Intro (Click to reveal)

(Intro music)

End Intro

(Tape recorder sounds)

D

This is entry number 006. Original exchange is dated November 5th, 2001. Author is Jesse S. Original recording by-

Jesse

Maybe you should read this one.

D

Oh, What? Why?

Jesse

Isn't he going to get suspicious? Aren't you supposed to be doing the recording today?

D

Babe, it's fine.

Jesse

You sure?

D

Jesse? It's fine. I'm not even sure if he's gonna listen to the recording before posting it.

Jesse

What do you mean?

D

I mean, I don't know. He's just been kind of weird since we started. I mean, we jumped out the gate like super enthusiastically. Everyone was real excited. Cole was micromanaging every little piece of it. Tearing out his hair, trying to get it right and snapping at Mark and me left and right, but uh. But after the first week, it feels like he's just kind of dumped it on Mark and I, and he is, he's phoning in it.

Jesse

How so?

D

I don't know. It's like, it's like he doesn't care. Like when I'm asking him why he wasn't recording the other day, he told me he had an appointment. I mean, that's fair. I mean, he can have appointments, but honestly, it was the most unconvincing lie I've ever heard.

Jesse

What do you think it really was? Just, being lazy?

D

I don't know, honestly. I mean, I've known him for a long time, but he seems more, I don't know, spread thin these days? Like, like he hasn't had a good sleep in like way too long.

Jesse

Well, I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe he's just stressed.

D

Maybe.

Jesse

Did he ever say anything?

D

What do you mean? Like, Like did he get mad at me for slipping your story into the recordings?

Jesse

Yeah.

D

Nah, I don't think he noticed.

Jesse

So he didn't say if he thought it was good or not?

D

No, I mean, not to me at least.

Jesse

Okay. I mean, that's fine.

D

I'm sorry. I know you were excited.

Jesse

Oh, it's fine. No, no. I'm, I'm still so excited to hear when it goes live. I was really proud of that story about the ouija board. I think people are gonna love the twist.

D

Oh yeah. It'll be really cool. They're gonna love it.

Jesse

Yeah. I hope so. So do we re-record the intro and then I just read it like last time?

D

Before we do that, I mean, I just... I wanted to say I'm, I'm really proud of you and, uh, I think you're really cool, Jesse.

Jesse

Oh, thanks. You're pretty cool too. For a loser who records a horror podcast in your friend's shed.

D

(Laughing) No, no. I'm seriously, I'm not joking. I, I really do think you're like a special kind of person, you know? I mean, you know what you want, you just keep working and working at this writing thing. I don't know. You have like, I, I don't know. I don't think you have anything to worry about. I mean, like ever.

Seriously, No. No matter what happens with us, you're just like, you're really talented and, and kind. I'm rambling. I'm sorry. I just, I think you got a really bright future ahead of you, you know.

Jesse

Thanks, D. That's really sweet of you.

D

Yeah. So, um, let's, should we,

Jesse

Yeah!

D

Let's do this?

Jesse

We should.

D

All right. This is entry number 006. Original exchange is dated November 5th, 2001. Author is Jesse S. Original recording by Jesse S.

(Tape recorder sounds)

Jesse

My mom is not like other moms. I mean it. She's not like other moms. She was an only parent, so she had to be both mom and dad. She's the bravest woman I know, and the smartest, and honestly, I think she could do anything. Like literally anything she sets her mind to. When I was seven, which is late, I know she taught me how to ride a bike. When I was nine, she built me a tree house. When I was 11, she worked two jobs so I could get braces and go to summer camp, and somehow she always managed to pick me up from school on time. I told her I'd take the bus, but she would just laugh at me and tell me it's her job to take care of me, and not my job to take care of her.

She said that every time I'd try to help. Sometimes I would cry for her because I'd be overwhelmed on her behalf, at how much she had on her plate and she had so much to do all the time that it stressed me out. But not my mom, cuz my mom isn't like other moms. I used to tell my friends that she wasn't human, that she was something else, like an alien or a vampire, and she'd eat small rodents like rabbits that came to chew on the lettuce in our garden.

Oh yeah! We also had an incredible garden. If the sun was shining, we had vegetables. I asked her once what her secret was, and she just smiled, tapped the side of her nose, looked down at me and said, "Bone meal."

Like I said, my mom was not like other moms. There was always something she was doing, and yet she managed to sit down and enjoy an old, scary movie in black and white with me on Friday nights when I'd asked her to.

She didn't complain or kiss me on the forehead and tell me, not now. She never got mad at me for needing attention or asking for help. She always had time to solve my problems, even when I didn't ask her to.

I was 12 at the time and she was hosting an over the top summer barbecue for all the neighbors. It was a free for all, all you can eat, fun in the sun kind of day. And once again, because it was my mom, who isn't like other moms, it was perfect and over the top and the kind of barbecue the neighbors would be talking about for weeks. My mom even had games, face painting, and balloons for the kids. It would have been perfect, but the day was completely ruined. She'd hired a clown for the day.

Googoo, the clown. God, I hated Googoo with every fiber of my being. I hated him. Who names themselves Googoo The Clown. It's not funny or cute. It's just a dumb name. More than dumb, though, it was terrifying. I was scared of Googoo. In fact, I was scared of all clowns. I always had been, and my mom knew that. I was so mad at her.

I stomped right up to her and pointed to Googoo, but she just laughed. Walked over to Googoo and had him stand on the far edge of the barbecue, away from the games and the face painting and balloons. It wasn't the perfect solution, I could still feel him staring at me, but it was far enough away that I wouldn't cry or embarrass myself.

The day came to a close and everyone thanked my mom, as the other moms stashed away the leftovers they could in their pockets, and the other dads and to be fair, some of the moms too hit up the drink cooler one last time before hitting the road. When everyone was nearly gone. My mom grabbed me by the hand and took me to the garden.

First she pointed at the carrots. "Remember your aunt Martha, she wouldn't want you to be afraid of a silly clown." Next, she pointed at the eggplant. "And that old man who used to live a ways down the street, Mr. McCumber, he always thought you were a tough little cookie. He wouldn't want you to be afraid of a silly clown either."

Again, she pointed to the cucumbers, but at that moment, Googoo, walked around the side of the house, half smeared and melted from sweat. Oh God, it was terrible. I felt my skin crawl. "200 for the day, cash only." He said abruptly. My mom didn't let his rude tone offend her, she's not like other moms. She just smiled and put up a finger letting him know she'd just be a moment longer.

She placed her hands on my shoulders and looked me square in the eyes. "I think I'll grow some corn next," she said as she pointed to an empty garden bed near the back of the garden. "I've been craving sweet corn on the cob, and I think it'll be a long summer, so we might just have time." She continued. "And you know what goes well with corn on the cob, don't you?" A knowing mischievous grin danced across her face. "Don't worry, honey, there's nothing to be afraid of. Clowns at the end of the day, are just regular folks who taste like any other person."

My mom is not like other moms. I mean it.

(Tape recorder sounds)

D

After concluding my listening of this story... Uh,

Cole

What the hell is this?

D

Cole! Hey, whoa. Hey,

Cole

D, who- D, who is this?

D

Um, I mean this is, uh,

Cole

Look at me. Who the hell are you?

Jesse

I'm, uh,

Cole

Well?

Jesse

I'm sorry. It's just you're scaring me a little.

D

She's my! ...girlfriend.

Cole

She's your what?

D

Her name's Jesse and she's my girlfriend. Is that gonna be a problem?

Cole

I, uh, I didn't know you had a girlfriend.

D

Yeah. Well I do. So is that gonna be an issue?

Cole

Uh, no. No, of course not.

D

Cool. Good.

Cole

Uh, hey, listen, I, um, I'm really sorry about that, uh. Yeah, I'm, I'm really sorry about that. Uh, just, uh, just now.

Jesse

It's fine, really, I shouldn't even be here.

D

No, you're fine being here, babe.

Cole

Yeah, no, you're, uh, yeah, you're more than welcome here. I, uh, I'm, I, uh, I'm sorry. I just wasn't expecting anyone. Um, hey, listen, I'm, I'm really sorry about that...

D

Man, why don't, why don't you just sit down and take a deep breath and tell me what's going on with you lately.

Cole

I, uh, I, I probably should, shouldn't I?

D

Yeah.

Cole

Uh, do you, do you, um, do you mind?

D

Oh, oh yeah, right.

(Tape recorder sounds)

Outro (Click to reveal)

Mark

Tiny Terrors is an anthology horror podcast produced by Pulp Audio and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

D

This episode was directed by Cole Weavers, with sound production and editing by Mike LeBeau.

Mark

To find additional information or to join our Patreon for additional content and ad free episodes, visit our website www.tinyterrorspod.com.

D

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at Tiny Terrors Pod.

Mark

Or join the Pulp Audio Discord by clicking the link in the description below.

D

Rate and review us on Spotify and Apple.

Mark

And finally, thanks for listening.

End Outro