WEBVTT 1 00:00:20.079 --> 00:00:24.280 Hey, y'all, welcome to Glory Photos. I'm your host, David Flora. 2 00:00:25.199 --> 00:00:29.679 I have the eleventh edition of Ghost Stories here for you for this year's 3 00:00:30.160 --> 00:00:39.960 more. It's an exciting addition because I have a couple of original tales, 4 00:00:40.320 --> 00:00:44.759 including one from author and fan of the show, Val Burkis. So there's 5 00:00:44.759 --> 00:00:48.240 only a couple of let's go around, but they're meaty and they're a good 6 00:00:48.280 --> 00:00:52.640 time. Before I jump into the stories, I'll update you with a little 7 00:00:52.640 --> 00:00:56.079 news and I have a couple of shout outs. Firstly, I wanted to 8 00:00:56.159 --> 00:01:00.159 get a Deep Dive episode out this month for Photober, but I have been 9 00:01:00.159 --> 00:01:04.319 slammed and have only just finished the research for it. I read two books 10 00:01:04.319 --> 00:01:07.519 for it. There's lots of note taking, and I just want to make 11 00:01:07.519 --> 00:01:10.920 sure I get stuff right. That's why it's taken a long time to bake. 12 00:01:11.640 --> 00:01:15.599 I also think one to two weeks in November never actually happened, so 13 00:01:15.719 --> 00:01:22.159 it's like we skipped from November first to November fifteenth or something. There hasn't 14 00:01:22.159 --> 00:01:26.359 been a November. But anyway, I'm writing that episode now and I feel 15 00:01:26.359 --> 00:01:30.359 confident I can get something together for December. Although part of the reason I've 16 00:01:30.359 --> 00:01:34.000 been busy is that I'm preparing for a trip across the Pond. I'm hoping 17 00:01:34.040 --> 00:01:38.599 to do a little work while overseas, but Anna and I will be taking 18 00:01:38.599 --> 00:01:42.519 a vacation for a while, so I'll see what I can do. Part 19 00:01:42.560 --> 00:01:45.719 of the trip, though, is going to be for researching a book I'd 20 00:01:45.760 --> 00:01:49.680 like to put together, so I'm optimistic I can get an episode together at 21 00:01:49.680 --> 00:01:53.000 some point anyway. That one's still being worked on, but good news on 22 00:01:53.040 --> 00:01:59.680 the film front. We have a final cut done and post production is wrapped. 23 00:02:00.560 --> 00:02:02.519 I think Derek and I are happy with what we were able to put 24 00:02:02.519 --> 00:02:07.120 together and we're excited to show you guys. So now we just have to 25 00:02:07.120 --> 00:02:12.879 wait just a little bit longer until it's sold for distribution, and neither of 26 00:02:12.960 --> 00:02:16.159 us have any idea how long that will be, unfortunately, but there is 27 00:02:16.199 --> 00:02:21.680 a light at the end of this tunnel, and this project is tantalizingly close 28 00:02:21.759 --> 00:02:25.680 to being fully realized. Trust me, I am just as annoyed at how 29 00:02:25.719 --> 00:02:30.599 long it's taken as you guys are, but we will all get to see 30 00:02:30.639 --> 00:02:35.039 it a very soon. I have a couple shout outs for folks who have 31 00:02:35.039 --> 00:02:39.639 written in lately, and I appreciate hearing from sergeants Squatch, Andy and William 32 00:02:40.159 --> 00:02:45.960 and Dustin, and to Adam, I believe you were looking for an episode 33 00:02:46.000 --> 00:02:50.960 about chronology theory, and if it's the one you're thinking of, try episode 34 00:02:51.039 --> 00:02:55.000 two thirteen Phantom Time. If that's not the correct one, I'm not sure 35 00:02:55.080 --> 00:03:00.280 which one you might be thinking of. To Jason, you were one during 36 00:03:00.479 --> 00:03:04.560 How I organize future episodes, I try to come up with a list of 37 00:03:04.599 --> 00:03:07.280 topics I want to cover and then tackle them one at a time, but 38 00:03:07.520 --> 00:03:12.840 sometimes I have to call an audible and switch up topics or release schedule, 39 00:03:13.240 --> 00:03:17.319 as exemplified by this episode coming out a month late and before the Deep Dive 40 00:03:17.360 --> 00:03:22.479 episode, I was hoping I could get that out before this one and have 41 00:03:22.599 --> 00:03:27.360 not been able to. So I'd say have a plan, but be ready 42 00:03:27.360 --> 00:03:30.199 to roll with the punches. One more quick thing. I have a new 43 00:03:30.240 --> 00:03:36.599 audiobook out, It Stalked Me, Volume one by Tom Lyons is now available, 44 00:03:36.759 --> 00:03:40.439 and I'm also working on volumes two and three currently, and Tom and 45 00:03:40.479 --> 00:03:45.479 I are in talks to produce a series of short stories together as well, 46 00:03:46.159 --> 00:03:51.400 so I might have a short volume of short stories published in the near future, 47 00:03:51.599 --> 00:03:55.439 which you know that's pretty exciting anyway. That's what's going on lately. 48 00:03:57.280 --> 00:04:02.080 With the business concluded, let us get to the eleventh edition of ghost Stories 49 00:04:03.039 --> 00:04:18.399 Enjoy the Scrounger. Jess awoke with a smile on her face. She felt 50 00:04:18.399 --> 00:04:21.680 Paul's arm around her, holding her snugly while they both lay in bed, 51 00:04:21.920 --> 00:04:27.399 sunlight rolling in through the window and over the mess of blankets and intertwined limbs. 52 00:04:28.319 --> 00:04:32.120 It was the aftermath of weeks of graceless flirting, cautious dating, and 53 00:04:32.319 --> 00:04:40.279 undeniable tension, and it was glorious. She slid out from under his arm 54 00:04:40.360 --> 00:04:44.879 and dreamily made her way to the bathroom. Although she'd been to Paul's house 55 00:04:44.879 --> 00:04:48.120 several times, this was the first time spending the night, and she couldn't 56 00:04:48.199 --> 00:04:54.560 help but smile wider as she traversed a new path from bedroom to bathroom. 57 00:04:54.680 --> 00:04:58.399 After taking care of necessities, she decided to brush her teeth, with no 58 00:04:58.439 --> 00:05:00.879 small part of her hoping the fun of the night before might spill into the 59 00:05:00.920 --> 00:05:05.759 morning as well. Forethought had been on her side the day before when she 60 00:05:05.800 --> 00:05:10.519 had brought an overnight bag just in case, and she reached for the toothbrush 61 00:05:10.560 --> 00:05:15.519 she had carefully placed on the sink not eight hours ago. Her smile was 62 00:05:15.879 --> 00:05:19.800 joined by a frown. However, as the toothbrush wasn't there, one of 63 00:05:19.800 --> 00:05:23.800 them must have accidentally knocked it off the sink, she thought, and she 64 00:05:23.920 --> 00:05:26.920 bent down, looking beside the sink, cabinet, and all around the floor. 65 00:05:28.040 --> 00:05:31.040 Coming up empty, she opened her overnight bag and sifted through the contents, 66 00:05:31.079 --> 00:05:36.319 but again had no luck. Did I forget it, she asked herself, 67 00:05:36.360 --> 00:05:42.040 thoroughly confused. Now, no, she definitely used it last night when 68 00:05:42.040 --> 00:05:46.360 they got home. Sure some alcohol was involved, but she absolutely remembered brushing 69 00:05:46.360 --> 00:05:50.480 her teeth before joining Paul in the bedroom, and she had a memory of 70 00:05:50.560 --> 00:05:57.360 laying the brush beside her bag when finished. A sudden sound snapped her back 71 00:05:57.399 --> 00:06:01.240 to the present moment. Sharply spun around to face the door. Heart thumping 72 00:06:01.240 --> 00:06:05.879 at the break and concentration, she opened it to see Paul leaning against the 73 00:06:05.920 --> 00:06:12.319 door jam, smiling coyly at her. Good morning, he said, sleepily, 74 00:06:13.399 --> 00:06:16.000 morning, she said, the smile returning to her face as her heart 75 00:06:16.000 --> 00:06:20.839 relaxed a bit. Paul took her chin in his fingertips and gently moved her 76 00:06:20.879 --> 00:06:25.800 close to kiss her. Toothbrush. Be damned, she thought, and gave 77 00:06:25.800 --> 00:06:30.319 in to the moment. Later that morning, she was eating cereal at the 78 00:06:30.399 --> 00:06:32.920 kitchen table while Paul was working on making a cup of coffee at the counter, 79 00:06:33.240 --> 00:06:38.720 when the brush popped back into her thoughts. Hey, did you move 80 00:06:38.759 --> 00:06:44.399 my toothbrush last night? She asked, No, I didn't even realize you 81 00:06:44.439 --> 00:06:48.120 brought one. He responded, Yeah, it's so weird. I'm sure i'd 82 00:06:48.120 --> 00:06:51.439 brush my teeth last night, but now I can't find my brush anywhere. 83 00:06:53.639 --> 00:06:58.519 Huh, Paul replied with what seemed to be a mixture of disinterest and unconcern. 84 00:06:59.560 --> 00:07:02.360 I'll just I'll look for when I get home, she said, again, 85 00:07:02.439 --> 00:07:08.079 losing herself to memory and thought. Jess left in high spirits, going 86 00:07:08.120 --> 00:07:12.480 about her day amidst the glow of a blooming relationship. Paul called her that 87 00:07:12.560 --> 00:07:15.040 afternoon and the two had no trouble, making plans for another night together. 88 00:07:16.279 --> 00:07:20.279 As she was leaving, she remembered her toothbrush and stepped into her bathroom to 89 00:07:20.319 --> 00:07:27.680 grab it. However, she was met with an empty toothbrush holder. Okay, 90 00:07:27.800 --> 00:07:30.040 she said out loud, her mind turning as to where the elusive brush 91 00:07:30.120 --> 00:07:34.399 might have gone. She spent a solid five minutes looking everywhere in her bathroom, 92 00:07:34.439 --> 00:07:39.079 her overnight bag, her cabinets. She even rifled through her coat pockets 93 00:07:39.120 --> 00:07:45.319 just in case nothing. Guess it's time for a new brush, she said, 94 00:07:45.360 --> 00:07:47.160 as she slipped her coat on, donned a pair of sunglasses, and 95 00:07:47.319 --> 00:07:50.959 headed towards her car. Jess was able to grab a brush on her way 96 00:07:51.000 --> 00:07:56.079 to Paul's, and the two spent another amazing night together. The next morning 97 00:07:56.120 --> 00:08:00.120 played out similarly, except this time her brush was right where she left did 98 00:08:00.240 --> 00:08:03.519 on the sink. At breakfast, Paul asked if she wanted to go for 99 00:08:03.560 --> 00:08:09.120 a walk in the park. With an enthusiastic yes, she ran to the 100 00:08:09.160 --> 00:08:13.319 table where her purse sat. As Paul began getting his shoes on, Jess 101 00:08:13.360 --> 00:08:16.560 reached into her purse to find her sunglasses, but couldn't feel the hard shell 102 00:08:16.639 --> 00:08:22.399 case that should have been on top. She opened the purse wide, sorted 103 00:08:22.399 --> 00:08:26.480 through the contents, but could not find the glasses at all. Frowning, 104 00:08:26.879 --> 00:08:33.279 she paused as Paul walked up ready, he asked, Paul, did you 105 00:08:33.759 --> 00:08:41.679 have you seen my sunglasses? She hesitantly asked sunglasses? No, I don't 106 00:08:41.679 --> 00:08:46.000 think so, he answered. Jess started feeling a little frustrated. Are you 107 00:08:46.120 --> 00:08:50.879 sure you didn't move them or take them out of my purse, she asked, 108 00:08:50.279 --> 00:08:54.759 edging on an accusatory tone. Why would I do that, he responded, 109 00:08:54.799 --> 00:09:01.600 seeming genuinely confused. No, it's I mean. I'm not saying it's 110 00:09:01.679 --> 00:09:05.879 just my toothbrush disappeared last night, and now my glasses, she said, 111 00:09:07.000 --> 00:09:11.879 now more puzzled than upset. Hey, it happens to the best of us, 112 00:09:11.919 --> 00:09:15.200 Paul said, putting an arm around her shoulders. I always track of 113 00:09:15.200 --> 00:09:18.399 stuff all the time. I'm constantly buying little things like that. I'm so 114 00:09:18.480 --> 00:09:24.200 scatterbrained. I misplaced things, forget where I put stuff, lose whole items, 115 00:09:24.559 --> 00:09:30.759 blankets, vases, contact solution. I'm so forgetful, he chuckled. 116 00:09:31.720 --> 00:09:35.679 Right, she replied, somewhat skeptically. Look, it's no big deal, 117 00:09:37.039 --> 00:09:39.519 he said. Take this box of crackers. Paul grabbed a box from the 118 00:09:39.559 --> 00:09:43.759 counter. I made a bowl of left over chili for lunch, and I 119 00:09:43.840 --> 00:09:46.879 was a little embarrassingly excited to eat it with these. But when I opened 120 00:09:46.960 --> 00:09:50.759 up the box, I had forgotten. I must have eaten them already. 121 00:09:52.360 --> 00:09:56.720 Talk about disappointing. Thanks a lot me from the past. You could have 122 00:09:56.759 --> 00:10:01.519 at least thrown the box away. She half smiled his self deprecating humor, 123 00:10:01.879 --> 00:10:05.960 but still couldn't take her mind off the sunglasses. She distinctly remembered wearing them 124 00:10:07.000 --> 00:10:09.600 in the night before and sticking the case in her purse before settling in for 125 00:10:09.639 --> 00:10:15.120 a fun evening of movies and makeouts. Maybe they're in your car, Paul 126 00:10:15.200 --> 00:10:18.840 offered. I doubt it, she said, disappointedly, but she left it 127 00:10:18.840 --> 00:10:22.200 at that, and after checking her car thoroughly, the two went to the 128 00:10:22.240 --> 00:10:26.279 park and she was able to take her mind off things and enjoy the moment. 129 00:10:26.519 --> 00:10:30.879 After another lovely day, the two went to bed, and sunglasses and 130 00:10:30.919 --> 00:10:35.840 toothbrushes were the last things on her mind. Jess awoke in a bit of 131 00:10:35.879 --> 00:10:39.759 a haze. It was still dark out, and she fumbled on the bedside 132 00:10:39.759 --> 00:10:43.919 table for her phone. The screen lit up harshly, showing the time as 133 00:10:43.960 --> 00:10:48.879 three thirty two am. Why was she awake, she thought, grimacing from 134 00:10:48.919 --> 00:10:56.759 the assault of light in her eyes. Her eyes popped open. That was 135 00:10:56.799 --> 00:11:01.960 what had awakened her, with some kind of scratching sound. She laid there, 136 00:11:03.159 --> 00:11:05.080 eyes wide as the phone screen shut off. In the bedroom was once 137 00:11:05.120 --> 00:11:11.440 again dark. It had been a scratching sound. Yes, something unnatural. 138 00:11:11.639 --> 00:11:18.360 No house settling, no movement from Paul. Everything was still, and she 139 00:11:18.440 --> 00:11:24.799 started to relax once more, hoping she had just imagined the sound. Her 140 00:11:24.840 --> 00:11:31.600 eyes popped open again. Nope, no imagining. Something made a scratching sound. 141 00:11:31.320 --> 00:11:37.240 It was like metal on wood, or maybe like a drawer that sticks 142 00:11:37.240 --> 00:11:43.279 when trying to open it. She nudged Paul. Paul, Paul, She 143 00:11:43.480 --> 00:11:48.360 hissed, hm. He grunted. Something's going on. I hear a scratching 144 00:11:48.399 --> 00:11:58.039 sound, she whispered. He grunted again, probably tree scratch the house. 145 00:11:58.919 --> 00:12:07.159 Hear it happened sometimes, He groggily mumbled, there it is. She whispered 146 00:12:07.159 --> 00:12:11.360 through clenched teeth. It sounded like it was everywhere, and she was wide 147 00:12:11.360 --> 00:12:20.960 awake and terrified. Paul grunted. He was absolutely no use. This one 148 00:12:22.159 --> 00:12:26.039 was definitely not wood scratching sound, more like a blanket being pulled through an 149 00:12:26.039 --> 00:12:31.759 almost closed window. Jess sat up, staring at the bedroom door. Her 150 00:12:31.799 --> 00:12:35.440 mind raced, but as terrified as she was, she also knew it would 151 00:12:35.440 --> 00:12:39.159 nod or if she didn't figure out what was causing these sounds. And she 152 00:12:39.320 --> 00:12:43.600 was no shrinking violet. She slowly got out of bed, picked up her 153 00:12:43.639 --> 00:12:48.600 phone and turned the flashlight on, and made her way silently to the door. 154 00:12:48.440 --> 00:12:52.159 She twisted the doorknob and cracked the door open as quietly as she could. 155 00:13:05.159 --> 00:13:09.080 She was sure now it was coming from the kitchen. Covering the light 156 00:13:09.120 --> 00:13:13.120 on the phone to maximize her stealth, she crept along the hallway slowly, 157 00:13:13.600 --> 00:13:22.080 deliberately. The sound had turned oddly squishy, but suddenly stopped, as did 158 00:13:22.200 --> 00:13:28.639 Jess silence, as if the whole world had frozen in time. What felt 159 00:13:28.679 --> 00:13:33.000 like the age of the world doubling. Jess stood in the dark hallway, 160 00:13:33.480 --> 00:13:39.159 her heart almost betraying the noiseless moment from beating so hard. Then suddenly, 161 00:13:41.679 --> 00:13:46.080 Jess sprinted the final few steps down the hall and turning the corner, she 162 00:13:46.240 --> 00:13:48.519 let loose the light from the phone, dazzling the kitchen, as if casting 163 00:13:48.519 --> 00:13:54.440 a spell to repulse the darkness and the mystery at hand. Movement caught her 164 00:13:54.480 --> 00:13:58.480 eye, a shadow slinking beside the counter and around the corner of the little 165 00:13:58.519 --> 00:14:03.240 kitchen island in the middle of the room. Eyes wide, heart pumping, 166 00:14:03.720 --> 00:14:07.639 just stepped farther into the kitchen and shone the light on the other side of 167 00:14:07.639 --> 00:14:13.320 the island, nothing was there. After a beat of realization, she stepped 168 00:14:13.360 --> 00:14:16.919 back to her previous spot and shone the light where she had seen the sizeable 169 00:14:16.919 --> 00:14:24.039 shadow slipping around the corner. Nothing, Paul, she called out loudly. 170 00:14:24.200 --> 00:14:28.240 Fumbling for the wall light switch. She managed to find it and flip it 171 00:14:28.279 --> 00:14:31.919 as Paul stumbled out of the bedroom in a daze. What's going on, 172 00:14:31.639 --> 00:14:37.440 he asked, eyes fixed and burning with readiness. She said, something's in 173 00:14:37.480 --> 00:14:41.279 the kitchen. Wake up and get in here. Paul walked with a bit 174 00:14:41.320 --> 00:14:46.080 more wakefulness to stand beside her and surveyed the room. He saw everything looking 175 00:14:46.200 --> 00:14:50.559 normal save one jar of peanut butter with the lid off and lying next to 176 00:14:50.600 --> 00:14:58.000 it. Wanted a midnight snack, he asked, confusedly, Paul. Something 177 00:14:58.080 --> 00:15:01.519 was in here and went around the island. There, Jess said, pointing 178 00:15:01.519 --> 00:15:05.879 at the spot she had last seen it. Paul began to walk toward the 179 00:15:05.919 --> 00:15:09.120 spot when she grabbed his arm, stopping him. He looked at her as 180 00:15:09.120 --> 00:15:13.360 she pointed at the knives in a small butcher block. He nodded, sliding 181 00:15:13.399 --> 00:15:18.039 one out and resumed his walk towards the end of the island. She could 182 00:15:18.039 --> 00:15:22.919 see his hand with the knife quivering ever so slightly, but appreciated his willingness 183 00:15:22.960 --> 00:15:28.840 to investigate. He paused at the corner of the island, then stepped around, 184 00:15:28.879 --> 00:15:33.240 holding the knife out before him. Jess watched as his body, stiff 185 00:15:33.279 --> 00:15:37.279 with anticipation, relaxed a bit. He walked around the end of the island, 186 00:15:37.320 --> 00:15:41.639 circling it before joining her again. There's nothing there, he said. 187 00:15:43.600 --> 00:15:46.919 Jess grabbed a knife of her own and retraced his path. Indeed, there 188 00:15:46.960 --> 00:15:50.080 was nothing at the end of the counter, nothing under the table, nothing 189 00:15:50.080 --> 00:15:56.039 in the kitchen. But then maybe a bad dream, Paul asked, returning 190 00:15:56.039 --> 00:16:02.879 the knife to the block. You sleepwalk, no, Jess said firmly. 191 00:16:03.720 --> 00:16:07.679 I don't mind you sneaking some peanut butter, but maybe next time use a 192 00:16:07.720 --> 00:16:11.480 spoon, he said, showing her obvious finger marks in the peanut butter itself 193 00:16:11.559 --> 00:16:18.039 before screwing the lead back on. I didn't do that, she said, 194 00:16:18.200 --> 00:16:22.279 fear once again tinging her voice. Well this is weird and all, but 195 00:16:22.519 --> 00:16:26.519 how about we just go back to bed, Paul said, as he made 196 00:16:26.559 --> 00:16:30.080 his way back to the bedroom. Jess returned her knife, gave one last 197 00:16:30.120 --> 00:16:33.600 look to the island, and turned the light off before joining Paul in the 198 00:16:33.600 --> 00:16:38.799 bedroom. Paul settled in and almost immediately passed out, but Jess could not 199 00:16:38.879 --> 00:16:44.320 relax. Her body was filled with adrenaline and fear, and she sat in 200 00:16:44.360 --> 00:16:48.200 the dark, her mind smoldering with what she had just experienced. Soon it 201 00:16:48.240 --> 00:16:52.320 was light out and Paul awoke to find her still sitting upright, chewing her 202 00:16:52.320 --> 00:16:59.360 fingernails. Hey, he said, gently, it's all right. We checked 203 00:16:59.360 --> 00:17:03.080 it out. It was nothing. Don't worry about it. He hugged her 204 00:17:03.080 --> 00:17:07.559 and kissed her forehead. I'm gonna take a shower are Jess's head barely nodded 205 00:17:07.599 --> 00:17:11.200 as he got up and made his way to the bathroom. When the bedroom 206 00:17:11.240 --> 00:17:15.240 door closed, her eyes snapped to it, a new thought suddenly forming in 207 00:17:15.279 --> 00:17:19.440 her mind. She got out of bed and went to the kitchen, Eyeing 208 00:17:19.519 --> 00:17:26.000 the end of the island with a look of curiosity and determination, she nudged 209 00:17:26.079 --> 00:17:32.200 the wood at the end of the island. The wood was loose, like 210 00:17:32.279 --> 00:17:36.680 a panel that didn't fit bright. She knelt down and took the sides of 211 00:17:36.680 --> 00:17:41.559 the end panel in her hands and slid the wood to the side almost too 212 00:17:41.599 --> 00:17:47.680 easily. Heart thumping and mind burning, Jess took her phone flashlight and shined 213 00:17:47.720 --> 00:17:52.119 it at what lay behind the panel. Half the space was taken up with 214 00:17:52.200 --> 00:17:56.599 pots and pans, beside a back wall of cabinet space, but on the 215 00:17:56.599 --> 00:18:03.200 other side, maybe a foot wide as a cavity, empty cabinet space with 216 00:18:03.240 --> 00:18:08.519 no floor. Instead, an earthy hole dropped about three feet down, leading 217 00:18:08.519 --> 00:18:14.400 to a small tunnel dug beneath the floorboards. From the angle she could shine 218 00:18:14.400 --> 00:18:18.119 the light on, Jess saw that the tunnel ran farther under the house. 219 00:18:18.440 --> 00:18:22.160 She followed the direction it went with her eyes, tracing a path up to 220 00:18:22.200 --> 00:18:29.960 a coat closet in the hall. Scared but kneading answers, Jess opened the 221 00:18:30.000 --> 00:18:33.960 closet and turned the light on. Haul's coats cluttered the space, as did 222 00:18:34.039 --> 00:18:38.759 numerous shoes and boots on the floor. Tearing the coats and shoes out. 223 00:18:38.799 --> 00:18:41.960 In a frenzy, she stared at the back wall of the closet for a 224 00:18:42.000 --> 00:18:47.599 second until her eyes came to rest on an outline in the wood. She 225 00:18:47.720 --> 00:18:52.359 nudged it with her foot and gasped as it gave and moved with each poke. 226 00:18:52.559 --> 00:18:56.799 Almost angry now, she nudged it hard and the panel rebounded with the 227 00:18:56.880 --> 00:19:02.720 force, falling open in front of her. A stench billowed out from the 228 00:19:02.799 --> 00:19:07.039 small opening in the closet, causing Jess to gag and put her shirt over 229 00:19:07.079 --> 00:19:11.880 her nose. A smell of rancid meat, decay, ammonia, and a 230 00:19:11.960 --> 00:19:17.720 host of other foul scents assaulted her senses. As she held her phone light 231 00:19:17.799 --> 00:19:22.039 up to the hole, A small tunnel of insulation extended a couple feet before 232 00:19:22.079 --> 00:19:27.440 opening up into a bigger cavity. A dead space between walls and rooms was 233 00:19:27.480 --> 00:19:33.000 illuminated by the small light, with a few other tunnels leading off, and 234 00:19:33.200 --> 00:19:40.160 Jess could see several things inside. Some shredded blankets and newspapers were coiled in 235 00:19:40.200 --> 00:19:45.480 a corner, looking like a dirty, worn nest. Objects were strewn around 236 00:19:45.559 --> 00:19:52.720 carelessly, a broken light bulb, crumbs, small bones, a cracked vase, 237 00:19:52.599 --> 00:19:56.160 and then the light fell on two things that made her heart leap into 238 00:19:56.160 --> 00:20:03.240 her throat, a toothbrush and a glass's case. Her toothbrush and glass's case, 239 00:20:04.799 --> 00:20:10.599 she staggered back in shock and horror, dropping her phone in the process 240 00:20:10.680 --> 00:20:15.359 and leaning against the corner of the hall and kitchen. Suddenly she felt the 241 00:20:15.440 --> 00:20:22.559 strangest sensation, an unmistakable feeling of being watched. She slowly turned toward the 242 00:20:22.640 --> 00:20:26.279 end of the kitchen island. There, leaning out from the corner of the 243 00:20:26.359 --> 00:20:34.000 island, stood something staring back at her. She looked directly into its milky 244 00:20:34.000 --> 00:20:40.160 white eyes and got a sense of the thing in her peripheral It was about 245 00:20:40.200 --> 00:20:45.000 four feet tall, all dark from dirt or maybe blackened skin. It had 246 00:20:45.079 --> 00:20:52.640 fur or maybe extremely tattered and filthy clothing. Its fingers were gnarled and ended 247 00:20:52.680 --> 00:20:56.359 in sharp nails, though she couldn't tell if it had five or four fingers. 248 00:20:57.720 --> 00:21:03.680 The eyes were slightly bigger than normal eyes, but not cartoonish, and 249 00:21:03.759 --> 00:21:08.799 the face was almost too dirty and maybe hairy to tell many features. It 250 00:21:08.920 --> 00:21:15.279 looked simultaneously like a knotted, distorted old man and a wrinkled, deformed beast. 251 00:21:17.640 --> 00:21:22.279 Jess inhaled and let out a blood curdling scream. The thing flinched and 252 00:21:22.440 --> 00:21:26.559 shrunk a bit behind the end of the island. Jess picked up the closest 253 00:21:26.599 --> 00:21:30.640 thing she could, a winter boot, and hurled it at the thing with 254 00:21:30.759 --> 00:21:34.359 force. It barely dodged the boot and scrambled through the kitchen. As Jess 255 00:21:34.359 --> 00:21:40.200 picked up more shoes and hurled them, the thing moved oddly fast and made 256 00:21:40.200 --> 00:21:44.119 it to the back door, flinging it open awkwardly as shoes ricocheted off the 257 00:21:44.160 --> 00:21:48.160 wall around it. It shot out the door and bounded down the steps. 258 00:21:48.440 --> 00:21:52.200 As Jess ran to the door and morbid curiosity, she watched it move swiftly 259 00:21:52.400 --> 00:22:00.319 and disappear into the woodline at the edge of the backyard. Jess woke up 260 00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:03.759 with Paul soon after, and never slept quite so well from then on. 261 00:22:04.880 --> 00:22:11.640 Paul sold the house and moved to another town. Neither had anything go missing 262 00:22:11.680 --> 00:22:55.640 from their homes again. Ghost Train by Valentine Jay Burkice. I don't like 263 00:22:55.680 --> 00:22:59.680 to talk about it much. It took me years before I could even sleep 264 00:22:59.720 --> 00:23:03.680 the whole night through. Heck, even now sometimes I wake up from some 265 00:23:03.000 --> 00:23:07.799 god awful nightmare in a cold sweat, not sure where I'm at. But 266 00:23:07.920 --> 00:23:15.440 I guess I'll never really forget it completely. I mean, who could ever 267 00:23:15.480 --> 00:23:22.440 forget something like that. We set out early that morning because we knew we 268 00:23:22.440 --> 00:23:25.559 had ways to go. We wanted to get on the trail as soon as 269 00:23:25.599 --> 00:23:29.359 possible before it got too hot. Of Course, when you're trying to move 270 00:23:29.400 --> 00:23:32.759 a group of people like that, and it's never easy. We had to 271 00:23:32.759 --> 00:23:36.480 stop so many times for shit we forgot. Heck, it was mid afternoon 272 00:23:36.480 --> 00:23:40.759 before we actually got going. The drail head sat right smack in the middle 273 00:23:40.759 --> 00:23:45.400 of Hoopieville, USA. I never seen such a rundown shanty town in all 274 00:23:45.400 --> 00:23:51.119 my life. I didn't think people still lived like that. The road leading 275 00:23:51.119 --> 00:23:52.839 down to the trail was so dry and dusty, and it was hard to 276 00:23:52.880 --> 00:23:57.079 see where you were going. And the smell, God, the smell was 277 00:23:57.119 --> 00:24:02.559 so bad your eyes watered. Smelled like a deer that's been rotting along the 278 00:24:02.599 --> 00:24:06.880 side of the road for days in the hot summer sun. The bugs shirt 279 00:24:06.960 --> 00:24:08.960 isn't mind, though, They were more than happy to greet us at the 280 00:24:10.000 --> 00:24:14.599 trail. I remember I was getting my bike ready, you know, checking 281 00:24:14.640 --> 00:24:18.960 the tires, the brakes, whatnot, when I noticed this ragged old man 282 00:24:18.119 --> 00:24:22.279 sitting on his front porch watching us. For some reason, he was waving 283 00:24:22.319 --> 00:24:26.640 his hand at us. At first, I thought he was just being friendly, 284 00:24:26.680 --> 00:24:29.799 so I waved back, But then I realized he was trying to get 285 00:24:29.880 --> 00:24:33.839 us to come over. Hey, Joe, I said, pointing to the 286 00:24:33.839 --> 00:24:38.640 old man. Let's go see what this guy wants. Joe frowned. Eh, 287 00:24:38.799 --> 00:24:42.440 probably just wants some money or something. Look at his house, a 288 00:24:42.519 --> 00:24:47.400 piece of shit. Doesn't even have any windows or anything. I could see 289 00:24:47.400 --> 00:24:51.440 what Joe was talking about. The rundown old shack looked like it could collapse 290 00:24:51.480 --> 00:24:55.480 at any minute. Windows were missing, shingles were falling off the roof, 291 00:24:55.599 --> 00:24:59.440 and the gutters had grass and weeds growing from him. It was hard to 292 00:24:59.480 --> 00:25:03.000 imagine anyone actually living in such a place, but the old man didn't seem 293 00:25:03.039 --> 00:25:08.519 to mind. Either that or he didn't care. So against our better judgment, 294 00:25:10.000 --> 00:25:11.359 we left our bikes with the others and made our way over to the 295 00:25:11.359 --> 00:25:17.319 old man. I didn't realize just how decrepit he was until we got up 296 00:25:17.319 --> 00:25:22.440 to the porch. This guy wasn't old, he was ancient. His entire 297 00:25:22.519 --> 00:25:26.119 face was one big wrinkle, shaded beneath the brim of his dusty old ball 298 00:25:26.160 --> 00:25:30.920 cap. I could barely read it, it was so filthy, but I 299 00:25:30.960 --> 00:25:36.559 was able to make out the words Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad. The trail we 300 00:25:36.559 --> 00:25:40.000 were about to ride was a part of this old rail line that had last 301 00:25:40.039 --> 00:25:45.319 been used in the nineteen thirties. After years of lying idol, the tracks 302 00:25:45.319 --> 00:25:48.160 were finally torn out in the early nineteen eighties. After that, it was 303 00:25:48.160 --> 00:25:53.799 converted to a bike trail as part of the States Rails to Trails program. 304 00:25:53.960 --> 00:25:57.119 The old man didn't say anything at first. He just stared at Joe and 305 00:25:57.200 --> 00:26:00.920 me, a broad smile on his wrinkled face, as if he was reading 306 00:26:00.920 --> 00:26:06.920 our minds. After an uncomfortable moment, I decided to ask him what he 307 00:26:07.000 --> 00:26:11.400 wanted. Did we help you with something? We were just about to head 308 00:26:11.400 --> 00:26:15.440 out on the trail. We're not trespassing, are we. We were told 309 00:26:15.480 --> 00:26:19.960 this was a trailhead. There's a trailhead, all right, he said, 310 00:26:21.039 --> 00:26:26.440 has an eerie smile grew on his face. Fire you and just pack up 311 00:26:26.480 --> 00:26:30.880 and head back where you could from. Joe looked over at me, confused. 312 00:26:32.599 --> 00:26:33.920 Who the hell was this guy to tell us to pack up and leave? 313 00:26:34.640 --> 00:26:40.319 This was state property? Excuse me, I asked. Before Joe could 314 00:26:40.319 --> 00:26:45.720 say anything, You heard me, I said, fire you. I just 315 00:26:45.880 --> 00:26:52.720 turned around your home. You're now wanted here. This time, Joe jumped 316 00:26:52.720 --> 00:26:56.599 in before I could respond, We're not wanted here. He said, well, 317 00:26:56.599 --> 00:27:00.359 who the hell asked you? Yes, me, it's now your goddamn 318 00:27:00.400 --> 00:27:06.960 business. The old man wasn't moved. He just continued to grin and stare 319 00:27:07.000 --> 00:27:11.359 back at us from his rickety old chair. Well, Mike said, Joe, 320 00:27:11.759 --> 00:27:15.799 let's get going. We're burning daylight talking to this old fart. I 321 00:27:15.839 --> 00:27:18.759 didn't know what to say. Both confused and annoyed by the old man's words, 322 00:27:19.799 --> 00:27:25.720 I just figured he was old and bitter. Joe and I just decided 323 00:27:25.720 --> 00:27:30.160 to let him be. As we turned back toward the trail, Lance was 324 00:27:30.200 --> 00:27:33.200 waiting for us back with the others. Hey, he said, what that 325 00:27:33.319 --> 00:27:38.799 guy won? Oh? Nothing, I replied, he's just crazy or something. 326 00:27:40.480 --> 00:27:42.480 He's just pissed because he lives in a piece of shit excuse for a 327 00:27:42.559 --> 00:27:48.440 house. Joe yelled out, but the old man didn't seem to hear or 328 00:27:48.559 --> 00:27:52.519 care. Leave him alone. Joe, Joe's wife Natalie didn't care for his 329 00:27:52.599 --> 00:27:56.400 comments. You wait till year old, you'll be just as mean non ray 330 00:27:56.440 --> 00:28:00.799 as him. There were nine of us all together, being my wife Marie, 331 00:28:02.160 --> 00:28:06.519 Joe and Natalie, my friends Lance and Nate, Joe's friends Amy and 332 00:28:06.599 --> 00:28:10.920 Nancy, and last, but certainly not least, Joe's little brother John. 333 00:28:11.839 --> 00:28:15.079 There was nothing little about John, however. He may have been the youngest 334 00:28:15.079 --> 00:28:18.920 one in our group, but he was also the biggest, still just a 335 00:28:18.920 --> 00:28:23.240 teenager, John was already well over six foot and towered above his older brother. 336 00:28:25.279 --> 00:28:27.640 Joe was no slouch himself at six foot even, but he even looked 337 00:28:27.680 --> 00:28:33.000 miniature in John's shadow. After we pissed around for a while, checking our 338 00:28:33.039 --> 00:28:37.640 bikes and basically just wasting time, we finally started down the trail around mid 339 00:28:37.640 --> 00:28:47.160 afternoon. That's when we heard the first whistle, somewhere far off from the 340 00:28:47.240 --> 00:28:52.119 distance behind us. The distinctive sound of a train whistle broke the calm of 341 00:28:52.160 --> 00:28:56.960 the summer afternoon. Lance was the first to say something, What the hell 342 00:28:56.039 --> 00:29:02.559 was that sounded like a train whistle? Said Marie. Yeah, but that's 343 00:29:02.599 --> 00:29:07.160 impossible. This line went out of commission almost fifty years ago. Hecked the 344 00:29:07.240 --> 00:29:11.039 rails in right back there in those jackers. Nate jumped in, Maybe there's 345 00:29:11.039 --> 00:29:15.559 another rail line across the river. Nah, said Joe. You know what 346 00:29:15.599 --> 00:29:19.440 it was. There's probably just an old steam whistle from a factory or something. 347 00:29:21.000 --> 00:29:25.559 The industry around here hadn't changed since the depression. You know, yeah, 348 00:29:25.680 --> 00:29:30.759 replied Lance, and neither had the houses. We all laughed. All 349 00:29:30.839 --> 00:29:33.799 right, Joe said, let's hit the trail. We're burning daylight, and 350 00:29:33.880 --> 00:29:40.240 with that we were off. I just wish we had listened to that old 351 00:29:40.279 --> 00:29:48.880 man and then none of this would have happened. It was pretty humid that 352 00:29:48.960 --> 00:29:52.599 day, just like most days in late August. I guess the heat was 353 00:29:52.680 --> 00:29:56.359 rising off the trail and waves, and it drew the bugs out and droves. 354 00:29:57.200 --> 00:30:00.000 You had to be careful to keep your mouth shut riding or you'd get 355 00:30:00.000 --> 00:30:03.880 a mouthful of mosquitoes. But other than the bugs, for the most part, 356 00:30:03.920 --> 00:30:07.599 it was a pretty great day for a ride. The sky was cloudless 357 00:30:07.599 --> 00:30:11.440 and blue, and as long as you kept moving, a friendly breeze made 358 00:30:11.480 --> 00:30:15.960 you forget all about the late summer heat. We started out the ride as 359 00:30:17.000 --> 00:30:19.400 a group, with all nine of us riding in formation along the old rail 360 00:30:19.400 --> 00:30:23.799 line, but about an hour into our ride we had spread apart a good 361 00:30:23.839 --> 00:30:29.359 bit. Lance, Joe, and Nad were way ahead of the group a 362 00:30:29.400 --> 00:30:33.680 couple of miles at least. Lance never rode slowly no matter where we were. 363 00:30:33.720 --> 00:30:37.359 Every time we went on a ride, Lance would be way ahead of 364 00:30:37.359 --> 00:30:41.920 the pack. A veteran long distance rider, he was always in training for 365 00:30:41.960 --> 00:30:45.759 his next race. We tried to tell him to take it easy on this 366 00:30:45.839 --> 00:30:48.759 trip, since it was just a recreational ride, but he couldn't be reasoned 367 00:30:48.759 --> 00:30:56.279 with. Lance only knew one way to ride fast and hard. Joe and 368 00:30:56.400 --> 00:31:00.880 Nat on their custom tandem bike were the only ones to keep up with him, 369 00:31:00.359 --> 00:31:03.400 so before long the three of them were nothing more but a speck in 370 00:31:03.440 --> 00:31:07.480 the distance. I, on the other hand, was in no hurry to 371 00:31:07.559 --> 00:31:11.440 kill myself so early in the ride. We had a long trip ahead of 372 00:31:11.480 --> 00:31:15.799 us, round one hundred miles or so, and I wasn't about to use 373 00:31:15.880 --> 00:31:19.680 up all my energy at the start. Marie felt just the same, and 374 00:31:19.720 --> 00:31:25.599 so we enjoyed ourselves as we steadily peddled down the old trail. Not far 375 00:31:25.680 --> 00:31:30.240 behind, Nate and Little John were taking their time as well. This being 376 00:31:30.319 --> 00:31:33.119 John's first official ride with the group, Nate wanted to make sure he felt 377 00:31:33.119 --> 00:31:37.720 welcome and decided to ride with them for the first few hours. About a 378 00:31:37.759 --> 00:31:41.519 mile or so behind him, Nancy and Amy were struggling to keep up, 379 00:31:42.079 --> 00:31:48.039 neither of them being experienced riders. This was their very first long distance ride, 380 00:31:48.160 --> 00:31:51.319 and you could tell right away it wasn't going to be easy for them. 381 00:31:51.440 --> 00:31:53.799 They had dropped off from the pack almost immediately and made no attempt to 382 00:31:53.839 --> 00:31:57.279 catch up to the rest of us. I wasn't worried, however, the 383 00:31:57.319 --> 00:32:01.160 trail only went one way. I wasn't worried about him getting lost. I 384 00:32:01.240 --> 00:32:06.519 just figured they'd catch up with us at the first stop. A couple hours 385 00:32:06.559 --> 00:32:09.599 in. We had traveled around twenty miles or so. Because there's some plans 386 00:32:09.640 --> 00:32:14.240 we'd made before we set off, I knew our first scheduled break was coming 387 00:32:14.359 --> 00:32:17.640 up. It was an old train station, the oldest one on the line 388 00:32:17.680 --> 00:32:21.599 actually, and we figured it was a good place to stop and rest a 389 00:32:21.640 --> 00:32:25.000 bit. As Marie and I rounded a bend on the trail, we could 390 00:32:25.039 --> 00:32:30.000 see the old wooden station about a hundred yards ahead. Joe, Nat and 391 00:32:30.119 --> 00:32:35.319 Lance were already there waiting for us. The hell took you so long? 392 00:32:35.759 --> 00:32:38.039 Lance yelled down the trail, poking fun at us, as was his way. 393 00:32:38.799 --> 00:32:43.200 Whoever said this was a race? Lance, I yelled back. As 394 00:32:43.279 --> 00:32:45.400 Marie and I slowed to a stop. Lance slapped me on the back. 395 00:32:45.480 --> 00:32:49.759 As I got off the bike and reached from my water bottle. Ah, 396 00:32:49.799 --> 00:32:52.839 he said, I'm just messing with you. Hey, said Joe. There's 397 00:32:52.839 --> 00:32:58.039 everybody else. Nat and John aren't too far behind us, said Marie. 398 00:32:58.519 --> 00:33:00.000 I don't know about the girls, though, they were pretty far back. 399 00:33:00.799 --> 00:33:07.559 Stupid chicks, Lance added he never was one for pleasure riding. A couple 400 00:33:07.599 --> 00:33:09.880 of minutes later, Nate and John could be seen emerging from a bend in 401 00:33:09.880 --> 00:33:15.680 the trail. I couldn't help but chuckle to myself. Nate looked so much 402 00:33:15.720 --> 00:33:20.960 smaller than his younger counterpart. John looked a bit silly himself, his enormous 403 00:33:20.960 --> 00:33:25.039 frame just one minute for bike riding. I guess about time you guys catch 404 00:33:25.119 --> 00:33:30.759 up, Lance said. Nate weaved him off. We got a long ways 405 00:33:30.799 --> 00:33:32.599 to go now. I'm not going to get all tired right at the start. 406 00:33:34.119 --> 00:33:37.559 Besides, he said, I had to wait for the little guy. 407 00:33:37.599 --> 00:33:43.960 Everyone laughed as John turned red with embarrassment. How about the girls, Joe 408 00:33:44.000 --> 00:33:47.359 asked, you've seen him at all? Nah, said Nate. They're way 409 00:33:47.440 --> 00:33:51.960 back. We lost them just a couple of miles after we started off. 410 00:33:52.400 --> 00:33:57.200 Suddenly, the sound of a distant train whistle echoed down the valley and reached 411 00:33:57.240 --> 00:34:05.680 our ears. What the hell was that, I asked. Sounds like that 412 00:34:05.839 --> 00:34:08.679 same old train whistle we heard when we first started off, said Lance. 413 00:34:09.400 --> 00:34:13.440 I don't care what you say, Joe, that wasn't no damn factory whistle. 414 00:34:13.960 --> 00:34:17.800 That was a train. Yeah. Joe joined in that sure did sound 415 00:34:17.840 --> 00:34:22.000 like an old steam engine. Maybe it's one of those excursion trains or something. 416 00:34:22.039 --> 00:34:25.280 I heard there was one near here. We all just stood there by 417 00:34:25.320 --> 00:34:30.880 our bikes and listened quietly, but the whistle didn't blow again. About a 418 00:34:30.880 --> 00:34:35.280 half hour passed with no sign of the girls, and we started to get 419 00:34:35.360 --> 00:34:38.639 nervous that something might have happened, like maybe a flat tire or something. 420 00:34:39.280 --> 00:34:43.599 I'll go back and check on him, I said, No, that's all 421 00:34:43.679 --> 00:34:46.880 right, Nate jumped in me and John will go. I'm sure it's nothing. 422 00:34:47.400 --> 00:34:52.119 They probably just stopped to take a break or something. We all nodded 423 00:34:52.159 --> 00:34:54.960 in agreement. You guys just go ahead. We'll catch up to you later. 424 00:34:57.000 --> 00:35:00.159 It sounded like a good idea, so we all agreed. Nate and 425 00:35:00.239 --> 00:35:04.440 John took off back down the trail as the rest of us continued on. 426 00:35:05.159 --> 00:35:08.679 We figured we just wait for him at the next resting point. By five 427 00:35:08.840 --> 00:35:13.639 thirty or so, we had reached our second plan stop, the old Greenbrier 428 00:35:13.639 --> 00:35:17.639 Tunnel, nearly six hundred feet long. It was an awesome sight. The 429 00:35:17.639 --> 00:35:21.480 tunnel had been built at the turn of the century, carved out of the 430 00:35:21.519 --> 00:35:25.440 mountain through sheer muscle. I can't imagine how it must have been excavating all 431 00:35:25.440 --> 00:35:31.119 that rock, mostly by hand. Legend had it that five miners actually died 432 00:35:31.199 --> 00:35:36.519 during the construction, buried alive when part of the tunnel collapsed without warning. 433 00:35:37.559 --> 00:35:42.280 Man said, Lance, that is so freaking awesome. I laid my bike 434 00:35:42.320 --> 00:35:45.880 down and took off my helmet. Yeah, I said, that is pretty 435 00:35:45.880 --> 00:35:49.599 sweet. How the hell did they build that with nothing but their bare hands? 436 00:35:50.239 --> 00:35:52.840 It's amazing. Well, what are we going to do? Joe asked? 437 00:35:53.360 --> 00:35:57.199 Should we wait here for Nate, John and the girls? Or should 438 00:35:57.199 --> 00:36:00.320 we just press on? After all, we're burning daylight? It was his 439 00:36:00.400 --> 00:36:06.280 favorite saying. I say we just go, replied Natalie. They said they'll 440 00:36:06.280 --> 00:36:09.800 catch up with us. Lance agreed, we gotta get camp set up before 441 00:36:09.800 --> 00:36:14.960 it gets too dark. They'll be all right, So we decided to keep 442 00:36:15.039 --> 00:36:19.639 riding and get to camp before dusk. One by one we mounted our bikes 443 00:36:19.639 --> 00:36:22.440 and headed into the tunnel. I buckled up in my helmet and was the 444 00:36:22.480 --> 00:36:28.320 last one to go through. But right as I started in, I slammed 445 00:36:28.320 --> 00:36:34.400 on the brakes and listened way off in the distance, I thought I heard 446 00:36:34.440 --> 00:36:40.280 someone screaming, and that's when I heard it again, the train whistle. 447 00:36:42.239 --> 00:36:45.119 It seemed much farther off this time. Would make no mistake about it. 448 00:36:45.760 --> 00:36:51.719 I heard it for a moment. I just sat there and listened, but 449 00:36:51.840 --> 00:36:54.960 there was nothing, only the sound of the water rushing by in the river 450 00:36:55.079 --> 00:37:00.719 below the trail. Hey, Mike, yelled back through the tunnel, you 451 00:37:00.840 --> 00:37:06.239 come in or what? Yeah, I said, I'll be right there. 452 00:37:07.440 --> 00:37:12.239 I only waited another second or so before heading into the tunnel. By then, 453 00:37:12.760 --> 00:37:15.760 a cold, eerie feeling had come over me, and I began to 454 00:37:15.800 --> 00:37:22.239 wonder if our friends were all right. Finally, around eight o'clock or so, 455 00:37:22.320 --> 00:37:25.239 we decided to stop. We'd gone almost fifty miles in one day, 456 00:37:25.440 --> 00:37:30.480 and as you can imagine, we were all pretty tuckered out. We set 457 00:37:30.519 --> 00:37:34.079 up camp just off the trail, in a bear spot underneath a canopy of 458 00:37:34.079 --> 00:37:37.280 towering trees. Right away, Joe and Lance began to build a fire, 459 00:37:37.480 --> 00:37:43.000 mainly for protection, in order to conserve space and keep our packs light. 460 00:37:43.320 --> 00:37:47.119 All we had brought to eat was instant oatmeal and granilla bars. Honestly, 461 00:37:47.239 --> 00:37:52.559 after fifty miles of riding, I would have rather had a nice chicken dinner, 462 00:37:52.079 --> 00:37:55.800 but that just wasn't possible. Besides, we were in an area thick 463 00:37:55.840 --> 00:38:00.719 with black bear wouldn't be too smart to have any real food around them, 464 00:38:00.800 --> 00:38:04.480 might draw them in. Camp was set up in no time at all, 465 00:38:04.760 --> 00:38:08.400 and we turned our attention to our missing friends. It was now pitch dark 466 00:38:08.440 --> 00:38:15.199 out and they were nowhere to be found. Joe was really worried, where 467 00:38:15.199 --> 00:38:19.000 the hell are those guys. They should have been here by now. Maybe 468 00:38:19.000 --> 00:38:21.400 it got too dark for him and they set up camp on their own. 469 00:38:21.800 --> 00:38:27.239 Lance said. Natalie was far less optimistic. I'm worried someone got hurt. 470 00:38:27.840 --> 00:38:30.960 I don't think they would have stopped until they caught up with us. Yeah, 471 00:38:31.119 --> 00:38:36.119 said Marie. Maybe they had to go back for help. Joe looked 472 00:38:36.159 --> 00:38:39.840 deep in thought, probably thinking about his younger brother. I think we should 473 00:38:40.400 --> 00:38:45.639 go looking for him, I said, Are you crazy? Said Lance. 474 00:38:45.840 --> 00:38:49.239 It's way too dangerous go riding down the trail at night. You never know 475 00:38:49.320 --> 00:38:52.599 what you could run into. These hills are full of bear mountain lion too. 476 00:38:53.639 --> 00:38:59.000 Yeah, said Joe. You're probably right. I just hate not knowing 477 00:39:00.119 --> 00:39:04.039 they'll be all right, I said, trying to sound positive. Nate's an 478 00:39:04.039 --> 00:39:07.239 old woodsman. He'll take care of the rest of them. Hacked up, 479 00:39:07.280 --> 00:39:10.679 probably all sitting around a fire right now talking about us. Joe looked up 480 00:39:10.719 --> 00:39:15.360 at me and smiled, I hope you're right. A full moon lit up 481 00:39:15.360 --> 00:39:19.079 the night sky as we called it a day and climbed into our tents. 482 00:39:19.880 --> 00:39:22.320 All we could do was hope that Nate, John and the girls were somewhere 483 00:39:22.360 --> 00:39:28.000 safe. The next morning, we woke to find our camp and shambles. 484 00:39:29.199 --> 00:39:32.239 Our bikes hadn't been touched, but all of our gear lay strewn across the 485 00:39:32.280 --> 00:39:37.800 dirty ground, like someone had been looking for something. What a mess. 486 00:39:38.039 --> 00:39:43.480 All of our stuff was ripped apart and covered with dirt. The only bit 487 00:39:43.519 --> 00:39:46.719 of food we could salvage were a couple of lousy granula bars. The rest 488 00:39:46.760 --> 00:39:52.079 of the bars in the oatmeal were nowhere to be found. I was stunned. 489 00:39:52.880 --> 00:39:57.880 What the hell happened here last night, mare, said Joe. Matter 490 00:39:57.880 --> 00:40:00.719 of factly, black bear must have come out of the hills in search of 491 00:40:00.760 --> 00:40:06.000 food. Marie grabbed my arm and looked around as if she expected a bear 492 00:40:06.039 --> 00:40:08.280 to be right behind her. I don't worry, hon, I said, 493 00:40:08.800 --> 00:40:15.119 They're long gone now. At least that's what I hoped. They're more afraid 494 00:40:15.119 --> 00:40:17.519 of us than we are them. She nodded her head, but wouldn't let 495 00:40:17.559 --> 00:40:22.960 go of my arm. This sucks, said Lance. How the hell are 496 00:40:22.000 --> 00:40:27.039 we going to ride another fifty miles on an empty stomach? Well, said 497 00:40:27.159 --> 00:40:30.280 Natalie, we still have a couple of granola bars left. Maybe there'll be 498 00:40:30.360 --> 00:40:37.079 some berries or something on the trail. Lance wasn't satisfied. Eh, a 499 00:40:37.079 --> 00:40:38.880 lot of good a couple of shitty granola bars are going to do for us. 500 00:40:39.920 --> 00:40:43.960 I hate to admit it, but I agreed with him. My stomach 501 00:40:44.039 --> 00:40:47.360 was already growling and we hadn't even started to ride yet. Suddenly it hit 502 00:40:47.440 --> 00:40:52.199 me, Hey, I said, what about Nate John and the girls? 503 00:40:52.719 --> 00:40:54.960 I bet you they still have some food. Once they catch up with us, 504 00:40:54.960 --> 00:41:00.079 we'll just rashing out what we got left. Everyone seemed in are, 505 00:41:00.920 --> 00:41:02.960 so we decided to just sit and wait awhile to see if the others showed 506 00:41:04.039 --> 00:41:07.440 up. As the sun slowly crept over the horizon, we got a fire 507 00:41:07.519 --> 00:41:12.519 going and started to clean up. At nine o'clock, there was still no 508 00:41:12.599 --> 00:41:15.159 sign of him, and Lance was sick of waiting. This is stupid, 509 00:41:15.400 --> 00:41:20.239 he said, I'm going back to look for him. Joe didn't seem to 510 00:41:20.320 --> 00:41:22.840 think it was the best idea. I don't know, man, we've already 511 00:41:22.840 --> 00:41:27.239 got separated from those guys. I don't want to lose you too. You 512 00:41:27.400 --> 00:41:30.760 cann't, said Lance. I'm not gonna get lost. It's a freaking railroad 513 00:41:30.800 --> 00:41:35.239 bed, for God's sake. How the hell can you get lost. I'm 514 00:41:35.239 --> 00:41:37.920 just gonna ride back and see what's keeping them. We can't wait here all 515 00:41:38.000 --> 00:41:43.760 day, you know, yeah, Joe replied, You're probably right. The 516 00:41:43.800 --> 00:41:45.760 rest of us will pack up and get going. We'll just take it easy 517 00:41:45.800 --> 00:41:49.079 and then you can catch up to us after you meet with the others. 518 00:41:49.119 --> 00:41:52.800 Sound good, And with that Lance was off. He was our best and 519 00:41:52.920 --> 00:41:58.119 fastest rider by far. Surely he would find the others and in no time 520 00:41:58.119 --> 00:42:00.320 they'd catch up with the rest of us. Heck, they were probably just 521 00:42:00.360 --> 00:42:04.280 down the trail a bit. We'd be all together again by the afternoon. 522 00:42:04.920 --> 00:42:09.239 At least that's what we thought. Just before noon, Joe, Natalie, 523 00:42:09.239 --> 00:42:14.079 Marie and I had reached the Old Skeezer Tunnel, about twenty miles farther down 524 00:42:14.079 --> 00:42:17.280 the trail, just like the old Greenbrier Tunnel, the Skeezer had been carved 525 00:42:17.280 --> 00:42:22.639 over one hundred years before, but it was much bigger and much more ominous. 526 00:42:22.280 --> 00:42:27.440 It was massive, large enough to drive two trains through side by side. 527 00:42:28.079 --> 00:42:30.199 It had been carved out of solid rock way before. The track had 528 00:42:30.199 --> 00:42:35.039 actually been laid back when the railroad was supposed to be a double track, 529 00:42:35.519 --> 00:42:38.639 but the workers soon found out the landscape was just too treacherous and could only 530 00:42:38.679 --> 00:42:44.079 support a single line. Apparently this had angered some of the tunnel workers who 531 00:42:44.079 --> 00:42:47.440 had worked their asses off in the excavation. Some of them actually were killed 532 00:42:47.559 --> 00:42:52.880 during the construction. Well, some of the workers staged a strike and things 533 00:42:52.920 --> 00:42:57.840 got real ugly. When the railroad tried to break up the strike, a 534 00:42:58.000 --> 00:43:02.320 riot broke out and eighteen men got killed. Legend had it that those men 535 00:43:02.440 --> 00:43:08.599 still haunted the tunnel, swearing vengeance upon anyone who dared enter it. I 536 00:43:08.679 --> 00:43:13.719 knew it was just a silly ghost story, but it still made me feel 537 00:43:13.719 --> 00:43:17.079 a little uneasy. There'd been a couple of mysterious train wrecks right around and 538 00:43:17.199 --> 00:43:22.039 inside the tunnel over the years. The investigators determined them all to be just 539 00:43:22.199 --> 00:43:27.079 run of the mill derailments, but it was agreed upon by some that the 540 00:43:27.079 --> 00:43:30.039 ghosts of the tunnel workers had caused them. I don't know if this was 541 00:43:30.079 --> 00:43:32.920 true or not, but as we sat at the entrance of the long dark 542 00:43:32.960 --> 00:43:38.880 passageway, I couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. Marie could tell I 543 00:43:38.920 --> 00:43:45.000 was worried. What's wrong, Mike? You okay? Oh? I'm okay, 544 00:43:45.360 --> 00:43:50.360 I laughed, just daydreaming, I guess. I took a deep breath 545 00:43:50.400 --> 00:43:53.360 and turned to Joe, who was taking a drink of water. Joe, 546 00:43:53.960 --> 00:43:58.079 when do you think happened to Lance? You should have found them and caught 547 00:43:58.159 --> 00:44:00.400 up to us by now, don't you think. Joe took another swallow from 548 00:44:00.400 --> 00:44:05.280 his canteen and wiped his mouth. Yeah, I'd have thought they'd have been 549 00:44:05.320 --> 00:44:12.280 here by now. Maybe they got And there it was again, way off 550 00:44:12.320 --> 00:44:16.199 in the distance, that eerie train whistle blew again and echoed down the valley, 551 00:44:16.760 --> 00:44:23.199 Only this time it was followed by a blood curdling scream. Oh my 552 00:44:23.320 --> 00:44:29.400 god, Natalie gasped, what was that? But no one answered her. 553 00:44:30.039 --> 00:44:32.639 Were all sat frozen like statues, trying to make sense of what we had 554 00:44:32.679 --> 00:44:37.119 just heard. Marie stood beside me, her hand clamped over her mouth in 555 00:44:37.159 --> 00:44:43.400 fear. A cold chill ran up my spine. There was no mistaking it. 556 00:44:43.880 --> 00:44:49.440 We had all heard the whistle and the terrible scream. That scream, 557 00:44:49.519 --> 00:44:55.559 I paused. It sounded like like someone being killed, said Joe. For 558 00:44:55.639 --> 00:45:00.000 the first time ever, I saw fear in his eyes. I've never heard 559 00:45:00.000 --> 00:45:04.280 anything like that in my life. I gotta go see who it was, 560 00:45:05.199 --> 00:45:08.679 No, said Natalie. You're not leaving me. I have to. Nat. 561 00:45:09.000 --> 00:45:14.000 I hate to say it, but I think that sounded like like Lance. 562 00:45:15.360 --> 00:45:17.639 You're right, I said, And if that really was him, he's 563 00:45:17.679 --> 00:45:22.679 definitely in trouble. We gotta go check it out. Natalie and Marie grabbed 564 00:45:22.760 --> 00:45:27.039 us and begged us not to go, but we had to. We had 565 00:45:27.039 --> 00:45:30.679 to go help our friends. Oh god, Natalie screamed as she pointed down 566 00:45:30.679 --> 00:45:37.679 the trail. I turned to look, and there he was Lance. He 567 00:45:37.719 --> 00:45:40.599 was crawling down the trail on his hands and knees. It was a side 568 00:45:40.599 --> 00:45:46.119 I'll never forget. He was bloody from head to toe. His clothes were 569 00:45:46.159 --> 00:45:51.719 all torn, like had been attacked by some wild animal. As Joe and 570 00:45:51.760 --> 00:45:55.960 I ran towards him, Lance collapsed on the trail and lay motionless. I 571 00:45:57.079 --> 00:46:00.199 reached him and I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Must have been a 572 00:46:00.199 --> 00:46:05.440 bare or mountain lion. I said, what else could do something like this 573 00:46:05.519 --> 00:46:08.960 to a man? He was all torn up and blood was everywhere. It 574 00:46:09.000 --> 00:46:13.840 was clear his left leg was broken. The jagged bone had punched through the 575 00:46:13.840 --> 00:46:16.800 skin. I turned my head and puked all over the trail. It was 576 00:46:16.880 --> 00:46:22.679 just too much to take, Lance said, Joe, Lance, talk to 577 00:46:22.800 --> 00:46:25.800 me. What happened to you? Where are the others? Lance strained to 578 00:46:25.880 --> 00:46:30.360 raise his head. His face was all cut up and bleeding, struggling to 579 00:46:30.400 --> 00:46:38.000 breathe, He could barely speak. Joe, the train I couldn't I couldn't 580 00:46:38.039 --> 00:46:43.639 move it, train, I said, turning to Joe. The el's he 581 00:46:43.760 --> 00:46:47.880 talking about? Joe didn't answer me, Lance, what train? What are 582 00:46:47.920 --> 00:46:53.760 you talking about? They're dead? He said, they're all dead. The 583 00:46:53.800 --> 00:47:02.480 train, Joe, the trains coming, And with that he went unconscious. 584 00:47:04.239 --> 00:47:07.400 He didn't say another word. What the hell is he talking about? Joe? 585 00:47:07.840 --> 00:47:12.519 What train? Who's dead? Naden, John, It can't be. 586 00:47:13.960 --> 00:47:17.119 Joe stared down the trail. I don't know, he said, I just 587 00:47:17.920 --> 00:47:23.239 don't know. It can't be. They can't be. He just kept staring 588 00:47:23.239 --> 00:47:28.679 down the trail. As he held Lance's bloody head in his arms. Marie 589 00:47:28.679 --> 00:47:30.400 and Natalie ran up to us. We got to get him to help, 590 00:47:30.760 --> 00:47:36.599 said Marie. Natalie winced when she looked down at Lance. Oh my god, 591 00:47:37.280 --> 00:47:40.360 what happened to him? I don't know, I said. He was 592 00:47:42.039 --> 00:47:50.039 mumbling about a train or something. That's when we heard it, that horrible 593 00:47:50.119 --> 00:47:54.920 sound. He was like a nightmare, something out of a dream. The 594 00:47:55.039 --> 00:48:00.679 train whistle, the same one we've been hearing all along. This time it 595 00:48:00.800 --> 00:48:06.960 was much much closer. It was right on us. He came out of 596 00:48:07.000 --> 00:48:10.440 nowhere and was louder than anything I'd ever heard. I covered my ears and 597 00:48:10.480 --> 00:48:15.920 fell to my knees. Marie and Natalie did the same. Go let go 598 00:48:15.000 --> 00:48:19.360 of the lands and tried to get back up, but the sound was so 599 00:48:19.400 --> 00:48:24.719 loud and powerful it just seemed to knock him right back down. And we 600 00:48:24.800 --> 00:48:29.559 saw it. I never would have believed if I hadn't seen it with my 601 00:48:29.599 --> 00:48:34.440 own eyes. Just down the trail where it bent around a towering cliff, 602 00:48:35.199 --> 00:48:40.559 a giant black shape came blasting around the bend. At first I didn't know 603 00:48:40.599 --> 00:48:45.360 what it was. The whistle was still blaring and I could hardly open my 604 00:48:45.400 --> 00:48:52.079 eyes and I saw it. I saw it clear as day. It was 605 00:48:52.119 --> 00:48:54.679 a locomotive, one of those old steam engines, like the ones you see 606 00:48:54.679 --> 00:49:00.880 in books or westerns. The iron monster belched a cloud of black from its 607 00:49:00.920 --> 00:49:06.440 towering stack as it barreled around the bend and charged down the trail right at 608 00:49:06.519 --> 00:49:13.639 US three, screamed. Natalie was still laying on the ground, driving around 609 00:49:13.679 --> 00:49:16.639 in pain from the intensity of the whistle. Get up, I yelled to 610 00:49:16.719 --> 00:49:20.360 him. Get up, Joe, come on, get up, We gotta 611 00:49:20.400 --> 00:49:24.840 move. Joe's gaze was frozen on the train. You can't be, he 612 00:49:24.960 --> 00:49:30.880 said, It's impossible. He wins. Does The train's whistle blasted out again 613 00:49:30.920 --> 00:49:37.639 through the air. Marie grabbed onto me and pulled herself up. The train 614 00:49:37.760 --> 00:49:43.320 was coming on fast, Mike, she cried, I can't move the whistle. 615 00:49:43.719 --> 00:49:46.400 It's we gotta move. I said, it's coming right for us. 616 00:49:46.480 --> 00:49:51.079 Let's go. A raging river was to our right at the bottom of the 617 00:49:51.119 --> 00:49:53.920 jagged slope. To our left, the mountain was a sheer wall of rock. 618 00:49:54.800 --> 00:49:58.280 Our only hope was to get through the tunnel to the other side. 619 00:49:59.559 --> 00:50:02.280 Joe ma managed to get up and threw Lance over his shoulder. Natalie followed 620 00:50:02.360 --> 00:50:07.440 right behind him. You gotta get through the tunnel, Joe said. Leaving 621 00:50:07.440 --> 00:50:10.679 our bikes, we darted into the tunnel. Natalie went in first, followed 622 00:50:10.679 --> 00:50:15.079 by Joe with Lance over his shoulder. I went next, dragging Marie behind 623 00:50:15.079 --> 00:50:19.920 me. I looked back and saw that the train was only a hundred yards 624 00:50:19.960 --> 00:50:22.760 away or so, and it was gaining fast. I can't see anything, 625 00:50:23.239 --> 00:50:27.519 Joe yelled, over the sound of the steam engines roar. It's pitch dark 626 00:50:27.559 --> 00:50:30.000 in here. Just head for that light, I said, referring to the 627 00:50:30.039 --> 00:50:34.400 opening on the far end of the tunnel. It seemed miles away. As 628 00:50:34.440 --> 00:50:37.719 we struggled to make our way through the darkness, the sound of the train 629 00:50:37.800 --> 00:50:42.920 grew louder with each step. It's no use, Joe said. Just then 630 00:50:43.000 --> 00:50:45.719 he and Lance fell to the ground like they were tripped by something. Get 631 00:50:45.840 --> 00:50:50.119 up, yelled Natalie. Joe. Get off the train. It's coming. 632 00:50:50.840 --> 00:50:53.440 I didn't need to turn around. The light from the locomotive entered the tunnel 633 00:50:53.440 --> 00:51:00.440 and once let out a terrible blast of its whistle. Pain was almost arible, 634 00:51:00.440 --> 00:51:02.480 but I knew we had to keep going. Get up, I said, 635 00:51:02.840 --> 00:51:07.199 We've got to keep going. We're almost there. Joe jumped up and 636 00:51:07.239 --> 00:51:10.400 once again through Lance over his shoulder. With every ounce of strength we had, 637 00:51:10.480 --> 00:51:15.519 we took off towards the other opening. The train was almost honest now, 638 00:51:15.000 --> 00:51:19.679 and the sound was unbearable. It pierced my ears like a knife. 639 00:51:20.239 --> 00:51:25.199 I just kept running. Finally we reached the other side, burst into the 640 00:51:25.239 --> 00:51:30.199 sunlight. The train was right behind us, so close you could feel the 641 00:51:30.239 --> 00:51:32.840 heat from its engine. It followed us out of the tunnel like the fiery 642 00:51:32.920 --> 00:51:37.800 breath of some dragon. To our right, of sheer rock. To our 643 00:51:37.920 --> 00:51:42.079 left, nothing but a slope of jagged rocks leading to the river below. 644 00:51:44.239 --> 00:51:47.239 Now what Joe said as he guessed for air, still holding Lance over his 645 00:51:47.280 --> 00:51:52.280 shoulder. Right then I saw an old rope swing off to the left. 646 00:51:52.920 --> 00:51:55.679 It was our only chance there. I yelled the rope. Go from the 647 00:51:55.760 --> 00:52:00.880 rope. The two girls grabbed onto the rope, took a few steps back, 648 00:52:00.920 --> 00:52:04.519 and then swung themselves out over the rocks before dropping into the water. 649 00:52:06.599 --> 00:52:09.159 I looked at Joe and he motioned me to go ahead. So I leapt 650 00:52:09.159 --> 00:52:13.840 for the rope, swung out to clear the rocks, and then dropped into 651 00:52:13.880 --> 00:52:19.239 the river. Joe struggled to get a grip on the rope of Lance over 652 00:52:19.280 --> 00:52:22.320 his shoulders still, just then the train burst out of the tunnel with a 653 00:52:22.440 --> 00:52:29.599 terrible roar. Joe leaned back, jumped up, and flew through the air 654 00:52:29.639 --> 00:52:36.199 towards the river, right as the black locomotive Harold passed, and it missed 655 00:52:36.239 --> 00:52:38.880 him and lanced by inches as they swung out past the rocks and dropped into 656 00:52:38.880 --> 00:52:45.880 the water. The ghostly train then roared down the trail and just disappeared, 657 00:52:46.480 --> 00:52:52.480 its black smoke still hanging in the air. We floated down the river a 658 00:52:52.480 --> 00:52:55.599 mile or two to the nearest town. No one said a word as we 659 00:52:55.679 --> 00:53:00.400 drifted downstream. When we hit the town, we immediately went to look for 660 00:53:00.440 --> 00:53:07.119 help, but it was too late. Lance was gone. He never regained 661 00:53:07.119 --> 00:53:15.320 consciousness. I can't explain what happened on that hot summer day all those years 662 00:53:15.320 --> 00:53:21.000 ago. All I know is it was real. No one believes me, 663 00:53:21.119 --> 00:53:24.679 of course, that's why they've got me locked up in this nuthouse to ride 664 00:53:24.719 --> 00:53:30.800 away. If my wife was here, she'd tell you too, but she's 665 00:53:30.840 --> 00:53:36.760 gone. She lost it not long afterwards, haunted by that godforsaken whistle. 666 00:53:37.880 --> 00:53:42.400 He kept her up nights. They said it was dementia, but in the 667 00:53:42.519 --> 00:53:49.400 end I know that's what really killed her. They never found John Nate and 668 00:53:49.480 --> 00:53:53.360 the girls. Their bikes were found all smashed on the side of the trail, 669 00:53:54.360 --> 00:54:00.519 but no trace of them was ever found. The state just wrote him 670 00:54:00.519 --> 00:54:04.639 off as victims of a bear attack. I don't care what anyone says. 671 00:54:05.400 --> 00:54:10.800 I know what really happened. All I keep seeing is that old man laughing 672 00:54:10.920 --> 00:54:16.000 up there on his porch, telling us to go home. If only we'd 673 00:54:16.000 --> 00:54:30.440 listened to him, if only LaBelle dom san Marci, A beautiful lady without 674 00:54:30.559 --> 00:54:43.239 mercy by John Keats, Oh what can ail? Thee knighted arms alone and 675 00:54:43.480 --> 00:54:50.239 palely loitering. The sedge has withered from the lake, and no birds sing, 676 00:54:51.559 --> 00:54:54.800 Oh what can ail? Thee knighted arms so haggard, and so woe 677 00:54:54.840 --> 00:55:02.840 begone the squirrels. Grainery is full, and the harvest's done. I see 678 00:55:02.880 --> 00:55:08.039 a lily on thy brow with anguish moist and fever dew, and on thy 679 00:55:08.119 --> 00:55:15.039 cheeks a fading rose fast withereth too, I met a lady in the meads, 680 00:55:15.079 --> 00:55:20.760 full, beautiful, a Fairi's child. Her hair was long, her 681 00:55:20.800 --> 00:55:25.239 foot was light, and her eyes were wild. I made a garland for 682 00:55:25.400 --> 00:55:30.320 her head, and bracelets too, and fragrant zone. She looked at me 683 00:55:30.760 --> 00:55:37.159 as she did love and made sweet moan. I set her on my pacing 684 00:55:37.199 --> 00:55:42.480 steed, and nothing else saw all day long, for side long would she 685 00:55:42.639 --> 00:55:49.880 bend and sing a fairie's song. She found me roots of relish, sweet 686 00:55:50.039 --> 00:55:54.119 and honey, wild and manado and sure in languid strange, she said, 687 00:55:54.960 --> 00:56:01.199 I love thee true. She took me to our elfin grot, and there 688 00:56:01.280 --> 00:56:07.519 she wept and sighed full sore, And there I shut her wild wild eyes 689 00:56:08.400 --> 00:56:15.519 with kisses for and there she lulled me to sleep. And there I dreamed, 690 00:56:15.719 --> 00:56:22.239 Ah, woe betide the latest dream I ever dreamt. On the cold 691 00:56:22.760 --> 00:56:30.079 hill side. I saw pale kings and princes too, pale warriors, death, 692 00:56:30.119 --> 00:56:34.800 pell were they all? They cried LaBelle dom sin, mercy, the 693 00:56:35.079 --> 00:56:40.519 half in thrall. I saw their starved lips in the gloam with horrid warning 694 00:56:40.679 --> 00:56:49.559 gaped wide. And I awoke and found me here on the cold hill's side. 695 00:56:51.000 --> 00:56:55.559 And this is why I sojourn here alone and palely, loitering, though 696 00:56:55.559 --> 00:57:10.039 the sedge is withered from the lake, and no birds sing. There you 697 00:57:10.159 --> 00:57:16.480 go, the eleventh edition of ghost Stories and a songless steam powered stolen nutshell. 698 00:57:17.559 --> 00:57:22.360 Thanks to val Burkitch for letting me read his ghost Trained story. You 699 00:57:22.360 --> 00:57:27.760 can find more of his writing at Valentine Birkitch dot com. That's b rkic 700 00:57:28.360 --> 00:57:32.440 dot com and I'll also link to his site in the show notes. And 701 00:57:32.559 --> 00:57:45.480 now the spookiest part of any set of stories huns. A group of nine 702 00:57:45.559 --> 00:57:49.079 kayakers set up from the beach one day, hoping to paddle along the shore 703 00:57:49.199 --> 00:57:52.480 where there used to be old World War two ship blockades. One by one 704 00:57:52.599 --> 00:57:58.119 they disappeared as the sound of metal sliding against metal in the water was heard. 705 00:57:59.000 --> 00:58:02.239 Eventually they saw all the cause, a long set of iron links sliding 706 00:58:02.320 --> 00:58:07.320 quickly through the water, a trap for ships to get snagged on, deadly 707 00:58:07.480 --> 00:58:13.400 for small watercraft. Only four of them ended up surviving the coast chain. 708 00:58:16.960 --> 00:58:22.039 Sometimes you need to look good and feel comfortable when your stuff is getting stolen 709 00:58:22.079 --> 00:58:24.159 and you have to search for things in the walls. That's why you should 710 00:58:24.239 --> 00:58:36.239 check out Jess's scroungeware cheek Sleepers for finding wall creepers. Ms ponnds. Hey, 711 00:58:36.280 --> 00:58:38.920 thanks for listening to another Ghost Stories episode Prapas Knocked is coming up. 712 00:58:39.000 --> 00:58:44.800 Hope you guys have a real terrible one. Saturnalia is also on the horizon, 713 00:58:45.039 --> 00:58:47.840 so start making your plans for the longest night of the year, and 714 00:58:47.880 --> 00:58:52.880 don't forget to check out Quiz Quiz Bang Bang for some fun trivia and Hysteria 715 00:58:52.880 --> 00:58:58.679 fifty one for some more paranormal topics with me and Brent Hand For this episode 716 00:58:58.800 --> 00:59:04.840 of Blurry Photos, I have been David. This scrounger Flora. Don't stopple her even