0:00

Greetings to your listeners. The White Vault will

0:02

return in October, and until then we're searching

0:04

for very specific cast members finalizing the scripts

0:07

and traveling to record some very specific sounds

0:09

that will be integral to the story. For

0:12

those who don't already know, I'm Travis Vengroff,

0:14

the producer, director, editor, and sound designer of

0:16

The White Vault. You're probably aware by now

0:18

that The White Vault is largely a two-person

0:20

production split between myself and K.A. Stats, the

0:22

writer and creator of the stories you love.

0:25

We don't often include stories from other creators

0:27

on this podcast feed. In

0:29

fact, we've only done it once before. We

0:31

don't allow advertising in the middle of episodes

0:33

or advertising at all in certain instances. And

0:36

we don't spam you at the front of every episode

0:38

with please for your support on Patreon, even though we

0:40

very much need it to get through the coming months.

0:43

So please don't mistake this as an advertisement when I tell

0:45

you today that we have a true and special treat for

0:48

you. A few months ago, I

0:50

started listening to a new podcast called Malevolent. It's

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the first audio drama in some time to really

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hold my attention, and I was really surprised

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to discover that not only is it

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written, directed, produced, and edited by a

1:01

single person, Harlan Guthrie, but he's literally

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every voice on the show. Malevolent

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is a mix of noir, horror, and eldritch mythos

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that you will likely enjoy just as much as

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I have. It's often cited on

1:12

Reddit as one of the top shows of all time, and I

1:14

don't need to tell you how amazing it is, how

1:17

amazing it gets, because you're about to

1:19

hear the first episode for yourself. If

1:21

you enjoy what you hear, please check out Harlan's

1:24

show by looking up Malevolent to have every listen

1:26

to podcasts. It's as simple as that. So

1:29

let's get started. That's

1:52

all I'm dreaming

1:55

of And

1:58

you call it a day

2:00

madness of

2:04

what I call in love Don't

2:19

you remember? Who

2:21

are you? Who am I? I'm

2:25

a friend The best

2:27

friend you have right now. The only friend you

2:29

have right now. What happened? Why

2:32

can't I see anything? I

2:34

know. What do you mean you know? Who

2:37

are you? Relax. Take

2:40

a deep breath. Relax. I can't. I can't.

2:44

I don't remember who I am or where I am

2:46

or what's happening. I can't see anything.

2:49

Calm down, friend. I'll

2:51

tell you everything you need to know, okay? Okay,

2:53

okay. Let's start with where

2:55

you are. You're standing in the

2:58

office that belongs to one Arthur

3:00

Lester. Arthur Lester? Yeah,

3:03

sound familiar? Not really. It should.

3:06

Because they're your offices. Mine?

3:09

That's right, friend. Why are

3:11

we? Don't move just yet. Why?

3:14

Because I want you to do something. You

3:16

want me to do something, yes. Okay.

3:19

Reach down by your feet. What

3:22

am I reaching for? Something you dropped. Right?

3:26

I feel, um... I

3:28

feel a book. Yes. Pick it up.

3:31

What is it? A book. I

3:33

know it's a book, Arthur. I mean... I know

3:35

what you meant. I'm just adding some levity to

3:37

the situation, friend. I

3:40

turn around and head towards your desk. I

3:42

can't... I'll tell you when you're close. Look,

3:44

I don't understand what's going on. It

3:47

will be fine. Just take a deep breath. And

3:50

step backwards. Okay,

3:52

stop. Stop. I

3:55

said stop, friend. I tried. I

3:58

just... I tripped over something. What

4:01

is this? It feels... It

4:03

feels like a... Now just calm down. Oh my

4:05

god. It feels like a

4:07

body. Yes, it's a body Arthur. Your

4:10

partner. It's just too much. Arthur,

4:12

what? Arthur. Arthur!

4:15

Listen to me. I have

4:18

your eyes now. You're going to

4:20

shut the fuck up. And listen

4:22

to me. Walk to the desk.

4:25

Put the fuck down.

4:27

Yeah. That's right. Good.

4:31

Now that wasn't so difficult, was

4:33

it? No. Okay.

4:37

What now? Open up the book. I

4:39

need to read something. Where do

4:41

I end? Just open it. Okay? Start flipping pages

4:43

and I'll tell you when to stop. Arthur.

4:50

Your whimpering is awfully distracting. There.

4:54

Stop. Sepid Loron

4:56

and Zorro. Close

5:01

it! What

5:05

did you learn? Nothing I didn't already know. And

5:08

what is that? I don't know why someone

5:10

gave you this book, Arthur, but in opening

5:12

it you cursed yourself. Cursed

5:14

myself? And in a matter of speaking, me

5:17

as well. We're bound. Bound?

5:22

How? I

5:31

am trapped inside you. I

5:34

can see through your eyes. And as

5:36

far as I can tell, I control

5:38

nothing else. But I can hear

5:40

you. Yes. Well, I guess sharing

5:42

a body means that we share a mind.

5:46

Who? What are

5:48

you? What am I? Let's

5:53

save that for now. The

5:55

simpler question is, who are you? You

5:58

told me who I am. Are you

6:00

to have received this book? As

6:04

for who you are, I knew that because

6:06

it's written on the door to your office. Arthur

6:09

Lester and Peter Yang, Private Investigative

6:11

Services, it's on the open door.

6:13

And my partner- Is Peter Yang,

6:15

I assume. Since I can't

6:17

imagine why he called out his own name before

6:19

dying. He

6:21

called out my name? Yes. You

6:24

dropped the book and turned to him. He

6:26

called out your name and then- And

6:29

then what? And then he died. How? Arthur,

6:32

question and answer period is over. Did

6:35

you not hear me? The door is

6:37

open. And? And your partner is

6:39

laying dead in the middle of the floor. You

6:41

need to move him before some person boy looks

6:43

in. Watch it. I'm

7:03

having a tough time with all of this right now. I really

7:05

need to just breathe. I

7:07

don't know who I am. I don't know where I

7:09

am. I don't recognize this. I- I-

7:12

I- I- I- Are

7:17

you there? Of course. Why?

7:21

Arthur, it seems to me that you

7:23

need to take a moment and compose

7:25

yourself. Try. Looks

7:29

like someone plays the piano. Maybe it's

7:31

you. What? You

7:33

want me to? Stop asking what and just

7:35

listen to what I am saying. Sit

7:38

down at the piano you bumped into and

7:40

play something. But- I- I-

7:44

It isn't going anywhere. The door is shut.

7:46

I shouldn't have alarmed you so. You're a

7:48

tender soul, friend. I shouldn't

7:51

have put such a fire beneath you. Now

7:55

head over to that piano for me. There.

8:07

Just put your fingers on the keys. Play

8:10

something that comes to mind. Well,

8:56

now look at that. And

8:58

don't you feel a whole lot better too? A

9:01

little bit, yes. I,

9:03

um, I also remember things.

9:08

I remember opening that book. I

9:12

remember hearing a voice. And

9:14

I remember turning to

9:16

Peter. And

9:20

you remember killing him. It was an

9:22

accident. Of course it was. I

9:25

was there. I saw the whole thing. But

9:27

that doesn't change the fact that you

9:29

did kill Peter. And if

9:32

somebody finds out that it was you, you

9:34

and me are going away

9:36

for a long time. So,

9:40

what do we have to do first, Arthur?

9:43

First we need to. Well,

9:46

if we call the police then... Then you'll

9:48

need a world record, Silvertop. Why?

9:51

Why can't I just... Explain that something is

9:53

controlling your sight. Do you

9:56

understand what that would mean to these people? I

10:00

think there is a solution,

10:02

albeit temporary. We

10:06

need to get rid of the body. I

10:09

think maybe... ...the

10:12

birth. It's okay. Oh,

10:14

relax. We're in the field. Do

10:18

you remember anything else? I remember.

10:21

Peter was my best friend

10:23

and... About who might be here?

10:26

No. Maybe, yes. Yes. There

10:29

was an appointment. I would've... Mrs... There's

10:34

a closet in the corner. Is it empty? Yes,

10:37

yes it is. You're going to have to

10:39

move Peter in there. Alright. Is

10:41

there any blood, though? No.

10:43

Call out. Tell her you'll just be a minute. Sorry,

10:46

I'm just in the middle of something. I'll be just

10:48

a few seconds. I apologize. I said

10:50

a minute. I mean a minute, sorry. Drag the body to the

10:52

right of you. The other... There's

10:55

a drink back here. The

10:58

closet is already at you. Just kick it

11:00

open. I can't... Perfect.

11:03

Now stand the body up. Good

11:06

man, Arthur. Follow

11:09

the left wall with your hand. The

11:12

door is right there. Wait a minute.

11:15

Do you have a gun? Of course. If

11:17

she starts asking too many questions, who

11:19

goes for that closet I'll let you know? And

11:22

then you use it. I had a hand in it. We'll

11:24

see. Open the door. There's

11:30

no one there. Oh. Maybe

11:32

they got tired of waiting. Maybe I was wrong.

11:34

Maybe there was no appointment. I could

11:37

have gotten my dates confused. Wait, what's that? What?

11:40

On the floor by your feet. Paper.

11:43

Did the book come in a package? Um...

11:46

Yes, yes, I suppose it did. I

11:48

remember I received it. I tore the paper off and let it fall. Pick it

11:51

up. Let me read it. Junior

11:56

DeWitt Ackerman. Rare

11:58

books. Arkham

12:00

Massachusetts. Is that

12:02

where we are? Yes, yes, of course. You

12:04

alright there? There's a man to your right.

12:06

I didn't see him come up. He's wearing

12:08

blue overalls and has dark spots all over

12:10

his hands. He's looking at us. Maybe

12:13

he's the building maintenance man. What do I say? Hear

12:16

me? I said are you alright there? Get rid of him. Thought

12:18

I heard you and your partner having a spat. Thought

12:22

I'd come down and check it out. You

12:24

guys yelling or something? What's going on? Was

12:26

that him knocking? Was that you knocking? Yeah,

12:29

sorry. You moving furniture

12:31

in there or something. What's his name? Eddie,

12:33

no. It's completely alright. I just

12:35

had a bit of a fall. I tripped over

12:37

something and had to pick it up and move it. Jesus,

12:40

I'm not sure. Oh yeah, no fair

12:42

enough. Yeah. It's not

12:44

pretty heavy. Whatever it was, you need some

12:46

help? Get rid of him now. No, no.

12:49

No, I don't. I'm... it's all packed away

12:51

now. I appreciate it so much, Eddie.

12:53

Um, you should know I'm just on my way

12:55

out. Hold up. Mr. Lester, look. I hate

12:57

to do this to you, but

13:00

as building maintenance supervisor, I'm

13:02

gonna have to take a look inside.

13:04

What? What? No, nothing like that. It's

13:06

a few complaints on the

13:08

floor below you about leaky pipes. I've

13:11

been in there for a while and I'm in the area

13:13

and I'm catching you now, so I figured I'd

13:15

just be in the place and not let him

13:17

in. No, no. Of course, of course, you're just

13:20

doing your job. Um, perhaps

13:22

another time though, it could be a little bit

13:24

more convenient. And I

13:26

said I'm just... No worries, no worries. Like I said,

13:28

I can just go in without you. I don't actually

13:30

need you there. I just need to get to the

13:33

pipes. All right. All right. Um,

13:36

yes, of course. Let's go. What

13:38

are you doing? You know that they are just in the

13:40

back there. Of course, of course. Thanks

13:42

so much. Appreciate it. He's

13:44

looking around the office. He

13:48

is only a few feet from the

13:50

closet where your partner's body lies. What

13:53

are you doing? It's Sunday after all, isn't it? I

13:55

am trying to remember. Lord's Day of Rest, that's why

13:57

I want to get this work done, frankly. What are

13:59

you doing? Building's mostly empty,

14:01

I'm surprised you're even here, frankly. Ah, you know

14:03

me, I'm always here. Wait, does that mean you're

14:05

the only two in the building? So it's only

14:07

us and the building then, I suppose? Yep. Unless

14:10

your partner's here somewhere. Ah,

14:13

I can feel you reaching for your pistol. Yes,

14:16

we get most of our work done on Sundays.

14:18

It's pretty quiet here. I imagine your line of

14:20

work needs a lot of quiet. Oh,

14:23

Arthur, I underestimated

14:25

you. If you aim

14:28

straight ahead, you can't miss.

14:32

However, you would

14:34

be killing a man who's done nothing

14:37

wrong. Arthur.

14:41

Put the gun away. You're nervous

14:43

and I appreciate that, but this is a bad

14:46

idea. I shouldn't have prodded you.

14:48

You can talk him out of here. Be smart.

14:52

Eddie, look, I'm sorry. For what? I

14:55

appreciate that you're just trying to do your job,

14:57

but in our line of work we have sensitive

14:59

materials and files that you cannot be privy to.

15:01

Even an idle glance could spell ruin to one

15:03

of our cases, but could put a target on

15:06

your back even. He doesn't care, Arthur. Wait

15:08

to respect Mr. Lester. I'm used to having

15:11

a target of thoughts on me. Arthur, he

15:13

thinks you're a pushover. You're smarter than him.

15:15

What does he value? What does he fear?

15:17

His body is no temple. It looks like

15:19

he's gone ten rounds in the ring. You

15:22

can't scare him with his life. Even

15:25

loved ones? There are many people, I'm sure.

15:27

Live alone, Mr. Lester. Wrong again, Arthur. Look

15:29

at him. I can't.

15:31

Well, you've seen him before, haven't you? Does he

15:33

look like the type to take orders from you?

15:36

A tight-laced suit wearing stiff? Challenge

15:39

him. If you want to convince

15:41

him, you'll have to talk to him on his level. I... Harder.

15:45

I need... To offer. There's...

15:47

God damn it, Arthur. Stop dancing around it and

15:49

say what you need to say! Oh,

15:52

right. Listen here, Ed. I don't give a fuck

15:54

what you think you need to do in here. You have

15:56

two options that I'm going to give you only once. You

15:58

can get the fuck out of here. of my office

16:00

and come back when I'm good and ready to let you or

16:02

I can pull you out of this office by the greasy

16:04

hair on the back of your neck and take your fucking

16:06

teeth in. Now

16:15

listen here you limey piece of shit. No

16:18

one talks to me like that. You

16:21

better hope and pray that I don't

16:23

see you again. Head

16:37

to the bathroom Arthur. To your right.

16:40

The other right. Look in the mirror. I

16:46

want to look at your face. You

16:50

can't see this but you have

16:52

the cold calculated demeanor of

16:55

someone not to fuck with. Whatever

16:59

you think you know about me, I

17:02

do not like to be pushed around. Noted.

17:07

Let's head back out to the office. We

17:09

have work to do. So

17:14

sir. It seems like Peter is

17:16

dealt with for the time being and

17:19

we have a lead on where this book

17:21

came from. Why did I kill Parker? Trust

17:23

me when I say I know as little

17:25

about this as you do. But

17:27

it makes sense for me to be the

17:29

catalyst behind all of this, perhaps. But

17:32

it doesn't seem all that convincing. Let's

17:34

remember that it was you who drew the gun

17:36

on poor Mr. Eddie. Blood shed was

17:38

all that I was after that I'd be doing the

17:41

bad job. I remember reaching out a hand to him.

17:43

Arthur this isn't going to help anything. How

17:46

isn't this going to help? Because either you're going

17:48

to remember why you killed him which is bad

17:50

for us or you won't which means there's no

17:52

sense in wasting time on it. Why

17:55

is remembering why I killed him bad? Give

17:58

me a scenario where killing him was for good. Let

18:03

us please just focus on the problem

18:06

at hand. This book was

18:08

where I was bound until quite recently. What

18:10

is the name of the book? It doesn't have a name,

18:12

at least not when I was bound to it. Just

18:15

a sigil on the front. Yes, I remember seeing the

18:17

symbol on the front. It was meant

18:19

to be a prison of sorts. So

18:23

I have something that was imprisoned inside a book

18:25

now bound to me. Lady Ackerman,

18:27

rare bookstore. Do you recognize the name?

18:30

No, I don't. More importantly, I

18:33

want to know who gave this book to me.

18:35

Why couldn't it be Ackerman themselves? I

18:38

mean, it could be. It'd be odd that

18:40

he would rap and stamp it. That is

18:42

a fair assumption. I guess you're not a

18:44

terrible detective. In truth, I'm

18:46

quite good. Take away my sight and I obviously need

18:48

some time to adjust, but trust me, when my wits

18:50

are about me, I cannot be matched.

18:53

Fair enough. Let's head to the

18:55

bookstore then. Yeah, well, there could be another option.

18:58

Invite me. The

19:00

source of the book is no doubt important.

19:03

But who sent it to me? This

19:05

is the much more pressing matter. Because?

19:08

Because whatever they ever tended to do either has

19:10

or has not succeeded. Meaning?

19:12

Meaning, if they have intended to have my spirit

19:14

down with you, then the next and why. So

19:18

what then? I don't know. Perhaps

19:20

they intended something different. Maybe

19:22

for Peter to be the one who was

19:24

killed, or maybe for your essence

19:27

or whatever to be unbound completely. Fine,

19:29

but what does that mean? Where

19:31

does that lead us? None of

19:33

those are leads. Arthur. If

19:36

I've made an enemy in any of my cases.

19:38

It can come to you while we are heading

19:40

towards the bookstore. Right. Now,

19:44

how do we get there? Yeah. Arthur,

19:48

I can just guide you through. I'm gonna

19:50

need practice. In

19:55

the index of some sort. Fun

19:57

book, actually. Stop!

20:01

Ackerman, there. 23 Main Street. That's

20:04

just a few minutes by taxi. Well, there's

20:06

no sense in waiting. Agreed.

20:10

Oh, wait a minute. What? There

20:13

was something. Something very off

20:15

about one of our last cases. Which

20:17

was? There was a missing girl. We

20:20

attract her to an address, a house, an

20:23

old abandoned place north of the city. I

20:26

remember we had only searched the first floor

20:28

of the house before an anonymous tip found

20:30

her body in a field miles away. How

20:32

did you receive a tip? Peter

20:34

and I are legally obligated to alert police before

20:36

entering any location where a possible victim could be,

20:38

you know, in case things go south. Peter

20:41

felt uncomfortable in the house, as if

20:43

we were being watched. So

20:46

we made sure to call it in before proceeding.

20:48

And during the call, that's when they said

20:50

they had found her. The body, yes. And

20:52

so why do you think this is a clue for us?

20:55

Because I remember seeing something on the wall of

20:58

the basement door, something that chilled

21:00

me. And it was? A

21:02

symbol. The same symbol on

21:04

the front of the book that you were bound in.

21:08

Well. Yes. But

21:11

I think you are right. It makes

21:13

more sense to go to the bookshop first. Agreed.

21:16

It may be a bit of a struggle to try to get there,

21:18

though. I assumed. At least

21:20

this would be good practice for us. Exactly.

21:24

I'd hate to be in a situation

21:26

where you need your eyesight and we've

21:28

been unable to communicate effectively. I

21:30

don't want you missing any important shifts. Right.

21:33

Well, since we have the address, the easiest way would be

21:35

to take a taxi there. Well then, do

21:38

we have everything we need? I suppose so. I

21:40

have my gun. I'll bring the book. It'll be

21:43

difficult, but we can make do if we've got

21:45

anything. Alright. Hopefully

21:47

we can avoid that maintenance man on the way

21:49

out. Let

21:57

me know if you see it, Ed. No sign of him yet.

22:01

You're almost at the stairs. So,

22:06

what are we hoping to find? Answers,

22:08

Arthur. We're both looking for answers.

22:10

To what questions? Which questions

22:12

are you looking for answers to? For me,

22:14

I want to know why I'm bound to

22:16

you, and how I can become unbound. Watch.

22:19

Just grab the

22:22

railing. I'll let you know when

22:24

we've reached the bottom step. I

22:26

suppose for me, I want to know the same. That and... And

22:29

what you are. What I am, friend, is

22:31

something you wouldn't believe. I

22:34

never thought I'd believe any of this. Fair.

22:36

But I think this is beyond your capabilities right

22:38

now. Join me. Are you

22:40

sure? Yes. If I am

22:42

to be toting you as the passenger in my body, then I

22:44

deserve to know what you are and where you'll be. What

22:47

I am isn't as important right now as

22:49

where I come from. And if you are

22:52

truly curious, I will do my best to

22:54

explain. Please do. Alright.

22:58

That book isn't from this world. It

23:01

isn't even from this side of the divide. It's

23:03

from a dark plane

23:05

of existence. What? Your

23:08

world, as you know it, is on a

23:10

singular path. A path?

23:12

Like a road? No. Think of existence

23:14

as a singular pathway. From the dawn

23:16

of your Earth to now, your existence,

23:18

or the one that you belong to,

23:21

has followed this path. Like a timeline?

23:23

In a way, yes. However, time is

23:25

not the factor that distinguishes this world.

23:28

What does? Choices. And

23:31

these choices change our world. Yes.

23:33

It causes different versions of this

23:36

same core world. It branches off

23:38

alternate pathways that diverge and cause

23:41

massive changes to that version of

23:43

this world. Alright.

23:46

Look, all of this is only to provide

23:48

a backdrop to explain. That you

23:50

are from one of these worlds? Originally, yes.

23:52

But no. No? No.

23:55

All of these worlds have one

23:58

singular exit. as

24:00

a collective junkyard for every version

24:02

of your world that exists, an

24:05

ultimate end from which there is no return.

24:07

And what end is that junkyard? Everything

24:09

that dies. So you're dead? Yes.

24:13

In my world I die. And

24:15

then? I entered this dark world,

24:17

along with every other creature that has

24:19

ever existed, each pulled from their own.

24:24

Well, that must be

24:26

chaos. Chaos

24:28

beyond understanding. How

24:30

many of these other worlds exist? To

24:33

count would be pointless. There are worlds

24:35

that have monsters of legends, worlds that

24:37

exist billions of years from now. Alternate

24:40

paths that allowed space travel and

24:42

viruses to affect the entirety of

24:44

your world. So we don't

24:46

occupy the same time, meaning it's not 1934

24:48

in these worlds as well? No.

24:52

As I said, thinking of time linear

24:54

would only confuse. These worlds

24:57

are all acting simultaneously, and

24:59

yet, they all exist in

25:01

varied time. Some billions

25:03

and billions of years into the future,

25:05

to when the world has been covered

25:07

twice by dead civilizations. Some

25:10

over 50 years from now, with

25:12

pathways that have led to worldwide

25:14

epidemics. Some even have

25:16

an ancient past where magic was prevalent.

25:19

Magic? Yes, look, you wanted to

25:21

know and I am explaining. I

25:24

am from the dark world. Within

25:27

that world, I was bound to a book

25:29

and that book was somehow brought here to

25:31

you. So it's possible to

25:33

bring things from this dark world? Heck,

25:37

it's possible to pretend. Yes,

25:40

and this is why we need to find out

25:43

how I came back. Stop. What?

25:46

You've reached the last step. Uh-oh.

25:50

Are you alright? Yes, I

25:52

just need to wrap my mind around all of this. Well,

25:55

continue straight ahead, past the

25:57

doors, about 15 steps further.

26:00

from where we're standing. Let's head

26:02

to the street and wave a taxi while you

26:04

think. You're

26:08

about four steps from the doors. Well...

26:13

What? Nothing.

26:16

I... I just... the city's so alive.

26:18

Where's the world you were from

26:20

like this one? Slow

26:23

down. You're almost up the street. A

26:25

taxi has seen you. He's pulling up. Well...

26:29

A question for another time, Arthur. The handle is

26:31

to your left. Main

26:37

Street, number 23. The

26:45

city. The life that

26:48

exists on every street corner. It's...

26:53

so different than the dark

26:55

world that I thought I would forever call home.

26:58

What is this, Dark World? What does it look like?

27:01

It is a shadow of

27:05

all the worlds that have existed.

27:08

A dark mirror projecting

27:10

in twisted forms. A

27:13

horrible vision of what worlds

27:15

we have come from. It

27:18

is a prison, Arthur, make no mistake.

27:21

And I have no intention of ever

27:23

returning. We're

27:27

here. How

27:30

much is the fare? It

27:33

says $2.33. Right. Thank you.

27:44

J.D. Ackerman's rare books. Looks

27:47

like the light is on inside. What

27:49

do we want to ask him specifically? Everything we

27:51

can about the book. Left.

27:54

You're left. Yep. Yes. I do. Hmm,

28:02

it's a cozy looking place. Describe

28:05

it to me. Describe everything to me. Alright.

28:09

It feels ancient and comfortable.

28:12

There are massive stacks of books

28:14

piled all around us. It feels

28:17

almost claustrophobic. It

28:19

looks like there's a small wooden desk in the

28:21

back with an oil lamp on it. I

28:25

hear radio, do you hear that? Yes, but

28:27

I can't see it. I...

28:31

I... What? What's

28:34

wrong? That song... I don't recognize

28:36

it. I don't think it... Quiet. Just

28:40

let me listen for a second. I...

28:50

I... I... I

28:53

don't understand. Why don't you understand? I

28:55

don't recognize it. I do. Well,

28:57

that doesn't make any sense. I know it doesn't make any

29:00

sense. We need answers. Head to the desk in the back.

29:02

I think... It

29:04

looks like there's a bell on the

29:06

desk. I hear

29:08

a movement in

29:10

the back. Yes, I... Are

29:12

you okay? Yes, I'm fine. Let's get

29:14

some answers. What was that? I

29:17

don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I

29:20

don't know. I don't know. I

29:22

don't know. I don't know. I don't know.

29:24

I don't know. I don't

29:26

know. What was that? I

29:28

don't know. It sounds like something

29:30

fell over back there. Hmm. What?

29:34

Nothing. Just the

29:36

desk looks messy. Messy? Yes. Everything

29:39

does seem rather close together. It does feel a

29:41

bit close to where we can hear this, but

29:43

I mean being able to see it. Odd

29:47

that a bookstore owner wouldn't be quicker to answer.

29:49

Odd or still that it makes so much noise.

29:51

Come on. Where are they? Wait.

29:55

What? I was going to

29:57

say I'm not entirely convinced that the person making all

29:59

that noise is What racket works here?

30:04

They must not have heard the bell the first time, but

30:07

they had it that time. Arthur,

30:09

maybe you should draw your fire arm. Crouch

30:14

low and hug your back against the counter. Good.

30:18

I don't hear any more movement. What

30:21

should we, um... Just wait. Listen. I

30:27

didn't hear anything. Me neither. Maybe they left through a

30:29

back entrance when they heard us here. What

30:31

should we do? Peek over the counter. Very

30:34

slowly. Just enough so I can see the door leading

30:36

to the back. Alright. Okay. It

30:39

was to the right of the desk and we're pretty

30:41

well covered now. Wait!

30:58

What? Despite my severe lack of

31:00

ability to follow, if he shot and ran as opposed

31:03

to shooting us dead, chasing him would only end

31:05

badly. Fuck. Did

31:15

you get a look at his

31:18

face? It looked like he was wearing a mask. What? What

31:21

kind of mask? It was pale

31:23

white. It had eyes but no mouth. It was... Something about

31:25

it seemed familiar. You've seen

31:27

one before. I don't remember.

31:33

Alright. Well, I doubt that was the owner. Arthur, relax.

31:38

That was a close call, but it won't be the last. So

31:42

why did you do that? I don't know. I

31:44

don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I

31:47

don't know. I don't know. I don't know.

31:51

So what are we doing here? Looking for

31:53

information about the book or who sent it to

31:55

you. Don't tell me that gunshot rattled your nerves

31:57

so much that you forgot why we're here. Right.

32:01

Looks like the place is finally empty. Why don't

32:03

we take a look around? Get

32:06

up, move around the desk. Let's take a look behind

32:08

it first. I

32:14

don't know what you... do you want me

32:16

to move things around? No. Just stand for

32:18

a moment and look down. Right. Right.

32:24

Where do you suppose the owner is? Possible

32:26

his body is in the back. Should I

32:28

call the police? No. Not with your partner's

32:30

body still in your closet. Right. See

32:34

anything? Nothing that means

32:36

anything to me. Let's head to the back. There's

32:38

an open archway to the left of the desk. It

32:41

looks like it leads to the back. Well...

32:48

What? That person was definitely looking

32:50

for something. This place is a mess. This

32:53

isn't a coincidence, is it? It could

32:55

be. How often do rare bookstores

32:57

get robbed around here? I'd

32:59

say pretty close to never. Then I think it's

33:01

safe to assume that there must be some connection.

33:04

What are the chances they found whatever they

33:06

were looking for? I guess unlikely, since they

33:08

were still looking when we arrived. However... the

33:11

mess is much bigger than the sounds

33:13

they made. So perhaps they

33:16

were at the tail end and just making sure they

33:18

had everything they needed. What do

33:20

you suppose they needed? I don't know, Arthur.

33:22

It's not likely. I'll notice if you keep

33:24

asking me questions. I

33:28

have to assume there are no bodies back here based

33:30

on your reaction. None that I can see, though the

33:32

mess is substantial. Shall I move around? Yes.

33:41

Wait, stop. Bend

33:44

down for a moment. Detribis

33:48

militibus. What does it mean? I'm not sure. But

33:53

it seems familiar. You don't seem

33:55

to remember very much. It's difficult when you've

33:57

lived as long as I. answering

34:00

my questions about who you are from the beginning. Have

34:03

you forgotten? I

34:05

told you time works differently for different

34:07

worlds. The dark world is

34:10

without time entirely. I

34:12

have lived lifetimes upon lifetimes over

34:15

there. It was

34:17

all I knew for as long as I could

34:19

fathom, and now. Now you're here. And now I'm

34:21

here. So you have forgotten who you are, or

34:24

who you were? Yes. Well,

34:26

for both our sakes, I hope it comes back to you. There's

34:29

a desk in the corner. It looks like a bookshelf

34:31

has fallen over it. Head forward

34:34

a little bit. No, no, wait. Yes.

34:38

There. Do you feel it? Yes. Lift

34:41

it up. Good. Well

34:46

done, Arthur. This

34:48

looks like a writing desk, the owners maybe. There's

34:51

a sea of papers on top of it. What?

34:53

Nothing. Just pens, papers,

34:56

various objects, knickknacks, nothing

34:59

else. All right. Let's just

35:01

think for a moment. Let's step back even.

35:03

OK. Why did we originally come here? We

35:05

wanted answers on the book, Arthur. Exactly.

35:08

Now let's find some. Is

35:10

there anything on the desk that would indicate a

35:12

catalog of sorts? Maybe a purchase of sale? I don't

35:15

know. Or even a receipt book? Yes.

35:18

Yes, there's a book to the left of where your

35:20

hand is resting. It says receipts.

35:22

Well, there we go. Any book that came through here

35:24

that was purchased or sold or shipped or whatever would

35:27

be written down or categorized in some way.

35:29

Let's take a look. Does

35:33

it say anything about the book? Maybe

35:35

even an unknown book, something with a sigil or

35:37

something? No, it's saying who shipped it. No, it's

35:40

saying who shipped it. Oh, boy. Something

35:43

isn't adding up. Why would someone send me

35:45

a book from here and not have any

35:47

records of it existing? We should have followed

35:49

that. Relax. You getting heated

35:51

isn't going to make evidence suddenly appear. He

35:53

could have taken something important with him but

35:56

instead you decided to lie on your

35:58

earth. Listen. Maybe

36:01

I was wrong. In what way? I

36:04

said that it was not likely that someone sending us

36:06

a book would stamp it if you were the owner,

36:08

but maybe I was wrong. Maybe the owner did send

36:10

it. Why do you suddenly think that? He's

36:13

nowhere to be found. There

36:15

doesn't seem to be any mention of it being shipped, and

36:17

maybe if our friend who ransacked this place was looking

36:19

for your book... Wrapping it so it

36:21

looks like any other package. Would

36:24

be the best way to hide it. Maybe. Maybe.

36:28

On his desk is there a roller-dex? A

36:30

what? It's a metal object that

36:32

opens. Yes. Where? The

36:35

back right. Alright. There. Oh,

36:38

it's already opened. Yes. Right, well

36:40

I'm going to rotate it. Tell me if you

36:42

see my name, or my partner's name, or even

36:44

our address. What's your address? Thirteen

36:47

Mosby Avenue. Are you ready? Arthur,

36:49

it's already on your address. Eh...

36:54

What do you mean? The roller-dex. It's

36:56

been left on Thirteen Mosby Avenue. But

36:59

the name isn't yours. It says

37:01

Roland Cummings. Cummings? Yes. That

37:04

was the previous tenant. What

37:06

did he do? The same,

37:08

I believe. He was a private investigator. We

37:10

had to take over the lease rather quickly, in fact.

37:12

He sort of hurriedly needed to leave the city. I

37:15

always thought it was a bit suspect, but in our line of

37:17

work it's not entirely... Arthur. ...out of

37:19

the norm. Arthur, do you know what this means? Yes,

37:21

it means that the owner meant to send the book to Roland Cummings.

37:23

No. It means

37:26

whoever tried to shoot us knows your

37:28

name, where you live, and most assuredly

37:30

will find the body of your partner

37:32

if we do not hurry. Look,

37:37

we can't go back there now. Regardless

37:39

of what happened, we need to keep moving forward, covering

37:41

Newground. Arthur... You

37:44

know him right. So,

37:48

we found everything we can here. I believe so.

37:51

Then let's head to the house. Do you remember where it

37:53

is? Yes, it wasn't that long ago. A week

37:56

or so, really. It was just our last case. Then

37:58

I suppose there isn't much time to waste. It's

38:00

possible if we stay here too long we could

38:02

run into another patron or the police. After

38:05

all, that gunshot wasn't quiet. Very

38:07

true. Let's head back out to the street.

38:10

Move down the block a bit and hail a cab.

38:12

Okay. Around here. Left,

38:15

left. So

38:22

tell me again how you came upon this house. Yes,

38:26

right. As I mentioned a week or so ago, we got

38:28

a job. A missing girl was

38:30

reported to the police. With cases like this, one's

38:32

where the parent is especially anxious, or the

38:34

girl is rather young. Having all the

38:36

help the police can get is always beneficial. So they

38:39

hired you? Peter, I mean,

38:41

they have a special look with missing

38:43

persons cases. We took over a

38:45

few from the previous tenant before us. Roland Cummings,

38:47

right? No. Well,

38:50

yes. You said that Roland Cummings

38:52

was the previous tenant. You said he hurriedly

38:54

needed to leave the city. Yes.

38:57

Only the lease we took was Cummings, but leaving the

38:59

city hurriedly was only something I heard secondhand. In

39:01

this game, it's often that a PI closes down.

39:03

It's a dangerous line of work. Cummings was the

39:06

name on the lease that we obtained, but we

39:08

rented the office from an investigative team named Stone-Lijah.

39:11

Strong, strong. But he

39:13

returned there. And

39:15

you took some cases? Yes, he mentioned him

39:17

and his partner were working on a few

39:19

missing persons cases. Did his partner retire also?

39:23

No. He passed away during the

39:25

case. Rather horrifically, I guess. In

39:28

any case, there were a few unsolved ones that

39:30

he handed off to us, and we successfully dealt

39:33

with them. So much so that we

39:35

stuck with it. Missing persons

39:37

cases, that is. The tax is pulling

39:39

up. And so in the

39:41

McCarland case? Yes, it landed on our laps. We

39:43

tended to go about them differently than the police,

39:45

and in any case, the vagrant noticed her bike

39:47

outside the house, and we

39:50

had our lead. Where did the lead take? Fifty-eight

39:52

Pelican Lane. You

40:02

mentioned that you went in, looked around, saw

40:04

the symbol and then called it in. What

40:07

made you want to call it in before moving

40:09

in any further? It was Peter mainly. He felt

40:11

like we were being watched. The

40:14

symbol also. It seemed to chill him

40:16

to his cold. Well,

40:20

it's with a look. What's

40:25

wrong, Arthur? I

40:30

always valued my sight. Obviously. I

40:32

just want to get it. But

40:34

it's quite a different thing to lose it altogether one

40:36

day. Instinctively

40:38

I go to look out the window trying to

40:41

see the city, isn't it? I

40:43

know it's out there, but... It's

40:47

a warm sunny day, Arthur. The

40:50

streets are busy with people moving about. People

40:53

must find their way through the spaces and

40:56

the traffic as the world brims with life.

40:59

Believe me, I appreciated enough for the both

41:01

of us. Yes,

41:05

I already miss it. Knowing

41:07

I won't see a loved one's face and... And? And

41:11

the way you... The

41:15

driver is stopping. It's

41:19

too strange to keep it. Thank

41:26

you.

41:29

Well this is a quiet looking street. Yes, I

41:31

remember it being particularly quiet as well. I'm sure

41:33

you can guess why we searched the house. It

41:35

looks like it's the only one on this street.

41:39

What's around here? There are a few businesses about ten

41:41

minutes down the road south of us and there are

41:43

a few apartments up the road north, but for the

41:45

most part this house is completely on its own. It's

41:48

quite odd, really. Why is that odd? Because it's

41:50

not often houses like this are built up here.

41:52

They're usually are close to the city centre, especially

41:54

one as old as this. Well

41:56

I suppose we shouldn't. How

42:04

did you manage to get in? The porch

42:06

on the front wraps around. I'll just

42:09

watch the porch. Seems

42:12

rather worn. Guide me

42:14

towards the back, will you? Sure. Step

42:16

to your right. There's a fallen banister. Lift your leg. No

42:19

higher. There. Big step forward.

42:21

Good. Now there should be

42:23

a... A window, yes. Yes. The

42:25

boards look removed. That's how we made our way in. It was off

42:30

its nails when we got here too, the reason

42:32

why we thought she may be here. If

42:41

you put your hands out and move forward, you should be able

42:43

to feel forward. So

42:47

what happened to the girl? Emily? Yes.

42:51

As I said, they found her in a field. It

42:53

seems like she was... dismembered. Did

42:56

they find out who did it? No.

42:59

In fact, there had been a curfew in effect since. Her

43:01

murder was grisly, to say the least. A

43:04

friend at the station said that the way she

43:06

was dismembered was... How so? I'm

43:09

not sure if I didn't press. Why?

43:12

I don't know. I didn't think I

43:14

could help. Did you even try? What? Did

43:16

you even try to help? I've just gotten into

43:18

you. Nothing! I'm going

43:21

to climb in now, alright? If

43:23

you can calm yourself. The

43:34

symbol was not in the basement at all. I

43:36

see it. It's

43:41

carved in, I can feel the indentations.

43:44

You are bound to this book, you must have some idea what

43:46

this means. I don't. I

43:49

suppose we should look downstairs. Do you have a light?

43:52

I have my light, yes. After

43:56

you. Well,

44:06

it's a small damp basement. The

44:09

ceiling beams look well worn, burns

44:11

as if from the plumes of wall

44:13

sconces dot the corners. There are a

44:15

number of barrels in the corner. Walls

44:19

look like they're cobblestones, they have a bookshelf

44:21

on the far side. That's it? That's

44:23

it. It's small. Smaller

44:26

than the house? Quite a margin.

44:30

Hmmm. Why? You

44:32

just want to block the wall. Keep

44:34

your eyes open. Wait! What?

44:37

The bookshelf. It looks open.

44:39

Open? How? I

44:41

just move along the wall. Arthur!

44:49

It's another small room.

44:51

This room is much nicer. The walls

44:53

are smooth plaster and painted. It's

44:57

dim, but there appears to be a mural.

45:00

And? And it's... What?

45:04

It's the symbol on the top of the stairs in the

45:07

book. It's painted

45:09

above a creature. What creature?

45:13

Arthur. I

45:16

don't know if you want to. Just tell me what you see.

45:21

It is an enormous mass, which

45:24

extrudes black tentacles, slime

45:26

dripping mouths and short riding

45:28

goat legs. It is immense

45:31

and horrific. It is more than death. It

45:34

is a force of despair filled

45:36

with a thousand young and it

45:38

is an all consuming, all devouring

45:40

end. Tell life as we know it. All that is

45:42

depicted in the mirror? No. How do you know

45:44

this? I don't know. What is

45:47

its name? Shobnikraav. Arthur,

45:49

I am not this creature. How

46:00

do you know? You don't even remember. We

46:02

should leave this place. Agreed.

46:05

We have a name and we now

46:07

know what this symbol represents. Maybe there

46:09

is a library in town that we

46:12

can research. Yes, yes, yes. There's one

46:14

in the Miskatonic University that should help

46:16

us understand. Do you see anything else?

46:19

No. Let us leave. Wait.

46:23

Yes, I do. It's

46:25

barely noticeable, but there

46:27

is a stone in the mural which looks

46:30

like it can be turned. Where? Where?

46:34

Reach up. There. Yes. Here. Turn

46:37

it. Okay. It's

46:48

a stone passageway. It

46:50

leads down. Are we sure we won't be heading down

46:52

there? We need to know all that

46:54

we can about this place and why it's here.

46:57

And if there is an answer down there, we need to

46:59

find it. There's

47:07

an opening up ahead. It feels much wider

47:09

down here. It's

47:12

a cave. A

47:14

large opening with no apparent exit.

47:16

What else do you see? Tell me everything. There

47:19

looks to be three cages on the ceiling

47:21

high above. They're chained to the cavern ceiling.

47:24

There's a stone slab in the center of the

47:26

room. It looks like it might be sacrificial.

47:29

God. There's more. At

47:32

the far end of the room, it looks like

47:34

there is a stone archway. Where does it lead?

47:37

Nowhere. It just stands there as if

47:39

an opening to something, but there's nothing.

47:41

Just stone beyond it. Could it be

47:43

a... Wait. What? There

47:46

are also bones here. Where? Up

47:49

past the podium. There's a podium? Yes,

47:51

before the archway. There looks to be a podium,

47:54

and behind it there are the remains of what

47:56

looks to be two people. This?

48:01

Yes, that's the podium. There's

48:05

nothing on it. No,

48:08

why? We have a book, no? You

48:10

think this could be where it came from? The

48:17

bodies, how long have they been here? Years, but

48:19

I can't tell how many. There

48:21

is still flesh on their bones. It looks

48:23

like they struggled and killed each other. The

48:26

stone beneath them is stained red with their

48:28

blood. There

48:31

looks to be a knife. No

48:36

one may have killed the other, but the

48:38

second looks to have deep cuts cleaned through

48:41

its bones. Wait, he was dismembered? Yes. Emily

48:44

MacFarlane was killed the same way. You think she

48:46

found this room? Well,

48:49

she must have, but why was she

48:51

here and what was she looking for? And what did she

48:53

look out? Well, you think she let this creature out? But

48:56

no, it would

48:58

have happened to seven or five years

49:00

in here without anything. Arthur, there are

49:02

creatures that exist in both your world

49:04

and mine that you cannot begin to

49:06

fathom. If there is even the slightest

49:08

chance that would have killed this man also, can you imagine? That

49:11

means it has the means

49:13

to be... creatures...

49:16

has to stand. Thank

49:25

you.