Page 98 of Haunted Spurs

I feel a rhythmic, happy, steady thump against my calf. Thump. Thump. Thump. It's Ollie's tail wagging frantically. That dog has zero self-preservation instinct, exactly like his owner.

Suddenly, a mechanical whine pierces the darkness.

A white spotlight clicks on from the upstairs balcony, slicing through the dark living room.

A frantic flapping of wings cuts across the beam of light. Pedro, Nino's myna bird, flies in circles above our heads, scratching at the air and playing the part of a creepy, cursed raven perfectly. He lands right on top of the old crystal chandelier.

Then, a second light turns on. And... Aunt Tina makes her entrance.

If her Freddy Krueger costume was grotesque, this is beyond the limits of human comprehension. She's dressed up as a "sexy raven." She's wearing a corset made of shiny black feathers, an asymmetrical tulle skirt, fishnets, and a headband with a fake plastic beak attached to it. Her eye makeup is dark and incredibly heavy, dramatic to the bone.

She takes two steps, stopping dead center in the beam of light. She raises her feathered arms.

"The shadows of Haunted Spurs are hungry!" she declaims. Her voice is enigmatic, almost feverish. "The darkness always claims the weak. The first toll of the night has swept science away, leaving only cold terror..."

Ron, behind me, huffs a silent laugh into my hair.

"CAW! CAW!"

Pedro, hyped up by the spotlight, flaps his wings. That sudden noise triggers a short circuit in the predatory instinct of the Labrador by my side.

Ollie barks, a high, joyful sound, and lunges forward. He launches himself into the air with a clumsy jump, trying to snatch the myna bird mid-air.

Ron moves faster than light. "No, Ollie! St— fuck!"

He catches him mid-air, ending up sprawled flat on his back on the rug.

Pedro, outraged by the attempt on his life, starts fluttering around the living room, scratching the air: "BAD DOG! BAD DOG!"

I look at Ron, lying on the floor with Ollie, and the bird insulting his dog from above.

An actual, genuine snort of amusement quirks my lips. This town is a madhouse. And this cowboy, with all his chaos, is short-circuiting every single one of my barriers.

Aunt Tina clears her throat into the microphone, shooting Ron a death glare, visibly irritated that her moment of glory was ruined. She smooths her black feathers and resumes her theatrical posture.

"As I was saying," she growls, before softening and darkening her voice again. "The astrophysicist is not dead. But his soul... or rather, his stay on this reality show... is suspended in a dark limbo."

We all go quiet, trying to figure out where she's going with this.

Aunt Tina smiles diabolically.

"Emerson has been chosen," she announces, savoring every word. "A shadow has emerged, a new, mysterious masked cowboy who has claimed the right to challenge him. In the next few hours, Emerson will have to face our intrepid challenger in a no-holds-barred trial."

She points a feathered index finger right at us.

"If the mystery cowboy wins the challenge, Emerson will be disqualified and eliminated from the game, and the intruder will officially enter the house in his place, inheriting his partner! If Emerson wins... he stays in the game, proving that science can conquer the darkness." Tina lowers her chin, her eyes shining. "Let the duel for survival begin!"

Special Episode – HAUNTED SPURS: Secrets in the Dark, Hot Mics, and New Predators

[The Haunted Spurs logo appears on screen in blood red. The sound of a VHS tape fast-rewinding accompanies the scene change.

The on-screen text reads: UNCUT FILES - NIGHT 7]

[REC – FIXED CAMERA 02: MAIN LIVING ROOM]

The shot only manages to frame Ron's arm.

On the video, production has added pop-up graphic subtitles: