0:00

When you were young, you

0:02

met an angel, and

0:05

it shielded you from harm. And

0:08

ever since, as you have walked

0:10

through all the troubles of your

0:12

life you have wondered, is

0:14

it still watching over me? Where

0:17

was it every time your

0:19

mother drew her rod to

0:21

discipline you? Where was it

0:23

when you were brought through

0:25

dark and deadly doors?

0:28

Where was it when a knife

0:30

was raised that would have opened

0:32

up your world, and the blood

0:34

of a vicar was fed to

0:36

a black altar? Angels

0:39

are as unreliable as devils

0:41

you have come to

0:43

decide, and perhaps it

0:45

is best that they do not

0:47

walk alongside you, for they might

0:49

be frightened of what they see.

0:52

The real world is not

0:54

prismatic or beautiful. It

0:57

is hideous and burns

0:59

with the flames of its

1:01

reckoning and trees as

1:03

they are rendered into embers

1:05

scream hello from the

1:07

hallowoods. Right

1:35

now I hover in the

1:37

flame -filled night. Much

1:39

violence has happened this night

1:41

already, and there is still

1:43

more to happen before the dawn. This

1:46

house in the Stump's

1:48

neighborhood of Scout City is

1:50

comprised of one gigantic

1:52

tree stump, upturned roots forming

1:54

a roof that stretches

1:56

over 70 feet, the

1:58

gaps filled in with woven branches.

2:01

Designed to house a large

2:03

family, it is now

2:06

home to only one occupant,

2:08

who scrapes in the

2:10

dust for anything to hold

2:12

on to. The theme

2:14

of tonight's episode is Ashes.

2:24

Jedediah Wicker braced

2:26

himself. The fire and

2:28

blood he had already been

2:30

through that night was tolerable in

2:32

comparison to what he had

2:34

to confront next. The latest in

2:36

his never -ending string of tribulations,

2:39

the angel of revelation that

2:41

loomed over his end

2:43

of days. He

2:45

pushed open the door. Ma,

2:48

he called, and peered into the

2:51

darkness of the Wicker Den.

2:53

The orange glow that filled Scout

2:55

City's skies shone through the

2:57

windows of the cavernous open space.

3:00

Most of the Wicker children had

3:02

flown from the nest, leaving only

3:04

the old mother bird to peck

3:07

around in it by herself. What's

3:09

going on out there? Are

3:11

you all right? I'm fine,

3:14

said Jed, holding his side as

3:16

he limped in. He

3:18

did not bother wiping his heavy black

3:20

boots on the mat. He sank

3:23

into a chair by the long dining

3:25

table. Just

3:27

pulled something, helping

3:29

with the fire. There's

3:31

a fire in the stumps. They're

3:34

evacuating this neighborhood. Get

3:37

a bag quickly and

3:39

let's go. I

3:41

don't, Jed.

3:44

Where are your brothers and

3:46

sisters? Said his mother. He

3:49

did not roll his eyes on

3:51

the surface, but he felt it.

3:53

It was either going to be

3:55

viciousness or confusion in the face

3:57

of a crisis and she'd chosen

3:59

confusion. Well, Joshua

4:02

is dead, said Jedediah,

4:04

which sent a cold shock through

4:06

his mother. Everyone else

4:08

is out hunting the one who did it. The

4:11

pig man caused the fire. Jacob's

4:14

taking the lead and the rest have split

4:16

into groups to track him down. Don't

4:19

worry. We're gonna get him before

4:21

the night's out. I bet Now

4:23

would you get your things please? Jed

4:26

she said again, but then

4:28

glanced to the orange

4:30

sky and gulped and nodded

4:32

all right If

4:35

the fire had been any closer, she

4:37

would have burned to death with

4:39

the amount of time she spent worrying

4:41

over this and that, which heirlooms

4:43

to take, where had her glasses gone,

4:45

how long would she be gone? It

4:47

took the better part of an hour

4:49

of infuriating pushing before she finally had

4:51

a bag packed, and even as he

4:54

dragged her out of the door, she

4:56

was still looking back. I

4:58

swear, if this was Sodom and

5:00

Gomorrah, you'd be salt, he

5:03

said. Well, it's not far

5:05

off. She mumbled, shaking his hand away

5:07

from the scrap of her bag. Jed,

5:10

I think I forgot my scarf. Ma

5:13

were not going back, he said,

5:15

stomping slowly to avoid running away

5:17

without her, as much as he

5:19

wanted to. The long dusty

5:21

streets of the stumps were lined

5:23

with folks in similar predicaments, coming

5:25

out of their doors, loading wagons,

5:28

hefting bags and children, turning

5:30

their backs on the fire and

5:32

making their way for the dark

5:34

safety of Scout City's roots. He

5:36

hated to see Scout City in this

5:39

shape. It had been his home, after

5:41

all, for the better part of his

5:43

life, and Miles better than the whole

5:45

in the mud his mother had raised

5:47

him in. It was just going

5:49

to take some work to make sure it

5:51

stayed a good place to build

5:53

a life. But that would have

5:55

to wait a little, until he had

5:58

dragged his mother through the crowds, increasingly

6:00

dense, that flooded through

6:02

Scout City's Titanic Gates into the

6:04

Root District. They shuffled

6:06

one step at a time towards the great

6:08

arch of the Roots that led into

6:10

the basement caverns of the city. And

6:13

although the world was loud with

6:15

screaming children and shouting parents, it

6:17

was not loud enough to drown

6:19

out his mother's voice. I

6:21

think they should come with me.

6:23

She said, her gnarled hand squeezing his

6:25

too tight. He moved to

6:27

hold her wrist instead. I

6:29

don't want to lose any more sons,

6:31

Jed. What if the pigman

6:33

kills another? Oh, now

6:35

you care about losing sons,

6:37

he said. Good on you

6:40

for growing. Jed, you

6:42

act like I let the church

6:44

sacrifice you. She said, twisting her wrist

6:46

out of his grasp and stopping

6:48

in the road. The crowd bumped past

6:50

them on both sides. I

6:53

didn't. I didn't

6:55

do it. Why are

6:57

you so cruel to me?"

6:59

He turned around, and the breath

7:01

in his chest was bottled and

7:03

furious, corked up

7:05

arsenic. He couldn't let himself

7:07

explode, though, not with the

7:09

crowd here. Jacob was

7:12

the one that shot the friar,

7:14

he hissed. The gun was

7:16

in his hand. You're

7:18

like this every time something goes wrong.

7:20

You freeze and cry and roll

7:22

and self pity until it's too late

7:24

to actually do anything. Her

7:26

hand was half raised, trembled,

7:29

eyes misty and pitiful. What,

7:32

he said. Are you going to hit

7:34

me? Just like old times.

7:37

Jed, I haven't struck any

7:39

of you for years. She

7:42

said, laying the hand on his

7:44

shoulder. He shrugged it off. I

7:47

know I made mistakes raising

7:49

you. I have repented

7:51

to the Lord. I

7:53

have repented to you and

7:55

each of your siblings over and

7:57

over again. What else

7:59

do I have to do? I've

8:01

changed since then. You

8:04

haven't changed at all, he

8:06

grimaced. You never will.

8:08

I guess in your big

8:10

book of fairy tales, you say

8:12

sorry and everything is fucking

8:14

perfect, but repentant doesn't work that

8:16

way. In the real world,

8:19

it has to be earned. She

8:22

looked up at him a long moment

8:24

as the crowd streamed past them

8:26

through the archway of twisted wood that

8:28

led down to Lurch Lake. I

8:30

can go the rest of the way

8:32

on my own, she said, so

8:34

you don't have to bother. Go

8:37

find your brothers and

8:39

sisters Tell them to

8:41

stay safe Please More

8:44

than anything Revenge

8:46

on the pig man

8:48

revenge for Joshua's life

8:51

is worth nothing if

8:53

I don't have you

8:55

You're all I've ever

8:57

cared about Just go

8:59

straight said Jed pointing Stay

9:02

there where the people are gathering

9:04

until they announce it's safe to

9:06

go home. He

9:09

waited until there was some remote

9:11

gleam of comprehension in her

9:13

eyes and then turned. I

9:16

love you, Jed! She

9:18

called over the crowd. He

9:20

did not answer. He was

9:22

thinking of hell where she

9:25

would probably spend her eternity and

9:27

heaven. which was filled with

9:29

crystalline light, high up and

9:31

far away and out of reach.

9:34

Salvation was a process, he

9:36

thought, and Scout City was

9:38

working its out with fear

9:40

and trembling. When

9:42

he found Jacob again, it was

9:44

on a high ledge rooftop overlooking

9:46

the blaze in the distance. Any

9:48

Scout City residents that had willing

9:50

hands were forming chains to pass

9:52

water along. It felt like a

9:54

waste to see it go to

9:57

preserving the houses of the stumps,

9:59

and even then it did not

10:01

seem to be doing much as

10:03

the flame flickered and crept through

10:05

one city block after the next.

10:07

Jacob was standing vigil over the

10:09

blaze, with Jemima and Jessica in

10:11

their matching camo jackets and buzz

10:14

cuts. Jemima had ten years on

10:16

Jessica, and yet Jessica was the

10:18

more frightening with a rifle. All

10:21

three held guns in

10:23

their arms. Ma's safe, said

10:25

Jed. As safe

10:27

as she'll ever be in Scout City

10:29

anyway. Where are the others? They're

10:32

combing the neighborhoods on the left and

10:34

right, said Jacob, and he lifted

10:36

his hands to point towards the edge

10:38

of the stumps. But I

10:40

have a feeling that's where he's

10:42

bound. I think he's gonna

10:44

make his way out and north. That

10:47

way. Back towards

10:49

the log fall, Jedediah said.

10:52

Right, Jacob said,

10:54

and extended an object towards

10:56

Jed. It was a pistol,

10:58

black handle, glinting in the

11:00

firelight. He seemed to study

11:03

Jed as if evaluating whether he'd

11:05

finally earned his respect. So,

11:08

you coming? I

11:11

can't lose another son, she'd

11:13

said. I'll

11:15

just get in your way. said

11:17

Jed, and put his palm on

11:19

Jacob's hand and the pistol handle

11:21

alike, pushed it back. You

11:24

go make him pay. Try

11:26

not to get hurt. Suit

11:29

yourself. Jacob smiled

11:31

grimly, punching Jed in the

11:33

shoulder. Elder brothers,

11:35

like mothers, saw weakness

11:37

long after it had

11:39

left. Get some more safe,

11:41

alright? Jacob and the other

11:43

wicker siblings passed on either side of

11:46

him as they made their way down

11:48

the ledge towards Shank's exit path, and

11:50

Jedediah lingered a little, watching

11:52

the flames. He fancied that

11:55

he saw angels there. Angels

11:57

could be deceivers too, hiding

12:00

destruction behind beautiful

12:02

faces, offering heights no

12:04

mortal could attain. No,

12:07

tonight no one was

12:10

safe. The

12:22

Lurch Lake Chamber of Prophecy

12:24

serves as an immediate emergency

12:26

gathering location for the nearby

12:28

neighborhoods of the Stumps, keeping

12:30

in mind that fire attracts

12:32

large nocturnal carnivores, and thus

12:34

open forest is rarely as

12:36

safe an environment for humankind

12:38

as it is for the

12:41

other creatures that now dwell

12:43

there. The cavern formed where

12:45

Scout City has grown over

12:47

this lake is some 60

12:49

feet high and over a

12:51

thousand feet wide. And

12:53

on its shores, Scout City residents

12:55

are welcomed to gather and wait

12:57

while the Scout City Volunteer Fire

12:59

Department attends to the fire in

13:02

the stumps. The lake is gradually

13:04

depleting, as, since it is one

13:06

of the only bodies of water

13:08

left within a five -mile radius of

13:10

Scout City, thanks to the recent

13:12

heat wave, by mayoral

13:14

decree its hallowed waters are being

13:16

used to combat the blaze.

13:18

But it is not a short

13:20

distance that the water must

13:22

travel, and the fire is moving

13:24

quickly through the dry bark

13:26

of Scout City's outskirts. We

13:29

go now to a mayor in

13:31

distress. I

13:38

need to go see

13:40

her," Valerie reiterated. Her

13:42

security consisted of two combat

13:45

scouts, Roger and Kieran, who

13:47

had been handpicked by Virgil

13:49

himself, and yet they would not

13:51

budge from her front door. Ma

13:53

'am, ma 'am, ma 'am,

13:56

ma 'am, ma

13:58

'am, ma ma

14:02

'am, ma 'am, ma 'am, 'am, 'am, 'am, 'am, ma ma

14:04

'am, ma ma 'am, ma 'am, ma

14:06

'am, Or, or, or, or, or, or, or,

14:08

or, or, or, or, or, or, or, or, or, or,

14:10

or, or, or,

14:14

or, or, or, or, or, or, or,

14:36

I am the mayor. If

14:38

I don't show up for the

14:40

death of my friend's daughter, who

14:42

is also a Scout City deputy, what

14:45

am I even doing here? If

14:48

I may, Miss Mayor,

14:50

ma 'am, you're staying safe

14:52

from the instrumentalist killers," said

14:54

Roger. Who probably

14:56

would rather there was no

14:58

mayor at all, added Kieran. The

15:01

three stood silent in

15:03

front of her front doors

15:06

a moment until Kieran

15:08

sighed. Although, he said, if

15:10

you would like to write a letter, I

15:13

could deliver that. A

15:16

letter. Valerie

15:18

sighed, defeated. Perhaps

15:20

it would even be easier

15:22

for Mrs. McGowan, offered

15:25

Roger. I'm sure she's

15:27

not feeling like seeing a lot

15:29

of visitors right now. And

15:31

then you still remain safe,

15:33

added Kieran. Although

15:35

you'll be at half your normal

15:37

level of security for half an

15:39

hour or so, used Roger. You're

15:42

at least two -thirds. Look

15:44

at you, said Kieran, and then

15:46

looked back to Valerie. I'll

15:48

deliver it whenever you're ready. All

15:52

right. Valerie said, and

15:54

tears filled her eyes as she turned away

15:56

from the bags and went for the stairs

15:59

to her study. The expansive

16:01

windows of her office looked out

16:03

over the higher boughs, and she

16:05

could see hundreds of feet down

16:07

to the cloud of orange light

16:09

that drifted up from the stump.

16:11

Messengers had been coming to the

16:13

house all night. Missives carefully relayed

16:15

through Roger and Kieran. She'd

16:17

made the decision to empty water

16:19

from Lurch Lake, which was not

16:21

going to do her any favors

16:23

when it came time for reelection,

16:26

but it was the only reservoir

16:28

that remained accessible in these sweltering

16:30

times. Death and

16:32

flame followed her this year.

16:35

Followed her through the street. Took

16:37

her children. her friends,

16:39

her friends' children. If

16:41

I'd known this was what being

16:43

mayor meant, I never would have run,

16:46

she thought, and ignored her city,

16:48

burning to ash outside, while she fished

16:50

for a sheet of pressed paper

16:52

and a pen, popped off the

16:54

lid, and sat at her desk by

16:56

the window. She glanced at

16:58

the open letter from Clementine. What remained

17:00

of the box of files she'd

17:02

been given had been turned over to

17:04

the Scout City Deputy's office, but

17:06

that she had kept. She ignored it

17:09

as she wrote a letter of

17:11

her own. Dear Tara, she

17:13

wrote, Sorry about your

17:15

daughter. When I lost

17:18

my daughter for the first time,

17:20

I... She crumpled that one up

17:22

and tried again. Dear

17:24

Tara, I just heard the

17:26

news about Heather. Please

17:28

come to visit if you

17:30

need someone to talk to.

17:32

I am so very sorry

17:35

for your loss if we

17:37

will do whatever it takes

17:39

to avenge her. I

17:41

can't imagine what you're going

17:43

through, but I am always

17:46

here. Love,

17:48

Valerie. She stared

17:50

at it for a moment. The truth

17:52

was she could imagine what it felt

17:54

like, and she had lived in a

17:56

state of grief for at least one

17:58

of her daughters for a decade and

18:00

a half. And there was

18:02

a lie at the end that she

18:04

was always there, because it was only

18:06

a letter instead of her attending the

18:08

Scout City infirmary herself. But

18:11

nevertheless, she tucked it into an

18:13

envelope and sealed it with the

18:15

great tree seal of Scout City,

18:17

and then hurried back downstairs. Alright.

18:20

She called as she stepped down. I

18:23

think it's... She trailed off as

18:26

she came into view of her hallway

18:28

and front door. The

18:30

door was open, and neither of

18:32

her bodyguards were visible. Roger,

18:36

she called from the

18:38

stairs. Kieran? There

18:41

was no response, and she tucked

18:43

the letter into her vest and crept

18:45

down a few more steps. There

18:47

was a rustle and a thump from

18:50

further down the hall behind her,

18:52

in the first floor meeting room or

18:54

parlor, perhaps. She said

18:56

nothing more but skirted down the rest

18:58

of the stairs, double -checking that

19:00

she could not see anyone yet, and

19:02

then pressed her front door shut and

19:04

locked it, and drew an object from

19:07

her umbrella stand, a dented

19:09

aluminum bat. It had

19:11

reminded her of a wooden one

19:13

that Riot had made off with when

19:15

she departed the bunker. minus some

19:17

spiky hardware. Valerie crept down

19:19

the hall, bat in hand, and

19:22

caught a glimpse of a tall figure

19:24

in dark clothing in the doorway of

19:26

the meeting chamber. She went

19:28

lunging out towards them, bat swinging

19:31

with a scream. Her

19:33

bat froze in the air. It

19:35

was caught, she found, by

19:38

a hand of five

19:40

long black knives, and several

19:42

faces she recognized torn

19:44

apart and sewn onto a

19:46

single skull. A

19:48

single pale eye peered back at

19:50

her from the darkness. Good

19:53

evening, Valerie, said

19:55

Diggory Graves. I

19:57

hope this is not a bad

20:00

time to drop in. Greetings,

20:05

streamers of

20:07

America's wilderness. It

20:10

has been almost 15

20:12

years since I opened up

20:14

this channel so wide, speaking

20:17

directly into the dreams

20:19

of the entire nation. Unless

20:21

you've been picking up

20:24

stray signals, you likely don't

20:26

know that I, Lady

20:28

Ethel Mallory, have been

20:30

all but ushered in as

20:32

the new CEO of

20:34

the Botulus Corporation. You

20:37

might blame this company

20:39

for ruining your nation, for

20:42

ruining your life. For

20:44

most of you, I'm sure that's

20:46

a fair belief. I

20:48

am busy now undoing

20:50

the vast damage that

20:52

the Botulist Corporation has

20:54

done to our country.

20:56

But I am not

20:58

reaching into your dreams

21:00

to advertise the Botulist

21:02

Corporation. I'm here

21:05

to talk about you.

21:08

Like you, I have

21:10

spent the last few

21:12

years living outside in

21:14

the real world. Believe

21:16

it or not, Lady

21:18

Ethel Mallory is a

21:21

survivor of the Black Reigns

21:23

just like you. And

21:25

it is becoming increasingly

21:27

clear, what with the

21:29

collapse of a recent

21:31

empire of extortion, that

21:33

you need someone to

21:35

be your champion. Someone

21:38

who understands your

21:40

plight, who will advocate

21:42

for your needs

21:44

and a better future

21:46

for all Americans. I

21:49

am that woman. I

21:52

am Lady Ethel

21:54

Mallory, and I'm asking

21:56

you to support

21:58

me as I nominate

22:00

myself as your

22:02

next Queen of America.

22:07

Isn't being queen of

22:09

the depressingly self -important

22:11

sexagenarian marketing professional

22:13

burnout club enough? We

22:16

return now to Valerie

22:19

Maidstone. What

22:24

have you done to them? Valerie

22:27

said, looking past

22:29

Diggory. Roger and Kieran were

22:31

both propped up limply in chairs

22:33

in the darkened meeting chamber. I

22:36

have given them some

22:38

pleasant dreams, I think," said

22:40

Diggory, looking back to

22:42

her security guards. Their

22:45

eyes were dark and open,

22:47

and reflections of green starlight

22:49

turned within them. Or

22:51

at least I would find

22:53

them pleasant. They will

22:55

wake soon. They did

22:57

not wish me to visit you, but

22:59

I thought it was urgent. I

23:03

see. said Valerie,

23:05

choking down this information.

23:08

Diggory, they are here

23:10

to protect me

23:12

from the instrumentalist killers.

23:15

Why are you here?

23:18

She watched the movements of Diggory's

23:20

sharp fingers with a hint

23:22

of nervousness. Her relationship with the

23:24

Revenant had always been complicated,

23:26

and all the more so by

23:28

15 years of disappearance without

23:30

coming to tell her what had

23:32

become of her daughter. A

23:35

person could change a lot

23:37

in 15 years, and their

23:39

reappearance had been the very

23:41

same month as the wave

23:43

of new instrumentalist killings. The

23:45

Quartet. Valerie, we

23:48

need your help," said

23:50

Diggory, retreating into the meeting

23:52

room to stand by

23:54

the table. Their jacket was

23:56

embroidered with red thread

23:58

patterns of Evelyn's tattoos. Their

24:00

lips had once spoken for Riz.

24:03

The knuckles of a hand reminded her

24:05

of Chance. One eye

24:07

was out now, and it only

24:09

further reminded her of who and

24:11

what Diggory was. A corpse

24:13

sewn up of all her

24:16

dead friends, given the chance to

24:18

stalk along on its legs

24:20

again. One who had

24:22

helped Riot cross a country to

24:24

save her, yes. One

24:26

who had later taken her into

24:28

the North and returned alone. I'm

24:31

listening, Diggory, she

24:33

said. Is

24:35

Clem—is—is

24:38

Riot—safe? What's

24:40

wrong? Diggory held up

24:42

a long clawed hand. Tonight,

24:46

no one is safe. They

24:48

said, I do not

24:50

know how much you have followed

24:53

the Scout City Almanac, but

24:55

it is twisting the

24:57

truth. Shelby and

24:59

Shank are not responsible for

25:01

the killings in Scout City.

25:03

They have been hunting down

25:05

the actual killers, the

25:08

Quartet. The Quartet

25:10

wants Scout City afraid.

25:13

They have been feeding mice

25:15

to the Almanac. The

25:17

photo of Shelby and

25:20

Shank in the alley said

25:22

Valerie. She

25:24

has been collaborating with

25:26

Shank, it seems. Diggory

25:29

frowned. Two hunts down

25:31

the Quartet. And this led,

25:33

I believe, to the start of

25:35

tonight's conflict. I wanted

25:37

you to hear all of this from

25:39

us. You may

25:41

wish to sit." I think I'm

25:44

all right," said Valerie, grip

25:46

still tight on her bat. She

25:48

moved to the opposite side of

25:51

the table from Diggory, across from

25:53

her sleeping security. She

25:55

wondered which of her friends their pale

25:57

eye was from. August,

25:59

perhaps. What

26:01

do you know about tonight?

26:04

You're saying it was the quartet

26:06

that killed Heather. Shank

26:08

caught up to

26:10

the quartet, Diggory said,

26:14

or rather walked into a trap

26:16

they had set for him in

26:18

the Roots district. He

26:20

survived, although he was

26:22

injured deeply. He

26:24

killed one of their members. Here

26:28

Diggory paused and looked down to

26:30

the table. It

26:32

was Heather McGowan,

26:35

Valerie. She was one

26:37

of the four that have

26:39

been murdering Scout City's residents. Valerie

26:43

stared silently, twisting the

26:45

bat in her hand.

26:47

Heather, she said. Heather

26:50

was a deputy. She

26:53

was tracking down the killers.

26:57

So we all

26:59

thought. Diggory said,

27:01

looking pained. Who

27:04

told you this? She

27:06

said. How do

27:08

you know? Shank

27:10

was very clear.

27:13

Diggory began. Oh,

27:15

well, there you go.

27:17

She said, Diggory,

27:20

I know you. I

27:23

know you're very

27:25

trusting. Has

27:27

it occurred to you that maybe

27:29

Shank is lying to you? That

27:32

he's killed others and he

27:34

killed Heather while she was

27:36

trying to arrest him? The

27:38

Scout City deputies report from

27:40

the warehouse says they found

27:42

Heather inside. She was

27:44

on patrol and she must

27:46

have run into him. Do you

27:48

have anything else before we

27:50

tell the city the daughter of

27:53

our beloved doctor, a deputy

27:55

who was killed on duty no

27:57

less, was actually stringing corpses

27:59

up on cables the whole time?

28:02

I am

28:04

trusting, said Diggory. I

28:07

do not doubt Shank. He

28:10

has no grudge against Scout

28:12

City. He wants revenge

28:14

only against the Quartet. They

28:17

have framed him as

28:19

the killer. Did

28:21

he or did he

28:23

not kill Joshua Wicker, said

28:25

Valerie. They have

28:28

been pounding on my door ever

28:30

since demanding action. I

28:33

do believe he was

28:35

responsible for that, said

28:37

Diggory, although there was

28:40

a reason. Diggory,

28:42

I can't listen

28:44

to anymore. She

28:46

said, rubbing her head, and she

28:48

leaned heavy on the back of one

28:50

of the meeting room chairs, grinding

28:52

its feet into the floor. Right

28:55

now, I am trying to write

28:57

a letter to Mrs. McGowan to

28:59

let her know how sorry I

29:01

am that her daughter was murdered

29:03

tonight. I cannot tell

29:05

her that her daughter was a

29:07

murderer based on the word of

29:10

the thing that murdered her. Shelby

29:14

also found a

29:16

button. Diggory began. What

29:19

are you asking me to

29:21

do? Why are

29:23

you here? Valerie

29:25

said, looking up. Diggory

29:28

studied her singly

29:30

and sighed. Black tipped

29:32

fingers twisted together. Valerie.

29:36

There is a conspiracy

29:38

against us in this

29:40

city that seems to

29:43

grow daily, said Diggory.

29:46

Against people like me who

29:48

have come back from

29:50

death, and if the

29:52

roots of the Quartet's

29:54

doctrine hold true against

29:56

anyone who the Quartet

29:58

thinks is sinful or

30:00

degenerate or unrighteous. Each

30:03

death, each article written

30:05

to stoke fear in

30:07

this city, it

30:09

is all intentional. I

30:12

just wished you to

30:14

be aware that I

30:16

and my friends are

30:18

here, that we

30:20

are still your friends, that

30:23

we are not the ones

30:25

committing this violence, that

30:28

we are still fighting. Please

30:31

remember us kindly

30:33

in all that is

30:35

to come What

30:37

is to come said

30:39

Valerie What are

30:42

you planning? We

30:44

are going to fight back

30:46

Dickery said sadly shaking a

30:48

long tuft of dark hair

30:50

away from their eyes You

30:53

were not here when we

30:55

fought the instrumentalist, but riot

30:57

Percy and I Even

30:59

Shelby, even

31:01

Shank, we cannot continue

31:03

to let the Quartet kill

31:06

everyone who still has courage

31:08

in the city. We

31:10

will lure them out of Scout

31:12

City if we can. I

31:14

fear we may kill them.

31:17

I do not wish to, but

31:20

it may happen. And

31:22

I am sorry, because

31:24

there are three more

31:27

masks. and I

31:29

do not know whose

31:31

faces we will find

31:33

beneath them." No more

31:35

killing, Valerie said, for

31:38

the love of God. For

31:42

the love of God, Diggory

31:45

mused and frowned, I

31:48

have seen now much death on

31:50

account of this. I

31:52

would like not to see any

31:54

more. Diggory

31:56

stepped out from the table

31:58

and walked past her, gliding

32:00

like a large black spider

32:02

down the hall. Diggory,

32:06

Valerie called. Don't

32:08

make Scout City bury any

32:10

more of its kids. Keep

32:13

Riot out of this, please. Diggory

32:16

paused and looked back from

32:18

her front door. Well,

32:22

they said. I

32:24

could not keep her away from a

32:26

fight if I tried. Someday,

32:39

when I am

32:41

impossibly ancient Dreamer,

32:44

my eyes will close for

32:46

the first and last time and

32:48

burn out one by one.

32:51

The core of energy stored

32:53

in my heart and

32:55

spread throughout every square inch

32:57

of your universe will

32:59

gather for a farewell and

33:01

then expand as it

33:03

dies. You will be

33:06

able to view the demise of

33:08

my heavenly body in your

33:10

skies, although both you and

33:12

the heavens may be gone by then.

33:15

If I die while the

33:17

universe still has time While

33:20

there is life anywhere, there

33:22

will no doubt be treasure in

33:24

the dust of me. Rare

33:27

particles, substances unforeseen

33:29

by the universe. The

33:32

bodies of indescribable life

33:34

are full of surprises. I

33:36

have begun lately to picture

33:39

that in the vast field

33:41

of my absence new life

33:43

might abound. Perhaps

33:45

not as glorious as an

33:47

orchard, but a glade.

33:49

or perhaps a single tree.

33:52

Assuming that I am not burned

33:54

instantly away into nothingness by the

33:56

weapons of my peers, of course. We

34:00

go now to one who

34:02

is about to confront death.

34:09

The old man had paused, seeming

34:11

like his heart was going to

34:14

heave out of his chest, and

34:16

in that pause Cole had

34:18

gotten quite close. Something was

34:20

happening in Scout City. The outline

34:22

of the stumps in the distance

34:24

were ringed with a spark of

34:27

flame, as what seemed like an

34:29

open flame had just begun. It

34:31

had scarcely been a few hours

34:33

since he had dawned that drumskin

34:35

mask, and had a silver -bladed

34:38

dagger pressed into his palm. and

34:40

joined the other three members of

34:42

the quartet in moving out into

34:44

the woods in pursuit of the

34:46

spies who had been listening in

34:48

on their meeting. His world reeled. Everything

34:51

had changed. On

34:54

the one hand, Heather's trust in

34:56

him, and the idea of a world

34:58

free of all the cursed strangeness

35:00

of the age. On the

35:02

other, his duty as a

35:04

Scout City deputy, investigating the

35:06

very same murderers Heather had

35:08

been perpetrating. Even for a

35:10

good cause, who was

35:13

she to decide who lived and

35:15

who died? Who next

35:17

needed to disappear in order to

35:19

clean up the city of

35:21

its worst elements? And

35:23

now, in the moment, he

35:25

was standing, a black cloak

35:27

and loose -fitting clothes hiding

35:29

his deputy jacket, the

35:31

breath hot within his mask, a

35:33

knife in his hand, staring

35:35

at the old man he had

35:37

been commanded to capture. It

35:40

was Vincent he was almost

35:42

sure, the undertaker who

35:44

had been presumed dead after Shank

35:46

broke free of his morgue.

35:48

The puppet was nowhere in sight.

35:51

What indeed had the suspicious

35:53

old codger been up to? Stop

35:56

running. Cole commanded,

35:58

stepping out of the bushes. You're

36:02

coming with us. Too

36:04

much like a deputy, he thought. Vincent

36:07

turned and there was a flash

36:09

of fear in his glassy old eyes.

36:12

It sent a kind of exhilarating

36:14

feeling through Cole. He wasn't

36:16

a Scout City deputy and son

36:18

of the sheriff in this get -up.

36:20

He was an anonymous darkness, a

36:23

black hole. All the

36:25

world could see was the

36:27

quartet. Oh, I'd rather

36:29

not, said Vincent, limping onward,

36:31

and Cole took several

36:33

fast steps towards him, catching

36:35

up quickly. Where

36:37

have you been, Vincent? He

36:40

said, trying to figure out how to

36:42

do a voice that did not sound

36:44

like him, and rather stumbling his way

36:46

through. Do I know

36:48

you? gasped the old man,

36:51

and Cole tripped him with a swoop

36:53

of his boot, which caused Vincent

36:55

to fall and then slide down a

36:57

root embankment. Cole went sliding down

36:59

after him, readying the length of cable

37:02

that hung at his side to

37:04

bind the man's wrists. But then there

37:06

was a phosphorus -green glow in his

37:08

perveral vision. and he whirled around

37:10

to see a sight he was just

37:12

getting used to, a spectre,

37:14

a ghost, a human soul, much

37:16

the same as the ones that

37:18

had been bound to the church

37:20

organ in the stone chapel, omens

37:23

of the end. This

37:26

one had a forked tongue

37:28

and a fluff of hair, all

37:30

black eyes with tiny white

37:32

pupils, and pale mirage of a

37:34

dead punk. A translucent hand

37:36

was reaching for his head, and

37:38

he blocked it with his knife,

37:40

and there was the strangest rush of

37:42

electricity as his knife held back

37:45

the phantom's grasp, and then his fighting

37:47

training kicked in as he slipped

37:49

the knife past the palm and then

37:51

went for the chest. The

37:53

ghost caught his blade through her

37:55

palm and shrieked with a voice that

37:57

raised the hair on his neck

37:59

and pushed back against the hilt. Not

38:02

very cool of you to pick

38:04

on an old guy," said the

38:06

ghost, bracing her impaled hand with

38:08

her free one. Vincent,

38:10

keep it moving. Right,

38:14

said Vincent, shrinking into the

38:16

darkness of the underbrush. The

38:19

ghost twisted her hands, trying to

38:21

take his knife away, and

38:23

he went to shoulder check her,

38:25

but passed straight through her body, and

38:28

went rolling across the forest floor,

38:30

pulling his knife free as he moved.

38:33

The knife was the only thing that

38:35

could interact with the Phantom, it seemed. He

38:37

could work with that. Stupid,

38:40

said the spirit, cracking her

38:42

neck by twisting it all the

38:44

way around. Her palm had

38:46

a black opening in the phantom

38:48

light skin where he had ripped an

38:50

open hole in her that did

38:52

not close. It's like

38:54

you've never fought a ghost before. Not

38:58

going to get under my

39:00

skin, Cole thought, and

39:02

rolled to his feet searching for

39:04

Vincent. There was still a

39:06

rustling in the bushes in the distance.

39:08

But then the ghost skipped towards him

39:10

in the air, pretending to box, and

39:12

threw a punch at him. He raised

39:14

the blade to catch her knuckles, but

39:17

her other fist came rolling past, and

39:19

for that he raised his own hands

39:21

to block. Her fist passed

39:23

through his as though it was

39:25

not there, but then became crackling

39:27

white and solid just before making

39:29

contact with his helmet, puncturing the

39:31

skin of the drum with a

39:33

blackened hole over one eye. He

39:36

stumbled backwards as a spectral bootbuckle

39:38

swung up between his legs, and

39:40

then a second caught him in

39:42

the side of the helmet as

39:44

she spun, bowling him into the

39:46

underbrush. He rose again with

39:48

his knife, whirling around, but now

39:51

could not catch any sight of her.

39:53

So like, do you think this

39:55

is the part where I kill

39:57

you? Her voice echoed around

39:59

him in the air. He

40:01

turned constantly, waiting for her to

40:03

reappear in any direction. You

40:06

should have stayed dead. Cold

40:08

breathed, finding his voice. Nothing

40:11

about you is natural. Heard

40:15

that on my life, she

40:17

said. He swept the knife through

40:19

the air, hoping to catch her if

40:21

she was invisible somehow. She

40:23

chuckled. Hey,

40:26

skinhead, she said. Up

40:28

here. He

40:30

looked up to find her

40:32

hovering upside down directly over him,

40:34

with a hand reached down

40:36

to his helmet. Lights

40:39

out! There was an overwhelming

40:41

surge in his brain, electric

40:43

fingers crawling through his

40:45

synapses, plunging his thoughts

40:47

into darkness. When

40:49

he woke, it was to

40:51

blurry sound and vision. And a

40:54

twisted kaleidoscope appeared before him,

40:56

one that eventually took the form

40:58

of a mask of splintered

41:00

piano keys. Hey, new

41:02

blood, said Piano. You

41:05

lost a fight with an

41:07

old man? With

41:10

a ghost, actually. Cole

41:13

grunted and sat up. He

41:15

went to remove his helmet, but

41:17

Piano's hand shot out to catch his.

41:20

Never take it off. said

41:22

Piano. Not while you're

41:25

on the job. Piano

41:27

was squatting beside him, and their

41:29

mask turned to look out at

41:31

Scout City. What's

41:33

happening? said Cole. The

41:36

fire's grown. It's

41:38

our lucky night, said

41:40

Piano. The others have

41:42

gone ahead to check things out. The

41:45

Pigman got in a fight

41:47

with Scout City, and they're

41:49

finally fighting back. Monsters

41:51

making a mess in the

41:53

street. They're ready to

41:55

accept our message now. And

41:58

we're going to make it one

42:00

Scout City can't ignore. Better

42:02

dry your eyes. We've

42:05

still got work to do. The

42:22

flames of change are

42:24

here, Dreamer, and

42:26

they are fluttering quickly across

42:28

all that you love. They

42:31

race carried by dread

42:33

winds whistling in from the

42:35

future, and give

42:37

no peace, leave no

42:39

tree untouched. But we

42:42

shall still be here, when

42:44

the bark has blackened and

42:46

the smoke has stained the

42:48

sky. We shall

42:50

be here when buds return

42:52

to the charred boughs, and

42:54

as green sprouts take roots

42:56

in black soil well fed

42:58

by all we have lost.

43:02

We shall be here when

43:04

the ashes of our

43:06

past reveals pine cones, twisting

43:08

open after the heat, filled

43:10

with the young and curious

43:12

eyes that will seed the future.

43:16

until the forest grows

43:18

green again. I

43:20

am your loyal host,

43:22

Nickyknick, waiting in

43:24

dust for your return

43:26

to the Hallowoods. Hello

43:36

from the Hallowoods is written and

43:38

produced by William A. Wumman. Hello, that's

43:40

me. If you enjoyed this show,

43:42

please don't forget to follow it and

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bonus story that goes with

43:49

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43:51

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Merchandise and episode transcripts are

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media at atthehallowoods Music is

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used under license from artlist .io

44:22

Until next time dreamers, please make

44:24

sure that your cigarettes are

44:27

entirely extinguished and do not throw

44:29

cigarette butts into the underbrush

44:31

of Wildfire Pro National Parks. The

44:33

wolves have Yellowstone and could activate

44:35

it at any time, and so

44:37

it's best not to do anything

44:39

that might provoke their wrath. Haven

44:46

is a God. Haven

44:50

is a home. Within

44:52

this vast cosmic organism,

44:54

an isolated cloister of

44:56

worshipers and acolytes have

44:58

survived for generations, tending

45:01

to the workings of its

45:03

organs and managing the passage of

45:05

its growth and disease, living

45:07

within the holy flesh. But

45:10

several of Haven's residents have

45:12

begun to discover a dire

45:14

secret. Despite the prayers

45:16

and the hymns, a

45:19

sickness is spreading in Haven.

45:21

corruption lurks beneath the

45:23

skin, and if Haven ever

45:25

dies, so does everyone

45:27

in the body. The

45:30

Gospel of Haven is a

45:32

religious body horror podcast, and a

45:34

visceral deep dive into the

45:37

power of faith and what faith

45:39

cannot power. The Gospel of

45:41

Haven is the brainchild of audio

45:43

-drama legend Daisy McNamara and presented

45:45

by Il Song Studios and

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Bloody FM, with the star

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-studded voice cast from shows

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like The Magnus Protocol, SCP

45:53

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45:56

Choice. If you've enjoyed Hello

45:58

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The show just debuted with new

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