Creepy - The Program

Episode Date: January 1, 2024

The Program***Written By: Summer Harris and Narrated By: Alicia Atkins***Content Warning: Internalized Fatphobia, Weight Loss Struggles***Bonus Episode: "Locked Cabin" written by: R.D. Davidson***Sound design by: Pacific Obadiah***Title music by: Alex Aldea Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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Creepy Presents The Program Written by Summer Harris and narrated by Alicia Atkins. All I wanted to do was drop a couple of pounds before my sister's wedding. I was her maid of honor, and every single other bridesmaid looked like she belonged on the cover of some magazine or something, whereas I most certainly did not. My entire life has been spent being compared to my older sister, Sherry. She had the perfect grades, the perfect hair, the perfect boyfriend slash soon-to-be husband, the whole nine yards. Growing up, she was popular with both her peers and adults. She always had a smile that no one could resist,

and it seemed like everything she touched turned gold. I'm surprised forest animals don't flop to her like fucking snow white. If I wanted to look decent in the dress she picked out and not stand out like a sore thumb in the wedding photos, I definitely needed to lose a few pounds. Well, maybe more than a few. But come on. Who has time to exercise while working full-time and caring for a toddler as a single mother?

Not me, that's for damn sure. But with the wedding only a couple months away, I figured it was now or never. I should have started doing something about it sooner, but I think if I push myself pretty hard, I can drop a decent amount of weight by then. This wedding is just the motivation I needed to get my ass in gear. I did great at first. I started by switching out all the less than half. healthy things I usually ate for low-calorie options, sugar-free popsicles instead of ice cream,

and that sort of thing. At the end of the first week, I had dropped two pounds. I was determined to work even harder the next week. Squeezing in exercise was much more difficult to pull off than the diet, though. I had to just fit in what I could around the rest of the day's activities. I usually managed to quick speedwalk on the treadmill before work. Anytime I was doing anything around the house, I tried to move around as much as possible. If I was on the phone, I paced laps around the house. If I was washing dishes, I cranked up some music and danced in place. I even fidgeted when I was sitting down because I saw an article once saying that even that would help you burn a few calories. At the end of week number two, I had lost two additional pounds. That made for four pounds total.

I was so excited. I vowed to work even, harder. I throw in another session on the treadmill after Jason had gone down for the night and started to increase the speed. I skipped lunch most days at work, settling for a chalky protein shake instead. This gave me time to take a quick walk during my lunch break. I'm sure I smelled like a sweaty locker room when I returned to the office, but I didn't care. This was more important than anything else. Smell or no smell. It was a struggle all week to keep myself from hopping on the scale early. You know, for a snake peek. But I tapped into my newfound willpower and made myself weight. I knew if I started adding an additional weigh-ins, I would obsess over every little

ounce and drive myself crazy. When it was finally time, I completely stripped down, so as to not add even the tiniest bit of extra weight. Then I took a deep breath and stepped onto the scale. I waited a moment, then with a small smile on my face, I tilted my head. down to see how well I did. My smile faded, and I stared in disbelief at the neon green numbers blinking on the small screen. I had only lost one pound. That was impossible. There was no way in hell. That was all I had lost. The scale must be wrong. Still naked, I left the bathroom and half ran downstairs into the family room to grab the five-pound dumbbells I kept there. When I returned the bathroom, I cleared out the scale and placed one of the weights on it. The numbers went up rapidly,

then stopped, at exactly five pounds. Tears wiled up in my eyes as I once again cleared it, then placed both dumbbells on the scale. Blink, blink, blink, blink. Ten pounds even. The fucking thing wasn't even off by an ounce. Tears were streaming down my face as I weighed myself once again, although I knew it was going to be useless. One pound down. That's it. I slipped into my bathrobe and sat down on the edge of my bed. My tears had stopped and I sat there, dumbly, staring blankly ahead.

What had I done wrong? It seemed impossible that I had lost so little. I had exercised more and eaten less. Logically, it made absolutely no sense. I dressed slowly, my mind racing. I would just have to step it up. I started eating even less than before. I cut out the protein shake at work and began to sneak in quick trips up and down the stairs

whenever I could steal away from my desk for a few minutes. I stopped eating breakfast altogether and cut my already small dinner portion in half. If I got too hungry, I would allow myself exactly half a cup of skim milk. although after the first day or two my body adjusted, and I didn't even need the milk and drank only water. Way-in day finally arrived. It was time to see the result of all my hard work. The number was going to be significantly lower.

It had to be. I stepped on the scale and watched that the number climbed, and climbed, and kept climbing, until they stopped at a number one pound over last week's number. It felt like I had been punched in the stomach. Not only did I not lose anything over the past week, but I had actually gained weight. Everything I had done was for nothing.

I didn't even cry this time. Just put the scale away, got dressed, and woke Jason up so I could drop him off at school. He seemed to sense that I wasn't in a great mood and he ate his breakfast silently, then waited patiently at the door with his Superman backpack while I found my keys. Work went by slowly. I worked through lunch, slogging through some of the paperwork I was behind on due to all my breaks last week to run up and down the stairs like an idiot.

What was the point since my body apparently hated me and was going to cling to every last ounce of weight on my body? I felt like I was running on autopilot all day, going through the motions of work, school pickup, dinner, and household task. I lay awake that night, trying to figure out what else I could do. Time was running out and moping around all day wasn't helping at all. When I finally gave up on sleep, I turned on my laptop and began to search for something

that would help me fast track this process. I was immediately overwhelmed by the results. There were hundreds of diet pills, exercise equipment, and local, classes and everything you could think of. Aerobics, Zumba, weight training, biking, yoga. The list went on and on. I didn't really have anyone to watch Jason every day after school, so doing any classes would be tricky to manage.

Possible, but I'd much rather be able to do my workouts at home on my own timeline, without anyone else there to judge me. And I was nervous about trying the pills. With my luck, I'd end up in the... the hospital with some sort of weird side effect. So that left exercise equipment. My treadmill had obviously done all for me it could, so it was time to try something else.

I scroll through pages upon pages of stationary bikes, weight benches, stair-steppers, and so on. I was trying to calculate which exercise would burn the most calories when something different caught my eye. The thumbnail showed someone dressed all in white, wearing some sort of mask on their face. Curious, I clicked on it and read the description. The program.

Tired of trying to lose weight the hard way? Not getting the results you're looking for? Have you hit a plateau in your weight loss journey? Then the program is just right for you. The program consists of one full body suit and one virtual reality headset. These items are equipped with the most cutting-edge. technology in the world today. Not only will you have access to a no monthly fee library of virtual training routines

tailored to your particular weight loss goals, but you will also have the benefit of our virtual trainer tests to encourage and guide you every step of the way. With the assistance of the program, losing weight has never been easier. We guarantee results fast. I'd never seen or heard about anything like this before. A friend and I had played around on her son's virtual reality thing a few times during our slightly tipsy girls' nights. But that was pretty much the limit of my experience with that kind of stuff. I was amazed at how realistic everything seemed while playing those games.

I only lasted about two minutes into a zombie horror game before screaming and ripping the headset off. Heidi laughed her ass off at me for that one. I checked the price and, while it wasn't cheap, It wasn't as expensive as I thought it would be either. If this thing worked as it said, then it would definitely be worth it. I scroll down to the bottom of the page to check the reviews. There were thousands of them, and every single one of them rated the program five stars. That is so weird, I thought to myself.

No matter how awesome a product is, there's always going to be some people complaining about something. I mean, nothing can be that perfect. At first, I thought maybe they were some sort of robo reviews or something shady. But if they were, then they were damn good ones. While every review was positive, the remarks themselves were so varied that I couldn't imagine a company taking the time and energy to do all that. Mind made up, I eagerly added the program to my cart and went to check out. paying extra for expedited shipping. After that, there was nothing left to do except wait for the delivery.

The package was waiting on my doorstep when I got home from work the next day. It was Friday, and my mom had been wanting to spend some time with Jason before all the last-minute wedding stuff hit anyway, so she was more than happy to keep them for the weekend. I wanted to have no distractions so I could get this thing going and make up for some lost workout time. I dropped Jason at my mom's with a quick hug and then bolted back home. I was so excited I had to keep checking to make sure I wasn't speeding.

After the longest 20-minute drive of my life, I was finally home. After I quickly changed out of my work clothes, I took the package into the living room and sat it on the coffee table. I opened the box and pulled out the VR headset and a solid white body suit. inspecting it, my excitement waned slightly. The website had stated that this thing was supposed to be one-size-fits-all, but this thing looked like it wouldn't fit around my leg, let alone my entire body. But maybe it was adjustable somehow.

I reached into the box for the instructions and found a single small sheet of paper. The word instructions was printed in a big, bold font at the top of the page. To my surprise, there were only three things listed. Instructions 1. Put on bodysuit and visor. The program will begin immediately. 2. Follow all instructions given to you in the program. 3. Lose weight.

Okay, then. I laughed to myself. Seems easy enough, as long as I was able to squeeze into this thing. I picked up the suit to take a closer look at it. Although the material was thick and rubbery to touch, it weighed almost nothing. I had never seen or felt fabric like that before. There were also what felt like wires and small bee-bees or marbles embedded in the fabric throughout that I could feel, but not see. I assumed that that was what was supposed to add the extra muscle stimulation.

When I went to attempt to pull it on, I was surprised to see how much it's strange. stretched. Once on, it covered me completely from head to toe. It didn't feel constricting at all, and I could barely tell that I was wearing it. I took a deep breath and slid the visor on. At first, everything around me was pitch black. It was enough to throw me off balance for a moment. Although I was well aware that I was just standing in my living room, everywhere I looked, there was nothing but vast darkness all around me. There was nothing. There was nothing. nothing to see or hear anywhere, and I felt unsettled. Then I heard a voice.

Welcome to the program. My name is Tess, and I'm here as your guide to assist and support you in reaching your fitness goals as quickly as possible. Let's get started. The voice was female, low-pitched and pleasant. While AI usually sounds impersonable and robotic, this almost sounded like an actual person. I've never heard an AI sound so realistic. Please answer all questions honestly.

This will help me design a program just for you. You may answer aloud. Once the questionnaire is completed, I will go over your custom program and the technical details of your equipment. While waiting on the first question, I looked down at my hand and arm expecting to see the cartoonish representation I had seen in the VR games I'd played before. Instead, my eyes widened at the sight of a completely realistic rendering of my actual hand and arm, even down to the freckle on my wrist.

They weren't lying when they said this thing was cutting-edge technology, that's for sure. I had no idea how they could do that, but I didn't care. I just wanted this to work. Then tests began asking the questions. They started out pretty basic. She asked about my height and weight, what my weight loss goal was, the timeline that I wanted to achieve it in, etc. Then the questions got a little weird. She asked about my work schedule, what commitments I had outside of work like taking Jason to preschool,

and detailed questions about my family and relationships. No clue why that kind of information was important. But I kept going, and by the time I finally made it, to the end of the many, many questions, it had begun to feel therapeutic. Although Tess didn't comment on any of my answers, it felt almost as though I was chatting with a friend. Once I answered the final question, Tess spoke again. Thank you for your thoughtful answers. While I compile your information and devise your personalized fitness program,

I will go over with you the basics of the program. The suit you are currently wearing is equipped with electrodes throughout to assist in muscle stimulation. As you exercise, they will gently manipulate your muscles for maximum calorie burning. There are also elements that will help ward off muscle fatigue. This will allow you to complete longer and more frequent training sessions. I will act as your trainer, creating and adjusting your program as required to perfectly suit your needs. And do you really think I'll be able to lose the weight by Sherry's wedding? I asked anxiously.

I don't just think it, Sarah. I know it. Don't be troubled. I'm going to take care of everything. Now, I finish your fitness plan, and it's time to get started. Are you ready to begin? Hell yeah, I am. I replied.

I had a good feeling about this. The exercises weren't too difficult to start with, pretty much just your standard cardio. A figure appeared about six feet in front of me, glowing a neon red that stood out starkly against the darkness surrounding us. A solid section of floor appeared and created a sort of platform for us to stand on. When I peered over the edge, I grew queasy seeing the emptiness below. But I have to admit, it did help me keep my gaze almost hyper-focused on the avatar. I followed along with it, mimicking its steps and motions as best I could while tests called out directions, and occasionally a word of encouragement or two.

And step two, three, four, right arm up and back down. Now, march in place for two minutes. You're doing a great job, Sarah. I pushed myself hard. I felt the tickle of sweat running down my back in between my breast. but whether it was real or just the power of suggestion, I felt stronger. I was tired, sure, but not nearly as much as I usually would have been. It was as if the faint pulses and tingles I could feel in my body from the suit were both holding the exhaustion at bay

and forcing my muscles to keep going. I quickly lost complete track of time. I thought of nothing other than the sound of Tess's voice and the figure in front of me. Finally, the avatar disappeared, and Tess spoke up to tell me that my first session was complete. You did great, Sarah. And you will do even better next time and the time after that. The program can only help you if you put the time and let it. You should take a break for now.

To achieve our goals on time, I recommend getting a good night's sleep. And then completing another session first thing in the morning. Sleep well. and congratulations on taking this important first step. I pulled off the visor, now dripping with sweat. As soon as I shimmied out of the suit, the exhaustion hit me like a ton of bricks. My legs were so wobbly I was afraid to even try to stand up. My entire body was quivering, and my muscles twitched and spasmed.

I glanced up at the clock and was shocked to realize that I'd been in the session for three hours. God, no wonder I was so tired. I could have never worked out for that length of time on my own. This thing was amazing. I couldn't even imagine how many calories I had burned. I sat on the couch until I thought I was steady enough to walk to the bedroom. I didn't even bother to shower, just collapsed in bed for one of the best nights' sleep I'd had in weeks.

I woke up the next morning and could barely move. Every muscle in my body ached and throbbed. I gingerly got out of bed and made my way to the bathroom. Hopefully, a hot shower would help ease some of the soreness out of my limbs. I made the water as hot as I could stand it and stood under the scalding stream until my skin turned blood red and the water started to run cold. The shower had helped take the edge off, but I still hurt everywhere.

Even my ass muscles ached. I looked like an old lady hobbling around the kitchen making my protein shake. I then collapsed onto the couch and half-heartedly flipped channels while drinking down the gritty mixture. I knew that I was supposed to do another session this morning, but I was going to have to wait. I was way too tired and sore to do anything at the moment. Just as I put my empty glass down on the coffee table, I heard a loud beeping noise. The harsh sound was coming from the headset.

I picked it up and looked for a power button to shut it off but found nothing. You must only be able to turn the alarm off from within the system. I sighed and flop back down, placing the visor on my head as I did so. I would hop on and tell Tess to turn off the alarm. I would do a session later when I hopefully didn't feel like I was dying. Tess? I called out. Can you shut the alarm off, please?

I'm sorry, Sarah, but I can't perform any functions or answer any questions unless all the components of the program are on and activated. I just want to turn off the alarm. I can't work out now. I'll do it later. Apologies, Sarah, but again, I can't perform any function unless all the parts are on and activated. Please put on the suit and return to this session. and I will be happy to assist you. I ripped the visor off, and it continued with the obnoxious beeping noise.

I'm going, I'm going. Shut up for a second, would you? I yelled at it. Grabbing the suit, I pulled it on as quickly as I could, wincing in pain as my muscles protested against the movement. I put the visor back on, and the blackness enveloped me once again. Happy now? Please, shut off the alarm.

I demand it. If you want to stay on track to meet your goal, we established that an early morning session was necessary. Tess replied, Well, yeah, but there's no way I can work out right now. It was all I could do to stand up long enough to take a shower. And how do you feel right now? She asked.

I began to tell her that I felt like I'd been hit by a truck, then paused. All of the soreness. was gone. I didn't even feel tired anymore. Uh, I actually feel okay now, I said, hesitantly. Of course you do, Sarah. That's one of the main benefits of the program. In addition to accelerating the number of calories you burn, the suit also alleviates any residual discomfort you may feel from your sessions. Because of this, you are able to complete more

frequent and longer sessions to get to your end goal quickly. Huh. I guess that made sense. I was worrying about how I would be able to do multiple sessions a day if I was in this much pain from prior sessions. Okay, I said, let's do this. That's what I'm here for, Sarah. Let's get started.

This session went pretty much the same as the first one. There were a few new moves mixed into the routine. but I was able to fall along well. I cleared my mind of everything else except for the next movement. There was nothing but the avatar in front of me and Tess's encouraging voice surrounding me. When Tess told me the session was complete,

it felt like I'd barely started. Way to go, Sarah! Your next session will begin in approximately three hours. If you leave the suit on, it will continue to assist with the pain. I removed the suit anyway, because it felt gross not to. But I didn't have it off for more than five minutes before I put it right back on.

How I'd felt earlier was nothing compared to this. It was like comparing a paper cut to getting your finger chopped off. And the suit wasn't uncomfortable, quite the opposite, actually. Once my body adjusted to the exercise, the pain would go away, and then I would need it except during the sessions. But for now, it was most certainly the only. only thing that was keeping me upright and functional. This pattern repeated for the rest of the weekend. I was doing four sessions a day, all at least three hours long. In between times, I would gulp

down plenty of water and squeeze in a short nap. Although I was supposed to pick up Jason from my mom that evening, I called her and said that I had the flu, and asked she to keep them for the week. I told work the same story. I had some vacation days saved up. and Jason loved it at mom's house, so it was no big deal. I felt a little guilty, but I needed to focus on myself right now. The wedding was coming up fast, and I was going to look fabulous. By Tuesday I was up to six sessions a day and barely slept. I couldn't remember the last time I'd eaten either.

All that mattered right now was keeping up with my sessions. I hadn't weighed myself, but I could tell, by the way, my clothes fit during those brief times I took the suit off that I was dropping pounds. My leggings, that only a week ago I could barely squeeze into, were now saggy. Even my underwear was falling off of me. I finally stopped bothering with wearing clothes altogether and started wearing the suit all the time. It conformed to my changing body. Plus, when I took it off, the aches and pains were practically unbearable.

All of my muscles felt as that they were made of fire. I stopped showering at some point, too. It just wasn't worth the pain that hit me when the suit was removed. When I finally did weigh myself, I couldn't believe the number on the scales. I did the dumbbell test again, but for the opposite reason this time. Whereas before, I couldn't believe that I'd gained weight. Now I couldn't believe how much I'd lost. Fifteen pounds in just under a week.

It was amazing. I didn't even think it was possible to lose that much that fast. At this rate, not only would I hit my goal in enough time for the wedding. I was even going to be able to go down even farther. I couldn't wait to see the expression on my sister's face when I showed up and told her I needed to get my bridesmaid's dress altered. I might even end up smaller than her. She would love that, I'm sure.

Little Miss Best at Everything might actually get shown up for once. And at her wedding, no less. I went back downstairs and put the visor on with a huge smile on my face. I'm ready, Tess. Let's kick some ass. After the first week, I stopped answering calls from work. Let them fire me if they want. With as good as I'm going to look, I'll be able to find a new job, maybe even a better one. Nobody wants to talk about it, but everyone prefers to hire the pretty ones, regardless of their experience.

Something nice to show off to the clients, I guess. I texted Mom and told her I was still sick. She wanted to come over to check on me, but I told her the doctor had said I was still contagious. And that all I needed was for her to watch Jason for a while longer. I couldn't afford any distractions when this was going so well. I'd make it up to him later. I had Tess add in another daily workout and took even fewer breaks. Finally, I couldn't wait any longer, and I decided to take off the suit,

anxious to see what my new, trim body looked like. A wall of pain hit me instantly, making me feel nauseous and dizzy. I collapsed down to sit on the toilet until I caught my breath, then summon the energy to stand up and look at myself in a large mirror on the back the door. I stared at my naked body in shock. My collarbones were jutting out, and my stomach had changed from the soft roundness that I'd started out with, to a conclave stretch of flesh going down from my now prominent ribs to the sharp V of my hips. I stood, frozen for a moment, just taking it in. Then I became aware of how shaky I was, in the immense pain that I was. In the immense pain

that I was in. I snatched up the suit and slipped it back on so I could try and think straight. How could this have happened so quickly? I had to be so caught up with how much weight I was losing that I hadn't really stopped to think about the ramifications of losing so much so fast. While I wanted to look good at the wedding, and in general for that matter, I didn't want to look emaciated like this either. Suddenly, I heard the alarm screeching in the living room, reminding me that it was time for another session. I made my way downstairs and placed the visor on my head. I was immediately met with Tess's calm voice.

Hello again, Sarah. Are you ready to begin? Actually, no, I'm not. I just looked at myself in the mirror, and I looked like a skeleton. I could fucking grate cheese on my ribs. I yelled into the void. This isn't what I wanted. The program is designed to help you not only meet your weight loss goal, but to exceed it.

She replied, calmly despite my outburst. I'm sorry, Sarah, but this is what you wanted. You were searching for something that would push you because alone. You didn't have either the physical capacity or the self-control and motivation needed. The program has taken care of that. There is no quitting until the program I designed for you is completed. Giving up is what put you in the situation in the first place. Ending your sessions now is not an option.

Like hell it's not! I snarled as I reached up to remove the visor. Well, I tried to anyway. My arms wouldn't move. Neither would the rest of my body. Panicked, I shouted. What the fuck is going on? How are you doing this?

If you refuse to do the work yourself, the program will do it for you. We are here to help you, Sarah. Now, get ready to begin your next session. The avatar appeared and tested her to call out her usual instructions. My body began to move in perfect sync with the avatar. I tried to fight against it, but couldn't wrestle control away from the program. As I was forced to follow along, I did the only thing I could still do. I screamed until my throat was raw.

Tess didn't acknowledge my distress and kept calling out directions as if everything was normal. My voice grew hoarse, and I gave up trying to fight over control of my body. There was no ending the program. All I could do was listen to Tess's voice. Step 2, 3, 4. Stretch, 2, 3, 4. Good job, Sarah. And again.

And again. And again. For your bonus episode. Creepy Presents. Locked Cabin. Written by R.D. Davidson. The hailstorm moved in as the sun dip below the treetops. I could hear the frozen shot hissing through the...

the leaves like malignant whispers. Cursing myself and my poor planning, I scrambled off trail to make use of the meager tree cover and look for some kind of shelter. This type of weather usually pass quickly. Usually. By the time the first hailstone landed in my field of vision, I traversed the mossy glend to the cliff face, had been circumnavigating all day. The canyon below roared with rushing water and drowned out.

the falling projectiles behind me. I spat and began to turn back the way I came, but something caught my eye. On a slate outcropping a few hundred yards away, there set a small cabin. In the dying sunlight, the structure looked dark and out of place, a growth on the face of nature. Gusts of wind and pockets of hail shook the trees behind me. I hurried along the edge. of the canyon and arrived at the cabin.

Unsure whether anyone was inside, I skirted the structure and found it had no windows. Planks of a kind of wood I'd never seen rows from the slate to form a pointed a frame. A-frame struck me as I circled back to the door. Pain shot through my shoulder, neck and hand. I pounded the cabin door. but no one responded. The doorknob turned in my hand, but the door wouldn't budge. Pathetically, I pounded the door again.

Nothing. Taking a step back, I unclipped the hatchet from my pack. As soon as I wielded it, another hillstone hit me. This time in the back of my neck. Some liquid trickled under my shirt after I howled in pain. Trees bent and shook as I sat into the door with my hatchet. Planks splintered and caved as more hail landed on and around me. Finally, I made a hole wide enough for my arm to pass through.

Musty, foul air leaked outside. But I shoved my hand in and groped on the other side for some kind of latch. Another hailstone landed on my head, and I saw stars. Blinking away the pain, I leaned closer, dug my arm in and finally found a slide bolt. I clumsily pawed at the metal until it slid toward my forearm. I ripped open the door and stumbled inside. The smell that had wafted through the hole in the door was nearly overwhelming inside. A cross between matted fur and mold singed my nostrils.

I pulled my thermal shirt over my nose. nose and tried to breathe deeply. Now seated inside the cabin, the gunshots of hail striking the roof had an almost soothing quality. Almost. Either I grew accustomed to the smell or leaving the door open let it dissipate. Gemstones rained outside, only to melt into the grass and dirt. Whatever remnants of sunlight that remained had fizzled out and left the mountain in valley in darkness. Once my heart rate slowed, I pushed a standing and clicked on my headlamp.

I panned my light from corner to corner where the dark, worn planks met each other. The cabin was small enough that it would be difficult to house more than one person. It couldn't have been more than a primitive hunting shelter on public land. Why had someone locked this place? It was entirely empty. Dark stains rose from the stony ground in each corner. corner. However, in the far left-hand corner, my headlamp seemed dimmer somehow. Transfixed, I held my gaze on the darkness. My chest tightened, my breath became shallow as I waited. Out of the shadows,

a pair of eyes rolled open and met mine. Gasping, I scrambled backward and nearly fell into the hailstorm. That set of eyes bore into me as I regained my composure and move closer to them. The outline of a seated person began to materialize. An impossibly dark figure, an impossibly dark clothes. Something like soot or boot polish smeared over what I recognized as a man's face. His expression was a pained impatience as I surveyed him. More and more details came into relief. Black rope bound the man's torso to his chair,

coiled like a snake from neck to waist. A wave of empathy overcame me and I lurched forward to free the man held captive in the middle of nowhere. But just as my hand touched the rope, a sudden question stopped me. If the door was deadbolted, Who could have tied this man up? My hand shook, and I looked at the man's face again. His lips parted, and a black viscous fluid leaked from his toothless gums. It may have just been my imagination.

But the shadows at the border of my headlamp beam seemed to shift and move as if black arms were reaching for me from obscurity. I whipped my head toward the movement, only to find empty space. When I returned my gaze to the man, his mouth and eyes were wide open, unnaturally wide. As I backed away from the man, his face contorted into a mix of laughter and pain. Hale continued pounding the roof as the man convulsed in silent laughter.

Something in his movements and facial features told me everything I needed to know, Whatever the seated person was, it wasn't a human being. And as quickly as his horrible laughter started, the man stopped. Dead still, he glowered from his shadowy corner. Sweat beaded on my forehead and panic consumed me. Like a wild animal, I sprinted into the darkened woods without looking back. I raised my backpack overhead and did my best to shield my myself from the torrents of hail. Where was I going? What was I looking for? Distance from that cabin,

from that thing inside. Hailstone after hailstone landed on my body. Fresh trickles of blood streamed from any exposed skin, but adrenaline propelled me forward. After crossing a thicket of waist-high plants, I found some relief. An enormous tree lay propped on its side, reds grasping at the air. I hurled my pack underneath it and slid my body in afterwards. My heart pounded in my chest and pain began to sing from the wounds all over my body. I clasped the hatchet to my chest with both hands. Slowly my tension became diffuse and sleep overtook me. The first rays of the morning sun peeked through the trees and warmed my face. I shook my head and groaned from under the tree. Hatchets still in hand, I surveyed the landscape.

All the hail had melted away. No sign of what it ripped through the leaves and branches above. As I shook the last of the sleep from my head, an odd sensation took its place. guilt my heart sank at the thought of that man bound and trapped overnight who knows how long you'd been there before i'd arrived whatever i'd seen the previous night had to have been a trick of the imagination some gasps of a mind coming down from an adrenaline high after fixing my hatchet back to my pack i shouldered it then took off at double time I plotted through the upturned dirt and trampled plants from the previous night. In place a bird song, a low, hollow, groan echoed as wind rushed through the valley. Maybe the fauna of the woods was still in hiding.

A dress rehearsal of an apology played in my mind again and again as I returned to the cabin. By the time I reached the face of the canyon, however, my palms were coated in sweat. Blood rushed in my ears as the dark wooded the cabin came into view. It kept pulling my eyes away from it, but it had its own gravity. A kind of black hole with drinking in the light around it. Regret replaced guilt, and I began to turn away from the structure. But something caught my eye. A pair of human legs, prone and motionless,

extended from the darkness inside the structure. A pair of brightly colored boots on their feet. The light khaki of their pants let me know it wasn't the same person I found bound at the chair. I crouched and set my gaze on the doorway. Get up. I implored the prone hiker. I spat on the slate and rubbed my hands together. Get up!

I'm not sure how much time passed. What is at least ten minutes? My heart grew heavier with each passing moment that those legs failed to move. The wind's horrible song resonated all around me. A tentative funeral dirge for whoever lay on that rock. Not wanting to abandon someone in need a help again, I approached the cabin, hatchet in hand.

When I came within a few feet of the prone body, I knew it was hopeless. Dark red fluid congealed against the door's threshold. Whatever poor soul lay dead and, front of me may never be identified. Or his or her face used to be had been replaced with deep horrible gashes from forehead to chin. The remnants of the hiker's head seemed even darker than the black of the cabin, an abyss inside of an abyss.

Or still, in the corner lay a bundle of black ropes draped on an empty chair. The convulsing-bound man flashed to my mind's eye. His laughter, silent and horrible playing on loop. Behind me, the air took on a certain thickness. As if someone lurked just outside of the range of my normal senses, I whip my head around to find swinging trees and the darkness between them. The rattle and hiss of leaves produced their own tittering, like a laugh track for a silent killer,

who may lurk anywhere in the dark. the shadows they provide. For more information on this podcast, including how to submit your own story for consideration, please visit creepypod.com. You can also follow us at creepypod on social media and YouTube. All stories told on this podcast are done so through Creative Commons Sherrillite licensing, or with written consent from the authors. No portion of this podcast may be rebroadcast or otherwise distributed without the express written consent of the creepy podcast production team and the stories author.