New Here? Find Your First Fright — Start Here →
Weekly Spooky
Weekly Spooky
Scary stories, urban legends, haunted places, cryptids and dark folklore with Henrique Couto. New nightmares throughout the week. Halloween all year long.
Feb. 11, 2026

Will You Be My Undead Valentine? - Zombie Horror Novella: An Undead Love Story of Murder and Revenge

Will You Be My Undead Valentine? - Zombie Horror Novella: An Undead Love Story of Murder and Revenge
Will You Be My Undead Valentine? - Zombie Horror Novella: An Undead Love Story of Murder and Revenge
Weekly Spooky
Will You Be My Undead Valentine? - Zombie Horror Novella: An Undead Love Story of Murder and Revenge

A Valentine’s Day horror novella set in 1958 small-town America, where young love collides with abuse, obsession, and the grave. August Hannig and Becky Sue “Bex” Brewer find each other at a winter Grange dance—two outsiders bonded by forbidden romance and a shared hunger to escape the crushing rules of Dorset. But when Bex’s violent father tightens his grip, the night turns into a nightmare… and love doesn’t just die—it comes back wrong.

This is a darkly romantic zombie revenge tale packed with retro Americana, snowbound dread, cemetery shadows, and that classic “sweetheart… goodnight” feeling twisting into something monstrous. Expect old-school pulp horror energy, doomed lovers, and a Valentine’s date that refuses to end—no matter how many bullets, stairs, or flames get in the way.

If you’re searching for Valentine’s Day horror, zombie love stories, undead romance, small town secrets, and killer holiday horror novellas, this one’s for you. Press play… and see what love looks like after the funeral.

Will You Be My Undead Valentine — by Bruce Haney

What begins around Will You Be My Undead Valentine? develops into a focused mix of zombie and undead horror, murder, disappearance, and investigation, and revenge and supernatural justice, with each escalation rooted in the story setup and character relationships above.

🎧 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

1
00:00:00.360 --> 00:00:04.360
Snow squeaks under boots as a shovel bites into a

2
00:00:04.440 --> 00:00:09.000
fresh grave. Because true love can't stand a curfew, and

3
00:00:09.119 --> 00:00:13.080
it's sure as hell can't stay buried. After a Valentine's

4
00:00:13.160 --> 00:00:16.239
date ends in blood, the girl in the Red Dress

5
00:00:16.320 --> 00:00:24.960
opens her eyes underground. Tonight, love comes back. What's that

6
00:00:25.760 --> 00:00:36.679
you want to be scared? He come with me. You

7
00:00:36.759 --> 00:00:42.359
will experience tales over over a, ghosts and death death.

8
00:00:43.119 --> 00:00:51.920
It is not recommended for the weeded art listeners. In

9
00:00:52.039 --> 00:00:56.600
the dark ark it's more fun than way way. This

10
00:00:57.479 --> 00:01:10.640
is weakly speaking, Hello, my Spookyes, it's Wednesday, and you

11
00:01:10.760 --> 00:01:14.480
know what that means. It's time for a little spooky

12
00:01:15.000 --> 00:01:18.799
in your weekly I'm your host and narrator, Enrique Kuto,

13
00:01:18.879 --> 00:01:23.719
and tonight we have a very special Valentines treat just

14
00:01:23.840 --> 00:01:27.959
for all you listening, a story about love, death, and

15
00:01:28.920 --> 00:01:32.439
well a whole lot more. But before we get to that,

16
00:01:32.560 --> 00:01:34.840
I want to say thank you all so much for

17
00:01:34.959 --> 00:01:39.040
joining me on the program. I do so enjoy bringing

18
00:01:39.079 --> 00:01:42.879
you a taste of Halloween all year long. And if

19
00:01:42.920 --> 00:01:45.879
you're listening to this, well you're one of the spooky

20
00:01:46.079 --> 00:01:50.280
diehards folks who don't need an excuse to want to

21
00:01:50.319 --> 00:01:53.920
feel a chill run down their spine. And if you

22
00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:57.959
can't get enough of Valentine's horrors, come back on Saturday

23
00:01:58.519 --> 00:02:02.000
for a collection of valane Time's Day horrors from the

24
00:02:02.040 --> 00:02:06.040
Weekly Spooky Vault for you to enjoy and to support

25
00:02:06.120 --> 00:02:08.719
us in a very direct way and help us keep

26
00:02:08.759 --> 00:02:13.159
the show going and going. Head Toweeklyspooky dot com slash

27
00:02:13.280 --> 00:02:16.199
join for as little as one dollar a month. You

28
00:02:16.280 --> 00:02:19.960
get two bonus episodes every single month, as well as

29
00:02:20.000 --> 00:02:24.960
my undying gratitude and about five years of creepypasta readings

30
00:02:24.960 --> 00:02:30.800
and exclusive audiobooks at Weeklyspooky dot Com slash Join. But

31
00:02:31.240 --> 00:02:34.120
as for tonight, this one goes out to all the

32
00:02:34.599 --> 00:02:39.759
lovers out there. Imagine a small town in winter, paper

33
00:02:39.840 --> 00:02:43.919
hearts in the grange hall, slow songs on the turntable.

34
00:02:44.360 --> 00:02:48.199
It's the nineteen fifties after all, and two kids who

35
00:02:48.319 --> 00:02:54.400
finally find someone who gets them. But Indorset love is

36
00:02:54.520 --> 00:02:59.000
treated like a sin, and some fathers don't just break curfews,

37
00:02:59.520 --> 00:03:03.479
they bring everything else too. So what happens when the

38
00:03:03.520 --> 00:03:08.319
sweetest Valentine in town is taken too soon and the

39
00:03:08.439 --> 00:03:13.360
grave can't hold her? What if the last dance isn't

40
00:03:13.360 --> 00:03:18.080
a memory? What if it's a promise? Because in this town,

41
00:03:18.439 --> 00:03:26.120
my spookies, love doesn't die, No, no, it waits. So

42
00:03:26.199 --> 00:03:29.919
get comfortable as we hot rot our way to a

43
00:03:30.039 --> 00:03:42.240
story of love and loss? Will you be my undead Valentine?

44
00:03:42.960 --> 00:03:51.800
By Bruce Haney Valentine's Day, nineteen fifty eight, August Hannig

45
00:03:52.000 --> 00:03:55.199
used the soul of his black leather boots to press

46
00:03:55.240 --> 00:03:58.919
the blade of his shovel into the snow covered earth.

47
00:04:00.000 --> 00:04:04.120
Despite the snow, the ground was still soft and easy

48
00:04:04.159 --> 00:04:08.240
to dig out the benefit of it being a fresh grave.

49
00:04:09.479 --> 00:04:13.680
I wish I could have gotten here sooner, sweetie, August said,

50
00:04:14.360 --> 00:04:18.439
though there were only the trees, the wind, and the

51
00:04:18.480 --> 00:04:27.519
tombstones around to hear him. Two weeks earlier, August was

52
00:04:27.560 --> 00:04:31.079
a bit of a social outcast, and he would rather

53
00:04:31.160 --> 00:04:35.240
have stayed home. He was eighteen, shouldn't he get a

54
00:04:35.360 --> 00:04:38.879
choice in the matter. But his mother had been making

55
00:04:39.000 --> 00:04:43.759
him go to the Friday night dances at the local grange.

56
00:04:43.800 --> 00:04:48.360
She suddenly found it important for him to socialize. All

57
00:04:48.439 --> 00:04:51.639
his life, she had told him that women were evil,

58
00:04:52.279 --> 00:04:56.959
and she kept him from creating any lasting friendships because

59
00:04:57.000 --> 00:05:00.399
it seemed like everybody he wanted to be friends with

60
00:05:01.079 --> 00:05:06.639
came from a quote unquote bad family. After she pushed

61
00:05:06.720 --> 00:05:08.839
him out of the house to go to the dance,

62
00:05:09.480 --> 00:05:12.759
he went by the old Shack and grabbed an issue

63
00:05:12.800 --> 00:05:16.560
of The Vault of Horror to read as he planned

64
00:05:16.560 --> 00:05:20.759
to do what he always did at these dances, sit

65
00:05:20.839 --> 00:05:26.560
on the benches reading comics while everybody else danced. There

66
00:05:26.720 --> 00:05:30.040
wasn't much to do in the small town of Dorset,

67
00:05:30.519 --> 00:05:35.319
especially during the winter. Although there was snow on the ground,

68
00:05:35.800 --> 00:05:40.000
you couldn't even go sledding because the area was miles

69
00:05:40.160 --> 00:05:44.959
of flat land with only a few stores, a grange,

70
00:05:45.000 --> 00:05:49.279
and a bunch of farm properties. He wasn't the only

71
00:05:49.439 --> 00:05:53.879
wallflower that night. Next to him sat Becky Sue Brewer,

72
00:05:54.439 --> 00:05:58.680
who wore a red poodle skirt, a white blouse, fire

73
00:05:58.839 --> 00:06:03.959
red lipstick, and a pompadour hairdo. August thought she looked

74
00:06:04.000 --> 00:06:06.360
like she had stepped right out from one of those

75
00:06:06.680 --> 00:06:11.240
car chase movies, like Hot Rod Rumble or Drag Striped Girl.

76
00:06:12.279 --> 00:06:15.480
Either way, she looked much different than when he used

77
00:06:15.480 --> 00:06:18.879
to see her around school, back when she wore plain

78
00:06:19.079 --> 00:06:23.680
dresses and straight hair. When people called her boring. Becky

79
00:06:25.040 --> 00:06:30.120
is that an easy comic. Becky Sue asked August closed

80
00:06:30.120 --> 00:06:33.560
it to show her the cover and gave an evil

81
00:06:33.639 --> 00:06:38.120
little smile. It featured a horrific Christmas scene of a

82
00:06:38.160 --> 00:06:40.920
woman in a nightgown with a look of horror on

83
00:06:41.040 --> 00:06:45.319
her face as she looks upon a coffin wrapped with

84
00:06:45.439 --> 00:06:49.399
a big red bow and a tag with her name

85
00:06:49.480 --> 00:06:54.079
on it. Behind her stands a man swinging an axe

86
00:06:54.160 --> 00:06:59.560
aimed right at her skull. Yeah, Vault of Horror their

87
00:06:59.560 --> 00:07:03.959
best time title. Aren't they banned? How'd you get one?

88
00:07:04.160 --> 00:07:06.680
I have a whole box of them. Got them at

89
00:07:06.680 --> 00:07:11.839
Geisler's junk shop for a song. Oh yeah, thirty issues.

90
00:07:12.439 --> 00:07:15.879
Mister Geisler said they had been sitting there since fifty four,

91
00:07:16.399 --> 00:07:20.079
when an irate mother donated them. How much did he

92
00:07:20.199 --> 00:07:26.560
charge you? She asked, a buck each for the whole box.

93
00:07:27.360 --> 00:07:30.040
Used comics aren't worth much more than five cents each.

94
00:07:31.079 --> 00:07:34.040
Did you get any issues of Tales from the Crypt?

95
00:07:35.000 --> 00:07:39.839
A few? You see? She said? I just think Jack

96
00:07:39.959 --> 00:07:43.600
Davis was their best artist, and he drew almost every

97
00:07:43.720 --> 00:07:47.480
cover of Tales from the Crypt. Funny. I'm more of

98
00:07:47.519 --> 00:07:50.199
a fan of Johnny Craig, and he drew most of

99
00:07:50.240 --> 00:07:54.279
the vault of horror covers, the crazier covers, the ones

100
00:07:54.319 --> 00:07:57.000
that got them in trouble with that dweeb who claimed

101
00:07:57.040 --> 00:08:01.399
that they were contributing to the delinquency of mind. His

102
00:08:01.519 --> 00:08:05.480
covers were on the more gruesome side, she said, and

103
00:08:05.600 --> 00:08:09.720
smiled at him. So she looked at him like she

104
00:08:09.879 --> 00:08:15.079
was waiting for him to ask something. What August asked

105
00:08:15.920 --> 00:08:19.240
you going to ask me to dance? Or what he

106
00:08:19.319 --> 00:08:22.680
thought about telling her that he didn't dance, that he

107
00:08:22.720 --> 00:08:26.800
had only come because his mother had made him, But

108
00:08:27.319 --> 00:08:31.279
he suddenly wanted to be close to old, boring Becky Sue,

109
00:08:32.000 --> 00:08:35.639
a girl who knew horror comics. He didn't think such

110
00:08:35.679 --> 00:08:39.759
a thing existed. When he heard the twangy guitar sounds

111
00:08:39.799 --> 00:08:43.480
of Dwayne Eddie come over the speaker system, he took

112
00:08:43.519 --> 00:08:48.000
it as a sign. August stood up, folded his comic,

113
00:08:48.440 --> 00:08:53.919
and placed it in his back pocket. Becky Sue, May

114
00:08:53.960 --> 00:08:59.279
I have this dance? August? We aren't kids anymore? Call

115
00:08:59.360 --> 00:09:04.320
me backs, and yes you may. Is this a good

116
00:09:04.399 --> 00:09:08.519
time to tell you that I don't dance me either?

117
00:09:08.840 --> 00:09:10.879
My dad would kill me if he knew I was here.

118
00:09:12.159 --> 00:09:15.759
It's a dance at the Grange Endorset. It's no honky

119
00:09:15.840 --> 00:09:20.200
tonk doesn't matter, he says, dancing is for harlots. And well,

120
00:09:21.000 --> 00:09:25.200
I don't want to say the rest. Oh, well, I

121
00:09:25.200 --> 00:09:30.720
guess we can learn together. Sure. The two of them

122
00:09:30.799 --> 00:09:34.879
were awkward. He put his hands on her shoulders and

123
00:09:34.960 --> 00:09:38.960
she put one hand around his waist, keeping a good

124
00:09:39.120 --> 00:09:43.919
eight inches between their bodies. Before the song was over,

125
00:09:44.519 --> 00:09:48.159
they both had relaxed a bit. It's hard to stay

126
00:09:48.200 --> 00:09:54.480
nervous and perky jerky when Dwayne Eddie's twangy guitar is playing.

127
00:09:55.720 --> 00:10:00.960
Do you like this song? Bes asked? Of course, Dwayne

128
00:10:01.039 --> 00:10:05.960
Eddie is the coolest. Dwayne Eddie is cool, but Blink

129
00:10:06.080 --> 00:10:11.759
Ray is the coolest him or Eddie Cochrane. When Rebel

130
00:10:11.879 --> 00:10:16.759
Rouser ended the Teenage classic, A Town without Pity came

131
00:10:16.799 --> 00:10:21.759
on and Bex laughed a little. What is Dorset if

132
00:10:21.799 --> 00:10:26.000
not a town without pity? She said, I want to

133
00:10:26.000 --> 00:10:31.360
get out of here so bad? Why, he asked, while

134
00:10:31.399 --> 00:10:35.440
he looked in her striking green eyes. I can take

135
00:10:35.480 --> 00:10:38.440
it or leave it. We have a farm and it'll

136
00:10:38.480 --> 00:10:42.240
be mine someday. We have a bunch of animals. You

137
00:10:42.279 --> 00:10:45.960
should come by some time. My dad would kill me

138
00:10:46.080 --> 00:10:49.279
if I went to a boy's house. I'm not a boy,

139
00:10:50.000 --> 00:10:56.240
I'm a man lady, she laughed. He continued, My mother

140
00:10:56.440 --> 00:10:59.600
used to be that same way. She didn't even let

141
00:10:59.639 --> 00:11:04.120
me have friends or date because everyone was from an

142
00:11:04.600 --> 00:11:09.759
immoral family. And she said all women are harlots, not

143
00:11:09.919 --> 00:11:15.080
just the ones who dance. Wow, she really believes that,

144
00:11:16.600 --> 00:11:22.360
Isn't it true? August said seriously, before cracking a smile.

145
00:11:23.399 --> 00:11:28.360
She smacked him on the shoulder, huge jerk. Then she

146
00:11:28.480 --> 00:11:33.519
moved her body a little closer to his. What changed?

147
00:11:34.639 --> 00:11:38.440
You know? For the longest time, I couldn't figure it out.

148
00:11:39.080 --> 00:11:43.799
One day last winter, she just started pushing me out

149
00:11:44.879 --> 00:11:50.879
go make friends. She would say weird. But I eventually

150
00:11:50.919 --> 00:11:54.480
figured out why, the sudden change of heart, and it

151
00:11:54.600 --> 00:11:59.799
made me feel kind of awful. Why. One day I

152
00:12:00.120 --> 00:12:04.960
was in her room fetching her bible. We have daily

153
00:12:05.039 --> 00:12:08.919
Bible readings. As I left the room after grabbing it,

154
00:12:09.799 --> 00:12:16.039
I noticed something peculiar. What was it? In her closet

155
00:12:16.320 --> 00:12:20.159
on the top shelf, the corner of a magazine was

156
00:12:20.200 --> 00:12:27.399
sticking out from under her neat stack of sweaters. That's strange. Yeah,

157
00:12:27.879 --> 00:12:32.000
magazines aren't allowed in the house. Even my comics. I

158
00:12:32.080 --> 00:12:34.720
have to hide in the old shack where my father

159
00:12:34.879 --> 00:12:40.000
spent all his time before he passed. He hated my mother.

160
00:12:40.960 --> 00:12:45.720
She won't go in there. I'm sorry, but I don't

161
00:12:45.759 --> 00:12:49.639
think I'm following. What could a magazine have to do

162
00:12:49.720 --> 00:12:55.159
with anything? It was a life magazine, and it was

163
00:12:55.240 --> 00:13:00.240
the issue that covered ed Gean. I heard about him him.

164
00:13:00.480 --> 00:13:04.919
He murdered a bunch of people, right two. But more

165
00:13:04.960 --> 00:13:08.399
than that, the dude used the people he killed as

166
00:13:08.399 --> 00:13:12.919
well as once he dug up for let's call them

167
00:13:13.440 --> 00:13:19.960
depraved arts and crafts projects. August leaned closer and whispered

168
00:13:20.000 --> 00:13:25.399
in her ear. In his house, they found furniture upholstered

169
00:13:25.480 --> 00:13:32.120
with human skin and a belt made of female nipples.

170
00:13:32.960 --> 00:13:36.480
That's hideous. Why would you tell me such a thing?

171
00:13:37.960 --> 00:13:41.399
Because of how hurt I was by it? Because my

172
00:13:41.559 --> 00:13:46.960
life was a lot like his long dead father, overbearing

173
00:13:47.039 --> 00:13:51.840
mother who believes everybody is evil. My mother only changed

174
00:13:52.360 --> 00:13:54.799
because she thought I was going to be the next

175
00:13:55.000 --> 00:13:58.440
ed Geen. Do you know how that makes me feel?

176
00:13:59.440 --> 00:14:03.480
That she thought I would be some kind of depraved

177
00:14:03.600 --> 00:14:15.759
grave robber and murderer. I'm sorry, beck said August side,

178
00:14:15.960 --> 00:14:21.879
but I gotta admit ed Geen is my hero. Bex's

179
00:14:22.000 --> 00:14:26.720
gave him a concerned look. Not like I don't look

180
00:14:26.799 --> 00:14:29.919
up to him or anything. I mean, he saved me

181
00:14:30.039 --> 00:14:34.559
from a cruddy, lonely life. Being on that farm with

182
00:14:34.639 --> 00:14:38.399
my mother and not being able to socialize was not

183
00:14:38.600 --> 00:14:44.120
good for me. Were you thinking of digging up some friends. No,

184
00:14:44.279 --> 00:14:48.919
but my life was quickly becoming something I was getting

185
00:14:49.919 --> 00:14:54.600
tired of doing, if you know what I mean. Oh,

186
00:14:55.720 --> 00:15:00.679
he noticed the worry on her face. Sorry, I'm way

187
00:15:00.759 --> 00:15:03.559
over sharing. I shouldn't have said any of the things

188
00:15:03.600 --> 00:15:08.399
I've said in the last few minutes. I barely know you. No,

189
00:15:09.200 --> 00:15:13.720
it's okay. I'm glad you shared. I'd be lying if

190
00:15:13.759 --> 00:15:16.919
I said that I didn't have those thoughts. My home

191
00:15:16.960 --> 00:15:22.639
life isn't great either. You graduated last year when I did. Right,

192
00:15:23.480 --> 00:15:28.879
you're eighteen nineteen. I even got a job stocking shelves

193
00:15:28.879 --> 00:15:32.279
at Fritz and Erickson's to try and save up and move.

194
00:15:32.480 --> 00:15:35.279
But a dollar an hour isn't going to get me

195
00:15:35.399 --> 00:15:40.559
my own place. I guess you're right. Over the sound system,

196
00:15:40.600 --> 00:15:46.879
a voice is heard. It is now nine pm. All

197
00:15:46.960 --> 00:15:49.440
you young folks who have a curfew, It's time to

198
00:15:49.519 --> 00:15:53.679
say good night for you older folks. Here's another fast one,

199
00:15:54.000 --> 00:15:57.600
Bill Haley and his comments with Rock around the clock.

200
00:15:59.519 --> 00:16:03.799
Beck's takes her arms off, August, it was nice dancing

201
00:16:03.879 --> 00:16:10.759
with you. Not a Bill Haley fan. Curfew. Yeah, yes,

202
00:16:12.039 --> 00:16:16.519
can I walk you home? I'd like that. Let me

203
00:16:16.639 --> 00:16:20.480
use the little girl's room first. Okay. She was in

204
00:16:20.519 --> 00:16:23.919
there for ten minutes and when she came out, she

205
00:16:24.000 --> 00:16:27.840
had brushed out her pompadour and removed all her makeup.

206
00:16:28.559 --> 00:16:34.279
She gave him an awkward smile. Hey, pretty pretty, August said.

207
00:16:35.519 --> 00:16:38.879
As they walked the two miles to her house, they

208
00:16:38.919 --> 00:16:43.000
continued to talk about their lives. The one thing they

209
00:16:43.039 --> 00:16:48.200
had in common was their overbearing parents. She opened up

210
00:16:48.279 --> 00:16:51.480
and told him about the time she was punished for

211
00:16:51.600 --> 00:16:56.080
chewing gum in church. He asked what the punishment was,

212
00:16:56.240 --> 00:17:01.120
but she wouldn't say so. August told her about the

213
00:17:01.200 --> 00:17:04.960
time his mother caught him hanging out with the neighbor

214
00:17:05.000 --> 00:17:09.079
girl and how she screamed at him for talking to

215
00:17:09.200 --> 00:17:13.519
a girl who came from such an evil, immoral home.

216
00:17:14.519 --> 00:17:17.440
The rumor at the time was that the little girl's

217
00:17:17.480 --> 00:17:21.839
mother had been caught sleeping around. At least that was

218
00:17:21.880 --> 00:17:25.559
what everyone guessed when they saw her around town with

219
00:17:25.920 --> 00:17:30.519
two black eyes. The little girl started crying, and my

220
00:17:30.640 --> 00:17:35.279
mother just said, those are mighty big crocodile tears for

221
00:17:35.400 --> 00:17:39.839
the offspring of an adulterer to be shedding. The girl

222
00:17:39.920 --> 00:17:43.160
never talked to me after that, and to this day,

223
00:17:43.279 --> 00:17:46.599
if she sees me, she turns around and walks the

224
00:17:46.640 --> 00:17:51.880
other way. Did you get punished? She tore my hide up?

225
00:17:51.920 --> 00:17:55.640
Real good? You sure you want to keep walking me?

226
00:17:56.559 --> 00:18:00.799
You're getting aways from your place. You're over on Archer right,

227
00:18:01.680 --> 00:18:04.440
I've got nothing else going on. How much further is

228
00:18:04.480 --> 00:18:08.680
it if we cut through the old cemetery about a

229
00:18:08.759 --> 00:18:13.440
half a mile. Dorset was a rather old town, and

230
00:18:13.519 --> 00:18:18.599
this century old cemetery desperately needed some repair work. The

231
00:18:18.720 --> 00:18:23.039
arching metal sign on the rotting wrought iron posts should

232
00:18:23.039 --> 00:18:28.680
have read Dorset Pioneer Cemetery, but many letters had fallen

233
00:18:28.759 --> 00:18:34.359
off from age or had been stolen. August hesitated before

234
00:18:34.480 --> 00:18:38.640
following her through the archway. I've never been in a

235
00:18:38.680 --> 00:18:44.240
cemetery before, not even when your father passed. She asked,

236
00:18:45.319 --> 00:18:50.160
I didn't go. Your mother didn't make you. She tried,

237
00:18:50.279 --> 00:18:55.400
and I ran away. What cemetery is he buried in

238
00:18:57.000 --> 00:19:01.039
this one. I have to get home, or I'd say,

239
00:19:01.160 --> 00:19:07.480
let's look for him. I don't want to anyway. Oh okay,

240
00:19:08.559 --> 00:19:12.799
Then she grabbed his hand to comfort him. He looked

241
00:19:12.839 --> 00:19:16.240
her in the eye and gave a half hearted smile.

242
00:19:17.480 --> 00:19:22.279
It would ruin my delusion. What do you mean, I

243
00:19:22.359 --> 00:19:27.839
still pretend that one day he'll come back. That should

244
00:19:27.920 --> 00:19:32.599
make your mother happy. Why well, if you really were

245
00:19:32.599 --> 00:19:35.880
in ed Deen type, you would be spending more time

246
00:19:35.960 --> 00:19:39.279
in cemeteries. And if you were like him and you

247
00:19:39.359 --> 00:19:42.359
wanted your father back, he would have come over a

248
00:19:42.400 --> 00:19:47.880
long time ago and brought him back home. August laughed.

249
00:19:48.920 --> 00:19:50.839
We have to get moving. I don't want to get

250
00:19:50.880 --> 00:19:55.359
into trouble. All right, Just one more moment, he said,

251
00:19:56.279 --> 00:19:59.920
and took in her beauty. All right, we can go.

252
00:20:00.720 --> 00:20:03.920
I just wanted another moment of looking at those two

253
00:20:04.079 --> 00:20:12.720
beautiful malakite spheres. You got there, bewitching, she blushed. Bewitching, Eh,

254
00:20:12.960 --> 00:20:19.160
malakite spheres. You are new desocializing, aren't you. They continued

255
00:20:19.200 --> 00:20:23.160
their way through the old graveyard till they arrived at

256
00:20:23.200 --> 00:20:26.880
a pathway that went through the woods. That's the way

257
00:20:26.920 --> 00:20:31.319
to my place. You live in the woods. No, this

258
00:20:31.519 --> 00:20:34.200
is just a short cut. The front of the house

259
00:20:34.240 --> 00:20:40.720
sits on Second Street. Oh okay, then August began walking again.

260
00:20:42.000 --> 00:20:47.079
What are you doing? Walking you home? I appreciate it,

261
00:20:47.160 --> 00:20:52.519
but this is as close as you can go. Oh why,

262
00:20:53.839 --> 00:20:57.240
my father would kill me and possibly you too if

263
00:20:57.279 --> 00:21:02.240
he saw us holding hands. Oh what if he caught

264
00:21:02.240 --> 00:21:07.079
me giving you a good night kiss? He would castrate you,

265
00:21:07.799 --> 00:21:12.720
she said, and then leaned in to accept the kiss.

266
00:21:13.440 --> 00:21:18.839
He closed his eyes and moved in. They were both nervous,

267
00:21:18.880 --> 00:21:23.200
neither had ever kissed before, but they both perched their

268
00:21:23.279 --> 00:21:29.079
lips instinctually. The butterflies in August's stomach were fluttering at

269
00:21:29.119 --> 00:21:34.759
full speed. A rustling sound was heard in the bushes,

270
00:21:35.240 --> 00:21:39.799
and Becks jumped back. Run, she said in a low

271
00:21:40.000 --> 00:21:44.960
but serious voice. Thankfully he listened and was able to

272
00:21:45.000 --> 00:21:48.680
get far enough to jump behind the single mausoleum in

273
00:21:48.720 --> 00:21:54.880
the cemetery before her father, Joseph appeared on the pathway.

274
00:21:55.720 --> 00:21:59.119
The old man was dressed for bed in white thermal

275
00:21:59.240 --> 00:22:03.720
pants and a top. The only precautions he had taken

276
00:22:03.839 --> 00:22:07.079
for coming out in the snow were putting on a

277
00:22:07.079 --> 00:22:11.240
pair of boots and throwing on an old, worn red

278
00:22:11.319 --> 00:22:16.119
wool coat. He would have looked comical if it weren't

279
00:22:16.119 --> 00:22:20.680
for the long barreled rifle he was carrying, which made

280
00:22:20.759 --> 00:22:33.160
him look terrifying. Where have you been? Her father screamed,

281
00:22:34.079 --> 00:22:38.079
geez pa, I was just at Sarah's house. Her parents

282
00:22:38.119 --> 00:22:41.480
took dinner late. Missus Holly burned the meat loaf, and

283
00:22:41.519 --> 00:22:45.240
her husband insisted she cook a whole new meal from scratch.

284
00:22:46.319 --> 00:22:49.759
I tried to leave, but mister Holly said, Sarah, we

285
00:22:49.880 --> 00:22:53.000
invited you to dinner. We ain't sending you away hungry

286
00:22:53.039 --> 00:22:55.480
because my wife is a poor excuse for a cook.

287
00:22:56.359 --> 00:22:59.880
What was I supposed to do? Joseph stared at her

288
00:23:00.119 --> 00:23:03.200
with anger in his eyes, like he was trying to

289
00:23:03.240 --> 00:23:08.160
will her into confessing to some crime. August watched this

290
00:23:08.319 --> 00:23:13.400
exchange from the protection of his hiding spot man. She

291
00:23:13.640 --> 00:23:17.880
was a good liar, he thought. Then he watched in

292
00:23:18.000 --> 00:23:22.279
horror as the old man suddenly looked in his direction

293
00:23:23.200 --> 00:23:29.119
and slowly brought the rifle up to aim. August moved back.

294
00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:34.920
Father Joseph shot an angry glance that stopped her in

295
00:23:35.000 --> 00:23:38.839
her tracks. He held the rifle up to his shoulder,

296
00:23:39.279 --> 00:23:42.880
closed one eye, and took a second to make sure

297
00:23:43.000 --> 00:23:53.240
his aim was true. The sound from the thirty six

298
00:23:53.599 --> 00:23:58.240
was deafening. August yelped in fear and then placed his

299
00:23:58.400 --> 00:24:02.160
hand over his mouth as fast as he could as

300
00:24:02.200 --> 00:24:05.960
if he could pull back the sound he had made.

301
00:24:06.000 --> 00:24:10.200
The bullet had found its target, and it was a

302
00:24:10.240 --> 00:24:15.119
perfect kill shot into the chest of a coyote that

303
00:24:15.319 --> 00:24:21.720
was not fifty yards past his hiding spot. Wahoo, I gotcha,

304
00:24:21.759 --> 00:24:25.759
you chicken thieven, no good mongrel. Now fetch that and

305
00:24:25.880 --> 00:24:28.920
hurry the furrow. Make a nice hat, and maybe, just

306
00:24:29.079 --> 00:24:34.359
maybe I'll go easy on you for breaking curfew. Yes, daddy,

307
00:24:35.079 --> 00:24:39.200
Thank you, daddy, she said, and then made her way

308
00:24:39.240 --> 00:24:43.039
towards the corpse of the coyote. Don't forget to grab

309
00:24:43.079 --> 00:24:46.720
a switch on your way, he said, and then he

310
00:24:46.880 --> 00:24:52.440
sighed a medium one. I'll go easy on you. She

311
00:24:52.640 --> 00:24:57.519
turned towards him. Yes, daddy, of course, Thank you, daddy,

312
00:24:58.480 --> 00:25:02.599
she said, smiling at him as she tried to hide

313
00:25:02.960 --> 00:25:07.559
her fear, but a single tear rolled down her cheek.

314
00:25:08.559 --> 00:25:12.799
Joseph turned around to make his way back home. Once

315
00:25:12.839 --> 00:25:16.480
he was gone, she made her way towards august who

316
00:25:16.599 --> 00:25:20.480
jumped up and ran towards Becks and wrapped his arms

317
00:25:20.559 --> 00:25:24.440
around her. She looked at him and saw the concern

318
00:25:24.559 --> 00:25:29.440
in his eyes, and could no longer hold back her emotions.

319
00:25:29.599 --> 00:25:33.319
She broke down and cried, so he held her tighter.

320
00:25:34.759 --> 00:25:40.720
It's okay, Everything'll be okay. He didn't believe his own words,

321
00:25:41.079 --> 00:25:44.720
and secretly he wanted to go attack her father. Who

322
00:25:44.720 --> 00:25:48.079
could hurt a girl like her. You've got to get

323
00:25:48.119 --> 00:25:52.960
out of that house. I have nowhere to go. Can't

324
00:25:52.960 --> 00:25:57.279
your mother help you? She shook her head no, then

325
00:25:57.440 --> 00:26:00.000
took him by the hand and walked him a fad

326
00:26:00.119 --> 00:26:04.559
you rose down and pointed to a small tombstone that

327
00:26:04.759 --> 00:26:11.079
said Beatrice Sue Collins nineteen twenty to nineteen fifty seven

328
00:26:12.440 --> 00:26:19.119
your mother. Yeah, what happened depends on what you believe.

329
00:26:19.920 --> 00:26:26.200
She allegedly fell down the stairs. That's so sad, Yes

330
00:26:26.240 --> 00:26:31.839
it is, But but what I don't know, she sighed,

331
00:26:32.799 --> 00:26:36.640
It's just the night it happened. They had been fighting.

332
00:26:37.599 --> 00:26:42.079
More tears flowed down her face with sadness and relief,

333
00:26:42.440 --> 00:26:45.240
as August was the first person that she felt like

334
00:26:45.319 --> 00:26:49.559
she could confide in with her thoughts. There was some

335
00:26:49.720 --> 00:26:53.920
other strangeness too. My father made me stay in my room,

336
00:26:54.039 --> 00:26:57.279
but I peeked out when I heard him return home

337
00:26:57.319 --> 00:27:00.920
with the sheriff. I tried to listen to their conversation,

338
00:27:01.160 --> 00:27:06.200
but they spoke in a hushed tone. The only part

339
00:27:06.240 --> 00:27:09.799
I heard was when my father got upset and raised

340
00:27:09.799 --> 00:27:14.440
his voice. He said, remember, if I go down, I'll

341
00:27:14.440 --> 00:27:18.359
tell everybody about what you did. Then I heard the

342
00:27:18.359 --> 00:27:21.960
sheriff say, I guess it does look like an accident,

343
00:27:23.400 --> 00:27:28.319
and he walked out, slamming the door behind him. August

344
00:27:28.400 --> 00:27:31.839
held her tight to his body. She looked up at

345
00:27:31.920 --> 00:27:37.519
him kiss me. He wasn't sure if he should, but

346
00:27:38.119 --> 00:27:41.519
she was in such an emotional state and her eyes

347
00:27:41.640 --> 00:27:46.160
had such a pleading look to them. He gently kissed

348
00:27:46.160 --> 00:27:53.359
her lips, then again. Then she kissed him back, and

349
00:27:53.400 --> 00:27:57.440
a minute later she was pushing her tongue into his mouth.

350
00:27:58.599 --> 00:28:03.119
She kissed him even hard after she felt his man

351
00:28:03.240 --> 00:28:08.599
parts pressing against her leg. The only time before this

352
00:28:09.160 --> 00:28:12.240
that she had felt that was when her father hugged

353
00:28:12.279 --> 00:28:16.279
her that one Christmas after he had a few too

354
00:28:16.319 --> 00:28:19.920
many beers. Her mom had been there to separate him

355
00:28:19.960 --> 00:28:24.240
from her after seeing the fear on her face. As

356
00:28:24.279 --> 00:28:29.720
August and Beck's kissed, her hands began to explore, and

357
00:28:29.799 --> 00:28:34.759
eventually he realized where her hand was heading when she

358
00:28:34.960 --> 00:28:37.720
touched the place that he only dared to when he

359
00:28:37.839 --> 00:28:41.200
hid in his father's old shed, and then only if

360
00:28:41.240 --> 00:28:44.119
his mother was taking her nap or had gone to

361
00:28:44.200 --> 00:28:48.839
the store. The sensation was so intense that he felt

362
00:28:48.880 --> 00:28:52.799
his legs begin to buckle. When the top of the

363
00:28:52.920 --> 00:28:57.279
tombstone blew up and the sound of Joseph's rifle once

364
00:28:57.319 --> 00:29:04.359
again echoed through the graveyard, his penis went into full

365
00:29:04.519 --> 00:29:08.319
turtle retracto mode. By the time they looked in the

366
00:29:08.359 --> 00:29:12.880
direction her father was running towards them. The gun was

367
00:29:12.960 --> 00:29:18.799
pointing at August. Daddy, No, no, don't, sir, it's not

368
00:29:18.839 --> 00:29:23.279
what it But then he was silenced when the old

369
00:29:23.359 --> 00:29:27.160
man swung the butt of the gun, hitting him in

370
00:29:27.319 --> 00:29:34.440
the head. August didn't know how long he passed out for,

371
00:29:34.920 --> 00:29:37.640
but he was freezing and had to brush off a

372
00:29:37.640 --> 00:29:41.279
bit of snow that had landed on him. His first

373
00:29:41.319 --> 00:29:44.119
thought was to run to her house and save her,

374
00:29:44.880 --> 00:29:48.319
but then he second guessed it, afraid that it would

375
00:29:48.359 --> 00:29:52.359
cause more trouble for her. The next day, as he

376
00:29:52.480 --> 00:29:56.039
worked around the farm, all his thoughts were of her,

377
00:29:56.799 --> 00:30:01.640
and that kiss and her roaming hand. He tried to

378
00:30:01.720 --> 00:30:05.079
keep his mind off it. How many times had his

379
00:30:05.160 --> 00:30:10.200
mother told him that sexual thoughts were immoral and just

380
00:30:10.279 --> 00:30:14.960
as evil as sex outside the marital bed. He still

381
00:30:14.960 --> 00:30:19.079
believed some of that to be true, but he couldn't

382
00:30:19.160 --> 00:30:23.160
keep his mind from sinning. If he wasn't thinking about

383
00:30:23.200 --> 00:30:27.920
having sex with Becks, he was worrying about her. Neither

384
00:30:28.000 --> 00:30:33.839
idea was comforting. He considered confessing these thoughts to his mother,

385
00:30:34.720 --> 00:30:37.920
thinking that she could guide him and absolve him of

386
00:30:38.000 --> 00:30:41.880
his sin, but he didn't want to risk hearing her

387
00:30:42.000 --> 00:30:45.960
opinion on Becks. He knew she would call her a

388
00:30:46.000 --> 00:30:51.039
harlot and a vessel of sin. August began to cry,

389
00:30:51.759 --> 00:30:55.720
and he couldn't quite place why. He was so wrapped

390
00:30:55.839 --> 00:30:58.920
up in his own brain, and he had nobody to

391
00:30:59.000 --> 00:31:03.240
talk to. If only he had a friend, or if

392
00:31:03.279 --> 00:31:06.559
his mother allowed him to go to church, a pastor

393
00:31:06.680 --> 00:31:10.880
might be able to give him some spiritual guidance. But

394
00:31:11.559 --> 00:31:15.440
since Dorset had no Lutheran church, he had never been

395
00:31:15.599 --> 00:31:19.400
inside a place of worship. What's wrong with you to

396
00:31:19.440 --> 00:31:23.480
day boy, Margaret, his mother yelled at him as he

397
00:31:23.599 --> 00:31:26.839
fed the hogs. He was so in his head that

398
00:31:26.960 --> 00:31:31.279
he didn't notice her coming outside. Margaret was a thin,

399
00:31:31.559 --> 00:31:35.799
frail woman who had earned every line on her wrinkled

400
00:31:35.839 --> 00:31:40.359
face from scowling at people and the constant judgmental frown

401
00:31:40.559 --> 00:31:45.599
she wore. Regardless of circumstances, she always seemed to be

402
00:31:45.799 --> 00:31:51.640
upset or disappointed. I'm just feedin the hogs, Ma, I

403
00:31:51.720 --> 00:31:55.119
can see that. But it's noon. He should already be

404
00:31:55.200 --> 00:31:58.240
in the barn milkin, Betsy, I guess I'll have to

405
00:31:58.279 --> 00:32:01.640
do that too. I'm working my way there. I can

406
00:32:01.720 --> 00:32:04.599
do it. If you were really working, you would have

407
00:32:04.640 --> 00:32:07.559
gotten to her by ten thirty. You know she gets

408
00:32:07.599 --> 00:32:10.920
fussy this late in the day. I know, Ma, I

409
00:32:10.960 --> 00:32:15.720
know I can handle her fussiness. It's just then he

410
00:32:15.839 --> 00:32:20.599
stopped himself. Though she had gotten more lenient about who

411
00:32:20.680 --> 00:32:24.880
he spoke to and encouraged him to make friends, he

412
00:32:24.960 --> 00:32:28.079
didn't think she would be okay with him spending time

413
00:32:28.559 --> 00:32:32.279
with the daughter of Joseph Brewer. What is it, boy,

414
00:32:32.559 --> 00:32:35.039
spit it out. Better to spit it out than to

415
00:32:35.079 --> 00:32:38.160
make the animals suffer from your lazy way of working.

416
00:32:40.079 --> 00:32:44.160
I met a girl. This stopped Margaret in her tracks,

417
00:32:44.720 --> 00:32:48.079
and August could practically see the gears in her head

418
00:32:48.240 --> 00:32:53.079
turning as she decided on her response. She stared at

419
00:32:53.119 --> 00:32:57.519
him a good while before finally saying, that's good boy.

420
00:32:58.200 --> 00:33:02.039
I'm going to take care of Betsy. Once she was gone,

421
00:33:02.240 --> 00:33:06.839
he sighed in relief and thought, God, bless you. At

422
00:33:06.920 --> 00:33:15.000
Gheen at the Brewer House, Bes was moving around slowly

423
00:33:15.480 --> 00:33:19.640
doing her chores as well, but her slowness was because

424
00:33:19.720 --> 00:33:23.839
her body was sore. After they had left, August passed

425
00:33:23.880 --> 00:33:27.039
out in the snow. He dragged her by the hair

426
00:33:27.160 --> 00:33:31.000
to the house, and instead of a switch, he threw

427
00:33:31.079 --> 00:33:35.880
her against the wall and punched her repeatedly. She had

428
00:33:35.880 --> 00:33:40.240
thought to herself during the fight, just keep yourself away

429
00:33:40.319 --> 00:33:49.799
from any stairs. August wanted to impress Bes, so he

430
00:33:49.839 --> 00:33:53.480
had dug through his clothes and his father's to create

431
00:33:53.519 --> 00:33:57.279
a look. He settled on a striped shirt with a

432
00:33:57.319 --> 00:34:02.400
blazer over it. They contrasted horribly. He paired that with

433
00:34:02.480 --> 00:34:05.880
his nicest blue jeans and a pair of brand new

434
00:34:06.079 --> 00:34:10.199
Chuck Taylor's. As he walked into the Grange dance hall,

435
00:34:10.719 --> 00:34:15.679
he noticed eyes on him. He immediately felt self conscious.

436
00:34:16.360 --> 00:34:20.400
He looked down at his wardrobe and sighed, hey, you

437
00:34:21.000 --> 00:34:25.360
lookin sharp. August spun around to see who the wise

438
00:34:25.400 --> 00:34:30.519
acre was, but instead was greeted with Bex's smiling face.

439
00:34:31.760 --> 00:34:37.480
Oh hey, I wasn't sure if you'd be coming, August said, yeah.

440
00:34:37.559 --> 00:34:40.920
I was surprised that I was able to. I had

441
00:34:40.960 --> 00:34:43.679
to do extra work around the house and made my

442
00:34:43.800 --> 00:34:46.800
dad his favorite dinners all week to get permission to

443
00:34:46.840 --> 00:34:50.559
go to Sarah's house. But of course that was a

444
00:34:50.639 --> 00:34:55.119
ruse to come here and see you. I've been thinking

445
00:34:55.159 --> 00:34:58.599
about you all week, he said. He didn't mean to

446
00:34:58.639 --> 00:35:02.159
be so honest. He had planned to play it cool.

447
00:35:03.280 --> 00:35:07.280
I was afraid you wouldn't like me anymore. Why wouldn't I,

448
00:35:07.960 --> 00:35:13.159
he asked, because my father attempted to murder you. Oh

449
00:35:13.280 --> 00:35:18.000
that happens to me all the time, she laughed. So

450
00:35:18.960 --> 00:35:22.079
should we dance or should we sit on the benches

451
00:35:22.119 --> 00:35:30.159
and judge people first? They danced all night and smiled

452
00:35:30.320 --> 00:35:34.960
and laughed together as if they didn't have horrible home

453
00:35:35.039 --> 00:35:41.159
lives to go back to. And this moment, my life

454
00:35:41.199 --> 00:35:49.920
is perfect, August said, you old softy, It's true, he protested.

455
00:35:51.320 --> 00:35:55.559
She rolled her eyes, then moved closer so that their

456
00:35:55.599 --> 00:36:00.920
bodies were touching as they danced. They stayed in that position,

457
00:36:01.719 --> 00:36:06.239
slow dancing, even when the song ended and the curfew

458
00:36:06.280 --> 00:36:12.800
announcement was given. Don't you have to go? August asked, yeah,

459
00:36:13.800 --> 00:36:17.519
but she didn't let go, and they continued to hold

460
00:36:17.559 --> 00:36:24.679
each other forgetting about the outside world six inches, said

461
00:36:24.719 --> 00:36:28.159
miss brock Miller. Miss brock Miller was one of the

462
00:36:28.360 --> 00:36:34.320
unofficial chaperones of the dance. Nobody asked her. She had

463
00:36:34.480 --> 00:36:39.440
just started showing up one week and took control. Mostly.

464
00:36:39.519 --> 00:36:42.400
She made sure that the disc jockey didn't play too

465
00:36:42.519 --> 00:36:46.320
much fast rock and roll and that nobody was doing

466
00:36:46.440 --> 00:36:53.320
the dirty boogie. Oh sorry, ma'am, Beck said, I wasn't thinking.

467
00:36:54.360 --> 00:37:01.800
What would your father think? I uh? She began to respond, Hey,

468
00:37:02.400 --> 00:37:07.679
leave her alone. August said, we're not kids, and we separated,

469
00:37:07.760 --> 00:37:12.199
as asked, So move on and bother somebody else. And

470
00:37:12.280 --> 00:37:14.639
what would your mother think of you talking to your

471
00:37:14.719 --> 00:37:20.480
elder like this? My mother can think whatever she wants to. Plus,

472
00:37:20.519 --> 00:37:23.239
you know, my mother doesn't value the opinion of a

473
00:37:23.320 --> 00:37:28.800
divorced woman anyhow. Miss Brockmiller huffed and then walked away.

474
00:37:29.800 --> 00:37:36.079
Oh no, Beck said, what. August asked, She's going to

475
00:37:36.119 --> 00:37:42.000
tell my father? No, she won't. Yeah, she will. She

476
00:37:42.199 --> 00:37:48.639
works with him, oh, August said, then looked down at

477
00:37:48.639 --> 00:37:55.519
the floor. I'm sorry, Beck's with all that. They stopped dancing,

478
00:37:56.199 --> 00:38:00.400
and her real life troubles began to return to her head.

479
00:38:01.960 --> 00:38:04.800
I've got to go. I'm going to be in so

480
00:38:04.960 --> 00:38:10.000
much trouble. It's going to be all right. She gave

481
00:38:10.079 --> 00:38:16.159
him a fake smile. Thank you all for coming. We

482
00:38:16.199 --> 00:38:19.320
are closing out the dance like we always do with

483
00:38:19.440 --> 00:38:31.840
the Maguire sisters. Good Night, sweetheart, good night. What time

484
00:38:31.920 --> 00:38:37.599
does the dance end, Becks asked, with panic in her voice. Eleven.

485
00:38:38.480 --> 00:38:42.840
It's eleven, she said, in a panic. He's going to

486
00:38:42.960 --> 00:38:46.800
kill me. He won't kill you. You don't know him.

487
00:38:47.519 --> 00:38:50.360
I met him kind of when he hit me in

488
00:38:50.400 --> 00:38:53.480
the face with the butt of his gun. Doesn't that

489
00:38:53.679 --> 00:38:57.880
tell you what he's capable of. Becks broke out in tears.

490
00:38:58.679 --> 00:39:02.039
So he put his arm around. She put her head

491
00:39:02.039 --> 00:39:05.760
on his shoulder, and they walked out of the dance together.

492
00:39:07.119 --> 00:39:10.320
As he guided her towards the direction of her house,

493
00:39:10.960 --> 00:39:15.079
she stopped him. You can't walk me home. I might

494
00:39:15.159 --> 00:39:18.079
not be murdered if I talk quick enough, if I'm

495
00:39:18.199 --> 00:39:23.880
sweet enough. But he will kill you, okay, he said,

496
00:39:25.280 --> 00:39:30.840
it was nice dancing with you always. Then she turned

497
00:39:30.880 --> 00:39:35.960
to walk away. Becks. He waited for her to turn

498
00:39:36.000 --> 00:39:42.519
around and then continued, before you go. He reached into

499
00:39:42.599 --> 00:39:46.119
the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a little card.

500
00:39:47.320 --> 00:39:50.760
She walked back towards him, and he handed it to her.

501
00:39:52.000 --> 00:39:54.880
On the cover, he had drawn a heart with their

502
00:39:54.960 --> 00:40:00.239
names inside. She smiled at him and then opened it

503
00:40:00.320 --> 00:40:06.559
up and read, Dear Becks, Becoming reacquainted with you last

504
00:40:06.599 --> 00:40:10.760
week started a fire inside of me. Just as I

505
00:40:10.920 --> 00:40:14.239
was settling for a life of boredom and solitude at

506
00:40:14.239 --> 00:40:19.760
the farm, I met you, a girl so full of life.

507
00:40:19.920 --> 00:40:22.840
I shouldn't say it, and I know it's dumb to say,

508
00:40:22.920 --> 00:40:27.199
but when we had that first dance, I fell in

509
00:40:27.239 --> 00:40:32.840
love with you. Oh Augie, she said, and then threw

510
00:40:32.880 --> 00:40:38.119
her arms around him and kissed him. It is stupid

511
00:40:38.159 --> 00:40:42.760
to say, she stated, and watched his face turn into

512
00:40:42.800 --> 00:40:47.400
a frown. But I must be stupid too, because I51300:40:47.480 --> 00:40:53.119



feel the same about you. I love you, August began51400:40:53.239 --> 00:40:59.119



to smile once again. So will you be my Valentine?51500:40:59.800 --> 00:41:05.159



The big dance is next Friday, of course, but I51600:41:05.239 --> 00:41:08.519



do expect more from a date than just going to51700:41:08.599 --> 00:41:14.679



the same dance every week. Of course, Dinner at Jay's beforehand.51800:41:15.719 --> 00:41:19.519



August leaned in and kissed her again, and it wasn't51900:41:19.599 --> 00:41:23.920



long before they were full on making out. Leaning against52000:41:23.960 --> 00:41:29.000



the side of the grange hall. Becky Sue miss brock52100:41:29.039 --> 00:41:34.800



Miller yelled. They separated instantly, suddenly hit with the reality52200:41:35.159 --> 00:41:39.159



that the dance was ending. People were filing out, and52300:41:39.239 --> 00:41:42.960



half the town saw them making out like a couple52400:41:42.960 --> 00:41:49.039



of teenagers. I'm calling your father, she shouted. Screw you,52500:41:49.920 --> 00:41:54.639



beck said, and then grabbed August's hand and dragged him52600:41:54.679 --> 00:41:58.480



away from the grange hall. He didn't know where she52700:41:58.719 --> 00:42:11.119



was taking him, but he followed without complaints or questions.52800:42:11.239 --> 00:42:15.320



She dragged him to Fritz and Ericsson's, the department store52900:42:15.440 --> 00:42:18.960



she worked at. Inside, she led him to the showroom53000:42:19.360 --> 00:42:22.800



where they had a single bed. It was a top53100:42:22.840 --> 00:42:26.320



of the line bed set with a beautiful gold wrought53200:42:26.360 --> 00:42:31.280



iron headboard. It was nice, too nice for the town.53300:42:31.760 --> 00:42:34.480



She had noted how many people had looked at it,53400:42:35.119 --> 00:42:37.440



but it was one of those items that was just53500:42:38.000 --> 00:42:42.119



too expensive for any of their customers. It had been53600:42:42.159 --> 00:42:46.199



sitting in the showroom for two years waiting for someone53700:42:46.320 --> 00:42:49.480



to take it home. Every day that she worked there,53800:42:49.960 --> 00:42:52.559



she dreamed of a future where she would be out53900:42:52.599 --> 00:42:56.400



on her own, away from her father, and how the54000:42:56.440 --> 00:42:59.760



first thing she would furnish her place with would be54100:43:00.119 --> 00:43:05.079



this very bed. She imagined it as her marital bed.54200:43:06.000 --> 00:43:09.039



Bex let go of his hand and sat on the54300:43:09.079 --> 00:43:13.239



corner of it, where she slowly took off her red wedges,54400:43:14.039 --> 00:43:18.519



then climbed on top and gave him a come hither look.54500:43:19.599 --> 00:43:22.679



August was no fool, so it only took him a54600:43:22.719 --> 00:43:26.639



few moments to pull off his coat and sneakers and54700:43:26.800 --> 00:43:29.760



jump into bed with her. It took him all of54800:43:29.880 --> 00:43:33.400



ten minutes of making out before he had the nerve54900:43:33.519 --> 00:43:37.960



to place his hands on her side, right below her breast.55000:43:39.159 --> 00:43:45.199



Can I, he asked, I don't know, can you? She laughed,55100:43:46.039 --> 00:43:51.480



I mean, may I? She gave a small chuckle before55200:43:51.559 --> 00:43:57.119



grabbing his hand and placing it on her breast. Oh55300:43:57.159 --> 00:44:03.599



my god, he thought, I'm touching abreast over her dress.55400:44:03.679 --> 00:44:08.559



But still he wanted so badly to put his hand55500:44:08.679 --> 00:44:13.719



underneath and touch her bare skin, but he was afraid55600:44:13.800 --> 00:44:17.440



that she wouldn't be ready for it, plus he would55700:44:17.440 --> 00:44:22.199



have to go past her femininity to reach it. Suddenly,55800:44:22.440 --> 00:44:25.760



she grabbed his hand and pulled it from her chest,55900:44:26.639 --> 00:44:30.920



then stood up, pulled her dress off, dropped her panties,56000:44:31.559 --> 00:44:36.119



and reached back to unclasp her bra. It was almost56100:44:36.239 --> 00:44:39.679



too much for August. She was the first girl that56200:44:39.760 --> 00:44:43.480



he had ever kissed, and now she was fully naked56300:44:43.519 --> 00:44:46.519



in front of him. He had never even seen a56400:44:46.639 --> 00:44:50.320



naked female before. The best he could do was the56500:44:50.400 --> 00:44:54.480



cleavage of the evil females who appeared in e C. Comics.56600:44:55.280 --> 00:44:59.440



The eviler the woman, it seemed, the more cleavage they showed,56700:45:00.360 --> 00:45:04.440



he liked the evil women. Are you sure you want56800:45:04.440 --> 00:45:10.239



to do this? Isn't it obvious? She asked, I just56900:45:10.400 --> 00:45:15.360



want to make sure it's nothing you'll regret. Never with you,57000:45:15.360 --> 00:45:20.239



you have my consent, she laughed. She then jumped back57100:45:20.320 --> 00:45:24.480



into bed, and he continued his exploration of her body57200:45:25.519 --> 00:45:30.440



just as she did his. Eventually it leads to him57300:45:30.559 --> 00:45:35.760



climbing on top of her. You're sure, right, he asked57400:45:35.800 --> 00:45:40.880



once again, as he lifted her legs up. For God's sake,57500:45:41.000 --> 00:45:45.039



put it in me. You have my consent, you always will.57600:45:46.079 --> 00:45:49.360



I'm always going to keep asking, though I'm a gentleman.57700:45:50.280 --> 00:45:55.360



Then he entered her. They both moaned, both of their57800:45:55.440 --> 00:45:59.559



minds blown by the intensity of the sensation that comes57900:45:59.639 --> 00:46:03.559



with that first taste of sex, the kind of pleasure58000:46:03.639 --> 00:46:06.480



that can only be felt when you hit that perfect58100:46:06.599 --> 00:46:14.079



mix of love, lust and repression. Augie, I don't care58200:46:14.119 --> 00:46:29.880



if I'm dead, You'll always have my consent. After his58300:46:30.079 --> 00:46:35.079



third climax and her fourth, they both finally passed out,58400:46:35.639 --> 00:46:39.440



both completely at ease from the flood of dopamine that58500:46:39.519 --> 00:46:46.639



can only be delivered by sex or possibly heroine. I'm58600:46:46.679 --> 00:46:52.480



going to marry you, August said, Oh, yeah, where's the ring?58700:46:53.719 --> 00:47:01.840



And then they both fell asleep. Joseph Brewer had been58800:47:01.960 --> 00:47:07.360



upset when Beck's wasn't home by nine. This became anger58900:47:07.599 --> 00:47:11.639



when she wasn't home by ten, and by eleven thirty59000:47:12.239 --> 00:47:15.159



he was fully dressed in his warm winter coat and59100:47:15.280 --> 00:47:20.599



hat and fuming in a white hot fury. At midnight,59200:47:21.400 --> 00:47:27.840



he grabbed his shotgun in the graveyard, he found no59300:47:28.119 --> 00:47:32.559



sign of her. The snow had stopped that afternoon, so59400:47:32.840 --> 00:47:36.440



he would have easily spotted her path had they spent59500:47:36.599 --> 00:47:41.960



any time there. In his truck, he drove recklessly, slipping59600:47:42.039 --> 00:47:45.559



and sliding in the snow on tires that had little59700:47:45.639 --> 00:47:49.840



tread left. But he had been driving in snow his59800:47:49.960 --> 00:47:54.719



whole life, so it was no concern to him. His59900:47:54.880 --> 00:47:58.559



focus was on finding his horror of a daughter and60000:47:58.679 --> 00:48:03.639



the scum that was likely defiling her. At this very moment,60100:48:04.719 --> 00:48:07.639



he let go of the shifter to fumble in his60200:48:07.800 --> 00:48:12.239



jacket to pull out a large chunk of chew from60300:48:12.239 --> 00:48:16.800



his pack of little Katy chewing tobacco. He felt a60400:48:16.840 --> 00:48:20.920



bit like a pansy carrying around a bag of little katy,60500:48:21.679 --> 00:48:24.880



but it was a few cents cheaper than plowboy or60600:48:25.000 --> 00:48:29.199



beech nut. Plus he thought it had a better taste.60700:48:29.239 --> 00:48:32.760



He was also ready to fight if anybody ever gave60800:48:32.840 --> 00:48:37.800



him guff about it. Nobody did. It was known around60900:48:37.840 --> 00:48:42.519



Dorset not to mess with Joseph Brewer. When he pulled61000:48:42.559 --> 00:48:45.440



in front of the grange, the lights were still on.61100:48:46.400 --> 00:48:50.159



He left his truck running, went upstairs and threw the61200:48:50.239 --> 00:48:54.039



door open, ready to make a scene, but the only61300:48:54.119 --> 00:48:59.679



ones inside were a few people cleaning. Joseph Brewer. A61400:48:59.719 --> 00:49:03.400



woman's voice said, do I have a story to tell you?61500:49:04.559 --> 00:49:08.039



It was miss Brockmiller, and she told him all about61600:49:08.119 --> 00:49:12.920



how close Becky, Sue and August Hanning were dancing. She61700:49:13.039 --> 00:49:16.679



also told him how they had walked out together and61800:49:16.760 --> 00:49:22.840



which direction they were heading, what the hell is going61900:49:22.880 --> 00:49:26.400



on here? August and Becks shot up out of bed.62000:49:27.039 --> 00:49:30.280



Even in her hurry, Becks was aware enough to hold62100:49:30.320 --> 00:49:35.719



the blanket so that her breasts weren't exposed. Explain yourself,62200:49:35.719 --> 00:49:40.840



you hussy. I uh, it was the heat of the moment,62300:49:41.519 --> 00:49:48.559



Bes offered. Hugh, little slut, Sarah said, and then laughed, Hugh,62400:49:48.639 --> 00:49:52.079



are so lucky mister Fritz had me open this morning.62500:49:53.159 --> 00:49:57.039



I guess I am, Beck said. You will keep my62600:49:57.840 --> 00:50:03.119



She looked over at August our secret, of course, but62700:50:03.719 --> 00:50:06.719



later you give me a call. I want all the details,62800:50:07.280 --> 00:50:11.880



she said, as she took in August's exposed muscular chest62900:50:12.400 --> 00:50:16.119



that all the farm boys seemed to have. August was63000:50:16.159 --> 00:50:19.760



already sliding off the bed to get dressed. In his63100:50:19.840 --> 00:50:23.119



attempt to pull his underwear on while holding the blanket,63200:50:23.679 --> 00:50:27.599



he started to pull the covers away from Becks. Fearing63300:50:27.639 --> 00:50:31.559



that her naked body would be exposed. She yanked them back,63400:50:32.079 --> 00:50:37.840



which suddenly revealed his full naked form to Sarah. Oh my, my,63500:50:38.719 --> 00:50:42.360



you must have had fun, Becks. After they both got63600:50:42.480 --> 00:50:46.639



dressed and made their way outside, August went to walk63700:50:46.679 --> 00:50:51.360



her home. Augie, for your safety as well as my own.63800:50:52.079 --> 00:50:54.599



I think this is as close to my house as63900:50:54.639 --> 00:50:59.159



you should go. I want to walk you home. I64000:50:59.239 --> 00:51:03.400



appreciate that gesture, but it seriously won't be safe for64100:51:03.480 --> 00:51:07.039



either of us. But what if he wants to hurt you.64200:51:08.400 --> 00:51:11.639



He's going to hurt me, but it's a matter of64300:51:11.679 --> 00:51:14.920



how bad, and it'll be much worse if you come64400:51:14.960 --> 00:51:20.440



with me. I promise that for my safety, let me64500:51:20.519 --> 00:51:25.199



walk home alone. I can't have him hurt you. This64600:51:25.400 --> 00:51:28.440



is the end of that part of your life. That's64700:51:28.440 --> 00:51:34.639



all over with. She laughed. You're sweet, Come home with me.64800:51:36.000 --> 00:51:42.079



That'll only make it worse, not if you move in. What. Yeah,64900:51:42.159 --> 00:51:44.880



I know it's sudden, but I'm in love with you65000:51:45.000 --> 00:51:49.400



and we have the space. What would your mother say?65100:51:50.119 --> 00:51:53.960



It doesn't matter. I'm the man of the house. You65200:51:54.079 --> 00:51:57.199



got the penis, so you make the rules. Is that it?65300:51:57.840 --> 00:52:01.199



Of course? For the head of every man is Christ65400:52:01.280 --> 00:52:05.199



and the head of every woman is man. They both laughed.65500:52:05.920 --> 00:52:08.400



All right, I guess it's safe for you to walk65600:52:08.480 --> 00:52:13.079



me home. Then Bex felt a weight off her shoulder.65700:52:14.239 --> 00:52:17.960



She hadn't felt this much at ease in her whole life.65800:52:18.039 --> 00:52:22.119



She was finally getting away from her abusive father. And65900:52:22.280 --> 00:52:29.559



moving in with August just felt right. At the Hannig farm,66000:52:29.800 --> 00:52:35.320



her father paced the porch inside August's mother, Margaret, was66100:52:35.400 --> 00:52:41.000



heard yelling, I said, get off my land. She suddenly66200:52:41.079 --> 00:52:44.559



wished she had a phone line, but to her she66300:52:44.679 --> 00:52:48.480



had nobody that she wanted to jaw with. Phones are66400:52:48.480 --> 00:52:53.159



for gossip and layabouts, she always said, but now she66500:52:53.280 --> 00:52:57.679



knew they could also be used for calling authorities to66600:52:57.760 --> 00:53:03.480



pull protective fathers off her property. She understood how he felt.66700:53:04.039 --> 00:53:06.639



She was just as angry at her boy for not66800:53:06.800 --> 00:53:10.679



coming home and for doing god knows what with his66900:53:10.960 --> 00:53:14.599



harlot of a daughter. But those are matters to be67000:53:14.719 --> 00:53:19.440



taken care of under one's own roof. She's his kid67100:53:19.519 --> 00:53:22.280



and he can beat her if he wants, but not67200:53:23.039 --> 00:53:28.199



on her porch. This is it, She thought, I'm grabbing67300:53:28.239 --> 00:53:32.440



my shotgun when she slammed open her door and pointed67400:53:32.480 --> 00:53:35.800



the old double barrel at him. He got the message67500:53:36.239 --> 00:53:40.159



and ran to his truck. His bad mood didn't improve67600:53:40.679 --> 00:53:44.559



as he drove out of there, especially when Missus Hannig67700:53:44.920 --> 00:53:49.000



pulled the trigger, spattering bird shot on the tail gate67800:53:49.440 --> 00:53:57.440



of his truck. August and Beck's had arrived at the67900:53:57.480 --> 00:54:02.840



Hannig Farm's long driveway. Just moments before, Missus Hannick went68000:54:02.880 --> 00:54:06.320



into her house to get her shotgun. When August had68100:54:06.400 --> 00:54:10.239



run into the field, Bex wasn't sure what he was68200:54:10.320 --> 00:54:15.199



doing until he leaned over and picked a few wild flowers.68300:54:15.920 --> 00:54:19.519



Bex smiled as he approached with them, but then she68400:54:19.760 --> 00:54:22.800



was confused when he only handed her half of them.68500:54:23.840 --> 00:54:28.159



He held up the other bunch for my ma. She's68600:54:28.199 --> 00:54:30.920



going to have to accept this, but she ain't going68700:54:30.960 --> 00:54:34.320



to be too happy. Bex put her nose to the68800:54:34.360 --> 00:54:40.679



combo of wildflowers to smell them. They're pretty permission to68900:54:40.679 --> 00:54:46.679



be cliche. Sure, not as pretty as you are. Bex69000:54:46.760 --> 00:54:51.400



held her stomach bent over and made fake puking noises.69100:54:52.400 --> 00:54:55.039



Come on, give me a break, I'm new to romance.69200:54:56.000 --> 00:54:59.960



She straightened back up and smiled at him. You sure69300:55:00.159 --> 00:55:03.440



you're not just trying to get back in my pants.69400:55:04.000 --> 00:55:06.599



I can't wait to play naked twister with you again.69500:55:06.719 --> 00:55:10.840



But that's not the reason I think the world of you,69600:55:11.000 --> 00:55:15.199



and I want you to know that. She stops there69700:55:15.760 --> 00:55:20.280



walking to give him a little kiss. I'm nervous that69800:55:20.360 --> 00:55:24.360



your mother won't like me. That's a correct feeling. She69900:55:25.000 --> 00:55:28.159



won't like you, but she will feel better when she70000:55:28.280 --> 00:55:33.119



finds out that we're getting married. We are I don't70100:55:33.159 --> 00:55:38.360



recall a ring or a proposal, Augie Hannig. That's when70200:55:38.400 --> 00:55:43.639



he turned around and faced her. Becky, Sue, you know70300:55:43.679 --> 00:55:48.239



how much I care about you. Yes. The sound of70400:55:48.280 --> 00:55:53.480



a shotgun going off was heard by the two bes70500:55:53.519 --> 00:55:58.239



looked at him with concern. Mama's probably shooting at coyotes,70600:55:58.719 --> 00:56:03.480



he explained. Then he got down on his knees and70700:56:03.639 --> 00:56:07.639



pulled a loose ring out of his pocket. Her face70800:56:07.800 --> 00:56:14.719



expressed surprise, then happiness, and then she didn't know why,70900:56:14.880 --> 00:56:21.239



but she began to cry. This whole relationship was so fresh,71000:56:21.960 --> 00:56:30.400



This was crazy. Yet she knew her answer already. Oh, Augie, yes, yes,71100:56:31.239 --> 00:56:34.239



she said. As he went to put the ring on71200:56:34.360 --> 00:56:38.599



her finger, her face changed to express a new emotion.71300:56:39.519 --> 00:56:42.960



He watched with confusion as her face went from tears71400:56:43.000 --> 00:56:48.239



of happiness to terror. That's when he heard the sound71500:56:48.360 --> 00:56:53.000



that had already registered to her ears. She had known71600:56:53.239 --> 00:56:57.159



instantly from the way the exhaust rattled that it was71700:56:57.280 --> 00:57:01.960



her father's truck. It sound was so distinct because he71800:57:02.039 --> 00:57:05.960



had been too cheap to replace his rotted out muffler71900:57:06.480 --> 00:57:10.800



on the truck, even after she offered to pay for it. Instead,72000:57:10.920 --> 00:57:14.159



he opted to fix it with a patch, which only72100:57:14.199 --> 00:57:18.360



added a whistling sound to the low rumble. When the72200:57:18.400 --> 00:57:22.639



truck came to a sudden stop behind him, August stood.72300:57:22.679 --> 00:57:26.800



Back up, you son of a bitch, Joseph yelled as72400:57:26.840 --> 00:57:31.559



he threw his door open and made his way to August. Look, sir,72500:57:32.039 --> 00:57:35.719



we're all adults here. Let's calm down. And the punch72600:57:35.840 --> 00:57:39.079



to his face delivered by the old man was enough72700:57:39.400 --> 00:57:42.719



to shut him up. You stay away from my daughter,72800:57:43.480 --> 00:57:46.760



or I'll kill you, he said, while he held his72900:57:46.920 --> 00:57:50.719



aching right hand. I'm not going to stay away from her.73000:57:51.079 --> 00:57:54.400



I'm going to marry her, August declared, as he put73100:57:54.440 --> 00:57:58.000



his face right up to Joseph's. And there is nothing73200:57:58.239 --> 00:58:02.719



you can do about it, daddy. No. Bex yelled and73300:58:02.840 --> 00:58:06.320



ran towards them. She knew the sound of his colt73400:58:06.360 --> 00:58:10.920



pistol being cocked too well growing up on a farm.73500:58:11.079 --> 00:58:14.840



August knew the sound well too, and began to back73600:58:14.920 --> 00:58:18.760



away from the old man. I thought there was no73700:58:18.880 --> 00:58:23.840



way I could stop you, Joseph laughed. Becks, get in73800:58:23.920 --> 00:58:29.000



the truck, don't, August yelled to her, but she was73900:58:29.079 --> 00:58:33.440



already heading to it as Joseph walked towards August, bringing74000:58:33.480 --> 00:58:38.320



their ten foot gap down to two. Then he smiled74100:58:38.760 --> 00:58:45.400



and took another step, putting the gun to August's forehead. Daddy, stop,74200:58:45.920 --> 00:58:50.559



I'm in the truck already, I'll be good. Joseph squinted74300:58:51.000 --> 00:58:55.440



and stared into August's eyes, never taking his finger off74400:58:55.480 --> 00:58:59.880



the trigger. August couldn't hide the anger he was feeling,74500:59:00.599 --> 00:59:05.400



but it didn't outweigh his fear. Moments passed that felt74600:59:05.440 --> 00:59:10.280



like hours. Then Joseph stepped back afoot, made a quick74700:59:10.400 --> 00:59:15.159



inhale of breath, and then spat a mixture of saliva74800:59:15.280 --> 00:59:20.519



and chewing tobacco in August's face. As soon as Joseph74900:59:20.639 --> 00:59:24.719



pulled away with his new fiancee in the truck, August's75000:59:24.840 --> 00:59:29.559



knees buckled and he fell to the ground. That son75100:59:29.639 --> 00:59:32.880



of a bitch, What a total son of a bitch.75200:59:33.840 --> 00:59:38.199



He had no intention of letting him win. He stood up,75300:59:38.679 --> 00:59:42.280



slid the ring back in his pocket, and swore to75400:59:42.360 --> 00:59:47.880



himself that he would put it on her finger as75500:59:47.960 --> 00:59:51.599



soon as he arrived at his family's farm. His mother75600:59:51.800 --> 00:59:55.719



began to scream at him. You are a no good fornicator,75700:59:55.760 --> 00:59:59.519



you son of Solomon. What shame you've brought to this family.75801:00:00.119 --> 01:00:03.559



You should have seen how upset that man was. Fuck75901:00:03.639 --> 01:00:07.599



that guy. Oh, my my life, Where Lord did I76001:00:07.679 --> 01:00:12.320



go wrong? She looked up to the sky. I'm sorry, Lord,76101:00:12.760 --> 01:00:16.920



I've wasted this precious life you gave me raising a sinner.76201:00:17.920 --> 01:00:22.760



August fade shock. I thought now you wanted me to76301:00:22.800 --> 01:00:28.360



be like everyone else normal people date. His mother's eyes76401:00:28.559 --> 01:00:33.079



snapped from the sky to looking directly at him. There76501:00:33.239 --> 01:00:37.920



is a difference between dating and being a common fornicator.76601:00:38.480 --> 01:00:41.000



Do not stand here and lie to me and tell76701:00:41.039 --> 01:00:44.480



me that you and that Harlot spent all night talking76801:00:45.079 --> 01:00:50.400



that nothing sinful happened between you. August wasn't going to lie,76901:00:51.000 --> 01:00:55.400



so he said nothing, And what about me and my worrying?77001:00:55.800 --> 01:00:58.679



Did you ever stop to think what being out all77101:00:58.760 --> 01:01:01.400



night would do to my health? Not to mention the77201:01:01.440 --> 01:01:06.000



poor father of the girl you defiled? Jesus Christ, Mom,77301:01:06.559 --> 01:01:11.880



August yelled, give me a break. Everybody has sex. The77401:01:11.920 --> 01:01:15.280



stress of all that had happened, with the added shame77501:01:15.360 --> 01:01:18.800



of her son taking the Lord's name in vain, was77601:01:18.880 --> 01:01:23.639



too much for Margaret her face suddenly froze, and then77701:01:23.760 --> 01:01:31.920



her knees buckled. August ran to his mother, you are77801:01:32.039 --> 01:01:35.320



nothing but a no good little whore. Do you know77901:01:35.360 --> 01:01:39.400



what kind of shame you've brought to this family? Joseph yelled,78001:01:40.000 --> 01:01:43.559



just inches away from his daughter's black and blue face,78101:01:44.320 --> 01:01:48.000



her tears mixed with the blood from her nose, keeping78201:01:48.039 --> 01:01:51.760



the crimson blood fresh, though the broken nose happened an78301:01:51.760 --> 01:01:56.760



hour ago when he punched her in the truck. Don't78401:01:56.800 --> 01:02:01.400



you love me, bes asked. He just stared at her.78501:02:02.400 --> 01:02:05.360



How can you hurt me this way? Why do you78601:02:05.480 --> 01:02:09.480



hate me for liking a boy. I'm not doing anything78701:02:09.519 --> 01:02:13.880



outside the norm of every other American girl, she explained,78801:02:13.920 --> 01:02:17.639



as she looked into his eyes, searching for any sign78901:02:17.719 --> 01:02:21.239



of his humanity or even the slightest hint of her79001:02:21.320 --> 01:02:30.000



getting through to him. She saw nothing. Mama, don't die,79101:02:30.039 --> 01:02:34.320



August said to his mother in her hospital bed. She's79201:02:34.400 --> 01:02:37.800



not a harlot. I plan to marry her. I promise.79301:02:38.519 --> 01:02:41.199



I'm going to make her an honest woman and be79401:02:41.360 --> 01:02:45.480



the man you want me to be. His mother attempted79501:02:45.519 --> 01:02:49.480



to smile and touched his hand. He stayed in that79601:02:49.559 --> 01:02:54.199



position for a long time looking over her, but his79701:02:54.360 --> 01:02:58.000



thoughts drifted to Beck's and how he was going to79801:02:58.039 --> 01:03:01.719



get her back. He thought thought about grabbing his father's79901:03:01.760 --> 01:03:06.639



old small game rifle and shooting Joseph Brewer. It was80001:03:06.719 --> 01:03:10.119



only a twenty two, but it was good enough to80101:03:10.280 --> 01:03:13.239



kill his own father when he shot himself in the80201:03:13.320 --> 01:03:18.119



head a decade back. But as much as he wanted80301:03:18.159 --> 01:03:21.440



to end her father's life, he knew it would end80401:03:21.519 --> 01:03:24.920



theirs as well, and he felt like his life was80501:03:25.119 --> 01:03:28.360



just beginning. He wasn't going to let that old man80601:03:28.800 --> 01:03:33.280



be the cause of it being ruined. No, he was80701:03:33.360 --> 01:03:37.760



going to have to be very cautious. He felt like80801:03:37.800 --> 01:03:42.119



a bastard because his only plan was to sneak over there,80901:03:42.559 --> 01:03:46.880



grab her, and leave town at least for a little while.81001:03:47.599 --> 01:03:51.039



But to do that while his mother was possibly on81101:03:51.119 --> 01:04:02.199



her deathbed made him feel terrible. Becks desperately clung to81201:04:02.280 --> 01:04:04.960



the couch as he tried to pull her from the81301:04:05.000 --> 01:04:08.880



front room. She knew his plan and she was going81401:04:08.920 --> 01:04:12.639



to fight with all her strength to stop him. For81501:04:12.679 --> 01:04:16.079



an old man, he was strong a life of farm81601:04:16.119 --> 01:04:19.880



work on top of his real job, which included loading81701:04:20.000 --> 01:04:24.400



up other farmer's trucks. With heavy supplies at Dorset Feed,81801:04:25.480 --> 01:04:28.800



so it wasn't long before she lost her grip and81901:04:28.960 --> 01:04:32.639



fell to the floor. He laughed and dragged her by82001:04:32.679 --> 01:04:35.559



her right foot as she kicked him with her left,82101:04:36.360 --> 01:04:39.960



which didn't seem to stop him, but not much wood.82201:04:40.239 --> 01:04:43.639



He was at white heat. She grabbed the kitchen table82301:04:43.679 --> 01:04:46.960



as she slid past, but let go when he stomped82401:04:46.960 --> 01:04:50.039



on the arm that grabbed it. From the sound of82501:04:50.079 --> 01:04:53.320



the crack and the new rush of pain, she was82601:04:53.400 --> 01:04:57.119



sure it was broken. She held her arm as he82701:04:57.199 --> 01:05:01.039



brought her to her feet and pushed her. She knew82801:05:01.360 --> 01:05:05.320



this was the moment, her last chance to save herself.82901:05:06.239 --> 01:05:08.880



She let go of her broken arm to cock back83001:05:08.920 --> 01:05:12.800



her other one and swung as hard as she could,83101:05:13.400 --> 01:05:18.039



making perfect contact with his nose. She smiled when she83201:05:18.159 --> 01:05:23.199



heard the crack, she knew she had broken it. He83301:05:23.320 --> 01:05:26.760



looked at her with disdain in his eyes and kicked83401:05:26.760 --> 01:05:30.679



her as hard as he could in the stomach, throwing83501:05:30.719 --> 01:05:34.199



her back through the doorway he had opened earlier, and83601:05:34.400 --> 01:05:39.039



watched as she tumbled down the basement stairs. He heard83701:05:39.119 --> 01:05:43.280



the thuds and some cracking sounds, but he didn't hear83801:05:43.360 --> 01:05:47.440



the loud snap He had hoped for the snap he83901:05:47.480 --> 01:05:51.760



had heard when he pushed his wife down the front84001:05:51.880 --> 01:05:57.440



room stairs. You were always a problem, he said, and84101:05:57.559 --> 01:06:01.840



then walked down to the basement floor. She was moaning84201:06:01.920 --> 01:06:05.320



in pain and crying. He knew he would need to84301:06:05.360 --> 01:06:10.199



wipe the tears away. That wouldn't look good. The bruises84401:06:10.239 --> 01:06:13.360



weren't great, but of course he had that dirt on84501:06:13.400 --> 01:06:16.960



the sheriff that kept them from looking too hard. After84601:06:17.000 --> 01:06:20.920



the death of his wife, he probably didn't expect him84701:06:20.960 --> 01:06:24.559



to play that card a second time, let alone only84801:06:24.599 --> 01:06:30.519



a few years later. Daddy, please, I'm in love, she84901:06:30.719 --> 01:06:35.320



said weakly. He smiled at her and then grabbed her85001:06:35.360 --> 01:06:39.360



shoulder while putting his other hand on her head, and85101:06:39.480 --> 01:06:42.880



did what the stairs were supposed to do. With a85201:06:43.000 --> 01:06:51.960



quick jerk, he broke her neck. August felt bad leaving85301:06:52.039 --> 01:06:55.320



his mother's side, but he had to check on Becky.85401:06:56.039 --> 01:06:59.320



He arrived at the Brewer home in the family car,85501:06:59.559 --> 01:07:04.760



a ninethe teen forty two Chevrolet Fleetline. You can do this,85601:07:05.440 --> 01:07:09.519



be strong, just walk up and demand to see her.85701:07:10.440 --> 01:07:14.519



August turned off the car, got out and walked up85801:07:14.559 --> 01:07:17.880



to the front door as fast as he could, in85901:07:17.960 --> 01:07:22.599



fear that he would lose his nerve. He knocked, but86001:07:22.760 --> 01:07:27.159



there was no answer. That's when he noticed that the86101:07:27.280 --> 01:07:31.679



truck wasn't there, so he went back to his car86201:07:32.280 --> 01:07:36.320



and waited. He was nervous when he heard a vehicle,86301:07:36.440 --> 01:07:41.639



but his nerve switched from anxiety to fear when he86401:07:41.679 --> 01:07:46.800



saw it was an ambulance and behind it was Joseph86501:07:46.880 --> 01:07:50.840



Brewer's truck. August jumped out of his car and ran86601:07:50.920 --> 01:07:54.920



to Joseph, pulled open the door and shouted, what the86701:07:55.000 --> 01:07:59.960



fuck did you do? Joseph looked around. The ambulance drove86801:08:00.039 --> 01:08:03.559



driver had already hopped out and was heading his way.86901:08:04.840 --> 01:08:13.400



I'm sorry, son, Joseph said, then pretended to cry, she's gone. No.87001:08:14.519 --> 01:08:19.199



August yelled for show. Joseph climbed out of his truck87101:08:19.640 --> 01:08:23.560



and put his arms around August and hugged him and87201:08:23.680 --> 01:08:26.840



said loud enough to make sure the ambulance driver heard.87301:08:27.840 --> 01:08:32.720



I know, I know you loved her too. The ambulance87401:08:32.800 --> 01:08:35.960



driver slowed his stride to let the old man and87501:08:36.039 --> 01:08:40.399



boy have their moment. August felt so gross with the87601:08:40.479 --> 01:08:45.239



man's arm around him. Joseph leaned closer and whispered into87701:08:45.279 --> 01:08:49.560



his ear, this is your fault. You know, thinking more87801:08:49.600 --> 01:08:54.520



about sewing your wild oats than about her. August pushed87901:08:54.560 --> 01:08:57.159



the old man away and then punched him in his88001:08:57.239 --> 01:09:02.039



already swollen nose. The ambulance driver ran to August and88101:09:02.119 --> 01:09:05.680



pulled him away from Joseph, who leaned against his truck88201:09:06.039 --> 01:09:10.199



and pretended to cry. August was able to break away88301:09:10.239 --> 01:09:15.119



from the driver quickly, but that's when the police car arrived.88401:09:18.039 --> 01:09:22.199



For the attack on Joseph Brewer. He was arrested for88501:09:22.319 --> 01:09:25.960



two whole days. He sat in that jail cell with88601:09:26.159 --> 01:09:30.720



nothing to distract him from his misery. All he did88701:09:31.039 --> 01:09:36.560



was sleep and cry. You have a visitor, Sheriff Altelle88801:09:36.680 --> 01:09:39.840



said as he walked a young woman toward his cell,88901:09:40.520 --> 01:09:45.840



then stopped. That's close enough. Miss August stood up and89001:09:45.920 --> 01:09:51.920



put his face up to the bars. Good morning, August, morning, Sarah.89101:09:52.880 --> 01:09:56.800



Sarah was wearing a long black dress and black shoes.89201:09:57.680 --> 01:10:00.159



I wanted to come by and see how you were doing.89301:10:01.199 --> 01:10:05.319



Bex would have wanted that, why are you still in here?89401:10:05.920 --> 01:10:09.359



Twenty five dollars bail, and he's all yours. The sheriff89501:10:09.399 --> 01:10:16.520



offered twenty five dollars for punching a murderer, miss mister Brewer.89601:10:16.560 --> 01:10:19.079



Has gone through a lot. If you don't stop with89701:10:19.159 --> 01:10:22.640



that talk, I'll kick you right out of here. I89801:10:22.720 --> 01:10:27.479



can't stay long. Bex's funeral is today, and it feels89901:10:27.520 --> 01:10:31.159



so wrong that you won't be there. She's being buried90001:10:31.199 --> 01:10:35.039



in the dress she bought for your Valentine's date. If90101:10:35.079 --> 01:10:37.880



I had the twenty five dollars, i'd bail you out.90201:10:38.920 --> 01:10:43.840



You should be there. It just feels so wrong that90301:10:43.960 --> 01:10:51.600



she's gone, August replied. On the morning of Valentine's Day,90401:10:52.039 --> 01:10:56.279



August's mother, Margaret, was finally doing well enough to leave90501:10:56.319 --> 01:10:59.800



the hospital, and the first thing she did was bail90601:10:59.840 --> 01:11:03.920



her son out of jail. August was happy to be90701:11:03.960 --> 01:11:07.680



able to change back into his own clothes and get90801:11:07.680 --> 01:11:11.680



his personal effects back. The first thing he did was90901:11:11.720 --> 01:11:15.119



put the ring that was meant for Becks on his91001:11:15.239 --> 01:11:22.720



pinky finger. That afternoon, he drove the fleet line to91101:11:22.800 --> 01:11:26.880



the cemetery. His mother didn't like him driving the car91201:11:27.000 --> 01:11:32.319



more than necessary, so usually he'd walk everywhere, but he91301:11:32.359 --> 01:11:36.960



no longer cared about her rules. As he entered, he91401:11:37.119 --> 01:11:40.800



thought about his father, but still did not want to91501:11:40.880 --> 01:11:46.680



see his grave because that would make it final. He91601:11:46.760 --> 01:11:50.720



felt the same way about hers. He still wanted the91701:11:50.800 --> 01:11:54.640



fantasy that she would come back to him, but he91801:11:54.720 --> 01:11:58.039



had made himself a promise that he had to keep.91901:11:59.319 --> 01:12:02.199



It wasn't hard to find her grave, as it was92001:12:02.239 --> 01:12:06.239



the only one marked with a wooden cross. He guessed92101:12:06.279 --> 01:12:11.399



that the headstone hadn't been created yet. August Hannig used92201:12:11.439 --> 01:12:14.479



the soul of his black leather boots to press the92301:12:14.479 --> 01:12:21.479



blade of his shovel into the snow covered earth. Despite92401:12:21.600 --> 01:12:25.159



the snow, the ground was still soft and easy to92501:12:25.239 --> 01:12:29.239



dig out the benefit of it being a fresh grave.92601:12:30.920 --> 01:12:33.800



I wish I could have gotten out here sooner, sweetie,92701:12:34.520 --> 01:12:39.000



August said, though there were only the trees, the wind,92801:12:39.800 --> 01:12:44.479



and the tombstones around to hear him. It took an92901:12:44.600 --> 01:12:48.680



hour to get down to her coffin. He was fearful93001:12:48.760 --> 01:12:52.960



that someone would spot him, but not so much to stop.93101:12:53.840 --> 01:12:58.520



She was just as beautiful as he remembered. The undertaker93201:12:58.600 --> 01:13:03.800



had done a fine job. Though she looked pale, especially93301:13:04.319 --> 01:13:08.560



with her now light blue skin contrasting with the red93401:13:08.680 --> 01:13:13.359



Valentine's dress that had a decorative heart over her right breast,93501:13:14.199 --> 01:13:18.840



she was still so beautiful, he thought. He was still93601:13:19.039 --> 01:13:23.720



so in love with her. He couldn't help himself. He93701:13:23.840 --> 01:13:29.079



bent down and kissed her cold lips. He then ran93801:13:29.199 --> 01:13:33.039



his hand down her side until he reached what he93901:13:33.159 --> 01:13:37.680



was after, he held her hand in his and began94001:13:37.800 --> 01:13:43.159



to speak, Oh, Becks, these last few weeks have been magical.94101:13:44.159 --> 01:13:48.359



I never expected to find love. I didn't even really94201:13:48.479 --> 01:13:54.439



know what love was until I found you. You're so smart,94301:13:55.039 --> 01:13:58.479



caring and cool, and that's with you being under the94401:13:58.520 --> 01:14:02.359



thumb of your father. I can't imagine what you'll become94501:14:02.479 --> 01:14:05.720



when you're past his influence, and I want to be94601:14:05.760 --> 01:14:08.560



a part of that. I want to support you in94701:14:08.640 --> 01:14:11.439



any way I can. I want to love you for94801:14:11.479 --> 01:14:16.760



the rest of my days. Becks, will you marry me?94901:14:17.720 --> 01:14:21.399



He looked at her for a response, but of course95001:14:22.239 --> 01:14:29.079



none came. Then he slipped the ring on her finger,95101:14:29.960 --> 01:14:34.640



kissed her cold lips once more, then closed the coffin95201:14:35.399 --> 01:14:45.399



and covered it back up. Good Bye, my love. If95301:14:45.439 --> 01:14:49.039



he had stayed a bit longer, he would have seen95401:14:49.159 --> 01:14:54.840



her eyelids begin to flutter and then open to reveal95501:14:55.000 --> 01:15:01.680



her cloudy, dry, dilated, yet still green eye. Her struggle95601:15:01.760 --> 01:15:04.800



to climb out of her grave wouldn't have been as95701:15:04.920 --> 01:15:09.680



rough either. She wouldn't have broken all her nails, and95801:15:09.800 --> 01:15:13.760



her beautiful red dress wouldn't have been covered in dirt95901:15:14.520 --> 01:15:17.880



as she dug her way out of six feet of it.96001:15:22.800 --> 01:15:26.239



After the death of his wife last year, and now96101:15:26.319 --> 01:15:29.520



that his daughter is gone, there was a certain amount96201:15:29.560 --> 01:15:34.680



of ease to Joseph Brewer's mind. Of course, things would96301:15:34.720 --> 01:15:40.159



be a bit tighter financially without her contribution, but at96401:15:40.279 --> 01:15:43.359



least he no longer had to worry about the women96501:15:43.479 --> 01:15:48.399



in his life embarrassing him further. As he opened the fridge,96601:15:48.439 --> 01:15:52.079



he was disappointed to no longer have someone to make96701:15:52.119 --> 01:15:56.479



his meals, so he would be having a simple dinner96801:15:57.119 --> 01:16:00.800



of a sandwich and maybe a can of soup. But96901:16:00.960 --> 01:16:04.960



for now he was just grabbing another beer. If he97001:16:05.079 --> 01:16:09.000



hadn't used the commercial break to grab a drink, he97101:16:09.039 --> 01:16:16.079



would have seen his front door open. He sat down97201:16:16.159 --> 01:16:19.680



with his fifth bier of the night, just in time97301:16:19.760 --> 01:16:24.000



for the opening of gun Smoke, his favorite show. Though97401:16:24.039 --> 01:16:27.560



he didn't always agree with the morality tales they told.97501:16:28.479 --> 01:16:32.279



He thought the marshal was too lenient and shouldn't stop97601:16:32.319 --> 01:16:35.640



the good old boys from hanging the criminals. All the time,97701:16:36.479 --> 01:16:41.760



he believed in frontier justice. He ignored the first creak97801:16:41.800 --> 01:16:46.039



he heard on the stairs. This was an old house97901:16:46.479 --> 01:16:50.640



and it made noise from time to time. But when98001:16:50.640 --> 01:16:53.119



he heard the creek at the top of the stairs,98101:16:53.840 --> 01:16:58.399



he knew somebody was in his house. He knew that98201:16:58.600 --> 01:17:03.359



squeak very well. It only happened when somebody moved from98301:17:03.399 --> 01:17:08.039



the stairs to the walkway in one fluid motion. He98401:17:08.159 --> 01:17:13.960



stood up and swung around to look, but nobody was there.98501:17:15.359 --> 01:17:18.720



He tried to tell himself it was nothing, but that98601:17:19.119 --> 01:17:23.199



was when he noticed the dirty footprints by the front98701:17:23.239 --> 01:17:27.119



door and the bit of dirt on the first couple98801:17:27.119 --> 01:17:32.960



of steps leading upstairs. That's no good, boy, he said98901:17:33.000 --> 01:17:36.920



to himself, then yelled, don't you know if you enter99001:17:37.000 --> 01:17:40.079



somebody's home, they have every right to defend themselves with99101:17:40.199 --> 01:17:44.920



lethal force. Joseph walked over to the little end table99201:17:45.000 --> 01:17:48.720



where his wallet and keys were set. He slid open99301:17:48.760 --> 01:17:53.520



the drawer and pulled out his Colt pistol, then yelled out,99401:17:54.279 --> 01:17:56.239



I always wanted to know what it was like to99501:17:56.239 --> 01:17:59.960



shoot somebody with this gun. You know, I haven't shot99601:17:59.840 --> 01:18:04.880



anyone since the war. He got no response from his taunts,99701:18:05.560 --> 01:18:08.640



so he made his way to the stairs and began99801:18:08.760 --> 01:18:13.079



his ascent, while thinking how many times, can I shoot99901:18:13.159 --> 01:18:16.920



him with it still being self defense. At the top100001:18:16.960 --> 01:18:20.600



of the stairs, he saw a bit more dirt. He100101:18:20.680 --> 01:18:25.600



couldn't see which direction the person went, but they were smart.100201:18:25.880 --> 01:18:30.079



Both bedroom doors, the closet, and the bathroom doors had100301:18:30.119 --> 01:18:34.279



all been open to throw him off, so he bent100401:18:34.439 --> 01:18:37.479



down and tried to look at each door opening to100501:18:37.560 --> 01:18:41.079



see if there was any dirt tracked into the rooms.100601:18:41.640 --> 01:18:45.760



Then he would know where the bastard was hiding. Come on,100701:18:45.880 --> 01:18:50.399



you little twerp, where are you show yourself? He had100801:18:50.479 --> 01:18:53.680



just noticed the tiniest bit of dirt on the floor100901:18:54.119 --> 01:19:00.520



of his own room. Bingo. That's when Beck's pumped out101001:19:00.560 --> 01:19:05.640



from the bathroom door. He screamed, but despite being startled,101101:19:06.000 --> 01:19:08.479



he brought up his gun and shot her in the101201:19:08.560 --> 01:19:11.880



side of her head, taking a large chunk out of101301:19:11.880 --> 01:19:16.239



her ear. Since her father cheaped out and didn't spring101401:19:16.279 --> 01:19:20.560



for formaldehyde, red blood still came out from the wound,101501:19:21.039 --> 01:19:24.960



but only at a trickle since her heart had ceased101601:19:24.960 --> 01:19:28.680



to pump By the time she reached him. He had101701:19:28.720 --> 01:19:32.760



shot her twice more. From years of hunting, he was101801:19:32.840 --> 01:19:37.319



a wicked shot, so despite the panic, his bullets both101901:19:37.359 --> 01:19:40.800



found purchase in the side of her skull, ripping two102001:19:40.880 --> 01:19:45.079



more holes in her head. Both were brutal kill shots,102101:19:45.640 --> 01:19:50.800



but since she was undead, the only effect was cosmetic.102201:19:51.760 --> 01:19:55.680



In response, she pushed him with supernatural strength toward the102301:19:55.760 --> 01:20:00.640



stairs instead of falling down multiple ones. He only hit102401:20:00.680 --> 01:20:04.479



the last two, and even that was just his ankles,102501:20:05.000 --> 01:20:09.039



which both broke with enough force that they folded forward.102601:20:09.800 --> 01:20:13.319



His toes touched his shins. She stared with her dead102701:20:13.399 --> 01:20:18.560



eyes of malachite and watched him scream before making her102801:20:18.680 --> 01:20:23.039



slow descent down to him. When she was half way102901:20:23.079 --> 01:20:27.279



down the stairs, his survival instinct kicked back in and103001:20:27.359 --> 01:20:31.359



he started dragging himself towards the front door. He made103101:20:31.399 --> 01:20:35.239



it there, but was struggling to reach the knob, so103201:20:36.239 --> 01:20:40.399



she helped him with that. He looked up confused as103301:20:40.399 --> 01:20:45.439



she held the door open for him, allowing his escape,103401:20:45.600 --> 01:20:51.319



but he attempted to continue anyway. That's when she slammed it,103501:20:51.840 --> 01:20:56.600



catching his head between the door and the frame. You bitch.103601:20:57.840 --> 01:21:01.720



Then she pulled the door back again and slammed it103701:21:01.880 --> 01:21:06.039



even harder. The sound of his neck breaking was much103801:21:06.159 --> 01:21:11.079



like the sound hers had made before she left. She103901:21:11.199 --> 01:21:15.800



went into the kitchen and used her cold, dead fingers104001:21:16.359 --> 01:21:20.000



to put out the pilot lights on his stove. Then104101:21:20.239 --> 01:21:23.680



she cranked up all the knobs to hide and made104201:21:23.720 --> 01:21:28.880



her way out. Soon enough, she thought the gas would104301:21:28.880 --> 01:21:34.640



make it to the fireplace, then boom, no more house104401:21:35.880 --> 01:21:39.720



when she was alive. She had done this three times before,104501:21:40.319 --> 01:21:43.520



in the middle of the night after her mother had passed,104601:21:44.039 --> 01:21:48.760



wanting to die and take him with her, but every104701:21:48.880 --> 01:21:54.760



time she chickened out. Now though he was already dead,104801:21:55.600 --> 01:21:59.319



and so was she, and she was never coming back104901:21:59.359 --> 01:22:04.119



here again, and so why not. She had made it105001:22:04.239 --> 01:22:08.920



back to the cemetery when she heard the explosion. She105101:22:09.079 --> 01:22:13.640



planned to kill him then crawl back to her grave.105201:22:14.800 --> 01:22:18.439



But she wasn't ready for death just yet. It was105301:22:18.560 --> 01:22:23.439



Valentine's Day, after all, and she had a date. She105401:22:23.520 --> 01:22:32.079



looked at the ring on her finger and smiled. Margaret105501:22:32.159 --> 01:22:36.359



Hannig was sitting in her favorite chair and knitting while105601:22:36.399 --> 01:22:39.640



listening to a sermon on the radio. It was a105701:22:39.720 --> 01:22:45.399



Lutheran broadcast, but the minister's constant preaching of forgiveness God105801:22:45.479 --> 01:22:48.560



on her nerves. Is it not better to live a105901:22:48.680 --> 01:22:54.119



pious life than to ask for forgiveness? August walked through106001:22:54.119 --> 01:22:56.720



the living room on his way to get a glass106101:22:56.760 --> 01:23:01.479



of water. What are you still doing here? Margaret asked,106201:23:02.359 --> 01:23:07.119



what do you mean? It's dance night at the grange.106301:23:07.399 --> 01:23:11.600



My Valentine is dead. It could be a blessing. You106401:23:11.680 --> 01:23:14.439



might just meet a better girl, someone who doesn't have106501:23:14.840 --> 01:23:19.680



mental illness in their gene pool. August turned around and106601:23:19.840 --> 01:23:24.640



faced his mother. He was furious, like, we aren't riddled106701:23:24.640 --> 01:23:28.239



with mental illness in our gene pool? How dare you?106801:23:28.840 --> 01:23:33.119



How do you mean? Well, you have some weird obsession106901:23:33.199 --> 01:23:36.439



with religion which stops you from living a life, and107001:23:36.600 --> 01:23:39.960



Dad not being able to handle your picking and constant107101:23:40.000 --> 01:23:43.359



berating for not being a saint, something nobody can live107201:23:43.439 --> 01:23:46.560



up to. By the way, Blue, his brain's out, And107301:23:46.640 --> 01:23:50.039



you don't even talk about your parents, so I imagine they107401:23:50.079 --> 01:23:53.880



weren't a source of brightness in your life either. Margaret107501:23:53.960 --> 01:23:57.920



stood up God in her son's face and started screaming,107601:23:58.439 --> 01:24:01.800



how dare you? Don't you rem remember your learning, honor107701:24:01.880 --> 01:24:04.840



thy father and mother, that you may live long in107801:24:04.920 --> 01:24:08.960



the land the Lord your God is giving you. Mom107901:24:09.319 --> 01:24:13.239



calmed down. The doctor said, you can't get yourself worked108001:24:13.319 --> 01:24:19.520



up anymore? How can I not? When I'm going to hell? What? Oh?108101:24:19.560 --> 01:24:22.880



My God, you are so dramatic. Do you think God108201:24:22.960 --> 01:24:25.880



is going to let me in heaven after raising a demon?108301:24:26.399 --> 01:24:31.439



I'm not a demon. Fuck you, August yelled, and you108401:24:31.520 --> 01:24:35.239



know what, I lost my only chance at love last week,108501:24:35.399 --> 01:24:39.560



so he pointed his middle finger at the sky. Fuck108601:24:39.680 --> 01:24:44.199



God too. God is going to smite you down. Anyone108701:24:44.239 --> 01:24:46.720



who curses their father or mother is to be put108801:24:46.800 --> 01:24:50.439



to death, she yelled, then stormed out of the room.108901:24:51.319 --> 01:24:55.039



Let him, August yelled, and then went to the coat109001:24:55.159 --> 01:24:58.520



rack by the door, grabbed his jacket and the keys109101:24:58.600 --> 01:25:02.880



to the car. I have nothing to live for. The109201:25:02.960 --> 01:25:07.720



wall next to him exploded, and he instinctively cupped his109301:25:07.840 --> 01:25:11.760



hands over his ears to protect them, while turning around109401:25:11.840 --> 01:25:15.560



to see his mother with a shotgun. All who curse109501:25:15.680 --> 01:25:18.800



their father or mother must be put to death. They109601:25:18.840 --> 01:25:23.039



are guilty of a capital offense, she said, as she109701:25:23.159 --> 01:25:27.079



pulled back the hammer. August ran to her and grabbed109801:25:27.079 --> 01:25:30.920



the gun, but she held it tight. What happened to109901:25:30.960 --> 01:25:34.840



thou shalt not kill? His mother gave a big yank110001:25:34.920 --> 01:25:38.640



to pull the gun away. Despite her age, she was110101:25:38.720 --> 01:25:41.960



strong from working the farm, and she was able to110201:25:41.960 --> 01:25:45.680



get the firearm away from him, but She pulled with110301:25:45.760 --> 01:25:49.439



such force and so little care that she ended up110401:25:49.520 --> 01:25:54.239



falling backwards with the gun aimed at her face, and110501:25:54.319 --> 01:25:57.840



since her finger had never left the trigger, the gun110601:25:58.159 --> 01:26:02.680



went off, just like her husband had years earlier. She110701:26:02.880 --> 01:26:08.760



blew her brains out. August looked down at his mother's110801:26:08.800 --> 01:26:12.399



dead body and the bits of brain matter and hair110901:26:12.880 --> 01:26:18.319



that sprayed onto the floor and furniture, and thought, I'm111001:26:18.359 --> 01:26:21.640



worse than ed Geen. At least he didn't kill his111101:26:21.680 --> 01:26:28.399



own mother. August pulled into the last parking spot. The111201:26:28.560 --> 01:26:32.199



dance at the grange was rocking. Usually there were maybe111301:26:32.600 --> 01:26:36.880



twenty five people, but being that it was Valentine's Day111401:26:37.319 --> 01:26:39.279



and there weren't a lot of places to take a111501:26:39.399 --> 01:26:42.880



date in the small town of Dorset, every young couple111601:26:43.439 --> 01:26:46.520



was in attendance. When he made his way to the111701:26:46.560 --> 01:26:50.479



stairs leading up to the hall, he saw Bex's friend111801:26:50.600 --> 01:26:56.880



Sarah sharing a cigarette with Thomas. August, you're out, Sarah said,111901:26:57.720 --> 01:27:03.680



How are you holding up well? August replied, sorry to112001:27:03.720 --> 01:27:09.159



hear about Beck's such a tragedy. Thomas offered, I feel112101:27:09.199 --> 01:27:14.039



the same way August's side. I should have done much112201:27:14.119 --> 01:27:17.680



more than punch him in the face. I saw him112301:27:17.720 --> 01:27:20.800



at the funeral man he messed up his nose good,112401:27:21.399 --> 01:27:26.960



Thomas said, the world's smallest consolation, I guess, he replied,112501:27:27.600 --> 01:27:31.640



and walked past them into the grange. The hall had112601:27:31.680 --> 01:27:36.199



been decorated for the occasion, with different sized construction paper,112701:27:36.319 --> 01:27:40.800



cutout hearts and read in pink streamers hanging from the ceiling.112801:27:41.640 --> 01:27:45.039



Everybody inside was having a great time dancing to the112901:27:45.119 --> 01:27:50.319



song dream Lover. What am I doing here? August thought,113001:27:51.239 --> 01:27:53.840



I should be calling the cops so they don't think113101:27:53.880 --> 01:27:57.159



I killed her, Or I should be at Becks's house113201:27:57.640 --> 01:28:01.600



killing her father. Or I should just go home and113301:28:01.640 --> 01:28:06.039



shoot myself and end the Hannig line for good. But113401:28:06.159 --> 01:28:09.880



he did none of those things. He just walked past113501:28:09.960 --> 01:28:13.880



the dance floor and sat down on the benches where113601:28:13.920 --> 01:28:19.119



they had first started talking just two weeks ago. Throughout113701:28:19.199 --> 01:28:22.520



the next half hour, all the people in town who113801:28:22.560 --> 01:28:25.840



had been strangers to him because of his mother's bullshit113901:28:26.520 --> 01:28:31.920



came and gave their condolences about Becks. He handled it well,114001:28:31.960 --> 01:28:35.520



but after a while he decided that he should drive114101:28:35.640 --> 01:28:38.880



to the police station and tell them what happened with114201:28:39.000 --> 01:28:44.520



his mother. But as he stood up, miss Brockmiller made114301:28:44.600 --> 01:28:48.079



her way to him. How dare you show your face114401:28:48.239 --> 01:28:51.359



after punching an old man? Do you know how much114501:28:51.399 --> 01:28:55.039



he's gone through? Lost his wife and daughter, and some114601:28:55.399 --> 01:28:58.920



punk like you, who probably defiled her innocence goes and114701:28:59.039 --> 01:29:03.319



hits him in his time of grief. August looked up114801:29:03.359 --> 01:29:08.720



at her. The asshole had it coming. Her face turned114901:29:08.760 --> 01:29:13.520



red and her lips curled. Okay, okay, I think it's115001:29:13.600 --> 01:29:17.920



time for you to go now. He no longer felt115101:29:17.960 --> 01:29:21.800



like leaving. Nah, I'll leave when I feel like it.115201:29:22.600 --> 01:29:27.439



I'll have you removed. You can't. You have no authority here.115301:29:27.800 --> 01:29:31.079



You just showed up one week and started bossing people around.115401:29:32.239 --> 01:29:35.920



August was bluffing. He was right, but he knew the115501:29:36.000 --> 01:29:39.880



bitch could get someone to kick him out, regardless of authority.115601:29:40.920 --> 01:29:45.560



But that's when the screaming started. August looked past the115701:29:45.600 --> 01:29:49.600



woman and saw people running out the door. The reason115801:29:50.479 --> 01:29:53.960



bes had walked into the room, and she looked much115901:29:54.039 --> 01:29:58.359



worse than when he had reburied her hours ago. He116001:29:58.479 --> 01:30:02.720



should have felt fear, but all he felt was happiness116101:30:03.199 --> 01:30:07.760



and anticipation. He stood up and headed in her direction.116201:30:08.720 --> 01:30:13.840



The screaming distracted her momentarily until she spotted her Augie116301:30:14.359 --> 01:30:18.399



heading in her direction. Then for both of them, all116401:30:18.439 --> 01:30:23.479



the noise and chaos faded away. They were too focused116501:30:23.479 --> 01:30:26.920



on getting back in each other's arms to notice much else.116601:30:27.800 --> 01:30:31.399



Most people did exit, but some were stuck in a116701:30:31.439 --> 01:30:35.800



state of shock and remained. They were shaken out of116801:30:35.840 --> 01:30:39.560



this state. When Miss Brockmiler attempted to get between the two,116901:30:40.159 --> 01:30:43.319



stay away from her. She must be some sort of demon,117001:30:44.079 --> 01:30:49.479



August ignored her. I missed you, babe, me too. It117101:30:49.640 --> 01:30:55.159



was death without you. They both laughed. Miss Brockmiller grabbed117201:30:55.159 --> 01:30:58.640



August by the shoulder and pulled him away from her approach.117301:30:59.439 --> 01:31:04.199



This at Bes, who responded by slapping her in the face.117401:31:05.039 --> 01:31:08.000



That's when the last of the stragglers broke free of117501:31:08.119 --> 01:31:12.359



shock and ran out. Miss brock Miller instinctively put her117601:31:12.399 --> 01:31:15.479



hand to her face to cover where she was hit.117701:31:16.560 --> 01:31:21.279



She then looked back at August, who appeared entranced, and117801:31:21.319 --> 01:31:26.399



then back at her dead green eyes, then back around117901:31:26.479 --> 01:31:30.319



to see she was the last one in there. That's118001:31:30.359 --> 01:31:34.439



when she decided that self preservation was the best choice118101:31:34.960 --> 01:31:43.199



and ran out. Becks, May I have this dance, of course, dear,118201:31:43.920 --> 01:31:47.640



she said, and held out her hand, which he took118301:31:47.960 --> 01:31:53.680



and kissed softly before pulling her in close. I missed you,118401:31:54.359 --> 01:31:59.479



he said, I missed you so much, she said, as118501:31:59.520 --> 01:32:04.840



her face scrunched and her eyelids fluttered. What's going on?118601:32:05.439 --> 01:32:10.800



Are you okay? He asked. I'm crying, but I have118701:32:10.880 --> 01:32:16.119



no tears to cry. My poor Beck scene he said,118801:32:16.840 --> 01:32:20.520



and put his arm around her, attempting to guide her118901:32:20.600 --> 01:32:24.640



head to his shoulder, but the broken neck made it119001:32:24.720 --> 01:32:33.000



nearly impossible. I'm sorry, dear, it's okay, Beck's offered. These119101:32:33.039 --> 01:32:40.920



have been tough lives. August said, you still have yours.119201:32:42.760 --> 01:32:46.920



Outside the locals were arguing about what to do with119301:32:47.079 --> 01:32:52.159



the unholy thing. Amongst them, let's shoot her, Tom, the119401:32:52.239 --> 01:32:56.000



fifty year old owner of the Flying A gas station, suggested,119501:32:56.600 --> 01:33:01.000



I don't think that'll help. Looks like somebody already had. Smitty,119601:33:01.239 --> 01:33:06.119



the quarterback of the Dorset High school football team, said hey, Tom,119701:33:06.399 --> 01:33:09.159



you got the keys to the station with you. Frank119801:33:09.239 --> 01:33:15.159



the butcher, asked yeah, he said why. Frank turned to119901:33:15.239 --> 01:33:18.920



a couple of the other guys, John Richard, why don't120001:33:18.920 --> 01:33:21.000



you go with Tom and come back with some gas120101:33:21.039 --> 01:33:26.960



cans full? Why what are we going to do? Bex's120201:33:27.000 --> 01:33:31.159



friend Sarah asked, we're going to do what her father120301:33:31.239 --> 01:33:39.479



should have done, cremat her. Inside the grange hall, Be's120401:33:39.479 --> 01:33:42.800



and August caught each other up on the events since120501:33:42.880 --> 01:33:46.199



they last saw each other. You don't have to worry120601:33:46.199 --> 01:33:52.000



about my father anymore, Beck said, he's dead, so is120701:33:52.079 --> 01:33:57.880



my mom. August added, it was an accident, Mine wasn't,120801:33:58.399 --> 01:34:03.479



Beck said. When the music stopped, he excused himself and120901:34:03.640 --> 01:34:08.079



walked to the abandoned record player. After a few moments,121001:34:08.720 --> 01:34:12.800



August found the record. He was looking for Dwayne Eddie's121101:34:12.960 --> 01:34:17.279



have twangy guitar Will Travel, which he put on side121201:34:17.319 --> 01:34:22.439



a then walked back to her Dwayne Eddie She asked,121301:34:23.279 --> 01:34:28.159



of course, I told you Link Ray was way cooler.121401:34:29.199 --> 01:34:32.479



But Dwayne Eddie was the first artist we ever danced to.121501:34:33.800 --> 01:34:37.239



But it wasn't this song, Beck said, Are you in121601:34:37.279 --> 01:34:42.880



a rush? August asked, it'll get there. The first song121701:34:43.079 --> 01:34:47.239



was a slow one, but the second song, Stalkin, had121801:34:47.239 --> 01:34:51.800



the perfect low groove for dirty dancing. I guess we121901:34:51.880 --> 01:34:55.399



don't have to worry about missus brock Miller separating us, now,122001:34:55.479 --> 01:35:00.000



do we? I guess not. Their focus was on each122101:35:00.000 --> 01:35:04.000



each other so they didn't notice the noise from outside,122201:35:04.800 --> 01:35:08.640



and they didn't hear Missus brock miller yell light it,122301:35:09.840 --> 01:35:13.880



nor did they pay attention as the younger boys nailed122401:35:13.920 --> 01:35:19.479



the doors shut using nearby scrap lumber. Now they were122501:35:19.560 --> 01:35:24.279



stuck in their own world. It was several minutes before122601:35:24.359 --> 01:35:29.279



August noticed that something was off. Do you feel that?122701:35:30.640 --> 01:35:35.199



I don't think I'm capable of feeling anything. It's getting122801:35:35.279 --> 01:35:40.880



really warm, he said, and then looked around. That's when122901:35:40.920 --> 01:35:44.880



he noticed the flames which had made it inside and123001:35:44.960 --> 01:35:48.399



were beginning to spread across the floor. You've got to123101:35:48.479 --> 01:35:53.720



go back, set for what you have, your whole life123201:35:53.720 --> 01:35:58.600



ahead of you. You are my whole life. I'd rather123301:35:58.760 --> 01:36:03.800



stay with you. August leaned in and kissed her pale,123401:36:04.279 --> 01:36:09.880



dry lips. I love you, she said, and kissed his123501:36:10.079 --> 01:36:21.600



moist lips. Then they embraced in a hug. By the123601:36:21.680 --> 01:36:25.760



time the fire trucks arrived, it was too late. The123701:36:25.880 --> 01:36:29.960



roof had collapsed. It took several hours for the fire123801:36:30.039 --> 01:36:32.840



to be put out and for enough wreckage to be123901:36:32.960 --> 01:36:37.039



cleared to find the two of them. Despite being charred124001:36:37.079 --> 01:36:42.119



from the blaze and crushed by falling timber, they still124101:36:42.279 --> 01:36:46.359



held each other and appeared to be looking in each124201:36:46.399 --> 01:36:50.800



other's eyes. They both had smiles on their faces that124301:36:50.920 --> 01:36:54.920



expressed the kind of love that only couples in dime124401:36:55.039 --> 01:37:01.000



novels seemed to possess. The following year, the grain was rebuilt.124501:37:01.720 --> 01:37:06.199



Not long after this, locals began to claim that it124601:37:06.279 --> 01:37:11.279



was haunted. Throughout the years, their names were lost to history,124701:37:11.760 --> 01:37:15.479



and the ghostly image that people claimed to see each124801:37:15.640 --> 01:37:21.119



Valentine's Day of a couple dancing who weren't there became124901:37:21.279 --> 01:37:26.800



known as the Valentine's Lovers, mostly because of the red125001:37:26.920 --> 01:37:41.199



dress people claimed that the female ghost wore. All Right,125101:37:41.399 --> 01:37:45.880



my spookys, I hope you enjoyed our Valentine's Day novella125201:37:46.239 --> 01:37:48.680



as much as I did. Huge thank you to Bruce125301:37:48.720 --> 01:37:53.079



Haney for writing us such a lovely and horrifying story125401:37:53.720 --> 01:37:56.319



with a whole lot of heart, and not just the125501:37:56.399 --> 01:37:59.600



kind that gets ripped from the corpse. If you're out125601:37:59.600 --> 01:38:02.439



there to night, my spooky is walking home through the125701:38:02.520 --> 01:38:06.000



snow with a slow song still stuck in your head.125801:38:06.600 --> 01:38:10.560



Just remember, in a small town, everybody knows your business.125901:38:11.119 --> 01:38:15.000



Somebody always thinks they know better than you, and if126001:38:15.039 --> 01:38:18.840



they ever tell you over my dead body. Well, careful126101:38:18.880 --> 01:38:22.079



what you wish for now, before you go writing a126201:38:22.119 --> 01:38:25.039



love letter you'll regret in the morning. We've got more126301:38:25.279 --> 01:38:28.720



terror on the way this Friday, Cutting Deep into Horror126401:38:28.760 --> 01:38:32.640



is stepping into the Spotlight with Pearl, a bright, beautiful126501:38:32.720 --> 01:38:36.479



nightmare about ambition, obsession, and the kind of desperation that126601:38:36.560 --> 01:38:39.760



smiles right at you while it sharpens the knife. So126701:38:39.840 --> 01:38:42.840



don't miss that one this Friday. And on Saturday, we're126801:38:42.840 --> 01:38:46.800



opening the Weekly Spooky Vault for a special Valentine's Horror126901:38:46.800 --> 01:38:51.079



compilation to make sure you have something bloody good to enjoy.127001:38:51.479 --> 01:38:53.359



And I want to say an extra special thank you127101:38:53.399 --> 01:38:56.399



to our Patreon podcast boosters, folks who pay just a127201:38:56.399 --> 01:38:59.760



little bit more at Weeklyspooky dot Com slash join to127301:38:59.800 --> 01:39:01.960



hear their names at the end of the show, and127401:39:02.000 --> 01:39:06.159



they are Johnny Nix, Kate and Lulu, Jessica Fuller, Mike Eskeuey,127501:39:06.319 --> 01:39:09.800



Jenny Green, Amber Hansford, Karen We met, Jack Kerr and127601:39:09.920 --> 01:39:13.359



Craig Cohen. Thank you guys so very much, and if127701:39:13.359 --> 01:39:14.640



you want to hear your name at the end of127801:39:14.680 --> 01:39:18.079



the show, just head to Weeklyspooky dot Com slash join127901:39:18.359 --> 01:39:20.560



and sign up. At the fifteen dollars a month or128001:39:20.640 --> 01:39:23.560



higher tier. It really helps me out and I do128101:39:23.640 --> 01:39:26.560



appreciate it greatly. But now it's time for me to128201:39:26.600 --> 01:39:28.800



get back to work. There is so much more fear128301:39:29.039 --> 01:39:31.520



I have for all of you coming right up, So128401:39:31.600 --> 01:39:34.680



make sure you're subscribed on your favorite podcasting app. You128501:39:34.760 --> 01:39:37.800



do not want to miss all the scares to come.128601:39:38.319 --> 01:39:41.279



So for myself, for my executive producers Rob Fields and128701:39:41.319 --> 01:39:45.079



babbletopia dot Com, my producer Dan Wilder, and my creepy128801:39:45.119 --> 01:39:49.159



composer Ray Mattis, I will talk at you later and128901:39:49.800 --> 01:39:53.960



enjoy the chocolates. Thank you for listenings. Make sure to129001:39:54.039 --> 01:39:58.399



find your way back next week weekly, But for now129101:39:58.840 --> 01:40:02.560



you are safe, trust me,