"Echoes"

They've stumbled onto this station. Don't attempt to adjust your device. Door creaks, wolf howls, and the terror of silence echo throughout the night. This is the program that will send chills down your spine. Step right up and listen in. Because your horror show is about to begin. ha ha ha ha

Salutations to all my creepy crawlers. I as always am your host, Mr. Graves. And before we get into it... This episode will contain sounds of grotesque violence and cosmic horror. Listener discretion is advised. I'm currently writing a monologue for the broadcast tonight. And it's got me all kinds of dead inside. process of writing that sends shivers down our bones. The difficulty of putting something on the page can be as frightening as the story itself.

A perfect setup for our next tale, which finds an author searching for inspiration wherever she can find it. This one's called Echo. Peace. Peace. What was that? Hello? Hello? Hello, is anyone there? Hello?

No, no derivative. Let's start again. Why can't I think of anything? Another night. sitting at a blank page. I had to make this one count. I had to make this one special. Ever since the reviews came out for the last book, I knew this was my chance. The one chance. To really make something of myself. That is, if I could find some inspiration. Come... Brought you some food. Your favorite. Grilled cheese and tomato soup. Thanks, darling.

How's it going? Struggling. What else is new? Well, I'm sure you'll find the story soon. Normally it takes a couple stinkers before you hit the breakthrough. I know, but this time it feels different. Nothing is coming to me. I know what it feels like when it happens. It's like a bolt of lightning running through your body. I've heard this story a million times, my love. You know, we could relax a little bit. Get your mind off things. Oh, you're bad. I know, but you love it.

needed that. So did I. I'm going to go downstairs to get some water. Do you need anything? Nope. Just happy. Hurry back quickly. You need to stop overthinking everything. Just get back to basics. That's what got you here in the first place. You have the whole world waiting on your next book. What other author can say that? Get back to what... scares you. That's where all the hits come from. Once I do that everything will click into place. Now

What scares you? I heard the sound of my refrigerator door shaking in front of me. It looked possessed. Like there was an earthquake right below it. Joan! Get down here! The fridge is doing something funny. The refrigerator door opened and I began to see a shining bright light emerge from the inside. It pulsated and moved all around me. Its warmth and breath pulled me into it. I felt a strange...

Fear start to take hold of me. Before I knew it, my entire body was being pulled into a large wormhole. Help! Help! What is happening to me? I was then sucked into the dimensional wormhole. I... could see the cosmos swirling around me every universe planet and piece of energy was flashing before my eyes was i dead i was suddenly spat out onto a large wall surrounded by other wormholes. Oh God, am I alive? Where... Where am I? Help! Somebody help me! A great horror stood in front of me.

A large monstrosity with tentacles slithering all around me. I began to feel a sense of emptiness as I saw a vast dimension of darkness. The creature then opened its mouth, spoke to me. Where am I? Who are you? I... I don't understand. What are you trying to tell me? Suddenly, a giant tentacle latched onto my brain. I tried to scream but no sound came out. I could feel its consciousness inside of me. It was...

trying to speak to me to help me understand. Just as quickly as I was transported to this universe, I was suddenly back in the void, flying through the cosmos.

I saw everything through my third eye. Then I heard a familiar sound. May? May! Wake up! Are you okay? Oh my god, what happened? It looked like you fell. I saw it. I spoke to it. Spoke to what? What are you talking about? I heard you say something about the refrigerator door and... I have it. Have what? Where are you going? You need to rest. Can't rest now. Have to write. I sat down at the typewriter and it started to pour out of me.

A rush of creativity ran through me like an energy surge. I was furiously typing my story. It was exhilarating. I felt renewed and alive, like I could see for the first time. And just as quickly as it came, though, I... It started to fade away. I only have the first third. I still need a middle act and an ending.

Hey, you stayed up all night. Everything okay? Everything's fine. Just had a bolt of inspiration. Had to write it. Well, good. I'm glad. Are you finished? No, still working. Oh, well, I'm sure you'll find it. This is always how your process works, right? What do you mean by that? I mean, you always struggle a little bit, then something hits you and you get back to writing again. It's normal. You don't know anything.

about what's normal for me. Okay. Calm down. I didn't mean any offense by it. No! You always do this! You try to stifle me and question me. I need to work and get into the creative mind. You can't understand that? Hey, I see someone is very moody today. I'm just going to leave you alone and come back later. Fine! Leave! I don't need you. I was alone. Sitting in my chair, looking at the empty page.

The typewriter and I are in a standoff like a gunfight in the Old West. My mind drifted to the night before. The light. The voice echoing from the cosmos attempting to reach me. The tentacles attached to my skull. piercing into my psyche. Suddenly, I felt hollow. A sense of fear coming over me. No, no, this can't be happening. I was so close. Why can't I finish this? Tell me! Please tell me what to write next! Hello? What... What is that?

Joan! Are you downstairs? As I walked down the stairs, I began to get goosebumps. A feeling of dread. Once I reached the kitchen, I saw... a glowing light in front of the refrigerator. As I approached the door, I felt a pulsating energy shoot through me. An adrenaline rush that made me eager to see what else was behind this thing that we normally put mayonnaise in. I took a deep breath and put my hand on the handle.

I began to open and saw... There's nothing here. Where is the light? The portal? What the hell happened? Fuck! Now how am I going to finish this story? That's when I heard it. The dryer. The only problem? I wasn't the one who turned it on. Joan? Joan, are you in there? As I walked over, I saw the same glimmering light shining from the lid. Horror and adrenaline gripped me as I approached the lid and put my hand on it.

I felt a jolt of electricity race through me and then I opened it. I was transported back into the wormhole, flying through the unknown. I was barely able to make details out in their fantastical brilliance. My eyes were burning with images. My mind was expanding and growing. Then it stopped. I fell back on a large rock surface staring up into the void when an image made of black stared back into me and spoke to me again.

Please, I don't understand. I know you're trying to tell me something, but what? I need a second act. Please. Just tell me what I need to know. Again, the giant tentacle latched onto me. I felt its power jolt through me and I was whole again. All the ideas pulsated through me like a current of energy.

Yes, I see it. I know what I need to do. I see it now. I see it now! I see it now! I see it! Mei, oh my god, you're bleeding. Wake up! I see it. It's so clear. What the hell happened? Where are you near the dryer? I saw the light and then I opened the lid. Mei, I'm scared. You aren't like yourself. What's going on? Please talk to me. This isn't your normal workflow.

I can't. I need to write. May, I don't like this. You're bleeding. You shouldn't be writing right now. We may need to go to the ER. No. Must. Write. May? May! I started to type furiously, my fingers moving with a precision I hadn't felt since the last encounter. I had a gigantic smile on my face. My masterpiece was coming together. Yes, yes, this is it! Oh, it's going to be perfect. Mei, I know you're working, but you're bleeding all over the typewriter. Excuse me?

You're bleeding all over the typewriter? You don't see that huge gash on your head? We need to get you to the hospital. You don't get it, do you? I'm creating something here. It's all so clear to me. Calm down. I'm just trying to talk to you. Not everything has to be a fight. I love you. You don't get how long I've slaved away at this. How I've put my heart and soul into this. This is my life, Joan.

My passion. These are my words going onto this page. Do you even care? You act like I don't live through your creative process, your constant outbursts, but I do. I live through everything. You want to create? Then do it. But you're gonna do it alone, though. I'm leaving. What? What? You're leaving, now. I'm so close. I can't keep doing this, Mei. You are...

Incredibly talented, but I can't take these ups and downs. You get so angry when you get writer's block. I love all of you, not just your creative side. Please. begging you oh you don't know what it's like the pressure i'm under to have each new book be better than the last the pressure To deliver something better than before. I get it. Look, let me take care of this gash and why don't we call it a night and let's get into bed. I miss you. Okay.

Okay. Yeah, sounds good. I'm sorry. As Joan walked away, I could hear the voice inside my brain. It was still talking to me. It wasn't going to go away. It was inside me now. I couldn't escape it. I looked at the clock and it was now one in the morning. I saw Joan next to me and she was fast asleep. I knew this was my chance. I got up and went back to the typewriter.

The words began to pour out of me like a faucet. My eyes were glazed over like I was possessed by something within me. I looked down on the keys and the blood started to drip from my head. I couldn't be bothered with that now. I was near the end. The thing every single person would remember me for. I was so close. Wait, where did it go? I'm so close. I just need the ending. Mei? Mei, what's going on? It stopped feeding me. I have so much done, but I need the ending. Okay.

Why don't you come back to bed and you'll finish it in the morning? No! You don't understand. I'm so close. I have to talk to it again. Talk to what? Mate, I think we better take you to the hospital. I told you that you needed to relax. The hospital? No, no. I'm not going anywhere until I finish this. I have to speak to it again.

I ran down the stairs and towards the laundry room. I just needed one more visit and then my magnum opus would be complete. I just needed an ending. That's when I heard it.

The kitchen faucet was on. I began to walk over and was almost hypnotized by the sound. This thing was talking to me. I put my head below the running water and suddenly it pulled me in. May? May, are you down here? Please come back to bed. I'm sorry about what I said. Let's just talk about this and I... Oh my god! May! Mei, is that you? What's going on with your face? Those slimy things. Oh my god, stay away. Stay away. Help!

This is everything I've been working towards. It's beautiful. It's done. It's finally done. Oh, now I can finally show the world my creation. What do you think, my love? Do you think everyone will like it? No. And that should. I seem to have broken through that bit of writer's block I experienced earlier and completed something I very much admire. Speaking of... It seems our friend May enjoyed the ending of her story. Everyone needs a muse.

Even if it has eight arms and sucks everything out of you. My favorite kind of ending. To all the writers out there. Keep going. You never know who or what will come out of your brain next. We'll hear you next time on Your Horror Show. Hi, my name is Ryan Joseph Murphy, creator of Your Horror Show. I hope you enjoyed our latest episode, Echoes. I want to thank our amazing voice actors, Jenny Lorenzo and Melissa Medina.

You both were a pleasure to work with, and I hope to do it again soon. I also want to thank our incredible producers, Jonathan Graves, Gavin Michael Booth, and Sade Sellers. Last but not least, our incredible editor slash sound designer, Brad Kolbrock. As of right now, this show is running on blood, sweat, and passion to tell the best immersive scary stories that we can. While we don't have our Patreon up and running yet, we would love it if you could help spread the word about the show.

Even if that means just telling one person to listen to it, it would make a huge difference and we would sincerely appreciate it. We would also love to connect with you via all of our socials at Your Horror Show. Until our next episode. Sweet dreams. The Fable and Falling Network, where fiction producers flourish. Come on, tell me more about your monster world. Right. October is one of the written worlds.

Places that exist because we need them to tell stories. It might be the oldest. Because it serves one of the deepest needs. It is a world that's made of monsters. Here we go. Gargoyles, working construction, and gremlins in the machinery. Trolls and the lindworm and werecreatures in the forest. Gilfolks in the rivers and kaiju beyond the mountains. The moonkin and the puka.

And I know at least one skeleton by name. I'm going to stop you before the Jabberwock and the Jump Jump Bird. I get the picture. It'd sure be something if that were a place where we could actually go, wouldn't it, Caro? Yeah, it sure would be. Waiting for October, a queer supernatural audio drama from Monkey Man Productions. Find us in all your podcast apps. The story starts this Halloween.