 Welcome to Microterrorz, scary stories for kids where it's always the spooky season, full of chills, thrills, and spine-tingling spooks. Microterrorz are family-friendly frights for those ages 8 and up, and while our stories are for younger years, we are still talking about things that go bump in the night, and some children may not be able to handle what others can. Parental consent is recommended. Now for tonight's Microterrorz. The Hole in the Basement Floor by K. B. Hearst I jumped out of my mom's sedan and ran up the stairs to my grandparents' house. I was going to spend the next three months with them. Summers at my grandparents meant swimming in their pond, hiking, fishing, and sleeping in the tree house my grandparents made for my mom when she was a kid. No parental supervision was going to be awesome. I was eleven that summer, and it would be a memorable one. I smelled fresh country air ready to explore. Only when I got out did I notice my grandfather wasn't there. My grandmother had a grim expression. My mother smiled while hugging my grandmother. Where's dad? Saw my grandmother look down. Your dad took a nasty fall and broke his ankle. I hugged my grandmother and then ran in to see my grandpa. Tyler, sorry, but it looks like we'll have to wait on that big hiking and camping trip we planned, he said, smiling. I was disappointed, but I was glad my grandpa was okay. After my mom left, my grandma and I started cooking. I loved helping her in the kitchen because I got to sample the food. Tyler, I'm making your favorite burger and homemade fries. Can you grab that sack of potatoes for me, she said. I opened the basement door and felt a chill. My grandmother slammed the door. Don't go down there. Don't ever go down there. But that's where you kept the food last summer. I was confused. I'm sorry. The stairs are unstable and that's how your grandpa messed up his ankle. I had to move everything to the pantry up here. She managed to smile. I thought it was a weird reaction. We're getting so angry, but I soon forgot it as we began cooking. Later that night, my grandmother tucked me into my mom's old bed and kissed me on the forehead. Sweet dream is Tyler, she said kindly. I read my comic books till late and I just turned off my bedroom lamp when I heard a cry. Outside the house's walls, I heard loud scratches as if someone or something was crawling up the side of the house. Frightened, I got out of bed only to hear the crying again. It sounded like my grandmother was crying. I shot straight up out of bed and opened my bedroom door. I peeked around the corner, but I didn't see anything except the door to the basement was open. I heard moaning and was worried my grandmother had fallen. I opened the door wider and called out to her. Grandma! There was no sound. I turned on the light to the stairs and crept down into the basement. When I reached the bottom, my eyes went directly to the corner. There in front of me was the most enormous hole in the basement floor. It was as if something had dug its way through the concrete. I was scared, but curious. Grandma, are you in there? Suddenly a hand reached out from the hole. I was petrified as I looked on. A second hand appeared and then I saw its head. I had to be dreaming. Slowly, a furry pair of ears appeared and two golden eyes glowed as they met mine. I screamed, but the creature was fast and put a hand over my mouth. I just looked at the strange fur-covered humanoid. Then it spoke. Shhhh, Lilia! It asked in a raspy voice, My name is Nesmith. What's yours? I'm Tyler. I finally managed to say. Great Tyler, I need your help. The creature now looked at me with its golden eyes. I need food. I need to feed Tyler. If I don't feed, I'm afraid I'll have to find a replacement. Trust me, we don't want that. I was afraid I'd be devoured by this creature, so I agreed to feed Nesmith. What do you like to eat? I asked. No one has ever asked me that. Let me think. I love sweets. Do you have any cake or tarts? Grandma made a lemon cake last night. That will do. And if you help me, I will help you. I snuck back into the kitchen and grabbed some food off the counter. The cake was wrapped in a cheese cloth. I cut a slice and put it in a napkin. I took it to Nesmith, who now seemed much more menacing than he was moments before. Thank you, Nesmith hissed. Watching the demon devour the cake was frightening. Nesmith opened his large, salivating mouth to reveal another mouth with more teeth. I could no longer watch as I ran upstairs, shutting the basement door. The following day, I woke up first. I snuck down to the basement, and when I got there, Nesmith was nowhere to be found. However, the hole was smaller. I heard my grandfather wake up. I ran up the stairs just in time to avoid getting caught. My leg isn't in any pain at all today, Tyler, he said. My grandma joined us pouring a cup of coffee. Oh dear, looks like something got into the barn again, my grandma said, sharing a knowing glance with my grandpa. I secretly wondered if the prowler that got into the barn was Nesmith. Later that evening, lying in bed, I noticed something outside my bedroom window. It looked like a tree branch tapping on my window. I got out of bed to investigate when I saw two yellow eyes and six long legs crawling up my window. I held back a scream, now remembering that I needed to feed Nesmith. It had to be him outside my window. I returned to the basement with more food that I was able to scrounge up in the kitchen. Once again, Nesmith thanked me, showing me his giant teeth. Once again in the morning, the hole was smaller, and once again, my grandfather felt even better than before. This routine continued for a week when I noticed that Nesmith too was becoming smaller. It was as if he was becoming less scary with each gift of kindness. I was puzzled by this as I thought about what could have caused my grandfather to become injured. So I asked him about how he broke his ankle. There was a long pause before he finally spoke. I fell into a hole in the basement floor. Some animal got inside and dug a hole. It was dark and I didn't see it. Nasty culprit emerged from that hole, so that's why your grandma wants you to stay out of the basement. But I'm better. I'll fill it back up. I realized he knew Nesmith was down there, so that's why they didn't want me down there. Why hadn't he just given Nesmith food like I had? I woke up later that evening, noticing a whole house was pitch black, as if something blocked out all the light. I saw two golden eyes appear at me again from outside the window. There, in front of me, was a creature that looked like it was made of tree limbs tapping on my window. I was frightened. The house was so dark I couldn't see. I ran out my bedroom. I remembered Nesmith, so I disobeyed my grandparents' orders and returned to feed Nesmith. This time I watched till he ate all of his food. I noticed he began to get smaller and his frightening face was now more human-like, kinder. This time Nesmith thanked me and disappeared into the hole as it closed. Nesmith and this whole nightmare was over. The very next day my grandfather got his cast off. He danced with glee. He was so happy. I watched him as I realized it was because of my kindness. Nesmith's gift to me was my grandfather's healing. I didn't mention it to my grandparents because I didn't want them to know I had disobeyed them. The following morning I woke up later than usual. The house was quiet and darker than expected and the sky looked gloomy when I looked out my window, as if a storm was coming. I looked for my grandparents who should have been upstairs, but then heard their voices in the basement. I went down to see my grandma watching my grandfather. He was frantically digging one of the largest holes I had ever seen. He's gone! We must get him back! I didn't understand at first. My grandma then gasped when she saw me. I helped you get rid of him so grandpa's life would heal. What are you doing? I begged. Oh, Tyler, you don't understand what you've done. With Nesmith gone, we had no way to protect ourselves against the others. The house began to fall into shadows as we slunk into the new hole in the ground. My grandfather had just dug. Thank you for listening to Microtarrers. Join us each Saturday for another scary story. For more fun visit our website at Microtarrers.com where we will also have spooky games you can print out and play like wicked word searches, mysterious mazes and more. Microtarrers.com is also where you can find us on your favorite social media and even send in your own scary story for us to tell. Plus, you'll learn more about our author Scott Donnelly who has other horrors for both young and old. I hope you'll join me again soon from Microtarrers. Scary stories for kids. The nightmares of Edgar Allen Poe. The terrors of Bram Stoker. The monsters of Mary Shelley. The suspense of Alfred Hitchcock. The thrill of Robert Louis Stevenson. And the horror of the Blancheville monster. It all culminates in the horror of the Blancheville monster. In a sinister, unreal birthday celebration, only the flashes of madness pierce the darkness of the castle in the Blancheville monster. Mysterious cries. Fatal omens. Nefarious vices. Shilling presences. The Blancheville monster. A dark path where the specter of death rides. A woman caught in the snare of a monstrous fatal spell. The spell of the Blancheville monster. Does the coffin contain a creature snatched from life by a curse? Will anyone be able to unravel the mysteries of the Blancheville monster? And the wicked deeds of the children of darkness. The satanic storm of terrors, nightmares, and sadistic violence. The Blancheville monster. Our May Weirdo Watch Party is Saturday May 6th with horror host Lee Turner from After Hours presenting 1963's The Blancheville Monster. Where a beautiful young daughter of a crazed count fears that she will fall victim to the family curse. To be sacrificed to fulfill an ancient family legend. Borrowing elements from Edgar Allen Poe's Fall of the House of Usher and some words with a mummy. Originally filmed in the Italian language, it was titled Horror but we'll be watching the well done English dubbed version entitled The Blancheville Monster. The Weirdo Watch Party is always free to watch online with everybody so grab your popcorn, candy and soda and jump into the fun and even get involved in the live chat as we watch the movie. Again the Weirdo Watch Party is Saturday May 6th starting at 10 p.m. Eastern, 9 p.m. Central, 7 p.m. Pacific. You can see a trailer for the film on the Weirdo Watch Party page at WeirdDarkness.com and we'll see you Saturday May 6th for The Blancheville Monster. Listen