WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.700 You're listening to episode 3 of Grim Gordon, 00:00:03.899 --> 00:00:07.700 one case at a time. Upon leaving the house on 00:00:07.700 --> 00:00:11.119 the hill, another notification came from Marvin. 00:00:12.300 --> 00:00:15.699 Grim, there are more reports of creatures, and 00:00:15.699 --> 00:00:18.019 according to my map, the residue appears to 00:00:18.019 --> 00:00:21.460 be spreading. I didn't have much time. I need 00:00:21.460 --> 00:00:25.260 to find this kid, now. It was then a cold breeze 00:00:25.260 --> 00:00:30.149 grazed my pale skin. A thought came to me. Tommy's 00:00:30.149 --> 00:00:34.310 room was full of honky stuff. The man I knew 00:00:34.310 --> 00:00:37.429 as Quentin used to tell me about his love of 00:00:37.429 --> 00:00:41.070 the sport. Marvin, provide me with the nearest 00:00:41.070 --> 00:00:44.530 ice ring. There's an ice ring half a mile away. 00:00:44.850 --> 00:00:48.390 However, it was closed down two years ago. As 00:00:48.390 --> 00:00:51.649 I approached the abandoned building, the residue 00:00:51.649 --> 00:00:56.670 was stronger. It was almost a solid gray. A broken 00:00:56.670 --> 00:01:00.200 window was my entrance. I knew Tommy was there. 00:01:01.060 --> 00:01:04.260 I entered the ring to find creatures of all kinds. 00:01:05.340 --> 00:01:08.659 Werewolves, zombies, mummies, and more surrounding 00:01:08.659 --> 00:01:13.299 the boy. A dozen foes now stared me down. The 00:01:13.299 --> 00:01:17.040 only hope I had was Tommy. In the distance, Tommy 00:01:17.040 --> 00:01:21.680 sat in a corner, rocking back and forth. You 00:01:21.680 --> 00:01:25.019 need to stop this, Tommy. People are getting 00:01:25.019 --> 00:01:29.439 hurt. Your mom is hurting. Tommy didn't answer. 00:01:29.799 --> 00:01:33.599 From my left, a bat came flying at me. It shifted 00:01:33.599 --> 00:01:36.040 into a man as its feet landed in front of me, 00:01:36.120 --> 00:01:39.700 its eyes radiating red. I tightened my grip on 00:01:39.700 --> 00:01:43.420 my sword. Sprouting from my fingers, roots gathered 00:01:43.420 --> 00:01:46.780 around the guard of the sword. They twisted and 00:01:46.780 --> 00:01:50.540 intertwined like a vine. The symbols on my sword 00:01:50.540 --> 00:01:54.620 began to illuminate orange. The vampire lunged 00:01:54.620 --> 00:01:57.739 at me. And I struck the beast, landing a blow. 00:01:58.219 --> 00:02:01.260 Another creature came from my right side. It 00:02:01.260 --> 00:02:04.579 was a ghoul. A sword manifested in the ghoul's 00:02:04.579 --> 00:02:08.919 hand. A defense mechanism, I thought. The ghoul 00:02:08.919 --> 00:02:12.520 was not the only one with a sword. A zombie stood 00:02:12.520 --> 00:02:15.960 tall with a longsword in hand. A ghost gripped 00:02:15.960 --> 00:02:19.960 an arming sword. Tommy now rocked faster. He 00:02:19.960 --> 00:02:24.379 was crying manically. Tommy, listen to me. I 00:02:24.379 --> 00:02:27.840 screamed. This isn't you. You can stop all of 00:02:27.840 --> 00:02:33.000 this. Tommy looked down. I can't stop this. They 00:02:33.000 --> 00:02:37.360 are all I have. You have your mom. I'm not safe 00:02:37.360 --> 00:02:42.639 with her. I'm safe with them. They care about 00:02:42.639 --> 00:02:46.419 me. They tell me so. It's an illusion, Tommy. 00:02:46.639 --> 00:02:50.139 They aren't real. They aren't you. They aren't 00:02:50.139 --> 00:02:55.030 real. They're your imagination. Tommy, please. 00:02:55.270 --> 00:02:59.729 You must stop this. Says who? Says your father. 00:03:00.789 --> 00:03:05.449 My father? I don't have a father. I know your 00:03:05.449 --> 00:03:08.949 father. He has the same abilities as you. His 00:03:08.949 --> 00:03:12.810 name is Quentin. You don't know him. I saved 00:03:12.810 --> 00:03:16.509 him once. From himself. Like I'm trying to do 00:03:16.509 --> 00:03:21.819 with you. Prove it. He used to read to you. tell 00:03:21.819 --> 00:03:24.539 you stories about creatures and monsters remember 00:03:24.539 --> 00:03:28.819 remember the one about the pumpkin man look at 00:03:28.819 --> 00:03:33.020 me and i'll prove it tommy then looked at me 00:03:33.020 --> 00:03:36.479 i slowly released the veil i had to not scare 00:03:36.479 --> 00:03:41.400 him my stem grew as the hair faded my pumpkin 00:03:41.400 --> 00:03:45.159 flesh overtaking the pale white skin tommy's 00:03:45.159 --> 00:03:49.729 eyes went wide in fear as this happened Behind 00:03:49.729 --> 00:03:53.830 Tommy, a shadow grew on the wall. Tommy, I'm 00:03:53.830 --> 00:03:59.629 a friend. I promise. You need to trust me. The 00:03:59.629 --> 00:04:03.629 shadow was now my size. The pit in my stomach 00:04:03.629 --> 00:04:11.050 growing. Grim? Gordon? Tommy said, shaking. Yes, 00:04:11.090 --> 00:04:15.129 now let me help you. As a tear fell from Tommy's 00:04:15.129 --> 00:04:19.529 eyes, the shadow began to fade. It's going to 00:04:19.529 --> 00:04:24.730 be okay. We'll find your dad, I said. I put my 00:04:24.730 --> 00:04:28.509 hand out for Tommy. Tommy took my hand and we 00:04:28.509 --> 00:04:31.769 walked out of that place. As we walked, I used 00:04:31.769 --> 00:04:35.689 the spell to create the veil once again. What 00:04:35.689 --> 00:04:39.470 happened to your face? asked the boy. I don't 00:04:39.470 --> 00:04:43.910 want to scare you or others. Oh, you aren't as 00:04:43.910 --> 00:04:47.920 scary as my dad said. This made me smile. We 00:04:47.920 --> 00:04:50.660 walked until we reached the cinema. This is a 00:04:50.660 --> 00:04:55.199 safe place, I promise. I said to Tommy as we 00:04:55.199 --> 00:04:58.100 looked to the projector screen. Tommy grasped 00:04:58.100 --> 00:05:02.220 my hand. Tommy took a deep breath and then nodded 00:05:02.220 --> 00:05:05.800 with his head. With a whisper, we were now in 00:05:05.800 --> 00:05:09.680 the black and white. I introduced Tommy to Jasmine 00:05:09.680 --> 00:05:13.319 and asked if she would watch him. Once she saw 00:05:13.319 --> 00:05:15.720 Quentin and the boy, there was no hesitation. 00:05:16.720 --> 00:05:19.699 I left the rehab center to find it was Halloween. 00:05:20.660 --> 00:05:24.259 Meanwhile, in the realm of color, I had one last 00:05:24.259 --> 00:05:27.399 thing to do. I collected my pay from the mother 00:05:27.399 --> 00:05:31.060 and with it paid for her rehab. It was the least 00:05:31.060 --> 00:05:34.680 I could do for an old friend like Quentin. I 00:05:34.680 --> 00:05:37.060 left the rehab center to find it was Halloween. 00:05:37.740 --> 00:05:42.060 I truly forgot with all the chaos. One day a 00:05:42.060 --> 00:05:45.470 year when I could truly be myself. I walked down 00:05:45.470 --> 00:05:48.949 the streets openly, The fresh air against my pumpkin 00:05:48.949 --> 00:05:53.189 flesh. Kids ran past me with bags of candy in 00:05:53.189 --> 00:05:56.529 hand. Parents just admired the quality of the 00:05:56.529 --> 00:06:00.470 mask. Little did they know this was my true self. 00:06:01.230 --> 00:06:04.870 The veil was the mask. According to the news 00:06:04.870 --> 00:06:08.870 the following week, the headlines ran, mass hysteria 00:06:08.870 --> 00:06:11.850 and the psychological effects of social media 00:06:11.850 --> 00:06:14.810 and Halloween. The world might never be ready 00:06:14.810 --> 00:06:18.110 for the truth, but I'll still carve out my own 00:06:18.110 --> 00:06:23.009 path. This has been Grim Gordon, one case at 00:06:23.009 --> 00:06:26.730 a time. Stay tuned for more stories featuring 00:06:26.730 --> 00:06:30.410 Grim Gordon. If you enjoyed this Grim Gordon 00:06:30.410 --> 00:06:33.129 story, make sure you follow and leave us a review. 00:06:33.170 --> 00:06:35.529 That really helps the show out. There will be 00:06:35.529 --> 00:06:38.860 more Grim Gordon cases in the future. And check 00:06:38.860 --> 00:06:42.379 out wolfshield .media for more fiction podcasts. 00:06:43.079 --> 00:06:46.459 This production has been written, narrated, and 00:06:46.459 --> 00:06:49.459 produced by Dwight Randolph of Wolfshield Media.