August 6, 2025 • 45 mins
Summer of ’76. Two best friends. One secluded campsite. And an ax-wielding killer lurking in the woods…
This week on Weekly Spooky, we bring you a brutal, blood-soaked tale of survival and terror in the wilds of Oregon. When Janine and Rose set out for a dreamy backpacking trip to the legendary Fortune Falls, they expected scenic views and self-discovery—not a descent into horror.
But as night falls, headlights appear. A red truck. A man in a cowboy hat. An ax. And no one to hear them scream.
Inspired by gritty 1970s slashers and true crime headlines, David O’Hanlon delivers a savage, emotional, and unforgettable survival story. Featuring raw violence, heartbreaking choices, and a promise of revenge that refuses to die, Fortune Falls will leave you breathless.
🎧 LISTEN NOW and subscribe for spine-tingling horror stories every week!
🎉 Unlock exclusive bonus episodes and support the show on Patreon!
👉 WeeklySpooky.com/Join
📬 Contact Us / Submit Your Horror Story!
🎵 Music by Ray Mattis 👉 Check out Ray’s incredible work here !
👨💼 Executive Producers: Rob Fields, Mark Shields, Bobbletopia.com
🎥 Produced by: Daniel Wilder
🌐 Explore more terrifying tales at: WeeklySpooky.com
This week on Weekly Spooky, we bring you a brutal, blood-soaked tale of survival and terror in the wilds of Oregon. When Janine and Rose set out for a dreamy backpacking trip to the legendary Fortune Falls, they expected scenic views and self-discovery—not a descent into horror.
But as night falls, headlights appear. A red truck. A man in a cowboy hat. An ax. And no one to hear them scream.
Inspired by gritty 1970s slashers and true crime headlines, David O’Hanlon delivers a savage, emotional, and unforgettable survival story. Featuring raw violence, heartbreaking choices, and a promise of revenge that refuses to die, Fortune Falls will leave you breathless.
🎧 LISTEN NOW and subscribe for spine-tingling horror stories every week!
🎉 Unlock exclusive bonus episodes and support the show on Patreon!
👉 WeeklySpooky.com/Join
📬 Contact Us / Submit Your Horror Story!
- Twitter: @WeeklySpooky
- Facebook: facebook.com/WeeklySpooky
- Email: WeeklySpooky@gmail.com
🎵 Music by Ray Mattis 👉 Check out Ray’s incredible work here !
👨💼 Executive Producers: Rob Fields, Mark Shields, Bobbletopia.com
🎥 Produced by: Daniel Wilder
🌐 Explore more terrifying tales at: WeeklySpooky.com
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
They were just two friends on a summer road trip,
a hidden waterfall, a quiet night. But when headlights cut
through the forest and the axe begins to swing, will
anyone live to see the sun rose? This is Fortune
Falls and it's a long way from safe.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
What's that You want to be scared? Come with me?
He will experience tales over our roam, ghosts and death.
It is not recommended for the week at heart, listen
(00:48):
us in the dark. It's more fun at that way way.
This is Weekly.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Speaking, Hello, my Spookyes, it's Wednesday, and you know what
that means. It's time for a little spooky in your Weekly.
I'm your host and narrator, Enrique Kuto, and tonight we
(01:18):
have quite the terror tale. We're gonna go on a
little trip and enjoy what's left of our summer season
before the joys and fears of fall take over. But
before we get to that, I want to say thank
you so much for listening to Weekly Spooky. I can't
(01:38):
tell you how much it means to me to bring
you something scary every week, keeping the Halloween mindset alive
and well even when the sun is hot. So make
sure you subscribe, because we bring you something chilling every Wednesday,
as well as true crime on Mondays. And honestly, you
(01:59):
just never know what might drop on a Friday. So
subscribe on your favorite podcasting app. And if you love
what we're doing and you want even more of it,
head to Weeklyspooky dot Com slash. Join for as little
as one dollar a month. You get two bonus episodes
every single month, as well as over five years of
(02:20):
exclusive audiobooks, creepy pasta readings, and so much more that's
at Weeklyspooky dot Com slash join. Head over there and
join over ninety other spookies as we wrap up our
sixth year of Weekly Spooky. But as for tonight, our
tale takes us deep within the wilds of Oregon, where
(02:44):
two college friends hope to find adventure, peace, and maybe
even a little bit of magic. But what they found
was something else, something waiting, something watching, And when the
sun sets on Fortune Falls, the only thing that glitters
(03:07):
is blood. We dive in after this Fortune Falls by
David O'Hanlon. Janine and Rose were on summer break from
their third year at the University of Kansas. Being from
(03:31):
a flat landlocked wasteland, the Lady Jayhawks usually took their
breaks on a beach in Galveston. Then something immensely terrifying
It happened the previous year. They'd been on the beach
for three days. Between surf lessons and volleyball games, all
(03:52):
anyone could talk about was this new movie opening that weekend.
They decided to take make a chance and join some
of their friends for the first evening showing of Jaws.
The next day. They all just sat on the sand
the day after and every day after that until it
(04:16):
was time to return to school for the summer of
seventy six. They decided they'd try something different and far
away from the threat of shark attacks. Kansas didn't have beaches,
but it didn't have mountains either. Oregon was Jeanine's idea,
(04:38):
and Rose had fallen in love with it. She studied
the maps and picked the route for their journey of
self discovery, five days of backpacking and camping from the
isolated town of Sheldon to the Silver Creek Lodge, where
they'd celebrate with a final day floating lazily down the
(05:00):
Snake River. We should just camp here, Janine said, It's
going to be dark soon, and we still kind of
suck at setting up the tent. The signs say overnight
camping is prohibited. Rose replied that couple said it was
only eight miles to the next town. We'd be lucky
(05:22):
to do that in three hours, Rosy. Besides, everyone we've
talked to has said that we need to see this
waterfall at sunrise. We already missed it this morning because
you didn't want to get a ride from that trucker.
Because hitchhiking is dangerous, she scoffed. And that guy was gross.
(05:44):
He looked like an evil Jerry Garcia scary Garcia, Janine said,
with a giggle. Come on, Rosie, everyone's leaving the park anyway.
No one will know we're here. Worst case, some ranger
smith guy comes by and we make dough eyes at
him until he just gives us a warning. Rose seemed
(06:08):
to consider it. She looked over to the parking area
and Jeanine was correct. Almost everyone had already cleared out.
The park rangers wouldn't lock the gate until sundown, but
with less than an hour to go, there wasn't much
to do except feed the mosquitoes. A family of six
(06:31):
was packing everything into their station wagon. A couple of
teens made out on a park bench. Local kids played
the last downs of their football game, and a red
pickup truck sat unoccupied in the far corner of the lot.
No one would be around to notice them, and it
(06:52):
would be nice to see the waterfall at first light.
That had been their original plan after here about it
from a couple at a diner two days earlier. The
locals called it Fortune Falls because the water broke up
and sparkled like a cascade of diamonds at sunrise. Rose's
(07:16):
better safe than sorry approach had set them back hours. However,
when they arrived at noon, the site was anything but impressive.
The waterfall wasn't particularly large and only descended some fifty
feet to the punch bowl below. After the big show
(07:39):
at dawn, most people moved along to the larger recreational areas.
It did seem unlikely park services would spend much time
locking down the tiny Fortune Falls site. An engine turned
over and Rose glanced around again. The station wagon was
(08:02):
ready to go. The winning football team was high fiving
while the losers collected their bikes from the lawn, and
the makeout session was getting hot enough that it would
soon need to move to a more private location. That
red truck still sat there. However, an ominous feeling came
(08:24):
over Rows, but she shrugged it off. She always had
an ominous feeling. It seemed okay, we can stay, she conceded,
but we'd better not get caught. Janine used the sawback
(08:46):
of the survival knife to split a thick limb. She
tossed one half into the fire and stuck the knife
into the ground next to her. Janine's boyfriend, Howard, was
in the rotc back home. He'd insisted she'd take the
knife along, joking that she could use the compass on
(09:08):
the pommel to find her way back home. Janine watched
the needle settle and look to the southeast. She knew
that somewhere beyond the expansive wilderness was Kansas. She'd never
liked it there, over the last three days, she'd come
(09:29):
to like it even less. It was boring in every
possible way, right down to the men, she thought, as
she pulled Howard's knife from the earth. Two more days
and we'll be at the river, Rose said, folding her map.
There's so much more stuff to see. We could come
(09:52):
here every summer, and I don't think we'd ever find
it all. I don't think I want to come here
next summer, Janine whittled at the end of the stick. Jesus, Rosie,
just look at it. How could anyone go back to
Kansas once they've seen all this? Like? You want to
(10:14):
transfer here? Why not? The university is a few hundred
miles that way, she pointed with the knife, then checked
the compass and corrected her aim. That way. There's an
entire ocean nearby, an ocean that's too cold for sharks too.
(10:34):
Didn't Jaws take place in New England? Okay, so maybe
they still have sharks. But there's a whole state of this.
She gestured to the deep black wilderness around them. Have
you met anyone boring in the last few days? I'm
sure I have. Rose couldn't think of any When did
(10:59):
you decide this? I haven't decided anything, Janine sheathed the
knife and inspected the point she'd put on the limb.
Everywhere we've been this week has been so alive. Kansas
is just an after birth. It's like God ran out
(11:20):
of ideas and just left the canvas blank when he
made it. What about Howard, the boys are cuter? Rose laughed.
She didn't necessarily agree with her friend, But there was
a ruggedness about the Oregon mountain men they'd encountered that
(11:41):
was lacking in the Kansas stock Howard is sweet, Janine continued,
But all he can think about is the future. How
can anyone give a rat's ass about the future when
we have all this right now? Maybe you're right. We
(12:01):
got an eight mile hike tomorrow to talk about it.
Rose said, let's get some rest. We don't want to
miss the sunrise showing. We can make sure we have
the best view before the gates even open. It's going
to be magical. Yeah, Janine tossed the wooden spike into
the fire. There's a lot to see tomorrow.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
You're not safe yet, Weekly Spooky will be right back.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
The tent lit up suddenly from the outside. The bright
light shone through the nylon, turning the structure into an
oversized lantern and roused the girls from their slumber. Janine
rubbed her eyes, trying to clear away confusion with the sleepiness.
(12:54):
Rose groaned and rolled over in her sleeping bag. It
cannot be more already, she mumbled, It's not. Jeanine sat
up sharply. She could hear the gentle rumble of a
truck engine outside. Shit, I think we're busted, Rosy. Rose
(13:15):
said something, but the words were lost in the sudden
rumble of the motor. The light became more intense as
the headlights rushed closer. The shower of earth and rocks
thrown up by the truck tires rained noisily through the
tree branches. Janine watched as the tense, thin skin glowed
(13:40):
brighter and brighter until the side collapsed and rushed towards her.
Wrapped around a half ton of Detroit steel, Jeanine couldn't
comprehend what was happening, or that the thing that struck
her was the truck's bumper. Suddenly it was dark again.
(14:04):
The ravaged tent lay draped over the women. Rose was silent.
Janine felt a crushing weight on her right arm. She
tried to move it, but the appendage wouldn't budge. She
pulled harder. A lightning bolt shot threw her finger tips
(14:24):
to her elbow from the effort. Rosie, she cried out,
a gentle sob answered her. The tent rustled wildly. I
can't move, Rose, Janine said, what's happening? Rose sniffled. She
(14:45):
fought with the nylon, clawing and punching at the tent
as it collapsed on top of her. Her voice grew
panicked and shrill. I can't, I can't get this off me.
Why is this happening? The truck pulled forward, releasing Janine's
arm from beneath its tire. The ground moved beneath them.
(15:10):
Rose screamed. The tent was caught on the truck. They
were being dragged. The fabric tore, but not enough to
get free. Janine pulled her injured arm close to her
body and rolled over, looking for a way out. The
(15:30):
engine growled as the driver hit the gas. Rocks and
branches tore through the bottom. As the tent sped along
behind the vehicle, deeper into the woods, It finally came free.
The truck's tires slid loudly to a stop. Rose found
(15:53):
a tear and worked at it with both hands, forcing
it open until she could get through Janine. She searched
the ruins of the tent for her friend, finding a
body shaped lump beneath Jeanine. Get me out of here, Rosie.
(16:14):
I'm hurt bad, I will Oh my god, We're in
big trouble. Rose stared at the truck, unable to look away.
She could only discern the outline of the vehicle in
the moonlight, but was convinced that it was the red
pickup truck from earlier. The truck reversed, turning around slowly.
(16:42):
The back bumper crunched against a tree. The noise snapped
Rose out of her paralysis. She wrestled the tent off
of Jeanine and gasped. Her friend's face was a mask
of blood blud Her forehead was split open in a
(17:04):
large gash, showing bone beneath. Rose moved the flap of
flesh back over the exposed skull. The headlights shined fully
upon them as the truck finished writing itself. Rose leaned
close to Jeanine. Stay really still, she whispered, don't make
(17:29):
a sound. The engine revved. The driver did it two
more times, letting the women know he could run them
down with ease. Then the door swung open. A man
stepped out of the vehicle, but leaned back inside to
(17:50):
get something. He stepped in front of the lights, casting
a long shadow over the women. Rose couldn't see any
of the man's features, except the distinctive shape of a
cowboy hat atop his head, and then the even more
(18:14):
distinctive shape of the axe held at his side. Why
are you doing this, she asked shakily. She clenched her
teeth and drew a deep breath. She blew it out
and asked again, with more force, why are you doing this?
(18:37):
What do you want? The cowboy moved towards her without
a word. He swung the axe on to his shoulder.
His walk was cocky and nonchalant. He looked like he
was out for a casual stroll. Janine groaned and Rose
shushed her quietly, praying the cowboy didn't hear. If he did,
(19:03):
he didn't let on. He just kept walking closer.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
Don't go away, weakly, spooky, We'll be right back.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
Please stop this, Rose shouted. She pushed her hands out
in front of her. Just leave us alone. The cowboy
swung the axe one handed. The blade whooshed by harmlessly,
and he placed it on the opposite shoulder, spitting tobacco
(19:39):
juice playfully at Rose. He took a backhand swing. Rose
felt the hit, but didn't realize the gravity of it
until the three stumps on her right hand spurred it.
Before she could respond, the cowboy took look a two
(20:00):
handed chop. It struck with the sound of a gunshot,
and flung her into the dirt. Rose wheezed air sputtered
wetly out of her collapsing lung. She rolled over, hugged
her chest, broken ribs gouged into her palm. Janine shifted
(20:26):
carefully in the tent. Her legs were still inside the
sleeping bag. She moved slowly to wipe her eyes with
shredded tent fabric, being careful not to draw attention to herself.
Everything was blurry, but simultaneously all too clear. She could
(20:49):
see the cowboy and the axe, and her best friend
laying on the ground. She closed her eyes again, but
it didn't protect her from what came next. She listened
to the crack of the axe striking Rose again. Why.
(21:13):
Rose asked why. The cowboy answered her with another chop.
Rose kept repeating the word, and their attacker continued to
respond the same way. Sharp cracks became softer, wetter. Rose's
(21:34):
voice got weaker, and then went silent entirely. Two more
chops followed. Janine dared to look once more. The cowboy
was kneeling over Rose. He sat on her hips and
leaned on his axe. Janine carefully crawled free. The blood
(22:02):
pouring down her face slipped past her lips. She knew
she'd be tasting a lot more of it. If the
cowboy spotted her, he probably thought she was dead already.
She could have laid there until he left. But maybe
he wouldn't have. Maybe he would have used the axe
(22:26):
to make sure. She couldn't take the risk. She knew
begging wouldn't work. It hadn't for Rose. Once her legs
were free, she brought herself into a crouch and glanced
over her shoulder. The cowboy was standing, but still seemed
(22:50):
focused on Rose. Janine wiped her eyes again. She needed
a few seconds of clear vision. She pushed off in
a dead sprint for the running truck. She heard a
frustrated curse from the cowboy. Janine stumbled, bouncing off the bumper.
(23:12):
She pulled herself up and whipped inside the cab. Her
injured hand struggled with the shifter, forcing her to use
her left. The cowboy ran at her in the headlights.
Janine stomped the gas pedal down. The tires spun and
threw up dirt. They gained traction. As the cowboy grabbed
(23:36):
the open door, the truck jolted forward. The cowboy stumbled,
tossing himself over the side of the truck bed. Janine
swerved around a tree. The rear window shattered, and the
cowboy boots struck her in the back of the head.
The truck veered hard, throwing her out of the open door.
(24:01):
It plowed into a stump. The cowboy flew over the
vehicle and disappeared into the darkness. Jeanine climbed woozily to
her feet. She ran the trees, blocked the pitiful moonlight.
Branches tore at her skin to trytas stabed into her feet.
(24:27):
She bounced off the trees and kept on running. She
was terrified. She was blind, she was hurt, she was heartbroken.
She was flying. Jeanine laid against the rocks. The water
(24:53):
gently sloshed over her face and down her throat, choking
her back into the world of the living. The waterfall
poured down across the pool from her. She'd blindly ran
straight over the edge in her desperate escape. It was
(25:13):
still dark out, but there was nothing blocking the moon
at the waterfall, and she could inspect the damage to
her arm for the first time. It was swollen, with
the skin deeply miscolored. She could move her fingers, but
the pain made her wish she couldn't. She knew it
(25:34):
was definitely broken. She risked touching her forehead. It wasn't
bleeding as badly as she feared, but she chalked that
up to being almost out of blood. She knew Rose
was dead. She'd laid there and listened to her best
friend die. No, you didn't, she reminded herself, you don't. No,
(26:00):
she's dead. Janine looked around for any sign of the cowboy.
Not finding any, she worked her way onto the rocks
and began her hike back to the campsite. She checked
her watch. It was a dainty, pretty thing that she'd
picked out for esthetics and not its ability to survive
(26:24):
a fifty foot fall into a pond. She put it
close to her ear. It wasn't ticking. The time was
stuck at three am, but she had no idea when
it had stopped. What she did know was that meant
there was less than three hours until the park opened.
(26:49):
She needed to get back to the campsite and check
on Rose. Then she could wait for the rangers to
come and open the park. The cowboy had to be gone.
He couldn't know where Jeanine had run to. And that
red truck, she remembered it was still there when we
(27:12):
left to set up the tent. He would have to
leave his truck to escape. He has to make sure
I'm dead. He's still here.
Speaker 3 (27:23):
More scarce to come, weekly, Spooky, We'll be right back.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
She pulled herself from the punch bowl and started up
the steep incline back to the campsite. Janine was sure
the cowboy was looking for her. She wasn't going to
make it easy for him. She had to survive. If
she didn't, then there was nothing stopping that bastard from
(27:52):
doing it again and again. Rose might not have even
been his first, and she certainly wouldn't be his last.
If Janine didn't get to the police, there'd be dead
Roses all over Oregon. The hike back to the campsite
(28:17):
came as close to killing Janine as the cowboy had.
Her arm throbbed as she collapsed to her friend's side.
Rose's face was gone, her arms ravaged where she tried
to defend herself. There were no errant swings the cowboy
(28:40):
had practiced this, he'd killed before. Janine was sure of that.
Rose hadn't wanted to camp there. If Janine had listened,
none of it would be happening. I'm sorry, Rosie, she whimpered.
This is all my fault, and I'm so sorry. Janine
(29:07):
scoured at her tears, aggravating the head wound in the process.
She looked around quickly. The truck was gone. There were
no headlights shining anywhere in the woods, no flashlight searching
for her trail. Janine tried to convince herself the cowboy
(29:30):
was gone, but she didn't buy it. Maybe he's waiting
for the rangers himself. She thought he could say he
got stuck inside and they just let him go. He'll
be in Canada by the time they find Rosie. That
can't happen. It won't happen. I promise Rosie, it won't
(29:56):
fucking happen. Janine rummag through the wrecked tent until she
found Howard's survival knife. She cut a strip of nylon
and tied it around her head, pulling it tight to
hold the flap of skin in place. A bent up
aluminum tent post made a quick splint for her arm.
(30:21):
Once the wounds were taken care of, it was time
for other concerns. She'd helped her father cut firewood back home.
Swinging an axe was exhausting and slow. She thrusted the
knife into the air a few times. That wasn't slow
(30:43):
at all. She found her belt and attached the knife
to it, but could only manage to scrounge up a
mixed pair of their hiking boots. Rose's pack was mangled,
but the metal flashlight on the side hadd Janine inspected
(31:03):
rogue stitches on the face of the pack. The Jayhawk
patch Rose carefully centered on it was missing. The idea
of the cowboy taking a trophy turned her stomach. She
envisioned him mounting the patch over his mantle, with souvenirs
(31:24):
from other kills, like the antlers her father had mounted
back home. Janine took the light and started towards the
parking lot. The red pickup was sitting in the corner spot,
exactly where it had been before. Janine dropped behind a
(31:44):
bush and watched for movement. There was still no sign
of the occupant or any other axe swinging psychos. Janine
stayed low, crawling along the perimeter of the lot. With
still no cowboy present, Jeanine made her move on the truck.
(32:07):
She broke into a crouching run and rolled to the
side of the vehicle. It hurt more than the TV
shows led her to believe. Her heart skipped. A sudden
dread washed over her. There was something wrong, or, more correctly,
(32:28):
nothing was wrong. She peeked around the front of the
truck to inspect the bumper. It was rusty and dinged up,
but she'd seen the truck rack into a tree. The
crash she'd heard must have done more than a few dents.
She moved down the side and checked the back glass.
(32:53):
It was intact. It wasn't the cowboy's truck, So where
the hell is She looked around frantically. There were no
other trucks, no other anything. She was completely alone. As
far as she could tell. She'd seen the tire tracks
(33:15):
all the way from their campsite back to the parking lot.
Rose's killer had definitely driven out the same way he'd
come in. She clicked on the flashlight and set out
for clues. She shined high first, hoping to catch a
glint off the truck or to spotlight the sun of
(33:38):
a bitch himself. When that didn't work, she moved the
light down to search for tracks. A metal door clanged
behind her. Jeanine spun, waving the flashlight around for the source.
She froze. The light hung on the blockie concrete building
(34:02):
that housed the bathrooms. Each had a steel outer door
that could be padlocked during the off season. Jeanine snuck
to the restrooms and waited. She didn't hear anyone inside,
but knew the door was too heavy to have blown
in the barely present breeze. She sat the flashlight down
(34:26):
on the archaic water fountain. Jeanine drew the knife. It
was uncomfortable in her left hand, but it was going
to be a lot more uncomfortable in the cowboy's belly.
She pulled the outer door and pushed the other inward
with her foot. No one chopped it off. Jeanine sprang inside,
(34:51):
keeping the knife close to her body. A chunky, disheveled
man threw his hands into the air, hiking his keep
on truck in shirt over his belly. His eyes flicked
to the knife. Fuck shit, he shook his head violently.
Be cool, Be cool, you motherfucker. Janine hissed, where is it?
(35:16):
Where's the truck right outside? The man pointed shakily, not
that truck. That's the only one I got. The man shrugged.
I know the sign says no camping, but stabbing is
a bit fucking extreme. Lady, aren't you supposed to write
(35:38):
me a ticket or something camping? Who are you? Phil?
Why did you try to kill me? Kill you? Lady?
I went to jail for being a conscientious objector. I
don't even kill bugs.
Speaker 3 (35:57):
Did you hear that? Better check the locks on your
doors weekly, Spooky, We'll be right back.
Speaker 1 (36:06):
The park is closed, Janine snapped, why are you here?
Fleetwood Mac is playing in Boise this weekend? He let
his hands fall, slapping against his thighs. I stopped here
to score some weed from a buddy, had got super
baked and fell asleep by the falls. By the time
(36:29):
I got back, the gate was locked. Janine hadn't gotten
a good look at the cowboy, but she was sure
he had been slimmer and taller and didn't reek of marijuana.
She leaned against the wall and started to cry. If
(36:49):
Phil wasn't the cowboy, then she'd failed, and the axe
murderer had escaped. Phil took tentative steps towards her, passed
the air as he went. Please don't stab me, he
said softly. You look really banged up. Let's go to
(37:10):
my truck and get you some help. It's a dodge,
it'll crash right through that gate. What time you got,
Janine asked, sheathing the knife. Phil checked his watch quarter
past five, About an hour until anyone comes to rescue you.
(37:31):
Guess that makes you my shining night. You uh drew
the short straw, then he chuckled. Janine let Phil help
her off the wall when a bright light assaulted her eyes.
What are you two doing here, a strong masculine voice demanded.
(37:54):
The park is closed. The man moved the light back
and forth between their faces, keeping them both blinking and
blocking their eyes with their hands. Whoa dude, chill with
the light, Phil whined, This lady needs help. She was attacked,
(38:14):
I know, the man said. The flashlight clattered to the floor.
Janine's vision was blurred, but she could make out the
curves of the cowboy hat. The axe split Phil's face
and stopped in the back of his throat. Phil stumbled backwards,
(38:37):
bounced off a stall, and came forward. Woo oie, the
cowboy exclaimed, we got ourselves a dancer. He grabbed Jeanine
by the hair and pulled her close to him. You
see that, he asked, means he's dead, but his body
don't know it. I love when that happens. I wonder
(39:00):
if you'll be a dancer. What do you think, dollface,
you want to dance with me? Janine pulled the knife
and brought it down into the cowboy's thigh. He howled
and let the axe fall. Janine twisted the blade and
jerked back, but the knife didn't budge. She could see
(39:23):
the strands of meat caught in the sawback. Since it
wouldn't come out, she went back in. She worked the
saw through his thigh until the cowboy whipped her away.
Her face smashed into the wall, breaking teeth against the
cinder blocks. Janine slumped down. The axe sparked off the wall.
(39:50):
Janine rolled away. Her boots slipped in Phil's brains, and
she toppled against the sink. The axe shattered the porcelain.
It continued downward, hacking into Janine's foot. She fell on
top of Phil. The cowboy straightened his hat and limped
to her. He took the axe handle with both hands
(40:14):
and rested the blade on Jeanine's forehead. He took each
hand off in turn, rolling the wrists in preparation for
the killing blow. Why are you doing this, Janine asked,
Someday one of you will ask an original question. He said,
(40:36):
it's always why. Well, Dolphace, why not how about that one?
He raised the axe high to show his might. The
asbestos tile overhead shattered, raining down dust around the cowboy.
The distraction was just enough for Janine to move her head.
(40:59):
The act buried into Phil's body. The cowboy wrestled to
free it from Phil's oversized belly. Janine kicked the protruding
knife with her good leg. Her attacker fell, smacking his
head on the wall. Tobacco juice rolled from his lips
across his fancy Western shirt. Well, I'll be damned, doll face.
(41:26):
He stretched for his hat and used the trash can
to pull himself up. I reckon, that's a pretty fine
answer to my question. He put his hat back on
and unsnapped his shirt pocket. He held up something for
Janine to see. He squeezed it into a ball and
(41:47):
tossed it to her. I think I've had enough sport
for tonight. Sooner rather than later, I'm going to see
you dance, he promised. Then he was gone. Janine lifted
the crumbled Jayhawk patch. She crawled frantically for the exit.
(42:10):
A truck engine rumbled to life outside. Janine used the
door handle to come to her knees and forced her
way outside. Her face hit the ground. She pushed herself
out into the lawn in time to see the dark
blue Ford pulling from behind the outbuilding. Jeanine was helpless
(42:32):
to stop him as he plowed through the gate. She
rolled onto her back and held the patch to her chest.
She watched moths bounce off the dim yellow light overhead.
The sound of the truck faded out, and she laid
there alone. Janine wondered if the cowboy was a man
(42:59):
of his word, and somehow knew that he was. If
she lived, he would find her, and if she lived,
she'd make damn sure she was ready for him. Well,
(43:20):
my spookyes, I hope that story helped you get into
the mindset of maybe having one more little nature trip
before the weather turns cold, or maybe you'll just save
your money and stay home. I mean there's got to
be something to watch on streaming right. Thank you so
much for joining me as we enjoyed yet another great
(43:41):
terrifying tale from our good buddy David O'Hanlon. And there's
a whole lot more where that came from. Because in
October we're doing thirty one shows in thirty one days
right here at Weekly Spooky. That means that every single
day in October there will be something scary and fun
to enjoy. So make sure you're subscribed. You won't want
(44:03):
to miss a thing. And speaking of if you love
what we're doing here, we could really use your support,
and in exchange, you get all kinds of sweet bonus
content to make sure you're chilled all the way to
your bones. Just head to Weeklyspooky dot com slash join.
You'll get two exclusive bonus shows every single month, as
(44:23):
well as audiobooks, creepypasta narrations, and so much more. And
I want to say an extra special thank you to
our Patreon podcast boosters. These are folks who pay just
a little bit more to hear their names at the
end of the show. And they are Johnny Nicks, Kate
and Lulu, Jessica Fuller, Mike h Skewey, Jenny Green, Amber Hansford,
Karen we Met, Jack Kerr, and Craig Cohen. Thank you
(44:45):
all so much, And if you want to join those
Spookies in hearing your name at the end of the
show out of my spooky silky voice, just Headweeklyspooky dot
Com slash join and select a tear at the fifteen
dollars a month or hi. It really does make a
huge difference. As we are wrapping up six years of
Weekly Spooky and I intend on another six, but I
(45:08):
need your help to make that happen. So now I'm
gonna get out of here and get back to work
because we have something scary that'll be waiting for you
this Friday. But for now, for myself, for my executive
producers Rob Fields and Babbletopia dot Com, my producer Dan Wilder,
and my composer Ray Mattis. I'll talk at you later,
but I won't ax you anything.
Speaker 2 (45:27):
Thank you for listening me. Make sure to find your
way back next week week, but for now you are safe,
trust me.
They were just two friends on a summer road trip,
a hidden waterfall, a quiet night. But when headlights cut
through the forest and the axe begins to swing, will
anyone live to see the sun rose? This is Fortune
Falls and it's a long way from safe.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
What's that You want to be scared? Come with me?
He will experience tales over our roam, ghosts and death.
It is not recommended for the week at heart, listen
(00:48):
us in the dark. It's more fun at that way way.
This is Weekly.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Speaking, Hello, my Spookyes, it's Wednesday, and you know what
that means. It's time for a little spooky in your Weekly.
I'm your host and narrator, Enrique Kuto, and tonight we
(01:18):
have quite the terror tale. We're gonna go on a
little trip and enjoy what's left of our summer season
before the joys and fears of fall take over. But
before we get to that, I want to say thank
you so much for listening to Weekly Spooky. I can't
(01:38):
tell you how much it means to me to bring
you something scary every week, keeping the Halloween mindset alive
and well even when the sun is hot. So make
sure you subscribe, because we bring you something chilling every Wednesday,
as well as true crime on Mondays. And honestly, you
(01:59):
just never know what might drop on a Friday. So
subscribe on your favorite podcasting app. And if you love
what we're doing and you want even more of it,
head to Weeklyspooky dot Com slash. Join for as little
as one dollar a month. You get two bonus episodes
every single month, as well as over five years of
(02:20):
exclusive audiobooks, creepy pasta readings, and so much more that's
at Weeklyspooky dot Com slash join. Head over there and
join over ninety other spookies as we wrap up our
sixth year of Weekly Spooky. But as for tonight, our
tale takes us deep within the wilds of Oregon, where
(02:44):
two college friends hope to find adventure, peace, and maybe
even a little bit of magic. But what they found
was something else, something waiting, something watching, And when the
sun sets on Fortune Falls, the only thing that glitters
(03:07):
is blood. We dive in after this Fortune Falls by
David O'Hanlon. Janine and Rose were on summer break from
their third year at the University of Kansas. Being from
(03:31):
a flat landlocked wasteland, the Lady Jayhawks usually took their
breaks on a beach in Galveston. Then something immensely terrifying
It happened the previous year. They'd been on the beach
for three days. Between surf lessons and volleyball games, all
(03:52):
anyone could talk about was this new movie opening that weekend.
They decided to take make a chance and join some
of their friends for the first evening showing of Jaws.
The next day. They all just sat on the sand
the day after and every day after that until it
(04:16):
was time to return to school for the summer of
seventy six. They decided they'd try something different and far
away from the threat of shark attacks. Kansas didn't have beaches,
but it didn't have mountains either. Oregon was Jeanine's idea,
(04:38):
and Rose had fallen in love with it. She studied
the maps and picked the route for their journey of
self discovery, five days of backpacking and camping from the
isolated town of Sheldon to the Silver Creek Lodge, where
they'd celebrate with a final day floating lazily down the
(05:00):
Snake River. We should just camp here, Janine said, It's
going to be dark soon, and we still kind of
suck at setting up the tent. The signs say overnight
camping is prohibited. Rose replied that couple said it was
only eight miles to the next town. We'd be lucky
(05:22):
to do that in three hours, Rosy. Besides, everyone we've
talked to has said that we need to see this
waterfall at sunrise. We already missed it this morning because
you didn't want to get a ride from that trucker.
Because hitchhiking is dangerous, she scoffed. And that guy was gross.
(05:44):
He looked like an evil Jerry Garcia scary Garcia, Janine said,
with a giggle. Come on, Rosie, everyone's leaving the park anyway.
No one will know we're here. Worst case, some ranger
smith guy comes by and we make dough eyes at
him until he just gives us a warning. Rose seemed
(06:08):
to consider it. She looked over to the parking area
and Jeanine was correct. Almost everyone had already cleared out.
The park rangers wouldn't lock the gate until sundown, but
with less than an hour to go, there wasn't much
to do except feed the mosquitoes. A family of six
(06:31):
was packing everything into their station wagon. A couple of
teens made out on a park bench. Local kids played
the last downs of their football game, and a red
pickup truck sat unoccupied in the far corner of the lot.
No one would be around to notice them, and it
(06:52):
would be nice to see the waterfall at first light.
That had been their original plan after here about it
from a couple at a diner two days earlier. The
locals called it Fortune Falls because the water broke up
and sparkled like a cascade of diamonds at sunrise. Rose's
(07:16):
better safe than sorry approach had set them back hours. However,
when they arrived at noon, the site was anything but impressive.
The waterfall wasn't particularly large and only descended some fifty
feet to the punch bowl below. After the big show
(07:39):
at dawn, most people moved along to the larger recreational areas.
It did seem unlikely park services would spend much time
locking down the tiny Fortune Falls site. An engine turned
over and Rose glanced around again. The station wagon was
(08:02):
ready to go. The winning football team was high fiving
while the losers collected their bikes from the lawn, and
the makeout session was getting hot enough that it would
soon need to move to a more private location. That
red truck still sat there. However, an ominous feeling came
(08:24):
over Rows, but she shrugged it off. She always had
an ominous feeling. It seemed okay, we can stay, she conceded,
but we'd better not get caught. Janine used the sawback
(08:46):
of the survival knife to split a thick limb. She
tossed one half into the fire and stuck the knife
into the ground next to her. Janine's boyfriend, Howard, was
in the rotc back home. He'd insisted she'd take the
knife along, joking that she could use the compass on
(09:08):
the pommel to find her way back home. Janine watched
the needle settle and look to the southeast. She knew
that somewhere beyond the expansive wilderness was Kansas. She'd never
liked it there, over the last three days, she'd come
(09:29):
to like it even less. It was boring in every
possible way, right down to the men, she thought, as
she pulled Howard's knife from the earth. Two more days
and we'll be at the river, Rose said, folding her map.
There's so much more stuff to see. We could come
(09:52):
here every summer, and I don't think we'd ever find
it all. I don't think I want to come here
next summer, Janine whittled at the end of the stick. Jesus, Rosie,
just look at it. How could anyone go back to
Kansas once they've seen all this? Like? You want to
(10:14):
transfer here? Why not? The university is a few hundred
miles that way, she pointed with the knife, then checked
the compass and corrected her aim. That way. There's an
entire ocean nearby, an ocean that's too cold for sharks too.
(10:34):
Didn't Jaws take place in New England? Okay, so maybe
they still have sharks. But there's a whole state of this.
She gestured to the deep black wilderness around them. Have
you met anyone boring in the last few days? I'm
sure I have. Rose couldn't think of any When did
(10:59):
you decide this? I haven't decided anything, Janine sheathed the
knife and inspected the point she'd put on the limb.
Everywhere we've been this week has been so alive. Kansas
is just an after birth. It's like God ran out
(11:20):
of ideas and just left the canvas blank when he
made it. What about Howard, the boys are cuter? Rose laughed.
She didn't necessarily agree with her friend, But there was
a ruggedness about the Oregon mountain men they'd encountered that
(11:41):
was lacking in the Kansas stock Howard is sweet, Janine continued,
But all he can think about is the future. How
can anyone give a rat's ass about the future when
we have all this right now? Maybe you're right. We
(12:01):
got an eight mile hike tomorrow to talk about it.
Rose said, let's get some rest. We don't want to
miss the sunrise showing. We can make sure we have
the best view before the gates even open. It's going
to be magical. Yeah, Janine tossed the wooden spike into
the fire. There's a lot to see tomorrow.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
You're not safe yet, Weekly Spooky will be right back.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
The tent lit up suddenly from the outside. The bright
light shone through the nylon, turning the structure into an
oversized lantern and roused the girls from their slumber. Janine
rubbed her eyes, trying to clear away confusion with the sleepiness.
(12:54):
Rose groaned and rolled over in her sleeping bag. It
cannot be more already, she mumbled, It's not. Jeanine sat
up sharply. She could hear the gentle rumble of a
truck engine outside. Shit, I think we're busted, Rosy. Rose
(13:15):
said something, but the words were lost in the sudden
rumble of the motor. The light became more intense as
the headlights rushed closer. The shower of earth and rocks
thrown up by the truck tires rained noisily through the
tree branches. Janine watched as the tense, thin skin glowed
(13:40):
brighter and brighter until the side collapsed and rushed towards her.
Wrapped around a half ton of Detroit steel, Jeanine couldn't
comprehend what was happening, or that the thing that struck
her was the truck's bumper. Suddenly it was dark again.
(14:04):
The ravaged tent lay draped over the women. Rose was silent.
Janine felt a crushing weight on her right arm. She
tried to move it, but the appendage wouldn't budge. She
pulled harder. A lightning bolt shot threw her finger tips
(14:24):
to her elbow from the effort. Rosie, she cried out,
a gentle sob answered her. The tent rustled wildly. I
can't move, Rose, Janine said, what's happening? Rose sniffled. She
(14:45):
fought with the nylon, clawing and punching at the tent
as it collapsed on top of her. Her voice grew
panicked and shrill. I can't, I can't get this off me.
Why is this happening? The truck pulled forward, releasing Janine's
arm from beneath its tire. The ground moved beneath them.
(15:10):
Rose screamed. The tent was caught on the truck. They
were being dragged. The fabric tore, but not enough to
get free. Janine pulled her injured arm close to her
body and rolled over, looking for a way out. The
(15:30):
engine growled as the driver hit the gas. Rocks and
branches tore through the bottom. As the tent sped along
behind the vehicle, deeper into the woods, It finally came free.
The truck's tires slid loudly to a stop. Rose found
(15:53):
a tear and worked at it with both hands, forcing
it open until she could get through Janine. She searched
the ruins of the tent for her friend, finding a
body shaped lump beneath Jeanine. Get me out of here, Rosie.
(16:14):
I'm hurt bad, I will Oh my god, We're in
big trouble. Rose stared at the truck, unable to look away.
She could only discern the outline of the vehicle in
the moonlight, but was convinced that it was the red
pickup truck from earlier. The truck reversed, turning around slowly.
(16:42):
The back bumper crunched against a tree. The noise snapped
Rose out of her paralysis. She wrestled the tent off
of Jeanine and gasped. Her friend's face was a mask
of blood blud Her forehead was split open in a
(17:04):
large gash, showing bone beneath. Rose moved the flap of
flesh back over the exposed skull. The headlights shined fully
upon them as the truck finished writing itself. Rose leaned
close to Jeanine. Stay really still, she whispered, don't make
(17:29):
a sound. The engine revved. The driver did it two
more times, letting the women know he could run them
down with ease. Then the door swung open. A man
stepped out of the vehicle, but leaned back inside to
(17:50):
get something. He stepped in front of the lights, casting
a long shadow over the women. Rose couldn't see any
of the man's features, except the distinctive shape of a
cowboy hat atop his head, and then the even more
(18:14):
distinctive shape of the axe held at his side. Why
are you doing this, she asked shakily. She clenched her
teeth and drew a deep breath. She blew it out
and asked again, with more force, why are you doing this?
(18:37):
What do you want? The cowboy moved towards her without
a word. He swung the axe on to his shoulder.
His walk was cocky and nonchalant. He looked like he
was out for a casual stroll. Janine groaned and Rose
shushed her quietly, praying the cowboy didn't hear. If he did,
(19:03):
he didn't let on. He just kept walking closer.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
Don't go away, weakly, spooky, We'll be right back.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
Please stop this, Rose shouted. She pushed her hands out
in front of her. Just leave us alone. The cowboy
swung the axe one handed. The blade whooshed by harmlessly,
and he placed it on the opposite shoulder, spitting tobacco
(19:39):
juice playfully at Rose. He took a backhand swing. Rose
felt the hit, but didn't realize the gravity of it
until the three stumps on her right hand spurred it.
Before she could respond, the cowboy took look a two
(20:00):
handed chop. It struck with the sound of a gunshot,
and flung her into the dirt. Rose wheezed air sputtered
wetly out of her collapsing lung. She rolled over, hugged
her chest, broken ribs gouged into her palm. Janine shifted
(20:26):
carefully in the tent. Her legs were still inside the
sleeping bag. She moved slowly to wipe her eyes with
shredded tent fabric, being careful not to draw attention to herself.
Everything was blurry, but simultaneously all too clear. She could
(20:49):
see the cowboy and the axe, and her best friend
laying on the ground. She closed her eyes again, but
it didn't protect her from what came next. She listened
to the crack of the axe striking Rose again. Why.
(21:13):
Rose asked why. The cowboy answered her with another chop.
Rose kept repeating the word, and their attacker continued to
respond the same way. Sharp cracks became softer, wetter. Rose's
(21:34):
voice got weaker, and then went silent entirely. Two more
chops followed. Janine dared to look once more. The cowboy
was kneeling over Rose. He sat on her hips and
leaned on his axe. Janine carefully crawled free. The blood
(22:02):
pouring down her face slipped past her lips. She knew
she'd be tasting a lot more of it. If the
cowboy spotted her, he probably thought she was dead already.
She could have laid there until he left. But maybe
he wouldn't have. Maybe he would have used the axe
(22:26):
to make sure. She couldn't take the risk. She knew
begging wouldn't work. It hadn't for Rose. Once her legs
were free, she brought herself into a crouch and glanced
over her shoulder. The cowboy was standing, but still seemed
(22:50):
focused on Rose. Janine wiped her eyes again. She needed
a few seconds of clear vision. She pushed off in
a dead sprint for the running truck. She heard a
frustrated curse from the cowboy. Janine stumbled, bouncing off the bumper.
(23:12):
She pulled herself up and whipped inside the cab. Her
injured hand struggled with the shifter, forcing her to use
her left. The cowboy ran at her in the headlights.
Janine stomped the gas pedal down. The tires spun and
threw up dirt. They gained traction. As the cowboy grabbed
(23:36):
the open door, the truck jolted forward. The cowboy stumbled,
tossing himself over the side of the truck bed. Janine
swerved around a tree. The rear window shattered, and the
cowboy boots struck her in the back of the head.
The truck veered hard, throwing her out of the open door.
(24:01):
It plowed into a stump. The cowboy flew over the
vehicle and disappeared into the darkness. Jeanine climbed woozily to
her feet. She ran the trees, blocked the pitiful moonlight.
Branches tore at her skin to trytas stabed into her feet.
(24:27):
She bounced off the trees and kept on running. She
was terrified. She was blind, she was hurt, she was heartbroken.
She was flying. Jeanine laid against the rocks. The water
(24:53):
gently sloshed over her face and down her throat, choking
her back into the world of the living. The waterfall
poured down across the pool from her. She'd blindly ran
straight over the edge in her desperate escape. It was
(25:13):
still dark out, but there was nothing blocking the moon
at the waterfall, and she could inspect the damage to
her arm for the first time. It was swollen, with
the skin deeply miscolored. She could move her fingers, but
the pain made her wish she couldn't. She knew it
(25:34):
was definitely broken. She risked touching her forehead. It wasn't
bleeding as badly as she feared, but she chalked that
up to being almost out of blood. She knew Rose
was dead. She'd laid there and listened to her best
friend die. No, you didn't, she reminded herself, you don't. No,
(26:00):
she's dead. Janine looked around for any sign of the cowboy.
Not finding any, she worked her way onto the rocks
and began her hike back to the campsite. She checked
her watch. It was a dainty, pretty thing that she'd
picked out for esthetics and not its ability to survive
(26:24):
a fifty foot fall into a pond. She put it
close to her ear. It wasn't ticking. The time was
stuck at three am, but she had no idea when
it had stopped. What she did know was that meant
there was less than three hours until the park opened.
(26:49):
She needed to get back to the campsite and check
on Rose. Then she could wait for the rangers to
come and open the park. The cowboy had to be gone.
He couldn't know where Jeanine had run to. And that
red truck, she remembered it was still there when we
(27:12):
left to set up the tent. He would have to
leave his truck to escape. He has to make sure
I'm dead. He's still here.
Speaker 3 (27:23):
More scarce to come, weekly, Spooky, We'll be right back.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
She pulled herself from the punch bowl and started up
the steep incline back to the campsite. Janine was sure
the cowboy was looking for her. She wasn't going to
make it easy for him. She had to survive. If
she didn't, then there was nothing stopping that bastard from
(27:52):
doing it again and again. Rose might not have even
been his first, and she certainly wouldn't be his last.
If Janine didn't get to the police, there'd be dead
Roses all over Oregon. The hike back to the campsite
(28:17):
came as close to killing Janine as the cowboy had.
Her arm throbbed as she collapsed to her friend's side.
Rose's face was gone, her arms ravaged where she tried
to defend herself. There were no errant swings the cowboy
(28:40):
had practiced this, he'd killed before. Janine was sure of that.
Rose hadn't wanted to camp there. If Janine had listened,
none of it would be happening. I'm sorry, Rosie, she whimpered.
This is all my fault, and I'm so sorry. Janine
(29:07):
scoured at her tears, aggravating the head wound in the process.
She looked around quickly. The truck was gone. There were
no headlights shining anywhere in the woods, no flashlight searching
for her trail. Janine tried to convince herself the cowboy
(29:30):
was gone, but she didn't buy it. Maybe he's waiting
for the rangers himself. She thought he could say he
got stuck inside and they just let him go. He'll
be in Canada by the time they find Rosie. That
can't happen. It won't happen. I promise Rosie, it won't
(29:56):
fucking happen. Janine rummag through the wrecked tent until she
found Howard's survival knife. She cut a strip of nylon
and tied it around her head, pulling it tight to
hold the flap of skin in place. A bent up
aluminum tent post made a quick splint for her arm.
(30:21):
Once the wounds were taken care of, it was time
for other concerns. She'd helped her father cut firewood back home.
Swinging an axe was exhausting and slow. She thrusted the
knife into the air a few times. That wasn't slow
(30:43):
at all. She found her belt and attached the knife
to it, but could only manage to scrounge up a
mixed pair of their hiking boots. Rose's pack was mangled,
but the metal flashlight on the side hadd Janine inspected
(31:03):
rogue stitches on the face of the pack. The Jayhawk
patch Rose carefully centered on it was missing. The idea
of the cowboy taking a trophy turned her stomach. She
envisioned him mounting the patch over his mantle, with souvenirs
(31:24):
from other kills, like the antlers her father had mounted
back home. Janine took the light and started towards the
parking lot. The red pickup was sitting in the corner spot,
exactly where it had been before. Janine dropped behind a
(31:44):
bush and watched for movement. There was still no sign
of the occupant or any other axe swinging psychos. Janine
stayed low, crawling along the perimeter of the lot. With
still no cowboy present, Jeanine made her move on the truck.
(32:07):
She broke into a crouching run and rolled to the
side of the vehicle. It hurt more than the TV
shows led her to believe. Her heart skipped. A sudden
dread washed over her. There was something wrong, or, more correctly,
(32:28):
nothing was wrong. She peeked around the front of the
truck to inspect the bumper. It was rusty and dinged up,
but she'd seen the truck rack into a tree. The
crash she'd heard must have done more than a few dents.
She moved down the side and checked the back glass.
(32:53):
It was intact. It wasn't the cowboy's truck, So where
the hell is She looked around frantically. There were no
other trucks, no other anything. She was completely alone. As
far as she could tell. She'd seen the tire tracks
(33:15):
all the way from their campsite back to the parking lot.
Rose's killer had definitely driven out the same way he'd
come in. She clicked on the flashlight and set out
for clues. She shined high first, hoping to catch a
glint off the truck or to spotlight the sun of
(33:38):
a bitch himself. When that didn't work, she moved the
light down to search for tracks. A metal door clanged
behind her. Jeanine spun, waving the flashlight around for the source.
She froze. The light hung on the blockie concrete building
(34:02):
that housed the bathrooms. Each had a steel outer door
that could be padlocked during the off season. Jeanine snuck
to the restrooms and waited. She didn't hear anyone inside,
but knew the door was too heavy to have blown
in the barely present breeze. She sat the flashlight down
(34:26):
on the archaic water fountain. Jeanine drew the knife. It
was uncomfortable in her left hand, but it was going
to be a lot more uncomfortable in the cowboy's belly.
She pulled the outer door and pushed the other inward
with her foot. No one chopped it off. Jeanine sprang inside,
(34:51):
keeping the knife close to her body. A chunky, disheveled
man threw his hands into the air, hiking his keep
on truck in shirt over his belly. His eyes flicked
to the knife. Fuck shit, he shook his head violently.
Be cool, Be cool, you motherfucker. Janine hissed, where is it?
(35:16):
Where's the truck right outside? The man pointed shakily, not
that truck. That's the only one I got. The man shrugged.
I know the sign says no camping, but stabbing is
a bit fucking extreme. Lady, aren't you supposed to write
(35:38):
me a ticket or something camping? Who are you? Phil?
Why did you try to kill me? Kill you? Lady?
I went to jail for being a conscientious objector. I
don't even kill bugs.
Speaker 3 (35:57):
Did you hear that? Better check the locks on your
doors weekly, Spooky, We'll be right back.
Speaker 1 (36:06):
The park is closed, Janine snapped, why are you here?
Fleetwood Mac is playing in Boise this weekend? He let
his hands fall, slapping against his thighs. I stopped here
to score some weed from a buddy, had got super
baked and fell asleep by the falls. By the time
(36:29):
I got back, the gate was locked. Janine hadn't gotten
a good look at the cowboy, but she was sure
he had been slimmer and taller and didn't reek of marijuana.
She leaned against the wall and started to cry. If
(36:49):
Phil wasn't the cowboy, then she'd failed, and the axe
murderer had escaped. Phil took tentative steps towards her, passed
the air as he went. Please don't stab me, he
said softly. You look really banged up. Let's go to
(37:10):
my truck and get you some help. It's a dodge,
it'll crash right through that gate. What time you got,
Janine asked, sheathing the knife. Phil checked his watch quarter
past five, About an hour until anyone comes to rescue you.
(37:31):
Guess that makes you my shining night. You uh drew
the short straw, then he chuckled. Janine let Phil help
her off the wall when a bright light assaulted her eyes.
What are you two doing here, a strong masculine voice demanded.
(37:54):
The park is closed. The man moved the light back
and forth between their faces, keeping them both blinking and
blocking their eyes with their hands. Whoa dude, chill with
the light, Phil whined, This lady needs help. She was attacked,
(38:14):
I know, the man said. The flashlight clattered to the floor.
Janine's vision was blurred, but she could make out the
curves of the cowboy hat. The axe split Phil's face
and stopped in the back of his throat. Phil stumbled backwards,
(38:37):
bounced off a stall, and came forward. Woo oie, the
cowboy exclaimed, we got ourselves a dancer. He grabbed Jeanine
by the hair and pulled her close to him. You
see that, he asked, means he's dead, but his body
don't know it. I love when that happens. I wonder
(39:00):
if you'll be a dancer. What do you think, dollface,
you want to dance with me? Janine pulled the knife
and brought it down into the cowboy's thigh. He howled
and let the axe fall. Janine twisted the blade and
jerked back, but the knife didn't budge. She could see
(39:23):
the strands of meat caught in the sawback. Since it
wouldn't come out, she went back in. She worked the
saw through his thigh until the cowboy whipped her away.
Her face smashed into the wall, breaking teeth against the
cinder blocks. Janine slumped down. The axe sparked off the wall.
(39:50):
Janine rolled away. Her boots slipped in Phil's brains, and
she toppled against the sink. The axe shattered the porcelain.
It continued downward, hacking into Janine's foot. She fell on
top of Phil. The cowboy straightened his hat and limped
to her. He took the axe handle with both hands
(40:14):
and rested the blade on Jeanine's forehead. He took each
hand off in turn, rolling the wrists in preparation for
the killing blow. Why are you doing this, Janine asked,
Someday one of you will ask an original question. He said,
(40:36):
it's always why. Well, Dolphace, why not how about that one?
He raised the axe high to show his might. The
asbestos tile overhead shattered, raining down dust around the cowboy.
The distraction was just enough for Janine to move her head.
(40:59):
The act buried into Phil's body. The cowboy wrestled to
free it from Phil's oversized belly. Janine kicked the protruding
knife with her good leg. Her attacker fell, smacking his
head on the wall. Tobacco juice rolled from his lips
across his fancy Western shirt. Well, I'll be damned, doll face.
(41:26):
He stretched for his hat and used the trash can
to pull himself up. I reckon, that's a pretty fine
answer to my question. He put his hat back on
and unsnapped his shirt pocket. He held up something for
Janine to see. He squeezed it into a ball and
(41:47):
tossed it to her. I think I've had enough sport
for tonight. Sooner rather than later, I'm going to see
you dance, he promised. Then he was gone. Janine lifted
the crumbled Jayhawk patch. She crawled frantically for the exit.
(42:10):
A truck engine rumbled to life outside. Janine used the
door handle to come to her knees and forced her
way outside. Her face hit the ground. She pushed herself
out into the lawn in time to see the dark
blue Ford pulling from behind the outbuilding. Jeanine was helpless
(42:32):
to stop him as he plowed through the gate. She
rolled onto her back and held the patch to her chest.
She watched moths bounce off the dim yellow light overhead.
The sound of the truck faded out, and she laid
there alone. Janine wondered if the cowboy was a man
(42:59):
of his word, and somehow knew that he was. If
she lived, he would find her, and if she lived,
she'd make damn sure she was ready for him. Well,
(43:20):
my spookyes, I hope that story helped you get into
the mindset of maybe having one more little nature trip
before the weather turns cold, or maybe you'll just save
your money and stay home. I mean there's got to
be something to watch on streaming right. Thank you so
much for joining me as we enjoyed yet another great
(43:41):
terrifying tale from our good buddy David O'Hanlon. And there's
a whole lot more where that came from. Because in
October we're doing thirty one shows in thirty one days
right here at Weekly Spooky. That means that every single
day in October there will be something scary and fun
to enjoy. So make sure you're subscribed. You won't want
(44:03):
to miss a thing. And speaking of if you love
what we're doing here, we could really use your support,
and in exchange, you get all kinds of sweet bonus
content to make sure you're chilled all the way to
your bones. Just head to Weeklyspooky dot com slash join.
You'll get two exclusive bonus shows every single month, as
(44:23):
well as audiobooks, creepypasta narrations, and so much more. And
I want to say an extra special thank you to
our Patreon podcast boosters. These are folks who pay just
a little bit more to hear their names at the
end of the show. And they are Johnny Nicks, Kate
and Lulu, Jessica Fuller, Mike h Skewey, Jenny Green, Amber Hansford,
Karen we Met, Jack Kerr, and Craig Cohen. Thank you
(44:45):
all so much, And if you want to join those
Spookies in hearing your name at the end of the
show out of my spooky silky voice, just Headweeklyspooky dot
Com slash join and select a tear at the fifteen
dollars a month or hi. It really does make a
huge difference. As we are wrapping up six years of
Weekly Spooky and I intend on another six, but I
(45:08):
need your help to make that happen. So now I'm
gonna get out of here and get back to work
because we have something scary that'll be waiting for you
this Friday. But for now, for myself, for my executive
producers Rob Fields and Babbletopia dot Com, my producer Dan Wilder,
and my composer Ray Mattis. I'll talk at you later,
but I won't ax you anything.
Speaker 2 (45:27):
Thank you for listening me. Make sure to find your
way back next week week, but for now you are safe,
trust me.
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