First, Ryan and Maya garner strange looks after they pronounce that they’re celebrating their fifth dating anniversary. “Why haven’t you put a ring on it?” a waitress asks Ryan.

Then Ryan accuses the mechanic of tampering with their car while they were eating to scam them out of money. And, of course, he refuses to share a drink with some locals who invite him to join them. Not to mention he orders a “meat-free” burger for vegetarian Maya—something the ultra-small town of Venus just doesn’t cater to.

Unfortunately, with the car out of commission, the couple is stuck there overnight in an Airbnb.

And even more unfortunately, they’ve drawn enough attention to themselves to attract the interest of some masked and malevolent strangers…

The post The Strangers: Chapter 1 appeared first on Plugged In.

Mina could use a change.

Oh sure, Mina actually changes plenty. Every night the woman goes out to the bar, the 28-year-old shows up as someone else. She might be a brunette ballerina. Or a red-headed singer. The blond just dons a wig, slaps on a new personality and voila! No more Mina.

Just as well, she figures. Who’d like Mina anyway? Mina doesn’t even like Mina that much.

But still, a change of scenery would be nice. So when her pet-store-owning boss asks her if she’d be willing to transport a pricey golden conure (think large parakeet) across Ireland, she’s happy to do so. A little road trip might do her good.

But when that road takes her deep into the dwindling Irish forests, something goes mysteriously awry. First, her car conks out. Then, when she gets out of the car to search for help, it vanishes altogether.

And let’s not forget the strange flocks of birds overhead. Or the rumbling ground. Or the creepy sign that says, “Point of No Return 12.”

Mina—still toting her own bird around in its nifty little cage—is getting seriously creeped out when she spies a concrete bunker, with an elderly woman standing in the doorway.

“If you care to live, you’re going to have to run,” the woman tells her.

Run where? Well, to the bunker, presumably. So run Mina does, golden conure swinging by her side. She rumbles into the bunker, takes a breath and eyes her new surroundings.

It’s a simple place: a table. A couch or two. A tube TV and an old-timey phonograph. Oh, and three people. The old woman introduces herself as Madelyn. Danny’s a young man—not much more than a boy, really. And then there’s Ciara, a young woman around Mina’s age. She’s still hopeful that her husband might come back after leaving the bunker—a place they call the “Coop”—six days ago. 

Then there’s that wall of glass. Mina’s barely had time to take a second breath before Madelyn asks everyone to line up and face that glass, so that they can get a good look at the Coop’s newest resident.

They? The Watchers, of course. Those outside the Coop, those who rule the forest, those who hide in in the day and run wild and ravenous in the dark.

Those who kill anyone they catch.

The forest stretches too far in every direction to leave before nightfall. Ciara’s been in the Coop for five months. Madelyn? She might’ve been there for years.

Yeah, Mina needed a change.

But this? Not the change she had in mind.

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Yeah, right. Tell that to Maddy and Owen.

The show in question, The Pink Opaque, chronicles the supernatural adventures of Isabel and Tara, two teen girls who battle the big bad, Mr. Melancholy, and his legion of monsters. And while some might dismiss the show as an adolescent X-Files, Maddy would say that it’s far more than that. “Sometimes,” the adolescent outcast admits to Owen, “The Pink Opaque feels more real than real life.”

But the show comes on at 10:30 p.m.—way past the curfew for 7^th-grade Owen. He’s never seen The Pink Opaque. Not, that is, until he meets Maddy. She encourages Owen to sneak out of his house and spend the night at hers, so that he can see for himself what The Pink Opaque is all about.

And once he sees, he’s hooked.

But curfews are curfews, and Owen can’t pretend to have sleepovers every week. But years later, Maddy comes up with a solution. She’ll record every episode on VHS. She’ll give those tapes to Owen—along with some notes to help him navigate the show’s complex mythology. And then he can watch on his own sweet time.

It’s a good, though not perfect, system. Owen would much rather watch the show with Maddy when he can. One night, years later, he sneaks away again to do just that. And the next morning, Maddy tells Owen that—as soon as she can—she plans to leave home. “I’ll die if I stay here,” she says, and she means it. And Maddy asks Owen to come with her.

“Where will we go?” Owen asks.

“We’ll know when we get there,” Maddy tells him.

But he won’t go. He can’t. And not long after, Maddy disappears without a trace. The only clue? Her family’s TV set was found in the yard, on fire.

And yep, that might’ve been the end of the shared story of Maddy and Owen and The Pink Opaque. After all, Maddy’s gone. Owen’s growing up. And The Pink Opaque is just a TV show.

Or is it?

The post I Saw the TV Glow appeared first on Plugged In.

Oh, I know—some of you are probably cradling your cute little tarantulas even as you read this, scratching their furry abdomens and doing your best to teach them how to play fetch. But let me be candid: Your tarantula does not love you. And it will never, ever learn how to play fetch.

Charlotte would’ve disagreed. The 12-year-old girl thought that her spider—a mysterious arachnid that arrived via tiny meteor and landed in her apartment building—was the coolest, smartest, bestest spider ever.

And sure, Charlotte would’ve been about two-thirds right. After all, it’s not every spider who whistles when it wants food, or who can imitate the voice of your closest relatives.

But bestest? An ill-fated, half-eaten parrot in Charlotte’s building would beg to differ … if it could.

Another disturbing element? The spider—which Charlotte names Sting, after Bilbo Baggins’ sword in The Hobbit—just keeps growing.

No, Charlotte’s beloved spider is not quite the pet that she imagines it to be. In the spider’s mind, the living creatures around it fall, ultimately, into two categories: breakfast and dinner. And as it gets bigger, so does its menu.

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Alas, the babysitters in Abigail didn’t bother. And, well, let’s just say they regretted it.

Sure, it wasn’t your typical babysitting gig. It was more of a kidnapping gig, which explains the higher-than-average hourly rate. The job of the six kidnappers was to snatch a 12-year-old girl, whisk her away to a creepy ol’ mansion and keep her there for, oh, 24 hours or so. That’s when the girl’s very rich pappy would presumably cough up the required $50 million to get her back.

Simple, right?

And sure enough, the kidnapping part of the caper went off without a hitch. The girl—still dressed in her ballerina tutu and some seriously sparkly shoes—was nabbed, drugged and bagged in short order. She barely let out a peep. And when the mansion’s alarm sounded, it was too late: The crew was well on their way to … um, safety?

Joey knew before the rest that something was a little off about this assignment. Tasked with keeping the kid locked in a spare bedroom and as comfy as possible, Joey’s the only one who’s supposed to have any contact with the girl. Naturally, Joey tries to reassure her that she’ll come out of this safe and sound as soon as her dad coughs up the money.

But the girl, Abigail, tells Joey that there won’t be any money. Her father lost interest in her long ago.

And then, as Joey’s about to leave, Abigail says something rather strange.

“I’m sorry about what’s going to happen to you.”

What’s the catch? Yeah, they really should’ve asked.

Catch No. 1: Abigail’s father isn’t just a prominent politician or a rich tech tycoon. No, he’s Kristof Lazar, one of the world’s most feared crime lords.

Catch No. 2: Abigail isn’t just a girl in a tutu and spangly shoes: She’s her dad’s hatchet man—only she has no need for a hatchet. Vampires rarely do.

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Sure, it’s a bit awkward for Haley and Grant, since it inevitably comes out that they just broke up. But all in all, there’s still lots of boozing, romping and laughing to be done in an isolated B&B somewhere in the Catskills. So, it’s all good, they think.

However, when the beer runs out during a campfire drinking game, the gang is kinda at a loss. They’re out in the middle of nowhere, and driving to get more alcohol would take up too much of their last night together.

So, they decide to really scour the big-old estate they’re renting in search of something drinkable. There’s gotta be some kind of booze stashed in some room, pantry or cubby hole, right? And one locked door appears promising. So, they break it open.

Instead of a booze stash, however, they find a basement packed with old astrology and occult collectables. Thereafter, the need for another intoxicant is quickly forgotten. This junk promises to give them a different kind of buzz.

When Haley finds an ancient box holding an incredibly creepy set of hand-painted Tarot cards, the evenings’ activity is settled. It just so happens that Haley has done lots of Tarot readings in the past. So the gang gathers ‘round, and they jump right in.

Haley is quite skilled at the task before her. The crackling fireplace atmosphere is perfect. And the cards, oh my word, those creepy looking cards add just the right chill to the proceedings.

The High Priestess, the Magician, the Devil, Death: All of those key characters look like they could step right off the cards and into your nightmares. And they weave wonderfully into Haley’s readings, capping the weekend celebration with a last night ghoulish flourish.

The gang gets up the next morning without a care in the world. They pack their bags, jump in their cars and set off for the trip home.

But you know what they say about Tarot readings? Everything is open to interpretation. The dealt-out cards can have different meanings. The Death card, for instance, can mean “a new beginning” in some cases.

In this case, though, Death means death.

And all those other characters cards … follow suit.

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But that has changed.

When the ship’s pilot, Ripley, crawls out of her stasis pod and makes her way to the meal station with the other crew members, her thoughts are simple: First she’ll feed her appetite. Then she’ll feed her curiosity. How close to home are they?

Earth and a long space-flight payday is pretty much all that any of the seven commercial towing crew members care about. With 20,000,000 tons of mineral ore in their cargo hold, the pay will be sweet. Well worth the months of sleep.

But once they’re done eating and chatting, this diverse group comes to an unpleasant revelation. They’re not anywhere near Earth. They’re not even in the correct solar system. It seems that Mother, the ship’s computer, picked up a distress call. And space protocol dictates that any ship in the vicinity must investigate. Even if it’s a cargo vessel.

So the crew of Nostromo grouses a bit (well, a lot, actually) before nudging their vessel toward the planet with the signal. It’s a swirling mass of storms and noxious gas. But they set their lander down with a thump, woosh, crunch. Breaking a suspension joint in the process.

While the two mechanics start repairs, another small group sets out for a nearby downed alien ship. It’s exotic, huge. Any occupants that might have been there are now dead and fossilized. So who are they rescuing?

Well, it turns out that the signal wasn’t a distress call after all, but a warning. A warning to stay away.

It’s right about then that the ship’s executive officer, Kane, stumbles upon a strange room in the deserted ship. It appears to be chock full of large, egg-shaped things. And when he approaches one, it slowly opens at the top. Something membranous shifts around inside. And Kane leans over the top to take a look.

The creature leaps.

It burns through Kane’s helmet with its acid secretion, and it wraps its crab-like legs around his face.

Then it jams a mucus-covered probe down his throat. In one quick moment, the crew of the Nostromo are ushered into a nightmare.

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Cecilia, however, walked away convinced that God had saved her. She was sure that He wanted to use her life in some special way. She just didn’t yet know what that special purpose was. So, in the years since, she’s become a nun and dedicated herself, body and soul, to the church.

Now, Sister Cecilia has been transferred to an ancient convent in Italy. In a way it’s an odd assignment, because she doesn’t speak a word of Italian. But if this is how God wants to use her—caring for elderly and infirm nuns in the waning days of their lives—then she is happy to be moved by His hand.

Then, the young novitiate is revealed to be decidedly pregnant.

Cecilia is, of course, shocked: she has obeyed her vows of chastity completely. She’s never sexually been with a man in her life. But the ultrasound proves that she is, in fact, with child. And suddenly, the older nuns begin standing when she walks into a room; they gaze at her adoringly; they call her blessed.

Something doesn’t feel right, though.

The church can call her situation miraculous. They can proclaim that this is the purpose God has called her to. But Cecilia can’t help but feel that it’s all wrong. There’s something very evil afoot.

It’s so evil, in fact, that dying in a partially frozen lake might have been the better course.

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Oh, it’s not like Vatican City is about to close up shop. But Cardinal Lawrence looks out his car window and sees signs of warning. The people are protesting, just as they have for weeks. And while older protesters are seeking higher wages and shorter work weeks, younger ones seem to be railing against authority itself. Even that of the Church.

The Cardinal’s furrowed brow and lined lips betray not just his age, but his anxiety. But he smiles at his fellow passenger: 21-year-old Margaret, whom Lawrence has known since she was a troubled little girl giving the nuns caring for her fits. After so many fitful years, Margaret’s on track to become a nun herself now.

Already she wears a novitiate habit, ready to commit the rest of her life to Christ—whatever He might ask of her. Margaret is devout and enthusiastic. And as she stares at the ancient streets of Rome unfolding before her, she marvels at the city’s history and beauty.

“What better place for you to take the veil?” Cardinal Lawrence says with a smile. And he means it. The Eternal City needs this bright, fresh-faced novitiate—someone who can help remind it, and the world, of the Church’s beauty and power.

Before that fateful day comes, Margaret—by invitation of Cardinal Lawrence himself—will work at an all-girl orphanage, not so unlike the one in which Margaret herself was raised.

But if it all seems familiar to Margaret, one girl seems especially so.

While the orphanage teems with laughing, smiling girls, one is separated from the rest. Margaret cautiously walks into her room and tries to make conversation. But the girl, Carlita, stares with wary eyes.

Then, she crawls toward Margaret, under the bed.

She grabs Margaret’s face.

And the girl licks her.

An older nun, Sister Silvia, explains that Carlita’s being kept apart for now, given that she just bit another girl. And the pictures Carlita draws are dark and full of shadows. She’s disturbed, to be sure.

But dangerous?

Margaret doubts it. After all, was Margaret herself so different when she was a child? Didn’t she imagine terrors all around her? Maybe the girl’s isolation is exacerbating her issues. Maybe all Carlita needs is a friend. A little good advice. Someone who can show her the healing love and grace of God—and show her that He has a purpose for her.

But others believe Carlita has a purpose, too.

Indeed, they’re counting on it.

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