The Antiquarium of Sinister Happenings - Lot 022: The Soul Game

Episode Date: December 2, 2023

The new student in Jesse’s 5th grade class is a little…..odd.Written by Christopher Bloodworthhttps://www.reddit.com/r/nosleep/comments/12x5u5/the_soul_game/Stars Alison Cossitt, Simeon Wynne, Everett Shand, Jade ShandFeaturing Stephen Knowles as the Antique DealerTheme music by The Newton BrothersAdditional music by:CO.AG ([e-mail])Nebula by MyuuCalling The Dead, Psycho, Inside composed and produced by Vivek Abishekhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQQmmCl8crQ&t=0sFollow on Facebook: https://bit.ly/33RWRtPFollow on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2ImU2JVDark Tension Rising by Mattia Cupellihttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zvQoPyY2XEHorror Movie by Steve NorthwestPenumbra by Kevin MacleodFree download: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5IFEc3hYSc Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hello again, dear friend. As for the visit, the honor is all mine indeed. Follow me. I've got something to show you. I see you as my most discerning customer. You've a real zest for darkness. Seemingly, insatiable, really, if I'm being honest. It is that overpowering urge you have to stare into the void

that just keeps bringing us together. I wasn't even going to introduce this one into the shop for fear of what might be attached to it. But I digress. Your eyes are in deceiving you. This is very much what it appears to be. A single sheet of manila paper. A simple handout.

A flyer. However, it's what's written on it. that I dare not even read, not in my head, nor grace to cross my lips. But you'll be quite familiar with its song by the end of this one called The Soul Game. Welcome to the antiquarium of sinister happenings and odd goings on. Drift off to sleep And I don't mean to disturb you But I need to apologize to you

So sorry Please, please just Listen to this to the end, okay? That's it. That's all I ask. I don't know What to do or where to turn So that's all I ask.

My name is Andrea And I'm a single mother I don't tell you this Like it's some badge of on and I'm expecting cookies, milk, and chocolate-covered snowflakes. I'm like most of the others in my social circle would. They just want your hats on the back in recognition, but I only want some of your time.

I see motherhood as a burden. Necessary, yes, but it's still a burden. My son's name is Jesse. He's 11. That's fifth grade. for the math haters. Jesse started the fifth grade this year like any other kid would. There was a little bit of trepidation and lots of excitement.

He was a happy-go-lucky sort of kid, full of life and energy. All that changed after he met Stan on Tuesday. Stan was a late addition to Jesse's class, a transfer student from another district. Jesse's teacher sat Stan next to Jesse. When I picked Jesse up after school on Tuesday, he told me that Stan was his new best friend. He wasn't acting like himself, though. He was pale and sweaty.

I mean, I took his temperature, but he wasn't running a fever or anything. So I asked about his day, and all he would tell me was that Stan was his new best friend. Stan's my new best friend, Jesse would say. I know, I can't wait to meet him, I'd say back. Mom, Stan is great. You should meet him. He's my new best friend, the best in the world.

We must have had this same conversation like a thousand times that night. When I talked to Jesse into bed, he looked up in me with tears in his eyes. he put his little hand in front of his face and wiggled his index finger telling me to come closer. So I bent over him and he put his hands to either side of his mouth, you know, like that little kid way of telling a secret. Well, I turned my head and he whispered something into my ear that chilled me. At the time, I don't know why it chilled me. but it did I sat back up and looked down at him

believe you about what honey Stan Stan's my best friend I nodded and took his temperature once more but again he wasn't running a fever

I went to bed but I couldn't really sleep that night on Wednesday when I pulled up to the school to drop Jesse off he got this really weird look on his face and told me that he didn't want to go in. Are you feeling sick?

No. He was chewing on his bottom lip like crazy. That was something else I'd never seen him do. No, I need to go to school. He opened the car door and got out. No goodbye. No love you, Mom. Nothing.

He trudged up the front steps of the school with his head town. I let off the break and turned away to drive to work, but a boy was standing my car. He had two more seconds, and I would have run him over. The boy was pale with a mop of blonde hair that was almost white and these bright blue eyes. He knocked on the hood of my car twice, waved once, and then walked up the stairs to school. When I picked Jesse up after school on Wednesday, he looked a lot better. He was a tiny bit paler than normal, but he seemed happy. He told me all about his day.

He told me about dinosaurs and music and math, and then he told me about recess. And then after math period, we had recess. Mom, you'll never guess what I did today at recess. Tell me, I said, smiling to myself as I was driving. driving, and I was thinking he'd say, tag football, or what's the other one, keep away. All the things I remember the boys doing at recess when I was at age. Something benign, something... I joined a church.

I frowned at this. A church? At recents? Jesse nodded. The church of Stan. I thought that it must be some sort of new make-believe game that the kids were playing. So what's the church of Stan? I asked. It's Stan's church, Mom.

Jesse laughed like I was the silliest person in the world for asking that question. What do you guys do, though, you know, as members? Lots of stuff. Today, though, we just listened to Stan talk. He was saying some funny words and I got sleepy and dozed off. A bunch of us did. I pulled into the driveway at home and we got out. Was that it? I asked. Things sounded weird, for sure.

Sure, but the kids didn't seem to be doing anything wrong. Stan gave us flyers, too. Jesse pulled out a crinkled up piece of paper and handed it to me. It was a piece of manila paper with three words written in black marker. Church of Stan. Hmm. Again, weird, but nothing wrong? I just thought the boys were playing make-believe.

I was wrong. When I picked Jesse up after school yesterday, I could tell that something was very wrong with my little boy. He looked panicked and scared. What's going on, honey? I asked, reaching out to feel his forehead. No fever. We played the soul game today. Jesse's head was on a swivel. He couldn't sit still.

He kept looking all around as we headed home. The soul game, I asked. Jesse just nodded and kept trying to look everywhere at once. Beads of sweat dotted his upper lip. What's the soul game? Jesse shook his head no and said nothing. Jesse, what's the soul game? I told him I didn't want to.

But he said he wouldn't be my friend anymore if I didn't play. Who wouldn't be your friend? Where were the teachers? Jesse started breathing harder, but still. Still answered. It happened in the church. Teachers aren't allowed in the church. The church of Stan?

Jesse nodded, and a tear slipped down his cheek. What's the sole game, Jesse? I am your mother. You tell me right now and I'll take care of everything. I can't tell you, Mom. I can't. The rules are bad. They're so bad.

What about Stan? Will Stan tell me the rules? No! Jesse screamed this and scared me half to death. Don't ask him the rules. Please, don't my mom, please. I pull into the driveway, scared and confused. Promise me, Mom.

Promise me, promise me, promise me, please. Jesse was bawling now, terrified. I took him into my arms and rocked him. I hadn't rocked him like that since he'd been in kindergarten. He fell asleep in my arms and I carried him inside. I took him straight to my arms. his room and got him ready for bed. He just needs sleep, I kept telling myself, all he needs is sleep. So I put him to bed and I ate dinner alone. I checked up on him around nine when I went to

bed. He seemed to be sleeping so well, so I decided to go to sleep. I woke up to him screaming at the top of his lungs, 18 minutes after midnight last night. I ran to his room, but but he wasn't in his bed. I turned on the lights and Jesse came flying out of the closet like something was chasing him. He lashed onto my leg and kept a scream. I tried to calm him down and ask what was wrong at the same time. He wasn't making any sense. He kept screaming about the soul game.

He was impossible. I kept asking what that was, but he wouldn't tell me. So I tried to put him back to bed, but he would have none of it. So finally, I just took him to my room and he slept in my bed. He fell right to sleep. I was lying on my side watching him, stroking his hair. When his eyes popped open and he stared right into mine. I'll tell you the rules after school tomorrow, lady.

Then he closed his eyes. What was going on with my eyes? My kid. Please excuse me for a moment. Looks like a family just walked in to do some holiday shopping. Tis the season, as they say. Son, now be careful with that. It's an extraordinarily dangerous...

Now we're in trouble. Let me go take care of some things and I'll be right back. Sorry about the small interruption. Do me a favor. Would you think you see something moving just outside of your peripheral for the remainder of your visit? It's really very important you pay it no mind. That said, let's go back and see what young Jesse and his mother got tangled up in, shall

we? What was going on with my kid? In the darkness, I stared at the ceiling for a long time before rolling over to my side and staring into the bathroom. And then, um, didn't you know how when you're at the edge of sleep,

sometimes your leg will kick and jerk you awake? Or you'll imagine that you're falling or that you just dripped over something and you'll just jerk awake again. That, uh, that happened to me all of last night, only I kept being ripped from sleep by a,

by seeing something in the doorway to the bathroom. Every time my eyes would start to slip shut, I'd see the dark outline of something large in the doorway, and I'd jerk awake. Of course, of course, nothing would be there. And I would start falling asleep again. Outline would appear in the doorway again. But it...

It would be closer to me like it had taken a baby step. Over and over, this happened. Until morning. This morning, on the way to school, Jesse just seemed out of it, lethargic. Of course, I... I mean, I felt the same way, too. I was even more exhausted. I thought of asking Jesse about what he'd said

right before he fell asleep, but I couldn't. I was afraid it would send him into hysterics again, so I just left it alone. I drove him to school, and he didn't say a word the whole time. He was acting like a robot, listless, unemotional. I got a call shortly after dropping him off to come pick him back up. He'd vomited in class. When I picked him up, he was the same.

I asked him several questions, but he only gave me grunts in response. The plan at home was to get him changed out of his dirty clothes and then take him to the doctor. He didn't say anything until we pulled into the driveway. Can Stan come over today? He stared out the windshield at the garage door. You're not feeling well, honey, and do you really want him to come over? I mean, I wanted to meet this kid, but it didn't sound like Jesse wanted him over. I, however, wanted to get to the bottom of things.

Yes. Okay. Do you have his parents' number? He already asked his parents, and they said it was okay. Well, we have to wait until he's out of class, and I'd still like to talk to his parents. Okay. Jesse got out of the car, and we walked into the house. You have their number? I asked as I shut the door. No.

I started to ask him how I was supposed to call them if I didn't have their number, but... Someone knocked at the door. I was still standing right next to it. I opened the door and standing on my front step was the pale little boy with the blue eyes and mop of white blonde hair that I'd almost run over Wednesday. A little girl with the same complexion stood next to him. Yes? Hi, Drew's. The little boy said.

Is Jessie home? The little boy standing. On my front porch, shouldn't have known that name. It was my nickname from college. Created on a drunken night amongst my girlfriends, shortened from Drizzy. No. That's fine. The little girl said.

My name is Devon. And you already know my brother's name. Stan. The little girl covered her mouth and giggled. Stan smiled and shrugged. It's really quite simple. Rule one, don't walk past mirrors in the dark. Rule two, don't leave any doors open when you go to bed tonight.

Ask your son what rule three is. And remember, a creek means you're falling behind. A rustle means you've almost lost. When the lights go down, hopefully you won't see the dark shadow standing in the corner of the room. Hopefully you won't hear it breathing as your eyes shut, and you begin to drift off. And if you hear a bang, well, hopefully you never hear a bang. Stan turned and walked away with his sister. I stared after them both and shook my head.

I wouldn't play their stupid game. I walked into the house and found Jesse sitting at the kitchen table, crying. What's wrong? I heard a bang. My mouth went dry. Does the game My heart started beating faster What's

What's the third rule, Jesse? His face fell And he sucked in a deep breath Rule three Knowing all three rules Makes you a player My stomach dropped What happens if you lose?

When it's dark You'll hear them coming They like to let you know when they're getting close. Who? Stan and Devon. They'll reach after the mirrors or open doorways

and drag you through. How do you win? You win if you tell more people the rules to the soul game. Then the person that told you does. And just like that, you,

you've made it to the end. You just listened to the whole. thing. Like I said, I am so sorry. Thanks for helping. Really? I'm going to enjoy my newfound freedom. And I hope that you enjoy your night. Give Stan and Devin my best.

Thank you for your patronage. Hope you enjoyed your new relic as much as I've enjoyed passing along its sordid history. It does come with our usual warning, however. Absolutely no refund. no exchanges, and we won't be held liable for anything that may or may not occur while the object is in your possession. If you've got an artifact with mysterious properties, perhaps it's accompanied by a history of bizarre and disturbing circumstances. Maybe you'd be interested in dropping it and its story by the shop to share with other customers.

please reach out to Antiquarium Shop at gmail.com. A member of our team will be in touch. Till next time, we'll be waiting for you whenever you close your eyes in the space between sleep and dream. During regular business hours, of course, or by appointment, only for you. Our best customer.

The Antiquarium of Sinister Happenings, Lot 022, The Soul Game, written by Christopher Bloodworth, starring Alison Cossett as Andrea, Simeon Wynne as Jesse, Jade Shand as Devon, Everett Shand as Stan, featuring Stephen Knowles as the antique dealer. Engineering Production and Sound Design by Trevor Shand. Theme music by the Newton Brothers. Additional music by Coag, Mew, Vivek Abyshek, Matia Cuppelli, Steve Northwest, and Kevin McLeod. The Antiquarium of Sinister Happenings is created and curated by Trevor and Lauren Shand.

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