December 18, 2025 • 31 mins
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
The advent calendar sat in the corner of the living room.
Seventeen doors now hung open, seventeen prophecies fulfilled in blood, fire,
and shattered bone and glass. Matt Kleine stood before it,
exhausted beyond reason. The burn on his calf still throbbed
where the thing wearing his brother's face had touched him,
(00:25):
a reminder a brand follow the rules. He had followed them,
he had broken them. People had died either way. Seven
doors remained sealed seven days until December twenty fourth. The
Deservan's worship reached its apex, the day everything had been
(00:45):
building toward for thirty years since a fire consumed match
childhood home, and something ancient attached itself to the man
who ran toward the flames. The half circle of flames
behind door seventeen still made no sense, another riddle, another
threat coiled and waiting to strike. The entity's power was growing.
(01:07):
The crucifix Father Olsen had hung on the wall had
fallen to the floor. Cold spots drifted through the house.
Doors opened and closed on their own. The incursion was deepening,
and the thing that called itself Stephen had stopped hiding.
Matt's boys had seen it. Now this was no longer
just about Matt Zervon wants them all. Seven days remain,
(01:32):
seven doors, seven chances for the demon to tear apart
everything Matt Klein has left. Welcome Weirdos. I'm Darren Marler,
(02:17):
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. We'll unlock one chapter each day,
(02:38):
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. Thursday,
(03:05):
December eighteenth. In a weird way, it felt good to
be back at work. It should have been a day sooner,
but because Simon decided to do what he did, I
ended up in the hospital. But now I felt like
I could finally get back into a routine between my
patrol car being totaled and my arm bandaged up and
(03:27):
requiring fixed times of the day for medication, I was
downgraded temporarily to desk work, filing papers, answering phones. It
wasn't glamorous, but it was all I could do until
the doctor cleared me to be back on the street.
I sat at a random desk in the bullpen of
the precinct. There was a computer, a phone, and drawers
(03:48):
filled with discarded papers and empty candy wrappers. Clearly the
desk hadn't had a permanent occupant for a while, so
it seemingly had been designated an extra trash or recycling area.
I spent a little while emptying out the drawers and
making sure ninety percent of their contents ended up in
the actual trash can. I felt the presence approached me
(04:09):
and turned to see Lieutenant Sears loitering over me. You've
had quite the week, Matthew, his voice boomed. It wouldn't
surprise me if you actually ended up on mental health leave.
I stared at him. So it was a suspension, I said,
the rumors were true. Sears didn't know what to say.
(04:31):
I'm sorry, was all he could come up with. Before
the awkward silence between us had a chance to simmer
too long, Sears changed the subject. Lewis's family are going
to wait until after Christmas is over before they have
any kind of memorial service or a funeral. I nodded, okay,
I said, just keep me posted. I want to make
(04:52):
sure I'm there. We'll all be there, Sears said, no way.
One of my officers will be without his brotherhood. I sighed,
and Sears gestured toward my arm. I can't believe this happened.
Is Annika okay? Yeh, she's fine? I said, And you
are you okay? He asked, But it wasn't as superficial
(05:14):
as it seemed. I looked up at him, trying to
decipher where his concern was coming from. Was it true
or was this Davenport all over again. I'm not good,
I admitted, Like you said, it's been quite a week,
quite a month actually, but Christmas is just around the corner,
and I'm hopeful things will get better. Sears smiled and
(05:38):
patted me on the back. Now that's the Matthew Kleine
I know, determined composed. Are you taking the family to
the opening of winter? Wonderland tomorrow night. I looked at
the calendar hanging on the wall next to me. I
couldn't believe it. Tomorrow was opening night from Marshport's Winter
Wonderland Festival. It felt like just yesterday the bridget and
(05:58):
I were welcoming the tree Town, and now over two
weeks later, the time was finally here. It was just
too bad she wasn't around to see it again. She'd
been the heart and soul at the festival for years. Yeah,
I said, we go every year. Well, maybe I'll see
you there. Then Sears said, I'll be bringing my new
(06:18):
lady friend. It should be a fun time. It always is,
I said, invested only for my family's sake. I thought
my distaste for the Christmas season had reached a plateau,
But after these last few weeks, I couldn't ever fathom
finding enjoyment in it again. It was a lost cause.
(06:39):
Sears phone rang and he stepped away to answer it.
I watched him answer the call with a smile. It
was probably his new lady friend, as he put it.
I watched the other officers in the bullpen talk to
one another, some joking around, some discussing cases. Outside of
the bubble. The advent calendar had trapped me and life
contains bring it on as normal for others. I envied
(07:03):
them their happiness, the normalcy of their lives. Mine was
anything but that, and I had no one else to
blame but myself. Simon's last words were, you did this,
and he was right. I brought this upon myself when
I chose to run instead of help. My phone rang
(07:27):
and I saw it was my mom calling. With so
much of the last few weeks revolving around my childhood
trauma and the birth parents I lost, I felt guilty
for pushing thoughts of my foster parents out of my mind.
It wasn't anything intentional, it was just the reality of
the cards I'd recently been dealt. Hey Mom, I said,
as cheerfully as I could. She sounded worried, panicked, and relieved,
(07:51):
all at once, a typical motherly reaction. Turns out, Anaka
had called her to fill her in on what happened
to me, as well as a lot of other things.
Since she never mentioned anything about demons or the devil,
I assumed Anaika hadn't spilled all the beans, but just
enough that would have put to ease any fears or
worries she might have had as to why I hadn't
(08:12):
been calling or talking to her lately. We'll be there
Saturday afternoon, she said, at the end of the call.
Your father and I are excited to see all of you.
Maybe we can watch the boys for a couple hours
so you and Annika I can have a date or
a night out to yourself. That was exactly what I
needed to hear. Just the thought of spending some one
(08:32):
on one time with Annika put my entire body at ease.
I missed our closeness, her touch, her essence. Now that
was all I could think of. You know, we might
take you up on that. Mom, I said, consider it done.
She said, be safe, Matt. We love you. Dad says Hi,
tell him. I said, Hi, love you guys too, I said.
(08:55):
I ended the call and sat the phone down, my
body tingled its solace and the desire to be home
in Annika's arms. I wanted to hear her voice. I
picked my phone back up, scrolled to her name on
the recent calls, but right before I tapped it with
my finger, the screen lit up with a call from her.
I answered with a smile. Great minds think alike, I said,
(09:19):
but her response didn't match my energy. Her voice was low, skittish.
Bet I need help. Oh what's wrong, I asked, feeling
concerned again. Nettie Neuwende is here. She's that thing weird, Nettie,
what do you mean? What is she doing? She was
asking for you. At first I thought maybe she was
still grieving and looking for answers. I told her you
(09:41):
were at work, but she didn't believe me. She called
me a liar and demanded to see you. Eventually, I
just shut the door on her. Now she's just out there,
standing on the porch, knocking every few minutes and shouting
your name. I could feel my face contort in confusion.
From what I understood, the police had already had Wrend's
death and their findings with it. I doubted she'd be
(10:03):
at the house looking for more answers, but to call
Anika a liar, well, that bothered me. I'll be there shortly.
Just keep the doors locked and don't let her in,
I said, okay, Annika said, exhaling a shaky breath. I
told Sears I was heading out for a real coffee,
and because he knew what kind of coffee, we suffered
(10:25):
with at the precinct. He didn't even bat an eye
at it, but instead I drove straight home. When I
pulled into the driveway, I saw Nettie Neuwen still standing
on the porch facing our front door. When she heard
my engine turn off, she slowly turned around to face me,
almost like she was on a swivel beneath her long
flowing winter coat. I climbed out of the car and
(10:46):
cautiously approached the house. She remained motionless, watching every step
I took. I Nettie, I said, I heard you were
looking for me. What's up? She leered at me. I
would have been lying to myself off if I didn't
say it was unnerving. I stopped where I was a
good ten or fifteen feet away from her and waited
(11:06):
for her to say something. But she didn't. Can I
help you with something, I persisted. Nettie continued to just stare.
Did I do something? I asked, trying to figure out
what her purpose at my house was. It was that question, though,
that caused her lips to quiver. You know what happened
(11:28):
to my Rennie, she said, heartlessly. Of course I do,
I replied. It was in the report you were briefed
he drowned. No, no, no, she said, shaking her head
slowly with a cunning smirk to articulate her point. You
are the reason it happened. You are there reason Wren
is dead. What are you talking about? I had nothing
(11:49):
to do with it. You're lying, she snarled, like a
beast had been unleashed within her. Your lies have caused
a lot of pain and suffering. It's you that deserved
that fate, not Wren, not anyone else. I choose not
to respond to what she was saying and defend my home.
You need to get off my property now without further conflict,
(12:13):
And to my surprise, Neddie stepped off the porch and
went to her car. I kept my eye on her
until she backed down of the driveway and disappeared around
the trees. The front door opened behind me, and Anika
stood just outside. What was that all about, she asked.
I ushered her back into the house and locked the door.
(12:33):
She blamed me for RHN dying and called me a liar.
I don't get it. Why why does everyone think I'm lying?
Annika wrapped her arms around me, instantly calming me down.
It's the demon she whispered. It has to be. I
lowered my head to nuzzle up against hers. This was
(12:54):
the closeness I missed. I love you, I whispered to her.
She pulled back and smiled her most beautiful smile. I
love you too, she said. We shared a long, passionate
kiss that reminded me of our very first one that
transported me to another time and place, one that I'll
(13:15):
never forget. The kiss was then interrupted by a loud
thud from upstairs. We both looked up at the ceiling
and I had an immediate feeling of deja vus from
when Davenport and I experienced a similar thing in the kitchen.
Stay here, I told Anika, no way, she said, last
time you did that, I was attacked fair enough. I said,
(13:36):
it wasn't worth arguing. She was going to do what
she wanted to do, and honestly, I didn't even want
to know what was waiting upstairs, so her company in
camaraderie was more than welcome. We crept up the stairs,
keeping quiet and expecting to hear another clamor of some kind,
but all was silent, and it wasn't in a reassuring way.
(13:57):
It almost felt like a tramp. We checked our room first,
scoured the closet the attached bathroom. Nothing seemed out of
place or broken. We continued to move methodically down the hall,
checking all of the rooms one by one. The bathroom
was empty and undamaged. Logan's room was clear as well.
His closet was intact, and his furniture was still in place. Finally,
(14:20):
we ended our search at the end of the hall,
Mason's room. It's where the origin of the last disturbance
had taken place. I turned the knob and pushed the
door open, expecting to see something out of order immediately.
It was the last place we had to check, so
whatever he created the loud noise had to have come
from within. The door slowly creaked open, revealing the entirety
(14:44):
of his room. Inch by inch. We remained in the hallway,
only looking in. At first, nothing looked out of place.
The dresser was against the wall, the bed was made,
Mason's desk was still as disorganized as the usually was.
The closet. Annika whispered, she was right, it was the
(15:08):
last place we had to check. We entered the room
and I stood before his closet door. I grabbed the
knob and turned it, or at least I tried to.
It wasn't moving. It was stuck or jammed. I shook it,
rattled it as hard as I could. It won't open.
I said, something must be obstructing it. On the other
(15:28):
I stopped a door that wouldn't open, just like the
advent calendar had cryptically alluded to days ago. My heart
rate began to soar, and I could feel a cold
sweat began to beat all over my skin. Want me
to try, Annika asked, I can use both of my hands.
She had a point. I stepped aside and let her
(15:49):
have a go at it, but she struggled just as
much as I did, even with both hands. It's really stuck,
she strained. I looked around the room and spotted in
a loom in a baseball bat propped up in one
of the corners. I retrieved it and began to repeatedly
bash it against the doorknob. Something caught my ear. Anaka
heard it, too, so I stopped. What's that, she sharply asked.
(16:13):
I put my ear to the door. Whatever was making
that noise was coming from the other side of it.
Something was in the closet, is that music, she asked.
It did sound rhythmic at first, soft and constant, but
the more I focused on it, the sound became clearer
and frighteningly obvious. It was a buzzing sound like hundreds
(16:37):
of flies were angered all at once by us trying
to get in the locked door. The flies, I was
sure there would be maggots involved as well. Now, whatever
was on the other side of the closet door would
undoubtedly be a foul, vile display, but I needed to
know what it was. However disgusting, however disturbing, it was
(17:00):
part of the puzzle, and it was a piece I
desperately needed. With a burst of adrenaline, I continued to
bash the doorknob. With each subsequent hit, it cracked, bent,
and finally crumbled to pieces on the floor. I reached
my finger through the hole in the door, popping the
other side of the knob out and then pulling it open.
(17:20):
The odor that flushed out of the closet was nauseating.
Flies emerged like a dark, vibrating cloud and engulf to
Mason's room. Annika stumbled backward, covering her mouth and nose.
I remained where I was against the flies, and the
revolting door. I boldly stood to face the bombshell that
the advent calendar had been building to. On the floor
(17:40):
of the closet, swarmed by flies and crawling with white,
squelching maggots, was a body. I squinted through the static
of flies, swatting them away until I was able to
get a better look. The body belonged to a full
grown male. He wore old jeans and a dark sweatshirt
with a hood up over his head. I knelt down
looked closer. From under the hood, I could see a
(18:03):
lot of facial hair. A heavy, thick, bushy beard was emerging.
I couldn't believe it. It was the man I'd been seeing,
the man who was connected to many of the deaths
around Marsport. I adjusted the bat in my hand and
pushed it forward through the veil of flies, and lifted
the hood away from his face. Finally I was able
(18:25):
to get a look at the unknown man. He was
clearly dead, his body stiff with rigor mortise. His skin
was drained of all its color, and his eyes were
wide open. As I stared into his eyes, wondering who
this man could have been. A memory awakened within me.
My house was burning down, my family was screaming. But
(18:47):
I ran. I ran through the yard, through the snow,
and to the neighbor's house. When wilbur Ward opened the
door to his home, he was already in hero mode,
dressed in his coat and boots. He looked down at
me and then up to my house. I saw the
glistening reflection of the orange flames in his eyes. It
was a memory that I'd never forget, one that was
(19:07):
seared into my consciousness for eternity. That's why I knew
that they were the same eyes I was looking into now,
But instead of a reflection of flickering hot flames, there
was nothing. They were void of life. The dead man
in Mason's closet, the bearded man who had been appearing
(19:31):
all over town in connection with the mysterious deaths and murders,
was Wilbur Ward. Anaka and I spent nearly an hour
considering our next move. After we blocked off Mason's room,
we sat together at the kitchen table. My knees were
bouncing with anxiety. Annika's nails clicked on the table. If
(19:53):
we call the cops, Davenport will get involved, and I'll
be directly in his crosshairs. I said, he won't only
see me as a connection to the but directly involved
this time. No he won't, Annika said, trying to convince
herself as much as me. Of course he will. I insisted.
The body is in our house. A DNA test would
identify him, and it wouldn't take long for them to
(20:14):
find our connection. Annik swallowed hard and looked down at
her nails as they each tapped the wooden surface at
the table. I saw her begin to sway back and forth.
It was something she did when she was afraid or anxious.
As we sat in silence, I thought back to what
Nicole Ward had told me when I asked her where
Wilbur had gone. She didn't know. She didn't even care
(20:37):
if he was dead. Wilbur was possessed by Zervon, Annika said,
lifting her head, right from the moment he ran to
your burning house. Yeah, I said, then, how can he
be dead? She asked, what happened to the demon? Maybe
we call Father Olson, I said, we can. He can
(21:00):
put it to him as a question curiosity. I wasn't
sure if Father Olsen would know. I wasn't even sure
how much to tell him or what to ask, but
Annika had brought up a good point. If Zervon had
been behind the wheel for thirty years and then all
of a sudden his vessel was dead, where did he go?
(21:22):
I took the call into the living room, giving Annika
a moment to herself. As the phone rang, I paced
back and forth in front of the advent calendar, scowling
at it. Hello, Father Olsen answered, I closed my eyes
and breathed deep before responding, Father Olsen, it's Matt Klein. Matt,
he said, nice to hear from you. Is everything okay?
(21:45):
I struggled to find the words question, I said, glaring
at the calendar. I just have a question, one out
of pure curiosity. Well, hopefully I can be of some help,
he said, whenever you're ready. We've been researching demons, Anika
and I trying to understand everything that's happening or could happen.
(22:07):
We were wondering about human possession. Father Elsen briefly stalled
on the other line, what specifically, if a demon possesses someone,
what happens if that person dies? Father Olsen filtered through
his thoughts and responded, usually, if an extorcism is performed,
(22:29):
the demon is cast out, and the person will rebound physically,
but maybe need some therapy afterwards. They might feel fatigued
or sick, but they'll be all right. Are you having
an issue? What about if someone dies while possessed, I asked,
ignoring his question. If someone dies well possessed, it means
(22:52):
the body failed to perform and keep up with the
demon's needs after so long, a human body can only
take so much, and from what I've seen, demonic possession
can really take a toll on the human body. What
if someone was possessed for decades, I asked. Father Olsen
thought for a moment and then spoke with uncertainty. There
(23:14):
would be an unusually extreme amount of time. The determination
of the demon to remain in the same body would
be hard to understand. I would ask why the person
or a loved one failed to seek help. But if
time means nothing to demons, could it be possible? I suppose.
(23:35):
I've never seen it myself, but after decades that person's
body would be ravaged from the inside, their strength, mind
all gone, so the person could die hypothetically, Sure, Father
Olsen said, possessed or not, We're all still a human
lack of proper nourishment, the strained relationship between the body
(23:59):
and the possess. Sure they could die, and then what
happens to the demon? I asked. At this point, I
could tell by the tone of Father Olsen's voice that
my persistence on the topic was coming across desperate and
personal and not out of pure curiosity. The demon would
find another vessel, someone close, someone vulnerable, especially if it
(24:24):
has already attached itself to a certain person or family.
He won't leave that easily, he paused momentarily. On the
other line, Do you work tomorrow, he asked, yes, I said,
checking my watch to see how much trouble I was
going to be in for this extended coffee trip. I
get out around one pm. I'll be at your house then,
(24:47):
Father Olsen said, and I can answer any more questions
you have. Thank you, Father, I said, I appreciate it. Goodbye,
he said. The call ended, and I stopped pacing back
and forth. I now stood before the advent calendar. I
zeroed in on door number eighteen. It was inevitable that
(25:11):
I'd have to open it before the end of the day,
so I figured now was just as good as later.
I opened it and extracted out a wooden item that
sat diagonally in the nook. When I held it out
in front of me, I was once again brought back
to that fateful Christmas Eve thirty years ago. Stephen's hands
rested upon this and mine at top of his. It
(25:34):
was the same one It had survived all this time, unmarked, unscarred, unburned.
The planchette was just as I remembered it. It was
light brown, outlined with a darker shade to bold in
its upside down heart shape. In its center was a
small circle of glass that allowed one to see the
(25:55):
messages being formed on the spirit board. Beneath around the
glass were engraved esthetic designs of moons and suns. Was
this simply another reminder meant to conjure fear and traumatic memories?
Or did this mean something else? I called Sears and
(26:17):
told him that while I was out for coffee, there
was a family emergency and that I had to stay
home the rest of the day. He was understanding, but
wondered why I hadn't called sooner. I blamed the meds
I was on for making me tired and I lost
track of time. Just stay home, He said, maybe by
Monday you'll be feeling better. I was thankful to have
(26:39):
off through the rest of the weekend. With how quickly
things have been escalating, I needed that time, Especially today,
I needed to figure out what to do with the
corpse of Wilbur Ward and quick school would be out
soon and the boys would be home Anakain. I started
by cleaning the mess of maggots and opening the windows
(26:59):
for the fly to escape. We were both in agreement
that reporting the body would more than likely pose bigger
problems for us, and since Wilbur had technically been missing
for thirty years, we figured a little more time with
him on accounted for wouldn't hurt. We dragged his body
to the basement, where it was just as cold as
it was outside due to the lack of insulation. There
(27:22):
was a wooden wall that I had haphazardly built to
block off the crawl space when we first moved in,
so that's where we stored his body. It was out
of sight and in the cold to minimize any odor
that might arise, and more importantly, it brought us time
to figure out what to do next. We deep cleaned
Mason's room vacuumed and lit every possible apple cinnamon candle
(27:45):
Anika owned. By three pm, things were in as much
order as they could be. The kids came home from school,
went to their rooms to do homework, and neither of
them spoke a word about strange smells or weird bugs.
We'd done enough to cover it up for the time being.
Annika looked flushed with worry or guilt, so I told
(28:07):
her to go lay down while she rusted. I sat
in the living room by the fire, holding the planchette
in my hand. I turned it over, looked at all
the edges, the front and back. I thought back to
when my grandmother first brought Stephen and I the spirit board,
roughly five days before we used it. She'd given it
to us in front of my parents. They weren't too
(28:30):
keen on it, especially my mom, but it was a
gift from Grandma. There was no turning it down. Before
she left that day, she pulled Stephen and I aside,
I know you boys miss your uncle. One day you'll
understand why the family doesn't talk about him. But I
know he would have wanted you to have this, she
said of the spirit board. He was so proud of
(28:52):
all the unique and interesting things his hobby brought into
his life, especially this. He said. It was vintage and
very old. The elderly couple who owned it before unfortunately
passed away. David said, by taking it in it would
allow for a new family to embrace its beauty and
cherish it. Plus, she said, in a hushed tone, you
can use it to talk to him. You can tell
(29:14):
him how much you miss him. Thinking back, I wasn't
sure if my grandmother truly believed in the power of
a spirit board, or was just telling us what we
wanted to hear to make us feel better or more
connected to Uncle David. Regardless, she couldn't have known about
the evil that it sheltered. My mind returned to Wilbur
(29:36):
Ward and a question I'd asked Father Olsen, what happens
to the demon if the body it possessed dies, the
demon would find another vessel, someone close, someone vulnerable, was
his response. It was that which scared me. Zervon wouldn't
(29:56):
just leave, not in the middle of his egotistical winter
t time carousel of blood and terror. He would have
immediately found another way to channel himself. I thought back
to everyone who had been in the house as of late.
Any possible suspects, for lack of a better term, that
Zervon could have overtaken Davenport came to mind immediately. He
(30:18):
was the last one at the house aside from the
contractor that was boarding up the window. Anaka and the
boys were always around, which scared me. Jasmine and Father
Olsen were two others who had recently been in the house.
Any of them could have been the next one to
fall victim to Zervon's dark energy. I needed to keep
(30:39):
a close eye on all of them. 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'd 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
(31:01):
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
The advent calendar sat in the corner of the living room.
Seventeen doors now hung open, seventeen prophecies fulfilled in blood, fire,
and shattered bone and glass. Matt Kleine stood before it,
exhausted beyond reason. The burn on his calf still throbbed
where the thing wearing his brother's face had touched him,
(00:25):
a reminder a brand follow the rules. He had followed them,
he had broken them. People had died either way. Seven
doors remained sealed seven days until December twenty fourth. The
Deservan's worship reached its apex, the day everything had been
(00:45):
building toward for thirty years since a fire consumed match
childhood home, and something ancient attached itself to the man
who ran toward the flames. The half circle of flames
behind door seventeen still made no sense, another riddle, another
threat coiled and waiting to strike. The entity's power was growing.
(01:07):
The crucifix Father Olsen had hung on the wall had
fallen to the floor. Cold spots drifted through the house.
Doors opened and closed on their own. The incursion was deepening,
and the thing that called itself Stephen had stopped hiding.
Matt's boys had seen it. Now this was no longer
just about Matt Zervon wants them all. Seven days remain,
(01:32):
seven doors, seven chances for the demon to tear apart
everything Matt Klein has left. Welcome Weirdos. I'm Darren Marler,
(02:17):
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. We'll unlock one chapter each day,
(02:38):
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. Thursday,
(03:05):
December eighteenth. In a weird way, it felt good to
be back at work. It should have been a day sooner,
but because Simon decided to do what he did, I
ended up in the hospital. But now I felt like
I could finally get back into a routine between my
patrol car being totaled and my arm bandaged up and
(03:27):
requiring fixed times of the day for medication, I was
downgraded temporarily to desk work, filing papers, answering phones. It
wasn't glamorous, but it was all I could do until
the doctor cleared me to be back on the street.
I sat at a random desk in the bullpen of
the precinct. There was a computer, a phone, and drawers
(03:48):
filled with discarded papers and empty candy wrappers. Clearly the
desk hadn't had a permanent occupant for a while, so
it seemingly had been designated an extra trash or recycling area.
I spent a little while emptying out the drawers and
making sure ninety percent of their contents ended up in
the actual trash can. I felt the presence approached me
(04:09):
and turned to see Lieutenant Sears loitering over me. You've
had quite the week, Matthew, his voice boomed. It wouldn't
surprise me if you actually ended up on mental health leave.
I stared at him. So it was a suspension, I said,
the rumors were true. Sears didn't know what to say.
(04:31):
I'm sorry, was all he could come up with. Before
the awkward silence between us had a chance to simmer
too long, Sears changed the subject. Lewis's family are going
to wait until after Christmas is over before they have
any kind of memorial service or a funeral. I nodded, okay,
I said, just keep me posted. I want to make
(04:52):
sure I'm there. We'll all be there, Sears said, no way.
One of my officers will be without his brotherhood. I sighed,
and Sears gestured toward my arm. I can't believe this happened.
Is Annika okay? Yeh, she's fine? I said, And you
are you okay? He asked, But it wasn't as superficial
(05:14):
as it seemed. I looked up at him, trying to
decipher where his concern was coming from. Was it true
or was this Davenport all over again. I'm not good,
I admitted, Like you said, it's been quite a week,
quite a month actually, but Christmas is just around the corner,
and I'm hopeful things will get better. Sears smiled and
(05:38):
patted me on the back. Now that's the Matthew Kleine
I know, determined composed. Are you taking the family to
the opening of winter? Wonderland tomorrow night. I looked at
the calendar hanging on the wall next to me. I
couldn't believe it. Tomorrow was opening night from Marshport's Winter
Wonderland Festival. It felt like just yesterday the bridget and
(05:58):
I were welcoming the tree Town, and now over two
weeks later, the time was finally here. It was just
too bad she wasn't around to see it again. She'd
been the heart and soul at the festival for years. Yeah,
I said, we go every year. Well, maybe I'll see
you there. Then Sears said, I'll be bringing my new
(06:18):
lady friend. It should be a fun time. It always is,
I said, invested only for my family's sake. I thought
my distaste for the Christmas season had reached a plateau,
But after these last few weeks, I couldn't ever fathom
finding enjoyment in it again. It was a lost cause.
(06:39):
Sears phone rang and he stepped away to answer it.
I watched him answer the call with a smile. It
was probably his new lady friend, as he put it.
I watched the other officers in the bullpen talk to
one another, some joking around, some discussing cases. Outside of
the bubble. The advent calendar had trapped me and life
contains bring it on as normal for others. I envied
(07:03):
them their happiness, the normalcy of their lives. Mine was
anything but that, and I had no one else to
blame but myself. Simon's last words were, you did this,
and he was right. I brought this upon myself when
I chose to run instead of help. My phone rang
(07:27):
and I saw it was my mom calling. With so
much of the last few weeks revolving around my childhood
trauma and the birth parents I lost, I felt guilty
for pushing thoughts of my foster parents out of my mind.
It wasn't anything intentional, it was just the reality of
the cards I'd recently been dealt. Hey Mom, I said,
as cheerfully as I could. She sounded worried, panicked, and relieved,
(07:51):
all at once, a typical motherly reaction. Turns out, Anaka
had called her to fill her in on what happened
to me, as well as a lot of other things.
Since she never mentioned anything about demons or the devil,
I assumed Anaika hadn't spilled all the beans, but just
enough that would have put to ease any fears or
worries she might have had as to why I hadn't
(08:12):
been calling or talking to her lately. We'll be there
Saturday afternoon, she said, at the end of the call.
Your father and I are excited to see all of you.
Maybe we can watch the boys for a couple hours
so you and Annika I can have a date or
a night out to yourself. That was exactly what I
needed to hear. Just the thought of spending some one
(08:32):
on one time with Annika put my entire body at ease.
I missed our closeness, her touch, her essence. Now that
was all I could think of. You know, we might
take you up on that. Mom, I said, consider it done.
She said, be safe, Matt. We love you. Dad says Hi,
tell him. I said, Hi, love you guys too, I said.
(08:55):
I ended the call and sat the phone down, my
body tingled its solace and the desire to be home
in Annika's arms. I wanted to hear her voice. I
picked my phone back up, scrolled to her name on
the recent calls, but right before I tapped it with
my finger, the screen lit up with a call from her.
I answered with a smile. Great minds think alike, I said,
(09:19):
but her response didn't match my energy. Her voice was low, skittish.
Bet I need help. Oh what's wrong, I asked, feeling
concerned again. Nettie Neuwende is here. She's that thing weird, Nettie,
what do you mean? What is she doing? She was
asking for you. At first I thought maybe she was
still grieving and looking for answers. I told her you
(09:41):
were at work, but she didn't believe me. She called
me a liar and demanded to see you. Eventually, I
just shut the door on her. Now she's just out there,
standing on the porch, knocking every few minutes and shouting
your name. I could feel my face contort in confusion.
From what I understood, the police had already had Wrend's
death and their findings with it. I doubted she'd be
(10:03):
at the house looking for more answers, but to call
Anika a liar, well, that bothered me. I'll be there shortly.
Just keep the doors locked and don't let her in,
I said, okay, Annika said, exhaling a shaky breath. I
told Sears I was heading out for a real coffee,
and because he knew what kind of coffee, we suffered
(10:25):
with at the precinct. He didn't even bat an eye
at it, but instead I drove straight home. When I
pulled into the driveway, I saw Nettie Neuwen still standing
on the porch facing our front door. When she heard
my engine turn off, she slowly turned around to face me,
almost like she was on a swivel beneath her long
flowing winter coat. I climbed out of the car and
(10:46):
cautiously approached the house. She remained motionless, watching every step
I took. I Nettie, I said, I heard you were
looking for me. What's up? She leered at me. I
would have been lying to myself off if I didn't
say it was unnerving. I stopped where I was a
good ten or fifteen feet away from her and waited
(11:06):
for her to say something. But she didn't. Can I
help you with something, I persisted. Nettie continued to just stare.
Did I do something? I asked, trying to figure out
what her purpose at my house was. It was that question, though,
that caused her lips to quiver. You know what happened
(11:28):
to my Rennie, she said, heartlessly. Of course I do,
I replied. It was in the report you were briefed
he drowned. No, no, no, she said, shaking her head
slowly with a cunning smirk to articulate her point. You
are the reason it happened. You are there reason Wren
is dead. What are you talking about? I had nothing
(11:49):
to do with it. You're lying, she snarled, like a
beast had been unleashed within her. Your lies have caused
a lot of pain and suffering. It's you that deserved
that fate, not Wren, not anyone else. I choose not
to respond to what she was saying and defend my home.
You need to get off my property now without further conflict,
(12:13):
And to my surprise, Neddie stepped off the porch and
went to her car. I kept my eye on her
until she backed down of the driveway and disappeared around
the trees. The front door opened behind me, and Anika
stood just outside. What was that all about, she asked.
I ushered her back into the house and locked the door.
(12:33):
She blamed me for RHN dying and called me a liar.
I don't get it. Why why does everyone think I'm lying?
Annika wrapped her arms around me, instantly calming me down.
It's the demon she whispered. It has to be. I
lowered my head to nuzzle up against hers. This was
(12:54):
the closeness I missed. I love you, I whispered to her.
She pulled back and smiled her most beautiful smile. I
love you too, she said. We shared a long, passionate
kiss that reminded me of our very first one that
transported me to another time and place, one that I'll
(13:15):
never forget. The kiss was then interrupted by a loud
thud from upstairs. We both looked up at the ceiling
and I had an immediate feeling of deja vus from
when Davenport and I experienced a similar thing in the kitchen.
Stay here, I told Anika, no way, she said, last
time you did that, I was attacked fair enough. I said,
(13:36):
it wasn't worth arguing. She was going to do what
she wanted to do, and honestly, I didn't even want
to know what was waiting upstairs, so her company in
camaraderie was more than welcome. We crept up the stairs,
keeping quiet and expecting to hear another clamor of some kind,
but all was silent, and it wasn't in a reassuring way.
(13:57):
It almost felt like a tramp. We checked our room first,
scoured the closet the attached bathroom. Nothing seemed out of
place or broken. We continued to move methodically down the hall,
checking all of the rooms one by one. The bathroom
was empty and undamaged. Logan's room was clear as well.
His closet was intact, and his furniture was still in place. Finally,
(14:20):
we ended our search at the end of the hall,
Mason's room. It's where the origin of the last disturbance
had taken place. I turned the knob and pushed the
door open, expecting to see something out of order immediately.
It was the last place we had to check, so
whatever he created the loud noise had to have come
from within. The door slowly creaked open, revealing the entirety
(14:44):
of his room. Inch by inch. We remained in the hallway,
only looking in. At first, nothing looked out of place.
The dresser was against the wall, the bed was made,
Mason's desk was still as disorganized as the usually was.
The closet. Annika whispered, she was right, it was the
(15:08):
last place we had to check. We entered the room
and I stood before his closet door. I grabbed the
knob and turned it, or at least I tried to.
It wasn't moving. It was stuck or jammed. I shook it,
rattled it as hard as I could. It won't open.
I said, something must be obstructing it. On the other
(15:28):
I stopped a door that wouldn't open, just like the
advent calendar had cryptically alluded to days ago. My heart
rate began to soar, and I could feel a cold
sweat began to beat all over my skin. Want me
to try, Annika asked, I can use both of my hands.
She had a point. I stepped aside and let her
(15:49):
have a go at it, but she struggled just as
much as I did, even with both hands. It's really stuck,
she strained. I looked around the room and spotted in
a loom in a baseball bat propped up in one
of the corners. I retrieved it and began to repeatedly
bash it against the doorknob. Something caught my ear. Anaka
heard it, too, so I stopped. What's that, she sharply asked.
(16:13):
I put my ear to the door. Whatever was making
that noise was coming from the other side of it.
Something was in the closet, is that music, she asked.
It did sound rhythmic at first, soft and constant, but
the more I focused on it, the sound became clearer
and frighteningly obvious. It was a buzzing sound like hundreds
(16:37):
of flies were angered all at once by us trying
to get in the locked door. The flies, I was
sure there would be maggots involved as well. Now, whatever
was on the other side of the closet door would
undoubtedly be a foul, vile display, but I needed to
know what it was. However disgusting, however disturbing, it was
(17:00):
part of the puzzle, and it was a piece I
desperately needed. With a burst of adrenaline, I continued to
bash the doorknob. With each subsequent hit, it cracked, bent,
and finally crumbled to pieces on the floor. I reached
my finger through the hole in the door, popping the
other side of the knob out and then pulling it open.
(17:20):
The odor that flushed out of the closet was nauseating.
Flies emerged like a dark, vibrating cloud and engulf to
Mason's room. Annika stumbled backward, covering her mouth and nose.
I remained where I was against the flies, and the
revolting door. I boldly stood to face the bombshell that
the advent calendar had been building to. On the floor
(17:40):
of the closet, swarmed by flies and crawling with white,
squelching maggots, was a body. I squinted through the static
of flies, swatting them away until I was able to
get a better look. The body belonged to a full
grown male. He wore old jeans and a dark sweatshirt
with a hood up over his head. I knelt down
looked closer. From under the hood, I could see a
(18:03):
lot of facial hair. A heavy, thick, bushy beard was emerging.
I couldn't believe it. It was the man I'd been seeing,
the man who was connected to many of the deaths
around Marsport. I adjusted the bat in my hand and
pushed it forward through the veil of flies, and lifted
the hood away from his face. Finally I was able
(18:25):
to get a look at the unknown man. He was
clearly dead, his body stiff with rigor mortise. His skin
was drained of all its color, and his eyes were
wide open. As I stared into his eyes, wondering who
this man could have been. A memory awakened within me.
My house was burning down, my family was screaming. But
(18:47):
I ran. I ran through the yard, through the snow,
and to the neighbor's house. When wilbur Ward opened the
door to his home, he was already in hero mode,
dressed in his coat and boots. He looked down at
me and then up to my house. I saw the
glistening reflection of the orange flames in his eyes. It
was a memory that I'd never forget, one that was
(19:07):
seared into my consciousness for eternity. That's why I knew
that they were the same eyes I was looking into now,
But instead of a reflection of flickering hot flames, there
was nothing. They were void of life. The dead man
in Mason's closet, the bearded man who had been appearing
(19:31):
all over town in connection with the mysterious deaths and murders,
was Wilbur Ward. Anaka and I spent nearly an hour
considering our next move. After we blocked off Mason's room,
we sat together at the kitchen table. My knees were
bouncing with anxiety. Annika's nails clicked on the table. If
(19:53):
we call the cops, Davenport will get involved, and I'll
be directly in his crosshairs. I said, he won't only
see me as a connection to the but directly involved
this time. No he won't, Annika said, trying to convince
herself as much as me. Of course he will. I insisted.
The body is in our house. A DNA test would
identify him, and it wouldn't take long for them to
(20:14):
find our connection. Annik swallowed hard and looked down at
her nails as they each tapped the wooden surface at
the table. I saw her begin to sway back and forth.
It was something she did when she was afraid or anxious.
As we sat in silence, I thought back to what
Nicole Ward had told me when I asked her where
Wilbur had gone. She didn't know. She didn't even care
(20:37):
if he was dead. Wilbur was possessed by Zervon, Annika said,
lifting her head, right from the moment he ran to
your burning house. Yeah, I said, then, how can he
be dead? She asked, what happened to the demon? Maybe
we call Father Olson, I said, we can. He can
(21:00):
put it to him as a question curiosity. I wasn't
sure if Father Olsen would know. I wasn't even sure
how much to tell him or what to ask, but
Annika had brought up a good point. If Zervon had
been behind the wheel for thirty years and then all
of a sudden his vessel was dead, where did he go?
(21:22):
I took the call into the living room, giving Annika
a moment to herself. As the phone rang, I paced
back and forth in front of the advent calendar, scowling
at it. Hello, Father Olsen answered, I closed my eyes
and breathed deep before responding, Father Olsen, it's Matt Klein. Matt,
he said, nice to hear from you. Is everything okay?
(21:45):
I struggled to find the words question, I said, glaring
at the calendar. I just have a question, one out
of pure curiosity. Well, hopefully I can be of some help,
he said, whenever you're ready. We've been researching demons, Anika
and I trying to understand everything that's happening or could happen.
(22:07):
We were wondering about human possession. Father Elsen briefly stalled
on the other line, what specifically, if a demon possesses someone,
what happens if that person dies? Father Olsen filtered through
his thoughts and responded, usually, if an extorcism is performed,
(22:29):
the demon is cast out, and the person will rebound physically,
but maybe need some therapy afterwards. They might feel fatigued
or sick, but they'll be all right. Are you having
an issue? What about if someone dies while possessed, I asked,
ignoring his question. If someone dies well possessed, it means
(22:52):
the body failed to perform and keep up with the
demon's needs after so long, a human body can only
take so much, and from what I've seen, demonic possession
can really take a toll on the human body. What
if someone was possessed for decades, I asked. Father Olsen
thought for a moment and then spoke with uncertainty. There
(23:14):
would be an unusually extreme amount of time. The determination
of the demon to remain in the same body would
be hard to understand. I would ask why the person
or a loved one failed to seek help. But if
time means nothing to demons, could it be possible? I suppose.
(23:35):
I've never seen it myself, but after decades that person's
body would be ravaged from the inside, their strength, mind
all gone, so the person could die hypothetically, Sure, Father
Olsen said, possessed or not, We're all still a human
lack of proper nourishment, the strained relationship between the body
(23:59):
and the possess. Sure they could die, and then what
happens to the demon? I asked. At this point, I
could tell by the tone of Father Olsen's voice that
my persistence on the topic was coming across desperate and
personal and not out of pure curiosity. The demon would
find another vessel, someone close, someone vulnerable, especially if it
(24:24):
has already attached itself to a certain person or family.
He won't leave that easily, he paused momentarily. On the
other line, Do you work tomorrow, he asked, yes, I said,
checking my watch to see how much trouble I was
going to be in for this extended coffee trip. I
get out around one pm. I'll be at your house then,
(24:47):
Father Olsen said, and I can answer any more questions
you have. Thank you, Father, I said, I appreciate it. Goodbye,
he said. The call ended, and I stopped pacing back
and forth. I now stood before the advent calendar. I
zeroed in on door number eighteen. It was inevitable that
(25:11):
I'd have to open it before the end of the day,
so I figured now was just as good as later.
I opened it and extracted out a wooden item that
sat diagonally in the nook. When I held it out
in front of me, I was once again brought back
to that fateful Christmas Eve thirty years ago. Stephen's hands
rested upon this and mine at top of his. It
(25:34):
was the same one It had survived all this time, unmarked, unscarred, unburned.
The planchette was just as I remembered it. It was
light brown, outlined with a darker shade to bold in
its upside down heart shape. In its center was a
small circle of glass that allowed one to see the
(25:55):
messages being formed on the spirit board. Beneath around the
glass were engraved esthetic designs of moons and suns. Was
this simply another reminder meant to conjure fear and traumatic memories?
Or did this mean something else? I called Sears and
(26:17):
told him that while I was out for coffee, there
was a family emergency and that I had to stay
home the rest of the day. He was understanding, but
wondered why I hadn't called sooner. I blamed the meds
I was on for making me tired and I lost
track of time. Just stay home, He said, maybe by
Monday you'll be feeling better. I was thankful to have
(26:39):
off through the rest of the weekend. With how quickly
things have been escalating, I needed that time, Especially today,
I needed to figure out what to do with the
corpse of Wilbur Ward and quick school would be out
soon and the boys would be home Anakain. I started
by cleaning the mess of maggots and opening the windows
(26:59):
for the fly to escape. We were both in agreement
that reporting the body would more than likely pose bigger
problems for us, and since Wilbur had technically been missing
for thirty years, we figured a little more time with
him on accounted for wouldn't hurt. We dragged his body
to the basement, where it was just as cold as
it was outside due to the lack of insulation. There
(27:22):
was a wooden wall that I had haphazardly built to
block off the crawl space when we first moved in,
so that's where we stored his body. It was out
of sight and in the cold to minimize any odor
that might arise, and more importantly, it brought us time
to figure out what to do next. We deep cleaned
Mason's room vacuumed and lit every possible apple cinnamon candle
(27:45):
Anika owned. By three pm, things were in as much
order as they could be. The kids came home from school,
went to their rooms to do homework, and neither of
them spoke a word about strange smells or weird bugs.
We'd done enough to cover it up for the time being.
Annika looked flushed with worry or guilt, so I told
(28:07):
her to go lay down while she rusted. I sat
in the living room by the fire, holding the planchette
in my hand. I turned it over, looked at all
the edges, the front and back. I thought back to
when my grandmother first brought Stephen and I the spirit board,
roughly five days before we used it. She'd given it
to us in front of my parents. They weren't too
(28:30):
keen on it, especially my mom, but it was a
gift from Grandma. There was no turning it down. Before
she left that day, she pulled Stephen and I aside,
I know you boys miss your uncle. One day you'll
understand why the family doesn't talk about him. But I
know he would have wanted you to have this, she
said of the spirit board. He was so proud of
(28:52):
all the unique and interesting things his hobby brought into
his life, especially this. He said. It was vintage and
very old. The elderly couple who owned it before unfortunately
passed away. David said, by taking it in it would
allow for a new family to embrace its beauty and
cherish it. Plus, she said, in a hushed tone, you
can use it to talk to him. You can tell
(29:14):
him how much you miss him. Thinking back, I wasn't
sure if my grandmother truly believed in the power of
a spirit board, or was just telling us what we
wanted to hear to make us feel better or more
connected to Uncle David. Regardless, she couldn't have known about
the evil that it sheltered. My mind returned to Wilbur
(29:36):
Ward and a question I'd asked Father Olsen, what happens
to the demon if the body it possessed dies, the
demon would find another vessel, someone close, someone vulnerable, was
his response. It was that which scared me. Zervon wouldn't
(29:56):
just leave, not in the middle of his egotistical winter
t time carousel of blood and terror. He would have
immediately found another way to channel himself. I thought back
to everyone who had been in the house as of late.
Any possible suspects, for lack of a better term, that
Zervon could have overtaken Davenport came to mind immediately. He
(30:18):
was the last one at the house aside from the
contractor that was boarding up the window. Anaka and the
boys were always around, which scared me. Jasmine and Father
Olsen were two others who had recently been in the house.
Any of them could have been the next one to
fall victim to Zervon's dark energy. I needed to keep
(30:39):
a close eye on all of them. 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'd 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
(31:01):
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
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