1 00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:05,480 Speaker 1: Lighthouse is a production of I Heart Radio and bamfor Productions. 2 00:00:06,559 --> 00:00:09,240 Speaker 1: When you're young and the weight of the world becomes 3 00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:12,039 Speaker 1: too much to bear, your room is often the safest 4 00:00:12,080 --> 00:00:14,800 Speaker 1: place for you to hide away. Whether it's a fight 5 00:00:14,840 --> 00:00:17,360 Speaker 1: with your parents, a bully bothering you at school, or 6 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:20,400 Speaker 1: even just the desperate need for some time alone. With 7 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:23,919 Speaker 1: the door closed, surrounded by your favorite things, your room 8 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:28,800 Speaker 1: becomes a sanctuary for you and you alone. Sometimes, though, 9 00:00:28,880 --> 00:00:31,880 Speaker 1: that changes. Do you know what it's like to have 10 00:00:32,080 --> 00:00:35,080 Speaker 1: your safe place turn against you, to have your room 11 00:00:35,120 --> 00:00:38,360 Speaker 1: become a prison that entraps you night after night, day 12 00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:41,240 Speaker 1: after day, with nowhere else to turn to as a 13 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:45,520 Speaker 1: safety net. I do, and it started after we found 14 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:49,120 Speaker 1: the dark room in the basement. It has been six 15 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:53,320 Speaker 1: months since we moved into Lighthouse. The season's changed and 16 00:00:53,400 --> 00:00:57,040 Speaker 1: we welcomed a new year. Nineteen sixty four didn't feel 17 00:00:57,040 --> 00:01:00,560 Speaker 1: any different than nineteen sixty three, but a new year 18 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:03,840 Speaker 1: often brings new beginnings. I hope that would be the 19 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:06,600 Speaker 1: case for us, but that couldn't have been further from 20 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 1: the truth. After the first night in Lighthouse, my sister 21 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:12,280 Speaker 1: and I lived in constant fear of the man in 22 00:01:12,319 --> 00:01:15,640 Speaker 1: the hat, though he appeared at my doorway the first night, 23 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:19,040 Speaker 1: we often saw him elsewhere. Sometimes it was a quick 24 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:21,560 Speaker 1: glance out of the corner of our eye. Others he 25 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:26,040 Speaker 1: made himself fully known, his sinister smile making our hair 26 00:01:26,200 --> 00:01:29,759 Speaker 1: stand on end as he disappeared around a corner. Despite 27 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:33,360 Speaker 1: telling our parents what we had experienced, mother didn't believe us. 28 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:37,240 Speaker 1: She blamed the incidents on us acting out, claiming we 29 00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:39,400 Speaker 1: were not giving our new home a chance and trying 30 00:01:39,400 --> 00:01:42,000 Speaker 1: to sabotage all that she and our father worked for. 31 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:45,400 Speaker 1: She thought we missed our old life, as if moving 32 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:48,240 Speaker 1: from hotel to motel every three months could be something 33 00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:52,160 Speaker 1: someone could actually miss. She forbid us from even speaking 34 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:55,400 Speaker 1: of it. Her father often didn't respond with anything beyond 35 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:58,480 Speaker 1: a sullen nod in agreement with her. He looked distant 36 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:01,760 Speaker 1: during the conversation and didn't seem to want to contribute 37 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:04,400 Speaker 1: to it until one night when I found him in 38 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:08,160 Speaker 1: the study. When we moved into Lighthouse, the home was 39 00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:11,880 Speaker 1: already furnished from days before. Various bits and pieces of 40 00:02:11,880 --> 00:02:15,160 Speaker 1: furniture littered the house, often hastily covered by a sheet 41 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:18,400 Speaker 1: to keep from getting dusty. Over time, my mother had 42 00:02:18,480 --> 00:02:22,040 Speaker 1: cleaned up and arranged every room to her liking, except 43 00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:25,600 Speaker 1: for the study. My father insisted that be left to him. 44 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:29,519 Speaker 1: Truth be told, he didn't change much about it. There 45 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:31,880 Speaker 1: was a desk and matching chair off to the side 46 00:02:31,880 --> 00:02:35,320 Speaker 1: of the room, along with another seating area. Hanging on 47 00:02:35,360 --> 00:02:38,360 Speaker 1: the wall above the couch were various trophies from parent 48 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:42,000 Speaker 1: hunting trips from long ago animal heads, including a deer, 49 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:45,720 Speaker 1: a lion, and a bear. There were grotesque things that 50 00:02:45,760 --> 00:02:48,960 Speaker 1: my mother hated, but my father refused to remove. Just 51 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:52,440 Speaker 1: below them was an ancient shotgun, presumably the very same 52 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:55,960 Speaker 1: gun that claimed the lives of those animals. Despite all 53 00:02:56,000 --> 00:02:59,120 Speaker 1: the extravagant decor, the focal point of the room was 54 00:02:59,160 --> 00:03:03,280 Speaker 1: actually the law large decorative easy chair. It was covered 55 00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:07,239 Speaker 1: in red velvet and soft to the touch. A fireplace 56 00:03:07,280 --> 00:03:09,760 Speaker 1: sat before it so one could sit in front of 57 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:13,600 Speaker 1: it on cold winter nights. Just above the fireplace was 58 00:03:13,639 --> 00:03:16,639 Speaker 1: an old painting, one that my father said his mother 59 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:20,280 Speaker 1: had commissioned when he was a child. It shows his parents, 60 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:24,200 Speaker 1: his brother, and a younger version of himself. The portrait 61 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:28,600 Speaker 1: made them look regal, like royalty, and I was fascinated 62 00:03:28,639 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 1: by it. On the night he finally acknowledged the things 63 00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:34,920 Speaker 1: in lighthouse. I had just finished getting ready for bed 64 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:37,600 Speaker 1: and came downstairs to wish him good night. He was 65 00:03:37,600 --> 00:03:40,400 Speaker 1: sitting in the easy chair, leaned back, drink in hand. 66 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:43,960 Speaker 1: I wouldn't have considered him a drinker, having only ever 67 00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:47,320 Speaker 1: seen him touch alcohol once before, but it was obvious 68 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:49,760 Speaker 1: that he was already a few in by that point, 69 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:54,080 Speaker 1: evident by the half empty bottle beside him. His eyes, 70 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:58,240 Speaker 1: slightly glazed, were staring at the portrait intently. He was 71 00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:01,760 Speaker 1: absent mindedly rubbing his scar. I don't think he even 72 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:04,600 Speaker 1: registered in my being there until after I gave him 73 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:08,320 Speaker 1: a kiss. I turned to leave when he suddenly grabbed 74 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:11,040 Speaker 1: my arm with such force that I yelped in surprise. 75 00:04:11,560 --> 00:04:14,160 Speaker 1: My father had never laid a finger on me before, 76 00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:17,360 Speaker 1: so I was caught off guard. I looked at him, 77 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:21,279 Speaker 1: his eyes refocusing on me as his words slurred from 78 00:04:21,320 --> 00:04:25,479 Speaker 1: his lips. Stay away from the man in the hat. 79 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:29,240 Speaker 1: He stared hard at me for a few moments before 80 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:33,600 Speaker 1: letting me go, turning back to his drink. Did he 81 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:37,560 Speaker 1: know something I didn't? I was so shocked he even 82 00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:41,920 Speaker 1: acknowledged it that I did not press him further on it. Instead, 83 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:45,039 Speaker 1: I went to bed and slept fitfully with the knowledge 84 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:48,680 Speaker 1: of my father, believing our claims our only solace in 85 00:04:48,720 --> 00:04:53,000 Speaker 1: those early days came from an unlikely source. At first, 86 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:56,240 Speaker 1: I thought it was just a dream, a reoccurring one 87 00:04:56,400 --> 00:04:59,640 Speaker 1: at that one that was hard to separate from reality. 88 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:03,960 Speaker 1: In the dream, I was still in my bed. Sometimes 89 00:05:03,960 --> 00:05:05,880 Speaker 1: I lean was with me, curled up in the dark. 90 00:05:06,640 --> 00:05:09,160 Speaker 1: Somewhere in the distance, unknown to me, I could hear 91 00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:15,479 Speaker 1: a soft melody start to play. Its tune was hauntingly familiar. However, 92 00:05:15,960 --> 00:05:19,599 Speaker 1: I could not place the sound. It sounded like something 93 00:05:19,640 --> 00:05:22,400 Speaker 1: that might play out of a jewelry or a music box, 94 00:05:22,440 --> 00:05:26,320 Speaker 1: with a slight tinniness to it. Instead of searching for 95 00:05:26,400 --> 00:05:29,919 Speaker 1: its source, its soothing song would begin to lull me 96 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:34,880 Speaker 1: back to sleep, toward a dream within a dream, Until 97 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:38,359 Speaker 1: one night I realized that it was no dream. The 98 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:41,760 Speaker 1: music was real. I quickly got out of bed and 99 00:05:41,800 --> 00:05:45,320 Speaker 1: listened attentively. At first I thought it was coming from 100 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:49,400 Speaker 1: a car traveling down the main road. Sound traveled funny 101 00:05:49,440 --> 00:05:52,960 Speaker 1: along the bluff. I stepped out onto my balcony, the 102 00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:56,719 Speaker 1: cool air coming off the ocean chilling my skin. I 103 00:05:56,800 --> 00:05:59,400 Speaker 1: looked off to the lighthouse in the not so far 104 00:05:59,480 --> 00:06:03,279 Speaker 1: distance and strained my ears to hear the melody, but 105 00:06:03,360 --> 00:06:07,640 Speaker 1: out here was not as prevalent. Stepping back into my room, 106 00:06:07,640 --> 00:06:10,919 Speaker 1: I closed my eyes to concentrate, doing my best to 107 00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:13,680 Speaker 1: block out all other sound. I strained my ears to 108 00:06:13,760 --> 00:06:17,039 Speaker 1: follow the melody. I moved about the area, playing a 109 00:06:17,080 --> 00:06:20,159 Speaker 1: makeshift game of hot and cold, trying to find where 110 00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:22,800 Speaker 1: in the room the music got louder. On the far 111 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:26,000 Speaker 1: side of the room, opposite my four poster bed, was 112 00:06:26,040 --> 00:06:29,080 Speaker 1: where it was the loudest. Was it coming from the walls. 113 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:33,040 Speaker 1: On the floor below me was an ornate metal vent 114 00:06:33,240 --> 00:06:36,680 Speaker 1: that I hadn't paid much attention to before, But now 115 00:06:37,160 --> 00:06:40,119 Speaker 1: I dropped to all fours and placed my ear close 116 00:06:40,200 --> 00:06:44,320 Speaker 1: to it. The music grew louder. Who was coming from 117 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:49,320 Speaker 1: somewhere in Lighthouse. I didn't know where yet, but I 118 00:06:49,400 --> 00:07:33,480 Speaker 1: was going to find out Lighthouse Chapter two. The next morning, 119 00:07:33,600 --> 00:07:35,960 Speaker 1: my sister came into my room to wake me. The 120 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:38,680 Speaker 1: first thing I saw was her smile as she excitedly 121 00:07:38,760 --> 00:07:42,040 Speaker 1: tried to tell me that she had something for me. However, 122 00:07:42,120 --> 00:07:44,360 Speaker 1: I was anxious to tell her of my discovery, and 123 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:48,040 Speaker 1: I spoke over her. The music isn't a dream I said, 124 00:07:48,280 --> 00:07:51,600 Speaker 1: it's coming from inside the house. She frowned a bit, 125 00:07:51,800 --> 00:07:54,320 Speaker 1: as eight year olds with a single minded purpose often 126 00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:57,520 Speaker 1: do when their train of thought is derailed. When she 127 00:07:57,520 --> 00:08:00,160 Speaker 1: didn't respond, I nudged her. It was then and I 128 00:08:00,200 --> 00:08:03,560 Speaker 1: noticed she was hiding something behind her back. It was 129 00:08:03,600 --> 00:08:07,120 Speaker 1: a card once she had decorated with flowers and a 130 00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:11,360 Speaker 1: gigantic smiling son. Confused, I opened it and read in 131 00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:14,960 Speaker 1: her crayon streaked handwriting what she had written inside. Happy 132 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:17,840 Speaker 1: Birthday to the greatest sister in the world. It was 133 00:08:17,880 --> 00:08:21,800 Speaker 1: a birthday card for me. I had completely forgotten that 134 00:08:21,840 --> 00:08:24,480 Speaker 1: it was my twelfth birthday. I wrapped her up in 135 00:08:24,520 --> 00:08:27,200 Speaker 1: the biggest hug I had ever given anyone, and squealed 136 00:08:27,240 --> 00:08:30,200 Speaker 1: with the light Thank you, Leney, this is the best 137 00:08:30,200 --> 00:08:32,520 Speaker 1: birthday card I've ever gotten. What do you want to 138 00:08:32,520 --> 00:08:36,280 Speaker 1: do today, she asked me. It's your special day. I 139 00:08:36,320 --> 00:08:40,440 Speaker 1: smiled at her, because the previous night determined exactly what 140 00:08:40,600 --> 00:08:43,360 Speaker 1: my answer was going to be. We made her way 141 00:08:43,400 --> 00:08:46,719 Speaker 1: downstairs to the kitchen where my mother was preparing breakfast. 142 00:08:47,040 --> 00:08:49,000 Speaker 1: She put a plate of bacon and eggs in front 143 00:08:49,040 --> 00:08:52,760 Speaker 1: of me, arranged to look like a smiling face. Happy Birthday, 144 00:08:52,800 --> 00:08:57,600 Speaker 1: birthday girl, she greeted me warmly. I enthusiastically dug into 145 00:08:57,679 --> 00:09:00,360 Speaker 1: the meal as my response, knowing that I would likely 146 00:09:00,400 --> 00:09:03,240 Speaker 1: need the energy for the day's mission. I think someone 147 00:09:03,320 --> 00:09:06,439 Speaker 1: forgot to turn off the radio last night, my mother continued. 148 00:09:06,880 --> 00:09:08,920 Speaker 1: I heard it in the middle of the night. It 149 00:09:08,960 --> 00:09:11,880 Speaker 1: wasn't the radio, Mama, my sister said, we don't know 150 00:09:11,920 --> 00:09:15,120 Speaker 1: where it's from. No need to make up excuses, my 151 00:09:15,160 --> 00:09:19,400 Speaker 1: mother replied, just please try to remember to turn it off, okay, sweetie. 152 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:23,920 Speaker 1: Leey didn't argue beyond that, but instead asked about my 153 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:28,800 Speaker 1: father's whereabouts, causing my mother to frown. He's still sleeping, 154 00:09:29,320 --> 00:09:31,839 Speaker 1: she told us, with a hint of sadness. He was 155 00:09:31,920 --> 00:09:34,560 Speaker 1: up late last night in his study, but I'm sure 156 00:09:34,600 --> 00:09:38,640 Speaker 1: he'll be down soon. I, however, did not wait for that. Instead, 157 00:09:38,920 --> 00:09:41,480 Speaker 1: with a kiss on my mother's cheek and an assurance 158 00:09:41,520 --> 00:09:43,680 Speaker 1: to my sister that I would be back soon, I 159 00:09:43,800 --> 00:09:47,080 Speaker 1: ran upstairs to get ready for the day. I quickly showered, dressed, 160 00:09:47,080 --> 00:09:49,600 Speaker 1: and pulled out the flashlight my parents got me in 161 00:09:49,640 --> 00:09:52,240 Speaker 1: case of a power outage. I had never used it, 162 00:09:52,320 --> 00:09:54,839 Speaker 1: so I clicked it on a few times to make 163 00:09:54,840 --> 00:09:58,240 Speaker 1: sure it's still worked. When I was satisfied, I set 164 00:09:58,280 --> 00:10:01,240 Speaker 1: out to find my sister, who was out playing. The 165 00:10:01,280 --> 00:10:04,760 Speaker 1: grounds surrounding lighthouse were vast and prime for two young 166 00:10:04,840 --> 00:10:08,400 Speaker 1: girls to explore, and those early months we covered every 167 00:10:08,440 --> 00:10:11,720 Speaker 1: inch of the property, finding the nooks and crannies long 168 00:10:11,800 --> 00:10:15,040 Speaker 1: lost to time. Though we were not allowed in the lighthouse, 169 00:10:15,559 --> 00:10:18,400 Speaker 1: Lenie still played near it. Even if we wanted to 170 00:10:18,440 --> 00:10:21,320 Speaker 1: get inside, we couldn't. The only entry was a door 171 00:10:21,400 --> 00:10:24,520 Speaker 1: secured with the padlock, one whose key was nowhere to 172 00:10:24,559 --> 00:10:27,880 Speaker 1: be found, at least according to my father, And after 173 00:10:27,920 --> 00:10:30,040 Speaker 1: all the talk of how unsafe it was, we were 174 00:10:30,040 --> 00:10:33,120 Speaker 1: afraid of the floor collapsing beneath us anyway. So there 175 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:36,280 Speaker 1: it sat, a reminder of days gone by, a relic 176 00:10:36,360 --> 00:10:39,360 Speaker 1: of the past. I hadn't seen the light atop the 177 00:10:39,440 --> 00:10:42,199 Speaker 1: lighthouse since our first night in the house. I didn't 178 00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:45,120 Speaker 1: know what caused it, and because of how afraid Lenie 179 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:48,400 Speaker 1: already was that evening, I never told her about it. 180 00:10:48,559 --> 00:10:51,400 Speaker 1: It was for the best. It was here that I 181 00:10:51,440 --> 00:10:55,040 Speaker 1: found Lenie playing among the flowers growing at the base 182 00:10:55,040 --> 00:10:58,280 Speaker 1: of the lighthouse. She was glad to see me, knowing 183 00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:00,880 Speaker 1: I was ready to begin our mission, and followed me 184 00:11:00,920 --> 00:11:04,040 Speaker 1: back to the house. Once inside, she ran to her 185 00:11:04,120 --> 00:11:06,439 Speaker 1: room to grab her own flashlight while I waited a 186 00:11:06,520 --> 00:11:09,079 Speaker 1: mind to tell her the plan of action I had formulated. 187 00:11:09,920 --> 00:11:12,640 Speaker 1: She was taking unusually long as I was about to 188 00:11:12,679 --> 00:11:15,960 Speaker 1: go get her myself, until I stopped dead in my tracks. 189 00:11:16,760 --> 00:11:19,360 Speaker 1: Coming up from the vent in my bedroom again, I 190 00:11:19,440 --> 00:11:23,840 Speaker 1: could hear it, the music box melody in the light 191 00:11:23,920 --> 00:11:26,440 Speaker 1: of day. It was even more beautiful than I remembered 192 00:11:26,440 --> 00:11:29,160 Speaker 1: it to be from the night before. My breath caught 193 00:11:29,200 --> 00:11:32,120 Speaker 1: in my throat as I was entranced by it, but 194 00:11:32,200 --> 00:11:35,360 Speaker 1: only for a moment. I quickly ran across the hall 195 00:11:35,400 --> 00:11:37,600 Speaker 1: to Linie's room to tell her, but when I burst 196 00:11:37,679 --> 00:11:40,040 Speaker 1: through the door, she was already leaning down toward the 197 00:11:40,120 --> 00:11:43,720 Speaker 1: vent in her own room, attentively listening. It's in the vents, 198 00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:47,679 Speaker 1: She told me it's coming from downstairs. She grabbed her 199 00:11:47,720 --> 00:11:50,520 Speaker 1: flashlight from the dresser and followed me to explore the 200 00:11:50,559 --> 00:11:53,240 Speaker 1: rest of the house. We opted to start on the 201 00:11:53,280 --> 00:11:55,960 Speaker 1: first floor, as it made sense that the music was 202 00:11:56,040 --> 00:11:58,800 Speaker 1: traveling up the vents to us, with Linie's starting in 203 00:11:58,800 --> 00:12:01,960 Speaker 1: the dining room while I searched in the library. Every 204 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:04,640 Speaker 1: time we were near event, we stopped to listen and 205 00:12:04,720 --> 00:12:07,240 Speaker 1: tried to determine if the music was louder or not. 206 00:12:07,559 --> 00:12:10,080 Speaker 1: By the time I found myself outside my father's study, 207 00:12:10,360 --> 00:12:14,079 Speaker 1: I realized he was inside. He must have awakened sometime 208 00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:17,800 Speaker 1: during our search and was already sitting in his favorite armchair. 209 00:12:18,200 --> 00:12:21,360 Speaker 1: I usually didn't like to disturb him, but being as 210 00:12:21,360 --> 00:12:26,319 Speaker 1: how today was a special occasion, I tiptoed him. Good morning, father, 211 00:12:26,880 --> 00:12:29,360 Speaker 1: I said, causing him to stir a bit in his chair. 212 00:12:29,760 --> 00:12:31,880 Speaker 1: He turned to see me and only gave me a 213 00:12:31,920 --> 00:12:35,560 Speaker 1: polite nod of acknowledgment before turning away. I waited to 214 00:12:35,600 --> 00:12:38,440 Speaker 1: see if he would say anything, and when he didn't, 215 00:12:38,720 --> 00:12:42,960 Speaker 1: I pressed further. It's my birthday, I told him. I'm 216 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:47,160 Speaker 1: twelve today. He turned again, now using his entire body 217 00:12:47,240 --> 00:12:50,320 Speaker 1: and not just his head, and looked at me. So 218 00:12:50,400 --> 00:12:54,720 Speaker 1: it is, he replied, Happy birthday. He raised his glass 219 00:12:54,760 --> 00:12:58,120 Speaker 1: to me as I realized he was already drinking. It 220 00:12:58,200 --> 00:13:00,720 Speaker 1: was not even ten am, and here he was already 221 00:13:00,800 --> 00:13:04,120 Speaker 1: drowning in liquor. When he turned away again, I left 222 00:13:04,120 --> 00:13:07,760 Speaker 1: the study upset that I did not receive warmer birthday, 223 00:13:07,760 --> 00:13:10,280 Speaker 1: wishing I couldn't dwell on that for too long, though, 224 00:13:10,480 --> 00:13:13,319 Speaker 1: as I still had a job to do. After about 225 00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:15,640 Speaker 1: an hour or so of searching, my sister and I 226 00:13:15,679 --> 00:13:18,720 Speaker 1: met in the kitchen. Neither of us had any luck 227 00:13:18,880 --> 00:13:22,520 Speaker 1: so far, and we're feeling a little deflated. We sat 228 00:13:22,559 --> 00:13:25,160 Speaker 1: down at the table to have a snack and formulate 229 00:13:25,200 --> 00:13:28,720 Speaker 1: our next move. As we both took turns biting into 230 00:13:28,760 --> 00:13:32,400 Speaker 1: an apple, the music continued to play from somewhere. It 231 00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:35,520 Speaker 1: was beginning to drive me mad, not being able to 232 00:13:35,559 --> 00:13:39,040 Speaker 1: figure it out. When we finished our apple, I brought 233 00:13:39,040 --> 00:13:41,679 Speaker 1: our plate over to the sink to wash it and 234 00:13:41,760 --> 00:13:45,920 Speaker 1: noticed that the music seemed to be louder. I looked around, 235 00:13:46,160 --> 00:13:50,360 Speaker 1: trying to find event nearby, but to no avail. Looking 236 00:13:50,360 --> 00:13:52,960 Speaker 1: to the left of the sink, the house is ancient 237 00:13:53,040 --> 00:13:56,360 Speaker 1: dumb waiter sat on a whim. I opened its door, 238 00:13:56,760 --> 00:14:01,920 Speaker 1: the metal grating from years of disuse. The melody wafted 239 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:04,920 Speaker 1: up the shaft into the kitchen. My sister and I 240 00:14:04,960 --> 00:14:08,320 Speaker 1: looked at each other as we came to the same realization. 241 00:14:08,840 --> 00:14:11,880 Speaker 1: It was coming from the basement. The entry to the 242 00:14:11,880 --> 00:14:15,160 Speaker 1: basement was in the pantry just off the kitchen. We 243 00:14:15,200 --> 00:14:17,760 Speaker 1: hadn't yet explored it since we moved in, but now 244 00:14:17,840 --> 00:14:22,520 Speaker 1: seemed like the perfect time. The door swung open slowly 245 00:14:22,840 --> 00:14:27,680 Speaker 1: with a horrific creek. It revealed the basement below us, 246 00:14:27,800 --> 00:14:32,640 Speaker 1: darker than pitch lights, which proved to be fruitless. The 247 00:14:32,640 --> 00:14:35,880 Speaker 1: bulbs likely hadn't been changed in years and were burnt out. 248 00:14:36,720 --> 00:14:39,360 Speaker 1: Leni stood at the top of the stairs, looking down 249 00:14:39,440 --> 00:14:42,040 Speaker 1: into the abyss. I could tell by the way she 250 00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:45,240 Speaker 1: was staring that this might be the end of her journey. 251 00:14:45,640 --> 00:14:49,840 Speaker 1: I'm scared, she admitted, her eyes never leaving the darkness. 252 00:14:50,320 --> 00:14:53,640 Speaker 1: The music still wafted up from the shadowy depths below, 253 00:14:53,760 --> 00:14:57,440 Speaker 1: like a siren song, calling out to us. It's okay, 254 00:14:57,720 --> 00:14:59,840 Speaker 1: I told her, I can take it from here. I 255 00:15:00,040 --> 00:15:03,200 Speaker 1: turned on my flashlight and aimed its beam down the steps. 256 00:15:03,880 --> 00:15:08,320 Speaker 1: To my relief, everything looked surprisingly normal. However, I couldn't 257 00:15:08,360 --> 00:15:11,480 Speaker 1: help feeling a bit of apprehension. As I took my 258 00:15:11,560 --> 00:15:15,440 Speaker 1: first step downward, the wood groaned beneath my feet, and 259 00:15:15,480 --> 00:15:18,520 Speaker 1: I hoped the wood wasn't rotted. I took the next step, 260 00:15:18,560 --> 00:15:20,880 Speaker 1: and then another. Soon I was at the bottom of 261 00:15:20,880 --> 00:15:24,560 Speaker 1: the stairs, my flashlight beam moving back and forth as 262 00:15:24,560 --> 00:15:27,920 Speaker 1: I looked around. What do you see, Leney called out 263 00:15:27,920 --> 00:15:30,720 Speaker 1: to me. Still standing in the doorway, A lot of junk, 264 00:15:31,040 --> 00:15:34,280 Speaker 1: I replied, my father's family hoarded a lot of their 265 00:15:34,280 --> 00:15:36,920 Speaker 1: belongings down here, it seemed. While the rest of the 266 00:15:36,960 --> 00:15:39,560 Speaker 1: house was dusty when we first moved in, it was 267 00:15:39,760 --> 00:15:43,280 Speaker 1: nothing compared to the basement. I remember my mother telling 268 00:15:43,320 --> 00:15:45,480 Speaker 1: me that cleaning it out was a product for a 269 00:15:45,560 --> 00:15:49,800 Speaker 1: rainy day. I moved cautiously in the darkness, not wanting 270 00:15:49,840 --> 00:15:54,080 Speaker 1: to bump into anything or accidentally break something. The music 271 00:15:54,160 --> 00:15:58,440 Speaker 1: continued to play, softly, coming from the left side of 272 00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:01,720 Speaker 1: the room. The basement ran the length of the entire house, 273 00:16:02,160 --> 00:16:06,600 Speaker 1: making it seem impossibly large, especially filled with so many things. 274 00:16:07,240 --> 00:16:10,880 Speaker 1: Old furniture, large portraits, and boxes upon boxes made it 275 00:16:10,920 --> 00:16:15,640 Speaker 1: a pseudo maze full of family memories. After some careful navigating, 276 00:16:15,880 --> 00:16:18,600 Speaker 1: I found myself standing in front of a solid wall, 277 00:16:19,040 --> 00:16:21,840 Speaker 1: or rather a wall with metal shelving lining the length 278 00:16:21,880 --> 00:16:26,400 Speaker 1: of it. I stopped in my tracks and listened. Music 279 00:16:26,520 --> 00:16:30,680 Speaker 1: still played, but it sounded more towards the right. I 280 00:16:30,680 --> 00:16:34,520 Speaker 1: swung my flashlight in the direction and slowly walked that way, 281 00:16:34,840 --> 00:16:38,080 Speaker 1: stopping every few steps to listen again. The source of 282 00:16:38,120 --> 00:16:42,680 Speaker 1: the music was close, but where I looked at the 283 00:16:42,680 --> 00:16:46,760 Speaker 1: metal shelf against the wall, and confusion taking a brief 284 00:16:46,800 --> 00:16:49,480 Speaker 1: look around. There didn't seem to be anything of importance 285 00:16:49,480 --> 00:16:51,880 Speaker 1: on the shelf itself, just a bunch of old junk 286 00:16:51,920 --> 00:16:55,360 Speaker 1: and small boxes. Perhaps in the house this old the 287 00:16:55,440 --> 00:16:58,920 Speaker 1: acoustics were playing tricks on me. Was it actually coming 288 00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:02,440 Speaker 1: from somewhere else in entirely? I began to make my 289 00:17:02,520 --> 00:17:04,959 Speaker 1: way back toward my sister when I heard a crash 290 00:17:05,080 --> 00:17:09,359 Speaker 1: behind me. I quickly turned and directed my beam on 291 00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:13,160 Speaker 1: the floor. Lying there was a box, one that had 292 00:17:13,280 --> 00:17:17,320 Speaker 1: fallen near where I was just standing. Did I do that? 293 00:17:18,040 --> 00:17:21,400 Speaker 1: Did I knock something off balance without realizing it, causing 294 00:17:21,400 --> 00:17:24,840 Speaker 1: it to fall? Just beyond the box? I spot an 295 00:17:24,840 --> 00:17:29,080 Speaker 1: old pair of shoes on their own. They wouldn't have 296 00:17:29,119 --> 00:17:32,080 Speaker 1: caught my eye, but it looked like they were attached 297 00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:36,640 Speaker 1: to a pair of pants. I slowly moved my beam up, 298 00:17:37,359 --> 00:17:41,439 Speaker 1: and those pants turned into a man's overcoat. A feeling 299 00:17:41,480 --> 00:17:44,359 Speaker 1: of dread formed in my stomach as my brain began 300 00:17:44,400 --> 00:17:46,840 Speaker 1: to formulate that it wasn't just a random assortment of 301 00:17:46,880 --> 00:17:49,879 Speaker 1: clothing bunch together in the dark basement, but rather something 302 00:17:49,880 --> 00:17:54,680 Speaker 1: else entirely, someone else entirely. My flashlight beam continued its 303 00:17:54,760 --> 00:17:59,679 Speaker 1: slow ascent up the coat as my dread continued to build. 304 00:18:00,119 --> 00:18:02,600 Speaker 1: I was inches away from revealing the identity of this 305 00:18:02,720 --> 00:18:06,080 Speaker 1: stranger in my basement, but in my heart I already 306 00:18:06,160 --> 00:18:10,160 Speaker 1: knew who it was. A ghastly smile greeted me as 307 00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:13,560 Speaker 1: my light fell upon it. The man in the hat 308 00:18:13,720 --> 00:18:28,520 Speaker 1: was there. Lighthouse will return after these messages, and now 309 00:18:28,960 --> 00:18:37,320 Speaker 1: back to lighthouse, I screamed, but through some sort of miracle, 310 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:40,040 Speaker 1: continued to hold my ground. When I exhausted all the 311 00:18:40,080 --> 00:18:42,840 Speaker 1: air in my lungs, I stood frozen in fear as 312 00:18:42,880 --> 00:18:45,040 Speaker 1: my eyes locked with those of the man in the hat. 313 00:18:45,640 --> 00:18:49,800 Speaker 1: His smile never wavered, nor did his stance. He simply 314 00:18:49,880 --> 00:18:53,000 Speaker 1: stared at me. With my first clear look at him. 315 00:18:53,040 --> 00:18:56,240 Speaker 1: He looked to be in his late fifties. The flesh 316 00:18:56,440 --> 00:18:59,639 Speaker 1: of his skin hung loose, as if he had started 317 00:18:59,640 --> 00:19:03,159 Speaker 1: to deep compose, giving him an even more distressing appearance. 318 00:19:03,600 --> 00:19:06,320 Speaker 1: His clothing, though once an immaculate condition, now was in 319 00:19:06,320 --> 00:19:09,600 Speaker 1: the process of slowly falling apart, as if moths has 320 00:19:09,640 --> 00:19:11,919 Speaker 1: started to make a meal of it. We were at 321 00:19:11,920 --> 00:19:14,639 Speaker 1: an impasse, as neither of us moved a muscle for 322 00:19:14,640 --> 00:19:17,719 Speaker 1: several moments. I was about to take a step backwards 323 00:19:17,880 --> 00:19:20,560 Speaker 1: to get away from this horrifying specter. When the man 324 00:19:20,640 --> 00:19:23,320 Speaker 1: in the hat turned his head toward the wall, his 325 00:19:23,520 --> 00:19:27,840 Speaker 1: arm long and gaunt, lifted in unison as a single 326 00:19:27,960 --> 00:19:31,600 Speaker 1: finger pointed toward the shelf I had been looking through earlier. 327 00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:34,719 Speaker 1: At first, I wasn't sure what he was doing. I 328 00:19:34,760 --> 00:19:37,359 Speaker 1: hesitated to get closer to him, but my curiosity was 329 00:19:37,400 --> 00:19:40,280 Speaker 1: beginning to get the better of me. Was there something 330 00:19:40,320 --> 00:19:43,320 Speaker 1: on the shelf he wanted, something he wanted me to see. 331 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:46,240 Speaker 1: I tried to think of what it could possibly be. 332 00:19:46,760 --> 00:19:51,879 Speaker 1: When I heard the music once again. It sounded like 333 00:19:51,920 --> 00:19:54,359 Speaker 1: it was coming from the direction of the shelf, and 334 00:19:54,400 --> 00:19:57,440 Speaker 1: then it dawned on me the music wasn't coming from 335 00:19:57,480 --> 00:20:01,040 Speaker 1: something on the shelf, but from behind it. I took 336 00:20:01,040 --> 00:20:03,280 Speaker 1: a step forward to see what was there. When I 337 00:20:03,320 --> 00:20:06,080 Speaker 1: felt a tap on my shoulder. I yelped and nearly 338 00:20:06,160 --> 00:20:07,840 Speaker 1: jumped ten feet in the air. As I turned to 339 00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:11,440 Speaker 1: see leaning my sister staring back at me. I heard 340 00:20:11,440 --> 00:20:15,160 Speaker 1: you scream, she said, I thought you were hurt. Despite 341 00:20:15,160 --> 00:20:17,520 Speaker 1: her fear of the dark, my sister made the trek 342 00:20:17,520 --> 00:20:20,160 Speaker 1: through the basement to make sure I was okay. What 343 00:20:20,280 --> 00:20:22,520 Speaker 1: was it, she asked, reminding me that the man in 344 00:20:22,560 --> 00:20:25,480 Speaker 1: the hat was behind me. I turned in his direction again, 345 00:20:25,560 --> 00:20:28,080 Speaker 1: using my light to show her the visitor, but instead 346 00:20:28,880 --> 00:20:33,600 Speaker 1: he was gone. What are you looking for, she asked me, Nothing, 347 00:20:33,760 --> 00:20:36,240 Speaker 1: I replied, but I think I found where the music's 348 00:20:36,280 --> 00:20:39,040 Speaker 1: coming from. I went back to the shelf and pushed 349 00:20:39,040 --> 00:20:43,439 Speaker 1: some boxes aside. There hidden behind the metal rack was 350 00:20:43,520 --> 00:20:46,760 Speaker 1: a small wooden door. If not for the man in 351 00:20:46,800 --> 00:20:49,080 Speaker 1: the hat, I never would have taken a second look. 352 00:20:49,600 --> 00:20:52,880 Speaker 1: I considered trying to move the entire shelf, but it 353 00:20:52,920 --> 00:20:55,959 Speaker 1: was next to impossible with everything still on it. I 354 00:20:56,000 --> 00:20:58,080 Speaker 1: asked my sister to shine her light at the shelf 355 00:20:58,080 --> 00:21:01,000 Speaker 1: while I started to remove boxes from it. One by one. 356 00:21:01,040 --> 00:21:03,119 Speaker 1: I took them away and stacked them neatly near by. 357 00:21:03,840 --> 00:21:06,159 Speaker 1: Among the things were artifacts from the days when the 358 00:21:06,240 --> 00:21:10,040 Speaker 1: lighthouse was still in operation, a container of spark plugs, 359 00:21:10,080 --> 00:21:13,360 Speaker 1: presumably for the light itself, a box of old clothing 360 00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:17,520 Speaker 1: including a seaman's cap, and instruction manuals for various controls. 361 00:21:18,080 --> 00:21:20,240 Speaker 1: There was more than I anticipated, and it took close 362 00:21:20,280 --> 00:21:23,439 Speaker 1: to twenty minutes for me to finish. With the boxes removed, 363 00:21:23,480 --> 00:21:26,600 Speaker 1: it was significantly easier to move the shelfing from its place. 364 00:21:27,280 --> 00:21:30,360 Speaker 1: It wasn't long before the door was fully revealed. It 365 00:21:30,400 --> 00:21:32,920 Speaker 1: wasn't until that moment that I realized the pit in 366 00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:36,879 Speaker 1: my stomach had returned. Just an uncomfortable feeling at first, 367 00:21:37,200 --> 00:21:40,880 Speaker 1: but it grew steadily creeping over me like an icy chill. 368 00:21:41,520 --> 00:21:44,399 Speaker 1: My intuition was telling me that whatever was behind this 369 00:21:44,560 --> 00:21:49,280 Speaker 1: door was something that was not meant for us. My sister, however, 370 00:21:49,480 --> 00:21:52,119 Speaker 1: her bravery growing by the second, ran up to the 371 00:21:52,160 --> 00:21:55,280 Speaker 1: door and placed her ear against the wood. She smiled 372 00:21:55,280 --> 00:21:59,400 Speaker 1: as she looked at me. It's inside, she exclaimed. Before 373 00:21:59,400 --> 00:22:01,399 Speaker 1: I could stop where she grabbed the doors handle. My 374 00:22:01,440 --> 00:22:07,160 Speaker 1: stomach lurched as she did, anticipating the worst. It felt 375 00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:10,359 Speaker 1: as if the world around us changed. Staring into the 376 00:22:10,400 --> 00:22:13,119 Speaker 1: gaping blackness of this secret room, I felt a rush 377 00:22:13,119 --> 00:22:16,240 Speaker 1: of stale air escape it, as if something was trapped 378 00:22:16,240 --> 00:22:19,760 Speaker 1: inside for years and hurried out towards freedom. The dread 379 00:22:19,840 --> 00:22:23,080 Speaker 1: I already felt inside me reached a breaking point, and 380 00:22:23,119 --> 00:22:26,639 Speaker 1: it felt like an impressive force pressing down on my shoulders, 381 00:22:27,359 --> 00:22:29,399 Speaker 1: like all the light in the world had gone out 382 00:22:29,440 --> 00:22:31,840 Speaker 1: in a single instant, leaving us in a world of 383 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:35,800 Speaker 1: never ending darkness. Lenny was already inside the room, using 384 00:22:35,800 --> 00:22:39,080 Speaker 1: her flashlight to search I crouched to enter the room 385 00:22:39,200 --> 00:22:41,159 Speaker 1: as I was a hair taller than the door frame, 386 00:22:41,480 --> 00:22:45,440 Speaker 1: and I felt something brush against my face. I momentarily panic, 387 00:22:45,560 --> 00:22:48,440 Speaker 1: thinking I had walked into a spiderweb, only to find 388 00:22:48,440 --> 00:22:52,280 Speaker 1: my hand hit a tiny metal chain. My mind registered 389 00:22:52,320 --> 00:22:55,240 Speaker 1: it as connection to a lightbulb, and I gave it 390 00:22:55,240 --> 00:22:59,720 Speaker 1: a gentle tug. The room illuminated in a deep red color, 391 00:23:00,280 --> 00:23:03,800 Speaker 1: letting us see a little more beyond our flashlights. It 392 00:23:03,840 --> 00:23:07,280 Speaker 1: wasn't that large of a space, maybe four feet by six, 393 00:23:07,640 --> 00:23:10,240 Speaker 1: but I had a table with two large trays, along 394 00:23:10,240 --> 00:23:13,200 Speaker 1: with another shelf filled with an assortment of things. Jars 395 00:23:13,200 --> 00:23:15,800 Speaker 1: of some sort of liquid pelled to paper, and various 396 00:23:15,840 --> 00:23:18,679 Speaker 1: other odds and ends sat on it above our heads. 397 00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:21,639 Speaker 1: A line of string criss cross just beneath the ceiling, 398 00:23:21,760 --> 00:23:24,479 Speaker 1: with clothes pins hanging from it. But what drew our 399 00:23:24,520 --> 00:23:28,199 Speaker 1: attention before anything else was on the table itself, a 400 00:23:28,280 --> 00:23:32,000 Speaker 1: small music box, the source of the mysterious music that 401 00:23:32,119 --> 00:23:35,680 Speaker 1: plagued us for weeks. Its tiny gears turned as the 402 00:23:35,760 --> 00:23:40,160 Speaker 1: song continued, It's intricate inner workings creating the haunting melody. 403 00:23:40,680 --> 00:23:43,000 Speaker 1: My sister, entranced by it all, made her way toward 404 00:23:43,040 --> 00:23:46,080 Speaker 1: it as her fingers brushed against its side. The music 405 00:23:46,160 --> 00:23:49,520 Speaker 1: suddenly stopped. She pulled back for a second, startled by 406 00:23:49,520 --> 00:23:53,320 Speaker 1: its sudden end, but then took it. Can I keep it? 407 00:23:53,840 --> 00:23:57,480 Speaker 1: She asked me curiously. If this trinket locked inside this 408 00:23:57,560 --> 00:24:00,960 Speaker 1: tiny room made her happy, then so be it. Besides, 409 00:24:01,680 --> 00:24:05,640 Speaker 1: no harm could come from it, could it? With most 410 00:24:05,720 --> 00:24:08,280 Speaker 1: of our curiosity now abated, I turned my attention to 411 00:24:08,359 --> 00:24:11,560 Speaker 1: the rest of the room. For some reason, it just 412 00:24:11,640 --> 00:24:16,160 Speaker 1: felt wrong. The red light wasn't helping that feeling, either, 413 00:24:16,240 --> 00:24:18,320 Speaker 1: so I turned my flashlight back on and began to 414 00:24:18,359 --> 00:24:21,360 Speaker 1: look over the shelves. On the very bottom were three 415 00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:26,879 Speaker 1: large jugs with handwritten labels identifying them as developer, stop, bath, 416 00:24:27,040 --> 00:24:30,960 Speaker 1: and fixer. These words activated a memory deep in my brain. 417 00:24:31,800 --> 00:24:34,840 Speaker 1: When I was younger, I had developed an interest in photography, 418 00:24:35,320 --> 00:24:38,040 Speaker 1: and my father taught me how people developed photos on 419 00:24:38,080 --> 00:24:41,040 Speaker 1: their own. The jugs, the trays, and the red light 420 00:24:41,080 --> 00:24:44,400 Speaker 1: all began to make sense. Now this was once someone's 421 00:24:44,440 --> 00:24:48,320 Speaker 1: photography lab. It was a dark room. On the shelf 422 00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:51,359 Speaker 1: above the jugs were spare cases of photopaper, along with 423 00:24:51,560 --> 00:24:54,399 Speaker 1: a small camera. It was too dark to see the 424 00:24:54,480 --> 00:24:56,240 Speaker 1: make and the model, but it looked to be in 425 00:24:56,280 --> 00:24:59,879 Speaker 1: good condition. I slipped it into my pocket. If le 426 00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:01,960 Speaker 1: he was going to walk away from this adventure with 427 00:25:02,000 --> 00:25:05,080 Speaker 1: a prize, then why shouldn't I as well. Filling out 428 00:25:05,119 --> 00:25:08,000 Speaker 1: the rest of the shelves were large volumes of photographs. 429 00:25:08,359 --> 00:25:10,959 Speaker 1: I took one from its place and glanced through it quickly, 430 00:25:11,119 --> 00:25:14,119 Speaker 1: not finding anything of interest, just photos of people looking 431 00:25:14,160 --> 00:25:18,720 Speaker 1: just as disinterested as I was, accompanied by long pages 432 00:25:18,720 --> 00:25:21,840 Speaker 1: of notes. As I went to return it to its shelf, 433 00:25:22,200 --> 00:25:25,119 Speaker 1: something fell out of the back of the album. I 434 00:25:25,160 --> 00:25:27,959 Speaker 1: saw it was a pair of records, both slightly smaller 435 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:30,720 Speaker 1: than forty five. They must have been tucked away, long 436 00:25:30,800 --> 00:25:34,120 Speaker 1: forgotten by whomever put them there. I didn't recognize either 437 00:25:34,200 --> 00:25:36,919 Speaker 1: of the artists, one of them being a single of 438 00:25:37,280 --> 00:25:39,480 Speaker 1: Stay on the Right Side of the Road by Noraje 439 00:25:39,520 --> 00:25:42,199 Speaker 1: Mayhem's and the Blue Chips, and the other called The 440 00:25:42,280 --> 00:25:46,800 Speaker 1: Raggedy Man by Aida Jones and Edward Meeker. Unfortunately, the 441 00:25:46,800 --> 00:25:49,720 Speaker 1: Aida Jones record chattered, but the other one seemed to 442 00:25:49,760 --> 00:25:52,240 Speaker 1: be in one piece. For a twelve year old, finding 443 00:25:52,280 --> 00:25:55,360 Speaker 1: these as treasure in a secret room was not very exciting. 444 00:25:56,240 --> 00:25:58,160 Speaker 1: I put them back as my eyes scanned the rest 445 00:25:58,240 --> 00:26:01,000 Speaker 1: of the album spines, all with various states from the 446 00:26:01,040 --> 00:26:04,719 Speaker 1: early nineteen hundreds up to the late nineteen thirties. At 447 00:26:04,720 --> 00:26:06,600 Speaker 1: the very top of the shelf was a dusty, old 448 00:26:06,600 --> 00:26:09,360 Speaker 1: teddy bear. How he made his way into the dark 449 00:26:09,440 --> 00:26:12,560 Speaker 1: room was beyond me, but he was far out of reach, 450 00:26:12,640 --> 00:26:16,080 Speaker 1: so I ignored him. Closer at hand were a handful 451 00:26:16,119 --> 00:26:19,359 Speaker 1: of loose photos just sitting on a shelf, as if 452 00:26:19,359 --> 00:26:21,040 Speaker 1: they were meant to be placed in an album, but 453 00:26:21,119 --> 00:26:24,040 Speaker 1: the person doing so never got around to it. Setting 454 00:26:24,080 --> 00:26:26,440 Speaker 1: my flashlight down, I took the loose photos and began 455 00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:30,040 Speaker 1: to look through them, leaning watching over my shoulder. To 456 00:26:30,119 --> 00:26:33,280 Speaker 1: my surprise, most of them were of lighthouse. On the 457 00:26:33,320 --> 00:26:36,080 Speaker 1: bottom of each someone had placed a small piece of 458 00:26:36,119 --> 00:26:40,080 Speaker 1: tape on which they had written nineteen nine. We could 459 00:26:40,119 --> 00:26:42,439 Speaker 1: only assume that it was when the photos were taken. 460 00:26:43,320 --> 00:26:45,600 Speaker 1: Almost were taken from a distance. Some of the latter 461 00:26:45,640 --> 00:26:48,440 Speaker 1: ones were closer. A few more showed off the property, 462 00:26:48,560 --> 00:26:51,680 Speaker 1: especially the large tree out front. The one that caught 463 00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:54,520 Speaker 1: my eye, though, showed the front of the house with 464 00:26:54,640 --> 00:26:57,960 Speaker 1: a man standing out on the front porch. Who's that, 465 00:26:58,640 --> 00:27:00,639 Speaker 1: Leanie asked as she leaned in. Those are trying to 466 00:27:00,680 --> 00:27:03,600 Speaker 1: get a better look. She grabbed her own flashlight and 467 00:27:03,640 --> 00:27:07,160 Speaker 1: illuminated the photo. We both gasped when we recognized who 468 00:27:07,160 --> 00:27:16,240 Speaker 1: it was. It was the man in the hat. Lighthouse 469 00:27:16,240 --> 00:27:25,080 Speaker 1: were returned after a word from our sponsors, and now 470 00:27:25,640 --> 00:27:33,840 Speaker 1: lighthouse continues. I felt a sick feeling wash over me. 471 00:27:35,119 --> 00:27:37,720 Speaker 1: I already knew that the man in the hats appearances 472 00:27:37,720 --> 00:27:41,080 Speaker 1: were on the supernatural sort, but holding concrete evidence of 473 00:27:41,119 --> 00:27:44,480 Speaker 1: his former life in my hand was something else entirely well. 474 00:27:44,480 --> 00:27:46,919 Speaker 1: The quality of this photo was poor. I could almost 475 00:27:46,960 --> 00:27:50,680 Speaker 1: see his eyes staring directly back at me. His ghastly 476 00:27:50,720 --> 00:27:53,639 Speaker 1: smile seemed to grow wider the more I looked. I 477 00:27:53,720 --> 00:27:56,280 Speaker 1: was only jolted out of this trance by something creaking 478 00:27:56,320 --> 00:27:59,000 Speaker 1: above our head. We both looked up to see the 479 00:27:59,080 --> 00:28:03,120 Speaker 1: red lights slow only swaying in an indiscernible breeze. It's 480 00:28:03,200 --> 00:28:06,240 Speaker 1: light casting dark shadows in every corner of the room. 481 00:28:06,400 --> 00:28:09,880 Speaker 1: Linie's flashlight began to fail, then it's bright center, blinking 482 00:28:09,960 --> 00:28:13,800 Speaker 1: once twice three times before cutting out entirely. Mine, still 483 00:28:13,840 --> 00:28:17,520 Speaker 1: sitting on the shelf nearby, followed suit. My sick feeling 484 00:28:17,600 --> 00:28:20,080 Speaker 1: got worse, as if all the air in the room 485 00:28:20,240 --> 00:28:23,840 Speaker 1: was sucked away in an instant. Suddenly, I felt a 486 00:28:23,880 --> 00:28:26,960 Speaker 1: presence there with us. We were no longer alone in 487 00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:30,920 Speaker 1: the dark room. I froze, not wanting it to sense 488 00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:34,159 Speaker 1: us also, but I feared it was too late. Close 489 00:28:34,240 --> 00:28:38,160 Speaker 1: your eyes, I whispered, hoping Lenie heard me. I closed 490 00:28:38,160 --> 00:28:40,640 Speaker 1: mine as well, the darkness of my eyelids blocking out 491 00:28:40,680 --> 00:28:43,160 Speaker 1: the red tinted darkness of the room. I didn't want 492 00:28:43,160 --> 00:28:45,160 Speaker 1: to make another sound, but I wanted to help keep 493 00:28:45,240 --> 00:28:48,360 Speaker 1: Lenie calm. I softly mouthed the words that formed in 494 00:28:48,400 --> 00:29:01,120 Speaker 1: my head one, two, three, four five. Whatever was there 495 00:29:01,120 --> 00:29:03,560 Speaker 1: with us, I felt its hot breath on my neck. 496 00:29:04,480 --> 00:29:07,760 Speaker 1: I let the photos drop to the floor. Run, I 497 00:29:07,880 --> 00:29:10,360 Speaker 1: screamed at her. I grabbed her hand, and we took off. 498 00:29:10,720 --> 00:29:13,440 Speaker 1: We quickly navigated our way back through the basement mazes. 499 00:29:13,480 --> 00:29:15,400 Speaker 1: We heard something step out of the dark room and 500 00:29:15,520 --> 00:29:19,760 Speaker 1: hiss behind us. We didn't bother looking back. We were 501 00:29:19,800 --> 00:29:21,920 Speaker 1: both too afraid, but we could sense it right on 502 00:29:21,960 --> 00:29:25,240 Speaker 1: our heels. When we reached the basement steps, we took 503 00:29:25,280 --> 00:29:27,320 Speaker 1: them two at a time, not wanting that thing to 504 00:29:27,360 --> 00:29:30,120 Speaker 1: catch us. I stumbled over the last few, but Leany 505 00:29:30,200 --> 00:29:32,800 Speaker 1: steadied me and helped pull me through the doorway. Once 506 00:29:32,840 --> 00:29:35,040 Speaker 1: we were back in the pantry. I slammed the basement 507 00:29:35,040 --> 00:29:38,080 Speaker 1: door shut, sliding the bolt in place with a satisfying click. 508 00:29:38,520 --> 00:29:41,880 Speaker 1: We both collapsed against the door, breathing heavy but safe 509 00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:45,480 Speaker 1: for now. We didn't tell our parents about the dark 510 00:29:45,560 --> 00:29:48,680 Speaker 1: room nor the thing that chased us. My mother barely 511 00:29:48,720 --> 00:29:50,800 Speaker 1: believed us about the man in the hat, and after 512 00:29:50,840 --> 00:29:53,320 Speaker 1: what my father said about him, who knows how mad 513 00:29:53,360 --> 00:29:56,320 Speaker 1: he would be about this. Instead, we made a pack 514 00:29:56,440 --> 00:29:58,760 Speaker 1: to watch out for each other and keep it to ourselves. 515 00:29:59,440 --> 00:30:02,800 Speaker 1: The rest of that day was fairly uneventful. I stayed 516 00:30:02,800 --> 00:30:04,680 Speaker 1: in my room for most of it, trying to calm 517 00:30:04,720 --> 00:30:08,120 Speaker 1: myself down from the earlier events and also examining my 518 00:30:08,160 --> 00:30:11,640 Speaker 1: newly found birthday present to myself, the camera from the 519 00:30:11,720 --> 00:30:14,480 Speaker 1: dark room. According to the label on its side, it 520 00:30:14,520 --> 00:30:17,680 Speaker 1: was a Kodak to a autographic Brownie. It was a 521 00:30:17,760 --> 00:30:21,200 Speaker 1: foldable camera, meaning that it's lenses came out like an 522 00:30:21,240 --> 00:30:23,840 Speaker 1: accordion when you wanted to use it, and tucked away 523 00:30:23,880 --> 00:30:26,880 Speaker 1: neatly when you did. Not. To my surprise, it's still 524 00:30:26,920 --> 00:30:29,480 Speaker 1: had a few negatives left in it. I wasn't sure 525 00:30:29,480 --> 00:30:32,000 Speaker 1: if they were still good or not, but I made 526 00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:34,840 Speaker 1: it my mission to test it out. Later that evening, 527 00:30:35,040 --> 00:30:38,080 Speaker 1: my mother made breakfast for dinner in honor of my birthday, 528 00:30:38,320 --> 00:30:40,880 Speaker 1: and then I was treated to a delicious chocolate cake. 529 00:30:41,400 --> 00:30:43,520 Speaker 1: My father stayed in his study for the duration of 530 00:30:43,520 --> 00:30:46,080 Speaker 1: the celebration, except for when I blew out the candles 531 00:30:46,080 --> 00:30:49,000 Speaker 1: on my cake. Reluctantly, he agreed to let me take 532 00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:51,400 Speaker 1: a family photo with my new camera, even though he 533 00:30:51,480 --> 00:30:54,080 Speaker 1: questioned where I had gotten it from. I only lied 534 00:30:54,120 --> 00:30:56,280 Speaker 1: a tiny bit, telling him I founded in one of 535 00:30:56,280 --> 00:30:59,600 Speaker 1: the many rooms of the house, leaving out its exact location. 536 00:30:59,600 --> 00:31:02,760 Speaker 1: When he pressed further, my mother urged him to drop it, 537 00:31:03,120 --> 00:31:05,680 Speaker 1: and with a grumble, he did, Being as how there 538 00:31:05,720 --> 00:31:07,360 Speaker 1: was no time or on it. I had to be 539 00:31:07,440 --> 00:31:10,080 Speaker 1: content with not actually being in the photo myself, but 540 00:31:10,440 --> 00:31:13,040 Speaker 1: I was okay. My sister sat in from the birthday 541 00:31:13,040 --> 00:31:15,880 Speaker 1: cake as my parents surrounded her on either side. With 542 00:31:15,920 --> 00:31:19,320 Speaker 1: a single click, the photo was taken, and before I 543 00:31:19,360 --> 00:31:22,240 Speaker 1: removed the camera from my eyes, my father was already 544 00:31:22,280 --> 00:31:25,000 Speaker 1: to his study again. The rest of us ate our 545 00:31:25,040 --> 00:31:28,440 Speaker 1: cake in silence. It wasn't until late that night, as 546 00:31:28,440 --> 00:31:31,040 Speaker 1: I lay in bed, that I realized that the feeling 547 00:31:31,080 --> 00:31:33,920 Speaker 1: of the house was shifting. Whether it was the way 548 00:31:33,920 --> 00:31:37,080 Speaker 1: my father was secluding himself from us what we discovered 549 00:31:37,120 --> 00:31:40,960 Speaker 1: in the basement, or a combination of both. Things were changing. 550 00:31:41,800 --> 00:31:43,920 Speaker 1: From across the hall, I could hear Leaney switch on 551 00:31:43,960 --> 00:31:47,320 Speaker 1: the music box. It's haunting melody no longer a mystery 552 00:31:47,320 --> 00:31:50,600 Speaker 1: to us. Instead, it almost gave me a feeling of comfort. 553 00:31:51,120 --> 00:31:53,960 Speaker 1: Despite that, my thoughts turned to the dark room and 554 00:31:54,080 --> 00:31:57,920 Speaker 1: what had happened earlier. Someone had to have locked that 555 00:31:58,040 --> 00:32:01,400 Speaker 1: room away, But for what reason? And who had left 556 00:32:01,400 --> 00:32:04,800 Speaker 1: the music box there? Why had it begun playing on 557 00:32:04,880 --> 00:32:09,880 Speaker 1: its own? And that thing we felt? What was it? 558 00:32:10,000 --> 00:32:13,440 Speaker 1: Was it locked in there? Did we unwittingly set it free? 559 00:32:14,560 --> 00:32:16,440 Speaker 1: I tried not to think about it as I began 560 00:32:16,520 --> 00:32:19,720 Speaker 1: to drift off to sleep. My eyes grew heavy as 561 00:32:19,720 --> 00:32:23,600 Speaker 1: the music box lulled me off into dreamland. I slept 562 00:32:23,680 --> 00:32:26,320 Speaker 1: soundly that night, for the first time since we moved 563 00:32:26,360 --> 00:32:30,480 Speaker 1: into Lighthouse, and I'm glad I did, because after that 564 00:32:30,640 --> 00:32:54,960 Speaker 1: night everything changed. Lighthouse is a production of I Heart 565 00:32:55,040 --> 00:32:59,600 Speaker 1: Radio and Bamford Productions. Chapter two featured the voice of 566 00:33:00,000 --> 00:33:05,320 Speaker 1: Ali Trasher, written and directed by Jeff Himbuck, audio engineering, 567 00:33:05,440 --> 00:33:10,280 Speaker 1: an original musical score by Corey Celeste. Production assistance by 568 00:33:10,320 --> 00:33:17,000 Speaker 1: Alex Gona executive produced by Holly Fry. Questions comments, you 569 00:33:17,040 --> 00:33:19,120 Speaker 1: can reach us at the Man in the Hat is 570 00:33:19,120 --> 00:33:22,440 Speaker 1: Watching at gmail dot com. Thank you for listening.