The Gentleman From Hell |S1| Ep. 16

Rusty Quill presents.

Good evening, gentlemen and gentle ladies of hell.

First and foremost, thank you for tuning in.

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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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Hey, I'm Paige DeSorbo, and I'm always thinking about underwear.

I'm Hannah Berner, and I'm also thinking about underwear, but I prefer full coverage.

I like to call them my granny panties.

Actually, I never think think about underwear.

That's the magic of Tommy John.

Same, they're so light and so comfy, and if it's not comfortable, I'm not wearing it.

And the bras, soft, supportive, and actually breathable.

Yes, Lord knows the girls need to breathe.

Also, I need my PJs to breathe and be buttery, soft, and stretchy enough for my dramatic tossing and turning at night.

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This is from the rough synopsis of the Isabel Deity, coupled together from what little historical information the family sent along with the statue.

We intend to put it all on a placard that will be set out next to the exhibit.

Whenever the plans for the museum are finalized, of course.

Here's what we have so far.

Gil possesses only a left arm, symbolizing the path of sinister intentions, as the left side has been historically associated with ill omens and the unconventional.

This singular arm is often depicted clutching a crooked scepter or an inverted scale, representing imbalance and injustice.

His wings are also inverted, pointing downward instead of upward.

This unusual feature signifies the fall from grace and a rebellion against the natural order.

Gil was regarded as something akin to a patron saint of the damned,

overseeing those who willingly chose the left-hand path towards hell,

guiding them inexorably along their route to eternal damnation.

Uniquely, this eerie deity found reverence in only one known place.

A remote and unassuming colonial settlement called Isabel.

Gil's likeness is fashioned from a grotesque amalgamation of human and animal parts, interspersed with stone and wood.

Its overall form a symbol of times both barbaric and ruthlessly spiritual.

You said some family that traces its roots all the way back to Isabel donated the statue and the historical materials?

Yes, but unfortunately, I can't give you the name.

While the family gave no instructions as to when and how the statue could be made public, they were very specific on one point, that their name not be associated with the statue or any of its history.

The impression I got was that they were eager to see the statue removed from their ownership.

We completely understand, Miss Talphan, and we greatly appreciate you helping us out as much as you have.

You're quite welcome, Miss Chambers.

It's the least I can do.

After all, you three did a real service to the country by ridding it of that monstrous cult.

I mean, uh, if no one minds, I'm not feeling very well.

I think I'm gonna go head out to the car.

Oh, by all means, I do hope you feel better, Mr.

Oates.

I'll come out with you.

Actually, I think we should all probably get going.

But we really appreciate all your help, Miss

Telfer.

Yes, Telfer.

And thanks again.

You're very welcome.

Don't hesitate to call or visit again.

We're always happy to help.

Leon, are you sure you're alright?

Yeah, yeah, I'll be okay.

Just

didn't expect anything to happen while we were away from the place, you know?

So what happened?

Same thing it's been doing.

Rubbing my nose and the shit that went down at the pinnacle.

It just took things farther than before.

It trapped me, the

kids from the pinnacle.

God damn this thing.

Just how much shit can it throw at us, for fuck's sake?

We're nowhere near Cold Sparrow.

Perhaps not, but some of its legendary is.

And it's not at all uncommon for the paranormal to attach itself to someone.

Follow them after their involvement.

It's called the Hitchhiker Effect.

Yeah, well, there's more legends in there than you think.

I checked out their restricted collections room, and there's a shit ton of dirt on Isabel.

I wasn't supposed to, but I scanned a lot of the stuff into my phone.

And then, of course, there was the statue, which I assume was what you saw in the tunnels.

Yeah.

Yeah, it was.

Uh, anyway, what did Prist have to say?

I got a few things, but I'm guessing Phil might have heard more than he was actually saying.

Edward Veers was in on whatever occurred in Cold Sparrow.

Before he died, he did something to that tape.

Cursed it, maybe?

I'm not sure.

He left Prist peculiar instructions on how to handle and deliver it.

Another thing, at some point, Prist heard something awful.

Screams layered upon screams, as if blaring through a loudspeaker or some kind of radio transmission.

The last bit I got regarded something that frightened him while he was driving through a storm, though I couldn't make out what it was.

Sounds like we might have to pay old Charlie another visit.

Quite possibly.

You sure you're okay, Leon?

You don't look so good.

It was...

It was just a lot.

Went on and on.

I think I just need to get out and get some air.

You think there's a place around here we could just get out and maybe walk around a bit and grab something to drink?

Of course we can.

There must be a park or something around here.

Yeah, I think we could all use some fresh air.

I think we passed a park of some kind on the way over to Prist's, just a little ways over there.

Thanks.

I just...

Ugh, I need a breather.

We completely understand.

Take however long you need.

Yep, I think this was a good idea.

Out here in the sun, walking around in the woods.

The shitting cold sparrow barely feels real.

If only it wasn't real.

I really hope Hughes comes through with some help.

We are way over our heads with this shit.

That reminds me.

We gotta stop by the post office, see if any of that equipment came in.

I'm afraid none of it will do us a bit of good.

This thing is far too clever to be caught off its guard, and even if it isn't, it seems powerful enough to destroy whatever footage we might catch of it.

You rethinking the whole it's got limitations thing?

Not at all.

I'm merely acknowledging the limitations of whatever technology Mr.

Hughes sends us.

We've already seen some of this phenomenon's potential weaknesses.

We have?

I think I might have been absent that day, Beach.

Can't explain.

So I've managed to out-sleuth the professional sleuths have I?

Think about it.

This entity seems to require assistance.

If it were genuinely all-powerful, or even close, it wouldn't need people to do its dirty work, nor would it require its dirty little audio tapes to be handled so delicately.

The fact that it has needs at all is revealing.

In many of the paranormal cases I've encountered, or even just read about, these forces feed on something, often human emotions.

Once those sources are cleansed on a spiritual level, the dark energy usually diminishes, if not disappears entirely.

The trouble here, I would think, is one of scale.

This particular presence seems enormous.

To counter it, we'll need something equally formidable.

I'm hoping whoever Mr.

Hughes sends will have an answer for that.

Well, if we can't photograph it, prove it in some way, and we can't get out of its range.

I'm not sure what chance we got are coming out of this thing with anything but PTSD.

If we get out of this thing, you mean?

Oh, we'll get out of here, all right.

I'm not about to get my ticket punched by some frickin' paranormal paranormal force, no matter how powerful it is.

I'm sure the hundreds of people in Cold Sparrow thought the same thing.

And more than likely, so did the god knows how many in Isabel.

What do you mean?

Uh, turns out, Whitlock in the town didn't survive much longer than the Sparrows.

Three days after Hester dropped dead from trying to dig a hole to hell, there was a rain of dead birds, sparrows.

And three days after that, some kind of plague hit the city.

I'm not sure if it was during the plague or after everyone died from it, but at some point, the entire city burned to the ground.

Whatever this thing is, Cold Sparrow wasn't its first rodeo.

A rain of dead birds?

I'm assuming that's where Cold Sparrow got its name, because all the birds were covered in frost.

It seems we figured out where Elias got the name.

I'll look through the rest of the book to see if he explores it in more detail.

I'm also starting to wonder if the opening section, a portion taken from Whitlock's confession, was left unfinished.

After all, it's strange that Whitlock never mentioned the city coming under any sort of curse after the Sparrows were murdered.

Might not have been the sort of thing you'd want to admit, but the devil could make a comeback after having his star players sacked.

You just might be right.

Uh, Phil.

Yes.

Did you say something recently about evil not being able to touch the innocent, or words to that effect?

Uh, well, yes, I believe I did.

It was late, and I thought you were asleep.

Lace and I were discussing the uh

Well, we were talking about recent events.

Why do you ask?

I didn't hear you, but something else apparently did.

The thing

the kids

wanted me to give you a message

that they weren't someplace nice.

That evil could take anyone it wanted, just like it took the three of us.

I can't help but feel like we're returning to our prison prison cells.

I know you don't have any faith in any of the tech we picked up from Hughes, but some of it does look pretty cutting edge.

Who knows?

Maybe something in those boxes just might work.

I noticed that some of the stuff was actually made for ghost hunting, which, I have to admit, it wasn't something I knew existed.

I mean, I knew there were EVP recorders and EMF detectors and whatnot.

Stuff that was all either just pre-purposed or some kind of aftermarket modification, but some of it was designed to detect paranormal energies or whatever the more technical term might be.

I'm certainly not above hope, but

I know

it's a lot, especially after everything we learned and...

Look!

The mansion's all lit up!

I suppose it goes without saying that none of us left all those lights on?

I don't even think there's enough bulbs in the house to light it up that bright

so what do we want to do

turn around leave never look back

beyond the obvious i think he meant well we can't treat this like some regular haunting can we

we can't just gather our gear and rush out to take photographs There could be people, cultists, or whatever they might be in there.

Though Lord only knows why they'd be so brazen about it.

Are you getting any sense of

and there go the lights?

Not even the ones we left on.

Hmm.

Could it possibly be the generator?

I guess so, but seems a little too coincidental.

Lights going off only a few seconds after we see the place lit up like a birthday cake.

Mace, give me a hand.

I want to attach those spotlights to the van.

That way, when we drive up there, we can light up the house and everything around it.

Just to be on the safe side of the thing now would be

I'm way ahead of you, Mr.

Rhodes.

That's what I like to hear, Miss Chambers.

That's the screen door banging around in the wind.

The uh screen door I locked on our way out.

Not seeing anything in the windows or around the house.

Before either of you asks, yes, I'm coming along.

In fact, you can just stop asking that question altogether from now on.

I suppose we could do this like we would if we were entering a non-haunted structure.

Who are you kidding?

In a situation like this, we'd wait for backup and have eyes all over this place before before setting a toe in there.

Yeah,

there's that too.

Phil, those antenna of yours dingling?

Nothing beyond background strangeness I always get the very second we turn onto Pitch Point Road.

We've got the big guns back there.

I say we load for bear just in case.

Yeah, I agree.

Those mothers will even the odds, even if they got a dozen people in there.

I'll stick to my handgun.

I already look odd enough with it.

I can't imagine how ridiculous I'd look with an automatic rifle.

Alright then, let's get at it.

I'll take point.

Better to have you behind me.

You're a better shot.

Only now does the truth come out.

After you, gents, I'm quite comfortable taking up the rear.

Both doors are unlocked.

You ready?

Whenever you are.

Power's out.

Good lord.

The place is filled with balloons, streamers, confetti!

Like there was some kind of party going on.

This shit's everywhere.

Let's head to the security hub.

Most of the cameras are battery-powered.

Might have picked something up.

Gotcha.

Gonna see if the computers boot up.

Now they've got juice.

Every single camera on the network's been tripped.

Pulling up the footage.

Here's camera one.

There's no video, just audio.

But here it is.

It's the elevator coming up from the basement.

That fucking thing.

It tripped all the sensors on that side of the house.

Still no video, just audio.

What?

Thank God for vain.

Looks like we got some video on camera three.

Here it is.

I can hear the crowds, but rooms.

Rooms completely empty.

What about the infrared cameras?

Nada.

Just the audio and video from the standard cameras.

Wait a minute.

What's wrong?

All the battery levels are dropping.

On the cameras, the computers?

Reading down the numbers.

50%.

25.

10.

1.

What the fuck?

That came from upstairs, just above our heads.

I can feel it.

Them!

They're everywhere.

It's okay, Phil.

You gotta keep it together.

It'll be okay.

It'll be okay.

This can't be real.

This shit can't be fucking real.

That's a good idea.

They're all in the elevator, going down,

descending

straight into hell.

The Gentleman from Hell is a Meltopia production.

Today's episode was written by Mark Anzalone and performed by Steven Zivik, Sam Stark, Aubrey Akers, Jesse Van Hove, and Mark Anzalone.

Sound editing was completed by Stephen Anzalone 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 MyPlan.

And lock down a low price for three years on any plan with MyPlan.

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.

Tremble is the technology company that connects your physical and digital world so industries like transportation and geospatial can get hard work done faster than ever.

Every day brings new challenges, decisions, adjustments, real-time moments that matter.

With Tremble on your team, you're in command of purpose-built tech ecosystems and connected solutions that keep work flowing end to end.

Turn data points into decision points, deadlines into finish lines, and possibilities into profits.

Check out what Tremble can do for you at Tremble.com.

Because with Tremble, you can act smarter, move faster, and lead with confidence.

Tremble, confidence at every turn.

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.

If you're a maintenance supervisor at a manufacturing facility and your machinery isn't working right, Granger knows you need to understand what's wrong as soon as possible.

So when a conveyor motor falters, Granger offers diagnostic tools like calibration kits and multimeters to help you identify and fix the problem.

With Granger, you can be confident you have everything you need to keep your facility running smoothly.

Call 1-800-GRANGER, clickgranger.com, or just stop by.

Granger for the ones who get it done.

Hey, I'm Paige DeSorbo, and I'm always thinking about underwear.

I'm Hannah Berner, and I'm also thinking about underwear, but I prefer full coverage.

I like to call them my granny panties.

Actually, I never think about underwear.

That's the magic of Tommy John.

Same, they're so light and so comfy, and if it's not comfortable, I'm not wearing it.

And the bras, soft, supportive, and actually breathable.

Yes, Lord knows the girls need to breathe.

Also, I need my PJs to breathe and be buttery soft and stretchy enough for my dramatic tossing and turning at night.

That's why I live in my Tommy John pajamas.

Plus, they're so cute because they fit perfectly.

Put yourself on to Tommy John.

Upgrade your drawer with Tommy John.

Save 25% for a limited time at tommyjohn.com slash comfort.

See site for details.