History Recap / AreYouAfraidOfTheDarkSeason1TheTaleOfTheDarkMusic

* CreepyDoll: The five foot stringless marionette, with its [[UncannyValley blank expression and disproportionately chipper voice]].

* ScareEmStraight: Andy merely aims to scare Koda into getting off his case - although inadvertently takes things too far. Eric says him to have applied a similar approach to Christina.

* RealityWarper: The Root Cellar manifests tangible objects, including a carnival, and seems to eat people by erasing them from perceptible existence.

Frank arrives, rails at Eric, who, having forgotten to meet as arranged, left Frank to make his unlit way through the dark. Eric mockingly unveils Frank’s aversion to the dark. Frank’s vengeance will have to wait, says Gary, as Eric is telling tonight's story. Everyone knows the dark holds no real threat - most of the time. Submitted for the approval of Midnight Society, he calls this story "The Tale of the Dark Music."

* RealityWarper: Manifestation of tangible objects, including a carnival, and seems to eat people by erasing them from perceptible existence.

* UncannyValley: Invoked by the five foot stringless marionette, with its blank expression and disproportionately chipper voice.

* AffablyEvil: The disembodied voice of the Root Cellar, while eerie, is polite and friendly, and it offers Andy limitless wealth in exchange for feeding it.

* BiggerOnTheInside: This may be the case with the Root Cellar, which may swap its walls for a black void or a thriving carnival.

* TheBully: Seemingly to spite the latter’s uncle, Koda picks on Andy at any opportunity.

* CreepyBasement: The Carr's basement is dark, silent, and is host to some kind of incorporeal entity.

* ImAHumanitarian: It eats people, although what this actually entails, given its apparent lack of a corporeal body, is somewhat ambiguous.

* NoNameGiven: The closest the entity gets to a name is Betty Anne’s “boogeyman in the basement.”
* RealityWarper: It manifests tangible objects, including a carnival, and seems to eat people by erasing them from perceptible existence.

On the stone chair, Eric munches popcorn. Onto the scene dashes Frank. He rails at Eric, who, having forgotten to meet Frank as arranged, left him to make his unlit way through the dark. The others wonder what the big deal is. Frank tries to let it go, but Eric mockingly unveils Frank’s aversion to the dark. Frank’s vengeance will have to wait, says Gary, as Eric is telling tonight’s story: it’s about a boy, mocks Eric, who also fears the dark. Frank gets a grip on his temper, but decides to remain standing. Everyone knows, begins Eric, the dark holds no real threat - most of the time. Submitted for the approval of Midnight Society, he calls this story “The Tale of the Dark Music.”

Shortly after his parents’ divorce, Andy Carr lives with his mother and younger sister Christina. With finances low, he takes a paper round. One day, his mother inherits the house of her recently deceased uncle Miles. Cycling through the new neighbourhood, Andy knocks into local bully Koda, who, among the scattered newspapers, lays a boot on Andy’s chest, asserts authority, and curses the memory of his “nutbag” uncle.

That evening, as Andy helps unpack, Mrs Carr, struggling with window blinds, asks him to see if the basement has a ladder. Andy nervously hesitates. His sister Christina looks up from the television screen to mock his fear of the dark. With a sigh, Andy slowly approaches the door of the basement, and descends into its darkened depths.

On a cluttered worktop, he finds an ancient radio, tunes in, and finds some upbeat electronic music. As it plays, behind him, the metal handle of a wooden door begins to creak. He tunes out, and the rattle stops. He tunes back in, and the creaking resumes. He tunes into some electric guitar strings, and the creaking persists. Of its own accord, the metal latch flies upwards, and the heavy wooden door swings open. In the impenetrable darkness within, two glowing, entirely red eyes flash into being. A deep, softly echoing voice invites Andy in. He yells in terror, and runs.

Back in reality, Betty Anne, Kristen, and Gary are intrigued. Kiki suspects the ghost of Uncle Miles. Frank, meanwhile, seems to have vanished.

Next morning, while Koda’s father sets him to work scrubbing steps, Andy, on his paper round, flings a newspaper which bounces off Koda’s door and knocks into his bucket, dousing him with soapy water. As the furious bully advances, Andy peddles for dear life.

Outside his house, he slips through and bolts the basement door. He peers around the silent gloom, gathering courage, and Christina jumps out with a “boo!”

While rock music plays from a more modern radio, Andy loads the washing machine. He fails to notice the handle of the root cellar door begin to rattle. As the door creaks open, he looks round. Creeping towards him is what appears to be a five foot tall, string-less marionette of a young girl. In an eerily echoing voice, it invites him to come and have “lots of fun.” As Andy stares, entranced, the apparition raises a creaking arm. Meanwhile, Mrs Carr passes the basement door, and wonders what’s taking so long. Andy reaches to take the doll’s hand. His mother asks what he’s doing. She switches off the basement’s electricity, and the radio falls silent. With a scream, the doll flies back into the root cellar, which slams shut. Roused from his trance, Andy retains no memory of the apparition.

The next day, Andy returns to the basement with laundry. As he works, the radio plays soft rock, which suddenly is somehow replaced by carnival fanfare. The Root Cellar door swings open. Instead of the small chamber, the doorway shows, beneath a night sky, a Hurricane ride swing its arms above a popcorn dispenser and a bunch of balloons. A Carnival Barker heartily promotes a myriad of thrills. Mesmerised, Andy slowly approaches.

While Koda scrubs, Andy throws him a free newspaper, which hits him on the head. Ready to dole out another beating, Koda gives chase, and is tricked into the backdoor of Andy’s basement, which Andy bolts with a brush.

Andy switches off the music, and descends, to see if Koda has learned his lesson. Koda is nowhere in sight. Stood by the worktop is a brand new bike. Andy curiously switches on the radio. Gentle guitar strings rouse, from behind the door of the Root Cellar, a blue glow and an ethereal mist. The door swings marginally open. The deep, echoing voice from before offers Andy anything he might want, as it did to uncle, in exchange for just one thing: food. From the hallway calls Christina, who passes on an instruction for Andy to make dinner. Andy looks thoughtfully upwards. The voice chuckles. Andy smirks.

Kristen uneasily asks if Andy fed his own sister to the thing. He didn’t, says Eric, although he did persuade her to get off his case. Betty Anne approves. Kiki thinks the kid deserved to be Root Cellar food. As the meeting ends, Eric remembers his father’s flashlight to be in the hands of Frank, wherever he is. Eric stays to wait. After all, he’s not afraid of the dark...until his shoulder is grabbed from behind by Frank, who runs off, laughing.

* DisproportionateRetribution: Koda may have been a irredeemable jerkass, but he probably didn't deserve to be fed to a being of unspeakable horror.

* HateSink: Koda has no positive traits and Christina's bratty behavior doesn't endear her to the audience, either.

* TheCorrupter: Merely aiming to scare Koda into leaving him alone, Andy unwittingly feeds him to the Root Cellar. To its offer of limitless wealth in exchange for more victims, Andy responds with a PsychoticSmirk.

* HateSink: Koda has no positive traits and Christina bratty behavior doesn't endear her to the audience, either.

* BiggerOnTheInside: This may be the case with the Root Cellar, which may swaps its walls for a black void or a thriving carnival.

Shortly after his parents’ divorce, Andy Carr lives with his mother and younger sister. With finances low, he takes a paper round. One day, his mother inherits the house of her recently deceased uncle Miles. Cycling through the new neighbourhood, Andy knocks into local bully Koda, who, among the scattered newspapers, lays a boot on Andy’s chest, asserts authority, and curses the memory of his “nutbag” uncle. That evening, as Andy helps unpack, Mrs Carr, struggling with window blinds, asks him to see if the basement has a ladder. Andy nervously hesitates. His sister Christina looks up from the television screen to mock his fear of the dark. With a sigh, Andy slowly approaches the door of the basement, and descends into its darkened depths.

Next morning, while Koda’s father sets him to work scrubbing steps, Andy, on his paper round, flings a newspaper which bounces off Koda’s door and knocks into his bucket, dousing him with soapy water. As the furious bully advances, Andy peddles for dear life. Outside his house, he slips through and bolts the basement door. He peers around the silent gloom, gathering courage, and Christina jumps out with a “boo!”

While Christina videogames, and Mrs Carr cleans the fireplace, Andy sketches the root cellar door. He asks about Uncle Miles. A recluse who somehow got filthy rich, he eventually died of old age. Mrs Carr unsuccessfully asks Christina to take the laundry down to the basement. Covered in ash, Mrs Carr falls back on Andy.

The next day, Andy returns to the basement with laundry. As he works, the radio plays soft rock, which suddenly is somehow replaced by carnival fanfare. The Root Cellar door swings open. Instead of the small chamber, the doorway shows, beneath a night sky, a Hurricane ride swing its arms above a popcorn dispenser and a bunch of balloons. A Carnival Barker heartily promotes a myriad of thrills. Mesmerised, Andy slowly approaches. Near the door, the Barker reaches out a hand. Horrified, Andy jumps back from the fingers, which are now those of an animate skeleton. With the carnival having vanished, the now skeletal Barker mockingly coaxes Andy back. An ethereal wind lifts Andy into the air. He clings to a worktop as the wind pushes him towards the Cellar. As the laughing skeleton reaches for his feet, Andy tugs forth the radio, unplugging it. The wind fades, and the cellar door slams. Andy realises the Root Cellar to be roused by music. As he cycles off to tell his mother, Koda stops him, punches him to the ground, and throws his bike into the path of a passing vehicle.

Onto the driveway, Andy drops his ruined bike. And then he has an idea. In the basement, he sets up a hi-fi with some speakers, covers them with a sheet, and locks the basement door. While Koda scrubs, Andy throws him a free newspaper, which hits him on the head. Ready to dole out another beating, Koda gives chase, and is tricked into the backdoor of Andy’s basement, which Andy bolts with a brush. Through the locked door, Koda shouts threats. In the hallway, Andy flicks a switch, and the basement is filled with deafening heavy metal. As Koda screams, a red glow blazes through the cracks of the Root Cellar door. He watches the door open, and screams in terror.

* AffablyEvil: The disembodied voice of the Root Cellar, while eerie, is polite and friendly, and it [[spoiler: offers Andy limitless wealth in exchange for feeding it]].

* CorruptTheCutie: Having found his retaliation to Koda [[spoiler: has resulted in the boy being eaten]], Andy seems disturbingly tempted by an offer of limitless wealth [[spoiler: in exchange for more prey]].

While rock music plays from a more modern radio, Andy loads the washing machine. He fails to notice the handle of the root cellar door begin to rattle. As the door creaks open, he looks round. Creeping towards him is what appears to be a five foot tall, stringless marionette of a young girl. In an eerily echoing voice, it invites him to come and have “lots of fun.” As Andy stares, entranced, the apparition raises a creaking arm. Meanwhile, Mrs Carr passes the basement door, and wonders what’s taking so long. Andy reaches to take the doll’s hand. His mother amusedly asks what he’s doing. She switches off the basement’s electricity, and the radio falls silent. With a scream, the doll flies back into the root cellar, which slams shut. Roused from his trance, Andy retains no memory of the apparition.

* CorruptTheCutie: Having found his retaliation to Koda has resulted in the boy being eaten, Andy seems disturbingly tempted by an offer of limitless wealth in exchange for more prey.

Shortly after his parents’ divorce, Andy Carr lives with his mother and younger sister. With finances low, he tries to help with his paper round. One day, his mother inherits the house of her recently deceased uncle Miles. Cycling through the spacious new neighbourhood, Andy rides into the path of local bully Koda, who, among the scattered newspapers, lays a boot on Andy’s chest, asserts authority, and curses the memory of his “nutbag” uncle. That evening, as Andy helps unpack, Mrs Carr, struggling with window blinds, asks him to see if the basement has a ladder. Andy nervously hesitates. His sister Christina looks up from the television screen to mock his fear of the dark. With a sigh, Andy slowly approaches the door of the basement, and descends into its darkened depths.

On the cluttered worktops, he finds an ancient radio. He switches it on, and tunes in. Amidst the static, he finds some upbeat electronic music. As it plays, behind him, the metal handle of a wooden door begins to creak. He tunes out, and the rattle stops. He tunes back in, and the creaking resumes. He tunes into some electric guitar strings, and the creaking persists. He whirls to face the door. Of its own accord, the metal latch flies upwards, and the heavy wooden door swings open. In the impenetrable darkness within, two glowing, entirely red eyes flash into being. A deep, softly echoing voice invites Andy in. He yells in terror, and flees.

Back in reality, Betty Anne, Kristen, and Gary are intrigued. Kiki suspects the ghost of Uncle Miles. Frank, meanwhile, seems to have vanished without trace.

Staggered with fear, Andy fetches his mother, who, in case of rats, seizes a hockey stick. She flings open the door, to reveal a small, innocent chamber, set with a bare light bulb: the root cellar. She puts down the spooky voice to something on the radio. Next morning, while Koda’s dad sets him to work scrubbing steps, Andy, on his paper round, flings a newspaper which bounces off Koda’s door and knocks into his bucket, dousing him with soapy water. As the furious bully advances, Andy peddles for dear life. Outside his house, he slips through and bolts the basement door. He peers around the silent gloom, gathering courage, and Christina jumps out with a “boo!”

While rock music plays from a more modern radio, Andy loads the washing machine. He fails to notice the handle of the root cellar door begin to rattle. As the door creaks open, he looks round. Creeping towards him is what appears to be a five foot tall, stringless marionette of a young girl. In an eerily echoing voice, it invites him to come and have “lots of fun.” As Andy stares, entranced, the apparition raises a creaking arm. Meanwhile, Mrs Carr passes by the basement door, and wonders what’s taking so long. Andy reaches to take the doll’s hand. His mother amusedly asks what he’s doing. She switches off the basement’s electricity, and the radio falls silent. With a scream, the doll flies back into the root cellar, which slams shut. Roused from his trance, Andy retains no memory of the apparition.

The next day, Andy returns to the basement with laundry. As he works, the radio plays soft rock, which suddenly is somehow replaced by carnival fanfare. The Root Cellar door swings open. Inside its door, beneath a night sky, a Hurricane ride swings its arms above a popcorn dispenser and a bunch of balloons. A Carnival Barker heartily promotes a myriad of thrills. Mesmerised, Andy slowly approaches. Near the door, the Barker urges haste, and reaches out a hand. Horrified, Andy jumps back from the fingers, which are now those of an animate skeleton. With the carnival having vanished, the now skeletal Barker mockingly coaxes Andy back. An ethereal wind lifts Andy into the air. He clings to a worktop as the wind pushes him towards the cellar. As the laughing skeleton reaches for his feet, Andy tugs forth the radio, unplugging it. The wind fades, and the Cellar door slams. Andy realises the Root Cellar to be roused by music. As he cycles off to tell his mother, Koda stops him, punches him to the ground, and throws his bike into the path of a passing vehicle.

Andy switches off the music, and descends, to see if Koda has learned his lesson. Koda is nowhere in sight. Stood by the worktop is a brand new bike. Andy curiously switches on the portable radio. Gentle guitar strings rouse, from behind the door of the Root Cellar, a blue glow and an ethereal mist. The door swings marginally open. The deep, echoing voice from before offers Andy anything he might want, as it did his uncle, in exchange for just one thing: food. From the hallway calls Christina, who passes on an instruction for Andy to make dinner. Andy looks thoughtfully upwards. The voice chuckles. Andy smirks.

While Christina videogames, and Mrs Carr cleans the fireplace, Andy sketches the root cellar door. He asks about Uncle Miles. A recluse who somehow got filthy rich, he eventually died of old age. Mrs Carr asks Christina unsuccessfully asks Christina to take the laundry down to the basement. Covered in ash, Mrs Carr falls back on Andy.

On the stone chair, Eric munches from a bag of popcorn. Onto the scene dashes Frank. He rails at Eric, who, having forgotten to meet Frank as arranged, left him to make his unlit way through the dark. The others wonder what the big deal is. Frank tries to let it go, but Eric mockingly unveils Frank’s aversion to the dark. Frank’s vengeance will have to wait, says Gary, as Eric is telling tonight’s story: it’s about a boy, mocks Eric, who also fears the dark. Frank gets a grip on his temper, but decides to remain standing. Everyone knows, begins Eric, the dark holds no real threat - most of the time. Submitted for the approval of Midnight Society, he calls this story “The Tale of the Dark Music.”

* EldritchAbomination: Behind a wooden door in the Carr's basement, an inscrutable entity manifests as a patch of impenetrable darkness in which float two glowing [[RedEyesTakeWarning red eyes], which it replaces with various objects and locations.

Shortly after his parents’ divorce, Andy Carr lives with his mother and younger sister. With finances low, he tries to help with his paper round. One day, his mother inherits the house of her recently deceased uncle Miles. Cycling through the spacious new neighbourhood, Andy rides into the path of local bully Koda, who, among the scattered newspapers, lays a boot on Andy’s chest, asserts authority, and curses the memory of his “nutbag” uncle. That evening, as Andy helps unpack, Mrs Carr, struggling with window blinds, asks him to see if the basement has a ladder. Andy nervously hesitates. His sister Christina looks up from the television screen to mock his fear of the dark. With a sigh, Andy slowly approaches the door of the basement, and descends into its darkened depths. On the cluttered worktops, he finds an ancient radio. He switches it on, and tunes in. Amidst the static, he finds some upbeat electronic music. As it plays, behind him, the metal handle of a wooden door begins to creak. He tunes out, and the rattle stops. He tunes back in, and the creaking resumes. He tunes into some electric guitar strings, and the creaking persists. He whirls to face the door. Of its own accord, the metal latch flies upwards, and the heavy wooden door swings open. In the impenetrable darkness within, two glowing, entirely red eyes flash into being. A deep, softly echoing voice invites Andy in. He yells in terror, and flees.

While Christina videogames, and Mrs Carr cleans the fireplace, Andy sketches the root cellar door. He asks about Uncle Miles. A recluse who somehow got filthy rich, he eventually died of old age. Mrs Carr asks Christina unsuccessfully asks Christina to take the laundry down to the basement. Covered in ash, Mrs Carr falls back on Andy. While rock music plays from a more modern radio, Andy loads the washing machine. He fails to notice the handle of the root cellar door begin to rattle. As the door creaks open, he looks round. Creeping towards him is what appears to be a five foot tall, stringless marionette of a young girl. In an eerily echoing voice, it invites him to come and have “lots of fun.” As Andy stares, entranced, the apparition raises a creaking arm. Meanwhile, Mrs Carr passes by the basement door, and wonders what’s taking so long. Andy reaches to take the doll’s hand. His mother amusedly asks what he’s doing. She switches off the basement’s electricity, and the radio falls silent. With a scream, the doll flies back into the root cellar, which slams shut. Roused from his trance, Andy retains no memory of the apparition.

Onto the driveway, Andy drops his ruined bike. And then he has an idea. In the basement, he sets up a hi-fi with some speakers, covers them with a sheet, and locks the basement door. While Koda scrubs, Andy throws him a free newspaper, which hits him on the head. Ready to dole out another beating, Koda gives chase, and is tricked into the backdoor of Andy’s basement, which Andy bolts with a brush. Through the locked door, Koda shouts threats. Andy flicks a switch, and the basement is filled with deafening heavy metal. As Koda screams, a red glow blazes through the cracks of the Root Cellar door. He watches the door open, and screams in terror. Andy switches off the music, and descends, to see if Koda has learned his lesson. Koda is nowhere in sight. Stood by the worktop is a brand new bike. Andy curiously switches on the portable radio. Gentle guitar strings rouse, from behind the door of the Root Cellar, a blue glow and an ethereal mist. The door swings marginally open. The deep, echoing voice from before offers Andy anything he might want, as it did his uncle, in exchange for just one thing: food. From the hallway calls Christina, who passes on an instruction for Andy to make dinner. Andy looks thoughtfully upwards. The voice chuckles. Andy smirks.

The next day, Andy returns to the basement with laundry. As he works, the radio plays soft rock, which suddenly is somehow replaced by carnival fanfare. The Root Cellar door swings open. Inside its door, beneath a night sky, a Hurricane ride swings its arms above a popcorn dispenser and a bunch of balloons. A Carnival Barker heartily promotes a myriad of thrills. Mesmerised, Andy slowly approaches. Near the door, the Barker urges haste, and throws forth a hand. Horrified, Andy jumps back from the fleshless fingers gripping his hand. With the carnival having vanished, the now skeletal Barker mockingly coaxes Andy back. An ethereal wind lifts Andy into the air. He clings to a worktop as the wind pushes him towards the cellar. As the laughing skeleton reaches for his feet, Andy tugs forth the radio, unplugging it. The wind fades, and the Cellar door slams. Andy realises the Root Cellar to be roused by music. As he cycles off to tell his mother, Koda stops him, punches him to the ground, and throws his bike into the path of a passing vehicle.

While Christina videogames, and Mrs Carr cleans the fireplace, Andy sketches the root cellar door. He asks about Uncle Miles. A recluse who somehow got filthy rich, he eventually died of old age. Mrs Carr asks Christina to take the laundry down to the basement, but she’s too busy making beep sounds. Covered in ash, Mrs Carr falls back on Andy. While rock music plays from a more modern radio, Andy loads the washing machine. He fails to notice the handle of the root cellar door begin to rattle. As the door creaks open, he looks round. Creeping towards him is what appears to be a five foot tall, stringless marionette of a young girl. In an eerily echoing voice, it invites him to come and have “lots of fun.” As Andy stares, entranced, the apparition raises a creaking arm. Meanwhile, Mrs Carr passes by the basement door, and wonders what’s taking so long. Andy reaches to take the doll’s hand. His mother amusedly asks what he’s doing. She switches off the basement’s electricity, and the radio falls silent. With a scream, the doll flies back into the root cellar, which slams shut. Roused from his trance, Andy retains no memory of the apparition.

Back in reality, Betty Anne, Kristen, and Gary appreciatively go “ooh!” Kiki suspects the ghost of Uncle Miles. Frank, meanwhile, seems to have vanished without trace.

Onto the driveway, Andy drops his ruined bike. And then he has an idea. In the basement, he sets up a hi-fi with some speakers, covers them with a sheet, and locks the basement door. While Koda scrubs the steps, Andy throws him a free newspaper, which hits him on the head. Ready to dole out another beating, Koda gives chase, and is tricked into the backdoor of Andy’s basement, which Andy bolts with a brush. Through the locked door, Koda shouts threats. Andy flicks a switch, and the basement is filled with deafening heavy metal. As Koda screams, a red glow blazes through the cracks of the Root Cellar door. He watches the door open, and screams in terror. Andy switches off the music, and descends, to see if Koda has learned his lesson. Koda is nowhere in sight. Stood by the worktop is a brand new bike. Andy curiously switches on the portable radio. Gentle guitar strings rouse, from behind the door of the Root Cellar, a blue glow and an ethereal mist. The door swings marginally open. The deep, echoing voice from before offers Andy anything he might want, as it did his uncle, in exchange for just one thing: food. From the hallway calls Christina, who passes on an instruction for Andy to make dinner. Andy looks thoughtfully upwards. The voice chuckles. Andy smirks.

Onto the driveway, Andy drops his ruined bike. And then he has an idea. In the basement, he sets up a hi-fi with some speakers, covers them with a sheet, locks the basement door, and wraps a newspaper around a block of wood. While Koda scrubs the steps, Andy throws him a free newspaper, which hits him on the head. Ready to dole out another beating, Koda gives chase, and is tricked into the backdoor of Andy’s basement, which Andy bolts with a brush. Through the locked door, Koda shouts threats. Andy flicks a switch, and the basement is filled with deafening heavy metal. As Koda screams, a red glow blazes through the cracks of the Root Cellar door. He watches the door open, and screams in terror. Andy switches off the music, and descends, to see if Koda has learned his lesson. Koda is nowhere in sight. Stood by the worktop is a brand new bike. Andy curiously switches on the portable radio. Gentle guitar strings rouse, from behind the door of the Root Cellar, a blue glow and an ethereal mist. The door swings marginally open. The deep, echoing voice from before offers Andy anything he might want, as it did his uncle, in exchange for just one thing: food. From the hallway calls Christina, who passes on an instruction for Andy to make dinner. Andy looks thoughtfully upwards. The voice chuckles. Andy smirks.