April 16, 2025 • 35 mins
A simple father-daughter road trip turns into a desperate fight for survival after a wrong turn leads them to a secluded house in the mountains. With their car stranded, night falling, and a shotgun-wielding madman at the door, eleven-year-old Cali Jansen is forced to confront her worst fears—and become her own hero. A brutal, action-packed horror story of terror, courage, and rage.
Strike Out by Morgan Moore
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Contact Us / Submit Your Story
Check out Ray’s work here!
👨💼 Executive Producers: Rob Fields, Mark Shields, Bobbletopia.com
🎥 Produced by: Daniel Wilder
For everything else check out WeeklySpooky.com
🎧 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, Bobbletopia.com
🎥 Produced by: Daniel Wilder
🌐 Explore more terrifying tales at: WeeklySpooky.com
Strike Out by Morgan Moore
🎧 Listen now and subscribe for more horror!
🎉 Unlock bonus content and support us on Patreon!📬
Contact Us / Submit Your Story
- Twitter: @WeeklySpooky
- Facebook: facebook.com/WeeklySpooky
- Email: WeeklySpooky@gmail.com
Check out Ray’s work here!
👨💼 Executive Producers: Rob Fields, Mark Shields, Bobbletopia.com
🎥 Produced by: Daniel Wilder
For everything else check out WeeklySpooky.com
🎧 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, Bobbletopia.com
🎥 Produced by: Daniel Wilder
🌐 Explore more terrifying tales at: WeeklySpooky.com
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
A simple father daughter road trip turns into a desperate
fight for survival after a wrong turn leads them to
a secluded house in the mountains, with their cars stranded,
night falling and a shotgun wielding madman at the door.
Young Kalie Jensen is forced to confront her fears. What's
(00:24):
that you want to be scared her to come with me.
You will experience tales over opera, ghosts, and death. It
is not recommended at the foot of weak at Heart
(00:45):
heart listeners. In the dark. It's more fun at that
way way. This is Weekly Speaking. Hello, my spookies, It's Wednesday,
(01:07):
and you know what that means. It's time for a
little spooky in your weekly. I'm your host and narrator,
Enrique Cuto, and tonight we have quite a terror tale
for you, courtesy of our very own Morgan Moore, a
story all about heading on the road as winter breaks
(01:28):
and spring begins. But before we get to that, I
want to say thank you so much for tuning into
the program. This is the time of year when only
the most hardcore Halloween loving spookies needs something scary every
single week, even as the sun shines and the days
are longer you, my dear listener needs something a little
(01:52):
bit more dark to enjoy, So sincerely thank you, and
make sure you're subscribed on your favorite podcasting app. And
if you love what we're doing so much you want
to support us in a direct way, head to Weeklyspooky
dot com slash join For as little as one dollar
a month, you get two bonus shows every single month,
(02:13):
over a year's worth of creepypasta readings, exclusive audiobooks, and
so much more. And we're wrapping up the April Fool
right now the brand new Strickfield mini series exclusively at
Weeklyspooky dot com slash Join now. As for tonight, family
road trips are supposed to be fun, long drives, junk food,
(02:37):
and maybe catching a ballgame on the way. But sometimes
when you're far from home and you take a wrong turn,
you find yourself somewhere you were never meant to be.
Tonight's story is about a father and daughter trying to
reconnect on the road, but when their car breaks down
in the middle of nowhere, they discover the kind of
(02:59):
play where help doesn't come easy and some people don't
take kindly to strangers. So get comfortable. We start this
terror tale after this strikeout by Morgan Moore. How much longer? Dad,
(03:25):
Callie Jensen asked for today or in general? He replied,
I guess both. The eleven year old answered, well, we'll
probably stop in an hour or so for the night
at a hotel. Then tomorrow it shouldn't be much longer
to Grammys. He told her. Awesome, Callie responded. Her father
(03:50):
smiled at her eagerness. Callie and her father were on
their way to her grandmother, or as she had always
called her grammys house in Maryland. It was a tradition
they had kept every spring since Callie could remember. She
and her father loved baseball, and the Baltimore Orioles were
(04:11):
their shared favorite team. Her name, in fact, came from
one of their more storied players, in cal Ripken Junior.
Calli's dad insisted on using the name in any way,
shape or form for his first born, so when he
and her mom learned they were having a little girl,
(04:32):
they decided on Calli. Currently, they were nearing the halfway
point of their trip. Calli and her family lived in Ohio,
which meant she and her father would trek through the
Buckeye State down through West Virginia, Virginia and finally Maryland.
Calli's dad usually considered West Virginia the halfway point unless
(04:55):
they got up super early, where they would do the
trip in one go. Knowing they would be stopping soon
brought joy to Calli, as they usually stopped in the
same town known as Morgantown and almost always either went
to a diner near the hotel or ordered pizza. Then
it would be breakfast at the hotel in the morning,
(05:17):
and then onward to Grammys, where, save for some eating out,
they dined on her grandmother's homemade cooking, with her chocolate
chip pancakes being Callie's favorite she could almost taste them.
Not to mention opening day for the Orioles, Callie returned
(05:39):
her attention to the book she was reading, her normal
way of passing the time on the drives, unless she
wanted to break out her Game Boy Advance and replay
one of the Pokemon games for the umpteenth time. If
she had her way, Calli would have her mit and
Ball with her and pass the time by lightly tossing
(05:59):
it and catching it. But her dad had vetoed that
since last year when she nearly caused him to have
an accident. The mitten ball, along with her bat would
have to wait. Calli felt her eyes start to grow
heavy as she continued to read. The heaviness soon overcame
(06:20):
her and they began to close. Once fully closed, she
was out like a light. Her eyes shot open as
her body was jolted away. Her eyes danced around before
catching a glance at the time on the radio deck,
six thirty p m. She turned her attention to her dad,
(06:43):
who was cursing under his breath. Daddy, she asked, in
shocked fright. I don't know what I hit, but two
of our tires just blew out, He told her. What
do we do? Calli questioned, Well, normally, when you have
a flat tire, you just change it, but I don't
(07:06):
have two spares, so he trailed off. So then what
do we do? She asked, with fear creeping into her
tone more and more. Well, we're not close to a
town yet, he responded, as his eyes looked at their surroundings.
We're in trouble, Callie asked. Her father does not answer. Instead,
(07:32):
he keeps his eyes scanning the area. Finally, a small
smile appears on his mouth and he snaps his fingers
there we go, he exclaims, in hopeful joy. Callie turns
her attention to where her father was looking. Shortly Up
ahead was what looked like the start of a driveway.
(07:57):
Does that lead to somebody's house? She asked. We'll find
out soon enough, honey. Either way, it'll lead somewhere that
will hopefully find people and can plan our next steps
from there, he answered. Will we make it with the tires?
Calli questioned, as her nostrils became filled with the smell
(08:18):
of burning rubber. I hope so, sweetie, he said. Calli's
father carefully turned the car leftwards into the opening and
began driving up the path slowly. While night was not
far behind, the sun was starting to lower. As dusk
took over, the path winded up part of a mountain
(08:40):
whose trees, along with the slowly setting sun, left little
light for them to use. Finally, they arrived at an
open gate. The father and daughter rolled down their windows
and poked their heads out. Calli spotted an old metal
sign dangling from one of the gate doors. She squinted
(09:03):
her eyes to read it. Keep out, she said, What
was that, sweetie? Her father asked, there's a sign that
said keep out. I think that means we shouldn't go
in any more, Daddy, Callie told her father. The gate
is open though. Besides, even if they don't necessarily want
(09:27):
strangers around, we do have a valid reason on our side.
We need help, he explained. Are you sure about this, Dad,
Calli questioned, it's either this or pulling over on the road.
He answered with that. Her father drove through the gates
(09:49):
as he switched on the headlights. The pair continued forward.
As the large house came into view via the headlights,
Calli's father slapped the steering wheel in excite. Once close enough,
Callie's dad pulled to a stop and turned off the truck.
Dad Calli said, what is it, honey, he returned, I
(10:14):
don't have a good feeling about this. She told him.
How come, he asked, It just doesn't feel right going
somewhere we shouldn't. Besides, she started, as she looked at
the surroundings. This place gives me the creeps, she finished.
(10:35):
Her father smiled at her. I know, hone, it's a
new place and we're in a bad spot. But at
the end of the day, I like to believe that
people are good and will help their fellow man. Even
if the people who live here are angry that we
pulled in, surely they'll understand why. Come on, let's find
(10:57):
out what fate has in store for us, he said.
On that note, her father swung his door open and
exited the car. Hesitating for a moment, Calli took some
deep breaths before getting out of the car and joining
her father. She grasped and curled her hand around his,
(11:20):
prompting a smile from him and a ruffle of her
hair in response. The father and daughter made their way
across the grounds. The duo ascended up a small set
of steps onto the wooden patio of the house. At
the door, Calli's father took a deep breath, put on
(11:41):
his best friendly smile, and knocked on the door. Nothing.
He waited for a moment before knocking again, a bit harder,
still nothing. Frowning a bit, Calli's father banged on the
door with his whole fish. Not two seconds later, the
(12:04):
door swung open violently. Don't go away, weekly, spooky, We'll
be right back. Go away, a grisly voice commanded. Calli
and her dad looked at the man in front of them.
(12:24):
He was tall and burly, with a full and bushy
black beard and head of dark hair that looked messy
and greasy. He was dressed in jeans, a plain colored
T shirt and opened up workshirt, and large boots. Most
importantly and jarringly to the father and daughter was the
(12:47):
shotgun he held in his hands. Hello, Callie's dad started.
MY name is Nathan Jannam. This is my daughter, Callie.
We were on our way to visit some family when
two of our tires blew. He points to their car.
(13:08):
I know it's late and probably not what you wanted
to have at your doorstep this time of night, but
we really need help. My cell phone is close to dead.
I do have some cash, though, if you'd be willing
to help us, he finished, as his hand slides into
(13:29):
his pocket and withdraws his wallet. I don't care get
the man told them with growing menace. Callie shuddered at
the look in his eyes. I'm sorry, sir, but I'm
just a father in a bad predicament with his daughter.
(13:50):
I promise if you let me use your phone, me
and her will get out of your hair as fast
as possible, Callie's dad said. The man held up and
aimed the shotgun right at Calli's father. I don't give
a shit who you are and what you want. Get
off my property now, last warning, he told her father directly,
(14:16):
before giving a look at Calli that made her skin crawl.
Her father gulped and then sighed and took another breath. Listen, buddy,
I'm not falling for this tough guy who lives out
in seclusion in the wilderness. Crap, we need help. The
(14:36):
least you can do if you won't help us, is
tell us who will? Her father all but ranted. The
man's response was a simple one. He raised his aim,
pulled on the trigger of the shotgun, and blew the
head of Calli's father right off. Blood and brain matter
(15:03):
splattered all over the porch, as well as the man
and Calli. She turned and looked to where her father
had stood a moment prior, only to find him splayed
out on the ground with his head blown open and
a messy pile of flesh and blood and brain. Callie
(15:29):
wanted to scream, but couldn't find the ability to do
so due to the shock. Her eyes returned to the man,
who was loading two fresh slugs into the shotgun and
locking it into place. He pointed it at her torso
before she knew what was happening, she jumped off the
(15:51):
porch and started running across the grounds. A shot thundered
out from the gun, and she saw the ground off
to her sideped he missed. She kept her pace up,
unsure of where to go or how far the man
would give chase. Another blast from the gun echoed through
the air, and Callie felt the ground right behind her
(16:15):
at her feet blown apart. The impact on the ground
near her caused her to stumble and then fall forward,
slamming face down into the dirt. She felt like she
had been punched square in the face and was dizzy.
Her eyes fluttered open and stared ahead. Callie became grateful
(16:38):
that she landed where she did, only a few inches
away from where she fell was a snaptrap. If she
had kept running or fell a bit farther, either her
foot or her face would have been crushed. She got
to her feet slowly and risked a look behind her.
(16:59):
The man was all off of the porch and started
to run toward her. Unsure of what was the best option,
Calli looked down and around the ground. In her search,
she found an old beer bottle and picked it up.
Better than nothing, she told herself. Callie turned to face
(17:22):
the oncoming threat, and when he was just close enough
as he started to raise the gun, she reared back
her arm and threw the bottle like she was trying
to strike out a player to win a game. The
bottle collided with the man's face and shattered. He rubbed
(17:42):
and picked at his visage to remove any glass that
might have embedded itself in his flesh. Using the opportunity
to her advantage, Calli sprinted past the man and kept
running past the house towards its backyard. Behind her, all
(18:02):
she heard was the man, I'm gonna kill you, you
little bitch. Calli's eyes darted around the backyard. Her options
for a hiding spot were not the best. There was
(18:26):
a shed, but surely the man would look there first,
and it was possible that it was locked. She considered
trying the back door, but who knew what horrors were inside.
Callie considered hiding under the raised back porch, climbing a tree,
or to simply keep running. Then her eyes landed on
(18:53):
a doghouse which looked to be big and dug into
a decently deep level Calli sprinted towards it and slid
into the opening. The space inside was tight, but was
indeed deep enough to allow her to partially crawl out
(19:13):
of view, lying in the dirt. The tears finally came
as Callie processed the last few minutes. Her father had died,
No was slaughtered before her eyes. Her white and black
baseball shirt was covered in his blood, and she could
(19:35):
feel the wetness of brain matter on her face and
in her hair. Daddy, she cried in her head. She
dared not to speak and give away her hiding spot.
Callie shook her head. Get it together. You need to
(19:56):
keep it together if you want to survive, she told herself.
How though was the question. She didn't know fully why
she had even chosen to run to the backyard. Her
best guess was fear that if she left the property
that the man would pursue her and most likely get her.
(20:19):
After all, he lived out here and most likely knew
the land better than anybody. Not to mention it was
possible he did leave the property, thinking she may have
gone back down the mountain and could have closed and
locked the gate, She thought about running past the backyard,
(20:40):
but was unsure if and when it would stop. It
seemed plausible the man might have another gate or fence
somewhere behind his house. In her mind, that left one
option the car. Calli knew her father had the keys
(21:02):
with him when they went to the door, most likely
in one of his pockets. The issue, though, was both
being able to get to them before being caught and
the fact that two tires were unusable. Callie didn't know
much about cars, but she knew driving on blown out
tires leads to driving on rims, which is an even
(21:24):
worse problem. Add to that the growing darkness and her
inability to drive, which meant it was most likely not
a good idea. A few seconds later, though, a fresh
idea entered Calli's head and brought a smile to her face.
(21:46):
You're not safe yet, weekly Spooky will be right back.
Her baseball stuff was in the trunk of the car,
which meant her baseball bat was in there as well.
If she could get the keys to the car, Callie
could unlock the trunk, get her bat, and have a weapon. True,
(22:11):
she knew a baseball bat, especially a wooden one, wasn't
the best choice against a shotgun, but it was something Besides,
she told herself, if you could outrun and dodge two shots,
maybe you can do it again. When he would go
(22:31):
to reload, you can go up to him and start
beating him with the bat. Her smile turned to a
grin as she envisioned getting revenge against the man. It
was a risky plan, but the only feasible one Callie
could think of. She started to crawl out of the doghouse.
(22:53):
She figured it might be best to run around the
house the opposite way she came into the backyard in
case the man was waiting for her. Callie considered crawling
on the ground to do so, but if there was
one spring trap on the premises, there would likely be more.
This man clearly took any and all precautions to keep
(23:15):
people away. Exiting the doghouse, Callie slowly rose to her
feet when a thought occurred to her. There was a doghouse,
but there didn't seem to be a dog. Unless foss
the man's voice roared. Callie turned her attention to the
(23:38):
back porch and saw the man standing There. Next to
him was a dog, a cane corso. The moment it
heard its master speak, it shot forward like a speeding
train towards Calli. The plan to go around the house
vanished as Callie began sprinting for her life back the
(23:59):
way she came, with the dog in pursuit behind her.
How am I going to get the keys and get
away before the dog even catches me? The answer was simple,
I'm just going to have to. Callie rounded a corner
into the front of the grounds and turned to the porch.
(24:22):
She ran towards it, with the dog barking right behind her.
Callie jumped up the small steps and slid to a
crash against the wall. She shook it off and hustled
to her father and checked his pockets. The keys were gone.
(24:43):
The man must have taken them, she said to herself.
Before she could think any further, the dog jumped onto her, snarling.
Callie remembered when a police officer visited her class and
explained to them what to if a dog ever attacked you. Normally,
(25:03):
it would be to stay still, but this was no
ordinary dog. Callie shook her body around back and forth
to gather any momentum she could. Feeling confident enough, Callie
rolled her body to the side and brought the dog
onto its side. She then gave it a hard punch
(25:24):
to its chest, which elicited a yelp and a momentary
retreat from the dog. Callie jumped to her feet. If
I want in the trunk, I'll have to use the
hatch in the car, she hoped and prayed the man
hadn't locked it as she leapt off the porch and
ran towards the car. She pulled hastily on the driver's
(25:49):
side door and was relieved to find it unlocked. Callie
quickly got inside and shut the door. A moment later,
the dog jump against the window, barking fiercely. Callie screamed
as she searched for the right lever to pull, pulling
on all of them just to be sure. Hearing the
(26:12):
trunk click and pop open, Callie breathed a sigh of relief.
Then she stared out the front of the car and
found the dog standing by the man, his shotgun aimed
right at the vehicle. The next thing she knew, there
was a bang and the windshield shattered. Screaming in terror,
(26:35):
Callie crawled from the driver's seat into the back. There,
she opened a door and crawled out. Staying on the ground,
she made her way to the back of the car,
then moved onto her knees. Gripping the latch of the trunk,
she pushed it open the rest of the way and
there it was her baseball bat. She grinned as she
(26:59):
pulled it out of the trunk and wielded it like
a sword. Okay, Callie, time to do either the bravest
or dumbest thing in your whole life, she said, to
hype herself up. Callie stood up and walked around the
car to find the man and the dog. The man
(27:21):
had the shotgun aimed at her. He eyed the baseball
bat in her hands, adjusted his aim, and fired the
bat blew apart in Calli's hand, sending wood all over
the ground as well as into the flesh of her hands, arms,
and face. She fell to the ground, ears ringing from
(27:45):
the force of the blast, and screamed in agony. She
felt more pain than she could have ever imagined foss.
The man commanded again. She heard the snarl, but couldn't
find the strength to move. A moment later, the dog
was on her and elicited fresh screams from her throat
(28:09):
as it ripped and teared into her thigh with what
strength she had, Calli beat on its head to no avail.
Her defense only caused the dog to tighten its hold.
It shook its head, causing more damage through growingly hazier eyes.
Callie turned her head and saw that in her right
(28:32):
hand she was still gripping the shattered and splintered remains
of the bat. She looked at the dog, Dear God,
I'm sorry. In one furious movement, she plunged the remains
of the bat into the neck of the beast. She
(28:53):
twisted it as she pulled it out, and watched blood
flow out of the wound barbous. The man screamed, almost
as if the first stab filled her with more energy.
Calli screamed as she repeatedly thrust the broken bat into
the dog's throat and its torso her body became covered
(29:16):
in its blood as life quickly drained from it. Callie
shoved the dog off of her and slowly stood up,
her body shaking from shock. She looked to where the
man was and saw him running at full speed toward her.
(29:37):
You have one chance, Callie, she told herself. The moment
the man was in rage, Callie shrieked and pushed her
body forward and plunged the remains of the bat into
the man's hip. He howled in pain, and in response
dropped the shotgun as he staggered back a few inches.
(30:01):
Not wasting a moment, Callie picked up the shotgun and
aimed it at the man. She watched as he pulled
out the bat and threw it to the ground. His
eyes moved to her, and a grin formed across his
bearded mouth. What's you gonna do with that, bitch, he asked, tauntingly,
(30:28):
I'm going to shoot you, just like you did my dad,
Callie retorted. The man's grin widened. Really, now, sure you
have enough strength to do it? Uh? Huh, she answered,
knowing her strength was indeed fading fast. Are you sure
(30:52):
it's loaded? The man questioned, whah, Callie responded. The man chuckled,
What makes you so sure it's loaded? After all, you
were in La La Land getting mauled by my dog?
So how do you know if I ever loaded it again?
(31:14):
Of course you did, Callie says back to him, but
admits in her head that the man raises a viable point. Really,
now you bet on it being loaded, he taunts, Yeah,
She squeaks out, Well, what about this one, the man said,
(31:38):
as he reached behind him and brandishes a pistol, aiming
it at Calli. You have another gun, Calli questioned, in
genuine surprise. Course, I do, be prepared to protect yourself
and whatnot? The man answered with a menacing glee. Silence
(32:04):
fell between the two, with only the sound of nature
filling the space between them. They stare each other down,
each one waiting for the other to make the first move.
So you really want to bet your life on that
(32:24):
shotgun beIN loaded, the man asked. Finding she had little
strength left to speak. Calli nodded her head to say
that she does. Well. I guess we'll find out, then,
the man said. They let silence fall over them once
(32:47):
more as they listened to crickets and other nocturnal sounds.
Their fingers each squeeze and then pull back on their
respective triggers. There was a bang and the odor of
gun smoke as it filled the night. Well, my spookies,
(33:14):
I hope you enjoyed that story as much as I
enjoyed reading it. Something to get you in the mindset
of spring, since it's basically sprung, although here in Ohio
you never really can tell one day at seventy four
degrees today the highest fifty. But I digress because no
matter what temperature it is outside here at Weekly Spooky,
(33:38):
we keep it chilling. Yeah, you like that. I also
want to say if any of you Spookies are in Columbus,
Ohio this weekend, the weekend of April nineteenth and twentieth,
I'll be at the Oddities and Curiosities Expo, so come
and say hello. I'd love to see you. I'll be
at the Terror Vision booth offering up collector's edition Blu Rays,
(34:01):
four K's and a few of the movies I've directed.
So I'd love to see you if you happen to
be in the Columbus area this weekend, it should be
a whole lot of fun. And I want to remind
you if you love what we're doing here at Weekly
Spooky and want to help us go six years and beyond,
the best way is to go to Weeklyspooky dot com
slash join and sign up for as little as one
(34:22):
dollar a month. And I want to say an extra
special thank you to our Patreon podcast boosters, folks who
joined our spooky community of over one hundred and pay
a little bit more to hear their names at the
end of the show, and they are Kate and Lulu,
Jessica Fuller, Johnny Nicks, Jenny Green, Amberhansford, Brent mccallaugh, Karen Wee,
met Jack Kerr, and Craig Cohen. If you want to
(34:43):
join them in hearing your name out of my silky
spooky voice, just head Toweeklyspooky dot com slash join and
choose the fifteen dollars a month or higher tier. You'll
get all the bonus stories, audiobooks, and so much more
and have your name at the end of ever every
single episode of Weekly Spooky. I really, sincerely do appreciate it.
(35:04):
You're all awesome. I love keeping Halloween alive, especially as
spring and summer come into full bloom. So for myself,
for my executive producers Rob Fields, Markshields and babotopia dot Com.
For my producer Dan Wilder and my composer Ray Matis,
I'll catch you at the ballgame. Thank you for listening me.
Make sure to find your way back next week, but
(35:26):
for now you are safe. Trust me.
A simple father daughter road trip turns into a desperate
fight for survival after a wrong turn leads them to
a secluded house in the mountains, with their cars stranded,
night falling and a shotgun wielding madman at the door.
Young Kalie Jensen is forced to confront her fears. What's
(00:24):
that you want to be scared her to come with me.
You will experience tales over opera, ghosts, and death. It
is not recommended at the foot of weak at Heart
(00:45):
heart listeners. In the dark. It's more fun at that
way way. This is Weekly Speaking. Hello, my spookies, It's Wednesday,
(01:07):
and you know what that means. It's time for a
little spooky in your weekly. I'm your host and narrator,
Enrique Cuto, and tonight we have quite a terror tale
for you, courtesy of our very own Morgan Moore, a
story all about heading on the road as winter breaks
(01:28):
and spring begins. But before we get to that, I
want to say thank you so much for tuning into
the program. This is the time of year when only
the most hardcore Halloween loving spookies needs something scary every
single week, even as the sun shines and the days
are longer you, my dear listener needs something a little
(01:52):
bit more dark to enjoy, So sincerely thank you, and
make sure you're subscribed on your favorite podcasting app. And
if you love what we're doing so much you want
to support us in a direct way, head to Weeklyspooky
dot com slash join For as little as one dollar
a month, you get two bonus shows every single month,
(02:13):
over a year's worth of creepypasta readings, exclusive audiobooks, and
so much more. And we're wrapping up the April Fool
right now the brand new Strickfield mini series exclusively at
Weeklyspooky dot com slash Join now. As for tonight, family
road trips are supposed to be fun, long drives, junk food,
(02:37):
and maybe catching a ballgame on the way. But sometimes
when you're far from home and you take a wrong turn,
you find yourself somewhere you were never meant to be.
Tonight's story is about a father and daughter trying to
reconnect on the road, but when their car breaks down
in the middle of nowhere, they discover the kind of
(02:59):
play where help doesn't come easy and some people don't
take kindly to strangers. So get comfortable. We start this
terror tale after this strikeout by Morgan Moore. How much longer? Dad,
(03:25):
Callie Jensen asked for today or in general? He replied,
I guess both. The eleven year old answered, well, we'll
probably stop in an hour or so for the night
at a hotel. Then tomorrow it shouldn't be much longer
to Grammys. He told her. Awesome, Callie responded. Her father
(03:50):
smiled at her eagerness. Callie and her father were on
their way to her grandmother, or as she had always
called her grammys house in Maryland. It was a tradition
they had kept every spring since Callie could remember. She
and her father loved baseball, and the Baltimore Orioles were
(04:11):
their shared favorite team. Her name, in fact, came from
one of their more storied players, in cal Ripken Junior.
Calli's dad insisted on using the name in any way,
shape or form for his first born, so when he
and her mom learned they were having a little girl,
(04:32):
they decided on Calli. Currently, they were nearing the halfway
point of their trip. Calli and her family lived in Ohio,
which meant she and her father would trek through the
Buckeye State down through West Virginia, Virginia and finally Maryland.
Calli's dad usually considered West Virginia the halfway point unless
(04:55):
they got up super early, where they would do the
trip in one go. Knowing they would be stopping soon
brought joy to Calli, as they usually stopped in the
same town known as Morgantown and almost always either went
to a diner near the hotel or ordered pizza. Then
it would be breakfast at the hotel in the morning,
(05:17):
and then onward to Grammys, where, save for some eating out,
they dined on her grandmother's homemade cooking, with her chocolate
chip pancakes being Callie's favorite she could almost taste them.
Not to mention opening day for the Orioles, Callie returned
(05:39):
her attention to the book she was reading, her normal
way of passing the time on the drives, unless she
wanted to break out her Game Boy Advance and replay
one of the Pokemon games for the umpteenth time. If
she had her way, Calli would have her mit and
Ball with her and pass the time by lightly tossing
(05:59):
it and catching it. But her dad had vetoed that
since last year when she nearly caused him to have
an accident. The mitten ball, along with her bat would
have to wait. Calli felt her eyes start to grow
heavy as she continued to read. The heaviness soon overcame
(06:20):
her and they began to close. Once fully closed, she
was out like a light. Her eyes shot open as
her body was jolted away. Her eyes danced around before
catching a glance at the time on the radio deck,
six thirty p m. She turned her attention to her dad,
(06:43):
who was cursing under his breath. Daddy, she asked, in
shocked fright. I don't know what I hit, but two
of our tires just blew out, He told her. What
do we do? Calli questioned, Well, normally, when you have
a flat tire, you just change it, but I don't
(07:06):
have two spares, so he trailed off. So then what
do we do? She asked, with fear creeping into her
tone more and more. Well, we're not close to a
town yet, he responded, as his eyes looked at their surroundings.
We're in trouble, Callie asked. Her father does not answer. Instead,
(07:32):
he keeps his eyes scanning the area. Finally, a small
smile appears on his mouth and he snaps his fingers
there we go, he exclaims, in hopeful joy. Callie turns
her attention to where her father was looking. Shortly Up
ahead was what looked like the start of a driveway.
(07:57):
Does that lead to somebody's house? She asked. We'll find
out soon enough, honey. Either way, it'll lead somewhere that
will hopefully find people and can plan our next steps
from there, he answered. Will we make it with the tires?
Calli questioned, as her nostrils became filled with the smell
(08:18):
of burning rubber. I hope so, sweetie, he said. Calli's
father carefully turned the car leftwards into the opening and
began driving up the path slowly. While night was not
far behind, the sun was starting to lower. As dusk
took over, the path winded up part of a mountain
(08:40):
whose trees, along with the slowly setting sun, left little
light for them to use. Finally, they arrived at an
open gate. The father and daughter rolled down their windows
and poked their heads out. Calli spotted an old metal
sign dangling from one of the gate doors. She squinted
(09:03):
her eyes to read it. Keep out, she said, What
was that, sweetie? Her father asked, there's a sign that
said keep out. I think that means we shouldn't go
in any more, Daddy, Callie told her father. The gate
is open though. Besides, even if they don't necessarily want
(09:27):
strangers around, we do have a valid reason on our side.
We need help, he explained. Are you sure about this, Dad,
Calli questioned, it's either this or pulling over on the road.
He answered with that. Her father drove through the gates
(09:49):
as he switched on the headlights. The pair continued forward.
As the large house came into view via the headlights,
Calli's father slapped the steering wheel in excite. Once close enough,
Callie's dad pulled to a stop and turned off the truck.
Dad Calli said, what is it, honey, he returned, I
(10:14):
don't have a good feeling about this. She told him.
How come, he asked, It just doesn't feel right going
somewhere we shouldn't. Besides, she started, as she looked at
the surroundings. This place gives me the creeps, she finished.
(10:35):
Her father smiled at her. I know, hone, it's a
new place and we're in a bad spot. But at
the end of the day, I like to believe that
people are good and will help their fellow man. Even
if the people who live here are angry that we
pulled in, surely they'll understand why. Come on, let's find
(10:57):
out what fate has in store for us, he said.
On that note, her father swung his door open and
exited the car. Hesitating for a moment, Calli took some
deep breaths before getting out of the car and joining
her father. She grasped and curled her hand around his,
(11:20):
prompting a smile from him and a ruffle of her
hair in response. The father and daughter made their way
across the grounds. The duo ascended up a small set
of steps onto the wooden patio of the house. At
the door, Calli's father took a deep breath, put on
(11:41):
his best friendly smile, and knocked on the door. Nothing.
He waited for a moment before knocking again, a bit harder,
still nothing. Frowning a bit, Calli's father banged on the
door with his whole fish. Not two seconds later, the
(12:04):
door swung open violently. Don't go away, weekly, spooky, We'll
be right back. Go away, a grisly voice commanded. Calli
and her dad looked at the man in front of them.
(12:24):
He was tall and burly, with a full and bushy
black beard and head of dark hair that looked messy
and greasy. He was dressed in jeans, a plain colored
T shirt and opened up workshirt, and large boots. Most
importantly and jarringly to the father and daughter was the
(12:47):
shotgun he held in his hands. Hello, Callie's dad started.
MY name is Nathan Jannam. This is my daughter, Callie.
We were on our way to visit some family when
two of our tires blew. He points to their car.
(13:08):
I know it's late and probably not what you wanted
to have at your doorstep this time of night, but
we really need help. My cell phone is close to dead.
I do have some cash, though, if you'd be willing
to help us, he finished, as his hand slides into
(13:29):
his pocket and withdraws his wallet. I don't care get
the man told them with growing menace. Callie shuddered at
the look in his eyes. I'm sorry, sir, but I'm
just a father in a bad predicament with his daughter.
(13:50):
I promise if you let me use your phone, me
and her will get out of your hair as fast
as possible, Callie's dad said. The man held up and
aimed the shotgun right at Calli's father. I don't give
a shit who you are and what you want. Get
off my property now, last warning, he told her father directly,
(14:16):
before giving a look at Calli that made her skin crawl.
Her father gulped and then sighed and took another breath. Listen, buddy,
I'm not falling for this tough guy who lives out
in seclusion in the wilderness. Crap, we need help. The
(14:36):
least you can do if you won't help us, is
tell us who will? Her father all but ranted. The
man's response was a simple one. He raised his aim,
pulled on the trigger of the shotgun, and blew the
head of Calli's father right off. Blood and brain matter
(15:03):
splattered all over the porch, as well as the man
and Calli. She turned and looked to where her father
had stood a moment prior, only to find him splayed
out on the ground with his head blown open and
a messy pile of flesh and blood and brain. Callie
(15:29):
wanted to scream, but couldn't find the ability to do
so due to the shock. Her eyes returned to the man,
who was loading two fresh slugs into the shotgun and
locking it into place. He pointed it at her torso
before she knew what was happening, she jumped off the
(15:51):
porch and started running across the grounds. A shot thundered
out from the gun, and she saw the ground off
to her sideped he missed. She kept her pace up,
unsure of where to go or how far the man
would give chase. Another blast from the gun echoed through
the air, and Callie felt the ground right behind her
(16:15):
at her feet blown apart. The impact on the ground
near her caused her to stumble and then fall forward,
slamming face down into the dirt. She felt like she
had been punched square in the face and was dizzy.
Her eyes fluttered open and stared ahead. Callie became grateful
(16:38):
that she landed where she did, only a few inches
away from where she fell was a snaptrap. If she
had kept running or fell a bit farther, either her
foot or her face would have been crushed. She got
to her feet slowly and risked a look behind her.
(16:59):
The man was all off of the porch and started
to run toward her. Unsure of what was the best option,
Calli looked down and around the ground. In her search,
she found an old beer bottle and picked it up.
Better than nothing, she told herself. Callie turned to face
(17:22):
the oncoming threat, and when he was just close enough
as he started to raise the gun, she reared back
her arm and threw the bottle like she was trying
to strike out a player to win a game. The
bottle collided with the man's face and shattered. He rubbed
(17:42):
and picked at his visage to remove any glass that
might have embedded itself in his flesh. Using the opportunity
to her advantage, Calli sprinted past the man and kept
running past the house towards its backyard. Behind her, all
(18:02):
she heard was the man, I'm gonna kill you, you
little bitch. Calli's eyes darted around the backyard. Her options
for a hiding spot were not the best. There was
(18:26):
a shed, but surely the man would look there first,
and it was possible that it was locked. She considered
trying the back door, but who knew what horrors were inside.
Callie considered hiding under the raised back porch, climbing a tree,
or to simply keep running. Then her eyes landed on
(18:53):
a doghouse which looked to be big and dug into
a decently deep level Calli sprinted towards it and slid
into the opening. The space inside was tight, but was
indeed deep enough to allow her to partially crawl out
(19:13):
of view, lying in the dirt. The tears finally came
as Callie processed the last few minutes. Her father had died,
No was slaughtered before her eyes. Her white and black
baseball shirt was covered in his blood, and she could
(19:35):
feel the wetness of brain matter on her face and
in her hair. Daddy, she cried in her head. She
dared not to speak and give away her hiding spot.
Callie shook her head. Get it together. You need to
(19:56):
keep it together if you want to survive, she told herself.
How though was the question. She didn't know fully why
she had even chosen to run to the backyard. Her
best guess was fear that if she left the property
that the man would pursue her and most likely get her.
(20:19):
After all, he lived out here and most likely knew
the land better than anybody. Not to mention it was
possible he did leave the property, thinking she may have
gone back down the mountain and could have closed and
locked the gate, She thought about running past the backyard,
(20:40):
but was unsure if and when it would stop. It
seemed plausible the man might have another gate or fence
somewhere behind his house. In her mind, that left one
option the car. Calli knew her father had the keys
(21:02):
with him when they went to the door, most likely
in one of his pockets. The issue, though, was both
being able to get to them before being caught and
the fact that two tires were unusable. Callie didn't know
much about cars, but she knew driving on blown out
tires leads to driving on rims, which is an even
(21:24):
worse problem. Add to that the growing darkness and her
inability to drive, which meant it was most likely not
a good idea. A few seconds later, though, a fresh
idea entered Calli's head and brought a smile to her face.
(21:46):
You're not safe yet, weekly Spooky will be right back.
Her baseball stuff was in the trunk of the car,
which meant her baseball bat was in there as well.
If she could get the keys to the car, Callie
could unlock the trunk, get her bat, and have a weapon. True,
(22:11):
she knew a baseball bat, especially a wooden one, wasn't
the best choice against a shotgun, but it was something Besides,
she told herself, if you could outrun and dodge two shots,
maybe you can do it again. When he would go
(22:31):
to reload, you can go up to him and start
beating him with the bat. Her smile turned to a
grin as she envisioned getting revenge against the man. It
was a risky plan, but the only feasible one Callie
could think of. She started to crawl out of the doghouse.
(22:53):
She figured it might be best to run around the
house the opposite way she came into the backyard in
case the man was waiting for her. Callie considered crawling
on the ground to do so, but if there was
one spring trap on the premises, there would likely be more.
This man clearly took any and all precautions to keep
(23:15):
people away. Exiting the doghouse, Callie slowly rose to her
feet when a thought occurred to her. There was a doghouse,
but there didn't seem to be a dog. Unless foss
the man's voice roared. Callie turned her attention to the
(23:38):
back porch and saw the man standing There. Next to
him was a dog, a cane corso. The moment it
heard its master speak, it shot forward like a speeding
train towards Calli. The plan to go around the house
vanished as Callie began sprinting for her life back the
(23:59):
way she came, with the dog in pursuit behind her.
How am I going to get the keys and get
away before the dog even catches me? The answer was simple,
I'm just going to have to. Callie rounded a corner
into the front of the grounds and turned to the porch.
(24:22):
She ran towards it, with the dog barking right behind her.
Callie jumped up the small steps and slid to a
crash against the wall. She shook it off and hustled
to her father and checked his pockets. The keys were gone.
(24:43):
The man must have taken them, she said to herself.
Before she could think any further, the dog jumped onto her, snarling.
Callie remembered when a police officer visited her class and
explained to them what to if a dog ever attacked you. Normally,
(25:03):
it would be to stay still, but this was no
ordinary dog. Callie shook her body around back and forth
to gather any momentum she could. Feeling confident enough, Callie
rolled her body to the side and brought the dog
onto its side. She then gave it a hard punch
(25:24):
to its chest, which elicited a yelp and a momentary
retreat from the dog. Callie jumped to her feet. If
I want in the trunk, I'll have to use the
hatch in the car, she hoped and prayed the man
hadn't locked it as she leapt off the porch and
ran towards the car. She pulled hastily on the driver's
(25:49):
side door and was relieved to find it unlocked. Callie
quickly got inside and shut the door. A moment later,
the dog jump against the window, barking fiercely. Callie screamed
as she searched for the right lever to pull, pulling
on all of them just to be sure. Hearing the
(26:12):
trunk click and pop open, Callie breathed a sigh of relief.
Then she stared out the front of the car and
found the dog standing by the man, his shotgun aimed
right at the vehicle. The next thing she knew, there
was a bang and the windshield shattered. Screaming in terror,
(26:35):
Callie crawled from the driver's seat into the back. There,
she opened a door and crawled out. Staying on the ground,
she made her way to the back of the car,
then moved onto her knees. Gripping the latch of the trunk,
she pushed it open the rest of the way and
there it was her baseball bat. She grinned as she
(26:59):
pulled it out of the trunk and wielded it like
a sword. Okay, Callie, time to do either the bravest
or dumbest thing in your whole life, she said, to
hype herself up. Callie stood up and walked around the
car to find the man and the dog. The man
(27:21):
had the shotgun aimed at her. He eyed the baseball
bat in her hands, adjusted his aim, and fired the
bat blew apart in Calli's hand, sending wood all over
the ground as well as into the flesh of her hands, arms,
and face. She fell to the ground, ears ringing from
(27:45):
the force of the blast, and screamed in agony. She
felt more pain than she could have ever imagined foss.
The man commanded again. She heard the snarl, but couldn't
find the strength to move. A moment later, the dog
was on her and elicited fresh screams from her throat
(28:09):
as it ripped and teared into her thigh with what
strength she had, Calli beat on its head to no avail.
Her defense only caused the dog to tighten its hold.
It shook its head, causing more damage through growingly hazier eyes.
Callie turned her head and saw that in her right
(28:32):
hand she was still gripping the shattered and splintered remains
of the bat. She looked at the dog, Dear God,
I'm sorry. In one furious movement, she plunged the remains
of the bat into the neck of the beast. She
(28:53):
twisted it as she pulled it out, and watched blood
flow out of the wound barbous. The man screamed, almost
as if the first stab filled her with more energy.
Calli screamed as she repeatedly thrust the broken bat into
the dog's throat and its torso her body became covered
(29:16):
in its blood as life quickly drained from it. Callie
shoved the dog off of her and slowly stood up,
her body shaking from shock. She looked to where the
man was and saw him running at full speed toward her.
(29:37):
You have one chance, Callie, she told herself. The moment
the man was in rage, Callie shrieked and pushed her
body forward and plunged the remains of the bat into
the man's hip. He howled in pain, and in response
dropped the shotgun as he staggered back a few inches.
(30:01):
Not wasting a moment, Callie picked up the shotgun and
aimed it at the man. She watched as he pulled
out the bat and threw it to the ground. His
eyes moved to her, and a grin formed across his
bearded mouth. What's you gonna do with that, bitch, he asked, tauntingly,
(30:28):
I'm going to shoot you, just like you did my dad,
Callie retorted. The man's grin widened. Really, now, sure you
have enough strength to do it? Uh? Huh, she answered,
knowing her strength was indeed fading fast. Are you sure
(30:52):
it's loaded? The man questioned, whah, Callie responded. The man chuckled,
What makes you so sure it's loaded? After all, you
were in La La Land getting mauled by my dog?
So how do you know if I ever loaded it again?
(31:14):
Of course you did, Callie says back to him, but
admits in her head that the man raises a viable point. Really,
now you bet on it being loaded, he taunts, Yeah,
She squeaks out, Well, what about this one, the man said,
(31:38):
as he reached behind him and brandishes a pistol, aiming
it at Calli. You have another gun, Calli questioned, in
genuine surprise. Course, I do, be prepared to protect yourself
and whatnot? The man answered with a menacing glee. Silence
(32:04):
fell between the two, with only the sound of nature
filling the space between them. They stare each other down,
each one waiting for the other to make the first move.
So you really want to bet your life on that
(32:24):
shotgun beIN loaded, the man asked. Finding she had little
strength left to speak. Calli nodded her head to say
that she does. Well. I guess we'll find out, then,
the man said. They let silence fall over them once
(32:47):
more as they listened to crickets and other nocturnal sounds.
Their fingers each squeeze and then pull back on their
respective triggers. There was a bang and the odor of
gun smoke as it filled the night. Well, my spookies,
(33:14):
I hope you enjoyed that story as much as I
enjoyed reading it. Something to get you in the mindset
of spring, since it's basically sprung, although here in Ohio
you never really can tell one day at seventy four
degrees today the highest fifty. But I digress because no
matter what temperature it is outside here at Weekly Spooky,
(33:38):
we keep it chilling. Yeah, you like that. I also
want to say if any of you Spookies are in Columbus,
Ohio this weekend, the weekend of April nineteenth and twentieth,
I'll be at the Oddities and Curiosities Expo, so come
and say hello. I'd love to see you. I'll be
at the Terror Vision booth offering up collector's edition Blu Rays,
(34:01):
four K's and a few of the movies I've directed.
So I'd love to see you if you happen to
be in the Columbus area this weekend, it should be
a whole lot of fun. And I want to remind
you if you love what we're doing here at Weekly
Spooky and want to help us go six years and beyond,
the best way is to go to Weeklyspooky dot com
slash join and sign up for as little as one
(34:22):
dollar a month. And I want to say an extra
special thank you to our Patreon podcast boosters, folks who
joined our spooky community of over one hundred and pay
a little bit more to hear their names at the
end of the show, and they are Kate and Lulu,
Jessica Fuller, Johnny Nicks, Jenny Green, Amberhansford, Brent mccallaugh, Karen Wee,
met Jack Kerr, and Craig Cohen. If you want to
(34:43):
join them in hearing your name out of my silky
spooky voice, just head Toweeklyspooky dot com slash join and
choose the fifteen dollars a month or higher tier. You'll
get all the bonus stories, audiobooks, and so much more
and have your name at the end of ever every
single episode of Weekly Spooky. I really, sincerely do appreciate it.
(35:04):
You're all awesome. I love keeping Halloween alive, especially as
spring and summer come into full bloom. So for myself,
for my executive producers Rob Fields, Markshields and babotopia dot Com.
For my producer Dan Wilder and my composer Ray Matis,
I'll catch you at the ballgame. Thank you for listening me.
Make sure to find your way back next week, but
(35:26):
for now you are safe. Trust me.
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