0:13

From our earliest days,

0:15

we've gathered around the

0:17

fire for war comfort.

0:19

But beyond the light

0:21

of the dying embers,

0:23

there is the darkness.

0:28

And it's a in the dark this

0:30

of the night where we find ourselves.

0:33

Waiting. Yearning.

0:36

For the dawn to banish

0:38

our fears. but our campfire

0:40

holds more than fire. For

0:44

with us you will hear

0:46

that tales they make the

0:48

nightmares in go view and

0:51

you dare not close your

0:53

eyes. Brace.

0:57

Yourself for the No

1:00

Sleep podcast. Welcome

1:09

to the No Sleep podcast!

1:11

I'm your Host David Cummings.

1:15

In. The past I've talked a lot

1:17

about how I got introduced to audio

1:19

horror when I was a teenager. Old

1:21

time radio shows replayed by a local

1:23

radio station on Sunday nights. Hip.

1:26

Ever wonder why we release episodes

1:28

on Sundays? It's an homage to

1:30

my Sunday night audio Horror Days.

1:33

But. There was another way I got

1:35

into horror and it was via Tv

1:37

stations playing old horror movies on either

1:39

a Friday or Saturday night. I.

1:42

Would often sleep over at my

1:44

best friend Greg's house. We'd stay

1:46

up late and watch a couple

1:48

of movies. Sometimes they were the

1:50

classic British Hammer movies featuring Dracula

1:52

or Frankenstein. Sometimes. We'd

1:54

get the black and white classic Corps

1:57

from Universal. Bride of Frankenstein was always

1:59

a fake the about mine. And

2:01

other times we get those wonderful

2:03

tied to movies from Japan with

2:06

monsters like Godzilla and Missouri. So.

2:09

If you're old like me and

2:11

had a local Tv station that

2:13

embrace this kind of programming, you

2:15

probably remember this kind of movie

2:17

watching experience. And if that's the

2:19

case, you know what they called this kind

2:21

of programming? Creature. Features.

2:23

And yes, it was always thrilling

2:26

to watch these monsters and creatures

2:28

fill us with fear as they

2:30

tormented the locals who had the

2:32

misfortune of encountering them. Fun

2:35

times! On. This

2:38

episode we present tales which could

2:40

in their own way be considered

2:42

part of a creature feature line

2:44

up: Monsters, creatures, strange beings that

2:47

are clearly out to inflict some

2:49

sort of horror upon unsuspecting people.

2:51

And isn't it funny how people

2:53

report seeing monsters and they're never

2:56

believed until it's too late. Well.

2:59

We can rest easy because surely

3:01

these creatures don't really exist.

3:03

Rice? Who would ever believe us?

3:06

So. Make some popping cord, cuddle

3:08

up in front of the campfire,

3:11

turn on the Tv or podcast

3:13

player and enjoy a bit of

3:15

a creature feature Night of your

3:17

Own. And

3:19

now the sun has set

3:21

the fire. Sprite, Maurice. Moss.

3:32

In our first tale we meet

3:34

Diana, a panic mother whose daughter

3:36

has been abducted. She thinks she

3:38

knows what happened to the little

3:40

girl when no one will believe

3:42

her. And in this

3:45

tale shared with us by Arthur

3:47

Willow to tensor we hear the

3:49

mother's theory about what happened to

3:51

her daughter and it's kind of

3:53

loonies. Performing.

3:55

this tale are christian the

3:58

material matthew bradford and

4:00

Ella Boone. So

4:02

when it comes to monsters, they don't come

4:04

much bigger than this one, because

4:07

as Diana tells us, the

4:09

moon took my daughter and

4:11

no one will listen. I

4:26

know how this sounds, but please, before you

4:28

judge me, listen to me.

4:31

I can't go to the cops. When I tried,

4:33

they laughed me out of the station. Then they

4:35

investigated me. They searched my home. They

4:38

tore it to pieces. I'm sitting on the floor

4:40

of my living room, surrounded by my belongings that

4:42

they demolished. I guess I can't

4:44

blame them. But even after they

4:46

found nothing, they wouldn't listen to me. They

4:49

threatened to have me institutionalized, especially

4:52

since my husband and I are

4:54

the prime suspects. I love my

4:56

daughter. My husband does too. We

4:59

tried for her, wanted her, and

5:01

were overjoyed when she came into our

5:03

lives. She was special from day

5:05

one. She very rarely cried. She

5:08

would look right at you and coo as

5:10

you spoke. She giggled, smiled

5:13

and pouted, and just overall

5:16

had such a big personality for a baby.

5:19

As she grew, so did her

5:21

personality. Now at age six,

5:24

she's funny and quick-witted, sharp on

5:26

her toes. She always has

5:28

a comeback, and often speaks like a much

5:30

older child. Last week, she

5:32

lost her first tooth and got a visit from

5:34

the Tooth Fairy for the first time. She

5:37

remarked, kind of weird that a

5:39

fairy collects a bunch of kid teeth. We

5:42

laughed and laughed. She's

5:44

the kind of kid that's so effortlessly nice

5:46

to be around that everyone she meets adores

5:48

her. We named her Luella,

5:51

nicknamed her Lulu. Lulu Leanne,

5:53

my husband thought it was too many L's in a

5:55

name, but I loved it so much that he didn't

5:57

put up much of a fight. A

6:00

D She was born was the happiest day of my life!

6:03

And. The day she disappeared was the worst. I

6:06

talked her into then. I read

6:08

her a few chapters of Peter Pan. She.

6:10

Fell asleep before they reached Neverland.

6:13

I made sure her nightlight was plugged in and that

6:15

she had a cup of water on her nightstand. He

6:18

kissed her for his. I wrapped

6:20

around Christmas presents and waited for my husband to

6:22

get home. I warmed up as dinner

6:24

for and then we watched the Grinch in our

6:26

Pj's before bed. He always went into

6:28

her room to say good night when. He. Got home so as

6:30

I made my way to our bedroom, he

6:32

went to hers. Then. She

6:35

holler.me from down the whole. Diana

6:38

were slew of. What? Do you

6:40

mean. She's not And. I

6:44

rushed down the hall to see him opening her

6:46

closet doors. Live. Where are

6:48

you What He. Immediately check

6:51

the window. It was still last

6:53

I checked under the bed before running out of

6:55

the room and checking everywhere else in the house

6:57

boat. The front and back doors were still locked

6:59

and she couldn't have real asked them if she

7:01

went out of the house. All of the windows

7:03

were closed. And. Decides they were too heavy

7:06

for her to lift open anyway. Husband

7:08

and I searched all over the house

7:10

yelling her name and panic. After

7:13

over an hour of certain we called the police.

7:16

They. Took our statements as we solved, trying to

7:18

explain that there was no way she could

7:20

have gone outside or someone had come in.

7:23

After twelve hours of her missing. Search.

7:26

Parties were scouring the neighborhood. They took

7:28

fingerprints on all of the window seals

7:30

and door knobs. Nothing. Out

7:32

of the ordinary was. Then.

7:35

The. Questions started coming my way.

7:38

He's in. My husband was starting to question my

7:40

story. I guess roles were

7:42

reversed. I would be to. I.

7:44

Picked her up from school after my shift at

7:47

the deli on December seventh. We came

7:49

home and had a snack. She. Did

7:51

her homework and colored. We watched a

7:53

show and ate dinner and then I

7:55

put her to bed just like every

7:57

other night. But I was the

7:59

only one. with her. No one

8:01

else saw us do these things, so I

8:03

guess the suspicion was understandable. When

8:06

they interrogated me, I stuck to my story, because

8:08

it was fucking true. I love

8:10

Lulu. I always will. After

8:13

twelve hours of interrogation, I

8:16

remembered some odd things that Lulu

8:18

had been talking about lately. Her

8:20

first grade class had been learning about the phases of

8:22

the moon, and I was helping Lulu

8:24

with a homework assignment just a week earlier. We

8:27

had to cut out the different shapes, glue them

8:29

to a piece of paper like a clock, and label

8:31

each one for each of the different phases. As

8:34

we cut out the waxing crescent moon, she

8:37

turns to me. Mom, how

8:39

do we know the different phases of the

8:41

moon if we can't see them? I

8:44

was taken aback for a moment, before I laughed

8:46

and replied, you can see the

8:48

different types of moons. You and I

8:50

have gone stargazing, and seen when the moon is just

8:52

a little sliver, and also when it's a big

8:54

circle. Lulu furrowed her brow.

8:57

Mmm, I don't think so,

8:59

Mom. The moon's always big when I

9:02

see it. Honey,

9:04

you might only remember when the moon is big

9:06

and pretty, but I promise you, you can see

9:08

the phases throughout the month. She

9:10

shrugged her shoulders and continued cutting and pasting

9:12

the different shapes on the paper. Another

9:15

conversation we had, probably last week,

9:19

was about how the moon follows you as you

9:21

drive. I remember myself being

9:23

little and riding in the backseat of my

9:25

parents' car, looking out at the sky. The

9:28

moon did follow you, or so it

9:30

seemed. I explained to Lulu

9:32

that the moon follows everybody, because it's so

9:34

big. It wasn't easy

9:36

explaining perspectives and planetary objects to a

9:38

five-year-old, so I left it at that.

9:42

She was earnest in her response. No,

9:44

Mommy. The moon follows me

9:47

closer. It takes up the

9:49

whole sky. It's always

9:51

right behind me. I

9:53

laughed at this. I know

9:55

it seems like the moon is really close, because we

9:57

can see it, but it's actually really far from home.

10:00

Well. It. Kind of like how

10:02

the sun seems to take up the whole sky

10:04

when it's out because it's so bright. And

10:06

the moon takes up so much of the sky when

10:08

it's dark because it reflects the sounds like. I

10:11

heard of my it. Comes. From. The

10:13

back seat. And as I glanced

10:15

in the rearview mirror. I. Watched her fault

10:17

her arms and look out the window. Son

10:20

doesn't allow me. Like

10:22

I said, she was effortlessly Sonny. Liew,

10:25

the sun doesn't have feelings, it's just a

10:27

star. The moon doesn't have feelings either.

10:29

It's just a moon. She looked

10:31

longingly out of the backseat window for a

10:34

moment before replying. To. Mean

10:36

doesn't like it was safe. Maybe

10:39

I should have questioned it more. Maybe.

10:41

I should have continued the conversation from there.

10:44

But you don't think about the moon stealing your

10:46

daughter when she's just saying weird stuff like kids

10:48

do. At least I didn't.

10:51

Then or last conversation right before I

10:54

read her Peter Pan. I

10:56

was touching her into bed and grabbing the book

10:58

off the shelf when she said. Tonight's.

11:01

The colon mean mans. I glanced out

11:03

the window to see a full moon

11:05

peering down at me. Is

11:08

that what December's full moon is? Cause. She

11:11

nodded enthusiastically. I settled into the chair

11:13

next to her bed. Did

11:15

you learn that in school last week

11:17

is is in the middle Man who

11:19

did I say it was very powerful?

11:21

It said I should come Lisette. Oh

11:24

did it. But. She didn't smile

11:26

at me. She. Just looked me

11:28

dead in the eyes. I

11:30

to the i don't wanna go but I don't

11:32

think I can say no to the news. Don't.

11:35

Worry the moon isn't going to get you

11:37

your safe with me. I'll make sure

11:39

that checks on you when he gets home. She

11:41

seemed anxious still, but after a

11:43

couple of chapters, And watched

11:46

her sleepy eyes close. I hope she would

11:48

dream of flying to Neverland just like the

11:50

characters. So they closed the book and said

11:52

it next to her glass of water. On

11:55

the night table, I admired the moon and

11:57

the window. It. Did look.

12:00

bigger, closer, almost

12:02

like I could reach out of the window with a broomstick

12:04

and pooch it. I thought it was

12:07

a supermoon. I didn't even care to check

12:09

Google for an answer as to why it was so big

12:11

and beautiful. I just went and put my

12:13

PJs on and waited for her dad to get home. I

12:16

know. I know it sounds crazy.

12:19

My husband and the cops think I did it. Hell,

12:21

you probably do too and honestly, I thought I

12:23

was going crazy myself. I was ready to turn

12:25

myself in, admit that I must have had a

12:28

mental breakdown and don't remember what I did with

12:30

my own daughter, but the moon is still full. It's

12:33

been 22 days since Luella went missing and

12:35

every single day that I look, the moon

12:37

is full in the night sky.

12:41

It's dominating and big like

12:43

it's gloating, like it's smiling at me and

12:46

saying, I've got her here with

12:48

me. Like you said, I couldn't. When

12:51

I mentioned this to my husband, he

12:53

called me crazy. He said it was

12:55

a half moon, but I see

12:57

the full moon and

12:59

I think it sees me. Don't

13:30

howl at the moon because

13:32

it's just a quick word

13:34

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13:36

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13:42

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13:44

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13:46

the word loony is short for lunatic

13:48

and that word is traced back to

13:50

Luna, meaning people influenced by the phases

13:52

of the moon. It's true

13:55

and it doesn't require the pull of the moon

13:57

to make you feel distant from those closest to

14:00

you. you, but there's help. And

14:02

that's why we're thankful that this episode

14:04

is being sponsored by BetterHelp. Let's

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14:09

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14:11

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14:19

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14:22

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14:24

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15:07

Now back to the... Wait,

15:10

what's that thing at the front of your

15:12

bed? When

15:21

it comes to strange creatures, if you're

15:23

lucky, you'll spot one from a distance.

15:27

A shadowy figure in the woods,

15:29

a strange hump appearing across a

15:31

lock, stuff like that.

15:33

But in this tale shared with

15:35

us by author Matthew N. Clark,

15:38

we meet a couple who encounter

15:40

something very strange indeed, and

15:43

in perhaps the most unsettling way, waking

15:45

up in the middle of the night to see

15:48

it standing at the foot of their bed. Performing

15:51

this tale are Jesse Cornett,

15:54

Jeff Clement, and Nicole Goodnight.

15:57

So Hopefully these monsters will keep their distance.

16:03

The last thing you want to

16:05

realize is nice it's here. My

16:20

wife six me so hard

16:23

I wake with a sharp

16:25

grown she's sitting bolt upright

16:27

in bed. I turn my

16:29

head towards her in my

16:31

eye is wrinkles from sleeping

16:33

confusion her eyes are and

16:35

blinking terrified and transfixed on

16:37

something at the food or

16:39

a bed. I sit up

16:41

rubbing my eyes as a

16:44

just to the early morning

16:46

a light. the light curtains

16:48

rebel gently with a slight

16:50

breeze. Hiding the promise of a

16:52

beautiful summer's day? Then that's I

16:54

see something at the foot of

16:56

our bed. My. Wife

16:58

and I remain frozen. And

17:01

first paralyzed. Quickly

17:03

my see or turns to anger so

17:06

I grabbed my seats in motion to

17:08

get out of bed. Suddenly.

17:11

Of frozen solid by fear again as

17:13

I take a closer look at the

17:15

things. The. Figure is

17:17

tall, lean and moink It

17:19

has the proportions of a

17:21

large. Say means. It's

17:24

long arms stretched all the way to

17:26

the ground, in its hands, light limply

17:28

on them. Wooden floor. Seats

17:30

hand ends in five deadly

17:33

clause with wicked short points.

17:36

The. Thing is black as pitch,

17:38

and I can tell if it

17:40

has dark bird scans or is

17:43

it's made from a wholly otherworldly

17:45

substance. Smells is

17:47

large and stretched into a horrific

17:50

grin. It's jagged

17:52

teeth or unnaturally white in a

17:54

bears them with a menacing glee.

17:57

It's ears taper off in the

17:59

suburbs. points like that on an elf, and

18:02

it has long, straggly black hair that

18:04

is clumped and caked together by some

18:07

brown material I do not wish to

18:09

think about. My

18:11

brain is confused by this impossible

18:13

sight, and my mind goes blank.

18:16

I think it has to be a joke, but

18:19

I can smell the thing. It

18:22

has a smell that could not be produced

18:24

by anything living, anything

18:26

natural. I am

18:28

so utterly confused still. Something

18:31

like this cannot exist. How

18:34

is it here on some random

18:36

summer's morning, standing here in plain

18:38

daylight? These kind

18:40

of things only happen at

18:42

night. There have

18:44

been no other signs. No unexplained

18:47

moving objects, strange sounds, eerie

18:49

smells, or cold patches. We

18:52

have not read any weird books, played

18:54

with Ouija boards, or been cursed. But

18:57

there it stands, grinning

19:01

at us, not

19:03

moving a single limb. I

19:06

suddenly notice the silence. It

19:09

is so eerily quiet right now.

19:12

But how? Nearly

19:14

every day this summer the neighbors were

19:16

cutting down trees or letting their dogs

19:18

and children run about and scream and

19:20

bark and play, much to my chagrin.

19:24

Right now the air is

19:26

thick with silence. Where

19:29

are the neighbors? In

19:31

fact, where are the

19:33

birds? There are

19:36

only birds chirping loudly outside at this

19:38

time. Has something happened

19:40

to them? Sweat

19:42

pours down my forehead. The

19:45

thing is standing so still, so

19:49

silent. I

19:51

hear my heart pounding and

19:53

my breathing becomes quick and shallow.

19:57

Whatever this thing is, it's

19:59

simply... not possible. I

20:02

begin to shake. I move my

20:04

hand towards my wife slowly. I

20:07

do not break my gaze on the thing. I

20:10

stare at its eyes. They

20:12

are large, white, and

20:15

milky. Dead. My

20:19

breath comes out hard and fast.

20:22

As I grab my wife, she jumps

20:24

slightly, but does not turn her

20:26

head away from the thing. Her

20:29

face is twisted with terror and

20:31

her face is pale as snow. She

20:34

trembles as she squeezes. My hand so

20:37

tight it goes numb and my fingers

20:39

turn white. All I

20:41

think about is getting away from this thing. I

20:44

start to whisper to my wife when

20:47

the thing slowly raises a long,

20:49

thin claw to

20:52

its mouth. It slips,

20:55

purses, as a noise

20:57

that does not belong to our world.

21:00

This is out. Its

21:05

voice sounds slippery, slimy,

21:08

squelchy. It sounds

21:10

like something as it's swallowed by

21:12

a peat bog. I

21:15

freeze. My

21:17

heart freezes. My

21:20

blood freezes. My wife

21:22

is clenching so tight my hand feels

21:24

like it's being crushed. I

21:27

tug at her chin and gesture for

21:29

her to follow me. Slowly

21:32

and silently, eyes glued on

21:34

the thing. We step

21:36

out of bed. As we

21:38

do, I grab my keys from

21:40

the bedside table. I

21:42

stand, notice my wife and I

21:45

are still in our summer pajamas.

21:48

I, with stress pressing on my mind from

21:51

all sides, am suddenly more

21:53

worried about being found dead in

21:55

my Spider-Man pajamas than anything else.

21:58

I chuckle quietly. and hysterically

22:00

at this random and inappropriate thought

22:03

as we run barefoot from our

22:05

bedroom. It's in

22:07

the corridor. Shit!

22:10

It's in the corridor now! It

22:13

didn't make a sound. I

22:15

turned back to the bedroom. It's

22:17

gone. It has moved

22:19

without walking or scuttling or running.

22:22

It can travel from place to place without

22:24

needing to move. Does

22:27

that mean there's just one of them? My

22:30

heart is beating so fast I feel dizzy. It

22:33

stands at the entrance to the bathroom,

22:35

just to our right as we exit

22:37

the bedroom. The curtains

22:40

undulate gently as the summer breeze

22:42

blows through the open bathroom window.

22:45

The smell carried by the zephyr

22:47

nearly burns off my nose. It

22:51

is so wretched. The

22:53

grip I have on my wife is now more desperate.

22:56

There is no avoiding it. We

22:58

have to run right by this thing to get to

23:00

the front door. My

23:03

stomach drops and my vision

23:05

swims from fright. We

23:07

run past it. The

23:10

smell gets so much worse. It

23:12

reaches out its clawed hand and caresses

23:15

my face softly as we bow down

23:17

the hall. My wife

23:19

and I fight back tears. My

23:22

mind is in tatters. All

23:24

I can see now is the front door. I

23:28

rip it open and tear through the

23:30

door, wife in hand into the warm

23:32

morning air. We don't

23:34

close or lock the door. The

23:37

air is humid and sticky and

23:39

is hard to breathe. My

23:42

chest is burning as we sprint

23:44

to our little green car and

23:46

leap inside. It's

23:48

in the driveway. It's

23:51

in the driveway. How

23:53

could this be possible? What

23:56

The hell is this thing standing and grinning

23:58

in the blaring morning air? Learning. How.

24:02

To start the car is my wife

24:04

and I buckler see felt the same

24:06

just stands this still as before. Smiling.

24:09

That disturbing smiles. My.

24:12

Eyes pour out t hers from

24:14

pure stress and see how. Do.

24:18

I saw beaten and my wife

24:20

is near catatonia. I

24:22

slammed my foot on the accelerator and we

24:24

take off spring for the. Big

24:27

jumps nimbly to one side grinning

24:29

the like the Cheshire cat and

24:32

she says he really grateful. As

24:34

we reached the gate, I don't

24:36

check, for course, I don't care.

24:39

We. Live in a small mountain village and

24:41

I take our chances. By.

24:43

Swivel my head around to look at

24:45

the thing as it stands in the

24:47

drive west. Staring.

24:49

At us. And

24:52

blink didn't specifically.

24:55

Dot sticker had it in turned as I

24:57

drive the car around the corner and what's

24:59

that thing disappear as we move down the

25:01

road. I continue to

25:04

stare out the back window so

25:06

sure I will see it pounding.

25:08

asterisk using his arms. A

25:10

Real A. But. A scene.

25:12

Know. When he

25:15

turned my head slowly to face the front

25:17

window. My heart begins

25:19

to ease. Momentarily.

25:21

My wife and I are silent, but. Soon.

25:25

We are screaming from

25:27

stress, in fear, Tears.

25:29

Flooding the hotel or faces

25:32

my wife turns to me.

25:36

Saying. We

25:38

had suddenly smells horrible in

25:40

the glow. her. Smoke.

25:44

fluid it's ignites with fear

25:47

it's the things voice the

25:49

coming from the seat for

25:51

her in my wife was

25:54

for use in fall and

25:56

medium sized fighting back our

25:58

own whimpering slowly We

26:01

turn. It's in

26:03

the car. It's on

26:05

the backseat. It's

26:07

in the car now. Suddenly,

26:11

I hear a noise and turn back to

26:13

face the road to see that I've crossed

26:16

lanes completely. A small BMW

26:18

headed straight for me. I

26:20

yell and make a sharp turn back

26:22

towards my lane, my heart and my

26:25

throat. As we return

26:27

to the correct side of the road, I

26:29

see the thing reach out a hand for

26:31

my wife. The slashes

26:33

are just once on the road's

26:35

chest and neck. It's

26:38

so fast I just see a blur. And

26:41

then blood. Scarlet

26:45

gore spurts from my

26:47

wife in pressurized pulses.

26:50

I watch her bleed and gurgle.

26:53

She grabs my hand, but

26:56

it quickly goes limp. I told

27:01

you to turn. That

27:05

voice, so beyond

27:07

natural, it sounds like

27:09

a swamp trying to speak. I

27:13

am dead and

27:15

numb. I

27:18

cry out in terror and anguish.

27:21

Anger, spit and vengeance

27:23

quickly explode to life in

27:25

my brain, vaporizing

27:28

all traces of fear. I veer

27:31

the car towards a cliff. We

27:34

fly off of it and into

27:36

a precipice. The

27:38

thing just grins as

27:41

we fall. The

27:46

cops don't believe me.

27:49

I survived the crash. My

27:52

wife is dead and

27:55

they think it was me somehow.

28:00

They lie and tell them

28:02

a wild animal got in the car. Killed

28:05

my wife and

28:07

forced me off the road. They

28:10

shake their heads. Suddenly

28:14

there's a bang. The

28:16

car outside the hospital is backfired.

28:19

Momentarily the cops and nurses are

28:22

distracted. I steal

28:24

the scalpel quickly and hide it under

28:26

my mattress. It's

28:31

night time now. I

28:35

am alone. I can

28:37

see it outside the hospital. It

28:41

stands and grins up at

28:43

me. I clench

28:45

the scalpel in my bandaged

28:47

shaking hand. I

28:50

lie in bed and I

28:52

hold my breath. It's

28:54

in my room now. It's

28:57

here. When

29:30

it comes to strange creatures, they so

29:33

often have a long history. People

29:36

recount tales of sightings from decades

29:38

ago, even when others see the

29:40

creatures right up to present day. They

29:42

seem to have staying power. And

29:45

in this tale, shared with us by

29:48

author Preston Farlow, we meet

29:50

a couple of lighthouse keepers who have some tales

29:52

of their own until they

29:54

realize they're both talking about

29:56

the same strange encounter. this

30:00

tale with me are Aaron

30:02

Lillis, Graham Roet, Nicole Goodnight,

30:05

Jeff Clement, Peter Lewis and

30:07

Matthew Bradford. So

30:10

pull your boat into port and hunker down

30:12

during the storm because it's

30:15

a dark night on Wilson Bay.

30:30

I was wondering when you get in. Storm's

30:33

really raging out there, isn't it? Jesus,

30:36

you're telling me. I almost

30:39

slid off the road twice to drive it in. See

30:42

any accidents? I

30:45

couldn't see much of anything if I'm being honest,

30:47

but no, I don't think so. Well,

30:50

it lets you and me try to keep it that

30:52

way, at least out on the bay. Conditions

30:55

are choppy out there, and Noah's reporting

30:57

that the storm is going to last

30:59

all night. Oh,

31:01

you and me? You staying for the night shift? Of

31:05

course. You're still officially a trainee,

31:08

and this storm's a monster. It'd

31:11

be irresponsible for me to leave. Besides,

31:13

Roscoe's going to need someone to hold

31:15

him when the thunder gets too loud,

31:18

and I don't think he trusts you quite yet.

31:21

Of course. Where's the little

31:24

furball anyways? Napping in

31:26

the break room last I saw. It's

31:28

been a long day for him. I

31:31

bet. Thanks for staying though,

31:33

Marv. Tell you the truth,

31:35

I was pretty nervous about this shift while driving

31:37

in. Ah,

31:40

don't mention it. I've seen hundreds of

31:42

nights like these. They're always

31:44

better with a little company. I

31:47

can imagine. What's the

31:49

current situation? I saw the light was going when it

31:51

pulled in. Lights

31:53

all set. I checked the motors and

31:56

generators about an hour ago. Latest

31:58

from Noah tells us... the storm's gonna

32:00

last well into the morning. 50 mile

32:03

an hour winds, eight inches of rain,

32:06

30 foot waves, general bedlam

32:08

and despair. No big

32:10

ships, but we've still got one vessel out

32:13

on the water. What? Who

32:15

the hell is still out there in this? Dale

32:19

Waterman and the Dents and Marlin. Have

32:22

you heard from them? Yeah,

32:25

about 40 minutes ago. Man

32:28

stubborn as all hell, and refused

32:30

to talk earlier this afternoon. No

32:32

use trying to convince them otherwise. Oh,

32:36

we'll see about that. Attention,

32:52

attention, Dancing Marlin. This is the

32:54

Wilson Bay headlight. Do you copy?

32:56

Over. Well

33:00

hello there, Wilson Bay headlight. This is

33:02

Captain Waterman speaking. Over. Hi,

33:06

Dale. What the hell are you guys doing?

33:08

Over. Good

33:12

to hear from you too, Becca. We're all in

33:14

traps. Got about two more to go. Over. I

33:19

could guess that. I mean, what the hell

33:21

are you still doing out there? Your ship

33:23

isn't big enough to handle this kind of

33:26

storm. Over. I've

33:32

got to agree with Becca here, Dale. Conditions

33:34

are looking a touch apocalyptic. Might

33:38

not be a prudent idea to stay out like

33:40

this. Over. The

33:45

second I can pay my taxes and prudent ideas instead of money,

33:47

I'll give it a go. Until

33:49

then, I need this haul.

33:52

I'll ping you all if anything comes up. Over and out. Over

33:54

and out. Jesus,

33:58

what an asshole. He's gonna get his

34:00

crew killed. Someday,

34:03

probably. Nothing we can do

34:05

about it, sadly. We've just gotta

34:07

sit here, advise on conditions, and be

34:10

ready to contact the Coast Guard. Everything

34:12

else is on them and God. You're

34:16

awfully relaxed about the situation. Comes

34:20

with experience. Assholes like

34:22

Dale or a dime a dozen in this

34:24

line of work. You just get used to it. Coffee?

34:30

Thanks. I

34:32

guess you're right, but it's just infuriating. How

34:38

can you be that reckless with your crew's lives like that? Yeah. I'm

34:42

sorry. I'm

34:44

sorry. I'm

34:47

sorry. I'm sorry.

34:50

I'm sorry. I'm

34:52

sorry. I'm

34:55

sorry. I'm sorry. Yeah.

35:00

Time and technology have caused people to

35:02

forget what a dangerous place Wilson Bay

35:04

is. Lots

35:06

of ghosts haunt these waters. What

35:11

do you mean? This storm's

35:13

definitely something else, sure, but the

35:15

bay itself isn't that bad. It's

35:17

been decades since the last wreck,

35:19

hasn't it? It

35:22

has, but only because I'm good at my

35:24

job. Zero incidents since I've

35:27

taken over the headlight. Before

35:29

that, however. Yes?

35:35

Wilson Bay has a history of

35:38

shipwrecks that stretches back centuries. Happened

35:40

all the time when I was a kid. The

35:43

state used to pay nothing for this work, and

35:45

no keeper would stay for more than a few

35:47

years at most. We used

35:49

to have multiple wrecks a month, mostly

35:51

on Blackstone Island. Blackstone?

35:55

Seriously? Follow

35:57

me to the window. I

36:09

can't see a thing out there. I know where Blackstone Island

36:11

is. I just can't... Wait for the light to pass

36:14

over it. There. There

36:17

it is. Did you

36:19

see that? Uh,

36:22

barely, I think. Looked

36:25

like there were a bunch of waves covering it. And

36:28

that's the devilry of it. The

36:30

rocks on the island are dark enough that you can

36:33

barely see them with a full moon. Throw

36:35

in some rain and waves, and the

36:37

thing's damn near invisible. The

36:40

number of lives lost crashing into that rock...

36:44

I couldn't fathom a guess. Did

36:47

ships not know to avoid it in the

36:49

past? It

36:51

sneaks up on ya. I've

36:53

heard countless stories from people who tried

36:55

to change course around the island, only

36:58

to be dragged back and scrape up against

37:00

it. Something about

37:02

it pulls you in. You

37:10

mean like it has its own current? No,

37:14

something more than that. Something

37:16

sinister. Call it

37:18

ghosts, call it Satan, call it whatever you

37:21

will. There's an evil

37:23

about Blackstone Island beyond any

37:25

of our understanding. You

37:28

grew up here. I'm sure you've heard the

37:30

stories. A

37:32

few. Ghosts of dead sailors and stuff

37:34

like that. I don't really remember. I

37:37

was never much of one for superstitions or

37:39

legends. It's

37:41

more than superstition and legend. Oh,

37:45

sounds like there's a story behind that

37:47

statement. There

37:50

is. I'm just not sure if it's

37:52

one to share right now. I'm

37:55

not going anywhere. You've got a captive audience. Well,

38:01

I suppose, if you're

38:03

gonna twist my arm about it, we've

38:06

got time to kill, and there's no better

38:08

setting than tonight for a story like this.

38:12

I'm wrapped with anticipation. I

38:16

can tell. This

38:18

story's gonna take us back aways. 1958, actually. I

38:20

was nine at the time. Wilson

38:27

Bay was a different place back then. Smaller,

38:30

tighter knit. Everyone

38:32

knew everyone, and we treated everyone

38:35

as family. Hmm,

38:37

there were good times. Honest

38:39

times. Yes, back

38:42

when kids would walk to school

38:44

uphill, both ways. Ha

38:47

ha ha, it built character, dammit!

38:51

Anyways, my father was a fisherman, same

38:53

as everyone else in town back in

38:55

those days. He

38:57

was a good man, always provided for

38:59

us. Had

39:01

an affliction for the bottle, which I

39:04

believe is hereditary, but

39:06

that's an entirely different story. About

39:09

two years before this, he bought

39:11

a beat-up day sailor for cheap

39:13

at an estate sale up in

39:15

Marion Beach, yeah. The

39:19

boat was small, and needed more or less

39:21

constant maintenance, but he treasured it like a

39:23

second child. Used

39:25

to take me out sailing on Sundays

39:27

after mass. Nothing elaborate, just

39:30

a few hours going around the bay. He

39:33

couldn't stand to spend a day away from the sea,

39:35

not even on the Sabbath. My

39:39

mother never joined us, always cursing him, saying

39:42

he should spend more time at home. They

39:46

fought like cats and dogs about it, but

39:48

my father would always end up dragging me along with

39:50

him. Once

39:53

we were on the boat, all the anger seemed to drain

39:55

out of him. I

39:58

think the open water was the only place to

40:00

go. he ever truly felt at peace. Sounds

40:03

like a lot of people from around here. Mm-hmm.

40:08

Well, one Sunday in particular, we were

40:10

lazing about the bay, not doing much

40:12

of anything. We

40:15

never talked much on those trips, but I

40:17

always liked the quiet of it. Later

40:21

in the afternoon, about an hour before

40:23

sunset, I saw some dark clouds gathering

40:25

on the horizon. I

40:28

mentioned it to him, but he just shook his

40:30

head and told me to keep quiet. Not

40:33

the most comforting words to hear, but I

40:35

did as I was told. My

40:37

father kept the same stoic look on his

40:39

face that he always had, and I convinced

40:42

myself it was nothing. The

40:45

clouds kept coming, however, and by the time

40:47

we were turning back to the mainland, the

40:49

rain had started. A

40:52

few minutes later came the wind, and

40:54

with it, the waves. My

40:57

father stationed himself at the wheel, which

41:00

began park and orders, I think. I'd

41:03

worked the sails before, but never in conditions

41:05

like those. My

41:08

arms were too weak, and the ropes were tight

41:10

against the gale. Waves

41:12

crashed over the sides and knocked me off of my

41:14

feet. Sea water

41:16

ran slick across the deck, but every

41:18

time I fell, I would skid hard into

41:21

the sidewalk. After

41:23

a few spills, I just lay there

41:25

on the deck, weeping, terrified. My

41:28

hands were rubbed raw, propelled in

41:30

the ropes, and saltwater stung my eyes.

41:34

I was convinced we were both going to die. The

41:38

only thing that ripped me from this state

41:40

was my father screaming at me. I

41:43

looked up at him, and through the rain and

41:46

darkness saw a look on his face I'd never

41:48

seen before. Reassurance,

41:52

I suppose, would be the closest

41:54

word. Confidence, maybe.

41:57

But those don't do it justice. All

42:00

the same it lit a fire in me and

42:02

I scrambled to my feet to adjust the sail.

42:06

He swung the wheel hard to port

42:08

and began guiding us to the main

42:10

land, trying to split the distance between

42:12

Blackstone and the lofts. I

42:15

kept my eyes on, only looking around when

42:18

the beam from the headlights swung across the

42:20

bay. Each

42:22

time it did, I saw Blackstone

42:25

creep closer and closer to us. My

42:29

father roared against the storm, pushing the

42:31

wheel with all that he had, as

42:33

I clutched at the railing tighter than I've

42:35

ever held anything. That

42:39

didn't matter. We

42:41

crashed our starboard side hard against

42:44

the rocks. Oh, shit.

42:53

Oh, the crash of the whole boat

42:55

threw me across the deck. I

42:59

hit my head hard against the cabin wall

43:01

and my senses left me. The

43:05

world went completely black and

43:07

silent. Next

43:10

thing I remember were these tight arms

43:12

wrapped around me. Slowly

43:14

my vision and hearing returned. I

43:18

could feel raindrops pelting the top of my

43:20

head. The

43:22

world appeared dark and blurry, with

43:25

the dull and distant sound of

43:27

waves crashing in the background. I

43:31

blinked against the water trickling down my

43:33

head and slowly felt myself returning to

43:35

Earth. My

43:38

father had sloped me into his arms and

43:40

was staggering across the deck. I

43:44

looked up and saw half the ship in

43:46

ruins. Splintered

43:48

wood littered the deck as the

43:50

ship had wedged precariously against the

43:53

jagged rocks of Blackstone. It

43:56

wouldn't hold long. My

44:00

father walked us up to the rocks before lifting

44:02

me up high. I

44:05

grabbed onto them, trying to cling as best

44:07

I could. They were slick

44:09

with sea water and rain, and my raw

44:12

palms felt like they'd been set aflame when

44:14

I touched them. I

44:17

held fast and managed to jam my

44:19

legs around the narrower crease. Once

44:23

I was secure, my father scrambled up the

44:25

rocks next to me, keeping his eyes locked

44:27

on my own. Not

44:31

even a second later, the ship fell away

44:33

from the island with a terrible groan of

44:35

eyes. I

44:39

look back just in time to see the

44:41

remains of the mast slip beneath the waves.

44:46

We were stuck. What

44:51

happened next? We

44:54

flung there for a while, rocked me

44:56

into a steep and slick to dry

44:58

climate. The

45:00

headlights beam would pass over us every

45:02

now and again, bathe in us in

45:04

this blinding waltz. Flashes

45:07

of lightning streaked across the horizon,

45:09

followed by a rolling echo of

45:12

thunder. The

45:14

rain had left me soaked and freezing. I

45:17

started to shake and shiver against the

45:19

rocks, terrified about losing my grip. It

45:23

only got worse as the waves began to creep

45:25

higher. I

45:27

could feel them licking at my feet and realized

45:29

that if we stayed there, they'd

45:32

eventually reach over my head. I

45:35

looked at my father as a streak of lightning

45:37

lit up his face. He

45:40

didn't say a word, but I knew what he was

45:42

thinking. We

45:45

had to climb. He

45:48

reached out first, grabbing a ledge right

45:50

above his head. I

45:54

followed suit, trying my best to mimic

45:56

his movements. We

45:59

managed to gain a few seconds. few feet,

46:01

but even this felt like a Herculean task.

46:04

My hands and feet couldn't find purchase

46:06

against the slick stone, and my body

46:09

felt too weak after the crash. I

46:12

lost my grip for a moment and almost fell

46:14

into the waves. My

46:17

father grabbed my wrist before I could fall

46:19

too far and hauled me up to his

46:21

position. I

46:23

scrambled for a grip on the ledge. Just

46:27

as I found a firm hold of the

46:30

entire island to show me, it

46:34

felt like a boat crash all over again. It

46:38

was like some miracle I

46:40

managed to hold on. My

46:42

father had used one hand

46:44

to keep me steady and

46:49

I never saw him fall, only turning my

46:51

head after I heard the splash. The

46:55

water was so dark I could only

46:57

see the bright orange of his coveralls

46:59

as he sank beneath the surface. I

47:04

don't remember my reaction at the time. I

47:07

think I was too numb, too tired, too

47:10

shell-shocked for anything dramatic.

47:13

But I do remember what happened

47:15

next. As

47:18

I stared down at the water, lightning

47:22

struck nearby, lighting up the

47:24

sky and ocean. Moving

47:27

beneath the waves was a silhouette

47:30

so massive it defies

47:32

explanation. I

47:35

couldn't hazard an estimate at its length. Long

47:38

and serpentine, it stretched out

47:40

past my vision. Even

47:44

from my vantage point, I couldn't make

47:47

out its entire shape. What

47:50

I did see and what

47:52

haunts me to this day were

47:56

the two glowing yellow circles

47:59

I saw at the moment. one end of it. I

48:03

only saw them once for less than

48:05

a second, but the

48:08

hunger and malice I saw

48:10

in them. Oh

48:14

my lord, it's still... Oh,

48:23

there Roscoe, you snuck up

48:25

on us. Oh, did all

48:27

that thunder outside start to scare you? Roscoe,

48:32

you scared the hell out of me. And

48:35

Marv, I just... I had no

48:37

idea what

48:40

happened after all of that. Well,

48:44

I held myself against the rock for the rest

48:46

of the night. It seemed

48:48

to last an eternity, but I somehow

48:50

managed to cling for life. A

48:54

fishing boat found me the next morning after

48:56

the storm had abated. They...

49:01

they never recovered my father's body.

49:05

I'm so sorry, that's just... jizz.

49:10

That thing you saw, did you

49:12

ever... Never

49:15

saw it again. And

49:18

don't be sorry, this was ages ago.

49:21

I've had my time to grieve. Okay,

49:26

okay, it's just... that

49:28

silhouette, or whatever it was you saw, what

49:31

exactly do you think it

49:34

was? Haven't the faintest,

49:36

sadly. I

49:38

have looked for it on occasion. Naturally,

49:41

I didn't go out on the ocean

49:43

for some time after that night, but

49:45

after taking over here, I used my

49:47

first paycheck for a down payment on

49:49

a small skiff. Mostly

49:51

for fishing, but I'd be lying if I

49:53

said I didn't sometimes cruise around the bay,

49:56

looking for the same shadow I saw that

49:58

night. Okay,

50:00

but do you have any idea what it was? Like a

50:02

whale or maybe a wreck or something? You

50:07

seem a little worked up about this. Is

50:09

everything alright? Yes,

50:12

of course. It's just... I

50:15

mean... I think...

50:17

I think

50:20

I know what you're talking about. What?

50:23

You've heard about this thing before?

50:28

Not heard. Seen. What?

50:32

When? Where? How did you

50:34

see it? It's... I

50:37

don't know how to explain it. It's really weird.

50:40

I don't think I've ever talked to anyone else

50:42

about this. Well,

50:44

I've got the time. It's not like

50:47

I won't believe you. Oh,

50:51

I... I guess you're right. I just

50:54

don't like bringing it up. Even with the

50:56

people who were there. It's

50:59

not exactly a good memory. Yeah,

51:03

so few ever are. You

51:07

got that right. Alright,

51:11

this was all about two years ago

51:14

when I was still going for my master's. The

51:17

story is actually the main reason I ended up dropping

51:19

out. God, it feels

51:21

so much longer than that. Anyways,

51:24

at the beginning of the semester, they

51:27

were offering credit hours for this tagging

51:29

expedition. Two weeks on the

51:31

ocean, tagging right whales for an ongoing migration

51:34

study. They

51:36

needed about ten students to fill out the crew.

51:40

It was the university's research vessel, so

51:42

they'd be covering food and lodging, but

51:45

the position itself wasn't paid. Normally

51:48

that would have been a deal breaker for me,

51:51

but my boyfriend at the time, Tom,

51:54

he was super enthusiastic about it. Kept

51:56

Calling it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

52:00

Talked about the romance of the open

52:02

sea. Eventually

52:04

wore me down. Tom

52:07

was. A bold

52:10

kind of guy. Always curious,

52:12

always looking for an event

52:14

or adventure. Never

52:16

thinking before doing I'm sure you're

52:18

the type. I've

52:20

met. Have you? Well

52:23

he wore me down. And in

52:25

two weeks time we were seven are from the

52:28

marina and out into the bay. The

52:31

expedition was mostly in deeper waters

52:33

few miles off. The. Coast least, but

52:35

we'd return to the Bay every so

52:37

often. This

52:39

was my first time out to sea for

52:42

an extended period time, and it certainly felt.

52:46

As if my first few days trying to

52:48

get work done in between few concessions and

52:50

dizzy spells. Six six

52:52

are better after that I've had been a tag

52:54

towards the end of the first week. Ya

52:58

hear about how big whales. Are because

53:01

you know their Wales but. See

53:03

them up close. Those hims a

53:05

friggin' massive. Tom

53:08

loved everything about the trip. See.

53:12

The. Whales teasing me that my

53:14

seasickness. He

53:17

does seem so who and

53:19

energize it was infectious. Or

53:22

even care that I could barely keep my from

53:24

down. I was having the time of my life.

53:28

He didn't. We've

53:35

been out there for a think

53:37

nine days at that point. Tags

53:40

probably two dozen Wales. And

53:43

or of the specific numbers. Anyways,

53:45

our faculty advisor had been monitoring their

53:47

motion because why not and notice that

53:50

one well hadn't dove below the surface

53:52

and. Over twenty four hours. She

53:55

concluded that the whale had likely. Died and

53:57

was as float along with ways.

54:00

We decided to go back and retrieve the tag.

54:02

Figuring there was no easy way some the equipment.

54:06

The. Well as floating almost five miles out from

54:09

the bay, and it took us about half

54:11

a day to sail That. I

54:13

was below deck when someone else. Far as it, Started

54:17

yelling above me and I heard stamping. Seats

54:20

echoing down the hall. From

54:23

him, Running Thousand and Tommy Bowe. Scrambled.

54:26

Up on deck and saw a crowd of people palin

54:29

around the railing on Ct sided. Bow. And.

54:32

Side and wins it out of the horizon.

54:36

Sitting in the water was seized. Mars

54:38

will probably about half a mile from

54:41

where we will look like a dark

54:43

slob. Nothing really distinctive. I. Was

54:46

wondering where all the commotion was about. Then

54:51

I noticed the water. For

54:54

out as we were hypertrophy the waters

54:57

around in the last night and see

54:59

which. The

55:02

whale had his disguise. It

55:06

hasn't. Worked

55:10

for his scattered across the water,

55:13

Is has since muscles half

55:15

of it very much open

55:17

stomach. Even a

55:19

half mile out, I could smell it. She's

55:23

crisis. Mom

55:26

was tearing up just thinking about it. Hi.

55:35

I'm not doing justice for animal

55:37

had been sworn Sips he says

55:40

is that half was entirely ripped

55:42

away with didn't see it anywhere.

55:45

Only it's hadn't freight been escape

55:48

carnage and not unscathed. He

55:51

gouges ran down the remains. Of his

55:54

body, most of the blood having

55:56

dried and over. Had

56:00

died the most violent way I can

56:02

think of. What

56:05

Did you all do? Well,

56:09

there wasn't any sense of aside in the

56:11

tags carnage. A few people were already getting

56:13

sick from the smell so we made the

56:15

unanimous decision the head back out to deeper

56:18

waters. I

56:20

went back to my bones and tried getting

56:22

some work done. Just ended up staring at

56:24

my Excel sheet for my eyes glazed over.

56:28

Couldn't see the way a lot of my head. What

56:32

the fuck The do that to something that big?

56:35

Not just killing it, but even

56:38

reading. It. Was

56:40

it an animal? a machine or

56:42

submarine? Or something. Was

56:45

it still out in the water? Ice and.

56:51

After a few hours. All I ended

56:53

up accomplishing was give myself a stress had

56:55

a so. I decided to at least right eats.

56:59

Site and Smell is mostly faded from my. Immediate

57:01

memory, I felt like I'd certainly be able

57:03

to stomach food. Som

57:06

is already said. none the bag The mess hall with two

57:08

of our friends when I got their. Four

57:11

of us talk for a bit. Well, I picked up

57:13

my food. Danny

57:15

and Michelle bull seem to be feeling the same

57:17

as me. But

57:19

Tom is downright giddy. About it He.

57:25

says. He was.

57:29

Every thought that drove me crazy with

57:31

worry just seemed to excite him. Where

57:35

I saw a monster lurking below

57:37

the ways. He saw an undocumented

57:40

animal just wishing to be discovered.

57:45

Wasn't malicious thirty seems is. Enthusiastic.

57:51

Honestly, in situations other than

57:53

that one kind of insects.

57:57

one of the reasons i started hanging out with him

57:59

refers I'm

58:07

good. I just don't really

58:09

like talking about this much. Probably

58:12

good to get it out, honestly. I

58:15

think that's what the old saying's about,

58:17

right? Better out than in? Yeah,

58:22

no. I'm sure that's

58:24

what that means. Anyways,

58:26

the four of us talked a bit at

58:29

dinner, but it went just like I said.

58:32

Danny, Michelle, and I were all freaked out about

58:34

it, while Tom kept trying to guess what type

58:36

of animal it could be. I

58:41

ended up barely eating and decided to turn

58:43

in early. Tom

58:45

asked if I wanted any company, but

58:47

I was just too attached to it for anything besides sleep

58:49

at that point. I

58:52

said good night, walked back to my bunk, and

58:54

went to bed. Other

58:58

nights I'd had trouble sleeping with the constant rocking

59:00

of the boat, but that night I

59:02

passed out almost instantly. In

59:06

last, I'm not sure how soon. In

59:09

the middle of the night I woke

59:12

up to this awful, high-pitched,

59:14

creepy sound. I

59:18

sat, pulled up, right, switched my head around, trying to

59:20

figure out what was taking the

59:22

racket. The boat shook and shuddered with the noise. The

59:25

raging waves came again, louder than time. The bullshit and the heart of the body. movement.

59:31

After a second, the boat's movement slowed,

59:33

and I managed

59:39

to stagger to my feet and get out

59:51

into the hallways. A

59:54

few people were already out there yelling and asking what

59:56

the hell was happening. It looks like

59:58

they just left out of bed. same as me. The

1:00:03

ship lurched a few more times before one of

1:00:05

the faculty advisors came rushing down the hall, screaming

1:00:08

for us to follow her to the top deck.

1:00:12

I couldn't hear everything she said over the yelling of

1:00:14

the crowd, but I distinctly heard the

1:00:17

words, life raft and evacuate.

1:00:20

My lord. I

1:00:23

followed the crowd up to the top deck. The

1:00:27

air was cold outside, but

1:00:29

the sky looked clear and the seas were

1:00:31

calm as ever. I was

1:00:34

staring out over the side railing when I suddenly felt

1:00:36

his hand grab at my shoulder. He was

1:00:40

calm. He pulled

1:00:42

me off to the side and started bombarding me

1:00:44

with questions. What's going

1:00:46

on? Did you hear that scraping noise? Why are

1:00:48

we evacuating? I'm telling

1:00:54

him. I didn't know. Over and over. Some

1:01:00

look of understanding just flashed

1:01:02

across his eyes while I

1:01:04

was thinking. It seems obvious in

1:01:06

hindsight, but he must have put two and two

1:01:09

together about what was happening before me. He was

1:01:13

filming a wait, and he just grabbed some equipment from his

1:01:15

phone. I yelled

1:01:18

after him to stop, but he sprinted back

1:01:20

down the stairs before I could even finish my sentence. My

1:01:25

advisor began yelling from the other side of the deck,

1:01:27

gathering everyone else around her, directing them

1:01:29

towards life rafts, bombing in the water, and

1:01:32

then he shipped. People

1:01:34

started freaking out, asking why we were

1:01:37

evacuating. In

1:01:39

the commotion, the ship shook again, even more

1:01:41

violently than before. This

1:01:45

got all the question.

1:01:47

Everyone raced towards the ladders to

1:01:49

get to the raft, pressing me forward along with

1:01:52

Kraut. I

1:01:54

tried to find Tom and the throng of people

1:01:56

hoping he'd come back easy. I

1:02:01

found myself in a raft without 10 other people, but no Tom. What

1:02:08

happened? At first, nothing. We

1:02:11

all just sat around on the raft waiting for someone to tell

1:02:13

us what was actually happening.

1:02:17

I was freaking

1:02:19

out, obviously, but Michelle kept trying to reassure me that I was

1:02:21

going to be a real person. I was just trying

1:02:23

to get to the point where I was going to

1:02:26

be a real person. It was not obvious, but Michelle kept

1:02:28

trying to reassure me that Tom must have

1:02:30

come back up. A few people had loaded on

1:02:32

the raft after us. He must have been one of them. Every

1:02:36

minute or so, the ship would

1:02:38

lurch in the water with this

1:02:41

loud hollow thumping noise. It

1:02:44

was only from seeing it at a distance

1:02:47

that I came to the same realization that

1:02:49

Tom had on the ship. Whatever

1:02:53

was doing this, it had to

1:02:55

have been the same thing that attacked the whales. It's

1:02:58

the only thing that I'd seen. Finally,

1:03:03

after a few minutes of us floating around

1:03:05

aimlessly, one last

1:03:07

shudder tore through the ship,

1:03:10

almost vanishing to knock it onto its side.

1:03:15

As the hull reared up past the

1:03:17

water, I

1:03:19

saw this massive gait being whole had

1:03:21

been ripped down its center. Water

1:03:25

poured into the tear and the ship

1:03:27

again rapidly sinking below the waves. We

1:03:31

saw the coming from other raft. A

1:03:34

few people on our own began

1:03:37

desperately paddling away from the boat with a

1:03:39

pair of emergency balloons. Cutting

1:03:45

through all this noise, I

1:03:47

heard Tom's voice sounding

1:03:49

like it came from right behind me. Come

1:03:52

on, just let me get a look at you. I

1:03:57

looked around, starting here with an ointment. It

1:04:02

wasn't there. The

1:04:04

voice came again, the same words, the

1:04:07

same tone. Come on, let

1:04:09

me get a look at you. Are

1:04:12

you sure it was his voice? One

1:04:16

hundred percent. It

1:04:19

wasn't just me either. Michelle, a

1:04:21

few other people could hear it too. Come

1:04:25

here. God, it's like he was right there.

1:04:27

Come on. Let

1:04:29

me get a good look at you. The voice came a few

1:04:31

more times. But stop, does the

1:04:34

ship finally sink beneath the waves. As

1:04:39

it did, I

1:04:41

saw something else in the water lit

1:04:44

up by this emergent light of the sinking

1:04:46

ship. Same

1:04:49

thing you did, I think. The

1:04:53

long black silhouette and the two

1:04:55

massive eyes. This

1:04:59

kicked off another round of screaming and

1:05:01

panicked rowing, only for the shape

1:05:03

to dip out of sight. Back

1:05:06

into the depths. What

1:05:11

did you... Someone

1:05:13

radioed for help. Ghost

1:05:16

guard found us a few hours later. He

1:05:19

took a head count as they loaded us

1:05:21

onto the rescue ship. They

1:05:24

only confirmed what I'd feared. Tom

1:05:28

hadn't been on any of the rafts. He

1:05:31

was the sole fatality of the incident. Oh,

1:05:36

Becca, I'm so sorry.

1:05:39

Sorry. I dropped

1:05:41

out a week later and you

1:05:43

kind of know the story from there. Turned

1:05:46

around my parents' house for a bit. Worked

1:05:48

a front counter at Delia's Clam Bar. Then

1:05:52

I got the job here. I

1:05:55

never got any additional information about that night.

1:06:00

Diversity and Coast Guard were both tight-lipped

1:06:02

whenever I tried emailing them. I

1:06:05

still text with Michelle, I guess, but it's not like

1:06:07

either of us is suddenly getting cracked the case. I

1:06:11

just... I've

1:06:14

got no idea what happened that night. The

1:06:18

creature, the voice... nothing.

1:06:24

I... I

1:06:28

might know something about the voice. What?

1:06:33

Well, I shouldn't say I know something about

1:06:36

it, but... I

1:06:38

believe I heard my father's voice

1:06:40

the night we wrecked on Blackstone.

1:06:43

After, he'd fallen in the water. I'd

1:06:47

always assumed I'd been hallucinating, but...

1:06:50

I heard my father's last words

1:06:53

repeated several times while I clung

1:06:55

to that rock, clear as

1:06:57

I heard them when he was next to me. Jesus,

1:07:02

I don't think I've ever told anyone this. Not

1:07:05

even my mother. Oh

1:07:08

my God, Marv, that's... I'm

1:07:11

so sorry, but just hearing the same thing

1:07:13

happen to someone else... I

1:07:16

don't want to call it a relief, but like, I don't

1:07:18

know, I guess, validating

1:07:20

would be the word? Haha,

1:07:24

yeah, I understand.

1:07:27

I felt the same thing hearing you tell your

1:07:29

story to tell the truth. A

1:07:31

lifetime spent thinking I was a crazy

1:07:33

person. Well, it'll

1:07:36

be nice to have some company at the loony

1:07:38

bin, at least. What

1:07:41

do you think it is? The

1:07:43

monster, the voices? Any

1:07:45

of it. Like

1:07:48

I said earlier, I haven't the faintest,

1:07:51

although not for lack of trying. I've

1:07:55

thought about that night almost every day of

1:07:57

my life, but I've never been able to

1:07:59

find it. anything else similar to it.

1:08:02

Not from sailing, not from

1:08:05

research, not anywhere. A

1:08:08

few old texts down at the

1:08:10

historical society have accounts of sailors

1:08:12

raving about this or that sea

1:08:14

dragon or ghost, but tall

1:08:16

tales like that are a dime a dozen.

1:08:20

Tonight's the first time I've ever heard

1:08:22

anyone else have an experience so similar

1:08:24

to my own. Do

1:08:27

you think that... Mayday!

1:08:32

Mayday! Is anyone from the shuttle?

1:08:35

We need a media assistant! Dancing

1:08:37

Marlin! Dancing

1:08:41

Marlin, this is the Wilson Bay

1:08:43

Ed Light. Dale, do you copy?

1:08:46

Over. Thanks

1:08:48

looking Christ. Lawrence, we copy you.

1:08:50

We need some help here. Double

1:08:52

time. Where

1:08:56

are you? Have you gotten a hold of the Coast

1:08:58

Guard Channel? Over. I've

1:09:02

been trying for 15 god-dicked sits.

1:09:05

We're out in the bay, about 500 feet off

1:09:07

of Blackstone. We're getting tossed to hell and it's

1:09:09

safe the size of a bowling ball. Hold

1:09:14

tight. I'll try them on the landline. Becca,

1:09:18

check the window. See if you can spot

1:09:20

them. On it. Dammit,

1:09:30

the line's dead. Becca, are

1:09:33

you seeing anything? Hold

1:09:36

on, the light's just passing

1:09:38

over... There! I got a

1:09:40

visual. It looks like they're just north of Blackstone.

1:09:44

But drifting towards it... Dammit,

1:09:46

dammit! Dale,

1:09:50

the landline is out and it's looking

1:09:52

like you're drifting into Blackstone. I

1:09:55

don't know what's still working on the Marlin, but you've

1:09:57

got to do whatever you can to stop from hitting

1:09:59

it. Do you hear me

1:10:01

Dale? That rock is death. Just

1:10:08

fucking luck. We're running the engine as hard as she

1:10:10

goes but we can't even budge off course. We

1:10:12

can see what the... What

1:10:15

the fuck did you say? I

1:10:17

don't give a fuck. Shit,

1:10:20

shit, shit. Mark, we got a

1:10:23

situation. Something's scraping up against the hull. I got... Dale?

1:10:32

Dale! Damn

1:10:38

it. Becca, what's happening? It's

1:10:42

there. Shit, they've hit it. The

1:10:44

ship's smashed up against the rocks and... It's

1:10:52

there. It's fucking there. It's

1:10:55

there. That thing

1:10:57

I can see him moving below the water. Goddammit,

1:11:02

Dale. I don't know

1:11:04

if you're getting this. But you and your boys

1:11:06

need to scramble up those rocks. You hear me?

1:11:09

We'll send out a rescue as soon as we

1:11:11

can but you all need to hang in there.

1:11:16

Becca, we need to get someone out there

1:11:18

fast. You stay here and monitor

1:11:20

the radio. I'm gonna head down and... Mark,

1:11:23

we got a situation. Something's scraping up against

1:11:25

the hull. I got... What

1:11:30

the hell? Dale,

1:11:35

are you still there? You've got to... Shit,

1:11:38

shit. Mark, we got a situation. Something's

1:11:40

scraping up against the hull. I got...

1:11:44

It's okay, baby. It's okay. Daddy,

1:11:47

stay. We're going to... Can

1:11:49

we just hold off? Come

1:12:00

on, sis. Don't do all your dreams. Don't

1:12:02

you think it's good to be here? And all

1:12:05

those days, lots of folks, come upon them.

1:12:08

God, can't wait for you to watch your

1:12:10

grip. These rocks are

1:12:13

sweeter than hell when we have to hold

1:12:15

fast. Please, I'm gonna

1:12:17

have to do the double. Oh

1:12:22

dear lord. Oh

1:12:26

lord. Oh lord. Oh lord.

1:12:30

What the fuck, Marv, seriously? What the fuck? Come

1:12:33

on, let me give it to the lucky ass. I'm

1:12:37

gonna have to do the double. Oh

1:12:39

lord. Oh lord. Oh

1:12:43

lord. What the fuck, Marv? Seriously, what

1:12:46

the fuck? Come on, let me give it to

1:12:49

the lucky ass. Damn it, is it

1:12:51

fucking with us? Talking

1:12:53

to us? What the

1:12:56

fuck is this thing? I don't... It

1:13:00

doesn't matter. We have to do something. The

1:13:05

roads a slick, but if we can get down to

1:13:07

the Coast Guard station, maybe we can... Marv, we got a

1:13:09

situation. Something's scraping up

1:13:11

against the hull. I got... Marv,

1:13:15

we got a situation. Something's scraping up against the hull.

1:13:18

I got... Oh.

1:13:28

Oh dear lord. Marv,

1:13:32

we got a situation. Something's scraping up against

1:13:34

the hull. I got... Marv,

1:13:38

we got a situation. Something's scraping up against

1:13:40

the hull. I got... Oh.

1:13:45

Marv, we got a situation. Something's

1:13:47

scraping up against the hull. I

1:13:49

got... Oh. Marv,

1:13:53

we got a situation. Something's

1:13:55

scraping up against the hull. Our

1:14:45

campfire is growing dim, and

1:14:48

the light of dawn approaches. Our

1:14:51

tales must come to an end

1:14:53

until the next time we gather. They'll

1:14:56

keep the fire burning until you

1:14:58

return. That is, if

1:15:01

you dare to remain sleepless.

1:15:07

The No Sleep Podcast is

1:15:09

presented by Creative Reason Media.

1:15:12

The musical score was composed

1:15:14

by Brandon Boone. Our

1:15:17

production team is Phil

1:15:19

Michalski, Jeff Clement, and

1:15:21

Jesse Cornett. Our

1:15:24

editor-in-chief is Jessica McAvoy.

1:15:27

To discover how you can get even

1:15:29

more sleepless horror stories from us, visit

1:15:34

sleepless.thenosleeppodcast.com

1:15:37

to learn about the

1:15:39

sleepless sanctuary. Add

1:15:41

free, extended episodes each week,

1:15:43

and lots of bonus content

1:15:45

for the dark hours, all

1:15:48

for only one low monthly price.

1:15:52

On behalf of everyone at The

1:15:54

No Sleep Podcast, we thank you

1:15:56

for joining us around the campfire

1:15:58

for our two- 20th

1:16:00

season.