Dr. Creepen's Dungeon - S2 Ep94: Episode 94: Connecticut Woods Horror

Episode Date: August 25, 2022

Today’s phenomenal podcast story is a terrifying tale titled ‘Toby’, an original work by Minthiy, kindly shared with me via my sub-reddit for the express purpose of having me exclusively narrate it here for you all. https://www.reddit.com/user/minthiy/

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We believe OCT scans are so important they're included with every standard eye exam. Book an eye exam at Spexsavers.cavers.ca.caps are provided by independent optometrists. Visit Spexsavers.com to learn more. Welcome to Dr. Creepen's dungeon. Ah, Connecticut. They say that's where rich people go till about the rest of their lives in the woods. Although they may not wish to do so after hearing tonight's story.

Well, my dear friends, as ever, before we begin, a word of caution. Tonight's podcast may contain strong language as well as descriptions of violence and horrific imagery. If that sounds like that, like your kind of thing. Then let's begin. Toby was a large Australian shepherd. It was given to me by my parents as a puppy,

a housewarming gift. I moved into a secluded home in the Connecticut woods nearly 13 years ago. A few days after I arrived, my father came knocking at the front door, holding a basket of sorts. Toby was lying under a blanket surrounded by piles of toys and treats.

He was a gift basket of pure good. my dad who had the basket in his hands came into my home and placed it on the floor allowing the two-month-old shepherd to stretch his legs he tipped the basket over while trying to climb out of it spilling treats all over himself oh par and i laughed i looked over to my mum but she just stood at the door staring blankly at me my dad looked at me with a half smile on his face his eyes held back tears he looked dishevelled out of place I embraced him and for a while we just stood there. So much had happened and I felt bad for leaving him. I pulled away from him when I noticed Toby two toys in more, peeing on my old grandfather clock.

I quickly ran over to him and scooped him up in my arms, attempting to catch the stream with my hands. Now soaked wet from my new dog's piss, I walked into the kitchen and put Toby in the sink. The front of my shirt had a little bit of my shirt had a large wet stain and smelled sour. Took the shirt off and donned a freshly washed one from the laundry room. I still needed to shower, of course, but that could wait until after my dad had left.

Toby paced in circles within the sink, looking nervously at the tall silver wall surrounding him. I lifted him out of the sink and scolded him for his transgression. I wasn't mad, though, really. He didn't know any better. While I was dealing with the dog, my dad must have slipped out the door, because when I looked up he was gone she was gone too he didn't even speak to each other an engine roared to life outside and then grew fainter into the distance I looked down at Toby who stared back at me with his neck crooked to the side behind him was a puddle of

piss on my brand new homes floor he was almost challenging me a bastard I walked up to him and pushed his face into the mess he'd made I continued to do this over the next couple of weeks and he learned to do his business outside. To his credit, he was an extraordinarily fast learner. Within only a year, he'd learned how to sit, heel, roll, crawl, play dead and high-five, among many other tricks. I even taught him how to catch a ball in Frisbee. He didn't bring them back, of course, but we worked on it. It was strange living on my own. Well, I wasn't truly alone. I had Toby, but I really saw anybody. Of course, that's why I moved out into the middle of the woods to get away from her. The house would creak at night and pop in the morning. Some nights I'd feel

like a pair of eyes were on the back of my neck, a cold glare from an unknown entity. I would turn and find myself face to face with a terrifying toaster, or Toby. Some nights I'd lie in bed, restless, staring at the ceiling. But beside my bed, I'd often hear Toby kicking his legs and softly growling in his sleep. I like to think about what he was dreaming of. Maybe he was running in a field of grass chasing bunnies, or a field of bunnies chasing grass. Maybe he was protecting me from monsters or chasing his own tail. Maybe he wasn't dreaming at all. There have been some oddities in the woods surrounding my home. From my bedroom on the second floor, I'd see him. I'd see him.

see lights. In the darkest nights, just behind the tree line, small yellow and white orbs of light would waver. They didn't flicker or move about the trees. They just hovered there, lightly illuminating the trees around them. Some nights were only a couple of lights. Other nights, it was five or ten. At first I thought they were lightning bugs, but they never flickered. They only hovered slightly, up and down for a few moments, then receded into the woods. I couldn't explain the lights, but they unnerved me. I was scared of them. They were unnatural. Usually I'd just close the curtains and try to get some sleep. The orbs never left the forest, so I wasn't too scared within my own home. I was just wary about going out at night.

Several times I'd hear banging on the walls. The light thuds would travel around my house, but never arrive on any windows or doors. When this would happen, Toby would go ballistic. He would bark and snarl, running around the house in circles trying to catch the phantom knocking. The noise would quickly stop when he started his rampage. I felt safe around it.

It's almost embarrassing to say. I'm a grown man who felt safe behind a one-year-old Australian shepherd. After his tantrums, he'd always come to me and lay in my lap. staring out the window, it really helped me to calm down. Other than some other weird things happening around the house, everything was normal. It took a while to unpack my things,

but when I was settled in, I was comfortable. I used a small attic for storing things I'd never use, some extra furniture, towels, clothes, the ring. I didn't like going up there often. Toby seemed happy too. I'd let him out in the mornings, and he'd examine. He exhausted himself, running around trees and chasing after squirrels. We would go on walks and explore the woods.

Whenever we ventured deep into the thick, he'd stay by my side, close. He never ran off or acted up out there. It was like he was expecting something to happen, but nothing ever did. After about a year, the paranormal things around my home had stopped. They'd faded into the back of my memory. I didn't feel afraid of my surroundings anymore. Toby and I spent all of our time together. He eventually moved to sleeping in my bed rather than on the bed I'd bought him.

I didn't mind at all. Before I knew it, he was fully grown and quite intimidating. Sometimes I'd wake up to him staring over me, waiting for me to let him out. When he was about six, he kept nudgingly one night. When he woke me, I groggily looked at the clock by my bedstand. It was three in the morning, still pitch dark out somewhere. When he saw me stirring from my sleep, he hopped off the bed and looked out the window. His tail was standing straight out and the fur on the back of his neck was stiff.

He started growling a type of deep, guttful growl at whatever was outside the window. I stood a little startled by his odd behaviour. He turned around and gave me a worried look. I crouched low to the floor, and he strode over to me, taking shelter in my arms. I pet him for a while, trying to calm him down. After he seemed to relax a little, I walked over to the window to see what he was so bothered about. There, deep in the woods, was one faint, hovering light. Only one.

I hadn't seen any for a long time. I'd almost forgotten about them. In the absence of the paranormal, that healthy fear of the unknown had faded, replaced by a deadly curiosity. I stood looking down from my second-story window, wondering where the light was coming from. I had to know. It was waiting for me there, unmoving. I began to head for the door and nearly fell over Toby. He'd run in between my legs to try and stop me from leaving the bedroom.

I nudged him aside and opened the door. He ran past me and flew down the stairs. I followed close behind him as he ran up to the sliding glass window leading to the porch. Toby put his paws on the glass and barked at the light which was waiting in the midst of the dark woods. I pulled him off the glass and grabbed the handle to the door. Before, I was determined to investigate what the source of the light was. Now, holding the cold metal before me, I felt doubt. Despite telling myself to leave the door shut, I slowly slid it open, almost against my will.

Before I could react, Toby squeezed out of the door and ran off towards the light. I chased after Toby, shouting at him to come back. He quickly disappeared into the woods, chasing the retreating light deeper and deeper. His barks grew distant and the light had disappeared. I stopped pursuing right at the edge of the forest, where the grass clearing met the rooted terrain. The dim moonlight could not penetrate deeper into the woods. before me was a threshold between dark and light. I listened to Toby's barks grow quieter, but they held their ferocity.

Cold wind danced between the trees, chilling me to my core. A whirlwind of black leaves flourished around in the dark, carried by the sudden wind. The forest grew quiet. There was no sign of Toby or the light that had drawn him in. I wanted to go find my dog. to protect him like he's protected me all these years. But I couldn't physically get myself to move my legs one step into the woods, into that deep darkness, that overwhelming sense of dread before me.

The fear within me kept me tethered into the ground. Toby's barking picked up again, sounding more frantic. I snapped out of my stupor and ran blindly into the dark woods. I followed the sound of my dog's barks, deeper, and deeper. As I got closer I heard him grow louder and louder. Suddenly he started whining, and then all was silent again. I stopped dead in my tracks. All around me was a suffocating darkness. I felt my soul retreat deep within my body, leaving me weak to face whatever was out in this forest. Trembling, I took a step forward, then another, then another.

I stalked silently forward, digging my bare feet into the wet soil with each step. Both my arms were extended in front of my face so that I wouldn't collide with the tree. Miraculously, I found Toby lying unconscious against the tree. I was only able to see him through a small clearing in the oppressive branches above where gentle moonlight was cast down. He was whining softly and his eyes were closed. along his side with four deep slash marks

they weren't cuts from a blade though these marks were about half an inch wide and almost looked like blunt force when I got to his side I put my fingers up to the wound the shape of my fingers matched the long vertical gauges running from the upper front leg to his back thigh it looked like some creature had blindsided him striking his side with their fingers

and somehow cutting deep trenches into them All I could do to comfort him was pet his head and whisper calming words. My vision became blurry and I started crying over him, praying that he would make it out of these woods. Toby's eyes were closed, but he wasn't dead. It looked like he was knocked out from the force of whatever had hit him. His legs twitched like he was dreaming, and small growls replaced his whining. I scooped Toby up in my arms, cradling him against my chest. I turned around in the direction I thought I'd come from.

That unnatural wind started again, stirring up fallen leaves and swirls across the dirt. There, deep in the woods, was an assortment of lights. There were nine or ten of them now, hovering just two hundred feet in front of me. I started quivering, and took a step towards them. Nothing changed. I took another step. Toby's blood now soaked into my shirt.

Another step. The lights began darting around, dancing with each other on the trees. Another step. Toby's legs twitched sporadically, and he bared his teeth with closed eyes. Another step. Toby opened and closed his teeth,

ever so slightly, letting out growls and small howl. Another step. The lights started disappearing one by one in front of them, and slowly jogged forward. I needed to get Toby home. He was bleeding a lot. The lights danced all around me. Some seemed to rush straight at me, but diverted off course at the last moment. The orbs were behind me now, still in a frenzy.

I broke into a full sprint. I could see the shape of my house just ahead through the trees. I drew ever closer, hoping to be. beyond some semblance of reason that Toby and I would make it out of this alive. I made it into the clearing and rushed up the steps of the patio. I ran through the still open sliding glass door and turned around to see nothing. There were no pursuing albs behind us. They seemed to have vanished into the darkness of the woods.

I laid Toby down on the kitchen counter and turned a light on. Now illuminated, his wound looked even worse. His fur was covered in thick, black blood, and the cuts on his side ran deep. His legs had stopped twitching, and he lay still on the counter. I reached to the cabinet that held all my towels and pulled out as many as possible. When I pressed them into Toby's side to try and stop the bleeding, he whined a little and squirmed. Sorry, buddy, just hang in there, please. He lifted his head and lightly licked my hand.

Then lay his head back down on the counter, whining. I reached over to the wall and unhinged the telephone. My first call was the police. The town's police would normally get to calls in the city somewhere between five to ten minutes. However, since I was secluded in the woods, they'd get here somewhere around 30. I must not have been making sense because the dispatcher had to keep telling me to calm down. I told her that she needed to get here now, to send everyone. I said I'd been attacked in the forest and my dog was badly injured. As if to prove my point,

Toby laid out a long, painful howl from beneath me. After I hung up with a dispatcher, I felt that 30 minutes from now Toby would be gone until I called the town vet, Tim Madison. I'd known Tim throughout primary school. He was one of my best friends. When I told him I was looking for a new place to live some time ago, he reached out and invited me to check out the small town.

I ended up loving it and chose a home for sale in the way. woods. He lived a ways down the windy road from me. I knew that he could make it to my house in ten minutes tops. Maybe enough time to save Toby. Tim sleepily answered the phone, but sounded more awake as I described the situation to him. I rambled on about the lights and how Toby was hurt. I tried to describe the wound as best I could. On the other end of the line, Tim wasn't speaking, but I could hear him rushing about his house, slamming cabinets and doors and getting into his can't. His wife even questioned what he was doing, who he was talking to. He didn't answer.

When I stopped explaining the situation, he asked if I was hurt. I looked down at myself and I was shocked to see a large amount of blood all over my chest. Thinking it was mine, I panicked and kept telling him that I didn't know. Tim told me to keep pressure on Toby's wound, which had seeped red through the towns. Blood rolled slowly off the counter and dripped onto the hardwood floor. At some point, Tim put himself on speaker because I could hear his car engine screaming. He kept telling me to stay calm and ask me how Toby was doing. I told him Toby was bleeding a lot and looked tired. Tim cursed and his engine became louder.

He hung up the phone and left me there alone, trying to patch the four gashes in my best friend. With both hands I held him. He whined and whined and seemed to fade in and out of con. I kept talking to him, telling him that it would be all right, promising him as many toys as his heart desired. Outside, I heard the screeching of tires and footsteps pounding towards the back door. Tim flew into the room with a small white duffel bag in his hands. He first ran to me and looked me up and down for cuts or maladies. He pointed to the blood all over me and I said,

Not mine. It's not mine. he moved me aside and assessed Toby Tim cursed under his breath and peeled back the soaked towels he marvelled in terror at the long gashes in my dog quickly got out some syringes and blades from his bag laying them out on the counter I felt as if I was going to throw up or pass out or both I stowed outside to the patio and leaned over the railing

chunks of that night's dinner coated in bile greeted the bushes below I slowly raised my gaze towards the forest. There, just there, was one light, mocking me. Within me I felt in anger like I've only felt once before. I gripped the porch railing tightly, glaring at the thing that did this to my dog. Before I could foolishly run at it, Tim called me back into the kitchen. I ran to his side and looked down at my dog. It looked like a bag of blood was feeding.

into Toby through a plastic tube and another tube was giving him some type of clear liquid. Tim had cut all of the hair surrounding the wound and washed the dirt and gore from it. He dressed it with white gauze and wrapped a bandage around Toby's body. He told me that he needed me to feed him the string as he stitched along the cuts and cut the string when he said so. He worked quickly, fingers almost a blur as he pushed the needle in and out, in and out. When the police arrived, Tim was finishing up the foreman. set of his hastily done patch job. Toby was still passed out on the table, but he had a strong pulse.

The sheriff ran into the building and scoffed. Jesus, sage cries. With the help of a couple of paramedics, they loaded Toby into an ambulance. The ambulance was intended for injured people, but the sheriff allowed transportation to Tim's vectoring. A couple of deputies got my story while the ambulance rushed Toby away with Tim in it. I told them of the attack and the lights. They looked at each other nervously. Now, son, it was probably a bear that got your dog. He's lucky to still be breathing, and so are you. The sheriff said from behind me.

The deputy interjected. Sir, ain't no bear makes marks like that. He looked at the sheriff and continued. That dog got four white gashes. Bear's only got five claws. I didn't know bear, sir. The sheriff stood wandering for a moment, and looked me up and down. sure you're okay son yes sir and you're sure of what you saw yes sir he looked at his two deputies

and walked back to his car he reached in and withdrew a shotgun handing it off to one of his deputies we're gonna go have a look where you said you last saw whatever it was that you saw you go on inside and lock the doors don't come out till we come back i watch from the porch is the three officers shone their lights into the forest, torch in one hand, shotgun in the other. They entered the woods and quietly moved out of sight. I stayed on the porch, having decided to remain where I was and watch on nervously. They searched the forest for about 20 minutes until they returned. The sheriff was holding something in his hand, and the three of them were nearly jogging back to me. Lock your house up. We're leaving. He said,

What? Listen, son, we're leaving. Lock your damn house up and come on. His tone commanded obedience, but he sounded scared. I did as I was told and locked the entryways to my house. What did you see? I asked as the sheriff led me to his car. He tossed me Toby's red collar,

which must have been torn off him in the fight. I held the tatters in my hand, and the sheriff briskly guided me to his side. squawker. He flicked on his lights and quickly peeled down the dusty night road away from my house. In the rearview window, I saw a single dark figure staring out at me from behind my bedroom window. As we drove down the quiet forest road, I peered out the window towards the passing brush and trees. The turns and slopes of the road gave me a sort of comfort. The swaying of the car reminded me of my childhood. When I was troubled, I climbed the tallest tree in a big open meadow, all the way to the

top, where the brunch were thin and elastic. The wind would push and pull against the tree, swaying my weight back and forth, and there I would stay until the swaying stopped, riding out the storm. The sheriff cleared his throat next to me. What's your name? He asked me. He didn't take his eyes off the road ahead of him. He was still far from the town. "'My name's Jacob,' I said. The sheriff scoffed and shook his head in disbelief. "'What?' I said. A little concern with his reaction.

Back there in the forest, where we found the collar, there was a lot of scratches on the trees. We thought it was a bear, but it was too organized and consolidated into one area. We got closer, and your name was carved into a bunch of the trees, deep. In the middle of the circle of the trees was your dog's collar. and a lot of blood. We looked at the mud for tracks to see what we were dealing with. There was only one set.

One set of tracks and a lot of blood. The sheriff sniffed and pressed down harder on the gas. We were almost back to the town by now. Before I could respond, my phone started buzzing from within my pocket. Jim said they'd arrived at his clinic and that Toby was stable for now. What do you mean my name was crazy? carved into the trees, I asked. Exactly what I said, boy, he sniffed.

I don't know what in the hell you all ran into out there, but it wasn't natural. I saw it best to get you, well, to get us all the hell out of there. It ain't right. He shook his head, looking deeply affected by what he'd witnessed. He grabbed my shoulder and squeezed it tightly. It was me, I'd never go back there. Forget your things? Just get out of it.

here. He looked back to the road and continued driving. I said in silence with the rest of the ride to Tim's clinic, thinking the words of the sheriff. When we arrived at Tim's, I jumped out of the car and hurried into the front room. Daisy, Tim's wife, and little Danny, Tim's son, were leaning on each other in the lobby. Danny looked very tired, confused by all the commotion and holding on to his mother's garment. Hearing me come in, Daisy turned and jumped back. startled at the state I was in. I'm sure I looked terrifying, standing there covered in dry blood that wasn't my own. She regained her composure, begged me into the bathroom.

I'll get you some of Tim's clean clothes. Please use the sink and tell that to clean yourself up, Jake. She left the bathroom, shoving the door behind her. Turned to face myself in the mirror, and found the grotesque image of myself to be horrible. My hair was scattered every which way. I had blood spattered all over my body, and my legs and feet were covered in grass and mud. It almost looked as if I'd been a murder victim.

Only then had my senses rushed back to me. The adrenaline wore off, and I nearly collapsed as the edges of my vision blurred to darkness. My stomach threatened to try and empty itself again, but I gripped the sink and focused all of my efforts into calming my nerves. I turned on the forcet and dipped my head into the cold water. murky glows swirled down the drain and I splashed water onto my chest and back Before I finished my attempt to clear myself

I heard the door open behind me Little Danny entered holding his dad's clothes He eyed me cautiously and set the clothes on the ground near the door Before I could say anything he ran out of the room I finished washing the grime off myself the best I could manage And Don Tim's oversized t-shirt and shorts I opened the door and met with the door and met with Daisy. She looked over my shoulder to the wet mess I'd laid in the bathroom.

Tim and the sheriff were in the other room. They're waiting for you. She sighed and entered the bathroom, presumably to clean up my mess. I opened the door to the room she gestured to and found Tim and the sheriff speaking with each other. On the padded metal table before them lay to he wasn't bleeding anymore but he appeared to be sleeping. Tim turned when I came in and rushed towards me. Jake, what the hell happened to you two out there? He asked. The sheriff was looking to me for answers as well.

I explained what I saw. When met by their looks of confusion, I explained it again. The sheriff scoffed and walked out of the room, but Tim just stood there looking at the floor with his arms folded. Why is this the first time I'm hearing about these lights? he asked. I don't know. I didn't think there were a big. big deal. I didn't know what to think.

How was I supposed to know I was in danger, Tim? I started shouting at him. Oh, buddy, take it easy, huh? I don't blame you for whatever happened. I believe you. The sheriff, well, he doesn't, but he knows something happened. He mentioned combing that area of the woods again with his man tomorrow morning. Tim then looked at Toby.

Your boy's going to be fine. He had a very close call, but he'll pull through. He's going to have to stay the night here. I think you should too, Tim said. When I agreed and Tim led me into a spare office room towards the back of the building. He gave me a blanket and a pillow. If you need anything, just let me know. If you want to check on Toby, he's an exam room four to the left there.

Please, try and get some rest if you can. I'll wake you up in the morning. I embraced him and thanked him for saving my dog's life. He nodded and softly shut the door behind him. I fell onto the couch. in the still, dim office. Gentle moonlight flowed in past the blinds. Somewhere outside in the cold night,

a nightbird called out into the dark. Crickets chirped, and a light breeze combed its fingers through the bushes. I knew I could never really understand what had happened that night. And so, for the time being, I tried to clear my mind as I lay my head down by the window. The sky was ablaze with shimmering bright stars. Tomorrow we'll find answers.

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please contact Connix Ontario at 1866-531-2-2600 to speak to an advisor free of charge. BenMGM operates pursuant to an operating agreement with Eye Gaming Ontario. I woke the next morning to little Danny poking my face. When I opened my eyes, he backed up a couple steps and stared at me. Outside, the sun had risen high into the sky, and the clock on the nightstand read 12.30. I sat up and looked at Danny. Dad didn't want to wake you until the cops got back, he said, backing towards the door. Got back. They already left.

I wanted to go with them, I said as I quickly swung my legs off the couch. Where's your dad? I asked the timid looking down. Um, he's outside, he squeaked. He turned and ran down the hall. Great kid you got there, Tim. I stood up and walked out of the office. Before meeting with Tim outside, I went in to check on Toby. He was still lying on the table, fresh white bandages over his cuts. My mind flashed back.

to the night prior. All the blood and... Oh, cut it out, Jacob. Come on, get a hold of yourself. I pet Toby and turned to find Tim. He was standing outside, chatting with the sheriff, who I'd met last night. As I approached, Tim called out to me. Ah, Jake, you're awake. Listen, the... Why didn't you wait for me? Why didn't you wake me up? I wanted to go... Listen, son, we didn't wait for me. We didn't wake me up. We didn't wait for me. want to wait on you, but that's not important right now. There's something you need to hear.

The sheriff adjusted his glasses and spat into the dirt lot. When me and my boy has reached your house this morning, all your doors were hanging wide open. Now, I saw you lock him, so someone must have broken in or something. You're sure there wasn't anyone else in the house? He asked with a concerned look on his face. Officer Montgomery, office in Montgomery I live alone no one was in there I decided not to tell him

about the figure I'd seen as we were driving away Montgomery sighed and continued yeah well I figured that just thought I'd ask that wasn't the worst part we retraced our steps into the woods

to get a better look in the sunlight but we couldn't find a damn thing what do you mean I squinted I don't know what's going on on your property, but my boys and I couldn't find anything that happened last night. No scratches, no blood, no tracks. I'm sorry with my own eyes.

And still, damn it, I just... He rambled to himself for a minute, pacing about the dirt attempting to mull the whole thing over in his mind. This can't be real, I thought to myself. He stopped and looked at me. Look, way out of it. I see it, you best get your things and move somewhere else. I don't know what you saw, but I don't think we can rightly do anything about the situation. Something's wrong here.

The call came on the radio in his car. He turned to listen to the dispatcher and opened the door. If you need help moving, I can send some guys down, but there's nothing I can do for you now. We're stretched then as it is. And with that, he drove off. I looked at Tim, who looked just as confused as I was. Come on, he said. We'll deal with all that later.

Let's go inside and check on your door. I followed him inside, and he showed me how to care for and clean Toby's wounds. I was booked on a weekly schedule for checkups and physical training. He gave me medicine and cleaning supplies to take with me, and we loaded Toby into his car. He was still asleep, but thankfully didn't appear to be in much. pain. Listen, Jake, you can stay here for a while longer. I mean, you're welcome to... Listen, man, I already told you I have to go back. I have nowhere else to go, and I need to see

what Montgomery saw with my own eyes. I said. Okay, that's fine. Come on, I'll drive you back then. We got in the car and began the trip up the long forested road to my house. We didn't speak much during the car runs. I think both of us were worried about what we'd find when we got back. I didn't want to leave my home. I didn't have any money, nowhere to go. I was out of options. When we got back, the house looked normal, but there was an air of tension. I left the car and approached my home. All the doors were shut and outwardly everything appeared to be fine. I walked back to the car and Tim helped me bring Toby inside. at the living room. At this point, Toby was awake. He too seemed cautious about returning to this

plate. He lifted his head to look all around the room, and finding it to be normal, he lay his head down and rested. Thanks for everything, Tim, I said as he turned to leave. But you sure you'll be fine here? By yourself. Just know I'll never be far off. Yeah, I replied, and I'm not exactly alone. I have Toby. Tim smiled. Yeah, yeah, you do. We exchanged our goodbyes and I stood on the porch and watched Tim's car disappear behind the trees. In the back of my mind, I dreaded the coming night. I wanted the day to extend until Toby was better. I hope that whatever those lights were, whatever evil lived in those woods would leave me be. In the end, I accepted that I would just have to wait and see.

The fact that Tim was just a phone call away did give me some comfort. I also rejoice when I found that Toby would make a full recovery despite his injuries. I spent most of the day at Toby's side, petting him, feeding him, giving him medicine and all.

He seemed to enjoy my presence. Even though it appeared to cause him some discomfort, he still wagged his tail when I was near. That night approached and passed. without so much as a bump, as did the next couple of weeks. I religiously adhered to Tim's instructions for Toby, cleaning and changing his bandages and brought him in each week for check-ups. After a couple of months, Toby was back to patrolling the woods and bounding about the

old. I was so happy to see him free. He hated being confined within the living room, wrapped up like a mummy unable to move about. I hated seeing him in that condition. there isn't much to say about the years after the incident. Toby recovered fine. I got a job for a while but was fired after a few years, and life went on.

In the end, despite everything he's been through, everything he's overcome, experienced, even run away from, Toby was slowly eaten by that black hole. Time. There's a pain that I can't put into words, seeing him in a continual state of decay. Anyone who has an old dog knows. Despite frequent visits from groomers, his hair was always ragged.

Despite sleeping all day, he still grew too tired to walk, even the slightest of distances. Despite plenty of food and water, he often refused to drink or even eat. The biggest ailment to him was his hind legs. He struggled to get up from bed, couldn't even lift his leg to peep. He even lost control of his bowels. poot in the house. I couldn't be mad. He couldn't help it. Many times I had to help him stand and force him to get out of bed and eat. I'd lie awake and listen. He could never get comfortable in bed, but couldn't find the strength to reposition himself. He whined and his stomach

call for food, but his aching gums denied him. Toby lived in this state of pain, and I alongside him. I'd done so much to try and comfort him. I'd lay there with him for hours, holding his head between my hands, wondering, how did he come to be this way, so quickly? All I could really do was lie and wait, listen to his cries in the dark and think. I was a broken man, seeing my best friend breaking. How does one fight the wind or drink up the entire sea? Stopping time is just as possible as these things, yet so much more tragic. Tragic because there's this false illusion of hope that I cloned to. Even in knowing it was an illusion, I persisted with hope,

until hope turned her face and left me in tatters. On that day, I knew. And it took a long time, but I knew. When he took minutes to wake up, even after I shook him, when he could no longer wag his tail or rise without falling when even he lost all hope I knew when I brought him through Tim's doors

Toby tried stepping over the small step at the entrance the lip caught his front paw and he crashed into the floor I helped him up and held his head in my hands he was so tired Tim came to my side from behind the counter and supported Toad he gave me a knowing look and placed his hand on my shoulder. What are you thinking, Jake?

I'm thinking. I choked on my own words. I looked down at Toby. He was staring at the building's walls. He'd been here many times and looked stressed, very stressed. I'm thinking, it's time. Tim grabbed my shoulders and embracement. He was a particularly burly man, yet retained an extraordinary manner of Jake.

gentleness. It was a gift. He bent down and lifted Toby into his arms. Come on, Papa, come on, he said as he brought my dog into the next room. I was left standing in the entrance, holding his battered collar and the leash I led him with. I felt as if I'd failed in my fight against the inevitable. My stomach began to plummet below the floor, and I felt queasy. I sent in one of those hard waiting room chairs and watched as the corners of the world went black. I didn't think I could go through with this, but what other choice did I have? Toby wouldn't get better. I knew that. It's not like I could just go home and hope everything would be okay, that maybe sometime later that day. I'd see Toby trotting up to the house from the woods,

perfectly okay and healthy, was not possible. I don't know when it started, but I noticed that the collar of my was soaked with cold tears. I wiped the tears from my face and looked through blurry eyes at the tags of my hands. I've never gotten Toby a new collar, even since his adolescence. So each tear,

each imperfection, seemed to tell a story of their own. That scuff on the left there from when he ran a little too close to a large oak. The rust from his outdoor runs in the rain. Oh, that gash from... The drying tears in my...

shaking hands reminded me of that night. The night I was covered in his... He's looking for you, Tim said, peeking out from behind the door. What? Who, for me? Who is... I stammered. Toby, he's looking for you. Tim gave me a somber look and urged me to rise. He slowly didn't shove my way over to him. He led me through the door, which led to a bleak hallway. with doors on the left and right. With his hand on my back guiding me, Tim led me to one of the doors,

the third on the right. Like a cat. I struggled to find the words. It felt as if I was sinking ever deeper into the blackness of my own body. Tim kept his hand lightly on my shoulder. It was like an anchor, keeping me from blowing away in the dark.

Slowly, he pulled me back into reality, into some semblance of sanity. He's waiting for you, Tim repeated. I reached out, gripping the door handle, and entered the room. Toby was lying on his side on a metal table facing the door. When he saw me enter, he raised his head and wagged his tail a few times. The effort proved too great, though, and he rested his head back on the table, whining softly. He came to his side and ran my fingers through his head.

clumped and messy hand. I could think of no words to say. No consolation. I just stood for an eternity next to him. An eternity entirely too short. Jake, Tim said softly behind me. Oh, I backed away from my friend. He seemed to have fallen asleep.

His legs twitched as he dreamed of chasing rabbits and lizards in a field. the last field in which he was able to run him. I stood near the door and watched his Tim inserted a needle into my dog's leg. I'm sorry, Tim. I just can't. I turned and left the room. I felt blind like I was absent from my body and my surroundings. Everything was happening in a blur.

I started to come back to my senses in the waiting room chair with my head between my knees, gently rocking back and forth. Tim was sat next to me, looking solemnly down towards the ground. He noticed me looking around the room and nudged my shoulder. Hey, bud, come on. He guided me to my feet and pushed open the swinging glass door. He asked me for my keys, likely assessing that I was too emotionally unfit to drive myself home. Well, he was right in that aspect.

I was still trying to comprehend the whole situation. Tim sat me down in the passenger seat of my car and walked back into the clinic one by one the lights flicked off and Tim came from the back of the hospital with a blanket in his arms it really was done the drive home was quiet

I lived a small way into the woods just 15 minutes from Tim's small pet clinic once we arrived at my home we both went inside and had quite a few drinks I told stories of Toby reminiscing on all the good times we'd have After a few more drinks

We finally felt it was time to put Toby to rest But it wasn't easy The rooted ground was tough to break Especially in our intoxicated state We took turns bashing at the protective ribcage of roots And we struck a compact and dark layer of dirt Despite the slow progress We eventually had a dark grave in front of us

I leaned against my shovel as Tim left to go get Toby from the car This is where he belongs at least Right here, right at home We lowered him into his final bed And stood there for a long time Staring down at the shape in the blanket Unmoving

Unwavering Resting I pushed dirt to fill the hole Until mound by mound He disappeared into the earth time had indeed one that night wasn't so bad tim slept on the couch in the living room downstairs we were both pretty drunk by the time we decided to rest i didn't have any memorable dreams just darkness with a faint light flickering in the distance when i woke in the morning i looked out the window and saw the mess we'd made outside beer bottles were strewn across the lawn and our shovel still stuck upright just beyond the tree light

between the trees rays of early morning sunshine lay on thin sheets of mist birds called to each other and the treetops slowly swayed to the tune of an unknown song ah in a way he never really left I went downstairs made some coffee and sat at the kitchen counter well I didn't feel like drinking any of the coffee my stomach was still in knots.

I almost felt relieved. Maybe thankful for how it had happened. My boy wasn't in pain anymore. Only fields in which he could roam forever. I suppose the inevitability

of time isn't losing for our souls. It's a favor. Passing of our souls from one state of being into the next. Whatever that state may be. Eventually, Tim shuffled in rubbing the sleep out of his eyes hey how you're holding up he asked me reaching to pour himself some coffee oh you know i said dolefully he leaned towards me and said

sometimes it's isn't best to try and forget the death rather remember the joy you don't have to move on but don't let it destroy you well if you can help it he clapped my back and started towards the door. Now, come on, drive me to the clinic so I can pick up my car. When we got back to the clinic, Tim got out of the car and waved as I pulled out of the driveway. I nodded to him and began my drive home. He helped me through this whole ordeal. A true friend. When across the threshold of town-style terrain to single road forestry, I couldn't help but feel nervous. like I was being watched by the trees. I slid my vehicle and stared intently into the dawn-light brush.

The forest lay still and deathly quiet. A sudden scratching of claws came from the back of my SUV, which made me jump and jerk the wheel. I nearly ran off the road into a wall of fastened trees and brush. I quickly looked over the seats and into the back compartment of the vehicle to see what the cause of the car is. sound was, which had stopped as suddenly as it had started. I was alone in my car.

Nothing back there could have made a similar sound. One thing stuck in my mind, though. The blue and white striped blanket was crumpled up in the back, still littered with small crumbs of dried mud. I swear we buried Toby in that blanket. I watched the dirt fall and smother it into an embrace with Mother Nature. To see it again in the back of my car was almost incomprehensible to my mind. So I tried rationalizing the anomaly to myself.

Yeah, yeah, it was dark, and we were both drunk. Maybe it was a different blanket. Maybe. I decided to go and visit his freshly dark grave, to make sure of something, I guess. I'm not sure what I would have done if I'd found some kind of pet cemetery-style reincarnated version and my dog waiting for me there. Either way, I just needed to see the grave.

I reached back and pulled the dirty blanket into the passenger seat. I neatly folded it and continued driving. A feeling of being watched only intensified as I traversed deeper into the woods. When I arrived home, I walked over to Toby's grave with the blankets. He carved his name into the tree

right next to his resting place. I put the blanket down and sat, leaning against the tree. Everything was as I'd left it. There was no sign of anyone being here. It was probably just a different blanket. Remember the joy. I reflected on what Tim had said to me that morning. One by one, happy memories breathed through my mind.

I sat in remembrance of the times past there in the woods, thinking of old Tullaby. I'm not sure when it was that I left this trance-like state, but I sat in the woods for much longer than I'd intended. I was there with my dog all day, waiting and thinking. When I decided to go back inside, the sun hung low on the horizon. I was surprised at how much time had passed. Nightingale sawed overhead, singing their songs and bouncing into each other, commencing the beginning of the slowly encroaching cover of darkness.

I felt very tired, and slowly I tried to stand up. My muscles complained to me of their neglect, and my bones popped and creaked under my weight. I picked up the dirt-stained blanket and started to make my way back to the porch. I was about halfway back when I had that same anxious feeling I'd had this morning. The cold chill combed its fingers, through the grass around me, and I felt panic began to broil in my stomach. I looked behind me into the ever-growing darkness of the woods.

About 50 yards back, I could have sworn that I saw a figure looking out at me from behind a tree. I shifted to the right to try and see the figure better, but whatever it was had vanished. Ah, it was just the tree. I turned back towards my house and quickened my pace. As I walked, I heard a distinct second pair of footsteps. It sounded like a person just behind me, trying to walk in sync with the sound of my feet. I kept walking, justified to myself, that the sound was just the echo of my footsteps. But I could no longer ignore the sound when it began to speed up faster than my footsteps. I didn't look behind me in fear of what I might see and broke into a panic sprint towards my house.

In my terror I dropped Toby's blanket into the leaves Behind me there was a loud commotion of something ripping through bushes in pursuit Terrifying growl convinced me to sprint harder than I ever run before

The sound of my heartbeat filled my eardrums as I ran for my life up the patio stairs Once inside the safety of my home I turned to find Nothing I was alone and more than out of breath from the run than I cared to mention.

I rushed inside and locked the door, still looking out into the woods. Those towering green pillars of life once brought me harmony and peace. They gave me a sense of communion with the living creatures that inhabited them, as I did as well. But now, now they felt oppressive, Ostine. I fell out of place, like I needed to leave, But those pillars kept me there, like hallowed bars on a cell.

I locked the door with shaken hands, and turned on the lights in the living room. I felt very cold, worked my hands open and shut, trying to restore some warmth to my frozen fingers. Starting to feel paranoid again, I pulled back the curtain and peered out the window. At first there was nothing, only the maddening stillness of a dead wood. just as I was about to turn away from the window something moved from behind one tree to the other

I focused all my attention on the area and stared with wide eyes hoping that it was just my imagination I stood there staring for maybe a few minutes and then I saw the thing peek around the tree towards the house we seemed to be looking directly at each other

I couldn't discern any details of its face or body form. It looked humanoid, but it consisted of a swirling cloud of black smoke. Sometimes the black substance spurted off, like a leak in a sink, and fizzled out into the midnight air. It stepped around the tree into full view. Its arms and legs went into the forest floor, seeming to reach deep into the soil itself. Coldness of my fingers started creeping up my forearms, as if I was dipping my arms into the frigid waters of a lake.

I couldn't bring my legs to move. As long as that thing stared at me, took a step towards the house. When it raised its foot, roots and dirt followed, pulling out from the ground. When he stepped down into the earth again, the soil seemed to grow over its foot, entrenching it into the earth again. I watched it lumber towards me, step by step. And when it passed a tree, it scraped its long fingers along the side.

As it approached the house, it started to move quicker. It hobbled and limped its way past trees, picking up speed and striking out at anything near it. The thing suddenly flew to the side, behind a bush, just out of view. The bush shook violently, and the thing's limbs lashed out from behind it, waving frantically about. This impossible creature darted out from behind the bush and weaved around the trees like a spider casting a web.

It seemed to be running from something. But what could this creature be afraid of? I asked myself. I nearly jumped out of my skin when the old grandfather clock told, behind me. Art led out three echoing chimes from the archaic wooden box. I turned back to the window, but that thing was now nowhere to be seen. We stared out intently from me.

But the fear of what could be outweighed the fear of what was. I quickly made my way up the steps to my bedroom. I didn't bother turning off the lights downstairs. When I reached my room, I quietly shut the door, and locked. Breathless and unmoving, I lingered there, listening for any break in the suppressive silence.

I stood there for a while until I started to feel dizzy. I realized that I wasn't breathing and let out a long, quivering sigh. What's happening? Am I going crazy? I thought. Lightly, I walked to the balcony door

and locked it as well. Finally, relaxing a little, sat on the edge of my bed and tried to reason with the events I'd just witnessed. I'd never seen anything like that out there before. Maybe a few shadows darting here and there in the past, and what happened with Toby, but nothing this explicit, this real. I lay in my bed staring at the dark ceiling.

All seemed to grow higher and higher, and my heart began pumping too fast. My breathing became shallow and weak, and the edges of my vision faded into dark. Well, I couldn't call the cops. What could I tell them? I suppose I could say that some kind of creature was harassing my property. A bear, perhaps? I knew that wasn't what I saw, but I needed some legitimate reason to explain to them,

to at least get them to come out here and help me without sounding like a crazy person. The nearest police station was 35 minutes away anyway My road was treacherous in the dark I was an idiot for seeking solitude in the woods I just wanted to get away from everyone Well away from her Swirling lights appeared from the darkness in my peripheral vision It's those same lights that you sometimes see after getting off a roller coaster

My eyes started to unfocus and blur the room around me I felt like my body was sinking into the bed and darkness overtook me I don't know when I woke up must not have been much later because it was still dark in my room I sat up with a throbbing heading my whole body was sore

slid to the edge of my bed and rubbed my eyes something seemed off the constant hum of the air conditioning was now silent as were the frogs, cricket and the nightbird. The room was awfully and totally silent. I stood and approached the window overlooking the back section of my property. I didn't see anything besides the dancing silhouettes or the trees bending in the wind.

The whole valley was unusually dark because the moon lay low behind a large mountain. The only source of light was the distant stars far above the house. I turned on the lamp beside me and sat back on my bed. After thinking about what had happened again, I decided

to try and get some rest. The night before was long, and I was exhausted. Maybe this was all just going to my head. Some noises in the woods, animals, shadows, not a big deal.

I just needed to rest a while. I stood and got ready for I couldn't help but look over my shoulder often. I didn't know what to expect. No one really does. Regardless, I climbed into my cold bed and lay staring at the ceiling again. I couldn't bring myself to turn off the bedside lamp. It was childish, really, being afraid of the dark.

Or what lurched within it. As I lay in my not-so-dark room, I heard the grandfather clock begin to toll from down the same. I counted the chimes to discern what time it was. One, two, three, four, click. That faint clicking echo through the hallway and passed my room. It sounded almost as if something was blocking the chime from going on. I rolled out of bed, landing lightly on the balls of my feet in a crouch position.

I crept to the door and pushed it ajar. The hallway was unnaturally dark. I could have sworn I'd left the lights on downstairs, but now the house was clothed in a blanket of night. Just downstairs the clock kept clicking and whirring. I opened the door, peep both ways, and pass through the threshold into the hallway. The air around me seemed to grow colder by the moment.

Wide-eyed, I shook with each step I took. As I approached the stairs, the clock stopped whirring and resumed its normal ticking. I froze in my tracks, straining my ears trying to listen for any abnormal sounds. It was a faint tapping on the window behind me, down the hall past my room. I slowly turned around and saw it. There was a dark creature standing level with a two-story window, pressing its face against it as if it were straining to. get a better look at me.

His face was jagged like thousands of broken branches. His fingers stretched into long pointed blades. Its face was what terrified me the most. Its face kept me frozen there

on the edge of the stairs. It had her face. The face of the one that I came to the woods to avoid. When we locked eyes, the things

slowly smiled, as if to show me its hundreds of jagged brown teeth. It kept lightly tapping on the glass. I didn't think it easily have broken its way in, but it chose to taunt me, to keep me breathless in this torment. Its head started to turn to the side, then completely upside down. Her eyes began to fill with blood, and its smile faded to a terrifying grimace. I urged my legs to move, but it felt as if my body was paralyzed. I couldn't bring my legs to run for their lives, to get away from this creature. Lesting its hand on the glass, it paused and stared at me.

For a moment, everything was still. The house was suspended in an electrifying silence, where dread and paying course through the air attempted to consume. what little energy I had left, but only for a moment. The thing reared back its body and slammed face first into the glass pane. It crashed into the house, and, without wasting any time, started dragging itself frantically towards me. My legs finally found the courage to move, but their stiffness caused me to stumble and fall down the stairs. I crashed onto the living room floor, bruised and cut.

I didn't care. I pushed away from the stairs until my back was against the wall. I looked at the top of the stairs and saw the thing's face smiling down at me, his cheeks running dark from the black blood seeping out of its eyes. What do you want? I screamed. I gave you so much. Why are you still here? How did you find me? I started sobbing as the face of my wife stared down at me. He didn't say anything. It just looked at the floor and began scratching something.

into it. After a few seconds it stopped and looked back at me for a month. Her blood-red eye, lidless eyes met with mine one last time. Every time this monstrosity looked at me, I felt a small portion of my soul becoming corrupted, like I was being filled with an overwhelming sense of self-pity and loneliness. Before me was an embodiment of the last five years my life come back to torture me, to torment me, to kill me. Just when I thought the thing would decide to come down the stairs and consume me, he slowly slipped back down the hallway just out of view. I heard it slide back out the window and walked back into the forest, pulling up roots and grass as it wore. I don't remember much else of that night. Some time after the thing left,

I passed out. I don't mean I fell asleep. Any same person couldn't sleep after experiencing what I had experienced. When I came to, I was no longer in the living room. I was tucked away under my covers, safe in my dawn-lit room. The early morning mist hugged the treetops outside. Elaboration on the sun's cascading brilliance. Birds chirped outside, and I felt a feeling of reprieve. Was that...

What is... Was that a dream last night? I pushed the covers off myself and crept over to the door, peering beyond it into the hallway. There was no glass, littering in the hallway, and the window was still intact. Still, ever so cautious, I walked to the top of the stairs and scoured where I remembered the scratchings to be.

Nothing. To say I breath of relief would be too grandiose. I was still terrified, perhaps even more so confused about the situation. I just wanted this eternal nightmare to end. I wanted Toby back, and I never wanted to see her face again. I decided it would be best to continue on living my life. Any police or friends surely wouldn't believe what I had to say. Sure they may sympathize, but belief is hard to earn without evidence.

and so I continued about my life, constantly expecting to see her over my shoulder, to see her through the trees, to see her above my bed at night. Oh, she haunted me in my mind, where she always has, it always would. After the events that took place, I decided to move out of the house in the woods. I didn't care if I went homeless, I just needed to escape the hell I was living in. I could not take the thought of seeing her again, what she might say. And so I started quickly packing my things. I only collected what was really essential enough and, well, sentimental enough, and only things that I could fit in my car.

Everything else was packed away in boxes strewn about the halls. Sheets covered the furniture, and the house was still as a tube. Before showing the doors to what was once my sanctuary, I walked back up the stairs and bent down to look at the spot she'd appeared to scratch something into me. There was nothing at first, but it started to appear before my eyes, as if an invisible force was carving it in front of me. Murder, he started to tremble. I didn't kill her, I said weakly. It was an accident. I didn't mean to. Just below that first message appeared another. Then another, each appearing quicker than the last, spreading all down the hallways.

Liar! Liar! Liar! Each carving into the floors and walls drip with blood, and every door in the house opened and slammed shut with a force that shook the floorboards. Through the window, I saw her face covered in shadow, staring deep into me. Please, I said, please, believe me, please, I didn't mean to. The doors hung open. I didn't mean to do it. I was drunk.

I should have watched where I was going, Rachel. I didn't see you by the stairs. And I didn't mean to kill her. Rachel leaned inward, bringing her face into the light. The skin was no longer wooden, but her eyes, her eyes were pitch black. She parted her piercing gaze to look down at her stomach. She was wearing an all-white dress, the same one she wore of the night we were married. The dress, near her waist, started becoming discolour.

crimson red spread slowly across her whole midsection and she doubled over hugging her arms around her stomach she trembled there a moment then reared her head back and screamed a breathless silent scream of agony and pain her stomach convulsed and she collapsed to her knees crying i slowly started down the stairs rach i'm so sorry god i'm such a coward but I should never have left. Her head jerked upward. She adopted her wooden appearance again and rose with a visceral sense of pure hate. She wasn't going to torture me anymore. Now she was going to make me pay.

She slammed herself through the sliding glass window and sprinted towards the stands. Caught on my heels, I stumbled backwards, tripping into the hallway. I regained my feet and flew. down the hall. I tried entering a door to get some type of barrier between us, but each open door slammed in my face as I tried to enter it.

One by one I was denied entry until I was at the end of the hall. She stood opposite me, breathing fanatically, body twitching unnaturally fenced. She took a step towards me. Her face was fixed with that horrifying grin. Her retribution was at hand. There was nothing stopping her. I pulled on my bedroom door with all my might,

but the thing wouldn't budge. She inched closer, her fingers sharpening themselves into deadly talents. I looked at the door. Sweating now, I slammed my shoulder into it over, over again, hoping that I could somehow get it open. I could hear her raspy breathing getting closer. she was whispering something

while my shoulder started to bruise under the force of each blow I didn't care I stepped back and attempted to kick down the door you killed my baby I looked to my right and she was just a few feet away from me I screamed and slammed everything I had into the door the wood of the door finally gave way

and I crashed into my bedroom the outskirts of the door where the hinges and handle are didn't break in my panic i somehow broke a hole through the door itself the force caught several wood shars to impale themselves into my chest and shoulders while the adrenaline numbed the pain into a minor itch but i was bleeding on the white sheets covering my blank matrix my eyes darted around the room to find some escape route from the second floor i fall in my my condition would kill me, and the only other way down would be behind that, that monster. At the rate, blood was spilling out of my shirt. I needed to get to a hospital immediately. The bedroom door's handle slowly began to press downwards. The door clicked and swung open. And there, in the doorway, stood my wife. She held out her arms as if she held out her arms as if to remind me of what I'd done to her. Bruises covered nearly every inch of her body

from when she fell down the stands. Her stomach protruded out, mangled and lopsided. Dark splotches growing and swirling across it. Her arms and neck had long cuts from where she... From when I found her lying in the top after I'd woken from my drug instinct.

That smile was... there too. Before she could step into the room, something yanked her leg to the side with such force I thought it would come clean off. She slammed to the ground, thrashing about as she was dragged down the hall out of sight. I heard muffled screams, bones breaking, skin tearing, and then everything went quiet. I couldn't comprehend what had just happened. I just lay there, bleed and shaking in terror, a soft patter of footsteps broke the silence. They approached the door, accompanied by a soft jingle, and the sound of light panting.

From the hallway, my dog collar skittered into my room and stopped at my feet. And so once again, we reached the end of tonight's podcast. My thanks as always to the authors of those wonderful stories, and to you for taking the time to listen. listen. Now, I'd ask one small favor of you. Wherever you get your podcast wrong, please write a few nice words and leave a five-star review as it really helps the podcast. That's it for this week, but I'll be back again, same time, same place, and I do so hope you'll join me once more. Until next time, sweet dreams and bye-bye.