S15 Ep17: S15E17 - "It's What's Inside That Counts" - Horror Hill

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2:03downloadable tales of terror. Thank you for listening and enjoy the show. The Anthology Podcast bringing you scary stories from all corners of the internet and beyond. As such, certain stories include content that some listeners might find offensive. Listener discretion is advised.

3:10Good evening listeners and welcome back to Horror Hill. I'm the voice you hear rustling in the leaves, Eric Peabody. I know we're only barely into September here, but that's well past time to get into the Halloween spirit if I do say so myself. And to ring in this season this year, I've got a fun little story for you called I grew up in a ghost town by M.M. Kelly. In it, our protagonist, John, tells us of his childhood in Moonville, a town where no one carves or smashes any pumpkins. After a seemingly harmless prank, John is haunted by pumpkin seeds wherever he goes, but that's only the tip of the iceberg. John's life in Moonville and his understanding of the people that live there are about to change forever. And a quick reminder that some of the other hosts and I have recently started a new show called Degenerated, a horror fiction podcast. Each week, I, along with Jeff Sturdervant, Paul James Sourley and Drew Blood,

4:14will have a fresh batch of horror fiction for you, all human-made and narrated in our dulcet tones. After tonight's episode of Horror Hill, why not take a listen? We're on the podcast platform of your choice and also on YouTube. Again, that's Degenerated, a horror fiction podcast. We hope to see you there. You're listening to the free edition of this program. If you'd like to help support Horror Hill and also remove these pesky ads, head to ChillingTales for DarkNights.com and click Patrons in the upper menu to sign up today. You'll get instant access to hundreds of ad-free stories, so what are you waiting for? Also, if you're watching on YouTube, do us a favor and drop a like and subscribe. Become part of our Dark Circle listeners. And now, from author MM Kelly, I give you.

5:16I grew up in a ghost town. Growing up, I never saw a single carved or smashed pumpkin. The only smashed pumpkin I ever saw was thrown down personally. It was years ago, I was still young. Maybe we'd gotten the idea from a story on the radio or a comic. A few friends and I thought it would be a fun new way to piss off some of our neighbors without doing any real harm. I had a grudge against one of the old women in the town. I picked her house. We snuck up after the neighborhood was fast asleep. I grabbed the biggest pumpkin from the steps leading to her porch. And I smashed it against her steps. Even now, as an old man, I can't think of anything else in my life that's made such a mess. Orange tendons littered her steps, speckled with seeds. Something was inside all of the mess.

6:16Something was writhing and stretching in the orange group and seeds. I was about to inspect it closer when the door on the porch burst open and the light switched on. She was infuriated. She was yelling. We ran. I couldn't make out most of what she was saying, but I know it was angry. My heart was pumping. Our legs were pounding down the pavement. At the time, it was the most hilarious thing we'd ever done. I woke up to the smell of pumpkin. It was faint. I assumed that I had gotten it on my clothes. I threw on an old flannel shirt and jeans. No fresh pumpkin pie in the kitchen. My mom said she hadn't smelled any pumpkin. I ate breakfast and went about my day. Everything was pretty normal, but I couldn't help dwelling on whatever was moving in that pumpkin. That evening I reconvened with the guys. They didn't notice a thing.

7:17Maybe it was a mouse? Was the best answer any of them could muster. It was late. Maybe my mind was playing tricks. I decided it was for the best to let it go. I was on my way home around dusk. I stopped at a little store to grab a drink. I reached in my pocket to scrounge some change. Pumpkin seeds. I checked my shirt pocket. A few more pumpkin seeds. I gave the cashier a dollar and asked him to throw the pumpkin seeds away. I tried to reason the pumpkin seeds away, but I couldn't. I noticed how many people went for pumpkins on their porches during the long walk home. Most houses had easily five or six pumpkins each. I kept checking for someone following me. It just felt like someone was following me. It felt like someone was, well, was staring at me. The streets were barren, safe for me, the leaves and Halloween decorations.

8:21I felt like the pumpkins were watching me, like they turned as I walked by, scorning someone of a lower caste or a monster walking through the streets. I put the weight of shame and guilt on my shoulders, like the entire town was gathered around me, ready to watch me be cained. I crossed a handful of streets and that feeling followed me through the neighborhood. I started trying to watch each and every pumpkin. Over my shoulder, short bursts, walking backward, trying anything to keep an eye on every angle. It was impossible to keep track of all of them. I was practically Halloween. Then I felt something crunch under foot. I couldn't see anything under the leaves and assumed they were the culprit. But the more I walked, the more I heard crunching. Eventually, I got to a place where someone had swept up their leaves. Pumpkin seeds spread out in the line in front of me.

9:22Following the pumpkin seeds helped distract me from the pressure of being watched. The trail looped me through the neighborhood. Somehow it took me past the house whose pumpkins we smashed three times before leading me home. As I neared the house, the seeds spread out further and further. Even as I walked up my own yard, I still felt like I was being watched. I climbed our porch steps. Mom had decorated for Halloween while I was gone. Pumpkin's lined our steps. Some old corn stalks and fake spider webs tied everything together. I felt like the faceless orange orbs were staring right through me as I passed them. Once I stepped up onto the porch proper, I was greeted with... A pumpkin from the porch bounced down the wooden steps. I froze. My hands shot to the sky. Don't hurt me! I squeaked. My mom poked her head out of the door.

10:26Is everything all right? I tried to play it off like I was clumsy enough to have kicked it down. I picked it up. It was ordinary. I knocked on it. Hollow. I sat it back at the top of the steps. Dinner, then I had to de-bed without a word to anyone. But in the middle of the night, something woke me up. It wasn't a sound or even a feeling. I just woke up. Wide awake. I looked out of my bedroom window. The streets were bare like most of the trees. There came the old woman walking down the street, pushing a wheelbarrow filled with pumpkins. She'd walk up to a porch, pick up a pumpkin, rub it, knock on it, press her ear to it and bounce it up and down by the stem. Sometimes she'd swap it for a pumpkin in the wheelbarrow. I watched her work her way down the opposite side of my street. She swapped a handful of

11:26pumpkins at different houses before I lost sight of her for my window. What was she doing? I didn't think she was actually hurting anything, but even after I'd laid down I couldn't stop wondering. She was up anyway, I reasoned myself. So why not go ask her? I remember the moon seemed like it was right above my head as I walked across the neighborhood to her house. I was still a splatter where I smashed her pumpkin. But the chunks and goop were gone. The porch light was off, but the curtains were lit up ever so slightly. After a moment of pulling my nerves together, I knocked on the door. It felt like an eternity waiting for the door to open. All of my gathered nerves were melting away. Then the doors swung open. The old creep with a wheelbarrow was nowhere to be found. I was greeted by an apathetic lady who was about my age. She leaned against the doorframe, tall and slender, with thick, curly black hair,

12:32porcelain-like skin dressed in a black top that left her belly button out. She had a red V tattooed under her left eye, and her entire right arm was covered shoulder to wrist in a twist of leaves, vines and letters. It was unheard of for anyone to have tattoos in our little po-dunk town, let alone a young lady. I'd never seen anything like her. I was entranced. So you're the little twerp who smashed my pumpkin. She said matter, effectally. I-yeah, sorry about that. I thought an old lady lived here? I stumbled through. Yes, that's my grandmother. I saw her out a little bit of go-swapping pumpkins around and wanted to know why. She laughed and shrugged. Just out being an eccentric spencer, I suppose. You might want to tell her not to. It seems like some folks might get touchy about it.

13:33She shrugged again. She's been doing that for years. We stood there, awkwardly. I wanted to try to invite myself in, but something told me I should get on my way home. I guess I should get on then. Thanks for talking to me in the middle of the night. My name's Johnny, she interrupted. My brain stumbled. Uh, yeah, that's right. I gave her a cheesy wink and a thumbs up. She shook her head. See around Johnny pumpkin seed. She vanished into the house before I could react. I banged on the door. No answer. How did she know? I was tired and would grill her next time I saw her. I decided there would be a next time. I turned around to leave, tripped and hit my face on their wooden porch. My yelled. My cursed. The pumpkins were in a semicircle behind where I had been

14:33standing. I wiped my mouth and found blood on my hand. I felt like I'd knocked a few teeth loose from the impact. The chunks I spit into my hand. Or pumpkin seeds. I pounded on the door again and growled in frustration. I saw a few lights turn on in windows of nearby houses, so I ran home and back to bed. I woke up to my mom leaning over me, shaking my shoulder. Why are all of these seeds in your laundry? She asked, agitated. And somebody's fucking with me. I mumbled to her, and then she smacked me in the mouth. Don't you speak to me like that? She said. And tell them to cut it out. They'll get caught in the dryer and burn the house down. If you're still crashing by 3 pm, maybe your wellness routine is doing too much and helping too little. Zend Wellness makes feeling better, simpler. Zend Wellness Metaglow supports metabolism and steady daily energy without

15:34turning your routine into a second job, because wellness shouldn't feel like another task on your list. With Zend Wellness, a few smart essentials can help you feel more like yourself. More often, start your simple routine today and save up to 33% on your first order. Visit Z, E, N, D, wellness.com. That's Zend Wellness.com. Zend Wellness. Simple enough to keep up, powerful enough to feel. And now, Helac versus AGI. A Splatero AGI gives you cash for a share of your home's future value. No monthly payments. A Helac is a traditional loan with monthly payments and strict requirements. Splatero for the win. Visit splint.com. Today and access your home's equity. The pumpkin seeds stopped without me telling anyone to cut it out. The weight of having an angry mob of pumpkins judging me as I walked down the street was also lifted. I couldn't stop thinking about the girl though. I didn't know her name, and maybe it was just because she was taboo, but I started casually walking by their house whenever I had an excuse to and hopes of catching

16:35her outside. I decided that was probably weird, and she probably noticed me after the first few days of walking past her house a few times a day. So I walked up on time and knocked on their dark wooden door. I peaked in the windows that were in the door frame. My view was obscured by tangles of vines and leaves on both sides. I knocked again and waited. The door crept open, and I was greeted by the old lady. It wasn't watching me in the middle of the night enough. She said in lieu of a hello. I wasn't really watching you, per se, I just happened to spot you. That's not what Megan said. She interrupted. Megan, I lit up. Could I speak with her? She scowled and shouted back into the house. Megan, the delinquent vandal is here to see you. Let him in. I'm working in the back. I heard

17:36her voice call from inside. Grand mob pumpkin patch led me through the door into what seemed like a jungle. Plants potted on shelves. Raised beds built against the wall along the floor. She brought me to Megan, who was pruning and inspecting rows of plants in a greenhouse that seemed like it was in lieu of a patio. What you need, pumpkin seed, she asked, without raising her nose from her work. Well, I guess the first thing is, how do you know about the pumpkin seeds? She bounced her head from side to side. I guess one option is I put them there after you smashed the best pumpkin I grew this year. Or maybe I just thought it was a funny name for the cunt that smashed the best pumpkin I grew this year. She gave me a look that told me one thing. I was a cunt either way. So why so many plants? I asked, swirving away from the topic of pumpkins like a robber trying to lose a cop hot on his trail.

18:40Besides being my hobby, it's also how I keep me and gram a float. We run helping hands nursery out by the highway. She tossed some dried, clipped plant pieces into a bucket. What's your favorite plant? Pumpkins. She stopped and stared me down. My stomach nodded up. I could see pumpkins basically filling her backyard through the glass behind her. I turned my side to her and looked through the row of plants. She laughed. I'm just fucking with you. They love my pumpkins here in Moonville, but my favorites are the lilies. I think that was the first time I ever actually had a sigh of relief. What's the deal with your pumpkins? No one even cuts them. They're award winners. They essentially have no variation, and most people will tell you that they're absolutely perfect in every regard. But still, don't most people buy them for either food or jackalandrons? Not the good people of Moonville. It's a matter of local pride that I grow the absolute best pumpkins.

19:45I looked over my imaginary glasses at her. Come on, spill the beans. I've never seen something inside a fruit move. She smiled to herself. So you saw that. I saw something twisting in the mock, but I ran because your lights came on. Do you really think that's something that you should go around saying out loud? She asked with a glare. I stopped and thumbed a vine that was nearby. I hadn't really considered. She had stopped clipping and clearing dead pieces. She was waiting, clutching her shears with an air of aggravation. I wanted to take the shears and cut the tension. I guess not. I gulped. But she seemed like the person who would know, and I haven't mentioned it to anyone else because they'd have locked me up. That's fair, she said with a shrug. She seemed to be mulling over something as she inspected the same bloom over and over. I caught her glancing up from

20:47behind her thicket of curls more than once. Finally, she spoke. Go grab a pumpkin for my yard, pumpkin seed. I complied. I stood in that little yard for an eternity trying to decide which pumpkin to take back to her. She had nearly every size imaginable. From softball sized up to one that I could have fit inside of as an 18-year-old young man. I decided on one roughly big enough for me to cradle in my arms. I lugged it back into the greenhouse and dropped it on the table she had moved over to. Gentle, they're delicate. She scolded. She shook her head and held her chin, watching me. Are you sure you want to know? I'm sure, Megan. I reassured her. She perched her lips for a moment. Are you absolutely sure? I really shouldn't show you. It's just a pumpkin, I hoved. She raised an eyebrow. All you saw was just a pumpkin. I guess it could have been a

21:51chipmunk. I'm used. Cute. She shot me a sweet yet mischievous smile, pulled her thick curly hair back, and then slowly slid a knife into the top of the pumpkin. It hissed like air was trapped inside. She gently sawed a circle in the top and pulled the cut section out. Reach in, she said, watching me with a smile. Reflecting back, if she wasn't pretty and if I wasn't stupid, I would have at least looked first. I shoved my hand in blindly. Watt, squishy, cold. Then something solid started to wiggle. My eyes went wide and my stomach jerked in anxiety. I ripped my hand out and looked into the orange void. I started to yell, but was silenced by a soft finger to my lips. Shhh, you'll wake it. She reached in with both hands and gently raised an orange,

22:56fibrous doll from within the pumpkin. It stretched peacefully in her palms as she stretched her arms out towards me. This is why we leave the pumpkins be in Moonville. They're still growing inside. I stared at them both long and hard. She adored it like it was born of her own womb. The longer she held it, the fibers that made it up started fusing together and fading to a manila color. It's head pulsed. A mouth sucked in. Eye sockets sunk in. A nose protruded. I can't really remember how long it took, but it seemed to happen in a short span. It started to resemble a baby made from a gourd. A seed pushed through the surface in each eye socket and inside the mouth to make teeth. It nod fruitlessly at her pointer finger. They're a pretty good substitute for people. She mused, finally looking at me. As cliche as it sounds, I backed up into a

24:00table of plants. While the entire situation was as shocking as it was confusing, I felt a certain familiarity with it. She laughed at my discomfort with the whole thing and sat it down on its feed. It wobbled towards me like an old kid's toy. It's mouth gnashing in time with its wobble. This is what you wanted to know. She calmly reminded me as the thing climbed up my pants leg. I tried to shake it off. I tried to push it off. It noded my hand with its seed teeth. Megan laughed and touched it on the back of the head. It felt lifelessly to the floor. You could have just told me, I wind, trying to regain some composure. Would you believe me? Or would you have run to have me locked up? I guess I would have. She came closer and wrapped her slender arms around my neck. Her face glowed with a tender smile. Minutes or seconds, I'm not really

25:04sure anymore. But we were lost in each other's eyes. Somehow, the terror I felt melted away because this girl had saved me from it. She gave me a single kiss. Fireworks. Everything was just right. And I've never had that again. The pumpkins stay between you and me, all right? Oh yeah, absolutely. I agreed without hesitation. No one was going to believe me anyway. I stuck around for a few hours. We ate dinner, talked and laughed. She seemed to know every person in town, even things that seemed like she couldn't possibly know. We felt inseparable. It felt like a weight had been lifted from her. I caught her smiling at me, the way she looked at me gave me butterflies. After I left, I was on cloud nine most of my way home that evening. Then that thing drifted to

26:07the forefront of my mind. She hadn't actually told me anything about it. She had whipped it out, let it nond me, and then put it away and threw herself to me. I noticed one of my neighbors standing on her porch on my way home. I shouted, hey, to her. She silently turned and looked at me with this awkward timid gaze. My mom scolded me for being late and turned into dick tracy. Where were you? Why are you so late? I was helping the pumpkin lady's granddaughter with some things in their house. The one with the tattoos. She wasn't pleased. There's only one pumpkin lady, and I don't think she has tattoos. Don't play dumb. You know I meant her tart of a granddaughter. Oh, yeah, she has one or two little ones. Johnny, I've seen her before. She dresses like a prostitute and has more tattoos than a sailor. I must have had a happy look on my face because she smacked

27:13it right off. Your father should deal with this. I'll speak to him while you're at the store. She sent me with a few dollars and a list. I wandered the aisles, searching for things she'd never wanted before. I noticed a lady staring at me with the same shy eyes as my neighbor. She kind of followed me a little through the store as I shan't. The shyness of her gaze slowly slid into something that reminded me of puppy love. The cashier had the same look. I'll be at a little more slack, John. I finally got in bad, and as soon as I started to drift off, I heard tapping on my window. I ignored it, thinking it was just me being tired. A few more taps followed by two loud pounds that rang into my room. I shot up in bed. And there she was, that mess of curly black hair caught in the evening breeze. And a shy, love struck grin. I jumped up and opened my window. Megan, what are

28:18you doing? I just wanted to see if you wanted to do something tomorrow. I enjoyed myself more tonight than I haven't decades. Decades? And just a figure of speech. Graham isn't the best company in the world. I'll drop by tomorrow, I promised. She squealed and hugged me through the open window. I lay back down and stared at the moon. Even after all of these years, I can remember how bright it shone through my window. Then I noticed it. A huge, orange blossom was sitting there on the sill. A pumpkin blossom. I opened the window again to pick it up. The sill was also full of pumpkin seeds. I had a good laugh with myself. I probably didn't sleep that night, but I know I was up and ready to go see Megan first thing in the morning. If you're still crashing by 3pm, maybe your wellness routine is doing too much and helping too little. Zend wellness makes feeling

29:20better simpler. Zend wellness metaglow supports metabolism and steady daily energy without turning your routine into a second job. Because wellness shouldn't feel like another task on your list. With Zend wellness, a few smart essentials can help you feel more like yourself. More often, start your simple routine today and save up to 33% on your first order. Visit Z, E, N, D, wellness.com. That's Zend Wellness.com. Zend wellness. Simple enough to keep up. Powerful enough to feel. And now, Helac versus AGI. A Splatero AGI gives you cash for a share of your home's future value. No monthly payments. A Helac is a traditional loan with monthly payments and strict requirements. Splatero for the win. Visit splint.io.com today and access your home's equity. On the way to her house, it was like I was the most popular person in the whole town. It felt like everyone I saw waved or had a huge smile like they were happy to just see me walking down the street. Megan's grandma was not thrilled to see me when she saw me from a rocking chair on their porch. Why are you back here? You lousy? She called from a rocker. Megan wanted me to come

30:27by, grams. I replied as I walked up the steps. I'm not your grams, you delinquent. She scowled. I'm a pretty nice guy. The pumpkin was just a big misunderstanding. I assured her as I knocked on the door. Just go in. She knows you're coming. I bid grandma pumpkin patch farewell and let myself in the front door. I wandered back to the greenhouse. No one. I looked all over with no success. I called out. Where are you? I'm coming. Her voice rang back through the house. Megan appeared from behind a thicket of leaves and vines. The plants she kept inside had hidden a door into the stairwell that I didn't realize even existed. Her smile, her eyes, her red cheeks. It all screamed that she was as excited for me to be here as I was to get here. She practically dragged me out the door. We went to a little diner just down the road. I can't put into words how

31:35right everything felt while we sat there, talking and laughing. It was like we'd known each other our entire lives. Her cheer was absolutely infectious. It was like everyone in our little community was just as happy as she was that we were out and about. The thing in the pumpkin was weird as hell. But for some reason it didn't matter at all to me. Her mere presence was intoxicating. Still, it should have been a red flag when I really pissed her off. I can't recall exactly what I said, but it was a joke one of my buddies that told me. She took offense and she was fuming. I looked around for someone to take my side. Literally the entire restaurant stopped what they were doing and gave me a death glare. Each and every patron, the exact same expression, the exact same fire in their eyes. The same vitriol I saw in Megan's eyes. It occurred to me that I was possibly

32:38about to be burned at the stake. I'm really sorry, I stammered. I didn't mean anything by it. I just thought it was a funny joke from my buddy Jim. Megan's blazing eyes calmed and everyone went back about their business. I'm so sorry, she whispered across the table. I just get sensitive about certain things sometimes. Looking back, it was always like that. Sudden moments of nearly everyone in town being perfectly in sync with Megan. I asked her about it once. She dismissed it as after you live somewhere and you're a part of the community long enough, they become very empathetic to your dispositions. It was good enough for me at the time, but it was still unnerving. Imagine sitting on a park bench with a gal and there are five or six people staring at you with the same longing, the same want as she has. I wondered if the entire town really had her on that kind of

33:40a pedestal over her nursery. I'd lived here my entire life and I didn't know a thing about her until that night on her porch. That's the thing about looking back after decades. Everything is more obvious after the dust is cleared. I can confidently say that I was young and dumb and absolutely blinded by her. We spent essentially every waking moment with each other. My dad's business was booming. It seemed like suddenly the entire town had worked for him, so much so that he hired someone to help with the load. My mom's garden even boomed. I realized how off the whole thing was when we had our first real fight. I told her I wanted to move to the city. She was absolutely not hearing it. Moonville has all we need, she shouted. If you don't want to be in the coal mine, there's more than enough work at the nursery. It's not just that. I snapped. Wouldn't it

34:41be nice to just be two faceless people in the crowd? Not have everyone always watching us? She was fuming, but quiet. Even though we had only known each other for a few short months, I could read her like a billboard. Simply suggesting that we move was like an attack on her very core as a person. Just go if you want to get away from me that bad. She sobbed, breaking the silence. Fine, I yelled, throwing my hands up in the air. If you won't even talk, why should I bother? I slammed the front door behind me. That lasted real long. Her grandmother mused to herself. I ignored her and walked home. It was cold, and the snow had frozen while I'd been inside, leaving a thick layer of ice I broke through with every step. Yet there were a lot of people out on their parches, staring at me. Some of them were so angry you could cut the tension between us

35:43with a knife, and others sobbed like they'd lost their last family member just then. Crunch, crunch, crunch. I jerked around just in time for some guy I'd never seen before to punch me square in the jaw. I wish I could say it was graceful like something choreographed in a kung fu flick, but I slipped and stumbled on the ice. He did too. I got semi upright first. I leaned down to punch him back, and my feet slipped again. I ended up punching him, followed by the force of my entire falling body right on the bridge of his nose. His face collapsed under my weight, and my fist went through. I scrambled off of his limp body, jerking my hand out of his face. Cold, wet, orange, and CD. He was a goddamn pumpkin.

36:43I sat there in the snow, in shock, staring at the trail of orange innards trailing from his head to my hand. I frantically flicked my hands, trying to get the guts off. The body started spasming in the snow for a moment, and then went still. Long green tentacles snaked out of his shattered face and shambled through the snow. I crawled backwards and scrambled up to my feet without turning my back to it. Vines. Vines were reaching out from the void in his face. They grabbed the missing pieces, dragging them through the snow. It was like a train wreck. I absolutely couldn't look away from it. I think it was the first time something really had me, awestruck. Each piece squished back into place. The guts and the snow slid back into the hole as it was reassembled. He laid there, completely still in the snow. Then he shot upright and then slumped over. I skittered

37:49back until my back was against an old broad tree. He shook his head like he just woken up from getting knocked out. Eventually he rose up with a confused look on his face. Sun. Did I fall? I stammered. Yeah, I guess you stepped wrong and slipped on the ice. I looked around myself. No one had seen us. I remember being surprisingly calm. The adrenaline from the sudden fight slipping away as fast as it came. How many people in our town were these facsimiles of people? I couldn't decide if I wanted to bother talking to Megan about it. Did she send it specifically for me? I decided I needed to leave Moonville faster than I had initially planned. I went home with every intention of packing up my things, leaving a note for my family and hopping on the next train out. If they were my family, I couldn't shake the feeling

38:55that I might very well be the only genuine human being in that entire cold town. If you're still crashing by 3pm, maybe your wellness routine is doing too much and helping too little. Zend wellness makes feeling better simpler. Zend wellness Metaglow supports metabolism and steady daily energy without turning your routine into a second job because wellness shouldn't feel like another task on your list. With Zend wellness, a few smart essentials can help you feel more like yourself. More often, start your simple routine today and save up to 33% on your first order. Visit Z-E-N-D-Welness.com. That's Zend Wellness.com. Zend Wellness. Simple enough to keep up, powerful enough to feel. And now, Helac versus ADI. A Splatero ADI gives you cash for a share of your home's future value. No monthly payments. A Helac is a traditional loan with monthly payments and Strict Requirements. Splatero for the win. Visit splint.com today and access your home's equity. On my way home, every person I saw in a window or trudging through the snow gave my stomach

39:56knots. When I got home, my mom was sitting in a chair with her radio on. She didn't so much as acknowledged me entering our home. My locked the door to my room behind me. I stared out the window. On top of the snow on the sill, there were fresh pumpkin seeds. A man walked by. He stared up directly at me through the window. He didn't break his gaze until he walked into our mailbox. He weased and, oof, but I heard through the window, shook it off, and went about his business. The seeds started to shake. Then the stiff shells split and green tentrolls worked their way out. They branched and snaked, spelling out. Hi. Could she see me? Hear me? Is my mom one of those things? I asked aloud. The tentrolls bent into, no.

40:58I had to talk to someone about this whole thing. Maybe they'd noticed the oddities of our town, too. I headed back out into the snow towards James House. We'd been best friends for most of our lives, and he had been with us the night that I started all of this. He was on his way behind the house when I got there to split a little more firewood after warming up inside. Does Moonville seem weird to you? I blurted out as he swung his hammer at the iron wedged in a log. As just another coal town, he grunted. The log halves toppling into the snow. I nodded along with his answer. Sorry I haven't been around. After that night we smashed the pumpkins, I ended up kind of seeing the girl that lives there. The old spenster, he squinted at me with more than a little concern. No, she has a granddaughter that lives there. I assured him. Tall, curly black hair. She's got an armful of tattoos and a scar on her cheek.

42:01So she's a sailor? He asked, standing another log on end. Of course not. She owns the nursery. He leaned on the sledgehammer. Tell me about her inside. I'm done with wood for the day. I followed him into the back of the house through an addition they kept tools in. He hung the hammer on the wall, then doubled back and looked out of the door. He must have closed it with too much force. Something had been loose on the wall. The axe fell from its hook and crashed into his skull. He collapsed to the ground like a sack of potatoes. I dove down to his aine. James, I cried as I shook a shoulder. Can you hear me? Wake up! No response. The head of the axe went deep into his skull. I got up to go find someone from his family. Mom, dad siblings anyone. I was running, blind with tears and almost into the house from the addition.

43:02When I heard a heavy thud on the wood floor, I stopped dead in my tracks and turned around slowly. The axe had fallen onto the floor. There wasn't any blood. But there was a trail of green tendrils going to the axe. I watched the tendrils slowly slide back into his gaping wound with a quiet slurping sound as they drug across the floor. I fell down, lost in the shock of the moment as I watched the tendrils grab the sides of the wound and pull it shut from the inside. He crawled up onto his hands and knees and held his head like he'd hit it and fell over. I cried harder than when I thought he was dead. My thoughts raced. What if she was lying about my mom? Was everyone I knew a monster? My chest was tight. I couldn't catch my breath as I curled up on the floor. Loneliness washed over me in a wave

44:04that felt absolutely insurmountable. Did everything I had ever known boiled down to just Megan and I? John, get off. The next thing I remember is James standing over me, shaking me like I'd shaken him. I tried to scoot away from him but I was too disoriented. Johnny, are you alright? As usually stoic voice shook a little. I turned around for a second and you hit the floor. I felt even worse. Was he completely oblivious to what he was? My gut wanted to give the poor bastard pity. How long had he been like this? Did he even know that he was a pulp-filled abomination? What are you? I asked, choking back an ocean of emotions. He furrowed his brow and squinted at me. What do you mean? What am I? I felt like an elephant was playing piano on my chest. I didn't know what to tell him. How I

45:11wasn't sure what to tell myself. His blue eyes were confused, concerned, and a little angry. His expression shifted to confused and scared as I started laughing. I couldn't do anything else. Then the laughs turned to tears as the absurdity of the situation. No, the absurdity of what I knew as my life had become. You're a gourd! A melon! I laughed cried to the thing I had thought was my only safe haven from the world. You're out of your gourd, Johnny. He grumbled, backing away from me with his palms up. That axe, I said, voice shaking. Thelph from the hangar and took a chunk out of your head. Then it just grew back. Good as new. James looked at the axe lying on the floor. The blade was still damp. He bent over and picked it up, inspecting the blade. He sniffed the wet streak, bit his lip.

46:19Something was welling up inside of him. He gripped the axe up near the head and took a firm swing at his own arm, like a hot knife through butter. His hand slammed into the floor with a wet thud. He looked on in horror. The green tendrils whipping out of his stump and out of his hand. They stretched and reached for each other. Once the writhing mass is connected, the hand snapped back to his arm. I stared at his newly reattached hand and so did he. Both absolutely speechless. Then he went blank. He was breathing, standing, warmed the touch. Yet completely unresponsive, like he was some kind of empty husk without a person to pilot it. Then the screaming started. It was the most god-awful, loud, inhuman sound I'd ever heard. He, it, just stood there, staring at the wall behind me with mouth gaping, just treaking.

47:28The commotion and yelling attracted his mother. She ran to him, frantically trying to get him to snap out of it, smacking his face, throwing water at him, shaking him. All she got in response was more of the same continuous screaming. While the while, all I could wonder was whether or not all the members of their family were monsters and disguise. Then the axe fell from his hand and he went silent. I thought for sure it had cut her open. I ran in, disregarding that my second mother might be one of those things. Ms. Jenkins, I shouted. The axe just barely grazed her cheek. I'd left a small maceration from her eye to her chin. Any other time in my life, a side of blood would damn near make me faint. But this time it was the only thing I'd wanted to see. Ms. Jenkins was a person. The same lady who would insist I eat a second plate or stay when the weather got bad.

48:31I wanted to tell her the truth about her son. But I didn't really know what to tell her. Or how to bring it up. I decided it would be for the best if I got out of town. I ran for the train station. I waited on the platform for the next train to come. Either direction was fine by me. It could have been a passenger train, a coal train, or a train filled with manure. All I cared about was it was going away from Moonville. I tried to bury it deep inside me, but the other people on the rickety wooden deck had me anxious. Then I saw the train in the distance and checked my watch. Right on time, everyone on the platform lined up. A few people got on ahead of me, but the last four people before me had stopped right in the doorway. I tapped one on the shoulder. No answer. Then another, and another, and the last one.

49:34No one even acknowledged my touch. Excuse me, I groaned. I really need to get on this train. Nothing. They just stood there. Shoulders jammed awkwardly together so I couldn't squeeze between them. The train whistled hissed through the cold winter air. Come on, get out of the way! I'd bellowed. I have places to be. No response. I tried to force my way through, but it felt like they were a stone wall. I kept struggling to get them to move. Even as the conductor stared me in the eye and slid the door closed, latching it. A cloud of steam blew as the train started to inch away towards Cincinnati. I didn't have a choice. I started running down the platform as fast as I could make my legs run. It was faster than me, but I dove for the handrail on the rear of the last car. I landed on it hard enough that I thought I broke something, and I held on for dear life.

50:40The train kept moving, however. It ripped itself for my hands, and I'd braced myself to land on the cold steel tracks. I remember flailing in the air, screaming, for at least a minute, for what should have been a few seconds of falling. I never felt at the tracks. I was suspended in the air over the tracks. Composure came back to me pretty quickly. The people who had kept me from the train had formed a human chain, bear hugging each other's hips, and snatched me right out of the air. They dropped me onto the tracks and went back about their business. I curled up on the tracks and screamed in frustration. Finally, I drug myself off the tracks and shuffled home. I sat in silence at the supper table. How could I get out? Would she have planted them in the woods? Could I just slip out with the night?

51:41Nothing seemed like a good idea. It felt like someone ripped the hope for my chest. I grabbed a bottle of whiskey, my dad kept in the cabinet and tried not to feel like a prisoner. I'd never really drank before, and that day, I learned why mom called it liquid courage. I marched myself right to Megan's. Let me leave! I bellowed at her house. Nothing. No one. So I threw the bottle at the house. Back grabbed her attention. The shrubs and nearby pine trees started to rustle, but the air was perfectly still. She stormed through the door. The vines tattooed to her arm rye that she got closer. Even the blades of grass seemed to lean away from her angry steps. Then go! She roared. Get out of my town! The look on her face ran the booze right out of me. Lips pulled in. Brow furrowed.

52:43I tried to speak, but I couldn't muster the wards. I reached out for her hand. She snapped it away. Don't touch me! She shrieked. If you want to wait for me so bad, go! I'm terrified. I managed to mutter. This isn't normal. I don't think you meant for it to be health for me, but what about everyone else? I teared up and choked out. Are the people I used to know all right? Were they ever flesh and blood people? She held tears back. Her watery eyes told me that, at the very least, I didn't want half of that answer. I turned to walk away. I needed to leave. So did my family before they were toiling away from Megan until they were rotted or whatever happened to those things. Johnny, she shouted. I did what I had to do to keep me and Graham afloat. I hadn't been happy

53:44with someone being in my life for longer than I can remember. Are they dead? I asked flatly. My back still to her. Silence. It was so quiet you could hear snowflakes landing on the grass. I waited. It was only a few seconds, but in all of the years I've lived. I think I lived 90% of them right there in those moments. My gut nodded and my chest tightened. I was hoping for the best, but I was terrified, mortified that everyone I knew could be dead, and there was a little part of me hoping that they were alive and well. Are they dead? I demanded. Some of them? I could feel the regret. It shook in her voice and resonated through my body. She kissed me. I wanted to hate her. She turned my life into an absolute hell.

54:45It wasn't fireworks, but as alien the feeling, there were still sparks. All of this was friendly fire. We were victims of circumstance, I rationalized. Let's go somewhere else. Leave these things behind and have a normal life. My mouth blurted, independently of my brain. I can't. She said behind thinly veiled heart. They won't make it without me. I made them. I have to see them through. I left Moonville after that. I landed some work in Cincinnati, then Dayton. I never got to spend more than a couple of years in a city. As I'd settle in, I would find some little sign, a gift, a pumpkin blossom on my nightstand, seeds in my shoe. I never saw her or her pants. I kept mailing my parents my address with invitations to visit me,

55:48but they never did. I'll never know for sure if she replaced them. And now, Helac versus AGI. A splotero AGI gives you cash for a share of your home's future value. No monthly payments. A Helac is a traditional loan with monthly payments and strict requirements. Splotero for the win! Visit splint.io.com today and access your home's equity. Shop vans and Albertsons for fresh savings every time you shop. This week at vans and Albertsons, get fresh, boneless, skinless chicken breasts for $199 per pound limit 10 pounds. And locally grown grape-ary cotton candy grapes are $299 per pound with digital coupon. Plus 24 packs of Canada Dry or 7-Up 12-ounce cans are $499 limit 1 with digital coupon. Enjoy fresh and delicious savings for every meal. Hurry in! These deals won't last. Visit vans or Albertsons.com for more deals and ways to save. I eventually managed to have a wife and a daughter, despite staying on the run. They didn't deter Meghan's reminders that she hadn't forgotten.

56:51I never told a soul about what happened in Moonville. These days, nothing really remains of the old town but the train tunnel and the forage. I never went back to check. This past September, I was driving to Pennsylvania to visit my granddaughter and her newborn. I saw produce stand and pulled off the side of the road. Apples, berries, I bought a little bit of everything to surprise Beth with. I didn't think anything of the clerk's arm full of tattoos. All of this generation has them. She lifted her head up from her phone. The first thing I saw was the red V across her cheek, followed by a flood of long black hair. My heart stopped for a moment. I didn't know if I should be filled with butterflies or preparing for death. Well, that be all pumpkin seed? She asked, curling her lips into a smile and taking off her large head. I stared at her. She looked exactly

57:54the same as she did all of those years ago, not a wrinkle or a single gray hair. We spoke to each other silently for a long moment. She nodded. And I knew she understood. It's on the house today, sir. You have a nice trip. She said softly, a bitter look betraying her smile as she sent me off. You've been listening to I grew up in a ghost town by M. M. Kelly. M. M. Kelly is an Ohio-based author of short horror and fantasy stories. He has contributed tales to the No Sleep podcast, chilling tales for dark nights, and creepy pod. You can find more of his work at his website mmkelyrites.wordpress.com. And that's Kelly KELLEY.

59:05And with that, dear friends, we conclude tonight's episode. Thanks to M. M. Kelly for a fun early Halloween treat. Out here in western New York, things are definitely feeling a terminal, which is a relief after the hot rainy summer we've had. And it's nice to have a pumpkin themed episode to ring in the season. And if you're looking for more horror narration to keep you in the fall mood, check out my other show, De-Generated, A Horror Fiction Podcast. We're just getting things rolling over there and would love to see you join up. And next week on Horror Hill, we're starting a new collection of stories by Mika Edwards that will roll right through the next month. Until then, listeners, stay spooky. You've been listening to The Horror Hill podcast, a production of chilling entertainment and the creative team at chilling tales for dark nights. Tonight's episode was hosted, narrated, scored, and finalized by yours truly, Eric Peabody. Additional Music by Nikki McSorley. Got a terrifying tale of your own that you'd like

1:00:09performed? Email it to us at submissions at simplyscarypodcast.com to have your work considered for future production. Note that any writing utilizing artificial intelligence is ineligible. If you enjoyed tonight's episode, why not help us spread our dark presence online? You can follow chilling tales for dark nights on social media and upvote, subscribe, and hit the bell notification icon if you're listening to this on YouTube. It helps us out a lot and also keeps you up to date on new episodes. If you'd like access to uninterrupted horror, free of ads and these annoying bookend segments, might I recommend signing up to be a patron? You'll get access to hundreds of episodes of this show, as well as everything from the other programs in the chilling tales for dark nights cabal. That means all of scary stories told in the dark, drew bloods dark tales, and more. It's a veritable smorgasbord of horrific delights. Head to chilling tales for dark

1:01:10nights.com to get started. If you're looking for someone to narrate or handle audio production for your own personal project, I just so happened to know a guy. Email me at Eric Peabody Voice at gmail.com. That's erikpeadody.govc.gov at gmail.com and we can talk details. If darkness is what your afterlissiner, your search is over. Yet let it be known. You haven't found the darkness. The darkness has found you. HILOCK VS. A Splatero HCI gives you cash for a share of your home's future value. No monthly

1:02:15payments. A HILOCK is a traditional loan with monthly payments and strict requirements. Splatero for the win. Visit splintiro.com today and access your home's equity. Shop vans and Albertsons for fresh savings every time you shop. This week at vans and Albertsons, get fresh boneless, skinless chicken breasts for 199 per pound limit 10 pounds. And locally grown grape-ary cotton candy grapes are 299 per pound with digital coupon. Plus 24 packs of Canada dry or 7-up 12-ounce cans are 499 limit 1 with digital coupon. Enjoy fresh and delicious savings for every meal. Hurry in, these deals won't last. Visit vans or Albertsons.com for more deals and ways to save. Hey, it's Kelly Rowland. You may not know this, but I have eczema. So I get how it can steal your time. But why let eczema take over when you can talk to your doctor about eczema? eczema. A 250-mg per 2-mg leader injection is a prescription medicine used to treat adults and children 12 years of age and older, who weigh at least 88 pounds or 40 kg with moderate

1:03:19to severe eczema. Also called a topic dermatitis that is not well controlled with prescription therapies used on the skin, or topicals, or who cannot use topical therapies. Ebglus can be used without topical corticosteroids. Don't use if you are allergic to ebglus. Allergic reactions can occur that can be severe. Eye problems can occur. Tell your doctor if you have newer worst-ning eye problems, you should not receive a live vaccine when treated with ebglus. Before starting ebglus, tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. Paid partnership with Lilli. Respect your time. Ask your doctor about ebglus and visit ebglus.com or call 1-800-LilliRx or 1-800-545-5979.