Transcontinental Terror 2025 #4: Once Told: Baba

This Friday, see what critics are calling a cold-blooded masterpiece. Hello, Freddy. You're dead. Dead is just a word. Did you think our story was over? Discover the secret. You brought us here for a reason. Behind the mask. What do you think happens when you die? It's time to find out. I'm not afraid of you. You should be. Welcome to the Mutual Audio Drama Network. The following audio drama is rated PG for parental guidance.

Welcome aboard the Transcontinental Terror Express and our specially designed Audiodrome listening car, courtesy of OdysseyAudioWorks.com. I'm Captain Radio, your host. Now that the Express is underway... Let's check out our suspenseful, perhaps even disturbing, lineup of shows this week. Stephen Bellinger, writer and producer of the genuinely unique, once-told audio fiction suspense tales, starts our evening with...

Baba, rated 80 PG. Moving into another room your home would normally be a time of happy excitement for David and his young son. But things take an odd turn. after they discover something apparently left behind by the previous tenants. Following that, Soul Twin Audio Network and Rachel Pulliam share another spectral mystery with us, Ghost Hunt.

Rated 80, PG-13. This jockey, Smiley Smith, known for pulling outrageous publicity stunts, offers to spend the night inside a house infamously known as the Death Trap. But with this stunt, Smiley may get far more than he bargained for. And finally, we bring you Campfire Radio Theater's cinematically conceived tale of high-stakes gothic horror. Hollowburn, rated ADR restricted. Parents, pay attention. On the haunted moors of 19th century England, blood and legacy awaken something buried.

and hoped forever forgotten beneath the dreaded house of Whitmore. So the prophecy seems at last fulfilled. It will come for her, come to collect its debt. These will keep us awake beyond the norm. So again, let's settle into our cushioned audio drone listening recliners and get to our shows. is once told. Original short stories read by original people. Stories that are fun, fascinating, and perhaps a little frightening. Now this episode of Once Told.

Moving into a new home is a time of joy and excitement for David and his little son. But things take an odd turn when they find something apparently left behind by the previous tenant in this story read by Joseph Anthony Rulli. Baba by Steve Bellinger. We were so excited about our new home, a newly remodeled apartment on the second floor of a four-story walk-up. on Winthrop Avenue in the Edgewater neighborhood on the north side of Chicago. The living room was huge with lots of natural light.

It also had a dining area that we planned to use as a family room, a big, beautiful kitchen, and two bedrooms, one for Mickey and me, and the other would be a nursery for little Joey. I stood in the middle of the living room, looking at all the boxes and stuff, trying to figure out where to start with the unpacking. Mickey was the breadwinner and had to work today. Even though I volunteered to be the house husband,

When we adopted little Joey, I had hoped he would be here to help with setting things up. Well, no matter, I thought. I knew I could handle it. Adopting Joey was the smartest thing we ever did. We were now a real family. I loved the looks we got when the three of us would go places. Me with the dark brown skin and my hair pulled back into a ponytail. and Mickey with the long blonde curls and blue eyes carrying this cute, chubby little Asian kid. We were a living lesson in diversity.

Joey was a year and a half old and walking, which meant he was always getting into trouble. I had dressed him in the cutest little jumpsuit thing with Spider-Man all over it. and had given him this little vacuum cleaner push toy. He was happily running around the place, exploring. I had settled into unpacking the kitchen. Why hadn't the movers put stuff where I had told them?

The writing on the carton clearly said silverware, but there was not a spoon or fork to be found inside. I sighed and started opening more boxes. That's when I realized I couldn't see or hear little Joey. Not a good sign. I ran through the apartment, weaving between the randomly placed furniture and stacks of cartons, calling his name.

In the back bedroom, I found him, sitting on the floor near his crib, holding a bright red rubber ball that was about the size of his head. You little bozo, what do you have there? He held up the ball for me to see. Baba. Baba. That was a word I never heard him use before. He usually called me Dadid, trying to say my name, David.

He must have been talking about the ball. I didn't recognize it, and I knew all of his toys. Where'd you get that, Joey? He pointed towards the closet. I walked over and looked inside. There was nothing there, as I was sure there was nothing there when I looked around before we moved in. What the hell, I thought. It was probably left there by the previous renter. Couldn't be any harm.

Besides, it will keep him occupied. Okay, Joey, bring your little baba and play in the family room where I can see you. He stood clumsily, picked up the ball, and followed me into the family room where he sat and played with his new toy. I went back to work in the kitchen. If only Mickey were here, he would know where the stupid moving company would have packed the silverware. He was there when they did it. Well, I thought, I'll have to keep searching.

I found more cups and glasses, our fine champagne flutes, and a box full of Joey's baby food. The stuff he doesn't eat anymore. I told Mickey we had stocked up too much.

I was looking through the 48 jars of strained fruit and veggies and suddenly realized Joey was out of sight again. Joey, I called. Come back in here. Okay. he said in his little baby voice. I watched him toddle back into the family room, chanting, Baba, Baba, Baba. Two feet behind him, the little red ball rolled into the room.

Great, I thought. The floors aren't level. Come here, Joey, I called. The baby grinned and turned my way, bright eyes with arms outstretched. The ball turned and followed him. I picked Joey up, and the little red ball stopped at my feet. What the hell? I said. I gave it a kick, and it sailed across the room, bouncing against the walls and finally coming to rest in a corner.

I carried the baby to his nursery and lay him down with a pacifier. I rubbed his little back and sang to him until he fell asleep. Finally, I can get some work done, I said to myself. Try as I might, I still could not find the damn silverware. Probably in one of the boxes in the living room. No matter, I decided to put away the things I had already located.

There was a box full of cans and dry goods that I had carefully organized in one of the cabinets. I don't know why I went to the trouble. In a week, Mickey will have it all mixed up. always looking for things where they are not supposed to be and messing everything up in the process. He had to be the most disorganized, sloppiest guy in the world, just like Oscar on The Odd Couple. But I loved him anyway.

I wondered, if he was Oscar, would that make me Felix? Never. I was not that neurotic. Baba! What? Joey was awake already? I put down the little bottles of spices and went into the nursery. Hey, little Joey, what's the matter? I almost choked. Joey was lying there, cooing and laughing, while pushing the little red ball around his crib.

How the hell did this thing get in here? I picked it up and Joey started crying. No, little man, there's something about this I don't like. I put the pacifier in his mouth and he quieted down. I held the ball up to the light from the window. It was translucent enough that I could see there was no mechanism or anything inside. There has to be a logical explanation for this. Somebody's playing some kind of trick on us.

Somebody somewhere is controlling this thing somehow. Unless... I looked over at the now sleeping baby, happily sucking on the pacifier. I got images in my mind from some old Twilight Zone episode, something about a little kid having psychic powers. Could little Joey be doing this? The ball did seem to follow him before.

Maybe the baby was able to do the mind over matter thing. I didn't know if I should have been scared or what. In any case, I didn't want that crazy thing loose around the house, so I took it into the kitchen and put it in the cabinet under the sink. When I stood, I started feeling a little silly. Little Joey with psychic powers? Nah. I had probably put the ball in the crib and forgot. Sure, that was it. I was pretty frazzled with the move and everything.

Mickey'll laugh his ass off when I tell him. I went back to work. I opened a box Mickey had packed. Mickey, you idiot. He had packed frozen dinners and meats in a plastic bag inside a cardboard box. And now it was all thawed and beginning to smell. What the hell were you thinking? Now I'm going to have to throw all of this food out. What the hell was that?

We got mice or something? Oh, hell no. The noise was coming from the cabinet under the sink. I reached down to open it and hesitated. I wasn't prepared for some rat or squirrel or something to come scurrying out of there. I grabbed the broom. Wherever it was, I was going to beat it to death. I opened the door. I was on my ass.

It was so fast it took me a second to figure out what had happened. That stupid little red ball had come flying out of the cabinet and hit me on the forehead so hard I was seeing stars. What the hell? I looked around, broom in hand, looking for the rat or whatever it was that hit me with the ball. That's when I heard it. I turned and could not believe my eyes. It was the little red ball, bouncing on the kitchen floor as if it was being dribbled by an invisible hand.

Now, I was not an expert in science or anything, but even I knew a bouncing ball should bounce less and less, and eventually stop after a few seconds. Unless somebody or something... was making it bounce. I got the feeling it was waiting. Waiting for me to do something. I took a couple of steps to the left. The ball bounced a couple of feet in the same direction.

I moved right, and it moved with me. It was as if it were blocking my way. This was effing crazy. This was only a stupid little rubber ball. When I approached it, it bounced harder. and higher. It was now bouncing up to eye level. This was nuts. I reached out to grab it. It whipped to one side in midair. Now I was scared. I stood there and watched it bounce over and over. Joey couldn't be doing this. He's in his room asleep. Oh, my God, my baby. My paternal instinct set in.

On the next bounce I kicked the ball as hard as I could and sent it flying across the room. I ran to the nursery to check on Joey. He was still quietly sleeping. I wonder if I should pick him up and get him out of there. The ball was behind me, bouncing in the doorway, blocking my way out. I couldn't believe what was happening. I was being menaced by a demon dodgeball. Am I dreaming this? Have I gone nuts? Am I losing my mind? The damn thing hit me in the forehead again.

Luckily, I was holding on to the side of the crib, so I didn't fall. But damn, that hurt. What do I do now? It was in the middle of the nursery. I didn't dare pick up the baby. If it hit me again, it might knock me out cold. I had to keep Joey safe. Maybe I could lure the thing out of the room. I stepped to the left. It moved to my left. I inched to the right.

It followed my every move. I fake left, darted to the right, and bolted out of the room. After a couple of steps, I turned to make sure it was behind me. It was following me, all right. Suddenly. It came sailing through the air in my direction like someone had struck it with a bat. I ducked just in time. Bounced off the wall, leaving a dent in the plaster. Damn, what the hell is this thing?

I said as I slammed the nursery door shut. I sure didn't want it back in there. The bald demon thing started bouncing in the middle of the room again. Harder and higher. I knew I was in trouble. I must have pissed it off. I creep my way back over to a carton in the corner, not letting the ball out of my sight. I flipped the box open and donned Mickey's old football helmet and grabbed his tennis racket.

I held it like a sword and using my best warrior stance. Okay, now I was ready for it. It flew towards me. I caught it with the racket. It careened to the right and crashed into the antique cupboard. smashing the glass in the door. Now I was pissed. I love that cupboard. I held up the racket, ready for action. Come on, you little rubber son of a bitch.

It must have heard me. It rolled its way out of the hole in the glass and fell to the floor. It slowly bounced towards me. When it got close, it spun a little. and I could see there was a shard of glass sticking about an inch or two out of it. Before I could react, it flung itself at my face. The force of the impact knocked me on my ass again.

I was lying there, afraid to open my eyes. When I did, all I could see was red. The ball had jammed itself between the mouth guard and the front of the helmet. There was a sharp pain right under my left eye, and I could feel something warm trickling down my cheek. The glass shard must have cut me enough to draw blood. The demon ball was stuck.

I could feel it trying to shake itself loose. That was it. I had had it with this thing. I knew I had to act fast. I jumped up, holding the ball in place. I had it. But now what do I do with it? I stumbled over a stack of boxes and one fell on the floor, spilling its contents with a loud clatter. The silverware! I pulled the ball away with my left hand and I found a paring knife with my right.

I held the thing down on the floor. I could feel it trying to wriggle away. I screamed as I stabbed it over and over. It made a little squealing sound that I could have sworn was a cry of pain. After I pushed as much air out as I could, I stood and stomped it flat. Then I tossed it into a plastic trash bag which I tied tightly and ran out and put it in the dumpster in the alley.

When I came back into the house, I could hear little Joey crying. I wondered how long he had been awake. I went into the nursery and gave him his pacifier and sang to him again, which made him go back to sleep. Finally, I was able to get to the bathroom and clean up my face. That night, when Mickey came home, Joey and I were both so happy to see him. But I got my hug and kiss first.

Then he picked Joey up from the floor. The house looks great, David, he said, noticing how I had pretty much unpacked everything and put all the furniture in place. But you broke the glass on the cupboard. That's a long story, I said. Tell me later. Right now, I have presents for both of you. He put Joey down and opened his backpack. This is for you.

He handed me a little box wrapped in shiny blue paper, which I ripped off immediately. Oh, Mickey, thank you. It was the most beautiful silver bracelet I had ever seen. It looked great on my wrist. Now for little Joey. He took out a bright red rubber ball and gave it to the baby. Baba! I can only imagine the look on Mickey's face when I screamed. grabbed the ball from the kid, ran into the kitchen, and stabbed it with a steak knife.

This was once told. In this episode, Joseph Anthony Rulli read, Baba, written by Steve Bellinger. We hope you have enjoyed our program. And be sure to visit us at SteveBellinger.com. Until next time. In the theater, some plays are classics. Good drama worth rediscovering. But soft, what light through yonder window brings? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.

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