# 5 True Applebees Horror Story Half-Priced Apps, Full-Priced Fear!

An episode of [AfterDark Reddits](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1896809423), 26 Oct 2026, 44 min.

Audio: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74987380/034_5_true_applebees_horror_story_half_priced_apps_full_priced_fear.mp3



## Transcript

[0:03] Speaker 1: I never thought I'd find myself in a situation like this.
[0:06] Speaker 1: Just a few months ago, I was a freelance graphic
[0:09] Speaker 1: designer living the dream or so I thought the reality
[0:13] Speaker 1: was far from it. My name is Ethan Carter and
[0:16] Speaker 1: I'm 28 years old, but I feel like I'm already
[0:19] Speaker 1: running on borrowed time. My rent was overdue. My bank
[0:23] Speaker 1: account was dwindling and my stomach was growling louder than
[0:26] Speaker 1: the late night traffic outside my small rundown apartment in Pinecrest, Ohio.
[0:31] Speaker 1: Pinecrest was a town that had seen better days. The
[0:35] Speaker 1: economy was struggling, and the streets were slick with rain,
[0:38] Speaker 1: reflecting the dim glow of flickering streetlights. I had moved
[0:42] Speaker 1: here hoping for a fresh start, but it felt more
[0:44] Speaker 1: like a dead end. My girlfriend, Lena Reyes, was one
[0:48] Speaker 1: of the few bright spots in my life. At 25,
[0:51] Speaker 1: she was working double shifts at the local Applebee's, saving
[0:54] Speaker 1: every penny for nursing school. I admired her determination, but
[0:59] Speaker 1: I hated that she had to work so hard while
[1:00] Speaker 1: I floundered. That night, as the clock ticked past 2 a.m.,
[1:05] Speaker 1: I found myself staring at my phone, willing it to
[1:08] Speaker 1: ring with a new freelance job. Instead, I texted Lena,
[1:12] Speaker 1: hoping she could bring me something to eat. I knew
[1:15] Speaker 1: she was swamped with a rowdy late-night crowd, but I
[1:17] Speaker 1: was desperate. Hey, you still at work? I'm starving. Anything
[1:21] Speaker 1: left from the kitchen? I typed, my fingers trembling slightly.
[1:25] Speaker 1: Her reply came quickly. Kitchen's closing soon, but I'll ask
[1:29] Speaker 1: Mac to drop off some leftovers. Stay awake. Mac. The
[1:34] Speaker 1: name sent a shiver down my spine. He was a
[1:37] Speaker 1: line cook at Applebee's and I had never liked him.
[1:40] Speaker 1: There was something off about the way he looked at Lena.
[1:43] Speaker 1: The way he lingered a little too long when he
[1:45] Speaker 1: brushed past her. But I was too hungry to argue.
[1:48] Speaker 1: At 3.15am my phone buzzed, jolting me from my thoughts.
[1:53] Speaker 1: A notification from my cheap, glitchy doorbell camera. I squinted
[1:57] Speaker 1: at the grainy footage and my heart dropped. There he was,
[2:01] Speaker 1: a figure outside my apartment door, dressed in a tattered
[2:05] Speaker 1: Big Bite Benny mascot costume. The oversized burger head tilted
[2:09] Speaker 1: unnaturally to the side, and in one hand, he held
[2:13] Speaker 1: a greasy takeout bag. In the other, a butcher knife
[2:17] Speaker 1: glinted ominously under the flickering hallway light. My blood turned
[2:21] Speaker 1: to ice. The mascot knocked. Three slow, deliberate raps. Then,
[2:27] Speaker 1: through the camera's speaker, I heard a distorted voice. Special delivery, uh,
[2:33] Speaker 1: for Ethan. It was Mac's voice, but it sounded warped
[2:36] Speaker 1: like he was smiling too wide. I froze, my mind racing.
[2:40] Speaker 1: My apartment was on the third floor with no fire escape,
[2:43] Speaker 1: and my car was in the shop. I had no
[2:45] Speaker 1: way out. My phone battery was at 7%, and calling
[2:48] Speaker 1: 911 would mean Mac hearing me through the door. I
[2:52] Speaker 1: grabbed a kitchen knife, dull from years of neglect. and
[2:56] Speaker 1: barricaded the door with a flimsy bookshelf. Outside, I could
[3:00] Speaker 1: hear his footsteps circling, then stopping. A new notification popped up.
[3:04] Speaker 1: Lena's text. Mac left with your food 20 mins ago.
[3:08] Speaker 1: You get it yet? My fingers trembled as I typed back. Lena,
[3:13] Speaker 1: he's here. He has a knife. Her. Reply was instant. What?
[3:19] Speaker 1: I told him just to leave it at the door. Ethan,
[3:21] Speaker 1: call the police now. But before I could, the power
[3:24] Speaker 1: went out. The darkness swallowed me whole. My apartment plunged
[3:28] Speaker 1: into an inky blackness, the only light coming from my
[3:31] Speaker 1: dying phone screen. Panic surged through me as I realized
[3:35] Speaker 1: Mac had cut the electricity. I could hear scratching at
[3:39] Speaker 1: the window. Somehow he had climbed up. The mascot's grinning
[3:43] Speaker 1: face pressed against the glass, the knife tapping lightly. You
[3:47] Speaker 1: don't deserve her, Ethan. I felt my heart race as
[3:50] Speaker 1: I bolted to the bathroom, the only room with a lock.
[3:54] Speaker 1: I called 911, whispering my address before my phone died,
[3:58] Speaker 1: leaving me in silence. Outside, Mac laughed, a wet, guttural
[4:03] Speaker 1: sound that sent chills down my spine. I'll tell Lena
[4:07] Speaker 1: you weren't home, then silence. Had he left? I waited,
[4:13] Speaker 1: my heart pounding until the first light of dawn crept
[4:15] Speaker 1: through the window. I finally mustered the courage to open
[4:18] Speaker 1: the door, my hands shaking. The takeout bag was there,
[4:23] Speaker 1: cold and greasy. Inside, I found no food, just a
[4:27] Speaker 1: Polaroid of Lena at work with she's mine scraw. The
[4:32] Speaker 1: morning light filtered through the grimy window, casting a dull
[4:36] Speaker 1: glow over my apartment. I stood frozen, staring at the
[4:39] Speaker 1: Polaroid in my hand, my heart racing. The image of Lena,
[4:43] Speaker 1: smiling and carefree at work, was marred by the sinister
[4:47] Speaker 1: message scrawled in ketchup. She's mine. The words echoed in
[4:52] Speaker 1: my mind. a chilling reminder of the night's events. I
[4:56] Speaker 1: felt a wave of nausea wash over me. I had
[4:59] Speaker 1: never been one to shy away from confrontation, but this
[5:03] Speaker 1: was different. Mac was not just some random creep. He
[5:07] Speaker 1: was a man who had been lurking in the shadows
[5:09] Speaker 1: of my life, someone who had been watching Lena and me.
[5:13] Speaker 1: I couldn't shake the feeling that he was always one
[5:15] Speaker 1: step ahead, always waiting for the right moment to strike.
[5:20] Speaker 1: I quickly gathered my things. my mind racing with thoughts
[5:23] Speaker 1: of what to do next. I needed to get out
[5:26] Speaker 1: of this apartment, away from the memories of last night.
[5:29] Speaker 1: I grabbed my phone and texted Lena, my fingers trembling
[5:32] Speaker 1: as I typed. I'm coming to get you. We need
[5:35] Speaker 1: to talk. Her reply came almost instantly. Ethan, please. Be careful.
[5:43] Speaker 1: Mac is still at work. I don't want you to
[5:45] Speaker 1: confront him alone. I knew she was right, but I
[5:48] Speaker 1: couldn't sit idly by while he tormented us. I had
[5:51] Speaker 1: to protect her, even if it meant facing my fears.
[5:55] Speaker 1: I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what lay ahead.
[6:00] Speaker 1: When I arrived at Applebee's, the familiar neon sign flickered
[6:04] Speaker 1: in the cold November air. The diner was bustling with
[6:07] Speaker 1: the late-night crowd, a mix of truckers and shift workers
[6:10] Speaker 1: seeking solace in greasy food and cheap drinks. I spotted
[6:14] Speaker 1: Lena behind the counter, her face pale and drawn, but
[6:18] Speaker 1: she managed a weak smile when she saw me. Ethan,
[6:22] Speaker 1: you shouldn't be here, she whispered, glancing nervously around the restaurant.
[6:27] Speaker 1: Mac is in the back and he's been acting strange
[6:29] Speaker 1: all night. I know, but I can't just let him
[6:31] Speaker 1: get away with this. I replied, my voice low but firm.
[6:36] Speaker 1: We need to figure out what to do. As we spoke,
[6:39] Speaker 1: I noticed Mac peering at us from the kitchen, his
[6:43] Speaker 1: eyes narrowing as he caught sight of our hushed conversation.
[6:47] Speaker 1: I felt a surge of anger and fear. He was
[6:50] Speaker 1: the reason for our anxiety, the shadow that loomed over
[6:54] Speaker 1: our lives. Let's go outside, Lena suggested. Her voice, barely
[7:01] Speaker 1: above a whisper. We can talk in the parking lot.
[7:04] Speaker 1: We stepped outside, the cold air hitting me like a
[7:07] Speaker 1: slap in the face. I could feel the tension building
[7:09] Speaker 1: between us, the weight of the situation pressing down on
[7:12] Speaker 1: my shoulders. Ethan, I'm scared, Lena admitted, her voice trembling.
[7:19] Speaker 1: What if he comes after us? What if he's waiting
[7:21] Speaker 1: for the right moment? I took her hands in mine,
[7:25] Speaker 1: trying to convey strength and reassurance. We'll figure this out together.
[7:30] Speaker 1: I won't let him hurt you. But as I spoke,
[7:32] Speaker 1: I couldn't shake the feeling that we were being watched.
[7:35] Speaker 1: I glanced around the parking lot, my heart racing as
[7:38] Speaker 1: I scanned for any sign of Mac. Suddenly, a car
[7:42] Speaker 1: screeched to a halt nearby, headlights blinding us momentarily. I squinted,
[7:48] Speaker 1: trying to make out the figure behind the wheel. My
[7:51] Speaker 1: stomach dropped as I recognized the familiar silhouette. It was Mac,
[7:56] Speaker 1: his face obscured by the shadows, but I could feel
[7:59] Speaker 1: his eyes boring into us. Get inside, I shouted, pulling
[8:03] Speaker 1: Lena toward the entrance. We rushed back into the restaurant,
[8:07] Speaker 1: my heart pounding in my chest. I could hear Mac's
[8:10] Speaker 1: laughter echoing in the distance, a sound that sent chills
[8:12] Speaker 1: down my spine. Ethan, what do we do? Lena asked,
[8:16] Speaker 1: panic rising in her voice. I took a deep breath,
[8:19] Speaker 1: trying to calm my racing heart. We need to go
[8:22] Speaker 1: to the police. This has gone too far. But as
[8:26] Speaker 1: we turned to leave, I caught a glimpse of Mac
[8:28] Speaker 1: standing by the entrance, a sinister grin plastered across his face.
[8:32] Speaker 1: Going somewhere? He taunted, his voice dripping with malice. I
[8:38] Speaker 1: felt a surge of adrenaline as I stepped forward, ready
[8:41] Speaker 1: to confront him. But before I could say anything, he
[8:43] Speaker 1: raised his hand, revealing a small object glinting in the light.
[8:48] Speaker 1: It was a knife and my heart sank. Stay away
[8:50] Speaker 1: from her, Mac, I warned, my voice steady despite the
[8:53] Speaker 1: fear coursing through me. He chuckled, the sound low and menacing.
[8:59] Speaker 1: You think you can protect her? You're nothing but a loser, Ethan.
[9:02] Speaker 1: You don't deserve her. In that moment, I realized that
[9:05] Speaker 1: this was no longer just about me or Lena. It
[9:08] Speaker 1: was about standing. The tension in the air was palpable
[9:11] Speaker 1: as I faced Mac, my heart racing. I could feel
[9:14] Speaker 1: Lena's presence behind me. her breath quickening as she processed
[9:18] Speaker 1: the danger we were in. I had to protect her,
[9:21] Speaker 1: but I also knew that confronting Mac could escalate the situation.
[9:26] Speaker 1: Just leave us alone, Mac, I said, trying to keep
[9:29] Speaker 1: my voice steady. You don't want to do this. He
[9:32] Speaker 1: stepped closer, the knife glinting ominously in the dim light
[9:35] Speaker 1: of the restaurant. Oh, but I do. You see, Ethan,
[9:40] Speaker 1: I've been watching you two for a while now. You
[9:42] Speaker 1: think you can just waltz in here and take... What's mine?
[9:46] Speaker 1: Lena isn't yours. I shot back, my anger flaring. She's
[9:50] Speaker 1: a person, not a possession. Mac's smile faded, replaced by
[9:55] Speaker 1: a look of rage. You think you're so clever, don't you?
[9:59] Speaker 1: But you're just a pathetic loser, who can't even keep
[10:02] Speaker 1: a job. What makes you think you can protect her?
[10:06] Speaker 1: In that moment, I realized that I had to stand
[10:08] Speaker 1: my ground. I couldn't let him intimidate me any longer.
[10:11] Speaker 1: Because I care about her, and I won't let you
[10:13] Speaker 1: hurt her, I said, my voice rising. Just you. Then
[10:18] Speaker 1: the sound of sirens pierced the night air, growing louder
[10:21] Speaker 1: as they approached. Mac's eyes widened and for a brief
[10:24] Speaker 1: moment I saw fear flicker across his face. Looks like
[10:27] Speaker 1: your little game is over, I said, feeling a surge
[10:31] Speaker 1: of hope. Mac hesitated, glancing toward the entrance as the
[10:35] Speaker 1: police cars pulled into the parking lot. This isn't over, Ethan,
[10:40] Speaker 1: he spat before turning and bolting toward the back of
[10:43] Speaker 1: the restaurant. Stop, I shouted, but he was already gone.
[10:47] Speaker 1: disappearing into the shadows. The police officers rushed in, their
[10:51] Speaker 1: presence a welcome relief. They quickly assessed the situation and
[10:55] Speaker 1: I explained everything that had happened. Lena stood beside me,
[10:59] Speaker 1: her hand gripping mine tightly. After taking our statements, the
[11:04] Speaker 1: officers assured us they would do everything they could to
[11:06] Speaker 1: find Mac. You did the right thing by calling us,
[11:10] Speaker 1: one of the officers said. We take threats like this seriously.
[11:14] Speaker 1: As the adrenaline began to fade, I felt a wave
[11:18] Speaker 1: of exhaustion wash over me. I turned to Lena, who
[11:22] Speaker 1: looked shaken but relieved. Are you okay? I asked, concern
[11:27] Speaker 1: etched on my face. She nodded, tears welling in her eyes.
[11:32] Speaker 1: I'm just glad you're safe. In the days that followed,
[11:35] Speaker 1: Lena and I took extra precautions. We changed our routines,
[11:39] Speaker 1: avoided places where we might run into Mac, and even
[11:42] Speaker 1: installed a better security system in my apartment. The police continued.
[11:47] Speaker 1: their investigation. But the fear of Mac lingered in the
[11:50] Speaker 1: back of my mind. Eventually, we learned that Mac had
[11:54] Speaker 1: been apprehended after attempting to break into another restaurant. The
[11:58] Speaker 1: relief was palpable, but the experience had left its mark
[12:01] Speaker 1: on both of us. As Thanksgiving approached, we found ourselves
[12:06] Speaker 1: reflecting on the ordeal. We were grateful for our safety,
[12:09] Speaker 1: but we also recognized the importance of vigilance.' Ethan,' Lena
[12:14] Speaker 1: said one evening as we sat on the couch. I
[12:17] Speaker 1: think we need to talk about what happened. It's important
[12:20] Speaker 1: to process it. I nodded knowing she was right. We
[12:23] Speaker 1: can't let fear control our lives. We have to be aware,
[12:26] Speaker 1: but we also have to live. That night, we made
[12:29] Speaker 1: a pact to always look out for each other, to
[12:31] Speaker 1: communicate openly about our fears, and to never hesitate to
[12:35] Speaker 1: seek help when needed. In a world where danger can
[12:39] Speaker 1: lurk in unexpected places, we learned that safety is not
[12:42] Speaker 1: just about physical protection. It's about being aware. trusting your
[12:46] Speaker 1: instincts and knowing when to reach out for help. As
[12:50] Speaker 1: we sat together, I felt a renewed sense of hope.
[12:54] Speaker 1: We had faced darkness together, and we would continue to
[12:57] Speaker 1: do so, hand in hand. Because in the end, it's
[13:01] Speaker 1: not just about surviving. It's about living fully with courage
[13:05] Speaker 1: and love, no matter the challenges that come our way.
[13:13] Speaker 1: My parents worked late nights in a government bioscience lab
[13:16] Speaker 1: tucked deep into the pines of Blackwater, Oregon. The facility
[13:20] Speaker 1: always smelled like bleach and secrets. Most nights I'd wait
[13:24] Speaker 1: in the break room with a juice box and a
[13:25] Speaker 1: Game Boy while my parents pushed past midnight doing God
[13:29] Speaker 1: knows what with test tubes and gene samples. Roy was
[13:32] Speaker 1: the night guard, always cheerful, always grinning. He had this
[13:36] Speaker 1: heavy key ring that jingled like sleigh bells, and he'd
[13:39] Speaker 1: give me candy when Mom wasn't looking. He'd call me Champ.
[13:43] Speaker 1: and fold paper planes out of lab reports, launching them
[13:46] Speaker 1: across the break room, with a proud little chuckle. One
[13:50] Speaker 1: night in October he offered me a tour, said there
[13:53] Speaker 1: were cool secret rooms my parents never showed me. I hesitated,
[13:57] Speaker 1: but Roy winked and promised I'd be back before they
[14:00] Speaker 1: even noticed. So I followed. We passed empty labs glowing
[14:04] Speaker 1: green with emergency lights each step taking us deeper underground.
[14:08] Speaker 1: Then he stopped in front of a steel door with
[14:10] Speaker 1: no label, Said it was a storage room for special specimens.
[14:15] Speaker 1: My stomach dropped. You're a brave little champ, right? He said,
[14:19] Speaker 1: and the door opened with a hiss. He shoved me
[14:21] Speaker 1: inside and slammed it shut. Total darkness. I screamed until
[14:25] Speaker 1: my throat was raw. Nobody came. I don't know how
[14:29] Speaker 1: long I was in there. Hours? Days? The cold ate
[14:34] Speaker 1: into my bones. Something wet dripped in the corner. I
[14:37] Speaker 1: remember curling next to a metal table covered in jars,
[14:40] Speaker 1: whispering for my mom. Eventually, I heard her voice. Then
[14:44] Speaker 1: the door flew open. She found me there, sobbing and
[14:48] Speaker 1: shaking like a leaf. Roy was gone by then. Cops
[14:52] Speaker 1: said he'd been stealing equipment. DNA. Samples, files, maybe more.
[14:58] Speaker 1: But I knew. I saw something in his eyes that night.
[15:02] Speaker 1: He didn't want money. He wanted me. I spent the
[15:06] Speaker 1: next 15 years trying to forget. Therapy, medication... late-night panic attacks.
[15:12] Speaker 1: I built a wall around that night and buried it,
[15:15] Speaker 1: until I saw his smile again. Twenty years later, I
[15:19] Speaker 1: was mopping up vomit at a dying Applebee's in Hollowsend, Ohio,
[15:23] Speaker 1: a once-busy town now rotting from the inside out, empty storefronts, methadone, clinics,
[15:30] Speaker 1: and a mall that hadn't seen a full parking lot
[15:32] Speaker 1: in a decade. I worked the graveyard shift, cleaning up
[15:35] Speaker 1: after the drinkers and lonely souls who came in for
[15:38] Speaker 1: half-priced apps. It wasn't glamorous, but it paid just enough
[15:41] Speaker 1: to keep the lights on. Barely. My girlfriend Lena worked
[15:46] Speaker 1: nights too, an ER nurse pulling 12-hour shifts. She was
[15:50] Speaker 1: the only good thing in my life. Smart, sarcastic, strong.
[15:54] Speaker 1: I kept thinking she'd leave me eventually. I couldn't even
[15:57] Speaker 1: blame her. I was sinking, and she was tired of
[16:01] Speaker 1: playing lifeguard. Then came Mac. He was a cook, this
[16:05] Speaker 1: big sweaty guy who played the Applebee's mascot on weekends.
[16:09] Speaker 1: He had a thing for Lena. Started showing up outside
[16:11] Speaker 1: her shifts with these strawberry milkshakes. Her. Supposed favorite. The catch?
[16:17] Speaker 1: She's lactose intolerant. He knew that. Did it anyway. I
[16:22] Speaker 1: think he's harmless, she'd say. Just awkward. But I saw it.
[16:28] Speaker 1: The way he looked at her. The way he looked
[16:30] Speaker 1: at me. Like I was in the way. Three nights
[16:34] Speaker 1: ago I was heading out the back to dump trash
[16:36] Speaker 1: when I looked across the mall parking lot. And saw him. Roy.
[16:40] Speaker 1: Same stiff walk. Same security uniform. Older, grayer. But the
[16:45] Speaker 1: smile hadn't changed. That awful smile. He stood behind the
[16:50] Speaker 1: mall food court glass staring at me like I'd never
[16:52] Speaker 1: left that lab. My knees buckled. I dropped the trash
[16:56] Speaker 1: bag and ran to the bathroom. Threw up everything I'd
[16:58] Speaker 1: eaten that day. That night I got a text from
[17:01] Speaker 1: an unknown number. Remember the specimen room champ? I didn't sleep.
[17:06] Speaker 1: When I told Lena she gave me this look like
[17:08] Speaker 1: I'd gone off the deep end, she thought it was stress.
[17:12] Speaker 1: Said I was spiraling again. Maybe I was. Or maybe
[17:16] Speaker 1: Roy was back. Either way, the nightmares had returned. November 22nd,
[17:23] Speaker 1: 3 a.m., a few hours before Thanksgiving. I was alone
[17:29] Speaker 1: at Applebee's, mopping behind the bar while the world outside
[17:33] Speaker 1: froze over. The windows fogged. the buzz of a dying
[17:37] Speaker 1: light above me, the only sound. Lena hadn't texted me
[17:41] Speaker 1: back in hours. Then I heard it, the metallic clang
[17:44] Speaker 1: of the freezer door slamming shut. I spun around. Mac.
[17:50] Speaker 1: He reeked of cooking sherry, his Applebee's uniform stained with grease.
[17:55] Speaker 1: He cornered me between the ice machine and the prep sink.
[17:58] Speaker 1: You think you're better than me? He slurred. She's mine.
[18:02] Speaker 1: You're just a mop boy. I tried to move past him,
[18:05] Speaker 1: He shoved me back. Hard. My head cracked against the
[18:09] Speaker 1: freezer wall. Before he could say more, the alarm blared.
[18:13] Speaker 1: A sharp, shrieking tone that echoed through the kitchen. Someone
[18:17] Speaker 1: had tripped the back door. Mac flinched. What the hell footsteps? Slow. Deliberate.
[18:23] Speaker 1: Then I saw him. Roy. Full security gear. Same keyring.
[18:29] Speaker 1: Same uniform. Same smile. He stepped into the kitchen like
[18:33] Speaker 1: he owned it. Eyes flicking from Mac to me. Two
[18:36] Speaker 1: for one tonight, he said. Mac panicked, grabbed the nearest thing,
[18:41] Speaker 1: a meat cleaver, and swung wildly. Roy didn't even flinch.
[18:45] Speaker 1: He sidestepped, grabbed Mac's arm, twisted. I heard bone pop.
[18:50] Speaker 1: I crawled behind the fryer, bleeding and gasping. My phone
[18:54] Speaker 1: slipped from my pocket. Somehow, I managed to call 911.
[18:59] Speaker 1: The fight was short, brutal. Roy slammed Mac's head against
[19:03] Speaker 1: the grill until he stopped moving. Then Roy turned toward me.
[19:07] Speaker 1: That smile still plastered on his face. My breath caught
[19:11] Speaker 1: in my throat, but the sirens were close. Real close.
[19:16] Speaker 1: He turned. Slipped through the kitchen door without a word.
[19:20] Speaker 1: By the time the cops arrived, Roy was gone. Max survived. Barely.
[19:27] Speaker 1: But by the time the hospital staff came to check
[19:30] Speaker 1: his IV, gone. No one saw him leave. Security footage? missing.
[19:37] Speaker 1: I tried to tell the cops about Roy, showed them
[19:39] Speaker 1: the text. They said it could have been a prank.
[19:43] Speaker 1: No proof he was ever there, they said. But I knew.
[19:47] Speaker 1: A day later, Lena found a paper plane tucked under
[19:50] Speaker 1: her windshield wiper, folded just like the ones Roy used
[19:53] Speaker 1: to make. Inside it, a Polaroid. Me, age nine, asleep
[20:00] Speaker 1: in that break room at Blackwater. She finally believed me.
[20:05] Speaker 1: But it didn't matter. She couldn't handle it. Said I
[20:08] Speaker 1: needed help. Said I was scaring her. We fought. She
[20:13] Speaker 1: left to stay at her sister's for a while. I
[20:16] Speaker 1: couldn't blame her. That night I found another photo taped
[20:19] Speaker 1: to my door. It was me and my dad fishing.
[20:23] Speaker 1: But Roy was in the background. Barely visible, standing near
[20:26] Speaker 1: a tree. Had he been watching me that long? My
[20:30] Speaker 1: eviction notice was final. Credit cards maxed. Lena gone. I
[20:35] Speaker 1: packed what I could into a duffel and left town.
[20:38] Speaker 1: I didn't even leave a note. Just the truth. He's
[20:40] Speaker 1: still out there watching, waiting. I've been sleeping in my
[20:43] Speaker 1: car on the edge of a truck stop outside Dayton.
[20:46] Speaker 1: Burned my phone. Paid cash for a burner. Every few
[20:50] Speaker 1: days I drive past the hollows. End mall. Just to see.
[20:56] Speaker 1: Sometimes I spot the food court lights flicker at night.
[21:00] Speaker 1: One time I saw a figure standing by the glass. Smiling.
[21:05] Speaker 1: I don't know what Roy wants. I don't know how
[21:07] Speaker 1: he found me again, but I think there's more. I
[21:11] Speaker 1: think he's not alone. That black water was just the start.
[21:15] Speaker 1: And maybe, just maybe, I wasn't the only kid he
[21:18] Speaker 1: gave that special tour to. The texts keep coming. Specimen
[21:22] Speaker 1: rooms are colder now. Want a tour? In places like
[21:26] Speaker 1: Hollow's End, no one checks the mall. Security logs and
[21:30] Speaker 1: monsters don't need to hide. They just need a key
[21:32] Speaker 1: card and a smile. I always thought silence was a
[21:41] Speaker 1: kind of mercy. After a few years overseas, quiet felt
[21:44] Speaker 1: like the closest thing to peace I could afford. But
[21:47] Speaker 1: in Blackwater, Kansas, silence ain't peace. It's warning. I've been
[21:53] Speaker 1: driving a handicapped bus for the county five years now. Nights,
[21:57] Speaker 1: I pull shifts at the Applebee's off Route 63. Mac,
[22:01] Speaker 1: the new night manager, gave me the gig after my
[22:03] Speaker 1: truck got repoed. It's not a bad trade. Half-price meals?
[22:08] Speaker 1: An envelope of cash every two weeks, even if it's light.
[22:11] Speaker 1: Mac says it's corporate mix-ups. Truth is, he's skimming, everybody knows.
[22:16] Speaker 1: But out here, you learn to chew injustice like it's
[22:18] Speaker 1: jerky and move on. Two weeks ago, I was parked
[22:21] Speaker 1: by the truck stop at 3.17 a.m., finishing cold riblets
[22:24] Speaker 1: in the driver's seat of the bus. I'd accidentally hit
[22:26] Speaker 1: the door lock, trapping myself inside. Then I heard it scraping.
[22:31] Speaker 1: At first, I figured it was the wind, but then
[22:33] Speaker 1: came a dragging sound, low, human. I looked in the mirror.
[22:38] Speaker 1: He was crawling under the bus. A man. Maybe 50.
[22:43] Speaker 1: Maybe 90. Hard to tell. Gaunt. Wearing a torn road
[22:47] Speaker 1: crew vest slicked with motor oil. One hand gripped a
[22:51] Speaker 1: box cutter. The other clawed the ground. His eyes locked
[22:55] Speaker 1: with mine. I jammed the ignition. Doors hissed. Lights flared.
[23:00] Speaker 1: He jerked back into the dark like some damned bug.
[23:04] Speaker 1: I didn't call it in. What would I say? that
[23:07] Speaker 1: a man tried to climb inside my nightmares with a
[23:09] Speaker 1: utility blade. In Blackwater, you handle your own problems. Back
[23:15] Speaker 1: at Applebee's, I told Mac. He just laughed and said,
[23:18] Speaker 1: You're seeing shit, Cole. Lay off the monster. Maybe I was.
[23:23] Speaker 1: I'd been averaging four hours of sleep a night. Bus
[23:26] Speaker 1: hours were drying up and Mac was holding my last
[23:29] Speaker 1: two paychecks like I owed him something more than respect.
[23:32] Speaker 1: Maybe I was cracked. But later that night, I opened
[23:35] Speaker 1: my locker. Inside was a folded note scribbled in shaky
[23:40] Speaker 1: block letters. Doors won't save you next time. I didn't laugh.
[23:45] Speaker 1: The night after I found that note, I started sleeping
[23:47] Speaker 1: in the bus, parked behind the old grain elevator where
[23:50] Speaker 1: no one bothers you, not even the sheriff. I'd keep
[23:53] Speaker 1: the engine running just enough to stay warm. Seat leaned back.
[23:57] Speaker 1: Gloves on. Knife on my chest. Always. People think fear
[24:02] Speaker 1: makes you run. It doesn't. It makes you freeze. Think
[24:07] Speaker 1: about your breath. Check your mirrors twice. Wait for something
[24:10] Speaker 1: to go wrong. Three nights ago, after my shift at Applebee's,
[24:14] Speaker 1: I went out back to dump fryer grease. That's when
[24:16] Speaker 1: I saw him again. The crawling man. He wasn't crawling
[24:20] Speaker 1: this time. Just standing behind the dumpster. Same vest. Same
[24:25] Speaker 1: dead stare. Like he'd been built from bones and gravel.
[24:29] Speaker 1: I blinked. He vanished. No footsteps. No shuffle. Mac came
[24:34] Speaker 1: out and asked what I was staring at. I didn't answer.
[24:38] Speaker 1: Just went back inside and finished my shift. Hands shaking
[24:41] Speaker 1: so hard I dropped a basket of fries in the sink.
[24:46] Speaker 1: Around 3.45 a.m. I sat in the back office eating
[24:49] Speaker 1: cold mozzarella sticks when my phone buzzed. Unknown number. You
[24:54] Speaker 1: should have kept driving. Attached. Was a photo. My bus
[24:58] Speaker 1: parked behind my house. Only problem? I hadn't been home
[25:02] Speaker 1: in two days. In the photo the front door to
[25:04] Speaker 1: my place was wide open. I didn't even go check,
[25:07] Speaker 1: just drove by slow. Lights were off, door swaying in
[25:11] Speaker 1: the wind like it was breathing. No neighbors called it in.
[25:16] Speaker 1: Nobody in Blackwater wants to get involved, especially not this
[25:19] Speaker 1: time of year. Next shift, Mac pulled me into the freezer.
[25:23] Speaker 1: You're scaring customers, he said, tossing me my last paycheck.
[25:26] Speaker 1: Take a week, get your head straight. A week? I
[25:30] Speaker 1: can't afford a day. He smirked. Or, we work something
[25:35] Speaker 1: else out. That man's smile. Almost worse than the crawling man's.
[25:41] Speaker 1: I took the check. I didn't say thank you. I
[25:45] Speaker 1: was halfway through a dream. Sand, gunfire, blood in the
[25:48] Speaker 1: cracks of my boots. When the scraping brought me. Back.
[25:52] Speaker 1: This time it wasn't outside. It was underneath me. Under
[25:55] Speaker 1: the bus. I didn't move. Didn't breathe. Just listened. Scrap.
[26:03] Speaker 1: like someone pulling themselves along concrete with nothing but nails
[26:06] Speaker 1: and elbows. I reached for my flashlight, turned it on,
[26:11] Speaker 1: and dropped to the floor. Pressed my face against the
[26:14] Speaker 1: bus mat, like a soldier on recon. Then, I saw him,
[26:19] Speaker 1: his face inches from mine, pressed up under the metal chassis. Smiling,
[26:23] Speaker 1: teeth cracked like dry clay, I screamed. I swear I screamed,
[26:26] Speaker 1: but no one was around to hear it. By the
[26:29] Speaker 1: time I scrambled outside, flashlight shaking, there was nothing. Just
[26:32] Speaker 1: tire tracks and a busted beer bottle glittering in the moonlight.
[26:36] Speaker 1: I didn't sleep after that. Just kept the engine. Running
[26:39] Speaker 1: and the doors locked. Even then, I swear I heard
[26:42] Speaker 1: the scraping again. Like it was inside my own head.
[26:47] Speaker 1: Two days later, I found another note taped to the
[26:49] Speaker 1: rear view. Underneath is just the beginning. I lost it.
[26:54] Speaker 1: Threw the note. Kicked the seat. Slammed my fist against
[26:58] Speaker 1: the horn. I didn't cry. I wanted to. But I didn't. Instead,
[27:01] Speaker 1: I went to the only person still working nights, Luanne,
[27:04] Speaker 1: the old waitress at Applebee's. I told her everything. I
[27:07] Speaker 1: thought she'd laugh. She didn't. You think you're the first,
[27:11] Speaker 1: she asked, wiping her hands on her apron. Guy before you. Ronnie,
[27:16] Speaker 1: swore someone lived in the dumpster, told Mac. A week later,
[27:20] Speaker 1: he quit. Left town overnight, never picked up his last check.
[27:25] Speaker 1: I asked her if she believed me. She looked down, said,
[27:29] Speaker 1: I believe something's wrong. Yeah. Something's wrong. And it ain't
[27:35] Speaker 1: just me. That night, I tried. Going home again. The
[27:40] Speaker 1: front door was still open. Not kicked in, just hanging
[27:44] Speaker 1: there like an invitation. The place was a mess. Drawers open.
[27:48] Speaker 1: Couch cushions slit. Old photos scattered like leaves. The weird part?
[27:54] Speaker 1: Nothing was taken. Not the TV, not the tools, just... Disturbed.
[28:00] Speaker 1: Like someone wanted me to know they'd been inside but
[28:02] Speaker 1: didn't need to take anything. Like they already had what
[28:05] Speaker 1: they wanted. In the hallway, I found a new note.
[28:11] Speaker 1: Same handwriting. Like your pictures. I left, drove straight to
[28:16] Speaker 1: the Applebee's parking lot and waited until morning. The next shift,
[28:20] Speaker 1: Mac found me leaning on the fryer. Told me he
[28:23] Speaker 1: could forget the loan if I did him a favor.
[28:26] Speaker 1: One delivery, he said. No questions, I didn't ask. I
[28:30] Speaker 1: needed gas money. He handed me a cooler bag. Heavy. Cold.
[28:36] Speaker 1: He gave me an address down off Buckhorn Road. Past
[28:39] Speaker 1: the old meatpacking plant. Place where GPS gets fuzzy and
[28:44] Speaker 1: cell signal dies. I drove out there. Longest ten miles
[28:48] Speaker 1: of my life. No lights. No mailbox. Just a shack
[28:53] Speaker 1: in the woods and a man on the porch. Tall. Silent.
[28:57] Speaker 1: Wearing the same reflective vest. I froze. Couldn't even step out.
[29:03] Speaker 1: He didn't move. Just smiled. I left the cooler on
[29:07] Speaker 1: the hood and backed out slow. Mac never asked for
[29:10] Speaker 1: the money again. But I knew now. He knew about
[29:14] Speaker 1: the crawling man. Hell, maybe he worked with him. Maybe
[29:18] Speaker 1: this whole town did. Next night, another note on my dash.
[29:22] Speaker 1: Thank you for the ride. I don't work for Mac anymore.
[29:27] Speaker 1: Don't drive the bus either. I live in it, parked
[29:31] Speaker 1: behind a mechanic shop that owes me favors. The seats
[29:34] Speaker 1: torn the roof leaks and the heaters busted but it's
[29:36] Speaker 1: mine feel safer than four walls ever did the crawling
[29:40] Speaker 1: man still visits i hear him sometimes beneath me around
[29:45] Speaker 1: me inside me if i'm being honest but i keep
[29:49] Speaker 1: a crowbar near my feet a rosary hanging from the
[29:52] Speaker 1: mirror and one rule never sleep too deep Sometimes I
[29:57] Speaker 1: wonder if he's real or if he crawled out of
[29:59] Speaker 1: my war brain and took form. But then I remember
[30:02] Speaker 1: the notes, the photos, the delivery, and I know. Mac
[30:07] Speaker 1: still runs Applebee's. Still smiling. Still skimming. Maybe he's the
[30:12] Speaker 1: devil's middleman. Or maybe just another coward feeding the dark
[30:15] Speaker 1: to keep it from eating him next. Luanne quit last week.
[30:19] Speaker 1: Left a note in my locker. Some things in Blackwater
[30:22] Speaker 1: ain't meant to be buried, especially when they crawl. I
[30:26] Speaker 1: burned it. Because I already knew, and now you do too.
[30:30] Speaker 1: If you ignore the things that crawl in the dark
[30:32] Speaker 1: long enough, one day they crawl inside you. And in
[30:36] Speaker 1: towns like Blackwater, no one's coming to pull you out.
[30:40] Speaker 1: You have to save yourself or sleep with one eye
[30:42] Speaker 1: open forever. I was 22 when she first walked in.
[30:52] Speaker 1: It was March 2021, middle of the pandemic. Half the
[30:56] Speaker 1: customers wore their masks like chin diapers. The other half
[31:00] Speaker 1: just coughed into the air and called it freedom. I
[31:04] Speaker 1: was wiping down the booths at 2 a.m., trying to
[31:07] Speaker 1: ignore the ache in my lower back when she walked
[31:09] Speaker 1: through the front door. Pink medical mask. Blessed necklace. Hair
[31:14] Speaker 1: curled too perfect for a desert town. You're too pretty
[31:17] Speaker 1: to be working here, sweetheart, she said with a sugary voice.
[31:21] Speaker 1: One of those women who called you honey while sharpening
[31:23] Speaker 1: a knife behind her back. She offered me a job. Maid. Service,
[31:27] Speaker 1: 30 bucks an hour, no taxes, no boss, breathing down
[31:30] Speaker 1: my neck. Said, we help girls like you disappear better.
[31:34] Speaker 1: I hesitated. Her smile didn't reach her eyes. And her nails?
[31:39] Speaker 1: Too clean for someone who scrubs toilets. Then I saw
[31:43] Speaker 1: the two men. Sitting in a booth near the back.
[31:46] Speaker 1: One of them had a knife scar through his eyebrow.
[31:49] Speaker 1: And eyes like dead fish. They didn't eat. Didn't drink.
[31:54] Speaker 1: Just watched. Lena, our overnight cook, slammed a fryer basket
[31:58] Speaker 1: down behind the counter. Order up, Jazz, now! I bolted
[32:02] Speaker 1: to the kitchen. My legs weren't even mine. Lena didn't
[32:06] Speaker 1: look up from the grill. They're traffickers, she said. They
[32:09] Speaker 1: promise you the world, then sell it back to you
[32:11] Speaker 1: in pieces. The woman and her shadows left without paying.
[32:15] Speaker 1: Before she did, she slid a napkin across the counter.
[32:19] Speaker 1: Phone number. I didn't even touch it. I burned it
[32:23] Speaker 1: in the fryer grease that night. Watched it curl and vanish.
[32:27] Speaker 1: I didn't sleep when I got home. Just stared at
[32:29] Speaker 1: the ceiling of the trailer, wondering how close I came
[32:32] Speaker 1: to vanishing. And if anyone would have even noticed. It's
[32:37] Speaker 1: funny how time lies to you. Two years go by
[32:40] Speaker 1: and you think you've outrun the worst of it. You haven't.
[32:43] Speaker 1: It's November now. I'm shift lead at the same Applebee's
[32:46] Speaker 1: not because I wanted to climb the ladder, but because
[32:49] Speaker 1: I'm the only one who stuck around. Lena's gone. Stabbed.
[32:54] Speaker 1: Her ex in a Walmart lot after he followed her
[32:56] Speaker 1: with a tire iron. She didn't wait for the trial.
[33:00] Speaker 1: Just vanished into the hills. My roommate Sarah OD'd last year.
[33:05] Speaker 1: Fentanyl-laced coke from a long-haul trucker who swore he just
[33:08] Speaker 1: wanted to party. The trailer's rent keeps climbing, and my
[33:12] Speaker 1: car only starts if I pump the gas pedal three
[33:14] Speaker 1: times and pray. Then three nights ago, I saw her again.
[33:19] Speaker 1: I knew it before I even turned around. Felt it
[33:22] Speaker 1: like static on my skin. that same damn necklace. Blessed.
[33:28] Speaker 1: That same voice buttered with fake kindness. She was in
[33:32] Speaker 1: a booth in the corner, whispering to a girl who
[33:35] Speaker 1: couldn't have been more than 16. Wide eyes, cracked phone
[33:39] Speaker 1: screen in her hand, nodding like she wanted someone to
[33:41] Speaker 1: tell her she mattered. The girl looked like my little sister, Sophia,
[33:47] Speaker 1: the one who went missing in 2019 and never came back.
[33:50] Speaker 1: I called the cops, told them everything. When, They arrived
[33:55] Speaker 1: 20 minutes later. The booth was empty. Just a napkin
[33:59] Speaker 1: left behind, a smudged phone number, and a lipstick stain
[34:03] Speaker 1: in the shape of a smile. I kept that napkin.
[34:07] Speaker 1: Not because I needed it. Because I wanted to remember.
[34:12] Speaker 1: Later that night, I walked home with my pepper spray
[34:15] Speaker 1: in one hand and my keys between my fingers like claws.
[34:18] Speaker 1: I didn't feel safe. I felt watched. And I was.
[34:24] Speaker 1: The next night, just after the late rush died, I
[34:26] Speaker 1: was rolling silverware at the bar when the bell over
[34:29] Speaker 1: the door jingled. It was him. Scar eyebrow. Alone this time.
[34:34] Speaker 1: No orders. No smile. No mask. He walked in like
[34:38] Speaker 1: he belonged. Sat at the bar and stared at me
[34:41] Speaker 1: like I was a side of beef. I played it cool.
[34:44] Speaker 1: Asked if he wanted anything. Just a coke. He muttered.
[34:50] Speaker 1: I poured it and walked it over. He didn't touch it. Instead,
[34:54] Speaker 1: he slid a $ 50 tip across the counter, folded, into
[34:58] Speaker 1: a paper plane. I stared at it like it was
[35:00] Speaker 1: a trap. It was. When he left, I unfolded it.
[35:06] Speaker 1: Inside was a photo of Sophia, not the one from
[35:09] Speaker 1: her missing posters. This was new. She looked older, hair
[35:13] Speaker 1: dyed lighter, a motel bathroom in the background. The timestamp said,
[35:18] Speaker 1: two weeks ago on the back, written in thick marker,
[35:21] Speaker 1: she's still pretty. You want her back? Call us. My
[35:25] Speaker 1: legs buckled. I locked myself in the office and dry
[35:28] Speaker 1: heaved into the trash can. I didn't go home that night. Couldn't.
[35:33] Speaker 1: The trailer felt too exposed. I slept in my car
[35:36] Speaker 1: behind the grocery store with the windows, cracked and a
[35:39] Speaker 1: box cutter in my hoodie pocket. The next morning, my
[35:41] Speaker 1: neighbor banged on my door. Jazz, your trailer's been broken into.
[35:45] Speaker 1: Nothing was stolen, but every drawer had been pulled open.
[35:49] Speaker 1: My underwear dumped onto the floor. Sophia's old photo album
[35:53] Speaker 1: was missing. They were telling me, we can get in.
[35:57] Speaker 1: We know where you sleep. I reported it. Cops shrugged.
[36:02] Speaker 1: No sign of forced entry. Could have been a prank.
[36:06] Speaker 1: They didn't believe me. They never do. But I believe
[36:09] Speaker 1: what I saw and I believe Sophia is still alive.
[36:12] Speaker 1: I used to check Sophia's Instagram every night before bed,
[36:15] Speaker 1: even after she vanished. Like she'd send some signal through
[36:19] Speaker 1: the void. After two years of silence, I stopped. But
[36:23] Speaker 1: last week, something changed. A new post. One blurry photo,
[36:28] Speaker 1: taken in a dingy motel mirror. The caption read, Miss you.
[36:34] Speaker 1: I stared at it until my eyes burned. The account
[36:38] Speaker 1: had been deleted back in 2019. I watched the detective
[36:41] Speaker 1: deactivate it himself. Said it would keep predators from sniffing around. So,
[36:47] Speaker 1: how was it back now? I flagged the photo. took screenshots,
[36:51] Speaker 1: drove to the sheriff's office and showed Gar, the deputy
[36:55] Speaker 1: on duty. He looked bored, said maybe it was just
[36:59] Speaker 1: a glitch or someone playing games. I asked if he'd
[37:02] Speaker 1: traced the IP. He shrugged. Instagram doesn't work like that.
[37:08] Speaker 1: You want action? Call the feds. I walked out. My
[37:12] Speaker 1: hands were shaking, but not from fear, from rage. She's alive.
[37:18] Speaker 1: I know it now. And they're using her to get
[37:21] Speaker 1: to me. The woman came back the next night. Stood
[37:25] Speaker 1: outside Applebee's staring through the glass. Didn't come in. Just
[37:30] Speaker 1: waited until I noticed her. Then waved. She was wearing
[37:33] Speaker 1: the necklace. Blessed. That damn word is like a branding iron.
[37:40] Speaker 1: Told my manager I had cramps. Clocked out early. At
[37:43] Speaker 1: home I sat in the dark with a kitchen knife
[37:45] Speaker 1: and Sophia's missing person flyer spread out on the table.
[37:48] Speaker 1: It's not a coincidence. It's a message. They're baiting me.
[37:52] Speaker 1: The question is, am I going to bite? I didn't
[37:56] Speaker 1: go to. Work today. Or yesterday. I told my boss
[38:00] Speaker 1: I had the flu. He didn't care. He just asked
[38:04] Speaker 1: if I'd clean the soda machine when I got back.
[38:06] Speaker 1: I've been watching. Waiting. Planning. The number from the napkin?
[38:11] Speaker 1: I called it from a burner phone. A woman answered.
[38:15] Speaker 1: Her voice was soft. Kind. Jazz? She said she knew
[38:21] Speaker 1: my name. I just want to talk. She could, you
[38:26] Speaker 1: don't have to be scared. I hung up. I'm not
[38:30] Speaker 1: scared anymore. Just angry. I think about Sophia all the
[38:33] Speaker 1: time now, how she used to sing to herself while
[38:35] Speaker 1: brushing her hair, how she cried when dad left, how
[38:39] Speaker 1: she looked at me like I could protect her. And
[38:41] Speaker 1: I didn't, but maybe I still can. I have a
[38:45] Speaker 1: friend in Reno who works at a nonprofit for missing girls.
[38:48] Speaker 1: I reached out, sent them everything, the photo, the napkin,
[38:54] Speaker 1: the Instagram post. They believe me. I don't know if
[38:58] Speaker 1: we'll find her or if she's already too far gone,
[39:00] Speaker 1: but I'm going to try because if I don't, then
[39:03] Speaker 1: that woman's smile wins. Not all monsters hide under beds.
[39:07] Speaker 1: Some wear pink masks and call you sweetheart. Some girls
[39:11] Speaker 1: don't disappear by accident. Some are taken slowly, silently with
[39:15] Speaker 1: a smile. And in towns like Redwood flats, You don't
[39:20] Speaker 1: wait for someone to save you. You fight. Because no
[39:24] Speaker 1: one's more dangerous than a girl who's lost everything. Except
[39:28] Speaker 1: a girl who's got nothing left to lose. I used
[39:37] Speaker 1: to think I had it all figured out my name
[39:39] Speaker 1: is Travis Mitchell and at 28 I was the assistant
[39:42] Speaker 1: manager of the Applebee's off I-95 in Jacksonville Florida I
[39:47] Speaker 1: had a steady job a beautiful girlfriend named Emily and
[39:51] Speaker 1: dreams of proposing to her with a ring. I was
[39:54] Speaker 1: saving up for, she smelled like vanilla. And every time
[39:57] Speaker 1: she walked by, it felt like the world lit up,
[40:00] Speaker 1: but that was before everything fell apart. After showing up
[40:04] Speaker 1: drunk to work twice, I was demoted to line cook.
[40:07] Speaker 1: I thought I could bounce back, but the shame of
[40:08] Speaker 1: it all weighed me down. I started eating the leftover appetizers.
[40:13] Speaker 1: And before I knew it, I had packed on 85 pounds.
[40:16] Speaker 1: Emily left me for a Chili's manager. and I found
[40:19] Speaker 1: myself living in my dad's trailer, drowning in regret and
[40:22] Speaker 1: fast food wrappers. Now I was just a shadow of
[40:25] Speaker 1: my former self, stuck in a faded franchise with sticky
[40:29] Speaker 1: booths and a broken neon sign that read Applebs. I
[40:33] Speaker 1: spent my shifts cooking, but all I could think about
[40:35] Speaker 1: was how I had let everything slip through my fingers.
[40:39] Speaker 1: After Emily left, I fell into a routine that was
[40:42] Speaker 1: both comforting and suffocating. I started calling Applebee's just to
[40:47] Speaker 1: hear her old voicemail. the sound of her voice a
[40:49] Speaker 1: bittersweet reminder of what I had lost. I ordered her
[40:53] Speaker 1: favorite oriental chicken salad every shift, hoping to taste a
[40:57] Speaker 1: piece of her again. But the memories were tainted. One
[41:01] Speaker 1: humid afternoon I discovered maggots in the ranch dressing. I
[41:04] Speaker 1: couldn't believe my eyes. I had been serving that dressing
[41:07] Speaker 1: to customers, and it hit me hard. I realized the
[41:11] Speaker 1: salad was never put in the system and I was
[41:13] Speaker 1: just a cog in a machine that didn't care about
[41:15] Speaker 1: quality or safety. Then one day, I saw Emily's car
[41:19] Speaker 1: parked in the lot watching me through the window. My
[41:22] Speaker 1: heart raced. I wanted to run outside to tell her
[41:25] Speaker 1: how much I missed her, but I was paralyzed by shame. Instead,
[41:29] Speaker 1: I buried myself in work, hoping to forget the reality
[41:32] Speaker 1: of my situation. The maggots were just the beginning. After
[41:37] Speaker 1: that incident, I was hospitalized for three days due to
[41:40] Speaker 1: food poisoning. I had thought I was invincible, but my
[41:43] Speaker 1: body had other plans. When I returned to work, I
[41:47] Speaker 1: was met with cold stares and whispers. My boss accused
[41:50] Speaker 1: me of stealing food and no one believed my story
[41:53] Speaker 1: about the maggots. I was fired that day and it
[41:56] Speaker 1: felt like the final nail in my coffin. My dad
[41:59] Speaker 1: kicked me out of his trailer, calling me a damn loser.
[42:03] Speaker 1: I had nowhere to go, no one to turn to.
[42:07] Speaker 1: I spent my night sleeping in my 98 Corolla behind
[42:10] Speaker 1: the Walmart, the smell of teriyaki sauce haunting me like
[42:13] Speaker 1: a ghost. I had lost everything, my job, my home,
[42:18] Speaker 1: and the woman I loved. I felt like I was
[42:21] Speaker 1: rotting away and nobody seemed to notice. I was just
[42:24] Speaker 1: another statistic in a world that didn't care. Living in
[42:27] Speaker 1: my car became my new reality. I parked behind the Walmart,
[42:33] Speaker 1: trying to blend in with the other lost souls who
[42:35] Speaker 1: had fallen on hard times. I would wake up to
[42:38] Speaker 1: the sound of shopping carts and the smell of stale
[42:40] Speaker 1: fast food. My life had become a series of desperate
[42:44] Speaker 1: attempts to survive. and I felt invisible. Every time I
[42:47] Speaker 1: passed the Applebee's, I could smell the teriyaki sauce wafting
[42:51] Speaker 1: through the air and it sent me into a panic.
[42:53] Speaker 1: I would sit in my car watching the restaurant, hoping
[42:56] Speaker 1: to catch a glimpse of Emily. Last week I saw
[42:59] Speaker 1: her training a new hostess through the window and it
[43:02] Speaker 1: felt like a dagger to my heart. I wanted to
[43:05] Speaker 1: scream to tell her how much I missed her, but
[43:08] Speaker 1: I was too ashamed. I had become a ghost haunting
[43:11] Speaker 1: the place where I once felt alive. My entire identity
[43:14] Speaker 1: was tied to that restaurant, and now I was nothing.
[43:18] Speaker 1: One evening as I sat in my car, I had
[43:21] Speaker 1: a moment of clarity. I realized that my entire identity
[43:24] Speaker 1: had been wrapped up in that Applebee's and I had
[43:26] Speaker 1: let it define me. At 28, I had no skills,
[43:30] Speaker 1: no savings, and no future. I was rotting away, and
[43:33] Speaker 1: it was time to face the truth. I needed to
[43:36] Speaker 1: make a change. I couldn't keep living like this, clinging
[43:39] Speaker 1: to the past. I started looking for jobs, anything that
[43:43] Speaker 1: would get me out of this downward spiral. I applied
[43:46] Speaker 1: to local warehouses, fast food joints, and even grocery stores.
[43:51] Speaker 1: It was a slow process.

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