Episode 62: Small Favors

Episode 62: Small Favors

Released Thursday, 8th February 2024
Good episode? Give it some love!
Episode 62: Small Favors

Episode 62: Small Favors

Episode 62: Small Favors

Episode 62: Small Favors

Thursday, 8th February 2024
Good episode? Give it some love!
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Episode Transcript

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Well hey there family, if

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gods of Appalachia is

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a horror anthology podcast. and

2:00

therefore may contain material not

2:04

suitable for all audiences.

2:07

So listener discretion is

2:10

advised. June

2:20

Gilbert was furious. She

2:23

took a deep breath and

2:26

counted to ten as she settled the

2:28

handset of the telephone back into place

2:30

on the table by the old sofa

2:32

they'd inherited from Trevor's paw when they'd

2:34

taken over the farm. While

2:36

telephones had been prevalent in Hazel County for

2:39

a good number of years now, this was

2:41

a new addition to the Gilbert home. When

2:44

the bun in her oven had been

2:46

confirmed, Trevor had insisted they be able

2:49

to contact family or the doctor at

2:51

a moment's notice and pay the relatively

2:53

handsome fee to have them connected to

2:55

the Hazel County Exchange. She

2:58

was touched by her husband's newfound sense

3:00

of responsibility and found

3:02

it sweet how often he tested the line to

3:05

make sure they were still able to reach the

3:07

outside world from the end of their little dirt

3:09

road. Her

3:11

heart had swelled with pride as Trevor had

3:13

begun making improvements around their humble little domicile.

3:16

He built new steps from the front porch with

3:18

a sturdy railing that gave her something to hold

3:21

on to as she made her way in and

3:23

out of the house at her current state. Shortly

3:26

thereafter, he added a new screen door with

3:28

a turning lock at the rear of the

3:30

house so she could allow the cool breeze

3:32

to blow through on hot days. A

3:35

tall white picket fence sprung up around the

3:37

yard, setting it apart from

3:39

the working part of the small but thriving farm. A

3:43

heavy iron gate with a thick sliding bar

3:45

provided the only entry point to the property.

3:49

June's pride turned to

3:51

concern when

3:53

Trevor began purchasing more guns than

3:55

he would ever need to hunt.

3:59

A brand new revolver made its way

4:01

into his nightstand drawer, and

4:04

a shotgun that looked like it could

4:06

stop a charging elk now hung beside

4:08

the broom and dustpan inside a closet

4:10

that had previously held only household cleaning

4:12

products. Other

4:14

new weapons were tucked out of sight in places she

4:16

had yet to discover. This

4:19

small arsenal joined the seven deadbolts he had

4:22

added to the front and back doors and

4:24

the fancy new windows with the heavy-duty latches

4:26

he and his friend had installed in the

4:28

bedroom and in the parlor. June

4:31

had asked him half-joking if he was expected

4:33

to invade an army when he presented her

4:35

with the three separate new keys it now

4:37

took to lock the back door. The

4:41

terror that had flashed in her husband's eyes

4:43

had only been there for a moment, but

4:45

she had seen it and

4:48

could not forget it. As

4:51

her delivery day approached, Trevor slept

4:53

less and less. She'd

4:56

wait to him, screaming, leaping from the bed and

4:58

scrambling to put himself between her and the bedroom

5:00

door. Other times she'd find him

5:02

pacing, rifling hand, watching the tree line

5:04

from the back porch. It

5:08

was the lack of sleep that had

5:10

done it, she thought. He

5:13

was testing all the locks on the front door for

5:15

what seemed like the fiftieth time that week when she

5:17

hugged him and asked what in the

5:19

world he thought was going to get in the house. Did

5:22

he think the devil himself was trying to sneak in

5:24

and steal their souls? Trevor

5:27

was stretched thin, nearly

5:30

delirious. He

5:32

looked at her as though his heart had been

5:34

dipped in the blackest sins and deep fried. June

5:38

expected him to say what he always said, that

5:40

you can't be too careful when you have a

5:42

new baby. It was his job to keep them

5:44

safe as man of the house and so

5:47

on and so forth.

5:49

But this time, this

5:51

time he just broke. Trevor

5:54

fell to his knees weeping and

5:57

the whole sordid tale came pouring

5:59

out. How the hunting

6:01

trip had gone wrong, how he

6:03

got lost on a ridge he knew like

6:05

the back of his hand, the deal he made

6:07

with a thing with glowing orange eyes and

6:10

what seemed like a hundred tales. He

6:12

sobbed and wailed as he confessed that he'd

6:14

promised the babe in her belly to some

6:16

hank out in the woods. He would do

6:18

whatever he could to stop it, he promised,

6:20

but they had to be ready. Most

6:25

wives married to men with a history

6:27

of loving little brown jugs more than

6:29

the Lord might have

6:31

thought he'd simply fallen off the wagon. But

6:34

June Gilbert, who'd been

6:36

born June Norris, knew

6:39

better. Her mama had

6:41

warned her of the dangers to be found

6:43

in the deep woods, of the perils of

6:45

entertaining the honey words of creatures offering deals

6:48

that seemed to be too good to be

6:50

true, and after mama passed, her sisters and

6:52

June's cousin Belle had taught her even more

6:54

during her visits to them down in Tennessee.

6:58

June truly loved her husband, but

7:01

right now she would just soon go upside

7:03

his head with a shovel for being such

7:06

a fool. How in the world had he

7:08

come face to face with a genuine monster

7:12

and kept the truth from her until now? She

7:16

was so angry and scared and she felt

7:18

like screaming and throwing up all at once,

7:20

and the baby chose that moment to shift

7:23

and kick, and she almost did both, which

7:26

was getting to be the natural state of her life

7:28

as her due date drew closer. She

7:32

took a deep, steady in breath. She

7:35

was going to fix this. She'd

7:37

called her mama's sister down in Tennessee, who

7:40

had expected she was calling for her to come

7:42

to Hazell County to bring the newest member of

7:44

the Gilbert clan into the world. But

7:47

her aunt didn't panic. Didn't

7:49

even sound too worried when June explained the

7:51

situation, and she only cussed Trevor's name a

7:54

little. Now, you just

7:56

sit tight. I'm going to call

7:58

in a favor or two, and send somebody down there to get

8:00

you. get you, your daddy, and your dumbass

8:02

husband. Junie was

8:04

puzzled. Ain't Marcy,

8:06

you don't need to do all that. We can

8:09

just take the train. We got time before the

8:11

baby. No. No, don't you

8:13

dare, snapped Marcy Walker's voice from the

8:15

other end of the line. If

8:17

this is the kind of thing I think it is, you

8:20

won't get far on your own. Running

8:23

breaks the compact. You're

8:26

going to need somebody who knows how to handle

8:28

this kind of situation. I

8:32

think I know just the feller. Junie

8:34

could hear the resignation in her

8:36

aunt's voice. She

8:38

had the feeling this wasn't a marker Marcy

8:40

would call in for anyone but family. Y'all

8:43

just be packed up and ready to go. You hear me?

8:46

Yes, Junie replied automatically.

8:49

You'll know my man when he comes. I'm

8:52

betting he can get there by tomorrow evening. I'll

8:55

need to go to speak to him now. Y'all just stay put.

8:58

I'll call if anything changes. Love

9:01

you girl. Love you too, ain't

9:03

Marcy. Jun had

9:05

packed in a silent fury. Trevor

9:07

knew better than to try to talk to her now. She

9:10

told him he could make it up to her

9:12

later. And by later, she meant he'd be working

9:14

on that project the rest of their lives and

9:17

sent him to fetch her daddy. When

9:19

Trevor had objected on the basis of Kevin

9:22

Norris's well-known stubborn streak, she told him to

9:24

say that this was something Mamaw Sheila would

9:26

have dealt with if she were still with

9:28

them. Trevor

9:31

didn't understand what that meant, but Junie told him

9:33

just do it and slammed the door in his

9:35

face. Her daddy would understand

9:37

the urgency of the situation at the mention

9:39

of her Mamaw's name. At

9:43

precisely sundown the following day,

9:46

the sound of an approaching truck engine wound

9:48

its way up the narrow road to

9:50

the Gilbert Homestead. Trevor

9:52

and his father-in-law stepped out into the porch

9:55

to greet their visitor. Trevor

9:57

with a shotgun over his shoulder and old

9:59

Kev Barry. a pistol and a hip holster. Juney

10:02

expected to find the beat-up old pickup of

10:05

Melvin Blevins, the hired man who had become

10:07

part of the Walker's extended family in her

10:09

front yard. But

10:11

instead, saw a brand

10:13

new Ford Model T panel truck when

10:16

she peeked outside. It

10:18

was painted a flat black and

10:20

bore no company logos or other

10:23

identifying marks. Trevor stepped

10:25

into the path of the slowing vehicle and

10:27

held up a hand, doing his best to

10:29

project an air of confidence and authority, but

10:32

failing pretty miserably. He

10:34

was exhausted and terrified,

10:38

and it showed. The

10:41

truck's engine fell silent and the driver's

10:43

side door opened. The

10:45

man who emerged into the fading golden

10:47

light of early evening was not Melvin

10:49

Blevins, but instead an older

10:52

gentleman of heavy carriage who groaned

10:54

a bit as he straightened his back and

10:56

stretched. He was dressed

10:59

in a simple brown suit, but

11:02

wore a fashionable hat that hinted at

11:04

more wealth than the suit implied. His

11:08

build was average, not especially

11:10

physically imposing, but he

11:12

carried himself with a swagger that bespoke a

11:14

life of seeing and doing things that most

11:16

people had better since than to attempt. There

11:20

was a twinkle in his eyes. He

11:22

surveyed Trevor and Kev in their respective

11:24

firearms. Gentlemen,

11:27

I'm assuming you are Mr. Gilbert and

11:29

Mr. Norris respectively. The

11:32

charm that oozed from the stranger's voice was

11:34

like a shot of whiskey. Trevor

11:37

felt himself relaxed as he met the man's

11:39

eyes. He almost offered his hand

11:41

a shake, but caught himself thinking better of

11:43

it. He nodded stiffly. Yes,

11:45

sir, and you are,

11:47

their guest, ignored Trevor, stepping

11:50

past him to greet Junie, who'd come out

11:52

onto the porch. And that

11:54

would make you Miss

11:56

Juniper Rebecca Gilbert, would it not?

11:59

Junie. She smiled dryly. She

12:02

could feel the man's charm reach for her, but

12:04

she knew better than to trust that. She

12:07

shook her head. "'Ain't nobody

12:09

called me Juniper since they wrote it on my birth

12:11

certificate, sir,' she said sweetly.

12:13

Miss Gilbert will do just fine,

12:15

or June, if you insist on

12:18

being familiar." With a wolf's

12:20

grin he bounded up the steps of the

12:22

porch in a blink. He

12:24

had taken her hand and kissed it before Junie

12:26

quite knew what was happening. "'I'm

12:29

afraid I never had the pleasure of

12:31

meeting your mother, but your aint' Marceline

12:33

and Eloise are old acquaintances of mine.'

12:36

He met her eyes, and she felt

12:38

that charm radiate out from his smiling

12:40

face again. They send

12:42

their regards and eagerly await your arrival.

12:46

"'Mr. My son-in-law asked your name,' Kev

12:48

interrupted, pushing his coat aside to show

12:50

his hand rested on the butt of

12:52

his sidearm. "'We ain't going nowhere

12:54

till we know at least who we're dealing with.' Something

12:58

about this fella wasn't quite right. Kevin

13:00

Norris could feel it in his bones.

13:02

The man in the plain brown suit

13:04

spun on his heel with remarkable speed,

13:06

and suddenly Kev found the hand he'd

13:08

rested on his old revolver being shaken.

13:10

The stranger's grip was warm and

13:13

unbreakable. My name

13:15

is J.T. Fields of Dorchester. My

13:18

friends call me Jack. I

13:20

am here at the behest of your late

13:22

wife's family, Mr. Norris, to safely deliver you,

13:25

your daughter, her husband, and your currently unborn

13:27

grandchild to their hearth and home. Now,

13:30

y'all can stay here and face what's coming

13:32

on your own, but if you like breathing,

13:35

I suggest you get in the truck and

13:38

come with me." These

13:54

old roots run to

13:58

a ground so bloody. Full

14:00

of broken dreams and

14:03

dusty bones. They

14:07

feed a tree

14:10

so dark and hungry. Where

14:14

its branches split, new blood

14:17

flows. The

14:20

ghost of a past is all

14:22

all buried, rather all

14:24

beyond. The

14:27

shadow falls, judgement comes.

14:32

Treads off my friend amongst

14:34

your fellows, Take

14:37

your bond, your word, But

14:40

it has to give to you. Deserve.

14:56

The shadow of a past is all over. They

15:11

drove west as the

15:13

night came on. The

15:15

limber truck moving through the night like

15:18

an inky shadow cast against the moon

15:20

is the venerable Mr. Feeve, hollowed

15:22

the panel truck like the captain at the helm

15:24

of his ship. I

15:27

usually have folks drive for me, the older man

15:29

said to no one in particular. My eyes aren't

15:33

what they used to be at night, but we'll get by just

15:35

fine. I

15:37

could take a turn at the wheel, Mr. Fields, sir,

15:39

if you get tired. Trevor offered.

15:41

Call me Jack, son, Fields

15:44

said with a grin over his shoulder, as

15:47

it came to a convergence of three roads. Inexplicably,

15:50

Jack turned down the one headed

15:52

north. I appreciate the

15:54

offer, truly I do, but the route we're

15:57

taking ain't the

15:59

easiest. A particular vehicle

16:01

requires a steady hand. Old

16:04

Kev's scowled in the passenger seat.

16:07

I've driven from flat top about to Tipton 100 times.

16:11

Baker's Gap ain't far from there. It

16:13

rode eight tube ads, especially with all the work the government's

16:15

been putting in down around the state line. Kev

16:18

looked around to get his bearings, his

16:20

scowl deepening. But

16:22

this ain't the road toward Tipton neither. We're

16:25

going in the opposite direction. The

16:27

man who called himself J.T.

16:29

Fields of Dorchester currently laughed

16:31

softly. We

16:34

aren't taking any roads the government built, Mr. Norris,

16:36

but we'll get there all the same. We got

16:38

to swing up by Bent Laurel to get where

16:40

we're going. And that means heading north for

16:42

a little bit. Y'all just going to have to trust

16:45

me on this. Bent

16:47

Laurel, Trevor piped up, doubtfully.

16:51

Out near Pocahontas? Is

16:53

there even anything out there anymore? No,

16:57

his father-in-law said sirely. There

16:59

was a note of trepidation in his voice

17:02

that Trevor Gilbert had never heard before. Old

17:05

town dried up and withered like a weed after

17:07

the east mine blew out on Flattop Mountain more

17:09

than 40 years ago. I

17:12

lost my daddy and both my uncles in that blast. Horrible

17:15

business. Gas explosion

17:18

so big it cracked

17:21

the mountain wide open. Finished jack.

17:24

Worst mine disaster in the Commonwealth of Virginia

17:26

to date? Yes, sir. 112

17:29

men lost in a hail of fire and darkness.

17:33

Lucky his body count didn't get no higher. Wasn't

17:37

no government regulation back then at all. They trusted

17:39

the mine operators to keep the men safe. And

17:42

we all know how that turned out. That

17:45

wheel car launched 500 feet from the mouth

17:47

of the mine. Houses shook off their foundation.

17:51

There was the fire. I

17:53

can't see I ever seen fire do what it did to

17:56

that mine. He added distractively as he

17:58

pulled the truck around a tight bend. in

18:00

the road and began to climb a steep

18:02

incline. His eyes never leaving

18:04

the road. You

18:07

were there? You had

18:09

to be a youngin' back then. You can't be much

18:11

older than me, Kevin Norris mused, regarding

18:14

the weathered skin of the man who

18:16

called himself J.T. Fields, rather critical. I'm

18:19

older than I have any right to be, Jack

18:21

Chuppo. Right now, I'm as old as I

18:23

ever been in this old sack of meat and bones, but

18:25

that is not a discussion for tonight.

18:29

His final words carried the weight of a

18:31

vault door slamming shut. Trust

18:33

me, when I say I know what there is and

18:35

what there ain't in Bent Laurel, and

18:38

what is there will help us get ahead of

18:40

your little problem before the little lady back

18:42

there pops like a tick. I'll

18:45

be quiet for a bit, all right? I can explain

18:47

more later, but this next leg

18:49

requires a little concentration. Juney

18:52

watched through the back window as they rolled past

18:54

some of the other cold camps on the north

18:56

end of Hazel County. Bossa

18:59

Vane, Jenkins

19:01

Jones, Big Run,

19:05

men shuffled through the streets, illuminated by

19:07

electric street lamps, their skin darkened by

19:10

time spent smothered in the embrace

19:12

of the mountain, joints

19:14

aching as they made their way

19:16

home, passing the next incoming shift,

19:18

sure and steady as conveyor belts

19:20

carrying waste to an incinerator. She

19:24

saw what she assumed was a father with his

19:26

small son lined up to clock in at the

19:28

front gate of one mine or another. A little

19:32

feller couldn't have been more than eight years old. Juney

19:35

rested a hand protectively over her belly.

19:39

She couldn't imagine sending her child to work

19:41

in that darkness. She

19:44

knew boys, even younger, often worked his door

19:46

and shoveled boys in even more dangerous positions

19:48

and prays. She and Trevor never fell on

19:50

time so hard they had to make a

19:52

choice like that. Soon

19:56

enough they came to the turn for Pocahontas.

20:00

indicated by a battered company

20:02

sign reading, Welcome to Pocahontas, home

20:04

of genuine flat-top toll slash coke,

20:07

guaranteed smokeless. They

20:11

rolled through the small town of silence,

20:14

neat identical houses lined the street.

20:17

The roads to and from the mines

20:19

outside town were clearly marked and well

20:21

kept, yet there was an

20:23

unsettling sense of despair,

20:27

even dread that hung

20:30

over the place. The

20:32

Model T bore east for another ten

20:34

minutes past the town, before they came

20:36

to a faded, nearly illegible piece of

20:38

signage, mounted on a rotting wood post.

20:42

Bent laurel, east mine,

20:45

closed. Private property,

20:47

keep out, trespassers will be

20:50

shot on sight. There

20:53

was no gate nor any sort of barricade

20:55

block in the road, so

20:57

without hesitation, Jack pulled on to the

20:59

neglected old dirt track that led down

21:01

a slight incline toward the corpse of

21:04

the biggest mine and disaster these mountains

21:06

had ever known. The

21:08

truck had rolled about a hundred yards past

21:10

the sign, when its

21:12

engine rattled itself to a dead stop.

21:16

Its headlights flickered and died. The

21:20

night was moonless and overcast, not

21:22

a single star in the sky

21:24

above to light their way. The

21:28

darkness was

21:30

absolute. Jack

21:33

glanced down at the steering wheel, snatching his

21:35

hands away as though it had suddenly grown

21:37

hot beneath his fingers. Outside, the

21:39

wind stirred through the trees they could

21:41

not see, and the

21:43

night pressed hungrily against the windows,

21:47

as if daring them to come out and see

21:49

what might be moving within it. Ah,

21:53

I should have expected that, Jack said

21:55

bemused. Well, y'all, we

21:58

have reached our first destination. Just

22:00

sit tight and stay in the vehicle, please.

22:03

I need to arrange for our passage." He

22:06

opened his door and stepped down, gravel crunching

22:08

underfoot as he made his way around the

22:11

back of the delivery truck and opened its

22:13

panel doors. He rummaged

22:15

around for a few minutes, clearly

22:17

searching for something before exclaiming triumphantly,

22:20

"'Ah! Here we are!" The man

22:22

known as J.T. Fields closed up the panel doors

22:24

and walked back around to the front of the

22:26

truck and there was a soft clank as

22:28

he placed something metal on the ground. The

22:32

driver's side door opened again and Jack stuck his

22:34

head in. All right, folks, things

22:37

are about to get a little interesting.

22:41

I need y'all to sit tight now and no matter

22:43

what you see or what you think you see, just

22:46

stay in the truck. You

22:49

hear me? I would suggest you

22:51

close your eyes, but that might be

22:53

even worse. Trust me and

22:56

be brave. You all right,

22:58

Miss June?" Juney nodded. All

23:02

right, then. Here we go. Jack

23:05

slammed the door and disappeared into the

23:07

darkness. The wind picked

23:10

up, blowing through the leaves on

23:12

the trees like rattling balls.

23:16

Hail to the travelers, Jack

23:18

called in an oddly formal voice.

23:21

I stand upon your threshold to

23:23

call upon one who owes me

23:25

thrice over. One boon

23:28

you have repaid and I

23:30

come here now to seek repayment for the

23:32

sector. I have come to this place

23:34

of deepest night and sundered veil

23:37

bearing gifts of flint, steel,

23:39

and fire. I

23:41

seek an audience with those who would

23:43

seek redress for the worldly sleigh. I

23:46

would give names to the nameless dads

23:48

left buried beneath these hills in pursuit

23:50

of other men's money. I

23:53

make this offering and beg an audience with

23:55

these. Praise come

23:58

forth! With this

24:01

dramatic pronouncement Jack struck a glit

24:03

of the stone, and

24:05

an old miner's lantern flared to

24:08

life. He

24:10

held it aloft, its flame glowing

24:12

pale and cold, like

24:14

a tiny full moon in the pitch-black

24:17

night. Junie

24:19

immediately wished he would put it back

24:21

out, because its sickly silver light fell

24:23

not just on the road or the

24:25

trees that lined it, but upon the

24:28

sun's. None.

24:31

Hundreds. Of

24:33

dirty, dead-eyed boys

24:38

who surrounded the truck. Boys

24:41

who were missing eyes or limbs

24:44

or parts of their faces. Boys

24:47

who were dead and had been dead

24:49

for a long time, yet there they

24:51

stood. Eyes

24:53

black as coal dust, fixed upon the man

24:55

in the plain brown suit, who

24:58

held that lantern high. Her

25:00

eyes filled with tears, her arms wrapping

25:02

protectively over her belly. Old Kev's hands

25:05

trembled as he covered his eyes and

25:08

began muttering a prayer under his

25:10

breath. Trevor simply stared out at

25:12

them in wordless, frozen terror.

25:16

He thought his heart might have stopped. The

25:21

legion of dead boys did not move

25:23

toward Jack. The left

25:25

light seeming to hold them all

25:27

fascinated, their hungry faces

25:29

leaning in like terrible flowers,

25:32

sick in some strange cold sun. I

25:36

know you're here, son, and

25:38

you owe me. So why

25:41

don't you come on out so we can talk? Jack

25:43

called out. For

25:46

a long moment there was no

25:48

response. The

25:50

dead children merely watching him in

25:52

that hungry silence. Then

25:55

the sea of boys began to

25:57

shift, parting to

25:59

a light. Allow a lone figure to

26:01

make his way to the front of

26:03

the pack. June clapped a hand over

26:05

her mouth, the stifle of scream. As

26:07

he drew near, the boy had first

26:10

appeared tall. But

26:12

in the next moment he was not. He

26:14

had the smooth cheeks of a boy,

26:16

then the haggard visage of a man

26:18

grown before his time. He was bleeding

26:20

with a crushed face, and then he

26:22

was some horrific, shambling thing made of

26:24

bones and fire. And finally his features

26:26

settled into those of

26:29

a boy. Just

26:31

a boy. Maybe

26:34

twelve or thirteen. A

26:37

boy dressed for the minds with a

26:39

cap pulled down low over his eyes.

26:43

Old enough to work. Old

26:45

enough to get into trouble. Old

26:48

enough to die in

26:51

the endless darkness under the mountain

26:53

beside his daddy and his brothers.

26:56

The boy stepped into the

26:58

light of the lantern, extending

27:01

his open hand. To

27:03

June's surprise, Jack handed him

27:06

the lantern. When

27:09

the boy spoke, it

27:11

was the voice of a man. I

27:15

find this offering to be satisfactory. In

27:19

accord with the old compacts, he

27:21

held the lantern high. So say

27:24

I! So say

27:26

we all, answered the

27:28

dull chorus of dead children. The

27:31

boy turned back to the one who had

27:33

called him and his cohort

27:36

forth. Well,

27:38

hey there, Jack. It's

27:41

been a while, he said

27:44

with a known grin. What

27:47

can we do for you this

27:50

time? Well

28:04

hey there family, my my my

28:06

my. Look

28:08

at all those pieces in play on the boy.

28:10

We got our man Jack of course. The

28:13

Walker sisters have officially entered the chat and

28:15

now the boy and his

28:17

legion of face saints have made their

28:19

presence known. And what will this

28:21

mean for Mr. Poe and his quest for the Gilbert's

28:23

firstborn? Do you even know who

28:26

he's messing with? I

28:28

guess you'll have to come back and find out next time and I

28:30

hope you join us but I'm betting you will. Y'all

28:33

I want to take a second to thank all

28:36

y'all that reached out after last episode little thank

28:38

you segment we did regarding the charitable efforts you've

28:40

helped us make possible. We

28:42

appreciate y'all and your kind words. So

28:46

from the bottom of our blackened and never

28:48

beating hearts, thank you. Thank

28:50

you kindly family. Now

28:52

if y'all don't mind I'll take another moment just

28:54

to let y'all know the newest installment of Familiar

28:56

and Beloved. Our series focused on

28:59

the animal companions in the world of Old

29:01

Gods of Appalachia has dropped over on Patreon. Miss

29:03

Emmeline Underfoot's story is rolling right along

29:05

and there's more good fur baby based

29:08

goodness to come. If you head on

29:10

over to patreon.com/Old Gods of Appalachia and

29:12

make the appropriate tie that you too

29:14

can catch up on Familiar and Beloved.

29:16

Build Mama Coffin, Black Mouth Dog, Door

29:18

Under the Floor and even more. And

29:21

now it's time for your Hey did you know

29:23

that John Charles Dwyer and Jacob Daniels and

29:25

more both dropped new EPs on Spotify and

29:27

other streaming services as well as on their

29:29

respective Bandcamp reminder that Old Gods of Appalachia

29:31

is a production of Deep Nerd Media distributed

29:33

by Rusty Quill. Today's story

29:36

was written by Steve Shell and Cam Collins.

29:38

Our theme song is by Brother Landon Blood

29:41

and our outro music is Atonement

29:43

by Brother John Charles Dwyer. We'll

29:45

talk to you soon family. Talk

29:48

to you real soon. Just

30:03

one thing

30:09

upon his

30:11

side He

30:16

is a waste, swift

30:19

nature He

30:24

is a waste, swift

30:28

nature He

30:32

is a waste, swift nature He

30:48

is a waste, swift

30:50

nature He

30:56

is a waste, swift

30:59

nature He

31:05

is a waste, swift

31:07

nature Surely

31:12

it will show the rock

31:20

Always it will show

31:22

the rock Always

31:46

it will show the rock The

32:01

Rachel to your Ross, the Bert to

32:03

your Ernie, and avoid those red flags

32:05

and time wasters. Your ads

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can communicate with them in the most intimate

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way possible, a one-on-one

32:11

conversation, at the back of the

32:13

bus, a chance meeting in the gym, or a

32:15

coffee shop. So go on, give it a

32:17

try. With over hundreds of thousands

32:19

of listens a month, your person is probably here.

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go.acast.com to get started.

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