You are listening. Mutual audio. Welcome home. The following audio drama is rated PG-13, suggesting that all children under the age of 13 should listen accompanied with an adult. Welcome to the world's largest and longest-running showcase of modern audio drama. I'm David Ault, and my co-host is... Jack Ward! Thanks for the introductions this week. I, uh, got us some tea. Ah! Nothing settles the stomach and inspires the...
brain like a good copper. Is there something else? Yes, I was checking mail and I discovered this. What's that? A message from an old friend. Okay. What? What's up? Hey Jack and David. I'm sorry I have not reached out earlier, but things here have been a little hectic. Crazy. opened in a cavern underneath the St. Louis arch, releasing a substantial amount of feebles I've been doing my best just on the flow of the things that go bump in the night. It feels like capping a phone. Hold on a second.
Thanks, Frank. That was Frank. Great guy. He's from SCP, and he's been capping, trapping, and encrypting stuff and wandering through. He caught this like dark looking thing that sounded sort of like... Anyways, I'm embarrassed that I have yet to call to wish the Sonic Society a happy 20th anniversary. I cannot say that I was there at the beginning, but it was the solid days.
listening to audio dramas in the wee hours of the morning while walking loops around in my house with infant Jack until he fell back to sleep. be graduating from high school. That's that for a reality check. So hopefully when you guys are done saving the bodyovers and we're done here, we can all meet up for What if I really Wow.
That could work. Sorry guys, I've got to go and try and save the world, or at least the Midwest. Congratulations on 20 years. Hey Frank, do you have a screwdriver? I love that. Wow, thanks Matt. Hellmouths are... always difficult things to try and wrangle. Tell me about it. And it's better to revert from you later than sooner if it's not at all. Does that make sense? I think that does make sense, yes. There you go. And by the way, shout out to Frank.
Because everyone needs a Frank in their life, and it sounds like Frank really helps out when he can. So hopefully, I'm wondering if what Matt's going through has something to do with what we're doing. Like, if Hellmouths have somehow popped up where he is, is that also involved with the unraveling of the audio universe? It certainly could. It certainly could indeed. Although I did like his metaphor of, oh no, a simile. I know I'm talking to an English teacher here. I did like the simile of
like capping a fire hydrant with a Tupperware lid, which I thought was very good. Yeah, that's very good. It has a great image there, for sure. It is. And considering, didn't they just have a Buffy the Vampire Slayer audio drama reel? Did they? Wow. I think so. Yeah. I believe that they just ended up doing one. Our great Casey who did We're Alive. He just did one with some of the incredible work there. I hope that we can
maybe pull Matt in to help us with what we're doing at school. After all, with Matt saying that it's a blink of an eye from holding a baby to watching him graduate from high school, looking back on the final season of Buffy is where she gets a mobile phone and that's seen as something quite impressive and up to the minute. And his son is named Jack after me. Yes, after you. This is not true.
true, of course, but it is the fiction I continue to provide for his family. I think that is fair. I think that's perfectly fine. Well, considering that he didn't have a child at one point, it was listed in the Sonic Society, and then he did, and important jack well yes arguably yes i know i know it tickles jack that's right it tickles his wife emily to no end that i say this on a regular basis but yeah no
I appreciate it. And again, we don't mean to make light of your hell mouth situation. It's just, we're so thrilled to hear from you, our friend. So thank you so much for sending that in. And thank you also for the 20th anniversary wishes. And of course, if anyone else wants to,
wish us a happy anniversary for 20 years or for the 20th season then please do get in touch. It doesn't matter how late they are. We'll even take late 10th anniversary wishes as well. That's for sure. Time is a timey-wimey wobbly thing. Wiggly wobbly, timey-wimey. Wiggly wobbly, timey-wimey. Thank you for clarifying that. My doctor. Everybody has their doctor. You're my doctor. Thank you, Jack. Hopefully, Matt, we can hear from you before the end.
of the season which I hope isn't the end of all things as always but we may not be able to do anything about the weirdness there but at least we can do something about the weirdness that we're having here yes weird is right and as we're landing at the weird side we're
...which is a new weird folk horror podcast that follows the paranormal investigations of Aidan Summers and Catherine Moore... ...as they uncover the dangerous truth lurking behind the myths and legends of the islands of Britain and Ireland. And so this week we'll be going with episode one... Close encounters of the cult pixie kind. And it all begins right here. On the Sonic Society. Your legs ache after a long time.
Rain drips into your eyes, down the collar of your raincoat. Your clothes cling to you, damp and cold. We pause for a moment, trying to get your bearings. Is that the same lonely oak from an hour ago, leaning windbent on a low hill? Have you already passed that marshy mire? No. You're lost, alone on the moors.
But there, a light flickering in the distance, beckoning you to safety, maybe a torch or the headlights of a car. You run towards the promise of safety only to find yourself waist deep in clinking. rapidly sinking. Another victim of the Will of the Wisp. Welcome. This week we're looking into the Cult Pixie, a local variant of the Will-o'-the-Wisp, a trickster spirit known for luring the unwary off the road and into danger. Bye.
Before we begin, we need to address some changes that we're making this season. Yes, this entire season's focus is a little different from what we've produced in the past. Previously, we went over folklore and stories and delving deep into the myths and legends surrounding these various ghosts. goblins and ghouls. We offer some insight into how this folklore came about and any possible explanation.
But, as we were researching these next few episodes, we came across some interesting information. First-hand sightings. Alleged sightings. Alleged sightings, as my co-host rightly pointed out, of mysterious lights and sound. All focused around the sleepy village nestled deep in the heart of the new forest with a long history of paranormal activity. This was an unprecedented opportunity to bring you local stories that haven't previously been recorded.
So, we're going to take you with us on our journey to find a British legend. Welcome to the Weird Side. I'm Aidan Summers. And I'm Catherine Moore. Join us as we investigate the paranormal side of the UK. Let's step out of the studio and into the wild. We're in Bally, a small village near the centre of the New Forest National Park in southern England. It's a characterful collection of tuna cottages and small red brick houses. I can see a few thatched roofs here and there, and many...
turn. It is beautiful in autumn. I've actually been here once before, but it was summer and there were crowds all over the place. That makes sense. Lots of tourists flock to Berlin to visit the multiple shops that cater to the supernatural and spiritual. Case in... Yeah, it's a real hotbed for believers in the occult. Not that everyone's a believer. We've already seen several groups of hikers setting off from the main carpet.
I wonder what the locals think of the Grokkos coming around and tramping over Hill and Dale. Grokkos? A local word for tourists. Hmm. I like it. Take a left up here. Okay. We should be seeing this golden cauldron around the next corner. distinctive hat? It's something. Hard to miss. I can't believe we're finally here. Look at those crystals! And for our listeners, why are you so excited?
It's kind of like the Hard Rock Cafe for people like me. And it's one of the oldest buildings in Burley, 14th century. I wouldn't be surprised if those beams are original. What about those broomsticks? Don't think so. Knowing what I do about the owner, there's probably more than one that might actually fly. Mary's apparently quite the master of hosting seances in all things occult. Well, let's meet her. Look at those. I've never seen tarot cards done like that before. Aiden!
And he's off. Sorry, can I squeeze by you? Of course. Oh, do you know if Mary's in today? Yeah, she's just over by the incense. Thanks. over there. Right, thanks again. Hi, Ms. Taddywell. I'm Catherine Moore. Hello. How can I help? And it's Mary, darling, please. I emailed you on the 4th to see if we could come in and talk to you about your business and some local legends. Oh, yes, I remember. Lovely to put a face to a name.
Did you not say you had a companion? I did. I lost him over there. Aidan? Strange you got lost in the divination section. Sorry, let me just... Aidan? Oh, sorry, just coming. And what did you see in the cards? I was just having a look, not doing a full reading or anything. But they're such beautiful cards. I've never seen a wooden set before. Those are a special set, hand-carved from local aldertries. What card did you pull? I didn't really... The Five of Ones.
Hmm. Am I okay to record? Oh, of course. Please go ahead. Thanks. Why do you think Burleigh's such a hotspot for paranormal and occult activity? Well, Burleigh is famous for her witches. Sybil Leek is probably the most renowned from the area, with her raven familiar. But there have always been legends of the New Forest Witches. Is that what makes this village quite so special? In a way. And could you expand on that at all? I don't think I can.
Well, how about your shop? How does it fit into all of this? Ah, well, this shop represents both the continuation of ancient traditions and the celebration of modern perspectives in Burleigh. Those who want a souvenir can buy a bauble or two, and those who want to explore their beliefs can find ways of doing so. Which one are you? Oh, uh, I... I know. I was asking her. Uh... Neither. I'm just your own business.
But if I were one of your customers, what would I buy from your shop? These charms are always popular with tourists and locals alike. Kids adore the little dragon statues and drawings over there. You know why we have those, right? The Dragon of Biston? Oh, the 15th century legend, apparently slain around here. Didn't it fly from Burly Beacon? Indeed. And you're practicing cuss-
What would they buy? They have a better idea of exactly what they're looking for and come in for specific items like these candles. But we have pretty much anything occult that anyone would need. Amazing. Are those Pinewood of Thames over there? Yes, that's right. And those say they write a copper. You see, some like to work without the cold touch of iron. Huh, I never thought of that.
So, have you found the lack of iron helps in communicating with spirits? Those who attend my seances agree the messages are far clearer. Do you have many people searching out the paranormal in Burley? There are a few now and then, but most locals tend to keep to themselves about that sort of thing. I'm happy to talk, of course.
but many would rather that Grockles, as they see them, didn't cry. Understandable. We've recently received a report on alleged sightings of something resembling a Will-o'-the-Wisp up by the camping site near Holmesy. You did mention that you were going to ask... Yes, I have heard the same from Albert. Albert? A long-time resident of a village. reports sightings of this sort and stranger to the local paper. He'll be in the green pub up the road by now. It's past noon.
After our conversation, Mary took Aiden through their selection of protective charms. So, knowing we were going to be facing some strange encounters? Knowing. Hoping? I wanted to be prepared and got us both a little charm pouch. Just a pinch of beach shavings, a small crystal or two, a little talisman. Beach for any particular reason? It symbolises strong friendship and protection growing from that. Nice thought.
Meanwhile I stepped outside to get some air. The incense was getting a bit intense. I decided to use the time to do a little investigating of my own. Excuse me. Hi. Hi. Are you local to the area? Aye. Could I ask you a couple of questions? I'm recording for the Weird Side podcast and... The what? The Weird Side, with a Y. We investigate local folklore. Have you encountered anything strange in your time here? No.
unusual sounds. Have you seen anything here that you might describe as paranormal? You come round here? No, I'm not. Then you shouldn't be asking sort of questions then, should you? It obviously wasn't a huge success. He didn't seem eager to chat, but he went straight for the paranormal angle. I was getting to the point. Well, at least we have Albert. This looks almost as old as Mary Sharp. Ah, no. Much more recent. Really? Early 18th century. How can you tell? Wait, wait.
Window frames? Nope. The fireplace. The date above the door. S-1704. Uh-huh. Good on. Oh, actually, I've got a fire. Do you think there could be Albert? Not too many others in here. I'll go grab us a drink. You make the introductions. Sure thing. Good day for a fire. Right. There's a chill in the air. Won't be long before the first frost, I reckon. I'm glad I packed my warmest salt.
Do you mind if we join you? Well, there are free seats, aren't there? Thanks. Are you Albert by any chance? Yeah. Who's asking? I'm Aiden. Nice to meet you. Do take a seat. And, uh, who's your girl? Oh, no, no, we're not. No, I mean, we work together, but we're not. I'm recording this for a podcast. Is that okay? Oh, yeah. I listened to one about the footy. Yeah, that's fine. So, you know my name. You hear about a podcast.
I'm guessing someone pointed you in my direction because you're after a tale. Mary? Yep. She knows I love a keen audience. So, lad. What sort of a story are you after? That's your cider. Thanks. My lemonade. And here's another pint of what you were drinking. Cheers, love. What's your name, then? Your friend? Didn't get around to tell him yet. Catherine Moore. Nice to meet you. You must be Albert. The very role. Cheers! Albert was just about to tell us a story. Yeah, I sure was.
Hmm, let me think. Oh, did you ever hear of the cult pixie? It's a type of will-o'-the-wisp, isn't it? Oy, then you'll know that they are not to be messed with. So, I saw something strange the other week at night on the moors. Well, let me start at the beginning. Out I was, a bit worse for wear, taking in the late summer night air. I was on one of my usual routes, getting my feet under me and my head the right way around. Out Holmesy. When I saw a path that I'd never come across before.
Now, I'm a local, like my father was before me and his father was before him. And I've been wandering the forest for years now. I know the place like the back of my hand. This was entirely new. So, being the brave man that I am... I naturally went down it, didn't I? And no sooner did I set foot off that main road, did I lose all sense of direction. But then I realized that it was not my sense of direction that I'd lost. It was the road. It had disappeared.
Stretching back behind me was more of the same track, overgrown, wild-like. So, says I, I said, I'd start forwards and I'll continue forwards. I walk for my own three hours. I sobered up entirely by this point. Can't a bit worried, you see. There are tales of folks disappearing into thin air around here.
but you made it back. Who's to say I'm not a ghost telling this story? Says that pint of bitter you've just drunk. Oy, well, that's a fair cop. Any chance of another? Same again? Coming right up. So you know Mary quite well, then? We grew up together here. I still remember chasing her around the Maypole 50 years back. Right.
Well, as a local, someone who knows their way around the place, where do you stand on Burley's occult reputation? We have a reputation now. Well, I should hope so. We've reported enough strange happenings. Especially with what went on ten years ago and all. What happened ten years ago? The cold pixie. A disappearance? Three days. Here, in the New Forest. Thanks, lad. No worries. What happened? Was this also around the Holmesy area? Now I've wet my whistle. Where was I? Ah, last...
Quite alone in the middle of a fairy path. And then, my foot gets proper stuck in some bog. I thought I was a dead man. Then I remembered my manners and asked, Please, can I go home? That probably saved my life. As a few moments later, I saw something. It's always a good idea to stay polite around the pixies. They're mindful of that stuff. I saw a light. Some ways off in the distance. It seemed to blink on and off. It was calling me like a moth to a flame.
So, I got my foot unstuck and headed back up towards the light. I trusted them to show me the right path. Either side of me, the ground was boggy, but up ahead on a little hillock, I could see a shape, like a little shaggy pony. That was the Colt Pixie, you see. You're taking pity on poor old Albert. He led me right back to the main road. But when I got there, he weren't. Just a few bays and a little chestnut foal cropping on the verge.
Good thing you got out. But you mentioned that some other people died. Ah, yeah, some grackle kids down from London Way a few years ago. Disappeared on a hike and turned up dead. Fell afoul of the pixies. Did anyone make it back? How did they die? Yeah, poor Rowan, I think the name was. They stumble in, delirious, rambling about a sudden fog and about their phone. Couldn't tell you exactly. It's been too long and too many pints. But I tell you why.
Folks say they also saw lights. Can I get you another drink, Albert? No, thanks. I'm all right. I should be heading off. Not before you tell us more. Oh, well, I can't really remember much more than that. I've got to get going. The footy and all that. Cheers for the pint. Wait, I... Albert left immediately after what you just heard I'm not sure what we said to scare him off He finished his story, said all he wanted to say
And it was an intriguing one. Did you have any thoughts on his copics he encountered? It's an interesting first-hand testimony, but we only have his word to go on. He did mention that he'd reported these sightings to the paper quite a few times. On one hand, that's a high concentration of sightings and encounters. On the other, if they're all from one person... Yes, that is an issue. Unfortunately.
Now, terms like cop pixie and will-o'-the-wisp have been brought up throughout the episode. We should provide some context. Well, it's fingers and thumbs. Sorry? All thumbs are fingers. Not all fingers are thumbs. That's an odd way of putting it. Well, they can't pick, see. There's a way of the way. Not all while in the West.
are caught pixie. It's a local variant of a global phenomenon, reported in the south and southwest of the UK. Unlike a lot of other wilder wisps, instead of merely being floating lights in the dark, it takes the form of a pale, shaggy horse. that fits in well with the hardy ponies that roam the new forest. So Albert's description matches up? Almost exactly. Where's that etching you found? I printed a copy off. It's in my bag. Give me a sec.
It's a Victorian, right? Uh, yeah, that would really make help. Ah, okay. There we go, one depiction of a fairy horse luring a pool traveller off the road Trouble being the marsh he's about to drown in. A common ploy, by well the risks, the world over. Except, apparently, for Albert's encounter. The court pixie led him to safety, not further into the marsh. Counter to their M.O. That's true.
But it's not entirely unheard of in these sort of stories. Well, the wisps are capricious. Sometimes, if the victim is polite, then they'll help rather than hinder. Albert did tell us to be polite. Mm-hmm. In any case, while there's no evidence for these spirits existing, we can't understate the importance of these stories to the communities that created them. How do you keep vulnerable people safe?
You create stories that people will remember. Stories of respect. Like Jenny Greenteeth and waterhags being used to keep children away from dangerous structures of water. Let's not get sidetracked into those too much. Uh, okay. Do what you do best. Take us through other explanations. How can we rationalize a glowing pony luring travelers? I'll start with the will-o'-the-wisp. Depending on the circumstances there's a variety of natural phenomena that could explain these sightings.
For example, bioluminescence, or the oxidation of certain compounds that off-put light. If you are alone at night encountering a strange glow, you could see it as a paranormal being. Exactly! Well, nowadays we might not. We're less likely to be lured away by strange lights if we even looked up from the bright screens designed to hold our attention. Now, onto the thumb. Go on. I've got two theories.
1. The New Forest Coast has historic ties to smuggling, and they'd often use a system of lights to signal to co-conspirators on the coast. An untrained observer could have seen these floating lights amongst the many herds of ponies and conflated the two. It only takes one sighting to spark a mess. And your other theory? It's a pony. Nothing more, nothing less. The first ones are more compelling. Some of their place names down in the New Forest call back to that history.
It seems these links aren't easily forgotten. It's clear that the New Forest is proud of its history and its folklore. I'm sure we'll have listeners write in with their own stories of other variations on the Willow the West myth. Agreed. We'd love to hear about any regional folklore, whether you're in the UK or abroad.
One thing we haven't touched on yet. The deaths. Our next step is to find out a little bit more about the event Albert mentioned and maybe contact this Rowan if we can. Leave it with me. I'll do some digging. We tracked down Rowan, the only survivor of what's been called the Morse tragedy, which happened ten years ago. They agreed to talk to us about their experiences and what they remember about the ordeal. They're now living on the edge of the South Downs, west of London.
So on a slightly drizzly Thursday afternoon, we went to have a chat. Alright, back, sit. Sorry about that. Hi, Rowan. Yep, that's me. I'm Catherine Moore and this is my colleague Aiden. Hi. Oh, you were right on time. Is that alright? Is now a good time? You're good. Just give me a second to put this one up back. Please, come in. That's him sort of for the next few minutes. How old is he? About 15 months.
It's very full on. Can I get you a cup of tea? Just for the kettle on. Yes, thanks. Just milk for me. Milk and one sugar for mine, please. Sure thing. Thank you for agreeing to talk to us. We're aware this must be a difficult conversation to have, so do that as nothing to take time or want to take a break or anything. Just please don't hesitate. Yeah, thanks.
I'll admit, when you first got in touch, I was dead set on ignoring your message. What changed your mind? Time. Oh? I just got thinking after the police investigation closed with no leads. It just got swept under the rug. I've never had a chance to process it. Not really. I'm sorry to hear that. It's difficult to have something in your life that you can't move on from. I hope this can help give you some closure. I hope so too.
I'm not quite sure where to start, if I'm honest. Why don't you start with your friends? Can you tell us about them? There are four of us. James, Francis, Becca, and, well, me. And how did you know them? Cool. Back in Sari. I can't remember the exact moment we started hanging out, but we'd wander around the village on weekends, bunk off PE every so often. You know, pretty typical small village. Would you like to tell us a bit more about them? Sure, they-
I just haven't thought about them in so long. It might be good to remember them properly. You don't have to tell us any more than you want to. We can stop any time. I'm okay. It's just been a while, you know? James was really easy going, always up for a laugh. He lived on the same street as me, so we were real tight. I'm pretty sure he considered himself the leader of the group, and he was one of its main troublemakers. backer backer was sweet really short
She always remembered the special occasions and went out of her way to help. Her and James dated for a little while, but it didn't work out. We were still solid despite that. Francis joined our school a year or two after everyone else He was the youngest of the bunch, but he always knew a guy. If we wanted anything like a fake ID or the latest gossip, he knew who to talk to. Anyway, they sound like quite the French.
I couldn't have asked for any better. And why the new forest? It was our last summer together before we all moved away to different unis and possibly lost contact. I was just getting into hiking and wanted a change of scenery, so I convinced the group to join me.
We took the train down to Livington, and the plan was to hike up across the new forest to Salisbury. It should have only taken a couple of days, and Francis' dad had agreed to come pick us up at the end. What was the start of your journey? We came down on the morning train from a local station. James had to sneak out of his window because he hadn't told his parents we were going. That, or he'd been grounded again. Do you remember much about the walk to Berlin?
I remember we stayed up way too late the night before. We almost missed our train. That first day we stopped off in Brockenhurst at a really quaint B&B. Hang on, I dug out a photo of us. Yeah, I rocked the whole shaved headlock back then. It looks like you're all really happy there. We were. We took this before we set off across the forest of Burley.
Francis had realized his trainers were not suited for this amount of walking and was complaining with almost every step. I wish we had turned around to fix that. He might still be here. You couldn't have known. You were just kids. Yeah, yeah, I know. Did any of the others have issues with... No. No, everyone else was okay, as far as I could tell. And you? You mentioned that you were fairly new to hiking. Yeah. I did my DOV awards the previous couple of summers.
Hiking orienteering basic camping stuff and was really eager to show it off For once, James didn't mind me taking the lead. He was pretty focused on getting drunk and ignoring the fact that he didn't get into Bristol Uni. Oh yeah, that's why he snuck out. Keen to escape the parent. And was there a specific route you were following? Yeah, I planned out most of it, but we walked at a slower pace than I planned for. So we only reached barely about two in the afternoon.
We went to the pub, spent a few hours nursing pints of shandy and our blisters. I don't think the locals were too pleased having four kids crashing their party. But you still had a few miles to walk that day. Yeah, down Smugglers Road into Ringwood. But we needed a break. The report mentions that the weather took a turn for the worse on the second day. When we set out that morning, it was clear. No forecast of any bad weather.
We sat down for a quick break on a hill, about a mile in, but before we knew it this really thick fog just came rolling in. Did that catch you off guard? Very much so. The police said afterwards that the sea fog rises pretty quickly along the coast and around the rivers. It was bizarre. Almost like a watercourse itself pooling in hollows and dips all around us surrounding
It's not too uncommon down by the coast, but you were miles inland. Yeah, it was creepy. A tide of white that just swallowed everything it touched. It was, well... was horrible. And did you feel anything unusual when you were in the fog? Not at first, but something weird did happen. Francis was checking his messages and all of a sudden the signal dropped out. hadn't moved from the hill, no change in wind or anything.
And I know a lack of signal is not unusual when you're out in the countryside, but then his phone died. And James' phone did the same about 30 seconds later. It was getting pretty cold and miserable, so rather than struggle on, we decided to backtrack and wait it out. A sensible decision. Didn't help us in the end.
I had my math saved offline so I knew where we were and we hadn't moved. So it should have been simple to get back to Burley. But when we set off again, I'm not sure. Everything was so... Quiet. so lifeless not even the birds were out in the fog There's nothing. Are you okay to continue? Yeah, I'm okay. I want to finish this story. You were asking about the unusual. Well, we heard a phone ringing out in the fog. I couldn't tell where I was coming from at first. We ignored it.
Then it rang again and closed it this time. I know you shouldn't leave the path, but there might have been someone out there. They could have also been lost. The others were pretty freaked out, but I convinced them we needed to help. You were trying to help. That was incredibly brave of you. I didn't feel brave. I still couldn't work out where it was coming from. But then, I saw the light. Not too far from the path. Did you find anything? I found- lying there on the back.
I remember that the screen was lit up, and as we reached it, it stopped ringing. So James picked it up and made some stupid joke about how someone rich must have left their latest-gen phone behind. There wasn't even a password. Then... my phone died. I'd been using it as a compass and a map, but it should have had plenty of battery. Could it have been the cold? It would drain more quickly than normal. I was looking right at it when it happened. 60 to 0 in 2 seconds.
I asked Becca for hers but when she took it out of her bag it wouldn't turn on. And with that, we lost any hope of getting back to the path. I can only imagine... I don't think we realised how bad it had gone. I tried to remember what my orienteering instructor had said, but all I could think of was navigating by the North Star, which obviously wouldn't have worked.
I was drawing a blank. James was messing around with the phone we'd found, flicking through the open apps, when he realised there was not only a map open, but it had signal. I asked him to call for help, but he refused. When I tried to grab it, he pushed me over saying that he'd take over and get us out of this mess. She shouted for us to follow him before running off, and Becca followed. I tried to yell after them, but they were already swallowed by the fog.
That was the last time I saw those two alive. And Francis? He stayed to help me up. He couldn't have run after them anyways. His blisters hurt too badly. We stuck together for the next hour or so. He was so scared. I tried to keep a level head, but this is really infectious. There was no plan or any actual way to get out of this situation. We had to keep pushing forward, try to find James and Becca before, well, I guess I felt responsible for them, having brought them out here.
When I heard another noise over to the right in the mist, I thought it could have been them. Maybe we'd all somehow wandered in the same direction. But it wasn't them. It was another phone ringing in the distance. It sounded off... something about the river. It all sounded hollow. I had my hand on Francis' arm so we didn't get separated. But as I turned around, I let go. When I looked back for Francis, I couldn't see him. I couldn't hear him.
It was like he just vanished. I yelled, I shouted, tried to look for footprints, retraced our steps. He couldn't have got far. I only took my eyes off him for a second. But there was nothing. Just me. Alone. In the fog. How long did you look for your friend
If I'm entirely honest, I'm not sure you could call it looking. How could I look for them when I had no clue where I was, let alone where anyone else could be? It was a miracle I ended up back near Burley, where I literally ran into a local walker. Albert, I think his name was. Albert. Yeah, he was so kind. He calmed me down, called the police, then stayed with me on the edge of the fog for nearly an hour, calling the names of my friends.
Nothing answered. And the police? What did they do? Absolutely no- They gave me an emergency blanket, told me to calm down, and then, while you read the reports, they found my friends... dead. Identifying them was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. They even pinned it on us being stupid cats. In my experience, they tend to go for the easy answer. And it's easy to blame these things on kids not being prepared. Yeah. This was a hike where you're no more than an hour from a road at any point.
How can you be prepared for phones dying out of nowhere? Fogs springing up with no warning? How can anyone be prepared for such a strange situation? Thoughts on Rowan's experiences? It was really brave of them to discuss it with us so openly. It can't have been easy, especially with the media scrutiny at the time. Agreed. I think it's also important to mention that Rowan was the victim of a tragic... The deaths were ruled as non-suspicious. The victims died from exposure.
Aiden, do we have a story here? What happened 10 years ago was tragic and incredibly traumatic for Rowan. But they didn't see a cult pixie, just a phone in the fog. Whilst that's true, there are some like- Such as? Or the group being led off the path by lights. Was it the light or the sound that drew them off the path? Wasn't that just semantics at this point? They still left the path and headed into danger? Yes, granted. Although, no foam was ever recovered, so we've got no leads there.
Is this something we want to get involved with? I think there's a thread here. Albert seems more connected to this than he let on at first. We should have another conversation with him. If he'll talk to us again. But... Whilst there was no obvious Colt Pixie and Rowan's experience, there are enough possible paranormal events throughout to warrant a closer look.
If it isn't the cot pixie, what else could be lurking out there? Okay, that's an angle. What if we retrace Rowan's hiking route from that day? Check if they pass through any supposedly paranormal areas. Perhaps figure out if anything links it with the homesy sightings. Sounds like a plan. Before we go, I want to pick up an extra portable charger for our phones, just in case anything weird happens. We left barely an hour ago. The weather is mild for this time of year.
We checked multiple forecasts and are not expecting We've come prepared with both offline and good old-fashioned paper maps. Extra chargers, lots of layers, backup recording equipment. The lot. If a cult picks you so much as snorts, we'll be there to record it. We'll be following Rowan's route as exactly as we can. First to the north, across Castle Hill, and then into the scrubby hills of the New Forest. Okay.
We didn't have any luck finding Albert today. He wasn't in the green pub and Mary didn't know where he'd gone off to. I'm sure we'll buy him another pint. You did some reading on Castle Hill last night, didn't you? Yeah, the local Iron Age Hilfurt we're headed to. So... Oh, unfortunately there haven't been any excavations, but there are some spectacular...
Pretty remarkable that it has mostly survived intact. The bank is still really steep. Wasn't there a sighting? There was one third-hand story about a Civil War ghost, but even I... So nothing. Nothing. Take it right here. Yep, that's the one. Oh god, okay, watch out there. Thanks. Okay, we should be seeing the summit any time now. There's an ordnance survey marker up here somewhere. Keep an eye out.
We must be on the leeward side of the hill. What? Barely any wind. Oh, there's the marker. Great, we're still on track. We just need to cross the hill fort and then we'll be a more open... So what are we looking for here? Cult pixie evidence or other paranormal activity? A little bit of both, I guess. Is that not going to confuse people? If we suddenly change tack halfway through an investigation? Well, not everything can be neatly tied.
Shame that. I'd be happy if we even tied up one thread. Well, one way or another, we'll end up answering some questions by the end of this. I guess we'll muddle through. Kitty? Yes? When did the bad song stop? The wait side will return. If you enjoyed the program, please help support the podcast by giving us a follow on social media, at The Weird Side on Twitter and Instagram, by leaving a review on Spotify or wherever you're listening to this, and sharing it with anyone who might enjoy it.
As a small production, this really helps us out. Thank you all for listening. And that's our show. Be sure to go to the Sonic Society website to find this week's features and links while we're still in contact. And thanks again, Matt, for the missive. Send yours at sonicsociety at gmail.com, written or sound. We love hearing from you. Looks like the old girl's locked on to our next episode. Until then, see you all. I'm Jack Ward. And I'm David Ault. Have a safe week, everyone.
You are listening to a song in cinema.