Episode 21: Hungry Inside

[Intro Music]

Episode 21, Hungry Inside.

[Recorder clicks on]

Voncid:  This is the beginning of investigations into the case of Madelyn Young of San Antonio.  We will be looking for possible undue influence that justifies Order intervention.  It should be noted a separate investigation will be launched into the circumstances under which this case came to our attention.

Just after midnight last evening, after performing sanctification on a field of internment, lot 776, Luca and I returned to the Order provided car to find a strange message on my cellular device. Upon checking my phone I discovered that a video had been downloaded onto it without my knowledge.

Mayberry, our technical expert, is looking into how my device was accessed, but as I do not keep any sensitive Order information on it other than a few phone numbers, with only personal code names referenced, it does not appear to be a security breach.  

However, the video in question shows a young girl on a playground. Mayberry was able to trace the video to an incident at a San Antonio school a few days ago.

The video is from the perspective of another child, with the video pushing in and out of the face of a dark haired girl, who I now know to be Madelyn Young.  A taunting, sing-song phrase is being repeated ad nauseam.  In the video it becomes clear that Madelyn is being bullied, harshly, by her classmates.

Luca: And they are documenting the whole thing.

Voncid:  Yes these children are endlessly inventive in their cruelty, but clearly not criminal masterminds.

Luca: I am so glad they didn’t have social media when I was growing up… Can you imagine having your awkward phase immortalized like that?

Voncid:  I genuinely cannot. As the video proceeds it becomes clear that Madelyn is in a level of distress that far exceeds that of a girl being bullied under normal circumstances.  Her limbs begin to jolt and convulse, powerful spasms running up and down her body.

Luca was able to isolate her audio, and Madelyn can be heard repeating the phrase “leave me alone, leave me alone”, over and over. Upon listening closely, due to the particular tone of her voice it becomes clear she is not talking to the taunting children, but to something else.  In the video we discovered Madelyn is looking down at her own stomach rather than at the bullies. Something that might be seen as classic avoidance lowering eye contact, but taken in aggregate leads us to other more disturbing conclusions.

There is a point in the video, where if you look closely, you can see a shiver pass over Madelyn, after which time her face goes slack for a few moments, before stretching into an obscene, unnaturally wide smile. Thereafter the video device is dropped and only catches blurs of movement.

Reports from educators on the scene, and other children at the school confirm the details of the following violence. Madelyn attacks, viciously biting and clawing the other girls who had been taunting her.  A detached retina, deep lacerations requiring stitches, wounds that will likely leave scars, but luckily no permanent or life threatening injuries. Teachers were able to quickly subdue Madelyn who after the incident became deeply despondent and would not answer any questions and apparently did not speak for the better part of a week.

This incident would never have come up on the Order of Hamsa’s radar, just a simple incident of a child pushed too far suffering a mild psychotic episode of some kind.  Whoever sent it to me, perhaps they knew, that I would recognize it.

Luca: Recognize what?

Voncid:  The smile… His smile. Clear as a calling card.  We will now seek to confirm the influence of others in the incident.  

After some extensive work on the audio captured, Luca has been able to isolate Madelyn’s voice further, we will now filter it through the Ghost Wax…

A small addendum:To the psychically sensitive members of the Order please use caution listening to the following. As strange as the otherside is to us, we are equally alien to them. Many creatures of the otherside are dangerous to us simply because we are so grating to their sense of perception.  Some strike out at us simply because we are nails on a chalkboard to them. Putting this girl's voice through the wax will filter out the reality we understand and are native to.  Again, investigators please use discretion.

[Sounds of a tuning radio with a hint of a voice in the background]

Voncid: Anything?

Luca: I didn’t get anything.

Voncid: Again, go deeper.

[Sounds of a tuning radio return. The voice is louder. Sounds like a frog gasping for air]

Possessor: Let me in… let. Me. in.

Voncid:  Did you hear that?

Luca: I did.  What the hell was that?

Voncid:  A stranger at the door. Very well, we need to go to San Antonio.

[Recorder clicks off]

[Recorder clicks on]

Madelyn/Possessor: Riip, riiiiip, I will riiiiip you necromancer. I will violate your boy servant. I will feast and feast and I will gorge my belly to such a swollen mass it will split and the force of its splitting will rend the world and my brothers will crawwwwl in, crawl through, crawl here to you.  Untie me and your death will merely be slow, continue to restrain me and you will die endlessly.

Voncid: Luca, please, the muzzle.

Possessor: How dare you! I serve the nightmare kings, I serve they of glory and *mrrrpmphhh* 

Luca: Oh. My. God. 

Voncid: We did not arrive in time to prevent this… creature from gaining total control of Madelyn Young.  In fact only a few hours earlier she attacked her parents like a rabid animal.  Luckily the creature has not yet been able to increase Madelyn’s strength, and its other powers have not manifested, so Madelyn’s parents were able to overpower her and tie her to the bed.

Our arrival shortly thereafter was… misinterpreted by Madelyn’s parents.

Luca: They are Catholic.

Voncid: Yes, apparently Luca and my… appearance and the situation at hand, put them in mind of a particular horror film about exorcisms and they believed us to be an old priest and a young one come to drive a demon out of their daughter.

Luca: Close enough right?

Voncid: yes we did not dissuade them of their theory and now they are praying in the other room.  Honestly, we will take all the help we can get.

Luca: Is it going to get loose?  

Voncid: No, because we are going to pin it in place and stop it from becoming any stronger.

Luca: Voncid no, you can’t be serious.

Voncid: I am quite serious.

Luca: Please, sir, put that down.  That nail is too long, it will kill her.

Voncid: It only looks like a nail.

[Sounds of a hammer hitting a nail, hard]

Possessor: Mmmrrrrrrrrghhh…

Voncid:  I stick you to the place beast, from here you shall not move.

Luca: Holy shit.

Voncid:  A spine of Aventu’us.  

Luca: Is that the same as…

Voncid: we don’t have time, and, it is listening.

Possessor: Huh, huh huh huhuh. hahahaha. 

[Metal breaks apart]

Luca: The muzzle…

[Another snap of metal and the sound of something falling to the floor]

[Possessor chokes and spits something out]

Luca: Oh my god, her teeth.

Possessor: Oh look at me, my real biters are already coming in [Teeth chomping] Well, we do grow up so fast.

Voncid:  Luca, get the parents out of the house.  Take them to the street and pray with them or whatever you need to do to keep them out of the house. Don’t come in again. I will come to you.  If I do not by nightfall, tell the Order to partition the house and excise it.

Luca: Uuhh, OK.  Uh, good luck?

Voncid:  Thank you.

Possessor: Bye bye sweetie. Say hi to mummy and daddy. I’ll be out to eat you soon.

Voncid: I did not expect to see you again so soon Eater.

Eater: I should say the opposite to you… shouldn’t you be long, long dead?  *sniffs* Ewwww, well, maybe I spoke too soon. Maybe what I should say is “shouldn’t you be wearing a new face by now?  A fresh one?” [Teeth chomping]

Voncid:  Not all of us so casually cast off our form, nor abandon those who stand with us.

Eater: Gross. Sentimental. Weak.

Voncid:  Did you claw your way into this world to hurt my feelings?

Eater: More than your feelings.

Voncid: So this was a personal call?

Eater: No, no, this is just a happy reunion of chance.

Voncid: I’m not so sure.

Eater: Wizard tricks?  I won’t be fooled by you again.  Remember in Macedon? You tricked me into eating myself and I had grown SO large and so strong. Seems like only yesterday…

Voncid: Time is different here. That was a long time ago.  

Eater: I see, well just another of the luscious pleasures for us to experience once we get inside. But of course you know what I’m looking forward to the most. Num num num.

Voncid:  Stop.

Eater: So sensitive.  So attached.  The nature of all pain is attachment, you know.  Once you learn to let go, you’ll be so much happier. You’ll thank us one day. keeping up this zoo has got to be exhausting.  Keeping us out is bad enough, but keeping the locals from killing each other?  Hahahaha, I sometimes wonder which end will come first.

Voncid:  If they end themselves, that’s their business, but I won’t see them devoured from without.

Eater: That is a gross mischaracterization and you know it. Who are you pretending for?  What is that there?  Are you recording us for your little diary?  I see, are you performing for yourself?  Have you been pretending to care about them so long you’ve tricked yourself you tricky old man. What are you looking for there?

Voncid: I know your kind well enough to know that truth is always hidden among your rantings. When you said diary, I had a thought. Perhaps I can learn something useful ah, here we are. Madelyn’s diary, stay out under pain of death.

Eater: You heard her.

Voncid: Apologies my dear.

[sound of lock breaking]

Eater: Typical Hamsa. Think you know what’s best for them, respecting them only as far as it is convenient.

*We hear Voncid flipping through pages*

Voncid:  Here we are. [Clears throat]  “I had a bad dream last night that really scared me.  I dreamed that I woke up in the middle of the night and I thought I was really awake.  I walked out into the hallway and I could hear mom and dad were snoring.  Dad was snoring loudest. I went down the hallway and I suddenly felt very hungry.  I got to the kitchen and went to the cupboard for a Pop Tart but when I opened the cupboard it was empty.

I opened the next and the next and they were all empty. I looked in the fridge and it was empty too. I started to get scared, it felt so real. I went to mom and dad’s room but I didn’t hear them anymore and when I went in they were gone. All their things were gone. Even their suitcases.  I knew that they had left me.

I was so hungry by then I went back to the kitchen, but this time the table was covered in food.  Covered in all my favorite things. Pop Tarts and fruit snacks and punch and lasagna and lots of other things I didn’t recognize but that looked really good.

[Page flip]

There was something sitting at the table, where dad usually sits in the big chair. It was like big dark shadows that was filled with smiles.  Inside all the dark it had so many mouths and teeth.  People teeth and animal teeth and some looked like grandpa's dentures and some were teeth made of metal.

I don’t know why but I wasn’t scared, not any more scared than I was before. The shadow and teeth patted the chair next to it.

Come Eat. It said. I was so hungry so I did”

Have you no shame, beast?. To prey upon a child.

Eater: Why mess with what works?  Hunger, fear, loneliness. it’s not like they’ve changed in all this time.

Voncid:  [Clears throat] “I had the dream again last night. This time I woke up at the kitchen table.  I’d eaten so many things, mom is going to be so mad when she finds out. I hid all the wrappers but I am going to get in so much trouble.  I’m hungry all the time now.  I ate so much and I’m not even full.  I eat and eat and I’m still losing weight.  I can see my ribs.  I’m so scared”

Eater: *Cackles*

Voncid:  “I went to play with Judy next door but Mr. Simmons wouldn’t stop staring at me. When Judy went in to use the bathroom he shook his head at me and said that I’d be pretty if I would just eat more. He said I was never going to get a boyfriend looking like I did and then he asked if I wanted a boyfriend and I got really mad so I just said I had to go home.

He kept laughing at me and laughing at me. Said I was too sensitive and offered to make me a sandwich”

[Sigh] I just wish they wouldn’t always be such an assistance to your kind.

Eater: Oh I know, it’s just terrible.  Almost too easy.

Voncid: “Judy won’t play with me anymore. She keeps saying she has family stuff to do, but I saw she and Mindy and Kala posting things when she said she had family stuff, so I know she was lying to me. I don’t understand why no one likes me anymore. I feel like I’m only happy when I’m asleep and when I’m dreaming. The shadow with teeth used to scare me, but maybe he’s like me and people just don’t understand him. Maybe that’s why he keeps visiting me”.

Eater:  Just warms my hearts.

*more page turns*

Voncid: I can’t find Socks and Peanut Butter. I had a dream about the tooth shadow again. He told me I didn’t ever have to be alone again.  That he knew a way I could keep people deep down inside and not ever have to be alone. When I woke up I couldn’t find my gerbils, Socks or Peanut Butter. I think something is wrong with me. I don’t feel good anymore, but he’s right, I don’t want to be alone”.

[Page flip]

“I keep thinking about eating people when they make me mad. Every time someone does something bad to me I can picture myself biting and biting them until they aren’t outside and mean, they are inside of me and part of me and nice. I am so scared of myself. Maybe the voice is right. Maybe I should just let him in and let them fix things for me.  I’m so tired and I don’t know how to make things better.  

I don’t want to do this anymore”

[Book shuts]

Eater: Well, I liked that more than just about any book I’ve ever read. Did you learn anything useful, wizard?

Voncid: Perhaps. I think I better understand the walls of sorrow and pain you have built up between the girl and herself. I may better navigate them.

Eater: Aren’t you clever. Anything else?

Voncid: That you are loathsome. A loathsome creature, but that I knew.

Eater: I am Glorious.

Voncid: Madelyn, listen to my voice. When I reach for you, you need to reach back for me. You are not alone.  There is no endless void inside, there is no place hope cannot reach you, if you reach back.

Eater: Get on with it, will you. After this one's dead, I am going to get started again right away.  I don’t know how you found me so prematurely this time, but I’ll be eating cities by the time you catch up with me next.

Voncid: I am going to pry you loose, the girl will live, and I am going to rip you to shreds so thin it will take eons before I have to listen to your filth again.

Eater: Bring it on, dead man!

[Thunderclap]

[Recorder clicks off]

[Recorder clicks on]

Luca: I… *long pause, unsure what to say*  please Master Voncid, you did your best.

Voncid: I’m weak. I failed.

Luca: They said she’s in stable condition… that she could wake up any day.

Voncid:  Yes, well… she won’t. Not any day soon. Maybe never. The dream walkers may reach her yet, but it is a long road back from where she is.

*We hear them walking towards the car*

Luca: Well, the parents are at the hospital. They wanted to thank you… wait where are you going?

*we hear more footsteps*

Luca: who’s house is this?

[Doorbell rings]

Mr. Simmons: Yeah?

Voncid: Are you Mr. Simmons?

Mr. Simmons: I am. Who’s asking?

Voncid:  You should not speak to little girls like that. You will mind the way you behave from now on.

Mr. Simmons: What the fuck are you talking about?

Voncid: I am going to hurt you now. Do not worry, you won’t forget the lesson I’m about to impart. Luca, turn off the recorder.

[Recorder clicks off]

Narrator: Thank you for listening to Ghost Wax, a production of Far and Tall Tales. Find us at farandtalltales.squarespace.com. Ghost Wax is an independent podcast so if you liked this show, please rate and review, and consider joining us on Patreon at Patreon.com/farandtalltales

Also give a listen to our fantasy role play show Could've Been Heroes for something completely different. 

Ghost Wax is written and directed by Robert Knutson 

Production and editing by Aaron Schoenrock

Our theme song is by Beau Hoover.

This episode features Robert Knutson as Voncid, Eater, and Mr. Simmons

And Aaron Schoenrock as Luca