The Inner Den Day 2

Mics, Blood, And Revenge

Hey Watcher,

Welcome or welcome for the first time to The Inner Den, a safe haven inside the walls of The Den that even the survivors don’t know about. From here, you and other Nightmare Watchers can sit safe and sound while watching the world fall apart. What I have for your viewing pleasure today is a story about a life taken too soon and three podcasters who are found guilty in the court of public opinion. Being called a murderer online is one thing, but what happens when that keyboard warrior takes it offline and into the real world? Alpha Rick, Money Caleb, and Rachel are about to find out that some people take their podcasts way too seriously, and now they might die because of their need for subscribers and likes.

Nightmare Watchers, I give you:

The cell phone volume was at the max as Jon leaned back with his air buds tucked in tight and a metal bat on his lap before rolling his eyes and hitting play.

“Women are the number one cause of divorce. In Gay marriages, lesbian marriages have the highest divorce rate. A cross the board women are the cause of relationships ending.” Jon nodded at Rick’s simplification of relationships. Rick is one-third of a very popular podcast called ‘It Couldn’t Be Me’ where they rant about women and dating and sometimes answer their listeners’ questions. This episode was from last week, and it’s Jon’s 43rd time listening to it.

“You know why that is? It’s because women can’t stand happiness. The minute you’re happy, your girl shits all over your day,” Caleb said.

Rachel laughed as she leaned into the mic, her voice calm and cool. She was meant to be the female voice of the show but not to give the female perspective; she was only meant to agree with the topic so the boys could say, ‘See, she gets it!’ “It’s that, but it’s also women aren’t able to put their partners first. It’s always ‘what can they do for me?’ ‘What can I get before I do housework?’ ‘What can I get him to buy me before I put out?’ They’re selfish.” Rachel said.

“That’s a fact! Make that shit a sound bite, son!” Caleb stood up, clapping his hands.

Rick laughed, pulling up his email. “Time to help the homies out there. Okay, so we got an email from Jon ATL. I love that place. Girls are always D.T. F.” Laughter erupted. “Okay, hey, Gang. I’ve been listening to your show forever, but somehow, I got trapped in a beta problem. It’s crazy to even type this, but I think my girl is cheating. She’s staying late at work. She’s been dressing hella nice for work. This hoe works at an insurance company, what she getting all dolled up for. I drove past once, like you said in your ‘Drive By’ episode.” Rick laughed and pointed at the screen. “This man is a real OG. That was season one shit. Damn, okay. I drove by and saw her eating lunch with another man.” The crew paused, shaking their heads, whispering how messed up everything was. “I love this girl, and she got me out here looking like a beta bitch. What should I do?” Rick closed the laptop and sighed. “Dumping her is too good for her.”

“Right!” Caleb said. He leaned back in his seat. “I’d fuck her best friend to send a message.”

Rachel nodded and put her hand on Caleb’s shoulder. “I’m normally down for that, but block her on everything in this case and let her figure out what she did.”

Rick slammed his hand onto the table. “I’m telling you right now if a bitch ever cheated on me. She ain’t walking around telling people I got an L. I’m gonna take a Louisville slugger and home run that hoe’s face off.”

Caleb laughed and waved his hands. “Don’t listen to this him. He’s a madman.”

“I might be mad, but I’m a man, and that’s something you’ll never be if you don’t get your house in order, Jon.”

“But not with a bat,” Rachel added.

“Nah, what kind of man are you? An Alpha or a Beta Back Bitch! Buy that shit. Make sure you get it from our sponsors, Alpha Sports, where-”

The apartment door pushed open, and Laura walked in, her hands full of groceries. Leaning on the door, she sighed. “We are never living on the third floor again. This shit is a workout.” Laughing, she walked into the kitchen, putting the bags down on the table, “I was thinking we could have this Ramen meal that I found online. It’s got shrimp and...” Laura turned around and jumped, dropping a carton of milk and covering the black tiles with a creamy white puddle. Jon was standing in the entryway with a metal bat held tightly in his hands. “Babe, you scared the shit out of me.” Laura grabbed some paper towels and got down on her knees, careful not to rip her dress. Laura began soaking up the mess with the paper towel. “What are you doing playing with a bat inside, anyway-”

Laura’s face slammed into the milky floor as the bat cracked the back of her skull. Tears mixed with the milk. “Oh, my God! Help!” Jon came down with another whack on Laura’s head. Her skull caved in with that hit. Jon felt it as he pulled the bat free.

Laura mumbled, “Baby, stop. Please.” A swirl of white and red surrounded Laura as she rested her head ear down into the blood and the milk. She stared at the bloodstains on their kitchen wall. “Please stop-”

Jon swung the bat down into the side of Laura’s head, over and over. By the time the police came, Jon was crying in his recliner while milk and blood flooded his kitchen. Laura died begging the person she loved the most to stop, and he never did.

Three months later, the trial

“Please state your name for the court.” Jon’s lawyer leaned on the podium and smiled out at the on-lookers. None of Laura’s family was there, just her friends. Sometimes, the family can’t stand hearing what happens to their loved ones.

“I’m Rick Johnson,” Rick said as he adjusted his tie. He looked out at Rachel and Caleb. Both giving him a thumbs up. But the spotlight felt hotter in this seat than it did at the studio.

“And what else do people know you by?” The lawyer asked.

Rick leaned forward into the mic, “Alpha Rick from the It Couldn’t Be Me podcast”

“Right, a few months ago, you had a podcast episode where you featured my client, Jon Ronalds, in a segment about cheating. Is that correct?” The lawyer asked.

“Yes,” Rick said.

“And in that episode, you told Jon that the best way to deal with his problems is to kill his girlfriend.”

Rick’s eyebrows raised, and he put his hand over the mic as he leaned forward. “That’s not what you said I was here for.”

“You’re here to answer questions.” The judge sighed, “So answer them.”

Rick leaned back with a huff, “That’s not what I said, really. I just told him what I would do. When you’re doing a show, you take your personality and pump it up to a thousand.” Rick looked over at the Jury, “Alpha Rick isn’t me. It’s just a character to keep my listeners entertained. We’re two different people. Alpha Rick has a ten-inch cock. Rick doesn’t.” Rachel and Caleb began laughing, only to be met with a chilling glare from a large man sitting across from them. Rachel smiled and then stuck her tongue out.

“So you’re saying you didn’t know the power of your words?” The lawyer asked.

“If I tell someone to jump off the Empire State Building and they do it, It’s not because my words have power. It’s because that person is mentally unstable.” Rick said.

“I agree wholeheartedly.” The lawyer walked over to Jon and turned to the jury. “Jon Robertson is mentally unstable. He listened to the same episode night and day for a week before he decided to take Alpha Rick’s advice and...” The Lawyer looked back over at Rick, “What was it? ‘Home run that girls face off.’ I believe that was your statement. The words of a woman hater-”

“I don’t hate women,” Rick said.

“Okay, the words of Alpha Rick were just the spark needed to set off the bomb that was Jon Robertson’s mind. So who’s really to blame here?” The Lawyer asked.

Outside the courthouse

“That was some fucking bullshit!” Rick placed his hands on top of his head as he paced back and forth.

“It’s all good,” Caleb said.

Rick stopped cold and walked up to him. He had about a foot on Caleb as he looked down on him. “All good! They’re trying to blame us for that chick’s death!”

“Well, they’re really trying to blame it on you.” Rachel said with a smirk, “But Caleb is right. This is pure gold for us. You know how many people are gonna check out the podcast?”

Rick rolled his eyes, “A girl died.”

“Yeah, but she was cheating, and we don’t know what their relationship was really like. This could have been his last straw.” Caleb said.

Rick folded his arms over his chest, “I’m getting the vibe. If I go to prison for this, y’all would be fine.”

Rachel placed her hand on Rick’s shoulder and leaned into him, resting her chin on his shoulder. “We could sneak in a phone, and you could still record between pillow-biting sessions if you want.” The pair laughed as a car pulled up to the curb.

A black Range Rover with gold rims pulled up. “Uber’s here,” Caleb said. He strolled over and pulled open the door to the back seat, letting Rachel in first, then himself, and waited as Rick stood in the sunshine with his hands folded on top of his head. “Get in the car; it’s not as deep as you’re making it.”

Rachel stared at the plexiglass that separated the driver from the passengers. “I haven’t seen this since I lived in Manhattan.”

“Seen what?” Rick hopped in and closed the door. “Damn, you be getting robbed like that?”

The driver laughed and slowly turned her head around to look at the trio. “No, it’s not for robberies.” She flashed a smile, and all Caleb could think was that, for an older woman, she could still get it.

“So what’s it for then, sexy?” Caleb asked, and Rachel rolled her eyes.

The driver turned around, looked at them through the rearview mirror, and drove off. “It keeps the gas in the back.” Then she closed the small window with its black suction seal.

“Gas?” Rick laughed and turned, only to see Caleb's and Rachel’s bodies start convulsing. Rachel’s head smashed into the window, and Caleb slumped forward, foaming from the mouth before they both went limp. “What the fuck!” Rick looked at the driver and pounded on the glass. She turned around with her gas mask and wiggled her fingers at Rick, waving goodbye as he crumbled down to the floor and into the darkness.