1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:05,160 Speaker 1: M thirteen days of Halloween is a production of I 2 00:00:05,280 --> 00:00:08,960 Speaker 1: heart radio, Blumhouse television and grim and mild from Aaron 3 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:41,080 Speaker 1: mankey headphones recommended. Listener discretion advised. You heard them, didn't you? 4 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:47,040 Speaker 1: Sorry to startle you, friend. They're always luring people up here. 5 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:52,760 Speaker 1: Listen to me, luring. They only want someone to play with. 6 00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:57,560 Speaker 1: Welcome to the attic. I have to admit, friend, that 7 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:01,120 Speaker 1: this is not my favorite space. As a matter of fact, 8 00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:04,240 Speaker 1: I avoid it like the plague. Despite the toys and 9 00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:07,840 Speaker 1: the picture books, this was not a happy place. The 10 00:01:07,959 --> 00:01:11,600 Speaker 1: architect only had one child, a daughter, and she was 11 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:14,199 Speaker 1: grown before this attic was ever designated as a place 12 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:18,240 Speaker 1: for children. Many years ago there was a great fire 13 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:23,160 Speaker 1: at the Corn Hill orphanage. Many perished and a few 14 00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:26,200 Speaker 1: that survived had neither a home left nor any one 15 00:01:26,280 --> 00:01:29,039 Speaker 1: to care for them. At the urging of the local 16 00:01:29,080 --> 00:01:33,480 Speaker 1: parish priest, our architect took in the five remaining orphans, 17 00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:38,520 Speaker 1: designating this attic as their space. As his staff scrambled 18 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:41,319 Speaker 1: to find someone to care for them, a great stroke 19 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:45,560 Speaker 1: of luck, a man appeared at the front gate offering 20 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:50,520 Speaker 1: his services as tutor. Without so much as asking his references, 21 00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:54,120 Speaker 1: he was allowed in after so much chaos from the attic. 22 00:01:54,520 --> 00:01:57,640 Speaker 1: The quiet that followed seemed to be quite the blessing 23 00:01:57,800 --> 00:02:02,480 Speaker 1: for all downstairs. With the children's apparent welfare provided for, 24 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:07,120 Speaker 1: they were promptly forgotten about. That is until one day 25 00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:10,440 Speaker 1: one of the maids noticed a strange stain growing on 26 00:02:10,480 --> 00:02:13,519 Speaker 1: the ceiling of the room located below the children's attic. 27 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:19,760 Speaker 1: The scene, as you imagine, was not pretty. And as 28 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:23,680 Speaker 1: for the children's tutor, well, Mr Fish was not seen 29 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:28,560 Speaker 1: again for a long, long time. The children keep luring 30 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:31,640 Speaker 1: on witting people up here, though they must get so 31 00:02:31,800 --> 00:02:36,720 Speaker 1: lonely at year's an on witting guests. Now, Yvonne, I 32 00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:41,960 Speaker 1: almost didn't notice you there something to attend to. I 33 00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:44,160 Speaker 1: trust that the two of you can keep each other 34 00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:49,360 Speaker 1: company for a bit. Sure, actually, I always liked the 35 00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:52,440 Speaker 1: piece of it. The graveyard shift at Blue Star gas 36 00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:56,160 Speaker 1: was long and lonely, so I'd spent hours not doing 37 00:02:56,240 --> 00:03:00,320 Speaker 1: much of anything. Occasionally I will look outside keep an 38 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:04,360 Speaker 1: eye on the pumps. I would also glance at the cameras. 39 00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:07,320 Speaker 1: But thinking back, I always heard the customers before I 40 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:10,560 Speaker 1: saw them, and they came in, I usually kept the 41 00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:14,400 Speaker 1: headphones on. I rang up their coffee and gas and 42 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:18,480 Speaker 1: pretzels and six packs, while I listened to podcasts or 43 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:22,960 Speaker 1: the latest news about the Wakefield crusher. Or sometimes I 44 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:25,440 Speaker 1: would just keep the headphones in with nothing playing at all, 45 00:03:26,760 --> 00:03:30,320 Speaker 1: because I saw the customers but they did not see me. 46 00:03:31,919 --> 00:03:34,640 Speaker 1: Something I thought about a lot back then. How many 47 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:37,840 Speaker 1: people are invisible in our day to day lives? The 48 00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:41,600 Speaker 1: men trimming hedges by the roadside, that lady handing you 49 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:45,600 Speaker 1: a milkshake at the drive through, people like me behind 50 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:49,960 Speaker 1: a counter selling snacks and lotto tickets. It's like the 51 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:52,880 Speaker 1: gas station is a machine and I was a piece 52 00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:57,440 Speaker 1: of it. I was a ghost. We all are at 53 00:03:57,440 --> 00:04:01,960 Speaker 1: some point in our lives. One day you realize no 54 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:05,640 Speaker 1: one has seen you, really looked at you in hours 55 00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:11,560 Speaker 1: or months or years, and you realize I am invisible, 56 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:17,640 Speaker 1: I am a ghost and this body, this life I inhabit, 57 00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:28,800 Speaker 1: it's nothing but another haunted house. I had regulars and 58 00:04:28,880 --> 00:04:32,000 Speaker 1: one offers. Folks from town tended to show up for 59 00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:35,359 Speaker 1: the same things around the same time. Truckers gassing up 60 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:38,039 Speaker 1: for the weak, state troopers in the late hours, stopping 61 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:41,640 Speaker 1: by for Lado and energy drinks. Then the one offers. 62 00:04:42,600 --> 00:04:44,680 Speaker 1: I call them that because they were usually one exit 63 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:47,320 Speaker 1: off from where they meant to be. You'd get out 64 00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:49,240 Speaker 1: of towners on the way to family or someone in 65 00:04:49,279 --> 00:04:51,559 Speaker 1: a rental car or college kids on a road trip, 66 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:53,680 Speaker 1: or once in a while you'd get the other ones. 67 00:04:55,320 --> 00:04:57,719 Speaker 1: Most people have been about seven minutes in a gas station, 68 00:04:58,360 --> 00:05:01,279 Speaker 1: longer if they're taking a ship. That evening I had 69 00:05:01,320 --> 00:05:04,279 Speaker 1: seen the usual mix, which is to say not many. 70 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:07,000 Speaker 1: I looked out at the pumps. I could see the 71 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:09,719 Speaker 1: bridge across the turn off. How the moon was waxing 72 00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:15,039 Speaker 1: above it. I wondered idly if it would rain. The 73 00:05:15,080 --> 00:05:17,360 Speaker 1: fat man sitting by the coffee machine had asked if 74 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:19,919 Speaker 1: he could sit down. Before he did he said it 75 00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:22,440 Speaker 1: was a full twenty four hour drive from Charleston. When 76 00:05:22,440 --> 00:05:25,960 Speaker 1: you drove like him, all back roads, he said, the 77 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:31,000 Speaker 1: road rides you. May I sit stretch my legs? I 78 00:05:31,040 --> 00:05:34,359 Speaker 1: remember thinking how odd he was, from his speech to 79 00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:38,919 Speaker 1: his tiny movements, sometimes like a bird, sometimes like a cat, 80 00:05:39,920 --> 00:05:43,400 Speaker 1: how strange he looked, slowly stretching his legs like an 81 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:47,160 Speaker 1: athlete warming up for a race. Coffee is over there, 82 00:05:47,200 --> 00:05:53,200 Speaker 1: I said. Dan Checked in just before midnight, buying an 83 00:05:53,279 --> 00:05:56,640 Speaker 1: energy drink and two scratchers fit late for a pick 84 00:05:56,720 --> 00:05:59,680 Speaker 1: me up, I said. Do you think? He said, but 85 00:05:59,760 --> 00:06:02,760 Speaker 1: never us for the wicked. He sighed, a hand on 86 00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:06,320 Speaker 1: his gun belt. Have you seen those college kids out? Yvonne, 87 00:06:06,839 --> 00:06:09,359 Speaker 1: I hadn't yet, but there's a long road between midnight 88 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:14,000 Speaker 1: and dawn. You've seen any crazies tonight? I could tell 89 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:16,440 Speaker 1: by the way he asked. Those holesting kids must be out. 90 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:20,440 Speaker 1: And the fat man said you see any crazies out tonight? 91 00:06:20,640 --> 00:06:26,840 Speaker 1: In a weird voice. Dan Looked at me, hands walking, squawked. 92 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:29,520 Speaker 1: I'll step back in a few he said. You all 93 00:06:29,560 --> 00:06:32,440 Speaker 1: be safe. The fat man giggled. He said really low, 94 00:06:32,800 --> 00:06:37,400 Speaker 1: like he's talking to himself. We'll all be safe. I 95 00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:40,839 Speaker 1: wondered if he was on drugs. Mr I said, are 96 00:06:40,880 --> 00:06:44,800 Speaker 1: you gonna pay for that coffee? Oh yes, I apologize. 97 00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:49,719 Speaker 1: Needed to rest these bones. It's been a long drive, Yvonne, 98 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:52,880 Speaker 1: was it? He looked at me when he talked to me. 99 00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:58,120 Speaker 1: You know, I couldn't help but look back. Do you 100 00:06:58,120 --> 00:07:01,680 Speaker 1: have any frozen burritos here, he asked, and I said sure, 101 00:07:02,120 --> 00:07:05,800 Speaker 1: down to the right past the soda. I've never had 102 00:07:05,839 --> 00:07:10,000 Speaker 1: a chicken Green Chili Barrito. How exotic, he said. Is 103 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:13,560 Speaker 1: there a charge to use the microwave? No charge, I said, 104 00:07:13,600 --> 00:07:16,760 Speaker 1: but are you going to eat all those here? He said. 105 00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:21,280 Speaker 1: It's a good question, he said, that's the best part. No, 106 00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:26,040 Speaker 1: I have to choose, and our choices follow us. Do 107 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:30,880 Speaker 1: we dare disturb the universe? Do we eat experience? Does 108 00:07:30,960 --> 00:07:36,560 Speaker 1: experience eat us? Does the tongue taste, the eye envision itself? 109 00:07:38,280 --> 00:07:43,040 Speaker 1: Definitely drugs, I thought. I remembered I was still wearing headphones. 110 00:07:43,720 --> 00:07:47,480 Speaker 1: I took one out. Sign look, I said, I'm Vegan. 111 00:07:47,880 --> 00:07:52,080 Speaker 1: The burritos are two for one and I've never tried them. Yes, 112 00:07:52,320 --> 00:07:56,240 Speaker 1: he said, Chicken Green Chili it is, and these two 113 00:07:56,280 --> 00:07:59,360 Speaker 1: as well as the coffee. He walked back to the 114 00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:02,680 Speaker 1: booth by them microwave and hot dogs. He unwrapped the 115 00:08:02,680 --> 00:08:07,880 Speaker 1: Burritos and I heard the punch of numbers. I heard 116 00:08:07,960 --> 00:08:10,680 Speaker 1: him crowd into the booth. I felt his eyes again 117 00:08:10,920 --> 00:08:14,280 Speaker 1: upon me and I thought about how strange it is 118 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:18,360 Speaker 1: to be seen. Well, I pretended to listen to something else. 119 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:20,400 Speaker 1: The microwave hummed and the fat man said, in a 120 00:08:20,440 --> 00:08:24,200 Speaker 1: calm voice like an ocean, that everyone, at some point 121 00:08:24,240 --> 00:08:28,600 Speaker 1: in their life, is beautiful. Sometimes, he said, they are 122 00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:33,880 Speaker 1: beautiful for years decades. Sometimes a person shines when they 123 00:08:33,880 --> 00:08:39,360 Speaker 1: reach sixty one years old, he says, sometimes eleven. Sometimes 124 00:08:39,400 --> 00:08:42,080 Speaker 1: newborn children open their eyes and see the sun or 125 00:08:42,080 --> 00:08:45,080 Speaker 1: a bright blue star in the darkness and they think 126 00:08:45,080 --> 00:08:48,880 Speaker 1: it sees them as well and they smile and they 127 00:08:48,880 --> 00:08:52,920 Speaker 1: are beautiful. For some people, he said, it's a day, 128 00:08:53,880 --> 00:08:57,480 Speaker 1: a night on the water, a graduation walk, a glory. 129 00:08:57,520 --> 00:09:01,360 Speaker 1: That was their room or some people at a moment, 130 00:09:02,080 --> 00:09:04,120 Speaker 1: and they often do not see it when it happens. 131 00:09:05,200 --> 00:09:09,720 Speaker 1: To see it, to be seen. They look back years 132 00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:15,800 Speaker 1: later and they think I was beautiful. We can be 133 00:09:15,800 --> 00:09:21,120 Speaker 1: beautiful too. I remember reading comic books when I was 134 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:24,480 Speaker 1: a kid. I like spider man mainly because of his 135 00:09:24,559 --> 00:09:28,920 Speaker 1: weirdest power. The spider sense and something bad is about 136 00:09:28,960 --> 00:09:32,600 Speaker 1: to happen. Spider man gets these vibes. They shoot from 137 00:09:32,600 --> 00:09:35,719 Speaker 1: his head in squiggly lines. He ducks or jumps or 138 00:09:35,760 --> 00:09:39,480 Speaker 1: shoots a web just in time. I thought a lot 139 00:09:39,520 --> 00:09:45,480 Speaker 1: of US people working late and alone, women especially, I 140 00:09:45,520 --> 00:09:50,000 Speaker 1: always thought we learned something like that. I was getting 141 00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:55,280 Speaker 1: that feeling. Nothing was happening. The fat man wasn't saying anything. 142 00:09:55,440 --> 00:10:01,760 Speaker 1: He was just humming again to the radio. I felt 143 00:10:01,840 --> 00:10:07,920 Speaker 1: his eyes on me it chew slowly, staring. It was 144 00:10:07,960 --> 00:10:13,079 Speaker 1: a sensation of some invisible pressure rising, that tick, tick 145 00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:18,200 Speaker 1: tick in the air. I should text someone, I thought. 146 00:10:19,000 --> 00:10:20,800 Speaker 1: The hair is on the nape of my neck leaned 147 00:10:20,800 --> 00:10:24,520 Speaker 1: back and up. I couldn't remember the last time someone 148 00:10:24,600 --> 00:10:29,320 Speaker 1: looked at me, like saw me. I felt the gaze, 149 00:10:29,920 --> 00:10:34,360 Speaker 1: the sensation of something sliding along me, a touch of 150 00:10:34,440 --> 00:10:39,880 Speaker 1: ghostly hands across my throat. I heard my own heart beat, thoughting, 151 00:10:39,920 --> 00:10:44,440 Speaker 1: loud and distant, as if in another moment. Part of 152 00:10:44,480 --> 00:10:48,720 Speaker 1: me is still in that moment. Part of me will 153 00:10:48,760 --> 00:10:54,680 Speaker 1: always be here and it will always be now. Suddenly 154 00:10:54,720 --> 00:10:57,760 Speaker 1: I was praying for someone to come in. Dan's winging 155 00:10:57,760 --> 00:11:05,320 Speaker 1: back by lost one offers one. The next few seconds 156 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:08,320 Speaker 1: were a blur. I was still in a daze when 157 00:11:08,320 --> 00:11:11,600 Speaker 1: the two men stepped inside. At first I didn't notice 158 00:11:11,640 --> 00:11:16,120 Speaker 1: the guns. It was like underwater, swimming up to the surface, 159 00:11:16,520 --> 00:11:19,480 Speaker 1: back up, screaming of the men, back up and I 160 00:11:19,559 --> 00:11:22,240 Speaker 1: shot ripped through the ceiling. For a moment I couldn't 161 00:11:22,240 --> 00:11:25,920 Speaker 1: hear it, but I thought I must be screaming everyone down. 162 00:11:26,280 --> 00:11:29,439 Speaker 1: The man said, and I realized he must be screaming too. 163 00:11:30,200 --> 00:11:33,040 Speaker 1: He got closer and I saw his wild eyes, looking 164 00:11:33,120 --> 00:11:36,920 Speaker 1: everywhere at once, babbling, saying register, get the register. Move 165 00:11:37,679 --> 00:11:41,199 Speaker 1: I'm going. I tried to say. I'm going. You two, 166 00:11:41,320 --> 00:11:44,720 Speaker 1: fat boy, said one of the men. Get down. I 167 00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:46,640 Speaker 1: turned for the first time to look at the fat man. 168 00:11:47,280 --> 00:11:52,480 Speaker 1: He was chewing a Burrito, smiling. Sure, I'll just finish 169 00:11:52,480 --> 00:11:56,760 Speaker 1: my burrito first. Shut your damn mouth. Already watched the door. 170 00:11:57,520 --> 00:12:01,079 Speaker 1: There's no call for profanity. I was looking at the 171 00:12:01,120 --> 00:12:04,160 Speaker 1: second robber, the one who must have been already and 172 00:12:04,200 --> 00:12:06,840 Speaker 1: he was holding his gun close, peering through the glass 173 00:12:06,840 --> 00:12:10,200 Speaker 1: of the gas station front entrance. I kept trying to 174 00:12:10,240 --> 00:12:13,400 Speaker 1: open the register, but my hands were trembling. He was 175 00:12:13,440 --> 00:12:17,280 Speaker 1: turning back and yelling last chance, fat boy, the ground now, 176 00:12:17,480 --> 00:12:21,520 Speaker 1: get on the ground. Oh, said the fat man. I 177 00:12:21,559 --> 00:12:25,360 Speaker 1: don't think I will. He sounded cheerful, like a kid 178 00:12:25,400 --> 00:12:28,640 Speaker 1: saying they're going to get out early for summer. At 179 00:12:28,640 --> 00:12:33,040 Speaker 1: pressure I was talking about earlier. It felt suddenly dense 180 00:12:33,160 --> 00:12:37,719 Speaker 1: in the room, dense and cold. I finally pulled a 181 00:12:37,800 --> 00:12:40,240 Speaker 1: register free and the first robber was leaning back over 182 00:12:40,280 --> 00:12:43,000 Speaker 1: the counter, gun in my face, jabbing it at me. 183 00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:48,200 Speaker 1: When I saw one enormous hand grabbed his neck from behind. 184 00:12:49,360 --> 00:12:53,559 Speaker 1: It's strange what we remember. I kept thinking, look at that, 185 00:12:54,760 --> 00:12:58,320 Speaker 1: he bites his nails, he must be so hungry all 186 00:12:58,320 --> 00:13:03,319 Speaker 1: the time. And I heard of and the robber's body 187 00:13:03,360 --> 00:13:09,000 Speaker 1: went slack, his eyebrows knitted up. He opened his mouth 188 00:13:09,040 --> 00:13:11,240 Speaker 1: like he had to ask me some terrible question, and 189 00:13:11,559 --> 00:13:16,040 Speaker 1: his eyes widened as if he saw the answer. And 190 00:13:16,160 --> 00:13:18,040 Speaker 1: I watched the fat man put his face right up 191 00:13:18,080 --> 00:13:21,920 Speaker 1: against the robbers, almost nose to nose. He was holding 192 00:13:21,960 --> 00:13:26,120 Speaker 1: the robber up with his other hand, like cradling him. 193 00:13:26,160 --> 00:13:33,840 Speaker 1: Talking very softly at first. He said, look at me, 194 00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:39,439 Speaker 1: look at me. The robber was gurgling a low, wet wheeze. 195 00:13:40,480 --> 00:13:44,400 Speaker 1: Very are my beautiful boy, said the fat man. The 196 00:13:44,440 --> 00:13:47,120 Speaker 1: fat man squeezed the robber's neck and took his other 197 00:13:47,200 --> 00:13:52,319 Speaker 1: hand and he dug out the robber's eyes. What the 198 00:13:52,800 --> 00:13:55,600 Speaker 1: said the second robber. He was standing by the door. 199 00:13:56,640 --> 00:13:58,760 Speaker 1: He must have been on drugs, and maybe the fat 200 00:13:58,760 --> 00:14:01,760 Speaker 1: man thought so too, because he dropped the first robber's 201 00:14:01,800 --> 00:14:07,320 Speaker 1: body and said shooting the do it like he was 202 00:14:07,360 --> 00:14:09,840 Speaker 1: at a restaurant and suggesting we split in order of 203 00:14:09,880 --> 00:14:14,640 Speaker 1: French fries for the table. Get Down, said the second robber. Already, 204 00:14:15,600 --> 00:14:18,480 Speaker 1: I will put a bullet between your eyes, and the 205 00:14:18,520 --> 00:14:23,640 Speaker 1: fat man said, will you like? He was curious. I 206 00:14:23,760 --> 00:14:27,360 Speaker 1: see you, I see you. Defied you already. He put 207 00:14:27,400 --> 00:14:30,520 Speaker 1: one of the eyes in his mouth. He must be 208 00:14:30,720 --> 00:14:37,440 Speaker 1: so hungry all the time. Well, here's your chance. He 209 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:42,520 Speaker 1: chewed the eyeball. The second man already. He said, you 210 00:14:42,720 --> 00:14:46,320 Speaker 1: crazy mother, and his hand was shaking. Whether from the 211 00:14:46,400 --> 00:14:49,360 Speaker 1: speed or the fear, I didn't know, but I thought, 212 00:14:49,480 --> 00:14:55,120 Speaker 1: at this distance he will miss. Then the fat man. 213 00:14:55,120 --> 00:15:00,760 Speaker 1: He started dancing, he giggled and he hopped from one 214 00:15:00,840 --> 00:15:05,440 Speaker 1: foot to another, watching Artie's gunhand. He's saying while he danced, 215 00:15:05,640 --> 00:15:07,800 Speaker 1: the weight of him Jiggling as he hot from one 216 00:15:07,840 --> 00:15:10,840 Speaker 1: foot to the next, what will you do, what will 217 00:15:10,880 --> 00:15:15,280 Speaker 1: you do? What will you do? He danced slow back 218 00:15:15,320 --> 00:15:19,800 Speaker 1: and forth over the other robbers, eyeless body. What will 219 00:15:19,840 --> 00:15:23,720 Speaker 1: you do, what will you do? What a duck. But 220 00:15:23,760 --> 00:15:27,360 Speaker 1: I know the gun shop. Next I closed my eyes 221 00:15:27,680 --> 00:15:33,360 Speaker 1: for the stamp of feet and grappling. I heard the cracking, 222 00:15:34,120 --> 00:15:38,240 Speaker 1: the crunching. I heard the hand. I do not see. 223 00:15:39,960 --> 00:15:49,560 Speaker 1: I heard him again. He's whispering, sh sh those beautiful 224 00:15:49,600 --> 00:15:55,280 Speaker 1: blue lies. Your parents must be so proud. I knew 225 00:15:55,320 --> 00:15:58,440 Speaker 1: what was happening. You can hear a sound like that 226 00:15:59,000 --> 00:16:05,920 Speaker 1: just once and always no, then nothing, just the radio 227 00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:10,440 Speaker 1: through the store speakers a million miles away. I held 228 00:16:10,480 --> 00:16:16,240 Speaker 1: my phone, squinting at the screen. Nine I pushed, then one, 229 00:16:17,680 --> 00:16:27,320 Speaker 1: then one, and Yvonne, can you hear me? My Thom 230 00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:31,120 Speaker 1: betrayed me. I was trying to hold my breath. I 231 00:16:31,160 --> 00:16:35,000 Speaker 1: closed my eyes, dreamed. I was invisible. I was curled 232 00:16:35,080 --> 00:16:37,920 Speaker 1: up in a ball. I had the phone in my hand, 233 00:16:37,920 --> 00:16:43,280 Speaker 1: but not to my ear. The Fat man knew the way. 234 00:16:43,320 --> 00:16:47,240 Speaker 1: He knew already. Wouldn't shoot. He and those like him 235 00:16:47,320 --> 00:16:51,280 Speaker 1: have their own sense of spiders. I kept thinking about 236 00:16:51,320 --> 00:16:57,280 Speaker 1: that hand, the fingernails, the eyes. I couldn't stop shaking, 237 00:16:57,320 --> 00:17:00,080 Speaker 1: and I also could not move my thumb, and it 238 00:17:00,120 --> 00:17:12,439 Speaker 1: would not sh don't he look, not yet. I have 239 00:17:12,480 --> 00:17:19,119 Speaker 1: a gift for you. His arm moved above me. Cold 240 00:17:20,560 --> 00:17:26,440 Speaker 1: up close, he smelled like a thunderstorm. I heard and Jesus, 241 00:17:26,960 --> 00:17:33,639 Speaker 1: Jesus Christ, and I oh, Jesus, sorry, Jesus please, my 242 00:17:33,800 --> 00:17:39,159 Speaker 1: thumb wouldn't move in fair now they're blue as the 243 00:17:39,200 --> 00:17:47,120 Speaker 1: blameless guy. One. Are you one for me? We see 244 00:17:47,160 --> 00:17:51,840 Speaker 1: each other now. He leaned down, nose against my ear, 245 00:17:52,920 --> 00:18:00,080 Speaker 1: one day you will be beautiful too. Come by you 246 00:18:00,160 --> 00:18:05,199 Speaker 1: fre I felt him walk away, the wet, slow squish 247 00:18:05,200 --> 00:18:09,359 Speaker 1: of his shoes on the floor. I heard the door Chine. 248 00:18:10,320 --> 00:18:14,160 Speaker 1: I heard my heart beat far, far away. I closed 249 00:18:14,200 --> 00:18:17,280 Speaker 1: my eyes, my thumb slipped into the night and the 250 00:18:17,320 --> 00:18:21,400 Speaker 1: call went through. Blue Star and whispering at first two 251 00:18:21,440 --> 00:18:25,760 Speaker 1: and two Maple Street. Blue Star, Blue Star the gas station. 252 00:18:29,160 --> 00:18:31,280 Speaker 1: If you drive there now, you'll see Perry's, but the 253 00:18:31,320 --> 00:18:35,199 Speaker 1: Blue Star moved. You'll see an empty field, just trash 254 00:18:35,320 --> 00:18:40,639 Speaker 1: and grass next to the intersection. I can't remember things 255 00:18:41,359 --> 00:18:46,560 Speaker 1: so much now. It's fuzzy. They said I was crazy, 256 00:18:46,600 --> 00:18:50,200 Speaker 1: but I know something they won't tell you. The eyes. 257 00:18:51,560 --> 00:18:55,040 Speaker 1: No one asked me about them. I was a ghost seeing, 258 00:18:57,400 --> 00:19:10,840 Speaker 1: but I I kept some thing. Look, do you see? Yeah, blue, blue, 259 00:19:10,920 --> 00:19:14,520 Speaker 1: as the blame with guy. I see into it now. 260 00:19:15,960 --> 00:19:21,040 Speaker 1: He sees me, he sees you, and he says one 261 00:19:21,160 --> 00:19:52,280 Speaker 1: day he only beautiful too. I trust that Vonne told 262 00:19:52,280 --> 00:19:55,080 Speaker 1: you her tale. Perhaps it's why she spends so much 263 00:19:55,160 --> 00:19:57,880 Speaker 1: time here in the attic. I think she takes comfort 264 00:19:57,960 --> 00:20:02,280 Speaker 1: among the invisibility these days. Come, let us go. There 265 00:20:02,320 --> 00:20:04,720 Speaker 1: are still many mysteries to uncover here at Hawthorne Manner, 266 00:20:05,080 --> 00:20:07,840 Speaker 1: and I do very much hope that you will continue 267 00:20:07,840 --> 00:20:10,040 Speaker 1: to assist me as we draw Evan nearer to the 268 00:20:10,080 --> 00:20:13,119 Speaker 1: door which we seek. I can see in your eyes 269 00:20:13,160 --> 00:20:17,760 Speaker 1: the anticipation. Alas, I fear I'll be gathering the children 270 00:20:17,840 --> 00:20:21,720 Speaker 1: all evening. They are fond of mischief. If you happen 271 00:20:21,800 --> 00:20:25,120 Speaker 1: to find any toys under your bed this evening, leave 272 00:20:25,200 --> 00:20:29,200 Speaker 1: them there. They should be gone by morning. That's you, 273 00:20:29,359 --> 00:20:33,720 Speaker 1: my friend. Parting is, as always, such a sweet sorrow. 274 00:20:37,680 --> 00:20:40,680 Speaker 1: Thirteen days of Halloween was created by Matt Frederick and 275 00:20:40,720 --> 00:20:44,560 Speaker 1: Alex Williams and executive produced by Aaron Manky, starring Keegan 276 00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:49,359 Speaker 1: Michael Key as the caretaker. Today's story was written by 277 00:20:49,400 --> 00:20:52,960 Speaker 1: Ben Boland, performed by Megan Perry and directed by Matt Frederick, 278 00:20:53,040 --> 00:20:56,480 Speaker 1: with editing and sound designed by Ben Kybrick, additional writing 279 00:20:56,560 --> 00:21:01,720 Speaker 1: and script supervision from Nicholas Dakowski casting by Skaloosa. Only 280 00:21:01,800 --> 00:21:07,520 Speaker 1: seven days remain. Tomorrow another story. I stepped out of 281 00:21:07,520 --> 00:21:10,639 Speaker 1: the real world and into somewhere else. I was on 282 00:21:10,680 --> 00:21:13,240 Speaker 1: the ocean floor, holding my breath in the hull of 283 00:21:13,240 --> 00:21:16,919 Speaker 1: a sunken ship. I felt pressure crushing in on me 284 00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:20,840 Speaker 1: and it was very dim the entire world was gray 285 00:21:20,840 --> 00:21:24,560 Speaker 1: and heavy and I could barely move. I walked through 286 00:21:24,560 --> 00:21:27,679 Speaker 1: the door of something that looked like a vault and 287 00:21:27,720 --> 00:21:29,719 Speaker 1: there was a flash of light and I was staring 288 00:21:29,760 --> 00:21:33,760 Speaker 1: at rows of long, sharp teeth, all curving in different directions. 289 00:21:36,680 --> 00:21:39,600 Speaker 1: Thirteen days of Halloween is a production of I heart radio, 290 00:21:39,760 --> 00:21:43,240 Speaker 1: Blumhouse television and grim and mild from Aaron Mankey. For 291 00:21:43,359 --> 00:21:45,880 Speaker 1: more podcasts from my heart radio, visit the I heart 292 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:49,240 Speaker 1: radio APP, apple podcasts or wherever you listen to your 293 00:21:49,240 --> 00:21:52,600 Speaker 1: favorite shows, and learn more about thirteen days of Halloween 294 00:21:52,840 --> 00:22:00,680 Speaker 1: at grim and mild dot com.