0:01

Hey, everybody, it's Robbia. I

0:03

am very excited to announce that I have

0:05

a brand new podcast out today

0:07

called ninty Night, Bedtime Stories

0:10

to Keep You awake. Ninety Night

0:12

is an anthology featuring both adaptations

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of classic horror stories that you might

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have never heard of and fictionalize

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true life stories that are so frightening that

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you will start to think that reality is

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scarier than fiction. And also we've

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got some amazing originals in there. Now.

0:28

Look, As an attorney, it's my job to investigate

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and find the truth. But as the host

0:33

of ninety Night, it will be my job

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to make you question which monsters

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are real and which ones are just

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in your head. So join me as I

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tuck you into bed with stories that will leave

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you sleepless all night long. Now

0:46

I'm about to play you a preview of episode

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one, but first make sure you subscribe

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to Cast Media's new podcast ninety

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Night wherever you get your podcasts,

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and please leave us a rating

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and review ninty Night. Everyone,

1:05

good evening and welcome tonight E Night

1:07

with Robbia Chaudhry. I'm DJ

1:09

Luebell, the show's producer. Tonight's

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tale is about a family that seems

1:14

to forget one of the most important rules

1:17

when going on vacation when

1:19

in Rome, do as the Romans

1:21

do, or at least always

1:24

listen to their warnings. Please

1:28

enjoy the children

1:30

taken. Once

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upon a time there was a family of travelers

1:39

that didn't heed the advice of locals.

1:42

Their vacation began, as many vacations

1:44

do, with absolutely nothing going

1:46

according to plan. Sarah and

1:48

Tom had planned the trip months ago, finding

1:51

a week with their schedules aligned and they could

1:53

slip away together, leaving the kids behind,

1:55

even if just for a few days. It

1:58

was no easy task. They're lives

2:00

were a hectic, constant swirl of

2:02

work, school events, after school activities,

2:05

soccer and tennis, camp and piano

2:07

lessons for the kids. They could barely

2:09

come up for air, and lately had been

2:11

feeling like strangers to each other. So

2:14

spending an intimate few days in a luxury hotel

2:17

in the mountains was what they needed to

2:19

recharge and reconnect, But

2:21

their bags were already packed. When it

2:23

all fell apart. A stomach

2:26

ache had morphed into full blown appendicitis,

2:28

and just like that the world's most trustworthy

2:31

babysitter Tom's sister, No

2:33

less couldn't make it. Jeremy

2:36

was only eight and Stephanie had just turned

2:38

ten, not nearly old enough to

2:40

leave alone, and finding someone

2:42

they trusted that could keep the kids for a week

2:44

at the last minute wasn't possible.

2:47

They're only options were to cancel the trip

2:50

and lose the deposit, or just bring

2:52

the kids along. Forget

2:54

it, said Tom. The whole point of the trip was to get

2:56

time together alone. Sarah

2:58

agreed. She desperate needed a break.

3:01

Her kids were her life, but she

3:03

just didn't want them on this

3:06

trip. Ultimately,

3:08

they decided it wasn't ideal, but they would

3:10

have to make it work, and they'd have to plan

3:12

their own getaway another time. The

3:14

next morning, they loaded the kids into the car

3:16

and headed out. As they drove

3:19

further and further away from the city, Tom

3:21

and Sarah felt more and more relaxed.

3:24

Large buildings slowly gave way to groups

3:26

of huddled homes, Stores

3:28

and parks melted into fields and trees.

3:31

The kids buzzed with excitement, and Sarah

3:33

began to think that while this trip wasn't what

3:35

was planned, it was turning out okay.

3:39

She hummed a song, stared out the window at

3:41

the changing landscape and smiled

3:43

to herself. Sometimes

3:45

things not going according to plan, it's

3:48

actually what everyone needs. As

3:50

the miles ticked by, the excited hum in the back

3:52

seat slowed down and then stopped altogether.

3:56

Soon it was replaced with the board frustration

3:58

known to all parents, one that

4:00

made it clear to Tom and Sarah that they were not going

4:02

to be making it to the hotel without finding

4:05

a place to stop first. As

4:07

the bursts of conversation from the kids

4:09

turned shorter and snippier, Tom

4:12

began scanning for a place they could stop to stretch

4:14

their legs. While the children

4:16

mostly got along being stuck in the backseat

4:18

of a car for hours on and was testing

4:21

their friendship, they were lucky.

4:23

Sarah knew plenty of siblings didn't get along

4:25

at all, but these two were usually

4:27

thick as thieves. Right now though,

4:29

they were just getting on each other's last nerve.

4:32

Just then, as they began ascending the valley

4:35

towards the mountains, the Green Orchard

4:37

Gas and convenience store came into view, promising

4:40

gas, snacks and bathrooms. Tom

4:43

pulled off the empty two lane road up to

4:45

the little store you can each pick

4:47

out one snack, Sarah shouted as Jeremy

4:49

and stuff sprinted to the store. She

4:52

smiled at Tom and reached out for his hand.

4:55

She took a few deep breaths of the fresh country

4:57

air, which was sweeter and cleaner than anything

4:59

that exist stood back in the city, and then

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they followed their kids inside. The

5:04

store was small but clean, and Sarah

5:06

watched as Jeremy and staff wandered up and

5:08

down the aisles, examining the chips and cookies

5:11

and candy. An elderly man

5:13

complained about the price of gas to the friendly

5:15

looking woman standing behind the counter, and

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she smiled and nodded, agreeing with him.

5:20

The bathrooms were immaculate and empty,

5:22

and the coffee was fresh and hot and

5:24

short. It was exactly the kind of spot you hope

5:27

to stop at when you're traveling. Sarah

5:30

navigated a small selection of books, choosing

5:32

a thriller to read by the pool, and

5:34

then collected the snacks that the kids had picked

5:36

out. By the time she got to the

5:39

checkout. As Tom herded the kids back to the

5:41

car, Sarah had an entire armful

5:43

of goodies to pay for. She fished

5:46

around in her purse with one hand to find her wallet

5:48

and noticed a picture of a young girl with dark

5:50

hair taped to the front of the cash register.

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Sarah smiled at the photograph. Must

5:56

be the cashier's daughter, she thought. So

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nice to a young families in here, said the woman behind

6:01

the counter, nodding towards the older man who

6:03

had been so cranky about the cost of gas

6:05

earlier, and who was still in the corner

6:07

of the store comparing prices on bottles of water.

6:10

What brings you to the area, visiting or

6:12

passing through? We're

6:14

here for vacation, Sarah smiled. We're

6:16

staying at the Grand Mountain Hotel. Do you know it? The

6:20

woman nodded with a grin. Oh, you'll

6:22

love it. It's a wonderful spot to stay. But

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you know, just one piece of advice so you don't get lost.

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I think you're staying at the Grand Mountain Resort,

6:29

not the Grand Mountain Hotel, because the hotel

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is actually an older building all the way

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up on the top of the mountain. Sarah

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furrowed her brow as the woman continued,

6:38

See they're both owned by the same company, and they

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really should change the name to avoid confusion.

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But but just in case, you get turned around

6:45

in new directions, you'll want to make sure you're asking for

6:47

the right one, you know, otherwise you're liable

6:49

to end up at a place that you don't want to be. Sarah's

6:52

face stayed confused, and the woman continued,

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your kids, actually, see, that's that's how I

6:58

knew families stay at the resort. The

7:00

hotel is adults only. Sarah

7:02

shook her head. Well, we we

7:04

didn't think we were bringing the kids when we booked, but

7:06

actually we're staying at the hotel and not the

7:09

resort. The woman's

7:11

eyes turned hard in an instant. You'll

7:13

want to change then tell them about

7:16

the kids when you get there, because you know, an old building

7:18

like that, it's no place for kids. It just wouldn't

7:20

be safe. Sarah

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blinked at the lady and responded, Uh,

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well, thanks, but I'm sure it'll be fine. The

7:28

hotel looks great. The woman

7:30

moved quickly and grabbed Sarah's wrist hard.

7:33

Tell them at the desk when you arrive that you decided

7:35

to bring the kids, and ask them if they'll switch you to

7:37

the resort. I'm telling you that building

7:40

is not safe for kids to be wandering around

7:42

in there've been they're in accidents,

7:44

and then they're very accommodating with these things. Sarah

7:48

pulled her wrist firmly away, and the woman

7:50

released her grip. She smiled

7:52

as she went back to bagging the items of the counter.

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I just want to make sure you enjoy your time in the area

7:57

as all. I mean, you know, tourism is a big deal for

7:59

us. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful trip.

8:03

Uh. Yeah, I'm sure we will too, Sarah mumbled.

8:06

She got back to the car quickly, her face read.

8:09

Tom could see if something was wrong. She

8:12

told him what the woman had said, how she grabbed

8:14

her wrist and insisted that the hotel wasn't

8:16

safe. Yeah. Well, look, I'm

8:18

not changing our plans because some crazy woman doesn't

8:20

think kids belong in a nice hotel. They'll

8:22

be fine. What kind of trouble could they get into with us

8:25

there? We're not changing where we're staying.

8:28

Sarah felt embarrassed about taking the woman

8:30

even a little bit seriously, but Tom was

8:32

probably right. The woman did seem

8:35

a bit crazy. Why would they change

8:37

their entire plans because a stranger told

8:39

them to, Plus, she was lying

8:41

the hotel wasn't adults, Only it

8:43

didn't say anything like that on the website. Tom

8:46

pulled the car out of the parking lot and onto

8:48

the road that climbed uphill towards the hotel.

8:51

Sarah returned to staring at the window, feeling

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her alarm grow duller as they ascended

8:56

the slope of the mountain. She watched

8:58

as they passed the turn off to the sort, and

9:00

a little voice inside her told her to follow

9:03

the sign. She ignored the voice,

9:05

though, and she said nothing to Tom.

9:16

The Grand Mountain Hotel loomed at the summit

9:18

of the mountain, a behemoth of

9:20

sandstone, gothic and intimidating

9:23

that perched above the valley below. They

9:26

pulled into the mass of circular driveway

9:28

and stopped in front of the pillars that framed the

9:30

entrance. The bellhop that had

9:32

come running with a luggage cart stared at the

9:34

children while Tom began unloading the car

9:37

and Sarah entered the massive carved doors

9:39

to check them in. The lobby

9:41

was immense and dark, and Sarah guided

9:44

Jeremy and stepped towards the front desk. The

9:46

walls were covered with large tapestries

9:49

and paintings, framed in gold, and a

9:51

silent grand piano sat in the corner. The

9:54

deep red carpet was almost ominous,

9:56

and a shutter ran through Sarah.

9:58

The man standing behind the on desk made

10:00

of polished wood that shone under the lights,

10:03

smiled politely but coldly at

10:05

her. He wore a name tag that identified

10:08

him as Edgar the manager. Ma'am.

10:12

He said to her, you missed the turn

10:14

off for the resort halfway up the mountain.

10:17

Sarah set her jaw no,

10:19

we're staying here. You'll find the reservations

10:21

under the name Frasier. He

10:24

took his eyes off of her to look at a computer screen

10:26

and then met her gaze again. Mrs

10:29

Fraser, my apologies, but you told us when

10:31

you booked that it would just be you and your husband on this

10:33

visit. Otherwise we would have directed you to

10:35

the resort. It's much more family friendly. We

10:38

can change your booking without any fee, and you'll find the

10:40

resort's much more comfortable and enjoyable for your

10:42

children. Well,

10:45

Sarah replied, exasperated. We

10:47

didn't know we'd be bringing the children we booked,

10:49

but this will be fine. We don't need to change

10:51

and we're looking forward to staying here. Edgar

10:54

frowned. Children are not

10:56

allowed in the dining rooms here. He replied,

10:59

well, we like room service anyway. This

11:02

now seemed to be a challenge, and Sarah was

11:05

not backing down. Look,

11:07

I checked the website and there were no age restrictions

11:09

for staying on the property, and the suite that

11:11

we booked accommodates for people. So I don't

11:13

understand what the issue is. Tom

11:17

arrived and now stood by Sarah's side, joining

11:19

the standoff. Is there a problem,

11:21

he inquired. Edgar smiled

11:24

politely, not at all, Mr Fraser.

11:26

I was just explaining to your wife that you would all be much

11:28

more comfortable at the resort. We have pretty

11:31

strict rules here, like children are not allowed

11:33

the dining rooms, they can't be in the hotel common

11:35

spaces or elevators alone. It's really

11:38

quite a hasshole. The resort has lots

11:40

of activities in areas for children, and

11:42

there'll be other children there as well. Tom

11:45

shook his head. We'll be fine

11:47

and are happy to follow any rules you have here.

11:49

We're not interested in changing our plans, though Edgar

11:53

nodded, slowly, fixing his eyes on Sarah.

11:56

Please do pay very close attention

11:58

to your children. Again. We'd be happy

12:00

to change you to a family suite at the resort if you change

12:03

your mind. I think you'd enjoy it a lot more.

12:05

However, I will fetch your keys. Edgar

12:09

turned and walked away. Jeremy

12:11

looked at his parents with concern. Are

12:13

we going to get thrown out? Tom

12:15

ruffled his son's hair and smiled, not

12:18

at all, buddy, don't worry about it. He

12:20

leaned over to Sarah and whispered in her ear. Wait

12:23

till I review this place online. Edgar

12:26

returned a moment later. You'll

12:28

be on the thirteenth floor. Please remember

12:30

once again, the children are not allowed to be unsupervised

12:32

in the hotel at anytime, and cannot

12:34

be alone in the elevators. He slid

12:37

the plastic hard keys across the counter and nodding

12:39

towards the children. We're very

12:41

strict on our rules here, but they are for their

12:43

safety. Tom

12:45

collected the keys and shook his head at Edgar,

12:48

and the family walked towards the elevator bank.

12:50

Jeremy rushed ahead so he could beat his sister at

12:52

pressing the call button, and the four of

12:55

them entered the musty smelling elevator

12:57

mirrored on all four sides, the floor

13:00

covered in the same dark red carpet as

13:02

the lobby. Tom glanced at

13:04

the buttons and hit the number thirteen. The

13:06

elevator groaned, hesitating for a

13:08

second while the lights flickered, then

13:11

the car began to climb. Tom

13:13

smiled. Mystery solved.

13:15

They're worried about our kids getting stuck in this whole thing.

13:18

Imagine that lawsuit. Sarah

13:21

laughed in agreement at the absurdity of the realization.

13:24

Yeah, mystery solved. Their

13:27

suite was cavernous, an enormous

13:29

amount of space with panoramic views of the

13:31

surrounding hills. They unpacked

13:33

and ordered room service and put on a movie, but Sarah

13:36

kept turning to look at the breathtaking view beyond

13:38

the window. She was glad

13:40

they hadn't switched to the resort. Nothing

13:42

they could offer would make up for these views. The

13:45

next couple of days passed well, with hikes

13:48

on local trails and hours by the pool. In

13:50

the backdrop, though, was Edgar, who

13:53

turned up at all hours of the day, it seemed,

13:55

glaring at the children. He seemed

13:57

intent on catching them misbehaving. He

14:00

never managed to. They watched movies

14:02

together in the evenings and ate piles of

14:04

candy from the hotel gift shop. Sarah

14:07

made sure the kids weren't left unsupervised

14:09

anywhere. She admitted to herself

14:11

that she was just a little bit afraid of Edgar and

14:14

didn't want to give him any excuse to kick them out.

14:16

Things were going great, and she wanted to keep

14:18

it that way. One morning,

14:21

a few days into the vacation, the

14:23

family had just arrived at the pool when Jeremy

14:25

announced that he had forgotten his book back in

14:27

the room. Tom and Sarah were both

14:29

half covered in sunscreen and told him to wait

14:31

so one of them could go back inside with him.

14:34

Jeremy bounced around and moaned, it's

14:37

okay, I can go. I'll be fast. I promise,

14:39

I won't even use the elevator. I'll just go up the stairs.

14:42

Come on, it's not a big deal. I'm not a baby. Sarah

14:45

looked around. They were alone at the pool,

14:48

and Edgar was nowhere in sight. She

14:50

sighed, okay, just

14:52

don't go to the lobby, don't use the elevator,

14:55

and be quick. She handed

14:57

him a key and watched as he took off disappearing

14:59

into the bill ding. Only a

15:01

few minutes had passed when Jeremy returned

15:03

with Edgar, whose glare was unrelenting.

15:07

I reminded you multiple times with the rules,

15:09

but I just found your child wandering the hotel

15:11

by himself. Come on, now, he

15:13

wasn't wandering. Tom responded, he was

15:16

just running up to our room. He wasn't going to use

15:18

the elevator. We just forgot the book he's reading.

15:21

Edgar's eyes narrowed and his words became

15:24

a hiss, each one enunciated

15:26

carefully. You have

15:28

no way of knowing he wouldn't use

15:30

it since you weren't there.

15:34

Sarah tried to defuse the situation before

15:36

it spiraled. I'm so very sorry,

15:38

Edgar. I was a mistake. I promise we won't make

15:40

it again. Edgar turned

15:42

to look at her see that it doesn't.

15:45

If there's another incident, I'm afraid you'll have to leave.

15:47

Safety is one thing I cannot make exceptions

15:50

on. With that, he turned and

15:52

walked into the hotel. Tom met

15:54

Sarah's gaze and rolled his eyes. That

15:56

guy must be fun at parties. The

15:59

rest of the day passed as the others had swimming

16:01

and lounging in the sun. Early

16:04

in the afternoon, they decided it was time to head

16:06

back up, take showers, and order some lunch.

16:09

They entered the old elevator, the blood

16:11

red carpet reflecting all around them.

16:13

As they rode up, slowly, passing

16:16

floor after floor, Sarah

16:18

heard a sound that seemed to swell up from the

16:20

elevator shaft. It sounded

16:22

faintly like a child crying. She

16:24

squinted, trying to listen closer. M