Scary Stories and Rain

Episode 285: "Bloody Brick Road"
Host: Being Scared
Date: November 10, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of "Scary Stories and Rain" takes on an especially haunting tone with a collection of dark, atmospheric stories set against the backdrop of a rainy, snowy night. The main feature is a chilling Christmas tale of supernatural revenge in a tight-knit town, followed by two brief, real-life accounts—a terrifying encounter in a hospital and a childhood memory of being stalked. Each story is told in the host’s signature calm, immersive voice, woven between the gentle but ever-present patter of rain.

Story One: The Ornaments on Mr. Everett’s Tree

Begins: [03:20]

Theme & Summary

A deeply unsettling, long-form Christmas horror story set in a small snowy town. The narrative unfolds through the perspective of Hank, an older man returning home during a blizzard. The festive, nostalgic setting conceals horrifying secrets: Mr. Everett, the town’s Christmas enthusiast, is revealed to harbor a monstrous Christmas elf that judges residents, collecting the souls of the “bad” as ornaments on a supernatural tree.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• Small Town Lore and Tragedy:
  The story sets the stage with local tragedies—a neighbor dying in a car accident ([05:00]), a child killed in a hit-and-run ([07:00]), and a string of deaths and disappearances. Each is colored by gossip and suspicion, adding to the town’s ominous atmosphere.

• Mr. Everett’s Ornaments—A Sinister Secret:
  After being asked by local police (Jake and Chief Royce) to keep Mr. Everett company to avoid him wandering due to possible dementia, Hank discovers Mr. Everett’s parlor—home to a glowing Christmas tree adorned with uncanny, moving figurines.

  • Quote (Hank, [16:50]):
    "The lifelike sculptures seemed to move in the shimmering colors. I leaned closer. The figurines were moving. Paul Vickers reached at me, its tiny arms clutching at the air. The little face twisted in agony as it spat silent curses."

• Supernatural Elf:
  Mr. Everett reveals the truth: a Christmas elf found him in Argentina in 1954. The elf feeds on “bad” townsfolk, trapping their souls in ornaments. Some are judged for what they've done; others, for what they will do.

  • Quote (Mr. Everett, [23:20]):
    "You know as well as I do that Susie Harper was an insufferable, mean brat. She would have grown up to be a terrible person, and deserved what she got. They were all bad people. People."

• Tense Confrontation & Escape:
  Hank is briefly held captive, threatened by the elf, and nearly attacked before Mr. Everett unexpectedly releases him.

  • Quote (Mr. Everett, [28:10]):
    "You saw what she did for this town. How happy these people have been all these years… By removing the bad hearted and non joyful bumpkins, elves can see who we really are, what we've done, even what we're gonna do. They know us and they judge us."

• Macabre Resolution:
  Mr. Everett dies during the night. At his house, the police find an overturned tree and shattered figurines, but no sign of the elf—only a trail of sap and the sense that something is still lurking.

  • Quote (Hank, [39:00]):
    "The crashing, the shattering, the smell of dead pines, and Mr. Everett's final words. All of it rang over and over in my head."

  The final reveal: the moving ornaments were eggs. The elf has hatched an army in the woods to continue its work.

  • Quote (Hank, [41:20]):
    "Those orbs were eggs, and thousands of pine needle baby elves had hatched and fed in the first hour of Christmas morning. Merry Christmas."

Notable Moments & Timestamps

• [06:30] — Flashback to tragic deaths in town, setting a bleak tone for the tale.
• [13:10] — Arrival at Mr. Everett’s home and police encounter.
• [16:50] — Discovery of the unnatural, moving tree ornaments.
• [20:30] — Introduction of the elf and its grisly judgment.
• [28:10] — Everett justifies the elf’s role as judge and executioner.
• [32:40] — Hank’s frantic escape back to Lucy and the house barricade.
• [37:00] — Officers' arrival, finding the bizarre aftermath.
• [41:20] — Ominous conclusion; hint of a spreading supernatural force.

Memorable Quotes

• “Beautiful, isn't it?” — Mr. Everett ([17:45]), as Hank beholds the grotesque tree.
• "I'm not gonna kill him either, you little freak." — Mr. Everett ([21:40]), sparring with the elf.
• “Make sure they all know to be merry—or else an elf might come.” — Mr. Everett ([33:30]), chilling warning.

Story Two: The Salt Man

Begins: [43:00]

Theme & Summary

A short, haunting tale about a wedding afterparty that goes nightmarishly wrong. Four friends, still in wedding attire, encounter a spectral “Salt Man” in the early-morning Louisiana streets. The entity spirits them away to underground salt mines, where they are picked off one by one in a gruesome supernatural retribution interwoven with family history and pirate gold.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• Uncanny Weather & Apparition:
  At 4am, the group notices what initially seems like snow, but is actually falling salt forming into a human figure ([44:30]).

• Abduction to the Salt Mines:
  The Salt Man leads them into an oppressive underground labyrinth, where their weaknesses—physical and psychological—are exploited.

  • Quote ([46:30]):
    "Inside the cavern was a chest…gold bars appeared dull and red in spots. Roger pushed Wallace aside and reached into the chest."

• Violent Retribution:
  The Salt Man violently murders Wallace and Roger in front of their friends, then takes the wedding ring from Kim as the narrator narrowly escapes.

• Fate, Regret, and the Supernatural:
  The survivor grows old, haunted by the experience. Years later, the Salt Man returns for her, her body beginning to "crystallize" into salt.

  • Quote ([55:30]):
    "He bought me with years, sparing me then, so he could fully take me now. But I do not want to go…But that is the nature of the world, is it not? To breathe and to die, to consume and to be consumed. Our lives revolve around it… as ubiquitous as salt."

Notable Moments & Timestamps

• [44:30] — The friends first see salt instead of snow.
• [48:00] — Entering the supernatural salt mines.
• [51:00] — The first death; Wallace is brutally murdered.
• [53:30] — Roger and Kim meet their fate; the narrator flees.
• [55:30] — Years later, the Salt Man comes to claim the narrator.

Memorable Quotes

• “He is giving me time to write my story. And then my time will have to come to an end.” — The narrator ([56:00])

Story Three: The Hospital Intruder

Begins: [58:40]

Theme & Summary

A first-hand account of a late-night scare in a hospital. The storyteller, exhausted from caring for their mother, unwittingly encounters an escaped patient from a neighboring mental hospital who stealthily hides in their room.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• Hospital Paranoia and Fear:
  The sleep-deprived narrator’s paranoia intensifies as nurses warn of an intruder on the floor ([59:20]).

• Chilling Realization and Tension:
  The horror peaks when the narrator realizes the escapee is hiding in their mother’s bathroom. The response is swift and terrifying; the staff sedates and removes the man.

• Aftermath:
  Nurses refrain from sharing full details, but the experience leaves a lasting sense of violation and fear.

Notable Moments & Timestamps

• [59:20] — Nurses warn to stay behind locked doors.
• [01:00:10] — Realization that the intruder is in their room; the dangerous encounter.

Story Four: The Lady Who Followed Us Home

Begins: [01:02:10]

Theme & Summary

A childhood memory about being followed home after innocently picking wildflowers near the sidewalk. The narrator, nearly blind at the time, recounts how their younger sister’s vigilance may have protected them from worse.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• Innocence and Vulnerability:
  Limited eyesight made the narrator susceptible to unnoticed dangers ([01:02:50]).

• Stalking Realized:
  A woman follows them home, waits until parents arrive, and confronts them, leading to confusion, shame, and, later, parental support after verifying the bush belonged to no one.

• Lingering Fear:
  The narrator reflects on how often they could have been followed without ever knowing, underscoring the terror of unseen threats.

Notable Moments & Timestamps

• [01:03:00] — The sister notices they're being followed.
• [01:04:30] — The reveal: the woman’s confrontation at their home.

Closing Thoughts

"Bloody Brick Road" exemplifies the podcast’s atmospheric, slow-burn approach to horror, blending the cozy with the chilling. The episode’s signature story is a memorable twist on holiday magic turned monstrous, nudging listeners to reflect on what lurks behind familiar traditions. The briefer accounts add variety, offering everyday terrifying experiences grounded in reality.

Notable Quotes

• "Beautiful, isn't it?"
  — Mr. Everett, as the horrifying nature of his tree is revealed ([17:45])

• "Make sure they all know to be merry—or else an elf might come."
  — Mr. Everett, with chilling finality ([33:30])

• "He bought me with years, sparing me then, so he could fully take me now."
  — Narrator of "The Salt Man" ([55:30])