Monsters Are People Too

A Kid (Avery Troop) awakens laying on the ground when a curious gleam of colorful light catches his eye. Entranced, he follows it and finds that it’s coming from his oven. He opens the oven, and within it unfurls a long, surreal tunnel. Filled with curiosity and wonder, he crawls inside, entering a Ghost Clubhouse. He looks around and finds three Punk Sheet Ghosts (Caleb McFadden, Mike Davis, and Justin Daggett) playing poker. The Ghosts slam down their cards and flip the table, then grab the Kid, roughing him up and throwing him onto a couch. The Ghosts turn on a projector and play a presentation entitled “The Dead Friends Club.” As it spells out an acronym for “S.P.O.O.K.Y.,” the Kid’s fright turns to ecstatic joy. He leaps up in celebration, excited to have fun with his brand new Ghost friends.

Spooky shenanigans ensue. They play poker, they play Twister, they throw a pizza party, they have a pillow fight, they play eyeball beer pong, they spray graffiti, they smoke cigars, they sing, and they dance! Oh, boy, do they dance! But this Clubhouse is not just a host to fun and games; there’s a darker side. On the mantle sit three urns, one for each Ghost, and a fourth, inscribed with “Your Ashes Here.” The Kid is frightened, terrified that he is destined to die before he can truly join the Ghosts’ club. He tries to run away, but the Ghosts catch him…

The Kid’s eyes shoot open. He’s in a dark room. Disorienting lights flash. He tries to escape, but he can’t move! He’s tied to a chair with his hands chained together! He starts to panic when another projector turns on. This time, it’s no silly presentation. On the projector are the Ghosts, each with instruments. They begin to play the very song we’re hearing, and it’s torture. With each beat, each riff, each cymbal crash, the Kid falls deeper and deeper into insanity. He thrashes and thrashes until he finally breaks free. He bursts out of the room and realizes that he’s back in his house, but it feels...different. He slowly turns around and sees, to his horror, that the Ghosts are right behind him. He runs away and the Ghosts chase after him. He runs through hallways, hides behind doors, gets beat up a little bit more, but at long last, the Ghosts catch him yet again. They open the same oven from before and stick his head into it, burning him alive. The Kid screams one final scream as he dies, finally fulfilling the inevitable as he becomes the fourth Ghost of the Dead Friends Club.