Fireflies

This comic from Jeff Lovfers at Don’t Hit Save uses a joke you’ve probably heard before in a different form. The comment thread at reddit that led me to it is mostly about the TV series Firefly, which would have been a fine excuse for not playing an online game with your friends. Other commenters didn’t get the joke because they assumed a “game” could mean basketball or something. But what really made the comic worth it was reading the story Lovfers left underneath it. He and his wife rented a somewhat disappointing Airbnb room in Florida and got there late at night and tired.

It had been a very long drive, so after taking out our contacts and brushing our teeth (good hygiene is important) we immediately went to sleep. At that point in the evening, I could have slept in a puddle at a concert.

About an hour later, I jolted awake. I could hear footsteps in the other part of the house. It was then, groggy and unable to see, that I suddenly realized...

We're in a serial killer's house.

The door with the metal plate, the missing carpet, the bathroom with an oddly industrial shower-- it all made sense. Between the noisy ac unit and the proximity to the train tracks, no one would hear our screams. All it would take is a well-timed train, then the door with the metal plate would burst open, a giant madman in a hockey mask would run in, hack us to bits, and then try on my blue Hawaiian shirt (I assume).

There would be no escape through the keyless bolt-locked front door. It would all be over in seconds. No more us, no more comic, no more blue Hawaiian shirt (he'd probably stretch it out, too).

It’s a great story. You need to go read the whole thing.