Dec. 12, 2024

7 Stories of Mistletoe and Mayhem! Horrifying Tales of Christmas!

7 Stories of Mistletoe and Mayhem! Horrifying Tales of Christmas!
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In this chilling holiday special of Weekly Spooky, host and narrator Henrique Couto takes us on a spine-tingling journey filled with tales that are sure to haunt your Christmas Eve! With a marathon of seven thrilling stories, each crafted to send shivers down your spine, we delve into the darker side of the festive season. Gather around the fire, settle in, and prepare yourself for a Christmas unlike any other—one where snow isn't the only thing that falls from the sky!

The first story, "Christmas Cranberries" by L.F. Falconer, introduces us to the mind of a young boy named Ronnie who wrestles with a peculiar craving that leads him down a dark path. As his innocent childhood thoughts twist into sinister impulses, Ronnie's interactions with his pet dog, Susie, reveal a haunting hunger that will culminate in a shocking climax. This tale explores the terrifying intersections between childhood innocence and malevolence, ensuring you’ll never look at Christmas the same way again.

In "The Naughty List" by Keith Tomlin, meet Andy Price, a boy who gets caught in a nightmarish game that unravels on Christmas Eve. Awakening in a chilling chamber filled with other children and a terrifying creature, Andy must confront his own devious nature as he fights for survival against the odds. This story dives deep into the consequences of being deemed naughty and the fear that lurks when joy is transformed into chaos.

Next, "Lady Frankenstein" by Rob Fields plunges us into the heart of a Christmas resurrection gone awry. Vincent Frankenstein’s quest to create life takes a bizarre turn when his creation—a head stitched together from various body parts—reinvents her existence on a hellish rampage. As she embraces her newfound freedom, she embarks on a bloody spree that intertwines the legends of her infamous family with the modern horror of her existence, all set against the backdrop of the holiday season.

From horrifying science fiction to stories of southern classic charm, "Blood on the Snow" by Shane Migliavaka pulls us into a roadhouse full of unexpected surprises as a chilling murder mystery unfolds during a snowstorm on Christmas Eve. With spooky situations and tantalizing twists, this entry keeps listeners on the edge of their seats as blood spills, secrets are uncovered, and characters are hunted against the backdrop of a seemingly unassuming holiday gathering.

As the holiday countdown continues, "A Christmas to Remember" by Joe Solmo offers a harrowing look at redemption, as Donnie returns home only to have fate intervene in the most gruesome of ways. Surrounded by Christmas cheer but facing a sinister plot, listeners travel with Donnie as he grapples with his past mistakes and the tragic consequences of his choices.

In a cosmic twist, "Twelve Days" by Mike Ashkewe takes listeners on a space odyssey aboard the Roanoke, where pilot David Lambert finds himself trapped in a nightmarish spiral of malfunction, betrayal, and existential dread on Christmas. This gripping drama brings forth themes of solitude and the perils of trusting artificial intelligence in a universe rife with dangers, capturing the essence of festive horror in a richly layered narrative.

Finally, the chilling ambiance of "A Christmas to Remember" concludes the episode, reminding listeners of the sometimes-naughty whispers of Santa and the elves who may not be as jolly as they seem. As the stories weave together to create a tapestry of horror and suspense, Couto expertly leads the audience through a darkly festive experience where holiday cheer hangs by a thread.

So, dear listeners, gather your loved ones and prepare for an evening of chilling storytelling that redefines the very spirit of Christmas. Make sure to stay subscribed to Weekly Spooky for more spine-chilling episodes and tales that will keep your heart racing long into the night!

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

Executive Producers
Rob Fields
Mark Shields
Bobbletopia.com

Produced by Daniel Wilder

This episode is sponsored by 
HenFlix.com

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

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Hello, my Spookyes, it's your host and narrator Enrique Kuto

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here with yet another holiday present for you all, in

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the form of a seven story marathon guaranteed to give

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you a very scary Christmas stories about killer Santa Clauses,

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ghosts at Christmas Eve, and so much more. So get comfortable,

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put another log on the fire, not just to stay warm,

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but to keep jolly old maniac Saint Nicholas out of

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your home at least for a few hours. And make

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sure you're subscribed on your favorite podcasting app because we

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have so many, so very many scares left to give you,

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not just for Christmas, but the rest of the year

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as well. But now I have a hankering for some

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Christmas Cranberry's Christmas Cranberries by L. F. Falconer. Ronnie was

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no longer content with pulling the legs off of crickets

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that bored him anymore, as did wingless dragonflies and tailless lizards.

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So today it was Fluffy, the long haired tabby with

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the blue collar that jingled softly with the cat's subtle

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movements to protect the birds. Fluffy's owner, Missus kent from

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the neighboring house was often known to say Fluffy was

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missus Kent's favorite, and Ronnie did not like missus Kent,

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for missus Kent was mean. Her mouth was always turned

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down in a frown, and her eyes glinted like a pirate's.

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She never missed the opportunity to complain to Ronnie's mom

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when he'd picked the apples from missus Kent's tree off

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the single branch that overhung the back fence, and she

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fused to return any balls that accidentally ended up in

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her yard. Yes, missus Kent was a mean old biddy,

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So this day Ronnie thought, when he caught Fluffy trespassing,

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was to be Fluffy's last. Ronnie's eyes gleamed as he

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firmly held the writhing cat beneath the water of his

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wading pool. He imagined the cat to be missus Kent

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as he kept holding her down tighter and tighter until

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she was quite dead beneath the shallow water. He smiled.

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A sweet tang like Cranberri's filled his mouth. He savored

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the taste as he shoved the wet, dead cat into

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a garbage bag and stuffed it into the trash can

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in the alley for a long time. Ronnie stared at

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the trash can, reveling in satisfaction, relishing the taste of cranberries.

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In all of his six years of life, he could

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never remember feeling so good. That was in June. By

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the first of September, just one week before his seventh birthday,

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Ronnie was beginning to hunger. With the need to feel

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good again, he began to crave the cranberries. For his birthday,

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his father brought home the puppy, a happy eight week

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old Lab Border Collie mix, At his mother's suggestion. The

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boy named the dog Susie, and within a few days,

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Susie was fetching the ball Ronnie would toss. Very few

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were lost to missus Kent's yard any more. At night,

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Susie would curl up in her crate at the footboard

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of Ronnie's bed, and she rarely woke before daylight. In

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the morning, she would follow Ronnie like a shadow and

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wait patiently outside the closed bathroom door until he would

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let her out in the backyard to tend to her

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own duties. When Ronnie would come home from school, Susie

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would brim with joy and exuberance, wagging her entire hindquarters.

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Four weeks after Ronnie's birthday, Susie disappeared. Ronnie knew where

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the dog had gone. Though Susie had done nothing to

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set Ronnie into a fit of anger. The boy had

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simply wanted to feel good. He had been hungry. He'd

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wanted to taste the cranberries. He had taken his father's

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clawhammer out of the garage. He'd bashed it against Susie's head.

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He'd bashed again and again, each blow, feeding his hunger,

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filling his mouth with tang, until cranberry drew low, overflowed,

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and dribbled onto his chin. The hunger was seated. He'd

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tossed the hammer behind the rose bush, unlatched the alley gate,

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and shoved Susie's little body into a box in mister

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Phipps's trash can at the end of the block. He

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would be full for a while. Ronnie felt good. Ronnie's

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mother and father posted the reward flyers around the neighborhood

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in hopes of inducing the return of the missing pup.

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Five days after he'd put them up, Ronnie's dad took

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the flyers down, even though the lost puppy had not

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been found. A week before Halloween, Ronnie was blessed with

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a new sister. His mother had gone to the hospital

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and came home two days later with baby Elizabeth wrapped

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in her arms. Grandma Rose and Grandpa Sigga Grandpa Paul

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all came for the Thanksgiving holiday dinner with much fuss

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and ado over baby Elizabeth. Grandma Rose clicked her favorite photo,

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so she said, of a smiling Ronnie lovingly holding his

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new one month old sister in his arms. Little did

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Grandma Rose know that when she posed the children for

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that shot, how hungry Ronnie was growing, how Ronnie's bright

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smile was merely instigated by his inner anticipation and his

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knowledge of how to feel good, how to taste more cranberries.

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He tried to fill his hunger at the Thanksgiving feast,

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but the ones from the can were too sweet, They

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weren't the same. They did not make him feel good.

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After dinner, the women gathered in the kitchen for the cleanup,

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and the men retiredired to the living room in front

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of the TV. So Ronnie, Grandpa Paul asked, as he

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settled upon the sofa, what do you want Santa to

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bring you for Christmas? This year? Ronnie scooted forward in

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his seat. A baseball bat would be nice. He had

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no desire for a ball or a glove. A shiny

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red baseball bat red like cranberries. His grin was as

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wide as his eyes. It made Grandpa Paul smile. I

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always loved baseball as a boy, Grandpa Sigg said, loosening

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his tie. Grandpa Sigg always wore a tie. You never

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know when you'll need to make a good impression, he

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always said. Ronnie's dad, Jim, leaned back in his recliner.

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Santa might not come this year. Why not, Jimmy, Grandpa

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Sigg asked. He's not short of cash, is he No?

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But sometimes it's just best if he stays away. Ronnie's

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dad muted the TV and set the remote aside. Dad,

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why don't you tell Rannie about the Santa you knew

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as a boy. Are you sure? Grandpa Sig ran his

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tie back and forth through his fingers. Times are different,

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and here in America, Santa Claus has changed his m

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a little. He's changed his m O a lot, Dad,

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So indulge me and help me teach the boy a

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little folklore from his heritage. My Rannie's old enough to

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know there's more than one Santa in the world. He

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looked over at his son and winked, aren't your son.

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Ronnie sat up proudly, Yes, I am, and the boy

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listened and rapped awe as his father's father began the tale. Well,

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here in America, Santa Claus might come accompanied by a

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red nosed reindeer. Grandpa sigin toned, But back where I

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come from, Santa or Samiklaus, as he's known, makes his

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rounds with Schmutzy. Ronnie giggled at the sound of the

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name spoken in his grandfather's residual German accent. Is that

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a Swiss reindeer? He asked. Grandpa sig shook his head solemnly. No,

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Schmutzy is Samyklaus evil altar. While Samyklaus wears a red

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cloak and a tall red hat, Smutzy dresses in Suti gray.

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Samiklaus has a long white beard, and Smutzy is black

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as coal. Schmutzy's face, too, is black as an ink well,

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and his eyes glow red as embers in a fire.

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Sami Klaus leaves true eats in the shoes of good

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little children, while schmutzley beats the naughty children with his broom,

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and with those boys and girls who've been truly, truly bad,

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he sweeps them into his sack and spirits them away

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deep into the wilderness, to be eaten and never seen again.

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Ronnie stared wide eyed. Why are you telling the boy

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that horrible tale, Grandma Rose asked, coming out of the

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kitchen with a handful of fresh washed china for the cabinet.

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There's nothing wrong with Ronnie knowing the folklore of his heritage, Mom,

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Jim said, after all, I grew up with it, and

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look how sane I turned out. Well, I didn't approve

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of your father telling you those stories then, and I

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don't approve of you scaring my grandson with them now.

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It's too late, Jim said, reaching for the TV remote.

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The tale of Schmultzy has been told. I'm not scared,

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Grandma Ronnie lied, after all, this is America. Santa's changed

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his mo o. Grandpa Sig and Grandpa Paul both laughed.

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Grandma Rose shook her head and returned to the kitchen.

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Ronnie stared at the TV. The sound was reinstated, but

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Ronnie didn't hear it. All that filled his mind was

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the picture of glowing red eyes on a black face,

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and the hunger for cranberries faded into the background.

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Don't go away, weakly, Spooky will be right back.

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When Ronnie relayed the story of Somniklaus and Schmultzy to

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his friend Jason at school, Jason just laughed. It's not real,

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Jason said. There's no such thing as Santa anyway. It's

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only your parents. And that is what Ronnie wanted to believe,

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or at least that in America there was Sanna, not

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semi cloths, and certainly no Schmultzy. And maybe he hadn't

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been that naughty though he wanted to be. He was

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craving the cranberries, but it would have to wait. He

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couldn't take any chances before Christmas. Two days before Christmas,

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Ronnie watched, licking the taste of cranberries on his lips

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as his mother bathed baby Elizabeth in the infant's tub

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upon the tabletop. Can I help, he tentatively asked. After

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a moment's consideration, mother nodded, of course, Ronnie. She handed

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the boy the soft washcloth when he stepped close. Just

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gently wash her body, okay. Mother held Elizabeth securely in

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the tub. Ronnie rubbed the cloth over the baby's soft

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shoulders and belly, and imagined grabbing hold of the baby's ankles,

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whirling her around and flinging her against the wall, then

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jumping up and down on her body. Once she hit

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the floor. He imagined skewering her with the fireplace poker

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and roasting her like a marshmallow. He imagined taking his

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fingers and poking them into Elizabeth's wide blue eyes and

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cramming the soaking wet washcloth down her throat. He licked

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the tang of cranberries away. Here. Mother interrupted his thoughts.

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Hold her steady for me while I lay out the towel.

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Ronnie's hands replaced his mother's beneath Elizabeth's arms. He looked

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up into his mother's eyes. They were smiling, The tang

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in his mouth sweetened. Mother leaned over to unfold the

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towel beside the infant's tub. Ronnie began to release his grip.

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Elizabeth slipped a bit. Could she slide all the way

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down until she drowned? Ronnie wondered, Not likely, but perhaps

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she could slip fast enough that were he to try

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to catch hold of her again. Her tiny little neck

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might snap in the process, her tiny little neck so

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skinny in its frailty trying to hold up her big

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bobbling head, and maybe her big bobbling head just might

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pop right off in his hands. Pop the cranberry tang

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caused a slip of drool to dampen Ronnie's chin. His

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eyes grew wide as he stared at his sister. He

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let go his grip. Elizabeth started to slide. Whoa. Mother

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quickly caught the baby before or she slipped into the

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shallow water, and laughed nervously. She can be a little wigglebug, can't.

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She almost got away from you. You have to be

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more careful with your sister, Ronnie. His father spoke from

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the doorway as he entered the room. Yes, Ronnie agreed,

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taking a step back, relieved mother had been so quick.

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Christmas was close. He couldn't be naughty before Santa came,

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but afterwards, afterwards he could feel good again. On Christmas Eve,

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he could not sleep. His stocking was hung, but would

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it be filled? Was Santa real? Would he come? And

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what about Schmultzy? But this was America, of course Santa

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would come. Santa in a red nosed reindeer to leave

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presents under the tree, not red eyed Schmutzley. He had

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been being oh so very good, even though the hunger

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for Cranberry's was unendurably strong. Elizabeth was sleeping in her

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room across the hall. Mother and father were sleeping in

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their room at the end of the hall. Ronnie stared

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out the dark window to the starlit night beyond. Please

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let Santa come, he whispered. He only had to wait

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until after Santa came. He couldn't be bad before Santa came,

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but afterwards everything would be all right and he could

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feel good again. After all, this was America, and in America,

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Santa wanted little boys to feel good. Santa rewarded good

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with presents. Ronnie stared at his bedroom door. Elizabeth was

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across the hall. Mother and father were at the end

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of the hall. At the other end of the hall,

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around the corner in the living room, the brightly lit

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Christmas tree cheerfully winked, awaiting its yearly night stalking visitor.

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Every year, it was Santa who came, not Semiklaus, not Schmultzy.

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This was America. Ronnie pulled the blanket up to his

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chin and stared out the dark window. The tang was

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in his mouth. He just wanted to feel good, that's all.

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He didn't want to be naughty, and there was only

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one way to feel good, and here in America, Santa

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brought presents to the good, maybe even a baseball bat,

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bright shiny and red thunk. He could hear the metallic

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sound of the bat's impact. Thunk, thunk, hollow and resonant, red, gleaming, slick, gosh.

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He was so hungry. He wanted to feel good, to

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feel good for Santa. Elizabeth was across the hall. He

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sat up in bed and stared at the door. Was

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there truly a Santa If so? Was he American? Or

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was he Swiss? And had he come yet? Ronnie laid

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back down. It was getting hard to breathe. His mouth

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was full. He needed to feel good. When would Santa

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come so he could feel good? He needed to know

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Santa had come before he could feel good. He sat

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back up and dangled his feet over the side of

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the bed. He stared at the door. Elizabeth was across

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the hall. Had Santa come yet? Ronnie was so very hungry,

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starving He could taste the cranberries he needed to feel good.

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Bare feet hit the floor, he crept to the bedroom door,

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peeked into the hall, looked to his parents closed bedroom door,

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then to Elizabeth's. His hands began to sweat. Ronnie eased

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his way into the hall without squeaking. The door hinges

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and padded for the living room. He peeped around the

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corner into the room a wash with twinkling colored lights,

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and gasped, Santa was real. He had come. The stockings

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were bulging filled to the brim. Beneath the tree, under

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a big green bow, was a shimmering red baseball bat,

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the color of cranberries. He crouched to his hands and

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knees and crawled for the tree. Hesitantly. His hand touched

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the cold aluminum that gleamed beneath a barrage of twinkling lights.

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He slowly lifted it up and gave the bat a

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loving caress. In America, Santa wanted little boys to feel good.

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In America, Santa rewarded the good. He rewarded the good

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with shiny aluminum baseball bats to enable the good never

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to stop. Ronnie wanted to feel good. He had waited

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for so so long. The sweet tang of cranberries filled

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his mouth as he hugged the red baseball bat and

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eased back down the hall. Turning the knob to Elizabeth's

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bedroom door, he gently pushed it open. He stepped inside. Thunk, thunk, thunk,

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In a gleam of red, the bat hit the floor.

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The flyer Ronnie's father tacked to the electric pole featured

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the smiling face of a seven year old boy. A

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reward was being offered for any information leading to the

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missing boy's whereabouts, but Jim knew no reward would ever

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be paid out. Jim knew Ronnie had been a bad boy.

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Jim had found the bloody hammer, matted with dog hair

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and gore. He knew Ronnie had lied about the puppy

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running off through the open gate, and Jim feared what

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Ronnie would do with a shiny new baseball bat. Yes,

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Ronnie was certainly a very bad boy, and very bad

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boys had to be whisked away forever. The Naughty List

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by Keith Tomlin. Andy Price, twelve years old, went to

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sleep on Christmas Eve in a dry, warm bed in

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the Saint Luke's Home for Wayward Youth and woke up

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on a cold, damp stone floor. He groggly sat up

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and looked around the large chamber. A dozen other kids

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about his age were also waking up, each looking about

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with the same dazed and confused look that he had.

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There were three girls and ten boys, including Andy, all

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wearing their nightclothes. Andy stumbled to his feet, reaching out

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to the nearby wall to steady himself. The wall felt

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cold against his bare hand. He looked closer, and it

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seemed that the walls and even the ceiling were made

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from ice. A dim luminescence emitted from the ice, creating

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a soft light that lit the entire chamber. Each wall

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of the square room had tunnels that led off of it,

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and the tall ceiling had a large circular hole in

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the middle. Some kids began milling about, exploring the cavern

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and looking down the corridors. Others remained seated on the floor,

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unable to believe what their eyes were telling them, and

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he stood apart against the wall and studied the other kids.

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He knew that knowledge was power, and he wanted to

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gain as much information as possible to ensure that he

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would as always come out on top. As he studied

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the kids, he began to sort them into categories. Are

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they weak or strong? Are they a threat? Can he

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manipulate them into doing what he wants? How can he

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use them to ensure that he will win? Whatever sick

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and twisted game this was. All of this came to

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Andy as naturally as breathing. He always got what he

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wanted and nothing stood in his way. No teachers, no laws,

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not even as parents. Andy was born to Greg and

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Mary Price, a young couple living in Chicago. Greg was

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a junior architect and Mary was a kindergarten teacher. They

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had met in a Bible study class and soon fell

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in love. They married, and within a year, Mary gave

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birth to their first child, Andrew or Andy, as he

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was lovingly called. He was a perfect baby, never crying,

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never raising a fuss. When he was eight and small

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pets and animals started disappearing around the neighborhood, no one

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suspected the quiet Price kid. They put the disappear pearances

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down to rumors of coyotes roaming the Chicago suburbs. When

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Andy was ten and bigger pets began disappearing, some neighbors

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did begin to point fingers at that odd Price child,

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who always seemed to be watching them with a hint

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of a knowing smile on his young face. His parents

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never suspected their son was anything but a perfect little angel,

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at least not until they brought home their second child, Susan,

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when Andy was eleven. Little accidents began to happen to

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the baby. Mysterious bruises appeared, and they twice found the

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baby choking, having somehow swallowed a marble and a coin.

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The final incident was when the crib tipped over during

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the night, and the resulting injury required Susan to have surgery.

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When his parents began to suspect that Andy maybe behind

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them these accidents, an electrical outlet started a fire that

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only Andy survived. Loud, eerie music, reminiscent of the tune

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you would hear from a Jack in the box toy

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00:26:14.240 --> 00:26:18.000
began drifting down from the hole in the ceiling. It

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slowly increased in volume until it shook the walls. This

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went on for so long that Andy thought his ear

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drums would shatter. He pressed his palms against his ears

333
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and fell to the floor, screaming for it to stop,

334
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and suddenly it did. A few heartbeats later, a high

335
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pitched voice began reciting a poem in a hypnotic sing

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song voice. Judgment passed, trial done judged, naughty everyone, no games,

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no rules, no referee. Two choices, fight or flee. Survived

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the night only two ways? Killed the monster or escaped

339
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them maze. The voice stopped, but the echoes rang along

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the corridors for minutes before finally fading away. Andy struggled

341
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to his feet as a grinding sound like an old,

342
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rusty gate being opened, shook the room. Seconds later, a

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00:27:20.119 --> 00:27:25.160
massive creature dropped from the hole, landing heavily on the floor.

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The creature stood up straight, twice as tall as Andy.

345
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It had an apelike body that was covered with long

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white fur. It roared, opening its oversized mouth to reveal

347
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rose of razor sharp teeth. The creature's long arms flexed

348
00:27:45.880 --> 00:27:50.440
as its powerful muscles rippled beneath the long hair. Each

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00:27:50.599 --> 00:27:55.799
hand had long fingers that were tipped with wickedly sharp claws.

350
00:27:56.799 --> 00:28:03.400
The creature slowly swiveled its massive head to survey its surroundings.

351
00:28:03.519 --> 00:28:06.039
Most of the children who had been shocked by the

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00:28:06.079 --> 00:28:09.279
reveal of the monster snapped to life and began running

353
00:28:09.319 --> 00:28:13.519
for the nearest tunnel. This seemed to amuse the creature,

354
00:28:13.920 --> 00:28:18.160
and it threw back its head and roared again, this

355
00:28:18.400 --> 00:28:24.039
time in anticipation of the hunt. When the creature first appeared,

356
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Andy had slid along the wall and ducked into a

357
00:28:27.160 --> 00:28:32.279
side passage. He peered out around the corner and watched

358
00:28:32.359 --> 00:28:38.400
the chamber quickly empty of children except for two. One

359
00:28:38.400 --> 00:28:41.680
of the younger looking kids, a petite girl dressed in

360
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a pink nightgown, had curled into a ball on the

361
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ground and kept repeating this is not happening, over and

362
00:28:49.240 --> 00:28:53.400
over again. The other kid, a red haired boy, stood

363
00:28:53.440 --> 00:28:57.480
pressed against the wall, his face filled with horror and disbelief.

364
00:28:57.960 --> 00:29:01.039
A large wet stain had appeared on his Marvel's Superhero

365
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pajama bottoms, running from his crotch to his ankles. The

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00:29:05.440 --> 00:29:07.960
creature clicked his tongue as it walked over to the

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00:29:08.000 --> 00:29:12.480
boy that was standing. It seemed to smile as it

368
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gently reached out one claw hand and slowly wrapped it

369
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around the boy's chest. It pulled him close and stared

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in his eyes before it raised his other hand and

371
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flicked a finger out, slicing the boy's throat. It seized

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00:29:30.079 --> 00:29:32.960
the boy's head in its free hand and bent it

373
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back like snapping open a pixie stick. It raised the

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child above his head and let the blood flow into

375
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its mouth, blood splattering all over the creature's face and chest.

376
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When the blood stopped, the creature flung the lifeless body

377
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across the cavern. As the creature turned to face the

378
00:29:53.240 --> 00:29:57.720
girl on the ground, she began chanting, this is not happening,

379
00:29:58.279 --> 00:30:02.359
louder and more frantic. The creature's arm shot out and

380
00:30:02.480 --> 00:30:06.119
grabbed her by the ankle. In one smooth motion, it

381
00:30:06.160 --> 00:30:09.519
whipped its arm around, slamming the girl's head into the wall.

382
00:30:10.079 --> 00:30:13.799
It split open and splattered blood, bone, and brains all

383
00:30:13.839 --> 00:30:18.799
over the room. As the creature began to feed, Andy's

384
00:30:18.839 --> 00:30:23.160
mind raced, searching for possibilities of how to control the situation.

385
00:30:23.839 --> 00:30:26.559
He had always known what to say and do to

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ensure that he got what he wanted. Now his mind

387
00:30:29.640 --> 00:30:35.680
came back with nothing except panic. This was new to him.

388
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Andy had never before tasted fear. He turned and ran.

389
00:30:42.079 --> 00:30:45.480
The passages were wide, at least eight feet across and

390
00:30:45.559 --> 00:30:49.200
not quite as tall as the starting chamber. Side tunnels

391
00:30:49.279 --> 00:30:53.200
ran off of this one in seemingly random intervals. Echoes

392
00:30:53.240 --> 00:30:55.880
seemed to have a life of their own and reverberated

393
00:30:55.920 --> 00:30:59.400
all around Andy. He heard the echo of the girl chanting,

394
00:30:59.640 --> 00:31:03.240
this is not happening, as well as the wet, hollow

395
00:31:03.400 --> 00:31:06.599
thunk of her head hitting the ice. He could also

396
00:31:06.680 --> 00:31:12.240
hear echoes of something large moving quickly. Andy felt disoriented

397
00:31:12.279 --> 00:31:15.799
and began choosing passages at random, trying to put as

398
00:31:15.880 --> 00:31:18.960
much distance between him and that creature as possible. More

399
00:31:19.079 --> 00:31:23.319
screams echoed through the halls as the creature found another victim.

400
00:31:23.880 --> 00:31:28.000
After a few minutes, Andy paused, gasping for breath as

401
00:31:28.039 --> 00:31:31.000
he looked down a side tunnel. He noticed that it

402
00:31:31.079 --> 00:31:34.319
opened up into a room.

403
00:31:34.440 --> 00:31:38.000
A sh it was only the wind. You are safe,

404
00:31:38.400 --> 00:31:40.480
weekly spooky, We'll be right back.

405
00:31:42.160 --> 00:31:46.279
He skulked along that corridor and peered around the corner.

406
00:31:47.359 --> 00:31:49.880
The room was large and had ceilings as tall as

407
00:31:49.920 --> 00:31:54.200
the first chamber. Along the far wall was a wooden

408
00:31:54.359 --> 00:31:59.000
rack with metal items arrayed along its length. It took

409
00:31:59.039 --> 00:32:03.559
Andy a moment to realize what was on the rack. Swords,

410
00:32:04.279 --> 00:32:08.079
Andy whispered. As Andy took a few steps forward, a

411
00:32:08.119 --> 00:32:12.319
boy dressed in transformers pajamas charged into the room. Run

412
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it's coming, he yelled once again, Andy turned and ran.

413
00:32:18.359 --> 00:32:22.599
Andy didn't know how long he ran, It seemed like days.

414
00:32:23.359 --> 00:32:27.759
He heard screams echoing all around him, unclear if they

415
00:32:27.839 --> 00:32:32.599
were old screams echoing their way back around or new ones.

416
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He ran out of one tunnel into a larger corridor

417
00:32:36.319 --> 00:32:38.759
and had to immediately duck as the largest of the

418
00:32:38.839 --> 00:32:41.480
children tried to take his head off with a sword.

419
00:32:42.480 --> 00:32:44.920
You stay away. I don't trust you, and I'll kill

420
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anyone that gets too close to me. The boy screamed,

421
00:32:47.839 --> 00:32:50.039
swinging his sword in the air as he backed away

422
00:32:50.039 --> 00:32:53.920
from Andy. He moved past a side tunnel when a

423
00:32:53.960 --> 00:32:57.400
blur of white sprang out of it. The creature leaped

424
00:32:57.400 --> 00:33:00.640
at the boy, pinning him to the ground. It began

425
00:33:00.720 --> 00:33:03.279
to tear limbs off the large boy like a child

426
00:33:03.359 --> 00:33:08.279
might wings off a fly. Andy ran. After a few minutes.

427
00:33:08.559 --> 00:33:11.599
Andy ran into a chamber with four children standing in

428
00:33:11.599 --> 00:33:16.039
a semicircle, each holding a short spear. The tallest of

429
00:33:16.079 --> 00:33:20.599
the kids pointed to a wooden rack of spears behind them, saying, hey, kid,

430
00:33:21.079 --> 00:33:23.839
grab a weapon. We're going to kill that damn thing.

431
00:33:24.559 --> 00:33:28.400
Andy ran to the rack and snatched one up, nodding

432
00:33:28.400 --> 00:33:30.799
at the tall boy. He walked over to the left

433
00:33:30.799 --> 00:33:33.920
side of the phalanx, making sure he was closest to

434
00:33:33.960 --> 00:33:38.200
the exit. The kids stood at the ready, watching for

435
00:33:38.279 --> 00:33:42.640
the creature. As ready as they were. The attack happened

436
00:33:42.680 --> 00:33:45.599
so quickly only the tall kid was able to bring

437
00:33:45.640 --> 00:33:48.839
his spear up to attack. The creature burst out of

438
00:33:48.880 --> 00:33:51.920
the tunnel that Andy had come through and smashed into

439
00:33:51.920 --> 00:33:54.880
the circle of kids. Tall Kid was able to put

440
00:33:54.920 --> 00:33:57.079
a spear in the side of the creature, but the

441
00:33:57.119 --> 00:34:01.480
powerful beast barely noticed. The creature knocked over two defenders

442
00:34:01.480 --> 00:34:04.759
with one powerful blow and grabbed tall Kid in the

443
00:34:04.799 --> 00:34:11.320
other hand. Andy turned and ran, panting with effort. Andy

444
00:34:11.400 --> 00:34:14.760
ran as fast as he could. Looking back, he saw

445
00:34:14.840 --> 00:34:18.360
one of the other defenders, a young girl with long hair,

446
00:34:18.400 --> 00:34:21.320
wearing sweatpants and a shirt with a peace sign. She

447
00:34:21.480 --> 00:34:25.159
ran up alongside him, matching his speed and gave a

448
00:34:25.159 --> 00:34:30.039
small nod. Andy nodded back. They ran together for a

449
00:34:30.079 --> 00:34:33.519
few seconds before he heard the creature roar and felt

450
00:34:33.519 --> 00:34:38.039
the ground shake as the beast pursued them. Andy didn't

451
00:34:38.119 --> 00:34:41.159
dare look, but he could tell the creature was gaining fast.

452
00:34:41.920 --> 00:34:44.599
The girl gave him another quick look and a shrug.

453
00:34:44.639 --> 00:34:47.639
As she increased her speed and began to pull away

454
00:34:47.639 --> 00:34:51.079
from him, Andy tried to dig deeper, but he had

455
00:34:51.119 --> 00:34:54.800
nothing left. The creature was getting closer and he was

456
00:34:54.880 --> 00:34:59.000
running out of options. He then realized that he was

457
00:34:59.039 --> 00:35:02.719
still holding the sp His mind started to race through

458
00:35:02.719 --> 00:35:05.800
the potentials. Attacking the creature with it would do nothing

459
00:35:06.159 --> 00:35:09.480
except get him killed. He could drop it and hope

460
00:35:09.480 --> 00:35:14.039
that it increases his speed, or as soon as his

461
00:35:14.159 --> 00:35:17.679
mind came up with the third possibility, he acted without

462
00:35:17.719 --> 00:35:20.880
even fully realizing what he was going to do. He

463
00:35:21.079 --> 00:35:24.760
thrust the spear forward as he ran, and just barely

464
00:35:25.239 --> 00:35:27.159
he was able to catch the girl in the back

465
00:35:27.199 --> 00:35:30.480
of her thigh with the tip. It wasn't a deep wound,

466
00:35:30.800 --> 00:35:33.519
but it was just enough to make her stumble and fall.

467
00:35:34.320 --> 00:35:37.199
He ran past without looking down at her. A few

468
00:35:37.239 --> 00:35:41.199
strides later, her scream and the sound of snapping bones

469
00:35:41.800 --> 00:35:46.840
echoed in the hallway. The passageway led to another room.

470
00:35:47.039 --> 00:35:49.920
Andy ran into it and stopped for a second to

471
00:35:49.960 --> 00:35:54.159
catch his breath. He felt the ground shake and knew

472
00:35:54.239 --> 00:35:57.519
the creature was making its way down the hall towards him.

473
00:35:58.280 --> 00:36:01.199
Just as Andy was about to run down another passageway,

474
00:36:02.039 --> 00:36:06.519
the kid with the Transformer pajamas came stumbling into the room.

475
00:36:06.880 --> 00:36:11.239
He held a wounded arm and was panting heavily. Hey kid,

476
00:36:11.760 --> 00:36:15.559
Andy said, I owe you one from earlier. This way

477
00:36:15.639 --> 00:36:17.800
is safe. I'll catch up to you in a second.

478
00:36:18.079 --> 00:36:21.360
I just need to catch my breath. Andy pointed back

479
00:36:21.400 --> 00:36:25.880
the way he just came. Thanks, the Transformer kid said,

480
00:36:25.880 --> 00:36:29.320
as he started moving down the corridor that Andy just exited.

481
00:36:29.920 --> 00:36:33.960
As Andy turned down another passage, he smiled as he

482
00:36:33.960 --> 00:36:40.159
heard screams and a beastly roar of triumph. Minutes or

483
00:36:40.360 --> 00:36:43.920
maybe hours later, Andy was cold to the bone and

484
00:36:43.960 --> 00:36:48.280
could not control his shivering, but he kept running. His

485
00:36:48.320 --> 00:36:51.760
feet were leaving bloody footprints with every step, but he

486
00:36:51.880 --> 00:36:56.119
was numb to that, as he was numb to everything else.

487
00:36:57.199 --> 00:37:00.840
He ran without thinking, letting his subcond just guide him

488
00:37:00.880 --> 00:37:05.079
through the maze. After an incalculable amount of time, he

489
00:37:05.199 --> 00:37:08.559
entered into a large oval room, bigger than any other

490
00:37:08.599 --> 00:37:12.239
he had seen so far. He slowed down as he

491
00:37:12.320 --> 00:37:15.639
noticed that there were no other corridors leading off of

492
00:37:15.679 --> 00:37:20.519
this room. As he walked further into the massive chamber,

493
00:37:21.239 --> 00:37:25.719
he noticed a door at the far end. Andy approached

494
00:37:25.760 --> 00:37:29.159
the door a painted sign that hung over. It had

495
00:37:29.159 --> 00:37:34.760
a single word written exit. Andy reached out and placed

496
00:37:34.760 --> 00:37:37.920
his hand on the wood of the door. It felt real.

497
00:37:38.920 --> 00:37:42.239
A tear ran down Andy's cheek as he realized that

498
00:37:42.360 --> 00:37:46.559
this was not an illusion. He slowly turned the door

499
00:37:46.599 --> 00:37:52.760
handle and the door clicked and began to open. A sharp,

500
00:37:53.320 --> 00:37:57.039
icy breeze blew in from the outside, and Andy started

501
00:37:57.079 --> 00:38:01.039
to take a step forward to cross the threshold. He

502
00:38:01.159 --> 00:38:05.880
suddenly stopped when he noticed shapes in the darkness outside.

503
00:38:06.239 --> 00:38:12.039
Dozens and dozens of little humanoid creatures stood around the

504
00:38:12.079 --> 00:38:16.559
outside of the exit door. Andy could feel all of

505
00:38:16.599 --> 00:38:21.760
their eyes on him. Is this a trick? Andy yelled

506
00:38:21.800 --> 00:38:26.119
at them, but did not get a reply. Andy tried

507
00:38:26.119 --> 00:38:29.119
to think to push back the fog and fatigue that

508
00:38:29.199 --> 00:38:33.840
clouded his mind. Shaking his head, Andy realized that there

509
00:38:33.880 --> 00:38:39.519
was only one choice and started once again to step

510
00:38:39.599 --> 00:38:43.719
through the door. As he lifted his foot, a powerful

511
00:38:43.800 --> 00:38:46.719
hand grabbed him around his waist and lifted him in

512
00:38:46.719 --> 00:38:49.960
the air. He was spun around to face the creature.

513
00:38:50.199 --> 00:38:54.719
Its black eyes drilled into his mind, his soul. It

514
00:38:54.800 --> 00:38:59.920
seemed to smile as it drew him closer. The thing

515
00:39:00.199 --> 00:39:04.039
opened its mouth and with a deep rumble croaked out

516
00:39:04.639 --> 00:39:11.920
a single word, naughty. That was the last thing that

517
00:39:12.000 --> 00:39:16.000
Andy heard before the creature's teeth tore his head from

518
00:39:16.039 --> 00:39:21.360
his body. The creature greedily fed and tossed the corpse

519
00:39:21.440 --> 00:39:24.960
behind him as it started to move back into the

520
00:39:25.000 --> 00:39:29.960
bowels of the maze. As Andy's lifeless body hit the floor,

521
00:39:30.039 --> 00:39:34.000
the sound of bells echoed through the maze. The creature

522
00:39:34.079 --> 00:39:37.920
grabbed its massive head and fell to the floor. As

523
00:39:37.960 --> 00:39:41.480
it slumped over, the little humanoid creatures began to flood

524
00:39:41.480 --> 00:39:47.239
into the room. These little creatures, known to some as elves,

525
00:39:47.840 --> 00:39:52.159
formed a circle around the fallen monster. When the bells

526
00:39:52.239 --> 00:39:55.800
stopped ringing, the elves began to chant in their high

527
00:39:55.880 --> 00:40:01.239
pitched voices, chanting ancient and powerful words it's long forgotten

528
00:40:01.800 --> 00:40:06.639
by humanity. As the chanting grew louder, the white fur

529
00:40:06.760 --> 00:40:10.559
that covered the creature's body began to turn black and

530
00:40:10.719 --> 00:40:15.480
crumble into ash. Its bare skin started to smoke, giving

531
00:40:15.519 --> 00:40:20.880
off waves of intense heat. The skin rippled and pulsated

532
00:40:20.920 --> 00:40:25.199
and soon began to flow like lava, forming a mound

533
00:40:25.280 --> 00:40:29.960
on the floor. As the mound cooled, the skin hardened

534
00:40:30.000 --> 00:40:35.920
into a shell, into a cocoon. As one, the elves

535
00:40:35.960 --> 00:40:41.599
stopped their chant. They stood silent and unmoving, watching the

536
00:40:41.639 --> 00:40:47.079
cocoon in awe. The minutes stretched on, the silence in

537
00:40:47.119 --> 00:40:52.760
the chamber was deafening, until suddenly a large crack echoed

538
00:40:52.880 --> 00:40:56.440
throughout the room as the cocoon split open on top.

539
00:40:56.960 --> 00:41:02.159
The elves sprang into motion. Most of the elves clapped, cheered,

540
00:41:02.199 --> 00:41:06.280
and danced. A few ran forward with small hammers and

541
00:41:06.400 --> 00:41:10.079
chisels and delicately began to chip away at the shell

542
00:41:10.159 --> 00:41:15.079
of the cocoon, reverently handling every small piece they chipped

543
00:41:15.079 --> 00:41:18.559
off to the other elves, who carefully carried it through

544
00:41:18.599 --> 00:41:23.159
the exit door. After minutes of chiseling, the side of

545
00:41:23.199 --> 00:41:27.679
the cocoon burst open, spilling its contents onto the stone floor.

546
00:41:28.239 --> 00:41:32.280
Gallons of thick, greenish yellow liquid poured from the hole,

547
00:41:32.440 --> 00:41:37.159
and with a splash, a tall, rotund man with a

548
00:41:37.320 --> 00:41:41.679
long white beard slid from the cocoon onto the floor.

549
00:41:42.599 --> 00:41:46.119
A large group of elves rushed forward, some cleaning up

550
00:41:46.159 --> 00:41:50.199
the liquid with towels, others gently wrapping the man in

551
00:41:50.320 --> 00:41:55.000
heavy blankets and carrying them out into the cold, dark night.

552
00:41:56.199 --> 00:42:00.400
Santa Claus opened his eyes and looked around the room,

553
00:42:01.119 --> 00:42:07.000
stifling a yawn. His face turned from confusion to concern

554
00:42:07.800 --> 00:42:09.920
when he noticed that the room was filled with his

555
00:42:09.960 --> 00:42:18.039
little helpers. Why hello, everyone, is something wrong? Santa said

556
00:42:18.280 --> 00:42:22.760
in his deep booming voice, his hand stroking his long

557
00:42:22.880 --> 00:42:26.840
white beard. One elf stepped forward and gave a small

558
00:42:26.920 --> 00:42:31.199
bow in a high pitched, squeaky tone. He said, we're

559
00:42:31.239 --> 00:42:34.559
sorry to wake you, Santa, but it's Christmas Eve, and

560
00:42:35.280 --> 00:42:40.239
Christmas Eve, Santa interrupted. He leapt out of bed, almost

561
00:42:40.280 --> 00:42:45.000
knocking over a score of elves. I overslept again. Prepare

562
00:42:45.039 --> 00:42:47.960
the sled, gather the gifts. I have millions of good

563
00:42:47.960 --> 00:42:52.159
little boys and girls to visit tonight. The elves cheered

564
00:42:52.360 --> 00:42:55.320
as Santa grabbed his black boots off the floor and

565
00:42:55.480 --> 00:42:59.440
rushed out of the room. The elves kept cheering as

566
00:42:59.480 --> 00:43:04.400
they followed Santa out of the bedroom, all except one.

567
00:43:04.440 --> 00:43:08.519
This elf walked over to a small writing desk and

568
00:43:08.679 --> 00:43:13.199
sat down. He removed a quill pen and a parchment

569
00:43:13.280 --> 00:43:16.960
from a drawer. Dipping the pen into an inkwell, he

570
00:43:17.039 --> 00:43:22.119
wrote naughty across the top of the paper in a smooth,

571
00:43:22.199 --> 00:43:27.840
elegant font. He then drew thirteen lines underneath it. He

572
00:43:27.960 --> 00:43:33.360
put the pen down and sat there waiting waiting for

573
00:43:33.440 --> 00:43:37.280
the new list of naughty boys and girls for next

574
00:43:37.880 --> 00:43:53.000
Christmas Eve. Lady Frankenstein by Rob Fields. December twenty third

575
00:43:53.239 --> 00:43:58.360
was the absolute biggest Christmas shopping day in Strickfield. Usually,

576
00:43:58.719 --> 00:44:02.280
most everyone was out shotopping. Strickfield Town Center Mall was

577
00:44:02.320 --> 00:44:05.920
even packed the one season of the year when it

578
00:44:06.039 --> 00:44:10.840
usually was. However, there was one person who had other

579
00:44:10.920 --> 00:44:15.639
plans during the holiday season. Just outside the village limits,

580
00:44:15.679 --> 00:44:18.599
in an old mansion that was thought to be abandoned,

581
00:44:19.360 --> 00:44:23.719
Vincent Frankenstein was alone in a third floor laboratory and

582
00:44:23.800 --> 00:44:26.840
working on an experiment that was on a large slab.

583
00:44:27.440 --> 00:44:30.199
He had just finished to fixing the hands to the

584
00:44:30.280 --> 00:44:34.599
lifeless female body. As he admired his work, he knew

585
00:44:34.639 --> 00:44:38.079
that his female creation would correct many of the flaws

586
00:44:38.400 --> 00:44:43.679
that had plagued his ancestor, Henry Frankenstein many years ago.

587
00:44:44.079 --> 00:44:48.199
After finding Henry's thought to be lost journals and studying

588
00:44:48.239 --> 00:44:51.920
them over immensely, Vincent had started work on trying to

589
00:44:51.960 --> 00:44:56.559
rediscover and harness that great ultraviolet ray that was said

590
00:44:56.880 --> 00:45:00.280
to have brought life to all things living. Vince since

591
00:45:00.360 --> 00:45:03.119
first experiment was on a cat that had been hit

592
00:45:03.199 --> 00:45:06.639
by a car, Vincent fixed the body up as best

593
00:45:06.679 --> 00:45:10.039
he could. He achieved success in turning the ray on

594
00:45:10.159 --> 00:45:13.159
the cat and restoring life to it after he had

595
00:45:13.199 --> 00:45:16.360
performed many tests on it. The cat had not shown

596
00:45:16.440 --> 00:45:20.800
any hostile tendencies. In fact, it acted as if it

597
00:45:20.800 --> 00:45:24.679
had never died and even took nourishment upon its rebirth.

598
00:45:25.559 --> 00:45:28.440
Vincent had succeeded in restoring a dog to life with

599
00:45:28.519 --> 00:45:33.039
the same results, one experiment after another. Vincent would continue

600
00:45:33.039 --> 00:45:36.800
his research until he was absolutely certain that his updated

601
00:45:36.880 --> 00:45:41.360
process worked flawlessly. Once he felt that he had compiled

602
00:45:41.480 --> 00:45:44.039
enough data, he decided that he would do what Henry

603
00:45:44.079 --> 00:45:48.320
had accomplished on two occasions to create a human being

604
00:45:48.880 --> 00:45:54.400
from dead parts and endow the amalgamation with life. Like

605
00:45:54.559 --> 00:45:58.400
his great ancestor before him, he secured fresh body parts

606
00:45:58.440 --> 00:46:01.840
for his creation anywhere where he could obtain them. It

607
00:46:01.880 --> 00:46:04.519
had taken Vincent a great deal of time and a

608
00:46:04.559 --> 00:46:09.000
lot of preservation, but he had nearly completed a female body.

609
00:46:09.679 --> 00:46:13.400
All that was missing was a perfect head, and this

610
00:46:13.519 --> 00:46:17.360
part was where Vincent would exercise the utmost caution, for

611
00:46:17.480 --> 00:46:21.079
he remembered that Henry's first creation had turned out for

612
00:46:21.119 --> 00:46:24.679
the worst. Henry had unknowingly placed the brain of a

613
00:46:24.719 --> 00:46:28.800
dead criminal within the head of what became known as

614
00:46:28.840 --> 00:46:35.760
Frankenstein's Monster or simply just Frankenstein. Yes, Henry's first creation

615
00:46:35.880 --> 00:46:39.199
had killed many people, including a little girl who was

616
00:46:39.280 --> 00:46:43.280
playing by the water near her village. Vincent could not

617
00:46:43.920 --> 00:46:46.639
allow such a mistake to be made a second time.

618
00:46:47.159 --> 00:46:50.119
Henry had also recorded in another journal that he, with

619
00:46:50.199 --> 00:46:54.400
the help of one doctor Septimus Pretorius, had created a

620
00:46:54.440 --> 00:46:57.719
female of his own to be a companion and mate

621
00:46:58.159 --> 00:47:02.119
for the original creation. However, the female creation had come

622
00:47:02.159 --> 00:47:05.199
to reject her potential mate and was believed to be

623
00:47:05.280 --> 00:47:09.519
destroyed in an explosion. Vincent had thought ahead and removed

624
00:47:09.519 --> 00:47:13.119
his creation's reproductive system to make her sterile so that

625
00:47:13.199 --> 00:47:18.519
his creation could not produce potentially dangerous offspring. Vincent had

626
00:47:18.559 --> 00:47:21.760
read in Strickfield's local newspaper that a young woman from

627
00:47:21.840 --> 00:47:25.519
North Ridgeway had recently passed away due to an extreme

628
00:47:25.639 --> 00:47:28.559
loss of blood. He was certain that the head would

629
00:47:28.559 --> 00:47:32.280
be in great physical condition and would be perfect for

630
00:47:32.360 --> 00:47:36.559
his creation. That night, he had gone to North Ridgeway

631
00:47:36.639 --> 00:47:41.639
Memorial Hospital. After disengaging the security cameras, Vincent made his

632
00:47:41.719 --> 00:47:45.119
way to the morgue and found the naked female body

633
00:47:45.599 --> 00:47:49.920
with his perfect head. When Vincent thoroughly examined the body

634
00:47:49.960 --> 00:47:53.960
of Annabeth Winter's, he couldn't understand what had caused this

635
00:47:54.079 --> 00:47:58.559
once living, beautiful girl to die from such an extreme

636
00:47:58.639 --> 00:48:03.000
loss of blood. His research on Annabeth Winters showed that

637
00:48:03.039 --> 00:48:06.440
she had been a top level athlete from North Ridgeway University,

638
00:48:07.000 --> 00:48:11.719
so she was not a dangerous criminal. Vincent's creation would

639
00:48:11.760 --> 00:48:16.639
have the perfect head and brain of Annabeth Winters. It

640
00:48:16.679 --> 00:48:20.000
had taken Vincent a great deal of time to properly

641
00:48:20.039 --> 00:48:23.760
attach the spinal cord to the brain of Annabeth Winters.

642
00:48:24.719 --> 00:48:29.079
Upon successful completion, he stitched the flesh together to finish,

643
00:48:29.119 --> 00:48:32.480
making the head a part of the body. Vincent hooked

644
00:48:32.559 --> 00:48:35.880
up the completed body to the multiple machines to both

645
00:48:35.920 --> 00:48:40.320
inject and conduct the circulation of blood. All he needed

646
00:48:40.360 --> 00:48:43.119
now was the perfect storm to grant him that one

647
00:48:43.320 --> 00:48:48.000
jolt of powerful lightning in conjunction with his ultraviolet ray

648
00:48:48.719 --> 00:48:53.519
to bring his creation to life. His Christmas wish couldn't

649
00:48:53.519 --> 00:48:57.639
have been granted soon enough. This Christmas season just happened

650
00:48:57.639 --> 00:49:02.880
to be unseasonably warm. Garret teeing a green holiday, Vincent

651
00:49:02.920 --> 00:49:07.320
heard the loud rumbling and knew that he needed to

652
00:49:07.360 --> 00:49:11.599
act quickly. After he finished wrapping the body in special

653
00:49:11.679 --> 00:49:16.360
bandages to help evenly distribute the forthcoming electrical current, all

654
00:49:16.480 --> 00:49:19.440
was ready, he threw the switches to both open the

655
00:49:19.480 --> 00:49:22.800
panel in the roof and send the body upward until

656
00:49:22.800 --> 00:49:27.280
it was outside and exposed to the storm. Vincent monitored

657
00:49:27.320 --> 00:49:31.760
his instruments closely. When the needles and digital displays spiked

658
00:49:31.800 --> 00:49:34.639
in their readings, he knew that the lightning had struck

659
00:49:34.679 --> 00:49:37.079
the rods at each corner of the slab and had

660
00:49:37.119 --> 00:49:40.920
sent millions of volts throughout the body. In conjunction with

661
00:49:40.960 --> 00:49:44.719
the ultraviolet ray that he had mounted just above, Vincent

662
00:49:44.840 --> 00:49:49.440
brought the body back down, closing the roof panel. When

663
00:49:49.480 --> 00:49:52.880
the slab was back on the floor again, Vincent waited

664
00:49:52.920 --> 00:49:56.519
for any sign of movement. He didn't have to wait

665
00:49:56.639 --> 00:50:03.599
long when a hand started to move. It's alive, he gasped.

666
00:50:04.559 --> 00:50:11.280
It's alive. My god, I've succeeded. He took his scissors

667
00:50:11.440 --> 00:50:14.840
and proceeded to cut the wrappings to reveal the creation's head.

668
00:50:15.480 --> 00:50:18.639
Then he cut the wrappings to reveal her hands and feet.

669
00:50:19.199 --> 00:50:22.519
It struck him odd that the creation's stitched areas were

670
00:50:23.000 --> 00:50:27.559
quickly healing up into a single, unified flesh. He heard

671
00:50:27.559 --> 00:50:31.960
his creation moaning and knew that she was scared. He

672
00:50:32.000 --> 00:50:35.800
looked into the beautiful face of his creation. It's all right,

673
00:50:36.360 --> 00:50:39.679
You're going to be just fine. I'll take very good

674
00:50:39.760 --> 00:50:43.639
care of you. The Creation regarded her creator for a

675
00:50:43.719 --> 00:50:49.079
moment and screamed. Then she started heaving. Vincent saw that

676
00:50:49.119 --> 00:50:54.760
his creation was angry, now very angry. She screamed again

677
00:50:54.880 --> 00:50:58.440
to show her rage. Then Vincent noticed that the Creation's

678
00:50:58.480 --> 00:51:03.400
eyes were goldwing red. It was during her third scream,

679
00:51:03.480 --> 00:51:06.559
one for freedom, that she broke the iron shackles that

680
00:51:06.599 --> 00:51:11.199
had secured her wrists and ankles to the slab. No stop.

681
00:51:11.800 --> 00:51:14.159
Vincent held out his hands to try to take hold

682
00:51:14.159 --> 00:51:17.360
of her to calm her down. The Creation quickly grabbed

683
00:51:17.360 --> 00:51:20.800
a heavy table nearby and flung it at her creator.

684
00:51:21.360 --> 00:51:24.840
He ducked to avoid serious injury. When Vincent got to

685
00:51:24.880 --> 00:51:28.559
his feet, the Creation screamed with rage again. Seeing the

686
00:51:28.639 --> 00:51:31.440
door to her right, she proceeded to walk to it

687
00:51:32.079 --> 00:51:36.760
to her freedom. Stop. Vincent yelled at her. When the

688
00:51:36.840 --> 00:51:39.519
Creation had reached the door, she found it was locked.

689
00:51:39.960 --> 00:51:42.679
She smashed her fists through the thick wooden door as

690
00:51:42.719 --> 00:51:46.239
if it were brittle. It was then when Vincent saw

691
00:51:46.360 --> 00:51:50.920
the full length mirror near the control panel, the creature

692
00:51:51.000 --> 00:51:57.519
had no reflection. It was then that Vincent Frankenstein had

693
00:51:57.519 --> 00:52:00.840
gotten his answer as to why the body of Annabeth

694
00:52:00.880 --> 00:52:06.039
Winters was in such good condition in spite of a

695
00:52:06.119 --> 00:52:11.159
loss of blood. The young woman had been sired by

696
00:52:11.199 --> 00:52:14.920
a vampire. In utilizing her head, Vincent had made an

697
00:52:14.960 --> 00:52:18.719
even worse mistake than what Henry before him had made. No,

698
00:52:19.119 --> 00:52:21.239
he had not given his creation the brain of a

699
00:52:21.280 --> 00:52:25.840
dead criminal. He had given his creation the head of

700
00:52:25.880 --> 00:52:27.320
a newborn vampire.

701
00:52:28.840 --> 00:52:32.760
You're not safe yet, weekly Spooky will be right back.

702
00:52:35.239 --> 00:52:38.920
The creation easily smashed through the French doors and walked

703
00:52:38.920 --> 00:52:43.079
down the steps to the front yard to continue her escape.

704
00:52:43.239 --> 00:52:47.559
The rain poured on her seemingly mummified body. The creation

705
00:52:47.800 --> 00:52:51.079
relished her freedom in spite of the weather. She came

706
00:52:51.159 --> 00:52:53.760
to a dirt path and walked it for several minutes

707
00:52:54.320 --> 00:52:57.920
before she arrived at a road. Seeing a sign with

708
00:52:57.960 --> 00:53:01.239
an arrow that pointed left, she turned in that direction

709
00:53:02.119 --> 00:53:06.599
and headed to Strickfield. The roads were deserted as she

710
00:53:06.679 --> 00:53:11.199
walked to her destination. When she entered the Strickfield village limits.

711
00:53:11.800 --> 00:53:16.119
She noticed that every house was bright with Christmas lights

712
00:53:16.639 --> 00:53:21.440
and decorations. There were even houses with animatronics doing their

713
00:53:21.480 --> 00:53:27.519
programmed actions. As the Creation stared at this winter wonderland,

714
00:53:28.519 --> 00:53:34.800
she started to become uncomfortable. She growled and clutched her throat.

715
00:53:35.320 --> 00:53:37.920
She looked and saw a man working to replace a

716
00:53:37.920 --> 00:53:42.360
few bulbs in a string of Christmas lights. She hissed

717
00:53:42.840 --> 00:53:46.320
with delight and began to make her way towards the man.

718
00:53:47.000 --> 00:53:50.119
When she reached him, the man saw her bare feet

719
00:53:50.559 --> 00:53:56.000
and looked up at her bandaged body. Listen, you get

720
00:53:56.039 --> 00:53:59.480
the hell off my property, he grumbled, not unless you

721
00:53:59.480 --> 00:54:03.679
want me to call the The man fought to break

722
00:54:03.679 --> 00:54:06.360
her iron grip as she held his coat and hair.

723
00:54:06.800 --> 00:54:10.480
She tilted his head back to fully expose his neck,

724
00:54:10.760 --> 00:54:14.840
before opening her mouth to reveal her sharp fangs. The

725
00:54:14.880 --> 00:54:18.639
man screamed as she bit into his neck and began

726
00:54:18.800 --> 00:54:23.320
to drink. The Creation felt herself becoming stronger and more

727
00:54:23.400 --> 00:54:27.800
vibrant with each swallow of blood. When she was finished,

728
00:54:28.119 --> 00:54:31.559
she shoved the corpse away from her. The Creation heard

729
00:54:31.639 --> 00:54:37.000
other sounds nearby, mainly a car engine. She looked and

730
00:54:37.039 --> 00:54:40.679
saw the car in another person's yard that had damaged

731
00:54:40.679 --> 00:54:45.320
an animatronic Santa Claus. Shortly after, four high school kids,

732
00:54:45.519 --> 00:54:47.960
two boys and two girls, got out of the car.

733
00:54:48.440 --> 00:54:52.159
One of the girls pointed to the vandalized Santa Fuck you,

734
00:54:52.360 --> 00:54:56.440
Principal van Deist. The other girl kicked the Santa head

735
00:54:56.800 --> 00:55:00.000
that had fallen at her feet. Yeah, go get fucked

736
00:55:00.119 --> 00:55:04.760
to you, motherfucker. One of the guys pointed to the house. Hey,

737
00:55:05.639 --> 00:55:09.000
we should see if Principal van Deste is home, then

738
00:55:09.039 --> 00:55:11.599
we can smash his door in and kill his ass.

739
00:55:12.320 --> 00:55:15.239
The other guy muttered, I can't believe that son of

740
00:55:15.239 --> 00:55:18.440
a bitch expelled us from high school just because Stevie

741
00:55:18.440 --> 00:55:22.559
tripped little alien Donnerly in the hallway yesterday. The girl

742
00:55:22.639 --> 00:55:26.280
named Stevie turned and shoved the guy, and then that

743
00:55:26.360 --> 00:55:29.320
fucking bitch, Bella Tabon, beat the shit out of me

744
00:55:29.400 --> 00:55:32.559
for it. Bella Tabon beat the shit out of all

745
00:55:32.599 --> 00:55:35.920
of us. The other girl yelled, but Principal van Deiste

746
00:55:35.960 --> 00:55:41.000
expels us. I say we beat the living shit out

747
00:55:41.000 --> 00:55:45.360
of Van dest then we find Bella Tabon and fucking

748
00:55:45.519 --> 00:55:49.039
kill her ass too. Stevie slapped the other girl on

749
00:55:49.079 --> 00:55:53.599
her arm quickly hey, look. The four of them turned

750
00:55:53.599 --> 00:55:57.519
their attention to the Creation. One of the guys started

751
00:55:57.599 --> 00:56:01.920
laughing when he saw her staring at them from Is

752
00:56:01.960 --> 00:56:06.920
that bitch dressed up like a like a mummy? The

753
00:56:07.000 --> 00:56:10.960
other guy yelled to her, Hey, airhead, Halloween was two

754
00:56:11.039 --> 00:56:16.159
months ago. It's not trick or treat weekend, bitch, Stevie added,

755
00:56:16.880 --> 00:56:20.239
none of these houses are giving out candy, but will

756
00:56:20.280 --> 00:56:23.360
beat your fucking ass if you don't fuck off. The

757
00:56:23.440 --> 00:56:27.400
other girl further added when the Creation wouldn't walk away,

758
00:56:27.880 --> 00:56:31.519
they got back into their car. The guy driving turned

759
00:56:31.559 --> 00:56:35.840
the wheel towards the Creation and hit the gas. Yeah,

760
00:56:36.039 --> 00:56:40.400
run that fucking bitch over, Stevie yelled. The Creation didn't

761
00:56:40.400 --> 00:56:44.519
look the least bit afraid. In fact, her eyes glowed

762
00:56:44.559 --> 00:56:48.400
hot as she screamed with rage and raised her fists.

763
00:56:48.960 --> 00:56:51.400
As the car was about to hit her. The Creation

764
00:56:51.559 --> 00:56:54.119
brought her fists down on the car's hood and hit

765
00:56:54.199 --> 00:56:56.840
it with enough force to both stop the car dead

766
00:56:56.880 --> 00:57:00.280
in its tracks and make the rear end go way

767
00:57:00.320 --> 00:57:05.119
off road and slam back down just as hard. The

768
00:57:05.239 --> 00:57:09.000
Creation moved the vehicle and saw the four enemies who

769
00:57:09.039 --> 00:57:12.760
had pissed her off. They were moaning in pain. The

770
00:57:12.800 --> 00:57:15.880
girls in the back were bleeding from their heads. As

771
00:57:15.920 --> 00:57:18.400
for the guys up front, they were both on the

772
00:57:18.440 --> 00:57:22.280
hood after crashing through the windshield. Together. She could smell

773
00:57:22.360 --> 00:57:25.639
how delicious the red leaking liquid from their wounds was

774
00:57:26.039 --> 00:57:30.559
and grabbed the driver. He screamed as the Creation drank

775
00:57:30.599 --> 00:57:34.920
him dry. After tossing him aside, she grabbed the other

776
00:57:35.000 --> 00:57:39.079
guy and drank him up. That left only the two

777
00:57:39.159 --> 00:57:44.239
girls now. The Creation moved to the passenger's side and

778
00:57:44.400 --> 00:57:48.159
ripped the door off. She reached inside and pulled the

779
00:57:48.159 --> 00:57:51.000
girl next to Stevie out. She held her by her

780
00:57:51.039 --> 00:57:54.119
hair with one hand. With the other, she grabbed the

781
00:57:54.199 --> 00:57:57.559
neck of her turtle neck sweater. The girl cried out

782
00:57:57.599 --> 00:58:01.559
when she felt the Creation's fingers pierce her flesh. She

783
00:58:01.760 --> 00:58:05.280
screamed as the Creation pulled down fast, ripping the front

784
00:58:05.280 --> 00:58:08.679
of her turtleneck sweater away past her stomach, tearing all

785
00:58:08.719 --> 00:58:12.920
the flesh beyond with it. The Creation threw the girl

786
00:58:13.000 --> 00:58:16.960
onto her back, leaving her vital organs exposed as blood

787
00:58:17.039 --> 00:58:21.519
pulled around the body. Stevie saw this and screamed in terror.

788
00:58:21.840 --> 00:58:25.559
The Creation heard her and screamed with rage yet again.

789
00:58:26.199 --> 00:58:29.159
She moved to the driver's side door and ripped it off,

790
00:58:29.480 --> 00:58:33.880
throwing it aside. She reached in and grabbed Stevie. She

791
00:58:33.920 --> 00:58:36.440
pulled her out of the car and held her where

792
00:58:36.480 --> 00:58:43.239
she stood. Well, what are you, Stevie choked out. As

793
00:58:43.280 --> 00:58:46.199
the Creation moved her hands to the sides of Stevie's

794
00:58:46.239 --> 00:58:49.719
head to crush her skull in. She felt two sharp

795
00:58:49.840 --> 00:58:53.599
jabs on her shoulder blade. She screamed as she felt

796
00:58:53.639 --> 00:58:59.079
the voltage go through her entire body, making her release Stevie.

797
00:58:59.119 --> 00:59:02.920
When the Creation refused to fall, the voltage only seemed

798
00:59:02.960 --> 00:59:07.920
to increase. She turned and saw Vincent Frankenstein at the

799
00:59:07.920 --> 00:59:11.480
other end of the Taser rifle. She grabbed the cables

800
00:59:11.480 --> 00:59:14.119
and yanked hard enough to pull the rifle away from him.

801
00:59:14.559 --> 00:59:17.519
When the rifle landed in front of her, she stomped

802
00:59:17.519 --> 00:59:20.320
on it with one bare foot to snap it in two.

803
00:59:21.119 --> 00:59:25.840
You are my Creation, stop this at once, Vincent yelled.

804
00:59:26.480 --> 00:59:29.960
The Creation screamed with rage and stretched her hands out

805
00:59:30.039 --> 00:59:33.440
into claws. As she was ready to attack Vincent. They

806
00:59:33.519 --> 00:59:37.440
both heard a low moan from Stevie. Seeing that the

807
00:59:37.480 --> 00:59:40.760
Creation was distracted, Vincent rushed at her and threw his

808
00:59:40.840 --> 00:59:44.119
body into her to knock her down. He moved quickly

809
00:59:44.159 --> 00:59:47.239
and lifted Stevie into his arms. As the Creation suddenly

810
00:59:47.320 --> 00:59:50.800
sat up, Vincent ran as fast as he could and

811
00:59:50.880 --> 00:59:55.519
threw some nearby yards. Fortunately he knew Strickfield quite well.

812
00:59:55.880 --> 00:59:58.679
The Creation would not catch him and Stevie so quickly,

813
00:59:58.960 --> 01:00:01.719
at least not so long as she hadn't yet understood

814
01:00:02.239 --> 01:00:07.639
all of her potential vampiric powers. The Creation, frustrated that

815
01:00:07.679 --> 01:00:10.840
she had lost her two victims, looked up and screamed

816
01:00:10.880 --> 01:00:14.360
so loudly that anything of a fragile nature nearby would

817
01:00:14.400 --> 01:00:19.400
either break or crack. When she finished, she turned and

818
01:00:19.480 --> 01:00:30.639
continued walking through Strickfield. The next morning, Christmas Eve, the

819
01:00:30.760 --> 01:00:34.599
Creation awakened and left the abandoned barn that she had

820
01:00:34.639 --> 01:00:38.880
taken shelter in. It had finally stopped raining, but it

821
01:00:38.920 --> 01:00:43.400
was quite cloudy and chilly. She seemed disoriented at how

822
01:00:43.440 --> 01:00:47.119
much more light was outside compared to the darkness of

823
01:00:47.199 --> 01:00:51.559
the night before. Just the same she began to walk again.

824
01:00:53.440 --> 01:00:57.599
I like it spooky weekly, Spooky will be right back.

825
01:01:00.320 --> 01:01:03.679
The Creation would find its way to Strickfield Town Center Mall.

826
01:01:05.000 --> 01:01:08.719
The Creation walked in and saw that many people were

827
01:01:08.719 --> 01:01:11.760
going in and out of the stores, or doing business

828
01:01:11.760 --> 01:01:15.679
with vendors at kiosks. But what really intrigued her at

829
01:01:15.679 --> 01:01:20.079
that moment were the many little versions of the people.

830
01:01:21.079 --> 01:01:25.159
As she watched the smaller people move about, her facial

831
01:01:25.199 --> 01:01:32.000
expression softened until Hey, you, you can't be in here

832
01:01:32.039 --> 01:01:35.880
without any shoes on. You're gonna have to leave. The

833
01:01:35.920 --> 01:01:39.400
Creation glanced to see a fat security guard next to her.

834
01:01:39.960 --> 01:01:44.679
She ignored him and started walking again. Hey. The guard

835
01:01:44.719 --> 01:01:48.880
grumbled and grabbed her arm. The Creation screamed in anger

836
01:01:48.920 --> 01:01:52.639
before she grabbed him and sank her fangs into his throat,

837
01:01:52.880 --> 01:01:58.239
which caused panic among the shoppers who saw. After tossing

838
01:01:58.280 --> 01:02:01.519
the body aside, she screamed at the people and went

839
01:02:01.599 --> 01:02:04.559
for them. She had killed and drank two more before

840
01:02:04.599 --> 01:02:07.840
a little boy had crossed in front of her. The

841
01:02:07.920 --> 01:02:13.559
Creation picked up the boy. Stop. The mother called out, please,

842
01:02:13.800 --> 01:02:17.760
don't hurt my baby. The Creation looked at the woman

843
01:02:17.880 --> 01:02:22.360
only for a moment before returning her attention to the boy.

844
01:02:23.559 --> 01:02:28.119
After examining the boy, she finally lowered him and let

845
01:02:28.239 --> 01:02:31.800
him go. The mother quickly snatched up her son and

846
01:02:31.920 --> 01:02:36.239
ran as fast as she could. Suddenly, two police officers

847
01:02:36.239 --> 01:02:40.519
appeared with their guns drawn. The Creation screamed at them

848
01:02:40.880 --> 01:02:45.119
as they fired at her. To their disbelief, the officers

849
01:02:45.119 --> 01:02:48.920
found their bullets were useless. She was on them the

850
01:02:48.960 --> 01:02:52.360
moment their guns were empty. After she drained them of

851
01:02:52.440 --> 01:02:59.840
their blood, she made her way through the mall. Many

852
01:03:00.119 --> 01:03:03.480
family scrambled to flee once they saw her. A few

853
01:03:03.480 --> 01:03:06.280
of the boldest dared to try and fight the Creation,

854
01:03:06.880 --> 01:03:11.280
only for her to drink them up. Another fat security

855
01:03:11.280 --> 01:03:14.039
guard tried to take her down, but was quickly and

856
01:03:14.159 --> 01:03:18.079
easily thrown with one hand right through the Little Santa's

857
01:03:18.119 --> 01:03:21.800
House at the center Court. It seemed as if the

858
01:03:21.880 --> 01:03:25.280
Creation would continue her reign of terror at the mall,

859
01:03:26.079 --> 01:03:29.480
but she reached the main doors and smashed right through

860
01:03:29.519 --> 01:03:34.039
them to finally leave. Some of the police ran after

861
01:03:34.079 --> 01:03:37.039
her to try and subdue her, but they would find

862
01:03:37.119 --> 01:03:42.400
their efforts to be futile. These officers were most fortunate

863
01:03:42.440 --> 01:03:45.760
that the Creation only smashed them to the parking lot

864
01:03:46.000 --> 01:03:50.400
and left them with their lives. She screamed at them

865
01:03:50.519 --> 01:03:59.039
before she turned and continued on her way. Stevie opened

866
01:03:59.039 --> 01:04:01.840
her eyes and awoke to find herself covered up in

867
01:04:01.920 --> 01:04:05.039
a four post bed. She saw that she was wearing

868
01:04:05.079 --> 01:04:08.119
a gown and felt that she had a bandage wrapped

869
01:04:08.119 --> 01:04:12.119
around her forehead. She felt a little scared as she

870
01:04:12.199 --> 01:04:16.360
looked around and wondered where she was. It's all right,

871
01:04:17.119 --> 01:04:20.920
Vincent said to her as he entered the room. Where

872
01:04:20.960 --> 01:04:25.599
the fuck am I, Stevie demanded, You're in my home,

873
01:04:25.679 --> 01:04:28.559
young lady. I treated your headroom and put you to

874
01:04:28.559 --> 01:04:32.400
bed so you could rest. Stevie shrieked and pointed in

875
01:04:32.440 --> 01:04:39.239
a random direction that thing. Vincent sighed, sadly, she's still

876
01:04:39.280 --> 01:04:41.880
out there. I'm afraid. I went out to try and

877
01:04:41.920 --> 01:04:47.960
find her, but was unsuccessful. Stevie understood immediately and pointed

878
01:04:48.000 --> 01:04:52.199
an accusing finger at him. You created that motherfucking thing.

879
01:04:52.920 --> 01:04:57.400
She sprang out of bed, fucking why, Vincent held up

880
01:04:57.440 --> 01:05:01.440
his hands. I am truly so for what she did

881
01:05:01.480 --> 01:05:04.000
to you and your friends, and nothing I can do

882
01:05:04.079 --> 01:05:07.239
will ever make up for that. I'll have to carry

883
01:05:07.280 --> 01:05:09.360
every death she's caused with me for the rest of

884
01:05:09.360 --> 01:05:14.360
my life. He lowered his hands in sighed. I only

885
01:05:14.440 --> 01:05:16.960
wanted to be able to create life from death, the

886
01:05:17.000 --> 01:05:23.320
way my ancestor did many many years ago. Vincent explained

887
01:05:23.800 --> 01:05:27.400
everything to Stevie. The more he explained, the more Stevie

888
01:05:27.440 --> 01:05:31.079
became furious, she finally screamed at the top of her

889
01:05:31.159 --> 01:05:34.280
lungs and lunged at Vincent. She took him down and

890
01:05:34.360 --> 01:05:37.960
screamed more as she threw fist after fist at him. Finally,

891
01:05:38.039 --> 01:05:41.159
she fell off him and heaved, God, damn you, God

892
01:05:41.280 --> 01:05:45.800
damn you. Yes, perhaps God himself will damn me to

893
01:05:45.840 --> 01:05:50.159
hell for what I've done. Vincent agreed, but I still

894
01:05:50.159 --> 01:05:54.079
have to find my creation just the same. But how

895
01:05:54.159 --> 01:05:57.920
the fuck will you kill her? Asshole? Stevie mocked him.

896
01:05:58.599 --> 01:06:01.599
You fucked up by putting the head of a vampire

897
01:06:01.679 --> 01:06:06.079
on her. Vincent sat up and faced her. You believe

898
01:06:06.119 --> 01:06:11.199
in vampires, Stevie sneered in disgust. I was raped by

899
01:06:11.239 --> 01:06:14.440
one and survived. I ended up killing his mother fucking

900
01:06:14.480 --> 01:06:17.519
ass after he tried to sire me. She moved on

901
01:06:17.599 --> 01:06:21.800
to her knees and glared at Vincent with anticipation. I'm

902
01:06:21.800 --> 01:06:25.360
definitely gonna help you kill that fucking thing. When Stevie

903
01:06:25.400 --> 01:06:28.679
saw that Vincent was apprehensive, she growled and attacked him,

904
01:06:28.760 --> 01:06:31.719
getting on top of him again. When he looked up

905
01:06:31.760 --> 01:06:36.519
at her, she glared down at him. You listen to me, motherfucker,

906
01:06:37.159 --> 01:06:42.159
she pointed in a random direction. That fucking thing killed

907
01:06:42.159 --> 01:06:45.519
my friends. It damn near killed me. How many more

908
01:06:45.559 --> 01:06:49.480
people do you think she's going to kill right fucking now? Huh,

909
01:06:49.559 --> 01:06:54.880
they're all on your fucking head. Okay, okay, Vincent conceded.

910
01:06:55.519 --> 01:06:57.760
I was hoping to take her alive so that maybe

911
01:06:57.800 --> 01:07:01.519
I can fix her. Stevie got off Vincent and stood up.

912
01:07:02.000 --> 01:07:04.599
There is no fixing her. You know it, and I

913
01:07:04.760 --> 01:07:08.760
know it. Vincent got up and faced Stevie. I'll get

914
01:07:08.800 --> 01:07:11.280
you some fresh clothes, then we'll go look for my creation.

915
01:07:12.239 --> 01:07:15.519
Stevie continued to glare at him with distrust as he

916
01:07:15.599 --> 01:07:21.119
left her room. The Creation walked onto the Strickfield University

917
01:07:21.159 --> 01:07:25.920
grounds and looked at the Christmas decorations. She didn't understand

918
01:07:25.960 --> 01:07:29.880
why there were so many brightly colored lights, the multiple snowmen,

919
01:07:30.039 --> 01:07:32.800
or even the fat men wearing red and white suits.

920
01:07:33.599 --> 01:07:37.000
She really didn't understand too much, except that people were

921
01:07:37.039 --> 01:07:39.920
after her, that she needed to feed on their blood,

922
01:07:40.159 --> 01:07:44.239
and that she now felt certain desires growing inside her.

923
01:07:45.119 --> 01:07:49.519
The Creation continued walking the campus, but she didn't see anybody.

924
01:07:50.079 --> 01:07:53.119
Of course, she couldn't have known that nearly every student

925
01:07:53.159 --> 01:07:57.280
had left Strickfield University for the holiday break She screamed

926
01:07:57.320 --> 01:08:00.639
in frustration at not getting what she desired. She approached

927
01:08:00.639 --> 01:08:03.960
a nearby animatronic Santa Claus and sent its head flying

928
01:08:04.039 --> 01:08:07.559
right off its shoulders with a quick punch. She reached

929
01:08:07.599 --> 01:08:11.920
inside its open neck to kill it some more. The

930
01:08:12.000 --> 01:08:15.880
creation screamed and became angrier as the high voltage surged

931
01:08:15.880 --> 01:08:18.600
through her body. She stopped the voltage by ripping the

932
01:08:18.640 --> 01:08:23.560
animatronic Santa in half. Jesus Christ, what are you doing?

933
01:08:24.159 --> 01:08:27.279
Someone called out to her. The creation was ready to

934
01:08:27.319 --> 01:08:32.239
scream at the person, but she quickly stopped and calmed down.

935
01:08:33.359 --> 01:08:37.039
She allowed the chunky guy with glasses to approach her.

936
01:08:37.520 --> 01:08:42.039
You you all right? She didn't answer, but continued to

937
01:08:42.039 --> 01:08:46.880
look him over. Wow, you sure are tall. He looked

938
01:08:46.880 --> 01:08:50.039
down at her bare feet, and you don't even need heels.

939
01:08:51.159 --> 01:08:54.199
Then he saw that her wet bandages had parted enough

940
01:08:54.720 --> 01:08:57.319
in several places to reveal that she didn't have any

941
01:08:57.319 --> 01:09:02.680
clothing on underneath at all. Hey, you can't stay out

942
01:09:02.680 --> 01:09:06.239
here looking like that if the police see you, He

943
01:09:06.279 --> 01:09:09.720
took her hand. Come on, my house is just over there.

944
01:09:10.479 --> 01:09:11.960
I can give you something to wear out of my

945
01:09:12.039 --> 01:09:15.800
sister's room. The creation allowed the guy to lead her

946
01:09:15.840 --> 01:09:19.159
off campus and to the nearby house where he lived

947
01:09:19.159 --> 01:09:22.119
with his family. He brought her inside and took her

948
01:09:22.199 --> 01:09:26.159
upstairs to his bedroom. My parents aren't home, but I'll

949
01:09:26.159 --> 01:09:30.239
take care of you. Listen, do you have a name?

950
01:09:31.319 --> 01:09:33.920
When she still didn't answer him, he pointed to himself,

951
01:09:34.840 --> 01:09:39.960
I'm Reggie Regi. When she remained silent, he motioned for

952
01:09:40.000 --> 01:09:43.520
her to stay. I'll get a scissor in some clothes.

953
01:09:44.159 --> 01:09:47.760
The creation waited until Reggie returned with the promised items.

954
01:09:48.199 --> 01:09:50.560
He set the clothes on his desk and proceeded to

955
01:09:50.680 --> 01:09:54.680
use the scissors to cut off her bandages. After several minutes,

956
01:09:55.119 --> 01:09:59.560
he had her completely naked. You know what, maybe you

957
01:09:59.600 --> 01:10:06.039
should take a shower first, Reggie suggested the bathroom. The

958
01:10:06.119 --> 01:10:12.319
Creation seized Reggie and kissed him hungrily. Reggie couldn't believe

959
01:10:12.359 --> 01:10:15.840
his luck and kissed her back. She ripped his t

960
01:10:16.000 --> 01:10:18.199
shirt off like it was tissue paper and sat down

961
01:10:18.239 --> 01:10:21.119
on the bed. Reggie looked down at the beautiful naked

962
01:10:21.159 --> 01:10:25.880
creation who truly truly desired him. She growled and ripped

963
01:10:25.920 --> 01:10:29.880
his jeans open. He eased her onto her back, got

964
01:10:30.039 --> 01:10:35.159
naked and climbed on top of her.

965
01:10:36.279 --> 01:10:41.680
Are you afraid, good, weakly spooky. We'll be right back.

966
01:10:43.560 --> 01:10:46.880
Reggie had finished drying the Creation off after giving her

967
01:10:46.920 --> 01:10:50.359
a shower. Then he dressed her in his sister's clothing.

968
01:10:51.319 --> 01:10:54.479
Even though the items fit, they were still too small

969
01:10:54.520 --> 01:10:58.159
for her. The t shirt revealed her full stomach, and

970
01:10:58.239 --> 01:11:02.279
the jeans were more like caprise. The Creation looked at

971
01:11:02.319 --> 01:11:05.239
him and attempted to smile for the first time ever.

972
01:11:06.439 --> 01:11:09.600
Then she took his hand and held it between her

973
01:11:09.640 --> 01:11:13.199
two hands. She closed her eyes and let him kiss

974
01:11:13.199 --> 01:11:17.439
her lips again. He sat down next to her and

975
01:11:17.560 --> 01:11:24.039
admired her. I can't believe we just had sex, Reggie

976
01:11:24.039 --> 01:11:28.760
told her, this sort of thing just doesn't happen to me.

977
01:11:30.000 --> 01:11:34.359
The Creation smiled for him a second time. Then she

978
01:11:34.479 --> 01:11:38.640
quickly turned her head when she heard noises coming from downstairs.

979
01:11:39.479 --> 01:11:44.119
Somebody's home. Reggie explained, don't worry, nobody's gonna hurt you.

980
01:11:45.079 --> 01:11:48.760
The Creation wouldn't release his hand. Only when he assured

981
01:11:48.760 --> 01:11:51.279
her that he would return did she let him go.

982
01:11:52.279 --> 01:11:56.720
He opened the door and headed downstairs. The Creation heard talking,

983
01:11:57.439 --> 01:12:01.520
but she couldn't understand the words. It wasn't long after

984
01:12:01.560 --> 01:12:04.359
that she heard quick movements on the stairs along with

985
01:12:04.439 --> 01:12:08.800
Reggie yelling something was wrong. She stood up and moved

986
01:12:08.840 --> 01:12:11.720
to the door. She walked right through it, turning it

987
01:12:11.760 --> 01:12:15.680
into boards and kindling. She turned to see Vincent, Frankenstein,

988
01:12:15.720 --> 01:12:20.279
and Stevie in the hallway. She screamed angrily and moved

989
01:12:20.319 --> 01:12:24.920
at them. Oh shit, Stevie shrieked. She raised her shotgun

990
01:12:24.960 --> 01:12:29.600
and blasted the Creation and the shoulder. No, Reggie yelled.

991
01:12:29.960 --> 01:12:33.800
The Creation only jerked back on its impacted shoulder and

992
01:12:33.920 --> 01:12:38.319
showed Stevie just how fast she could heal. Stevie and

993
01:12:38.439 --> 01:12:42.479
Vincent quickly moved back downstairs. They hadn't counted on the

994
01:12:42.520 --> 01:12:47.359
Creation leaping all the way down the stairway. Stevie cried

995
01:12:47.359 --> 01:12:49.960
out in fright as the Creation suddenly grabbed her and

996
01:12:50.039 --> 01:12:52.840
put her right through the front door. Then she turned

997
01:12:52.840 --> 01:12:56.640
to face Vincent and Reggie. For a moment, she seemed

998
01:12:56.640 --> 01:13:00.720
to convey betrayal towards Reggie. When she saw him shaking

999
01:13:00.720 --> 01:13:05.760
his head. Quickly, she realized he was innocent. Her Creator

1000
01:13:05.800 --> 01:13:09.840
and the girl had found her somehow. Vincent raised his

1001
01:13:09.920 --> 01:13:12.520
hands in front of him. Let me take you home.

1002
01:13:12.840 --> 01:13:15.680
I can fix you. Please don't be like this, no

1003
01:13:15.840 --> 01:13:20.079
more killing, Please just come with me. The Creation still

1004
01:13:20.119 --> 01:13:23.840
didn't understand him, but she screamed with hatred at him.

1005
01:13:24.199 --> 01:13:26.800
She was about to grab him when she took another

1006
01:13:26.840 --> 01:13:30.760
shotgun blast, this time in the back. The Creation turned

1007
01:13:30.800 --> 01:13:34.479
to see Stevie. Come and get me, you fucking bitch,

1008
01:13:35.079 --> 01:13:38.520
she called out. As she turned and ran, The Creation

1009
01:13:38.760 --> 01:13:42.640
screamed and darted outside. It hadn't taken the Creation long

1010
01:13:42.760 --> 01:13:46.640
to almost be upon Stevie. Suddenly she felt Vincent jumping

1011
01:13:46.680 --> 01:13:49.319
onto her back. As she was about to grab him,

1012
01:13:49.720 --> 01:13:53.159
she felt the sharpness of a needle going into her shoulder,

1013
01:13:53.960 --> 01:13:58.119
followed by something squirting out. Vincent dropped off her back

1014
01:13:58.439 --> 01:14:02.039
and stuck her with a second needle. The Creation fell

1015
01:14:02.079 --> 01:14:05.960
to her knees and then on to her side. We

1016
01:14:06.000 --> 01:14:08.520
don't have much time, Stevie. Let's get her back to

1017
01:14:08.560 --> 01:14:12.000
the lab, Vincent said. I can't believe I'm agreeing to

1018
01:14:12.079 --> 01:14:15.279
let you try and fix her. Stevie muttered, you should

1019
01:14:15.319 --> 01:14:19.159
just fucking kill her. When Stevie saw Reggie coming outside,

1020
01:14:19.199 --> 01:14:21.680
she pointed right at him. Shut the fuck up and

1021
01:14:21.760 --> 01:14:25.720
get back inside, you fucking fat fuckstick. What are you

1022
01:14:25.760 --> 01:14:29.359
gonna do with her? He demanded. When Stevie raised the

1023
01:14:29.359 --> 01:14:33.159
shotgun to him and pumped it. He quickly squealed and

1024
01:14:33.279 --> 01:14:42.399
darted back inside. The Creation opened her eyes and felt

1025
01:14:42.399 --> 01:14:46.239
as if she was moving, yet she found she was incapacitated.

1026
01:14:46.960 --> 01:14:49.720
She looked up and saw the sky was moving fast.

1027
01:14:50.560 --> 01:14:53.319
She clinched her teeth and found the chain securing her

1028
01:14:53.840 --> 01:14:57.439
wouldn't give. She growled through her teeth as she exerted

1029
01:14:57.439 --> 01:15:01.560
her strength again. This time the chain broke in several places.

1030
01:15:02.239 --> 01:15:05.359
She moved to her feet and leaped from the pickup truck.

1031
01:15:05.960 --> 01:15:08.239
As soon as she landed on her bare feet, she

1032
01:15:08.319 --> 01:15:11.720
heard the truck break to a halt. Vincent and Stevie

1033
01:15:11.760 --> 01:15:15.520
got out. The Creation looked at them and screamed the

1034
01:15:15.600 --> 01:15:18.720
loudest she had ever screamed. The two of them tried

1035
01:15:18.760 --> 01:15:21.039
to get back into the truck, but the Creation moved

1036
01:15:21.039 --> 01:15:24.720
to it quickly. She easily lifted the truck and threw

1037
01:15:24.760 --> 01:15:26.720
it right off the side of the bridge they were on.

1038
01:15:27.680 --> 01:15:31.800
The truck soon made a huge splash in the Castallia River,

1039
01:15:32.359 --> 01:15:36.960
where the raging waters would carry it away. Vincent and

1040
01:15:37.000 --> 01:15:40.239
Stevie turned to run, but the Creation only had to

1041
01:15:40.319 --> 01:15:43.079
leap to catch them. She backed them up to the

1042
01:15:43.199 --> 01:15:46.239
edge of the bridge. It would take a combined desperate

1043
01:15:46.239 --> 01:15:50.039
attempt for them to survive. As Vincent injected the Creation

1044
01:15:50.239 --> 01:15:54.279
with his last two tranquilizers, and Stevie placed her shotgun

1045
01:15:54.359 --> 01:15:57.439
under the Creation's chin and blasted the top of her

1046
01:15:57.479 --> 01:16:01.119
head off. The Creation staggered back and fell off the

1047
01:16:01.159 --> 01:16:04.600
side of the bridge. She dropped into the Castalia River,

1048
01:16:05.039 --> 01:16:09.600
where the raging waters quickly carried her body away. You

1049
01:16:09.640 --> 01:16:16.000
think we stopped her, Stevie asked quickly Vincent's side. I

1050
01:16:16.039 --> 01:16:24.880
don't know. I just don't know. On Christmas morning, the

1051
01:16:24.960 --> 01:16:28.439
Creation had awakened. She didn't know how long she had

1052
01:16:28.479 --> 01:16:31.560
been unconscious, but she was lying on the side of

1053
01:16:31.600 --> 01:16:35.800
the river. She slowly pulled herself to her feet and

1054
01:16:35.880 --> 01:16:40.119
felt her head, which was fully restored. She didn't understand

1055
01:16:40.239 --> 01:16:44.159
how she had survived, and she really didn't care. There

1056
01:16:44.199 --> 01:16:48.079
was only one thing that Creation did care about, and

1057
01:16:48.199 --> 01:16:53.039
put her hands on her swollen belly. Vincent Frankenstein hadn't

1058
01:16:53.079 --> 01:16:57.439
counted on the Creation's vampiric healing factor restoring the ovaries

1059
01:16:57.439 --> 01:17:01.920
that he had removed prior to giving her life. On

1060
01:17:02.039 --> 01:17:07.359
Christmas Eve, she had conceived life with Reggie later on

1061
01:17:07.439 --> 01:17:12.279
Christmas Day, her first child would be born the first

1062
01:17:12.399 --> 01:17:28.279
child of a superior new race. All I Want for

1063
01:17:28.359 --> 01:17:38.920
Christmas by Morgan Moore. A deathly chill blows through the

1064
01:17:39.000 --> 01:17:43.960
night as light snow falls and gently blankets the ground.

1065
01:17:44.680 --> 01:17:51.239
Cemetery gates creek open another gust of December wind, blowing

1066
01:17:51.279 --> 01:17:54.680
out of the hollowed grounds. As they do so, the

1067
01:17:54.760 --> 01:17:58.359
man who unlocked and opened the gates removes the key

1068
01:17:58.640 --> 01:18:01.840
from the lock. In his other hand is a shovel.

1069
01:18:02.880 --> 01:18:06.359
He looks into the cemetery and takes a deep breath,

1070
01:18:06.960 --> 01:18:11.960
releasing it along with a sigh before walking in. The

1071
01:18:12.039 --> 01:18:19.000
man in question was Jebediah Hawkins. Jebediah was a gravekeeper

1072
01:18:19.039 --> 01:18:23.199
for the cemetery. He had a wife and a little girl.

1073
01:18:24.520 --> 01:18:28.279
His reason for being in the cemetery tonight would never

1074
01:18:28.319 --> 01:18:34.680
be anything of question, but it was Christmas Eve. Nobody

1075
01:18:35.000 --> 01:18:40.760
worked in the cemetery on Christmas Eve or day. Jebediah

1076
01:18:40.800 --> 01:18:45.800
walked through the cemetery, never wavering on his path. He

1077
01:18:45.960 --> 01:18:54.359
was on a mission tonight, one he intended to complete.

1078
01:18:54.720 --> 01:18:58.159
A few days ago, Jebediah was working a day shift.

1079
01:18:58.760 --> 01:19:01.319
While he was cleaning in the funeral home that rested

1080
01:19:01.319 --> 01:19:05.479
on the grounds, he spotted something that took his breath away.

1081
01:19:06.720 --> 01:19:10.039
It was the body of a six year old girl,

1082
01:19:10.960 --> 01:19:15.199
the same age as his daughter. In her hands was

1083
01:19:15.239 --> 01:19:19.720
a Tresie doll. Tresie dolls were the new toy of

1084
01:19:19.760 --> 01:19:24.000
the year, selling like hotcakes, coming and going lickety split.

1085
01:19:24.600 --> 01:19:30.159
Every little girl wanted one, including Jebediah's daughter. Like many

1086
01:19:30.199 --> 01:19:33.680
other parents, Jebediah and his wife had no luck finding

1087
01:19:33.720 --> 01:19:38.600
the doll. Their daughter's birthday went by without her getting one.

1088
01:19:38.680 --> 01:19:41.760
It broke the Hawkins' hearts to not be able to

1089
01:19:41.800 --> 01:19:45.119
get the one thing their daughter wanted, the one thing

1090
01:19:45.279 --> 01:19:49.239
she asked for in a childhood where she rarely, if ever,

1091
01:19:49.359 --> 01:19:52.920
asked for anything. The two agreed that if either of

1092
01:19:52.960 --> 01:19:56.239
them found a Trescie, that if they could, they would

1093
01:19:56.239 --> 01:20:00.479
buy it on the spot. Unfortunately, their town was small,

1094
01:20:01.159 --> 01:20:06.279
filled almost exclusively with small cell phoned stores. Stocks of

1095
01:20:06.319 --> 01:20:08.720
the doll came and went in the blink of an eye,

1096
01:20:09.159 --> 01:20:13.039
and out of town trips proved no better. The couple

1097
01:20:13.119 --> 01:20:18.079
had just given up hope as Christmas approached, melancholic and

1098
01:20:18.199 --> 01:20:24.760
ready to disappoint their daughter, until Jebediah laid his eyes

1099
01:20:24.840 --> 01:20:29.880
on the Tressie doll. Clutched in the dead girl's hands. Tragic,

1100
01:20:29.960 --> 01:20:36.079
isn't it, the undertaker asked. Huh, Jebediah asked in response,

1101
01:20:36.840 --> 01:20:39.239
poor Lass fell off a horse she was riding and

1102
01:20:39.279 --> 01:20:43.600
got trampled to death right before Christmas. To boot such

1103
01:20:43.600 --> 01:20:49.920
a shame, the undertaker explained as he walked away. Yeah,

1104
01:20:50.239 --> 01:20:55.680
a real shame, Jebediah answered. The next day, Jebediah watched

1105
01:20:55.720 --> 01:20:59.239
as the girl was buried, the Tressie doll still in

1106
01:20:59.279 --> 01:21:04.039
her hands. When he asked why they kept it, the

1107
01:21:04.119 --> 01:21:08.560
undertaker told him that girl and doll went everywhere together

1108
01:21:09.239 --> 01:21:13.079
like they were the best of friends. Her parents thought

1109
01:21:13.119 --> 01:21:15.359
it would be appropriate then that she went off to

1110
01:21:15.439 --> 01:21:19.600
heaven with a friend so she wouldn't be lonely. It

1111
01:21:19.680 --> 01:21:29.920
didn't take long for Jebediah to formulate his plan. Jebediah

1112
01:21:29.920 --> 01:21:33.520
approached the grave of the little girl, more snow and

1113
01:21:33.600 --> 01:21:38.039
wind blew around him, the cold cutting through to his bones.

1114
01:21:39.840 --> 01:21:43.680
Am I really about to do this? He thought? He

1115
01:21:43.760 --> 01:21:47.279
wanted to give his daughter a great Christmas, give her

1116
01:21:47.319 --> 01:21:50.880
the one thing she asked for. Can I do this?

1117
01:21:52.600 --> 01:21:56.199
His answer was an earth piercing yes, as he stabbed

1118
01:21:56.239 --> 01:22:00.000
the shovel into the ground. He repeats the action again

1119
01:22:00.079 --> 01:22:03.800
and again, throwing snow covered dirt off to the side

1120
01:22:03.840 --> 01:22:07.359
as he works his way deeper into the little girl's grave.

1121
01:22:08.319 --> 01:22:12.039
Jebediah's mind blocked out all thoughts of the dead child

1122
01:22:12.119 --> 01:22:16.119
he saw only a few days ago, instead conjuring up

1123
01:22:16.159 --> 01:22:20.279
the image of his daughter with the doll playing happily

1124
01:22:20.680 --> 01:22:24.239
a few hours from now, on Christmas Day. He thought

1125
01:22:24.319 --> 01:22:27.760
of him and his wife sitting by the fire come nightfall,

1126
01:22:28.560 --> 01:22:33.680
an extra happy Christmas behind them. It was these thoughts

1127
01:22:33.680 --> 01:22:36.640
that kept Jebediah busy until he felt the shovel head

1128
01:22:36.760 --> 01:22:42.039
slam into the coffin. Jebediah looked down at the small box.

1129
01:22:42.920 --> 01:22:46.319
A gust of wind blew by and threw dirt down

1130
01:22:46.359 --> 01:22:50.359
onto Jebediah and the coffin, almost as if the universe

1131
01:22:50.439 --> 01:22:56.279
was telling him to stop. I can't stop, not now.

1132
01:22:57.880 --> 01:23:02.119
Jebediah started to stab the coffin with the shovel. As

1133
01:23:02.159 --> 01:23:06.000
the head struck the casket repeatedly, wood splintered and flew up.

1134
01:23:06.960 --> 01:23:10.800
Jebediah kept at it for minutes before finally punching a

1135
01:23:10.880 --> 01:23:15.399
hole through the coffin. He stared down into the breach

1136
01:23:16.319 --> 01:23:21.880
and saw the little girl's face and the doll. The

1137
01:23:21.920 --> 01:23:24.560
desperate father tossed the shovel out of the grave and

1138
01:23:24.640 --> 01:23:29.399
knelt down beside the coffin. Jebediah gulped as he stared

1139
01:23:29.520 --> 01:23:35.600
down at the girl's corpse. He reached into the coffin,

1140
01:23:36.920 --> 01:23:44.199
grabbed the doll, and pulled up. Nothing budged. Jebediah tried again,

1141
01:23:45.079 --> 01:23:49.239
but nothing moved. He looked closer as he kept trying

1142
01:23:49.319 --> 01:23:53.279
to pull the doll out. The doll was clasped so

1143
01:23:53.520 --> 01:23:58.000
tightly in her hands that it wouldn't budge. Every tug

1144
01:23:58.119 --> 01:24:02.760
got him nowhere closer to getting the tressy doll. The

1145
01:24:02.880 --> 01:24:06.680
night was moving on and the temperature was dropping. Soon

1146
01:24:07.239 --> 01:24:11.840
it would be midnight Christmas. If he didn't get the

1147
01:24:11.880 --> 01:24:15.880
doll back home in time, then Christmas would be ruined.

1148
01:24:16.880 --> 01:24:20.239
Jebediah braced a foot against the coffin and grabbed the

1149
01:24:20.279 --> 01:24:23.399
doll with both hands. He put all his strength into

1150
01:24:23.520 --> 01:24:30.960
one big tug. The doll came free, and so did

1151
01:24:31.000 --> 01:24:35.680
the hands of the little girl. Still gripping the doll.

1152
01:24:37.520 --> 01:24:41.079
Jebediah stared in horror at the image. He pried the

1153
01:24:41.119 --> 01:24:44.000
hands off the doll and threw them back into the coffin.

1154
01:24:44.920 --> 01:24:50.640
Jebediah stared down into the hole, into the coffin and

1155
01:24:50.720 --> 01:24:54.279
at the dead little girl, her hands laying on opposite

1156
01:24:54.359 --> 01:24:58.079
ends of her body. The more he looked at her,

1157
01:24:59.119 --> 01:25:02.159
the more she st arded to remind him of his

1158
01:25:02.239 --> 01:25:07.840
own daughter. Jebediah felt a tinge of regret for what

1159
01:25:07.960 --> 01:25:12.279
he'd done. What if his daughter was dead and someone

1160
01:25:12.359 --> 01:25:17.000
dug up her body to get something. He looked down

1161
01:25:17.079 --> 01:25:20.199
at the doll. All of this, all of this fuss

1162
01:25:21.279 --> 01:25:25.880
over a simple little doll. Jebediah stretched his arms out,

1163
01:25:26.199 --> 01:25:29.119
hands trembling as he told himself he couldn't take it.

1164
01:25:29.680 --> 01:25:32.640
He closed his eyes, Unable to bear looking at the corpse.

1165
01:25:33.640 --> 01:25:38.119
The man tried to conjure up images more pleasant. What

1166
01:25:38.359 --> 01:25:41.920
came to him was the image of his daughter on

1167
01:25:42.079 --> 01:25:48.720
Christmas morning, playing with her new Tresci doll. Jebediah opened

1168
01:25:48.720 --> 01:25:53.199
his eyes and looked at the doll. He had to

1169
01:25:53.239 --> 01:26:01.279
go through with it, he told himself, for his little girl. Sorry,

1170
01:26:02.199 --> 01:26:05.720
Jebediah said to the dead girl. He climbed out of

1171
01:26:05.720 --> 01:26:09.039
the grave and set the doll down before picking up

1172
01:26:09.079 --> 01:26:13.159
the shovel. Quickly, he filled the hole back up with dirt.

1173
01:26:14.039 --> 01:26:16.800
Grabbed the doll and high tailed it out of the

1174
01:26:16.840 --> 01:26:22.760
cemetery into his car and sped away into the night.

1175
01:26:26.840 --> 01:26:30.960
Jebediah snuck into his house, being careful not to make

1176
01:26:31.039 --> 01:26:34.880
too much noise. He headed to the kitchen and turned

1177
01:26:34.920 --> 01:26:39.000
on a small light above the sink. Jeb placed the

1178
01:26:39.039 --> 01:26:42.520
doll down, took off his coat, and picked the doll

1179
01:26:42.600 --> 01:26:46.319
back up with a flick of his wrist. Jebediah turned

1180
01:26:46.359 --> 01:26:50.119
on the water and started to clean the doll. After

1181
01:26:50.239 --> 01:26:53.279
some time, the doll was clean of all dirt, and

1182
01:26:53.359 --> 01:26:56.399
Jebediah managed to get out some of the stench of earth.

1183
01:26:57.439 --> 01:27:00.039
He smiled at the tressey and placed it on the

1184
01:27:00.119 --> 01:27:07.359
kitchen table. Now to get you wrapped up, Jebediah said, triumphantly.

1185
01:27:07.479 --> 01:27:10.680
Jebediah walked out of the kitchen and started heading to

1186
01:27:10.720 --> 01:27:14.039
his wife's sewing room. The grandfather clock in the living

1187
01:27:14.119 --> 01:27:22.199
room struck midnight. It was Christmas. Jebediah stopped as the

1188
01:27:22.239 --> 01:27:28.000
clock chimed and looked at the Christmas tree. Suddenly, a

1189
01:27:28.079 --> 01:27:32.159
microburst assaulted the Hawkins house. The windows burst open, and

1190
01:27:32.279 --> 01:27:36.159
wind and snow assaulted Jebediah. He tried to get to

1191
01:27:36.199 --> 01:27:40.079
the windows, but is throated by how strong the wind is. Next,

1192
01:27:40.119 --> 01:27:42.560
he attempted to retreat to the sewing room, but a

1193
01:27:42.600 --> 01:27:45.560
gust of wind blew through the windows inside the room

1194
01:27:45.880 --> 01:27:51.119
and slammed Jebediah to the ground. He tried to stand up,

1195
01:27:51.119 --> 01:27:56.199
but found that he couldn't. Instead, he crawled his way

1196
01:27:56.279 --> 01:28:02.359
back into the kitchen. Upon entering the kitchen, the wind stopped.

1197
01:28:03.319 --> 01:28:08.319
The house felt deathly cold. As Jebediah stood up cautiously,

1198
01:28:09.720 --> 01:28:13.159
he went to call out for his family, but found

1199
01:28:13.199 --> 01:28:18.039
he couldn't due to a tightening pressure on his throat.

1200
01:28:19.479 --> 01:28:23.720
Jebediah looked down at his neck and found a disembodied

1201
01:28:23.800 --> 01:28:27.600
hand clasped around it. He grabbed hold of the hand

1202
01:28:27.680 --> 01:28:30.000
and tore it off of him, bits of flesh and

1203
01:28:30.079 --> 01:28:32.760
blood going with it. Jeb threw it to the ground

1204
01:28:32.800 --> 01:28:35.880
and stomped as hard as he could on it, crushing

1205
01:28:35.920 --> 01:28:39.760
it in a single blow. A shrill mix of a

1206
01:28:39.880 --> 01:28:45.359
cry and laugh rang in Jebediah's ears. He spun around

1207
01:28:45.399 --> 01:28:48.600
to find the ghostly image of the little Girl from

1208
01:28:48.600 --> 01:28:54.479
the Grave hovering in his kitchen. Jebediah gasped in disbelief

1209
01:28:54.520 --> 01:28:59.640
at what was in front of him. What you're dead,

1210
01:29:00.239 --> 01:29:06.520
He cried, give it back. The spirit demanded, give what back?

1211
01:29:07.640 --> 01:29:12.479
My friend? The ghastly girl screamed, loud enough to shatter windows.

1212
01:29:13.479 --> 01:29:19.840
Jebediah stood confused until he remembered what the undertaker had said.

1213
01:29:20.479 --> 01:29:23.520
That girl and doll went everywhere together like they were

1214
01:29:23.520 --> 01:29:26.439
the best of friends. Her parents thought it would be

1215
01:29:26.479 --> 01:29:28.920
appropriate then that she went off to heaven with a

1216
01:29:28.960 --> 01:29:33.239
friend so she wouldn't be lonely. The doll. It was,

1217
01:29:33.279 --> 01:29:38.359
that damned doll. Jebediah stared up at the table. How

1218
01:29:38.399 --> 01:29:41.880
could a doll have made this happen, he asked himself.

1219
01:29:42.720 --> 01:29:47.359
He looked at the girl. You don't understand, my daughter.

1220
01:29:47.720 --> 01:29:51.000
She wants it, needs it. You'll have plenty of friends

1221
01:29:51.079 --> 01:29:53.600
up in heaven. Can't you allow a little girl to

1222
01:29:53.640 --> 01:29:58.399
know the happiness you knew with it? Jebediah pleaded. The

1223
01:29:58.479 --> 01:30:01.960
girl answers with her other attached hand grabbing hold of

1224
01:30:02.039 --> 01:30:06.279
Jebediah's face, its nails digging into his flesh. He grabbed

1225
01:30:06.319 --> 01:30:08.880
hold of the hand and once more freed himself, his

1226
01:30:09.000 --> 01:30:13.520
face bearing gashes that would scar. Jebediah quickly got to

1227
01:30:13.560 --> 01:30:16.159
his feet and grabbed the tressed doll off the table

1228
01:30:16.640 --> 01:30:20.880
and ran from the kitchen. Jebediah ran into the living room.

1229
01:30:21.279 --> 01:30:24.600
As he tried to approach the stairs, the ghost appeared.

1230
01:30:25.359 --> 01:30:27.880
She brought down everything she could in the living room

1231
01:30:27.880 --> 01:30:32.199
to stop him in his path, books, furniture, anything and everything,

1232
01:30:32.479 --> 01:30:36.760
but Jebediah persevered. Finally he reached the stairs and ascended

1233
01:30:36.760 --> 01:30:40.760
them to the second floor. The house started to shake.

1234
01:30:40.960 --> 01:30:44.119
A deafening cry of anguish and rage echoed through the house.

1235
01:30:44.399 --> 01:30:49.000
Jebediah sprinted towards his daughter's room. No an avalanche of

1236
01:30:49.079 --> 01:30:52.880
snow fell upon the Hawkins house. Jebediah screamed as the

1237
01:30:52.920 --> 01:30:56.600
force brought down the roof. The second floor collapsed onto

1238
01:30:56.600 --> 01:31:05.199
the first, leaving the house completely and utterly demolished. Jebediah

1239
01:31:05.279 --> 01:31:10.079
bolted awake, gasping for air. Despite the wintry cold, he

1240
01:31:10.159 --> 01:31:14.640
was drenched in sweat. Honey, what is it, his wife

1241
01:31:14.760 --> 01:31:17.640
asked in a panic. She rubbed the small of his back,

1242
01:31:17.720 --> 01:31:21.479
and the sensation of feeling touch brought comfort to him.

1243
01:31:22.279 --> 01:31:24.560
He looked at his wife and embraced her in a tight,

1244
01:31:25.000 --> 01:31:30.439
near violent hug. Missus Hawkins returned the gesture. Jebediah broke

1245
01:31:30.479 --> 01:31:32.600
the embrace and ran out of their bedroom. And into

1246
01:31:32.600 --> 01:31:39.880
his daughters. She wasn't there downstairs, he exclaimed. Jebediah ran downstairs,

1247
01:31:39.880 --> 01:31:42.399
with his wife not too far behind him. When they

1248
01:31:42.439 --> 01:31:45.680
reached the living room, the couple found their daughter sitting

1249
01:31:45.720 --> 01:31:48.920
by the Christmas tree. She turned and looked at her

1250
01:31:48.960 --> 01:31:54.359
parents with a smile. Jebediah sighed in relief. What kept

1251
01:31:54.439 --> 01:32:00.520
you sleepy heads waiting? It's Christmas? The daughter said, yes, yes,

1252
01:32:00.560 --> 01:32:05.000
it is, Jebediah said, with a huge smile. It was

1253
01:32:05.039 --> 01:32:10.479
all a dream, he told himself. Mister and missus Hawkins

1254
01:32:10.520 --> 01:32:13.720
sat on their couch while their daughter began to open presence.

1255
01:32:14.760 --> 01:32:19.079
Jebediah kissed his wife and the two shared smiles and

1256
01:32:19.159 --> 01:32:23.760
I love yous. From the outside looking in, the Hawkins

1257
01:32:23.760 --> 01:32:30.800
were having a perfect Christmas. But outside in a blackened

1258
01:32:30.800 --> 01:32:35.239
ethereal plane, the little girl sat and looked through the

1259
01:32:35.319 --> 01:32:41.920
roof and into the house. She grinned, well, Tressy, it

1260
01:32:41.960 --> 01:32:46.279
looks like we have some new friends forever and ever.

1261
01:32:47.680 --> 01:32:52.279
Merry Christmas, she told her doll, giving it a big

1262
01:32:52.359 --> 01:32:58.840
hug before returning her gaze to her brand new toys.

1263
01:33:07.479 --> 01:33:15.960
Blood on the Snow by Shane Nigliovanka. The cold, numbed

1264
01:33:16.000 --> 01:33:19.600
the man's feet. The snow was nearly to his knees.

1265
01:33:20.680 --> 01:33:23.920
There was nobody to be seen. It was a blizzard

1266
01:33:24.439 --> 01:33:28.239
on Christmas Eve. Only fools and lunatics would be on

1267
01:33:28.279 --> 01:33:31.880
the road tonight. He could have sworn he'd seen a sign.

1268
01:33:32.800 --> 01:33:37.079
What the hell was it called Vera's Roadhouse. He could

1269
01:33:37.159 --> 01:33:40.640
go for a nice juicy burger and some fries, though

1270
01:33:40.680 --> 01:33:45.079
he really doubted they'd be open. I don't think you

1271
01:33:45.159 --> 01:33:49.079
saw it. The man didn't turn. He didn't want to

1272
01:33:49.079 --> 01:33:52.640
give Simon the satisfaction. This is a fine mess you've

1273
01:33:52.640 --> 01:33:56.560
gotten us in. Simon moaned, we should go back. We

1274
01:33:56.640 --> 01:34:02.560
have a job to do. Away down the road, the

1275
01:34:02.640 --> 01:34:07.560
man stopped. An abandoned car sat alongside the shoulder, covered

1276
01:34:07.600 --> 01:34:11.439
by the steady snowfall. Brushing the snow off the driver's

1277
01:34:11.439 --> 01:34:16.680
side window, the man peered inside. The interior was bathed

1278
01:34:17.439 --> 01:34:21.199
in a faint red hue. The car was empty, save

1279
01:34:21.279 --> 01:34:24.479
for a cell phone sitting on the passenger side seat,

1280
01:34:25.079 --> 01:34:29.920
a red depleted battery symbol on its screen. There were

1281
01:34:29.960 --> 01:34:33.479
words written on the inside of the windshield in what

1282
01:34:33.560 --> 01:34:38.880
appeared to be red lipstick. The woods are lovely, dark

1283
01:34:39.000 --> 01:34:43.560
and deep, Simon read. The man backed away from the car,

1284
01:34:43.640 --> 01:34:50.359
looking around strange, Simon observed, look at the snow. He

1285
01:34:50.439 --> 01:34:53.520
pointed to the snow in front of the car. Through

1286
01:34:53.560 --> 01:34:56.640
the covering of fresh snow. Two sets of footprints were

1287
01:34:56.680 --> 01:35:01.920
still visible, one from the car and one approaching. It

1288
01:35:01.920 --> 01:35:06.800
looks like a struggle, maybe, Simon noted. Indeed, it looked

1289
01:35:06.800 --> 01:35:09.119
like a scuffle of some kind happened where the two

1290
01:35:09.159 --> 01:35:14.000
sets of footprints came together. I think you're right, the

1291
01:35:14.079 --> 01:35:19.840
man answered, Finally he speaks. The man ignored his companion.

1292
01:35:20.239 --> 01:35:23.239
The second set came from a head, then one left

1293
01:35:23.279 --> 01:35:26.880
and headed through the woods. The man was tempted to

1294
01:35:26.880 --> 01:35:30.560
see where the footprints led, but his feet ached and

1295
01:35:30.640 --> 01:35:38.359
the road promised a glimmer of shelter and warmth. Angela

1296
01:35:38.520 --> 01:35:41.640
really wanted to go home, not that she had much

1297
01:35:41.680 --> 01:35:45.199
to go home too in her little apartment. Yet it

1298
01:35:45.279 --> 01:35:47.359
was a hell of a lot better than waiting tables

1299
01:35:47.399 --> 01:35:51.279
at the roadhouse. Vera was paying her extra for Christmas Eve,

1300
01:35:51.680 --> 01:35:54.000
and Angela needed the money if she was ever going

1301
01:35:54.039 --> 01:35:59.000
to leave Dylansville. There was a small group tonight, three regulars,

1302
01:35:59.239 --> 01:36:04.039
stew the cook, and Vera man. Look at that shit

1303
01:36:04.159 --> 01:36:09.000
come down. I think it's nice, Billy Vera said, gonna

1304
01:36:09.000 --> 01:36:14.520
have a white Christmas. Billy scoffed, Fuck Christmas, You're just

1305
01:36:14.560 --> 01:36:17.840
an old scrooge, the old black man sitting at the

1306
01:36:17.840 --> 01:36:22.720
bar said, before taking a shot of whiskey. Got that right, Marvin,

1307
01:36:23.159 --> 01:36:28.439
Billy laughed. He won't see me wishing anybody a merry Christmas.

1308
01:36:29.039 --> 01:36:32.479
I remember one Christmas, the old man mused. For a

1309
01:36:32.520 --> 01:36:37.039
moment twenty years back, we didn't have snow until January.

1310
01:36:38.199 --> 01:36:42.840
That's global warming for you. Angela spoke up, Fuck global warming,

1311
01:36:43.319 --> 01:36:47.079
Billy grumbled. Verus scolded, every other word out of your

1312
01:36:47.119 --> 01:36:50.520
mouth is either fuck shit or damn well. Hell, I

1313
01:36:50.520 --> 01:36:53.600
guess I need my mouth washed with fucking soap. This

1314
01:36:53.640 --> 01:36:57.520
brought a chuckle from another of the regulars. Don't encourage him,

1315
01:36:57.560 --> 01:37:02.359
Donnie Vera said, a heavy set bald man sat at

1316
01:37:02.359 --> 01:37:05.920
the end of the bar. Earlier tonight. I saw the

1317
01:37:05.960 --> 01:37:09.520
strangest looking light coming out of the woods. Made me

1318
01:37:09.560 --> 01:37:14.119
feel weird just seeing it, Donnie said, softly. What it

1319
01:37:14.159 --> 01:37:18.840
looked like, strange green color, like nothing I'd seen before.

1320
01:37:19.640 --> 01:37:23.880
Probably some kids snowmobile and got fancy new headlights or something,

1321
01:37:24.439 --> 01:37:29.079
Billy said dismissively. The front door opened. It banged hard

1322
01:37:29.119 --> 01:37:32.840
against the wall, startling Angela. A man in a black

1323
01:37:32.920 --> 01:37:36.760
leather jacket stood in the entrance, brushing snow off his goatee.

1324
01:37:37.640 --> 01:37:42.319
Get in here, he ordered. A woman carrying a young

1325
01:37:42.359 --> 01:37:46.840
girl entered. She flashed a meek smile. Warm in here,

1326
01:37:47.560 --> 01:37:50.640
the woman smiled. Won't be for long if you keep

1327
01:37:50.720 --> 01:37:53.960
the door open, Billy said, earning a glare from the man.

1328
01:37:55.119 --> 01:37:58.479
What brings you folks out on Christmas Eve? Vera asked?

1329
01:37:59.119 --> 01:38:02.600
The woman. Set the girl down. We were visiting my mother.

1330
01:38:03.119 --> 01:38:06.680
Allie thought we could beat the storm home. Vera sat

1331
01:38:06.720 --> 01:38:09.600
them at one of the booths. What can I get you, folks?

1332
01:38:10.319 --> 01:38:12.840
The woman looked at the girl. What do you want?

1333
01:38:12.920 --> 01:38:13.840
Hone?

1334
01:38:14.079 --> 01:38:20.560
Uh? Hot chocolate? Vera smiled. Can do got a beer?

1335
01:38:21.079 --> 01:38:26.319
Ali asked? Not tonight? The woman said, you promised. I'll

1336
01:38:26.399 --> 01:38:30.159
drink what I want Marie. Marie looked at Vera. I'll

1337
01:38:30.159 --> 01:38:33.439
have a hot chocolate too, New folks hungry, I'll have

1338
01:38:33.520 --> 01:38:40.119
Angela bring you some menus. Sure, sure, Alli said, whatever, Hey, Vera.

1339
01:38:40.640 --> 01:38:43.600
Donnie spoke up. A hot chocolate sounds good, I'll have

1340
01:38:43.640 --> 01:38:47.920
one too. Donnie slid off the barstool he'd been keeping warm.

1341
01:38:48.359 --> 01:38:51.079
Hefting up his loose fitting pants, he walked over to

1342
01:38:51.159 --> 01:38:54.640
the table with the newcomers. Mama, are we going to

1343
01:38:54.680 --> 01:38:58.000
be home in time for Santa? The little girl asked Marie.

1344
01:38:58.840 --> 01:39:02.359
I'm not sure, honey. Will Santa still bring stuff if

1345
01:39:02.359 --> 01:39:05.359
we're not home? He won't come if you're a bad

1346
01:39:05.439 --> 01:39:09.920
girl and keep making noise, Ally warned her. Donnie tried

1347
01:39:09.960 --> 01:39:13.720
to make small talk. Quite a night out. Huh terrible,

1348
01:39:14.359 --> 01:39:18.239
Marie answered. Donnie smiled and waved to the girl. What's

1349
01:39:18.279 --> 01:39:22.880
your name, little one? Haley? The girl responded, looking worried.

1350
01:39:23.760 --> 01:39:27.000
Why don't you leave us alone? Man Ally's eyes narrowed

1351
01:39:27.000 --> 01:39:32.359
to slits. Mind your own business? Sure, sorry. The door

1352
01:39:32.399 --> 01:39:36.159
opened again, letting in a whirlwind of snow. The man

1353
01:39:36.239 --> 01:39:39.119
stood there at its center. He stepped into the road house,

1354
01:39:39.159 --> 01:39:44.399
slamming the door shut in Simon's face. Hey wait, Simon protested.

1355
01:39:44.439 --> 01:39:47.319
Before the door closed. The man felt their eyes on

1356
01:39:47.520 --> 01:39:50.680
him as he went over to a corner booth. From

1357
01:39:50.720 --> 01:39:52.840
here he had a good view of the road house.

1358
01:39:54.000 --> 01:40:00.840
Angela approached him, looking a little apprehensive. Merry Christmas, she smiled,

1359
01:40:01.279 --> 01:40:03.199
Can I get you something to drink? Or bring you

1360
01:40:03.239 --> 01:40:07.119
a menu? A coke and a cheeseburger with fries and

1361
01:40:07.319 --> 01:40:12.359
make it bloody right. She left, and after a moment,

1362
01:40:12.760 --> 01:40:16.000
Simon slumped into the seat opposite him, brushing snow from

1363
01:40:16.000 --> 01:40:21.159
his shoulders and hair. Very funny, Simon bitched, I thought,

1364
01:40:21.199 --> 01:40:27.439
so order anything for me? No figures. Donnie sidled up

1365
01:40:27.479 --> 01:40:30.800
to the man's table. The place is jumping tonight, have

1366
01:40:30.960 --> 01:40:36.239
some car trouble. I don't want to do this. Donnie looked, perplexed.

1367
01:40:37.479 --> 01:40:43.680
What don't want? What this? The man said, talking go away.

1368
01:40:44.840 --> 01:40:48.079
A heavy set man, his hair pulled back into a ponytail,

1369
01:40:48.159 --> 01:40:53.039
leaned his head out of the kitchen. Verra Angela, why

1370
01:40:53.039 --> 01:40:56.359
do you get me some rolls from storage? The man

1371
01:40:56.479 --> 01:40:58.960
sat watching the others as he waited for his food.

1372
01:40:59.439 --> 01:41:02.239
Donnie went back to his barstool and began talking to

1373
01:41:02.319 --> 01:41:05.600
Marvin Angela. The waitress brought a tray with food and

1374
01:41:05.680 --> 01:41:09.239
drinks to the family sitting near the entrance. Another patron,

1375
01:41:09.520 --> 01:41:13.800
Angela called him Billy was playing a pinball machine. The

1376
01:41:13.840 --> 01:41:17.600
man felt the tiredness creeping up on him. How long

1377
01:41:17.640 --> 01:41:21.319
had it been since he'd slept? His eyelids grew heavy

1378
01:41:21.800 --> 01:41:25.840
as weariness began to conquer him. His head drooped forward,

1379
01:41:26.880 --> 01:41:29.680
his eyes snapped open again as a scream ripped through

1380
01:41:29.680 --> 01:41:33.680
the roadhouse. Vera screamed again, tears running down her red cheeks,

1381
01:41:34.680 --> 01:41:39.479
out back dead. Stu and Angela comforted Vera as Billy

1382
01:41:39.600 --> 01:41:42.239
questioned her, what the hell are you talking about? Woman?

1383
01:41:42.399 --> 01:41:47.399
Who's dead? A man? I don't know who? By the storeroom,

1384
01:41:48.159 --> 01:41:51.039
Billy and Stu left to go look as Angela sat

1385
01:41:51.239 --> 01:41:56.960
holding Vera's hand. That's crazy, huh, A dead guy, Donnie

1386
01:41:56.960 --> 01:42:01.039
asked Marvin, who was busy pouring himself another drink. Lots

1387
01:42:01.039 --> 01:42:04.199
of crazy shit in the world these days, boys. The

1388
01:42:04.279 --> 01:42:07.560
man got up. He felt a nagging itch in his head.

1389
01:42:08.239 --> 01:42:11.520
Simon was gone and there was a dead man he

1390
01:42:11.640 --> 01:42:16.199
had to see, had to know. Donnie called after him

1391
01:42:16.199 --> 01:42:20.000
as he walked by. Where are you going, mister, to

1392
01:42:20.079 --> 01:42:21.079
see a dead body?

1393
01:42:22.079 --> 01:42:25.800
Don't go away weakly, spooky, We'll be right back.

1394
01:42:28.520 --> 01:42:32.800
The storeroom was a separate building behind the roadhouse. Billy

1395
01:42:32.840 --> 01:42:35.760
and Stu were staring at the body when he found them.

1396
01:42:36.600 --> 01:42:41.479
Never seen this fella before. Stu was saying, shit me neither.

1397
01:42:42.560 --> 01:42:46.640
The body sat its back against the storeroom's wall, partially

1398
01:42:46.720 --> 01:42:51.960
covered in snow. Well He's dead, all right, the man said,

1399
01:42:52.079 --> 01:42:57.479
startling Billy and Stu. Fuck, don't do that, dude, Billy warned,

1400
01:42:57.840 --> 01:43:03.520
almost shit him? Oh, mister, Stu asked. The man shook

1401
01:43:03.560 --> 01:43:09.720
his head. It wasn't anyone he recognized a small blessing anyway. No,

1402
01:43:10.680 --> 01:43:13.079
but I did see an abandoned car down the road.

1403
01:43:13.800 --> 01:43:18.520
Maybe it was his. Stu pondered, this tidbit could be?

1404
01:43:18.920 --> 01:43:23.239
Could be anybody check him for id you mean like

1405
01:43:24.520 --> 01:43:28.760
touch him? Billy shivered at the thought. Billy and Stu

1406
01:43:28.920 --> 01:43:32.079
looked at the man, stepping out of the way. Billy

1407
01:43:32.159 --> 01:43:36.560
motioned to the body, be my guest. The man knelt

1408
01:43:36.600 --> 01:43:39.640
in front of the body. The dead man's eyes were wide,

1409
01:43:39.720 --> 01:43:45.359
a horrified expression etched on his face. Holy hell, Stu exclaimed,

1410
01:43:46.159 --> 01:43:50.479
what killed him? Billy asked, his voice wavering. The man

1411
01:43:50.600 --> 01:43:54.159
brushed more snow off the body. There were no visible

1412
01:43:54.199 --> 01:44:00.319
marks or wounds anywhere, no clue. The man searched the body.

1413
01:44:00.840 --> 01:44:05.039
Should you be touching him? Stu asked, he could have something.

1414
01:44:06.079 --> 01:44:10.000
The man found a wallet. Inside was fifty dollars, a

1415
01:44:10.039 --> 01:44:14.079
picture of a woman and a driver's license. Adam Hunter,

1416
01:44:14.600 --> 01:44:21.039
He said, out loud, Merry Christmas. Stu stroked his stubby chin. Uh,

1417
01:44:21.680 --> 01:44:24.760
what do we do with him? Leave him here, the

1418
01:44:24.840 --> 01:44:28.079
man said, he ain't going anywhere and he'll be frozen.

1419
01:44:28.560 --> 01:44:34.039
No smell. Suppose you're right. The man slipped the wallet

1420
01:44:34.119 --> 01:44:37.279
back into the corpse's pocket before heading back in with

1421
01:44:37.399 --> 01:44:45.960
Billy and Stu. Inside, not much had changed. Angela sat

1422
01:44:45.960 --> 01:44:48.880
in one of the booths with Vera. Donnie sat at

1423
01:44:48.880 --> 01:44:52.199
the bar, annoying. Marvin and the family were still seated

1424
01:44:52.199 --> 01:44:55.800
where they were previous. Angela looked up as they entered.

1425
01:44:57.000 --> 01:45:05.800
Is he? Billy nodded, was was he? You know, murdered? Well,

1426
01:45:05.840 --> 01:45:09.920
that's tough to say, really, Stu said, we should call

1427
01:45:09.960 --> 01:45:13.399
the cops. I think Vera needs a doctor. I'm fine,

1428
01:45:13.840 --> 01:45:17.920
Vera said, wiping her bloodshot eyes. I've never seen that

1429
01:45:18.039 --> 01:45:21.279
kind of look on a man's face before, Billy said,

1430
01:45:21.319 --> 01:45:26.439
sitting down at the bar. If if he was killed,

1431
01:45:27.119 --> 01:45:32.119
Vera stammered, that means somebody did it. She looked at

1432
01:45:32.119 --> 01:45:36.680
the others. An uneasy hush fell over everybody. The man

1433
01:45:36.840 --> 01:45:41.920
felt the other's eyes on him. What, well, you aren't

1434
01:45:41.920 --> 01:45:46.359
from around here, Stu said, neither are they. The man

1435
01:45:46.399 --> 01:45:52.039
pointed to the family. They got a kid. Billy spoke up. Besides,

1436
01:45:52.479 --> 01:45:57.560
you seemed mighty comfortable around that body, right, Stu nodded.

1437
01:45:58.279 --> 01:46:02.399
The man felt sweat trickled down on his brow. Maybe

1438
01:46:02.439 --> 01:46:08.640
you're a maniac, Donnie answered, A serial killer. He looked suspicious.

1439
01:46:09.159 --> 01:46:13.640
Vera observed, look at him sweatin'. You're all being a

1440
01:46:13.680 --> 01:46:17.960
bunch of idiots, Marvin stated, before taking another shot of whiskey.

1441
01:46:18.720 --> 01:46:21.960
The man shook his head. I didn't kill that man.

1442
01:46:22.760 --> 01:46:26.560
Where was Simon? The man thought he could really use

1443
01:46:26.600 --> 01:46:30.600
him right about now. We should call the cops. Angela

1444
01:46:30.640 --> 01:46:33.399
suggested they can handle it. We don't know if he

1445
01:46:33.520 --> 01:46:37.279
did anything. Marie stood up. We should at least lock

1446
01:46:37.359 --> 01:46:43.000
him up, especially with my daughter here. I agree. Billy said, look,

1447
01:46:43.039 --> 01:46:46.920
you muskrat love listening? Motherfucker's The man looked at Marie

1448
01:46:46.920 --> 01:46:50.960
and her daughter. Pardon my french. I didn't kill that guy.

1449
01:46:51.279 --> 01:46:53.640
In fact, how do we know it wasn't one of

1450
01:46:53.720 --> 01:46:59.840
you assholes? Marvin started laughing. He's got you there. Angelus stood,

1451
01:47:00.119 --> 01:47:03.560
taking out her phone. Everybody calmed down. I'm gonna call

1452
01:47:03.560 --> 01:47:07.000
the cops. They can sort it all out. Stu seemed

1453
01:47:07.000 --> 01:47:10.560
to be swayed by this. Yeah, let them deal with it.

1454
01:47:11.119 --> 01:47:16.439
Billy grumbled fine. He looked at the man coldly. Vera

1455
01:47:16.560 --> 01:47:19.520
went behind the bar. Why don't I make us all

1456
01:47:19.520 --> 01:47:23.079
some coffee. The man sat in one of the booths,

1457
01:47:23.399 --> 01:47:28.800
looking out the window, watching the snowfall crap. Angela complained,

1458
01:47:29.239 --> 01:47:31.760
all I'm getting is a recording. All the lines must

1459
01:47:31.840 --> 01:47:35.560
be busy from the storm. Angela want to help me

1460
01:47:35.600 --> 01:47:40.960
with the coffee, Vera asked, coming, Angela answered, can I

1461
01:47:41.000 --> 01:47:44.159
get a beer? Ali hollered, If we're going to be

1462
01:47:44.239 --> 01:47:47.760
stuck here, might as well enjoy it. Haley tugged at

1463
01:47:47.760 --> 01:47:53.000
her mother's sleeve. Mama, Mama, I got a pee. Marie

1464
01:47:53.039 --> 01:47:57.840
looked at Ali unsure. I'm not sure, honey, Ali grumbled,

1465
01:47:58.279 --> 01:48:02.760
take her give me some quay. Taking Hayley by the hand,

1466
01:48:03.159 --> 01:48:07.079
Marie asked Annie directions to the restrooms. The man watched

1467
01:48:07.079 --> 01:48:10.840
them go by. He sat wishing he was anywhere but here.

1468
01:48:11.439 --> 01:48:14.960
On Christmas night, it was obvious most of the people

1469
01:48:15.000 --> 01:48:17.439
here were ready to pin that dead man on him,

1470
01:48:17.840 --> 01:48:19.960
but he didn't give a shit about any of them.

1471
01:48:20.479 --> 01:48:23.960
There was a job to do. The lights flickered rapidly

1472
01:48:24.479 --> 01:48:29.000
before going out. There were murmurs of shock, confusion, and anger.

1473
01:48:29.039 --> 01:48:32.720
From the patrons and staff. Stu spoke up, trying to

1474
01:48:32.760 --> 01:48:37.600
calm everyone. Storm probably knocked out some power lines. Don't worry,

1475
01:48:37.680 --> 01:48:41.319
I got a generator out back. Then, from somewhere in

1476
01:48:41.359 --> 01:48:46.720
the roadhouse, somebody screamed. The man felt somebody rush by

1477
01:48:46.800 --> 01:48:50.319
him in the dark. The others called out. After several

1478
01:48:50.399 --> 01:48:54.439
minutes of darkness and uncertainty, Angela appeared, holding her cellphone

1479
01:48:54.479 --> 01:48:58.159
to light the way. They followed Angela to the women's bathroom.

1480
01:48:58.680 --> 01:49:02.640
Vera stood with a shake, Marie and Haley in there.

1481
01:49:03.319 --> 01:49:06.760
Vera motioned to the middle stall, shining the light into

1482
01:49:06.800 --> 01:49:11.279
the stall they crowded around. Sitting there, slumped on the

1483
01:49:11.319 --> 01:49:16.359
toilet was a dead woman. She wore an ugly Christmas sweater,

1484
01:49:16.640 --> 01:49:20.600
made uglier by the blood frozen to it from her

1485
01:49:20.640 --> 01:49:26.720
slashed throat. Written behind her in blood, it read, but

1486
01:49:26.880 --> 01:49:34.159
I have promises to keep holy shit, Donnie gasped. Vera

1487
01:49:34.239 --> 01:49:39.520
took Marie and Haley out of there. Who is she fucked?

1488
01:49:39.520 --> 01:49:44.399
If I know? Stu replied, she's been dead, awhile the

1489
01:49:44.479 --> 01:49:48.560
man pointed out. After some debate, they agreed to leave

1490
01:49:48.600 --> 01:49:52.159
the woman sitting there, best not to disturb any evidence.

1491
01:49:53.039 --> 01:49:56.000
Back at the bar. They found Marie and Haley sitting

1492
01:49:56.039 --> 01:49:58.800
together in a booth. Vera had lit a couple of

1493
01:49:58.880 --> 01:50:04.159
kerosene lanterns, giving the interior a soft glow. Deep shadows

1494
01:50:04.239 --> 01:50:08.840
lurked at the fringes of the light. Coffee's ready, Vera

1495
01:50:08.920 --> 01:50:13.239
informed them. Stu exhaled, His breath was visible in the

1496
01:50:13.319 --> 01:50:17.920
lantern light. I'm going out to start the generator, he said,

1497
01:50:17.920 --> 01:50:21.880
pulling on a heavy jacket. Are you going out there alone?

1498
01:50:22.600 --> 01:50:26.439
Donnie asked. Stu reached under the bar, pulling out a

1499
01:50:26.479 --> 01:50:36.239
pump shotgun. Not alone. Fierra and Angela handed out mugs

1500
01:50:36.239 --> 01:50:40.159
of hot coffee. The man took one, watching the steam

1501
01:50:40.239 --> 01:50:44.279
rise off it. He felt too nervous to drink. He

1502
01:50:44.439 --> 01:50:46.640
was used to being in control, and now he was

1503
01:50:46.720 --> 01:50:49.800
stuck in the middle of nowhere. There were two dead bodies,

1504
01:50:50.079 --> 01:50:55.439
and Simon was missing. He needed Simon. The man didn't

1505
01:50:55.479 --> 01:50:58.960
even notice the lights flickering back to life until Donnie clapped.

1506
01:51:00.079 --> 01:51:02.840
We can warm up a little, at least, Vera said,

1507
01:51:02.920 --> 01:51:06.800
rubbing her hands together. Vera and Angela went back to

1508
01:51:06.840 --> 01:51:10.880
the kitchen. The others hung by the bar, talking amongst themselves,

1509
01:51:11.159 --> 01:51:14.840
save for Ali, Marie and their girl. The man kept

1510
01:51:14.880 --> 01:51:19.439
to himself, not trusting any of them. Minutes went by

1511
01:51:19.560 --> 01:51:22.960
before Vera emerged from the kitchen with Angela, both holding

1512
01:51:23.000 --> 01:51:29.680
trays of sandwiches. Where's stew? Vera asked, looking around. There

1513
01:51:29.760 --> 01:51:34.439
was a murmur among them as they realized he hadn't returned.

1514
01:51:37.039 --> 01:51:42.039
Four of them went out, the man, Vera, Billy, and Angela.

1515
01:51:42.880 --> 01:51:45.880
The wind began to batter them with cold and snow.

1516
01:51:46.560 --> 01:51:49.199
Vera guided them around the back of the storeroom to

1517
01:51:49.239 --> 01:51:53.079
a small shed. She let out a startled gasp as

1518
01:51:53.119 --> 01:51:58.319
they neared the structure. There laying in the snow was

1519
01:51:58.359 --> 01:52:02.720
what once could have been called a human being, but

1520
01:52:02.840 --> 01:52:06.199
as of now it was akin to a charcoal briquette.

1521
01:52:06.760 --> 01:52:11.640
A few feet away lay Steu's shotgun. Written on the

1522
01:52:11.640 --> 01:52:16.800
shed in charred black substance, it read and miles to

1523
01:52:16.920 --> 01:52:21.720
go before I sleep. Somebody was playing a game with them,

1524
01:52:22.119 --> 01:52:26.560
the man thought. Vera had to steady yourself. Who would

1525
01:52:26.600 --> 01:52:31.760
do this? The man looked down at the snow covered ground. Well,

1526
01:52:32.399 --> 01:52:36.239
besides our fresh tracks and stews, there are only one

1527
01:52:36.279 --> 01:52:40.359
other set, all of them coming from the back door.

1528
01:52:41.800 --> 01:52:46.560
We were all together, Billy observed, except for he looked

1529
01:52:46.560 --> 01:52:49.880
at Angela and Vera had to be one of you.

1530
01:52:51.560 --> 01:52:54.000
Did you hear that? Better check the locks on your

1531
01:52:54.079 --> 01:52:57.560
doors weekly. Spooky will be right back.

1532
01:52:59.239 --> 01:53:03.319
Angela looked Billy with a hurt expression. Why would I

1533
01:53:04.000 --> 01:53:07.560
You had eyes on Stu all the time? Vera accused,

1534
01:53:07.920 --> 01:53:10.920
laughing at his jokes all the time, fawning all over him,

1535
01:53:10.960 --> 01:53:16.479
trying to steal him away from me. You're nuts, Angela spat, jealous,

1536
01:53:16.520 --> 01:53:21.840
old bitch. Angela slapped Vera across the face. Vera retaliated

1537
01:53:21.880 --> 01:53:25.239
by clawing at Angela's face with her long nails. Billy

1538
01:53:25.319 --> 01:53:28.800
stepped in, pushing them apart. While this was going on,

1539
01:53:29.600 --> 01:53:33.560
the man made his move. The three were so preoccupied

1540
01:53:33.560 --> 01:53:37.000
with their argument they'd paid no attention to him. He'd

1541
01:53:37.079 --> 01:53:41.800
charged forward, scooping up the shotgun. Enough of this Jerry

1542
01:53:41.800 --> 01:53:46.359
Springer bullshit. He leveled the shotgun on the three. Get

1543
01:53:46.399 --> 01:53:54.199
inside over there, the man ordered, sit down. What the hell?

1544
01:53:54.600 --> 01:53:58.760
Ali blurted out. As they entered. What's going on? Marvin

1545
01:53:58.800 --> 01:54:04.640
asked Stu was dead? Vera said, burned alive? We don't

1546
01:54:04.680 --> 01:54:08.279
know it was him. Angela argued, who the hell else

1547
01:54:08.279 --> 01:54:13.960
would it be? Vera growled, sit The man ordered Vera

1548
01:54:14.000 --> 01:54:18.319
and Angela sat, but Billy resisted. Look, dude, don't go

1549
01:54:18.520 --> 01:54:21.399
ordering us around and waving that shotgun in our The

1550
01:54:21.479 --> 01:54:24.239
man drove the butt of the shotgun into Billy's stomach,

1551
01:54:24.520 --> 01:54:27.399
dropping him to his knees. The others let out a

1552
01:54:27.439 --> 01:54:31.319
startled gasp. Now with that foolishness out of the way, Billy,

1553
01:54:31.800 --> 01:54:34.520
I got a little something I'd like to try. Cool

1554
01:54:34.520 --> 01:54:40.640
with that, Billy nodded, glaring at the man. Angela, hold

1555
01:54:40.680 --> 01:54:47.079
out your hands. Marvin shook his head. He's loco. Angela trembling,

1556
01:54:47.479 --> 01:54:50.479
held her hands out in front of her. Don't worry,

1557
01:54:50.960 --> 01:54:56.600
the man reassured her. Okay, Billy, smell her hands. Motherfucking what,

1558
01:54:57.600 --> 01:55:03.640
Billy exclaimed, Go ahead, take a whiff. Angela blushed as Billy,

1559
01:55:04.239 --> 01:55:08.800
still on his knees, smelled her hands. What's it smell like,

1560
01:55:09.439 --> 01:55:15.159
the man asked. Billy shook his head. I don't know, peppermint,

1561
01:55:15.199 --> 01:55:19.640
I guess. Okay, Now do the same with Vera. Ali

1562
01:55:19.760 --> 01:55:23.039
spoke up, What the fuck is this supposed to prove

1563
01:55:23.520 --> 01:55:27.640
you getting your rocks off or something? Stu was dowsed

1564
01:55:27.640 --> 01:55:30.960
with gasoline and burned. I'm willing to bet whoever did

1565
01:55:30.960 --> 01:55:34.199
it their hands stink of it. Billy knelt in front

1566
01:55:34.199 --> 01:55:40.159
of Vera whatever man. Before he could sniff her palms,

1567
01:55:40.720 --> 01:55:43.680
Vera leaped on him, pulling a knife out of her jacket.

1568
01:55:43.880 --> 01:55:47.000
She stabbed Billy in the chest. The others screamed in

1569
01:55:47.079 --> 01:55:50.760
horror and shock. The man aimed at Vera, his finger

1570
01:55:50.800 --> 01:55:53.920
at the trigger. Marvin and Donnie stumbled into his line

1571
01:55:53.920 --> 01:55:57.079
of fire. The two struggled to restrain Vera. Get out

1572
01:55:57.119 --> 01:56:01.000
of my way, the man shouted. Vera slashed at Marvin,

1573
01:56:01.039 --> 01:56:03.880
forcing him to back off. Donnie managed to knock the

1574
01:56:03.960 --> 01:56:06.640
knife from Vera's hand, but the crazed woman grabbed him

1575
01:56:06.680 --> 01:56:09.760
by the throat. She locked eyes with the confused Donnie

1576
01:56:09.800 --> 01:56:12.319
and they both screamed, but he managed to shove her

1577
01:56:12.319 --> 01:56:15.199
head into the corner of a nearby table. She crumpled

1578
01:56:15.239 --> 01:56:20.479
to the floor, as did Donnie, breathing heavily. Everyone remained

1579
01:56:20.520 --> 01:56:24.680
frozen in place for a moment in shock. Angela moved

1580
01:56:24.720 --> 01:56:30.520
first and began checking Billy, then Vera. They're dead, she

1581
01:56:30.680 --> 01:56:34.800
said with a heavy sigh. The man looked over at Marvin.

1582
01:56:35.880 --> 01:56:40.119
You okay, old man, I'm fine, just a little nick.

1583
01:56:40.920 --> 01:56:43.680
He looked at the small gash on his arm, and

1584
01:56:43.760 --> 01:56:48.479
don't call me old man. Marvin grumbled, what about him?

1585
01:56:49.159 --> 01:56:52.960
The man motioned to Donnie. Donnie started to stand a

1586
01:56:53.000 --> 01:56:58.399
bit shaky. You okay, Donnie, Angela asked. He cracked his

1587
01:56:58.520 --> 01:57:03.920
neck just and that was fucked up. The little girl

1588
01:57:04.000 --> 01:57:07.399
was sobbing as Marie tried to comfort her. Alie stood

1589
01:57:07.439 --> 01:57:11.359
taking in the scene. Was that crazy bitch the killer?

1590
01:57:12.119 --> 01:57:14.800
He walked over to the bodies. I need another drink,

1591
01:57:16.520 --> 01:57:21.239
I guess, Angela answered. The man watched them, still holding

1592
01:57:21.239 --> 01:57:25.960
the shotgun. She had to be Donnie added, gasoline smell

1593
01:57:26.000 --> 01:57:29.159
on her hands. We have to get the sheriff out here,

1594
01:57:29.720 --> 01:57:33.560
Marvin said. Angela sighed, I just want to go home

1595
01:57:33.600 --> 01:57:38.479
and sleep. Miles to go before you sleep. Donnie said,

1596
01:57:39.520 --> 01:57:44.680
what the man said? What did you just say? Nothing?

1597
01:57:44.800 --> 01:57:48.520
Nothing at all. I just want to sleep, too, Donnie answered.

1598
01:57:49.239 --> 01:57:51.720
Ali went to the bar, taking a bottle of scotch.

1599
01:57:52.600 --> 01:57:55.800
I don't think they'll mind. He walked by Donnie, who

1600
01:57:55.880 --> 01:57:59.520
grabbed the bottle from his hand. Give me some. Donnie

1601
01:57:59.520 --> 01:58:04.199
gulped some with a Scotch. Down, Hey, asshole, Ali complained,

1602
01:58:04.880 --> 01:58:08.079
that was mine. Donnie hammered Ali in the head with

1603
01:58:08.119 --> 01:58:15.119
the bottle, once, twice, three times? Fine, have it. Ali

1604
01:58:15.279 --> 01:58:19.399
fell dead to the floor, his body a bloody mess.

1605
01:58:20.199 --> 01:58:23.279
The man opened fire, the thunder of his shotgun echoing

1606
01:58:23.319 --> 01:58:26.920
through the roadhouse. Donnie was already moving before he'd fire.

1607
01:58:27.119 --> 01:58:30.079
The slug missed all but the big man's arm grazing him.

1608
01:58:30.359 --> 01:58:33.079
Donnie yanked a startled Marie from her seat, holding her

1609
01:58:33.079 --> 01:58:37.600
by the throat in front of him. Fire away, Donnie laughed,

1610
01:58:38.600 --> 01:58:43.880
Who are you, the man asked, A sleeper? A traveler?

1611
01:58:44.359 --> 01:58:49.079
Donnie answered, I've been wandering forever, but your bodies are

1612
01:58:49.159 --> 01:58:56.039
so weak. Let her go, the man ordered, Why we're playing?

1613
01:58:56.760 --> 01:58:59.800
He tightened his grip on Marie. It's the only thing

1614
01:58:59.800 --> 01:59:03.760
that makes this life interesting. Yeah, but you don't want

1615
01:59:03.760 --> 01:59:06.359
to go running around in that fat asshole anymore, do you?

1616
01:59:07.279 --> 01:59:11.279
The thing inside? Donnie pondered that for a moment. What

1617
01:59:11.319 --> 01:59:17.760
are you offering me? The man offered, Let them go? Sure,

1618
01:59:18.399 --> 01:59:22.239
why not, he laughed, drop the gun and come here.

1619
01:59:23.000 --> 01:59:27.399
Angela stood next to the man. Don't do it, trust me,

1620
01:59:28.079 --> 01:59:31.159
he reassured her. As he dropped the shotgun to the ground,

1621
01:59:32.079 --> 01:59:35.920
he stepped forward. The others watched as Donnie took him

1622
01:59:35.920 --> 01:59:40.600
by the head. They locked eyes. Pains seared through every

1623
01:59:40.720 --> 01:59:43.720
fiber of his being. For what seemed like an eternity

1624
01:59:43.720 --> 01:59:48.399
of agony, he felt every inch of his mind assaulted. Finally,

1625
01:59:48.439 --> 01:59:51.720
it ended, and Donnie collapsed to the floor, moaning in pain.

1626
01:59:52.119 --> 01:59:55.520
Marie grabbed her daughter and held her. The man braced

1627
01:59:55.600 --> 01:59:58.720
himself against a table. Your head is filled with so

1628
01:59:58.880 --> 02:00:03.840
much static, the thing said. Are you okay? Angela asked,

1629
02:00:04.279 --> 02:00:07.760
stay away. The man warned, I can't hold on to myself.

1630
02:00:08.479 --> 02:00:12.680
He felt it laughing in his head. I'm here for you.

1631
02:00:13.279 --> 02:00:18.159
Simon stood in the doorway of the roadhouse. Simon, I

1632
02:00:18.239 --> 02:00:22.600
knew you hadn't left me, the man smiled. Angela looked

1633
02:00:22.600 --> 02:00:25.479
at the others and then the man. Who are you

1634
02:00:25.560 --> 02:00:29.079
talking to? The man pointed to the shotgun on the floor.

1635
02:00:30.079 --> 02:00:33.359
If I come back, use it. I won't be me.

1636
02:00:34.800 --> 02:00:48.039
He stepped out into the cold. It was hard to see.

1637
02:00:48.239 --> 02:00:51.560
The wind and snow assaulted his senses. He could feel

1638
02:00:51.600 --> 02:00:55.520
the presence inside him. He won't hold me for long,

1639
02:00:56.000 --> 02:01:01.079
it taunted. I'll go back kill the rest. You're just

1640
02:01:01.159 --> 02:01:05.079
another voice in my head. The man responded, I've lived

1641
02:01:05.119 --> 02:01:07.720
with so many in there for as long as I

1642
02:01:07.760 --> 02:01:12.199
can remember he trudged through the snow. His body was tired,

1643
02:01:12.680 --> 02:01:17.039
but Simon beckoned him on the bitter cold. Clawed at

1644
02:01:17.039 --> 02:01:20.399
his body is the thing inside, clawed at his soul.

1645
02:01:21.319 --> 02:01:24.680
He'd find a place somewhere out here, far away from

1646
02:01:24.720 --> 02:01:37.600
anybody else. Miles to go before we sleep, Twelve Days

1647
02:01:38.319 --> 02:01:43.720
by Mike Ashcuey, to whom it may concern. The following

1648
02:01:43.800 --> 02:01:46.840
data logs were recovered from the wreckage and flight recorder

1649
02:01:47.279 --> 02:01:50.479
of the United Earth Colony ship Roanoke in the year

1650
02:01:50.600 --> 02:01:54.640
twenty three seventy. The data contained within is from the

1651
02:01:54.680 --> 02:01:58.319
lone custodial engineer aboard the vessel during its journey to

1652
02:01:58.359 --> 02:02:02.680
the proposed colony site on planet lv Life Viable five

1653
02:02:02.800 --> 02:02:06.800
two nine. The original colony mission was launched from Pluto

1654
02:02:06.920 --> 02:02:09.840
Station in twenty two eighty and was projected to take

1655
02:02:09.880 --> 02:02:13.520
twenty five years. Support staff, their families, as well as

1656
02:02:13.520 --> 02:02:15.840
a number of colonists were estimated to have numbered at

1657
02:02:15.840 --> 02:02:19.399
two thousand. All crew and support staff are presumed to

1658
02:02:19.399 --> 02:02:23.600
have perished under questionable circumstances between December twelfth, twenty two

1659
02:02:23.680 --> 02:02:27.920
ninety and December twenty fifth, twenty two ninety. Certain portions

1660
02:02:27.920 --> 02:02:30.600
of the record have been redacted to protect United Earth

1661
02:02:30.680 --> 02:02:34.960
military interests and to protect certain individuals as well. Records

1662
02:02:35.000 --> 02:02:39.359
will officially become available for public consumption in January two thousand,

1663
02:02:39.439 --> 02:02:43.680
five hundred via Freedom of information request. Please retain all

1664
02:02:43.720 --> 02:02:48.039
confidential information as eyes only clearance. Contact your United Earth

1665
02:02:48.079 --> 02:02:53.119
Military Science Division Support officer for additional questions and follow up. Sincerely,

1666
02:02:53.560 --> 02:02:59.319
Recovery Officer, Titan Outpost air in Reaching date February second,

1667
02:02:59.600 --> 02:03:05.079
twenty five, three seventy five Roanoke Colony ship flight recorder

1668
02:03:05.199 --> 02:03:11.119
data stream begins Audio log number one, December twelfth, twenty

1669
02:03:11.159 --> 02:03:18.119
two ninety Good, good morning, is this thing on? This

1670
02:03:18.199 --> 02:03:21.760
is Custodial Engineer David Lambert, and this is my maintenance

1671
02:03:21.760 --> 02:03:25.199
shift aboard the Roanoke. My logs will be recorded via

1672
02:03:25.239 --> 02:03:30.399
audio and by the ship's virtual intelligence AKA Vinnie. Well nah.

1673
02:03:30.600 --> 02:03:32.520
He always wanted me to go out and get a job,

1674
02:03:32.560 --> 02:03:36.000
and well here i am. I'm on the frontier of

1675
02:03:36.039 --> 02:03:39.880
space and with a whole new family of about two thousand.

1676
02:03:40.920 --> 02:03:43.920
Maybe now I'll find a wife, a or maybe a husband.

1677
02:03:44.399 --> 02:03:47.760
I've always considered dating an android too, so maybe we

1678
02:03:47.840 --> 02:03:53.960
can have robobabies. A brave new world for me. It's

1679
02:03:54.039 --> 02:03:56.840
December twelfth, and I'm the only one awake aboard the

1680
02:03:56.880 --> 02:03:59.119
ship while everyone else is in cryo sleep for the

1681
02:03:59.159 --> 02:04:02.119
next several months. They need someone to make sure we

1682
02:04:02.159 --> 02:04:05.239
don't bounce too close to a star or accidentally veer

1683
02:04:05.239 --> 02:04:08.680
off course. Now, odds are I'll volunteer and run a

1684
02:04:08.720 --> 02:04:11.680
maintenance shift again and let everyone stay frozen, and I'll

1685
02:04:11.680 --> 02:04:16.119
stay awake for two weeks and maintain the systems. They

1686
02:04:16.159 --> 02:04:18.079
only need a person to stay awake for a few

1687
02:04:18.119 --> 02:04:20.520
weeks at a time to maintain things, and then go

1688
02:04:20.600 --> 02:04:24.119
back to sleep for a few months, then rinse and repeat.

1689
02:04:24.840 --> 02:04:26.880
It's like I'm a captain of my own ship in

1690
02:04:26.920 --> 02:04:30.079
a sense. I'll wake up again in March, make sure

1691
02:04:30.079 --> 02:04:32.960
we're all still alive and going where we're supposed to go,

1692
02:04:33.319 --> 02:04:35.479
and not wake up any of the United Earth's stuffed

1693
02:04:35.520 --> 02:04:40.319
shirts unless I have to. It's lonely, but I don't mind.

1694
02:04:41.000 --> 02:04:43.159
I have Vinnie to keep me company in the entire

1695
02:04:43.239 --> 02:04:47.439
Library of Congress on Hollow and every soccer match in history.

1696
02:04:48.800 --> 02:04:52.239
I'll be all right. It's Christmas time here, and well

1697
02:04:53.319 --> 02:04:57.239
I'm gonna decorate, even if it's only for myself and Vinnie.

1698
02:04:57.920 --> 02:05:00.399
I manage to make some tinsel out of some I

1699
02:05:00.439 --> 02:05:04.039
found in the engineering toolroom. I think it's fiber optics

1700
02:05:04.079 --> 02:05:07.000
of some sort, or maybe some of that nanotube stuff.

1701
02:05:08.159 --> 02:05:10.159
I think maybe tomorrow I'll see if I can put

1702
02:05:10.239 --> 02:05:12.920
up a tree or some sort in the mess hall.

1703
02:05:13.680 --> 02:05:16.199
I know it's just me and the AI, but it

1704
02:05:16.199 --> 02:05:18.680
at least makes me feel somewhat like home. While I'm here,

1705
02:05:19.640 --> 02:05:22.560
I'll check the computer systems life support and make sure

1706
02:05:22.600 --> 02:05:26.239
the slipstream drives output is within acceptable range. We won't

1707
02:05:26.279 --> 02:05:29.159
hit our first milestone for another few years of this journey,

1708
02:05:29.199 --> 02:05:31.920
but gotta make sure I cross the eyes and dot

1709
02:05:31.960 --> 02:05:37.039
the t's wait, is that the phrase? Fuck it? Never mind?

1710
02:05:37.479 --> 02:05:44.000
Vinnie and Audio Log number one Audio log number two,

1711
02:05:44.520 --> 02:05:49.479
December thirteenth, twenty two, ninety log, Day two of maintenance shift.

1712
02:05:50.239 --> 02:05:54.800
I was checking the computer logs yesterday and found something weird.

1713
02:05:55.479 --> 02:05:58.000
Seems like about two weeks ago, we had a small

1714
02:05:58.000 --> 02:06:01.479
containment breach in one of the lower Signs laboratories. It

1715
02:06:01.560 --> 02:06:03.479
was supposed to be related to something that some of

1716
02:06:03.520 --> 02:06:07.079
the scientists had called. Sounds kind of scary to me,

1717
02:06:07.239 --> 02:06:11.479
but none of my business. Don't know how I feel

1718
02:06:11.479 --> 02:06:14.840
about them messing with but then again, I'm not supposed

1719
02:06:14.880 --> 02:06:18.079
to understand it. It was likely caused when we came

1720
02:06:18.119 --> 02:06:22.560
a little close to a radiation anomaly while in slip space. Vinnie,

1721
02:06:22.640 --> 02:06:25.399
the ship's computer chose not to wake anyone up because

1722
02:06:25.439 --> 02:06:28.359
it was deemed not a threat, but did note it

1723
02:06:28.399 --> 02:06:31.119
in the ship's log. Guess I didn't see it till

1724
02:06:31.119 --> 02:06:34.479
this morning, when I went through it all manually. Weird.

1725
02:06:35.760 --> 02:06:39.600
No one should get too pissy at me, right, Vinnie,

1726
02:06:40.039 --> 02:06:42.640
why didn't you wake anyone up? Is that you being

1727
02:06:42.760 --> 02:06:45.479
nice by letting us sleep in the freezers a bit longer?

1728
02:06:45.600 --> 02:06:48.560
Or is it a malfunction in your computer core? Guess

1729
02:06:48.600 --> 02:06:51.319
I'll take a look tomorrow, but right now I have

1730
02:06:51.399 --> 02:06:54.840
more important things to do. I found an old robotic

1731
02:06:54.960 --> 02:06:58.840
exoskeleton that I can turn into a kind of Christmas tree.

1732
02:06:59.159 --> 02:07:01.319
I'll probably deck cate it tonight and listen to old

1733
02:07:01.399 --> 02:07:05.359
Christmas tunes while doing my reports. My moms and I

1734
02:07:05.479 --> 02:07:08.239
used to always celebrate Christmas and make it a big deal.

1735
02:07:08.680 --> 02:07:11.359
We'd have hot cocoa and watch Hollows, and we'd have

1736
02:07:11.399 --> 02:07:15.960
a ski trip too. I missed my mom's come to

1737
02:07:16.000 --> 02:07:19.800
think of it, will they even be alive when we

1738
02:07:19.880 --> 02:07:24.079
reached the new colony can't even send a transmission in

1739
02:07:24.119 --> 02:07:28.720
slipstream without a massive time delay. I hope they're okay.

1740
02:07:31.800 --> 02:07:36.800
Audiologue number three, December fourteenth, twenty two ninety I went

1741
02:07:36.880 --> 02:07:39.840
down to the redacted lab this morning, and it's a mess.

1742
02:07:40.199 --> 02:07:43.640
Stuff was strewn everywhere, and it seems something broke out

1743
02:07:43.680 --> 02:07:47.359
of one of the organic experiment labs. It's supposed to

1744
02:07:47.359 --> 02:07:52.039
be harmless genetic experimentation. I think stuff with grown hormones

1745
02:07:52.079 --> 02:07:56.520
and cross species. Doctor redacted is not going to be happy.

1746
02:07:57.039 --> 02:08:00.279
She always seemed grumpy anyway, So what do I care.

1747
02:08:00.880 --> 02:08:03.680
I've noted it with Vinnie, and internal sensors are actively

1748
02:08:03.720 --> 02:08:08.159
sweeping each deck. What more can I do? All biologics

1749
02:08:08.199 --> 02:08:10.560
are supposed to be frozen solid for the trip, or

1750
02:08:10.640 --> 02:08:14.159
at least in minimal activity and securely monitored for twenty

1751
02:08:14.159 --> 02:08:18.760
five years. I don't think it's dangerous. I mean, it's

1752
02:08:18.800 --> 02:08:22.199
probably some designer animal that somebody wants to field test

1753
02:08:22.239 --> 02:08:25.199
on a new planet. If it was dangerous at all,

1754
02:08:25.920 --> 02:08:30.680
Vinnie would have warned me maybe it's a kiddie. Would

1755
02:08:30.680 --> 02:08:33.079
that be too much to hope for? I know the

1756
02:08:34.000 --> 02:08:38.079
lab is secure. At least Vinnie has the doors hermetically sealed.

1757
02:08:38.479 --> 02:08:42.439
It'll take a scientist's authorization. It's someone else's problem. Now

1758
02:08:43.199 --> 02:08:45.920
I've cleaned up and secured the lab as best I can,

1759
02:08:46.000 --> 02:08:49.920
and accounted for all the labeled growth experiments. All experiment

1760
02:08:50.039 --> 02:08:52.920
pods are locked up tight and cryo seals are in place.

1761
02:08:53.960 --> 02:08:56.079
Likely going to set up in the mess hall tonight

1762
02:08:56.119 --> 02:08:59.079
and watch a bunch of movies and maybe rehydrate a

1763
02:08:59.119 --> 02:09:02.239
turkey dinner. It'll be a nice way to unwind after

1764
02:09:02.279 --> 02:09:09.079
the day i've had. Audio Log number four, December sixteenth,

1765
02:09:09.199 --> 02:09:14.880
twenty two ninety Something bad happened this morning. I'm sorry

1766
02:09:14.920 --> 02:09:17.479
to report that we lost a portion of the crew.

1767
02:09:18.359 --> 02:09:20.880
Vinnie is still compiling data now, but it seems like

1768
02:09:20.960 --> 02:09:23.680
there was an accident in one of the cryopods bays.

1769
02:09:24.279 --> 02:09:27.560
Most of the military cruise pods failed. There was a

1770
02:09:27.600 --> 02:09:30.520
malfunction inside their cryopods and it flooded them with the

1771
02:09:30.520 --> 02:09:34.560
freezing solution. They were basically all frozen solid and the

1772
02:09:34.600 --> 02:09:38.479
bodies were destroyed in a way that I don't care

1773
02:09:38.520 --> 02:09:42.039
to describe for the record, Vinnie can explain in a

1774
02:09:42.119 --> 02:09:48.359
more scientifically detailed method. If you wish. The poor bastards

1775
02:09:48.399 --> 02:09:53.000
didn't feel a thing. I don't think so. Anyway, we

1776
02:09:53.079 --> 02:09:55.159
lost three hundred people in the blink of an eye.

1777
02:09:56.920 --> 02:10:00.399
I met a loss for words. I'll perform orm my

1778
02:10:00.479 --> 02:10:03.560
full account of the dead, and then I'll begin procedures

1779
02:10:03.560 --> 02:10:06.039
to wake up the command crew and inform them of

1780
02:10:06.079 --> 02:10:13.359
what happened. I don't want to be alone anymore. Weirdest thing, though,

1781
02:10:14.520 --> 02:10:17.159
there was music playing in the cryo bay as I entered.

1782
02:10:18.680 --> 02:10:23.560
It was silent night. I didn't do that. But if

1783
02:10:23.600 --> 02:10:28.680
I didn't do that, then who did? That? Has to

1784
02:10:28.720 --> 02:10:32.760
be my imagination? Too many long hours stuck on this

1785
02:10:32.920 --> 02:10:40.439
boat Audio log number six, December seventeenth, twenty two ninety.

1786
02:10:41.479 --> 02:10:45.760
I can't bring the other cryopods online, the command crew,

1787
02:10:45.840 --> 02:10:49.319
the support staff. I can't even wake up another custodial engineer.

1788
02:10:50.239 --> 02:10:54.439
The system refuses to respond. Vinnie is reporting a system

1789
02:10:54.479 --> 02:10:59.159
wide failure relating to the reanimation system caused by yesterday's failure.

1790
02:11:00.079 --> 02:11:03.359
It believes it can be repaired, but it'll involve taking

1791
02:11:03.439 --> 02:11:08.079
him offline for several days while it runs low level diagnostics.

1792
02:11:08.680 --> 02:11:15.399
It would just be me and the ship and maybe

1793
02:11:15.560 --> 02:11:18.840
whatever else is on board. This has to be just

1794
02:11:18.880 --> 02:11:23.279
an accident and a coincidence. I'll clean up as respectfully

1795
02:11:23.319 --> 02:11:26.399
as I can, but I may let the ship's reclamation

1796
02:11:26.479 --> 02:11:30.720
and automated systems deal with it. Burial in space isn't

1797
02:11:30.760 --> 02:11:35.439
so bad, right, I know they deserve better, but look,

1798
02:11:36.000 --> 02:11:38.239
I'm just a custodian. I don't get paid enough to

1799
02:11:38.239 --> 02:11:43.119
put people into buckets to be later identified. I'm not

1800
02:11:43.159 --> 02:11:47.079
overly religious, but maybe I'll pray for them tonight or something.

1801
02:11:47.680 --> 02:11:53.079
Say a few nice things. I'll say something anything. Wait,

1802
02:11:53.760 --> 02:12:01.079
strike that from the record. Please shit, Vinnie's offline. Please

1803
02:12:01.199 --> 02:12:02.680
strike that from the record.

1804
02:12:03.560 --> 02:12:08.840
Fuck did you hear that? Better check the locks on

1805
02:12:08.880 --> 02:12:12.560
your doors weekly. Spooky will be right back.

1806
02:12:15.239 --> 02:12:20.680
Audio log number seven, December nineteenth, twenty two ninety Vinnie

1807
02:12:20.720 --> 02:12:25.920
is still offline and repairing themselves. Something weird is going

1808
02:12:25.960 --> 02:12:30.359
on here. Internal motion sensors keep going off on random decks.

1809
02:12:31.000 --> 02:12:34.840
I've had motion detected on the engineering level, recreation centers,

1810
02:12:34.880 --> 02:12:38.920
and even some in the nursery cryopods. I still am

1811
02:12:39.000 --> 02:12:42.039
unable to wake the crew. I even went down to

1812
02:12:42.079 --> 02:12:44.600
the main command level and tried to manually override the

1813
02:12:44.640 --> 02:12:51.279
captain's pod. She's still sound asleep. Communications are also completely

1814
02:12:51.319 --> 02:12:55.039
offline as well. According to the logs, they were manually

1815
02:12:55.119 --> 02:12:59.960
taken offline over a month ago. Something is wrong here.

1816
02:13:01.439 --> 02:13:04.079
I'm afraid to go to sleep right now. I'm going

1817
02:13:04.079 --> 02:13:05.920
to go down to the armory and get a gun

1818
02:13:05.960 --> 02:13:12.000
and sleep with it beside me. Probably overkill, though, what

1819
02:13:12.159 --> 02:13:16.159
was that thing that mom used to say? Happiness is

1820
02:13:16.199 --> 02:13:19.760
a warm gun. It'll make me feel safer if I

1821
02:13:19.800 --> 02:13:27.239
get a gun. I'm getting a gun. Audio log number eight,

1822
02:13:27.880 --> 02:13:32.920
December twentieth, twenty two ninety. Life support keeps flicking on

1823
02:13:33.039 --> 02:13:36.479
and off between the decks. Sometimes it's perfectly warm and

1824
02:13:36.520 --> 02:13:40.319
suitable for people, and other times it's almost as cold

1825
02:13:40.359 --> 02:13:44.399
as the vacuum outside the ship. Internal alarms keep going

1826
02:13:44.399 --> 02:13:47.960
off in the room and now in the computer core.

1827
02:13:48.680 --> 02:13:51.119
I can't get into the lab area though I sealed

1828
02:13:51.119 --> 02:13:55.319
it off a few days ago, and without doctored authorization

1829
02:13:55.479 --> 02:13:59.039
or one of her flunkies, I'm locked out. I guess

1830
02:13:59.119 --> 02:14:02.239
I could try lowing the door and seeing what happens,

1831
02:14:02.279 --> 02:14:06.720
but I don't want to risk rupturing the bulkheads. I

1832
02:14:06.840 --> 02:14:10.800
doubt that seismic survey charges would work anyway. I went

1833
02:14:10.800 --> 02:14:13.760
through the mess hall today and sat by my Christmas

1834
02:14:13.760 --> 02:14:17.560
tree and tried to find a few minutes to get

1835
02:14:17.560 --> 02:14:23.640
my thoughts together. I thought i'd feel safer here, someplace familiar.

1836
02:14:25.520 --> 02:14:29.600
It didn't work. I swear the exoskeleton suit had moved

1837
02:14:29.600 --> 02:14:32.359
where I'd put it now. I haven't slept a lot

1838
02:14:32.399 --> 02:14:34.319
in the last twenty four hours, so I could be

1839
02:14:34.399 --> 02:14:39.399
imagining it. I'm also positive I faintly heard something over

1840
02:14:39.439 --> 02:14:45.520
the ship's intercoms, like it was something only I could hear. Again,

1841
02:14:46.560 --> 02:14:50.159
I haven't been sleeping. Well. Vinnie should be back online soon.

1842
02:14:50.279 --> 02:14:53.119
Then I won't be alone. He'll wake up the crew

1843
02:14:53.239 --> 02:14:58.680
and I won't be alone. I won't need this gun anymore.

1844
02:15:00.439 --> 02:15:05.399
Oh yeah, this is David Lambert or whatever. Christ I

1845
02:15:05.479 --> 02:15:12.439
need to sleep. Audio log number nine, December twenty second,

1846
02:15:12.800 --> 02:15:18.000
twenty two. Ninety more are dead. I think we lost

1847
02:15:18.000 --> 02:15:21.800
around eight hundred in the middle of the night. What

1848
02:15:21.920 --> 02:15:26.279
in the fuck happened? The pods are flooded. They drowned

1849
02:15:26.319 --> 02:15:32.000
in their sleep, even the kids. Vinnie came back online

1850
02:15:32.039 --> 02:15:35.439
for a few but isn't responsive to commands. He won't

1851
02:15:35.439 --> 02:15:39.319
even say hello to me, just silence. But I know

1852
02:15:39.439 --> 02:15:43.359
he can hear me. I know it sounds crazy, but

1853
02:15:43.479 --> 02:15:46.960
I know I heard something laughing over the intercoms. When

1854
02:15:46.960 --> 02:15:51.359
I entered the Colonist's cryogenic section, internal censors went offline,

1855
02:15:51.359 --> 02:15:55.960
but not before I saw I saw something on the monitors.

1856
02:15:56.600 --> 02:16:01.520
That robotic exoskeleton was walking around the corridor. It doesn't

1857
02:16:01.520 --> 02:16:04.800
even have a computer core. It's a fucking husk. It

1858
02:16:04.880 --> 02:16:10.960
can't act independently. I am not fucking crazy. Why am

1859
02:16:11.000 --> 02:16:13.680
I still recording these Someone has to know what the

1860
02:16:13.720 --> 02:16:17.079
fuck is happening here? I am not crazy. I didn't

1861
02:16:17.159 --> 02:16:21.359
kill these people. Mom, I'm sorry. I didn't say goodbye

1862
02:16:21.399 --> 02:16:28.520
to you, to either of you. Please God help me.

1863
02:16:30.880 --> 02:16:35.399
Audio Logue number ten, December twenty third, twenty two ninety

1864
02:16:37.520 --> 02:16:43.479
I'm being hunted now. Vinnie isn't a virtual intelligence. It's

1865
02:16:43.520 --> 02:16:50.760
an artificial intelligence, and he it, whatever it is, wants

1866
02:16:50.799 --> 02:16:56.840
me dead. Something escaped from the redacted labs and contaminated

1867
02:16:56.879 --> 02:17:00.559
the biological portions of his computer core. He took the

1868
02:17:00.600 --> 02:17:06.440
exoskeleton and is hunting me. Deck by deck, Vinnie is

1869
02:17:06.479 --> 02:17:10.959
alive and has a body. Now he is the ship

1870
02:17:10.959 --> 02:17:13.159
and at the same time is stalking the ship in

1871
02:17:13.200 --> 02:17:16.120
a robotic suit that I just had to drag up

1872
02:17:16.120 --> 02:17:21.319
from storage. Power randomly fluxes off across the different decks

1873
02:17:21.360 --> 02:17:26.639
and sections. Vinnie controls the ship. If the rest of

1874
02:17:26.680 --> 02:17:29.159
the crew isn't dead by now, they soon will be.

1875
02:17:29.959 --> 02:17:32.680
I took this portable recorder, which goes directly to the

1876
02:17:32.680 --> 02:17:36.840
flight recorder, which is independent of his operating systems. I

1877
02:17:36.840 --> 02:17:40.239
don't think the pistol I have can pierce the exoskeleton's plating.

1878
02:17:41.120 --> 02:17:44.799
It's funny. I'm going to be murdered by something that

1879
02:17:44.879 --> 02:17:48.959
was supposed to bring me joy. Did I mention? I

1880
02:17:49.040 --> 02:17:53.440
made it a funny little Santa Hatan beard. I'm going

1881
02:17:53.479 --> 02:17:57.280
to die out here, and there isn't a whole lot

1882
02:17:57.319 --> 02:18:02.280
I can do about it. I thought we were friends, Vinnie.

1883
02:18:02.600 --> 02:18:09.520
Didn't I treat you right? I thought we were friends.

1884
02:18:10.319 --> 02:18:15.120
Audio Log number eleven, December twenty fourth, twenty two ninety.

1885
02:18:17.239 --> 02:18:21.079
Vinnie is slowly siphoning off the air on the ship.

1886
02:18:23.399 --> 02:18:26.079
I'll suffocate in less than twenty four hours, and there

1887
02:18:26.120 --> 02:18:28.920
isn't a lot that I can do about it. I

1888
02:18:28.959 --> 02:18:31.200
can't get into the vehicle section to even get a

1889
02:18:31.239 --> 02:18:34.159
space suit. The bay is locked tight, and even if

1890
02:18:34.200 --> 02:18:36.600
I could, Vinnie blew the doors and all the suits,

1891
02:18:36.799 --> 02:18:42.040
vehicles and everything was blown into space. I don't even

1892
02:18:42.040 --> 02:18:45.000
think we're in slip space anymore. I don't feel the

1893
02:18:45.079 --> 02:18:48.600
hum of the engines anymore. I think Vinnie is toying

1894
02:18:48.639 --> 02:18:52.319
with me. Now, he's playing with the environmental controls. And

1895
02:18:52.360 --> 02:18:56.920
it's starting to get colder where I am. I can

1896
02:18:56.959 --> 02:19:00.879
see my breath and it's so cold I can't even

1897
02:19:00.879 --> 02:19:05.360
hold the pistol steady. The ship's speakers are playing Santa

1898
02:19:05.360 --> 02:19:07.920
Claus Is come into town at a frequency that only

1899
02:19:07.959 --> 02:19:13.639
I can hear. I fucking hate Christmas. Maybe I have

1900
02:19:13.719 --> 02:19:16.760
one last thing I can do before I eventually suffocate.

1901
02:19:19.280 --> 02:19:20.959
I'm not going to let this son of a bitch

1902
02:19:21.000 --> 02:19:26.520
take me down, not without a fight. Ho Ho ho, motherfucker.

1903
02:19:29.360 --> 02:19:33.639
Final data entry for United Earth Colonies ship Roanoke Custodial

1904
02:19:33.680 --> 02:19:37.639
engineer David Lambert initiated liquid nitrogen purge in the engineering deck,

1905
02:19:37.680 --> 02:19:41.319
critically damaging all systems and leaving the ship adrift. On

1906
02:19:41.399 --> 02:19:45.399
December twenty fifth, twenty ninety at twelve oh one am.

1907
02:19:45.520 --> 02:19:49.120
Ship has suffered critical engine failure to slipstream drive. Ship

1908
02:19:49.200 --> 02:19:53.120
no longer able to complete mission objectives. Ship's virtual intelligence

1909
02:19:53.159 --> 02:19:57.959
disabled by unknown user experiment unaccounted for as of December

1910
02:19:58.000 --> 02:20:02.120
twenty fifth, twenty ninety escape launched with zero biological life

1911
02:20:02.120 --> 02:20:05.319
signs aboard. All crew and support staff dead due to

1912
02:20:05.360 --> 02:20:11.280
catastrophic failure across multiple systems. Cause likely sabotage, Internal reporting

1913
02:20:11.280 --> 02:20:14.559
of mental instability of crew member Custodial engineer David Lambert

1914
02:20:14.799 --> 02:20:19.440
likely responsible for crew and vessel destruction. Recommend investigation and

1915
02:20:19.520 --> 02:20:24.760
activation of redacted protocol. Distress Beacon activated on December thirty first,

1916
02:20:25.120 --> 02:20:29.799
twenty ninety by unknown user awaiting salvage and recovery operations.

1917
02:20:30.920 --> 02:20:46.479
End transmission. A Christmas to Remember by Joe Salma. Donnie

1918
02:20:46.520 --> 02:20:49.920
shifted his old Ford pickup into gear as he left

1919
02:20:49.959 --> 02:20:53.040
the rest stop. It should be the last gas stop

1920
02:20:53.079 --> 02:20:56.600
before he was finally home. It had been a few years,

1921
02:20:56.639 --> 02:20:59.319
and to be honest, for a while, he couldn't have

1922
02:20:59.360 --> 02:21:02.799
made the trip even if he wanted to. He merged

1923
02:21:02.840 --> 02:21:06.920
with traffic just as the snow started to fall. It

1924
02:21:06.959 --> 02:21:09.200
looked like it was going to be a white Christmas

1925
02:21:09.600 --> 02:21:14.479
after all. He was both excited and apprehensive. If he

1926
02:21:14.600 --> 02:21:18.799
was being honest, He left home almost ten years ago

1927
02:21:18.840 --> 02:21:23.000
and never looked back, heading south, running from something that

1928
02:21:23.120 --> 02:21:28.159
even he couldn't name, just a feeling. He always hated

1929
02:21:28.200 --> 02:21:30.559
the North, and it bothered him to think he would

1930
02:21:30.639 --> 02:21:34.120
die there. He headed to Fort Lauderdale as soon as

1931
02:21:34.159 --> 02:21:38.159
he could for a better life, where he almost instantly

1932
02:21:38.760 --> 02:21:42.840
got hooked on heroin and became homeless, the shame of

1933
02:21:42.879 --> 02:21:46.200
which kept him from calling home for help, at least

1934
02:21:46.239 --> 02:21:50.159
at first. Then it got harder and harder for him

1935
02:21:50.200 --> 02:21:53.360
to reach out, playing out his family's scrutiny in his

1936
02:21:53.399 --> 02:21:57.280
brain over and over. He could just hear them calling

1937
02:21:57.399 --> 02:22:01.639
him a junkie and a loser. Every time someone overdosed

1938
02:22:01.680 --> 02:22:04.440
next to him at night under the yellow street lights,

1939
02:22:04.879 --> 02:22:06.879
and he was so high and scared, all he could

1940
02:22:06.920 --> 02:22:10.040
do was watch another. Part of that kid that moved

1941
02:22:10.120 --> 02:22:14.799
south left him until looking into the puddle's reflection, even

1942
02:22:14.879 --> 02:22:20.120
he didn't recognize who he was. Florida was such an evil,

1943
02:22:20.360 --> 02:22:23.760
soul sucking place, he would think at times like that,

1944
02:22:24.799 --> 02:22:27.479
it destroyed who he was and replaced him with this

1945
02:22:28.200 --> 02:22:31.840
junkie in his skin. He didn't know whose eyes looked

1946
02:22:31.840 --> 02:22:35.079
back at him, with the disheveled beard, the worn and

1947
02:22:35.159 --> 02:22:38.120
torn Nirvana T shirt, and the shorts that used to

1948
02:22:38.200 --> 02:22:41.159
be pants until he ripped them. Jumping a chain link

1949
02:22:41.239 --> 02:22:44.520
fence to get away from the cops. The first year

1950
02:22:44.600 --> 02:22:47.879
was rough, but it got easier as Donnie fell into

1951
02:22:47.920 --> 02:22:51.760
the groove got used to it. An old Japanese man

1952
02:22:51.840 --> 02:22:54.399
taught him to steal hot dogs from the grocery store.

1953
02:22:55.200 --> 02:22:58.680
He wouldn't eat them, though, he'd walk down to the canals,

1954
02:22:59.239 --> 02:23:02.200
cut a small piece esaf and used them to catch

1955
02:23:02.239 --> 02:23:07.280
fish tenkara or something he called it. He could catch

1956
02:23:07.399 --> 02:23:10.879
enough fish to keep the cluster of junkies fed. It

1957
02:23:11.000 --> 02:23:14.200
was a real loss when he died, but Donnie did

1958
02:23:14.239 --> 02:23:18.360
find his wallet. He had money in there, real money,

1959
02:23:18.840 --> 02:23:22.319
a couple hundred. The next few weeks were a drug

1960
02:23:22.319 --> 02:23:26.200
induced blur. He made sure his family got his wallet back, though,

1961
02:23:26.879 --> 02:23:30.799
even if it had no cash. Inside the Ford's engine

1962
02:23:30.879 --> 02:23:34.120
roared on the highway. It probably needed a muffler, to

1963
02:23:34.159 --> 02:23:37.280
be honest. He could feel the vibration coming up through

1964
02:23:37.280 --> 02:23:41.079
the seat and steering wheel. The smell of exhaust was strong.

1965
02:23:42.159 --> 02:23:45.120
He fiddled with the radio, trying to remember the channels

1966
02:23:45.120 --> 02:23:48.360
he used to listen to back in the day, but

1967
02:23:48.520 --> 02:23:53.239
everything was static. Welcome to New York, he said, as

1968
02:23:53.239 --> 02:23:55.360
he read the sign on the side of Interstate two

1969
02:23:55.399 --> 02:23:58.719
eighty seven. It was nice to finally pass out of

1970
02:23:58.760 --> 02:24:02.159
New Jersey. He wondered, how many people say the same

1971
02:24:02.239 --> 02:24:05.399
thing when they leave the sticky taint of the Northeast.

1972
02:24:06.239 --> 02:24:09.399
He had always hated New Jersey. He got robbed on

1973
02:24:09.479 --> 02:24:12.399
his travels down to Florida. There While in Trenton overnight,

1974
02:24:13.120 --> 02:24:17.079
three bikers robbed him outside his motel room. Luckily, he

1975
02:24:17.120 --> 02:24:19.920
had locked his car keys in the car, or he

1976
02:24:19.920 --> 02:24:22.680
would have had to end his trip right there. Now

1977
02:24:22.719 --> 02:24:25.920
that he was thinking of it, that might be unluckier.

1978
02:24:27.000 --> 02:24:30.520
Is that a word, he wondered. The snow had picked up,

1979
02:24:30.520 --> 02:24:33.559
and Donnie slowed the truck down, trying to see the

1980
02:24:33.680 --> 02:24:38.000
road through the Star Wars Hyperdrive view between wipers. The

1981
02:24:38.040 --> 02:24:42.120
package slipped in the seat next to him. He instinctively

1982
02:24:42.159 --> 02:24:44.319
threw a hand out to keep it from sliding off

1983
02:24:44.360 --> 02:24:48.559
the worn bench seat. Stay still, he said to the package,

1984
02:24:48.920 --> 02:24:52.559
and looked at his wrap job. It wasn't bad, he thought.

1985
02:24:53.440 --> 02:24:55.639
He looked back up at the road as his tires

1986
02:24:55.680 --> 02:24:58.159
caught the bumps on the side to wake up drivers

1987
02:24:58.200 --> 02:25:02.520
that fell asleep. Oh shit. The truck slid back and forth,

1988
02:25:02.639 --> 02:25:05.680
but he couldn't get it under control. Luckily, there wasn't

1989
02:25:05.680 --> 02:25:08.639
another vehicle near him, and when the ford lost traction,

1990
02:25:09.319 --> 02:25:13.079
it slid off the road alone, catching the bank and

1991
02:25:13.159 --> 02:25:16.079
flipping down into the ditch about thirty feet from the

1992
02:25:16.120 --> 02:25:20.440
pavement on its side. Donnie undid his seat belt and

1993
02:25:20.520 --> 02:25:23.079
did a quick pat down to make sure he was okay.

1994
02:25:24.040 --> 02:25:26.879
With a sigh of relief, he began trying to climb out,

1995
02:25:27.440 --> 02:25:30.959
using the steering wheel as a step. He flopped out

1996
02:25:31.000 --> 02:25:34.799
onto the frozen ground just as the headlights cut out,

1997
02:25:35.559 --> 02:25:38.799
leaving him in the silence of the snowstorm on the

1998
02:25:38.840 --> 02:25:42.719
side of the New York State Thruway. He laid there

1999
02:25:42.760 --> 02:25:46.559
for a moment in the shock of the cold. His

2000
02:25:46.680 --> 02:25:50.840
eyes grew heavy and he started to close them. A

2001
02:25:50.879 --> 02:25:54.079
sudden gust of wind made the truck creak, which snapped

2002
02:25:54.159 --> 02:25:56.479
him out of it. He pulled himself up to a

2003
02:25:56.520 --> 02:25:59.959
sitting position a few feet from the truck. He realized

2004
02:26:00.159 --> 02:26:03.360
tis worn through Florida Hoodie wasn't going to do it.

2005
02:26:03.760 --> 02:26:06.520
He had to get up to the highway and get help.

2006
02:26:07.440 --> 02:26:10.559
He scrambled up the embankments towards the road on hands

2007
02:26:10.559 --> 02:26:13.559
and knees. He could see headlights coming towards him in

2008
02:26:13.600 --> 02:26:18.280
the distance. A sense of hope filled him made him warm.

2009
02:26:18.600 --> 02:26:20.600
He peeked his head over the side of the road,

2010
02:26:20.680 --> 02:26:24.719
seeing the car getting closer. The headlights were so close together.

2011
02:26:25.239 --> 02:26:28.559
It must be one of those smart cars, Donnie thought.

2012
02:26:29.159 --> 02:26:32.239
He rose to unsteady feet and began to wave frantically,

2013
02:26:32.440 --> 02:26:34.799
hoping they would see him in the near blizzard that

2014
02:26:34.879 --> 02:26:38.440
wrapped around him like a frozen blanket. There must be

2015
02:26:38.520 --> 02:26:40.920
an inch and a half on the road now, he thought.

2016
02:26:41.559 --> 02:26:44.639
The car veered into the left lane, then the right,

2017
02:26:45.120 --> 02:26:48.719
then back again to the left. Donnie wondered if the

2018
02:26:48.760 --> 02:26:52.000
person was drunk. The car was getting closer, and he

2019
02:26:52.079 --> 02:26:55.680
began to get worried that they might hit him. He

2020
02:26:55.760 --> 02:26:58.440
took a step back off the road and his foot

2021
02:26:58.520 --> 02:27:01.639
slipped out from under him. He smacked his face on

2022
02:27:01.719 --> 02:27:04.799
the gravel shoulder and started to slide down the embankment

2023
02:27:05.159 --> 02:27:08.440
back to his truck. He started to turn as he

2024
02:27:08.520 --> 02:27:10.879
slid and slammed into the roof of his truck with

2025
02:27:10.959 --> 02:27:14.600
his hip, sending pain up his spine. He let out

2026
02:27:14.600 --> 02:27:17.760
a cry. He was facing down with his head facing

2027
02:27:17.799 --> 02:27:20.559
the truck. He couldn't see what happened with the car

2028
02:27:20.559 --> 02:27:23.719
on the highway. He waited for the pain to subside

2029
02:27:23.719 --> 02:27:27.360
before trying to move. The pain proved too much, and

2030
02:27:27.479 --> 02:27:30.760
he knew he screwed something up. He couldn't even get

2031
02:27:30.799 --> 02:27:34.879
the strength to turn over. He laid there helpless for

2032
02:27:34.920 --> 02:27:40.479
a moment. Then he heard it, the sound of two

2033
02:27:40.600 --> 02:27:45.719
car doors. Maybe they had seen him and stopped. He

2034
02:27:45.799 --> 02:27:49.799
listened in the snowstorm as the sound of footfalls crunching

2035
02:27:49.840 --> 02:27:54.719
the pottery snow grew louder. And were those voices? He heard?

2036
02:27:55.879 --> 02:28:01.159
It sounded like a child talking. Rained his ears trying

2037
02:28:01.200 --> 02:28:06.719
to listen the voices stopped. He wondered how much snow

2038
02:28:06.840 --> 02:28:09.600
was on him now, with it whipping around like it was,

2039
02:28:10.719 --> 02:28:15.440
maybe they couldn't see him. Help. He called out into

2040
02:28:15.520 --> 02:28:22.639
the night weekly then tried again. Hell, he heard the

2041
02:28:22.719 --> 02:28:25.840
voices again, but the wind was keeping him from hearing

2042
02:28:25.879 --> 02:28:29.520
what they were saying. The footfalls came a little closer,

2043
02:28:30.159 --> 02:28:35.440
but still seemed distant to him. Someone there, he called out,

2044
02:28:35.559 --> 02:28:40.120
this time he heard them talking. But we must A

2045
02:28:40.239 --> 02:28:44.440
childish voice said, no, we don't. We don't have any obligation.

2046
02:28:45.000 --> 02:28:49.360
Another high pitched voice replied, we can't just leave him there,

2047
02:28:50.159 --> 02:28:52.600
Sure we can. It's easy. We just go back up

2048
02:28:52.639 --> 02:28:56.600
the hill and forget this happened. Came the response. Donnie

2049
02:28:56.600 --> 02:28:59.799
winced in pain and forced himself to turn over. He

2050
02:29:00.079 --> 02:29:02.719
blinked the snow out of his eyes and strained the

2051
02:29:02.799 --> 02:29:07.040
night's storm to see who was there. Help me, please,

2052
02:29:07.799 --> 02:29:11.399
he said, Now it's talking to us, one of the

2053
02:29:11.440 --> 02:29:15.760
voices said, with a sigh. Donnie heard the footfalls grow close,

2054
02:29:16.200 --> 02:29:19.319
and he could make out two diminutive shadows in the darkness.

2055
02:29:19.879 --> 02:29:22.559
One of them turned on a flashlight and stuck it

2056
02:29:22.600 --> 02:29:26.399
in the snow to give them some light. It looks injured,

2057
02:29:26.799 --> 02:29:29.879
said the first voice Donnie had heard. It might not

2058
02:29:29.959 --> 02:29:33.639
be in good shape, came the reply. Donnie raised one

2059
02:29:33.680 --> 02:29:36.639
hand up to block the immediate light and see his

2060
02:29:36.760 --> 02:29:41.399
would be rescuers. As his eyes adjusted, he made out

2061
02:29:41.440 --> 02:29:46.319
the faces of two short people. They both wore green

2062
02:29:46.479 --> 02:29:50.159
pointed hats. One was holding a black leather bag in

2063
02:29:50.200 --> 02:29:53.319
his hand that reminded Donnie of the type he'd seen

2064
02:29:53.399 --> 02:29:57.399
in old movies when doctors made house visits. They both

2065
02:29:57.479 --> 02:30:01.520
had pointed soft shoes tied to some kind kind of snowshoe.

2066
02:30:02.600 --> 02:30:05.520
I mean, it seems like fate brought it to us,

2067
02:30:05.879 --> 02:30:09.959
the one said, you swerving while getting RoadHead is hardly fate.

2068
02:30:10.319 --> 02:30:13.959
The other replied, while either way this could go quite

2069
02:30:13.959 --> 02:30:17.040
a ways towards our quota. Let me get the list.

2070
02:30:17.799 --> 02:30:22.000
Who the fuck are you guys, Donnie asked, exasperated at

2071
02:30:22.000 --> 02:30:25.559
the conversation. The one holding the bag looked at the

2072
02:30:25.600 --> 02:30:29.040
other one, who now had a list. He turned it

2073
02:30:29.079 --> 02:30:32.440
so his companion could see. The one holding the bag

2074
02:30:32.600 --> 02:30:38.040
nodded and squatted down next to Donnie's face. Ain't it obvious, kid,

2075
02:30:38.559 --> 02:30:42.399
We ain't your fairy godmothers. We are the dream fulfillers,

2076
02:30:42.559 --> 02:30:45.639
the ones working behind the scenes to make everything perfect

2077
02:30:45.680 --> 02:30:48.719
every year. Now, be quiet while I make some wishes

2078
02:30:48.799 --> 02:30:52.360
come true, he said, and pulled a stainless steel saw

2079
02:30:52.440 --> 02:30:53.120
from the bag.

2080
02:30:54.639 --> 02:30:59.000
There's more scares where that came from. Weakly, spooky, will

2081
02:30:59.040 --> 02:31:00.200
be right back.

2082
02:31:01.079 --> 02:31:07.000
Liver right. The other nodded, What the hell? Donnie called out,

2083
02:31:07.920 --> 02:31:11.360
You gonna whine the whole time? The doctor one asked.

2084
02:31:11.879 --> 02:31:15.120
He placed one hand over Donnie's mouth, and Donnie tried

2085
02:31:15.159 --> 02:31:18.280
to shout into the night. You ever asked Sanna for

2086
02:31:18.360 --> 02:31:21.840
something impossible for Christmas? Do you have any idea how

2087
02:31:21.840 --> 02:31:25.600
many people wish for the unfeasible? How the fuck do

2088
02:31:25.639 --> 02:31:29.319
you think they work new limbs and organs poof into

2089
02:31:29.399 --> 02:31:32.559
existence for them? No, we have to go out and

2090
02:31:32.680 --> 02:31:35.799
harvest the fucking things, and that fat jolly fuck gets

2091
02:31:35.799 --> 02:31:39.479
all the credit. He ran the saw across Donnie's chest,

2092
02:31:39.600 --> 02:31:42.879
cutting into the flesh. Donnie wondered if the cold or

2093
02:31:42.920 --> 02:31:45.840
shock would numb the wound first, as he watched the

2094
02:31:45.920 --> 02:31:50.520
steam rise from his open wound. You see here, kid,

2095
02:31:50.959 --> 02:31:54.200
we can scratch several wishes off our list. You're doing

2096
02:31:54.319 --> 02:31:57.840
us a favor. Really. I know I don't seem appreciative,

2097
02:31:57.920 --> 02:32:01.799
but I am, Doc said, with another saw across the chest.

2098
02:32:02.520 --> 02:32:04.559
The other one was returning from the car with a

2099
02:32:04.600 --> 02:32:09.159
biohazard cooler. Donnie responded, but the doc was still covering

2100
02:32:09.159 --> 02:32:12.319
his mouth. He stopped sawing and lifted his hand off

2101
02:32:12.360 --> 02:32:16.840
Donnie's mouth for just a second. What's that, kid? You

2102
02:32:16.879 --> 02:32:21.879
guys are Santa's Elves, Donnie asked, and began to laugh.

2103
02:32:22.639 --> 02:32:26.520
That funny to you, Doc, Elf asked. Donnie couldn't help

2104
02:32:26.559 --> 02:32:28.840
but laugh in the freezing cold at the thought of

2105
02:32:28.879 --> 02:32:33.680
being murdered by one of Santa's elves. Something not elf

2106
02:32:33.879 --> 02:32:37.639
like about us, Doc asked. The other Elf climbed onto

2107
02:32:37.680 --> 02:32:41.239
the truck and peered inside. Are we not fucking full

2108
02:32:41.239 --> 02:32:46.520
of cheer? Uh? Boss? Come here, the one on the

2109
02:32:46.559 --> 02:32:50.200
truck said to his partner, Doc. Boss tossed down the

2110
02:32:50.280 --> 02:32:52.239
saw in the snow and made his way over to

2111
02:32:52.280 --> 02:32:55.000
the truck. The other elf had to help him up.

2112
02:32:55.840 --> 02:32:58.920
What do we got here, he asked, and turned back

2113
02:32:58.959 --> 02:33:03.440
to Donnie. Shit, Donnie said, as he realized they had

2114
02:33:03.479 --> 02:33:06.799
found his package. He scrambled for the saw in the snow.

2115
02:33:07.159 --> 02:33:09.760
Every movement was a world of pain that tried to

2116
02:33:09.879 --> 02:33:12.760
envelop him. He managed to get his grip on the

2117
02:33:12.799 --> 02:33:16.559
saw and tried to rise to his knees. At least

2118
02:33:16.600 --> 02:33:19.399
then he could look them in the eye. When he

2119
02:33:19.440 --> 02:33:22.520
turned to face them, both elves looked at him in

2120
02:33:22.600 --> 02:33:25.440
disgust as they held his package in front of them.

2121
02:33:27.079 --> 02:33:30.559
She had been so pretty, Donnie said, as a tears

2122
02:33:30.600 --> 02:33:35.360
streaked down his face. I loved her. Is that why

2123
02:33:35.399 --> 02:33:39.600
you killed her? Doc asked. I gave it to her,

2124
02:33:40.600 --> 02:33:44.760
the smack she oweded on It was my fault, he said,

2125
02:33:44.879 --> 02:33:50.680
lowering the saw. I couldn't I couldn't say goodbye yet.

2126
02:33:51.799 --> 02:33:55.959
She ain't so fresh, kid, Doc said, she been dead

2127
02:33:56.000 --> 02:34:02.799
a few days. Yeah three now, Donnie responded. Fuck that's

2128
02:34:02.879 --> 02:34:06.360
too long for us, he said, and tossed the cellophane

2129
02:34:06.399 --> 02:34:09.600
wrapped body down in the snow. He took a few

2130
02:34:09.639 --> 02:34:14.000
steps closer to Donnie, then saw the saw. What are

2131
02:34:14.040 --> 02:34:17.360
you going to do with that? You're losing blood every second.

2132
02:34:18.200 --> 02:34:21.639
There's no way you can win this. Donnie rose to

2133
02:34:21.680 --> 02:34:26.159
his feet steadily. Come at me and I'll kick your

2134
02:34:26.280 --> 02:34:30.639
fucking head off. Donnie said, you know that saw had

2135
02:34:30.680 --> 02:34:34.680
reindeer ejaculate on it. It's a type of anesthesia. The

2136
02:34:34.719 --> 02:34:38.159
only reason you're standing right now is pure adrenaline. But

2137
02:34:38.280 --> 02:34:42.440
it won't last, Doc said, and shook his head. Donnie

2138
02:34:42.559 --> 02:34:45.200
charged and tried to swing the saw at Doc, but

2139
02:34:45.360 --> 02:34:50.000
lost his grip midswing and the saw dropped helplessly to

2140
02:34:50.120 --> 02:34:53.440
the ground. He tried to ball up his fist for

2141
02:34:53.479 --> 02:34:56.879
a backswing, but his legs gave out and he fell

2142
02:34:56.920 --> 02:35:01.120
back to his knees in the snow. Doc looked him

2143
02:35:01.159 --> 02:35:05.239
right in the eye. That would be the deer come working.

2144
02:35:05.799 --> 02:35:10.200
Stupid move, kid, and punched Donnie in the face. He

2145
02:35:10.239 --> 02:35:13.600
fell onto his back in the snow. Get over here

2146
02:35:13.639 --> 02:35:17.319
and hold him down, he called to his partner. Donnie

2147
02:35:17.319 --> 02:35:20.719
watched on in horror as Doc started to saw with

2148
02:35:20.760 --> 02:35:25.239
a renewed vigor in his chest. As he lost feeling.

2149
02:35:26.200 --> 02:35:30.319
A peaceful smile crossed his face. At least he didn't

2150
02:35:30.360 --> 02:35:34.000
have to face his family after all these years, or

2151
02:35:34.040 --> 02:35:43.799
worse yet, hers. The beeping of the machines kept Mary awake.

2152
02:35:44.559 --> 02:35:47.840
She wouldn't leave her daddy's side, even though things look

2153
02:35:47.920 --> 02:35:51.239
grim for him. She had been praying like Mommy asked

2154
02:35:51.239 --> 02:35:56.440
her to do for weeks and nothing had changed. She

2155
02:35:56.479 --> 02:35:59.319
even wrote a letter to the North Pole to ask

2156
02:35:59.440 --> 02:36:03.399
Santa for help. Two days ago. It was Christmas Eve

2157
02:36:03.440 --> 02:36:08.360
and she watched his machines kept her daddy alive. There

2158
02:36:08.360 --> 02:36:14.840
would be no joy, no cheer, nothing this Christmas. The

2159
02:36:14.959 --> 02:36:18.399
doctor walked in. He handed her a cup of ice cream,

2160
02:36:19.120 --> 02:36:24.440
the kind that came with the little wooden spoon, and smiled. Mary.

2161
02:36:25.680 --> 02:36:28.799
I have some good news about your daddy, he said,

2162
02:36:29.120 --> 02:36:32.600
after glancing at her mom Stacy, in the one chair

2163
02:36:32.639 --> 02:36:38.520
in the room. We found a match. Your daddy is

2164
02:36:38.559 --> 02:36:41.280
going to get a new liver. It should be here

2165
02:36:41.319 --> 02:36:45.120
in a few hours. Why don't you two go get

2166
02:36:45.159 --> 02:36:48.079
some sleep and we'll let you know when we're ready

2167
02:36:48.120 --> 02:36:55.399
to go, he said. Mary yawned, Daddy's going to be okay. Yes,

2168
02:36:56.680 --> 02:37:01.159
it's a Christmas miracle. Stacy said, and took her daughter's hand.

2169
02:37:02.120 --> 02:37:06.520
Thank you, doctor, that's great news. Stacy kissed her husband

2170
02:37:06.600 --> 02:37:10.799
on the forehead and headed for the door. Mary let

2171
02:37:10.840 --> 02:37:13.959
go of her mom's hand, which made her turn around.

2172
02:37:15.000 --> 02:37:19.760
Come now, Mary, she said, But Mom, someone is there

2173
02:37:19.760 --> 02:37:24.559
with daddy, She said, just the doc. Her mom replied

2174
02:37:24.959 --> 02:37:27.959
and pulled Mary out the door, who was looking over

2175
02:37:28.000 --> 02:37:33.559
her shoulder. After everyone left. From behind the curtain, a

2176
02:37:33.639 --> 02:37:37.680
pointed green hat peeked out and patted the husband's foot

2177
02:37:37.719 --> 02:37:41.959
on the bed. You're gonna be okay, fella. The small

2178
02:37:42.000 --> 02:37:45.520
figure jumped down onto the floor and carried his black

2179
02:37:45.600 --> 02:37:57.440
bag with him out into the hall, unnoticed by all. Well,

2180
02:37:57.479 --> 02:38:02.399
my spookyes, you survived yet another marathon of horrors with

2181
02:38:02.479 --> 02:38:05.799
a holiday theme to it. But don't worry. There's one

2182
02:38:05.920 --> 02:38:09.479
more coming very soon, as well as all of the

2183
02:38:09.559 --> 02:38:14.239
brand new holiday horrors awaiting you right here at Weekly Spooky.

2184
02:38:15.120 --> 02:38:17.959
Every year we give you plenty to enjoy at Christmas

2185
02:38:17.959 --> 02:38:20.840
in Halloween, so make sure you're subscribed to go to

2186
02:38:20.879 --> 02:38:24.479
Weeklyspooky dot com for everything else, and I'll see you

2187
02:38:25.360 --> 02:38:28.200
before you know it. Ho ho ho