whine as the front door slammed shut behind him. Jacob

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turned and gave Eli another a praising look and nodded. Satisfied,

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he grabbed the front of the child's costume with a

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strength that belied his old and thin arms. Turning, he

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quickly went up the stairs, dragging Eli without effort. When

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he turned down the hall at the stairs top, he

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heard the faint thud of someone banging on the front door.

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Jacob passed several doors leading off of the hall and

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finally stopped at a wooden door covered in ruins and

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cymbals at the end of the hallway. The door creaked

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when opened, and Jacob cleared the cobwebs from the doorway,

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pulling the kid inside. He kicked the door shut and

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tripped the dead bolt with his left hand. The room

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was shrouded in darkness, and when he flipped a light switch,

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a single bull hanging on a wire in the center

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of the room barely illuminated. A few feet around it.

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The room was painted black and a blood red pentagram

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covered the majority of the floor. Jacob dragged Eli to

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the center of the pentagram and spoke one word to him. Stay,

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he commanded. Eli felt invisible hands surrounding him, pinning his

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arms to his sides, even supporting him as his body

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went limp with fear. Jacob approached Eli in the middle

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of the floor and placed a hand on either side

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of the child's face. He began to chant strange magical words,

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and Eli began to tremble and shake. After a few moments,

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Eli rose two feet up in the air as a

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stream of golden light began to emanate from his chest

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and flowed into the old man. Jacob began to chant

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different words, and soon a stream of red light began

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to flow from Jacob's eyes and mouth into Eli's. Officer

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Parker was talking to Danielle when Marcus finally reached the house.

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He leaned against a tree, breathing heavy, his head pounded

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from the unusual strain he put on his body. He

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started to walk over to the police officer, but a

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coughing fit made him stop and put his hands on

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his knees, trying desperately not to throw up. Officer Parker

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jotted down some notes and asked Danielle another question. So

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did you see the old man abduct the child? Yes,

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Danielle said, frustrated, I told you he grabbed Eli and

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disappeared into the house. And Eli is the child, the

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officer asked, looking up from his notes, and seeing the

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hot anger in her eyes now directed at him, gave

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him the answer. Okay, ma'am, let me take a look around.

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The officer began walking up to the front stoop. When Marcus,

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still wheezing, reached his wife. His arms enveloped her, and

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at first she resisted, but soon broke down and began

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to weep. Officer Parker banged on the door, asking for

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the occupants to answer. After a few tries, he left

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the porch and examined the shutters covering the first set

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of windows. He then looked up to find that metal

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shutters covered the upper story as well. As he walked

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along the front of the house, he heard sirens in the distance,

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approaching fast. He turned the corner and checked all of

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the windows on the ground floor, as well as the

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back door. All were sealed securely. When he returned to

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the front yard, he found red and blue lights illuminating

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the growing darkness. Marcus was arguing with several other police officers,

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demanding that they go and get his child. Parker approached

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him and asked that they moved back. What the fuck

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are you doing just standing here? Go get my son?

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Marcus yelled, sir, we'll need you to step back away

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from our investigation. We can't do anything until you back up.

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Parker said, in a voice usually reserved for young children.

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What my son was abducted and you are spending your

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time lecturing me. Marcus was furious, Yes, sir, I don't

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00:25:02.119 --> 00:25:04.400
want to have to arrest you for interference with a

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law enforcement officer, Parker said in that same condescending tone.

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Danielle put her hand on Marcus's chest and gently pushed

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him back. Shaking with rage, exhaustion, and despair, he let

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his wife lead him across the sidewalk to stand next

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to one of the recently arrived police vehicles. Parker led

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the other officers to the front door. Well, I think

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we have enough for exigent circumstances, but this place is

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locked up tighter than my grandma's. Buttole any thoughts, another

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00:25:41.960 --> 00:25:46.160
officer asked Parker was the breacher on the local swat team,

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00:25:46.319 --> 00:25:50.279
and as such he kept his swat gear in his

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patrol car. I have a ram in the car. We

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00:25:53.319 --> 00:25:57.200
can try to breach the front door. Also call the sergeant.

291
00:25:57.240 --> 00:25:59.880
We may need someone with a bit more authority. On

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00:26:00.039 --> 00:26:03.759
unseen I have a feeling this will not end cleanly.

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00:26:04.799 --> 00:26:07.799
The other cops nodded, and two of them moved to

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keep an eye on the sides of the house. The

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00:26:10.519 --> 00:26:18.960
other one picked up his mic and began transmitting. The

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lights emanating from Eli and Jacob began to dim and

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the darkness began to regain its hold on the room.

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Jacob reached behind him under the jacket and pulled out

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a large, thin knife. He reached up and made a small,

300
00:26:38.799 --> 00:26:44.079
yet deep cut on Eli's forehead. The child did not react,

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and Jacob smiled. He made a small cut on his

302
00:26:49.079 --> 00:26:55.160
finger and placed it against Eli's cut. Suddenly, the darkness

303
00:26:55.279 --> 00:27:00.839
vanished as the gold and red lights seemed to explode.

304
00:27:01.039 --> 00:27:04.880
They began to pulsate. The brightness of the lights became

305
00:27:05.039 --> 00:27:10.640
almost unbearable for Jacob, and he closed his eyes despite

306
00:27:10.680 --> 00:27:13.839
the pain. He knew he could not leave the circle

307
00:27:14.279 --> 00:27:19.880
until the spell was complete. As the second stretched to minutes,

308
00:27:20.240 --> 00:27:24.559
the pain grew. The brightness of the lights pierced his skull,

309
00:27:24.759 --> 00:27:27.920
while the heat from them began to singe the thin

310
00:27:28.119 --> 00:27:31.720
tufts of hair that he still had on top of

311
00:27:31.759 --> 00:27:36.920
his head. The pain made him shiver in pleasure and anticipation.

312
00:27:38.440 --> 00:27:42.240
After what felt like hours but more likely ten minutes,

313
00:27:43.039 --> 00:27:48.519
he heard the downstairs door slam open. The shouts and

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00:27:48.559 --> 00:27:54.160
the thudding of booted feet carried up the stairs. Jacob smiled,

315
00:27:55.160 --> 00:28:06.519
the end was near. The footsteps approached closer. The police

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00:28:06.519 --> 00:28:10.640
officers paused just outside the room and tried to open

317
00:28:10.680 --> 00:28:15.160
the door. The dead bolt held, and Jacob knew it

318
00:28:15.279 --> 00:28:19.680
was finally time. He whispered a blessing to the dark

319
00:28:19.759 --> 00:28:25.799
Lord and raised his knife, waiting. Boots kicked in the

320
00:28:25.880 --> 00:28:30.160
door and the frame burst into splinters. At that moment,

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00:28:30.440 --> 00:28:34.640
Jacob opened his eyes and the streams of light stopped.

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Eli's eyes briefly glowed red, a triumphant grin on his face.

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Jacob's eyes flashed gold and were filled with confusion and pain.

324
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Eli slowly floated to the floor while Jacob turned toward

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the police officers. Drop the knife, Parker demanded as he

326
00:29:00.680 --> 00:29:07.640
trained his gun on the old man. Mom, Dad, Jacob asked,

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00:29:08.039 --> 00:29:11.839
looking around. I said, drop the knife and back away

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00:29:11.839 --> 00:29:16.200
from the child. I will fucking shoot you. Drop the knife.

329
00:29:16.759 --> 00:29:21.519
Eli was standing directly behind Jacob and blocked from view

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of the police. He reached out and gave Jacob a

331
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push toward the officers. Jacob stumbled forward, putting his hands

332
00:29:30.680 --> 00:29:34.599
up to try and balance himself, without realizing he was

333
00:29:34.680 --> 00:29:39.599
still holding the knife. Shots rang out as the police

334
00:29:39.640 --> 00:29:44.039
opened fire, striking Jacob several times in the chest and

335
00:29:44.200 --> 00:29:48.960
once in the head. Jacob dropped like a rock, and

336
00:29:49.079 --> 00:29:52.440
one of the officers slowly walked around the edge of

337
00:29:52.480 --> 00:29:58.240
the room, his gun still trained on Jacob. Son, come

338
00:29:58.279 --> 00:30:03.000
here away from him. Are you hurt? Eli shook his head.

339
00:30:03.119 --> 00:30:03.200
No.

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00:30:04.680 --> 00:30:10.319
Marcus burst into the doorway, startling the officers. After realizing

341
00:30:10.359 --> 00:30:14.079
who it was, they gestured at Eli to come to them.

342
00:30:15.319 --> 00:30:19.039
He slowly walked toward his father, who wrapped him in

343
00:30:19.079 --> 00:30:24.000
a loving embrace. After a few moments, he let go

344
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and looked down at his son, holding back tears. Marcus asked,

345
00:30:30.559 --> 00:30:35.680
are you okay? Did he hurt you? Eli stared up

346
00:30:35.759 --> 00:30:40.759
at his dad and shook his head. I'm fine, father,

347
00:30:41.640 --> 00:30:45.920
he won't be bothering anyone else. He served his purpose,

348
00:30:47.119 --> 00:30:55.079
Eli said with a soft, rough voice. Father Marcus said, confused,

349
00:30:56.319 --> 00:31:02.240
you've never called me that before. Oh sorry, father, dad,

350
00:31:03.079 --> 00:31:08.319
Eli said, in that same rough voice. Are you sure

351
00:31:08.359 --> 00:31:13.920
you're feeling all right? Marcus asked, I'm fine, Dad, I

352
00:31:14.079 --> 00:31:17.160
just want to go home and get situated for bed.

353
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It's been a long day, Eli replied, before turning and

354
00:31:23.279 --> 00:31:29.000
walking slowly and deliberately down the hall toward the stairs.

355
00:31:30.240 --> 00:31:36.200
Marcus stared after his son. Eli usually only had two speeds,

356
00:31:36.839 --> 00:31:41.720
full speed ahead or sound asleep. Maybe it was just

357
00:31:41.880 --> 00:31:45.680
the stress affecting all of them, but Marcus could have

358
00:31:45.759 --> 00:31:49.960
sworn that the child that walked away from him was

359
00:31:50.079 --> 00:31:55.039
not his son. He slowly followed Eli down the hall

360
00:31:55.839 --> 00:32:03.839
as more sirens sounded outside, hoping and praying he was wrong.

361
00:32:14.680 --> 00:32:19.160
Jack stood beneath the street lamp, its light flickering, as

362
00:32:19.200 --> 00:32:24.599
though nervous to reveal him. He gave a slow clap,

363
00:32:25.279 --> 00:32:32.160
the sound too sharp to echoing in the night. My mind,

364
00:32:32.519 --> 00:32:37.519
wasn't that touchy, he said, with a grin A family

365
00:32:37.759 --> 00:32:42.240
torn apart on all hallows eve the night when the

366
00:32:42.359 --> 00:32:49.000
veil is thin, such promise in the little ones innocence

367
00:32:49.160 --> 00:32:54.759
is so very fragile. One day, it's a lollipop and

368
00:32:54.839 --> 00:32:58.880
a laugh, the next, it's blood on the floor and

369
00:32:58.920 --> 00:33:05.359
a soul bound for my employer's collection. He drew a

370
00:33:05.400 --> 00:33:08.680
cigar from his jacket, lit it with a flame that

371
00:33:08.839 --> 00:33:13.079
danced up from his thumb, and took a deep drag.

372
00:33:14.079 --> 00:33:21.079
Ah sin always tastes better with a smoke. Exhaling smoke

373
00:33:21.319 --> 00:33:25.400
like a dragon, He pointed down the road toward a

374
00:33:25.440 --> 00:33:31.559
two story house, and, speaking of sin, allow me to

375
00:33:31.640 --> 00:33:36.680
introduce you to a man larger than life. Some call

376
00:33:36.759 --> 00:33:43.559
him Action Jackson, but trust me, his bark is bigger

377
00:33:44.240 --> 00:33:48.640
than his bite. He tapped the cane against the ground,

378
00:33:49.319 --> 00:33:55.400
the pavement cracking just slightly. Shall we pay him a visit?

379
00:33:56.880 --> 00:34:04.839
I'll just call this big Bill Don Jackson Action to

380
00:34:04.960 --> 00:34:09.440
anyone who'd ever owed him or attended his dog fights.

381
00:34:10.119 --> 00:34:14.519
Slammed his car door and strolled toward the sagging two

382
00:34:14.719 --> 00:34:19.559
story at the end of Salem Avenue. The place leaned

383
00:34:19.639 --> 00:34:24.679
like it had stopped caring years ago. Two couples walking

384
00:34:24.719 --> 00:34:29.800
with their toddlers dressed in superhero costumes, smiled and waved

385
00:34:29.800 --> 00:34:35.480
at him. Fuck off, was his reply. He ignored the

386
00:34:35.519 --> 00:34:39.519
shocked looks of the adults as he let himself inside

387
00:34:39.559 --> 00:34:43.800
the house and shut the front door, causing bits of

388
00:34:43.960 --> 00:34:49.119
flacking paint to fall off of the frame. After locking it,

389
00:34:49.599 --> 00:34:54.280
he looked around the dark, cluttered room. The house was

390
00:34:54.360 --> 00:34:58.639
eerily quiet, and that's how he liked it. He spent

391
00:34:58.760 --> 00:35:02.239
the day around bark dogs, and the last thing he

392
00:35:02.360 --> 00:35:08.000
wanted in the evenings was even more noise. Sighing, he

393
00:35:08.119 --> 00:35:11.719
ran his hand through his hair and walked up stairs

394
00:35:11.800 --> 00:35:15.519
to the bathroom, taking off his jacket on the way

395
00:35:16.239 --> 00:35:20.280
and tossing it on a chair covered in pizza boxes.

396
00:35:21.039 --> 00:35:25.280
His image in the bathroom mirror caught him. Blood was

397
00:35:25.320 --> 00:35:28.840
splattered across the left side of his face, and his

398
00:35:29.000 --> 00:35:34.280
right cheek and neck were smeared with red gore. Grumbling,

399
00:35:34.840 --> 00:35:40.679
he grabbed a washcloth, moistened it and began scrubbing. Pulling

400
00:35:40.760 --> 00:35:43.880
his phone from his pocket, he began to make a

401
00:35:43.920 --> 00:35:47.440
call as he headed to the bathroom to change out

402
00:35:47.480 --> 00:35:52.920
his blood stained clothes. The phone rang twice before it

403
00:35:53.000 --> 00:36:01.679
was answered by a man with a soft, almost whiny voice. Hello, Hey, dingo,

404
00:36:01.840 --> 00:36:07.079
how's the doberman doing? Don asked, Oh, hey, action not

405
00:36:07.280 --> 00:36:11.239
too well. He went downhill since you left. I got

406
00:36:11.239 --> 00:36:15.400
most of the bleeding stopped, but there may be tendon damage.

407
00:36:15.920 --> 00:36:20.440
He could be out for months. Don sighed he'd spent

408
00:36:20.599 --> 00:36:25.320
good money on that dog. Okay, damn, go ahead and

409
00:36:25.360 --> 00:36:28.039
throw him in the ring with Tipper. Let the rotweiler

410
00:36:28.079 --> 00:36:32.679
get some experience. Will do. Oh, and the brindle is

411
00:36:32.719 --> 00:36:35.800
doing good. The bite wasn't as bad as it looked.

412
00:36:36.119 --> 00:36:40.079
She took it like a champ. She's a killer. Don

413
00:36:40.239 --> 00:36:44.760
sat down on his bed, suppressing a sigh. The brindle

414
00:36:44.840 --> 00:36:48.559
pitbull was Dingo's fine, and now he'd never hear the

415
00:36:48.719 --> 00:36:52.119
end of this. Good. We'll get her in the ring

416
00:36:52.199 --> 00:36:55.559
next week. Make sure she's ready. I can't lose any

417
00:36:55.559 --> 00:36:59.239
more money over these fucking dogs. Roger that I'll see

418
00:36:59.239 --> 00:37:03.360
you in the morning. Don hung up the phone without

419
00:37:03.400 --> 00:37:07.559
a further word. He sat there for a few minutes,

420
00:37:08.199 --> 00:37:14.719
his eyes closed, just basking in the silence. With a grunt,

421
00:37:14.840 --> 00:37:18.000
he stood and changed into a T shirt and a

422
00:37:18.039 --> 00:37:22.559
pair of sweatpants, clipping the sheath of his knife on

423
00:37:22.840 --> 00:37:33.119
to the elastic band of the sweats. He wandered downstairs

424
00:37:33.159 --> 00:37:36.440
and opened up the freezer in the kitchen, pulling out

425
00:37:36.440 --> 00:37:41.199
a bottle of cheap vodka. Pouring himself a drink, he

426
00:37:41.320 --> 00:37:44.519
left the bottle on the counter and headed into the

427
00:37:44.559 --> 00:37:49.360
living room. He sat down in his favorite chair, which

428
00:37:49.480 --> 00:37:53.559
was the only one without junk or old pizza boxes

429
00:37:53.599 --> 00:37:58.119
on it. After searching for a few moments, he found

430
00:37:58.119 --> 00:38:01.840
the remote under his right leg and turned on the TV.

431
00:38:03.360 --> 00:38:07.119
Flipping through the channels, he finally settled on a rerun

432
00:38:07.199 --> 00:38:11.519
of an old Rockford files. Don took a large swig

433
00:38:11.599 --> 00:38:16.760
of his drink and stared mindlessly at the TV. A

434
00:38:16.880 --> 00:38:22.519
strange noise from upstairs jolted Don from his stupor. He

435
00:38:22.639 --> 00:38:26.639
muted the TV and cocked his head. He could have

436
00:38:26.760 --> 00:38:31.199
sworn that he heard claws on the wooden floor upstairs.

437
00:38:32.239 --> 00:38:36.360
After hearing nothing for a few minutes, he took another

438
00:38:36.519 --> 00:38:42.519
big swig and unmuted the television. Sitting there watching Jim

439
00:38:42.639 --> 00:38:47.039
Rockford get his ass handed to him again, Don began

440
00:38:47.239 --> 00:38:53.079
to doze off. Images of fights, teeth flashing, blood spraying,

441
00:38:53.159 --> 00:39:00.960
and dogs shrieking snapped him awake. Fuck Don said he'd

442
00:39:01.039 --> 00:39:05.920
seen thousands of dog fights and had personally despatched dozens,

443
00:39:06.599 --> 00:39:11.639
maybe hundreds of dogs, either through sacrificing them to his

444
00:39:11.719 --> 00:39:15.239
other dogs or by the edge of his hunting knife

445
00:39:15.719 --> 00:39:19.800
that he always had with him. All that blood, and

446
00:39:19.920 --> 00:39:24.039
he had never batted an eye, But this time he

447
00:39:24.159 --> 00:39:28.719
felt something. He felt an echo of the pain he inflicted.

448
00:39:29.880 --> 00:39:33.000
God damn it, I'm getting soft in my old age,

449
00:39:33.719 --> 00:39:38.840
he mumbled. He took another swig of vodka and leaned back,

450
00:39:39.599 --> 00:39:44.880
closing his eyes. A loud crash jerked him awake. What

451
00:39:45.039 --> 00:39:49.760
the fuck, he exclaimed, Rubbing his eyes. He looked at

452
00:39:49.800 --> 00:39:54.000
the stairs, thinking that the noise came from the second level.

453
00:39:55.000 --> 00:39:59.679
He stood up, turning off the television, his knees cracking

454
00:39:59.800 --> 00:40:04.000
like gunshots. He stumbled a bit as he walked to

455
00:40:04.039 --> 00:40:09.280
the stairs, feeling more drunk than he should. His body

456
00:40:09.440 --> 00:40:13.400
was used to him drinking on an empty stomach. He

457
00:40:13.480 --> 00:40:19.119
slowly ascended the stairs, listening carefully for any sounds out

458
00:40:19.159 --> 00:40:22.719
of the ordinary. At the top of the stairs, he

459
00:40:22.800 --> 00:40:27.360
turned right towards the bathroom. He crept down the hall,

460
00:40:28.159 --> 00:40:34.440
feeling increasingly stupid. He finally stopped, shaking his head at

461
00:40:34.480 --> 00:40:39.519
his own foolishness, and strolled to the bathroom. As he

462
00:40:39.639 --> 00:40:43.440
stopped and put his hand on the doorknob, he nearly

463
00:40:43.559 --> 00:40:47.480
let out a scream as something nipped him in the ass.

464
00:40:48.360 --> 00:40:54.000
He flipped around, hand on knife, but the hallway was empty.

465
00:40:55.559 --> 00:40:59.159
Snaking his left hand behind him, he was able to

466
00:40:59.239 --> 00:41:03.880
turn the knob and opened the bathroom door just enough

467
00:41:04.639 --> 00:41:09.559
to squeeze through. He slammed the door shut and sat

468
00:41:09.599 --> 00:41:14.119
on the toilet with the seat down. He leaned back,

469
00:41:14.320 --> 00:41:19.960
trying to ignore the stinging bite on his rear. Sleep

470
00:41:20.679 --> 00:41:25.800
beckoned him. Action snapped awake. He was sitting in his

471
00:41:26.000 --> 00:41:32.559
chair in the living room, confused and disoriented. Wait what,

472
00:41:33.599 --> 00:41:38.119
he mumbled, I must be drunker than I thought. Looking

473
00:41:38.159 --> 00:41:41.920
over at the glass half filled with vodka, he took

474
00:41:41.960 --> 00:41:46.599
a drink with a trembling hand. The pounding on the

475
00:41:46.639 --> 00:41:53.239
front door nearly made him drop the glass. Trick or treat,

476
00:41:53.679 --> 00:41:58.719
said the muffled cries from outside the door. God, damn it,

477
00:41:58.800 --> 00:42:03.679
get out of here, you little bastards. Don roared. Laughter

478
00:42:03.880 --> 00:42:10.960
floated through the door, followed by wet thuds. Great, Don thought,

479
00:42:12.119 --> 00:42:16.199
those sons of bitches egged my door. He stood to

480
00:42:16.360 --> 00:42:21.199
chase the little bastards off. When Payne shot up his hip,

481
00:42:21.760 --> 00:42:24.960
he forgot all about the vandals. As he reached down

482
00:42:25.039 --> 00:42:29.280
the back of his pants, pulling his hand out, he

483
00:42:29.480 --> 00:42:35.800
noticed a little blood on his fingers. Staring in disbelief

484
00:42:35.840 --> 00:42:41.280
at the crimson wetness, he remembered being nipped by something.

485
00:42:42.880 --> 00:42:46.440
The sounds of a dog fight coming from upstairs lifted

486
00:42:46.480 --> 00:42:51.599
the fog, clouding his mind. What the hell, he said,

487
00:42:52.199 --> 00:42:56.480
turning towards the stairs. As soon as he took a step,

488
00:42:57.159 --> 00:43:05.079
the sound stopped, like someone threw a switch. Okay, fuck this,

489
00:43:05.960 --> 00:43:09.719
someone is really fucking with me, Don said out loud.

490
00:43:10.239 --> 00:43:15.159
Feeling a bit comforted by speaking to himself, he picked

491
00:43:15.199 --> 00:43:19.400
up his phone and called Dingo, Hey, Boss, what's up?

492
00:43:20.159 --> 00:43:24.679
Dingo said. After a few rings, Don could hear people

493
00:43:24.840 --> 00:43:30.559
talking in the background, along with glasses clinking. Don rolled

494
00:43:30.559 --> 00:43:34.599
his eyes. Dingo was probably at that damn dive bar

495
00:43:34.760 --> 00:43:38.639
he loved so much, the kind where a cockroach is

496
00:43:38.719 --> 00:43:42.760
considered a garnish. Did you bring any dogs over here?

497
00:43:43.519 --> 00:43:51.840
Don asked, no, not since big Bill. Dingo replied, sounding confused.

498
00:43:53.159 --> 00:43:59.079
Are you fucking with me? Don growled? What's that? Dingo said,

499
00:43:59.519 --> 00:44:02.360
his voice faint as he spoke to someone at the bar.

500
00:44:03.519 --> 00:44:07.440
He said some lame joke, and a female voice laughed.

501
00:44:08.320 --> 00:44:11.760
Don could only imagine what type of woman would find

502
00:44:11.880 --> 00:44:16.119
Dingo funny. Dingo had always felt that it was better

503
00:44:16.199 --> 00:44:21.559
to score with five two's than with one ten. Sorry, Boss,

504
00:44:21.679 --> 00:44:26.440
what were you saying? I said, Are you fucking with me?

505
00:44:27.519 --> 00:44:31.960
Don got progressively louder with each word, until he was screaming.

506
00:44:33.039 --> 00:44:45.119
Dingo gulped, I don't know what you mean. I would

507
00:44:45.159 --> 00:44:49.880
never fuck with you, sir. Okay, you better have everything

508
00:44:49.960 --> 00:44:56.920
ready for tomorrow. Don hung up, grinning sourly. There was

509
00:44:57.000 --> 00:45:01.119
nothing special planned for tomorrow, and he chuckled over the

510
00:45:01.199 --> 00:45:06.079
thought that Dingo would spend all night sweating, thinking he

511
00:45:06.199 --> 00:45:11.039
forgot something. Another hit of vodka spread its warmth through

512
00:45:11.199 --> 00:45:16.360
his entire body. His mind went back to Big Bill.

513
00:45:17.760 --> 00:45:21.440
He felt a tinge of something every time he thought

514
00:45:21.440 --> 00:45:27.320
of him. Was it regret sorrow? He was not used

515
00:45:27.320 --> 00:45:31.719
to feeling things like that, so it was difficult for

516
00:45:31.800 --> 00:45:35.639
him to put a finger on it. Big Bill was

517
00:45:35.719 --> 00:45:40.400
a Mastiff pitbull German Shepherd mix, one of the biggest

518
00:45:40.440 --> 00:45:44.960
dogs Don had ever entered into a fighting ring. That

519
00:45:45.159 --> 00:45:48.360
dog was the toughest son of a bitch he had

520
00:45:48.400 --> 00:45:53.719
ever seen. Vicious and cunning, Bill made a name for

521
00:45:53.840 --> 00:45:58.400
himself across the Tri State dog fighting circuit. In fact,

522
00:45:58.960 --> 00:46:02.679
the winnings from his fights bought the very house that

523
00:46:02.840 --> 00:46:08.719
Don was currently standing in. Bill's reputation was such that

524
00:46:09.360 --> 00:46:13.880
eventually Don had to give crazy odds just to get

525
00:46:13.920 --> 00:46:19.159
any action. He started doing handicap matches where Bill had

526
00:46:19.199 --> 00:46:22.760
to fight two or even three other dogs at the

527
00:46:22.800 --> 00:46:27.960
same time. A lot of those matches were clusterfucks, turning

528
00:46:28.000 --> 00:46:31.800
into a free for all, which the crowd loved, but

529
00:46:31.960 --> 00:46:38.320
other times the opposing dogs concentrated on Bill, who, due

530
00:46:38.360 --> 00:46:44.280
to mounting injuries, had an increasingly difficult time winning. For

531
00:46:44.320 --> 00:46:50.519
some reason, Don's eyes began to water, damn dust, he

532
00:46:50.679 --> 00:46:55.559
mumbled outside of the ring. Bill was the friendliest dog

533
00:46:55.719 --> 00:46:59.039
Don had ever encountered. It was like he had a

534
00:46:59.079 --> 00:47:07.199
switch with two settings, friendly goofball or vicious killer. Bill's

535
00:47:07.280 --> 00:47:11.519
last fight was still vivid in Don's mind. It was

536
00:47:11.599 --> 00:47:17.360
two pits versus Bill. The pitbulls were young and inexperienced,

537
00:47:18.000 --> 00:47:21.480
but one latched onto his rear leg and would not

538
00:47:21.840 --> 00:47:26.599
let go. Bill eventually came out on top, but his

539
00:47:26.760 --> 00:47:31.519
leg was mangled. There was no coming back from that injury.

540
00:47:33.079 --> 00:47:36.719
Don had Dingo dig a grave in the basement and

541
00:47:36.880 --> 00:47:41.880
fed Bill a stake laced with sedatives. When the big

542
00:47:41.960 --> 00:47:48.440
dog was out, Don action, Jackson slit his throat and

543
00:47:48.599 --> 00:47:53.960
dumped him in the grave. He then walked upstairs, not

544
00:47:54.159 --> 00:48:00.039
looking back, no matter how much he wanted to. The

545
00:48:00.119 --> 00:48:04.159
last thing he heard that night before hitting the bottle

546
00:48:04.239 --> 00:48:11.679
hard was Dingo throwing dirt on the grave. The glass

547
00:48:11.800 --> 00:48:17.639
began to slip from Don's grip as he was falling asleep,

548
00:48:17.800 --> 00:48:21.159
echoes of the yelps of pain Bill had let out

549
00:48:21.199 --> 00:48:25.559
when that pit bit deep into his thigh, Ringing in

550
00:48:25.599 --> 00:48:31.239
his ears, He suddenly realized that the sound was coming

551
00:48:31.280 --> 00:48:41.320
from inside the house, from the basement. Don leaped up, confused.

552
00:48:42.159 --> 00:48:45.559
The yelp of pain turned into a howl of rage

553
00:48:45.960 --> 00:48:50.519
that shook the house. Claws hitting the wooden basement stairs

554
00:48:50.599 --> 00:48:54.760
could be heard underneath, the roar, ending in a loud

555
00:48:54.880 --> 00:49:00.159
crash as something huge threw itself against the basement door.

556
00:49:01.159 --> 00:49:05.320
Another crash, and the beast was in the kitchen, Drawing

557
00:49:05.360 --> 00:49:09.880
his dagger with trembling hands. Don took a few timid

558
00:49:10.000 --> 00:49:15.840
steps forward the roar. Still ringing in his ears, Don

559
00:49:16.000 --> 00:49:22.280
stopped dead when Big Bill rounded the corner. Most of

560
00:49:22.360 --> 00:49:26.280
his flesh had rotted away, but he still had his

561
00:49:26.400 --> 00:49:33.480
eyes that were staring deep into his soul. Don was stunned,

562
00:49:33.800 --> 00:49:36.920
unable to move until Bill took a step toward him

563
00:49:37.280 --> 00:49:43.239
with a growl so loud that the windows shook. Unthinking,

564
00:49:43.639 --> 00:49:48.599
Don dropped the knife and turned to run, but before

565
00:49:48.719 --> 00:49:55.199
taking a step, he froze again. Half a dozen dogs

566
00:49:55.559 --> 00:50:01.519
stood between him and the front door. These were translucent,

567
00:50:02.079 --> 00:50:06.840
ghost like. Some had their throats sliced, while others had ragged,

568
00:50:07.199 --> 00:50:12.920
vicious wounds. Don turned back toward the kitchen and saw

569
00:50:12.960 --> 00:50:18.440
that Bill was now within several feet of him. Whoa, whoa,

570
00:50:18.519 --> 00:50:25.840
whoa WHOA good boy, Don stammered. Bill growled louder. It

571
00:50:25.880 --> 00:50:31.679
was only business. I didn't mean any harm. Bill's skeletal

572
00:50:31.840 --> 00:50:36.599
jaw made him look as if he was smiling, and

573
00:50:36.639 --> 00:50:42.679
the smile only grew bigger when Bill leaped. At dawn,

574
00:50:44.320 --> 00:50:48.880
parents of Tricker Treaters heard screams coming from the unkempt

575
00:50:48.920 --> 00:50:53.079
house at the end of the block. Cell Phones came

576
00:50:53.119 --> 00:50:59.360
out of pockets, but no one called the police. Deep down,

577
00:50:59.800 --> 00:51:04.960
they realized that whatever was happening to the neighborhood bully

578
00:51:05.880 --> 00:51:24.000
was likely well deserved. Jack leaned against a crooked fence,

579
00:51:24.679 --> 00:51:28.960
running the flat of his cane along the wood sparks,

580
00:51:29.039 --> 00:51:35.880
trailing after. Now, wasn't that delightful? His smile was wide,

581
00:51:36.400 --> 00:51:42.360
his teeth white and sharp. Some monsters are born, some

582
00:51:42.440 --> 00:51:47.519
are built brick by brick, in violence and cruelty, until

583
00:51:47.559 --> 00:51:54.679
there's nothing left inside but rage. But others, like Dawn,

584
00:51:55.559 --> 00:51:59.079
think they are one of the big boys, right up

585
00:51:59.199 --> 00:52:05.079
until they run into something like Big Bill. Daisy let

586
00:52:05.159 --> 00:52:09.679
out a low growl. I'm sorry, darling, I almost forgot

587
00:52:09.679 --> 00:52:14.960
about you. Go ahead, have some fun. Jack clapped his

588
00:52:15.079 --> 00:52:19.960
hands in joy as Daisy ran off towards the Jackson house.

589
00:52:21.199 --> 00:52:24.840
She's been such a patient girl. You have to reward

590
00:52:24.880 --> 00:52:30.880
good behavior, you know, Jack commented. Not all horrors are

591
00:52:31.159 --> 00:52:37.000
of your own making, my dear audience. No, sometimes you

592
00:52:37.119 --> 00:52:43.599
stumble unsuspectingly into the terror, or perhaps you walk into

593
00:52:43.679 --> 00:52:50.519
it willingly. He lowered his voice conspiratorially. You've all had

594
00:52:50.559 --> 00:52:58.119
that dream, haven't you trapped? Nowhere to run, no one

595
00:52:58.199 --> 00:53:05.079
to hear your screams. Let's see what happens when the

596
00:53:05.199 --> 00:53:12.719
dream becomes a reality. He strolled in silence for a

597
00:53:12.760 --> 00:53:18.360
few blocks before stopping by an old, run down house

598
00:53:18.840 --> 00:53:22.199
with a couple of young men sitting in a car

599
00:53:22.280 --> 00:53:27.840
in front of it. Ah, here we are. Look at

600
00:53:27.880 --> 00:53:35.400
these shady characters. Whatever would they be up to? Jack smiled,

601
00:53:36.000 --> 00:53:41.320
a wicked gleam in his eye. Guess they'll find out

602
00:53:41.360 --> 00:53:48.119
all about the room. John looked at the run down

603
00:53:48.280 --> 00:53:53.199
house sitting on a corner lot. The lawn was overgrown

604
00:53:53.880 --> 00:53:56.760
and the white paint on the porch was peeling off

605
00:53:57.440 --> 00:54:04.760
in long, curling strips. Really, John said, turning to the

606
00:54:04.880 --> 00:54:10.119
large man behind the wheel, this is your big score.

607
00:54:11.400 --> 00:54:15.920
Stop bitchin'. You're lucky that Alan is in jail, or

608
00:54:15.960 --> 00:54:18.280
your ass would be out there stealing candy from the

609
00:54:18.360 --> 00:54:23.559
damn kiddies. Weber growled, pointing at the groups of costumed

610
00:54:23.679 --> 00:54:30.079
children roaming the sidewalks. The place is a shithole, John said,

611
00:54:31.119 --> 00:54:35.880
we'd be lucky to find anything other than roaches. Look,

612
00:54:36.880 --> 00:54:41.199
Weber leaned, in his tone, shifting to the serious one

613
00:54:41.719 --> 00:54:47.199
he used only when selling someone on something illegal. I

614
00:54:47.280 --> 00:54:51.000
know a guy that works for that doctor drain cleaner outfit.

615
00:54:51.719 --> 00:54:54.440
The sewer pipe in the basement of this place got

616
00:54:54.800 --> 00:54:58.360
all backed up. They were called out to unclog it.

617
00:54:59.159 --> 00:55:02.800
The damn snaw got tangled, and while his boss was

618
00:55:02.840 --> 00:55:05.840
working on it, he had a look around the basement.

619
00:55:06.880 --> 00:55:12.000
He found a hidden room all filled with jewelry. He

620
00:55:12.039 --> 00:55:15.119
didn't have time to grab anything, but said there was

621
00:55:15.119 --> 00:55:21.000
some good shit there. John was still unconvinced. Why isn't

622
00:55:21.039 --> 00:55:25.480
he here helping you? This is his score. He's a

623
00:55:25.559 --> 00:55:28.719
giant pussy. Hell I was able to talk him into

624
00:55:28.760 --> 00:55:32.440
taking a ten percent finder's fee, which means he'll basically

625
00:55:32.480 --> 00:55:35.719
take anything we give him. What's he going to do?

626
00:55:35.920 --> 00:55:40.639
Bitch to the cops about it, Weber smirked. Hell I

627
00:55:40.719 --> 00:55:43.039
even offered to throw in some naked picks of my

628
00:55:43.119 --> 00:55:46.519
sister just to sweeten the pot. I was going to

629
00:55:46.519 --> 00:55:49.280
give him some picks of your sister too, but then

630
00:55:49.320 --> 00:55:51.920
I'd have to spend ten minutes trying to convince him

631
00:55:51.960 --> 00:55:57.519
it wasn't proof of Bigfoot. Suppressing a chuckle, John turned

632
00:55:57.559 --> 00:56:01.199
back toward the house. He looked at the cracked picture

633
00:56:01.280 --> 00:56:06.480
window and the rotting trim boards surrounding it, and thought

634
00:56:06.599 --> 00:56:09.599
they would be lucky to find two plates that matched.

635
00:56:10.880 --> 00:56:14.800
Fuck it, he decided, as he pulled a kid's plastic

636
00:56:14.840 --> 00:56:19.559
Shrek mask down over his face. Let's get it over with.

637
00:56:20.320 --> 00:56:24.400
I ain't got nothing better to do tonight. Weber grinned

638
00:56:24.440 --> 00:56:29.559
that wild grin that made people question his sanity. He

639
00:56:29.679 --> 00:56:33.880
slipped on a cheap Adam West Batman mask and opened

640
00:56:33.920 --> 00:56:38.960
the car door, trying to look casual. John tall and

641
00:56:39.119 --> 00:56:45.079
lean relaxed against the fender, while Weber crouched, pretending to

642
00:56:45.159 --> 00:56:50.360
check the front tire but actually scanning the streets. Once

643
00:56:50.440 --> 00:56:54.840
the sidewalk was clear of children and parents, they quickly

644
00:56:54.920 --> 00:56:58.440
sprinted to the side of the house, slipping into the

645
00:56:58.480 --> 00:57:04.000
shadows created by the street lights. Sliding along the exterior

646
00:57:04.119 --> 00:57:08.360
wall toward the rear of the house, they stopped at

647
00:57:08.400 --> 00:57:13.800
each dark window to peer in and listen, Seeing and

648
00:57:13.920 --> 00:57:19.639
hearing nothing, they reached the back corner. Around it, a

649
00:57:19.679 --> 00:57:24.880
flickering light hung above a weathered, old wooden door with pealing,

650
00:57:25.559 --> 00:57:30.840
dirty yellow paint. A dented screen door lay on a

651
00:57:30.920 --> 00:57:37.199
cracked concrete slab that served as the back porch. Weber

652
00:57:37.320 --> 00:57:41.639
unscrewed the light bulb just enough so the light went out,

653
00:57:42.719 --> 00:57:45.480
while John moved to the other corner of the house

654
00:57:46.000 --> 00:57:51.360
and peered around. Seeing nothing, he gave Weber a nod.

655
00:57:53.000 --> 00:57:57.480
The back door was locked. Weber pressed his shoulder against

656
00:57:57.559 --> 00:58:03.079
the door, pressure building until a crack sounded and metal

657
00:58:03.239 --> 00:58:09.320
clattered inside. Both men checked the street again before easing

658
00:58:09.440 --> 00:58:13.679
the door open, a piece of hardware scraped the floor.

659
00:58:14.800 --> 00:58:18.679
Weber took out a small flashlight, cupping it to keep

660
00:58:18.719 --> 00:58:23.480
the beam low. They were in a nineteen fifty's era kitchen.

661
00:58:24.320 --> 00:58:28.519
The fridge and stove were ancient, and bugs skittered away

662
00:58:28.599 --> 00:58:33.679
from the light, making Jack shiver. The basement should be

663
00:58:33.760 --> 00:58:38.599
through that door, Weber whispered, shining on a warped door

664
00:58:39.000 --> 00:58:44.239
in the corner near a dark hallway. John nodded before

665
00:58:44.280 --> 00:58:50.559
he realized that Weber could not see him in the darkness. Okay,

666
00:58:50.920 --> 00:58:55.599
let's go, he said, the old vinyl floor creaking each

667
00:58:55.760 --> 00:58:59.920
time they took a step. John opened the basement door,

668
00:59:00.679 --> 00:59:07.719
assaulted by the stench of raw sewage. Oh damn, he gagged.

669
00:59:08.519 --> 00:59:14.079
That reeks. Come on, you, pussy. It's not that bad,

670
00:59:14.800 --> 00:59:19.199
Weber said, although in the dim light he looked like

671
00:59:19.320 --> 00:59:24.519
he was struggling himself. Jack steeled himself and went down

672
00:59:25.320 --> 00:59:29.559
the stairs, creaking loud enough to make him WinCE. At

673
00:59:29.599 --> 00:59:34.440
the bottom, Weber's light swept to a floor drain, its

674
00:59:34.559 --> 00:59:40.440
edges crusted with toilet paper scraps and brown sludge. Jack

675
00:59:40.559 --> 00:59:45.800
groaned and skirted wide, following Weber toward the far wall.

676
00:59:47.280 --> 00:59:51.800
A large cabinet stood in the back corner. Weber shone

677
00:59:51.840 --> 00:59:55.440
the light at the floor and John could see where

678
00:59:55.480 --> 00:59:59.760
the dust and litter on the ground had been recently disturbed.

679
01:00:01.320 --> 01:00:04.960
Putting the flashlight in his mouth, he helped John move

680
01:00:05.039 --> 01:00:12.079
the cabinet aside to reveal a narrow door. John opened

681
01:00:12.079 --> 01:00:25.920
it and they stepped inside. The room lit up with

682
01:00:26.079 --> 01:00:30.639
bright lights as Weber found the light switch. The room

683
01:00:30.840 --> 01:00:34.320
stood in stark contrast to the rest of the house.

684
01:00:35.239 --> 01:00:41.880
It was clean, immaculate, and clinical. The room, roughly fifteen

685
01:00:41.960 --> 01:00:45.840
feet by six feet, had rows of glass shelves that

686
01:00:45.920 --> 01:00:49.320
lined the walls on both the left and the right,

687
01:00:50.039 --> 01:00:53.079
while there was only one shelf on the far wall.

688
01:00:54.239 --> 01:01:00.119
On the sidewalls, jewelry rested on velvet cushions or porcelain busts.

689
01:01:00.719 --> 01:01:03.480
Each piece paired with a photo of a young woman,

690
01:01:04.159 --> 01:01:08.679
most in black and white. Some looked like senior portraits,

691
01:01:09.239 --> 01:01:15.719
others like modeling headshots. A few showed women sleeping. Those

692
01:01:16.400 --> 01:01:22.800
made John skin crawl. Dude, what the fuck, Weber said,

693
01:01:23.840 --> 01:01:28.719
looks like a damn museum. John just nodded and slowly

694
01:01:28.840 --> 01:01:33.920
walked along the wall, stopping every so often to examine

695
01:01:33.920 --> 01:01:38.400
a display. He didn't know much about jewelry, but he

696
01:01:38.480 --> 01:01:42.920
could tell some were cheap costume pieces, while others had

697
01:01:42.960 --> 01:01:48.280
the look of high end jewelry. Occasionally, he started to

698
01:01:48.360 --> 01:01:52.320
reach out to touch a piece that must be worth thousands,

699
01:01:53.079 --> 01:01:56.920
but when his hand neared he could detect some kind

700
01:01:57.000 --> 01:02:04.039
of aura radiating from it. Sorrow and pain flooded his emotions.

701
01:02:04.719 --> 01:02:08.400
He would withdraw his hand and study the picture next

702
01:02:08.400 --> 01:02:12.000
to it. He found that the women in most of

703
01:02:12.039 --> 01:02:15.920
the photos were wearing the piece of jewelry on display.

704
01:02:17.000 --> 01:02:21.920
He looked over at Weber and grimaced. Weber was casually

705
01:02:22.000 --> 01:02:25.960
pocketing each piece of jewelry on his side of the room.

706
01:02:27.039 --> 01:02:30.599
He sometimes picked up a picture of a particularly striking

707
01:02:30.679 --> 01:02:35.079
woman before tossing it to the ground, the woman in

708
01:02:35.159 --> 01:02:40.039
the portrait already forgotten. John made his way to the

709
01:02:40.119 --> 01:02:44.079
lone shelf on the wall opposite the door and looked

710
01:02:44.119 --> 01:02:46.679
at the black and white picture of a good looking

711
01:02:46.800 --> 01:02:50.760
young man. In front of the photo were two red

712
01:02:50.840 --> 01:02:56.679
roses next to an urn with the inscription my beloved earnest.

713
01:02:57.960 --> 01:03:01.440
He glanced around to confirm that this was the only

714
01:03:01.559 --> 01:03:06.719
picture that wasn't a woman twice as large as the

715
01:03:06.760 --> 01:03:10.639
other portraits, and the shelf looked more like a shrine

716
01:03:11.280 --> 01:03:15.480
than it did a display. John was just about to

717
01:03:15.559 --> 01:03:19.440
turn away when he noticed a folded piece of paper

718
01:03:20.119 --> 01:03:24.599
tucked in behind the picture. When the scrap of newspaper

719
01:03:24.719 --> 01:03:31.480
was unfolded, the headline local serial killer executed in electric

720
01:03:31.639 --> 01:03:36.440
chair jumped out at him. Under the headline was a

721
01:03:36.480 --> 01:03:41.199
picture of a man, the same one as in the portrait,

722
01:03:42.119 --> 01:03:47.559
being led in chains down a corridor, a mocking smirk

723
01:03:48.039 --> 01:03:52.519
stitched on his face, and piercing eyes that seemed to

724
01:03:52.599 --> 01:03:58.000
stare deep into John's soul. He stared at the news

725
01:03:58.000 --> 01:04:06.519
clipping mesmerized until Weber broke the spell. Holy shit, Weber exclaimed.

726
01:04:07.400 --> 01:04:11.400
I know this chick, he said, pointing to a picture

727
01:04:11.480 --> 01:04:16.119
of a young, attractive, blonde woman. My mom went to

728
01:04:16.159 --> 01:04:19.559
school with her. This chick was an actress or some shit,

729
01:04:20.119 --> 01:04:23.000
starred in a couple of those cheap eighties horror movies.

730
01:04:23.760 --> 01:04:27.239
Mom said that she got hooked on heroin and went missing.

731
01:04:28.199 --> 01:04:30.840
Rumor is that she fell into the river and drowned.

732
01:04:31.960 --> 01:04:35.320
He picked up the ear rings displayed in front of

733
01:04:35.360 --> 01:04:42.320
the picture. Taking a closer look, he said, Damn, I

734
01:04:42.360 --> 01:04:46.599
think she's wearing these ear rings in the picture weird.

735
01:04:47.119 --> 01:04:51.719
He shook his head as he pocketed them. Looking back

736
01:04:51.760 --> 01:04:56.039
at the urn, John felt something, but it wasn't the jewelry.

737
01:04:56.920 --> 01:05:01.360
It felt dark and chaotic, like a cigar box full

738
01:05:01.400 --> 01:05:07.719
of hornets that had been shaken. The maliciousness vibrating, pulsating,

739
01:05:08.199 --> 01:05:14.679
waiting to be released on an unsuspecting world. Gasping, John

740
01:05:14.800 --> 01:05:19.480
took several steps back, staring wide eyed at the urn.

741
01:05:20.440 --> 01:05:23.920
He looked over at Weber and saw he was walking

742
01:05:23.960 --> 01:05:28.960
to him, jiggling his pockets with a wide smile on

743
01:05:29.119 --> 01:05:34.159
his face. What did you get, John, boy man, I

744
01:05:34.239 --> 01:05:37.880
found a ton of good shit. Weber stopped and looked

745
01:05:37.920 --> 01:05:41.320
at the shelf that John kept flickering his eyes to

746
01:05:42.920 --> 01:05:48.679
what you got there? I'm not sure, John mumbled. He

747
01:05:48.840 --> 01:05:51.360
was about to tell Weber to stay away from the

748
01:05:51.440 --> 01:05:55.800
evil thing, but a loud thud drew his attention to

749
01:05:55.880 --> 01:06:01.079
the door of the room. An old woman, shrived and weathered,

750
01:06:01.679 --> 01:06:05.920
was standing in the doorway. From the state of disrepair

751
01:06:06.159 --> 01:06:11.239
the house and more notably, the basement was in John

752
01:06:11.400 --> 01:06:15.519
was surprised to see her well dressed. Her hair was

753
01:06:15.599 --> 01:06:20.199
done up in a beehive hairstyle from the sixties. And

754
01:06:20.280 --> 01:06:24.320
he could have sworn she was wearing makeup, even though

755
01:06:24.360 --> 01:06:29.239
it must have been well past her bedtime. The site

756
01:06:29.320 --> 01:06:36.199
was jarring against the rot of the house. What she said,

757
01:06:36.480 --> 01:06:44.800
in an icy voice, is going on here, ma'am? John stammered,

758
01:06:45.559 --> 01:06:49.039
where with the plumbers you called recently? We were told

759
01:06:49.079 --> 01:06:51.440
to check and make sure there were no further issues.

760
01:06:52.480 --> 01:06:56.800
The woman just stared at him, her gaze sending shivers

761
01:06:56.880 --> 01:07:02.440
down his spine. So we knocked, but no one answered.

762
01:07:03.199 --> 01:07:06.920
The boss would get mad if we John trailed off

763
01:07:07.360 --> 01:07:11.840
as he realized that she was now staring past him.

764
01:07:12.559 --> 01:07:16.079
John turned and found that Weber had picked up the

765
01:07:16.239 --> 01:07:21.760
urn and was studying it. Leave that alone. The old

766
01:07:21.760 --> 01:07:26.599
woman said, drop it. As she said the word drop,

767
01:07:27.280 --> 01:07:32.639
Weber looked up, a blank expression on his face, and

768
01:07:32.760 --> 01:07:38.639
he just opened his fingers. The urn seemed to fall

769
01:07:38.719 --> 01:07:45.719
in slow motion, turning several times before it hit the ground.

770
01:07:48.559 --> 01:07:53.920
It shattered, releasing a cloud of dust. The dust rose

771
01:07:54.039 --> 01:07:59.360
through the air, and, defying gravity, seemed to gather around

772
01:07:59.480 --> 01:08:05.039
Weber's head. He inhaled deeply, and the dust seemed to

773
01:08:05.159 --> 01:08:10.679
force its way into his nose and mouth. Weber held

774
01:08:10.719 --> 01:08:14.639
his breath for a ten count, then began to cough.

775
01:08:15.920 --> 01:08:19.640
John looked back at the old woman, and she just

776
01:08:20.119 --> 01:08:26.880
stood there, a loving smile on her face. Confused, he

777
01:08:27.000 --> 01:08:30.680
looked over at Weber, who had gotten over his coughing

778
01:08:30.760 --> 01:08:36.600
spell and was now just standing there, a crooked smile

779
01:08:36.720 --> 01:08:42.319
on his face and a dark glint in his eyes. Well, now,

780
01:08:42.840 --> 01:08:47.039
how have you been, honey buns, Weber said, with a

781
01:08:47.119 --> 01:08:52.439
Kentucky drawl that he did not have before. The old

782
01:08:52.479 --> 01:08:58.800
woman stared at Weber like a teenager in love. Earnest Finally,

783
01:08:59.439 --> 01:09:02.880
I knew you would find a way back, she said,

784
01:09:03.399 --> 01:09:08.319
her smile threatening to break her face. Of course, Darlin,

785
01:09:08.800 --> 01:09:11.520
old lover boy here would never leave his best girl

786
01:09:11.560 --> 01:09:16.920
alone for too long. The tension grew in John as

787
01:09:16.960 --> 01:09:21.520
he looked between the other two, each looking longingly at

788
01:09:21.520 --> 01:09:28.399
the other. Well, I'll I'll be leaving, and I won't

789
01:09:28.439 --> 01:09:34.319
say shit, he edged toward the door. Neither Weber nor

790
01:09:34.439 --> 01:09:39.479
the old woman moved or spoke, continuing to stare at

791
01:09:39.520 --> 01:09:44.359
each other. After a minute of this, John began to

792
01:09:44.479 --> 01:09:51.079
slowly shuffle his way toward the door, still staring at Weber.

793
01:09:51.800 --> 01:09:56.800
The old woman spoke, Ernie, can you do me a

794
01:09:56.840 --> 01:10:03.760
favor for you? Anything, including the moon and the stars.

795
01:10:04.239 --> 01:10:11.000
She smiled even bigger. Can you take out the trash, darling?

796
01:10:11.920 --> 01:10:17.239
It would be my pleasure, Ernie replied. John heard the

797
01:10:17.279 --> 01:10:22.279
metallic click of a knife being opened, and he bolted

798
01:10:22.319 --> 01:10:26.199
toward the door. An arm like a band of steel

799
01:10:26.399 --> 01:10:32.840
grabbed him around the throat, and pain, unimaginable pain shot

800
01:10:32.960 --> 01:10:38.479
up through his back. His vision went red and then black.

801
01:10:39.600 --> 01:10:43.159
A few minutes later, Ernest shut the door to the

802
01:10:43.279 --> 01:10:47.439
room and reached his left arm around the old woman.

803
01:10:48.760 --> 01:10:50.840
You know how much I hate to leave a mess,

804
01:10:50.880 --> 01:10:53.880
but I think I have a good excuse this time,

805
01:10:54.880 --> 01:11:00.119
he said, as he kissed the top of her head.

806
01:11:00.119 --> 01:11:03.560
Go celebrate. We have a lot of work ahead of us.

807
01:11:04.680 --> 01:11:08.319
She giggled like a schoolgirl. I have a couple of

808
01:11:08.359 --> 01:11:12.880
perfect girls for you to add to the collection, she said,

809
01:11:13.439 --> 01:11:20.119
her eyes shining with madness. He kissed her again, and

810
01:11:20.159 --> 01:11:36.720
they walked up the stairs, laughing like two teenagers in life.

811
01:11:38.680 --> 01:11:43.279
Sitting on a low stone wall, Jack watched the strange

812
01:11:43.359 --> 01:11:48.159
couple exit the house and walk up the street. He

813
01:11:48.279 --> 01:11:56.439
applauded politely, each clap echoing unnaturally into the empty night. Bravo,

814
01:11:56.960 --> 01:12:02.680
well done. Three tales of terror each more delectable than

815
01:12:02.720 --> 01:12:09.119
the last family shattered, monsters unleashed, and souls gnawed down

816
01:12:09.279 --> 01:12:15.760
to marrow A proper night's entertainment, wouldn't you agree? He

817
01:12:15.840 --> 01:12:19.560
leapt down with the grace of a dancer, tipping his hat.

818
01:12:20.520 --> 01:12:25.359
But alas the witching hour wanes and I must return

819
01:12:25.520 --> 01:12:30.399
to the warm embrace of hell. The dark Lord does

820
01:12:30.479 --> 01:12:35.119
so love his bedtime stories, and tonight I'll have three

821
01:12:35.199 --> 01:12:40.720
of the best to whisper in his ear. Jack paused,

822
01:12:41.119 --> 01:12:48.640
leaning forward covertly, his grin stretched wide. Sleep. Well, my

823
01:12:48.840 --> 01:12:54.239
little sinners, perhaps next year it will be your tale.

824
01:12:54.880 --> 01:13:01.039
I tell. With that, he turned and whistled into the night.

825
01:13:01.920 --> 01:13:06.159
Daisy came bounding out of the darkness, her muzzle wet

826
01:13:06.600 --> 01:13:11.359
with a crimson liquid. He patted her head and strolled

827
01:13:11.760 --> 01:13:16.000
into the mist. With a last crackle of sparks from

828
01:13:16.039 --> 01:13:33.000
his king, they were gone. Well, my spooky's. After tonight's

829
01:13:33.039 --> 01:13:38.840
parade of possessed children, undead dogs, and serial killing soulmates,

830
01:13:39.479 --> 01:13:44.039
I'd say Halloween is right on schedule, and we'll be

831
01:13:44.119 --> 01:13:50.279
seeing Jack Scratch again very soon, I'm sure. But tomorrow

832
01:13:50.920 --> 01:13:55.199
things take a turn. We're cracking open the gates to

833
01:13:55.279 --> 01:13:59.680
a forgotten place, a rotting asylum hidden in the woods,

834
01:14:00.119 --> 01:14:06.479
where something unnatural was born and never stopped growing. The

835
01:14:06.600 --> 01:14:10.520
Asylum of the Dirt Babies is our next full length novella,

836
01:14:10.680 --> 01:14:17.960
Descent into Madness, Secrets and Soil So Torror. You'll never forget,

837
01:14:18.319 --> 01:14:22.439
so rest while you can, because even when Halloween ends,

838
01:14:23.159 --> 01:14:26.880
we'll still be here bringing you your spooky on the weekly.

839
01:14:27.319 --> 01:14:29.439
And thank you so much for joining me. I'm so

840
01:14:29.600 --> 01:14:33.199
happy to be a part of your Halloween tradition, whether

841
01:14:33.239 --> 01:14:35.760
you're brand new or you've been with us for six years.

842
01:14:36.119 --> 01:14:38.319
And I want to say an extra special thank you

843
01:14:38.560 --> 01:14:41.800
to our Patreon podcast boosters. These are folks who go

844
01:14:41.800 --> 01:14:45.680
to Weeklyspooky dot Com slash join and support us for

845
01:14:45.720 --> 01:14:48.560
a little bit extra to hear their names at the

846
01:14:48.640 --> 01:14:51.279
end of the show. And they are Johnny Nicks, Kate

847
01:14:51.359 --> 01:14:55.760
and Lulu, Jessica Fuller, Mike Ashuey, Jenny Green, Amber Hansford,

848
01:14:55.880 --> 01:14:59.039
Karen we Met, Jack Kerr, and Craig Cohen. Thank you

849
01:14:59.079 --> 01:15:01.479
guys so much, and if you want to support us

850
01:15:01.680 --> 01:15:05.239
in a very direct way, head Toweeklyspooky dot Com slash

851
01:15:05.359 --> 01:15:07.560
join for as little as one dollar a month, you

852
01:15:07.600 --> 01:15:10.800
get two bonus shows every month, and at fifteen dollars

853
01:15:10.880 --> 01:15:13.399
or higher, you can hear your name at the end

854
01:15:13.479 --> 01:15:17.239
of every episode of Weekly Spooky, and make sure you're

855
01:15:17.279 --> 01:15:21.119
subscribed because there's so much more to hear. But for now,

856
01:15:21.520 --> 01:15:24.279
I've got to get back to work, because well, those

857
01:15:24.279 --> 01:15:27.720
novellas aren't going to record themselves, so for myself, for

858
01:15:27.840 --> 01:15:31.680
my executive producers Rob Fields and Bobbletopia dot Com, my

859
01:15:31.760 --> 01:15:35.880
producer Dan Wilder, and of course my creepy composer Ray Maddis.

860
01:15:36.279 --> 01:15:38.600
I'll talk at you tomorrow.

861
01:15:39.199 --> 01:15:40.359
Thank you for listenings.

862
01:15:41.319 --> 01:15:45.039
Make sure to find your way back next week, but

863
01:15:45.199 --> 01:15:50.199
for now you are safe, trust me.