Depending on who you are, you may or may not know of the Cartoon Network show entitled Regular Show. It is known to push the envelope, but here was one episode Cartoon Network thought was just going too far.
I, an intern for Cartoon Network Studios, found the tape of the rejected episode, which many of the staff swore they had disposed of since they didn't have a need for it. Believe it or not, since then they have disposed of at least five "Class of 3000" episodes, which was one of my pet peeves with them. The tape had a sticker on it which said the title in sloppy handwriting with what I believe was a Sharpie marker.
I looked behind me. Everyone else was on lunch break, but just in case someone came in, I closed the door and put up the sign "Please Knock", as many interns and staff do when there are people touring the studios. I then put the tape in the TV. There was static for a few seconds, but the episode appeared.
"REGULAR SHOW"
"YOU"
"YOU"
"YOU"
That's odd. They showed the title...three times? I thought it must have been a glitch or an error in the tape and continued watching.
The episode opened up typically, with Mordecai and Rigby playing video games. Another odd thing happened. Mordecai was quite clearly mouthing words, but nothing came out. The remote must have been three feet away from me, so I knew I did not hit the "Mute" button. I found this confusing.
It cut to the next scene, where Rigby was jamming out to a song...the exact same song I had at the time as my cell phone ringtone. I figured it was just an odd coincidence and continued on.
Rigby began to speak with Mordecai's voice. "Dude, this song is awesome!", he said. As he said that, I began to think that this episode was very oddly similar to "This Is My Jam", an earlier Regular Show episode. Mordecai remained speechless.
The screen turned black, and began to the opening again.
"REGULAR SHOW"
"YOU"
Odd, it did it only once this time...and excluded everything else normally featured in the four frames of the opening.
The scene continued right where it left off, but it looked oddly like Mordecai was in anime-style...and also wearing the wig featured in "Benson Be Gone", when he turns into Susan like the rest of the brain-washed cast.
Rigby then said, still in Mordecai's voice, "Coffee," which was very out-of-term and awkward. Mordecai appears again, this time with a square head in CGI-style.
Just then, another intern busted in.
"WHAT ARE YOU WATCHING?!"
"Can you not read? The sign says 'Please Knock'!"
"Lunch break's over and I really needed to come in."
"Lunch break's...over?"
I was surprised that it was already over, considering it felt like it had been only ten minutes or so.
"I thought we burnt that tape," he said.
"They said they disposed of it," I said. "But I just found it."
"Alright, I have to watch this," he said, sitting down in a chair and watching.
The screen turned green as soon as he got in the chair, which I figured was another...odd coincidence. Then, it began to play the song he had as his cell phone ringtone. Very odd coincidence.
The screen then began to fade in to Rigby...burying something. He appeared to be in a graveyard. We finally get a shot of a tomb, which I was afraid meant Mordecai was dead --- then, when Rigby opened it, the screen turned green again.
The very scene began to loop over and over again for about six and a half minutes, until the screen turned to just a shot of Mordecai, appearing to be staring at the camera wide-eyed, looking displeased. He was behind the graveyard, but no Rigby was in sight.
The screen turned red this time, though it appeared to be...splattered on in a cheesy special effects way. I assumed it to be a creepy effect trying to look gory.
Then, this appeared:
"REGULAR SHOW"
"DON"
It looked normal, considering it was an actual episode, minus the fact that it was missing two of the four frames like the last one.
To my surprise, the shot continued to appear again for approximately one minute and forty-seven seconds. Then, it began to play an odd song in an odd voice that sounded like a voice disguiser voice...
"My boy, my boy
My boy from the heavens
Can I not tell you about the reckons
I only ask for you
Only you
Not him
You see, Tom, it's a very funny story."
I gasped. The name of the intern next to me was Tom. Does that mean it wanted...him?
The tape ended then, oddly. I stared at the blank screen for a few seconds, then went to look back at Tom. He was gone.
I then attempted to replay the tape, but it ejected every time I hit "Play". I then hit "Eject", in which as soon as the tape came out, the tape roll started coming out of it. I'd never be able to watch it again.
To this day Tom remains missing, too. The police thought I was lying when I told them the events, because I had no proof. They said they'd work on it. It's only been about two months as of the time of this writing, but I haven't received any kind of notice if they are trying to find him.
I was also given a warning for viewing the tape by Stuart Synder himself, who said I should never go up digging for things.
Maybe he's right. Maybe I shouldn't have.