December 6, 2025 • 28 mins
The bloody cross from door number five finally reveals its victim, and when Matt opens door six to find a miniature lion, he races to prevent another tragedy—only to come face-to-face with a masked killer in a deadly confrontation.
Get the print version of the novel: https://weirddarkness.com/AdventOfEvil
#WeirdDarkness #ChristmasHorror #HolidayHorror #SupernaturalThriller #HauntedCalendar #DarkChristmas #HorrorStory #DemonicEvil #CreepyTales #YuletideTerror
Get the print version of the novel: https://weirddarkness.com/AdventOfEvil
#WeirdDarkness #ChristmasHorror #HolidayHorror #SupernaturalThriller #HauntedCalendar #DarkChristmas #HorrorStory #DemonicEvil #CreepyTales #YuletideTerror
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Officer Matthew Kleines. December began when a mysterious advent calendar
appeared on his doorstep. Twenty four doors, no sender, and
a carved bearded face with hollow eyes watching from its center.
Behind the first door was a miniature house that burst
into flames in his palm, identical to Matt's childhood home
(00:24):
that burned on Christmas Eve thirty years ago. That night,
the damaged voice whispered, Uncle David, can you hear us?
The second door revealed a red feather. Hours later, Pastor
Hart's minivan crashed when a cardinal smashed through his windshield.
Matt learned his best friend's san zak had been visited
(00:46):
by a strange boy who smelled of campfire and convinced
him to attack a local cafe. When Matt tried opening
the third door early, a shadowy child appeared with a warning,
follow the rules or the consequences will be Behind door
three was a crystal star. Stars appeared everywhere that day,
(01:07):
on police crests, street addresses, nativity scenes, City planner bridget
Car was found dead beneath Marshport's Christmas tree, the giant
decorative star embedded in her skull. The fourth door held
a police mugshot, Uncle David, the demon of Bayville, a
serial killer, a mysterious, burning smell filled marshboard. The shadowy
(01:31):
figure returned, and Matt realized the horrifying truth. It was
his little brother, Stephen, killed in the nineteen ninety five
fire that started when two boys used a spirit board
to contact their dead uncle. Behind the fifth door was
a blood covered cross. Matt confessed everything to his wife, Anika,
the house fire, his serial killer uncle, his real name Norris.
(01:55):
Terrified for Pastor Hart, they raced to the hospital, only
to find himself. But Matt knew the calendar had deceived him.
Somewhere in Marshport, someone else was already dead. Five Doors opened,
nineteen remain, and December's darkest secrets are still to come.
(02:53):
Welcome Weirdos. I'm Darren Marler, and this is Weird Darkness's
Advent of Evil, a holiday horror novel written by 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. We'll
(03:13):
unlock one chapter 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 paperback, 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. Saturday, December sixth
(03:45):
I watched the glowing red numbers on my clock radio
switch over to twelve am. After rushing to the hospital
to make sure Pastor Heart was okay, and seeing him
up and about, laughing and joking, I was certain that
I was deceived by the Advent calend. The bloody cross
coming out from behind its fifth door seemed ominously obvious
(04:06):
on the surface, but had proven to be a faulty
piece of the messy puzzle. In the end. The rest
of the day had gone by without incident. Lewis Chambers
never got back with me about any strange calls. The
news didn't report on anything out of the ordinary. It
was almost like the calendar had made a mistake, or
(04:26):
at least that's what it wanted me to think. The
calendar had yet to fail. Why would it start now?
I lay wide awake, listening to Anika softly snore next
to me, racking my brain on what the bloody cross
could mean. I didn't remember ever going to church when
I was younger, so I knew a personal connection was
(04:48):
out of the question. The thing that made the most
sense past her heart turned out to be a dead
end as far as the church went. I made sure
to drive by it twice before dinnertime. Nothing was out
of place. Everything was neat and tidy and eerily uneventful.
Maybe this was the calender's latest ruse to antagonize my psyche.
(05:13):
I slowly climbed out of bed and crept through the house,
ending up in the living room. I flipped on the
light and stared at the advent calendar in front of me.
It stood upright on the table next to the fireplace,
like an uninvited, unhinged house guest. I didn't want it there,
or anywhere near my house for that matter. I meandered closer,
(05:33):
keeping my eyes glued on it, like my subconscious was
expecting it to make a move. Once I was within
reaching distance, I knelt down so I was eye level
with it. I studied the wooden intruder closer than I
ever had before. I looked at each of the twenty
four doors, all with their numbers stenciled on. I counted
(05:54):
them all, making sure it checked out numerically. It did.
I looked at the engraved bearded man in the middle
once again. My first thoughts were of Santa, but they
were quickly replaced by a nameless entity. Could this have
been a portrait, maybe even a self portrait by the
person who carved it. I couldn't think of anyone in
(06:15):
Marshport who shared a similar appearance. This really got me wondering, though,
who did make it, who left it at our door.
I stood up and lifted the calendar off the table,
feeling its weight in my hands. It was heavy. The
wood it was made from was burly and solid. I
(06:37):
adjusted it in my grip and looked at the back.
The back was different from the front, was flat, untextured,
and seemed to have black knots embedded deep in the wood.
I noticed a small blemish near the bottom. I had
to look closely to decipher what it was. It was
a tiny engraving of a snake shaped like a sharp
(06:57):
angled Z heard a noise behind me and turned around
to see Mason standing in the archway, rubbing his eyes
and loosely carrying a stuffed bear in his hand. Mason,
I said, placing the calendar back down on the table
and picking him up instead. What are you doing up?
I smelled something bad, Mason said, Oh? Really, what was it?
(07:19):
I dunno, Mason said, groggily, it smelled like a burned toast.
Burned toast, I repeated back, trying to sound light and
unbothered by it, But truthfully, when he said it, I
feared the fantasmal burning odor had returned to the house. Somewhere.
We can burn you some toast in the morning, I added,
(07:41):
as a joke, and then carried him back up to
his room. I lay Mason down in his bed and
covered him with his sheets and comforter. Did I have
another blanket? It's cold? Mason asked, sure, I said, retrieving
an extra blanket from a basket by the window. I
glanced outside and and the glow of our outdoor Christmas lights.
(08:01):
I saw the snow falling silently outside. The dark. The
quiet it unnerved me. I laid out the extra blanket
over Mason and kissed him on the forehead. Yahn't I, buddy,
I whispered Dad. Mason said. As I was trying to
leave the room, I walked back to his side. His
(08:22):
eyes were still closed as he tried to fall asleep.
What's in the advent calendar that you guys don't want
us to see? I could feel my forehead crinkle. What
do you mean? Mason's eyes opened? Mob said that we
weren't allowed to have those gifts anymore, but didn't Santa
give it to us? I struggled with how to respond.
(08:43):
We had told the boys it was an early gift
from Santa, but that was when we thought it might
have contained small toys or treats. Since then, obviously things
had taken a darker turn. Well, your mom and I
were mistaken. It wasn't from Santa after all, I said,
Who I say it from? Then? I don't know, I said,
(09:06):
but I'll figure it out. In his drowsy state, Mason smiled. Okay,
good night, I said, again, with an extra kiss to
his forehead. As I was about to leave the room,
Mason spoke up again. Is that calendar dangerous? Stopped in
the doorway, my hand on the knob. I thought for
(09:27):
a moment and then said, no, buddy, it's not dangerous.
You're not lying, are you? A startling question jolted me.
I hated lying to him, but I didn't want him
to worry about something that even I didn't understand. No,
I softly said, you're not lying, are you? He asked again,
(09:50):
almost in the exact same weary tone he had before.
I wasn't sure if he was conscious or drifting to sleep.
I waited a moment longer, but chose not to answer.
I quietly closed the door and placed my back against
the wall in the hallway, taking a deep breath to
calm the shakiness that was starting to ripple through me.
(10:11):
I sensed it again, the odor. Something smelled like it
was burning. Mason had smelled something. Then I felt the
presence of something else, someone else. I snapped my head
to the right and looked down the hallway. For a
brief moment, I thought I had seen the silhouette to
the small boy standing at the end of it. But
(10:33):
as my eyes adjusted, with only a small night light
in the hallway as my help, everything blended together as shadows,
and I couldn't be certain I saw anything at all.
I surprised myself by actually falling back to sleep. Daylight
shined in through the bedroom window. When I opened my eyes.
(10:53):
As they fluttered open, I smelled something burning again. I
quickly sat up in bed and sniffed. The air was strong,
like whatever it was was right there in the room
with me. Beside me in bed, Annika was still asleep.
And then I heard a crash from downstairs. Annaka heard
it too, and instinctively jumped out of bed. We rushed
(11:13):
out of the bedroom and down the stairs. In the
living room, Logan sat on the couch watching The Grinch
on TV. Another noise came from the kitchen, like the
clinking of glass. We raced in to see a plate
broken on the floor and Mason standing on the countertop
trying to fetch another one from within the cabinet. Honey,
you're going to get hurt, Annika said, rushing over to
(11:34):
him while trying to dodge the ceramic shards on the floor.
Just then, the toaster popped and a blackened piece of
toast shot up and landed on the counter, right next
to where Mason had been standing before Anika scooped him up.
I picked up the toast and looked at Mason. I
was hungry for toast. He said, in an innocent shrug
in Anika's arms. After last night, Anaka looked at me
(11:57):
with curiosity. Last night Mason was up and thought he
smelled burned toast, I explained, Daddy was in the living
room with the advent calendar. Mason said. Annaka looked at
me again. He lied about it, mommy. Annika looked at
Mason and then to me again. What do you mean
he lied about it? He said it wasn't dangerous. It's not,
(12:21):
I said, trying to diffuse the situation. It's just a calendar.
But he killed someone, Mason said, taking Annikus and my
breath away. Annika sat Mason down on the floor and
crouched down to meet him at eye level. Where did
you hear that, Mason? Mason clammed up and shrugged. Annika
looked at me for any further details, But I only shrugged.
(12:43):
I hadn't said anything to him about that, and by
the look on Anika's face, she hadn't either. I'll make
you some more toast, she said to him, some that's
not burned. Go see if your brother wants some. Mason
jogged off into the living room, and Anika stood up
from her crouched position and faced me. Where did he
hear that? Annika whispered, I shrugged school. Maybe Annika shook
(13:08):
her head. He might have heard about Bridget's death at school,
but why would he connect that to the Advent calendar.
I didn't have an answer. It didn't make sense. Annika
and I were so careful not to scare the kids
with it. She told them they couldn't have the gifts
that were inside it anymore. But it would have been
a stretch for him to assume the Advent Calendar was
capable of anything malicious at all. Login Ond's toast too,
(13:32):
Mason called out from the living room. I glanced in
and saw both of the boys now sitting on the
couch watching the Grinch. Annak aside. I'll make breakfast, she said,
Can you get a broom and sweep this up. I
went to the closet and grabbed a broom and dustpan.
Only then did I have a moment of silence to myself.
(13:53):
In that brief moment of tranquility, I thought back to
yesterday's advent surprise, the bloody. My stomach twisted at the
thought of it and its mysterious, still unknown meaning. Once
the kitchen was cleaned up and breakfast was had. Anika
hopped in the shower to ready herself for the day
(14:15):
she was going Christmas shopping with Jasmine. Logan and Mason
continued their marathon of Christmas shows on TV, and I
paced back and forth in the kitchen, drinking coffee after coffee.
The caffeine was starting to tickle my nerves as I
couldn't help but keep thinking of the bloody Cross, and
because that was yesterday's hidden surprise, I wondered what was
hidden behind door number six. An idea popped into my head.
(14:40):
What if I opened door six without ever knowing what
fives stood for? Would it void any potential meaning? Would
it parlay with the Cross? I didn't spend too much
time thinking about the possibilities. I charged into the living
room and stood before the wooden menace. I looked it
up and down and centered my focus on the number
six stenciled on the small door, glancing over my shoulder
(15:04):
to make sure the boys were still preoccupied with whatever
was playing on TV. I sat my coffee down on
the fireplace mantle and pinched the little black handle on
door number six. I pulled it open and grabbed what
was inside. It was a miniature lion painted in shades
of yellow and orange. Its mouth was stuck in mid roar,
and the weavy design of its mane made it look
(15:25):
as if it were in motion. Oh cool, Mason exclaimed
from behind me. I turned and saw him standing at
my side, gawking at the lion. Can we play with
that one? He asked. Logan hopped up from the couch
and quickly joined us as well. I shook my head. No,
I said, Mason's excitement dissipated because it's dangerous, right, he
(15:47):
asked flatly. Is that lion gonna hurt someone too? I
shoved the lion into my pocket, of course not, I said,
it's a toy. Why is that stuff? Didrous? Logan, curious,
asked Mason faced his older brother. He want callous, he said,
referring to me. Someone died the other day because of
(16:07):
that advent calendar. Logan looked up at me with wide
eyes in his mouth. Agape. Really, boys, just go back
and watch your cartoons, I said, feeling overwhelmed. There's nothing
wrong with the calendar. We just don't know who gave
it to us, so we're a little leery. Of it.
That's all the stuff inside doesn't make much sense. They're
(16:28):
not really toys. That looked like a toy, Mason said,
pointing to my pocket where the lion now rested. Well
it's not, I said, as a final statement on the topic,
and retreated to the kitchen. Once there, I pulled the
lion back out and thought back to Monday when Zach
Welch attacked the cook at the Joe and Go cafe
(16:48):
wearing a lion mask. A sinking feeling in my stomach
made me worry for that man again, Carl Martin. Once
Aniko was out of the shower, I told her about
the lion and that I wanted to run by the
cafe to ease my mind before she went shopping. She
was reluctant at first, seeing as how the bloody Cross
hadn't panned out to be anything. Well, I still have
(17:10):
to blow dry my hair and put on some makeup,
as long as you're not much longer than thirty minutes
or so, she said. I agreed that i'd be back
in time, and then rushed out of the house, still
in my flannel pajamas but wrapped in my winter coat.
I drove through town in silence, no radio, nothing, I
just got my eyes focused on the road, navigating the
snowy world, and eventually pulling up along the curb in
(17:33):
front of the Joe and go. From the outside, everything
looked normal, and I prayed that everything inside was also
on the up and up. I walked in, stuffing the
car keys into my pocket, and examined the establishment. It
was busy, but then again, it was Saturday. A lot
of people were off work and looking for a nice,
easy breakfast. The booths were all filled, as were the
(17:55):
tables and every single barstool at the counter. A young
man a tear was behind the counter taking one of
the patron's orders. Another teenager a girl was serving several
plates of hot food to the booth. In the far corner,
I noticed a third employee, a middle aged woman wearing
an apron with the cafe logo front and center. She
was standing behind the cash register in putting totals from
(18:17):
a receipt in her hand. I approached her. Excuse me,
I said, trying to be polite and not overly anxious
about the dread that was living within me. I'll be
right with you, she said, without making eye contact. A
table should be opening up soon. I leaned on the counter.
I was actually wondering if Carl Martin was working today.
(18:37):
The woman looked up from the register and recognized to me,
you're the cop from earlier this week, she said, I nodded.
Carl's in the back. We've got a lot of orders
and not much help today, a call off and a
no show. Is this an emergency? I breathed a sigh
of relief he was there. At least nothing had happened
to him. No, I was thankful to say, not an emergency.
(18:59):
I can tell to him some other time. Just then,
Carl pushed the door from the kitchen open and carried
out two plates full of hot food. He set them
on the counter and shouted order up. Before he returned
to the kitchen, he saw me. He looked tired, sweaty,
like he was working as a one man show officer Clyne.
Carl said with an abbreviated wave, Everything good. I nodded, yeah,
(19:23):
just checking on you. Carl stopped for what might have
been the first time all morning. Not only did he
look overburdened by work, but I also caught a glimpse
of worry on his face. I'm fine, he said. He
was really busy today. A second cook called off and
gwham won't answer her phone. I didn't want to start
overthinking the situation. But the pink cared barista that served
(19:44):
me my morning coffee most mornings, the daughter of the
head cook was the no show at work. I like
her to not show up, Carl added, now, showing genuine
worry and not just hinting at it with his demeanor.
He walked closer to me. Days or I was busy
as our sundays. You're right after church. She knows that
(20:05):
was she here yesterday? I asked, Yeah, but I haven't
heard from her since her shift was over. I just
stood there, watching the distress continue to flush down his
face like a waterfall of concernment. Carl looked me up
and down, taking in my pajamas and coat. You're not
working today, he stated coldly. Then his eyes met mine.
(20:25):
But could you do me a very professional favor? Sure?
I nodded. Can you drive by her apartment? May maybe
knock on the door, see if she's all right. Carl
turned back to the busy establishment behind him. If I
wasn't the only one here, I'd do it. Myself. I
could tell how worried he was. He looked numb, almost
(20:46):
disconnected from his job, and probably operating on autopilot. I
knew I would be just as concerned if Mason or
Logan or even Anika were supposed to be somewhere but
weren't without any explanation or communication, that would be enough
to make me sick. I didn't see how Karl was
still able to even work. Of course, I said, what's
(21:08):
her address? I was back on the snowy roads to
Marshport within a minute or two of Carl giving me
Gwen's address. She lived across town, just around the corner
from Frye Nest, in an apartment complex called Horizon Park.
It was a small block of apartments made up of
one story residences that hugged a lengthy tree line. During
(21:30):
the fall and winter, through the bare trees, a cove
was visible. During the spring and summer, when the trees
were in full bloom, they acted as a thick, lush
barrier to the small ocean inlet. I pulled into an
empty parking space and walked the narrow, snow covered sidewalk
down to her apartment. My boots crunched loudly, with each
step seemingly the only sound in the world. As I
(21:51):
approached Gwen's door, I knocked three times and then stuffed
my cold hands into my pockets. From what I understood,
lived alone, and she didn't have a romantic partner, so
if she was sick or hurt and unable to make
a phone call, no one would have known about it.
Behind me, I heard a loud, roaring machine kick on.
(22:13):
I turned and saw who I assumed to be the
Horizon part maintenance man revving up a snowblower on another
sidewalk perpendicular to the one I'd walked down. Impatiently, I
turned back to Gwen's door again and knocked harder. I
heard something, this time, something inside her apartment. It was
a thud or a clunk, like a door shutting. I
(22:33):
put my ear to the door in an attempt to
hear it better, but the snowblower was making it difficult
and starting to tug on my anxiety. Gwen. I called
out my ear to the cold surface of the door.
There was no response. I wasn't there on official police business,
but rather a request from Carl, someone who trusted me
(22:54):
off the clock to check on his daughter. It was
a request that someone would usually ask a friend, and
as that friend, I felt the need to enter the
apartment to be sure Gwen was okay. I turned the doorknob,
expecting it to be locked and have to use force
of some kind to enter, But to my surprise, the
knob turned with ease and I opened the door. It
(23:15):
creaked inward, revealing a mostly darkened living room. Aside from
a small tabletop Christmas tree in the far corner that
was glowing and throbbing in multi colored lights, there weren't
any other lights on. I stepped in, leaving the door
open behind me for a natural light source. Gwen, I
called out again, but to the same non existent response.
(23:38):
The silence inside was overwhelming, and the muffled roar of
the snow blower outside continued to dance uncomfortably on my nerves.
I slowly walked through the living room, eyeing every wall
in every corner to see where the thud I had
heard originated from. So far, nothing looked out of place.
I turned the corner to a very short hallway where
(23:59):
there was three doors I assumed to be a bathroom,
a bedroom, and a closet. All three were closed. I
stopped where they converged around me, and I listened Gwen.
I said again, a little softer this time, I was
still met with dead silence. As my heart rate began
to pick up. I opened the door to my right.
(24:20):
It was a linen closet. I closed it and faced
the door ahead of me. I turned the knob and
pushed it open. It was the bedroom, cast in darkness.
I pulled my phone out of my pocket, turned on
the flashlight, and aimed it straight ahead. The glow landed
immediately upon the bed, and that's when all the feeling
in my face went numb, my body stiffened, and my
(24:41):
breathing came to a sudden halt. Gwen lay on her
bed on her back, with her arms and legs spread
out to the side, and buried deep in her chest
was a metal cross. The blood had stained the area
of her clothing at the puncture and had spilled down
onto the sheet surrounder. From where I stood, The blood
(25:03):
looked dry, like it had possibly been hours since she
was killed. I heard another door click open out in
the hallway. Startled. I spun around and was terrified by
what I saw. Someone stood in the hallway the bathroom
door opened beside them, wearing a lion mask upon their head,
the same one that Zach Welch wore when he attacked
Carl earlier in the week. Gripped in their hand was
(25:24):
a crowbar. The similarities to the attack on Carl Martin
were uncanny. Zach I questioned the masked assailant. He didn't respond. Instead,
he charged me with his weapon raised above his head.
I stumbled backward and nearly tripped over the edge of
the bed as the crowbar came slicing down through the air.
I spun out of the way just as the heavy
metal bar missed me and smacked the bed. I regained
(25:45):
my balance and tried to run for the door, but
the lion masked killer jumped in front of me, his
crowbar out to the side. I gripped my teeth and
lunged at him, shoving him back into the wall, where
a framed photo of Gwen graduating high school came crashing
down to the floor. The mass command lost his balance
and fell into the shadows. As I ran from the bedroom,
through the apartment and out into the bright, blinding light outside.
(26:07):
I ran through the snow and into the parking lot
where I turned and faced Gwen's apartment. I called nine
one one on my phone to report the murder and
the attack, all while keeping an eye on the open door,
awaiting the masked man to emerge. However, as the minutes
ticked by, he never came out. The police arrived, as
did the paramedics, and fired apartment. It was quickly determined
(26:29):
by a forensics team that Gwen had been killed the
day before, officially connecting her murder where a metal cross
was used with the small metal cross that I pulled
from the advent calendar, and as for the little lion
toy that I opened only a short time earlier. It
was hard not to make the connection to the masked
man in the apartment, the one who not only attacked me,
(26:49):
but also more than likely killed Gwen Martin. My fears
were confirmed not long after the police arrived. Before they
entered the apartment to do their sweep, come across the
body themselves. The masked maniac staggered out through the front
door at the shouting commands from the swarm of officers,
when he dropped to his knees and tossed the crowbar
aside into the snow. Two officers apprehended him as a
(27:12):
third tore off his mask. Zach Welch looked disoriented and
dead behind the eyes. Thanks for listening. If you like
what you're hearing, please share it with someone you know
who loves scary stories at Christmas time. If you like
to read the full novel for yourself in print, it's
available in paperback, hardback, and kindle versions at Weird Darkness
(27:36):
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. He
Officer Matthew Kleines. December began when a mysterious advent calendar
appeared on his doorstep. Twenty four doors, no sender, and
a carved bearded face with hollow eyes watching from its center.
Behind the first door was a miniature house that burst
into flames in his palm, identical to Matt's childhood home
(00:24):
that burned on Christmas Eve thirty years ago. That night,
the damaged voice whispered, Uncle David, can you hear us?
The second door revealed a red feather. Hours later, Pastor
Hart's minivan crashed when a cardinal smashed through his windshield.
Matt learned his best friend's san zak had been visited
(00:46):
by a strange boy who smelled of campfire and convinced
him to attack a local cafe. When Matt tried opening
the third door early, a shadowy child appeared with a warning,
follow the rules or the consequences will be Behind door
three was a crystal star. Stars appeared everywhere that day,
(01:07):
on police crests, street addresses, nativity scenes, City planner bridget
Car was found dead beneath Marshport's Christmas tree, the giant
decorative star embedded in her skull. The fourth door held
a police mugshot, Uncle David, the demon of Bayville, a
serial killer, a mysterious, burning smell filled marshboard. The shadowy
(01:31):
figure returned, and Matt realized the horrifying truth. It was
his little brother, Stephen, killed in the nineteen ninety five
fire that started when two boys used a spirit board
to contact their dead uncle. Behind the fifth door was
a blood covered cross. Matt confessed everything to his wife, Anika,
the house fire, his serial killer uncle, his real name Norris.
(01:55):
Terrified for Pastor Hart, they raced to the hospital, only
to find himself. But Matt knew the calendar had deceived him.
Somewhere in Marshport, someone else was already dead. Five Doors opened,
nineteen remain, and December's darkest secrets are still to come.
(02:53):
Welcome Weirdos. I'm Darren Marler, and this is Weird Darkness's
Advent of Evil, a holiday horror novel written by 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. We'll
(03:13):
unlock one chapter 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 paperback, 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. Saturday, December sixth
(03:45):
I watched the glowing red numbers on my clock radio
switch over to twelve am. After rushing to the hospital
to make sure Pastor Heart was okay, and seeing him
up and about, laughing and joking, I was certain that
I was deceived by the Advent calend. The bloody cross
coming out from behind its fifth door seemed ominously obvious
(04:06):
on the surface, but had proven to be a faulty
piece of the messy puzzle. In the end. The rest
of the day had gone by without incident. Lewis Chambers
never got back with me about any strange calls. The
news didn't report on anything out of the ordinary. It
was almost like the calendar had made a mistake, or
(04:26):
at least that's what it wanted me to think. The
calendar had yet to fail. Why would it start now?
I lay wide awake, listening to Anika softly snore next
to me, racking my brain on what the bloody cross
could mean. I didn't remember ever going to church when
I was younger, so I knew a personal connection was
(04:48):
out of the question. The thing that made the most
sense past her heart turned out to be a dead
end as far as the church went. I made sure
to drive by it twice before dinnertime. Nothing was out
of place. Everything was neat and tidy and eerily uneventful.
Maybe this was the calender's latest ruse to antagonize my psyche.
(05:13):
I slowly climbed out of bed and crept through the house,
ending up in the living room. I flipped on the
light and stared at the advent calendar in front of me.
It stood upright on the table next to the fireplace,
like an uninvited, unhinged house guest. I didn't want it there,
or anywhere near my house for that matter. I meandered closer,
(05:33):
keeping my eyes glued on it, like my subconscious was
expecting it to make a move. Once I was within
reaching distance, I knelt down so I was eye level
with it. I studied the wooden intruder closer than I
ever had before. I looked at each of the twenty
four doors, all with their numbers stenciled on. I counted
(05:54):
them all, making sure it checked out numerically. It did.
I looked at the engraved bearded man in the middle
once again. My first thoughts were of Santa, but they
were quickly replaced by a nameless entity. Could this have
been a portrait, maybe even a self portrait by the
person who carved it. I couldn't think of anyone in
(06:15):
Marshport who shared a similar appearance. This really got me wondering, though,
who did make it, who left it at our door.
I stood up and lifted the calendar off the table,
feeling its weight in my hands. It was heavy. The
wood it was made from was burly and solid. I
(06:37):
adjusted it in my grip and looked at the back.
The back was different from the front, was flat, untextured,
and seemed to have black knots embedded deep in the wood.
I noticed a small blemish near the bottom. I had
to look closely to decipher what it was. It was
a tiny engraving of a snake shaped like a sharp
(06:57):
angled Z heard a noise behind me and turned around
to see Mason standing in the archway, rubbing his eyes
and loosely carrying a stuffed bear in his hand. Mason,
I said, placing the calendar back down on the table
and picking him up instead. What are you doing up?
I smelled something bad, Mason said, Oh? Really, what was it?
(07:19):
I dunno, Mason said, groggily, it smelled like a burned toast.
Burned toast, I repeated back, trying to sound light and
unbothered by it, But truthfully, when he said it, I
feared the fantasmal burning odor had returned to the house. Somewhere.
We can burn you some toast in the morning, I added,
(07:41):
as a joke, and then carried him back up to
his room. I lay Mason down in his bed and
covered him with his sheets and comforter. Did I have
another blanket? It's cold? Mason asked, sure, I said, retrieving
an extra blanket from a basket by the window. I
glanced outside and and the glow of our outdoor Christmas lights.
(08:01):
I saw the snow falling silently outside. The dark. The
quiet it unnerved me. I laid out the extra blanket
over Mason and kissed him on the forehead. Yahn't I, buddy,
I whispered Dad. Mason said. As I was trying to
leave the room, I walked back to his side. His
(08:22):
eyes were still closed as he tried to fall asleep.
What's in the advent calendar that you guys don't want
us to see? I could feel my forehead crinkle. What
do you mean? Mason's eyes opened? Mob said that we
weren't allowed to have those gifts anymore, but didn't Santa
give it to us? I struggled with how to respond.
(08:43):
We had told the boys it was an early gift
from Santa, but that was when we thought it might
have contained small toys or treats. Since then, obviously things
had taken a darker turn. Well, your mom and I
were mistaken. It wasn't from Santa after all, I said,
Who I say it from? Then? I don't know, I said,
(09:06):
but I'll figure it out. In his drowsy state, Mason smiled. Okay,
good night, I said, again, with an extra kiss to
his forehead. As I was about to leave the room,
Mason spoke up again. Is that calendar dangerous? Stopped in
the doorway, my hand on the knob. I thought for
(09:27):
a moment and then said, no, buddy, it's not dangerous.
You're not lying, are you? A startling question jolted me.
I hated lying to him, but I didn't want him
to worry about something that even I didn't understand. No,
I softly said, you're not lying, are you? He asked again,
(09:50):
almost in the exact same weary tone he had before.
I wasn't sure if he was conscious or drifting to sleep.
I waited a moment longer, but chose not to answer.
I quietly closed the door and placed my back against
the wall in the hallway, taking a deep breath to
calm the shakiness that was starting to ripple through me.
(10:11):
I sensed it again, the odor. Something smelled like it
was burning. Mason had smelled something. Then I felt the
presence of something else, someone else. I snapped my head
to the right and looked down the hallway. For a
brief moment, I thought I had seen the silhouette to
the small boy standing at the end of it. But
(10:33):
as my eyes adjusted, with only a small night light
in the hallway as my help, everything blended together as shadows,
and I couldn't be certain I saw anything at all.
I surprised myself by actually falling back to sleep. Daylight
shined in through the bedroom window. When I opened my eyes.
(10:53):
As they fluttered open, I smelled something burning again. I
quickly sat up in bed and sniffed. The air was strong,
like whatever it was was right there in the room
with me. Beside me in bed, Annika was still asleep.
And then I heard a crash from downstairs. Annaka heard
it too, and instinctively jumped out of bed. We rushed
(11:13):
out of the bedroom and down the stairs. In the
living room, Logan sat on the couch watching The Grinch
on TV. Another noise came from the kitchen, like the
clinking of glass. We raced in to see a plate
broken on the floor and Mason standing on the countertop
trying to fetch another one from within the cabinet. Honey,
you're going to get hurt, Annika said, rushing over to
(11:34):
him while trying to dodge the ceramic shards on the floor.
Just then, the toaster popped and a blackened piece of
toast shot up and landed on the counter, right next
to where Mason had been standing before Anika scooped him up.
I picked up the toast and looked at Mason. I
was hungry for toast. He said, in an innocent shrug
in Anika's arms. After last night, Anaka looked at me
(11:57):
with curiosity. Last night Mason was up and thought he
smelled burned toast, I explained, Daddy was in the living
room with the advent calendar. Mason said. Annaka looked at
me again. He lied about it, mommy. Annika looked at
Mason and then to me again. What do you mean
he lied about it? He said it wasn't dangerous. It's not,
(12:21):
I said, trying to diffuse the situation. It's just a calendar.
But he killed someone, Mason said, taking Annikus and my
breath away. Annika sat Mason down on the floor and
crouched down to meet him at eye level. Where did
you hear that, Mason? Mason clammed up and shrugged. Annika
looked at me for any further details, But I only shrugged.
(12:43):
I hadn't said anything to him about that, and by
the look on Anika's face, she hadn't either. I'll make
you some more toast, she said to him, some that's
not burned. Go see if your brother wants some. Mason
jogged off into the living room, and Anika stood up
from her crouched position and faced me. Where did he
hear that? Annika whispered, I shrugged school. Maybe Annika shook
(13:08):
her head. He might have heard about Bridget's death at school,
but why would he connect that to the Advent calendar.
I didn't have an answer. It didn't make sense. Annika
and I were so careful not to scare the kids
with it. She told them they couldn't have the gifts
that were inside it anymore. But it would have been
a stretch for him to assume the Advent Calendar was
capable of anything malicious at all. Login Ond's toast too,
(13:32):
Mason called out from the living room. I glanced in
and saw both of the boys now sitting on the
couch watching the Grinch. Annak aside. I'll make breakfast, she said,
Can you get a broom and sweep this up. I
went to the closet and grabbed a broom and dustpan.
Only then did I have a moment of silence to myself.
(13:53):
In that brief moment of tranquility, I thought back to
yesterday's advent surprise, the bloody. My stomach twisted at the
thought of it and its mysterious, still unknown meaning. Once
the kitchen was cleaned up and breakfast was had. Anika
hopped in the shower to ready herself for the day
(14:15):
she was going Christmas shopping with Jasmine. Logan and Mason
continued their marathon of Christmas shows on TV, and I
paced back and forth in the kitchen, drinking coffee after coffee.
The caffeine was starting to tickle my nerves as I
couldn't help but keep thinking of the bloody Cross, and
because that was yesterday's hidden surprise, I wondered what was
hidden behind door number six. An idea popped into my head.
(14:40):
What if I opened door six without ever knowing what
fives stood for? Would it void any potential meaning? Would
it parlay with the Cross? I didn't spend too much
time thinking about the possibilities. I charged into the living
room and stood before the wooden menace. I looked it
up and down and centered my focus on the number
six stenciled on the small door, glancing over my shoulder
(15:04):
to make sure the boys were still preoccupied with whatever
was playing on TV. I sat my coffee down on
the fireplace mantle and pinched the little black handle on
door number six. I pulled it open and grabbed what
was inside. It was a miniature lion painted in shades
of yellow and orange. Its mouth was stuck in mid roar,
and the weavy design of its mane made it look
(15:25):
as if it were in motion. Oh cool, Mason exclaimed
from behind me. I turned and saw him standing at
my side, gawking at the lion. Can we play with
that one? He asked. Logan hopped up from the couch
and quickly joined us as well. I shook my head. No,
I said, Mason's excitement dissipated because it's dangerous, right, he
(15:47):
asked flatly. Is that lion gonna hurt someone too? I
shoved the lion into my pocket, of course not, I said,
it's a toy. Why is that stuff? Didrous? Logan, curious,
asked Mason faced his older brother. He want callous, he said,
referring to me. Someone died the other day because of
(16:07):
that advent calendar. Logan looked up at me with wide
eyes in his mouth. Agape. Really, boys, just go back
and watch your cartoons, I said, feeling overwhelmed. There's nothing
wrong with the calendar. We just don't know who gave
it to us, so we're a little leery. Of it.
That's all the stuff inside doesn't make much sense. They're
(16:28):
not really toys. That looked like a toy, Mason said,
pointing to my pocket where the lion now rested. Well
it's not, I said, as a final statement on the topic,
and retreated to the kitchen. Once there, I pulled the
lion back out and thought back to Monday when Zach
Welch attacked the cook at the Joe and Go cafe
(16:48):
wearing a lion mask. A sinking feeling in my stomach
made me worry for that man again, Carl Martin. Once
Aniko was out of the shower, I told her about
the lion and that I wanted to run by the
cafe to ease my mind before she went shopping. She
was reluctant at first, seeing as how the bloody Cross
hadn't panned out to be anything. Well, I still have
(17:10):
to blow dry my hair and put on some makeup,
as long as you're not much longer than thirty minutes
or so, she said. I agreed that i'd be back
in time, and then rushed out of the house, still
in my flannel pajamas but wrapped in my winter coat.
I drove through town in silence, no radio, nothing, I
just got my eyes focused on the road, navigating the
snowy world, and eventually pulling up along the curb in
(17:33):
front of the Joe and go. From the outside, everything
looked normal, and I prayed that everything inside was also
on the up and up. I walked in, stuffing the
car keys into my pocket, and examined the establishment. It
was busy, but then again, it was Saturday. A lot
of people were off work and looking for a nice,
easy breakfast. The booths were all filled, as were the
(17:55):
tables and every single barstool at the counter. A young
man a tear was behind the counter taking one of
the patron's orders. Another teenager a girl was serving several
plates of hot food to the booth. In the far corner,
I noticed a third employee, a middle aged woman wearing
an apron with the cafe logo front and center. She
was standing behind the cash register in putting totals from
(18:17):
a receipt in her hand. I approached her. Excuse me,
I said, trying to be polite and not overly anxious
about the dread that was living within me. I'll be
right with you, she said, without making eye contact. A
table should be opening up soon. I leaned on the counter.
I was actually wondering if Carl Martin was working today.
(18:37):
The woman looked up from the register and recognized to me,
you're the cop from earlier this week, she said, I nodded.
Carl's in the back. We've got a lot of orders
and not much help today, a call off and a
no show. Is this an emergency? I breathed a sigh
of relief he was there. At least nothing had happened
to him. No, I was thankful to say, not an emergency.
(18:59):
I can tell to him some other time. Just then,
Carl pushed the door from the kitchen open and carried
out two plates full of hot food. He set them
on the counter and shouted order up. Before he returned
to the kitchen, he saw me. He looked tired, sweaty,
like he was working as a one man show officer Clyne.
Carl said with an abbreviated wave, Everything good. I nodded, yeah,
(19:23):
just checking on you. Carl stopped for what might have
been the first time all morning. Not only did he
look overburdened by work, but I also caught a glimpse
of worry on his face. I'm fine, he said. He
was really busy today. A second cook called off and
gwham won't answer her phone. I didn't want to start
overthinking the situation. But the pink cared barista that served
(19:44):
me my morning coffee most mornings, the daughter of the
head cook was the no show at work. I like
her to not show up, Carl added, now, showing genuine
worry and not just hinting at it with his demeanor.
He walked closer to me. Days or I was busy
as our sundays. You're right after church. She knows that
(20:05):
was she here yesterday? I asked, Yeah, but I haven't
heard from her since her shift was over. I just
stood there, watching the distress continue to flush down his
face like a waterfall of concernment. Carl looked me up
and down, taking in my pajamas and coat. You're not
working today, he stated coldly. Then his eyes met mine.
(20:25):
But could you do me a very professional favor? Sure?
I nodded. Can you drive by her apartment? May maybe
knock on the door, see if she's all right. Carl
turned back to the busy establishment behind him. If I
wasn't the only one here, I'd do it. Myself. I
could tell how worried he was. He looked numb, almost
(20:46):
disconnected from his job, and probably operating on autopilot. I
knew I would be just as concerned if Mason or
Logan or even Anika were supposed to be somewhere but
weren't without any explanation or communication, that would be enough
to make me sick. I didn't see how Karl was
still able to even work. Of course, I said, what's
(21:08):
her address? I was back on the snowy roads to
Marshport within a minute or two of Carl giving me
Gwen's address. She lived across town, just around the corner
from Frye Nest, in an apartment complex called Horizon Park.
It was a small block of apartments made up of
one story residences that hugged a lengthy tree line. During
(21:30):
the fall and winter, through the bare trees, a cove
was visible. During the spring and summer, when the trees
were in full bloom, they acted as a thick, lush
barrier to the small ocean inlet. I pulled into an
empty parking space and walked the narrow, snow covered sidewalk
down to her apartment. My boots crunched loudly, with each
step seemingly the only sound in the world. As I
(21:51):
approached Gwen's door, I knocked three times and then stuffed
my cold hands into my pockets. From what I understood,
lived alone, and she didn't have a romantic partner, so
if she was sick or hurt and unable to make
a phone call, no one would have known about it.
Behind me, I heard a loud, roaring machine kick on.
(22:13):
I turned and saw who I assumed to be the
Horizon part maintenance man revving up a snowblower on another
sidewalk perpendicular to the one I'd walked down. Impatiently, I
turned back to Gwen's door again and knocked harder. I
heard something, this time, something inside her apartment. It was
a thud or a clunk, like a door shutting. I
(22:33):
put my ear to the door in an attempt to
hear it better, but the snowblower was making it difficult
and starting to tug on my anxiety. Gwen. I called
out my ear to the cold surface of the door.
There was no response. I wasn't there on official police business,
but rather a request from Carl, someone who trusted me
(22:54):
off the clock to check on his daughter. It was
a request that someone would usually ask a friend, and
as that friend, I felt the need to enter the
apartment to be sure Gwen was okay. I turned the doorknob,
expecting it to be locked and have to use force
of some kind to enter, But to my surprise, the
knob turned with ease and I opened the door. It
(23:15):
creaked inward, revealing a mostly darkened living room. Aside from
a small tabletop Christmas tree in the far corner that
was glowing and throbbing in multi colored lights, there weren't
any other lights on. I stepped in, leaving the door
open behind me for a natural light source. Gwen, I
called out again, but to the same non existent response.
(23:38):
The silence inside was overwhelming, and the muffled roar of
the snow blower outside continued to dance uncomfortably on my nerves.
I slowly walked through the living room, eyeing every wall
in every corner to see where the thud I had
heard originated from. So far, nothing looked out of place.
I turned the corner to a very short hallway where
(23:59):
there was three doors I assumed to be a bathroom,
a bedroom, and a closet. All three were closed. I
stopped where they converged around me, and I listened Gwen.
I said again, a little softer this time, I was
still met with dead silence. As my heart rate began
to pick up. I opened the door to my right.
(24:20):
It was a linen closet. I closed it and faced
the door ahead of me. I turned the knob and
pushed it open. It was the bedroom, cast in darkness.
I pulled my phone out of my pocket, turned on
the flashlight, and aimed it straight ahead. The glow landed
immediately upon the bed, and that's when all the feeling
in my face went numb, my body stiffened, and my
(24:41):
breathing came to a sudden halt. Gwen lay on her
bed on her back, with her arms and legs spread
out to the side, and buried deep in her chest
was a metal cross. The blood had stained the area
of her clothing at the puncture and had spilled down
onto the sheet surrounder. From where I stood, The blood
(25:03):
looked dry, like it had possibly been hours since she
was killed. I heard another door click open out in
the hallway. Startled. I spun around and was terrified by
what I saw. Someone stood in the hallway the bathroom
door opened beside them, wearing a lion mask upon their head,
the same one that Zach Welch wore when he attacked
Carl earlier in the week. Gripped in their hand was
(25:24):
a crowbar. The similarities to the attack on Carl Martin
were uncanny. Zach I questioned the masked assailant. He didn't respond. Instead,
he charged me with his weapon raised above his head.
I stumbled backward and nearly tripped over the edge of
the bed as the crowbar came slicing down through the air.
I spun out of the way just as the heavy
metal bar missed me and smacked the bed. I regained
(25:45):
my balance and tried to run for the door, but
the lion masked killer jumped in front of me, his
crowbar out to the side. I gripped my teeth and
lunged at him, shoving him back into the wall, where
a framed photo of Gwen graduating high school came crashing
down to the floor. The mass command lost his balance
and fell into the shadows. As I ran from the bedroom,
through the apartment and out into the bright, blinding light outside.
(26:07):
I ran through the snow and into the parking lot
where I turned and faced Gwen's apartment. I called nine
one one on my phone to report the murder and
the attack, all while keeping an eye on the open door,
awaiting the masked man to emerge. However, as the minutes
ticked by, he never came out. The police arrived, as
did the paramedics, and fired apartment. It was quickly determined
(26:29):
by a forensics team that Gwen had been killed the
day before, officially connecting her murder where a metal cross
was used with the small metal cross that I pulled
from the advent calendar, and as for the little lion
toy that I opened only a short time earlier. It
was hard not to make the connection to the masked
man in the apartment, the one who not only attacked me,
(26:49):
but also more than likely killed Gwen Martin. My fears
were confirmed not long after the police arrived. Before they
entered the apartment to do their sweep, come across the
body themselves. The masked maniac staggered out through the front
door at the shouting commands from the swarm of officers,
when he dropped to his knees and tossed the crowbar
aside into the snow. Two officers apprehended him as a
(27:12):
third tore off his mask. Zach Welch looked disoriented and
dead behind the eyes. Thanks for listening. If you like
what you're hearing, please share it with someone you know
who loves scary stories at Christmas time. If you like
to read the full novel for yourself in print, it's
available in paperback, hardback, and kindle versions at Weird Darkness
(27:36):
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. He
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