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1:03

PodCube devices are able to record audio from

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any time or place, in space or time

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or place. And this is what they're picking

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up. Dr. Monochrome, I really don't think Mr.

1:11

Jones is going to appreciate you walking out

1:13

in the middle of open heart surgery. Listen

1:15

and listen closely. Is it going to be

1:17

a sterile room if I make a big

1:20

peepee mess in my big boy scrubs? Dr.

1:23

Monochrome, what did you say? you

1:25

just? I either need to go

1:27

or someone needs to hand me

1:29

a clamp. Search Podcube in your

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podcast app or go to poweredbypodcube.com.

1:33

Podcube. The future is yesterday. Well,

1:37

hey there. Thank you for joining us

1:40

for this episode of 13. Before

1:42

we get started, as always, we

1:44

want to thank our new patrons. Nicole

1:47

Neely, Jalil Green, M

1:50

.N. Wiggins, Barbara Henning,

1:53

Brian Christopher, you

1:55

fool, Warren is dead, Alicia

1:58

Weidner, and Angie

2:00

Stabler. Thank you so much

2:02

for your support, and welcome to the PodFam.

2:05

Y 'all, we went to creepaway camp

2:07

this year. Head on over to the

2:09

creepy podcast feed to hear me

2:11

and Ian tell a classic 13 spooky

2:13

story to a bunch of other horror

2:16

podcasters. You'll definitely

2:18

recognize official girlfriend of

2:20

the podcast and 13 alum,

2:23

Shelby Novak. Our story,

2:25

there's something about the beach at

2:27

night, was written by Ian

2:29

and narrated by me. You'll

2:31

find it on day four of camp. But

2:34

we're pretty sure you're gonna wanna listen to

2:36

the whole series. Check the

2:38

show notes for a link to Creepy. Today's

2:41

story is part two of a two

2:43

-part series. So if you haven't

2:45

listened to part one, Go on and do

2:47

that now. We'll be here when you get

2:49

back. Today's story

2:52

is The Well, Part

2:54

2. Written by

2:56

M .N. Wiggins. Additional voices

2:58

in this episode are

3:00

provided by Josiah O.

3:02

Knight, as well as

3:04

the entire creative team behind the

3:06

comedy sci -fi podcast, Podcube. Check

3:09

the show notes for a link

3:11

and be sure to give them

3:13

a follow. Are you

3:15

ready? Sit back, turn

3:18

down the lights, and now

3:20

on with the show. I

3:38

felt my stomach

3:40

drop as Granny bustled into

3:42

the house. We're going

3:44

after it? I called after

3:46

her. We should run! Call

3:49

the police! But

3:51

she was already coming back through the

3:53

screen door, brandishing

3:55

her largest carving knife. She

3:58

skipped down the steps and onto

4:00

the path. Police,

4:02

my butt. Take too long

4:05

to explain. This is our problem

4:07

and we'll handle it. Get

4:09

my chickens. I'll meet you there. She

4:11

hopped down the trail and

4:13

around the corner. I

4:16

called after her. At

4:18

least don't run while you're carrying

4:20

that knife. Sheesh, what

4:22

are you, five? A

4:26

few minutes later, I

4:28

sprinted into the clearing empty

4:30

-handed. I bent over

4:33

with my hands on my knees and

4:35

panted. All

4:37

the chickens... dead. She

4:40

stood at the well, holding a

4:42

slack rope tied to the flower

4:44

bed. I know. She

4:47

pointed to a six -foot

4:49

swath of dead soil and

4:51

missing trees, leading away from

4:53

the well. After

4:55

95 years, I suspect

4:57

it's powerfully hungry. She

5:00

winked. See what I did

5:02

there? Exact number. Only

5:05

average people use averages.

5:08

I managed an eye roll, and I pulled

5:10

up on the other end of the

5:12

rope. No camera.

5:15

We don't need it anyway. We'll

5:18

see it soon enough. I

5:20

sighed. There's

5:22

something I haven't told you grandma. This

5:26

thing, it didn't

5:28

eat the chickens. It,

5:32

I don't know. There's

5:34

nothing left. Just feathers

5:36

and skin over bones. Like

5:38

air out of a tire.

5:41

I don't think we can kill it with a

5:43

knife. She tucked

5:45

the knife into her blue

5:47

summer dresses waistband. This

5:49

was for cutting the rope if it had still

5:51

been down there. Now I'm just

5:53

gonna carry it to look cool. She

5:56

trotted down the six foot path

5:58

that led toward the house. Come

6:01

on, we're burning daylight. I

6:03

chased behind, pawling

6:05

after her. Who are

6:07

you? Past

6:10

our house and the chicken houses,

6:12

the path turned towards Myers

6:14

Creek. I begged her to

6:16

slow down. Been slow for

6:18

too long. I feel like I'm

6:20

50 again. But 50's

6:22

like super old. She

6:25

grinned. We'll see

6:27

about that. When this is over, your

6:29

grandma's going back to the gathering

6:32

place, or whatever they call it these

6:34

days. I'm back on the

6:36

market, baby. Her eyes

6:38

sparkled. I

6:40

froze at the creek as

6:42

she hopped across on the stones.

6:46

She turned and saw what I had.

6:49

Dead trout caught on the bank. Nothing

6:51

but skin shriveled over

6:54

their tiny skeletons. I

6:56

know what you're thinking, sweetheart, but

6:59

we won't know until we reach the

7:01

Flanders. Let's go. My

7:04

heart rate rose with each step

7:06

on the trail toward my best

7:08

friend's house. We should

7:10

have called, I said, still working

7:12

to keep pace with her. We

7:14

should have warned them. Nothing

7:17

we can do now except to get there.

7:20

I pointed as we came up the

7:22

hill. Look! The

7:25

trail skirted the edge of

7:27

the Flanders house and headed beyond.

7:30

My grandmother stopped with her hands

7:32

on her hips. Well,

7:34

blessings for that. She

7:36

stared for a moment. I

7:39

think I know what it's after. Come

7:41

on. She led us

7:43

up onto the freshly painted Flanders

7:45

porch. When no one

7:47

answered our knock, she grabbed a

7:50

lawn gnome and shoved its head through

7:52

the middle decorative window in the

7:54

Flanders front door. What

7:56

are you doing? I cried.

7:59

We need a phone. But

8:01

grandma, we can't fit through there. Big

8:04

windows are right over here. She

8:06

rolled down her sleeve and stretched

8:08

her arm through the door. Bigger

8:11

window is more expensive to replace,

8:13

and you could cut yourself slipping

8:15

in. Her tongue

8:18

protruded as she fiddled with

8:20

the unseen lock until it

8:22

clicked. Once again,

8:24

I stared at my sweet,

8:26

Sweet grandmother in horror. But

8:29

she just shrugged. Did

8:31

you think I was a nun? By

8:43

the time we arrived at the

8:45

Bentley Farm, the police were already

8:47

there. As well as the

8:49

coroner's van. A deputy was

8:51

taping off the area. Rupert?

8:54

My grandmother said to the

8:56

deputy with a nod. Where's

8:58

Danny? Hey, you can't

9:00

be here. The deputy

9:02

began, but then his eyes

9:04

widened. Is that you,

9:06

Mrs. Pritchett? Granny rolled

9:09

her eyes. You've known me

9:11

ever since you were a little boy, still

9:13

in peaches off our trees. Now

9:15

where's Danny? But

9:17

you look different.

9:20

Thank you, son. Based on the ambiguity

9:23

of your comment, I can see that

9:25

your powers of detailed observation are credit

9:27

to the force. Rupert

9:29

smiled. Totally

9:31

sincere. Well,

9:33

thank you, ma 'am, but, uh, but

9:36

how? Granny gave him

9:38

a dismissive wave. I've

9:40

been to the beauty salon. That's

9:42

all. I need to see

9:44

Danny. Well, which one?

9:47

Uh, hair court of appeals

9:50

or, um, Oh, the

9:52

cutting cuss? Because I'm going

9:54

to send my wife right over. Granny

9:56

was not amused. Rupert,

9:59

she demanded. The

10:02

deputies seemed to come to his senses. He

10:05

rubbed the back of his neck

10:07

as a stretcher, loaded with a

10:09

body -sized bag, was raised

10:11

into the van. Right.

10:16

This is. This is like

10:18

nothing I've ever seen. Please,

10:22

Ms. Pritchett, get Clarissa out of here. How

10:24

many? Granny asked sharply.

10:28

Rupert looked down. I

10:32

can't

10:34

comment. It's

10:37

an ongoing investigation. Son, I

10:39

asked you how many?

10:45

All but two. Uh,

10:47

Mrs. Bentley is up north helping

10:49

her daughter move. Upstate New

10:51

York, I heard. Well,

10:53

thank the Lord. Granny

10:56

Side, we need to

10:58

talk to Danny now. Ma

11:00

'am, Sheriff's busy. I'll

11:02

ask him to swing by your place later. I

11:05

watched Granny's eyes narrow.

11:09

How long you been married,

11:11

Rupert? She asked simply.

11:14

Uh, four or five.

11:16

12 years. You

11:18

know, I never told anyone who I

11:21

caught you with up in the loft

11:23

of my barn. How long

11:25

ago was that? Rupert

11:27

paled. Then he grabbed

11:29

the radio affixed to his

11:31

shoulder and called the

11:33

sheriff. At

11:41

the station, I trembled in

11:43

the interrogation room as I sat

11:45

holding my grandmother's hand. The

11:48

sheriff sat across from us and

11:50

shook his head. Most

11:52

gruesome murders I've seen

11:54

since... well... I mean, what

11:56

do you expect me

11:58

to do here? Put out

12:00

an APB on the boogeyman? He

12:03

set his elbows on the

12:05

table and looked right at Granny.

12:09

Something's different about you today, Alice.

12:12

New outfits all. You

12:14

sent Rupert out to my farm. Dead

12:18

chickens like you said. Same

12:20

as the dead fish at Myers

12:22

Creek, I added. Granny

12:24

pointed to the sheriff. And

12:26

same as those bodies you pulled out

12:28

at the Bentley house. He

12:31

held up a hand. Now...

12:34

We won't know anything

12:36

until the coroner... Tells

12:38

you what, she asked.

12:41

You already know what this is, and

12:43

you know it's not gonna stop. I

12:45

raised my hand. Uh, how does

12:48

he know, Grandma? I thought we

12:50

couldn't tell anyone. Because he

12:52

was there, sweetie. Where?

12:56

The sheriff's eyes softened as

12:58

he looked at me. At

13:01

the farm. The

13:03

day, uh... Your mama

13:05

died, honey. I

13:07

blinked back. I

13:10

don't understand. My

13:12

grandmother took a breath. Your

13:15

mama didn't die given

13:17

birth. Not exactly. But

13:20

that's what you told me. I

13:23

trailed off as Granny looked

13:25

away. She died

13:27

around the time you were

13:29

born, she said. I

13:32

shook my head. That

13:34

can't be. Her headstone says that

13:36

she died on my birthday. Greenie

13:39

shrugged. For an

13:41

extra twenty, the headstone will say anything you

13:43

want. I gaped at

13:46

her. You

13:48

lied? She pointed

13:50

at me. Don't

13:52

judge me! Then she

13:54

dropped her finger. Yeah,

13:56

I lied. But

13:59

it was for your own good. I

14:01

couldn't tell you until you knew

14:03

about the well. Now could I?

14:06

I couldn't believe it. But

14:09

you told me about the well yesterday. You

14:11

didn't say one thing about my mother. She

14:15

sighed. I was

14:17

getting around to it, eventually. When

14:21

it was your mama's job to tend

14:23

to the well, she took it very seriously,

14:26

insisted on doing it even while

14:28

pregnant. That well

14:30

began to rumble and growl

14:32

a little and the

14:34

farther along she got the

14:36

louder it became She

14:38

patted my hand That's how

14:41

we knew you were

14:43

like Clyde Full of life

14:45

blessed with the touch

14:47

The creature sensed it craved

14:49

it like folks crave

14:52

liquor That's what it

14:54

does. It sucks the life

14:56

out of whatever it can, leaves

14:58

nothing but dirt and bones. I

15:01

covered my mouth. And

15:03

my mother? She

15:06

sighed. After you

15:08

were born, the rumblings

15:10

got so bad, you could hear

15:12

them all over town like a thunderstorm. Next

15:15

day, while I was tending

15:17

the chickens, your mama got

15:20

out of bed. and took a can of

15:22

gasoline to the well. I

15:24

got to the clearing just as she was

15:26

striking the match. But before she

15:28

could drop it, that thing

15:30

climbed the gasoline along the sides

15:32

of the well. And

15:34

it took her. Only

15:37

thing left to your mama was, well,

15:40

you know. The

15:44

sheriff leaned toward me. I

15:48

was a patrol man

15:50

back then and first on

15:52

the scene Alice told

15:54

me what had happened and

15:56

I saw your mama's

15:58

remains and I helped her

16:00

cover it up Filed

16:02

it as a death during

16:05

childbirth. No need to

16:07

You know burden townsfolk with

16:09

that kind of knowledge

16:11

and that The rumblings stopped

16:13

and that justifies lying

16:15

about my mother's death I

16:18

demanded. Yeah, Clarissa,

16:20

it does. Bad...

16:22

bad enough people covered up

16:24

the murders of your family

16:26

a hundred years ago and...

16:28

well, children sing that horrible

16:30

nursery rhyme. We all

16:32

needed to move on. Well...

16:36

I replied in a hushed

16:38

tone. I suppose no one's

16:40

moving on today. Today, everyone

16:42

will know. He

16:45

nodded. You're

16:48

right about that. So

16:50

let's... let's get

16:52

to it. Alice,

16:54

you're the expert. What

16:57

can we do? I interrupted.

16:59

It leaves a six foot wide path

17:02

wherever it goes, so we can track

17:04

it. That's... that's good,

17:06

honey. What does it look

17:08

like, Alice? You never said

17:10

back then. Granny

17:12

shrugged. No

17:14

real shape to it. More of

17:16

an ooze, I guess. A

17:19

dark liquid like engine oil. But

17:21

when it's near, you can

17:23

feel it. Evil. The

17:26

sheriff took off his glasses and

17:28

he pinched the bridge of his nose.

17:34

So you're saying we

17:36

need to track down

17:38

and kill a shapeless

17:40

evil thing that It

17:43

sucks the life out of

17:45

everything it touches. Just like my

17:47

ex. How

17:53

do we... How do we even

17:55

kill it? Do we torch it?

17:58

Throw out big, big old bags of kitty

18:00

litter? Granny's

18:02

shook her head. I

18:05

don't think you can. I

18:07

imagine the best we can do is trap it and

18:09

figure out a way of getting it back into

18:11

the well. I'm not even sure

18:13

why the well held it. Maybe

18:15

it was the stone Bentley used.

18:17

I don't know. Well,

18:20

that's a

18:22

start. How

18:24

can we find out what kind

18:26

of stone it is? My

18:29

eyes brightened. Mr.

18:31

Johnson could tell us he

18:33

knows everything. Granny

18:35

nodded. All right,

18:37

Danny. Well, you protect the townsfolk as

18:39

best you can. Clarissa and I will

18:41

go grab mud puddle and see about

18:43

that stone. He grinned. You

18:46

giving orders around here now? You

18:48

want this badge? Granny

18:51

smiled back. Maybe

18:53

I ought to. So far, I haven't

18:55

seen you do squat. He

18:57

rubbed his chin. You look good

18:59

today, Alice. Something's different. And

19:02

it ain't your damn dress. Granny

19:05

smiled and pushed a lock of

19:07

hair behind her ear. Well,

19:09

maybe we could investigate that when

19:11

this is all over, Sheriff. You

19:14

still favor my pecan pie? I

19:16

gaped at her. Grandma!

19:27

Back at the farm, Mr. Johnson

19:30

scraped the inside of the rim

19:32

of the well with his pocket

19:34

knife. Hmm at first

19:36

appearance this looks to be

19:38

nothing more than a common

19:40

large granule igneous, but I

19:42

suspect He rubbed the dust

19:45

between his fingers and licked

19:47

it Hmm. Yeah, it's more

19:49

specifically app light. I need

19:51

my microscope to confirm I

19:53

wore a goofy smile and

19:56

I nodded as if in

19:58

a trance My grandmother nudged

20:00

me Stop it with the

20:02

googly eyes. She whispered now

20:04

Speak English, Mud. I elbowed

20:07

her ribs. I mean,

20:09

Carl. Oh, it's a

20:11

special form of granite, mostly nonporous.

20:13

It'd be good for, let's say, containing

20:15

liquids. Actually, perfect for a well. Um...

20:19

What's all this about, if

20:21

I might ask? I mean,

20:23

don't get me wrong, it's

20:25

certainly more interesting than the

20:28

crossword puzzles I'd planned for

20:30

this afternoon. Granny

20:32

waved him off. Oh,

20:34

nothing you need to worry about,

20:36

Carl. But we appreciate you coming

20:38

out here. I held

20:40

up a finger. Where

20:42

could we find this

20:45

Appalight, Mr. Johnson? He

20:47

smiled. It's Appalight,

20:49

but that's close. Not really

20:51

seen in this area. Although, a

20:54

few years back, one of the Bentley

20:56

kids brought one in for the science fair.

20:58

Oh, terrible project. He had a rock

21:00

on a sheet of paper. Called it a

21:02

gravity test. A D minus for sure. Oh,

21:05

say, what did you think of Magical Arkansas

21:07

Tales? I really enjoyed it when I was

21:09

your age. My grandmother

21:11

raised her eyebrows. Is

21:14

that where she got that trashy

21:16

alien book? Only magic in

21:18

it was when I made it disappear. I

21:21

covered with a laugh. She's

21:23

joking, of course. I

21:26

just couldn't take my eyes off him.

21:28

It was perfect. I loved

21:31

it. Blue lights flashed

21:33

from the field beyond the

21:35

woods, and the sheriff appeared in

21:37

the clearing. Mr.

21:57

Johnson looked confused. So

21:59

I brought him up to speed as Granny

22:01

talked to the sheriff. She looked

22:03

at him with sorrowful eyes. Has

22:06

it killed anyone else? Not

22:08

that we've heard, but it's fast.

22:11

Comes up through the dirt, maybe asphalt.

22:14

I don't know, Alice. I

22:17

got nothing but dead bodies. Anything

22:19

new over here? She

22:22

nodded. Stone came

22:24

from the Bentley Farm. Then

22:26

her eyes narrowed. You said

22:28

it got the Cooper's Anderson's

22:30

and the Gilchrist's Did it

22:32

kill them all or were

22:34

some spared? Killed

22:37

Joe Cooper and his boys,

22:39

but not the little girl

22:41

or Martha Took Mary Anderson

22:43

and her girls, but not

22:45

Bob all the Gilchrist Pretty

22:47

it's pretty random Granny shook

22:49

her head. I don't think

22:52

so If you've got a

22:54

thought here now's the time

22:56

to share It's

22:58

just an idea that I've

23:00

had ever since it skipped

23:02

the Flanders for the Bentley's

23:04

were any mused But the

23:06

Flanders weren't home. I said

23:08

She nodded I thought that

23:10

too at first, but why

23:12

didn't it come after us

23:14

on the farm? We

23:16

were ripe for the

23:18

taking I Thought about my

23:20

new gift Maybe it

23:22

has other plans for us

23:24

Maybe weird dessert I'm

23:27

not following any of this. My

23:30

grandmother patted him on the shoulder. That's

23:32

okay, Carl. Now, all

23:35

four families attacked were present

23:37

during the murders. The

23:39

sheriff took off his hat and

23:41

rubbed his silver hair. Well,

23:43

of course they were Alice.

23:46

They were the victims. No, I

23:48

mean the murder of our

23:50

family. What? What murders? You

23:53

really think this monster is

23:55

your great -uncle Clyde out for

23:58

revenge? Those people died

24:00

over a generation ago. Granny

24:02

folded her arms. That

24:05

thing's been stewing for

24:07

95 years. I suspect

24:09

when those who killed you aren't around

24:11

for the taking, their family will

24:13

have to do. Now, look

24:15

here, Alice. I can accept

24:17

something nasty came out of your

24:19

whale. But if you're suggesting that

24:21

this has anything to do with

24:24

100 -year -old murders, you are off

24:26

your rocker. I'm not suggesting. I'm

24:28

telling. Mama Esther told

24:30

me who was there that night, and that's

24:32

who's getting killed. Well, what

24:34

about Mary Anderson? They moved

24:36

in town 10 years ago. Granny

24:39

just shook her head. Mary's

24:41

maiden name was Hutchins, remember?

24:44

The Hutchins were there that night. They

24:46

moved away back when we were in school. Think

24:49

about it. It's killing the

24:51

blood relatives and sparing the others.

24:54

Why else? Did

24:56

I hear you say that the

24:58

Cooper's daughter was spared? Because

25:00

if your hypothesis is correct, shouldn't

25:02

she have been attacked too? She

25:06

was adopted. I

25:08

scratched my head, but

25:10

all the Gilchrist died.

25:13

Miss Gilchrist wouldn't have been blood related to

25:15

them. The sheriff and

25:17

Mr. Johnson looked away as my

25:19

grandmother put an arm around

25:21

me. It's okay, honey.

25:24

I'll explain that one another

25:26

day. Well, if you're right,

25:28

Alice, who's next? Only

25:30

other family left around here are the

25:32

Stones. The sheriff spoke

25:34

into his shoulder mic and

25:36

ordered deputies to their residence. I

25:39

covered my mouth. It can't

25:41

go after Reverend Stone's family. My

25:44

grandmother sighed. First,

25:47

we don't know the rules here. And

25:49

second, he ain't that great a

25:51

preacher. The sheriff and

25:53

Mr. Johnson nodded. Well, now

25:55

that we know where it's headed, we can trap

25:57

it. Oh, I can help

25:59

with that. Although the statistical

26:01

likelihood of the existence of

26:04

a supernatural being is pretty... My

26:06

grandmother rolled her eyes. Time

26:08

is short, but, Carl, please

26:11

just spit it out. Says salient point.

26:13

Um, I would hypothesize that the non

26:15

-porous nature of the app light was

26:17

the key to the theoretical creatures containment

26:19

in the well, right? So if we

26:22

simply collect enough from the Bentley farm,

26:24

we could create a prison of sorts. The

26:27

sheriff nodded. I'll

26:29

get enough people to make short work

26:31

of collecting rock. If there's

26:34

enough still around. And

26:36

well, we can use the Reverend

26:38

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26:40

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28:45

lights led our procession of

28:47

three pickups loaded with rock

28:49

back into town. Under

28:51

Mr. Johnson's direction, a

28:54

large dump truck pulled into

28:56

Reverend Stone's driveway with a cherry

28:58

picker parked nearby in the

29:00

Stone's front yard. I

29:02

helped the remaining townspeople line the

29:04

bottom of the dump truck bed with

29:06

app light in short order. Welders

29:09

tacked steel wire mesh around

29:11

the sides of the bed. leaving

29:13

enough space to slide in

29:16

rock along the bed walls. And

29:18

as we worked, Ms. Stone

29:20

served red plastic cups of Kool

29:22

-Aid. With occasional glances at the

29:25

deep ruts the cherry picker

29:27

had cut into her manicured lawn.

29:30

With rock now lining three

29:32

bed walls behind the mesh, a

29:35

fourth wall was created on

29:37

the heavy -duty tailgate. All

29:39

that was left was to lower

29:41

the good reverend down and

29:43

wait. Reverend Stone's

29:45

upper lip trembled as he

29:47

hung mid -air in his

29:49

cherry -picker pulpit. He

29:51

looked down into the dump truck's

29:54

bed. Uh, are

29:56

you sure about this? He

29:58

called out to the rest of

30:00

the townspeople, looking on from the

30:02

safety of a neighbor's lawn across

30:04

the street. Show a

30:06

little faith, Roger. My

30:09

grandmother replied on the sheriff's

30:11

bullhorn. First time for

30:13

everything. Soon as it's in

30:15

there, we'll close the gate. Well,

30:18

shouldn't the gate, shouldn't

30:20

the gate closer stand

30:22

a little closer? You'll

30:25

be fine. Act like

30:27

you've got a pair. What

30:29

if it, oh, what if

30:31

it jumps at me? Granny

30:33

rolled her eyes and

30:35

squeezed the bullhorn's trigger.

30:38

Tim will race you up

30:40

long before that happens. If

30:42

he ain't drunk yet. Tim

30:45

Elkinson saluted from his post in

30:47

the cherry picker's cab. Reverend

30:49

Stone wiped sweat from

30:51

his brow, swallowed hard, and

30:54

closed his eyes. With

30:56

arms stretched toward heaven, he

30:59

led a prayer asking for a

31:01

blessing of these brave townspeople. the

31:03

truck, the rocks, the

31:05

hydraulics on the cherry picker,

31:08

and for the swiftness and sobriety

31:10

of Mr. Elkinson. Then

31:12

he prayed for his ex -wife,

31:14

his dog, the bank

31:16

officer who'd refused him alone,

31:18

and for forgiveness for accidentally

31:20

revealing his neighbor's affair with

31:22

his other neighbor and the

31:24

subsequent divorce. Then

31:26

he screamed. Oh

31:30

no, it's here!

31:32

I see it !"

31:34

The grass in the

31:37

stone's backyard shriveled and

31:39

disappeared into a six -foot

31:41

swath of bare dirt,

31:44

washing forward under their wooden

31:46

fence and into the front

31:49

yard. Everyone

31:51

gasped and huddled on the

31:53

safety of the paved street. Mr.

31:56

Elkinson amongst our number Reverend

31:59

Stone cried and begged to be

32:01

raised as the path stopped at

32:03

the edge of his driveway. The

32:06

sheriff bullhorned. But

32:12

no one budged. Reverend

32:15

Stone looked on in horror. The

32:18

dirt vibrated at the end of

32:20

the path and a dark ooze

32:22

filtered up through the dirt. An

32:25

ooze covered hand emerged from

32:27

the puddle. followed by an arm

32:29

and an elbow. The

32:32

hand pushed up, a

32:34

shapeless, flowing form, nearly

32:36

six feet tall. A

32:39

leg came in and out

32:41

of view, first from the

32:43

front, then from the

32:45

side, then not

32:48

seen. The arm

32:50

did the same. It's

32:52

gotten stronger. My

32:54

grandmother whispered as she positioned herself

32:56

in front of me. Can

32:58

you feel it? The

33:01

top of the form tilted

33:03

in a flow to the right

33:05

as if caulking ahead to

33:07

examine the truck and the bait

33:09

dangling above. Bait that

33:12

had lost all the blood in

33:14

his face and whose fingers

33:16

gripped the edge of the cherry

33:18

picker bucket with white knuckles. The

33:21

form twisted itself and

33:23

lunged at the crowd. stopping

33:25

short of the asphalt

33:27

as we screamed. In

33:30

a flash, it disappeared

33:32

into the ground. We

33:34

took a collective breath, except

33:36

for Reverend Stone, who was pointing

33:38

at us and yelling. The

33:41

form was in the

33:43

neighbor's yard behind us, easily

33:45

within touching distance. Everyone

33:48

tried to run, but it

33:50

moved to counter. appearing on this

33:52

side of the street, then

33:54

the other, then up through the

33:56

street potholes. We trembled

33:58

in indecision in the center of

34:00

the street as the form herded

34:02

us into a tight group. Then

34:05

the form came through

34:08

the dirt opposite the

34:10

stone house, making itself

34:12

one full story tall

34:14

and thin. from

34:16

the tip of the form,

34:18

an ooze -covered face emerged. It

34:22

leaned across the asphalt

34:24

toward the group, toward

34:27

me. The

34:30

crowd tried running again,

34:32

but a flow of arm

34:34

-like extensions formed a lasso.

34:37

The phase oozed within an inch

34:39

of me. I

34:41

leaned back as far as I

34:43

could and backward into the group. into

34:46

Mr. Johnson's arms. My

34:49

grandmother started singing a

34:52

lullaby. One she would later

34:54

tell me she'd sung to the well for

34:56

decades, passed down from

34:58

her mother, who'd learned it from

35:00

Mama Esther. The face

35:02

slithered toward her like a

35:04

charmed snake. Then,

35:06

it shrank back into the

35:08

earth, appeared three houses

35:10

over, and was gone. We

35:14

watched. as a swath

35:16

of pine trees disappeared in

35:18

the nearby woods. And

35:20

from high above, Reverend

35:22

Roger Stone, still

35:25

white -knuckling the cherry -picker

35:27

bucket, yelled, What

35:29

the hell is going

35:32

on here? Back

35:40

at the police station, the

35:42

sheriff and my grandmother sipped coffee,

35:44

while I had the best hot

35:46

chocolate the vending machine offered. Just

35:49

got a call. It

35:51

killed the Browns. At

35:54

least Randy and his two sons flipped

35:56

their car out on 201 and then

35:58

got them. Must have come up

36:00

through that crack in the road. He

36:02

shook an arthritic finger at Granny.

36:05

You never said anything about

36:07

the Browns. A

36:09

woman came into his office with a

36:11

green sewn binder. She handed

36:13

it to the sheriff. I

36:15

saw the words tax ledger

36:17

on the cover. He nodded

36:19

to her and didn't protest when

36:22

I pulled the binder towards me and

36:24

started to leaf through it. My

36:26

grandmother examined her paper

36:29

coffee cup. If

36:31

the Browns were there, Mama Esther didn't

36:33

see him. But you have to

36:35

remember, she was just a little girl. I

36:38

can't figure why it didn't go for

36:40

Roger. The sheriff shrugged.

36:42

Maybe he was up too

36:44

high. Granny shook her

36:46

head. You saw how it

36:48

could stretch up when it wanted. It

36:50

didn't want him, and I

36:52

know his family was there. Mama

36:55

Esther said that John Stone was

36:57

the first to strike Clyde after

36:59

Bentley threw him to the crowd.

37:02

After that, everyone else

37:04

joined in. He was

37:06

the spark that ignited the crowd. John

37:09

Stone. After

37:11

the Bentley's, Stones should have been

37:13

on the top of the list. Well,

37:17

back to square one. I

37:19

spoke up as I read the ledger.

37:22

Well, maybe not, because according to

37:24

this, the Stones moved here ten years

37:26

after the killings. The Browns

37:29

were here, though. I put

37:31

the book down. Grandma,

37:34

didn't you say the mayor was there that night? What

37:36

was his name? The

37:38

sheriff shook his head. Son

37:41

of a... His

37:43

name was Brown. I

37:46

remember now. I saw it in

37:48

the archives once. Damn! But

37:50

who was John Stone then?

37:53

Granny asked. And out

37:55

of towner? I suck my

37:57

nose in the ledger. Mr.

38:00

Johnson says to always look

38:02

for the simplest explanation. Since

38:04

Mama Esther was little, maybe she heard it

38:07

wrong. Maybe they weren't

38:09

saying John Stone. I

38:11

put my finger on the list

38:13

of families in town that year,

38:15

and I scanned downward. My

38:18

heart skipped a beat. I

38:20

dropped the book and darted

38:22

out the door, leaving a

38:24

hot chocolate fingerprint next to

38:26

Curtis Johnson and his family.

38:34

I pumped my arms and legs

38:36

all the way to Mr. Johnson's

38:38

house. I banged on

38:40

his door and looked in through

38:42

his window. Nothing.

38:47

His car was gone. Catching

38:49

my breath, I jogged back

38:51

toward the town square, and

38:53

I heard a cry from the park. I

38:56

sprinted with the last of

38:58

my breath, and I found

39:00

the creature. Now

39:03

with two arms, a

39:05

leg, and a head. Reaching.

39:07

for a cowering Mr.

39:10

Johnson. No!

39:12

I shouted as I

39:14

slid between them, holding

39:16

up my hands. I

39:19

tried to sing Grandmother's Lullaby,

39:22

but my mind went blank. The

39:24

form twisted and turned in

39:26

front of me. The

39:28

ooze covered face, hovering

39:30

inches from mine. It

39:33

flowed up and down. looking

39:36

at me as if it

39:38

was examining a new plaything.

39:41

Out of the corner of my

39:43

mouth, I shouted to Mr.

39:45

Johnson behind me. Run!

39:48

What? No, I'm not leaving. Just

39:51

go! I

39:53

put my head down,

39:55

squeezed my eyes tightly shut,

39:58

and pushed sparkling orange hands

40:00

toward the monster. I

40:03

listened to him go. Even

40:05

without looking, I

40:07

could envision his adorable, unathletic,

40:10

out -of -shape junior

40:12

high science teacher run.

40:15

I could feel the energy grow

40:17

in my palms and I

40:19

opened my eyes. You

40:21

will leave him

40:24

alone. You will

40:26

leave everyone alone. The

40:28

form shot upward over

40:30

my head and side

40:32

flows poured out in

40:34

circling me. I

40:36

worked to breathe as its

40:39

stench surrounded me and I

40:41

summoned up all the strength

40:43

I had. If you're so

40:45

hungry eat this and I

40:47

shoved my hands into its

40:49

belly. I felt the

40:52

warmth on my back.

40:54

and the power flow in

40:56

sparkled wave after wave

40:58

through my shoulders and down

41:00

my arms like a

41:02

repeating neon sign. I

41:05

dumped everything I had

41:07

into that beast. The

41:10

creature's face pointed to

41:12

the sky, releasing a

41:14

deafening shrill yell

41:17

somewhere between pleasure and

41:19

pain. and I

41:21

continued to dump everything

41:23

I had in those

41:25

orange sparkles. I

41:27

knew by the lightheadedness that

41:29

I felt that I was spent,

41:32

but I found the strength to keep

41:34

going. The dark

41:36

ooze encircling me receded and

41:38

a second leg appeared

41:41

out of the goo, this

41:43

time in the correct

41:46

anatomical location, if

41:48

there was one. Another

41:50

leg migrated into a

41:52

similar position, then

41:54

the arms. The

41:56

towering form shrank until the

41:59

crown of a head emerged,

42:02

followed by a face, a

42:04

neck, a torso, a

42:07

pelvis. Dark ooze

42:10

dripped down the legs into

42:12

a small pool at its

42:14

feet. I felt

42:16

solid flesh and realized my

42:18

hands were on the abdomen

42:20

of a teenage boy. He

42:27

smiled at me and

42:29

I quickly handed him

42:31

my jacket to cover

42:33

himself before I collapsed

42:35

onto the ground. He

42:42

bent down and he grabbed

42:44

the ooze, now more of

42:46

a dark gel. He

42:49

folded it as if it were nothing

42:51

more than a beach towel, and he

42:53

laid it at my feet. Then

42:56

he drew a circle in

42:58

the dirt to indicate where it

43:00

should go, and I

43:02

understood. Are

43:04

you Clyde? I

43:06

asked. He

43:08

helped me up. placed his

43:11

hands on my shoulders and

43:13

touched his forehead to mine. I

43:16

felt an amazing rush

43:18

of life as my

43:20

whole head sparkled orange,

43:23

then my whole body.

43:26

He returned the power I'd

43:28

given along with everything

43:30

else he had. When

43:35

he was finished, I

43:38

stepped back. feeling as

43:40

though I could run for miles

43:42

and live a thousand years. But

43:45

there was something else in

43:47

that transfer. It was

43:49

his 95 years of knowledge.

43:53

I broke down and I cried, feeling

43:56

Clyde's long torment while

43:58

he was imprisoned in

44:00

that ugly, vengeful form.

44:03

For he'd not only healed his

44:05

murderers that long ago night, but

44:08

he had also taken their

44:10

darkness, creating the ooze

44:12

that had kept him alive

44:14

for a century to feed off

44:16

of him, a greedy

44:18

hunger that sought the life

44:20

force Clyde had given the

44:22

townspeople, a force

44:24

passed down through their offspring.

44:28

My energy had finally given

44:30

him the strength to

44:32

overcome his captor. He

44:35

sat down with a tired

44:37

look, Wrapping his arms around his

44:39

knees. I'm supposed

44:41

to help people with this

44:43

power, right? I asked.

44:46

He held a finger to his lips. I

44:50

nodded. Keep it a

44:52

secret. Got it. What

44:54

about you? He

44:56

just smiled. And

44:59

he turned to dust. I

45:02

watched as the breeze

45:04

took him. Layer. by

45:06

layer, until nothing

45:09

remained but my

45:11

jacket. So

45:22

then I picked up the

45:24

ooze, walked home, and

45:26

I threw it in the well. And that's where

45:28

it's been ever since. Now

45:30

that's a whopper, Clarissa, Aubrey

45:33

said with a smile. You've

45:35

told some pretty big ones over

45:37

the years, but that one takes the

45:39

cake. Clarissa

45:42

sat behind her desk and

45:44

sipped iced tea with her

45:46

82 -year -old lips. I

45:48

never told anyone that story. Aubrey

45:51

raised an eyebrow. Well,

45:53

I'm not surprised. It's total

45:55

BS. She put her

45:57

hands on her hips. But

46:00

to clarify, Dr. Johnson, Am

46:02

I to understand your first

46:04

husband was your junior high science

46:06

teacher? Clarissa cackled.

46:09

No, he was too old. But

46:12

one summer, when I was home

46:14

from college, his nephew came to town

46:16

to visit. Oof, that

46:18

boy was a looker. I snatched

46:20

him right up, and I took him

46:22

for a walk in the woods. She

46:25

winked. Then the loft in

46:27

the barn, and then the

46:29

back of his Chevrolet. Aubrey

46:31

laughed and gently slapped

46:33

Clarissa's hand. You

46:35

are terrible, she said. Oh,

46:38

I'm so sorry, Clarissa. I

46:40

know you have a thing about being touched. It's

46:43

all right, honey. How

46:46

long have we known each other? Clarissa

46:49

asked. Aubrey

46:51

just shrugged. Long

46:53

enough for me to know not to get

46:55

sucked into another one of your stories. Come

46:58

on, Dr. Johnson. We can't sit here in

47:00

your office all day. You

47:02

have a retirement party to

47:04

get to. People are waiting."

47:06

Clarissa just smiled. How

47:08

long have you been working for me? Aubrey

47:11

rolled her eyes. You

47:14

know the answer. Ever

47:16

since you hired me out of high

47:18

school 20 -something years ago. And

47:20

how long have you been my clinic

47:22

manager? Aubrey looked

47:24

exasperated. Clarissa, we

47:27

don't have time for this.

47:30

Clarissa just shook her head.

47:33

How long? Aubrey

47:35

tapped her foot. Many

47:37

years. Aha.

47:41

And after all that time

47:43

and trust, when

47:45

were you planning on telling

47:47

me about your cancer? Excuse

47:52

me? I've been

47:54

a doctor for over 50 years,

47:56

hun. Give me a little

47:58

credit. Where is it? Aubrey

48:01

shook her head. This

48:03

is your day. We can

48:05

talk after. Come on,

48:07

they're ready to cut the cake.

48:09

Even the mare showed up. Clarissa

48:13

laughed. I've known

48:15

the mare since he was a little boy

48:17

picking boogers out of his nose. He can

48:19

wait. I've got no

48:21

family left, Aubrey. And when I

48:23

pass, I'm leaving you the

48:25

farm." Aubrey rolled her eyes.

48:29

Awesome! Large tract of land in the

48:31

middle of the city. It'll fetch a

48:33

fortune. Clarissa

48:35

raised a finger. I

48:37

know you're joking, but that land

48:39

can never be sold. That's

48:42

why I told you my story. Now

48:44

have you been talking to the well this week

48:47

like I asked? Aubrey

48:49

looked away. Yep, because I

48:51

enjoy nothing more than walking out into

48:53

the woods to talk to a hole

48:55

in the ground. Aubrey,

48:57

this is important. Clarissa,

49:00

what's important is seeing everyone who

49:02

took off work to be here for

49:04

you today. Come on now.

49:08

Clarissa just nodded. Today

49:10

is my day, isn't it? Aubrey

49:14

smiled. You've

49:16

served this city longer than any

49:18

doctor I know. saved

49:20

countless people when no one

49:22

else could. You

49:24

deserve today." Clarissa

49:27

smiled. But now you

49:29

know my secret. When I

49:31

couldn't help medically, I gave people

49:33

the touch without their knowing. I'm

49:36

nothing special. Aubrey

49:38

sighed. Uh

49:40

-huh, quit stalling. Come on,

49:42

it's time. Clarissa

49:44

gave Aubrey a strange

49:47

look. You're right.

49:50

Come on and give an old woman a

49:52

hand. Aubrey took her

49:54

hand with a smile. A

49:56

smile that dropped open wide

49:59

as she watched a sparkling

50:01

orange glow flow into her

50:03

hand and up her arm.

50:06

The warm glow took a left at

50:08

her shoulder, settled into her

50:10

right breast and faded. Clarissa

50:14

smiled. Now

50:16

that's one less thing for you to

50:18

worry about, honey. My

50:20

grandmother always said, no

50:22

matter how big the barrel, it

50:24

only holds so much water. And

50:28

mine is finally empty.

50:32

Now go on, let

50:34

me rest my eyes a minute. Tell

50:36

everyone I appreciate their coming and I'll

50:38

be where I need to be shortly.

50:44

Alone in her office, Clarissa

50:47

closed her eyes. and

50:50

exhaled her last. A

50:53

13 -year -old girl stood up

50:55

from the old woman's body

50:57

and smiled. And

50:59

an 18 -year -old boy,

51:01

dressed in wondrous clothing, smiled

51:03

back. And he

51:05

took her hand. Where

51:07

we going, Clyde? You'll

51:10

see. There is

51:12

so much for you to

51:14

see. Standing

51:26

on the balcony of a

51:28

third -floor condo built on

51:30

what was once the Flanders

51:32

land nearly 70 years ago, Edward

51:34

Bentley, a recent transplant

51:37

from upstate New York, flipped

51:39

a burger on his grill, stepping

51:42

back as dripping grease hissed

51:44

on the coals below and

51:46

shot up flames. He

51:48

gazed out at the view

51:50

from his new residence, the

51:53

best in the city, Meyers

51:55

Creek float below, and

51:57

beyond that, the undisturbed

51:59

nature preserve known as

52:02

Pritchett Farms. He

52:04

turned back to his burger

52:06

and his ears perked up.

52:09

Was that thunder? That wasn't in

52:11

the forecast. He shrugged

52:13

and worked his spatula under

52:15

the thick patty, ensuring it

52:17

wasn't stuck to the grill.

52:21

The rumble came again. A

52:23

little more pronounced. A

52:25

gurgling, gravelly, almost

52:28

growling noise. Edward

52:31

Bentley peered up. It

52:34

was a cloudless,

52:36

blue sky. Thank

52:48

you for joining us for this

52:50

episode of 13. If you

52:52

like what you heard, stop what you're doing

52:54

and leave a five -star rating and review

52:57

wherever you listen to podcasts. This

52:59

has been The Well, part

53:02

two. Written by

53:04

M .N. Wiggins. Narrated

53:06

by me, Brooke Jeanette.

53:09

Sheriff Danny was Tucker. Deputy

53:12

Rupert and Reverend Stone were

53:14

played by Jordan Reed. Mr.

53:16

Johnson was Mason Amadeus.

53:19

Clyde. was Josiah

53:21

O. Knight. Editing

53:24

and Sound Design by Brooke Jeanette.

53:26

Additional assistance from Ian Epperson

53:28

and Bridget Freeman. Hear

53:31

more from Tucker, Jordan,

53:33

and Mason on their

53:35

surreal, improv comedy, science

53:37

fiction masterpiece, Podcube. Just

53:40

click the link in the show notes and I

53:42

promise you won't regret it. Our

53:44

producer level patrons are Tattooed

53:46

Fox, Rhiannon, Sean

53:48

Geary, Anthony Diaz, Amy

53:50

Harper, Jackie K, Chantel

53:53

Payne, Nick, Jake

53:55

R, and Cozumine. Thank

53:58

you so much for your support. Click

54:00

the link in the show notes to learn more

54:02

about joining us on Patreon. And

54:04

check us out on social media. You

54:06

can find us most places under

54:08

pot13. And you can join

54:10

the Facebook group for 13 podcast. Just

54:13

look for the logo and you'll find links

54:15

in the show notes. If you'd

54:18

like to submit a story to be

54:20

performed on the show, or if

54:22

you'd like to contact us about anything

54:24

else, you can get in touch

54:26

at info at 13podcast.com. You'll

54:28

find submission guidelines and

54:30

other info on our

54:32

website 13podcast.com. And you

54:34

can find that in the show notes too. Bridget

54:37

Freeman is done waiting

54:40

for that chicken. Thanks

54:43

for listening. We'll see you

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