Palate Cleanser: Terrifying Tales from Reddit
Gina (00:50)
Welcome to I Scream You Scream, your weekly scoop of the most chilling histories, mysteries, and paranormal perplexities. My name is Gina.
Kathryn (00:58)
And I'm Kathryn
Gina (00:59)
And today we're doing a palate cleanser. So instead,
Kathryn (01:02)
Yay!
Gina (01:03)
hooray! Instead of focusing on just one story, it'll be a mishmash of deliciousness, a veritable Halloween candy bag of goodies, if you will. And while we normally
Kathryn (01:13)
Wow.
Gina (01:14)
pair our episodes with an ice cream, today we're having a drink of the alcoholic or non-alcoholic persuasion, depending on which continent you're on. Anyway.
Kathryn (01:21)
Yeah.
Gina (01:23)
Today's episode is sponsored by Clo Bare Money Coach. If you're ready to start investing, but you're not really sure how to go about it, visit getlazynow.com. But until then, grab a spoon or a drink, and let's dig right in.
Kathryn (01:33)
Yeah. What are you drinking?
Gina (01:35)
A Negroni.
Kathryn (01:38)
that's a good fall drink. Yeah.
Gina (01:41)
That's what I thought too. And I was this morning I was
Googling like autumnal Negroni, ways to make a Negroni Autumnal.
Kathryn (01:45)
Yeah.
Gina (01:46)
And then I was like, you know what? A Negroni is autumnal. As is. Yeah. So that's what I'm having. What about you?
Kathryn (01:49)
It kinda just is. Yeah. That's a good one. I'm
drinking ginger ale.
Gina (01:57)
Mm.
Kathryn (01:57)
Because I have a cold. But she hasn't
Gina (02:01)
Mm.
Kathryn (02:03)
like she hasn't popped out. She hasn't had like her debutante ball yet. So we're still
Gina (02:10)
Yeah.
Kathryn (02:11)
repressing her a little. Like we're still tamping her down. So we'll see.
My ginger ale is just to keep her at bay.
Gina (02:19)
Yeah, she's still in the cloakroom, powdering her nose and tightening her stays, whatever debutants do. Looking at her trust fund and cackling.
Kathryn (02:21)
Mm-hmm. Yes. Yeah.
I do have a skull glass though to
Gina (02:33)
very nice.
Kathryn (02:34)
keep the spirits bright.
Gina (02:36)
Yeah, I mean, it is officially spooky season, which means I
Kathryn (02:39)
It is.
Gina (02:40)
Scream You Scream's second birthday is so very soon. I know, we're gonna be two. The terrible twos.
Kathryn (02:44)
That's so weird. That is so weird.
the terrible twos, my god, buckle up everyone. We're about to be your worst fucking nightmare.
Gina (02:54)
We're gonna get
worse, and that's a promise.
Kathryn (02:56)
all downhill from here. Until
you finally send us way to college.
Gina (03:01)
Ha ha ha.
Kathryn (03:02)
Yeah, this is at the time this is published, it's only a few days away.
Gina (03:05)
I know. It feels like the first year went by fast. The second year somehow went by even faster. And I'll just throw it out there to celebrate, we are gonna announce something very, very special in the next episode.
Kathryn (03:16)
Ooh
Gina (03:17)
So make sure to tune in. It'll be a wonderful surprise.
Kathryn (03:20)
Yes,
we've been keeping secrets from you all.
Gina (03:23)
We have, but not for much longer, only a few days.
But we should probably talk about what we're talking about next month,
Kathryn (03:28)
I'll take I'll take the announcement from you since you so fearlessly took the intro.
Gina (03:34)
Ha ha
Kathryn (03:35)
so next month we are talking about hospitals. And
For a reason I still don't remember, we also came up with this during New Orleans. We're doing vanilla ice cream. You know what I think it was? Sorry to like land on this, but I think that it was because when you're in the hospital, sometimes they give you that little vanilla cup of ice cream. Is that what it was? Okay.
Gina (03:56)
That's exactly why we did it. Yeah.
Yeah. Or at least that's where my head was. Cause it's always chocolate, vanilla, or
Kathryn (04:01)
I think so too.
Gina (04:01)
strawberry. The chocolate and the strawberry always goes first and so you're always left with vanilla, like eight times out of ten. Mm-hmm.
Kathryn (04:06)
Yeah. Yeah.
anyway, for no reason whatsoever, we're doing hospitals and vanilla ice cream. I'm
Gina (04:13)
Mm-hmm.
Kathryn (04:13)
excited for this one. We are and I will say, just as my own little teaser, I will be finally telling a story I've been wanting to tell one of the reasons I wanted to start this podcast. So I'm very excited for this month. This is gonna be a good, good month.
Gina (04:27)
I'm so excited for you to tell that specific story. And I'm
Kathryn (04:30)
Yeah.
Gina (04:31)
weirdly excited for vanilla ice cream. I do I am a vanilla ice cream
Kathryn (04:34)
Ha ha
Gina (04:35)
fan. It's not what I order when I go out to an ice cream shop,
Kathryn (04:37)
No.
Gina (04:38)
but I'm excited for the opportunity to experience some mindfulness and maybe learn a new appreciation for vanilla ice cream. Try some really good ones, maybe try a really bad one. See what's in the middle.
Kathryn (04:50)
Yeah.
I do think it's funny that you ate vanilla ice cream all last month, but this is like your time. This is you've been training for this one.
Gina (04:55)
I know. I know.
Kathryn (04:58)
There's gonna be no praline, no chocolate sauce, no bits. Like we're just gonna see how this goes. Very exciting. We're coming into our
Gina (05:04)
It's our time, yes. Yeah.
Kathryn (05:11)
womanhood for hospitals month. I don't know what's happening. Guys, I'm sick. I'm so sorry.
Gina (05:17)
get ready for a full month
of medical jokes. This is gonna be great.
Kathryn (05:21)
Yeah, I wish
I was ne well, I don't wish I was sick next week. I probably will still be sick for our next episode if this is day one. Wow, great timing. This is great. You're all just a thought bubble to me right now in my illustration of life. So who knows what's gonna happen?
Gina (05:39)
So sick she's turning into Garfield.
Kathryn (05:42)
my god, I love lasagna.
Gina (05:43)
Ha ha ha
Kathryn (05:48)
Do, I love it. I love Lasagna so much, I do.
Gina (05:53)
And ya hate Mondays.
Kathryn (05:56)
Wow, we're doing great so far. We're we're off to a great start here.
Gina (05:59)
We are, yes.
so for today we have a a range of delicious fun little treats. I've said that already. Today we're
Kathryn (06:07)
You did. Always good to hear again.
Gina (06:10)
we're gonna be doing a a variety of different stories. I think each of us have two short ones that we're gonna be telling each other, and I believe they're all Reddit stories, if I'm not mistaken.
Kathryn (06:20)
Yes.
Gina (06:21)
Crowdsourced from the online community. Definitely not bots. Who would like to go first?
Kathryn (06:26)
Yeah.
how how do we wanna do this? Who are you itching to go one way or another? Is there one you're dying to get off your chest?
Gina (06:36)
You know, I actually
I think one of my stories would make a very good first story. 'Cause it's not particularly
Kathryn (06:42)
Okay, do it.
Gina (06:43)
scary. And this won't spoil anything, but it is one of those stories where the last line changes how you view the entire thing, and it's pretty short. Yeah, me too.
Kathryn (06:49)
Ooh. Those are my favorite. Those are my favorite
types of stories. Okay, perfect. Hit me with it.
Gina (06:55)
Okay. So this story is called Please Remain Indoors Until Further Notice. And it is by
Kathryn (07:02)
no.
Gina (07:02)
user Twisted Urban Tales.
Kathryn (07:05)
Ooh, love this.
Gina (07:07)
so this is it's a fictional story which will become clear very immediately, so I probably didn't need to say that. But I can't remember what subreddit I got it on. I think it's the scary stu I'm really not making any points right now that add anything to what I'm about to say, so
Kathryn (07:20)
Well,
I actually that's a good point because I feel like we usually do a mix. Are both of yours fiction? So
Gina (07:26)
Yes, both fiction.
Kathryn (07:27)
are mine. I usually don't go that route. I usually do like real spooky stories, but I know you usually roll fiction, so I did two this time
Gina (07:33)
Yeah.
Kathryn (07:34)
just in case.
Gina (07:35)
But you know what, I think that's okay, because we had and are going to have probably a month of real stories that are difficult to hear. So we need some fiction. Yep. Alright,
Kathryn (07:42)
Exactly. Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Gina (07:47)
so please remain indoors until further notice. Here we go. Government emergency alert. Please remain indoors until further notice. My phone lit up and started shrieking at seven AM, along with every other connected device in my apartment block.
I stared at the screen, waiting for an explanation. Terrorist attack, weather warning, chemical leak, nothing. People panicked, and pretty much everyone obeyed at first. Those who were out at the time scrambled to get inside, awaiting a disaster. But by lunchtime, nothing had happened. And by dinner, thousands had left their homes, and by the next day, there were protests. the same message repeated every day at 7 a.m. for the next week.
Week. Shops closed and roads became clogged. Some remained indoors the entire time, but most left eventually. People demanded answers that never came. I stayed inside on the first day. On the second, I went out in the evening, and there was absolutely nothing to see. Nothing was falling from the sky, and apart from the chaos in public, everything was fine. Within another few days, most people had just stopped listening.
Exactly one week after the original alert, another message arrived at 7 a.m. The previous emergency alert has ended. Normal activity may resume. That was it. No explanation, no apology. People were furious, and within weeks the whole thing became a joke. They made memes and mocked politicians, and of course, conspiracies circulated online. But otherwise, life returned to normal fairly quickly. Exactly one year later,
Every phone in the country screamed again at 7 a.m. Government Emergency Alert. Please remain indoors until further notice. I rolled my eyes, not this again. I finished breakfast and walked to my front door to leave, my hand resting on the handle. But something stopped me. Perhaps it was fear or instinct, but I decided against leaving at all this time. Hours passed, and then days.
People online were already mocking the government again. News reports showed crowds outside and politicians demanded that the alert be canceled. And on the seventh day, I woke to the second message. The previous emergency alert has ended. Normal activity may resume. Finally, I thought as I turned on the television. I froze as the news channel popped up. An unprecedented solar event had just struck Earth.
The radiation and electromagnetic effects had killed almost everyone who had been outside. Two-thirds of the country's population was dead. I sat on the floor, shaking, and cried with relief. The government had been warning us after all. Perhaps the first time had been a mistake, but thank God I had listened the second time. That evening, the president addressed the nation. How can the country possibly recover? He asked. We've lost almost two-thirds of our population.
Hospitals, transport, food production, energy, everything has been affected. It will be difficult, he said. But essential services, infrastructure, and the economy will be restored much sooner than people might expect. We're well prepared. And then he paused. The number of survivors is very consistent with last year's projections.
And that's the end of the story.
The first one was a test so they could predict how many people would die. It was the government.
Kathryn (11:18)
So stressful. I will say I was waiting a real
Gina (11:19)
I know.
Kathryn (11:20)
long time for the fiction part to pop up
Gina (11:22)
Yeah, as I was reading it I
was like, this is a little close to home, isn't it?
Kathryn (11:27)
little. I
like I'm still kinda like might not be fiction, who knows?
Gina (11:35)
But yeah, this was one where I was reading
Kathryn (11:36)
Wow.
Gina (11:37)
it and I was kind of like, yeah, this is a fun, you know, sci-fi, whatever. And then the last line I was like,
Kathryn (11:42)
That's one of those lines it took me a second where I was like, Wait, what? And then it clicked
Gina (11:46)
Mm-hmm.
Kathryn (11:47)
and I was like, What the fuck? That that's fun. I love stories where it's like, that's the whole story, that one sentence. That's wild. Ooh, that's spooky.
Gina (11:54)
Me too. Yeah. So that's
my first spooky story.
Kathryn (11:59)
Mine's kinda opposite vibes of everything you just said. So worth noting, yeah.
Gina (12:03)
We go to the aliens. Sorry, okay.
Kathryn (12:08)
This user profile was deleted, so I don't know who posted it.
it was like Ask Reddit or s one of the general ones or whatever.
Gina (12:16)
Mm.
Kathryn (12:17)
but the prompt, this was in response to a question of what were some spooky like campfire stories you used to be told. Or like urban legends or spooky summer party campfire type stories that you used to be told or something like that. So
Gina (12:32)
Hell yeah.
Kathryn (12:33)
yeah, that's where both of mine are from.
While on his way home one night, a farmer was caught in a terrible thunderstorm while on his horse. Completely lost, he realizes he will either freeze to death or get struck by lightning if he doesn't find a place to stay. Through the storm he comes across a small homestead, the yellow candlelight visible through the sheets of rain. Lightning flashes brightly, thunder barely a breath later, and he leads his terrified horse to the small home.
Tying the petrified animal to the fence, he knocks on the door and an old lady opens it with a smile. She ushers him in and he finds her husband smoking a pipe. He is seated at the kitchen table, and the wife quickly boils the kettle and gives him a bowl of hot soup and a cup of coffee. The farmer tells the couple his story, and they're happy to serve him his sanctuary against the storm until it dies down.
Outside the lightning flashes, followed with a bout of thunder. The old man smiles as the man jumps, startled, and he offers him a bit of tobacco for his pipe to calm his nerves. The farmer accepts gratefully. next bolt slams close, ripping through the ground, almost deafening the farmer completely. He jumps up with a cry, startling out of his wits, only to find himself standing in the dark.
And cold, soaking wet by the rain, with no sign of the couple, broken stones littered around him, and his horse tied to a tree branch nearby. Without thinking, he jumps on his spooked horse and gallops as fast as he can away from the place. He would reach a town sometime during the night. At a tavern, after sharing his story,
The people there tell him of the small cottage nearby which had been struck by lightning a long, long time ago, and of the couple that was killed in the house fire.
Gina (14:32)
We need a we need a flashlight that we can put under our faces, you know?
Kathryn (14:32)
Spooky, huh? my god, yes.
Wait, we should do that.
Gina (14:39)
I will say, soup and coffee sounds like a wild combination to serve someone, but I also
kind of think it might be something you would have.
Kathryn (14:49)
Literally as I was reading that, I kind of paused for a second in my head. I was like, that sounds so good right now.
Gina (14:56)
Ha ha
Kathryn (14:57)
Absolutely. But I don't
Gina (14:59)
Just various hot.
Kathryn (15:00)
disagree with you. Yeah, I like truly that's what I'll be having after we're done here. Yeah. That sounds so good to me right now. It's just the hot. They they handed him various shaped containers of hot hot liquid, which is my favorite
Gina (15:16)
Of hot.
Kathryn (15:16)
thing to consume. Yeah. Yeah.
Gina (15:19)
Yep.
Yep. Savory hot and bitter hot. Mm-hmm. That was great.
Kathryn (15:19)
So good. Yep. Ooh, that sounds so good.
Gina (15:25)
That was a very classic t toned
Kathryn (15:28)
Yes.
Gina (15:30)
campfire story, but I had also had never heard one like that before. I love.
Kathryn (15:33)
I know.
I wonder if it's I do wonder if it's one of those urban legends. Like I wonder if there's a place that shares the story.
Gina (15:41)
Agreed. Because not a whole lot are struck by lightning ghosts. I haven't heard many of those.
Kathryn (15:42)
I don't know. No.
Yeah, I don't know.
Gina (15:47)
I'm just thinking about what a struck by lightning goes would be like yeah but just be like, wow,
Kathryn (15:48)
Are you thinking of
Gina (15:51)
your hair would look wild at all times. You just have a bunch of balloons stuck to you.
Kathryn (16:03)
That's
funny.
Gina (17:05)
okay, so my second story is a little bit similar in that it's also about kind of a rural area, but
Kathryn (17:12)
Okay.
Gina (17:13)
mine is like Appalachia rural.
Kathryn (17:16)
Ooh, spooky, spooky, spooky. Okay.
Gina (17:18)
Yeah, yes. This one's
called The Shadow Men in the Mountain.
Kathryn (17:24)
Great. All the best
Gina (17:25)
I know, I'm just gonna
Kathryn (17:26)
things.
Gina (17:27)
Yes. Shadows, men, mountains, my gosh.
Then it's from user Brutal Elite.
Kathryn (17:39)
my god I can't we I'm sorry. Done. Episode over. No more podcasts.
Gina (17:48)
It's from user Big Swall Muscles Hot Man Sixty Nine.
Kathryn (17:54)
These are all of my least favorite things.
Gina (17:56)
okay.
Growing up in rural Appalachia, we were taught stories and fables meant to teach us and warn us, just like anyone else. Then there were the other stories. Stories that anywhere else would be labeled as myth, legend, or superstition. But they're true. I'm writing this as a cautionary tale. This is not a fable, a dream, or a scary story. Yes, it is.
I was born April 7, 1950. I don't care to talk much about my upbringing, but suffice it to say it was rough. Dad was mean and gone to the mine all day, and Mama tried her best. She always wanted more from me, but I could never escape the siren song of the mines. There wasn't much for work in Logan County, West Virginia. The only option seemed to be to work in the mines or move out of town. So at eighteen, with no money to move, I
I joined the Union and went to work down in the mines. The year I started, it had been forty-seven years since the Battle of Blair Mountain. ten thousand miners arose to battle for workers' rights, fighting against the coal companies, their hired guns, crooked cops, and even the federal government. My father was a child then. He knew many of the men who were killed, his father among them. My first day in the mine was
I understood why my dad was so mean and stayed drunk all the time. One of the stories I never quite believed was of the shadow men in the mines. Men, miners that had been called home while in or around the mines, whose spirits were left to wander and rot in the all consuming darkness of the mountain. Men punished not for their sins, but that of the companies they slaved for.
The mountain had been violated and ravaged by greed, with no thought or heed given to where they were or what was there. As I prepared for my shift, I found myself walking into the mine. grizzled, aged, and exhausted men walking in with me. I was lucky enough to get onto day shift, and as we walked in, night shift was walking out.
Looking around, I saw the men to either side of me with their heads down, focusing on something past the ground that we were walking on. As we continued to walk, I watched the men passing us, and I saw a man that I recognized, a face I had only seen in old family pictures. I stopped. Staring at who I knew, although never met, was my grandfather. He hadn't aged from the picture I knew him from.
The man behind me gave me a shove, making me lurch forward, catching myself before I hit the ground, followed by a fear-filled whisper of keep moving, keep your eyes down. My eyes now fixed on the unseen beneath our feet like all those around me, I walked on. As we got to where our work would begin, I realized I hadn't blinked since the encounter. I closed my eyes and I rubbed them. I pulled out my bandana and wiped the sweat already beating down my face. When I opened my eyes again,
nearly a third of the men I had walked in with were gone. John Todd, a longtime family friend, was the man who had pushed me, coming in, and he must have seen the surprise and fear written on my face. Was that my grandfather? John's reply did not, and it could not, bring me any comfort.
He's been walking back and forward with night shift longer than I've been in the mines. this to me signified that not only does the mines take you and keep you if you die there, it claims you long before you die. My grandfather had died in Sharples, fighting sheriff and state deputies, nowhere near the mines. I shook off the thought and I got back to work. That was life for me for the next twelve years.
The last day I was in the mines is a day I will never forget. It started like any other, walking in and through the mine, passing and walking with the men that had passed before me, trapped and claimed by the mine. About halfway in, the point where I would normally see my grandfather, I saw a pair of not quite natural feet stopped, not moving, just in my peripheral.
I gave it a quick glance, and it was him. He seemed to look at me fondly, like he was remembering the grandson he had never met, and I now believe this was a warning. At the time I was beyond scared and wanted more than anything to be anywhere else, but I pushed on anyway. Walking beside John, even though he had passed years before, we started work like any other day. The shadow men disappeared, breaking the silence that we had all walked in with, and work began.
My mind was only halfway on my work when I looked down at my watch. Almost lunchtime. I was ripped out of the fog in my mind, and as I looked up, I could see the men with me, but also ones that I had only seen while walking in. A chill struck me to the bone. The earth moved, popping and cracking all around us. Ancient rocks and dirt rained down, and I found myself running before my mind could catch up. I passed friends crushed and pinned by rocks, and
Men yelling for help that I couldn't give. I just needed to get out. I found myself being chased by the men who were no longer men. Anger and guile written on their faces. It was time for the mountain to collect.
Looking forward, a single entity stood before me. My grandfather. Giving me a nod, I passed him, keeping my eyes glued on the man I never knew, and I watched as he fought back all the poor souls who were still trapped. I could see light. I was so close. And tripping, I fell into more than the dirt, but also into the deepest hole of dread I had ever felt.
Looking back and working to stand back up, one shadow reached for me, grabbing my arm. It burned. Visible smoke started coming off of my arm. I pulled and fought and clawed to the opening of the mine. The mine, the thing that wasn't a man, disappearing into smoke as a ray of sun shone across its face. I woke up in the boss's office.
They wanted to know what happened, but I couldn't tell them. I later learned that I was the only one to make it out,
I was paid out by the company for workers' comp for the burn and the shoulder that I, in the moment, didn't know that I had torn. With that money, I moved far away to downtown Nashville. I retired from the union and now draw my check, which pays enough to keep me here. And I'm writing this now as a record of not only what happened.
But also of what I fear will happen. I am now 76 and I am dying. I was diagnosed with black lung years ago, but I know the end is near. I know I am getting close because last week I saw a miner at the end of the hall. I may have left
Kathryn (24:37)
Hmm.
Gina (24:37)
the mine, but it never left me.
Kathryn (24:40)
No!
Gina (24:42)
My lungs stained black with coal dust, I am and was always condemned, claimed by the mountain all those years ago. The miner in the hall is getting closer.
Don't say that to my face. how terrifying.
Kathryn (24:55)
Dude, don't say that shit to me. I don't like that. my god.
I that was a very spooky story. I hate that like stories that create that feeling. Like, it's getting closer. I don't
Gina (25:14)
Yes, agreed, agreed. I
feel like ever since you recommended Incidents Around the House, every scary story, I'm like, it's just
like incidents around the house. Something is getting closer and they can't stop
Kathryn (25:29)
It's
so funny you say that because I find I had never seen the trailer for the movie that's based on that. I hadn't seen it yet. Just
Gina (25:37)
my god.
Kathryn (25:38)
I don't know why. I don't think I've I don't think I've been to the movies since it was released. And we went to see Buddy the other night. And so
There was all these like horror movie trailers, and that was one of them. And I was like, I'm like, finally, I'm seeing this trailer. I've heard so much about it. And I was my friend from work who she went to see the Odyssey, and I think that's when the trailer was like officially released or whatever. And her someone, friend, sister-in-law, someone like that warned her to like close your eyes when you see Jessica Chastain because she's like not a horror movie person. And
She was warned about a jump scare in the trailer. so I knew about this. And I'm like, whatever. It's just a trailer. It's a jump scare. Fully. I was like, like I was fully
like I fell victim to the jump scare, even though I was fully aware of it. but yeah, that feeling
Gina (26:31)
It's freaky.
Kathryn (26:32)
of like you don't expect someone to be as close as they are is like, it's such a specific fear. It's not even a fear, it's not
Gina (26:41)
Yeah.
Kathryn (26:42)
even like a, it's not a logical.
brain
res it's not like a thought response, it's like your body is
Gina (26:48)
Mm-hmm.
Kathryn (26:49)
straight up like, yeah, I don't know. That's just such an alarming feeling.
Gina (26:55)
I agree. And I feel like it's exacerbated by the whole, you know, in this instance it's the minds have already claimed me, and I know that as soon as I die,
Kathryn (27:02)
Mm-hmm.
Gina (27:03)
I'm going back there. But really any story where let's say like you sell your soul to something or something like that, and you know that after
Kathryn (27:07)
Mm-hmm.
Gina (27:08)
death something horrible is going to happen to your soul or your spirit or what like something bad's gonna happen. And so the
Kathryn (27:14)
Mm-hmm.
Gina (27:14)
closer and closer you get, and the further away you get
from the inciting incident, that anxiety almost grows and it becomes bigger and scarier. So that coupled with
There's something getting closer to me and I can't stop it. That's
Kathryn (27:26)
Mm-hmm.
Gina (27:27)
so scary.
Kathryn (27:28)
And just that feeling of you can't leave. Like you're never gonna
Gina (27:30)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Kathryn (27:32)
leave this space. This reminds me of another movie we were watching recently. we rewatched 1408 recently, and I remember that movie
Gina (27:42)
Hmm.
Kathryn (27:42)
scared the crap out of me when it like first came out. Or did you ever see it? This one with
Gina (27:47)
Mm.
Kathryn (27:48)
John Cusack being
Gina (27:50)
I don't think so.
Kathryn (27:51)
cute. A cutie little cute McCuterson. Man, he was so adorable.
Gina (27:55)
Yeah.
Kathryn (27:55)
Anyway,
big crush on John Cusack. He was one of my mom's biggest crush. Cinnamon loves
Gina (28:01)
that's a g yeah.
Kathryn (28:02)
him too. It's just so funny because he I do have to land on John Cusack for a second. I just think he's one of those actors that just cracks me up because like he's very much a like women love him for things like serendipity and you know, all of those. And but like men love him too, because he also does all those action movies. I'm just like, man, what a guy.
Who
doesn't like John Cusack? anyway. Yeah, exactly.
Gina (28:24)
The guy, a real nonpartisan sex appeal.
Kathryn (28:29)
all of this is to say that to me is like the epitome of like the whole like Hotel California 1408, like all of that, where it's you think you can get out, and even when you think you're out, you're not actually out. You're just stuck
Gina (28:45)
Yeah.
Kathryn (28:45)
there. You think you've left the mines, but you've not, you know.
Gina (28:50)
Yeah. I've been reading a lot of books about hell recently. I'm on a hell kick. And there's one I wanna
Kathryn (28:55)
Okay.
Gina (28:56)
recommend to you because it's kind of about that, but it's a humorous tongue-in-cheek take on it. And it actually takes that trope and it makes it quite enjoyable. And I found it quite funny. It's called
Sign Here. I can't remember. it's very, very good. Yeah. And I looked
Kathryn (29:08)
I saw that on your story graph. I was curious about it. Okay.
Gina (29:13)
up the author. I can't remember her name. I feel so bad. I'll put it in the show notes. I looked her up because I was like, I love this. Like I wanna read more books by her.
It's her debut novel and her it's still the only one she's released. Yeah. Yeah, but it's very, very good. It's
Kathryn (29:21)
I was gonna say, I've never h heard of it before. Yeah. Hmm. Okay.
Gina (29:26)
a guy who works in the admin department of hell.
Kathryn (29:30)
Okay, that sounds terrible. That job, not that book.
Gina (29:33)
It's so good.
It's so so but it also has like a thriller and kind of horror component to it. Highly recommend.
Very
Kathryn (29:39)
Okay.
Gina (29:39)
good.
Kathryn (29:40)
Interesting. Okay. I also, okay, I'm not reading a book about hell, but I am reading a book called Dive Bar at the End of the World. And it is also like
Gina (29:47)
Hmm.
Kathryn (29:48)
they can't leave this dive bar.
Gina (29:50)
Is it the time of year? Is it because it's spooky inside time that we're like, let's read about scary inside stuff?
Kathryn (29:53)
yeah, maybe. Yeah, maybe. Yeah,
I don't know. It must be. It's that weird, it's technically calendar wise still summer at the time we're recording it, but like vibes are very
Gina (30:07)
Mm.
Kathryn (30:07)
much fall. And I feel like that's like we're ready to move inside here. Not forever
Gina (30:11)
Yeah.
Kathryn (30:12)
though. Well maybe forever. Who knows? Depends on depends on the temp.
Gina (30:14)
Well, I don't know. It's pretty nice in here.
Kathryn (30:20)
So I have one more. It's from the same string. I was just
I
was I stayed up late last night and was just reading my way through this Reddit thread with all these spooky stories.
Gina (30:29)
Ha ha.
Kathryn (30:29)
So this is from the this is an answer to the same cr question. It's from Hand Eating Cat, which I have here with me right now. So Cinnamon posted this to a Reddit one. Yep.
Gina (30:43)
That meme of the cat working its type.
Kathryn (30:50)
okay.
My uncle attended university in the early 80s, and he was among a group of fraternity brothers responsible for recruiting freshmen who went through a particular kind of hazing. The hazing involved a supposed haunted house a few miles from campus. An old three-story Victorian-style mansion left abandoned and withering away to the elements after, rumor has it, the father of the family that lived there went mad one day.
and murdered his wife and three children with a hatchet before hanging himself from the second story stairwell. yeah, I forgot I chose this for that connection to close out Axe Murder Month. Sorry, I forgot about
Gina (31:31)
Axe murder month.
Kathryn (31:33)
that. Wow, full circle. Okay.
During the hazing, three freshmen recruits would go to said house at 3 a.m., two equipped with an item related to the murders, and all three with a candle and a match. The freshmen would go into the house one at a time, observed from afar by the Frat brothers hazing them. They were instructed to enter the house, light their candle, and descend each floor until they got to the attic. They were told to stop at each main picture window of each floor.
And let the candle show in the window to prove that they were actually there
and completing the challenge. On one fateful night, my uncle, four of his frat brothers, and three recruits arrive at a small bridge on the outskirts of the house around 2 30 a.m. The night is cold and still, clouds ride across the almost full moon, illuminating the house and casting eerie shadows.
The free the The Fresh What The Free Threshman. Sorry, okay, focus.
The three freshmen are given separate items alongside their candles and matches.
The first gets a hatchet, representing the murder weapon. The second is given a rope, representing the suicide method. The third is given a second match, because he's told it's almost certain his candle will not burn true after the first two ascend the stairs and disturb the spirits. So my frat my god, Gina I'm like, I have to give up.
I can't start a paragraph.
Gina (33:12)
Your facial expressions. I love watching you like behind the scenes. I wasn't gonna say that. I love watching
Kathryn (33:15)
Mess up.
Gina (33:19)
Kathryn behind the scenes, cause your reactions to yourself are so fucking funny.
Kathryn (33:23)
It's astonishing.
It is it surprises me every time. Like what is this?
Gina (33:29)
Funny. You shock
yourself with what comes out of your mouth and it's so funny.
Kathryn (33:36)
I can't do it. I can't do this. Okay. Water.
Gina (33:39)
My latest
favorite is when you say something that you don't mean to and you'll say it and then go, What? And then you'll just resate it.
Kathryn (33:46)
Well, I've been doing that to you a lot lately, 'cause that happens over text a lot.
Gina (33:51)
Mm.
Kathryn (33:52)
Because yeah, I just did that like an hour ago.
my god, I
Gina (33:57)
You did it in the voice notes you were sending me yesterday and I had to pause it so I could laugh.
Kathryn (34:02)
did that. Okay, I'm not gonna say what that was, but that was astonishing. I gotta talk to a therapist about that one. I did not mean to say that. Woo! She is okay, everyone. All right. Back to the story. So my uncle, the frat.
brothers and the other two freshmen watch as the first recruit approaches the old house with a hatchet, a candle, and a match in hand. Nervously he enters, and in the dark night the rest can plainly see the match strike, light, and ignite the candle. This house had many large picture windows, and the whole group watched as a glow illuminated the first floor windows, passing one by one, until the stairs
when it began to rise. First floor, second floor, and then the candle goes out.
They speculate for a minute, most likely a draft, or moving too fast from the panic, so they send the second freshman recruit equipped with a rope, candle, and match. And eerily enough, the same events unfold. First floor, second floor, and the candle goes out. The third and last recruit is obviously shaken.
But the Frat brothers try to rationalize the situation by explaining that the other two recruits are probably just messing with them. Hauled up in the second floor, laughing in the dark and sipping on a hip flax, they said. My uncle says he didn't believe this, but he just laughed and agreed to ease this tension. So they send the third freshman to investigate, give his buddies a kick in the ass and remind them that they can't join the frat unless they make it to the attic and prove it with a candle glowing in the window.
With nothing but a candle and two matches, the third freshman, visibly trembling, approaches the house, gives an apprehensive look back to the group, then enters. Again it happens. The same thing. First floor, second floor, and the candle goes out. It doesn't relight, despite the second match. My uncle and his buddies are perplexed. Do these guys just not want to join the frat?
Are they just screwing with us to be cocky or prove something? It's gotta be freezing dark and miserable in that old house, so what do they have to gain? So they wait and wait and wait. Two hours have passed. The beer has all been drunk, and my uncle and his frat buddies are just annoyed at this point. So they say fuck it. Leave let the freshmen enjoy their little prank and sit in the cold and dark. We're not gonna give them that satisfaction.
So they go back to the dorms and sleep it off, eager to see the freshmen the next day to inform them that they in fact failed the test and hope it was worth it. But the freshmen never show up.
In fact, the next day they still didn't show up. Nervous, my uncle and his buddies decide to investigate the old house before getting police involved and potentially a massive scandal. Well, what they found, my uncle never forgot or forgave himself. At the top of the second floor stairway, they found the first freshman face down in a pool of blood, the hatchet buried in his head. Hanging by a rope was the second freshman.
Panicked and horrified, they called the police. The third freshman was never found. But there were footprints in the dust leading up the stairs and out an open window. The police never found him, and he is believed to be the top suspect. But why would he kill his friends? No known motive, but he's the only suspect and still missing to this day. After an extensive investigation,
No charges were filed on the frat or my uncle or any of their friends due to the lack of evidence. My uncle's fraternity completely disbanded after the incident.
Hazing gone wrong ends in two grisly deaths, the papers said. Big mess swept under the rug. But then the incident started happening. Now, here's the even more peculiar part of the whole mess. Each year, almost on the dot, the night of the deaths of the two freshmen, my uncle's frat brothers started dropping like frat fries.
Gina (38:35)
Their cholesterol spiked every year.
Kathryn (38:44)
I gotta take that back. Okay. Each year, almost on the dot, the night of the deaths of those two freshmen, my uncle's frat brothers started dropping like flies, one at a time. Grief stricken suicide, alcoholism, tragic accident. Each was explained away and forgotten. Only my uncle seemed to draw the connection, and it haunted him for the rest of his life. Until he was the last one left.
Twelve years later, he found himself the last of his fraternity and the anniversary was slowly approaching. Terrified, he panicked, sold all of his worldly possessions, and decided to live the vagrant rail riding hobo lifestyle. Who knows why? We certainly didn't. All we know is how he was found two days after the anniversary. He was at a railway station, found by a worker unloading boxcars.
He was alone, dead and cold, a horrible, shocked look frozen on his face. Beside him was a candle and two burnt out matches.
Gina (39:53)
Mm
Kathryn (39:54)
Spooky,
huh?
Gina (39:56)
that's so campfire story coded. Ooh,
Kathryn (39:58)
Isn't it?
Gina (39:59)
you picked some really good ones, yeah.
Kathryn (40:02)
Yeah.
Gina (40:02)
The entire first bit of that story where they're sending the freshmen in one by one, I was thinking, how is joining a fraternity worth it? How can you be the third freshman and be like, like,
Kathryn (40:11)
No it's not. No.
Gina (40:12)
my god, that just sounds fucking terrible. But imagine being the third one and knowing you have to go
Kathryn (40:15)
Ugh no. I would not
Gina (40:18)
in there? No, me neither.
Kathryn (40:20)
'Cause I and I would be afraid of what they thought. I would be afraid that they were gonna jump out at me or they were pranking me or whatever. And then on top of the fact that I would be too scared to actually do it. Yeah.
Gina (40:33)
Yeah, yeah, agreed.
You know what this reminds me of? Brooke sent in a story once. Yeah
Kathryn (40:37)
Yes! I yes!
I was gonna ask you if it reminded you of that one with the window. Someone got like pushed out a window or something? Yes. I was wondering
Gina (40:45)
Yes huh, yeah, yeah.
Kathryn (40:48)
if you were gonna say that because me too. Yeah, it reminded me of
that.
Gina (40:52)
I can't remember what episode we'll have to find out what episode that was and put it in the show notes or something, because that's a very spooky story. It was, yeah.
Kathryn (40:57)
That was a long time ago, yeah. That was a good one.
Gina (41:01)
that was a good one. Well hot damn. Those are some four spooky stories.
Kathryn (41:04)
Ha ha.
Gina (41:06)
Sure am scared.
Kathryn (41:09)
Girl, I gotta go make some soup and get some coffee. I've been like craving that this whole episode now.
Gina (41:16)
well
Kathryn (41:17)
What?
Gina (41:18)
I think I do have one more thing to tempt you with.
Kathryn (41:21)
oh!
Gina (41:22)
I got this spooky season handbook subtitled The Ultimate Guide to Celebrating the Best Time of Year.
Kathryn (41:29)
Love it.
Gina (41:29)
And there is a section in it that gives you, da da da da da da, hold on, let me find it, your horoscope as a horror movie archetype.
Kathryn (41:41)
Wait, I'm obsessed with it. This is my favorite type of social post. Do you ever see those? Like, they're just
Gina (41:46)
Yeah, huh.
Kathryn (41:47)
yeah, to get you to swipe. But I I'm like hook line and sinker every time. I'm like, tell me who
Gina (41:52)
Yeah.
Kathryn (41:52)
I am. This is great. I love this.
Gina (41:55)
Well
Perfect timing, I can tell you exactly who you are. And this is like right w we're entering Libra season too when this comes out. This is perfect timing. So
Kathryn (42:03)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Gina (42:05)
Libra is the flirt.
Kathryn (42:09)
Classic.
Gina (42:10)
Ruled by the planet of love, Venus, the charming and magnetic Libra can't help being so enticing. They thrive in social settings and possess a gift for connection. Perhaps a little too much. I do disagree.
Kathryn (42:23)
Okay.
Gina (42:23)
Libra is likely
to get distracted by anyone that catches their eye and might indulge in some R-rated fun, even amidst a crisis. In slasher movies, if you have sex, you die, a trope that reflects rather conservative views about which kinds of women are deemed worthy of living. Meanwhile, the final girl is typically more virginal and adverse to quote bad behavior. Your seasonal suggestion is that your sensual side is a beautiful thing.
Head to a lively bar or a costume party with your friends, and if someone catches your eye, flirt away. Embrace pleasure without shame. I won't tell Phil. None of us will tell Phil. yeah, you love your husband, I forgot, yeah.
Kathryn (42:57)
Will do. Well, it's gonna be Phil. That's so funny. I know it's really inconvenient for me. As a Libra.
Gina (43:14)
being long term madly in love. So inconvenient. Would you like to hear about Scorpios?
Kathryn (43:22)
Always.
Gina (43:23)
So Scorpios are
Kathryn (43:25)
You're gonna be the villain, aren't you? What are you?
Gina (43:27)
No, I'm the red herring.
Kathryn (43:29)
Okay. See, I did it to myself.
Gina (43:33)
They think exact
Kathryn (43:34)
Literally just did it.
Gina (43:37)
You because of people like you, we get a bad name. It's the Geminis. It's actually in this, it's the
Kathryn (43:39)
I think
Gina (43:43)
Virgo. the Virgo is the serial killer.
Kathryn (43:47)
Always.
Gina (43:49)
actually I'll read mine and then I'll read through not all of the other ones, but I'll say what the other archetypes are and which sign they go with 'cause I think that's fun.
Kathryn (43:54)
Okay, yeah.
Gina (43:55)
Okay, so Scorpio's the red herring. Scorpio's intense and mysterious energy make them a natural fit for the horror movie villain, or so you'd suspect. They already seem like they're hiding a deep dark secret and any alibis they offer up are vague at best. Everything points to them.
But then, when the big reveal comes, the killer is someone else entirely, someone totally unexpected. Except now that you think about it, that also makes sense. Scorpio really does make a fabulous red herring, because we're the best at everything. My seasonal suggestion
Kathryn (44:28)
Yeah.
Gina (44:29)
is to reveal more of yourself this season and invite your close friends over for a tarot card reading. Get a load off your chest by bearing some secrets to your trusted inner circle.
So it all started in 1995. I was born on a Monday at 6 31 p.m.
Kathryn (44:42)
Ha ha ha
Gina (44:46)
Okay, I'm gonna tell you what the other ones are. So I I love this as a like spooky Halloween thing. I think this is cute.
Kathryn (44:51)
Yeah, this is great. I love this.
Gina (44:53)
So if you're an Aries, you are the muscle. You're like the big swole person who saves everyone. The Taurus
Kathryn (44:58)
Mm. Yeah.
Gina (45:00)
is the skeptic, so they wouldn't
Kathryn (45:02)
Classic.
Gina (45:03)
hundred percent get killed.
the Gemini is the accomplice. So I was kinda right about them being a villain. They're just they're a villain with a spreadsheet. That's all that means.
Kathryn (45:08)
Yeah, that's true. Yep.
Gina (45:13)
A villain of the logistics. Aw, cancers are the sacrificial lamb.
Kathryn (45:18)
Yeah, I'm not surprised. Sorry guys.
Gina (45:21)
I'm sorry, Phil.
Leo is the leader, which yes, I
Kathryn (45:23)
Okay. Yeah.
Gina (45:25)
do believe, yeah. Virgo is the serial killer,
Sagittarius is the lone wolf. Capricorn is the final girl. Aw, Tom's the final girl. Mm-hmm.
Kathryn (45:33)
Yeah, that yeah, that makes sense.
Gina (45:36)
Aquarius is the guide, and Pisces is the seer.
Kathryn (45:41)
Okay. I'm a little confused
about the Aquarius being the guide, but that's okay.
Gina (45:46)
So
I can give you some highlights. the quirky and independent Aquarius would easily play the eccentric character who lives on the outskirts of town, offering cryptic advice and warning others of impending doom every other week.
Kathryn (45:59)
Okay, that's fair. Yeah, when you put it that way. All right.
Gina (46:03)
I do enjoy that, yes,
Kathryn (46:04)
Wow, that
was fun. I love that.
Gina (46:06)
Well, I think it's high time that we put Kathryn to bed so she can recover. And
Kathryn (46:10)
Yeah.
Gina (46:11)
I think it's high time that I make another Negroni. So with that, we are so excited for Hospitals Month next month. Don't forget to grab some vanilla ice cream if you would like to join us in pairing the two. Please let us know if you do. iscreamyouscreampod@gmail.com
Kathryn (46:23)
Yes.
Gina (46:24)
That's always so exciting to us. Also, if you have a story, a spooky story or anything really that you'd like to hear at the end of an episode, iscreamyouscreampod@gmail.com the second.
feel free to join us over on Patreon. Would love you forever if you left us a rating or review. And I'm pretty sure that's everything. So until
Kathryn (46:44)
Mm-hmm.
Gina (46:44)
next time, little spoons, keep it cool.
Kathryn (46:46)
And keep it creepy.
