Welcome to Endo the night. I'm Narri your guide on today's excursion down a
twisted path. Be careful not to get lost. Be it dark or light,
It's easy to lose your way. Are you ready, then let's begin
the home coming. Black Eyed Susan's mingled with daisies in the field, bobbing
to and fro in the late morning air. The warm breeze flowed from the
south, bringing muggy air and building clouds on the horizon. Spring slipped gently
into summer, making Evelyn McMahon's return to her childhood home even sweeter. If
I didn't know any better, i'd swear nothing has changed. A slight WinCE
crossed her face. I know better than that, though so much has changed.
The last time she walked this field felt like a different lifetime. Closing
her eyes, Evelyn could hear her mother's sweet soprano singing as she busied herself
around their home. Her father's laughter echoed through her memories, and she swore
she could hear her brothers and sisters giggling as they chased each other during an
endless game of tag. Evelyn knew these were only memories. Though her siblings
left this place long ago to pursue their own lives. She recalled her mother,
reminding her of this long ago. You can't stay here forever, Evie.
You were born to make your own path in the world. You and
your brothers and sisters will always love each other, but you must go your
own ways. Scattered to the winds like the dandelion seeds flowing through the field,
her mother squinted as she watched the dandelions take flight. It's magical,
isn't it, Mamma, Yes, it is. We will miss you when
you go, But your father and I could never live with ourselves if we
didn't let you find the life you were destined to live. Her mother wrapped
her daughter in her arms and kissed her. Mamma, what if I can't
find my way? What if I get lost? You won't, Evie,
you won't get lost. You have a good head on your shoulders, so
do your brothers and sisters. We know you will be just fine. Now
Here she was, back in the same place she was born. She'd never
been far away, or at least not as far as some of her brothers
and sisters had traveled, but she hadn't been home. Now she was,
and for the first time in ages, she felt she belonged. The changes
that took place in her absence were hard to adjust to. Both of her
parents were gone, lost in an unexpected flood that ravaged the area. Their
home, once located on a sleepy little broad book that was no more than
a trickle, was swept away by a torrent of water that devastated the community.
Neighbors were lost as well, and it was difficult to walk along the
once familiar landscape that was now forever altered by the storm. None of the
bodies were recovered, further adding to the despair of those who survived. All
the bereaved could do was stand on the edge of the once placid creek bank
and cry silent tears of farewell. The lack of closure a funeral provided made
the emptiness so much more profound. Evelyn was determined, however, to find
out the cause of the disaster. The sun beating down on the mourners made
it even more difficult to comprehend that a sudden flood had just destroyed their lives
forever. Surely someone is to blame for what happened. Shouldn't a warning have
been sounded, shouldn't the residents have been given time to escape. I just
can't accept that this was an act of God. I don't believe God operates
that way. While she was an artist, a weaver by trade, Evelyn
was born with an inquisitive nature. She knew how to investigate, and she
had the grit not to accept that there were no answers to her many questions.
Yes, she grieved, but she was angry. The two emotions combined
made her an unstoppable force. She would get to the bottom of this tragedy,
and she wanted the world to know what happened to her community. I
never should have left, I told Mamma. I wanted to stay, but
she wanted me to explore. She knew my curiosity caused me to want to
see other places, but my heart was always here. If I'd stayed,
could I have saved them? These thoughts weighed heavily on her. At times,
she beat herself up for not being with her family. Why did she
survive when others didn't. The guilt overwhelmed her, and sometimes she felt as
though she she couldn't breathe. Sometimes, though, I think I was spared
for a reason. Who would go to the lengths I'm willing to go to
to solve what happened. Who would give Mamma and Daddy and all of their
neighbors justice if I wasn't here. Certainly not my siblings. Some of them
are so self absorbed with themselves and their own families that I'm not sure they'd
even stopped to pay their respect to our parents. The anger boiled in her
veins. She rubbed her hands against her temples to try to keep a headache
at bay that came from the emotional overload and lack of sleep that she had
dealt with since the horrible events of the past week. I can't let a
headache slow me down. Now that the memorial service is over, I have
to get busy. I must track down the cause of the flood, and
I can't afford to waste time in bed with a headache. She slowed her
breathing, closed her eyes, and tried to calm herself. Slowly, the
headache abated when she felt her heart rate lesson. She opened her eyes and
looked out over the field of blowing grasses in their pasture. In the distance,
cattle grazed peacefully, and the meadowlark flew overhead if someone didn't know better,
they'd think nothing bad could ever happen here, that nothing bad ever happened
here. I wonder if the cows and the meadowlack are aware of the tragedy
that took place, or if their lives continued of while the lives of so
many others didn't. She realized it was folly to think that a cow or
bird would be so thoughtful or aware, but her pain caused her to resent
any one and anything that didn't acknowledge her loss. How dare any living creature
live a life of blissful ignorance to her parents deaths? How did the sun
even continue to rise or the stars come out at night when Evelyn's world was
so completely shattered? Exhausted from it all, Evelyn fell asleep on a soft
bed of clover in what had once been her family's backyard, and she didn't
awaken until early morning light peeked over the distant hills. Glary eyed and rested,
she knew today was when she would begin her search for answers. The
only way to know what caused the flood is to find its source. Where
did the catastrophic failure happen? Had a damn brol Had someone caused the torrent
on purpose? I hate to think that someone would willfully cause harm, but
evil exists in the world. Gathering her pack, her journey began. It
may not be a direct route, but my best bet is to follow the
devastation of the flood upstream. Eventually I'll come to its source. She met
some neighbors as she started out. Some gave her words of encouragement. Others
thought she was foolhardy for believing that she, a mere girl barely old enough
to make her way in the world, was able to take on the task.
The naysayers, they're just simply too afraid to do it themselves. Their
doubt only makes me angrier, and my anger fuels my determination to find the
truth. Treacherous days passed as Evelyn followed the winding path of the ravaged creek
bed. The sun beat down upon her in the day, and she slept
vulnerable to wild beasts during the night. Her feet hurt, her stomach growled,
and she nearly gave up hope a few times. Maybe this is too
great of an undertaking for a young girl. I'm not strong or fearsome.
What if I find something I can't overcome at the end of this journey.
What if I never even complete this journey? Doubt only stabbed at her in
her weakest moments. Quickly she redoubled her determination to carry on. She must
solve the mystery of what happened. Sleep and a light meal generally gave her
a fresh perspective and allowed her to continue her hike. After days of tortuous
travel, she came upon a frightful sight. Towering ahead of her at the
end of the flood ravaged landscape, stood a monstrous structure. Cold, dead
and menacing, the contraption made Evelyn WinCE in distress. She knew what she
had to do. Perhaps if she climbed to the top of the disturbing structure,
she would gain the perspective she needed to find the answer she so desperately
sought. The going was tough, with few hand holds to grip, she
fell a few times before gaining her momentum and confidence. Slowly, slowly,
she ascended the tower. A strange, circular knob sat at the top of
this unusual feature, and as her heart filled with dread, she knew it
somehow held the key to what happened to her. Family. Finally she reached
the top. She shaded her eyes with her hand and looked out over the
terrain. Yes, this is where the flood began. Suddenly her blood ran
cold. A horrifying sound sing song in nature grew louder and louder. A
terrifying giant approached carrying a large bucket. Evelyn shrank against the cold metal structure
as the shadow of the beast loomed above her. The gruesome words, sung
as though they were a happy thought, etched into Evelyn's mind. They were
words she'd never forget for as long as she lived, and upon returning to
the village after she barely escaped with her life, she taught her neighbors the
song to keep them safe from the heartless beast that operated the destructive metal tower
in the distance. These are the words, but I warn you use them
with care, she told her friends as they stood near her, entranced by
her tail. These martyrs were premeditated, and this is proof I fear the
beast plans to do it again. Horrified, they listened, the itsy bit
se spider went up the water spout, down, came the rain and washed
the spider out. Out came the sign and dried up all the rain.
Then the its bite spider went up the spout again, embracing her neighbors with
all eight of her limbs. Evelyn wept. Thank you for joining me for
this episode of the Into the Night Anthology podcast. Written by Caroline Giamanco,
narrated by Nari Quak, the music by Nico Rodriguez, all other original music,
sound design and editing by Omenhawk Studios. You can find our links in
the show notes. Into the Night is on your favorite podcatcher, so make
sure to like, subscribe and leave a five star review to help other excursionists
to join us. I'll see you next time, and remember, whether in
the shadows or in the daylight, all twisted paths lead you into the night.
Into the Night Anthology is a creative typo entertainment production from the indie podcast
creators that brought you Microphones and Monsters of Fool's Quest, Ethereal, Embrace,
and other hit podcasts. Comes a new actual play podcast, dread Tech Incorporated,
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Icon and Zaus the zoog heavy Gunner take on the evil Corporation yog Sonic Dynamics
in an attempt to bring the heinous actions of the Corporation into the public spotlight.
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