CreepCast - Growing Up, My Dad Took Us Camping | CreepCast

Episode Date: July 5, 2026

Isaiah asked to go camping. Instead, he got this story. Get ready for giggles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

cast! We are doing another story in person. This one's called Growing Up, My Dad and I always went camping. One year, we brought the rest of the family. Do you like camping, Hunter? No. Really? Not really. I don't know. I did it a lot when I was a kid, but... I'll have camping.

It's okay. I mean, like, if I'm there with, like, friends and stuff, it's fine. But I, you know, like, I'm not going to lot, like, sleeping on the ground and a sleeping bag, not fun. Like, especially at the age I'm at now. No, not very fun. But also don't want to be somebody that has like an RV camper guy. It's just not also the camping I want to do. So I don't know. So I'd rather just say I'm not doing any of it.

I got you. I like camping. And I'm trying to get Hunter to go camping for an episode. I told you I would go. Told me what go. But here we are not camping. So this, I'm reading this story now.

We're reading this story now to try to convince him that it'd be fun to camp. So if you want Hunter to go camping with me. If you want Hunter to go camping with me, why don't you let us know in the comments? I'm pretty sure I suggested it before. you ever said a single thing about it. But you mentioned it, kind of as a joke, and here we are still not camping.

So now we're reading a story that was designated for camping in a studio because you won't go camping inside a haunted house? That doesn't count. We didn't even sleep there. I took you camping inside of a house. Door dashed Taco Bell inside of a haunted house. That counts camping.

Doordash Taco Bell is not camping. That's camping. If I went camping, I would door dash Taco Bell to my campsite. You know if we go camping at my house, I've got like the woodland and stuff. We could do it to do the campsline. I'll tell you what I want to do. If I go to your house, I'm watching you ride that bike.

Editor put the clip. Dang it. Actually, how is you're having a hand of person? Is there any scars on it? Yeah, it's still scarred up a little bit. It's pretty. It's not that bad.

I still get some nerve pain that I push in on it. Nerve pain, he says. All that. It's pretty good. It should. Oh, it's healed up really good. Palm scars. Compared to what it was first.

That was, yeah. Palm scars. typically go away, but when I do that, my fingertips feel fuzzy. I black out and I speak a different language. All right, well, have we read anything from this? Shadow Swimmer 77? No, so this is from Shadow Swimmer 77. This was posted three years ago to R slash no sleep, and it currently sets 65 upvotes, but

whenever we were talking about camping topics, Harry found this one and said it looked pretty good. The comments, to like it and stuff like that. So perhaps it's a hidden gem, hidden gym of a woodland story. Not all of them can have thousands and thousands of upfotes. Yeah. There's got to be some diamonds in the rough, right?

Some people that, some, some unseen gems. Uh-oh, new title sequence. Unseen gems. Unseen gems. Unseen gems. Um, all right.

So with it. So can we, Since I made this story For since I We got this story for camping Can we pretend like we're camping? I always pretend I'm camping with you What do you mean by that?

There's always such a fire between us, man It's really sweet, thank you Hey Hunter, can you pass to the marshmallows, buddy? They're my bow hole I don't want to play pretend anymore I don't want to dig him out I don't want to pretend anymore Go go

Got to treat it like a little scratch and sniff down there. All right. You can do the whole... Thank you. Thank you, audio listeners. Have you ever seen a lot of those videos of people like popping zits and shit and cleaning earwax? Thank you, audio listeners. Appreciate you guys for giving...

Givens good rating. Watching on Spotify and... If I legitimately told you, and this is an actual question, if I told you that there was something stuck up there... No. Would you... No. Just listen.

No. Listen to it all... If I told you, I said... said, Isaiah, I have four or five, maybe six of those large marshmallows packed away in my butthole. Would you take one of those ear wax cams? And I was like, that's the only thing I can get it out. Would you fish it out? I just gave you my answer. You figured out how to get him in there and you can get them out. It's too deep. Don't moan when you say it. Gosh, that's got to be like, you know, I'm not indulging this. Just say thank you to the people for watching the stuff.

Thank you, audio listeners. If you're listed on any of the audio platforms, please give us a good rating. It does help us out. And also to our beautiful patrons, we appreciate you. And thank you for supporting the channel. If you want to consider supporting the channel, hey, maybe sign up. Also, there will be that cam footage for extra content on the Patreon. Also, merch. Would you do that for Patreon content? No. Uh, merch. Merch. Merch is available now. We've got the frog shirt. We got the Smile Dog shirt. And we have the... give him one more time. Stand up and give it to him one more time. All right. So before I had you pop it and lock it and do the thing, right? This time, bend over, bend over frontwards, and act like you're peeking in something. Give me one of these. Is it in there? Do that. Bend over and point like this. Is it in there? At that camera. Come on. Come on. Just once.

No. What's once? And I'm not looking for marshmallows. Stay puff. Alright. That's it. We can get to the story now. We don't have to keep the announcements. All right, growing up, my dad and I always went camping. One year we brought the whole rest of the fucking family.

Link in the description, support the artist. Let us begin. The dilapidated wooden building who signed proclaimed it as the home to Allegheny Adventures. Its red paint, weathered, peeling, looked more abandoned than closed. The van part next to the building was the home to the home to the home to the home to the home to the home to the home to building was equally devoid of habitants, though there were three canoes loaded on to its attached trailer. What the hell is everyone? Dad wandered to himself, hands tapping the steering wheel annoyedly. The SUV idled quietly on the dirt road that terminated at the gravel lot adjacent at the building. The car windows were down, letting in the comfortable warmth of a mid-August afternoon.

What's going on, Dale? John called the dad from the Jeep behind us, his head sticking out the window. through the windshield I could see my older sister, Tara, asleep next to him. Her foot braced against the dashboard where she was riding shotgun, but couldn't spy her friend Amanda in the back seat. Don't know, babe. Looks like the deadheads forgot we were coming. Seriously? Sean's voice carried a put-upon tone.

You said this is going to be fun. Dad rolled his eyes. I'll take care of it. He turned to me as he opened the door and stepped out. Stay here, Paul. Keep an eye on your brother. He's not my brother. Mumbled quietly under my breath as he slammed the door.

What was, what the fuck was that? What'd you say to me? Don't get, let me get, let me get, don't get it. What was that? What'd you say, bye? Yeah. Dead ass leaning back in the window. Nothing.

That's what I thought. Dad said with an arched eyebrow. Stay here. his shorts and started He hitched up his shorts and started walking to the building. He's in raised eyebrow, right? Millennial smirk.

Stay here. Was myel line? I'm bored. Dennis wine from the seat behind me. Shut up, Dennis. I told him. Still looking at dad as he climbed the three rickety steps and banged on the screen door at the top.

That's no way to talk to your brother, Polly Wally. Turned back to him. Just because our dads are married doesn't mean you... Sorry, gay dads, okay. I saw the Sean thing and I was like, I can't... I did. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So it's funny as I read Sean and immediately it was like,

oh, yeah, they're both married. You didn't register. Okay. Okay. Just because our dads are married doesn't make you my brother, you little scab. Stuck his tongue got out at me. But my glare was enough to make him turn back

to his video game magazine with a grumble. I returned my attention to the building where dad had switchedack. Dixon was trying the door. It swung open as he pulled and he called back to us. Be right back. We're stepping inside, screen banging noisily behind him. Checked my watch and saw it was just a little past two.

Sean got out of the Jeep, pushing his designer sunglasses up his nose and stretching exaggeratively. For a moment, everything was serenely quiet and only the only noises, the low rumble of the car engines, the slight whisper of a breeze. Hey, Dale! Is everything okay in there? Sean shouted towards the door Dad disappeared through.

There was no answer and silence extended for several long heartbeats. I'm gonna eat five hot dogs later. You have to cut that. You have to. Yeah, pride, pride. In a good way.

In a good way. I'm so glad he can do that. In a good way. I'm so glad to get that. to do that. I'm so glad they can do that and they can talk about. I can't wait to... I can't wait to...

I came later. I'm so... I'm so... I'm so glad they can do that together. As too consenting a bill. Patreon cut. Yeah, I'll... No. No cuts.

Every, every cut. A hashtag page. Cut a little too woke there. Hashtag Patreon. A little too progressive. I'm really curious how the editor is going to cut around that. Depends which one we give it to. Got to get to the Irishman, right?

Why the fuck would you have me out? Why would you, why the fuck would you have me out of that? If Nick gets this, he's sending it to CNN. Abruptly, the screen door practically exflictively. Abra... What's so funny? It's the dad kicking the door and then your line of, I can't wait.

Eat hot dogs. Patriot guy. Pedro, God. Pedro, God, Pedro, what are you talking about? Abruptly, the screen door practically exploded outward, slamming against the side of the building and eliciting a shriek of surprise from Sean.

A haggard-looking man wearing a scraggly beard and a brilliant colored tie-dye t-shirt emerged. Stumbling down the steps. He barely caught himself from face-planted in the dirt before it's all you're going to spin to me. I got the giggles and he'd get him out.

What's so funny, man? He barely caught... He barely caught himself from face planting in the dirt before spinning his place back toward the building. His balance wavering. Concerned, I opened the door and got out, but didn't know what else to do. Looking back, I saw Tara was awake

and that she and Amanda had gone out of the Jeep. Their mouths both twisted into frowns. Dennis had dropped to, his jaw open and dull shock. My dad exited the building after the man. Look of confused bemusement upon his face. No, no way. No how.

I ain't going and I ain't talking to you, dude. The man I recognized is Jerry Conroe, the owner of Allegheny Adventures. Shouted out my dad, jabbing his finger towards him violently. Jerry! Dad spread his hand. You can't give that voice to a gay man. The man yelling.

Oh, I thought you were like doing like a feminine voice all of a sudden I thought you were giving the dad a feminine voice A Patreon cut Patreon cut That's why I thought you don't wo me like that would be I like we're having a good time and stuff but I Okay, all right whatever Patreon cut go let go

I said the line Say the line saying it again. Jerry. You bastard. Jerry. Dad spread his hands in a placating gesture. What are you talking about?

Paul and I have been coming here for years. We paid in advance months ago. Nuh, man. Jerry shook his head vehemently. Not a chance. You know we ain't getting any rain this summer. Rivers of Lodes have been in like 80 years. Turns out that ain't good thing.

I looked online. just yesterday. Everything says water's deep enough for canoes. Just not some of the bigger stuff. We shouldn't have a problem. I ain't talking about the fucking canoes, man. Jerry screams, spit flying everywhere.

Dad wiped away a few flecks that landed on his beard. Gross. Look, Jerry. I think you're a little too stone to be talking business. Where's Cheryl? Sherrill. Jerry drifted off before collapsing to his knees, sobbing. Is that good for Jerry?

I'm gonna. Gone, man. Cheryl's gone. He managed to get out. Dale? Sean had walked up near our car, eyes wide with concern. Dad held his hand up,

warding Sean back. He knelt down next to Jerry, speaking quietly near the crying man's ear. Jerry kept sobbing, but after a minute or two, started nodding his head, wiping the back of his hand across his eyes. Dad stood in.

and clapped him on the shoulder and helped him to his feet. We'll get the trailer loaded with our gear. Get sobered up and I'll let you know when we're ready to go. Fucking cry, baby. That's Nadlin. Thank you. Dude, hey, Cheryl was a bitch. That's a good thing.

Jerry? Hey. That's a massage on the shoulders. You're going to make it through it. You're going to make it through this winter. Hear me, Jerry? you can do better than Cheryl Mm.

Mm. Mm. Mm. Mm. Mm. There you're tight. Not tension. Stress.

Ooh. Stress. Oh, stress. I was. You don't like that? Was that good? I thought that was okay. Was that all the emoting, yeah.

It's making it very, yeah. You got to start stretching. That's my turn and told me later today. that you got to start stretching oh yeah I was like my back is always stiff you gotta start stretching I do we just stretch all the time

so I'm like what else what is the stretching do we have to do so are you alive hello hi what's I being wake up

you get brazed right let's get beat down uh Jerry continued to nod before stumbling back up the steps and back into the building Screen again slamming noisily behind him Paul Dad looked at me

Sean and I will park the cars Could you take Dennis and the girls to the shed And help them get the life jackets and the paddles Sure dad Turn back to Dennis Let's go puke stain Hey first warning I'd live again

Is that normal I heard Sean asked dad as I walked behind the building towards the equipment shed. I almost feel like you should be this dad. I mean, you're your new dad. Do you want me to be dead? Well, I mean, I'm just saying, are any of these ad-lives?

Like, if you heard your son say this about your daughter, let's go puke-stain. Hey! Hey! Watch it. Watch it. None of that. Yeah.

Definitely. Would you do this? Watch it. That's your sister. That kind of thing, yeah. That's your sister. Do you like that? That's your sister.

It's just statement of fact. That's your sister! Yeah, yeah. Would you raise... I would have raised my voice of my kid. Would you raise a voice to your kid? I would raise my voice if they, like, hurt each other. Like, how?

Like, if I had a son who, like, pushed his sister over or something, be like, hey! But you raise your voice? I've only ever screamed a few times. I don't think I've ever heard you actually get emotive. No, I have... There's been a few times. How about this?

Your son has a paddle. He fucking bops her one right in the face. What do you do? You guys see me? He'd be like, hey! Put that down. Like that. You wouldn't grab it or anything.

Scold them. I would take the paddle out of their hand if they didn't drop it. Yeah. Give me that. Would you do that? Give me that. Bryce Michael, look.

Look at me. My name of Bryce Michael. You know what? See, that took me out of the role. Hey, we're a unit. It took me out of the ballplay. I love you, but you have a lot of demons in that head, boy.

I don't think, I don't think I'd tell my kid that he has demons in his head. I feel like that's a bad start. You're all right? Because you're acting funny. I actually kind of like that. That's pretty good.

I kind of like holding. You're all right in the head, boy? Because you ain't acting right. You hear me? There must be a crack on here. Good Lord, you're defective. We're sending you back. How about that one?

Just make your child paranoid. You're going to abandon them at some point. I hope you realize that we're leaving in the night and you're not coming with. Come on. Grab her hand. We're leaving in the night. Editor, can you censor him? my child's name. Oh, sorry. You said it out. You've said, you've said your name. I haven't.

You haven't said your daughter's name yet? Nope. What? We said it's a girl. We haven't said it. On video? Oh, we'll make a general note that if you said it, we'll bleep it. Oh, okay. My bad. If I did, my bad. I didn't mean to. You know, you didn't. Sorry, I thought you said it out. No, no, you're good. I think it's funnier when you keep inferring information out loud and announced. I think that's good. Support for today's episode comes from Square, the business platform that helps sellers become neighborhood favorites. Whether you're gearing up for the busy season or just trying to keep up with everyday demand,

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Again, just head to the link in the description at loablankets.com and use code Creepcast to get in on their incredible offer today. And after you check out, if you could let them know we sent you, it would really mean a lot. Again, thank you to Lola Blankets for sponsoring the show. Their link will be in the description, and we are now back to the episode. Is that normal? I heard Sean asked Dad as I walked behind the building towards the equipment shed. Nah. Jerry's just a little more bait than usual.

I think his wife left him. Can't imagine why. That's the guy that you and Dad have always talked about. Tara asked catching up to me as we reached the shed. I thought you said he was cool. He is. His wife is too. I mean, they always have been.

Anyways. Trague as I pulled open the door. I guess that's why Dad told us to not do drugs. You're such a square, Paul. Amanda ruffled my hair as she walked behind Tara into the shed, bruising the equipment. I bet he could get us some really good shit now. She turned back to me with a malicious grin.

Think you'd help me find me. a life jacket that will fit over my girls? I don't like that. I don't like that phrasing around that. This is like a teenager. Maybe don't call them your girl. I'm just reading what's on the paper. Yeah, I know.

I'm not scolding you for the language. Well, you're looking at me. Okay, where are you going to be? Harry, I don't think they should call him with the link. That's better. She arched her back, causing her chest to stick out provocatively. Tara rolled her eyes and gently shoved Amanda. you're ridiculous. Don't tease him.

I don't like the energy being created right now. She turned to me, seeing my eyes practically buging out of their sockets. And you're a pig. Hey. Ooh, Polly's got a girlfriend. Isn't Dennis like eight? Oh, is he? I thought those the dad's name. Oh, what was the dad's?

Dennis is the younger brother. Oh, yeah. The dads are Dale and Sean. Dale. Dale. Yeah. Dennis is the younger brother. Ooh, Polly's got a girlfriend. Dennis crooned from the doorway. Shut up, Dennis. Sorry, Paul.

You're cute, but you're not my type. I like men older. Now you're dead, on the other hand. Mm, if he weren't gay. I'd, uh, tear a street. Grabbing a life jacket and paddle at random and storming back out of the equipment shed. I can't believe I invited you on this trip. You need me, honey.

Amanda better fucking die. I just want to say. I can't do this. not drowned or I'm gonna be so upset. I made a call after her. Without any source of estrogen on this trip, you'll die. I hear it's war crime making him read these lines. It's wrong.

This is how we close the day. She has chuckled turning back to me. Seriously, though. Can you help me find a good life jacket bitch? No. Adlib that one. That fits the character. That fit the character.

Sure. Dennis, grab a small. I'll get you as sized. I'll get you size in a second. I told my stepbrother, pulling on my own jacket with practice motions before handing Amanda a medium. Here, try this one. Amanda, Amanda tapped her lip with her finger thoughtfully as I adjusted the various straps. How's that work anyway? I mean, Sean throws a giant blip of my gaitar, but your dad is like totally hetero seeming. And both of them are obviously, and both of them obviously had kids with their previous. wives. Amanda's insufferable.

I went daddy's cut. Patreon cut. That's a PC. That's a PC. I shrugged. I think it's just a different time. When they were our age,

they felt forced to try and fit in. Sean says he finally realized he couldn't repress who he was anymore. And that's why he ended up, then that's why he ended his first marriage. My mom left my dad, Tara, and when she found her soulmate in her weekly Bible study. Dude, that sucks. No wonder Tara never told me. How'd Sean and your dad mean?

Community theater. They played Jean Valjean and Javert and Jean Valjean and Javert opposite each other and Le Miz. The rest is history. That is so cute. And your dad does theater? Musical theater? God! He'd be so.

my type. It was almost four by the time we got the gear on the trailer. Had Jerry, still likely stone, but considerably less upset, drive us to 25 miles north to the river entry point, unloaded, and got the canoes ready to launch. Okay, Jerry. My dad stroked his beard.

You get back home safe and we'll see you in a couple days, yeah. Jerry mumbled something under his breath, but nodded agreeably and waved before slamming the van door closed and driving away. You do the most interesting people. I went to get in the canoe. My dad, was standing next to you, but he put a hand on my shoulder.

No, hold no a second, Paul. I think you and Dennis should share a canoe. What, Dad? No, come on, think about it. You're the most experienced one here besides me. He lowered his voice conspiratorily. John's not much of an outdoorsman, but I think he'll do okay with Amanda. Well, why can't Dennis go with you?

And I get Tara, then. Big senior, too cool for a little brother? No, come on, Paul. He's too light compared to me. You know it's important to keep the canoes at least somewhat balance. Besides, he looks up to you. Dad, I don't... Paul! Dad interrupted my protest and crossed his arms.

I could tell an argument wasn't going to end my way. Fine. But remember, it's your fault if the little idiot won't listen to me and tips the canoe. Good man. Dad... Dad slapped my back and turned his attention to the rapidly darkening sky. Now, we better get a move on. Despite what Jerry said about not having any rain this summer,

I think we're about to get some. Let's just go to the first island down to pitch camp for the night. It'll ease the others in. It'll ease the others in. And with good luck, we'll get the tints up before the weather hits. We had any luck? Wasn't good. I'm having fun.

Well, I'm getting to read a lot this time, so I'm having a good time. I like this dynamic, this river adventure about ready to go on it. Yeah, they're all going out and it's like two joined families and then Amanda there who's being like your stereotypical like horror movie you know, girl type character. So it's a fun little thing. Have you ever been canoeing?

I like canoeing a lot. Was that fun? Yeah. If we had any luck, it wasn't good. The issues start. What? What?

He was staring at me. When I look up, it's like he was looking at you all for a reaction to something I did. I just looked at him. I was like that. Okay. And in the darkness,

I just, see. Okay. All right, you got me. All right, red-handed. The issue started almost immediately. Dennis was not only two weeks really helped with the paddling from his seat in front of the canoe, but the little shit actively worked against me.

He dipped his paddle on the water, forcing me to constantly change the side I was rowing on, and at one point, even back paddled, snickering at his cleverness. Poor long if I was gonna with someone they did that I would just slam them on the back of the head Buzz could do there was a kid up front like pushing backwards to be annoying just Bunk bit dangerous but he did he did just You trying to find your spot back where you're or Who long day Before along we were far behind the other two canoos

I cast what I hope was an I told you so look in Dad's direction But even from as far away as I was I could tell he and Tarrow were laughingly engaged in conversation he didn't notice Stop it you little fart muncher Editor cut this up Yeah that's a PC

Yeah there's a lot of this we're We'll 100, a million percent have to cut We'll have to be very careful with this Yeah but I want to see it I need to see it At last Dennis tired of being annoying and simply leaned back on the gear we had piled in the middle of the canoe, pretending to go to sleep.

About having to compensate for his sabotage, I was at least able to get us going in something resembling a straight line. Though with just me rowing, there was no hope we would be able to catch the others before they got at the campsite. The island in the middle of the river, the dad had chosen, was only about a mile and a half down from the launch point. But even that took us the better part of over an hour to investigate. The rain started to fall about half a mile out, a slight drizzle at first. first but gradually increasing. I could see ahead where the other two canoes had made the bank of the island. Dennis set up with a shriek of surprise. As the rain picked up, you actually started helping me row. Even with both of us paddling in unison, by the time Dennis and I finally reached the campside

and managed to pull our canoe out of the water, we were fully soaked through. Coming into a clearing we had used in past years, Dad was in the process of staking the weather fly down on a small two-person tent. while Sean set hopelessly in the middle of a pile of poles and tarps. The girls were nowhere to be seen so I could only surmise they were in the tent dad was working on.

He paused as he saw a stumble up. Paul, I'm gonna finish getting the girl settled. Then I'll help Sean with our tent. Why don't you and Dennis unload the gear from your canoe and stack it under that tree over there with the rest of it? Then take the hatchet and the hacksaw and try to find some wood so we can get a fire going.

And this? I raised my hands to indicate falling rain, a distant rumble of thunder helping illustrate my point. You'd all be soaked. Dad threw me a grin. Don't worry, kiddo. I packed some dry tender. Once we get it started, the wood will burn.

Might just be a little smoker than usual. I grumbled, but moved towards the canoe and started pulling out bags and coolers, shuttling them to the tree with the other equipment and supplies. To my surprise, Dennis helped without even a snarky comment. By the time we got the gear unloaded, Dad and Sean had the second ten about halfway up. walked towards him, hatching one hand in a waterproof flashlight in the other. We're all set.

How come you didn't have the girls go get wood while you were waiting for us? Dead laughed. Didn't trust them to find the right kind. Also, come on. Will it keep to prove that the chivalry isn't dead? Shook my head inside. Come on, Dennis.

From previous days on the island, I knew it wasn't huge. Maybe a 10-minute walk from end to end. Each year, there were usually one or two decent-sized trees that had fallen over. so I was fairly confident we'd be able to find some dead wood, though I was still skeptical how well it would burn

with all the rainwater soaking through it. I just knew that sometimes there was no point in arguing with dad. Despite the extended daylight hours of summer, clouds caused night to fall prematurely. I was glad I thought to bring the flashlight. Otherwise, it would have been way too easy to trip and fall face first into a mud puddle. I placed the beam on the ground in front of me, carefully choosing my steps,

periodically pausing to shine the light off to the sides, looking for fallen logs. Dennis followed me, head down and grumbling, swinging the hacksaw he was carrying and letting it hit against the tall grass and various plant life that lined the narrow animal trail I had us walking on. Finally, after maybe ten minutes of searching, I found something promising. A tree had fallen, and the way it rested against one of its still standing neighbors seemed like it may have even gotten a little bit of top cover from the rain. I handed the flashlight to Dennis. Hold the lie for me. I'm going to use the hatch to try and get some of the small stuff cleared off,

and then I'll swap you for the saw. Why can't I saw? I looked up with the still falling rain. Because I can do it faster, and I'd like to get out of this crap and into dry clothes as soon as I can. Wouldn't you? Dennis mumbled something under his breath, but granted and shining the light on the fallen tree as I'd asked.

I started to clean off the smaller twigs, working by the light. Dennis started hopping from foot to foot to try and stay warm, causing the beam to sway, but I managed to bite my tongue and not say anything. I'd switched to the hacksaw, cutting off and stacking some good-looking inch-thick branches, when a keening wail carried high over the falling rain, sounding from somewhere not very far down the river. It just snapped the flashlight beam around wildly.

Paul? What was that? Pause for a moment, listening, and heard an answering call echo. This one from farther up the river in the opposite direction. It's solitary weirdness and a shiver down my spine that I'd nothing to do with the temperature that had drooped fiercely with the storm. The hairs on the back of my neck stood at full attention. I don't know. Maybe some kind of bird or frog or something.

In this rain? And his voice hissed, credulous. Shook my head, shrugging off the fear. Doesn't matter. It's not here. Let's get this finished up and get back to the tents. Got back to work, to his credit. Dennis held his light steady.

I think this is cool. like the monsters by the river thing. There was one time we were staying on an island on the lake very similar and we were sitting around the campfire at night and I heard there's a bunch of like bird calls you'll hear at night Tennessee like Whippoor whales and stuff like that the whirp wheels like that

yeah that's why I call Whippoor will sounds like it's going to whiper will Whipper will but there was or maybe it might not be where they're called that's where one says There was one bird that I thought it was a bird we heard on the other side of the island

It wasn't a big island at all you could walk fully across the side of it in like a few minutes But it sounded like something going like oh Oh, hope hope oh That I'm just like oh it's like a big crane or something but then it started to change its like tonation a little bit and became like hey ha ha ha and it would always be in threes every time and you could kind of hear it moving along the other bake and at one point it got it being like hip hip hip hip and it almost like it was saying words I remember my dad being like it sounds like it's saying something what's it sound like and then the

next time it went plain as day went help help help that freaked me out I was like it sounds like it's saying help but I was like no I don't I don't think so right after that help help and then after that just disappeared completely maybe it had been going for like half an hour and then just totally stopped. And the next day, I walked over there with my friend to let go walk around, like get firewood playing around. And there's this huge spot on the side of the bank where in like the sand up the shore,

it looked like something had been dropped and then dragged down into the water. Like these huge skid marks. Like a boat had thrown an anchor up there and just dragged it out as it backed up. You're giving me nothing to work with it. It's just spooky. How old were you? 11, I think.

Are you smiling about? I don't. I don't know, dude. I'm fucking stupid. That is actually spooky, though. Why does your dad help that guy? Or was it a bird? Well, that's what we thought was a bird.

Yeah. I mean, it was clearly an animal of some kind, because it was like the threes every time. It sounded like it was doing different calls and stuff like that. But after it had helped, it disappeared. I don't, I don't think it was a guy. I think it was certainly an animal. And it was saying help?

It sounded like it was saying help. The call kept shifting until eventually it sounded like it was going, help, help, help. I see. Almost like it was trying to mimic or something. Anyway, we returned to the campsite maybe 20 minutes later, both carrying armfuls of cut branches. Tents were both now fully set up. Dad had also erected a makeshift tarp over a circle of stones. He'd arranged to serve as a bonfire pit to help protect the flame from the weather.

He crouched over a small pile of paper and wood scraps, carefully setting them to provide. the maximum chance of the fire catching. Dennis dumped his wood next to him. Where's my dad? He asked and my dad nodded toward our tent. He's getting changed, Dennis. Why don't you go do the same? Paul, can you help me get the fire going?

I sighed internally, but nodded and moved to help him as Dennis disappeared into the tent. Waited until the flap zipper closed fully, whispered to dad, my voice low. Did you hear those noises? Dad nodded. Yeah, we all did. Scared the crap out of Sean.

He jumped about. about a mile the girls were pretty freaked out too they're the only ones dad what the heck was that don't know son can't say I've heard anything quite like it before maybe a mountain lion a mountain lion two of them do they live around here maybe they got lost from over near Penn State hey probably don't swim very well but all the more reason to get this fire started finished arranging the the starter. Tarp doing a surprisingly good job of keeping it dry until

dad at last nodded in approval. That should do it. Let's give it a shot. What do you think the noise that sounded like? It says a whale, right? If he thinks it's a mountline, probably like a screech of some kind. Well, they see it like maybe it was a light and what is the mountain line selling?

That sounds like a woman screaming. What if it was like the Tom and Jerry scream? You hear a loud cartoon mallet hit something he took out which like I've never I've seen Mount lions before in the daytime but never like heard one cry

but I've seen videos like these guys walking around at night and then it sounds like there is a woman being murdered that's kind of what coyotes no not like like a I am being killed scream like a yeah super loud booming across the woods

yeah coyotes sound like children crying. Mm-hmm. Yeah. It's very odd. Don't like it. Yeah, they suck. Not fun. Took out a long big lighter

and set the flame to the rolled newspaper in several different spots. Dender caught quickly, the wood snapping merrily, and we moved to stack the branches Dennis and I cut into a rough pyramid over the starter material. The sticks smoked considerably

as they began to dry, but eventually caught just as dad predicted. Looked over to the remaining pile. Nice job, Paul. Those won't last very long, though. We need something bigger if we want to keep this thing through the night Aside I think the tree I got these from will work. I was just to cut some logs from farther down the trunk

Okay, I hate to ask Dad clansed up the hill the still falling rain peel of distant thunder rolling from way over the mountain line of the river But any change you could go cut a few good sized ones before we get cleaned up You can't come with me? I think I better stay here just in case any of the camping newbies need anything I'm sorry this trip is off to a rough start. You want to take Dennis again? I didn't have to take him over to think about it. No.

I'll get it done fast for myself. Besides, he's already probably changed. Dad clapped me on the shoulder. Proud of you, son. Every time you're talking about dad touched him, it's like a... It's a big heavy. That's how it happens. I rolled my eyes and stood,

grabbing the hacks on flashlight from where I'd set them. Also, I just want to say, if he's dead, it's probably mountain lines out there. And you want to go out there in the dark? I mean, that's pretty crazy. It's like, oh, it's probably two mountain lions on either side of the river. Good thing we've got this fire going, hey, can you go away from the fire over to the dark? I'll leave the hatchet with you.

Don't think I'll need to cut the big stuff. Don't think I'll need it to cut the big stuff. Dad nodded in agreement. Hey. I pause, turning back to him. I love you, Paul. Love you, too, dad. We'll be waiting here.

Scowled and trudged away back towards the fallen tree. I found the spot Dennis and I had come from without difficulty and got to work, setting the light in a way to shine on where I was cutting. The rain had blessedly stopped, at least temporarily, but the cold front, the broaded, caused an eerie fog to begin to seep sinuously up from the undergrowth. The temperature had continued to drop, but it was only the physical activity that was keeping me from shivering. It was probably not too cold yet, maybe in the lower 50s,

but the change from the upper 80s of the earlier afternoon made it feel much worse than it actually was. Something nagged me at the back of my mind as I worked on the tree, but it was several long minutes before I realized exactly what it was. Other than the rasp of the saw, gliding back and forth against the tree, and the distant gurgle of the river flowing past the island shore, the night was utterly still, quiet. No birds called, no insects chirped. Just dead silence. Another chill ran down my back as my mind returned to the mysterious cries from earlier and then back farther. to Jerry's strange warnings from this afternoon. Despite what I told Dennis, and what dad told me,

those sounds were like nothing I'd ever heard before. I got back to my work with a will, focusing on getting enough wood to last the night so that I could get out of my sopping clothes and curl up in my sleeping back until morning. I told myself that surely the light of day would ward off whatever it was that made those sounds, but a little voice at the back of my mind asked,

but what if it doesn't? Going was slower than earlier, the lower parts of the tree between six and eight inches thick and taking much more effort to work through. Still, I managed to cut a good number of pieces, enough that I was thinking it may take multiple trips to get back to the campsite. When I paused, my ears registered another sound from back the way I came. Thinking about it, I realized that the noise had been going on for several minutes now, and erupting the earlier silence I had previously noted, but I was so focused on my work that at first I didn't notice the change. The sound was faint but distinct,

screaming. I hesitated for just a moment, fear causing paralysis before another cry, high-pitched and full of pain, launched me in action. The firewood forgotten, I sprinted back towards the campsite, saw in one hand flashlight in the other, the beam bouncing wildly in front of me as I ran. ran. I took a bad step and fell face first, sliding along the wet ground, the hacksaw dropping from my hand and skittering into the undergrowth. I left it, having managed to keep hold of the light,

picked myself up, and continued my mad dash. I ran as fast as I could, my breath pounding in and out of my lungs, a stitch cramping along my side, but all the while my fears told me that my greatest efforts won't be enough. I burst from the brush into the clearing. The fire still burned merrily where Dad and I said it, but the rest of the campsite was an utter disarray. Oh shit. The tents were collapsed. The flaps violently torn open. Poles snapped jaggedly, reaching like broken bones of a compound fracture.

Our gear was strewn about haphazardly. The rest of my group, Dad and Sean, Dennis, Tara, and Amanda, I saw no sign. Outside of a terrible, wet, redness that seemed to mark and stain every piece of gear. I stood, mouth open, and shot. my mind whirling as it tried to comprehend what I was seen but knowing the shallow pools dotting the soaking ground here and there could only be blood all of them just I'm sure they're not all dead yet but just getting massacred left and right while he was up the road a little bit my god his dad's like that's probably a mount lion and then two wind of ghosts descended on him dropping down from the tree.

These 12 foot tall demons. And K.I.A. Go get some fire one. It's like, it's like the river's like 30 feet wide. You can see the shoreline over there. There's like gargoyles. It's like, hey Paul.

Gargoyles! Love you, Paul. Love you, dad. Dad nods. And in the background, you can see in a single jump from one short of the other. It's a tiny speck. And it just just flying across.

God, I love my gay dads. And then just As he's walking behind him, you can see like limbs getting thrown up into the tree. Getting some wood. Yeah. Blood just shooting everywhere.

God. Yeah, exactly. Set it down. In an instant. Instant transmission. Yeah, like as soon as Paul's plastic clearance, both of them appear, like standing in the middle of camp. A wordless groan alerted me to the collapsed tent.

I rushed the noise and cried out in horror at the side of my father's ruined body. I knelt down beside him, cradling his head in my lap. The flickering firelight was enough to see the vicious wounds all across his face, pouring red. His jaw was horribly broken. His chin shifted almost two inches to the right of where it should be. His eyes were swollen shut and his nose turned at an impossible angle. The hatchet I left him with at the fire was buried three inches into his chest. I could see white poking through a hole in his left pan.

antleg. The rest of him was fully covered by the deep furrows of claws as if a wild animal tried to tear him apart. I'd done a couple years in the Boy Scouts. I earned a medical merit badge, but I was at a loss for anything to do for him. Still, I gently started to lay dad down, thinking to try and find the first aid kit that must still be somewhere in the ruined piles of gear, but he reached out, grabbing my wrist with surprising, desperate strength. In haze, I noticed two Two of his fingers had been torn from his hand. Stopped moving him, leaning down to listen, to see if he was going to try and say something.

Maybe he could tell me what caused this catastrophe. What happened to the others? All I could hear, though, was the rough wheeze of his breath and painfully forced in and out of its lungs. Tears fell from my eyes and were mingling with the blood still seeping from his face. Is his breathing caught, rattled, and then stopped.

Sob escaped my throat as I clutched at my father's corpse, the best and strongest man I'd ever known. My thoughts were a jumble of puzzle pieces in my head, shock and grief and disbelief all fighting for position. My entire body trembled uncontrollably. Unexpectedly, one realization managed to push through the gauze that my mind was wrapped in. The thought cool and cold as a piece of granite. Whoever did this to my dad was still out there. They had the others, and they might come back for me. me. My stomach turning,

I reached down, bracing myself. I managed to pull the hatchet out of dad's chest. Dad's on the ground like, oh, wait, I think. Oh, he's dead. A little bit. I was just saying, Paul's a fucking badass, dude. Uh, yeah, to see all this and be like, time to go. Yeah. The blade releasing with a sickening crack.

A downpour of blood escape from the newly revealed opening, but I told myself I wasn't causing any more harm. There was no more harm to cause. I sniffed hard to clear my incredibly stuffed nose. I stood and took stock in my situation. There was no phone to call for help. Dad always insisted on completely unplugging for the trip and it's not like there'd be any service even if I had one. Sean, Dennis and the girls were missing, possibly dead, or possibly worse. But I tried to find help. It would be hours before I got back with anyone. And by then, it'd be too late to do anything. I moved down to the canoes. All three were where we

left them, but enormous tears have been ripped in each of their holes. There was no way I could use one as is. As I looked over the boats, trying to determine if there was any way to repair one enough to make it at least partially float worthy, the beam of my flashlight caught on a series of footprints impressed in the riverbank. The dirt made soft by recent rainfall. I shuddered to see them. Larger than a grown man's, the prints were made by something heavy, its feet both clawed and web like an enormous platypus. A rustling in some nearby bushes caused me to start. Cautiously, I approached the noise,

using the hatchet to push away some of the tall grass hiding the motion. My mind going numb as my flashlight found the source. The creature was big. Not huge, certainly, but definitely over six feet long and weighing several hundred pounds. It had four limbs, roughly arranged in the same anatomical layout as a human. The beam of my light reflected, Gully off slimy scales covering the entirety of its body.

Their color a dark green, almost black. Both its hands and feet were webbed and clawed like the footprints I found, but its fingers looked like they might be dexterous enough to use tools. Thing's head was some kind of hideous cross between human and fish. Whiskers like a sturgeon drooped from its cheeks, and it opened its mouth to snarl at me. His teeth arranged in a circular pattern like a lamprey. The sound it made was weak.

But I recognize the same strange call that Dennis and I heard earlier. I could also tell it was badly hurt. The thing was trying to drag itself back to the river, but there was an enormous gash in its shoulder impeding it. Its left arm was almost torn from its body and leaking blood, though not as much as I would have expected. I realized that Dad must have been the one to wound this creature, though he certainly got the worst of the exchange.

Cold fury began to work its way up from deep inside my stomach, and I raised the hatchet with the intent to finish the monster off before thoughts stopped me. I had no way of knowing where terror and the rest were taken, but it must have been by other creatures like this one. It appeared to be aquatic or amphibious, and with no way of even knowing which way they went down the river, I'd have no way to find their layer on my own. I considered the dilemma and came upon a possible solution.

Noting the relative slowness that the creature was managing to claw its way to the water, I went back to the trashed What's the thing I said about I knew you wouldn't be normal It appeared to be aquatic or amphibious And with no way of even knowing Which way they went down the river I'd have no way to find their layer on my own

I consider the dilemma It came upon a possible solution Just pause for saying Fucking Trevor Trevor messaged me and said This is Daddy Moke He loves getting ripped to Transwalk getting assing.

This is daddy. This is daddy mo. Those are like social, those are, that's a social media like, we're three dads. Okay. I see.

I see. This is daddy moke. He loves getting shredded. He shoot Paul off so you can have time with Sean. In front of the three other kids. D.T. There's only D.T. and the PC man. Yeah, this is a PC for sure. All right, sorry, guys.

Noting the relative slowness that the creature was managing a claw its way to the water, I went back to the trash campsite and began rifling through the gear. It didn't take me long to find what I was searching for. A spool of all-purpose parachute cord in a box of Kim lights. Pulled out my pocket knife and quickly cut links of cord, tying slip-knot loops through half a dozen of the lights before cracking them to life and a bright green flash of neon. I also took a pair of two foot long pieces of cord and tied one end to each handle of the hatchet and flashlight, together to my belt, or securing the tools as best I could in my waistband. Returning to the creature, who was only feet from the river, I took my life jacket from the

ruined canoe and pulled it on. I took four others and used their straps to tie them to each other, considering the next step of my strategy. Closeness to the water, or possibly my nearness, sent the monster in greater efforts. As it flopped, squirming towards the perceived safety of the river, I softly approached it and, as it thrashed, managed to loop three of the Kim lights around its various limbs,

securing the last one just as it made the water. It would have to be enough. Being submerged seemed to invigorate it, confirming my suspicion of the creature's aquatic nature, though it was still clearly hampered by its wound. If it weren't for my doctored lights,

it would have been impossible to tell where the creature was in the water. And even with them, I could tell I'd have to try and stay close or risk losing it. Sliven into the river, I arranged myself in the secured life jackets like a makeshift raft and began to follow the fleeing fish monster, hoping against hope that it would take me to wherever my family is. I abandoned all sense of time. My focus entirely kept on keeping track of the three small balls of glowing light moving gradually down the river. I followed the creature through one fork, then another, than another before I lost track and stopped trying. I was thankful the thing was as badly hurt as it was.

I realized its injury was all that was keeping it moving slowly enough that I could keep it in sight. And likely the only reason it hadn't attacked me. My throat tightened when I saw one of the Kim lights separate from the others, falling to the bottom of the river and sinking into the silt. Apparently having been kicked loose from the monster. Somewhat unsteadily, the other two glided away, though, continuing in the same direction they had been

so I kept following sending up a silent prayer that the remaining cord stayed secured abruptly the motion stopped the lights which I'd been following perhaps two feet underwater now bobbed to the top cautiously I approached fearful I knew the reason

before long I confirmed I was right the monster had bled out floated on the surface of the river a lethal goldfish dead in its massive bowl cold and wet and dark unnoticed until now warded away by fear and the adrenaline of my pursuit came crashing down on me shivered supported by the extra life jackets i could only hope i'll need trying to figure out what to do next try to work things through logically we've been traveling quite away from the island monster's lair couldn't be much farther besides like a better ideas and since i didn't have

anything truly better to do i just have to try and search the riverbank for a cave or something, and prey. I moved to the side of the river the creature seemed to be heading for. Nearing the bank, fumbled for my flashlight. My heart leapt when I found it wasn't there before I remembered the safety line, I tied it to it. Thank you my pass-out for this preparation. I traced the cord, still secured to my belt, and pulled the flashlight into my grasp. I had to smack it against my palm a time or two before a weakly turned on,

its claims of a waterproof nature apparently more for advertisement than actual use. It didn't take me long to find what I was looking for. Allegheny isn't terribly deep even in wet years, maybe eight or nine feet on average. I could see from the marks on the banks where the waters would typically be four feet overhead, and the yawning hole I found was only submerged about halfway. I thought back to what Jerry had said earlier, about how this was the dry season in decades. Any normal year, the opening would be fully underwater, but now, Shone the flashlight into the hole.

Fear of dark and close spaces grouping my heart. Yeah, I like how he was afraid of the cave, but not the fish people that murdered his family. Kind of real, though. Yeah. Clostrophobic hole? Fuck that. No, fighting these giant fish people with a hatchet, sure.

I can wrap my head around that. The opening was certainly big enough that I could fit, but there was no way to know that it stayed that way. No way to know this was, in fact, the Monster Slayer, where that Tara or Dennis or Amanda or Sean were still alive. my mind returned to dad's ruined face his last gasping breaths I sighed

I had to try you know his dad is pretty sick because he did take one down with it oh yeah he's a badass he was awkward going to say the least dragging the four extra life jackets with me but if I found any of the others

and if they were in bad shape and if we had to swim any distance to get out there's so many ifs going through my mind the tunnel went into the riverbank for 50 yards or so before dipping down You're made consistently half full and I float swam along. My breathing rate increased, reaching the point I was practically hyperventilating,

claustrophobic sense of the earth crushing it around me, competing with the understanding that I may be trapping myself in a den of killer fish monsters. I managed to get a hold of myself and continue onwards. After a subjective eternity, the passage I'd been swimming through emerged into a cavern of significant size, would be 15 or 20 feet tall and three times at a cross. Coming out of the wall, I fell with a splash into a sort of underground lagoon that took up the majority of the cavern. The walls of the cave glowed with a faint luminescence, enough to faintly see by, though I didn't know enough marine biology to say what kind of algae or whatever was causing it.

I swam to the shore and found my efforts were rewarded. There were dozens of webbed claw prints similar to those on the island, as well as some other marks that looked like something had been dragged. I could only hope it was the rest of my group. There were at least a dozen different passages off the cavern I was in, but the freshest prints and drag marks seemed to head down three of them. There might have been other exits to this underground warren, but I didn't know where they were,

and it was going to be way too difficult to bring the life jackets with me. I had no idea who would get back up the passage I came in through, but that would have to be something I figured out later. I had a small recess in the wall that I was able to stash the extra vest in before taking out the hatchet and flashlight picking the leftmost footprint marked tunnel at random creeping along as stealthily as my squelching shoes would let me

Paul turning into Rambo's fucking peak Yeah he gets the axe as a flashlight stash he's like All right time to kill the fish people To actually fucking murder these freaks For my family The flashlight was almost unnecessary The algae persisted enough to light my way, so I kept the beam off, moved as carefully as I could.

Pause in every few steps to listen for sounds that might reveal the location, more monsters are my family. Seemingly, far away down the passage, I heard hooting calls like the ones Dennis and I heard earlier, but there was something about the tone that made me think it was just the creatures communicating, rather than an alarm that they knew I was there. The passage floor was slimy, so I was very careful to avoid slipping. and falling. Fortunately, there didn't seem to be any other passage ways to choose from, where else I would have to, where else I would have had to start making some difficult choices. The tunnel I'd chosen opened into a cavern only slightly smaller than the one containing the lagoon.

The algae on the walls here was even more highly concentrated, and though it was not as bright as lighting a lamp, the glow was still more than enough for me to see. I wish I couldn't. Sean was suspended upside down. His arms and legs secured spread eagle to poles on other side of him by rough-looking rope and surrounded by four of the fish monsters, one considerably larger than the others. A piece of wood had been wedged in his mouth, but I could see he was awake. His wide eyes with fear-filled and wild, his head whipping back and forth. My earlier suspicion that the creatures could use tools was confirmed as the largest creature took a flint knife

and deftly cut away Sean's clothes, leaving him hanging naked. Made it strange cries all the while, and I realized that. Based on the rapt attention of the three smaller creatures, it must have been the monster's version of a school lesson. Clothes fully removed, the monster took Sean's hair in one clawed hand, bent his head back, and cut his throat. I stifled a cry, jamming my hand in my mouth, that Sean's life poured from the gaping wound.

I could tell he was trying to scream himself, but between the wooden gag and his own blood choking him, he only managed to emit a panicked gurgle. The gout didn't last long. The creature must have severed both carotid arteries. Soon, the blood was only dripping. He fought the urge to be violently ill as the fish monster continued to dress its catch,

slicing open Sean's belly and removing his stomach and intestines, smell like nothing I'd ever experienced before. This being a fish's version of catching humans is disturbing. Yeah, well, it's like the thing is like, you know, fish, you chop the head off and then you... Yeah, 100%. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The fish... That's what I'm saying.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Literally the exact parallel of what they were doing on the shore. It's like a dad teaching his kids. Here's how you clean a fish. Cut the head off, yeah, yeah. What if we're the monsters? I cautiously edged away from the gruesing. Don't Jim Halper does right now. Do the smirk.

I cautiously edged away from the gruesome scene, unable to take it for even another moment. I was furious that I didn't do something to save Sean, but at the same time knew there was nothing I could have reasonably done. I could only pray I would have better luck with Dennis and the girls. Made it back to the entrance cave and followed the second tunnel with the drag marks. Still moved cautiously, but faster than I had before. But I'd been only a few minutes faster.

Maybe I could have done something to help my stepfather. Couldn't let something like that happen to the others. Similar to the first tunnel, this one wouldn't seem to have any offshoots. Part of me wondered whether these paths are natural rock formations or if the creature somehow carved them out. Where the other was fairly straight, this one was far more winding with noticeable changes in elevation.

The height of the tunnel remained relatively constant, thankfully. And other than having to duck a time or two, my earlier feelings of claustrophobia were generally kept at bay. The room the second tunnel emerged into was smaller than the one Sean was murdered in. The algae remained on the walls, though in lesser concentration. The room was dim and, if I was right that these passages had been designed by the creatures, there must have been a reason for that. The floor was covered in almost a dozen of what I could only describe as nests.

their makeup comprised of everything from ratty blankets and old scraps of leather to tree branches and castaway clothing carefully peeked into the closest nest my stomach turning at the mass of squirming flesh writhing and convulsing in its middle it was several long seconds before i realized what it must be a pile of fish monsters in some kind of larval stage at stumbled upon the monster's version of a nursery the tadpole things their mouths gaping wide with those lamprey-like teeth Wiggled and gnashed disgustingly My heart leapt into my throat At the words that sounded from the other side of the room I turned to look for the source

And was amazed to find Dennis sitting alone It was back to the wall They took them all but left me I rushed to his side Dennis hey Dennis Turned to look at me But his eyes were glassy and blank Why did they leave me

I don't know man But come on we have to find the girls Do you know where they took them Hold on his arm Attempting to drag him to his feet I don't want to go. I want to stay here. He began to fight against me.

I tried to peel my hand away from his arm. Come on, Dennis, cut it out. No, I don't want to go! He practically shouted before reaching down and trying to bite me. I yelped and dropped his arm. My brother sinking back down, cross-legged to the floor. I looked around hurriedly. There was a passage on the opposite side of the room from the one I came in,

and I thought I could hear fish monster noises heading toward me. It only made sense. They wouldn't want to leave the nursery unguarded. I couldn't afford to fight with Dennis before I found the girls and he seemed safe enough for the moment for whatever reason. Dennis,

I think something broke in you. I'll be back, but I have to go find Tara Amanda, okay? He mumbled something, but whether it was a response to me or to whatever voices were talking in his head,

I couldn't tell. And obviously, like, that would be pretty brain-breaking, but do you think they're keeping him because he's too young? He has to grow or something like that? That's why they have him in the nursery?

Probably. Yeah, I mean, maybe, yeah. Unless they have some kind of like it's innocence of a child, but I just, I doubt it. No, no. It seemed very animalistic. Also, I just see maybe they're busy just cutting up Sean.

Yeah. They seem like educated to the level of like apes. You know? I mean, you would have to assume and they're using Flint and all that kind of stuff. Because they teach each other stuff and there's basic tools. And they're communicating. Yeah. So they're like, it's like a gorilla education, I'd imagine kind of thing.

So maybe they are like too not worth it for him or whatever. I left hurrying to ensure the monsters coming to check on their young didn't find me. I traded all sense of stealth for speed at this point. I didn't totally understand what was going on, and I couldn't afford to let the monsters find me, but I had to find my sister and her friend. I jogged down the third and final tunnel with the drag marks, praying that this was where Tara and Amanda were taken,

and not some other helpless victim. This tunnel was shorter than the other two, and it didn't take me more than a few moments to reach another room. This one dominated by a cage made of thick branches, another tunnel on the far wall continuing farther into the layer. A large iron lock secured the cage door, and I wondered how the monsters would have gotten a hold of it. Unfortunately, there was no key hopefully hung upon the wall. A quick examination made it obvious.

I'd have had better luck hacking through the cage bars than the lock, but considering their thickness, even that would take a considerable time I didn't have. A form lay huddled in the far corner of the cage. It was covered by a rough blanket so that I couldn't see who or what it was. But I had to believe they were a prisoner. The algae on the walls there was incredibly dim, so I turned on my flashlight and shined it on the shape. P-s, hey, who are you? Is someone there?

The form rolled and shifted toward me. The cage ceiling was too low for them to stand, but they crawled toward the sound of my voice. I can't see you. Please help me. I took a step back as the prisoner reached my side of the cage, grasping at the bars. I could do nothing but gasping horror. She was filthy and naked. besides the blanket draped around her, but despite that, I recognized her.

It was Jerry's missing wife, Cheryl. Her eyes were gone, a car from her head and leaving only wet, empty sockets. She was heavy. Oh, gosh. Uh-oh. Uh-oh. Uh-oh. Oh, I do.

Oh. All right. Well, we enter this era of the story. We're in it. We're in it. she was heavy and swollen with pregnancy. Please. It hurts. From the top rope,

Barasca, back into the ring. Returning champion, one night only. Fishmen. And they want babies. Now introducing our challenger, the scaly gentleman. My mind struggled for a long moment. Half trying to come up with some plan to help.

The other attempting to wake itself up from this nightmare. When she fell back to her side with a cry, shuddering. Cheryl's belly seemed to distend, as if something inside it was struggling to be free. Oh boy. The flesh of her middle pulsed in and out, in and out, and then abruptly tore open. She screamed in pain as dozens of the small white fish tadpole things, like the ones I'd seen in the nest, poured out of her womb. Their birthing whales were miniature versions of the fish monster calls, and with revulsion, I watched, as they squirmed about and began to devour Cheryl. God damn.

Small pock marks of flesh torn wherever their mouth touched. More and more of the creatures crawled from insider and joined the feast, continuing even after her screams turned to small wimpers of pain, the wimpers to silence. This was at last too much, and I threw up in great gasping heaves. Monsters paid me no mind, continuing to eat. My gosh, crazy.

Maybe it, maybe it's... That was a whiplash of a motion. That was. That was just out, like we saw the guy get fish gutted earlier. Oh, oh! It just kept getting worse. Do you think that would, that part would have been... Maybe it's not a pregnancy in the traditional sense.

Maybe it's more like a xenomorph kind of thing, you know? No, dude, you can put it however the fuck. There was definitely some fish dick happening. All right, all right. Continue. All right, we can, we can say fish zino mor. I will say this, though. Would that visual have not been more effective if they would have come across the cage

and then her belly would have been split open and they were eating it? Like, you know what I mean? it's just like a bit convenient to have it just be like, who's there? The moment it happens, yeah, yeah. So it's like you're coming on it and it's like, oh, there's Cheryl, she's being eaten and it's like you could only assume the horror that happened. I agree. I agree it would be more effective and more horrific and work better for the story if they came across the remains.

However, this is a story about a 12-year-old boy hunting down and fighting fish people that killed his dad. I'm still pretty on board with everything. I'm saying that happening at this moment, the convenience of that is tonally fitting. Yeah, I mean, like, yeah, I mean, I get you. I kept vomiting, beyond when my stomach was empty and my throat hurt from the effort. After a long time, too long, I should pull myself together. I heard noises from back the way I came, so, with little other choice, picked up my hatchet and flashlight, and continued on.

The tunnel continued farther and farther away from my point of entry and from Dennis. My luck continued to run dry, and now there were intersections and branching roots to choose from. I picked it random. At one point, I thought I heard. sobbing, only to realize after a moment it was coming from me. The algae was fully gone now. The flashlight guttered and died, but I carried onward, desperate, unknowing what else to do, but take another step forward. I heard a deep roar ahead, like a great sleeping beast, but still I went on. Suddenly, the tunnel disappeared. My foot didn't strike the ground. I was sure would be there,

and I was falling, falling down, down. I hit water with a crash, the wind knocked from my chest, and I was born away on an underground current. Disoriented, blind to everything, my head struck rock, blackness of unconsciousness, indiscernible from the abyss I'd been fleeing. Hey, I think he's alive. Awareness returned. I was lying on my back, soaking wet, mid-morning sun shining upon my face, a ring of concerned faces looking down on me. Son, what can you remember? Where'd you come from?

A man wearing a traditional captain's hat and a thick beard helped me set up. I had throbbed. I realized I was on the top deck of a boat. Sign on the bulkhead proclaiming, Monagahela Gateway Clipper. We found you bobbing along. Heck, your life jacket's the only thing that kept you only half drowned. Did you follow a board or something?

Was there anyone else with you? Looked at the man. His eyes were kind but concerned. Thought for a moment. Trying to decide what I could possibly say. there was I told him slowly but they're gone

there has fun little creature feature pretty brutal what the fuck did he pop up at well so there's a lot of like waterways that have channels that lead out with the captains had it's assumed the ocean he well yeah that's what I'm saying is like how fucking far away did he for good lord

he's out at sea somewhere now a sudden so he gets found by them what that is like a pitch black ending you know That was depressing. Everyone dies. Dennis is like going to be fattened up and killed or like probably food for the larva. Also the girls 100% are going to be impregated by tadpoles.

And the girls are turned into intubators. Yeah. Yeah. Incubators for more to come. Yeah. Intubators. Hey, but hey, but at least me and my dads went camping. But you know what?

Family fun and the son. To be fair, how are you supposed to be, how are you supposed to ever comprehend? Well, you should know. Like I get see. people would be like, well, they should have heeded Jerry's warning. At what point would anyone be like, ah, the fish people. I should have figured that out. I will say that I saw none of that coming.

None of that at all coming. No, I thought when they got it, I thought when the story started and they were going out there, I knew there'd be creatures. I thought it was going to be, like, a bigfoot wind-go thing. I thought it was going to be like inbred mountain people or something like that. Hills have eyes kind of, like a wrong turn kind of means. Where the fuck did you find this? Giant scaly fish people

Was it recommended at all or what happened? Well, Imperial Invective recommended this author And I read the stories and found this like... It's great. Yeah. That's a lot fun. No, I mean, I think that like for something that it has

I mean, like we said earlier, not a lot of traction on this. We'll definitely leave a link to the story. Curious to check other stories. I'm always fascinated with authors like this where it's like you can write a totally bleak ending and then you write something where you're like, oh, that was kind of not.

Like I'm curious to see what other like what other writing style does this guy have? Do all of his, you know, do a lot of the stories feel this kind of like this insane? Because my God, that was... I mean this felt like a... And I mean this in a good way. This felt like an old slasher film.

Oh, yeah. I hate when I comment that because I always feel like I sound really fucking stupid. But once again, if this was a movie or something, immediately I thought of Bone Tomahawk. I was thinking of the exact same film. Yeah, when they get dragged in and stuff and there's like kind of the indigenous...

And they're getting brutally like torn apart and stuff like that. Yeah. Yeah, and then he stays behind. Only here was kind of like, Paul has his hero moment where it's like, my dad's dead, I'll avenge him. I'll find this one you killed. I'll find the family.

And then Paul, like, he has the bravery and he has the gumption to get all the way there, but he changes nothing. The, uh, also, sad to say, not creepcast's first, uh, forceful insemination. So.

By a long shot. No. And I, we need to get accounts to if we're on double digits now. I would like to. know how many forceful inseminations we have. Yeah. I will say first, first insemination that leads into the bait within a sentence being born and eating the mom. Yeah, I can't say there's many stories that have that. That's true. We can at least be happy with that. Is this the first one that's

not a human doing it? Is this our, is this our first fish monster? If we don't count Cthuloo, yes. I wouldn't count Cthuloo. Or like in, in that one, the shadow over in. The shadow of monster. Well, and the guy that did, what's his name? The guy that did the one that's like Shadow over Innsman. Yeah, I guess there. I guess I mean like actual, in terms of the mermaid monster. But you consider the mermaid people, fish monsters? I could say the

mermaid maybe one. Dig on smear. Non-love crafty and fish monster. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. I think so, maybe. And if you don't count, I kept picturing, uh, I kept picturing creature the black lagoon kind of people. Yeah. It's what I kept picturing. Yeah, I was thinking kind of like, That are the fucking...

Like, caveman hunched over things. That are the, uh, the fish people for like when you first play, wow. Merlocks. The Merlocks. The Merlocks. Or the bloodfish at Jared's lending, whatever. Like, those dudes. And they're like, man.

And it's like a big fat fish head and it's like kind of like... This one said he had big circular, like autumn jaws. Yeah. Like a lamp ray, yeah. And he has like sturgeon whiskered instead. Yeah. Yeah. I wonder why the, I would, I'm surprised that they made that kind of sound.

I wonder what led the, I wonder what led the, uh, author to think that sound to that sound. made sense for that thing. It's creepy. Almost like it'd be like a fucking like choking sound or something. And I also mean this in a good way. You do not have to say that. You can just say things.

Well, no, because what I'm about to say is this is a very dude bro story. And that can be taken as a bad way. That's the best compliment anyone could ever give me. Well, some people can take that to me. It's like low intelligence, like, you know, dumb. I mean that in the way of like fish monsters show up, kill everyone,

find their nest, you know? I would say, classic monster. a conventional monster horror. Monster story. Yeah. And I love monster movies. I talked to the author and they said, this author? Yes. Okay. You can do whatever, you can call whatever you want.

It's called, you know, this camping story for No Sleep, but he said that the technical, real title of the story is called Masha Nomic, but No Sleep is weird with their rules and stuff. I just Googled it. Masha Nomic is a Native American legend. Oh. It's a modern monster from the Menonomi Indian folklore and it's sometimes known. as the big surgeon. Oh, that's cool.

How'd you spell monochronomic? That sucks that you can't. M-A-S-H-E-D-S-H-E-N-A-M-A-M-A-A-W. Wait, wait, say that again. M-A-S-H-E. E. And then N-A-M-A-K. N-A-M-A-K.

Yeah. And then I did look it up that, that captain's boat, the name of that. That's another river that intersects with the Allegheny River. But it's, like 130 miles. So he must have been. I mean, I imagine he just got swept

or whatever. And he said, uh, sounds like he might have been read with other stories, but he said, we will definitely be the first people that has covered this story.

It was good. I mean, I will say legitimately, uh, I like the dynamic. I like, I know I said, uh,

I wanted a man to get her comeuppins. Did not want it like that. No. And I will say to, I will say to, I will say, I will say to all of the characters, all of the characters I thought felt like really well fleshed out.

Like I gave a fuck about the relationship of the dads, the kids. It's interesting how fast the turns were. Yeah. So fast. Even like the throwaway line at the beginning that you think for a comedic beat of that guy saying his wife left him, even that showed up later. And also little subtle things of showing like, I like that Dennis and, or Dale and Paul had that moment where he's like,

dude, you're more experienced. Yeah. Just help. That help just establish that, oh yeah, when Paul start taking the ropes, it's like, yeah, he knows what he's doing. Just that little subtle thing, I think is really fun. The also, which is proven by the rest of the story. Which is proven by the moment. With Dennis just being left there.

He's gone. I mean, he's going to be, you're right. He's going to be fat. They're going to fucking eat them 100%. Well, they're going to feed him to those larvae in the room. Also, you know, it's kind of interesting too is that the, because the pat, I would almost assume that the fish would be able to swim out and then go on shore. But it seems like when the tide is,

low, that's when they actually come out and start fucking stuff. Fuck it with stuff. Yeah. Yeah. They probably fish or something the rest of the time, but now they have to walk on land. Yeah. Yeah. It'd be interesting too. I was kind of thinking that, uh, I was kind of thinking that maybe, uh, when he got down there, because he's like, well, I went down there and they dragged something that it was

just going to be a deer. And he's like, I just fucking came down here for no reason or something, something fucking hopeless like that, but this was even more hopeless. So, yeah, it's like, oh, they are down here, but I can't do a thing about it. What a, uh, what a fun, uplifting story. Thank you so much for, thank you so for listening on audio platforms.

Hopefully you don't drive off a fucking bridge while you're watching this. But no, in all seriousness, it was a lot of fun. And thank you so much to our audio listeners over on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Thank you to all of the patrons who helped support the channel.

We desperately, desperately, desperately, appreciate you. And thank you to the author as well. I mean, honestly, we're going to leave the link in the description. Please go check out his stuff. On the creepy pasta wiki, I did see that it is called

Machinomic. Yes. So, depending on where you can see it. There's two different names, but it is that. Very fun, though. I enjoy it. Also, um, once again, another ding for no sleep. You can't name it a cool story because you wouldn't call it that if you weren't, if you were posting to it. You have to call it a help forum for Reddit. Shut up. Yeah. Shut up. A lot of fun. Uh, guys, until next time, we will see you then, hey, stay creeped and stay away from rivers. Thanks.

Stay creeped. And, uh, creepcast does not condone, uh, forced fish pregnancies. Thank you. Good night. Bye.