The Hook Man

On a summer night in Pennsylvania, a boy and a girl drive out to a spot in the woods. Parked in the darkness, they heard on the radio that a man escaped from Allentown State Hospital, several miles from the local high school, and was terrorizing innocent people on a murder-spree. He was described to have lost his hand and years ago it had been replaced by a large metal hook. He had hacked off his own hand in a fit of madness , trying to escape a pair of handcuffs years earlier.

The boy thought nothing of it, switched off the radio and turned his attention to his girlfriend.

Suddenly, small noises errupted from nearby. The girl pulled away, frightened. “I’m scared. You know, about what they said on the radio? Maybe we should go home.”

“No way, do you want your parents to find out we didn’t go to the movies? Just relax.” As they picked up where they left, they didn’t hear anything for a while until there was a loud screech on the door, obviously coming from the girl’s side of the car.

“That’s it, take me home! It’s not safe out here!”

Her boyfriend, senselessly frustrated, reluctantly agreed. He complained all the way home, insulting her for “being such a baby”. Barely waiting for the car to stop, the girl angrily opened the door and got out of the car as they pulled up to her driveway. Slamming the car door, ready to go inside, she froze, staring at the car. She started to scream.

The boy, growing a bit alarmed, got out of the car and walked around to her side, where he too, stopped where he stood and could only stare at the door handle in frightened amazement. Found hanging from the car door, was a bloody hook, just dangling in place.


Jill from Easton PA
Tamara from Gaithersburg MD
Danielle from Callahan, FL
Johnny J. from Minneapolis, MN

Another Version

A teenage boy drove his date to a dark and deserted lovers’ lane for a make-out session. He turned on the radio for mood music, leaned over to whisper in the girl’s ear, and began kissing her.

Minutes later, the mood was broken when the music suddenly stopped mid-song. After a moment of silence an announcer’s voice came on, warning in an ominous tone that a convicted murderer had just escaped from the state insane asylum — which happened to be located within a half-mile of where they were parked — and urging that anyone who notices a man wearing a stainless steel hook in place of his missing right hand should immediately report his whereabouts to the police.

The girl became frightened and asked to be taken home. The boy, feeling bold, locked all the doors instead and, assuring his date they would be safe, attempted to kiss her again. She became frantic and pushed him away, insisting that they leave. Relenting, the boy peevishly jerked the car into gear and spun its wheels as he pulled out of the parking space.

When they arrived at the girl’s house she got out of the car, and, reaching to close the door, began to scream uncontrollably. The boy ran to her side to see what was wrong and there, dangling from the door handle, was a bloody hook.


Alina M. from Austin TX