WEBVTT

1
00:00:04.120 --> 00:00:19.039
Nine Story Studios giving story a voice. This is Mary Murphy and ready or

2
00:00:19.079 --> 00:00:33.960
not, It's time to get wicked
Warning. The Wicked Library is a horror

3
00:00:33.960 --> 00:00:40.159
fiction podcast created for ammature audience.
Our stories contain graphic descriptions of pain,

4
00:00:40.840 --> 00:00:47.920
murder, violence, blood, betrayal, and inhumanity. Monsters win, people

5
00:00:48.000 --> 00:00:53.280
die, and hope is often shattered. There is also beauty, heart,

6
00:00:53.840 --> 00:01:00.000
catharsis, and raw emotion. Fear
maybe deeply personal, but we all share.

7
00:01:00.079 --> 00:01:03.000
If at any time a story takes
you to a place too dark,

8
00:01:03.519 --> 00:01:11.359
turn on the lights, press pause
or press stop, and always remember that,

9
00:01:11.680 --> 00:01:17.040
unlike in the real world, these
nightmares and your participation in them,

10
00:01:17.079 --> 00:01:34.640
are under your control. Welcome to
the Wicked Library. I'm Daniel Foitzak,

11
00:01:34.719 --> 00:01:37.519
and I thank you for listening.
A sincere thank you to those of you

12
00:01:37.560 --> 00:01:41.159
who are supporting the show. Without
you, this show would not be possible.

13
00:01:41.680 --> 00:01:46.200
This season, all episodes are heard
first by Patreon supporters and later shared

14
00:01:46.239 --> 00:01:49.640
with the full audience. When you
support the show, you can choose between

15
00:01:49.680 --> 00:01:53.519
ad free episodes, early access to
the stories, and at higher levels of

16
00:01:53.560 --> 00:01:57.120
support you'll get premiere access to end
Field Detective Agency currently in production. That's

17
00:01:57.200 --> 00:02:01.200
right Frank is coming back to your
ears soon. You can support the show

18
00:02:01.239 --> 00:02:06.599
at Patreon dot com Forward slash Wicked
Library. A lot of hard work and

19
00:02:06.640 --> 00:02:08.639
money goes into making the Wicked Library, and I really do rely on this

20
00:02:08.719 --> 00:02:14.439
support to help me pay the authors, voice actors, composer and artists so

21
00:02:14.560 --> 00:02:17.000
that none of the Wicked Libraries contributors
work for free. For as little as

22
00:02:17.000 --> 00:02:20.879
three dollars a month, you can
help make the show you love possible at

23
00:02:20.919 --> 00:02:25.280
patreon dot com Forward slash Wicked Library. Now, let's get wicked with today's

24
00:02:25.360 --> 00:02:30.039
dark tale told by Mary Murphy with
a custom score written by Nico Vites.

25
00:02:30.240 --> 00:03:24.560
If we talk of dreams Rose Hill
by India McCarty. Everything was nice and

26
00:03:24.680 --> 00:03:30.520
normal when I moved in. The
real estate agent showed me around. I

27
00:03:30.639 --> 00:03:34.560
signed on the dotted line, and
the keys were in my hand. A

28
00:03:34.599 --> 00:03:39.800
week later, Easy Peasy, Lemon, Squeezy. I did wonder where all

29
00:03:39.800 --> 00:03:44.360
the other tenants were, but quickly
wrote it off as a sign that I

30
00:03:44.439 --> 00:03:47.639
was in the big city. Now. New Yorkers didn't have time to drop

31
00:03:47.680 --> 00:03:52.879
off a pie to welcome the new
neighbor. They were too busy talking fast

32
00:03:53.000 --> 00:03:58.879
and wearing black and eating bagels.
I heard them though, footsteps going up

33
00:03:58.919 --> 00:04:04.199
and down the stairs, voices in
the hall door slamming shut, tiny signs

34
00:04:04.240 --> 00:04:10.479
of life. I found myself imagining
up stories for these people. The heavy

35
00:04:10.479 --> 00:04:14.599
footsteps on the stairs late at night
belonged to a girl who worked the night

36
00:04:14.639 --> 00:04:17.480
shift at the right aid on the
corner. The incessant vacuuming, and the

37
00:04:17.519 --> 00:04:23.319
apartment above mine was done by a
housewife who popped OxyS like they were candy.

38
00:04:24.279 --> 00:04:28.480
It sounds crazy, but I didn't
think anything of it. I actually

39
00:04:28.480 --> 00:04:31.079
like the fact that I didn't have
to smile awkwardly at any one in the

40
00:04:31.079 --> 00:04:38.120
hallways or wait for a machine in
the basement laundry room. Solitude was bliss

41
00:04:38.199 --> 00:04:44.040
in my book, and I was
in heaven. Everything was fine right up

42
00:04:44.079 --> 00:04:47.959
until I got the email. Dear
miss Carson, please let one of our

43
00:04:47.959 --> 00:04:53.480
representatives know when we can expect you
to be out of the apartment so that

44
00:04:53.560 --> 00:04:57.680
we can show it to prospective renters. Thank you for your co operation in

45
00:04:57.720 --> 00:05:02.759
this matter, Sincerely, Rose Hill
Building Management. I stared at my computer

46
00:05:02.879 --> 00:05:11.639
screen, not fully understanding what I
was reading. Prospective renters, my lease

47
00:05:11.759 --> 00:05:15.600
isn't up for another year, I
decided not to play email tag for a

48
00:05:15.639 --> 00:05:19.959
week, and dialed the phone number
printed on the bottom of my lease agreement,

49
00:05:21.079 --> 00:05:26.319
Rose Hill Building Management. How can
I help you? Yes, Hi,

50
00:05:27.399 --> 00:05:30.639
I got off the couch and started
pacing. This is Josephine Carson.

51
00:05:31.439 --> 00:05:35.040
I'm in Unit seven. I wanted
to touch base with you about the email

52
00:05:35.120 --> 00:05:41.759
you guys just sent me. Of
course, the voice said smoothly. We

53
00:05:41.879 --> 00:05:45.879
just wanted to know some available times
we could expect the apartment to be empty

54
00:05:46.079 --> 00:05:50.040
so we can schedule some appointments.
Bernie Tennants, see, I understood that

55
00:05:50.120 --> 00:05:55.240
part. I frowned. But what
I don't get is why you're showing new

56
00:05:55.279 --> 00:06:00.560
tenants my apartment when I've still got
a year left on my lease. Okay,

57
00:06:00.959 --> 00:06:03.639
I see the confusion. I could
hear the faint sound of a keyboard

58
00:06:03.680 --> 00:06:08.439
clacking. At Roche Hill. We
have a close in some unit leases that

59
00:06:08.600 --> 00:06:12.519
asks Tennants to let us use our
apartment in the show place, as it

60
00:06:12.639 --> 00:06:17.600
were, a slight chuckle, just
so perspective renters can get a feel for

61
00:06:17.680 --> 00:06:21.959
the place. I don't remember agreeing
to anything like that. It was the

62
00:06:23.519 --> 00:06:27.360
sign I can send you a copy
with your signature on it if you'd like.

63
00:06:28.360 --> 00:06:31.279
No that won't be necessary. I
slump back down on the couch.

64
00:06:32.519 --> 00:06:35.879
So you guys are going to show
my apartment, even if they're going to

65
00:06:35.920 --> 00:06:41.399
rent a different unit. I know
it sounds silly, but that's just how

66
00:06:41.519 --> 00:06:46.480
we've always done it here at rose
Hill Traditions. You know, I guess.

67
00:06:46.639 --> 00:06:51.240
So when can we expect you out
of the apartment. I ran a

68
00:06:51.240 --> 00:06:58.120
hand through my hair week days from
two to four. That worked for you.

69
00:06:58.920 --> 00:07:02.399
Yes, that works perfectly. Thank
you so much for your cooperation in

70
00:07:02.439 --> 00:07:06.439
this matter, Miss Carson. Please
don't hesitate to reach out with any more

71
00:07:06.519 --> 00:07:14.240
questions. The dial tone filled my
ear before I could respond. I dutifully

72
00:07:14.360 --> 00:07:19.519
vacated the apartment every weekday for two
hours each afternoon, spending time walking around

73
00:07:19.560 --> 00:07:25.360
the park or reading tabloids in the
grocery store. I did not receive any

74
00:07:25.360 --> 00:07:30.399
more emails from Rosehill Building management,
no phone calls either. I started to

75
00:07:30.439 --> 00:07:35.360
wonder about who they were showing my
apartment too. Exactly one day, I

76
00:07:35.439 --> 00:07:40.720
came home a little earlier than my
expected time. I wanted to see what

77
00:07:40.920 --> 00:07:45.800
was going on, maybe catch a
glimpse of someone in this damned building.

78
00:07:46.680 --> 00:07:50.040
I was just starting to walk down
my hallway when my apartment or swung open,

79
00:07:50.439 --> 00:07:55.720
I quickly decked back into the stairwell. I can show you the laundry

80
00:07:55.800 --> 00:07:59.680
room now, just down these steps. A voice that sounded a lot like

81
00:07:59.720 --> 00:08:03.720
the on the phone said, cheerfully, but that's about it. A very

82
00:08:03.800 --> 00:08:09.240
charming apartment in a great neighborhood.
Really quite a steel at this price,

83
00:08:11.040 --> 00:08:16.839
I cannot agree more, responded a
breathy female voice. There's windows are just

84
00:08:16.199 --> 00:08:22.480
gorgeous, aren't they? The rose
Hill lackey gushed, all that natural light.

85
00:08:22.959 --> 00:08:28.120
I might just have to rent this
place myself. Both of them tittered,

86
00:08:28.680 --> 00:08:33.639
and I heard footsteps heading towards the
backstairs. Thank god. And so

87
00:08:33.799 --> 00:08:37.799
why did the previous tenant move out? If you don't mind my asking,

88
00:08:37.840 --> 00:08:43.960
of course, not at all.
The voice was a little strained, nothing

89
00:08:45.000 --> 00:08:50.240
bad. It was just time for
them to move on. The breathy voice

90
00:08:50.320 --> 00:08:56.039
hummed in acknowledgement as they clumped down
the stairs. I was frozen, still

91
00:08:56.080 --> 00:09:01.200
trying to comprehend what I'd heard.
Why did the previous tenant move out?

92
00:09:03.039 --> 00:09:05.960
And it was time for them to
move on? What the hell is going

93
00:09:07.039 --> 00:09:11.159
on? I hurried down the hallway
and opened my door to find nothing.

94
00:09:11.679 --> 00:09:16.000
Everything was just as I had left
it, coffee mug in the sink,

95
00:09:16.720 --> 00:09:22.320
jacket hanging off the back of the
couch. I half expected to come back

96
00:09:22.320 --> 00:09:26.000
to an empty apartment. The way
they'd been talking. Why would that woman

97
00:09:26.039 --> 00:09:31.559
think I'd moved out when all of
my stuff was right here? Weird and

98
00:09:31.679 --> 00:09:39.320
weirder. After that, I started
coming back early every afternoon. It was

99
00:09:39.480 --> 00:09:43.200
always the same song and dance.
The prospective renter would ask the rose Hill

100
00:09:43.240 --> 00:09:48.799
rep why I had moved out,
and they would always reply with it was

101
00:09:48.919 --> 00:09:52.879
time for them to move on.
I considered calling them up and demanding to

102
00:09:52.879 --> 00:09:56.559
know why they were apparently trying to
rent my apartment out from under me,

103
00:09:58.360 --> 00:10:01.559
but I never did. I knew
that I would get on the phone with

104
00:10:01.679 --> 00:10:07.879
that slick customer service voice and they
would convince me that everything was just fine

105
00:10:07.960 --> 00:10:11.039
and dandy, that it was all
part of the great rose Hill tradition.

106
00:10:11.799 --> 00:10:16.879
So I did what any amateur Sleuthworth
or Salt would do. I googled.

107
00:10:18.000 --> 00:10:24.679
Rose Hill had a nice website,
obviously professionally done. There were pictures of

108
00:10:24.679 --> 00:10:31.600
the apartment units, exterior shots of
the building, glowing testimonies from previous tenants,

109
00:10:31.879 --> 00:10:37.159
no pictures of the staff. Though, when's the last time someone involved

110
00:10:37.200 --> 00:10:41.240
with real estate didn't plaster their face
all over any available surface they could find.

111
00:10:43.960 --> 00:10:50.679
That was the only even slightly red
blag. Everything I found was normal,

112
00:10:52.200 --> 00:10:56.000
nothing out of the ordinary, nothing
to suggest there was something going on

113
00:10:56.120 --> 00:11:01.679
here. And what did I even
think was going on here? The management

114
00:11:01.679 --> 00:11:05.960
company told me they would be showing
my apartment. I signed on the dotted

115
00:11:07.000 --> 00:11:11.480
line, so they had my permission. They only came during the appointed hours,

116
00:11:13.320 --> 00:11:16.200
besides the whole time to move on
routine. There was nothing to suggest

117
00:11:16.240 --> 00:11:20.720
that anything was going on. I
couldn't shake that feeling, though, so

118
00:11:20.799 --> 00:11:24.559
I decided to get a little more
hands on with my research. It was

119
00:11:24.600 --> 00:11:28.600
just before noon when I knocked on
my closest neighbor's door. I'd heard their

120
00:11:28.600 --> 00:11:33.639
TV through the walls some nights,
and I figured they were the best place

121
00:11:33.679 --> 00:11:39.360
to start. Hello, I called, squinting at the people. I live

122
00:11:39.480 --> 00:11:43.799
right next door. My name is
Josephine. I waited for about a minute

123
00:11:43.159 --> 00:11:48.360
and was about to give up when
the door swung open. Yes, a

124
00:11:48.480 --> 00:11:52.480
woman around my age was standing in
the doorway, wearing sleep rumpled pajamas and

125
00:11:52.600 --> 00:12:00.879
holding a cigarette. Hi, I
said, wincing, inwardly at my eagerness.

126
00:12:01.320 --> 00:12:07.039
Hi, I'm Josephine Carson. I
live right next door, she finished

127
00:12:07.039 --> 00:12:11.600
for me. He said. I
waited for her to introduce herself, but

128
00:12:11.720 --> 00:12:16.879
she continued to stare at me.
Um, I hesitated. I'm not sure

129
00:12:16.919 --> 00:12:20.559
of how to begin. I guess
I just wanted to ask you a few

130
00:12:20.639 --> 00:12:28.000
questions about this building, the management
company, to be more specific. She

131
00:12:28.120 --> 00:12:33.679
closed her eyes and sighed before turning
around. Come on in, she called

132
00:12:33.720 --> 00:12:37.840
over her shoulder. Might as well
do this in the comfort of my own

133
00:12:37.879 --> 00:12:45.279
home. I followed her into a
replica of my own apartment. I stepped

134
00:12:45.279 --> 00:12:50.519
over a pile of clothes and sat
carefully on the lumpy couch she gestured me

135
00:12:50.600 --> 00:12:56.600
towards. She sat at the kitchen
table, tapping her cigarette into an overflowing

136
00:12:56.679 --> 00:13:03.879
ash tray. So she leaned back
in her chair. What do you want

137
00:13:03.879 --> 00:13:07.720
to know? Well, I guess
I just wanted to know why they're showing

138
00:13:07.720 --> 00:13:11.080
my apartment to people and telling them
I moved out. I spoke quickly.

139
00:13:11.840 --> 00:13:16.799
I got the feeling she wouldn't let
me stick around long. It's just weird.

140
00:13:18.600 --> 00:13:20.639
All my stuff is still in there, but the people they show the

141
00:13:20.679 --> 00:13:26.440
place to act like that's totally normal. The woman took another drag on her

142
00:13:26.480 --> 00:13:33.759
cigarette before answering that it yeah,
I said, suddenly feeling very small.

143
00:13:35.679 --> 00:13:39.840
Ah, I guess that's it.
They did the same thing to me,

144
00:13:39.559 --> 00:13:43.799
She shrugged. It's just a rose
Hill way. Did they give you that

145
00:13:43.840 --> 00:13:48.200
whole tradition's speel? Yes, he
did, But I don't see what that

146
00:13:48.279 --> 00:13:54.440
has to do with best not to
ask questions. She pressed her lips together

147
00:13:54.840 --> 00:13:58.120
and stubbed out the cigarette. Whatever
they're doing, it's for a good reason,

148
00:14:00.360 --> 00:14:03.960
but it's weird, right. I
refuse to come this far without any

149
00:14:03.960 --> 00:14:09.320
sort of acknowledgement. They keep telling
people that I left because it was just

150
00:14:09.519 --> 00:14:13.200
time for me to move on.
What does that even mean? And why

151
00:14:13.200 --> 00:14:18.200
are they acting like I'm gone?
She shrugged again, then got up.

152
00:14:20.440 --> 00:14:24.840
I took my cue and stood up
too. She opened the door for me,

153
00:14:24.879 --> 00:14:28.320
and I went back into the hall, already kicking myself for not presenting

154
00:14:28.360 --> 00:14:33.639
this in the right light. She
seemed utterly disinterested in everything I'd said.

155
00:14:35.039 --> 00:14:41.240
Josephine, right, I spun around. She leaned against the door frame,

156
00:14:41.559 --> 00:14:48.200
studying me. I nodded, Josephine, this is a nice building. Quiet

157
00:14:50.120 --> 00:14:56.120
Rince not bad for New York.
She raised an eyebrow. Let's not mess

158
00:14:56.159 --> 00:15:00.879
with a good thing, huh.
She closed the door, leaving me with

159
00:15:00.960 --> 00:15:05.440
way more questions than I started with. Google gave me nothing. My neighbor

160
00:15:05.480 --> 00:15:09.840
gave me even less. What the
hell was going on here? Was I

161
00:15:09.879 --> 00:15:15.960
being crazy? Why was Rose Hill
telling people? I moved on? It

162
00:15:16.080 --> 00:15:20.679
was like the rest of the building
could feel my growing paranoia. I heard

163
00:15:20.720 --> 00:15:24.559
footsteps at all hours of the day
and night, loud laughter in the hall,

164
00:15:26.320 --> 00:15:30.519
even a dog barking across the hall. The place was louder than I

165
00:15:30.600 --> 00:15:35.080
ever remembered it being before, but
I still never saw any one in the

166
00:15:35.080 --> 00:15:39.840
hallways or on the stairs. Prospective
tenants kept coming by my apartment, and

167
00:15:39.879 --> 00:15:45.960
I continued to spy on them.
They all seemed like nice, normal people

168
00:15:46.519 --> 00:15:50.960
who were ecstatic at the prospect of
living in such a nice place, just

169
00:15:50.080 --> 00:15:54.360
like I had been a few months
before. I decided to go back to

170
00:15:54.440 --> 00:16:00.080
my neighbors and ask what she meant
before about not messing with a good thing?

171
00:16:00.200 --> 00:16:04.279
What did she know that I didn't. I knocked on the door,

172
00:16:06.480 --> 00:16:11.679
no answer, Hallel, it's Josephine
from next door. I was about to

173
00:16:11.759 --> 00:16:18.080
knock again. When the door swung
open. There she was, same pajamas,

174
00:16:18.639 --> 00:16:23.720
same cigarette, exactly like the day
we'd met. Hi. I smiled,

175
00:16:25.600 --> 00:16:27.919
Sorry to bother you again, but
I wanted to talk a little more

176
00:16:27.919 --> 00:16:33.519
about what you said the other day. Huh. She squinted at me,

177
00:16:33.080 --> 00:16:38.240
then pulled on her cigarette the other
day. When I came over her and

178
00:16:38.360 --> 00:16:45.200
we talked about I faltered. There
was a total lack of recognition in her

179
00:16:45.200 --> 00:16:51.279
eyes. Do you remember? She
closed her eyes and sighed before turning around.

180
00:16:52.759 --> 00:16:56.799
Come on in, she called over
her shoulder. Might as well do

181
00:16:56.879 --> 00:17:02.320
this in the comfort of my own
home. I followed her into the apartment.

182
00:17:03.120 --> 00:17:07.000
I stepped over the same pile of
clothes and sat on the same lumpy

183
00:17:07.119 --> 00:17:12.799
couch she gestured me towards. She
sat at the kitchen table, tapping her

184
00:17:12.839 --> 00:17:21.559
cigarette into an overflowing ash tree,
just like she'd done before. So she

185
00:17:21.680 --> 00:17:26.559
leaned back in her chair. What
do you want to know? Um,

186
00:17:26.039 --> 00:17:33.279
I'm sorry. I looked round the
room. Everything exactly where it had been

187
00:17:33.400 --> 00:17:40.119
last week, exactly. You really
don't remember. I came in. We

188
00:17:40.240 --> 00:17:45.079
sat just like this. I asked
about why rose Hill is showing my apartment

189
00:17:45.160 --> 00:17:48.680
to renters, even though I'm still
living here. None of this is ringing

190
00:17:48.720 --> 00:17:55.559
a bell. She appeared completely unruffled
by the fact that she had no memory

191
00:17:55.559 --> 00:18:03.319
of our previous visit. That it, I guess, but I best not

192
00:18:03.400 --> 00:18:10.119
to ask questions. She pressed her
lips together and stubbed out the cigarette,

193
00:18:10.920 --> 00:18:15.759
just as she'd done before. Whatever
they're doing, it's for a good reason,

194
00:18:15.920 --> 00:18:23.319
I know, I laughed, disbelievingly. I know that's just what you

195
00:18:23.440 --> 00:18:30.759
said last. She had already stood
up, heading for the door. Please,

196
00:18:30.839 --> 00:18:33.720
I just want to know what's going
on, I said, following her

197
00:18:33.759 --> 00:18:37.880
out to the hole. Nobody will
give me a straight answer, and I'm

198
00:18:37.920 --> 00:18:44.680
starting to get a really weird feeling
about Josephine. Right. I stared at

199
00:18:44.680 --> 00:18:48.880
her helplessly. She was staring just
beyond me, like I wasn't even there.

200
00:18:49.839 --> 00:18:55.200
Josephine, this is a nice building, quiet rents, not bad for

201
00:18:55.359 --> 00:18:59.680
New York. She raised an eyebrow. Let's not mess with a good thing.

202
00:19:00.640 --> 00:19:04.240
That's what you said last time,
exactly what you said last. She

203
00:19:04.319 --> 00:19:08.359
shut the door before I could finish. What the hell is going on?

204
00:19:08.839 --> 00:19:12.839
I muttered to myself, pushing the
heels of my hands into my eyes.

205
00:19:14.279 --> 00:19:18.079
What the hell is going on?
I believe I can answer that for you,

206
00:19:18.160 --> 00:19:21.960
Miss Carson. I whipped my head
up so fast I heard my neck

207
00:19:22.039 --> 00:19:27.319
crack. Standing before me was a
pleasant looking man about twenty years older than

208
00:19:27.359 --> 00:19:33.359
me. He was wearing a nice
suit and smiling at me. Ah,

209
00:19:33.440 --> 00:19:40.000
who, I believe we've spoken before, he said, and I suddenly recognized

210
00:19:40.079 --> 00:19:42.799
his voice. He was a one
I'd talked to before about all of this,

211
00:19:44.640 --> 00:19:48.920
the one who was telling people I
had moved on. Okay, what

212
00:19:48.079 --> 00:19:52.119
the hell is going on here?
I stabbed a finger in his direction.

213
00:19:52.400 --> 00:19:57.119
You're showing people my place, telling
them I'm gone and moved on and whatever

214
00:19:57.200 --> 00:20:02.480
the hell else? And could we
say this to your apartment? He was

215
00:20:02.519 --> 00:20:07.839
still smiling, like everything was nice
and normal. This feels like a private

216
00:20:07.880 --> 00:20:12.559
conversation, and I wouldn't want any
of the other tenants to ophere. Oh

217
00:20:12.599 --> 00:20:18.000
you mean like emnesiac Annie in there. I jerked a thumb over my shoulder.

218
00:20:18.640 --> 00:20:22.519
We just had the same conversation verbatim
that we had a week ago.

219
00:20:22.920 --> 00:20:26.759
She's wearing the exact same clothes.
Hell, I think she's smoking the same

220
00:20:26.839 --> 00:20:33.480
damn fig your apartment, Miss Carson. His smile was slightly strained as he

221
00:20:33.519 --> 00:20:40.000
opened the door for me. I
eyed him suspiciously, but followed him inside.

222
00:20:40.599 --> 00:20:44.240
I was desperate for answers, and
he seemed ready to give them to

223
00:20:44.319 --> 00:20:48.000
me. Should we have a seat, No, I think I'll stand.

224
00:20:48.799 --> 00:20:53.480
I crossed my arms. Tell me
what's going on, Miss Carson. Rose

225
00:20:53.559 --> 00:21:00.799
Hill is a very special place,
he said slowly. We're very special people.

226
00:21:00.079 --> 00:21:06.480
All of our tenants have been vetted
very carefully and extensively. We want

227
00:21:06.519 --> 00:21:11.279
to take care of you, he
smiled. For as long as you call

228
00:21:11.359 --> 00:21:15.759
this place home, then why are
you trying to get rid of me?

229
00:21:17.160 --> 00:21:19.920
Because it's time for you to move
on. What are you talking about,

230
00:21:21.359 --> 00:21:26.960
I snapped, I just moved in, Miss Carson. You're dead, he

231
00:21:26.039 --> 00:21:30.920
said, simply. It's time for
you to move on. He said it

232
00:21:30.960 --> 00:21:34.279
like it was a most natural thing
in the world to go around telling perfectly

233
00:21:34.359 --> 00:21:41.200
healthy people they were dead. You're
crazy, I laughed, backing away from

234
00:21:41.279 --> 00:21:47.880
him. Dead How can I be
dead? I have a job, I

235
00:21:48.000 --> 00:21:53.519
talk to my family. I can't
be dead. Ah, when's the last

236
00:21:53.559 --> 00:21:59.720
time you went to work, he
said, gently, folding his hands together

237
00:21:59.759 --> 00:22:04.640
in his lap. Or talk to
someone on the phone. No, I

238
00:22:04.680 --> 00:22:11.000
said, shaking my head. No, I I just talked to my mom.

239
00:22:11.079 --> 00:22:17.880
I stopped, A horrifying realization dawning
on me. When was the last

240
00:22:17.920 --> 00:22:21.559
time I talked to my mom?
Why hadn't I been going to work.

241
00:22:22.440 --> 00:22:26.160
I couldn't remember going to the grocery
store, even though I knew there was

242
00:22:26.240 --> 00:22:32.839
food in the cabinets. You're dead, he repeated, and have been for

243
00:22:32.920 --> 00:22:37.319
quite some time. He pulled a
manila folder out of his jacket and handed

244
00:22:37.359 --> 00:22:44.039
it to me. I opened it, hands shaking. Inside were some newspaper

245
00:22:44.039 --> 00:22:48.920
clippings, all with my name and
face. Teacher killed in tragic accident,

246
00:22:49.559 --> 00:22:57.160
trumpeted one car crash, claims a
life of Josephine Carson announced another. I

247
00:22:57.240 --> 00:23:03.000
shoveled through the rest of the pile, looking for something, anything that would

248
00:23:03.000 --> 00:23:07.960
tell me this was all a joke, an elaborate, tasteless prank. This

249
00:23:07.079 --> 00:23:11.279
can't be right. I looked up
at the man I can't be dead.

250
00:23:12.079 --> 00:23:18.759
I'm right here. I just signed
a lease on this apartment. I can't

251
00:23:18.799 --> 00:23:25.079
be dead. Like I said before, Rosehill is a very special place or

252
00:23:25.279 --> 00:23:30.920
very special people. He gestured towards
the hall. All of our tenants are

253
00:23:30.960 --> 00:23:37.279
recently deceased. What but that.
Haven't you ever wondered why you never saw

254
00:23:37.319 --> 00:23:44.079
anyone else? He raised an eyebrow. Didn't you wonder where the footsteps were

255
00:23:44.119 --> 00:23:48.680
coming from? What about her?
I pointed at the wall next door.

256
00:23:49.359 --> 00:23:56.119
What about her? I saw her. She's living in a loop, he

257
00:23:56.200 --> 00:24:02.160
shook his head, sadly. Many
of our tenants stew it's why she didn't

258
00:24:02.160 --> 00:24:07.119
recognize you, and why she carried
on your previous interaction exactly as it had

259
00:24:07.160 --> 00:24:11.799
gone before. She needs more time
than you did. I don't understand,

260
00:24:11.960 --> 00:24:18.480
I whispered, still clutching the folder
in my hands. If I'm what am

261
00:24:18.480 --> 00:24:22.880
I doing here? Rose Hill is
a sort of half way house. His

262
00:24:23.000 --> 00:24:27.519
customer service voice was back as he
ran through the sales pitch. We house

263
00:24:27.599 --> 00:24:33.720
unsettled spirits who need a bit of
time adjusting to their death before sending them

264
00:24:33.720 --> 00:24:40.599
on untowar. Oh, oh,
that's not my department, he chuckled.

265
00:24:41.440 --> 00:24:45.880
I stared at him wordlessly dead.
I was dead. I was holding the

266
00:24:45.960 --> 00:24:52.440
proof in my hands. I was
a ghost living in an apartment complex full

267
00:24:52.440 --> 00:24:57.920
of ghosts. If this guy was
to be believed, so, I said

268
00:24:57.960 --> 00:25:03.839
slowly, all those people who've been
coming to look at my apartment, deceased.

269
00:25:04.680 --> 00:25:08.599
He nodded. We're still looking for
the right fit, but I have

270
00:25:08.680 --> 00:25:12.640
faith will find some one any day
now. And when you told them it

271
00:25:12.759 --> 00:25:18.200
was time for me to move on, I was telling the truth. He

272
00:25:18.359 --> 00:25:25.799
smiled kindly. You're ready to leave. It's time. But how do you

273
00:25:25.880 --> 00:25:30.519
know, I said, a lump
in my throat. Can't I just stay

274
00:25:30.519 --> 00:25:36.920
a little while longer? He shook
his head and stood up, gently,

275
00:25:37.000 --> 00:25:42.880
taking the folder from my hands.
It's time, he repeated, Trust me,

276
00:25:45.119 --> 00:25:49.200
I've done this for a very long
time. It's time for you to

277
00:25:49.279 --> 00:25:56.799
move on. I don't know how, I said softly. That's easy enough,

278
00:25:56.799 --> 00:26:00.759
he grinned, taking my hand and
in leading me towards the door.

279
00:26:02.839 --> 00:26:07.559
Just walk through the door. That's
it. I looked at him incredulously.

280
00:26:07.640 --> 00:26:15.119
That's it. Do you know if
I'm I hesitated? Am I going up

281
00:26:15.279 --> 00:26:22.519
or down? Not my department?
He shrugged. Well that's comforting. I

282
00:26:22.559 --> 00:26:27.039
squared my shoulders and looked at the
door before me. So I just walked

283
00:26:27.119 --> 00:26:33.960
through, Just walk through. I
took a deep breath. I was dead.

284
00:26:36.359 --> 00:26:41.680
It was time to go, Miss
Carson. Yeah, it's been a

285
00:26:41.759 --> 00:26:48.200
pleasure having you at rose Hill,
he smiled. I believed him. I

286
00:26:48.240 --> 00:26:51.680
took a step, I put my
hand on the door knob and turned.

287
00:26:52.359 --> 00:27:22.599
I opened the door. I took
a step forward, and thank you for

288
00:27:22.640 --> 00:27:27.519
listening to episode number twelve h three. Today's author was India McCarty with her

289
00:27:27.599 --> 00:27:33.680
story Rose Hill. Today's story was
told by Mary Murphy. I'm Daniel Foytzech

290
00:27:33.839 --> 00:27:37.240
and I've been your host today.
Our resident composer and executive producer is Nikovites.

291
00:27:37.400 --> 00:27:41.119
If we talk of dreams. Artwork
for today's episode was created by Greg

292
00:27:41.160 --> 00:27:45.680
Schaefer. Our producers are Meg Williams
and Daniel Foytech. To find out more

293
00:27:45.680 --> 00:27:49.640
about The Wicked Library and other Ninth
Story Studios shows, visit the Wicked Library

294
00:27:49.680 --> 00:27:53.039
dot com and ninth Story dot com. If you'd like to help keep this

295
00:27:53.079 --> 00:27:57.240
collection of dark tales coming, please
support The Wicked Library on Patreon at Patreon

296
00:27:57.319 --> 00:28:02.440
dot com, forward slash Good Library. You can also help by leaving a

297
00:28:02.440 --> 00:28:07.000
five star rating in short review in
Apple podcasts. These ratings and reviews help

298
00:28:07.000 --> 00:28:10.960
other listeners find the show, which
helps generate revenue to ensure no one contributing

299
00:28:10.960 --> 00:28:14.960
to the show works for free.
The Wicked Library is created by Ninth Story

300
00:28:15.039 --> 00:28:17.640
Studios. LLC all rights reserved,