0:12

You were listening to Strawberry Spring, based

0:16

on a short story by Stephen

0:18

King. It's

0:33

early, too early to deal with

0:35

this. That crowd of reporters

0:37

is about the last thing I need. Henry

0:40

Kevin, what are you doing

0:42

here? The same as everyone else. I'm here for

0:45

information. Listeners will want to know what's

0:47

going on. For Christ's sakes. I

0:49

want to know what's going on, don't you.

0:52

It's too soon. I don't have anything

0:54

for you. Henry. We we got back a long

0:56

time, right, Yeah, you know we

0:58

do as long as I can remember.

1:01

Great. So if you know anything,

1:03

anything at all, accounting one.

1:06

See, I'm just a little guy around here. I

1:09

need all the help I can get. You and me. We're

1:11

a team.

1:14

We're not a team.

1:16

Maybe in your head. We're a team.

1:19

My head, your head. What's

1:21

the difference. I gotta go, let's

1:24

see the Dean. Alright, I'm gonna go lose myself

1:26

in the crowd. Good luck. It's

1:38

been eight years. Why would

1:40

spring heeled Jack come back to New Sharon? Now?

1:44

Look at the press setting about there. They're

1:47

like vultures just waiting to pounds.

1:51

We have to prepare a statement. Tell

1:53

me everything you can about this guy, What

1:55

do you know that we don't? What do

1:57

you want to know? You wrote a book on spring

2:00

Hill Jack murders. What's in this thing

2:02

that's gonna help us catch him? Look, I

2:05

don't know. Last time he just

2:07

stopped killing. He disappeared,

2:09

vanished into thin air. I

2:11

don't know what happened to spring Hill Jack any

2:14

more than you do. Well, we must have been close

2:16

to catching him, probably scared him

2:18

off. How do we know

2:20

it's really him and not just the copycat?

2:23

I don't, but I can tell you police

2:25

work has come a long way since n This

2:28

is six and this time it's

2:31

going to be different. Now.

2:33

Either spring Hill Jack is back or someone

2:35

read your book and is looking to make a name for themselves.

2:37

This murder, the one last night he

2:40

copied Jack's m O. He chopped

2:42

her head off. For Christ's sake, Jesus,

2:45

I'll do whatever I can to help. What

2:47

can you tell me about what you found? He's

2:51

more violent than ever. Half

2:53

her body was missing, and what's left

2:55

over was draped across the snow. You

2:58

should know we asked and to

3:00

come down too, And

3:03

I haven't talked to her since the book came

3:05

out. I

3:07

haven't thought about Anne for some time. After

3:10

my book on Spring heel Jack was published,

3:13

I got a taste of fame and fortune, and she

3:15

went on to become a journalist. She

3:18

resented the fact that I wrote the book, since

3:20

we both covered the story. She

3:22

always said I as a narcissist, a better

3:24

suited for celebrity. I

3:27

always thought she should be a psych major, but

3:30

Rachel had that base covering. I

3:33

guess we all ended up where we're supposed to

3:35

be. No

3:37

one knows this guy better than the two of you did.

3:40

Did you see the Globe? It's on the front

3:42

page. Anne wrote this. How

3:44

did she get the story so quickly? It

3:47

went out on the wire? We live in modern times.

3:50

Okay, yeah, I'm

3:53

gonna have to go out there and talk to the press.

3:55

Are you canceling classes? I

3:58

have four I'm supposed to teach today. What do I tell

4:00

my students? Don't do anything yet.

4:02

I'll bring an army on this campus before I let

4:04

this guy up in my town again. Henry,

4:07

can we count on you? I told you

4:10

I'll do whatever I can to help catch him. We

4:13

know you will. Now, let's all

4:15

go out there and talk to the press together. Strengthen

4:18

numbers right, Gee

4:23

Spencer, why do you think spring Hill Jack has come back?

4:26

At this is point, we cannot confirm that this

4:28

is the work of spring Hill Jack. Dean

4:30

Edwards, how is this going to affect the university?

4:32

Our class is going to be canceled as of

4:34

now. UM, we're going to

4:37

increase security on campus. We

4:39

have not made any decisions

4:41

about our schedule. Our first priorities

4:43

to the students of New Sharon and we

4:46

will continue to make sure they get the best

4:48

and safest education possible.

4:51

I want to thank you all for coming, but

4:54

that is all. I have two questions for

4:56

Professor Dinon. You were here during the

4:58

first wave of killing. You wrote next, I was on

5:00

the murders. Why do you think Springhill

5:02

jackal's returning. I have to echo what Chief

5:04

Spencer said, we do not know if this

5:06

is really spring Heel Jack. My

5:08

second question, since you made a name

5:11

for yourself off of them, are you worried

5:13

for your safety? My

5:16

safety when it all

5:19

started. That was the last thing on my mind

5:22

the night they arrested carl Anna Laura for Gail

5:24

Kerman's murder. I remember staying at

5:26

the Times late and and

5:28

I were probably there until three in the morning.

5:33

Nice Reny you too. You're

5:36

a pretty good editor. You know that

5:39

I don't, but that's nice to hear.

5:42

Be honest, though, you thought we were going to break

5:44

a big story, didn't you. Well,

5:48

I don't know. This is a small

5:50

New England town. I'm not expecting

5:53

too much. But as far as I'm concerned,

5:55

we should treat every story like it's going to be big.

5:58

Otherwise, what are we doing here? I

6:00

hadn't thought about it that way. That's why I'm

6:02

the editor and you're not. Cheers

6:07

to a job well done. Do

6:12

you remember the first time we've met? So you asked

6:14

me out sort

6:16

of you were you

6:18

were the freshman editor for The Times.

6:21

I submitted an opinion piece.

6:24

Then I asked you out. I

6:27

don't remember that part. What

6:29

did I say? Oh? You turned me down on both

6:31

accounts. You were very professional.

6:34

Maybe I should have been less professional and

6:38

and hey, you

6:41

know I'm serious about Rachel. I know,

6:43

it's just what

6:46

is it? No, my head, it's

6:48

killing me. Wait here here, let me rub your

6:50

temples. Just stop. Sorry,

6:53

but that's it's not helping. Is

6:55

there anything I can do? No? Look, I

6:57

gotta go. I need to get outside.

6:59

All right. The only anything that helps is just walking

7:01

fresh air. Henry

7:10

Ship, Oh

7:13

Jesus, are you all right? Yeah?

7:16

I turned when I heard you didn't see ros.

7:19

You gotta be more careful. I mean, there's a killer

7:21

on the loose. Man. You need some help

7:23

here, Let me lend your hand. Thanks

7:27

anytime, buddy, No Oneman was

7:29

there for you think?

7:31

Who would do such a thing? Who

7:33

knows? Sometimes people just

7:36

crack under pressure. I you think about it,

7:39

Vincent, then go what he

7:41

cut off his ear? Tell me that's not cracking

7:43

under pressure. I can barely follow this conversation

7:47

exactly my point. You can't understand

7:49

what makes a man crack. Van Goh was

7:51

in love. Sometimes it's

7:54

the little things. He cut his ear

7:56

off. Who are you to judge out

8:00

a run? Need to grab something to eat before I get to sleep.

8:02

Stay on the path. You don't want to

8:05

slip and fall. Thanks

8:07

for the advice. Who's

8:22

that, Rachel? It's me, Henry.

8:26

It's three in the morning. Open

8:28

up, please, Oh

8:33

my god, you're filthy. What happened?

8:36

I was on my way back from the Times. I

8:39

had a few drinks and the migraines said it and

8:41

I tripped on one of those germs. Here's

8:45

a towel. Tut yourself off.

8:49

Thanks, shop ship.

8:51

Look at your floor. It's a mess.

8:54

Don't worry about it. I'll deal with it in

8:56

the morning. Are you okay?

9:00

My head hurts, but I'll be okay.

9:02

No permanent injuries except maybe

9:05

my pride. You know, I've been thinking

9:07

about it, and your migraines might

9:09

be psychosomatic. What

9:11

do you mean, remember

9:13

when we talked about emotional memory.

9:16

Yeah, so I think

9:19

if we can figure out what's

9:21

triggering your headaches, maybe

9:23

we can help you get rid of them.

9:25

We just promised me we could keep Rachel

9:27

my girlfriend, separate from Rachel the

9:29

aspiring psychiatrist. I'll

9:32

do my best, fair enough to

9:35

be honest at this point, I'll try

9:38

anything. You have

9:41

some water, as far as you remember,

9:43

you never had migraines before your

9:45

accident, right, No,

9:48

I didn't. Do you think you

9:50

can try and remember what happened. Are

9:52

you sure you're not forgetting anything. I'll

9:56

do my best. It

9:58

was really hard to see that night we

10:01

hit the fog bank. It swerved right

10:04

before we crashed. Mom,

10:14

Junior, I

10:21

remember crawling along the side of the road.

10:24

I saw the deer, my mom had. It

10:27

was crippled but still alive. Blood

10:30

was dripping from its mouth, steam

10:32

puffed from its nose. In the cold

10:34

night air, I worked

10:36

my way over to him. He

10:39

tried to kick at me, but didn't have the strength.

10:42

I looked it in the eyes. The

10:44

pupils were dilated. All

10:47

I could see was my reflection of pure

10:49

black. I tried

10:51

to comfort it. You're

10:54

okay, you're good, be

10:57

okay.

11:00

It took all of

11:02

my strength and loaded out of its misery.

11:08

After that, the sirens got louder,

11:10

and all I remember is waking up on the kurney.

11:14

It's awful, Thank

11:16

God, you're okay. The

11:18

doctor said I had a concussion. That

11:21

when I went through the windshield, I damaged

11:23

my frontal lobe, but nobody was sure

11:25

if there was going to be any permanent damage.

11:28

That's when the migraines started, the

11:30

insomnia, the bad dreams. You're

11:33

lucky you were able to walk away from

11:35

something like that. Lucky,

11:39

I guess, so my mom

11:41

and little brother weren't so fortunate. All

11:44

that matters now is that your hair. Come

11:48

on, let's got some sleep. Good

11:56

morning, good

11:58

boarding. Whould

12:01

you sleep pretty

12:03

good? I don't think I moved

12:05

a muscle. That's you're

12:10

funny. I'm

12:12

gonna make some coffee.

12:18

It's mar teenth for

12:21

what is worth. There was an arrest overnight

12:24

of Carl m Laura. He's accused

12:26

of killing Gail Kerman two nights ago in the Animal

12:28

Sciences parking lot across from Shreeve

12:30

Hall. Hey, Rachel,

12:33

I gotta go. Do you want something to eat?

12:36

No, I gotta get to the paper.

12:38

They arrested the amur guy for the Kerman murder.

12:46

You're not going to believe this. Chelsea

12:48

got her hands on a copy of the Blue support for m Lara.

12:51

It says here he hasn't confessed to anything,

12:53

and he claims he's innocent. Well it doesn't

12:55

everyone claim they're innocent. If they arrested

12:57

him, they must have something they do. They used

13:00

with some students in his dorm. It turns out he

13:02

was seen arguing with Gail Kerman last month the

13:04

grinder and get this, they just broke up last

13:06

week. Wait, so that's enough to pin a murder

13:09

on him? People break up on campus

13:11

every day of the week. His roommates

13:13

said he was and I'm

13:15

quoting here, despondent and

13:17

the police found a seven inch hunting knife and

13:19

his foot locker under his bed again

13:22

maybe, oh and one more thing, and

13:24

said that foot locker was a picture of Gail Kerman,

13:26

slice to ribbons like a kitty scissor. Class

13:28

got ahold of it and cut it up like a paper doll. Fair

13:31

enough? Hello, right

13:34

now, what's

13:38

up? Tean Edwards is calling all students back

13:40

to the quad. Rachel

13:45

over here. What's

13:50

this all about? First?

13:55

I want to thank you all for coming on. I

13:59

know we all been through a lot in the past few

14:02

days, and I also want

14:04

to thank Captin Spencer and the new

14:06

Sharing Police Department from their find Was

14:09

it already the reason I've

14:11

called you here today? We

14:13

have great news. I'll turn

14:15

it over to Captain Spencer. Thank

14:18

you, Thank

14:20

you, Dean Edwards. As you all may

14:22

have heard, we did apprehend the suspect

14:24

overnight and feel confident that

14:27

we do. Indeed, you have Gail Kerman's killer and cousin.

14:30

Thank god. I feel a little better.

14:32

I feel like I can fath them.

14:35

And on that note, we will be removing

14:38

the curfew from campus and I

14:40

hope you all can get back to work, put this

14:42

behind you and study forbid terms

14:45

with a little luck the weather, we'll start to break

14:48

two in the meantime. Thank

14:50

you all for coming, and please remember

14:53

to look out for each other. It's like working out from

14:55

a nightmare. I don't know about you,

14:58

but I need a drink. Let head

15:00

to the grinder and have a few years. Here

15:05

you go eat. I don't want any food tonight.

15:07

I think we're all set from now. Thanks,

15:11

here's the feeling safe again. I have

15:13

to admit I do feel better. This

15:18

whole thing is so hard to leave.

15:22

Honestly, who would do something like that?

15:25

Can you imagine? Almost

15:27

have trusted him, spent time

15:29

with him, and then he goes

15:31

and does that. It's

15:34

crazy. And to think he

15:36

used to work here. I

15:39

just don't get it. I

15:41

guess you never know what someone is thinking or when

15:43

they might crack. Henry,

15:46

he didn't just crack, he butchered her.

15:49

I know, but look, you're

15:51

the psych major. Look around. It's

15:53

a sign of the times. JFK.

15:56

Civil rights violence is everywhere.

15:59

Maybe the pressure just Scott, what

16:01

have we here? Just ignore

16:04

them? It looks like someone is getting

16:06

her civil rights. Do you mind?

16:09

Oh? I don't mind at all. Why don't you go

16:11

back to your beers? We're not bothering you,

16:14

Actually you are. I think

16:16

it's better if you just go somewhere

16:18

else. Maybe go to the park or

16:20

the zoo. What the fund did you

16:22

just say? You heard him, Henry?

16:25

Don't Yeah, Henry,

16:27

you don't want to get hurt in front of your girlfriend. Oh

16:30

look, he has a knife. What

16:33

are you gonna do with that? Maybe I'll use it

16:35

on you? Say one world word. Come

16:37

on, Henry, let's just go. Hey,

16:41

hut the knife down.

16:44

Yeah, Henry, put the knife down before someone

16:47

gets hurt, because it's probably gonna be

16:49

you good

16:51

thinking. Let's go. What

16:58

were you going to do with that knife? Yeah?

17:01

I don't know, probably cut myself.

17:03

But I wasn't going to let them talk to you like that.

17:06

I'm sorry. They have no right to speak

17:08

to you that way. You like my night and

17:10

shining Armor? Come

17:13

on, go back to my place.

17:16

It's like it's about four. We

17:20

hurried back to Rachel's apartment. Now

17:23

that I think about it, I don't know what I would

17:26

have done to those guys in the grind or that

17:28

night. I just know my blood

17:30

was boiling. If

17:32

Rachel wasn't there, I'm

17:34

not sure what would have happened. But

17:37

thank god she was. I

17:39

could have ended up in jail or

17:41

worse dead. I

17:47

fell asleep at Rachel's place that night,

17:50

but it didn't last long. My

17:52

head started to hurt. It could

17:54

have been the argument in the bar. It

17:57

could have been a million things. Either

17:59

way, I knew I was gonna need some

18:01

fresh air. I was

18:03

quiet, I always am. I didn't

18:06

want to wake her. Rachel always looked

18:08

so peaceful when she slept. She

18:11

was always so calm and relaxed, even

18:13

in the presence of full blown racism.

18:16

I was jealous that her inner peace eluded

18:19

me. I could hear the trees

18:21

rustling in the wind. When

18:23

I looked out, all I could see was fog,

18:26

white, impenetrable. I

18:29

got dressed and slipped out of the department. It's

18:32

the lat show with me, d JN.

18:35

It's been a lot to handle the past few days. Year

18:38

and New Sharon. I had one of

18:40

those portable radios back then, the

18:42

kind with the one ear piece and almost fit

18:44

in your ear. As strange as it was,

18:47

it was good to hear a familiar voice, and

18:50

for some reason, Kevin never bothered

18:52

my head in this. Let me take a request and I'd help

18:54

you forget about your troubles. So here's

18:56

anything you want to hear. Give me a ring.

18:59

I'll do I best to play it for you. In

19:01

the meantime, there's something new for you to check

19:03

out. When I can't sleep, when

19:05

my insomnia and migraine sit in, I walk.

19:08

I've been doing it for years, just so now

19:11

taking the night air and try to relax. Breathing

19:14

in the fog. It's like an out of body experience.

19:17

The myths seems to creep into every pore. I can

19:19

just forget about everything and let my mind wander.

19:22

It was a long forty eight hours since they found

19:25

Gail Kerman's body. I was fried.

19:27

I started those two days with a hangover,

19:30

and by the time that was over, I felt like a

19:32

freight train had driven through my head.

19:35

If I remember correctly, the fog was pretty

19:38

thick that night, and sure not without

19:40

realize in it, I found myself right

19:42

back at the Animal Science It's parking lot.

19:45

Long request you were

19:48

out there, no matter,

19:51

remember your

19:55

mother her money? Yeah.

19:59

The police tape was wet, almost

20:01

slippery. I tried to

20:03

imagine what Gail Kerman's last moments

20:05

must have been like. Walking to her

20:08

car, and Laura coming up

20:10

from behind her, the violence

20:12

and brutality of the knife tearing

20:14

through her coat, ripping at

20:16

her skin. The snow

20:19

was running off, dripping down the embankment.

20:22

I got distracted by a couple under the street

20:24

light. I couldn't see their faces, just the

20:26

outline of their shadows. The radio was

20:28

playing and seemed to be getting louder and louder

20:30

like I couldn't turn it off. Between

20:33

that and the dripping water, the footsteps,

20:35

the footsteps, I couldn't lower the volume.

20:38

My head was splitting. I've been

20:40

thinking about that foggy night when I walked

20:42

past all those shadows. I remember

20:44

my mouth being dry and the fog

20:46

being thick, but I can't seem to remember

20:49

much else. And Samnia will do that

20:51

to you though, make you walking zombie.

20:53

The only saving grace was that there was no reason

20:56

to be alarmed. Emma Laura, the new Sharon

20:58

Killer was in custody, which is probably why

21:00

no one on campus had a worry in the world. I

21:04

decided to head back to Rachel's place and trying

21:06

to get spress. I

21:18

don't know why call

21:24

me If you want to take a break, I might swing

21:26

by the fine mood Delta House. I know

21:29

some of the boys there, and I'm sure they'd be happy

21:31

if I brought a friend. They're having their annual

21:33

spring fling. You want to meet up? Maybe

21:36

it sounds like a lot more fun than this. I'm

21:38

parked right in front. You want me to give you a ride? No,

21:41

I'm just on the other side of campus. I'll walk,

21:44

thanks, though, suit yourself,

21:46

Okay, I'll give you a ring before I head out

21:48

tonight. H

21:56

shit, Oh

22:00

damn it. Where did those books go? You

22:03

see? Probably cy Latin Science

22:05

Swear the other two? Hello,

22:11

excuse me, it's hard to see you out here. If

22:13

you come across a couple of books, those are probably

22:40

it has to be somewhere. I

22:44

when did you get home? Just pulled

22:47

in. I thought you weren't going

22:49

to be late. Yeah, I

22:52

uh yeah, I wasn't.

22:55

Um. After I met with Dean Edwards

22:58

and Chief Spencer, I had to finish grading papers,

23:01

I stopped for some milk and came home.

23:04

That's it, that's

23:06

it. Weren't you out

23:09

with Jennifer or one of

23:11

your female students at the grinder

23:14

trying to impress you or get extra

23:16

credits? I'm

23:20

rage. I no. I

23:23

know you're pregnant, but you're

23:26

being jealous and

23:29

now you're being emotional rage.

23:33

You don't understand. Spring heeled Jack

23:35

is back and I have to help

23:37

catch him. It's not your

23:40

responsibility. This

23:43

obsession almost

23:45

destroyed us eight years ago.

23:48

You don't have to help anyone.

23:51

You only have to help yourself. You

23:54

have to help our baby and

23:56

me. You

24:05

don't have time for this ship. You spent

24:07

the entire day being dragged back into

24:09

your past. It's not like you had a choice.

24:12

I totally agree she's being emotional.

24:16

I have to get some things out of the car. I left

24:18

the file box in the trunk. I'll be right

24:20

in. I

24:23

can't see you. Damn think did

24:26

I leave the ship?

24:30

Ship? Ship? Ah?

24:33

There it is to

24:36

make better? Does

24:40

Rachel want to know where I was all night? I

24:43

was driving through the fog like clockwork.

24:46

I got another migraine. But she doesn't

24:48

want to hear that. Where's

24:50

that keyhole? Come

24:53

on, don't die

24:55

on me. She

24:58

just wants to know what time all be home for

25:00

dinner. What in the world

25:02

is said on my car? Is that blood?

25:12

What is that the trunk? Oh?

25:15

My god, it's blood?

25:18

What is this a letter written

25:21

in blood to

25:26

Henry, I've missed

25:28

you. Without you, there can be

25:30

no me. My night is

25:32

sharp and I'm glad to be getting

25:34

back to work. I hope you don't

25:37

mind, but I needed your car to move

25:39

some things. Consider this an

25:41

invitation. It's time to get

25:43

reacquainted. B s. Let's

25:46

just keep this between us for now. And

25:48

congratulations on the bay, Rachel,

25:52

Thanks Spring, heel Jack. It's gonna turn

25:54

our lives upside down again. And

25:58

oh God, I

26:00

think she might be right. Strawberry

26:18

Spring is a production of Audio Up Media

26:21

and I Heart Radio, based on a short story

26:23

by Stephen King. Executive produced by Lee

26:25

Metzker, Jared Gootstadt and Philip Alberstatt,

26:28

Written and directed by the Lee Metzker, Starring

26:31

Garrett Headland, My Little Vent Amilia, Horizon,

26:33

Guardiola, Sydney Sweeney, Ken Marino,

26:36

Al Madrigal and Brett Passenger. Audio

26:38

Up in house production by Georgana Glick,

26:40

Franzheim and Laura Ramada, Edited

26:43

by Carry Caulfield, Eric and Jeremiah

26:45

Zimmerman. Sound design and mixed by Jeremiah

26:47

Zimmerman. Scored by Jeff Peters. Songs

26:50

and music by jar Gootstatt and Jessie stephen

26:52

Burke. Strawberry Spring is published in Stephen

26:54

King's short story collection night Shift, available

26:56

in paperback and ebro from Anchor

26:59

Books and as an audiobook from Penguin

27:01

Random House Audio. For the full list of production

27:03

credits, please visit audio up dot com. You

27:05

can find more podcasts from i heart Radio

27:07

on the i Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

27:10

or wherever you listen to podcasts. Body

27:20

up