November 29, 2025 • 21 mins
A lonely widower's heart stops after a woman with his dead wife's face and name walks into a bar — and he wakes up strapped to a chair as the unwilling contestant on a horrifying game show in Purgatory.
IN THIS EPISODE: “N.D.E.” (“Where To Next?”) by Luther Kross
SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM THE EPISODE…
“N.D.E.” (short horror fiction) by Luther Kross: https://www.facebook.com/lutherkross
=====(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.=====Originally aired: June 2022
EPISODE PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/WhereToNext
ABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: Weird Darkness is a true crime and paranormal podcast narrated by professional award-winning voice actor, Darren Marlar. Seven days per week, Weird Darkness focuses on all thing strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold case murders, conspiracy theories, and more. On Thursdays, this scary stories podcast features horror fiction along with the occasional creepypasta. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “Best 20 Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a cross between “Coast to Coast” with Art Bell, “The Twilight Zone” with Rod Serling, “Unsolved Mysteries” with Robert Stack, and “In Search Of” with Leonard Nimoy.DISCLAIMER: Ads heard during the podcast that are not in my voice are placed by third party agencies outside of my control and should not imply an endorsement by Weird Darkness or myself. *** Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised.
#WeirdDarkness #NearDeathExperience #IDiedAndCameBack #Purgatory #Afterlife #HorrorStory #CreepyStory #Paranormal #ScaryStory #WhatHappensWhenYouDie
IN THIS EPISODE: “N.D.E.” (“Where To Next?”) by Luther Kross
SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM THE EPISODE…
“N.D.E.” (short horror fiction) by Luther Kross: https://www.facebook.com/lutherkross
=====(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.=====Originally aired: June 2022
EPISODE PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/WhereToNext
ABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: Weird Darkness is a true crime and paranormal podcast narrated by professional award-winning voice actor, Darren Marlar. Seven days per week, Weird Darkness focuses on all thing strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold case murders, conspiracy theories, and more. On Thursdays, this scary stories podcast features horror fiction along with the occasional creepypasta. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “Best 20 Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a cross between “Coast to Coast” with Art Bell, “The Twilight Zone” with Rod Serling, “Unsolved Mysteries” with Robert Stack, and “In Search Of” with Leonard Nimoy.DISCLAIMER: Ads heard during the podcast that are not in my voice are placed by third party agencies outside of my control and should not imply an endorsement by Weird Darkness or myself. *** Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised.
#WeirdDarkness #NearDeathExperience #IDiedAndCameBack #Purgatory #Afterlife #HorrorStory #CreepyStory #Paranormal #ScaryStory #WhatHappensWhenYouDie
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Welcome Weirdos. I'm Darren Marler, and this is Weird Darkness.
Here you'll find stories of the paranormal, supernatural, legends, lore,
the strange and bizarre, crime, conspiracy, mysterious maccabbre unsolved and
unexplained coming up in this episode. And I have a
(00:29):
story sent in by Luther Cross called NDE. Now, bulge
your doors, lock your windows, turn off your lights, and
come with me into the Weird Darkness. In twenty eleven,
(00:56):
I had my first fatal heart attack. I died right
in the back of that ambulance, but they revived me
three minutes later. At the time, I was cruising towards
my sixtieth birthday. I could feel my old age catching
up to me, but I still got around fairly well.
Back then. Anyhow, I'd been invited out to the bar
(01:19):
by some coworkers. They wanted to have a few drinks
in honor of a mutual friend's promotion. I was a
lonely old widower whose kids had grown and moved away.
What else could I possibly have to do? So I
dressed in my nicest jeans and my favorite band tea.
I didn't want to look like a complete slouch. But
I also didn't much care what they thought of me.
(01:42):
No way I was going to wear a monkey suit
in my off time. Besides, I was just a few
years away from retirement and I was oh so ready
for that. When we got to the bar, Jared, one
of my colleagues, ordered everyone in our group a single
shot of whiskey. We all toasted and gulfed them down
as one. It was an unintentionally synchronized moment of pure beauty.
(02:07):
Then Jared sent out a round of beers for us all.
I wasn't necessarily opposed to having a few drinks with
these guys and hanging out, but I really wasn't in
the getting hammered. Despite the fact that it was Friday evening,
I still didn't want to hang over to nurse the
next morning. After I finished that first beer, I slowed
(02:28):
down and sipped the fresh one brought to me. Somebody
from our group had hit the jukebox and an old
Merle Haggard song filled the small bar room. I wasn't
in the country at all, but I was getting free drinks,
and I was out of the house for the first
time and quite a while, so I just went with it.
Pretty sure I even caught my head bobbing along a
(02:48):
time or two. Having fun, Jared asked, sidling up to
the bar next to me. Actually, yeah, I said, with
a bright smile. It's nice to get out of the house.
Might feel that way. I'm glad you came, man, I
worry about you. You know, this wasn't the first time
Jared had approached me this way. He was just one
(03:09):
of those guys who could sense it when somebody else
was struggling, and he insisted on helping them out. It
could be annoying at times, but I'd say his heart
was in the right place. Yeah, so you tell me
from time to time. Well listen, Barry, Jared said, lowering
his voice and leaning in. If you ever need someone
(03:29):
to talk to you, man, just hit me up. I
sell numbers in my email signature. You can call me anytime,
all right, Yeah, Jared, I know, I said, feeling a
bit uncomfortable. Cool man, Jared said, holding his fist out.
I bumped it with mine and he said, catch you later, bro, Later, Jared,
I said, sipping my beer. I heard the bell over
(03:53):
the front door ring and looked in its direction. I
froze the woman that had just walked in the front door.
Looked exactly like my late wife when she was about
twenty years old. I did a double take and rubbed
my eyes. When I moved my hands, she was looking
at me. She smiled and walked up to the bar.
(04:13):
A beer, please, she said. The bartender chuckled. You got
a preference, yeah, she said, with a nod. Whatever's cheap.
The bartender raised an eyebrow. You're a loss. I've got
some mighty fine stock back here. I'll take your word
for it, she said. The bartender had finished pouring her
beer and set it down in front of her. Thanks,
(04:35):
she said, taking a couple large gulps. Some of the
phone stuck to her upper lip, and she licked it
off the exact same way my wife would have. You
look like you've seen a ghost. Excuse me, I asked, bewildered,
you look like you've seen a ghost, old man? You okay,
I laughed nervously. You uh you, uh, you'll look like
(04:58):
someone I know you to know, I mean, her face
became solemn. I get it. I'm sorry. Let me buy
you a beer. Oh no, no, no, no, I stammered, that's okay.
I appreciate the offer. Though, nor for me, I guess,
she said with a shrug. With every single word that
left her lips, I became more and more convinced that
(05:20):
she was Danielle. She acted exactly like the young woman
and I first met so many years ago. But that
was impossible. Danielle was dead. I was at her funeral.
Then I got an idea, a way to prove to
myself that I was just being an old fool, that
I wasn't sitting next to my late wife's stoppelganger. What's
(05:41):
your name, by the way, I asked, I'm Barry, I said,
holding out my hand. She took it and gave it
a light, feminine shake. Danielle, she said, with a bright smile.
Danielle irons smile fell from my face, and I swear
my heart skipped a beat. What did you say? The
(06:02):
smile fell from her face too, and was replaced by
look of concern. Barry, are you okay? You don't look
so good. My mouth worked like a fish out of water.
I couldn't speak. An immense pain took over my left arm,
and I felt lightheaded. Something strong, I said, sliding off
my barstool and falling to the floor with a weak groan.
(06:24):
Oh God, Danielle screamed, somebody calling an ambulance. I think
he's having a heart attack. I started sweating despite feeling cold,
and the pain in my left arm refused to let up.
I heard someone on their cell phone, and after a
few minutes, they cried out, They're on their way. The
world became a jumbled mess of pain, loud noises, and
moving colors. It was no longer coherent to me. I
(06:48):
lost touch with reality and slipped into a darkness so
deep there is nothing to which I can compare it.
But then there was a light. It grew as it
sped towards me. I was enveloped in it, blinded by it.
And then I heard clapping and cheering. What the heck
(07:09):
a folks, welcome back de Purgatories number one game show
where two Next there was a pause that the crowd
build it with cheers, where we determine the fate of
whatever poor schmuck is just found themselves dead. The crowd
roared a big round of applause for today's schmuck. My
(07:35):
head cleared and I could make out the shape of
a man standing nearby. He came into focus. Then a
tall bearded man with slicked back hair and thickly framed glasses.
You wore an ugly striped suit and held a microphone
out to me. I looked at the microphone and then
back to him. I noticed he was wearing a name
tag big G. Big G, I asked, scoffing the man mild, No, Gilbert,
(08:01):
that's my name. The audience laughed, as if on c
big G held the microphone back out to me. What's
your name? He asked, as though he were talking to
a two year old Barry. I said, my voice booming
from speakers somewhere overhead. What's your last name? There? Berry Sorensen,
(08:22):
Berry Sorencen. Ladies and gentlemen, give him a head, will you? Folks?
He seems a little shy. The crowd erupted in applause.
Some of them even chanted my name for a few beats.
What the heck was this? And now? Big G said,
turning back to the audience, a word from our sponsors.
(08:47):
He turned back to me. You're gonna have to step
up your game. Berry, show a little enthusiasm. I don't understand,
I said, what's going on? Where am I? I've tried
to bring my hand up to wipe the sweat from
my brow, and realized that I was unable. My hands
and feet were tied down, strapped to a chair. Big
G opened his mouth as if to speak, but then paused,
(09:10):
touching the finger to his right ear. He nodded, and
then said to me go and live again, Barry in
three two. Big G turned back to the crowd. Welcome back, folks.
Are you ready for some fun? The crowd went wild,
(09:32):
screaming and whooping, like revelers at a public execution. Then
the chanting started again, a low rumble at first, but
it soon became a tsunami of sound. Bay. All right, folks,
let's quench that thirst for bloodshed, shall we? The crowd
cheered even louder, something I hadn't thought possible until i'd
(09:55):
heard it. Okay, Berry, listen up. Before you are two
brightly colored boxes, one red and one green. Your choice
determines your fate. Which will you choose? I froze. My
first thought was to use the colors as a guide.
Red means stop and green means go, so the choice
(10:17):
seemed obvious. But what if they've used that against me?
They'd switched the boxes so that red held the good
outcome and greened the bad one. Of course, if they
were smart enough to think of that, then I'd probably
know that I would think of it too, which means
they'd have switched it back so that red was bad
and green was good. I'll take the green one, big G,
(10:40):
I said, proud of myself for figuring out their game.
He'd like the green box. Ladies and gentlemen, Are we
ready to see what he's chosen? The crowd erupted with
cheers and applause. Big G grabbed the handle on top
of the green box and pulled the lid off to
reveal a card laying face down on the table. The
back of the card said where to next in a
(11:02):
stylized font. Big G picked up the card and flipped
it over to read it. Ooh, looks like he's chosen poorly, folks.
Who's up for a little game of truth or scare?
The crowd exploded with cheers and applause. I won't lie.
I felt like I was about to pass out. Whatever
this game was, it surely wasn't going to go in
(11:24):
my favor. Big G came and stood next to the
chair I was strapped into and gently laid a hand
on my shoulder. What do you say, Barry, Truth or scare?
Before I could even debate it in my head, I
had opened my mouth and said truth a wise joyce, Berry,
big G said, shuffling the stack of cards he now held.
(11:46):
After a few moments of shuffling, he took the first
card off the top of the stack and flipped it over.
Oh kay, Berry, here goes you ready, I nodded. Big
G opened his mouth and took a deep breath. Is
it Trueberry, that in nineteen eighty seven had a short
affair with your hot young secretary. No, I shouted into
the microphone. Of course, that's not true. Big G faked
(12:09):
a gasp and held a hand up to his mouth. Berry,
did you just lie? What? No? I'm sorry to say it, folks,
but I think Barry is a fibber. No, no, no, Barry,
big G said, giving me an overly dramatic look of contempt.
Come on, Barry, tell us the truth. She seduced me. Okay,
(12:32):
there are you happy now? It wasn't a damn affair.
It was a one night stand, and it wasn't even
my idea. The crowd filled the studio with booze and
disapproving growls. Some people even shouted send him down below
or send him to the lake. Big G. Calm down, folks,
Calm down, big G said, laughing. Barry, he said, turning
(12:54):
to me again, truth or scare. I knew if I
chose scare, something terrible what happened to me. That was
the name of the game, after all. Either I reveal
a horrendous truth about myself or I take whatever medicine
big G prescribes. I figured I'd take my chances with
the embarrassment and shame truth, I said, hanging my head.
(13:20):
Your choice, Very big G said, shuffling the cards a
bit before pulling one from the top of the stack. Ooh,
big G said, twisting his face up into a grimace.
This one's a doozy, folks. He turned to me. You ready, Very,
just get it over with, okay, big G said, with
a smile, tell us, Very, is it true that you
(13:42):
were grateful when Danielle passed away, that you thanked God
that she was dead. My skin went peel and my
mouth went ry. No, that's not right, that's not right
at all, Very big G said, in that disapproving tone.
Are you fibbing a berry? No, I screamed, jerking against
(14:03):
my restraints. You don't understand, I said, a few tears
falling from my eyes. She was in so much pain
by the end. I couldn't stand to see her suffer
any longer. I was just happy that she'd finally found
pieces all. I swear I never wanted her to die,
whether it was born of compassion or malice. Berry, you
still longed for your wife's passing. What kind of a
(14:26):
husband does that? The good kind, I said, gritting my
teeth and setting my jaw. Now let me out of here,
I growled, struggling against my restraints again. You know what,
Barry big G said, sliding closer to me. I don't
think I like your tone. Is that a hit of
arrogance hearing your voice? Or is it sheer insolence? Screw you, Pal, growled,
(14:51):
struggling harder. I could feel the chair beneath me beginning
to sway with my movements. All right, folks, looks like
Barry has chosen a scare. Let's find out what's in
store for our friend. Here, a giant wheel descended from
somewhere above. There were hundreds, maybe even thousands, of covered
slots around the outside edge of the wheel. I had
(15:11):
no idea what was hiding under those tiles, but I
knew that it couldn't possibly be good. Are you ready, folks,
Big G asked the crowd. They cheered and clapped their
enthusiasm back at him. Spin. Big G screamed, and the
crowd joined in. Spin Wheel. A giant wheel began to
(15:32):
spin faster than I would have thought possible for such
a massive thing. The covered boxes whizzed by at lightning speed.
The thing maintained its momentum for quite a while before
it began to slow. Ooh, it is so tense in here,
Big G. Gafawd. You could hear a pin drop. Then
there was a small click from the wheel as it
landed on my fate. Big G pulled his microphone up
(15:55):
to his face and said, show us what he's won,
Bobby covering my selected torment fell away to reveal a
picture of a centipede. Oh God, oh, dear God, no, no.
Somewhere above I heard a trapdoor spring open, and thousands
of writhing centipedes fell from somewhere up there, covering me
(16:16):
head to toe and squirming insectile bodies. I could feel
their little legs crawling all over my skin. And then
the biting began. The little vermin began chewing and digging,
squirming their way under my skin. I could feel them
slipping inside of me, crawling through my veins, eating me
from the inside out. The pain was so longumental that
I couldn't even cry out. I just sat there with
(16:37):
my mouth a gape in a silent scream, jerking against
my restraints because the pain would not allow me to
sit still. It wasn't long until they must have chewed
their way into my brain. Because things got really weird.
I could hear the loud colors of Big Gee's ugly
tweed suit jacket. I could taste the sound of the
audience cheering, and it was bittersweet on my tongue. Memory
(17:00):
splended my mind, blending together and creating a soupy mess
of my life. And then it all began to fade,
just like it had at the bar. When I came
to again, I was whole, but still in that chair,
Big g standing nearby with a stupid microphone. Welcome back, Berry,
(17:22):
I groaned and rolled my eyes, ready for the next round.
Just kill me already, I grumbled, Please, I can't take
this anymore, such a spoil sport. Aren't you Berry please?
I begged, Just end it? Big G smiled, then turned
back to the audience. What do you say, folks? Is
(17:43):
it time for us to answer the question. The crowd
cheered and clapped. As one. They stood and cried out
Where west? Where? Lest where? All right? Folks, All right,
ask and you shall receive, Bobby big G said, looking
(18:04):
to a corner of the studio. The wheel, if you please.
There was a strange fluttering and a low rumble. They
only lasted a split second. When they stopped. The wheel
looked different. It was much smaller and had only a
few tile covered slants. All right, Bobby big G said,
raising his hand in the air. Let her rip, he shouted,
(18:24):
dropping his hand like he was starting a race. The
wheel spun fast and hard. I could feel the breeze
produced with its movement. I watched an abject horror as
the spinning began to slow. Each click of that god
forsaken wheel brought me closer to whatever screwed up torture
big G had in store for me and for his audience.
(18:44):
The clicking stopped. There it is, folks, big G cried out,
gesturing to the wheel. Berry's fate hangs in the balance.
Shall we proceed with the big reveal? The audience cheered
and applauded. Soon they broke into a chante Last Where,
(19:05):
Last Where? Last? Big G put his hands up and
brought them down, slowly, bringing the crowd down to a
low simmer. All right, Bobby, you heard the audience. Let's
find out where Barry is headed. The tile covering the
slot on the wheel fell away to reveal the words
catch and release. Oh no, big G cried out. Looks
(19:29):
like you wucked out, Barry, My boy, you're going back back? What?
Back to where you came from? Duh, big G said,
shaking his head. Bye, bye, Berry, It's been fun. He
pulled a giant lever next to the chair, and I
was sucked downward through the chair and in some kind
of brightly lit multicolored tunnel, voices and colorful shapes whizzed by,
(19:54):
making me queazing. Then I came to a crashing halt.
I slammed into my body like a runaway hard to retreat. Immediately,
I woke up screaming, Barry, calm down, Okay, Everything's gonna
be all right. Mister Sorenson, don't you worry? Okay, I asked,
shaking my head. Where am I? You're in the back
(20:17):
of an ambulance, sir. We're on our way to our
Lady of Grace. You've had a heart attack, mister Sorenson.
I flopped back down onto the gurney. It was over.
I'd survived. But ever since that experience, I'm absolutely terrified
of death. I don't ever want to see Big G
or his studio audience again, but I fear that's all
(20:40):
that awaits us on the other side. Thanks for listening.
If you like the show, please share it with someone
you know who loves the paranormal or string stories, true crime, monsters,
(21:02):
or unsolved mysteries like you do. NDE was written by
Luther Cross. Weird Darkness is a production and trademark of
Marler House Productions, Copyright Weird Darkness. And now that we're
coming out of the dark, I'll leave you with a
little light. Proverbs ten, verse twenty seven. The fear of
the Lord adds length to life, but the years of
(21:25):
the wicked are cut short. And a final thought, he
who has not forgiven an enemy has not yet tasted
one of the most sublime enjoyments of life Johann k Levator.
I'm Darren Marler. Thanks for joining me in the weird darkness.
Welcome Weirdos. I'm Darren Marler, and this is Weird Darkness.
Here you'll find stories of the paranormal, supernatural, legends, lore,
the strange and bizarre, crime, conspiracy, mysterious maccabbre unsolved and
unexplained coming up in this episode. And I have a
(00:29):
story sent in by Luther Cross called NDE. Now, bulge
your doors, lock your windows, turn off your lights, and
come with me into the Weird Darkness. In twenty eleven,
(00:56):
I had my first fatal heart attack. I died right
in the back of that ambulance, but they revived me
three minutes later. At the time, I was cruising towards
my sixtieth birthday. I could feel my old age catching
up to me, but I still got around fairly well.
Back then. Anyhow, I'd been invited out to the bar
(01:19):
by some coworkers. They wanted to have a few drinks
in honor of a mutual friend's promotion. I was a
lonely old widower whose kids had grown and moved away.
What else could I possibly have to do? So I
dressed in my nicest jeans and my favorite band tea.
I didn't want to look like a complete slouch. But
I also didn't much care what they thought of me.
(01:42):
No way I was going to wear a monkey suit
in my off time. Besides, I was just a few
years away from retirement and I was oh so ready
for that. When we got to the bar, Jared, one
of my colleagues, ordered everyone in our group a single
shot of whiskey. We all toasted and gulfed them down
as one. It was an unintentionally synchronized moment of pure beauty.
(02:07):
Then Jared sent out a round of beers for us all.
I wasn't necessarily opposed to having a few drinks with
these guys and hanging out, but I really wasn't in
the getting hammered. Despite the fact that it was Friday evening,
I still didn't want to hang over to nurse the
next morning. After I finished that first beer, I slowed
(02:28):
down and sipped the fresh one brought to me. Somebody
from our group had hit the jukebox and an old
Merle Haggard song filled the small bar room. I wasn't
in the country at all, but I was getting free drinks,
and I was out of the house for the first
time and quite a while, so I just went with it.
Pretty sure I even caught my head bobbing along a
(02:48):
time or two. Having fun, Jared asked, sidling up to
the bar next to me. Actually, yeah, I said, with
a bright smile. It's nice to get out of the house.
Might feel that way. I'm glad you came, man, I
worry about you. You know, this wasn't the first time
Jared had approached me this way. He was just one
(03:09):
of those guys who could sense it when somebody else
was struggling, and he insisted on helping them out. It
could be annoying at times, but I'd say his heart
was in the right place. Yeah, so you tell me
from time to time. Well listen, Barry, Jared said, lowering
his voice and leaning in. If you ever need someone
(03:29):
to talk to you, man, just hit me up. I
sell numbers in my email signature. You can call me anytime,
all right, Yeah, Jared, I know, I said, feeling a
bit uncomfortable. Cool man, Jared said, holding his fist out.
I bumped it with mine and he said, catch you later, bro, Later, Jared,
I said, sipping my beer. I heard the bell over
(03:53):
the front door ring and looked in its direction. I
froze the woman that had just walked in the front door.
Looked exactly like my late wife when she was about
twenty years old. I did a double take and rubbed
my eyes. When I moved my hands, she was looking
at me. She smiled and walked up to the bar.
(04:13):
A beer, please, she said. The bartender chuckled. You got
a preference, yeah, she said, with a nod. Whatever's cheap.
The bartender raised an eyebrow. You're a loss. I've got
some mighty fine stock back here. I'll take your word
for it, she said. The bartender had finished pouring her
beer and set it down in front of her. Thanks,
(04:35):
she said, taking a couple large gulps. Some of the
phone stuck to her upper lip, and she licked it
off the exact same way my wife would have. You
look like you've seen a ghost. Excuse me, I asked, bewildered,
you look like you've seen a ghost, old man? You okay,
I laughed nervously. You uh you, uh, you'll look like
(04:58):
someone I know you to know, I mean, her face
became solemn. I get it. I'm sorry. Let me buy
you a beer. Oh no, no, no, no, I stammered, that's okay.
I appreciate the offer. Though, nor for me, I guess,
she said with a shrug. With every single word that
left her lips, I became more and more convinced that
(05:20):
she was Danielle. She acted exactly like the young woman
and I first met so many years ago. But that
was impossible. Danielle was dead. I was at her funeral.
Then I got an idea, a way to prove to
myself that I was just being an old fool, that
I wasn't sitting next to my late wife's stoppelganger. What's
(05:41):
your name, by the way, I asked, I'm Barry, I said,
holding out my hand. She took it and gave it
a light, feminine shake. Danielle, she said, with a bright smile.
Danielle irons smile fell from my face, and I swear
my heart skipped a beat. What did you say? The
(06:02):
smile fell from her face too, and was replaced by
look of concern. Barry, are you okay? You don't look
so good. My mouth worked like a fish out of water.
I couldn't speak. An immense pain took over my left arm,
and I felt lightheaded. Something strong, I said, sliding off
my barstool and falling to the floor with a weak groan.
(06:24):
Oh God, Danielle screamed, somebody calling an ambulance. I think
he's having a heart attack. I started sweating despite feeling cold,
and the pain in my left arm refused to let up.
I heard someone on their cell phone, and after a
few minutes, they cried out, They're on their way. The
world became a jumbled mess of pain, loud noises, and
moving colors. It was no longer coherent to me. I
(06:48):
lost touch with reality and slipped into a darkness so
deep there is nothing to which I can compare it.
But then there was a light. It grew as it
sped towards me. I was enveloped in it, blinded by it.
And then I heard clapping and cheering. What the heck
(07:09):
a folks, welcome back de Purgatories number one game show
where two Next there was a pause that the crowd
build it with cheers, where we determine the fate of
whatever poor schmuck is just found themselves dead. The crowd
roared a big round of applause for today's schmuck. My
(07:35):
head cleared and I could make out the shape of
a man standing nearby. He came into focus. Then a
tall bearded man with slicked back hair and thickly framed glasses.
You wore an ugly striped suit and held a microphone
out to me. I looked at the microphone and then
back to him. I noticed he was wearing a name
tag big G. Big G, I asked, scoffing the man mild, No, Gilbert,
(08:01):
that's my name. The audience laughed, as if on c
big G held the microphone back out to me. What's
your name? He asked, as though he were talking to
a two year old Barry. I said, my voice booming
from speakers somewhere overhead. What's your last name? There? Berry Sorensen,
(08:22):
Berry Sorencen. Ladies and gentlemen, give him a head, will you? Folks?
He seems a little shy. The crowd erupted in applause.
Some of them even chanted my name for a few beats.
What the heck was this? And now? Big G said,
turning back to the audience, a word from our sponsors.
(08:47):
He turned back to me. You're gonna have to step
up your game. Berry, show a little enthusiasm. I don't understand,
I said, what's going on? Where am I? I've tried
to bring my hand up to wipe the sweat from
my brow, and realized that I was unable. My hands
and feet were tied down, strapped to a chair. Big
G opened his mouth as if to speak, but then paused,
(09:10):
touching the finger to his right ear. He nodded, and
then said to me go and live again, Barry in
three two. Big G turned back to the crowd. Welcome back, folks.
Are you ready for some fun? The crowd went wild,
(09:32):
screaming and whooping, like revelers at a public execution. Then
the chanting started again, a low rumble at first, but
it soon became a tsunami of sound. Bay. All right, folks,
let's quench that thirst for bloodshed, shall we? The crowd
cheered even louder, something I hadn't thought possible until i'd
(09:55):
heard it. Okay, Berry, listen up. Before you are two
brightly colored boxes, one red and one green. Your choice
determines your fate. Which will you choose? I froze. My
first thought was to use the colors as a guide.
Red means stop and green means go, so the choice
(10:17):
seemed obvious. But what if they've used that against me?
They'd switched the boxes so that red held the good
outcome and greened the bad one. Of course, if they
were smart enough to think of that, then I'd probably
know that I would think of it too, which means
they'd have switched it back so that red was bad
and green was good. I'll take the green one, big G,
(10:40):
I said, proud of myself for figuring out their game.
He'd like the green box. Ladies and gentlemen, Are we
ready to see what he's chosen? The crowd erupted with
cheers and applause. Big G grabbed the handle on top
of the green box and pulled the lid off to
reveal a card laying face down on the table. The
back of the card said where to next in a
(11:02):
stylized font. Big G picked up the card and flipped
it over to read it. Ooh, looks like he's chosen poorly, folks.
Who's up for a little game of truth or scare?
The crowd exploded with cheers and applause. I won't lie.
I felt like I was about to pass out. Whatever
this game was, it surely wasn't going to go in
(11:24):
my favor. Big G came and stood next to the
chair I was strapped into and gently laid a hand
on my shoulder. What do you say, Barry, Truth or scare?
Before I could even debate it in my head, I
had opened my mouth and said truth a wise joyce, Berry,
big G said, shuffling the stack of cards he now held.
(11:46):
After a few moments of shuffling, he took the first
card off the top of the stack and flipped it over.
Oh kay, Berry, here goes you ready, I nodded. Big
G opened his mouth and took a deep breath. Is
it Trueberry, that in nineteen eighty seven had a short
affair with your hot young secretary. No, I shouted into
the microphone. Of course, that's not true. Big G faked
(12:09):
a gasp and held a hand up to his mouth. Berry,
did you just lie? What? No? I'm sorry to say it, folks,
but I think Barry is a fibber. No, no, no, Barry,
big G said, giving me an overly dramatic look of contempt.
Come on, Barry, tell us the truth. She seduced me. Okay,
(12:32):
there are you happy now? It wasn't a damn affair.
It was a one night stand, and it wasn't even
my idea. The crowd filled the studio with booze and
disapproving growls. Some people even shouted send him down below
or send him to the lake. Big G. Calm down, folks,
Calm down, big G said, laughing. Barry, he said, turning
(12:54):
to me again, truth or scare. I knew if I
chose scare, something terrible what happened to me. That was
the name of the game, after all. Either I reveal
a horrendous truth about myself or I take whatever medicine
big G prescribes. I figured I'd take my chances with
the embarrassment and shame truth, I said, hanging my head.
(13:20):
Your choice, Very big G said, shuffling the cards a
bit before pulling one from the top of the stack. Ooh,
big G said, twisting his face up into a grimace.
This one's a doozy, folks. He turned to me. You ready, Very,
just get it over with, okay, big G said, with
a smile, tell us, Very, is it true that you
(13:42):
were grateful when Danielle passed away, that you thanked God
that she was dead. My skin went peel and my
mouth went ry. No, that's not right, that's not right
at all, Very big G said, in that disapproving tone.
Are you fibbing a berry? No, I screamed, jerking against
(14:03):
my restraints. You don't understand, I said, a few tears
falling from my eyes. She was in so much pain
by the end. I couldn't stand to see her suffer
any longer. I was just happy that she'd finally found
pieces all. I swear I never wanted her to die,
whether it was born of compassion or malice. Berry, you
still longed for your wife's passing. What kind of a
(14:26):
husband does that? The good kind, I said, gritting my
teeth and setting my jaw. Now let me out of here,
I growled, struggling against my restraints again. You know what,
Barry big G said, sliding closer to me. I don't
think I like your tone. Is that a hit of
arrogance hearing your voice? Or is it sheer insolence? Screw you, Pal, growled,
(14:51):
struggling harder. I could feel the chair beneath me beginning
to sway with my movements. All right, folks, looks like
Barry has chosen a scare. Let's find out what's in
store for our friend. Here, a giant wheel descended from
somewhere above. There were hundreds, maybe even thousands, of covered
slots around the outside edge of the wheel. I had
(15:11):
no idea what was hiding under those tiles, but I
knew that it couldn't possibly be good. Are you ready, folks,
Big G asked the crowd. They cheered and clapped their
enthusiasm back at him. Spin. Big G screamed, and the
crowd joined in. Spin Wheel. A giant wheel began to
(15:32):
spin faster than I would have thought possible for such
a massive thing. The covered boxes whizzed by at lightning speed.
The thing maintained its momentum for quite a while before
it began to slow. Ooh, it is so tense in here,
Big G. Gafawd. You could hear a pin drop. Then
there was a small click from the wheel as it
landed on my fate. Big G pulled his microphone up
(15:55):
to his face and said, show us what he's won,
Bobby covering my selected torment fell away to reveal a
picture of a centipede. Oh God, oh, dear God, no, no.
Somewhere above I heard a trapdoor spring open, and thousands
of writhing centipedes fell from somewhere up there, covering me
(16:16):
head to toe and squirming insectile bodies. I could feel
their little legs crawling all over my skin. And then
the biting began. The little vermin began chewing and digging,
squirming their way under my skin. I could feel them
slipping inside of me, crawling through my veins, eating me
from the inside out. The pain was so longumental that
I couldn't even cry out. I just sat there with
(16:37):
my mouth a gape in a silent scream, jerking against
my restraints because the pain would not allow me to
sit still. It wasn't long until they must have chewed
their way into my brain. Because things got really weird.
I could hear the loud colors of Big Gee's ugly
tweed suit jacket. I could taste the sound of the
audience cheering, and it was bittersweet on my tongue. Memory
(17:00):
splended my mind, blending together and creating a soupy mess
of my life. And then it all began to fade,
just like it had at the bar. When I came
to again, I was whole, but still in that chair,
Big g standing nearby with a stupid microphone. Welcome back, Berry,
(17:22):
I groaned and rolled my eyes, ready for the next round.
Just kill me already, I grumbled, Please, I can't take
this anymore, such a spoil sport. Aren't you Berry please?
I begged, Just end it? Big G smiled, then turned
back to the audience. What do you say, folks? Is
(17:43):
it time for us to answer the question. The crowd
cheered and clapped. As one. They stood and cried out
Where west? Where? Lest where? All right? Folks, All right,
ask and you shall receive, Bobby big G said, looking
(18:04):
to a corner of the studio. The wheel, if you please.
There was a strange fluttering and a low rumble. They
only lasted a split second. When they stopped. The wheel
looked different. It was much smaller and had only a
few tile covered slants. All right, Bobby big G said,
raising his hand in the air. Let her rip, he shouted,
(18:24):
dropping his hand like he was starting a race. The
wheel spun fast and hard. I could feel the breeze
produced with its movement. I watched an abject horror as
the spinning began to slow. Each click of that god
forsaken wheel brought me closer to whatever screwed up torture
big G had in store for me and for his audience.
(18:44):
The clicking stopped. There it is, folks, big G cried out,
gesturing to the wheel. Berry's fate hangs in the balance.
Shall we proceed with the big reveal? The audience cheered
and applauded. Soon they broke into a chante Last Where,
(19:05):
Last Where? Last? Big G put his hands up and
brought them down, slowly, bringing the crowd down to a
low simmer. All right, Bobby, you heard the audience. Let's
find out where Barry is headed. The tile covering the
slot on the wheel fell away to reveal the words
catch and release. Oh no, big G cried out. Looks
(19:29):
like you wucked out, Barry, My boy, you're going back back? What?
Back to where you came from? Duh, big G said,
shaking his head. Bye, bye, Berry, It's been fun. He
pulled a giant lever next to the chair, and I
was sucked downward through the chair and in some kind
of brightly lit multicolored tunnel, voices and colorful shapes whizzed by,
(19:54):
making me queazing. Then I came to a crashing halt.
I slammed into my body like a runaway hard to retreat. Immediately,
I woke up screaming, Barry, calm down, Okay, Everything's gonna
be all right. Mister Sorenson, don't you worry? Okay, I asked,
shaking my head. Where am I? You're in the back
(20:17):
of an ambulance, sir. We're on our way to our
Lady of Grace. You've had a heart attack, mister Sorenson.
I flopped back down onto the gurney. It was over.
I'd survived. But ever since that experience, I'm absolutely terrified
of death. I don't ever want to see Big G
or his studio audience again, but I fear that's all
(20:40):
that awaits us on the other side. Thanks for listening.
If you like the show, please share it with someone
you know who loves the paranormal or string stories, true crime, monsters,
(21:02):
or unsolved mysteries like you do. NDE was written by
Luther Cross. Weird Darkness is a production and trademark of
Marler House Productions, Copyright Weird Darkness. And now that we're
coming out of the dark, I'll leave you with a
little light. Proverbs ten, verse twenty seven. The fear of
the Lord adds length to life, but the years of
(21:25):
the wicked are cut short. And a final thought, he
who has not forgiven an enemy has not yet tasted
one of the most sublime enjoyments of life Johann k Levator.
I'm Darren Marler. Thanks for joining me in the weird darkness.
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