WEBVTT - Unexplained Bonus Episode: William, An Origin Story 0:00:00.080 --> 0:00:03.000 There's nothing better than feeling comfortable in your own shoes, 0:00:03.279 --> 0:00:05.240 and that doesn't mean flopping down on the couch with 0:00:05.280 --> 0:00:08.640 bunny slippers. Maybe you're a parent raising a little rock star, 0:00:09.119 --> 0:00:11.959 or a tech nomad working from anywhere and jumping from 0:00:11.960 --> 0:00:14.920 one thing to the next. Whoever you are, all Birds 0:00:14.960 --> 0:00:17.360 wants you to be comfortable in your actual shoes too. 0:00:17.720 --> 0:00:21.279 They're wool runners, pipers, and loungers are designed for a 0:00:21.400 --> 0:00:23.480 level of coziness that makes you feel like you can 0:00:23.520 --> 0:00:26.479 do anything. You might even forget you're wearing them, and 0:00:26.560 --> 0:00:29.720 their shoes are so stylish they go perfectly without wear 0:00:29.800 --> 0:00:32.960 whatever I want attitude. Alberts is all about loving mother 0:00:33.080 --> 0:00:36.120 nature too, because no one wants to leave a bad footprint. 0:00:36.479 --> 0:00:39.800 Each shoe is carefully crafted from natural materials that tread 0:00:39.880 --> 0:00:43.680 lightly on our planet, from ZQ certified Marino wool to 0:00:43.800 --> 0:00:46.880 a bouncy midsole made from sweet Foam, the world's first 0:00:46.920 --> 0:00:50.959 carbon negative EVA material made from sugarcane. So get comfortable 0:00:50.960 --> 0:00:53.920 in your shoes. Get to know the wool runners, pipers 0:00:54.000 --> 0:00:58.720 and loungers at Alberts dot com. That's alll bi rds 0:00:58.960 --> 0:01:13.840 dot com. Welcome to a special bonus episode of Unexplained. 0:01:14.959 --> 0:01:17.559 Since I am currently away, rather than leave a large 0:01:17.600 --> 0:01:20.160 gap before the next episode, I thought I'd give you 0:01:20.280 --> 0:01:23.960 something else to fill the time. So, without further ado, 0:01:24.480 --> 0:01:26.880 I invite you to imagine we're deep in the forest, 0:01:27.440 --> 0:01:30.960 camped out around a roaring fire, telling each other stories. 0:01:32.360 --> 0:01:38.760 This one is mine. The window began to rattle, and 0:01:38.840 --> 0:01:41.120 for the first time he became aware of the storm 0:01:41.280 --> 0:01:45.840 unfurling outside. Leaving him on the bed, She ran to 0:01:45.880 --> 0:01:49.160 the window and unclasped the lock. A huge gust of 0:01:49.200 --> 0:01:52.880 wind rips the pane from her hands. He watches as 0:01:52.880 --> 0:01:55.400 his mother leans into the night and speaks fast and 0:01:55.480 --> 0:01:58.840 soft under her breath. Something between her and the wind 0:02:00.520 --> 0:02:03.440 high above, a bright moon begins to dim as the 0:02:03.440 --> 0:02:08.120 clouds thicken and twist above the house. Moments later, a 0:02:08.240 --> 0:02:11.560 large black bird swoops on to the window sill. She 0:02:11.680 --> 0:02:14.240 lets it hop on to her finger calmly strokes its 0:02:14.240 --> 0:02:17.520 feathers before bringing it over to the child. She holds 0:02:17.560 --> 0:02:20.560 the bird out for him to stroke. He laughs as 0:02:20.600 --> 0:02:24.720 it hops on to his shoulder. Yes, he is yours now, 0:02:25.480 --> 0:02:29.040 he will take care of you, she says. The sound 0:02:29.040 --> 0:02:32.920 of distant voices draws her back to the window. Staring 0:02:32.960 --> 0:02:35.680 into the thick of the woodland beyond, she saw again 0:02:35.840 --> 0:02:38.840 the three small orange lights bobbing around in the dark, 0:02:38.960 --> 0:02:42.399 like hot coals floating on the wind. She turned back 0:02:42.400 --> 0:02:46.360 to the boy. It is time, William. As she lifts 0:02:46.400 --> 0:02:48.840 him from the bed, he sees the wetness run from 0:02:48.880 --> 0:02:51.560 her eyes, and when she presses him close, he can 0:02:51.560 --> 0:02:55.320 feel the damp warmth of it on his face. Promise me, 0:02:55.560 --> 0:02:58.160 you won't let them see you, no matter what, she says. 0:02:59.480 --> 0:03:01.840 He nods as she takes his hand and leads him 0:03:01.880 --> 0:03:05.320 to the back door. When she opens it, the voices 0:03:05.360 --> 0:03:07.880 are nearer, and there are two more lights approaching from 0:03:07.880 --> 0:03:11.320 the back. I will be right behind you, I promise. 0:03:12.120 --> 0:03:15.160 Now go. She pushes him out, and for a moment 0:03:15.200 --> 0:03:20.040 he stops, expecting her to follow. But she does not run, 0:03:20.320 --> 0:03:23.400 she says, and then he has gone into the dark. 0:03:25.680 --> 0:03:28.560 Janet Horn comes a cry from the front of the cabin. 0:03:29.240 --> 0:03:32.840 Come out and faces. She wipes away her tears and 0:03:32.919 --> 0:03:37.280 readies herself. The men dragged her by her hair and 0:03:37.400 --> 0:03:39.560 threw her to the porch, before taking it in turns 0:03:39.560 --> 0:03:43.120 to kick and stamp on her body. The dogs whipped 0:03:43.200 --> 0:03:46.520 up by the frenzy barked manically, straining at their leashes 0:03:46.600 --> 0:03:50.480 as their black fur bristled with unseen charge. The handler's 0:03:50.520 --> 0:03:52.800 feet slid in the dirt at the strength of them, 0:03:52.960 --> 0:03:55.000 trying for all their lives to stop them from ripping 0:03:55.000 --> 0:03:58.119 her apart. One of the dogs slipped free and tore 0:03:58.200 --> 0:04:02.800 down upon her with the startling orcity. Finally, Lockhart yelled 0:04:02.800 --> 0:04:05.640 for them to stop, and the errant dog was wrenched, 0:04:05.720 --> 0:04:09.960 snarling and snapping from the body, fresh blood dripping from 0:04:09.960 --> 0:04:15.400 its jaws. The men, catching breath and wiping hands on shirts, 0:04:15.760 --> 0:04:19.839 looked anxiously into the darkness of the surrounding forest, and 0:04:20.000 --> 0:04:22.960 then back to the woman, lying crumpled and still at 0:04:22.960 --> 0:04:26.880 their feet. Light from their torches streaked across the porch, 0:04:27.360 --> 0:04:32.279 covering all in a soft orange glow. Lockhart jumped down 0:04:32.320 --> 0:04:35.640 from his horse. To his horror, she started to move, 0:04:36.279 --> 0:04:39.520 drawing herself round to face him. The men gasped at 0:04:39.520 --> 0:04:43.040 the sight of her, swollen and blackened, her skin yellow 0:04:43.040 --> 0:04:47.320 and purpling underneath the reddening night dress. She fixes them 0:04:47.320 --> 0:04:52.240 all with her bloodied eyes, but mostly she fixes him back. 0:04:52.279 --> 0:04:56.280 For seconds, are we? She says you? He said, pointing 0:04:56.320 --> 0:04:59.279 to a man from the back. The man stepped forward 0:04:59.279 --> 0:05:02.320 with lantern in and his wiry body trembling as he 0:05:02.400 --> 0:05:06.400 neared the bloodied woman. His name was McConnell, a crofter 0:05:06.480 --> 0:05:11.200 from the Black Aisle. With me, said Lockhart. The rest 0:05:11.200 --> 0:05:15.000 of you get her tied up. She managed a few 0:05:15.000 --> 0:05:17.920 crawls towards the door before another of the men stopped her, 0:05:18.440 --> 0:05:21.000 holding her down by the neck with his boot. She 0:05:21.120 --> 0:05:25.040 squirmed underneath, her body jarring and breath heaving as flecks 0:05:25.080 --> 0:05:29.160 of red splatter the ground. The man presses down harder 0:05:29.360 --> 0:05:32.679 as another of the men kneels beside her. He grabbed 0:05:32.720 --> 0:05:35.839 her hands and tied them fast with twine, staining red 0:05:35.880 --> 0:05:40.880 as he pulled it tight. Satisfied by the restraints, Lockhart 0:05:40.880 --> 0:05:43.880 took a lantern and proceeded to lead mcconnall into the house. 0:05:46.279 --> 0:05:49.839 The two men entered cautiously, tiptoeing slowly through the corridor. 0:05:50.839 --> 0:05:54.240 The darkness seemed to recoil and slither into furthest corners 0:05:54.320 --> 0:05:58.120 at the moment of illumination. As the men continued forward, 0:05:58.640 --> 0:06:01.359 with the dark sealing up behind and the sound of 0:06:01.360 --> 0:06:04.279 the cabin creaking, it was as if the very walls 0:06:04.320 --> 0:06:09.240 were closing in around them. McConnell could feel his heart 0:06:09.360 --> 0:06:16.279 beating in his throat, and then Lockhart stopped listen. They 0:06:16.279 --> 0:06:18.360 had entered a small room to the back of the house. 0:06:19.520 --> 0:06:21.800 McConnell sniffed at the air and tried to hear above 0:06:21.800 --> 0:06:25.080 the din of the blood thumping in his ears. Lockhart 0:06:25.240 --> 0:06:27.599 moved the lantern around, showing up little more than a 0:06:27.600 --> 0:06:30.560 tiny black stove and a small rug laid out on 0:06:30.600 --> 0:06:35.240 the ground. He kicked away the rug, exposing a door underneath. 0:06:36.279 --> 0:06:38.520 He dropped down and pressed his ear to the floor. 0:06:39.160 --> 0:06:41.520 It was as if the sound was vibrating through it. 0:06:42.560 --> 0:06:44.760 He set down the lantern and took hold of his 0:06:44.800 --> 0:06:48.559 side knife. With his eyes locked on McConnell, he pulled 0:06:48.640 --> 0:06:52.719 up the door. A strange heat wafted out, and something 0:06:52.760 --> 0:06:56.720 sickly and sweet drew water from their eyes. McConnell wretched 0:06:56.760 --> 0:06:58.880 and held his hand out in front of him as 0:06:58.920 --> 0:07:02.200 if it might fend off the smell. Both pulled their 0:07:02.240 --> 0:07:06.560 shirts to their mouths and noses. Lockhart picked up the 0:07:06.640 --> 0:07:10.239 lantern and held it into the new darkness, revealing steps 0:07:10.360 --> 0:07:14.680 leading into the nothing below. The strange hum, now louder, 0:07:15.120 --> 0:07:21.320 pulsed through the air as slowly, the men descended far 0:07:21.440 --> 0:07:24.600 up the hill. William, having finally scrambled through the last 0:07:24.640 --> 0:07:27.600 of the ferns, emerged into the open and collapsed at 0:07:27.600 --> 0:07:30.720 the foot of the great tree. Panting in the darkness, 0:07:30.760 --> 0:07:33.160 he gazed up at the gnarly twisting arms of brown 0:07:33.440 --> 0:07:36.880 stretching high into the night, the leaves rattling in the wind. 0:07:37.880 --> 0:07:41.440 The large blackbird cowed as it swooped down, taking shelter 0:07:41.520 --> 0:07:45.920 in the upper branches. High above, the clouds pulled apart 0:07:45.960 --> 0:07:49.280 in places, and peering into the space beyond made William's 0:07:49.320 --> 0:07:53.960 head spin. He'd never been here alone, this familiar place 0:07:54.000 --> 0:07:56.480 where he would lie in her lap, listening to her 0:07:56.520 --> 0:08:00.760 stories as she picked out the constellations above. His mother 0:08:00.800 --> 0:08:02.920 had told him this was the place of his berth, 0:08:03.400 --> 0:08:05.400 above the pit of fire from which he had been 0:08:05.440 --> 0:08:09.480 forged and then become life. A crack of lightning had 0:08:09.480 --> 0:08:13.000 shot down, igniting the whole tree. It had burned all 0:08:13.000 --> 0:08:15.559 of that night, but not left one sign or scar, 0:08:16.040 --> 0:08:18.880 save for a twisted line coiled all around the trunk. 0:08:19.840 --> 0:08:23.040 William rose on to old fours and wandered over to 0:08:23.040 --> 0:08:25.600 touch the bark, being careful not to trip on the 0:08:25.640 --> 0:08:28.480 fat roots that had burst through the ground, snaking their 0:08:28.480 --> 0:08:32.679 way through the undergrowth. Looking closer, he could just about 0:08:32.679 --> 0:08:35.520 make out the ancient ruins etched onto the surface by 0:08:35.600 --> 0:08:39.559 unknown hands. She told him it was a sacred tree, 0:08:40.040 --> 0:08:43.120 had always been so that the soul of an ancient 0:08:43.200 --> 0:08:46.040 king had been trapped inside, and if ever a tree 0:08:46.080 --> 0:08:48.480 was harmed in the forest, there would be a fatal 0:08:48.520 --> 0:08:51.760 price to pay. The guilty bellies nailed to the bark 0:08:52.080 --> 0:08:54.840 and marched all way round until their innards would spill 0:08:54.960 --> 0:08:57.760 like the gutting of rabbits, replenishing the soil with the 0:08:57.760 --> 0:09:01.720 blood of man. Trace the line that twisted all around 0:09:01.760 --> 0:09:04.760 with his finger, following it down to the base, where 0:09:04.760 --> 0:09:07.360 a small cluster of mushrooms were sprouting out from below 0:09:07.360 --> 0:09:10.760 the roots, their slender bodies holding the caps aloft like 0:09:10.920 --> 0:09:14.880 little bells. He slipped down between the two large roots 0:09:15.040 --> 0:09:18.520 and lay back against the trunk, Gazing up at the sky. 0:09:18.960 --> 0:09:22.360 He wandered at the infinite space, the distance into which 0:09:22.360 --> 0:09:26.440 he would forever fall, and the stars, so many stars. 0:09:29.520 --> 0:09:33.680 The hum was now a throbbing organic drone. Lockhart stepped 0:09:33.720 --> 0:09:36.559 forward with the light, causing a million flies to scatter, 0:09:36.800 --> 0:09:40.120 before settling down again in strange thick clumps on the ground. 0:09:41.120 --> 0:09:43.600 McConnell let out a cry and dropped his lantern to 0:09:43.640 --> 0:09:49.480 the floor. Control yourself, shouted Lockhart. He handed the lantern 0:09:49.559 --> 0:09:52.679 back to McConnell, but stopped short when he too had 0:09:52.720 --> 0:09:58.080 seen the dirt floor was sticky with congealed blood, the 0:09:58.200 --> 0:10:01.400 filthy walls smeared with a black and red glistening in 0:10:01.440 --> 0:10:05.880 the light. Lockhart flicked again at the flies, causing them 0:10:05.880 --> 0:10:08.960 to disperse just long enough to reveal pieces of tiny 0:10:09.000 --> 0:10:14.520 limbs and matted hair covered in the syrupy mess. Oh God. 0:10:16.800 --> 0:10:22.040 McConnell vomited violently into the corner, then fled up the stairs. Lockhart, 0:10:22.280 --> 0:10:26.120 no longer aware of himself, continued on stumbling through the 0:10:26.200 --> 0:10:30.480 room towards something moving in the darkness. The sound of 0:10:30.520 --> 0:10:33.960 a whimper brought him to a sudden halt. He lifted 0:10:33.960 --> 0:10:40.920 the lantern towards the corner of the room. Ada. Lockhart 0:10:40.960 --> 0:10:45.720 took a step closer. Oh Christ, he said, bringing his 0:10:45.800 --> 0:10:49.760 hand to his mouth. The child was sat facing the wall, 0:10:50.000 --> 0:10:52.440 still in the dress she was taken in, now just 0:10:52.520 --> 0:10:57.160 a ratty, maroon stained rag. Lockhart moved ever closer, with 0:10:57.200 --> 0:11:01.120 the lantern held in front, shaking in his hand. The 0:11:01.200 --> 0:11:04.760 girl who was tied up remained still, but he was 0:11:04.840 --> 0:11:07.840 now close enough to see her little chest moving up 0:11:07.920 --> 0:11:12.600 and down. Ada, I'm here, he said, his voice beginning 0:11:12.600 --> 0:11:15.600 to break. He laid a trembling hand on her back 0:11:15.840 --> 0:11:18.160 and felt her warmth. As she drew a short breath 0:11:18.240 --> 0:11:21.600 and turned stiffly towards the wall. He held the torch 0:11:21.720 --> 0:11:27.959 up to her face. Ada, it's me. Lockhart's tears were 0:11:28.000 --> 0:11:30.679 now steadily spilling on to the dirt floor as she 0:11:30.720 --> 0:11:36.160 slowly turned her head towards him. Outside, Hans reached for 0:11:36.240 --> 0:11:39.200 guns and calmed the horses as the last of the 0:11:39.240 --> 0:11:41.560 scream was ripped from the dark of the cabin and 0:11:41.679 --> 0:11:46.320 flung into the raging wind. Moments later, Lockhart staggered to 0:11:46.360 --> 0:11:49.840 the door, a large bundle in his hands. He stood 0:11:49.840 --> 0:11:52.520 motionless as the wind lashed out and sent his hat 0:11:52.679 --> 0:11:56.880 flying into the trees. There's no one else, said Lockhart. 0:11:57.880 --> 0:12:02.600 They're all dead. McConnell, still wretching, was now leaned back 0:12:02.640 --> 0:12:05.360 against the wall of the house. He slid to the 0:12:05.400 --> 0:12:09.560 floor as a strange sound emanated from his lips. One 0:12:09.559 --> 0:12:12.400 of the men came forward, dressed smarter than the others, 0:12:12.480 --> 0:12:16.280 in a dark suit and thin framed glasses. He took 0:12:16.320 --> 0:12:19.400 the bundle from Lockhart, taking care as he unpeeled his 0:12:19.520 --> 0:12:22.440 arms from around the girl, and gasped at the sight 0:12:22.480 --> 0:12:25.520 of her face. Where he had expected to see the 0:12:25.559 --> 0:12:30.400 gentlest of soft, olive eyes, instead were two large chasms, 0:12:30.400 --> 0:12:34.839 each a gaping red abyss. Hurriedly, he brought her over 0:12:34.880 --> 0:12:37.600 to a small leather briefcase and gently sat her down 0:12:37.640 --> 0:12:41.440 beside it. He opened the case and pulled out various 0:12:41.480 --> 0:12:46.000 ointments and dressings and got to work. What have you done, 0:12:46.320 --> 0:12:51.640 said Lockhart, looking at nothing in particular. Janet, who had 0:12:51.679 --> 0:12:55.280 been sitting tired and quiet on the porch, eased herself up. 0:12:56.760 --> 0:12:59.880 This is nought but your conscience, the world you create, 0:13:00.600 --> 0:13:06.160 she said wearily. Lockhart tore down upon her, grabbing her 0:13:06.160 --> 0:13:08.880 throat and pinning her to the wall With the slow, 0:13:08.960 --> 0:13:12.240 steady hand. He pulled out his knife and held it 0:13:12.360 --> 0:13:15.960 under her chin. She spat blood to the ground and 0:13:16.080 --> 0:13:21.720 fixed him again. Get on with it, you cowered, Stop. 0:13:22.600 --> 0:13:25.040 We must take her to Dla ROSSI, shouted one of 0:13:25.080 --> 0:13:28.840 the men, stepping forward. It was the chaplain. This is 0:13:28.880 --> 0:13:32.360 the devil's work. We must dispose of her properly. He 0:13:32.400 --> 0:13:35.080 looked at the others for support, but found only the 0:13:35.160 --> 0:13:40.240 turning away of faces. Lockhart, either ignoring the cry or 0:13:40.280 --> 0:13:43.280 most likely not hearing it at all, ran the knife 0:13:43.520 --> 0:13:46.480 into her belly. She grabbed him by the hand and 0:13:46.600 --> 0:13:49.240 bit hard into his wrist. He wrenched it from her 0:13:49.280 --> 0:13:52.439 mouth and slapped her to the ground. Flesh dangled from 0:13:52.440 --> 0:13:57.679 her teeth. String her up. She howled as they approached, 0:13:58.080 --> 0:14:01.320 thrusting her jaws at any who came near. Some would 0:14:01.360 --> 0:14:04.320 later say that she turned wolf. Some swore they'd seen 0:14:04.360 --> 0:14:08.199 her hover inches from the ground, but finally she succumbed 0:14:08.600 --> 0:14:12.199 the butt of a rifle. Having done with it, they 0:14:12.280 --> 0:14:14.200 hitched the rope to the top of the porch and 0:14:14.320 --> 0:14:17.320 passed the bottom end of it around her neck. It 0:14:17.440 --> 0:14:19.160 took three of them to hoist her up to the 0:14:19.160 --> 0:14:23.000 tip of her toes, and then a click echoed around 0:14:23.040 --> 0:14:27.920 the trees. The chaplain stepped forward, holding out the gun. 0:14:29.560 --> 0:14:32.000 She must go to Dalarossie or this will never be over. 0:14:33.640 --> 0:14:38.160 Lockhart stared at the chaplain, then turned away. He grabbed 0:14:38.240 --> 0:14:41.440 Janet by the face, his eyes catching yellow under the 0:14:41.440 --> 0:14:46.120 flickering torchlight. She roused herself one final time and spat 0:14:46.160 --> 0:14:50.000 blood in his face. The three men pulled hard on 0:14:50.040 --> 0:14:53.000 the rope, lifting her feet from the floor. There was 0:14:53.040 --> 0:14:55.680 a moment to struggle before her stomach fell from her 0:14:55.760 --> 0:15:00.480 and onto the porch. Lockhart spat onto the ground, burn everything. 0:15:01.480 --> 0:15:04.400 The chaplain dropped the gun and sank to his knees, 0:15:04.840 --> 0:15:10.880 marking the sign of the cross as he went. William 0:15:11.000 --> 0:15:13.160 turned his head at the sound of far off voices 0:15:13.400 --> 0:15:17.040 and climbed out of the roots. Far below, a gentle 0:15:17.040 --> 0:15:19.840 orange light seemed to dance and weave amongst the trees. 0:15:20.680 --> 0:15:23.960 It swayed and flickered, lilting to a silent music within 0:15:24.000 --> 0:15:29.440 the wind, then brightened with the music of its own, snapping, crackling, 0:15:29.680 --> 0:15:34.840 and rising out of the darkness. Mumma at once. William 0:15:34.880 --> 0:15:37.680 tore down the hill towards the house, sprinting through the 0:15:37.720 --> 0:15:40.000 trees and bracken as it whipped and scratched at his 0:15:40.120 --> 0:15:43.920 arms and legs. Above the canopy, the black bird swooped 0:15:43.920 --> 0:15:47.080 and cord as it desperately tried to keep up. As 0:15:47.120 --> 0:15:49.560 William neared, he began to feel the heat of it. 0:15:50.920 --> 0:15:53.760 He could see the trees burning now and the flaming 0:15:53.760 --> 0:15:58.280 cabin and something on the porch, A dark shape shrouded 0:15:58.320 --> 0:16:03.880 in flame, swinging on a rope, Mamma. Then a sudden 0:16:03.920 --> 0:16:07.520 movement underneath, the slip of palms and feet on wet rock. 0:16:08.600 --> 0:16:11.640 He went down with a sickening crack. The trees swelled 0:16:11.680 --> 0:16:15.760 above him, blending with the sky, and then all was black. 0:16:19.000 --> 0:16:21.960 Out of the dark came the faintest flickering of pale yellow. 0:16:22.920 --> 0:16:25.560 It grew to a fine wisp, swaying softly in the 0:16:25.600 --> 0:16:29.680 black silence. More it grew, hissing and crackling as it 0:16:29.760 --> 0:16:33.400 gained in size, finally letting out a huge roar. As 0:16:33.400 --> 0:16:36.960 it erupted into a golden fireball, consuming all the blackness. 0:16:38.480 --> 0:16:41.160 Through the noise and heat, a knocking could be heard. 0:16:41.920 --> 0:16:45.360 The noise grew louder as something wet and red dripped 0:16:45.400 --> 0:16:49.160 from above. Then it was pouring, lashing down on the fire. 0:16:50.080 --> 0:16:53.360 The knocking grew louder still, and inside the flames, something 0:16:53.440 --> 0:16:57.280 was moving, A body writhing in the fire, his mother's body. 0:16:57.920 --> 0:17:01.240 And then he was awake, sing for air and screaming 0:17:01.280 --> 0:17:07.200 into the stillness of dawn. William felt for the soreness 0:17:07.240 --> 0:17:10.360 on his head and touched the sticky redness with his fingers. 0:17:11.280 --> 0:17:14.160 The black bird ceased its knocking of a nearby tree 0:17:14.320 --> 0:17:17.479 and swooped down to the boy. It pushed at William 0:17:17.560 --> 0:17:19.720 to return him to the great Tree, but he would 0:17:19.760 --> 0:17:23.840 not be moved. William pushed the bird away and crawled 0:17:23.880 --> 0:17:28.400 into the clearing. The house had been reduced to blackened 0:17:28.440 --> 0:17:32.520 beams and soft gray ash, but somehow the porch had 0:17:32.560 --> 0:17:36.919 remained intact. There still hanging was the blackened body of 0:17:37.000 --> 0:17:41.119 his mother. William crawled underneath and peered up at the 0:17:41.119 --> 0:17:44.160 shape of it. He held out his hands and took 0:17:44.160 --> 0:17:50.520 hold of the charred remains of her fingers. Mamma. William 0:17:50.560 --> 0:17:53.439 dived into the rubble, clawing through the blackened splinters of 0:17:53.440 --> 0:17:56.879 wood until he had something sharp. He found the brittle 0:17:56.920 --> 0:17:59.320 remains of his mother's chair and dragged it over to 0:17:59.359 --> 0:18:03.439 the body. He climbed up and cut the rope. The 0:18:03.520 --> 0:18:06.840 body thumped to the ground, and slowly he drew down 0:18:06.880 --> 0:18:11.000 and examined the burnt remains Mamma. He held his fingers 0:18:11.000 --> 0:18:13.600 out to her face that seemed to him nothing more 0:18:13.640 --> 0:18:17.119 than a shadow. William grabbed her body and began to 0:18:17.160 --> 0:18:22.400 shake it. Mamma He looked around, confused, shaking harder as 0:18:22.400 --> 0:18:26.920 his face contorted into alarm. Mamma. He gathered the stiff 0:18:26.960 --> 0:18:29.720 shape in his arms and squeezed as the wet spilled 0:18:29.720 --> 0:18:33.800 from his eyes. Mamma. He fell on to her body 0:18:33.880 --> 0:18:36.640 and buried his head under his arms as he sobbed. 0:18:38.680 --> 0:18:42.120 The core of the black bird startled him. Drawing away 0:18:42.160 --> 0:18:45.120 from her body, he noticed something was clinging to her leg. 0:18:46.119 --> 0:18:48.440 It was the root of a tree bursting up through 0:18:48.480 --> 0:18:52.439 the soil. Then he saw another attached to her arm. 0:18:52.480 --> 0:18:56.920 He felt something shift moving underneath the ground. More roots appeared, 0:18:57.280 --> 0:19:00.679 stretching out from the edge of the clearing, unfurled like 0:19:00.760 --> 0:19:03.760 coiled bone, creaking and crackling as they neared her body. 0:19:04.760 --> 0:19:07.920 He watched as they reached out like talons, feeling for her, 0:19:08.040 --> 0:19:11.719 before wrapping themselves around and lifting her high above the ground. 0:19:12.440 --> 0:19:15.760 William leaped up, grabbing for any part of her, desperate 0:19:15.760 --> 0:19:20.040 to keep a hold, keep her in this world. Things 0:19:20.080 --> 0:19:23.399 began to gather. They crawled, wriggling and pink from the earth, 0:19:23.880 --> 0:19:27.000 or stumbled, bursting through the soil in black carapis bodies 0:19:27.040 --> 0:19:31.800 of green iridescence. There was a rumble from deep and 0:19:31.880 --> 0:19:33.800 it seemed as if the whole earth was going to 0:19:33.800 --> 0:19:38.359 tear apart. Finally, the soil ripped open to reveal an 0:19:38.440 --> 0:19:42.119 unknowable dark, a truth beyond time itself, as if the 0:19:42.119 --> 0:19:45.280 world of trees and green and men was nothing but 0:19:45.400 --> 0:19:50.200 an elaborate distraction. Something cold and damp came from above, 0:19:50.720 --> 0:19:54.439 splashing down in ever larger droplets, then a guttural growl. 0:19:54.480 --> 0:19:58.359 As the clouds ruptured and spewed down upon him. William 0:19:58.400 --> 0:20:01.960 reached out helplessly. Her body was delicately passed from root 0:20:02.000 --> 0:20:05.439 to root before being lowered under the soil and taken 0:20:05.480 --> 0:20:09.600 down into the abyss. William threw himself to the ground 0:20:10.000 --> 0:20:14.520 and sobbed. As the rain pumbled down, The earth readjusted 0:20:14.520 --> 0:20:19.399 and smoothed, and the silence returned. At the base of 0:20:19.440 --> 0:20:23.439 the surrounding trees, red droplet shaped flowers had started to appear. 0:20:24.440 --> 0:20:26.960 They sprouted up the trunk and out to the branches, 0:20:27.280 --> 0:20:31.000 hanging like jewels. By the time he looked up again, 0:20:31.600 --> 0:20:35.119 she was gone. He jumped to his hands and feet 0:20:35.440 --> 0:20:39.239 and started clawing desperately at the mud. No matter how 0:20:39.320 --> 0:20:42.639 much he dug, the hole would not deepen. Finally, he 0:20:42.680 --> 0:20:46.480 broke off and lay exhausted, his thick clothes heavy with rain, 0:20:46.680 --> 0:20:50.320 clinging to him like a blistering skin. He looked at 0:20:50.320 --> 0:20:52.480 the cabin, where the last of the fire had gone, 0:20:52.880 --> 0:20:56.240 but the warmth of it still lingered. He sniffed the 0:20:56.240 --> 0:20:58.840 air and crawled into the remains of his home and 0:20:58.920 --> 0:21:02.800 trawled for something to eat. Shuffling through the ash and 0:21:02.880 --> 0:21:06.320 blackened wood, he saw a small burst of light, something 0:21:06.359 --> 0:21:09.359 glinting in the rubble. He picked his way over to 0:21:09.440 --> 0:21:12.800 it and peered down at the strange thing. It was 0:21:12.800 --> 0:21:14.800 as though a small piece of the sky was lying 0:21:14.800 --> 0:21:18.120 on the ground. He brushed at it, then staggered back 0:21:18.119 --> 0:21:23.560 in alarm. There was someone else there. Cautiously, he approached 0:21:23.600 --> 0:21:28.400 again and looked down again. Came the face. He pulled 0:21:28.400 --> 0:21:30.720 the thing from the rubble and stared at the face 0:21:30.800 --> 0:21:33.920 gazing back at him. He brought up his hand to 0:21:33.920 --> 0:21:36.359 touch the face, and the other face did the same. 0:21:37.800 --> 0:21:40.560 He barked at the face, and the other face did 0:21:40.600 --> 0:21:45.800 the same. The blackbird cord high up in a tree, 0:21:46.480 --> 0:21:49.760 William sniffed. He helped the thing close and looked at 0:21:49.840 --> 0:21:53.480 himself fully for the first time, Where his mumma's face 0:21:53.520 --> 0:21:57.080 had been soft and pure. His was strange and misshapen. 0:21:57.920 --> 0:22:00.160 His ears seemed tied to the side of his head. 0:22:01.200 --> 0:22:04.000 He touched his eyes. That seemed not right for the face. 0:22:05.440 --> 0:22:09.120 William barked again at his reflection as the strange unease 0:22:09.200 --> 0:22:13.000 took hold. He scanned down to the neckline, where just 0:22:13.119 --> 0:22:16.680 above his shirt a red line ran all around. He 0:22:16.720 --> 0:22:19.040 traced it with his finger. As he became more and 0:22:19.119 --> 0:22:23.199 more agitated. He wrenched off the soaking shirt and trousers 0:22:23.440 --> 0:22:26.679 and stood naked looking into the thing. He found the 0:22:26.760 --> 0:22:30.040 same raised red lines circling the top of his arms 0:22:30.040 --> 0:22:34.000 like a fine thread. Wrapped around on his legs, he 0:22:34.080 --> 0:22:37.520 found the same. William threw the thing to the ground 0:22:37.520 --> 0:22:41.119 and screamed into the air. He felt a sensation like 0:22:41.240 --> 0:22:43.760 wanting to run and run, run so fast that he 0:22:43.840 --> 0:22:46.600 might slip out of his skin. This strange jacket he 0:22:46.640 --> 0:22:51.920 did not understand. Again, the blackbird cowed. William looked up 0:22:52.000 --> 0:22:54.280 as it flew down from the tree and landed by 0:22:54.280 --> 0:22:57.800 his side. It pecked three times at the ground and 0:22:57.880 --> 0:23:02.199 then flew back into the trees. William looked at the spot. 0:23:03.080 --> 0:23:05.040 There on the ground. He could see the tracks of 0:23:05.160 --> 0:23:09.719 three brayers leading back into the forest. He sniffed at 0:23:09.720 --> 0:23:14.560 the earth, a smell like Mumma, but somehow different. William 0:23:14.600 --> 0:23:17.440 walked slowly on hands and feet along the line of 0:23:17.520 --> 0:23:19.919 the horse prince, tracking them to the edge of the 0:23:19.960 --> 0:23:24.720 clearing up above. The blackbird followed, hopping from branch to 0:23:24.760 --> 0:23:27.919 branch as William made his way along the trail and 0:23:28.040 --> 0:23:38.840 disappeared into the forest. All elements of Unexplained are produced 0:23:38.840 --> 0:23:41.920 by me Richard McClain Smith. Please subscribe and rate the 0:23:41.960 --> 0:23:43.840 show on night Tunes, and feel free to get in 0:23:43.880 --> 0:23:46.560 touch with any thoughts or ideas regarding the stories you've 0:23:46.600 --> 0:23:49.199 heard on the show. Perhaps you have an explanation of 0:23:49.240 --> 0:23:51.679 your own you'd like to share. You can reach us 0:23:51.680 --> 0:23:54.719 online at Unexplained podcast dot com or on Twitter at 0:23:54.800 --> 0:24:07.480 Unexplained Pod. Now it's time to take care of yourself. 0:24:07.920 --> 0:24:11.679 To make time for you, teledoc gives you access to 0:24:11.720 --> 0:24:14.879 a licensed therapist to help you get back to feeling 0:24:14.920 --> 0:24:18.639 your best. Speak to a licensed therapist by phone or 0:24:18.720 --> 0:24:22.600 video any time between seven am to nine pm local time, 0:24:23.080 --> 0:24:26.960 seven days a week. Teledoc Therapy is available through most 0:24:26.960 --> 0:24:31.680 insurance or employers. Download the app or visit teledoc dot com. 0:24:31.800 --> 0:24:36.320 Forward slash Unexplained Podcast Today to get started, that's t 0:24:36.600 --> 0:24:40.840 e LA DC dot com slash Unexplained Podcast