1 00:00:12,080 --> 00:00:20,920 Speaker 1: Welcome to micro Terrors, scary stories for kids where it's 2 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:31,879 always the spooky season, full of chills, thrills, and spine 3 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:37,719 tingling spooks. Micro Terrors are family friendly frights for those 4 00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:41,759 ages eight and up, and while our stories are for 5 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:45,520 younger years, we are still talking about things that go 6 00:00:45,679 --> 00:00:49,200 bump in the night, and some children may not be 7 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:54,640 able to handle what others can. Parental consent is recommended 8 00:00:55,359 --> 00:00:58,600 now for tonights micro terror. 9 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:10,359 Speaker 2: A Barbecue to Remember by Scott Donnelly. As the school 10 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:12,400 day came to an end, I kept an eye on 11 00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:15,840 my best friend, Rico Alejandra. He was sitting a few 12 00:01:15,879 --> 00:01:18,519 seats up from me, and I saw him glancing at 13 00:01:18,519 --> 00:01:21,560 the clock in the wall every couple of minutes. As 14 00:01:21,599 --> 00:01:24,359 soon as the time changed to two point fifty nine pm, 15 00:01:24,719 --> 00:01:27,000 Rico hung his head and I felt a flush of 16 00:01:27,079 --> 00:01:30,159 sorrow along with him. It was at this time on 17 00:01:30,439 --> 00:01:34,079 the dot, exactly one year ago, when the principal came 18 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:37,359 into the classroom and pulled him out of class. That 19 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:40,480 was the moment he received the devastating news about his mother. 20 00:01:41,799 --> 00:01:43,680 The bell rang a minute later, and while all the 21 00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:45,920 other kids stood up from their seats and rushed out 22 00:01:45,959 --> 00:01:49,239 of the classroom. Rigo remained seated with his head down. 23 00:01:50,280 --> 00:01:54,159 I approached him and placed my hand gently on his shoulder. Okay, 24 00:01:54,680 --> 00:01:59,159 I said, in a soft, consoling voice. Rico looked up 25 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:01,879 at me, tears and his eyes. He nodded. 26 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:03,319 Speaker 1: I smiled. 27 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:07,879 Speaker 2: Want me to walk you home. Rico wiped a dripping 28 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:11,520 tear and stood up. Now let's see it's okay, he said, 29 00:02:11,919 --> 00:02:17,680 thanks though sure, I said, respecting his request but desperately 30 00:02:17,680 --> 00:02:21,479 wanting to comfort him more. I note Rico since we 31 00:02:21,479 --> 00:02:23,840 were four, our parents were friends, and we met at 32 00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:27,240 a Halloween party. Rico was dressed as Batman and I 33 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:31,039 was some dollar store iteration of Supergirl. We pretended to 34 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:33,719 save the party from evil villains, and that's how our 35 00:02:33,759 --> 00:02:37,520 friendship was born. But the day Rico's mother was legally 36 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:41,719 declared dead after having been missing for a week, he changed. 37 00:02:42,439 --> 00:02:49,080 He became a quiet, distant, and lately strangely obsessed with stargazing. Okay, 38 00:02:49,599 --> 00:02:54,199 I shyly said, shuffling my feet. Well, i'll see you tomorrow. 39 00:02:54,639 --> 00:02:56,840 Tell your dad. I said, hi, okay, and then I'm 40 00:02:56,879 --> 00:03:01,719 thinking to you guys. Rico nodded but didn't verbally respond. 41 00:03:02,879 --> 00:03:04,919 I started to walk out of the classroom, and that's 42 00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:09,159 when Rico called out to me, Lexi. I turned around. 43 00:03:09,719 --> 00:03:12,159 Would you want to come to a barbecue tonight? It's 44 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:14,560 just me and my dad, but it would mean a 45 00:03:14,599 --> 00:03:18,759 lot if you were there too, I smiled. I'd love to. 46 00:03:19,479 --> 00:03:22,759 We're going to honor my mom. He added, I wouldn't 47 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:30,159 miss it for the world, I said. My parents dropped 48 00:03:30,159 --> 00:03:33,080 me off at Rico's house around five PM. I brought 49 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:36,840 homemade cupcakes. Rico answered the door when I knocked, Lexi, 50 00:03:37,039 --> 00:03:39,439 he said, wrapping me up in a welcoming hug. So 51 00:03:39,599 --> 00:03:40,280 glad you made it. 52 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:41,280 Speaker 1: Let me take those. 53 00:03:42,159 --> 00:03:44,360 Speaker 2: Rico took the cupcakes from me and walked me into 54 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:46,680 the house. He sat them down on the counter next 55 00:03:46,680 --> 00:03:49,599 to a fresh picture of lemonade. Through the open back 56 00:03:49,639 --> 00:03:52,560 door of the house, an enticing scent blew in. He 57 00:03:52,599 --> 00:03:56,159 was smoky, tangy. Whatever mister Alejandro was cooking up on 58 00:03:56,199 --> 00:03:59,919 the grill smelled absolutely amazing. What are we eating, I asked, 59 00:04:00,400 --> 00:04:03,560 My dad is cooking burgers and hotdugs. Rico said, I 60 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:08,319 hope you're hungry. I'm starving, I said. Rico led me 61 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:10,719 out the back door next and I saw mister Alejandro 62 00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:13,520 helming the grill. His back was to us as he 63 00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:17,199 flipped burgers and turned over hotdugs. Smoke billowed up from 64 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:19,839 the grill in front of him, carrying that savory, charred 65 00:04:19,839 --> 00:04:22,839 aroma that was making my taste buds water. Hi am, 66 00:04:22,879 --> 00:04:26,680 mister Alejandro, I said, thanks for having me over. He 67 00:04:26,759 --> 00:04:29,000 turned around with a metal spatula in one hand and 68 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:32,920 apparent tongs in the other. He barely smiled. Glad you 69 00:04:32,959 --> 00:04:35,759 could come, Lexy, he said, you've done our family for 70 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:37,600 so long, it only felt right to have you here 71 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:41,920 tonight to help celebrate. He looked at Rico and they 72 00:04:41,959 --> 00:04:44,800 nodded at one another, as if both shared that same 73 00:04:44,879 --> 00:04:49,079 exact sentiment. Well, the food smells delicious, I said, I'm 74 00:04:49,120 --> 00:04:53,120 really looking forward to it. Mister Alejandro hardly reacted to 75 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:55,879 my compliment. He just turned back toward the grill and 76 00:04:55,920 --> 00:05:00,079 said foods should be ready shortly. Rico and I I 77 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:02,800 sat down at the patio table and drank some lemonade 78 00:05:02,839 --> 00:05:05,279 and snacked on chips while his father put the burger 79 00:05:05,319 --> 00:05:08,399 patties and hot dogs on buns. When he brought the 80 00:05:08,399 --> 00:05:10,199 food to the table, he asked what each of us 81 00:05:10,199 --> 00:05:13,480 wanted I'll take one of each, I said, with a 82 00:05:13,480 --> 00:05:17,079 grateful smile. He sat a burger dripping with cheese and 83 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:20,480 a hot dog down on my plate, dig In Rico 84 00:05:20,519 --> 00:05:23,120 said to me. He barely waited for his food to 85 00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:26,120 hit the plate before taking a bite. I picked up 86 00:05:26,120 --> 00:05:29,240 the burger with both hands and sank my teeth into it. 87 00:05:29,240 --> 00:05:35,319 It was hot, melty, and delicious. I couldn't tell. It 88 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:39,279 didn't taste like anny burger I'd ever eaten before. The 89 00:05:39,360 --> 00:05:43,759 meat was tough, but didn't look over cooked. It didn't 90 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:49,639 taste like beef or ground turkey. I honestly couldn't place 91 00:05:49,639 --> 00:05:52,879 the flavor. I looked at Rico, who was almost done 92 00:05:52,879 --> 00:05:55,800 eating his burger. I looked up at mister Alejandro, who 93 00:05:55,879 --> 00:05:58,160 was still standing and taking a bite of his hot dog. 94 00:05:59,079 --> 00:06:02,279 I looked down on my head, Doug. It didn't look right. 95 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:05,800 It wasn't slender and smooth like a normal hot dog. 96 00:06:06,319 --> 00:06:09,600 It was textured, almost like what ground beef would look like. 97 00:06:10,560 --> 00:06:12,800 I swallowed the bite of burger in my mouth to 98 00:06:12,839 --> 00:06:15,399 be respectful, and then set the rest of it down. 99 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:18,879 Oh what kind of burgers are these, mister Alejandro, I asked, 100 00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:22,839 curious and a little uneasy. I'm glad you asked Lexi, 101 00:06:23,040 --> 00:06:26,639 mister Alejandro said. He set his hot dog down, took 102 00:06:26,639 --> 00:06:28,720 a sip of his lemonade, and cleared his throat before 103 00:06:28,759 --> 00:06:33,279 continuing hottering. Someone's memories usually about letting things out, whether 104 00:06:33,360 --> 00:06:37,399 that be feelings, emotions, or anything else. But tonight, I 105 00:06:37,560 --> 00:06:40,839 ask of you, of us to keep it all in, 106 00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:44,000 no matter how hard or impossible it feels. 107 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:45,160 Speaker 1: Keep it in. 108 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:49,160 Speaker 2: That's how we honor Isabella. Tonight, we keep it in. 109 00:06:50,879 --> 00:06:54,399 I felt my face scrunch up. What an odd speech. 110 00:06:55,439 --> 00:06:59,160 Just over a year ago, he continued, Isabella disappeared in 111 00:06:59,199 --> 00:07:02,959 the mountains the Grayfall Nature Preserve while on a job assignment. 112 00:07:03,560 --> 00:07:06,120 A week later, without a single sign of her, she 113 00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:09,759 was declared legally dead. I didn't have any answers, just 114 00:07:09,839 --> 00:07:13,399 a lot of questions and a broken heart. In the 115 00:07:13,439 --> 00:07:16,920 past month, an anonymous person from her work, a whistleblower, 116 00:07:17,319 --> 00:07:19,600 reached out to me to tell me the truth behind 117 00:07:19,639 --> 00:07:23,120 her disappearance and death. I was never privy to know 118 00:07:23,240 --> 00:07:27,160 much about the specifics of Isabella's job. Lots of government 119 00:07:27,279 --> 00:07:30,680 jobs are secretive. I never pushed her for answers, and 120 00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:34,079 I never pride I respected her job, the job that 121 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:36,399 put food on our table and a roof over our heads. 122 00:07:37,199 --> 00:07:40,720 This whistleblower I spoke with told me that Isabella was 123 00:07:40,720 --> 00:07:43,480 on a specific assignment to study the presence of an 124 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:46,560 extraterrestrial being that would show up in that part of 125 00:07:46,560 --> 00:07:49,639 the Grayfall Nature Preserve every year around the same time. 126 00:07:50,519 --> 00:07:53,480 Last year, that extraterrestrial got wised up to the work 127 00:07:53,560 --> 00:07:59,160 being done and devoured my poor, poor Isabella. Mister Alejandro's 128 00:07:59,160 --> 00:08:02,000 eyes began to swell with tears and his lips trembled 129 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:04,879 as he spoke. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. 130 00:08:05,959 --> 00:08:08,399 I looked at Rico, my face locked in a state 131 00:08:08,399 --> 00:08:12,160 of shunk. Did you know any of that? I asked him. 132 00:08:12,839 --> 00:08:16,480 He nodded, but never once looked at me. He picked 133 00:08:16,560 --> 00:08:18,199 up his hot dog and took a bite as his 134 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:22,839 father continued his haunting and unnerving speech. That disgusting creature 135 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:25,639 ate my wife, the mother of my only son, and 136 00:08:25,720 --> 00:08:27,839 vacated our planet like we were nothing but just a 137 00:08:27,920 --> 00:08:32,279 quick fast food pit stop. Mister A Lejandro's words were 138 00:08:32,320 --> 00:08:35,600 becoming more and more angry as he spoke. Last week, 139 00:08:35,679 --> 00:08:38,360 I went out to Grayfall myself. I spent night after 140 00:08:38,559 --> 00:08:42,840 night there waiting, watching and searching. Then I found it, 141 00:08:43,240 --> 00:08:46,200 the creature that ate my wife, and it was back, 142 00:08:46,600 --> 00:08:49,360 and it was just as disgusting and revolting as I 143 00:08:49,480 --> 00:08:53,159 conjured in my head. I shot it, I killed it, 144 00:08:53,240 --> 00:08:55,679 and now I can't think of a better way to 145 00:08:55,759 --> 00:08:58,840 honor Isabella than to eat the monster that ate her. 146 00:09:00,279 --> 00:09:02,679 Vomit surged in my throat as I looked down at 147 00:09:02,679 --> 00:09:05,440 the bumpy texture hot dog and melty burger that didn't 148 00:09:05,480 --> 00:09:08,120 taste right. I covered my mouth and looked at Rico, 149 00:09:08,159 --> 00:09:10,519 who was finishing his hot dog with a fulfilled smile. 150 00:09:11,120 --> 00:09:13,360 Mister Alejandro held his hot dog up into the air. 151 00:09:13,720 --> 00:09:17,559 Two Isabella, he announced. Rico stood to his feet and 152 00:09:17,600 --> 00:09:19,720 clapped as he chewed and swallowed the rest of his 153 00:09:19,840 --> 00:09:24,159 alien meatburger. I gagged vomit, threatening dispute at any moment. 154 00:09:24,600 --> 00:09:28,519 Keep it in LEXI, mister Alejandro demanded of me, reiterating 155 00:09:28,559 --> 00:09:31,679 part of his speech. The alien did, so, we will too. 156 00:09:33,039 --> 00:09:36,480 I couldn't contain it any longer. I threw up everywhere. 157 00:09:36,960 --> 00:09:38,879 I stood up from the patio table and ran as 158 00:09:38,960 --> 00:09:40,679 fast as I could through the house and out the 159 00:09:40,679 --> 00:09:52,639 front door. I screamed and let it all out. Coming 160 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:55,399 up next week on micro Terrorists Scary Stories for Kids, 161 00:09:55,480 --> 00:09:58,639 we have a brand new listener Terrorist episode featuring your 162 00:09:58,759 --> 00:10:03,679 spooky stories. Also big news, the first micro Terrorists short film, 163 00:10:03,799 --> 00:10:07,440 The Dire More Phantom, will premiere this July. The movie 164 00:10:07,480 --> 00:10:11,159 will be available exclusively through the micro Terrorist Fan Club, 165 00:10:11,360 --> 00:10:13,399 so be sure to get signed up so you can 166 00:10:13,440 --> 00:10:16,200 watch it when it drops. In the meantime, head on 167 00:10:16,240 --> 00:10:18,639 over to micro terrorist dot com to check out our 168 00:10:18,679 --> 00:10:21,639 merch store and become one of the terrified by joining 169 00:10:21,639 --> 00:10:24,600 the fan club and unlocking tons of cool perks, including 170 00:10:24,639 --> 00:10:27,399 free access to the monthly newsletter, getting your very own 171 00:10:27,440 --> 00:10:30,399 copy of the fan Club exclusive book Swarm of Corn, 172 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:33,159 participate in the upcoming live Q and A with micro 173 00:10:33,279 --> 00:10:36,360 Terrorist writer and creator Scott Donnelly, and so much more. 174 00:10:36,840 --> 00:10:40,159 Thank you all for being such dedicated micro Terrorist listeners. 175 00:10:40,440 --> 00:10:42,799 We'll see you next week. You know, I was going 176 00:10:42,840 --> 00:10:45,759 to go to a barbecue tonight, but now yeah, I 177 00:10:45,799 --> 00:10:46,399 think I'll just. 178 00:10:46,440 --> 00:10:52,200 Speaker 1: Order a pizza. Thank you for listening to micro Terrors. 179 00:10:52,679 --> 00:10:57,639 Join us each Saturday for another scary story. For more fun, 180 00:10:58,039 --> 00:11:01,639 visit our website at micro te errors dot com, where 181 00:11:01,679 --> 00:11:05,399 you can get the latest micro Terrors News, read fun 182 00:11:05,519 --> 00:11:09,200 facts about each story, sign up for our monthly newsletter, 183 00:11:09,519 --> 00:11:12,879 and even send in your own scary story for us 184 00:11:12,919 --> 00:11:17,080 to tell. Plus, you can become one of the Terrify 185 00:11:17,559 --> 00:11:22,200 by joining the fanclub at microterrors dot com, who enjoy 186 00:11:22,320 --> 00:11:27,879 exclusive perks like reading stories a week early, receiving complimentary books, 187 00:11:28,080 --> 00:11:32,799 and communicating directly with micro Terrors writer and creator Scott Donnelly. 188 00:11:33,399 --> 00:11:37,120 You can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram using 189 00:11:37,159 --> 00:11:40,919 the handle at microterrors. I hope you'll join us again 190 00:11:41,080 --> 00:11:45,519 soon for micro Terrors Scary stories for kids