Horror Audiobook Marathon: Swan’s Dead Time Stories | 4 Tales of Terror

0:02 Speaker 1: DVR Plus Are you ever going to come to bed? Joseph looked up at his wife, Carrie, and recognised a stern look on her face. He adjusted himself in the recliner, the remote control for the television sitting in his lap, a lukewarm beer sitting on the small table beside him. Carrie, a beautiful 30-year-old career woman, was tapping her left foot in consternation. Her silk robe was tied tightly around her slim body. A stray blonde hair hung down over her right eye. Yeah, in a little while, Joseph told her.

0:39 Speaker 1: Right after this programme. I swear, she replied. I don't know what you would do without that stupid idiot box. My God, there hasn't been anything good on that thing for ten years. No, that's not true, he tried to argue. What about that one about the pawn shop?

0:58 Speaker 2: Really?

0:58 Speaker 1: You're going to throw around some reality show, she asked, her face drawn and tight. Hey, they have a lot of good information on that show, Joseph said, his voice betraying the fact that even he did not believe what he had just said. Carrie stopped having her foot and said, You have to be at work in the morning, or are you watching some stupid talk show? I can record it, he said without thinking. In exasperation, she turned and headed toward the bedroom. Joseph sighed, drank from the beer can and began watching an infomercial.

1:35 Speaker 1: So this is better than what I have already, Joseph asked the customer service representative that had called from the satellite company. Yes, sir, was the reply from the woman on the phone.

1:47 Speaker 3: This is our Plus Series 3000. We think that you will be very satisfied with all the new features that have been built in.

1:55 Speaker 1: And how much is this going to cost me? Joseph asked, knowing that there was always a catch. Absolutely nothing, the woman told him.

2:03 Speaker 3: We are running a test market before making the new Plus Series 3000 available to the general public. We only ask that you complete a short survey online each night for one week. After that, the unit is yours to keep.

2:17 Speaker 1: Joseph had always been suspicious of something that sounded too good to be true. But in this case... When could you have it installed?! The DVR Plus Series 3000 had arrived by UPS the very next day. Joseph had a somewhat working knowledge of hooking things up to the television and the instructions were very straightforward. After he made sure that the cables were correctly in place, he sat in his recliner and removed the shiny new remote control from the separate box. After pressing several of the buttons without results, he realised that the batteries were not included.

2:56 Speaker 1: Sitting back down, he managed to get the DVR Plus Series 3000 to work. Just like the old one, he told himself after a few minutes. There really wasn't much of a difference between the old receiver and the new deluxe model. He searched through all of the menus that were offered, saw he could record one show while watching another, how he could schedule events to record even through his cell phone, and could find no difference. Well, at least it's new. he said as he changed to the channel to watch some ancient situation comedy.

3:28 Speaker 1: He looked down at the remote control and saw the button in the bottom left-hand side. There were no markings, no indication as to what the button did. He looked through the instructions and could find no mention of a small button on the bottom part of the remote control. Let's just see, he said to no one, pressing the lone button. The screen on the television went black for only a moment. A picture appeared of an office, spacious and clean. Out of the window was the city, cloaked in darkness. A man stood behind the desk, shuffling papers as if he were getting ready to leave.

4:04 Speaker 1: To Joseph, the man looked very much like one of the partners at the law firm in which he was a junior. Another man who Joseph could have sworn was Mr. Kirchfield, a junior partner in the firm, walked into the office. Lansing, Kirchfield said, addressing the man behind the desk. What do you want, Ron?

4:24 Speaker 4: I don't have time.

4:26 Speaker 3: You are going.

4:27 Speaker 1: To make time, the Kirchfield lookalike told the Lansing lookalike, pulling a rather large gun from his custom-made suit pocket. What the hell are you going to do with that? Lansing asked. Nothing if you accept my proposal, Kirchfield told him.

4:43 Speaker 3: Otherwise, I shall have to make it look as if it were an accident.

4:49 Speaker 1: Joseph did not move an inch. his eyes fixed on the scene unfolding before him on his television. This must be some sort of mystery programme that was on some network that he had yet to discover. Whatever it was, it was very entertaining. Sorry, Kirchfield, Lansing said, but you already know what the board has recommended, and that is what we are going to do. Throw me to the curb? I don't think so. Kirchfield had managed to get behind Lansing in less than a second, grabbing him by the collar. Lansing pleaded, but to no avail, as Kirchfield threw the man straight out of the 32nd floor window, shattering the glass and hearing the man scream as his body fell into oblivion.

5:34 Speaker 1: With a satisfied smile, Kirchfield looked dead into the camera and winked. He quietly left the office. Have you heard, Joseph? Miss Reynolds, the secretary for the whole firm, was a fountain of information on everything from who was pregnant to who was dating whom. She had tears in her eyes this morning when Joseph walked into the office. Heard what? Joseph asked. It's Mr Lansing. He committed suicide last night. Jumped right out of the window from his office. I knew that things were getting a bit rough around here, but what with Mr Kirchfield trying to take over Mr Lansing's department, but Suicide?

6:17 Speaker 1: It's always the ones that never say anything that do it. Don't you think so? Joseph had only heard the word suicide. He just could not connect the death of one of his co-workers and the programme that he watched the night before. You don't look so good, Miss Reynolds told him. I think I need to go home. He stared at the blank television screen. He was a little apprehensive about turning it on after what he had seen last night and what had transpired at the office. Just to show, he tried to convince himself.

6:56 Speaker 1: With hesitation, he pressed the remote's on button. The television came to life. The channel sat on another infomercial network. Joseph looked down at the remote control, his hand trembling slightly. With his finger that seemed to be shaking the most, he pressed a button that held no insignia of any kind. Looking up, he saw the screen go blank. The scene that suddenly came up seemed to be familiar. It was a regular street with houses lined up along well-manicured lawns. Late model cars were parked in the driveways.

7:30 Speaker 1: Here and there were garbage cans along the curb, ready to be picked up the next day. The street lamps were all ablaze, casting shadows among the windows of the homes. The camera slowly panned towards a house and... Wait, isn't that... My house? And went in for a close-up of the front room window where a man stood looking out. No, not my house, Joseph said, for he saw the Lincoln parked in the driveway. The man in the window looked directly into the camera and, just as Mr. Kirchfield had done, winked.

8:07 Speaker 1: The scene cut to inside the house. Why does that look so damn familiar? Joseph asked himself. The man held up a large gas can and began to spread the liquid around the room. Joseph looked intently at the scene unfolding before his horrified eyes. Lying on the sofa was the body of a woman, scantily clad in a nightgown. Her short brown hair was matted with blood and her eyes were wide and lifeless. Joseph swore that it was Mrs Rachel Hastings, his next-door neighbour. The man looked exactly like Frank.

8:44 Speaker 1: her husband who was now spreading a flammable liquid around the house, dousing all of the furniture and covering the lifeless body of his wife. He can't be, Joseph exclaimed, remembering that just last weekend he and Carrie had had a wonderful time at the Hastings cookout by their pool, celebrating their tenth anniversary. With another wink, Frank Hastings lit a match and threw it onto the living room floor before retreating toward the back of the house. The flames licked and ignited everything.

9:16 Speaker 1: Joseph watched in horror as the body of Rachel was consumed. The screen on the television went blank and was instantly replaced by the infomercial. Joseph went to the bathroom and threw up. Frank's just out of town, Rachel told Joseph the next morning. Joseph had fully expected the house to be a smouldering ruin but everything had been exactly as it should have been, with everything in its proper place. Did you need something? Rachel asked him. Joseph had made something up and went to his own car, making his way to the office.

9:54 Speaker 1: He poured himself into his work, trying not to think about the nightmarish scene on the television. After lunch he decided to browse around the local mall that was on his way back home. There were really no pressing cases to work on, so he had decided to make it a short day. Passing a store that sold televisions, he noticed one that had been tuned to the local news. His stomach lurched when he read the caption. of the house fire that had claimed one victim. He instantly recognised the house, the name of the street, and could see his own home a few yards from the flames.

10:32 Speaker 1: Firefighters worked to save the smouldering homes. Joseph walked out of the mall in a daze. The remote sat in his hand. A bottle of scotch, a bucket of ice and a half-filled glass sat beside him on the table. The television sat like a silent sentinel, waiting for Joseph to command it to show him something. It's just not possible, he said as he pressed the power button, bringing the television to life. The blank screen that had preceded the other two murders was quickly replaced. Joseph tried to comprehend what he was seeing.

11:12 Speaker 1: No, it can't be! The scene was a man, the camera only showing the back of his head, sitting in the recliner, watching television. On the table beside him was a bottle of scotch, a bucket of ice and a half-filled glass. Walking into the scene was a woman. No, not just any woman. This was the woman that he had loved and married and had spent the last eight years with. Carrie. She turned towards the camera and winked, just as the other two had done. In her hand was a large butcher's knife, She slowly raised the weapon and crept towards the figure in the...

11:53 Speaker 1: Joseph slammed his fist down onto the remote. The screen went blank. He tried to catch his breath, tried to make some sense as to what he had just seen. The door to the kitchen startled him. Joe, I'm home. The soft voice of his wife echoed down the hallway. I thought that I might do something special tonight. She called out to him.

12:15 Speaker 4: Carrie?

12:16 Speaker 1: His voice croaked out. I thought that I might try a roast. What do you say? She asked him. Carrie, he said, a little louder, too afraid to move. Any idea where we put the butcher knife? Epilogue The butler did it. Wait until your father gets home. You just wait, mister, until your father gets home. How I loathe to hear those words, and heard them I did, practically every day of my life. My stepmother would scream them at me for some infraction that I'd done. I hated her. She was a witch. I never knew my mother.

13:08 Speaker 1: She died while giving birth to me. I only know her through photographs and videos that my father showed me when I turned six years old. I'd always asked about her, but he'd only given me blank stares and told me not to worry, that she was fine where she was at. She had been a beauty, with long brown hair and soulful eyes that seemed to look out at the various photos and hold me. There were times that I could feel her arms around me, holding me in a motherly embrace. Until I'd turned twelve years old, that is.

13:46 Speaker 1: My father had worked hard to achieve the status in which I had grown accustomed to. Money had no longer become a problem. The problem was how to spend it. We lived in a rather luxurious apartment right in the heart of downtown. Easy walking distance to the finest shops, restaurants and theatres. I grew up watching the stars of Broadway perform their various roles. I saw the latest movies on one of the largest screens in the country. Our own media room boasted the latest in technology on video and sound.

14:23 Speaker 1: I attended the best school and excelled in my studies. The teachers always praised me for my work and my friends listened to the advice that I gave. I had become quite popular by the time I was 14. Everything was perfect until the witch entered our lives. Come here Tom and meet your new mother, my father said. Hello Thomas, I'm sure that we shall become great friends, Glenda told me, which I knew would never happen. She was tall, much like my father, and at least 15 years younger. Her body looked like it had come from a fitness magazine, toned and tanned.

15:06 Speaker 1: Her long hair waved naturally, no matter what the condition of the weather might be. Her makeup was always perfect. Her clothes were always form-fitting and carried the latest brand names and styles. I often wondered what she saw in my father. A slightly overweight middle-aged man of success with a balding problem and a moustache that never quite grew in the same direction. Other than the millions of dollars that he was worth, I couldn't see one redeeming value that my father had that would have attracted such an elegant woman.

15:43 Speaker 1: The word gold digger had crossed my mind on many occasions. What she didn't know was that the money was mine. All of it. Lock, stock and barrel. I had planned and planned, double checking everything so that by my 16th birthday, I would inherit the estate while my father, the murderer of my mother, would be lying in a box six feet under the ground. Oh yes, he killed my mother. On the night of my birth, they were on their way to dinner when he swerved for no apparent reason, hitting a guardrail and crashing into the trees beyond.

16:23 Speaker 1: My mother went into early labour and by the time the ambulance arrived, I was making my way into the world. She died a few hours later. My father was unharmed. The police made a report and I grew up in an incubator for the next six months. Yes. He killed my mother. I know that there are those around me who will say it was just an accident, that he did not mean to swerve the car off the road. I have read all the reports. It is amazing what you can find online nowadays. He killed her, and I have made plans to kill him.

17:04 Speaker 1: At least, that was what I thought. Until the witch Glinda of the long hair... showed up and completely ruined my plans. So what do you think of your new mother? My father asked me one day. I knew that I should play along. She's okay, I guess, I heard my 13-year-old voice say. But look that my father had given me below the fact that he did not believe what I was saying either. She really is trying, he said. Maybe you could give her a little leeway. The money is mine, I thought. Not hers. Yeah, I'll try, I told him.

17:47 Speaker 1: However, from then on, things got worse between Glenda and me. You just wait until your father gets home, were the words that I heard every day. It did not matter what I did, whether it was spilling a drink on the carpet, even though I cleaned it up, or getting a B on some exam. It was always the same. Wait till your father gets home. My plans had to be carried out a little earlier than expected. I'd been waiting until I was 16, but after two years of hearing those same words, watching as she manipulated him into signing papers after papers, giving away my money to some worthless charity, I could wait no longer.

18:36 Speaker 1: It was fitting that the car careened off the road in the same spot where my mother had met her demise. His body crashed through the windshield due to a faulty seatbelt, nearly cutting him in half. His face smashed into the tree, obliterating all of his features. The funeral was a closed casket affair. The money would now be mine. Until I heard the will read. Now that's not fair, I yelled at the attorney. I saw the faintest smile on Glenda's face as she was informed that the entire estate was hers now, on the condition that she care for me as her own son.

19:22 Speaker 1: I was to get a small allowance until I was 21, at which time I would receive a million dollars annuity, which I would be able to collect on when I turned 35. All the plan.

19:37 Speaker 1: All the worrying that I had done was for nothing. And all because of that wicked witch, Glenda. Oh, don't worry, Thomas. I will see to it that you get what is coming to you. She told me as we left the attorney's office I had to make my plans yet again Being careful not to slip up again Did she have a will? According to my father's will If anything were to happen to her Then the estate would revert to me It was clear what I had to do and began to plan that very night. The first accident was really just a testament.

20:21 Speaker 1: She'd fallen down a long staircase as planned but had only a few bruises. The fine piece of fishing line that I'd stretched across the upper landing had done its job nicely. Almost. Wait until your father gets home, she said. her eyes boring into me as she brushed herself off and made her way to the den. I remember when my father gave her the den. At one time it would be my playroom, but once Glenda had moved in, father had moved everything that was mine out of it. Glenda brought in boxes and boxes of God knows what, and quite strangely, had father put a lock onto the door, which he promptly did.

21:08 Speaker 1: I spent more than a few nights wondering what she was doing behind that locked door. I had made several attempts to open it, but to no avail. The second accident took place a week later, when the brakes gave out on her car. I waited for the knock on the door of the police, informing me that there had been a terrible accident and that Glenda was dead. Wait until your father gets home, Glenda said as she paid the taxi driver. The car was in the shop.

21:42 Speaker 2: Lucky for me, the brakes gave out at a stoplight so I didn't roll very far.

21:46 Speaker 1: I only swerved onto the curb. My, my, Thomas, you should really be nicer to me. That's okay.

21:55 Speaker 2: Just wait until your father gets home. But he isn't coming home, you bitch.

22:00 Speaker 1: He's dead. Do you hear me? D-E-A-D! Dead! I screamed. Glenda turned to me just before heading toward that locked door in the den. Her face was a blank mask of emotion, but her eyes were narrow slits of hate as she said, Wait until your father gets home. With that, she opened the door to the den, stepped in and locked it behind her. A week later, I found out how right I was about Glenda being a witch. I'm going to the store, Thomas.

22:38 Speaker 2: Do you want anything?

22:40 Speaker 1: I didn't answer. I was waiting for the explosion of the bomb that I had planted in her car, but there was nothing. Perhaps later that day I would get the visit from the police. I wandered downstairs. After making myself a sandwich, I made my way toward the media room, passing by the den. The door was open. For the first time, the door was actually open, and not just a crack or two, but officially bonafide wide open. I peered inside. The altar at the far end of the room gave me chills. A picture of my father hang on the wall.

23:22 Speaker 1: Below it were candles burning, an open book, and several knives and cauldrons with something boiling inside them. I looked on the floor and saw the painted, circled pentagram drawn neatly and perfectly, just like everything else about Glenda. I wanted to throw up, but I couldn't stop myself from approaching the altar and looking down at the book, seeing the passage that it was turned to. I had never heard her come in, I never heard the front door open or the footsteps as I approached the den. I only heard her voice.

24:03 Speaker 2: I told you to wait until your father came home. He's waiting for you in the living room. I think he wants to have a little chat.

24:13 Speaker 1: She said, menace dripping from each word. I'm still standing in the room, surrounded by objects that Glenda uses in her craft. I'd read the police report on my father's death, knowing how mangled the body was in the closed coffin at the funeral. Wait until your father gets home, she had told me over and over again. Now he was home, and I am very afraid. Epilogue The butler did it. Buzzard.

25:04 Speaker 2: I'm not ready to go yet.

25:07 Speaker 1: Martha Adams sat on the back porch, sipping her first cup of coffee of the morning, watching the two buzzards sitting in the palm tree that grew in her yard. She lit her cigarette and puffed madly, eyeing the two birds who in turn eyed her back. I told you, I'm not ready to go yet, she yelled again. As if in defiance, she took a long drag of the cigarette, holding it in her lungs as long as possible before blowing the white smoke upwards towards the birds. At 67, she felt that her health was pretty good considering everything that she had been through.

25:47 Speaker 1: Two strokes, arthritis and the general aches and pains that seemed to come with growing older had not hindered her in any way. She continued to be active in the small seaside community in South Florida, organising and overseeing different events including the Christmas light parade along the river. The restaurant that she had successfully run for almost 30 years was still going strong under the new owners and she was paid a very handsome salary for consulting them. Yes, she thought to herself. Her life was very good, and she was not ready to leave it behind.

26:24 Speaker 1: At least, not just now. She had seen the buzzards on other houses circling the yards as if waiting for a sign. Invariably, someone in the house would die. The buzzards would then move on, finding another house to roost on until the inevitable demise of someone inside. She finished her coffee and smashed the cigarette into the ashtray. Looking up into the palm trees, she counted four of the birds looking down at her. I told you, she yelled up at them. I'm not ready yet. Entering her Punta Gorda home, the cool air was a sharp contrast to the sunny and hot sky outside.

27:11 Speaker 1: It was December, but the temperatures had hovered in the 80s most of the month. The doorbell rang and she made her way through the house to find out who would be calling upon her at a little after eight in the morning. She had no use for salespeople trying to sell magazines, vacuum cleaners or worse, frozen meat from the back of a truck that wasn't quite frozen and definitely could not be considered meat. Opening the door slightly, she saw a tall young man with shoulder-length brown hair, slim and wearing something that resembled a suit.

27:48 Speaker 2: May I help you?

27:49 Speaker 1: She asked. Good morning, the young man said. I'm Frank Gibbons.

27:56 Speaker 2: Is that supposed to mean something to me?

27:58 Speaker 1: She asked. Well, I guess not, he admitted. I'm an investigative journalist for the Tampa Sun and I was wondering if I could speak with you. She did not subscribe to any newspaper and had no way of knowing if this man standing on her porch at eight in the morning was who he said he was. Asking for some sort of credentials would have been fruitless.

28:25 Speaker 2: I don't understand why a reporter from a newspaper would want to speak to me, she told him.

28:31 Speaker 1: To be honest, Frank began, I really am not sure why I would need to talk to you. All that I know is that I should talk to you. Well, Mr Gibbons, she said as politely as she could without her second cup of coffee.

28:48 Speaker 2: I'm very busy today and I don't think that I have the time to discuss anything.

28:55 Speaker 1: As she was closing the door, she stopped short with his next statement. It is about your buzzard problem. He called out to the closing door. She slowly opened the door again. May I come in?

29:09 Speaker 2: He asked.

29:10 Speaker 1: She opened the door wide and allowed the stranger to come into her home. She eyed him carefully, wondering if this was the man who would perhaps rob or kill her. She thought that maybe he would be the emissary that the buzzards were waiting for. Closing the door, she motioned him to sit in the small front room.

29:32 Speaker 2: Would you like some coffee?

29:35 Speaker 1: She asked. That'd be very nice. I'll take it black, please. After retrieving the two cups of coffee from the kitchen, she sat in the chair opposite the reporter.

29:46 Speaker 2: Anne, what would you like to know?

29:50 Speaker 1: Martha asked him. Well, he said, a little embarrassed. Your name would be a good start. She smiled and said, Martha Adams, but just call me Martha. No miss or misses, only Martha. Or perhaps Miss Martha. Miss Martha, he began. What can you tell me about the buzzards?

30:15 Speaker 2: I suppose you had better tell me what you.

30:17 Speaker 1: Know about them, she said. His embarrassment grew as he said, I don't think that you're going to believe me, but the things that I have seen in the last few days defy any explanation. What have you seen, young man? Well, it all started about a week ago, he began. I was put on assignment down here to cover the Christmas holiday. You know the kind of thing, why tourists come here and what the locals do for the holidays. Basically a fill of peace. Oh yes, I know, she agreed. Well, I was getting all the interviews that I would need when I first noticed the buzzards, he said.

30:59 Speaker 1: They were sitting on the roof of an elderly man who lived across the street from the people that I had done an interview with. Well, I was just getting ready to leave when I stopped and watched the old man come out of his house. Well, he was only wearing a bathrobe, which isn't unusual in itself, especially if you're down this way. Anyway, I watched the man walk to the end of his driveway, about a hundred feet or so. He turned and looked up at the buzzards, nodded his head, and, um... At this point, the young reporter stopped his narrative and took a long sip of coffee, as if that would help his vocal cords work properly.

31:40 Speaker 1: Martha waited patiently, but she knew what he was about to tell her.

31:45 Speaker 2: And what did you see?

31:47 Speaker 1: She asked, coaxing him a little. What I saw was like something out of a nightmare, he told her. Well, I watched this old man nod to the buzzards, about six of them all sitting on the roof of his house. There were several people on the streets, and apparently they did not see the same thing that I did. I watched the buzzards swoop down and cover this old man like a pack of wolves, ripping and tearing at him. I saw them rip away chunks of meat as blood spurted across the driveway.' And what did.

32:24 Speaker 2: Everyone else see?

32:25 Speaker 1: she asked him.' That' s just it,' Frank said.' No one else seemed to see the same thing.' The only thing that they saw was an old man fall to the ground.' I found out later that he had died according to the coroner of heart failure. Simple, cut and dried heart failure. And that was not what I saw. I don't expect you to believe me, Mrs.

32:51 Speaker 2: Adams.

32:51 Speaker 1: I mean, Miss Martha, he corrected himself. No, young man, she told him.

32:58 Speaker 4: You would be.

32:59 Speaker 2: Surprised at what I would believe. Go on with your story.

33:05 Speaker 1: A couple of days later, Frank continued, I was interviewing a young couple who had come to Florida on a vacation for Christmas. We were standing outside, relaxed and in a pretty good mood, when I noticed the first buzzard flying high overhead. I watched as it circled around before landing on the house next door to where I was. I was horrified to see at least ten of the creatures sitting on the roof, looking down on the front yard. Why look, and saw a group of children playing. The couple that I was interviewing must have stopped talking and watched me looking at the kids playing, laughing, basically just being children.

33:46 Speaker 1: Well, they smiled and began talking about how wonderful it was that the weather was so nice that the children could play outside. To my horror, I saw a boy about ten years old stopping his tracks, turned to look up at the buzzards, nod, and then... Again, the reporter stopped talking. Martha reached over and lightly squeezed the young man's arm, a sign that she knew what he was about to say. The same thing happened, he said after a moment. The same horrible thing that had happened to the old man claimed the young boy.

34:24 Speaker 1: The buzzards were on him in seconds, tearing at the young flesh, blood splattering the other children. I saw the couple hurry over to the decimated body and began performing CPR, blood covering their clothes and faces. I wanted to stop them, but I couldn't.

34:43 Speaker 2: Because no one else saw what you were.

34:46 Speaker 1: Saying, she said. Exactly. No one saw the nightmare that I was witnessing. All they saw was a young boy collapsing onto the ground, he said. They, whoever they are, said that he had died from a brain aneurysm.

35:06 Speaker 2: Would you like some more coffee or something a little stronger?

35:10 Speaker 1: She asked. No, coffee will be fine, he told her, handing her his cup. She took the cups to the kitchen and looked out the window into her backyard. The buzzards, now about five or six of them, were roosting in the palm tree, watching her with baleful eyes. After pouring the coffee, she returned to the young man in her living room.

35:33 Speaker 2: So, can you continue?

35:36 Speaker 1: She asked. I think I have to, he told her, taking a sip of the hot liquid. It was then, he began again, after the death of the boy that I started to notice the buzzards more and more. Sometimes I would only see one or two of them sitting in a tree or on a rooftop. At other times I would see as many as ten sitting on a house as if waiting for some sort of signal. The signal being that someone looks at them and nods, she asked. That was what seemed to happen to the old man and boy, he explained. I'm still trying to figure it all out.

36:16 Speaker 2: Have you heard them?

36:17 Speaker 1: She asked. What do you mean? They speak, you know, she said.

36:23 Speaker 2: It is almost like a whisper at first, but the voice becomes more distinct as time passes.

36:31 Speaker 1: Frank looked hard at Martha. Yes, I know, she said, smiling.

36:37 Speaker 2: You think now that I'm some crazy old woman who is beginning to show signs of senility? I promise you, they will start to whisper to you. So what brought you to me?

36:51 Speaker 1: She asked. Well, I started to follow the damn birds, he said, and they led me here. I see, she said. On most of the homes I've seen one or two, where something has happened, I've seen as many as ten.

37:08 Speaker 2: And how many you seen on my.

37:12 Speaker 1: Roof, she asked. He paused briefly before saying, um, at least thirty. She smiled again. expecting the answer. Why do I see the ghastly deaths is what I cannot understand, Frank said, sipping at his coffee.

37:33 Speaker 2: I believe you are seeing an ethereal world, she explained. You know that buzzards are basically scavengers picking at the dead animals that are killed on the roads. What I believe that you are seeing are the remnants of the soul that has been torn apart.

37:53 Speaker 1: Do you think that the old man and the boy felt anything? Frank asked. I really don't know, she told him. But I have seen it happen as well. When did you see it, he asked.

38:08 Speaker 2: A week ago. I watched a woman across the street do exactly as you described. The buzzards were on her in seconds and I saw the same.

38:18 Speaker 1: Thing that you did, she said.

38:21 Speaker 2: I asked, and her family said that she had died of a heart attack, but I knew better.

38:27 Speaker 1: So why do you think that I've seen this thing? He asked.

38:32 Speaker 2: Well, for myself, I think that I've been telling them for so long now that I wasn't ready. They showed me what was going to happen.

38:43 Speaker 1: As for you... She paused and then said... I.

38:46 Speaker 2: Believe that they are showing you because you... We're not supposed to see it. Now, you have been marked.

38:57 Speaker 1: I feel fine, he exclaimed. And I don't have any health problems.

39:03 Speaker 2: I don't think that that has anything to do.

39:06 Speaker 1: With it, she said. Frank watched as she rose up and went to the back French doors leading to her backyard. Just beyond her, he could see the yard and his terror began to rise. The entire yard was filled with buzzards, all of them watching the old woman. Now, she said to him, watch. the buzzards closely.

39:32 Speaker 2: Now I think that I am ready.

39:37 Speaker 1: What are you talking about? he asked. He watched in horror as she opened the door. The buzzards seemed to be waiting, their black eyes expectant as the old woman simply nodded her head. He screamed as the birds crowded into the house, ripping her apart as she fell to the floor. Blood began to splatter over the kitchen. He felt the warm liquid hit his face. A buzzard pecked and retrieved one of her eyes, gulping it down. Another one pulled at the tough heart muscle as blood began to cover the floor.

40:16 Speaker 1: One of the buzzards paused to look at Frank before attacking the woman's neck, pulling at the fragile skin and ripping into the carotid artery. The spray from the new wound spurted almost five feet and covered Frank with its inkiness. Within less than a minute, the birds were gone, And Martha was dead. The blood seemed to disappear from everything. Frank, in a daze, went to the phone and called the police. Driving back to Tampa, he was trying to get into his mind how he would write such a fantastic story.

41:05 Speaker 1: He knew that no one would ever believe it. His editor was furious at the length of time that he had been gone. He was even more upset when Frank told him that there really wasn't a story like he thought. As a reward, Frank was given the honour of covering some flower show.

41:29 Speaker 1: Eventually he made it to his apartment, a sparsely furnished one-bedroom apartment. He went over to the cabinet and removed the bottle of scotch that had been sitting for over six months since he had stopped drinking. Pouring a healthy glass, he went over to the window and looked out onto the city beneath his fifteenth-floor apartment. The buzzard landed on the rail of his balcony and began to stare at him. Another one joined the first, flapping its dark wings. Frank raised his glass and said, I'm not ready to go yet.

42:20 Speaker 2: Epilogue. The butler did it.

42:25 Speaker 4: This is a story called Puppy. You might look at your dog or the neighbor's dog twice. Or your dog. Girlfriend. Randall Bledsoe had an extremely strict routine. Each morning he would wake up promptly at 6 a.m. He would dress in his jogging suit and head downstairs. His wife, Evelyn, would have his first cup of coffee made for him, two sugars and one cream, each and every day. He would sit and sip the hot liquid, waking his other senses up. He would watch Evelyn prepare his breakfast, which would be ready as soon as he was back from his jog around the block.

43:07 Speaker 4: She would make his two eggs over easy, crispy bacon, grapefruit, orange juice, and a second cup of steaming hot coffee. Only on the weekends would he break this routine and allow her to cook pancakes. Even then, he expected it to be ready as soon as he returned. Evelyn had grown accustomed to the strict routine. She had had to, for she found out early on what breaking her husband's routine meant. What is this? Randall had asked her one Thursday evening as she brought out the pot roast and set it on the dining room table.

43:42 Speaker 4: I thought we might break the routine, she had told him. She had worked most of the afternoon on the dinner and was quite proud of the way that everything had turned out. The meat was tender as well as the carrots, potatoes, and onions. The salad that she had prepared a few minutes before her husband had arrived home promptly at 5.30 p.m. was crisp with iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, shredded carrots, cucumber, and his favorite dressing. What day is it? he asked, his voice hollow. Why, it's Thursday, she had replied.

44:14 Speaker 4: She began cutting the meat into proper proportions for each of them. Well, he said with a menacing smile, you at least know that much. Perhaps then you can tell me what we have for dinner on Thursday. She looked up at him and a slight chill ran through her. They had only been married for three months after a whirlwind romance. She had fallen in love with his good looks, his aristocratic manners, and of course the wealth helped a little as well. He seemed to be everything that she had dreamed of.

44:46 Speaker 4: The only thing about him was the damned routine that he had. She had thought that she could adjust, but it was becoming difficult with every passing day since their honeymoons. I thought that we could break away from the usual fish night, she told him. This was a recipe that was taught to me by my mother, and I knew that my father enjoyed it. You know, he began, placing his elbows under the table, my day at work can be a little tedious sometimes. There are the meetings, the salespeople that I must deal with, the enormous amount of paperwork that always hits my desk, and yet there is one thing that I can always count on.

45:25 Speaker 4: When things get a little overwhelming, I sit back and think of the day, in this case, Thursday. And do you know what I think about? She could only shake her head. I think about the wonderful fish dinner that my wife is cooking for me, he said with that smile that she had grown to loathe. It is the one thing that I can count on, no matter how bad or good the day is going. So, I arrived this evening, and to my surprise, I do not smell the aroma of fish, complete with hushpuppies, coleslaw, and a glass of wine.

46:02 Speaker 4: No, instead I smell some sort of dish that I have never eaten in my life. Her apprehension at that point was rising. He had never raised a hand to her in the three-month marriage, had never shown her any anger, but right now she was wondering if he was capable. The look in his eye assured her that he was. After a silence that seemed to last for an eternity, he simply stood up, took the food back into the kitchen, and deposited serving plates and food into the garbage can. He then returned to the table and sat down.

46:37 Speaker 4: She dared not say a word. You now realize that my entire schedule was completely thrown off, he said in a menacing tone. I am going to leave. Go down to the local diner where I know that they serve a fish dinner. I shall eat at a leisurely pace and return some time this evening. You shall sit at this table and think about the consequences of your actions. You shall remain here until I return. He stood up and headed for the front door. Before leaving, he turned to her and said, Do not think about eating or even getting out of that chair.

47:15 Speaker 4: If you do, I will know it. You don't want me to return to find you out of the dining room chair. She heard him start the car and leave. It was almost ten o'clock that evening when he finally returned. She had not dared to move from the chair. There was something in his voice, some tonality that made her very afraid of him for the first time since meeting him. It had never been there before, but she had heard it and was now very afraid of him. He walked in and set a burger that he had obviously purchased hours ago in front of her.

47:48 Speaker 4: Without another word, he walked upstairs and headed for bed. That had been almost five years ago. Evelyn had thought of leaving him many times. She had been putting money aside for just such an emergency. She had made plans and had even consulted an attorney about a divorce. It was one evening that he said, If you ever try to leave me, you will regret it. It was all that was needed to be said, and Evelyn, afraid of him, had never tried to leave. She had his breakfast on the table just as he walked in the door from his morning jog.

48:23 Speaker 4: She would eat after he left for the office. After leaving her, she would then begin her morning routine. This would include washing the dishes, the laundry, and general cleaning of their spacious home, and then planning the evening's meal which would adhere to his strict menu. At least this was not a day to go to the grocery store, so she would have some free time in the afternoon. These were the days that she looked forward to the most. It gave her a brief respite from the mundane existence that she now found herself in.

48:54 Speaker 4: Looking back on the last five years, she was beginning to think again of leaving him. Although he had never physically abused her, it was the verbal jabs that hurt her the most. A person can only take so much berating. The soft scratching on the door brought her out of her reverie. She sighed and wondered what normal people do if they had been in the situation that she was in now. Walking to the front door, she opened it to find a small puppy. You shouldn't be here, she told the furry creature. The puppy only looked up at her, its eyes wide and scared.

49:30 Speaker 4: Where did you come from? she asked it. Bending down, she picked up the small animal, looking first to see that it was indeed a The puppy nestled against her, making a soft sound. You know that I can't keep you, she told the ball of fur. Closing the door, she carried it to the kitchen. My husband will not allow any kind of animal to cross this threshold. Not even a goldfish, she thought to herself. Pulling out a bowl, she filled it with water and set it on the floor. Setting the puppy beside it, she smiled as it dipped its nose into the liquid and began lapping it up.

50:07 Speaker 4: You are too cute for words, she said, sitting at the kitchen table. I wonder what kind of dog you are. The word mongrel crept into her mind. Maybe I should call you Scruffy, she decided, although she knew that she would have to call someone to come and collect it. The pup looked up at her with those wide eyes. It was almost telling her that everything would be all right. Her heart melted when she looked into those eyes. Oh, let's just see what we can do, she told him. I will probably regret this, but at this point, I really don't care.

50:41 Speaker 4: The puppy seemed to smile up at her. Randall Bledsoe returned home that evening just as he always did at exactly 5.30. As he entered, he saw that the table was completely set for dinner. He smelled the familiar aroma of a medium well steak, baked potato, and a fresh salad. Evelyn greeted him with a smile and a kiss. You seem a little nervous tonight, he commented as he cut into his steak. No, she said a bit quickly. Not really nervous, I guess. Just glad that you were home.

51:17 Speaker 1: Really?

51:17 Speaker 4: He asked, sighing her closely. Why would you be glad that I was home? Evelyn thought quickly and answered. I was watching the news earlier. There was some story about an escaped convict that was being transferred to the prison. I didn't catch the whole story, but it was enough to make me worried. Randall digested this along with a bite of steak and said, It was refreshing that you worry about me. I'm sure that you think long and hard on ways to get rid of me, don't you? Why would you say that? Evelyn asked.

51:49 Speaker 4: I know that you watch those murder mystery shows, he told her, grabbing into the potato. I suspect that you are doing research. She smiled and said, I'm just interested, that's all. I would have thought that you would be more interested in learning how to cook better, he said, wiping his lips. Is the steak not to your liking, she asked apprehensively. He stared down at the half-eaten meat and said, I've had better. Even the cook at the Waffle House has done better than this. Yet another jab, she thought.

52:23 Speaker 4: At least you can't screw up a salad, he said, as he took another forkful of lettuce smothered in ranch dressing. She looked down at her own steak knife. How easy would it be to jab it into her husband's neck, watching the blood spurt over the food in the table. What a wonderful feeling of elation she would feel as he clutched at his throat, trying to stave off the flow of blood. How joyous she would feel as he looked up at her before collapsing and, Did you hear me? he asked, his voice a little loud.

52:55 Speaker 4: I'm sorry, she told him, still looking at the steak knife. He put his napkin over the remainder of his meal and said, I asked you if you mailed those letters yet. Her brain raced, trying to remember if she had indeed put the letters into the mailbox this morning. She could not think. Her entire mind was on the murder of the man who had made her into a personal servant for the last five years. Yes, I did, she finally said. You did not say that as if you were sure, he said with a touch of minutes.

53:27 Speaker 4: I'm sure, Randall, she said firmly. So if I were to go to the study right now, he said slowly, rising up from the dining room table, the stamped envelopes would no longer be on the desk, correct? Evelyn panicked slightly. She nodded. You don't seem to be as sure as you were a moment ago, my dear, he told her, his voice now dripping with menace. I mailed them, she said firmly. Randall only smiled, patting the leather belt that he always wore. He turned and walked toward the living room. She waited, her breath catching in her throat.

54:09 Speaker 4: While Randall had never once struck her, she was always in constant fear that there would be a first time. She breathed a sigh of relief when she heard the television go on. She stood up and began to clear away the dishes. Taking the unfinished steak, she placed it on a paper towel. Quietly, she made her way out the kitchen door and to the tool shed. The puppy lay quietly on an old blanket that she had managed to find. She was so grateful that the little thing had not made a sound. She put the meat next to him and scratched behind his ears.

54:43 Speaker 4: This brought a grateful wag of its tail. He nudged the meat before tearing into it. Just please don't make a sound tonight, she told it. I know how puppies can be when left alone at night. You just be quiet. We might both end up on the street. The puppy wagged its tail again and continued to eat. She was quietly closing the back kitchen door, hoping that Randall was still watching the news. Where have you been? he asked her. She turned quickly and saw him standing in the doorway. I thought that I heard something outside, she told him.

55:19 Speaker 4: With an escaped lunatic on the loose, I would have guessed that you would have asked me to have a look, he said. Why don't I have a look around? I don't think that it is necessary, she said quickly. He smiled at her and patted his belt. Why don't we both have a look, he said forcefully. Randall opened the door. Taking his wife's arm, he escorted her to the tool shed. Is there anything that you want to tell me, he asked her, his teeth clenched. Evelyn stood silent. Randall opened the tool shed, turned on the light, and looked around.

55:57 Speaker 4: I guess our tool shed isn't good enough for an escaped convict to hide in, he said before walking back into the house. Evelyn stood surprised. She looked in and saw nothing. There was no puppy, nor one warm blanket, and no unfinished steak. Maybe the puppy heard Randall and found a way out somewhere, she thought. Oh, right, her mind told her, like a puppy is going to escape a locked tool shed, drag a blanket out along with its din-dins. Evelyn walked back into the house. The next day, about a half hour after Randall had left for work, Evelyn heard the now-familiar scratching at the kitchen door.

56:36 Speaker 4: Practically running from the living room, she flung open the door.

56:40 Speaker 3: Scruffy!

56:41 Speaker 4: She exclaimed. Lifting the ball of fur into her arm, she accepted the numerous licks and the happy wagging of its tail. She petted and held the animal for a good five minutes before letting it onto the floor. I don't know how you managed to get out of the shed, she told it. but I am sure glad that you did.

57:01 Speaker 4: Damn it! Randall slammed his fist onto the kitchen table. He stood up and walked over to his cowering wife. Why can't you learn to make pork chops correctly? he asked her, towering above her. I'm sorry, she whispered. Well, that is what I would expect a whimpering little girl to say, he told her. He began to remove his belt. Randall, please, Evelyn begged. I think, he said, wrapping the belt around his tight fist, that I should have done this five years ago. Please, she screamed. Evelyn stood in the kitchen the next morning.

57:40 Speaker 4: Her back was still hurting from the beating that she had received the night before. The welts were still red and angry, and this morning they had hurt even worse. She had not been able to sleep and had spent much of the night sitting in the living room. She had wished that the little puppy had been there to console her. She looked at the clock. Randall would be coming downstairs ready for his morning jog. She put the coffee onto the table. She promised herself that this would be the one and only time that she would feel this way.

58:11 Speaker 4: The morning air was brisk and Randall took a deep breath before beginning to jog down the driveway. He was feeling quite refreshed after explaining to his wife the way things were and the way things were going to be. His hand hurt slightly, but he knew that the pain was minuscule compared to what she must be feeling. She would definitely remember who the master of the house was, he thought to himself. He jogged to the corner before making the right turn. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought that he saw a small puppy following him.

58:43 Speaker 4: Upon making his way to the next quarter, he turned right again. From the corner of his eye, he swore that he now saw a medium-sized dog. He turned quickly. jogging in place to keep his rhythm going and his heart rate up. The dog looked a lot like the puppy that he had seen only a few minutes before. Perhaps this was the mother of the mutt. As he turned back, he made a mental note to call the dog pound. He never liked dogs and this one looked like quite the brute. If it were the mother of the puppy it could possibly be dangerous and therefore would have to be put down.

59:20 Speaker 4: Rounding the next corner he jogged a little up the street before turning around again. The dog, if that was what it was, was now twice the size of the previous one. It was standing at the corner, staring at Randall, its teeth bared and its eyes boring a hole into him. Randall was beginning to get nervous. He had never seen the animal in the neighborhood before. He would definitely call someone to have the beast eradicated from his jogging block. As he rounded the last corner, he saw Mrs. Murphy, their neighbor across the street, working as she always did in her garden.

59:56 Speaker 4: He did not particularly care for the elderly woman, but waved to her just the same whenever she was outside during his morning jog. He smiled at her, but she did not smile back. He stopped, still jogging in place, and waved to her again. He watched as she stood up, her hand covering her mouth. Her other hand pointed at something that was behind him. He saw her quickly run into her home. He turned and wished that he hadn't. The knock on the door startled Evelyn. She was even more surprised when she opened the door to find two police officers and a man in a suit standing on her doorstep.

1:00:37 Speaker 4: May I help you? she asked. Are you Mrs. Bledsoe? the man in the suit asked. Yes, I'm Evelyn Bledsoe, she answered. Is there anything wrong? May I come in, Mrs. Bledsoe? the man asked. These other men can wait outside. Evelyn opened the door a little more and escorted the man in the suit into the living room. Offering him some coffee, which he declined, she sat in the easy chair across from the sofa and motioned for him to sit down. Mrs. Bledsoe, he began, I'm Detective Bernard Shea from the 3rd Precinct.

1:01:11 Speaker 4: I'm afraid that I have some rather disturbing news. Evelyn could not speak. I'm afraid that your husband has been killed, he told her. It was the part of the job that Detective Shea hated the most. He was too old for this and had already been counting the days to retirement. After seeing what he had seen today, early retirement was looking better and better. Killed, she asked him. How? Apparently, he began, he was out jogging when he was attacked by a dog. Your neighbor, Mrs. Jennifer Murphy, saw the attack.

1:01:47 Speaker 4: She was the one that called it in. How could a dog kill someone, Evelyn asked. Unfortunately, as that has happened more often than not, he told her. Was your husband in the habit of jogging in the morning? Every morning, she told him. I'm sorry, I just don't know what to do. I understand. We have men checking the neighborhood seeing if they can find what Mrs. Murphy described. You don't sound too sure, she said. In reality, the detective had no doubt that the thing that Mrs. Murphy described would ever be found.

1:02:20 Speaker 4: He looked down at his notes and saw the words, long fangs, shaggy red hair, and extremely long talons, and only shook his head. Turning the page of his notebook, he opted not to tell the wife that her husband's head had been ripped away from the body. The coroner who examined the body measured the bite marks and determined that the dog, or whatever it was, would have been 15 feet in height. Well, the detective said, placing the notebook back into his pocket, these sorts of accidents happen. We may find the dog and we may not.

1:02:59 Speaker 4: Chances are it has run off to some other part of the city and you may never see it again. So you don't think that there is any danger, she asked, her voice breaking slightly. The detective shifted his weight a little, trying to convey how uncomfortable he really was. I don't think so, he reassured her. For the first time, Evelyn smiled. The small padded feet brought the puppy into the room. I see that you have a dog, the detective said, smiling. Evelyn picked up the small ball of fur and began to stroke its ear.

1:03:35 Speaker 4: His name is Scruffy, she told him. I think that he is astray or someone dropped him off. Well, he looks mighty handsome for such a little guy, the detective said. He slowly let the puppy smell his hand before petting him. Very friendly, too, Detective Shea commented. I am pretty sure that this is not the culprit that we are after. I don't think that he could hurt a fly, Evelyn told him. Detective Shea took out a business card and handed it to Evelyn. I'm not sure what I could tell you, she told him, taking her card.

1:04:08 Speaker 4: Oh, no, he told her, that is just in case you have trouble claiming the remains. I'm sure that there will not have to be an autopsy. However, the crime lab will still have to have your husband for a little while. Thank you, she told him as they walked toward the front door. Detective Shea smiled at the little puppy again, scratching its ears. You know, he began, my wife has two dogs. She loves them, I think, more than me. Evelyn Chuckleman said, oh, I don't think so. Yeah, you're probably right, he agreed.

1:04:41 Speaker 4: Our anniversary is coming up and I have got something incredibly special planned. She will be so surprised. How long have you been married, Evelyn asked. 25 years, he said proudly. Our two boys have already graduated college and have lives of their own. That was why I got the two dogs, so my wife wouldn't be lonely while I was working. That was very thoughtful, Evelyn said. You seem like a very caring husband. Well, he admitted, let us just say that I try to be the best man in her life, since she is the best woman in mine.

1:05:15 Speaker 4: I honestly don't see what she ever saw in me. She saw something, Evelyn told him, and sometimes that is all that it takes. I guess you're right, Mrs. Bledsoe, the detective said as he opened the front door. Again, my condolences. Thank you, she said. Closing the door, she turned and returned to the sofa. She set the puppy beside her. She was finally able to breathe again. She wondered what the detective would have said if he had walked in and seen the circled pentagram drawn in chalk on the floor or the white and black candles that she had managed to put away just as he had knocked.

1:05:56 Speaker 4: She smiled as she petted Scruffy on the head. Looking at the little puppy, she saw the small trace of matted blood on its lower jaw. Let me get that cleaned up for you, she said, and wiped the blood off. Epilogue. The butler did it.

1:06:36 Speaker 1: If you have enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download or listen to the audiobook and to discover other works by Winslow Swan. We thank you for your support.