Podchaser Logo
Home
Creepaway Camp 2024: Day 1 - Leaf Dolls & In The Bayou

Creepaway Camp 2024: Day 1 - Leaf Dolls & In The Bayou

Released Thursday, 4th April 2024
Good episode? Give it some love!
Creepaway Camp 2024: Day 1 - Leaf Dolls & In The Bayou

Creepaway Camp 2024: Day 1 - Leaf Dolls & In The Bayou

Creepaway Camp 2024: Day 1 - Leaf Dolls & In The Bayou

Creepaway Camp 2024: Day 1 - Leaf Dolls & In The Bayou

Thursday, 4th April 2024
Good episode? Give it some love!
Rate Episode

Episode Transcript

Transcripts are displayed as originally observed. Some content, including advertisements may have changed.

Use Ctrl + F to search

0:00

So, you've got an idea for a

0:03

business. The store of your dreams. There's

0:05

just one thing to figure out. Everything.

0:07

That's why Shopify's all-in-one commerce platform makes

0:09

it easy to sell online, in-person, and

0:11

everywhere else. Sell on social media, source

0:13

products with an app to get that

0:15

first sale feeling. It's the only solution

0:17

that gives you everything you need to

0:19

sell everywhere you want. So when you're

0:21

ready to bring your idea to life,

0:23

power it up with Shopify. Sign up

0:25

for a $1 per month

0:27

trial period at shopify.com/listen.

0:30

Now. This

0:32

is Creepy. A

0:36

podcast dedicated to sharing the most famous, chilling, and

0:39

disturbing creepypastas and

0:41

urban legends in the world. Whether these stories truly happened,

0:44

or simply fabrications, is

0:46

for you to decide. These stories are the only one

0:48

you can find. And I'm not going to tell you

0:51

what they're all about. But I'm going to tell you

0:53

what they're all about. And I'm going to tell you

0:55

what they're all about. And I'm going to tell you

0:57

what they're all about. This is how

0:59

it started. I just want to officially welcome

1:01

everyone to the first

1:03

ever Creepy Production Team Meetup in

1:05

New Orleans. Whoo! Whoo!

1:10

Nola! Okay,

1:13

so I know you're a fan of the movie. I'm sure you're going

1:15

to be on a mission. I'm sure you're going to

1:17

be on a mission. I'm sure you'll be on

1:19

a mission. Okay, so you're going to be on

1:21

a mission. What's your mission?

1:24

What are you doing? What are

1:26

you doing? I know this

1:28

is in New Orleans, and we're less than

1:30

a block off Bourbon Street. But

1:33

remember that the purpose of this is to talk about the

1:35

state of the state of the show, and what the future

1:37

might hold for us. Sound

1:39

good? No, yeah. Oh, yeah, the more you know,

1:41

the more accurate. That's pretty

1:43

accurate, yeah. Great. Then

1:46

let's get started. And

1:49

it quickly devolved into this. Who

1:53

wants another absolut? Yeah! God! I'm

1:56

not drinking alone! led

2:00

to. Oh,

2:05

oh, oh, why?

2:07

Why are the

2:09

lights so bright? Why

2:11

is everything so bright?

2:14

I'm never

2:17

drinking again. Oh my

2:19

God, John. Are you trying

2:22

to hit every pothole you

2:24

see? It's a bus,

2:26

Danielle. Not a ton of maneuverability

2:28

here. Can you at least

2:31

try and keep it on the pavement? Sorry,

2:34

Nate. No can do. We left Pave

2:36

Street a while ago. Come on,

2:39

guys. The party's still going. Why

2:41

do you think I rented the party bus? Because

2:43

you're evil. Why

2:46

won't you let us sleep? It's

2:49

2 p.m. I'm not

2:51

the one who said that they wanted to stay up until, and

2:54

I quote, the cops drag us

2:56

out kicking and vomiting, which

2:58

I did think was a weird thing for a

3:00

cop to say, Jimmy. But

3:03

I do appreciate your enthusiasm. I

3:05

think Jimmy's dead. What? He's

3:11

alive. He's alive.

3:13

Don't worry. We're

3:16

almost there. I

3:18

know you're all going to love this. In

3:21

fact, here we

3:23

are. Come

3:25

on. Everyone out. Some fresh air is going

3:28

to do you a whole world of good. Oh my God. Ladies

3:33

and gentlemen, I'd like to welcome you all

3:36

to Creepaway Camp 2024. Awesome.

3:44

Love the energy. Walk with me. Admittedly,

3:50

it's going to take a little work,

3:52

but I figure we can set up

3:54

archery over there. Crafts over there. Swimming

3:56

over there. Not

4:01

over there. Never

4:04

over there. And

4:06

probably as big of a first aid tenth as we can

4:08

manage. So? Why?

4:15

Why what, Megan? Why do

4:17

all this? There's nothing out

4:19

here. Yeah, but there could

4:21

be. I've been doing

4:23

a lot of thinking lately and when it comes down to

4:25

it, I just don't know how

4:27

long the podcast will be around. As

4:30

much as I'd love to make this show for another seven years

4:32

or more, I have

4:34

to think about the bigger picture. Making

4:36

something that'll outlast me. And

4:38

that's to build a

4:40

summer camp in the swamp? John,

4:44

you, you are actually thinking

4:46

about bringing kids out here. First

4:49

of all, I don't care for that phrasing.

4:52

Second, New Orleans was a swamp known with

4:54

any sanity wanted anything to do with. Now?

4:58

You can get pure grain alcohol at 3

5:00

a.m. and a hand grenade shaped plastic glass.

5:04

Ray, Jimmy. Oh

5:06

God, I'm going to be sick. That'd

5:10

be fine. Probably.

5:13

Anyway, the next month's going to be a lot of work,

5:15

but we already started with the team building. Give

5:18

this a month and no one's even going to recognize the

5:20

place. Did, um, did

5:22

you all hear me? That

5:26

we're going to be out here for a

5:28

month. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

5:30

I heard that. Anything

5:33

to say? No, no, no,

5:35

no, no, not really. So

5:40

you all are okay with another month away from your families

5:42

and jobs? Honestly,

5:44

we saw this one coming a ways out.

5:46

Maybe not the swamp part, but we mostly

5:48

figured you'd try and kidnap us again. Team

5:51

building. Yeah. Whatever helps

5:54

you sleep at night. It

6:00

takes a lot more than that for me to

6:02

fall asleep at night. Regardless,

6:05

I gotta say I'm kinda taken aback by

6:07

how eager you all are to make this

6:09

happen. Yeah, I really don't

6:11

think eager is the right word. Maybe...

6:14

unsurprised? Frustrated?

6:18

Codependent? Stop that right now. I hate

6:21

that game. It always makes me look worse

6:23

than things really are. I'd

6:25

argue it makes you look better. Look,

6:27

I already got the mics strung up in the trees. I

6:29

was thinking we could document all this. For

6:32

the lawyers? Try again.

6:34

Read your contracts. Funny

6:37

you should say that. Speaking

6:40

of contracts... What about them? Remember

6:42

a few days ago? At the state

6:44

of the state? When I

6:47

asked if I could get the contact info for the network

6:49

lawyers? No. Oh,

6:51

it must have been after. When we

6:53

were at the Absinthe house? Sounds

6:55

right. Anyway, I

6:58

asked for some updates that you

7:00

might not entirely remember signing off

7:02

on. Check

7:04

out page 42. What?

7:09

It's the possession clause. That's always been

7:11

there. No. After

7:14

the possession clause. In

7:20

the event of John inevitably

7:22

transporting one or more members

7:24

of the production crew to

7:26

a previously undisclosed area through

7:28

means of coercion, trickery, negligence,

7:30

buffoonery, incompetence... Wow,

7:33

this really just goes on and on, doesn't it? Said

7:37

production crew acknowledges the entertainment value

7:39

of such a scenario. It requires

7:41

constant and immediate access to transportation

7:44

so as to maintain a level

7:46

of safety and comfort consistent with

7:48

a mandatorily acceptable level of living?

7:52

I don't get it. You can't leave

7:54

us out here without the bus. And

7:56

we can take it whenever we want, with the understanding

7:58

that we will all be there. always come back

8:00

and fulfill our narration duties. Oh.

8:06

Okay. That's fine. Y'all

8:09

had me worried that you were gonna bail on me. I

8:12

can't imagine getting stranded in another summer camp again.

8:16

Not since. Oh

8:19

god, I think he's about to spiral.

8:21

Should we leave? Yes,

8:23

please. Yeah. Hey!

8:27

Where are you all going? We're not

8:29

ditching you! I didn't

8:31

think you were. I

8:34

do now. John, we're

8:36

just gonna go back into

8:38

town to get some groceries

8:40

and camping supplies. And, uh,

8:42

maybe an IV bag for

8:44

Jimmy. Mmmmm.

8:48

Oh. Okay. Good

8:51

thinking. But

8:55

you don't all need to leave, do

8:57

you? Oh, uh, no.

9:02

I guess we all don't have to go.

9:05

I guess we could just rock, paper, scissors for

9:07

it. Oh,

9:12

gee. Thanks,

9:16

Trisa. We won't forget you! Son

9:20

of a bitch. What's that? Nothing.

9:25

I guess you were saying something about being stuck

9:27

at camp before. Yeah. Yeah.

9:32

Sort of a normal camp from

9:34

all appearances. Hikes,

9:37

sing-alongs, crafts. Crafts.

9:41

Especially. The

9:44

leaf gnomes. When

9:48

I was growing up, my parents worked all the

9:50

time and never wanted anything to do with me

9:52

during the summer. In order

9:54

to get me out of their way so they

9:56

could work without worrying, they shipped me off to

9:58

summer camps and programs. pretty

10:01

much anything that would take me away for at least a few days.

10:06

When I was in middle school, they

10:08

sent me to this rather unusual

10:11

summer camp. It was called Krom Beha,

10:14

which I later learned was what they called the

10:16

Tree of Life in Gaelic. It

10:18

had all the typical things one would

10:20

expect to find. There was a lake,

10:23

lots of trees, nature walks, and

10:25

outdoor classes. What

10:27

was abnormal was how long we were going to be

10:29

there. The normal

10:31

duration of summer camp was one or two

10:33

weeks, but for this

10:36

camp it was three weeks. For

10:38

a kid that young, it was a long time to

10:40

stay away from home, even

10:43

for me, because I usually got to

10:45

go home for at least a few days before the next

10:47

thing my parents sent me off to. Back

10:51

then, there was only one thing I actually

10:53

enjoyed about camping, was

10:55

the ability to have a campfire. At

10:59

first, this didn't make a lot of sense to me

11:01

because it was the hottest time of year. Why

11:04

in the world would anyone want to

11:07

do something that would make it hotter?

11:09

Okay, sometimes the nights got a

11:11

little chilly, but not

11:13

enough to need additional warmth. Eventually,

11:16

I realized the campfire had very little to

11:18

do with warmth. Like

11:21

the big TV in the house, it was

11:23

the centerpiece for the campsite. It's

11:26

where people gathered around and put their focus.

11:30

There might be conversation, singing,

11:32

telling of stories, but

11:35

all eyes were on the fire.

11:37

It mesmerized us, drew

11:39

our attention, captured us for

11:42

long periods of time. The

11:44

one who built and tended the fire was always

11:46

someone to acknowledge. Sometimes

11:48

others would help, but often

11:51

came down to the person who built it. I

11:55

felt like being the fire builder was

11:57

too much responsibility for me. So

12:00

I settled for being a wood gatherer. Regardless,

12:04

I always watched how the fires were built,

12:07

and there are many ways. Two

12:10

most common are the log cabin and the teepee.

12:14

I built her that year with a counselor named Megan. She

12:17

was only a few years older than me and liked

12:20

to use boat methods at the same time. Starting

12:23

with the teepee at Tender and kindling, she'd

12:26

use slightly thicker sticks to build a log cabin around

12:28

it. Once that was

12:30

done, she'd make another teepee at logs that towered

12:32

over everything. If

12:35

done correctly, all Megan had to

12:37

do was light one match, slide it into

12:39

the inner teepee, and in minutes the fire

12:41

would blossom. With

12:44

previous fire builders, I noticed that they always

12:46

found one stick to use as a poking

12:48

stick. Most of

12:50

the time, they'd use it all night. Then

12:53

at the end, it would get tossed into the fire. Most

12:56

they'd use it for a few days before finding one

12:58

better suited to their needs. Megan

13:01

had the same poking stick every time. She

13:05

claimed that it came from a secret tree years

13:07

ago and was passed down to her from her

13:09

mother. I

13:12

should mention that Megan's family not only ran

13:14

the camp, but only the entire property. Over

13:18

the first week, I heard many mentions

13:20

of the sacred tree, but

13:23

no one ever explained what or where it was. I

13:27

did happen to notice a lot of teenage

13:29

counselors had a strong family resemblance to Megan.

13:33

Eventually asked about that, and

13:35

she admitted her entire extended family lived

13:37

and worked in the camp. That

13:41

was quite a surprise to me. There

13:44

were more than 30 camp employees, and

13:46

those were just the ones I'd seen.

13:50

Not only was I Megan's helper when it came time for

13:52

the fire, but I was

13:54

an enthusiastic student in our fire building

13:56

class. My relationship

13:59

grew beyond counselor. and camper, and

14:01

we became friends. I

14:04

opened up about my neglectful parents, and

14:07

she told me a little about her family. Not

14:11

only did they all live on the property, but they

14:13

grew crops, attended livestock, and held religious

14:16

services in the forest. None

14:18

of the campers got to go see where that took place.

14:22

It was in a forbidden part of the woods. I

14:25

was the only one who knew what was in the forbidden

14:27

area, and Megan swore me

14:29

to secrecy. We'd

14:31

just begun week two at this point, and

14:34

she was the only friend I'd made. So

14:37

of course I kept her confidence. Her

14:40

family was far from monotheistic, believing

14:43

in a whole slew of gods. I

14:47

didn't remember any of the names she told me, but

14:49

I was only twelve, and my

14:51

parents weren't religiously inclined. And

14:55

not only did she live and work on the property, but

14:57

she went to school here as well. Technically

15:01

it's homeschooling, but all

15:03

the kids in the family attend classes together. Summer

15:07

camp was the only time she got to interact with

15:09

anyone outside the family. Understandably,

15:12

she was shy around new people,

15:15

but our love of fire brought us together. Sharing

15:18

that camaraderie made us comfortable with each other,

15:22

and that's why we opened up so easily. Since

15:25

I was so young and naive, I

15:27

didn't understand what any of the things she told me about

15:29

her family really meant. Week

15:33

two of camp meant we were starting a new series

15:35

of classes. There

15:37

was one project we still did every day.

15:41

It was a kind of activity that had multiple parts,

15:44

but they were spread out throughout the day. After

15:47

breakfast, we went to a particular stretch of

15:49

forest where a specific plant grew wildly. The

15:52

leaves were an inch wide, nearly two

15:55

feet long, and an odd tan

15:57

color, like dried corn

15:59

husks. At

16:01

the end was a sharp edge, and

16:04

I swear at some point throughout the day,

16:06

all the kids managed to cut themselves with

16:08

it, every time. We

16:11

were to pick two of these leaves, neatly roll them

16:13

up, and keep them in our pants pockets all day.

16:17

Between the summer heat and our physical activities, we'd

16:19

sweat a lot, and the leaves would absorb it.

16:23

By the end of the day, the leaves would be a

16:25

bright green instead of the dried out tan color. For

16:29

the first week, I didn't mind doing this, but

16:33

the first one day of week two seemed brutal.

16:36

I was exhausted and completely drained energy.

16:40

I felt like I'd run through the woods all night instead

16:42

of sleeping like the dead. I

16:45

also wasn't the only one who felt that way. But

16:48

Megan seemed to be the exact opposite. She

16:51

was bright and bubbly, bursting with

16:53

a sunny demeanor and radiating happiness.

16:58

I think I hated her a little for that. It

17:01

was only because I felt like shit. Just

17:04

the day before she seemed like the one that was running low

17:06

on energy. After

17:08

the morning classes, we made our way to the dining

17:10

hall. On the way there, we

17:13

passed another series of odd plants. The

17:16

leaves on these plants were very stringy. We

17:19

took two bindles of five strands and wrapped

17:21

them around each wrist, wearing them

17:23

like bracelets for the rest of the day. They

17:26

were gray, but by the end of the day, they'd

17:28

absorb our sweat and our color would take on the

17:30

same hue as our skin tone. It

17:35

was vitally important that we not lose any of

17:37

our leaves. In

17:39

order to get dinner, you had to turn

17:41

in a token of sorts. They

17:45

told us we were making effigies, but

17:48

none of us knew what that word meant. All

17:51

we cared about was making the dumb things we could eat.

17:54

We sat hunched over the dining hall tables

17:57

and the counselors walked among the rows. They

18:00

gave detailed instructions on what they wanted us to

18:02

do. It was

18:05

the same thing every single

18:07

time, but they told us it

18:09

was imperative that we follow their instructions

18:11

precisely. We

18:14

unrolled the two leaves and folded them together in

18:16

a way that made origami seem simple. Using

18:19

the flesh-colored string leaves, we tied it together

18:22

at crucial points in the folding. By

18:25

the time we were done, assuming we

18:27

followed the instructions correctly, what

18:29

we were left with was a tiny

18:31

leaf doll. The

18:34

dolls were maybe two inches tall,

18:37

rather thin, but sturdy enough

18:39

to stand on their own. The

18:42

flesh-colored strings covered enough that the bright green

18:44

leaves were nearly drowned out. Aside

18:48

from there not being any hair, I'd

18:50

swear the effigy looked a lot like me. Well,

18:55

as much as a stick figure leaf doll

18:57

can. If

19:00

you were one of the unlucky ones that didn't

19:02

put it all together right, the counselors would take

19:04

you to the side while everyone else got their food.

19:07

They would have you take the doll apart, careful

19:09

not to rip or damage the leaves. With

19:13

undivided attention, they would sit with the camper

19:15

and watch them like a hawk until they

19:17

got it right. It

19:20

wasn't that they wanted to starve the camper for doing a

19:22

poor job. They

19:24

wanted everyone to succeed and

19:27

made sure each person did. It

19:29

was the most effective, no-child-left-behind program

19:32

anyone had ever witnessed. Being

19:36

the fair-skinned kid I was, I was

19:38

getting close to burning by week two. Megan

19:42

had given me an herbal cream to use, but

19:45

after a solid week of using it, I broke

19:47

out in a rather nasty rash. Apparently

19:50

I was allergic to something in it. Because

19:53

I didn't want to come off as ungrateful or risk

19:55

losing my friend, I secretly

19:57

started using real sunscreen again. The

20:00

rash cleared up almost immediately, but

20:04

Megan figured out rather quickly

20:06

that I was using my

20:08

processed chemical-laced sunscreen. The

20:11

string leaves were too white to match my

20:13

complexion. Once

20:15

the others lined up to turn in their

20:17

effigies, Megan held me back and got her mother's attention.

20:22

I started crying when I explained about my

20:24

allergic reaction and having to switch back to

20:26

using sunscreen. It

20:28

was embarrassing and I

20:30

felt like I was letting my friend down. Megan

20:34

looked worried, but her

20:37

mother seemed to be more thoughtful. She

20:40

told me not to be upset that

20:43

everything was going to be fine and I'd done nothing

20:45

wrong. She had

20:47

a quiet word with Megan and then Megan went with me

20:49

to the food line. When

20:52

I handed over my effigy to the woman at the counter,

20:54

she stared at it. Megan

20:57

looked at Megan and seemed to be enough for her

20:59

and she accepted the tiny leaf doll. I

21:02

noticed she didn't put it on the tray with all the others, but

21:05

on the counter next to it. And

21:08

that's how it went from then on. Every

21:12

time I turned in my effigy before dinner, it

21:14

never made it into the tray with the others. Seventy-three

21:18

campers and my

21:20

one was singled out every time.

21:24

I didn't know what they did with them, but whatever it

21:27

was, mine were

21:29

no longer good enough. I

21:33

began to wonder why I bothered making the stupid

21:36

things anymore. Megan

21:38

told me it wasn't a bad thing and that

21:41

I still needed to make them to keep it fair with

21:43

the other campers. That's

21:46

when I asked what the effigies were for. As

21:49

strong as our friendship had become,

21:52

this was the first time she didn't want to answer

21:54

one of my questions. After

21:57

the third time she avoided answering me, I gave

21:59

off. and my

22:01

lack of enthusiasm for making the effigy

22:03

showed. When

22:06

day fifteen came around, I woke

22:08

feeling well refreshed and full energy.

22:12

This was the opposite from how I felt last

22:14

Monday, but I

22:16

seemed to be the only one. I'd

22:19

slept like the dead again, but I

22:22

wasn't drained like all the others. I

22:25

remember how it felt the previous

22:27

Monday, and all the other campers looked

22:29

like that or worse. It

22:32

was a very slow day. Most

22:35

of the kids barely had the energy to stand in

22:37

line at the dining hall for breakfast. They

22:41

seemed to perk up a little after eating. The

22:44

only ones on my level were the counselors. None

22:48

of the campers were paying much attention, so I

22:51

didn't waste time asking Megan about the opposing

22:53

energy levels. All

22:55

she'd say was that she always seemed to

22:57

feel better after having religious services. After

23:01

each meal, the campers seemed to regain more energy. They

23:04

weren't back to their normal selves until the next day.

23:08

I started asking Megan more questions about

23:10

her family and their religion. She'd

23:13

answer some things, but was

23:15

evasive about a lot. It

23:18

was obvious she wanted to tell me, but

23:21

something was holding her back. I

23:24

began to think our friendship wasn't as strong as I'd

23:26

believed, so I started pulling

23:29

away from her. Camp

23:31

was coming to an end, and it wasn't like I was

23:34

going to run into her outside that place. It

23:37

used to be a sad thought, but

23:40

at that point, it was a

23:42

little comforting. Of

23:45

course that made me sad, too. So

23:48

camp was back to being a miserable thing to

23:50

endure. I

23:52

even stopped helping with campfires. The

23:56

final day came, and I was as down

23:58

in the dumps as I'd been the first time. first day.

24:02

During the morning activity I grabbed up two leaves

24:04

as always and cut my finger on one of

24:06

the blades. Every

24:08

day for 21 days I cut

24:11

myself on these stupid leaves only

24:14

to have my effigy not be good enough for

24:17

whatever the counselors wanted them for. I lost

24:21

my friend. I was about to go

24:23

back to parents that didn't want me

24:25

around. How's I still going along with

24:27

this stupid charade? I'd

24:31

worked myself up into a frenzy and was about to

24:33

lose my shit. Megan

24:35

saw this, took my hand and

24:38

led me away from the group. She'd

24:41

seen how her dissolving friendship was affecting me

24:43

over the last few days and was sorry

24:45

for being the cause of my despondent demeanor.

24:49

Promising to make it up to me, she urged

24:51

me to play along with the final days that

24:53

I'd been doing for the last two weeks. Also,

24:58

when it was time for dinner, she

25:01

instructed me not to eat my pudding.

25:05

Now this is madness. You

25:08

don't expect a 12-year-old not to

25:10

eat their dessert without a damn

25:13

good reason. Megan promised to show me

25:15

what they did with the effigies, but

25:17

if I wanted to know, then

25:20

I couldn't eat the vanilla pudding. The

25:24

cooks put something in every Sunday to ensure

25:26

campers slept through the religious service this Sunday

25:28

night. I

25:31

did as Megan instructed, but

25:34

I couldn't not mess with the pudding. The

25:37

counselors were watching us too closely, so

25:39

I mixed some of the vanilla pudding in with my

25:42

unfinished mashed potatoes and put my rumpled napkin on the

25:44

rest of the pudding. When

25:46

I dumped my train to the trash can before turning the

25:48

tray on, I made sure to scrape the

25:50

rest of the pudding with a napkin. No

25:54

one was the wiser, and I got away with it.

25:58

At 11, Megan came into my tent. and

26:00

led me through the woods. She

26:02

told me not to say a word or make a sound. If

26:06

the family phoned out I was watching the service there would be

26:08

hell to pay. The

26:11

way she said it made me think that

26:13

wasn't just a turn of phrase. Megan

26:17

had phoned a hiding spot with a great vantage

26:19

point for me. I

26:21

climbed up the tree and nestled myself in the crook at

26:23

the base of a large branch in the trunk. It

26:26

was a perfect spot. I could

26:28

see everything was still being completely hidden. It's

26:31

like this spot was made especially for

26:34

an outsider to observe. People

26:37

started showing up almost right away, but

26:40

no one spoke. I

26:43

guess the no speaking thing wasn't limited to me. I

26:46

lost count at 35, and people

26:49

were still showing up. They

26:51

all wore typical summer attire, loose

26:53

fitting shirts and shorts. I

26:56

noticed the majority of them were either under

26:58

18 or over 50. They were

27:01

only a handful that fell between those ranges.

27:05

They all seemed to be couples with a pregnant woman. So

27:07

many of the faces

27:10

I saw were strikingly similar to

27:12

each other, especially the people I didn't recognize

27:14

from the camp. Even

27:16

the couples looked a lot like their

27:18

partners. They never came to wonder if there

27:20

was inbreeding going on. They

27:24

all gathered at the tree line of a circular

27:26

clearing, maybe 15 feet across. There

27:30

were three fires in the center, arranged as

27:32

an equilateral triangle. The tip

27:34

faced away from the largest tree I'd ever

27:36

seen. I couldn't

27:39

tell you what kind it was. This

27:41

thing was massive in a way that my

27:43

mind couldn't comprehend. This

27:46

was a sacred tree I'd heard the staff mention. I

27:50

could feel there was something very special about

27:52

that tree. It

27:55

towered over everything in sight, had

27:57

vibrant colors, and looked

27:59

more alive than the people near it. I

28:04

must have been looking at the sacred tree too

28:06

long because when I looked back at gathering people,

28:09

something had changed. They

28:13

were all on the outside of the clearing, but

28:15

seven figures and brown hooded cloaks were

28:17

arranged inside the clearing in a large

28:20

circle. Each had a

28:22

rope in their hands, with goats at the other

28:24

end. Everyone was

28:26

standing still and the goats were the only thing

28:28

moving. Even the

28:30

flames and the fires seemed to be subdued in

28:32

their movements. I

28:35

remember blinking, and I

28:38

either took a really long

28:40

time reopening my eyes or

28:42

I managed to completely miss something. Between

28:46

each of the cloaked figures was a

28:48

woman in a loose fitting robe. They

28:51

stood motionless, six

28:53

of them equidistant from the brown cloaks.

28:57

The only space left bear was in front of the

28:59

sacred tree. As

29:01

I noticed this, a purple cloak

29:03

came from around the mighty trunk, completing

29:05

the circle. Unlike

29:08

the brown cloaks, I could see this person's

29:10

face. And it was

29:12

Megan's mother. She

29:14

held a large old purple book in her

29:17

hands. Opening

29:19

it, she began to chant. As

29:22

the first words left her mouth, the

29:25

six women shed their loose robes

29:27

and danced naked in perfect synchronization.

29:31

Their fit, toned bodies were covered in what

29:33

I thought were tattoos, but turned out to

29:35

be paint. As

29:38

I watched these women dance, something occurred to me.

29:42

None of the members of the family were overweight.

29:46

The older members had moved unencumbered by stiff

29:48

joints, limbs, or any sort of disorder that

29:50

tended to affect people at all. I heard

29:54

not a cough, sneeze, or sniffle. Not

29:57

just here, but back at camp.

30:01

None of the counselors or staff ever got sick

30:03

or felt under the weather. No

30:06

one complained of a headache, migraine, or

30:08

even seasonal allergies. The

30:11

dancing started slowing down, and I could

30:13

feel an energy of them suddenly building

30:15

in the air. The

30:18

goats that had been shifting around and

30:21

the ends of their ropes all stood

30:23

perfectly still. Not even their ears twitched. Megan's

30:27

mother, who I started

30:29

to think of as the high priestess, finished

30:32

her chant and everything was still. When

30:36

she first started, her words were alien to me, but

30:39

she began speaking again. I

30:41

could suddenly understand her. It's

30:45

not that she started speaking English. I

30:47

was still hearing those alien words, but

30:51

I now knew what they meant. The

30:53

naked women scattered at the edges of the circle

30:55

and came back to the priestess with items in

30:58

their hands. Three

31:00

of them had a few bags, two

31:02

carried trays with various items on them, and

31:06

one held what looked like a life-sized

31:08

version of the effigies we'd been making.

31:12

There was a large gash on the side, showing

31:14

that the doll was hollow. It

31:17

was also tan instead of green, and

31:20

the strings binding it together were grey. The

31:24

priestess said something about the

31:27

labors of seventy-two children for

31:29

seven days, binding their essence

31:31

to the effigies and creating a totem

31:33

for the gods. I

31:37

may have understood the individual words, but

31:39

I had no idea what she was talking about. I

31:44

watched as the women opened their bags and took

31:46

out the tiny dolls the campers had been making. They

31:50

chanted something too low for me to hear as

31:52

they placed the effigies inside the large hollow one.

31:56

Once they filled it, they took a string from one of the

31:58

trays and wrapped it around the on the torso closing

32:01

the gash. The

32:04

priestess took a few items off the second

32:06

tray, splashing and rubbing things on the large

32:08

effigy as the ladies attached it to a

32:10

long pole. When

32:13

they had it standing upright, all

32:15

their champing stopped, and

32:17

I felt something. There

32:20

was a snap of electricity in

32:22

the air, and I suddenly felt

32:24

energized. I could

32:26

run for miles, climb to

32:28

the top of the highest mountain, swim

32:31

to the deepest depths of the

32:33

ocean, and yet I couldn't move

32:35

a muscle. I

32:37

was frozen to the spot, unable to move,

32:41

a prisoner in my own body. Hell,

32:44

I couldn't even cry out and had nothing to do

32:46

with my promise to Megan. The

32:50

effigy was no longer tan and gray. It

32:53

was full of glowing color, just like the

32:55

sacred tree, and was

32:58

transformed into a totem. Two

33:02

more totems were brought out on poles and

33:04

glowing just as brightly. This

33:07

is what they'd done with the little dolls, all

33:10

soaked in the sweat and the hint of blood from

33:12

the campers that made them. The

33:15

campers unknowingly imparted their essence into the

33:18

leaf dolls, binding them to it. They

33:22

used that bond to siphon off their energy,

33:24

channeling it into the totem, and

33:26

distributing some of it to the onlookers. That's

33:30

why the campers were exhausted on Monday mornings.

33:34

These people were stealing their essence.

33:38

No wonder why they never get sick or experience bad

33:40

health. The

33:42

naked women stuck the poles into each of

33:44

the three fingers. The

33:47

totem stood tall above the flames,

33:49

completely unharmed. I

33:52

didn't know what to expect next, but

33:54

I could not watch. Not

33:57

because I couldn't tear my eyes away, but because

34:00

Those two paralyzed and couldn't close my

34:02

eyes more than a quick blank. The.

34:06

Women return to their original spots and circle

34:09

in. The priestess decided a different passage from

34:11

her dark purple tom. This.

34:14

Is about animal sacrifices. Because

34:17

the whole string awards I didn't understand.

34:20

The brown clothes food large hunting knives from

34:22

the sleeves and I expected to see them

34:25

killed accounts. He

34:27

didn't. But. What did

34:29

happen was way more bizarre. If.

34:33

I'd been forced to watch it. I

34:36

never would have believed it happened. A

34:40

priest spot a single word. In

34:42

the Bronx folks, how the knives by the blade.

34:45

Presenting. The handles the Good: small, It's

34:49

too cold. Or the knives with her keys. To

34:52

the next commanding word from the priestess

34:54

and walked into the center the three

34:56

three years. Once

34:59

there, I formed a perfect circle

35:01

of their heads cost, gather. Another

35:04

command in the Gods moved

35:06

incomplete. unison. The

35:10

shifted their heads the last season. the

35:13

edge of the played against the throat

35:15

sexism and just their heads in the

35:17

opposite direction. Is

35:20

one. They drop the blades and pleaded

35:22

in what I can only describe destroy.

35:26

The high Priestess begin a new champ

35:28

tongue the others to close their eyes

35:31

and bear witness to the next events

35:33

only with their years. To

35:37

be only one that would suit their

35:39

eyes. And

35:41

the moment she said that, Her

35:44

eyes locked on mine. Kim

35:48

Clear that Meghan set me up.

35:52

Because her mother said I would be the

35:55

one to see. The

35:57

priest is closed her eyes and finish the chance.

36:01

And pray for one of the deities to

36:03

grace us with their presence. Offering

36:06

the totems filled with the essence

36:08

of seven Be to innocence. The

36:12

totems burst into flames is God's finally

36:14

dropped to the ground. For.

36:16

Blood forming a pool on the center the

36:18

circle. And

36:20

watched. Something reached

36:23

out of their pool of blood.

36:26

Hands followed by arms.

36:30

And ahead and more. When

36:34

I can only describe as embodiment

36:36

of perfectly chiseled man, flash came

36:38

forth from that pool, increased his

36:41

followers. Power

36:44

who's awesome like radiation

36:46

emanates from plutonium rot.

36:49

He. Exchanged words it's a priestess before turning

36:52

his attention to me. Invisible.

36:55

Hands lifted me from my spot and brought

36:57

me into the clearing. The

36:59

god and the priestess to before the sacred

37:01

tree and assorted over the top. Of

37:05

place to my knees to look up in your

37:07

face that had never been human. Is.

37:10

Considered the most or. Something

37:13

insignificant the would only be

37:15

tolerated. Never wanted. Sadly,

37:19

Had seen similar looks from my parents

37:21

and regular basis and I allow that

37:23

are to enter my mind the god

37:26

sense to us and Carter said to

37:28

decide is it for contemplating my recollection.

37:31

I felt a whisper this power flowing out

37:33

of the circle. And to

37:36

the naked women came forth offerings. One

37:40

now the small cloth bag and

37:42

the other held another empty totem.

37:45

This one Only the size of a rag doll. The

37:49

guy too cold or the tone on the other

37:51

woman opened the bag. He

37:53

reached and sign put out an effigy. This

37:56

one without the flash supreme colors. They

38:00

were my effigies. With

38:03

your only fourteen. The.

38:05

First seven must abandon the first ah from

38:08

my. Man. says.

38:10

Remember feeling very drained them wonder.

38:14

The dog. Posts all my effigies in the

38:16

totem so it a finger over the

38:18

gas somehow ceiling at close to the

38:20

point that I couldn't tell there ever

38:23

been a slight. He brought the towel

38:25

to the lips and kissed. It's four

38:27

at. C

38:29

or something on my forehead as he

38:31

did this and I knew I was

38:33

bones at all. The

38:37

witness will be ready and

38:40

nine years time. He

38:44

reached out his hand with the dog in Africa to

38:46

me. For the

38:48

first time would see my towers x

38:50

move. I reached

38:52

a seeking hand out and took the offering.

38:55

Aware that sensation was returning to my

38:57

body. Bring

38:59

me my vessel. And.

39:01

Must the witness see what

39:04

the future holds? Someone

39:07

stepped out of the blind crowd.

39:09

probably the only souvenir besides me

39:11

that wasn't a blood relative. To.

39:15

Characteristics are two different from

39:17

the others. They

39:20

walked with confidence. Someone that could see

39:22

even though those eyes are closed. There.

39:26

Was it on of hands? To

39:28

so to when I held. Approaching

39:31

us to stop short to start arm's

39:34

reach a the God. Are

39:37

you prepared to be my vessel?

39:40

To. Bring new blood, this

39:42

family of followers and ensure

39:45

the legacy. A

39:49

half expected a verbal response but all

39:51

that happened was are friendly dog does

39:53

God. He

39:55

took it all just his forehead. There

39:58

was a blinding light. At

40:01

that point I had regained enough and move my

40:03

legs and I ran like a how the hell

40:06

were after me. Don't

40:08

followed but I didn't slow down. I've

40:12

ran and ran for days. The

40:15

energy or season, The creation of the totem

40:17

few of my escape. It

40:20

was near a week before I

40:22

stopped. On.

40:24

It and realizing they're still Clutch De Gaulle in

40:26

my hand. I

40:30

never return to My parents have drifted

40:32

from place to place. When

40:35

I was old enough I don't volunteer

40:37

group and ended up teaching underprivileged children

40:39

and some African country. Three

40:43

years I spent on the other side of the planet.

40:45

adding from anyone them I just had a chance arrest

40:47

nice and me. Durbin

40:51

News reports from when I first went missing.

40:54

And and I'm honestly surprised my parents try

40:56

to sign me. All

40:59

that time allowed me to grow up

41:01

and says with seems nelson old possibly

41:03

to mute missing child over eight years

41:06

ago. Didn't

41:08

stop me from being paranoid and for

41:10

good reason. To

41:13

damned all. I

41:15

always left behind when I travel

41:17

to a new place. Just putting

41:20

kept appearing wherever I want. I

41:23

can get rid of it no matter what I tried. A.

41:27

Few weeks guys getting supplies from the local

41:29

market. One a woman approached me. To

41:32

the spitting image of her mother. The

41:36

Mag any grown to become a beautiful

41:38

young woman. I.

41:40

Know I am. I

41:45

didn't come back to the states on my. Kind

41:48

of just woke up here. Every

41:53

few days I wake up in a new place.

41:57

And these time I'm closer. crumble.

42:03

One of these days or wake up and just be there.

42:07

The summer Solstice isn't far away. And

42:11

way or another. Is

42:13

a God. It expects me to be in

42:15

attendance. Running.

42:18

Isn't an option. Waiting

42:25

on a tax return? Hopefully it ends up in

42:27

your hands. Fraudulent tax returns due to

42:29

identity theft increased by 30% in 2023. If

42:33

you're in a bind this tax season, LifeLock can help.

42:36

Our U.S.-based restoration specialists are experts dedicated

42:38

to helping solve your identity theft issues.

42:40

And all LifeLock plans are backed by the Million Dollar Protection

42:43

Package. So we'll reimburse you up to

42:45

the limits of your plan if you lose money due to identity

42:47

theft. Help protect your information this tax

42:49

season with LifeLock. Save up to 25%

42:52

your first year at lifelock.com. They

42:57

sure have been gone a while. You.

43:01

They sir have. I'm

43:03

sensing a little nervousness. Know you

43:05

aren't It's okay to be vulnerable.

43:08

Risa. I'm well aware

43:10

of that. Thank you. I know

43:12

the by you can be a little scary but

43:14

honestly. I've been a the

43:16

by you before it's on. I used to

43:18

live in New Orleans. You did.

43:22

We've talked about this one after

43:24

the state of the state when

43:26

we were there are remember that.

43:29

I didn't say when we talked about it. If

43:31

it was between the state of the state

43:33

and going to the bus rental place I

43:36

don't remember it I to give up living.

43:39

In the by you. If

43:43

you want to understand why I left the place I

43:46

was that. He. Are really just

43:48

going to have to hear the? Entire story. You

43:51

won't believe it. Of course. But.

43:55

Your skepticism. Means. Nothing.

43:59

because Because what I saw that night on the bayou has

44:02

been with me ever since. In

44:06

my mind, in my

44:08

thoughts, and

44:10

sometimes even in my dreams. It

44:14

exists as a disturbing memory that I cannot

44:16

shake away, that

44:19

will never go away, just

44:22

so long as I live. It'll

44:26

be one of those things so terrifying that it'll

44:29

still be just as keen in my mind on

44:32

my deathbed as it

44:34

was the day it occurred. But

44:38

whether or not you believe me, I'll

44:41

tell it to you anyway. If

44:45

not only to serve as a warning, a plea

44:47

for caution, if you

44:49

ever find yourself near the swamps late

44:52

at night. At

44:56

the time, I was working

44:58

at a shitty little fast food place. The

45:03

only thing worse than working at a shitty fast food

45:05

place is working at a

45:07

shitty fast food place on the night shift

45:10

by yourself without a

45:12

vehicle, especially when you

45:14

just so happen to live in the heart

45:17

of rural Louisiana. Such

45:21

was my case some years ago. The

45:24

night this event happened to me. During

45:30

this time, I lived quite a few miles

45:32

away from the restaurant I worked at, and

45:34

due to my lack of a vehicle or any access

45:36

to public bus system, I

45:39

was dependent on others from my transportation to

45:41

and from work. One

45:45

night, after a busy evening of

45:47

serving customers, I closed the store

45:49

and locked up the restaurant. When

45:52

I phoned for my ride, nobody answered.

45:57

Now I'm not here to throw a pity party, but I

45:59

can't. help but to express anger at the fact

46:01

that the person who drove me to and from

46:04

work was my roommate who

46:06

had a car but no fucking

46:08

job and I was basically the only person in

46:10

our house who paid the rent at this time

46:14

and this loser had the carelessness to

46:16

fall asleep leaving me with no fucking

46:18

option but to walk again

46:21

this was not the first time that this had happened the

46:25

first time it took me an

46:27

hour and a half to get home walking

46:29

briskly and so

46:32

those of you who have never been to the

46:34

rural regions of Louisiana you

46:36

have no clue here

46:40

we have what is called a bayou

46:44

it's basically swamp thick

46:47

murky moist frog

46:50

laden mosquito-forming gator-infested

46:52

crappy smelling swamp

46:56

with thick tall grass cat

46:58

tails cypress trees and

47:00

heaves upon skin and

47:04

I just so happen to live on

47:07

the bayou all

47:09

the way down a long dirt road

47:11

with hardly any street lights and thick

47:13

swamp on both sides of the road

47:17

there are no side roads and

47:20

the houses down this street are

47:22

separated sometimes by more than

47:24

a quarter mile it's

47:28

not merely spooky walking down this road at

47:30

night it's fucking

47:33

terrifying you hear

47:35

sounds both real and imagined

47:37

coming from the bayou chirpy

47:41

croaking howling grunting

47:44

animals the rustling of leaves and

47:46

branches in the canopy of the cypress

47:49

trees and the splashing water from underneath

47:51

them that's

47:53

the worst you

47:56

can hear the sound of something

47:58

lurking nearby abruptly dunk

48:00

underwater. It

48:03

can be a turtle, a snake,

48:06

or an alligator. You

48:10

never know. You

48:13

just keep walking with your

48:15

teeth and hands clenched tight,

48:17

hoping that nothing crawls through

48:19

the tall grass right next

48:22

to you and onto the road. Or

48:27

even worse than the subtle dunking sounds, the

48:30

sudden splashes that happen when you're walking

48:32

and scare a toad or frog and

48:34

it jumps into the water. The

48:38

sound makes you almost shit yourself as

48:40

you begin a running spree that lasts

48:42

about three seconds before you realize what

48:44

it was. And

48:47

then you're left with your heart pounding so

48:50

hard that the sound of

48:52

your blood gushing in your temples scares

48:54

you just as much. These

48:58

are the types of things that happen when

49:01

you're in the bayou. This

49:05

is what I had to look forward to that

49:07

night as my asshole roommate slept sprawled out on

49:09

a sofa with a television set probably tuned into

49:11

reruns of the Three Stooges and the

49:13

Marx Brothers. And

49:16

don't get the impression that I simply called once and gave

49:18

up. You

49:20

can trust that his cell had

49:22

around seven or so missed calls,

49:25

three very unfriendly voicemails, and

49:27

several aggressive text messages. I

49:30

could just imagine his phone laying in

49:33

another room of the house, softly vibrating

49:35

in my desperate attempts to reach him

49:37

as he snored. But

49:40

eventually I gave up and

49:44

having just about no other friends to contact in the

49:46

area as a recourse, I

49:48

stopped by the nearby gas station, grabbed

49:51

an energy drink, and began walking

49:53

my way back home. Now

49:57

you must understand the first

50:00

Thirty or so minutes of my walk isn't

50:02

that bad. I'm still

50:04

in the most populated part of

50:06

town and there are street lights,

50:08

stores, houses, and cars passing by

50:10

and. Large numbers. That's

50:13

important. Is there

50:15

are a lot of cars going by. You

50:18

feel safer than when there are

50:20

very few players. Because

50:25

when there are. Only one or two cars

50:27

pass you every three minutes. That

50:30

means that there could be a psychopath in

50:32

one of those cars. And

50:34

they may have enough time to

50:37

stop by and murder you without

50:39

ever being caught. But

50:42

if there are a lot of cars around. There

50:45

may be psychopaths passing by. But

50:48

they'll most likely not kill you. Because

50:51

then there's too many people around to witness the crime.

50:55

At least that's my

50:57

reasoning. I digress. Know.

51:01

Psychopaths pulled up next to me as I walked around

51:03

This. Part. Of town. Next,

51:06

there comes a time in my journey where

51:08

I have to turn down several suburban neighborhoods

51:11

and walk some streets to get to where

51:13

I'm going. And

51:15

here's where things get a little less safe.

51:19

And I have to be a little more cautious. There's

51:23

less traffic down the throats. And

51:25

you never know when some punk or gang may be

51:27

hanging out in some empty lot. Our house. People

51:31

who might mess with you. Or a

51:33

try to pick a spider monkey. You are are

51:35

just take an empty bottle of liquor and best

51:37

your stolen. You. Know. As

51:40

an initiation ritual or something. These

51:44

are the thoughts that go through my head as

51:46

I walk around this region. And

51:49

they keep me on my toes. Until

51:51

I reached the point where house has

51:54

become fewer and fewer. and

51:57

the by you begins This

52:01

is where the dirt road leading to my home is.

52:06

And that's where I found myself this night.

52:10

On foot. I

52:14

looked down the narrow road. You

52:17

can only see so far before it fades into

52:19

misty darkness. I

52:22

resented that I would have had to spend the next

52:24

hour walking its distance until I reached

52:26

home. Some

52:29

anger took hold of fear when I thought about how

52:31

all of this could be spared if not

52:33

for the neglect and carelessness of my

52:35

roommate. When

52:39

I got home, I was really going to

52:41

have it in for him. I

52:43

truly considered at that time the possibility of

52:46

physically snacking him in the face. And

52:50

with this thought in mind, I

52:52

launched defiantly down the road. The

52:56

further I walked, the

52:59

darker it became, until

53:02

no light shined but the stars and the sliver

53:04

of the moon above me. Very

53:08

soon, the sound of

53:10

any vehicle was completely non-existent.

53:14

It was just me, the

53:17

road, and

53:19

the bayou, and

53:22

whatever creatures dwelt there. I

53:25

heard the crickets chirp, and

53:27

the frogs croak, and

53:30

the occasional bird coo. To

53:34

avoid fear, I focused

53:36

on their chorus and let the sounds preoccupy my

53:38

mind. I

53:41

walked, watching my shoes press into

53:43

the sandy dirt as I placed one foot in

53:45

front of the other. I

53:48

would count my steps until I reached 100, and

53:51

then I'd begin again. I

53:55

tried to lose myself in the repetition. My

54:01

shoes became damper and damper, and I

54:03

felt the soles of my feet become

54:05

moist. I

54:08

stopped counting to ponder whether I should smack my

54:10

roommate with a wet sock, but

54:13

my thought was interrupted when I glanced up for

54:15

just a moment and

54:18

saw that I was

54:20

not alone on this road.

54:24

A sharp panic seized my heart and

54:27

I became very nervous. A

54:30

long distance up ahead of me, I

54:33

could discern the soft silhouette of a figure.

54:37

It was so far away that I

54:39

couldn't tell whether it was moving ahead or

54:42

in my direction. I

54:45

froze and I could

54:48

feel the blood gushing in my temples. What

54:53

were the chances of there being some malicious punk

54:55

wandering this street at night, looking to rob me

54:58

or pick a fight? This

55:01

was the reassuring thought I had as I tried to

55:04

convince myself that I was safe. I

55:07

tried to keep calm, to not

55:09

let my nerves get the best of me. I

55:12

mean, whoever this was was

55:14

probably just as frightened of the prospects of me

55:16

as I was of them. If

55:20

they had already detected me, that is. I

55:25

didn't know what to do. Run?

55:29

There was only two directions. Continue

55:32

walking? What were

55:34

the risks? As

55:38

I stood there, I

55:40

saw that the figure was

55:42

indeed moving in my direction

55:46

and its form was becoming more defined.

55:51

And this was the time I began to notice

55:53

how awkwardly it was moving. The

55:57

figure didn't walk normal. It

56:00

didn't bob up and down. Like

56:02

how a normal person looks as they walk. What

56:07

was coming towards me? It.

56:10

Would seem for my perspective. Moved.

56:13

In short, Quick. Jerking

56:15

movements, All

56:19

I could see from what life was

56:21

present. Was

56:24

how twitchy it's limbs protected from it's

56:26

torso. And

56:29

how much closer it was getting. And

56:33

how it's head stuck out from the neck

56:35

that was longer than any human neck. Should

56:38

be. And

56:41

how at this time. I

56:44

could now think we hear the noise the that it. Seem

56:46

to make. The

56:48

sound of soccer. And

56:51

how it was moving quicker. And

56:55

how it's face lifted and

56:57

I could see it size

56:59

glare like glowing yellow beats.

57:01

and how these wide beady

57:04

eyes locked until mine staring

57:06

at me. And

57:12

how it stopped. And

57:16

how we both were

57:18

there, motionless yards away.

57:21

Looking at each other. And

57:28

I remember then. How

57:31

would lead out the most ungodly

57:34

in humid screech that I have

57:36

ever heard? Like a pig? Been

57:39

good. It. It's

57:43

squealed violently and the resulted

57:45

throughout. The body. And

57:47

chirping and croaking of crickets

57:49

and frogs. Austin's. Everything

57:53

stopped. And

57:56

the rumbling and humming. Was.

57:59

All that. could be heard afterwards. The

58:03

rumbling and humming of a motor ahead, a

58:06

vehicle speeding toward us, tires

58:08

racing loudly. The

58:10

thing in front of me hunched over and turned to

58:12

see the headlights beaming our way. It

58:15

hissed, getting down on all fours, only pausing

58:18

for a moment to turn back towards me,

58:20

gawking at me with its wide

58:22

eyes before crawling hastily into

58:25

the sun. The

58:28

vehicle that scared the thing away was

58:31

my roommate's car. He

58:35

never saw it, whatever it was,

58:39

and I never wanted to see it again. I

58:44

moved as soon as I could and

58:47

haven't been there ever since. I

58:52

mean, until now. Until

58:56

you brought me back here. I'm

58:59

gonna plead ignorance on that one. You

59:01

don't get to plead ignorance for everything.

59:04

You did the same thing when the dinner bill

59:07

came last night, claiming you didn't know how restaurants

59:09

worked. Yeah, I

59:11

can't believe you all fell for that one. Wait,

59:16

where are you going? I'm

59:19

gonna go meet up with the others to, um,

59:22

get supplies, I guess. Are

59:24

you kidding me? We're in the middle of

59:26

nowhere. You can't walk all the way

59:28

back to the garden district. I have a

59:31

rideshare coming. I scheduled it as soon

59:33

as the others ditched me. I mean, went

59:35

to get supplies. It's waiting,

59:38

just down the road. I think they can handle it

59:40

on their own. Come on, I need someone

59:42

to hold my feet while I see how deep the well is.

59:45

Don't you do anything normal? Not if

59:48

I can avoid it. I'm sorry, I

59:50

need to go get some woman

59:52

things. If you think you're

59:54

gonna make me feel uncomfortable, you're

59:57

right. Safe travels. It's

1:00:00

fine. It's fine. I

1:00:10

can be alone in the bayou for an hour or

1:00:12

so until everyone gets back. It'll

1:00:16

be fine. It'll

1:00:19

be fine.

1:00:25

For

1:00:28

more information on this

1:00:31

podcast, including how to

1:00:33

submit your own story

1:00:35

for consideration, please visit

1:00:37

creepypod.com. You

1:00:40

can also follow us at

1:00:42

creepypod on social media and

1:00:44

YouTube. All stories told

1:00:46

on this podcast are done so

1:00:49

through Creative Commons Share a Light

1:00:51

Licensing or with written

1:00:53

consent from the authors. No

1:00:56

portion of this podcast may

1:00:58

be rebroadcast or otherwise

1:01:00

distributed without the express written

1:01:02

consent of the Creepy Podcast

1:01:05

Production Team and the Stories

1:01:07

Author. Shopify

1:01:16

helps you sell at every stage of your

1:01:18

business. Like that, let's put it online and

1:01:21

see what happens, Sage. And the

1:01:23

site is live. That we opened a

1:01:25

store and need a fast checkout, Sage. Thanks!

1:01:27

You're all set. That count it up and ship

1:01:29

it around the globe, Sage. This one's going to

1:01:32

Thailand. And that,

1:01:34

wait, did we just hit a million order,

1:01:36

Sage? Whatever your stage,

1:01:38

businesses that grow grow with Shopify. Sign

1:01:41

up for your one dollar a month

1:01:43

trial at shopify.com/ listen.

Rate

Join Podchaser to...

  • Rate podcasts and episodes
  • Follow podcasts and creators
  • Create podcast and episode lists
  • & much more

Episode Tags

Do you host or manage this podcast?
Claim and edit this page to your liking.
,

Unlock more with Podchaser Pro

  • Audience Insights
  • Contact Information
  • Demographics
  • Charts
  • Sponsor History
  • and More!
Pro Features