The 14th Annual Halloween Spooktacular! | STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW

[Music]. welcome to stuff you should know a. production of iHeart. [Music]. Radio hey and welcome to the. Spooktacular I'm Josh and there's Chuck. and Jerry the ghoul Jerome Roland is. here and we're about to get jiggy with.

it Halloween style that's right it's one. of our favorite episodes of the year. yeah uh we'd like to remind everyone. this is one of two adree episodes we do. every year that's right and I I feel. like lately we have been just sort of. for the. uninitiated uh giving a quick overview. of what we do here on Halloween and that. is we read a couple of uh public domain. scary stories that's right short stories. from uh now we're up to 1928 and. previous.

yes yeah I think so maybe 1927 one of. the two these aren't even that I think. the mine was from before that even. though yeah we're we're not even close. to the line right now no we we don't. want to get uh litigious anyone to get. litigious with us so that's right we're. not even dancing close to the line if. you have no idea what we're talking. about go listen into our intellectual. property episode it basically explains. our Halloween. episode uh that's right but we you know. Josh picks one out I pick one out uh it. has become very fun in recent years as.

uh Josh has gotten more creative with. his voice work yeah I'm actually really. kind of uh nervous because it's a tough. act to follow and I thought well I'll. just bring migle back and I have been. summoning mle's Spirit to take over my. body again nothing nothing I've done so. many unspeakable acts as offerings to. bringle back um and basically I'm like. Emma Roberts at the end of black coat's. daughter just screaming in frustration.

because I can't get possessed again so. I'm sorry everyone I I don't think mle's. going to be here this year yeah it's it. it's like Emma Roberts at the end of. black coat's daughter screaming like. everyone in the theater I don't even. look that much like that other. girl yeah that was a rather serious. transition yeah that was just me though. uh but I know what you mean it seems. like there's nowhere to go but down. after Meagle mhm I mean that was an a. Josh Apex for sure so I guess then maybe.

we'll just call this episode a wash I. won't even try and we'll get back to. business again next year how about that. yeah that sounds great and I you know I. actually did a little road testing of. some different British accents oh good. but I have no idea what's going to come. out of my mouth or yours and that it's. not going to be as rehearsed I've. learned to speak German. right really. no say that I if I had I would not have.

told you or anybody else ahead of time. just now I would have just started. speaking German that would have been. amazing uh it would have been but this. episode's a wash this year so I'm not. going to be speaking German. either uh which one do you want to start. with you you want to do yours or mine I. think they're both terrific I don't know. I I I've got no persuasion either way or. I'm not being persuaded either way is. there any of the two that you feel even. remotely more like should go first.

uh you know for some reason. instinctually I just went to pick up. yours okay I think it's a gripping and. spooky and a good play Setter uh and. it's you know it's HG Wells it's a. classic author yeah so let's let's dig. into yours okay HD Wells I'm trying to. remember my parts though so you are the. old man with the shade on his head okay. he's the one that walks in last right. yes and then the old. lady oh perfect okay.

and this is HD Wells everybody the the. guy who predicted our current rocket. program with NASA and that wrote The. Time Machine and did all sorts of really. neat stuff he also wrote a scary story. and that's what we're going to read now. it's called the Red. Room uh so Chuck how about you narrate. first uh.

okay welcome ladies and gentlemen to a. reading of the Red Room by HG Wells no I. meant in the. story oh oh oh yeah sure that worked too. though I didn't know what you meant I. was like what narration you talking. about you're just talking about reading. it you're like all right I'll give it a. try okay okay you ready sure uh but you. but you're you're playing the main guys. so you're starting right exactly okay I. can assure you said I that it will take. a very tangible ghost to frighten me.

and I stood up before the fire with my. glass in my hand it is your own. choosing said the man with the withered. arm I want to take that again. okay it's your own. choosing said the man with a withered. arm and glanced at me a scance 8 and 20. years said I I have lived and never a. ghost have I seen as yet the old woman.

sat staring hard into the fire her pale. eyes wide open I she broke in an 80 and. 20 years you have lived and never seen. the likes of this house I reckon there's. a many things to see when one's still. but eight and. 20 that crazy she's she's making fun of. this guy for being 28 years old yeah she. swayed her head slowly from side to side. a many things to see and sorrow for.

I have suspected the old people were. trying to enhance the spiritual Terrors. of their house by their droning. insistence I put down my Empty Glass on. the table and looked about the room and. caught a glimpse of myself abbreviated. and broadened to an impossible. sturdiness and the queer old mirror at. the end of the room well I said if I see. anything tonight I shall be much the. wiser for I come to the business with an. open. mind.

I'm so disappointed with myself this. year uh oh yeah it's me it's your. choosing said the man with a withered. arm once more I heard the faint sound of. a stick in a shambling step on the flags. in the passage outside the door creaked. on its hinges as a second old man. entered more bent more wrinkled more. aged even than the first he supported. himself by the help of a crutch his eyes. were covered by a shade and his lower. lip half averted hung pale and pink from.

his decaying yellow teeth he made. straight for an armchair on the opposite. side of the table sat down clumsily and. began to. cough the man with a withered hand gave. the newcomer a short glance of positive. dislike the old woman took no notice of. his arrival but remained with her eyes. fixed steadily on the fire I said it's. your own. choosing said the man with a withered. hand when the coughing had ceased for a. while it's my own SHO.

I answered the man with the shade became. aware of my presence for the first time. and threw his head back for a moment and. sideways to see me I caught a momentary. glimpse of his eyes small and bright and. inflamed then he began to cough and. sputter. again why don't you drink said the man. with a withered arm pushing the beer. toward him the man with the shade poured. out a glass full with a shaking hand. that splashed half as much again on the. deal table a monstrous shadow of him.

crouched upon the wall and mocked his. action as he poured and drank I must. confess I had scarcely expected these. grotesque custodians there is to my mind. something inhuman in cility something. crouching and atavistic the human. qualiity seemed to drop from old people. insensibly day by day the three of them. made me feel uncomfortable with their. gaunt silences their bent Carriage their. evident unfriendliness to me and to one. another and that night perhaps I was in.

the mood for uncomfortable Impressions I. resolved to get away from their vague. foreshadowings of the evil things. upstairs so. aist very aist if said I you will show. me to this haunted room of yours I will. make myself comfortable there the old. man with a cough jerked his head back so. suddenly that it startled me and shot. another glance of his red eyes at me. from out of the darkness under the shade. but no one answered me. I waited a minute glancing from one to.

the other the old woman stared like a. dead body glaring into the fire with. lackluster eyes if I said a little. louder if you will show me to this. haunted room of yours I will relieve you. from the task of entertaining me there's. a candle on the slam outside the door. said the man with the withered hand. looking at my feet as he addressed me. but if you go to the Red Room tonight.

this night of all nights said the old. woman softly you go. alone very well I answered shortly and. which way do I go this guy's sick of the. old people by now he's just actively mad. at them he is he's being very aggressive. you go along the passage for a little. bit said he nodding his head on his. shoulder at the door until you come to a. spiral staircase and on the second. Landing is a door covered with Green. Bays go through that and down the. corridor to the end of the Red Room is.

on your left up the steps have I got. that right I said and repeated his. directions he corrected me in one. particular and are you really going said. the man with the shade looking at me. again for the third time with that queer. unnatural tilting of the. face this night of all nights whispered. the old woman it is what I came for I. said and moved toward the door. as I did so the old man with the shade.

Rose and staggered around the table so. as to be closer to the others and to the. fire at the door I turned and looked at. them and saw they were all close. together dark against the fir light. staring at me over their shoulders with. an intent expression on their ancient. faces good night I said setting the door. open it's your own choosing said the man. with a withered. arm all right so as we like to do little. recap mhm this guy has come to this.

spooky place and there are three olds. there and this guy doesn't like olds no. he doesn't like them and they don't seem. to like him very much I think they also. are taking him as foolish uh overly. Cavalier and getting himself into hot. water to to uh put it mildly yeah CU he. wants to spend the night in uh this room. that we don't even know anything about. but I'm already scared yeah it's a scary. room that you would not want to go into. they're kind of half talk him out of it. maybe I don't know maybe a.

quarter all right you ready I'll buy. that yeah let's let's go switch it. [Music]. up I left the door wide open until the. candle was well Al light and then I shut. them in and walked down the chilly. echoing passage I must confess that the. oddness of these three old pensioners in. whose charge her ladyship had left the. castle and the Deep toned old-fashioned. Furniture of the housekeeper's room in.

which they foregathered had affected me. curiously in spite of my effort to keep. myself at a matter of fact face they. seem to belong to another age an older. age an age when things spiritual were. indeed to be feared when Common Sense. was uncommon in age when Omens and. witches were credible and ghosts Beyond. denying their very existence thought I. is spectral the cut of their clothing. Fashions born in dead brains I think. he's talking about Norm core here yeah.

the ornaments and conveniences in the. room about them even are ghostly the. thoughts of vanished men which still. haunt rather than participate in the. world of today and the passage I was in. long and shadowy with a film of moisture. glistening on the wall was as gaunt and. cold as a thing that is dead and. rigid but with an effort I sent such. thoughts to the writeout the long drafty. Subterranean passage was chilly and dust. Dusty and my candle flared and made the.

Shadows cower and quiver The Echoes rang. up and down the spiral staircase and a. shadow came sweeping up after me and. another fled before me into the darkness. overhead I came to the wide landing and. stopped there for a moment listening to. a rustling that I fancied I heard. creeping behind me and. then satisfied of that absolute silence. pushed open the unwilling baz covered. door and stood in the silent.

Corridor baz is like a felt that's what. I I got too like what they used to put. on billiard tables yeah might look nice. on a door you never know I I it's a. weird Choice kind of upsetting if you. think about it should I keep going yeah. yeah. okay the effect was scarcely what I. expected for the Moonlight coming in By. the Great window on the grand staircase. picked out everything in Vivid black. shadow or reticulated silvery aluminum. mination everything seemed in its proper.

position the house might have been. deserted on the yesterday instead of 12. months ago there were candles in the. sockets of the scones and whatever dust. had gathered on the carpets or upon the. polished flooring was distributed so. evenly as to be invisible in my candle. light awaiting Stillness was over. everything I was about to advance and. stopped abruptly a bronze group stood. upon the landing hidden from me by a. corner of the wall but its shadow fell. with marvelous distinctness upon the.

white paneling and gave me the. impression of someone crouching to. waylay me the thing jumped upon my. attention suddenly I stood rigid for. half a moment perhaps then with my hand. in the pocket that held the revolver I. Advanced only to discover a gany Meen. Eagle glistening in the. Moonlight that incident for a Time. restored my. nerve by the way ganim me was uh the. most. beautiful mortal in Greece whose Zeus. kidnapped and took as a basically a love.

slave yeah and and a gany meat and Eagle. it's like a just like a little statue of. an eagle with this ganim me character. but the shadow was super scary for a. second I believe it the door of the Red. Room and the steps up to it were in a. shadowy corner I moved my candle from. side to side in order to see clearly the. nature of the recess in which I stood. before opening the door here it was I. thought that my predecessor was found. and the memory of the story gave me a.

sudden twinge of apprehension I glanced. over my shoulder at the black Gan me in. the Moonlight and opened the door of the. Red Room rather hastily with my face. half turned to the PID Silence of the. corridor I entered closed the door. behind me at once turned the key I found. in the lock within and stood with the. candle held of off surveying the scene. of my vigil the Great Red Room of lurine. Castle in which the young Duke had died. or rather in which he had be gun his. dying for he had opened the door and.

Fallen headlong down the steps I had. just ascended that had been the end of. his vigil of his Gallant attempt to. conquer the ghostly tradition of the. place and never I thought had apoplexy. better served the ends of. superstition there were other and older. stories that clung to the room back to. the half incredible beginning of it all. the tale of a timid wife and the tragic. end that came to her husband's Gest of. frightening her and looking around that. huge shadowy room with its black window. Bays its recesses and alcoves its Dusty.

brown red hangings and dark gigantic. Furniture one could well understand the. legends that had sprouted in its black. Corners its germinating. darknesses my candle was a little tongue. of light in the vastness of the chamber. its Rays failed to pierce to the. opposite end of the room and lift an. ocean of dull red mystery and suggestion. Sentinel shadows and watching darknesses. Beyond its island of light in the. Stillness of desolation brooded over it.

all all right so like a lot of these. stories you get a little bit of a vague. setup and then they sort of Dole out. what's happening yeah as it goes on. pretty much what he's doing here I would. say yeah so you got this guy he's going. to this Castle now right uh where the. person before him that went to sort of. ghost investigate threw him sounds like. he threw himself down the stairs and. took his life right with Madness I think. I get the impression he was trying to.

get the heck out of that room and died. running falling down the stairs maybe. okay either one and then this whole. thing was was haunted though by uh a. woman and do I gather that her husband. used to like kiddingly frighten her and. that led to a death that's what I took. it as yeah okay not a nice guy don't do. that guys no it was ingest I'm sure he. regretted it pretty deeply afterward if. he was even halfway deep decent.

right are you taking over now uh yeah. that feels like a Switcheroo me I think. so too all right so This Guy's in this. room now. finally and he's all set to go here we. go I must confess some impalpable. quality of that ancient room Disturbed. me I tried to fight the feeling down I. resolved to make a systematic. examination of the place and so by. leaving nothing to the imagination. dispel the fanciful suggestions of the. obscurity before they obtained a hold.

upon me after satisfying myself of the. fastening of the. door I love that I get the feeling this. guy's like checked to make sure it was. locked like eight. times I began to walk around the room. peering round each article of furniture. tucking up the balances of the bed and. opening its curtains wide so basically. this guy's doing what any kid would do. yeah he's trying to bring as much light. as possible in there and checking. everything right well yeah he's looking. he's like I don't want those sheets. hanging down below like what's under the.

bed let's like to tuck that in let's. lock the door eight times right I like. this guy yeah uh okay in one place there. was a distinct Echo to my footsteps the. noises I made seemed so little that they. enhanced rather than broke the Silence. of the place I pulled up the blinds and. examined the fastenings of these several. Windows attracted by the fall of a. particle of dust I leaned forward and. looked up the Blackness of the wide. chimney then trying to preserve my. scientific attitude of mind I walked.

around and began tapping the oak. paneling for any secret opening but I. desisted before reaching the ALCO I saw. my face in a mirror. white I mean what color do you think he. was I don't know I think he might have. me like pale as a sheet kind of thing he. looked scared maybe I think so there. were two big mirrors in the room each. with a pair of sconces bearing candles. and on the mantle shelf too were candles. and China. candlesticks all these I lit one after.

the other the fire was laid an. unexpected consideration from the old. housekeeper and I lit it to keep down. any disposition to shiver and when it. was burning well I stood round with my. back to it and regarded the room again I. had pulled up a chint covered armchair. and a table to form a kind of barricade. before me on this Lay My Revolver ready. to hand oh that's right he's strapped. that was pretty. important my precise examination had. done me a little good but I still found.

the remoter darkness of the place and. its perfect Stillness too stimulating. for the imagination the echoing of the. stir and crackling of the fire was no. sort of comfort to me the shadow in the. AL Cove at the end of the room began to. display that indefinable quality of a. presence that odd suggestion of a. lurking living thing that comes so. easily in silence and Solitude and to. reassure myself I walked with a candle. into it and satisfied myself that there. was nothing tangible there I stood that. candle upon the floor of the AL Cove and.

left it in that position by this time I. was in a state of considerable nervous. tension although to my reason there was. no adequate cause for my condition my. mind however was perfectly clear I. postulated quite unreservedly that. nothing Supernatural could happen and to. pass the time I began stringing some. Rhymes together in goldsby fashion. concerning the original Legend of the. place a few I spoke aloud but the Echoes. were not pleasant for some reason I also.

abandoned after a time a conversation. with myself upon the impossibility of. ghosts and haunting my mind reverted to. the three old and distorted people. downstairs and I tried to keep it upon. that. topic yeah so he's like doing the uh oh. I'm not scared thing right talking out. loud talking himself out of it and in. goldsby apparently wrote um Legends and. LS and stuff as poems I guess that's. what he that's a name yeah you ready yep.

I am. too the somber Reds and Grays of the. room troubled me even with its seven. candles the place was merely dim the. light in the ALCO flaring in a draft and. the fire flickering kept the shadows and. penumbra perpetually shifting and. stirring in a noisess flighty dance. casting about for a remedy I recalled. the wax candles I had seen in the. corridor and with a slight effort. carrying a candle and leaving the door. open I walked out into the Moonlight and.

presently returned with as many as 10. these I put in the various knick-knacks. of China with which the room was. sparsely adorned and lit and placed them. where the Shadows had Lain deepest some. on the floor some in the window recesses. arranging and rearranging them until at. last my 17 candles were so placed that. not an inch of the room but had the. direct light of at least one of them it. occurred to me that when the Ghost came. I could warn him not to trip over them. haha the room was now quite brightly.

illuminated there was something very. cheering and reassuring in these little. silent streaming flames and to notice. their steady dimunition of length. offered me an occupation and gave me a. reassuring sense of the passage of. time can you imagine what a like now you. go into a scary room you just turn on. all those lights exactly this is it took. 20 minutes to do it back then right and. also he's like so trying to make time. pass that he's staring at candles. melting yeah that's reassuring that's.

how kind of up in arms he is you yeah. good times even with that however the. brooding expectation of the vigil. weighed heavily upon me I stood watching. the minute hand of my watch creep toward. midnight then something happened in the. AL Cove I did not see the candle go out. I simply turned and saw that the. darkness was there as one might start. and see the unexpected presence of a. stranger the black shadow had sprung. back to to its place by Jo said I aloud.

recovering from my surprise that draft's. a strong one and taking the matchbox. from the table I walked across the room. in a leisurely manner to relight the. corner again I get the impression that. was a forced leisurely manner don't you. yeah yeah like oh I'm fine everybody. right my first match would not strike. and as I succeeded with the second. something seemed to Blink on the wall. before me I turned my head involuntarily. and saw that the two candles on the. little table by the fireplace were. extinguished I Rose at once to my feet.

odd I said did I do that myself in a. flash of absent mindedness I walked back. relit one and as I did so I saw the. candle in the right Scot of one of the. mirrors wink and go right out and almost. immediately its companion followed it. the Flames vanished as if the wick had. been suddenly nipped between a finger. and thumb leaving the wick neither. glowing nor smoking but black while I. stood gaping the candle at the foot of. the bed went up and the shadow seemed to. take another step toward.

me uh for the record I think that little. bit with the candle going out but no. smoke or no glow that's like I think. that's legit the scariest line in this. thing yeah it's it was really good. little little thing little nice detail. detail that's what I was after. mhm this won't do said I and first one. and then another candle on the mantle. shelf followed what's up I cried with. the queer high note sorry what's up I.

cried with a queer high note getting. into my voice somehow at that the candle. on the corner of the Wardrobe went out. and the one I had relit in the AL Cove. followed steady on I said those candles. are wanted speaking with a half. hysterical factious and scratching away. to match the all the while for the. mantle candlesticks my hands trembled so. much that twice I missed the rough paper. of the matchbox as the mantle emerged. from dark again two candles in the. remoter end of the room were eclipsed.

but with the same match I also relit the. larger mirror candles and those on the. floor near the doorway so that for a. moment I seemed to gain on the. extinctions but then in a noisess volley. there vanished four lights at once in. different corners of the room and I. struck another match in a quivering. haste and stood hesitating whether to. take. [Music]. it this is really scary at this point I. can picture this happening yeah I mean. think about it the whole reason he went.

and gathered 17 candles because he. didn't want any darkness in there and. now something it seems is turn is. extinguishing these candles all over the. room while he's trying to get them relit. I would be flipping out at this point. yeah and that one little detail too H. Wells good Rider uh when he's when he's. trying to strike the match but he's on. the smooth part of the box that's good. stuff yeah everybody's been. there uh Switcheroo yeah I think. Switcheroo for sure. all.

right as I stood undecided an invisible. hand seemed to sweep out the two candles. on the table with a cry of Terror I. dashed at the AL Cove you can do the Cry. Of. Terror then into the that a cry of. Terror oh goodness then into the corner. and then into the window relighting. three as to more vanished by the. fireplace and then perceiving a better.

way I dropped matches on the Ironbound. deed box in the corner and caught up the. bedroom Candlestick I don't what is he. doing there I don't quite follow that he. has he's basically forgotten the matches. now he's just going to like use a candle. the yeah yeah yeah that old move with. this I avoided the delay of okay I just. should have kept. reading with this I avoided the delay of. striking matches but for all that the. steady process of Extinction went on and. the Shadows I feared and fought against. returned and crept in upon me first a.

step gained on this side of me then on. that I was now almost frantic with the. horror of the coming darkness and my. self-possession deserted me I leaped. panting from candle to Candle in a vain. struggle against that remorseless. Advance nice work I bruised myself in. the thigh against the table I sent a. chair headlong I stumbled and fell and. whisked the cloth from the table in my. fall this guy's like a three stages epis. my candle rolled away from me and I.

snatched another as I Rose abruptly this. was blown out as I swung it off the. table by the wind of my sudden movement. and immediately the two remaining. candles followed but there was light. still in the room a red light that. streamed across the ceiling and staved. off the Shadows from the fire of course. I could still thrust my candle Between. the Bars and relight it I turned to. where the Flames were still dancing. between the glowing coals and splashing. red reflections upon the furniture made. two steps toward the great and.

incontinent incontinently yeah did he. poop himself or peed one of the two okay. and incontinently the Flames dwindled. and vanished the glow vanished the. reflections rushed together and. disappeared and as I thrust the candle. Between the Bars Darkness closed upon me. like the shutting of an eye wrapping. around me in a stifling Embrace sealed. my vision and crushed the last vestiges. of self-possession from my brain and it. was not only palpable Darkness but.

intolerable Terror the candle fell from. my hands I flung out my arms in a vain. effort to thrust that ponderous. Blackness away from me and lifting up my. voice screamed with all of my might once. twice. [Laughter]. Thrice then I think I must have. staggered to my feet I know I thought. thought suddenly of the moonlit Corridor. and with my head bowed and my arms over.

my face made a stumbling Run for the. door but I had forgotten the exact. position of the door and I struck myself. heavily against the corner of the bed I. staggered back turned and was either. struck or struck myself against some. other bulky. Furnishing I have a vague memory of. battering myself thus to and fro in the. darkness of a heavy blow at last upon my. forehead of a horrible sensation of. falling that lasted an age. of my last frantic effort to keep my. footing and then I remember no.

more boy that's some good Foy work right. there my friend thank you I've been I. would say I was practicing but this is. all just off the. cuff all right so this guy a key detail. there is like I was I either struck. myself or was struck I'm like that's a. key detail bro for sure but for all. intents and purposes it does not matter. at this point because he's been knocked. out and frankly I think we have a little.

bit of detail about what happened to. that Earl that count who fell headlong. out of the door right yeah I think I see. you where this is headed you ready mhm. I'm taking it home take it home. baby I opened my eyes in daylight my. head was roughly bandaged and the man. with the withered hand was watching my. face I looked about me trying to. remember what had happened and for a. space I could not recollect. I rolled my eyes into the corner and saw.

the old woman no longer abstracted no. longer terrible pouring out some drops. of medicine from a little blue file into. a glass where am I I said I seem to. remember you and yet I cannot remember. who you are they told me then and I. heard of The Haunted room as one hears a. tale uh let's see I think this is the. old man with the withered arm yeah we. found you at dawn said he and there was. blood on your forehead and lips I. wondered that I had ever disliked him.

the three of them in the daylight seemed. commonplace old folk enough the man with. the green shade had his head been as one. who sleeps it was very slowly I. recovered the memory of my experience. you believe now said the old man with. the withered hand that the room is. haunted he spoke no longer as one who. greets an intruder but as one who. condoles with the. friend yes said I the room is haunted. and you're have seen it and we who have. been here all our lives have never set.

eyes upon it because we've never dared. tell us is it truly the old Earl who no. said I it is. not I Told You So said the old lady with. the glass in her hand it is his poor. young Countess who was frightening it is. not I said there is neither ghost of. Earl nor ghost of Countess in that room. there is no ghost there at all but worse. far worse something imp palpable. well not bad no the worst of all the.

things that haunt poor mortal men said I. and that is in all its nakedness fear. fear that will not have light nor sound. that will not bear with reason that. deafens and darkens and overwhelms it. followed me through the corridor it. fought against me in the room I stopped. abruptly there was an interval of. silence my hand went up to my bandages. the candles went out one after another. and I.

fled then the man with the shade lifted. his face sideways to see me and. spoke that is it said he I knew that was. it a power of darkness is he Sean conry. all I think so Sean conry and James Earl. Jones had a baby and this guy's. it a power of Darkness to put such a. curse upon a home it looks there always. you can feel it even in the daytime even. of a bright Summer's Day in the hangings. in the curtains keeping behind you.

however you face about in The Dusk it. creeps in the corridor and follows you. so that you dare not turn it is even as. you say fear itself is in that room. Black fear and there it will be so long. as this house of sin. [Music]. endures. wowy wower wower you really finished.

that in in Grand style man that was. great stuff thanks dude man HG Wells. that is uh no wonder he was a popular. writer that's good stuff still is. popular we just brought him back buddy. yeah so um I guess we should take a. message break huh no no not for. Halloween that never gets old for me I. think I say that every year yeah I love. it so um I yeah I guess then we'll move. on on um to the next one this is your. pick right yeah this is called the.

misanthrope by JD barisford. and uh you'll see what's going on here. it's got got to do with h a lot of these. stories are the same I feel like yeah. horror writing back then these short. stories often had to do with people. investigating some creepy place where. something creepy had happened or maybe. that's all horror movies and they were. usually approaching it from like a. rational mind and they end up. there's there yeah it's good stuff all.

right it works uh so what am I doing. again I'm the visitor to the island and. The Boatman and you're the hermit okay. that's right right why why do we bother. working this out I don't know I always. forget all right here we go everybody. pour up a spoofy. drink blow out the candles relight them. blow them out. again and listen to the missen thrope by. JD barisford take it away Josh did you. say.

spoopy very. nice since I have returned from The Rock. and discussed the story and all its. bearings I've begun to wonder if the man. made a fool of me in the deeps of my. Consciousness I feel that he did not. nevertheless I cannot resist the effect. of all the laughter that has been evoked. by my narrative here on the mainland the. whole thing seems unlikely grotesque. foolish on the Rock the man's confession.

carried absolute conviction the setting. is everything and I am perhaps thankful. that my present circumstances are so. beautifully conducive to sanity no one. appreciates The Mystery of Life more. than I do but when the mystery involves. such a doubt of oneself I find it. pleasanter to forget naturally I do not. want to believe the story if I did I. should know myself to be some kind of. human horror. and the terror of it all lies in the. fact that I may never know precisely.

what kind before I went we had. eliminated the faal and banale. explanation that the man was mad and had. fallen back upon two inevitable. Alternatives crime and disappointed love. we were human and romantic and we tried. desperately hard not to be too obvious. that is the most inscrutable paragraph. I've ever read in my entire life yeah. right once before a man had made the. same attempt and had built or tried to. build a house on the Goan Rock but he. had been defeated within a fortnight and.

what was left of his building was taken. off the island and turned to do at tin. Church it is there still we all went to. trevone and ruminated over and round it. perhaps with some faint hope that one of. us might all unknowing have the. abilities of a. psychometrist so I think what he's. saying there's something on this island. that he's very interested in there's a. person that he's um trying to figure out. what their deal is and they're so into. it that he and his group of friends went. to visit this tin church that had once.

been a house on this island for like two. weeks um just in the in an effort to. glean some sort of information even. psychic information if possible yeah and. he he's recounting this so uh this is uh. he's recounting something that has. already happened to him that he's very. sort of embarrassed about yes and I I we. both read this already and I can promise. you everybody it gets more. comprehensible as things go on as a. matter of fact should probably reread. this this beginning at the end so both. be like oh okay I get it yeah it kind of.

makes sense uh it's sort of like the. movie that picks up with a guy that all. the stuff has already happened and then. he's like and and here's the story yeah. but at the beginning of Sunset Boulevard. no one's like what are you talking. about this story doesn't fall into that. same category okay here I. [Music]. go. nothing came of that visit this is the. visit to that tin church but a slight.

intensification of those theories that. were already becoming a little stale we. compared the early failure of 30 years. ago the attempt that was baffled with. the present success for this new. misanthrope had lived on the Golan. through the whole winter and still lived. indeed the fact of his presence on the. awful lump of rock was now accepted by. the country people to them he was. scarcely as shade matter than the other. visitors that enumerative current hosts. that this year broke their journey to. bedan in order to stand on the trevone.

beach and stare foolishly at just the. visible Hut that struck like a cubical g. on the landward face of that humped. desolate. Island the best I can tell is there's. there's somebody who lives there now. this hermit you yeah on this island and. the country people who live on the mland. just off of the island are like whatever. they don't think too much of him but. they can see his Hut. from their house on the mainland yeah.

that sounds about right you want to take. over or you want me to keep reading a. jumble of words that barely make. sense I'll take it okay all. [Music]. right we all did that stared at nothing. in particular and meditated enormously. but in what I felt at the time was a. wild Spirit of Adventure I went out one. night to the point of gunver head and. saw an actual Light Within that distant. Hut a patch of golden Lykan on the. mother par it I like that yeah great. line some aspect of humanity I found in.

that light it was that finally decided. me that and some quality of sympathy. perhaps with the hermit mad criminal or. L Lorn who had found Sanctuary from the. pestilent touch of the encroaching crowd. it was in fact a wildish night and I. stayed until the little yellow speck. went out and all I could see through the. MC was an occasional canopy of curving. spray when the elbow of the trevone. light touched a be corner of that black. Gulland so this guy's just watching this.

island as well but he feels a little. empathy maybe toward this guy sounds. like. it the making of a decision was no. difficult matter but while I waited for. the necessary calm that would permit the. occasional boat to Land Provisions on. the island 2 miles out from the mainland. I suffered qualms of doubt and. nervousness and I suffered them alone. for I had determined that no hint of my. adventure should be given to any one of. our party until the voyage had been made. they might think that I had gone fishing. an excuse which had all the air. probability given to it by the coming of.

The Boatman to say that the tide and. wind would serve that morning I had. warned and bribed him to give no clue to. my friends of the goal of my proposed. Excursion so this guy's going to go out. there on a boat but he's like don't tell. anyone I'm doing this he's ditching his. friends ditching his friends my. nervousness suffered no decrease as we. approached the Rock and saw the. authentic figure of its single. inhabitant awaiting our AR arrival I had. some consolation in the thought that he. would be in some way prepared by the.

sight of our surprisingly passengered. boat but my mind shuddered at the. necessity for using some conventional. form of address if I would make at once. my introduction an excuse the Civilized. opening was so helplessly incapable of. expressing my sympathy presenting. instead so unmistakably it seemed to me. the single solution of common curiosity. I wondered that he had not as The. Boatman so clearly assured me was the. case had other prying visitors before me. my self-consciousness increased as we.

came nearer to the single opening among. the spiked rocks that served as a. miniature Harbor at half tide I felt. that I was being watched by the man who. now stood awaiting us at Water's Edge. and suddenly my spirit broke I decided. that I could not force myself upon him. that I would remain in the boat while. its cargo was delivered and then return. with The Boatman to travone so Resolute. was I in this plan that when we had. pulled into the tiny Landing space I. kept my gaze steadfastly averted from. the man I had come to see and stared.

solemnly out at the humped back of. travone now seen in an entirely new. aspect uh all right so this guy's having. second thoughts now he's like I'm I'm. already out here and maybe I should just. go back yeah maybe I shouldn't force. myself on a Hermit who I want to find. out what's your deal man yeah. exactly uh why don't you take over cuz. there's a lot of me stuff okay the sound. of the hermit voice startled me from a. perfectly genuine. abstraction fairly decent weather today.

he remarked with I thought a touch of. nervousness he had I remembered. addressed the same remark to the boatmen. who were now conveying their cargo up to. the Hut I looked up and met his stare he. was indeed regarding me with a curious. effect of concentration as if he were. eager to know every detail of my. expression Jolly I replied been pretty. beastly the last day or two kept you. rather short hasn't it I make allowances. for that he said keep a reserve you know.

are you I staying over there he nodded. towards the bay for. a a week or two I told him as we began. to discuss the country around Harland. with the eagerness of two strangers who. find a common Topic at a dull reception. never been on the Gan before I suppose. he ventured at last when the boatmen had. discharged their load and were evidently. ready to be off ch no no uh no no no I. haven't I said and hesitated I felt the.

invitation must come from him he boggled. over it by saying dashed awkward place. to get to and nothing to see of course I. don't know if you're at all keen on. fishing uh well rather I said with. enthusiasm there's deep water on the. other side of the rock he went on in the. right weather you get Splendid bass. there he stopped and and then added it. will be absolutely Top O for him this.

afternoon um well perhaps I could come. back I began but The Boatman interrupted. me at once is this Josh Clark that's. visiting this guy it sounds very much. like this something you would. do all right you can come back tomorrow. sure enough he said tide only serves. once every 12 hours. if you'd care to stay.

now uh thanks that's awfully good of you. I should like to of all things I said I. stayed on the clear understanding that. the boatmen were to fetch me the next. morning at first there was really very. little that seemed in any way strange. about the man on the Golan I can picture. what happened here and he's like yeah. yeah I'll stay then he turns around he's. like you'll get me tomorrow right he was. like yeah yeah this will be great we'll. do some fishing like you guys are coming. right in the morning.

right they're like sure sure we'll be. right back his name he told me was. William Copley but it appeared that he. was no relation to the Copley I knew and. if he had shaved he would have looked a. very ordinary type of Englishman. roughing it on a holiday his age I judge. to be between 30 and 40 only two things. about him struck me as a little queer. during our very successful afternoon's. fishing. the first was that intense appraising. stare of his as if he tried to Fathom.

the very depths of one's being the. second was an inexplicable Devotion to. one particular form of ceremony as our. intimacy grew he dropped the ordinary. formal politeness of a host but he. insisted always on one observance that I. supposed at first to be the merely. conventional business of giving. precedence nothing would induce him to. go in front of me he sent me ahead even. as we explored the little peus of his. Rock the only level square yard on the. whole island was in the floor of the Hut.

but presently I noticed that this. peculiarity went still further and that. he would not turn his back on me for a. single. moment this is weird I like this is a. this is yeah it is weird so the but the. the hermit 30s 40s all he needs to do is. shave yeah is. um he like he he's just a normal person. but there's the one thing about him is. that he will not let that guy get behind.

him no matter what yeah I get it okay so. the I think to if anything him having. that weird Quirk would be expected it. was him being just totally normal was. the unexpected part yeah that's what I. agree I agree with that okay well it's. you buddy oh okay that Discovery. intrigued one I still excluded the. explanation of Madness copley's Manner. and conversation were so convincingly. sane but I reverted to and elaborated. those those other two suggestions that. had been made I could not avoid the. inference that the man must in some.

strange way be afraid of me and I. hesitated as to whether he were flying. from some form of Justice or from. Revenge perhaps a vendetta either Theory. seemed to account for his intense. appraising stare I inferred that his. longing for companionship had grown so. strong that he had determined to risk. the possibility of my being an emissary. sent by some to me exquisitly R Mantic. person or persons who desired copley's. death man I know I recalled and wallowed.

in some of the marvelous imaginings of. the novelist I wondered if I could make. Copley speak by convincing him of my. innocent identity how I thrilled at the. prospect so this guy is just like o. maybe he thinks I'm an assassin and uh. maybe I can convince him that I'm not. that'll be fun right maybe that'll get. me some currency with him if I convince. him I'm not here to kill him yeah but. the explanation of it all came without. any effort on my part he sent me out of.

the Hut while he prepared our supper. quite a magnificent meal by the way I. saw his reason at once he could not. manage all of that business of cooking. and laying the table without turning his. back on me one thing however puzzled me. a little he drew down the blind of the. little square window as soon as I had. gone outside naturally I made no demure. I climbed down to the edge of the sea it. was a glorious evening and waited until. he called me he stood at the door of the. hut until I was within a few feet of him. and then retreated into the room and sat. down with his back to the wall we.

discussed our afternoon sport as we had. supper but when we had finished and our. pipes were going he said. suddenly I don't see why I shouldn't. tell you like a fool I agreed eagerly. when I might so easily have stopped him. it began when I was a quite a kid he. said my mother found me crying in the. garden and all I could tell her was that. Claude my elder brother looked horrid I. couldn't bear the sight of him for days.

afterward either but I was such a. perfectly normal child that they weren't. seriously perturbed about this one. idiosyncrasy of mine they thought that. Claude had made a face at me and. frighten me my father whacked me for it. eventually I'm playing this guy older. than 35 years old I realize he's just. morphed into um Hannibal lecor. okay fly fly hi. Clarice perhaps that whacking stuck in. my mind anyway I didn't confide my.

peculiarity to anyone until I was nearly. 17 I was ashamed of it of course I still. am in a way he stopped and looked down. pushed his plate away from him and. folded his arms on the table I was. pining to ask a question but I was. afraid to interrupt and after a moment's. hesitation he looked up and held my gaze. again but now without that inquiring. look of his rather he seemed to be. looking looking for sympathy I told my. house Master he said he was a splendid.

Chap and he was very decent about it. took it all quite seriously and advised. me to consult an occultist which I did I. went in the holidays with the p I had. given him a more reasonable account of. my trouble and he took me to the best. man in London he was tremendously. interested and it proves that there must. be something in it that it can't be. imagination because he really found a. defect in my eyes something quite new to. him he said he called it a new form of.

astigmatism but of course as he pointed. out no glasses would be of any use to. me but uh what I began unable to keep. down my curiosity any longer CLE. hesitated and dropped his eyes a. stigmatism you know he said is a defect. I quote the dictionary I learn that. definition by heart I often puzzle over. it still causing images of lines having. a certain direction to be indistinctly.

seen while those of lines transverse to. the formor are distinctly seen only mine. is peculiar in the fact that my sight is. perfectly normal except when I look back. at anyone over my shoulder he looked up. almost. pathetically all right so this guy's. getting the truth out of him this guy's. got a got something wrong with his eyes. yes and he found out that there actually. is something wrong with it because he. got his dad to take him to uh. essentially I guess a psychic or. something in London and the deal is.

though is the guy when he looks over his. shoulder at somebody something's. up. right which is why I didn't want anyone. behind him yeah okay take it. away I could see that he hoped I might. understand without further explanation I. had to confess myself utterly mystified. what had this trifling defect of vision. to do with his coming to live on the. goand I wondered I frowned my.

perplexity um uh. I I I don't I don't see I said he. knocked out his pipe and began to scrape. the bowl with his pocket knife well mine. is a kind of moral astigmatism too he. said at least it gives me a kind of. moral Insight I'm afraid I must call it. insight. there are some who call me. [Laughter].

Tim I proved in some cases that he. dropped his voice he was apparently. deeply engrossed in the scraping out of. his pipe he kept his eyes on it as he. continued normally you understand when I. look at people straight in the face I. see them as anybody else sees them but. when I look back at them over my. shoulder I see oh I see all their vices. and. defects their faces remain in a sense. the same perfectly recognizable I mean.

but distorted beastly there was my. brother Claude good-looking chap he was. but when I saw him that way he had a. nose like a parrot and he looked sort of. weakly voracious and. vicious he stopped and shuddered. slightly and then added and no one knows. now that he is like that too he's just. been hammered on the stop exchange. rotten sort of failure it. was so this guy uh he's explaining about.

his. brother yes so his like a creep right. and he looked at him over his shoulder. and saw his brother looking really weird. yeah like his true self basically mhm. and then Dennison my housem you know. such a decent chap I never looked at him. that way until the end of my last term. at school I had got into the Habit more. or less of never looking over my. shoulder you see but I was always. getting caught that was an instance I.

was playing for the school against the. old boys Dennison called out good luck. old chap just as I was going in and I. forgot and look back at him hey that was. a flashback nice work mhm on the Fly. mhm go ahead oh am I narrating this. right yeah I waited breathless and as he. did not go on I prompted him. with was. he um was he like wrong.

too Copley nodded weak poor devil his. eyes were all right but they were. fighting his mouth if you know what I. mean I have no idea what that means I I. looked it up I can't find any. explanation of that. whatsoever so no we don't know what you. mean William Copley I think he just. means he he looked funny or something I. guess but I feel like he's talking about. a specific way that he looked funny well.

he says if you know what I mean your. guys should say nobody knows what you. mean right here I'll I'll add that line. okay uh they were fighting his mouth if. you know what I. mean I feel like nobody knows what you. mean oh man you're really milking this. one there would have been an awful. scandal at that school there four years. after I left if they hadn't hushed up. and got Dennison out of the country. still no idea what was wrong with. Dennison yeah I think it's one of those.

things left. unsaid then if you want any more. instances there was the occultist big. fine chap he was of course he made me. look at him over my shoulder to test me. and I told more or less he was simply. livid for a moment he was a sensualist. you see and when I saw him that way he. looked like some filthy old. hog I realize my accent is completely. different than the big but it's it's. very pleasing I was going to tell you. you're doing a great job with this I.

found it but he's morphed yeah but. that's what happens he's evolved that's. right the thing that really finished me. he went back to the beginning okay keep. keep narrating though he went on after a. long interval was the breaking off of my. engagement to. Helen we were frightfully in love with. one another and I told her about my. trouble she was very sympathetic and I. suppose rather sentimentally romantic. too she believed it was some sort of.

spell that had been put on me I think. anyway she had a theory that if I once. saw anybody truly in ordinarily over my. shoulder I should never have any more. trouble the spell would be broken sort. of thing and of course she wanted to be. the person I didn't resist her much I. was infatuated I suppose anyway I. thought she was Perfection and that it. was simply impossible that I could find. any defect in her so I agreed and looked. that way his voice had fallen to an even.

node of despondency as though the. telling of this final tragedy in his. life had brought him to the indifference. of Despair I looked he continued and saw. a creature with no chin and watery. doting eyes a fateful slobbery. thing I can't I never SP spoke to her. again that broke me you know he said. presently after that I didn't care I.

used to look at everyone that way until. I had to get away from Humanity I was. living in a world of beasts most of them. look like some Beast or bird or other. the strong were more vicious and. criminal and the weak were loathsome I. couldn't stick it in the end I had to. come here away from the. mall a thought occurred to. me. have you ever looked at you know.

yourself in the glass I asked are you. sort of like nodded drawing with your. toe in the sand in front of. him very bashful I'm no better than the. rest of them he said that's why I grew. this rotten beard I hadn't got a Looking. Glass here and you can't keep a like a. stiff neck as it were I asked. you know you know like going about. looking Humanity just you know you know.

like straight in the. face the Temptation is too strong Copley. said and it gets stronger curiosity. partly I suppose but partly it's the. momentary sense of superiority it gives. you you see them like that you know and. forget how you look yourself and then. after a bit it sickens. you you uh uh haven't I said and. hesitated I wanted to know and yet I was.

horribly afraid you uh haven't I began. again you have uh have you let me figure. out how to say. this. have have you looked. at. me that way. not yet he.

said do. you do you suppose probably you look all. right of course but then so did heaps of. the. others so you have no. idea. none how I should look to to. you. that way absolutely none I've been.

trying to guess but I. can't oh. man you wouldn't you. know you wouldn't care not now he said. sharply perhaps just before you. go you feel fairly certain then he. nodded with disgusting conviction. I went to bed wondering whether Helen's. Theory wasn't a true one and if I might.

not break the spell for poor old. cople The Boatman came for me soon after. 11: the next morning I had shaken off. some of the feeling of superstitious. horror that held me overnight and I had. not repeated my request to Copley nor. had he offered to look into the dark. places of my soul he came down after me. to The Landing place and we shook hands. warmly but he said nothing about my. revisiting him and then just as we were.

putting off he turned backward toward. the Hut and looked at me over his. shoulder just one quick. glance uh hold on hold on wait I. commanded The Boatman and I stood up and. called to him uh uh Copley I shouted he. turned and looked at me and I saw that. his face was transfigured he wore an. expression of foolish despair and. Loathing I had seen something like it on. the face of a child who was just going. to be sick oh boy I dropped down into.

the boat and turned my back on him I. wondered then if that was how he had. seen himself in the glass but since I. have only wondered what it was he saw in. me and I can never go back to ask. him. oh pretty great stuff yeah torturous. ending though for sure but I mean plays.

out nicely cinematically you know for. sure I mean isn't not knowing the most. horrible thing of all well yeah. especially when you see Copley turn. around and look and then look like a kid. that's about to puke yeah what would. have been greater is if he just bent. over and started puking after. see just all over the all over the rock. right yeah man I feel like think we. should make a second career of punching. up old short stories and making them. better yeah all right yeah I think it's.

a good Market in that like those. painters that go around and find like. yard sale paintings and then paint stuff. in them yeah like let's do it okay uh. speaking of let's do it Chuck I say that. this uh this Halloween Spooktacular has. come to an end don't you yeah this has. been great fun my friend this is always. one of the more fun episodes that we do. along with our Christmas special we have. a lot of fun doing these and you did a. great great job this year as did you. thank you so happy Halloween everybody. from Chuck and me and Jerry from Ben.

from Dave from Dave from Livia from Ed. from the whole crew here it's stuff you. should know stay safe and be. [Music]. ghoulish. [Music].

stuff you should know is a production of. iHeart radio for more podcasts ihart. radio visit the iHeart Radio app Apple. podcasts or wherever you listen to your. favorite. [Music]. shows.