The I Scream Man (a crypt re-release)

In this throwback episode of Into the Abyss: Morbid Morsals, we pull back the curtain on one of our most unsettling tales from Season 1.

​The heat of summer 1985 in the quiet town of Hartville should have been about riding bikes, playing baseball, and cooling off. But when a mysterious new ice cream truck begins making its rounds, bringing irresistible frozen treats, a sinister shadow falls over the neighborhood. As local children start vanishing one by one, the town's parents uncover a horrifying secret about what is really inside those sweet, frozen delights.

​Gather your courage, turn down the lights, and step into the crypt. But whatever you do... think twice when you hear that jingle coming down your street.
​
​ A dark, twisted spin on classic 1980s summer tropes.
​
​Archival Vault: Originally aired in Season 1, brought back by popular demand.

Into the Abyss: Morbid Morsals is a Darkshogun Production in association with Twisted Souls Media. Created and produced by Troy Bursch.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_04 0:01

Hey everyone, welcome back to the Into the Abyss Morbid Morsels Podcast. The summer heat is brutal right now, and while I'm locked away in the dark working on a batch of brand new, terrifying episodes for you, I didn't want to leave your feed empty. So tonight, we are stepping into the crypt. I'm taking you all the way back to season one for one of my absolute favorite morbid morsels. An episode that still makes me look twice whenever I hear a jingle driving down the street. We all remember the local ice cream truck from our childhood. The bright colors, the familiar song, the promise of a sweet escape from the heat. But in tonight's tale, the neighborhood I scream man is serving up something entirely different. There's a reason his treats taste so shockingly unique, and why the local children have a habit of vanishing right before the music starts playing. If you've been here since the beginning, lock the doors and enjoy the nostalgia. If you're new to the abyss, welcome, my little wanderers. Well, you might want to put your sweets away for this one. Let's head back to the dark. Here is the ice cream man.

SPEAKER_10 1:18

This episode contains mature language in adult situations.

SPEAKER_06 1:52

And how is it that you stumbled into my caverns of the abyss? I am ancient.

unknown 2:02

I am forever.

SPEAKER_06 2:05

And I have been chained down here for a millennia.

unknown 2:13

Please.

SPEAKER_05 2:16

Oh my leg is broken. Please, please help me.

SPEAKER_06 2:28

Oh, I'm afraid there's no escape. I can assure you of that. Sooner or later, you all come here. Your dark thoughts plot you here. And for that, you are forever trapped down here.

SPEAKER_05 2:53

Please, please let me go. I have a family. I don't know how I got here or what I'm doing. Whatever you are or places is, I'm sorry. Please, I can't see it's so dark.

SPEAKER_06 3:12

Before your suffering begins, I will tell you a tale to pass the time. Short stories of horror. Tiny tales of the creepy. I will assure you by the end you'll be screaming with madness. Please. I swear on your edit. Please, just let me go. Where are my menace? I am the shadow dweller. Here to keep you company until the abyss swallows you whole. I've been here for eons and collected stories that I passed down to you before the darkness takes you. This little ditty is called The I Scream Man.

SPEAKER_08 4:48

The small town of Hartville had always been a peaceful place. Everyone knew each other, kids played outside until the street lights came on. Neighbors had cookouts, drank cold beers. Our town was awesome. We rode our bikes and skateboards everywhere. Played baseball, and of course we played with our Star Wars figures. I remember seeing it on the news and it scared the hell out of the town. It was the summer of 85, June and July. All I know it was fucking hot. Who knew something sinister was on our way to our town? I can only tell you from what I remember hearing from the grown-ups, and I can tell you that it scared the shit out of everyone in town.

SPEAKER_03 7:51

All right, too.

SPEAKER_08 8:11

Nobody had ever seen his truck in our town before, but he always parked at the same place and he was there at the same time. He always had a line of kids waiting impatiently for something nice and cool on a hot summer day. As soon as you could hear that music box-like melody in the distance, we came running. He saw the variety of frozen treats. Everything from nutty buddies, snow cones, ice cream shakes, blast pops. Shit, I could go on, but you get the idea. All the kids loved his the best and couldn't wait until the ice cream man came around. Come on!

SPEAKER_02 8:57

Hurry up, Brandon! Pick something already. Shit.

SPEAKER_08 9:03

I said impatiently to my little brother Brandon.

SPEAKER_02 9:07

I'm gonna tell mom and dad you said I swear, Sean. I can't. God, there's so much to choose from.

SPEAKER_10 9:18

Come on, kid. I ain't got a goddamn day said a growling deep voice from above.

SPEAKER_08 9:30

I looked up to see an older dude. His face was worn, aged, he had gray patches in his beard. There were yellowish sweat stains under his armpits. Gross! Between that and the smears of chocolate syrup and either cherry or strawberry sauce made his uniform look like one big banana split. It wasn't till one day when one of the kids realized there was something seriously wrong with the ice cream man. He didn't know exactly what it was, but for some reason he could get those stranger danger vibes for sure. Hey, ice cream man, your shit sucks. Billy said as he shoved an ice cream bar in his mouth. Billy was the last kid around. Everyone else had gone home. The streetlights cast an eerie glow that stretched out for miles.

SPEAKER_10 10:39

Is that so? Well then I've got a special treat that I've been working on, but little shits like you wouldn't be able to handle it. And I can't just let everyone try one. I'm still tweaking the recipe. Haven't got it quite right yet.

SPEAKER_08 11:04

Yeah, whatever. Shitter get off the pot, man.

SPEAKER_02 11:08

I ain't scared. I'll try it.

SPEAKER_08 11:12

The man grinned and opened the back door with a slow, rusty creak, and Billy climbed in. As soon as he was inside the truck, the man grabbed him and shoved something in his mouth. The boy struggled as hard as he could, but couldn't escape the man's grasp. Then all went black. The man shut the door and slowly drove away. About a week later, all the kids were back at the ice cream truck. His latest new frozen delights were amazing. We couldn't get enough of them. We started noticing missing kid flyers popping up all around town.

SPEAKER_01 12:07

Only five years old.

SPEAKER_08 12:09

God damn shame. And when she turned around, Tommy wasn't there. Oh my god, that's horrible. Poor little boy. I can't imagine if anything would happen to one of our cats. I remember hearing my parents talking about it. My mom had my dad on speakerphone. About some little girl downtown. She said the ice cream tasted funny.

SPEAKER_01 12:54

That's just crazy.

SPEAKER_08 12:59

Maybe it's allergic reaction. I don't know what we're gonna do. First, I miss the kids. Then little kids start getting sick, getting rushed to the hospital, vomiting up and cooking blood. No one can figure out why. What happens if that's one of our kids? What if that's our son and daughter?

unknown 13:31

What are we gonna do then?

SPEAKER_08 13:34

Somehow the grown-ups ended up tracing it back to the ice cream man. The parents got a kid to buy ice cream from his truck and bring it home. They had it tested, and what they found was horrifying. The ice cream man was selling frozen treats made from the body parts of dozens of missing children that he had kidnapped. Neighborhood kids had started going missing throughout the summer. Parents were afraid, but we couldn't get enough of those frozen delights. The ice cream man had been doing this for years across America. He drugged the kids, tortured them, and then chopped them up. Put them in his ice cream treats. Lots of smiling faces to be sold to. The town man packed a hunt down and find that sadistic fuck and put it into him. But unfortunately he was already gone. The damage had already been done. The sun was shining and a cool breeze blew through the trees. Kids were laughing and playing, enjoying the summer. Faint melody of a music box could be heard down the street.

SPEAKER_02 14:54

Ice cream, ice cream, yeah Yo, dude, what you got that's good?

SPEAKER_08 15:04

Asked a little red-headed boy.

SPEAKER_10 15:08

Oh I have some very interesting and tasty treats. Something for everyone. I guarantee I have the best ice cream around.

SPEAKER_08 15:29

The man said with a wicked grin.

SPEAKER_02 15:36

Dude, this is the best ice cream I've ever had.

SPEAKER_08 15:45

It's 3 a.m. As the red-headed kid was walking away, the ice cream bar started to melt. Tiny drops of blood mixed with chocolate sauce and ice cream ran down the boy's face. As the ice cream man waved goodbye, he said.

SPEAKER_10 16:11

Hey, kid, I'll be here same time, same spot. Be sure to tell all your little pals about me. Oh, I hope so, my dear boy. I hope so.

SPEAKER_06 17:13

Think twice about it. Because the ice scream man is serving up more than smiles.

unknown 17:50

Well, my friend, that was a tasty treat, wasn't it?

SPEAKER_06 17:58

So tell me, what is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

unknown 18:06

Oh I see. But then again, that doesn't really matter down here now, does it?

SPEAKER_10 18:27

What did you think of that to take it to the crazy What the hell do you think?

unknown 19:34

I patiently wait to the next morning and finds their way here to me.

SPEAKER_06 19:43

Your top thoughts always lead you to me.

SPEAKER_03 19:49

So, my friends, until next time, I look forward to tasting your fear.

SPEAKER_08 20:40

Into the Abyss has been a dark shogun production in association with Twisted Souls Media. Hi, I'm Troy Birsch, creator and producer of the short story horror podcast Into the Abyss. If you like what you heard, please like, subscribe, and um share my podcast. Alright, thanks a lot. Peace.

SPEAKER_09 21:13

On the floor by DJ Trillom. If you want to hear more music by DJ Trillom, you can find him at DJ Trillom on Loudly.

SPEAKER_08 21:32

If you like what you heard, please consider leaving me a five-star rating and review. This helps get my show out there to people who might like this type of show. So if you'd be so kind, leave me a five-star rating review, share, download, uh, and just like my show. Thanks.

SPEAKER_03 22:01

This might be my eyes.

SPEAKER_00 24:52

I don't say that I don't say that I don't say that I don't say that I don't say that I don't say that I don't say that I don't say that I don't say that I don't say that I don't know if I'm not very called and then I'm pretty sure.