WEBVTT - The Drowning Man

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<v Speaker 1>Twelve Ghosts is a production of iHeart three D audio

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<v Speaker 1>and grim and Mild from Aaron Banky Headphones Recommended listener

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<v Speaker 1>discretion advised. In the bleak midwinter, frosty winds may moan

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<v Speaker 1>Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone. Snow

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<v Speaker 1>had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow in the

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<v Speaker 1>bleak midwinter long ago. So this is the afterlife more

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<v Speaker 1>or less, yes, more or less. This is the liminal

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<v Speaker 1>space between life and the next chapter. This is the

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<v Speaker 1>great in between, the lobby of the hotel hereafter. Does

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<v Speaker 1>everyone get this treatment? No? Not. Everyone chooses to come

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<v Speaker 1>in from the cold, and those that don't they stay

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<v Speaker 1>out there in the dark and the cold. Some try

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<v Speaker 1>to return to the place that they were before, but

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<v Speaker 1>I can't imagine they'd enjoy it, most of them cling

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<v Speaker 1>to a loved one or a house they haunted in life.

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<v Speaker 1>Some go back for revenge. But eventually they all end

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<v Speaker 1>up back in the wood here, lucky or sulking, depending

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<v Speaker 1>if I were to have been followed. Ah, now you're

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<v Speaker 1>getting somewhere. Could they follow me in here? Perhaps? But

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<v Speaker 1>they get nothing beside a long slumber. This is a

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<v Speaker 1>place of rest. There is nothing here but a fire

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<v Speaker 1>and wine and peace, and the bell always the bell

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<v Speaker 1>call to action, a beginning and end, the tolls for

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<v Speaker 1>the traveler. Hello, there you look surprisingly chipper. Come in, ah, Charmie, Well,

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<v Speaker 1>I thank you. You must be Augustine, one and the same.

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<v Speaker 1>And would you like an I swarming cup of mulled wine. Augustine,

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<v Speaker 1>I would thank you, coming right up. Hello, Apologies, I

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<v Speaker 1>was swept away in your rosy demeanor and forgot my manners. Augustine.

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<v Speaker 1>This is Annabelle. Hello. How was your journey surprising? I

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<v Speaker 1>didn't know what to expect. Well, you're in good company.

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<v Speaker 1>The wine m hm smells amazing. I hope that you

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<v Speaker 1>enjoy it. It's excellent. How interesting to see someone so

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<v Speaker 1>happy to be here. Most visitors seem quite unprepared to

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<v Speaker 1>be at my table. I have grown accustomed to the unusual,

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<v Speaker 1>the uncanny I see. I've sought it out since I

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<v Speaker 1>first became aware that there was something beyond the veil.

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<v Speaker 1>Do tell it began at the Dalton House. The beauty

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<v Speaker 1>of the Dalton House could not be seen from the road.

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<v Speaker 1>They said it was better viewed from a small beach

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<v Speaker 1>called snow Cove, and the sea if I ever ventured

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<v Speaker 1>into the water, though that was unlikely. I peered through

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<v Speaker 1>the woods as I drove, watching for hints of life.

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<v Speaker 1>I saw nothing. The twisted trees and rocky cliffs were

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<v Speaker 1>angry gatekeepers. A few flurries, forewarned of a storm. I

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<v Speaker 1>knew I was close when I saw a glimmer of

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<v Speaker 1>lights ahead. Dalton House was a desolate gym, like a star,

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<v Speaker 1>barely tethered to this earth, and it was my home

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<v Speaker 1>for Christmas. By the time I unloaded my bags, the

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<v Speaker 1>snow started to swirl. The roads would not be cleared

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<v Speaker 1>again until the day after Christmas. I'm ashamed to say

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<v Speaker 1>I felt a little afraid, but fear was a welcome

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<v Speaker 1>change from my sadness. I was the caretaker at Dalton

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<v Speaker 1>House for the month of December. The family promised an

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<v Speaker 1>ample supply of firewood and running water. I was capable

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<v Speaker 1>with an axe if I needed. Spiders and cobwebs did

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<v Speaker 1>not frighten me. I love the idea of a warm

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<v Speaker 1>fire and a quiet Christmas Holidays were noisy and crowded

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<v Speaker 1>in my family. That meant exhausting. I spent years giving

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<v Speaker 1>myself to school and work in my family, but I

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<v Speaker 1>never did anything for me. It felt dangerous putting myself first,

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<v Speaker 1>but that's what I planned to do. Dalton House was

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<v Speaker 1>a job and a lift. December would be a fresh start,

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<v Speaker 1>the end of the year, new beginnings. I wandered through

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<v Speaker 1>the house. Sofas and chairs surrounded a grand piano in

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<v Speaker 1>the parlor. It glistened like a black mirror in the

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<v Speaker 1>center of the room. Across the hall, I found a

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<v Speaker 1>dark dining room with a low hanging chandelier. I touched

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<v Speaker 1>the counters in the kitchen and straightened cans and the

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<v Speaker 1>overstocked pantry. Eventually I found the great room, with a

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<v Speaker 1>wall of windows that faced the gray sea. The sound

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<v Speaker 1>rumbled through the glass. To my surprise, the fireplace roared

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<v Speaker 1>with life. The orange flames and warmth lured me further

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<v Speaker 1>into the room. I was supposed to start the fire,

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<v Speaker 1>and yet there it was burning, hot and bright. Someone

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<v Speaker 1>had recently been in the house. Of course, they sent someone,

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<v Speaker 1>I told myself. A freshly cut Christmas tree stood near

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<v Speaker 1>the window. It was green and damp. The scent of

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<v Speaker 1>pine filled the room. Several boxes of decoration surrounded the tree.

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<v Speaker 1>I picked up the simple card on top Merry Christmas Augustine.

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<v Speaker 1>The Daltons told me that their great grandfather had been

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<v Speaker 1>a sea captain. He built this house when he retired

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<v Speaker 1>from working the sea. It was clear from the love

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<v Speaker 1>put into it that his heart hadn't quite retired. Every

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<v Speaker 1>generation after spent Christmas in that place. The house had

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<v Speaker 1>been renovated numerous times over the years. I could tell

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<v Speaker 1>which walls were built by Captain Dalton's hands. As I

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<v Speaker 1>fell asleep on the first night, I wondered about him,

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<v Speaker 1>the captain who loved the sea, the house he built,

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<v Speaker 1>the state near her. On the first full day, I

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<v Speaker 1>barely made halfway down the beach when I heard the bells.

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<v Speaker 1>A child ran towards me from the distance. He was

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<v Speaker 1>a young boy who waved cheerfully. He wore heavy boots

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<v Speaker 1>and a good coat, like he was used to the

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<v Speaker 1>biting December wind on the shore. I waved back. I

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<v Speaker 1>was delighted to see that I had neighbors after all. Hello,

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<v Speaker 1>Mere Christmas. He shouted and looked as excited as Christmas morning.

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<v Speaker 1>He found a treasure of shiny rocks. He emptied his

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<v Speaker 1>pockets to show me the stones he carried, smooth, jagged

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<v Speaker 1>and every color of the rainbow. The boy asked me

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<v Speaker 1>to join him. I collected as many as I could

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<v Speaker 1>find and laid them on a boulder for his inspection.

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<v Speaker 1>He was about to critique my collection when he turned

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<v Speaker 1>his head toward the wind. My mom is calling. He

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<v Speaker 1>got up and ran down the shore, just as happy

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<v Speaker 1>as before. He turned and waved one last time. I

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<v Speaker 1>heard the bells again when he shouted goodbye. I mirrored

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<v Speaker 1>his excitement with my own as I waved back. If

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<v Speaker 1>Christmas had a sound, it was the sound of a

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<v Speaker 1>child's laughter and the echoing of jingle bells. That night,

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<v Speaker 1>I kept the fire roaring and started to decorate the

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<v Speaker 1>Christmas tree. I looked down the beach for signs of

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<v Speaker 1>another house or lights through the trees. There were none.

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<v Speaker 1>There was nothing but the darkness. The next afternoon, I

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<v Speaker 1>met my young friend again. As I walked on the beach,

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<v Speaker 1>we searched for slipper shells. He challenged me to a

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<v Speaker 1>race and then a skipping contest. I was about to

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<v Speaker 1>ask him about his family when he paused, I have

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<v Speaker 1>to go. I'll see you tomorrow. Merry Christmas. He sprinted

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<v Speaker 1>down the beach and remembered to wave at me from

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<v Speaker 1>the distance. On the third day, we made a snow man.

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<v Speaker 1>The sand and snow were nice compliments to each other.

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<v Speaker 1>The boy found rocks and shells for eyes and nose.

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<v Speaker 1>I found driftwood. The final masterpiece stood almost as tall

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<v Speaker 1>as me. He's a sea captain, the boy exclaimed. I

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<v Speaker 1>want to be a captain when I grow up. I

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<v Speaker 1>thought of Captain Dalton and looked back at the house.

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<v Speaker 1>It was a perfect site from the beach. The house

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<v Speaker 1>was painted navy blue with white trim. It looked like

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<v Speaker 1>a Christmas dream. The boys infectious laughter filled the air.

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<v Speaker 1>I wish I could stay with you forever, he said.

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<v Speaker 1>The child turned toward Dalton House. Have you been here before?

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<v Speaker 1>I asked. Then the wind changed and he stood up.

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<v Speaker 1>I noticed a bell tied to a button on his coat.

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<v Speaker 1>When he ran off, he made a familiar sound, bells

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<v Speaker 1>and laughter. He paused and looked at me one more time.

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<v Speaker 1>Merry Christmas, Augustine. I never told him my name. The

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<v Speaker 1>next day, I did not see the boy when I

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<v Speaker 1>took my walk. I hesitated when I thought of venturing

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<v Speaker 1>further down the beach to where he usually emerged. It

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<v Speaker 1>seemed silly to me to miss the company of a

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<v Speaker 1>child who I did not know. I was thankful for him.

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<v Speaker 1>My eyes were now good at finding the little things.

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<v Speaker 1>But without his laughter and bells, the beach felt lonely

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<v Speaker 1>and haunted at the same time. That night, I decorated

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<v Speaker 1>the Christmas tree with glass ornaments and seashells. Periodically I

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<v Speaker 1>gazed out over the sea. Something caught my eye. I

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<v Speaker 1>saw the shadow on the water. It was an old

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<v Speaker 1>man rowing. He was strong and moved through the ocean easily.

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<v Speaker 1>He glanced over his shoulder and saw me at the window.

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<v Speaker 1>Our eyes locked. I couldn't make out all the details

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<v Speaker 1>of his face, but he was there. He raised a

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<v Speaker 1>hand to me in greeting, but before I could return

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<v Speaker 1>the gesture, I saw him mouth the single word from

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<v Speaker 1>across the distance, augusty. My heart braced. I was afraid.

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<v Speaker 1>I touched the glass between us, and just like that,

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<v Speaker 1>he was gone behind a wave. I blinked my eyes

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<v Speaker 1>many times to see if he returned. He didn't. Who

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<v Speaker 1>was he? How did he know my name? Why was

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<v Speaker 1>I said that he was gone? The following night, I

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<v Speaker 1>sat in a chair by the window and stared outside.

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<v Speaker 1>Sadness makes your mind bold and reckless ways. At first

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<v Speaker 1>he didn't come. Then as I started to fall asleep,

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<v Speaker 1>I heard bells. He was out there on the water.

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<v Speaker 1>I felt him. It wasn't my imagination. I opened my eyes.

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<v Speaker 1>There he rode for many moments before glancing up at

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<v Speaker 1>the house, his eyes on me, Augustine, and then he

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<v Speaker 1>was gone. Nothing on the water, not shadow or boat

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<v Speaker 1>or spirit. I warmed at his whispered word. He missed me.

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<v Speaker 1>How could a hundred year old man who lived a

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<v Speaker 1>hundred years ago miss me? I was so tired in

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<v Speaker 1>my life and hadn't thought about love. Something in his

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<v Speaker 1>eyes and voice suggested that if I chose to live,

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<v Speaker 1>love might be waiting for me. A more ly, he

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<v Speaker 1>was longing for me. I was haunting him. I saw

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<v Speaker 1>him again on the next night. Once more he whispered

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<v Speaker 1>my name and disappeared. The following day, I didn't see

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<v Speaker 1>anything as I watched the beach in ocean. I had

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<v Speaker 1>spent three days with a boy on the beach and

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<v Speaker 1>three nights with an old man watching me from the water.

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<v Speaker 1>Just as the boy had come and gone. The old

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<v Speaker 1>ghosts did not show up a fourth time, but walking

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<v Speaker 1>on the coal sand. I heard something from the sea, bells, splashing,

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<v Speaker 1>and a cry for help. I hugged my coat closer

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<v Speaker 1>around me in panic, going into the water, midt dying, help,

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<v Speaker 1>is anyone there? My panic stepped into the tide just

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<v Speaker 1>like that, mh. The water went still, still as a

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<v Speaker 1>hidden lake. The ocean became a perfect mirror above a

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<v Speaker 1>single star shone brightly in the black sky. I could

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<v Speaker 1>see him then, floating lifeless, naked, like a newborn baby.

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<v Speaker 1>A single push of the tide brought him to the

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<v Speaker 1>shore at my feet, like a gift. I waded into

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<v Speaker 1>the water to pull him onto the sand. He was

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<v Speaker 1>coughing cold. He wore talisman around his neck and nothing else.

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<v Speaker 1>With effort, I got him to stand and he stumbled

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<v Speaker 1>in confusion. I wrapped my coat around him. What are

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<v Speaker 1>you doing here? He has between breaths. Where's my family?

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<v Speaker 1>I have to get you inside. Let me help you.

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<v Speaker 1>Though he eyed me warily, he was weak, he did

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<v Speaker 1>not fight. I was strength. As we climbed the steps

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<v Speaker 1>to the house. Tell me your name, I said I

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<v Speaker 1>he paused, my name is. I put him in front

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<v Speaker 1>of the fire and brought tea with whiskey. This is

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<v Speaker 1>my family's house. He was talking to himself, not me.

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<v Speaker 1>He was trying to remember something. For the first time,

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<v Speaker 1>I felt like I didn't belong at this place. The

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<v Speaker 1>house that once had been mine became his. I turned

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<v Speaker 1>to look for clothes in my room when I heard

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<v Speaker 1>his voice behind me. You sleep in the captain's room.

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<v Speaker 1>I had not considered sleeping in any other. It felt

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<v Speaker 1>like mine. I rummaged through drawers until I found draw

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<v Speaker 1>string pants in a long leave shirt. Everything perfumed with cedar.

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<v Speaker 1>He accepted the clothes, the whiskey, the tea. We sat

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<v Speaker 1>in silence until he took a breath that sounded human.

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<v Speaker 1>Still he didn't know his name. He stared at a

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<v Speaker 1>portrait of the old captain over the fireplace. They looked

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<v Speaker 1>like echoes of each other. The necklace he wore made

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<v Speaker 1>a jingling sound. I don't have a way to get

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<v Speaker 1>you help. Into the road clears, but in the morning

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<v Speaker 1>I can walk down the beach to the other house

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<v Speaker 1>and see if they can get you help. I said,

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<v Speaker 1>what house. I pointed in the direction where the boy

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<v Speaker 1>would greet me. There are no other houses on this point.

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<v Speaker 1>That way is the sea cliff. He closed his eyes

0:17:47.840 --> 0:17:52.760
<v Speaker 1>and took a shuttered breath. Oh God, my head hurts.

0:17:53.560 --> 0:17:57.280
<v Speaker 1>I'm so tired. I asked him not to sleep because

0:17:57.280 --> 0:18:01.200
<v Speaker 1>he might have a concussion. He agreed to but stay awake,

0:18:02.240 --> 0:18:05.800
<v Speaker 1>so I spoke to him. I told him the history

0:18:05.800 --> 0:18:07.879
<v Speaker 1>of the Dalton family and how the old sea captain

0:18:07.920 --> 0:18:11.480
<v Speaker 1>built this place. I told him of my long drive

0:18:11.560 --> 0:18:14.320
<v Speaker 1>to find the house, and how I busied myself for

0:18:14.359 --> 0:18:19.359
<v Speaker 1>the first seven days. Nothing seemed to jog his memory.

0:18:20.119 --> 0:18:22.160
<v Speaker 1>I did not mention the boy or the old man.

0:18:22.880 --> 0:18:26.200
<v Speaker 1>I don't know why. I offered him the captain's room,

0:18:26.240 --> 0:18:28.840
<v Speaker 1>but he didn't want it. He found a bedroom down

0:18:28.840 --> 0:18:32.600
<v Speaker 1>the hall. In the morning. I finally let him rest

0:18:33.640 --> 0:18:37.360
<v Speaker 1>before he closed his eyes. I never asked your name,

0:18:37.800 --> 0:18:41.800
<v Speaker 1>he said. I didn't want to give my name. It

0:18:41.840 --> 0:18:47.560
<v Speaker 1>seems silly like my name might mean something to him, Augustine.

0:18:49.440 --> 0:18:51.919
<v Speaker 1>He stared at me for a long time. When he

0:18:51.960 --> 0:19:00.320
<v Speaker 1>closed his eyes, he whispered, Augustine, Augustine. I shivered, m h.

0:19:04.680 --> 0:19:08.280
<v Speaker 1>When he woke, he didn't talk much, but he asked

0:19:08.280 --> 0:19:14.680
<v Speaker 1>why I was alone. Loneliness seemed unnatural to him. Eventually

0:19:14.680 --> 0:19:17.600
<v Speaker 1>I told him that I needed quiet. I told him

0:19:17.640 --> 0:19:21.240
<v Speaker 1>I needed time to take care of myself. I admitted

0:19:21.280 --> 0:19:24.760
<v Speaker 1>the truth that many people avoided Christmas. The holidays had

0:19:24.760 --> 0:19:27.879
<v Speaker 1>always made me sad. He was next to me on

0:19:27.920 --> 0:19:30.040
<v Speaker 1>the sofa. When he reached out to hold my hand.

0:19:31.200 --> 0:19:33.800
<v Speaker 1>I saw the lights from the tree reflected in his

0:19:33.880 --> 0:19:40.240
<v Speaker 1>dark eyes. I'm glad you're here, Augustine. I wished I

0:19:40.359 --> 0:19:44.679
<v Speaker 1>knew his name. He pulled me close and I rested

0:19:44.720 --> 0:19:48.760
<v Speaker 1>my head on his shoulder. Over the next several days,

0:19:49.080 --> 0:19:51.399
<v Speaker 1>he gave me space to take walks and read in

0:19:51.440 --> 0:19:54.520
<v Speaker 1>front of the fire. I believe he was embarrassed to

0:19:54.560 --> 0:19:59.240
<v Speaker 1>interrupt my solitude. We circled away from each other. I

0:19:59.240 --> 0:20:02.520
<v Speaker 1>would feed the ire in the hearth. He would make dinner.

0:20:03.359 --> 0:20:05.960
<v Speaker 1>The first time it surprised me, but then we got

0:20:06.000 --> 0:20:08.040
<v Speaker 1>into the easy habit of circling near each other in

0:20:08.040 --> 0:20:11.760
<v Speaker 1>the kitchen at night, he would cook, I would clean.

0:20:12.680 --> 0:20:14.560
<v Speaker 1>We both could play the piano enough to get a

0:20:14.640 --> 0:20:17.919
<v Speaker 1>laugh or smile out of the other. He could not

0:20:18.080 --> 0:20:24.440
<v Speaker 1>remember his name, but he said mine often. I tried

0:20:24.480 --> 0:20:27.360
<v Speaker 1>to figure out who the man was. We looked through photos.

0:20:28.400 --> 0:20:34.080
<v Speaker 1>He wasn't in them, but he resembled every face we saw. Still,

0:20:34.760 --> 0:20:38.760
<v Speaker 1>we fell into a comfortable routine. He cooked with more

0:20:38.800 --> 0:20:42.200
<v Speaker 1>passion and speed than I could. The fires he built

0:20:42.280 --> 0:20:47.240
<v Speaker 1>burned brighter. He smelled like cedar, and see and miracles.

0:20:48.280 --> 0:20:51.080
<v Speaker 1>He loved Christmas and knew this house. Yet he'd never

0:20:51.119 --> 0:20:53.400
<v Speaker 1>seen the ghost of a boy or an old man,

0:20:54.440 --> 0:21:00.760
<v Speaker 1>just me. I was the one haunting him. On Christmas Eve,

0:21:01.760 --> 0:21:07.200
<v Speaker 1>I kissed him, his tongue hot and sweet like apple cider.

0:21:08.720 --> 0:21:13.919
<v Speaker 1>On Christmas morning he undressed me. My skin was cold

0:21:14.000 --> 0:21:17.119
<v Speaker 1>until he touched me. The talisman around his neck meat

0:21:17.160 --> 0:21:19.919
<v Speaker 1>a sound that reminded me of a boy's laughter and

0:21:19.960 --> 0:21:23.520
<v Speaker 1>an old man on the sea. He didn't know where

0:21:23.520 --> 0:21:26.960
<v Speaker 1>the necklace came from, only that it had always been

0:21:26.960 --> 0:21:31.760
<v Speaker 1>with him. He kissed me slowly, and we fell asleep.

0:21:35.320 --> 0:21:39.639
<v Speaker 1>In the morning, the road was cleared of snow. He

0:21:39.800 --> 0:21:46.240
<v Speaker 1>was gone, but I wasn't alone. He'd left behind the laughter,

0:21:47.400 --> 0:21:53.440
<v Speaker 1>longing and love. The necklace was on me as though

0:21:53.480 --> 0:22:04.960
<v Speaker 1>it had always been there. You gave him peace, how lovely?

0:22:06.800 --> 0:22:11.480
<v Speaker 1>I do hope so he certainly brought me peace and

0:22:11.600 --> 0:22:18.879
<v Speaker 1>the rest of your life. M hm. It was remarkable. Mh.

0:22:20.119 --> 0:22:26.159
<v Speaker 1>But now now I would like to rest well. That

0:22:26.400 --> 0:22:32.520
<v Speaker 1>just happens to be the house speciality. I thought it

0:22:32.600 --> 0:22:38.800
<v Speaker 1>may be Here is a key, Augustine. Up the stairs,

0:22:39.480 --> 0:22:43.840
<v Speaker 1>seventh store on the left. You'll find what you've come for.

0:22:45.840 --> 0:22:52.680
<v Speaker 1>Along went his nap and you. I sent some tremor

0:22:52.760 --> 0:22:59.320
<v Speaker 1>beneath the surface. I hope you find rest as well well.

0:23:00.119 --> 0:23:09.919
<v Speaker 1>Off to bed with me, good night. What did she

0:23:10.040 --> 0:23:17.600
<v Speaker 1>mean a tremor? I surely do not know, And yet yet,

0:23:19.200 --> 0:23:22.080
<v Speaker 1>and yet I feel as though you are close to

0:23:22.119 --> 0:23:26.920
<v Speaker 1>finding out, my dear. Let's have another cup of wine.

0:23:28.160 --> 0:23:49.919
<v Speaker 1>The night isn't getting any younger. Twelve Ghosts starring Malcolm

0:23:49.960 --> 0:23:55.159
<v Speaker 1>McDowell as the Innkeeper and Gina Rikiki as Annabelle. Episode seven,

0:23:55.320 --> 0:23:59.040
<v Speaker 1>The Drowning Man written by Nikki Salcedo with additional writing

0:23:59.080 --> 0:24:03.160
<v Speaker 1>by Nicholas to Ski, editing by Chris Childs and Stephen Perez,

0:24:03.400 --> 0:24:08.639
<v Speaker 1>featuring April Parker Jones as Augustine. Directed by Nicholas Takowski.

0:24:09.040 --> 0:24:13.800
<v Speaker 1>Original score and sound design by Chris Child's. Executive producers

0:24:13.880 --> 0:24:19.400
<v Speaker 1>Aaron Mankey, Matt Frederick, Alexander Williams and Nicholas Takowski. Supervising

0:24:19.440 --> 0:24:25.040
<v Speaker 1>producer Josh Staine, Producers Chris Child's and Stephen Perez. Casting

0:24:25.119 --> 0:24:27.920
<v Speaker 1>by Sunday Bowling, C s A and Meg Mormon c

0:24:28.200 --> 0:24:32.800
<v Speaker 1>s A production coordinator Wayna Calderon, recorded at Lantern Audio

0:24:32.880 --> 0:24:37.439
<v Speaker 1>in Atlanta, Georgia, engineered by Chris Gardner, Aeros Sound and

0:24:37.520 --> 0:24:42.920
<v Speaker 1>Recording in Ojai, California, engineered by Ken Arros. Twelve Ghosts

0:24:43.000 --> 0:24:46.199
<v Speaker 1>was created by Nicholas Takowski. Then is a production of

0:24:46.240 --> 0:24:48.720
<v Speaker 1>i Heeart three D Audio and Grim and Mild from

0:24:48.720 --> 0:24:51.480
<v Speaker 1>Aaron Manky. Learn more about the show at Grim and

0:24:51.600 --> 0:24:54.440
<v Speaker 1>Mild dot com and find more podcasts from i heart

0:24:54.480 --> 0:24:57.639
<v Speaker 1>Radio by visiting the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

0:24:57.760 --> 0:25:00.080
<v Speaker 1>or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. O