12 | Closing Time

I heard three d are the for fall exposure. Listen with that phones.

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I do not know if I will survive this night, and if I do, I do not know where to run to next, or for how long I would need to run. Someone approaches outside. I do not know if it is Father Josiah or the devil himself. I suppose I will find out soon enough.

Be brave, my children, and know that you.

Come from a line of holy warriors.

I wish you well. I have no quarrel with you, mister Havock, nor.

I with you, Miss Abbess. But your father in law must be punished.

Please please, I take no join mister Morris, who please?

It took me a long time to figure out that there was a mind behind it, and even longer to figure out who was causing all the pandemonium.

And here you are, Marie. What the hell is he talking about?

Krinc Now, it's not every day that you get to meet face to face with your ancestors. Well, don't leave her in the dark, you horrible monster, say hello to your granddaughter, Demarus.

What wait, Demerius, Demerius, Abbess Havoc. This is between you and.

Me, except that it isn't, is it? This is between you and me and my business interests, and my wife, your father in law, and your bloodline.

We can end this here, step away from her.

Well, if you'd like to end this here, why not take a stake to the heart. I'll happily walk away forever.

I thought not.

You shouldn't have come for me, Demarus, But you people never learn.

Leave her alone?

Or else what You'll infect another of my factories, another town. What do you do, DeMars?

What the fuck is going on here?

This incredible?

Tell her?

Demarus?

Tell her?

Their eyes burned with twin flames of hatred. I was terrified, confused, frozen in place until I realized Josiah Abbas's kit lay open behind the bar inches from where I stood. All I had to do was reach for it, but I couldn't so long as Jerry split his attention. A pleading glance to Marie de Maris, my grandmother, desperately trying to telegraph my intention.

I will tell her the truth that I was turned into a monster by a man that I had done no harm to Where Havoc, where was my transgression?

You stood by and did nothing as Josiah tore through the population as he made his way to my door. You stood watch as he murdered my wife.

Your wife tore apart the fabric of this town.

He was not in control of her faculty and.

Who was responsible for her actions. I took the brief distraction as an opportunity and slowly reached for the case and gently unlatched it.

Men like you have never taken responsibility for their actions, and why would you. You're insulated from reality, and so you barrel through the world like children, leaving disaster in your wake, making victims of those with less power. Me, my sweet Noah, my children.

You destroyed your.

Own wife, a woman you claimed to love, a woman who only wanted to live.

But before I could get my hand around the stake, jury Havoc had had enough. Faster than I could have imagined, he lunged across the bar, raging and slammed into Marie, both tumbling into a large table, flinging silverware and condiment bottles to the floor. Two APEX creditors.

Grappling for their lives fingernails and sharp teeth, tearing at each other.

As fast as I could.

I grasped at the steak, felt a hept in my hand, suddenly familiar, and bounded across the floor as Jury himself attempted a killing blow.

And I drove this step down into his back too far a center. I missed the heart. He turned to me, steak in his lung, a look of shock as blood poured from his mouth. Before I could move away, a horrible, violent cough and a crimson flash filled my eyes no mouth Before I could clear them. I felt his fist across my child. I was out like a light.

I didn't know what kind of music you'd like. Why you've got a concussion. I wanted you to wait to comfort because I fear the.

News is bad. Dry Havoc escaped.

He'll turn up again, but not here. He's done all the damage he can. Sylvie is fine downstairs. Where am I at my house?

Outside of town. It wasn't easy to get you out.

CDC was sweeping residences businesses for the infected. After the violence at the hospital, they got serious about quarantining. This will wind down now, the.

News will speak of deadly illness.

Without mentioning the vampirism they always do. Why panic the public with something incomprehensible when you can chuck it up to a bowler.

What happened to me? You saved me, he had the upper hand. You made sure he didn't use it.

But you will pay the price. Blood everywhere your eyes and throat. I'm afraid that there's nothing to be done.

What does did he infect me?

My God, you will not do this alone, not like I had to.

My God, what will happen to me? It'll be sudden, the sickness, and.

Then you will die, and then you will live. I do not know how you will be when you wake from that deeper sleep. I only know how I was, and how others I've seen have behaved.

How did it happen for you?

There was so much fear, so much he had entered so softly. He stood in front of me, a tall, terrible figure covered in blood, all of my fears made flesh standing in front of me. I have no quarrel with you, mister Havock.

Nor I was you, missus abbess, but your father in law must be punished.

He moved as if in slow motion, more spirit than man, and I was locked in place, my fate already sealed.

Oh please, I take no join, mister Marris.

And then all was dark.

When I came to Havoc was gone, and I had been moved to a bed. But I found no comfort, just Father Josiah sitting at my bedside, weeping.

Demror. Oh de Marius, I am so sorry.

I have failed. I have failed all of us.

The devil walks free, and I have murdered my child.

My confusion was palpable. Havoc didn't kill me, then why would he leave me alive? As if intuitting my thoughts desire held out a crumpled piece of parchment, The crimson lettering smeared but legible. It was a missive from Havoc. I shuddered as I read it.

My dear eyes traveling that bess, it seems as though we have reached a stalemate, you and I. You have taken the singles things that I held dear, and so doing destroyed your legacy. As a holy man, I do not take losses kindly. I sought to murder you in return, but instead leave. He was his parting gift before you. As De Maries, she is in the same precarious positions that you found your son in. So choice is yours with what to do with her yours in the hope of salvation, Jordy Hervock.

When I looked back up at Josiah, I was struck first by his total transformation. Here before me was a man I had revered, even feared.

For.

In his righteous determination. He had shaped this town from a lawless, a moral frontier town into a thriving Christian community, and burned it down.

A striking figure, a force of nature.

And here he was not simply brought low by bad fortune, but destroyed entirely by forces beyond his control. His righteous fury and fervor had been removed from him, leaving nothing but this hollow man before me, a husk.

More ghost than man.

If I feared him before, I found in this Josiah Abbess something more disturbing, A believer without anything left to believe in.

I searched his face.

What could he be capable of now, in the final hours, if Havoc had truly cursed me with vampirism, would Father Abbis finish his own godly work your hon earth and me.

As he had ended?

Noah, My question was answered when he next spoke.

When Noah was young, he was afraid of the water. When he was very little, his mother and I had taken him down to the river so that I could cast a line. A rare day of leisure in this hard scrabble life. Even the Lord took a day of rest after creating the earth. Yes, I left Noah with his mother to play on the banks and stood by the river's edge, the line in the water, to commune with the Lord in this rare quiet way. The quiet was interrupted to me by the threshing of a body

Wait where are you going?

You will need to leave this place, cut ties. Your children aren't good hands with God fearing people. You must not endanger them with the semi sickness that is to follow. The only way for our bloodline to continue is without us. I am cursed and have cursed you in turn. We mustn't continue to visit our sins on our children.

But I don't know what to do. I can't, I can't just I don't know.

Father Josiah, you will find your way forward. Go with God.

Where are you going?

I'm going to make my peace with God. Farewell, child, This world is yours now to grapple with. As Jacob grappled with the angel, may'd give you its blessing.

He was found by a parishioner the following day, hanging from a beam above the pulpit. It took for a man to get him down. He was buried in a pauper's grave. There was no one to mourn him, and I believe you know the aftermath.

My diary found.

The only page is missing those which exonerated poor father Josiah. The town was named injury Havoc's honor after he left a large bequest to the church, our name forever synonymous with violence, semmetary. Havoc went on to continue the business, the business of slowly gathering power.

What is it? Yeah?

What there will be more? How do you feel like I've got the flu coming on? Any hallucinations? Said an anger panic.

I know I'm dying.

Yes, I can't pretend that it'll be pleasant. But you've got something that I didn't when I was infected.

What's that? Morphine? Lots and lots of morphine. What did you do after you were left alone? I didn't know what would happen.

I just knew that when I was taken by the madness of the blood fever, I didn't want to be among people, and so I went deep into the forest on the western end of town. I walked for as long as I could, until finally the exhaustion and the symptoms of my owness overtook me.

I thought that I would freeze to death. First, the nights were so cold, but the fever took that bear from me. My bones shook and.

My teeth chipped from shivering. But such a heat poured forth from me, and when the hallucinations started. Cannot begin to express how the shadows of the forest terrified me, and the weakness, the madness, and then the quiet. You will know soon enough, the thrill that comes with walking into your new life, the terror, the abject loneliness.

The thirst. But you will have a guide.

You're not alone as I was. I knew that I must not interact with the living, not yet, not until I found the way to control my thirst. I didn't know how to hunt, but I knew that I could go down to the river and with patience find fresh blood in the fish that resided there.

And so.

For a time I lived as a hermit. I was always thirsty and had a source of blood that.

Wouldn't draw notice.

And when I felt strong enough had enough control over my thirst, I slowly made my way back into town under the cover of night, wrapped in a cloak stolen from a clothes line, The hood pulled far over my head. Noah had told me of his cash of currency, so as the town slept, I crept back into the church for the first time since I had turned. I was worried that perhaps God would strike me down if I crossed the threshold, and a part of me very much hoped that he would, That I would face his wrath

I felt like a ghost.

Haunting this place my family had built, which I'd spent so much time watching rise from the bedrock, under whose eaves my children had run and played. But it wasn't mine. If it ever happened, I reached the spot Noah I had described, and with filthy fingers, pried at the loose floorboard, finally pulling it free to find the package wrapped in burl up, my sweet husband's parting gift. The promise of a future, if only I could make one.

I clutched to it.

As I rose to leave.

The silhouette in the darkness, A slight frame standing in the open door to the outside, and she saw me.

Is that missus Spaulding? Who's there?

Mary Spalding, a neighbor. Our children had played together since birth?

Who are you?

It is no one a passerby interested in the recent bloodshed?

Then begone. Enough misery has befallen this place. Allow the dead to sleep in peace.

What happened here? Nothing good?

A madman committed the most heinous of crimes?

Was it the rich man on the hill?

He was the one to stop the madness, but not before his poor sick wife was murdered.

Who then was the madman?

It was the Reverend Josiah Abbys. He used the cloak of our faith is a costume. He murdered, enraged, he brought fear to our town. He murdered his own son.

Can you believe in?

Poor de Maris ned herself somewhere, you know not where. We only have her diary. She followed him to Havock's door. But then her story ends. The following pages were torn out. She must be dead, where else.

Would she be? And what of her children?

I expect that they will take up residence in the abbess house. They have at least sane relatives to care for them. The poor children, orphan carrying an infamous name, What will become of them?

I made a decision then that regretfully, would curse my progeny for generations to come. Mary Spalding was a stupid woman, but one who the others listened to. I did not correct her.

At any rate. It is not proper for you to be here. This is a house of worship in this conversation.

Is macab I thank you for taking time to tell the tale.

I will pray for the.

Victims fairly well, and may God bless you.

And you.

Why? Why did you do it?

Because the truth would have sent my children searching for me, and there was not to be any good in that.

And what could I do?

A bloodthirsty bean thought dead? You see how people responded the unknown. Now imagine years ago, before there was modern medicine, modern science, nothing but paranoia and superstition. It was better to mark with the shame of zelotry than the mark of superstition.

What did you do instead? I went and tried to make a life.

I learned how to care for the ill, thinking that it would soothe my soul to do good. I stayed in Boston so I was to remain close enough to watch over my children as they grew.

I watched my youngest board a.

Merchant ship then disappear forever, and my oldest as he stayed on in a town that cursed his name, and I watched him struggle and fight and somehow grow and raise a child himself. That I was bitter, so bitter, And as the years passed, I began to study the man who had taken everything to study his business, to learn its reach, its scope. When he ope and a new office in Boston to manage maritime business in the Northeast, I decided that it was time to strike the first blow.

We've already died, darling. I wanted to take from him everything else.

Of course, you can only hide yourself away in chaos for so long. I knew he'd figure me out eventually, and so he came here to see what I would do.

And what did you do? The man with the axe Bachmann? It was you. You infected him.

It's okay, Oh my god, there's so much blood.

It's begun in earnest.

What is coming is violent and terrible, but you will not be aloneps.

It's time for you to rest.

I have something to help you, orphine mm hmm. It'll reduce the pain and let you sleep for Now it may not be terribly helpful at the end, it'll help you get there with less than agony.

Wait, this will help Bachmann. Dury wasn't lying. It was you. You started all of this.

Please, Raymond Bachman was no great loss, an abuse of alcoholic.

He beat his children, you know.

I first saw him yanking his five year old's arms so hard in a park that the child's shoulder was dislocated just there in public help. People intervened, the police were called. He didn't see any charges. So I found him at a bar A few days after. I seduced him, took him home. I infected him and sent him after jury. Call it a welcome home gift.

You you, Jimbo died.

Barbara tom Stabana.

You you have destroyed my home everything for petty revenge.

Okay, that is enough. Dare rest Karen. Wait wait, don't you feel a slight pinch? And with that the opioids entered my system. I cannot speak much to my state in the days to follow. How old do you think she has? That moves fast? Few days? Will she suffer?

Not if we keep her out like this?

Hey? Hey, honey, not so must must.

We're here, honey, do you need anything?

Murder? You you must, honey, you monster. It's all over. I do remember the nightmares vivid, and if there were borders between them and the waking world, they were so blurry as to be meaningless.

Then I heard a loud voice from the temple, saying, to the seven angels, go pour out the seven bows of God's wrath.

On the earth, next the mountains.

Afterward, the gates of hell will open, and she will be swallowed.

Whole, as her father was before her, and his father before him, all the way back.

To the very beginning of her cursed bloodline. But this husk, this shall She'll walk.

The face of the earth, an empty vessel, forever trying to fill itself with life.

But life eternal will not be granted her such way over years past.

Pass the blood to the Master. Pass the blood to the Master.

It's going to be all right, Master, Your brain is dying of feet.

The blood the Master. That's what That's what he said. That's what he said when he came towards us. It made no sense until it didn't return the blood to the Master. It was it was a frame. You tried to it didn't work.

He'll just move on. But the damage, the damage, all of the dead point at you, you head monster, and all of your plans just killed the last of us off.

Shush you, shush, you did all all of this were nothing. It wasn't for nothing. It wasn't nothing. He should have sent you on to hell. You're no better than him.

I will spend the rest of my time on this earth making you pay, you monster.

You okay, it's okay. To the end now, darling. It's all blood.

There's so much blood.

I didn't, I didn't. Oh, they're all here, all of them. Who Daddy in the corner, can't you see? I can't.

But that doesn't mean he's not with you now, Mom.

And Granny Dotty, her brother, David, Jimbo, Hey, Jimbo, you all look so sad. I feel it coming. I feel it. I feel it coming fast. Dad, Dad, Please stand next to me. I don't want to be alone. He was as clear as day as he sat by my bedside, so much younger than when I saw him last, The way he looked when he used to carry me in his arms. He brushed the bloody, sweaty hair from my face, smiled. I think I really screwed up. Shh, I'm here.

He didn't screw anything up, kiddo. You did what you could with what you had in front of him.

It wasn't enough, honestly, sweet girl. It's seldom as it's coming for me. It will be over so quickly, and then what who you are next is up to you.

Close your eyes.

We will all be here to see you through.

And he was right. In the gathering dark. They drew closer, put their hands on me. My mother sat on the other side, young beautiful Jimbo at the foot of my bed, big and silly and comforting. And when the darkness finally came, it came like sleep comes to the weary, gentle, so gentle. And then it was over. And then it began, Oh my god, welcome back, Bud. How do you feel thirsty? Here? Drink this? What is it?

Blood?

Of course, from where does it matter? It's pig's blood. Got it from the butcher. Drink slow down, curry and I get back, get back. I don't I don't want to hurt you.

You won't. You won't hurt her. I'll make sure of it. What makes you think I'll keep you around here? Your conscience?

You know you won't be able to control yourself.

I want you to know de Marius. Once I have full control, I will use it to end you. Hmm, fair enough. What's going on out there in town? It's over?

The governor sent him more National Guard, the fence came in to run clean up it. It was pandemonium, a massive fire. The hospital killed about a dozen.

Was that you too, demeris Jesus Christ. There are no loose ends, no one else out there to infect.

No, No, they found most of the bodies, just one missing, brother Ken's.

So he's out there. We'll find him, don't You've hurt him. He's innocent perhaps, but he's still dangerous. Oh you one to talk? What about Jurie? No idea. No, he'll turn up.

They'll want to question him, but I'll make it hard. He's one of the richest men on the planet. He's got lawyers, congressman, senators in his pocket, and a pr machine that could put a positive spin on the Hindenburg.

So what do we do. He's hurt so many people. We take care of him our own way. And how's that? You'll learn quickly? You're a hunter now, so will hunt.

Havoctown was created by me Aaron Manke. The show was written and directed by Nicholas Takowski. This episode was edited and sound designed by Rima lk Ali, starring Jewels State as coren Abbess, James Callis as Jerry Havoc, Felicia Day as Sylvie, Harris Ray Wise as Josiah Abbas, Crystal Lee as Demeris, Robin Bludworth as jimbo'horn, David Calhoun as Jonathan Avis Charlie, David Newell as Brother Ken, Gina Rikikey as Sarah Beth Spalding. This season is directed by Nicholas Takowski,