We kicked things off by leaning into the atmosphere, Halloween night, dark skies, pouring rain, and a bit of hurricane residue sweeping the East Coast. We were tired, especially Meaghan, who had just gotten back from a business trip.
But that didn’t stop us from marking the occasion, just maybe in a quieter, less performative way this year.
There’s this weird pressure sometimes when you love Halloween or horror in general, like you have to go all out with a big party, decked-out costumes, or attend some epic bash. We pushed back on that idea.
Sometimes, you just want a low-key night where you stay in, eat candy, and still enjoy the season without the stress. And guess what? That’s perfectly fine.
Instead of our usual movie discussion, we decided to mix things up this year with a little game we’ve never done before: horror-themed Two Truths and a Lie (with spooky twists, of course).
We were both excited and a little nervous because this format meant revealing whether we could actually tell good stories or not, and also whether we could sniff out each other’s lies. The prize? A pot of Halloween candy.
Arthur’s Round: True Crime, Knives, and Disappearances
Arthur went first, and let me tell you, he didn’t hold back. His stories were vivid, full of disturbing detail, and definitely had me guessing.
Story One: The Halloween Murders (Real)
This one gave true crime lovers everything we want: mystery, murder, and possible cult ties. Set in Manhattan in 1981, a photographer named Ronald Sisman and his visiting college girlfriend, Elizabeth Platzman, were murdered execution-style in what looked like a ransacked apartment. The scene was chaotic, furniture overturned, negatives and papers thrown everywhere, yet nothing of value appeared to be stolen.
Here’s where it got wild: years later, while in prison, David Berkowitz (the Son of Sam) reportedly told a fellow inmate that a cult had planned a double murder in Manhattan on Halloween. He even described the layout of the apartment eerily well. There was never solid evidence to back this up, but the conspiracy theories took on a life of their own. To this day, that double murder remains unsolved.
Story Two: Bloody Woman on the Porch (True)
Next was a more personal horror story, told from the perspective of a man remembering his childhood Halloween. As a little boy, he stayed up late watching TV, only to spot an older woman in a nightgown, drenched in blood, swinging slowly on their front porch, holding a massive knife.
He panicked and ran to wake his parents, who didn’t believe him at first. But when his dad opened the front door, the woman was still there, staring blankly. She muttered, “Someone killed my husband, but it wasn’t me,” before disappearing into the night. The police found her 15 minutes later, trying to break into another house. That one was haunting because of how real and raw it felt—like one of those stories you hear and can’t stop thinking about.
Story Three: The Niagara Disappearance (Fake)
Arthur’s final story revolved around a woman named Eva Moreno, who vanished during a solo hike near Niagara Falls. Her car was found parked with a day pass still visible, but she never returned. Her backpack and phone were gone, but no signs of struggle were discovered. Friends had received a text from her about needing a “reset,” and some speculated she may have chosen to disappear.
There was a strange report from hikers who saw a man near the trail asking, “Do you have any cameras down there?”, which added to the eerie vibe. But in the end, this was the fake one. Arthur made the whole thing up, and he totally tricked me. It was so well-crafted that I genuinely thought it had happened.
Meaghan’s Turn: Home Murders, Unseen Forces, and a Halloween Tragedy
Then it was my turn. I kept my stories much shorter and purposely vague, partly to make Arthur sweat a little and partly to prevent him from being able to discern obvious truths or falsehoods.
Story One: Family Found Dead on Halloween (True)
In 2010, a teenager named Devon Griffin walked into his home on Halloween to find his mother, stepfather, and brother shot dead. At first, he thought it was a prank, like some dark Halloween setup. But no, it was real. The crime was eventually tied to his other brother, BJ, who had long struggled with mental illness. BJ was later convicted, but tragically, he died by suicide in prison in 2015.
This one was chilling for obvious reasons. The idea of walking into your home expecting a fun Halloween vibe and finding your whole family dead is horrifying. And it was true.
Story Two: Scratching at the Walls (Fake)
Here’s where I had some fun. This story was totally made up. A small family in a rural town starts hearing strange scratching noises all around their house on Halloween night. The dad goes outside, furious, but finds nothing. The noises continue, even with the lights on, and then abruptly stop at sunrise. No one else in the neighborhood heard a thing.
This was my attempt at supernatural horror. No blood. No ghosts. Just that creepy, unshakable feeling of something being just outside, waiting. But it didn’t happen. It was just a spooky bedtime story I created.
Story Three: Martha Moxley Murdered on Halloween (True)
The last story was a brutal one. A 15-year-old girl named Martha Moxley went to a costume party on Halloween night in 1975 and never came home. She was beaten to death with a golf club and found in the bushes near her home.
Years later, a man named Michael Skakel, also 15 at the time of the murder and a member of the wealthy Kennedy family, was convicted. But his conviction was overturned in 2018. As of now, the case remains open.
This is one of those tragic, frustrating true crime stories where justice doesn’t feel like it ever really came. It’s the kind of case that makes your stomach turn because there are still no definitive answers.
Bonus Round: Creatures and Legends
Just when we thought we were done, we jumped into a bonus round full of legends and creepy folklore. These were more fun and fantastical, with roots in mythology and historical mysteries.
- Sirens Luring Ships to Crash (Fake): Arthur correctly guessed this one was made up. I crafted a fake legend about Spanish conquistadors being lured off-course by sirens in the 1500s. Definitely false, but believable enough to be entertaining.
- Vampire of Coventry Street (True): This one’s real. In 1922, in London, several people were attacked and stabbed in the neck by an unknown assailant. He was dubbed the Vampire of Coventry Street. Never caught, never identified.
- The Beast of Gévaudan (True): In 18th-century France, over 200 people were attacked, many fatally, by a large animal later referred to as the Beast of Gévaudan. The state got involved, and hunters finally killed a massive wolf, after which the attacks stopped. Modern historians believe multiple wolves were responsible.
Wrapping Up with Candy and Chill Vibes
We ended the episode by encouraging listeners to share their own spooky stories or guesses about which of ours were fake. We’re curious how well everyone did playing along. And honestly, we’re just happy we pulled off something fun and different for Halloween.
We also gave a little tease about the direction we want to take the podcast. We’re planning to branch out from horror movies into books, games, and other formats. It’s not just about film—it’s about celebrating horror, however it shows up. We’re horror fans in every sense, and we know you are too.
So, as we put away the decorations and polish off the candy, we hope your spooky season was full of chills, thrills, and maybe even a few weird porch visits (hopefully not with bloody knives). Stay scared and stay tuned.