WEBVTT

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<v Speaker 1>I was so used to it lingering in the dark,

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<v Speaker 1>watching my every move, listening to my breath at night,

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<v Speaker 1>and when at least expected it, it would approach carefully,

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<v Speaker 1>not because it was afraid to be seen. I had

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<v Speaker 1>the chance to do so many times before. Maybe that's

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<v Speaker 1>what it wanted, But I'll tell you when I finally

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<v Speaker 1>saw it, I wish that every single fiber in my

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<v Speaker 1>body belonged to anyone but me. And isn't that fear

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<v Speaker 1>the reason why we started to believe in God in

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<v Speaker 1>the first place, pretending that someone else is in control.

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<v Speaker 1>But I know it's there watching me, hearing. Let me

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<v Speaker 1>tell you this. It knows me, and now it knows

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<v Speaker 1>you too. Who's to say that nothing lingers around your home,

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<v Speaker 1>watching you while you're clean, or listening to your breathing

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<v Speaker 1>next to your bed. Who's to say nothing's listening with

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<v Speaker 1>you right now? My name is Edwin, and here's a

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<v Speaker 1>scary story. It all started one evening while talking with

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<v Speaker 1>a friend on FaceTime. She was by herself, like I

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<v Speaker 1>was just across town, her husband again away for work,

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<v Speaker 1>and me alone in the house for another week. As always,

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<v Speaker 1>she would ask about my sons and how they were doing,

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<v Speaker 1>and as always I told her where they were and

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<v Speaker 1>how proud I felt of them. One of these days,

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<v Speaker 1>I said, my oldest will be coming around one of

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<v Speaker 1>these days. I could see her folding her clothes in

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<v Speaker 1>her bedroom as we spoke. The new way of keeping

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<v Speaker 1>each other company, a thing we learned over the pandemic.

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<v Speaker 1>I went down to the kitchen, phone in hand, in

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<v Speaker 1>flicked on the lights. With the other hand, I opened

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<v Speaker 1>the fridge and took out everything I needed for my

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<v Speaker 1>turkey sandwich. I just wanted something quick this time. Dirting

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<v Speaker 1>up two pads for just myself seemed like too much

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<v Speaker 1>these days. Mayonnaise, mustard, and slices of turkey from yesterday.

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<v Speaker 1>I was warming up the bread in between the long

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<v Speaker 1>stretches of silence with her on the phone. But I

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<v Speaker 1>needed both hands to spread the mayo on the bread,

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<v Speaker 1>so I put the phone down, leaning against a large

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<v Speaker 1>tin of coffee that I had on the little table

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<v Speaker 1>in the kitchen, and it looked away for what must

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<v Speaker 1>have been five seconds. But when I looked back at

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<v Speaker 1>the screen, all I saw was the screen with the

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<v Speaker 1>list of contacts. She probably got disconnected, I thought to myself,

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<v Speaker 1>Hurrying with the bread and waiting for her to call back,

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<v Speaker 1>but she didn't call. I ate my sandwich in peace,

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<v Speaker 1>even turned on the television for a little bit. And

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<v Speaker 1>once I was done and the silence was beginning to

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<v Speaker 1>spread around the house, I decided to call her back. Tracy,

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<v Speaker 1>I said, you hung up on me, you jerk. She laughed.

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<v Speaker 1>How's your son, she asked, out of nowhere. My son,

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<v Speaker 1>he's all right. I responded, a little wearded out by

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<v Speaker 1>the question, and after a little gap of silence, she continued,

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<v Speaker 1>that's why I hung up, because your son got home.

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<v Speaker 1>A soft chill ran down my back. My son wasn't home.

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<v Speaker 1>Nobody was. I had been alone for several days now,

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<v Speaker 1>especially those evenings. Well mine is the two dogs. I

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<v Speaker 1>asked if she was joking, and she nearly spilled her

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<v Speaker 1>coffee when she saw how serious I was. My son

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<v Speaker 1>wasn't at home. I saw him, she said, he was

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<v Speaker 1>walking up behind you. I thought he was going to

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<v Speaker 1>surprise you. I stood there in silence. My son hadn't

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<v Speaker 1>gotten home. I was the only one in the kitchen.

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<v Speaker 1>Quit scaring me. I remember saying, there's no one home.

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<v Speaker 1>I saw him. She insisted, he was all he was,

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<v Speaker 1>her son, I know him, he was standing right behind you.

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<v Speaker 1>I begged her at this point not to hang up

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<v Speaker 1>on me again. Not at that moment. I was, after

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<v Speaker 1>all alone in the house, or at least I thought

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<v Speaker 1>it was, and I never heard or saw anyone else

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<v Speaker 1>come in. All of the doors were locked, and the

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<v Speaker 1>dogs had embarked. All I could think of, at least

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<v Speaker 1>at that moment, was just how someone approaches when they're

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<v Speaker 1>trying to surprise you, and how eerie it can look

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<v Speaker 1>if you don't have context watching someone approach you silently.

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<v Speaker 1>It's something I still can't shake off. But several things

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<v Speaker 1>that happened to me already at this house, and this

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<v Speaker 1>confirmed to me that I wasn't safe. I should have

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<v Speaker 1>listened to those signs, to those shadows that appeared out

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<v Speaker 1>of the corners of my eyes, the footsteps in the

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<v Speaker 1>middle of the night, but I didn't. It was a

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<v Speaker 1>cold afternoon and it had just gone work, tired, thinking

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<v Speaker 1>maybe I was getting sick. After one of my customers

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<v Speaker 1>showed up sneezing all over the desk. He apologized after

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<v Speaker 1>the damage was done, but still anyway, I came in

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<v Speaker 1>through the main door, the one by the living room,

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<v Speaker 1>and I sat on the couch before the silence started

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<v Speaker 1>creeping in. It was like a deafening kind of silence

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<v Speaker 1>that I can only explain as when the refrigerator turns off,

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<v Speaker 1>the thing that made you realize that there was a

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<v Speaker 1>humming filling up the house that you never noticed until

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<v Speaker 1>it was gone. It was like that, like that rare

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<v Speaker 1>silence between the crashing waves by the pier, or when

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<v Speaker 1>you close a window from your bedroom. Stillness, not peaceful, uncomfortable.

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<v Speaker 1>I immediately opened my eyes, not noticing that they were

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<v Speaker 1>closed before, and I watched the shadow moved into the

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<v Speaker 1>column of the living room, a pillar that had been

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<v Speaker 1>there ever since we moved in. I would have said

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<v Speaker 1>that it hit behind, but no, it went into the

98
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<v Speaker 1>column and vanished completely. Maybe I was tired again and

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<v Speaker 1>imagining things. Sure, that's a possibility, just like how it's

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<v Speaker 1>a possibility that it was real. So I got up

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<v Speaker 1>and stepped outside for a second, but that tiredness was

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<v Speaker 1>already there. I knew that once I got to my room,

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<v Speaker 1>my eyes would shut. I would wake up in a

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<v Speaker 1>few hours and follow my simple nightly routine. It turned

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<v Speaker 1>out to be anything but that. I don't know how

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<v Speaker 1>I got to bed, but that sleep was deep. I

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<v Speaker 1>shut off my phone and everything, just to be sure

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<v Speaker 1>that I wouldn't be woken up. I left it by

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<v Speaker 1>the front door. We had no nearby neighbors, were all

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<v Speaker 1>separated by a semi large field around here, and the

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<v Speaker 1>only sounds that would come from the outside would be

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<v Speaker 1>the people honking along the dirt roads for no reason,

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<v Speaker 1>to dogs maybe, or to say others to come open

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<v Speaker 1>the gates. But there was a different sound this time,

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<v Speaker 1>a vaguely familiar sound that I had learned to ignore

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<v Speaker 1>some night, the soft creak of a bending floorboard next

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<v Speaker 1>to me. I turned away like I always did, but

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<v Speaker 1>it must have been just how tired I was that

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<v Speaker 1>I miscalculated, and I rolled my shoulder off the bed

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<v Speaker 1>and the rest of my body landed straight on the floor.

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<v Speaker 1>I tried to get up immediately, so I put my

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<v Speaker 1>hands on the floorboards next to my bed when I

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<v Speaker 1>felt it, a cold, bony foot and a leg against

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<v Speaker 1>my arm. My eyes were open. Had forgotten that even

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<v Speaker 1>at night, in the pitch darkness, I would open them

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<v Speaker 1>and see nothing. But this time the sun was still out,

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<v Speaker 1>and I sighed for the first time. I looked up

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<v Speaker 1>as I leaned against the edge of the bed, my

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<v Speaker 1>legs failing to hold me up as I called laps

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<v Speaker 1>to the floor. My arms were reaching to the bottom

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<v Speaker 1>corners of this bed, and I begged them to pull

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<v Speaker 1>me away from this thing. I crawled as far as

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<v Speaker 1>I could before my eyes looked up at this figure.

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<v Speaker 1>It was wearing a sleeping gown ripped from the top,

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<v Speaker 1>an old creature, thousands of wrinkles, some of them cracked

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<v Speaker 1>at the folds, with dark blood forming lines and strange patterns,

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<v Speaker 1>patterns that looked like symbols all around its legs and arms,

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<v Speaker 1>but its face, dark hair missing in patches. It would

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<v Speaker 1>reach its nose and just below the ear. It was greasy,

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<v Speaker 1>falling straight down as if wet. It covered part of

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<v Speaker 1>its eyes, large and dark, looking steadily in my direction,

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<v Speaker 1>it just stared. The deafening silence was around me. Once more,

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<v Speaker 1>I could see its jaw dropping little by little. The

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<v Speaker 1>gums and the inside of its mouth were a dead purple.

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<v Speaker 1>The few teeth that remained were stained yellow, and its breath,

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<v Speaker 1>that of sulfur and sewage that escaped its lungs reached me.

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<v Speaker 1>Nothing worked, not my arms or voice. All I could

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<v Speaker 1>feel where the tears streaming down to my chest. As

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<v Speaker 1>I sat there frozen, it slowly rotated its body and

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<v Speaker 1>started approaching me, leaning its face closer to mine, and

151
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<v Speaker 1>I wasn't sure if I was breathing anymore. I could

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<v Speaker 1>smell nothing and feel nothing, not even the heartbeat that

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<v Speaker 1>had been thumping at the side of my neck and

154
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<v Speaker 1>blocking up my ears just a few seconds ago. It

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<v Speaker 1>opened its mouth very slowly and stared into my eyes. Mom,

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<v Speaker 1>It said, Mom, can you open the door? It was

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<v Speaker 1>my son, or at least his voice. I finally managed

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<v Speaker 1>to scream that it realized that I could se see it.

159
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<v Speaker 1>I screamed even louder once I caught my breath loud

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<v Speaker 1>enough that I felt my throat burned from deep inside

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<v Speaker 1>my chest. It smiled and backed away, crossing straight through

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<v Speaker 1>the small gap between the frame and the door, and

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<v Speaker 1>then it disappeared into the hallway. I sat there, vomit,

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<v Speaker 1>finally working its way up my throat into the floor

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<v Speaker 1>if the rest of my body could only hold me up.

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<v Speaker 1>As I waited for the thing to return, I listened

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<v Speaker 1>for its dragging footsteps, but there was nothing. For that

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<v Speaker 1>rest of the afternoon, I sat there wondering if anyone

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<v Speaker 1>would believe the explanations of what I had just seen

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<v Speaker 1>until the sky turned orange outside. It was going to

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<v Speaker 1>get dark soon, so I dragged myself toward the doorframe.

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<v Speaker 1>I pulled myself up and managed to get myself out

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<v Speaker 1>of the living room from the side table by the door.

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<v Speaker 1>I grabbed the phone and keys, stumbled into the car

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<v Speaker 1>and locked the door. Or out from the car, I

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<v Speaker 1>watched the windows for movement, but there was nothing. I

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<v Speaker 1>stayed there deep into the night, so I finally managed

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<v Speaker 1>the courage to call my friend and wake her up.

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<v Speaker 1>I didn't tell her anything about what happened that night.

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<v Speaker 1>I told her enough to not feel like I was

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<v Speaker 1>losing my mind, that I had taken a nap and

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<v Speaker 1>had a nightmare, but that I felt different. I put

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<v Speaker 1>my lie together on the spot. I think someone got

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<v Speaker 1>into the house, or something got into the house. I

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<v Speaker 1>don't know. You saw something the other day, too, Remember

186
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<v Speaker 1>your son? Yeah it was not my son, I said,

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<v Speaker 1>regretting it immediately. I'd just woken her up and was

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<v Speaker 1>asking for her help, and now I was treating her

189
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<v Speaker 1>like this. She stayed quiet. Okay, maybe not your son,

190
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<v Speaker 1>but I saw somebody. Then he stopped before he got

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<v Speaker 1>to you. I felt that sensation vomit crawling up my

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<v Speaker 1>body again. He was standing there behind you, waiting for

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<v Speaker 1>you to turn around. I didn't go back inside the

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<v Speaker 1>house that night. It was like at work, where you

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<v Speaker 1>let the work drip into another day or onto someone else,

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<v Speaker 1>thinking that if I simply stared at the windows, I

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<v Speaker 1>would see something and I would have proof that I

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<v Speaker 1>wasn't going crazy. But nothing happened. It was three in

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<v Speaker 1>the morning by now, and I was finally succumbing to

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<v Speaker 1>the exhaustion. It was like those nights at the airport, shallow,

201
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<v Speaker 1>restless sleep where your body is shutting down, but your

202
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<v Speaker 1>mind is un alert, watching for sudden movements or for

203
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<v Speaker 1>the tugging at your luggage. Everything from the flapping of

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<v Speaker 1>the wings of the moths to the frogs in the distance.

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<v Speaker 1>Any change in the rhythm would wake me up. The

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<v Speaker 1>wind across the fields, the headlights of a car through

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<v Speaker 1>the hills, even the soft knock from inside the house.

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<v Speaker 1>I didn't go to work the next morning, didn't even

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<v Speaker 1>bother to call in. Nothing was better then, and I

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<v Speaker 1>don't think it was going to improve. I hadn't been

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<v Speaker 1>to the bathroom and didn't want to. And now even

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<v Speaker 1>the sunlight didn't seem to erase what happened the previous night.

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<v Speaker 1>The thing was no longer afraid of it. It was

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<v Speaker 1>done hiding. The dogs had stayed outside in their little

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<v Speaker 1>dog houses, and they came wagging their tails up to

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<v Speaker 1>the car door. I opened it and they lowered their heads.

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<v Speaker 1>They trusted me, and so I walked over the door slowly,

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<v Speaker 1>like the house belonged to someone else. The dog stopped

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<v Speaker 1>walking right at the doorframe and whined as they took

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<v Speaker 1>two steps back still. I stepped in and walked through

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<v Speaker 1>the house, every room, closets, cabinets. I checked the windows

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<v Speaker 1>and the locks. Nothing, no sign that anything or anyone

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<v Speaker 1>had been there. And so I got to my bedroom.

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<v Speaker 1>A puddle of vomit on the floor next to the bed,

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<v Speaker 1>dragged on by the socks that was still wearing. I

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<v Speaker 1>stepped in and went to check the windows. The curtains

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<v Speaker 1>were shot, the same ones I had seen that night,

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<v Speaker 1>the ones that were wide open just a few hours ago.

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<v Speaker 1>The sheets were pulled down, like someone had gotten up

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<v Speaker 1>in a hurry or fallen down. I didn't sleep in

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<v Speaker 1>that room again. I moved to the living room. For

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<v Speaker 1>the next few nights, slept with the lights on, the

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<v Speaker 1>television running. I apologized that work made up an emergency

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<v Speaker 1>that they believed. And it was like that for a

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<v Speaker 1>few days, until the silence started finding its way back.

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<v Speaker 1>The television and sounds from the outside were becoming nothing again,

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<v Speaker 1>and that same familiar pattern when your mind ignores everything

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<v Speaker 1>and hyper focuses on one thing, That one footstep, the

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<v Speaker 1>creek on the floorboards, like something's moving around you watching

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<v Speaker 1>It was the fourth day after the incident when it

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<v Speaker 1>approached again, or at least try to. I just dozed

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<v Speaker 1>off on the couch when I heard it. Footsteps, slow

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<v Speaker 1>and careful crossing the hallway. There was nothing moving or breathing,

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<v Speaker 1>but I felt it stop at the entrance of the

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<v Speaker 1>living room. And then my son's voice, the oldest one.

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<v Speaker 1>Mom It sounded scared, like when he was little and

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<v Speaker 1>I would be with him until he fell asleep. It

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<v Speaker 1>blended with when he wanted to know if I was

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<v Speaker 1>home without waking me up. I try to answer, but

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<v Speaker 1>I wanted to scream or turn my head. I wanted

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<v Speaker 1>to open my eyes completely to make sure. But something else,

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<v Speaker 1>something deep inside of me kept me still because now

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<v Speaker 1>I knew that I had seen it already, and I

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<v Speaker 1>felt like I was being tested. I was still facing

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<v Speaker 1>the back of the couch for seconds that felt like

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<v Speaker 1>hours before I heard it again, and it was closer. Mom,

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<v Speaker 1>why aren't you answering me? The voice cracked a little bit,

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<v Speaker 1>like a recording, a perfect replica of a voice I

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<v Speaker 1>was familiar with. My hand twitched just a little, and

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<v Speaker 1>then the footsteps continued, one step, then another, slow, careful,

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<v Speaker 1>closing the distance between the back of my head and it.

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<v Speaker 1>That's when I smelled that same air rot was right

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<v Speaker 1>behind me. It was leaning closer. The air was moving

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<v Speaker 1>near my ear. I could feel it, and it whispered quietly,

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<v Speaker 1>almost curiously. Mom, why won't you look at me? I froze.

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<v Speaker 1>Even though I had wanted to move, I couldn't. I

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<v Speaker 1>don't know for how long I was there in that couch,

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<v Speaker 1>but the sun had long been set, and that's when

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<v Speaker 1>I left. I didn't pack anything. Instead, I borrowed a

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<v Speaker 1>charger once I got to my friend's house. I also

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<v Speaker 1>stayed in a motel and in my car for one

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<v Speaker 1>of those nights, the ones when I was sure I

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<v Speaker 1>was ready to go back to my house, but wasn't.

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<v Speaker 1>And just last night I got a call for my son.

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<v Speaker 1>I hadn't mentioned any of this to him, and it

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<v Speaker 1>had been two days since we had last spoken. Had

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<v Speaker 1>gotten a project across the state and would visit two

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<v Speaker 1>times a month. I answered right away, Mom, it was him.

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<v Speaker 1>It had to be. The voyays had the same tone,

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<v Speaker 1>but still I couldn't be sure. It felt delayed. I

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<v Speaker 1>don't know. Yeah, it's me, I said, are you okay?

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<v Speaker 1>There was a silence on the other line, and then

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<v Speaker 1>I'm home, the boy said. I felt another cold chill

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<v Speaker 1>take over my body. What do you mean, I asked,

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<v Speaker 1>I got here earlier. He said, you weren't here. More silence.

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<v Speaker 1>I waited, he said, so. It was starting to form

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<v Speaker 1>on my phone case and on screen. Where are you

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<v Speaker 1>right now? I asked. There was silence again, as if

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<v Speaker 1>I was thinking of what to say. I'm still here,

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<v Speaker 1>The voice said, I don't know if that was him,

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<v Speaker 1>but he hasn't answered his phone when I call him back.

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<v Speaker 1>So still I sit here in the car at the

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<v Speaker 1>end of the road, the house still visible from between

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<v Speaker 1>the trees. In this place that's never silent. This episode

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<v Speaker 1>of Scary Story podcast was written and produced by me

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<v Speaker 1>Edwin ko Aruyez with the support of the Scary FM

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<v Speaker 1>team and our supporters at scary Plus. Thanks again for

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<v Speaker 1>your ideas for stories. I actually got an email about

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<v Speaker 1>Japanese legends and basing a story off of one of them,

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<v Speaker 1>which sounds like it could be a really really spooky

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<v Speaker 1>thing that could get scary really fast. So let's see

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<v Speaker 1>what I can come up with here. If you're subscribed,

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<v Speaker 1>I'll be back next week with another story. So don't

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<v Speaker 1>forget to share this story with someone who would be

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<v Speaker 1>into it you or comment somewhere would also be super

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<v Speaker 1>cool if you're able to do that. Anyway, Thank you

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<v Speaker 1>very much for listening. Keep it scary everyone, See you soon.

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<v Speaker 1>M