Pacific Life Insurance Announcer (1:51)

What can 160 years of experience teach you about the future when it comes to protecting what matters pac Pacific Life provides life insurance, retirement income and employee benefits for people and businesses building a more confident tomorrow. Strategies rooted in strength and backed by experience. Ask a financial professional how Pacific Life can help you today. Pacific Life Insurance Company Omaha, Nebraska and in New York, Pacific Life and Annuity, Phoenix, Arizona.

Repatha Informational Voice / Lowe's Announcer (2:23)

Get ready to shop Lowe's Black Friday doorbuster deals to save $150 on a 30 inch blackstone griddle. Now 299dol plus choose a whirlpool top load washer or Midea top freezer refrigerator for just $398. These limited time doorbuster deals go fast, so get holiday ready. Today at lowes we help you save valid 1128 through 12. One selection varies by location while supplies last. See Lowes.com for more details.

Clem Washington (2:56)

Things have changed since I was a kid in so many ways. And I'm not even old yet. But things have changed. See, I grew up on a farm. We had goats and chickens and cows, horses. We grew corn, beans, blueberries. And yes, farms are run by farmers, this is true. But when a calf is sick in the middle of the night and needs to be next to a warmer, when possums have gotten into the chicken feed, when the vet needs help trying to birth of foal, it always happens. It always, always happens at 2 o' clock in the morning. And who goes out to the barn at 2 in the morning? Probably not the farmer. The farmer's gotta get up at 6. The farmer's got stuff to do. So no, it's not the farmer walking out to that dark slate gray Barn through the 2 o' clock in the morning gloom. No, it is not. The farmer hop desperately to get that generator running so at least, at least there'll be a little bit of light. Nah, nah, it's not the farmer trying to calm the wild out of the mama horse's eyes to beat back that fear she has to let her know that it's gonna be all right, but her foal is gonna be just fine. But everything's gonna be just fine when you don't even know if everything is gonna be just fine. Because the night does what the night will, helping animals fall sick. Sounds come from places sound should not be. The barn itself has moods. Some good, some very, very bad. No, it's not the farmer facing the deep growls, the angry clicks, the silence in the middle of the night. It's not. The farmer is the farm boy. My very first job was to do anything and everything that needed to be done to fight back the nighttime. So that when my father did get out of bed in the morning, that all was well. All was well. And I think now with these little kids I've got who sometimes wake up in the middle of the night screaming. Screaming. I think that my very first job, beating back the night, is the same job I have today. My name is Clem Washington. The first lessons are the hardest lessons. Spook starts now. We begin with a dear friend of mine, Dr. Ray Christian. You see, when Ray was a kid, he had one of the most coveted jobs of all. Ray was a paperboy. But there was one customer in particular who was different from the rest. And Ray didn't quite know why.

Dr. Ray Christian (7:02)

I hated being a paper Boy I hated Was difficult for me to understand how some boys were even successful at it. Paper boys ended up being places they wouldn't normally be, I would say. In this part of the neighborhood, probably more than a third of the houses were abandoned, either burned out by fires or they had just dilapidated from disrepair. The street lights had been out. There'd be no porch lights, stray people, just wandering criminals, pool halls, guys up to no good. My mama had but one rule in terms of being a paperboy, and that was to be safe at all times. She was worried that I would walk up into somebody's house trying to collect some money and get beaten up or robbed or shot. Because these were the kind of crimes that were common in my neighborhood anyway. But being a paper boy made me more of a target. So my mama would say, be careful. Deliver those papers and get yourself back home soon as you can. But the paper manager had another rule, and that was to deliver those papers and collect that money whenever you can. So this is one house in particular. The previous paper boy who had been delivering to this house, he didn't want it delivered there anymore, and he refused to collect on it. So the manager of the paper boys, he told me I would take over. It was on North 25th Street. It was already big and creepy. And it had this reputation with just about everybody in the neighborhood. Because it was so big and so dark. And nobody knew anything about the guy who lived there. Some people said he had a lot of money, that he was strange. Some people say he was a murderer. You could imagine a lot of things because it was so dark and you never saw anybody. And that made it creepier. You know, somebody's there, but you've never seen him. It was the first day of my route, and I went to the creepy house. I saw a few papers that were sitting on the porch. And that's never a good sign. I knocked on the door. There was no answer, so I did again. Nobody came to the door. So I started walking around the porch until I got to a point in the blinds. It was partially bent open. And I looked into there, and I met another eye looking back at me. And I jumped back, and somebody said, hey, come around to the back and bring the paper. So I went around to the back, but that was difficult because this yard hadn't been cut probably in years. It had small little trees growing up really, really high, weeds. And all in the weeds was garbage and trash, Broken bottles, dilapidated, old junked car in the backyard. So I'm trying not to step on a rusty nail or get cut by a piece of metal. And I was just trying to be extra, extra careful as I walked through it. Got on the back porch, some of the steps were missing. It was wobbly and creaky and rusty. And I knocked on the back door and nobody came. I said, it's me, it's me, paper boy. I'm coming in. I beat on the door and I started pushing on it, but it wouldn't move. So I kept pushing on it, kept pushing on and the door slowly started opening up, but only enough for me to just squeeze myself in sideways. The entire kitchen, it was stacked with newspapers all the way to the ceiling, but they were neat, tightly packed, every possible inch except one small path leading into another room, which was also matted down with newspapers. You couldn't see any sunlight. There was no natural light to penetrate the house, just the unmistakable smell of paper and ink. I went all the way to the back through the path, wondering where this was supposed to go. Into the front room, which was also loaded with newspapers all the way to the ceiling. There was another room loaded, bathroom loaded. And then you had this one little corner of the filth. And I saw the guy.

Birch Lane Announcer (13:29)

Hi neighbor. Save up to 70% on classic furniture and decor for limited time. It's our big Black Friday sale at Birch Lane, a Wayfair specialty brand. Prep your home for holiday guests with made to last sofas, timeless guest bedroom essentials, festive wreaths and more. And best of all, get free shipping on everything, even the big stuff. It's classic style for joyful living. Black Friday is at Birch Lane through December 2nd. Shop online@birchlane.com your new home is now ready.

Dr. Horton Homes Announcer (13:58)

Dr. Horton, America's Builder has new homes that are ready today with new construction communities in Ellensburg and throughout the Greater Seattle area. Dr. Horton has the right home for you at Dr. Horton. We're still building with flexible living spaces, smart home technology and two and three car garages. More communities and more homes available every day. Find your new home in Ellensburg now ready@drhorton.com Dr. Horton, America's builder and equal housing opportunity builder.

Genesis Car Event Announcer (14:27)

This holiday season, find something extraordinary. The Genesis Signature event is your moment to experience power you can feel. And every Genesis comes with SiriusXM. Three months of ad, free music plus sports news and more make Genesis a memorable start to your season.

Pacific Life Insurance Announcer (14:43)

What can 160 years of experience teach you about the future when it comes to protecting what matters? Pacific Life provides life insurance, retirement income and employee benefits for people and businesses building A more confident tomorrow. Strategies rooted in strength and backed by experience. Ask a financial professional how Pacific Life can help you today. Pacific Life Insurance Company, Omaha, Nebraska. And in New York, Pacific Life & Annuity, Phoenix, Arizona.

Repatha Informational Voice / Lowe's Announcer (15:14)

Holiday doorbuster deals are on at Lowe's today only. Get select 1 quart poinsettias and select translucent plant saucers for $1 each. That means for a limited time, you can decorate. To get in the Christmas spirit for less, shop in store to make sure you don't miss out on big savings all day. But hurry, these offers won't last long. Lowe's we help you save. Valid 1128 in store only. Limit 16 per person. Selection varies by location while supplies last.

Dr. Ray Christian (15:56)

And I saw the guy, He's wearing one of those. His wife beat us. He was scraggly, had a beard, skinny. He's sitting on a single bed. It has no sheet on it and the mattress is filthy and stained. The T shirt he's wearing looks the same as the mattress does in terms of its color. Stained brownish yellow. He had a sickening, sweet body odor. The bathroom is also filled with newspapers all the way to the ceiling. Everything in that room is full papers. And clearly he had been using his bucket as a toilet. I walked right up to him and I said, I'm here to collect money from the past due. And he said okay. And he started counting out change first. I was surprised that he said okay, and I was even more surprised that he started counting out change in that way. He's taking out one penny at a time, you know, to count out a dollar. And he's going like $0.01, $0.02, $0.05. That's $0.15, $0.20, $0.21, $0.25. Oh, oh, wait a minute. We're going through this until we get a dollar. 15, dollar, 50, 16, 25, 30, 31. Oh, man, I'm already creeped out. I want to get out of there, but he's being slow and this is all taking too long. 40, 45, 50, 56, 62, 67. Here, $1, 67 cents. That's what. Yes, sir, yes, sir. But that's a lot of change. And I kept spilling it and dropping it on the floor. A few pennies here and there. And that's when he decided to tell me he would fold it up for me and give it to. He tells me to put it all on the bunk on his bed. I put it on the bed. I didn't want to touch that. And he reached under and he pulled out a scarf. I'm certain he had Been blowing his nose with it because it looked that way. He unfolded that. And I'm looking at it and going, what? I don't want to even put that in my pocket. But he unfolded it, rubbed it out neat as he could. He placed all the change inside, grabbed it by the corner, left and right one tie, other two corners, second tie, twist a knot at the top. And he gave it to me. Here's your money. And he said, in the future, from now on, the money that you need gonna be in there on the table. Just throw the paper up in here and don't bring your ass up in here no more. Cause I'll shoot you. I said, yes, sir. And I went outside and I left. And I continued to deliver newspapers to this house for. For months. But after that we didn't have any more personal contact. And it always followed the same path. I would just walk into the kitchen, toss the newspaper back through the passageway that he had made of papers so he could get it. The handkerchief was always in that spot, always would be on the kitchen table, right where it was supposed to be. And it was supposed to contain $1.50 each week. And every week it contained $1.50. Always in change. I collected and I would leave the house. But each time that I would come back, I always announced to myself, sir, it's me, paper boy. I'm here to collect. I have your paper, sir. I'm getting the change, sir. I'm collecting the money. I got the money, I'm gone by. But he never said anything. I often wondered what he was doing. Was he reading his paper? What he ate? Did he have any kids? Why didn't he come outside? I hated going to this house because it was nasty and scary and it smelled. But the one good thing about it is this guy always paid on time. Then I'd start throwing in extra things. A little later I would go, it's me, paper boy. Raining outside. Smells in this house. Did you eat today? You hear about the news? What was in the news? What'd you read yesterday? Hello. Hello, sir, I'm dancing. It's me. Woo hoo. Goodbye. I never heard any. No reaction. Cause I never saw him. But I would hear sounds or things that made me think that he acknowledged my presence. I would see a shifting of the light or shadow stand up and flash across the room, or him stepping. But I would hear that. And I would take that as quick acknowledgement. This is about early February of the year. It's still cold, slushy snow is still on the ground. But it's still below freezing at nights most of the days. But it starts thawing out in March. The house was really starting to reek and I was starting to hear this buzzy sound coming from the back. And probably in late April is when the flies started showing.

Birch Lane Announcer (23:52)

Hi neighbor. Save up to 70% on classic furniture and decor through December 2nd. It's Black Friday at Birch Lane, a Wayfair specialty brand. Find classic style for joyful living and get free shipping on everything. Shop online@birchlane.com your new home is now.

Dr. Horton Homes Announcer (24:07)

Ready Dr. Horton, America's builder has new homes that are ready today. With new construction communities in Ellensburg and throughout the Greater Seattle area. Dr. Horton has the right home for you at Dr. Horton. We're still building with flexible living spaces, smart home technology and two and three car garages. More communities and more homes available every day. Find your new home in Ellensburg now ready@drhorton.com Dr. Horton, America's builder and equal.

Genesis Car Event Announcer (24:35)

Housing Opportunity Builder this holiday season, find something extraordinary. The Genesis Signature Event is your moment to experience power you can feel. And every Genesis comes with SiriusXM. Three months of ad, free music plus sports news and more make Genesis a memorable start to your season.

Pacific Life Insurance Announcer (24:52)

What can 160 years of experience teach you about the future? When it comes to protecting what matters? Pacific Life provides life insurance, retirement income and employee benefits for people and businesses building a more confident tomorrow. Strategies rooted in strength and backed by experience. Ask a financial professional how Pacific Life can help you today. Pacific Life Insurance Co. Omaha, Nebraska and in New York, Pacific Life and Annuity, Phoenix, Arizona.

Repatha Informational Voice / Lowe's Announcer (25:24)

Get ready to shop Lowe's Black Friday doorbuster deals to save $150 on a 30 inch blackstone griddle now $299 plus choose a whirlpool top load washer or Midea top freezer refrigerator for just $398. These limited time doorbuster deals go fast, so get holiday ready. Today at Lowe's, we help you save valid 1128 through 12. One selection varies by location while supplies last. See Lowes.com for more details.

Dr. Ray Christian (26:11)

I assumed that was related to that bucket that he had in the room. I yelled a couple of times about how bad the house smelled. Sir. Ooh, it smells in here. How do you stand up? Hello. This house stinks, sir. Hello stinky house. Bye. No sounds. No response. Initially there were only but a few flies and then it was twice as many the next day. In about four or five days there was there were hundreds of flies in the House. I hated it. That was gross. It had reached a point where the smell was just outrageous. It takes about two months. We started moving toward the summer. The smell dies off almost completely. I continued to deliver the papers. I tossed the papers in. I still yell, but nothing. The one good thing about it is this guy always made sure I had my money. And we get about into the beginning of the fall, and I went to the creepy house. And this time, as I'm walking up, there may be 20, 25 people outside and the police and an ambulance. And the strangest thing of all is the front door of the house is open. And I never saw that door open. There must be a hundred bundles of paper that they had moved and put on the front porch. And I saw them wheeling out a stretcher, and there's a body wrapped in a white sheet. And everybody in the crowd is going, oh, that's that guy. I knew it was somebody in that house. I knew it was somebody in there. How long you think he's been dead? He's probably been dead for years. Years and years. Who called him? And as they're thinking through it, every word they're saying is making me feel guilty. I felt guilty that I didn't use that time to actually talk to him. I never thought that I had any responsibility to this guy. I never even thought about. And I'm also starting to wonder. I've been delivering these papers to this guy's house for almost a year. Who was I talking to? Hearing people say that he had to be dead a long time scared me. I kept going back and forth in my mind while I stood there. The time that didn't I hear him? I thought I heard him. I'm sure I heard him. My money is there. Didn't he laugh one time when I said the house smelled? Didn't I see his shadow across the room when I told him I was leaving? But it was difficult to digest. As a kid, I heard somebody in the crowd say somebody had to know about it who knew this guy. And I'm thinking, oh, yeah, I didn't know, You know. And then what starts to bother me is in the crowd, they're starting to talk about all the newspapers that they're bringing out and putting out on the porch. And somebody says, well, somebody was delivering those newspapers to that house. Somebody said the paper boy had to be delivering it. He'd probably know something. He was delivering them papers. And no, he ain't doing it for free. Yeah, who the paper boy is hearing that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up, but I almost felt like I wanted to say something. Everybody's starting to talk and wonder and speculate about who that kid was, but wonder who he is. And I decided to just keep my mouth shut.

Clem Washington (31:38)

Ray Christian, everyone. Dr. Ray Christian. You can find more of Ray's stories on our sister podcast, Stamp Judgment. And Ray's got his own podcast. It's called what's Ray Saying? It's available wherever you get your podcast. The original score for that piece was by Leon Morimoto. It was produced by Liz Mack. Understand there is a secret war afoot, dear listeners, and we hope you pick the right side. But be afraid. And if you dig amazing storytelling under the light of day, check out our sister podcast, Snap Judgment. Storytelling with the Beat Movies of the Mind. The amazing Snap Judgment podcast Spooked is brought to you by every single sound you failed to investigate in the middle of the night. And by Mark Ristich in a Sussman, our chief spookster, Eliza Smith, Chris Hambrick, Annie Nguyen, Jacob Winnick, and Lauren Newson. The Spook theme song is by Pat Mesiti Miller. My name's been Washington now. You might see fireflies, you might smell incense, you might see breadcrumbs in the forest. Do not follow, it's all a trick. Instead stay inside, lock the doors, friends, and most importantly, never ever, never, never ever, never, never, ever, never, never turn out the lights.

Birch Lane Announcer (33:19)

Hi neighbor. Save up to 70% on classic furniture and decor through December 2nd. It's Black Friday at Birch Lane, a Wayfair specialty brand. Find classic style for joyful living and get free shipping on everything. Shop online@birchlane.com your new home is now ready.

Dr. Horton Homes Announcer (33:35)

Dr. Horton, America's builder has new homes that are ready today. With new construction communities in Ellensburg and through throughout the Greater Seattle area, Dr. Horton has the right home for you. At Dr. Horton, we're still building with flexible living spaces, smart home technology and two and three car garages. More communities and more homes available every day. Find your new home in Ellensburg now ready@drhorton.com Dr. Horton, America's builder and equal.

Genesis Car Event Announcer (34:02)

Housing Opportunity Builder this holiday season, find something extraordinary. The Genesis Signature event is your moment to experience power you can feel and every Genesis Genesis comes with SiriusXM. Three months of ad, free music plus sports news and more make Genesis a memorable start to your season.

Pacific Life Insurance Announcer (34:20)

What can 160 years of experience teach you about the future when it comes to protecting what matters? Pacific Life provides life insurance, retirement income and employee benefits for people and businesses building a more confident tomorrow Strategies rooted in strength and backed by experience. Ask a financial professional how Pacific Life can help you today. Pacific Life Insurance Co. Omaha, Nebraska and in New York, Pacific Life & Annuity, Phoenix, Arizona.

Repatha Informational Voice / Lowe's Announcer (34:50)

Suffering from aches and pains? The Tempur Pedic Adapt mattress eases your pressure points all night, every night. Now save up to $500 on select adjustable mattress sets and $50 off select pillow sets@tempurpedic.com select adjustable mattress sets. Only lesser savings may apply.