← Full Body Chills
Full Body Chills
The Third Date
00:22:49
A story that shows even the sweetest voice can be controlling.
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- [00:01]
Yvette Gentile
Every mystery has an answer, but some have way more than one possibility. I'm Yvette Gentile. And I'm her sister Racha Pecorero. Every week on our podcast so Supernatural, we invite you to explore the unknown and to consider the many theories behind each unsolved mystery. We'll guide you as you question the world you think you know through investigations into spine chilling hauntings, unexplainable encounters, strange disappearances, and so much more. So if you're ready to be haunted by stories of the unsolved and of the unknown, listen if you dare to sew Supernatural every Friday wherever you get your podcasts.
- [00:49]
Blue Buffalo Advertiser
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- [01:18]
Yvette Gentile
You'll float too from the director of it comes a horrifying new story set in 1960s Derry, Maine that explores the origins of Pennywise the Clown. Get ready to go back to where it all began. The new HBO original series, welcome to Derry premieres October 26th at 9pm on HBO.
- [01:41]
Alice
Max.
- [01:53]
Yvette Gentile
Hi listeners. I have a story I want to tell you.
- [01:58]
Jack
There was this doctor over at St. Augury's who had killed his patients. Oh yes, it was madness.
- [02:05]
Alice
Aren't you afraid the light take might get you? I'm sorry I didn't listen to you.
- [02:11]
Jack
That adrenaline. I want more of it. I snapped.
- [02:15]
Alice
Totally lost it. He had no idea what was on those tapes. It was like a song.
- [02:22]
Jack
Ollie and the Outcast so gather round.
- [02:26]
Alice
Gather round and listen.
- [02:32]
Yvette Gentile
Close.
- [02:45]
Alice
I stared into the bathroom mirror at my own dispirited reflect. I undid the pins that held my hair up and slipped them into the pockets of my skirt. Jack had invited me over to his house for our third date and I still wasn't sure how I felt about him. Granted, he'd been nothing but pleasant, funny and charming so far. A perfect gentleman. All the same, I couldn't help but thinking that something seemed off. He was almost too good to be true. A tall, dark haired prince who had stepped straight out of the pages of a fairy tale. When he asked me to come to his house, I said yes. Unlike me, I know. But I didn't even hesitate. His voice, it's hard to argue with a voice like that, but maybe I'm rushing into things. There you go again. You've always wanted to date a genuinely nice guy, and now that you've found one, you're making up excuses to stop seeing him. Do you want to end up with someone like Robbie again? No. No way, I said aloud. That's not what this is. Jack's just. What? Too charming? Too handsome? God, I was being ridiculous. I didn't want to date anyone like him ever again. Forced to hold my tongue, bullied into silence. No, I deserve better than that. Now what was the point of moving away otherwise? I left Jack's bathroom and walked down the dark hallway that led to the den, hurriedly smoothing out the wrinkles in my skirt. Even before Jack had given me the tour, I noticed that his cabin, if you can even call it that, was huge and quite modern, made out of glass and steel with clean, boxy lines. Makes sense for a doctor, I guess. Shiny, sterile, quiet. Not really aligned with the Cabin in the woods aesthetic. But there were no neighbors nearby to complain about it anyway. Rain pelted the ceiling and windows furiously. A fresh peel of thunder made me flinch. I quickened my pace, eager to get back to the warm and well lit living room where Jack and a lovely bottle of red wine were waiting for me. Before I had gotten up, he was in the middle of one of his more amusing anecdotes. Where he was. Dread pulsed through my stomach and I paused, listening intently, was that it had come from my right. A flash of lightning showed me a metal door. The garage. I remember Jack's tour and how he skipped it over. Suddenly I thought of a very different fairy tale. I once read, one accompanied by a series of illustrations. They'd shown Bluebeard's newest wife opening the forbidden door, glancing around furtively as she did so, only to freeze in horror at the sight of his previous wives dangling from the ceiling, their blood staining the floorboards red. I stared hard through the sea of darkness that led to the garage. Maybe it's an animal. Maybe something wandered inside like a raccoon. Maybe it was the wind. I hadn't even realized I was talking aloud, but the sound of my own voice anchored me, brought me back to reality, the certainty that I'd heard a scream, a human scream, faded away. I ran a hand through my hair and huffed out a disgusted laugh at myself. I clearly needed that glass of wine. I let Jack know that some kind of animal had wandered into his garage and we'd go investigate to get A flash of terror kept me frozen in place, broken by a snap decision. Someone needs help. Without thinking, I lunged towards where I'd last seen the garage door, searching for a handle in the darkness. As soon as I stepped inside, the automatic lights clicked on and blinded me. When my eyes adjusted, I stifled a scream. A dog kennel had been placed in the corner of the garage, and inside of it was a woman. Naked, pale, and emaciated. She had long brown hair and a spray of freckles across her nose, not unlike my own. The compact crate forced her into a perpetual crouch. She hardly had the space to lift her head to look at me through cracked lips. She whispered, please help me. My mind consumed with panic, I ran towards her and knelt down to unlock the kennel door. I wasted precious seconds tugging at it uselessly before realizing that a padlock was attached. I spun around to look for something that could help. I hadn't paid much attention to the rest of the room until now, too preoccupied with the miniature cage and its occupant. But the room was mostly bare. A metal table stood in the center, right over a drain set into the concrete floor. Stained leather straps dangled from it. There was a stack of plaster plastic crates next to it as well, with a radio sitting silently on top. Every drawer was filled with various implements, scalpels, scissors, forceps, needles, bone saws and knives, surgical and non surgical. Don't think about why these tools are here, I told myself. Focus on getting her free. I picked up a knife that was nearly as long as my hand with a serrated edge, and sped back towards the cage. It was hard to meet our eyes, they were so full of terror and pain, but I managed it. I'm going to get you out of here, I promised, crouched down next to her. The similarity between us struck me anew. But she was younger than I'd initially estimated. Not a woman my age, but instead in her early 20s. Or maybe younger. She drew a deep, shuddering breath as I pushed the knife's edge into a metal bar and began to saw back and forth. Who did this to you? All right, dumb question, given that this was Jack's house. But it was hard to believe that everything he'd shown me tonight had been a lie. The wine, the compliments. God, he even asked how my mother was. How could anyone be so monstrously good at faking compassion? As though it was a costume that he could put on or take off at will. It went past acting and into a whole other realm of lunacy. He asked me to come with him. I was walking my dog and he said I didn't want to, but when he spoke I couldn't run. The rest of her words dissolved into incoherent sobs. It's okay. It's okay. What's your name? Ella. Okay, Ella. I handed her my phone and continued grinding the bars of the kennel with a knife. See if you can call 91 1. How long had it been since I told Jack that I was going to the bathroom? What if he found me here? I had no doubt he'd be able to overpower me. He was over 6ft tall and I was all of 5ft and 2 inches. It says that there's no signal. Just keep trying. The bar I've been sawing at broken half. For the first time I allowed myself to believe that we'd make it. Once I got Ella out of this kennel, we'd run for my car and we keep driving until we reached a police station. I started on the next metal rung with renewed vigor. I didn't need to break all of them, just enough that she'd be able to crawl out.
- [12:00]
Jack
Well, this is awkward.
- [12:03]
Alice
I scrambled up and whirled around to see Jack standing in the doorway, his arms crossed. He looked completely at ease, as if we were sitting on his living room sofa and chatting over a glass of wine.
- [12:18]
Jack
I didn't think that you'd, you know, break into my garage. That's pretty rude.
- [12:25]
Alice
I called 91 1. I was trying not to sound as terrified as I felt. The police will be here soon. That would get Jack to back off, right? I tightened my hold on the knife, but I didn't know if I could actually use it on him or on any human being. I thought about it with Robbie once. With how he hurt me. I thought it would be easy. But in the moment my hands wouldn't steady and they were definitely shaking Now. Jack gave a world weary sigh as if I just said something remarkably stupid. The smile faded from his face, his eyes turning into blue chips of ice. I was suddenly aware all over again of how tall he was and how he seemed to loom over me even from across the room.
- [13:20]
Jack
Uh huh. I gotta say, you're not a very good liar, Alice.
- [13:26]
Alice
Ella whimpered and dropped my phone with a loud clatter. I lifted my chin. I'm not lying. They're on their way right now.
- [13:36]
Jack
Right. Well, as thrilling as this has been, I've other things to do tonight. Alice. Use the knife on yourself.
- [13:47]
Alice
Ella.
- [13:48]
Jack
Shut up.
- [13:49]
Alice
His voice was like strawberry syrup or the scent of roadkill coating my senses and Adhering to every part of me. My wrist moved without any input from my brain and turned the knife around. I tried to stop, or at least slow its movement, but someone else had assumed control over my body. Now, slowly, the tip of the knife inched towards my left hand. Panic gnawed at me with sharp cannibal teeth. I told myself to stop, to let go of the knife, to point it back towards Jack. Instead. Instead, I stabbed the knife right through my palm. Sharp, glassy pain filled my entire world. Black waves swept over my vision. You can't pass out. If you do, you'll be in that kennel next. I came back to myself in increments, tenuously clinging to the ropes of consciousness. I collapsed. At some point, my knife lay on the ground a few feet away. I managed to raise my head enough to look for Ella. Jack had opened the door of the cage where she was cowering, cringing away. Her face was white as exposed bone. He picked up my phone and slid it into his pocket. Then he said to her, get on.
- [15:32]
Jack
The table and tie yourself down.
- [15:35]
Alice
Her arms lifted up once, twice, before falling down by her sides as if all the strength had run out of them. Tears streamed on her face, and her eyes were wide and panicked. Even as her feet obediently carried her over to the table, patiently, shimmering under the fluorescent lights, a terrible idea began to take shape and substance in my mind. It was insane, totally impossible. But I had no other explanation for why Ella was loyally following his every command. Why we both had. I just stabbed myself through the hand because he. He told me to. I hadn't been able to stop myself. I hadn't been able to fight it at all. I just lost control over my body as though Jack had injected himself into every cell, every atom. How was I supposed to tear myself away? Jack turned around and looked at me. There was nothing human in his eyes. Nothing I could appeal to. I recognized that studied silence, that dry disdain. I'd seen it on Robbie's face many times before, usually right before he hit me. Nobody can hear you, Alice, he always said. Nobody ever will. Jack was going to hurt me. And I was going to die. If not tonight, then very soon.
- [17:12]
Jack
Go into the dog kennel and stay there.
- [17:16]
Alice
The command pushed at me as though I was made of clay. I scoured through my options, unable to stop my legs from dragging me towards the kennel, blocking my ears. Might work. If I couldn't hear him, his voice wouldn't affect me. But it's not like I was carrying earplugs. And I Couldn't keep my hands over my ears while I tried to defend myself or Ella. Think, Think. Whatever you need to do, you do it fast. Because if he locks you in that cage, you're not getting out. As I knelt in front of the kennel, I crawled on my injured hand. White stars of agony danced across my vision. By the time they cleared away, Jack had picked up a scalpel. Ella had seen it too. She made a muffled moan, breathing in quick racket gasps. Time was running out. I promised Ella that I would get her out of here. I'd promised. Guttural screams filled the air and Jack switched on the radio. Beethoven. I bit down on the inside of my cheek, trying to hold back my own tears. Robbie's snarling face appeared in my mind's eye. I had believed him when he told me that I had deserved his vitriol and his beatings. When he told me to be quiet, I did. When he told me to forgive him, I did. When he told me to stay for all those years. For the first time tonight, I felt something stronger than fear. Rage so intoxicating I was nearly drunk on it. Rage that I'd trusted Jack and that somehow I'd stumbled out of the clutches of one monster and into the next. In a last ditch effort to find something, anything to shield me from Jack's manipulation, I reached into the pockets of my skirt and felt the hairpins. I wasn't going to die like this, not at the command of another sweet talking, puppeteering narcissist. In one quick motion, I stabbed the hairpins in my ears. A high pitched ringing filled my head and the room spun like a racetrack. I swallowed convulsively past the piercing pain. If I screamed, I couldn't tell, but it worked. I was no longer on his leash. My arms and legs were back in my control. My body was mine. When I felt as though I could move without also throwing up, I backpedaled, crawling out of the cage. Then I turned towards Jack. Halfway behind him, I reached out and scooped up the knife. Jack hadn't noticed anything, too absorbed in whatever he was doing to Ella. His body blocked my view of her, but I could see rivulets of blood running down the table and swirling around the drain. As soon as I was only a few feet away, I pushed myself up onto one shaky knee, then another. The room still spun around me like a drunken ballroom and I swayed on my feet. I was going to pass out. It wasn't a question of if, but when. I took a tottering step forward and as if sensing me behind him, Jack began to turn around. I stabbed the knife into his arm. He must have cried out. His lips were shaping words, but my ears were still buzzing and full of blood. Once he realized what I had done, his arrogant face drained to panic. Then I looked past him and saw what he'd done to Ella. Jack. He was no different than a butcher at a meat market. A red mist descended over my vision. I plunged the knife into his body over and over again, unable to stop myself. Unwilling to stop. Stop. A violent savagery took hold and my entire world narrowed down to two points. Me and him. No. Me or him. I didn't stop. Not until the knife was slick and Jack was on the floor. Sweat and blood stung my eyes, but I didn't blink, too afraid that this was just a trick. I waited for him to get back up to stab me with a scalpel. He still clutched, but he wasn't moving. He'd never move again. And he had my phone. I forced myself to reach out and search through his blood sodden pockets until I found it. And then I turned towards Ella, hobbling closer. Incredibly, she was still alive, but her eyes were glazing over. Hang on, I said, my voice still faint, muffled by blood filling my ears. We're getting out of here, remember? Still struggling to stand, I made my way out of the garage and into the hallway, trailing blood against the wall as I struggled to remain upright. I kept my eyes fixed on my phone until a single bar appeared in the corner of the screen. I dialed 91 1. I couldn't quite hear the monotonous drone of the ringing or the operator's practiced concern, but I knew one thing was certain. I would make myself heard. If you believe you or someone you know is stuck in an abuse of relationship, you can contact the National Domestic violence hotline at www.thehotline.org or call 1-800-799-SAFE full body chills is an Audio Chuck Production. This episode was written by Michelle Chu and read by Margo Seibert. This story was modified slightly for audio retelling, but you can find the original in full on our website. I think Chuck would approve.
- [24:31]
Blue Buffalo Advertiser
My dog Max loves chewing on my favorite pair of shoes almost as much as he loves his Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Dry Dog Food. Seriously, he never leaves a crumb. And I love it too. Because it's made with high quality protein, antioxidant packed fruits and nutrient rich veggies. Blue Buffalo foods are made with the superior ingredients your dog needs to thrive. Can your dog food say that. Visit feedbluefood.com to learn more.
- [25:01]
Jack
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