Nightmare Fuel #5: The Villa of Moonlight

Thy ticket, Lady Jennifer of Coolidge. Well many thanks, good sir. Heareth my Discover card. They accept Discover at Renaissance fairs? Yeah, they do here. Discover is accepted at the places I love to shop. Geteth with the times. With the times? You're playing the loop. Yeah, and it sounds pretty good, right? Discover is accepted at 99% of places that take credit cards nationwide. Based on the February 2025 Nielsen report,

Hi everyone, I'm Charlie Cox. Join us on Disney Plus as we talk with the casting crew of Marvel Television's Daredevil Born Again. What haven't you gotten to do as Daredevil? Um be in the Avengers? Charlie and Vincent came to play. I get emotional when I think about it. One of the great finales of any episode.

ever done. We are gonna play Truth or Daredevil. What? Oh boy. Fantastic. You guys go hard man. Daredevil Born Again, official podcast, Tuesdays, and stream season two of Marvel Television's Daredevil Born Again on Disney Plus. Welcome to another edition of Nightmare Fuel Creeps and Peepers. I'm Dan Cummins and I will be sharing another original short story of the fictional horror variety. I highly recommend noise cancellation headphones for the best listening experience.

Hope you enjoy this new nightmare. Time now for the tale of the Villa of Moonlight. Such a bewitching villa. It possesses a certain kind of magic, yes? Like the buildings themselves, or perhaps the land they are built on, can cast a spell on you if the land wants you to stay. It can enchant you, lull you into never wanting to leave. Just bask in its splendor, melt into its old stone floors, and become a part of it.

Ha! I say strange things sometimes, yes? I hope that does not distract from what I try and tell you. For one like myself, my name is Yura Arilovich, and I am old. I have been alive for so very long now. And for one who has moved so frequently for most of his life, I am most fortunate to call this place my home now, and for many years. The villa it is an old home, built over three centuries ago, in seventeen oh nine. But three centuries ah that is not quite so old for Pasin.

Bazine, Croatia, a town that has seen so many homes, so many souls. Basin once belonged to Germanic and Italian rulers before it was Croatia. For a place that appears so calm and beautiful, it has seen much chaos and darkness, much blood. It was sacked several times by the Turks and also by many others. Many different people have lived here, fought here, lived and died here for thousands of years. And there are other things, I believe, that have been around here for much longer than this.

The Romans once built walls, forts, and homes. You can still find many of their stones. There is a grand massive medieval castle in the center of Pisin, built on a bed of solid rock sometime before June of 983. The first time it is mentioned in the known historical record by none other than the holder Roman Emperor himself, Otto II. Yes, I am a bit of historian.

It is hard not to be when living in the midst of so much history. There are now many beautiful villas here in Pasin, but I am partial to this one Villa Nama Yesacini, the Villa of Moonland. It sets atop a small hill not far from the center of the charming town, overlooking both the castle and the great mystical chasm that the town sits above. A chasm full of many, many caves. No one knows just how far they go down into the earth, or what all may live inside of.

The villa of Moonlight is very big, many rooms, a pool, it is far, far too much space for a single man like myself. But yet I stay. I do not wish to ever part with it. It is wonderful for entertaining guests. And for entertaining me as well. Even though, as I said, I have called the Villa of Moonlight my home for many years, it still chooses to reveal new secrets to me today.

Just this very afternoon, I come across a journal, a diary, written over twenty years ago now. Inside, I read of a terrible story set in this very place, a dark story.

So very dark some, I imagine, upon hearing it, would pack up their things immediately. They would flee, never to return. But not me. Not Yura. There is nothing that could happen here, absolutely nothing, that would scare me away. I believe that in this life, to truly be happy, you must do as I have done. You must learn to accept the bad with the good, to embrace it even, to genuinely feel at peace.

If you only grow comfortable with the good, with the light and not the darkness, you will forever be seeking something you cannot have. The laws of nature make it very clear: for every bit of good there is an equal bit of bad. It is inevitable. Why fear and demonize what you cannot change? For every life, for every single life. There is a death.

The books. They always balance in the end. Ha! I apologize. I have spent too much of my life alone. When I am telling a story, I am afraid this reveals itself. I never have anyone telling me. Hurry up, Eura, get to the point. So let me share with you what I came across today. You would like to hear it, yes? I imagine you would. Few of us in my experience pass up the opportunity to hear a story of such great pain and suffering, as long as it is not happening to us or those we love, yes?

Such a strange thing this is of human nature, to be so drawn to what we fear so greatly. How many people do you think? People say deathly afraid of sharks, people who would never dream of diving into the ocean's depths will still watch a television program about someone else being attacked.

Perhaps it makes us feel a bit safer to watch that which terrifies us from a place the terror cannot reach us. Do we think, if we study the cause of tragedy, that we can avoid it? That the books will not balance for us? Ha! Again, I drone on. Let me delay no further. What I found this very morning in this grand house of mine was, as I said, the diary, left here by a young woman, Jamie Pratt.

Who once stood where I now stand, someone who saw such terrible things. I will begin with the entry she wrote the first night she and her friends arrived here in Pazim.

March 26, 1998. It is freaking beautiful here. Oh my God, I can't even stand it. The journey to get here from Florence was maybe not so great, but I don't even want to complain because the scenery was divine. The mode of transportation, eh, less so. We had to take two trains and two buses, and it took almost nine hours, but it was totally worth it. We still got here by 4 30, just like we'd hoped.

We made it in plenty of time to stop by an adorable little market, check into this amazing villa, thank you Expedia for the deal of a lifetime, and cook a quick dinner together that we ate outside by a heated pool. Wow! And we all watch an amazing sunset together. Is this how rich people get to live all of the time? I bet it is. It must be fun.

Croatia is a hundred percent everything I hoped it would be. The landscape is frickin' unreal. So amazing, so many waterfalls, mountains, cliffs, white sandy beaches, thick, dark forests full of pine trees and Other kinds of trees I could never remember all the names. Uh one with one's with leaves? Lots of thick, bright green leaves. The sea here and so many of the lakes have the bluest water. It really does have this certain enchanted feel. I've heard so many people talk about.

Ah! I'm so happy! And so is the crew. The boys are getting along great, which is of course not always the case. Chase barely complained about anything today. I couldn't believe it. I mean, he did complain, that moody little stinker. But for him, not too much. Mostly he was mad that he was supposed to get a window seat on the second train, and this little old Croatian lady took it from him. Come on! He was convinced.

that she did it on purpose. He wouldn't let go of thinking that she did know English, but just pretended not to, just so she could take his precious seat and act like she couldn't read his ticket or understand him. I honestly don't think she knew any English. But that's Chase. Once he gets an idea in that silly little head of his, he will not let it go.

Jose was good too. Great, actually. It was so nice to see him in an upbeat mood for a change. When he's up, he is probably the most fun person I know. So funny, so loving, I want to squish his handsome face. When he's down though, watch out. It's best just to stay completely away from him unless you want your entire day ruined. Why do we women get labeled as the moodier sex? Chase and Jose are the two moodiest friends I have by far. Me, Ruth, and Kate are all way more chill and easygoing.

Ruth got a little motion sick on the second bus, poor babe. I'm sure the vodka in the flash she and Jose were sipping on did not help, those stinkers. I don't think she ate anything for lunch either. I worry a bit about how much she's been drinking lately. But like she says, we're in college. This is the time to be the most gluttonous and reckless and wild we'll ever be. We can grow up later.

Maybe she's right. She's always trying to get me to unwind more. I promised her I would work on it this trip. And Kate. Kate was Kate. Quiet but steady and pretty much always in an okay mood. God love her. She'd been really missing her boyfriend back home still, though. Why, oh why did she start dating someone a month before we left for a year-long study abroad program in Florence? I'll never understand that.

If anyone in our group is too serious, it has to be Kate. I hope Babe can really soak up this trip. At least enjoy our crazy Deccan and Digs. Come on. I wonder if any royalty has ever stayed here. I would not be surprised. We each have our own huge rooms. Maybe not like America huge, but definitely Europe huge. We each have our own bathrooms too. I could literally cry. How long has it been since I had that? Almost seven months?

And we have the most luxurious beds. I don't know anything about mattresses, but whatever this mattress is, I want one. And the bathrooms all have actual frickin' bathtubs and not just showers. Tonight after having a few drinks after dinner, we were all so wiped out we retreated to our rooms. Well, everyone but Kate did. I can't believe she outlasted the boys.

She seemed especially captivated by the starry night, looking up into the sky, sitting with her feet in the pool. I totally snuck her photo to give it to her later. When I made it to my room, I took the longest, most luxurious bath. Amazing. I found a bunch of little votive candles and lit them and placed them all around the tub. I felt like some kind of medieval princess. Okay, time for sleep. Glorious sleep. We have a big day planned for tomorrow.

We want to explore the town, starting of course with finding some espresso, then we're going to tour Pozzine Castle, grab lunch, and then meet a guide and go ziplining across this big chasm and down into the big cave system at the bottom. I know what you are wondering. Ura, where is the terror? Why do you waste our time so? Be patient. It is coming, I promise you. I do not know about you, but my favorite type of terror is the kind that builds.

First, everything is so wonderful. Everything is, how would Jamie maybe say it? Amazing, babe. Ha! Next, there is some confusion and mystery. And then dread. After dread, next there is pain and despair and death. That is the best kind of whore, yes? I still talk too much, I know. It is so fun to tell a tale like this when I know what is coming. But you do not.

March 27th, 1998. What a day. Everyone but Kate was up, like we agreed, for breakfast by 9. I don't know what is going on with Kate. Something's up. When I called out for her, she wouldn't even come out of her room. She locked the door and wouldn't open it. But she didn't sound that awful.

She said that she didn't feel that bad, just tired. Not gonna lie, I was pretty bummed that she said she was just gonna stay in for the rest of the day and not go zip lining or explore the cave or anything. But hey, if you don't feel good, you don't feel good. Poor babe. The rest of us left after breakfast. Kate never did come out of her room. She said she'd eat later, after sleeping some more.

So we went out and we checked out the town. So amazing! So adorable I could die. The castle is huge. It totally dominates the landscape. I cannot believe how old it is. Over a thousand years. And it looks like it'll be around for thousands more. They really knew how to build stuff back then. Beyond impressive.

There's also a gigantic church, St. Nicholas Abbey. We visit it before the castle after grabbing espresso at this super cute little place full of locals called, oh, what was it? Grotzka Kavana Pazin. Inside the church? Oh my god. So many sculptures and frescoes and all this Baroque architecture that was simply breathtaking. I took a bunch of pictures, but I know when I have them developed, they won't do it justice.

Standing inside it and admiring its grandeur up close and in real time, so awe-inspiring. My eyes teared up, and I don't even totally know why. I cannot imagine what it must have felt like to stand inside it hundreds of years ago. I thought about all the generations of people worshiping inside this place, century after century, so many funerals held for people once baptized as babies inside the same church. Just just wow. Then it was off to the castle.

It has two museums inside of it. I bought a postcard in each, and it is so big. A town inside a town. The architecture is incredible. All these gothic pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and a bunch of other terms the guy told us that I totally can't remember. After the castle, we had lunch at a place Jose was really excited to check out. Pepperone. A pizza place, of course. Jose and Chase cannot ever eat enough pizza. Everywhere we go, they are always happy to eat more pizza.

I'm a little over myself, but that being said, this pizza was amazing. The mozzarella was so fresh. Real mozzarella too. And I think they made the sauce with vegetables from their own garden in town. How cool is that? I had a pizza with ham, basil, mushroom, mozzarella, some other stuff on this thin crust they also made fresh. It didn't taste like any pizza I've ever had in America, but it was some of the best pizza I've ever had.

And then zip lining. Yay! Ruth was nervous. I thought she was gonna back out at the last second, but she did it. She was so proud of herself. I was so proud of her. It was so cute. Ruth is such an adorable little babe. I always want to pinch her cheeks and just kiss her face. Chase complained that the guy running it wasn't paying attention like he should have been and skipped some kind of safety protocol. Apparently he's a zipline inspector now. But that's just Chase.

After clearly irritating the guy who hooked us up to the line, asking too many questions, second guessing him, he went down and he had as much fun as Chase can, I think. Jose being Jose decided to let go with his hands and 360 spin his way down. Of course he did. Babe always has to let the rest of us know that he is the bravest and the most daring.

I don't really care about ziplining. But the view as you do it, when you head down into that chasm that leads to the cave complex, oh the views are spectacular. Just wow. Once in the cave, our guide was excellent. He told us all about these famous authors and artists that the cave has inspired for centuries, including Dante. Yeah, that Dante, the Italian who wrote the divine comedy. This cave inspired him to write about hell in the afterlife. How amazing is that?

And it totally does feel, as you walk down into it, like you could just keep walking and end up in hell. I get how it inspired him. It was cool. It was also creepy. I probably could have skipped the cave. I mean, I liked it. It was fun to see some stalactites and stalagmites and a big underground lake, but also, it for sure made my skin crawl. I was ready to leave after a few minutes. Had a weird energy I didn't like. Look at me talking about energy. Jose would tease me so bad if he found out.

We made it back to the house at four hundred thirty after stopping by a little market to buy some food and wine for dinner. Right away when we got back, I went to check on Kate, and she was still sleeping. I went to open her door, but she still had it locked, and she told me she needed a bit more sleep. She promised she'd come out soon to say hi. I didn't like it. It felt weird. It felt like

Like she was lying. But why would she? She didn't sound that sick. And to not even let me come in and check on her? That is so unlike her. She usually loves for me to dote on her if she's feeling down. The rest of us had some drinks, I'm a bit buzzed now for sure, and swam in the pool. It was so nice and sunny out today. Then Chase and Ruth, our little cooks for tonight, made us grilled fish, sea bass, and a little salad and some seasoned rice. Amazing, almost as good as that pizza.

Kate finally came out of her room during the middle of dinner. She just missed another gorgeous sunset. She looked really pale. But she said she was feeling much, much better. She didn't eat much though. She mostly drank some red wine I don't remember anyone even buying, even though her energy kept picking up as the night wore on. I was still worried about her. She I don't know. She just felt different. I don't know quite how to explain it.

You know how when you ask someone who you think is mad at you if they are mad at you? And then they smile and say no, but you totally do not believe them. Like there's something off about their eyes that you can't put your finger on, but you know that they are thinking something different than what they're saying. And then later, you find out they were mad at you, just like you thought the whole time.

That is how Kate seemed tonight. Not that she is mad at me, not quite that. Just that she's hiding something. Maybe she's just really missing her boyfriend back home. I don't know. I wish I could let it go, but that's just not me. Other than Kate feeling off, it was a fun night. We all played some drinking games, can't go anywhere without some wine tennis, as Jose calls it, like that somehow makes it sound more sophisticated than beer pong.

And they had Jenga and a pool table here, so we played some of both. And then Chase and I and Ruth all went to bed while Jose and Kate decided to stay up a bit longer and have another drink and chat in the hot tub. Kate actually pushed for that. Ruth and I shot each other a little glance, I'm sure we'll gossip about it tomorrow. At the start of the Florence program, we both thought that Kate was going to break up with her new boyfriend back home and start dating Jose, but it never happened.

They definitely seem to have chemistry though. Did that chemistry just come back? I guess I'll find out. Maybe that is what was off about her today. Maybe she stayed at home to deal with breaking up with her boyfriend, and now she's going to be hooking up with Jose. Hmm. I'll have to poke around. Those sneaky little stinkers.

We have another fun day planned for tomorrow. We're going to grab breakfast at some cafe in town, then grab food for a picnic lunch and hike to this natural pool along a little river about an hour from town that this gorgeous waterfall is supposed to dump into. It's supposed to be a really fun place to swim, and the minerals in the water are good for your skin. It's like a free spa.

After that, we'll walk back, do some wine tasting at this winery that we heard is simply amazing, and then dinner at this really well-rated and cheap place in town, Bistro Pod Le Pom. And then back to our luxury villa to drink and hang around the pool in the hot tub.

Chase says he might bring a local girl back and romance her. Yeah, right. That'll never happen. I love Chase. But he can't even pick up girls from a bar back home. I would die if he did that here. Okay, totally exhausted now, but I need to write down one more thing. I ended up double checking my window and making sure it was locked before I went to bed, and I double checked the bathroom window and the lock on my bedroom door too.

I could have sworn I heard someone walking around just outside my room. And then when I pulled the curtain back and peeked out, I thought I saw a figure of someone zip past the window. If it was someone, they moved. so fast. And it was like they floated by. It's hard to explain, but I but I saw something, I I think. And then I had the strongest sensation that someone was out there and watching me. It creeped me out. Maybe it was a neighbor?

Some creepy local who heard college girls were out by the pool and wanted to peek? Ugh. You must be so mad now. Yura, why? Why do you tell us to be patient and then still not reward us with any terror? But you are wrong. The terror is already all around. Do not feel it. I fear Jamie just does not know it. She is in the middle of terror. She is like a rabbit who approaches a snare. She does not see it in the darkness. But with one more little bunny hop, It will be around her neck.

And then when she does feel it, it will be too tight to get off, and the more she struggles, the tighter it will get. Until she can no longer breathe. And then then she will just lay there as the life leaves her body, as no more blood can make it to her brain, as no more air can fill her lungs. Her eyes are still open, and she is left to wonder, with her last thoughts: Is this really how I die? Is this the end of me?

Ha! You must think I'm crazy. Why would I say such terrible things? But remember, I read this story before. I know what you do not. Maybe you like this next part more. Before we find out if the next part does actually have more tear, as your claims. It is time for our mid-show sponsor break. If you don't want to hear these ads, please become a Robert or an Annabelle on the Scared to Death Patreon and get these nightmare fuel stories and all other scared to death episodes ad-free and more.

This message is sponsored by Greenlight. If nearly seven years of hauntings has taught me anything, it's that there are plenty of things to be afraid of. But money does not need to be one of them. It's wild how often financial stress adds to an already spoopy situation. Greenlight is a debit card and money app for families that helps kids learn to save and spend wisely while building real confidence. Parents can automate allowance, manage chores, and set flexible spending controls.

These skills keep kids from growing into adults who are stuck in haunted houses because they are haunted by financial choices. Our nephew is just a few short years away from getting his driver's license, and subsequently he has started to dream about his first car. In an effort to help him save for that first car, his parents signed him up for Greenlight, which is helping him learn about long term savings goals. And how to accomplish them. Awesome.

Start your risk free green light trial today at greenlight dot com slash scared. That's greenlight.com slash scared to get started. Greenlight dot com slash scared. It's a real luxury to have high quality, clean, healthy groceries dropped at your front door.

Thrive Market members know what I'm talking about. By becoming a member, you can unlock weekly deals, auto-ship your favorite repeat items, and more. No matter what you're craving, Thrive Market offers better for you versions of the things you love. Less sugar and cleaner ingredients from some of our household favorite brands like Simple Mills and Siete.

With Dan's health needs changing this year, I have been trying to support him by buying things he can enjoy without worry that he's going to spike his blood sugar or overdo it on the carb. Thrive has made it so easy for both of us to make better choices.

We switched to IQ bars for our protein bars, supporting our brains while keeping carbs low. And Lily's chocolate has been helping us both indulge in that chocolate craving without going overboard. Ready to make some healthy swaps and become a member? Join Thrive Market with my link, thrivemarket.com/slash scared to death for 30% off your first order plus a free$60 gift.

A premium wireless plan from Mint Mobile might be for you if you are sick and tired of wasting hundreds of dollars every month and are annoyed by all those extra fees. Imagine paying just fifteen bucks a month for your phone. With Mint Mobile, you can bring your phone and your phone number with you. Easy peasy. No long term contracts either. We weren't so sure about that contract part until recently.

Our son had a six month plan because, well, he was trying out a flip phone, but he didn't want to be stuck with it if he hated it. And it turns out after six months, there were no problems with either canceling the plan or choosing to extend it. And he loves his flip phone and now we love saving on his bill. If you like your money, Mint Mobile is for you. Shop plans at mintmobile.com slash scared. That's mintmobile.com slash scared.

Upfront payment of forty five dollars for three month five gigabyte plan required equivalent to fifteen dollars per month. New customer offer for first three months only, then full price plan options available. Taxes and fees extra, see Mint Mobile for details. Thank you for not going anywhere. Now back to Jamie writing her third diary entry in this strange story.

March 28th, 1998. Okay, oh my god, something weird is going on. I don't like it. The waterfall and the swimming hole, the winery, the little cafe, yeah, they're all beautiful, cute, amazing, but I don't care about any of that right now. Something bad is happening, and I'm getting scared. This morning, Kate did not get out of bed again for breakfast, and neither did Jose. They both said through their doors that were totally locked.

that they were hungover and would just meet us for dinner. That's a bunch of malarkey. I don't buy it. Ruth and Chase thought it was a little weird, but not like I did. They just shrugged it off. It's not just a little weird. Kate was sick yesterday, all day, doesn't come out of her room until it's dark out, but then parties harder than anyone else but Jose that night, and Kate is not a partier. And then the next morning she won't come out of her room again. And now neither will Jose.

Something's up. That is not like either of them. Chase thought they hooked up last night, and that they must have wanted to hook up again at the villa today while the rest of us left them alone for several hours. If this was some other pair, sure, I could see that happening. But not Jose and Kate. Kate is one of my best friends, and so is Jose.

I've known them both for like three years now. They don't act like this. Both of them would tell me. Oh, and then things got way weirder once we made it to dinner. When we showed up at the bistro, uh pod la bomb or whatever at seven, Jose and Kate were both already there drinking red wine and laughing away like they hadn't just had hangovers or hadn't been sick and locked in their rooms that morning.

They did apologize for not joining us earlier, but it didn't feel sincere. They asked it about how our day went, said they both slept for hours after we left them and hung out around the pool. They said all the right things. But it was like whatever Kate had, Jose now also had. Neither one of their eyes look right. Both of them feel off now. Like they're both sharing the same secret. And then tonight? After we all came back to the villa, Kate seemed

I don't know, a bit flirty with Chase. And she has never been into him, like ever at all. Chase used to have a crush on Kate. I mean Kate's gorgeous. Most guys I know have had crushes on her. But when I asked her about him back then, she was like, ooh, no. Like she literally said the words ooh, no. I asked Ruth about it, but now Ruth is being weird too. I saw her and Jose talking to each other when we all got back to the house from dinner, and they both looked at me.

Saw me looking at them and quickly smiled and waved at me and shared a little glance with each other like Jamie just caught us talking about her. We better pretend like everything is cool and that we're not totally gossiping about her and smile and wave. What the hell is going on? When I pulled Ruth aside later, she totally denied they said anything. Her eyes weren't doing that thing that Jose and Kate's eyes were both doing now, but I still didn't believe her.

She barely wanted to talk to me too. She clearly wanted to get back to chatting up with Jose, and then it felt like Jose was being flirted with Ruth. Is there something in the water here? He has never, ever liked her like that. Like at all, at all. He's told me several times that he thinks of her like a sister. Despite all this weirdness, we all stayed up. Playing more drinking games. Eventually we all ended up in the hot tub, looking at the stars, chatting it up, but it wasn't fun.

Not for me. It kept feeling weirder and weirder. It felt like I was the fifth wheel all of a sudden. Like I was hanging out with two couples who were just waiting for me to take the hint and finally go to sleep so I could stop cock blocking them. Ugh, I hate that term. I can't believe I just wrote it.

I'm not feeling like myself. I came to my room to go to bed while the four of them stayed in the hot tub. And when I said my last good nights and looked back at them before going to bed, I got the chill. Chase and Ruth seemed normal, other than acting like they were so excited to maybe be hooking up soon. Jose and Kate, though, the way they looked at me froze me to the bone. They were smiling, but it was not a friendly smile. And just for a moment, it was like their teeth didn't look right, like

Like they had fangs and their eyes, their eyes looked like they were red. I have had quite a bit to drink, but I don't think that's it. Something is happening, something bad. I triple checked the lock on my door tonight and checked the windows twice. I felt watched again when I checked my bedroom window and I heard something. It didn't sound like anyone walking around though. It sounded like a deep a deep pulsating thrum. Almost like a heartbeat. But not a heartbeat. Like the heartbeat

Of something that doesn't have a heart. My God, I sound crazy! But that's what I thought when I heard it. And then I saw two little glowing red dots out in the darkness from exactly where it felt like this thrum was coming from. The dots were

were spaced apart like eyes. I think they were eyes. And they immediately reminded me of how Jose and Kate's eyes looked. I shut the curtains, almost ran out of my room. I wanted to go warn the others, but I stopped at my door. I stopped because I didn't want to warn all others.

To go to their rooms and lock their doors, that it wasn't safe out, that something was out there, something that has probably been watching us the whole time, maybe even was waiting for us to show up. But that wouldn't be all I tell them. I wanted to warn them to stay away from Jose and K2, that they were also dangerous.

I wanted to say all of this, but I'm too afraid of my friends to even leave my room right now. I hate this. I hate all this so much. It feels like a bad dream, and I just want to wake up. Tomorrow, our last day before we head back to Florence on Sunday was supposed to be all of us having a big breakfast together here.

Here at the villa, and then going on a big hike to some little village where we could have lunch, then hiking back, having dinner out again, and then going to a few bars in town. I don't think any of that is going to happen. And I don't even care. I just want to go back to Florence. I want this trip to be over. I don't want to be here anymore. I'm scared. I'm really, really scared and I don't know what to do about it.

Scared little rabbit. Now her head is in the snare, and she knows it, but she doesn't know what to do to get out. Maybe. Maybe if she backed up very slowly, very carefully, maybe she could pull her little rabbit head back out. But scared creatures do not move slow and careful. Scared creatures move fast. They move reckless, yes? They do not think straight. They panic. In Jamie's terror, it has only just begun.

Do you enjoy this now? If you still need more, do not worry. There is so much more to come. This next entry is amazing, babe. Ha! I read it twice already.

March twenty ninth, nineteen ninety eight. Oh my God, I'm going to die here. Please, if you find this, send this to my parents. The Pratt family. 4365 Gladstone Road, Boise, Idaho, eight three seven zero six. Mom, Dad, I know how crazy this will all sound, but I'm not insane. I have still never taken drugs. Not since I smoked marijuana that one time in high school, I am of sound mind. Tonight, I didn't even have any wine. I'm gonna write as much as I can. I don't know if any of this will help.

But it'll give me something to do instead of just sitting here and crying. I I just need to make it until the morning. Then maybe I can get out of all of this. Tomorrow, I'll I'll try harder to leave. I'll stay at the bus stop. I promise. I'm so sorry. I love you both so much. And I love Max and Phoebe. I'm so sorry.

Sorry. When I woke up this morning, no one else came to breakfast. Chase, Ruth, Jose, and Kate, all of them stayed in their rooms and kept their doors locked. I assume I was too scared to check.

I got mad for a moment and I thought about yelling at them. I thought maybe they were playing a prank on me. But then I remembered Jose and Kate's eyes from last night and whatever I saw outside my window and what I heard and what I felt. So I didn't say anything. I just wanted to get out of the house. So I packed up my things. things and I left. I went down to the bus station, bought a ticket to take me to the train station, but the next bus wasn't arriving for three more hours.

So I found this cafe and coffee shop and I got some food and I and I sat and I waited. But then this man came in. This very, very pale man. And even though it was warm today and sunny, he was completely covered up. He even had gloves on. He wore this big

Big loose-fitting hoodie, too, and he came in with his head down, letting it really cover his whole face. He acted like someone who was allergic to the sun. He sat down and he lifted his head a bit facing away from the window and he stared at me. My heart froze.

His eyes. I knew right away that his eyes were the same red eyes I saw outside my window last night, and I heard and felt that same thrum. And it was coming from him. But no one else seemed upset. It was like he was sending that sound, that feeling. In my direction, only to me, to torment me. He ordered a coffee and just sat there between me and the door, never drinking it. He did this for three hours. He stayed there until I missed my bus. I was too scared to try to get a bus.

And get up and walk past him to leave, and he knew it. It was intentional. Then minutes after my bus left, he left. It was like he knew he he did know somehow, and he smiled at me. And then he just pulled his hood carefully back over his head, like he was a monk or in a cult or something. And he walked out. I started crying right there in the coffee shop in front of everyone else.

I wasn't even embarrassed, just scared, so scared. But what can I tell anyone? I don't like the way my friends have been looking at me lately. They stay in their rooms too long. I think the guy who just left here might be a monster who wants to hurt me. Not knowing what else to do, I decided to come back home and wait for everyone else to come out of their rooms and then demand some answers. No more secrets. So I came back and I grabbed a knife out of the kitchen, a big Big one.

I'd sat up by the pool on a chair after hiding the knife under the cushion and I just waited and I waited. Around six thirty the sun went down and within minutes Kate, Jose, Chase, and Ruth all came out of their rooms at almost the exact same time. None of

them look right now. They all had the same eyes. Jose asked me what was wrong. He said I looked upset. I told him I was upset. That they were all hiding something from me. I demanded to know what was really going on. And Jose was just like babe calm down. What's your deal? Let me

Pour you some wine, babe. And I almost did calm down. Something about the way he talked, the way he looked at me, it was like he was he was hypnotizing me somehow. So I I I looked away. I I I pulled out the knife and I stared at his chest instead of his eyes.

And I screamed to get back! Jose stopped, and the rest kept walking until they were all standing beside each other at the other end of the pool. And then Kate started laughing. And she said, This is going to be fun. They were fucking with me.

Sorry for my language, Mom, but they were. They still are. They're toying with me. Everyone else started laughing too. And when I started backing up with the knife still in my hand, they started walking towards me. We ended up circling the pool, and then when they were on the other side of the pool opposite my room, I ran.

I ran into my room and barely made it. The second I shut the door and locked it, they were pounding on the other side. And then I screamed. Ruth's face was in my window like a second later. And then Chase's face was in the bathroom window. And I ran at them with my knife and they just laughed again. And when they opened their mouths, I saw fangs.

They have fangs and their eyes so red. I shut the blinds and made sure the windows were locked and I started writing. Oh my god, mom, dad, I wish you were here. You know what to do. I'm gonna die tonight. I know it. I just Oh my god, I hear it. The thrum! It's getting louder! He's out there again. He's with them! The man from the coffee shop! The man from last night! I have to hide this! Oh my god! And that's it. That is all she wrote!

Scared little rabbit. Now the snare is around her neck, and it is too tight for her to break free. She knows it. She knows it in her bones, but still her mind will not quite accept what is inevitable. She holds on to hope, but there is none. She dies. After she wrote that yes? She must have. Ah I wish she had written more, but that is it. She hid this diary under the mattress of her bed, clever girl. And then whatever happened next happened next. I hope you still like this story.

Wait. You are not satisfied. But there is no more diary. What can be done?

Ha you know that your own mess is with you, yes? I do. There is no more entry, that is true, but it does not matter. I will take over story from here. Did you know I was a part of it? Jamie was right. I was outside. I was calling out to her. Again. I wanted her to know I was there. I wanted to feel her terror. And I did. Yes, I did. I heard her heartbeat quicken. I saw when she had looked at me the night before her pupils dilated. I felt all of that again in the cafe.

Of course it was me in the hood she described. I have to take precautions during the day. My skin uh let me just say it can be sensitive. We tormented her that night, me and my new babies, my babes, as Jamie would say. For close to an hour. It was amazing. I did not kick in her door when I come for her. I unlocked it without ever needing to touch it. I opened it with my mind.

There's nothing she can do to stop it. And I have my babes rush in and grab her. I have them hold her down and I make her try the red wine they have been drinking. It is, of course, blood. You knew that, yes? The blood of someone I captured in another town and kept alive for this game. The blood makes them strong, and I have them drink it all, and then their fangs out, their eyes as red as the blood they have drank. I have them tear her clothes away from

her body. I want her to feel that she has nothing to help her. Not even the clothes she wore. I want her to be the most vulnerable. We let her run around the house like this as we chase her, as we bite and scratch her, but only inside. Cannot have too many neighbors hear her scream. It'd make too much work for me later. I wanted to enjoy my hunt, and I did, my scared, scared little rabbit, how she ran. But there was nowhere for her to hide, no escape, no refuge.

The snare had been set. It was so tight around her neck. Her friends were no longer her friends. I had turned one the first night, another the second. I built it slowly. It is the best way. And in the final two I turned the third night. Once I made them mine, I could access their minds. I could see what they see, hear what they hear, feel what they feel. Their powers, they are nothing compared to mine. But when I enter them, I can still use some of my powers through them. Not as strong.

as when I'm in my own body, but still very useful. My new covenant and I, my how we tormented her, how she begged and cried. out for her mother, her father. She was so scared. She did not just tremble. She shook. And best of all, she still held out hope that she would be spared. Right until the end. They don't always do that. Trust me. Some of them beg for death.

Some of them kill themselves. Some of them lay down, they go limp. The life behind their eyes goes dim before I even touch them. Where is the fun? Ha! After an hour, I feel like she is the most scared, that there is no place to take her feet. her fear any further. Now when she has nearly gone mad, when her mind is cracking, I tell my babies to eat and they tear her apart. They feast on her like wolves.

And while they do, I make sure I am last thing she sees. I hold her face as she dies, I hold her eyes close to mine, I make her look at me, and I kiss her. A bloody kiss is I bite into her tongue and taste her terror. And then like a

Proud papa. I send my children to bed in their darkened rooms. Ha! Playtime is over. They are so happy, their bellies so full, so eager to begin their new immortal lives. But that was not meant to be. I do not I not just open their blinds, I remove them, I lock their doors from outside, and when the sun rises, the sun the sun takes care of everything, reduces them to ash, and that ash falls into cracks into the old floors, and they are part of the village.

The villa of moonlight now, and they will never leave. And while I can still feel them when I wish, I am alone again, as I prefer. And why has no one come for me, you wonder, when I do these things? Why am I not behind bars for what I have done? I have ways. I have ways to make people think what I want them to think, to make people see what I want them to see.

And everyone think in this case that they make it back to Florence, that something happened there. It is all very good. I told you, Jura Arilovich has been alive a very long time, since 1578, since long before the Villa of Moonlight. I was born in Kringa, a little village less than 20 minutes away now, a couple of hours when I was young. Less than 20 kilometers.

And in 1610, after a bad story for another day, I visit the cave below the villa, I hoping to find my family in the afterlife, and I do not. But I do find afterlife. Just only for me. I found a creature. Or creature find me, I guess, and it uh changes me. It uh well, it is sorry for another day. Remember I say the books they are always balanced in the end. My book is already balanced. I am both alive and dead, both good and evil.

Do not feel sad for Jamie. I do not. She felt such joy in life before her final days. How lucky! What came for her comes for us all. It comes for you, yes? Perhaps not so dramatic. Maybe you die in terror, maybe not. But does it matter? The end, it is the same, I think. Ha! Why do I say these things? I apologize. Again, I spend too much time alone. But not tonight. Tonight I shall have company again, a family of five from London.

Two of the children are still very small. That is the best. Their fear is so pure. Their parents, or they will fight so hard to protect him so. But they will fail. The little rabbits they always do. I will take everything from them. I will give the unluckiest to them a final kiss, while the rest of their family tears them apart, and they will all become a part of the Vila of Moonlight. Remember my story. When you next stare out into the darkness.

Perhaps I am out there staring back. Or another of my kind watches you. I am alone here on Pazin, but in the world there are many others like me, and all of us must hunt you scared little rabbits.

And that's it for this nightmare fuel. I hope you loved or were horrified or at least entertained by today's tale, The Villa of Moonlight, my first little bite of vampiric horror. If you don't like it, come back next week. I'll change up the style again. Gonna keep playing around with different little subgenres in this uh new series inside a series that is still trying to find its footing.

Today's tale was written by me, Dan Cummins, scored by Logan Keith. If you enjoyed this story, check out the rest of the Bad Magic Productions catalog. Time suck every Monday at noon Pacific time with little short sucks on some Fridays, and these nightmare fuel episodes on some Fridays as well.

And new episodes of the now long-running paranormal podcast, Scared to Death, every Tuesday at midnight. Please go to badmagicproductions.com for all your bad magic needs, including all show-related merch, and stay scared.

This is a vacation with Chase Sapphire Reserve. The butler who knows your name. This is the robe, the view, the steam from your morning coffee. This is the complimentary breakfast on the balcony, the beach with no one else on it. This is the Edit, a collection of hand-picked luxury hotels you can access with Chase Sapphire Reserve, and a$500 edit credit that gets you closer to all of it.

Chase Sapphire Reserve. Now even more rewarding. Learn more at Chase.com slash Sapphire Reserve. Cards issued by JP Morgan Chase Bank and a member FDIC, subject to credit approval. Security usually means extra steps and complications. Secure payments are simple. Your transactions are authenticated. Face ID, touch ID, or passcode, so security is built in when you check out. Your name isn't shared with merchants and they don't see your actual car.

shopping in store online or in app protecting your money should be Pay the Apple Way. Terms apply.