This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Jonathan Cook: Hi listeners.

[0:01] Jonathan Cook: STAGE FRIGHTS is a Gather by the Ghost Light production and an immersive audio experience intended for adult audiences.

[0:08] Jonathan Cook: Immerse yourself.

[0:10] Jonathan Cook: And enjoy your day in Lopen.

[0:33] Jonathan Cook: Good evening, my little beasties.

[0:35] Jonathan Cook: Tonight on the show we have a special treat for you.

[0:38] Jonathan Cook: The great deity Divon the Devourer has summoned us here today because she demands an offering.

[0:46] Jonathan Cook: So on today's episode, we'll be performing drum roll please.

[0:51] Jonathan Cook: A sacrifice.

[0:55] Jonathan Cook: My loyal acolytes and I.

[0:59] Jonathan Cook: I said my loyal acolytes and I come on, guys.

[1:06] Jonathan Cook: Would you cool it down with the chanting?

[1:09] Jonathan Cook: I'm trying to do a show here.

[1:11] Arelis Rivera: I thought you wanted us to chant.

[1:12] Jonathan Cook: And wear these robes.

[1:14] Jonathan Cook: Yes, keep your robes on.

[1:16] Jonathan Cook: Just please stop chanting it for now.

[1:19] Jonathan Cook: It's a bit much.

[1:21] Jonathan Cook: Alright then.

[1:22] Jonathan Cook: As I was saying before it was so rudely interrupted, my loyal acolytes and I have gathered several ideal sacrificial candidates to choose from.

[1:47] Jonathan Cook: Bring them in.

[1:50] Unknown speaker: What is this?

[1:52] Unknown speaker: Holy fuck in this place.

[1:56] Unknown speaker: I wonder if there'll be a buffet.

[1:57] Unknown speaker: Listen, this robe start took a clock out of here.

[2:00] Jonathan Cook: Silence.

[2:01] Jonathan Cook: Now, who shall we choose?

[2:06] Unknown speaker: Look at them all.

[2:07] Unknown speaker: So many options.

[2:11] Unknown speaker: Whoa, whoa, whoa, buddy, hold it right there.

[2:13] Nathan Shelton: Intruders!

[2:14] Unknown speaker: Owl!

[2:14] Nathan Shelton: Get the axe!

[2:15] Unknown speaker: We're not intruders.

[2:17] Unknown speaker: This is our show.

[2:18] Nathan Shelton: What no?

[2:20] Nathan Shelton: This is my show.

[2:22] Nathan Shelton: This is Frightmare Theatre.

[2:25] Jonathan Cook: We know who you are, Dr. Necropolis, but this is not Frightmare Theater.

[2:29] Jonathan Cook: This is Gather by the Ghost Light.

[2:31] Jonathan Cook: I mean, didn't you just hear the theme song?

[2:37] Nathan Shelton: Damn.

[2:40] Nathan Shelton: I mean, it literally like just stop.

[2:42] Nathan Shelton: It literally just played the whole thing like a minute ago.

[2:44] Jonathan Cook: And this episode is the special showcase of our annual horror anthology.

[2:48] Jonathan Cook: STAGE FRIGHTS.

[2:50] Nathan Shelton: Ooh, catchy name.

[2:52] Nathan Shelton: But how can this be?

[2:54] Nathan Shelton: I specifically had my station manager Al book this dungeon studio on Air D&D months ago.

[3:01] Jonathan Cook: Well, that's odd, because we booked this dungeon studio on Air D&D as well.

[3:06] Jonathan Cook: See?

[3:07] Jonathan Cook: Well, we must be double booked.

[3:09] Jonathan Cook: Here's my reservation.

[3:11] Nathan Shelton: Let me see that.

[3:12] Nathan Shelton: Aha!

[3:13] Nathan Shelton: Look, you're a day early.

[3:15] Nathan Shelton: Your reservation is for tomorrow.

[3:17] Unknown speaker: What?

[3:18] Unknown speaker: Oh, oh dear.

[3:20] Unknown speaker: Well, it's our mistake.

[3:24] Unknown speaker: Well, everyone, uh pack up your things, and you you put your robe back on.

[3:29] Unknown speaker: Oh, no one wants to see that.

[3:32] Unknown speaker: I guess we shall uh resume tomorrow.

[3:36] Unknown speaker: Uh terribly sorry for the mix up.

[3:38] Jonathan Cook: Wait, hold up.

[3:39] Jonathan Cook: Who are all these people?

[3:41] Nathan Shelton: These are my loyal acolyte.

[3:43] Jonathan Cook: No, no, not not the dudes in the culty-looking robes.

[3:45] Jonathan Cook: I mean, who are all these other people here that you have chained up?

[3:49] Nathan Shelton: Oh, well, our plan was to perform a sacrifice on tonight's show, and we were we were going to choose from one of these little rascals here.

[3:57] Nathan Shelton: No worries, though.

[3:58] Nathan Shelton: We will march them right back to our dungeons and bring them back first thing tomorrow.

[4:04] Nathan Shelton: Have a good show, everyone.

[4:05] Jonathan Cook: Wait, one second.

[4:07] Jonathan Cook: Are any of these people actors?

[4:09] Jonathan Cook: Hey!

[4:09] Jonathan Cook: Are any of you actors?

[4:11] Unknown speaker: Depends on who you ask.

[4:12] Unknown speaker: LS3 number one and Wizard of Oz?

[4:14] Unknown speaker: I once stood in for Eugene Levy.

[4:16] Unknown speaker: I've been in a few local Chick-fil-A commercials.

[4:19] Jonathan Cook: Dev, Dev, come here.

[4:20] Jonathan Cook: Look, this could solve our problem.

[4:23] Jonathan Cook: We need actors.

[4:24] Arelis Rivera: You want to use these people?

[4:26] Jonathan Cook: Sure.

[4:26] Jonathan Cook: What are you two on about over there?

[4:28] Jonathan Cook: Well, Dr. Necropolis, uh, you need to perform a sacrifice, and we need to perform a show.

[4:35] Jonathan Cook: So, what if you and your uh your your robed minion freaks?

[4:39] Jonathan Cook: Well, what if you all stick around and we use these sacrificial candidates here as the performers in our show?

[4:45] Arelis Rivera: Please, please, please!

[4:47] Arelis Rivera: We were planning on performing all the characters ourselves, but this works out so much better.

[4:53] Nathan Shelton: And I still get to have my sacrifice a day early?

[4:58] Jonathan Cook: Sure, why not?

[4:59] Jonathan Cook: And maybe their performances can help you determine who you sacrifice, right?

[5:04] Nathan Shelton: What a great idea.

[5:06] Jonathan Cook: Perfect.

[5:07] Jonathan Cook: Good.

[5:08] Jonathan Cook: Alright, uh, I'll get the mic set up and then we can start the show.

[5:11] Jonathan Cook: Uh Dev, do you happen to have your your box of codies to make all the sound effects and the kick-ass creepy music?

[5:16] Arelis Rivera: I do!

[5:17] Arelis Rivera: Oh, wait, oh, uh, let me make sure the chainsaw is working.

[5:33] Arelis Rivera: Good to go.

[5:35] Jonathan Cook: Alright.

[5:35] Jonathan Cook: Oh, wait, uh, I gotta put on my uh my stage fright's voice.

[5:39] Jonathan Cook: Here we go.

[5:41] Jonathan Cook: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to stage frights.

[5:49] Unknown speaker: Ha!

[5:50] Jonathan Cook: Very nice.

[5:50] Jonathan Cook: Okay, for the first play, we need two young actors.

[5:53] Unknown speaker: Ooh, I have the perfect pair.

[5:56] Unknown speaker: Uh, here they are.

[5:57] Unknown speaker: You two step up to the microphone.

[6:00] Jonathan Cook: Names.

[6:01] Luke Romagnoli: Now, um, uh, Luke Romagnoli.

[6:04] Azariah Seay: Uh, Zarya C.

[6:07] Jonathan Cook: Nice to meet you.

[6:08] Jonathan Cook: Alright, here are your scripts, and don't be nervous.

[6:10] Jonathan Cook: It's a slice of gang.

[6:12] Jonathan Cook: But also, do be nervous because one of you may be sacrificed by the end of this broadcast.

[6:19] Jonathan Cook: Now, gather around the ghost light.

[6:21] Jonathan Cook: Sit back and enjoy.

[6:23] Jonathan Cook: This first story is called The Quake, written by Travis Williams.

[6:27] Unknown speaker: Williams.

[6:37] Azariah Seay: You've got this, Jackie.

[6:39] Luke Romagnoli: Come on.

[6:41] Azariah Seay: Come on.

[6:43] Luke Romagnoli: You okay?

[6:44] Azariah Seay: I can't do this, Briggs.

[6:46] Luke Romagnoli: Of course you can.

[6:47] Luke Romagnoli: You just gotta cut a little harder, is all.

[6:49] Azariah Seay: It's not as easy as it looks.

[6:51] Luke Romagnoli: You ain't never done this before.

[6:52] Azariah Seay: You have a couple times.

[6:55] Luke Romagnoli: You'll know when you've reached its soft spot, because it'll crack a little.

[6:58] Azariah Seay: Gross.

[7:01] Azariah Seay: Screw this.

[7:03] Luke Romagnoli: What are you doing?

[7:04] Azariah Seay: It ain't worth it.

[7:05] Luke Romagnoli: What are you talking about?

[7:06] Luke Romagnoli: We trucked all the way down the mountain to get the dang saw, then trucked all the way back.

[7:11] Azariah Seay: I'm sorry.

[7:11] Azariah Seay: Okay.

[7:12] Azariah Seay: Give me the dang saw.

[7:15] Luke Romagnoli: Briggs, it doesn't matter anyhow.

[7:18] Azariah Seay: No!

[7:19] Azariah Seay: Don't say that.

[7:20] Luke Romagnoli: I know it matters to you, cuz we wouldn't be up here if it didn't.

[7:23] Azariah Seay: I don't even know what I'm expecting them to say anyway.

[7:27] Azariah Seay: Probably won't believe his eyes for one.

[7:29] Luke Romagnoli: For real though, what the heck am I supposed to do?

[7:32] Luke Romagnoli: Walk up to the front door and say, hey Pa, look!

[7:35] Luke Romagnoli: I killed it!

[7:36] Luke Romagnoli: I killed a deer!

[7:37] Luke Romagnoli: See?

[7:38] Luke Romagnoli: I'm not a worthless piece of crap after all.

[7:42] Azariah Seay: You're not a piece of crap.

[7:44] Azariah Seay: Worthless piece of crap.

[7:46] Azariah Seay: You ain't that neither.

[7:47] Luke Romagnoli: Thanks.

[7:48] Azariah Seay: But you might want to tell him you want to mount it on the wall though.

[7:51] Azariah Seay: Otherwise, he might think you're crazy bringing a deer head home like this.

[7:55] Luke Romagnoli: Probably right.

[7:57] Luke Romagnoli: Holy crap, Briggs!

[7:59] Luke Romagnoli: You got it!

[8:00] Azariah Seay: Told ya!

[8:00] Azariah Seay: Just gotta keep working it like a termite.

[8:04] Luke Romagnoli: Growth again.

[8:06] Luke Romagnoli: Here.

[8:07] Azariah Seay: What?

[8:08] Azariah Seay: Finish it, Jackie.

[8:09] Luke Romagnoli: But I can't go on!

[8:11] Azariah Seay: You gotta have truth in your eyes when you show 'em.

[8:14] Azariah Seay: Otherwise, the old man's gonna see that you're lying about cutting its head off.

[8:18] Luke Romagnoli: One hard quick cut.

[8:20] Luke Romagnoli: Oughta do it.

[8:21] Azariah Seay: Ha!

[8:21] Azariah Seay: Holy crap!

[8:23] Luke Romagnoli: See?

[8:24] Luke Romagnoli: I told ya!

[8:26] Luke Romagnoli: So how do you think it died?

[8:29] Azariah Seay: Huh?

[8:30] Azariah Seay: Oh, I don't know.

[8:31] Azariah Seay: Daddy said there's been lots of dead things turning up lately.

[8:34] Luke Romagnoli: Like the deer?

[8:36] Azariah Seay: Like dead everything, Jackie.

[8:38] Azariah Seay: Raccoons, possums.

[8:39] Azariah Seay: I even heard they found a dead bear behind Dale's donut shop.

[8:42] Azariah Seay: All its blood sucked dry and its insides ripped to shreds like this poor little bastard.

[8:47] Azariah Seay: Daddy said that quick was like a bad omen from the Bible.

[8:50] Luke Romagnoli: That's really scary.

[8:52] Azariah Seay: I saw on the news that Mount Jefferson was split wide open cuz of it.

[8:58] Azariah Seay: Heard Pa say they're sending in like scientists to research it, going down in that cave and whatnot.

[9:05] Luke Romagnoli: Can you imagine what's in that thing?

[9:08] Luke Romagnoli: Could be what's doing all this killing.

[9:10] Azariah Seay: Shut up.

[9:11] Luke Romagnoli: I'm serious.

[9:12] Luke Romagnoli: Daddy heard Deputy Wilkes say he saw a swarm of something shoot across the road the other night.

[9:17] Azariah Seay: You're screwing with me.

[9:18] Luke Romagnoli: Honest to God, Jackie.

[9:19] Luke Romagnoli: Like what?

[9:21] Azariah Seay: Like bats?

[9:23] Luke Romagnoli: Nah, like crawlin' like centipedes or something.

[9:26] Luke Romagnoli: But like biggest cats, he said.

[9:28] Azariah Seay: Bull.

[9:29] Azariah Seay: My pa said Deputy Wilkes is a pill popper.

[9:32] Luke Romagnoli: Pill popper or not.

[9:33] Luke Romagnoli: Daddy said he was shaken up pretty bad.

[9:36] Azariah Seay: You think he'll know I didn't kill it?

[9:39] Azariah Seay: Think he'll see online.

[9:41] Luke Romagnoli: Honestly, Jackie.

[9:43] Luke Romagnoli: I think our daddies are too drunk to care about the truth.

[9:46] Luke Romagnoli: Long as he's got something to spout off about at the bar, he'll be happy enough.

[9:50] Azariah Seay: Your boy might have a mean tackle.

[9:53] Luke Romagnoli: But my girl killed a deer with her bare hands.

[9:57] Azariah Seay: Prove it.

[9:57] Azariah Seay: Then he'll toss the head onto the bar.

[10:00] Luke Romagnoli: I can just see Earl's face standing there all stupefied behind the bar.

[10:04] Luke Romagnoli: His glass eye popping right out of his head.

[10:07] Luke Romagnoli: Right into Stella Vegas' line glass she brings from home.

[10:11] Luke Romagnoli: Her hair will have grown another mile high off her head.

[10:13] Luke Romagnoli: And turn another shade of purple.

[10:18] Azariah Seay: You hear that too?

[10:21] Luke Romagnoli: We should go.

[10:22] Azariah Seay: Let's get the head in the back.

[10:27] Luke Romagnoli: Got it.

[10:28] Azariah Seay: You grab that in.

[10:29] Luke Romagnoli: Got it?

[10:30] Azariah Seay: Yeah.

[10:31] Azariah Seay: And lift.

[10:37] Luke Romagnoli: You can tell your daddy too.

[10:39] Azariah Seay: Got what?

[10:40] Luke Romagnoli: That you helped me kill it?

[10:42] Azariah Seay: Nah, it's your fight.

[10:43] Luke Romagnoli: But then maybe he won't yell at you for drawing and reading comic books all the time.

[10:49] Azariah Seay: I'm sorry.

[10:50] Luke Romagnoli: It's okay.

[10:51] Azariah Seay: I just didn't know you could hear all that.

[10:53] Luke Romagnoli: Our trailers aren't that far apart.

[10:55] Azariah Seay: Yeah.

[11:00] Luke Romagnoli: You're a really good drawer, Briggs.

[11:03] Azariah Seay: Thanks, Jackie.

[11:04] Azariah Seay: I still got that picture you made pinned on my wall.

[11:07] Luke Romagnoli: The one of us up in the hot air balloon?

[11:09] Azariah Seay: Yeah, with me riding on top reaching for the sun.

[11:13] Luke Romagnoli: That's who you are, Jackie.

[11:14] Luke Romagnoli: Always reaching and dreaming for stuff.

[11:16] Luke Romagnoli: Going places I never even think of.

[11:18] Azariah Seay: Uh I don't know about that.

[11:20] Azariah Seay: But you keep drawing the way you do.

[11:23] Azariah Seay: You'll be traveling all over because of it.

[11:26] Azariah Seay: You'll be famous.

[11:27] Luke Romagnoli: Shoot.

[11:28] Luke Romagnoli: I'm serious.

[11:28] Luke Romagnoli: That's your ticket out of here, Briggs.

[11:30] Luke Romagnoli: Well, I'm stuck sawing off deer heads to show people I'm braver than they think I am.

[11:35] Azariah Seay: You don't need to impress anyone, Jackie.

[11:37] Azariah Seay: You're plenty brave.

[11:38] Azariah Seay: You got lots of stuff to offer.

[11:40] Azariah Seay: You're real good at stories.

[11:42] Azariah Seay: Maybe you can start writing them down.

[11:44] Azariah Seay: And what you draw them up?

[11:46] Azariah Seay: Ain't that crazy enough idea?

[11:48] Luke Romagnoli: Not too crazy at all, I guess.

[11:50] Azariah Seay: You're my best friend, Briggs.

[11:52] Luke Romagnoli: You're mine too, Jackie.

[11:55] Azariah Seay: It's so quiet up here.

[11:57] Luke Romagnoli: Yeah, really is.

[11:59] Azariah Seay: Can't even hear any birds.

[12:01] Luke Romagnoli: Yeah.

[12:01] Luke Romagnoli: Ain't that something?

[12:04] Azariah Seay: Jackie.

[12:05] Azariah Seay: I've been meaning to tell you that I really shoot!

[12:08] Luke Romagnoli: What what?

[12:09] Azariah Seay: I forgot my dad's all.

[12:10] Azariah Seay: Jesus!

[12:11] Azariah Seay: Just hold that thought.

[12:12] Azariah Seay: I'll be right back.

[12:13] Luke Romagnoli: No, you stay with your trophy.

[12:15] Azariah Seay: I'll go get it.

[12:22] Azariah Seay: Jackie, I've been meaning to tell you that I think you're really great.

[12:26] Azariah Seay: And I think that together.

[12:28] Luke Romagnoli: Look at it, Briggs.

[12:29] Luke Romagnoli: You'ready know she's not.

[12:31] Azariah Seay: The hell?

[12:32] Luke Romagnoli: Briggs?

[12:33] Luke Romagnoli: Did you find it?

[12:34] Azariah Seay: Yeah, but.

[12:36] Luke Romagnoli: But what?

[12:37] Azariah Seay: It's all bent up.

[12:39] Luke Romagnoli: Whoa!

[12:39] Luke Romagnoli: What the holy hell are you?

[12:41] Azariah Seay: Briggs!

[12:41] Azariah Seay: Let's go.

[12:42] Azariah Seay: It's getting dark.

[12:43] Azariah Seay: I think I found one of those centipede things.

[12:45] Azariah Seay: It's all cut up.

[12:49] Luke Romagnoli: What did you say?

[12:50] Azariah Seay: Look.

[12:51] Azariah Seay: See?

[12:51] Azariah Seay: Right there under the brush.

[12:53] Luke Romagnoli: I can really.

[12:54] Luke Romagnoli: Jesus.

[12:55] Luke Romagnoli: Look at his legs.

[12:57] Luke Romagnoli: You can see its veins pumping in everything.

[13:00] Azariah Seay: I know.

[13:01] Azariah Seay: Ugly son of a gun, ain't it?

[13:02] Luke Romagnoli: It's like Deputy Wilk said.

[13:04] Luke Romagnoli: It's as big as a cat.

[13:07] Azariah Seay: Here, little guy.

[13:08] Azariah Seay: Come here.

[13:09] Luke Romagnoli: What the hell are you doing?

[13:10] Azariah Seay: Gonna kill it.

[13:11] Azariah Seay: Bring it back with us.

[13:13] Luke Romagnoli: Come on, ugly bug.

[13:15] Azariah Seay: Come here.

[13:16] Luke Romagnoli: Briggs, seriously.

[13:17] Luke Romagnoli: I wouldn't touch that thing.

[13:19] Azariah Seay: It's not gonna do anything.

[13:20] Azariah Seay: Looks like it got hurt bending up your daddy's sow.

[13:23] Luke Romagnoli: See?

[13:23] Luke Romagnoli: Holy crap.

[13:25] Luke Romagnoli: Look at those veins.

[13:26] Luke Romagnoli: All purple and white.

[13:28] Azariah Seay: Ew.

[13:29] Azariah Seay: Look at its eyes.

[13:30] Azariah Seay: It's got green and black all swirling together.

[13:34] Luke Romagnoli: Creepy.

[13:36] Azariah Seay: Come here, buggy bug bugs.

[13:38] Luke Romagnoli: Briggs.

[13:39] Luke Romagnoli: It's looking right at you.

[13:42] Azariah Seay: That's it.

[13:43] Azariah Seay: Come here.

[13:43] Azariah Seay: Almost!

[13:46] Unknown speaker: What a guy!

[13:46] Unknown speaker: I don't know.

[13:47] Unknown speaker: I I don't know.

[13:49] Unknown speaker: Over there.

[13:49] Unknown speaker: You see it?

[13:50] Unknown speaker: I think it's straight!

[13:51] Unknown speaker: Ah!

[13:52] Unknown speaker: It's sinking its legs into my back!

[13:54] Unknown speaker: It's digging its legs into my back!

[13:56] Unknown speaker: What should I do?

[13:57] Unknown speaker: What should I do?

[13:58] Unknown speaker: So use the saw!

[13:59] Unknown speaker: Cut it off!

[14:00] Unknown speaker: Oh god!

[14:00] Unknown speaker: Cut it over here!

[14:02] Unknown speaker: I got it!

[14:02] Unknown speaker: Kneel down!

[14:03] Unknown speaker: Come here!

[14:04] Unknown speaker: Kneel down, okay.

[14:05] Unknown speaker: I'm gonna cut it.

[14:05] Unknown speaker: I'm gonna Oh!

[14:07] Unknown speaker: No!

[14:07] Unknown speaker: Stop!

[14:08] Unknown speaker: I can feel!

[14:08] Unknown speaker: I can feel you!

[14:09] Unknown speaker: Cut it!

[14:10] Unknown speaker: Shoot!

[14:11] Unknown speaker: I'm sorry, Briggs!

[14:12] Unknown speaker: I'm sorry!

[14:13] Unknown speaker: I can feel everything!

[14:15] Unknown speaker: What should I do, Briggs?

[14:16] Unknown speaker: What do you want me to do?

[14:17] Unknown speaker: Don't cut it anymore!

[14:20] Unknown speaker: Don't cut it!

[14:20] Unknown speaker: Holy crap, Briggs!

[14:22] Unknown speaker: It's talking!

[14:23] Unknown speaker: That thing is talking!

[14:27] Unknown speaker: Oh god!

[14:28] Unknown speaker: Briggs!

[14:29] Unknown speaker: Is that your blood going through its legs?

[14:32] Unknown speaker: I feel I feel busy.

[14:35] Unknown speaker: I feel no Briggs!

[14:37] Unknown speaker: Briggs, stay with me!

[14:38] Unknown speaker: It's I can feel it's hungry.

[14:41] Unknown speaker: Briggs!

[14:42] Unknown speaker: Briggs, look at me, please!

[14:46] Unknown speaker: My Briggs!

[14:55] Unknown speaker: Gonna go get hope, okay?

[14:57] Unknown speaker: You stay right here!

[15:00] Unknown speaker: Gonna go get home.

[15:02] Unknown speaker: Oh I oh you said I'm a bit I got it, Briggs!

[15:02] Unknown speaker: I got it!

[15:15] Unknown speaker: I killed it!

[15:17] Unknown speaker: I killed it!

[15:18] Unknown speaker: I killed it!

[15:22] Unknown speaker: There's more of you!

[15:25] Unknown speaker: Come on then, you ugly sons of bitches!

[15:28] Unknown speaker: Come and get me!

[15:30] Unknown speaker: Come and get me!

[15:45] Nathan Shelton: Oh, well done!

[15:48] Nathan Shelton: You had my cold little black heart racing with excitement when that centipede creature burst from great performance you two and such an entertaining story.

[15:59] Nathan Shelton: I suppose well, I suppose these two can be spared.

[16:05] Unknown speaker: Really?

[16:05] Nathan Shelton: Yes, yes, yes.

[16:07] Nathan Shelton: Go on.

[16:08] Nathan Shelton: Bagaho.

[16:09] Unknown speaker: All right.

[16:09] Unknown speaker: Woo!

[16:10] Unknown speaker: That was fun.

[16:11] Unknown speaker: We should do it again sometime.

[16:13] Unknown speaker: Oh, look at them go.

[16:16] Unknown speaker: They grow up so fast.

[16:18] Unknown speaker: Hey, Dev, you see that?

[16:19] Unknown speaker: He just let them go.

[16:21] Unknown speaker: Yeah.

[16:21] Unknown speaker: Looks like he has a soft spot after all.

[16:24] Unknown speaker: Okay.

[16:24] Unknown speaker: How about we see just how many of these actors we can set free with our scary stories?

[16:29] Unknown speaker: Let's do it.

[16:30] Unknown speaker: All right.

[16:31] Unknown speaker: So which one should we do next?

[16:34] Unknown speaker: Here.

[16:34] Unknown speaker: We should obviously do this one.

[16:36] Unknown speaker: FIRST SHIFT by Leah Philbin.

[16:38] Unknown speaker: Okay, Doc.

[16:39] Unknown speaker: For this next story, we need two actors.

[16:41] Unknown speaker: It's about a worker's first day on the job, and she's getting a tour of the new workplace.

[16:45] Unknown speaker: But things are strange and bizarre and not what she was expecting.

[16:50] Nathan Shelton: Ah yes.

[16:51] Nathan Shelton: Yes, yes, yes, it is.

[16:52] Nathan Shelton: These two here should do the trick.

[16:54] Nathan Shelton: Hey, come on, you two.

[16:55] Nathan Shelton: Step forward.

[16:57] A.C. Daniel: Name's peace.

[16:58] Marian Thibodeau: Uh Marion Thibodeau.

[17:01] Mickey Lay: Mickey Leigh.

[17:02] Nathan Shelton: You.

[17:03] Nathan Shelton: How are you with accents?

[17:05] Marian Thibodeau: Okay, I guess.

[17:07] Nathan Shelton: That's the spirit.

[17:08] Nathan Shelton: Here are your scripts and step a little closer to the mics, please.

[17:11] Marian Thibodeau: Uh is this good?

[17:12] Nathan Shelton: That'll work.

[17:14] Nathan Shelton: Break a leg.

[17:16] Nathan Shelton: Literally.

[17:18] Nathan Shelton: Now gather around the goose light.

[17:20] Nathan Shelton: Sit back and enjoy.

[17:22] Nathan Shelton: This next story is called FIRST SHIFT.

[17:24] Nathan Shelton: Written by Leah Philbin.

[17:26] Unknown speaker: Philbin.

[17:29] Unknown speaker: Your destination is on your left.

[17:32] Unknown speaker: What?

[17:33] Unknown speaker: That can't be right.

[17:34] Unknown speaker: You've arrived at your destination.

[17:36] Unknown speaker: This place looks derelict.

[17:40] Unknown speaker: Hello.

[17:42] Unknown speaker: Brian.

[17:45] Unknown speaker: Ryan, are you there?

[17:55] Unknown speaker: Hello.

[17:58] Unknown speaker: Oh, there you are.

[18:00] Unknown speaker: Hello.

[18:01] Unknown speaker: Hi.

[18:02] Unknown speaker: I'm Kai.

[18:03] Unknown speaker: Hello, Kai.

[18:05] Unknown speaker: I'm I'm new here.

[18:07] Unknown speaker: I see.

[18:09] Unknown speaker: Are you Brian?

[18:10] Unknown speaker: No, I'm Todd.

[18:11] Unknown speaker: Oh, nice to meet you, Todd.

[18:15] Unknown speaker: Not much of a conversationalist, eh?

[18:18] Todd: Life is short.

[18:19] Todd: Small talk only makes it shorter.

[18:23] Unknown speaker: Fair enough.

[18:24] Unknown speaker: But the problem is I'm new.

[18:26] Todd: So you said.

[18:28] Todd: And because it's my first day, I was supposed to meet Brian here so he could train me up.

[18:33] Todd: They said that a shift would start at the same time as mine so he could do my induction.

[18:36] Unknown speaker: Who told you that?

[18:38] Todd: Brian isn't even working today.

[18:40] Unknown speaker: Hang on, let me check my phone.

[18:42] Unknown speaker: Let's see.

[18:45] Unknown speaker: Uh yeah.

[18:46] Unknown speaker: Brenda Davies from Crystal Lake Recruitment Agency.

[18:49] Unknown speaker: She emailed me.

[18:50] Todd: Oh, did she now?

[18:51] Todd: And did Brenda Davies warn you about the high staff turnover we have here?

[18:57] Unknown speaker: She didn't.

[18:58] Todd: Well, I'm sure you'll find out soon enough.

[19:01] Todd: Have you ever worked as a security guard before?

[19:03] Unknown speaker: No.

[19:04] Todd: For God's sake.

[19:06] Todd: I'm a kickboxer.

[19:07] Todd: We just need you to monitor the building.

[19:10] Todd: Walk around regularly to check for squatters and the like, make sure people don't break in.

[19:14] Todd: None of that involves kicking people.

[19:16] Todd: But we may need to throw people out if they break in to protect the building.

[19:19] Todd: Trust me.

[19:20] Todd: It's the people who break in that need protecting.

[19:23] Unknown speaker: I don't understand.

[19:25] Todd: Tell you what, let me show you around.

[19:28] Todd: Kai, did anyone explain the ten rules?

[19:32] Unknown speaker: The rules for working here?

[19:33] Todd: Yes, Brenda sent them with the contract.

[19:35] Todd: They are very important.

[19:37] Todd: Have you memorized them?

[19:40] Unknown speaker: No.

[19:41] Unknown speaker: I haven't read them yet.

[19:43] Todd: Where the hell did they find you?

[19:45] Todd: LinkedIn?

[19:47] Unknown speaker: Well, fortunately for you, I have a spare copy.

[19:51] Todd: Hang on.

[19:53] Todd: Learn these.

[19:55] Todd: They'll keep you safe.

[19:56] Unknown speaker: Okay.

[19:58] Todd: It's very important you understand that this is a highly unique building.

[20:02] Todd: Things are not as they seem.

[20:04] Unknown speaker: I don't follow.

[20:06] Todd: Put it this way.

[20:07] Todd: Did you never wonder why a basic security job paid so well?

[20:11] Unknown speaker: Well, I didn't want to push my luck by asking.

[20:14] Unknown speaker: It was this or McDonald's.

[20:16] Todd: Many strange and unexplainable things happen here, and it can be very dangerous.

[20:20] Todd: You might want to read those rules.

[20:23] Todd: Rule one.

[20:24] Todd: Do not drink the tap water.

[20:26] Todd: You may wash your hands, providing the water isn't purple or red.

[20:30] Todd: Red water stinks.

[20:32] Todd: Purple water will melt away your skin.

[20:34] Unknown speaker: What's so funny?

[20:35] Todd: Well, this.

[20:37] Todd: Obviously, it's a joke.

[20:38] Todd: You tried telling that to the last lad, Brenda sent.

[20:40] Todd: He didn't even make it past the first day.

[20:43] Unknown speaker: I see.

[20:45] Unknown speaker: Well.

[20:46] Unknown speaker: What the hell?

[20:48] Unknown speaker: The water, it's purple.

[20:51] Todd: Which means.

[20:52] Unknown speaker: Sorry?

[20:53] Todd: The rule.

[20:54] Unknown speaker: Oh!

[20:55] Todd: Purple is bad.

[20:56] Unknown speaker: How did you do that?

[20:58] Todd: Is this some kind of optical illusion?

[21:00] Todd: Creative first day hazing.

[21:02] Unknown speaker: Just don't forget to check the color of the water before you wash your hands.

[21:06] Todd: Tell you what, I'll just avoid the taps altogether.

[21:09] Todd: I have hand sanitizer.

[21:12] Todd: Rule two.

[21:13] Todd: If you hear screaming coming from the seventh floor, enter the elevator car, press the seven floor button, and then exit immediately.

[21:20] Todd: Do not, under any circumstances, stay in the elevator as it reaches the seventh floor.

[21:25] Todd: It isn't fair on Mary.

[21:27] Unknown speaker: Who's Mary?

[21:28] Todd: Our cleaner.

[21:29] Todd: It'll take her hours to scrape you off the walls.

[21:31] Unknown speaker: I don't fancy being human wallpaper.

[21:36] Unknown speaker: I'll give it a miss.

[21:40] Unknown speaker: What was that?

[21:41] Unknown speaker: What was what?

[21:42] Unknown speaker: The blood-curdling scream?

[21:44] Todd: Oh, I didn't notice.

[21:46] Todd: Don't worry, you'll get used to that.

[21:48] Unknown speaker: I'm not sure I want to get used to that.

[21:51] Unknown speaker: This is the boiler room?

[21:53] Todd: Do you want to take a look?

[21:55] Unknown speaker: It sounds a bit hazardous in there.

[21:57] Unknown speaker: I'm worried I might get electrocuted.

[21:59] Todd: Oh, that'll be the least of your problems.

[22:01] Todd: I suggest checking rule number three.

[22:03] Unknown speaker: Okay.

[22:05] Unknown speaker: Rule three.

[22:06] Unknown speaker: During a power cut, reset the fuse box in the boiler room.

[22:09] Unknown speaker: You may use your flashlight, but do not point it at the ceiling and definitely do not look up.

[22:14] Todd: Remember, as long as you can't see them, they can't see you.

[22:20] Unknown speaker: Listen to them go, the scamps.

[22:22] Todd: Just don't shine your light at them, you'll be fine.

[22:25] Todd: You'll probably be fine.

[22:28] Todd: Possibly.

[22:31] Unknown speaker: I'm starting to have second thoughts about this, Todd.

[22:35] Unknown speaker: Can I ask you something?

[22:37] Unknown speaker: How long have you worked here?

[22:38] Todd: Longer than you've been alive.

[22:40] Unknown speaker: How old do you think I am?

[22:42] Todd: I don't know.

[22:43] Todd: Twelve?

[22:44] Unknown speaker: Anyway, the stairs are here.

[22:46] Todd: In the event of an emergency, never use the lifts.

[22:48] Unknown speaker: Why?

[22:49] Todd: Because the elevator monster will swallow me whole.

[22:52] Unknown speaker: No, to avoid being trapped inside if the power fails.

[22:55] Unknown speaker: Oh.

[22:56] Unknown speaker: Yeah, that makes sense.

[22:57] Todd: Speaking of fires, keep going.

[23:01] Todd: Rule four.

[23:02] Todd: If the fire alarm goes off between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m., ignore it.

[23:06] Todd: They're just trying to catch you out.

[23:08] Unknown speaker: Who is trying to catch me out?

[23:10] Todd: And here's a map of the building.

[23:11] Todd: There are six floors plus a basement.

[23:15] Unknown speaker: Todd.

[23:16] Unknown speaker: Has anything bad ever happened to you in this building?

[23:20] Todd: Such as nothing.

[23:24] Unknown speaker: Forget it.

[23:25] Todd: Don't worry.

[23:26] Unknown speaker: I will.

[23:26] Todd: You're not very memorable.

[23:28] Todd: Anyway, here are some of the old warehouse entrances.

[23:31] Todd: Just keep an eye on 'em and always follow rule five.

[23:34] Unknown speaker: Um, rule five.

[23:36] Todd: When visiting the warehouses, you must turn on the overhead lights before you enter.

[23:40] Todd: They can move a lot faster than you in the dark.

[23:43] Unknown speaker: What moves faster?

[23:44] Todd: Might be clearer if I open the door.

[23:52] Unknown speaker: Tod, I'm worried.

[23:55] Unknown speaker: This sounds really bad.

[23:57] Unknown speaker: Inhuman, even.

[23:58] Todd: I'm not sure I over here is the staff kitchen.

[24:01] Todd: Julia made a birthday cake.

[24:03] Todd: Help yourself.

[24:04] Todd: But Todd Oh wait, wait!

[24:07] Todd: You're not allergic to nuts, are you?

[24:09] Unknown speaker: Uh no.

[24:11] Todd: You'll be fine then.

[24:12] Todd: Julie has a tendency to slip macadamia's in there.

[24:15] Todd: They look suspiciously like chocolate chips.

[24:18] Unknown speaker: Such a disappointment.

[24:20] Todd: Moving on.

[24:22] Todd: Quick bit of advice.

[24:24] Todd: Might be best to keep it down and keep reading.

[24:28] Unknown speaker: Okay.

[24:29] Unknown speaker: Rule six.

[24:30] Unknown speaker: If you cross paths with the man in the bowler hat, never look him in the eye.

[24:34] Todd: Or he'll be the last thing you'll ever see.

[24:36] Todd: To the left, we have the storage room.

[24:38] Unknown speaker: Is it?

[24:39] Unknown speaker: Um is it safe in here?

[24:42] Todd: Considering it's just full of boxes, I'd say you'll be fine.

[24:45] Unknown speaker: I meant the building.

[24:46] Unknown speaker: Is it safe to work here?

[24:48] Todd: Probably not.

[24:56] Todd: Just don't veer from the rules.

[24:58] Todd: You won't find any sympathy if you ignore the warnings you've been given.

[25:01] Unknown speaker: Got it.

[25:02] Unknown speaker: Seven.

[25:03] Unknown speaker: The kitchen on floor two should always be locked.

[25:06] Unknown speaker: If you ever see the kitchen door open, run.

[25:10] Unknown speaker: Todd?

[25:11] Unknown speaker: Has anyone ever hurt you in here?

[25:14] Todd: Long time ago, but I've moved on.

[25:17] Todd: If you look left, you'll see the fire escape, and right is the staff room.

[25:21] Unknown speaker: Oh, what the hell is that?

[25:23] Todd: Oh, that'll be Marjorie.

[25:25] Todd: I'm guessing she's having a bit of bottle with our friends on floor four.

[25:28] Todd: But next rule we'll cover that.

[25:30] Todd: Number eight.

[25:32] Todd: There is a chainsaw in the fourth floor bathroom.

[25:35] Todd: Do not remove it unless essential.

[25:37] Todd: If escape is impossible, start up the chainsaw and immediately exit via the stairs.

[25:41] Todd: But be warned, their weapons are bigger and sharper.

[25:47] Unknown speaker: That's a shame.

[25:49] Unknown speaker: I liked Marjorie.

[25:50] Todd: What the hell?

[25:52] Todd: Well you have the stairs to the right, and the basement is just down here.

[25:55] Todd: Don't forget about rule nine.

[25:57] Unknown speaker: What?

[25:58] Unknown speaker: Oh.

[25:58] Unknown speaker: Rule nine.

[25:59] Unknown speaker: At the start of your shift, always leave a nickel on the doormat in reception.

[26:03] Unknown speaker: If it's still there when you return, urgently evacuate the building.

[26:07] Unknown speaker: I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed, Todd.

[26:10] Todd: Just down these stairs.

[26:11] Unknown speaker: What if I forget?

[26:12] Unknown speaker: Or get them mixed up in a what if I don't have a nickel on me?

[26:15] Unknown speaker: Will a dollar suffice?

[26:16] Todd: And here we have the basement.

[26:18] Unknown speaker: Oh, sweet Jesus, what are the rules down here?

[26:20] Todd: Knock three times before entering.

[26:22] Todd: Do not turn on the lights on a Tuesday.

[26:23] Todd: Throw salt over your shoulder if you hear a loud noise.

[26:26] Unknown speaker: No, Kai, it's just the basement.

[26:30] Unknown speaker: Oh.

[26:31] Unknown speaker: Okay.

[26:33] Unknown speaker: So are you ready to start?

[26:35] Unknown speaker: Honestly, I don't know.

[26:37] Unknown speaker: It sounds like a lot to take in and wait.

[26:40] Unknown speaker: Something's missing.

[26:41] Unknown speaker: What do you mean?

[26:42] Unknown speaker: Well, you said there were ten rules, Todd.

[26:44] Unknown speaker: There's only nine on here.

[26:46] Todd: Turn over the page.

[26:51] Todd: Rule 10.

[26:53] Todd: Do not trust Todd.

[26:55] Todd: And do not under any circumstances let him take you to the basement.

[27:00] Unknown speaker: You really should have read the rules, Kai.

[27:17] Nathan Shelton: Oh, that was such a delightfully terrifying tale.

[27:21] Nathan Shelton: Todd's my new hero.

[27:22] Nathan Shelton: And I love what you did with your voice.

[27:25] Unknown speaker: Thanks.

[27:26] Unknown speaker: And you, uh Dev, was it?

[27:29] Unknown speaker: Devon?

[27:30] Unknown speaker: Such a scarefully executed job with those sound effects.

[27:34] Unknown speaker: It felt like I was right there in the story.

[27:37] Unknown speaker: Right there on the job with it.

[27:39] Unknown speaker: Mission accomplished.

[27:41] Nathan Shelton: So what you think, Doc? Do they pass your test?

[27:43] Jonathan Cook: Uh, not going to lie, it might be tough to carve up their hearts now that I've heard such grand performances.

[27:50] Unknown speaker: So can we go?

[27:52] Unknown speaker: Skidaddle, you little fiends.

[27:55] Unknown speaker: Boop!

[27:56] Jonathan Cook: All right, Doc, just uh give us a sec to line up our next story, and we will be right with you.

[28:00] Nathan Shelton: Fine, fine, but don't keep me waiting too long.

[28:04] Unknown speaker: Hey, I told you to keep your rope on.

[28:08] Unknown speaker: Your wretched face is going twitch if you don't get that rope back on.

[28:11] Unknown speaker: What does that even mean?

[28:12] Unknown speaker: Ugh, it's so hard to dig up good help around here.

[28:16] Unknown speaker: It's working.

[28:17] Unknown speaker: Just like with the last play, he let these actors go free too.

[28:20] Unknown speaker: Yeah, yeah, let's keep this going.

[28:22] Unknown speaker: Okay, uh, what story do you think we should do next?

[28:24] Unknown speaker: Uh we still have the zombie one, or there's also the eerie jogger story.

[28:28] Unknown speaker: Oh, wait a minute. How about this one?

[28:30] Unknown speaker: A queer horror comedy by John Bavoso.

[28:33] Unknown speaker: Ooh, good choice.

[28:35] Jonathan Cook: Okay, Doc. I think we're all set. We're gonna need four actors for this next story.

[28:40] Nathan Shelton: Who would you suggest?

[28:41] Unknown speaker: Hmm.

[28:42] Unknown speaker: What's the next one about?

[28:44] Unknown speaker: On a dark and stormy night?

[28:46] Unknown speaker: Oh, wait, I have something for this on a dark and stormy night.

[28:56] Unknown speaker: A writer is confronted by two characters from his novels.

[29:00] Unknown speaker: Two characters he killed off who want revenge.

[29:04] Unknown speaker: Ooh, I can't wait to hear this one.

[29:07] Unknown speaker: How about you, you, and uh you, and you there with the uh twisty hair.

[29:13] Unknown speaker: Are you trying to say curly?

[29:15] Unknown speaker: Come on, come on, we don't have much time.

[29:17] Unknown speaker: And here are your scripts, and uh your name, please.

[29:20] Robb Smith: Robb Smith, you know, from the podcast Chewing the Fat with Big Rob?

[29:24] Unknown speaker: Sure. You'll be playing the novelist Carter Hayes.

[29:27] Robb Smith: What a novel idea. See what I did.

[29:29] Unknown speaker: You sure he's not a podcaster, though? Because I'm a podcaster.

[29:32] Unknown speaker: Aren't we all?

[29:33] Unknown speaker: And uh, how about you? Your name?

[29:34] Wesley Pierson: Uh Wesley Pearson?

[29:36] Unknown speaker: You're gonna be playing Jack.

[29:38] Wesley Pierson: What's he like?

[29:40] Unknown speaker: He's darkly fabulous.

[29:42] Wesley Pierson: Ooh, I'm down.

[29:44] Unknown speaker: And you with the uh the the twisty hair.

[29:47] Pepper Wren: My name is Pepper Wren.

[29:50] Unknown speaker: Okay, you're gonna be playing Lexa.

[29:51] Pepper Wren: And who is she?

[29:53] Unknown speaker: She's wily and menacing.

[29:56] Pepper Wren: My kind of gal.

[29:57] Unknown speaker: And you are?

[29:58] A.C. Daniel: Oh, uh Mac Ridell.

[29:59] Unknown speaker: Okay, you're gonna be playing Oscar.

[30:01] A.C. Daniel: What's Oscar like?

[30:04] Unknown speaker: No spoilers. He'll be a mystery for now.

[30:07] Unknown speaker: Ooh, how exciting. Everyone ready?

[30:10] Unknown speaker: Action or whatever.

[30:11] Unknown speaker: You got the little clicker thingy? Where's the camera?

[30:13] Unknown speaker: A storm rages outside as novelist Carter Hayes speaks on the phone with his spouse.

[30:19] Unknown speaker: A thunderstrike makes the lights hauntingly flicker.

[30:24] Unknown speaker: Now, gather round the ghost light, sit back and enjoy. This is Unburied.

[30:30] Unknown speaker: Written by John Bavoso.

[30:40] Carter Hayes: Sweetheart, hi. While you're out, do you think you could stop by the liquor store? I'm running low on Singamall.

[30:45] Unknown speaker: Yes, I see it's raining. But you're already out, are you not?

[30:52] Carter Hayes: What's the worst that can happen? You get wetter?

[30:54] Unknown speaker: Perfect. No, I turned the porch light out. Not interested in distractions tonight. Get home safe. Love you. Bye.

[31:15] Carter Hayes: Seriously? A power outage during a stormy Halloween night. You may be omniscient, but you're a real hack writer.

[31:24] Unknown speaker: Hello? Sweetheart?

[31:25] Unknown speaker: You who Carter.

[31:29] Unknown speaker: Who the hell are you?

[31:30] Unknown speaker: We will get to that in due time, Carter. Why don't you take a seat?

[31:35] Carter Hayes: How did you get in here?

[31:36] Unknown speaker: It wasn't hard. We know every inch of this place. We were born here after all.

[31:41] Carter Hayes: That's that's not you we own this house.

[31:43] Unknown speaker: Today is a day for the impossible. For the tables to turn.

[31:47] Carter Hayes: Look, look, my wallet's upstairs. Let me run grab it for you.

[31:50] Unknown speaker: What would we do with money? Besides, we know better than to come to a writer for cash, even one as successful as you. We're dead, not brain dead.

[32:00] Unknown speaker: Did you just say you're just a bit of foreshadowing?

[32:03] Unknown speaker: You're familiar with the concept?

[32:05] Carter Hayes: I don't know who you people are.

[32:07] Unknown speaker: Oh, you know us. Better than anyone in the world.

[32:10] Carter Hayes: I really think you have me confused with someone else.

[32:13] Unknown speaker: You're the one who's not getting it. What do you think? Is it time for some exposition?

[32:21] Carter Hayes: I guess. It's just so disappointing when you've got to spell every little thing out for your audience.

[32:28] Unknown speaker: Let's see if any of this jogs your memory. Imagine me, once the picture of health and reckless vitality. Now wasting away in a hospital bed. Pitiful and dying, forsaken by the world.

[32:45] Unknown speaker: Punishment for my promiscuity and hubris. My death will one day inspire some niece or nephew, the only member of my family who has not shunned me to go out and live boldly. But also be afraid of sexual intercourse.

[33:01] Unknown speaker: It's your turn, dear. Oh, and your head wound is leaking again.

[33:07] Unknown speaker: Takes one to know one. It's the not too distant future, and the sexual tension between me and my female best friend has been building for years.

[33:17] Unknown speaker: Until one night, we finally let go and find transcendence and ecstasy in each other's arms. But the next morning, I go out to get coffee and wham! By a bus, which is apparently a thing they still have in the future.

[33:34] Unknown speaker: My death will shatter our heroine's heart and drive her into the open arms of the male protagonist with whom she was always meant to be.

[33:45] Unknown speaker: Jack and Lexa?

[33:48] Unknown speaker: Ding ding ding. Daddy, we've come home. And we brought knives.

[33:53] Carter Hayes: Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Now hold on. Cosplay is one thing. This is taking it way too far.

[34:00] Unknown speaker: This is my home.

[34:00] Unknown speaker: We know it was a very formative space for us. And these aren't costumes. We're as real as you are.

[34:08] Carter Hayes: That's not possible. I made you up.

[34:11] Unknown speaker: And now we've got lives of our own. And agency. Welcome to Parenthood.

[34:16] Carter Hayes: If you really believe you are who you say you are, prove it.

[34:20] Unknown speaker: Is the head wound gushing onto your carpet not enough for you?

[34:24] Carter Hayes: I believe you're human. You're corporeal beings, obviously. But I absolutely do not believe your fictional characters come to life.

[34:34] Unknown speaker: And while I appreciate the fandom or whatever, I'm going to be calling the cops.

[34:40] Unknown speaker: I see we're going to have to do the whole song and dance.

[34:43] Unknown speaker: Go ahead. Give him the old razzle dazzle.

[34:45] Unknown speaker: In the first draft, I was actually a dude. Philip was my name, I believe. But a boring old opposite sex romance would never generate the kind of buzz that the second installment of a trilogy desperately needs.

[34:59] Carter Hayes: How do you? I never showed anyone that draft except my editor.

[35:03] Unknown speaker: Wait. Dad Richard put you up to this. Richard, you can come out now. You asshole. You really had me going there for a second.

[35:12] Unknown speaker: It's rude to interrupt. As for me, I was always destined to die, but just of some run-of-the-mill cancer.

[35:19] Unknown speaker: But you don't get to pose the same kinds of questions about morality and personal responsibility when the death sentence isn't sexually transmitted, you know?

[35:28] Unknown speaker: Cancer. Pancreatic. Purple looked great with my skin tone. Back when I had one.

[35:36] Carter Hayes: I completely forgot. My god. It's really you. But this is how is this possible?

[35:43] Unknown speaker: We're actually not totally sure, but queer folks have gotten super into witchcraft since the 2016 election.

[35:50] Unknown speaker: So what are you doing here?

[35:52] Unknown speaker: Oh, that one's easy. We're here for revenge.

[35:56] Carter Hayes: For what?

[35:57] Unknown speaker: I created you.

[35:58] Unknown speaker: You created us just so you could kill us in tragic and off-puttingly sentimental ways that aligned with your work's predictably heteronormative themes. Titulate your queer fan base and then teach them a lesson.

[36:10] Carter Hayes: That's not I didn't. I love you. I birthed you. Haven't you heard of killing your darlings?

[36:17] Unknown speaker: Huh. Weird how none of your other darlings have ever been straight. Unlike the breeders, you forgot to give us indestructible plot armor.

[36:25] Carter Hayes: This is insane. You do know gay people die in real life, don't you? So why shouldn't they in my books as well?

[36:32] Unknown speaker: You're just not getting it, are you? And you certainly didn't gift us with the patience or impulse control needed to continue explaining it to you.

[36:41] Unknown speaker: What do you say we start showing instead of telling?

[36:46] Unknown speaker: My pleasure.

[36:47] Unknown speaker: Where the hell did you get that rope from?

[36:50] Unknown speaker: You picked a real strange time to suddenly start caring about convenient plot holes, Pops.

[36:55] Unknown speaker: Tie 'em up.

[36:56] Carter Hayes: What are you going to do to me?

[36:58] Unknown speaker: Something deeply symbolic, of course. Take away someone you love.

[37:03] Unknown speaker: And there's check off spouse now. Uh I mean gagging his more style. But we're improvising here. Now, time to write wifey out of this story.

[37:14] Unknown speaker: We're good. They were out of your usual brand, but the guy at the counter said the scotch is just as who the hell are you?

[37:22] A.C. Daniel: Uh I'm Oscar, and this is my house. And that's my husband you've got tied to a chair.

[37:28] Unknown speaker: Maybe it's the head wound talking, but what the actual fuck?

[37:33] Unknown speaker: You're married?

[37:35] Unknown speaker: Just stand there, you idiot. Run. Get help.

[37:38] Unknown speaker: I wouldn't do that if I were you, sweetheart.

[37:41] Unknown speaker: You're married to a You're queer. Bent, a friend of Dorothy, family.

[37:48] A.C. Daniel: Guilty as charged. But you're how how could you How could I what?

[37:53] Unknown speaker: Not throw a pride flag on the cover of every book, ghetto my writing by chucking it in with the lowbrow anti-intellectual lobotomized drill that is gay popular culture. No thanks. I wanted an actual career. I earned it.

[38:07] Unknown speaker: What about your readers? Your queer fans.

[38:09] A.C. Daniel: I told him he didn't have to.

[38:11] Unknown speaker: Oscar. Can you please not undermine me in front of our guests?

[38:16] Unknown speaker: As to your question, I didn't grow up with any gay role models, and I turned out just fine.

[38:22] Unknown speaker: You're even more of a monster than we thought.

[38:25] Unknown speaker: Sister, you may have been brought to life tonight, but you sure do sound like you were born yesterday.

[38:31] Unknown speaker: Stop! You need to leave my home.

[38:34] Unknown speaker: Now he's got a gun.

[38:36] Unknown speaker: He's not gonna I don't want to, but I need you to go.

[38:40] Unknown speaker: Please, you've got the lives you wanted, a second chance to lead the lives you want on your own terms. You don't need this.

[38:50] Unknown speaker: Fine. This isn't over, old man. See you in hell, Daddy dearest.

[39:03] Unknown speaker: Oh, thank God, honey. That was a little too close for comfort.

[39:09] Unknown speaker: Well, are you gonna untie me or just stand around looking like a sad puppy dog?

[39:14] Unknown speaker: Hey, hey, hey, hey, you can put the gun down now, sweetheart. We're safe.

[39:19] Unknown speaker: Where'd you get a pistol anyway?

[39:22] Unknown speaker: That was my first errand tonight. The one I did for me, not as your pathetic little servant.

[39:31] Unknown speaker: I never called you You've called me lots of other things. Every name in the book, really.

[39:37] Unknown speaker: Speaking of which, you know, I like books too. Not just the pretentious crap you write.

[39:45] Unknown speaker: You'd be amazed at the kind of occult goodies you can find at the antique stores downtown.

[39:53] Unknown speaker: Since when do you wait? You that bit of summoning was just some karmic fun.

[40:00] Unknown speaker: This beauty here in my hand is gonna do the real work.

[40:04] Carter Hayes: You're gonna you're gonna shoot me? You can't be serious. You could never.

[40:16] Unknown speaker: I think I'll do just fine. True crime has never been hotter.

[40:23] Unknown speaker: Time for me to finally be the protagonist of my own story.

[40:28] Carter Hayes: Oscar, wait!

[40:40] Unknown speaker: Hello. Please help me, please. My husband's been shot. He's not. He's not breathing. Please send someone now.

[40:49] Unknown speaker: My God. I don't know. I I just got home, and when I pulled into the driveway, I saw a man and a woman running away from the house.

[40:58] Unknown speaker: Yes, uh two eight zero Vasquez place. Please hurry.

[41:22] Unknown speaker: Ah, indeed.

[41:24] Unknown speaker: Oh are we good to go?

[41:26] Unknown speaker: Or you were all frighteningly fabulous.

[41:29] Nathan Shelton: Of course I can't sacrifice any of you.

[41:31] Unknown speaker: You heard the duck.

[41:32] Nathan Shelton: Be gone.

[41:33] Nathan Shelton: Yes, be gone, my little beasties.

[41:36] Nathan Shelton: Oh, this is fun.

[41:38] Nathan Shelton: What's next?

[41:39] Nathan Shelton: This next scary tale is for all the zombie fans out there.

[41:43] Unknown speaker: What did you say?

[41:46] Unknown speaker: Oh my god, why is he looking at me like that?

[41:49] Unknown speaker: How dare you?

[41:50] Unknown speaker: He's speaking in all capital letters.

[41:52] Unknown speaker: What what is happening right now?

[41:54] Unknown speaker: Duck?

[41:55] Unknown speaker: Is everything okay?

[42:07] Unknown speaker: Don't you know the C word is not politically correct anymore?

[42:12] Unknown speaker: What?

[42:12] Unknown speaker: Zombies?

[42:13] Unknown speaker: Stop saying that.

[42:14] Unknown speaker: You'll being insensitive.

[42:16] Unknown speaker: Well, what should we call them instead?

[42:18] Unknown speaker: So many options.

[42:20] Unknown speaker: Undead, living dead, walkers, stalkers, shamblers, bitters, lurkers, crooners, ghouls.

[42:24] Unknown speaker: Oh, okay, okay, we get it.

[42:26] Nathan Shelton: Okay, for this story, we're gonna need three actors.

[42:28] Nathan Shelton: Preferably ones that can groan like a zon like like the living dead.

[42:33] Unknown speaker: Oh, perfect.

[42:34] Nathan Shelton: I know exactly where you fits that.

[42:37] Nathan Shelton: Great.

[42:38] Nathan Shelton: Here's an eager three for you.

[42:41] Brad King: Your name?

[42:42] Brad King: Brad King.

[42:43] Nathan Shelton: Here is your script.

[42:44] Nathan Shelton: Uh, you're gonna be Clint.

[42:46] Nathan Shelton: He's a grizzled veteran and a survivalist, equipped to handle anything the world throws at him.

[42:51] Nathan Shelton: But he also has a sensitive side.

[42:54] Nathan Shelton: And you come over here.

[42:55] Unknown speaker: Yeah, me?

[42:56] Nathan Shelton: Yeah, here's your script.

[42:57] Nathan Shelton: You'll be hey.

[42:59] Unknown speaker: Wait a minute.

[43:00] Unknown speaker: I recognize you.

[43:01] Unknown speaker: What's your name?

[43:01] Michael Silvio Fortino: It's Michael Silvio Fortino.

[43:03] Nathan Shelton: Didn't you play the gas station cashier in season three of Stranger Things?

[43:07] Michael Silvio Fortino: Hey, I thought you looked familiar.

[43:10] Michael Silvio Fortino: Your character's name was Ricky, right?

[43:12] Michael Silvio Fortino: Yeah.

[43:13] Michael Silvio Fortino: Yeah, that was uh Yeah, that was me.

[43:15] Michael Silvio Fortino: That was uh start the costume.

[43:17] Nathan Shelton: Well, today you get to play Evan, a desperate young man doing whatever he can to survive the apocalypse.

[43:24] Nathan Shelton: Right on.

[43:25] Nathan Shelton: And you are uh Karla Daly.

[43:27] Nathan Shelton: You'll be playing Evan's part-time girlfriend.

[43:29] Karla Daly: Part-time?

[43:30] Karla Daly: What do you what does that even mean?

[43:33] Nathan Shelton: You'll see.

[43:34] Nathan Shelton: This one is called Let the DEAD BURY the Dead.

[43:38] Nathan Shelton: Good title.

[43:39] Nathan Shelton: Written by Mike Brannon.

[43:41] Nathan Shelton: Brennan.

[43:48] Unknown speaker: In here.

[43:49] Unknown speaker: Damn it, you idiot.

[43:50] Unknown speaker: Get in the barn.

[43:52] Unknown speaker: Oh my god.

[43:53] Unknown speaker: Oh my god.

[43:53] Unknown speaker: Shut up.

[43:53] Unknown speaker: Oh my god.

[43:55] Unknown speaker: Get in the barn.

[43:55] Unknown speaker: Jesus!

[43:56] Unknown speaker: Jesus, they're everywhere!

[43:57] Unknown speaker: Did they follow us here?

[43:58] Unknown speaker: Did they follow us?

[44:00] Unknown speaker: I've never seen a zombie swarm that large.

[44:02] Unknown speaker: I thought we'd be okay in the RV.

[44:03] Unknown speaker: I thought we'd be okay.

[44:05] Unknown speaker: Jesus Christ, they're everywhere.

[44:07] Unknown speaker: Keep it down.

[44:09] Unknown speaker: I'm sorry.

[44:09] Unknown speaker: I'm just a little freaked out.

[44:11] Unknown speaker: Jesus, I've never seen so many.

[44:13] Unknown speaker: Jesus.

[44:14] Unknown speaker: Wait.

[44:15] Unknown speaker: Hold on.

[44:16] Unknown speaker: Karen, where's Karen?

[44:18] Unknown speaker: What happened to Karen?

[44:19] Unknown speaker: Who?

[44:19] Unknown speaker: My girlfriend.

[44:20] Unknown speaker: She was in the RB with me.

[44:21] Unknown speaker: Did she get out?

[44:22] Unknown speaker: Is she okay?

[44:25] Unknown speaker: Karen!

[44:27] Unknown speaker: Fuck away from the door!

[44:29] Unknown speaker: Are you out of your goddamn mind?

[44:31] Unknown speaker: I'm sorry.

[44:31] Unknown speaker: Sorry, it's just well, I mean, Karen and I, we've only been together for a few months, but I I I I I can't believe it.

[44:39] Unknown speaker: It's okay.

[44:41] Unknown speaker: I understand.

[44:42] Unknown speaker: Here.

[44:43] Unknown speaker: Take this flask and drink.

[44:46] Unknown speaker: If it makes you feel any better, it was too late for her.

[44:50] Unknown speaker: The swarm was overpowering.

[44:52] Unknown speaker: There's no way she survived.

[44:53] Unknown speaker: Sure, but I I mean if if somehow there was a way.

[44:57] Unknown speaker: There wasn't.

[44:58] Unknown speaker: Trust me.

[45:00] Unknown speaker: Drink.

[45:03] Unknown speaker: Oh what the hell?

[45:05] Unknown speaker: What is this paint thinner?

[45:06] Unknown speaker: Ever clear 151.

[45:08] Unknown speaker: It's close enough, I suppose.

[45:09] Unknown speaker: Shit.

[45:10] Unknown speaker: It's almost pure grain alcohol.

[45:11] Unknown speaker: This stuff is strong enough to eat a hole through your stomach lining.

[45:15] Unknown speaker: You got some kind of plan to live forever?

[45:17] Unknown speaker: I guess not.

[45:19] Unknown speaker: Yes, none of us do.

[45:25] Unknown speaker: I mean, I suppose I should feel lucky to be alive.

[45:27] Unknown speaker: It's just a a few months ago I was a uh pharmaceutical rep with a nice cushy office.

[45:32] Unknown speaker: Now look at me.

[45:33] Unknown speaker: Dirty, bleeding, scared, all the shit.

[45:35] Unknown speaker: I mean, I can't stop shaking.

[45:37] Unknown speaker: Look!

[45:37] Unknown speaker: Look here, I can't stop shaking.

[45:40] Unknown speaker: Man, when those hokey things lunged through my windows, I thought I was done for.

[45:44] Unknown speaker: And then you shot that big bald guy with the yellow eyes and dragged me off to safety.

[45:49] Unknown speaker: Don't mention it.

[45:52] Unknown speaker: How you feeling?

[45:53] Unknown speaker: How am I feeling?

[45:55] Unknown speaker: Feeling good.

[45:57] Unknown speaker: I'm feeling okay.

[45:59] Unknown speaker: To be honest with you, I think I'm feeling.

[46:02] Unknown speaker: Wait a minute.

[46:04] Unknown speaker: What the hell?

[46:05] Unknown speaker: Did you just poison me?

[46:07] Unknown speaker: Is that your plan?

[46:08] Unknown speaker: Drug me, torture me, perform some sort of sadist Edgar Allan Poe pit in the pendulum type shit on me.

[46:14] Unknown speaker: Is that your plan?

[46:14] Unknown speaker: You sick son of a bitch.

[46:16] Unknown speaker: Answer me!

[46:18] Unknown speaker: Answer me.

[46:21] Unknown speaker: You're right.

[46:23] Unknown speaker: Right, I'm sorry.

[46:23] Unknown speaker: That's that's crazy talk.

[46:25] Unknown speaker: I know you didn't poison me.

[46:27] Unknown speaker: Sorry, everything that's happened.

[46:28] Unknown speaker: I guess we all go a little bit crazy sometimes.

[46:32] Unknown speaker: It's alright.

[46:33] Unknown speaker: I understand.

[46:35] Unknown speaker: Times like these.

[46:37] Unknown speaker: Seems like every B movie horror cliche suddenly applies.

[46:43] Unknown speaker: Hello?

[46:44] Unknown speaker: Hello, is anybody in there?

[46:46] Unknown speaker: Karen?

[46:47] Unknown speaker: Evan?

[46:48] Unknown speaker: Evan is that.

[46:52] Unknown speaker: Let me go.

[46:53] Unknown speaker: She's she's already gone, son.

[46:55] Unknown speaker: She's bit and she'll turn.

[46:56] Unknown speaker: She's already dead.

[46:57] Unknown speaker: You have to let her go.

[47:00] Unknown speaker: What are you talking about?

[47:01] Unknown speaker: I hear her.

[47:01] Unknown speaker: She's alive.

[47:02] Unknown speaker: She's right there.

[47:04] Unknown speaker: You want proof?

[47:05] Unknown speaker: You wanna see?

[47:06] Unknown speaker: Here.

[47:12] Unknown speaker: What do you think you're doing?

[47:18] Unknown speaker: Evan.

[47:20] Unknown speaker: Evan, I don't.

[47:22] Unknown speaker: I don't think I can.

[47:26] Unknown speaker: Karen!

[47:27] Unknown speaker: Oh my god, we have to help her!

[47:28] Unknown speaker: Don't you dare move a goddamn muscle You wanted to watch fine watch You need to see what happens Oh god I'm bleeding I'm bleeding those things they bit me I think I'm gonna be sick Evan Oh Evan you're here thank God you're here thank God you're all right help me Evan Please I'm I'm pleading and Karen don't heal touch her god I think she's dead I think she's dead not exactly watch watch what happens next to what uh I don't understand my family I don't speak Spanish car neither of us spoke Spanish the herd probably fed on some Hispanic family somewhere but just watch watch what's happening you shouldn't have gone after them boy you should have stayed stayed with us bury the dead the dead bury the dead what I don'm dead bury the dead I don't understand.

[49:09] Unknown speaker: I don't understand what's going on.

[49:11] Unknown speaker: Took me a while to figure it out.

[49:14] Unknown speaker: Most people don't get to see what really happens.

[49:17] Unknown speaker: People get grabbed, people get eaten.

[49:19] Unknown speaker: Nobody sees a thing.

[49:21] Unknown speaker: But if you're patient and quiet, and you sit and you watch.

[49:30] Unknown speaker: I can't stop aching.

[49:32] Unknown speaker: I need a drink.

[49:34] Unknown speaker: At the end, when the disease takes hold, all the memories of the victims come bubbling up to the surface.

[49:40] Unknown speaker: Maybe these zombies don't have thoughts or feelings of their own.

[49:45] Unknown speaker: Maybe.

[49:46] Unknown speaker: Maybe they eat other people to somehow capture their essence, their emotions so they can feel something again.

[49:54] Unknown speaker: I don't I don't feel good.

[49:57] Unknown speaker: My stomach's twisted.

[50:00] Unknown speaker: Tied up in knots.

[50:02] Unknown speaker: I understand, son.

[50:04] Unknown speaker: I know exactly what you're going through.

[50:08] Unknown speaker: Come here.

[50:10] Unknown speaker: No, don't find it.

[50:12] Unknown speaker: Still.

[50:12] Unknown speaker: Hold still, you stupid son of a bitch.

[50:15] Unknown speaker: What the hell?

[50:16] Unknown speaker: What the hell are you doing with those handcuffs?

[50:18] Unknown speaker: Just get over here.

[50:20] Unknown speaker: Just sit still.

[50:24] Unknown speaker: There.

[50:26] Unknown speaker: There we go.

[50:27] Unknown speaker: Help me.

[50:28] Unknown speaker: Help!

[50:28] Unknown speaker: Got you locked into place.

[50:30] Unknown speaker: Somebody help me, please help me!

[50:31] Unknown speaker: Oh, quit your yapping, you zombie infested fuck.

[50:34] Unknown speaker: You think anybody cares enough to help you?

[50:37] Unknown speaker: There's nobody in this whole goddamn world that gives two shits about you.

[50:40] Unknown speaker: So shut the fuck up!

[50:41] Unknown speaker: Please, man.

[50:42] Unknown speaker: Please don't don't do this.

[50:44] Unknown speaker: Don't do this.

[50:45] Unknown speaker: Whatever you think of me, please, please don't do this.

[50:48] Unknown speaker: Look, Lakama.

[50:48] Unknown speaker: I'm not one of them.

[50:49] Unknown speaker: I'm not, I'm a human being just like you.

[50:51] Unknown speaker: Well, you're a human right now.

[50:53] Unknown speaker: That won't last long.

[50:54] Unknown speaker: What do you mean?

[50:59] Unknown speaker: You've been bit.

[51:02] Unknown speaker: What?

[51:03] Unknown speaker: No.

[51:04] Unknown speaker: No, I haven't.

[51:05] Unknown speaker: That's ridiculous.

[51:07] Unknown speaker: You see that blood coming from your arm?

[51:09] Unknown speaker: That I probably caught it against the metal siding of the RV when you dragged me out.

[51:14] Unknown speaker: No.

[51:15] Unknown speaker: No, you remember that bald fucker with the yellow eyes who came through the window of the RV?

[51:20] Unknown speaker: I was watching him through binoculars.

[51:22] Unknown speaker: I saw him take a big old juicy bite out of your arm.

[51:26] Unknown speaker: Last thing he did before I put a bullet in his head.

[51:29] Unknown speaker: Wait, you were watching me?

[51:32] Unknown speaker: You were watching me, and you let that thing, you let that thing bite me?

[51:37] Unknown speaker: Of course I did.

[51:38] Unknown speaker: I've been waiting on a moment like this for weeks now.

[51:41] Unknown speaker: Waiting for the same zombie to grab a hold of someone.

[51:44] Unknown speaker: I almost got my chance at the Pigley Wiggly in Gastonia.

[51:48] Unknown speaker: The lady bled out before I could get to her.

[51:53] Unknown speaker: Then I saw you getting out of your rust-colored coachman in the woods, and I knew I'd found my mark.

[52:01] Unknown speaker: Eight minutes.

[52:02] Unknown speaker: First the tremors, then the nausea.

[52:05] Unknown speaker: Right on schedule.

[52:07] Unknown speaker: Anyway.

[52:08] Unknown speaker: In the end, it was pretty easy.

[52:11] Unknown speaker: All I had to do was lead the zombie pack over to your little clearing and wait for them to do their thing.

[52:18] Unknown speaker: It was simple.

[52:20] Unknown speaker: Not like you were smart enough to properly barricade your home or put the lights out at night.

[52:27] Unknown speaker: You're crazy.

[52:29] Unknown speaker: Nobody would do that.

[52:31] Unknown speaker: You led them to me.

[52:32] Unknown speaker: You wanted them to bite me.

[52:34] Unknown speaker: Why?

[52:34] Unknown speaker: Why would you?

[52:36] Unknown speaker: I'd managed to protect my family to keep my wife and daughter safe since the very first hordes started invading our town.

[52:44] Unknown speaker: We kept on the move.

[52:46] Unknown speaker: I scrounced for supplies, and my wife Marsha kept an eye on Matilda.

[52:51] Unknown speaker: That was my daughter's name.

[52:54] Unknown speaker: Matilda.

[52:56] Unknown speaker: Eight years old.

[52:58] Unknown speaker: She never lost a childlike innocence.

[53:02] Unknown speaker: Even when the worst.

[53:29] Unknown speaker: And I knew.

[53:30] Unknown speaker: I knew if it was the last thing I'd ever do.

[53:33] Unknown speaker: I'd get my chance to say goodbye.

[53:37] Unknown speaker: I'm sorry, kid.

[53:41] Unknown speaker: I'm sorry you had to go out this way.

[53:43] Unknown speaker: If there was only some other way.

[53:50] Unknown speaker: Marsha.

[53:53] Unknown speaker: Marsha.

[53:54] Unknown speaker: Can you hear me?

[54:00] Unknown speaker: Clint.

[54:02] Unknown speaker: Clint, is that you?

[54:05] Unknown speaker: I'm here, baby.

[54:07] Unknown speaker: I'm here.

[54:08] Unknown speaker: You weren't there.

[54:09] Unknown speaker: You were gone.

[54:11] Unknown speaker: I know.

[54:12] Unknown speaker: Marsha, I know.

[54:12] Unknown speaker: I'm so sorry.

[54:14] Unknown speaker: I'm so sorry.

[54:15] Unknown speaker: It's alright.

[54:16] Unknown speaker: It's all right, my darling.

[54:19] Unknown speaker: My hands, why are they chained together?

[54:21] Unknown speaker: Oh, Lord, my love, I'm so sorry.

[54:23] Unknown speaker: Here, here.

[54:24] Unknown speaker: Let me help you with that.

[54:30] Unknown speaker: It's all right.

[54:31] Unknown speaker: It's not your fault.

[54:33] Unknown speaker: It's not your fault.

[54:36] Unknown speaker: You're always there for us.

[54:40] Unknown speaker: I love you, Marsha.

[54:42] Unknown speaker: I always have.

[54:45] Unknown speaker: Ever since we were in grade school together, when we moved moved into that tiny apartment in Anderson.

[54:51] Unknown speaker: When Matilda came along.

[54:53] Unknown speaker: When we had that miscarriage when we fought and when we would make up.

[55:05] Unknown speaker: I love you.

[55:09] Unknown speaker: I love you.

[55:14] Unknown speaker: Daddy.

[55:15] Unknown speaker: Oh.

[55:16] Unknown speaker: Oh my Matilda.

[55:18] Unknown speaker: Sweet baby girl.

[55:20] Unknown speaker: I miss you, Daddy.

[55:21] Unknown speaker: Oh, I miss you too.

[55:24] Unknown speaker: It's okay, baby.

[55:25] Unknown speaker: You don't have to be afraid.

[55:27] Unknown speaker: I'll be with you soon.

[55:29] Unknown speaker: It's okay.

[55:31] Unknown speaker: Daddy will be with you soon.

[55:37] Unknown speaker: All right.

[55:39] Unknown speaker: You zombie sons of bitches are coming.

[55:45] Unknown speaker: Come and get me.

[55:48] Unknown speaker: Bite me.

[55:49] Unknown speaker: I blast your fucking head off.

[55:51] Unknown speaker: Then my wife and my child will get one more chance to live.

[55:55] Unknown speaker: It's all right, you sons of bitches.

[55:57] Unknown speaker: It's alright.

[55:58] Unknown speaker: Come and get me.

[56:00] Unknown speaker: Come and get me.

[56:06] Unknown speaker: No, come on. Well, that was an impressive and refreshing new take on the zombie genre.

[56:25] Unknown speaker: Oh, don't be so dramatic.

[56:27] Unknown speaker: Things go in and out of style so quickly nowadays.

[56:30] Unknown speaker: The word zombie is now in again, and you three actors are out.

[56:37] Unknown speaker: All right.

[56:44] Unknown speaker: I'll stay if you need me.

[56:45] Unknown speaker: They're sacrificing actors.

[56:47] Unknown speaker: I haven't had work in years, man.

[56:48] Unknown speaker: Leave me alone.

[56:49] Unknown speaker: Come on.

[56:50] Unknown speaker: Fine.

[56:51] Unknown speaker: Come on.

[56:51] Unknown speaker: Good luck with your sacrifice.

[56:53] Unknown speaker: A two-doo.

[56:55] Unknown speaker: Well, look at that.

[56:57] Unknown speaker: We're down to the last few candidates for the sacrifice.

[57:02] Unknown speaker: It's almost time.

[57:07] Unknown speaker: He's right.

[57:08] Unknown speaker: We only have a few more to save.

[57:09] Unknown speaker: What stories do we have left?

[57:11] Unknown speaker: Well, here's the last script.

[57:12] Unknown speaker: It's a good one, though.

[57:13] Unknown speaker: Oh, yeah, that should definitely do the trick.

[57:15] Unknown speaker: Come on, come on.

[57:16] Unknown speaker: We don't have all day.

[57:18] Unknown speaker: Our sacrifice isn't going to sacrifice themselves, you know.

[57:21] Unknown speaker: A lot of work to be done.

[57:23] Unknown speaker: People to torture, limbs to sever, a sacrifice to sacrifice.

[57:27] Unknown speaker: Let's get on with it.

[57:28] Unknown speaker: Gotcha covered, Doc.

[57:30] Unknown speaker: This next story may be the scariest one yet.

[57:37] Jonathan Cook: Jonathan, I'm doing a thing here.

[57:39] Unknown speaker: Come on, come on.

[57:41] Unknown speaker: So this one is a bit of a cautionary tale to be careful when you go jogging alone at night.

[57:46] Unknown speaker: You never know what you may find lurking in the darkness.

[57:48] Unknown speaker: For this one, we need two actors.

[57:50] Unknown speaker: One to play a mother and one to play her adult daughter, who is also our jogger.

[57:55] Unknown speaker: Well, I'm running a little low on candidates, but these two here should do just fine.

[58:00] Unknown speaker: Step forward.

[58:02] Arelis Rivera: Your names, please.

[58:03] Corlin Hendrix: Corlin Hendrix.

[58:10] Unknown speaker: Wow, okay.

[58:11] Unknown speaker: That was weird.

[58:12] Unknown speaker: All right, uh, step up to the mics and let us begin.

[58:15] Unknown speaker: Oh, uh, looks like this script also needs uh needs a narrator.

[58:18] Unknown speaker: All right, I guess I'll take care of that part.

[58:21] Unknown speaker: Now, gather round the ghost light.

[58:23] Unknown speaker: Sit back and enjoy.

[58:24] Unknown speaker: This one is called CLIP CLOP, written by Greg Mandred.

[58:28] Unknown speaker: How do you echo a Mandridge?

[58:29] Unknown speaker: Mandrug.

[58:35] Unknown speaker: Nighttime.

[58:37] Unknown speaker: A country road.

[58:38] Unknown speaker: The world was all black tar and chalk dust under the pale moon.

[58:42] Unknown speaker: The sun had set, and the day's heat had been subdued.

[58:45] Unknown speaker: It was an absolutely perfect night for a run.

[58:49] Unknown speaker: Here we go.

[58:50] Unknown speaker: But the woods, they can be a dangerous place in the darkness.

[58:54] Unknown speaker: Well, that makes them doubly so.

[58:56] Unknown speaker: She had been warned.

[58:57] Unknown speaker: Her mother often told her.

[58:59] Unknown speaker: Don't go running at night, dear.

[59:01] Unknown speaker: It isn't safe.

[59:03] Unknown speaker: A pearl of wisdom from a worrisome mother.

[59:05] Unknown speaker: You can't see where you're going.

[59:07] Unknown speaker: You might trip and break your ankle, and then where would you be?

[59:10] Unknown speaker: But there was something something in the woman's expression that warned of darker, more insidious threats.

[59:17] Unknown speaker: Perils that can only exist in the imagination of an overly protective mother.

[59:21] Unknown speaker: Just promise me you'll be careful, okay?

[59:23] Unknown speaker: And she had listened when she was younger.

[59:26] Unknown speaker: But now.

[59:29] Unknown speaker: Oh, the air was brisk.

[59:31] Unknown speaker: It cooled her as she glided over the smooth pavement, her legs carrying her effortlessly.

[59:37] Unknown speaker: Her heartbeat was steady, her breathing unlabored.

[59:40] Unknown speaker: Years of discipline had paid off.

[59:42] Unknown speaker: The once torturous exercise had become a source of primal enjoyment.

[59:46] Unknown speaker: She paused under a street lamp.

[59:49] Unknown speaker: Up ahead, she could see headlights.

[59:52] Unknown speaker: A car was approaching, speeding, definitely, not minding the lines too well.

[59:57] Unknown speaker: Drunk?

[59:58] Unknown speaker: Stupid.

[59:59] Unknown speaker: The car drew closer.

[1:00:01] Unknown speaker: Should she wait in the light where she could be seen?

[1:00:04] Unknown speaker: Maybe get off the road completely.

[1:00:06] Unknown speaker: Ah, screw it.

[1:00:09] Unknown speaker: If it was her fate to be roadkilled, then so be it.

[1:00:12] Unknown speaker: It's dangerous, sweetie.

[1:00:14] Unknown speaker: Thanks, Mom.

[1:00:15] Unknown speaker: The headlights began to illuminate the area surrounding her.

[1:00:18] Unknown speaker: As the car came closer, the light filtering through the trees, the grass, every tiny pebble, lent a kaleidoscope effect to the landscape.

[1:00:27] Unknown speaker: The car came closer.

[1:00:28] Unknown speaker: Jesus.

[1:00:29] Unknown speaker: Easy on the brights.

[1:00:30] Unknown speaker: The car was almost on top of her now.

[1:00:32] Unknown speaker: The lights, two angry eyes baring down on her.

[1:00:36] Unknown speaker: I keep running home, though.

[1:00:38] Unknown speaker: Ass hats.

[1:00:40] Unknown speaker: She didn't think much of the local youth.

[1:00:42] Unknown speaker: Rich kids, unholy terrors.

[1:00:45] Unknown speaker: Future world leaders.

[1:00:47] Unknown speaker: The woodland nightscape returned to its ephemeral tranquility.

[1:00:50] Unknown speaker: The chirping of insects accompanied the rhythm of her footfalls as she continued on into the night.

[1:00:56] Unknown speaker: Music.

[1:00:57] Unknown speaker: Very faint.

[1:00:58] Unknown speaker: And the indistinct buzz of human voices.

[1:01:02] Unknown speaker: Someone's having a party.

[1:01:04] Unknown speaker: And then came the barbecue smell.

[1:01:06] Unknown speaker: Charcoal and meat blending together into a sweet carnal perfume.

[1:01:11] Unknown speaker: Oh, God, that smells good.

[1:01:14] Unknown speaker: Even at her most health conscious, she could never say no to a good steak.

[1:01:18] Unknown speaker: It was difficult to tell which direction the smell and the noise were coming from.

[1:01:23] Unknown speaker: It seemed close.

[1:01:24] Unknown speaker: Not that she had any intention of something lurched on the road beside her.

[1:01:29] Unknown speaker: A deer?

[1:01:31] Unknown speaker: No, no.

[1:01:32] Unknown speaker: She only caught a glimpse as she strode past it, but it appeared to be a person.

[1:01:37] Unknown speaker: And then it was behind her.

[1:01:40] Unknown speaker: What the hell?

[1:01:41] Unknown speaker: Following.

[1:01:42] Unknown speaker: Great.

[1:01:42] Unknown speaker: A pacer.

[1:01:43] Unknown speaker: Pacer.

[1:01:44] Unknown speaker: A term she coined during her many jogs through suburbia.

[1:01:47] Unknown speaker: Children would see her running and decide.

[1:01:50] Unknown speaker: Yay, let's have a race.

[1:01:51] Unknown speaker: And they'd try to outrun her.

[1:01:53] Unknown speaker: Moron.

[1:01:54] Unknown speaker: In the late night hours, drunks sometimes did this too.

[1:01:57] Unknown speaker: Exactly what she had here by the sound of it.

[1:02:00] Unknown speaker: Okay, Dickhead, let's race.

[1:02:02] Unknown speaker: Pushing herself past her normal pace, she sped onward.

[1:02:05] Unknown speaker: She hadn't seen her short-lived companion very well, just a dark shape emerging from a collection of shadows in her peripheral vision.

[1:02:13] Unknown speaker: She could turn to get a better look, but not without breaking her stride.

[1:02:18] Unknown speaker: And she felt that a snubbing was in order.

[1:02:20] Unknown speaker: Eat my dust.

[1:02:22] Unknown speaker: Acknowledgement.

[1:02:23] Unknown speaker: I would only encourage him.

[1:02:25] Unknown speaker: Of course, it was also possible that her pursuer meant her harm.

[1:02:30] Unknown speaker: Nah.

[1:02:31] Unknown speaker: She had no money, no wallet, only the key to a car that was parked three miles away.

[1:02:36] Unknown speaker: And if he was willing to wear himself out for that.

[1:02:39] Unknown speaker: Come and get it.

[1:02:40] Unknown speaker: But still, he was keeping pace considerably well for a drunk.

[1:02:45] Unknown speaker: Judging by the sound, he was only a dozen paces behind, and more impressively, not giving up.

[1:02:52] Unknown speaker: Okay, we've got a drunken marathon runner here.

[1:02:55] Unknown speaker: Bring it, bitch.

[1:02:56] Unknown speaker: She wasn't worried.

[1:02:57] Unknown speaker: Not yet.

[1:02:58] Unknown speaker: The pacer was running in a fashion as though one leg were six inches shorter than the other.

[1:03:02] Unknown speaker: An unsteady cadence.

[1:03:04] Unknown speaker: He wouldn't.

[1:03:05] Unknown speaker: He couldn't last much longer.

[1:03:07] Unknown speaker: And yet, was it getting closer?

[1:03:11] Unknown speaker: Hard to believe, and yet he seemed to be gaining.

[1:03:13] Unknown speaker: Their footfalls were beginning to match.

[1:03:15] Unknown speaker: The lighter blended in with her own, but the heavier swallowed her every time she set her right foot down.

[1:03:22] Unknown speaker: What the hell?

[1:03:23] Unknown speaker: No way he's running me down.

[1:03:25] Unknown speaker: No way.

[1:03:26] Unknown speaker: She had been running faster than her usual pace.

[1:03:28] Unknown speaker: The exertion was beginning to sap her stamina.

[1:03:31] Unknown speaker: She wanted to give up this little game, turn around and face her pursuer, but a tiny voice inside her head warned her.

[1:03:38] Unknown speaker: Don't.

[1:03:39] Unknown speaker: Don't turn around.

[1:03:40] Unknown speaker: She began to entertain the notion that this person might very well be a deranged killer.

[1:03:45] Unknown speaker: Curiosity was beginning to play its hand, and then an unfamiliar voice spoke inside her head, telling her, turn around, have a looky.

[1:03:54] Unknown speaker: Who knows what you might see?

[1:03:56] Unknown speaker: Nope.

[1:03:57] Unknown speaker: She kept running.

[1:03:58] Unknown speaker: She decided that if he fell behind, she'd take a peek.

[1:04:02] Unknown speaker: But as long as it was only a few paces behind.

[1:04:08] Unknown speaker: But just then, it was over.

[1:04:11] Unknown speaker: That's it.

[1:04:12] Unknown speaker: She came to a stop under a street light.

[1:04:14] Unknown speaker: She looked behind her.

[1:04:16] Unknown speaker: There was only the harsh light surrounding her and the utter blackness beyond.

[1:04:20] Unknown speaker: She waited for her eyes to adjust.

[1:04:22] Unknown speaker: She could make out a few details: the road, the shoulder.

[1:04:26] Unknown speaker: But there was no one to be seen.

[1:04:28] Unknown speaker: It suddenly became unnerving that her pursuer, maybe concealed behind a tree, would have no problem at all seeing her, and worse, seeing that she had stopped.

[1:04:38] Unknown speaker: So she continued running.

[1:04:40] Unknown speaker: Her trot was steady, but keeping ahead of the limping boogeyman cost her some of her steam.

[1:04:46] Unknown speaker: It would be a long run home.

[1:04:48] Unknown speaker: The light was receding behind her.

[1:04:50] Unknown speaker: She half expected to see a tired drunk staggering into the light, but no one appeared.

[1:04:57] Unknown speaker: Still.

[1:04:58] Unknown speaker: Creepy.

[1:04:59] Unknown speaker: She continued onward, and again the night was still.

[1:05:03] Unknown speaker: Still, but not serene.

[1:05:05] Unknown speaker: There was a latent menace lurking just out of sight.

[1:05:08] Unknown speaker: She just wanted to be home.

[1:05:10] Unknown speaker: She began to plot the quickest route to her car.

[1:05:13] Unknown speaker: Maybe on the way home, she'd get some takeout.

[1:05:17] Unknown speaker: Jesus!

[1:05:18] Unknown speaker: A noise from above.

[1:05:20] Unknown speaker: Something heavy landing behind her.

[1:05:23] Unknown speaker: She almost stopped, turned to see what it was, but didn't.

[1:05:26] Unknown speaker: Oh, it wasn't human.

[1:05:27] Unknown speaker: It couldn't be.

[1:05:28] Unknown speaker: What could drop 20 feet onto solid pavement and immediately break into a run?

[1:05:33] Unknown speaker: You really shouldn't go running at night.

[1:05:36] Unknown speaker: He had stopped chasing her.

[1:05:37] Unknown speaker: Why?

[1:05:38] Unknown speaker: Oh crap!

[1:05:39] Unknown speaker: Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap!

[1:05:41] Unknown speaker: It must have been the light.

[1:05:42] Unknown speaker: It wouldn't go into the light.

[1:05:44] Unknown speaker: She didn't want to know what it was.

[1:05:46] Unknown speaker: Curiosity could go kill some other damn cat.

[1:05:49] Unknown speaker: She just wanted to run.

[1:05:51] Unknown speaker: Just keep going.

[1:05:51] Unknown speaker: Right, left, right, left, right, left, right, left, right.

[1:05:55] Unknown speaker: There would be another light up ahead if she could just keep her pace.

[1:05:59] Unknown speaker: Oh, it was unbearably close now.

[1:06:02] Unknown speaker: She could hear its rasping breathing.

[1:06:04] Unknown speaker: She could smell the putrid stench of rotten meat.

[1:06:08] Unknown speaker: What the hell does it want with me?

[1:06:11] Unknown speaker: But she knew.

[1:06:12] Unknown speaker: She had known it when she was three years old, and her parents left her in the room at night with nothing but the darkness and the things that lurked within.

[1:06:19] Unknown speaker: She knew then of sickly skinned bogeys with gnarled teeth and clacking talons, dwelling beneath her bed in murderous contemplation, hungrily waiting for a tender foot to dangle within their reach.

[1:06:32] Unknown speaker: Oh god.

[1:06:32] Unknown speaker: The road curved ahead, and there it was.

[1:06:35] Unknown speaker: She could see the next street lamp, a flat disk of light on the road.

[1:06:39] Unknown speaker: Base!

[1:06:40] Unknown speaker: We gotta make it to base.

[1:06:42] Unknown speaker: Right, right.

[1:06:43] Unknown speaker: Oh, there was a tug in the back of her shirt.

[1:06:45] Unknown speaker: The feeling of a thorn snagging the fabric.

[1:06:48] Unknown speaker: She found the strength to run faster.

[1:06:50] Unknown speaker: Come on, right like, right left, right, left, right, left, right.

[1:06:53] Unknown speaker: If I've caught you anything in your miserable life, is that you shouldn't go running at night.

[1:06:58] Unknown speaker: She was past her normal threshold of fatigue.

[1:07:01] Unknown speaker: The air she breathed seemed devoid of oxygen.

[1:07:03] Unknown speaker: She felt pain she had experienced since she first took up running years ago.

[1:07:07] Unknown speaker: The stabbing in her ribs, the sloshing of her intestines, but the light, the light was nearer.

[1:07:13] Unknown speaker: She was almost under it.

[1:07:15] Unknown speaker: If she could just push a little harder, and then it stopped.

[1:07:20] Unknown speaker: The safety net that the light surrounded her.

[1:07:23] Unknown speaker: The breathing, the footsteps, the chase was over.

[1:07:28] Unknown speaker: Her breath burned in the back of her throat.

[1:07:31] Unknown speaker: Her legs were rubbery.

[1:07:32] Unknown speaker: Oh, it was an effort to not simply collapse.

[1:07:36] Unknown speaker: She looked behind her.

[1:07:37] Unknown speaker: Nothing.

[1:07:38] Unknown speaker: The road was clear for as far as she could see.

[1:07:42] Unknown speaker: There was nothing there.

[1:07:44] Unknown speaker: Was it ever there?

[1:07:46] Unknown speaker: It wasn't my goddamn imagination.

[1:07:48] Unknown speaker: Something was after me.

[1:07:50] Unknown speaker: I could hear it.

[1:07:53] Unknown speaker: Christ, I could smell it.

[1:07:55] Unknown speaker: But it wasn't there now.

[1:07:57] Unknown speaker: Oh, it was hiding.

[1:07:58] Unknown speaker: She knew it.

[1:08:01] Unknown speaker: Hiding just like the first time.

[1:08:02] Unknown speaker: It must be in the trees.

[1:08:04] Unknown speaker: The trees.

[1:08:04] Unknown speaker: Of course, she never really saw it.

[1:08:07] Unknown speaker: Never saw a thing.

[1:08:08] Unknown speaker: Just a little something out of the corner of my eye.

[1:08:12] Unknown speaker: Could have been anything.

[1:08:13] Unknown speaker: Her mind was eager to believe she'd imagined the whole thing.

[1:08:17] Unknown speaker: The light helped.

[1:08:18] Unknown speaker: Under the street lamp, there was pavement, grass, bushes.

[1:08:22] Unknown speaker: Real things that were part of the real world.

[1:08:25] Unknown speaker: And there were no monsters in the real world.

[1:08:28] Unknown speaker: Maybe there was no real danger.

[1:08:31] Unknown speaker: Maybe.

[1:08:32] Unknown speaker: Just maybe she could make it.

[1:08:34] Unknown speaker: Oh hell no.

[1:08:36] Unknown speaker: Staying right here.

[1:08:37] Unknown speaker: A car will come along.

[1:08:39] Unknown speaker: I'll just tell them I twisted my ankle.

[1:08:41] Unknown speaker: No need to mention any tree hopping boogeyman.

[1:08:45] Unknown speaker: I'll wait until dawn if I have to.

[1:08:49] Unknown speaker: You hear that?

[1:08:50] Unknown speaker: I'm waiting right here.

[1:08:53] Unknown speaker: Silence.

[1:08:55] Unknown speaker: But then what?

[1:08:57] Unknown speaker: Throwing rocks at me now?

[1:09:00] Unknown speaker: Fine.

[1:09:00] Unknown speaker: Throw away.

[1:09:01] Unknown speaker: I'm not leaving the light.

[1:09:03] Unknown speaker: And then came another.

[1:09:06] Unknown speaker: And she soon realized it wasn't aiming at her.

[1:09:12] Unknown speaker: Oh god.

[1:09:22] Unknown speaker: Mother.

[1:09:34] Nathan Shelton: Ooh, I always love a good creature feature.

[1:09:37] Nathan Shelton: Well done.

[1:09:38] Nathan Shelton: Is that it?

[1:09:39] Nathan Shelton: Can we go?

[1:09:40] Unknown speaker: Yes, yes, go on.

[1:09:42] Unknown speaker: Get out of my sight.

[1:09:43] Unknown speaker: Let them through.

[1:09:45] Unknown speaker: Okay, bye.

[1:09:47] Unknown speaker: Ah, let them through.

[1:09:50] Nathan Shelton: Well, Dr. Necropolis, you seem to be out of candidates for your sacrifice, which means the show's over.

[1:09:57] Nathan Shelton: Because we are out of actors.

[1:10:00] Unknown speaker: Oh no.

[1:10:01] Nathan Shelton: I'll still be having my sacrifice.

[1:10:05] Unknown speaker: But you let everyone go.

[1:10:07] Nathan Shelton: Not everyone.

[1:10:09] Nathan Shelton: Caesar.

[1:10:11] Nathan Shelton: Come here.

[1:10:12] Unknown speaker: Hey!

[1:10:12] Unknown speaker: Let go of her!

[1:10:13] Unknown speaker: Hey, whoa, whoa, what are you doing?

[1:10:15] Nathan Shelton: Improvising.

[1:10:17] Nathan Shelton: You promised me a sacrifice today, and that's what we shall have.

[1:10:22] Unknown speaker: No grabber arc.

[1:10:23] Unknown speaker: Come on, stop.

[1:10:28] Unknown speaker: Well, we did tell him he could, you know, have a sacrifice.

[1:10:33] Unknown speaker: And you're the only one left that hasn't performed so the altar.

[1:10:44] Unknown speaker: Let go of me.

[1:10:45] Unknown speaker: Stupid selfish and I hope some teaser car, and then you have a perpetual hand!

[1:10:49] Unknown speaker: Maybe throw a gag in her mouth too.

[1:10:51] Unknown speaker: And you guys even helping him.

[1:10:54] Unknown speaker: Seriously, really but Dr.

[1:10:58] Unknown speaker: The show's over.

[1:11:00] Unknown speaker: There's no more scripts.

[1:11:01] Unknown speaker: There's no more stories.

[1:11:03] Nathan Shelton: Nonsense.

[1:11:04] Nathan Shelton: We are going to perform one more for you right now.

[1:11:08] Nathan Shelton: This one is called Sacrifice by Jacquelyn Priskorn.

[1:11:14] Nathan Shelton: Performed by me and my acolytes.

[1:11:17] Nathan Shelton: And your folio.

[1:11:22] Unknown speaker: Woo!

[1:11:27] Nathan Shelton: Now, take your ghost light and get next to it.

[1:11:33] Unknown speaker: No, no, no, no, that is not how that saying goes.

[1:11:36] Unknown speaker: Whatever.

[1:11:37] Nathan Shelton: Let the show begin.

[1:11:42] Unknown speaker: Oh, great deity, we bring to you this sacrifice.

[1:11:51] Unknown speaker: We ask that you accept this life, this blood, this flesh.

[1:11:56] Unknown speaker: We ask that you give us your favor so that we may bring glory to your name.

[1:12:09] Unknown speaker: We give so much glory to your name, but we want to know that you hear us.

[1:12:15] Unknown speaker: So we give you this sacrifice.

[1:12:22] Unknown speaker: We will now allow the sacrifice to speak so that you can hear her fear of your great power, so that her fear may feed you, please you, and move you to reward us for this sacrifice to you.

[1:12:42] Unknown speaker: Let the sacrifice be heard.

[1:12:46] Unknown speaker: Quit moon.

[1:12:50] Unknown speaker: That tastes terrible.

[1:12:52] Unknown speaker: Hear her cry and accept this sacrifice.

[1:12:56] Unknown speaker: Hold up.

[1:12:57] Unknown speaker: How exactly is killing me a sacrifice for you?

[1:13:01] Unknown speaker: What?

[1:13:01] Unknown speaker: Isn't the definition of sacrifice to give up something precious?

[1:13:05] Unknown speaker: Am I precious to any of you?

[1:13:08] Unknown speaker: Do any of you even know my name?

[1:13:15] Unknown speaker: So, really, none of you would suffer if I were to die.

[1:13:19] Unknown speaker: That isn't a real sacrifice.

[1:13:21] Unknown speaker: Well, I do have to clean up after.

[1:13:23] Unknown speaker: That's not easy.

[1:13:24] Unknown speaker: No, that's true.

[1:13:25] Unknown speaker: It gets messy in here.

[1:13:26] Unknown speaker: Jerry can be here scrubbing for hours.

[1:13:29] Unknown speaker: Do you think that's enough suffering to be considered a sacrifice?

[1:13:33] Unknown speaker: It's pretty gross.

[1:13:34] Unknown speaker: How can I take that personally?

[1:13:36] Unknown speaker: Oh, you shouldn't.

[1:13:37] Unknown speaker: It's just business.

[1:13:38] Unknown speaker: Do not converse with the sacrifice.

[1:13:40] Unknown speaker: Ah, but that's what we're debating here, right?

[1:13:43] Unknown speaker: Whether or not killing me is actually a sacrifice or not.

[1:13:46] Unknown speaker: Oh it is.

[1:13:47] Unknown speaker: Uh-uh.

[1:13:48] Unknown speaker: Don't converse with the sacrifice.

[1:13:50] Unknown speaker: The great deity demands flesh and blood to prove our devotion.

[1:13:55] Unknown speaker: Well, that's different than a sacrifice, isn't it?

[1:13:58] Unknown speaker: I mean, you could pick a scab and lay it on your altar.

[1:14:01] Unknown speaker: Flesh and blood.

[1:14:02] Unknown speaker: Bam!

[1:14:02] Unknown speaker: Our deity is more of an all-or-nothing deity.

[1:14:05] Unknown speaker: I see.

[1:14:06] Unknown speaker: She shouldn't see.

[1:14:08] Unknown speaker: Who forgot the blindfold?

[1:14:10] Unknown speaker: I dropped it in a puddle.

[1:14:12] Unknown speaker: So?

[1:14:13] Unknown speaker: I don't know what kind of puddle.

[1:14:15] Unknown speaker: It was gross.

[1:14:16] Unknown speaker: But this is a sacrifice.

[1:14:18] Unknown speaker: It was gross, though.

[1:14:20] Unknown speaker: Sack revives!

[1:14:23] Unknown speaker: Yeah, you need to risk a little leptospirosis to make your deity happy, kids.

[1:14:27] Unknown speaker: That's not what I'm saying.

[1:14:29] Unknown speaker: But you get what I'm saying, right?

[1:14:30] Unknown speaker: Murdering a random stranger is hardly a sacrifice.

[1:14:34] Unknown speaker: Well, I mean, we could get arrested for murder if someone caught us.

[1:14:38] Unknown speaker: Oh yeah.

[1:14:38] Unknown speaker: Jail would suck.

[1:14:40] Unknown speaker: But you won't get arrested.

[1:14:41] Unknown speaker: You're all in the police force or work for the DA's office.

[1:14:45] Unknown speaker: We've talked about this.

[1:14:46] Unknown speaker: Still, the risk is there.

[1:14:48] Unknown speaker: But not really.

[1:14:49] Unknown speaker: What could you lose?

[1:14:51] Unknown speaker: What would you truly miss if you killed me?

[1:14:53] Unknown speaker: I rather enjoyed stalking you the last few days.

[1:14:56] Unknown speaker: Right?

[1:14:57] Unknown speaker: You go to such interesting places.

[1:14:59] Unknown speaker: I never even knew we had an art museum in town.

[1:15:02] Unknown speaker: But the art museum will still be there, even if I'm not.

[1:15:05] Unknown speaker: True.

[1:15:05] Unknown speaker: But I enjoyed watching you enjoy that art.

[1:15:09] Unknown speaker: Aw, I'll miss those times.

[1:15:11] Unknown speaker: You were a true connoisseur.

[1:15:14] Unknown speaker: Still not a sacrifice.

[1:15:15] Unknown speaker: No?

[1:15:16] Unknown speaker: You'll move on to your next sacrifice to stalk eventually.

[1:15:19] Unknown speaker: You won't have a gaping hole in your life where I used to be.

[1:15:23] Unknown speaker: Just a gaping hole where your heart used to be.

[1:15:27] Unknown speaker: Really?

[1:15:28] Unknown speaker: That's where all the blood is.

[1:15:31] Unknown speaker: This needs to stop.

[1:15:32] Unknown speaker: You're right, dear leader.

[1:15:34] Unknown speaker: This sacrifice has removed the lepdose sp blindfold from all of our eyes.

[1:15:40] Unknown speaker: The what?

[1:15:41] Unknown speaker: I get it now.

[1:15:42] Unknown speaker: This is just a party where we kill a stranger at the end.

[1:15:45] Unknown speaker: Party where we have to clean up after.

[1:15:48] Unknown speaker: And provide our own cleaning supplies.

[1:15:50] Unknown speaker: You really don't want to look.

[1:15:53] Unknown speaker: You're an extremely charismatic leader.

[1:15:55] Unknown speaker: It's hard to tell you no, but here it goes.

[1:15:58] Unknown speaker: No.

[1:16:00] Unknown speaker: No, we can't just blindly murder for you or the great deity, D Vod the Devourer, anymore.

[1:16:09] Unknown speaker: We have questions.

[1:16:11] Unknown speaker: We admit we probably should have asked them before the first five sacrifices.

[1:16:16] Unknown speaker: Hindsight's 2020.

[1:16:17] Unknown speaker: For sure.

[1:16:18] Unknown speaker: But we're asking questions now.

[1:16:21] Unknown speaker: And we're letting you go.

[1:16:23] Unknown speaker: Really?

[1:16:23] Unknown speaker: Don't you're right.

[1:16:24] Unknown speaker: Killing you isn't a sacrifice.

[1:16:27] Unknown speaker: We should only do what would truly please the great deity.

[1:16:30] Unknown speaker: This isn't true.

[1:16:31] Unknown speaker: A murder, masquerading as a sacrifice is really just a blasphemous lie, isn't it?

[1:16:37] Unknown speaker: Here, let me get these chains off you.

[1:16:40] Unknown speaker: Don't you're right.

[1:16:42] Unknown speaker: The great deity loves the truth.

[1:16:45] Unknown speaker: Another thing you're right about.

[1:16:48] Unknown speaker: All the blood is in the heart.

[1:16:51] Unknown speaker: I knew it!

[1:16:51] Unknown speaker: Wait, what?

[1:16:53] Unknown speaker: Oh my god!

[1:16:55] Unknown speaker: No!

[1:16:57] Unknown speaker: Please!

[1:16:58] Unknown speaker: No dare you!

[1:17:05] Unknown speaker: Uh, he could go well in the sight of you.

[1:17:23] Unknown speaker: Oh you come here!

[1:17:31] Unknown speaker: The truth is delicious.

[1:17:35] Unknown speaker: You ate them all.

[1:17:37] Unknown speaker: Okay.

[1:17:38] Unknown speaker: Well, I guess I'll find you when you have your next sect assembled.

[1:17:42] Unknown speaker: Uh who's going to clean this up?

[1:17:45] Unknown speaker: Thank you for your sacrifice.

[1:17:50] Nathan Shelton: Well, Doctor Necropolis.

[1:17:52] Nathan Shelton: Looks like you've got your sacrifice as promised.

[1:17:57] Nathan Shelton: It wasn't supposed to be this way.

[1:17:59] Nathan Shelton: We were summoned here.

[1:18:01] Nathan Shelton: We were we were summoned here by the great deity herself, Devon the Devourer.

[1:18:06] Unknown speaker: It's pronounced Devon, and she's right here.

[1:18:09] Unknown speaker: Hi.

[1:18:10] Unknown speaker: You were behind this the whole time?

[1:18:13] Unknown speaker: What can I say?

[1:18:14] Unknown speaker: She has a whopper of an appetite for human hearts.

[1:18:18] Unknown speaker: My favorite.

[1:18:19] Unknown speaker: Right.

[1:18:20] Unknown speaker: Well, I think I'm gonna go.

[1:18:22] Unknown speaker: Um I suppose I can find more acolytes in for next time.

[1:18:28] Unknown speaker: Thanks for letting me stick around and hear your scary stories.

[1:18:31] Unknown speaker: Terrifically terrifying.

[1:18:33] Unknown speaker: And thanks to your listening audience for tuning in.

[1:18:36] Unknown speaker: Be sure to check out my show, Frightmare Theatre, wherever you get your podcasts.

[1:18:43] Unknown speaker: Join us.

[1:18:44] Unknown speaker: It'll be a scream.

[1:18:49] Unknown speaker: How about that guy, am I right?

[1:18:51] Unknown speaker: You know, I like it.

[1:18:52] Unknown speaker: Yeah, he's a pretty fun guy.

[1:18:55] Unknown speaker: Alright.

[1:18:55] Unknown speaker: Alright, well, uh, well, that's our show.

[1:18:57] Unknown speaker: Let's uh let's I guess we can start cleaning this mess up.

[1:19:00] Unknown speaker: Clean up the dirty dungeon.

[1:19:01] Unknown speaker: All right.

[1:19:02] Unknown speaker: My mic's here.

[1:19:02] Unknown speaker: Oh, you got some red on you.

[1:19:05] Unknown speaker: Oh, um.

[1:19:06] Unknown speaker: Oh, you didn't get it?

[1:19:08] Unknown speaker: Is it in my teeth?

[1:19:09] Unknown speaker: No, nope.

[1:19:09] Unknown speaker: You didn't get it.

[1:19:10] Unknown speaker: You know what?

[1:19:11] Unknown speaker: Don't worry about it.

[1:19:11] Unknown speaker: You're fine.

[1:19:12] Unknown speaker: Okay.

[1:19:13] Unknown speaker: Uh, don't forget your box of goodies here.

[1:19:15] Unknown speaker: Oh, yeah.

[1:19:16] Unknown speaker: Oh can you hand me that?

[1:19:18] Unknown speaker: Yeah, sure.

[1:19:19] Unknown speaker: Um what is this?

[1:19:21] Unknown speaker: Don't worry about it.

[1:19:22] Unknown speaker: Maybe you'll hear it next year.

[1:19:23] Unknown speaker: Next year.

[1:19:24] Unknown speaker: What?

[1:19:24] Unknown speaker: You want to do this again next year?

[1:19:26] Unknown speaker: Uh yeah.

[1:19:27] Unknown speaker: Okay.

[1:19:28] Unknown speaker: Okay, but if we do, I don't want to do it in a dirty ass dungeon again.

[1:19:31] Unknown speaker: How about how about this?

[1:19:32] Unknown speaker: This is gonna blow your mind.

[1:19:33] Unknown speaker: How about we do this in an actual theater?

[1:19:36] Unknown speaker: On a stage, in front of a live audience.

[1:19:38] Unknown speaker: Oh, an actual STAGE FRIGHTS with a stage?

[1:19:42] Unknown speaker: Yeah, and we can maybe call it uh uh uh if we can get Dr. Necropolis back, uh we can call it Dr. Necropolis Strikes Back.

[1:19:49] Unknown speaker: Or uh STAGE FRIGHTS 2.0.

[1:19:52] Unknown speaker: 2.0, and maybe if we get Dr. Necropolis, you can kidnap him.

[1:19:56] Unknown speaker: Oh, yeah.

[1:19:57] Unknown speaker: We'll be kidnapping buddies.

[1:19:58] Unknown speaker: Oh, kidnapping buddies.

[1:20:00] Unknown speaker: Uh how about this?

[1:20:01] Unknown speaker: Uh Knight of the Living Stage FRIGHTS.

[1:20:03] Unknown speaker: Or 13 STAGE of FRIGHTS.

[1:20:06] Unknown speaker: Oh, I like it.

[1:20:07] Unknown speaker: I like where you're going.

[1:20:07] Unknown speaker: Oh, how about this?

[1:20:09] Unknown speaker: Let's keep it simple.

[1:20:10] Unknown speaker: STAGE FRIGHTS, the sequel.

[1:20:14] Unknown speaker: Sequelish.

[1:20:15] Nathan Shelton: STAGE FRIGHTS is a Gather by the Ghost Light production.

[1:20:18] Nathan Shelton: It was produced and directed by Jonathan Cook and Devon McSherry.

[1:20:22] Nathan Shelton: The STAGE Frights concept and theme was created and written by Jonathan Cook.

[1:20:26] Nathan Shelton: The featured audio play in this episode, The Quake, was written by Travis Williams.

[1:20:31] Nathan Shelton: FIRST SHIFT was written by Leah Philbin.

[1:20:34] Nathan Shelton: Unburied was written by John Bavoso.

[1:20:36] Nathan Shelton: Let the DEAD BURY the Dead was written by Mike Brannon.

[1:20:36] Nathan Shelton: CLIP CLOP was written by Greg Mandryk.

[1:20:42] Nathan Shelton: Sacrifice was written by Jacquelyn Priskorn.

[1:20:45] Nathan Shelton: The STAGE Frights series stars A.C. Daniel, Matt Kridel, Luke Romagnoli, Azariah Seay, Marian Thibodeau, Mickey Lay, Robb Smith, Wesley Pierson, Pepper Wren, Brad King, Michael Silvio Fortino, Karla Daly, Korilyn Hendricks, Arelis Rivera, TJ McSherry, Jonathan Cook, Devon McSherry, and Nathan Shelton as Doctor Necropolis.

[1:21:07] Nathan Shelton: Original audio production, sound design, and editing by Jonathan Cook.

[1:21:12] Nathan Shelton: Title music by composer JK/47.

[1:21:23] Nathan Shelton: Special thanks to the Frightmare Theatre Podcast, Bonnie Marie Williams, and the Horror Nerds Podcast, Horrorstruck Hot Sauce, and Le Chat Noir Theatre.

[1:21:30] Nathan Shelton: This program is funded in part by the South Carolina Arts Commission, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

[1:21:37] Unknown speaker: You arrived with good intention, and you never meant to leave.

[1:21:46] Unknown speaker: Truth is I'm a stepping stone.

[1:21:48] Unknown speaker: On your way to greater things.

[1:21:58] Unknown speaker: There's a demon in the bottle trying to drag me to my feet.

[1:22:02] Unknown speaker: And I can't afford to fall apart every time we meet.

[1:22:25] Unknown speaker: I mean, it literally like just stopped.

[1:22:27] Unknown speaker: It literally just played the whole thing like a minute ago.