The Gentleman From Hell |S1| Ep. 33

Rusty Quill presents

Good evening, gentlemen and gentle ladies of hell.

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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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Okay, we're all set up here.

Have our things down there.

I've got the resonator turned down.

I'm not sure how the chime will affect these old tunnels, but at the moment, everything's quiet.

Phil, you getting anything?

Nothing whatsoever.

It's like a tomb down here, for better or worse.

We also rigged the recorders to play the chime in the mausoleum, on the stairs, and a bit down the hallway.

So, just hoping that keeps the exits open

with the chime broadcasting through our radio channels.

I'm hoping it'll be enough to keep the phenomenon from disrupting our communications.

But if we lose contact,

just backtrack.

Well, do.

Alright.

Sooner we get those cylinders, sooner we can get back.

Lead the way.

Isn't that...

Yeah, that's where the statue of Gil was.

Where I got knocked down.

Come on, the room we're looking for is right down that tunnel.

Still nothing on the the resonator?

Not a peep.

Just checking in.

We're almost to the room.

Smooth sailing so far.

Roger that.

Just don't let your guard down.

Oh, trust me, there's little chance of that.

There's the room.

That thing got me covered while I clear it.

You're well within its range.

Okay,

wait right here.

Drone footage did not do this place justice.

It's huge.

Goes back farther than light reaches.

Shit ton of crates down here.

Looks like it was used for storage.

Don't forget to get fluck here footage.

You got it.

Just at the end of the room, looks clear.

Wait a minute.

What is it?

I found the drone.

It's sitting on a box in the far back.

Sure, shit didn't fly itself over there.

Got that right.

Anyway, I got the drone, then I'm heading back to the rest of the gang.

Roger that, be careful.

We're good to come in.

All set.

Set the drone down for just a second, won't you?

Sure.

What are you looking for?

That.

Pat, would you be a deer and put that little crystal in the collection bag you brought down?

I don't want to touch it just now.

Sure thing.

Well, here they are: the wax cylinders.

Whew, it would take hours to go through this place.

God only knows what's in all these crates.

Whoa,

what the hell is all this shit?

Jesus.

And those

fucking fingernails?

Put those down, Mason.

Why?

What the fuck are they doing with bottles of freaking nail clippings?

These bottles here are filled with hair.

It's witch paraphernalia.

They use people's hair and nails to focus hexes.

I'm sure Pat knows better than I do.

Some cultures even buried their hair and nail clippings to prevent people from using them to cast spells on them.

But there's just so much of it here.

So I'm guessing if I turn these over to forensics, they'd tell me that it all came from the citizens of Cold Sparrow.

I'd put money on it.

Oh my god, this bottle is filled filled with baby teeth.

This is all so

monstrous.

How goes it?

All sorts of shit down here.

But so far we've been left alone.

Okay, but don't hang around down there.

Get what you need and get out.

Look over here.

This crate is filled with genealogy charts.

What could they possibly want with those?

All right, we need to grab what we can and make like a whip.

Well, I got about as much as I can handle.

Me too.

Let's hit the roll.

Just one moment.

I didn't come all the way down here for the fun of it.

I want to see if I can pick up anything.

Something useful.

If you really think you're up for it.

I'll be fine.

Just please be ready to dial that thing up if something happens.

All the way to 11, if need be.

Okay.

Here go.

Sacks to death to

time will save

your time.

Saturday.

And the Yeron, the unfree spirits of earth and air, and run the sunderless place, we cry in the name of him who hath fallen and shall rise yet again.

Oh, my God.

What did you see, Phyllis?

I saw

hell.

What do you think you saw then?

I don't know.

It's hard to describe.

It was a place, a city.

But it was somehow ghastly.

Its aura, for lack of a better word, was just

terrible.

I can feel it as I talk about it.

Before we start making assumptions about what you saw and what caused it, let's exhaust the semantics.

I already had myself checked out.

I drove to a nearby town and had the doctor look over me.

He didn't find anything amiss.

Well, nothing other than a burgeoning case of acid indigestion.

Well, then, let's discuss some of your concerns.

Given what we know about your general tendencies, I'm sure you've been giving it a lot of thought.

You mean what particular obsessions have I developed over all this?

No, no, let's not start out on the wrong foot.

I think it's dismissive to call them merely obsessions.

These are your thoughts and feelings, Ben.

They deserve to be considered without prejudice.

My concern is that I'm losing my damn mind.

This does not feel like my normal issues, but something else completely.

What's even more frightening is that I'm...

that I'm not going crazy at all.

That this is somehow

real.

Now, I'm not the expert you are, but I'm fairly certain the person can't go selectively insane.

I find it odd, disturbing, that I'm only experiencing these things at a very particular time of the night.

I don't believe you're losing your mind.

The fact that you're having these episodes, let's just call them that for the moment, at a very particular time is indeed telling.

What do you mean?

I've had a few patients report experiences much like yours.

Vivid, otherworldly imagery and intense sensations.

It's a condition we still don't fully understand, but we've seen it often enough to recognize it as a widespread phenomenon.

It's unofficially known as sleep paralysis.

Sleep paralysis?

But I'm neither asleep nor paralyzed.

I'm not sure I understand.

The condition often blurs the line between sleep and wakefulness, between dreaming and reality.

Many people describe finding themselves in strange, even alien environments, interacting with inhuman entities.

You're right, though.

It's most commonly marked by a sense of paralysis when falling asleep or waking up.

Still, given all the overlapping characteristics, they think it's worth serious consideration.

I admit, some of that sounds similar, but...

But what?

There have been...

other instances that have me doubting that diagnoses.

Such as...

A few nights ago, a bird, a sparrow, crashed through my sliding glass door.

At first, I...

I thought it was just stunned.

But when I got closer

I

I saw it was dead decayed nearly skeletal

and yet it moved screeched

then as if nothing was wrong it took off fluttered back outside into the darkness I stood there frozen listening

it was singing Singing in the dead of night.

While I'm sure that was a frightening experience, I don't see how that challenges what we've been discussing.

Amelia, I have it on audio recording, and the glass was still broken the next morning.

What about a very sick bird and poor lighting conditions?

I tried to tell myself the same thing,

but I saw it.

Its bare skull, the rot eating through it.

Look, I know how this sounds.

I'm a man with a history of mental illness who's written about the paranormal.

I know how unbelievable this all must seem.

Then, I'm not here to judge you.

I'm here to help.

And I certainly can't blame you for considering some dark possibilities, especially after that genuinely strange encounter with your father's former love interest.

But we must begin with the facts.

What we know about you, your medical history, and what's actually possible in the world.

We can't lose sight of those things.

That said, before we go any further, we need to confront something directly, out in the open.

What you're suggesting sounds supernatural.

Though, if I understand your word correctly, it's been an effort to reconcile the paranormal with traditional science, hasn't it?

An attempt to reveal a hidden physics that has been mistaken for the supernatural.

Yes.

Then I might suggest a few things you wouldn't necessarily find disagreeable.

First, reality is often misunderstood.

And second, everything has an explanation.

And you just said it, that which we call the supernatural may simply be products of a world bound by laws we've yet to fully understand.

Yes, agreed.

With that in mind, I think we have a solid foundation to start addressing everything.

The first thing we should focus on is your sleep.

I'll fax over some prescriptions that should help in the meantime, at least until we get to the root of the issue.

As mentioned earlier, I've had clients dealing with sleep paralysis, and I've been referring them to a sleep specialist here in the city.

With your permission, I'd like to schedule an appointment for you as well.

Yes, I think that would be fine.

But

what about Miss McKay?

What she said?

Might that be considered then listen.

I know she had an impact on you, and it certainly was a strange encounter.

But like we've discussed before, this triphasic organization is notorious for its unstable members, outlandish beliefs, and rampant use of narcotics.

Nothing she said can be trusted.

More importantly, I don't think what she said has any bearing whatsoever on what's been happening with you.

Like I said, we need to concentrate on the tangibles.

And right now, you need your rest.

I know Greta very well.

The sleep specialist I'm sending you to.

I'm sure she can help.

Yes, I'm sure you're right.

I can't say I'm especially optimistic about those latest quasi-diagnoses, but such is the nature of the damned.

Those tales which, no matter how compelling, can never comfortably coexist with the more reliable truths of our world.

Still, and despite Amelia's advice, I must acknowledge Miss McKay's words, particularly as they align with certain possibilities.

Given the sporadic nature of my episodes, could it be that they're chemically induced?

I dread to suggest it, and it may be unwise to document, but I can't shake the suspicion that Rupert may have tampered with my food or drink.

Might he have a motive tied to the terms of my father's will?

Perhaps

there is a clause stipulating he inherits my estate should I become incapacitated.

If so, this would undoubtedly provide incentive to drive me toward madness.

However, testing this suspicion should be straightforward.

From now on, I'll consume only what I'm certain Rupert couldn't possibly interfere with.

Additionally, revisiting the specifics of my father's will seems prudent, if only to settle my troubled mind.

I know I should have played Amelia the end of the tape, but I um

I couldn't bring myself to do it.

Besides, what I saw would likely only reinforce her faith in this sleep paralysis explanation.

How else could she rationalize her patient, describing a vast spinning monolith, glowing red-hot and festooned with hundreds of writhing bodies impaled upon its surface?

Most people play music while they work, but no, not us.

Nope.

We listen to missing Praysons, pour their souls out to their psychiatrists.

While we pour over notebooks filled with genealogy tables, possibly connected to creatures risen from hell.

Charmed life we lead, that's for sure.

And I still can't see what the hell they were looking for with these.

Not goddamn one of these names belongs to anyone who disappeared from Cold Sparrow.

Well, we know this cult isn't confined to just Cold Sparrow.

Might be connected to some operation we haven't seen yet.

We finally found one.

Well, four, to be exact.

Oh, that's great.

I was beginning to think we were gonna have to go antiquing in Portafoy.

Nope, we found them inside a chest in the library.

I guess Ben or his father liked to have a few extra phonographs on hand.

You know, just in case.

You could never have enough phonographs.

I think the same boss.

Well, just stay put and I'll give you a hand.

We should probably bring the rest of them back, too.

With our luck, we'll be the one that doesn't work.

Yeah.

Well, while you help them, I'm gonna go check on Phil.

Make sure she's all right.

Sounds good.

Come on.

I know I'm not supposed to be holed up alone.

I.

It's fine, Phil.

I just wanted to see if you were okay.

You weren't looking so good back there.

You mean I looked like I'd been to Helenbach?

At least you can laugh about it.

I'm not sure laughter following a world-shattering revelation is that promising of a sign.

You need anything?

Some tea, maybe?

You know,

I kept telling myself we'd gotten it wrong.

That these things weren't actually from hell, but maybe just some dark spirits set loose from some terrible, shadowed place we simply called hell.

But now,

now,

God Leon, things I see,

it's real.

It's all real.

Oh, hey, come here.

It's okay.

It's okay.

We're gonna get through this, okay?

I promise.

Are you really going to lie to an old lady?

Look,

we've got something that no one else has ever had.

That resonator actually works on them.

With that, I think we've really got a fighting chance.

Oh, it's stupid.

Maybe even morbid, but do you know what's been keeping me together?

What's that?

It's what that doctor said.

That he wasn't heavy enough to sink.

That he wasn't sinful enough to go to hell.

I guess maybe I'm assuming he might know a thing or two about how this all works, what it takes to be.

to be damned.

I'm a lot of things, Leon, but I have to believe I'm still a good person.

That we all are.

None of us could possibly deserve what I saw today.

If anyone's interested, we got the farmer growth down here, just setting it up now.

You go on.

I just...

can't

not yet.

You sure?

I can wait and listen later.

I.

No, I think I'd just like to be alone a little while.

I won't be long.

Alright, but if you need anything.

I know.

I will.

I'm gonna leave the door open, okay?

That's fine.

And thank you, Leon.

I needed that.

I think I did too, Phil.

And don't worry.

We're gonna get out of this.

I only wish I could believe that.

How's she doing?

She's holding up.

Gotta bring her some tea when we're done here.

I can't imagine bearing that burden sheet does.

Seeing what she's seen.

Yeah, she's tough, but she's got limits.

I think we've all gone past our limits.

I have no idea where we are now.

But Phyllis,

I think she's lapped us.

So, are any of those cylinders labeled?

Just numbers.

We're gonna start with the lowest number we found: 16.

That does it.

We're all ready to roll.

Everyone ready?

I think we should stop by asking each other then.

Yeah, I think you might be right.

Okay,

let's see what we're dealing with.

Testing, testing.

One, two, three.

Testing.

Testing.

This is recording number 16.

The conjuring of Eloise Carter.

The Gentleman from Hell is a Maltopia production.

Today's episode was written by Mark Anselone and voiced by Stephen Zivick, Sam Stark, Aubrey Akers, Jesse Van Hove, Kelly Baer, and Mark Anselone.

Sound editing was completed by Stephen Anselone, and script editing was conducted by Walker Kornfeld.

Be sure to rate and review us on iTunes, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at Meltopia.

If you want unique art and animations of Meltopia's stories, visit our YouTube page or click on the link in the show notes.

And for more exclusive content, such as additional lore, stories, and art, be sure to check out our Patreon at www.patreon.com forward slash meltopia

popsicles sprinklers a cool breeze talk about refreshing you know what else is refreshing this summer a brand new phone with verizon yep get a new phone on any plan with select phone trade-in and my plan and lock down a low price for three years on any plan with my plan this is a deal for everyone whether you're a new or existing customer Swing by Verizon today for our best phone deals.

Three-year price guarantee applies to then current base monthly rate only.

Additional terms and conditions apply for all offers.

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, 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.