The Living Nightmare: When Victims Refuse to Stay Buried "Corpse Came Back"

0:05 Speaker 1: It lies in wait amidst your dreams, where nothing is ever how it seems. It is a portal to a terrifying world beyond the doorway to nightmare.

0:25 Speaker 2: Nightmare.

0:38 Speaker 1: Come in. Welcome. I'm Artemis Black. We are all guilty of it. At least, most of us. That little voice inside your head telling you to... Eliminate someone. Oh, you say that you would never, ever do something so heinous as commit... Murder... At least, you hope so.

1:09 Speaker 3: Ah, the smell, that clean mountain air. I'm already starting to feel better.

1:16 Speaker 2: I'm very happy for you, Dan. Too bad it won't last for long.

1:24 Speaker 3: Emily, don't point that gun at me!

1:27 Speaker 2: Unfortunately, it's the only way to get rid of you, huh?

1:38 Speaker 1: Our mystery drama, The Corpse Came Back, was written especially for Doorway to Nightmare by Winslow Swan and edited by Crimson McKenzie. Our cast includes Darren Mahler, Crimson McKenzie, and William Stafford. Doorway to Nightmare is brought to you in part by Swanage Press. I'll return shortly with Act One.

2:06 Speaker 2: It is in all of us. Waiting. Watching. Growing. Evil Within by Winslow Swan. Now available on Amazon.

2:19 Speaker 4: Watch Circle of Mystery Tuesday nights at 7 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on the Doorway to Nightmare YouTube channel.

2:39 Speaker 1: Perhaps you know the song, or have heard a variation of it. The Cat Came Back was written in 1893 by Harry S. Miller. It tells the story of old Mr. Johnson, who, and tries he might, could not get rid of an old yellow cat. It has become, believe it or not, a rather popular children's song.

3:09 Speaker 3: Hey, how's that Johnson contract coming along?

3:12 Speaker 2: Should have it signed by this weekend, Mr. Hawkins.

3:14 Speaker 1: Mr.

3:15 Speaker 3: Hawkins? Come on, Emily. It's me, you know, David.

3:19 Speaker 2: I just assumed while we were in the office.

3:21 Speaker 3: That you're a partner of. Ten years we've been the head of this law firm, and yet you still call me Mr. Hawkins.

3:29 Speaker 2: I'm sorry, David. I suppose it's just become a habit.

3:34 Speaker 3: Well, habits can be broken, all right?

3:38 Speaker 1: So just.

3:39 Speaker 3: Try for me, okay?

3:41 Speaker 2: I'll try. Now, can we finish this stuff up?

3:45 Speaker 3: Sure, yeah. What's left to go over?

3:47 Speaker 2: There is the property over on Landover Drive.

3:51 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, that abandoned machine shop. Almost forgot about that. What have you learned?

3:57 Speaker 2: I was over there the other day. Some of the machines look pretty good. No power to the place, though.

4:03 Speaker 3: Do we know who the owner is?

4:05 Speaker 2: Whoever they are, they seem to be.

4:08 Speaker 6: Invisible.

4:10 Speaker 2: I've got our best investigator looking into it. We should know something by next week. Fine.

4:17 Speaker 3: Is that everything?

4:18 Speaker 2: Well, there is one other thing.

4:21 Speaker 3: If it's what I think it is.

4:24 Speaker 4: Mr.

4:25 Speaker 2: Hawkins. David. You deserve to retire. You've built this law firm up and I simply want to buy you out. It is a good offer.

4:36 Speaker 3: It's okay, Emily. I'm I'm sure it is a great offer. It's just... I don't know. What would I do if I didn't have the firm?

4:45 Speaker 2: You're barely doing anything now. Don't get me wrong, David. You're definitely vital. But you haven't been in a courtroom in almost six months. You deserve to retire.

4:59 Speaker 3: Okay, okay. I'll look over your proposal and let you know something Friday. Good enough?

5:06 Speaker 2: I'm sure you will like my proposal.

5:20 Speaker 3: Sit down, Emily.

5:26 Speaker 2: Is everything okay, David?

5:28 Speaker 1: David?

5:32 Speaker 3: I looked over your offer, and it's a very good offer. But, well, I'm going to have to turn it down.

5:41 Speaker 2: I understand.

5:42 Speaker 3: I just don't know what I would do with myself with all that extra time.

5:46 Speaker 2: I still think you deserve to get away from the office. How do you feel about the mountains?

5:54 Speaker 3: What are you hinting at, Emily?

5:56 Speaker 2: My family owns a cabin. Very secluded. Secluded? Why don't you go and get away? Rest. Maybe walk one of the hiking trails.

6:07 Speaker 3: Ah, don't think I'm getting enough exercise, huh?

6:12 Speaker 2: No, nothing like that. But you could use a weekend away from everything. Picture this. No cell phone service. No traffic. No ringing office phones. No courtrooms. Just pure nature and peaceful quiet.

6:32 Speaker 3: Hey, that does sound nice. And you wouldn't mind.

6:36 Speaker 2: Here are the keys. And here are the directions.

6:42 Speaker 3: By golly, you're right. You know, it's Friday anyway. So I'll go home, pack up a few things, and I'll take you up on that weekend getaway offer of yours.

7:12 Speaker 3: Just smell that wonderful mountain air. So clean. I think after I make a little dinner, I'll relax on the porch. This is going to be a pretty good weekend.

7:27 Speaker 2: Hello, David.

7:29 Speaker 3: Emily, what are you doing here?

7:31 Speaker 2: I thought that... Actually, I'm not here. At least no one knows that I'm here. Except for you.

7:41 Speaker 3: Emily, what are you doing with that gun?

7:45 Speaker 2: Quite obviously pointing it at you. You really should have sold me your half of the firm.

7:53 Speaker 3: You'll never get away with it.

7:56 Speaker 2: But of course I will. I have everything planned. I'm going to tell everyone on Monday that I haven't heard from you. We will report you missing, and I'll even head up a search party. And no one, no one will ever find you.

8:29 Speaker 1: If you have never heard the song, The Cat Came Back, or any of its variations... I can tell you that the cat in question definitely has nine lives. I wonder if that could also apply to humans. I'll return shortly with Act Two.

8:54 Speaker 2: If you'd like to support us, visit our merchandise store. T-shirts, caps, mugs, and so much more. Visit doorwaytonightmare.com.

9:09 Speaker 1: The only witness to her murder cannot speak. Until now. Click. A Tale of Revenge by Winslow Swan. Now available on Amazon. Revenge is a dish best served cold. Ernest Hemingway once said, a cat has absolute emotional honesty. Human beings, for one reason or another, may hide their feelings, but a cat does not.

10:05 Speaker 2: I almost got it.

10:11 Speaker 4: There!

10:13 Speaker 2: Finally! You may have been more trouble than you were worth.

10:20 Speaker 2: But then, that's you all over. Now, let's put your arms in this bag. And your legs in this one. Your torso in this one. And finally, your head goes in this one. There we are. And now it's time for a road trip. Much easier than I thought it would be. A hundred miles away and his arms are buried deep. Another fifty miles in the other direction and his legs are... Nicely placed. Good thing I found that cemetery with an open grave. Just a little more digging and now his torso will be... Company for someone tomorrow.

11:37 Speaker 2: And finally his head. Floating out to sea from the river. And now, just have to wait until Monday morning.

11:52 Speaker 2: By this time next month, the firm will be completely mine.

12:10 Speaker 2: So nice to finally be home.

12:14 Speaker 3: And about time, too.

12:18 Speaker 2: What? Who was that? What are you doing here?

12:23 Speaker 3: I'm surprised at you, Emily. Don't you recognize me?

12:28 Speaker 2: Hawkins? But... But... You're dead! Cut up and spread... All over!

12:37 Speaker 3: It's a funny thing about death. You know, you really don't know what to expect. Like, well, for example, I got to the other side there, and... Well, the ones in charge, they took pity on me.

12:50 Speaker 1: So they.

12:51 Speaker 3: Put me back together so that I could get my revenge.

12:56 Speaker 1: No.

12:57 Speaker 2: No, you can't come back. Stay away from me.

13:01 Speaker 3: I can't wait to get my hands.

13:06 Speaker 1: My hands. What's happening?

13:09 Speaker 3: What's happening to me?

13:10 Speaker 2: Looks like you're slowing down, David. No.

13:14 Speaker 3: I was promised.

13:16 Speaker 1: I was....

13:26 Speaker 2: Doesn't look like you made it, David. Unfortunately, you have made more work for me. That's okay. I still have that barrel of acid in the basement. Remember, David? You asked me to keep it here. Can't remember why, but how fortuitous that it is here.

14:01 Speaker 5: There.

14:04 Speaker 2: Let's see you come back from that. Sorry, I can't stay. I need to get back to the cabin and make sure that you didn't leave anything there. Oh, don't worry about the car. It makes my story more believable. Hell, you must have taken a walk-in. Something happened to you.

14:59 Speaker 3: Well, it's about time you showed up.

15:04 Speaker 2: No! How can it be? You couldn't possibly have came back from that.

15:11 Speaker 3: Ah, you should have stuck around. Made sure that I was all dissolved. I managed to climb out before the acid got all of me.

15:20 Speaker 2: No. No, it's not possible. Your skeleton. Flesh hanging from your bones. Stay back!

15:29 Speaker 3: Oh no, I shall have my revenge. You hear me?

15:33 Speaker 1: I will have.

15:36 Speaker 2: Have.

15:37 Speaker 3: No, no! It's not fair!

15:47 Speaker 2: Not enough in you? Well, that's okay. I know the perfect... Way to get rid of you. And believe me, there will be nothing left to come back.

16:05 Speaker 1: The author Nathaniel Hawthorne once said, We sometimes congratulate ourselves at the moment of waking from a troubled dream. It may be so the moment after death. I'll be back shortly with Act 3. Meet Jerry Connors. Family man. Business man. Psychopathic killer. The Convincer by Winslow Swan. Now available on Amazon. Jerry Connors. He can convince you to do anything. Even die.

17:02 Speaker 1: Death has but one terror, that it has no tomorrow, said American philosopher, Eric Hoffer.

17:19 Speaker 2: You've never been here, have you David? This is that old machine shop. Oh, over there? That's a press. An industrial hydraulic machine press. One of the largest. 88 feet high. And plenty of room. To press your.

17:47 Speaker 6: Bones into dust. There we go. Snug as a bug in a rug.

17:58 Speaker 2: This will be the absolute last time you will come back. Hey! Your hand! Let me go!

18:15 Speaker 4: No!

18:16 Speaker 2: The press is coming down! Let me go, Hawkins! No!

18:23 Speaker 4: David!

18:24 Speaker 1: I told you, Emily!

18:25 Speaker 3: I will have my revenge!

18:28 Speaker 6: David, please!

18:29 Speaker 2: Let me go!

18:30 Speaker 4: The press!

18:31 Speaker 1: No!

18:59 Speaker 3: Okay, what do you think you heard?

19:04 Speaker 1: I'm not sure, Officer Murphy.

19:06 Speaker 4: It sounded like that press starting up. And I swear I heard someone screaming.

19:13 Speaker 5: Stevens, this warehouse has been abandoned for at least a year that I know of.

19:20 Speaker 4: Yes, but whoever owns it still pays me to be its security guard. And damn it, I take my job seriously.

19:27 Speaker 1: All right, Hank, calm down.

19:30 Speaker 5: I'm just saying that maybe you heard, oh, I don't know, an alley cat?

19:37 Speaker 4: It doesn't sound like no cat to me.

19:40 Speaker 1: Fine.

19:41 Speaker 5: You call me out here. Might as well see what's going on. Where's this machine press?

19:48 Speaker 3: Well, come on.

19:49 Speaker 4: It's over here.

19:52 Speaker 1: Oh, my God.

19:57 Speaker 3: What the hell is that?

20:00 Speaker 4: It looks like a lot of blood.

20:03 Speaker 1: Oh, no. Is that a.

20:09 Speaker 3: Hand?

20:11 Speaker 1: I've got to call this in.

20:13 Speaker 5: Now.

20:14 Speaker 4: But Murphy, how did the press come down?

20:18 Speaker 3: What do you mean, Hank?

20:20 Speaker 4: There isn't any power in this building. Hasn't been since it closed up. So how did the machine start working?

20:31 Speaker 5: I'm calling it in. Let the forensic team and the detectives figure this one out. Besides, I think we both need to get the hell out of here.

20:54 Speaker 1: As officer Murphy radios in the rather gruesome scene the two men make a hasty retreat for the exit you make a hasty return when I come back with a final word You can help support the channel and visit our merchandise store. T-shirts, caps, mugs, and so much more. Now available at doorwaytonightmare.com. When old Mr. Johnson gave the cat to someone for disposal, everyone was killed except the cat. And the cat always came back. I certainly hope that it only applies to cats and not corpses. Our cast included Darren Mahler, Crimson McKenzie, and William Stafford.

22:06 Speaker 1: The story was edited by Crimson McKenzie and directed by Winslow Swan.

22:14 Speaker 1: And now, a preview of our next tale.

22:18 Speaker 3: But, Lenore, we can't keep the money.

22:21 Speaker 2: It's tainted. Are you mental? Of course we can keep it. And we are going to keep it.

22:31 Speaker 3: But don't you see?

22:32 Speaker 6: It's blood money.

22:34 Speaker 4: Nothing good can come of it.

22:36 Speaker 2: Don't you give me that karma garbage. For the first time in your miserable life, you are ahead. Do you really want to just throw a quarter of a million dollars away?

22:49 Speaker 1: Doorway to Nightmare is brought to you in part by Swanage Press. This is Artemis Black, inviting you to return with us through the Doorway to Nightmare program. for another adventure into the terrifying world of your imagination. Until next time, slumber peacefully. Epilogue. The butler did it.

23:20 Speaker 2: The butler didn't do it! Hey guys, this is Crimson.

23:26 Speaker 3: And this is Swan.

23:27 Speaker 4: And we'd love to know what you think of the stories.

23:30 Speaker 2: Even if it's bad.

23:31 Speaker 3: So leave us a comment.

23:33 Speaker 2: Or give us a thumbs up. Thank you!