Episode 27: Strangers in Paradise

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Coach, the energy out there felt different.

What changed for the team today?

It was the new Game Day Scratchers from the California Lottery.

Play is everything.

Those games sent the team's energy through the roof.

Are you saying it was the off-field play that made the difference on the field?

Hey, a little play makes your day, and today it made the game.

That's all for now.

Coach, one more question.

Play the new Los Angeles Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, and Los Angeles Rams Scratchers from the California Lottery.

A little play can make your day.

Please play responsibly.

Must be 18 years or older to purchase, play, or claim.

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Old Gods of Appalachia is a horror anthology podcast and therefore may contain material not suitable for all audiences.

So listener discretion is advised.

By the standards of Esau County, Tommy Atkins was an ambitious young man.

Whereas most boys in the area had followed their daddies down into the mines by the age of 15, if not sooner.

Tommy had never wanted to follow in those particular footsteps.

No, sir.

Boyd Adkins had spent his whole life working in the mines, and it was honest work, sure enough.

Tommy had been down in that hole a few times, to be sure, when they were shorthanded or the family needed extra money.

He'd do what needed doing if it came to it.

But the truth was,

Tommy hated it deep underground.

In the darkness under the mountain.

And it wasn't that he was scared of the dark.

Hell no.

When they was kids, Tommy and his best friend, Greenie Kaiser, used to sneak out all hours of the night and go exploring in the woods, do a little hunting and fishing, the kind of thing that boys do.

These days, Tommy loved little more than camping.

Being out in the woods alone at night, just you and the hoodows and other night critters under the stars.

No,

what Tommy didn't like about the mines was

well, he never felt quite alone down there.

It was alright when he was working close alongside the other men and boys, but as soon as he got a little ways off down some tunnel or other on his own,

he started to get a funny feeling,

almost like he was being watched

the hair would rise on the back of his neck and he'd whip around

but he never saw nobody

once or twice he even thought he heard

well

voices almost

whispers

When he went down in the mines,

Tommy felt like there was something waiting for him in the dark underground

Something hungry.

Now, he'd never told his daddy any of this, nor anybody else, of course.

He went around talking like that.

Folks think he was crazy.

So Tommy just said he liked farming.

Spent his days helping his mama plant corn and taters, beans, squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins, and anything else they could put in the ground.

Taking care of the pigs and the chicken and a couple milk cows.

Now the Adkins farm was small and mostly just supported their family, but with Tommy's help, his mama Emma had been able to expand, and he would take their surplus down to sell at the local market whenever he could.

Tommy also took on whatever odd jobs come his way, mending a fence or a broken window, fixing somebody's ice box or working on somebody's truck that broke down.

I mean, it wasn't much.

Not yet.

But it helped support the family.

And it gave him a little extra to spare on his girl.

Tommy had been in love with Virginia Eastep,

who everybody called Jenny, for about as long as he could remember.

Now he'd met Jenny when they were both about six on their very first day at the Glay Morgan school.

Little Tommy had never seen anybody with red hair before and he'd been enchanted by those flaming red locks and bright blue eyes.

He thought then she was the prettiest thing he'd ever seen and 14 years had not changed his opinion.

Jenny Eastep was unquestionably the prettiest girl in Esau County, and he'd fight any man who said otherwise, which of course nobody did.

Jenny was well thought of in Glamorgan.

Pretty, friendly girl from a good family, and she was raised right, as folks said.

Respectful of her elders, went to church on Sundays, volunteered with the junior ladies' auxiliary.

More importantly,

Jenny had talent.

She could play piano and guitar and had the nicest voice in the church choir where she was often invited to perform solo at holidays and other special events.

She was involved with Glae Morgan's small community theater group which worked with the church to put on the annual passion play every Easter as well as a more secular play every fall during the Harvest Festival.

Jenny could even dance.

Studying the moves she saw at the picture show, watching the films over and over until she could teach herself the latest dances, the Charleston, the Shimmy, and so on.

She'd recruited Tommy to help her learn the ones she needed a partner for, like the Foxtrot.

Now the old folks around Esau County didn't approve much of dancing, so only Tommy and a few close friends were privy to this particular talent or understood its source.

Jenny Eastep was a girl with big dreams.

Next to Jenny, Tommy's own ambitions were like a candle to a bonfire.

When Tommy took her to the movies, Jenny would watch with rapt attention the glamorous folks up there on the silver screen in far-flung places like New York or Rome with their fine clothes and fancy cars.

She'd say, that's going to be me one day, Tommy.

And she could sing.

She could dance.

And she was just as pretty as any of them Hollywood girls.

She wasn't quite as sure of her acting skills.

I mean, auditioning for Glay Morgan Community Theater didn't exactly offer stiff competition, but Ginny was quite confident she could learn.

She had succeeded at everything else she set her hand to, and this would be no different.

Jenny dreamed of leaving Esau County behind and going to Hollywood, where she could begin her career as an actress.

And she didn't discuss her plans with her parents, of course, or anyone except for Tommy and a few other close friends she trusted.

Most everybody else wouldn't approve.

And even those who didn't precisely disapprove wouldn't understand.

Hell, even their friends didn't really.

When you gonna put a stop to all this nonsense, Greene had asked Tommy.

Ain't nobody from Esau County gonna be a famous movie star?

Ginny just needs to settle down, put a ring on her finger, and she'll forget all about that Hollywood business.

But Tommy knew better.

Yes, if he asked for her hand, Ginny would be excited, happy.

She might even say yes.

But she would not forget about Hollywood.

Not forever, anyway.

He could imagine her all too well years down the road, taking their kids to the pitchers, still watching with that faraway look in her eye, and wondering what might have been if she'd only gotten out sooner.

If she'd only told him no.

Tommy didn't want that for her or for himself.

No, Greenie.

Like mama says, what's meant to be will be.

And not because I clipped her wings when she wanted to fly.

Either she'll decide Hollywood's not for her after all and come on home, or she'll send for me like she says, and we'll get married in California.

Tommy grinned.

It'll be the fanciest wedding you ever seen.

Because Jenny had plans for him, too.

Once she found a job, she said, she'd find work for Tommy.

The studios always needed carpenters and other folks to build sets, run lights, operate cameras, microphones, and more, Jenny assured him.

There's plenty of work to go around for a smart, industrious young man like Tommy Atkins.

Just you wait and see.

It was Jenny's dream of going to Hollywood that had brought them both here.

To Paradise.

A bright little gem of a city straddling the state line between Virginia and Tennessee on a cold January night.

For folks who'd been to someplace like Louisville or Nashville, Paradise might not have seemed like much.

But to two kids who'd barely left Esau County before, this was the big city.

And Tommy was beginning to think his daddy had been right all along about the city

and city folks, too.

And so I follow

No time to rest these weary bones

I hear her song

And my heart goes hollow

Best not to walk these woods alone

Best stick to the roads and out of the shadow

Best get on home

Best to leave them ghosts alone.

The beat-up old Model T that had once belonged to Tommy Atkins Papa, which Tommy had salvaged from the back barn a good decade after Papa had run it into a tree and managed to get it up and running again after a long summer spent wrenching away at it, had run out of gas about a half mile from the train station.

Now that was no great hardship, Tommy and Jenny both being well accustomed to walking before Tommy got the truck running last summer.

It was cold and snowy.

But they were both wearing boots and a half mile was an easy walk so Tommy had helped Jenny out of the truck gentlemanlike and pulled her suitcase out of the bag and they continued on foot down the wide paved street split down the middle by the Virginia Tennessee state line

They'd only gone a few blocks when a pair of scruffy looking young men stepped from the shadows of a narrow alleyway between two buildings directly into their path

Hey hey there boy.

Can we help you with your bags?

Valet service all the way to the station.

Only cost you two bits.

The man's tone was polite and simpering, and he held his hat in his hand, waiting to see if either of them would offer up his fee.

Tommy figured this was how some people made their money off of tourists and hill folk, but they didn't have that kind of money.

And they was young and able-bodied and can carry their own bags easy enough.

No, thank you, sir.

replied Jenny, before Tommy could speak.

We'll be just fine.

The larger of the two men stepped to block their path fully as his partner snapped his hat back onto his head and circled behind them, his obsequious posture vanishing in a heartbeat.

I'm sorry, darling, but you understood my friend there.

You'll give us each two bits and we'll carry your bags as far as we want.

That wasn't a request.

Look, mister, Tommy began, stepping forward with one hand raised to keep the man at arm's length.

We don't want no trouble, but we ain't got the money to give you.

So why don't we all all just the larger of the two men rushed Tommy, throwing one shoulder down and burying him to the ground in a tackle that would have made any football player proud.

Tommy saw stars for a second as his head smacked the pavement, but he recovered quick when he felt the man's hands around his throat.

Now Tommy had never been one for fighting.

His daddy had taught him there were better ways to solve a problem than with his fists, and he loved to recite that scripture about turning the other cheek.

But growing up, he'd had to learn to defend himself since apparently not everybody's daddy loved Jesus as much as Boyd Atkins.

Working on the farm every day had made him strong, and he quickly turned the tables on the man who'd attacked him, rolling him over onto the pavement and delivering a quick punch to the jaw.

The smaller man, a little more of a boy, really, scrawny and only a few inches taller than Ginny, grabbed for the handle of her suitcase.

No!

Tommy heard her cry out angrily.

And from the corner of his eye, he could see her struggling with the boy before he finally wrenched it from her hand, using its weight to sling her to the ground as well, and took off down the street back the way Tommy and Jenny had come.

Meanwhile, the larger man used Tommy's momentary distraction to wriggle free of Tommy's grasp.

He stumbled to his feet and ran back down the alley they'd come from.

Tommy didn't hesitate.

The man who hit him didn't matter.

He was just a distraction.

Tommy sprinted back down the streets after the little man.

He could see him ahead, racing down the street, Jenny's suitcase banging against his leg with every step, and Tommy wasn't slow.

At least he never thought so, but he was a farm boy, not a runner.

He probably had 40 pounds on the kid.

Hard as he tried, he couldn't quite close the distance between them, but he kept trying, at least until the thief darted down a side street.

By the time Tommy reached the corner, he had disappeared from sight.

Panting, Tommy finally slowed to a stop and gave up his pursuit, leaning over and bracing his hands against his knees, and once he'd caught his breath, he turned and looked back down the street to the spot where he'd left Jenny.

And to his surprise, he found that she was not alone.

Jenny was back on her feet, standing on the sidewalk with a man in a brown overcoat.

As Tommy jogged back up to her side, he was able to make out more details of the stranger's appearance.

He had one of those faces marked by character rather than time,

It made it impossible to determine his age.

He could have been 25 or 55.

His coat was clean and simply cut, not fancy, but clearly of good quality.

There was a bright blue jay's feather tucked into the rim of the otherwise simple brown fedora on his head, a match for the coat look like.

The hair under his hat was dark,

and his brown eyes sparkled merrily as if he were amused by some joke that only he understood.

Help you with something, mister?

Tommy asked, frowning.

Oh, Tommy, this nice man just helped me up, Jenny explained.

This is Mr.

Fields.

The man smiled affably and stuck out his hand.

J.T.

Fields III, he introduced himself.

My friends call me Jack.

In spite of his reservations and the unpleasant circumstances they now found themselves in, Tommy found himself returning that smile as they shook.

Tommy Atkins, and this is Miss Virginia Eastep.

It's a pleasure to meet you both.

I only wished I'd looked out my window in time to do more to help, Jack said, gesturing up to the second-story windows of the building behind him.

By the time I got downstairs, you'd already run off.

The big lug and the little ratty one had made off with Miss Virginia's bag.

Real shame, that.

I hope you didn't lose anything important.

Jenny's face fell.

I did, actually.

My train tickets were in there and my money.

Everything, really.

Her eyes were bright with panic as she turned to Tommy.

What am I going to do?

That was everything I had, Tommy.

I worked so hard to save up.

Shh,

Tommy said, squeezing her hand.

It'll be okay.

We'll figure something out.

Jack sighed.

I'm real sorry to hear that.

Do you folks have people here in town we could call?

Miss Virginia was just telling me your truck broke down.

No, sir, we don't.

We're from Bla Morgan, up in Esau County.

I could probably fix a truck in the morning, but well, I was just driving Jenny to the train station.

I hadn't planned on staying the night, and I don't have much money with me, not enough to replace her ticket or her other things.

Jack smiled.

Well, that's no real trouble.

I hope you'll allow me to assist.

I was just stepping out for a bite to eat, and I'd be honored if you'd both join me.

On me.

After supper, I can help you get settled in for the night.

I happen to know the proprietor of the hotel just down the street here.

Well, sir, that's a mighty kind offer, Tommy said.

But that wouldn't be proper, seeing as we're not married.

But then he caught sight of Jenny, standing shivering on the sidewalk.

Her coat damp and soiled, the hem of her dress torn, her long red curls knocked free from the pins that held them up this

She looked exhausted.

The expression on her pale face uncharacteristically defeated.

So Tommy amended.

Although I guess I could sleep in my truck and Jenny could take the room if you're sure it's a reputable place.

Nonsense, Jack said, waving off his protestations.

Forgive my presumption, Miss Eastep.

Why don't you take the room?

Mr.

Atkins here can bunk down for the night on the sofa in my office.

Would that suit?

Jenny beamed.

That sounds like a fine solution.

You're so kind, Mr.

Fields.

Nonsense.

I couldn't, in good conscience, allow this experience to tarnish your opinion of our fair city, Jack said graciously.

And to tell the truth, I wasn't much looking forward to having supper alone.

You've saved me from an evening of boredom.

And so the man called Jack had led Tommy and Jenny to an establishment he referred to as his supper club.

It was tucked away in the back corner of the basement of the big Woolworth's five-and-dime store down the street and decorated in a style that was far more lavish than what one might expect to find in such an unassuming location.

There were crystal chandeliers and cushy booths upholstered in fine red leather and velvet and the gentlemen seated in them wore fine wool suits and smoked cigars.

The ladies wore sparkly beaded dresses and wore their hair short, modern cuts that the folks back home would have found scandalous.

Liquor even flowed into fine crystal glasses.

Jenny was obviously delighted.

This was the exciting new life she'd imagined she would make for herself in Hollywood, one of luxury, of fine people, and classy parties.

Tommy was less sure about all this.

He felt underdressed and out of place.

But since it cheered Jenny up, he tried to relax.

The food, when it came, made that a hell of a lot easier.

Jack had ordered him something called Beef Wellington, a delicious cut of tenderlorn wrapped in herbs, garlic, and layers of flaky, buttery pastry.

It was by far the finest thing Tommy had ever tasted.

And if anyone ever told his mama that, he'd call him a liar to their face.

But it was true.

The whiskey Jack poured for him didn't hurt either.

It burned on the way down and made Tommy cough, but then it filled him with warmth and he found himself relaxing.

Perhaps this place wasn't half bad after all.

Over the course of dinner, Jenny and Tommy told Jack the whole story.

Jenny's dream of a career in the movies.

All the long hours she put in working as a secretary for a local attorney, plus the extra time she spent babysitting, taking in sewing, even cleaning a few houses, all to scrape together the money to buy a train ticket to Los Angeles, and a nice dress and shoes to wear to auditions.

What about your beau here?

Jack asked.

Seems you got yourself a fine young man, if you don't mind me saying, Miss Jenny.

You just gonna leave him behind?

Oh, of course not.

I'll send for Tommy just as soon as I land apart in a feature.

I'm sure there's plenty of work for a good man like Tommy, Jenny gushed, and then proceeded to brag on him for a bit, how smart he was, what a hard worker he was, how good he was with engines and motors of all kinds, not to mention carpentry.

Tommy's cheeks were burning by the time he finally said, Oh, Ginny, hush.

Jack chuckled.

Well, it's good to see young folks who know where they're going.

Y'all seem to have it all mapped out.

Ginny's smile faded.

We did anyway, till that no-good thief ran off with my suitcase.

Hmm.

Jack leaned back in the booth and stroked his chin thoughtfully.

They had been talking for some time and it was getting late.

The busboy had cleared away their plates nearly an hour ago and Jack was nursing the last of his after-dinner cocktail.

I think I can help you out with that.

I have a proposal and if it's acceptable to you folks, we can have you on a train tomorrow, Miss Jenny.

Oh, Mr.

Fields, no.

I couldn't possibly accept.

That's too generous, Jack chuckled.

Generous hell.

It's a business proposal, not a gift.

Here's what I'm thinking.

I'll replace your train ticket and provide you with a small cash advance.

You can go shopping in the morning, buy everything you need for the trip, and keep anything left over to help you get started out west.

I'll also personally write you a letter of recommendation.

I happen to know a lady in the secretarial pool at Metro Pictures.

It's not an acting job, I know, but it's a foot in the door.

We'll put you on the afternoon train and you'll be well on your way.

He turned to look at Tommy.

You, my boy, will stay here in paradise with me for a while.

I have a number of uh irons in the fire, so to speak.

And I could use someone to help take care of things for me, run errands, act as a handyman for a couple of properties I own, that sort of thing.

Tommy hesitated, glancing at Jack's glass.

I uh no offense, Mr.

Fields, but is it uh

is it legal, this job you're offering me?

Jack laughed and slapped Tommy on the shoulder.

Of course it's legal, boy.

I wouldn't ask you to do anything like that, son.

It's all perfectly above board.

And when you've worked off the dead, I'll introduce you to a man I know with the railroad.

The railroad?

Tommy asked, baffled.

And you want to join Ginny as soon as possible, am I right?

Well, son, there is no better place to make money you need these days than working for the railroad.

You'll do good work, and I'll be happy to make the introduction.

Tommy wasn't at all sure he believed the man.

His proposal struck him as a little too good to be true, and such things most often are.

But he looked at Ginny,

and he saw the renewed hope shining in her bright blue eyes, and he knew he could not deny her this chance.

He could see the question in her eyes.

Would he do this?

Would he do it for her?

And then he found himself returning Jack's smile and nodding.

All right, then, he said, that seems more than fair.

Jenny all but squealed with joy.

She threw her arms around him right there at the table in front of Jack and everybody and planted a kiss on his cheek.

Tommy's heart swelled, and his cheeks flushed again, and he pushed his doubts aside.

It would be fine, he told himself.

It would be more than fine.

It was pure luck, help, maybe even fate, that those hoodlums had stolen Jenny's bag.

It had brought Mr.

J.T.

Fields III into their lives, a man who'd been kind and more than generous and who was offering to help make their dreams come true.

Jack flagged down their waiter and ordered another round of drinks, though Tommy was beginning to think maybe they'd already had one too many, and offered a toast.

Here's to Jenny.

May she find all she dreams of in Hollywood.

And here's to the beginning of a profitable partnership, Tommy.

And they clinked glasses, and Jenny pressed another kiss to Tommy's cheek.

Here's to love, she said happily.

Ah, yes, Jack said.

And this time the smile didn't quite touch his eyes.

To love.

well hey there family

I'm glad y'all could join us again here in Paradise see what our man Jack is up to with young tommy and jenny if you think it's going to be something they're not expecting you're probably right no spoilers no clues though family you're gonna have to join us next time for part three of the paradise arc as we start to wind down season two of old gods of appalachia and that brings me to a piece of news that i've got to share with y'all we announced at the beginning of season one that our friend jordan shively would be writing an episode for us as a guest writer and we'd even kind of maybe in a comment here or there, maybe snuck some peeks at what that might be.

We have made a change.

Jordan Shively's episode will not be appearing in season two, but hold that.

Do not throw the tomatoes and the potatoes at me yet.

Because Jordan Shively is going to be writing a three-part miniseries that will appear between seasons two and season three, much like the Wolf Sisters.

Release date and all that to be announced.

Family, it's that time that I ask you if you've completed your social media ritual.

If you haven't, head on over to oldgodsofappalachia.com where you will find links to all of our social media.

All of it.

Facebook, Twitter, the Discord server, Instagram.

It's all there.

Links to the fellowship hall, links to our merchandise store.

Ooh, ooh, other big news.

We're going to be launching five or more new merch designs in the month of June.

And these are going to be by artists that you know and love and some new exciting folks, especially if you've been hanging out on the Discord server.

You may have come to be familiar with.

But we're going to to be announcing those one at a time and making kind of special big deals of them as they come out.

But they will only be available on TeePublic, which is the only place you should be buying your merchandise from.

The threadless store has kind of come and gone.

There might be a couple of items there, but TeePublic is our main jam.

That is where you should be buying from.

We're not on Amazon.

We're not on Etsy.

We're not on Redbubble.

We're not anywhere, but TeePublic.

So if you see it anywhere else, it's a bootleg, report it or let us know.

We appreciate it either way.

If you want to truly make your tithe tithe official, you can head on over to patreon.com slash old gods of Appalachia.

Build Mama a Coffin and all its 17 episodes of glory is waiting for you there.

Door Under the Floor is waiting for you there.

We've got Black Mouth Dog and Porchlight, which are two new series starting this summer that are going to be exclusively on Patreon.

And we just launched Steve Reads, which a lot of y'all said you'd listen to me read the phone book, so now you can do that.

I read everything from the first chapters of novels I love to teaching lessons on poetry to literally reading the instruction manual for a cat harness.

It's all going to be on there, and that starts at $5 a month.

That's going to be for everybody.

Every episode is about 13 to 15 minutes long and it's designed to help you get to sleep and put your mind in a bucket.

Old Gods of Appalachia is a production of deep nerd media and is distributed and marketed by Rusty Quill.

Our intro music is by our brother Landon Blood.

Today's outro music is by those poor bastards.

Today's story was written by Cam Collins and performed by Steve Schell.

See you soon, family.

See you real soon.

Coach, the energy out there felt different.

What changed for the team today?

It was the new game, Day Scratches from the California Lottery.

Play is everything.

Those games sent the team's energy through the roof.

Are you saying it was the off-field play that made the difference on the field?

Hey, a little play makes your day, and today, it made the game.

That's all for now.

Coach, one more question.

Play the new Los Angeles Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, and Los Angeles Rams Scratchers from the California Lottery.

A little play can make your day.

Please play responsibly.

Must be 18 years or older to purchase, play, or claim.

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And here's something to celebrate.

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But hurry, this offer is for a limited time only.

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