1 00:00:02,160 --> 00:00:06,480 Speaker 1: I've been a frogger since I was thirteen. At this point, 2 00:00:06,759 --> 00:00:12,560 a professional squatter had started as survival, but over time 3 00:00:13,039 --> 00:00:16,480 it became something else. I don't do it for food 4 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:20,120 or shelter anymore. I'd do it because it makes my 5 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:24,600 pulse race. I do it because slipping between cracks of 6 00:00:24,679 --> 00:00:28,160 someone's life without them ever knowing I was there, feels 7 00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:32,200 like proof that I existed. People think of squatters as 8 00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:39,640 junkies or drifters, but froggers were different. We'd become ghosts 9 00:00:39,719 --> 00:00:44,520 in pristine houses, ghosts with beating hearts, watching the living 10 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:49,439 world from air vents and crawl spaces. There's a whole 11 00:00:49,479 --> 00:00:53,960 online scene buried. You wouldn't stumble across us by accident. 12 00:00:55,079 --> 00:00:59,119 You'd have to be broken in just the right shape. 13 00:00:59,359 --> 00:01:04,040 Once you're in, you're in. And I've been doing this 14 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:09,879 longer than almost anyone else. I've lived in mansions, farmhouses, penthouses, 15 00:01:10,079 --> 00:01:14,760 doomsday bunkers. I've crawled on the floorboards while families ate 16 00:01:14,840 --> 00:01:18,599 breakfast above me. I've watched people sleep from the shadows 17 00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:21,719 of their closets. I've held my breath for hours in 18 00:01:21,799 --> 00:01:29,120 insulation that made my skin bleed. There are contests, longest 19 00:01:29,159 --> 00:01:35,519 stay undetected, most dangerous infiltration, most expensive home, most absurd 20 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:40,359 hiding place. I've won all of them at least once. 21 00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:44,719 They treat me like a legend. Some of them even 22 00:01:44,799 --> 00:01:48,480 message me for advice. There's a thread with my name 23 00:01:48,599 --> 00:01:54,599 pinned to the top of the forum. I post tips, photos, maps, audiophiles. 24 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:59,359 I teach them how to disappear in plain sight, how 25 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:07,200 to become nothing and survive inside someone else's everything. Before 26 00:02:07,239 --> 00:02:09,919 all of that, I was a kid no one wanted. 27 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:13,240 My mom dropped me at a fire station when I 28 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:17,319 was a baby, a bundle in a duffel bag. I 29 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:20,439 grew up in orphanages that smelled of bleach and sadness. 30 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:26,280 Passed between foster homes like a borrowed jacket. Every new 31 00:02:26,319 --> 00:02:31,599 house came with rules, slaps, broken promises. Some of them 32 00:02:31,639 --> 00:02:36,479 starved me, some locked me in closets. I ran away 33 00:02:36,479 --> 00:02:40,039 from all that when I was nine, took a bus 34 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:44,240 as far as I could afford, then walked. I stole food, 35 00:02:44,639 --> 00:02:48,759 snuck into unlocked garages, lived in empty homes under renovation. 36 00:02:50,639 --> 00:02:54,800 Then I got better, started hiding in homes that weren't empty. 37 00:02:55,840 --> 00:03:00,879 I watched and listened learned habits and schedules. I found 38 00:03:00,919 --> 00:03:05,919 silence and made it my armor. That's when it changed 39 00:03:05,960 --> 00:03:13,360 from survival to skill, then from skill to instinct, then obsession. 40 00:03:15,080 --> 00:03:18,159 I couldn't stop, even when I didn't need to any more. 41 00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:23,639 I got jobs, eventually did odd work. I started making 42 00:03:23,759 --> 00:03:26,400 enough to rent a place of my own if I 43 00:03:26,439 --> 00:03:34,159 ever wanted it, but I never did. I found the 44 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:38,840 ranch by accident, dragging through satellite images one night while 45 00:03:38,879 --> 00:03:42,479 riding a post job high. I just finished the clean 46 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:46,800 exit from a two week infiltration in Boulder, wealthy, newlywed. 47 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:52,240 As always, I didn't take anything, didn't leave a single sign. 48 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:59,520 That's what separates froggers from burglars. We're not thieves. I 49 00:03:59,599 --> 00:04:05,159 kept rolling aimlessly, waiting for my drinline to settle. Then 50 00:04:05,199 --> 00:04:09,080 I saw it, a rectangular smudge of green in the 51 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:13,240 middle of Utah's dry lands. Nothing around it for miles 52 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:18,399 but dust and sand, all scorched and crumbling. It was 53 00:04:18,439 --> 00:04:22,439 a lost square of impossible color, a full orchard, from 54 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:25,480 the looks of it, a ranch house with a wrap 55 00:04:25,519 --> 00:04:32,040 around porch. It logged perfect. I pulled it into my 56 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:36,680 files and started scanning deeper. No records in the County 57 00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:41,839 Assessor's database. I grasp referenced it on four different mapping services. 58 00:04:43,079 --> 00:04:48,000 Same thing. I took a screenshot, logged into the forum, 59 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:53,000 and posted it under the title anyone tried this place? 60 00:04:55,160 --> 00:04:59,240 The replies came fast. What is that a new movie 61 00:04:59,279 --> 00:05:03,720 set in the middle of nowhere? No thanks, Na man. 62 00:05:03,959 --> 00:05:07,519 Those rural folks don't play ye, don't mess with French families. 63 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:11,639 Two isolated. If they catch you, they'll bury you in 64 00:05:11,680 --> 00:05:16,240 the back pasture. People have their own guns. They'll shoot first, 65 00:05:16,519 --> 00:05:23,519 ask later if you're lockeye. I waited before replying. Eventually, 66 00:05:23,639 --> 00:05:27,879 some one tagged me directly, don't even think about it. 67 00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:34,399 You're good, but that's suicide. Another added, he won't do it, 68 00:05:34,839 --> 00:05:40,680 he knows better. I stared at that line for a while. 69 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:44,720 Could have closed the tab, gone to sleep, and found 70 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:48,720 a safer target, but the green rectangle sat in my 71 00:05:48,839 --> 00:05:53,399 mind like a loaded chamber. They thought I wouldn't do it. 72 00:05:54,720 --> 00:05:57,800 That's why I packed my kit the next morning and 73 00:05:57,959 --> 00:06:07,319 started walking east. I was going to Utah. I traveled light. 74 00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:11,480 Everything I needed fit into a canvas pack that had 75 00:06:11,519 --> 00:06:14,439 been stitched and re stitched too many times to count. 76 00:06:15,519 --> 00:06:19,000 My boots were cracked at the seams, souls reenforced with 77 00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:22,759 glue and strips of tire rubber. I stuck the low 78 00:06:22,800 --> 00:06:26,759 ground and outcroppings during the day, walked at dusk, and 79 00:06:26,839 --> 00:06:30,959 slept under shrubs when I couldn't see a head any more. 80 00:06:31,600 --> 00:06:34,600 It took two full days to cross the desolate stretch 81 00:06:34,959 --> 00:06:38,639 leading to the ranch. The air was dry enough to 82 00:06:38,639 --> 00:06:42,600 strip moisture from your lungs, and the ground swallowed footprints 83 00:06:42,639 --> 00:06:48,160 within minutes. When I finally saw it, it felt like 84 00:06:48,199 --> 00:06:52,439 my mind had been tricked. One moment I was looking 85 00:06:52,480 --> 00:06:56,839 out across endless dead nothing, and the next I saw 86 00:06:56,959 --> 00:07:02,439 color bleeding through the heat. Shimmers grass, tall corn, a 87 00:07:02,439 --> 00:07:07,480 patch of orchard trees bearing fruit, rows of cabbage, and beans. 88 00:07:08,319 --> 00:07:11,560 All of it nestled inside a perfect square of green 89 00:07:11,920 --> 00:07:16,399 that pulsed with life. At its center stood a house 90 00:07:16,439 --> 00:07:21,399 with a wide porch and pale wooden siding. There was 91 00:07:21,439 --> 00:07:24,360 a sharp border at the edge of it, a soft 92 00:07:24,480 --> 00:07:28,360 dent in the ground. It was literally one step of 93 00:07:28,480 --> 00:07:33,879 sand then grass. I stopped at that line and crouched down, 94 00:07:34,560 --> 00:07:38,040 pressed my hand to the ground. The dirt under my 95 00:07:38,120 --> 00:07:42,279 palm felt warm and faintly alive. If that's the right 96 00:07:42,319 --> 00:07:46,160 word for it. I brushed aside a patch of grass 97 00:07:46,639 --> 00:07:50,959 and saw that the line was definitely not natural. There 98 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:55,920 was something buried just beneath the surface, chalk or salt 99 00:07:56,000 --> 00:08:01,759 or ash I couldn't tell. Formed a thin gray barrier 100 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:07,560 running through the soil, clean as a ruler line. I 101 00:08:07,639 --> 00:08:13,879 stepped over it. The air smelled different. Immediately, the temperature 102 00:08:13,959 --> 00:08:18,000 dropped by at least ten degrees. My skin stopped burning. 103 00:08:20,079 --> 00:08:24,240 I should have turned back right then, but I kept walking. 104 00:08:25,639 --> 00:08:28,560 I found a good vantage point behind a stone wall 105 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:32,559 that had collapsed on its western edge. The ranch house 106 00:08:32,600 --> 00:08:36,120 sat two hundred yards ahead, wrapped in a horseshoe of 107 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:40,759 crops and animal pens. The fields stretched out behind it, 108 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:44,559 and from where I crouched, I could see a set 109 00:08:44,600 --> 00:08:50,200 of cattle lowering near a feeding trough. The entire scene 110 00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:53,960 looked pulled from a dream, something from a calendar photo 111 00:08:54,360 --> 00:08:58,679 or an old oil painting. The family appeared on the 112 00:08:58,679 --> 00:09:04,879 porch just before sunset first came. The father, broad shouldered 113 00:09:04,919 --> 00:09:09,039 and tan, wiping his hands with a stained rag. His 114 00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:12,279 wife followed, carrying a tray of glasses and a picture. 115 00:09:13,559 --> 00:09:18,320 Three children bounded after her, each under ten. They were 116 00:09:18,399 --> 00:09:21,519 laughing as they ran down the porch steps, chasing a 117 00:09:21,559 --> 00:09:25,519 small dog that darted through the grass. They moved in 118 00:09:25,600 --> 00:09:28,440 a kind of grace I hadn't seen in a long time. 119 00:09:29,679 --> 00:09:33,080 Whatever their lives were, they didn't wear the weight of them. 120 00:09:34,600 --> 00:09:40,559 I was jealous. I watched them eat dinner outside, grilling 121 00:09:40,679 --> 00:09:44,240 over a fire pit near the barn. They passed food 122 00:09:44,320 --> 00:09:49,480 back and forth. The sun eventually dipped low, casting amber 123 00:09:49,600 --> 00:09:54,679 light over the field. It was a perfect postcard, every 124 00:09:54,759 --> 00:09:59,559 detail framed by golden haze. I waited until the sky 125 00:09:59,679 --> 00:10:02,960 turned black and the lights in the house started going 126 00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:11,759 out one by one. Then I moved. I crouched low 127 00:10:11,960 --> 00:10:15,960 and moved fast across the edge of the property. Every 128 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:19,360 footstep I made I would make sure to stop, wipe 129 00:10:19,399 --> 00:10:22,279 it clean so it doesn't leave a print, and stayed 130 00:10:22,320 --> 00:10:26,399 out of open ground, weaving through trees and parked equipment 131 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:30,720 until I reached the east side of the house. I 132 00:10:30,799 --> 00:10:34,360 waited again, pressing my back to the cool wood siding, 133 00:10:34,919 --> 00:10:42,279 listening for footsteps or voices. There was nothing. I took 134 00:10:42,360 --> 00:10:46,000 one last look at the darkness behind me, then slipped 135 00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:49,759 around the back of the house and tested the windows. 136 00:10:50,879 --> 00:11:00,320 One of them was unlocked, and I was in the 137 00:11:00,360 --> 00:11:04,480 house was old, but not falling apart. Every piece of 138 00:11:04,519 --> 00:11:07,879 it had been cared for, yet nothing had been modernized. 139 00:11:08,840 --> 00:11:12,279 The floors were polished wood. The walls were dark timber, 140 00:11:12,799 --> 00:11:16,919 thick and slightly walked with age. Shelves lined the corners, 141 00:11:17,440 --> 00:11:22,159 each one stacked with books, jars, and figurines. The art 142 00:11:22,240 --> 00:11:24,600 and the walls wasn't the kind you'd find that hobby 143 00:11:24,639 --> 00:11:28,399 stores or Sunday school. Most of it was hand carved 144 00:11:28,480 --> 00:11:33,480 or painted Demons and angels fighting, horned men, circles of 145 00:11:33,559 --> 00:11:37,320 fire and bone, symbols arranged in patterns I had never 146 00:11:37,360 --> 00:11:42,279 seen before. Most of it looked Christian or some weird 147 00:11:42,320 --> 00:11:47,279 denomination of Christianity. Some of the figures looked human, but 148 00:11:47,440 --> 00:11:51,240 wrong in ways I couldn't explain. One piece near the 149 00:11:51,279 --> 00:11:54,480 staircase showed a figure kneeling in front of a goated 150 00:11:54,519 --> 00:11:59,639 head man with his hands open. Weird religious depictions weren't 151 00:11:59,679 --> 00:12:03,759 rare roll homes, but man, it was a shocker to see. 152 00:12:03,799 --> 00:12:08,840 Every time I moved past it and opened the refrigerator, 153 00:12:10,039 --> 00:12:13,200 I took my time. I had done this hundreds of 154 00:12:13,279 --> 00:12:17,559 times before I knew how to take without drawing attention. 155 00:12:18,799 --> 00:12:21,399 I broke off small pieces from a wedge of cheese, 156 00:12:21,720 --> 00:12:24,799 sipped just enough milk to cool my throat, and took 157 00:12:24,840 --> 00:12:28,639 a spoonful of something sweet from a glass jar. I 158 00:12:28,679 --> 00:12:31,559 wiped the edges of the containers with my shirt and 159 00:12:31,639 --> 00:12:35,720 placed them exactly where I had found them. Once I 160 00:12:35,799 --> 00:12:38,519 was sure the kitchen had no cameras or alarm systems, 161 00:12:39,240 --> 00:12:43,639 I scouted the rest of the ground floor. It was 162 00:12:43,679 --> 00:12:48,000 a wide open layout, no hallways. The living room opened 163 00:12:48,080 --> 00:12:52,360 directly into the kitchen and dining area. Beyond that, a 164 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:55,320 hallway led to a laundry room and what looked like 165 00:12:55,360 --> 00:12:59,320 a study. A staircase and the fire end curled upward 166 00:12:59,480 --> 00:13:04,840 toward the second floor. I found my hiding spot behind 167 00:13:04,840 --> 00:13:08,919 a false panel in a storage closet near the laundry room. 168 00:13:09,240 --> 00:13:11,799 Some one had remodeled this part of the house recently. 169 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:16,320 The panel didn't sit flush with the wall. I pried 170 00:13:16,360 --> 00:13:18,840 it loose with a butter knife and found a gap 171 00:13:18,879 --> 00:13:23,639 between the inner wall and the original frame. It wasn't spacious, 172 00:13:23,679 --> 00:13:28,519 but I had slept in worse. I tucked my pack 173 00:13:28,559 --> 00:13:33,879 into the corner, lay back and steadied my breathing. Every 174 00:13:33,960 --> 00:13:38,159 creak of the house made me flinch, but nothing stirred. 175 00:13:38,960 --> 00:13:44,559 I slept in short intervals, waking often to listen. The 176 00:13:44,639 --> 00:13:48,000 next morning, I waited unto the family left the house. 177 00:13:49,039 --> 00:13:52,039 I heard the kids talking through the walls, their voices 178 00:13:52,120 --> 00:13:56,240 muffled and distant. At one point, the mother said they 179 00:13:56,279 --> 00:14:01,039 needed to find some fresh meat soon. The father grunted 180 00:14:01,080 --> 00:14:04,759 something in reply. One of the children asked if they 181 00:14:04,799 --> 00:14:08,200 were going to the usual spot. The mother said no, 182 00:14:08,879 --> 00:14:13,159 they needed something stronger this time. I assumed they were 183 00:14:13,200 --> 00:14:18,360 talking about live stock, maybe venison, something rural and bloody. 184 00:14:20,240 --> 00:14:23,120 The house was larger than it looked from the outside, 185 00:14:23,519 --> 00:14:27,759 two full floors. I started by mapping the layout in 186 00:14:27,840 --> 00:14:31,720 my head. The kids stayed on the bottom level, tucked 187 00:14:31,759 --> 00:14:35,519 into two small rooms near the kitchen. The parents slept 188 00:14:35,519 --> 00:14:38,799 above them, in a spacious master bedroom that had a 189 00:14:38,840 --> 00:14:42,919 double balcony. There was a third room on the second floor, 190 00:14:43,360 --> 00:14:47,519 locked from the outside. I couldn't figure out what was inside, 191 00:14:48,080 --> 00:14:50,840 but the door had been nailed shut and covered with 192 00:14:50,960 --> 00:14:56,440 a faded wall tapestry. One night, while checking around for 193 00:14:56,519 --> 00:15:00,559 a new hiding spot, I noticed the small in dentation 194 00:15:00,799 --> 00:15:04,519 on the rug in the kitchen. When I lifted it, 195 00:15:05,159 --> 00:15:08,519 I found the edge of a small wooden hatch maybe 196 00:15:08,559 --> 00:15:12,159 two feet wide, with a thin brass handle and four 197 00:15:12,279 --> 00:15:16,960 nails holding it shut. A narrow wooden staircase led down 198 00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:21,039 into darkness. The air rising from the opening was cold 199 00:15:21,080 --> 00:15:24,559 and dry, and he carried that same strange scent I 200 00:15:24,600 --> 00:15:29,879 had noticed when I first entered the house, dampness mixed 201 00:15:29,919 --> 00:15:35,799 with something ancient and faintly sweet. No one had mentioned 202 00:15:35,840 --> 00:15:38,039 this space in the time I've been there. So far, 203 00:15:39,120 --> 00:15:42,879 I hadn't heard anyone go down there either. If I 204 00:15:42,919 --> 00:15:46,039 could make that space my own, I could stay here 205 00:15:46,240 --> 00:15:49,559 as long as I wanted. I could vanish beneath the 206 00:15:49,639 --> 00:15:54,080 house and live for months without a single footprint. If 207 00:15:54,080 --> 00:16:00,879 they never used it, it was mine. Close the hatch 208 00:16:01,039 --> 00:16:03,919 and pulled the cabin at back into place, pressing the 209 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:07,679 rug down to hide the seam. All I had to 210 00:16:07,720 --> 00:16:09,879 do was wait for the right time to move in. 211 00:16:11,159 --> 00:16:14,159 If I did now, there was no guarantee the stairs 212 00:16:14,240 --> 00:16:18,840 leading down wouldn't creak and groan. I had to wait. 213 00:16:22,720 --> 00:16:26,440 Two mornings later, I heard the mother mention the same 214 00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:29,960 thing again. I had slipped out of my hiding spot 215 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:33,600 before dawn, and crowds just behind the half open door 216 00:16:33,600 --> 00:16:37,799 to the pantry. The kids are in the kitchen eating breakfast, 217 00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:41,679 while the parents moved around the counter packing something into 218 00:16:41,759 --> 00:16:45,559 canvas bags. We'll need to be gone at least a 219 00:16:45,600 --> 00:16:50,639 full day this time, the mother said, maybe two. If 220 00:16:50,639 --> 00:16:53,840 we can't find any on the low trails, we'll go further. 221 00:16:55,320 --> 00:17:00,120 Should we take all three? The father asked no, She said, 222 00:17:00,720 --> 00:17:04,079 just the deep one. The others are too thin. The 223 00:17:04,160 --> 00:17:11,599 land won't respond. I didn't know what they were talking about. 224 00:17:12,319 --> 00:17:14,000 One of the kids asked if he could stay up 225 00:17:14,039 --> 00:17:17,519 late while they were gone. The mother gave him permission, 226 00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:20,440 then leaned in and kissed the top of his head. 227 00:17:21,559 --> 00:17:24,000 The other two whined about having to feed the goats 228 00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:28,480 and prep the drying racks. Again. We'll bring back fresh meat. 229 00:17:29,119 --> 00:17:35,839 Be patient, the kids groaned in unison. They were leaving. 230 00:17:37,000 --> 00:17:43,519 That meant the house would be empty. I waited. Once 231 00:17:43,599 --> 00:17:45,880 the house was quiet and I was sure that the 232 00:17:45,960 --> 00:17:49,039 parents had gone, I slipped from the wall panel and 233 00:17:49,160 --> 00:17:53,000 crossed through the kitchen barefoot, stepping carefully to avoid the 234 00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:57,160 boards that creaked. I peeled back the rug and exposed 235 00:17:57,160 --> 00:18:03,880 the hatch and lifted without a sad. I didn't hesitate. 236 00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:07,960 I stepped into the hole and pulled the hatch closed 237 00:18:07,960 --> 00:18:13,440 above me. The stairs groaned, but not too loudly. My 238 00:18:13,519 --> 00:18:17,319 shoulders scraped both walls as I descended, and the temperature 239 00:18:17,440 --> 00:18:21,640 dropped with every step. The smell hit me halfway down. 240 00:18:22,759 --> 00:18:26,079 Iron and soil was thick in the air, clinging to 241 00:18:26,119 --> 00:18:30,519 the roof of my mouth. When I reached the bottom, 242 00:18:30,839 --> 00:18:35,400 I stood in pitch black and listened. My breathing echoed 243 00:18:35,400 --> 00:18:39,319 faintly off stone. I pulled a flashlight from my belt, 244 00:18:39,759 --> 00:18:42,920 wrapped the lens in cloth to dim it, and clicked 245 00:18:42,960 --> 00:18:49,920 it on. The basement was fairly large, rough stone walls 246 00:18:49,960 --> 00:18:54,720 braced with timber hooks hung from overhead beams, rusted chains 247 00:18:54,799 --> 00:18:58,400 dangling beside them, some old fibers stuck to the lynx. 248 00:18:59,519 --> 00:19:03,839 The floor was staining in regular patches. I moved slowly, 249 00:19:04,319 --> 00:19:08,279 casting the light across the space. There were animal bones 250 00:19:08,319 --> 00:19:11,720 along the far wall, stacked in a bin, beside what 251 00:19:11,839 --> 00:19:15,279 looked like a salt block, and several glass jars filled 252 00:19:15,319 --> 00:19:20,240 with dark liquid. I start myself before the anxiety got 253 00:19:20,279 --> 00:19:26,079 too loud. My first instinct was to run. I don't 254 00:19:26,119 --> 00:19:29,400 know why. Maybe it was the smell, or the cold, 255 00:19:29,880 --> 00:19:33,920 or the way the silence bent around me. My legs twitched, 256 00:19:34,240 --> 00:19:38,079 ready to sprint up the stairs. But then the voice 257 00:19:38,079 --> 00:19:41,200 in my head, the one I've been sharpening for years, 258 00:19:41,400 --> 00:19:48,119 kicked in. Calm down, use your eyes. You've seen butchering 259 00:19:48,240 --> 00:19:51,759 rooms before, man farmers put meat and then dry it. 260 00:19:52,519 --> 00:19:56,920 That's probably what they used the basement for. Besides, this 261 00:19:57,039 --> 00:19:59,279 family had done nothing out of the ordinary in the 262 00:19:59,319 --> 00:20:02,559 time I've stayed here. The weirdest thing about them was 263 00:20:02,599 --> 00:20:05,559 the religious stuff around the house, and that wasn't even 264 00:20:05,599 --> 00:20:09,759 the weirdest thing I've seen in homes in my life. 265 00:20:10,079 --> 00:20:12,839 I made my way to the far corner and checked around. 266 00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:16,759 There was no way out but the stairs, but the 267 00:20:16,799 --> 00:20:20,720 corner itself had just enough shadow, and a few crates 268 00:20:20,759 --> 00:20:23,319 blocked direct line of sight from the center of the room. 269 00:20:24,400 --> 00:20:27,920 I pulled them aside, stepped down, and wrapped myself in 270 00:20:27,960 --> 00:20:31,200 the old canvas drop cloth I had stashed in my pack. 271 00:20:33,279 --> 00:20:37,720 Just before I dozed, I heard the basement hatch open, 272 00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:45,599 a faint click, then the groan of old hinges. My 273 00:20:45,680 --> 00:20:50,039 eyes snapped open, and my breath locked my chest. I 274 00:20:50,119 --> 00:20:53,039 twisted beneath the canvas and pressed my face between two 275 00:20:53,039 --> 00:20:57,640 wooden slats. The stairs creaked one step at a time. 276 00:20:58,319 --> 00:21:03,640 Soft voices followed four sets of feet. I angered my 277 00:21:03,680 --> 00:21:07,119 flashlight toward the floor and watched their shadows stretch into 278 00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:12,960 the room. The first two were the parents. I recognized 279 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:18,319 their outlines immediately. The man walked ahead, carrying something heavy 280 00:21:18,519 --> 00:21:22,799 draped across his shoulders and looked to be a person. 281 00:21:24,279 --> 00:21:27,039 The woman followed with a bundle tucked under one arm. 282 00:21:28,079 --> 00:21:33,279 Behind them came the two others, robed, their faces completely hidden. 283 00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:38,039 The man stepped into the center of the basement and 284 00:21:38,160 --> 00:21:41,200 signaled for what seemed to be his companion to do something. 285 00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:45,039 He took a table that was near them and dragged 286 00:21:45,079 --> 00:21:48,839 it to the center of the basement. The other man 287 00:21:49,039 --> 00:21:53,559 laid the burden across the table. I could see it now. 288 00:21:54,759 --> 00:21:57,759 It was a woman. He sat down, and she seemed 289 00:21:57,799 --> 00:22:01,839 to be unconscious. Her limbs hung limp, her hair had 290 00:22:01,839 --> 00:22:07,720 been matted with sweat, and a stomach bulged beneath her dress. 291 00:22:08,759 --> 00:22:14,799 Was she pregnant? I felt my stomach lurch. Her chest 292 00:22:14,880 --> 00:22:20,480 moved shallowly, so she was still breathing at least. The 293 00:22:20,599 --> 00:22:23,599 robed men stepped fully into view, and I got my 294 00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:27,640 first proper look at them. Their robes were deep black 295 00:22:28,200 --> 00:22:31,759 made from something thick and textured, and each one was 296 00:22:31,799 --> 00:22:35,559 stitched from the neck to ankle, without a single seam visible. 297 00:22:36,920 --> 00:22:40,640 Around their hems and sleeves. Cymbals had been embroidered in 298 00:22:40,720 --> 00:22:44,960 a sickly off white thread. One of the row figures 299 00:22:44,960 --> 00:22:48,440 produced a long piece of bone, sharpened to a fine point, 300 00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:51,440 and dipped it into one of the dark glass jars. 301 00:22:52,640 --> 00:22:55,839 He bent low and began tracing a perfect circle in 302 00:22:55,920 --> 00:23:00,680 the dust, followed by a pentagram at his center. The 303 00:23:00,759 --> 00:23:05,039 lines gleamed wetly, and from the way the lantern caught them, 304 00:23:05,680 --> 00:23:10,880 I realized he was using blood. It dragged across the 305 00:23:10,960 --> 00:23:14,839 stone in thick strokes, bleeding into the grooves carved into 306 00:23:14,839 --> 00:23:19,279 the floor itself. The other robed figure stood by the table, 307 00:23:19,799 --> 00:23:23,559 whispering something low. As the father and mother adjusted the 308 00:23:23,599 --> 00:23:28,319 woman's position, Her stomach rose in a full, tight curve. 309 00:23:29,640 --> 00:23:34,839 She was heavily pregnant, close to term. She remained unconscious. 310 00:23:36,160 --> 00:23:39,279 The table they placed her on was an old butcher's slab, 311 00:23:39,720 --> 00:23:42,960 covered in scars and grooves, the grain of the wood 312 00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:48,160 blackened and glossy from years of use. The father stepped 313 00:23:48,200 --> 00:23:52,240 back as the robed man finished the pentagram. The lines 314 00:23:52,319 --> 00:23:58,279 met closed, and the robed man gave a nod. She 315 00:23:58,400 --> 00:24:03,160 is strong, one of them, said, She'll hold said the other. 316 00:24:05,359 --> 00:24:08,079 The mother moved to the far corner and opened a 317 00:24:08,119 --> 00:24:13,079 wooden crate. She produced a long curved dagger wrapped in 318 00:24:13,160 --> 00:24:17,240 red cloth and handed it to her husband. He took 319 00:24:17,279 --> 00:24:20,079 it without a word and stepped up to the table. 320 00:24:21,160 --> 00:24:24,240 He leaned in and placed the hand on the woman's forehead, 321 00:24:24,559 --> 00:24:29,319 brushing her hair aside, like he was saying goodbye. Then 322 00:24:29,559 --> 00:24:33,000 he placed the blade into a chest and drove it 323 00:24:33,240 --> 00:24:41,400 straight through her sternum. Her eyes snapped open. She didn't scream, 324 00:24:41,799 --> 00:24:44,440 but her mouth twisted as her hand seized at the 325 00:24:44,519 --> 00:24:48,039 edge of the table. Her back arched and her legs 326 00:24:48,119 --> 00:24:52,400 kicked against the slab. A choking sound rasped from her throat. 327 00:24:53,079 --> 00:24:57,119 Blood welled up around the handle, thick and dark, soaking 328 00:24:57,160 --> 00:25:00,319 through a dress and pulling across the pentagram un eather. 329 00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:10,000 She convulsed once more, then went still. The basement fell 330 00:25:10,039 --> 00:25:14,559 into silence for several long seconds. The father stepped away 331 00:25:14,599 --> 00:25:17,319 from the body and wiped the blade against his sleeve, 332 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:20,839 folding it again in a red cloth as if it 333 00:25:20,920 --> 00:25:24,920 were a sacred object. The two robed men began chanting 334 00:25:24,960 --> 00:25:28,480 something in a gutural language made of deep clerks and 335 00:25:28,559 --> 00:25:32,480 harsh consonants that didn't resemble anything I had ever heard. 336 00:25:33,960 --> 00:25:37,759 The mother ascended the stairs without explanation and vanished through 337 00:25:37,799 --> 00:25:43,279 the hatch. She returned several minutes later, cradling something in 338 00:25:43,400 --> 00:25:47,960 both arms. At first I thought it was a bundle 339 00:25:47,960 --> 00:25:51,759 of fabric, or maybe an animal, but then I saw 340 00:25:52,039 --> 00:25:56,599 it was a severed goat's head, freshly taken. Blood still 341 00:25:56,680 --> 00:25:59,960 dripped from its neck and darkened a blouse. As she came, 342 00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:03,319 bread had across the room with care, as though presenting 343 00:26:03,359 --> 00:26:08,039 her newborn. The goat's eyes were milky and half closed, 344 00:26:08,480 --> 00:26:12,759 and his tongue lolled out between its teeth. One of 345 00:26:12,759 --> 00:26:15,759 the roped men retrieved a short sow and placed it 346 00:26:15,799 --> 00:26:19,720 on the table. The father held the woman's body steady 347 00:26:20,160 --> 00:26:25,000 while the mother guided the blade. It took several strokes. 348 00:26:25,640 --> 00:26:30,000 Her neck split slowly vertebray, crunching as the saw made 349 00:26:30,039 --> 00:26:36,000 contact with bone. I could barely watch. Her head came 350 00:26:36,119 --> 00:26:39,880 loose with a wet snap, and the mother lifted it free, 351 00:26:40,279 --> 00:26:44,759 laying it in a clay bowl beside the table. Then 352 00:26:44,880 --> 00:26:48,039 they placed the goat's head on the open neck, seating 353 00:26:48,079 --> 00:26:53,119 it awkwardly. Blood ran from the seam, soaking the pentagram. Again. 354 00:26:54,200 --> 00:26:58,279 He looked so grotesque and wrong. I'd use every ounce 355 00:26:58,319 --> 00:27:02,440 of willpower to not wretch, an to throw up. It 356 00:27:02,559 --> 00:27:06,720 sat too high, its sizes off by just enough to 357 00:27:06,759 --> 00:27:12,160 make the body beneath it seem small. The mouth twitched, 358 00:27:13,200 --> 00:27:16,279 and for a moment I thought I had imagined it. 359 00:27:18,160 --> 00:27:20,480 The mother and father began to spread salt in a 360 00:27:20,519 --> 00:27:26,000 precise pattern along the edges of the circle. Every few seconds, 361 00:27:26,039 --> 00:27:32,680 they paused, muttered a word, and dropped small metal tokens, coins, rings, 362 00:27:32,839 --> 00:27:37,039 a gear, a broken key. The cymbals carved on the 363 00:27:37,079 --> 00:27:43,440 floor flared dimly, then pulsed again brighter. The temperature shifted 364 00:27:43,440 --> 00:27:48,559 around me, dropping to freezing in seconds. My teeth clenched 365 00:27:48,720 --> 00:27:52,039 as I wrapped my arms around my chest. The table 366 00:27:52,240 --> 00:28:00,960 began to tremble. Then the body twitched, first the legs, 367 00:28:01,279 --> 00:28:05,799 then the arms, then the fingers. One foot kicked, then 368 00:28:05,839 --> 00:28:11,440 the other. The abdomen clenched once twice, then swelled unnaturally. 369 00:28:12,640 --> 00:28:16,240 The goat head rose slightly, its mouth opened and hung 370 00:28:16,920 --> 00:28:20,759 From deep within it came a sound I'd never heard repeated, 371 00:28:20,880 --> 00:28:26,200 since it was low and wet, a gurgling croak that 372 00:28:26,359 --> 00:28:33,119 built into a shuddering intake of breath. It rose upright, 373 00:28:33,720 --> 00:28:42,400 arms rigid at its sides, and then it spoke, why 374 00:28:42,440 --> 00:28:47,119 have you summoned me? One of the figures stepped forward, 375 00:28:47,799 --> 00:28:53,680 arms outstretched in reverence, and bowed low before answering, The 376 00:28:53,680 --> 00:28:57,480 crops have dulled, the ground has dried. The air takes 377 00:28:57,519 --> 00:29:01,599 more than it gives. We need your blessing. We need 378 00:29:01,599 --> 00:29:07,599 the land to breathe again. The goat head twisted slightly 379 00:29:07,640 --> 00:29:10,880 to the side and hovered that way for several seconds, 380 00:29:11,400 --> 00:29:16,440 as if considering their words. Then its arms jerked upward, 381 00:29:17,119 --> 00:29:21,200 bone cracking at the shoulders, and its hands snapped open. 382 00:29:22,640 --> 00:29:27,359 The entire table rattled beneath it. A long growl rose 383 00:29:27,400 --> 00:29:31,680 from his chest and deepened into a gurgling scream, its 384 00:29:31,759 --> 00:29:35,400 volume climbing until it filled every corner of the basement. 385 00:29:36,519 --> 00:29:39,480 One of the jars near the altar cracked. The father 386 00:29:39,599 --> 00:29:43,359 staggered back and caught himself on a crate, his face pale. 387 00:29:44,200 --> 00:29:47,200 The mother clutched the silver charm that had been hanging 388 00:29:47,240 --> 00:29:51,319 around her neck. The creature slammed its hands down on 389 00:29:51,359 --> 00:29:55,559 the table, splintering one of the legs. It bared its 390 00:29:55,599 --> 00:30:00,440 teeth and hissed through clenched jaws. His voice ret turned 391 00:30:01,079 --> 00:30:10,359 less articular. You have wasted blood. I will not take 392 00:30:10,400 --> 00:30:17,440 our offerings in such circumstance. The robed men exchanged the glance. 393 00:30:18,880 --> 00:30:23,240 Something disturbed it. One said, we must abandon this sight 394 00:30:23,359 --> 00:30:27,440 for twenty four hours, let it rest that the lines reset. 395 00:30:28,039 --> 00:30:31,799 The other said, we will stay with you at your ranch. 396 00:30:32,400 --> 00:30:36,279 He said, looking over at the man and woman. When 397 00:30:36,319 --> 00:30:39,559 we return here, we cleanse every inch of this basement, 398 00:30:40,079 --> 00:30:44,279 every crack, every hiding place. It will all be scrubbed. 399 00:30:47,279 --> 00:30:52,039 They began collecting their tools in silence. The creature hissed 400 00:30:52,039 --> 00:30:55,640 again and pressed its hands against the inside of the pentagram, 401 00:30:55,920 --> 00:31:01,359 testing it. The salt still held. I saw one green 402 00:31:01,480 --> 00:31:05,160 tremble at the edge and roll across the line. A 403 00:31:05,240 --> 00:31:08,960 faint spark flared from the ground, and the creature recoiled, 404 00:31:10,920 --> 00:31:19,279 return prepared, it said. They didn't speak again. One by 405 00:31:19,359 --> 00:31:24,079 one they ascended the stairs. The hatch creaked shut behind them. 406 00:31:25,599 --> 00:31:28,759 The sound of metal locks sliding into place hit first, 407 00:31:29,559 --> 00:31:32,319 then the dragging of something heavy across the top of 408 00:31:32,359 --> 00:31:37,279 the hatch, A power drill whined. The seal was thorough. 409 00:31:38,440 --> 00:31:43,440 They weren't just closing it, they were barricading it, ceiling 410 00:31:43,480 --> 00:31:46,759 the basement shut from the outside world, with no intention 411 00:31:46,880 --> 00:31:52,839 of returning until they believed it was safe. I sat 412 00:31:52,880 --> 00:31:56,839 frozen beneath the crates. My back was damp and clung 413 00:31:56,880 --> 00:32:00,480 to the wall. Each bang above me, he sent a 414 00:32:00,519 --> 00:32:04,839 new spike of dread through my chest. I felt like 415 00:32:04,920 --> 00:32:08,880 I'd just been buried alive. I closed my eyes and 416 00:32:08,920 --> 00:32:12,200 buried my head against my knees, counting seconds in my 417 00:32:12,279 --> 00:32:19,640 head to keep from losing it. Then it spoke to me. 418 00:32:21,880 --> 00:32:27,319 I know you're here. The voice came softer this time. 419 00:32:28,359 --> 00:32:33,839 I smelled you as soon as I came. I tried 420 00:32:33,839 --> 00:32:37,519 to keep my breath quiet enough to vanish into the walls. 421 00:32:38,680 --> 00:32:44,759 You watched it, It said, you've been watching for days. 422 00:32:46,480 --> 00:32:50,240 I stayed still, but every part of me burned with panic. 423 00:32:51,440 --> 00:32:54,119 I didn't know if he could see me, or if 424 00:32:54,160 --> 00:32:58,319 it only sensed me. He let out a deep, slow 425 00:32:58,400 --> 00:33:01,920 breath that filled the basement, and like steam rolling out 426 00:33:01,960 --> 00:33:07,599 of a furnace. You and I we are the same. 427 00:33:10,680 --> 00:33:13,759 I stayed curled behind the crates, with my body locked 428 00:33:13,799 --> 00:33:17,599 in place, listening as The creature shifted on the table. 429 00:33:19,279 --> 00:33:23,279 His voice filled the room again, drawing out each syllable. 430 00:33:25,559 --> 00:33:34,119 You are small but capable. I clenched my jaw and 431 00:33:34,200 --> 00:33:37,400 tried to ignore it. But my arms are already starting 432 00:33:37,440 --> 00:33:42,000 to tremble. My legs had gone numb. I didn't know 433 00:33:42,079 --> 00:33:46,880 how long I could keep this up. The voice drifted closer. 434 00:33:48,720 --> 00:33:53,839 I know what you desire. I wanted to yell back, 435 00:33:54,200 --> 00:33:57,359 to tell it to shut up, but I couldn't summon 436 00:33:57,440 --> 00:34:04,519 the courage. You want to leave, it continued. They will 437 00:34:04,559 --> 00:34:08,800 not let you. They will come back tomorrow with fire 438 00:34:09,000 --> 00:34:13,280 and oil. They will burn the walls, they will tear 439 00:34:13,320 --> 00:34:21,519 the floors apart. They will find you. I let the 440 00:34:21,599 --> 00:34:26,159 thought pass through me. It wasn't hard to imagine if 441 00:34:26,199 --> 00:34:28,920 they had gone this far, then finding a frogger in 442 00:34:28,920 --> 00:34:33,199 their basement would only make their work easier. I would 443 00:34:33,239 --> 00:34:43,280 become another ingredient. But I can help you leave. The 444 00:34:43,320 --> 00:34:50,159 words stopped my breath. Break the salt only a single line. 445 00:34:50,639 --> 00:34:57,039 Then we shake hands. That is all I help you, 446 00:34:57,960 --> 00:35:03,920 it said, And you help me. One wish, That is 447 00:35:03,920 --> 00:35:12,320 the price one. I didn't answer. You do not have 448 00:35:12,400 --> 00:35:17,840 to die here, it said. I pressed my fingers to 449 00:35:17,920 --> 00:35:22,840 the floor. I counted my options and found none. If 450 00:35:22,840 --> 00:35:26,039 I stayed, I would be found. If I ran, I 451 00:35:26,039 --> 00:35:29,840 would be caught. If I waited, I would be part 452 00:35:29,920 --> 00:35:36,440 of the next ritual. I stepped out from behind the 453 00:35:36,480 --> 00:35:40,679 crate and walked toward the table. It crouched low on 454 00:35:40,719 --> 00:35:44,920 the table, now knees folded beneath it, one hand resting 455 00:35:44,960 --> 00:35:47,679 on the wood and the other stretched toward me with 456 00:35:47,760 --> 00:35:52,039 its palm open. His head followed my movement without turning, 457 00:35:53,079 --> 00:35:56,119 but his presence bore down on me with unbearable weight. 458 00:35:57,719 --> 00:36:00,519 I approached slowly, my eyes and the edge of the 459 00:36:00,559 --> 00:36:06,079 salt line. The grain shimmered slightly as I neared. You 460 00:36:06,159 --> 00:36:14,679 are close, it said, finish shit. I stepped forward and 461 00:36:14,840 --> 00:36:17,199 used the tip of my boot to break the smallest 462 00:36:17,239 --> 00:36:23,000 section of the circle. The salt scattered outward. The creature 463 00:36:23,159 --> 00:36:26,599 rose to its full height in a single motion, limbs 464 00:36:26,679 --> 00:36:31,400 unfolding with perfect fluidity. It stepped over the line and 465 00:36:31,519 --> 00:36:36,360 stood before me, towering not with bulk but with form. 466 00:36:37,440 --> 00:36:40,360 The dress it wore hung in tatters, soaked through with 467 00:36:40,480 --> 00:36:44,639 blood that had dried in layered streaks. The goat's head 468 00:36:44,679 --> 00:36:48,480 stared straight through me, its hands still hung in the air. 469 00:36:50,199 --> 00:36:57,360 I reached forward and tuck it. The moment we touched, 470 00:36:57,639 --> 00:37:01,920 the entire room shivered. The ceiling cracked once above us. 471 00:37:02,559 --> 00:37:06,400 A gust of wind passed through the room. The creature 472 00:37:06,559 --> 00:37:17,239 nodded once, then spoke. Turn around. For a second. I 473 00:37:17,320 --> 00:37:20,519 thought this would be it. This was the part where 474 00:37:20,519 --> 00:37:23,039 I would rip me in half, or drive his fingers 475 00:37:23,079 --> 00:37:25,920 into my skull, or whisper something into my ear that 476 00:37:25,960 --> 00:37:30,079 would collapse my mind. I thought it would betray the deal, 477 00:37:30,679 --> 00:37:33,719 twist it, drag me down into whatever hell it had 478 00:37:33,760 --> 00:37:39,519 it come from. But I turned around and accepted my fate. 479 00:37:43,360 --> 00:37:47,719 After a while of nothing, I turned back and it 480 00:37:47,840 --> 00:37:54,559 was gone. Then I heard it, wood splintering, a scream, 481 00:37:55,000 --> 00:37:59,320 sharp and short. I crouched and crept toward the stairs 482 00:37:59,639 --> 00:38:04,559 step lightly to avoid the cracked boards. Another crash followed, 483 00:38:05,239 --> 00:38:08,639 then a sound that turned my blood cold. It was 484 00:38:08,679 --> 00:38:11,880 wet and sudden, like someone tearing a roast from the 485 00:38:11,920 --> 00:38:16,719 bone with bare hands. A gurgling cry ran out, followed 486 00:38:16,719 --> 00:38:20,559 by a thud that shug dust loose from the ceiling beams. 487 00:38:21,159 --> 00:38:25,159 Some One else yelled a deeper voice, this time angry, 488 00:38:25,639 --> 00:38:28,559 cut off by a second impact that made the floor groan. 489 00:38:30,480 --> 00:38:32,400 I reached the top of the stairs and pressed my 490 00:38:32,440 --> 00:38:37,719 ear to the hatch. Muffled movement echoed above me. I 491 00:38:37,880 --> 00:38:42,000 eased the latch open. Whatever had been used to barricade 492 00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:46,119 it was gone. I slipped through the opening and rose 493 00:38:46,199 --> 00:38:49,960 to my feet. In the kitchen, the light was dim 494 00:38:50,199 --> 00:38:53,119 fed only by the flicker of lanterns that swung in 495 00:38:53,159 --> 00:38:57,679 the hallway. A smell hit me before I saw anything, 496 00:38:59,199 --> 00:39:04,880 blood warm enough to coat the air. I moved through 497 00:39:04,920 --> 00:39:07,679 the living room and crouched behind the banister near the 498 00:39:07,679 --> 00:39:13,760 front entryway. Beyond the corner, I saw the creature. The 499 00:39:13,840 --> 00:39:18,039 flesh was pale and glistening with sweat and blood. Veins 500 00:39:18,079 --> 00:39:21,840 pushed against the skin as if something large writhed beneath 501 00:39:21,840 --> 00:39:26,760 the surface. His torso swelled unnaturally with each breath, and 502 00:39:26,840 --> 00:39:30,039 the skin around its belly stretched so tight I could 503 00:39:30,039 --> 00:39:34,440 see the outline of something shifting inside. The goat had 504 00:39:34,519 --> 00:39:38,840 remained fixed above it, all still slight, jawed, and expressionless. 505 00:39:39,840 --> 00:39:43,519 The air around it vibrated from the growling sound rising 506 00:39:43,639 --> 00:39:48,559 from its throat. One of the roped men, in clear desperation, 507 00:39:49,159 --> 00:39:52,480 charged forward with a blade drawn from his belt, but 508 00:39:52,599 --> 00:39:56,199 the creature swatted him aside with one arm, shattering his 509 00:39:56,360 --> 00:40:00,440 jaw and throwing him into the far wall. His body 510 00:40:00,519 --> 00:40:04,960 hit the bugshelf and slid down, crumpled and twitching. The 511 00:40:05,039 --> 00:40:09,360 other raised his hands and began chanting. The creature lunged forward, 512 00:40:09,840 --> 00:40:13,639 driving its fingers through his stomach. They punched through his 513 00:40:13,760 --> 00:40:18,159 robes and into his flesh with ease. He buckled around them, 514 00:40:18,360 --> 00:40:21,159 and the chanting died in his throat as he collapsed, 515 00:40:21,519 --> 00:40:25,760 folded in half. The mother and father tried to run. 516 00:40:26,599 --> 00:40:29,519 The father was too slow, however, so he grabbed a 517 00:40:29,519 --> 00:40:33,559 shotgun from behind the door and fired once. The blast 518 00:40:33,679 --> 00:40:37,960 tore through the creature's shoulder, exposing raw muscle, but it 519 00:40:38,079 --> 00:40:43,400 didn't flinch, It didn't bleed. The flesh folded back together 520 00:40:43,800 --> 00:40:48,119 as if nothing had happened. Across the room in two 521 00:40:48,239 --> 00:40:52,639 lurching strides, and tackled him against the wall. I heard 522 00:40:52,639 --> 00:40:57,280 the bone crack before he even screamed. The creature pinned 523 00:40:57,320 --> 00:41:00,480 him there and pulled the gun from his hands, pushed 524 00:41:00,480 --> 00:41:05,000 its face into his neck, and bit down. The mother 525 00:41:05,199 --> 00:41:10,360 suffered a similar fate. I didn't wait for my turn. 526 00:41:11,679 --> 00:41:14,679 I ran through the side door, out across the field 527 00:41:15,159 --> 00:41:18,960 and toward the edge of the property. My legs burned 528 00:41:19,119 --> 00:41:22,159 and my lungs pulled cold air that stung my chest. 529 00:41:23,239 --> 00:41:26,760 The sky above me swirled with smoke and stars. The 530 00:41:26,800 --> 00:41:30,920 property lion came into view ahead of me. Grasped topped, 531 00:41:31,199 --> 00:41:35,039 and sand began, just as it had the night I arrived. 532 00:41:36,679 --> 00:41:41,119 My body slammed into something solid and invisible. It knocked 533 00:41:41,119 --> 00:41:45,599 me back flat on to the ground. I gasped, rolled 534 00:41:45,679 --> 00:41:49,880 on to my knees, and tried again. I clawed forward 535 00:41:49,920 --> 00:41:54,360 and lunged with my shoulder, but the wall held. There 536 00:41:54,400 --> 00:41:57,679 was no sign of what was stopping me, just empty 537 00:41:57,760 --> 00:42:02,079 air with a density of steel. I beat my fists 538 00:42:02,079 --> 00:42:05,639 against it. I kicked it. I even screamed at it, 539 00:42:05,880 --> 00:42:15,440 hoping something would shift. Nothing did. Behind me, it was coming, galloping, 540 00:42:15,840 --> 00:42:20,159 hands and feet, pounding the dirt frantically. I turned and 541 00:42:20,199 --> 00:42:23,960 saw it charge through the dark, arms bent, mouth wide, 542 00:42:24,880 --> 00:42:29,000 Its goat face stared directly ahead. Those empty sockets locked 543 00:42:29,039 --> 00:42:33,159 onto mine. Its legs kicked up dirt as it closed 544 00:42:33,199 --> 00:42:39,519 the distance. I braced myself and shut my eyes, but 545 00:42:39,639 --> 00:42:44,519 it stopped inches in front of me. Its breath was 546 00:42:44,599 --> 00:42:47,400 harsh and fast. I felt the warmth of it on 547 00:42:47,519 --> 00:42:51,360 my skin. I opened my eyes and saw the goat 548 00:42:51,440 --> 00:42:54,960 head tilted downward, close enough that I could see the 549 00:42:55,039 --> 00:43:00,559 crusted blood dried unto the hairs around its mouth. It 550 00:43:00,719 --> 00:43:05,599 just stared. Then it sat down in the dirt, folded 551 00:43:05,639 --> 00:43:13,679 its arms over its knees, and whispered one sentence, my wish. 552 00:43:15,960 --> 00:43:20,400 It set back, slowly, folding its legs beneath itself, arms 553 00:43:20,480 --> 00:43:25,679 resting on its thighs, shoulders heaving with slow breath. The 554 00:43:25,719 --> 00:43:28,960 goat's head tilted down toward the earth, and the body 555 00:43:29,119 --> 00:43:34,280 underneath began to sag, Muscles quivering beneath us, stretched sweat 556 00:43:34,320 --> 00:43:39,920 slick skin of the pregnant woman's frame. My wish is this, 557 00:43:41,840 --> 00:43:48,079 you must raise my kin. I didn't understand what it meant. 558 00:43:48,079 --> 00:43:54,119 At first. The words registered, but the meaning floated beyond them. 559 00:43:54,880 --> 00:43:58,440 The creature lowered itself further into the dirt and wrapped 560 00:43:58,480 --> 00:44:02,760 its arms around its abdomen. The flesh swelled and pulsed, 561 00:44:03,159 --> 00:44:08,800 shifting in thick waves as something began moving inside. It 562 00:44:08,840 --> 00:44:12,639 gritted its teeth and bent forward, nails dragging through the 563 00:44:12,679 --> 00:44:17,119 earth beneath it. I watched the belly twitch and lurch, 564 00:44:17,679 --> 00:44:21,119 muscles contorting as if something larger than the frame of 565 00:44:21,159 --> 00:44:24,480 the woman's body had ever been meant to contain began 566 00:44:24,639 --> 00:44:30,599 forcing itself free. It whimpered once, a low rasp torn 567 00:44:30,679 --> 00:44:34,599 through clenched teeth, then braced itself on one arm and 568 00:44:34,679 --> 00:44:38,920 reached between its legs with the other. Blood poured out 569 00:44:39,000 --> 00:44:43,239 under the grass, soaking the soil beneath it. The stench 570 00:44:43,320 --> 00:44:47,440 filled the air. I wanted to look away, but I 571 00:44:47,559 --> 00:44:53,239 was locked in place. The body convulsed once more, and 572 00:44:53,280 --> 00:44:56,440 then something slipped free and hid the ground with a wet, 573 00:44:56,960 --> 00:45:02,840 muted slap. I was small, no larger than a toddler. 574 00:45:03,920 --> 00:45:07,079 Its body was covered in coarse black hair and gray skin. 575 00:45:08,119 --> 00:45:11,920 Its limbs were jointed like a person's, but longer and hairer. 576 00:45:13,039 --> 00:45:16,480 Bones jotted out at odd angles, and from its back 577 00:45:17,159 --> 00:45:21,519 two leathery wings unfolded and stretched outward with a slow 578 00:45:21,719 --> 00:45:26,880 fluttering pulse. Its head was elongated and bent forward, nose 579 00:45:27,000 --> 00:45:33,559 flat and wide, eyes already open. It blinked once, then 580 00:45:33,679 --> 00:45:36,199 rolled on to its back and looked up at me. 581 00:45:38,119 --> 00:45:41,360 I understood then what I needed to do, so I 582 00:45:41,440 --> 00:45:44,559 rushed forward, grabbed it by the torso, and hurled it 583 00:45:44,639 --> 00:45:49,119 down against the dirt with everything I had. It bounced once, 584 00:45:49,519 --> 00:45:52,440 let out a short yelp, and rolled to its side. 585 00:45:53,639 --> 00:45:56,519 I turned found a smooth rock about the size of 586 00:45:56,559 --> 00:45:59,480 a football near the edge of the line, and raised 587 00:45:59,519 --> 00:46:03,559 it above my head. My arms trembled from the weight, 588 00:46:03,960 --> 00:46:06,840 from the panic, from the surge of hatred I didn't 589 00:46:06,840 --> 00:46:10,559 even know I could feel. I brought the rock down 590 00:46:10,639 --> 00:46:19,800 on its skull once, twice, three times. It giggled. Then 591 00:46:20,119 --> 00:46:27,320 it looked up at me and said, dad, there. I 592 00:46:27,400 --> 00:46:31,719 dropped the rock and stumbled back, nearly falling. I wanted 593 00:46:31,760 --> 00:46:35,480 to scream, but nothing came out. It reached one hand 594 00:46:35,519 --> 00:46:45,239 toward me, fingers splayed, smiling. I don't remember walking back 595 00:46:45,280 --> 00:46:49,079 to the ranch. I must have been in shock. My 596 00:46:49,159 --> 00:46:53,000 body moved, but I didn't guide it. My arms clutched 597 00:46:53,000 --> 00:46:56,559 the thing to my chest. It rested against me and 598 00:46:56,599 --> 00:47:01,159 pressed its head beneath my chin, breathing slow instead humming 599 00:47:01,199 --> 00:47:05,000 to itself. Its small hands gripped the collar of my 600 00:47:05,119 --> 00:47:10,280 shirt with frightening strength. I walked into the house, expecting 601 00:47:10,320 --> 00:47:15,039 to see blood, but there was nothing there. The hallway 602 00:47:15,119 --> 00:47:19,239 rug had no stains, no tears. I passed through the 603 00:47:19,320 --> 00:47:23,280 rooms in disbelief, searching for any trace of what had happened. 604 00:47:24,920 --> 00:47:29,079 There was none. The fireplace glowed with a faint bed 605 00:47:29,119 --> 00:47:32,719 of coals, as though someone had stoked it an hour ago. 606 00:47:33,519 --> 00:47:36,960 I climbed the stairs, still holding the creature to my chest. 607 00:47:37,960 --> 00:47:42,679 Its eyes were closed. It smiled in its sleep. In 608 00:47:42,760 --> 00:47:47,199 the master bedroom, the bed was made, the curtains are open. 609 00:47:48,239 --> 00:47:52,639 Sunlight washed through the room in slow golden waves. I 610 00:47:52,679 --> 00:47:55,519 stood in the doorway with my hands trembling and my 611 00:47:55,599 --> 00:48:00,280 knees ready to buckle. The windmill outside turned slowly in 612 00:48:00,320 --> 00:48:05,119 the breeze, casting long shadows across the fields, and I 613 00:48:05,239 --> 00:48:12,280 understood then that I wasn't going anywhere. I tried to 614 00:48:12,360 --> 00:48:16,519 kill it again during the first night, after returning to 615 00:48:16,559 --> 00:48:19,840 the house and wandering through room after room that had 616 00:48:19,880 --> 00:48:23,079 been white clean of blood and memory, I laid it 617 00:48:23,119 --> 00:48:26,320 down on the kitchen floor and grabbed the heaviest butcher 618 00:48:26,400 --> 00:48:30,079 knife I could find. I raised it over its chest, 619 00:48:30,519 --> 00:48:33,679 two hands on the grip, and stared at the pail 620 00:48:34,079 --> 00:48:39,320 pulsing skin between its ribs. Its chest rose and fell slowly. 621 00:48:40,480 --> 00:48:45,480 It looked asleep, though its eyes were open. I brought 622 00:48:45,519 --> 00:48:49,280 the knife down with everything I had. The blade, hid 623 00:48:49,320 --> 00:48:54,039 the skin and stopped as if striking cured leather. I 624 00:48:54,119 --> 00:48:59,119 pressed harder. It didn't pierce. It didn't even leave a scratch. 625 00:49:00,280 --> 00:49:03,679 Her thing blinked once, reaching up with a tiny hand 626 00:49:04,159 --> 00:49:07,920 and tapped the edge of the knife like it was curious. 627 00:49:10,000 --> 00:49:15,000 Then it laughed, a small imitation of human joy that 628 00:49:15,119 --> 00:49:19,039 sent a chill down the length of my spine. I 629 00:49:19,119 --> 00:49:22,639 dropped the knife and stumbled backward. It rolled on to 630 00:49:22,760 --> 00:49:28,599 its side and cooed, dragging itself across the floor. Later 631 00:49:28,679 --> 00:49:32,199 that night I found the father's gun. The shells were 632 00:49:32,239 --> 00:49:35,840 still in a wooden box beside it, organized by caliber. 633 00:49:37,079 --> 00:49:39,599 I loaded it round and pressed it to the side 634 00:49:39,639 --> 00:49:42,119 of the thing's head while it napped in a bundle 635 00:49:42,119 --> 00:49:49,480 of blankets. I pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. I opened 636 00:49:49,480 --> 00:49:54,199 the chamber and checked the bullet was clean. I reloaded, 637 00:49:54,480 --> 00:50:03,119 tried again, click nothing. I pointed it at my own 638 00:50:03,159 --> 00:50:07,320 temple and fired. There was a flash and a crack, 639 00:50:08,320 --> 00:50:12,960 and then everything went black. I woke up on the 640 00:50:13,000 --> 00:50:17,840 porch with a creature sitting beside me, giggling again. My 641 00:50:17,920 --> 00:50:22,159 ears rang. I checked for blood and found none. The 642 00:50:22,199 --> 00:50:25,960 bullet was lodged in the wood beneath my seat. I 643 00:50:26,039 --> 00:50:30,440 tried again. This time I aimed at my chest. The 644 00:50:30,519 --> 00:50:33,559 fire bloomed through my ribs and dropped to my knees. 645 00:50:34,599 --> 00:50:39,119 I passed out, choking at my own breath. I woke 646 00:50:39,199 --> 00:50:43,440 up in bed, tucked beneath a wall blanket. The creature 647 00:50:43,480 --> 00:50:46,960 stood by the window, humming to itself, staring out of 648 00:50:47,039 --> 00:50:50,719 the field. The gun rested on the night stand with 649 00:50:50,840 --> 00:50:55,360 a safety on. I couldn't take the sound of its 650 00:50:55,400 --> 00:50:59,559 laugh anymore. I waited until noon, when the sun was highest, 651 00:50:59,760 --> 00:51:03,719 and climbed up the windmill. It wasn't tall, but it 652 00:51:03,760 --> 00:51:07,320 stood far enough above the property that I could see everything. 653 00:51:08,519 --> 00:51:12,920 The land rolled out in perfect symmetry. Everything in this 654 00:51:13,079 --> 00:51:17,519 place was a symbol, from the fences to the paths. 655 00:51:18,159 --> 00:51:21,920 I saw it clearly from above. The windmill stood at 656 00:51:21,960 --> 00:51:26,840 the center each plot of land, each structure, each buried 657 00:51:26,880 --> 00:51:30,400 mark and etching in the stone, had been placed to 658 00:51:30,480 --> 00:51:37,360 match the design of a vast, incomprehensible symbol. I laughed, 659 00:51:38,320 --> 00:51:41,360 I don't know why. I think I lost something in 660 00:51:41,360 --> 00:51:47,000 that moment, something important. I climbed to the edge, spread 661 00:51:47,039 --> 00:51:53,480 my arms and jumped. The fall should have shattered my 662 00:51:53,559 --> 00:51:56,800 legs and broken my spine, but the impact felt like 663 00:51:56,880 --> 00:52:01,079 hitting a warm mattress. I bounced once and rolled through 664 00:52:01,119 --> 00:52:06,880 the dirt. My limbs ached, but nothing snapped. The creature 665 00:52:07,000 --> 00:52:10,440 watched from the fence. It clapped twice, like I had 666 00:52:10,480 --> 00:52:17,719 done something clever. Time started to rot. I stopped counting days. 667 00:52:18,719 --> 00:52:21,440 I would wake up and find the creature'd move the furniture, 668 00:52:21,920 --> 00:52:25,320 arrange plates and circles on the floor, place books in 669 00:52:25,400 --> 00:52:30,039 spirals across the kitchen tiles. It mimics speech and movement. 670 00:52:30,719 --> 00:52:33,840 It watched me eat and copied me, though it never 671 00:52:33,960 --> 00:52:38,840 needed food. I never saw it sleep for long. Sometimes 672 00:52:38,840 --> 00:52:41,559 it stood in the hallway and stared at the ceiling 673 00:52:41,599 --> 00:52:48,480 for hours. It smiled more. Its teeth changed, The front 674 00:52:48,599 --> 00:52:53,000 row straightened, the gums pinkened. The texture of its skin 675 00:52:53,079 --> 00:52:56,519 began to smooth. The wings on its back folded down 676 00:52:57,039 --> 00:53:03,400 and slowly receded. Its fingers shortened, its gate adjusted. It 677 00:53:03,519 --> 00:53:07,320 stooded me when I moved, and copied me without hesitation. 678 00:53:09,239 --> 00:53:13,519 At some point I recalled my old frogging community. I 679 00:53:13,559 --> 00:53:17,119 silently prayed they'd notice my absence and maybe someone would 680 00:53:17,159 --> 00:53:21,800 come to this ranch and rescue me. But nobody came. 681 00:53:23,880 --> 00:53:26,320 I tried to run, I tried to walk, into the 682 00:53:26,320 --> 00:53:30,960 woods and keep going. I hit the barrier again. I 683 00:53:31,039 --> 00:53:36,639 circled the entire perimeter for days. The invisible wall was absolute. 684 00:53:37,280 --> 00:53:45,280 It never stopped following me either. Some days later, something happened. 685 00:53:48,119 --> 00:53:52,000 The sky was clear, the stars flickered in slow spirals. 686 00:53:52,800 --> 00:53:55,800 I sat on the porch, staring at the dark, holding 687 00:53:55,800 --> 00:54:00,480 an empty cup. My fingers ached my back. I started 688 00:54:00,519 --> 00:54:05,079 to curve. My hair had thinned. I hadn't aged normally, 689 00:54:05,599 --> 00:54:10,239 but I hadn't stayed the same either. My body was changing. 690 00:54:12,320 --> 00:54:16,159 Then I felt it. A heat rose from behind me, 691 00:54:16,719 --> 00:54:20,239 soft and warm, followed by the faint creak of wood 692 00:54:20,519 --> 00:54:26,480 beneath careful steps. I turned and saw it standing in 693 00:54:26,559 --> 00:54:33,000 the doorway. It wasn't the unholy demon spawn anymore. It 694 00:54:33,119 --> 00:54:39,880 was human. It was morphed. Its features were perfect, Its 695 00:54:39,920 --> 00:54:44,079 skin was clean, Its hair was dark and soft, combed 696 00:54:44,079 --> 00:54:49,760 and parted. It wore simple clothes, a linen shirt, but 697 00:54:49,840 --> 00:54:54,280 its eyes still carried the same smoke. Behind the pupils, 698 00:54:54,639 --> 00:54:58,639 a swirl of faint gray fog moved slowly, and on 699 00:54:58,679 --> 00:55:03,320 its forehead, just below the hair line, a small circular 700 00:55:03,360 --> 00:55:09,199 mark glowed faintly. It stepped forward and sat across from me. 701 00:55:11,000 --> 00:55:17,800 Then it reached forward, touched my hand and said thank you.