"The Open Secret of East Hall"

### Narrator(s)

Jessica McEvoy, Dan Zappulla, Atticus Jackson, Addison Peacock, Mike DelGaudio, and Dan Zappulla

### Next

"Dead Air"

**"The Open Secret of East Hall"** is the fifth tale in the sixteenth episode of the eleventh season of The Nosleep Podcast. Written by Meg Molloy, it has a runtime of 53:25 and was read by Jessica McEvoy, Dan Zappulla, Atticus Jackson, Addison Peacock, Mike DelGaudio, and Mick Wingert. It is the 1371st tale overall on the podcast.

## Summary

Sarah, moves from her old dorm to East Hall, the most prestigious dorm on campus, with her best friend Janey. Janey teases Sarah about her numerous debate trophies she won in high school that she still keeps.

While attending the first meeting of the debate club, Sarah meets and develops a crush on a boy named Parker, who also lives in East Hall. She thinks he is cute, despite his crooked teeth and strange eyes. With Janey's urging, Sarah agrees to go upstairs with him. However, once they get to his room, he grows uncomfortable and sends her away without explanation. That night, she sees him walking into the forest on the edge of campus. Strange growls and barks are heard by the students that night.

Sarah questions Parker's roommate, Goon, about his strange behavior. He tells her with complete seriousness that he's a werewolf. Sarah initially thinks it's a joke, but soon comes to realize every student that stays in East Hall, except for her and Janey, agree that Parker is a werewolf. She questions Parker himself and he responds in the affirmative. He reveals that he changes during the full moon, has no control over his actions, and can be killed with anything silver.

Months pass. No one seems to have given up on the joke, much to Sarah's confusion. To her delight, her and Parker become a couple. The strange yowls coming from the woods during the full moon continue. One night, Janey is leaving for a party and invites Sarah to go with her, but she declines, as she has an essay to write. The next morning, Janey's bloody, mutilated body is discovered on the grass between the campus and the woods.

Sarah breaks down crying. Goon finds her and takes her up to him and Parker's room. Parker is sitting on the bed, covered in blood and dirt. He apologizes for what he did to Janey and expresses horror at his actions. The police rule Janey's death as a cougar attack.

Several more months pass. Sarah and Parker break up, but remain on speaking terms. One day, she is called out of class and taken down to the local police station by a cop named Perkins. There, him and his partner, Wallace, interview her about the events leading up to Janey's death. The pair reveal that Janey didn't die from her injuries, but that the killer held her mouth and nose closed until she suffocated after they wounded her.

Disturbed by the news, she heads back to campus and runs into Goon, who is dismayed and shocked at what she tells him. That night, she heads down to the dorm kitchen to make a snack. On the way, she notices that all the other students are in their rooms blasting loud music.

In the kitchen, she runs into Parker, who reveals he knows about what the police told her. The moon comes out and he begins to change. During the transformation, he reveals that he does have control over his actions when in wolf form, and killed Janey after he attacked her.

Now completely changed, he chases Sarah upstairs. On her way there, she realizes the other students realize what's going on and are trying to ignore it. She reaches her room and manages to grab her silver debate trophy. When Parker comes to attack, she stabs him to death with it. While he dies, he reverts back to his human form.

Sarah is arrested for Parker's murder. None of the other students at East Hall testify in her favor, instead calling Parker an unfortunate victim of her psychosis. Hearing her werewolf story, Sarah's lawyer tells her to plead insanity, which she does. She is placed in a mental institution. On a day trip to town one day, she sees a man with crooked teeth and strange eyes.

## Cast

Jessica McEvoy as Sarah

Dan Zappulla as Parker

Atticus Jackson as Goon

Addison Peacock as Janey

Mike DelGaudio as Detective Perkins

Mick Wingert as Detective Wallace