0:00

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0:08

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0:10

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0:13

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angie.com. That's

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angi.com. Welcome

1:20

friends. Can you believe it's

1:22

April already? And you know what that

1:24

means, don't you? That's

1:26

right, alligator maintenance season. For

1:29

two months I got to deal with this nonsense.

1:33

And don't let me catch you doing that again

1:35

Chester. You'll go blind by June at

1:37

this rate. You

1:40

should see my search history.

1:42

Asian alligators uncensored. Unbelievable.

1:46

Anyway, come on in friend. Mmm,

1:54

that's better. You know,

1:56

something just occurred to me. Why

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Not to mention all the horror you

2:15

can handle. Available to download or stream.

2:18

Myer Tell Tonight comes courtesy of

2:21

author Alfred Alley and Valox Books.

2:24

This one's from the collection Find Us

2:26

and Other Stories. It's available

2:28

on Amazon and audible.com. So

2:31

without further delay from

2:33

author Alfred Alley I

2:36

give you The Orb Weaver.

2:46

They were a trio exploring

2:48

the winding creek and plodding through

2:51

the soggy banks and shallow waters.

2:54

Alley the tallest wore overalls and a

2:56

shirt she received from the previous year's

2:58

school field day. Andrea,

3:00

Alley held his friend and black

3:02

shorts and a sleeveless shirt bearing

3:04

a bejeweled unicorn. Finally

3:07

there was Becca in red. She

3:10

wore red shoes, jeans with a wide

3:12

red stripe down the sides of the

3:14

legs and of course a red knit

3:16

dress. Their destination was

3:18

an old bridge but only in the

3:20

sense that they felt they needed a

3:22

destination. For the moment

3:24

there was the quiet in the woods. They

3:28

enjoyed a chance to talk and escape

3:30

the ears and eyes of their parents

3:32

to air their excitement and anxiety about

3:34

eighth grade. Alley

3:37

could never say for sure when they lost

3:39

Becca. She was talking

3:41

to Andrea and realized Becca wasn't beside

3:44

her. She looked back

3:46

but her friend had not fallen behind.

3:49

Becca was gone. They

3:52

called out softly confused. Their

3:54

voices rose with the rise in fear until

3:56

they were screaming for Becca, running

3:59

off briefly. in different directions before returning

4:01

to the same creek bed. They

4:04

could not hear Becca. They could not

4:06

see her. They even scanned

4:09

the grounds for prints, but all they found

4:11

were all three sets in a muddy portion

4:13

of the creek bed. They

4:16

were standing in a long dry stretch

4:18

in the creek when she vanished, so

4:20

again there was no way to definitively

4:23

pinpoint when Becca disappeared. Somewhere

4:25

between that point and the point

4:28

they realized she was missing, about

4:30

a hundred yards, Becca vanished. They

4:33

ran to Hallie's house. The double-wide

4:35

trailer house off the White Rock driveway

4:37

was the closest home. Andrea

4:40

sobbed and Hallie's mother called the

4:42

police. A search started

4:44

immediately. Police search

4:47

and rescue teams, volunteers and members

4:49

of all three girls' families searched.

4:52

The raw clad and bright vests and

4:55

following strict walking patterns side by side

4:57

through the thick woods and along the

4:59

creek. The sweltering

5:01

heat continued to dry out the

5:03

water, leaving mounds of sun-baked silt

5:06

and exposed flaky clay, gradually erasing

5:08

what little evidence there was of

5:10

their presence. The

5:13

adults in their lives assured Hallie and

5:15

Andrea that Becca would be found. Becca

5:17

had to be found. People just don't

5:20

vanish without a trace. Three

5:23

days into the search, a volunteer

5:25

vanished. They would

5:27

find him the next day, dehydrated

5:29

and confused, sitting beside a tree

5:32

trunk. He scratched at

5:34

the poison ivy rashes on his arm

5:36

and smacked at mosquitoes even when indoors.

5:40

Hallie would hear more as an adult. Until

5:43

then, parents were quick to put a lid

5:45

on the story and in a town that

5:47

small, this was no minor feat. The

5:50

story went that this man remembered walking

5:52

through an area of the woods ignored

5:55

by the volunteers. A

5:57

Voice called down and he saw an old

5:59

woman. Then and in the trees. She

6:02

was mint and pale with

6:04

long gray air loosely plated.

6:07

She motioned zoom to the cabin. With.

6:10

An interviewer asked him about

6:12

the cabin. The volunteer was

6:14

confused. At. It wasn't there

6:16

at first. But. Then

6:19

it was. A Must

6:21

Not. Have. Noticed it at

6:23

first. Now. The search

6:25

included a quest to fund the old

6:28

woman and co she discovered Mecca were

6:30

saw her at least. They.

6:32

Never found the building and when asking

6:34

the only witness, he seemed unable to

6:36

pin down the general appearance of the

6:39

building. The. Image of the

6:41

woman in the cab and seem to

6:43

distort and twist. When he had since

6:45

to recall his experience. Like

6:47

are very memory was trying to had.

6:50

After forty five days, the officials

6:52

called off the search. After.

6:55

A hundred and twenty three days back

6:57

as called off their own search. Neither

7:00

Mecca nor the Old Woman or

7:02

ever found. How.

7:05

We lost two friends that they. Andrea

7:08

refused to respond to Hell Is messages

7:10

and would walk away without saying a

7:12

word. A fairly approached her school. The.

7:15

Rest of the student body seem to pick

7:17

up the General Bob in the air. And.

7:20

Alley found herself alone in

7:22

the cafeteria. Alone on the

7:24

playground, Alone in the gym.

7:27

She. Never forced to confrontation

7:29

or exchanged words, she instead

7:31

watched her world wordlessly fall

7:34

apart. Three.

7:36

Months after, make have vanished halle

7:38

now twelve started her own search.

7:41

She. Begrudgingly admitted, her parents may have

7:43

been rad about keeping her room

7:45

clean as he raffled through the

7:47

dirty clothes and incomplete art projects

7:49

that littered the room. Finally

7:52

she found it. Took

7:54

her dog with her four year old

7:57

black lab named roads and left the

7:59

house or the on Saturday. How

8:02

he told her mother she was just going

8:04

to walk around the neighborhood. When.

8:06

Her mother wasn't look in hell, he

8:08

crawled over the short wouldn't dance and

8:10

ran towards the creek that adds Bandai

8:12

House. Or dog mounted with

8:14

sadder. When she

8:17

reached a place she lost her friends

8:19

she pulled out and old teaser make

8:21

a left the and at her house

8:23

and held it to the dog's nose.

8:26

She'd seen this action in the most

8:28

movies Fighter, Go and Find. The

8:31

dog seem confused move in her

8:33

head, back and away from the

8:35

bald absurd alleyways than their nose.

8:38

Fun with. She seems to get something on

8:40

the when. She looked around

8:42

and stood perfectly steal. The

8:45

dog lowered herself and growled. For.

8:48

Growls starting guttural, an elevated

8:50

in volume escape, and and

8:52

loud barks. Rose

8:54

Hell he asked. what is it

8:56

The dog tour of the dry

8:58

creek bed and into the thick

9:00

green foliage on the bank. She.

9:03

Barked an allied almost frantic

9:05

pound how we struggled to

9:07

keep up. She could hear

9:09

roses growls and barks ruined

9:11

center until finally they stopped.

9:14

When they did and we looked

9:16

around. She didn't recognize

9:18

these trees. She didn't recognize

9:20

the terrain and all. That.

9:23

Was no home in Crete to

9:25

draw her ear. Only the sounds

9:27

of birds and insects. She called

9:29

out for Rose. She.

9:31

Was last hell? He walked in

9:34

through through the brush, reaching out

9:36

towards tree trunks for balance as

9:38

he pulled herself of thorns and

9:41

poison ivy. Sticky.

9:43

Burrs clung to her clothes and

9:45

as he tried to brush them

9:47

away only to relocate them a

9:49

few inches from the original positions.

9:52

Last three and how

9:54

we stopped. To.

9:56

her live the clear and in

9:58

the woods know She went

10:00

this way already, hadn't she? There

10:03

was no clearing then. But

10:05

there, a clearing was short grass and

10:07

a thin path trod into the ground,

10:10

leading to a small squat cabin. On

10:13

the porch, an old man. He

10:16

wore a long-sleeved flannel shirt,

10:18

unbuttoned, and a white sleeveless

10:20

undershirt. His pants were

10:22

brown and fit loosely. He

10:25

shuffled to the edge of the porch and plodded

10:27

down the steps. His skin

10:29

was pale, even against the stark white hair

10:31

on his face and head. He

10:34

stopped, but raised one arm to get

10:37

her attention. Friend,

10:39

are you lost? Halle

10:42

didn't move. I'm

10:44

looking for my dog. Way

10:47

outta here, the old man

10:49

asked. We were looking

10:51

for my friend. She got lost

10:53

out here. He stepped

10:55

off the porch and Halle took a step

10:57

back. He saw her face

11:00

and backed up as well. You

11:02

say you lost a dog and

11:05

a friend? A

11:07

girl, she was my age, about

11:10

my height. Red

11:12

shirt, red shoes, jeans.

11:15

Um, her hair is

11:17

longer than mine. If

11:19

I see something, I'll let you know.

11:23

What tells you the truth? I

11:26

don't get my visitors out here.

11:29

What about your dog? Black

11:32

lad, her name is Rose. She's

11:35

very sweet. The old man

11:37

nodded. He placed a hand

11:39

behind him and felt around as he lowered

11:41

himself to the stairs. He

11:44

took a seat and exhaled loudly. Ah.

11:50

I'll keep my ears and eyes

11:52

open. But

11:54

it's just me out here these

11:56

days. You

11:59

live alone? Halley asked. Always

12:02

have, always will,

12:07

he chuckled. Just the

12:09

way things is, I suppose.

12:12

Then he took a breath as if his

12:15

excursion down the steps had truly winded him.

12:18

I gotta go, Halley said. It

12:21

was nice meeting you. Same,

12:23

young lady, the

12:25

old man smiled. If

12:27

you're looking for the creek, turn

12:30

around, look at that

12:32

tree. The one without

12:35

the leaves. When

12:37

you reach it, you'll see the

12:39

creek, and that'll get you

12:41

home. Halley

12:43

nodded. She turned around and

12:46

called out for Rose. Good

12:48

luck, the old man called out

12:51

again. She found

12:53

her way back to the creek and returned

12:55

home without Rose. She

12:58

told her parents everything, and again the

13:00

search operation commenced to find the old

13:02

man and discover what he may or

13:04

may not know. When

13:07

Halley came home from school that Friday,

13:09

her parents were whispering in the kitchen. Halley

13:12

lowered her backpack onto the couch

13:14

and stepped gingerly towards the kitchen.

13:18

They were talking about the new search, and

13:21

how two more volunteers had yet

13:23

to report back in. You

13:27

can live out your MasterChef dream You can

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live out your MasterChef dreams when

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renovations. Inside to outside, repairs to renovations.

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Get started on the Angie app or

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visit angie.com today. You can do this when you Angie that.

13:55

You can do this when you Angie that.

13:57

Angie has made it easier than ever to

13:59

connect with. skilled professionals to get all

14:01

your jobs projects done well. If you

14:03

own a home, you know how much

14:06

work it can take, whether it's everyday

14:08

maintenance and repairs or making dream projects

14:10

a reality. It can be hard just

14:12

to know where to start. But now all

14:14

you need to do is Angie that and

14:16

find a skilled local pro who will deliver

14:19

the quality and expertise you need. Angie

14:21

has over 20 years of home service

14:23

experience and they've combined it with new

14:25

tools to simplify the whole process. Bring

14:28

them your project online or with the

14:30

Angie app, answer a few questions and

14:32

Angie can handle the rest from start

14:34

to finish or help you compare quotes

14:36

from multiple pros and connect instantly, which

14:39

means you can take care of just

14:41

about any home project and just a

14:43

few taps because when it comes to

14:45

getting the most out of your home,

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you can do this when you Angie

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that. Download the free Angie

14:51

mobile app today or visit angie.com. That's

14:55

a angie.com. Seventh

15:00

grade changed for Hallie with the first

15:03

shoulder check, then the

15:05

nicknames killer homicidal

15:08

Hallie, the usual rumors

15:11

spread about Hallie going into the

15:13

woods and finding someone with

15:15

the disappearance of the two searchers

15:17

shortly after people wondered aloud behind

15:19

her in class or in the

15:21

hall, whether she had something to

15:23

do with Becca's absence. Maybe

15:26

she knew who it really was. Maybe

15:29

she led them down there. A

15:32

group of kids cornered her under the bleachers in

15:34

the gym. They pushed

15:36

her against the wall, demanding to know what

15:38

happened to Becca through the

15:40

circling group of sneering faces. She could

15:43

see Andrea. Andrea pulled

15:45

her hands into the sleeves of her red

15:47

long sleeve shirt and held her hidden fist

15:49

to her chest. I don't

15:52

know what happened. Andrea was there. Andrea. The

15:56

faces turned to Andrea who looked at the

15:58

floor and replied that. Halle

16:00

was the one who wanted to explore the creek.

16:03

Halle had led the way. Halle

16:05

realized as the first fist made contact

16:08

with her stomach that no one had

16:10

ever hit her before. Not

16:12

really, not outside of a gentle

16:14

jab to the shoulder and chest. Anger

16:17

behind the fist was new and she

16:20

doubled over and sobbed. She

16:22

closed her eyes and waited for the

16:24

crowd to disperse, but they stood around

16:26

her, taunting, until the bell

16:28

drew them away. One

16:31

of the missing searchers wandered into

16:34

town two days later, dazed and

16:36

extremely dehydrated. He

16:38

was weak, coughing, and barely able to

16:40

stand. His skin pale

16:42

and tinged with yellow. The

16:45

police found layers of fine dust

16:47

on his clothing, bits of spiderweb

16:49

on his shoulder. A

16:51

local clinic diagnosed him with

16:53

leptospirosis, caused by prolonged exposure

16:56

to rat feces. The

16:58

best guess was that he had spent

17:00

most of his time away in a

17:02

building, trapped in a tight space and

17:04

breathing in very toxic particles. He

17:07

had no memory of it. He

17:09

had no memory of what had happened to his partner.

17:12

He said they were searching the woods,

17:14

following the directions laid out by Halle

17:16

when he saw a cabin. The

17:19

building was different than Halle described. Two

17:22

stories and with a fresh coat of brown

17:24

paint, a green door and

17:26

green on the window trimmings. A

17:29

little girl waved at them and

17:31

they excitedly approached, hoping they had

17:34

finally found Becca, somehow safe and

17:36

sound. It wasn't

17:38

her, he said. We

17:41

saw that when we got closer.

17:44

Then blank until

17:46

he awoke, his stomach burning,

17:48

his skin on fire and

17:50

desperately thirsty, alone in

17:52

the open wilderness. He found

17:54

his way out of the woods and entered the

17:56

city. Again, more searchers and

17:58

police entered the city. the woods, a

18:01

small area of maybe four hundred acres,

18:03

a place much too small to hide

18:05

a cabin, or multiple ones

18:07

if the man's story was to be believed.

18:11

When asked to describe the girl, he

18:13

would struggle. He could see

18:15

her running to them and waving. He

18:17

could see her so clearly, but

18:20

when asked to answer basic questions

18:22

about height, hairstyle, clothing, the image

18:25

would distort. For

18:27

Hallie, the harassment continued, as did her

18:29

resolve to find out what happened to

18:31

her friend, what happened to

18:34

Rose and all the others now

18:36

missing in the trees and thorny

18:38

brush. Hallie hid the bruises, and

18:40

the harassment online didn't extend to

18:42

public profiles her parents could see.

18:45

So when Hallie said she was going to

18:47

a friend's house, her parents had no reason

18:49

to doubt her story. She

18:51

took her school bag, stuffed it with energy

18:54

bars and bottles of water. She

18:56

threw one strap over her shoulder and

18:59

walked toward town. At

19:01

the park, she could double back along

19:03

the railroad track and entered the familiar

19:05

parcel of woods from there. Again,

19:07

she left on Saturday morning. She

19:10

would stay until late afternoon when

19:12

her mom would need her to

19:15

check in. Hallie kicked at the soft

19:17

rocks in the dried creek bed. She

19:20

came to the place where Becca

19:22

vanished, where everything started. The

19:24

grass and trees seemed taller. They

19:27

seemed to extend over her, reaching down

19:29

from above. The noise

19:32

of the forest continued unabated. The

19:34

animals gave no notice to her presence

19:36

or to the presence of anything else.

19:39

She recalled no sudden silence of eerie

19:42

or quiet when her friend disappeared or

19:44

when she found the cabin. The

19:47

indifference killed her. She

19:49

knew behind her were the railroad

19:51

tracks, a clear visual. Becca

19:53

couldn't have been taken that way without

19:55

Hallie and Andrea seeing her. She

19:58

didn't walk ahead of them. and there

20:00

were no tracks in the muddy patches behind

20:02

them. That meant only

20:04

one direction, towards the

20:07

cabin, toward Rose's last

20:09

known whereabouts. Howie

20:11

wondered if she would find bleached

20:13

bone, bits of clothing. In

20:16

all the true crime podcasts she

20:18

listened to and shows she binged,

20:20

people described coming across a body

20:22

in the woods. She

20:25

looked at crime scene photos, anything she

20:27

could find to know where to look,

20:29

how to find Becca. The

20:31

witnesses were rattled and she knew that

20:34

image would be burned into her mind,

20:36

just as the pictures she found online

20:38

were. But she had

20:41

to find Becca, one way or another.

20:44

The cold front she looked forward to

20:46

stalled somewhere north of them, so there

20:48

would be no reprieve from the stoffeling

20:50

heat, no breeze cut through

20:53

the thick woods. As Howie stumbled

20:55

over bushes and tore shoulder first

20:57

through low hanging branches and smaller

20:59

trees, all of which seemed

21:02

to grow into one mass of green and

21:04

brown. She called

21:06

out for Becca, she called out

21:08

for Rose, she whistled and

21:10

held a small worn squeaky ball in

21:12

the air above her, squeezing it over

21:15

and over. Howie wondered

21:17

if she was lost or if anyone at

21:19

her school would look for her. What

21:22

was one more after all? Friend!

21:26

She stopped. Turning slightly

21:29

to her left, she saw the same

21:31

cabin sitting on the patch of trimmed

21:33

grass. The place seemed

21:35

almost carved from the wood surrounding it.

21:38

There he was on the porch, the

21:40

old man in flannel. He

21:42

seemed light, almost bounded down the

21:45

steps. His beard appeared

21:47

trim, less scraggly, and his eyes

21:49

were bright. The

21:52

lost friend, he asked. We

21:55

met before, Howie said. I

21:58

thought so. You were. looking

22:00

for your dog and

22:03

your school friend." Still

22:05

am. He stepped back

22:07

and shook his head. My,

22:10

my, tragedy. It's

22:14

a high one today. Care

22:17

for a glass of water? He

22:20

turned around and walked to the porch. Now

22:23

he called out that she wasn't entering a

22:25

stranger's home. What expect

22:27

you to? Tell

22:30

you what. He looked back at her.

22:32

Gotta spigot round the

22:35

side. I'll bring you a

22:37

glass. Fill

22:39

it up and have a rest. Allie

22:42

felt the heat on her, like the

22:44

sun was turned up and notched by

22:47

unseen hands. The rays

22:49

beat down on her head, and she

22:51

became desperate for a drink, desperate

22:53

for shade. Here. He

22:56

startled her. Had he

22:58

gone inside already? He

23:00

held out a small green drinking glass. She

23:03

took it and thanked him. He

23:06

pointed to the side of the house, and she

23:08

found a spigot. The water came

23:10

out like ice. The glass

23:12

felt chilled in her hand. She

23:15

gulped it down and quickly refilled it. There,

23:18

the heat sneaks up on you.

23:21

He called from the porch. Allie

23:23

walked around to the front and found the old

23:26

man seated in a chair by his front door.

23:29

It does, Allie said. I

23:32

hope you find your friend. I

23:35

do. What's your

23:37

name? Allie asked. Ankle,

23:40

he called out. Allie

23:43

left him and walked back, finding the

23:45

creek again with ease, without

23:47

a moment of confusion. She

23:50

looked around the creek bed and glanced

23:52

toward the once muddy bank that held

23:54

the footprints of her and her friend,

23:56

long since trampled away. She

23:59

returned home. changing it to cleaner

24:01

clothes. Her parents asked her

24:03

how her hangout was. She didn't

24:05

mention the old man. Hallie

24:08

didn't find an old man named Hinkle

24:10

online, but she didn't want

24:12

to ask around either. Her

24:15

isolation at school afforded her plenty of

24:17

time to research, and she was drawn

24:19

to the accounts of missing people in

24:21

the small patches of forest surrounding her

24:24

town. Patches of forest

24:26

vanishing into housing developments and

24:28

business parks, shrinking every

24:30

year. Compared to

24:32

other wilderness areas in her state,

24:34

the number of lost people, a

24:37

total of seven at the moment,

24:39

wasn't necessarily noteworthy. People

24:41

get lost, meth labs explode,

24:44

hunting accidents happen. They

24:47

could also become turned around. The same

24:49

thing happened to her twice while looking

24:51

for Becca, but each time

24:53

her new friend called out to her. She

24:57

began visiting him more. She

24:59

basked into kindness, offered freely

25:01

and without pity. After

25:04

several visits, she was finally sitting on

25:07

his porch, telling about her struggles at

25:09

school, her guilt over her

25:11

missing friend, her guilt over

25:13

her missing dog. At times,

25:15

she felt like the monster the children called

25:17

her, this creature leading others

25:20

to their doom in the woods. Ah,

25:23

horseshit, he said. He

25:26

spat on the porch. Horseshit.

25:30

Can't help thinking it though, Hallie

25:32

said. She leaned back in

25:34

the chair. She could see

25:36

Vulture swooping low over the trees in

25:38

the distance, and she pushed

25:40

an unpleasant thought out of her head. You

25:43

know what? Hallie stood.

25:48

You should see something. Come

25:52

on. He

25:54

threw open the screen door and the

25:56

front door, rushing inside the cabin. The

25:59

screen door. Red wings clipped against the

26:01

door frame. Henkel.

26:04

Hell he asked earlier. He

26:06

called from and says alley

26:08

groups the middle launchers arms

26:10

and pulled herself up. She

26:13

isn't a cab and. The.

26:15

Police would like to. Classic

26:17

image of a Hutton Cab.

26:19

Rustic furniture, bookshelves crammed with

26:21

books and magazines. And

26:23

at least two dear mounts in the head

26:25

of a large wilde hard on display. There

26:28

were no pictures though, none at all.

26:31

Over then the grid curtains on

26:34

ourselves the windows the walls were

26:36

bear. She could see the

26:38

hallway insurance in the living room. Assured

26:41

hallway lead to a bathroom in

26:43

the bedroom. Ankle stood

26:45

in the center of the hall, the one

26:47

on a string dangling from the ceiling. Much

26:50

to do in Las. Ever

26:53

get a four year. My

26:56

lifts your spirits. He

26:59

pulled on stirring in a ladder to

27:01

the attic lowered. The unfolded

27:03

in the spoons, clang and

27:05

and vibrating. He stepped on the

27:08

first dibs. dayton in the

27:10

ladder, the would groaned. Well

27:13

go of am single said

27:15

motion into the open attic.

27:18

Alley. Stepped forward. She

27:21

looked at the smile and man

27:23

than the Attic open my a

27:25

mouth, the runes like rows of

27:27

teeth and a man who was

27:29

wrong he asked. He

27:31

gives Marlin is grin frozen.

27:34

He. Again motion to the at a trend

27:36

or for her into the dark. Alley

27:39

backed up and me to get

27:41

home Next ten. How he said.

27:44

She. Couldn't explain it, but everything in

27:46

her body urged her to run. Now.

27:49

Leave road. And

27:52

animal panic. Rosen or kissed.

27:54

Her. Brain burst. The.

27:57

Old man stopped smile and. He's.

28:00

The now. Very quiet.

28:03

And. I learned a way

28:05

to see. Burned

28:09

away to see so many

28:11

want a sunni. Sold

28:14

a warmer rest. their

28:17

eyes. Alley fill

28:19

frozen in place, the bus and

28:21

in her brain dog. She

28:23

felt like a fog and will occur. The.

28:26

Old man walked closer to where

28:29

she watched him approach, no

28:31

longer smile and. He

28:33

wore a very stern expression as

28:35

he recited something between of poor

28:37

mental song. Ah

28:40

see them and said

28:42

seeing them to sleep.

28:46

Or learned a way to

28:48

say. He.

28:50

Whispered now rest of my hand

28:53

on her shoulder. To

28:55

win today as. Hell

28:59

he walked. In. Other ways,

29:02

Not into the woods, But.

29:04

To the thin wouldn't matter. She

29:07

placed of food on the bottom most

29:09

round been stepped up. She

29:12

almost lost her balance. He.

29:15

Says now incl whispered

29:17

C O Most as

29:19

the crawl. Way

29:23

he whispered. His

29:25

voice sounded answers. Way.

29:29

She kept moving up the attic stairs,

29:32

approach in the door. This

29:35

is this is no Eagle

29:37

said to himself. Something

29:40

moved in the dark in front of

29:42

her. A mess it

29:44

nerve and crawling towards the

29:46

light from the open doorway.

29:48

stop The old man said.

29:51

Hell. He froze. The. Fog

29:53

lifted and she dropped back off the

29:56

ladder and scrambled to her feet. What

29:59

Was that? She asked. What

30:02

the fuck was that? Girl

30:04

Engel said. The

30:07

of Go Gallium.

30:09

So what is

30:11

happening? Jobs No

30:13

income roared. Alley

30:16

Room. Is down her way

30:18

back to the creek with ease. The

30:25

Angie's List you know and trust is

30:27

now Angie, and we're so much more

30:29

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So remember, Angie's List is now Angie,

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angie.com. That's A-N-G-I, or

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download the app today. Angie's list

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is now Angie, and we've heard a lot

30:57

of theories about why. I thought it was

30:59

an eco-move. For your words, less paper. It

31:02

was so you could say it faster.

31:04

No, it's to be more iconic. Must

31:06

be a tech thing. But those aren't

31:09

quite right. It's because now you can

31:11

compare upfront prices, book a service instantly,

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angie.com. That's A-N-G-I. Hell,

31:27

he returned home after twenty years to

31:30

a to see lifted the first chance.

31:32

Know. She returned Barrier Murder.

31:35

Or less survive in Paris for

31:37

sooner than he anticipated. She.

31:40

Didn't think about he pool and

31:42

also strange dreams are occasionally seen.

31:44

An old man and distance resembling

31:46

noom enough to draw them, bristled

31:48

over. But. When they only

31:51

found a local paper folded on the

31:53

kids encounter. she really had

31:55

learned about the twentieth anniversary of the

31:57

speed of missing persons cases in or

32:00

small town. She

32:02

remembered Hinkle then. She

32:04

remembered how she tried to return, tried

32:07

to see if it was him, to see

32:09

what was in that attic. She

32:12

remembered how after nearly a dozen attempts

32:14

until she left town for college, she

32:16

never found the old man or the

32:19

cabin again. She

32:21

told no one, not even her mother.

32:24

Allie wondered what her mother would say now.

32:27

Probably what she needed to hear but didn't

32:30

want to. She couldn't

32:32

stay in the house a second longer, not

32:35

with memories, both unpleasant and

32:37

unpleasantly pleasant attacking her from

32:39

all sides. Allie

32:41

decided to take a walk in the woods.

32:44

As a child, the woods seemed a

32:46

vast and unexplored wilderness even

32:49

though housing developments pended on all

32:51

sides. Now the

32:53

entire area shrunk considerably. The

32:56

creek was flanked by walking paths and

32:58

they cleared much of the brush and wiry

33:01

lengths of thorns she fought through to find

33:03

the cabin. Even the tree

33:05

seemed smaller, the wilderness cowed.

33:08

She found out through brief forays

33:11

into her town's subreddit and Twitter

33:13

mentions that her town has suffered

33:15

three additional missing persons cases since

33:17

she left. That doesn't

33:19

even factor in the missing pets

33:21

as the wooded area and adjacent

33:23

park have a reputation for eating

33:25

pets. Allie looked around

33:28

at the couple from the path, the

33:30

occasional jogger, and felt

33:32

apprehension. Would someone

33:34

recognize her? Would they

33:36

ask why she was going into the woods? She

33:40

then scoffed. She left

33:42

town as a ghost, faded and

33:44

forgotten. Who would conjure her

33:46

memory now? Allie

33:48

stepped off the path and took two

33:50

quick hops across the creek. She

33:53

pushed her way into the brush and started

33:55

her walk. A few yards

33:57

in and the noise of the crowds in the

33:59

highway a muffled, becoming a

34:01

gentle roar like distant thunder. After

34:05

about fifteen minutes of walking, struggling

34:08

through brush that seemed to cling to

34:10

her tighter than in childhood, she came

34:12

to a clearing of sorts. A

34:14

small patch of grass, tall but

34:16

free of trees, the

34:18

canopy above closing in to shield it

34:21

from the sun and sky. Here,

34:23

she thought, right

34:25

here. She

34:27

looked behind her and then turned back, only

34:30

surprised for a moment to see the cabin

34:32

in the once empty patch of ground. There

34:35

it stood, smaller than she

34:38

remembered, with faded pain and

34:40

broken windows. One board

34:42

on the front porch steps curled upwards.

34:45

Another was missing completely. �Friend?�

34:48

Allie called down. No

34:51

answer. She tiptoed

34:53

up the porch, watching for holes,

34:56

and tapped on the front door. �Inkle?�

34:59

�It�s Allie. Been a

35:01

long time.� No

35:04

answer except for the slight creak as

35:06

the door partially opened. She

35:09

pushed it open and stepped inside. The

35:12

humidity in the room seemed oppressive,

35:14

sweltering compared with the slight chill

35:17

outside. �Hello?� She

35:20

saw him then, seated in

35:22

a recliner. A quilt in

35:24

red and black squares pulled up to his

35:27

chin. Sunken cheeks,

35:29

his chin stuck out. His

35:32

eyes were set deep into his head, his skin

35:35

a faded gray. �Hello,

35:39

Allie,� he croaked. �Inkle?�

35:43

�Are you okay?� Allie asked. He

35:46

took a step toward him. He

35:48

shivered under the quilt. �I�m

35:52

tired,� he whispered. �Not

35:55

many visitors these days.�

36:00

You'll see one day."

36:05

"'I'm seeing now. Already

36:08

got the aching back a few decades

36:10

too early, and man do teenagers just

36:12

piss me off.'" Ankle smiled.

36:15

He nodded. "'Can I

36:17

get you something?' Allie asked. She

36:20

wanted to ask about her friend, even

36:23

about her dog. She wanted

36:25

to know if it was him. He

36:28

wanted to know what he was. "'I'm

36:31

just hungry is all,'

36:33

he chuckled. "'Old

36:37

and hungry.'

36:39

"'Well, do you want me

36:41

to fix you anything? Where's

36:44

the kitchen?' Allie asked. She

36:47

glanced around the cabin, dusty

36:49

and claustrophobic. She

36:51

could make out the bathroom and the bedroom,

36:53

but no kitchen. "'It's

36:57

in. Never needed it,' Ankle said.

37:01

"'What?' He

37:05

chuckled again. "'I'll get

37:07

you something. Then I have some

37:09

questions,' Allie said. Ankle

37:12

nodded, twisting under the blanket and pulling

37:14

it up tighter under his chin. He

37:17

shivered again. "'Missed

37:19

you,' he said. "'Many

37:23

friends.' Allie

37:26

moved further into the house, looking down

37:28

the hall for a kitchen entrance. Surely

37:32

he had something to eat. She

37:34

turned back when he spoke and saw

37:36

the recliner rocking gently. "'What

37:38

did you say?' Allie asked. She

37:42

approached the chair and found the blanket draped

37:44

over it. Ankle missing.

37:47

She called out for him and scanned the room.

37:51

Allie threw open the front door and stepped

37:53

onto the porch. She

37:56

returned inside. She

37:58

called out for him again and heard the sound of a heard a

38:00

thud in the attic above her. She

38:03

could hear scraping, like

38:05

something large being drug around the

38:07

attic floor. She

38:09

walked to the hall and stood under the attic

38:11

door. She gently

38:14

grasped the string hanging from the door and

38:16

pulled it down. The

38:18

springs wailed and claimed as she

38:21

unfolded the attic stairs. Hinkle,

38:24

I'm coming up there, just so

38:26

you know. She started

38:28

walking up the stairs, reaching

38:30

up and grabbing the edge of the doorway.

38:34

She pulled herself up into the attic

38:36

space. Her eyes struggled

38:38

to adjust to the dark. She

38:41

pulled her phone from her pocket and

38:43

shined the flashlight around the space. She

38:46

saw something twinkle in the far corner.

38:50

She stood up and ducked down slightly

38:52

to avoid banging her head on the

38:55

exposed rafters. All

38:57

in all, the attic was almost as large

38:59

as the house, another floor

39:01

essentially. She stepped

39:03

on something that crackled. She

39:06

pointed the light at her feet and saw

39:08

a series of thin white strands spread out

39:10

across the floor. She

39:12

thought about spiderwebs and a

39:15

familiar feeling returned. Run,

39:18

run now. She

39:21

followed the web to a mass of

39:23

white and gray threads wrapped around a

39:25

lump in thousands of strands. She

39:28

could make out a pair of red shoes. Becca.

39:33

She moved closer, looking

39:35

at a bit of the lump with several

39:37

points grouped together. Skeletal

39:41

fingers. She

39:44

felt lightheaded. Her mind

39:46

fogged over and she farted.

39:49

She heard the scrape and turned to her

39:51

left, illuminating the shape

39:53

crawling to her. In

39:57

the years since, Harry has recalled this memory thousands

39:59

of years later. thousands of times, tens

40:01

of thousands. She's never

40:03

told a soul, and even

40:06

alone she dared not say it out

40:08

loud. But she saw

40:10

something like a large spider. The

40:12

segment she assumed was a head covered

40:15

in tiny black orbs, all

40:17

encircling two massive orbs shining in

40:20

the light. Eyes.

40:23

Sparse layers of white and grey

40:25

hair with bald patches that peeled

40:27

and oozed covered the spider. A

40:30

long, spindly arm covered in thin,

40:33

wiry hairs raised slightly, not enough

40:35

to lift completely off the ground

40:37

and move toward her. The

40:40

spider dragged its massive frame across

40:42

the floor. Then

40:44

the creature dropped. The

40:46

spider heaved and shook. The

40:49

spider was still. Ali

40:52

said. The creature

40:54

exhaled. Ali swore

40:57

the head turned up toward

40:59

her. Now, years later,

41:01

the memory is enough to make

41:03

her itch, her skin crawl. She

41:06

instinctively balls up and fights tears

41:08

at the memory alone. But

41:11

faced with the creature then, she felt no

41:13

fear. Maybe her mind

41:16

struggled to make sense of a being that

41:18

shouldn't be, but she

41:20

felt pity for this dying creature, but

41:22

only for a moment. Then

41:25

she remembered the red shoes. She

41:27

backed away and shone the light

41:29

around the attic. Massive

41:31

lumps of webbed corpses shoved against the

41:33

walls and in every corner of the

41:36

attic space. Most

41:38

appeared to be small animals, but a

41:40

few were human. Ali

41:42

looked back at the spider. It

41:45

made no movement. She

41:48

looked around and found someone's cell

41:50

phone and old Nokia covered

41:52

in dust on the floor. She picked

41:55

it up and tossed it to the creature.

41:58

It bounced off the arachnid. body. No

42:02

movement. She left

42:04

the attic and looked back at the cabin.

42:07

The building seemed to crumble and

42:09

fall apart in large chunks, turn

42:11

into dust, until Hallie

42:13

stood alone in the bare patch of

42:15

ground. Alone, Hallie

42:19

left the woods. Hallie's

42:30

body was buried in the ground. Hallie's body was buried in the ground. Hallie's

42:38

body was buried in the ground. Hallie's body was buried in the ground. And

42:51

that was The Orbweaver by Alfred

42:54

Alley. A good reminder not to

42:56

befriend strange men in the woods,

42:58

myself included. Me? I'm

43:00

harmless. Just don't bend over in front

43:02

of Chester for a couple of months.

43:05

A little about the author. Alfred

43:08

Alley is a horror author

43:10

and disgraced paranormal investigator. You

43:12

can find his horror comedy novels, Apartment 239,

43:14

and its sequel, High

43:17

Strangeness, on Amazon. His

43:20

short story collections, Ash and Bone,

43:22

Last Night in the Damned House,

43:24

Find Us, and We Will Find

43:26

a Place for You are available

43:28

from Velox Books, in print and

43:30

audio. He enjoys folklore,

43:32

looking for monsters, and exploring

43:34

weird places. You

43:37

can also check out his website

43:39

for updates at alfredalley.com. Thanks,

43:41

Alfred. And thanks to

43:44

Velox Books, publisher of high-octane nightmare

43:46

fuel. Check out

43:49

their website, www.veloxbooks.com, for

43:51

your next great read.

43:55

And do ole Drew Blood a favor, would

43:57

ya? Subscribe to his podcast wherever you do

43:59

your listening. and then leave him a

44:01

5-star review and a kind word, even if

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you're listening on YouTube. He needs

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soldiers on all fronts to win this battle,

44:07

and he appreciates it. To

44:10

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44:12

the Knights and all the other

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episodes, visit simpliscarypodcast.com today and click

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44:57

Bloods DarkTales Podcast is accepting submissions, friend.

44:59

If you've got a story or two

45:01

you'd like to be featured on the

45:04

show, send it to drewbloodhauler.com. If

45:07

selected, you'll get the full treatment. 10

45:10

bananas! Well,

45:19

I'm afraid this is where we part ways,

45:22

at least till next week. So

45:25

grab a drink for the road, friend, and

45:27

stay on the road, will ya? It's

45:29

dark in these here woods. And

45:32

if Chester gets a hold of ya, spiders

45:34

will be the least of your problems. So

45:37

may the wind be at your back and may

45:39

the road rise up to meet you. Don't

45:42

go burning your rentless out this Monday. If

45:45

you do, go fuck yourself. Ah,

45:50

good night, y'all. And.

46:19

He has made it easier than ever

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