Prey or Predator? "Run Rabbit Run" – A High-Stakes Fight For Survival

0:01 Speaker 1: When you sleep, you enter into another world. Beyond that world lies the doorway to nightmare.

0:14 Speaker 2: Come in.

0:29 Speaker 1: Welcome. I'm Artemis Black. On any given day, you can turn on the television and subject yourself to the reality show. As of September of 2021, it had been estimated that over 2,000 reality programs were produced globally. And with the internet and social media, the number continues to grow.

1:00 Speaker 3: Why do you think I brought you to my private island?

1:05 Speaker 4: Please, just let me go. I won't say a word to anyone.

1:11 Speaker 3: Oh, Bunny, I know that you won't. You see, I intend.

1:20 Speaker 1: To kill you. Our mystery drama, Run, Rabbit, Run, was written especially for Doorwood to Nightmare by Winslow Swan and edited by Crimson McKenzie. Our cast includes Mick Davis, Crimson McKenzie, Raven Adams, and Robert Jackson. I'll return shortly with Act One.

1:47 Speaker 2: Mystery.

1:49 Speaker 4: Horror. Thriller.

1:51 Speaker 1: Suspense.

1:53 Speaker 4: Novels and short story collections from Winslow Swan, now available from Amazon.

2:10 Speaker 1: When did the reality show begin? Well, it depends on who you ask and how old they may be. But to be fair, the very first reality television show that wasn't a game show was titled Candid Camera, beginning all the way back in 1948. Alan Funt was its creator and host, and the premise was quite simple. Hide a camera, put an ordinary person into an extraordinary situation, and see what happens.

2:51 Speaker 4: Oh, Aaron! It's so beautiful here! And this is your island?

2:59 Speaker 3: Every square inch of it. The only way to get here is by boat, or the way we came, by seaplane. It's exactly why I learned to fly.

3:07 Speaker 4: So, where's the house you've been telling me about?

3:11 Speaker 3: About 200 yards that way. I can't wait to show you my trophy room. There you go, my dear.

3:37 Speaker 4: But this is just water. Don't you have anything a little stronger?

3:43 Speaker 3: I believe the water will be much better for you.

3:48 Speaker 4: Now why would you say that?

3:52 Speaker 3: You are going to need all of your faculties. All of your wit for the.

3:58 Speaker 1: Next three hours.

4:00 Speaker 4: Why? Are we going to play some kind of game?

4:04 Speaker 1: Yes, we are.

4:05 Speaker 3: A very dangerous game.

4:09 Speaker 4: Now you have my curiosity going.

4:13 Speaker 3: Why do you think I brought you out to the island?

4:15 Speaker 4: You said that you wanted to do something different for our date. And this is pretty different.

4:21 Speaker 3: You really are brainless, aren't you? Bunny, I brought you to my private island to hunt you down and kill you.

4:36 Speaker 5: Hey, Roger Dodger, what's going on?

4:39 Speaker 6: Quick, sit down and check this out.

4:42 Speaker 5: I thought we were going to do a doorway to nightmare marathon tonight.

4:46 Speaker 6: We will, we will. Just take a look at this.

4:51 Speaker 5: What the hell kind of website is that?

4:54 Speaker 6: I know, look at this. The clock is counting down for some kind of game show.

4:58 Speaker 5: It doesn't look like any game show I've ever seen. Wait a minute. Have you been messing around on the dark web again?

5:06 Speaker 6: Maybe I thought that I could.

5:09 Speaker 5: Shut it down, Roger! There's no telling what you found!

5:12 Speaker 6: Oh, come on, Kane. Let's just see what this is all about. I mean, the site has over a million subscribers.

5:20 Speaker 5: The Dark Hunter. A weird name for a website.

5:31 Speaker 4: I don't understand.

5:32 Speaker 1: Aaron, why?

5:37 Speaker 3: I'm giving you an hour for a head start. After that, I shall be hunting you. You see that gun over in the corner? A. 30- 06, to be precise. I have only one bullet. You see, my subscribers expect a good show. So if I were to shoot you from a distance, that wouldn't be a lot of fun, now would it?

5:57 Speaker 4: You sick bastard!

5:59 Speaker 2: Why?

6:01 Speaker 1: Because I....

6:05 Speaker 3: I began this website on the dark web a year ago. Since then, I have over a million subscribers who pay to watch me hunt.

6:15 Speaker 4: That's just sick!

6:18 Speaker 3: And it is also interactive. You see, Bunny, there are cameras all over the island. Many of them you can see, some you can't. The ones that are visible have a tablet attached to them. That way... Our viewers can either help you by leading you away from me, or possibly lead you to me.

6:39 Speaker 1: Isn't it exciting?

6:41 Speaker 4: And then, if you catch me, what will you do?

6:47 Speaker 1: If I catch you?

6:49 Speaker 3: When I catch you, dear bunny, I shall put the barrel of that gun to your head, listen to you beg for your life, and simply pull the trigger, completely obliterating the back of your head. However, if you can evade me for two hours, then I simply let you go. Of course, that never happened. Now, Run, rabbit. Run.

7:40 Speaker 1: In 2001, a movie titled Series 7, The Contenders, was released on the video. Shot as a reality show, it was the story of six random people who were chosen through a national lottery. They were given a gun, and told to hunt and kill each other with a camera crew in tow. The most frightening thing? The creator of the film pitched the idea as an actual show to a television network, who turned it down, but not because the contestants killed each other. Their reason? There was not enough sex involved.

8:24 Speaker 1: I'll return shortly with Act Two.

8:29 Speaker 2: There.

8:31 Speaker 7: Underneath your bed. There is something. And it's waiting. Waiting for another story. No one is afraid of monsters anymore. And other stories to read to the thing under the bed. By Winslow Swan. Paperback editions available at Amazon.com. Audiobook edition available at Spotify. No one is afraid of monsters anymore and other stories to read to the thing under the bed. Eight terrifying tales for you to enjoy and to read to the thing under your bed. Get it before the thing gets you.

9:26 Speaker 1: Actor and comedian Bo Burnham once said, Everyone hates reality television, and everyone's watching it. Everyone hates Facebook, and everyone is on it.

9:41 Speaker 3: Well now, for those of you just tuning in, we have our prey somewhere on the island. I'm relying on you to guide me to her.

9:52 Speaker 5: Of course, if you happen to like her.

9:54 Speaker 3: And maybe you can help her. I just love the interactive text.

10:19 Speaker 5: You should shoot her in the gut, make her suffer. Why don't you just... Oh, oh, that is just sick.

10:28 Speaker 6: Hey, I think she's near the beach.

10:31 Speaker 4: Look at that camera.

10:33 Speaker 6: I'm going to try to talk to her.

10:34 Speaker 5: You can talk to her?

10:36 Speaker 6: Well, type out on the chat. She can talk to us, though.

10:40 Speaker 5: So much crap going on. How will she be able to see what you are typing?

10:45 Speaker 6: According to the website, if she touches the tablet on the name, It freezes all the other chat except that one person, so she can't see what they are typing. Here, hang on.

10:57 Speaker 5: My name is Roger, and I want to help.

11:01 Speaker 1: Great opening.

11:02 Speaker 5: No wonder you never date.

11:03 Speaker 1: Shut up!

11:04 Speaker 6: She's looking at the tablet! Where the heck is Saren?

11:08 Speaker 5: I'm looking for him on my computer. Um, I think he's a good 500 yards away from where she's at now.

11:17 Speaker 4: Hello?

11:17 Speaker 1: Hello?

11:18 Speaker 4: Can anyone hear me?

11:20 Speaker 6: Hope she sees this and clicks on it.

11:24 Speaker 4: Roger?

11:26 Speaker 6: Who are you? Just someone who wants to help. Aaron is about 500 yards south of you.

11:34 Speaker 4: Are you one of his paid subscribers? No.

11:41 Speaker 6: I only hacked into the website by mistake.

11:43 Speaker 4: Don't worry, Roger. I've got everything figured out. Thanks anyway, hon.

11:50 Speaker 6: Wait, don't go!

11:53 Speaker 8: Dang it!

11:55 Speaker 5: I wonder what she meant by that.

12:06 Speaker 3: She seems to be leaving a pretty good trail. This may be too easy.

12:11 Speaker 1: Wait a minute.

12:12 Speaker 2: Hi, hon.

12:13 Speaker 3: What's this?

12:16 Speaker 5: Well, I'll be A trap! An honest-to-goodness trap!

12:22 Speaker 3: No one has ever done that before.

12:24 Speaker 1: Let's see.

12:25 Speaker 3: Clever girl. She used a vine to make a tripwire. Let's see what happens. If I had tripped it, that branch would have hit me right in the throat. She really is resourceful. Maybe I shouldn't underestimate her. Let's get on with the hunt.

12:48 Speaker 1: Shall we?

12:52 Speaker 4: Oh, hey!

12:53 Speaker 5: What in the.

12:56 Speaker 1: Damn it!

12:57 Speaker 3: She made one trap so I wouldn't see this one. I tripped into this hole that's filled with barbed wire.

13:04 Speaker 5: Where the hell did she get that?

13:06 Speaker 2: Ouch.

13:07 Speaker 3: Damn it.

13:07 Speaker 5: It's cut deep.

13:09 Speaker 3: I may have to go back to the house and clean up before I go after her again. Not sure I'll have time to do that. Only about 45 minutes before my time is up. Hell of a show, eh?

13:22 Speaker 8: I see him.

13:23 Speaker 5: I see him. He's about 200 yards north of her.

13:26 Speaker 6: I just checked the camera down at the beach. Look at this. Does that look like a boat to you, Kane?

13:32 Speaker 5: Sure as hell does. Maybe you can get her there and she can get off that damn island.

13:37 Speaker 6: Have you had any luck finding out where the island is?

13:41 Speaker 5: Still checking. I brought some of our other friends in to help.

13:45 Speaker 1: Great.

13:46 Speaker 6: We may be able to get her out of this yet.

13:57 Speaker 3: You guys aren't exactly helping, are you?

14:01 Speaker 5: Damn leg is bleeding.

14:06 Speaker 6: Stupid bitch.

14:07 Speaker 3: She made another trap. Looks like steel arrows buried in the ground. One went through my boot and into my foot.

14:15 Speaker 6: To pull it out.

14:19 Speaker 3: Shooting you in the head might be too humane. Wait until I find you.

14:28 Speaker 1: American journalist Chris Hedges once said, The moral nihilism of celebrity culture is played out on reality television shows, most of which encourage a dark voyeurism into other people's humiliation, pain, weakness... and betrayal. I'll return shortly with our final act. It is in all of us. Waiting. Watching. Growing. Evil Within by Winslow Swann. Now available on Amazon. New Zealand actor and director Daniel Gillies once said, The romance of circumvention is one of the most destructive forces at work in our society.

15:39 Speaker 1: The American idol freeway to greatness, Instagramming one's way into popular consciousness, Reality television that sacrifices our dignity for 15 lousy minutes.

15:58 Speaker 5: Did she see your text? Yes, thankfully.

16:01 Speaker 6: I told her about the boat. Funny, she only smiled at me.

16:07 Speaker 5: Her traps are working pretty well. Aaron doesn't look so hot. I think he's lost a lot of blood.

16:13 Speaker 1: Oh, boo-hoo.

16:14 Speaker 6: He's trying to kill this girl. What, am I supposed to feel sorry for him?

16:18 Speaker 5: Hang on. She made it to the beach. But she's just sitting there. Like she's waiting for him.

16:33 Speaker 3: You play a rather good game, Bunny.

16:37 Speaker 4: But the game is finished. I thought you would never get here, Aaron. Well... Come on. Put the muzzle to my head and pull the trigger.

16:51 Speaker 3: Oh, I think a bullet in the stomach would be better. Take you longer to die.

16:57 Speaker 2: Then do it.

16:59 Speaker 4: I'm standing right in front of you.

17:04 Speaker 1: What the hell?

17:08 Speaker 4: Try again, Aaron. Aaron?

17:12 Speaker 1: No.

17:13 Speaker 3: I cleaned it just yesterday.

17:15 Speaker 4: Give me that.

17:16 Speaker 2: Hey.

17:18 Speaker 4: You won't be needing it anymore.

17:21 Speaker 3: You took the gun. What did you do?

17:25 Speaker 4: Do you remember Elsa?

17:29 Speaker 8: Elsa Collins?

17:33 Speaker 1: Should I?

17:34 Speaker 4: Yes, you should. She was my sister. And you hunted her.

17:43 Speaker 8: Six months ago.

17:45 Speaker 3: I've hunted a lot of people.

17:49 Speaker 4: So what? I saw the video. How she begged for her life before you ended it? You hunted?

18:00 Speaker 8: I've been hunting you for the past six months. I planned all of this.

18:07 Speaker 4: With a little help, I found your island.

18:11 Speaker 8: I've been coming out here for the past two weeks and setting everything up. I knew you were.

18:17 Speaker 4: Going to bring me here tonight. I came out and removed the firing pin from your gun.

18:24 Speaker 2: No.

18:25 Speaker 4: A million subscribers? Check again.

18:29 Speaker 5: They're all unsubscribing.

18:32 Speaker 3: Stop it. Come back.

18:34 Speaker 4: They are all subscribing to my channel. The Dark Huntress.

18:41 Speaker 8: Did you know that in the Norse language, the name Brenda, my real name, means.

18:48 Speaker 4: Blade of the sword. Where did you get that sword? You've lost quite a lot of blood, Aaron. But I will give you the same chance that you gave me. An hour head start. After that, I will have to find you in two hours.

19:14 Speaker 8: And when I find you, I'm giving my subscribers something much more than a bullet to the head.

19:24 Speaker 4: It is going to take.

19:25 Speaker 8: You hours, hours, to finally die.

19:32 Speaker 4: That should satisfy their bloodlust. Now, run, rabbit!

19:41 Speaker 2: Run!

20:02 Speaker 1: American actress Martha Plimpton once said, I watched a little bit of reality television for a while. But I found it turned my soul into a black sludge. And I just did not find it healthy or good for me at all. Because I would watch it and be disgusted. I'll return with a final word.

20:27 Speaker 8: If you'd like to support us, visit our merchandise store.

20:31 Speaker 4: T-shirts, caps, mugs, and so much more.

20:53 Speaker 1: On average, the television viewer in the country watches about five hours a week of reality television. This does not include time spent on social media or streaming services.

21:07 Speaker 7: The moral of our little story?

21:09 Speaker 1: Perhaps you should just monitor what you see and pay attention to real life. Our cast included Mick Davis, Crimson McKenzie, Raven Adams, and Robert Jackson. The story was edited by Crimson McKenzie and directed by Winslow Swan. Music provided by Kevin MacLeod. And now, a preview of our next tale.

21:48 Speaker 9: This is Evan Ray, playing the hits and bringing the news on KAB, your hometown station. Stay tuned for the 5 o'clock report coming up next.

22:00 Speaker 2: Every hour, on the hour, KAB News and Weather.

22:09 Speaker 4: Some report.

22:11 Speaker 6: Nothing happens in this town.

22:13 Speaker 4: Nothing.

22:14 Speaker 9: Don't worry, Ruth. I'm sure something will pick up. Even small towns have their little mishaps.

22:21 Speaker 1: Doorway to Nightmare is brought to you in part by Swanage Press. This is Artemis Black, inviting you to return with us to the Doorway to Nightmare for another adventure into the terrifying world of your imagination. Until next time, slumber peacefully.

22:45 Speaker 4: Epilogue The butler did it.