ADVENT OF EVIL: Friday, December 19 – Forbidden Temptations

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Wilber Ward's body lies hidden in the crawl space beneath
the Klein House. For thirty years, the man was Servon's vessel,
possessed from the moment he ran toward the flames that
consumed to match childhood home. Now the body is empty,
discarded like a worn out coat, and the demon needs

(00:24):
a new host, someone close, someone vulnerable. Father Olsen's words
echo in Matt's mind as he sits by the fire,
turning the planchette over in his hands, the same planchet
that rested beneath his fingers and Stephen's on that Christmas
Eve three decades ago, the same one that unleashed something

(00:46):
ancient and hungry into the world. Door eighteen is given
up its secret. Six doors remain six days until December
twenty fourth, the culmination of Servan's midwinter celebration. The demon
has waited thirty years for this moment, timing its attack
for when Matt's own children are the same ages he

(01:08):
and Stephen were during the original tragedy. The calendar sits
in a corner, patient and watchful. Eighteen doors hang open,
eighteen prophecies fulfilled in death and fire and blood. Matt
thinks about everyone who has been in the house recently. Davenport,

(01:29):
Father Olsen, the contractor who boarded up the window, Anika,
the boys, any of them could be the new vessel
outside Marshport prepares for the opening of winter Wonderland. Families
will gather tomorrow night beneath Christmas lights, laughing and sipping
hot cocoa, blissfully unaware that something dark moves among them,

(01:52):
that a demon who derives pleasure from trickery, torment, and
violence is no longer confined to a dying Zervan is free,
and he is close. Nettie Dowen's strange visit still troubles Matt.
The way she stood motionless on the porch, the accusations
she hurled, You are the reason it happened. Your lies

(02:16):
have caused pain and suffering. Was it grief or something else?
Wearing her face, Matt looks down at the planchette light
brown wood, darker outline, the small circle of glass in
the center, surrounded by engravings of moons and suns. Stephen's
hands once rested on this. His grandmother gave it to them,

(02:39):
telling them they could use it to talk to their
dead uncle. They talked to something that night, he thinks
to himself as the glass circle in the center of
the planchette stares up at him like a dead eye. Welcome, Weirdos.

(03:29):
I'm Darren Marler and this is Weird Darkness's Advent of Evil,
a holiday horror novel written by Scott Donnelly based on
a concept from Darren Marler. Twenty four Doors, twenty four days,
twenty four secrets waiting in the darkness, Just like an
advent calendar counting down the Christmas will unlock one chapter

(03:50):
each day, but what we find behind these doors may
not be the gift you're expecting. You can find all
available chapters, as well as the print version in pay
for back, hardback or kindle at Weird Darkness dot com
slash Advent of Evil. The calendar is waiting, Let's see
what awaits us behind today's door. Friday, December nineteenth. Knock, knock, knock.

(04:24):
The sound of the knocking was dull, but still enough
to wake me. My eyes fluttered open, and I glanced
at the clock beside me. It was three point thirty
three am. Knock knock. It happened again, and I sat up,
tossing the sheets off. Annako was still asleep, unfazed by
the irksome noise. I crept out of the room and

(04:47):
heard it again, knock, knock. It was coming from downstairs.
Someone was at the front door. It struck me as
odd how calm the knocking was. It wasn't urgent or frenzied.
Whatever had some one up at my door in the
dead of night certainly didn't seem like an emergency, at
least superficially. I decided to hold any further judgment until

(05:10):
I saw who it was and what they wanted. For all,
I knew this was another malicious antic of servans. I
unlocked the front door and opened it about halfway under
the porch light. Jasmine stood, wrapped tightly in her ware
coat and matching beanie. I immediately felt concerned for her. Jasmine,

(05:30):
what's wrong, I asked, It's three in the morning. I
couldn't wait, she said, distressed. May I come in? Of course,
I said, stepping aside and letting her in. I closed
the door and offered to take her coat. Not yet,
she oddly said, keeping it closed around her. Okay, what's wrong,
I inquired. I just needed to tell you something, she said,

(05:55):
The anticipation was beginning to spark some anxiety in me.
Did she know something, something, she continued, Annika told me everything.
She said, You've been haunted by your past, by your
dead brother. I wasn't sure how to respond. For some
reason beyond what I could explain, I felt embarrassed. I

(06:16):
began to blush in front of Jasmine. She smiled, Please,
don't be embarrassed, she said, I'm here. I'm here to
help you relax and forget about everything for a while.
Remember I have a thing for cops. Just then, Jasmine
removed her beanie and dropped her coat to the floor,
revealing she was wearing nothing but silky lace lingerie. She

(06:39):
took a couple of slow, teasing steps towards me and
grabbed my hand. My heart began to beat faster. You
must be so scared, she said, you must feel so guilty.
Be guilty, I stammered, I haven't. She put her finger
to my lips and hushed me. Of course you have,
she said, You've been living with the guilty of killing

(07:00):
your whole family for three decades. I pulled away from her.
I didn't kill my family, I sternly replied. The fire
did but you ran, and like a coward did that.
Jasmine's voice was becoming more aggressive, angered even you ran
like a coward and let Stephen and your parents burn

(07:21):
into ash. I shook my head defensively and backed away
from her further. It wasn't my fault, I said. I
know Stephen's angry at me, but he's not, Jasmine said.
As the only solace I will give you, I will
tell you that Stephen, your precious, innocent, little baby brother,
isn't mad. He was thrilled you escaped. He was happy

(07:43):
that you survived and lived on. I didn't understand. Jasmine
wasn't Jasmine. Her voice was low and resentful. She continued
to methonically step toward me as she spoke in a low,
sinister growl. Don't confuse your imagination for the actual truth.
Your brother was small, weak, Never could he do the

(08:05):
things I'm capable of. I am more than just a projection,
more than just an apparition to make you squirm and
second guess what you see in the shadows. I am
your demise, Matthew Norris. I am the one who triumphs
over the real you. I backed into the door, and
Jasmine stopped. She smiled, her teeth sharp and her eyes

(08:29):
lost and cavernous craters of darkness. She slowly lifted one
of her arms and placed her finger against my chest.
This isn't over until I say it is, Jasmine growled.
Things are about to get interesting. Guess who. She winked seductively,
and then plunged her hand through my chest, crushed my

(08:49):
heart into a runny, pulpy mess, and wrenched it out
of my body. I screamed out as loud as I could,
and then felt a more calming touch on my chest.
It was Anika, waking me up from another nightmare. Matt
wake up, she urged, rubbing my chest and shaking me
by the shoulder. I sat up, drenched in sweat and
stared at Annika in the dim room, taking heavy breaths.

(09:12):
I looked at the clock. It was three point thirty
three am. You were having a nightmare, she assured me.
Thank you. I exhaled and laid my head back down.
She lay next to me, close and secure. She left
one hand on my chest, which soothed me and allowed
me to drift back off to sleep. Within a matter

(09:33):
of minutes, I woke up with Annaka to the sound
of her alarm and helped get the boys off to
school for their last day before Christmas break. Once the
hustle and bustle of preparing lunches, making sure their homework
was in their bags, and getting them dressed and out
the door was over, Annika and I found ourselves in
a quiet, unengaged house. That must have been some dream

(09:56):
last night, she said to me as we walked into
the kitchen. I thought back to the nightmare. Jasmine had
come to the house acting strange and out of character.
She talked about Stephen, called me a coward, and then
ripped my heart out in a devilish turn of events. Yeah,
I said, It's just everything has been going on lately,

(10:17):
kind of hard not to have nightmares. I guess I understand,
she said. I've woken up feeling uneasy a few times myself,
especially after she trailed off. If I had to guess
what she was going to say, I would put money
on it having to do with the body of wilbur
Ward in our basement. The more I thought about it,

(10:39):
the more it spooked me as well. It was unsettling,
to say the least, but until we got a plan,
it needed to stay there. Since I'm off work again,
I'll probably call father Olsen and say he can come
earlier than one o'clock. That way, we can still hopefully
make it to the Winter Wonderland Festival tonight at a
good time. Annika beamed. It was the first smile I'd

(11:01):
seen from her in a couple of days. Yes, it's
the grand opening tonight, she remembered. The kids are going
to be thrilled. I agreed and poured a cup of
coffee from myself and for her. Speaking of the kids
being thrilled, Annika continued, accepting the hot mug from me.
Jasmine is going to stop buying a little while. She

(11:22):
has some gifts for the kids that she wants to
make sure are under the tree for them on Christmas morning,
Jasmine's coming, I questioned, taking a sip. I'd heard her
loud and clear, but for some reason, hearing her name
made me feel awkward and even slightly embarrassed. Yeah, is
that okay, of course, I said, covering my face by

(11:42):
taking another sip of coffee. I pictured Jasmine coming in
through the front door, just as she did in my dream.
I remembered her long coat and beanie coming off to reveal.
My phone rang, interrupting my thoughts. I pulled it out
from my flannel pajama pants and saw it was Davenport
stepped into the living room to answer it. Hello, mad

(12:04):
Are you good, he asked? Yeah? Why I heard you
had a family emergency yesterday? Never came back to work.
Is everything okay? Yeah? Just a lot of drama here.
Plus my arm's still in a lot of pain. Sears
told me to stay home through the weekend. Davenport went
silent on the other end of the call. I even

(12:25):
thought for a moment that the call had dropped. Hello,
I said, I'm here, he finally said, but not much after. Hey,
can I ask you something? I said, I mean, since
you called, what is it? The house? My house? When
you left it yesterday morning, everything was clear. You didn't
find anything strange? Should we have? I'm just trying to

(12:50):
settle Anika's fear she was attacked in her own home.
I said, can't blame her for being over anxious or
worried that it'll happen again. Davenport hesitated. I couldn't tell
if he was actually trying to think, or if he
was skeptical of my motivations either way, The call with
him was starting to feel strange and empty. There was nothing.

(13:12):
We cleaned up, and I personally helped conduct a search
of the house. Tell your wife there was no one
else there. She's safe. Another question popped into my mind
and rolled off my tongue. What about the contractor who
came to board up the window? I asked? What was
his deal? Was he here unsupervised? As I asked the question,

(13:33):
I wandered toward the window and inspected the wooden board
that was used. He was, Davenport said he was told
to lock up and leave once the job was done.
I put my hand on the wooden board and ran
my fingers down it. Well, he never locked up, I said.
The front door was still unlocked when we got home.
I thought about that fact a little further. What if

(13:56):
he didn't leave? Ah, I'm sure it was an oversight
in his pot, Davenport said coldly. My fingers at a
peculiar rough spot near the bottom of the wooden board.
I leaned in for a closer look and spotted the
same serpent like z marking. It was small, inconspicuous, but
now obvious to me as to what it was. It

(14:18):
was Zervon's marking. All the things he had made while
in the body of wilbur Ward had the same insignia,
like he was narcissistically signing his own work. The calendar,
the wooden board, probably every single thing that lined the
shelves of his shed back in Bayville. What did the
contractor look like? I asked shakily. Davenport shuffled on the

(14:43):
other line. UH middle aged, baggy eyes, bushy beard. He
stopped talking at his own mention of the beard. Wait.
Davenport had come to the same conclusion that I had,
although we were still on two completely different levels of
an standing. I'll call you bag later, he abruptly said, now,
with a spark in his voice that had been absent

(15:05):
throughout the entire call. He ended it and left me
standing there, staring at the Z on the wooden board
and feeling a chill from the boldness in which Zervon
had entered the house to shed his smoke screen in
favor of a new one. I faced the advent calendar,
and my eyes briefly connected with the arching half circle
of flames on the mantle. It too had been made

(15:28):
of wood, and I had no doubts as to who
had constructed it. I approached the calendar and opened door
number nineteen without a second thought. It was a photograph,
this time, the first one since the one of Logan
and Mason, and third overall, including the mugshot of my
uncle David. This one, however, was of Jasmine. I couldn't

(15:51):
tell where the picture was taken or when, but it
was a full body picture of her wearing an alluring dress,
with her hands on her hips and an elegant smile
on her face. Scribbled on the photo over her chest
was a heart. Two smaller hearts had been scribbled over
her eyes as well. It reminded me of something I
would have done to my middle school yearbook on a

(16:12):
CRUSH's picture. Annaka walked into the room and I quickly
shoved the picture into my pocket. Jasmine just texted she'll
be here any second. She said, great, I said, who
called Annika, asked Davenport. He is just checking in on us. Oh, well,
that was nice of him, She said. Can you throw
some boots on and help Jasmine bring into gifts when

(16:35):
she gets here. We haven't shoveled in a few days,
and I'd hate for her to slip. I nodded and
gulped nervously. Sure. Annaka noticed door number nineteen was open
on the calendar behind me. She pointed to it. What
was in it? She wondered. I looked back at the
calendar to the opened and empty nook where I had

(16:57):
just pulled out a picture of Jasmine with hearts scribbled
on it. Annaka would either get the wrong impression or
fear for Jasmine's life if she knew what it was.
I shrugged nothing. I said, it was weird. Annika looked daunt.
That can't be good, right, I shrugged again. Maybe it's

(17:18):
running out of ideas. Annika wanted to humor me, but
instead she left the room. I hated lying to her,
but I truly felt it was in her best interest
in the moment. There was no need for her to
get riled up about anything when even I didn't know
what it meant or how it connected to me. Jasmine

(17:39):
showed up a few minutes later. I tossed on my
boots and coat and helped her bring in six large
wrapped boxes with bows and name tags on them. Three
were for Logan, three were for Mason. All were signed
Merry Christmas. Love aunt, Jasmine. I noticed she had dotted
the I in her name with a little heart, and
it gave me pause. Jasmine and hearts seemed to be

(18:03):
the topic of the day. Thanks so much for helping Matt,
Jasmine said, standing in the foyer in her long coat
and beanie. It was uncanny how much she mirrored her
appearance in the dream. Ah, of course, I said, water
friends four, she smiled, reflecting the allure she displayed in
the photo. I began to feel antsy in front of her,

(18:25):
my stomach and chest tickling with a jittery feeling. What
a stay for coffee, Annika asked her. Um, sure, Jasmine agreed,
only for a bit. I have some arange dubund this morning.
She removed her beanie and let her hair fall back
into place naturally. Then she on zipped her coat. I
stared fully, expecting to see her wearing a sultry outfit

(18:46):
beneath and nothing more. I swallowed hard as the coat
came off, but instead of any big reveal of seductive clothing,
she wore baggy sweatpants and an oversized sweatshirt. Quickly coming
to my senses and realizing that my mind had been
compromised by a fictitious notion brought upon by a nightmare.
I removed myself from the room to shower and ready

(19:07):
myself for the day. After sending Father Olsen a text,
he agreed to come to the house earlier than we
had originally planned. It was just after eleven am when
he arrived. Jasmine was gone, and Anika and I were
both ready to speak with the priest further and hopefully
get some answers. He walked through the house first, splashing

(19:29):
holy water in every visible room, every doorway, every archway.
Anaka and I made a crafty effort to keep him
away from the basement door, although each time he was
in close proximity to it, his focus appeared to stray.
It was captivating how connected he was to the spirit realm.
We converged in a living room where the Advent calendar

(19:49):
loomed like an ominous set piece on our stage. You
have some new concerns, father Olson asked, referring to the
most recent call Anika and I had had with him.
Is human possession a true worry for you? Or was
it purely out of curiosity like you claimed? Father Olsen

(20:10):
was someone who could actually help us. We called him.
There was no sense in evading the topic any further.
Zervon was getting bolder, things were feeling more unnatural, and
with December twenty fourth within reach, we needed to know
everything we could to protect ourselves and fight back if
it came to it. Things are escalating. I admitted a

(20:34):
gesture to the half circle of fire on the mantle
that came out of the calendar a few days ago.
I don't know what it means, but it's making me
very nervous. Then yesterday I pulled a planchette out from
inside of it, the same exact one my brother and
I used Thirty years ago, Anaka and I were also
attacked by a close friend who was subsequently shot and

(20:56):
killed right here in this very room. Father Olsen looked
around the room. I'm sorry to hear all of that,
especially the details about your friend. I assume it was
out of character for him to act in that type
of manner. Yes, he was convinced I was hiding something
from him. Actually, there have been a lot of people

(21:17):
acting that way toward me lately, blaming me for everything
and anything. You become the target of a very powerful
demonic force Matthew. Father Olsen said, as the end deserve
On's celebration nears, it doesn't surprise me that things are
getting worse before they get better. Annika perked up. Things
will get better. Father Olsen smiled. Of course, he said,

(21:40):
in a soothing voice, Everything gets better. The power of
God has the ability to provide comfort, hope and peace
when one is experiencing hardships, even as unconventional as yours.
That is when God works at his greatest. I could
tell his words brought a sense of hope and relief
to Anika. But for me, I was going to need

(22:03):
to see things happen and not just be told that
they could, because from where I was standing on this
stage of ours, the demon was the one in charge,
pulling the strings of the players and unraveling the plot
at his own pace. He was holding all the cards
and sending our lives into a twisted, ceaseless, savage nightmare

(22:24):
that we couldn't wake up from. Humor me for a moment,
I said, shattering the hope Father Olsen had introduced into
the conversation. If this demon wants to escalate things to
be more bold, what can we expect? Father Olsen appeared
disappointed in my lack of faith, but consented to my request. Anyway,

(22:46):
it can possess people. It can cause mental or physical suffering,
like paranoia or bodily sickness. I wouldn't believe everything you
see or hear. Demons can also use forbiden temptations to trick, deceive,
or provoke panic or alarm in someone. I've seen perfect
marriages ripped apart before because of demonic influence. Jasmine crept

(23:10):
back into my mind at the mention of forbidden temptations.
What about dreams, Annika asked, looking in my direction. Matt's
had a few nightmares as of late. It was eerie
how her words mimicked what I was thinking. Father Olsen
looked at me. Is that so? He asked, with intrigue.
Demons can definitely influence or cause nightmares. Your dreams? What

(23:35):
are they about? I immediately shied away from the question.
The nightmare about Jasmine seductively approaching me wasn't something I
wanted to say out loud in front of my wife,
even if it ended with her ripping my heart out.
They're all blurs at this point, I lied, I can't
really remember them. Father Olsen accepted my words, but it

(23:58):
was the way his eyes lingered on me that I
knew he didn't believe them. He turned his attention to
the Advent calendar next and cocked his head. What came
out of it today? I avoided eye contact and shrugged.
It was empty. What do you think that means? Annika
attentively asked Father Olsen. She was oblivious to the truth

(24:20):
and that was making me feel incredibly guilty. I don't know,
Father Olsen said, This whole stick deserve on is orchestrating.
It's all new to me. I've never seen anything like
it before. As far as I'm concerned, it could meet anything,
nothing or everything. Nothing is off the table at this point.

(24:40):
Are we in danger? I asked? He is my family
in danger? Father Olsen didn't mince words. His answer was
blunt and dour. Yes, I believe you were all in danger.
I saw Annika shiver at his words. How do we
stop it? I asked Father Olsen. Guard to the Advent

(25:00):
calendar again. With hunted objects, usually removing them from your home,
burning them, or even sending them to a watery grave
can relieve them of any dark, negative energy or demonic guidance.
He tilted his head. In your case, however, none of
that's going to work. You tried throwing it into the
gulf and it came back. And if it was constructed

(25:24):
out of an old spirit board, as you claim, you
definitely can't burn it. Well, how do we get rid
of a spirit board? Then I asked, maybe the same
method would apply to the calendar. Father Olsen shook his head.
There are a few ways that are said to get
rid of a spirit board, however, some of which contradict

(25:45):
one another. Burying it and its accompanying plant chat separately
would be the most beneficial in most cases. However, step
one to parting ways with the spirit board is to
always end the session first. You never had that chick
ants because of the fire and chaos that ensued. The
door that you opened thirty years ago, the one that

(26:06):
unleashed Servon, has never been closed. It has allowed him
to thrive to spread his chaos in disorder, ensuring that
your life suffers. So then what do we do, Annika
expressed with inflamed irritation possession, Father Olsen said, Zervon needs
a human vessel to operate outside of the spirit board

(26:29):
for this long and with human possession. An exorcism can
be performed. It will expel the demon and banish him
from our world, rendering the advent calendar ineffectual. Anika and
I looked at one another. Servon had been possessing wilbur
Ward for decades, but after his body had finally succumbed

(26:50):
to the demonic pressure, Zervon's dark energy was either in
limbo or awaiting a new vessel, or had already seized
control of one. Once Father Olsen had left, Anaka and
I were on our own to try and predict Zervon's
next move. He would clearly take over someone vulnerable and exposed.

(27:11):
That much had been made clear. I thought back to
Davenport and how strangely he sounded on the phone call.
He didn't sound like himself. Maybe he wasn't. He was
alone with the contractor, after all, who I believed to
be Zervon carrying out a final strange act in wilber
Ward's body. It was also the painfully obvious suggestive nightmare

(27:35):
in which Jasmine had taken on a devilish form and
tore into my chest. Was that supposed to forecast something?
Was that dream governed by demonic control who paid a
picture of what could be. I certainly hoped not. The
other options for where Zervon would go next upset my
stomach too much to even consider. I lost my family

(27:59):
one before. It wasn't going to allow it to happen again.
It was just after six pm when we parked along
Stone Shore Avenue Anika. The boys and I walked toward
the town Center, where the Winter Wonderland Festival was officially underway.
Even from where we parked a few blocks away, we
could see the glowing lights from the tree Bridget had

(28:21):
carefully selected to represent Christmas in Marshport. As we got closer,
I was blown away by the scene. Flames licked the
cold air from inside strategically placed burn barrels. The tree,
the main attraction, glowed with intensity. Large plastic snowmen guarded
it with their lives, and tall candy canes stood like
monoliths around the festive plot of snow covered land, all

(28:44):
connected by strings of blinking, multicolored Christmas lights. The pulsating
lights were perfectly synced up to the classic carols and
holiday favorites that boomed from hidden speakers around the town center.
Mason hopped up and down at the side of the
food trucks, so we made that our first stop. We
all got hot cocoa and a mammoth sized funnel cake

(29:05):
to share. Annika cupped her hot cocoa in her gloved
hands and watched as all the other families walked by, laughing, smiling,
and singing along to the Christmas carols. I watched her
face closely, and under the blinking lights, I saw a
smile shine through. Seeing her smile made me smile, and
for a moment, I let all my worries, fears, and

(29:26):
dread melt away like the marshmallows and my hot drink.
Can we ice skate? Mason asked, pulling on my coat.
The ice skating rank had been built alongside the tree
and was bordered by a lattice like fence woven with
Christmas lights. It was full crowded, but for Mason that
didn't seem to matter. It was all part of the fun,

(29:46):
and it was just refreshing to see him look so
excited after spending so many days glum and leery of me,
of course, I said, I looked down at Logan on
my other side. Why don't ice skate? Pal? Logan didn't
verbally respond. He just shook his head with a sullen
look on his face. The line for skates is gonna
start getting long, Annaka said, standing on her toes to

(30:09):
look over the crowd. What do you say, Logan? I
asked him again, when I SKay with us? Logan didn't
say a word. He did, however, look up at me
with a disapproving look on his face, And just like that,
all the dread, worry and fear that I let slip
away in favor of enjoyment with my family was back.

(30:29):
I told Annaka to go get in line and we'd
meet her there. She took Mason by the hand and
they disappeared into the crowd. I knelt down to meet
Logan at his level. Well what's wrong you feel? Okay?
He scowled at me. All you do is lie, he whispered.
I shot straight up and released an exasperated groan. Are

(30:50):
you kidding me? I said it, louder and angrier than
I should have. What what now? Since I'm such a liar,
what could I have possibly lied about? Logan endured my
loud words, never once letting up on his look of disapproval.
I leaned back down closer to him and repeated my question,
what have I lied about? The look on Logan's face

(31:13):
changed from detest to vain. He reached into his coat,
specifically to where an inside pocket was hidden just behind
the breast of it. I waited for him to extract
what I assumed would be his alleged proof. Just then
there was a hard, playful slap on my back. Startled,
I turned around and saw Lieutenant Sears standing there with
a wide smile and his new lady friend to his side, Matthew.

(31:36):
He burst out, cheerfully, Happy holidays, my good man. I
forced a smile in return, Lieutenant, I said, reaching out
to shake his hand, but instead he pulled me in
for a hug. No, not here, he said, it's Deacon.
Outside of the office. Deacon, I complied, it's good to
see you. Sears then stepped aside to present his lady friend,

(31:59):
the one that he only recently alluded to, telling me
that it was a brand new relationship. I tilted my
head at the side of her, recognizing her almost immediately
as marsh Port's lead forensic specialist, Tilly Right. I asked,
extending my hand, yes, she said, shaking back. She was
much smaller than Sears, was petite, and wore a fluffy

(32:19):
red coat and white beanie over her dark hair. I
think we've crossed paths before, but never really had a
chance to meet officially. Yeah, I agreed. Last time I
remembered seeing her was a gull's rest, where she was
examining ren Nuen's dead body. I'm sorry about what happened
at your house the other day, she added, bringing gloom
over the scene. Thank you, I said, respectfully, but trying

(32:40):
to avoid talking about it. I looked around, waiting for
Anika and Mason to return. I was there, She awkwardly added,
I examined Simon's body. I forced another fake reaction, thank
you for taking care of that. Then Tilly nodded. She
either didn't know what else to say, or was one
one of those people who would talk about work outside

(33:02):
of work and make everyone feel uncomfortable. Maybe a relationship
with someone else in the field was a good thing
for her. They'd never run out of things to talk about.
I did, however, mentally take note that she too was
at my house during the time period where Zervon was
intent on finding a new human vessel to carry on
in Sears looked down at my side, spying Logan hiding

(33:24):
behind me. Logan, he said, with the same cheerfulness he
addressed me with. I tried to step aside to let
Logan say hi, but he slunk behind me further. Sorry,
I guess he's a little shy right now, I said,
defending the mood Logan had slipped into. Just then, Anaka
and Mason walked around Sears and Tilly. They each held
two pairs of skates in their hands. Got them, she

(33:46):
excitedly said, only then realizing I was in conversation. She
said hello to Sears and then was introduced to Tilly
for the first time. She turned back to me and said,
I'll get the skates on the boys. Since you're catching
up now, I can help, I said, grabbing the extra
pair of skates from Mason, before facing Logan Sears until

(34:07):
he remained uncomfortably close. I was hoping they would just
walk away to enjoy the festival, but when they didn't,
I feared they were planning on hanging around us for
longer than I cared for. Here, Logan, let me help
you get these on, I said to him. He continued
to stare daggers into me and that's what I noticed.
Whatever he had pulled from his inside coat pocket was

(34:28):
now in his hand and in the open. It was
a piece of paper from what I could tell. What
is that? I said quietly to him, Your lie, he
hauntingly whispered back. I slowly took the paper from his hand,
only realizing once I touched it that it was a photograph.
When I turned it around in my hand, my stomach dropped.

(34:50):
It was the day's offering from the Advent calendar, the
sultry photo of Jasmine in a seductive dress with hearts
scribbled over her eyes and chest. I looked at Logan,
who was now staring at me with resentment. Did you
even love her? He quietly asked, shooting a prompt glance
behind me at Annika, your mom. Of course I do,
I whispered back, where did you get this? Before Logan

(35:14):
had a chance to say anything further, Annaka interrupted with
a small sized pair of skates in her hand. Here, Matt,
he grabbed the wrong ones. These should fit. Look. She
stopped when she saw the picture in my hand. Her
eyes shot from it to me, and then she snatched
the photo out of my hand and studied it with confusion.
What's this? She questioned me? Is this Jasmine? Her confusion

(35:36):
shifted to disgust. I was in a corner and had
no idea what I could say to ease her mind.
I looked back at Logan, who purposely avoided eye contact
with me. Matt Annaka bemoaned, seizing my attention once again,
Did Jasmine give this to you? No, no, I said,
trying to assure her that anything she might have been

(35:58):
thinking was way off. It came out of the Advent
calendar this morning. Annaka stepped back. No, she said, you
told me there was nothing in it this morning. Remember,
I just didn't want you to worry or get the
wrong idea, I sighed. Annika shook her head, unconvinced. You
also told father Olsen there was nothing in it. For once,

(36:24):
I had actually lied. I screwed up, and someone was
right to call me out on it. I looked behind
Anaka at Sears, who continued to awkwardly linger, although now
probably feeling a little uncomfortable himself. I knew where the
picture came from, but trying to explain it to Anika
in the state she was slipping into was going to

(36:45):
be impossible. I'm telling you. I began to explain it
came out of the calendar day nineteen. Come on, Anika,
you know how this calendar is. It thrives. I'm making
things stop, she demanded, and I obliged. I do know
how the calendar is, Matt, And if what your claiming
is true, not only did you lie about it, but
that would mean Jasmine has played a personal enough role

(37:07):
in your life for it to use against you. No,
I said, she doesn't. Are you having an affair? Annika
boldly asked, holding herself up behind scowling eyes. Of course not,
I stressed. It's just I just he lies, Logan provoked
from behind me. That's all he does. Mason knew it,
Steven said so, and now I could see it for myself.

(37:28):
Spun around and glared angrily at Logan. What are you doing,
I huffed between gritted teeth, exposing you for the coward
you are. He bitterly hissed, you know what, Annaka exclaimed.
I don't think I'm in the mood for this tonight.
She dumped the skates into the snow at my feet
and grabbed the boys by their hands. Where are you going,
I questioned her. Loudly, somewhere quiet, where I can think

(37:50):
and process everything. She hollered, Process what I didn't cheat?
That picture came out of the I'm tired, Annika burst out,
crying me from speaking any further. This whole month has
been one horrible nightmare after another, all the secrets and lies,
people dying all around us, and the town has seemingly
come together to hate you. I just need a break

(38:13):
from it all, Nika, I just leave me alone, she wept,
taking the boys and melting into the throng of festivalgoers.
I stood where I was, ashamed and feeling reduced to
an undesired, worthless and misunderstood burden. I was still aware
of Sears and Tilly's unsolicited presence, aware that they had

(38:36):
just witnessed what would have been a private moment between
Anika and I, but I ignored them, refusing to directly
acknowledge them. Damn it, I scornfully screamed. Thanks for listening.
If you like what you're hearing, please share it with
someone you know who loves scary stories at Christmas time.

(38:57):
If you like to read the full novel for yourself
in print, it's available in paperback, hardback, and Kindle versions
at Weird Darkness dot com slash Advent of Evil. That's
also where you can go to hear each of the
twenty four chapters as they're posted. I'm Darren Marler. Thanks
for celebrating Advent with me in the Weird Darkness