Shock Radio – Part 1

The opening episode of the Horror experiment using Blood and Fear Itself.

A blonde figure appears at the far end of the brightly lit, otherwise deserted hallway.  She’s in jeans, and patterned halter, and carrying something in her left hand.  As she gets closer it becomes clear that her shirt isn’t patterned, but rather blood splattered, along with her jeans and tattooed arms.  She takes a puff on a cigarette burned low in the fingers of her right hand, in her left she holds a bloody machete.

It’s the DJ, Frankie Shock.

Her hair is more wild than usual, her eyes haunted and hollow.  Blowing smoke she drops the butt on the tiled floor in the hallway and enters the makeshift booth she and Mike had put together earlier…

“…That’s right Kiddies, keep it here and join me, Miss Frankie Shock for a haunted night in the horrible haunted schoolhouse.  Now I’m normally horrified at schools but this one is really, honest to goodness haunted!  And three lucky K-ROCK listeners are going to join me here, for the whole night!  Let’s see who gets freaked out first…”

The central KROK station took the signal back, moving on Bloody Sunday by U2.  Frankie turned to Mike, the engineer.

“Mikey, this has to be the lamest promo this station has done.”

Mike produced a bottle of burbon from a gym bag.  He took a swig and offered it to Frankie.  “Look on the bright side Frankie, at least you’ll be able to smoke inside tonight.”

She took the bottle and put a hefty gulp down her throat.  “Yeah, once Mr Prissy goes home.”  She handed the burbon back.

As if on cue the door to the booth opened and the facility administrator, entered. Mike ensured the bottle quickly disappeared.

“So you all set?” the administrator asked.  He was neatly pressed, in suit and tie despite it being nearly 10pm on a friday.

“All set,” Frankie confirmed.  “Our contest winners should be up shortly and I’m on air in fifteen minutes.”

“Did the station go over the rules with you?”

“Rules?” Frankie asked.

“Yes, the rules for you being here.”  The admin was obviously not pleased that this was coming as news.  “No eating or drinking anywhere outside the cafeteria, and no smoking anywhere in the building.  You and your guests are not to enter any of the other rooms, and we’d really prefer it if you’d all stay on this floor while you’re here.”

“Oh, I see,” Frankie said, wide eyed.  In the back of her mind she was thinking about how many of those rules she was going to break as soon as this guy left.

“I’ll be back to check on you in the morning.”

“Can we shoot some hoops in the gym or something?” Mike asked.  His form looked more like he’d eaten a basketball than played with one, but he did love to shoot hoops.

The admin considered it for a while.  “I suppose so, but you’ll have to use your own ball, since all the school’s are locked away.”  There was a pause, and he continued.  “Well if that’s all I’ll leave you to your haunted broadcast.”

Frankie caught him with a question as he turned to leave.  “So why do they say this place is haunted anyway?”

The admin turned back.  “You don’t know?”

“I’m not from here.”

“Ah, I see.  Well, we’re called the Bermuda Triangle of schools.  Over the decades, there have been a number of people who come in here and just disappear.  Some folks say they hear them sometimes.  Some say that when a new batch goes it’s the old batch that came and got them.  We even had a ’37 Chevy disappear from the shop class.  Had no engine so we know they didn’t drive it out.”

For the first time he gave them a smile.  “Hope you survive the night…like I say, I’ll be back to check on you in the morning…”  And then he was gone.

Advertisement