December 16, 2025 • 23 mins
Get the print version of the novel: https://weirddarkness.com/AdventOfEvil
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#WeirdDarkness #ChristmasHorror #HolidayHorror #SupernaturalThriller #HauntedCalendar #DarkChristmas #HorrorStory #DemonicEvil #CreepyTales #YuletideTerror
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
The beast has a name now, Zervon, an ancient demon
from Persian myth, worshiped in midwinter rituals that culminate on
December twenty fourth, the same day the Advent Calendar's final
door is meant to open, the same anniversary of the
fire that consumed Matthew Klein's family thirty years ago. Father
Olsen's visit confirmed what matt already feared. He is not
(00:25):
merely haunted. He is a participant in something far older
and more deliberate than a simple haunting. The calendar was
built for him, constructed from the cursed remains of the
spirit board that started everything, shaped by hands guided by
demonic influence, every lion, every serpent, every detail carved with patient,
(00:47):
malevolent purpose. Fifteen doors have been opened, Fifteen horrors have
been unleashed. A woman impaled by a falling star, a
young barista stabbed with a cross, a neighbor drowned, gulls rest,
a fellow officer killed when its patrol car wrapped around
a tree. His teeth shattered like glass on the steering wheel. Glass.
(01:09):
The shards that spilled from Door fifteen now sit in
Matthew's palm. Tiny and razor sharp, drawing blood with the
slightest touch. Somewhere in Marshport, or perhaps somewhere closer, their
meaning waits to reveal itself. The calendar has never been subtle.
Every trinket has found its echo in tragedy. The crucifix
(01:30):
Father Olsen left hangs near the fireplace, a holy sentinel
watching over the cursed object. But Matten knows better than
to trust in simple protections. Now the Nativity scene was
found scattered across the floor, knocked from its place by
unseen hands. Whatever dwells within the calendar does not fear
symbols of faith, It mocks them. Eight doors remain eight
(01:55):
days until Christmas Eve, eight steps in a ritual that
has been building for three decades, waiting for the moment
when past and present finally collide. Mason has seen the
boy made of embers. He's seen the tall man in
black who brought the snakes. The children are no longer
safe observers in their father's nightmare. They have become part
(02:16):
of it. Stephen's voice still whispers in the dark spaces
of the house, angry and demanding. The rules must be followed.
The doors must be opened, and with each passing day,
Zervon grows stronger, fed by fear and grief and the
slow unraveling of everything Matthew Kleine has built. December sixteenth,
(02:40):
dawns cold and gray over Marshpoort. The shattered glass waits
for its victim. Welcome, Weirdos. I'm Darren Marler and this
(03:25):
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, but what
(03:46):
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
Weirddarkness dot com slash Advent of Evil. The calendar is waiting.
Let's see what awaits us behind today's door. Tuesday, December sixteenth,
(04:16):
the snow was falling heavily outside, and even though the
boys had taken the bus to school hours ago, Anaka
and I were systematically checking our emails about a possible
early dismissal. The forecast was calling for up to seven inches,
and from what I could tell from looking out the windows,
it had already dumped at least half of that. On Marshport.
(04:36):
The sky was swathed in gray clouds, without a glimmer
of sunlight to be seen. It seemed like a metaphor
for the problem lurking within our home. I turned away
from the front windows and glazed by the Advent calendar,
hoping the crucifix Father Olsen had hung on the wall
behind it was doing its job. Sure, I believed in
(04:57):
the supernatural. It was hard not to after every thing
I'd experienced, even dating back thirty years. But could the
power of God really stop what had nested with us?
I wasn't sure, but I had no other choice. Clearly,
just getting rid of the calendar wasn't enough. It came
back burning it well. Father Olsen said, you never burn
(05:21):
a spirit board, which is what the calendar was crafted from.
But with the dark spirit that had been attached to
it already loose, was there any further harm that could
come from trying that? I looked over at Anika. She
was sitting on the couch covered in a blanket with
the hood of her sweatshirt over her head. On her
lap was her computer. What are you looking at? I asked,
(05:44):
Sitting down next to her demons, she said coldly, her
head lifted and her glassy eyes met mine. These things
are terrifying, Matt. I didn't need to be told the
demons were terrifying, but I wanted to hear her out
and see what she'd been learning. What does it say?
Annaka looked back down at her laptop and read out
(06:05):
loud from the website she had pulled up. They act
as executors, a pure evil. They rely on forbidden temptations, deception,
and corruption to cause mayhem. They cause misfortune and can
possess anyone that is vulnerable enough or easily influenced. Does
it say why they do these things? I asked? She
(06:25):
skimmed the article. It can be an indirect way for
them to harm God, destroy someone's beliefs, tempt a person
into sin, or Annika stopped. She looked at me before
she continued. Or just for their own pleasure. Annika scowled
at that last one. She looked at me, expecting me
(06:47):
to be able to follow it up or justify it.
Sometimes evil can't be explained, I said, quoting passed her
heart yet again. It just is. Annaka lowered head, looking
back at the screen in front of her. I noticed
her eyes start reading again. Evil just is, I repeated
(07:08):
in my head. I wondered again about our demon's origin.
Where did it come from? Did Uncle David have experiences
like this also? Prior to well things going south for him?
My grandmother wasn't around anymore, but there might have been
a couple of other people who had answers. Have my
parents mentioned anything to you about coming for Christmas? I
(07:31):
asked Danica. She just gawked at me. My foster parents,
I clarified, never before having to have done that. She
shook her head. No, she said. Maybe I'll call them
later and see if they planned to come this year,
I said, already mentally creating a list of questions for them.
There was a knock at the door, and I quickly
(07:53):
jumped off the couch to answer it. I'm surprised to
see Detective Davenport standing on the porch. His maroon's a
dan parked in our drive behind him, Detective, I said,
caught off guard, Davenport smiled and nodded. Good morning, he said,
May I come in. My surprise was quickly replaced with
annoyance and frustration. I told Lieutenant Sears to make sure
(08:15):
Davenport left me alone. With an extra flick of his tongue,
he was ready to brand me a serial killer. Back
in the interrogation room, I put my arm against the
doorframe to make sure there was a clear barrier between
him and my house. He looked down at his feet
and bit his lip before looking back up at me
with only his eyes. I owe you an apology, he said.
(08:36):
Marshport's been hit with a lot of over the past
couple of weeks. I might have become a little over
zealous and misread the situation. Miss read, I asked, you
were seconds away from calling me a serial murderer. Davenport
sighed like I said, I owe you an apology. Let
(08:57):
my arm down and my body relaxed. The cold from
outside chilled my exposed skin, so I can only imagine
the detective was cold as well. You came out here
to tell me that, I curiously asked, why not just
a phone call, because you'll do back of work tomorrow
and I want you to come back. No, and everything
we know the phone call didn't seem appropriate. From that,
(09:20):
I was able to conclude there had been some developments
in the days I had been away. I stepped aside
and let Detective Davenport into the house, hung his coat
on the rack, and walked him into the living room,
where Anako was surprised to see a visitor. She welcomed him,
and then I caught Davenport glancing around the living room curiously,
taking in everything from the fireplace to the stockings, the
(09:41):
Christmas tree, and even the Advent calendar. It could have
been simple curiosity with him never having been in our
home before, or it could have been something else. Davenport
was a good detective, and I wasn't about to put
anything past him. Let's go to the kitchen, I said,
I think there's still some coffee brood in the kitchen.
I poured us each a cup of coffee, and we
(10:02):
sat down at the table. You a religious man, Matt,
he asked. I shook my head, Not really, I said, oh,
he said, with the Nativity scene and to cross on
the wall in your living room. I just oh, there
are Christmas decorations, I snapped, silencing the detective from probing
any further. He called onto my discomfort pretty fast and
(10:25):
sipped his coffee before getting on with what he had
come to my house to talk about. Over the past
couple of days, we made some breakthroughs in the deaths,
Davenport said, and I want you to relax and know
that I no longer think you had anything to do
with them. Of course I didn't, I scoffed. I'm an
officer of the law. I have been for twenty years.
Why would I suddenly turned into a I stopped as
(10:49):
a bloody image of Uncle David spawned in my head.
The soulless vision of Wilbur Ward followed. There were two
stand up men who suddenly, without warning, devolved into some
thing dark. I knew the coincidences were overwhelming. You knew
all of victims very well. You have to at least
give me that, Davenport said. Any cop with a hunch
(11:10):
would dig a little deeper. He took another sip of
his coffee. That's what you did, after all, right. Davenport
was asking again about Mike Campbell, and wide eyed gone
rogue to question him. I had a hunch, yes, I said,
Lewis had told me there was a man spotted near
Bridget's crime scene, who was wearing a dark, hooded sweatshirt.
(11:32):
I knew Mike Campbell was wearing a hooded sweatshirt that
morning in the same area. Lewis also told me there
was security footage of a hooded man luring Renduen out
of his home. Well, like you said, any good cop
with a hunch will follow up. It has to be
done through the appropriate avenues, though Davenport said otherwise it
could hinted an investigation. He cleared his throat. What about
(11:53):
the dash can footage from Lewis's accident, The dark figure
that appears, Oh what's You'll take a blitz of the footage,
and images of Lewis's dead Bondy surged back through my mind.
I don't know, but my first instinct was to assume
it was the same hooded man. Do you know who
the man is? He asked, I shook my head. Now
not a clue. He was also, I stopped, but that
(12:17):
only made Davenport more curious. He's also what he asked.
I gave in he was also at Bridget's wake, and
I said, or at least I thought he was. There
was someone there with a hood over their head and
a bushy beard. You think it was the same guy,
Davenport asked. I started to become a little leery about
answering any more questions. Davenport had come to my house
(12:39):
with the intent of bringing me up to speed on
all the cases, but instead I felt like I was
right back in the interrogation room. If you have a hunch,
then it's the same guy I'd trusted, Davenport said. The
CoP's gut ah in au Wishing is unmatched. I adjusted
uncomfortably in my seat. You said you want to update
me before I'm back to work tomorrow. I said, what
(13:00):
are the updates? Davenport let his gaze linger on me
a moment longer. I could see dissatisfaction in his eyes.
After I put a stop to his impromptu inquisition, I
knew he was here with ulterior motives. He snapped out
of it and pulled out his phone, bringing up his notesapp.
Bridget's death has beneficially ruled an accident, he said, referencing
(13:21):
the app. That was something I'd already known based on
an article I'd read online. Gwen Martin's mudder was committed
by Zach Welch, who has admitted as much. Man was
caught on the scene. Ran Dwen's death has been deemed
an accidental drowning under suspicious circumstances, aside from an unknown
man in black leaving his property with him. However, there
(13:41):
were no physical signs that he'd been murdered. And finally,
Lewis Chambers was killed in a car accident. The proof
of that is in the dashcam footage and the man
of the road, I probed Davenport shrugged, wrong place, wrong time.
He tried to come up with an excuse, but I
felt like he was waiting on me. It potentially shed
more light. I wasn't going to though. I truly didn't
(14:04):
know who the man was. Let's he come forward and
explains why he was standing in the middle of the road.
We have nothing to go on. Davenport concluded, Well, let's
hope he does. Then I said. There was an awkward
silence between us. Quiet tension was building, and then Davenport
spoke again. Since our guts, our haunches are usually either
(14:28):
right or at least in the ballpark, I have a
question for you, met, he said. I felt my body
tense up. I was sure he was watching every inch
of me gaging my response back in the interrogation room,
right before you have stormed out on me. What'd you
mean when you said you don't know what you up against?
I knew that was going to come back and haunt me.
(14:50):
There was a horrible choice of words and a response
on my end, fueled by emotional stress not reasonable sensibility.
I didn't blame him for asking that, however, or I
wasn't ready to answer it either. You guys set me
home on mental health leave. I said, I wasn't in
the right state of mind. Davenport leaned forward, his elbows
(15:10):
planted on the table and a gold look on his face.
I'm not stupid, Matt, he said in a low voice.
I'm a good detective with spot on hunches, and right
now my hunch is that you are hiding something. Maybe
you want directly responsible for any of these deaths, but
I can't get past the fact that you closely connected
each of them in some way or another. A friend,
(15:32):
a neighbor, a coworker. You hiding something or you're lying.
There was again lying. Everyone thought I was lying simon
my own son. Now I was in Detective Davenport's crosshairs.
Why would I lie? I asked, trying hard not to
sound nervous, but more than likely failing. Davenport remained half
(15:55):
across the table, his focus on wavering. You tell me
you already lied about not being religious. What do you mean,
I asked, annoyed. The Nativity scene becross Okay, I could
buy those being holiday de colt. How can you explain
the priest they came to your house yesterday? How, I stammered,
How do you know that? Davenport then sat back with
(16:18):
a smug look upon his face. Had he been staking
up my house watching me? If you've been stalking me,
I said, I will report you. Investigating is not stalking,
he said. I couldn't believe what he was saying. I
was under investigation. Davenport wasn't here to fill me in
on the ins and outs of the deaths. He was
(16:39):
here to study me and find out as much as
he could. My hunch was dead on. This is unlawful,
I said, No. What's unlawful is you concealing information that
could impede us from doing our jobs and bringing about justice.
You know what's going on here, whether you're directly involved
or just a player in it. What am I up
against Matt? What can the game is this? I leaned forward,
(17:03):
placing my elbows on the table and let my eyes
burn into his get out, I snarled. Davenport held his ground,
remaining in a seat. If you don't, I'll call the police,
he laughed. They're all mad here met two of them
at this table. I stood up. Before I had a
chance to say anything else, there was a loud thud
(17:25):
above us, like something had fallen and hit the floor.
We both looked up at the kitchen ceiling. Instinctively, Davenport
leaped to his feet and extracted his service weapon. When
I saw the gun come out, I panicked. Put that away,
I demanded. Davenport locked eyes with me again. Who was that?
Who you have up there? Are you kidding me? I exclaimed.
There's no one up there. The boys are in school
(17:46):
and Anika's in the living room. Another thud resounded upstairs,
followed by something heavy dragging across the floor. Davenport shot
me a steamed look and then stormed out of the kitchen,
almost plowing into Anika, who was walking into the room.
She put her back to the wall and let the
detective power by what's going on. She asked, with an
ample amount of concern, why does he have a gun
(18:07):
because he's off his rocker, I said, charging after him,
stay here, I called back to Annika as I bustled
up the stairs and spotted Davenport in the hallway. He
was outside a Logan's room listening. He looked at me,
which room is above the kitchen? He asked, trying to
do the mental gymnastics to figure it out himself. I
pointed to the room just down from where he was,
Mason's bedroom. He grabbed the doorknob and flung the door open,
(18:31):
keeping his gun down to his side, and disappeared into
the room. I jogged in after him, at froze when
I saw the dresser had toppled over and was now
several feet away from where normally was against the wall.
Had this happened? Davenport asked, standing over the dresser, I
just stared at him. How am I supposed to know
I was downstairs with you? Davenport turned his attention to
(18:54):
the closet next, ripping the door open and scouring through
Mason's hanging clothes. I just stood back and watched, knowing
this was all against policy. He was crossing so many
lines it wasn't funny. I did find it odd how
the dresser had not only fallen over but also moved
halfway across the room. All of the toys and knickknacks
(19:14):
that Mason kept on top of it were scattered on
the floor. Most of them were broken. Suddenly, a scream
ripped through the house. It was Anika downstairs. A loud
clamor followed, and I bolted out of the room. I
heard Davenport keeping pace with me as I barreled down
the stairs. As soon as I hit the bottom, she
screamed again. I rushed into the living room, where someone
held onto her from behind, someone wearing a lion mask.
(19:36):
Anika struggled to get out of her attacker's grasp, but
the more she tried, the tighter his grip got. Anika.
I shouted. Davenport joined my side and aimed his weapon.
Let it go now. The man shook his head rapidly,
breathing heavily underneath the mask. Annika continued to struggle and squeal.
The man then put one of his hands over her mouth,
and I about lost it. I charged at him, but
(19:58):
that's when he quickly pulled out an ice pick out
with his free hand. I stopped where I was. Mack,
get back, Davenport commanded. I couldn't move. All I saw
was my wife's life and jeopardy. Anger swelled within me
like a balloon, and then burst. I charged him again,
blinded by rage and fear. I watched him raise the
ice pick and conjured every last bit of adrenaline I
(20:19):
had in me. A single shot rang out behind me,
causing me to stop and duck. The masked man also flinched,
choosing to viciously throw Anika down to the floor in
front of the window. Instead, he raised the ice pick
again and lunged at me. I had flashbacks to when
Zach came at me with the crowbar. I put my
arms up to brace for the attack and felt the sharp,
stainless steel sink into my forearm and erupt out the
(20:41):
other side. Blood misted my face, and I cried out
in pain. A second shot rang out from Davenport's gun.
This time he hit his target. Blood burst from the
center of the attacker's chest. I reached out and grabbed
the mask, tearing it off his face. Simon Welch was underneath.
Simon cringed not believing my own eyes. Simon coughed up blood.
(21:05):
His eyes were emotionless empty. You your past is finally
caught up to you, he said, gurgling blood. All the lies,
the deceit you did this. I didn't know what to say.
I just stared at him. But then he found one
last surge of vigor. He lifted the ice pick again,
with the intention of stabbing me a second time, but
(21:27):
I dodged out of the way, falling to the ground
with Anika. Davenport fired two more shots, both beaming straight
through Simon's body and shattering the glass window above us.
Tiny bloody fragments of glass rained down upon Anika and
I like a shower only the devil himself would endure.
Simon's dead body thumped to the floor next to us.
(21:48):
He was dead. Anaka was in shock, and I was
starting to feel woozy from the searing pain in my arm.
Every sound around me became muffled, drowned out by a ring.
I heard Davenport on the phone. I felt Anika rocking
me back and forth. I recalled the gunshots, the blood,
(22:09):
the murderous face of a lion, and my friend of
twenty years trying to kill me. The Advent calendar, sitting
mere feet away, was a witness to it all. I
felt cold, and then everything went black. Thanks for listening.
(22:31):
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
also where you can go to hear each of the
twenty four chapters as they're posted. I'm Darren Marler. Thanks
(22:53):
for celebrating Advent with me in the Weird Darkness
The beast has a name now, Zervon, an ancient demon
from Persian myth, worshiped in midwinter rituals that culminate on
December twenty fourth, the same day the Advent Calendar's final
door is meant to open, the same anniversary of the
fire that consumed Matthew Klein's family thirty years ago. Father
Olsen's visit confirmed what matt already feared. He is not
(00:25):
merely haunted. He is a participant in something far older
and more deliberate than a simple haunting. The calendar was
built for him, constructed from the cursed remains of the
spirit board that started everything, shaped by hands guided by
demonic influence, every lion, every serpent, every detail carved with patient,
(00:47):
malevolent purpose. Fifteen doors have been opened, Fifteen horrors have
been unleashed. A woman impaled by a falling star, a
young barista stabbed with a cross, a neighbor drowned, gulls rest,
a fellow officer killed when its patrol car wrapped around
a tree. His teeth shattered like glass on the steering wheel. Glass.
(01:09):
The shards that spilled from Door fifteen now sit in
Matthew's palm. Tiny and razor sharp, drawing blood with the
slightest touch. Somewhere in Marshport, or perhaps somewhere closer, their
meaning waits to reveal itself. The calendar has never been subtle.
Every trinket has found its echo in tragedy. The crucifix
(01:30):
Father Olsen left hangs near the fireplace, a holy sentinel
watching over the cursed object. But Matten knows better than
to trust in simple protections. Now the Nativity scene was
found scattered across the floor, knocked from its place by
unseen hands. Whatever dwells within the calendar does not fear
symbols of faith, It mocks them. Eight doors remain eight
(01:55):
days until Christmas Eve, eight steps in a ritual that
has been building for three decades, waiting for the moment
when past and present finally collide. Mason has seen the
boy made of embers. He's seen the tall man in
black who brought the snakes. The children are no longer
safe observers in their father's nightmare. They have become part
(02:16):
of it. Stephen's voice still whispers in the dark spaces
of the house, angry and demanding. The rules must be followed.
The doors must be opened, and with each passing day,
Zervon grows stronger, fed by fear and grief and the
slow unraveling of everything Matthew Kleine has built. December sixteenth,
(02:40):
dawns cold and gray over Marshpoort. The shattered glass waits
for its victim. Welcome, Weirdos. I'm Darren Marler and this
(03:25):
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, but what
(03:46):
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
Weirddarkness dot com slash Advent of Evil. The calendar is waiting.
Let's see what awaits us behind today's door. Tuesday, December sixteenth,
(04:16):
the snow was falling heavily outside, and even though the
boys had taken the bus to school hours ago, Anaka
and I were systematically checking our emails about a possible
early dismissal. The forecast was calling for up to seven inches,
and from what I could tell from looking out the windows,
it had already dumped at least half of that. On Marshport.
(04:36):
The sky was swathed in gray clouds, without a glimmer
of sunlight to be seen. It seemed like a metaphor
for the problem lurking within our home. I turned away
from the front windows and glazed by the Advent calendar,
hoping the crucifix Father Olsen had hung on the wall
behind it was doing its job. Sure, I believed in
(04:57):
the supernatural. It was hard not to after every thing
I'd experienced, even dating back thirty years. But could the
power of God really stop what had nested with us?
I wasn't sure, but I had no other choice. Clearly,
just getting rid of the calendar wasn't enough. It came
back burning it well. Father Olsen said, you never burn
(05:21):
a spirit board, which is what the calendar was crafted from.
But with the dark spirit that had been attached to
it already loose, was there any further harm that could
come from trying that? I looked over at Anika. She
was sitting on the couch covered in a blanket with
the hood of her sweatshirt over her head. On her
lap was her computer. What are you looking at? I asked,
(05:44):
Sitting down next to her demons, she said coldly, her
head lifted and her glassy eyes met mine. These things
are terrifying, Matt. I didn't need to be told the
demons were terrifying, but I wanted to hear her out
and see what she'd been learning. What does it say?
Annaka looked back down at her laptop and read out
(06:05):
loud from the website she had pulled up. They act
as executors, a pure evil. They rely on forbidden temptations, deception,
and corruption to cause mayhem. They cause misfortune and can
possess anyone that is vulnerable enough or easily influenced. Does
it say why they do these things? I asked? She
(06:25):
skimmed the article. It can be an indirect way for
them to harm God, destroy someone's beliefs, tempt a person
into sin, or Annika stopped. She looked at me before
she continued. Or just for their own pleasure. Annika scowled
at that last one. She looked at me, expecting me
(06:47):
to be able to follow it up or justify it.
Sometimes evil can't be explained, I said, quoting passed her
heart yet again. It just is. Annaka lowered head, looking
back at the screen in front of her. I noticed
her eyes start reading again. Evil just is, I repeated
(07:08):
in my head. I wondered again about our demon's origin.
Where did it come from? Did Uncle David have experiences
like this also? Prior to well things going south for him?
My grandmother wasn't around anymore, but there might have been
a couple of other people who had answers. Have my
parents mentioned anything to you about coming for Christmas? I
(07:31):
asked Danica. She just gawked at me. My foster parents,
I clarified, never before having to have done that. She
shook her head. No, she said. Maybe I'll call them
later and see if they planned to come this year,
I said, already mentally creating a list of questions for them.
There was a knock at the door, and I quickly
(07:53):
jumped off the couch to answer it. I'm surprised to
see Detective Davenport standing on the porch. His maroon's a
dan parked in our drive behind him, Detective, I said,
caught off guard, Davenport smiled and nodded. Good morning, he said,
May I come in. My surprise was quickly replaced with
annoyance and frustration. I told Lieutenant Sears to make sure
(08:15):
Davenport left me alone. With an extra flick of his tongue,
he was ready to brand me a serial killer. Back
in the interrogation room, I put my arm against the
doorframe to make sure there was a clear barrier between
him and my house. He looked down at his feet
and bit his lip before looking back up at me
with only his eyes. I owe you an apology, he said.
(08:36):
Marshport's been hit with a lot of over the past
couple of weeks. I might have become a little over
zealous and misread the situation. Miss read, I asked, you
were seconds away from calling me a serial murderer. Davenport
sighed like I said, I owe you an apology. Let
(08:57):
my arm down and my body relaxed. The cold from
outside chilled my exposed skin, so I can only imagine
the detective was cold as well. You came out here
to tell me that, I curiously asked, why not just
a phone call, because you'll do back of work tomorrow
and I want you to come back. No, and everything
we know the phone call didn't seem appropriate. From that,
(09:20):
I was able to conclude there had been some developments
in the days I had been away. I stepped aside
and let Detective Davenport into the house, hung his coat
on the rack, and walked him into the living room,
where Anako was surprised to see a visitor. She welcomed him,
and then I caught Davenport glancing around the living room curiously,
taking in everything from the fireplace to the stockings, the
(09:41):
Christmas tree, and even the Advent calendar. It could have
been simple curiosity with him never having been in our
home before, or it could have been something else. Davenport
was a good detective, and I wasn't about to put
anything past him. Let's go to the kitchen, I said,
I think there's still some coffee brood in the kitchen.
I poured us each a cup of coffee, and we
(10:02):
sat down at the table. You a religious man, Matt,
he asked. I shook my head, Not really, I said, oh,
he said, with the Nativity scene and to cross on
the wall in your living room. I just oh, there
are Christmas decorations, I snapped, silencing the detective from probing
any further. He called onto my discomfort pretty fast and
(10:25):
sipped his coffee before getting on with what he had
come to my house to talk about. Over the past
couple of days, we made some breakthroughs in the deaths,
Davenport said, and I want you to relax and know
that I no longer think you had anything to do
with them. Of course I didn't, I scoffed. I'm an
officer of the law. I have been for twenty years.
Why would I suddenly turned into a I stopped as
(10:49):
a bloody image of Uncle David spawned in my head.
The soulless vision of Wilbur Ward followed. There were two
stand up men who suddenly, without warning, devolved into some
thing dark. I knew the coincidences were overwhelming. You knew
all of victims very well. You have to at least
give me that, Davenport said. Any cop with a hunch
(11:10):
would dig a little deeper. He took another sip of
his coffee. That's what you did, after all, right. Davenport
was asking again about Mike Campbell, and wide eyed gone
rogue to question him. I had a hunch, yes, I said,
Lewis had told me there was a man spotted near
Bridget's crime scene, who was wearing a dark, hooded sweatshirt.
(11:32):
I knew Mike Campbell was wearing a hooded sweatshirt that
morning in the same area. Lewis also told me there
was security footage of a hooded man luring Renduen out
of his home. Well, like you said, any good cop
with a hunch will follow up. It has to be
done through the appropriate avenues, though Davenport said otherwise it
could hinted an investigation. He cleared his throat. What about
(11:53):
the dash can footage from Lewis's accident, The dark figure
that appears, Oh what's You'll take a blitz of the footage,
and images of Lewis's dead Bondy surged back through my mind.
I don't know, but my first instinct was to assume
it was the same hooded man. Do you know who
the man is? He asked, I shook my head. Now
not a clue. He was also, I stopped, but that
(12:17):
only made Davenport more curious. He's also what he asked.
I gave in he was also at Bridget's wake, and
I said, or at least I thought he was. There
was someone there with a hood over their head and
a bushy beard. You think it was the same guy,
Davenport asked. I started to become a little leery about
answering any more questions. Davenport had come to my house
(12:39):
with the intent of bringing me up to speed on
all the cases, but instead I felt like I was
right back in the interrogation room. If you have a hunch,
then it's the same guy I'd trusted, Davenport said. The
CoP's gut ah in au Wishing is unmatched. I adjusted
uncomfortably in my seat. You said you want to update
me before I'm back to work tomorrow. I said, what
(13:00):
are the updates? Davenport let his gaze linger on me
a moment longer. I could see dissatisfaction in his eyes.
After I put a stop to his impromptu inquisition, I
knew he was here with ulterior motives. He snapped out
of it and pulled out his phone, bringing up his notesapp.
Bridget's death has beneficially ruled an accident, he said, referencing
(13:21):
the app. That was something I'd already known based on
an article I'd read online. Gwen Martin's mudder was committed
by Zach Welch, who has admitted as much. Man was
caught on the scene. Ran Dwen's death has been deemed
an accidental drowning under suspicious circumstances, aside from an unknown
man in black leaving his property with him. However, there
(13:41):
were no physical signs that he'd been murdered. And finally,
Lewis Chambers was killed in a car accident. The proof
of that is in the dashcam footage and the man
of the road, I probed Davenport shrugged, wrong place, wrong time.
He tried to come up with an excuse, but I
felt like he was waiting on me. It potentially shed
more light. I wasn't going to though. I truly didn't
(14:04):
know who the man was. Let's he come forward and
explains why he was standing in the middle of the road.
We have nothing to go on. Davenport concluded, Well, let's
hope he does. Then I said. There was an awkward
silence between us. Quiet tension was building, and then Davenport
spoke again. Since our guts, our haunches are usually either
(14:28):
right or at least in the ballpark, I have a
question for you, met, he said. I felt my body
tense up. I was sure he was watching every inch
of me gaging my response back in the interrogation room,
right before you have stormed out on me. What'd you
mean when you said you don't know what you up against?
I knew that was going to come back and haunt me.
(14:50):
There was a horrible choice of words and a response
on my end, fueled by emotional stress not reasonable sensibility.
I didn't blame him for asking that, however, or I
wasn't ready to answer it either. You guys set me
home on mental health leave. I said, I wasn't in
the right state of mind. Davenport leaned forward, his elbows
(15:10):
planted on the table and a gold look on his face.
I'm not stupid, Matt, he said in a low voice.
I'm a good detective with spot on hunches, and right
now my hunch is that you are hiding something. Maybe
you want directly responsible for any of these deaths, but
I can't get past the fact that you closely connected
each of them in some way or another. A friend,
(15:32):
a neighbor, a coworker. You hiding something or you're lying.
There was again lying. Everyone thought I was lying simon
my own son. Now I was in Detective Davenport's crosshairs.
Why would I lie? I asked, trying hard not to
sound nervous, but more than likely failing. Davenport remained half
(15:55):
across the table, his focus on wavering. You tell me
you already lied about not being religious. What do you mean,
I asked, annoyed. The Nativity scene becross Okay, I could
buy those being holiday de colt. How can you explain
the priest they came to your house yesterday? How, I stammered,
How do you know that? Davenport then sat back with
(16:18):
a smug look upon his face. Had he been staking
up my house watching me? If you've been stalking me,
I said, I will report you. Investigating is not stalking,
he said. I couldn't believe what he was saying. I
was under investigation. Davenport wasn't here to fill me in
on the ins and outs of the deaths. He was
(16:39):
here to study me and find out as much as
he could. My hunch was dead on. This is unlawful,
I said, No. What's unlawful is you concealing information that
could impede us from doing our jobs and bringing about justice.
You know what's going on here, whether you're directly involved
or just a player in it. What am I up
against Matt? What can the game is this? I leaned forward,
(17:03):
placing my elbows on the table and let my eyes
burn into his get out, I snarled. Davenport held his ground,
remaining in a seat. If you don't, I'll call the police,
he laughed. They're all mad here met two of them
at this table. I stood up. Before I had a
chance to say anything else, there was a loud thud
(17:25):
above us, like something had fallen and hit the floor.
We both looked up at the kitchen ceiling. Instinctively, Davenport
leaped to his feet and extracted his service weapon. When
I saw the gun come out, I panicked. Put that away,
I demanded. Davenport locked eyes with me again. Who was that?
Who you have up there? Are you kidding me? I exclaimed.
There's no one up there. The boys are in school
(17:46):
and Anika's in the living room. Another thud resounded upstairs,
followed by something heavy dragging across the floor. Davenport shot
me a steamed look and then stormed out of the kitchen,
almost plowing into Anika, who was walking into the room.
She put her back to the wall and let the
detective power by what's going on. She asked, with an
ample amount of concern, why does he have a gun
(18:07):
because he's off his rocker, I said, charging after him,
stay here, I called back to Annika as I bustled
up the stairs and spotted Davenport in the hallway. He
was outside a Logan's room listening. He looked at me,
which room is above the kitchen? He asked, trying to
do the mental gymnastics to figure it out himself. I
pointed to the room just down from where he was,
Mason's bedroom. He grabbed the doorknob and flung the door open,
(18:31):
keeping his gun down to his side, and disappeared into
the room. I jogged in after him, at froze when
I saw the dresser had toppled over and was now
several feet away from where normally was against the wall.
Had this happened? Davenport asked, standing over the dresser, I
just stared at him. How am I supposed to know
I was downstairs with you? Davenport turned his attention to
(18:54):
the closet next, ripping the door open and scouring through
Mason's hanging clothes. I just stood back and watched, knowing
this was all against policy. He was crossing so many
lines it wasn't funny. I did find it odd how
the dresser had not only fallen over but also moved
halfway across the room. All of the toys and knickknacks
(19:14):
that Mason kept on top of it were scattered on
the floor. Most of them were broken. Suddenly, a scream
ripped through the house. It was Anika downstairs. A loud
clamor followed, and I bolted out of the room. I
heard Davenport keeping pace with me as I barreled down
the stairs. As soon as I hit the bottom, she
screamed again. I rushed into the living room, where someone
held onto her from behind, someone wearing a lion mask.
(19:36):
Anika struggled to get out of her attacker's grasp, but
the more she tried, the tighter his grip got. Anika.
I shouted. Davenport joined my side and aimed his weapon.
Let it go now. The man shook his head rapidly,
breathing heavily underneath the mask. Annika continued to struggle and squeal.
The man then put one of his hands over her mouth,
and I about lost it. I charged at him, but
(19:58):
that's when he quickly pulled out an ice pick out
with his free hand. I stopped where I was. Mack,
get back, Davenport commanded. I couldn't move. All I saw
was my wife's life and jeopardy. Anger swelled within me
like a balloon, and then burst. I charged him again,
blinded by rage and fear. I watched him raise the
ice pick and conjured every last bit of adrenaline I
(20:19):
had in me. A single shot rang out behind me,
causing me to stop and duck. The masked man also flinched,
choosing to viciously throw Anika down to the floor in
front of the window. Instead, he raised the ice pick
again and lunged at me. I had flashbacks to when
Zach came at me with the crowbar. I put my
arms up to brace for the attack and felt the sharp,
stainless steel sink into my forearm and erupt out the
(20:41):
other side. Blood misted my face, and I cried out
in pain. A second shot rang out from Davenport's gun.
This time he hit his target. Blood burst from the
center of the attacker's chest. I reached out and grabbed
the mask, tearing it off his face. Simon Welch was underneath.
Simon cringed not believing my own eyes. Simon coughed up blood.
(21:05):
His eyes were emotionless empty. You your past is finally
caught up to you, he said, gurgling blood. All the lies,
the deceit you did this. I didn't know what to say.
I just stared at him. But then he found one
last surge of vigor. He lifted the ice pick again,
with the intention of stabbing me a second time, but
(21:27):
I dodged out of the way, falling to the ground
with Anika. Davenport fired two more shots, both beaming straight
through Simon's body and shattering the glass window above us.
Tiny bloody fragments of glass rained down upon Anika and
I like a shower only the devil himself would endure.
Simon's dead body thumped to the floor next to us.
(21:48):
He was dead. Anaka was in shock, and I was
starting to feel woozy from the searing pain in my arm.
Every sound around me became muffled, drowned out by a ring.
I heard Davenport on the phone. I felt Anika rocking
me back and forth. I recalled the gunshots, the blood,
(22:09):
the murderous face of a lion, and my friend of
twenty years trying to kill me. The Advent calendar, sitting
mere feet away, was a witness to it all. I
felt cold, and then everything went black. Thanks for listening.
(22:31):
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
also where you can go to hear each of the
twenty four chapters as they're posted. I'm Darren Marler. Thanks
(22:53):
for celebrating Advent with me in the Weird Darkness
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