December 24, 2024 • 61 mins
Merry Christmas to all our loyal listeners!
In this chilling Christmas episode, we dig into a long-forgotten tradition: telling ghost stories at Christmas. Long before candy canes and carolers, folks gathered around the fire to swap supernatural tales, proving that the yuletide season isn't all jolly cheer...there’s room for the otherwordly, too. We delve into the roots of this ancient custom, tracing it back millennia, where the glow of a crackling hearth, or a communal bonfire, served as the perfect setting for shadows and shivers. But that's just the appetizer. The real treat is hearing two spine-tingling original tales, crafted by modern-day macabre maestros Jason Nhyte and Oscar Spectir. This episode is a reminder that the jolliest time of the year carries with it the whispers of the dead. Pull up a chair, warm yourself by our fire, and unwrap this gift...if you dare.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/supernatural-occurrence-studies-podcast--2792295/support.
In this chilling Christmas episode, we dig into a long-forgotten tradition: telling ghost stories at Christmas. Long before candy canes and carolers, folks gathered around the fire to swap supernatural tales, proving that the yuletide season isn't all jolly cheer...there’s room for the otherwordly, too. We delve into the roots of this ancient custom, tracing it back millennia, where the glow of a crackling hearth, or a communal bonfire, served as the perfect setting for shadows and shivers. But that's just the appetizer. The real treat is hearing two spine-tingling original tales, crafted by modern-day macabre maestros Jason Nhyte and Oscar Spectir. This episode is a reminder that the jolliest time of the year carries with it the whispers of the dead. Pull up a chair, warm yourself by our fire, and unwrap this gift...if you dare.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to my world, bitch, thank you.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
For the.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Good there here, it's them happy scenes of there'll be
(00:44):
parties for hosting. My smell is foot, toasting and caroling
out in the snow.
Speaker 4 (00:50):
That'll be scary ghost story, scary ghost story, scary ghost story,
scary ghost story, scary ghost story, scary. Oh, Merry Christmas listeners.
Speaker 5 (01:06):
I didn't think it'll be that funny tonight.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
We've prepared a special gift for you to unwrap on
this beautiful Christmas Eve, something from the Supernatural Occurrent Studies
Podcast to you. In this festive episode, we delve deep
into the antique tradition of telling ghost stories, yes at
(01:31):
Christmas time, a practice that has, over the centuries, blended
the warmth and cheer of the holiday season with the
thrill of ghostly tales. But before we get to that,
I'm Jason Knight and you are Oscar Specter. Fuck yeah,
and we're the Supernatural Occurrent Studies Podcast. Merry Christmas.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Fuck yeah, Oscar.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
What have you been up to since we've been you know,
we've been drenched in Rodney Alcala late.
Speaker 5 (02:00):
Yes, we have basically two shows concerning the guy.
Speaker 4 (02:03):
Yeah, it's gross. We're shaking it off. We're giving the
listeners and a little Christmas gifts. Speaking of gifts, yes, Oscar,
did you know we still have merchandise available right now.
Speaker 5 (02:13):
It's like, that's a good segue. I like that.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
Go to Chicagos Podcast dot com Chicago Ghost podcast dot
com quick click on merch We got a ton of
awesome new designs.
Speaker 5 (02:27):
I actually like a few of them myself.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
And that's hard to impress you it is. Yes, we
have whiskey glasses, Oscar cheers. Oh we are drinking winky.
We're not going to open it on this episode. We
already opened it. We've been drinking. So we have whiskey glasses, stickers, hoodies,
t shirts. Give your special someone a nice podcast gift, support.
Speaker 5 (02:46):
Us, or even better, give it to yourself. Love yourself first.
Put your ostygen mask on you, yourself before someone else.
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
Oh, I never understood that. You You don't understand why
I want to put it on me first, not them.
Speaker 5 (02:57):
Know what I'm saying. You're supposed to that.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
Oh oh then it works.
Speaker 5 (03:00):
No, yeah, you're supposed to do you first. That's what
I'm saying. Buy yourself something first. And then buy it
for somebody else. Okay, good to yourself first, that's right.
Speaker 4 (03:08):
Fuck those other people say that.
Speaker 5 (03:11):
Free fuck them man.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
Free shipping anywhere in the United States on orders of
twenty five dollars or more. Help out the show. Give
it yourself or your loved one something awesome, Oscar. Tomorrow's Christmas.
It's my favorite time of year.
Speaker 5 (03:24):
It is your favorite time of year. We're family stuff going.
Speaker 4 (03:27):
On, family stuff. We're gonna open us some fucking gifts.
Speaker 5 (03:30):
You open them in the morning, right, we do. I
do it at midnight on eve to night.
Speaker 4 (03:34):
It's strange. You're gonna after this, you're gonna go back
and open gifts.
Speaker 5 (03:38):
Well, we'll have dinner and stuff until we wait till midnight,
oh one, and then we open gifts. Ye oh, that's
so interesting.
Speaker 4 (03:44):
It's so cool to hear the difference some people.
Speaker 5 (03:47):
I grew up and it wasn't until I saw movies
that did it in the morning. I'm like, what the
fuck is shit? Oh yeah, no, no, no, yeah.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
Some people blows my mind. They open them all on
Christmas even, like, what the fuck are you doing?
Speaker 5 (03:56):
Eathensthens you open them up on Christmas morning? Nope, we
know what wait next that waiting shit? Yeah, yeah, I mean,
and then we do it in Christmas day, minute one,
not like the morning, it is the morning technically.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
It technically is there. We'll be going on a vacation
here in a few days.
Speaker 5 (04:13):
We got se rapper not, I hope not. I don't know,
I think about them. I'm not into either.
Speaker 4 (04:20):
Yeah, We're going to Hollywood studios. Go to Hollywood studios,
go to the beach, hang out with family, loved ones,
favorite timing year. How about you? What you got planned?
Speaker 5 (04:30):
Nothing crazy, nothing like that at all, not even worth mentioning,
just family stuff and whatever. My biggest dream and hope
is just that people. I mean people by now family
and friends. They understand, they know that a way, a
way to way to my heart is getting me Lego sets.
They that's right, Yes, it's it's definitely a new passion
over the last three years. But strong, It's fucking strong.
(04:53):
I have no space in my apartment. Wow cool, I
can show you pictures. You'd be so, you'd be disgusted
by how many sets I've made and how many more
I can make. No shit, a little bit, not like
that much, but you know, still putty a lot. So
a month ago doing Black Friday, there was amazing, like
this big ass fucking Lego sale, right they announced this
(05:15):
when they announced all those sets that are going to
be discontinued forever, you know, at December or at the
end of December. And so I was scrambling, you know,
trying to see what I can get, what's on sale
and what you know. And I have this deal with
my roommate. We always swapped Lego pieces every few months,
and Christmas is a big deal. Christmas month is a
big deal. So we buy each other like a big
(05:37):
you know, bigger things from our list. And yeah, it's
been a big Lego fucking month for me, enjoying it,
loving it, wanting so many Uh. I think the the
biggest one that I heard because our friend leaked it
already what he's getting. He's getting this big Space Shuttle
one that's pretty cool I've always wanted. Yeah, So and
that one's expiring this month. So and he's like, I'm
(05:57):
gonna get you that. Don't buy it, Okay, don't fucking
buy it. Don't tell anyone, right, It's like, okay, fine, So, yeah,
that's my that's my that's my bag.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
You know, my son Nico has this huge container of
Lego that he doesn't touch.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
Right, There's there's.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
Hair in there, there's rappers, popsicle sticks, he's a young boy.
Lollipop sticks all mixed in with this. I should see
if he would just give you all his lego.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Well you don't use him.
Speaker 5 (06:24):
Well, I don't know if I can just play with
something that doesn't go anywhere, but I'll take anything. I
also know I found out recently, not too resily, but
recently that your daughter is the one that builds the
Lego sets that I that I give your son. Yes,
she told me last time I saw her here. She
(06:46):
told me, like, I wasn't want to build that one,
Like what I give it to him? That's this a
little punk she'd be building, not you, But you're the
one who building. And she's like, apparently she's into it
more possibly than he is. And I'm like, oh, I
should be talking to you about Lego, not this kid
that I wouldn't.
Speaker 4 (06:59):
It's true.
Speaker 5 (07:00):
Yes, I'm like yeah, so now like, yes, more Lego kids.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
Her and her boyfriend will get together and do Lego.
Speaker 5 (07:05):
I think it's adorable, super cool.
Speaker 4 (07:07):
Santa Mary may have gotten her Lego. I think it
was like a Ferrari or something she wanted.
Speaker 5 (07:13):
I'm just released a F one series. Cars are really looking.
Speaker 4 (07:18):
Yeah, she's into it, she loves it. It's therapeutic, I
think for her.
Speaker 5 (07:20):
It is for me too.
Speaker 4 (07:21):
Yeah, yeah, it is for sure. So yeah, I'll see
if Nico wants to get that to you. But yeah,
tis the season, man, I'm.
Speaker 5 (07:28):
Happy happy, Yeah it is. It is definitely not like
full of depression, not yet this time, at least not yet, right, yeah, right,
I don't know what's yet, but not yet.
Speaker 4 (07:37):
What are we drinking tonight, Oscar, We're going, Oh, we're
going back to the very old Saint.
Speaker 5 (07:41):
Nick, right, because it's the occasion.
Speaker 4 (07:43):
Obviously it fits so well. This is an eight year
they call it ancient cask, and it's a rid so
it's spicy, Oscar, You are right, this is eighty six
point eight proof it could have been worse. Eighty six
point eight.
Speaker 5 (07:57):
Yeah, all right, I'm back along it.
Speaker 4 (08:00):
It's happened to me. It's happened to me, and it's terrible.
Speaker 5 (08:03):
Yeah, it's not like water terrible.
Speaker 4 (08:05):
Yeah, it's not like water going down the wrong pipe.
Speaker 5 (08:07):
Nope, you're good. Yep, I'm good. I thought you were
gonna puke.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
Bro No, I'm Michael.
Speaker 4 (08:11):
Good thing, this is all cement.
Speaker 5 (08:13):
Yes, there is a good thing in that. But also
I knew it wasn't gonna puke. It was just the
thing of trying to breathe. Jesus feels terrible.
Speaker 4 (08:19):
But you're good now, Yes, I'm okay. Uh right, Well
that's so. That's what we're drinking.
Speaker 5 (08:24):
Yeah, and I will keep thinking it. The warrant cheers, tink.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
Yeah, no dead air.
Speaker 5 (08:32):
Sorry, No, you're fine.
Speaker 4 (08:34):
So should we roll into us. We're not gonna do
commercials this time. This is a Christmas gift to our listener.
And that's right. So Christmas is a season of light,
joy togetherness, but for a lot of people, it also
carries a bittersweet weight, highlighting the empty chairs at the
(08:57):
dinner table, once occupied by the loved one that are
no longer with us. Perhaps it's no wonder that ghost stories, Christmas,
and the contemplation of mortality are so deeply intertwined, reflecting
the delicate balance of presence and absence, celebration and sorrow
(09:18):
as we navigate the fragile threads of life and memory.
During the most wonderful and haunting time of the year. Now,
the tradition of telling ghost stories during the Yule Tide
season has ancient roots tied to the Winter Solstice, a
time of darkness and reflection. Solar winter, the darkest period
(09:42):
of the year, spans November sixth through February third, with
the winter Solstice being on December twenty first or twenty second,
which marks the shortest day and longest night of Solar winter. Now,
ancient cult feared this season due to its harsh weather,
(10:04):
scarcity of resources, and associations with uncertainty and death. The
winter Solstice was seen as a time when the veil
between the living and the dead was the thinnest, making
it a fitting occasion to gather around a warm, glowing
hearth or a communal fire and share ghost stories to entertain,
(10:26):
connect with the dead, and confront the mysteries of the
long dark season. Moving forward in time, during the reign
of Emperor Constantine, we have the Church in Rome formally
celebrating Christmas for the first time on December twenty fifth
in the year three point thirty six A. D. Constantine
(10:49):
made Christianity the effective religion of the Roman Empire and
Some have speculated that choosing the December twenty fifth date
was a political move to weaken already as established dominant
pagan celebrations like Saturnalia, while easing Rome's transition from Paganism
to Christianity. Now. Saturnalia was a midwinter festival in ancient Rome,
(11:15):
celebrated from December seventeenth to December twenty third to honor Saturn,
the Roman god of agriculture and time. Saturnalia involved feasting,
gift giving, decorating homes with greenery, storytelling, and a general
spirit of merriment and relaxation of social norms, all of
(11:38):
which very clearly influenced our own Christmas traditions, including that
of telling ghost stories, as Romans often included the supernatural
in their myths, their folklore, and their storytelling. So here,
once again we have ghost stories intertwining with Christmas, continuing
humanity's enduring fascination with the supernatural and this very special
(12:02):
time of year. Now over a thousand years later, in
Victorian Victorian England, Charles Dickens popularized Christmas ghost stories, using
them to explore morality, mortality, and the afterlife. The best example,
of course, is Dickens's eighteen forty three novella A Christmas
(12:25):
Carol A Time was classic and I watch it every year.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
Really, oh yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:32):
The story brings the Christmas season to life through spectral
figures like Jacob Barley and the ghosts of Christmas Pass,
present and yet to come. Ghost Stories became so popular
during the Victorian era that Christmas editions of annual publications
were packed with chilling tales meant to be read aloud
(12:53):
by the fireside. And as the twentieth century unfolded through,
tradition of ghost stories at Christmas kind of faded, particularly
here in the United States, where Halloween claimed its place
as the season of telling haunted tales. Right Yet, in
certain years a flicker of interest has reignited, with some
(13:16):
yearning to revive the Victorian custom of intertwining the festive
with the macabre. So that's what we've brought for you tonight,
two original Christmas ghost stories penned by none other than me,
Jason Knight and Oscar Spector. It's our way to kind
of try to help rekindle an ancient holiday tradition. Yes,
(13:41):
now we do have two original stories ghost stories centered
around Christmas.
Speaker 5 (13:46):
YEP, that was the assignment.
Speaker 4 (13:49):
That was the assignment, and we don't know. We were
going to Yeah, prompt, this is your final, this is
your thesis. We were going to rock paper scissors to
see who goes first. Right, Uh so I guess we
do that now. Yes, I'm gonna take a sip of whiskey,
first sip of my very old.
Speaker 5 (14:10):
That's not because I'm not ready to drink it.
Speaker 4 (14:12):
I love how very old Saint Nick can say. It's
ancient age and it's eight years is ancient.
Speaker 5 (14:17):
It's two presidential cycles. Okay, so we'll do rock paper
scissor shoot.
Speaker 4 (14:24):
Rock paper.
Speaker 5 (14:25):
That's how three was just one. Let's do one, okay for.
Speaker 4 (14:28):
The time because okay, you ready? Yeah, rock paper?
Speaker 5 (14:34):
Shoot?
Speaker 3 (14:35):
Do we both do?
Speaker 5 (14:36):
You did or you did scissors?
Speaker 4 (14:39):
So we both died scissors. You did the volcans.
Speaker 5 (14:42):
I always do this. I always do this.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
I don't know why.
Speaker 5 (14:44):
Okay, rock paper scissors. Shoot?
Speaker 4 (14:47):
Damn we voted rock alright, alright, rock paper scissors?
Speaker 5 (14:50):
Shoot we voted?
Speaker 4 (14:52):
Are you serious?
Speaker 5 (14:54):
Out of my head? Dude, we've been friends with.
Speaker 4 (14:58):
No scissors. This is fucked up.
Speaker 5 (15:01):
We both did. We've both been doing the same one.
Speaker 4 (15:05):
We've been friends.
Speaker 6 (15:05):
Wait too long okay, rock paper Okay, got it covered
your oscars for a rock rock paper, beat rock, all right,
I am gonna go silent.
Speaker 4 (15:19):
I will not interrupt you. This is a very this
is I mean, this is your own. It's a very
personal thing.
Speaker 5 (15:25):
This is I mean, it's not based on anything.
Speaker 4 (15:27):
I can't wait to hear it.
Speaker 5 (15:28):
No, but I mean it is my baby, I guess,
and I am going silent.
Speaker 4 (15:33):
The floor is yours, sir.
Speaker 5 (15:36):
Okay, you're gonna hear this sound a lot. It's I
scroll f y I but it's pretty common sound and
it's kind of soothing to me. All Right, we're gonna
start here. Should I get the title or yes?
Speaker 2 (15:45):
Okay?
Speaker 5 (15:46):
So I titled this Miracle of Nightmares is the title
of this short story? Well, here it goes journal entry.
It's weird writing another entry after so much time. It's
gears for me to realize that I have not mentioned
who Shane was when she was alive, what kind of
person and sister she was. There are years of entries
(16:09):
devoted to the nightmares and what happened with Shane after
she died, but not much when she was around. Here
it goes Shane was a rebellious teenager that only helped
to turn her into a stubborn and nearly manic young adult.
Loud music, weird crystals, and a resting bitchface. We just
(16:30):
didn't get along. The eleven year difference between us made
her ignore me most of the time and torment me
the rest. She hated having to babysit me and would
call me Mama's boy all of the time. The few
years I sniped, the few times I sniped back were
met with a punch or worse. I remember feeling much
(16:52):
happier when she moved two states away from college. I
didn't want to miss her company. But life is funny sometimes.
The more time that passes after Shane's spirit left, the
hazier the memories are. I'm sure she was nice sometimes,
but I cannot recall them. The nightmares and ghastly visits
are gone now, but the feeling that I missed something
(17:15):
is ever present. I was simply too young. Sadly, Shane
became a definite pillar to my upbringing. After that horrible
Christmas evening Part one, there is shattered glass and twisted metal,
dark and pink blood pooled and misted it on the
dashboard and seat bone. Sticks out of an arm, a
(17:36):
leg and hands. Don't look at those eyes wake up.
Lee's eyes jump start awake. He checks his face and
body for signs of sweat while breathing heavy as if
he was holding it in while sleeping. No visible wet spots,
and no bone jutting outwards like the nightmare. Mild relief sigh.
(17:59):
Lee doesn't have to check the time to know that
it's after three in the morning on Christmas Eve. Sleep
takes him again, but with no interruption This time. Lee
revisits his mental checklist on what he might be missing.
His little Honda looks well stocked, luggage, backpacks, cooler, a
(18:19):
box of presents, and whatever else Agnes is bringing. Agnes
is a godsend, and Lee knows that she wouldn't be
coming with him if she wasn't. He's gonna have to
think of something special to make it up to her.
After double and triple checking the car's inerts, Lee finds
himself in the driver's seat, heat blasting, and feeling more
(18:40):
than a little nervous. Breaking the silence, the trunk is
opened and slams shut. Then the passenger door is opened
and slams shut. Maybe not slammed exactly but strongly shut yes.
Safe to say that Agnes is still a little pissed.
As rightfully angry as she is, Lee cannot forget that
she's still with him, standing by him. Will she feel
(19:03):
the same way after the trip. Once they get home,
Lee starts the car and he can feel her patients waning.
He had promised to explain everything today in the car.
Christmas is a big deal for both his family and Agness,
more than just being Polish Catholic. Of course, last year,
when they became serious as a couple, though quite young still,
(19:27):
as everyone keeps reminding them, they decided to visit Lee's
family for Christmas and Agnes's family for Thanksgiving. The tradition
of this sounds and sometimes feels hokey to Lee, but
he'd be lying if he said he didn't love it,
even if he didn't like her family, which is not
the case. He'd relish sho do in this flip flopping
(19:48):
every chance he'd get. Lee was glad to find that
Agnes's family feels similar. It is regretful that he had
to convince his girlfriend to visit his family home instead
of hers this year. Lee should have planned the head.
But how could he have known? Inkling? Sure, but nothing solid.
(20:08):
Her silence in the car screams well. As Lee merges
into the highway, he takes a deep sigh and begins,
are we okay? Are you breaking up with me? Agnes
interrupts before he can say anything, and says it in
a way that says she just came up with that
thought and her mouth jumped the gun. Sweetye, No, not
(20:31):
at all. I'm asking a lot from you, but that's
nowhere near the mark. Kinda hoping you won't want to
after though, I tell you, Lee says, and immediately regrets
saying that last little bit. Oh God, is there someone else?
Is there?
Speaker 6 (20:47):
No?
Speaker 5 (20:48):
Lee interrupts right away. You cannot possibly guess what I'm
gonna say, and it has nothing to do with you
or with us like that. Agnes's shoulders, which must have
ten s up at some point, relaxes a little bit.
I just mean that I love you, and it is
why I'm letting you in on it and telling you everything.
(21:10):
Lee says, and sees her eyebrows express a giant question mark.
Remember what I said yesterday? I want you to have
an open mind and ask logical questions. I don't have
many outside perspectives on this, okay, Agnes says, like a
splintered branch waiting to fall down. Lee thought, crunched and
(21:31):
recited how the story would go over and over again.
Here it goes. You remember me telling you of my
sister Shane, Lee says, careful not to go overboard and
letting her answer. Yeah, babe, she died when you were little.
Agnes replies, a bit softer than before. Lee says, yeah,
(21:52):
she died when I was eight on Christmas. She was
much older than me and we hated each other. She
would always be gone from the house, always partying and
going to concerts and who knows what else. We barely
hung out, but holidays like Thanksgiving and Fourth of July
and Christmas were big deals. You know she had to
be there. Agnes nods her head in agreement. Lee continues,
(22:17):
being out of the house like she always wanted, made
Shane late to everything more than normal. She had this
used blue Chevy and could hear her engine a mile away.
On that Christmas she must have been hauling. Asked to
get home, and maybe she still cared too, you know
about getting home before dinner started. I think she cared
(22:40):
about that kind of tradition more than she'd say. They pause,
stole Lee's momentum and stop speaking. He raises his hand,
indicating to Agnes to let him continue. I know you
know that she got into a car, horrible car accident,
less than a block away from the house we are
(23:00):
heading to, Agnes nods again. What you don't know is
that I went up to the car. I ran up
to it, excited to see the flames and the misshapen car.
Then I realized that it was Shane's car, hers and
another car further down the street. But I got to
her car and saw it. Lee barely register that. Agnes
(23:23):
gently takes his hand into hers. He's not crying or
breaking down, or would not because Lee is behind the wheel,
but because this has been rehearsed and mostly an old tragedy,
Lee continues, after a short pause. I'm not going to
describe it to you, but I saw her, babe, I
(23:43):
fully saw her remains. She was already gone, but those
visuals have stuck around. The image of shattered class flashes
for Lee in his mind. Agnes squeezes his hand a little.
Did you get nightmares? Agnes asks, yes, real vivid once
(24:05):
pretty sure some were night terrors. My parents tried their best,
but as you know, they separated not long after the funeral.
Lee stops himself. He doesn't even remember the funeral or
the wake anymore. He wonders when he started forgetting it.
The twisted metal accompanies the shatter glass and his thoughts.
(24:27):
Agnes response, did you feel guilty for looking?
Speaker 2 (24:32):
No?
Speaker 5 (24:33):
Not for that, lisays, I blame myself for her accident, like,
not that I caused it, or that she was driving
that night to see me, but for hating her, thinking
she was a bad sister and yelling at her. I mean,
at eight years old, I kind of thought it was
my fault, that my treating her like shit is the cause.
(24:55):
You know, I don't think that way anymore, but that
guilty feeling is still there sometimes times, usually during holidays. Oh,
Agnes says, is that why you feel like we should go?
You feel guilty? Or that maybe she'd be alone for Christmas?
Lee gets a little astonished at how close she got
(25:16):
to the answer without knowing the rest of the story.
Lee says, well, the story's not over yet, but you're
not too far off. He continues, it wasn't until four
years after Shane died that I had another vivid dream,
the exact same dream, actually, the dream of seeing Shane
in that car, the way that she was. That's what's
(25:38):
bugging me. But again, after a couple of years, the
war service was over, and nothing vivid until I was twelve.
On Christmas, Lee noticed that Agnes was about to ask
another question or offer some remorse. But Lee raises his
hand a little. Let me get the rest of it out,
and you can ask me anything, Okay, babe, the act
(26:00):
is not of understanding. He lets out a deep sigh.
A bit before dinner, I was still freaked out over
the dream. I wasn't playing much with my cousins and
felt I just wanted the day to be over. Then
I felt something strange, like in my gut, like I
suddenly fell from a big height. Somehow I knew it
(26:24):
was something in my room. I remember telling my mom
that I needed to use the bathroom as she was
corralling everybody to eat. I went up to my room
and the feeling was more intense, almost got nauseated, but
I just knew, just knew I had to go to
my room. I went inside and I felt this crackling
(26:46):
of energy, of electricity. At least that's what I thought,
because everything in that room was turned on, the TV,
game boy, school tablet everything. I was freaking out. I
think I ended up having a panic attack or something after.
So I'm in the middle of my room and it
feels like something is saying something to me. But I'm twelve,
(27:10):
and I'm guessing everything here. I look at the corner
of my room and I see a bunch of keywings
piled up. I used to love getting keywings from other
places that my mom traveled to for her job, and
she used to bring me a new one every time.
All of those keywings were there and not in my
drawer where I kept them. As I'm computing this, my
(27:34):
eyes draw to the closet next to the rings, and
I see a figure. It's obscured in shadow, even though
the lights were on. I hear this sickening twisting sound
like metal cracking, but have since figured out that it's
more likely fiberglass. Shane is there in her mangled self,
(27:59):
almost drawn by this shadow. She's bleeding in places, but worse,
her bones are not right. They're not right. I remember
this pretty vividly, and I ran out of the room
and was crying, and I didn't eat dinner and slept
with my mom for a week and avoided my room.
(28:19):
But the story's not done yet. Lee does a visual
check on Agnes to see if she's still with him.
She most definitely is in rapt attention a consoling face
that propels Lee to continue. Somehow I get past this event.
I mean, you kind of have to move on at
least a little. I start journaling this stuff in daily
(28:42):
school and parents stuff. I haven't read them in a while,
but they're in my whole room still. Anyway. The next
time something happened was when I was fifteen at the
same house. Don't know if you remember this, but my
family switch houses for holidays every three years. It's like
a rotation for having Christmas at my house. Makes sense
(29:03):
to what I'm about to say. So, I had nearly
forgotten the nightmares, but just like last time, on Christmas Eve,
I get the same vivid nightmare of Shane. This time
I wasn't just scared. I was angry that my big
sister I barely knew, was still torturing me or something,
and that made me more sad and angrier. Christmas Dinner
(29:25):
at the house was very similar. I felt the presence
in my room again. I try to resist going upstairs.
At first, I start chatting up with the family to
see if the feeling goes away, but it gets stronger.
It's funny looking back at it, because I knew the
feelings in my gut were the same and that my
room would be lit up like last time, even before
(29:48):
going in. But I did go in. I was just
that compelled, not like a zombie, but a stronger you know.
This time, I smelled something when I passed by Shane's room,
like a plant or a weed. It was faint, but
I write that detail in my journal the next day. Anyway,
(30:12):
the room was lit like last time, but it was cold,
not as cold as it was outside, but noticeably colder
than the rest of the house. Also, there was only
one key ring lying on the floor this time, because
I threw out the other ones because I was too
scared to keep them. It's amazing what fear can do
to you. It can make you hate stuff you used
(30:34):
to like. Somehow, the lone key ring on the floor
felt sadder than the pile. When I was twelve, but
it wasn't because of the song or anything like that.
It just felt sadder, like a strange disappointment that I
threw out the other ones. The shadow was there in
the closet this time. The shadow was whispering to me
(31:00):
the words and too low to comprehend. I started to
lean in to hear better, but got spooked and fell
to the ground. When Shane appeared, same as before, and
the whispers were getting louder but still indecipherable. Her mouth
moved like she was trying to speak, but her eyes
were not meeting minds, kind of like she was trying
(31:23):
to say something to someone else, maybe I don't know.
Her jaw didn't look right either. I tried to speak,
but it got caught in my throat and nothing came out.
I wanted to ask what was wrong?
Speaker 2 (31:37):
You know?
Speaker 5 (31:39):
Whatever anger I had felt earlier had gone when Shane
came back. This part is weird, I mean, more than before.
But I heard one clear word, nineteen. I didn't hear
it in the room, and her mouth didn't move like
(31:59):
she said I, but I heard it in my head,
like when you read a book aloud in your thoughts.
You know, Agnes nods and Lee's senses, perhaps worried that
he's coming off as crazy that she doesn't fully or
partially believe him. Are her eyes pitying him right now?
(32:20):
She opens her mouth to speak, but hesitates to find
the wording.
Speaker 2 (32:24):
It seems.
Speaker 5 (32:25):
Lee helps her out. I know this is crazy, babe,
and you don't have to say something right now. I'm
just looking for support until tomorrow evening, I promise. Agnes
seizes her attempts to speak and remains quiet for a
very long minute. Lee feels strained suddenly, like telling the
stories SAP is sapping his energy. The image of Shane's
(32:50):
bone jutting out of her leg flashes before him and
leaves like lightning. Lee isn't even done with the whole
story yet, but he knows that he should continue. Agnes
finally breaks the silence. We should switch, babe. Lee is
momentarily confused until he sees Agnes motioning to the steering wheel.
(33:11):
The gauge reads, there's a quarter tank of gas left.
Good idea, Lee responds, and NAP will feel like heaven.
I'm sorry for Expo dumping you on you like that.
Through a little smile, Agnes response, it's okay. I'm not
going anywhere, and you look tired. Lee slept the remaining
three hours of the drive. The rest of the story
(33:32):
will have to hold until they get to the house
Part two. Things back home had gotten a little awkward,
but after setting up the guest room and getting some takeout,
Agnes and Lee got comfortable. Christmas Eve was filled with
school and winter break talk plans with buddies, but the
(33:55):
subject of family, particularly Agnes's family having to do Christmas
without their daughter, was kept pretty light. Lee could still
Lee could tell that she didn't want to burden him
and everything he said to her in the car, at
least not till it's over. They used the time before
bed to answer any questions Agnes had come up with.
(34:17):
There were some good ones. Lee had thought, why does
Shane only appear to Lee? If she only appears, if
she only appears when the family is having Christmas at home,
not when visiting relatives every three years, then why was
there a four year gap? Why did Lee's parent What
did Lee's parents think of this? Did he ever identify
(34:37):
the smell? Could she read his old journals? There were
good questions, and answering them helped clear things for Lee.
A little bit, but ultimately understood that those answers didn't
really matter. The lead up to Christmas night is the
important part. The fact that Lee wasn't alone is the
important part. Only one question had mattered to Lee. He
(35:00):
felt Agnes needed to understand to get the full picture
what happened last year. He gave his journals to her
an hour ago. She asked, after all, a younger version
of Lee should do a better job at explaining what
happened last year. Lee is keeping his distance in his room,
(35:20):
his old room, mulling over his relationship and Shane while
she reads downstairs. Last year, when Lee was eighteen, he
described his room before his room before dinner temp to
be meat locker cold. That's how he wrote it in
his journal. The heat returned as soon as Shane disappeared,
(35:43):
but Lee still remembers thinking that his bones must have
felt the cold as well as his skin. The pages
described a fine mist of blood that played his dreams
and night terrors when he was younger. Lee replays what
Shane said last year. You heard her say the word
nineteen again and something else. The voice wasn't clear beyond nineteen,
(36:09):
but she tried saying more it sounded like stop or swat.
Lee hopes it gets much clearer. Tonight, it better be clearer.
He doesn't know how much longer he can take this.
He checks the time, twenty minutes till curtain call. The
(36:31):
supernatural exists, But why would something so horrible? The intense
traumatic emotions associated with her death must have similar applications
with overwhelming joy, right, you never hear those stories. Lee
cannot explain it clearly, But everything to do with Shane's
(36:52):
visits have felt instinctual, almost automatic. As the visits progressed,
he knew to go to his room and knew it
was important. Somehow, He somehow knew that tonight will be
the last time. Because Lee's nineteen years old, as Shane
was when she passed. Nineteen, being the operative word her
(37:15):
ghost had been telling him, Lee understood to keep others away,
just him. How do you describe a powerful instinct like that?
Is it something else like overwhelming guilt driving him? Lee
cannot say. He especially knew that bringing Agnes today for
(37:35):
support is okay. Somehow shouldn't make sense, but it does,
as if on cue a knocking at the door breaks
Lee's thoughts. Agnes enters the room, meets her high school
sweetheart's eyes and silently sits next to him on his
little kid bed. She takes his hand in hers, and,
(37:58):
as if afraid to speak too loudly before it may
wake someone up, says, what do you need me to do?
Agnes says it kindly and a bit more determined to
see to help out more than before. Lee takes a
breath before responding, just be here with me while it happens.
(38:19):
Kind of want to make sure more than a little
bit that you see her as well, that I'm not crazy.
Lee was prepared to respond if Agnes began reassuring his
sanity levels, but she didn't. She gives a slight nod instead,
again as if on cue. The room starts getting colder.
(38:39):
Agnes squeezes Lee's hands. That's earlier than before, Lee says,
as he starts seeing his breath form in the air.
Agnes says, maybe because you're already up here. Lee thinks
that that makes sense, but also not quite. The room
was still getting colder, and he notices that Agnes forgot
(39:02):
to put on her coat. He wraps her up in
the blanket as she shivers but doesn't move and says
in a low voice filled with dread. Oh shit, this
is real. Lee's not crazy after all, but is this worse?
Rubbing her shoulders, he asks okay, and Agnes starts nodding.
(39:25):
I understand if you're not okay. She shakes her head,
but doesn't move or says anything. Just like that, her
eyes close. Lee's eyes feel suddenly heavy and closed while
kneeling in front of Agnes. It doesn't last more than
a few seconds, but as Lee opens his eyes, he
(39:45):
knows to look towards the corner of the room. Lee
finds him so walking over to the spot where the
key ring always stood. There's nothing there now. It doesn't
feel like a disappointment this time. It feels right that
there's no key ring. The shadow begins creeping in defiance
(40:07):
of the light from the closet. Lee hears Agnes gasp
from the bed. Shane, or the spirit of Shane, begins
materializing from the shadow, but it's different this time. She's
gradually coming more and more into existence. As smoke fills
into thin air, Shane appears from it. There is a
(40:33):
pool of dark blood under Shane that wasn't there in
the past. That's not all that's different. This time, Shane
looks worse, much worse. There are more bloody spots on
her legs and torso. Her right eye is bloodshot, and
a sliver of purple bruising traces her forehead. The broken
(40:56):
bone from her right arm looks brittle but inexplicably longer
than it should. The bone is half matted in blood
and half white. It's twisting in place, very slowly, like
a plant trying to reach for the sun. This is unnatural,
Lee thinks. Agnes lets out a scream as she bolts
(41:20):
from the bed, the blanket uncurling itself, and runs to
the opposite end of the room, her hands around her mouth.
This is definitely real. Looking back at Shane, Lee barely
registers that he is kneeling eye level to his sister.
The blood scabbing misted and pooling on Shane begins changing hues,
(41:43):
getting lighter. It's like it's trying to glow. Shane's mouth
isn't open at all this time, not trying to speak,
and nothing is making sense. Lee begins feeling this awful
sense of dread rising up up from the pit of
his stomach to his throat. Shane Shane opens her mouth
(42:05):
and speaks. Everything changes. Lee finds himself outside in the snow.
He's running, but he doesn't know why. It's dark outside,
but he recognizes the street in front of his house.
The eye line is wrong. He should be taller. Lee
(42:27):
tries to stop running but can't. Motor oil and smoke
penetrate his nostrils and sees a Chevy crumpled and decimated.
The engine is trying to run, but it's gasping its
last breaths. Lee cannot stop and realizes that he's eight
years old again? Is he dreaming right now? Lee reaches
(42:47):
the car and wishes the door was there to block
the gruesome side of Shane, but it fell off when
it crashed. Her face is way too close to the
steering wheel, almost fused with it. As the driver seed
his angle at keeping Shane's spine at a grotesque acute angle.
The bones are not right. Lee cannot make his boy's
(43:10):
self look away? Why is he watching this again? His
eyes made Shane's Shane's and her voice comes in clear
as a bell in his head. Your instincts were wrong.
Everything goes black. Lee's eyes sluggishly open. A bright light
(43:31):
envelops his vision. It's daylight. He's on the floor in
his old room again. He feels something heavy on his back. Turning,
Lie sees Agnes was sleeping next to him on the floor.
The room isn't cold anymore, and looking around the room,
sees that it is empty. No shame or shadow, no
(43:52):
blood and bone. A strong sense of relief flows his
body and roots of his mind.
Speaker 2 (43:58):
It's over past.
Speaker 5 (44:01):
Lee starts shifting to get up, when Agnes begins to
shift as well. Hey, sleepy bones, Agnes says, and begins
to stretch that morning stretch. She looks calm and quite beautiful.
Lee leans in to give her a kiss, but turns around.
Lee notices a puddle of dried vombit next to her,
(44:23):
but there's no smell. Maybe she threw up right after
Lee passed passed out and the smell evaporated. It doesn't
make much sense, but looking at the empty room and
realizing that there are only two people here and no
one else made it okay somehow, like a no big deal.
(44:43):
Looking over to the corner of the room in front
of where they had been sleeping, Lee notices a keychain.
He immediately picks it up and recognizes that it's an
ornamental keychain representing a college, the same college chain used
to go to. Lee understands now that it must be
the Christmas present Shane was going to give to him,
(45:06):
a little trinket like his mom used to get him
when he was eight years old. It makes sense and
feels right. The way of relief to feel that Shane
isn't going to appear again is welcomed, and the gift
is heartwarming. The awful, vivid dream of Shane on the
night she died is beginning to fade like any other dream.
(45:31):
Lee realizes that he didn't have a gift for Shane,
not when he was eight, and not last night. A
sinking feeling of remorse mixed with dread threatens to take over,
but it doesn't. Christmas is over and Shane has moved on.
(45:51):
That's what's important.
Speaker 2 (45:52):
In the end.
Speaker 5 (45:56):
Epilogue journal entry, the thought of not having a gift
for Shane bothered me for quite some time. It wasn't
haunting me, I realize now, but more like a feeling
that shouldn't be. Did Shane tell me that my instincts
were wrong? Or am I remembering that wrong? Thinking about
(46:17):
Shane isn't as bad as anymore, But I think I
missed something. It's been six years since that night and
since Agnes left me. It's hard associating the tragedy of
Shane finally moving on with such a powerful force of
someone I loved leaving me. It took more than a
(46:39):
year to get past it. Safe to say I never
brought up that weird chapter of my life that brushed
with the afterlife to others, it clearly drove Agnes away.
While my life minus her absence has been easier. Since
Shane moved on, Agnes seemed to have changed dramatic and
(47:00):
a bit chaotic, not just hairstyles and movie taste, but
career passions and friends as well. We still text her
in the holidays where they house the family and which
houses next for Christmas. It's the only contact Agnes allows.
I don't know if she's trying to keep something alive
(47:22):
between us, but it hurts a little still to think
of what we had together. The text hurt a little too,
if I'm honest. There's a nagging feeling that sometimes overcomes
me during the holidays. I don't mean just the texting,
but Agnes herself. It's coming to me now, But every
(47:43):
time Shane enters my thoughts, Agnes is not far behind.
I can no longer think of one without the other.
Speaker 2 (47:53):
Strange cheers. Dude, thank you, that was.
Speaker 4 (48:05):
I know he said, we weren't going to critique, We're
gonna move.
Speaker 5 (48:08):
I could have met that better.
Speaker 4 (48:11):
I'm so fucking sorry about the fucking sub pump.
Speaker 5 (48:15):
That's okay, I'm so.
Speaker 4 (48:17):
Sorry, Oscar. I'm so sorry. Listeners, bravo, thank you, thank you.
I mean a short notice and you pulled.
Speaker 5 (48:26):
That, yeah, and I was like worried because of the
wrong pipe of the drink. I was like, oh my god,
I'm gonna sound right. I don't know, well.
Speaker 4 (48:33):
I don't know if you're gonna cut that out or not.
But Oscar almost puked here.
Speaker 5 (48:37):
Oh yes, I will cut that out, but but I
left some of it and where it makes sense where.
Speaker 4 (48:41):
I see, Yeah, whiskey went down the wrong plape. That's
ever happened to you.
Speaker 5 (48:45):
No, it is a horrible, horrible feeling. So I was
worried reading.
Speaker 4 (48:50):
It all right, very good, Well, I guess that leaves.
Speaker 5 (48:55):
Me mm hm. That's the title.
Speaker 4 (48:58):
The title is The Christmas Haunting of Halsteed. Manner, all right,
And I was trying not to cough because it almost
went down the wrong pipe on me, and it felt
like it was stuck, and I was trying to like
my chest was heaving, like trying to silent call. Why
(49:22):
am I nervous? Okay?
Speaker 5 (49:23):
Oh, because it's an original thing we're doing, okay.
Speaker 4 (49:27):
The Christmas Haunting of Halstead Manner, Chicago, nineteen twenty three.
Snow blankets the streets, muffling the bustling sounds of the city.
Holiday lights strung along storefronts up and down Michigan Avenue
cast a warm glow onto the sidewalks, where shoppers hurry along,
(49:52):
loaded with bags filled with toys and sweets. Ford model
bees trudged through the streets, belching exhaust, turning white snow
into black, poisonous slush. Over on Halsted Street, the spirit
of Christmas was alive. Candle lit Christmas trees festooned with
(50:16):
garland and strings of popping corn stand like sentinels in
front windows. Families eat Christmas dinner around old oak tables,
while fires rage in hearths, and streams of gray smoke
billow from chimney stacks. Yes, Christmas was alive. And well
(50:39):
on Halsted Street, save for one house, which remained ominously dark,
the old Halsted Manor draped in shadow even as its
new residents, the Moorlands, prepared for their first holiday celebration
in their new home. Halsted Manor, a grand estate left
(51:03):
empty for over a decade, was known among the locals
for its dark reputation. The previous owner, Charles Garver, a
wealthy steel bearn known for his ruthlessness, mysteriously died suddenly
one Christmas Eve, leaving the mansion sealed and abandoned, its
(51:24):
windows dark for years. But mister Morland, a prosperous banker,
ignored the mansion's history, Lured instead by its beauty and
its surprisingly affordable price. He'd planned an extravagant Christmas Eve party.
Determined to celebrate the season and bring life to his
(51:47):
newly acquired home, mister Morland transformed the Mayner's interior. Evergreen branches,
twinkling lights, and red velvet ribbons adorned the banisters, and
a grand Christmas tree stood by the fireplace in the parlor,
decorated with glass ornaments that reflected the glow of the
(52:07):
crackling fire. The scent of gringerbread and mould wine filled
the air, and guests danced to festive holiday tunes, their
laughter echoing through the decorated halls. Children in wool sweaters
played hide and seek behind the plush armchairs, dashing between
(52:28):
rooms filled with the merry sounds of the season. Yet,
as the hour crept closer to midnight, an eerie chill
settled over halstead manor candles flickered, casting shadows that seemed
to stretch and move on their own. In the dining room,
(52:49):
where an elaborate Christmas feast was consumed, the lights dimmed unexpectedly,
the laughter softened into whispers as the guests felt in
on shakable sense of unease. Missus Morland, a bright and
spirited woman, brushed it off as a draft Old Holmes,
(53:10):
you know. She spotted an unfamiliar man in a dark
coat standing by the Christmas tree, his expression somber as
he watched the festivities. Thinking he was a guest, she
approached him with a glass of mold wine. Merry Christmas.
May I offer you some cheer, she asked, holding out
(53:32):
the glass, But as she neared, the man turned and
drifted towards the grand staircase, disappearing into the dim light.
When she asked a nearby guest if he had seen
the man, he merely shook his head, chuckling, just a
trick of the shadows. Dear, don't let an old house
(53:53):
play tricks on you. But missus Morland couldn't shake the
sense that she had seen someone real, someone who didn't belong.
The children soon added to the night's strange happenings, running
back from upstairs with wild eyes, claiming to have seen
a man made of shadows standing beside the smaller second
(54:17):
Christmas tree in the upstairs hall. Their voices quivered as
they spoke of cold, pale hands reaching out towards them,
before fading into thin air. As midnight drew closer, the
remaining guests gathered around the fireplace for a final Christmas toast.
The festive garland and ornaments on the Christmas tree twinkled
(54:40):
in the firelight, but the room grew cold, and the
merry chatter softened to uneasy murmurs. The fire crackled, but
it cast a pale, ghostly gull glow that made the
Christmas decor and the guest's faces seem almost sinister. The
(55:02):
faint sounds of a Christmas carol drifted into the room,
A haunting melody that seemed to come from the direction
of the grand dining room. Was that silent night? Puzzled,
mister Morland led the guests towards the sound, which grew
louder as they approached the dining table, now cleared of
plates and dishes and set with fine crystal glasses, ready
(55:25):
for dinner corge after dinner cordials. But as they entered,
they stopped short. At the head of the table sat
a figure of a man, his face shadowed, his body
faintly translucent, yet unmistakably real. He wore an old fashioned
suit pinstriped with the sprig of holly on his lapel.
(55:49):
On his head rested a tilter's bowler's hat. One of
the guests shrieked, that's that's Charles Garfer. The figure slowly
lifted its head, its cold blue eyes surveying the group.
His gaze drifted over to the Christmas tree, the decorations
(56:10):
the table, and finally settled on mister and missus Morland.
Who dares claim my home on this night? He whispered,
his voice like the rustle of dry leaves. You took
from me what was rightfully mine, and you shall suffer
as I had suffered. A deathly silence filled the room,
(56:34):
broken only by the clinking of ornaments that swayed as
if moved by a sudden gust. The Christmas candles on
the tree flickered and dimmed, casting the room into an
eerie half light. One of the guests clutched his chest,
stumbling backward as the air grew frigid, and the chandelier
(56:55):
above swayed as though an unseen force was shaking it
of pine and cinnamon, turned sour, replaced by a cold,
metallic tanged. The ornate Christmas ornaments, once cheerful, now gleamed
in the dim light, like sinister eyes, watching the guests
(57:17):
that they backed away in terror. Garver's ghost rose from
the table, drifted towards the parlor, and as he passed
the guests, a gust of freezing air swept through the room,
extinguishing the candles. The guests scrambled, but every door they
tried was locked, as though sealed by some invisible hand.
(57:39):
Panic set in, and one by one the guests were
drawn back into the parlor, where Garver's spectral figure stood
before the Christmas tree, his icy eyes fixated on a
tiny ornament, a silver bell inscribed with his initials. Mister Morland,
desperate to appease the spirit, held out his hands. Please,
(58:02):
mister Garver, it's Christmas. We meant no harm. But the
ghost merely shook his head, a cruel smile curling on
his lips. Christmas, he whispered, Yes, a time for joy
and laughter. But I found only betrayal and death here
in this very room. And now now I'm bound to
(58:26):
these halls forever, part of this cheerless season. Garver extended
his ethereal hand, and the silver bell on the Christmas
tree began to ring, each time, growing louder and louder.
The Christmas lights flickered once more, their colors dimming to
(58:47):
a sickly green, casting a ghostly glow over the room.
Shadows stretched from the corners, creeping along the walls like
icy fingers, reaching towards eats of the guests. Suddenly, the
ornaments on the tree began to shatter, one by one,
raining glass down like shards of tiny daggers. The guests screamed,
(59:12):
dodging the glass, but the fragments re formed in mid air,
swirling around them like a storm. In the chaos, a
guest tried to throw open the window, but hell frost
had its sealed shut. The air filled with the sound
of bells. Garver's bell rang out a deathly carol. As
the shadows closed in. His figure loomed larger, merging with
(59:35):
the branches of the Christmas tree itself. His face twisted
in sorrow and rage as he became one with the decorations.
His body tangled among the garland and the shattered glass,
a wreath of broken ornaments around his neck. Just as
it seemed the entire room would be consumed by darkness,
(59:55):
the old Grandfather clock in the hall struck midnight, and
with one final wrenching cry, Garver's spirit vanished. The lights
returned to normal, and the doors unlocked, releasing the guests
who stumbled out into the freezing Chicago night. Trembling and pale.
(01:00:17):
Halsteed manner, festive and filled with Christmas chair just moments ago,
was now cold and silent once again, broken ornaments scattered
across the floor, and the faint scent of pine and
smoke lingering in the air. The Moorlands left that night,
abandoning their holiday finery, leaving behind gifts unopened and decorations dismantled,
(01:00:43):
And every Christmas Eve ever since, it's said that you
could see the faint outline of Charles Garver in the
window of Halstead manner, staring out at the street below,
a wreath of broken glass about his neck, and a
silver bell ringing softly in the chill winter air. Merry
(01:01:05):
Christmas listeners,
Welcome to my world, bitch, thank you.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
For the.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Good there here, it's them happy scenes of there'll be
(00:44):
parties for hosting. My smell is foot, toasting and caroling
out in the snow.
Speaker 4 (00:50):
That'll be scary ghost story, scary ghost story, scary ghost story,
scary ghost story, scary ghost story, scary. Oh, Merry Christmas listeners.
Speaker 5 (01:06):
I didn't think it'll be that funny tonight.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
We've prepared a special gift for you to unwrap on
this beautiful Christmas Eve, something from the Supernatural Occurrent Studies
Podcast to you. In this festive episode, we delve deep
into the antique tradition of telling ghost stories, yes at
(01:31):
Christmas time, a practice that has, over the centuries, blended
the warmth and cheer of the holiday season with the
thrill of ghostly tales. But before we get to that,
I'm Jason Knight and you are Oscar Specter. Fuck yeah,
and we're the Supernatural Occurrent Studies Podcast. Merry Christmas.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Fuck yeah, Oscar.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
What have you been up to since we've been you know,
we've been drenched in Rodney Alcala late.
Speaker 5 (02:00):
Yes, we have basically two shows concerning the guy.
Speaker 4 (02:03):
Yeah, it's gross. We're shaking it off. We're giving the
listeners and a little Christmas gifts. Speaking of gifts, yes, Oscar,
did you know we still have merchandise available right now.
Speaker 5 (02:13):
It's like, that's a good segue. I like that.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
Go to Chicagos Podcast dot com Chicago Ghost podcast dot
com quick click on merch We got a ton of
awesome new designs.
Speaker 5 (02:27):
I actually like a few of them myself.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
And that's hard to impress you it is. Yes, we
have whiskey glasses, Oscar cheers. Oh we are drinking winky.
We're not going to open it on this episode. We
already opened it. We've been drinking. So we have whiskey glasses, stickers, hoodies,
t shirts. Give your special someone a nice podcast gift, support.
Speaker 5 (02:46):
Us, or even better, give it to yourself. Love yourself first.
Put your ostygen mask on you, yourself before someone else.
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
Oh, I never understood that. You You don't understand why
I want to put it on me first, not them.
Speaker 5 (02:57):
Know what I'm saying. You're supposed to that.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
Oh oh then it works.
Speaker 5 (03:00):
No, yeah, you're supposed to do you first. That's what
I'm saying. Buy yourself something first. And then buy it
for somebody else. Okay, good to yourself first, that's right.
Speaker 4 (03:08):
Fuck those other people say that.
Speaker 5 (03:11):
Free fuck them man.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
Free shipping anywhere in the United States on orders of
twenty five dollars or more. Help out the show. Give
it yourself or your loved one something awesome, Oscar. Tomorrow's Christmas.
It's my favorite time of year.
Speaker 5 (03:24):
It is your favorite time of year. We're family stuff going.
Speaker 4 (03:27):
On, family stuff. We're gonna open us some fucking gifts.
Speaker 5 (03:30):
You open them in the morning, right, we do. I
do it at midnight on eve to night.
Speaker 4 (03:34):
It's strange. You're gonna after this, you're gonna go back
and open gifts.
Speaker 5 (03:38):
Well, we'll have dinner and stuff until we wait till midnight,
oh one, and then we open gifts. Ye oh, that's
so interesting.
Speaker 4 (03:44):
It's so cool to hear the difference some people.
Speaker 5 (03:47):
I grew up and it wasn't until I saw movies
that did it in the morning. I'm like, what the
fuck is shit? Oh yeah, no, no, no, yeah.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
Some people blows my mind. They open them all on
Christmas even, like, what the fuck are you doing?
Speaker 5 (03:56):
Eathensthens you open them up on Christmas morning? Nope, we
know what wait next that waiting shit? Yeah, yeah, I mean,
and then we do it in Christmas day, minute one,
not like the morning, it is the morning technically.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
It technically is there. We'll be going on a vacation
here in a few days.
Speaker 5 (04:13):
We got se rapper not, I hope not. I don't know,
I think about them. I'm not into either.
Speaker 4 (04:20):
Yeah, We're going to Hollywood studios. Go to Hollywood studios,
go to the beach, hang out with family, loved ones,
favorite timing year. How about you? What you got planned?
Speaker 5 (04:30):
Nothing crazy, nothing like that at all, not even worth mentioning,
just family stuff and whatever. My biggest dream and hope
is just that people. I mean people by now family
and friends. They understand, they know that a way, a
way to way to my heart is getting me Lego sets.
They that's right, Yes, it's it's definitely a new passion
over the last three years. But strong, It's fucking strong.
(04:53):
I have no space in my apartment. Wow cool, I
can show you pictures. You'd be so, you'd be disgusted
by how many sets I've made and how many more
I can make. No shit, a little bit, not like
that much, but you know, still putty a lot. So
a month ago doing Black Friday, there was amazing, like
this big ass fucking Lego sale, right they announced this
(05:15):
when they announced all those sets that are going to
be discontinued forever, you know, at December or at the
end of December. And so I was scrambling, you know,
trying to see what I can get, what's on sale
and what you know. And I have this deal with
my roommate. We always swapped Lego pieces every few months,
and Christmas is a big deal. Christmas month is a
big deal. So we buy each other like a big
(05:37):
you know, bigger things from our list. And yeah, it's
been a big Lego fucking month for me, enjoying it,
loving it, wanting so many Uh. I think the the
biggest one that I heard because our friend leaked it
already what he's getting. He's getting this big Space Shuttle
one that's pretty cool I've always wanted. Yeah, So and
that one's expiring this month. So and he's like, I'm
(05:57):
gonna get you that. Don't buy it, Okay, don't fucking
buy it. Don't tell anyone, right, It's like, okay, fine, So, yeah,
that's my that's my that's my bag.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
You know, my son Nico has this huge container of
Lego that he doesn't touch.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
Right, There's there's.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
Hair in there, there's rappers, popsicle sticks, he's a young boy.
Lollipop sticks all mixed in with this. I should see
if he would just give you all his lego.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Well you don't use him.
Speaker 5 (06:24):
Well, I don't know if I can just play with
something that doesn't go anywhere, but I'll take anything. I
also know I found out recently, not too resily, but
recently that your daughter is the one that builds the
Lego sets that I that I give your son. Yes,
she told me last time I saw her here. She
(06:46):
told me, like, I wasn't want to build that one,
Like what I give it to him? That's this a
little punk she'd be building, not you, But you're the
one who building. And she's like, apparently she's into it
more possibly than he is. And I'm like, oh, I
should be talking to you about Lego, not this kid
that I wouldn't.
Speaker 4 (06:59):
It's true.
Speaker 5 (07:00):
Yes, I'm like yeah, so now like, yes, more Lego kids.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
Her and her boyfriend will get together and do Lego.
Speaker 5 (07:05):
I think it's adorable, super cool.
Speaker 4 (07:07):
Santa Mary may have gotten her Lego. I think it
was like a Ferrari or something she wanted.
Speaker 5 (07:13):
I'm just released a F one series. Cars are really looking.
Speaker 4 (07:18):
Yeah, she's into it, she loves it. It's therapeutic, I
think for her.
Speaker 5 (07:20):
It is for me too.
Speaker 4 (07:21):
Yeah, yeah, it is for sure. So yeah, I'll see
if Nico wants to get that to you. But yeah,
tis the season, man, I'm.
Speaker 5 (07:28):
Happy happy, Yeah it is. It is definitely not like
full of depression, not yet this time, at least not yet, right, yeah, right,
I don't know what's yet, but not yet.
Speaker 4 (07:37):
What are we drinking tonight, Oscar, We're going, Oh, we're
going back to the very old Saint.
Speaker 5 (07:41):
Nick, right, because it's the occasion.
Speaker 4 (07:43):
Obviously it fits so well. This is an eight year
they call it ancient cask, and it's a rid so
it's spicy, Oscar, You are right, this is eighty six
point eight proof it could have been worse. Eighty six
point eight.
Speaker 5 (07:57):
Yeah, all right, I'm back along it.
Speaker 4 (08:00):
It's happened to me. It's happened to me, and it's terrible.
Speaker 5 (08:03):
Yeah, it's not like water terrible.
Speaker 4 (08:05):
Yeah, it's not like water going down the wrong pipe.
Speaker 5 (08:07):
Nope, you're good. Yep, I'm good. I thought you were
gonna puke.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
Bro No, I'm Michael.
Speaker 4 (08:11):
Good thing, this is all cement.
Speaker 5 (08:13):
Yes, there is a good thing in that. But also
I knew it wasn't gonna puke. It was just the
thing of trying to breathe. Jesus feels terrible.
Speaker 4 (08:19):
But you're good now, Yes, I'm okay. Uh right, Well
that's so. That's what we're drinking.
Speaker 5 (08:24):
Yeah, and I will keep thinking it. The warrant cheers, tink.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
Yeah, no dead air.
Speaker 5 (08:32):
Sorry, No, you're fine.
Speaker 4 (08:34):
So should we roll into us. We're not gonna do
commercials this time. This is a Christmas gift to our listener.
And that's right. So Christmas is a season of light,
joy togetherness, but for a lot of people, it also
carries a bittersweet weight, highlighting the empty chairs at the
(08:57):
dinner table, once occupied by the loved one that are
no longer with us. Perhaps it's no wonder that ghost stories, Christmas,
and the contemplation of mortality are so deeply intertwined, reflecting
the delicate balance of presence and absence, celebration and sorrow
(09:18):
as we navigate the fragile threads of life and memory.
During the most wonderful and haunting time of the year. Now,
the tradition of telling ghost stories during the Yule Tide
season has ancient roots tied to the Winter Solstice, a
time of darkness and reflection. Solar winter, the darkest period
(09:42):
of the year, spans November sixth through February third, with
the winter Solstice being on December twenty first or twenty second,
which marks the shortest day and longest night of Solar winter. Now,
ancient cult feared this season due to its harsh weather,
(10:04):
scarcity of resources, and associations with uncertainty and death. The
winter Solstice was seen as a time when the veil
between the living and the dead was the thinnest, making
it a fitting occasion to gather around a warm, glowing
hearth or a communal fire and share ghost stories to entertain,
(10:26):
connect with the dead, and confront the mysteries of the
long dark season. Moving forward in time, during the reign
of Emperor Constantine, we have the Church in Rome formally
celebrating Christmas for the first time on December twenty fifth
in the year three point thirty six A. D. Constantine
(10:49):
made Christianity the effective religion of the Roman Empire and
Some have speculated that choosing the December twenty fifth date
was a political move to weaken already as established dominant
pagan celebrations like Saturnalia, while easing Rome's transition from Paganism
to Christianity. Now. Saturnalia was a midwinter festival in ancient Rome,
(11:15):
celebrated from December seventeenth to December twenty third to honor Saturn,
the Roman god of agriculture and time. Saturnalia involved feasting,
gift giving, decorating homes with greenery, storytelling, and a general
spirit of merriment and relaxation of social norms, all of
(11:38):
which very clearly influenced our own Christmas traditions, including that
of telling ghost stories, as Romans often included the supernatural
in their myths, their folklore, and their storytelling. So here,
once again we have ghost stories intertwining with Christmas, continuing
humanity's enduring fascination with the supernatural and this very special
(12:02):
time of year. Now over a thousand years later, in
Victorian Victorian England, Charles Dickens popularized Christmas ghost stories, using
them to explore morality, mortality, and the afterlife. The best example,
of course, is Dickens's eighteen forty three novella A Christmas
(12:25):
Carol A Time was classic and I watch it every year.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
Really, oh yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:32):
The story brings the Christmas season to life through spectral
figures like Jacob Barley and the ghosts of Christmas Pass,
present and yet to come. Ghost Stories became so popular
during the Victorian era that Christmas editions of annual publications
were packed with chilling tales meant to be read aloud
(12:53):
by the fireside. And as the twentieth century unfolded through,
tradition of ghost stories at Christmas kind of faded, particularly
here in the United States, where Halloween claimed its place
as the season of telling haunted tales. Right Yet, in
certain years a flicker of interest has reignited, with some
(13:16):
yearning to revive the Victorian custom of intertwining the festive
with the macabre. So that's what we've brought for you tonight,
two original Christmas ghost stories penned by none other than me,
Jason Knight and Oscar Spector. It's our way to kind
of try to help rekindle an ancient holiday tradition. Yes,
(13:41):
now we do have two original stories ghost stories centered
around Christmas.
Speaker 5 (13:46):
YEP, that was the assignment.
Speaker 4 (13:49):
That was the assignment, and we don't know. We were
going to Yeah, prompt, this is your final, this is
your thesis. We were going to rock paper scissors to
see who goes first. Right, Uh so I guess we
do that now. Yes, I'm gonna take a sip of whiskey,
first sip of my very old.
Speaker 5 (14:10):
That's not because I'm not ready to drink it.
Speaker 4 (14:12):
I love how very old Saint Nick can say. It's
ancient age and it's eight years is ancient.
Speaker 5 (14:17):
It's two presidential cycles. Okay, so we'll do rock paper
scissor shoot.
Speaker 4 (14:24):
Rock paper.
Speaker 5 (14:25):
That's how three was just one. Let's do one, okay for.
Speaker 4 (14:28):
The time because okay, you ready? Yeah, rock paper?
Speaker 5 (14:34):
Shoot?
Speaker 3 (14:35):
Do we both do?
Speaker 5 (14:36):
You did or you did scissors?
Speaker 4 (14:39):
So we both died scissors. You did the volcans.
Speaker 5 (14:42):
I always do this. I always do this.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
I don't know why.
Speaker 5 (14:44):
Okay, rock paper scissors. Shoot?
Speaker 4 (14:47):
Damn we voted rock alright, alright, rock paper scissors?
Speaker 5 (14:50):
Shoot we voted?
Speaker 4 (14:52):
Are you serious?
Speaker 5 (14:54):
Out of my head? Dude, we've been friends with.
Speaker 4 (14:58):
No scissors. This is fucked up.
Speaker 5 (15:01):
We both did. We've both been doing the same one.
Speaker 4 (15:05):
We've been friends.
Speaker 6 (15:05):
Wait too long okay, rock paper Okay, got it covered
your oscars for a rock rock paper, beat rock, all right,
I am gonna go silent.
Speaker 4 (15:19):
I will not interrupt you. This is a very this
is I mean, this is your own. It's a very
personal thing.
Speaker 5 (15:25):
This is I mean, it's not based on anything.
Speaker 4 (15:27):
I can't wait to hear it.
Speaker 5 (15:28):
No, but I mean it is my baby, I guess,
and I am going silent.
Speaker 4 (15:33):
The floor is yours, sir.
Speaker 5 (15:36):
Okay, you're gonna hear this sound a lot. It's I
scroll f y I but it's pretty common sound and
it's kind of soothing to me. All Right, we're gonna
start here. Should I get the title or yes?
Speaker 2 (15:45):
Okay?
Speaker 5 (15:46):
So I titled this Miracle of Nightmares is the title
of this short story? Well, here it goes journal entry.
It's weird writing another entry after so much time. It's
gears for me to realize that I have not mentioned
who Shane was when she was alive, what kind of
person and sister she was. There are years of entries
(16:09):
devoted to the nightmares and what happened with Shane after
she died, but not much when she was around. Here
it goes Shane was a rebellious teenager that only helped
to turn her into a stubborn and nearly manic young adult.
Loud music, weird crystals, and a resting bitchface. We just
(16:30):
didn't get along. The eleven year difference between us made
her ignore me most of the time and torment me
the rest. She hated having to babysit me and would
call me Mama's boy all of the time. The few
years I sniped, the few times I sniped back were
met with a punch or worse. I remember feeling much
(16:52):
happier when she moved two states away from college. I
didn't want to miss her company. But life is funny sometimes.
The more time that passes after Shane's spirit left, the
hazier the memories are. I'm sure she was nice sometimes,
but I cannot recall them. The nightmares and ghastly visits
are gone now, but the feeling that I missed something
(17:15):
is ever present. I was simply too young. Sadly, Shane
became a definite pillar to my upbringing. After that horrible
Christmas evening Part one, there is shattered glass and twisted metal,
dark and pink blood pooled and misted it on the
dashboard and seat bone. Sticks out of an arm, a
(17:36):
leg and hands. Don't look at those eyes wake up.
Lee's eyes jump start awake. He checks his face and
body for signs of sweat while breathing heavy as if
he was holding it in while sleeping. No visible wet spots,
and no bone jutting outwards like the nightmare. Mild relief sigh.
(17:59):
Lee doesn't have to check the time to know that
it's after three in the morning on Christmas Eve. Sleep
takes him again, but with no interruption This time. Lee
revisits his mental checklist on what he might be missing.
His little Honda looks well stocked, luggage, backpacks, cooler, a
(18:19):
box of presents, and whatever else Agnes is bringing. Agnes
is a godsend, and Lee knows that she wouldn't be
coming with him if she wasn't. He's gonna have to
think of something special to make it up to her.
After double and triple checking the car's inerts, Lee finds
himself in the driver's seat, heat blasting, and feeling more
(18:40):
than a little nervous. Breaking the silence, the trunk is
opened and slams shut. Then the passenger door is opened
and slams shut. Maybe not slammed exactly but strongly shut yes.
Safe to say that Agnes is still a little pissed.
As rightfully angry as she is, Lee cannot forget that
she's still with him, standing by him. Will she feel
(19:03):
the same way after the trip. Once they get home,
Lee starts the car and he can feel her patients waning.
He had promised to explain everything today in the car.
Christmas is a big deal for both his family and Agness,
more than just being Polish Catholic. Of course, last year,
when they became serious as a couple, though quite young still,
(19:27):
as everyone keeps reminding them, they decided to visit Lee's
family for Christmas and Agnes's family for Thanksgiving. The tradition
of this sounds and sometimes feels hokey to Lee, but
he'd be lying if he said he didn't love it,
even if he didn't like her family, which is not
the case. He'd relish sho do in this flip flopping
(19:48):
every chance he'd get. Lee was glad to find that
Agnes's family feels similar. It is regretful that he had
to convince his girlfriend to visit his family home instead
of hers this year. Lee should have planned the head.
But how could he have known? Inkling? Sure, but nothing solid.
(20:08):
Her silence in the car screams well. As Lee merges
into the highway, he takes a deep sigh and begins,
are we okay? Are you breaking up with me? Agnes
interrupts before he can say anything, and says it in
a way that says she just came up with that
thought and her mouth jumped the gun. Sweetye, No, not
(20:31):
at all. I'm asking a lot from you, but that's
nowhere near the mark. Kinda hoping you won't want to
after though, I tell you, Lee says, and immediately regrets
saying that last little bit. Oh God, is there someone else?
Is there?
Speaker 6 (20:47):
No?
Speaker 5 (20:48):
Lee interrupts right away. You cannot possibly guess what I'm
gonna say, and it has nothing to do with you
or with us like that. Agnes's shoulders, which must have
ten s up at some point, relaxes a little bit.
I just mean that I love you, and it is
why I'm letting you in on it and telling you everything.
(21:10):
Lee says, and sees her eyebrows express a giant question mark.
Remember what I said yesterday? I want you to have
an open mind and ask logical questions. I don't have
many outside perspectives on this, okay, Agnes says, like a
splintered branch waiting to fall down. Lee thought, crunched and
(21:31):
recited how the story would go over and over again.
Here it goes. You remember me telling you of my
sister Shane, Lee says, careful not to go overboard and
letting her answer. Yeah, babe, she died when you were little.
Agnes replies, a bit softer than before. Lee says, yeah,
(21:52):
she died when I was eight on Christmas. She was
much older than me and we hated each other. She
would always be gone from the house, always partying and
going to concerts and who knows what else. We barely
hung out, but holidays like Thanksgiving and Fourth of July
and Christmas were big deals. You know she had to
be there. Agnes nods her head in agreement. Lee continues,
(22:17):
being out of the house like she always wanted, made
Shane late to everything more than normal. She had this
used blue Chevy and could hear her engine a mile away.
On that Christmas she must have been hauling. Asked to
get home, and maybe she still cared too, you know
about getting home before dinner started. I think she cared
(22:40):
about that kind of tradition more than she'd say. They pause,
stole Lee's momentum and stop speaking. He raises his hand,
indicating to Agnes to let him continue. I know you
know that she got into a car, horrible car accident,
less than a block away from the house we are
(23:00):
heading to, Agnes nods again. What you don't know is
that I went up to the car. I ran up
to it, excited to see the flames and the misshapen car.
Then I realized that it was Shane's car, hers and
another car further down the street. But I got to
her car and saw it. Lee barely register that. Agnes
(23:23):
gently takes his hand into hers. He's not crying or
breaking down, or would not because Lee is behind the wheel,
but because this has been rehearsed and mostly an old tragedy,
Lee continues, after a short pause. I'm not going to
describe it to you, but I saw her, babe, I
(23:43):
fully saw her remains. She was already gone, but those
visuals have stuck around. The image of shattered class flashes
for Lee in his mind. Agnes squeezes his hand a little.
Did you get nightmares? Agnes asks, yes, real vivid once
(24:05):
pretty sure some were night terrors. My parents tried their best,
but as you know, they separated not long after the funeral.
Lee stops himself. He doesn't even remember the funeral or
the wake anymore. He wonders when he started forgetting it.
The twisted metal accompanies the shatter glass and his thoughts.
(24:27):
Agnes response, did you feel guilty for looking?
Speaker 2 (24:32):
No?
Speaker 5 (24:33):
Not for that, lisays, I blame myself for her accident, like,
not that I caused it, or that she was driving
that night to see me, but for hating her, thinking
she was a bad sister and yelling at her. I mean,
at eight years old, I kind of thought it was
my fault, that my treating her like shit is the cause.
(24:55):
You know, I don't think that way anymore, but that
guilty feeling is still there sometimes times, usually during holidays. Oh,
Agnes says, is that why you feel like we should go?
You feel guilty? Or that maybe she'd be alone for Christmas?
Lee gets a little astonished at how close she got
(25:16):
to the answer without knowing the rest of the story.
Lee says, well, the story's not over yet, but you're
not too far off. He continues, it wasn't until four
years after Shane died that I had another vivid dream,
the exact same dream, actually, the dream of seeing Shane
in that car, the way that she was. That's what's
(25:38):
bugging me. But again, after a couple of years, the
war service was over, and nothing vivid until I was twelve.
On Christmas, Lee noticed that Agnes was about to ask
another question or offer some remorse. But Lee raises his
hand a little. Let me get the rest of it out,
and you can ask me anything, Okay, babe, the act
(26:00):
is not of understanding. He lets out a deep sigh.
A bit before dinner, I was still freaked out over
the dream. I wasn't playing much with my cousins and
felt I just wanted the day to be over. Then
I felt something strange, like in my gut, like I
suddenly fell from a big height. Somehow I knew it
(26:24):
was something in my room. I remember telling my mom
that I needed to use the bathroom as she was
corralling everybody to eat. I went up to my room
and the feeling was more intense, almost got nauseated, but
I just knew, just knew I had to go to
my room. I went inside and I felt this crackling
(26:46):
of energy, of electricity. At least that's what I thought,
because everything in that room was turned on, the TV,
game boy, school tablet everything. I was freaking out. I
think I ended up having a panic attack or something after.
So I'm in the middle of my room and it
feels like something is saying something to me. But I'm twelve,
(27:10):
and I'm guessing everything here. I look at the corner
of my room and I see a bunch of keywings
piled up. I used to love getting keywings from other
places that my mom traveled to for her job, and
she used to bring me a new one every time.
All of those keywings were there and not in my
drawer where I kept them. As I'm computing this, my
(27:34):
eyes draw to the closet next to the rings, and
I see a figure. It's obscured in shadow, even though
the lights were on. I hear this sickening twisting sound
like metal cracking, but have since figured out that it's
more likely fiberglass. Shane is there in her mangled self,
(27:59):
almost drawn by this shadow. She's bleeding in places, but worse,
her bones are not right. They're not right. I remember
this pretty vividly, and I ran out of the room
and was crying, and I didn't eat dinner and slept
with my mom for a week and avoided my room.
(28:19):
But the story's not done yet. Lee does a visual
check on Agnes to see if she's still with him.
She most definitely is in rapt attention a consoling face
that propels Lee to continue. Somehow I get past this event.
I mean, you kind of have to move on at
least a little. I start journaling this stuff in daily
(28:42):
school and parents stuff. I haven't read them in a while,
but they're in my whole room still. Anyway. The next
time something happened was when I was fifteen at the
same house. Don't know if you remember this, but my
family switch houses for holidays every three years. It's like
a rotation for having Christmas at my house. Makes sense
(29:03):
to what I'm about to say. So, I had nearly
forgotten the nightmares, but just like last time, on Christmas Eve,
I get the same vivid nightmare of Shane. This time
I wasn't just scared. I was angry that my big
sister I barely knew, was still torturing me or something,
and that made me more sad and angrier. Christmas Dinner
(29:25):
at the house was very similar. I felt the presence
in my room again. I try to resist going upstairs.
At first, I start chatting up with the family to
see if the feeling goes away, but it gets stronger.
It's funny looking back at it, because I knew the
feelings in my gut were the same and that my
room would be lit up like last time, even before
(29:48):
going in. But I did go in. I was just
that compelled, not like a zombie, but a stronger you know.
This time, I smelled something when I passed by Shane's room,
like a plant or a weed. It was faint, but
I write that detail in my journal the next day. Anyway,
(30:12):
the room was lit like last time, but it was cold,
not as cold as it was outside, but noticeably colder
than the rest of the house. Also, there was only
one key ring lying on the floor this time, because
I threw out the other ones because I was too
scared to keep them. It's amazing what fear can do
to you. It can make you hate stuff you used
(30:34):
to like. Somehow, the lone key ring on the floor
felt sadder than the pile. When I was twelve, but
it wasn't because of the song or anything like that.
It just felt sadder, like a strange disappointment that I
threw out the other ones. The shadow was there in
the closet this time. The shadow was whispering to me
(31:00):
the words and too low to comprehend. I started to
lean in to hear better, but got spooked and fell
to the ground. When Shane appeared, same as before, and
the whispers were getting louder but still indecipherable. Her mouth
moved like she was trying to speak, but her eyes
were not meeting minds, kind of like she was trying
(31:23):
to say something to someone else, maybe I don't know.
Her jaw didn't look right either. I tried to speak,
but it got caught in my throat and nothing came out.
I wanted to ask what was wrong?
Speaker 2 (31:37):
You know?
Speaker 5 (31:39):
Whatever anger I had felt earlier had gone when Shane
came back. This part is weird, I mean, more than before.
But I heard one clear word, nineteen. I didn't hear
it in the room, and her mouth didn't move like
(31:59):
she said I, but I heard it in my head,
like when you read a book aloud in your thoughts.
You know, Agnes nods and Lee's senses, perhaps worried that
he's coming off as crazy that she doesn't fully or
partially believe him. Are her eyes pitying him right now?
(32:20):
She opens her mouth to speak, but hesitates to find
the wording.
Speaker 2 (32:24):
It seems.
Speaker 5 (32:25):
Lee helps her out. I know this is crazy, babe,
and you don't have to say something right now. I'm
just looking for support until tomorrow evening, I promise. Agnes
seizes her attempts to speak and remains quiet for a
very long minute. Lee feels strained suddenly, like telling the
stories SAP is sapping his energy. The image of Shane's
(32:50):
bone jutting out of her leg flashes before him and
leaves like lightning. Lee isn't even done with the whole
story yet, but he knows that he should continue. Agnes
finally breaks the silence. We should switch, babe. Lee is
momentarily confused until he sees Agnes motioning to the steering wheel.
(33:11):
The gauge reads, there's a quarter tank of gas left.
Good idea, Lee responds, and NAP will feel like heaven.
I'm sorry for Expo dumping you on you like that.
Through a little smile, Agnes response, it's okay. I'm not
going anywhere, and you look tired. Lee slept the remaining
three hours of the drive. The rest of the story
(33:32):
will have to hold until they get to the house
Part two. Things back home had gotten a little awkward,
but after setting up the guest room and getting some takeout,
Agnes and Lee got comfortable. Christmas Eve was filled with
school and winter break talk plans with buddies, but the
(33:55):
subject of family, particularly Agnes's family having to do Christmas
without their daughter, was kept pretty light. Lee could still
Lee could tell that she didn't want to burden him
and everything he said to her in the car, at
least not till it's over. They used the time before
bed to answer any questions Agnes had come up with.
(34:17):
There were some good ones. Lee had thought, why does
Shane only appear to Lee? If she only appears, if
she only appears when the family is having Christmas at home,
not when visiting relatives every three years, then why was
there a four year gap? Why did Lee's parent What
did Lee's parents think of this? Did he ever identify
(34:37):
the smell? Could she read his old journals? There were
good questions, and answering them helped clear things for Lee.
A little bit, but ultimately understood that those answers didn't
really matter. The lead up to Christmas night is the
important part. The fact that Lee wasn't alone is the
important part. Only one question had mattered to Lee. He
(35:00):
felt Agnes needed to understand to get the full picture
what happened last year. He gave his journals to her
an hour ago. She asked, after all, a younger version
of Lee should do a better job at explaining what
happened last year. Lee is keeping his distance in his room,
(35:20):
his old room, mulling over his relationship and Shane while
she reads downstairs. Last year, when Lee was eighteen, he
described his room before his room before dinner temp to
be meat locker cold. That's how he wrote it in
his journal. The heat returned as soon as Shane disappeared,
(35:43):
but Lee still remembers thinking that his bones must have
felt the cold as well as his skin. The pages
described a fine mist of blood that played his dreams
and night terrors when he was younger. Lee replays what
Shane said last year. You heard her say the word
nineteen again and something else. The voice wasn't clear beyond nineteen,
(36:09):
but she tried saying more it sounded like stop or swat.
Lee hopes it gets much clearer. Tonight, it better be clearer.
He doesn't know how much longer he can take this.
He checks the time, twenty minutes till curtain call. The
(36:31):
supernatural exists, But why would something so horrible? The intense
traumatic emotions associated with her death must have similar applications
with overwhelming joy, right, you never hear those stories. Lee
cannot explain it clearly, But everything to do with Shane's
(36:52):
visits have felt instinctual, almost automatic. As the visits progressed,
he knew to go to his room and knew it
was important. Somehow, He somehow knew that tonight will be
the last time. Because Lee's nineteen years old, as Shane
was when she passed. Nineteen, being the operative word her
(37:15):
ghost had been telling him, Lee understood to keep others away,
just him. How do you describe a powerful instinct like that?
Is it something else like overwhelming guilt driving him? Lee
cannot say. He especially knew that bringing Agnes today for
(37:35):
support is okay. Somehow shouldn't make sense, but it does,
as if on cue a knocking at the door breaks
Lee's thoughts. Agnes enters the room, meets her high school
sweetheart's eyes and silently sits next to him on his
little kid bed. She takes his hand in hers, and,
(37:58):
as if afraid to speak too loudly before it may
wake someone up, says, what do you need me to do?
Agnes says it kindly and a bit more determined to
see to help out more than before. Lee takes a
breath before responding, just be here with me while it happens.
(38:19):
Kind of want to make sure more than a little
bit that you see her as well, that I'm not crazy.
Lee was prepared to respond if Agnes began reassuring his
sanity levels, but she didn't. She gives a slight nod instead,
again as if on cue. The room starts getting colder.
(38:39):
Agnes squeezes Lee's hands. That's earlier than before, Lee says,
as he starts seeing his breath form in the air.
Agnes says, maybe because you're already up here. Lee thinks
that that makes sense, but also not quite. The room
was still getting colder, and he notices that Agnes forgot
(39:02):
to put on her coat. He wraps her up in
the blanket as she shivers but doesn't move and says
in a low voice filled with dread. Oh shit, this
is real. Lee's not crazy after all, but is this worse?
Rubbing her shoulders, he asks okay, and Agnes starts nodding.
(39:25):
I understand if you're not okay. She shakes her head,
but doesn't move or says anything. Just like that, her
eyes close. Lee's eyes feel suddenly heavy and closed while
kneeling in front of Agnes. It doesn't last more than
a few seconds, but as Lee opens his eyes, he
(39:45):
knows to look towards the corner of the room. Lee
finds him so walking over to the spot where the
key ring always stood. There's nothing there now. It doesn't
feel like a disappointment this time. It feels right that
there's no key ring. The shadow begins creeping in defiance
(40:07):
of the light from the closet. Lee hears Agnes gasp
from the bed. Shane, or the spirit of Shane, begins
materializing from the shadow, but it's different this time. She's
gradually coming more and more into existence. As smoke fills
into thin air, Shane appears from it. There is a
(40:33):
pool of dark blood under Shane that wasn't there in
the past. That's not all that's different. This time, Shane
looks worse, much worse. There are more bloody spots on
her legs and torso. Her right eye is bloodshot, and
a sliver of purple bruising traces her forehead. The broken
(40:56):
bone from her right arm looks brittle but inexplicably longer
than it should. The bone is half matted in blood
and half white. It's twisting in place, very slowly, like
a plant trying to reach for the sun. This is unnatural,
Lee thinks. Agnes lets out a scream as she bolts
(41:20):
from the bed, the blanket uncurling itself, and runs to
the opposite end of the room, her hands around her mouth.
This is definitely real. Looking back at Shane, Lee barely
registers that he is kneeling eye level to his sister.
The blood scabbing misted and pooling on Shane begins changing hues,
(41:43):
getting lighter. It's like it's trying to glow. Shane's mouth
isn't open at all this time, not trying to speak,
and nothing is making sense. Lee begins feeling this awful
sense of dread rising up up from the pit of
his stomach to his throat. Shane Shane opens her mouth
(42:05):
and speaks. Everything changes. Lee finds himself outside in the snow.
He's running, but he doesn't know why. It's dark outside,
but he recognizes the street in front of his house.
The eye line is wrong. He should be taller. Lee
(42:27):
tries to stop running but can't. Motor oil and smoke
penetrate his nostrils and sees a Chevy crumpled and decimated.
The engine is trying to run, but it's gasping its
last breaths. Lee cannot stop and realizes that he's eight
years old again? Is he dreaming right now? Lee reaches
(42:47):
the car and wishes the door was there to block
the gruesome side of Shane, but it fell off when
it crashed. Her face is way too close to the
steering wheel, almost fused with it. As the driver seed
his angle at keeping Shane's spine at a grotesque acute angle.
The bones are not right. Lee cannot make his boy's
(43:10):
self look away? Why is he watching this again? His
eyes made Shane's Shane's and her voice comes in clear
as a bell in his head. Your instincts were wrong.
Everything goes black. Lee's eyes sluggishly open. A bright light
(43:31):
envelops his vision. It's daylight. He's on the floor in
his old room again. He feels something heavy on his back. Turning,
Lie sees Agnes was sleeping next to him on the floor.
The room isn't cold anymore, and looking around the room,
sees that it is empty. No shame or shadow, no
(43:52):
blood and bone. A strong sense of relief flows his
body and roots of his mind.
Speaker 2 (43:58):
It's over past.
Speaker 5 (44:01):
Lee starts shifting to get up, when Agnes begins to
shift as well. Hey, sleepy bones, Agnes says, and begins
to stretch that morning stretch. She looks calm and quite beautiful.
Lee leans in to give her a kiss, but turns around.
Lee notices a puddle of dried vombit next to her,
(44:23):
but there's no smell. Maybe she threw up right after
Lee passed passed out and the smell evaporated. It doesn't
make much sense, but looking at the empty room and
realizing that there are only two people here and no
one else made it okay somehow, like a no big deal.
(44:43):
Looking over to the corner of the room in front
of where they had been sleeping, Lee notices a keychain.
He immediately picks it up and recognizes that it's an
ornamental keychain representing a college, the same college chain used
to go to. Lee understands now that it must be
the Christmas present Shane was going to give to him,
(45:06):
a little trinket like his mom used to get him
when he was eight years old. It makes sense and
feels right. The way of relief to feel that Shane
isn't going to appear again is welcomed, and the gift
is heartwarming. The awful, vivid dream of Shane on the
night she died is beginning to fade like any other dream.
(45:31):
Lee realizes that he didn't have a gift for Shane,
not when he was eight, and not last night. A
sinking feeling of remorse mixed with dread threatens to take over,
but it doesn't. Christmas is over and Shane has moved on.
(45:51):
That's what's important.
Speaker 2 (45:52):
In the end.
Speaker 5 (45:56):
Epilogue journal entry, the thought of not having a gift
for Shane bothered me for quite some time. It wasn't
haunting me, I realize now, but more like a feeling
that shouldn't be. Did Shane tell me that my instincts
were wrong? Or am I remembering that wrong? Thinking about
(46:17):
Shane isn't as bad as anymore, But I think I
missed something. It's been six years since that night and
since Agnes left me. It's hard associating the tragedy of
Shane finally moving on with such a powerful force of
someone I loved leaving me. It took more than a
(46:39):
year to get past it. Safe to say I never
brought up that weird chapter of my life that brushed
with the afterlife to others, it clearly drove Agnes away.
While my life minus her absence has been easier. Since
Shane moved on, Agnes seemed to have changed dramatic and
(47:00):
a bit chaotic, not just hairstyles and movie taste, but
career passions and friends as well. We still text her
in the holidays where they house the family and which
houses next for Christmas. It's the only contact Agnes allows.
I don't know if she's trying to keep something alive
(47:22):
between us, but it hurts a little still to think
of what we had together. The text hurt a little too,
if I'm honest. There's a nagging feeling that sometimes overcomes
me during the holidays. I don't mean just the texting,
but Agnes herself. It's coming to me now, But every
(47:43):
time Shane enters my thoughts, Agnes is not far behind.
I can no longer think of one without the other.
Speaker 2 (47:53):
Strange cheers. Dude, thank you, that was.
Speaker 4 (48:05):
I know he said, we weren't going to critique, We're
gonna move.
Speaker 5 (48:08):
I could have met that better.
Speaker 4 (48:11):
I'm so fucking sorry about the fucking sub pump.
Speaker 5 (48:15):
That's okay, I'm so.
Speaker 4 (48:17):
Sorry, Oscar. I'm so sorry. Listeners, bravo, thank you, thank you.
I mean a short notice and you pulled.
Speaker 5 (48:26):
That, yeah, and I was like worried because of the
wrong pipe of the drink. I was like, oh my god,
I'm gonna sound right. I don't know, well.
Speaker 4 (48:33):
I don't know if you're gonna cut that out or not.
But Oscar almost puked here.
Speaker 5 (48:37):
Oh yes, I will cut that out, but but I
left some of it and where it makes sense where.
Speaker 4 (48:41):
I see, Yeah, whiskey went down the wrong plape. That's
ever happened to you.
Speaker 5 (48:45):
No, it is a horrible, horrible feeling. So I was
worried reading.
Speaker 4 (48:50):
It all right, very good, Well, I guess that leaves.
Speaker 5 (48:55):
Me mm hm. That's the title.
Speaker 4 (48:58):
The title is The Christmas Haunting of Halsteed. Manner, all right,
And I was trying not to cough because it almost
went down the wrong pipe on me, and it felt
like it was stuck, and I was trying to like
my chest was heaving, like trying to silent call. Why
(49:22):
am I nervous? Okay?
Speaker 5 (49:23):
Oh, because it's an original thing we're doing, okay.
Speaker 4 (49:27):
The Christmas Haunting of Halstead Manner, Chicago, nineteen twenty three.
Snow blankets the streets, muffling the bustling sounds of the city.
Holiday lights strung along storefronts up and down Michigan Avenue
cast a warm glow onto the sidewalks, where shoppers hurry along,
(49:52):
loaded with bags filled with toys and sweets. Ford model
bees trudged through the streets, belching exhaust, turning white snow
into black, poisonous slush. Over on Halsted Street, the spirit
of Christmas was alive. Candle lit Christmas trees festooned with
(50:16):
garland and strings of popping corn stand like sentinels in
front windows. Families eat Christmas dinner around old oak tables,
while fires rage in hearths, and streams of gray smoke
billow from chimney stacks. Yes, Christmas was alive. And well
(50:39):
on Halsted Street, save for one house, which remained ominously dark,
the old Halsted Manor draped in shadow even as its
new residents, the Moorlands, prepared for their first holiday celebration
in their new home. Halsted Manor, a grand estate left
(51:03):
empty for over a decade, was known among the locals
for its dark reputation. The previous owner, Charles Garver, a
wealthy steel bearn known for his ruthlessness, mysteriously died suddenly
one Christmas Eve, leaving the mansion sealed and abandoned, its
(51:24):
windows dark for years. But mister Morland, a prosperous banker,
ignored the mansion's history, Lured instead by its beauty and
its surprisingly affordable price. He'd planned an extravagant Christmas Eve party.
Determined to celebrate the season and bring life to his
(51:47):
newly acquired home, mister Morland transformed the Mayner's interior. Evergreen branches,
twinkling lights, and red velvet ribbons adorned the banisters, and
a grand Christmas tree stood by the fireplace in the parlor,
decorated with glass ornaments that reflected the glow of the
(52:07):
crackling fire. The scent of gringerbread and mould wine filled
the air, and guests danced to festive holiday tunes, their
laughter echoing through the decorated halls. Children in wool sweaters
played hide and seek behind the plush armchairs, dashing between
(52:28):
rooms filled with the merry sounds of the season. Yet,
as the hour crept closer to midnight, an eerie chill
settled over halstead manor candles flickered, casting shadows that seemed
to stretch and move on their own. In the dining room,
(52:49):
where an elaborate Christmas feast was consumed, the lights dimmed unexpectedly,
the laughter softened into whispers as the guests felt in
on shakable sense of unease. Missus Morland, a bright and
spirited woman, brushed it off as a draft Old Holmes,
(53:10):
you know. She spotted an unfamiliar man in a dark
coat standing by the Christmas tree, his expression somber as
he watched the festivities. Thinking he was a guest, she
approached him with a glass of mold wine. Merry Christmas.
May I offer you some cheer, she asked, holding out
(53:32):
the glass, But as she neared, the man turned and
drifted towards the grand staircase, disappearing into the dim light.
When she asked a nearby guest if he had seen
the man, he merely shook his head, chuckling, just a
trick of the shadows. Dear, don't let an old house
(53:53):
play tricks on you. But missus Morland couldn't shake the
sense that she had seen someone real, someone who didn't belong.
The children soon added to the night's strange happenings, running
back from upstairs with wild eyes, claiming to have seen
a man made of shadows standing beside the smaller second
(54:17):
Christmas tree in the upstairs hall. Their voices quivered as
they spoke of cold, pale hands reaching out towards them,
before fading into thin air. As midnight drew closer, the
remaining guests gathered around the fireplace for a final Christmas toast.
The festive garland and ornaments on the Christmas tree twinkled
(54:40):
in the firelight, but the room grew cold, and the
merry chatter softened to uneasy murmurs. The fire crackled, but
it cast a pale, ghostly gull glow that made the
Christmas decor and the guest's faces seem almost sinister. The
(55:02):
faint sounds of a Christmas carol drifted into the room,
A haunting melody that seemed to come from the direction
of the grand dining room. Was that silent night? Puzzled,
mister Morland led the guests towards the sound, which grew
louder as they approached the dining table, now cleared of
plates and dishes and set with fine crystal glasses, ready
(55:25):
for dinner corge after dinner cordials. But as they entered,
they stopped short. At the head of the table sat
a figure of a man, his face shadowed, his body
faintly translucent, yet unmistakably real. He wore an old fashioned
suit pinstriped with the sprig of holly on his lapel.
(55:49):
On his head rested a tilter's bowler's hat. One of
the guests shrieked, that's that's Charles Garfer. The figure slowly
lifted its head, its cold blue eyes surveying the group.
His gaze drifted over to the Christmas tree, the decorations
(56:10):
the table, and finally settled on mister and missus Morland.
Who dares claim my home on this night? He whispered,
his voice like the rustle of dry leaves. You took
from me what was rightfully mine, and you shall suffer
as I had suffered. A deathly silence filled the room,
(56:34):
broken only by the clinking of ornaments that swayed as
if moved by a sudden gust. The Christmas candles on
the tree flickered and dimmed, casting the room into an
eerie half light. One of the guests clutched his chest,
stumbling backward as the air grew frigid, and the chandelier
(56:55):
above swayed as though an unseen force was shaking it
of pine and cinnamon, turned sour, replaced by a cold,
metallic tanged. The ornate Christmas ornaments, once cheerful, now gleamed
in the dim light, like sinister eyes, watching the guests
(57:17):
that they backed away in terror. Garver's ghost rose from
the table, drifted towards the parlor, and as he passed
the guests, a gust of freezing air swept through the room,
extinguishing the candles. The guests scrambled, but every door they
tried was locked, as though sealed by some invisible hand.
(57:39):
Panic set in, and one by one the guests were
drawn back into the parlor, where Garver's spectral figure stood
before the Christmas tree, his icy eyes fixated on a
tiny ornament, a silver bell inscribed with his initials. Mister Morland,
desperate to appease the spirit, held out his hands. Please,
(58:02):
mister Garver, it's Christmas. We meant no harm. But the
ghost merely shook his head, a cruel smile curling on
his lips. Christmas, he whispered, Yes, a time for joy
and laughter. But I found only betrayal and death here
in this very room. And now now I'm bound to
(58:26):
these halls forever, part of this cheerless season. Garver extended
his ethereal hand, and the silver bell on the Christmas
tree began to ring, each time, growing louder and louder.
The Christmas lights flickered once more, their colors dimming to
(58:47):
a sickly green, casting a ghostly glow over the room.
Shadows stretched from the corners, creeping along the walls like
icy fingers, reaching towards eats of the guests. Suddenly, the
ornaments on the tree began to shatter, one by one,
raining glass down like shards of tiny daggers. The guests screamed,
(59:12):
dodging the glass, but the fragments re formed in mid air,
swirling around them like a storm. In the chaos, a
guest tried to throw open the window, but hell frost
had its sealed shut. The air filled with the sound
of bells. Garver's bell rang out a deathly carol. As
the shadows closed in. His figure loomed larger, merging with
(59:35):
the branches of the Christmas tree itself. His face twisted
in sorrow and rage as he became one with the decorations.
His body tangled among the garland and the shattered glass,
a wreath of broken ornaments around his neck. Just as
it seemed the entire room would be consumed by darkness,
(59:55):
the old Grandfather clock in the hall struck midnight, and
with one final wrenching cry, Garver's spirit vanished. The lights
returned to normal, and the doors unlocked, releasing the guests
who stumbled out into the freezing Chicago night. Trembling and pale.
(01:00:17):
Halsteed manner, festive and filled with Christmas chair just moments ago,
was now cold and silent once again, broken ornaments scattered
across the floor, and the faint scent of pine and
smoke lingering in the air. The Moorlands left that night,
abandoning their holiday finery, leaving behind gifts unopened and decorations dismantled,
(01:00:43):
And every Christmas Eve ever since, it's said that you
could see the faint outline of Charles Garver in the
window of Halstead manner, staring out at the street below,
a wreath of broken glass about his neck, and a
silver bell ringing softly in the chill winter air. Merry
(01:01:05):
Christmas listeners,
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