It’s Alive Horror Podcast is BACK!

Chris and I have always feared that a great dark age would befall our podcast, It’s Alive! Horror Podcast. Well that shit happened. Why did it happen you ask? Well, I had a baby, I moved twice, and when we started to settle down and gear up the plague was dropped on THE ENTIRE PLANET – And I got it. So that sucked.

David Pumkins once said, “To each leaf comes hours of yardwork.” I have no fucking idea what that meant but my take is that life is a bitch sometimes. So we deal with it. And Chris and I dealt with it by constantly talking up ideas for new episodes. It was only a matter of time before we would record something #fresh.

Last week we baked a nice hot n’ fresh episode just in time for our favorite holiday, Columbus Day. Comedy!

So here we are. Almost two years into the void and Chris and I finally smashed through with a delicious ( I dislike this word when used this way) episode for October. It’s a fresh start and a fresh angle. The nugget of it all is getting back to being the creative people we are. Our goal is not to pander to the horror fan. Our goal is to pander to ourselves. Because we can.

So prepare yourselves for our honest opinion on Halloween 18 and the upcoming Halloween Kills. We also sprinkled in our favorite Halloween sequel AND deliver our very own Halloween movie pitches.

We hope you have a blast listening to the upcoming episode. We truly do. Thank you for staying with us.

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Summer Games

Authors note: This is the short story I wrote in July that was rejected. The story had to be under 1k words ( mine is 998 ) and it needed to feature something about camping. Camping for me was a huge part of my childhood. I attended a Christian camp in Wisconsin for many years. Digging back into those memories was wonderful. Finding the scary hidden within was delicious.  

The lake was black and hid many secrets. The only light offered came from the hanging moon above but it could not penetrate the lakes obsidian depths. But it did provide enough light for Brody Fitzmore to see the outline of the peer that floated silently in the distance.

Brody gulped the velvet summer night and crunched his toes deeper into the sandy shore. It was a funny thing to see the place that offered laughter, games, and splashing under the summer sun become so dark and ominously corrupted under the waxing moon.

The buckling ribs of the cicadas, the croaking of something bulbous and slimy just beyond the tall reeds, and the scratchy wool air made 12-year-old Brody, who was crowned bravest of the first-year campers, think only of the horrible hungry things within.

A voice slipped through the dark of the trees that leered behind him like great sentinels of summer.

“It’s the last night of Camp Wonder, Brody.”

The soft chattering of his fellow campers buzzed somewhere between the trees.

“That means this is the last chance  to win the Craw-Man Patch.”

Another wave of exciting chattering followed as this crucial fact fell upon Brody and his doubting thoughts.

He needed to do this. If he failed, the counselors would win the coveted patch and he would never be able to return.

Gritting his teeth, Brody took a step into the inky water. The midnight lake felt cold and treacherous. But the chattering turned into cheers, and Brody was filled with courage.

Emerging from the forest was first-time camp counselor, Ellen Roberts, his competitor. Her red one-piece swimsuit seemed to glow as Brody’s eyes quickly traced her.

“You ready,” she said softly looking down at Brody with more concern than competition.

Brody focused his eyes forward. He dare not look at her completely. If he looked at her he would be distracted. He needed to focus. This was life and death stuff.

“Little more than a hundred yards. First one back gets the patch.”

Ellen smiled at him and took a step into the water. They were side by side. Equals in the pale moonlight. All the games. All the blood, sweat, and tears led to this very moment.

Heck, the entire summer depended on this, thought Brody as he balled up his fists with determination.

“It begins when the fire starts. And remember, beware of the thing that sleeps below!” commanded the voice in the forest.

Brody and Ellen went into a running position. A few clean steps and a perfectly executed dive would be the determining factor without question.

From behind them someone was breathing, moving sticks on sticks, pouring a tin of liquid, scraping a match, and then the whoosh of fire and heat. The final camper vs counselor challenge began with a cold splash.

Brody felt he had taken a better dive but he couldn’t be sure because he did not expect the awesome darkness of the lake. His heart pounded from his arms cutting madly through the water but also from the terror that soaked his very bones.

This must be the feeling the elders talked about last night as they sat around the fire. The water was truly filled with microbial fears that bubbled up from the fathoms below.

My God, thought Brody. How deep is the lake? And what of the slimy, blind, oily things that hide amongst the forest kelp below?

Did something just grab him?

Brody kicked violently with his legs. It was probably just his imagination but it could have been the thing that sleeps below! Another layer of gooseflesh covered him as the horror-filled his mind. Must stay focused-

TTHUNK!

Brody’s head cracked against the floating wooden deck. He made it! Ellen splashed close behind him. Without even trying to clear the stars from his eyes, Brody hurled himself on top of the platform so he could dive back towards the blazing shore. The damage was done.

“Brody! Your head. Your bleeding!”

Brody turned to see Ellen lifting herself up onto the deck. She looked like how he imagined a siren to be. Flowing hair, piercing eyes, smooth skin. Then one of his eyes went dark. With the back of his hand, Brody wiped at it. More hot sticky blood plopped into the water.

Ellen gently tilted his head to the right and examed him. The blood gleamed silver under the spell of the moon as it continued to drip on the deck and fall between the planks.

“It’s not bad. Just a bad scrape,” she said softly.

They locked eyes as she pressed Brody’s hand over it.

“Kinda silly to get hurt over something like this, huh?” She said as her eyes stared out at the bonfire onshore.

“You think your too old for summer games, don’t you?” Brody said with a chord of defiance in his voice. “ You don’t believe in the thing below, do you?”

Ellen looked at Brody with silent teenage knowing.

“It’s all just silly summer camp games, Brody.”

Brody looks at Ellen with a smile. Taking his hand, he wiped the blood across his entire face as if it was warpaint.

“I hit my head on purpose,” he said with wide, unblinking eyes of madness.

“Why’d you do a thing like that?”

“To bleed.”

“Why did you want to bleed, Brody?” said Ellen nervously.

“Because it’s drawn to blood.”

Suddenly Brody started pounding on his wound. What was once a scrape turned into a cascading gash. Blood flowed freely.

Then it came – A tall shadow with cherry-red eyes and moon drenched claws that clicked and snapped behind Ellen.

Smiling Brody turned and dove back into the black water as the thing that sleeps below violently grabbed Ellen with ancient hunger.

As Brody neared the shore the sound of Ellen being ripped apart was replaced by triumphant cheering from his fellow campers. The fear that nearly conquered him was all but gone. The summer was saved.

The campers had won!

The Visitor

Note: Below you will find a rejected short horror story. The story needed to be under 600 words, feature a post-apocalyptic setting, and have a theme of love and loss. Though it was rejected I enjoyed the process. It was challenging but very rewarding. Enjoy!

The man who hated the world stared out the ash-covered window of his decaying house. Walking up to the house was a raggedy girl wearing tattered clothes. She was no more than 10 years old but she carried herself with great familiarity. The man pursed his lips in thought. 

Why is she here again?

When the seas dried up and the sun faded to an ashy smudge, a sickness fell upon humanity. It did not take long for the world to start eating itself. The rule of flesh was all for one and one for all. So the man would forever watch from the shadows of the house to make sure these murdering madmen stayed away. But sometimes they sent children. 

When the girl entered the house of ruination she did so without fear. The man, hidden in shadow, watched her with great curiosity. Careful to not make a noise, he followed as she gingerly walked up the broken staircase. That is when he saw the crude shiv in her pocket. She was surely one of the flesh-eaters.

He waited for her to reach the top of the staircase. Like she always did, she took a left and entered a room. The man gritted his teeth and followed. 

In the past, he had allowed this little girl the freedom to explore and take, but now, after seeing the knife, he had to but a stop to it. He had to kill her before she killed him. 

Before the greying of the world, he was a man of science and not a murderer of children. But was it not him who gave it to them? Thus, making him a murderer of worlds? The reminder sent a shot of anger and guilt through him as he reached the room upstairs. 

He waited and listened carefully. Was she…crying? 

Of course, thought the man. This little beast was well trained. She knew he was there. This was a trap. The man shifted his view so that he could peer through the crack of the door in hopes of seeing the would-be assassin. She wasn’t hiding. She was sitting Indian style in the middle of the floor, crying and holding something.

He should go inside and strangle her. That’s what he should do. Just get it over with. But, his old-world self could not find the strength to act. But why?

Her crying. It reminded him of what was and what could never be. The floorboards groaned as the weight of this thought made him shift with unease. 

The girl stood up and looked back at the door. The man froze as he saw her dirty and tear-streaked face. 

“Hello?” called out the girl. 

Silence fell between them. The man dare not move. 

“Are you there?” said the girl again. 

A voice from downstairs interrupted.

“Rose, time to go!”

Before the man could move, the girl named Rose opened the door and walked through him. 

Turning, she looked briefly towards the man. Her eyes searching.  

The man, perplexed, watched her leave before turning to the room. It was a child’s bedroom.

His eyes moved to a moth-eaten mattress where a skeleton lay holding a rusted gun. The man’s eyes fell to where the child was crying. On the floor was a picture of him holding the girl called Rose in a field of summer dandelions. 

Suddenly, he remembered the good: the smell of spring rain, the sounds of summer, the goodnight butterfly kisses. 

But then he remembered the betrayal,  the bullet, the loneliness. And suddenly the ghost of the man hated everything once again.  

Cult Horror Icon Guy Zen: DOA?

Guy Zen shocked his way into the horror world by releasing Slash Gut back in 88′. The horror world, or more like his corner of it, knew Guy Zen for his gritty street horror films such as Beast Stalker, The Night Maniac series, Ripper Crew Killers, and most notably 1982’s Sewer Psycho which starred cult hero Brant Bryant who tragically died during the filming of the movie.

To say Guy Zen sold out with Slash Gut is to declare the man a horror fraud. The truth is that Zen was truly born from the horror genre. When John Carpenter was filming the seminal classic, Halloween back in the late 70’s, Guy Zen was already releasing The Knife that Killed Part 2.

Yes, TKTK series was filmed in Italy with an all Italian crew, making it an Italian horror film series, that doesn’t take away from the fact Guy was already seven films in horror when everyone else was a freshman or sophomore. It’s a hard fact that Guy Zen may be the most unknown horror master of all time. That’s why his disappearance is a true mystery.

In 2000 Guy Zen, cult director of 45 films, had gone missing during a shoot of a cannibal jungle movie by Siren Pictures called The Jungle Lives! It was star Claude Debaux that first reported it as he had experienced contractual issues with the director. Claude claims that that Zen had gone made when scouting a location deep in the South American jungle. It was Claude who reported that an unknown tribe had found Zen to be a living God. Days later, cinematographer Tarkaff Goro’s body had been found mutilated – his heart had been ripped from its chest.

The years have passed and now, in the troubling year 2020, Guy Zen has resurfaced. Not in the flesh but in celluloid. A copy of an unknown work was released online and a single physical reel was delivered to Alan Young of Siren Pictures. The movie was or is if you saw it before it was taken down, called The Flesh Project.

The only thing that I could find of value is that the FBI is actively searching for GUy Zen as he is wanted for murder. The film, which I did not see upon its sudden release, featured the death of 15 people – real people.

My skin crawled when I stumbled upon this bit of research. Something evil clearly happened deep in the jungle. And that evil clearly surrounded Guy Zen, the man who I met 21 years ago at a horror convention in Chicago. I still remember what he told me.

“You’ve got nice skin, kid. I’ll be seeing you around.”

Horror 2000: The Greatest Decade of Horror

One of the most significant decades of horror correlated with my stint as a high school dink. The decade was the 2000’s. And it is one of THE GREATEST DECADES OF HORROR OF ALL TIME.

Great horror stems from significant points in global and/or national history. For example, in the 50’s you had the rise of what I call “Atomic Horror” in which the theatergoer was showered with alien invasions, mega-monster, and science gone wrong horror flicks like Godzilla, Creature from The Black Lagoon, The Blog, The Mole People, etc.

Another prime example of anthropology through horror films would be the Vietnam War. The impact was so powerful it bled over to help create the horror of the ’80s. Our innocence in life was lost in the jungle.

It was through the folly of a war at home and abroad that created The Texas Chainsaw Massacre where the innocence of a road trip with buddies was taken away,  the innocence of a beach was damned forever by Jaws, or even purity of parenthood was blackened by likes of The Exorcist and The Omen. Eventually, the vibrant and violent 70’s turned us into lost children of the ’80s where Satanic Panic, ultra-violence led to the rise of the slasher.

That’s why I believe the anthropological connection to horror of the 2000s will go down as one of the greatest decades of horror of all time. And It was because of the tragedy of 9/11 that horror was resurrected.

The 90’s damned near killed the horror film. The decade was wrought with unfocused horror. It’s not a bad thing because we do have a ton of gems from the ’90s. But we had a wide net which reeled in movies like Blade, The Haunting, Scary Movie, It, Tremors, and Scream which sort of defined the state of horror at the time – bored.

The year 2000 started it looked like we would get yet another decade of bored horror with released like American Psycho ( great movie btw), Dracula 2000, Final Destination, and smattering of ghost flicks. The ’90s and the year 2000 created Scary Movie. That should help sum up how lost the horror ship was. That is until the entire world was changed in a single morning when four airplanes were hijacked by assholes who hated everybody but themselves.

In comes the year 2002 which the world gets horror movies like 28 Days Later, Resident Evil, and Dog Soldiers. Though these movies were not constructed because of the terrorist attack they, eerily enough, fit perfectly in the tragedy of what was to come. In 28 Days and Resident Evil, you had a world turned upside down, and in Dog Soldiers you had soldiers fighting a new and unknown enemy.

But it was the horror films in 2003 that truly gave way to the results of 9/11. Suddenly, ghosts, slapstick, and action-horror was overtaken by A House of 1,000 Corpses, High Tension ( 2003 reg release but 2005  US release), Wrong Turn, and the essential remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Once again, the horror genre had a true purpose. It was inspired. That inspiration created 2004’s Dawn of the Dead and Shaun of the Dead which single handily re-animated the zombie genre. We also experienced the dawn of a new franchise – Saw.  One of the most interesting realizations I found in my research was that every massive human event gave birth to a significant zombie film.

The world we lived in would continue to be ripped apart and our innocence would, once again, be stripped from us. In the middle of the decade, we would find ourselves forced to experience Torture Porn in the classic Hostel. We would also find ourselves at the mercy of movies like The Devils Rejects, The Descent, and Wolf Creek. Each of these movies added our fear of traveling, random acts of violence, and they made us aware that the world is filled with people that want to kill you for reasons you may never understand.

As the war of terror raged and terrorists continued to commit unthinkable acts, the year 2006 continued to remind us that all that you love can be taken away with the release of The Hills Have Eyes, Texas Chainsaw: The Begining, Them, Black Christmas, and Turistas. The decade would continue to rehash remakes and sequels that would add value to the state of horror.

My final year of High School was in 2007. It was at this time when I found myself working at a movie theater, chilling with my friends, and flexing my movie-making interests. It was also the year that we got The Mist, 28 Weeks Later, Death Proof/Planet Terror, The Orphanage, Trick R’ Treat, Vacancy, Hostel Part II, REC, and Rob Zombies Halloween.

The decade was almost over but the war continued, and violence across America raged. This would be shown to us in the 2008 releases of The Strangers; a film that owned the year. I can still remember watching the trailer as I checked ID’s at the entrance. I actually witnessed a girl run out of the theater in fear. No joke. Anyways, we did receive gems like The Ruins and Splinter but the year would also give way to the genesis of found-footage horror flicks such as Quarantine and Cloverfield.

When 2009 came to be I found myself in film school. But I also found myself completely lost. I took on this Bob Dylan like persona that ended up cutting a hollow hole inside me. That mixed with massive family drama wrecked me totally. It was around this time that the decade of great horror hit its peak with the release of Human Centipede. the trash bag release of Friday the 13th,  Anti-Christ, Zombieland, and the cheap thrills of Drag Me To Hell. All of these films tasted like microwaved hotdogs.

The world had finally become weary of all the real-life rot the decade had to offer. The United States introduced a new president, Swine Flu hit, and the world lost an icon of humanity – Michael Jackson. The horror of  9/11 seemed like a faded image from a polaroid camera.

The nature of horror greatness will always bring forth a dark time. But when The Oughts ended, I can’t help but notice it brought forward a slew of horror films that did not find proper accolades because the new decade, the 10’s, did not really have a pulse. Matter of fact, horror hasn’t had a resurrection since the 2000s. Sure, we had some gems but the entire horror genre was random, scattered, and simply lost.

I look back at the 2000s with all my nostalgic love. The decade gave me my life skills, my best friend, and memories that I will have forever. It was the defining decade of my life. It was also the defining decade of horror. If I could put the horror of 2000’s on a greatest hits bundle – this is what it would look like:

• 2000 – American Psycho
• 2001 – The Devils Backbone
• 2002 – 28 Days Later
• 2003 – House of 1,000 Corpses
• 2004 – Shaun of the Dead
• 2005 – Hostel & Wolf Creek
• 2006 – The Hills Have Eyes
• 2007 – Halloween
• 2008 – The Strangers
• 2009 – The Human Centipede

 

 

 

 

Us horror movie- Jordan Peele is NOT a master of horror.

Jordan Peele is NOT a master of horror.

But he sure as hell could be if the following happens:

1. Us is another smash hit for the genre
2. His 3rd horror film is a smash hit
3. Has a successful genre show (Twilight Zone becomes a sensation)
4. He makes a crap 4th film that becomes a cult classic

These are the 4 rules of becoming a horror icon. Don’t believe me? Just looks at the Crazy Uncle of horror John Carpenter’s holy trilogy: Halloween, The Fog and The Thing.

“Somebody pay me!”

Still not convinced? Check out the cool Uncle of Horror – Wes Craven’s Holy Trilogy: The Last House on the Left, The Hills Have Eyes and A Nightmare on Elm Street. However, Mr. Craven’s entire career was filled with classics and cult classics. But it is his holy trilogy that skyrocketed him to success!

“Don’t forget about me!”

And let us not forget the author turned legendary director Stephen King!

Stephen King filming Maximum Overdrive while on Cocaine 

God. If Us turns into a bad horror flick we will all be sad. After all, Jordan Peele is a fucking guy that has shocked us all (especially white folk).

Here’s to hoping Jordan Peele becomes a horror icon!

 

GET YOUR TIX: https://www.usmovie.com/

 

Sam and Colby = Creepy Youtube Gold!

When I’m bored I like to look around the Youtube machine for creepy videos. Strangely enough, finding original content is hard. Everything is creepypasta this and crappypasta that. So when I found out about these two cats named Sam and Colby I was fucking pumped because they literally have movie quality vids….Christ, did I really just write “vids?”

Below you’ll find their adventures into an abandoned insane asylum. From the editing to the dramatic music, these kids should be making fucking horror flicks. Until they do, I will forever be watching their Youtube channel. And so should you!

 

The Phantom Neighbor

I am currently the only resident in my 3 unit apartment. For the last two nights someone has been trying to open my apartment door.

I never investigate it. But I know it’s real because as I write this my door knob is slowly shaking. I can hear the groaning of the wooden entry door as if someone is pushing against it.

I’m sitting on my couch. I have a stupid pocket knife from 5 Below in my hand as I watch my door being tried. I’m careful not to make any noise.

The world is a mad, mad place. Some people kill for money or drugs. And some people kill for the hell of it. Whoever was fucking with me obviously fit amongst these types of people. But I sure as hell wasn’t going out without a fight. That is if the the door was breached. It wasn’t. Thank God. All I need to do is keep absolutely silent.

And that’s when my phone started to ring…

Sad Dracula Finds Halloween Stuff!

What’s this? What’s this?! There’s something in the air! I beg thee do not fear. For Halloween is here!

And it is at this time that I would like to share, if you care, my finds so far of this most delightful season.

So as the Autumn clock slowly ticks, take a look at these Halloween pics!

99 cents for a new friend? Not bad!

Zombie hand gummy lollipop? Yes x100!!

I found this guy at Goodwill. It’s licensed from New Line Cinema. I think it was supposed to be a Freddy Krueger scarecrow!

Three 50 foot Bud Light cardboard banners and 4 Omega Virus board games. Life is good!

That horse mask is terrifying!

I found this across the street from my place. He wins Halloween

We all float at AMC Theater

The new Pennywise deserves this spot!

So happy to see that Leatherface is getting some shelf time.

My podcast partner and I found these awesome cardboard standees at an all night flea market!

The Munsters carriage was at the all night flea market as well. So freaking awesome

Well that sums up my brief Encounters with Halloween 2017. I’ll definitely be posting more pictures in the near future.

If you have the time I would love if you took a look at and followed me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. I try to post a bunch of random stuff that hopefully will make you smile.

Also please check out the podcast I co-host, It’s Alive! A horror and nostalgia driven show where we discuss pretty much everything an anything spooky!

ITS ALIVE! Horror and Halloween Nostalgia show

The Mystery of Stanley Avenue.

Last weekend I decided to call off work and visit my favorite person in the world – my Grandmother. What was supposed to be a normal day filled with our usual platter of tasty conversation, in which we can (and often do!) discuss everything from current affairs to history, turned into a day brimming with unexpected mystery!

The day started with coffee and eggs at this very quaint little restaurant cleverly named, The Egg Beater Cafe. We gobbled up the most delicious eggs that I have ever had while discussing the troubles of the world. Our conversation seemingly was directed by the televisions hanging on the wall that softly spewed the news. Conversating this way is always a fun exercise. My Grandma and I are both chatty-cathy’s; so keeping whatever topic is at hand

Conversating this way is always a fun exercise. My Grandma and I are both chatty-cathy’s; so keeping whatever topic is at hand short is near impossible. Anyways, our bellies were full and the coffee was drunk in abundance. It was time for us to move on.

Somehow we both knew that the day was going to be one of exploration. Perhaps it was something in the cool September air that started an awakening in our bones. Whatever it was wanted us to find and experience the mystery that we stumbled upon.

Before our adventure began I needed to go to the library to attend to some personal affairs that required a printer. As we drove I asked Grams about a library she took me to when I was ten. I couldn’t remember what library it had been but I remember it was where she rented the Lord of the Rings audio tapes for me. We both scratched our heads in an attempt to wipe away the fog of the past. It was a lost cause. But at the last minute, she suggested two libraries. And at the last possible minute, we both agreed to set course for the Riverside Public Library. Unbeknownst to us, our choice would bring us to the mystery of Stanley Avenue.

We both scratched our heads in an attempt to wipe away the fog of the past. It was a lost cause. But at the last minute, she suggested two libraries. And at the last possible minute, we both agreed to set course for the Riverside Public Library. Unbeknownst to us, our choice would bring us to the mystery of Stanley Avenue.

Standing in front of the Riverside Public Library, I discovered that Grams and I shared an affinity for historic architecture.  As I write this I wonder if our trip to ancient England popped into her mind. I know it did for me as my eyes gasped at the enchanting library that lay before us.

Hogwarts much? Why can’t all libraries be this awesome? The modern library, though good for the community, suck when it comes to design. I would have totally lived in a library as a kid if it looked like it could be a place for wizards and witches!

The unknown ghost of exploration was at play. For when we looked at the stone block that contained the date the building was erected, it had ties to Grams! Construction of the library started in 1930. That’s the same year Grams was born!

After the library, we explored the little town of Riverside.  The town itself is a picture perfect town that belongs in a Ray Bradbury book. It’s seriously so tidy and American it started to feel weird. We loved it! Grams wanted to take me to this swinging bridge that passed over the Des Plaines River. I have never been on an actual swinging bridge! I was pumped!

Grams wanted to take me to this swinging bridge that passed over the near by Des Plaines River. I have never been on an actual swinging bridge! Grams hyped the hell out of the bridge. I was pumped!

Expectations.

George Lucas and Steven Spielberg on the Temple of Doom bridge

 

Reality.

H. Wallace Caldwell Memorial Bridge in Riverside, IL

I guess a guy and his Grandmother can’t get everything in one single adventure! However, this bridge is not insignificant to this tale.  It is rather crucial to this story. It was this bridge that led to our very most unexpected discovery!

After crossing the bridge and surviving the insane amount of weirdo bugs, we entered an isolated section of the Cermak Woods. A single paved road was our only path. The road was Stanley Avenue.

As we walked further down Stanley Ave. something caught my eye. Now, keep in mind that we thought we were entering a forest preserve path. We did not expect to encounter what I am about to mention. It was simply beyond the realm of reason to think beyond the usual sights of a Forest Preserve path. So, dear reader, what my Grams and I encountered was an entire community of houses left abandoned. It was as if the people of Stanely Avenue simply just vanished.

So, dear reader, what my Grams and I encountered was an entire community of houses left abandoned. Windows smashed or boarded up. Clothing, garbage, and other items strewn about. It was as if the people of Stanely Avenue simply just vanished.

The following pictures will reveal these homes to you as we found them. In some pictures, you will see toys, bikes, and other signs of life. These items were strangely left behind as if the owners fled over night. I can’t stress that enough. It was so freaking eerie.

A little research revealed that every single home pictured was built in 1899. The only other bit of information I found was a newspaper article from 1969. The article calls attention to a major flood crisis that the community was forced to endure.

The town was edged by the always flooding Des Plaines river. However, modern life has lived on Stanley Avenue since. What happened to these people? Why did they up and leave? It could simply be the effects of the 07’/08′ housing bubble. Or did they leave out of fear? Fear of something evil within the Cermak woods.

Before you wave that away let me tell you this: Grams and I found the remnants of an actual Ouija board! I shit you not. Don’t believe me? Take a look!

But as the great Billy May’s once said, “But wait! That’s not all!”

I decided to look further into the town of Riverside and the Cermak Woods. What I discovered was absolutely freaking eerie. I discovered that the town roots consisted of 8% Czech. Yeah? So? Let me tell you why this is so creepy.

What’s creepy is that the word ‘CERMAK’ is a Czech word used as a nickname for the Devil. Yup.

With that in mind, I will let you peruse through the photos I took. I tried my best to capture what I saw. However, my phone did die faster than expected while taking the pictures. I shit you not. The battery somehow went from 70% to 0% in a matter of 30 minutes.

Shall we begin?

 

 

The First House We Found

 

 

When Grams and I explored the ruination of the first house we were completely in awe! The experience and discovery will be something that I will never forget. It was the total synchronicity of our emotions. We were both in a state of wonder of what lay before us. Sharing such an experience with my favorite person is simply special. But let’s get back to the creepy stuff!

Grams raises her arms to push past the brush!

House 2

This was the house where we found the Ouija board box!

We almost missed this because of the brush. A staircase that led to a secret garden and pond!

This sign was nailed to the garage. WTF?

Found at a dead end road.

Halloween deco found in the woods that surrounded the home.

A monster of a house hiding at the end of the road.

Garbage was littered everywhere.

Grass took over the brick pavers.

Smashed window. What secrets lay within?

Inside we heard a shrill beep, beep. We deduced it was a dead smoke alarm.

It was as if the kids simply…vanished.

The Devil in yellow. Do you see it?

 

What my Grams and I found on Stanely Avenue will be one of those stories that we will talk about every time we see each other. It was a day that was meant to be. So many little things fell together for us to have this adventure. I am so damn lucky to have a Grams that loves to explore and go on adventures such as this one. One thing is for sure, we will always wonder what happened to the people of Stanely Avenue.