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1:34

horror hill is a horror

1:36

anthology podcast bringing you scary

1:39

stories from all corners of

1:41

the internet and beyond as

1:44

such certain stories include content

1:46

that some listeners might find

1:49

offensive in particular tonight's episode

1:51

features the scene involving violence

1:53

against animals though they're not

1:56

exactly normal animals listener discretion

1:58

is advised Hello

2:02

there, listeners, and welcome back

2:04

to Horror Hill. As

2:07

usual, I'm your host and

2:09

narrator, Eric Peabody, and in

2:11

tonight's episode we'll be concluding

2:13

the story, Blood, Holes, and

2:15

Videotape, by Kevin David Anderson.

2:18

This is the latest story in

2:20

his Midnight Men series covering the

2:22

supernatural adventures of good ol' boys

2:24

Earl and Dale. If

2:26

you haven't yet heard the first part of

2:28

this tale, I recommend listening to the previous

2:30

episode of Horror Hill to get all caught

2:32

up. For the rest of you, here's

2:35

a quick recap. Our

2:38

story opened with Dale having a

2:40

very vivid dream. He's

2:42

in a blockbuster video that is

2:44

staffed entirely by female actresses. Earl

2:47

is there, too, but no

2:49

one seems to be on Dale's side. He

2:52

awakens, as the dream deteriorates, to find

2:54

that Earl has brought them to a

2:57

small Texas town for breakfast. Dale

2:59

soon realizes that there's a boarded-up

3:02

blockbuster video in this town, and

3:05

he's drawn to it. After

3:07

making their way inside, they find

3:09

a strangely modern door in the

3:11

back, as well as several bizarre

3:13

holes in the floor, leading to

3:15

darkness. As they're

3:17

poking around, the police show up,

3:19

and things get violent fast. In

3:23

tonight's episode, we're jumping back in

3:25

just as Dale has finished disabling

3:27

and handcuffing one of the cops,

3:29

and here's two shotgun blasts and

3:31

a scream from where Earl was

3:33

fighting with another one. Also,

3:36

special thanks again go to

3:38

Olivia Steele, who voices several

3:40

characters in tonight's show. For

3:45

listening to the standard edition of

3:47

this program, if you'd like to

3:49

help support Horror Hill and also

3:52

remove these pesky ads, head to

3:54

chillingtalesfordarkknights.com and click patrons in the

3:56

upper menu to sign up today.

4:00

instant access to hundreds of ad-free

4:02

stories and we can scale back

4:04

some of our... less savory

4:07

means of generating money for the

4:09

show. By the way, you

4:12

wouldn't happen to still have all of your organs,

4:15

would you? And

4:24

now from author Kevin David Anderson I give

4:26

you Blood, Holes, and Videotape, Part Sit

4:37

tight, asshole! Dale said, then popped

4:39

up and looked for Earl's big head. Didn't take

4:43

long. Earl's gaze was

4:45

cast down at something Dale couldn't see.

4:47

His friend did not appear to be

4:49

in distress so Dale strolled on over.

4:52

As he neared he said, where's the other

4:54

one? Earl looked

4:56

up at his friend and pointed down. He

4:58

done took a step too far. Dale

5:01

came next to Earl who pointed at a

5:03

third hole in the store's floor, located a

5:06

few feet from a broken and no longer

5:08

boarded up window. The cop had obviously pushed

5:10

his way in. He was

5:12

halfway through the window when I got here.

5:14

He took a shot at me. Missed. No,

5:17

he didn't. Dale gestured

5:19

to Earl's arm. There were crimson streaks

5:22

about the width of an earthworm running

5:24

down from elbow to wrist. Well

5:27

crap on a cracker. He

5:29

held up his arm. Does

5:31

it hurt? It didn't until

5:33

you pointed it out. Earl snapped.

5:36

Hey, I didn't shoot you. Earl

5:39

stepped over to the edge of the hole. No,

5:42

it was this jackass. So focused on

5:44

where I was he didn't watch where

5:46

he's going. He took one more

5:48

shot at me and stepped in the devil's asshole

5:50

and was gone. Earl

5:53

wiped some blood from his arm,

5:55

revealing three little pea-sized holes in

5:57

his flesh. I'll

5:59

live. Dale peered

6:01

into the black pit on the floor,

6:03

straining to see anything beyond the darkness.

6:06

You hear him hit the bottom? Earl

6:09

shook his head. He just hollered

6:11

like he knew he'd done something real stupid.

6:14

Well, he's gonna be late for supper.

6:17

Where's yours? Earl said, looking

6:19

back. Dale gestured over

6:21

his shoulder with his thumb. He's

6:24

coughed back by the entrance. Dale

6:27

turned. Let's go see if he can

6:29

tell us anything about these holes or what's behind that

6:31

door. Maybe what the hell that

6:33

smell is, Earl added. They

6:35

started back to the front of the store. I

6:38

heard a shot your way. Did he get you? No,

6:42

Dale said. It's always my

6:44

plan A not to get shot. You

6:46

on the other hand seem to work getting shot into

6:48

your M.O. Not true. Dale

6:51

looked back at his friend. Bullshit!

6:54

A month ago in Houston without

6:56

human trafficker, you practically dared him to

6:58

shoot you. That's because

7:00

I knew it would make him mad. That's

7:03

what I mean. Dale's words

7:05

choked off as a faint growl

7:07

seemed to rise from the discolored

7:09

Berber carpet, a coiled around

7:11

them like a hungry constrictor. Don't

7:14

suppose that's your stomach? Dale

7:17

whispered. Earl shook his

7:19

head. Dale signaled

7:21

for Earl to hunker down and they

7:23

both lowered themselves below the display cases.

7:26

The growl came again. It

7:28

ping ponged off the walls, making it difficult

7:30

to locate. Earl pulled

7:33

Betsy from its sheath as another

7:35

slow, guttural growl floated from above.

7:38

Wolf, or big cat? Earl

7:40

whispered. Dale had killed his

7:42

first big cat when he was 14. A

7:45

30-pound bobcat tried to eat his hunting

7:47

dog Buck. Though Dale

7:49

couldn't remember much of the fight, the growl

7:51

of a big cat had never left him.

7:54

Not a cat, Dale said.

7:57

He wasn't sure it was a wolf, but it

7:59

definitely sounded canine, a low and

8:01

throaty rumble that seemed to vibrate

8:04

around them. It came

8:06

again, and although Dale did not move any

8:08

closer to identifying what they were up against,

8:10

he did pick up on one thing. The

8:13

growl they had just heard was coming from

8:15

a different direction.

8:17

He looked over at Earl and held up

8:19

two fingers. Shit!

8:23

Something darted past one end of the aisle, and

8:25

Dale couldn't be sure, but it appeared to pop

8:28

up from one of the holes. It

8:30

moved on four legs and darted in and

8:32

out of sight. No

8:34

need hiding, Earl said,

8:36

standing. They know we're here. Dale

8:40

stood, drawing the machete harnessed inside

8:42

his vest. Whenever he did

8:44

this, he felt like a medieval knight

8:46

brandishing a holy blade forged in the

8:49

fire of old-fashioned virtue, but deep

8:51

down he knew he looked like a

8:53

Tennessee redneck whipping out an oversized knife

8:55

that seemed to be compensating for something.

8:58

Compensating or not, the two large men

9:01

stood back to back, each facing down

9:03

one side of the aisle, ready for

9:05

whatever hell was bringing. They

9:08

didn't have to wait too long. Angie

9:12

has made it easier than ever to

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connect with skilled professionals to get all

9:16

your jobs projects done well. If you

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own a home, you know how much

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work it can take, whether it's everyday

9:22

maintenance and repairs or making dream projects

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a reality. It can be hard just

9:26

to know where to start, but now all

9:29

you need to do is Angie that and

9:31

find a skilled local pro who will deliver

9:33

the quality and expertise you need. Angie

9:35

has over 20 years of home

9:37

service experience, and they've combined it with

9:40

new tools to simplify the whole process.

9:42

Bring them your project online or with

9:44

the Angie app, answer a few questions,

9:47

and Angie can handle the rest from

9:49

start to finish, or help you compare

9:51

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which means you can take care of

9:55

just about any home project and just

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10:00

to getting the most out of your home, you

10:02

can do this when you Angie that. Download

10:05

the free Angie mobile app

10:07

today or visit angie.com. That's

10:09

a-n-g-i.com. Dale

10:14

smelled them coming before they appeared.

10:17

The aroma of decay was pungent,

10:19

curling his nostril hairs and stinging

10:21

his eyes. A

10:23

few yards away, the four-legged creature

10:25

stepped into their aisle and Dale

10:27

met its black eyes sunken in

10:30

his ferocious skull. It

10:32

had once been a dog. He couldn't tell

10:34

the breed, shepherd, wolfhound,

10:37

something big. Identification was

10:39

difficult due to its rotting flesh,

10:42

maggots squirming in its torn fur

10:44

and exposed meat. Earl's

10:47

back was up against Dale's and he

10:49

suspected his friend was looking at something

10:51

equally as ugly. What you

10:53

got on your side? Dale said

10:55

over his shoulder. Dead

10:58

dog, you? Same. Any

11:01

tips on how to deal? Standard

11:03

rules apply, Dale said.

11:06

Damn, Earl grumbled. I

11:08

really need to study those. The

11:12

decaying canine, which when alive might

11:14

have weighed 70 pounds, glared at

11:16

Dale, seemingly sizing him up. He

11:19

figured the one on Earl's side was doing the same.

11:22

Dale twirled the machete, loosening his

11:25

wrist up as his adrenaline pulsed,

11:27

his temples throbbing. He

11:29

studied the creature for points of attack, exposed

11:31

bone that would break easily if he had

11:34

to use his hands. What

11:36

the hell are they waiting for, Christmas? Earl

11:39

said. What are

11:41

they waiting for? Dale thought. They

11:44

seemed to be holding positions

11:46

like...like pack animals when they

11:48

hunt. The comparison hit

11:50

Dale like ice water to the

11:52

face, waking him to the realization

11:54

that they were looking in the

11:56

wrong direction. Incoming! Dale

11:59

Heard the claw. Coming up and over

12:01

from the center of the adjacent Iowa, he

12:03

turned just in time to see a third

12:05

dead canine bounds into the air from the

12:07

top as a display case. Girl.

12:10

Thrusters hands toward the airborne

12:12

creature, connecting hard. He. Posted

12:14

in flight, deflecting the decaying

12:16

massive teeth and claws, changing

12:19

it's intended trajectory. Unfortunately,

12:21

He inadvertently deflected it towards the back

12:24

of his friend. The. Dead

12:26

dog landed on url shoulders, it's

12:28

body wrapping around him like an

12:30

old ladies winter shawl. Urls

12:32

big hand reached up fast and grabbed

12:34

it by the scruff of it's decaying

12:36

neck. His fingers sunk into

12:38

the for and around several exposed

12:40

vertebrae. Url lifted it up and hurled

12:43

it into the dead dog charging at him from the

12:45

other end of the aisle. Deal

12:47

could hear the other dog on his end

12:49

of the aisle now bearing down on him.

12:51

He spun to say said than had

12:54

an idea. He reached over

12:56

with his free hand and grabbed the top

12:58

of the display cases marked Action and Adventure.

13:01

He had noticed earlier that the cases

13:03

were about six feet long and although

13:05

but it up against one another, they

13:07

were free moving! When. The

13:09

undead beast entered the case a

13:11

shadow fail pulled it over. The.

13:13

Dog tried to stop and hit reverse,

13:16

but it was too late. The.

13:18

Case rained down Vhs boxes with

13:20

images the Stallone Schwarzenegger and Jean

13:22

Claude Van Damme followed by the

13:24

full weight of the wouldn't display

13:27

case. For. The moment he

13:29

was pinned to a floor, it's

13:31

front legs and snarling snout sticking

13:33

out from underneath. It squirmed

13:35

and twisted and made some progress

13:37

trying to extract itself until Dale

13:39

brought and boot down on its

13:41

neck with a force of a

13:43

blacksmith dropping an anvil. With.

13:46

Attend once again, Dale

13:48

swung the machete. With.

13:50

One shop he had cut the friend's

13:52

house has it's skull including the lower

13:55

jaw. clean off. Separated.

13:57

from the rest of itself the creatures muzzle

13:59

on t snapped a few more times.

14:02

Then, like the rest of its body, it

14:05

lay still. Stay!

14:08

Dale removed his boot. Good

14:10

boy! Doing an

14:12

about-face, he saw two dead dogs charging

14:15

at Earl. The lead dog

14:17

had two of Earl's throwing knives in it,

14:19

one in the neck and the other between

14:21

two exposed ribs. A third knife

14:23

protruded from the second dog's eye socket.

14:26

That wound seemed to hit the

14:28

mark, and its massive St. Bernard-sized

14:31

body careened into the display case,

14:33

sending Stephen Fagal's entire 90s catalog

14:36

to the dust-covered Berber carpet. Since

14:39

he had already dispatched one dog, Dale

14:41

felt justified in making the executive decision

14:43

to deal with the heavily wounded one.

14:46

He stepped toward it as Earl let

14:49

his final throwing blade fly. It sunk

14:51

into the breast of the lead dog,

14:53

possibly once a Doberman. With

14:55

three knives sticking out of it like

14:58

a pincushion, it charged at Earl. Dale

15:00

smelled it as it went by, making

15:03

its way toward Earl. Behind

15:05

him, Dale could hear the thumping

15:07

sound of Betsy repeatedly going in

15:09

and out of the Doberman's decaying

15:11

body cavity. It yelped in

15:13

anguish as Dale raised his machete to

15:16

bring it down on the wounded St.

15:18

Bernard-sized skull. Before he

15:20

could strike, the undead canine not only

15:22

righted itself but reared up on its

15:24

hind legs like a bear. In

15:27

an instant, Dale realized that in the

15:29

split second he took to choose between

15:31

the two dogs, he had chosen poorly.

15:34

Not as wounded as it appeared

15:36

to be, the grisly creature lunged,

15:39

its exposed ribs broken and jagged,

15:41

looking like a massive set of

15:43

teeth reaping out from its body

15:45

cavity. The decay seemed to

15:47

be most prevalent across its midsection, and

15:50

Dale decided, well, he hoped,

15:53

that was a weak spot. He

15:55

hunkered down on one knee and swung

15:57

the machete laterally with everything he had.

16:00

a lumberjack executing his best

16:02

swing. The blade

16:04

powered through rotting flesh severed the

16:06

spine below the ribs and came

16:08

out the other side. For

16:11

a moment the creature was still, just

16:13

swaying in the wind that was not there.

16:17

Then the bottom half teetered back

16:19

and the top half tumbled forward

16:21

like a massive redwood, its front

16:23

legs outstretched branches coming down on

16:26

Dale's shoulders. It seemed

16:28

for a moment they were slow dance partners,

16:30

the dog's front legs hugging the back of

16:32

his neck and the rotting lips coming in

16:35

for a kiss. Bad

16:37

dog! Dale shouted as a

16:39

snout full of teeth came within inches

16:41

of his nose. He twisted

16:43

his body to the left twirling the top half

16:46

of the creature to the floor. It

16:48

rolled to right itself, but

16:50

with only two legs to work with

16:52

it just teetered back and forth, teeth

16:55

snapping. Dale used

16:57

both hands like someone splitting logs

16:59

for kindling and brought the machete

17:01

down. The blade cut

17:03

straight through its mouth and didn't stop

17:05

until it sunk into the carpet. Dale

17:08

twisted the blade until the top half of

17:10

its skull separated. A rotting

17:13

tongue twisted out from underneath the

17:15

liberated section of the skull until

17:17

Earl brought his boot down on

17:19

the whole kitten caboodle. With

17:21

the sound of crushing bone

17:23

came stillness in all things

17:25

formerly undead canines. Jesus!

17:29

Dale said, resting a forearm on his

17:31

knee. Earl put a hand

17:33

on his shoulder. You gonna make it? Dale

17:37

turned to look up at his friend. I'm

17:39

fine, but you're gonna need stitches. Shit!

17:43

Earl said, looking at the seven-inch gash

17:46

in his forearm. I ain't

17:48

gonna turn into a zombie dog, is I? Not

17:51

unless you were a dog before. Or

17:53

a regular walking dead flesh-eating thing?

17:56

Dale shook his head. Nope. He

17:59

kicked the c- carcass. This

18:01

is not viral, it's a spell. What

18:04

makes you figure that? There

18:06

were three of them. Exactly three.

18:09

Three holes, three dogs. I

18:12

ain't following. Three is one

18:14

of those enchanted numbers the Hocus Pocus folks

18:16

often use in their doons. Dale

18:19

knelt and examined the rotting dog.

18:22

I had never seen him before, but I

18:24

think these three dogs were drafted by the

18:26

deplorable Hocus Pocus types into service in the

18:28

underworld. So some

18:30

black magic a-holes made man's best

18:33

friends into hellhounds.

18:36

Dale said. Hellhounds?

18:39

Earl said. Ain't that like

18:41

mythology or something? Dale

18:43

reached over and grabbed the St. Bernard's

18:45

head and lifted it. Yes

18:47

and no, I suppose. I

18:50

do know that they shouldn't be up here above

18:52

ground. They turn service down below

18:54

and they start to rot if they spend too

18:56

much time on the surface. Say

18:59

you're right, Earl said. What

19:01

in the brisket are hellhounds doing in

19:03

an abandoned blockbuster video store? Almost

19:06

like an answer to Earl's question,

19:08

the floor started to rumble. The

19:11

building shook, windows cracked, and

19:13

several ceiling tiles came loose,

19:15

their fiberboard construction crumbling as

19:17

they hit display cases. Before

19:20

either of them could say anything, it

19:22

started to subside. A few

19:24

beats later, the world was still again.

19:27

An earthquake in Texas, Earl

19:30

said. Before Dale

19:32

could respond, a distant alarm

19:34

sounded. They both looked around trying

19:36

to find where it came from. The

19:39

sound seemed to echo like a distant

19:41

scream in a catacomb of crypts. Dale

19:44

turned to the one place they had not

19:46

been yet. It's got to be

19:48

coming from the other side of that door. Now

19:51

I got more questions, Earl

19:53

said. Dale Had questions too,

19:55

but before he went barging into the

19:58

unknown, he thought it best to use

20:00

the door. uses resources. He. Turned

20:02

back to the front of the store. Let's.

20:04

Go see what our prisoner can tell us.

20:08

You may now on. Url said

20:10

pointing at a hobbled sigur moving

20:12

through the establishment like clumsy modo

20:14

trying to outrun the king's guards.

20:17

God. Damn as. Dale. Granted,

20:20

Me: why should a hard time that some bitch.

20:23

With. His own costs keeping his hands

20:26

behind his back. the cops moved and

20:28

obvious pain. Hunched forward, he

20:30

staggered and then koreans into the

20:32

checkout counter. I. Own you

20:34

don't did a piss poor job of making them

20:36

are prisoner. Url stated the

20:38

obvious. Dale side.

20:41

He. Up I saw me but I

20:43

got distracted. heard that screen and sont

20:46

you're in trouble. Ah

20:48

that's sweet url said.

20:50

Still, Bed. But Swayze and I

20:53

don't scream. I holler on the

20:55

girls scream. True, nos.

20:58

One where he's asked if url said.

21:00

The. Exits the other way. Dale

21:03

wondered that as well. The cops haphazard

21:05

sampling gave the impression that he was

21:07

just confused and not sure which way

21:09

he was headed, But as he careened

21:11

into an adjacent display case, they all

21:13

believed he had run into it purposely

21:15

in an attempt to study himself. It

21:18

was at that moment Dale realized

21:20

his direction was intentional. Think.

21:22

I know where his head and. Dale.

21:25

Started to pursue just as another

21:27

tremor hit. This. One was a

21:29

might stronger and Dale had a steady

21:31

himself by grabbing url shoulder. That.

21:34

Wasn't the best moves as url

21:36

was teetering backwards. It

21:38

came and went assessed as the previous

21:40

one, but the hesitation that caused gave

21:42

the comp time to reach it's destination.

21:45

Before the two men god moving

21:47

again attending see male voice crackled

21:49

the life. Officer. Gates can

21:51

and. It took Dale a

21:54

second to realize the distance and muffled voice

21:56

was coming from the cops walkie talkie. Officer

21:59

Gates. Please respond." With

22:01

the cop's hands secured behind his back, there

22:04

would be no response or coming in, but

22:06

that just made whoever was on the other

22:08

side more insistent. "'Gates pick

22:11

up.'" Dale

22:13

had not been in a big hurry to catch

22:15

the cop, seeing how he was heading to a

22:17

heavily secured door and had no real use of

22:19

his digits, but when he saw the

22:21

cop reach the door and stand in front of

22:23

the control panel on the right side of the

22:25

door, he quickened his step. The

22:28

screen and a circular lens mechanism

22:30

came to life. There

22:32

was a flash of light and the

22:34

mechanism spun a half turn like a

22:36

photographer focusing a telephoto lens, a

22:39

lens aimed at the cop's face. Then

22:42

as fast as lightning, the door

22:44

slid open. "'Shit!"

22:47

Dale said as he went from a fast walk

22:49

to a run, but even as he did he

22:51

knew he wouldn't get there before the cop went

22:53

in. The alarm became

22:56

louder, no longer muffled by the

22:58

door, but not loud enough to

23:00

drown out the cop's insistent walkie-talkie

23:02

friend. "'Gates, if you don't

23:04

get it open in the next few minutes, that whole building

23:06

is coming down. Gates!" The

23:09

muffled voice faded as the cop moved

23:11

inside. Before the

23:13

door slid closed, Dale got a quick peek.

23:17

Something large covered most of the

23:19

ground, raised a bit, metallic and

23:21

circular. This flicked

23:23

inside, like the yellow illumination from

23:25

a construction crew or emergency vehicle,

23:28

and just before the door slid shut, Dale

23:31

saw a figure either sitting in a

23:33

chair or hunched up against the back

23:35

wall. It was a

23:37

male teen and Dale couldn't be positive

23:39

because the door closed so quickly, but

23:42

it looked like he had been chained to the

23:44

wall. They

23:46

reached the door and started looking for a way

23:48

in. "'How'd he open

23:50

it?' Earl said. Biometrics,

23:54

Dale said, running his fingertips on the

23:56

door, checking for a gap. Biome

23:59

what?" "'Scanned his

24:01

face!" Dale yelled over

24:03

his shoulder. "'Pull a rod

24:05

out of one of those display cases!" Earl

24:08

pushed the rom-com display case over

24:11

and slammed a boot into its

24:13

spine. VHS cases tumbled everywhere. Sleepless

24:16

in Seattle and Pretty Woman hit the

24:18

back of Dale's boots. Dale

24:20

gave the tapes a soft kick so they

24:22

wouldn't be underfoot. "'Pardon me,

24:25

Mrs. Roberts, Mrs. Ryan," he

24:27

said as Earl tossed a metal rod

24:29

ripped from the now shattered display case.

24:33

A thin gap between the door and

24:35

frame allowed Dale to drive the metal

24:37

rod in. He pushed until

24:39

convinced it couldn't go in any further,

24:42

then began to use it like a crowbar to

24:44

ease the door back. When there

24:46

was an opening big enough for Earl to

24:48

get his fingers in, the door started sliding.

24:51

The stress sounds made it clear

24:53

that they were exceeding the door's

24:55

warranty through general misuse. Metal

24:57

screeched in protest as the rollers tore

24:59

from their rails and Earl lifted the

25:02

door, forcing it back into the wall

25:04

pocket. Dale jammed the metal

25:06

rod into the grooves, dashing any inclinations

25:08

the door might have of closing on

25:11

them. With the door

25:13

open, the alarm was much louder. Dale

25:16

stepped through first. It

25:18

was a square room, twenty feet across.

25:21

The boy, maybe fourteen, was

25:23

dressed for Sunday service, nice

25:26

button-down shirt and slacks, hair

25:28

groomed, and hands manacled

25:30

to the wall. He

25:32

stood still and, other than

25:34

the chains, didn't appear in any kind of

25:37

distress. Drugged, maybe.

25:40

Dale was about to step across the room

25:42

toward him when the room's centerpiece caught his

25:44

eye. What the hell

25:47

is this? Earl said,

25:49

eyeing the same sight. In

25:51

the center of the room, slightly

25:53

raised off the ground, was a

25:55

round metal iris-like door. The

25:58

door was ten feet across and closed.

26:01

Earl and Dale stood on one side and

26:03

the boy was chained on the other. Jesus,

26:07

Dale said. It's covering and

26:09

opening in the ground? Earl

26:12

pointed at the enormous metal iris. Don't

26:15

suppose this is the kind of thing they put on them

26:17

sinkholes, is it? Dale

26:19

met Earl's gaze. No.

26:23

From behind and to the right,

26:25

something moved. Dale turned to

26:27

see the cop in the corner behind them,

26:29

fumbling at a control panel. The

26:32

flashing yellow lights made it difficult to see

26:34

what he was doing, but with his hands

26:36

secured behind him, Dale figured that whatever it

26:38

was, he was doing it badly. He

26:41

pecked at the buttons with his nose like a

26:43

rat hitting the control to drop a food pellet.

26:47

Dale pointed at the boy. Go

26:49

free him. I'll see what our friend is

26:51

up to. Dale

26:53

started circling around while Dale moved toward

26:55

the cop. The cop pecked

26:58

one more time, then leaned

27:00

down and stuck his chin under a

27:02

very large toggle switch. It

27:04

looked like an electrical switch from a Frankenstein

27:06

movie. He moved the toggle part

27:09

enough to wedge a good part of his face

27:11

under and in what Dale had

27:13

to admit was a stellar effort, managed

27:15

to flip the switch up 90 degrees. Instantly,

27:19

a mechanical whirring sounded as

27:21

motors came to life. Dale

27:24

spun around and saw the iris

27:26

blades move. There was a

27:28

groaning that evoked a sense of mass

27:30

and weight as the sharp blades slid

27:33

open, lightning fast. The

27:35

airtight seal broke with a hiss, and

27:37

the device came to a sudden rest,

27:39

reaching its fully open position with a

27:42

locking thud. Dale had

27:44

the feeling that a giant eye had

27:46

awakened, and the room had

27:48

suddenly become something else. The

27:51

alarm went silent, and Dale heard

27:53

the cop laugh behind him, followed

27:55

by, You're going to

27:57

die. him,

28:00

Dale threw his elbow back fast, catching the

28:02

cop in the mouth. The

28:04

coughed man fell back into the wall

28:06

and slumped to the ground, his broken

28:08

nose listing to one side. Dad!

28:12

The teen boy shouted. Dad!

28:15

Earl repeated as he yanked one of the

28:17

chains free from the drywall. An

28:20

awful realization poured over Dale

28:22

like ice water. Shit!

28:26

He knelt and tore the cop's shirt

28:28

open. He pulled the velcro strap off

28:30

one shoulder and opened the Kevlar vest

28:32

like a book. With his

28:35

machete, he cut the sweat-soaked t-shirt down

28:37

the middle to expose the man's chest.

28:40

And there it was. The

28:42

flesh talisman. Son

28:45

of a bitch! It

28:47

had been burned into his

28:49

chest willingly, a circular-shaped brand

28:52

with an Egyptian oink rising

28:54

from the ancient Bloodsuckers Temple

28:56

surrounded by a river of

28:58

crimson. Dale couldn't see

29:00

all that detail through the man's chest

29:02

hair, but this wasn't the first time

29:04

he'd seen such a mark, and his

29:06

recall could fill in the covered features.

29:09

Dale hoped it wouldn't be there,

29:11

that this asshole didn't bow down

29:13

before them and pledge loyalty. But

29:16

the chained boy on the other side

29:18

of the room, calling him Dad, telegraphed

29:20

what he'd find. Actually

29:22

looking was just a formality. What's

29:25

going on over there? Earl said,

29:28

yanking the other chain from the wall.

29:31

We should get out of here, Dale said.

29:34

Why? Dale peered into

29:36

the hole in the center of the room. Something's

29:39

on its way, and I'd rather face it outside

29:41

in the daylight than in here. Get

29:43

that kid out of here. Earl

29:46

moved toward the kid, but he scurried

29:48

away, the chains dragging behind him. I

29:51

need to stay, the boy shouted.

29:53

He ran around the hole toward the cop.

29:56

Dad, I need to stay, right? That's

29:59

right. The cop sat up a little

30:01

straighter. Stay here! It's

30:04

your time, my son! Dale

30:06

turned back and slammed a boot into

30:09

his face, cracking the man's jaw. The

30:12

boys stopped halfway between Dale and

30:14

Earl. Why are you doing

30:16

this? Earl grabbed him.

30:19

The boys spun around and ran back toward

30:21

Earl. Earl reached for him,

30:23

but the kid was fast. He

30:25

juked like a running back, easily moving around

30:27

the big man and reaching the other side

30:29

of the opening in the ground. We

30:32

don't have time for this, Dale

30:34

said. The boys stopped on

30:36

the far side of the hole and pointed to

30:38

himself. I'm for her! I'm

30:41

supposed to be here! I'm for her! What's

30:44

he on about? Earl

30:46

said. Dale moved around

30:48

one side of the circle, hoping to grab

30:50

the kid. The boy moved

30:52

back toward Earl, ran around him again,

30:54

and kept moving. Earl pursued

30:57

halfway around and then appeared to get winded.

30:59

He stopped by the unconscious cop, bent forward,

31:02

and put his hands on his knees. Dale

31:05

stopped on the other side. You

31:07

winded already? It's

31:09

been a busy morning! Earl

31:12

huffed. Dale realized

31:14

that this kid could keep them running around the

31:16

hole for hours. Listen,

31:18

kid, Dale said. I

31:21

don't know what your dad told you, but this

31:23

is not your time. It

31:25

is my time! He shouted. Dale

31:29

held up his hand. No,

31:31

it's not. Your dad

31:33

has betrayed you, your mom, your whole

31:35

family. He's made you a part of

31:37

something you have no business being a part of and is

31:39

going to tear you asunder if you don't get gone. A

31:43

sound like a distant tornado echoed inside

31:45

the hole. You

31:47

lie! My dad loves me! That's why

31:49

I'm here! He shouted. You're

31:52

the one who's not supposed to be here! Shit!

31:56

Dale muttered. They were out of

31:58

time. Dale felt that They needed

32:00

to go, maybe try and convince it to come

32:02

outside, but they couldn't leave the kid in here

32:04

with it. He knew how that

32:06

was gonna end. "'Okay,

32:09

partner,' he yelled over at

32:11

Earl. "'Heads up. This is

32:13

one of those ancient cockholes I told you

32:15

about.' "'No shit? No

32:18

shit. I'm hoping it's just one. They

32:20

are faster, stronger, and I don't know

32:22

what all else. Here's the play.

32:25

I'm listening. I'm gonna

32:28

get its attention, keep it focused on me.' "'How

32:30

you gonna do that?' "'I don't know.

32:33

Engage it in conversation, compliment its hair.

32:36

You know, chit chat. While

32:38

its eyes are on me, you hit it from

32:40

behind. Go low. Target

32:42

the spine. I'll go high to take out the

32:44

head.' "'Don't hurt her!' the

32:47

boy shouted. Earl pointed

32:49

at the kid. "'What about Spunky

32:51

here?' "'If we live, we'll

32:54

deal with him later.' Dale

32:57

stepped toward the edge and peered in,

32:59

immediately wishing he hadn't. The

33:02

blackness swirled. It was like gazing down

33:04

at the top of a hurricane. Something

33:07

blinted in the distance, rising from the

33:09

storm's eye. Within moments,

33:12

a humanoid figure appeared, churning

33:14

in the chasm. It

33:16

rose quickly but slowed as it neared the

33:18

opening, lingering just under the breach in the

33:21

floor as if a thin layer of ice

33:23

kept it at bay. Dale

33:25

could see the features in its female

33:28

face. Her burning eyes

33:30

met Dale's gaze with an expression

33:32

of surprise. Not

33:34

the face she was expecting. The

33:37

boy ran to the edge and thrust a

33:39

hand downward. "'I'm here for you!'

33:42

The figure started to rise. Her

33:45

head, covered in wavy, cocaine-white

33:48

shoulder-length locks, rose above the

33:50

opened iris door. Fresh-colored

33:53

skin with deep fissures ran

33:55

along its neck and cheekbones

33:57

like grotesque varicose veins." It

34:00

grinned at the boy with yellow

34:02

fangs and hungry crimson eyes. The

34:05

ancient creature rose further. Hey!

34:09

Dale shouted. It

34:11

turned toward Dale slowly as its neck

34:14

and shoulders cleared the iris. Its

34:16

colorful garment looked like something the

34:18

ancient Persian women wore, elaborate seams

34:21

coming together in a low V

34:23

neckline, revealing some ribs and a

34:25

bony collar that no one needed

34:27

to see. Her

34:29

eyes bore into Dale like fingers

34:31

covered in needles. He

34:34

stiffened and fought off the sensation,

34:36

which was slightly more irritating than

34:38

painful. Anyone ever

34:40

tell you you look like Betty White? Its

34:43

head tilted slightly as its thin waist

34:45

cleared the iris. Her jaw dropped

34:47

a bit as if she were about to reply.

34:51

Dale felt a twinge of victory as his

34:53

part of the plan, getting her attention with

34:55

some chit-chat, had come to fruition. But

34:58

before it could speak, the creature suddenly

35:00

jolted as if hit by electricity. An

35:03

unexpected expression melted across its face.

35:07

Unexpected by Dale and certainly

35:09

unexpected by Betty White's ancient

35:11

doppelganger corpse. The expression

35:13

was a mix of surprise, fear,

35:15

and anguish. It

35:17

was then that Dale noticed she wasn't

35:20

rising anymore and a sound, a familiar

35:22

sound, had echoed in the room. People

35:25

sliding on metal, followed by a

35:28

thud as blades locked into place.

35:31

He refocused his gaze and realized that

35:33

the iris had closed. Dale

35:36

looked over at Earl, who had just taken

35:38

his hand off the giant Frankenstein's toggle. His

35:41

friend shrugged. I liked your

35:43

plan and all. Just seemed

35:45

overly complicated. No!

35:49

screamed the boy. The

35:51

ancient bloodsucker, well, the

35:53

top half of the ancient bloodsucker,

35:56

fell forward onto the now closed

35:58

metal iris door. Its bottom

36:00

half fell back to wherever it had come

36:03

from. Dale smiled

36:05

at his friend. "'How is

36:07

you go low, I'll go high,

36:10

complicated?" Earl waved his

36:12

hand. "'Too many details. You

36:14

always overcomplicate things, Dale.'" Dale

36:17

had to give it to Earl. His simplicity

36:19

had reduced their problems by half, maybe

36:22

even more so judging by how the

36:24

thing twitched helplessly. "'To be

36:26

honest, I do like your solution,'

36:29

Dale said, gazing at the ancient

36:31

blood drinkers squirming like a rodent

36:33

crushed on the highway. Back

36:35

snapped but not dead. "'You'll

36:38

pay for this,' the boy

36:41

said through tears. "'Jesus

36:43

Christ,' Earl said. "'The

36:46

kid's pop had him chained to a wall as

36:48

a snack for this loose sack of fangs, but

36:51

we're the assholes.' Dale

36:54

stepped toward the boy fast, but instead of

36:56

reaching for him and missing this time, he

36:58

scooped the chains off the ground. He

37:01

yanked the chains and pulled the kid to his

37:03

feet, spun him, and forced him to look at

37:05

the blood drinker. "'You know

37:07

what this thing was gonna do to you,' Earl

37:10

said. The kid

37:12

slumped. "'She was gonna

37:14

make my family great, one of the ruling

37:16

clans of the New America.'" Dale

37:19

shook his head, then slammed his boot down

37:21

on the creature's neck, not hard enough to

37:23

break bone but enough to hold it to

37:26

the metal floor. "'Get

37:28

the kid outta here.'" Earl

37:30

yanked the chains and dragged him in the direction

37:33

of the exit like a fat dog that most

37:35

definitely didn't want to go for a walk. Earl

37:38

pushed him to the door. The kid

37:40

paused in the doorway, then Earl kicked him

37:42

hard in the rear. "'Get on

37:45

home, boy.'" He fell forward

37:47

and out of sight, chains dragging behind

37:49

him. The sound of

37:51

clanking metal faded as he moved to

37:54

the exit, but before they dissipated completely,

37:56

the kid shouted, "'They're coming, and you're

37:58

gonna die! He'll all

38:00

die!" Earl

38:02

stared into the store, making sure the

38:04

kid left. When it seemed

38:07

like he was satisfied that the kid was out of

38:09

the store, he turned back to Dale. The

38:11

door mixed up, kid. Yeah,

38:13

he's gonna need a couple trailers full of

38:16

therapy, Dale said. Earl

38:18

snapped his fingers. You think he's

38:20

got that, uh, what do you call it? Stockton

38:23

Syndrome. Dale raised an

38:26

eyebrow. What? No,

38:28

that ain't it. Earl muttered

38:30

to himself. Maybe it's

38:33

Sacramento Syndrome? I

38:35

think you mean Stockholm Syndrome, Dale

38:37

said. No, that doesn't

38:39

sound right, neither. Dale

38:42

sighed, then bent forward and hacked off

38:44

one of the creature's forearms right at

38:46

the elbow. It howled,

38:48

eyes flaring red. Stockholm,

38:51

Stockholm, Earl said. That

38:54

up there by Toronto. Dale

38:57

rolled his eyes, then hacked off the

38:59

other forearm. Bit further

39:01

east. He hooked a

39:03

boot under the torso and flipped it over

39:06

face up. The eyes that

39:08

had burned so brightly were fading

39:10

like a lamb dangling in a

39:12

slaughterhouse. Earl stepped

39:14

closer. I don't think your

39:16

comparison to Betty White was all that respectful.

39:20

Dale reached down and seized a fistful of

39:22

the thing's pale locks. I

39:24

was just trying to get her attention. Dale

39:27

lifted what remained of the creature off the ground

39:29

and held it up. I meant

39:31

no offense to Ms. White. Just

39:34

because she was up there in years when she passed

39:36

is not a reason to compare her to this vile

39:38

piece of trash, Earl said. Damn

39:41

woman was a national treasure. Fair

39:43

enough, Dale said, stepping over

39:45

toward the cop. If I

39:48

ever see Ms. White's ghost, I

39:50

will promptly apologize for my ill-targeted

39:52

dispersion. She'll

39:55

probably kick her ass. Probably.

39:59

Dale arrived. at the cop huddled on the ground.

40:02

He gazed down at the fear in the

40:04

man's eyes. "'Sorry, but

40:07

your son isn't gonna die today.

40:09

You're welcome." Dale

40:11

paused, holding the dying thing over

40:13

him. "'As for you—"

40:16

Dale dropped the creature into the cop's

40:19

lab. It tried to scurry with all

40:21

the grace of a two-legged spider, its

40:23

fangs hovering over the cop's jugular. The

40:26

cop's eyes met Dale's. "'Please.

40:30

Please.' "'It was good

40:32

enough for your son,' Dale said. The

40:35

creature bit, tearing the man's neck

40:38

open. "'Hey, good

40:40

buddy,' Earl said. "'You

40:43

think we might be overcorrecting here?' "'Nope.

40:47

"'All right, then.' Earl's

40:49

stomach growled loud enough to be heard

40:51

over the dying screams of the soon-to-be

40:53

former cop. "'You ready for

40:55

second breakfast?' "'I could

40:57

eat.'" While

41:01

Dale made a call to people he

41:03

constantly swore he'd never talk to again,

41:05

Earl took care of the cleanup details.

41:08

First, he removed the ancient bloodsucker off

41:10

the cop, then used Betsy to remove

41:12

its head and heart. The

41:15

heartless, headless torso flopped about, a bit

41:17

like a trout yanked up onto shore

41:19

by the hook in its mouth. Dale

41:22

made quick use of a lighter and set

41:24

it ablaze. He kicked the

41:26

flaming hunk of rot onto the metal iris

41:28

store where it continued to cook for a

41:31

spell, then dissolved into

41:33

tissue-paper-thin tussles of ash. He

41:36

then fetched a plastic bag from

41:38

the store's checkout counter and deposited

41:40

the heart and the head, eyes

41:42

open, pupils staring, into the

41:45

dusty bag. With

41:47

the remains of the ancient one sitting tight

41:49

inside the blockbuster bag, Earl stepped over to

41:51

the control panel the cop had used to

41:53

open the iris. With one

41:56

hand, he snapped the toggling switch

41:58

sideways, breaking the handle. clean off.

42:01

He then wedged Betsy between the wall and

42:03

the control panel and cut it from its

42:05

perch. He followed it with

42:08

a boot heel, which smashed it so

42:10

completely that even MacGyver couldn't find anything

42:12

useful in the pile of debris. As

42:15

Dale was finishing up his call, he did

42:17

a similar thing with the biometrics panel on

42:19

the outside of the room. It's

42:22

none of your damn business how I come to be

42:24

here! Dale yelled, smashing the

42:26

outside control panel under his boot.

42:30

Just attempting to get a complete picture, Zelda

42:32

said in a voice that slithered

42:34

all kinds of sideways. Are

42:37

you still having the dreams? Visions?

42:40

Nope, that all stopped when I quit

42:42

you! Dale lied. If

42:45

you must know, we found this place

42:47

because of Earl's stomach. It growled, we

42:50

pulled over. End of story. We

42:52

have known each other longer than you will ever

42:55

know, Dale. Don't you think you owe

42:57

me some truth? I don't

42:59

work for you no more and I owe you

43:01

shit, Dale said. You

43:04

come and secure this situation or am I wasting

43:06

my dime? They are already

43:08

en route. Better get out there

43:10

unless you want a full and voluntary debriefing

43:12

from Captain Major. We're

43:14

gone, Dale said, signing

43:16

off without saying goodbye. There

43:19

was no point in saying goodbye to

43:21

Zelda. All their interactions seemed to be

43:23

a piece of a continuing conversation with

43:25

no end in sight. Earl

43:28

was hunched over the dead cop when Dale

43:30

said, Earl, it's time to

43:32

skedaddle. With two

43:35

fingers, Earl closed the dead man's eyes

43:37

and stood. What's the

43:39

rush? We're already late. Dale

43:41

moved into the former video rental store.

43:44

If we don't get ass in seat in the next

43:46

few minutes, we might have to spend the night. Assholes

43:50

are coming. Dale nodded. En

43:52

route. Earl

43:55

said as they moved through the store and headed

43:57

for the exit, dispatching the

43:59

house. Hellhounds hadn't improved their smell

44:01

none, and Dale put a hand over

44:04

his breathing holes as he stepped over

44:06

canine remains. As he did

44:08

so, he wondered how the council would

44:10

deal with this place or this little

44:12

Texas town that had certainly made a

44:14

deal with the devil. They

44:17

give you any insight into what the hell is going on

44:19

here? Earl said. Dale

44:22

stepped through the exit. As

44:24

usual, Zelda asked more questions

44:26

and gave answers, but

44:28

she did say that this answers the question of how they

44:30

had been making their way back to the New World. She

44:33

still calls it that. How

44:35

so? Earl said as they

44:38

moved across the store's weed-infested parking

44:40

lot. Remember I told you

44:42

the founding fathers chased them back to hidey-holes in

44:44

the Middle East? Yeah,

44:46

ancient, uh, Mesopotamians. Mesopotamia.

44:50

Anyhow, the

44:52

council has been watching, waiting for them

44:54

to pop their heads up, assuming they'd

44:56

migrate as before on the surface. And

44:59

now they got some underground route. Some

45:02

call it a hell-mouth, but yeah, they

45:04

do. Huh, Earl

45:07

said, turning back around as he walked. He

45:10

gazed back at the store. So

45:12

a hell-mouth opened up and these dang fools

45:14

built a blockbuster over it? Several

45:17

of the townsfolk, Consuela included, stood

45:20

on the sidewalks, watching them stroll

45:22

up the street. I

45:24

suspect the video store was there first and they

45:26

built that back room around it when it opened.

45:29

How'd something like that open up? Earl

45:32

said, turning back around, the plastic

45:34

bag slapping his thigh. Don't

45:37

know, maybe the fracking and sinkhole

45:39

stories weren't just stories, Dale

45:41

said. Either way, what

45:43

came through convinced these folks they were in

45:46

the presence of gods. Earl

45:48

seemed to notice the growing number of citizens

45:50

lining the street. They

45:52

don't look all small-town friendly no more.

45:56

Dale delivered a hard stare at some of the

45:58

larger men who seemed ready to go. ready to

46:00

start something. He was pretty sure

46:02

that some were armed. It was

46:04

a fair assumption, this being Texas. Before

46:07

they got any stupid notions, Dale thought he'd

46:10

nip it in the bud. Hand

46:12

me our souvenirs. Dale

46:15

took the bag from Earl, then strolled

46:17

to the town's main intersection. He

46:19

stood in the middle while Earl continued to the truck.

46:23

Dale opened the bag and peeked inside. Hey,

46:26

darling, ready to meet your flock?

46:29

He reached inside and palmed her

46:31

now bare scalp, then lifted

46:33

her head from the plastic. In

46:36

the late morning sun, her eyes

46:38

flickered like dying fluorescent bulbs. Before

46:41

her lights blinked out forever, he held

46:43

the head up face out at eye

46:46

level. There were a

46:48

few gasps, hands covering mouth.

46:51

Dale glared to Consuela, whose hands had gone

46:53

from resting defiantly on her hips to covering

46:55

her chest as she took a step back.

46:58

Under his fingertips, Dale felt the

47:00

temperature rise and he knew that

47:03

meant the pyrotechnics were about to

47:05

start. He dropped the head to

47:07

the pavement at his feet. He let

47:09

it sit there for a beat, giving his audience

47:11

a moment to watch the smoke start to drift

47:13

up from its scalp. When he

47:15

felt the moment was right, he gave it a

47:17

kick. Not hard enough to put

47:19

it through the goalposts, but just enough to roll

47:22

it to the first down marker. As

47:25

the ancient head rolled, it burst

47:27

into blue and white flames. When

47:30

it came to rest, Dale could see that

47:32

its mouth was open. The

47:34

townsfolk couldn't hear its silent scream,

47:37

but based on the look in their eyes,

47:39

Dale knew they were imagining it. "'They

47:42

are not gods,' Dale

47:45

said as he walked in a half

47:47

circle, meeting as many eyes as he

47:49

could. "'Y'all got conned, and

47:52

I understand it's a good con. They

47:54

promised wealth, power, or return to the good

47:56

old days, maybe even a seat next to

47:58

them at the table.' when they're running the show.

48:01

I get it, I do.

48:03

But it ain't real. None of it." Dale

48:07

found the boy standing in the crowd,

48:09

peeking out from behind an adult woman

48:11

with similar features, his chains dangling at

48:14

his feet. "'But you

48:16

know what is real?" He pointed

48:18

at the kid with his machete. "'Your

48:20

kids are real. Your community is

48:22

real. What you built here before

48:24

these monsters game is real. Do

48:27

yourself a favor and get back

48:29

to that, because that's all you

48:32

really need.'" Dale took a breath

48:34

and let that sink in. "'But if

48:36

you don't, and you think you deserve more, well,

48:40

let me tell you about something else that's real.'"

48:43

Dale reached inside the bag again,

48:45

seized the heart, then let

48:47

the bag fall to the ground. He

48:50

held the fleshy mass of decaying muscle out

48:52

for all to see. He tapped

48:54

his chest with the tip of the

48:56

machete and continued, "'I

48:59

am real.'" He

49:01

let the heart fall, and as it

49:03

descended, it burst into flames. A

49:06

three thousand degree tornado of blue

49:08

flames spiraled upward, belt buckle high

49:11

as the life energy of a

49:13

thousand children returned to the world.

49:16

With a hard stare, Dale said,

49:19

"'Don't you dare make me come

49:21

back here.'" He

49:23

wanted to add something with a bit of

49:25

whimsy, like, "'The breakfast burritos ain't that good.'"

49:28

But since this was more of a put

49:30

the fear of God into them moment, he

49:33

thought it best if he left it right there. Besides,

49:36

the only one he knew that appreciated

49:38

his sense of whimsy was Earl, who

49:40

was busy starting up the truck. Right

49:43

on cue, as if they had rehearsed

49:45

it, Earl pulled forward toward the intersection.

49:48

An opening appeared in the circle

49:50

of residence around Dale, as it

49:52

naturally tended to do when a

49:54

twenty thousand pound Peterbilt truck comes

49:56

a-knocking. The semi came

49:58

to a stop with a hit This, less than

50:00

an end zone width from where Dale

50:03

had given what he hoped was an

50:05

inspirational half-time speech. A little

50:07

bit of fear, a little bit of hope, no

50:09

sugarcoating. Dale wasn't

50:11

sure how well he'd been heard, but he was

50:14

sure he didn't want to stick around and find

50:16

out. He glanced down at

50:18

the heart and, like the skull, it

50:20

was dissolving into ash in the morning

50:23

sun. He stepped away

50:25

and jumped into the passenger seat of the

50:27

Peterbilt, then gave Earl a nod. Earl

50:30

put it in gear and headed for the

50:32

door, in this case the door being the

50:35

freeway with no stops for sightseeing. As

50:38

the town shrank in the side view mirror,

50:40

Earl said, I had no

50:42

idea that public speaking was in your

50:44

wheelhouse. May either. Think

50:48

maybe you should run for something? Public

50:50

office? Sure, I got your

50:52

slogan right here. Don't piss

50:54

him off. Vote for Dale. What

50:57

am I running for? Not

50:59

missing a beat, Earl said. Had

51:02

jackass, of course. Dale

51:04

smiled. Only if you

51:06

serve as my vice-jackass. Earl

51:09

grinned. It'd be my honor.

51:13

Enough nonsense, Dale said. We

51:15

got trailers to look at. Just

51:18

then, Earl's stomach growled like a cougar

51:20

in heat. The big man patted

51:22

his belly. I really do

51:24

think it's time for second breakfast. Dale

51:27

blared at Earl. I

51:30

ain't hungry no more. Look

51:32

right here. Earl pointed to

51:34

a billboard with a big picture of

51:36

scrambled eggs, bacon, a stack of buttered

51:38

toast and a steaming cup of coffee.

51:42

Next exit, eight miles. We'll be in and out.

51:46

Promise. Dale knew the billboard was speaking

51:48

directly to Earl's stomach, but it was

51:50

saying something different to Dale. Like

51:53

the one Earl had described earlier, this

51:55

one too had been peppered with buckshot,

51:57

and to most, that meant that some

51:59

teenager had gotten a hold of their daddy's

52:01

shotgun engaging in a round of 70 mile

52:04

an hour target practice. But the

52:06

holes scattered across the fried eggs

52:08

and Texas toast meant something more

52:10

to Dale. They reminded

52:12

him that he'd never get away. He'd

52:15

never get away from Zelda and her

52:17

ilk. He'd never get away from the

52:19

dreams or visions, or whatever the

52:21

hell they were that gave him peaks

52:23

behind doors that should stay closed. Zelda

52:27

had said to him once that he could step

52:29

away from the darkness, but the

52:31

darkness never steps away from you.

52:34

She was full of ditties like that. Keep

52:37

driving, Earl, Dale said,

52:39

folding his arms. I've

52:42

seen enough holes for one day. You've

52:55

been listening to blood holes

52:57

and videotape part two by

52:59

Kevin David Anderson. Besides

53:02

being the creator of Earl and

53:04

Dale, the Midnight Man, Kevin David Anderson

53:06

has penned stories in over 100 publications.

53:10

His debut novel Night of the Living Trekkies

53:12

was named one of the top five zombie

53:15

novels of 2010 by

53:17

the Washington Post. His

53:19

latest book Night Sounds, from

53:21

podcast to print, features many

53:23

of Kevin's stories heard right

53:25

here on the Horror Hill

53:27

podcast and many others such

53:29

as the No Sleep podcast,

53:31

Pseudopod, the Drabblecast, and Otis

53:33

Jyrie's Scary Stories Told in

53:35

the Dark. Night Sounds

53:37

also features an introduction by my

53:40

friend and yours, Jason Hill.

53:43

If you'd like to meet Kevin, he'll

53:45

be hanging out at Stoker Con in

53:47

San Diego and selling his books at

53:49

Midsummer Scream in Long Beach this summer.

53:54

Well, my friends, that concludes

53:56

Earl and Dale's latest adventure.

53:59

This was actually my introduction to the

54:01

series, and I'm definitely eager for

54:03

more. If you're finding

54:05

yourself in the same situation, a number

54:08

of other Midnight Men stories have been

54:10

featured previously on Horror Hill. Rotten

54:13

to the Core was featured in Season 2,

54:15

Episode 15. Tangled

54:17

Webs in Season 3, Episode 5. Werewolf

54:21

School in Season 3, Episode 24 to Season 4,

54:23

Episode 1. All

54:28

Procced Up in Season 4, Episodes 11

54:30

and 12. And

54:32

The Art of the Diesel in Season 5, Episodes 3

54:34

and 4. And

54:38

hey, if we're lucky, maybe

54:40

we'll get some fresh ones to feature

54:42

on future episodes. I'd

54:44

like to thank Kevin David Anderson

54:46

again for such an entertaining tale,

54:48

and also thank Olivia Steele for

54:51

her wonderful and varied character work

54:53

over these two episodes. I'll

54:55

be back next week with some more scary

54:58

stories for you, so be sure to check

55:00

back at the same day and time. Until

55:03

next week, listeners. Stay

55:06

Spooky. You've

55:10

been listening to the Horror Hill Podcast,

55:12

a production of Chilling Entertainment and the

55:14

creative team of Chilling Tales for Dark

55:16

Nights. Tonight's episode

55:19

was hosted and narrated by yours

55:21

truly, Eric Peabody. Final

55:24

Music provided by Eric Peabody and

55:26

Nikki McSorley. Finalization

55:29

by Eric Peabody and Craig Groshak.

55:32

Got a terrifying tale of your own that

55:34

you'd like performed? Email it

55:36

to us at natalie at

55:39

chillingtalesfordarknight.com to have your work

55:41

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as how we're all living in

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a technological nightmare of our own

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As for me personally, I'm on

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I'm always on the lookout for new

56:52

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56:57

that's of interest to you, feel free to

56:59

reach out and we can talk turkey. Also,

57:02

I will be back next

57:04

week with more terrifying tales to

57:06

keep you up all night. If

57:09

darkness is what you are after,

57:12

listener, your search is over. Yet

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let it be known, you

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