WEBVTT 1 00:00:07.799 --> 00:00:11.919 Welcome to into the night. I'm Nari, your guide on to day's excursion 2 00:00:11.919 --> 00:00:16.399 down a twisted path. Be careful not to get lost, be it dark 3 00:00:16.480 --> 00:00:20.679 or light. It's easy to lose your way. Are you ready, then 4 00:00:20.760 --> 00:00:32.679 let's begin under the weather. The last few hours of her teaching day grew 5 00:00:32.719 --> 00:00:37.880 increasingly more miserable. The students were great, and Madeline Hale loved being a 6 00:00:37.920 --> 00:00:41.600 teacher, but by the time the day ended, a sudden flu gained the 7 00:00:41.679 --> 00:00:45.960 upper hand in her life. Fevers, chills, a pounding headache, and 8 00:00:46.039 --> 00:00:50.280 a perpetual running nose made every moment a drag. The ticking clock on the 9 00:00:50.359 --> 00:00:53.439 wall seemed to slow down as she longed for the last bell of the day 10 00:00:53.479 --> 00:00:58.320 to ring. When the students left after the last class, she assembled substitute 11 00:00:58.359 --> 00:01:02.359 lesson plans and gathered her purse and a few papers. Degrade, What was 12 00:01:02.479 --> 00:01:07.519 I thinking blaming this on allergies. I feel like I'm burning up. Even 13 00:01:07.560 --> 00:01:11.760 the kids said I look like I feel terrible and that I should go home. 14 00:01:11.760 --> 00:01:15.519 It's not that easy, though, I can't just walk out of school 15 00:01:15.560 --> 00:01:19.239 in the middle of the day and go home. Stopping by the high school 16 00:01:19.239 --> 00:01:23.599 office on the way out, she poked her head in the door. Sandra, 17 00:01:23.400 --> 00:01:27.120 yes, Madeline, I hate to do this on such short notice, 18 00:01:27.159 --> 00:01:32.959 but I'm coming down with the flu that's circulating the school. Can you find 19 00:01:32.959 --> 00:01:37.920 a sub for me? Already left lesson plans in my room, The secretary 20 00:01:37.959 --> 00:01:42.879 furrowed her brow. Well, I'll try. We have three games tomorrow, 21 00:01:42.920 --> 00:01:46.400 so I've already assigned most of our regular subs to cover for the coaches. 22 00:01:47.280 --> 00:01:53.000 I don't mean to be sick. I'm sure you don't. Sandra then turned 23 00:01:53.000 --> 00:01:57.400 her attention to the paperwork on her desk. Isn't that just great? I 24 00:01:57.519 --> 00:02:00.879 hardly ever, miss, and I'm clearly sick. Maybe I should just cough 25 00:02:00.959 --> 00:02:06.280 on all of them. Madeline hated having such ugly thoughts, but she was 26 00:02:06.359 --> 00:02:09.840 tired, feverish, and rightfully irritated that her emergency didn't seem to matter to 27 00:02:09.879 --> 00:02:15.520 the school she devoted her career to. If all they wanted his warm body 28 00:02:15.599 --> 00:02:19.599 to fill my spot, I have a hot one that they probably don't want 29 00:02:19.599 --> 00:02:23.879 to be around. They hook like the world will stop spinning if a teacher 30 00:02:23.960 --> 00:02:28.919 uses a sick dead She practically staggered to her car and made a quick stop 31 00:02:28.919 --> 00:02:31.000 at the local dollar store to pick up cold remedies, and drove the one 32 00:02:31.039 --> 00:02:37.599 hour commute home with a fever radiating from her every pore. By the time 33 00:02:37.639 --> 00:02:40.599 she reached her home in the woods, she shook uncontrollably and her teeth chattered 34 00:02:40.639 --> 00:02:50.120 from the fever. Chills doesn't adequately describe what I have going on. Her 35 00:02:50.120 --> 00:02:53.360 headache raged, and as soon as she walked into the house, she headed 36 00:02:53.360 --> 00:02:55.719 for her bedroom to change into pajamas. She brought with her the bag of 37 00:02:55.759 --> 00:03:00.479 cold medicine she purchased once in her Pegay's into the bathroom, flipped on the 38 00:03:00.560 --> 00:03:07.759 light and looked in the mirror. Holy crap, I looked terrible. She 39 00:03:07.879 --> 00:03:10.520 did, in fact, looked terrible. Her little dog looked up at her 40 00:03:10.560 --> 00:03:15.439 sympathetically. I know, Sophie, your mamma isn't feeling well at all. 41 00:03:16.120 --> 00:03:21.319 Sophie watched her owner with sad brown eyes and wagged her tail. Come on, 42 00:03:21.439 --> 00:03:25.000 girl, let's go to bed. Madeline plumped the pillows and patted the 43 00:03:25.000 --> 00:03:30.199 comforter to signal for Sophie to join her. The combination of the cold medicine 44 00:03:30.199 --> 00:03:34.319 and exhaustion caused her to fall asleep during the night. However, she awoke 45 00:03:34.319 --> 00:03:37.639 with a cough. She stumbled to the bathroom and took a swig of the 46 00:03:37.680 --> 00:03:40.560 cough medicine. Unsure of how long it had been since she took her first 47 00:03:40.560 --> 00:03:44.840 dose of cold medicine, she took more of that too, in hopes the 48 00:03:44.879 --> 00:03:49.479 fever and sinus congestion would go away. If a little is good, Alave 49 00:03:49.520 --> 00:03:53.280 will be better. Sophie loyally followed her into the bathroom and retreated to the 50 00:03:53.319 --> 00:03:58.120 bed with Madeline. Try as she may. However, sleep didn't come easily. 51 00:03:58.479 --> 00:04:02.000 She dozed off and on, but no true rest arrived. Groggy and 52 00:04:02.039 --> 00:04:06.680 miserable, she sent a text to Sandra, I'm sorry, but I am 53 00:04:06.759 --> 00:04:12.800 extremely sick and will need a sub I'm sorry. A wave of guilt washed 54 00:04:12.840 --> 00:04:16.240 over her. I just don't know what else to do. I'm too sick 55 00:04:16.279 --> 00:04:20.959 to even drive to work, let alone teach. Sophie, sensing her distress, 56 00:04:21.160 --> 00:04:25.199 wiggled her way next to Madeleine and placed her head on her chest. 57 00:04:26.040 --> 00:04:30.959 Madeleine patted her little dog and appreciated the companionship. Madeleine drifted off to sleep, 58 00:04:31.160 --> 00:04:36.160 but was awakened later by Sophie's growling what's wrong? Girl? The terrier 59 00:04:36.240 --> 00:04:43.000 stood at attention trembling and staring intently at the bedroom window while she quietly barked 60 00:04:43.040 --> 00:04:46.920 and growled. Madeline sat up in bed. Lightning flashed in the sky. 61 00:04:47.680 --> 00:04:54.000 It's okay, Sophie, it's just going to rain. You've seen thunderstorms before. 62 00:04:56.079 --> 00:05:00.399 Sophie did not relax, but she nestled against Madeleine. Baby, you're 63 00:05:00.439 --> 00:05:06.560 shaking worse than I am. It's gonna be okay. The poor little dog 64 00:05:06.600 --> 00:05:13.839 whimpered, and Madeline held her. The lightning continued to flash outside. Yampust 65 00:05:13.920 --> 00:05:17.480 be very close because I don't hear any thunder yet. I need to try 66 00:05:17.480 --> 00:05:23.399 to sleep, though that storm can arrive. When it does, I'm exhausted. 67 00:05:24.439 --> 00:05:28.079 Fitful sleep followed, and when she awoke, the world was pitch black 68 00:05:28.120 --> 00:05:33.680 outside except for the flickering flashes of lightning. Is it still storming? I 69 00:05:33.759 --> 00:05:39.720 didn't think it was even supposed to rain tonight. Sophie remained alert on the 70 00:05:39.759 --> 00:05:44.319 bed, and she occasionally let out a low, grumbling growl. What's going 71 00:05:44.360 --> 00:05:48.639 on out there, Sophie? What has you so upset? Madeline Rose rubbed 72 00:05:48.639 --> 00:05:54.000 her face with her hands and looked down at Sophie. Let's go take a 73 00:05:54.000 --> 00:05:58.120 look, sleepy, and a little unsteady on her feet, Madeline walked through 74 00:05:58.160 --> 00:06:01.839 the house and stepped out onto the front porch. The cool concrete felt good 75 00:06:01.839 --> 00:06:05.720 to her feverish feet. The lights continued to flash in the sky with no 76 00:06:05.839 --> 00:06:13.120 thunder, and a heavy fog enveloped the landscape. Sophie bristled and stepped backward. 77 00:06:14.439 --> 00:06:17.720 Madeleine opened her mouth to tell Sophie everything was okay, but then she 78 00:06:17.879 --> 00:06:24.639 heard it. A strange howl came down the hollow, followed by other animalistic 79 00:06:24.680 --> 00:06:30.759 sounds coyotes. She listened intently, but those didn't sound like coyotes, dog 80 00:06:30.839 --> 00:06:36.839 like, possibly wild, yes, not coyotes. However, Madeleine grew up 81 00:06:36.839 --> 00:06:42.360 in the country and she knew the normal sounds of the night. An involuntary 82 00:06:42.399 --> 00:06:45.920 shudder went through her body. She bent down and picked up her terrier, 83 00:06:46.240 --> 00:06:49.920 stepping inside. While glancing behind her, she nervously watched through the glass window 84 00:06:49.959 --> 00:06:55.000 of her front door. Ah, I don't understand why there's lightning but no 85 00:06:55.120 --> 00:06:59.680 thunder, and shown't the storm of past already? She found her phone and 86 00:07:00.199 --> 00:07:03.160 on the weather app this doesn't show on the cross at all, no storm 87 00:07:03.160 --> 00:07:06.560 predicted and nothing showing up on the radar. Let me check the other app. 88 00:07:08.160 --> 00:07:12.439 Nothing appeared on the other app either. This doesn't make any sense. 89 00:07:13.079 --> 00:07:18.279 An unsettling fear cried its way into Madeline's consciousness. Sophie's trembling and frantic barking 90 00:07:18.319 --> 00:07:26.560 didn't help Madeline allay her anxiety. Something just isn't right. She left Sophie 91 00:07:26.639 --> 00:07:30.759 inside and decided to take another look outside. Stepping onto the porch, the 92 00:07:30.800 --> 00:07:34.920 wind whipped her hair and strands across her face. The fog isn't moving even 93 00:07:34.959 --> 00:07:40.639 though the wind is blowing. What is going on? And what are those 94 00:07:40.720 --> 00:07:46.079 lias? The howling frenzy now encircled the house, growing more intense with every 95 00:07:46.120 --> 00:07:50.079 passing moment. Fear overtook her, and she raced inside and locked the door 96 00:07:50.120 --> 00:07:54.879 behind her. The sound of the wind pelted the sides of her house, 97 00:07:55.480 --> 00:08:00.240 and the fog grew increasingly dense. As she looked out the window, Vie 98 00:08:00.319 --> 00:08:05.600 whined in terror and raced around Madeline's feet. I must be dreaming, that's 99 00:08:05.639 --> 00:08:09.360 all. This is a fever induced nightmare. She huddled in her bed, 100 00:08:09.720 --> 00:08:16.319 clutching her dog for hours, but daylight never came. Nothing now existed outside 101 00:08:16.360 --> 00:08:20.319 her house but the fog, the lights, and the frightening howls. She 102 00:08:20.519 --> 00:08:26.079 desperately tried to call for help, but her phone was useless. This can't 103 00:08:26.160 --> 00:08:30.519 be. She turned on the television, but the screen said no signal. 104 00:08:31.319 --> 00:08:35.240 Her emergency radio produced nothing but static. The hands on her clock, however, 105 00:08:37.039 --> 00:08:43.080 spun wildly. No one existed to hear her screens. No one existed 106 00:08:43.519 --> 00:08:56.879 to ever see Madeline Hale again. No one existed at all. Thank you 107 00:08:56.919 --> 00:09:01.320 for joining me for this episode of the Into the Night Anthology podcast. Written 108 00:09:01.320 --> 00:09:05.559 by Caroline Giamanco, narrated by Nari Quak, Theme music by Nico Rodriguez. 109 00:09:07.120 --> 00:09:11.720 All other original music, sound design and editing by Omenhawk Studios. You can 110 00:09:11.759 --> 00:09:15.120 find our links in the show notes. Into the Night is on your favorite 111 00:09:15.120 --> 00:09:18.159 podcatcher, so make sure to like, subscribe and leave a five star review 112 00:09:18.200 --> 00:09:22.240 to help other excursionists to join us. I'll see you next time, and 113 00:09:22.360 --> 00:09:26.960 remember, whether in the shadows or in the daylight, all twisted paths lead 114 00:09:28.039 --> 00:09:31.919 you into the night. Into the Night Anthology is a creative typo entertainment production.