[Ted Cassidy's Voice:]... Dr. David Banner—physician, scientist...searching for a way to tap into the hidden strengths that all humans have. Then, an accidental overdose of gamma radiation alters his body chemistry. And now, when David Banner grows angry or outraged, a startling metamorphosis occurs... "Raaaaaaarh!"... The creature is driven by rage and pursued by an investigative reporter. [Dr. Banner:] "Mr. McGee, don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry.". . . The creature is wanted for a murder he didn't commit. . . David Banner is believed to be dead. And he must let the world think that he IS dead, until he can find a way to control the raging spirit that dwells within him... "Raaaaaaaaaarh!"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFQkQ1-D2g4
"I do not own the rights to the Incredible Hulk, nor do I own any of the characters that are associated with the television show. A lot of (not all) of the places, addresses, people, and story-line are fictional. Anything or events that are similar to stories or locations, past and present, was completely and utterly unintended or coincidental."
This episode (if aired) would have been the episode after "Diagnosis Negative." and, at this point, takes place 170 days after the event of: "A Minor Problem," which aired on Wednesday, May 12, 1982. It starred: Nancy Lee Grahn as Patty Knowlton, Linden Chiles as Cunningham, Lisa Jane Persky as Rita, and Gary Vinson as Sperling.
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"[A Male's Voice]: Good afternoon, Kenova! It is about 5 minutes before four o'clock. I hope everyone has enjoyed this fabulous crisp, cool autumn weather this Friday afternoon. Today's high reached a comfortable 73°. It's 68° right now. I'll bet everyone can't wait to start their weekend, but don't forget to set your clocks back an hour tomorrow night. It will be a weekend with great weather as well. Tonight's low will be a brisk 57°. Tomorrow's high be 73° and tomorrow night's low will be 61°. And on our Halloween, will pop up to almost summer-like weather; high of 79°, a low of a mild 65°.... And our news items coming up next hour, Car maker John DeLorean has been indicted for drug trafficking. And on Sunday, Pope John Paul II will be the first pontiff to visit Spain. Eso es genial, isn't it? Halloween is also Reformation Day, so you've gotta wonder if that's a coincidence, right? This is D.J. the DJ coming to you live on 97-9, The River. We'll back after these words. [Jingle]: WMGA!..."
Wayne County
Rollins Funeral Home
Rollins Funeral Home
1822 Chestnut Street
Kenova, West Virginia 25530
Friday, October 29, 1982
3:57 p.m. (EDT)
David and the head mortician, Earl Elkins (a man in his early to mid 50's) are going through the embalming process of a recently deceased 66-year-old pastor. Also, two 17-year-old boys, Nick and Chaz, (who are wearing t-shirts, jeans, tennis shoes, and ball caps worn backwards) are observing the process.
Earl: "Now, the eyes naturally remain partially open after death due to muscle relaxation."
Chaz: "Is that why you guys put cotton on the inside?"
Earl: "No, we don't do that anymore. Now we use spiky 'contacts' called: eye caps to hold the eyelids in place. We place them in before we start injecting during what we call setting of features."
Nick: "What if they don't have any eyes?"
Chaz: "Is that why you guys put cotton on the inside?"
Earl: "No, we don't do that anymore. Now we use spiky 'contacts' called: eye caps to hold the eyelids in place. We place them in before we start injecting during what we call setting of features."
Nick: "What if they don't have any eyes?"
Earl turned to Nick
Earl: "What?"
Nick: "What if they donated their eyes to someone?"
Earl: "Oh. Well, for that, we use special ping-pong-like contraptions to mimic the shape of the eye and keep the lids shut."
Nick: "Oh."
Chaz continued to stand and stare at the corpse.
Chaz: "Uh, his mouth is kinda open."
Earl: "Ah, that's when we stuff the throat and nose with cotton and then suture the mouth shut."
Earl picked up a needle injector to show the boys.
"See this? This is what we call a needle injector. It's the most commonly used form of mouth closure. It's a a mechanical device used to impel specially designed metal pins into bone."
Earl began to demonstrate as he closed the mouth.
The boys stood in amazement.
Nick: "Woe."
Earl: "Yeah, it's creepy when you first do it. But after a while, they look the same."
Earl pointed to David.
"Now, Mister Benning over here? He's been with us a week and a half and it's never bothered him one bit. It's almost as if he'd been doing it for years."
David: "I took a lot of Anatomy and Physiology classes during my undergrad years."
Earl: "Where did you say you graduated from again?"
David: "Uh, Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science."
Earl: "Oh that's right. The school of purple and gold in Finneytown, Ohio. Should've remembered because that's MY alma mater. Of course when I attended there, it was called: the Cincinnati College of Embalming. It's a hundred years old as of this year. It's hard to believe I graduated 30 years ago. My, how time flies."
Chaz: "What's so special about that school? It teaches you a bunch of funeral stuff like any other college like it."
Earl: "It's only the number one school for mortuary science in the United States."
Nick: "So, what's your next step after you take care of the eyes and mouth."
Earl: "Well, we can show you the embalming process."
Nick: "Oh. Uh, I don't think we want to see that."
Earl: "This is a pretty important step. And you guys wanted to see how everything works."
David: "Why don't we just explain the process with him. Then they wouldn't see what they don't want to see."
Short pause.
Earl: "All right. What do you boys think?"
Nick: "Yeah, sure."
Chaz: "Fine with us."
Earl: "All right then."
Earl pointed at the embalming machine.
"You see that machine there?"
Chaz: "Yeah."
Earl: "This is our Porti-Fluid Injection System, manufactured in Urbana, Illinois. Now this little baby pumps the embalming fluid through one hose and drains the blood out through another. The blood is removed from the body via the veins and replaced with an embalming solution via the arteries. The embalming solution is usually a combination of formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde, methanol, ethanol, phenol, and water. It may also contain dyes in order to simulate a life-like skin-tone."
The boys stand quietly.
David: "Ever changed the oil in your truck?"
Chaz: "Sure."
David: "More or less the same thing."
Nick: "Do any of them— you know— come back? Or, at least like— move or something?"
Earl: "Oh yeah. Happens all the time. You just need to keep in mind that all of that movement is involuntary. I've seen it all in my 30 years here. In fact, as hard as it'll be for you to believe, dead bodies are known to belch, fart, twitch and, on rare occasions, sit up."
Chaz: "No way."
Nick: "You're a liar."
Earl: "I kid you not."
Chaz: "So, why? Is it some type of reflex action or something?"
Earl: "No, it's not do reflex but because of gases moving through the body and muscles contracting as chemical changes begin."
Chaz: "I see."
Nick: "Well, we should get home. Our parents wanted us to get before dark."
Chaz: "Thanks for teaching us everything."
Earl: "No problem, boys. We're still open for business, so you guys can go out the front door."
The boys walked of the room and out the front door.
David: "You know, when I was their age, I didn't spend any time in funeral parlors."
Earl: "Neither did I, believe it or not. But I get lots of visitors this time of year."
David: "Isn't it rather morbid for boys that age taking ANY interest, regardless of the time of year."
Earl: "Sure. But I'm sure they have their petty reasons."
As Earl continued to work, he began to sing a jingle from a movie he saw roughly 5 days ago.
"Have a Happy Halloween, Halloween, Halloween. Have a Happy Halloween, Silver Shamrock."
Earl looks up at David.
"Jeez, I can't get that stupid jingle out of my head. Have you seen Halloween Three yet?"
David: "Season of the Witch? No."
Earl: "Yeah, well, do yourself a huge favor and DON'T. It was stupid movie that makes you want 98 minutes of you life back."
David: "That bad, huh?"
Earl: "You'd better believe it."
Earl began to just look down on the corpses and had a melancholy look across his face for a few seconds.
"Pastor Jonathan. It's hard to believe we're going to be burying him tomorrow. He was good ol' boy. He did a lot for this community. And he was beloved by every person in this town. His funeral is going to be packed with people."
David: "I'm sure it will be."
Earl: "He led a good life, though. He born during the First World War. Grew up during the Roaring Twenties. Went to college and seminary, plus joined the Navy during the Great Depression. He fought in two wars. For over twenty-eight years, he was the Head Pastor of the Faith Gospel Church. Nick of time, too. His only son graduated from seminary this passed spring. After all these years, I never thought I'd be here to embalm him, let alone put him in the ground. This was a man that could lift a congregation so high, they'd be able to LOOK DOWN and see Heaven."
David shook his head in agreement and quietly said:
David: "Yeah."
Earl: "Well, at least he got to enjoy himself at the AutumnFest last weekend. Did you enjoy YOURSELF?"
David: "Oh yes. The Famous Pumpkin House was quiet a fascinating place."
Earl: "Has been for years... Well, why don't begin the embalming. Should be out of here by five. You don't feel eerie about living in the apartment above the mortuary, do ya?"
David: "No, of course not. I did a lot of Gross Anatomy while in college. Beside, when I was around 8 or 10, my mother once told me something I never forgot. She said: 'The dead can't hurt you. Only the living can'."
Earl: "Good way of looking at it. Kids around this time of year will try to make you think differently."
David: "Boys will be boys?"
Earl: "Something like that... Well, let's get started."
David turned on the embalming machine.
_______________________________________________________________
Outside
Walking West on Chestnut Street
Kenova, West Virginia 25530
Friday, October 29, 1982
4:28 p.m. (EDT)
Nick: "Tomorrow night is going to be the best Mischief Night ever."
Chaz: Yeah, Devil's Night, here we come."
Nick: "This one has to be extra special. It just has to be. Mischief Night falls on a Saturday night this year. It won't fall on a Saturday night again until 1993. Plus, we're seniors, man. We've done so many things on Mischief Night and never got caught. We need to come up with something sui generis. Something in a class by itself; being the only one of its kind and unlike anything else."
Chaz: "That one we did last year was pretty original."
Nick: "Oh yeah, burying that cat and dog alive. After several minutes, they were able to claw there way out. Didn't get caught for that one, either."
Chaz: "Yeah, that was classic."
Nick: "Yeah, burying animals alive... But a human being. Now THAT will be something I'm pretty sure no one has done on Mischief Night."
Chaz: "Uh, wait a minute. Animals can't tell on us, but a person can."
Nick: "Not if the person doesn't know who buried him."
Chaz: "You seriously think we could get away with something like that?"
Nick: "If we play our cards right, a live person will be able to break out of the temporary grave and nobody will be any the wiser who was behind it."
Chaz: "It is a unique idea. Of course, we can't do it to our classmates or underclassman. They'll suspect us immediately."
Nick: "No, I have someone better in mind."
Chaz: "We can't do it to our teachers, either."
Nick: "No, even better than that."
Chaz: "Oh yeah?"
Nick: "Yeah. You see, the people who are the least likely to suspect us would be people who are unfamiliar to us, as well as the town. And who would be the least suspicious of us than the new kid on the block."
Nick stopped walking and looked at Chaz.
"So? Who's the new person in town?"
Chaz: "You mean that David Benning guy?"
Nick: "Exactly. He lives above the mortuary. He lives alone. The Funeral Home is right in front of the cemetery, where we buried that cat and dog alive last year. He doesn't know a lot of people around. It'll be a nice, quiet place where we can do our masterpiece."
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Docks Creek Maple Hill & Hillcrest Cemeteries
471 Docks Creek Cemetery Road
Kenova, West Virginia 25530
Saturday, October 30, 1982
10:38 a.m. (EDT)
The weather is a sunny and clear day, with a gentle autumn breeze. It is a fresh and enlivening morning of 66°. The funeral at the Funeral Home started at 10:00 a.m., and was followed by a funeral procession to the cemetery. Presently, a square dozen of people were gathered around the coffin of the late pastor, wearing mourning garb. In the innermost circles was the late pastor's wife, Helen, his two daughters, Hannah and Deborah, and his son, Matthew. The grave in the cemetery is: Row 18, Plot 20. A lady was in the middle of singing: "Blessed Assurance" at the head of the late pastor's coffin.
"Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Savior am happy and blest,
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long."
Father O'Neil: "As we say farewell to our gracious brother, Doctor Reverend Jonathan Paul Harding, we are reminded of his selflessness, his kindness, and his generosity. He was a man who always put others before himself. He had sacrificed so much for his family, his friends, and his community. For our memories, admiration, and respect for him will live beyond the years of his life on Earth. Let us consecrate ourselves to follow his example of zest for life, dedication to family, and charity to all. We now take this moment to honor him for what he did for our country."
At that point, a band began to play bagpipes to the song: "Amazing Grace" as an honor guard team fired three volleys from rifles.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpZiPZwwXhM
After the three volleys were finished, as the bagpipes were playing, the triangular flag was presented to the late pastor's wife. Meanwhile, the bagpipes made David reflect on the times he spent with Amelia. He recalled how they danced at the Purple Shamrock in Boston. He recollected all of the good times with her, since it was a month or so in his life that he didn't feel so lonely traveling around. Then, the song was finished.
Father O'Neil: "'The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me kin the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: And I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.' As servants of the Almighty God, His son taught us to pray."
[Everyone there]: "Our Father who art in Heaven. Hallowed be thy name. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven: Thy kingdom come. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those that trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen."Father O'Neil: "One short sleep passed, we wake eternally. And death should be no more. Lord, we ask that you receive thy servant Jonathan Harding. May the good Lord cleanse our departed brother in repentance. For as the Good Book says: 'The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.' 'For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord.' We now commit Jonathan Harding's body to the ground and commend his soul to Almighty God. Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust. For dust thou art, And to dust thou shalt return... This concludes today's service."
David watched as people walked up to the family of the pastor to pay their condolences. The first one was: Sheriff Ralph Takins. He walked up and shook Matthew's hand.
Sheriff Takins: "Matthew, I'm sorry for your loss and I wish you the best of luck in taking over the congregation."
Matthew: "It's going to be some pretty big shoes to fill."
Sheriff Takins: "Well, I have faith that you'll do a great job."
Matthew: "Thank you, Sheriff."
At that point, Earl walked up to David.
Earl: "Hey David, you need a ride to the VFW?"
David: "Yeah, that'd be great."
Earl: "You have any plans for this evening?"
David: "Oh, I thought I'd just stay in and watch some horror movies."
Earl: "You can do that all day tomorrow. How about going out for a beer with me. There's this place in Huntington called: Summit Beer Station. It's where I like to go and unwind and it's only a 20-minute drive Eastbound on I-64. What do ya say?"
David: "Uh, sure. Sounds good."
Earl: "Great. After the reception at the VFW, I'll drop you off at your place, I'll go home, we can both get a change of clothes, and I'll pick you up around 5:30."
David: "Sounds good. I'll be ready."
David and Earl began walking toward Earl's truck.
_______________________________________________________________
Rollins Funeral Home
1822 Chestnut Street
Kenova, West Virginia 25530
Saturday, October 30, 1982
5:05 p.m. (EDT)
The two boys are standing outside the Funeral Home prepare to capture David to bury him alive.
Chaz: "You got the chloroform we made in Chemistry class?"
Nick: "I sure do."
Chaz: "Is the wooden box ready for burial?"
Nick: "Yep. It's right next to the whole I dug at the cemetery."
Chaz: "And you're sure he can get out?"
Nick: "Positive. It's only 4-feet deep and I'm only going to nail down the four corners of the box. If a cat and dog can get out, then so can he."
Chaz: "All right. Let's put our ski masks on and do this thing."
Nick: "Tonight, we make history."
Both of the boys chuckle.
Chaz: "This guy has no idea what's coming to him."
The two boy walked up the stairs slowly and quietly. Meanwhile, David is sitting in a chair watching television.
Commercial #1: "Every kid needs a dream and someone to share that dream with. But there's something they don't need. They don't need Caffeine. That's why we created a new cola. Introducing 'Like'. 'Like' doesn't add Caffeine like 'Coke' or 'Pepsi'. 'Like' gets its excitement from full rich cola taste. You don't need Caffeine. And neither does your cola."
There's a knock at the door. Thinking it's Earl, David stood up and walked over to the TV.
Commercial #2: "[Creaking sound] [Children's voices]: 'Trick-or-Treat!' [Voice of Count Chocula]: 'Ah, you have come for MY delicious cereal, Count Chocula. [Child's Voice]: 'It's chocolaty good' — "
David turned off the TV and went to answer the door.
David: "Hey, you're early."
David opened the door. Immediately, the two boys barged in. One of them grabbed David to restrain him. The other smothered him with a chloroform-soaked towel. David tried to fight back for a moment, but he soon succumbed to the chloroform was render unconscious. Nick grabbed David by his underarms.
Nick: "Okay, I'm gonna slide him outta here. You shut the door behind you, take his feet, then we can carry him out to the truck."
Nick slid David out the door. Chaz closed the door, picked David up by his feet, and the two of them carried David downstairs and into the back of their truck. The two boys get in the truck and quickly drive away. Roughly 20 minutes later, Earl arrived at the Funeral Home to pick David up. Earl got out of his truck, walked upstairs to David's place, and knocked on the door. About 10 seconds later, he knocked on the door again.
Earl: "David?"
About 5 seconds later, Earl opened door to find it unlocked. Earl walked into David's place to look for him.
"David? Are you here?"
Earl searched David place but there was no sign of David.
"Hmh."
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Docks Creek Maple Hill & Hillcrest Cemeteries
471 Docks Creek Cemetery Road
Kenova, West Virginia 25530
Saturday, October 30, 1982
6:42 p.m. (EDT)
By now, the two boys had put David into the wooden box, nailed the four corners shut, put him into the 4-foot hole, and buried him alive. The placed a boulder at the head of the man-made grave (i.e. as a headstone). Then, the two boys hidden about 20 feet from the man-made grave to witness everything.
Chaz: "You sure he's able to breathe?"
Nick: "Of course. He's not in an air-tight coffin inside a burial vault. There's plenty of air in there. So, he'll have a lot more time to freak out."
Both of the boys chuckle.
Chaz: "Oh man, are we ruthless."
Meanwhile, bellow, in the 4-foot man-made grave laid David. As the effects of the chloroform were wearing off, David began to awaken. Having lost his bearings, he laid still for a moment or so. He tried to take in his surroundings, but it was pitch-black. David put his arms to his side, only to feel the sides of the wooden box. He put both of his hands in the air, only to feel the wooden lid only a few inches above him. David, then, became cognizant of the certitude that he was enclosed and trapped in a wooden box. He attempted to lift the lid, but the lid wouldn't budge. He inhaled suddenly out of astonishment with a a convulsive catching of breath. David pounded repeatedly on the lid in a desperate attempt to open the lid and get out of the wooden box. His heart began to pound. He tried heaving upward as hard as he could, breathing with short, quick breaths from exertion. David pounded harder and harder, panting faster and more intense than before. Suddenly, part of the wooden box's lid began to crack, then particles of dirt came through, partially soiling David's face. David tried to cover the crack with his hands to no avail. Once the realization that he was buried alive set in, a wave of mortal terror rushed through David. This exacerbated in a paroxysm of consternation, which in turn, triggered his metamorphosis.
David: "Nooooooo!"
David felt a chill rushing through his body. He felt a surge and fusion of strength in his muscles. David's eyes became white and then a pale green. He shouted out in a much deeper voice: "Nooooooo!" His shirt began to rip because he was now growing larger and larger and his muscles began to expand. At the same time, his skin pigmentation changed from a healthy peach color to gray and then to a full out green. The sides of his pants split partway and the shoes he was wearing ripped off of his feet. He was now the Hulk.
The Hulk lifted the at the head of the made-made grave, pushing it toward as he came up, making a dirt-ball at the foot of the man-made grave. The Hulk slowly emerged from the man-made grave, quietly growling. He jumped out of the hole, flexed his muscles, and let out a loud roar. The two boys stood in shock as they saw the Hulk.
Chaz: "Oh my God!"
Nick: "What the hell is that?"
As the Hulk growling, he looked behind him and saw the boulder that was being used as a headstone. The Hulk picked up the boulder, and in a rage, through it across the street about 30 yards out. Again, he flexed his muscles and let out a loud roar.
Chaz: "Come on, come on, let's get outta here!"
The two boys ran toward the truck. The Hulk saw the two boys and began running toward the truck as well. The two boy get into the truck, Nick put the key in the ignition, started the truck up, shifted into "drive," and began moving forward. Right then, the Hulk stopped the truck from moving by holding the truck by the front of the hood. Nick pressed his foot to the gas pedal, but the truck still couldn't move forward because the Hulk was keeping it from going forward.
"Press harder! Press harder!"
Nick: "I've got it on the floor!"
The friction between the tires and the road were creating smoke-like particles all around the truck. The faster the boys tried to go, the more enraged the Hulk became. The Hulk growled harder and louder at each attempt of making the truck go faster.
Chaz: "My God, we're stuck here."
Nick: "Not if we hoof it. Come on!"
Nick quickly took the keys out of the ignition and opened up the driver's-side door. Both of the boys used the driver's-side door to get out of the truck. Infuriated, the Hulk smashed the truck's hood, then lifted the truck until it flipped over upside-down, thereby smashing the roof of the truck. He flexed his muscles once again and let out another loud roar. Exceedingly incensed, the Hulk ran North down Docks Creek Cemetery Road toward WV-75 East, where he turned left on WV-75 West and disappeared into the night.
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The Famous Pumpkin House
748 Beech Street
Kenova, West Virginia 25530
Sunday, October 31, 1982
12:33 a.m. (EDT)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcltBxknkHY
Feeling disoriented, he put his left hand over his face and slowly slid it down passed his chin. He was still trembling from anxiety. David surveyed his surroundings, with him still panting shallowly and his heart still palpitating from the horror of being buried alive. Other than hearing the rhythmical chirping sounds of crickets, he heard absolute silence. David slowly stood up with his shoeless feet and shirtless torso. He looked behind him and saw the rows and columns of pumpkins lit-up and noticed that the inside and outside of the house had no people around. That when David recognized his environment and knew that he was at the Pumpkin House on Beech Street. He quietly walked toward the front of the house and to the sidewalk. After looking back and forth for a few seconds, David began to walk West on Beech St toward 8th Street and turned left onto 13th Street.
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Docks Creek Maple Hill & Hillcrest Cemeteries
471 Docks Creek Cemetery Road
Kenova, West Virginia 25530
Sunday, October 31, 1982
9:25 a.m. (EST)
Sunrise at had occurred 2½ hours ago on this 65° Halloween morning. Eastern Standard Time came into effect 7½ hours ago. After sunrise, someone saw the upside-down truck along Docks Creek Cemetery Road and reported it to the Highway Patrol. After checking it out, the Highway Patrol noticed the part-hole-part-dirtball. The Highway Patrol called Mr. Rollins. After seeing it, Mr. Rollins called both Earl Elkins and Sheriff Takins. Earl was standing over the partial hole as Mr. Rollins was leading Sheriff Takins to it.
Mr. Rollins: "The whole damn thing is disgrace. These kids always used to Mischief Night as an excuse to toilet paper house, throw eggs on cars, and leave flaming dog poop on porches. And now this."
The Sheriff looked at the partial hole (made by the Hulk the night before).
Earl: "This is how I found it, Sheriff. I didn't touch a thing."
The Sheriff looked at the partial hole for a couple more seconds, then looked at Earl.
Sheriff Takins: "What happened here."
Earl: "Your guess is as good as mine, Sheriff. It appears that someone dug somebody up."
The Sheriff took out his flashlight, turned it on, and shined it down the partial hole.
Sheriff Takins: "Judas Priest."
Mr. Rollins: "These Halloween pranks get worse every year, but vandalizing a cemetery and desecrating a grave is going way too far."
Sheriff looked at Earl again.
Sheriff Takins: "Who's grave is this?"
Earl: "I don't know, Sheriff. This plot isn't on the chart. No one bought this plot in advance and there's no record of anyone being buried here."
Sheriff Takins: "All right. I'm gonna run a check on the license plate of that truck. Do you know of anything else we should be concerned about?"
Earl: "Well, my assistant seems to have disappeared."
Sheriff Takins: "When's the last time you saw him?"
Earl: "When I dropped him off at the Funeral Home yesterday afternoon. When I went back a couple hours later, his door was unlocked and he was nowhere to be found."
Sheriff Takins: "Okay, first, we're gonna find out whose truck that is. We'll deal with everything else. after this. In the meanwhile, dig up the coffin from this grave to see if we can find any clues."
Earl: "It's one hell of a morbid thing when teenagers start stealing bodies right out of the ground. What sick kid would do something like this? That's what I'd like to know."
Sheriff Takins: "So would I."
_______________________________________________________________
Rollins Funeral Home
1822 Chestnut Street
Kenova, West Virginia 25530
Sunday, October 31, 1982
9:30 a.m. (EST)
_______________________________________________________________
Docks Creek Maple Hill & Hillcrest Cemeteries
471 Docks Creek Cemetery Road
Kenova, West Virginia 25530
Sunday, October 31, 1982
10:05 a.m. (EST)
Earl, by this time, dug up the wooden box and the Sheriff had run the check on the truck's license plate. The Sheriff walked up to Earl.
Sheriff Takins: "What'd ya find?"
Earl: "Well, for one thing: this is not a coffin. And it doesn't appear as if it's been under the ground for very long. The only things I found inside were this tattered shirt and torn shoes."
Sheriff Takins: "Any sign of putrefaction?"
Earl: "No, none. No carrion anywhere or on the shirt or shoes, and none inside the box. And it looks like the box was nailed shut in all four corners. And that's not all."
Sheriff Takins: "Okay."
Earl: "Look at middle of the box on the half that's still there. The splinters are facing upwards. Looks as if someone broke out of the box, instead of breaking into it."
Sheriff Takins: "Unless somebody deliberately made it that way to look like someone was try to get out."
Earl: "Did you find out who the owner of the truck is?"
Sheriff Takins: "Yeah. It belongs to 17-year-old: Nicholas Steats."
Earl: "I know him. He and his friend: Chaz were observing the embalming process at the Funeral Home just the other day."
Sheriff Takins: "I wonder if he knows anything about the vandalism."
Earl: "So do I."
_______________________________________________________________
Rollins Funeral Home
1822 Chestnut Street
Kenova, West Virginia 25530
Sunday, October 31, 1982
10:12 a.m. (EST)
David had showed, shaved, and put on a change of clothes. He put all of the rest of his belongs his his leather duffle bag. He had just written Earl a goodbye note.
"Earl, I'm sorry I had to take off like I did, but unforeseen extenuating circumstances beyond my control have made me have to leave town right away. I hope you understand., David."Then, David picked up his packed leather duffle bag, with is beige jacket tied to the top of it. He put the straps around his left shoulder and opened the door. He shut the door behind him, leaving it unlocked. He walked down the stair to the outside and turned right, heading for 18th Street.
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Kenova Police Department
1501 Pine Street
Kenova, West Virginia 25530
Sunday, October 31, 1982
10:20 a.m. (EST)
Sheriff Takins: "Hey Earl?"
Earl walked up to the Sheriff's desk.
Earl: "Yeah, Sheriff?"
Sheriff Takins: "I put out an APB on Chaz's car. I figured if the two boys are together. And since Nick's truck has been wrecked, it would only make sense that they'd be riding around in Chaz's car."
Earl: "True."
Sheriff Takins: "How about your assistant? Has he surfaced yet?"
Earl: "No, Sheriff. Not yet."
Sheriff Takins: "Maybe I should do a background check on him. All of this may very well be some elaborate Halloween prank, but we need to know what we're dealing with here. You said he went to school to work in a mortuary?"
Earl: "Yeah, the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science."
Sheriff Takins: "And that's, of course, in Cincinnati, right?"
Earl: "No. Actually it's in Finneytown, a town adjacent to Cincinnati. I know. I went there."
Sheriff Takins: "How about you go back to the Funeral Home and see if he's home. It would hurt."
Earl: "Sure."
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South on US Route 52
2616 Big Sandy Road
Kenova, West Virginia 25530
Sunday, October 31, 1982
10:43 p.m. (EST)
Nick: "Dude, is that who I think it is?"
Chaz looked more attentively.
Chaz: "Well I'l be. He DID manage to escape that grave."
Nick: "There's no way he knew it was us."
Chaz: "Of course not. And did if he did see us, we were too busy trying to get away from that— that— 'thing'. I'm gonna pull over, pick him up, and pump him for information."
Chaz pulled over beside David, as David thought was someone he didn't know willing to give him a ride. Nick is sitting in the passenger seat with the window rolled down.
Nick: "Hey Mister Benning? It's Nick and Chaz from the other day."
David leaned into the passenger's window and recognized the two boys.
David: "Ah yes, of course."
Nick: "You need a ride somewhere?"
David thought about it for a moment.
David: "Uh, no thanks. I couldn't obtrude."
Nick: "It's no imposition. We're headin' South on this road anyway."
David: "You sure?"
Nick: "Yeah, hop in the back. It'll be our good Samaritan deed for today."
David thought it for another moment.
David: "Well, okay. Thank you."
David opened the back door, climbing inside, and shut the door. Then, Chaz began to drive.
Chaz: "So where ya headed to, Mister Benning?"
David: "Oh, nowhere in particular."
Chaz: "So you're leaving town?"
David: "Yeah."
Nick: "Whatever for?"
David: "Oh, it's complicated. It's simply time for me to move on."
Nick: "Did something happen that scared you off?"
David: "No... Why do ask?"
Nick: "Teenagers are ruthless on Mischief Night, especially to new people in town."
David: "Oh... What did YOU GUYS to last night."
Nick: "We toilet-papered and egged a lot of houses. It's take all day to clean it all up."
Both of the boys chuckled. Suddenly, David had this uneasy feeling. The questions that were asked just didn't seem right, it just didn't feel right. David became anxious. He had a sneaking suspicion that the boys knew more than they were leading him to believe. Then, from behind, they all saw flashing blue and red lights. Nick looked back and saw it was a police car signaling them to pull over. They pulled over to the side of the road. The policeman: Deputy Archie Dixon pulled over behind them. He got out of his police car and walked up to the driver's-side window, which was also rolled down. The deputy leaned over the driver's-side car window.
Chaz: "Morning, Officer. What can we do for ya?"
Deputy Dixon: "Licence and Registration, please."
Chaz gave the office his license and registration.
"I'll be right back."
The officer walked back to his car and called in the information on his CB radio.
Chaz: "What do ya think he's doing?"
Nick: "It's not like we're 'Wanted' for anything. We have no reason to be nervous."
The policeman got out of his police car and walked back to the open driver's-side window.
Deputy Dixon: "Okay, you three need come down to the police station."
Chaz: "What? But why?"
Nick: "Yeah, we didn't do anything."
Deputy Dixon: "There's an All-Points Bulletin out on your car. The Sheriff just wants you to come to the police station for questioning. That's all."
The policeman, then, walked back to his police car.
Nick: "I wonder what he wants to question us about."
Chaz: "We may as well be cooperative and follow the cop. The last thing we need is to look guilty about anything."
David's uneasiness was growing. He knew that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
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Kenova Police Department
1501 Pine Street
Kenova, West Virginia 25530
Sunday, October 31, 1982
10:58 a.m. (EST)
Deputy Dixon: "Hey Sheriff? I found these guys heading South on US Route 52."
Sheriff Takins: "Thank ya, Archie. Take the two boys to the waiting area. I wanna talk to Mister Benning alone."
Deputy Dixon: "Sure. Come on, boys."
Deputy Dixon and the two boys went to the waiting area. The Sheriff looked at David for about 5 seconds. David began to get really nervous.
David: "Is there something wrong, Sheriff?"
The leaded forward and folded his hands together.
Sheriff Takins: "I checked you out. There is no record of you ever attending the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science or anywhere else. In fact, we haven't found a single thing to confirm your identity at all."
David: "Oh. Look, I— "
Sheriff Takins: "So we got ourselves a situation here. Not only do you have no mortuary experience whatsoever, but we don't even know if David Benning's even your real name. Question is: what are we gonna do about it? We can't just overlook this."
David: "Sheriff, I know this doesn't look good, but— "
Sheriff Takins: "Doesn't look good? I would say the situation is more than just 'not looking good'. I would say it 'looks pretty bad'."
David: "Really, I can explain all of this."
Earl entered the Police Station through the front door.
Sheriff Takins: "Looks like you may not have to."
Earl walked over to the Sheriff's desk.
Earl: "Hey, Sheriff."
Sheriff Takins: "Hey, Earl. Guess what? I found your assistant."
Earl looked at David.
Earl: "David, I'm glad you're okay. I went to your place last night and you weren't there."
Sheriff Takins: "Was his place exactly the way he left it last night?"
Earl pulled the note that David wrote to him out of his pocket.
Earl: "Not exactly. All of his clothes were gone and he left me this note."
Sheriff Takins: "Let me see it."
Earl handed the Sheriff the note and the Sheriff read it.
"Hmh. Looks like you were about to skip town. Intending to disappear without notifying anyone beforehand doesn't look good at all."
David sat silently.
"Look, planning to quickly leave town without warning or explanation doesn't make you guilty of anything... Of course, it doesn't necessarily make you innocent of anything, either."
David continued to sit silently while looking at the Sheriff.
"You're a drifter, aren't ya?"
David was still quiet, having no intention of saying anything.
Earl: "David?"
Earl sat down on a chair next to David.
"Does this, at all, have to do with last night? I mean, what happened to you before I got there?"
David: "Earl, even if I tried to explain it to the two of you, I have no proof that it actually happened."
Earl: "You may as well tell your side of it before the boys get to."
David: "A little after five, I had a knock at my door. Thinking it was you, I answered it. There were these two guys with ski masks on who subdued me with chloroform. The next thing I knew, it was pitch-black and I was lying in a grave."
Sheriff Takins: "A grave?"
David: "I know it sounds crazy, but that's what happened."
Sheriff Takins: "You expect us to believe that you were buried alive last night."
David: "That's what happened."
Sheriff Takins: "And you were able to escape?"
David: "I clawed my way out with all the strength I had, yes."
Sheriff Takins: "And let me guess. You're not able to identify the men who did that to ya, right?"
David: "That's right. Although I think Nick and Chaz may have been involved."
Sheriff Takins: "Not being able to positively identify them, without a reasonable doubt, would just make your story hearsay."
Earl: "But it would explain the upward splinters on the lid of the box. They're consistent with a person breaking his or her way out of the box and up through the ground."
Sheriff Takins: "Even if those boy did bury your assistant alive, you know they'd never own up to it. And since nobody can put them at the scene, we have no proof that they were the ones who did it."
Earl: "So what do we do?"
The Sheriff leaned back in his chair.
Sheriff Takins: "Because this man's a drifter and we have no assurance he won't abscond from the jurisdiction of our court system from now until the time we can exonerate him, I'm ordering that he be detained in a holding cell for an indefinite amount of time."
David: "Uhm, look, Sheriff— "
Sheriff Takins: "You'll be well-protected. You'll have the holding cell all to yourself. And if we can trick these boys to admit to what you say they did to you, then you shouldn't be in there for long."
Sheriff Takins looked over at Deputy Dixon.
"Deputy Dixon?"
Deputy Dixon walked over to the Sheriff.
Deputy Dixon: "Yes, Sheriff?"
Sheriff Takins: "Escort Mister Benning to one of our holding cells in the back."
Deputy Dixon took David to the back door, opened it, and went into the back room where the holding cells were.
Sheriff Takins: "Earl, bring the two boys over here so I could have a word with them."
Earl: "Sure."
Meanwhile, Deputy Dixon has led David to his holding cell. Deputy Dixon opened up the holding cell with his key.
Deputy Dixon: "Okay, we're here. Get inside."
David walked inside, Deputy Dixon closed the holding cell, and locked with his key.
David: "How long will have I have to be in here?"
Deputy Dixon: "Relax. This is a county jail within a police station. You shouldn't be in here long. You're only here if what you did constituted no greater than a misdemeanor."
David: "Oh, I see."
Deputy Dixon: "Now, as you see, the bed in your cell is at a 90°-angle against the wall. If you begin to feel tired and wanna lay down, just pull the bed down and set it on the floor. Be careful, though. The beds tend to stick, so you'll have to pull a little hard."
David: "Oh. Thanks for the warning."
Deputy Dixon: "No problem."
Deputy Dixon walked away from the holding cell, opened the back door, and closed it behind him. At the Sheriff's desk, Sheriff Takins was questioning the boys.
Sheriff Takins: "So, you're saying that Mister Benning stole your truck and wrecked it?"
Nick: "That's right. I noticed it was stolen a couple of hours ago. I think he did because last night was Mischief Night. How is the truck?"
Sheriff Takins: "It was flipped over upside down with the roof smashed in. Did you REPORT IT stolen?"
The two boys were quiet for a moment.
Nick: "Well... No. No, of course not."
Sheriff Takins: "Why not?"
Nick: "Well... We— we— knew who stole it, but we just— didn't where Mister Benning was with my truck."
Chaz: "That was why we were looking for him in my car. He was evidently trying to lead town so he would avoid the charges of stealing a car."
Sheriff Takins: "And that's when you saw him hitch-hiking?"
Chaz: "We picked him up so we can take him back to the police station."
Deputy Dixon: "Sheriff, they were on US Route 52, heading South. That means they were driving AWAY from Kenova."
Sheriff Takin: "Well well well, doesn't that put a nice big hole in your story."
Earl took the tattered shirt and ripped up shoes out of his pocket. He presented it to the two boys.
Earl: "Do you boys recognize this article of clothing?"
The two boys looked at the tattered shirt and ripped up shoes and vaguely recognized that it was what David was wearing the night before. However, they did not know how the shirt and shoes got all ripped up. Still, they wanted to feign innocents and act as if they'd never saw it.
Nick: "Uh, should we?"
Meanwhile, David was still standing in the holding cell. He walked to where the bed was. He intended to set the bed on the floor so he could lay down. Suddenly, he heard a spring pop. Not knowing it was the bed, he looked around to see what the noise was. As David turned around toward the bed, a few more springs popped, causing the bed to quickly fall on the flood, trapping David under it. The only part of David that the falling of the bed trap was his head, which lied at the foot of the bed. He tried to lift the bed off of him, but front end was stuck and it would not rise. The bed was so low to the ground that David couldn't scoot himself out from under it. While David was convulsively catches of breath, he continue to attempt push the bed off him to no avail.
David: "Deputy!. . . Sheriff!. . . Anybody!"
But it was no use. Nobody could here him from in there. David tried pushing up harder and harder, but the bed wouldn't budge. He grit his teeth and began panting. His heart began to pound. He also became dyspneic and diaphoretic. He even began to feel claustrophobic. Not being able to move or lift the bed off of himself engendered his horrifying memories of being trapped in the grave the night before. The evocations of David trying to push and pound his way out of the wooden box flashed before his eyes. The memory of the terror of realizing he was buried alive was reawakened, which is precisely what triggered his metamorphosis.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNc9XxdwqaM
"HEEEEEEEELLLLLP!"
David felt a chill rushing through his body. He felt a surge and fusion of strength in his muscles. David's eyes became white and then a pale green.
Sheriff Takins: "How do ya know for sure that is was Mister Benning that stole your truck."
Nick: "Instinct. Pure instinct. I always thought he was trouble."
Sheriff Takins: "And you have no idea of the occurrences at the cemetery last night?"
Chaz: "No way. It's spooky there at night. Especially this time of year."
Sheriff Takins: "How do ya know that if you've never been there at night?"
Meanwhile, David's shirt began to rip because he was now growing larger and larger and his muscles began to expand. At the same time, his skin pigmentation changed from a healthy peach color to gray and then to a full out green. The sides of his pants split partway and the shoes he was wearing ripped off of his feet. He was now the Hulk.
The Hulk began to bend the steel frame of the bed as he pushed it upward. Once he managed to stand up, he folded the steel frame clear to the head of the bed. He growled loudly as he began to lift the entire bed, broke it away from the steel headboard that remained fixed with its bottom point embedded in the wall. The Hulk, as hard as he could, threw the folded bed onto the iron bars of the holding cell, causing them to break from ceiling and fall on the floor. The Hulk, then, flexed his muscles and let out a loud roar.
Sheriff Takins: "Why were you guys giving him a lift out of town if you thought he was the one who stole your truck?"
Nick: "We weren't. We were tricking him into being driven to here."
Suddenly, the Hulk crashed through the door and parts of the wall around the door, as he roared in a vulgarly obtrusive manner. Everyone jumped out of their seats, stunned to see this green, monstrous-featured creature.
Chaz: "My God, it's that thing again!"
The Hulk growled as looked at walked around the room. Once he reached an empty desk, in a rage, he flipped the desk upside down. An officer pulled out his pistol, but the Hulk abruptly knocked it out of his hand. The Sheriff wanted to reassure everyone that everything was okay, even though his felt a little horrified.
Sheriff Takins: "Everybody just stay calm."
The Hulk walked to over to the front door. He turned around and looked back. The Hulk fear in everyone's eyes and were standing perfectly still. Again, he flexed his muscles and let out a loud roar. He turned back around and crashed through the front door and part of the wall around the front door. The Hulk jumped out onto the sidewalk and ran through the street. People on both sides of the street were startled at the sight of the Hulk running rampant through the streets. The Sheriff and the rest of the policeman ran to the (now obliterated) front door and watched the Hulk running off into the distance... Earl, then, walked up to the Sheriff.
Earl: "Sheriff, I think you're gonna wanna see this."
Earl showed the Sheriff a tattered shirt and ripped up shoe
Sheriff Takins: "Where did you find this?"
Earl: "In the room with the holding cells."
Earl pulled other tattered shirt and ripped up shoes he found in the wooden box earlier that day.
"Isn't coincidence amusing?"
The Sheriff nodded and began to realize that David was the one tell the whole truth.
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1111 Route 75
Kenova, West Virginia 25530
Sunday, October 31, 1982
2:47 p.m. (EST)
David was walking along the road, hitch-hiking. Slowly, the Sheriff pulled up behind him and turned on the siren for only a second. David looked behind him and saw it was the Sheriff. The Sheriff got out of his police car and walked over to David.
Sheriff Takins: "I was hoping to see ya before you left town. I told the two boy that I wouldn't do any jail time if they just told me the truth. Their story matched your's. So, no charges are bought against you."
David: "Thank you."
David turned back around, had his back to the Sheriff and the Sheriff was standing behind David. David started to walk away.
Sheriff Takins: "Still, you're one peculiar fella. You're very secretive. And when a person's secretive, it generally means they have something to hide. And that 'something' is never good. You agree?"
Short pause.
David: "Yeah."
Sheriff Takins: "Does that mean you have anything to tell me?"
Short pause.
David: "No."
The Sheriff nods.
Sheriff Takins: "I didn't think so."
David, still having his back to the Sheriff, started to walk away again.
"You know, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to infer that you're tied in with that creature somehow... Got anything to say to that?"
Short Pause.
David: "Happy Halloween."
David, still having his back to the Sheriff, started to walk away again.
Sheriff Takins: "Hey, Benning?"
David stopped, slowly turned around to face the Sheriff.
"I don't know who you really are or where you came from, but don't come back here... Ever."
David slowly turned back around and walked away. The Sheriff walked back to his police car, put it into "drive," and made a U-turn to drive the other way.
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Sullivan County
US-23 South, Interstate 26, State Route 93
Kingsport, Tennessee 37660
Wednesday, November 3, 1982
7:47 a.m. (EST)
"The Lonely Man" theme song by Joe Harnell begins to play. As it plays, David was walking along the side of the road, with his brown leather duffle bag around his left shoulder, 180½ miles south of Kenova and heading southwest of the Tennessee-North Carolina state line. As cars passed by him, he put his thumb out to hitch hike. The song continues to play until the end, as David continued to walk further down the road.
THE END
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