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Chilling Tales for Dark Nights. The Swing, written by Dan David, narrated by Jeff Clement.
A chilling compilation of 5 scary stories, including 'The Swing,' exploring eerie neighborhood encounters and unsettling events.
Key Takeaways
- Moving into a new home can bring unexpected fears beyond typical challenges.
- Normal suburban life can hide eerie and unsettling secrets.
- The presence of the mysterious swinging boy symbolizes deeper horror elements.
- Community interactions can mask underlying tension and fear.
- Storytelling combined with narration enhances the immersive horror experience.
Summary
- The video is a horror story compilation by Chilling Tales for Dark Nights.
- 'The Swing,' written by Dan David and narrated by Jeff Clement, is one featured story.
- The narrative follows a man moving into a new suburban home, anticipating typical challenges of independence.
- He notices a mysterious boy swinging alone in a neighbor's backyard, which becomes increasingly unsettling.
- The story explores themes of fear, isolation, and the unknown in seemingly normal suburban settings.
- Interactions with neighbors reveal a mix of normalcy and subtle unease.
- The boy’s odd behavior and appearance raise questions about his true nature or condition.
- The story builds tension through the contrast of a lively housewarming party and the eerie presence outside.
- The compilation aims to evoke fear and suspense through relatable yet creepy scenarios.
- Overall, the video blends storytelling with atmospheric narration and sound design to create a haunting experience.
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
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of their parents home into a place of their own perhaps it's paying their rent on time or having to do all the cleaning without any of mommy's help these were the things I anticipated I never could have predicted the events of the past week we
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[Music] What do people usually fear when moving out to live on their own? What sort of problems does one normally encounter when finally venturing from the safety
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a pretty big backyard when I had seen the yard the first thing I thought of was all the parties I'd be hosting I stepped onto the deck and took a breath of fresh air while closing my eyes to
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of their parents' home into a place of their own? Perhaps it's paying their rent on time or having to do all the cleaning without any of mommy's help. These were the things I anticipated. I never could have predicted the events of the past week. We
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see into my neighbor's backyards I figured since I hadn't formally met any of them yet I would try and guess now who might have to worry about if my parties got too rowdy and the risk of 9-1-1 calls would
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had finally moved the last box into my new house. Single-level ranch and only two bedrooms, but for a bachelor like me, it was a dream come true. The house was right in the heart of a great suburban neighborhood with a two-car driveway and
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to view my neighbors to the left that's when I saw him under a large oak tree adorned in colorful Christmas lights was what looked to be a young boy swinging away on his playset great I thought I bet his bedtime is a
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a pretty big backyard. When I had seen the yard, the first thing I thought of was all the parties I'd be hosting. I stepped onto the deck and took a breath of fresh air while closing my eyes to
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outside I brushed it off and assumed the boy was sick I went back inside and began to unpack everything with the help of some friends we managed to put together all my furniture hook up my home entertainment system and more or
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imagine the endless nights of friends, booze, and of course, women. I stretched my arms out and let out an exuberant sigh of relief. As I scanned my surroundings, I couldn't help but notice the elevated deck gave me the proper vantage point to
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exchanged by now the Sun was setting as it had been several hours since we had first brought in all my belongings my friend Dan was unpacking one of the last boxes as he eagerly looked out of the window have you met your neighbors yet
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see into my neighbors' backyards. I figured since I hadn't formally met any of them yet, I would try and guess now who might have to worry about if my parties got too rowdy and the risk of 9-1-1 calls would
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that department from the looks of it it's just a bunch of normal families one of them even as a kid as I pointed to the house I had seen earlier my face scrunched to show a look of confusion
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become a harsh reality. Am I right? I saw a vibrant garden, a grill, and a hammock. I figured it was a middle-aged couple. Hopefully, they're not too old and cranky, I thought to myself as I turned my head
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his phone barely acknowledging my comment he raised his hand up and mumbled must be special ed kid or something he walked off calling more people to invite them to the housewarming party I turned back to the swinging boy he
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to view my neighbors to the left. That's when I saw him. Under a large oak tree adorned in colorful Christmas lights was what looked to be a young boy swinging away on his playset. Great, I thought. I bet his bedtime is a
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outside until around 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning when the weather suddenly got cool and it began to drizzle I would have been willing to stick it out until it passed but the girls all began to freak out claiming their hair would
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lot earlier than any party I throw would be ending. I continued to look at the boy. His back was turned to me. He wore a hoodie and gloves, which struck me as odd since it was summer and pretty warm
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the trash that had accumulated before going inside I scooped up a bunch of cans and bottles before I turned around and was left in ha I guess we were all distracted by the music and alcohol to notice earlier but now with everyone
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outside. I brushed it off and assumed the boy was sick. I went back inside and began to unpack everything. With the help of some friends, we managed to put together all my furniture, hook up my home entertainment system, and more or
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a minute lost in thought when from behind me I heard a loud hiya neighbor then jumped in did a quick 180 dropping the trash I'd been carrying oh oh sorry about that bud didn't mean to startle you laughed an elderly men he was wearing
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less get the house in working order. I just sent out the text, "Guys, get ready to party tonight!" I exclaimed as I leapt off the couch and finished my beer. The guys all began to cheer, and a round of high-fives were
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hands I hate to be that guy especially since you know you just moved in and everything but you think you guys can turn down the music a bit my wife and I are pretty light sleepers and at this age we tend
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exchanged. By now, the sun was setting, as it had been several hours since we had first brought in all my belongings. My friend Dan was unpacking one of the last boxes. As he eagerly looked out of the window, "Have you met your neighbors yet?
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this long I really did feel bad I half expected the man to come out yelling demanding us to keep it down less he called the cops this gentle demeanor was refreshing and I was more than happy to oblige I
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Any fine young ladies gonna be coming around here asking to borrow some sugar?" he asked in a sarcastic tone as he turned to me with a lewd gesture, smiling and walking over. I replied, "No, no, I get it, but I don't think I'll have much luck in
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smiled his eyes drifted past mine and towards the swinging boy I assume you've noticed the languorous kid by now huh asked Paul as he cupped his hands and breathed into them to try to keep warm yeah I said as I turned to face him
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that department. From the looks of it, it's just a bunch of normal families. One of them even has a kid," as I pointed to the house I had seen earlier. My face scrunched to show a look of confusion
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turned around to find the boy had stopped swinging he sat completely still for a moment before slowly rising from the rubber seat of the swing he began to shake violently falling to his knees and scraping the dirt below him even from where we were
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and surprise. The boy I had seen swinging earlier was still there. He was still swinging under the ambience of the little tree. "Weird. That kid was swinging when we first got here too," I said to Dan. As he looked at
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help but stopped after a couple of steps his mother had run out I looked at her completely sober now from the adrenaline that was pumping through my body who I was not a pleasant sight she was a frail
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his phone, barely acknowledging my comment, he raised his hand up and mumbled, "Must be special ed kid or something." He walked off, calling more people to invite them to the housewarming party. I turned back to the swinging boy. He
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out quick and holding a small orange bottle the kind one would receive from a pharmacist after she reached her boy she knelt down and poured several white pills into her hand before she could even finish offering the pills to her
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couldn't have been swinging this whole time, could he? That night, as planned, we had my housewarming party. It was such a great time. I greeted my friends and cousins as they arrived, handing them all the beverage of their choice. We were
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to how skinny the woman was Paul and I watched intensely without uttering a single word after a moment or two the boy simply rose back to his feet sat back down on his swing and resumed his leisurely activity mrs. Langer grabbed
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outside until around 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning when the weather suddenly got cool and it began to drizzle. I would have been willing to stick it out until it passed, but the girls all began to freak out, claiming their hair would
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he has is getting more severe poor kid Paul said as he rubbed the back of his head what what exactly is wrong with him I asked with my eyes still glued to the child like I said I I don't know no one around
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frizz, and they all ran inside. Naturally, the guys followed, holding makeshift umbrellas over the girls' heads and laughed at myself at how hard they were trying to get lucky. I took the opportunity to quickly clean up some of
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respective households the party was dying down when I entered and I was glad what I had just seen took a lot out of me the next morning I felt like [ __ ] the copious waves of alcohol I had
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the trash that had accumulated before going inside. I scooped up a bunch of cans and bottles before I turned around and was left in ha. I guess we were all distracted by the music and alcohol to notice earlier, but now with everyone
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and dropped to my knees clutching the porcelain for dear life at least I have the day off to recover I thought to myself I grabbed the sports drink I had strategically placed in the bathroom the day before an anticipation for my
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inside, I saw it. The boy was still outside and on his swing. He was still in the same position and outfit I'd seen him in all day, back turned to me, wearing the same hoodie and gloves. I stood there for
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mentally prepared myself for a day of movies videogames and junk food after a couple of hours of lying and my borderline vegetative state I heard the mailman make his stop at my door in no mood to get off the couch I
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a minute, lost in thought, when from behind me I heard a loud, "Hiya, neighbor!" Then jumped in, did a quick 180, dropping the trash I'd been carrying. "Oh, oh, sorry about that, bud. Didn't mean to startle you," laughed an elderly man. He was wearing
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to watch several episodes later I made my way to the kitchen and popped in a giant TV dinner into the microwave well it cooked I decided I would bring in the mail from earlier I unlocked the front door and let in some much-needed fresh
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pajamas and slippers as he held his hand out, waiting for a shake on my end. "Oh, hello, sir," I said as I cleared my throat and shook his hand, collecting my thoughts. He smiled and began to fumble with his
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the tape I opened it only to find a small orange bottle like the one I'd seen my neighbor holding last night I was puzzled and searched for the mailing label on the box a mailman had delivered it to the wrong house annoyed I let
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hands. "I hate to be that guy, especially since, you know, you just moved in and everything, but you think you guys can turn down the music a bit? My wife and I are pretty light sleepers, and at this age, we tend
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out of my back window and saw the boy was swinging away as usual I heard my microwave go off indicating my food was ready with one last glance at the child I told myself the pills can wait as the
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to be early risers," he said bashfully. I smiled and laughed as I put my hand to my face in embarrassment. "Hajis, I'm sorry, sir. I guess things got a little crazier than planned. I didn't think people would stick around
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commotion outside my home the repetitive beeping of a large vehicle in Reverse echoed through my brain nightfall had arrived and my house was engulfed in almost absolute darkness the only light I could see was a dull grey from my now
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this long." I really did feel bad. I half expected the man to come out yelling, demanding us to keep it down, lest he called the cops. This gentle demeanor was refreshing, and I was more than happy to oblige. I
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front window a crowd had gathered on my front lawn they were facing the ambulance that was parked in the driveway of the Langer house I threw on a light coat to hide my stain most likely rancid smelling sure I had been
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laughed and replied, "I'll go let everyone know that they need to stay inside and take it down a notch. I'm Peter, by the way." I shook his hand. "Pleasure to meet you, Peter. I'm Paul," he said with a grin as he
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glued to the scene that unfolded next door he replied well we're not exactly sure we think something may have happened to someone in the house mr.
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smiled. His eyes drifted past mine and towards the swinging boy. "I assume you've noticed the languorous kid by now, huh?" asked Paul as he cupped his hands and breathed into them to try to keep warm. "Yeah," I said as I turned to face him.
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was his ribs poked through the pail tight skin on his torso he was pacing around frantically covering his eyes and mumbling something to himself I was still gazing at the distraught man when the soft murmuring of the crowd around
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"What's the deal with him? He's been on that thing all day." Paul shrugged. "Not sure. No one really knows the story. He just swings and swings until eventually—" Paul stopped. In his eyes, widened. "Wait, yeah, it's happening. Check it out." I
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body of the seemingly lifeless mrs. Langer from where we were standing we were able to see the pale bruised wrists of the poor woman hanging from the side blood running down and dripping from her fingertips it began to twitch in her
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turned around to find the boy had stopped swinging. He sat completely still for a moment before slowly rising from the rubber seat of the swing. He began to shake violently, falling to his knees and scraping the dirt below him. Even from where we were
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crowd one of the policemen made his way over to our now frantic group of screaming men and women ordering us to disperse and return to our homes everyone began to bombard the officer with questions asking what happened and
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standing, we were able to hear his quick bursts of shrieking and gurgling. I became concerned. Was the boy okay? It looked like he was having an asthma attack or a seizure. I started to run to the boy in order to
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through his teeth I raised my hand and showed it above the crowd and what about the boy was he hurt the officer shot me a look of irritation and cleared his throat as he hesitantly announced he was not anywhere near the
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help but stopped after a couple of steps. His mother had run out. I looked at her, completely sober now from the adrenaline that was pumping through my body. Who I was not a pleasant sight. She was a frail,
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crowd and almost ran back to his cruiser I turned to Paul who beared a look of dismay he turned and shot an apathetic smile before patting me on the back and making his way inside I stood there for a
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haggard woman with a grey knotted mane of hair on her head. Her skin was pale, and her eyes had dark bags underneath. It looked as if she hadn't slept or had a proper meal for ages. Mrs. Langer rushed
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door that I had carelessly left ajar and shut it behind me as I slid down and cut my hands around my head there was a legion of emotions coursing through me as I pondered my next move I knew I had to get the pills out of my
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out quick and holding a small orange bottle, the kind one would receive from a pharmacist. After she reached her boy, she knelt down and poured several white pills into her hand. Before she could even finish offering the pills to her
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anonymously place the box of pills in the langars mailbox and dash back inside I grabbed the pills from my couch and glanced out of the back window the Christmas lights in the oak tree were as bright as ever illuminating the grisly
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son, he had grabbed her arm and buried his face into the palm of her hand, hailing the pills. Mrs. Langer pulled away and began to rub her wrist and appeared the boy had hurt her, which did not really surprise me due
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injured tears began to fill my eyes as I bang my fists on the windowsill the sudden burst of sound emanated throughout my home I hadn't made a peep since I entered the sudden contrast in sound made the shameful silence that
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to how skinny the woman was. Paul and I watched intensely without uttering a single word. After a moment or two, the boy simply rose back to his feet, sat back down on his swing, and resumed his leisurely activity. Mrs. Langer grabbed
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disgusting gurgle now louder and fiercer almost like a growl the lights in my home were still all off aside from the weak aura that radiated from the idle television I was frozen still my body rebelled against my mind's desire to move
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the now-empty orange bottle and proceeded back inside, still clutching her wrist. Paul and I were both shaken up. We had no idea what we had just—
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fumbled for the flashlight app as I took a step towards my back door my eyes were glued to the short hallway that connected the main area of the house to my bedroom that's when I saw it a small
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creature began to crawl from the hallway I could barely make out any of its features it looked human but on all fours the way it moved was eerie and awkward the appendages moved sloppily in its head was to the ground I heard the
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same terrifying gurgle from the creature and realized it was sniffing the floor and what happened next still feels me with dread when I look back the flashlight app I had opened had finished loading up and powered on through the
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phone the bright light pierced the darkness and lit up the monstrous figure I felt sick do you ever get the feeling in the middle of a nightmare where you start to suspect you aren't in reality and you're begging yourself to wake up
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that desperate feeling of despair course through every fiber of my being in front of me stood the languor boy with heard all the layers of clothing he usually wore I was able to see him for what he really was this was not a normal child
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his skin was tattered and worn out wrinkles and scars embellished his body he slowly raised his head to the source of the light our eyes met his eyes or the worst part however intense the darkness around his mother's eyes were they could not
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compete with the boys the black around his peepers only worked to showcase his dilated pupils in the unnatural color of the irises I might as well have been made of stone all my ability to move had completely ceased I could only stand
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there and watch the situation unfold before me the boy slowly turned his body in my direction and began to take steps closer and closer he left bloody prints where his hands met the wood grain of my floor it was
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not long until he was less than a foot from me for what seemed like an eternity he did not move neither of us did my mind was warped and panic and I thought I would pass out before I had the chance
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the boy rose from his animal-like posture he was now standing on his feet arms dangling to his side's his eyes peered into mine I stared back still paralyzed with fear he began to sluggishly turn his focus from my eyes
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to my hand the one that still clutched a bottle of the pills as soon as he realized what I held he broke the silence and let out a demonic shriek like that of a banshee only his mouth moved as his jaw dropped
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this awoke me from my trance and I fell down still facing the boy he crouched so that his face met mine his mouth was still a gape exposing his sharp mangled teeth the tiny razor still contains small shreds of what I assumed to be his
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mother's flesh he stretched his arm toward me and unraveled his blood-stained hand instantly I knew what he was after my voice trembled you watched your bills right he continued to stare at me unwavering I lifted up my hand and began
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to open the small orange bottle with shaking hands I poured several pills into the palm of the child and waited for a minute and did not know a time could move so slowly I just wanted him to leave eventually the boy's mouth shut
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and curled into a faint smile he turned and made his way to the back door he shot one final glance over to me as he tilted his head back and consumed all the pills I had given him with an
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audible gulp he pushed open the door and wandered back to his sanctuary I watched as the boy took a seat on his swing and began to sway forward and backward like nothing out of the ordinary had happened I managed to shut my back door before
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collapsing to the ground it's been a week since that night and I've returned the pills as planned mrs. Langer is still in critical condition and now her husband has taken over feeding the mysterious pills to his son whenever he needs them I was never
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questioned by anyone about what transpired that night I did not report the incident I plan to move out soon maybe to an apartment in the city where there are no yards or playsets the nightmares and fear from that night have run rampant in my mind
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my backyard still a mess from the party I have not dared to go back there in order to clean things up this is due to the fact that since that fearful night the boy makes sure to swing facing my
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home whenever I even glanced out of the window I see his haunting eyes peering into mine as he smiles that horrid smile the last I saw of the boy was his father coming out to give him another dose of
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the medication mr. Langer was down to his last bottle that was three long nights ago I'm looking out of the window now to see what I expected to see an empty swing [Music] warwood Elementary written by Michael Guidry performed by Nick
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Golf I honestly don't know where to begin I'll start with the basic stuff my name is Alex I'm 22 years old from 1999 to 2003 I attended a small elementary school in Georgia called war wood elementary it was a private but
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non-religious school or maybe 300 kids total at the time I was an only child and my parents were divorced and I never saw my dad after the split and my mom engaged a new boyfriend but they never married just stayed engaged in any ways
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I don't remember my first year of war would very clearly as I was in kindergarten I made a friend named Tony and we stuck together up until I moved in 2004 and I'm not gonna waste your time with useless details about my life
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though I'm gonna tell you about the weird stuff first great the year 2000 Tony and I were in mrs. Anderson's class as she was in her 30s and short hair kind of looked like Jamie Lee Curtis in her later years she was extraordinarily
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sweet and compassionate parents and students alike loved her different grades had different recess times at world would the pre-k through second grade added at 11:30 through 12 and 3rd through 5th added at 12 through 12 30 our playground was massive despite our
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small classes the main playground Island had a slide a bridge ladders monkey bar and a huge plastic rock dome with little dinosaur bones on the ceiling beneath it it was the dyno dome as we called it Tony and I would meet up there with
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Scottie and Phil our friends from second grade both Scottie and fill out to older siblings the Scotty brother was in fourth grade and Phil's sister was in fifth you both had attended war would since pre-k some time during my first
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grade here I remember a rumor went around about the bad chair Scotty was positive that his brother Mark had been sent to it I first heard of the bad chair at lunchtime right after recess I think a boy named Eddy mentioned it to
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me in a hushed tone Alex you know but the bad chair I shook my head many of my responses to adults and children alike were motions instead of words I was rather shy you want to know about the
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bad chair I nodded okay you know the teachers place near the girls party room the teachers place was a small break room staff room for teachers a small place probably had a fridge in a bathroom I nodded again well some kid
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says he's seen inside there he says there's another door impossible I thought no child living or dead had singing into the teachers place how'd he see it I asked unbelieving he had to go to the potty on his way back to mrs.
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Tudors class he saw a teacher go in when the door opened he says there was a table chairs and another door so so that's where the bad chair is I still don't know what that is you know Jay boy
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Jay boy was a very misbehaved fourth grader everybody knew who he was just that week he'd been expelled for bad behavior uh-huh remember how I messed up mrs. Lud Keith's desk last week and then how he used his Boy Scout stuff to set all the
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tests on fire uh-huh well he got something worse than detention oh yeah yeah he got kicked out Eddie giggled condescendingly that's what they want you to think they the teachers say boy doesn't even live here anymore he lives at the hospital now why a bad
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chair of course then lunch was over leaving me with an undying curiosity about the bad chair I think that was a Friday so after the weekend came and went I met up with my pals in the Dino dome and asked if they had heard about
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the bad chair and J boy was fate someone told me about that I think it's a big fat fib Dhoni announced crossing his arms Eddie told me a little but he had to go and he reached the good stuff what
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is the bad chair then from the side of the Dino dome the bald head of Steve peeked in Steve was a fifth grader who was really sick and was lapped two recesses you guys talking about the bad chair it was extremely rare for a fifth
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grader even a special one like Steve to talk with the likes of first graders we all froze stunned to have his attention but not let the teachers here why not feel squeezed you might get sent there Steve scanned the playground and crept
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inside the Dino dome and knows what'll happen after that what is the bad cheer you guys it's quite flustered at this point just wanted to know what the darn thing was true or not beneath the school you can only get to it through a door in
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the teachers lounge yeah the fifth graders called the teachers place of lounge the far too fancy for our taste what's it do I inquired bad things well duh my friends gasped no one talked to fifth graders like that
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Steve Oliver didn't seem to care he once again looked outside of the diner Domas just to make sure no teachers were around you guys know about Jay boy right yeah we replied simultaneously he's a hero but weren't for him none of
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us had know about the batch air it's been here a long time but he's the first one to escape it escaped it yep after Jay boy did all that bad stuff everyone in Lucky's class song gets sent out to
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the principal's office not really lucky took him into the lounge and whoever was in the lounge took him down the stairs the room with a bad chair and you know all this Tony interrupted still skeptical he told his
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best friend Finn from my class about it before he went crazy he said that the room they took him to was really dark except for some candles on the floor in the middle is the bad chair it's wooden
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and has a bunch of leather straps that they tied him into but on the top where your head goes there's a skull a human skull Phil shuddered Steve frowned no no one said anything then what I urged then they began began wood dancing
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I laughed was thinking this is all a build-up to a big joke Steve just shook his head not funny dancing weird dancing he said they twisted and bent in impossible ways they were wearing black clothes they were whispering and he
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screamed but no one could hear him he's too far down how'd he get out Tony finally looked a little unsettled something went wrong Steve gulped almost like you were there himself something joined them hello boys mrs. Chandra the recess
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attendant stepped inside the diner dome we all screamed mrs. Shonda jumped startled by our cries then laughed Steve went pale paler than usual telling scary stories to the young ones TV mrs. Shonda Rast yes ma'am yeah Shonda pursed her lips into a smile
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nothing too dark I hope Steve shook his head none of us looked at her well only five more minutes until the young ones go back to class I suppose you'll be out here with the others Stephen yes ma'am
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replied Steve almost robotically any more scary stories no ma'am good very good with that mrs. Chandra patted one of us on the back and left Steve looked like he was about to cry and ran out of the Dino dome you didn't see him again
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the days following our talk Steve were quiet and seemingly normal Steve was absent the most students said that was because of his frequent hospital visits my friends are not suspected otherwise Toni however raised some good questions regarding the Jay boy situation now why
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weren't his parents doing anything about this surely somebody told them about all the bad chair rumors and if other kids have been sent to the batch here why didn't they remember it couldn't have died or vanished because people would
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noticed large numbers of disappearances and deaths as a days past we learned more information about the bad chair sometimes by kids in our grade but usually from fourth and fifth graders apparently if the bad chair worked you didn't remember any of it happening that
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was what made the Jay boy think so important the first time something had gone wrong and he remembered everything plenty of other kids are gone they just didn't know it we're the fourth and fifth graders received this Intel is still unknown to
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me few months went by the stalks of the bad chair and Jay boy died down we were told by a prince nur Abner that Steve had spent his last months in hospital fighting hard but had sadly passed away
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from cancer Tony concluded that the bad chair was nothing more than a scary story made up by the fifth graders to freak out us younger kids we just about believe that until the very last day of our first
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grade year summer was approaching fast so naturally everyone was very excited and with the excitement comes shenanigans so to say that last day our first grade class joiner was miss Lucky's second grade class and we all had a fun little pizza party we're
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playing games singing songs telling stories usual and a 2nd grader named William ran through the classroom door Sabich it left just a few minutes before to use the restroom all the children looked upset and concerned for our classmate Miss
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Andersen and Miss lucky just extinguished serious glances Andersen was the first to approach him will sweetheart what's wrong William could hardly stand up and he had sobs so hard that he'd volunteered a little bit onto the carpet the other
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kids were grossed out by his upchuck their own beats his license loudly call for assistance and clean up while Anderson patted will on the back and urged him to share would have had upset him Steve it's Steve he finally cried
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eyes shut tight what miss Anderson tightened her grip on the boy and tried to pull him out into the hall he shrieked in protest and curled into the fetal position one of the adults who had been called to the room room mom offered
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to Carla's parents wait said miss Henderson let's see if he calms down the room mom looked a tad bothered by the response but agreed to wait just a few more minutes miss Anderson asked William again what it happens he finally opened his eyes
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seemed to have been shut for the entirety of his presence let k attempted to distract the rest of us in vain I saw Steve I saw Steve whimpered will eyes red and swollen Steve who Anderson asked no very well which Steve the child man
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dead Steve the room fell silent for will sniffles and coughs blood key and the other adult escorted us from the classroom miss Anderson talked will we all whisper amongst ourselves until we were ordered to remain quiet until our
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parents arrived the end of the day had come and oddly enough none of us wanted to leave we needed to know what we'll saw no notice found out that is until second grade here started I have much to say
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about that summer except that most nights were spent wondering about will Steve and the bad chair I would ask Tony if he had heard anything and he'd ask Phil would ask Scotty but no one had day one of second grade Tony and I met up
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and started asking around about William who would now be in third grade with Scotty and Phil none other than Eddy the same boy who first told me about the bad chair provided us with the answers the William doesn't go to school here
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anymore he's being homeschooled I think why what happened this conversation took place in the few minutes we had before class started he said that while he was taking a pee pee he heard weird squishy sounds and growling when he opened up
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the door yet Steve was on the ground wiggling about only wasn't dead it wasn't even Steve now could Steve not be Steve he was something else too like what I don't know no one does it's all I heard Steve was both alive
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and something else to that we'll started seeing a doctor and now he schooled at home misled King who was now our teacher whistled and ordered us all to take our seats she told us that students would no longer go
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to the bathroom by themselves but would always bring a buddy this was obviously because of the Stephen Jay boy incidents during recess for the beginning of the year mrs. Shonda would poke her head and dine out dome quite often even when my pals
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and I weren't hanging around there he started doing it so much that we stopped going there all together instead walked around the playground at a steady pace if we needed to talk one day Scotty said that his older brother who
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was now in fifth grade been sent to detention for cheating on a test Scotty asked him what detention was like Caleb his brother said he didn't remember said he fell asleep or something he's got to begin crying I
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started bringing up the bat chair mrs. Shonda sauce he doesn't feel well I told her when asked what the tears are about Scotty held his tongue and went along with it mrs. schonder has to feed like to see
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the nurse offering to walk him back Scotty refused but began to cry harder then Rees has handed mrs. Shawn our guided us back to class then we saw her go into the teachers place down the hall now this I remember clearly just two
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rooms down the kindergarten class was having nap time we were having a math lesson miss lucky was talking about basic fractions is something when all the lights went out I heard screaming crying loud loud key ran out of the room leaving us with her
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assistant named Rachel who told us to remain calm about three minutes passed before the lights came back on the screaming crying lasted without a single pause for the entire period darkness when light returned they ceased almost immediately it was the kindergarteners
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miss Leckie told us they were afraid of the dog that wasn't even close to what the kindergarteners at recess told us they'd fallen the power outage and screaming rooms at recess my friends and I decided to ask some kitten gardeners
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would have caused them so much fried many kindergarteners were not at school that day we managed to find a few wall told an extremely similar story for the sake of readability I will change the language and grammar they used to be
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more coherent the accounts of follow obviously not how kindergarteners talk but rather how I added them all the details are exactly as they said just touched out first we asked blonde girl I don't recall her name before naptime started
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Miss Natasha prayed for us this was already a bizarre thing to here's our school was non-religious parents have gotten into fits over any mention of religious activity who were influenced by teachers she wasn't praying to God she was
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praying to something else I can't pronounce it it didn't sound like English she mentioned Steve dead Steve and Jay boy and it made us feel weird like tingly sleepier than we were before I don't know how long we're asleep
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before something came what came the girl started trembling and looked like she was about to cry but in an instant she calmed down even smiled a bit it was beautiful she said so beautiful she didn't say much else but another
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kindergarten I did miss Natasha prayed for us before naptime started I started feeling hard after she mentioned Steve and Jay borne something else I don't know how to say it was weird but I got sleepy real fast some of my friends
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closed their eyes but I fought to keep mine open because I wasn't sleepy before I kind of had to pee I pulled my blanket over my head so miss natasha wouldn't notice I was awake the kid had a
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particularly blank stare and expressionless face but it found him sitting by the swingset not doing anything at all I heard the classroom door open Miss Natasha walked out I could tell cuz I heard her heels clicking against the
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floor took out my blanket and then something joined what-what joined I snapped haven't had the answer taken away last time it knew I was awake it didn't want me to be awake I shouldn't been awake the boys pay started to
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increase it was hard to catch every word it was not in a state of panic like the other job though it stood above me it stood right above me heavy weight it was on me but I knew it wasn't touching
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me I was scared I wanted to cry but I didn't I didn't cry and I should have been asleep and we couldn't understand any more after that we talked to one more kindergarten and his name I remember his name was Joshua ell he had
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tennis ball friends you know the tennis balls they cut open and put on the legs of chairs yeah he took those off and drew eyes on them and talked to them we saw him do it at recess a lot anyway
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we talked to him and every time he said something he moved the mouths of his tennis ball friends we were getting ready to sleep when Miss Natasha said a prayer for us our God is a funny name and he cares about dead Steve and Jay I
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got a warm and tingly so I closed my eyes to sleep and then I slept and then something came Toni interjected Joshua put one of his tennis balls right in Tony's face yes yes something did I know this
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because we all woke up and the lights were off mr. Natasha had left them on I didn't know where she was then we all screamed all of us at first we didn't know why not even me I was screaming and I didn't
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even know why I screamed until it hurt I felt like I had to know teachers came in to check on us no matter what they said we were alone with something touched all of us one by one knew my name none of us
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said anything then Joshua said something it was undeniable and then he smiled and recess was over no kindergarteners told their parents what had happened no one else asked or if they did they didn't say just me Tony Scotty and Phil knew what Josh and the
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others had said school continued like normal for years anticlimactic right nope I don't think things were actually normal because I found something out just three days ago my mom told me a story about my second grade year that I
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didn't remember she said my friends and I had drawn nasty stuff on our teachers whiteboard she said we got sent to detention for that I don't remember that at all I know what happened only one explanation we didn't draw a stuff on
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the whiteboard we didn't get sent to detention we got sent somewhere else we took a seat in the bad chair and whatever happened there worked all my memories of the rest is second grade and third grade and fourth grade
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cannot be trusted I returned to Augusta Georgia to fun war would instead I found a different school in this place which for their sake I will not name the building though was same as war wood was refurbished and painted differently I
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entered the school and asked the front desk about its history explaining than I used to attend the school when it was called war wood oh yes war wood it was renamed after the management changing oh for management change yes most of the original staff
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quit or relocated rather abruptly to many different places the DuPont and Fayetteville DC fire broker filly hmm I paused was any reconstruction done to the interior my eyes glanced down the hall where the teachers lounge is originally been no what I don't think so
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why not just have some fuzzy memories in one room I'd like to clear them up I'm afraid I can't let you into any of the rooms of that special permission that's okay I understand would you happen to know if any of the old teachers from or
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would still work here just one I believe who Natacha tuber she still teaches kindergarten did she teach you not me personally but I do remember her would you like to speak with her after school the day ends at about an hour yes I
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would appreciate that Thanks I took a seat outside the office and browsed on my phone the woman at the front desk had called Natasha's room and informed her that she had a visitor what's your name sir she asked me Alex his name is Alex
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he's a former student some brief conversation past none she hung up Natasha remembers you very excited to see you good I smiled my heart was skipping beats and I felt nauseous but I did my best to hide it I excused myself
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to the restroom which was exactly where I remembered it I recalled the story about dead Steve appearing in this very bathroom and I knew the teachers around was just to run over I did my business and as I wash my
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hands a child entered hello said the boy hello said the boy hey I'm good with children the children I know that is at this point I was afraid of being labeled a pervert and spoke with children in her
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Elementary restroom however and did my best to avoid saying much of anything but kid sees they can be very social and this one was are you someone's daddy nope why wasn't this boy even going to the bathroom he was standing outside the
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stalls watching me wash my hands you look like someone's daddy okay I Drive my hand is an awkwardly waved goodbye the boy remains still staring as I left the restroom I looked to my left and saw the door to the lounge the door had been
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redone and was far fancier now it even said teacher's lounge on the window very cliche I casually strolled by and looked inside with my eyes corners I didn't see anyone then I got a bad idea I decided to test the doorknob it was
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unlocked so I went inside fridge coffee table sink staff restroom chairs door the same door I'd seen glimpses of in my time at warped wood I did a precautionary check behind me confirming that no teachers were heading inside now
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that I'd be able to avoid them anyhow then I returned my attention to the door it was now or never I supposed I approached it with a trembling hand and twisted the doorknob it creaked open exactly how you'd imagine an old door
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would I peered into a dark staircase that descended straight downward cold air washed over my face and my head began to throb I took a step inside and a thriving girl worse it did with every step down there was no light I could see
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at the bottom yet I continued with my phone screen as a guide the pain in my head stretched down to my spine my body knew I opinion before whatever happened wasn't good as I reached the bottom of the stairwell I spotted a light switch
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on the right with my phone I flicked it out I'm not knowing what to expect boxes lots of boxes and shelves no bad chair no candles no satanic symbols or skeletons pictures of children despite this my head and back still ached
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welcome back Alex Natasha stood on the bottom step smiling and dressed in a floral gown now I'm leaving out of my way I did not know how threatening I sounded though I did try open up the box Alex I said move
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a walk forward with fists balls but she did not care she did not even look at me you look behind me a grin wider what the hell did you do to me in here I had broken I had given in and asked she knew
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I was afraid she had leverage Natasha said the same thing that girl in kindergarten class had said it was beautiful so beautiful then she pointed to the storage boxes take a look No yes I wanted to or at least something
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inside me wanted to but I refused Tony Scott Phil they came back to shut up Natasha moved past me very gently as though walking on air I wanted to burst up the stairs but something held me back she knelt down by a rather large box to
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the right of the room and opened it it had not been sealed she stuck her entire left arm inside of it and grunted as she lifted an object out as soon as I saw it I fell to my knees I remembered it just
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barely this girl none of a human and of no animal I had ever seen I was frozen in place pain in my body was nestled extreme that I wish I had to wait to kill myself Natasha spoke but it was unknown scible then she
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placed the skull on top of my head in my mind saw them all teachers dressed in black the candles bonds of my wrists and ankles the road ones the way they move with a bent their faces distorted beyond
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imagination the shaking of the ground beneath me the freezing blast to win from somewhere else and they all shrieked and bowed in the corner I saw Tony and Phil and Scotty they were solving and vomiting their eyes rolled back in their heads I
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returned to the moment at hand and watched Natasha die that demented bald boy with something on him was tearing at a flesh dead Steve my eyes closed and I heard the screams of kindergarteners the prayers of Natasha the songs of the
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faculty the unpronounceable I remembered all those days at school after I had taken his seat in the bad chair my throne the our spending worship the plans the visions unpronounceable entering children entering me I didn't know his work dead Steve Jay boy when he
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did work work well there's a little piece of something everywhere he left me for a while but he's back now he always comes back to all of us there's nothing that can be done about it everyone will sit down everyone will be
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someone exchanged written by an all-night narrated by Peter bishop late one night about ten months ago I found myself rushing my daughter to the hospital I remember the morning what time I woke up the food I ate and the
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sound of my girl's voice yelling see your daddy as she ran out the door to catch a school bus everything was normal average but were there signs could I have expected to bring her home from school at 12 that afternoon could I have
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guessed the cause to be chest pains or predicted that those pains would return again 11 hours later causing her to cry out in pain and fear could I have been better prepared for the race to the ER that ensued just before her heart gave
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out I don't know I remember that night the heavy rain pounding against my car creating a slick sheen on the streets that made driving over 40 impossible the images of street maps and traffic lights bleeding into one another on my
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windshield I remember the franticness I felt as I gripped the steering wheel swerving and slamming on the horn to warn the blurry shapes of pedestrians to get off the [ __ ] Road before they ended up getting personal with the front of my
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car I remember her a white eyes as she held her chest in agony the suffocating sense of hopelessness that filled the air around her by the time we reached the parking lot where she fell unconscious her motionless chest by the time I
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carried her through those automatic doors what followed was a long 40 minutes in the waiting room the emergency room was surprisingly empty for a Friday night apart from the woman at the check-in desk the face a mask of
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indifference I doubted she had much interest in discussing why I was there soaking wet and tapping my foot in my pajamas looking back that indifference seems vaguely irritating at the time it was fine by me I wasn't feeling
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talkative anyway I sat in an uncomfortable waiting room chair and thought about my daughter I wondered what those doctors were doing to her in that disgusting hospital room my mind jumped back and forth between the present and the last time had seen
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something like this my wife had had a similar episode eight years before shallow breathing chest pains sweating moaning a look of panic I'll never forget that look the look of someone whose time had come for her it had from a combination of
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heart and lung failure she died officially in the emergency room though by the time the ambulance arrived there wasn't anything that doctors could have done to save her considering that I thought maybe it wasn't so irrational that I chosen to
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drive recklessly through the streets to the hospital myself as opposed to calling 9-1-1 and waiting for my daughter to die still the ride was rough I probably did even more damage I braced myself for the worst the news when it
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came fell somewhere in the middle of the spectrum not bad certainly not good she's unconscious but her breathing stable the doctor started relieved I interrupted and thanked him for telling me she was alright at least that's what I thought he was saying
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before I sensed his grim disposition and cut myself off he repeated she wasn't dead but went on to report that she was far from healthy at the time the doctors could only guess at what was causing her symptoms but within a few days we
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learned my daughter was functioning with diseased heart and lungs likely hereditary they said something inside me couldn't help but agree her heart was already struggling to pump blood while her lungs made breathing difficult directly and quite coolly the doctors
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told me if something wasn't done and soon the consequences would be dire this wasn't a situation that could be remedied by a prescription if she expected to live and regain her health she would need a donor for one heart and
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at least one lung they said so she was put on an organ donor list we were asked to return weekly to make sure she remained stable until her number came up simple but there was one thing I neglected to acknowledge initially
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something never mentioned by the doctors probably to keep our hopes up a stress would make things complicated her blood I was the one that had to ask I needed to know what the chances were of finding a suitable donor I never found out for a
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fact whether or not the doctors knew her chances from the start whether they knew all along how rare her blood was I never wanted to know ignorance is bliss as they say and the idea that if we hung in just long enough
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the organs would come like a postal package would have made the waiting more bearable it would have been so I wouldn't have inquired I would have blamed time until the letters suggested I asked it was around three weeks after
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that first harrowing night in the hospital that my daughter was deemed healthy enough to go back to school out of caution I stayed home from work that day waiting tensely by the phone in case something happened at least that way I
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figured I wouldn't be on the other side of town if I needed to pick her up it was one hour before she was due to return home two hours after the mailman should have made his daily rounds and
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must have been dozing off at the time because I awoke to a strong whiff of something dreadful he came and went so quickly I was unsure whether I had only imagined it but for a second my nose was
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filled with a pungent aroma that smelled something like burning fish and wet smoke next I heard the unfamiliar scraping sound of something sliding through my mail slot despite the fact that no one not even the mailman ever used the thing while I found it strange
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I didn't feel like checking right away to see who could have delivered the letter five minutes I lay there before deciding to get my mail once at my door I saw the envelope on the mat I picked it up and
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examined it completely blank there was no return address no sending address not even a stamp it was just a sealed blank envelope I went to my window to appear outside I didn't see anyone in the yard no foreign cars were in my driveway or
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parked all on the sidewalk either I shrugged figuring I must have missed them envelope in hand I set back onto my couch and stared at him momentarily as I held it I swear my fingertips started tingling as though the envelope were
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made of little insect legs trying to wriggle out of my grasp I have cently past the sensation of his nerves before finally opening the letter I'm not quite sure that I should have the tingling sensation left after the seal was broken
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and took out the letter inside it's texture was oddly damp I remember the message well it said you have a daughter that needs a heart and lungs or she will die you won't find anything her blood is rare ask about the blood you can still
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save her the clock is ticking you can exchange a child close to her age for her life you must have them alive to 67 it was when I read those five lines I started to hear clicking as though someone were lightly wrapping
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their fingernail on the back of my skull at irregular intervals since the message was so subtle so ambiguous though my immediate questions overshadowed any other thoughts or feelings was this a threat a joke who knew about my daughter's condition
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she barely did I mentally ran through a list of names of the few friends and family members with whom my daughter and I associated none had the closeness the timing or the motivation to pull this off my first instinct was to go to the
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police with the letter after my own mental investigation yielded no results unfortunately when I did the police investigation came up likewise short in fact without a return address or even a trace of fingerprints other than my own there was not much investigation to be
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done furthermore without any act of physical violence or a direct threat the authorities would not or could not do much to help they just told me to remain cautious keep my house secure put the letter out of my mind and go back to
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work try not to think about it they said crazy folk will do this sort of thing from time to time still I couldn't stop thinking about the message about the blood that letter I received wasn't the last for the next few months every one
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to two weeks I received another message each one was more disturbing than the last some were short poems detailing how I would stare at her tombstone wondering what I could have done others were more graphic describing her choking on her
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own fluids as her faulty heart drew blood into her floored lungs one had a different number at the bottom their meaning would eventually become clear but at the time that was simply unable to make the connection the worst
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part of the whole deal had to be the clicking with every word from those letters the clicks became louder and louder when I neglected to read only one of the clicks would spike in volume and frequency until I did living with
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terrible headaches from which no painkillers or earplugs could save me I heard clicks when people talked a word on the radio that couldn't even enjoy dinner with my daughter anymore a recall screening at her wants to shut her damn
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mouth before storming out of the kitchen even in my dreams that clique served as a metronome and never-ending soundtrack as my mind against my will acted out the messages stories or predictions no one but me could hear them I tried chopping
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it up to stress of the letters reminding me that my daughter's chances of survival were in the single digits still even that excuse couldn't prepare me for my eventual mental collapse one of the messages came shortly before the end of
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my daughter's school year I found her home a half hour earlier than me reading one of the letters I snatched it away from her scolding her for checking mail that wasn't hers truthfully though I didn't want her to see the messages
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often describing my or her own demise but instead of expressing the same fear and disgust I felt when I first read them she simply gave me a puzzled look then she spoke saying something along the lines of dead it's just a bunch of
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scribbles relax it was then I actually read the letter I mean really read the letter not with my own inner Monell not with the clicks just scanning the markings on the page with my eyes what I saw was nothing more than a
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series of smeared lines and curves after the first letter I hadn't thrown away the messages I received I had thought I would collect them as evidence to eventually show the police again to better conveyed that this was undeniably
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a long-term problem but with the knowledge that the mess that was this most recent letter had at first appeared so like the others I was compelled to go back and check through my archives of the disturbing mail I had now been
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receiving for months I saw that starting from the second letter onwards the letters appeared to gradually become more unclear finally reaching the altogether unintelligible state of the letter I was given today still I understood them all when I listened to the clicks were the
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clicks translating this unreadable chicken-scratch I couldn't go back into work thinking about that another week past I took about two weeks of sigelei from my job I spent them waiting by the door for the next letter I didn't know
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when it would come but I knew I had to catch the sender the letters the lips the translation I needed answers it became an obsession each day became a blur of me staring at the door waiting for someone besides my daughter to walk
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up to it occasionally I daydreamed about catching this elusive letter carrier pinning them down bringing my fist down on their snot-nosed face again and again screaming why and how until they gave me an answer I liked the clicks approved at these
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violent fantasies I scared the mailman off on the third day screaming at him that I knew it was him I knew it wasn't though he never came to my doorstep and he had no means or motive to make this
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happen I don't know why I did it the clerk's approved of the blame the day came eventually I detected that memorable scent of fishy wet smoke I wasn't expecting it but I didn't have five minutes for another mental check I
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left for the door before they could even get the chance to think of slipping another letter through I was sure I had them I swung the door open to reveal my empty porch I smiled I let out a small
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chuckle before giving a hyena like laughs I leaned against the frame of the door clutching my stomach laughing I slipped to the ground so I was crazy it explains so much that damn fishy smoke I smelled was all
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in my head those clicks reverberating in my skull was because I'd snapped and knew it I did I called out two imaginary men in white telling them to stick me in a straightjacket right then and there because I had lost my mind
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that's what I thought when I got up and walked back into my house when I closed the door I heard the slot and felt a piece of paper ricochet off my leg I didn't feel that I tried to convince
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myself I'm crazy and mad the smell vanished my smile didn't chills run up my spine I picked up the letter and took it back to the couch I didn't bother looking out the window or opening the door again I knew no one
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would be there I read the contents of the letter or rather I listened to the clicks whisper them into my ear it was one line your girl will talk with death today at work at 2:30 I got a call from the school
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saying my daughter had just been rushed to the hospital at 4 o'clock I overheard that if she didn't get her organ soon she would suffer a violent death I even heard them refer to euthanasia as an option I left the hospital around 5:45
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the clerks told me to drop by the rental place before they closed so I did around 8 or 9 I found myself at the bottom of the few bottles at the local pub I can't say for sure what the exact time
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was when you're drunk and numb and was tend to run together but somehow even in my drunken stupor the meaning of those numbers at the bottom of the lettuce hit me how they were counting down to my daughter's final day the day the
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predictions of the letters would come true when I came home late the Quigs were suddenly soothing they lulled me to sleep that night no nightmares and no visions all they did was click to me in black unconsciousness repeating the first letters contents
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with a smooth rhythm I had my instructions I awoke the next morning I felt good the quicks told me that everything would go well today that my daughter would soon be ok because I knew exactly what to do so after a wash and a brief
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breakfast I headed out to pick up the van from the rental place for the next few hours I drove the clicks were quiet for the first time in a while they were respecting my hunt around midday I found
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my prey in a quiet unfamiliar neighborhood I spied a kid somewhere around my daughter's age he had some frizzy hair walk crooked glasses and carried a large book bag I didn't know what he was doing out or where he was
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going I didn't care this kid was perfect I'm not a religious man but that moment I was sure he was a godsend this kid was here for me for my daughter I just had to get him I pulled up beside him hey there I said
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in my friendliest voice heavy bag you've got there need alert before I could finish my sentence the [ __ ] bolted looking back could I blame him no but then suddenly I was consumed with rage at him for running like that he was
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teasing me I shook as the clips roared like a marching band get him get him get him my muscles reacted before my brain could object as I launched the van afford the quakes approved at my quick decision there was no screen not what I heard
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anyway it was the thud that brought better sanity back and the clicks lower to the point of being inaudible was like waking from a dream what was I doing I looked through the windshield onto the street to see something lying in front
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of the van my heart stopped I got out to get a better look the kids arms and legs were crooked and bent at fantastic angles as he lay sprawled flat on the asphalt his book bag was busted open its
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contents strewn around the scene his glasses in his left sneaker had been knocked off somewhere I couldn't tell where the blood was pooling from from his head from his mouth from the limbs bent too far in the wrong directions
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I covered my mouth what had I done why why why after slamming my palm against my forehead several times I wondered if he might still be alive yes he was still breathing anyway the clicks reminded me that was all I needed a kid that was
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alive I looked around we were still alone too I had no excuse I scooped him up in my arms ignoring his warm bodily fluids dripping onto my arms I opened the Vans back door and laid him inside I
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left before anyone could see us it didn't take me long to realize that I had no idea where to go the clicks have made no mention of where I should deliver the bleeding felony lying in the backseat after 10 minutes
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of cleaning the hood of the van for the kids blood with my shirt and 30 minutes of aimless driving I finally gained the nerve to head back home where else was I supposed to go without further instructions home was my best bet
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sure enough leaning against my door was another blank envelope I brought the envelope back to the van and opened it this time the scribbles were more like an ink blot from a Rorschach test as if the messenger were
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mocking my madness translated by the klicks though it was a simple address I took out my phone and entered it into the GPS I can't say what happened afterwards all I know is that for the next few hours I drove from location to
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location I don't remember any of the places I went or what I did in between all I remember is my ultimate destination the next thing I recall is driving along a long strip of empty road with no signs or hydro poles in sight
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in the passenger seat was a stack of ink blots I looked at my phone it was dead I then looked back to see that the kid I abducted wasn't it looked like I had bandaged him at some point to stop the
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bleeding he was quiet so he must have still been unconscious or maybe I knocked him out again I don't know after looking at him and then at the road I finally started to feel guilty not just for running over
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an innocent kid but for what I was doing to him now where I was taking him I figured I would eventually come across some lone house in the middle of nowhere stories of mentally disturbed pedophiles keeping children in their basements for
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years to be tortured raped or worse rushed into my mind I love my daughter I thought I loved her so much but was her life one that would end in less than two weeks worth the lifelong suffering of this one random
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kid what would she say if she knew where I was now the rational part of my brain finally broke through I had to turn around get this kid some medical attention forget the letters forget the clicks forget the smell forget all the
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predictions I had to accept that my daughter would soon die just as my wife had if only I'd come to that conclusion an hour earlier impossibly fast the road in front of me opened up in seconds it wasn't a road anymore but more like an
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unmarked parking lot infinitely expanding in every direction it was so smooth I would have believed it was only paved that day when I look back the road I had been driving and was gone behind me was nothing but the infinite plane of
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asphalt rationality was replaced by fear as the van began to slow down eventually it stopped and shut off I tried the key in the ignition nothing happened there wasn't even a coffin engine trying to start up I thought my chest tighten I
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was now in the middle of a surreal no we're sitting in a dead van with a dead phone and a nearly dead kid a light fog rolled onto the asphalt plane and I began to smell that damp smoke again
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stronger than ever I coughed I opened the door and fell out of the van somehow thinking the air would be fresh or outside it wasn't I lay on the ground coughing for a few minutes before my lungs suddenly adjusted once I finally
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stopped coughing I felt a ray of something warm on me when I got up far in front of me was a figure holding a lantern in the fog I couldn't make out any details of its features it was then that I heard the
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clicks from its direction I translated the lantern began fading into the fog I scrambled up desperately and ran for it eventually however after slowing down several times from exhaustion I understood that as long as I kept moving toward it the light would not
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fade every few seconds a light breeze assaulted me with that smell a new wind came and went but never so shortly like this either way I was certain I was heading to the source of the smell when I looked down I saw the ground had
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become more and more null and rocky and it continued to do so the further I went then there were the clothes the first article I noticed was a dirty sneaker that seemed like it had been there for years
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it had rotted on the outside and lay there lonely as I went further more abandoned sneakers began showing up next came shirts then pants then other articles of clothing littered the area every time that breeze came through they
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would drift back slightly then I saw where the clothes were coming from eventually I came across a second figure this one looked human a girl I called out to her but got no response I saw that she had a pickaxe and was
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swinging it mechanically into the asphalt her clothes were worn her pants were filled with holes like she'd been shot several times in the thighs she was also missing a sneaker when I approached her she didn't notice me she
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stared into the ground with red bloodshot eyes as if I wasn't even there faint black marks were drawn down the sides of her cheeks as though she had been crying ash that was most unnerved by her age she couldn't have been older
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than 14 or 15 when I tried to touch her they winced back her skin was hot not hot like a fever but hot like a burning stove something was wrong with her I knew but I couldn't do anything but
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continue on the further I went the more abandoned clothes and kids I saw most of them were missing at least one if not more articles of clothing some were only throwing their tools into the ash vault others were actually filling holes
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created I glanced into one of the deeper ones being filled to see two kids naked and just standing some of the working ones it was a medical miracle that they were even still alive the more I followed the lantern the more kids I
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began to notice who were missing things not just clothes they were missing physical parts of themselves one kid I noticed had pieces of meat scoot out of parts of his legs and abdomen like ice cream servings I could see the white of his ribs another
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girl looked to have a clean hole in a body where her heart was supposed to be the boy looked like his eyes had been taken out yet still he worked they all skilled world then suddenly I noticed one kid he was not working but
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running out of pure horror I saw him in the distance heading across the asphalt I watched it morbidly curious to see what would happen and knew in the back of my mind he wouldn't get far they came out of the fog tall who armless
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preachers that swooped around him he didn't have a chance there must have been five or six they had heads of pale beautiful women but the bodies of trees made of material that resembled satin this boy didn't appear to be English as
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I heard him plead in some foreign language even from a distance I could see the figures smile swinging their eyes closed as they listened to his prize they opened their mouths but rather than saying anything they just clicked from their throats clicks I
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couldn't understand they then bent their long bodies toward the center of the circle they created and put their heads upon their victim I could guess walking went south accompanied by the screams as the heads bobbed up and down
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inside the circle this was the exchange I was prepared to make my daughter's life for the life of that kid I didn't even know I would condemn him to live the rest of his days and beyond in this
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world working until there was nothing left of him I wondered what happened when there wasn't I didn't try to run why was that I wonder was it because of what I saw was it because I remembered the van wouldn't work was it because
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part of me still wanted this horrible exchange I don't know soon I noticed the fog getting darker with every step I couldn't see the sky but something told me the Sun was setting eventually there came a point when I no longer heard the sound of the
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children working the area was black save for the lantern which was still guiding me I was already beginning to feel claustrophobic when I heard moans to either side of me they echoed like I was in some kind of cave even though I still
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felt the asphalt below my feet I heard stomach-turning squishes with every step I took as the distance between the lantern and I closed I began to see the walls as the cave now it wasn't made of rock but rather
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something organic in the walls were bodies of skin and stripped of all muscle bone and organs nothing was left of these figures and yet somehow I saw their mouths move in agony as they struggled against them moist prison the
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air was filled with moaning it's eating us I thought about the breeze now strong I wondered if I was actually in a cave at all the lantern thing clicked stop five feet separated me from the morbid walls the figure clicked for me to look
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down the cooler was there inside wrapped up and kept fresh with dry ice were one heart and two fresh lungs it was just as they promised silently briefly had wondered to whom they belonged the cliques promised them to be satisfactory
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for my daughter followed by instructions on how to present them to avoid suspicion I didn't ask any questions whether my silence stemmed from a fear for my life or from a sort of indifference now that the deed was done
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I don't know I just nodded in comprehension exempt the thing clicked exchanged then the lantern went out I realized my eyes were closed I opened them to see that I was back in my living room the lights were out and it was dark
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outside I looked down and felt the cooler on my lap after setting the cooler off to the side I went upstairs and got all of the letters together the clicks didn't come back to translate them this time I took them to the
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backyard and started a fire in the fire pit I spent the hours until sunrise slowly tossing each letter an envelope into the fire one once everything was done I had no proof of my encounter with that place there was likewise no evidence pointing
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toward me for the disappearance of that kid my phone and the addresses were gone for good as I left both in the van the van itself mysteriously returned to the rental Lot in immaculate condition I silently gave the all ones I received
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from a deceased family member to the hospital for my daughter's operation I had no evidence to prove my story all I could do was try my best to accept what happened and move on the surgery was a success
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months passed and my daughter went back to school I eventually managed to go back to work I still had nightmares at that place it was torture knowing that no one would ever find the corpse of the boy for
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whose death I was responsible they say that what goes around comes around that Karma's a [ __ ] and always bites back whoever said that was right because karma bit hard yesterday I came home to find my daughter gone and my doormat was
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an envelope when I picked it up it didn't tingle I opened it and found typed I'm sorry I had to you should understand my daughter didn't come home that evening since then I've been sitting here documenting this when I started
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recounting my story I wasn't sure what the account would ultimately be a confession no one would believe me my suicide note if my daughter was in that place indefinitely deathless Lee who would I be to take the easy way out while she
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suffered like that I didn't know why for whom I was compelled to write this down I still don't know but now the smell is back the clicks are whispering in my ear they tell me they have her they tell me
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I can save her they promised to help me get her back in perfect condition or better but only after I make a few more exchanges crown the clown written by allies width room performed by Kaelin Scott Carter I
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was always a spoiled kid my parents were wealthy and decided to spend their money smothering their only son with an incredible childhood I had it all my playroom was insane a huge TV pinball machines and every toy you could imagine
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it was awesome despite having so much I wasn't a brat about it I can say that now having thoroughly examined my childhood I love to share my immense stash of stuff with my friends I gave toys away invited them over for pizza
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and movies and was all-around pretty generous on paper I should have been a spoiled snob but for whatever reason I wasn't good genes I guess on my ninth birthday I had a bunch of my friends over my dad rented a huge moon bounce
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for us and decorated our backyard with superhero apparel I was going through a major phase tables were set up with punch and snacks little finger foods to keep us from complaining until dinner balloons and banners were tied to every
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surface my parents way of establishing how loved I was music played from giant speakers my dad had set up on the back patio my friends and I ran around and Cham doubt while waiting our turn in the moon
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bounce my grandparents arrived a couple hours into the party bringing with them a party gift my grandmother informed me she had purchased it as a yard sale give me fire it was a giant hollow plastic clown head it looked like one of those weird cheap
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toys from the 90s something that was popular for a week before getting all of its units shelved its face was white with red circles lining the painted eyes a smile was smeared to its lips the goofy grin that was also painted red
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then those was a Bulbasaur of a plastic that set oddly on its face like a giant gumball as I turned over this strange gift in my hands my grandfather handed me a plastic gold crown he said it was
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part of the game seeing my confusion my grandmother laughed and explained what it was she said I was supposed to wear the clown head while my friends attempted to sneak up and crown me I flipped the head over
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and saw serrated notches lining the bald dome where the crown went I thought it was pretty lame but didn't want to be rude I dutifully slid the plastic clown head over my own the interior hard against my temples as it settled over me
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I realized I couldn't see anything red light filtered through the plastic but there was concerning lack of iowa's my grandfather chuckled as he watched me stumble around hands outstretched so I wouldn't bump into anything I asked why there were no eye holes and
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he told me it'd be too easy for me to win the game I had to rely on my ears to keep my friends at bay he said the game was called crowned the clown I was beginning to understand the rules it was
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like some weird version of pin the tail on the donkey but with a clown and a crown and said my friends had gathered around to watch me and soon they were laughing and calling out for me my grandmother tossed one of
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them the crown and the game began it was surprising fun the plastic mass got hot but I didn't mind I was too caught up in keeping my friends away from me and the crown off my head after 20 minutes passed and still no one
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had managed to get me I was laughing and stumbling around doing my best not to bump into anything my friend John was calling out to me and I didn't know if he had the crown or if he was trying to
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distract me turns out he was trying to distract me I suddenly felt something click over my head followed by a great cheer for my friends I had finally been crowned smiling despite my defeat I went to take the big plastic head off me but
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found that I couldn't the neck hole was suddenly smaller curling tight under my chin and biting into my skin I tucked harder trying not to panic the air inside the head had already grown thick I wrapped my fingers around the base of
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the head pulling up as hard as I could I felt rough edges cut into me and I immediately stopped I could hear my friends laughing at me I'm sure I looked ridiculous but at that time I didn't find any humor in the
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situation sweat dripped into my eyes and I blinked against the burning sensation my breath blew back at me from the tight walls of the head the red light filtering through the I paint making me dizzy and disoriented I was suddenly
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very aware of how claustrophobic clown head was I called out for someone to help me doing my best to keep panic for my voice still laughing one of my friends came to my aid I felt his hands around my ears and
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suddenly I screamed as he jerked upward pain exploded around my face and I shoved him away from me panting why couldn't I get this thing off me it had been so easy to put on slidin comfortable over my head with little
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room to spare but now everything was squishing in on me the opening flush against my throat I suddenly realized my nose was bent against the plastic bent painfully to the right I then understood what was happening the clown head was shrinking I screamed for
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someone to get my dad sweat pouring from my face the head stunk and the combination of unfiltered breath and sweat may be lightheaded my throat was parched but my lips were lined with perspiration I felt the burning fingers
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of claustrophobia wrap around my mind the head squeezed a little tighter I scream begin for my dad my vision obscured by the head I suddenly heard him in the front of me it felt his hands traced the outer surface of my prison
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his voice changed from amusement to worry in a matter of seconds that scared me even more I tried tugging at the head again yelling into the plastic dome explaining that it was getting tighter and tighter my dad heard the panic in my voice and I
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felt him uselessly struggle to remove my source of agony his fingers trace the now compressed opening at the bottom he tried to slide his fingers between the lip of the base and my skin but just ended up choking and gagging me as his
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knuckles burrowed into my throat the clown heads grip on my head tightened further I wheeze and sunk to my knees the heat and lack of oxygen causing my head to swim my dad was yelling at my friends instructing them to go retrieve
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something from the woodshed I didn't hear much instead concentrating on my breathing my head throbbed as the hard plastic compressed my skull like a great waiting to pop I heard my mom's concerned voice a shrill inquiry that my
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dad ignored I felt his fingers tried to pry the head off my throat again he could tell I was fading panic cracked his voice as he yelled at my friends to hurry his fingers were back at my throat
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digging desperately trying to give me some kind of relief and knelt before him swaying slightly and sucking in hot stinking air suddenly my father tried to jam his hand further in and I felt my gag reflex engage and my stomach rolled
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as I Drive wrenched into the hot plastic my body hitched and I felt another wave coming I tried to fight it but it was like trying to stop a train I vomited into the mask regurgitated soda and pretzels gushing into the tight space I
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gasped and the smell alone brought another cow rocketing from my lips it sloshed around my face filled my ears the hot bile splashing against my skin with nowhere to go it was trapped inside the head along with me and I was drowning in it it came
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to just above my nostrils a slimy yellow line below my eyes my father heard me gurgling inside the head and quickly laid me on my back the vomit pouring around my ears and giving me a pocket to breathe my gas then the putrid hair and
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felt the plastic tighten again a wet hard compress that began to fill my vision with darkness I felt my strength begin to leave my body my head was wrapped with an iron grip and I didn't know how much longer I'd last in its
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clutches suddenly my friend returned with the item my father had asked for I heard him instructing me his voice drowned out by the puke in my ears he slowly turned me on my side and I coughed and gagged against the slurping
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vomit my nose felt like it was breaking against the walls of my prison my ears burned and sweat coated my skin I felt my father slide something cold and hard along the side of my neck just under the
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lip of the head I immediately knew what it was a crowbar I grit my teeth tears pouring from my eyes as my dad apologized his voice cracking with desperation I howled as he applied pressure the crowbar burrowing into my
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neck muscles to my relief I felt the mass give a little just a slight lift that allowed some of the vomit to trickle out suddenly the clown had tightened again squeezing my skull harder than I compared I thrashed on the
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ground screaming in agony clawing at my head I felt like my skull would explode the pressure and the darkness swam closer I heard my father and struck my friends to hold me still as he readjusted the crowbar sweaty hands
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penned me to the earth as my head was pushed sideways I felt my father hovering over me the cold tongue of the crowbar licking the side of my neck my father was apologizing over and over I knew something bad was about to happen
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my muscles bulged in revolt as my dad jammed the crowbar under the lip digging into my skin and drawing blood he shoved it in until I felt it's hard surface resting against my cheek I tensed warm blood streaming down my neck across my
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shoulders I heard my father whisper into my ear to brace myself suddenly overwhelming pressure cut into the side of my face and I thrashed violently clutching and tearing out handfuls of grass as pain shot across my cheek and
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neck like spreading lightening the edge of the crowbar crunched into my jaw as my father applied pressure a last-ditch effort to remove the clown head before it killed me tears ran down my face and read darkness shook my world puke and
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sweat coated my face as I tried to escape the pain my friends held me in place and I heard one of them crying my teeth cracked against each other as my father continued to pull upward with a sickening popping sound I heard my job
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break and suddenly I was taken to a level of splintering agony I didn't know existed my tongue waggled and went numb in my mouth I felt a molar tear free from my gums it tumbled across my tongue like bloody candy
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I felt howling darkness rushed me as it swallowed me I felt the sudden surge of cool air as the clown had cracked and finally shattered as I blacked out I felt my father's shaking me clutching me in his arms his voice faded into the
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nothing I woke in the hospital a few hours later my face wrapped and contorted around some plastic that kept my jaw in place I felt woozy and sick an IV bag by my bed dripping relief into my bloodstream my mother and father were at
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my side eyes bloodshot and filled with concern my grandparents sat on the other side of the bed my grandmother crying as soon as they saw I was awake they began to apologize all at once my father for doing what he
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did and my grandparents for exposing me to such horrors their voice is all babbled into one and I let my eyes close once again the drugs pumping through my body lulling me into a comfortable sleep thinking back on that day I can still
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feel that horrible clown head the way it smelled the way the light filtered through the plastic the weight of it resting across my skull it's like one sick joke now all these years later now that I've recovered from the event I can't help
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but feel disgusted amusement because you see my jaw has never healed properly and there's twisted scar tissue lining my cheek where the crowbar cut into me my jaw is in a constant state of crooked humor like a painful half smile combined
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with the scar tissue stretching from my lips well some would say I look kind of like a clown leave your flashlights at home written by Jeff Harden performed by Steve Taylor I've been a national park ranger for close to two decades protocols have
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changed a lot in that time I write this just to try to keep people safe for the next time you venture to the big outdoors let me tell you about the last park I worked I can't be too specific
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about the location for my job sake anyway we had clusters of campsites so that we rotated annually the idea was to prevent one group from getting overused and worn down let nature regrow a little bit the winner had just passed and our
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big summer season was a few months away I'm sent out to check the suitability of the campsites to decide which ones need time to recover and which ones we can open up winners here cold not too many people camped during the winter aside
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from rugged masochists and Boy Scout troops led by people who believe they are rugged masochists I didn't expect to find much out of the ordinary the first site was cleared and ready to go as I'm trekking to the next site I see what
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looks like some debris and junk down aways in River Valley looks like some jackasses set up an unauthorized camp down there usually when that happens they leave garbage and smoldering fires this is gonna be a pain to clear up I
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approach seeing the telltale wreckage of what must have been one hell of a party crap scattered everywhere skeletons of tents still raised up and blood I stopped and time stops with me pools of blood are spread out along the
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ground next to signs is something heavy being dragged into the brush I pull my radio off my belt and pause I then pulled my Glock 22 out of my holster in rack one round I'm a certified law enforcement officer
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but I haven't had to use my gun in a long time I quickly look around for any movement then get on my radio and call in for backup while I wait I listen silence silence and nature isn't good
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prey get quiet when they sense a predator I hope all the birds are being still on my account my edge forged slowly looking for anyone or anything a shredded plastic cooler a tent that has been annihilated more blood splashed on
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the walls and inside and people died here I know it you can't lose that much blood and just walk off but no people shreds are closed and a little viscera drawing all the damn flies here but no people I've seen bears rummage through
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camps and destroy anything that looked edible there are wild hogs here that cut trails through the deep brush and or even more dangerous than the Bears but this isn't either of them the devastation here is just too much
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some scourge of God came through here and just ripped everything to pieces finally back up arrives and I'm sent to report to HQ they even brought medics out here I don't know why there's no one here to save one of the new recruits
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vomits at the scene I'm glad to get the hell out of here I get back in HQ as a buzz only four people work there but calls were ringing printers printing in the air feels electrified the manager sees me and signals me to his office
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he's pale ashen looking bloodshot eyes I sit down by his desk and he goes to the door and locks it I've never seen him lock that door he asks me what I saw I tell him uninterrupted he looks even
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paler afterward and his hands tremble a bit there's a very long pause and I expect more questions he doesn't ask any I leave then hear the door locked behind me after a few minutes I hear him call someone up in a long low conversation
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ensues I never see him again word comes down from on high we're assigned a new manager one who excels at what he calls crises his first order of business a controlled burn of the unauthorized camp and the site's closest
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to it I'm not arguing I'll watch the smoke rise in the distance and pray that's the end of it new orders relocate the existing campsites closer to HQ before we do that we stake out a few trail cameras at the new locations just
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to make sure it's not in the middle of a nesting ground we put up a few cameras pointed at the hog trails through the brush for good measure a couple of days pass and we go out to collect the
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footage then he manager takes it all and start studying it in his office a couple of hours into reviewing he freaks out start screaming and yelling gets on the phone calling up the line spinning more obscenities he spends the rest of the
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day and that night in the office calling up specialists and planners next morning I show up for a meeting manager doesn't look like he slept massive changes afoot he lays out our new plans including massively bright lamp posts circling the
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park border as well as flood lights around the ranger station campsites need to be moved even closer in clear lines of sight from the light if possible I but in telling him that defeats the point of going camping if you're just
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going on a short walk through the grass then setting up so close you can see the parking lot he tells me to shut up that it's just the start the park now closes at sundown sharp also we're now required
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to have a long gun on our person at all times now it isn't uncommon for Rangers to carry an ar-15 or a Remington 870 shotgun going out in the deep woods there are wild and rabid animals out there
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the real concern are massive pot growers these aren't your chilled neighbor who hides a few plants behind the tomatoes they run the spectrum from large-scale suppliers who like their privacy and dislike law enforcement to anti-government crazies who think we
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have no over them the true patriots both groups have a few common points they tend to be well-armed they do not like lawmen and they won't shy away from taking a potshot at some dump or Ranger who finds
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himself in their fields keep in mind Eliot Ness mr. I fought Al Capone and won got scared off busting up Appalachian moonshiners because they constantly sniped at him in the foothills they shoot to kill those are the reasons we keep the big guns around
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not routine patrols I drew the short straw and got the overnight shift manager tells me more changes to protocol will be listed when I return overnights used to be easy monitor the radios bust up the parties if needed
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check for poachers if they're operating nearby make sure the forest doesn't burn down I clock in and per instructions go to the gun cage my things have changed our shotguns have new rifled barrels so they can handle the solid slugs we've
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been issued that's the kind of firepower you want to take down a charging bear god forbid you ever need it the ar-15s have been stepped up to the old 15 round magazines have been replaced by 30 round ones someone even snuck us in hollow
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point rounds makes no damn sense shooting in the woods you need Full Metal Jacket ammo so the rounds don't go wild when they touch a twig hollow points just exists to do more tissue damage this is ridiculous this is
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overkill we're not a war zone we don't need this firepower next to the radio there are new instructions now we're not allowed to directly respond to emergency calls we can reply figure out what the issue is then we report to a new phone number I
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don't recognize time passes slowly tonight I'm not even allowed to leave the building until sunup a few uneventful nights pass the new flood lights and lampposts are frying my eyes so bright out there a blind man could see a week later some
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kids roll into the light they grab their backpacks start hiking up the ridge I know what they're up to no one has booked the campsite that night cheap young uns going on a campout that would be a raging party I wait for
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the Sun to go down confirming they're not out for a day hike I called my manager to report he instructs me to call the new number I report up to them now a Curt voice answers the phone he asks my Park then pauses he asks the
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issue bunch of kids on an unauthorized site I'll go break it up I can see their camp fire out the ridge right now no do not leave the building do not attempt communication that is all report if there are any developments right after
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daybreak the manager rides up it's real early have you seen them did they leave no car's still there let him rest they're probably all hungover he curses non-stop and then goes inside to make a call I'm outside looking up the ridge
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when he exits the station one ar-15 in his hand another one strapped across his back Glock on his hip he marches single-mindedly toward his car I try to ask him what in God's name he's doing but he isn't listening or responding
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he takes a jerrycan of gasoline from his car and marches up the ridge I yell after him too no reply I consider following him that doesn't seem like a good idea I go back inside and call the number the same Curt voice the same
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direct questions yeah the manager went up to that campsite armed to the teeth and carrying gasoline what the hell do I do stay there do not interfere back up and bound report if there are any developments about that time I start to
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see smoke wafting off the ridge two vans ride into the lot at a screaming speed dozen men heavily armed and armored exit quickly I go out to check hey you who are you guys what's going on the men are all lined up with that
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impeccable military precision one of them a commander I assume exits the vehicle lasts he says which direction did he go I mean he's up there I pointed the increasing smoke the men fan out and start jogging up the ridge
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I hear rifles cocking as they leave I tried to shout after them but no response I look at the fans they came in large nondescript they just say do I response team on the side half an hour later they return dragging the manager
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with him he is bound in zip ties he screams I did what needed to be done trust me it's more than they thought we can't stop this burn it all they throw him in the back and sedate him
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commander approaches me my neck hairs bristle and cold with fear I need to see the office all computers in anything with a hard drive is coming with me you mentioned video tapes I need those two i unlock the doors and they
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ransacked the place everything gets taken printed reports from the last few years disappear into those vans the video tapes get bagged up and held by the commander himself he studies the gun cage cute you're out of your league he
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scoffs finally they found everything they looked for the commander tells me call the number tell him it's contained you need a new superior also don't talk about this to anyone they leave and just on cue the fire brigade and a few
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newsman show up the fire is contained the news reports say rumors of missing campers are unsubstantiated at this time still the rumors alone are enough to scare off this season's campers quick change up managers chocked up to bureaucracy the press dies
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down after a week or two the new manager is very good at dealing with him thankfully with no new campers and are now even shorter open hours we can get more work done around here rebuilding the station took some time and we just
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set up the new campsites they're practically spitting distance from the station nothing dramatic happens for a few days then on a whim the manager tells us to set up some cameras around the station and the camp sites there's
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usually so much human activity around here all you see are some raccoons maybe the rare hungry bear but we humor him and set him up all around a couple of days pass we collect the footage I play poker with one of the rookies while
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the manager watches hours of footage of an empty but brilliantly illuminated parking lot then he gets to the footage around the station screams come from the office we barge in and he's stamping on the camera hard drives gibbering things I can't understand
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along the lines of tony was clean safe no recent activity bullcrap here I'm not gonna do it he barks at us to leave later he makes a call rookie goes up to the door and listens in rookie comes back reporting
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yeah he's demanding a transfer says they lied to him something about they didn't do their jobs properly he's not prepared or equipped here then I just heard the phone click there's some sobbing hours later my manager exits the office his
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shoulders are slumped defeated we cut our hours even further practically open on weekends only we'll have a full staff ready those days but a skeleton crew the rest of the time campers are required to check into one of the closest sites no campsite and
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they're told to leave we are not authorized to leave the station after dark under any circumstances in an emergency do not call 9-1-1 call the number and do exactly what they say we draw straws for who gets overnight
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shifts why we need to stay overnight if we can't do anything it's beyond me I asked the manager about it and he just said that standard protocol is to have someone on hand to report any irregularities overnight I
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have to work my overnight shift I keep my phone close the number dialed in ready if I need to call it is a bad night I just wind up pacing around with my shotgun glancing into the bright floodlights trying to see what's past
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them I hear crickets and it relaxes me prey is quiet when predators are around it was a long night the next night my manager draws the short straw he seems resigned in the end we all have to take a turn he brings the brightest
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damn tactical flashlight I've ever seen said he bought it just because he's afraid of the dark he isn't really he's afraid of the things in the dark I get a phone call at 3:00 a.m. it's in to the
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light I called that number and all I said was backup and be here in the morning damn damn damn I hear the piercing staccato of gunshots pause more gunshots screaming scuffling the line goes dead I called the number a
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new terse voice answers look I work at Park I just got off the phone I just spoke with dog what can you report something Bad's happened I'd serious I heard gunshots we will have back up there as soon as
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possible did he see anything else yeah he said he thought they were attracted to the light doesn't make sense to me interesting thank you for your report Park is now closed goodbye officially the park was closed to be scheduled for a controlled burn
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that the old trees die and make room for new ones there was nothing in the official report about what happened to the manager on duty the public understanding was bureaucracies need to be shaken up on occasion the one asked
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any more questions I get transferred to a new park halfway across the country change the scenery and beautiful I got some hard rules here too don't go far after dark and don't carry a flashlight I'm concerned about why why can't you
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use a flashlight at night when you need one they won't tell me be safe everyone chilling tales for dark nights [Music]
Topics:horrorcreepypastascary storiesThe SwingChilling Tales for Dark Nightshaunted neighborhoodparanormalshort horror storyghost storynightmares
