Greg
Greg
Dude, you home?
Doug
Doug
Nah, at Rachel’s.
Doug
Doug
Why?
Greg
Greg
Something weird is going on at my house.
Greg
Greg
Wanted you to check it out with me.
Doug
Doug
Really?
Doug
Doug
What is it?
Greg
Greg
Well, it started a couple days ago.
Greg
Greg
My grandmother and I took the dog for a walk…
Greg
Greg
And as we were coming back…
Greg
Greg
I heard a strange sound.
Greg
Greg
It was coming from the backyard.
Doug
Doug
What kind of sound?
Greg
Greg
A clicking noise.
Greg
Greg
“Click, clack, click, clack.”
Greg
Greg
Like someone popping their tongue.
Doug
Doug
Weird.
Doug
Doug
It was probably just a couple kids, though.
Doug
Doug
Or an animal.
Greg
Greg
That’s what I thought too…
Greg
Greg
But now I’m hearing it again.
Greg
Greg
It’s louder…
Greg
Greg
And much closer.
Doug
Doug
You don’t see anyone outside?
Greg
Greg
No. But it’s dark.
Greg
Greg
It’s hard to see anything out there.
Doug
Doug
Well, are you going to go look?
Greg
Greg
That’s what I was planning to do…
Doug
Doug
Ahhh I see.
Doug
Doug
You want someone to go with you and hold your hand 😂
Greg
Greg
Dude, it’s not funny.
Greg
Greg
What if it’s some psycho?
Doug
Doug
Fine, fine.
Doug
Doug
Let me just talk to Rachel and I’ll be over.
Greg
Greg
Thanks.
Greg
Greg
And if you see my grandma when you come in…
Greg
Greg
Don’t tell her.
Greg
Greg
I don’t want to scare her.
Doug
Doug
You got it.
Doug
Doug
See you soon.
5 minutes later
Rachel
Rachel
Hey Greg. Doug told me you’re hearing a clicking noise?
Greg
Greg
Yeah.
Greg
Greg
No idea what it could be.
Rachel
Rachel
What exactly does it sound like?
Greg
Greg
“Click, clack, click, clack.”
Greg
Greg
In a very deep tone.
Greg
Greg
I didn’t tell Doug this but…
Greg
Greg
It almost doesn’t sound human.
Rachel
Rachel
Leave the house.
Greg
Greg
What??
Rachel
Rachel
Get out of there now.
Rachel
Rachel
And go someplace safe.
Greg
Greg
I don’t think there’s any need for all that, Rach.
Greg
Greg
I’m sure it’s just some kids.
Rachel
Rachel
Do you remember Old Man Saunders?
Rachel
Rachel
Lived on Mayberry Road?
Rachel
Rachel
Drove that bright yellow truck through town?
Greg
Greg
Of course.
Rachel
Rachel
Well, his neighbor is a friend of my mother’s.
Rachel
Rachel
And she said that right before his death…
Rachel
Rachel
He was going on and on about hearing this strange clicking noise.
Rachel
Rachel
A noise just like you’re describing.
Rachel
Rachel
Next thing she knew, he was dead.
Greg
Greg
Uhhh, weird coincidence.
Greg
Greg
But I doubt these two things are related.
Rachel
Rachel
Just listen.
Rachel
Rachel
After I heard that story about Saunders, I was curious…
Rachel
Rachel
So I did some research.
Rachel
Rachel
Have you ever heard of The Grim Reaper?
Greg
Greg
Yes…
Rachel
Rachel
Well, some say there’s a clock hidden under his cloak.
Rachel
Rachel
This clock makes a clicking sound.
Rachel
Rachel
And when it stops…
Rachel
Rachel
He claims his next victim.
Greg
Greg
LOL.
Greg
Greg
Rachel, come on.
Greg
Greg
You can’t really believe that.
Rachel
Rachel
Look it up.
Rachel
Rachel
There are tons of similar cases.
Rachel
Rachel
I really think you should leave the house!
Rachel
Rachel
Doug wouldn’t listen to me. I don’t want you guys to get hurt.
Greg
Greg
Look, he just got here.
Greg
Greg
We’re going to get to the bottom of this.
Greg
Greg
Don’t worry, everything will be fine.
I laugh to myself as I head downstairs.
Rachel means well…
But she’s a little out there sometimes.
At least my mood is considerably lighter.
Now that I heard that tale.
I open the front door and let Doug in.
His iPhone flashlight is already on.
He pumps a fist in the air.
Doug
Doug
Ready to chase down some kids—
Greg
Greg
—Shh!
I motion over to the couch where my grandma is sleeping.
Greg
Greg
I don’t want to wake her.
He nods…
And then we both head outside.
On the way to the backyard…
I tell him what Rachel told me.
We both have a good laugh over it.
But the laughs abruptly stop when we round the house.
Click.
Clack.
Click.
Clack.
Doug
Doug
Dude, you weren’t kidding.
Doug
Doug
What is that?
We both stop to listen.
The noise is louder than ever.
Greg
Greg
I have no idea, man.
I shine my flashlight toward the woods.
Greg
Greg
Come on.
Greg
Greg
Let’s see if we can find the source.
We walk toward the edge of my yard.
My house is backed up against a forest of trees…
And a little further in is a murky swamp.
We shine our flashlights back there…
But don’t see anything.
We walk into the trees…
And Doug starts looking in every direction.
Doug
Doug
Could it be some kind of bird?
Doug
Doug
Or maybe—
His voice suddenly cuts off.
I swing toward him.
Greg
Greg
What’s wrong?
His face has gone white.
Doug
Doug
Tell me you feel that.
I process his words…
And realize that I do in fact, feel something.
Greg
Greg
Yeah…I do.
I’m suddenly overcome with a terrible, terrible sluggishness.
My limbs feel weak…
And unbearably heavy.
I take a few steps forward.
It’s feels like I’m trying to sprint through swamp water.
But just as soon as it hits…
It’s gone.
Greg
Greg
Whoa…
Greg
Greg
What was that?
Doug rubs his arms.
Doug
Doug
I don’t know.
Doug
Doug
But I think we should get out of here.
Greg
Greg
But what about…wait…
I tilt my head to the side.
Greg
Greg
The clicking sound…
Greg
Greg
It stopped.
We both listen.
There’s nothing but silence.
Doug breathes a sigh of relief.
Doug
Doug
See? It was probably just a bird after all.
Doug
Doug
Let’s go inside.
Doug
Doug
The smell out here is probably making us sick.
Greg
Greg
Yeah, probably.
But as we walk toward the house…
I still feel unsettled.
I probably just need some sleep.
Once inside, I start turning off lights.
Then I go to wake my grandmother.
I put my hand on her arm…
Just like I do every night.
But this time, she doesn’t stir.
I shake her a bit.
Greg
Greg
Grandma?
Greg
Greg
Grandma, wake up.
Greg
Greg
Time to get to bed.
She doesn’t move.
Worry floods my gut.
Greg
Greg
Grandma…
Greg
Greg
Grandma, wake up!
I feel Doug come into the room.
Doug
Doug
Everything okay?
Greg
Greg
I-I don’t know.
Greg
Greg
My grandma’s not waking up.
I shake her harder…
And then on instinct…
I touch the inside of her wrist with two fingers.
I look up at Doug…
My face deathly pale.
Greg
Greg
She’s gone.
Greg
Greg